On the day of the quidditch tryouts Lily was the first applicant to show up; in fact she was so early that James, Albus and the rest of the team hadn't even started setting up yet and she had to wait on the stands whilst they did.

A handful of second year Gryffindors petered out into the grounds followed by Alanna Hooch and Poppy Balfour.

James yelled for them all to come down and line up by the side lines. Professor Claudas stood there with a roll of parchment held stiff by an invisible clipboard taking down names. He looked less than impressed at the fact both Lily and Poppy had shown up.

James explained that they would take it in turns to try to get the Quaffle past a three person team made up of a beater, a chaser and a keeper from the current Gryffindor team. The number of goals scored within their time limit would be reflected in their final score. In addition good flying form and speed could earn them extra points (these would be granted by Professor Claudas). The rest of them would fly in the mean time on the other side of the field and try to catch the snitch. The remainder of the Gryffindor team would be there to try to prevent them from doing so. Anyone who did manage to catch the snitch would receive an additional ten points for each catch.

It was a convoluted system to be sure, but one which ensured that the best player would be given the uniform and that suited Lily just fine.

'There is only one spot open-' James explained and a ripple of scandalized whispers broke out.

'-and that position is for a chaser' he clarified raising his voice louder over the whispers.

'But we need a chaser who is able to fill in as a seeker. For if…' He shot Albus a quick look. Albus's face was telling him plainly not to go on.

'Well for if Albus is… sick… for some reason' he muttered.

Albus shook his head and walked off to release the snitch. Lily knew James was referring to the fact that Albus was often the target of food that had been sneakily laden with all manner of potions before Gryffindor matches with Slytherin.

'So we'll go in alphabetical order- starting with Miss Balfour' James said offering what Lily thought was far too kind a smile in Poppy's direction.

Poppy's broom shook in her hand as she went to mount it. For someone so brilliant at everything, she wasn't very good at hiding her nerves Lily reflected.

'The rest of you can start hunting for the snitch. Begin!' James yelled before heading off to act as chaser in the three person offense against Poppy.

Lily tried hard to focus on looking for a glint of gold on her side of the pitch but she was terribly interested to find out how Poppy was going. A cheer of encouragement from James a few minutes in let her know that Poppy had managed to get at least one goal in. She closed her eyes and willed herself to focus on the task at hand. Opening them again, she flew up high in order to get a better view from above only to be blocked by Albus. He certainly wasn't playing favorites.

Lily tried several times to dash past him but he continued to block her over and over. Instead she dove down sharply to get him off her tail before doing a speedy loop around the outskirts of the pitch. Still no sign of that darn snitch.

After a few more minutes Poppy's time was up and Professor Claudas read out her score as it currently stood; 10 points- the exact amount she had scored for herself. Her flying form hadn't impressed him much it seemed. Poppy looked sour as she flew over to join the rest of the snitch hunting hopefuls.

Lily didn't hear any other cheers whilst two second years took their turns one after each other. Either James had gone easy on the nervous looking Poppy, or his team of three had really picked up their game. No one seemed able to get past them. That was, until it was Alanna's turn.

Lily forgot about the snitch for a few moments as she watched Alanna in awe. Her form was amazing. And she was so fast. She would have made a much better rival for Lily to race around the Hogwarts grounds. Alanna promptly scored two goals right after each other. James was so flustered that he didn't even give her a supportive cheer as he had done for Poppy. Instead he barked orders at the keeper in order to improve their offense against the threat that was Alanna Hooch.

It worked and they managed to keep her at bay until just before her time was up when she snuck in another goal. But Professor Claudas, who had been positively beaming at her throughout her whole trial, awarder her an additional 15 points for good form on top of the 30 she had scored giving her a leading total of 45 points. Alanna took it all in her stride, cool as a cucumber.

The next second year in line, Thomas Hugues- who Lily recognised as a good friend of Albus's- threw his hands up in the air and exclaimed 'You know, I think I better get back to my potions essay- nice work there Hooch' before heading off back to the castle. Albus yelled after him in protest but he had obviously made up his mind that Alanna was too high of a hurdle to overcome.

But Lily wasn't going to let anything stop her- not Alanna's beautiful flying form or her intimidatingly high score. She keenly felt that she needed this spot on the team if she was going to survive the year at Hogwarts.

When James called her name she flew down to the ground and took a few deep breaths. She would need to get at least as many goals as Alanna and to look better doing it in order to get the extra points from Claudas. She straddled her broom again and fixed her posture before kicking off at full speed. Speed had always been her forte. Even James who had been playing in actual quidditch games for the past few years couldn't match Lily's speed. She resolved to keep flying at full speed throughout her trial to try to increase the number of times she might have a go at getting a goal in within the time frame- and more importantly to impress Professor Claudas. She flew straight at James hitting his broom with the end of her own and sending him into a spin as she shot by. That ensured at least that he wouldn't be on her tail as she headed for the goal. A bludger came flying her way and Lily let it get within a whisker of her before dodging it sharply in order to ensure she kept up her pace. She flew right between the Johnathan Adderley's (who was playing as Keeper) legs and through the round goal with the Quaffle in her arms, scoring herself her first goal within seconds of the starting whistle.

Next she changed tactics and flew very high above the goals. To her delight the team of three followed her upwards. Once she had got them as far away from the goals as she could muster she dropped the Quaffle. They looked surprised until she dove for it so fast that she was able to beat it down to goal level and spin kick it into the goal, right past Johnathan's neck.

Lily now had two goals but she was running out of surprise tactics. She flew with the Quaffle to the outskirts of the pitch but the team of three weren't budging this time. After a few laps back and forth the bludger came flying her way. That was her cue. She curved around allowing the bludger to get on her tail and follow her. She flew with it still following her right past a confused James who decided to join it on her tail. She then curved around and made a beeline for the middle goal which was being well-guarded by Johnathan. She lifted the Quaffle up with both hands as though to throw it past him but instead used her legs to direct her broom upwards at the last minute, to the effect that the bludger (and a confused James) went crashing into Johnathan. She took the chance to turn around on her upward moving broom and pelt the Quaffle into the open goals.

She tried not to let herself feel too relieved. She would still need one more goal to really seal the deal- even if Professor Claudas gave her 15 points for speed and form, a tie with Alanna wouldn't be enough. She was running out of time and strategies. She decided all she could do was wing it and hope to outfly them with speed.

She took the Quaffle for one last belt across the grounds towards the goals. James flew straight up to meet her and she dodged him easily but to her surprise a bludger came at her from the other side and she dropped the Quaffle. She didn't let herself stop, though it had caused her quite a bit of pain to her side. If she let that Quaffle hit the ground or fall into James' hands it would be over- she didn't have enough time left. So she dived down unable to see well as her eyes watered from the pain.

She grabbed the Quaffle with one outstretched hand just before it reached James open arms. Without a moment of hesitation she flew with it right at Johnathan. He didn't budge. Neither did she.

She plowed right into his stomach with the Quaffle still in her arms, sending Johnathan gasping as they both fell through the hoop behind him.

She had done it. The Whistle blew.

Lily apologized to a gasping Johnathan who gave her an impressed thumbs up and a smirk before rushing back down to ground.

Professor Claudas was looking at his parchment with a frown. It was quite a different expression to the one he had worn when Alanna had been flying. Lily waited with baited breath for him to announce her score. He sighed and said-

'Forty points, Miss Potter'

Lily's smile faded.

'B-but sir!' She spluttered in dismay. She had scored more than Alanna, had flown as fast as she could, had tried to keep her form to a T and had used every strategy she could think of. How could he not award her any additional points at all?

'Run along, we 'ave o'zer students to see yet' the Professor admonished her.

She wanted to protest, but there was no point. She'd given Claudas a bad impression and now he didn't want to award her anything at all- she would just have to catch that snitch.

She jumped back on her broom and flew again at the same fast pace towards the other end of the field. None of the students had managed to catch the snitch yet. Some were beginning to wonder if there even was one. But Lily didn't have the time to wonder about such things, all she knew was that she needed to find it or her chances of joining the team would be lost.

Albus's earlier disruption of her flying upwards to get a better vantage point was her only clue. She shot upward, knowing he'd be there to stop her.

He was. But this time Lily didn't care. She flew straight at him and he only just managed to get out of her way at the last minute (yelling a few words that would make Ginny glare daggers at him if she had been there as he did so).

Lily looked up into the clouds as she shot upward and upward. Sure enough, there was a glimmer of gold hidden against the bright white reflection of the clouds. She went straight for it.

Her sudden movements unfortunately alerted Alanna to her discovery. Miss Hooch was on her within seconds, shocking Lily with her speed. They were shoulder to shoulder as they rose higher and higher. Lily's arms were not as long as Alanna's. The fact was horrifyingly apparent as both girl's already had their arms outstretched as they raced each other to the snitch. Lily willed herself to go faster. She pleaded with her broom in her mind.

Alanna's fingertips had just grazed the golden surface of the snitch when Lily's broom propelled forward in a last spurt of speed and she clasp her hand around it. She was so desperate for the snitch that in her disbelief at having actually caught it she pulled it to her chest and dove down with it in her arms until she reached the ground. She didn't even allow herself to dismount properly, not wanting to take either hand off her prize. Instead she fell off in a heap right in front of Professor Claudas and the last second year contestant who had just finished being awarded 10 points. Lily thrust her hands out to show the Professor what she had in them. He let out the longest and most nerve racking sigh Lily had ever heard before muttering, 'Seems Miss Potter has won with 50 points'.

Lily fell back onto the grass in exhaustion and relief, the snitch still wriggling in her palm. Alanna flew back down and walked quickly away. Poppy let out a disbelieving gasp and followed her. Professor Claudas also made himself scarce, seeming to want to be elsewhere as soon as possible and within a few moments only the Gryffindor team remained.

James walked over to where Lily was still collapsed on the ground and threw something at her. Lily caught it and held it up to the sky to look at it. It was a Gryffindor jersey.

'Knew you could do it Lils' James grinned at her proudly.

Lily held the garment to her cheeks and giggled happily. James' smile grew. Lily was finally looking like the cheerful sister he had grown up with.