Chapter 10
- Potential -
"Now I'm really glad I didn't tryout for duelling." Freddie said as they walked from the Great Hall and up the moving staircase. The two had spent the whole of dinner talking about the duelling tryouts. Teddy had considered introducing Freddie to Harry, but he had spent the entire time staring into an old potions book. He was however able to congratulate Ron on getting the Keeper position of the Gryffindor team and was able to introduce Teddy to Arkie. "I mean, I've heard of Anna and I've seen her around the Ravenclaw Tower, but I've never actually talked to her. She sounds scary." Freddie spoke.
"She was more... intense than scary." Teddy replied, brushing his hand up the cold stone railing. "I didn't know clubs were that intense."
"They aren't." Freddie panted, struggling to keep up with Teddy. "But Anna's very competitive and the current Hogwarts Duelling Club Champion for four years in a row, at least that's what I've heard. But duelling is also an intense sport, dangerous too." The staircase eventually stopped moving, allowing the two boys to walk onto the fifth floor. Below them students were also heading off to their common rooms. Teddy remembered once watching the students from the ground floor before walking off to his private dorm.
He no longer felt like an outsider, now he felt like part of the crowd. It was weird, stressful and soothing at the same time. He no longer felt the need to keep his guard up. "I do hope you get in." Freddie interrupted his thoughts.
"Thanks mate." He replied nudging him as they began to climb the spiral staircase towards the Ravenclaw Tower. "Anna's probably already posted the list of the seven selected students." The bronze eagle door knocker watched them closely.
"What has only two words,
but thousands of letters?"
"A post office." Freddie replied quickly. Teddy gave him an impressed look and the pudgy boy shrugged. "My older brother used to ask me a lot of riddles. You ready?" They walked inside, ignoring how everyone suddenly seemed to find a reason to avoid Teddy as the two headed over to the noticeboard, searching among the hundreds of flyers for the Duelling Club members.
On the other side of the room, sitting in one of the large comfy couches with Marcus, staring at Teddy sourly, his Head Boy badge glinting on his collar. "Found it." Freddie pointed at one of the many scrolls pinned to the board. Teddy's green eyes flew over the page, reading each name.
Jason H.
Indigo J.
Benjamin D.
Stephen A.
Angela P.
Marcus T.
Teddy stared at the Head Boy, a strong disliking rumbled in his stomach as the tall boy smiled smugly, his eyes still soar as he glanced down at the book in his lap. He hadn't seen him at the tryouts, but then again there'd been a lot of students present. "Teddy, look!" Freddie frantically tugged at the shoulder of his robes, pointing at the last name on the list.
Tesdon L.
Teddy stared at it silently in disbelief. "I got in." He mumbled, the words numb. Suddenly his face lit up. "I got in!" He shouted and blushed when he was instantly shushed.
"You got in!" Freddie beamed, once again pulling on his robes. "Come on, we need to tell the guys!" They both clambered to the staircase leading to the boys dorms. But just before they reached it Anna climbed down from the girls staircase and smirked at Teddy whose face was slightly flushed with excitement. "Nice job, Wonder Boy."
"Thank you." He replied after a quick breath. "Guess I do have what it takes."
She raised an eyebrow, still smirking. "Don't get cocky, you only just made the cut. You surprised me... like you said you would." Teddy watched as he posture straightened. "You're still a sloppy dueler though, and you're going to have to work hard to catch up with your peers."
"I will." He replied with a determined nod.
"And I won't be easy on you. You're in the NEWT level Dark Arts class right? Good, you'll be learn non verbal spells this year, I want you to pay extra attention to them. Don't be late to training... ever!"
Teddy was too happy to be afraid of her serious tone and instead he just continued to nod. "I won't, I promise." Finally, he followed Freddie up the stairs and into their dorm at the end of the hall. Teddy peered up at the golden plaque. His name glinted at the bottom and he felt a wave of happiness wash over him as he opened the door.
Leonard was lying on the large mat in the center of the room, scribbling frantically on a sheet of parchment, Terry was sitting next to him waxing his Firebolt and Daniel was on his bed trimming the latest addition to his plant collection.
"You two are in a good mood." Leonard said, glancing up from his homework. Freddie hoped over to his bed. Teddy beamed, remembering how only a few hours ago Freddie was as quiet as a mouse beside him and would barely meet his eyes, now Teddy was beginning to see his more playful and excited side.
"Teddy got in!" Freddie pulled up the chest at the end of his bed and riffled through the snacks and pranks.
Leonard continued to stare down at him half completed homework, his wand tucked behind one ear. "To what?" Terry had his back turned to Teddy and barely seemed to notice him come in, instead he sorted through his broom care gear. He was still dressed in his Quidditch uniform which was covered in grass stains.
Freddie threw a chocolate frog box to Teddy, who caught it and hungrily opened it, passing the Dumbledore card to Freddie. "The Ravenclaw Duelling club." He answered taking a large bite of the croaking confectionery and closing his eyes to savour the rich flavour. Leonard looked up again his mouth slightly open. "You did? Really?"
Teddy shrugged, landing on his bed. "Really, really."
"Well congrats, Teddy."
"Thanks, Leonard."
Daniel gave a small congratulating smile, which Teddy kindly returned.
Terry had begun to wax his broomstick for the second time. "Yeah, nice job." His voice sounded distant and distracted.
"Thanks, Terry. Oh, and how were Quidditch tryouts? They were today right?"
Terry shrugged, still staring down at his broom handle. "Good. We've got ourselves a new Chaser and Beater. Now as good as last years though."
Teddy swallowed the last of his chocolate frog, staring up at the picture decorating his canopy bed. He couldn't wait to tell Arkie all about it, and his dad! He still hadn't gotten a reply from him for his last letter, but then again he hadn't really expected one. He had no idea where his father was nor what he was doing.
Thinking silently for a second he grabbed a spare sheet of parchment from his bedside table and began to write.
Dear Moony,
Tonight I tried out for the
Ravenclaw duelling team and I got in!
I hope you're safe and well.
I know you must be very busy at the moment.
Say 'hi' to Tonks for me.
Again, good luck with the upcoming
full moon.
Love and best wishes,
Teddy Lupin
He rolled up the parchment and rested it back on his bedside table. "Hey, Fred." Freddie looked up at him, chocolate and brightly coloured popping candy covered the corners of his mouth. "You've got quite the collection of pranks in there. Do you use them a lot?" He gestured to the open chest. Freddie blushed, glancing at Leonard and Daniel.
"Actually, I planned to use them last year."
"What for?"
Freddie offered the packet of popping candy to Teddy who politely turned it down. "Well, it was all originally for Umbridge, but I never got the chance to use them."
Teddy's expression darkened and he instinctively glanced down at the back of his hand where the scars of the toadish woman's punishments stared back at him. The words were almost impossible to read, there were so many of them, the only one that Teddy could really make out was 'Half-breed'. "It's too bad, I never got to see you use them."
Freddie was sticking his hand back into the popping candy packet, pulling out another colourful handful. "Yeah, I didn't get to use all of them though. Not really much of a prankster, so if you need to use them go ahead."
"I'll keep that in mind." He laughed, looking up at the starry ceiling. "You excited for the Hogsmeade trip tomorrow?"
"Merlin's bear, yeah!" Freddie's bed creaked as he bounced excitedly.
"What do you guys usually do?"
Freddie crunched up the empty candy packet and threw it in his chest, wiping the sides of his mouth. "Well, I like to visit Honeydukes, but Leonard spends all his time in Tomes and Scrolls bookstore. Terry's the one who usually escorts me to Honeydukes when he isn't standing outside Quality Quidditch Supplies and Zonko's joke shop."
"And what about you Daniel?"
Daniel looked up but as usual didn't say a word, so instead Freddie spoke for him. "Daniel doesn't usually go to Hogsmeade, but he does sometimes use the tunnels to meet us all at the Three Broomsticks. Did you know there are tunnels out of the school?" Teddy nodded, remembering the Marauders Map hidden away in his chest.
"I do. Fred and George showed my in my third year."
"So what do you usually do in Hogsmeade, Teddy?" Freddie asked lying on his stomach.
"Well, my dad and I actually own a house down there. I usually drop in for a visit, but the Three Broomsticks is defiantly one of my favourite places to hang with Harry, Hermione and Ron. Which reminds me, I promised I would walk down with them tomorrow to the Three Broomsticks. Maybe I'll meet you all there?"
"Yeah!"
Leonard rolled up his parchment as they room became increasingly dark.
"Well, I'm going to bed guys. See you in the morning." He yawned.
"I think I'll do the same." Teddy said, changing out of his robes and tucking himself into his bed. He didn't wait to see the others slip into their own beds before he fell deep asleep.