The next six weeks were some of the most hectic the Hogwarts fifth-years
had ever experienced. Lily and Rhia had finally pestered the boys enough to
start studying for their O.W.L.s and James occupied his "down time" using
his miniature Quidditch set to study different moves. Finally, the morning
of the Quidditch Cup game came, three days before their O.W.L.s.
"You have to eat something, James." Lily said, pushing a piece of toast in front of him.
"This is it, Lil." He muttered, pushing the toast back to her. "This is when they decide who's captain next year."
"It'll be you, I'm sure of it." Annie patted his arm.
"Bah." James replied dismally.
"Don't be so down, James." Peter said, stuffing his face with bacon.
"He's just nervous, that's all." Sirius defended his best friend, giving James a pat on the back.
"Did you read that book I got you?" Lily asked.
"You and your books." James was able to crack a smile.
"James?"
Phillip McKay had walked to the table. Phillip was the tall, thick Gryffindor Quidditch captain and beater.
"Yes, Phillip?" James asked, looking up from a still-filled plate.
"We need you on the field in fifteen minutes." Phillip ordered. "And don't forget-"
"Don't catch the Snitch unless we're forty points ahead." James repeated with him. "I know, you've told me a million times."
"And I'll tell you a million and one if you're not on the field in fifteen minutes." Phillip snapped, his temper unusually short.
"Alright, alright." James nodded.
"OK, then." Phillip turned on his heel and walked out of the Hall.
"I should go, I have to get my robes on." James stood, brushing himself off and leaning down to give Lily a kiss.
"Good luck." Remus offered.
"Thanks." He smiled. "I need it."
~*~
James sat in the locker room, his head in his hands as he ran imaginary flights over and over in his brain.
"Ready to go?" Amy Stevens, a Gryffindor Beater touched his shoulder. "Phillip's about to bust from yelling."
"Yeah, I'm ready." He replied, standing and picking up his old broomstick, a Libra 30000.
"Come on, James!" Phillip cried from the entryway to the field.
"I'm coming." He groaned, walking to them just as the portal opened and Tim Connelly, the announcer, shouted out their names. James hopped on the back of his Libra and flew out, hearing the crowd chant his name among the other team's. He even thought he caught a glimpse of Lily, Sirius, and the rest of his friends in the Gryffindor stands. He took his place in the air, facing Ricardo Timon, the Ravenclaw Seeker.
"Dirty pig." Ricardo muttered, spitting at him and missing by a few inches.
"I wouldn't be talking." James retorted. The young flying professor, Madam Hooch, stepped out and opened the Quidditch trunk, releasing the Bludgers and the Snitch, which James quickly lost sight of.
"Prepare to lose, pig!" Ricardo cried as Madam Hooch let go of the Quaffle and the game began. James swerved around for a bit, averting Bludgers and watching the chasers, Penny Iturbe, Wendell Browning, and Erinn Dereks scoop up the Quaffle and score one...two...three goals.
"Only one more goal, James." Phillip reminded him as he hit a nearby Bludger away. "Only one more and-" He cut himself off as the Ravenclaw chaser threw the Quaffle past their keeper, Andrew Wood.
"Two more then?" James said with a grin as Phillip took off, hitting a Bludger away from Andrew.
"Better watch out, Potter" Ricardo shouted, flying past in quick pursuit of the Snitch. James urged his Libra faster, catching up on Ricardo's tail and jamming into his side, hoping to veer him off course. Ricardo cursed and shoved him back before getting hit by a stray Bludger and falling quickly, Phillip taking his place alongside James.
"Hurry up, we're fifty points ahead!" he cried. James nodded and shot forward, looking quickly for the Snitch. A glimmer of gold showed itself near a Ravenclaw chaser. He ducked swiftly underneath a Bludger's path and reached forward, feeling his hands close around the golden ball, the tiny silver wings beating frantically against his hand.
"Potter's done it! Gryffindor's won the cup!" Tim Connelly shouted as James and the rest of his team did a victory lap around the field, James finding his friends in the great crowd. Remus was kissing Rhia, Annie was kissing Sirius, Lily was blowing kisses to him, and Peter was rolling his eyes at all the fuss-and-nonsense love about him.
~*~
The party that followed was one of the biggest Gryffindors had had in a while. The Quidditch cup was finally theirs, after seven years of it's absence. Utilizing an old secret passageway they knew about, Sirius and Remus brought some treats from Honeyduke's in Hogsmede. Peter complimented the house elves on their impeccable cleaning skills until they loaded him down with sweets. Winnie Savincki, a muggle-born sixth-year, bewitched a large black box to play music. They spent the night dancing, eating, and celebrating until Annie discovered and intruder.two intruders in their midst.
"Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape." She said with a glare as they walked in, everyone else ignoring them in their excitement.
"Oh, we just came to see what all the fuss was about." Lucius replied.
"Malfoy and Snape?" Sirius cried loudly, walking over towards them with the Marauders, Lily, and Rhia in tow. Suddenly, the room quieted and then burst forth with chatter.
"Slytherins?"
"Here?"
"Ew, Severus Snape!"
"Go on, get out!"
"Now, why would we want to do that?" Lucius asked with a slick smile.
"We're having fun." Severus added.
"Come on, Annie, let's go." Sirius took her by the crook of her arm.
"Protecting your little girlfriend?" Lucius raised his pale eyebrows. "How sweet."
"Yeah, so what if I am?" Sirius asked, threatening him to make another scathing remark like before.
"Well, my sources told me you weren't 'dating' at all." Lucius gave a nod to Severus over his shoulder.
"What do you mean?" asked Annie.
"Oh, you don't know?" Lucius laughed maliciously. "It seems that Mr. Black here isn't fond of Miss Lupin at all. His dating her...why, it's just a bet!"
"You have to eat something, James." Lily said, pushing a piece of toast in front of him.
"This is it, Lil." He muttered, pushing the toast back to her. "This is when they decide who's captain next year."
"It'll be you, I'm sure of it." Annie patted his arm.
"Bah." James replied dismally.
"Don't be so down, James." Peter said, stuffing his face with bacon.
"He's just nervous, that's all." Sirius defended his best friend, giving James a pat on the back.
"Did you read that book I got you?" Lily asked.
"You and your books." James was able to crack a smile.
"James?"
Phillip McKay had walked to the table. Phillip was the tall, thick Gryffindor Quidditch captain and beater.
"Yes, Phillip?" James asked, looking up from a still-filled plate.
"We need you on the field in fifteen minutes." Phillip ordered. "And don't forget-"
"Don't catch the Snitch unless we're forty points ahead." James repeated with him. "I know, you've told me a million times."
"And I'll tell you a million and one if you're not on the field in fifteen minutes." Phillip snapped, his temper unusually short.
"Alright, alright." James nodded.
"OK, then." Phillip turned on his heel and walked out of the Hall.
"I should go, I have to get my robes on." James stood, brushing himself off and leaning down to give Lily a kiss.
"Good luck." Remus offered.
"Thanks." He smiled. "I need it."
~*~
James sat in the locker room, his head in his hands as he ran imaginary flights over and over in his brain.
"Ready to go?" Amy Stevens, a Gryffindor Beater touched his shoulder. "Phillip's about to bust from yelling."
"Yeah, I'm ready." He replied, standing and picking up his old broomstick, a Libra 30000.
"Come on, James!" Phillip cried from the entryway to the field.
"I'm coming." He groaned, walking to them just as the portal opened and Tim Connelly, the announcer, shouted out their names. James hopped on the back of his Libra and flew out, hearing the crowd chant his name among the other team's. He even thought he caught a glimpse of Lily, Sirius, and the rest of his friends in the Gryffindor stands. He took his place in the air, facing Ricardo Timon, the Ravenclaw Seeker.
"Dirty pig." Ricardo muttered, spitting at him and missing by a few inches.
"I wouldn't be talking." James retorted. The young flying professor, Madam Hooch, stepped out and opened the Quidditch trunk, releasing the Bludgers and the Snitch, which James quickly lost sight of.
"Prepare to lose, pig!" Ricardo cried as Madam Hooch let go of the Quaffle and the game began. James swerved around for a bit, averting Bludgers and watching the chasers, Penny Iturbe, Wendell Browning, and Erinn Dereks scoop up the Quaffle and score one...two...three goals.
"Only one more goal, James." Phillip reminded him as he hit a nearby Bludger away. "Only one more and-" He cut himself off as the Ravenclaw chaser threw the Quaffle past their keeper, Andrew Wood.
"Two more then?" James said with a grin as Phillip took off, hitting a Bludger away from Andrew.
"Better watch out, Potter" Ricardo shouted, flying past in quick pursuit of the Snitch. James urged his Libra faster, catching up on Ricardo's tail and jamming into his side, hoping to veer him off course. Ricardo cursed and shoved him back before getting hit by a stray Bludger and falling quickly, Phillip taking his place alongside James.
"Hurry up, we're fifty points ahead!" he cried. James nodded and shot forward, looking quickly for the Snitch. A glimmer of gold showed itself near a Ravenclaw chaser. He ducked swiftly underneath a Bludger's path and reached forward, feeling his hands close around the golden ball, the tiny silver wings beating frantically against his hand.
"Potter's done it! Gryffindor's won the cup!" Tim Connelly shouted as James and the rest of his team did a victory lap around the field, James finding his friends in the great crowd. Remus was kissing Rhia, Annie was kissing Sirius, Lily was blowing kisses to him, and Peter was rolling his eyes at all the fuss-and-nonsense love about him.
~*~
The party that followed was one of the biggest Gryffindors had had in a while. The Quidditch cup was finally theirs, after seven years of it's absence. Utilizing an old secret passageway they knew about, Sirius and Remus brought some treats from Honeyduke's in Hogsmede. Peter complimented the house elves on their impeccable cleaning skills until they loaded him down with sweets. Winnie Savincki, a muggle-born sixth-year, bewitched a large black box to play music. They spent the night dancing, eating, and celebrating until Annie discovered and intruder.two intruders in their midst.
"Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape." She said with a glare as they walked in, everyone else ignoring them in their excitement.
"Oh, we just came to see what all the fuss was about." Lucius replied.
"Malfoy and Snape?" Sirius cried loudly, walking over towards them with the Marauders, Lily, and Rhia in tow. Suddenly, the room quieted and then burst forth with chatter.
"Slytherins?"
"Here?"
"Ew, Severus Snape!"
"Go on, get out!"
"Now, why would we want to do that?" Lucius asked with a slick smile.
"We're having fun." Severus added.
"Come on, Annie, let's go." Sirius took her by the crook of her arm.
"Protecting your little girlfriend?" Lucius raised his pale eyebrows. "How sweet."
"Yeah, so what if I am?" Sirius asked, threatening him to make another scathing remark like before.
"Well, my sources told me you weren't 'dating' at all." Lucius gave a nod to Severus over his shoulder.
"What do you mean?" asked Annie.
"Oh, you don't know?" Lucius laughed maliciously. "It seems that Mr. Black here isn't fond of Miss Lupin at all. His dating her...why, it's just a bet!"