Chapter 10: Wanted – New Players!

Disclaimer: HP belongs to JK Rowling, this plot and all unique elements of it belong to me.

The next three weeks flew by as the work got harder and harder for Lily and her friends, James naturally remained at the top of most of his classes, though he had to share that honour with Robin in Transfiguration and Lena in Charms.

On the last Wednesday in September, Lily and her three friends returned late to the common room after staying behind in Charms to talk to Colin about a homework assignment, and they were surprised to see a large group of students, mainly second and third years, clustered around the notice board, clattering excitedly about something.

"I wonder what all the fuss's about?" Lily thought aloud.

"Conroy posted the notice about the Saturday's Quidditch Trails an hour ago," Anne told them, coming up silently behind them.

Robin jumped, "Don't do that Anne, It makes me jump!"

"Sorry," Anne replied. "So who's going for a spot?"

"I am of course," Lily told her. "I have to uphold the family tradition."

"Me too," added James. "I'm going for Keeper."

Robin and Lena both shook their heads. "I prefer to watch," admitted Lena.

"Well, good luck." Anne said and walked off, quickly joining her boyfriend and his two fifth-year friends, Ted Biennale and Wally Gilmore, who were studying at one of the smaller study tables.

Lily, James, Lena and Robin went over to one of the empty tables and got out their books. Lily and Robin both had Pogrebin essays to hand in for Remus the next day, and Lena hadn't finished her star-chart for Professor Sinistra's Astronomy class. James of course, was all too willing to spend the evening studying a book, in this case, The Keeper's Compendium by Meaghan McCormack.

----

Saturday came all to soon, and Lily for one could hardly swallow down any breakfast she was so nervous. What if I don't make the team? she thought. Dad'll be so disappointed, Mum too, and Padfoot and Moony. I put on a brave face about it but I really don't know if I'm up to it.

After playing with her breakfast for about forty minutes, she growled with frustration and got up. "I'll see you guys down at the pitch, I just need a walk okay?"

Her three friends nodded and she headed out of the Great Hall. Without thinking where she was going, she wandered out across the lawn, clutching her broom in one hand. When she reached a bare spot near the pumpkin patches, she decided to stop there, and sat down on an old tree stump and stared out towards the Forbidden Forest.

She didn't see the owl flying overhead, until it dropped down, landed just behind her and regarded her with unblinking saucer-like eyes. Something on your mind? it asked telepathically.

Lily turned around and smiled, "Why do you say that, aunt?"

With a flash of light, Hermione returned to her human form. "Because your father often come here when he had something on his mind," Hermione told her. "So did I."

"There used to be a hut here, didn't there?" Lily asked.

Hermione nodded, a shadow passing over her and she smiled sadly. "A very good friend of ours used to live there. The first real friend Harry had actually."

"Hagrid," Lily said, Harry often talked about the kindly half-giant who'd introduced him to the wizarding world, but there was something that she'd always wanted to know, and couldn't bring herself to ask either of her parents, something which hadn't made it's way into any books she'd read about the war. "How did he die?"

Hermione sighed. "Oh Lily, I wish you hadn't asked that. It's still painful for me, for a lot of us… Harry, Ginny, Ron, Albus, Madame Maximine, and so many others."

"I'm s-sorry," stammered Lily, she wasn't used to her aunt beginning so emotional and it was a bit of a shock. "I shouldn't have asked…"

Hermione sighed again, and drew herself up to her full height. "No it's all right. I suppose you should know, more than anyone else, you should know."

"Okay."

"He died here… at the school, during the Battle of Hogwarts." Hermione told her. "I'm not sure exactly where, I was unconscious at the time, but it must have been somewhere close by. He and few other wizards and witches, all members of the Order, were trying to stop the demons that Voldemort had hidden in the Forest from getting to the school, he was overwhelmed by several Iuvenci, bull-demons, and they killed him." Hermione appeared to shrink a little in front of her eyes. "I miss him, I miss him so much."

"I'm sorry, Aunt Hermione." Lily said. "I didn't know talking about him would be so painful for you."

"It's okay, it does me good to talk about it, even if it does hurt." Hermione told her. "Now, what was on your mind?"

Lily laughed quietly, "Nothing important, I'm just worried about the trails today. Mum and Dad'll be really disappointed if I don't get onto the team. Padfoot and Moony too."

"No, they won't be." Hermione assured her. "You're their daughter Lily, Harry and Ginny love you no matter what you can do, so do Sirius and Remus." she chuckled. "Besides, you have nothing to worry about. I've seen you play and you're brilliant, especially now you have your own broom. And anyway, even if you don't get the Chaser spot this year, Charles and Peter are both leaving in three years and Anne's leaving in five. You might get a reserve spot and play after they leave."

"I hope so, but I don't want to wait Aunt Hermione, I want to play for Gryffindor this year."

"And maybe you will," Hermione conceded. "But not if you don't get down to the Quidditch Pitch, the trails start in ten minutes."

"Gryffindor's mane!" swore Lily, and leapt to her feet. "I'll see you later, I've got to go!"

"Good luck," offered Hermione, and watched as her favourite niece raced across the grounds towards the pitch, her raven-black hair sailing out behind her. She reminds me a lot of Harry, and Ginny too, she never thinks she can do something, but she usually manages it. I guess it comes from being known as 'Harry Potter's daughter' for so long. Sometimes, I think that Albus did the right thing, protecting Harry from his fame when he was a kid, despite what Harry had to go through for that protection.

----

By the time Lily arrived on the pitch, about a dozen students, ranging in age from James, the youngest at 11, to fifth years Nathan Scattergood and Devine Greendale. The five remaining members of the previous team were present too: Gordon Conroy, the sixth-year team Captain and Chaser; Peter Stoakes, the other Chaser; Tara Olafsen and Erin Valquez, the fifth-year Beaters; and Anne Weasley, the team's Seeker. Charlie Weasley was also present in his capacity as Quidditch referee. Conroy stepped forward to address the crowd. "As most of all now, my name is Gordon Conroy, I am the Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor, and a Chaser. The purpose of these trails today will be to select a reserve team of a Beater, a Chaser, a Keeper and a Seeker. We will also be selecting a primary Seeker and a primary Keeper."

He paused to allow that to sink in and then continued. "First of all I'd like to know what I've got to work with. One at a time I'd like you to tell me your name, which sort of broom you've got, and what position you want to play. Got it?"

As the other Quidditch team hopefuls nodded confirmation, Lily noticed the giant eagle owl land on one of the posts of the teacher's stand and gaze down at them. Lily nudged James and directed his view upwards. I guess she must think she's less of a distraction in that form.

Usually she would be, James pointed out. Except we know that it's her.

True.

"Okay, who wants to go first?" asked Conroy.

Greendale, a tall, athletic, black girl with dreadlocks stepped forward. "My name is Devine Greendale, I ride a Nimbus 3000, and I am a Beater."

"Thank you Devine," said Conroy. "Next."

Now that the pressure of being first was out of the way, the rest of the hopefuls chimed in quickly.

"Nathan Scattergood, Cleansweep Ten, Chaser."

"James Weasley, Firebolt, Keeper."

"Lily Potter, Phoenix, Chaser."

"Connor Wood, Lightning, Keeper."

"Frank Parkin, Nimbus 3500, Chaser."

"Donald Olsen, Silverstreek, Beater."

"Daniel Rutledge, Nimbus 3500, Seeker."

"Ilea Morton, Comet 400, Chaser."

"Winston Gilmore, Nimbus 3001, Seeker."

"Okay," mused Conroy. "We've got quite a good turn out." He stood considering things for a moment then came to a decision. "We're going to play a little match. Let's have… Scattergood and Potter for Chasers on one team, with Weasley for Keeper, Greendale for Beater, and Rutledge for Seeker." Stoakes handed red armbands to the selected candidates, who slipped them on to their right arms. "That leaves Parkin, Morton, Olsen, Schwartz, and Gilmore, for the gold team." The others slipped on the proffered armbands and mounted up.

"This is just a skill demonstration, so take it easy. You should start when I blow the whistle and it will end when I blow it a second time." Conroy told them, he held out his hand and Charlie dropped the silver referee's whistle into his palm. He waited until the two keepers were in position, then he nodded to Olafsen and Valquez, who flipped open the lid of the trunk of Quidditch balls and took out the Quaffle and the two Beater's clubs. They threw the clubs to Greendale and Donald, who caught them easily, and gave the Quaffle to Conroy. He took it and threw it into the air, as it began to fall he blew his whistle, starting the game. At the same time, Olafsen flicked open the catch securing one of the Bludgers and it shot off into the air. A few minutes later, Valquez released the Snitch.

After an hour, Conroy called a halt to the game, and the players returned to the ground. Miraculously, no one had been injured. "You all did well, and you can be proud of yourselves for that, even if you don't get on the team. I will put up the announcement on the new team in the common room after lunch, for now, have a shower and get something to eat. I'm sure you all need it."

The candidates, including Lily, James, and Donald nodded in agreement and turned to leave. Donald and Connor stayed with the two cousins until they left the field, at which point they were joined by Lena, Robin, and Gary, as well as Virgil, Maxwell and Edwin Holborn, a new friend of theirs, then they split off and followed Gary on a different path up to the castle.

"So, how do you think you did?" Maxwell asked them, after they had walked along in silence for a minute or two.

Lily shrugged. "Not bad. I didn't manage to get every shot past Connor, but I got more past than Scattergood. I think I'm in with a pretty good chance." she sighed. "How'd things go at your end, James?"

"Fine," said James. "Morton's a joke, but it took me a while to get Parkin's measure. He might a place on the team, but I don't think he's quite as good as you Lils."

Lily nodded, "I hope not, I want that a primary spot." She turned to her brother. "Did you see any of the trails?"

"Yes, I did indeed. In my opinion, both you and James were superior to all your rivals."

"I agree," offered Maxwell. "Although I've only seen one Quidditch match before, so I don't know that much about it."

"That was the World Cup Final though," James reminded him.

"You saw the World Cup!" exclaimed Edwin, "That must have been amazing."

"Yeah, Uncle Harry's the Seeker for the England Team." James told him. "So we get to see a lot of the England matches. Virgil, the girls and I have been to the semi-final and/or finals of the last two World Cups and the last European Championship. Robin and Maxwell joined us in the summer."

"That's great," said Edwin. "Any chance you could get me in next time you go?"

"Possibly," Lily said. "Let's get some lunch. I'm starving."

Lily's proposal was immediately agreed to and they headed for the Great Hall.

----

When they returned to the common room after lunch, a new piece of parchment was pinned to the board.

Lily and James ran over to it and the others followed.

GRYFFINDOR HOUSE NOTICE:

As of 12 o'clock today (19th September 2012), the House Quidditch Team will be: 

  

BEATERS:

TARA OLAFSEN

ERIN VALQUEZ

DONALD OLSEN (Reserve)

CHASERS:

GORDAN CONROY (Captain)

LILY POTTER

JULIAN STOAKES

FRANK PARKIN (Reserve)

KEEPERS:

JAMES WEASLEY

CONNOR WOOD (Reserve)

SEEKERS:

ANNE WEASLEY

DANIEL RUTLEDGE (Reserve)

All players should note that the first practice session of the year will be on Monday at 6.30 am on the Quidditch Pitch.

Signed,

Gordon Conroy

Gryffindor Quidditch Captain


"We did it, we're both on the team!" exclaimed Lily, turning and hugging her friends violently.

Virgil especially was a little taken aback by this emotional display and so Maxwell, grinning, quickly extracted him from it. "Why don't you owl Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny?" he suggested to Lily. "I'm sure they can't wait to know how it went." he paused for a moment, uncertain about something, "You did tell them you were going for a spot didn't you?"

Lily nodded, "I'll do it right away. When are you going to tell Aunt Mione and Uncle Ron?" she asked James.

"I'll drop into our flat after dinner and tell them then. Uncle Charlie might be there too, he sometimes drops in for a chat if Julia's away on an assignment."

"Good idea."

Dear Mum and Dad,

I did it! James and I are on the Quidditch Team! We'll be playing for Gryffindor in the match against Slytherin on the 28th of October. I'll be playing Chaser and Jams will be the Keeper. Two of the new reserve players are in my year, Donald Olsen's the new Beater and Connor Wood's the Keeper. A third-year, Frank Parkin is the other Keeper. I'd love to see you soon. Maybe you could both come to the match?

If not, I'll see you at Christmas anyway.

Love,

Lily.