The Wizarding War
DISCLAIMER: THE SONG LYRICS DO NOT BELONG TO ME ONLY ONES YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF DO. J.K ROWLINGS CHARACTERS DON'T BELONG TO ME EITHER BUT MY OCS DO.
Chapter 2
'In darkness there is always light
The light shining through the day
The power that keeps the world turning
In every single way…'
Harry was spending a lot of time contemplating over the Qudditch Team. As he was Qudditch Captain he needed to hold trials relatively sooner than later. He was getting a lot of pressure to do so on top of this. He needed new Chasers, preferably a new Keeper although he wasn't going to tell Ron, and two new Beaters. No way were the old two getting back on the team after their poor performance last year. He knew none of them would be at Fred and George's level of play. Harry was also thinking about the incident in the corridors with Cinnabar, Crabbe and Goyle and wondered where Malfoy was. After a round of thinking Harry almost practically ran into Rogue who looked highly affronted by Harry's 'mistake'.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rogue snarled angrily.
"Walking," Harry said stupidly, "Uh… wondering when I should hold um… yeah."
Harry wondered how he managed so easily to stumble over such simple words. The glare Rogue was giving him could cut through steel let alone anything else in the immediate vicinity. He knew he didn't like, like Rogue like he did well, Cinnabar at this point but it was always certainly a close call. Never mind the fact that he was getting increasingly good at humiliating himself.
"Wow," Rogue commented, "Like I care. What are you supposed to be, like, the famous Harry Potter? Only very popular because of your jock status. Qudditch of course and… defeating Lord Voldemort. Yet you can barely string two sentences together!"
"Uh well, I've done loads of great stuff," Harry mumbled stiffly, "I just don't like to talk about it much. I mean, it's hardly something you would talk about right?"
"Don't ask me I'm not the famous Harry Potter," Rogue supplied sarcastically.
"Right then, uh, I'll see you in uh… later," Harry said stiffly.
"Oh I am so looking forward to that," Rogue said cynically.
Harry watched her leave and walk down the corridor and meet up with Lavender Brown and Parvati. The two girls both flanked her on either side and were obviously badgering her about something that she had done. It wasn't clear what but then, Harry knew he probably wouldn't be able to form the words to ask. Soon Harry spotted Hermione and Ron having an argument it seemed as per normal. Now he hated taking sides and usually managed to stay friends with both of them. Taking a few steps in the opposite direction he noticed Ginny come and separate the two. Harry felt another swoop in his stomach, similar to that he'd felt with Cinnabar. Okay, this was getting slightly disturbing.
After gathering his courage together he approached the now not speaking to one another Ron and Hermione.
"Hey guys what's up?" Harry asked quickly.
"Ron's being an idiot," Ginny explained, "Because he reckons . . . well I don't know exactly what's going on. Some petty fight I think about Ron not having a girlfriend and not knowing much about girls. Or something of that sort."
"You know that is a bit pathetic guys," Harry commented eyeing them both, "Ron I'm sure you can find someone to go out with."
"Yeah, lots of people want to go out with the Ron man," Ron stated, Hermione then gave him the most startled look.
Hermione rolled her eyes and quickly left. Harry however turned to Ron and shrugged.
"Girls are weird," Harry said, "Has anyone else managed to talk properly to Rogue?"
"Actually… no," Ron said calmly, "I tried but…"
"He failed miserably," Ginny said finishing for him, "Anyways, Rogue's just a commanding presence among you boys. She's actually pretty nice if she thinks you have at least some talent."
"I do have talent!" Harry said a little too loudly making some nearby third year girls jump frightened, "I mean, who was it that defeated Voldemort?"
"Yes, but look at it from Rogue's point of view. She simply doesn't care about Voldemort, Harry. She's not even afraid of him. All she is concerned about is doing well and achieving the best that she can," Ginny explained calmly, "She will never stop striving to be the best. That's also what she looks for in people. The best and only the best."
"Bit like a Slytherin really," Harry commented airily, "She's too much like a Slytherin. Why isn't she in that house?"
"She said the hat considered putting her there," Ginny said calmly, "But once again she refused just like you did."
Harry shrugged once again and then spoke up, "Okay, yeah. Anyways, I was thinking about holding Qudditch Trials soon. Maybe next Saturday."
"Sounds good," Ginny agreed happily, "Get a notice up on the notice board with a time. Everyone will know then."
With that, Ginny walked off and went to join some other fifth years. Harry then chatted with Ron about the Qudditch Trials and Ron clearly stated that he wasn't going to try out again after last year's failures. So in turn Harry ended up trying to talk Ron into trying out again until they got to the Fat Lady. She requested the password and both boys went in to find the common room filled with people and lots of laughter and talking about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Fred and George's joke shop products. They had just expanded into Hogesmade and bought Zonko's, so some of their products would be selling there along with the original Zonko joke shop products.
Harry quickly wrote on a piece of paper the time and date of the Gryffindor Qudditch Tryouts. He hoped quickly that nobody would try and watch that wasn't from this particular house or try to try out. Otherwise Harry was going to have an extremely hard time trying to work out who was going to make it on the team or not.
GRYFFINDOR TRYOUTS:
Next Saturday at 2 o'clock
We need:
2 Beaters
3 Chasers
1 Keeper
Anyone can feel free to try out for the team! Just be there, and of course, be a Gryffindor.
Harry looked satisfied with his note and then stuck it up on the notice board. He looked around and already noticed a group of people gather around the recently put up sign on the notice board. Grinning he knew he wouldn't have a shortage of people trying out for the team. Up ahead he spotted Hermione with Lavender, Parvati and Rogue. Rogue was looking extremely uncomfortable as all the girls were crowding around her obviously trying to persuade her to do something she had no intention of doing. Harry's eyes went to the other corner of the room where Gabriel was sat with Dean, Seamus and Ginny. Ginny was leaning against Dean and they were talking and laughing with the others.
Not long after this Harry went to join Ron who was sitting doing his homework that he had failed to do the previous night. Harry immediately did the same and got out his homework. It was past midnight by the time both boys had quit and gone upstairs to the dormitories to get some sleep.
Next Saturday quickly came and Harry and everyone was gathered on the Qudditch Pitch. Harry spotted tons of people there, some of them looked hardly old enough to join the team. To his surprise Ron had come to try out for the position of Keeper. Harry hoped quickly that Ron could pull it together and possibly even make it back on the team. Fifteen minutes later Harry decided to try and get everyone's attention and get the tryouts on the roll.
"OKAY! OKAY! Everyone," Harry called, then used a whistle to get everyone to quiet down, "Good. Now everyone, those who want to try out for Keeper position go into that corner of the pitch there. Chasers over there and Beaters over that way."
Harry was amazed to find people noisily followed his instructions and the size of the amount of people in those groups. He gulped and put them all through their paces and managed to single out the first years, those who were from different houses, and those who simply couldn't fly. Soon Harry was left only with five finalists for all the positions. For the Chasers he had a choice of: Ginny, Rogue, Demelza, Katie and Mitchell. For the Keepers there was, Ron, McLaggen, Hale, Joan and David. For the Beaters there was: Gabriel, Stevie, Lucas, Paul, Michelle and Stacy. Harry immediately set to putting them through their paces and ended up choosing the team right there and then.
"Okay, the team players are," Harry called out, "For our new Chasers, Katie Bell, Rogue and Ginny Weasley," Harry said surprising himself, Rogue was even though unlikely, very good, "For the Beaters it's, Gabriel Shepherds and Stevie Kyle. For the Keeper its Ron, for his fantastic saves!"
Those who had been chosen roared with approval while those who hadn't stalked angrily off the pitch. Harry looked at his new team and hoped that they would pull through and be better than the one he had had last year. Gryffindor had been the underdogs and Harry hadn't quite appreciated that fact. Harry gave the team their first real talk of the season.
"Okay guys," Harry said with a smile, "I've watched you all perform today and I'm certain you'll make a great team for the rest of the season. Our first practice is going to be next week on Monday because I've already pre-booked the pitch and I double and triple checked and there is no way Slytherin can take our place."
"Okay Harry," Katie commented, "We've got the idea. We're all specially chosen. I do hope though you aren't going to do a Wood before each match though."
"Why would I do that?" Harry joked remembering their old Qudditch Captain, "No I don't think I will. However, I reckon we're all going to do great and we'll meet up again on Monday!"
Harry then watched them all leave until only Ron remained behind. Ron grinned at Harry then looked up at the pitch.
"Wanna have a couple of rounds?" Ron asked grabbing hold of his broomstick.
"Yeah why not?" Harry replied.
Harry and Ron then went off to play one on one Qudditch until the sun faded from the sky. It was going to be a long following week which included Qudditch Practice, more Qudditch Practice, homework and classes.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Yay, another chapter of this done. I'm getting to the good parts, I really am… I just have to work out how to do them. Oh, and my OC's all have real important roles, but I'm trying my hardest to make them un-Mary Sueish. I got flamed for that in one of my other stories… gah.