Chapter 5 of year 4: Try Outs
The sun shone brightly adding some warmth to the brisk autumn air but the wind whipped sharply around them making it difficult to fly. Cresswell insisted on making them fly laps around the stadium so he could see who the best flyers were. James left them all in the dust as he weaved around them, cutting his way to the front again and again. He seemed to like goading Sirius especially. He'd suddenly dive out in front of him making him have to stop suddenly to avoid a collision. Then he'd let Sirius catch up so they'd fly alongside each other, Sirius trying to get ahead. James would inch his way in front grinning mischievously as he did. Sirius would lean forward and plead with his broom to move faster, then James would shoot off laughing and weaving his way around the other flyers while Sirius yelled insults at him, still trying to catch up.
After what seemed like the hundredth lap, Cresswell blew his whistle calling them to the ground.
"Excellent! Really great, everyone," Cresswell grinned after the crowd had settled. "We'll take a quick water break then head back to the sky so I can see how you work with the quaffle."
James beamed at this. He was honestly good at every position available on the quidditch team but chaser was where he really excelled. More than anything it felt good to be back on his broom again, running drills while Cresswell pushed him to go harder, faster, nevermind the wind and the cold. If your good wasn't best then it wasn't good enough. That drive is what always gave him a rush.
Sirius hated it. He hated Cresswell breathing down his neck. With every "faster, Black, faster!" he would give a burst of speed then go slightly slower than he was before; his own subtle rebellion. It wasn't until James started toying with him that he actually put any effort into it.
Cresswell had them line up in pairs to toss the quaffle back and forth. James didn't toss the quaffle to Sirius - he chucked it, almost knocking Sirius off his broom or he'd throw it a little too far to the left sending Sirius spiralling after it. Sirius gave as good as he got, forcing James into dives so close to the ground that it set those watching in the stands (Sally-Anne Perks, Cassie Rosier, Peter, and Remus) on the edge of their seats.
Cresswell used his own position as Beater to add bludgers to the challenge. For older students, this was no problem, having already dealt with bludgers in previous games. The first and second years trying out were terrified. Sirius - he merely hit the ball back to Cresswell. Not having a beater's bat of his own, he broke his hand in the process and was sent to the hospital wing.
Sirius felt sure that because he had to leave tryouts early he would not make the team. James thought that because of Sirius's aggression on the field he was bound to make beater. Remus and Peter agreed with him, saying that from where they sat whatever he had done seemed to please Cresswell.
James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus (the first three getting up early to perform their animagus incantation) spotted the new team listed on the bulletin board the next morning.
Captain:
Dirk Cresswell
Co- Captain:
Frank Longbottom ("Probably to get him ready to be Captain next year," James guessed.)
Seeker:
Gabe Pevensie
Chasers:
Frank Longbottom
James Potter
Marlene McKinnon
Beaters:
Dirk Cresswell
Kingsly Skackelbolt
Keeper:
Sirius Black
"Keeper? I didn't even try out for Keeper," Sirius said, feeling gypped.
"You did keep all those quaffles off the ground," James shrugged.
"So he puts me on the most useless spot on the team!" Sirius exclaimed.
"It's not useless," Remus said.
"Isn't it kinda the most important? I mean they stop the other team from scoring," Peter added.
"Cottontail, I'm a chaser. Pickles isn't even going to see the quaffle," James smirked.
"Even against Slytherin?" Remus challenged.
"Those snakes are nothing without Malfoy," James scoffed. Unbeknownst to him, Sirius began marching up the stairs.
"Hey, Pickles, where ya going?" Peter shouted after him.
"Going to talk to Captain Cresswell about the Keeper thing. Who is this Kingsley Shacklebolt anyway?" Sirius ranted, leading the way up the stairs and to the seventh year dormitories.
"You know Cresswell is captain for a reason," James whispered, not wanting to wake anyone. "He knows what he's doing, you'll make a great keeper."
Sirius didn't respond to this. He knocked on the door three times before entering, not bothering to wait for a response.
Dirk Cresswell's dormitory looked very much like it did in the previous year. The sun was blocked out by pieces of parchment spello-taped to the windows. Lava lamps lit the room, though they didn't know how they got muggle technology to work at Hogwarts. The walls were covered, corner to corner, with pictures of both muggle girls and witches - half naked of course.
They could hear water rushing through the pipes in their bathroom. Someone had fallen asleep on the desk, he had ink stains on his hands and face. They could see Gabe Pevensie's painted fingernails hanging off the bed reaching below the bed curtains just above the floor. Someone else was snoring in the bed next to his though they couldn't tell if it was Cresswell or not.
They had only been in this dormitory once before with the Longbottom brothers. Adrian had graduated and Frank was off on prefect duty - their absence was surely felt.
Sirius suddenly had the horrible impression that he was not supposed to be there, in a seventh-year dormitory, just after the break of dawn, when he only knew two of the inhabitants- neither of which he knew well enough to call friend. He looked to James for support. James merely shrugged and crossed over to the snoring bed to see who its owner was. Unfortunately, James tripped over a large shoe and landed with a loud clatter and a stifled groan of pain. The boy at the desk stirred and mumbled something incoherent. Peter gave a frightened squeak and scurried out of the room, watching from the door frame. Sirius laughed in both humour at his friends' clumsiness and cowardice, and in alarm. He clamped a hand over his mouth to keep the sound from escaping. Remus was just about to suggest that they wait to talk to Cresswell at breakfast in the Great Hall when the sound of bed curtains being ripped open emitted from the other side of the room. James froze, Sirius stopped laughing, Remus's words were stuck in his throat, and Peter started doing an odd looking dance. James lost his balance and fell again.
"For God's sake stop doing that!" demanded a voice in a harsh whisper. It was Dirk Cresswell. He had come into the light of a purple and green lamp, hastily putting on his dressing gown. "What are you gits doing here?" He eyed the three of them and gave Peter a strange what-the-hell-are-you-doing sort of look. Much like Sirius had been afraid of, he looked angry.
"We wanted to talk to you about try-outs," James answered.
"It couldn't have waited until morning?" Cresswell demanded.
"It is morning," Remus said.
"It was sort of a whim of the moment type thing," James said. Cresswell eyed them again, seeming keen on telling them off.
"Meet me downstairs," he heaved a sigh and turned his back on the boys, who hastily scurried out of the room.
"I don't think I've ever seen him so mad," James reflected, having reached the common room.
"He doesn't have to share a room with you, he probably isn't used to such rude awakenings," Remus smirked. James scoffed in response but said nothing.
All of them were too tired to do much but stare into the freshly kindled fire. Waking up early every day to perform their incantation and staying up every night to study and keep up on their homework was already taking a toll on them, even though they weren't even a month into the school year. Their teachers kept their assignments piled high. Frank said it was because they were preparing them for their O.W.L's they'd take next year.
By the time Cresswell showed up, looking like he had just got out of the bath, Sirius and Peter had dozed off again and James was so far gone that he was startled when he took a seat beside him.
"So what is it? I'd thought you liked being a Chaser?" Cresswell said, almost immediately. James remembered from last year the number of complaints Cresswell got from the rest of the team about any decision he made and felt a little guilty for not making a bigger effort to talk Sirius down.
"It's just, we were a little surprised to see that you made Sirius our Keeper," James said, gently.
"And we don't know who Shackelbolt is," Remus added.
"He's our new Beater," Cresswell answered casually.
"We can read," Sirius yawned. "Who is he?"
"He's our new Beater. He's a Gryffindor. A good student, pretty quiet," Cresswell said. "He's the one who sent the bludger into the supply closet." Cresswell locked eyes with James.
"Oh," James said, his tone flat and unreadable. He turned to Sirius. "Mate, you'll make an excellent Keeper."
"Come off it! Who is he?" Sirius demanded, waking Peter in the process.
"I don't know, but he's got a good arm," James said.
"Good aim too," Cresswell smiled.
"Half the blokes in Gryffindor have that, it's not exactly alchemy," Sirius grumbled.
"Sirius, you didn't see him. Cresswell's right in making him Beater. And you will make a good Keeper, nothing ever gets passed you," Remus said, almost consolingly.
"What is it that you're not telling me?" Sirius asked, taking time to look directly in the eye of the three of them.
"He's a third year. Pretty small one too," Cresswell said.
"You're joking," Sirius said.
"No, I'm not. First practice is on the 26th at seven o'clock, be on time if you want to meet him," Cresswell said, leaving them in the common room.
"What the hell is he on? A third year's likely to get killed, especially against Slytherin. They never play fair," Sirius said after he left.
"I don't think that will be a problem for him honestly," James smirked. Sirius threw one of the couch's pillows at him, knocking his glasses askew.
"It's not funny. A third year's playing Beater while I do what? Sit there on my broom, practising meditation," Sirius said, bitterly, his pride obviously wounded.
"He's really, really good, mate," James said, still laughing.
"Oh, shut it Patches."
Sirius's bad mood continued throughout the day, even when they got new intel on the Slytherins.
***CrazyFangirl100 thank you. Jily is life... I would say OTP but Johnlock exists. I'm really glad you liked that chapter :D XO
Splash of Thunder in Mist, thank you and I think you're new so welcome. Sirius and James definitely needed all the luck they could get lol. I'm glad you like my story and hope that you continue to. XO
***If any of you are English, I hope you and your families are all okay. Stay strong, this too shall pass.
Thank you for reading. :D
Until next time,
XO***