Chapter Ten: Quidditch
Shaddi sat up looking around the dorm and saw that's the grandfather clock on the wall said it was 8:30 A.M.
"Ok time to get up." She said slowly dragging herself from her warm bed and into the chill of the dormitory's air, she shivered and quickly grabbed her wand and tapped herself, appearing into her school uniforms rather than her pajamas.
"That's better." She noticed that Hermione's bed was empty and some of the other girls were waking up. She quickly left trying to avoid being questioned about the night before. No such luck. As she went down to the common room many of the younger boys ganged up on her trying to convince her to answer them. Finally Ron and Harry came forward and helped her get out of the Common room by parting the crowd. Once they were in the hall she felt like she could breathe.
"Thanks." She said to the boys.
"No problem." Harry said.
"Yea no one likes to be ganged up on." Ron added. Shaddi nodded to that and the three of them began to head down to the Great Hall. Once they entered they spotted Hermione at the Gryffindor. Shaddi looked at the Slytherin table where Draco was opening his mouth. She threw him a looked and walked right past without even a nod more. If he called her over today she would ignore him.
"Good morning." Hermione said as they sat down. Shaddi stayed quite while Harry and Ron reciprocated Hermione's greeting. She couldn't think of how that git Malfoy found out about Jordan and the coven. It just didn't make any since.
For a while the day's passed rather uneventfully and soon it was time For the Gryffindor Quidditch team to get new beaters and chasers for the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, which would take place one month later. Harry had flatly refused the captains position as he didn't want more work added on top of his classes, this made Ron captain.
"Alright Harry new team tryouts are tonight on the pitch, I only hope we get a team who can play." Ron said not looking as if his hopes were high.
"Hey Ron, don't worry you'll find people." Hermione said Harry nodded in agreement. Shaddi said nothing but continued with her breakfast. That evening Harry and Ron entered the pitch to find a small group of Gryffindors already there among theme holding on to a nimbus 2001 was...
"Shaddi?" Ron said looking at her.
"Yes." she side looking up at him.
"You play Quidditch?" Harry said sounding happy about it.
"Beater." She said quite tonelessly.
"You any good?" Ron asked seeming in shock.
"I'm alright." She gave a shrug as Ron addressed the rest.
"Ok I want to see your best I want all beater auditions over here and all Chasers over there." The group separated at his words. Ok so here it is, I'm going to chose three of the chasers at once and have you pass the Quaffle around then try to get it passed me. Once we run a chaser drill I'll have the beaters run a drill with Harry. everyone ok with the plain?" The groups nodded. "Ok you, you, and you; up first." He had chosen two fourth years and a third year. He mounted his broom threw the 3rd year the quaffle and went up to one of the golden goops. "Alright, go!" He called back. The chasers passed the quaffel back and forth rather well until they reached Ron one of the 4th years got it and went for the shot, as he made to throw it in and slipped from his hand and went speeding for the ground. One of the others caught it and seamlessly put it up however Ron caught it. The 4 of them went for the ground and when they landed Ron said.
"That wasn't too bad, now I want two beaters to run a drill with Harry and then well take that last team of chasers and the team of beaters and run bolt drills. So you and you Harry is going to dive as if he sees the snitch and you have to try to hit him with a bludger, got it." The 5th year boy nodded and so did Shaddi. They mounted their brooms and took to the air Shaddi rising quickly with her club in her hand. She looked down and saw the bludgers shoot up toward them. Harry flew by and up then he dove. The pair rocked toward the bludgers. the 5th years knocked the bludger toward Harry but was way off. Shaddi tracked the bludger for a moment waiting for her shot then. BANG. Harry had to barrel roll clean over to miss being hit. Ron called them down as he took out his wand and summoned the bludgers back to the box. Harry looked at Shaddi who was smiling slightly.
"You nearly hit me." He said jokingly
"Well that is the idea." She said
"Ok now that team of beaters and the team of chasers, I want all of you in the air. Harry and I will both be up there and now Beaters you must wacth the goal and the seeker when Harry sees the snitch get him and when the chasers try to score get them. Chasers you must avoid the bludgers while trying to score. Ok lets go." The 7 of them took to the air. Harry and Shaddi rising and the bludgers shoot up after them. The chasers flew toward the goal but found themselves dodging bludgers from Shaddi who was quite good. The fifth year didn't have very good aim but could swing he began to get into his stride and made the chasers watch him as much as Shaddi. After a few Harry got board and tested the Beaters. He dove Shaddi saw the quick movement and looked then bolted after him and soon sent the bludger straight at him. He looked and sped up enough only to clear it by the tail of his broom. Ron called them down and set up new teams, then started the process over again Chasers, Beaters and both, then again. After about three hours everyone had gone.
"Ok I will post a flyer on the message board in the common room when I have made my decision so watch for you names. Good night." Ron said Shaddi began to leave once she reached the gates to the pitch Harry and Ron came up to her.
"I might want to watch what I say to you or you might hit me with your club, you certainly can swing that thing." Ron said looking at her impressed.
"Well I'm nothing special." She said not wanting to seem like a glory hog, truth was she just loved to play she didn't like the attention that came with winning.
"Yea well I only hope I'm never again on the wrong of a bludger you hit, there lethal." Harry said
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes "I certainly wasn't the only good on out there, That fourth year she was rather good, Um Rasputin, yes she was ok."
"Yes but we want the best, we want to put Slytherin to shame." Ron said sounding like the very idea was enjoyable.
"But she has a point there were some very good players out there, not only beaters but chasers too." Harry said as they entered the entrance hall. They continued up stairs and threw the fat lady's picture, where they found Hermione in the common room doing Transfiguration homework.
"So how was it?" She said looking up at the three of them as they came closer and sat down.
"Great I think this year's team will be really strong." Harry said sounding confident.
"Yea there are a lot of good players out there." Shaddi said looking out the window sounding a bit distracted.
"Yea she was one of them." Ron said to Hermione nodding his head toward Shaddi. "She flies almost as well as Harry does and that's saying a lot, considering Harry was the youngest seeker in a hundred years.
"Ron stop it, there were plenty of beaters out there tonight better than myself." Shaddi said as some of the other beaters that had auditioned walked by.
"Yeah right." one of the girls said
"You put us all to shame." Said her friend, as they went up the girls staircase.
"Whatever, I'm going to bed." She said standing shouldering her broom and going up the stairs, leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione alone together.
"Was she really that good?" Hermione said with a raised eye brow.
"Yes!" Both boys said at once.
"Hermione you should have seen her, she almost hit Harry." Ron pointed out "That is not easy to do, you know that."
"Did she?"
"Yes." Harry said.
"Well if she is that good she would be excellent on the team agents Slytherin." Hermione said now speaking and doing homework at the same time.
"Yes; oh how I would love to see her take out her frustration on a bludger at Malfoy." Ron said then roared with laughter, that Harry joined in with. Hermione herself chuckled at the thought of Malfoy falling from his broom due to Shaddi.
"Well now that I've finished I think I'll be off to bed too." Hermione said gathering up her finished essay and heading up to the dorm. Not long after the boys still talking about the auditions went up to bed too.
For the next week and a half the Gryffindor's who tried out of the Quidditch team were watching for the notice but none came, Ron was astounded to find Shaddi was one of the few who never asked him if he had decided. Finally on Wednesday the notice went up. Shaddi came back from the library with Hermione and was deafened by the screaming. The Gryffindor's greeted her with cheering and tugged her into quickly then pushed her over to the board where Ron had put up the notice. She guessed they wanted her to read it. She looked at the paper tacked there.
To all who tried out for Quidditch.
I saw many great Players but we only needed five of you so here you are.
Chasers
Cate Bishop
Sandy Walker
Greg Rasputin
Beaters
1. Christy Bishop
2. Shaddi Ravencroft
I thank you all for your additions and for those how have made the team first Practice tomorrow, Thursday 8:00 pm on the pitch.
Ron Weasley
Quidditch captain.
Shaddi knew the Bishops were sisters in the sixth year however they were the only ones she actually knew. As for her making the team she was quite pleased. She smiled and pushed her way back through the crowd over to a chair where she sat.
"Well?" Hermione said coming over to her and sitting in the chair next to her.
"I made it." Shaddi said tonelessly but with a slight smile.
"Great, from what Harry and Ron told me, you're very good."
"Nothing special anyway I want to get to bed, I'm a bit tired." With that she got up and moved off to the dorm. Once up there she changed and lay on her bed in the dark and quite. She was quite happy to be playing Quidditch again but against a house she once belonged to. And even more agents the house Severus was the head of. This would prove to be interesting, very interesting indeed. After a while of thinking of when she was at school doing the opposite of what she did now. Thinking of how she used to help put the Gryffindor house to shame, she drifted off into sleep.