Chapter 52- Warning: Dung Brained Idiot

Adelaide stared at the newly posted team roster in shock. The only thing running through her mind was, 'What did I do wrong?'.

"ALTERNATE? ALTERNATE!!!??? THAT —NO GOOD— STEAMING PILE OF— HIPPOGRIFF SHIT! THAT PRIDEFUL— HALF WITTED— SON OF A TROLL— SHE WORKED TOO DAMN HARD FOR A PRICK LIKE HIM TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HER!"

"Mate, you're right, but you've got to calm down—" James tried to reason, though utterly shocked by both the roster and his friend's outrage.

"NO! I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS! SO HELP ME PRONGS, I'M GOING TO HEX HIM INTO THE NEXT CENTURY! I'M GOING TO PRANK HIM SO BRUTALLY THAT HE WILL BE BEGGING FOR MERCY!" Remus roared, trying to fight his way through James and Peter's arms toward cowardly Blake Wood, who was currently attempting to run out of the common room at full speed; trying to get as far away from the angry third year as possible.

"DON'T YOU DARE RUN AWAY— YOU RUDDY COWARD! SHE DESERVES TO KNOW WHY YOU WOULD MAKE SUCH AN IDIOTIC DECISION!" Mary bellowed, now being held back by Lily and Marlene. "YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR BACK YOU DUNG BRAINED COWARDLY EXCUSE FOR A GRYFFINDOR!"

"Addykins, let's just skip Herbology today." Sirius said in forced calmness, pulling her away from the raging Remus Lupin and Mary McDonald, and shoving his own righteous fury deep deep down within him. "We can take the tunnel to Honeyduke's and get you some of those sour sugar quills you like, then make it back in time for you to go to Ancient Runes."

Adelaide shook her head absently, still much too preoccupied with wondering what she could have possibly done wrong... Blair Wood, Blake's fourth year little sister, only made half the shots she threw, and she nearly fell off her broom trying to do the loop during the route formation...

"— sure? Addy? Did you hear what I said?"

Adelaide turned to face the grey eyes of her concerned best friend. Then blinked. "What?"

"I asked if you were sure about not sneaking to Hogsmeade and skipping double Herbology." Sirius said slowly, trying to gage her emotionless face. She seemed completely bemused, which he supposed was better than being furious like Loony Moony and Mary, or even himself.

"No, I should go to class." She said nodding to herself.

Her eyes scanned over the common room, past the outrage of her friends, to see the sneering judgmental looks from those in other years. She quickly realized how ungrateful she must've seemed.

"You guys... I still sort of made the team though..." Adelaide said hesitantly, holding back the tears that she very much wanted to shed, and pulling her lips into a smile. "I-I mean it could be — w-worse..." her voice cracked, betraying her.

Sirius frowned leaning closer to whisper to her. "Addykins. It's okay to be upset about this."

"I know. But— I can't be upset about it in front of everyone. I don't want people to think I'm being a spoiled brat." she whispered back, voice shaking a little.

"Who cares what they think!?"

Adelaide gave him a desperate look. "I do." she whispered. "You know I do."

Sirius would never understand why the opinions of people other than her friends could ever matter that much to her, but nodded nonetheless. "Why don't we just go to Hogsmeade, then you can be upset without everyone around... and get a free butterbeer from yours truly." He winked, determined to make her smile again.

Adelaide laughed despite her sadness. "Okay, fine. But I really do need to be back before Ancient Runes. James and I are planning to tie Snivellus's shoes together today."

"Addykins? Whatcha thinkin' bout?" Sirius asked as they made the long walk through the secret tunnel to Hogsmeade.

"I'm trying to decide if Blake's school robes would look better pink or purple." She answered honestly.

"Purple. Purple all the way."

"Do you think Mary has hexed him yet?" She asked.

Sirius took a moment to think about this. "Maybe, but I think Remmy definitely has. He was furious."

"I know! I don't think I've ever seen him that angry before! Honestly, seemed more like something you would do." She chuckled.

"Oh believe me. I was furious— still am furious— and fully plan to hex the living daylights out of that prat."

Adelaide chuckled softly, then sighed. "Sirius. What did I do wrong?" She asked earnestly.

Sirius stopped mid step and rounded to face her. "You didn't do anything wrong Ads. I don't know why that idiot wouldn't let you on the team, unless it was for some stupid personal reason. You were leagues better than Blair or Jack, and Wood is going to regret his choice come the first game, if he hasn't already."

"I suppose you're right." She shrugged.

The two made their way to Honeyduke's, grabbing some of the sour sugar quills, which the manager (whom had become a good friend of theirs over the course of the last year when they sneaked out regularly) gave to her for free when he saw that she was feeling sad.

Next they trotted off to the three broomsticks and chatted with the young landlady, Madam Rosemerta, a curvy girl in her twenties with a pretty face.

"What's got you down sweetie?" the landlady asked, not at all surprised to see the two out of class on a Wednesday morning at this point.

"Addykins didn't make the Quidditch team when she out flew everyone at trials." Sirius said glumly.

"I mean I'm still on the team, I'm just an alternate." she clarified with a shrug.

Rosmerta gave her a sympathetic smile. "Here, how about I get you two a couple of Butterbeers on the house." she said, trying to cheer up the two pouting third years. Sirius and Adelaide thanked her profusely, then sat in a booth in the corner of the pub to sip on their drinks before heading back for their third period class.

They were just about finished, when they heard a familiar voice call out, "Little Porskoff?! Is that you?"

Sirius and Adelaide whipped their heads to face the two grinning gingers walking their way. "It is! Now what are you two doing out of class?!" Fabian reprimanded mockingly.

"Tisk tisk, quite the little delinquents…" Gideon chimed in with a grin. "Reminds me of us a bit." he said, sounding almost nostalgic as he looked over to his brother.

"Fabian! Gideon! What are you two doing here?" Sirius asked with a wide grin.

The two shared looks. "Erm… Just in town for a um… a meeting… later this afternoon." Gideon said awkwardly, "But the better question is why are you two here."

Adelaide slumped down a little in her seat. Sirius looked over to her with a frown, then explained the whole story of how she should have made the team.

"That prat!" Fabian exclaimed.

"You know what Fabe. I think we need to have some words with ol' Minnie after The Order— um… I mean, after our erm… meeting… here in town… where our meeting definitely is…" Gideon finished with an awkward cough.

Adelaide and Sirius gave him suspicious looks. They could spot a bad liar a mile away.

"Well, we really should be off anyway— Adelaide here needs to make it back in time for her Ancient Runes class— she has a very important prank to attend to." Sirius said with a smirk.

"Yeah, we really should head out too." Fabian sighed. "But Little Porskoff, don't let that idiot get you down. I can tell you from experience, one of the best ways to irritate someone is to kill them with kindness." he smirked.

"Throws them all off guard— it also makes the guilt ten times worse." added Gideon with an identical smirk. "But, hexing them is always a good alternative as well."

Adelaide pondered their words the whole walk back to the school, and all during her ancient Runes class. Kill him with kindness…

When she finally was making the walk to lunch, she saw Blake Wood talking with new keeper, sixth year, Bartley McLaggen, and chaser, fourth year, Jack Middleton in the corridor.

"Um… Blake… can I um… talk to you for a moment?" she said trying to sound confident, but failing miserably.

The handsome fifth year (who smelled strongly of stink pellets) turned to see the blonde girl fiddling with the hem of her sleeve. "If you're here to hex me, you should know those two tall friends of yours already beat you to it." he said in a stiff voice, rubbing his head without thinking.

"Oh… um… I actually I wanted to thank you." she said sincerely.

Blake looked at her in disbelief, while the other two boys looked on with curiosity. "For what?!"

Adelaide took a deep steadying breath, then recited the words she had rehearsed over and over all through Ancient Runes, when she was trying to tune out Professor Babbling's babbling. "I wanted to thank you for letting me on the team... even if it's as an alternate." she said quietly, trying to hide her disappointment. "I was really worried I wouldn't make it on the team at all," she said sincerely. "and I'm really excited to start the season."

Jack looked at her, brown eyes soft and full of admiration.

"Y-your welcome." Blake stuttered out in disbelief. "Practice starts this next Sunday…"

Adelaide nodded, quietly pleased with how off footed he seemed, then made her way to the great hall. She spotted Sirius and Remus and quickly made her way to sit between them.

"So, Remmy, I heard someone hexed Wood already…" she began.

Remus smirked and nodded quietly. "Mary and I ran into him after breakfast."

She smirked back, and was just about to tell the boys about her own encounter with the idiot captain when she was interrupted by a rather annoying voice.

"I heard wittle Princess Fawley here didn't make the team." sneered Avery from behind her.

Adelaide clutched her soup spoon a little tighter.

Wilkes tutted. "Such a disappointment. Mummy and Daddy will not be happy to hear about this…"

"I suppose you really can't buy talent…" Muciber added cooly.

"Would you just shut up?" Remus moaned. "Go bother someone who gives a shit."

"Merlin! Language Lupin!" exclaimed Mulciber in mock offense as the other two laughed.

Sirius turned to face the three boys as James stood up from across the table. "Leave now or I will personally hex all three of you right here." Sirius growled.

Avery grinned maliciously. "We were only coming to give our condolences." he said annoyingly, heading back to the Slytherin table. "I'd say 'see you at the game', Fawley… but I suppose I won't…" he cackled, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Don't listen to those idiots Ads. Everyone knows their only saying that stuff to get a rise out of you." Peter said quietly from across the table.

Later that day at dinner, after a lovely nap during History of Magic, Adelaide walked into the great hall to see that there was quite an uproar at the Gryffindor table. First there was a crowd laughing at a boy who's skin and robes were both a violent and shimmering shade of purple. He also had a gigantic glowing sign levitating above him that said "Warning: Dung Brained Idiot".

But then there were others who seemed to be arguing quite passionately about something or another with Professor McGonagall.

"What in the world…" Adelaide muttered to herself, walking slowly towards the chaos, scanning the table to find her friends.

"Ugh. Of course spoiled little Pureblood Princess whined to get herself put on the team." scoffed a sour fourth year girl Adelaide recognized as Natalie O'Neill, who obviously didn't realize Adelaide was standing nearby.

"I mean did you see her at trials though Nat? She didn't miss a single shot!" defended a brunette with a thick Scottish accent.

"But Blair! You made the team! They can't just take you off the team after they already said you were on it!" Natalie fired back.

Adelaide's heart began pounding in her chest. She must have misheard them right? Surely this was a mistake. She wasn't even really looking for her friends anymore, she was just stalling as she listened closer.

"Natalie! I already told you I was going to quit the team anyway so she could have my spot. She deserves it."

"But it was your spot—"

"Let's just drop it Nat. Let me eat my dang mashed potatoes in peace!" Blair said grumpily.

Adelaide was sure she had just misunderstood them.

"ADDYKINS!" squealed a boy with bright grey eyes picking her up in a big hug. "They made you Chaser Ads!"

Natalie turned around, red faced with embarrassment as she realized Adelaide was standing right behind her.

"W-What? How?"

"Minnie— she made Blake change the roster! Blair's the alternate! Everyone's furious, but they'll get over it when they see you demolish Slytherin next month." he said easily.

"B-but… But I was okay with being alternate. I told Wood…"

"Huh?"

"Nevermind… what— why did McGonagall…"

Sirius leaned in closer to whisper. "The Prewett's talked to her… told her the whole story. She's way too competitive to let someone as good as you get booted off the team just because Blake has some weird thing against you." he smirked.