Most Gryffindors slept in on Saturdays, but Harry couldn't; Quidditch try-outs were that morning and he had to help in the judging as a member for the team. Harry rolled out of bed and saw that Dean and Seamus were already out as well, and Harry presumed that the only reason they would be up so early was for the trials that he and the rest of the Lions were having that morning. He wondered who else would be trying out.
The Gryffindors knew that replacing Oliver Wood for a Keeper would be hard, but they also knew that there were plenty of good candidates for it as well. The truth was, since every member on the team except Harry were seventh-years, the Lions were trying to establish a good set of reserves for next year's team. The night before last the team had a meeting, discussing plans for this year and beyond. All agreed that during the trials, they would search for reserves that would be guaranteed a spot for next year, to ensure that the Gryffindor legacy would live on.
They had already selected a captain. Alicia Spinnet, who was friends with Oliver Wood, conferred over making her the Captain, before he graduated, and the Gryffindor team had no objections. After all, Alicia had virtually the same tactics as Wood, which was useful for that particular team. Harry always admired her style, and he especially was glad to see her become Gryffindor's newest captain.
Still, Alicia already told Harry that there was no question of who would be team captain next year, and she made Harry sort of an assistant, which, Harry knew, the other Gryffindors were perfectly okay with.
Harry took a few pieces of toast from the Dining Hall and hurried out to the pitch, where already a small crowd of Gryffindors was starting to queue up. The rest of the team was there, sitting on the bleachers, wanting to watch the trials. There hadn't been any trials in a long time; five years in fact, and Harry couldn't help but feel a shiver of anticipation.
Alicia Spinnet was standing on the pitch, taking a roll call of names that Madame Hooch turned in to her the night before. It seemed like nearly all the Gryffindors were there. Harry saw Dean and Seamus in the crowd, and he waved at them. Ron was there too, looking slightly greener than usual, but Harry knew that he couldn't play favorites with his friends.
There was Lee Jordan, along with two other seventh-years, and there were some sixth-years as well. After that were many third and fourth-years, sprinkled with one or two nervous-looking second-years, including Dennis Creevey. Harry knew most of them, and he felt bad when he realized that only five of the forty or so out there would be chosen, and only one would get to play a full-time position.
Alicia sized up the group of Gryffindors.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she said. "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for coming out to the trials to join a team of high legacy and stature in the Hogwarts Quidditch teams. Two years ago we won the Cup, though we should have won them the preceding years. I hope that, whatever happens today, the team we choose will continue this, er, legacy of…"
Alicia trailed off.
"…Not loosing," Fred Weasley supplied from the stands.
"Thank you," Alicia said. "Anyway. Results will be posted tonight, in the Gryffindor Common Room. Please, I'd like to let you know that there are no hard feelings, whatever we decide."
Alicia went over to the stands and sat down between Katie Bell and Harry.
"Wow, I never would have dreamed we'd have this many," Katie said. "I was expecting ten or twelve people."
Alicia shook her head. "You have no idea," she answered. "All right, show us your flying style!" she called.
About ten Quaffles and Bludgers were let out from the ground, and the Gryffindors rose in the air to chase and beat them. They started passing the Quaffles to each other, and Harry enjoyed watching each Gryffindor try his best. Ron, Dean, and Seamus weren't doing too badly, by not missing any passes. Ron did a fabulous dive with his broomstick and by doing so scored a goal, which many Gryffindors actually applauded.
But, other members weren't letting the fifth-years have the entire spotlight. Harry watched Lee Jordan play a rigorous Keeper position, not letting a single Quaffle get through the goal posts.
"All right, Jordan!" George called from the stands, and Alicia glared.
"We're supposed to be the impartial judges," she said.
"I am an impartial judge…it's just I like to throw in my comments here and there."
"More like shout and cheer on your friends."
"I'm a very opinionated impartial judge."
After watching the trials for about half an hour, Alicia told the Chasers and Beaters to go ahead and leave the stand. She sighed.
"There sure were a lot of good ones," she said remorsefully.
"Yeah," Harry agreed, "but I'm more worried about the Keepers…Jordan was good, but he just wasn't Wood, you know?"
The Gryffindors murmured their assent.
"All right!" Alicia called. "I want all who are trying out for Keeper to save balls that Katie and Angelina will be trying to shoot!"
Angelina and Katie took their positions on their broomsticks and rose in the air. Though many of the people who were trying out for Chaser reserves were good, they didn't even come close to Angelina and Katie's talent. They were like two blazing fireballs in Quidditch robes, zooming across the pitch, with actual positions and moves. None of the Keepers stood a chance against them, even Lee Jordan. As Alicia watched Angelina and Katie score goal after goal, she heaved a giant sigh.
"There's just no denying it…we'll never have a Keeper as good as Wood," she said to Harry.
Harry watched the failing Keepers with a grim expression. Of course, Wood was probably off playing Quidditch for the Puddlemere United reserve team, as they watched the wannabe Keepers try to live up to Wood's precedent.
"All right, that's enough," Harry said as he watched a fourth-year miss one of Katie's balls by about twenty feet.
Alicia nodded and blew her whistle, signaling for everyone to return to the ground.
Fred and George breathed a sigh of relief. While they watched, they cringed as each Keeper missed a ball, and after a fashion they just left that expression on. When Alicia blew her whistle, they kept wearing those faces until she told the Keepers to go home.
"So what do you think?" Alicia asked.
Fred made a farting noise and made a thumbs-down signal.
"Terrible," George said.
"The worst."
"I'd rather have a Slytherin on our team, for what those guys were!"
"Now, now," Alicia said, trying to stay positive. "They haven't had nearly as much experience as us, and I'm sure with practice, any of them will make fine Keepers."
"Yeah, fine Keepers that SUCK!" George retorted. "It's your pick, Alicia. I'm having no part of this."
George turned to walk away, when he bumped right into his sister, Ginny Weasley. "Oof! Sorry, Gin, I didn't see you. But the try-outs are over, sorry you missed out on watching it."
It was then did Harry realize that Ginny was clutching a broom, one of the school ones.
"Actually I – I was here for try-outs," she said, sounding like the thought scared her to death, as determined as she looked. "Sorry I couldn't come earlier. Corrine was having problems, you see, with…well, I can't really say, but still, I know I'm late, but…" Ginny trailed off, looking sheepish.
Alicia looked at her clipboard and saw Ginny was on the list. "Keeper position, eh?" Alicia sounded like she couldn't take watching another failed Keeper.
"Yes. That's right," Ginny said.
Alicia sighed and turned to Harry. "It's your call," she said.
Harry looked at Ginny.
"Yeah, okay," he said.
Twenty minutes later Ginny was souring through the air, the broomstick being only an extension of the wings that should have been attached to her. Ginny was a natural as a Keeper, a complete natural. Of the hundreds of balls that Katie, Angelina, and Alicia were throwing, Ginny didn't miss a single one. Further, Ginny knew moves from books that Harry only read about, like the Double Eight Loop and the Starfish and Stick.
But the one that really put it in the bag was, just as the Gryffindor Chasers were ready to wind down and were searching for the Quaffle, it turned out Ginny had it, and she zoomed across the field and scored before they realized what was happening. The girls actually cheered once they found what was going on.
Fred and George stared at Ginny, their mouths wide open, as she and the Gryffindor Chasers descended onto the ground. They continued to stare, and Ginny grinned back, then she shrugged.
"How did you get to be so good?" George finally asked, looking at her like she was some sort of underground hero.
Ginny shrugged mysteriously.
"Aw, cm'on, Gin," Fred said coaxingly.
"Well…actually, um, Charlie taught me. A few years ago, he came home for about six weeks, and we used to play Quidditch whenever we could. You wouldn't know, you were at school the entire time, but he showed me all these moves, all day, every day, for the entire time he was there." Ginny smiled shyly.
"Hmmm. Not fair, I wish I was the youngest," George said bitterly, but he looked proud of his little sister in spite of himself.
That evening Alicia gave Harry the honors of posting the list for who made the team. Many people crowded around the sign as soon as he left the scene, but Harry got the chance to read one last time:
GRYFFINDOR LIONS, 1996-1997
Captain: Alicia Spinnet
Assistant Captain: Harry Potter
POSITIONS:
Seeker: Harry Potter
Chasers: Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet
Reserve Chasers: Dennis Creevey, Ron Weasley
Beaters: Fred Weasley, George Weasley
Reserve Beater: Seamus Finnigan
Keeper: Ginny Weasley
A/n: okay, so now Chapter Four is up! Hee hee. I know it's kind of strange, Ginny Weasley as a Keeper, but the truth is, my buddy inspired me. And a special thanks to that buddy for keeping the outcome of this story a secret…the rest of you will just have to wait! LoL. Thanks for reading, please tell me what you think (the box just below is for reviewing, lol) ~Jerry
