Chapter Six: Quidditch Tryouts and a Duel Between Friends

"We need something to do!" Complained Marit to her friends. "We've got something to do," Said Emily, who was preparing to duel Aibyoukai. Marit shrugged. "We need to get on the quidditch team."

Aibyoukai nodded, drawing her wand as she did so. "I know, but it's so hard." Marit nodded. "I know it is, but if THOSE two can do it, we can as well." Nobody had to ask who THOSE two were. Madison and Seth. Emily had still not gotten over the incident in the Room of Transition. It had taken her the night and the next morning to get over the trauma of so many jinxes and hexes.

They were sitting in the common room of their house, Alo. Emily and Aibyoukai had decided to practice dueling if they ever needed the skills against Seth or Madison. Which they were planning on needing.

"Well, get on with the action!" Marit ordered. "I don't have anything else to do." Emily considered sending a spell her friend's way. Her brow furrowed in worry when she saw Marit.

There were several new scars on the girl's face, and her skin was paler than ever. She looked as if she weren't eating, her gaunt appearance rivaling Madison's. "You look pretty bad," Emily told her. Marit shrugged. "Everything's ok. The last time I transformed I nearly killed this guy, but he was able to get me good." She winced and put her hand up to a scar.

Emily shrugged and leveled her wand at Aibyoukai. "Ready?" She asked. Aibyoukai didn't bother to respond formally, yelling, "Vivito Mori!" This knocked Emily right off her feet to land on the ground face-first. She didn't bother to tell Aibyoukai off for starting before she was ready, but simply rolled to the side to dodged the next incoming spell.

Emily stood and jumped back, narrowly dodging the next spell. She raised her own wand and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!" Aibyoukai moved her wand and blocked the spell, but this action cost her the next spell, which was a jinx sent by Emily.

Aibyoukai fell to the ground to avoid the jinx, and yelled, "Tantellegra," Pointing her wand at Emily's legs. Emily didn't have enough time to jump out of the way, and was hit by Aibyoukai's specialized Dancing Jinx. She started dancing, as per the normal of the spell, but this dance was different. Her legs were waltzing.

Marit started laughing, and Emily wanted to shoot a spell at her, but knew she knew she would need it to defeat Aibyoukai. She was lucky, she thought, that she was able to get both the people she wanted to hit with one spell.

"Expelliarmus!" She yelled. Aibyoukai's wand flew up into the air, and Aibyoukai was thrown onto Marit with the power of the spell. Emily chuckled as the magic of the Dancing Jinx wore off. She was getting good at this.

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When Friday came, along with Quidditch tryouts, Chanteau didn't feel too good. She desperately wanted to make the team, but having talked to a lot of people who did, she wasn't sure she was going to be able to do it.

"You need to eat something," Madison suggested. Chanteau snorted. "That coming from you," She said. Madison shrugged. "I don't get nervous. And I don't like to eat."

"Madison's right," Seth put in. Madison nodded. "I'm always right. You are too." Seth smirked. "Most of the time." Madison nodded again in compliance. "Most of the time," he agreed, "But especially right now." "Yep," Seth said, going back to his eggs and bacon.

Madison was actually eating something this time. He had already had a piece of bacon, and was nibbling on another. Chanteau poked him in the ribs, and said, "You need to eat more."

"Why?" Madison asked. "If you don't you might get fat." Seth suggested for Chanteau. Madison and Chanteau turned to Seth. "I don't think so," Chanteau said. Seth shrugged, and took another bite of egg.

"Madison," Chanteau said, "I don't want you to starve to death." Madison indicated his bacon. "I AM eating," He told her. Chanteau shrugged. "It's not enough," she said, but left it at that.

"Who's your competition?" Seth asked. Chanteau put down her fork and pointed at the people as she said their names. "Tosha is going to try out, and Kristopher Jayroe, Cherry Shover," Her hand started pointing farther down the table where the older people were sitting.

"Jake Struckman's going to, and Casandra Cleveland, Kimberly Pinto, that guy is, and Jody Kahanek." Madison and Seth nodded.

"Well, you don't have to worry about Tosh or Kristo," Madison told her. "Or Jaky," Seth put in. "How would you know?" Chanteau asked. "He's in Meon's year," He explained, referring to his brother Simeon, "And I've seen him duel. He sucks." Madison nodded. "Was he that guy who threw up because someone overpowered a dancing charm?" Seth nodded reminiscently.

One of the things they liked about the school was that they got Fridays off. Normally they would spend them reading or off wandering in the mushroom forest, but Mohrin Ling, the House Gente keeper and team captain, had requested that the team all be there for the tryouts. And likely after that they would have a party. They had those a lot, and would take any excuse to have one.

Chanteau looked up at the magical clock that was on the ceiling. She sighed and pushed her plate away. "Time for tryouts." Madison and Seth nodded, pulling out their brooms from under the table. "See you there," they told her.

"But riding a broom in school can get you a lot of detention!" Chanteau protested. Without explaining any more the two of them pulled their invisibility cloaks out from under the table, and covertly put them on. Chanteau could hear a slight 'whoosh' as the two of them took off.

She stood up and headed to House Gente to get her broom. On her way she met Angelique. "Have you seen Madison?" She asked. Chanteau hid a smirk. "Yeah, he went off to the Quidditch cave. Angelique left that way without saying thank you. Chanteau shook her head and went on to get her broom.

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All in all Chanteau thought she did a good job. She was kind of troubled when she couldn't see Madison or Seth watching her, but she knew they were there somewhere. As she descended down she scanned the crown in the bleachers, hoping to spot on of her friends.

"How're you feeling?" Someone asked. Chanteau looked around, and couldn't find the source of the voice. Then Seth flew down from above her, and she looked at him. "Why were you up there?" She asked, gesturing towards the ceiling. "Mo wanted different perspectives."

"I think I did ok," Chanteau answered, going back to the original question. "You did awesome!" Madison put in. "Where is he?" Chanteau asked. Seth sighed and pointed his wand into mid air. "Accio invisibility cloak!" Madison suddenly appeared right next to Chanteau, and his cloak zoomed to Seth. Seth didn't catch it, forcing Madison to dive and get it.

"That wasn't very nice." Madison complained as soon as they were on the ground. "You know I don't like you being invisible around me," Chanteau told him. Madison nodded. "Not my fault. Mo told me to follow the chasers around and watch them." Chanteau nodded in comprehension.

"And how did I do?" Chanteau asked. "You were the best I saw." He said. "Are you just saying that?" Chanteau asked, a bit suspicious. "You know I don't do that." Madison said. Chanteau nodded. "You don't." Madison preferred honesty to niceness, as most people knew.

After they had put their brooms up, they sat down in their favorite chairs in the Gente common room. "Sooooo…" Seth said. "What chu want to do?" Chanteau asked lazily. Seth shrugged, and it seemed Madison had fallen into a daze.

The results of the tryouts, they had heard, would be told during supper tonight. Chanteau had decided to try and not act anxious, and enjoy the day.

Seth shrugged, then turned to see who had just entered the room. It was Angelique. Seth turned his head to hide a smile from the girl. "Have you seen Madison? Angelique asked. Seth nodded his head towards his sleeping friend.

Angelique smiled and walked over to the couch where Madison was. "My Madi, wake up," She said, poking him in the stomach. "WHAT! WHERE?" Madison yelled, snapping awake. Angelique jumped back, extremely startled. She apparently hadn't seen Madison wake up before, thought Seth.

"Don't scare me like that," Chanteau reprimanded. Madison shook his head to rid it of his lingering sleepiness. "Sorry, Angel." Angelique stepped back closer to him and put her arm around his back. "Let's go to the mushroom forest," She suggested, though it was more an order. Madison said, "Sure, Angel," and followed her out of the room.

As soon as they got out Chanteau and Seth burst out laughing. "They're hopeless," Chanteau said.

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Seth and Chanteau were even more amused when Madison and Angelique didn't turn up for dinner. Chanteau was a bit disappointed that Madison didn't turn up to hear the results of the Quidditch tryouts, but knew that it probably wasn't his fault. Madison was just too damn passive when it came to relationships.

After most everyone had sat down, Coko stood up and gestured for silence. It came, as many were anxiously awaiting the results. "Here are the people who made the Quidditch teams this year. I look forwards to seeing you all get hur- NO! I mean I look forwards to seeing you all have fun."

This really lifted a good bit of the tension. "If only Madison were here," Seth murmured.

Eventually Coko said who made the Quidditch teams, and Chanteau had. A party ensued. There wasn't sleep for a good while for Chanteau.