A/N: Here's another feather-light installment for this "back stories" thing. You know, maybe I should call it "side stories" instead. That's actually a more accurate way to describe what I'm doing here. I'm working on Uprising but I don't have as much time to spend on it as I'd like, and I'm still getting the plot worked out. Bits and pieces of several different chapters have been written.
krysalys73: Hello again! Well, in Chamber of Secrets Rictusempra was a tickling charm. It makes sense; "rictus" is another word for a gaping mouth, which is what it does when you laugh, and "sempra" is Latin for "always". You're quite right that it definitely wasn't a tickling charm in the movie. Actually there are several people who disagree with you about my writing – they think it can use some improvement – but I do appreciate your praise.
Rob: I believe one of the books referred to the Longbottom "clan" (I can't remember which one or where) so I thought maybe Neville would have a big family. It's not really clear, is it? And I'm working on Uprising, I promise.
Dragon's Daughter2: Thanks! I'm glad you liked the way I wrote Neville. I think he's a really interesting character; he's quiet, but there's a lot going on beneath the surface.
capncrunchnotthecereal: I agree. All Neville really needs is some self-confidence and a chance to prove himself.
Talix: Thank you! Sirius' chapter is one of my favorites out of any that I have written for any story.
Haunting Darkness: I did start year 6: it's called Harry Potter and the Dark Uprising. If you go to my profile page you'll find it listed.
Six: Making the Team (Ginny Weasley)
Ginny Weasley clutched her school broomstick tightly as she walked across the Hogwarts lawns to the Quidditch stadium. She wasn't the only person heading that way; dozens of Gryffindors were streaming toward the pitch where bright banners were waving in the breeze. Gryffindor was having tryouts for its first ever reserve Quidditch team that very morning. Every position was up for grabs. It truly was a golden opportunity, and every Gryffindor who had ever played Quidditch in their backyard was taking advantage of it.
None of Ginny's close friends were trying out, so she was walking alone. With no one to talk to she could hear groups of friends chattering excitedly as they walked.
"My sister was a Beater for Gryffindor before the Weasleys. I learned from her."
"I think I've got a fair shot at Chaser. My parents say I was born to be one."
"Yeah, you're really good, but you're going to have to watch out for Seamus. I hear he's got reflexes like a cat…"
Ginny tuned the students out. Hearing them air out their egos was making her nervous. She'd heard good things about Seamus Finnigan, too, and she was trying out for Chaser herself. It didn't do any good to think about the competition. There were butterflies in her stomach and they were definitely having a party.
Quidditch was a favorite pastime in the Weasley family. By the time Ginny had been born Mrs. Weasley had ceased to be fearful of her children riding broomsticks, and as a result Ginny had started on the game at a fairly young age. With Seeker, Beater, and Keeper positions spoken for by Charlie, the twins, and Ron, respectively, that left Ginny on Chaser with Bill. She'd seldom played anything else during those home games and Bill taught her everything he knew. Ginny thought that with all those summers of family practice behind her she had a decent chance at the reserve team, but there was no telling how good the other students were.
"Oi, Gin! Wait up!"
Ginny turned and saw Ron hurrying up to her. She smiled with real pleasure; seeing him made her feel more at ease. "Hey, Ron. Excited?"
"No," Ron said truthfully, falling into step beside her. "How about you?"
"Not really," said Ginny. "I'm too nervous to be excited."
"Yeah," said Ron. "Everyone's trying out for Keeper. My chances aren't as good as yours."
"Are you saying that I'm going to make the team just because there's a smaller Chaser pool?" said Ginny in tones of mock disapproval.
"Nah. You'll be great," said Ron. "I've seen how you play. I think you could make the regular team right now if there was a spot open."
"Nice save," said Ginny.
"Thanks," said Ron, grinning at her.
"Well, you're right about there being more competition for Keeper," Ginny admitted. "But I think you've got as good a shot as anybody else. You were pretty good at blocking me and Bill back home."
"Maybe," Ron said uncertainly. "The thing is, when I get nervous I start to screw up, and I couldn't eat this morning. Ugh, I'm gonna let every shot go in. Katie, Alicia, and Angelina are really good. If only I had a better broomstick! This old thing isn't going to help at all." He gave the school broomstick he was toting a derisive shake. "Harry would've let me use his Firebolt if it hadn't been quite so unfair. He said it would look bad if I rode it and got picked."
"He's right," said Ginny. "Mmm. If I had one of those… no one would be able to stop me."
"Yeah," Ron said dreamily. "I'd be a human wall. I'd fly between the goalposts so fast I'd be nothing but a blur. With a Firebolt I think even Neville could play Seeker."
"At least most of the others are in the same boat as us," said Ginny. "A lot of people don't have their own broomstick." It was true. Broomsticks were expensive no matter what the brand. A Firebolt was an extravagance that none of the Weasleys could even fathom.
The faraway look in Ron's eyes vanished. "Paul Kirkland's got a Zephyr," he said morosely. "Popular opinion says he's pretty good."
"He's a second year," said Ginny. "You've been playing longer than he has."
"That's true," said Ron, perking up a bit.
Ginny thought it felt odd to be making Ron feel better instead of it being the other way around. She had never expected that she would be more self-confident than he when it came to Quidditch. Boys were full of bravado, and her brothers were no exception. She'd heard Ron talk about what a great Keeper he was dozens of times, but that had always been at home during a friendly game. Her brothers had done some playful, deprecating teasing, but in the end they were always pumping each other up. To hear the Weasley boys tell it, the twins were the best Beaters in the world, Charlie was the best Seeker in the world, and Ron was the best Keeper in the world. And here Ginny was, walking to the big tryout with Ron, who was about as nervous as she'd ever seen him.
Ginny thought she understood where some of Ron's anxiety was coming from. Ron and Bill were the brothers she felt closest to; Ron was only one year older than she and as the twins' younger siblings, they had both been subject to their merciless teasing and pranks. That alone was enough to bring them closer together. For his part, Ron confided in Ginny more than anyone else in the family. Ginny knew things about him that no one else did. She knew that he felt he'd never live up to the standards that had been set by his brothers. "They're all good at something," he'd said. "Bill's the handsome one and the oldest besides. Charlie's the athletic one; first he's a brilliant Seeker, and now he works with dragons. Percy's the smart one, and Fred and George are the funny, creative ones. Mum and Dad can't control them for anything. And you're the only girl, Gin, so that puts you in a class all by yourself. So where does that leave me? Which one am I?" Ginny didn't think that being the only female Weasley child was what really made her special, but she had to admit that she wasn't living under the same set of expectations that Ron was. Their parents still had expectations for her – high ones – but as the first girl, she was blazing her own trail.
On top of everything else their older brothers had done, they had also played Quidditch for the Gryffindor team – everyone except Percy. Ginny knew that today Ron wouldn't be thinking about the fact that Bill was handsome or the twins were clever; he was surely thinking about being the first Weasley son not to make the team (Percy hadn't tried, so he didn't count). She didn't think Ron knew it, but she worried about the same thing, although not for the same reason. Bill had encouraged her to excel at Quidditch but no one else in the family had, and this irked her more than a little bit. It wasn't that they thought she couldn't make it onto the house team; they just didn't think about it. Everyone always assumed that the boys would play. It wasn't disapproval Ginny feared if she failed to make the team – it was dismissal. She was just as good at Quidditch as her brothers, and she wanted to prove it.
Ginny opened her mouth to let her feelings come spilling out, but Ron spoke while she was still drawing breath. "I practiced with Harry last night," he said. "He says he thinks I'm in the running."
Ginny blinked. Of course – Harry! She had forgotten all about him. Harry, so perfect in the Seeker position, zipping around the field on his Firebolt, winning honor for Gryffindor. Ginny remembered how thrilled Ron had sounded in his first letter home from Hogwarts, telling her and their parents how he'd made it into Gryffindor and he was quickly becoming Harry Potter's best friend. Mum and Dad had been impressed, though they hadn't said so to Ron. The entire wizarding world was in awe of the Boy Who Lived. No one had expected that famous Harry Potter would pick a poor Weasley for a best friend. As far as Ginny could tell he'd been as true a friend as Ron could ask for, but eventually her brother had begun to show signs of jealousy.
Then there was the big fight Harry and Ron had had last year. Ron had come to Ginny more than once to gripe about how unreasonable Harry was. One late night when he was particularly hot under the collar, he had paced around the empty common room and fumed while Ginny sat quietly and listened. "It's not fair!" he'd shouted. "If Harry'd found a way to get across that age line, he should've told me about it! Why should he always get to have all the glory? Doesn't he think that anyone else should get the chance to win? He's got everything, Gin! He's famous. He's got an escaped convict for a godfather, which isn't good for Sirius, I guess, but it's still cool. He got to be Seeker in first year! He's had three showdowns with You-Know-Who, and he won the first one when he was a baby! He's even better at Potions than I am!"
Not much, Ginny had thought, but she'd kept her mouth shut.
"And the worst thing is that he's so damn humble about it all!" Ron had finished.
As she walked along beside Ron, Ginny couldn't decide whose shadow Ron was in more – his brothers' or Harry's. Either would be enough to overcome by itself. Ron was laboring under both.
They had reached the stadium with the rest of the hopefuls. The regular Gryffindor team was up in the air having a quick practice. Ginny could see Fred and George swinging their bats, making the Bludgers zing back and forth between them. Katie, Alicia, and Angelina were swarming about like bees, passing the Quaffle to each other and tossing it at the hoops. Harry was in their way, acting as Keeper. As Ginny and Ron watched, Alicia passed to Katie who zipped off to Harry's left and tossed the Quaffle toward a hoop. Harry stretched out his right hand, missed the Quaffle by a mile and nearly lost his balance. By the time he regained it Katie was coming at him again, this time flying beneath him and throwing the red ball up through the hoop behind his back.
"What was that you were saying about Neville being able to fly if he had a Firebolt?" Ginny giggled.
"I take it back," said Ron. "I guess the broom doesn't make the flier. He's a pathetic Keeper!"
Ginny smiled at Ron, but he didn't notice. He was too busy laughing at Harry who had just suffered another miss. See, Ron? she thought. He's NOT perfect. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and show him how it's done! "You'll be great," she said aloud. Ron looked over at her and smiled gratefully.
"Good morning," said Angelina, drifting down toward the pitch on her broomstick. "Welcome to the Gryffindor House Team tryouts. First of all I'd like to remind you that only second years and up may try out. First years will have to wait until next year." The rest of the team landed behind her and dismounted. "Okay. Everyone who's eligible, divide up into groups. Chasers go to Alicia, Seekers to Harry, Beaters to Fred –"
"I'm George!" said Fred, winking cheekily at Angelina.
"To Fred," Angelina repeated firmly, but she was smiling. "And Keepers come stand by me."
"Good luck, Gin," said Ron.
"You too," said Ginny.
They went their separate ways. The butterflies in Ginny's stomach seemed to be rioting. She found herself standing in a large group of other nervous-looking Gryffindors, all shifting their feet and holding onto their brooms tightly. Ginny's nerves calmed a bit when she saw that even Seamus looked uneasy.
"Right," said Angelina. "Here's how this is going to work. We're going to have Chaser, Beater, and Keeper tryouts all at the same time –"
"What are they doing here?" Winifred Bixby, a third year, was pointing up into the stands.
"Slytherins!" Alicia growled. Sure enough, a group of their archrivals had gathered above. Draco Malfoy was easily recognizable with his white-blond hair. He and his friends were laughing and pointing at the Gryffindors below.
"What a pathetic bunch of duffers!" Malfoy called. "Oh, look, there's two Weasleys trying out. Now we know they're desperate!"
It wasn't one of Malfoy's better insults. Ginny rolled her eyes and turned up her nose, deciding that it wasn't worth dignifying with more of a response. Fred, George, and Ron gave Malfoy their hardest glares. Ginny knew that it was for her benefit and not theirs; none of them ever missed the opportunity to play the role of big brother when they felt it was warranted.
"Professor McGonagall told them to keep out of this!" Angelina said darkly as she mounted her broom and soared up to confront the Slytherins.
"Awww, look at the weeny little Seekers!" said Malfoy, making his voice unnaturally high. "Watch out, Potty. Those three are so small they'll be blown to France by my wake." Ginny looked over at the students who were trying out for Seeker. They were all second years and obviously still thin-skinned when it came to nasty comments from Slytherin. All three of them turned bright red and dropped their eyes.
Harry saw their reaction and turned a venomous glare on the Slytherins. "I don't think a two time loser like you has any room to boast, Malfoy," he shouted back.
"Oooooo!" several of the Gryffindors said, and others clapped appreciatively. Harry's Seekers laughed nervously, seeming a little less embarrassed. Harry looked down at them and nodded in satisfaction.
A smile grew on Ginny's lips. That's sweet of him to stand up for them, she thought. He really can be very noble. I can see why that would bother Ron sometimes. Suddenly Harry looked right at her and saw her smiling at him. He flashed her a grin of his own and she felt her face go bright red. She jerked her gaze up to the stands where Angelina who was telling Malfoy off. She fervently hoped that Harry hadn't seen her blush.
Come to think of it, Harry bothered her sometimes, too. Ginny had worked very hard at getting over her schoolgirl crush, but the vestiges still lingered. Harry had the uncanny ability to make her trip over her own tongue, turn red, and otherwise feel the fool, and it was very frustrating. Her brothers no longer teased her about him, so she must have gotten better at hiding it. Still, it was far too easy for Harry to make her act like an idiot. The fact that he didn't know he was doing it made Ginny feel annoyed and relieved at the same time.
"…before I hex you back to the Stone Age!" Angelina said, and the Slytherins finally got going though they took their time about it. Ginny risked a glance back at Harry. He was giving his Seekers a pep talk; their faces were now determined, and they were nodding as he spoke. Ginny looked away, not wanting Harry to catch her watching him again.
"As I was saying," Angelina said as she landed again, "we'll be trying out several positions at once. Don't worry about the Seekers; Harry is handling them separately. One Keeper will play at the hoops, one Beater will play with Fred… or George, whichever –"
"Hey!" said George, and everybody laughed.
"- and one Chaser will play with Alicia and Katie. We'll take it easy on you," she said when everyone paled. "Depending on how we think you're doing, we may ramp it up a bit. So everyone play your best and have fun." Angelina pulled a scroll of parchment from within her robes and unrolled it. "You'll be going in alphabetical order. Quincy Arlington, you're first on Chaser."
Quincy, who was a boy in Ginny's year, sighed nervously and strode forward. "It's a good day to be a Weasley, isn't it?" he said to Ginny as he passed her. She grinned at him.
A Beater and a Keeper were called, and the rest of the students sat down to watch. Ginny kept a close eye on the Chasers as student after student took their turn. Seamus Finnigan was undeniably good; based on the others she'd seen, he was a shoo-in. There were more who seemed competent, but not so much so that Ginny didn't have a chance.
When Ron's name was called for Keeper, he went as white as a sheet. He stood up and mounted his broom, all the while looking as if he were going to be sick. You can do it, Ron, thought Ginny. Don't start second-guessing yourself now! Ron kicked off from the ground and maneuvered himself into position at the hoops. The new Chaser and Beater took their positions, Alicia tossed the Quaffle to Katie, and off they went.
Alicia and Katie were generally letting the tryout Chasers take the first shots at the goal and this time was no exception. The Chaser, a third year boy Ginny didn't know well, awkwardly tossed the Quaffle toward the center goal, and Ron easily caught it. Ginny wanted to cheer. After the second and third catch Ron's face had lost its pallor but he still wasn't smiling. He blocked every shot taken by the Chaser, and then Alicia and Katie started taking shots to really test him. Ginny thought he still looked a little wooden; out of five attempts by the girls, he stopped three.
"Good job, Ron!" Ginny said enthusiastically as he walked back to the group of watching students.
"Yeah," he said uncertainly. "Thanks."
Ginny frowned at him. "What's the matter? You were great!"
"I guess," he said. "I didn't stop them all, though."
"Neither has anyone else," Ginny pointed out. "Don't forget that you were up against Katie and Alicia! They're really good, Ron, no one expected you to block all their shots."
Ron shrugged. "Well, I guess we'll see."
Ginny was exasperated. He'd done so well, and he felt no self-confidence whatsoever?
"Ginny Weasley!" called Angelina.
Ginny's stomach flip-flopped. She mechanically bent down, picked up her broom and headed for Angelina. "Good luck," said Ron from behind her. At Angelina's direction, Ginny mounted her broom and flew up to join Alicia and Katie.
The stadium looked so different from the air! The watching students below were small and insignificant while the goalposts now loomed ominously before her. Looking down at the stands, they somehow seemed less important, too. It was a good thing Ginny wasn't afraid of heights. No game she'd played at home had ever been this far up. The richly green field seemed to be a mile away.
"Ready, Ginny?" said Alicia. Ginny nodded. "Then let's go!" Alicia tossed the Quaffle to Katie, and the three Chasers flew forward together.
The moment she started to move Ginny felt better. She loved flying; nothing in the world compared to soaring through the sky on a sunny day with the wind in her hair. Every one of her senses was heightened. She could smell the freshly cut grass below. She heard the crack of the bats on the hard, black Bludgers. Katie tossed her the Quaffle and she caught it easily, feeling the bumps in the red leather. Ginny tucked the ball under her arm and leaned forward on her broomstick to put on speed. The tryout Keeper at the goalposts was weaving back and forth, ready to move in whatever direction she moved. She swerved left, the Keeper followed, and she jerked her broom back to the right and darted forward. She gripped the Quaffle and tossed it easily through the center hoop.
"Nice shot!" said Alicia, and Ginny beamed back at her.
Not all of Ginny's attempts went in – the Keeper wasn't half bad – but she more than kept up with Katie and Alicia. The two veteran Chasers made their passes a little more complicated each time, and Ginny kept on her toes, never missing when the Quaffle was tossed her way. When she took her final shot and it sailed through the right hoop, the students watching on the ground actually clapped. The Keeper shrugged and grinned. "More than a match for me," he said.
"Very well done," said Katie, sounding impressed.
"Yes – great job," said Alicia, smiling at Ginny, who smiled right back. Her heart was so light, she thought she could fly even without her broomstick. The tryout had gone beautifully. There was no way she wouldn't get a spot on the reserve team. As she descended back to the ground she saw Harry watching her with a look of approval on his face. Ginny felt her face go red all over again. Darn that Potter! she thought. When did he finish up with the Seekers? Was he watching me the whole time? Well, if he was, thank goodness I didn't know. I would have given the sorriest performance of anyone.
"Well, that's it," said Angelina, who looked and sounded tired. "Great job, everyone. We'll have the new team members posted in the common room tomorrow morning."
And with that the tryouts were over. Ginny quickly found Ron who was standing with Seamus. Both of them congratulated her on a job well done. Ron didn't seem to want to talk, so Ginny left him with Seamus and headed back to the castle, all the way being hailed by other Gryffindors who told her what a great tryout she'd had. Sheesh, she thought. If I'm not careful I'll get a big head from all this.
The rest of Ginny's day was quiet and uneventful, which was just the way she wanted it. She finished her History of Magic homework and practiced Transfiguring a quill into a hairbrush. She played Exploding Snap with her friends Louisa and Judy, wrote a letter to Bill, and helped Neville find his toad, Trevor. She didn't want to think about the tryouts; even though she thought she had cause for cheer, the waiting was still excruciating.
If it hadn't been for Ron Ginny might have been able to forget about Quidditch entirely. Every time she saw him he looked a little glummer. By dinnertime he was telling anyone who would listen that he'd been the worst Keeper in the bunch. Poor Hermione was distressed, Harry refused to give any hints as to the team's decision, and the rest of Ron's friends were getting sick of his bellyaching. When Ginny finally sank into her pillow that night it was with a sense of relief. At least the whole thing would be over in a few hours. Not only would she know how her own tryout had gone, but Ron would shut up about them whatever the outcome.
Ginny felt as if she had only just closed her eyes when a loud whoop sounded from somewhere outside her room. "Wha?" said Louisa, sitting up in her four-poster.
"Yes!" came a distant shout. "I made it!"
"The tryout results!" cried Judy, leaping from her bed and pulling on her dressing gown. Ginny followed suit and hurried out of the dormitory after her friend. They weren't the only ones who had been awakened; other girls who had tried out were on the stairs down to the common room.
When Ginny reached the message board there were already a dozen students in front of it searching for their names. One of them gave a shout of glee; most of the rest sighed in disappointment and moved out of the way. Ginny stepped forward eagerly, craning her neck, and George jumped in front of her.
"Morning, Gin!" he said good-naturedly.
"George, you awful… get out of the way!" said Ginny. She stepped to the left and he moved to block her view. She stepped to the right and he followed her again.
"Something of interest to you back there?" he teased.
"You git!" she laughed. "Move it or I'll sic Fred on you!"
"It was Fred's idea," said George, but when the students behind Ginny began shouting at him, he finally moved away.
Ginny's eyes swept the list of new reserve team members. Beater: Barron Fidemont, Leonard Fidemont. Chaser: Judy Fairbanks, Seamus Finnigan, Ginny Weasley.
Ginny and Judy squealed with pure joy at exactly the same time. They looked at each other, faces alight, and hugged enthusiastically while bouncing up and down on their toes. The students around them offered their congratulations, and Ginny, feeling a bit embarrassed, calmed down enough to thank them.
George gave Ginny a celebratory bear hug. "Look at the other list," he advised her. Ginny looked up at the parchment that was pinned next to the first. It bore three words only.
Keeper: Ron Weasley.
Ginny gasped and George grinned. "He made it!" she exclaimed. She saw Harry and Hermione standing at the edge of the group and hurried over to them. "He made it!" she exclaimed again.
"So did you," said Hermione. "Well done!"
"Oh, I'm so excited!" she said, hugging Hermione and then throwing her arms around Harry's neck in turn. As soon as she realized what she'd done she let go as if she'd touched a hot stove, blushing furiously. His hair smelled nice, she thought fleetingly.
"Where is Ron?" said Hermione, looking around.
"Asleep," Harry said quickly. Ginny glanced at him. He sounded flustered.
"What?" said Fred, who had joined them. "The entire House is up, and he doesn't want to see if he made the cut?"
"He's got himself convinced that he didn't," said Harry. Was it Ginny's imagination or was he looking at everybody except her?
"Stupid git," said George. He and Fred marched off, voicing their intent to bring Ron downstairs forthwith. They pounded up the staircase, making as much noise as possible, and reappeared moments later with Ron imprisoned between them. Ron was protesting miserably but the twins were implacable.
Ginny couldn't stand to see Ron downcast for one moment more. Harry and Hermione must have felt the same way, because they shouted, "CONGRATULATIONS, RON!" along with Ginny.
Ron stared at the parchment in disbelief. "I made the team?" he stammered. His shock was soon replaced by exhilaration and he began shaking hands with everyone in sight. Fred pounded him on the back and called him by his least favorite nickname – Ickle Ronniekins – and Ron didn't even seem to mind.
"Every Weasley sibling has made the Gryffindor Quidditch team!" crowed George. "Well, except for Percy, the puffed-up dunderhead."
Ginny was feeling so elated that she could manage little more than a half-hearted criticism of George for his putdown. Her brother's words rang in her head. Every Weasley sibling. As a general celebration began in the Gryffindor common room, Ginny felt a sense of vindication. She might be the only Weasley girl, but when it came to Quidditch, she was just another one of the boys.