The long awaited Quidditch Tryout results...

Chapter 32:

James and Sirius spent the rest of the day waiting anxiously for the results. They sat in the common room doing their homework but kept glancing at the notice board as if the results might have magically appeared. Remus laughed at them, "I thought you said they were putting them up tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I know but…" Sirius began.

Remus continued laughing happily. The pretty blonde girl, Renee walked passed them on her way to the dormitory. She waved happily at James. He smiled back. Once she was out of ear shot he turned to Remus and Sirius, "I definitely need to end things with Rachel."

"Who was that?" Remus asked.

"I met her this morning. She's a fourth year. Renee Arteage. Not only is she hot but she can play Quidditch which just adds a whole new level of hotness."

Sirius and Remus laughed gently at James' words, until Sirius thought back to the Leona Hunter. "I know what you mean… did you see Leona Hunter hit that bludger earlier? That was HOT! She's tiny but man can she play…"

It was James' turn to laugh.

"I might have to get to know Hunter a bit better," Sirius winked.

Nancy spent a lovely day with her siblings and the Potters. Mr Flitwick had returned to the school after his coffee. Doreen and Cynthia told Nancy all about the fun they were having with Mr and Mrs Potter. They told her all about Mippy the baby house-elf. They gave her a tour of the house, pulling her along by the hand. They seemed really at home with the Potters, Nancy noticed. Mrs Potter had arranged a lovely meal for them all and after dinner Cynthia went up the stairs with Missy the house-elf for her bath. Doreen sat on her sister's lap playing with her hair, "are you and Thia happy?"

"Yes, Nancy. We've had so much fun this week."

"Good," Nancy smiled, hugging her sister tightly. Twenty minutes later, Cynthia walked back into the room in her pyjamas. Her hair was wet. "Will you plat it Nancy?" She yarned, "like mummy does?"

"Of course, Thia," Nancy smiled. Doreen made her way upstairs for her own bath. Nancy brushed Thia's hair and began to plat it. When it was finished, Nancy gave Thia a big hug as Milly the house-elf walked into the room holding a tray of hot chocolates. Thia went and grabbed herself a drink before sitting in her sister's lap, "will you tell me a story, Nancy?"

"What story?" Nancy asked.

"The wizard and the hopping pot," Thia said, happily.

Nancy laughed, "I don't think I know that one."

"Dorea does!" Thia smiled.

"Dorea, would you mind telling us the story?" Nancy asked.

"I'd be delighted," Dorea replied, handing Nancy a mug of hot chocolate. Charlus grabbed a drink himself and they all sat together around the fire to hear the story. Dorian took a sip of his drink, smiling for the first time since he had heard the news.

"Well, there once was an old man with a very special pot. He was a very generous man and so he used his pot to brew potions and antidotes for other people when they needed his help. When he died he left all his belongings to his only son, who was nowhere near as nice, or kind as his father and was a little dim-witted when it came to magic." Dorea began. Doreen walked in as the story was beginning and quickly sat on the floor talking a mug of hot chocolate.

"The son found the pot amongst his father's possessions with a single slipper inside it, together with a note from his father that read; "in the fond hope, my son, that you will never need this." Bitter from having been left nothing more than a pot, and being something of a muggle hater, the son closed the door on every person who asked for his help. The first person was an old woman whose granddaughter was plagued with warts. He closed the door on the old woman, and heard a clacking in the kitchen." Doreen laughed expectantly. Dorea smiled at the girls, "He looks at the pot and realises that it has grown a foot and a case of warts. The next person who knocked on his door, asking for help was an old man, whose donkey was lost. The man needed the donkey so that he could go to the market to fetch food for his starving family. The son closed the door on him too and the pot starts making sounds like a donkey." Thia made donkey noises, "that's right Cynthia – just like that – then one day a young woman comes sobbing to the door, hoping for a cure for her sick baby. Again, the son ignores her pleas and shuts the door in her face. This happed several more times, until the son finally gives up and calls all the neighbours to offer them help. As the people's troubles fade away, the pot empties, until at last out pops the mysterious slipper – on that perfectly fits the foot of the now-quiet pot, and together the two walk off into the sunset."

Nancy laughed at the story, "I've never heard a wizards' fairytale before."

"If I'm honest, that's not the way I was told it as a child. That's how the Potter family tell it – it's closer to the original story. I was always told a story about how the muggles attacked and the pot gobbles them up." Thia and Doreen laughed, "Before I married Charlus, I was a Black. Purebloods tell the fairytales very differently. Of course the Potter's are pure bloods too but they are different. Very different." Dorea said, patting her husband's hand.

When her younger siblings went to bed Nancy sat down with Mr and Mrs Potter to discuss her options, "I don't know what's best."

"You don't need to decide yet," Mr Potter replied.

"Not all wizarding families are like you though. Mrs Potter, you said it yourself most purebloods don't like muggles and the sure as hell don't like muggle-borns."

"Yes but there are plenty of wizarding families who aren't like that." Dorea smiled. "Us, the Prewetts, the Weasleys, the McKinnons, the Longbottoms, the list goes on… by the way dear, call me Dorea. I can't be doing with Mrs Potter all the time."

Nancy nodded thoughtfully.

"We have been thinking," Mr Potter said, "now I work a lot but Dorea hasn't worked since she finished teaching at Hogwarts. Your sisters could live here for the next eight months or whatever it is until you finish school. Dorea can take them to school and help them with their homework. This house has plenty of space. You could spend your holidays with us here if you want… it's just an option. It would mean that the girls aren't being thrown from one home to the next…"

"I'll think about it," Nancy smiled, nodding her head gently.

"They really are amazingly well behaved," Dorea said kindly.

"Thank you," Nancy replied.

Sirius and James sat in the common room by the fire waiting for one of the Quidditch team to post the results. They both pretended to read their textbooks but James was tapping his foot impatiently and Sirius was tapping his fingers on his armchair and scanning the room every two minutes. Just before lunch, Astrix walked down the stairs with Etta, Cynthia and Rob and pinned up the results;

The Gryffindor Quidditch Team 1972:

Keeper: Etta Nixon

Beaters: Rob Calloway, Sirius Black

Chasers: Cynthia Keeney, James Potter, Renee Arteage

Seeker: Astrix Alixate (Captain)

James and Sirius high-fived each other before making their way down to lunch.

Please review...

all the things I promised last chapter will happen in the next... lol...