The next morning I'm out the door of my room in teachers quarters at exactly six once again. Today was going to be a long day and I have to get a head start if I want to get everything done. Making my way to the library I quickly search for some books on Quidditch and the Keeper Position. After all if I was being forced to try out I may as well learn the terminology. I still don't want to fly, no feet belong on firmly the floor. In fact reading up on it is part of my coping method for the tryouts. I end up staying in the library until breakfast. Standing from my table I walk slower than normal to get to breakfast, I don't want to fly. Every other thought keeps trailing back to the fact I don't want to fly. When I finally take my seat by Draco he's going on and on about the tryouts and how his father got a special present for the Slytherin team.
"Lotus, How are you not excited?" With a glare in his direction I respond icily, "It seems you fail to remember that I had no intention of trying out for anything, nor had I shown any interest before you insisted I try out." I watch him shiver back and can't help the smirk that forms on my face as he responds back in a quiet voice "You know, you can tell who your father is when you act like that." With that he stood and put on a cheery smile "We better get out to the pitch before we're late." Following him out to the pitch we watch as Marcus announces "The only position currently available is for Keepers, Anyone who hasn't been told they have a spot already can try out for it. Know to cut out anyone who won't be good for the spot…"
Before anyone knew what was going on he and the other guaranteed members including Draco sent curse after curse at the rest of us. Ducking to the ground and dodging my mind reels. It's a test, if we can avoid multiple spells at close range we should have enough dexterity to block the quaffle. I almost decide to purposely get hit so I don't have to try out but watching a kid I vaguely recall being called Bletchley cough up bugs I decided against it. Just as abruptly as it started it stopped and Marcus was smiling "Well it looks like we have three finalist. Looking to my sides I see a boy that looks just a little older than me and a boy who was probably a sixth or seventh year. "Now we'll do individual tests." I watched as the each went up and the team threw quaffle after quaffle at the hoops making it until they ran out. "42 out of 60, so about two out of every three. Next." The other boy went up with 29 out of 60 before being cut. It was finally my turn. Mounting my broom I flew up to the first hoop and when they started I purposely missed every single quaffle before saying "Oh. it's a shame. Seems I'm not cut out for this." Marcus simply gave me a sloppy smirk as he pulled out a familiar book. It was my copy of Potions for Teenage Witches. One of the first things I ever received from Father, my blood was boiling. I don't know how he got ahold of it but I would make him regret it. Immediately reaching for my wand to get my book back Marcus laughs "If you so much as reach for your wand any more I'll burn your book to a crisp with a simple incendio. Now, actually try." Seeing red I fl up to the goal hoops. "57 out of 60, I think we have our new keeper." He tossed my book into the air and I immediately dived for it while drawing my wand momentarily forgetting my fear of flying as I repeat the spell Incendio that he had mentioned watching with a sickening glee as the boy screamed out as his hand caught flame before jumping from my broom. Clutching my book I hold back my tears as I let my fury take over. "Don't ever threaten to torch my things again or there will be hell to pay." I can feel my magic cracking around me and I have all I can do to rein it in. Looking at Marcus I see him clutching his hand and I can't help but feel disgusted with myself, I had never harmed anyone before and even worse I had liked how it made me feel powerful.
Pushing away my awful thoughts I say in a forced cheerfulness, "Now get over here so I can put some burn cream on that." Opening up my bag II pull out several vials before I come to the one labeled Burn Paste. I had taken to carrying around at least one vial of all the useful potions I could brew. Besides with a shrinking charm and feather light charm go a long way to making it so I could basically carry however many things I wanted to. But I'm getting away from the point. Popping the cork out of the vial I tip it over and get a generous amount before putting it on Marcus's hand. "Lotus?" he questioned and I responded with a simple "Yes?"
"Why do you hate the idea of playing for our team so much?" For a second I was truly shocked and I know he saw it pass over my features. "I don't dislike the idea of playing for the Slytherin Team, I love our house." He quipped back almost immediately "Then how come you don't want to be our Keeper?" Sighing I mutter "As hard as it is for someone like yourself to understand not everyone likes flying on a broom." His eyes widen for a second before he responds "You're afraid of flying." Lightly smacking him upside the head I mutter "Not so loud." He nods before saying "You have to admit though, you're still really good, We could use you on our team." It takes me a second to realise he's offering me a way out before I snap at him "Of course I'm going to do it, You Blackmailed me to perfection and that's something I can respect." In a harsher tone I continue "But if you ever so much as try it again you'll end up with much worse than a burn and I most certainly be healing it after."
With a grin Marcus called out to the rest of the team "We meet up tomorrow at the same time for practice, you're all dismissed." With that we walked as a group into the great hall. Eating quickly I leave for the teachers common room. After all I got to meet the other ghosts today. I couldn't wait. Other than Cuthbert I hadn't seen many of them since I came , I had seen Nearly Headless nick at the Gryffindor Table once or twice but had never talked to him and I had Seen the Bloody Baron Once During the Sorting feast. I was beyond excited and ended up making it there in record time.
"Ah, Lotus, I thought you might end up a little early." Cuthbert said in place of a greeting. With a grin I respond " But of course I'm early, how could I not be with such a spectacular gift to look forward to?" We end up walking corridor after corridor until eventually we come to a room in the dungeons. "I invited all the ghosts to come, a little note though, it's considered very rude to ask how someone died." With a nod of my head he floats through the door and I follow after opening it for myself.
Inside countless ghosts mil about and I can't help the huge grin on my face, I mean imagine all the knowledge from times before my own that they must contain. Imagine all the dirty little secrets that still affect us today, or could shatter someone's own beliefs. Cuthbert motion me forward into the group and starts to introduce ghost after ghost. I'm completely lost with how many of the names I recognize from my History of Magic coursework. Other's I've never even heard of. Eventually I find myself talking to a group of "young" ghosts that must have died earlier on in life. Elizabeth and Eliza were twins who seemed just as close as the weasleys. There was also Daiman the Devious, or so he called himself, A bright girl named Catherine, and a grinning boy who was named Leon. Elizabeth and Eliza had realised I wasn't going to ask how they died and It led to them telling me about it.
"You see once upon a time, e all went to hogwarts together. This was way back when the founders were still alive, in fact each of us was the pupil of each of the founders. Eliza and I where the pupils to Helga Hufflepuff, Leon to Godric Gryffindor, Damian to Salazar Slytherin, and last but not least Catherine to Rowena Ravenclaw. Back when we started school the forbidden Forest was just known as the forest. In fact our deaths were what made it so forbidden. You see we all got into a competition to see which house was the greatest, we were only mere 5th years and we thought we could do anything, after all we where pupils to the founders themselves."
At this point Eliza takes over the story "We each swore we would not return until we had finished a scavenger hunt of sorts, We each needed to get the hair of a unicorn, The hoofprint of a centaur, A hippogriff feather and a Thestrals tear. We each had to went our own ways to collect the items. But none of us came back the same. We each had gotten two of four things before our luck ran out. So here we are now."
Damian Grunted out "More like, Here we've been for what feels like forever." Leon mock whispered, "He's just having that time of the month." In an exasperated tone Damian replied "For the last time, Males don't get that time of the month and I'm not a lycanthrope either. So why don't you stop being annoying for once." Catherine grinned "You two know you argue like a married couple." Both boy's turned with a humph and I couldn't help but laugh. They all turned to me as if they had forgotten I was still standing there.
"Man, I hope when I die I'm this energetic and interesting." With that we all dissolve into giggles. I wonder why not many of the ghosts ever venture to the more frequented parts of the castle. Not realizing I had said it out loud I got answered by Cathrine, "Why meet people and grow attached to them when a mere seven years later we'll likely never see them again?" Damian chipped in "It gets frustrating and makes us upset" With as bright a smile I can pull of I respond "Well, I just so happen to be a ward of Hogwarts, so I'll definitely be here for more than seven years."
Shortly after we parted when it was time for dinner and so I left with a wave and a promise that I would visit them again. Heading up to the great hall I feel exhausted after everything that happened so I eat quickly before heading up to our dorms with Daphnee. We talk about the plans for the study group for a few minutes before she sends me to bed after my second yawn even though I insisted I wasn't tired. Overall, Today had been a pretty good day.