I sat in the stands around the Quidditch pitch nervously watching my fellow Hufflepuffs zoom around on brooms, and hitting a volatile flying ball they called a bludger. Others carried a non-flying ball called a Quaffle, and tried to throw it through one of the circular goals. Conor was cheering, and whooping as the players went about their moves.

My eye was nervously on the bludger which seemingly had a mind of its own. I saw Rupert had a small bat which he used to hit the bludger at various points to keep it from harming the other players. Conor seemed to sense my unease, and patted me gently on the shoulder, "Don't worry, mate, Rupert is one of the best beaters in the school. He won't let that bludger come anywhere near us!"

I went to respond when suddenly there were cries of, "Bobby, Conor! Look out!"

Conor managed to scurry out of the way, and grabbed me by my robes to pull me with him, just as I saw the bludger coming at us. The bludger went straight through the wooden bench I had been sitting on. I quickly fumbled for my wand, and panicked, Conor yelled, "That's not supposed to happen…"

Again Conor pulled me away from where I was standing, and the bludger came bursting up through stands again. That was two times the bludger had gone directly where I had been standing. Rupert was flying low overhead of us trying to hit the bludger away from us, or me in particular. Conor, and I quickly ran down the steps out of the stand, "Bludgers aren't supposed to harm anyone not in the match. Someone hexed that bludger!"

"Who would want to hex a bludger to hurt me…"

Suddenly, I saw Conor looking at a student who had just seen us, and was running away from the pitch, wand in hand, "Was that Damian? From Potions?"

"It sure as bloody hell, was. I'm going to curse him for this so bad!"

I saw Conor take off, running after Damian, "Conor, wait, don't leave me!"

I heard a smash through the stands again, and I threw myself out of the way, off the stairs to dodge the bludger. I fell through some tenting, and saw a familiar face, "Teddy, help! The bludger is after…"

"I know, mate. Take this bat, and broom, Rupert, and I are going to need your help to put it back in the box."

"I've never flown before!"

"Don't worry, it comes naturally for many wizards."

I quickly mounted the broom, and took the bat, "It's coming, mate! Best be going now, Bobby!"

"How?"

"Kickoff with your feet!"

Before I respond, I felt my feet leap off the ground, and the broom took me out of the tent, and zooming out into the pitch. Rupert quickly came alongside me, "Hi, Bobby, when that bludger comes at you next, I want you to hit it towards me with your bat. I'll be flying lower towards the floor, mate. Teddy has the box, and will lock it place when I hit it towards him. Good luck!"

I saw the bludger shoot up from the tent I had been in, and it came at me. I found that by gripping my broom, and leaning one way, or another would allow me to steer in a different direction. When the bludger was just about to close on me, I deflected it with the bat. I didn't aimed downwards though, and I had hit it out towards the Lake. Soon it came flying back even faster at me.

This time I tried to concentrate about where I would hit the bludger. When it came close to hitting me, I swung the bat down, and hit the bludger straight down towards the pitch. Rupert pivoted his broom, and intercepted the bludger just as it tried to come back at me, he hit it towards Teddy, who had his wand pointed at the bludger. Teddy yelled, "Accio bludger!"

The bludger slowed a fair amount, and floated into Teddy's outstretched arms. As soon as he took hold out of it, a struggle ensued as it tried to break out of his grip, and come up back at me. Teddy threw himself on top of the box so he could lock it back into place. A few Hufflepuffs dismounted their brooms, and helped Teddy hold the bludger down, while one of them fastened it back into place. The box was then tightly shut, and locked.

I was passed the point of meltdown at this point. I had expended all of my energy, and emotions just trying to keep myself from being hit. Rupert suddenly flew alongside me, and came to stop right next to me, "Bobby, Professor Slughorn gave me this calming draught to give you, just in case. Drink this vial before we land."

Shaking, I took the vial, and downed all of it. I felt the soothing potion worksits magic over me almost immediately. I saw Rupert tying a piece of rope to the front of my broom, "Hold tight, and I'll guide us down. Looks like Conor stunned that Ravenclaw kid pretty badly, he got carried off to the hospital wing by the elves."

Rupert gently flew us down towards the ground on the pitch, when we were close to the ground he called back, "Land on both your feet, mate."

I did as he instructed. When we had landed a large crowd of cheering Hufflepuff students met us, while a group of professors waited silently off at the entrance to the pitch, led by a somber looking Professor McGonagall. My fellow Hufflepuff students were chanting my name, "Bobby! Bobby!"

There were other chants like, "Bobby's our next beater! Make him a beater," too.

Rupert, and Teddy gently parted the crowds, and with Rupert taking my hand, led me back towards the professors. McGonagall looked both angry, and relieved at the same time, "Bobby, are you alright?"

I smiled weakly, and took a moment to flap my hands before saying, "That bludger gave me quite a scare, Professor. Thanks to Rupert, and Teddy, I think I'll live."

I saw Conor being escorted by Professor Longbottom, "Professors, Conor here just turned himself into me at my office. He said he stunned Damian Taylor, the Ravenclaw who hexed the bludger. He takes full responsibility for putting him in the hospital wing."

"Well then, Professor Longbottom, as Hufflepuff's head of house, I will let you determine his punishment. 60 points will be deducted from Ravenclaw for this injustice, and 10 from Hufflepuff as well. Professor Flitwick, you may punish Mr. Taylor further as you see fit, but he must serve at least two full detentions."

I winced as she said that, I could see Teddy, and Rupert looked unnerved by the loss of 10 points too, McGonagall spoke again with a small smile, "Why so gloom, gentlemen? For your collective heroism I am awarding Hufflepuff 50 points, plus another 10 points for Mr. Steinhart's willingness to try out for Hufflepuff's currently unfilled second beater position."

I heard Conor cheer, "Yes!"

And Teddy, and Rupert, slapped me on the back, with Rupert saying "Well done, Bobby. What say you? Will you be our second beater? You certainly have the build for it."

I knew I wanted to make friends, and make new people, this seemed the perfect way to do so. Flapping my hands excitedly, I said, "I'd love too."

I thought tryouts would be a terrible experience for me, and while it wasn't fun initially, I had become a hero, and won the respect of my fellow housemates. Best of all, I was now on the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team. I was already looking forward to my first match.