Her name is pronounced Keer-a. It's an Irish name and can also be pronounced Kee-ar-a, but I prefer the flow of Keer-a Cooke!
Oliver Wood scanned the group of people who had come to tryouts this year. He had opened all positions in an attempt to find the best possible team, and there were far more hopefuls then normal.
His eyes fell on a girl standing with a group of third years. She was just shorter then most of them and held a beater's bat in her right hand and a well-polished Nimbus in her left. She was clearly a first year, but Oliver ignored this and blew a whistle to call them in for his speech. He noticed the girl furrow her brow and tilt her head slightly as she listened.
Although the spots were technically open, Oliver realised that most of Gryffindor accepted that the twins would reclaim their positions. As a result, the Weasleys were set against a tiny second year boy and the slightly taller brown haired girl. He almost laughed at the unfairness of this match up.
He sent the two teams into the sky for a game. Alicia grabbed the quaffle as soon as it was thrown. Wood chose not to watch her, instead focusing on the potential of newer players. He watched Fred aim a bludger at his teammate but, before it made contact, the first year had shot in and fired it towards an opposing chaser. Fred nodded, impressed, before shooting off to find another to hit.
Oliver couldn't take his eyes off the female beater. She flew with an air that rarely graced the Hogwart's pitch. The chasers on her team remained virtually unharmed, which was a miracle considering the twins had been battering them all game and the second year could hardly keep hold of his bat.
Finally, Wood saw the twins gear up for their special move. They hit the bludger together with impeccable timing, resulting in a knock-out blow when it made contact. The ball shot straight towards the small beater, who dropped elegantly into a sloth roll, before returning the second bludger to the twins. It hit the tails of both their broomsticks, knocking them crooked and sending them spinning. The girl smiled to herself and saluted the twins, who grinned and saluted her back.
"CIARA COOKE!" All play was stopped as McGonagall's voice boomed across the pitch, "COME DOWN HERE IMMEDIATELY."
The Gryffindors watched as the brown haired girl groaned and began to drift slowly to the ground.
"What made you think you could ignore me? I told you first years cannot try out for the team!" The professor shouted.
The girl made a face, "I just want to play quidditch. And Harry Potter got to, didn't he?"
"That was DIFFERENT." She hissed, "Back to house- I'll see you in detention tomorrow."
Ciara was marched off the pitch by the professor, complaining, "How is it different? He hadn't even picked up a broomstick before he came. The stupid flying lessons here are for babies."
Wood laughed, knowing he had thought the same in first year, and called in the game.
"She's a first year?" The twins asked in unison.
"Our shots should have flattened her!" Fred exclaimed.
"She's got guts risking McGonagall's wrath." George said.
Wood wasn't listening to any of it. He was thinking about the fluidity in Ciara's flight and judgment that usually only came from years of experience. Had he not had the twins, he too would have risked more then McGonagall's wrath to have the girl play on his team.
