Alright, guys! Just a heads up—I'm going to camp for a while, so sadly there won't be any new chapters until I get back! :'( Luckily, this one's pretty long, and I hope you like it! R&R!
CHAPTER 7: Quidditch
"I'm sorry you were Sorted into Slytherin," Victoire said quietly as they made their way through the corridors to the Transfiguration classroom. "But I think we'll still see each other throughout the day," she continued optimistically.
Teddy, relieved that Victoire was speaking to him again, gave her a smile, which she returned. "It's really not so bad," he said trying to sound brave. "I mean, I'm sure there are plenty of nice people in Slytherin." He turned his hair bright blue in an effort to diffuse the tension even further.
Victoire laughed, and the two of them continued walking together, talking about this and that on the way to Transfiguration. During the class, Teddy amazed Professor Viciss with his ability to accomplish many tasks without much effort. Teddy soon became very popular amongst the students in the class, who all insisted that Teddy teach them some other neat Transfiguration technique (or just how to complete the homework).
One bright Sunday afternoon, Teddy, Victoire, and some other first years were wandering through the halls of the school when they came across a large group of students crowded around a sheet of parchment. Upon closer inspection, Teddy and Victoire were able to read the announcement.
QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS: ALL HOUSES
Anyone who wishes to try out for their House Quidditch team must see the team captains and report to the Quidditch pitch next Thursday. Consult with your team captain as to the time which your tryouts will take place.
"Teddy, you should try out," a voice rang from behind him. Teddy whirled and was surprised to find that it was Victoire who had said it.
"What? Are you mad?" he asked, confused. "First years never make the House teams! It's one of the basic rules at Hogwarts!"
"But you could make it!" she persisted. "You're definitely good enough; I saw you practicing with Uncle Harry when we were no older than six, and you were brilliant. Besides, you've grown up with Harry Potter, and he was a Seeker when he was a first year."
A sound of agreeing whispers echoed throughout his crowd of friends. "Yeah, he was the youngest player to make a House Quidditch team in a century," Came a voice from somewhere in the crowd.
"Victoire is right, Teddy, you should do it," a short Gryffindor boy, Travis Dickenson, said. "I bet you would be great." Travis was a small boy with short brown hair and freckles, and his ears were clearly too large for his head.
"I'm not sure," Teddy replied, thinking about the decision in front of him.
Choruses of "Come on, Teddy!" and "Go for it!" pressed in on him from all sides.
"Are you going to try out or not?" A Ravenclaw girl asked him, her brown eyes questioning. "You really should, you know."
Teddy looked around at all the expectant faces pointed in his direction. "I guess it wouldn't hurt just to try out," he concluded, enjoying the cheers that followed his statement.
The next morning, Teddy asked the Slytherin Quidditch captain, the same boy who had led the first years to the common room, about the tryouts. Teddy found him sitting with a group of other sixth year boys eating breakfast at one of the middle tables.
"Hey, um," he started hesitantly, having forgotten the boy's name, "are you the Slytherin Quidditch captain?"
"Yeah. That's me," he answered, turning to face Teddy with an unfriendly smirk on his face.
"I was just wondering when our tryouts were. You see, I want to try out for Beater."
"You can't be serious," the boy said teasingly as his cronies laughed behind him. "You think that just because you've grown up with the great Harry Potter, you can get anything you want?" he continued sarcastically. As his friends around him continued to guffaw, Teddy walked away disappointed.
He had taken three slow steps away from the boys when he heard a voice call him in a whisper. "Hey, Lupin," it called. Teddy turned in the direction of the voice and found Channing sitting at one of the neighboring tables, beckoning Teddy to come closer.
"Yeah?" Teddy asked.
"Don't worry about Aidan," he began. Right, that was his name. Aidan Loom, Teddy thought as Channing continued. "He's done that to most people who come asking about the tryouts. He thinks he's better than everyone else, just because he's the Quidditch captain now. He's only letting his friends know about the tryouts; he wants a team that he's 'familiar with.'"
"Well, that's all well and good," Teddy began, irritated, "But what do you suggest I do about it?" He was beginning to wonder why Channing had brought this up.
"He talks much too loud for his own good; I've been listening to his conversations, you know, when he's near me. Tryouts are Thursday afternoon at three o'clock. Go try out, prove that first years can play Quidditch just as well as everyone else in our House can."
Teddy rolled his eyes. "What good is that gonna do if he has complete control over who makes it and who doesn't? He'll still pick his friends over me even I do play well; he's never going to let me on the team."
"Leave that to me," Channing answered, a sly look suddenly appearing on his face.
Teddy, though slightly suspicious, thanked him and continued towards Victoire, who was sitting on the other side of the room, despite Channing rolling his eyes as he did so.
"Hey," she greeted. "Did you find out about the tryouts?"
"Well, Dalton—I mean, Channing—found out for me," he started nervously. He had been worried about talking about Channing with Victoire ever since their argument. "He said that Aidan Loom, the captain, is only letting his friends try out and not telling anyone else the time."
"That isn't fair!" Victoire said, enraged. "Everyone should be given the same chance as everyone else for a spot on the Quidditch team."
Teddy continued coolly, "Channing also said that he's found out the time; he's been keeping an eye on Loom for a while, so he told me. It's Thursday at three."
"Great," Victoire said, seemingly forgetting her anger with Aidan. "Would you mind if I came to watch?"
"Not at all," Teddy replied, happy that he would have at least one supporter. "But you've got to promise to just let things play out, alright? Don't go trying to argue with Aidan if I don't make the team."
She laughed her sweet laugh again. "Don't worry, I won't."
Thursday finally arrived, and Teddy practically sprinted down to the Quidditch pitch along with Victoire and several friends from various houses, all anxious to see him play. It was now the end of September, and the leaves were beginning to turn brilliant shades of oranges, yellows and reds. The sky was clear and blue, a perfect day for Quidditch. With the excitement of the tryouts mounting, Teddy turned his hair bright green (much to the delight of onlookers), and his eyes were an even brighter blue.
When he arrived at the pitch, his friends and Victoire seated themselves in the stands to watch the tryouts. Victoire whispered "good luck" as Aidan Loom walked out onto the field.
"Teddy," he said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile. It was one of those nervous smiles people give when they are genuinely scared of something, which Teddy thought was quite out of character for this intimidating boy. "Channing told me you would be here," he continued with the same smile.
"Yeah, he told me the time," Teddy answered, slightly angry.
"Well, if all that Channing said about you is true," Aidan said in a scared tone, "I don't think your tryout is really necessary. Welcome to the Slytherin team." He then took a step back, as if he was waiting for Teddy to blow his head off.
"You don't need to see me fly or anything?" Teddy asked, confused. He had actually been looking forward to it, even if he did have to borrow one of the old school brooms, a Cleansweep Seven.
"Nope, you're on the team."
"Ok, well…thanks," Teddy said, dumbfounded. He then strode past Loom, who flinched slightly as Teddy passed him, and out of the field. As he exited the pitch, Teddy could hear shouts coming from behind him.
"Why does he get on the team without even trying out?" one angry boy asked.
"It's because he was raised by Harry Potter, isn't it?" another girl shouted accusingly, clearly upset by what had just transpired. "You think that because he grew up with the youngest Seeker of the century he's suddenly the greatest player ever to come to Hogwarts?"
Many shouts such as these continued as Teddy hurried back to the castle. Just before he entered the Great Hall for a late lunch, Victoire caught up with Teddy. "What was that all about?" she asked, slightly out of breath.
"I have no idea," Teddy answered truthfully, still in shock at Loom's actions.
"Anyway," Victoire said, trying to change the subject, "you're on the team!" she exclaimed as she gave him a slight hug, which he returned a bit more awkwardly than he had hoped. "You and your godfather are now the two youngest Quidditch players in over a century!"
"Yeah, I'm still in shock."
Just then a flock of first year students came rushing through the double doors of the Great Hall, all calling for Teddy. "Teddy, that was amazing!" Travis said enthusiastically. "I've never seen a fifth year act like that around a first year; it was almost like he was scared of you! You didn't even have to try out!"
Clare Daray, who had also watched Teddy's tryout (or lack thereof) came inside and immediately started going on about how amazing she thought Teddy had been and how Loom had deserved to hear whatever Teddy had said to him. Having been sitting in the stands, no one had heard what really went on down on the pitch
"But I didn't say anything to him!" Teddy tried to explain. "I just showed up!"
"Well, whatever happened down there got you on the team," Clare said, still gazing at him with wide, admiring eyes.
"What do you think made him so scared of you?" Victoire asked. "It was like he was expecting you to curse or something."
"I dunno," Teddy replied as he thought of what Channing could possibly have said to Aidan Loom that would make him so terrified of a small first year boy.
Ooh, suspense! What did Channing say? Why did it scare Aidan so much? Leave us a REVIEW, or it'll be a while before you find out!
