Response to reviews:
Yay, thanks so much to everyone that's reviewed! 30 reviews! does little dance Anyway, thought I'd explain some things that people have commented on..so here we go!
mary harry - Don't worry, he'll be getting a move on soon....hehe
whisperkey - They weren't going to say anything but after they got her out from the whomping willow they needed to transform to take her into the castle. I don't think a huge black dog, a stag, a rat and two other people would fit under an invisibility cloak...unless it was like a tent...anyway! Besides, she probably would have figured it out anyway, same with the werewolf bit.
svfanforlife - You can't stay at Hogwarts all year, only at term and Christmas. As for her only just joining the school, I like to think her parents like her too much to send her away until now...yup...that's my excuse!
Thanks for everyone that reviewed, I almost had a heart attack, yesterday I have 7, today 30!! wooo!!!!!!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Chapter 10 - Dum Dum Dum! Quidditch try outs!
Katie followed her usual routine like a zombie that morning, not really paying attention to anything around her. Even Peeves trying to drop ink bottles on her head didn't snap her out of it. Only one thing was on her mind. Quidditch try outs. She could barely remember all the events that had happened yesterday, only quidditch. Pretty selfish, she had to admit. But she'd worry about that later.
Gradually the hours went by, and soon the quidditch trials were about to start. Katie hurried off to the quidditch pitch and was shocked to find a grand total of sixteen people ready to try out. Needless to say, this didn't improve her nerves. She waited nervously for the remainders of the Gryffindor quidditch team, trying desperately to remember any tricks or tips that would help her out.
Eventually they appeared from the changing rooms and lined up in front of the people trying out. There were only four there, James was right, the majority had left the previous year. As James walked by he gave her a small wink, hardly noticeable, but she smiled nervously all the same.
"All right everyone." All heads turned to face the captain, James.
"As you've probably noticed there's sixteen of you here, and only three positions that need to be filled, so we'll only be picking the absolute best. The three positions that need to be filled are a beater, and two chasers. We'll be calling you up one by one, and you'll be tested on the position you want, and how well you fly. When we've decided we'll announce it at the end. Do you all get it?" everyone nodded.
"Good. Okay, you first." he pointed at the first person in the line, a very nervous third year. He, and the rest of the team mounted their brooms and set off up towards the appropriate height. The boy apparently was trying out for chaser, as he was now being told to try and put the quaffle through the hoops. Katie paid attention to this, watching the keeper carefully. How they moved was very important to where she should shoot. This particular keeper had a tendency to hover slightly to the left.
Gradually the line dwindled, and before she knew it, James was calling her up. She mounted her broom and flew towards James.
"Okay Katie, Chaser I take it?" she nodded.
"Right, I want you to try and put the quaffle through the hoops as many times as you can in five minutes. Are you ready?"
Katie nodded and took the quaffle from James, flying into position in front of the hoops. The keeper hovered in the middle of the three hoops, with a determined look. James blew a whistle, and Katie prepared to throw the quaffle. She already knew what she was going to do, she'd practised it the entire previous week.
She pulled her right arm back and threw the quaffle towards the bottom left hoop, but just as it left her fingers she caught it quickly with the other hand, and threw it towards the top right hoop instead. The keeper was already too close to the wrong hoop to get up in time. A resounding 'ping' throughout the pitch signalled that she'd scored. Katie breathed a huge sigh of relief as the quaffle was thrown back to her. She could see James grinning out of the corner of her eye, but focused on the hoops.
That was one of her best moves done, and she'd pulled it off pretty well. During the next few nerve wracking minutes Katie scored five more times, having missed one. James called the whistle again and Katie flew over.
"That was good." he said, Katie could tell he was trying not to sound biased. "Now we just need to test your flying, as you can see we've charmed magic rings all the way around the pitch."
Katie turned around and saw about fifty gold hoops positioned all the way around the pitch, some as high as a hundred feet above the ground, and some only one. They were all moving around in large circles. This is going to be hard, she thought.
"You ready?" She nodded again, and as James blew the whistle, sped off towards the first hoop. After the first few hoops Katie soon got the hang of it, simply fly into the centre of where they rotate, and it's easy. She flew quickly around the pitch, each hoop giving a small 'ping' as she flew through them. A few minutes later James had blown the whistle again, signalling that her try out was over. She landed on the ground, breathing deeply. Even she, modest as she was, had to admit she'd done well. Now all she had to do was wish maiming injuries on the rest and she might just get through.
Eventually everyone had tried out, and were on the ground waiting nervously as the team huddled together. Fifteen minutes later they had landed, and were getting ready to announce the new team members. Katie's heart was pounding so hard in her chest she wondered how nobody else could hear it. James stepped forward.
"Based on your try outs we've decided on the next three people for the team. I just want to say you all did great, and we'd be happy to have any of you. However three people showed more skill than the others, and as I call their names out, I want them to step forward." He looked around as if to confirm this with the others, and they all nodded.
"Okay, the next chaser is....Jessica Bishop!" She stepped forward beaming, and took her place next to the keeper. One chaser down, Katie thought, trying to hear over her heart hammering in her chest.
"Second chaser....Katie Ashford!" Katie grinned stupidly and walked forward, not hearing anything else but her heart still hammering. She was so elated she couldn't even hear James calling out the name of the fifth year boy, who had just become beater. She was suddenly brought back to reality by someone slapping her on the back. It was James, and he was grinning just as stupidly as she was.
"That was brilliant Katie!" She laughed in relief and shoved him playfully.
"I'll bet you had something to do with it!"
"Nope, all you." Katie grinned as they walked back to the castle with the rest of the team, the happiest she'd been all year.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
As they walked through into the great hall to grab some lunch, the team was met with a huge cheer from the Gryffindor table, who had apparently been waiting to see who had made it. Katie blushed furiously as she sat down, grinning widely from ear to ear. Sirius, Remus and Peter were all cheering too, causing Katie to go even redder, if that were possible.
The rest of the day passed like a blur. People kept congratulating her and the others for making the quidditch team, and she spent most of that day deep in talks with James about quidditch, as they sat outside in the warm sun. Something the other marauders soon got tired of.
"James, if you say the word 'Quidditch' one more time, I'm going to have to shove your broomstick where the sun don't shine." said Sirius, his hands over his ears. James laughed, and proceeded to sing 'QUIDDITCH!!!' in a sing song voice to the point where Sirius came very close to carrying out his threat.
Soon they decided that they'd better head up to the common room, before Sirius drowned James in the lake. Once again, Katie was so deep in conversation with James that she'd forgotten to skip the trick step, and sunk knee deep into it.
"Whoa!" Katie fell forward onto the step in front, holding it tightly to keep her up straight. The others turned around and didn't bother to stop laughing.
"Yeah, it's very funny, now help me up!" James and Sirius each took her around the waist, and forcefully pulled her out, still laughing their heads off. Katie shoved James when he hadn't stop laughing as they walked back up the stairs. After a moment or two Katie suddenly realised Sirius still had his arm around her waist, who seemed none the wiser.
"Uh, Sirius?"
"Yeah?"
"You can let go of me now." He looked down where his arm was, and promptly removed it, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way.
"Oh, yeah, right, sorry." Katie laughed at his obvious embarrassment, none the wiser herself.
OK, this was either going to be realllllly long, or two short(ish) chapters. I chose two! So enjoy!