Quidditch
Trials
Held
Friday Afternoon
4
pm
See
Madam Hooch for Details
Ginny Weasley re-read the sign twice, a thought taking
root in her head. Katie Bell
was out with an injury she received over the summer.
Gryffindor needed a new Chaser.
She should do it. She
could do it, she had had experience enough playing with her brothers
for the past fifteen years. Biting
her lip, she decided to meet Madam Hooch.
“Well, Ginny. I
certainly am surprised. Never
thought you would have any interest in Quidditch, other than as a spectator,”
Madam Hooch looked over at the young redhead sitting across from her
in her office.
“To be honest, Madam Hooch, I think I could be a good
Chaser. I just need the chance,”
Ginny replied, inwardly rolling her eyes.
Why did it always seem as if no one ever have any faith in her?
“Well, of course it will be up to the co-captains and
the rest of the Gryffindor team, which shouldn’t be too difficult, considering
that three of them are your brothers.”
Ginny’s heart plummeted.
Her brothers would most likely have a fit, when they see her
trying out. They will be her
biggest obstacle to get past.
“Well, there’s nothing left to do but wish you good
luck and we’ll see you on the pitch Friday for tryouts,” Madam Hooch
said, shuffling papers on her desk and looking at Ginny expectantly.
“There’s uh, one more thing, Madam. Could you possibly not mention this
to my brothers? They seem to
be a bit overprotective when it comes to me,” Ginny asked, holding her
breath. Overprotective was an understatement. Those gits are always doing something to annoy
her; such as insist that they know her whereabouts at all times. They’d been like that ever since Voldemort’s
return to power. Her parents
were even worse, making her owl them at least twice a week. Ginny supposed it was because of what happened during her first
year, when the Dark Lord had used her to re-open the Chamber of Secrets,
but she had grown up so much more since then.
If Madam Hooch was surprised at her question, she hid her expression well. “Uh, sure, Ginny. I won’t say a word.”
Ginny finally smiled.
“Thanks, Madam.”
********************
That night in the Gryffindor common room, the students
were in an uproar. “We’ve got
to get a new Chaser!” shouted Fred angrily at the room in general.
“Cheer up, Fred,” said his twin George. “Madam Hooch already said we had one
person who was interested.”
“ONE! And she
wouldn’t even tell us who it was!” their brother Ron joined in, his
face getting redder by the minute.
“Said the person wanted to remain anonymous until the tryouts! WHO IS IT!?” He bellowed this out to the rest of the students, who
each looked at each other questioningly.
Ginny sat huddled up in her favorite nook under the
girls’ dormitory stairs, secretly smiling to herself.
Fred and George were both Co-Captains and the Beaters of the
team, while their younger brother Ron was Keeper.
The twins were in their final year at Hogwarts, and were desperate
to keep up the Gryffindor Team’s winning streak.
Two large, shining gold cups sat on either side of the mantelpiece
in the common room, a lasting memory of the two Quidditch Cups the team
had won; one from several years ago, the other when yet one of Ginny’s
brothers, Charlie was on the team.
Just then another’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Well, whoever it is,” Harry Potter said reasonably.
“They’ve got a pretty good chance of getting on the team, since no one
else has signed up to try out.” Ginny
could almost imagine the eager look in his sparkling green eyes, (she
couldn’t see him from her nook), wondering who could’ve signed up for
the team anonymously.
Oooh, I just can’t wait to see the expression on
Harry’s face when he sees it’s the little mouse he’s practically ignored
for the past four years trying out to be on his perfect Quidditch team,
she grinned to herself. Dear
God, I’m sorry Katie got hurt this summer in Scandinavia, but Thank
You so much.
Ginny had been in love with Harry Potter ever since
she’d first seen him, standing on the platform at King’s Cross Station,
fear and nervousness etched on his face as he walked aboard to start
his first year at Hogwarts. She
was only ten years old, but Ginny’s perfect memory could recall that
day in an instant. She knew all about him, every kid in the wizarding
world did, but she just somehow knew that she’d meet him one
day. A child fantasy to be sure,
but Ginny’s hopes were not unfounded when it turned out that her brother
Ron was actually best friends with him.
That first summer he’d spent at the Burrow, Ginny never spoke
to him at all, just kept on peeking out at him from behind closed doors,
or out of open windows, blushing furiously every time he so much as
spared her a second glance. And
that’s all she’d ever gotten from him, second glances.
Well, except for the time when he’d saved me from the Chamber
of Secrets, she amended quickly.
And the time that Fred and George sent him that awful Valentine
and timed it just so it would appear that she’d done it.
Oh, but she got those two back for that little stunt by placing
a curse on their room so that everything was turned upside-down for
a week.
Her thoughts settling back on Harry, Ginny knew he’d
have to recognize her as something more than his best friend’s sister
if she got on the team. And
Ginny was doing her best to make sure she got on the team.
