Chapter Five- Gryffindor's brand new player

Anne walked into the common room, yawning and with her trademark bushy, untidy hair as messy as always.

She was carrying her broom in one hand and a Potions book in the other. She had been up since four am, and she was sleepy but she was also very nervous.

She walked toward the fireplace and saw someone sitting in an armchair nearby. "A bit early for Potions torture, isn't it?" Andrew mocked.

"Mmm." Anne stared at Andrew, who looked embarrassed.

"Sorry for not telling you about June," Andrew mumbled.

"I'm your friend," Anne said, sitting down. "I'm supposed to know that kind of things… not find you snogging with your girlfriend in a hallway."

"I guess," Andrew admitted. "I was embarrassed about it, really."

"You shouldn't be," Anne pointed. "I wish I had a boyfriend or something. I feel so lonely these days."

"You have me," Andrew said. "You have Marcela and you have Chris."

"Yeah, I know," Anne sighed. "I'm just being selfish, as always. By the way… How did it happen?"

"Um… you're talking about June and me, right?" Andrew asked.

"Duh," Anne replied.

"Well… I used to go to the library very often last year, remember? So I found her there often and one day I had trouble finding a book and she helped me, and we talked for a while. It turned into a routine, going to the library and talk… I didn't tell you because I thought that if you found out about it, you would make fun of me," Andrew confessed.

"So this is going on since last year?" Anne blurted. "Wow, Andy! You're a mysterious and discreet man."

Andrew blushed and they heard the sound of approaching steps. It was Chris and Marcela.

"Chris just told me," Marcela said gleefully. "You have a girlfriend!"

Andrew stared at Chris, who merely shrugged. "Anne told me."

Andrew turned to look at Anne, who smiled rather guiltily. "I freaked out, sorry."

"Well, now you know," Andrew said. "But I expect privacy and please, no sarcastic comments about it."

"I'll try," Chris mocked.

"Wait a second…" Anne just realized something, and she didn't like it all. "Does this means that you'll go to the Halloween Dance with June?"

"Er… yes," Andrew said.

"I won't have a date for the dance!" Anne gasped. "Oh no, oh no, oh no."

"Anne it's not like Voldemort's back," Chris frowned. "Calm down."

"Oh, maybe Wayne will invite you," Marcela said encouragingly.

"He has a girlfriend," Anne said. "I'm doomed."

"We'll think of something," Andrew said. "The dance is ages away, so relax, Anne. You mustn't be nervous for Quidditch tryouts."

Anne gulped and blinked. She looked at her clock and saw that it was a quarter to nine. "I must go," Anne said. "Tryouts start in fifteen minutes."

Fifteen minutes later

Anne arrived to the Quidditch grounds and gasped. A big crowd was in the middle of the field, almost all of them carrying brooms.

"Well, well, look who honors us with her presence," Kurt Hurty said as Anne walked beside him. "Miss I'm-too-good-for-you Potter."

"Get a life," Anne retorted. Kurt grasped her arm violently and sneered.

"I came here to watch you make a fool of yourself," Kurt muttered. "But if you do enter the team, I'll give you hell."

"We'll see about that," Anne snapped and Kurt let go of her arm. Anne walked to the table where Wayne was sitting, writing down names.

"Anne! You're here," Wayne said happily.

"Yep," Anne shrugged.

"So, trying out for seeker?" Wayne said as he started writing down Anne's name.

"Guess so," Anne said, feeling butterflies in her stomach.

"Look, tryouts are going to be easy," Wayne assured her. "You'll play with the team and we'll see how you get along with them."

Anne gulped and nodded. "You'll be fine," Wayne grinned. "It's in your blood."

Anne smiled nervously and walked away very fast. She sat down in the grass next to her friends, who seemed amused by the amount of people.

"You're by far the best one here," Andrew said.

"Stop it." Anne felt really nervous and she felt that if she moved, she would have a nervous breakdown.

They waited for half an hour and it was Anne's turn at last. "Potter, Anne!" Wayne called and Anne stood up. Chris patted her on the back and she grabbed her broom.

She got up in the broom and flew toward the team. She looked around and saw Wayne flying toward her. "The snitch is in my hand," Wayne said. "I'll let it go and the other team members will try to get you, sending bludgers and blocking you, okay?"

"I hate Quidditch," Anne mumbled.

"Okay, here it goes!" Wayne let go of the snitch and Anne saw it soar away. Anne flew toward it, feeling her head aching with nerves.

Bludgers started attacking her, and she couldn't get hold of the snitch. She could hear Chris and Marcela cheering, but she could also hear Kurt shouting mean things at her and some people were booing.

Anne was getting tired of dodging the Bludgers and she felt sick. She stopped for a moment and looked around. And then it all happened in slow motion.

She saw the Bludger coming toward her, she heard Wayne yell something at her. And Anne did the thing that seemed most reasonable but stupid at the same time. She raised her arms and caught the bludger in her hands. The bludger pushed her off her broom, and Anne fell to the ground. Someone caught her and Anne opened her eyes.

Wayne took her to the ground, where Anne mercifully put her feet in the grass, still carrying the bludger in her hands.

"You should go and wait," Wayne said in a serious tone. Anne nodded and handed him the bludger. She felt tears filling her eyes, but she wouldn't cry in front of Wayne. She felt stupid and was deeply embarrassed. She was a good flier, but she wasn't in the Potter league. Feeling defeated, she walked over to her friends, and Marcela hugged her.

"They got the snitch," Andrew informed, looking to the sky.

"I was supposed to get it," Anne croaked. "Who am I fooling? I'm lousy."

"Are you kidding?" Chris blurted. "Maybe you're not seeker material, but that catch was awesome! You stopped a bludger with your hands! A bludger!"

"Keedsler's right," Andrew nodded. "It's was awesome."

Anne sniffed and they waited for the results. Wayne walked to the middle of the field, and everyone fell silent. Chris took Anne's hand in his and squeezed it gently. Anne squeezed back, feeling miserable.

"Okay, it was a hard decision, since all of you are very good players," Wayne said. "But we could only choose four new players. Here it goes."

Anne drew breath and waited for the worst. "Our new beater is Glenda Meade," Wayne said and cheers were heard from the back.

"Our new chaser is Ridge Lewis." More cheers were heard, and a timid looking boy smiled nervously, and Anne assumed he was Ridge.

"Our new seeker is…" Chris clutched Anne's hand tightly and Anne closed her eyes. "Fran Keene."

Anne felt her heart drop as people cheered for Fran. She heard Kurt yelling something at her, but she didn't pay attention. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, and she felt miserable. She had disappointed everyone who had trusted her… She had disappointed her father. She decided to walk away, but Chris held her hand and pulled her.

"Wait," he said, looking toward Wayne.

"Our new keeper, even though she didn't tryout for the position, but did a marvelous catch… is Anne Potter." Wayne looked toward Anne, who opened her mouth in disbelief. Her friends gave a her a group hug and people started cheering.

"Practice will begin next week," Wayne said. "Thanks for everyone that came. Goodbye."

People started leaving, chatting excitedly. "Potter, I KNEW IT!" Andrew yelled. "Gryffindor keeper!"

"They couldn't overlook that catch," Chris said. "I mean, how many people have caught a fast bludger with their bare hands?"

"It was a great catch you did out there." Wayne was standing there, his arms crossed and smiling widely.

"Thanks," Anne said breathlessly.

"Um, let's go and have some, um, let's go," Marcela said as she pushed Andrew and Chris away.

Anne and Wayne were left alone, and Anne grinned. "I thought I wasn't on the team."

"You're a lousy seeker, but great keeper material," Wayne mocked. "A bludger with bare hands… You had me amazed."

"That's good to hear," Anne chuckled. Wayne smiled and looked directly at her.

"Come on, I'll walk you to the castle," Wayne said.

"And Wanda?" Anne asked, and immediately regretted the question. But Wayne just shrugged.

"She doesn't like Quidditch," Wayne said. "But that doesn't matter. Let's go to the castle, I didn't have any breakfast."

Anne smiled and they walked together, talking about silly things.

And she had never felt happier.