CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
It didn't take long before Jane had completely forgotten about Sarah. When they arrived at the school that Saturday, Jane was so excited that she felt like she would bust. The only bit of fresh news she received at the feast was that the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor was a stout woman named Twiggy Lawson.
They had gone up to their dorms, where Jane unpacked and caught up with her dorm mates. Then, she walked back down to the common room to find Sirius and James scaring away a few first years from their favourite spots. She flopped down onto the couch and dumped her picture book onto James before laying her head back into Remus' lap and making herself comfortable. Jane smiled up at Remus when he playfully flicked her nose. James flipped through the picture book, looking at all of Jane's pictures from Paris, while Peter peered over his shoulder at them. Sirius had taken to balling up little pieces of parchment and using magic to launch them at first years.
Jane was just so happy to be back at Hogwarts again with her friends. She was so excited about this year. She could feel it; it was going to be the best term yet. She was going to make first string. She was going to be way more outgoing. In fact, maybe sometime during the first week of classes, she'd walk up to Aaron and actually start a conversation with him. Maybe she'd join in on more of James and Sirius' riskier pranks. Well…maybe. She wasn't yet too much of the "go getter" she liked to think she was sometimes.
After a long while in the common room, they snuck away to the kitchens for a few snacks and just roamed around the castle. They didn't bother with being too sneaky about it. The teachers and prefects (save for the new ones) were always most lenient on the first day back from any kind of break and especially on the start of a new term. They wouldn't really start taking points or giving detentions until Monday when classes started. Eventually, they were spotted by the Head Girl, the nicest girl in Hogwarts, Miranda Delle, and were ushered back to their dorms. From there, they said goodnight, and Jane walked up to her dorm and crawled into bed with a happy little smile on her face.
"Hmm, first class is Defence with the new teacher," Jane said a little warily over breakfast on Monday as she munched on her toast and jam. "Wonder what she's like."
"She'll probably be a saint compared to Connolly," James said before shovelling food into his mouth.
"I sure hope she is," Sirius added. "I can't take another year of someone like Connolly. I'd die."
"You're such a drama queen," Jane teased.
"So, since Johnson's gone, who's the new Quidditch captain?" Sirius asked, ignoring Jane.
"Umm, I think it's Michaels," James said.
"Think she's captain material?" Peter asked.
Sirius nodded.
"She's a fair Beater. I think she'll be a good captain," he said.
"You gonna go for Seeker now that Johnson's gone?" Jane asked James.
James shook his head.
"No way. I love being a Chaser; they get most of the action. I don't want to have to sit and wait the entire game just to catch a little, gold ball," he said. "If you think about it, Seeker's got to be the most boring position. Sure, it gets a lot of glory, but that's only because the Snitch is worth so many points. It's got to be dreadfully boring."
Sirius let out a little, harsh chuckle.
"Regulus is going out for Seeker this year for the Slytherin team," he said.
Jane looked up at him; Sirius rarely ever mentioned his little brother. The previous school year had been Regulus' first year at Hogwarts, and from what Jane had known, Sirius hadn't spoken one word to him the entire school term.
"He's got to be really good because that's the only way Slytherin will take on a second year Seeker," James said.
"He's pretty good," Sirius said indifferently.
Then, in a much more livelier tone, Sirius said, "Well, if he makes the team, I'll at least get to knock him off his broom a few good times."
Jane smiled as James and Sirius continued to talk about Quidditch. She found that she couldn't wait until Friday afternoon. She was still nervous, but she was more excited than anything. She couldn't wait for try-outs.
Of course, as the week progressed and try-outs got closer, Jane became more and more nervous. She tried not to be, but that was easier said than done. Every day after class, she practised her flying, save for on Tuesday, when she had Art. When Friday rolled around, Jane was a nervous wreck on the inside. Sure, Marcus Johnson had thought she had had potential, but Candice Michaels was the new team captain. What if she didn't feel the same way? Of course, the odds were kind of in Jane's favour since two of the Chasers on the team had graduated the year prior.
Nervous wreck or not, Jane had to suck it up. That afternoon, she walked down to the Quidditch pitch with James and Sirius and waited for the try-outs to begin.
Jane had complete confidence in all of the flying drills that Candice put them through. Her flying was great; she was mostly worried about actually playing with the Quaffle. She hadn't practised with a Quaffle all summer. She anxiously watched the other people trying out for a Chaser's position as she waited her turn.
When it was Jane's turn to take the field, a miraculous thing happened. As soon as the Quaffle touched her hands, she automatically remembered everything James had taught her. It was as though an electric current had been sent through her body and wiped away all of her nerves and doubt and replaced them with determination and pure adrenaline. She expertly weaved in and out of other players. She made and received perfect passes, and she scored at least five goals on the person trying out for Keeper at that time (though that person wasn't very good at blocking shots). She felt so powerful, like she could out play any player on the pitch. Of course, logically, she knew she wasn't the best player, but it didn't stop her from feeling like it.
Once her feet touched the ground, James and Sirius were waiting for her, having already finished their turns at try-outs. James was grinning a very proud grin, a grin that a father might give his son when he scores his first goal in a football game. Sirius had that same stupid smirk on his face, but he was proud of her too.
Jane walked up to them with a giant grin on her face. She knew she had done well, and she knew that they were happy for her. The excitement of it all welled up inside of her and was ready to bust out. She was ready to hear the new Gryffindor team line-up.
"All right, you know the drill. Please, stay quiet until I've called all names, players and alternates. Please, come forward when your name is called," Jane heard Candice saying.
"Our new Seeker is number four, Brenton Michaels."
Jane watched as a boy a year older than her walked forward. She knew there'd be a lot of talk about how Candice only picked him because it was her brother, but that wasn't true. Brenton was just really good. In fact, Candice had tried to get James to go out for Seeker, but he had refused.
"Returning as Keeper, number nine, Will MacGregor."
"Returning as our other Beater, number twenty-four, Sirius Black."
Sirius grinned as if to say "obviously" before walking forward. Jane rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.
"Returning as Chaser, number eighteen, James Potter."
Jane smiled as James walked forward to join Sirius, and then her heart rate quickened. There were two more open Chaser positions.
"And our two new Chasers are number fifteen, Jarod Harris…" Jane glanced at the grinning boy in his fourth year as he walked forward, "…and number thirteen, Jane Hensworth."
It was all Jane could do to keep from screaming with excitement as she calmly walked towards her friends. About halfway to them, she looked up to see that even Sirius was smiling a genuine smile. The excitement boiled over, and she ran straight into James, who gave her a massive hug, and she didn't even care that they were both drenched in sweat.
"See? I told you that you'd make first line this year," he said as they continued to hug.
"Thank you so much, James," Jane said.
"Hey," Sirius said, "I helped too."
Jane laughed and hugged him as well.
"Thanks to the both of you. I couldn't have done it without you guys," Jane said.
"We know," they both said simultaneously, and Jane playfully pushed them both away from her.
Jane couldn't believe it; she'd made first line. She couldn't wait to tell Remus and Lily. She could hardly wait for their first game. And for the rest of the day, she was on top of the world, and nobody was there to push her off.