This one was kind of fun to write.
Today was Saturday, the first day of Quidditch try-outs. I had survived the first week of classes and it was time for the weekend. Yesterday at dinner, Lucy had mentioned to us that watching Quidditch try-outs was almost as fun as watching the actual games. You got to cheer on your friends and family trying out, and laugh at those who seemed as though they had never picked up a broom before.
Laughing at losers had set Kyle on watching them, and I was expected to go to cheer on James and Roxanne. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had their try-outs today; Hufflepuff in the morning, and Gryffindor in the evening. Ethan decided not to join us explaining that Quidditch just wasn't his thing, and left with some Ravenclaws.
Kyle and I followed Lucy and her best friend, Amanda, who would be trying out for the Slytherin team tomorrow as Lucy defended her own place on the team as a chaser, to the Quidditch pitch after breakfast.
We joined the large group at the very center on the stands that consisted of all the Weasley/Potter cousins and their close friends, except for Roxanne trying out for the beater position, and Molly defending her keeper position.
Fred and James had made signs that said things like, "Roxy's #1," and "Roxy for beater."
The team's captain, a burly 6th year beater, began to weed out the number of people trying out by telling all of the first years to go back to the common room or go sit in the stands. The 1st years' eyes grew large and they left the Quidditch pitch quickly at the sound of the 6th year's stern voice.
Then, he had everyone trying out, weave in and out between the goal posts on either side of the pitch to pick out the good flyers from the bad. With those who had "made the cut" so far, he set up a scrimmage match rotating new players in every few minutes.
Roxanne was rotated onto the team opposite Molly and the 6th year captain. Now that Roxanne was playing against her, every time Molly blocked a goal from a chaser on Roxy's team, Fred and James felt the need to yell, "Rubbish!" (I even joined in a few times.) After Molly blocked a few more, she gave the two a glare that had don't-make-me-come-up-there written all over it.
At that, they shut up, and I gave them the idea to write "rubbish" on the back of their signs.
They did.
The two also began to howl and shout as loud as they could when Roxy hit the team captain square in the chest with a bludger.
"Sorry!" Roxanne yelled, dodging one herself.
Fred did a facepalm. "Who apologizes for hitting someone with a bludger?" He wondered aloud. "I sure don't."
"We all know that." Lucy said rolling her eyes.
"Good!" Fred yelled defiantly.
We turned our attention back to the pitch as the 6th year yelled back to Roxanne, "Don't be. That was a good hit, and that's what we need. You a Weasley?"
"Yes." Roxanne answered.
"Welcome to the team." The captain grinned.
The 6th year flew to the ground and those who hadn't been sent to the stands yet, followed.
"Alright, Weasley…What's your first name?"
"Roxanne."
"Okay. Roxanne is our new beater, and…" he turned to a tall boy who I guessed was a fourth year. "Cody is our new chaser. Welcome to the team, guys. Everyone else, better luck next time I guess." Then he welcomed Molly and the remaining 3 players back on the team.
There was more shouting from James and Fred as the new and improved Hufflepuff team walked off the pitch together.
It was Dominique's turn to conduct try-outs and choose the best players to fill in the empty positions on the team. She was the Gryffindor team captain, and with James trying out for chaser, it was bound to be a sight to see.
As Dom waited in the center of the pitch for everyone to gather around her, James was showing off by hanging by his left foot on his broom that was hovering a few feet off the ground. Emily, who was trying-out for chaser like James, was trying her best to ignore him. Ignoring the glaringly loud personality that was James, was always an impressive feat. Fred on the other hand, was trying to tip James's broom with his own to send him falling in front of Emily.
Dominique must have seen this, because she swiftly stepped between them, smacking the back of Fred's head in that playful cousinly way. At the same time, she shoved the end closest to her of James's broom upwards. James crashed to the ground at Emily's feet. Emily and her friend who was standing next to her laughed as James shot up, quickly dusting himself off and giving Dom a disapproving glare. She didn't seem to notice, and began try-outs very similarly to how the Hufflepuff captain had.
Apparently, James wasn't done showing off, because when Dom told everyone to fly around the pitch weaving in between the goal posts, James did it, but backwards.
He collided with a goal post once and let out a squeal that was anything but manly. Only after Emily and her friend had begun laughing at his sudden slip-up did he regain his composure. As he was about to continue flying backwards, Dominique yelled at him saying that if he continued to be a pest, there was absolutely no chance he would be chosen for the team.
James flew forwards instead.
Dom put those trying-out into teams to scrimmage against each other. James and Emily were put on opposite teams, and their two teams were up first against each other.
At one point, James flew near the spot where we were sitting in the stands. Emily was tailing him in hopes for a chance to steal.
Out of nowhere, Emily darted in and snatched the quaffle from James's hands. To me, it looked as though he had just let her have it.
Emily, surprised at how smooth the steal had been, slowed her pace involuntarily. Her mind must have been elsewhere, analyzing whether or not James had just let her have the quaffle. In her trance, she didn't see another chaser, a 5th year named Bradley on James's team, sneak up and snatch the quaffle from under her arm. Realization washed across her face, and then anger. She decided to direct it solely towards James.
"What are you doing?" She asked, rounding on him as he had nearly caught up to her. They were almost directly in front of us.
"What do you think I'm doing?" James tried to be smooth, but Emily didn't seem to notice or care.
"James. We're competing against each other."
"But there are two open chaser positions."
"Do you really think your cousin is going to choose two second years as the replacements?" Emily nearly screeched at his ignorance.
"She will if we're good."
"You can't be 'good' if you're letting me steal the quaffle, and I can't be 'good' when I'm sitting here arguing with you!"
Dominique noticed the two hovering still at the edge of the pitch. "James! I'm warning you!"
At the sound of Dom's voice, the two sped off in opposite directions and both played with more ferocity than they had at the beginning of the scrimmage.
Soon, Dom switched out the teams with new ones. Emily and James watched anxiously from the sidelines, hoping the other chasers would slip-up enough to catch Dominique's eye and ruin their chances of making the team.
The sun was begging to set as Dom called the Quidditch hopefuls to the center of the pitch to announce who had made the cut.
She welcomed Fred back to the team as a beater and replaced their old 3rd year beater with a girl in Fred's year. The 3rd year stomped off the pitch angrily as Fred gave his classmate and new beater partner a high five.
Dom announced the rest of the team, leaving the chasers for last.
Apparently it was tough decision, because she welcomed Emily to the team first and stood there for a moment looking at James and the Bradley, who was even more arrogant and aggravating than James.
Dominique shifted her weight from one foot to the other for another moment. I had never seen her so unsure about something before. After much deliberation, she said, "James. You're in."
Fred practically jumped on top of James in celebration of him being welcomed to the team. This severely messed up James's hair to the point that it stuck up in all directions more than usual.
Bradley, still puzzled at how he was beaten by two second years, walked off the pitch in a daze.
That evening at dinner, Lucy asked Dominique what her reasons were behind choosing Emily and James for the new Gryffindor chasers.
Dominique sighed. "I know I'm going to regret choosing two second years, especially knowing that they distract each other so much. However, Emily's a phenomenal athlete, and I know she'll work hard. "As for why I picked James; he's a great chaser that lets his ego get in to way of that… and I just can't stand Bradley."
I don't know why, but I just like making James do dumb things. Like showing off and failing. So which characters are you liking, and which ones are you not liking so far? Anyone you'd like to see make an appearance? As always, thanks for reading!