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Chapter 7- The Dream Team
In the next week, James and Lily grew closer, even though they argued at least once a day. But unlike before, the arguments were about stupid things, like what trilogy of movies was the best; "Star Wars" or "The Matron Hex." Or which one of them was better suited to star in a movie. But, every patrol night presented a new adventure, including catching Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle out of bed. The result was detention for the three of them, and 20 points from Slytherin, each. It also made for a great story and gloating session in the Gryffindor Common Room. One night, Lily even got up the courage to ask about James's summer.
"Why did Professor Dumbledore say you had a tough summer?" Lily asked on night while the pair were lying on their stomachs, studying on the floor in their common room.
She studied James's face and reaction very carefully. His breathing slowed significantly, his eyebrows creased a bit, and he swallowed slowly. The look on his face made Lily retract her question. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me."
"Well," James took a slow deep breath. "You see, it's just, when I think about it, it takes me back to that time," James sat up. "And though I'd rather forget it, I can't ignore it."
"I'm so sorry I asked you, James. Really you don't have to tell me."
"My parents died this summer."
The statement hung in the air like dementor mist. When Lily finally took a breath, the air that filled her lungs was cold and froze her insides.
"James," her voice broke. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea it was anything like-"
"It's okay," James's offered an empty half-smile. "They had been sick for a long time. Spent nearly a year in St. Mungo's. They had what the healers called, 'Vanishing Sickness'."
"Isn't that from apparating and disapparating too much?"
"Yes. My parents could never have kids of their own, even when they got married at 20 years old. From the time they accepted that fact, they traveled around the world helping other peoples' children. Magic children, muggle children, it didn't matter. They devoted their lives to helping children in need," James's voice strengthened as he shared his parents' accomplishments. Lily could feel his pride. "They were such good people. They were both trained healers and very skilled at magic. They would tell me stories when I was young about how they would show up outside of a small camp or village, bringing nothing at first. Just a trade of their medical skills for a place to stay. They gained the trust of the people by helping the sick and injured. Then they would start bringing food and supplies. They truly loved helping others. Especially the children."
Lily let this information sink in. She had always thought James Potter to be the son of some wealthy snobbish couple. But to learn about his real parents astounded her. She could barely find her voice. "So, if they couldn't have children, how did-"
"They met a shaman in an Amazonian tribe when my parents were in their sixties. They had stayed with that particular tribe for almost six months. There was a deadly strain of some disease, I can't remember the name, but my parents healed the entire tribe. It was a miracle to them, so the village sent out messengers to other tribes they trusted, and my parents stayed there as tribe after tribe came with their infected members. My parents healed them too. As a way to repay my parents, the shaman was brought in. My mother said that the woman knew without even speaking to her that she wanted a child of her own more than anything in this world. My mother swore the woman could use legilimens," James actually smiled at this point, allowing Lily to relax a bit. "So the shaman performed a ritual on my parents, and two months later, my mother knew she was pregnant."
"Wow, I don't know of any magic that can cause that," Lily said in awe.
"Neither do I, but I'm so grateful for it," James nodded his head. "I was a surprise child, you could say. And my parents were so shocked that they spoiled me rotten," James grinned. "And I was a brat too. I loved pulling pranks on them, even when I just started walking." James's smile slowly faded. "But this summer, they pulled the greatest prank on me. From apparating and disapparating such far distances and at such a high frequency, they developed the Vanishing Sickness. It's still incurable by the healers. All they could tell me was that my parents had apparated so many times that their bodies were seeming to disapparate themselves. Before they went to the hospital, I noticed my mother's hair becoming more transparent, as well as my fathers fingers and toes, but I thought it was my imagination or a trick of the light. After a while, one of them would occasionally fall down. Their feet had started to fade in and out. That's when they went to the hospital."
Lily sidled up next to James, and rested her hand on his knee. Trying to offer him any sort of comfort she could, though she knew it wasn't much.
"Their bodies slowly became invisible until one day this summer, they just disappeared completely. I kept thinking they would reappear."
Slowly, they rolled through classes and studied every chance they got, including studying while on patrol. Lily now had a greater appreciation for James and his past. From the night he told her about his parents, they had grown closer and more comfortable with each other. Lily continued calling James by his first name. This made him grin every time and made her best friends giggle. James continued helping Heath with his flying, while Lily tagged along. A few times, she spoke up and told James he was doing it all wrong. She wanted her brother to have the best chance for the tryout, and James liked to goof around sometimes. So, occasionally, Lily left her books in the stands, yanked the broomstick out of James's hands, and shared her flying knowledge with her brother. Before they knew it, it was September 14th: the day of tryouts for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.
"James!" Lily yelled through his door. "James, you need to get up!" Lily did not hear an answer from the other side of the door, so she let herself into the room and saw James asleep on his side, one knee up to his chest, his face squished against his pillow, and his mouth wide open. Suddenly she remembered the few times James had woken her up. He hadn't done it gently. Lily felt it was time for a little payback. So, she quietly tiptoed over to his bed. James gave a loud snore, and Lily fought hard to suppress a giggle. As quietly as she could, Lily cast a rippling charm on the bed and began screaming, "EARTHQUAKE!"
"What?" said a very groggy James. "What's going on!" he said with more panic in his voice.
Lily began laughing hysterically and could not stop. Realizing what was happening, James grabbed his wand and cast a tickling curse on Lily, who laughed even louder. "Stop!" Lily gasped in between her shouting giggles. She was laughing so violently that she couldn't cast a countercurse. James removed the curse only when she begged that she couldn't breathe.
Finally, Lily was able to get out "Quidditch!" And then about another minute later, "Try outs!"
"Well why didn't you say so!" James exclaimed as he jumped off the bed. "I'm going to be late!" Then he picked Lily up from where she had fallen to the ground with laughter, and helped her out of the room. After composing herself, Lily went down to the Hall and filled a napkin with some food, so that James could eat something before the tryout.
"Hey James!" Lily yelled through his door. "I've brought you some breakfast!"
"Thanks, dearest," James teased as he opened his door.
"You don't want it?" Lily whisked the napkin filled with food away from him. "Alright, I'll just eat it then," Lily popped a grape into her mouth.
"Hey!" James grabbed at the food, but Lily was quicker, and James almost tripped head-first into the wall. Lily almost choked on her grape, but she turned it into a laugh acting like nothing happened. "And why don't you have your cloak on?"
"Why would I? I'm not the one running try-outs, oh Great Sir Captain." Lily smirked as she bowed low to him while holding the food up as an offering. "Though maybe I should be. You don't seem to be too coordinated this morning, judging from your head butt into the wall."
"Why not! You're a great flyer, and you're quick. We could really use you this year," said an unabashed James.
"Hmm, let me think…" Lily tapped her chin and looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah right! I don't have time for Quidditch. There are these really important tests we have to take. Um, I don't know if you've heard of them. They're called N.E.W.T.'s!"
"Lily, come on. You were really great at teaching Heath. Plus, you know the captains! So that can't hurt," James gave her a wink. "But honestly, you're good, and we need you if we want a chance at beating Slytherin for the Quidditch Cup." James knelt down in front of Lily with his hands clasped together, "Please?" he begged. "For me? Please? For Heath? For Gryffindor?" James stuck out his lip like a puppy dog, which Lily found strangely irresistible. "So we can beat Malfoy and his death eater friends?"
Lily couldn't reject a James with that look, nor could ever she say "no" to getting back at Malfoy. The saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" surfaced to the top of her thoughts as she looked at James. Only, this picture was worth about ten thousand words. "Fine, I'll tryout," she said with a pitying a smile.
James jumped to his feet and, accidentally knocking the napkin of food out of her hands, wrapped Lily in a huge bear hug that was so powerful, she was lifted into the air. He set her down and shooed her into her room. Once he closed her door, Lily remembered to breathe. It took her about fifteen seconds to collect herself enough to finish getting ready.
Half an hour later, Lily and James met up with Sirius and the rest of their friends in the Great Hall. Sirius looked like James had taken a bubotuber and a mandrake and combined them to make a veela. "You got her to try-out?"
"Come on, it's me!" James replied with a triumphant smile on his face. "All that was needed was a little Potter Charm and—"
"A guilt trip," Lily cut in with a tease. "So, I'm trying out. What's the big deal? I'm just here to give Heath a little confidence."
"Yeah, and you're actually good. Your coordination is impeccable!" Sirius said so sincerely, Lily felt embarrassed warmth spread from her neck to her face. "Anyways, where in Great Britain have you been, Prongs?"
"Calm down, Sirius." James motioned with the hand that wasn't shoveling food into his mouth.
"He just woke up late," Lily finished for him.
"Phew!" Sirius wiped his forehead. "I was scared for a second. I think I almost had a heart assault!"
"You mean, heart attack?" Lily said with a snort.
"You are such a drama queen, Sirius," Kat said with her signature eye roll.
"Excuse me?" Sirius started, looking offended. "I am not a girl!" he said with a you-should-have-known-that tone.
"Okay, but we have to go or we're going to be late for our own tryout!" James herded them out the door to the Quidditch pitch. They were not the first ones there, and luckily, they weren't last either.
"Lily! You came to watch me!" Heath landed and came running over to his sister leaving Mikey to talk to James and Sirius. "I was getting nervous, but I do so much better when you're watching." Heath and Lily had a very strong bond due to Petunia's hatred towards them. Lily and Petunia had once been so close, but it all changed the day Lily received her Hogwarts letter. And when Heath received his, Petunia rejected them both.
"Actually, I'm trying out," Lily smiled weakly. Heath gave Lily a confused look. "Sorry, do you not want me to?" Lily asked, worried by her brother's expression.
"No! It's not that at all. It's just that," Heath twisted his gloved hands around the handle of his broomstick, "how am I going to have a chance at making the team if you try out, too?"
"Aww, come on Heath." Lily tried to cheer him up. "You don't have anything to worry about." Lily threw her arm around her little brother, "I might be good, but you and I together are wicked! Siblings on the same team are unstoppable! It's like we're on the same channel. You'll be great!" She then gave her brother a peck on the top of his head and rustled his red hair.
"Well, I won't get the Chaser position if you're trying out. I better tryout for Seeker as well," Heath held his head high.
"Alright! Today you boys and girls have come here to tryout for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team!" The amplified voice of James Potter was heard through the pitch. Lily half expected him to crack a joke, but then she remembered James took Quidditch more seriously than anything else, which was a shame for his Charms grades. "I am James Potter—"
"And I am Sirius Black—" Sirius' voice also increased in volume.
Then together they finished with, "And we are the captains of the team."
"Isn't there supposed to be only one captain?" said a voice from the crowd of students.
"Why don't you shut your trap?" Sirius shot at the burly fourth year boy, whose face was now flushing the color of tomatoes. "Or you might find my bat-"
"Today," James cut in, "you are here to tryout for one of three positions. Chaser—"
"Beater."
"Or Seeker," Sirius and James said together.
"If you are trying out for the Chaser position, please follow me to the north end of the pitch." James said waving his arm.
"And those of you for Beater follow me to the south end of the pitch." Sirius also waved his arm.
"Those of you playing for Seeker will have to wait until we decide you're worth it and think you might have a shot," James said seriously, though Lily thought it was just an act to scare them. And as she looked around, many of the students, did look frightened. Lily laughed.
"Good Luck everyone!" Both James and Sirius concluded.
The group split. About half of the group, including Lily and Heath, followed James. A fourth of the group, including Mikey, followed Sirius. And the rest, went to the seats around the pitch to watch and wait their turn. James made them do a number of tasks and tests. They practiced catching and throwing the Quaffle. Then they played small games of three on three while James and the team's other current Chaser, Frank Longbottom, watched. Lily and Heath each scored two goals on the team's Keeper, Asher, a strong quiet fifth year, and assisted two goals: each others'.
They also had to practice dodging Bludgers, so they teamed up with the people trying out for the Beater position. Each person trying out for the Chaser position had to get past someone trying out for the Beater position. They either got a Bludger shot at them or they had to dodge someone flying straight at them without dropping the Quaffle. Mikey almost unseated Lily, but she managed to do a wobbly 360, and continue flying. Heath, on the other hand, absorbed a hard blow to the shoulder, but managed to stay on his broom.
Finally after about three hours of throws, dives, bumps, scores, and endless whispered conversations among the current team members, the people trying out were able to sit and take a break while, yet more conversing took place among James, Sirius, Frank, and Asher, hovering above the pitch. Even Lily started getting restless. The four seemed to be having a deep discussion in which they were not in agreement.
Heath, Mikey, and Lily all sat together in silence. They were all too nervous and too exhausted to speak. Mikey rubbed and rotated his shoulder. Heath laid flat on his back expressing that he felt completely unable to get through the Seeker tryout. Lily was mindlessly combing through her double knotted hair, trying to convince her brother he could do it. All three were startled when they finally heard James's voice.
"First of all, I would like to thank everyone for coming. You all have talent but there are only three spots open." James's magnified voice echoed across the pitch once again. "Please know that you should all try out again next year if you'll be here because you all showed some amount of skill. And if you are in your seventh year, please continue to play, even if it is just for fun." Lily looked around and realized she was the only seventh year among the students trying out. Though she didn't have a great desire to be on the team, her stomach sank just a bit with the failure.
"What about the Seeker tryout?" a girl called from the stands.
"We'll get there," Sirius said grumpily. "Once your name has been called, please go into the team locker room. At the end, if your name hasn't been called, you may go back to the school, and you won't have to worry about the grueling time-consuming practices, aching muscles, or early weekend practices. " Sirius assured the group. "For the open position of Beater," Sirius let the suspense rise a little. "Michael Short!" Everyone applauded, some politely, some louder. But the atmosphere was still tense.
James spoke again, "And for the open chaser position…Heath Evans!" Lily gave her brother the biggest hug she had ever given anyone, and he was beaming. She really was proud of him; she only wished that they could have been on the team together. So, not having any reason to stay, Lily grabbed her broom and made to stand up.
"For the last position, a very rare decision has been made." The words made Lily sit back down out of sheer curiosity. Everyone was holding their breath. "A very rare thing happened today," James continued. "The four of us up here had the opportunity to see a phenomenon we had only heard about. This rare thing has caused me to step down from my position as a chaser," James said regally. Lily wasn't sure where James was going with this, and she listened to the surprised whispering from those around her. "But do not fret, I shall take up the worthy position of Seeker." James inclined his head.
"Because of the sheer genius we witnessed on the pitch today, the last chaser for our team this year will be . . ." Sirius let the suspense build.
"Lily Evans!"
Lily felt her eyebrows shoot up into her hair and a smile creep across her face. "What?" Lily blushed fiercely. "But you said-"
"Come on, Evans! Locker room! Now!" James acting like a drill sergeant, descended to the grass, dismounting from his broom at the same time, so that when he landed it was already at his side, marched over to Lily, and frog marched her all the way to the locker room. Lily's mind was a mess of confusion, joy, disbelief, and wonder as she was plowed over by her tiny ecstatic brother.
"You made it! You made it!" Heath sang to his sister. "You made it! I made it! Mikey made it! –"
"You all made it. Congratulations." Their captains and teammates joined their newest team members in the locker room.
"Mikey, you've got one hell of an arm, kid! Where have you been hiding?" Sirius exclaimed as all the old members began congratulating the newcomers.
"And Lily and Heath! Wow! You two kicked arse out there! Slytherin won't stand a chance against the two of you!" Sirius was so excited he was almost bouncing off the walls.
"Yeah! Both of you were good separately, but together, you blew the rest of them out of the pitch!" James exclaimed.
"You didn't have to give up your chaser position just because of me," Lily fretted.
"No, no, no, my dearest Lily. I like playing seeker too," James grinned. "Honestly, it's best for our chances of winning if you and your brother play chaser together. You were talking about siblings being on the same channel, I think you two are legilimens experts! Add Longbottom, and the three of you will be invincible!"
"But-"
"Alright, down to business," Sirius cut Lily off. "Practice will be Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00pm until dinner."
"Also," James added, "Sunday mornings from 9:30am to 11:30am. We know it's a big commitment, but we feel we have a great chance to win this year. Longbottom, Evans, and Evans as Chasers; Black and Short as Beaters; Asher at Keeper; and yours truly as Seeker; we'll be unstoppable!"
"Alright guys and gal, hands in!" Sirius yelled putting his hand in the middle of the huddle. "'Gryffindor' on three. One…Two…THREE!"
"Gryffindor!" the entire team shouted, altogether for the very first time.
"That was so nerve-wracking! I can't believe you talked me into that," Lily laughed as she and James walked back to their dorm.
"Come on. It wasn't that bad. You were amazing. Honestly, I think this will be the best year we've ever had. You and your brother are wicked together! You'll really throw Malfoy for a loop!" James exclaimed, jumping the stairs two at a time.
"Well I'm glad you had fun," Lily shook her head as she laughed at him.
"You didn't have fun?"
"Sweet Tarts!" Lily said to Sir and Lady Zanath as they bowed and curtsied respectively from their ornate golden frame. "No, I did have fun, but what am I going to do about studying? I don't know if I'll be able to balance studying, Quidditch, and Head Girl duties…" Lily slumped into a chair in the Common Room. "And we have to come up with an amazing Halloween Ball."
"Lily, Lily, my beautiful Lily. If I can do it, so can you!" James exclaimed, trying to make her feel better.
"Nice try, but I like to actually stay awake during class," Lily said with a half tease, "and I care about the grades I receive." James set his elbows on the back of the chair and put his hands on Lily's back, massaging her tight muscles. Though she didn't want to admit it to him, it felt nice. She not only felt the soreness in her muscles melt away, but she felt calmer, safer.
Then, she came back to reality. "I need to take a shower," she stood up. "I smell!" Lily exclaimed with a giggle.
"Well I wasn't going to say anything…" James joked and Lily punched his arm. "I need to take one too."
Lily took a sniff in his direction. "You sure do!" She fanned at the air around him.
"Well, you smell just as bad as me," James said with some attitude. "I thought lilies were supposed to smell pretty!" And James ran up the stairs.
Lily ran after him shouting, "You take that back, James Potter!"
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