A/N: From this chapter on I will keep calling Rose 'Dora' to avoid confusion.
Chapter 3
Dora had been in the year 1975 for two weeks now and she was slowly settling in. She had found friends in all houses apart from Slytherin. She often sat in the library with Lily, Remus or Becky to study or could be found on the Quidditch pitch with Sharon, where they trained together for the tryouts. From Hufflepuff she had struck up a friendship with Matthew Abbott and Ruth Diggory when they were assigned partners for a project in potions.
It was the weekend again and tryouts for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team would take place this Saturday. Dora didn't have her own broom but Matthew, who was the Hufflepuff's keeper, lent her his broom for tryouts. Dumbledore had promised to buy Dora her own broom if she made the team.
On Saturday morning Dora and Sharon sat nervously at the breakfast table and picked listlessly at their food. Becky who was sitting with them only rolled her eyes in annoyance and shooed them off to the Quidditch pitch.
When they arrived the rest of last year's team was already waiting with some other hopeful boys. They actually were the only girls to even try to make the team.
"So you are determined to embarrass yourselves?" Harper sneered.
The other boys were looking down on them or at least doubtful as well. Dora and Sharon only glared angrily at Harper.
"Can we start or do we have to listen to your rants first?" Sharon asked annoyed.
"Alright if everyone is here we can begin" Robert McKinnon the captain of the team called. "I want everyone to fly two laps around the pitch!"
Immediately everyone mounted their brooms and kicked off. Most of them had no problems following his order since this was only the warm up, but two second years who had decided to try their luck couldn't keep up with the others and one nearly fell off his broom in his effort to keep up with the others.
"Ok, as you probably know, we need a new keeper and two new chasers. You will go up in groups of three together with me while the others watch. Two of you will try to score together with me while the other will try to protect the hoops, understood?" McKinnon explained.
"Good, now everyone who wants to be a chaser to the right and the keepers to the left, please" he ordered them.
Sharon went to the right to the chasers while Dora went to the left to the other keepers.
"Lost your way, Granger? Chasers are on the right. You are on the left" a sixth year taunted.
Dora gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the taunts and jeers of her peers. She would show them she was better at Qudditch than all of them, she thought. She had often played Quidditch with her many cousins at home and she knew she was good.
Dora and Sharon had to wait for a long time. They were in the last group to go up together with the second year that had nearly fallen off his broom earlier. Eventually they got their chance and they took to the air to take their positions. The shots of the second year were no challenge for Dora but McKinnon and Sharon made a good team and she had to put in an effort to catch all the Quaffles thrown at the hoops.
When all were back on the ground, McKinnon looked around and called the beaters and the seeker of the team over to him to consult with them. When he had reached a decision he turned back to them.
"Baker, Casey, Davies, Granger, Martin, Wilson, you will stay. The others can go" he said.
"Baker to the goals, Davies and Martin with me" he then ordered.
Dora watched her competitor carefully. He fared quite well against Martin but Sharon managed to score some goals against him. McKinnon was content to watch them and occasionally play a few passes with them. At the end he made five shots himself of which Baker was only able to save two.
Then it was Dora's turn. Casey again was no big challenge for her but Wilson was really good. In the end she was only able to save four of McKinnon's shots.
Again the captain discussed his decision with his teammates and this time they seemed to disagree. In the end it was his decision and the others had to comply.
"Baker, Casey and Martin, maybe you will make it next time. Davies, Granger, Wilson, welcome to the team" he announced looking grim.
"Yes, we made it!" Sharon exclaimed and hugged Dora exuberantly. Dora hugged her back, both grinning happily and ignored the scowling boys.
"Our first training will be on Tuesday. Don't be late" McKinnon warned them and left with the rest of his team.
Still beaming they made their way up to the Ravenclaw common room. On their whole way there they talked about the teams of the other houses and their chances to win the Quidditch cup this year.
"Hogwart's best chasers are James Potter and Sirius Black from Gryffindor but the best seeker is Regulus Black, Sirius' younger brother from Slytherin" Sharon informed her new friend.
"Who are the other seekers?" Dora asked.
"Amos Diggory is Hufflepuff's and Samuel Vance, Emmeline's baby brother is Gryffindor's seeker" the blonde Ravenclaw answered.
They entered the common room and went over to the table occupied by Becky who was doing her homework. The prefect noticed them and looked up.
"How did it go? Did you make it?" she inquired.
"Yes, we both made it. You should have seen their faces" Sharon laughed.
"Two girls on the Qudditch team! The boys aren't happy at all but we were simply the best!" Dora grinned not even pretending to be modest.
"Congratulations!" Becky said smiling.
"I wish I could write to my parents and tell them about it" Dora said, growing sad.
Sharon and Becky lay their arms around her in a supportive gesture.
"I'm sure your parents would be proud of you" Becky said.
"Yes, Dad would certainly be proud. He always loved playing Quidditch. It was one of the few things Mum never understood" Dora remembered wistfully.
"Come on, you need something to cheer you up" Sharon said. "We will now go take a nice shower and afterwards the three of us will spend the rest of the day gossiping. No work, no sad thoughts, just having fun."
"And what about my homework?" Becky complained.
Oh come on, they can wait for one day. It's Saturday, you can finish them tomorrow" Sharon replied and dragged Dora behind her to their dorm.
Mary and Lynn weren't there, so they had the room to themselves. They both had a quick shower, put on their most comfortable clothes and then set together on Sharon's bed. Becky had really put away her books for the day and joined them on the bed.
"Now we will tell you all about the juicy gossip here at Hogwarts", Sharon exclaimed excitedly.
"Can't we talk about something other than gossip that's mostly wrong anyway?" Becky complained.
"So you don't want to know that Robert McKinnon is single again?" Sharon asked innocently.
"Sharon!" Becky cried embarrassed and blushed.
"You like McKinnon, Becky? You should have come watch our tryouts after all" Dora said amused.
"Did you know that Sharon's last boyfriend was no other than the one and only Sirius Black?" Becky retaliated.
"No. Sharon, you were with Black? When? Why? How?" Dora wanted to know.
"It was last year and only for a week. He is really hot but sadly a total ass. He's intelligent but completely immature, always pulling pranks with Potter and bullying the Slytherins. Not that the Slytherins are innocent victims, they are just as bad in their own way" Sharon replied.
"What's so bad about the Slytherins? I noticed the other houses are all avoiding them" Dora played her role as the new, ignorant girl.
"That's because most of them are future Death Eaters", Becky answered curtly.
"Hey! We said no serious topics today" Sharon reminded them.
"Not even Sirius Black?" Dora joked.
"That's a really bad joke you know?" remarked Sharon.
"Yes, I know. I just wanted to change the topic" Dora said.
"Does that mean you are interested in discussing Black further?" Becky asked grinning mischievously.
"What do you want to know? He's an extremely rich, handsome pureblood and the only Gryffindor in his entire family of Slytherins. His best friends are James Potter and Remus Lupin. He's a complete ass but he knows how to kiss. His ego has grown with his number of girlfriends and if you ask me he has had entirely too many of them" Sharon listed.
"So he's a playboy and you fell for his tricks?" Dora summarized.
"Yes" her blond friend answered regretfully.
"Now you have to tell us something about you, too" Becky said to Dora.
"Alright, my full name is Dora Rose Granger, my favourite book is 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen, my favourite subject is Ancient Runes and I'm deadly afraid of spiders" Dora told them.
"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" Sharon asked curiously.
"No, I was always too caught up in studying" Dora replied honestly.
"Don't worry we will help you find your Mr. Darcy" Sharon said excitedly.
"It's time for dinner. Let's go down to the Great Hall" Becky suggested.
Dora and Sharon instantly agreed because they had missed lunch. They quickly changed their clothes and went down for dinner together. As they reached the table Dora and Sharon got some nasty looks from the boys who hadn't made the Qudditch team that morning. News apparently travelled fast in Hogwarts because they got some curious looks from the other houses, too. Black and Potter even came over to talk to them.
"Hey Davies, Granger, I heard you made the Quidditch team. Your house must be pretty desperate to let you girls play with the big boys. Sure you can handle us?" Black asked patronisingly.
Dora had endured the taunts and jeers from her own housemates the whole morning and now her Weasley-temper finally broke through. She glared at Black angrily.
"Shut up, Black! You won't be so cheeky anymore when you've lost against our team" she rounded up on him.
"I'm shaking with fear" he mocked her. "I bet you would go flying with the Quaffle through the hoops if you tried to catch one of the Quaffles I throw at you."
Dora was now standing right in front of him and poked her finger repeatedly into his chest. She was only a few inches smaller than him and didn't have to look up to him to gaze into his bright blue eyes. Her own brown eyes were flashing angrily.
"Merlin, you are a real macho. I have no idea how Sharon could ever like you. Just because we are girls doesn't mean we are week! One more stupid comment from you and I will hex you into next week!"
"Oh, don't be like that. I wouldn't mind to let you ride my broom" Black said completely ignoring her warning, grinning boldly and winked at her.
That was too much for Dora. She gave him a disgusted look and slapped him hard across his face in the middle of the Great Hall where everyone was watching them intently. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were now coming their way to stop their fight from escalating.
"Mr. Black, Miss Granger! Ten points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw! Follow me to my office" Professor McGonagall told them.
Resigned they followed her and Professor Flitwick to her office. James and Sharon watched them go with sympathy but made no move to follow them. Professor McGonagall's lectures were legendary and nothing you listened to of your own free will.
In Professor McGonagall's office she told them to sit while she took her seat behind her desk. Professor Flitwick remained standing – not that it made much difference.
"Miss Granger, may I ask what prompted you to resort to physical violence against a fellow student?" she demanded sharply.
"With all due respect Professor, it was his own fault. He was making stupid comments about girls and Quidditch and I warned him I would hex him if he didn't shut up but obviously that was too much to ask, so I slapped him" Dora explained without any remorse. Normally she would have felt bad for getting into trouble but she couldn't regret her actions this time. "And don't tell me I have to put up with his chauvinistic behaviour, Professor."
"No, you do not Miss Granger. Still, violence is no acceptable solution for any problem so you will serve detention with me tomorrow evening. You can stop grinning Mr. Black, you will keep Miss Granger company. I was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team myself and I can assure you, women can play just as well as men" she said coldly.
Black looked sheepishly down on his shoes. He obviously had great respect for his head of house and now he had managed to affront her. Serves him right, Dora thought.
"You may go" Professor McGonagall dismissed them. "Remember, tomorrow 7 pm in my office. Do not be late."
Dora went up to Ravenclaw tower where Sharon and Becky were already waiting for her.
"Seems we've found your Mr. Darcy" Sharon whispered into her ear and quickly disappeared into the bathroom.
Dora could only stare after her, completely stunned.
TheLaurax: I will try to update once a week.
huflepuff girl14: I'm glad you like it.