Chapter 2

"Oh, yes!" I looped the loop in celebration. "What a goal!"

I'd just scored with a hard shot through the right post that had blasted its way past the goalie.  Zott and Matthews looked really fed up. They glared at each other, as Sev and I celebrated.

"Hey, man, what were you waiting for?" Matthews roared at Zott. "The flippin' Knight Bus?"

I grinned to myself as Zott took his shirt off and threw it at the ground in disgust.

"Oi, Lily! Over here!"

I looked around. Monica, Bubbly and Sadie were sitting on a nearby bench, waving frantically at me.

'What do they want?' I thought irritably. They didn't bother with me much, usually. Reluctantly, I flew over to them. They were all tarted up as usual, and were completely overdressed for sitting in the grounds. But then, they didn't look too impressed with my Ballycastle Bats robes and trackies either.

"Lily, doll, who's your friend with the gorgeous bod?" Monica demanded.

"Who?" I didn't have a clue what they were talking about.

"The one with the six-pack," Sadie squealed impatiently.

            "If he looks at me, I really will faint," Monica said in a completely melodramatic voice.

            I frowned at looked over at the boys. "Do you mean Zott? Er, I mean Dan."

            "Dan, is that his name?" Monica asked eagerly. Their tongues were practically hanging out as they watched Zott fooling around, doing stupid dive-bombs at the other lads. "He is so fine."

            "Hey, Lily," Sev called to me. "Come on."

            Thank God. I'd had enough of all this girly stuff.

            "Go on, Lily," Bubbly said cattily. "Lover boy's calling you."

            "Shut up," I snapped. "You know he's just my mate. We're not all slags like you lot."

            I turned and flew off, feeling really annoyed. I didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea about me and Sev. That second cousin thrice removed's words came flooding back: It'll be your turn soon… Not likely! I shook my head and jogged back on to the pitch.

            Zott and Matthews were determined to stop me this time, but when Sev passed me the Quaffle, I took them on again. I dodged Zott. Then I flicked the Quaffle past Matthews and caught it on the other side. It was just too easy. Before they knew what had hit them, I'd scored again. Zott and Matthews were so mad, I thought they were going to kill each other.             We landed, to catch our breath, and were just about to restart the game when I saw a girl coming towards us. At first I didn't take any notice, thinking she was just using the lawn as a short cut. But she was looking straight at me and smiling.

            "Hi."

            "Er – hi." I stared at her. She was tall and thin, with short blonde hair, and she was wearing a Muggle trackie top and shorts. She was pretty too. But I'd never seen her before in my life.

            "That was brilliant," she said eagerly. "Do you play for any side?"

            I was completely gobsmacked. I glanced at Sev, who looked puzzled too. The other lads nearly bust a gut laughing. Typical.

            "Like who?" Zott grinned. "Mudblood Mugwumps United?" (A/N – Mugwump is late 19th century slang for an impotent male. There you go, you learn something new every day.)

            The girl ignored him. She obviously wasn't as impressed with Zott's six-pack as Sadie, Monica and Bubbly were. "I play for Hogsmeade Horntails girls' side." I looked blank. I didn't know there was a Hogsmeade Horntails girls' side. "It's closed season now, but we've got a tournament coming up." She smiled at me. "You could come and have a trial."

            "A trial?" I stammered. I couldn't get my head around what she was saying. "Do you think I'm good enough?"

            The girl nodded. "Yeah. I've watched you a few times while I've been out running. You've got really good. It's up to our coach, but – " she shrugged "– I know we could do with some fresh blood."

            "That's brilliant, Lily," Sev said excitedly.

            "Are you sure? You know I'm a Slytherin, right?" The girl nodded. "And you're what? A Ravenclaw?"

            The girl shook her head, eyes glinting in amusement. "Gryffindor actually."

            I gaped at her. "And you're alright with the fact I'm Slytherin? Don't you think I'm an evil scumbag?"

            "Nope. I'm fine with it. That's if you're OK with the fact I'm a... now, what did Malfoy call me? Oh yes, a jumped-up, immature, glory-hunting Gryffie."

            "Really? Where have you been for the last six years? I've been trying to get to know people from other houses ever since I discovered mine was full of spiteful sluts, no offence Sev, but as soon as people realise I'm one of them, they don't want to know. Are you sure the rest of the team will be okay with it?"

            "Well, you're an incredible player. If our coach says you're in, you're in, and they're going to have to deal with it. They're really friendly, though, I'm sure you'll get on great with most of them once they get to know you."

            The other boys calmed down from their hysterical laughter long enough to insert a few sarcastic comments.

            "Do you swap robes at the end of matches?" Crabbe asked, snickering.

            "And get in the big bath together?" Zott added.

            The girl raised her eyebrows at me and shook her head. "I'm Abby, Abby Figg," she said, stretching out a hand.

            "Lily," I said breathlessly. I didn't care how much the boys laughed at me. Abby thought I was good enough to play for a proper side. At last, this was my chance to do something different with my life. This was what I'd been waiting for.

            I stood at the side of the pitch, trying to take it all in. Hogsmeade Horntails had a real ground. A proper pitch with goal hoops and Glo-globes and changing rooms and stands for the crowd. Instead of Zott and Matthews and Crabbe and the others taking the mick and fooling about, there were women doing some serious training on the pitch in front of me. They were all different. Some were slim and lean, like Abby, and some were more powerfully built. The team seemed to have several locals, but I also recognised some of the girls from school – several Gryffindors, with a fair number of Ravenclaws and a few Hufflepuffs thrown in for good measure. No other Slytherins, though. No surprise there, then.

            My heart thumped with excitement. These were the girls I'd be playing with if I got onto the team, I told myself. No, when I got onto the team. I wasn't going to throw this chance away. But I had to meet the coach first. That was why I was here.

            Abby had told me that the coach was called James. James Potter. I watched him flying up and down the pitch, yelling at the players. Some of them were practising diving, and some of them were bashing Bludgers into targets, one after the other. I wondered how James felt, being the only guy out there. He didn't seem to mind, though. He seemed pretty much at home... And kind of good-looking – if you're interested in that sort of thing.

            I took a deep breath, and ran out onto the pitch. Abby had stopped to chat to James as I rushed over to them. The first thing I noticed was that James didn't look too pleased to see me. But that couldn't stop me grinning from ear to ear. I was excited just to be there.

            "Where do you usually play?" James said. No hello, nothing. It would have sounded really off, if he hadn't had such a soft Irish accent.

            I beamed at him. "On the lawn, up at Hogwarts."

            He looked at Abby and frowned. "I meant, what position?"

            "Oh, sorry." I felt a bit of a fool. "I usually play Chaser, but I'm a fair Keeper and an alright Seeker."

            James looked me up and down. "Get your broom, then," he said.

            My face fell. "I haven't got one."

            I'd been begging my parents, and then Kate, to let me buy a broom, ever since second year. My Muggle parents had considered Quidditch too dangerous for their darling little girl, and told me to wait until I was older. I had, but they hadn't. Kate was worse. If I even mentioned it, she'd go off on a rant about how I spent too much time playing Quidditch as it was and that I should spend my time doing something worthwhile, like studying. I'd been riding a rubbishy school broom for years.

            James looked incredulous at this revelation. For a minute, I thought he was going to chuck me out before I'd even got started. I stared at him anxiously, trying to make him realise how desperate I was to play. Abby was looking a bit uncomfortable. I guessed she'd had to persuade James to give me a go.

            "All right," he said at last. "Grab a spare practice broom from that cupboard and start warming up."

            I smiled with relief, and took off my cloak. I had my Ballycastle Bats robes on underneath. Maybe soon I'd be wearing the Horntails strip like the other girls. But first I had to show what I could do...

            I felt nervous as I took my place on the pitch with the other players. I never felt nervous when I was playing against Zott and that lot, but this was different. I had to do well to earn a place in the team.

            But once the Quaffle was in my grasp, I lost all my nerves. It was just like being back at Hogwarts. Adrenaline pumped through me as I swooped down the pitch, managing to avoid two opposing Chasers and a Bludger. I did my famous double-swerve to get past a third and flew forward. I had the goal in my sights.

            "Pass to Abby!" I heard James yelling from the sideline.

            I ducked a Bludger and looped the Quaffle up, high over the Keeper's head, to Abby, who flung it through the nearest hoop.

            "Brilliant!" James called, and I glowed with pride. I wanted this so much it hurt.

            When the game was over, I was so nervous, I felt sick. I wanted to know if I'd made it onto the side. I thought I'd done well – I'd scored a time or two myself, and set up goals for Abby and another girl whose name I didn't know. As we trooped off the pitch, I felt my heart lurch as James came over and took me to one side.

            "How'd it feel out there?" he asked.

            "Excellent," I gasped. I was red in the face and out of breath, but I felt fantastic. "Really great."

            James looked at me curiously. "I've never seen a Slytherin girl into Quidditch."

            I smiled shyly. "They don't encourage us to play it. We're not supposed to be able to do anything except put on makeup. But I have to play. I would have come sooner, but I didn't even know they had a girls' team here."

            "It's all her fault," James said. He nodded at Abby who'd run over to join us. "I knew her back in Hogwarts, and when I was playing here in the men's team she used to hang around whining that there was no team for her."

            "I wasn't whining," Abby argued. "But there was nothing for us girls. We weren't allowed on the House teams at Hogwarts, and here there was just junior league boys' stuff. But when he busted his knee and couldn't play anymore, he set up a girls' side –" she grinned at James, and I realised, with a bit of a shock, that she had the hots for him "– and he's been on my case ever since."

            "I really want to coach the men's side, but the club made me start at the bottom," James said. It was the first time I'd seen him really smile. "And you can't get much lower than her!"

            "Oh, you're so full of it!" Abby laughed. I was beginning to feel a bit left out. She and James had obviously known each other for years, and got on pretty well. "We win just as many matches as the men's side. So..." She flung an arm round my shoulders. "Does she pass?"

            I looked eagerly at James.

            "Your family up for it?" he asked.

            I looked as innocent as I could. "Oh, yeah, they're cool." No way was I admitting the truth.

            "Right, you'd better come back then." James leaned over and punched Abby playfully on the shoulder. "And I suppose I'd better go and open the bar. Do some real work."

            He went off towards the clubhouse. I glanced at Abby. She could hardly take her eyes off him. Actually, I didn't really blame her. He was a great coach.

            Abby turned to me. "He likes you."

            For no reason at all, I blushed. "You think so?"

            "He asked you back, didn't he?" Abby grinned. "How long have you been playing?"

            I shrugged. "Oh, for ages, but nothing as serious as this. Just out on the lawns."

            "Serious, this?" Abby laughed. "It'll do for now, but I want to play professionally."

            My mouth fell open in amazement. "Wow! You can do that?" I gasped. "As a job, you mean?"

            "Sure," Abby nodded. "You didn't used to be able to, but some European teams started recruiting women about a decade ago, and England are just starting to catch up."

            "Really?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Women could play Quidditch professionally? Suddenly, working for the boring old Ministry seemed even less interesting than it had before. Abby was lucky, I thought enviously. Her family must really support her if she wanted to become one of the first female Quidditch players in England. I felt a stab of anxiety. And here I was, not even knowing how to tell mine about Hogsmeade Horntails...