Saturday morning, before the sun had even fully risen over the horizon, Morgana and I sat in the bleachers of the Quidditch pitch and waited for the members of the Griffindor team to arrive.
I was sprawled out on the wooden seats, my Arithmancy book open in my lap and my breakfast of buttered toast in my hand. Morgana sat beside me, fiddling with the sleeves of her jean jacket and yawning every few minutes. I finished off my breakfast before saying, "Didn't you go see the Slytherin tryouts yesterday? Do you think the Weasley twins were fit?"
Morgana glowered at me. "They were spying on the opposition. I was dragged there." She snickered. "Did you know Ron Weasley is our new keeper? Gryffindor is screwed this year."
I kept my mouth shut. Ron Weasley fell into Harry Potter territory.
"Oh. You're here." A familiar voice filled with familiar disgust came from behind me. I looked up to see hazel eyes, blonde hair, and a pretty face, Luna Lovegood, stood in the bleachers, surrounded by her fellow fifth-year Ravenclaw girls.
"Hey," I said, waving a hand in greeting. "You here to watch tryouts?"
"Potter is playing," said Luna, taking a seat on the wooden bench behind me. "You?"
"Evie is trying out for the team," I said.
Luna wrinkled her nose.
"So how was your first week of classes?" I asked.
"I had Divination for the first time," said Luna.
I laughed. "I've heard stories about Trelawney."
"You're the smart one," said Luna. "I should've taken Ancient Runes."
"Just be really morbid and dramatic in your predictions and you'll be fine," I said. "Come on, even Goyle can ace that class."
I kept my mouth shut but gave Morgana a sharp look. "But Ashe isn't talking about Harry Potter right now, so she can't open her mouth or she'll owe me a sickle."
Frowning, Luna looked from Morgana to me and back. "You're joking, right?"
Morgana shook her head. "Ashe's making some stand about how she's her own person, not a side character in Harry Potter's life."
Luna snorted. "Ashe, you're stupid."
Tryouts continued for the next couple hours. The Griffindor team was missing two Beaters and a Chaser. There were about six people aiming for the beater positions.
"Ginny Weasley is actually pretty good," said Morgana, watching the Chaser candidates race around the pitch on their brooms.
"A lot of my friends like her," said Luna.
It was approaching noon and still the tryouts continued. Fred knocked one of the Chaser candidates off his broom, and George accidentally broke someone's nose. The captain Katie Bell, a seventh-year Chaser, looked very pleased.
I looked over my shoulder to see Evie standing in the bleachers behind me.
"Aren't you Ment to playing," I said to Evie.
Evie sat down next to me on the bleachers. "Ginny and Potter got me banned from the team"
Ron Weasley couldn't save a thing.
"Weasley is a shite keeper," I said.
"'Weasley cannot save a thing'," said Evie
As Tryouts ended with Bell announcing the newest members of the Griffindor Quidditch team. Me, Evie and Morgana watched four Slytherin girls known as the Marauders sneek into the Griffindor team locker room.
It was just past noon when We left the pitch and made our way back up to the castle. The Great Hall was reasonably full for a Saturday lunch, conversation buzzing over plates of sandwiches, salads, pastas, and fruits. Tracey and Pansy picked a spot at the end of the Slytherin table, furthest from where the professors sat, and we all settled into onto the benches. The plates of fish and chips looked delicious.
"Oh my God!" shrieked Cho as the Griffindor Quidditch team, covered in a brown oôze and exhausted from tryouts, appeared through the doors of the Great Hall.
The sound of Laughter drew all out attention to the Marauders
"Well we know who pranked the team after we left tryouts," I said.
Morgana frowned. "We should have warned them"
"After the what they did to me, they got what they deserve," said Evie.
"She's frightening like that," I said.
Morgana nodded. "She's going to take over the world one day."
We both shuddered.
"When that happens, I'm moving to Antarctica," I said.
"I like penguins," agreed Morgana.
