Harry couldn't believe it was actually happening. After weeks of conditioning and more weeks of training camp, the contract finally allowed for in-team scrimmaging.
For the first time ever, Harry would experience Quidditch taken to a level higher than any he had yet to experience. Eventually, the crowds would be bigger, the brooms faster, the coaches smarter and the plays more complex. Of course, today was nothing compared to a regular season match. For now, though, the Boy-Who-Lived would settle for what he could get.
In-team scrimmage be damned, this was going to be tough. Still, after the past weeks of conditioning, Harry was confident he was at least physically ready for it. All the runs and drills with Ash, Ari and the rest the team had paid off; Harry was more in-shape than at any time in his life.
"Five minutes to get ready, then the presser, then it's out to the pitch!" Katie called from outside the room.
Harry quietly cursed, being reminded of the one glaring barrier between him and complete job satisfaction: reporters. They'd only had team access, limited at that, for the past few weeks, and he was already going spare.
"Don't be worried, mate, its just a scrimmage," offered Ashleigh, incorrectly pegging pre-game jitters as the cause of Harry's distress.
"It's not that," replied the former Gryffindor, absent-mindedly double-checking his pads. "It's the press. Bloody awful, they are." The Australian made a sympathetic sounding noise.
Hearing a scoff from several lockers down, Harry turned to find the team's other returning Chaser eyeing him with distaste. Apparently off-season surgery was responsible for his absence in training camp; Harry had yet to meet him, but opinions, where he could find them, seemed lukewarm at best. If this was anything to go by, the reasons were pretty obvious.
"Problem, Seamus?" asked Harry coolly.
"No," bit off the Chaser harshly, jerking on an armband with unnecessary force. "No problem here." His tone made it perfectly clear where he thought the problem was.
"Good." Harry's tone was mild, but he continued to stare levelly at the Chaser until McAdams averted his eyes and left the room. He didn't enjoy confrontation, but years' worth of experience with Malfoy had taught Harry several lessons for dealing with bullies. Chief among them involved not presenting an easy target.
Ash, at the very least, was impressed. "Remind me not to get on your bad side, eh?"
Favoring him with a small smile, Harry adjusted the last of his gear before grabbing his broom from the peg it hung on. "What bad side? I'm perfectly pleasant."
Collecting his broom as well, Ashleigh chortled. "I'm sure that's what you tell all your victims." He started towards the exit before pausing to look back at Harry expectantly.
Realizing he was being waited on, the former Gryffindor quickly double-checked his ensemble. Dressed in brilliantly orange robes, with Dragonskin bracers and gloves, Harry barely recognized himself. He looked…
Harry gulped.
He looked like a professional Quidditch player.
"How was the rest of your presser?" asked a sympathetic Arianna over an hour later, when the team finally reunited on the pitch. Harry responded with a noncommittal grunt.
There had been far more asked of him than anyone else, and it was clear he'd grown increasingly irritated. From the overly and incorrectly invasive:
"Have you received any special treatment?"
"Is it true you were offered shares in the team?"
"Does your troubled past interfere with locker room spirit?"
To the annoyingly innocuous:
"Is orange your favorite color?"
"Do you like Quidditch?"
"Are the showers satisfactory?"
Harry had had to deal with just about every question ever asked. He was yet to hear an engaging one, despite the multitude of faceless interviewers. The Cannon's own reporting crew, in particular, had been shockingly inept. Harry began avoiding their personnel after several disastrous exchanges.
"That bad?"
"I'll say," Ashleigh replied for Harry, shaking his head. "I've never seen anything like it. I can't imagine what the first match'll be like…"
"I can," said Harry grimly. "Picture today, but in a bigger room."
"At least we get to play today," grinned Arianna, wisely changing the subject. Harry and Ash shared a look, then grinned back. In spite of the presser, or perhaps because of it, Harry, at least, was itching to get into the air.
"I can't wait," was his honest reply.
"Me neither," said Ari.
"Should be a good laugh, eh?"
The Chaser snorted. "Every time I see you fly, Bourne, I have a good laugh."
"Well, excuse me!" he declared in mock offense. "You're not exactly swooping with the swallows yourself!"
She giggled as Harry slowly repeated, "Swooping with the swallows?"
Ash waved a hand dismissively. "I have a gift for the English language. Given to me by Merlin himself."
"When did you misplace it?" asked Harry seriously, sending Ari into peals of laughter.
"Oh, ha ha," complained Ash, but he smiled just the same.
The three enjoyed a few minutes of companionable silence, lightly stretching in preparation for takeoff. Harry watched as the last few players dripped out of the locker room, their temporary teams distinguished by varying degrees of orange. Some wore the same near-blinding hue as Harry or Ari, with the rest garbed like Ash in a much more modest, creamy shade. They seemed about ready to start.
"So," Ash cleared his throat, suddenly looking a little nervous, "this is it, huh?"
"This is it," echoed Harry softly, already thinking ahead to the upcoming match.
"Listen, Harry," said the Australian, catching his eyes in a fierce stare. "Win or lose, my spot or yours, we stay mates. Agreed?" He extended his hand.
Harry felt a rush of affection for this man who should have been his rival. It had always been nice doing Seeker drills with Ash; Harry enjoyed the novelty of not being the only one. "Agreed," he said heartily, shaking the offered appendage.
"Good." They broke the handshake, each looking a little embarrassed and gazing at anything but each other.
Ari rolled her eyes. "Are you boys good to fly, or should I conjure up some tissues first?"
"Oh, go jump off a cliff," laughed Ash. "The real question is, are you good to fly?"
"Me? I'm planning on earning my spot today," Arianna said casually, flicking nonexistent lint off her robes. "You two?"
"Thought about it," said Harry just as casually, examining the twigs on his broomstick. There was something comforting about playful banter, he realized, as he slipped effortlessly into the give and take of obnoxious bravado. "Decided I might as well. Why waste time, you know?"
"That would be nice," added Ash in the same indifferent tone, "but tell me, Potter, why the rush to play for the scout team? Because there's only one spot for Seeking on the Cannons, and that would be mine."
"Is that right?" asked Harry mildly. "Must've just opened up. Did I resign, then?"
"You will," the Australian puffed up his chest, "in fear."
Arcing an eyebrow, Harry made a scene pretending to whine and simper.
"I'd be scared to fly with him, Harry," Ari added seriously, indicating Ash with a jerked thumb. "It's like he's wearing blinders up there."
Harry broke then, and shook his head, laughing wonderingly. "You're both barmy, you know that?"
"You're both barmy," said Arianna with finality. "And besides, the only reason that Seeker spot's open is because I prefer Chasing."
As both Seekers swiveled to face her, eyes predatory, Arianna instantly realized her error. Picking on them one at a time was all well and good, but she'd mistakenly isolated herself with that last comment. Now what was once an episode of good-natured ribbing between teammates had devolved into the eternal struggle between Chasers and Seekers.
"Prefer Chasing? Yeah, that's what they all say."
"'Those who can't Seek, Chase.'"
"Right. And prefer chasing what, exactly? Cars on the road?"
"Guys out of your league?"
"The Ice Cream Truck when it flies down your block?"
"The backside of our broomsticks?"
"Or, you know, her own tail."
"Good one."
"Thanks. Listen, I'm not saying Chasers aren't as important as Seekers…"
"Oh, I wouldn't dare to say that."
"… But there's three of you, and one of us."
"Exactly. You do the math."
Ari sighed. She'd had that coming, she supposed. After all, she'd sort of started it.
The team had scarcely scrimmaged for fifteen minutes, but Harry thought he knew enough of Quidditch to make some fairly educated guesses.
First off, Ari was good. She had sure hands, excellent aim, and startlingly sharp vision. In Harry's estimation, she was perhaps the best Chaser in the air. It looked like she would have no problem securing her desired spot.
Secondly, Ash was good too- just not as good as Harry. Once the match started, the two Seekers had immediately engaged each other in various feints, testing their competitor. Ash, Harry noted, was a decent enough flier, but lacked precision in his turns and maneuvers. It didn't take long for both of them to realize that, when it came down to it, those extra slivers of time would make all the difference.
Akermann and McDonnell aimed accurate bludgers, but weren't always on the same page. The former went after Chasers aggressively, while the latter was content to spread his aim around the pitch. This difference in styles, though complimentary, did lead to occasional gaps in coverage.
Robbin Stern, grizzled vet that he was, sat out this particular scrimmage. He brooded impressively on the side with a shockingly large broom, casting his hooded eyes from player to player. Harry still hadn't interacted with him, but the others seemed to be operating under a 'speak only when spoken to' kind of deal. Stern's backup, in the meantime, seemed passable.
All in all, Harry supposed their Beaters and Keepers would be fine, but the Chasers were a different story. While Katie and Ari had both flown well, McAdams so far looked off. There seemed to be some real chemistry issues, and he'd twice given away the Quaffle on errant passes. It was early yet, but that boded ill; it was difficult enough formulating any kind of effective gameplan, much less one without a reliable front line. Either McAdams rounded into form in a hurry, or the Cannons needed to start searching out other options.
He watched with some interest as his side recovered an errant shot. The Quaffle was passed into the reserve Keeper, a German boy named Per. Per scooped it over to an incensed Ari, who ignored an open McAdams and took the ball up the field herself.
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, Harry saw Ash's head turn so fast it had to have hurt. Without thinking, Harry guided his broom in the direction Ash had indicated, shooting down past him even as the Australian began to dive.
Already Harry could see the telltale glint of gold, weaving an erratic line less than a meter off the ground. He leaned closer to the broom, squeezing every bit of speed he could, even as he felt Ash's presence just off his tail.
Just then the Snitch reversed direction, making a dash for the far goalpost. Harry followed with an abrupt turn that strained his back, but he ignored the pain. The Snitch's new path drew Ash even with Harry, and the bigger Seeker wasted no time in body-checking his more slender opponent. Harry was shunted to the side before grimly guiding himself back on course.
Harry braced himself as he saw Ash swerve slightly for another body-check, but just as the other Seeker approached, Harry rolled. Cursing, the Australian missed entirely, shooting several meters past Harry before regaining control.
By the time he did, it was too late, as with a high looping turn and swift grab, Harry ended the first scrimmage of his professional career. The moment his fingers closed around the enchanted ball, a magically-projected whistle sounded audibly throughout the pitch.
Several teammates flew over to clap Harry on the shoulder as they all began to descend. The final score, showing up in the air in orange clusters of sparks, declared:
Orange 230, White 40
18:12
With a rueful smile, Ash made his way over to Harry as soon as they both landed. "Well, you're probably going to get the spot," he began with a sigh. "But it makes me feel better knowing you're miles better at Seeking than I am."
Unsure of what to say, all Harry could think of was to ask him was: "Does it?"
After a moment, Ash laughed. "Well, not really," he admitted with a shrug. "But that's Quidditch, eh?"
"I suppose it is," mumbled Harry, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.
"Oh, lighten up," teased Ash good-naturedly, swinging his broom around to check the bristles. "If this is how you act after every win, I won't be able to stand you when you lose."
Shrugging, Harry did the same to his own broom, and was pleased to find everything in good order.
"Listen, mate," continued Ash, talking to Harry while he worked on a stubborn twig. "The thing about this game is you've gotta stay even-keel. With how exciting the regular season matches are…" he shook his dirty-blonde head in disbelief. "Well, you'll see. Anyway, my point is you don't want to get any more worked up than you need to. Least of all when you actually caught the Snitch."
Harry's face had slowly ripened in color, but couldn't refute the truth in Ash's words. "Right. I'll try to keep that in mind," he muttered through his embarrassment.
Just then Ari approached them, and Harry welcomed the distraction.
"Hey, Ari."
"Hi, Harry. Nice game," she returned.
"Fancy moves up there," said Ash by means of greeting. "Not bad for a yank."
She accepted Ash's words with equal grace. "Well, thanks. You looked great as well. I think I had a pretty good showing, considering it's our first game action. Not as good as Harry, of course."
Ari then gave the former Gryffindor an appraising look. After a moment, she said, "That was some really good Seeking up there, Harry."
"Thanks," he said, fighting the urge to avoid her gaze and return to his broom twigs.
She simply nodded and inspected her own broom, but Harry was sure her features had had a distinctly satisfied cast to them.
"Ignore him," said Ash, indicating Harry, who was sure he'd been the only one to see Ari's curious expression. "He's got no idea how to win gracefully."
"I can live with that," Ari grinned mysteriously, settling down to stretch on the grass. "As long as he wins."
It took Harry until after the fourth, and final, scrimmage of the day to confront her about his suspicions. With each successive win for their side, her satisfaction had grown more and more pronounced. After this last match, in which Harry had made a particularly acrobatic catch while spiraling downward, her smugness became so blatant he felt compelled to ask.
"Hey, Ari," he ventured after they'd gone through various stretches. "'What's got you in such a good mood?"
She arched a slender eyebrow at him. "You mean, besides the fact I had a great day and put myself on the short list to fill a spot?"
"Yeah." Harry grinned. "Besides that."
The Chaser stared at him for several seconds, then simply repeated her statement from earlier: "That was some really good Seeking up there, Harry."
"So you've said," he replied, still looking a bit lost. "Why is it so pleasing to you that I fly well?"
"Well, I guess it's not such a big deal if I tell you," relented Ari, much to Harry's consternation. "I mean, you kind of already know, in a way."
Now he was completely lost. "It has to do with my National team aspirations," offered Ari helpfully. When Harry's expression remained the same, she sighed, explaining, "Well, long story short, the better we do in the British League, the higher my chances of being called in for tryouts. The better you do, the better I do."
"So, it's not just your own ability, it's your team success?" When Ari nodded, Harry frowned. "Well, that can't be fair."
"Of course it's not fair," she answered, looking amused. "How could it be? I don't know how England does it, but we have a twelve-person committee overseeing thousands of potential candidates."
Eyes widening, Harry realized he'd never really considered how the National Team was chosen. Then he shrugged.
"Still, the Cannons?" Harry thought it over. "I mean, I'm flattered and all, but we're not that good. At least, not yet. Why come here for your showcase?"
"Don't think I'm here just for some ulterior motive!" she reassured him quickly. "I am dedicated to this team. It's just that either way, it's in my best interest for it to be as successful as possible.
"But," she admitted matter-of factly, "to answer your question, I'm here with the Cannons because I think you're special. I'm a damn good Chaser, but I can't do it all on my own. I don't want to put you under any pressure, Harry, but I'll be honest: I think with you, this team is going places."
He looked at her in shock, green eyes open wide.
"She's right, mate," said Ash quietly. Harry turned to him with a start; he hadn't even heard him approach. "I've been playing Quidditch since I was a little kid, and I've never seen a flier like you."
Harry's face felt so red, he thought it might glow in the dark. "Thanks, you guys," he voiced awkwardly. "I'll do my best."
Unusually solemn, Ash only nodded, while Ari stared at him intensely. "See that you do," she said simply. They passed several moments in silence after that, but it wasn't uncomfortable. To Harry, at least, it felt like a pact had been made, a covenant formed.
He hadn't expected that from Ari, if he was being honest, nor from Ash. It was both inspiring and humbling, the belief they showed in him. Ari, in particular, had taken a huge risk on his behalf. Harry supposed only time would prove if he could be equal to their expectations, but he'd do his best in the meantime.
"So, er, how was McAdams?" Harry asked finally, coming out of himself and clearing his throat. "From what I saw, you guys were a bit, uh, out of sync."
Both Ari and Ash had been deep in thought as well, and snapped their faces to him when he spoke.
Arianna's expression instantly darkened. "McAdams," she scoffed disgustedly. "I've known that man three hours, and I already hate him. And you know what the worst part is? He isn't that good!"
"Looked awful," commented Harry frankly. "His vision is rubbish, and he's no great shakes at passing either."
"He's not," agreed Ari heartily. "And from what Katie said, he was even worse last year."
"He has a half-decent shot," threw in Ash, who had been listening with some interest. "I'd bet anything he's one of those players who scored a lot in school, but never bothered actually playing with the other Chasers."
"It's too bad our other reserves aren't better," said Harry slowly. "It'll be harder to win with McAdams in the lineup."
"You know what," said Ash suddenly, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "I'm not a bad Chaser myself…"
It took only moments before Ari was all over Ash, pushing and prodding him excitedly. "Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me before? You played how much?! You should try, I'm sure you'll be better than Seamus! I'll tell Diana and Katie; they'll be over the moon!"
She ran off, leaving Harry to smirk amusedly at the shocked look on his friend's face. Finally the Australian shrugged and shook his head in disbelief.
"Did that just happen?"
"Have fun," grinned Harry, as he watched an animated Ari point Ash out to Katie from the corner of his eye. "Because it just did."
The Australian quirked up an eyebrow. "You have fun. You'll have to help me train, you know."
"Ahh, damn."
"Yeah, forgot about that, didn't you?"
"For a moment, I did, yeah."
Ari flounced back over, face flushed, breathing slightly hard. "Katie's all for it," she said excitedly, fighting to regain her breath. "Said we'll try it out in practice tomorrow."
All of a sudden they heard a roar of disbelieving anger. They looked over to find an unimpressed Katie standing, arms crossed, in front of Seamus, who looked absolutely apoplectic. "To HIM?!" he was yelling, gesturing wildly at Ash. "He's not even a Chaser!"
Averting their eyes from the scene, all three were fighting smirks as they exchanged raised eyebrows.
"What's up with Seamus?" asked Harry in mock-ignorance. "Anything we can do, you think?"
Ari lost it at that last comment, falling to her side and snorting occasionally while she giggled. Ash looked between the two of them, a smile playing at his lips.
"Well," he said finally, glancing back at the still-inconsolable McAdams, "even if this doesn't work out, I can't say it wasn't worth it."
A/N: So there! A more solidified starting lineup, and some real Quidditch (kind of)! I'm trying to speed through the offseason a bit, so we can get to the juice and drama of real competition. For now, though, with the setting and important characters sort of established, I'm going to spend a little time fleshing everything out. Also going to do my best to incorporate a preseason game with another team in the upcoming chapter. But, again, I'm eager to here any and all opinions on this.
Chudley Cannons Mid-Week Roster Update
S- Harry Potter
C- Katie Bell
C- Arianna Wan
C- Ashleigh Bourne
B- Diana Akermann
B- Daniel (Danny) McDonnell
K- Robbin Stern (non-participant)/ Per Hummels
Reserves: Seamus McAdams (C), Miles Bletchley (B), Per Hummels (K), Ashleigh Bourne (S)
