"I am sick. I can't make it." I protested as Albus and Scorpius dragged me to the Quidditch pitch.
I wasn't faking it either. My palms were sweaty, I didn't have butterflies in my stomach, those were fully fledged buzzards!
"Oh?" Scorpius' grin told me he wasn't fooled for a minute. "What are you sick with?"
He made a show of feeling my forehead.
Arsehole.
"Fear?" Suggested Albus. "Mind shattering terror?"
"Fatal case of nerves is your diagnosis then, Healer?" Scorpius grinned at Albus.
"Oh, absolutely terminal." Albus grinned back. "Only curable by getting her arse on to the Quidditch pitch."
"Oh, har har. You two suck so much." I grumbled.
"We really do." Scorpius grinned. "We should be ashamed, dragging a young girl out to Quidditch tryouts."
"We will muddle through somehow." Albus gave me a final shove in the direction of the small group of would be players.
At least the others trying out looked as nervous as I was, shifting back and forth and clutching their brooms nervously.
"Fiduciam Calvis." I muttered to myself.
It might not be a real spell, but it acted as sort of a talisman to help me stay calm.
"You got this Lilliana!" I heard someone shout from the stands.
Looking up I saw of all people Uncle Ron giving me a thumbs up. It was weird that he was here, but it made me feel sort of good too.
It was nice to feel like I had people in my corner.
The tryouts were easy in theory. The current Slytherin Quidditch team, three of whom were graduating, would divide us up in teams. All we had to do to make the team was to beat out our opponent.
I was trying out for seeker. I had to catch the snitch before Fergus Cowley did. His wicked grin told me he was confident and he would NOT make this easy on me.
Good. The more he grinned the more I wanted to wipe that smug look off of his face.
My fears were suddenly gone as I looked over the Slytherin Quidditch team.
The current lineup consisted of:
Captain and Keeper Xander Warrington, fifth year
Beaters - Kevin Lympsham, seventh year and graduating, Elizabeth Lofthouse, sixth year year
Chasers - Sandra Baldock fourth year, Ronald Phipps, seventh year and graduating
Seeker Nigel Harper, seventh year and graduating
On my team I got Elizabeth Lofthouse, Sandra Baldock, Ursula Peebles trying out for beater, Peter Cram and Silas Carter both trying out for chaser.
My opposing team was Fergus Crowley of course, Kevin Lympsham, Ronald Phipps, Hayley Queensbury and Abigail Pummel both trying out for beater, and Damon Greenford trying out for chaser.
Nigel as the current and graduating seeker would play our keeper while Xander was keeper for the opposition. Nigel would not just be watching me and Fergus, he would be evaluating our skills as seekers. A lot would be riding on his opinion.
I pulled on my brand new seeker gloves and mounted my broom with a new sense of determination. There is one place in the world where blood status matters far less than skill. The Quidditch pitch. A captain would take a full blown muggle if that muggle could sit a broom and catch a snitch.
We kicked off and I spent a lot of time flying around watching the action trying to find that blasted snitch.
It was clear that Ursula and Abigail were not going to make the team. They made foul after foul. And while that may have been over looked if they had actually been any good, but they both kept forgetting they were supposed to be beaters. The second time Damon got hit with a quaffle I thought he would turn in to a beater of a whole different kind.
It was one thing when Ursula hit him, that was kind of her job, but when Abigail hit him… with her BAT I thought the vein in his forehead would explode.
Uncle Ron kept shouting encouraging words from the stands. "You can do it Lilliana! Just keep an eye out and dodge those bludgers!"
Albus and Scorpius were cheering just as loudly. Those buzzards started doing summersaults for different reasons. It felt like I actually had fans… or something.
Finally I could see the snitch but Fergus was much closer to it, and worse, he had seen it as well. There was no way I would make it in time, and no way to try for a feint. As it hovered near Elizabeth my mind was racing.
I could not bluff my way out of this one, but maybe there was a chance.
I had to stop thinking poker and start thinking cricket!
"Lofthouse!" I shouted. "Bat that snitch this way!"
She looked a little startled but grinned and gave the snitch a good whack with her bat.
The little sucker flew right at me! With a quick prayer I reached out my hand and grabbed it!
The game was over! I had won for our side!
"I caught it!" I shouted excitedly bouncing up and down on my broom. All worries about the possibility of falling off of the darned thing were long gone.
I held the snitch over my head and did a victory lap around the pitch. The Slytherin team cheered and I could hear Uncle Ron cheering even louder over the top of the rest of them.
When I landed Fergus was already complaining.
"That is rubbish!" He was shouting. "Other players are not allowed to touch the snitch!"
"Wrong." Xander said calmly pulling off his gloves. "No other player is allowed to GRAB the snitch. That is actually a pretty classic, if little used, beater and seeker strategy. I am surprised you didn't know it. But then that is the benefit of good teamwork. Some have and and some clearly…" Xander looked pointedly at Fergus.
"It was still pretty low." Fergus grumbled. "I would have had it if…"
"If Dursley wasn't a better player." Elizabeth landed next to me. "Good job Dursley! Welcome to the team."
Xander watched Fergus storm off the field with a shrug. "All right you lot. Greenford is our new chaser, Queensbury is our new beater. And of course, Dursley is our new seeker. The rest of clear out. You can try out next year."
Abigail started to complain but one good glare from Damon and she shut up and walked off with Ursula.
"All right team, we have to get our practice times settled." Xander called out. "Gather around. OK, Lofthouse, Harper, I know you have Prefect duties. Have the Heads given you patrol assignments yet?"
We spent the next half hour going over schedules until we had a practice routine that suited everyone.
"Alright, we have our first game in three weeks against Gryffindor." Xander rolled up his parchment. "Hit the showers. Good show out there newbies. Especially you Dursley. Get with Harper to get in some extra practice. He has a few other techniques to show you."
And just like that I was part of a team!
In the showers my new Slytherin Quidditch robes were waiting for me. I twirled around in them making Elizabeth laugh.
I should have been embarrassed someone caught me showing off in the mirror but I was way too happy.
"That really was a good play Dursley." She ginned. "Welcome to the team."
When I came out of the showers Albus, Scorpius and Uncle Ron were all waiting for me.
Albus and Scorpius clapped me on the back.
"Congratulations!" Scorpius grinned. "Final diagnosis, healer?"
Albus pretended to think it over. "I do believe her terminal case of nerves has been completely cured."
"Hey kiddo." Uncle Ron hugged me. You looked great out there. I am not sure even Harry ever tried that one. And there was little he wouldn't try. Where did you pick that up at?"
"Ummm…" I laughed a little embarrassed. "I actually wasn't sure if it was allowed, but I had to try SOMETHING, he was going to get there before me."
Xander was leaving the showers just as I said that. "And THAT Dursley is why YOU are our new seeker. I don't care how many fouls you get as long as we win the game."
"Hey!" Uncle Ron looked a little shocked. "What about you know… things like fair play and good sportsmanship?"
Xander and I looked at him scandalized.
"What in Merlin's name are you on about?" I sputtered.
"Right." Uncle Ron laughed. "Slytherin."
"Guilty as charged." Xander and I both said together and laughed.
"Yeah, remember that phrase at your trials." Uncle Ron rolled his eyes. "But I admit, it IS pretty interesting seeing it from this side for a change."
"You know…" I grinned. "Abigail and Ursula got plenty of fouls between them"
Xander gave a fake shudder. "Their entire game was foul. I have no idea what made either of them even try out."
"Oh I can guess." I grinned. "They couldn't take their eyes off of Damon."
Damon was really good looking and pretty popular. I had noticed right away they were only there to flirt with him. Well, until Abigail hit him with her bat.
"And they will have about as much luck with him as they did Quidditch. He has a girlfriend." Xander laughed and left with a waive.
I turned to Uncle Ron. "Umm… thanks for coming." That was so inadequate.
He didn't seem to notice, or maybe he just didn't mind. "No problem, I remember when I first tried out and it was terrible! I tried to back out but Harry and Hermione wouldn't let me."
I laughed. "Yeah, Scorpius and Albus wouldn't let me chicken out either."
He slung an arm around my shoulders as we walked back to the castle. "Best thing that ever happened to me, those two. I am glad you have someone too."
I nodded. "I just don't always see eye to eye with some of the people here."
"Rose told me." He gave my shoulders a squeeze. "But Nev says you handle yourself pretty well."
"Nev?" I asked confused.
"That would be Professor Longbottom to you." Uncle Ron pointed to where the deputy headmaster was making his way towards us.
"Nev!' Uncle Ron called out. "How's it going? How are your parents getting on?"
"Much better, thanks to Miranda." They shook hands. "How are Hermione and Harry?"
"Good, good. Harry is complaining about all of the paperwork Hermione is making him do." They both laughed.
"I guess as Minister she gets to boss him around for a change." Professor Longbottom winked.
Uncle Ron scoffed. "For a CHANGE? When DIDN'T Hermione boss us around?"
"Later kids." Uncle Ron waved us on. "This so-called war hero bet me that I couldn't eat an entire end of school trifle by myself and I aim to prove him wrong."
"That is ten pounds of fruits, cake and jellies you know." Professor Longbottom and Uncle Ron started off.
"Pah, it is… a trifling thing." Uncle Ron waved his hand.
We could barely hear Professor Longbottom's response. "That was just a bad pun Ron, very bad indeed."
"It is so weird to think of Professor's having friends." I said watching them walk on like old buddies. Which I guess they were.
"We grew up with all of them so I guess it doesn't seem as weird to us." Albus shrugged.