The week came and went. Evie had settled back into her usual routine as had her friends. Laura too had become accustomed to being at Hogwarts.

Saturday dawned bright and clear. Evie lay asleep in the hours of the morning dreaming about Quidditch. There she was on her broomstick chasing the quaffle.

In her attempt to reach out to catch the ball she awoke to find herself on the floor all tangled up in her blanket. "What the?" She freed herself from the blanket and checked the time on her alarm clock. It was 7:30. Yawning she tried to go back to sleep. After a while she gave up trying. "This is hopeless!"

She pulled her clothes on and quickly brushed her hair back neatly before heading towards the almost deserted common room.

"Where are you going this early?"

Evie nearly jumped. "Nancy!" She turned around. "You freaked me out!"

"Sorry about that but seriously what are you doing up this early? How can you be up this early? I mean it's Saturday!"

Evie shrugged "I couldn't go back to sleep, besides I thought I'd get my broom out and have a bit of a fly before the Quidditch trials, you want to come?"

"Well alright, I may as well since I'm already awake."

"Be glad of the company, want to have a go on mine or one of the school brooms?"

"Why not both?"

"Fair enough".

"I won't stay down there all day; I've got something I want to finish"

"Is it that patchwork quilt you've been making in secret?"

"I'm not trying to be secretive I just like peace and quiet. Allows me to concentrate".

"I agree with you, you'll have to show me how to make patchwork quilts sometime".

"How about later? You're not busy are you?"

"Well the Quidditch trials should end by 2:00 at the latest and this evening I should really get a start on Professor Binn's assignment. How about 3:00?"

"The trials are being held over lunch?"

"Not very clever was it?"

"I guess not".

"Well let's grab some toast and head on out".

"Ok".

Evie brought out her Firebolt, last years Christmas present from her Uncle. Nancy had a Nimbus 2001. Together they took it in turns to fly each broomstick around the Quidditch pitch. They were just landing back on the ground to switch again when Evie spotted Laura sitting in the stands.

"Laura! How did you know we were here?"

Laura grinned "Easy, I followed you out here".

"You followed us?" Nancy sounded confused.

"I saw you leaving the hall. I tried to call out to you but I guess you didn't hear me" Laura glanced at their brooms. "Wow a Firebolt! Aren't those the ones the professional players have? How did you get one? I thought they were expensive?"

"Yes, my Uncle gave it to me when he found out I was on the Quidditch team. He doesn't have time to fly it much anymore because of his new job".

"Wow, lucky!" Laura admired the broom "Can I have a go on it?"

"Umm!" Evie didn't know what to say. She would have said yes if Laura hadn't of been a first year. First years weren't allowed broomsticks.

"I know what you're thinking". Laura spoke up. "You're wondering about the first year's not allowed broomsticks rule. I have been flying a broom since I was little; I even have my own broom at home. And anyway we have had our flying lesson already".

"I never believed that you couldn't fly well Laura but"

"But first years aren't allowed broomsticks and you think that allowing me to fly on your broom will get you into trouble."

"Well yes".

"Well then you can relax because I confirmed it with McGonagall the other day. First years are allowed to fly on other student's brooms as long as they aren't the ones in control of the broom".

"Really?"

"Yes".

"Well" Evie got onto her broom "Hop on!"

Laura smiled "Oh thank you! I've always wanted to fly on a Firebolt!"

"Well it's your lucky day then!"

Laura got on and Evie took off. Nancy came flying up beside them. "Let's go!"

The broom took them on a mad rollercoaster ride. Going steeply up and suddenly going straight down. Laura clung onto Evie and the broom and laughed like mad.

Evie laughed along with her, it was more fun flying with someone else.

Nancy managed to keep up with them, enjoying the wild ride.

As soon as they were close to the ground again Evie stopped the broom and Laura tumbled onto the grass giggling. "Oh that was soo fun!"

"Yes it was!" Evie smiled. "Let's do this again sometime."

Nancy flew down to join them. "What a ride! Evie you sure know how to have fun!"

"Thanks Nance!"

"Laura! Laura!" Amanda and the green-eyed girl came running from the direction of the school. "Laura!"

"Amanda! Sally!" Laura got up from the ground.

Amanda came to stand beside her; she glanced up at Evie and Nancy.

Evie guessed her thoughts "Amanda this is Nancy".

"Hi!" Nancy waved.

"Hello" Amanda mumbled. She turned to face her friend, the one with the green-eyes.

"I'm Sally!" The girl grinned cheekily. "You must be the famous Evie I heard about".

"I wouldn't say famous but yes I'm Evie. Nice to meet you."

"Charmed!" Sally's eyes brightened.

"What brings you all down here?" Evie questioned.

She wasn't surprised when Sally answered. "Just wandering around, we saw Laura from back there". She motioned towards the way she had come.

"Oh right".

Sally looked at her broom and her eyes widened. "Is that really your broom?"

"Yep, not bad is it?"

"Cool! A Firebolt! Don't see too many people with one of them".

"Probably because they're expensive" mumbled Nancy.

Sally didn't hear her. "Can you take us for a fly on it? Please!!"

Evie had to hand it to her, the girl had tactics. Ask about the broom then beg for a ride.

"Well alright". She got back onto the broom. "Get on and hold tight".

"Yay!" Sally nearly jumped straight onto the broom in her excitement. "What about Amanda?"

"Want a ride when I get back or do you want Nancy to give you a go?"

Amanda looked petrified at the very idea. "No, I'm ok. Really!"

"She's afraid of heights" Laura explained.

Amanda turned pink. She looked away in shame.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of Amanda. Everyone's ashamed of something, even me". Evie remembered the Boggart only too well. The coldness, the dark. The hand that stretched out for her. The heavy black cloak that hid most of the creature from sight. "Even me". She muttered again.

Amanda cheered up a little bit but still refused to fly.

"Ok, suit yourself, ready Sally?"

"Are you kidding? Let's go!"

"Alright, hold tight!" Evie kicked off from the ground hard. Now they were airborne, flying steadily higher. Sally's excitement was obvious. "This is great! Yeeehaaa!"

Evie laughed, remembering the first time she flew on a broom.

"Can we fly down really, really fast?"

"Well, yeah if you want to".

"Excellent!"

Evie sent the broom into a sudden dive, Sally was shouting out to Laura and the others below. "This is soooo fun! Whoa!"

Evie sent the broom upwards again before it could hit the ground. The broom spiraled downwards, weaved in and out of the goal posts, flew around at an amazing speed and did one last dip before coming to a stop in front of the others.

"Last stop, everybody off!"

"Awww!" Sally groaned as she slid off and onto the ground.

Evie laughed. "Well the Quidditch trials will be on soon, stick around and watch".

"I plan to". Sally grinned back.

"Same here" Laura agreed.

"Good!" got off her broom and brushed the hair from her face. "What a wild morning!"

"Here you are Evie!"

Evie swung around "Lessa! You're up!"

Lessa grinned. "Figures that you'd be here".

"You know me too well".

"The others are coming; the trials should be on any minute now".

Evie looked up the slopes to the school. James and the rest of the team were already making their way down to the pitch with the chest.

"Here's the rest of the team"

Lessa looked to where Evie was pointing. "Alex is going to try out".

"Yeah she told me, so's Char".

"Really? She never told me that?"

"Yeah she wants to try for chaser".

"Hey you guys!" Char joined them.

"Char!"

"I didn't know you had a broom?"

"I got my family to send it to me a couple of days ago. It just came today".

"That's lucky. What make is it?"

Char looked at Evie "It's a Comet two-sixty, not as good as yours but still good".

"That's still a good broom, better than the school ones".

Char rolled her eyes "Anything's better than the school ones"

Evie laughed "Too true".

The team was now starting to set up the equipment. James was holding a list on a clipboard. Evie could tell it was a list of names.

Cathy, Alexis and Amy finally joined them.

"Now you decide to come!"

"I told you I had to finish my cereal and anyway we were waiting for Alex"

"I'm sensing a lot of anti-intellectualism in this place!" Evie stated.

Lessa shook her head "Hopeless!"

Almost every single Gryffindor turned up to show support for their friends trying out for the team. Evie's friends all went and sat in the stands, all except Char and Alexis who thought it best to sit in the seats closest to the ground.

Evie wished them both luck before she hurried off to join the members of her team.

When all the people trying out had arrived and all the equipment was set up the Gryffindor captain, James, started the trials.

"Algman, you're up!"