Chapter Seven

"Woo-hoo! Go Slyths! Come on, now, Treasure! Where is your Slytherin team spirit?"

Treasure pulled the covers back over her head, "It is still sleeping…like I was just two magical minutes ago."

"Oh, was Treasure having a dream about her Head Boy," Chris taunted.

Treasure sat up quickly and slid out of her bed, "No…why would I have dreams about Stryker? He is a mere acquaintance. Nothing – woah, buddy. Whose closet did you go shopping in this morning?"

Chris curtsied and smiled. She was sporting Slytherin's silver and green Quidditch robes, had a Slytherin house flag in each of her hands and her straight, black hair had silver streaks in it. Some of her hair was tied back with green bows. Indeed, she looked as though she were going to see the Hogwarts World Cup.

"I shopped in my own closet, of course! Here, have a flag," Chris shoved one of the flags into Treasure's tired hand.

Treasure looked at it, spun it around in her fingers and sighed, "Christina…you do know that the only things going on today are try-outs, right?"

An expression of hurt swept over Chris' face, "Only try-outs? Are you kidding? This is the first time a spot has been open for years – six years to be exact. Ah, and, there are six positions open! Is it only a coincidence that six is my lucky number?"

"I thought it was seven."

"There is always room for exceptions," Chris exclaimed.

"Since when are you interested in making the Quidditch team?"

Chris twirled her hair innocently through her fingers, "Ever since Phoenix Flint became the new captain," she confessed and Treasure chuckled, "Aren't you going out for a team position?"

"Hahahahahaha…no. Me? Go out for a position? I think not."

"You have grown up around Slytherin Quidditch all of your life! You know how this team works! Both of us could become team members."

"No bloody way," Treasure responded, "and that is that."

Chris sighed, knowing she had lost the fight and the two of them went down to breakfast. Almost immediately, Severus caught up with the two of them.

"Good morning, ladies, and Miss Riddle, may I express to you how wonderfully Slytherin your outfit is today? Twenty points to Slytherin for the attire. Treasure, I need to speak to you in my office. Come with me."

With a faint wave in Chris' general direction, Treasure was drug behind her father in his urgent frenzy to get to the dungeons. Once inside the room, Severus released his daughter's hand and practically ran to the cupboard behind his desk. Treasure asked nothing; she just watched as he pulled a wrapped something from the wardrobe and walked back over to her. He handed the gift to her gently and waited for her reaction.

"What is it," she asked.

"Open it," Severus urged.

Treasure lay it on her father's desk and opened it. Her hand grasped the firm, solid wood, glossy due to the clear lacquer finish, and she brought it up, off of the desk. She stood it up on its fine, perfectly straight twigs beside her.

It was a racing broom.

A Firebolt 2014 to be exact built by the greatest manufactures in brooms since the original Firebolt in 1993.

"Father…I…" she began.

"No need to thank me. All you have to do is try out for a position on the Quidditch team this afternoon."

Treasure blinked. She had just finished discussing this matter with Chris and now her father? She could tell that this meant a lot to him and, well – she had to give in. This was her father, after all.

She forced a weak, but convincing smile onto her face and took the broom in both hands, "Yes, father," she responded in as cheerful a tone as she could manage, "I will try my hardest and I hope that I wont let you down."

Severus beamed and dismissed Treasure. She cradled the broom gently in both of her hands as she examined it all the way to the common room. Once inside, she noticed a group of fifth years causing chaos near that fireplace.

"Excuse me,' treasure yelled over the noise, "What is going on?"

The noise and movement stopped. None of them spoke, so Treasure pointed to a blonde boy and ordered him to tell her what she wanted to know.

"You see,' he began when all of the other fifth years had scampered off to their dormitories, "The others and I met the fifth year Ravenclaws at the landing of the North Tower. They were saying that the trap door wouldn't open, so a Slytherin girl forced it open with magic. One of the Ravenclaws climbed up there first and the rest of us followed. Once in there, I realized that Professor Trelawney was gone. The room was totally bare – she packed and left."

Treasure blinked and sat down, my gods, its all my fault.

"Did you alert anybody," Treasure asked.

"The Ravenclaws told us that they would tell Stryker."

Treasure nodded, "That was a good idea. He'll tell McGonagall."

The boy smiled and eyed the broom, "Is it new?"

Treasure looked down at the Firebolt lying in her lap, "Yea."

"Going out for the team, I guess?"

"Good guess," Treasure replied smiling.

Chris and Ani walked in just then. Chris noticed the broom immediately and eyes Treasure suspiciously.

"Nice broom," she commented, "but I thought you weren't going to try out."

"There has been a change of plans," Treasure replied, "Good morning Ani."

Ani nodded. It was a surprise that the other Slytherins in the room hadn't jumped her. She was wearing Gryffindor attire – she wore the classic red and gold Quidditch robes. Gryffindor flags were protruding from her pockets and red streaks highlighted her hair tied back by golden bows.

"Is the Gryffindor team having try outs, too," Treasure asked.

Ani nodded, "Except we have to use the practice field while Slytherin gets the game pitch."

She shot an evil look in Chris' direction. Chris replied by sticking out her tongue playfully in Ani's direction.

"What position are you trying out for Ani," Treasure asked, interrupting the twin play incase it amounted to more.

"Seeker," Anistasia replied happily, "I might be a bit tall, but I am pretty light…unless my boobs decide to weigh me down…"

Chris giggled, "Yours? Mine are so much bigger ---"

"No they aren't! Mine are! You don't even wear a size C ---"

"Oh, and you do?"

"Yes!"

"Not comfortably," Chris replied, "You have to be stuffing."

Treasure sighed and lie back on the couch. There was no use in trying to stop this. She knew they would give up their argument once they noticed all of the guys staring in a perverted manner at their "topic of discussion".

She quietly got up and walked past the two ("No, I don't want proof," Chris exclaimed, much to the guys' despair) out of the dungeons. She made her way to the practice field to try out her broom.

Treasure kicked off and rose into the air with no trouble. She flew around, tested out some maneuvers and realized almost instantly that this was the greatest and easiest broom she had ever flown.

"Not bad," she heard a male voice yell.

She pulled her broom to an immediate stop and turned towards the voice.

"Yeah," she asked, smiling into the face of Phoenix Flint, who was hovering some five feet away on his own broom.

"Yeah," he replied, "I sure hope you are trying out tonight, Miss Snape."

She laughed, "You need not hope, because I am."

"What position?"

Treasure had to think for a moment. She didn't think she was very good at catching and blocking things…and Chris was going out for Seeker; she knew that she didn't want to compete against her best friend. Then she smiled. Knowing that Phoenix was a Beater, and another spot was open, she replied:

"Beater."

Phoenix positively beamed, "wonderful. You look like a strong flier and I am sure that, once we began working together, I would have no trouble getting along with you," he smiled a wolf-like smile, then continued, "You know, we do have Charms in ten minutes."

Treasure gasped, "Bloody hell, I totally forgot about class!"

Phoenix chuckled, "Come on, Miss Alzheimer – lets get to class."

Treasure nodded and she and Phoenix flew to the entrance of the castle.

"Good evening. I am Phoenix Flint, your team captain and head Beater," Phoenix began, pacing in front of the line of eager hopefuls, "I am pleased to see that this team has such great support. First of all, I would like to tank you all for coming and, even if you don't make it, your cheering us, 'us' being the team, on in the stands will be highly appreciated."

He looked around at the forty-two people who showed up. There were too many to fit in the locker room, so he had to give his speech outside in the bleachers.

"I am going to pass around four pieces of parchment; one for each position. On the correct piece and under the proper columns, print the number that I gave to you when you arrived, your name, your year and the type of broom you are riding. If you do this incorrectly, or your writing is illegible, then you will be disqualified from the running. If you sign up for the wrong position, do not whine about it. With over forty of you here, I don't have time to hear your shit. The first word of complaint I hear out of you and you will leave. I don't train complainers. I train a Quidditch team. Do not test my patience."

With that, he handed the clipboard to Treasure and winked. She was glad that Chris didn't catch that, correctly filled out the form for Beater and passed it to Chris.

"Once you have filled out the form, you may take to the air and warm up," Phoenix announced.

Treasure nodded, grabbed a bat and kicked off. She swung the bat several times, just to get used to the feel and the weight.

"Excuse me," she heard a second year yell, "my position is not on here."

Treasure watched as Phoenix swooped down on the boy, his eyes narrow and piercing.

"I pray thee, amuse me – what is your position," Phoenix asked in a menacing tone.

The boy, who wanted to pull a joke on him, suddenly found that the captain was not in a joking mood, "Ummmm…water boy," he replied uncertainly and chuckled lightly.

An evil grin spread across Phoenix's face, "Oh really? Well then, if you want to be 'water boy', you may," he turned to the rest of the Slytherins, "May I have your attention please," he called, "I have just been informed that I missed a position while I was planning for tonight's try outs. Allow me to introduce to you…" he stopped and whispered to the kid, "What is your name?"

The pitch was silent as the second year replied, "Bruce Williams."

Phoenix, amused, turned back to his housemates and continued, "As I was saying, allow me to introduce to you Bruce Williams, Official Slytherin Quidditch Team Bitch," he announced grandly as laughs broke out in the pitch; Bruce turned crimson from head to toe and Phoenix hissed, "If any of you smart asses would like to pull a Bruce Williams, you will join him in this rank, do you all understand?"

The laughter subsided immediately and soft 'yeses' and 'yes, sirs' were heard. Bruce was dismissed and the tryouts continued. Once everyone was finished signing in and the clipboard was given back to phoenix, he gave the last people a few minutes to warm up, then called the team hopefuls back to the ground.

"Looking at these pages," he began, "I see that some of you have a problem following directions from authority. If you are rebellious and unable to follow direct commands, I refuse to allow you on this team. So, if any of you cutesy little girls decided to draw little shapes or you boys thought that you would show off your 'manliness' by writing boastful comments, come up here. You know who you are."

Treasure watched as sixteen people walked forward and admitted to what they had done. Phoenix looked down on all of them. He asked each one in turn their name and position and punished them as he saw fit.

"Ashley Croom," a blonde sixth year whispered, "Seeker."

Phoenix's eyes scanned the page and grinned when he found her name, "Name: Ashley Croom…easy enough. Number: 69. Of course, you had to comment about the number I gave you, and I quote, 'I love 69 but I would love it more if I could give it to Captain Phoenix'," he paused a moment and allowed the blood to rush to her head, then he continued, "Miss Croom, not only is that inappropriate, but it is also sexual harassment. Leave my sight at once and expect to be called on by Headmistress McGonagall tomorrow."

Ashley ran from the pitch in tears and, in an expressionless manner, Phoenix proceeded to embarrass the fifteen others. Once they took the walk of shame, Phoenix got back down to the real business.

"We will not fly today," he informed them, "Today, I will test your endurance. I hope you have a lot of energy and willpower, because this is going to test everything you have got. I will narrow the thirty of you down to only twelve: two of each Seeker, Keeper and Beater and six Chasers. This lucky twelve will be able to fly in the last leg of the try outs and prove to me which ones will make the final cut, and which ones will not ride a broom on this team this season."

Phoenix began by having everyone spread out and stretch. While he barked orders, he walked around while he watched everyone work. The look in Phoenix's eyes expressed how much he wanted to cut this thirty-person group down just a little bit more.

"Everyone, on your backs," he exclaimed, "Put your feet flat on the ground and cross your arms over your chest. When I yell, pull yourself all the way up and then go back down. I do not count halfway and if you miss one, you will be ordered to leave."

He let out a loud karate yell and everyone did a sit up. Over and over, this went on, steadily faster. Treasure began feeling the burn in her abdomen, but she dared not stop. When someone screwed up, Phoenix kicked them in the side and pointed that the gate. Once Phoenix was satisfied, ten people had been eliminated.

"Twenty of you remain," he announced, "I will now introduce the last leg of today's try outs."

Treasure and Chris listened intently, tired out of their minds, exhausted like they had never been exhausted before, but the even more determined not to give up. For the remainder of the tryouts, Phoenix tested every person's last physical and mental strength to the extreme. It began with four laps around the pitch. Chris and Treasure stayed at the head of the group and never left each other's side. They egged each other on when the other wanted to stop. The last four people to finish the laps were sent back to the school; neither Treasure nor Chris were one of those four. The last thing the great dictator had them do was hold up push up position. The first four who dropped were disqualified, and due to fatigue and thirst, they dropped quickly.

Chris and Treasure were in the last twelve. The chosen twelve stood in a lone, shoulder to shoulder before Phoenix. He was grinning.

"You all look…tired."

No one replied. Phoenix looked pleased.

"I think you know all of the rules…there are no expressions on your face," he began, "Extra points to whomever can finish the line."

"Someday you will let me go. Release me from this dirty cage," Treasure spoke up immediately in a weak voice.

Phoenix smiled at Treasure, nodded, then continued to the group, "Congratulations," he announced, "You have survived your first day. You showed me what you can endure and that you will stick with me no matter what. I expect to have a cup winning team this year. Grab your brooms and take a shower. Be here at five tomorrow morning. Good night!"

Chris and Treasure walked back up to the castle, carrying each other as they went.

"So, now that you have seen what your Phoenix is like," Treasure began, "you still want to do this?"

"Treasure, that is like me asking you whether you still love your father for putting you through all of this," Chris replied, "I know what your answer will be."

Treasure laughed, "Oh, and you think I am suffering? No way! I can't wait for five AM to come."

…tomorrow's gonna come too soon… ~+~