Julie was awakened by rays of sun peeking in to her window. Oh yes, today was the Qudditch tryouts! She was kinda nervous, because she wanted to make a good impression in her new school. She got up, dressed, and grabbed her broom, a Nimbus 2000. Sure, it wasn't the best broom, but it wasn't too bad, either. Of course, Harry's Firebolt far surpassed it, but she was contented with the Nimbus anyway.
Hermione was still asleep, she'd been up studying all night. Hermione and Harry were both prefects, and though Harry took the job a little more linently, Hermione was more serious about her work. She wanted to become Head Girl in her seventh year. Secretly, Julie felt there would be no contest, Hermione really didn't have any other competition.
Julie decided not to wake Hermione and headed down to the common room. To her surprise, Harry and Ron had been waiting for her.
"Hello," she said, " ready for the big try-outs?"
"Well, it's really no problem for Harry, he's practically guarenteed to be on the team. Me, well, I don't know. I can't decide wether it's an advantage or a disadvantage as having Fred as captain."
"Fred?"
"He's my brother. Fred and George are twins. They're in their 7th year."
By this time the trio had reached the field. Other Gryffindors were already there, swooping about on their brooms. Most of them were there for the keeper position, since almost everyone that had been on the team the year before got on again. They checked out the competition. Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil, Colin Creevy (oh brother, thought Harry), and... Neville Longbottom?
"Neville!" cried Ron. "What're you doing here?"
Neville turned red in the face. "My Gran made me come. She always dreamed of me being a successful Quidditch player. I tried to tell her I have no flying abilities, but she wouldn't listen. I know I have no chance."
"Don't worry about it, Neville," said Harry. "Besides, you're better at other stuff, like, erm... Herbology."
"Yeah," said Neville sadly, and walked away.
"Ahem," Fred Weasley cleared his throat loudly. "Will you all please quiet down? We will start with try-outs for keeper. All of you please come over here." As they walked over, the last name of each contestant went across the magical scoreboard.
"This is what you have to do," continued Fred. "You will each go in front of the goal posts. 20 quaffles will be shot at the goal. Whoever blocks the most in the most effective way will get the position. It's as simple as that. Creevy, get up there."
They watched Colin fly up blocking the quaffle. He was pretty good. So was Dean, Seamus and Parvati. Poor Neville, he only blocked one, and it was one that had come hurtling at him and he blocked it with his stomach. Julie and Ron were both very good. At the end, the score board read this:
Creevy Finnigan Linde Longbottom Patil Thomas Weasley 10 16 19 1 9 12 19
It was tied between Julie and Ron. Fred sent them each down to different goal posts. He told them whoever missed a Quaffle first would lose, the other person would be the keeper.
They worked hard. Neither seemed ready to give up. With every Quaffle, Julie got more nervous. She glanced over at Ron. There was a look in his eyes. That look. It almost broke her heart. So full of confidence, hope, and longing. Suddenly she remembered what the Sorting Hat had said to her when he put her in Gryffindor.
"Hmm, not a bad mind, I see. You would do well in Ravenclaw. And you seem to be very loyal and understanding as well. Important Hufflepuff qualities. But the thing that stands out to me is your bravery. You've got the courage to start making new friends here, I can tell you'll be making friends that will last you a lifetime. Therefore, I think you'd better be GRYFFINDOR!"
She looked at Ron again. His friendship was very important to her. He was important to her. She sighed. She knew what she had to do. She made sure she missed the next Quaffle, but only by a quarter of an inch. Fred blew the whistle, and the two came down off their brooms. "Congratulations, Ron, you are our new Gryffindor keeper."
The crowd cheered. Ron's face, especially his eyes, was just so full of joy, of excitement, of bliss, that Julie couldn't help but smile. She wasn't sure what had made her do it, but something just told her to let Ron win.
"Congratulations," she said to him.
"Thanks," he said. "You did very well. I thought you'd get it. Fred said that you're the reserve keeper though. Umm, hey Julie?"
"Yeah?"
"I was just wondering, wouldyouliketogototheholloweenballwithme?"
"What?"
"Would you like to go to the Halloween Ball with me?"
"Well... yeah, sure. I'd love to!"
They watched the rest of the try-outs. The rest of the team remained the same, with the addition of Ron. After they were all done, Harry grabbed Julie's arm. He pulled her over to the side of the field. "You let Ron win, didn't you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Come on, don't play games with me. I could tell. You're too good of a player to have missed that Quaffle. You did it on purpose."
"All right, but please don't tell Ron. He just looked so hopeful, and then when he won so happy, I just couldn't bear to see him unhappy."
"Did he ask you to the ball yet?" asked Harry.
"Yes, and of course I agreed to go with him. You'd better ask Hermione. I'm sure she'd go with you." And with that, Julie ran off to join Hermione. Giggling, she told her about Ron asking her to the ball and her talk with Harry. The rest of the day was very fun, Harry, Ron, and Julie played a small game of Quidditch by themselves, with Hermione sitting on the ground watching them while doing her Transfiguration homework. Even though Julie didn't get to be the keeper, she felt this had been a really good day.
************************************************************************
A/N: I really hope you've enjoyed the story so far!
I wasn't planning on revealing what the sorting hat said to Julie or having Ron ask her out yet, but this chapter kinda wrote itself. I had no control! It's taking over!
Any comments, suggestions, or ideas would be welcome. Any flames would not be.
Thanks!
Hermione was still asleep, she'd been up studying all night. Hermione and Harry were both prefects, and though Harry took the job a little more linently, Hermione was more serious about her work. She wanted to become Head Girl in her seventh year. Secretly, Julie felt there would be no contest, Hermione really didn't have any other competition.
Julie decided not to wake Hermione and headed down to the common room. To her surprise, Harry and Ron had been waiting for her.
"Hello," she said, " ready for the big try-outs?"
"Well, it's really no problem for Harry, he's practically guarenteed to be on the team. Me, well, I don't know. I can't decide wether it's an advantage or a disadvantage as having Fred as captain."
"Fred?"
"He's my brother. Fred and George are twins. They're in their 7th year."
By this time the trio had reached the field. Other Gryffindors were already there, swooping about on their brooms. Most of them were there for the keeper position, since almost everyone that had been on the team the year before got on again. They checked out the competition. Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil, Colin Creevy (oh brother, thought Harry), and... Neville Longbottom?
"Neville!" cried Ron. "What're you doing here?"
Neville turned red in the face. "My Gran made me come. She always dreamed of me being a successful Quidditch player. I tried to tell her I have no flying abilities, but she wouldn't listen. I know I have no chance."
"Don't worry about it, Neville," said Harry. "Besides, you're better at other stuff, like, erm... Herbology."
"Yeah," said Neville sadly, and walked away.
"Ahem," Fred Weasley cleared his throat loudly. "Will you all please quiet down? We will start with try-outs for keeper. All of you please come over here." As they walked over, the last name of each contestant went across the magical scoreboard.
"This is what you have to do," continued Fred. "You will each go in front of the goal posts. 20 quaffles will be shot at the goal. Whoever blocks the most in the most effective way will get the position. It's as simple as that. Creevy, get up there."
They watched Colin fly up blocking the quaffle. He was pretty good. So was Dean, Seamus and Parvati. Poor Neville, he only blocked one, and it was one that had come hurtling at him and he blocked it with his stomach. Julie and Ron were both very good. At the end, the score board read this:
Creevy Finnigan Linde Longbottom Patil Thomas Weasley 10 16 19 1 9 12 19
It was tied between Julie and Ron. Fred sent them each down to different goal posts. He told them whoever missed a Quaffle first would lose, the other person would be the keeper.
They worked hard. Neither seemed ready to give up. With every Quaffle, Julie got more nervous. She glanced over at Ron. There was a look in his eyes. That look. It almost broke her heart. So full of confidence, hope, and longing. Suddenly she remembered what the Sorting Hat had said to her when he put her in Gryffindor.
"Hmm, not a bad mind, I see. You would do well in Ravenclaw. And you seem to be very loyal and understanding as well. Important Hufflepuff qualities. But the thing that stands out to me is your bravery. You've got the courage to start making new friends here, I can tell you'll be making friends that will last you a lifetime. Therefore, I think you'd better be GRYFFINDOR!"
She looked at Ron again. His friendship was very important to her. He was important to her. She sighed. She knew what she had to do. She made sure she missed the next Quaffle, but only by a quarter of an inch. Fred blew the whistle, and the two came down off their brooms. "Congratulations, Ron, you are our new Gryffindor keeper."
The crowd cheered. Ron's face, especially his eyes, was just so full of joy, of excitement, of bliss, that Julie couldn't help but smile. She wasn't sure what had made her do it, but something just told her to let Ron win.
"Congratulations," she said to him.
"Thanks," he said. "You did very well. I thought you'd get it. Fred said that you're the reserve keeper though. Umm, hey Julie?"
"Yeah?"
"I was just wondering, wouldyouliketogototheholloweenballwithme?"
"What?"
"Would you like to go to the Halloween Ball with me?"
"Well... yeah, sure. I'd love to!"
They watched the rest of the try-outs. The rest of the team remained the same, with the addition of Ron. After they were all done, Harry grabbed Julie's arm. He pulled her over to the side of the field. "You let Ron win, didn't you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Come on, don't play games with me. I could tell. You're too good of a player to have missed that Quaffle. You did it on purpose."
"All right, but please don't tell Ron. He just looked so hopeful, and then when he won so happy, I just couldn't bear to see him unhappy."
"Did he ask you to the ball yet?" asked Harry.
"Yes, and of course I agreed to go with him. You'd better ask Hermione. I'm sure she'd go with you." And with that, Julie ran off to join Hermione. Giggling, she told her about Ron asking her to the ball and her talk with Harry. The rest of the day was very fun, Harry, Ron, and Julie played a small game of Quidditch by themselves, with Hermione sitting on the ground watching them while doing her Transfiguration homework. Even though Julie didn't get to be the keeper, she felt this had been a really good day.
************************************************************************
A/N: I really hope you've enjoyed the story so far!
I wasn't planning on revealing what the sorting hat said to Julie or having Ron ask her out yet, but this chapter kinda wrote itself. I had no control! It's taking over!
Any comments, suggestions, or ideas would be welcome. Any flames would not be.
Thanks!