Saturday was bright and sunny—perfect weather for quidditch tryouts. After much deliberation, Dudley decided that he would try out for keeper as it was the only free position. He wanted to play keeper, but the twins were just too good. Ron had admitted privately that he thought they would be good enough to turn professional—though had made Dudley swear not to tell them that he had said something nice about them.

Ginny and Dean, too, were trying out as seekers.

"It's doubtful I'll get in," Dean admitted. "But, you never know—maybe Angelina'll make me a reserve."

They met up with Luna and Cho in the Great Hall to head tdown to the pitch.

"Perfect conditions," Cho said, brightly. "Hope it's like this tomorrow." The Ravenclaw team would hold their tryouts tomorrow afternoon. After Roger Davies' death, Cho had been made the Captain and she had her badge pinned proudly on her robes.

"Are you trying out?" Dudley asked Luna.

"No, I prefer watching than playing," said Luna.

"We should have a good team this year," said Cho. "Though, we'll miss Roger. He was an excellent player …" she trailed off, looking sad for a few moments.

Hermione gave Ron a sharp dig in the ribs. "Ron!" she hissed.

"Oh, erm, yeah … yeah, he was great," Ron said and patted her on the shoulder.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

Cho, however, seemed pleased and she smiled. "We all miss him," she said as they walked outside. "How's Tracey holding up? I know she and Roger were close."

"Surprisingly well," said Dean. "She spent half of Care of Magical Creatures making eyes at Dud."

"I think she's bottling it up," Hermione said, wisely. "She's a Slytherin—they don't exactly make their feelings known. She must be putting on a brave face in public, but she's lost her brother …" she trailed off.

They all remained silent as they walked towards the pitch.

"It's been a tough few years," Cho said, breaking the silence. "First Professor Lupin died …"

Dudley felt a surge of guilt run through him at the mention of his old Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Despite Dumbledore telling him otherwise, sometimes he felt like he could have done more to prevent Lupin's death.

"… then your friend, Neville. Now Roger …" she trailed off, sadly.

"I don't think they'll be the last, not with You-Know-Who out there," said Dean. "I just hope Lockhart has a plan to get rid of him."

Ron gave a small, disbelieving snort.

"Mum says Lockhart's pretty popular at the moment," Cho said. "His approval ratings are higher than Fudge's ever were."

"He has had some successes," Ron admitted, grudgingly. "But I just can't shake the feeling that he's going to cock everything up."

"He'll do fine," Dudley said, loyally. Though, privately, he knew Lockhart was prone to moments of idiocy—like when he released the Cornish Pixies into the class and when he insisted that the first task would be a Sphinx.

"What is she doing here?" Angelina said, loudly. Her hands were on her hips and she was glaring at Cho. Most of the team and a number of students who were trying out had already gathered.

"What do you mean?" Ron demanded.

"She's the Ravenclaw Captain, she's going to spy on our tactics and players!"

"Come off it!" said Ron. "She's just here to watch me … aren't you?" he added, a touch uncertainly.

"Of course," Cho said, shooting him a glare.

"Maybe, but she's still going to be watching—she's a rival. We'll be playing them first!" Angelina said, angrily.

"It's just tryouts, Angelina," Hermione said, but she ignored her.

"I can't believe this—bringing the rival Captain to watch."

"So, what? You're saying Cho can't stay?" Ron demanded, his ears turning red.

"Forget it, I'll go" Cho said, turning to walk off. "Good luck, Ron."

"No—Cho, come on!" Ron protested.

He looked at Hermione for advice. "What should I do?" he asked.

"Go after her, you idiot!" Ginny said, giving him a poke in the ribs.

As Ron hurried after Cho, Ginny stepped forward, speaking to Angelina in a low but hurried voice.

Finally, Angelina nodded and looked up as Ron returned, leading a very angry looking Cho by the arm.

"Sorry," Angelina said. "I'm just stressed… organizing all of this … it's getting to me. I know how Oliver felt, now. Of course you can stay Cho, it's just tryouts. But she can't come to regular practice—agreed."

Ron glanced at Cho first and nodded. "Agreed," he said.

"Come on, Cho,' said Luna, taking her arm. "We'll get good seats so we can watch."

The fuss over with, the quidditch trials started. There weren't too many trying out. The Gryffindor team were the best in the school and there was little chance of somebody shifting one of the regulars.

Dean, Ginny and Demelza Robins were trying out for seeker along with the three girls already on the team.

Seamus had announced that he would try for seeker. His parents had bought him a Cleansweep over the summer.

For goalie, there was Dudley, a 7th year called Kenneth Towler and a second year girl called Mildred Crow. Angelina expressed disappointment that Cormac McClaggen, who was apparently quite a good keeper, was going to miss tryouts after eating a pound of doxy eggs for a bet.

There were no challenges for the Weasley twins' positions, and they looked very smug about.

First, since the position was empty, Angelina trialed the keepers. They were to go in goal and take five shots from the Gryffindor chasers.

Kenneth Towler went first. He saved Katie Bells shot with his fingertips, completely missed Angelina's curving shot to the left, saved Alicia's and then Katie and Angelina both scored.

"Pathetic," said Ron. "Two out of five, you've got this, Dud."

"Dursley, you're up!" Angelina called.

Dudley flew out to the goal and hovered uncertainly. He had never played goalie before, but it surely couldn't be that hard, could it?

"Cover your center ring more!" Ron called.

Dudley did as he said, moving slightly to the right as Katie flew towards him. Her hand moved to the right briefly, before she quickly switched hands and threw the quaffle with her left. It swerved past Dudley and into the right-hand ring.

"Go on, Dudley!" Luna called from the stands.

Dudley felt angry at himself for missing it. He had watched Gryffindor play enough. He should have recognized one of Katie's favorite shots.

Next up was Angelina. Her shot went high, curling slightly. Dudley wasn't the most nimble person in the world, but he had a fast broom. He flew towards the quaffle, raising his hand. It swerved in midair, almost going past him but grazed his fingertip which deflected it enough so that it clipped the outer ring of the hoop and went wide.

"Nice one, Dud!" Dean called.

"Hmmm, only just," Angelina said as she retrieved the quaffle and hurled it to Alicia for her shot.

Dudley had barely gotten back into position when Alicia shot from distance. She grabbed the quaffle, switched hands and hurled it to his left.

Dudley sped towards it, reaching out a big hand and palming it away.

"Better!" said Angelina. Ron, Dean and Hermione cheered. In the stands, Cho and Luna were also applauding.

It was Katie's turn again. She sped towards him, feinted and threw a looping shot over his head. Dudley flew backwards, leapt out of his broom, lunged at the quaffle but missed. He only just grabbed his broom in time before he fell. It was a goal.

"Watch the lob shots!" Angelina said, angrily. "They're a favorite of Warringtons."

Dudley felt angry with himself for moving out of position. One shot to go. He had to save this one.

Angelina flew up and to his right, Dudley flew to his right too, covering his goals when Angelina suddenly hurled the quaffle towards him. It had an outswerve, but Dudley was expecting it. He raised his hand and palmed the quaffle away.

"Nice one!" Ron called, applauding.

"Not bad, Dursley," Angelina said. "Not as god as Wood, but with some practice … Crow. You're up!"

Mildred Crow, who was a skinny girl with glasses, turned out to be pretty poor. She missed the first three shots, saved the fourth after it hit her in the face and then wasn't paying attention as the fifth went whistling past her ear.

"You did it, Dud!" Ron shouted, pounding him on the back.

"Huh, I did, didn't I?" Dudley said, suddenly realizing he was the new Gryffindor keeper. He grinned. He had always wanted to join the quidditch team, now he had. Not as beater, but as keeper. But still, he could now play the sport he loved for Gryffindor.

"Alright, we'll try the seeker next!" Angelina said, after congratulating Dudley.

The seeker was done by Angelina throwing ordinary muggle golf balls into the air to catch. Ron, who had represented Gryffindor since this second year, easily outflew Seamus and caught most of them.

"Alright, chasers," said Angelina. "Dursley, get in goal," she said.

"Me?" Dudley was surprised.

"Who else do you think is going to go in goal?" she asked, patiently.

"Oh, yeah,' Dudley said, mounting his broom to take up position again. He was in the team now, but he felt a little nervous. What if he messed up so badly here that Angelina changed her mind?

Dudley missed the first two saves, but once he got the feeling for Demelza's shots he managed to save the next three, the third one, with the very tip of his fingers.

Dean's first shot flew wide. His second glanced off the frame of the righthand hoop. His third shot swerved passed Dudley's outreached hand, but the final two, Dudley saved.

Ginny was next. One—two—three—four goals she scored. Ron was looking on in surprise, stunned that his little sister was so good at quidditch.

Dudley managed to get his big hand to the final shot, palming it up and over.

"That was excellent, Ginny," Angelina said, approvingly. "Looks like you two have got some competition," she said, glancing at Katie and Alicia.

Dudley saved Katie's first shot, her second, third and fourth went in. She was playing with a fire she had never shown before, hurling the quaffle with fury.

"Very good, Katie!" Angelina said, approvingly. "You need to show fire like that more often."

Alicia looked nervous, Dudley thought. After so long playing for the quidditch team, her place was finally under threat.

She flew forward, wound up her arm and—missed! The quaffle flew wide of the mark.

She swore, loudly.

"Focus, Alicia!" Angelina called.

The second shot—she drew back—shot! Dudley dived to his left and caught the ball. It had been a bad shot.

"Urgh!" Alicia's face was red, and as she flew past to retrieve the quaffle, Dudley saw tears in her eyes. He had had no idea that playing quidditch meant so much to her, and now, that was slipping away.

Her third shot missed too, it was aimed hard and to the left, but Dudley managed to get a hand on it. The fourth went in. Angelina applauded encouragingly, but Alicia barely noticed. The fourth shot went straight at Dudley, all he had to do was leap up slightly to palm it over the hoop.

"That was good," Angelina said. "But there's more to quidditch than shooting. We're going to run basic passing and movement drills. Come on. Dudley, take a break."

Dudley landed next to Ron who was sat with Dean, Cho, Luna and Hermione.

"Alicia mucked it up," he said, by way of greeting.

"Yeah, she let it get to her," Dudley said. "She's usually so good."

"The pressure," said Cho. "Seeing Ginny do so well knocked her off her game."

"How did Ginny get so good?" asked Ron.

"She practiced last year," said Luna. "While everyone else was obsessed with the tournament, she practiced flying and shooting alone. I went sometimes—in goal. I wasn't very good. You did very well, Dudley, I'm glad you made it."

On the pitch, Angelina had the team practicing passing and defending. Three players keeping possession while the others tried to gain the quaffle.

"She's good at passing too," said Ron as Ginny hurled the ball over Angelina's head to Katie who caught it and did a swift pass backwards to Dean. He attempted a crossfield pass to Ginny which was intercepted by Demelza Robins.

Cho was watching intently. "Defence is her weakness," she said. "She shoots well, passes well, gets in good positions—but she's no good at defence. See, there—she should be marking Angelina much more closely."

Ron gave her a shrewd look. "You are spying!' he said, suddenly.

Cho grinned. "A little," she admitted. "Well, I mostly came to see you, but while I'm here …" she trailed off and turned back to the game.

"Alicia's still making a pig's ear of things," Ron muttered, just as Alicia dropped a quaffle thrown to her by Demelza.

"She was so good in past years," Cho said, drawing her attention away from the game. "I didn't expect her to crack under the pressure of some competition."

Finally, Angelina called a halt to the session by blowing on her whistle. "That was pretty good," she said. "Ok, I've decided on the three chasers this year. Along with myself, Katie, you're back in."

"Nice," she said, pumping her fist in the air.

"The third chaser is …" she took a deep breath and cast an apologetic glance at Alicia. "I'm sorry, but Ginny flew much better. I have to put her in the team. You're first reserve though …"

But Alicia had thrown her brook to the ground and stormed off, her face red and tear streaked.

"Do you think … should I go after her?" Katie asked, uncertainly.

"I'd leave her," George said, bracingly. "She needs time alone." He picked Alicia's broom up to take back to the broom shed.

"Right," Angelina said. "Congratulations to our new members—Dudley and Ginny."

Dudley felt Ron give him a thump on the back.

"Dean, Demelza—you flew well."

Fred grinned. "Our little sister, the new quidditch star."

"Shut it," said Ginny as Luna, Cho and Hermione hurried over.

"Congratulations Ginny! I'm so glad you made it!" Luna said, giving her friend a hug.

"You flew well," Cho said, approvingly, giving Ginny a calculating look. "I'll have to keep an eye on you in our first match."

Lord Voldemort

Lord Voldemort had gathered his forces in Grimmauld Place's grand dining room. It was the biggest room in the house by far.

"My friends, and followers," he said. "We have suffered a few setbacks so far—but, don't forget, so have those who oppose us." He glanced around at his followers to make sure that they were all paying him their absolute attention.

"The spine of the Order of the Phoenix has been snapped—they are little more than an annoyance now. Albus Dumbledore's righthand man is none other than my own loyal servant Severus Snape. Corban Yaxley is working his way into Lockhart's inner circle."

The Death Eaters applauded, a little awkwardly, as if they didn't know if they were supposed to do so or not.

"There is a plan in place," Voldemort said. "One that will shatter Lockhart's Aurors, leaving the Ministry ripe for the taking."

The Death Eaters cheered. Voldemort didn't notice, but Snape leant forward slightly, his face alert.

"While the plans to shatter the Aurors are in motion, we will put a halt to large-scale operations for now. So far, our large operations have failed … either through luck, or incompetence …' he glared hard at Dolohov and Rowle.

"No more mistakes. Now, we are moving to Phase Two of the operation. A campaign of fear. Small-scale operations intended to strike fear in the hearts of all. Muggles and mudbloods are the priority. We will keep the Ministry on their toes—while they are dealing with our actions, they won't be working on a plan to take us down." Voldemort said.

He had been working on Phase 2 for the past few days. He had considered numerus ideas—a strike against Hogwarts, another mass strike against rivals, the assassination of Lockhart and high-level Ministry employees. Instead, he had settled on a campaign of fear. Fear was a valuable weapon. He wanted those who opposed him to never know when he might strike. Was that man behind them somebody on his way to work, or was it a Death Eater?

"Is any and all a target, my lord?" Dolohov asked.

Voldemort stared at him for a few seconds. "I don't wish to spill pureblood," he said. "Unless they oppose us. Priority targets are any members or family members of the Order of the Phoenix, Aurors and their families, Hit Wizards and their families. Then, any employee of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement. Muggles and mudbloods, of course, you have free reign."

"Do we have the identities of mudbloods?" Rowle asked.

"No," Voldemort snarled. "Minister Lockhart is refusing to push forward with Umbridge's Muggle-born Registration Act. Perhaps he can be persuaded if we line the streets with mudbloods."

The Death Eaters laughed.

"What about the captive Death Eaters?" Rodolphus asked.

"Yaxley is working on trying to find where they are being held," said Voldemort. "Yaxley—any progress?"

Yaxley stepped forward. "I have found, from the mouth of the Minister himself, that only he, Shacklebolt, Umbridge and Bones know the location."

"Then it is important we capture one of them and find the information," said Voldemort.

"Let me, my lord!" Bellatrix said, eagerly. "I'll make them talk."

Voldemort stared at her. She was loyal and capable, but also reckless. "You and Dolohov," said Voldemort. Dolohov was smart and calculating, he would be able to reign in Bellatrix. "Once we find a location of one of them—you will strike."

"The rest of you, I will give your orders individually, now, dismissed."