As the time for our return journey to Hogwarts drew nearer the house began to get more and more excited. Lily was bouncing off the walls, excited for it to be her turn to go to Hogwarts, but unhappy, because she couldn't play Quidditch. You see, like me, Lily played seeker, and was excellent at it. The only trouble was, Gryffindor already had an excellent seeker, if I say so my self. It appeared that Hogwarts agreed, because, when the book lists arrived mine contained a special surprise. I had been made Quidditch captain! And only a third year too!

"Congratulations!" said Mum, as Dad said, "Well, I reckon we've got to get you Firebolt now..."

"I want a Firebolt!" said Al.

"Me too!" said Lily.

"You're too young," said Al, causing Lily to pout, "Am not!"

"Wait. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop," said Mum, glaring at Dad, "Now that your father has brought it up I might as well tell you, James, you and Al are getting Firebolts, and so is Rose," before Lily could protest, Mum said, "And no one else is. Understood?"

"Fine," grumbled Lily, heading off to her room to pack.

"Thanks Mum!" said Al, before trotting off to his room.

"Yeah, thanks a bunch," I said, heading up to my room to find Lynx. I wanted to owl at least Steven before I saw them on the train.

"Quidditch captain...." said Daniel in awe, "Wow." We were all sitting in our compartment on the train, halfway back to Hogwarts.

"I'm so nervous," I said, quietly.

"Why?" asked Steven.

"Cause if we start loosing it'll be all my fault."

"No one ever blamed Michael when Gryffindor lost in the past," said Emily.

"Yeah, but that was Michael," I replied, "He's off to go play for the British national team. He was legendary."

"You will be too," said Leah.

The first Friday of term started like any other Friday. James was irritable, because getting up had never really been his thing. He wasn't as bad as Rose, but then again, no one was. Steven, Daniel, and Robert were all up a full half hour before he stirred, and then he was grumpy all the way until breakfast.

"You've got to get over this morning thing," said Steven, as he buttered his toast.

"No," I said through my mouth-full of scrambled eggs.

"Eww!" said Leah, as she sat down, "James, I know you aren't a morning person, but really!"

"Yeah, mate," said Daniel, "That was gross. Anyways, you'll have to get over this, if you're going to schedule morning Quidditch practices."

I groaned. He was right, and we both knew it. The team always practiced better at about 6 AM. Michael used to have us meet every day at 6 AM the week before a game, and we'd practice an hour before breakfast.

"Don't you want to be a good captain?" said Steven with a smirk. He was a morning person, and as any non-morning person knows, morning people are extremely irritating and smug in the morning. It just plain sucks.

"Shut up," I grumbled, elbowing him.

"James, Steven" said Emily, "You haven't done anything bad this week, have you?"

"Not especially," I said, "Why?"

"Cause Longbottom is heading this way," she pointed towards the staff table, where Uncle Neville was getting up, and heading towards us."

I racked my brains to remember what I could've done to cause the head of house to descend on me. He was carrying a scroll of parchment, possibly the one that held detention options that Steven and I had not done yet. The list got shorter and shorter each year.

"Hi, Uncle--I mean, Professor Longbottom," I said nervously.

"Hey James," he said, "I've got a list of the hopefuls for the Quidditch team, so you can set up trials whenever."

"Oh, thanks," I said, taking the list, and glancing down it as Uncle Neville walked away. I inwardly laughed at the long list of keepers, because I couldn't see how any of them would be as good as Daniel. Only one chaser had left from last year, so the list of chasers, that was even longer than the keepers list, was even funnier. I wasn't giving up Leanne Finnegan (yes, she is Robert's older sister, she's in 6th year) or Aaron Spinet. They were some of the best chasers ever...I was intrigued by Sarah Thomas, Dean's daughter, she could be good...and obviously Robert, and then--I froze. Robert and Leah, two of my best mates, were both going to try for the same chaser spot. This could not be happening.

I set trials for the very next day, more to get them over with than anything else, and the morning had proved productive and informative. I quickly rooted out all of the keepers, unsurprised that none had been better than Daniel. For the beaters I selected twins, but unlike my Uncles Fred and George, they were girls. They were 6th years, and their names were Morgan and Alison Frebot. They worked very well together as a team, and I was pleased with them, though neither was as good as Michael alone, together they were better than he ever was. Leanne Finnegan and Aaron Spinet returned to the team, having flown exceptionally well, and then it was time to pick...Leah or Robert? There wasn't really much of a choice, Robert was a much better flier, but, Leah was one of my closest friends, honestly much closer to me than Robert, and she had a temper. She wouldn't forgive me if I picked Robert over her. But, I had to do what was best for the team.

All of the hopeful chasers were gathered around me, and Morgan, Alison, and Daniel were all waiting in the background to see who their other teammates would be.

"Right," I said, "A lot of you flew really well, but I've had to choose only three of you. Leanne Finnegan and Aaron Spinet," they beamed, "Welcome back, guys." The crowed that was left all watched me with baited breath, and I was painfully aware of Leah and Robert standing right next to each other. "Um, for the last chaser I've chosen someone who I'm sure will be great, and lead us to a Gryffindor victory...Robert Finnegan." Robert smiled broadly, and walked over to the team, where Leanne gave him a hug, and Daniel clapped him on the back. Immediately the rejected players began shouting in protest, as they had for the beaters and keeper.

"He's in your year! Of course you'd pick your best mate!"

"How much did his sister bribe you to take him?"

"Rubbish!"

Only Leah seemed to have resisted the urge to shout, but with difficulty. She looked normal, but not normal normal...not normal for her, at all. She brushed some of her straight, blond hair behind her ear, in a dignified way, said, "Congratulations Robert!" in a falsely cheery voice, and walked away, tall (or as tall as you can be at 5"2') and proud. I turned to face my team, and they were beaming up at me.

"Amazing job guys," I said, "We'll make one hell of a team. No more ties for the cup this year," they all cheered, and departed as soon as I announced the time for our first practice. That left me free to seek out Leah. I changed out of my Quidditch robes quickly, and then headed towards the lake, one of Leah's favorite places to sulk. When I reached the shore I was unsurprised to see her under a beach tree. She looked just as I'd expected. When Leah was mad or angry she never showed it. She was far too proud for that. She sat, looking as pretty as ever--wait, pretty? My insanity is beside the point right now--and was reading a book. The only noticeable difference was the frostiness that surrounded her like a cloud. Leah never cried, and so there was no point in looking for circles under her eyes. She never liked to show weakness, but was one of the stubbornest people I'd ever met, something I'd always sort of admired in her--no, stop that! Anyone who didn't know her would never know she was angry, they'd just think she wasn't a fun person. Only people who knew her, and got to see the smart, funny, cute, flirty--STOP THAT--the normal parts of her would know something was up.

"Hey," I said, walking over to her.

She didn't even glance up. Her eyes continued moving across the page at a steady pace as she said, "Hello."

"Sooooooo...." this was awkward, "You wanna go in for dinner."

"Not just now," she said, still reading, "But don't let me stop you, go right ahead."

"No, that's alright," I said, "I'll wait."

I sat down, and just looked at her, but was startled when she stood up, her eyes still on the book, "On second thought, I'll go in," and she left, without glancing once at me. She walked at a perfectly normal speed back up to the castle, and I followed at a safe distance behind. I was about to call out to her on the staircase, when Steven called, "James! Come here!" I turned to see my best mate standing at the doorway to the Great Hall. I looked between his expectant face, and Leah's indifferent eyes, still moving across the page of her book as she walked. I turned to Steven and said, "Yeah?"

I walked away from the stairs, because, there was no dealing with some people when they're angry.