From the Daily Prophet of 29 August, 2000

Harry claims his place

Seeker selected as Puddlemere picks roster

By Mike Thalia

PUDDLEMERE, England -- The months of excited anticipation swirling around Nimbus Arena peaked with an almost anticlimactic revelation Monday afternoon. Harry Potter will be a member of the Puddlemere United Quidditch Club when the season begins.

The young Seeking sensation was named to Puddle U.'s final 20-wizard roster as manager Glenn Watson announced his side following the last round of preseason cuts. It was a highly expected outcome that seemed to surprise only the Boy Who Lived himself.

"I'm a bit overwhelmed," said an obviously pleased Potter at a news conference following the announcement. "I don't think it's quite sunk in yet that I'm really a professional Quidditch player. To find out that I have a place here was about the best news I could have got today."

While that news was triumphantly welcomed by the growing droves of Puddlemere supporters, the more impacting question about Potter's position with the club went unanswered. Watson would not say who will be his first Seeker when United opens its season at Portree on Saturday.

Still, the Boy Who Lived appeared unfazed by the uncertainty that seems sure to dominate the last four days of the offseason.

"I'm not going to worry about playing right now," said Potter, who caught the Golden Snitch in his first exhibition appearance Sunday against Chudley. "Getting into some matches would be great, of course, but today I'm just really happy to be on the team. Being in my position, I think that's the most I could have possibly hoped for.

"When I came to training, my dream was to make it this far but I really didn't know if I could do it or not. I hadn't even played a real game in years, after all. My goal was to do my best, work hard and not embarrass myself, and for the most part, I think I've succeeded. Anything that happens from now on will just be icing on the cake."

Despite his unwillingness to name a line-up, Watson enthusiastically lauded Potter's skills and expressed high hopes for his future with the club.

"Harry's on this team because he belongs," the United manager said. "When he goes out there in training it looks like he's been playing for four years, not four weeks. The lad knows how to play the game -- how to get free from markers, how to avoid Bludgers and how to catch the Snitch. If he keeps working as hard as he has this month, he's going to make a big impact for us."

Greater implications aside, Monday's announcement culminated a tumultuous summer for Potter, the celebrated two-time conqueror of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Before the former Gryffindor House star and Chudley signee even considered returning to the game, he was forced to resign from the Ministry of Magic's Auror Division in May following two years of successful service. At nearly the same time, a 100,000-Galleon transfer from the Cannons paved the way for his ascension at Nimbus Arena.

"I can honestly say that, even four months ago, I barely could have pictured myself standing here as a Quidditch player," said Potter, 20. "I guess time really can change everything."

United entered Monday morning's training session with five Seekers among the 33 players contending for the 20 positions on the roster. As expected, Watson included three Seekers in his final selections, with two-year starter Samuel Diop and 17-year-old Russian Ekaterina Petrova joining Potter on the squad.

Also named to the Puddlemere roster Monday were: Keepers Tom Shelby, Tamika Simmons and Oliver Wood; Beaters Gerald Eddington, Erik Hansen, Maggie MacDeavitt, Joe Smith, Raul Suarez and Gareth Westson; and Chasers Alessandro Albertini, Hernando Chavez, Joel Feinberg, Corinne Kiely, Siobhan Moran, Angelique Rouselle, Madori Sato and Kate Towne.

The more acclaimed of the two Seekers cut Monday, Gregg Knapp, readily accepted his fate and praised the Boy Who Lived's performance.

"I don't think I can adequately describe how good Harry is," said Knapp, who was given his outright release despite spending last season as United's first reserve. "A couple of weeks ago, Glenn started matching him up against Sam in every drill and Sam's the best Seeker in this league. And Harry's been able to hold his own. I knew then that I was playing to be No. 3. I did my best but the others deserved to get the positions more than I did."

The other Seeker left off the squad was 18-year-old Rebecca Stephens, though the relatively unknown Australian has agreed to remain with Puddlemere as a practice player.

That leaves Potter, Diop and Petrova to vie for the two places on the first team, including the starting role. The man charged with choosing the side that will travel to the Isle of Skye on Saturday remained as tight-lipped about the decision as he's been all summer.

"It's not my job to make it easier for the Prides to prepare by telling them who they're up against," Watson said. "Besides, we have four days of training to go and things could still change."

However, Petrova's excitement at her mere selection to the squad seems to points toward the better-known Seekers taking the top two positions.

"I am so happy," the young blonde said. "Harry, Sam -- they are the best Seekers I've ever seen. To even make it on a team with them is a dream come true. I will try to learn from them and play well, if I get the chance."

Meanwhile, the primary contenders bring differing perspectives into the final push for United's most talked-about position.

"(Potter) is very good and training against him is very hard," said Diop, who led the league by catching the Snitch 19 times while starting every game a year ago. "But in two years I have many captures for the team and I hope for the chance to have many more this season."

Said Potter, "I didn't try out because I wanted to take Sam's job or keep Ekaterina from making the first team. Whatever part Puddlemere has for me I will gladly accept."

It's the Boy Who Lived's yet-to-be-determined season role that will be of the greatest interest to the Puddlemere faithful in the coming days. To most of them, Potter's place with the squad has long been considered a fait accompli.

"You can't really call (Potter's selection) a surprise," said fan Morgan St. John of London. "We've all known he was one of the team's very best players since he decided to play."

Nevertheless, to many, the Seeker's official addition to the roster serves to reaffirm United's perceived change of fortune after 24 years without a trophy.

"I can't help but think this is a sign that things are finally going to change," said 84-year-old Archibald Sanders, who has been supporting Puddlemere for more than seven decades. "I think the young man is going to fit right in and do a splendid job. Hopefully, then the championship will be ours again at last."

The Quidditch League of Great Britain and Ireland won't award its title until March, but Puddle U fans won't have to wait long to see where Potter fits in now that he officially has a job. The countdown to that hotly anticipated answer, like the countdown to the opening toss of the new season, stands at just five days.

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Mike Thalia covers Puddlemere United for the Daily Prophet. Owl him at thedpreporting(at)yahoo(dot)com.

A/N: Well, that's 22 articles down and Harry's finally made the team. I know, took me long enough. The actual season itself starts fairly soon, but you can look for Erato Steele's reappearance first.

Of course, the usual thanks go to my betas -- Nancy, LadyChi and Promethean Alchemist -- and to my reviewers.