James could barely sleep that night. Every time he opened his eyes, he'd check the time on his watch, only to find that it was only three minutes since he last checked. Eventually he got up so much, that he fell fast asleep through the exhaustion of constantly checking the time. When Nigel Thomas' alarm clock started ringing, James shot out of bed, and immediately started getting dressed.
"Nigel, you forgot to switch the alarm off for the weekend" complained Darren.
"Sorry" squeaked Nigel. "But I think you'll find that most of us are planning on doing the flying tests."
"Aren't you going to do it Darren?" asked James, as his desire to get dressed quickly made him put on two odd socks, and wear his jumper back to front.
"I wanted a lie in" Darren muttered.
"Well you're up now, so you might as well give it a shot" James remarked.
"We can add a new thing to the list of things you're rubbish at" Jackson smirked. "As well as adding it to the list of things I'm better at than you, despite being muggle-born."
James grabbed his wand so fast, he had to hold his wand arm just so that he wouldn't try and cast a curse that he'd regret. Dranzebar marched forward; looking like he wanted to fight Jackson, but Nigel pushed him back.
"How do you know he won't be brilliant Jackson?" James asked. "He is a football player after all."
"Star player in the junior leagues in fact" Darren boasted. "I've had talks with Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal…"
"Talking to café girl at Stamford Bridge doesn't make you a great quiditch player" replied Jackson.
"I didn't just talk to the café girl" Darren argued back. "And I'll show you otherwise."
"I already know how to fly Jackson, so if you get stuck in the air crying for help, you can be safe knowing that I can pick you up" James said insultingly.
He and Darren left a scowling Jackson to get ready for the flying test himself. They made only a brief visit to the Great Hall to eat just a slice of toast, and then walked as quickly as they could to the quiditch pitch.
"First people here" James declared.
They then waited for another two hours before another person showed up. Darren spent the time lying on the ground, making up for the lost sleep he wanted. James however was parading round the pitch, seeing himself in the air dodging bludgers and zooming off into the distance, in pursuit of the golden snitch. After two and half hours waiting in total, most of the first years, and their house captains had arrived onto the pitch.
"You boys were really eager to be here" Bella noted. "I didn't see any of you at breakfast."
"Wasn't going to miss my chance to be on the quiditch team" James replied.
The time that the flying lessons were meant to start had passed, but there was no sign of Montague or any other member of staff.
"What's taking him so long?" James wondered. "I'm dying here."
"Jackson isn't here either" Bella noticed after scanning the entire crowd of people. "Was he not interested?"
"Finally chickened out" James smirked. "The less of Jackson Lestrange, the better."
"The way he was acting in the Transfiguration class…" Bella murmured.
"Are you still upset about that?" James asked softly.
"A bit" Bella replied quietly.
"If he punishes you unfairly again, I'll complain to Professor Longbottom" James told her.
"Thanks" said Bella.
"At last" Sebastian shouted from across the pitch. "Montague's here."
James turned around, and saw a man enter the quiditch grounds with Jackson Lestrange. Montague was easily the tallest, most physical man James had seen in Hogwarts outside of Hagrid. He stood at around six and a half feet tall and had large, hairy forearms which were bulking with muscle.
"Well, looks like we have a bunch of first years who want to learn to fly" Montague shouted to gather everyone's attention.
"Have you noticed the time Montague?" Sebastian bellowed. "You're twenty minutes late."
James was surprised Sebastian had the guts to call out the head of Slytherin, but Montague just chuckled to himself.
"I would've been on time, but some kids thought it'd be funny if this boy was locked up inside a cabinet" Montague explained. "Took me quite a while to find the correct unlocking enchantment."
"Can't even remember Alohamora? Typical Slytherin" Sebastian insulted.
"Alohamora didn't work this time" Montague argued. "Anyway; I've got a flying test to run, so you can either stand quietly with the other captains, or leave."
Sebastian scowled, but walked over to where the quiditch captains of Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were standing. Jackson left Montague's side and went over to James. He looked completely livid. James secretly wished that Montague left him in the cabinet until after he got his place on the Gryffindor team.
"Hope you're ready for disappointment Potter" Jackson hissed.
"Right" Montague shouted. "I want you to line up behind one of these brooms."
Montague waved his wands, and a row of broomsticks was formed. James ran to the one he thought looked the best; Darren Crawford taking the one to his left, and Jackson Lestrange taking the one to his right.
"Now; hold out your wand arm, open your hand and shout up" Montague instructed.
"Up" James shouted, and to his satisfaction, the broom shot up straight into his hand.
He looked to his right, and was sad to see that Jackson had also immediately called up his broom. He looked to his left, and was even sadder to see that Darren was once again having great difficulty. He was calling up repeatedly, but the broom wasn't even twitching.
"Come on" moaned Darren. "Not again."
Five minutes after everyone else managed to call up their broomsticks, Montague called the session, and asked Darren to pick up the broomstick manually. Several students sniggered as Darren had to bend down.
"Can't even do up" chortled Abraham Abraham. "Is he even a wizard, or is he just a muggle?"
Darren shook his spare hand with rage. James placed his hand on his shoulder, and shook his head.
"He's not worth it" he muttered.
"Right, it's about time we start testing you all out" Montague bellowed.
"Sir" Nigel Thomas piped up. "I thought the whole point of today was to learn to fly. Why are we just going into the test?"
"Because there are many people here who already know how to fly, and don't want to waste their time going through the basics again" replied Montague. "And since you've asked, you can go first."
"Go first?" gasped Nigel. "To do what?"
"Take your broom, fly to the highest point of the stadium, do a full lap, then fly back down" Montague replied.
"All the way to the top?" Nigel gasped even louder. "But that sounds dangerous."
"If you're not good enough to do all that now, you're not a good enough flyer to get a first year exemption" Montague explained. "Abraham, you're up."
"But I haven't even started" Nigel protested.
"The fact that you hesitated means that you're not ready" Montague replied.
Abraham Abraham got on his broom, and shot up into the air. It was only upon seeing Abraham getting smaller and smaller, when James realised he had never flown anywhere near that height. Whilst James had plenty of flying experience, it was all done at the Burrow, and Grandmother Weasley refused to let him fly two feet higher than her head. Abraham made it a quarter of the way round the pitch, before quickly diving back down to the ground. As he ran back to Montague, he looked white as a sheet.
"That's so high up" he panted.
Several more students were then called up to have a go at Montague's test. The vast majority of them gave up during their lap, or before they even made it to the top; but the ones who completed the lap weren't freely given an exemption. When Aoiffe landed after completing her lap, Montague just shook his head.
"You were way too slow" he explained.
"I was trying not to fall off" Aoiffe protested.
"If you were in a quiditch game, you'd have to go twice that speed" Montague informed her. "Darren Crawford, you look fitter than anyone else here; show them what you're made of."
Aoiffe pulled an obscene finger gesture as Montague's back was turned, whilst Darren glared at Abraham and smirked. James was confident that Darren was going to make him regret his insult earlier. Darren got on his broom, and prepared to launch. Instead, the moment he sat down, the broomstick started reacting violently. It was rising and falling rapidly, and it was shaking left to right, as if it was trying to deliberately knock him off his broom. Montague was forced to cast a spell, in order to stop the broom entirely, and make Darren fall from a safe height. James ran to him, as everyone else laughed.
"Are you ok?" he asked, as he helped Darren onto his feet.
"What was wrong with my broom?" Darren demanded. "I demand another go on a different broomstick."
"Ok" Montague muttered.
He grabbed Abraham's broom, and handed it over to Darren. He got on it, but once again, the broomstick reacted as if it had gone spastic. Montague seemingly expecting the result cast the spell again almost a second after Darren knocked over James during the outburst.
"What happened?" Darren screamed.
"You have terrible handling on your broom" Montague replied bluntly. "I'm sorry, but that was just awful. Technically the flying lesson afterwards is optional, but I'm ordering you to stay and do it. You need to be able to use a broom safely."
"Fine" Darren muttered.
He dropped the broomstick on the ground and stropped over to the very edge of the pitch. James began to run over to him, but was held back by Bella.
"Let him be by himself for a bit" Bella told him. "He's really struggled ever since coming here; he could do with a good cry."
"Yeah" James murmured.
"Travis" Montague said heartily. "No one's passed so far; let's show everyone what Slytherin can really do."
"Let's go" shouted Gant.
Travis Gant turned out to be by far the best of the students who attempted the test so far. He launched up into the air, and completed his first lap in about the same amount of time Aoiffe took just to reach the appropriate height. After his first lap, Gant began zooming around again for some more practise. James presumed this was allowed, since Montague started to talk casually with Dranzebar Lang.
"Your mother's Alicia Spinnet isn't she?" he asked.
"Yeah" replied Dranzebar. "Do you know her?"
"We used to play quiditch together" Montague replied. "Well, really against her. How's she doing? I haven't seen her since the Battle of Hogwarts."
"She's doing fine" said Dranzebar. "She's retired from professional quiditch now, but she had a good run."
"I remember when I tried to ram your mother off her broom" Montague said nostalgically. "Instead I missed, and smashed my head into one of the goal posts. Good times."
Dranzebar didn't know whether to laugh along or show concern that Montague once tried to ram his mother off her broom, but was saved from having to give a response by Gant deciding to finally land.
"That was wicked" Gant grinned.
"I can tell you've been flying before" Montague said fondly. "You've definitely passed mate; amazing effort."
"Biased" Sebastian yelled from where the captains were standing. "You're only passing him because he's a Slytherin."
For once, James had to disagree with him. Gant was by far and away the best flyer so far. Even Aoiffe seemed less mad about not passing, once she saw what the standard was.
"Dranzebar, let's see the mother in you."
Dranzebar got on his broom, and shot up to the sky faster than anybody else. James thought that he was the fastest of everyone, but he didn't keep full control of the broom. There were times were it would suddenly shake about, like it did with Darren. Montague evidently agreed, as he shook his head once Dranzebar landed.
"You tried to be too clever" he told him. "You tried to go too fast, and you lost control of the broom."
"Damn it" moaned Dranzebar.
"Hey, Alicia didn't make it onto the team in her first year" Montague said in a more comforting voice. "With a bit more practise, you might be able to get on the team."
Dranzebar smiled slightly, and walked back to Nigel. Bella was then called up for her run. The end result was very similar to that of Aoiffe's. She was able to keep the broom steady, but not at a speed that satisfied Montague.
"You don't have the speed, you don't have the confidence, and to be blunt; you don't have the talent" Montague informed her. "Though to be fair, neither did your cousin, and look where he is now."
Everyone in the crowd, including Bella laughed. James was laughing too, until he looked over at Sebastian. It was the first time he saw him genuinely angry.
"Potter, you're up" Montague ordered.
James got on his broomstick, and prepared his legs to launch. He was suddenly feeling a lot of butterflies in his stomach. This was the moment he had trouble sleeping all night for. This was when he will make the Gryffindor quiditch team. If he failed now, he'd have to wait another year before getting another shot. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then launched. As soon as he was in the air, it was as if everything he was worried about just vanished. He knew how to ride a broom; he just had to do it higher than he was used to. He made it to the top of the pitch in a time he thought was comparable to Gant's then sped along the circumference. Once he finished his lap, he landed the broom right next to Montague.
"That was amazing James" Sebastian ran over and screamed. "That was absolutely incredible.
"Hold your horses Sebastian" Montague interrupted.
"What?" James gasped. "Have I not passed?"
"He was better than your own Travis Gant" Sebastian argued.
"You were about the same" said Montague.
"Which means I should pass" argued James.
"Of course I'm passing you" Montague explained. "I was just making sure that your captain has accurate expectations over your abilities."
"Ok" sighed James. "Cheers."
Montague nodded back, then walked over to some of the other students. James was about to walk back to Bella, but Sebastian held him back.
"Don't listen to him James" he said. "You were completely perfect out there. Montague just wants to hype the only new Slytherin."
"It's ok Sebastian" James replied. "There's the upcoming quiditch match."
"Yeah" Sebastian grinned. "I made you a deal Potter, and since you've passed, you're on the team."
"Excellent" James grinned.
"After we finished watching everyone else, I'll go and introduce you to the rest of the team" said Sebastian.
Since James passed the test, nobody else came remotely close. Floyd Falcon from Ravenclaw notably whacked himself with the broom whilst attempting the launch.
"You better go and see Madame Pomfrey about that nosebleed" Montague instructed him. "Only one person to go."
"Saving the best for last" Jackson declared loudly.
"That's what I like to hear" said Montague. "Confidence."
Jackson took his broom, and prepared for launch. For the first time today, James hoped that the person taking the test failed miserably. Jackson had been top in everything so far, surly he can't be the best at everything. Aunt Hermione was the best at every subject when she was at school too, but even then she was bad at flying.
Jackson launched off the ground, and by less than a second, he was at the top of the quiditch pitch. He then shot his broom forwards, going far quicker than Travis Gant.
"Bella, be honest with me" James requested solemnly. "How good was I compared to Gant?"
"Ask me what you really want to know" Bella told him, as Jackson completed his first lap in record time.
"Is he the best again?" James asked irritably.
"Yes" Bella muttered.
After a few more laps, Jackson landed triumphantly. Montague walked over, giving him a round of applause.
"That was the best effort I've ever seen from a first year" he exclaimed. "You came from a muggle orphanage didn't you?"
"That's right" confirmed Jackson. "Unlike Potter, I never used a broom before."
"That was an absolutely incredible effort" Montague complimented. "You are getting a pass for sure; and if Sebastian is wise, he should definitely consider you for the house team."
"Thank you very much Montague."
Jackson punched his fist in the air, and walked over to James. He didn't say anything, but instead stared at him, looking as smug as possible.
"Potter, Lestrange and Gant; congratulations, you've all passed" Montague shouted. "The rest of you have the option to stay behind to get a better understanding on how to fly a broom. Crawford, you're staying behind whether you like it or not."
James left the quiditch pitch as soon as he could. Jackson quickly caught up to him, and made sure that he couldn't lose him.
"Too bad James, I know how much that meant to you" Jackson taunted.
James ignored him. He was so certain that flying was the one thing he would be better than Jackson at. Now he was beaten so comprehensibly, he was sure that Sebastian would renegade on their agreement. James walked back angrily back to the Common Room. Jackson made sure to boast about how he was the best Montague ever saw throughout the journey.
"Dumbledore" James sulked to the Fat Lady.
"You shouldn't say such a prestigious name in such a sour tone" the Fat Lady said back.
"Forgive my friend dear" Jackson said smugly. "I think he just had his heart ripped out."
The Fat Lady opened up, and James and Jackson walked inside. There were a group of boys and girls wearing quiditch robes, gathered round in a small circle near the fireplace. Their faces turned to James once he entered. He realised that they must be the Gryffindor Quiditch Team.
"How did it all go?" snapped a large, muscular black woman, in a highly aggressive voice.
Jackson opened his mouth to speak, but Sebastian ran through the portrait hole, and dashed over to the group.
"He did great" he cheered. "Everyone; meet our new seeker."
James turned away, not wanting to see Jackson; but as his back was turned, Sebastian grabbed his arm, and pulled it high in the air.
"So he did pass?" gasped the black girl.
"What the?" gasped Jackson.
"Congratulations James" a brown haired, neat looking person said in an upper class accent.
"Thank you" James said gormlessly.
"Forgive me, where are my manners" said the upper class boy. "My name is Benedict Falcon; Gryffindor chaser."
"He's a real book worm and all" Sebastian explained. "This is like the first time I ever saw you not buried in paper."
"I'm Patricia Muggs" the black girl introduced herself. "Gryffindor beater."
"Pleased to meet you all" James said in a bewildered voice.
"With the son of the legendary seeker himself on our team, there's no way we'll lose this year" shouted Sebastian. "Slytherin won't know what hit them."
"Flipendo" Jackson roared from behind.
James suddenly felt like he had just been punched in the back, and fell over to the floor. Benedict and Patricia helped him off the floor and onto his feet.
"Are you alright?" asked Benedict.
"Yeah" James muttered.
"You don't deserve to be on the team, and you know it" cried Jackson. "I was better than you; I was miles better than you."
James opened his mouth to speak, but Sebastian stood in between the pair of them.
"The reason why I picked James was because I made him a promise" he explained. "I promised him that if he passed the flying test, he would get the seeker position."
"What a stupid thing to promise" Jackson complained. "Why make a promise to him, before you've seen everyone else."
"Maybe in hindsight that was a mistake" Sebastian admitted. "But you weren't as great as you thought Lestrange. Montague is the head of Slytherin, so he's going to have a bias towards you."
"But I'm a Gryffindor" Jackson protested.
"Furthermore, I'm not having anyone on my team who jinxes their own team in the back" Sebastian continued. "Sorry Lestrange; go and put the Sorting Hat on again and have it put you in Slytherin. Maybe then you have a chance."
Jackson looked livid. James could tell he really wanted to inflict some sort of curse to Sebastian, but as he was more experienced, it wouldn't be a good idea. In the end Jackson spat at James, and stormed out of the Common Room.
"Welcome to the team James" Sebastian greeted him in a far more caring voice.
"Thanks" James replied back.