In Aeternum

- . -

Chapter 4: The Tryouts

Sept 5th, Dear Diary,

So now, to add to the long list of melancholy waiting for me this year, I also have a madcap professor on the Dark side as well. I am really scared – should I tell Dumbledore? I don't know – it's not that I have any proof, really, except for the mark on my arm, which, quite frankly, looks like a tattoo. Malfoy's word certainly will not cut it, and if I so much as mention Versailles, I might as well be packing my bags now.

To add on top of that, I got the essays I could not finish Monday night back – and they were horribly below average: my essay in Astronomy earned a 92, my essay in Transfiguration earned a 95, and worst of all, my essay in Charms earned a 98! 98%! That is two marks below my usual standard in any subject! And Charms is supposed to be my best subject! I hate the Potions teacher, I really do, with all my heart and soul.

Meanwhile, I really must bump my marks up – but on top of that, I must find a countercurse to this Aeternum spell. My life is on the line here! But I can't today – it is Quidditch tryouts, and I would love to see the expression on James' face if I made it into the team. Niles has so kindly let me borrow her Luna Four Hundred – it is quite a good broom – although the rest of the team rides on Shooting Stars – the fastest, most streamlined broom invented yet. I wonder if the broom has anything to do with one's performance – I don't know what Alexis has got me into.

- Lily

Thursday was, surprisingly, a reasonably good day for playing Quidditch. As though the weather had heard their prayers, the heavy thunderstorms and rainstorms cleared out to a light drizzle, rather hazy, although drier than it had been in days. In fact, by the time the tryouts were held, the ground had ceased to be muddy, and was firm beneath their feet; the fog had cleared out, and rays of sunlight crept through breaks in the heavy cloud cover. It was rather windy though.

Lily held Niles' Luna 400 tightly. In reality, she was quite nervous, although excited for a chance to fly again. She didn't know what people would think if they saw Lily Evans, the Hogwarts Miss Perfect, playing her heart out in Quidditch. She wasn't sure if Quidditch was in the description of a Miss Perfect.

Nevertheless, she waited patiently for her turn.

"Welcome to the Gryffindor Seeker Tryouts," James announced. "We will be choosing a Seeker out of you seven. You don't have to stick around after the tryouts, although I'm sure you'd be bored if you did. We'll be posting up the name of the new Seeker tomorrow morning on the notice board in the common room. I'm James Potter, and I'm the captain of the team. And that fair maiden over there is Alexis Kensington. She's second-in-command, if I'm down, she's captain. The rest of the team is getting ready in the changing rooms. Now, while they're getting ready, I'm going to go over today's courses. Each one of you is going to have to prove to me why exactly you think you can be our Seeker. First, you're going to have to just fly with us – just fly with the team and see if you don't get clobbered. This is just to see how well you can fit in, and adapt to foreign situations. Next, we'll all get off the pitch and you'll be doing a solo performance. We'll let the Snitch out, and see how fast you can catch it, and with what technique – see if you've got the right make for Seeker. We'll be letting the Snitch loose three times, and if you catch it all three times within the fifteen-minute time limit, good! If not, well, you can go back to the castle. Finally, the final test is to fly with us as a reserve Seeker. We will be simulating a game of Quidditch here, and if you can pull it off, then great! The Chasers, Beaters and Bludgers will be in play, so you might want to watch out for those. By the end, we'll have a pretty good idea if you're for this team or not."

"Well, any questions?" Alexis asked. Nobody responded. Lily thought the speech had been quite self-explanatory.

She looked around. There was a second-year, a third-year and three fifth-years waiting in line. She also noticed that she was last in line.

Oh great, Lily thought.

The Gryffindor team soon came out of the changing rooms. Lily knew most of them very well. The team consisted of obviously James and Alexis, but also Niles, Miles and two fifth-years who went by the names of Catherine Everard and Alisha Kirke.

Once they'd fallen into position, James hailed the first one in line.

"You there – um –" he consulted the list Alexis had drawn up, "Nymphadora Tonks. You're up."

"It's Tonks!" the second-year interjected. Lily smiled to herself. Tonks had a pale, heart-shaped face, with blonde hair and violet eyes; although she knew this was subject to change: everyone knew that Tonks was a Metamorphmagus.

"Hang on," James said. "Aren't you, like Sirius' cousin or something like that?"

"My mum's his cousin," Tonks said. "Andromeda Black, but she's Andromeda Tonks now."

"I see…"

Tonks' overall performance was lousy. The only positive thing about it was that it was short. Two minutes later, the Quaffle bumped into her elbow, resulting in her falling six feet to the ground.

"Well, uh…" James struggled for words, as Tonks made her way back to the castle. "Who's next? Gladys Baron?"

In response, a lank, black-haired fourth-year girl with thick glasses made her way to the pitch. She too, lasted for little longer than Tonks, before she crashed into the goal hoops.

The look on James' face was quite funny now.

"Alexander Wood! You're up!" James called. There was a sort of desperation in his voice now.

Alexander Wood stepped forward. He was a burly fifth-year boy, who looked best suited for a Beater more than anything.

He was very good, however. He flew like a natural, and actually made it to the second phase, when James let the Snitch out, he watched the air carefully. He caught the Snitch twice; the third, he had just dove after the Snitch when it flew out of the way and he plummeted in the ground, his broom handle sinking a foot into the earth.

He was sent to the hospital wing.

"Edward Carmichael!" Alexis called; James was literally hopping in frustration.

But Edward, a mousy third-year, did nothing to alleviate James' frustration; in fact, he aggravated it further, by being the first in Hogwarts history to fly subconsciously into the ground.

It was very difficult for James to contain his exasperation; and it was very difficult for the fifth-years, Catherine and Alisha, to contain their laughter.

"A…Avery…Avery B – Bell…it's…it's your turn," Niles choked, trying not to turn purple with stifled laughter. Alexis was busy comforting James, who looked simply livid.

Avery Bell, a light fifth-year, flew very well. She looked as though she was born to fly on a broomstick – her flying was graceful and skilled. She wove through the teams antics effortlessly, caught the Snitch three times within the fifteen-minute time limit, and actually managed to make it to the last round, ending, twenty minutes later, with a victorious Avery landing lightly to the ground, the Snitch clasped in her hand.

James was actually smiling as he took the Snitch from Avery.

"That was amazing, Bell," he said loudly, sweeping his hand through his hair. "Unless by some miracle, you'll be on our team by tomorrow." He gave Lily a very nasty look. Lily raised an eyebrow at him, and stuck her tongue at the back of his head.

"Evan Johnson! You're –"

"James! James! McGonagall wants you!" a voice squealed. They turned, awestruck. It was Peter Pettigrew. "McGonagall…found out about…the tarts…and – and – and she's out to confiscate them…those took ages to develop, James…" he wheezed.

James had gone from the colour of brick to the colour of old porridge in two seconds.

"You don't mean the…" He whirled to Alexis. "Don't start yet. I'll be back soon."

And with that, he dashed to the castle, followed closely by Peter.

"What the hell was that about?" Catherine demanded.

Alexis shrugged. "Probably some ruse of Potter's. Marauder business, no doubt."

"Exploding Snap, anyone?" Alisha asked. "I brought a deck – let's play over there."

They agreed enthusiastically. So, they were sitting on the grass, their backs to the pitch, when James returned, his face the colour of bricks again.

"It was a prank of Malfoy's," he said angrily. "And Peter fell for it…for goodness sake…"

They mounted their brooms wordlessly, but when the balls were released, Niles whacked the Bludger at Evan Johnson, and it knocked him off his broom.

He was sent to the hospital wing, too.

"Only one left," Alexis read. "Lily! Up you get."

Lily walked on to the pitch, her nerves mounting, and her gut writhing as she mounted the broom.

"On my count…" James said. "Three…two…one…"

Lily took off, and discovered something marvellous: her fear had quite evaporated. She was where she belonged – more on a broomstick than in the library, if it were possible. She looped in the air, enjoying the feeling when –

She swerved, narrowly missing a Bludger. She could hear it whistling when it went flying by her head.

She turned and glared at Miles, one of the Gryffindor Beaters, who shrugged. "I didn't hit it at you," he claimed and flew off in pursuit of the other Bludger.

Lily seemed to notice that the Bludgers were targeting her more than usual. She swerved, looped, turned and dived, trying to avoid the mad Bludgers, and hoping it was a coincidence.

She made it through the first phase without incident.

"Okay then, Evans," James said. "I'm letting the Snitch loose. You've got fifteen minutes. And – go!"

Lily saw it as though in slow motion. James had let go of the little golden ball, and it spun twice before speeding off to the Gryffindor goalposts. She followed in hot pursuit, a mere black streak, when, not ten seconds later, she broke out of it, the Snitch triumphantly in her hand.

The team was clapping as Lily handed the Snitch to James, who seemed to be trying to find a fault with her flawless catch.

"You have to wait ten seconds," James said before releasing the Snitch. Lily again saw it fly out of his hand and perform a series of loops near the middle of the pitch.

"GO!" James called. The word had barely left his mouth when Lily shot toward the Snitch, which dove abruptly. She dove as well, flattening herself to her broom handle, as she extended her hand and –

She caught it!

"How did you see that?" James complained as she handed him the Snitch. Lily just shrugged and headed back to the pitch, adrenaline pumping through her veins, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

The Snitch left his hand again – and this time, it literally disappeared! Lily squinted for a minute, before she heard a swish of wings behind her head. She turned abruptly, and was stunned for a second as the Snitch flew in a glittering arc past head. She sped after it, accelerating with every second…she was gaining on it…

"Way to go, Lily!" Alexis called as Lily broke out of her dive, her face flushed with the effort of the dive.

James was literally seething in frustration as Lily brushed her long red hair out of her face and smirked at him.

"Okay then," he said. "Now, you'll actually have to pretend that you are our Seeker…you know the drill. Places everyone!"

Lily looked around. Alexis was hovering around the nets, Niles and Miles had grabbed their clubs and were waiting on opposite sides of the pitch, and James, Catherine and Alisha were waiting around in a little circle.

"On my count…" Lily heard James say. "Three…two…one…Accio Snitch!"

The Snitch zoomed to his outstretched hand; he drew it back and the Snitch disappeared.

"Accio Bludgers!"

The two, heavy black balls slowly rocketed toward the centre of the pitch, rotating slowly.

"Accio Quaffle!" James cried, and the Quaffle whizzed onto the pitch. It began to fall before Alisha caught it and flew toward the opposite goalposts, when she stopped and passed it to Catherine, who was shooting along the other end at top speed. Catherine caught the Quaffle and passed it back to Alisha; they passed it speedily back and forth before-

"Evans! What do you think you're doing?" James yelled, jolting Lily back to reality. "Get moving!"

Inwardly cursing herself, Lily started toward the goalposts, when she heard a whistling noise behind her. She turned around, and saw a Bludger shooting toward her.

She ducked and it flew toward Alexis, when all of a sudden, it changed its course midway, and went rocketing back toward Lily, who dodged underneath it, and barrelled toward the other end of the pitch, the Bludger in hot pursuit.

WHACK!

Niles had nearly broken her bat when she had slugged it across the offending Bludger. Bits of wood flew into the air, and Niles grinned as she smiled at Lily, but then froze, as the Bludger whirled and streaked toward Lily.

"Oh no you don't –" Niles said thickly as she pummelled the Bludger halfway across the pitch. She sped after it. Lily sighed with relief. That nightmare was gone.

She dove instinctively, as another Bludger came at her. Lily froze, shock chiselled into her features. The second Bludger was after her too?

"Watch it, Lily!" Miles called, as he swung his bat at the Bludger, and sent it shooting the other way. But it too, changed direction midway.

"It's no good!" Lily called. "They're both after me. Niles is busy coping with the other one!"

And no sooner had the words come out of her mouth, when an audible crack was heard: Niles had broken her bat on the Bludger, and it came hurtling toward Lily, who ducked underneath Miles' arm to avoid it breaking her nose.

"What the hell?" she heard Miles say weakly, before the Bludger rerouted and barrelled toward Lily, who shot-gunned toward the Gryffindor goalposts, dodging the Bludgers' mad attempts to knock her off her broom.

Great, she thought irately, not only do I get fouled the most, I have to evade getting my head cracked open as well.

"Evans! What in the name of Gryffindor do you think you're doing?"

She didn't even bother looking at him.

"Someone hexed the Bludgers, Potter," she managed before pulling into a steep dive, the Bludgers orbiting her like a weird pair of moons.

Lily predicted their next move, and rocketed upward just as both Bludgers collided where she had been two seconds earlier.

If only it had knocked some sense into the two, Lily thought sarcastically as both Bludgers resumed their pursuit. She dimly heard Alexis' furious tirade –

"I don't believe you, Potter! Lily's literally getting flattened by those Bludgers, and you won't even give so much as a time-out! If not for Lily, then at least look at Niles; her club's broken – WE'VE GOT A BEATER DOWN, POTTER, AND YOU DON'T EVEN GIVE A DAMN –"

Lily's heart rose into her throat. She had seen the Snitch. It was glimmering by James' foot. If only she could catch it now – then it wouldn't matter – just not before she got the Snitch…

She pulled up sharply, flattening herself to her broomstick as a Bludger came flying at her. She sped up, almost one with the Snitch's speed…she was gaining on it…she opened her hand, and stretched her palm out…her fingers closed on the cold Snitch.

"Yes!" she breathed and soared over the Quidditch pitch, her arm raised in triumph, as though they had won a real game –

WHAM!

She felt the collision against the side of her head, and the next thing she knew, she was falling…falling…her senses were numb…she was falling into the blackness…darker and darker…

- . -

"That was some crazy Bludger…"

"But she was an idiot to just keep going…"

"Mind, I've never seen anyone fly like that before…"

"Amazing…"

Lily groaned, and tried to clamp her pillow over her ears…but the side of her head was throbbing crazily…

Her eyes opened abruptly, to find five scarlet figures standing by her bed.

"Miles," she said in a slurred voice. "You're not supposed to be in the girls' dorm."

"We're in the hospital wing, Lily," Alexis said gently. "How's your head?"

"Wha–?"

The room spun around. Lily realized that the sheets were white, as opposed scarlet. Her head was throbbing painfully, and she realized that she was still in her black school robes.

"What happened…?"

"You got a Bludger to the head," Niles said simply. "Painful, looks like. That was going at top speed. Madam Pomfrey said your skull got fractured, or something. Concussion. You've been out cold for quite a while now…"

"How long?"

"You were knocked out Thursday evening," Alisha said. "It's Saturday morning now. Although I don't think you were unconscious all the time; it might have been that sleeping potion Madam Pomfrey gave you."

"Didn't you change?" Lily asked dubiously.

"Oh yeah," Catherine said, her face cheerful. "We've got practice now. James is out there right now. I'm guessing he's hopping mad, waiting for us."

"Oh…" Lily noted his absence now, and felt slightly hurt.

"So…who's the new Seeker now? I mean, Potter's not out there alone is he? Let me guess, he's probably giving private lessons to Bell, right?"

"A – as a matter of fact, he isn't," Niles said.

"Did Wood make the team?" Lily asked.

"No, as a matter of fact. Look, Lily, let's drop the subject. Well, actually no, I really have to tell you…" Alexis' face broke into a huge smile. "That was the best flying I've ever seen anyone do. That was incredible!"

Lily felt flattered. "Thanks, Alexis."

"And Lily. Congratulations," Alexis said.

"You already said that," Lily pointed out.

Alexis shook her head. "No Lily…you've made the team."

- . -

Disclaimer: I own Hilary, Niles and Miles Fletcher, Alexis Kensington, Professor Versailles, Gladys Baron, Alexander Wood, Edward Carmichael, Avery Bell and Evan Johnson. Everyone else belongs to the well-renowned You-Know-Who.