Chapter 10: Terrifying Tryouts
By the end of the week, Emma was all caught up in her school work. Courtney and Harry tried to help, but Hermione was the one who helped her the most. It was a good thing, too, because Gryffindor try-outs were on Sunday.
'Hey, look here,' Cedric said to everybody on Saturday; he was pointing to a paper on the bulletin board, 'It says here that everybody who was on the Quidditch team last year isn't anymore!'
'What!' Harry, Emma and Courtney yelled. Everybody in the Common Room turned and stared at them.
'Yeah, I know! It says it's to give the new students a better chance of getting the position they want! That's pathetic!'
Courtney's eyes were glaring malevolently at the paper and then it burst into flames. 'Courtney,' Harry said cautiously.
'Sorry, but today is so not my day. I'm going to bed. First Veronica, now this. Grrrrr....' Courtney stomped up the stairs and a few moments later, they heard a door slam shut.
'Touchy,' Emma muttered. 'I mean, I'm ticked, too, but that's way extreme.'
'But, Emma, you forgot that it's Courtney,' Harry commented. 'And you never know what to expect from her.'
*~*~*
'All right, I suppose that everybody's here,' Professor McGonagall said. 'Now, to begin. Chasers over there, Seekers right there, Beaters here and Keepers right here.' Everybody moved into their groups and Courtney noticed that Harry was the only Seeker and that made her happy. But her happiness was replaced by disgust when Veronica joined the Chasers.
'Right then,' McGonagall continued. 'As you know, the try-outs are today. Results will be posted on Tuesday the 24th. Then the first practice will be next Sunday. Oh, and I see there will be no need to test the Seeker, as he has been playing since his first year.' Harry beamed. 'Now that that's said and done, Beaters first.'
There were three beaters, and two of them were really good. The last one was horrible, and he happened to be Dennis Creevey.
'Hey, Emma!' he shouted after he was done, 'Do you think I was good?'
'Er, yeah, Dennis. You were, um, great.' Emma said politely even though he was horrible.
'Thanks!' he squealed and he went off to find his brother.
'Will the Chasers step forward please?' McGonagall called out. Cedric, Courtney, Emma and Veronica stepped forward. 'Where's your sister?' Courtney hissed at Veronica.
'She's with Draco and Cozette,' Veronica hissed back. 'Our friends.'
Emma snorted. 'Your kidding, right? Friends? Ha.'
'We will go in alphabetical order.' McGonagall interrupted. 'Cedric, you first.' Cedric hopped onto his broom and flew into the air. For not playing Quidditch (professionally) for two years, he was very good. After 5 minutes, McGonagall called him down and it was Courtney's turn.
'Good job, CJ,' Courtney congratulated her brother and high-fived him. 'But I'll do better.'
'Right,' Cedric responded, 'Only in your mind, sista.'
'Hey, I am the older twin!' Courtney shouted as she leapt upon her broom and sped into the air. 'Now this is the life.' She dodged every Bludger that came her way and scored 10 goals in her 5 minutes in the air 'Told ya!' she shouted at Cedric. He had gotten 9. Courtney received a razberry from her twin.
As Courtney walked past Veronica, her adversary whispered in her ear, 'Good job, Merydyth.'
Courtney froze.
Merydyth?
'No.'
How did she know?!
'No way.'
Merydyth...
'Nuh-uh.'
Veronica knows my secret.... and that could cost me my life...
She blacked out.
'Courtney Merydyth-Raven Granger, wake up this instant! Don't be surprised! Don't be afraid! He cannot harm you!' Morgan shouted, 'He can't even touch you! WAKE UP!'
'That's what you think, Morgan!' Voldemort appeared next to Morgan, who jumped with shock, and he pulled out his wand.
'Courtney, wake up! For the love of the free wizard world, wake up!' Morgan was screaming now.
Courtney's eyes suddenly opened and she stood up before anyone noticed she had fainted. 'Oh-my-god. Oh. My. God.' she whispered. Unfortunately, one person noticed. Harry.
'Courtney,' he panted. He had run over to her from the other side of the field. 'Are you okay?'
'I'm fine,' she said simply.
'Why-'
'Later!' Courtney hissed through gritted teeth. 'Emma's coming.'
'Oh,'
Emma came over beaming. 'I got 9!' she squealed. She was obviously very happy. 'Did you see me?'
'I did,' Harry said, scowled. 'But Courtney didn't.' Emma's face fell.
'Harry, shut up!' Courtney whispered.
'Because she fainted.' Courtney slapped his head gently.
'Again?'
Courtney groaned. 'Emma, you make it sound like I faint all the time!'
'That's not the point Courtney! Why did you pass out?' Harry whispered. He might as well have shouted he was so severe.
'She knows,' Courtney sighed.
'And who would "she" be?'
'Veronica.'
Harry and Emma gasped. 'No lie?' Emma said.
'I wish it was a lie! Do you know how bad this is? She could've told her dad! No, scratch that, she already did! He knows, Harry!' Courtney was crying now. 'And I still don't know what to do!'
Emma gave Courtney a hug. Harry would've, too, but they were in public. 'We should leave,' Emma said to him.
'Yeah, let's go.' They left quietly while Courtney sobbed her heart out. Things were not looking up for them this year.
By the end of the week, Emma was all caught up in her school work. Courtney and Harry tried to help, but Hermione was the one who helped her the most. It was a good thing, too, because Gryffindor try-outs were on Sunday.
'Hey, look here,' Cedric said to everybody on Saturday; he was pointing to a paper on the bulletin board, 'It says here that everybody who was on the Quidditch team last year isn't anymore!'
'What!' Harry, Emma and Courtney yelled. Everybody in the Common Room turned and stared at them.
'Yeah, I know! It says it's to give the new students a better chance of getting the position they want! That's pathetic!'
Courtney's eyes were glaring malevolently at the paper and then it burst into flames. 'Courtney,' Harry said cautiously.
'Sorry, but today is so not my day. I'm going to bed. First Veronica, now this. Grrrrr....' Courtney stomped up the stairs and a few moments later, they heard a door slam shut.
'Touchy,' Emma muttered. 'I mean, I'm ticked, too, but that's way extreme.'
'But, Emma, you forgot that it's Courtney,' Harry commented. 'And you never know what to expect from her.'
*~*~*
'All right, I suppose that everybody's here,' Professor McGonagall said. 'Now, to begin. Chasers over there, Seekers right there, Beaters here and Keepers right here.' Everybody moved into their groups and Courtney noticed that Harry was the only Seeker and that made her happy. But her happiness was replaced by disgust when Veronica joined the Chasers.
'Right then,' McGonagall continued. 'As you know, the try-outs are today. Results will be posted on Tuesday the 24th. Then the first practice will be next Sunday. Oh, and I see there will be no need to test the Seeker, as he has been playing since his first year.' Harry beamed. 'Now that that's said and done, Beaters first.'
There were three beaters, and two of them were really good. The last one was horrible, and he happened to be Dennis Creevey.
'Hey, Emma!' he shouted after he was done, 'Do you think I was good?'
'Er, yeah, Dennis. You were, um, great.' Emma said politely even though he was horrible.
'Thanks!' he squealed and he went off to find his brother.
'Will the Chasers step forward please?' McGonagall called out. Cedric, Courtney, Emma and Veronica stepped forward. 'Where's your sister?' Courtney hissed at Veronica.
'She's with Draco and Cozette,' Veronica hissed back. 'Our friends.'
Emma snorted. 'Your kidding, right? Friends? Ha.'
'We will go in alphabetical order.' McGonagall interrupted. 'Cedric, you first.' Cedric hopped onto his broom and flew into the air. For not playing Quidditch (professionally) for two years, he was very good. After 5 minutes, McGonagall called him down and it was Courtney's turn.
'Good job, CJ,' Courtney congratulated her brother and high-fived him. 'But I'll do better.'
'Right,' Cedric responded, 'Only in your mind, sista.'
'Hey, I am the older twin!' Courtney shouted as she leapt upon her broom and sped into the air. 'Now this is the life.' She dodged every Bludger that came her way and scored 10 goals in her 5 minutes in the air 'Told ya!' she shouted at Cedric. He had gotten 9. Courtney received a razberry from her twin.
As Courtney walked past Veronica, her adversary whispered in her ear, 'Good job, Merydyth.'
Courtney froze.
Merydyth?
'No.'
How did she know?!
'No way.'
Merydyth...
'Nuh-uh.'
Veronica knows my secret.... and that could cost me my life...
She blacked out.
'Courtney Merydyth-Raven Granger, wake up this instant! Don't be surprised! Don't be afraid! He cannot harm you!' Morgan shouted, 'He can't even touch you! WAKE UP!'
'That's what you think, Morgan!' Voldemort appeared next to Morgan, who jumped with shock, and he pulled out his wand.
'Courtney, wake up! For the love of the free wizard world, wake up!' Morgan was screaming now.
Courtney's eyes suddenly opened and she stood up before anyone noticed she had fainted. 'Oh-my-god. Oh. My. God.' she whispered. Unfortunately, one person noticed. Harry.
'Courtney,' he panted. He had run over to her from the other side of the field. 'Are you okay?'
'I'm fine,' she said simply.
'Why-'
'Later!' Courtney hissed through gritted teeth. 'Emma's coming.'
'Oh,'
Emma came over beaming. 'I got 9!' she squealed. She was obviously very happy. 'Did you see me?'
'I did,' Harry said, scowled. 'But Courtney didn't.' Emma's face fell.
'Harry, shut up!' Courtney whispered.
'Because she fainted.' Courtney slapped his head gently.
'Again?'
Courtney groaned. 'Emma, you make it sound like I faint all the time!'
'That's not the point Courtney! Why did you pass out?' Harry whispered. He might as well have shouted he was so severe.
'She knows,' Courtney sighed.
'And who would "she" be?'
'Veronica.'
Harry and Emma gasped. 'No lie?' Emma said.
'I wish it was a lie! Do you know how bad this is? She could've told her dad! No, scratch that, she already did! He knows, Harry!' Courtney was crying now. 'And I still don't know what to do!'
Emma gave Courtney a hug. Harry would've, too, but they were in public. 'We should leave,' Emma said to him.
'Yeah, let's go.' They left quietly while Courtney sobbed her heart out. Things were not looking up for them this year.