Year 4

At September 1st 2020 Albus was even more nervous about going to Hogwarts than ever. This year quite a lot positions in Ravenclaw's Quidditch Team would be free. The keeper, the seeker, two of the chasers and a beater had left Hogwarts the year before. That would mean, he could have a try in getting into the team. He wanted to try out for the Seeker position and he that Rose wanted to become the Keeper. Scorpius was interested in the Beater position. Stella had promised Albus to try to become a Chaser.

He had almost forgotten to take his suitcase, all that counted was his brand new Firebolt Ultimus. This year would begin differently from all the others. Normally the Potters would drive to King's Cross with uncle Ron, aunt Hermione, Rose and Hugo. This year the four Weasleys had decided to go on a vacation. Albus would not meet his favourite cousin until they reached the station.

Reaching the train, Albus realized that he was the first of his friends, who had reached platform 9 ¾. The four of them had a meeting point since three years. At the train's fourth door to be exact. After they said their goodbyes to their families they would always meet there. From his position Albus observed Albus, how Rolf Scamander brought his sons to the station. It was odd seeing them without Luna. But in a positive way. Albus had never liked Rolf, Lysander and Lorcan. When they were present at family celebrations, he and Rose would always keep away from them.

"Hi Al. Nice to see you. Have you seen Rosie?", a deep voice from behind him suddenly asked and Albus spun around. Who was that oaf that wanted to assault his cousin? Albus was more than surprised – and a bit envious – when he saw, that it had been Scorpius Malfoy who asked question. Albus' best friend had grown over summer. Actually he had grown a lot, and his voice had gotten much deeper, as well. Albus had not grown much, only about a centimetre, and his voice still was childishly high. "Merlin Scorp, you surprised me." "Why?", he asked and raised a blonde brow. "As if you don't know that already.", Albus felt like dub school boy next to Scorpius.

"Al! Scorp!", Rose Weasley's voice reached their ears, and the two Ravenclaws turned to their best red haired friend. Rose threw herself in Scorpius' arms, to greet him. "Whoa Scorp, since when have you been this tall?", Rose asked "I always have been.", the blonde answered. After hugging Albus, Rose turned back to Scorpius "But not that tall. I hardly reach your nose, you giant!", she grinned, and Scorpius only shrugged his shoulders. Shortly after that Stella arrived. She stumbled over to her friends happily, after saying goodbye to her mother. She would meet her father again in a few hours already.

All four of them had brooms with them and went on the train to search for an empty compartment. Thus the fourth year began for Rose, Albus, Scorpius and Stella.

It was the end of September, when Ravenclaw's Quidditch Team would have try outs. So the four fourth year students were up early up on that sunny, but already cold September morning. Everyone was supposed to stand with those that wanted to try out for the same position, and the Chasers practised with the Keepers, whilst the Seekers and Beaters practised together.

At first it was time for the Keepers and Chasers. The first exercise was that the Chasers would try to score goals, that the Keepers were supposed to stop. Albus' eyes were on Stella, who tried her best to get a Quaffle past Rose. "Rosie really is a great Keeper, isn't she?", Albus spun around to see his older brother James. James' eyes were not on Rose, or on his brother. His eyes were narrowed and he glared at Scorpius angrily. The blonde did not notice, and only nodded, his eyes not leaving Rose.

"James, please mind your own business.", Albus mumbled. He wanted to cheer, when Stella made a goal against another Keeper, but he chose not to. James was about to retort something, when the Ravenclaw Captain, a big, bulky Beater , called the Seekers and Beaters down. This meant the first round of try outs was finished for the Chasers and Keepers. Albus and Scorpius made their way down onto the field. Rose and Stella wished them good luck, when they passed them on their way upstairs.

While he and the others who tried out for Seeker, were supposed to catch the Snitch, the Beaters were supposed to send Bludgers their way. Albus had been the first to see the Snitch. He did not let it out of sight, but turned another way to send the other contestants on a wrong track. When he was hit by a Bludger, that wore Scorpius' handwriting, he was sure about that, he stopped the tactic of chasing after the wrong track. This way he, and a small second year chased after the real Snitch. The small boy was good, Albus had to admit, but he was better. Thus it was no wonder that Albus had caught the Snitch.

The 14 contestants that were left were divided into two teams. This way Rose and Scorpius were up against Albus and Stella. The training game ended 150:150, although Albus had caught the snitch, mainly because Rose did not let any Quaffle through and the Chasers of her team were able to shoot enough goals. The Beaters in Albus' and Stella's team seemed to send every Bludger to Rose. Albus almost flew over to the two fifth years and punch their faces in, which he could not. Their tactic actually was not that bad, since Rose was the only obstacle for their team. Well Rose and Scorpius were the only obstacles, since the blonde protected Rose from all of the Bludgers nearing her. He actually sent them right back, so one of the fifth class fell from his broom and broke his nose.

"That was a nice game, guys. Danny and I will sit together and will tell you about our decision at about 8 pm. Please attend to the common room to that time.", the captain, who had introduced himself as Cedric Chang, announced.

The rest of the day Albus was really anxious about the results. He knew that Rose and Scorpius had gone to the library and that Stella had visited her father, for he would leave later that day. But Albus doubted he was the only one to be so nervous. Sometime during the day James pulled his brother into an empty class room. "Don't be so nervous. You'll be the Seeker, believe me. You couldn't be your father's son, if you weren't a great Seeker. You would be a great Chaser, as well, but really the tiny boy didn't stand a chance against you. Now, don't fly off the handle again. You're the only one who could beat me.", James grinned at his brother.

In this moment, Albus was very happy about his brother's words. They calmed him down. "James, get off that hippogriff. By the way, why did you glare so much at Scorpius earlier? Did he do anything bad to you?", he asked his brother. "Didn't you see how he looked at her?" Yes Albus had seen, but this was the way he looked when you only mentioned Rose's name. "Yeah, what's about it?", Albus wanted to find out "Al, I don't like that look. He likes my little cousin. I have to protect her. I promised that to uncle Ron." Albus sighed "James, nothing is going on between those two. Scorp has a crush on Rose. And it's a huge crush. But unless he doesn't tell her, she'll never know. Although it should be quite obvious, if even you noticed.", Al grinned. "But what when he does tell her, and only wants to play with her?" "He won't, James. Believe me, I know Scorp good enough. He wants to cross out the mistakes of his family from the people's minds, even if that won't ever be possible. He wouldn't hurt Rose. He knows that if he did, the Weasley Potter clan would be his death.", Albus laughed "I'll protect her, James. Don't worry."

The rest of the day the two brothers talked, until Fred and Rose found them and dragged them to dinner. During dinner Rose could not shut her mouth for one minute. She talked all the time. Albus knew, that this was because she was nervous, he knew that behaviour from exam time. Normally Scorpius would shut her up, but the blonde teenager looked a bit green around the nose. Stella was like she always had been. Quidditch did not matter to Stella, as it did to her other friends. She enjoyed playing, and she was actually not that bad, but to her it was not as exciting as it was for her friends. She had taken part in the try outs, because James asked her to, he knew that.

Albus tried absorbing a bit of her calmness, because his cousin was making him nervous again with her constant rambling.

"It is time.", it had been Albus who voiced the statement shortly before the clock struck 8, and the four made their way to the Ravenclaw common room. They were the last ones, to arrive and listened to Cedric. Once the other Beater saw Scorpius, looking as though he would faint any moment, he decided to change the order. (Normally he'd begin with announcing the Chasers)"Danny and I have talked for a long time and thought of how the team could work best. This year we'll have serious chances against Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. Gryffindor will still be a strong opponent. I especially am glad to announce the new Beater." One of the fifth years, that had tried out as a Beater got up from his seat, victoriously. The big oaf fell down back on the armchair, when Scorpius' name sounded through the common room. The blond found himself soon in an embrace with Rose Weasley. She whispered "Congratulations", into his ear and after Albus patted his shoulder. Scorpius went up and stood with his new team members. "I think it was rather obvious, who would be Seeker and Keeper. To be honest I knew from the beginning I would announce your names. I would like to announce Rose Weasley as Keeper, and Albus Potter as Seeker.", the captain grinned. Rose quickly hugged her cousin and her best friend and skipped to Scorpius' side. Albus was hugged by Stella and she pushed him to his other team members.

"The decision for the Chasers, was the hardest, because all of you did such a great job. In fact you've been working like house elves. I'm proud of all of you, but unfortunately we had to choose two of you. We decided to have Marie and Thomas Wood as our new Chasers.", Albus looked over to Stella, who only smiled sadly at him. Marie and Thomas were good, Albus knew that, but he had hoped that Stella would be a new Chaser.

After the captain had told them, that Ravenclaw was on the field every Friday after school, until dinner, Albus wanted to go to Stella. But she was not there any more. "I bet she's gone to her father. Yo know that Quidditch isn't that much of a deal to he, any way.", Rose smiled at him, but Albus only shook his head "Nev- Professor Longbottom isn't in Hogwarts this weekend. I'll go search for her.", he decided and before he realized where he was going, he stood in front of the Room of Requirements.

He opened the door and saw, how Stella lay on the floor and looked at the ceiling. Albus decided he would lay down next to her and did so. "Hey.", he greeted and she only nodded "I really didn't think-" "That I wouldn't be on the team. I know, Al. I've got to admit, that I am a bit disappointed, as well, although it is not that important to me. Marie and Thomas are better than me, and fit into the team better than I do. That's all right with me. But is it for you?" "Yeah, I think so.", Albus answered "It's just... I had looked forward to a team, with all of us in it." "But Al, look at it this way, now I can on you. I can cheer on you without falling off my broom.", she laughed and Albus looked at her.

When she realized, that he looked at her, she looked back. "Is there something on my face?", she asked worried, but Albus did not answer. "Al? Is every-", he interrupted her by putting his lips over hers. At first she was surprised, but soon her eyes closed and her mouth against his.

Albus still was a bit sad about Stella not being on the team, but he knew how to cheer himself and Stella up. This was the way Stella Lovegood and Albus Severus Potter got together.