After dinner that night Harry and Ron both changed into their Quidditch
robes and walked out to the pitch. It was five o'clock and night was
falling. Remembering Dumbledore's new rules, they had two hours.
Harry shouldered his broom and walked onto the field. It was a perfect night for practice. The sky was cloudless and tinged with orange and red as the sun set. Harry knew that Dumbledore had installed lights in the pitch, making it possible to play at night, though Dumbledore's reason had been security. He kicked off on his Firebolt.
Finally, thought Harry happily as he sped upward, finally on his Firebolt. Now he was back. As the wind roared in his ears he made a steep dive, skimming the grass finally and touching down to see the rest of the team coming out onto the field.
"All right," said Katie, "let's get started. I've found a few people who want to try out." She pointed to six or seven people standing nervously in the background.
"All right, we have for Beaters Dave Feagle, Jake Beller, Colin and Dennis Creevey, and for Chasers we have Amanda Fletcher and Emma Bowman. We can try out one of each at a time, so let's have, er, Feagle and Bowman now,"
They stepped up to her. Feagle, Harry noticed, had large front teeth and freckles, with startlingly bright blue eyes and blond hair that fell into his face and Bowman had a funny walk, as if she had a sprained foot, though she seemed to have strong arms by the way she was holding her broom, a Nimbus Two Thousand One. She had dark brown eyes and matching hair.
They all kicked off. Bowman moved much more gracefully in the air than on the ground and reminded Harry forcibly of Krum. Feagle was moving slowly on his broom, a Cleansweep Two Ninety, a grade lower than Ron's Three Ten. He was swinging his bat around slowly in a slightly unsure manner.
"Okay," Katie yelled down to the Creevey brothers, who had the chest with the balls, "send out a Bludger!"
Colin did so and the tryouts began. Harry had never seen tryouts from the field because the only one during his time on the team had been in his detention with Umbridge last year.
The one Bludger shot up straight to Harry who swerved out of its way just in time. Feagle looked at Katie, who nodded, and then tore after the Bludger. He swung his bat and grunted with dismay as it shot towards Ginny. Katie clicked her tongue.
"Give it another try," she said.
"Give me something to aim for," Feagle said,
"How about the goal posts,"
Feagle went after the bludger again and whacked it. The bludger missed by twenty feet and pelted into the stands. Katie rolled her eyes as Feagle turned away.
"Okay, why don't we try Chasers now? Colin, the Quaffle, please?"
Colin obliged and threw it up. Katie caught it. She threw it to Ginny, who threw passed it to Emma Bowman. She was quite good, Harry thought. She caught it and zoomed to the goalposts and shot. Ron flew in the air and caught the Quaffle just before it went in and passed it to Ginny.
And so it went on. Emma and Feagle were called down and Colin and Fletcher came up. Colin, it seemed was pretty good at Beating, missing one target by two feet, but hitting the rest exceptionally. Harry wondered why he hadn't tried out last year. Fletcher was terrible. He dropped the Quaffle twice in a row, and then tried scoring with it in the wrong set of goal posts. Katie called him down almost immediately.
Beller was equally bad, his face getting redder and redder until it looked quite as if he was liable to pour out steam from his face, all he needed was something slightly moist, and finally Katie, out of the goodness of her heart, it seemed, called him down.
Dennis Creevey was pretty good, and partnered Bowman this time. Finally the Snitch was out and Harry had something to do. He soared around watching for glimmers of gold while the game played around him. He saw Ron block another goal off Katie out of the corner of his eye and was heartened. Ron had become much better over the summer, it seemed. Harry wondered what had caused the change. A Bludger tore into his path, but Colin Creevey tore after it and whacked it away at Ginny, stopping her from scoring a goal.
At seven o'clock they touched down and walked back into the locker rooms to change. Katie had decided right there who was to come onto the team.
"Emma Bowman, Colin and Dennis Creevey are on, for sure. We'll have our first practice on, er, Friday afternoon after lessons are over."
Harry and Ron trouped back to the Gryffindor common room, where they were met by Hermione. They told her about the tryouts, and pointed out Emma to her. Hermione nodded thoughtfully.
"I know her," she said quietly, "she had a mental disorder, and it ended up being cured, but her left foot was paralyzed for life. . ." she said quietly, "I think it's a really good thing she got on the team, she hardly gets anything at all, because of her problem."
Hermione shook her head sadly and walked away. Ron and Harry looked at each other in horror.
* * *
Harry shouldered his broom and walked onto the field. It was a perfect night for practice. The sky was cloudless and tinged with orange and red as the sun set. Harry knew that Dumbledore had installed lights in the pitch, making it possible to play at night, though Dumbledore's reason had been security. He kicked off on his Firebolt.
Finally, thought Harry happily as he sped upward, finally on his Firebolt. Now he was back. As the wind roared in his ears he made a steep dive, skimming the grass finally and touching down to see the rest of the team coming out onto the field.
"All right," said Katie, "let's get started. I've found a few people who want to try out." She pointed to six or seven people standing nervously in the background.
"All right, we have for Beaters Dave Feagle, Jake Beller, Colin and Dennis Creevey, and for Chasers we have Amanda Fletcher and Emma Bowman. We can try out one of each at a time, so let's have, er, Feagle and Bowman now,"
They stepped up to her. Feagle, Harry noticed, had large front teeth and freckles, with startlingly bright blue eyes and blond hair that fell into his face and Bowman had a funny walk, as if she had a sprained foot, though she seemed to have strong arms by the way she was holding her broom, a Nimbus Two Thousand One. She had dark brown eyes and matching hair.
They all kicked off. Bowman moved much more gracefully in the air than on the ground and reminded Harry forcibly of Krum. Feagle was moving slowly on his broom, a Cleansweep Two Ninety, a grade lower than Ron's Three Ten. He was swinging his bat around slowly in a slightly unsure manner.
"Okay," Katie yelled down to the Creevey brothers, who had the chest with the balls, "send out a Bludger!"
Colin did so and the tryouts began. Harry had never seen tryouts from the field because the only one during his time on the team had been in his detention with Umbridge last year.
The one Bludger shot up straight to Harry who swerved out of its way just in time. Feagle looked at Katie, who nodded, and then tore after the Bludger. He swung his bat and grunted with dismay as it shot towards Ginny. Katie clicked her tongue.
"Give it another try," she said.
"Give me something to aim for," Feagle said,
"How about the goal posts,"
Feagle went after the bludger again and whacked it. The bludger missed by twenty feet and pelted into the stands. Katie rolled her eyes as Feagle turned away.
"Okay, why don't we try Chasers now? Colin, the Quaffle, please?"
Colin obliged and threw it up. Katie caught it. She threw it to Ginny, who threw passed it to Emma Bowman. She was quite good, Harry thought. She caught it and zoomed to the goalposts and shot. Ron flew in the air and caught the Quaffle just before it went in and passed it to Ginny.
And so it went on. Emma and Feagle were called down and Colin and Fletcher came up. Colin, it seemed was pretty good at Beating, missing one target by two feet, but hitting the rest exceptionally. Harry wondered why he hadn't tried out last year. Fletcher was terrible. He dropped the Quaffle twice in a row, and then tried scoring with it in the wrong set of goal posts. Katie called him down almost immediately.
Beller was equally bad, his face getting redder and redder until it looked quite as if he was liable to pour out steam from his face, all he needed was something slightly moist, and finally Katie, out of the goodness of her heart, it seemed, called him down.
Dennis Creevey was pretty good, and partnered Bowman this time. Finally the Snitch was out and Harry had something to do. He soared around watching for glimmers of gold while the game played around him. He saw Ron block another goal off Katie out of the corner of his eye and was heartened. Ron had become much better over the summer, it seemed. Harry wondered what had caused the change. A Bludger tore into his path, but Colin Creevey tore after it and whacked it away at Ginny, stopping her from scoring a goal.
At seven o'clock they touched down and walked back into the locker rooms to change. Katie had decided right there who was to come onto the team.
"Emma Bowman, Colin and Dennis Creevey are on, for sure. We'll have our first practice on, er, Friday afternoon after lessons are over."
Harry and Ron trouped back to the Gryffindor common room, where they were met by Hermione. They told her about the tryouts, and pointed out Emma to her. Hermione nodded thoughtfully.
"I know her," she said quietly, "she had a mental disorder, and it ended up being cured, but her left foot was paralyzed for life. . ." she said quietly, "I think it's a really good thing she got on the team, she hardly gets anything at all, because of her problem."
Hermione shook her head sadly and walked away. Ron and Harry looked at each other in horror.
* * *