Sixth Year Chapter 3: Quaffles and Quarrels
"Kattie for the last time…I am not going!"
"Oh come on Celeste we need you!"
"No you don't, I know you know how rubbish I am go and find someone else who can actually ride a broom without falling off in the first five minutes"
Katrina put her hand on my shoulder and sighed.
"You may be slightly accident prone, but you're a brilliant player! Please do this for me?"
Kat was actually on her knees pleading me. As me being Celeste, I couldn't refuse the big cute puppy dog blue eyes.
"Okay! I'll do it…but its all your fault if I completely humiliate myself" I said and reluctantly stood up to go.
"Ah you won't humiliate yourself! Don't be such a pessimist!" replied Katrina happily being victorious and dragged me out of the portrait hole.
When we arrived at the Quidditch Pitch, me clutching my broom nervously I almost died seeing everyone else. There was about twenty Gryffindors lined up for the chaser trials, Adrian Bone, fantastic chaser and captain had left Hogwarts this year and that left James in charge but with one missing player.
"Come on, your not gonna get anywhere by just standing there…come one get in the line", said Katrina nudging me gently.
So I stood patiently and anxiously in the line for the trials, I watched up ahead at all the other contenders, there were plenty good ones, a few disasters and the odd one amazing…the only one amazing was probably Andy McKinley who passed the keeper; Cassandra a couple of times and she was a darn good keeper.
It was my turn to fly and Katrina was of course there muttering in my ear that I would be fine and I shouldn't be nervous and they'll love me.
Yeah, it was okay for her she already hooked the position of second chaser on the team and was jolly happy and care-free all the time, so very much unlike myself…and James Potter was deciding mostly on who got the position. He might hate me and tell me I am dismal and he might say yes, so to get on Lily's side. Fingers crossed.
"Look who it is…Demesne of all people!" said a voice, I turned and saw Sirius to the right of me standing next to James. Damn. I'm dead.
"Right Demesne, your instructions are to try scoring past Cassandra with the passing between me and Lavinstone, and while Dan and Sirius try to knock you out with bludgers…okay?"
I noticed that he said everyone else's first names apart from Katrina and me.
"Sure", I replied simply trying to look all calm and relaxed.
"Right lets see what miss-smarty can do" laughed Sirius and whizzed off into the air with all the other players.
"Good luck" said James a little coldly before he also sped into the air.
All eyes where on me.
I mounted my quite speedy but war-torn Firestar 76.
The sharp breath of air brushed against my face and swept my hair.
James threw the quaffle into my hands, I noticed lobed it so I had to stretch to catch it.
I sped towards the three hoops, guarded skilfully by Cassandra.
"Katrina!" I shouted and passed the quaffle to her, Katrina, me and James where in a three formation, where I was in the centre.
I went a little ahead, motioning Kat to pass to James, which she did, I could hear a faint buzzing sound behind me, and I dodged. A sweet little bludger from Sirius.
James passed to me, I kept dodging bludgers back and forth, and I could see what they were trying to do make me fly into the opposite direction so I was getting further away from the hoops.
As I heard the ninth bludger coming from my left, I zoomed up and flew right towards it.
"CELESTE!"
Just as it was about to smash into my nose, I dodged and zoomed towards the hoops…and scored.
I breathed in deeply…I was just so glad it worked.
"Are you crazy?" bellowed Katrina at me, her face white and panicked.
"No…just using tactics"
"To commit suicide?"
"Relax Lavinstone…we need to carry on now", said another voice; James and we flew back into our positions.
This time I didn't use such a dangerous techniques, but other quick little ones and managed to my utter surprise score four other quaffles through the hoops.
I was hoping they were all impressed we had one last go at scoring. This time the beaters; Dan and Sirius were coming in close for the kill.
I finally managed to get close to the hoops and swerved low around them, trying to confuse the keeper, it worked and I was just about to lunge the quaffle into the third hoop when…I felt the sharpest pain at the back of my head and I hurtled downwards…my mind becoming black….
"Are you out of your mind Black?" screamed a voice.
"Hey…it was just an accident" another voice replied.
"AN ACCIDENT? HITTING A SPIKEY BALL INTO THE BACK OF SOMEBODYS HEAD DIRECTLY IS NOT AN ACCIDENT!" shouted another furious voice.
"Well its Demesne's fault for not dodging it too you know"
"Sirius…just apologize…you did hit the bludger pretty hard" said a calm voice.
"Why should I apologize Moony? The whole point of the trials was to find a good chaser, if Demesne can't dodge a measly bludger than I don't really think she's up for the job"
"A MEASLY BLUDGER? You sneaked up on her and whacked her from behind! That's foul play!"
"Lay off Lavinstone! Its not his fault"
"OH HELL IT'S HIS FAULT!"
"Do you seriously want to get kicked off the team!"
"Go on then Potter…see if I care? I'm willing to get kicked off a lousy team full of foul players and has a lousy captain!"
"Shut your mouth Lavinstone! James is not a lousy captain!"
"Fine then you must be a lousy player then!"
"You-
"GUYS STOP!"I screamed sitting up on my bed, I looked around and I saw I was in the Hospital Wing, surrounding by Lily, Katrina and the Marauders. Everybody went silent.
"I don't want all of you to fight because of me, I don't want Kat to get kicked off the team because of me either! Please don't argue…I'm okay," I added gazing at their faces.
"But Sella your not okay…you've got a three cuts across the back of your head and you've broken your arm too" said Lily gently to me, her emerald eyes softened.
"Madame Promfrey will fix me though…she always does"
"That doesn't change what happened though," said Kat still glaring at Sirius.
"Now all of you could you please leave…there is some healing to be done here!" said the shrill voice of Madame Promfrey from afar.
"Bye guys" I said before Lily and Katrina could protest to staying.
They all left apart from Sirius, which I was very surprised at, I decided not to look at him.
"Demes-Celeste I'm sorry about biting your head off literally…No offence intended I swear", said Sirius giving his most pleasant grin.
"You think", I replied smiling at him.
"No I'm serious, I'm sorry…well I've got to go before Promfrey murders me", said Sirius looking around warily and then turned to leave.
"Thanks…bye" I replied.
"Oh and", added Sirius turning around, "For compensations and this is the truth…you're a bloody good chaser you know". He then walked off a little hurried.
I smiled to myself…that was probably the nicest said that Sirius Black has ever said to me, I guess he isn't a completely insolent womanising jerk after all.