Disclaimer: Same as before.
A/N: I think Chapter 5 is my longest chapter so far. Hm.I need to change that soon. Mutters: Must have longer chapters *grinz* read and review!
CHAPTER 7
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING!"
"Damn it, Ron. You know I'm right."
" Dragon shit, Harry."
"Ron. It's my choice. Not yours."
Ron glared at him and Harry relented a little. " Fine. You can try out. I wish you wouldn't. What am I supposed to do. You're my friend, Ron. I can't just give you a place. You've got to be good enough. I don't want you hurt."
Ron grinned slightly. " I promise I won't get angry if I'm not chosen for the team, but I can't promise not to attack you if you lose against Slytherian."
Harry grinned. " You kidding? We're not going to lose to those slimeballs."
"Watch your language, Potter." Malfoy had appeared.
Ron grin was wiped from his face. " What do you want know, Malfoy."
" Nothing, Weasley. Just wishing you luck on your tryouts. Too bad you won't make the team." Draco sneered and whirled around.
Harry grabbed Ron before he could attack the Slytherian. Ron glared after Malfoy. "You'd better win against them," he said through clenched teeth.
Harry nodded and glanced over his shoulder as Hermione appeared.
" You're actually coming to the quidditch trials?" he asked her.
Hermione shook his head. " Can't. I've got a lot of work to do."
" Hermione!"
"Sorry." She shrugged. " Was that Malfoy you were talking to?"
Ron nodded. " The bastard."
Hermione raised an eyebrow and glared slightly after Malfoy. " He's the one who's causing me all the stupid extra studying."
Harry gave her a puzzled look. " How?"
"Do you know how smart he is? He's beating me in almost everything except Transfiguration."
Ron stared. " You're joking. I thought he bought his perfect badge."
Hermione shrugged. " The only teacher who'd give him a free grade is Snape. It doesn't make sense. I don't think he's gotton less then a 99% on anything."
" Neither have you," Ron pointed out.
Herminoe glared at him. " Actually," she said icily. " I have."
Ron rolled his eyes. " Oh forgive me. I forgot you got a 98.5% on a paper when the rest of us all failed. Sorry Hermione."
Harry glanced at the clock on the wall. " Love to talk, you guys. But I really need to get to the tryouts. Ron, you'd better come to. See you guys later." He left the common room with his firebolt. Ron waved goodbye to Hermione and chased after his friend. He caught up to him outside. In silence they walked down the the quidditch field. The six hoops shined up in the air. Harry carried a clipboard and quill. Ron glanced down at it.
"There's a lot of people trying out."
Harry nodded. "We have Oliver's place to fill and Katie's, since her family moved to France and she transferred. A keeper and a chaser."
" Malfoy has five places to fill since the Slytherians always go for size."
Harry frowned. " There's going to be high tension at the match against Slytherian."
"Isn't there always?"
Harry smiled slightly. " True, but it'll be worse this year."
" I know. Nothing to worry about though. Gryffindor has always won since you came."
" It's an entirely new team, Ron. We're all going to have to work hard."
" Good luck."
Ron stopped, and Harry made his way to the middle of the field. He made his voice louder. " Everyone, please land. We're going to begin. If you know what position you play, please go stand in that group. The chasers will group by the bleachers. The keepers will group by the near goal posts. If you know you can't play either of these posts then you might as well leave. If you don't know what position you play, stay here with me." He waited while everyone walked over to the groups. He told the group still standing around him to wait until he had tried out the other groups. He left them and walked over to the keepers.
He paired each keeper with a chaser and then watched as the chasers tried to score on the keeper. He frowned. This was not going well. Hopefully Gryffindor would get a miracle.
After they finished, he thanked them and they left. Then he walked over to the group of people who didn't know what positions they played. Harry groaned. It was incredibly boring being captain.
He split them up into groups and paired them up again, but this time they changed positions. Finally it was over.
Harry faked a smile at everyone and walked off. Ron ran and caught up with him. To Harry's gratitude, he did not ask if he'd made the team. Instead they walked in silence to the Gryffindor Tower.
Entering Gryffindor Common room, he flopped into a chair. " Ron, be a pal and do my Divination homework for me."
Ron raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but I'm making it up."
" Yeah, whatever. Just don't go too overboard."
Harry spread the lists across the floor. He easily crossed off about 50 names. But now he was stuck with the rest. He frowned. He already knew who the new chaser would be. Ginny Weasley was superb. He didn't tell Ron this, not yet. But now he still had to find a keeper.
He was very tempted to pick Ron, just to spite Malfoy, but he knew that Colin Creevy, the annoying 4th year, was better than Ron. Harry sighed. This was going to be a long night of debating with himself.
***
Draco was going over his lists. His own house's trials were the next day. He yawned. It was about 12:30. He leaned back in his chair.
Noll entered the common room. Draco raised an eyebrow. "Where have you been?"
Noll grinned evilly. "Spying." He sat down in a chair next to Draco and closed his eyes.
Draco knew this game. He would wait Noll out. He ran his finger down the lists in front of him. Presently, Noll cracked his eyelids. Draco grinned, knowing he'd won.
" Potter's going to have a hard time choosing his new members."
"Really?"
Noll nodded. " Well," he amended. "He'll have a hard time choosing his keeper. The new chaser is obvious."
Draco leaned foreword. "Who?"
"Ginny Weasley."
Draco leaned back. " Another one of those damned Weasley's. Goddess, when do we get rid of them!"
Noll grinned slightly. "He'll have a hard time picking his keeper."
"Why?"
"Because he doesn't know whether to pick his best friend, Weasley, or the annoying 4th year Creevy."
Draco smiled. "I wonder. Four Weasley's on the team. It would be such joy to beat them."
Noll nodded. "If he does pick Ginny Weasley and Ron Weasley we'll be able to beat them."
"You believe that?"
Noll raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Our keeper's much better than either Creevy or Weasley. I'd know I watched the trails."
Draco stared. " How the hell did you pull that off?"
"Polyjuice potion."
Draco felt a grin spread across his face. "Who were you?"
"Colin Creevy."
Draco laughed. "Your skills or his?"
"Mine. Not even that good at all."Noll joined Draco in laughing. Presently they calmed down.
"Thanks Noll."
"No prob. Hopefully I'll make our own team."
Draco smiled. " No guarantees, but you probably will." He paused. "But why were you so late tonight? The trails were this afternoon."
"I know. I had a lot of work to do."
Draco took the hint and left it at that. He put away his lists and stood up, streaching. "I'm off to bed now."
"Without Pansy?"
Draco mocked swiped at him. "She's the slut. I don't sleep with her. She sleeps with everyone."
Noll grinned. "Whatever. I'm going up to."
They walked up the steps in comfortable silence. Nol entered his room while Draco continued up the steps to his room. He walked into the room and collapsed onto the bed, dead tired. He flicked his wand to turn off the lights, and then promptly fell asleep.
***
Draco cussed silently to himself. Why wouldn't these Slytherians pay attention. "Shut up!" he shouted above the voices of his fellow housemates. For some reason, he got instantaneous silence. "Thank you. Now, we only have a few more people to try out. If anyone of you guys want to leave, go ahead. The team will be posted after Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw have their tryouts. Good luck to all of you."
Most of the Slytherians headed back toward school. Draco motioned a second year to shoot on the keeper. So far he was pleased with what he saw. The Slytherian team was going to be very strong.
He winced as the second year missed the goal completely. He motioned for the kid to try again. He knew that Noll would make the team. Crabbe and Goyle, his "friends" would not. They expected to, but he was not going to even be alternatives. They were idiots.
Noll joined him at the bleachers. "Having fun?"
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, a lot of fun," he replied sarcastically.
Noll grinned slightly and followed Draco's gaze to the second year. "Poor kid. He's nervous."
Draco shrugged. "I can't do anything about that. He must know I'm not going to eat him."
Noll raised a eyebrow but didn't reply. He held himself from a wince as the kid missed again.
Draco sighed and nodded to the next kid to throw the quaffle. He paid scant attention to the kid as he turned back to Noll.
"So what do you think of our team?"
"Our?"
Draco grinned and shrugged. "Why bother hiding it from you? Yes, you're on the team."
"As a chaser?"
"Si, señor."
Noll grinned. "Thanks. About our team, I don't know. We should be great though. Depending on who you pick."
Draco shrugged. "I'm going for skill this year."
"That's good." He glanced sideways at Draco. "I'll be honest. I think our chasers and our keeper will be better than anyone else's team. But the real problem is Potter."
Draco lost his smile. "I know."
Noll made a face. "Unless you can beat him, I doubt we can win. We'll try, of course. But Potter is too good."
"I should sabatoge his broom," Draco muttered.
Noll grinned. "Not a bad idea."
"Really?" Draco asked hopefully.
"No."
"Damn."
They switched their attention back to the flying chasers and keeper. Draco made some marks on his sheet.
"When are these stupid trials over?" Noll complained.
Draco grinned. "You can leave if you want."
"Nah."
Draco shrugged. "This is the last chaser. And he shoots, and makes it. He shoots again, and misses-"
"I'm not blind!" Noll cut in.
Draco smirked. "You sure."
"Positively. Now go make your closing speech and let's get the hell out of here."