Chapter 4: Quidditch
The next week seemed to fly by as Ginny was already bombarded with homework from all of her teachers in preparation for her O.W.L.S. at the end of this year. All she did all week was study, do homework and go to her classes. She barely had time to talk to her friends and she had almost no time to sleep. But finally the weekend came, along with Quidditch tryouts. When she arrived at the pitch early Saturday morning, it was packed. It seemed as if the entire Gryffindor house had showed up.
"This is going to take all morning," said Dean as he sighed heavily. Ginny strained her neck in search of Harry and spotted him talking to Cormac McLaggen. He was a boy from Professor Slughorn's party. She pointed this out to Dean and he laughed just at the sight of him. He was tall and enormous and Ginny wondered what position he could possibly play without accidentally killing someone.
"Alright everyone," shouted Harry, "seeing as there are so many of you, we're going to start with an easy test to narrow it down a bit. In groups of 10, you will fly around the pitch once." Everyone got into 10 lines waiting their turn. The first group was made up of first years and some bad flyers. They stayed airborne for a few seconds and then went crashing to the ground. Harry sent them away.
The second group was a bunch of stupid girls who were just there to try to impress Harry. Ginny became suddenly annoyed when she saw one of them wave and smile at Harry. When Harry blew his whistle all of girls fell down giggling with Romilda Vane amongst them. Romilda Vane was obsessed with trying to get Harry to notice her and Ginny felt even more annoyed when she walked over to Harry. Harry just waved his hand and dismissed them as well.
The third group all crashed into one another, the fourth group came without broomsticks, the fifth group were Hufflepuffs, the sixth group didn't know how to turn and crashed into the wall and the seventh group was the one that Ginny, Dean and Ron were in. All three of them soared around the pitch easily and landed back down in front of Harry gracefully.
Harry finally decided on his three chasers: Katie Bell, Demelza Robins and Ginny. The beaters were Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote. Neither could do as well as Fred and George had but that was the best they were getting.
It was finally time for the keepers. All of the first applicants couldn't save even one goal, which left only Ron and Cormac. Cormac saved all but one of the goals that Ginny threw to him. She noticed that he looked utterly confused and lost when she threw the last ball near the goal and had shot off in the wrong direction as well. She turned around to see Hermione with her wand slightly hidden under her sleeve. Ginny was shocked that Hermione would ever do anything to cheat, but then again, she was doing it for Ron and Ginny smiled.
When Ron flew up to the goal posts, he looked sick. Ginny smiled at him and gave him a thumbs-up. He smiled slightly at her. Then Ginny heard someone shout, "Good luck," from the stands and turned to see it was Lavender Brown. Ron smiled bigger than Ginny had ever seen him smile before. Ginny threw all five balls and Ron saved all five of them. Ginny was astonished; she wondered that maybe Ron liked Lavender. Ron was delighted and Harry smiled at him while he was greeted by his fellow teammates.
Cormac came storming over to Harry and Ginny went running over there as well.
"You didn't even try to give him hard ones," he said angrily at Ginny, "you gave it to him easily."
"Rubbish," said Ginny, "I threw the same as I always do."
"Let me try again," he shouted at Harry.
'No," said Harry, "everyone gets one shot. Ron saved all five and you saved only four. He's keeper and you're not and that's my final decision." Harry stormed off toward the team with Ginny and Ron close behind him.
A few more weeks passed and then Katie Bell was attacked at Hogsmeade. Ginny wasn't there when it happened but Harry told her all about it. He was talking to Ginny a lot more than he used to. She didn't really know why, but she liked it all the same. He told her that Katie had a package to take to someone in the castle and it was a cursed necklace in it. Katie accidentally touched it and was cursed and injured. She was taken to St Mungo's immediately and hadn't been heard from since. And since Katie was out of the Quidditch season for a while, Harry had asked Dean to substitute. Ginny had a great time practicing with Dean and Demelza. She loved their new Quidditch team and thought that Harry was a great captain.
But other people didn't think so. Seeing as Ron and Ginny were already on the team and now Dean was a substitute for Katie, people started getting suspicious that Harry was picking his friends for they team. Harry wasn't worried though, because at practices he said that they all worked very well together and that they were clearly the best flyers. Harry confronted Ginny with concerns about Ron though.
"He always gets too nervous to play. I mean he's really good when no one is watching but us and Hermione," Harry told Ginny one night when Ron and Hermione were off in the library.
"Don't worry about him Harry," said Ginny comfortingly, "he'll be fine and we'll win the match this week. Don't worry so much. You're a great captain and because of that we're a great team." Harry smiled lightly while his insides roared. Ginny's compliment made him happier than ever. He thanked Ginny and ran off to his dorm to get some sleep.
But, the next days practice gave Harry reason to worry about Ron again. When Demelza flew toward the goal post with the quaffle, Ron had panicked and punched her in the mouth. She fell off her broom and to the ground dripping blood everywhere. The team flew to her aid while Ron was screaming, "I'm sorry! It was and accident! I just-"
"Panicked," finished Ginny, "honestly Ron! Don't be such a prat! Look at the state of her," she said gesturing toward Demelza.
"I can fix it," said Harry flying over to them. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Demelza's face, "Episkey. And don't call Ron a prat Ginny."
"You seemed too busy to so I thought someone should and it might as well be me," she answered. Harry smiled and laughed.
"Everyone back in the air," he called out. The team flew into the air for another hours worth of practice before they were set free to go to bed. "Good work everyone," Harry yelled as they trudged off the pitch. "Get some sleep for the match tomorrow." Ginny and Dean walked back up to the castle together.
"I think we actually have a chance at winning the match tomorrow," said Dean happily as they entered the entrance hall and started up the stairs.
"Yeah," said Ginny also very happily, "Harry's a really good captain. We will win as long as Ron doesn't screw up everything." Dean stopped in the hall and looked into Ginny's eyes.
"Have more faith in your brother," said Dean, "It may be what he needs most. You know, support from his sister."
"I give him plenty of support until he punches someone in mouth while they're trying to make a goal," snapped Ginny. Dean only laughed and pulled Ginny in close.
"I'm really glad Harry picked me as Katie's substitute," he said and smiled done at Ginny.
"Me too," said Ginny and smiled up at him. Dean leaned down and kissed her in the middle of the corridor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
"Oi," someone yelled from behind them. Ginny and Dean broke apart and looked around. When Ginny saw a furious Ron standing behind her she drew away from Dean.
"What?" she snapped at him with her eyes narrowed.
"Nothing, it's just that I would like to be able to walk around without the fear of seeing my little sister snogging people in public," Ron shouted at her.
"We were alone until you came along," Ginny shouted back while Dean looked embarrassed.
"Erm….Ginny, lets go back to the common room," he said quietly.
"You go," she said, "I need to talk to my dear older brother."
Dean practically ran down the corridor. Harry found himself glaring at him all the way down it. He had the urge to chase after him and tear him apart as well.
"Okay, so it's not up to you who I date or what I do with them," Ginny snapped at Ron, angrier than Harry had ever seen her.
"Yes it is!" said Ron, "I'm your older brother. I don't want people saying you're a-" He cut off here, not wanting to say what he was thinking.
"What exactly would people call me," Ginny shouted at Ron.
"He doesn't mean any of this Ginny," said Harry instinctively.
"Yes he does! He's just jealous because he's never snogged anyone in his life," Ginny snapped at him.
"Shut up Ginny," he said and sent a curse flying by her and it just missed her. Harry tried to hold Ron back seeing as he attempted to tackle Ginny to the ground.
"It's true Ron," Ginny screamed at him, "Harry's kissed Cho Chang and Hermione's kissed Viktor Krum! You're the only one who acts like it's something disgusting!" With this, she stormed off down the hall.
The next few days, Ron's anger did not subside. At practices, he yelled and screamed at Ginny in frustration. This only made Ginny laugh at him though, until he started yelling at other people. Half of the Quiddtich team was close to tears by the middle of their last practice before the match.
"Shut up Ron," shouted Dean when Demelza actually burst into to tears.
"Leave her alone," shouted Peakes. Ginny glowered in Ron's direction ready to attack him with a spell or just attack him with her bare hands.
"ENOUGH," Harry shouted, "All of you go pack your stuff, pull yourselves together and go to bed." With that Harry stormed off and Ginny ran after him.
"Harry, listen. I'm sorry about how this going," she said, "Ron is mad because of what I said to him and because of that he's treating you and everyone else like dirt. Hermione started crying last night after Ron yelled at her. So, again I'm sorry." Harry smiled at her.
"It's fine Ginny," he said, "Ron will get over this…eventually." Harry bid Ginny goodnight and went to his dorm alone. Ginny walked back to her dorm by herself as well. When she got there everyone was asleep as usual. She slipped into her pajamas quietly and got into bed.
She didn't get much sleep that night because she couldn't stop herself from thinking about Harry. She wished that she liked Dean more than she did, because he was so nice and she knew that he liked her a lot. When she finally fell asleep her dreams were about Harry as usual. They were flying around but then Ron hit Harry over the head with a bludger and he fell to the ground. Ron then turned into Dean and told Ginny that he loved her and Ginny didn't say anything back. Ginny woke with a start as her alarm clock blared next to her. She groaned and got out of bed, dressed and went down to breakfast. Dean wasn't there but she ate with Demelza and walked down to the pitch with her. They changed and waited for everyone else to arrive.
Harry and Ron were the last people to arrive into the changing room. Ginny looked up at the sky to see it was clear and bright blue.
"Conditions are wonderful," she said, "And two of the Slytherin teammates are out sick and they replaced them with two idiots."
"Who's out sick?" Harry asked.
"Malfoy and one of the chasers," she answered.
"Malfoy's out?" Harry asked, "why? What's wrong with him?"
"No idea," said Ginny taken aback by Harry's interest in Malfoy's whereabouts.
They walked out to the pitch and when Madame Hooch blew her whistle they all zoomed into the air. Ginny tuned out everything while she was flying but she did notice that the commentator was Zachariah Smith. She glowered over at him as he talked about how she, Ron and Dean had only gotten on the team because of their friendship with Harry.
"Here comes the first Slytherin goal attempt and- Weasley saves it," Ginny turned to see her brother smiling with happiness as he threw the quaffle over to her. She smiled back at him and soared across the field. She threw the ball right past the keeper and into the hoops.
"Gryffindor score by Ginny Weasley," said Zachariah unhappily. Then the Slytherin seeker darted upward and shot passed Ginny causing her to briefly lose control of her broom. She held onto it for dear life as she looked up. He must have seen the snitch.
"You ok, Ginny?" Harry shouted.
"I'm fine," she said, "go get the snitch." She pointed up after Harper and Harry shot his broom into the air while Ginny went back down.
"And Potter has caught the snitch and Gryffindor wins," Zachariah said quietly. There was uproar of screams from the stands as Harry landed to the ground and his team ran toward him. But Ginny had other plans. She sped off toward the commentator box.
"Ginny, where are you going?" Harry shouted, but he soon saw what she was planning and smiled.
She crashed into the box sending Zachariah flying to the ground.
"Ms. Weasley," shouted Professor McGonagall, "please watch where you are going"
"Sorry professor," Ginny said, "Lost control of the broom." Everyone laughed.
"Party in the common room," someone shouted and they all ran up toward the school.