Chapter 20- Quidditch Tryouts
Ron had been bugging Harry all week about the Quidditch Tryouts, and when that day finally came, Ron felt absolutely nauseous. There was a lot of confusion about some of the positions that needed to be filled this year, and Ron had somehow convinced himself that he was going to be kicked off the team. He had quite a rough time last year during Quidditch season.
Draco and his fellow slytherins had made up that stupid song "Weasley is Our King." Even though things turned out for the better in the end, that song still echoed in his ears. He had never felt more humiliated in his life. It took Ron a better part of this past summer to forgive Draco for that particular incident, and to this day he still can't look at the pitch without his heart pounding. In his mind he can still perceive an enormous sea of black cloaks and green scarves jumping and yelling the chorus to that awful song.
They were currently eating their morning meal in the Great Hall. Hermione had another book propped up in her lap. She nibbled on some toast as she turned the pages. Ginny, Neville, and Harry were discussing his new racing broom, and debating on whether or not it would truly be faster on the pitch than his firebolt was. Ron, on the other hand, was avidly poking his fork and knife at his scrambled eggs and bacon. He concentrated on moving it from one side of his plate to the other and back again. Harry noticed that he was being awfully quite during breakfast and had barely eaten. Both of these actions were completely unusual, so Harry began to pester him about why he was so upset.
"Hey, what's up with you? Why are you so quiet?" he asked.
"I don't know. I guess I am worried about the tryouts," said Ron truthfully.
"Why? You were already on the team. I doubt that Alicia would replace you. You did well last year," said Ginny trying to comfort her brother.
"I agree said Hermione," looking up from her book. "You have nothing to worry about." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and resumed reading.
Ron sighed deeply, "We'll see."
"Besides, it's me that should be worried. They replaced my position last year with Ginny when Umbridge put that stupid ban on me. I don't think I would do much good as a beater, but I am going to try out anyway and see what happens."
"Harry, we don't even know if I will stay play seeker for Gryffindor this year. I am sure that Alicia will give you back your position," said Ginny. Neville reached for her hand and gave her a sympathetic look. It was obvious that they had discussed this possibility before. Ron was really hoping that Harry would be able to play again this year, but he would feel awful for Ginny if she were eliminated from the team. They had spent many hours practicing together this summer and it would be a real shame if the siblings couldn't play together again. However, it would certainly take Harry's mind off everything that happened last summer if he could play seeker.
"Hey, I have an idea. We haven't visited Hagrid yet this year. Why don't we go over there and say hello before tryouts. I am sure that will help take everything off of your mind," said Harry sensing that Ron was still upset about the situation.
"Alright, that sounds good," said Ron smiling. They finished their breakfast quickly and walked out to Hagrid's hut. Ginny decided to join them since she would be attending the tryouts as well. Hermione decided to study instead, and went in search of a book in the library. Neville said he would be heading back to the common room.
They walked up to the door of the large thatched hut and knocked. Suddenly the half-giant threw open the door with a huge smile on his face, startling his visitors.
"I was wondering when you were going to pay your old Hagrid a visit. Come inside, come inside. How are you?" he asked as he herded the three teenagers into his home. (A/N: I can't write how Hagrid speaks, sorry.)
"I'm fi." Harry tried to answer, but he was suddenly enveloped in the large man's arms. The small boy stiffened in his arms with a panicked look on his face.
Ron noticed Harry's apprehension and said, "What? We don't get hugs?" He knew that Harry was still feeling a little weird about being touched, and Hagrid didn't always pick up on the emotions of others all that well.
Hagrid smiled at the siblings warmly and embraced them as well. Putting them down he said, "So what can I get you? Tea? Treacle Fudge?"
"No, no thank you. We just came to say hello that's all," said Harry quickly. Ginny looked like she was going to say that she wanted something, but Ron shook his head at her. She didn't know about what Hagrid deemed appropriate for human consumption. You could break a tooth on what he calls fudge.
"Alright, suit yourself," Hagrid said. "What are you three up to these days?"
"We are about to go to the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts. I heard a rumor that Alicia, our captain, has been freaking out about it, and had to call in reinforcement," said Ginny.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron looked at his younger sister quizzically. She probably heard that bit of info from Neville or something.
"I don't know; that's just what I heard," she said shrugging her shoulders.
"You are so unreliable when it comes to gossip."
"I am not!" Ginny whined.
"Are too," Ron complained.
Hagrid laughed at the two siblings, and noticed that Harry was being particularly quiet during the conversation.
"Harry, how are you doing now? Dumbledore told me what happened with your blasted relatives. Are you alright?" asked Hagrid.
"Yes, I am fine. Thanks for asking," said Harry softly.
"I told Dumbledore how awful they were. I just wish that I would have known what was happening so that we could have gotten you out of there a lot sooner," said Hagrid. Harry and the others said nothing for a few minutes. This was a delicate topic to talk about, and Harry looked as if he were regretting his decision to come there in the first place. He hated to be reminded of being in that hell hole.
Ron noticed the tension in the air and said, "Well, we hate to leave so soon, but we should be going now. We have to get down to the pitch before Alicia has a hissy fit."
"You have to leave so quickly? Well, promise me you will come back for a visit and have a cup of tea."
"Sure, no problem, Hagrid," said Ginny smiling. She seemed quite fond of the half-giant even though she barely knew him.
The three of them said their goodbyes and made their way down to the pitch. There were many students already flying around the stadium narrowly missing one another as they practiced some moves that they thought would help them get a position on the team. They could see Dean, Neville, and Seamus talking to one another high up in the air, away from the others. Ginny was surprised to see Neville among those trying out, and flew over to him and the others. Apparently, he hadn't told her about his intentions. They greeted one another with a quick hug and started laughing about something.
Upon reaching the pitch, Harry and Ron were surprised to see the two most unlikely people there. Oliver Wood, their previous team captain who had already graduated, was standing near Alicia Spinnet, their current team captain. Ron shrugged at Harry, maybe this was the 'reinforcement' that Ginny was talking about.
Also on the pitch was Draco. He was sitting on the far side of the stadium in the stands. He waved to Harry shyly as it was unusual for a Slytherin to come to a Gryffindor practice. Ron and Harry flew over to where he was sitting to inquire why he was here of all places.
"Hey, what's up? I thought it was like taboo to attend the practice of the opposing team," said Harry jokingly.
"Well, I can't exactly go back to the common room right now," said Draco smiling.
"Why is that?" asked Ron curiously.
"Remember when Fred and George tricked you and Ginny into eating some candy from their snackboxes?" asked Draco. Ron nodded at him. Harry looked back and forth between them utterly confused.
"Well, I liked the idea so much that they gave me a complimentary snackbox and I have been saving it for a special occasion. I left the box in the common room and signed the gift tag to Pansy Parkinson from a secret admirer," said Draco smirking. Harry laughed as he realized what he had done.
"Why would you do something like that? Are you seeking revenge or something?" asked Ron.
"Something like that. I am sure that Pansy as well as many other slytherins will be heading to the infirmary tonight. There were a few nasty chocolates in there that make what happened to you and Ginny seem like child's play. It will take Madame Pomfrey more than a day to sort out the proper ingredients and apply the appropriate antidote. In addition, I applied a charm to the box to make their symptoms last longer than usual. I am sure Pansy will be miserable for quite a long time."
"Draco, you shouldn't have done that. You could be in serious trouble. What if they figure out that it was you?" asked Harry.
"Don't worry about it. Pansy has so many enemies that she will spend most of the term trying to narrow down who tricked her. Besides, I have Professor Snape on my side."
"Alright, if you say so. I think we should be going now. I will talk to you later."
Alicia blew her whistle and everyone circled around her. The group dismounted their brooms and stood before her waiting for directions.
"Hello everyone, I am glad to see that you all made it. As you know, last year Fred and George Weasley were replaced by Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper after the incident with Malfoy." Alicia glared over at the section where Draco was sitting. She must have noticed him in the stands when he came in.
"The twins have decided not to return to school this year. And Andrew and Jack were not permitted by their parents to return so we need to fill the two beater positions. However, Harry was the seeker on our team for several years before we had to replace him with Ginny, and I would hate to let either of them go. So what we are going to do is see how all of you do at each position, and make the decision from there. There may be some shifting of positions on the team as a result. Because of the unusual nature of this tryout I have asked Oliver here to help me in making the decision of who will be placed on the team." Everyone erupted in applause. He had been a great Quidditch captain.
"Alright, we are going to watch you try your hand at each position. Since there are so many of you we are going to split you up into groups and rotate you to each position. You all need to be extremely careful as there will be several flyers out there today."
Alicia split everyone up and the tryout began. Ron took a deep breath as he ascended through the air on his broom. He had tried so hard to be a good keeper last year and it looked as if he may lose his position on the team. He knew he sucked at it, but he wasn't sure what other position he would be good at. Seeker was out of the question; Harry would most likely get that position. He doubted that Alicia would split up the girls that played the chasers. Would he be a beater like his brothers?
Ron was currently back at his old position as keeper defending the goal posts. His heart was beginning to pound in his chest as he waited to defend the goal posts. He could almost hear that blasted song "Weasley is Our King" as he flew back and forth. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see some of his friends trying to impress the captains. Dean and Seamus were passing the Quaffle back and forth between one another trying some fancy moves. Harry and Ginny were racing around the pitch in search of the snitch. Harry looked ecstatic as he raced through the air after the elusive golden ball. It was all Ginny could do to keep up. Poor Neville was having a horrible time of it, and could barely stay on top of his broom. Ron shook his head sadly wondering why he even bothered to get on a broom after the humiliating incident during their first year.
Alicia and Oliver could be seen with there heads close together as they talked to one another about each position. Occasionally they would point at someone, and they would shake their head yes or no. They were standing so close to one another, Ron wondered if there wasn't something more going on between them.
After two agonizing hours, Alicia finally blew her whistle again and everyone dismounted. The group extremely tired and looking a little worse for wear. "Alright everyone, excellent job out there. Oliver and I have watched each one of you carefully and have finally made some decisions. The chasers this year will again be Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, and myself," said Alicia.
The girls all high fived one another, thankful that their group wasn't split up, and they were able to keep their positions.
"This year's seeker will be Harry Potter and our keeper will be Ginny Weasley," she said. Ron felt his heart drop into his stomach and let out a sigh. He knew his sister was better than him, but is still hurt that he had been replaced.
"And finally our beaters will be Ronald Weasley and Seamus Finnigan. Ron I know I replaced you as keeper, but you have the same build as the twins and I think you will be better suited for this position."
"That's alright, I am just thankful to still be on the team," said Ron smiling at his captain. He was extremely relieved. He was excited about his new position now that he heard Alicia's reasoning. In fact, it made a lot of sense. Ron was still growing, and he was already over 6 feet tall. He was too big to be quick enough to block the goal posts, but his bulk was an asset when it came to blocking his teammates and knocking bludgers at his opponents. Plus he could ensure Ginny and Harry's safety with the new position. Yes, things were definitely looking up.
A/N: I am assuming that Katie, Angelina, and Alicia are all in the same year as Fred and George Weasley. Which means they would be 7th years, right? I don't know. I am confused. If you know the real answer let me know, but I am not sure if I will change chapter though. It would be a pain in the ass to figure everything out again.
A/N 2: I really didn't like this chapter at all. I threw this chapter in here by the off chance that I may write a sequel to this story or make it extra long. I have many chapters planned but they will only lead up until around Halloween. If I decide to continue, then Quidditch will be important later in the story, right?
Many thanks to all my reviewers!
I Forget- You will have to wait to the bitter to end to find out if the ending is happy or not. Muahahaha! (Oh, I don't plan to write much about Draco's mother, but in the first chapter Narcissa was forced to go with her husband).
Serpendiseria- thanks!
Meg- Thanks for the ranting. It was good to hear someone else express how I felt about my story being yanked of ff.net.
TigerCat- I have made an honest effort to find all the spelling mistakes, but it seems that a few are still getting through. Thanks for the heads up. It is always helpful to have some constructive criticism so that I don't type away blind to the short comings in my story. You are right, they are mainly from typing too fast to get the story out. My spell checker doesn't catch them because they are technically still spelled correctly, it's just they are the wrong use of the word. I would have a beta reader, but I post faster than they could send me the corrected chapters. I am glad that I am handling the sensitive issues like rape, abuse, and cutting well. I have never written anything before, and I was apprehensive about using those topics in my story. I just find them so damn compelling! I hope that you continue to read the story and leave me some more helpful reviews.
Kayin-No-Kaze- Blaise is a character in the HP books, but he is only mentioned a few times. For example, check out page 122, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling.
Immortal Memories- umm.okay? This is a response to your review.
dragonchild- thanks for the review, I will look forward to more.
Katie- I agree about breaking away sometimes.
Ashes- sorry, I had a lot going on this weekend. Don't worry I will update everyday this week. I am glad that someone agrees with me about Harry needing to be a mixture of both personality traits. Another reviewer mentioned that I was having some difficulty with spelling. I will try harder to proofread my work. Thanks for your comments about the last chapter, I really appreciate it.
Kat- thank you for telling me that I didn't fall into any pitfalls yet. I will grab my thesaurus and try not to use "sweetly" as often. I never even realized that I did until you said something, but you are right. Keep in touch.
ShaeLynn- thanks
Etselec- thanks for the review. I am glad that you feel that I dealt with those sensitive issues in a realistic manner. I was really worried about that.
Malfoy Snogger- What a long review! I love Draco and Harry's relationship too. I have tried to make them really tender with one another. Snape did tell Dumbledore about the attack, but not who caused it. As to the headmaster not kicking out those who "openly support Voldemort," well Draco in each one of the books certainly shot his mouth off to anyone who will listen about what will happen when Voldemort returned. Didn't he say that the mudbloods would be first to go in COS? And Dumbledore never kicked him out, and he does seem to always know what is going on within the school. Draco is now a reformed man, but he doesn't want Harry to get hurt because he tattled on the slytherins. They did threaten him after all. Plus, what drama would there be if there weren't any slytherins to make life miserable for our main characters? I think it is true about that people from other houses aren't allowed in common rooms, but it could just be a clever plot device. I have seen it used in many, many other fics. So I am not original in that sense. I agree with you about Blaise not being OOC because he is an underdeveloped character in HP.
Dark Angel- Thanks liking the last chapter. I think Blaise is a boy too.
Ron had been bugging Harry all week about the Quidditch Tryouts, and when that day finally came, Ron felt absolutely nauseous. There was a lot of confusion about some of the positions that needed to be filled this year, and Ron had somehow convinced himself that he was going to be kicked off the team. He had quite a rough time last year during Quidditch season.
Draco and his fellow slytherins had made up that stupid song "Weasley is Our King." Even though things turned out for the better in the end, that song still echoed in his ears. He had never felt more humiliated in his life. It took Ron a better part of this past summer to forgive Draco for that particular incident, and to this day he still can't look at the pitch without his heart pounding. In his mind he can still perceive an enormous sea of black cloaks and green scarves jumping and yelling the chorus to that awful song.
They were currently eating their morning meal in the Great Hall. Hermione had another book propped up in her lap. She nibbled on some toast as she turned the pages. Ginny, Neville, and Harry were discussing his new racing broom, and debating on whether or not it would truly be faster on the pitch than his firebolt was. Ron, on the other hand, was avidly poking his fork and knife at his scrambled eggs and bacon. He concentrated on moving it from one side of his plate to the other and back again. Harry noticed that he was being awfully quite during breakfast and had barely eaten. Both of these actions were completely unusual, so Harry began to pester him about why he was so upset.
"Hey, what's up with you? Why are you so quiet?" he asked.
"I don't know. I guess I am worried about the tryouts," said Ron truthfully.
"Why? You were already on the team. I doubt that Alicia would replace you. You did well last year," said Ginny trying to comfort her brother.
"I agree said Hermione," looking up from her book. "You have nothing to worry about." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and resumed reading.
Ron sighed deeply, "We'll see."
"Besides, it's me that should be worried. They replaced my position last year with Ginny when Umbridge put that stupid ban on me. I don't think I would do much good as a beater, but I am going to try out anyway and see what happens."
"Harry, we don't even know if I will stay play seeker for Gryffindor this year. I am sure that Alicia will give you back your position," said Ginny. Neville reached for her hand and gave her a sympathetic look. It was obvious that they had discussed this possibility before. Ron was really hoping that Harry would be able to play again this year, but he would feel awful for Ginny if she were eliminated from the team. They had spent many hours practicing together this summer and it would be a real shame if the siblings couldn't play together again. However, it would certainly take Harry's mind off everything that happened last summer if he could play seeker.
"Hey, I have an idea. We haven't visited Hagrid yet this year. Why don't we go over there and say hello before tryouts. I am sure that will help take everything off of your mind," said Harry sensing that Ron was still upset about the situation.
"Alright, that sounds good," said Ron smiling. They finished their breakfast quickly and walked out to Hagrid's hut. Ginny decided to join them since she would be attending the tryouts as well. Hermione decided to study instead, and went in search of a book in the library. Neville said he would be heading back to the common room.
They walked up to the door of the large thatched hut and knocked. Suddenly the half-giant threw open the door with a huge smile on his face, startling his visitors.
"I was wondering when you were going to pay your old Hagrid a visit. Come inside, come inside. How are you?" he asked as he herded the three teenagers into his home. (A/N: I can't write how Hagrid speaks, sorry.)
"I'm fi." Harry tried to answer, but he was suddenly enveloped in the large man's arms. The small boy stiffened in his arms with a panicked look on his face.
Ron noticed Harry's apprehension and said, "What? We don't get hugs?" He knew that Harry was still feeling a little weird about being touched, and Hagrid didn't always pick up on the emotions of others all that well.
Hagrid smiled at the siblings warmly and embraced them as well. Putting them down he said, "So what can I get you? Tea? Treacle Fudge?"
"No, no thank you. We just came to say hello that's all," said Harry quickly. Ginny looked like she was going to say that she wanted something, but Ron shook his head at her. She didn't know about what Hagrid deemed appropriate for human consumption. You could break a tooth on what he calls fudge.
"Alright, suit yourself," Hagrid said. "What are you three up to these days?"
"We are about to go to the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts. I heard a rumor that Alicia, our captain, has been freaking out about it, and had to call in reinforcement," said Ginny.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron looked at his younger sister quizzically. She probably heard that bit of info from Neville or something.
"I don't know; that's just what I heard," she said shrugging her shoulders.
"You are so unreliable when it comes to gossip."
"I am not!" Ginny whined.
"Are too," Ron complained.
Hagrid laughed at the two siblings, and noticed that Harry was being particularly quiet during the conversation.
"Harry, how are you doing now? Dumbledore told me what happened with your blasted relatives. Are you alright?" asked Hagrid.
"Yes, I am fine. Thanks for asking," said Harry softly.
"I told Dumbledore how awful they were. I just wish that I would have known what was happening so that we could have gotten you out of there a lot sooner," said Hagrid. Harry and the others said nothing for a few minutes. This was a delicate topic to talk about, and Harry looked as if he were regretting his decision to come there in the first place. He hated to be reminded of being in that hell hole.
Ron noticed the tension in the air and said, "Well, we hate to leave so soon, but we should be going now. We have to get down to the pitch before Alicia has a hissy fit."
"You have to leave so quickly? Well, promise me you will come back for a visit and have a cup of tea."
"Sure, no problem, Hagrid," said Ginny smiling. She seemed quite fond of the half-giant even though she barely knew him.
The three of them said their goodbyes and made their way down to the pitch. There were many students already flying around the stadium narrowly missing one another as they practiced some moves that they thought would help them get a position on the team. They could see Dean, Neville, and Seamus talking to one another high up in the air, away from the others. Ginny was surprised to see Neville among those trying out, and flew over to him and the others. Apparently, he hadn't told her about his intentions. They greeted one another with a quick hug and started laughing about something.
Upon reaching the pitch, Harry and Ron were surprised to see the two most unlikely people there. Oliver Wood, their previous team captain who had already graduated, was standing near Alicia Spinnet, their current team captain. Ron shrugged at Harry, maybe this was the 'reinforcement' that Ginny was talking about.
Also on the pitch was Draco. He was sitting on the far side of the stadium in the stands. He waved to Harry shyly as it was unusual for a Slytherin to come to a Gryffindor practice. Ron and Harry flew over to where he was sitting to inquire why he was here of all places.
"Hey, what's up? I thought it was like taboo to attend the practice of the opposing team," said Harry jokingly.
"Well, I can't exactly go back to the common room right now," said Draco smiling.
"Why is that?" asked Ron curiously.
"Remember when Fred and George tricked you and Ginny into eating some candy from their snackboxes?" asked Draco. Ron nodded at him. Harry looked back and forth between them utterly confused.
"Well, I liked the idea so much that they gave me a complimentary snackbox and I have been saving it for a special occasion. I left the box in the common room and signed the gift tag to Pansy Parkinson from a secret admirer," said Draco smirking. Harry laughed as he realized what he had done.
"Why would you do something like that? Are you seeking revenge or something?" asked Ron.
"Something like that. I am sure that Pansy as well as many other slytherins will be heading to the infirmary tonight. There were a few nasty chocolates in there that make what happened to you and Ginny seem like child's play. It will take Madame Pomfrey more than a day to sort out the proper ingredients and apply the appropriate antidote. In addition, I applied a charm to the box to make their symptoms last longer than usual. I am sure Pansy will be miserable for quite a long time."
"Draco, you shouldn't have done that. You could be in serious trouble. What if they figure out that it was you?" asked Harry.
"Don't worry about it. Pansy has so many enemies that she will spend most of the term trying to narrow down who tricked her. Besides, I have Professor Snape on my side."
"Alright, if you say so. I think we should be going now. I will talk to you later."
Alicia blew her whistle and everyone circled around her. The group dismounted their brooms and stood before her waiting for directions.
"Hello everyone, I am glad to see that you all made it. As you know, last year Fred and George Weasley were replaced by Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper after the incident with Malfoy." Alicia glared over at the section where Draco was sitting. She must have noticed him in the stands when he came in.
"The twins have decided not to return to school this year. And Andrew and Jack were not permitted by their parents to return so we need to fill the two beater positions. However, Harry was the seeker on our team for several years before we had to replace him with Ginny, and I would hate to let either of them go. So what we are going to do is see how all of you do at each position, and make the decision from there. There may be some shifting of positions on the team as a result. Because of the unusual nature of this tryout I have asked Oliver here to help me in making the decision of who will be placed on the team." Everyone erupted in applause. He had been a great Quidditch captain.
"Alright, we are going to watch you try your hand at each position. Since there are so many of you we are going to split you up into groups and rotate you to each position. You all need to be extremely careful as there will be several flyers out there today."
Alicia split everyone up and the tryout began. Ron took a deep breath as he ascended through the air on his broom. He had tried so hard to be a good keeper last year and it looked as if he may lose his position on the team. He knew he sucked at it, but he wasn't sure what other position he would be good at. Seeker was out of the question; Harry would most likely get that position. He doubted that Alicia would split up the girls that played the chasers. Would he be a beater like his brothers?
Ron was currently back at his old position as keeper defending the goal posts. His heart was beginning to pound in his chest as he waited to defend the goal posts. He could almost hear that blasted song "Weasley is Our King" as he flew back and forth. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see some of his friends trying to impress the captains. Dean and Seamus were passing the Quaffle back and forth between one another trying some fancy moves. Harry and Ginny were racing around the pitch in search of the snitch. Harry looked ecstatic as he raced through the air after the elusive golden ball. It was all Ginny could do to keep up. Poor Neville was having a horrible time of it, and could barely stay on top of his broom. Ron shook his head sadly wondering why he even bothered to get on a broom after the humiliating incident during their first year.
Alicia and Oliver could be seen with there heads close together as they talked to one another about each position. Occasionally they would point at someone, and they would shake their head yes or no. They were standing so close to one another, Ron wondered if there wasn't something more going on between them.
After two agonizing hours, Alicia finally blew her whistle again and everyone dismounted. The group extremely tired and looking a little worse for wear. "Alright everyone, excellent job out there. Oliver and I have watched each one of you carefully and have finally made some decisions. The chasers this year will again be Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, and myself," said Alicia.
The girls all high fived one another, thankful that their group wasn't split up, and they were able to keep their positions.
"This year's seeker will be Harry Potter and our keeper will be Ginny Weasley," she said. Ron felt his heart drop into his stomach and let out a sigh. He knew his sister was better than him, but is still hurt that he had been replaced.
"And finally our beaters will be Ronald Weasley and Seamus Finnigan. Ron I know I replaced you as keeper, but you have the same build as the twins and I think you will be better suited for this position."
"That's alright, I am just thankful to still be on the team," said Ron smiling at his captain. He was extremely relieved. He was excited about his new position now that he heard Alicia's reasoning. In fact, it made a lot of sense. Ron was still growing, and he was already over 6 feet tall. He was too big to be quick enough to block the goal posts, but his bulk was an asset when it came to blocking his teammates and knocking bludgers at his opponents. Plus he could ensure Ginny and Harry's safety with the new position. Yes, things were definitely looking up.
A/N: I am assuming that Katie, Angelina, and Alicia are all in the same year as Fred and George Weasley. Which means they would be 7th years, right? I don't know. I am confused. If you know the real answer let me know, but I am not sure if I will change chapter though. It would be a pain in the ass to figure everything out again.
A/N 2: I really didn't like this chapter at all. I threw this chapter in here by the off chance that I may write a sequel to this story or make it extra long. I have many chapters planned but they will only lead up until around Halloween. If I decide to continue, then Quidditch will be important later in the story, right?
Many thanks to all my reviewers!
I Forget- You will have to wait to the bitter to end to find out if the ending is happy or not. Muahahaha! (Oh, I don't plan to write much about Draco's mother, but in the first chapter Narcissa was forced to go with her husband).
Serpendiseria- thanks!
Meg- Thanks for the ranting. It was good to hear someone else express how I felt about my story being yanked of ff.net.
TigerCat- I have made an honest effort to find all the spelling mistakes, but it seems that a few are still getting through. Thanks for the heads up. It is always helpful to have some constructive criticism so that I don't type away blind to the short comings in my story. You are right, they are mainly from typing too fast to get the story out. My spell checker doesn't catch them because they are technically still spelled correctly, it's just they are the wrong use of the word. I would have a beta reader, but I post faster than they could send me the corrected chapters. I am glad that I am handling the sensitive issues like rape, abuse, and cutting well. I have never written anything before, and I was apprehensive about using those topics in my story. I just find them so damn compelling! I hope that you continue to read the story and leave me some more helpful reviews.
Kayin-No-Kaze- Blaise is a character in the HP books, but he is only mentioned a few times. For example, check out page 122, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling.
Immortal Memories- umm.okay? This is a response to your review.
dragonchild- thanks for the review, I will look forward to more.
Katie- I agree about breaking away sometimes.
Ashes- sorry, I had a lot going on this weekend. Don't worry I will update everyday this week. I am glad that someone agrees with me about Harry needing to be a mixture of both personality traits. Another reviewer mentioned that I was having some difficulty with spelling. I will try harder to proofread my work. Thanks for your comments about the last chapter, I really appreciate it.
Kat- thank you for telling me that I didn't fall into any pitfalls yet. I will grab my thesaurus and try not to use "sweetly" as often. I never even realized that I did until you said something, but you are right. Keep in touch.
ShaeLynn- thanks
Etselec- thanks for the review. I am glad that you feel that I dealt with those sensitive issues in a realistic manner. I was really worried about that.
Malfoy Snogger- What a long review! I love Draco and Harry's relationship too. I have tried to make them really tender with one another. Snape did tell Dumbledore about the attack, but not who caused it. As to the headmaster not kicking out those who "openly support Voldemort," well Draco in each one of the books certainly shot his mouth off to anyone who will listen about what will happen when Voldemort returned. Didn't he say that the mudbloods would be first to go in COS? And Dumbledore never kicked him out, and he does seem to always know what is going on within the school. Draco is now a reformed man, but he doesn't want Harry to get hurt because he tattled on the slytherins. They did threaten him after all. Plus, what drama would there be if there weren't any slytherins to make life miserable for our main characters? I think it is true about that people from other houses aren't allowed in common rooms, but it could just be a clever plot device. I have seen it used in many, many other fics. So I am not original in that sense. I agree with you about Blaise not being OOC because he is an underdeveloped character in HP.
Dark Angel- Thanks liking the last chapter. I think Blaise is a boy too.