Year Three at Hogwarts
(---)
Chapter 9: New Players
Tyler knew that he should start to come up with ideas for what to do with the Potion of Fecundity but he was lacking the time to do that. He had his mind on other things. September was vastly coming to an end and October was right around the corner.
Classes were coming along quite nicely. Defense Against the Dark Arts was becoming a very relaxing environment for all the third years. Professor Squall used visual aids for speaking of creatures and always knew just how to keep their attention when giving lectures on the subject. He talked to them all as if it was a club meeting and he was their fun head.
In the slytherin common rooms one day, Tyler, Morgan and Matt were talking to Regulus about what they thought of him while they were doing one of his homework assignments about Grindylows, which were reptilians that lived in swampy areas. Regulus was sitting by them reading a book of curses.
"I tell you Regulus, Professor Squall is the absolute best teacher," Tyler said proudly.
"Yeah, when he talks, we actually listen. It doesn't sound like waffle," Matt added.
"I can see you guys really like him. I think he's okay. Some of the older slytherins say that he doesn't know how to act like a teacher though which I sort of agree with a little."
"What?" Tyler, Matt and Morgan said openmouthed.
"Don't get me wrong, he's a good teacher," he said quickly to his young friends with his hands up. "It's just that...well for me anyways, I'm not used to that kind of teaching. I'm pretty much used to authority kind of teaching at this stage. It is a nice change but I think it'll take time for me to adjust. That's just me of course."
"Come on Regulus."
"Forget it Tyler. Let's talk about something a little less worthy of arguing about, all right?"
"All right," Tyler said knowing that the topic was indeed over.
"How about the fact that there's supposed to be tryouts for a new chaser and beater for the house team now that Captain Oakmire and Jeffrey Dellen left. I'm actually really glad and I think the rest of the team is too that Oakmire's gone. He really was a pushy leader and I hope our new one picked up on that and won't become an Oakmire wannabe."
"Oh, about Oakmire," Morgan said. "Tyler? Whose the new captain of the team?"
"Oh, yeah, Professor Reckler called the rest of us to his office and told us that Patrick Tanner, the other beater was made captain."
"Patrick Tanner huh?" Regulus said with a smirk. "This'll be a funny sight. He was always gloating about how he would be a great almighty leader before you guys came to Hogwarts. I can't wait to see if he could finally back that up or just shut up."
This made the four of them make stifling laughs until Tyler begun the trail of talking again.
"If he doesn't then there'll be a great cure coming next year since this is his last year here before he has to leave the school. So, any of you guys thinking of trying out. They're next Thursday."
"Well, you know me. I like playing quidditch but I don't really fancy playing it myself. How can I enjoy it when I'm part of it," Matt said returning his eyes back to the homework he was completing.
"Me, I don't really think I have the flying talent to be a decent player," Regulus said turning the page of the book he was reading.
"Come on, it would be great if you were on the team Regulus. What about you Morgan? Don't you agree?" he said turning to her while she was looking in his direction.
"Huh?" she said like she was in a daze.
"I said if you are thinking of Regulus being good for the team? You okay?"
"Err...yeah, I just have to go to the toilet."
She picked up her stuff and headed for the girls dormitories. Tyler caught sight of Regulus looking from his book with a smirking smile and teasing eyes directed right at Tyler.
"What? What is it?"
"Oh nothing. You have to discover it."
"Discover what?"
"Nope, it's got to be on your own."
"What? What is it Regulus?" Tyler said annoyed that Regulus seemed to be teasing him and he didn't even know why.
Regulus didn't answer this time but instead put the book in front of his face and ignored Tyler's protests until Tyler finally gave up and went back to finishing his essay for Professor Squall.
(---)
The Seekers were in gathered in the library the following day on a circular table comparing Astronomy notes and finishing left off homework.
"Tyler, I hear there's going to be quidditch tryouts for your house Thursday."
"How did you know that Jacke?"
"Sarah Thompson tried to arrange a practice on that day to train our new beaters and chaser but Tanner beat her too it and took a little bit of pleasure of announcing it to her I guess from the way she sounded when she told the rest of us."
"Well, you've got to admit that we need it. Our team is the only one that hasn't had tryouts yet. Oh, your teams all got new players, who are they?"
"Oh, let's see, the two new beaters are the twins Gideon and Fabian Prewitt in sixth year and the new chaser is Max Longhorn from second year. He's got real good potential and I've been giving him flying tips on avoiding the bludgers during our practices. He's turning out to be a good friend."
"That's great Jacke. As long as you don't give him your luck in getting close shaves with those bludgers," Tyler said smirking.
"Ha Ha, very funny Tyler," he said with extreme sarcasm.
This noise caused Madam Pince to shush them to be quiet or they would be thrown out.
"Jacke, Tyler," Reggie said through clenched teeth. "Must the two of you always talk so loudly?"
"Honestly, relax Reggie," Jacke said turning back to his paper.
"Yeah, we're sorry," Tyler whispered.
"Good."
"Anyway, what about your team Brad?" Tyler asked going back to the topic.
"Well, we needed a new chaser. Hawkster Jones in my year made it on that spot."
"That's great Brad," Reggie said. "I mean, you already told me that you two started hanging out more ever since you two fought in the tournament last year."
"Yeah, now we going to be playing together instead of fighting each other," Brad said chuckling behind his smile. "What of your team Reggie? New Recruits?"
"The team needed a new keeper now that Doris Crockford left last term. We got Cody Stevens. He's in second year."
"Hey guys, did any of you put any thought into the Potion of Fecundity?" Brad asked suddenly.
Tyler turned to look at Jacke and Reggie. Why did Brad change the subject just like that to something so serious?
"Brad, why did you ask that now?" Reggie asked.
"I've thought about it every I wasn't doing anything and I think I have a good idea what to do," he said in a tone like he had rehearsed this.
"Well, whatever it is I already know it's better than my idea," Jacke said with formality.
"And how would you know that?" Tyler asked his friend.
"Because I haven't thought of any."
This made Tyler snort in trying to cover up his laughter threatening to come out in the library. "Same here."
"Well to be honest, I wasn't thinking of what to do with the potion but studying on spells and other useful things I think would prove useful for going to get it since we have absolutely no clue what's guarding it."
"If any," Tyler said.
"Yeah, but let's hear what Brad has to say. Go ahead and tell us your idea."
"Thanks Jacke," Brad said gratefully. "Okay, when I heard of this potion's power to create and/or shape reality, I started thinking on what we need the most. After I gave all of us that motivation, I came up with a good idea. What about a new training ground? We lost our old one where we were training our elemental powers and animal transformations and it was starting to get small even if it were still around. This time we'll make one so big and secluded that we won't have to worry about it being destroyed by cave ins or something."
Tyler, Jacke and Reggie thought on Brad's proposal.
'Yes, why not make a new training ground?'
"If you guys think that its stupid then we could just forget it and come up with something else."
"No Brad," Tyler said putting his hand over Brad's shoulder very easily since he was sitting to his right while Jacke was sitting to his left and Reggie right across from him. "I think it's a good idea. A place just for us completely. Training ourselves in complete solitude, safe from prying eyes."
"When you put it that way then I can't say no," Reggie said. "Brad, you're a genius."
"Coming from you mate, I'll take that as a honor more than a compliment. Jacke? What about you?"
"Well, it does sound good but it doesn't sound really big enough for this kind of power."
"No, we can make this work for everyone," Reggie said cutting Jacke off. "The founders shaped this school and grounds from all four of their plans. We could build a place that would suit us all."
"Wow, I didn't consider that. Okay then, I'm convinced."
"Great. It's done. We'll make our own private place unlike any other where we could train and hang around," Tyler announced like a council's decision.
"But where and how are we going to do this?" Reggie asked getting back to his logical point of view. "We'll need to actually find an area and plan this whole thing out."
"Relax Reggie. We don't even have the potion yet. Calm down," Jacke said clutching his breath to get Reggie to calm himself down.
"So what do we do?" Brad said backing his friend up.
"How about this," Tyler started. "We'll take a few months to plan out what we're going to actually put into this place. Also, we could take that time to train ourselves and prepare for whatever is in that gateway to the Fecundity Potion. Also, I'll go back to the chamber another day and get my ancestor's journal. Maybe he wrote exactly what they did when before actually using it."
"I'm impressed Tyler. That's actually a very well formulated plan," Reggie said with a look of astonishment.
"Hey, give me more credit than that."
(---)
It was the following Thursday and Tyler was putting on his quidditch robes to be with the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team for the tryouts. Tyler took that time to remember his own tryouts last year. He was so nervous but Regulus, Matt, Jacke, Reggie and Brad were there to give him the confidence and support he needed. He hoped that however was fortunate to get the spots would be just as fortunate as he was.
The 7th year captain and remaining beater Patrick Tanner was there in a state that told Tyler that he was waiting for his team to be all there. He saw the two other chasers 6th year Andrew Crump and 5th year Magnus Gansley standing there with hard looks on their faces. The 5th year keeper Russell Mefist was there also with a quaffle under his arm and a smug look on his face.
"What kept you Solemn," Tanner said rather rudely. "The rest of us have been out already for almost two minutes. We were about to call out the start for the ones trying for chaser. Be faster next time or I'll make you fly laps around the entire school grounds from dawn to dusk. We need you here to help test the people trying out."
Tyler refrained from responding. The truth was that he really didn't need to be here that quickly. As the seeker on the team, he couldn't possibly assist in any way of testing the talents for chaser. 'Unless, he's hoping the trainees for beater would finish me off with a bludger.'
Tyler wasn't to well liked among most of the slytherins, especially the real older ones ever since it got to them that he defended his Gryffindor friend Jacke from an older slytherin bullying him in their first year. Tanner was obviously part of the group that didn't like him even though he won Slytherin quite a few matches and even got far in the second year dueling tournament. In fact, the only older slytherins that did seem to like him, meaning that they didn't glare or scowl at his presence, were Severus and Regulus.
"All right," Tanner said raising his voice. "We got five people looking to be chaser and three looking to be the beater. We'll start with the chaser tryouts first. Gansley, Crump and Mefist will be testing you on your abilities."
Tyler lost focus after that bit and Tanner's voice drowned out of his mind as it began to wander out of boredom of just sitting and staring at Tanner lecture.
'I don't know whose the bigger git now. Tanner or Oakmire,' he thought bitterly.
Tyler was completely tuned out until he saw a familiar face come up next for the trials. It was the slytherin second year he met at the welcome feast.
"Samuel Baddock!" Tanner shouted from the list of trainees.
When Samuel Baddock caught Tyler's eye he gave him a wave before he mounted his broom. Tyler thought Samuel was pretty good. He managed to avoid Gansley from taking the quaffle until Crump blocked his way allowing Gansley to take it. Next, he was tested on getting the quaffle from Crump with Gansley helping him making it harder for him to get close enough to Crump to try and take it. The final test was to see how many times out of ten tries can he try and get the quaffle past Mefist. Tyler cheered Samuel on as he went and darted like crazy trying to confuse Mefist and scoring. He managed 7 out of ten tries getting past Mefist and scoring. Then Tanner called him down to have the next person go.
Tyler went over to Baddock and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around looking a little tense and was sweating a little but went and shook Tyler's hand.
"Hey, it's me Tyler Solemn remember? You're Samuel Baddock right?"
"Oh I remember you Solemn but I hate it when people use my whole name. Call me Sam."
"Sam it is, only if you call me Tyler."
"Okay."
"You were really good. I must say I think you've got a real shot."
"You really think so?" Sam asked in a tone that he had his doubts.
"Come on, have more confidence than that. You have great flying skills and I can see great potential in your goal scoring moves. I have a feeling that you'll be picked. If not then I think we may need a new captain."
This seemed to make Sam calm down as he let a small smile escape him.
Soon after, the chaser tryouts had ended. Tanner was talking with Mefist, Gansley and Crump on who they thought was the best choice. They didn't even bother to include him but Tyler was hardly affected by it. Tyler caught a few of the words they were saying but they didn't really make that much sense to him.
"Alright, we have checked it over and we've decided who will be our new chaser," Tanner started.
Tyler saw Sam cross his fingers and Tyler absentmindedly crossed his too. It would be nice to have a friendly face in the team.
"Our new chaser is none other than Samuel Baddock. His flying is exactly what we need to crush our opponents."
There was scattered clapping among the ones that failed to get the spot for chaser. Tyler and even the other members of the team were clapping at Sam's success.
"All right then, we'll start the tryouts for beaters. Hopefully, we'll have a good technique behind you lot since I see only two people are here for that position."
Tyler looked over to see who was trying out. He froze on the sight of the two people there. One of them, he recognized as the same slytherin who had bullied Jacke on the day when he first met Regulus. He had a dark look in his eyes and seemed very unfriendly. The other person trying out was none other than Morgan.
'Why is Morgan here? She didn't tell me that she was trying out. Does she really expect a spot on the team? And to add to this, it's that first rate git that jinxed Jacke in front of me during our first year. I hope he misses with the bat and the bludgers collides with his face.'
"Okay, Solemn!" Tanner shouted over to him snapping him out of his shock at seeing them there. "Fly up there. You're pretty fast so you're the perfect one to test their skills at batting the bludgers."
Tyler groaned inwardly and mounted his Silver Arrow broomstick and took off in the sky. He heard Tanner call off the first name of the two trainees.
"Rebastian Lestrange! You're up first."
When Lestrange flew up to meet with Tyler he narrowed in eyes of deep anger and hatred toward Tyler. Tyler flinched inwardly and just looked down over at the quidditch ball box in anger. Tanner and Gansley were at the box getting ready a bludger to let it loose. Tyler looked up and saw that Lestrange had the bat in his hand and kept slapping it in his opposite hand showing that he was ready and looking forward to this. He suddenly heard a whistling in the air that was growing louder which meant the bludger was getting closer to them.
Tyler began to move defensively as Lestrange batted the bludger whenever it got close to him. He always seemed to aim right at Tyler's head but luckily was able to dodge them without colliding with a bludger. He just flew back a little and zoomed down close to the floor and tricked the bludger to always hit the floor and sink a little. Every time Tyler escaped, he saw that Lestrange was getting even angrier as the time went on since he kept missing him. Tyler had a feeling that it wasn't because he was making him look bad but because he just couldn't get a shot.
After about six minutes of this, Tanner blew the whistle. "All right, let's have our next trainee try. Morgan Stellers, you're up!"
Morgan mounted on a Comet Two Hundred and took off to where Tyler was while Lestrange flew down cursing every second.
"Hey Morgan, what are you doing here? I didn't know you wanted to tryout."
"Well, I always fancied playing this game since you always talk about it being so fantastic so I decided to try it."
"I'm flattered you took my play by plays so seriously but seriously, I never saw you as the playing type."
Then all of the sudden, Morgan's face went from neutral to downright angry. "What does that mean?" she said through clenched teeth.
"Well, err...you don't look like a danger type of girl. Quidditch can be a bit tough and I don't think that someone like you can handle it," he answered honestly.
Morgan's eyes then had such a fire to them that Tyler gulped and started to drift away from Morgan's stare. He saw that she was gripping her bat a little too tightly and seemed completely ready for the bludger that Tanner and Gansley were about to release.
The bludger shot up and Morgan began her attack. Tyler heard her scream every time she had her bat connect with the bludger. The bludger headed for Tyler but what was even more shocking was that Morgan was following it right behind with her bat ready to hit again and Tyler was doubting it was the bludger again. Tyler was so surprised in her form that he didn't have full attention on the bludger and almost got hit with it. Morgan then caught up with the bludger before it could get too far from Tyler and hit it towards him again, hard.
'Girls and their tempers,' Tyler thought as he tried to avoid the upcoming bludger and Morgan.
Morgan swung her bat whenever she was close to Tyler and made sure the bludger was on Tyler's tail every second. Tyler felt it brush over him about five times and got scared when it glazed his left side.
Tyler would've never thought that he would be glad for Tanner to blow down that whistle and yell for Tyler to get down over to them.
"Okay Solemn," he started. "Which one did you have to most trouble with Rebastian Lestrange or Morgan Stellers?"
Tyler knew that if Tanner knew that he and Morgan were friends then he wouldn't pick her so he tried to make her sound like an annoying girl which wasn't so hard since he was a little annoyed and scared of her right now.
"Stellers had me going there for a while, I could barely get away. Lestrange had good physical power behind those bludgers too. I don't really know who would be better."
"Hmm, what do you think Tanner? After all, you are the other beater," said Mefist.
"Well, Lestrange does have the power we need on our team especially since he's in seventh year like me so you know together him and I would be formidable," started Tanner, which made Tyler's insides grow cold. "But...that third year, Stellers, has great style. She didn't wait for the bludger to miss or hit her target at all. She was on Solemn like a Permanent Sticking Charm. Also, she wasn't afraid to be near that bludger at all, when Lestrange only waited for it to come to him before he always sent it over to Solemn but he always sent them hard every time. Hmm...all those in favor for Lestrange, raise your hands."
Mefist raised his hand and so did Crump.
"In favor for Stellers."
Tanner raised his hand, as did Gansley. Tyler did it half-heartingly so not to draw attention.
"Okay!" Tanner yelled over to the two of them. "You two were very good but we could sadly only have one of you," Tanner said in a tone that was anything but sad. "We've chosen you Morgan Stellers."
The team clapped her victory and she was beaming. Everyone at the pitch started to walk away while the team and Tyler went to the changing rooms to change into their regular clothes. Tyler was feeling a little tired from the relentless dodging he did and was the last one to leave the changing rooms. When he stepped out with his bag, he saw Morgan right at the entrance. She looked very grumpy.
"Well, I think that you have something to say to me," she huffed.
"What?"
"Oh, I don't know, how about...Sorry?!"
"Sorry? For what?"
"You think that just because I'm a girl that I couldn't make the team right?"
"No, I just thought that you weren't the type. That's all," Tyler said raising his voice a little.
"Well, I guess I just proved you wrong. Why? Why didn't I look like the type of girl?" Morgan said raising her voice a little more over Tyler's.
"Because...I don't know," he said in a low voice.
"Well that's...you don't know?" she said looking at him strangely. Then all of the sudden she just started laughing and Tyler joined in.
"I guess I was wrong. You had me pretty worried with those bludgers attacks and with your attempts to hit me on the head." Tyler and Morgan started to walk back up to the castle for the common room.
"Well, could you blame me? I was angry that you didn't think I was good enough. Just be glad I worked my stress in hitting that bludger. I kept imagining it was your head."
"Oh yeah, I'm glad to hear that," he said that pretending to wipe sweat from his head. "I just hope you have that same intensity during our games. It'll be great to be alongside you and Sam every game from now on."
"Sam?" she said a little confused.
"Oh, the guy who made chaser today. Samuel Baddock."
"Oh, is he a new friend of yours?"
"Err...yeah, I guess he is. Well, I just hope you two will be ready for our first game against Gryffindor in two weeks. I've been meaning for a rematch with Jacke to even the score."
"Even the score?" she asked curiously. "On what?"
"Oh just a little competition me and him do. So far, it's Jacke with 2 victories and me 1. Anyway, come on. I'm sure you want to tell Matt and Regulus who the new beater is huh?"
When they got back to the common room, Matt had a hard time believing that Tyler and Morgan were telling the truth about Morgan making the team and was laughing about it under his mouth, which thankfully only Tyler caught instead of Morgan. Regulus gave the same smile as last week that was teasing and that he read as "I know something you don't."
(---)
End of Chapter 9SwollenFridge: It's great to hear from you again. Really missed you.
Author Notes:
Well, there you have it. Both Morgan Stellers and Tyler's newest slytherin friend Samuel Baddock have made it on the team. I thought that Tyler should have a few friendly faces playing with him instead of the all older ones that don't like him very much. Also, what is with Regulus? Only I know but try to guess what he sees that Tyler doesn't. Also, Brad's plan was excepted. Make a place of their own where they could train and stuff. I'll give you a little sneak peek on it a little later. It looks a whole lot bigger than it sounds, believe me!
Review.