After the first week Erin was exhausted, but she made the effort to get some more sleep before Saturday afternoon, when Harry decided to hold tryouts. There were a lot of people in the stands to watch from all the houses. Ginny, Luna, and Mira were all sitting together. Mira was really attempting to get to know the girls and be friendly. The other Slytherins didn't understand, but Draco told them to back off her, surprisingly. It was probably because he thought she was on a mission and didn't want the other Slytherins to mess it up. Kaeli was actually there with Dean and Louisa, but Draco wasn't. It wasn't often you saw the two apart, but today she was alone.
Down on the field the Gryffindors trying out was finishing up giving Hermione their names as to what they were trying out for and she was writing them all down on the clipboard. Harry was getting them all called to silence and wasn't having a hard time when Hermione shouted. "Quiet!" When everyone was quiet she nodded to Harry. "Go ahead."
"Er, thanks," he said. "Okay, well, you all know why we're here. We're going to do these tryouts in an orderly fashion. Now, I want those who are trying out for Keeper to come forward." About 4 guys came forward. "You will each be in the goals for 5 shots each. Those trying out for Chaser will try to shoot on you. Chasers? Over on this side. Those trying out for back-up Seeker to the left and those trying out for Beaters on the right." He said moving them off to the different groups. "Now, you know I've been appointed to be Quidditch Captain this year, I'd like you to meet the Team Manager, Hermione Granger. I will name Assistant Captain at the end of tryouts when I tell you who made the team and who didn't, just because you were on the team last year, doesn't not mean you'll make it this year, now, we'll do some stretches. Katie? Would you like to lead them in stretches?"
"Sure," she said moving from the Chasers group.
They all stretched loosening up before Hermione looked confused over the names. "Stop! We have a problem!" Hermione showed Harry the list and Harry groaned.
"Everyone not a Gryffindor OFF THE FIELD!" he yelled. Several people giggling hurried off. Hermione was striking off names in annoyance. The giggling turned into screams as several burst into flame. "Erin." Harry said.
She just shrugged. "No one can prove I did anything."
He sighed a little. "Okay, we're going to go in groups to see how you fly. First off Chasers, come forward." Erin was with that group. She was trying for all of the positions on Harry's hopeful look. She was, but informed him that he wasn't allowed to ask her for anything else for the rest of the year, which he happily agreed. The first group that started flying were first years, who had never been on brooms in their life. It was quite obvious. They were asked to leave the pitch after that. Then a group of giggling girls came up, which weren't much better. Harry had to pull Erin to him by her waist to distract her from causing their robes to combust as well. The girls didn't realize the danger because they were giving Erin some pretty scathing looks. To further exacerbate the problem Erin kissed Harry right there in front of everyone. Hermione cleared her throat. "All right, you two, I think they get the point." She tapped her clipboard.
The fourth group that went had a pile up halfway around the pitch. After seeing everyone fly they were down by more than half. They started the real tryouts. By the end of two hours Harry was sick of complaints, tantrums, collisions, broken teeth, and girls flirting with him, but he had three Chasers, Katie Bell, Demelza Robins, a girl who was quite adept at dodging bludgers, and Erin, who was quite good, although she had taken Jimmy Peake's bat from him at one point and clobbered the hell out one of the bludgers. Before that Harry was on the fence about Jimmy, after Jimmy was hitting the bludger just like Erin had. It went a long way in helping Harry decide. Ritchie Coote was also a new addition as a Beater. It had been a close call between Ron and Cormack McLaggen for Keeper, but Ron saved one more quaffle than Cormack. Cormack was asked to be an alternate for the Keeper position, while he was angry at not making Keeper, he readily accepted. And Dean Thomas accepted the alternate for a Chaser. Both Cormack and Dean would come to practice. Ginny was also on the docket for after Christmas break if she had had the baby by then. She could be an alternate and come to practices. She was very happy about that. She would have been on the team this year if she hadn't been pregnant.
After tryouts the four of them got changed and heading down to Hagrid's. The others wanted to apologize for not taking his class, but Hagrid wasn't upset. He enjoyed having the small class with the students that were so enthusiastic. Erin had told them all about it and they agreed they probably should've taken the class, but they were learning a lot in Ghoul Studies as well. Erin wasn't sure, she was actually a little bored in Ghoul Studies, but tried not to show it. Hagrid showed them in when they got there, telling them all about class, even though they'd heard about it from Erin. They all listened politely and accepted the tea and rock cakes he gave them.
They weren't sure they actually believed that class was that great, seeing as they knew Hagrid and everything he had done to them in class before. There was a large barrel full of grubs in the corner. "Ha!" Ron said without thinking. "I knew you were making it all up! That's what you're doing in class, aren't you! Admit it!"
Erin rolled her eyes. "Ron, I have not even stretched the truth. We are really going out into the Forest and sketching and observing the creatures found there. They're all in my field book. If you looked at it you would see that. Or ask Kaeli and Dean. They'll show you theirs, or Louisa. They are all in the class as well. I have no idea what the grubs are for."
"She's right, Ron," Hagrid said. "They're not fer class, they're fer Aragog…he's dying I think…" He cleared his throat wiping at his eyes. "He got ill this summer. An' he's not getting' better."
"Is there anything we can do about it?" Hermione asked.
"No, 'sides, his family's actin' peculiar now. Don't trust anyone to go there 'sides me, o' course."
Erin got up and hugged him tightly as far as her arms could go around him, which wasn't far obviously. He accepted the hug from her wrapping her up in his large arms. They could tell Hagrid really needed a hug right now. Hermione had spotted a framed photograph on a small table and got up to look at it finding it was a picture of Hagrid holding a small child…well, with Hagrid he looked small, but he would have been quite large. "Hagrid? Who is this?"
He looked up letting Erin go and wiping his eyes. "Oh, that…it's…well…it's my son."
"Your son?" they all looked surprised.
"Yes…me an' Olympe got together while in France…and well she had little Wulfric back at the beginnin' of January. He was early an' we were both scared he wouldn't live, but he did. He's growing like a weed. He lives in France with his mum. He's gonna come an' see me soon though. Right excited about that." They could see a deep pride in him for his son. "I can't wait fer you to meet him."
"Well, we can't wait to meet him either." Erin said.
Hermione nodded. This kid would probably be better than meeting his brother.
They talked until dusk and they all went in for dinner. They could smell roast beef drifting out before they even got in there. They were stopped by Professor Slughorn though. "Harry! Erin! Just who I wanted to see! I was wondering if you two might join me for a little dinner in my rooms? Oh and Miss Granger too, of course!" He smiled.
"Oh, er…" Harry began.
"There will be others there too. Kaeli and Dean Monson along with Louisa McCormack, Blaise Zabini…what do you say?"
"Well, all right." Hermione said.
Ron scowled. "Wonderful! Wonderful! I'll see you there in just a little while." Slughorn said before going to intercept someone else. Ron just glared at them before plunking himself down at the table and began eating. The three of them sighed before going out and meeting up with Ginny, who was going there as well.
Slughorn had actually beat them there. "Welcome! Welcome!" Zabini and the Monson twins were already seated. Cormack was there too. Louisa came in just behind them and they all took seats. "Now, Miss Lyancomp…" he said to Ginny, "You and your cousin—"
"Oh, no, it's Mrs. Lyancomp." Ginny told him without a hint of shame. "I'm married to Erin's cousin Donovan."
"Oh…oh…" he said as if things cleared in his mind. "I see. Well, then, MRS. Lyancomp and Miss Black, you two are very close, I would assume."
"Yes, Erin is one of my very best friends." Ginny nodded. She could only say that about a handful of other people now. Her list of friends had grown awfully small this year: A few Gryffindors, a few Hufflepuffs, a few Ravenclaws, and a two Slytherins. Most of her old friends had deserted her when they found out she was pregnant. This year was hard enough for her being OWL's year, but that on top of everything else made her a bit depressed. She had Erin and Hermione and Luna though, they were at the top of her friend's list. Mira was getting to be a pretty good friend as well the more she got to know her.
The rest of dinner went relatively smoothly and they were back in the Gryffindor Common Room before they knew it. Erin was already tuckered out, but stayed up with Harry as he told her about his meeting with Dumbledore the previous night. He had seen in the pensieve about Voldemort's mother and her family, the Gaunts. They had a ring that Voldemort had made into a Horcrux. They were descended from Salazar Slytherin, and it was pretty obvious that inbreeding was not a good thing. "I thought you would have realized that a long time ago with Crabbe and Goyle." She said chuckling.
"Which memory is that from?" He asked.
"Oh, a number of them…mostly yours, Hermione's, and Ron's though. It's strange remembering the same memory from three or more different perspectives. Gets a little confusing."
"Yeah…I wish we hadn't of had to do that."
"Me too, but it's how things are. At least we're still alive. Everything else can be worked on."