A surprising number of people were heading down to the Quidditch pitch at the same time as Harry the next morning. He spotted Hydrus – arm still in a sling – and Crabbe, Goyle and Flint the Slytherin Quidditch Captain. Harry also saw Cedric Diggory and a girl who Harry thought might have been one of Hufflepuff's Chasers, and saw Roger Davies and another boy from the Ravenclaw team.

Then, there were the other students; Colin Creevey was there with his ever present camera and waved excitedly at Harry before following Ron, Ginny, Lee Jordan, and Robins – a girl from Ginny's year – up to the stands. A group of rowdy Gryffindor boys in the year above Harry booed him as he crossed the grass, and whistled at a blushing Katie Bell.

A group of Hufflepuff girls were pointing and whispering at Wood, and a Ravenclaw boy walked Alicia Spinnet down before kissing her on the cheek and going to join his friends in the stands.

Harry was just wondering exactly what they were hoping to see – and wondering if the other Houses had had as big a turnout to their trials – when someone collided with him.

"Sorry!" a girl's voice said, and Harry reached out to steady her; she wasn't much taller than he was, but she was slight.

"My fault," he said, "wasn't paying attention."

She offered him a nervous smile, and he thought he vaguely recognised her; she was a Ravenclaw, very pretty, with dark hair and eyes, and – if he remembered right - a fourth year.

"Nervous about tryouts?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. He shrugged. "You shouldn't be," she said. "I've seen you fly, you're very good." Harry wasn't sure what to say to that, and it must have shown on his face, because the girl said, "I'm Cho, by the way."

"Harry," he said, and her mouth twitched. Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I- er- guess you knew that."

She blushed, but nodded and said, "It's nice to meet you anyway."

"You too," Harry said, fidgeting; she'd just looked him up and down and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She was still smiling, though, so he figured it couldn't be a bad thing. "I er-"

"Oh, of course," she said, stepping out of his way. "Sorry! I just-" A sheet of her long hair swung in front of her face, so he couldn't read her expression, and he couldn't get much from her scent other than that it was sweet and quite pleasant. When she looked up, he could have sworn she'd tilted her head so that she was looking at him through her eyelashes. "Never mind." Harry jumped when she reached out to put her hand on his arm, and her mouth twitched again. "I'll let you go; good luck." She squeezed his arm and then stepped back.

"Thanks," Harry said, a bit distractedly; Wood had just stuck stepped out of the changerooms, spotted Harry and started to wave madly. "Sorry, I've really got to- I'll- er- see you around."

She beamed at him, and hurried off toward the stands – Harry's stomach did a nervous little flip when he realised she'd be watching – to where a curly haired girl was waiting. Harry heard Cho giggle, and the pair of them put their heads together at once and then glanced back his way.

Harry turned away from them, and started toward the changerooms, sure his face was probably a bit pink.

"Hurry up," Wood squawked, shooing him inside. He was rather red in the face, and his scent was annoyed, rather than excited, like Harry might have thought.

Bewildered, Harry scribbled his name on the tryouts list under Seeker and went to stand by the twins, who were alternating between stretching and glowering at McLaggen – a rather notorious fourth year. Like Wood, he was rather red in the face.

"Owe you an apology, mate," Fred muttered, as Wood called for anyone that hadn't signed up.

"What?" Harry asked.

"That git." George jerked his thumb in McLaggen's direction. "We were going to put him in the hospital wing for the day-"

"-nothing serious," Fred added, when Harry raised his eyebrows, "but just enough that he'd miss this. But bloody Moody and his bloody eye… confiscated our potion, and spells'd land us in detention and then we might have missed this…"

"Wood would have killed you," Harry said, grinning. George shuddered.

"Anyway, he was planning to go for Keeper and you can imagine how that went down-"

"Pretty brilliant argument," George said.

"The gist from Oliver was that he's Captain and that means he needs to be on the team so McLaggen can't try out for Keeper, and McLaggen didn't think that was fair, especially if he turns out to be the better player. Oliver didn't like that much."

"McLaggen didn't like what Oliver had to say though… he didn't put it quite as nicely as Fred just has…" The twins grinned. "And so Keeper's out, he knows better than to try to take one of our positions-" George smelled distinctly smug. "-and apparently Chaser doesn't interest him…"

Both twins gave Harry apologetic looks. Understanding, Harry grimaced and glanced at McLaggen again, who was filing out onto the pitch with everyone else.

"He's not built like a Seeker, though," Harry said.

"No." Wood stomped over to them. "And I'd really prefer that he doesn't become Seeker, so beat him, Potter, please."

"Or die trying?" Fred joked, making George and Harry grin. Wood didn't.

"Exactly," he said. "Or I'll kill you myself for losing and then kill myself so I don't have to deal with having that prick on my team. Angelina can be Captain," he added after a moment, looking pained.

"So no pressure," Harry said dryly. Wood just patted him – rather roughly – on the back and gave him a little push toward the door out to the pitch.

"He's quite good," Demelza said, watching a burly fourth year whose name Ginny didn't know. Wood had everyone attending tryouts flying laps of the pitch. The fourth year was doing corkscrews and flying backward; obviously Fred and George didn't appreciate it, though, because they kept bumping into him.

"He looks like a prat," Ron said.

"He is a prat," Lee said, folding his arms. "Hope he doesn't make the team – I'm not sure I can be a neutral commentator if I have to talk about him."

"No offense," Ron said, "but you're not really a neutral commentator."

"None taken," Lee said grinning.

Wood called everyone down for a moment. He tossed something small and golden up into the air, and, after a few short words with Harry and McLaggen, gestured for them to take off. They shot into the air, while Wood started to organise tryouts for the other positions.

Ginny had thought about trying out, but the things she thought she'd be best at were Seeker – and she could never take that away from Harry, even if she was somehow able to beat him – or Chaser – but the girls that played Chaser were good on their own merits, but also good as a team. They'd graduate, or leave the team when they reached N.E.W.T.s, and then there'd be a place for Ginny.

Only if you're good enough, Tom whispered. Ginny gave a little start, and looked around. Demelza and Colin were both engrossed in what was happening on the pitch, but Ron gave her an odd look, and Lee looked like he wanted to laugh. I'm not sure you are.

Because you know so much about Quidditch, Ginny snapped back; she hadn't heard his voice since the train, and had no patience for it today. Wood had the Beaters knocking bludgers back and forward, and had the Chasers passing the Quaffle amongst each other.

Perhaps not, Tom murmured, but I know you, Ginny. She snorted aloud; thankfully, McLaggen had just done an impressive but unnecessary manoeuvre, so no one seemed to think anything of it. I know your strengths, your weaknesses… I know everything about you… And I don't think you're good enough to make the team.

I don't really care what you think, Ginny said.

"Have they started?" Seamus Finnigan from Ron's year squeezed past Ginny and went to sit on the end by Lee. "Bloody alarm didn't go off, Dean only woke me as he was leaving."

Ginny scanned the pitch and eventually found Dean Thomas; he took a pass from Angelina Johnson and in turn lobbed the Quaffle up to a boy in the year above the twins, who fumbled it. Wood was watching closely; Ginny was just surprised he didn't have a clipboard and quill on hand.

He managed to recover, and tossed it to Katie Bell.

"Look out!" Fred bellowed. Demelza's hands flew to her mouth, and Ginny's heart leaped into her throat; one of the Beater applicants had missed the Bludger, which had gone on toward the Chasers. Wood was shouting at the people in the air, and urgent chatter had broken out in the stands, though Ginny thought she heard the Slytherins laughing.

The Chasers all scattered, and Fred, George, and two of the other Beaters went after the Bludger. A very solid sixth year boy took a hit to the shoulder, and one girl's broom was hit and sent into a rather dangerous spin.

Fred and another boy managed to get the Bludger back under control, and George and Katie Bell managed to help the girl; George got a hand on the broom and steadied it for long enough that Katie could get the girl onto her own broom. The damaged broomstick continued to spin around and eventually spun into the ground with a nasty cracking sound. It didn't move after that. Ginny just hoped that it had been one of the old school brooms.

Colin's camera flashed.

The girl hopped off Katie's broom and left the pitch after a few words to Wood, and another, very white-faced Chaser applicant left shortly after. Wood got into the air after that, and took his position in front of the hoops while the Chasers took turns trying to get the Quaffle past him. The Beaters were still knocking the Bludger back and forward – which looked like hard work, to Ginny, as the Bludger had a mind of its own and kept veering off course, forcing them to move to intercept it. And the Seekers…

Harry and McLaggen were well above the top of the pitch, and had been for quite some time. The bigger of the two silhouettes - McLaggen - was flying in slow circles, while Harry was stationary. Ginny thought the Snitch must be up there somewhere; they were too high up to be solely keeping watch.

"At this rate, Wood can just choose whoever's left on their broom by the end," Lee said, wincing as one of the Beaters toppled forward and toward the ground. Ron let out a loud, relieved breath next to Ginny, as one of the other Beater applicants managed to catch her. They sank to the ground rather ungracefully, but safely.

Wood, who'd stopped to watch, took a Quaffle to the head, and rounded on the fourth year who'd thrown it. Ginny couldn't help but laugh, and she wasn't the only one; most of the stands were laughing, as were Fred and George, and Angelina.

"Ooh, look!" Demelza said, pointing up suddenly. Harry had shot even higher up into the air, and McLaggen had lurched up after him.

"He's seen it," Ron said, leaning forward in his chair. "That's not a feint."

Ginny watched as Harry did an odd barrel-roll, which McLaggen tried to mimic. Then, Harry jerked to a rather sudden stop, and turned around. McLaggen shot past him, probably still after the Snitch.

Harry was too high up for Ginny to be able to hear what he was shouting, but she could see him waving down at them all, and she had a fair guess why; a third figure had joined them, up in the grey clouds, and Ginny went cold.

Well, Tom said silkily, it seems Quidditch can be interesting, after all.

Shut up, Ginny snarled.

"What's he doing just sitting there?" Ron muttered, as the Dementor swooped toward Harry. Harry was facing it now, and very still. "No, no, no-"

Ginny couldn't see any good outcome; even if he wasn't Kissed, Harry was likely to faint – as he had done around Dementors in the past – and it wouldn't be a simple matter of sinking in his seat like on the train, or falling onto Ron like she'd heard he'd done last year.

Harry sagged over his broom – Ginny thought he was still conscious, but couldn't be certain – as a second and third Dementor joined them up there. McLaggen had stopped, finally, but still seemed to be looking for the Snitch. Ginny was sure he must have noticed what was going on, but he'd made no move to get closer. Ginny couldn't blame him. He was waving his arms rather frantically, though Ginny didn't know if it was to try to get the Dementors' attention, or to try to get help from the rest of the applicants.

"Oh my-" Demelza's hand was like a vice on Ginny's arm, and Ron turned white as Harry's broom dropped suddenly; it wasn't neat enough to be considered a dive, Ginny didn't think, but somehow, Harry was still on his broom and putting distance between himself and the Dementors, which could only be a good thing. McLaggen flew after him, but then veered off.

Wood and the twins were shouting, and trying to position themselves to intercept Harry – who was showing no signs of slowing or pulling up - while the other applicants tried to keep the Bludger away from them all. Malfoy and Flint looked shocked but not entirely unhappy with how things were playing out, and Ron's eyes were darting between the ground and Harry's broom. He looked like he was going to be sick. Over it all, Tom cackled in Ginny's head.

Ginny knew it could only have been a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

"I'm just going to lock up."

"Potter, slow down!"

"Not Harry! Please- I'll do anything-"

"Harry!"

"Padfoot – Sirius – I need you to listen to me. I need you to drink."

"Here, Potter!"

"Take Harry and go!"

"Pull up! Harry, stop-!"

"Then, of course, Black went through the Veil- Oh, the Aurors haven't worked it out, yet?"

"Harry!?"

"Run! I'll hold him off!"

"This is my last warning-"

"Not Harry!"

"Harry!"

"You can call me Tom, if you'd like."

The pitch's grass was coming up very, very quickly. Wood and the twins had hands outstretched – obviously with the intention of catching him or something – but had to scatter as Harry dropped past them.

Harry yanked on his broom, trying to slow down, but it was a bit late for that. He hit the pitch hard, but not as hard as he thought he should have. Then, he was rolling – not particularly neatly, either, he didn't think – and there was more shouting – he couldn't tell whose – and then everything was dark.

"-or die trying… really, Oliver, when has saying that ever ended well-!"

Harry remembered how to use his eyelids, and opened them with a groan. Nothing was broken, he didn't think, but he knew he'd have bruises everywhere from his rather ungraceful landing.

He wasn't wearing his glasses, but as soon as he'd made a noise, his line of sight – which had mostly been grey – was filled with red.

Something flashed brightly, and Harry flinched, dazed.

"Colin!" someone snapped.

"Harry?" Harry recognised Ron's voice, and turned his head that way.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Harry was dragged into a sitting position, by someone that was not Ron, and someone else passed him his glasses. The first thing Harry did was look to the sky; he could still see the Dementors up there, but they showed no signs of wanting to follow him down. Even as Harry watched, they drifted away toward the school gates.

The next thing Harry saw was Wood's face. He was very pale. Ron and the twins were beside him, and Diggory, a sixth year Hufflepuff was there too. Ginny, Seamus, Lee, Colin and a girl from Ginny's year were hovering just behind, looking worried, and McLaggen and the other applicants were off to the side. In the stands, Cho and her friends looked horrified, though Hydrus and Flint were grinning openly. "You with us, Potter?"

"Mmm," Harry said.

"How do you feel?" Diggory asked him.

"Alive," Harry said. He thought about trying to sit up properly, but didn't quite think he'd be able to manage it; he stayed where he was, propped up against Wood. Ginny's expression tightened at the word 'alive' – she, if no one else, knew what it meant. He looked away from her.

"Anything broken? It looked like my Cushioning Charm stopped the worst of it, but it was still-"

"Your Cushioning Charm?" Wood jostled Harry as he looked up at an anxious Diggory.

"Well, I wasn't about to let him plough right into the ground, was I?" Diggory asked, with the faintest smile. His eyes were still concerned, though. "Well?"

"Nothing broken," Harry said. "Thanks."

"Yeah," Wood said. "Diggory, I-"

"It's nothing," Diggory said, looking a bit embarrassed now. "It was the decent thing to do."

"It's appreciated," Wood said firmly. A look passed between the two captains.

"What were you thinking?" Ron asked suddenly, and Diggory turned to him surprised. Then – probably at the same time as Harry himself – realised Ron was talking to Harry. "Why'd you stick around up there to shout and wave about the Dementors, instead of just getting away?"

"I wasn't shouting and waving because of them," Harry said, torn between being exhausted and amused. "I was trying to get Wood's attention." Wood looked down at him in askance, and Harry mustered the strength to lift his arm up, and offer his captain the small, golden ball he'd had clenched in his hand.

Katie huffed as McLaggen shoved past her, headed for the changerooms. Harry could hear confused murmurs from the stands, and people were standing up, trying to see what had happened. Hydrus and Flint were both leaving, looking decidedly sour.

"Reckon you can stand?" Wood asked him.

"Sure," Harry muttered, though in all honesty, he didn't know if he was up to it; his head was pounding, and he felt cold and achy. With a bit of help from Wood, Harry was able to get to his feet and take a few unsteady steps.

"He should go to the Hospital Wing," Wood told Ron, who nodded. Harry didn't care if he saw Madam Pomfrey or not - he just wanted chocolate and to be warm again – but he was happy with the offer of getting inside, so he didn't argue. He turned to grab his Nimbus, but Ginny was already holding it, so he fell into step beside Ron, while the others followed them up to the castle.

Behind them, Wood was telling the rest of the applicants to get back into the air.