Dean had made reserve beater for Ravenclaw. Poppy Naismith was impressed with his basics and his enthusiasm. Even though he was large for his age, however, she said he needed more time to build power and stamina. She wanted him to attend all practices and was confident he had a good chance of a team place by next year at the latest. Dean was delighted to be able to get a year of coaching.
Sophie had, of course, attended the Ravenclaw try-outs with Lydia and Freddie. Lydia had been concerned that Sophie would become a know-it-all about quidditch now that she was on a team. She did not. Sophie watched intently while Freddie provided a running commentary to his friends. Freddie was no expert on quidditch. Much of his commentary was about unrelated subjects but it served to keep them amused.
Sophie said so little now that Lydia began to wonder if she was having second thoughts about being on the team. When Freddie slipped away to get them some drinks Lydia asked her about it.
Sophie thought for a while. "It's not that. I've just realised I don't know much about quidditch. I mean, I saw all the house matches last year, but that is literally all the quidditch I've ever seen. I'm worried that I'm too much of a beginner to work with the rest of the team."
"But, isn't that the captain's job?" Lydia asked. "To get all the players to work as a team? That's why you have practices."
Sophie nodded, then smiled. "It's like Tom said. Everybody was a beginner once."
Lydia smiled. "Exactly! You can do this Sophie."
Sophie hugged her. "Thanks, Lydia. You're so smart. I'm glad I've got you."
"You've got Freddie, too," Lydia reminded her. "And it sounds like Tom and Aidan are keen to help you."
"Yeah, but you're my bestie."
Lydia felt a glow inside. She was enjoying having Sophie and Freddie as friends. Her dorm-mates were great but these two would be the ones who would keep her secrets. Someday soon they would tell Sophie about her, Lydia's, magic.
That next week there were still a few Slytherins and some Gryffindors who made snide comments about Lydia and Freddie. The Gryffindors, generally, were starting to rally around Sophie, it seemed. Being supposedly 'posh' was no longer mentioned. They were not actively friendly to her yet, but they held her in a new-found respect. It seemed they were waiting to see how she did in an actual match before deciding how they felt about her.
Her first practice was on the Thursday evening. Thursday was also the evening the second-years had Astronomy, so their last period of the afternoon was free. They met in the Joint Common Room. There was a good turnout to support Sophie. Shona, Tina, Maisie, Dean and Oddy turned up from Ravenclaw. Trixie Bell, Alison Vance and Dylan Vane came for Gryffindor. Sophie was overwhelmed to have two of her dorm-mates come to support her. It was sweet of Dylan, she declared, to be on her side. Dylan had not managed to get a squad place this year. Rather than be jealous, he was in awe of Sophie for getting on to the team proper at the first attempt. But then, nobody who had seen her fly in the team trials could fail to be impressed.
Tom Fletcher, Gryffindor's star chaser, looked in on them in the Joint Common Room after his last lesson. He came to sit with Sophie for a few minutes. He talked and laughed with Sophie and the others for a while.
He rose to leave. "I've got to go and get ready, now. I'll see you at the practice session. Remember, Sophie, you're better than I was and you could end up better than I will ever be. I hope you do. I'm looking forward to being on the England team with you."
Sophie managed to wait until he left the common room before she started to cry.
Sophie turned to Lydia and Freddie outside the changing room door. "Do you think Tom meant what he said?"
"Yes," Freddie said without hesitation. "I don't think he can predict the future or anything but I think part of what makes him so good is that he believes in himself, genuinely. And I think he genuinely believes in you. So, you should believe in you."
Lydia held her free hand. "I don't think someone that good tells other people they're good for no reason. He knows talent and he knows what it takes. Trust his judgement."
Sophie gave each of them a one-armed hug before stepping into the changing room with her broom.
"Did you mean what you said?" Lydia asked as they turned to head for the stands.
"Yeah, of course. He's genuinely confident about himself and you saw how good Sophie was in the try-outs. I think it helps a lot that he's leaving at the end of this year and Sophie's no competition for him. It might be different if they were the same age. Did you mean what you said?"
Lydia looked at him. "Yes. I don't think he was bigging her up for no reason. He wants her to play well for the team so Gryffindor can win the Quidditch Cup, that's why."
"Ooh, you're such a cynical little miss, aren't you? What's wrong with members of a team supporting each other? It's what teams do. I hope you realise you, me and Sophie are a team, now."
They had reached the stairs to the seating in the stands. Lydia stopped and looked around, checking they would not be overheard.
She leaned towards Freddie. "I was thinking about that. Uncle Ambrose sent me an owl. They are definitely buying that house. You know he'd said I should invite you to stay over Christmas."
"Ohmygod, yes. Do it. Invite me, right now."
She laughed. "OK, you're invited. He said I should invite Sophie, as well."
"You must! I just told you we're a team!"
"OK, calm down. I was also thinking that would be a good time to tell her about, you know, me."
Freddie frowned. "She already knows you're a cynical drama princess."
Lydia gave him a playful punch on the arm. "I meant about my magic."
Freddie nodded. "Good idea. Nobody's going to overhear us there and Ambrose and your mum can confirm it all. Ooh, and if you're not showing up on the Trace you can demonstrate it to her."
"Good. I'll invite her. I hope she can come. Right, come on, up the stairs. They'll be coming out, soon."
"You'll have to carry me. The furious violence of that punch has sprained my skeleton or fractured my giblets or something."
She gave him her most sceptical look. "Not yet, it hasn't."
There was an actual crowd in the stands that afternoon. The team captain, Kavanagh, had elected to use the Quidditch Stadium rather than the Practice Pitch. It had been a good move, there was a lot more room for spectators in the stadium. Almost the whole of Gryffindor was there. The other house teams were there, and a large contingent of other Slytherins huddled together on the far side. Gryffindor's first match, the first match of the House Quidditch season, was traditionally against Slytherin. They wanted to see what their team would be up against. The stories of the Gryffindor try-outs had been buzzing around the school.
The Gryffindor team, including the reserves, marched out onto the pitch, brooms in hand. Madam Hooch was overseeing and refereeing the practice, mostly for safety reasons. Lydia and Freddie settled in their seats. Elsa and Xander arrived to join them.
"Thought we'd see you here, Elsa," said Freddie. "Keen to see how your mum does?"
Elsa jumped up onto Freddie's lap. Xander watched, then jumped onto Lydia's. The two cats had been getting on very well. When they had seen them around the castle it had looked as though Xander was taking Elsa on a guided tour. Lydia wondered how magical Elsa was. It was fair to assume that she had never been a magic chicken and Lydia knew there was no cat quite as magical as Xander. But, as her uncle had told her more than once, all cats are magical to some extent, so she wondered how magical Elsa was. She had come from a magical pet shop on Diagon Alley, so she must be better than average. She decided that time would tell.
The practice session started. They practised a few set moves to warm up then they played a game with mixed teams of first-team players and reserves. It was as anyone who had seen the try-outs would have guessed. When Fletcher and Inkwood were together on a team, they were unbeatable. When apart, they were evenly matched. One tussle between Sophie and Tom resulted in another eye-twisting display of aerobatics. Then Fletcher dropped the quaffle as he almost slid from his broom. Sophie swooped on the ball and scored from what looked to be an impossible angle. The spectators, even some of the Slytherins, rose in the stands and cheered. Even Tom Fletcher sat up on his stationary broom and applauded Sophie.
The session finished not long after and the audience swarmed off to the Great Hall for their tea. Lydia and Freddie, and the cats, went to wait for Sophie outside the changing rooms. Sophie was almost the last to emerge. A couple of other players had seen them standing waiting for Sophie. They had told them how pleased they were to have her on the team. One also admitted it was nice to see Tom Fletcher beaten occasionally.
"It's good for the team, stops him getting overconfident and makes him play better," the player had said. "I feel sorry for Oli Dawlish. After losing us the cup last year, if our chasers are unbeatable all the pressure will be on him."
As Sophie came out of the door, she did a little dance. "Good practice."
"When you're all famous," Freddie said, "you won't forget us, will you?"
Sophie scowled at him. "You know that's not how friendship works, Mr Fortescue. I love you guys. Now, stop dawdling. It's time for dinner."
The Great Hall was alive with people whispering and pointing. This time it was not horrible rumours. This time it was good. Sophie was a celebrity. People had waited to see if the reports from the try-outs were exaggerated. Now everything was confirmed. Sophie was a near-match for Tom Fletcher, who was already the school's best chaser. Everyone accepted that Ravenclaw had been lucky to win the cup last year. A Gryffindor win was being touted as more than a possibility, nearer to an inevitability. The Gryffindor vs Slytherin match in November was going to be very telling for the season as a whole.
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