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Disclaimer: Nope, I still do not own any of the characters in this fanfic, except Emily Malfoy and Megan Jones (possibly more in the future). I used to own all of the characters… but then I woke up…Sadly that means I still do not own Gollum, for I find him quite hilarious.
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~ This fanfic contains spoilers from The Lord of the Rings books/movies and the Harry Potter books. ~
---------- Rated: PG-13 for violence and mild sexual reference. ----------
Two Heroes, Two Villains, One Ring
Ch. 6: Of Quidditch Try-outs and Drunken Dwarves
By lunch everyone had heard of the Grangers' close call with the Death Eaters. It was decided that her parents would stay with the Weasleys until something else was decided. Harry and Ron were both sympathetic.
Gimli, who sat across from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, turned to the Hobbits and asked one of them to go find Legolas and tell him that Lunch was being served. Pippin was elected to go.
Legolas had been exploring the grounds since dawn. He quickly found that his favorite spot was the hill overlooking the lake. It was quiet and peaceful and a good place to collect his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two girls staring at him. They giggled and ran away quickly when he glanced at them.
The elf sighed. He knew that many of the female elves in Mirkwood found him attractive, but never in his life had this many eyes been drawn to him at once! Legolas shrugged inwardly. At least it was all girls checking him out this time. That was definitely a good thing.
He chuckled to himself as he thought of how much Dumbledore was like Gandalf. They even look something alike. Thinking of Gandalf made him wonder again if he and Aragorn were alright. His thoughts were interrupted when Pippin came running up to him gasping something about lunch being served before dashing back to the Great Hall. Legolas chuckled again. If appetites were endurance Pippin would be able to run a 500-mile marathon without so much as a stop to catch his breath. That's ok.
Legolas was a little hungry anyway so he headed back to the Great Hall… only half acknowledging the many eyes glued to his………… legs. oO
Pippin had already finished two more plates of eggs by the time Legolas arrived. The elf greeted everyone by bowing slightly in the traditional elf manner.
It was eerily silent at the far end of the Gryffindor table. Ron cleared his throat. "So, do you have Quidditch where you come from. The newcomers glanced at each other. "No, I'm afraid not," Gimli said gruffly. "What is Quidditch?" Legolas asked. "It's the best sport ever!" Ron shouted. "Harry here is the captain of the Gryffindor team. It's played on broomsticks, with four balls and seven players on each team and…" "Maybe they'd like to come watch the try-outs in 30 minutes," Harry interrupted. "Oh, right," said Ron. "So, do you guys play any sports?" Legolas spoke first. "I am a 511 time champion of the Mirkwood Annual Archery Tournament." (That may sound like a lot, but remember, he's 2000 and something years old) Sam spoke for the Hobbits: "In the Shire, we have fireworks festivals and whoever brings the best fireworks gets all the leftover food from the party." Gimli perked up. "In the caverns of the Lonely Mountain, my kin and I would get sooo drunk, we could not tell each other apart! Then, we would chase what we thought were Dwarf lasses around the cave until we all passed out. Ah, those were good times." (By the way, the "dwarf lasses" were really giant rats oO) Legolas and the Hobbits laughed, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione were looking a bit scared now.
*Draco Malfoy's P.O.V.*I was raised to be powerful. I was taught to intimidate and frighten my enemies. I was taught to let no one push me around, embarrass me, or insult my intelligence and get away with it. The teachers at Hogwarts all have their favorite students. Snape is the only smart one. Potter and his friends mean nothing to me. They are all fools and will be the first ones to die. All my life I have gotten my way. I will see to it that it continues. I will never show embarrassment, loss of self-control, or weakness. I am a warrior.
My name is Draco Malfoy… and my life has turned to hell.
I can safely say that I have always known the devil would come for me… but never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would come for me in the form of an evil, deranged, INSANE FIFTH YEAR GRYFFINDOR GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First she embarrasses me not only in front of the Gryffindors, but the Slytherins as well! First, she drags me around three-fourths of the school on a TOUR! I must say it seemed to me like SHE was the one giving ME the tour while I was trying to escape! I finally escaped by leading her on a "tour" to the Slytherin common room where I quickly jumped through the portal hole and slammed the door shut. Little did I know what a big mistake that was… This morning I awoke to her calling my name from outside the common room! I have never been so embarrassed in my life! She then drags me around the school AGAIN all morning! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!
*End of Draco Malfoy's P.O.V.*
The Gryffindor locker room was packed as Harry stood up in front to address everyone before the try-outs began. "Gryffindor has had the best team for four years now and we have only won the cup one out of those four years. We had an all-star line-up of chasers: Angelina, Katie, and Alicia. We had two incredible beaters who have never let me down, even in that game three years ago with the rogue bludger: Fred and George Weasley. Oliver Wood was the best keeper that Hogwarts has ever seen. And then there's me, the seeker."
"Oh, come on Harry!" Fred blurted out. "You're too modest," George added. "We only won one out of four years, because every year something bad happens to us, or actually you! Four years ago you missed the final game because you were in the hospital after that whole Sorcerer's Stone thing. The year after that, quidditch was canceled due to the attacks on students when the Chamber of Secrets was opened. The year after that, we won! And then last year, we had no games at all because of that stupid Tri-wizard Tournament." Everyone in the crowd laughed and cheered along with the Weasley twins. "I've got a good one!" Fred said. "George, tell me if this sounds better." Fred cleared his throat, "Many say Harry Potter is the best seeker Gryffindor has seen since our brother, Charlie Weasley left. But I say he's the best spanking seeker Hogwarts has ever seen! " All the others in the crowd roared with approval. "Harry has never failed to catch the snitch, not once, without really good reason. By 'really good reason' I am referring to the time he fell off his broom due to the dementors. With that said, I must now say this: if anyone here thinks that Slytherin stands a bloody chance at the cup this year, I will," Fred did his best Filch impersonation, "see to it that you are hanging by your toes in the dungeons!" The crowd cheered.
George, pretending to wipe away tears, said, "Beautiful, Fred. I couldn't have said it better myself." Harry grinned, "Maybe I should have you write my pep talks from now on, Fred." "Aw, shucks," said Fred, pretending to blush. Harry continued, "But to the point, I assume you are all here today because you want to try out for the Gryffindor quidditch team. The positions that are open are: left field chaser and keeper. Since we are short on time, the try-outs for the two positions will be at the same time. Alicia and Katie will supervise the chaser try-outs and Fred, George and I will supervise the keeper try-outs. I…" Harry faltered. He was not used to talking this much to people he was not too close to. He was certainly not used to giving speeches. The only thing that got him through this was his love for quidditch. Harry smiled as he thought of the perfect way to finish. "I wish you all good luck."
After a round of applause, the crowd was broken into two groups: those trying out for chaser and those trying out for keeper. Each group was led to the opposite end of the pitch by the appropriate supervisor. Among the students trying out, Harry recognized many of them. Both Ron and Seamus were trying out for keeper as well as Dean, Parvati, and Lavender. The chaser try-outees (Yes, I know that isn't a real word, but I couldn't think of anything else) included Ginny, Megan, Colin and his brother, Dennis, and a bunch of other students that Harry didn't know. Hermione sat next to Legolas, Gimli, and the Hobbits and watched from the bleachers.
Harry reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment with a list of the people trying out. He read off the first name on the list (Dustin Sparrow, a sixth year) and then started sending enchanted quaffles toward the goals with five-second intervals while Dustin tried to block or catch them. He caught one out of fifteen. The second person on the list was a third year girl. She did much better than Dustin (six out of fifteen), but Harry was still not impressed.
After five more disappointing sessions, Harry looked at the next student on the list and stifled a groan. It was Ron. Even though Ron was his best friend, Harry knew he could not play quidditch worth beans. Harry sighed as Ron straddled his Cleansweep 7, which he'd inherited from Charlie over the summer and flew up to the top of the goal posts. Harry sighed again before sending the first quaffle towards the goals. Ron, with a determined look on his face, prepared himself for the incoming ball that was angled at left goal post. Then, with speed that surprised even Harry, Ron swooped down toward the goal and…….. caught the ball. Harry, Fred, and George's jaws dropped. The next ball went wide and missed all three goals completely, but Ron caught the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. Harry continued to stare in awe as Ron swooped down and landed next to his brothers. "I've been practicing," Ron said sheepishly. Ron's final score was twelve out of fifteen.
"Good job everyone! You all did very, er, well." Harry Potter stood in the middle of the quidditch pitch addressing the Gryffindor crowd. After talking briefly with the rest of the team, Harry decided who the new additions to the team would be.
"Well, I won't keep you waiting. The new chaser is… Megan Jones." The other Gryffindors clapped politely. Megan smiled and took a bow. When the applause died down, Harry continued. "The new keeper is Ro…." Harry never got to finish his sentence, because at that moment, the Slytherin team walked onto the field. "Jeez, Potter. Your newbies must really be terrible if it's taking you this long to recruit," Draco Malfoy said with a grin. Harry stepped forward to meet him. "What are you doing here, Malfoy? I've got the pitch reserved for try-outs." Malfoy's grin grew wider. "Oh, I'm aware of that, Potter. I also know that you booked the pitch until 2:30. It is now 2:31." "Check you watch, Malfoy. It's 2:14. Now get out of here and let us wrap this up before we wrap you up in that Slytherin flag up there, and roll you back to the dungeons." Draco smiled again. "Ooh, touché, Potter! You know, if your brain was an eighth the size of your ego you could give it to Weasley as an early Christmas present. Then, he might be able to sell it at Knockturn Alley and make some decent money. I hear Gryffindor brains are in high demand this year for some reason." Ron, who was now beet red, was at Harry's side in a heartbeat, wand outstretched. "Back off, Malfoy," he said coldly.
Suddenly, a voice was heard from behind Harry and Ron, "Draco, that's not nice!" Draco Malfoy turned three shades paler. "No, not you!" Megan Jones stepped out of the crowd and smiled sweetly. "Draco, didn't your father teach you to play nice? Now, apologize to Harry and Ron and then say three nice things about each of them." Draco looked as if he had just been told that a giant white bunny was going to fall from the sky and land on his house. The Slytherin team was speechless, but Draco eventually regained his composure and said, "Make me." Megan spoke again, but this time more firmly, "Now, now, Draco. If you don't apologize I'm going to have to tell all your friends what we were doing in the astronomy tower last night at 12 am." Draco seemed on the verge of having a heart attack. The Gryffindors were shocked at first, but then simultaneously broke into a laughing fit while the Slytherins still stood there speechless. Shock and embarrassment turned to anger. "How dare you! You… you… Gryffindor scum!" Draco yelled, lifting his wand. "There's no reason for name calling, Draco. All I was trying to say was thank you for last night. I had a really fun time with you even though you were extremely boring and you didn't say anything, and it took you couldn't even find your way around. Ah, well, I guess that happens when you live in a dungeon." Finally defeated, Draco Malfoy turned tail and stalked off the pitch.
Ron Weasley had never laughed so hard in his life. When the laughter subsided, he mustered up the courage to ask Megan, "You were kidding, right? You and Malfoy didn't really…" Megan smiled innocently. "Really what? I was just referring to the tour of the castle he gave me last night." "Oh." Ron looked thoughtful. Then realization hit him. "Ohhhhh" Harry laughed, "Well, as hilarious as that was, we only have five minutes until our times up. Megan is the new chaser and Ron is the new keeper." After the applause died down the Gryffindors left the field, half of them still doubled over laughing.
Professor Severus Snape was in a bad mood when he returned to Hogwarts Sunday evening. He was extremely tired and wanted to go to bed. He scowled when he thought of last week. He had been denied the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher yet again. He is currently a temporary DADA teacher and is on his way to his office to make sure everything is still in one piece. J Snape smiled to himself. If Dumbledore did not find a DADA teacher soon, he would have no choice but to give him the job. Nobody wanted the job seeing as how it was still jinxed. He reached the door to his potions classroom and, with the turn of the knob, stepped in.
The room looked the same as it had before he left. Snape walked over to his desk and took a large bottle of 'Bartlett's Old Fashioned Dragon Whiskey' and poured himself a glass. After quickly checking his desk and cupboards to make sure everything was in place he turned to leave. That was when he heard the crash. Snape turned on his heel on stared at the door to the storage closet. Was someone in there? Impossible. The door had been locked all weekend. Snape drew his wand and walked silently towards the door and pressed his ear against the cold wood. A low growling voice could be heard inside: "Precioussssss. We is near. We is close. We can feel it. Yessssssssssss. Find a way to get out of this nasty room, we must… wait! We hears something, precious. Yes, we hears something that smells foul."
Snape was intrigued. Intrigued, but not amused. Snape quietly unlocked the door and flung it open to find… nothing. He stepped in a looked around the room. Books, bottles, and jars were thrown everywhere. But there was no one in sight. Suddenly a dark shape dashed out from behind the opened door, took one look at Snape and high-tailed it out of the closet, out of the classroom and down the hall, out of sight.
Snape stood in the doorway, expressionless. Then, he went back to his desk, picked up the bottle of ale, and read the label. Snape shrugged and put the bottle back in his desk drawer before leaving the room and going to bed.
That whiskey must have stronger than I thought…
A/N: Another chapter done. I know a lot of people are disappointed that Aragorn and Gandalf have not come back yet, but just wait. I have big plans for their entrance. To all of you who have reviewed my fic: thank you for your support. Keep reading and reviewing! Later!
~ Kettch