It was cold, even though it was only a couple of weeks into autumn. James walked onto the Quidditch pitch, clutching his Nimbus 1000 nervously. He had to keep reminding himself: I'm only a second year, I'm not likely to make the team this early. Most of these kids have a much better shot than me.
There were about ten other kids on the pitch, waiting to see what drills would be put to them to get on the team. None of the other second years were there. In front of them stood a dark haired seventh year girl, and the other members of the team stood behind her.
"Hello everyone," said the girl. "My name is Drina Outlaw, I am the captain of the team, and I'm here to tell eight of you that you won't be on the team this year." There was a collective gulp from the students. "Now there are two positions open this year: a chaser, and a beater. Hands up who wants to be a beater."
James was about to put his hand up, when a beefy looking fifth year next to him raised his hand. Only two others were brave enough to put their hands up: a small third year boy, and a sixth year girl who had a mean looking face, but appeared to be more skin and bones than anything else.
"Well Tod, I daresay you're in with a shot this year," said Drina, turning to face the team members behind her. "Hefin, the bats please." A fourth year boy with dirty blond hair reached into a chest, and pulled out a set of bats. "Okay, each of you grab a bat, and get on your brooms." The three of them did as they were told.
"Now what?" asked the big guy named Tod.
"Now, I want the three of you in the air," said Drina. "Once you're up high enough, we're going to release the bludgers. The three of you will attempt to knock each other off your broom using ONLY the bludgers. Last one still on their broom wins."
"WHAT?!" yelled the small third year boy. "Isn't that a little dangerous?"
"You know what's dangerous?" asked Drina. "Quidditch is dangerous. And guess what? Bludgers are also dangerous. You're welcome to step aside, I won't stop you. But what I want in a beater is someone who can hit a target, and also avoid being hit. Preferably you can also take a blow from a bludger and keep playing, but I know how dangerous those things can be."
"She's right, you know," said Hefin, stepping forward. "Beaters aren't the most glamorous of players, we're rarely the ones winning the game for the team. But when the seeker's got his eye on the snitch and nothing else, or when a chaser's too preoccupied with an open goal to see the oncoming bludger, we're the only thing standing between you and a concussion."
"Well said," said Drina. "So again I say: you're welcome to pull out, or you can get up there and show us what you're made of." The boy trembled a bit, but gripped his broom with determination. "Brave man," said Drina, turning to face Tod and the girl. "Don't take it easy on him. Or each other, for that matter."
"Wouldn't dream of it," said the girl, sounding very unimpressed by the danger she was about to be in.
"Right, get on up there, and me and Hefin will begin judging your skills," said Drina, walking over to a chest that was shaking with the rage of the restrained bludgers inside.
The three of them mounted their brooms and flew into the air, hovering about twenty feet from the ground. Drina and Hefin nodded to each other as they each released a bludger, before grabbing their wands. "You're gonna throw spells at them too?" asked James.
"Of course not," said Drina. "I'm sadistic, but I'm not going to let anyone break every bone in their body. When they fall, we're going to catch them before they hit the ground."
"Speaking of which," said Hefin, aiming his wand. "Arresto Momentum." The charm hit its target: the small third year who'd been concerned about the exercise in the first place.
"No surprises there," muttered Drina, casting another charm to summon his broomstick back to the ground. "Better luck next year kid, unless you want to try for the chaser position." The boy muttered his thanks as he grabbed his broomstick and left the pitch. "Oh well, no big loss there. How are the others doing?"
"Cecilia's holding her own surprisingly well against Tod," said Hefin, who hadn't stopped watching the two of them. "But Tod's not letting up." As he said this, Tod hit one of the bludgers straight at Cecilia, who managed to roll on her broomstick to avoid getting hit, before smacking the bludger back at Tod when she got back upright.
Tod then surprised everyone by catching the bludger in his hands, and not falling off his broom. Drina flinched in surprise, before a grin formed on her face. Cecilia, on the other hand, was so shocked she didn't even see the other bludger coming up behind her, striking her in the back and knocking her off her broom.
"Arresto Momentum," said Drina, catching the falling girl, while Hefin summoned her broom to him. "I think we have a winner."
"Hell yeah," said Tod, returning to the ground. "So, when do we..."
"What are you doing on the ground?" asked Drina, surprising Tod. "You've gotta help us find our new chaser now."
"Wait, what?" asked Tod. "But I just joined."
"Being a member of this team isn't just about any one individual," said Drina. "We have to work as one. Tod, you've been an emergency for this team for two years now, and I've seen you work well with Hefin. I know you won't let me down."
"O...okay," said Tod, getting back on his broom. "What do you need me to do?"
"What I need is for you and Hefin to hit those bludgers at the potential chasers," said Drina, causing the chasers to yell in surprise. "What? You didn't think you were going to just shoot some hoops and get on the team, did you?"
"Isn't that the..." started one kid, before Drina spun around and gave him a look.
"Everything I do is for a reason, and the main reason for it is to weed out the ones who shouldn't be here," said Drina sternly. "As chasers, you must not only be able to score goals, but to have unrivalled spatial awareness. I want you to know where EVERYTHING is at all times. Even the snitch if possible. Bludgers are possibly the biggest threat to you and your teammates. So, Hefin and Tod will hit bludgers at you, and the one of you who can get a goal past me faster than anyone else under those conditions gets to be on the team. You got that?" There was a general muttering of agreement. "Great, let's get to work."
So, James watched as, one by one some of the others tried to score a goal. A third year girl was first, but hardly lasted a minute before Tod knocked her off her broom. She was followed by a fourth year boy, but he lasted only slightly longer before falling too. Two fifth years followed, a boy and a girl, and neither of them got close, though the boy at least dodged the first bludger.
"Come on people, it's not that hard is it?" yelled Drina from the goals. "Who's next?"
"Looking at the list, it's James Potter," said one of the chasers, who James had learned was named Wilbur. "Good luck kid, you're gonna need it."
James gulped, and nervously mounted his broom as he rose to meet the other chaser, who handed him the quaffle. "Don't die out there," she said. "There's probably paperwork involved with that, and Drina would HATE that."
"Okay James, ready?" asked Drina. "If not, too bad. Time starts now." James hardly had time to react as both Tod and Hefin smacked bludgers at him, but he managed to duck below them and escape as they crashed into each other. James knew that he'd have at best ten seconds to make as much ground away from them as possible, and did exactly that.
James kept his ears open for the crack of wood hitting metal, the sure sign that one of the beaters had hit the bludger at him, and sure enough he heard it as he crossed the halfway mark of the field. James quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw one flying at him from his right, and immediately ducked lower to avoid it, feeling it brush through his hair as he did.
James soon heard the other one being hit, this time from the left. This time, James flew upwards and to the right, and still felt the bludger nudge his boot. 'Don't think about it,' he reminded himself. 'Get to the goals, and score. Even if you miss, at this point you're in front, so...' He was snapped out of his thought when he suddenly heard a bludger hurtling towards him. He had no time to look to see how close it was, so James ducked low and clutched his broom tightly. The bludger whipped past his face, and he felt it hit his nose. 'Am I hurt?' he asked himself, before seeing how close the goals were. 'Never mind, I've got other things to worry about.' James lined up his shot and threw the quaffle as hard as he could...
...only for Drina to swoop in and smack the ball out of the way. "Nice try kid," she said. "But I never make it that easy." James glared at her, but he couldn't be angry at her. She definitely knows what she wants in a chaser. "Well? Go get it. You haven't lost yet." James turned to fly to where the quaffle was falling, and was met with a bludger to the chest. James slipped off his broomstick, desperately grabbing at nothing while struggling to breathe as he lost consciousness...
"Really Miss Outlaw, your methods are a bit much, don't you think?" came the voice of Madame Pomfrey.
"Hey, I want tough players," said Drina. "Besides, it's a rough sport. If they can't take a bludger hit, they shouldn't be playing. Now, can I speak with him?"
Madam Pomfrey gave a huge sigh. "Okay, fine," she said. "But I don't want to this be a regular occurrence. He's just a second year. Two broken toes, a broken nose, and a concussion is a lot more than he should have at that age."
"He made his choice, he can deal with it," said Drina, and James heard the sound of approaching footsteps. "Oh good, you're awake."
"What...happened?" asked James, sitting up in his bed. He was suddenly aware of the pain from his toes, and from his nose. Had they really been broken?
"What happened?" repeated Drina. "What happened was, you were the only one to even try and shoot for goal. Not to mention take TWO bludger hits and kept coming. And I saw the way you were flying. You've got some skills. Skills I've never seen a second year use before. Skills I want on my team."
"Wh...what?" asked James, hardly able to believe what he was hearing.
"I'm asking you to join the team," said Drina. "You're really good James. Good enough that I'm picking you over students who've been trying for years to get on the team. If you're up for it, you're on the team."
"R...really?" asked James. "Yes. Yes, of course I'll join the team."
"Excellent," said Drina, clapping her hands together. "We train Tuesdays and Fridays at 7pm, and Sundays at 7am. Be there, or I find someone to replace you. Got it?"
"Y...yes," said James, though Drina was already leaving. James lay back in his pillow. He couldn't believe it, he was on the team. Wait until he told the others...