Quidditch Tryouts
Harry sat down next to Ron in the great hall and they waited for Hermione. Before Harry left, she said she was coming, but not for a while. He shrugged and left, but never thought much of it.
Now sitting there, he saw her enter, but not alone. Not only was Ginny following her, but also Amber, to Harry�s surprise. Not only to his surprise, but to everyone�s because they began to turn and stare.
When they reached Harry and Ron, everyone took a seat. Harry smiled politely at Amber, but looked at Hermione, his eyes questioning. She only shook her head to show that she couldn�t explain at the moment.
�Attention, students,� professor McGonagall said to everyone. She stood up at the staff�s table in her pointed hat and her Hogwart�s robe. �Professor Dumbledore has a few things he wants to say before we begin for the quidditch field where the quidditch tryouts will be held. Professor?�
Professor Dumbledore stood up and nodded to let Professor McGonagall sit. He looked across the great hall at everyone. �Thank-you, professor McGonagall. Now, I would like to begin that all students are allowed to participate in the quidditch tryouts, but I must warn you, you should try for it only if you�re willing to go through pain. It is hard work and will require more than guts.� He grinned and continued. �Now, the most important news is that we have an old student who came here not too long ago. He�s come back to study and become a professor here at Hogwarts, under the guidance of professor McGonagall. He will also be one of the judges as well as Mr. Potter with Gryffindor�s new members. Welcome, George Weasley.�
The whole hall gasp and whispering erupted throughout the hall. Harry turned to Ron who shrugged in confusion. He too didn�t even know that George was coming.
George entered through the double doors and smiled at everyone. His flaming red hairs were as bright as Ron�s and Ginny�s. When he reached them, he paused and winked at them, his gaze lingering on Amber. He gave her a lop-sided grin and walked on. Harry smiled, seeing her face flush.
�Welcome, Mr. Weasley, you will take your seat beside professor McGonagall from this day forth,� professor Dumbledore said. �Now, you may go back to your breakfast. Thank-you.�
Harry turned to Ron and Ginny. �So you two knew nothing of this?� he asked with excitement. They both nodded and stared at the tables, their brows raised.
Ron said, �Fred said he was going to try for the Bulgarian Quidditch team. I thought that as twins, George would too, but I suppose I was wrong.�
Harry grinned and looked at Hermione. He furrowed his brows, but he said nothing. Why was she staring at Professor Gray?
* * *
�Are you coming with me to the quidditch tryouts?� Hermione asked Amber. She shook her head and smiled. �No, thank-you. I think I�m going back to the library and find more information on the past of Hogwarts. I�m pretty sure I have enough, but it won�t hurt with more.�
Hermione nodded and left. Amber started up the stairs towards the library. She climbed up the moving staircases. No matter how much she tried, she couldn�t push out the face of the boy with the red hair. George, they had said his name was. He was Ron and Ginny�s brother too.
Before she knew it, she found herself smiling, remembering the grin that he gave her. Her face began to flush again, but someone tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped, a scream escaping from her.
She turned around, angry that they disturbed her thoughts. Her face went even redder, perhaps almost as red as his hair. �I�m sorry,� he said. �I didn�t mean to startle you. It�s just, why are you going up here when there�s something interesting going on outside? Won�t you even consider going out to watch them?�
Amber laughed and her embarrassment seemed to disappear. She shook her head, �I can�t.�
�Why not?� he asked, laughing himself. �I know its kind of muddy from last night�s rain, but there�s no classes, all the freedom you can get. Come on; why not even try for a position? I think they said two of the spots for chasers are opened. You might get it.�
She shook her head, not even considering it. She would only embarrass herself. Besides, she had no broom. �I can�t. I don�t have the equipment for it. Not to mention the guts.�
George thought about it and he scratched his red head. He suggested, �what about my broom? I have it with me, and I don�t even need it anymore. I�ll lend it to you.�
Amber was grateful for his encouragements, but she couldn�t bring herself to say yes. �I�m sorry. I�m afraid I�m just going to embarrass myself. Quidditch doesn�t even run in my bloodline the way it does in Harry.�
He sighed, �You never know unless you try. You are taking quidditch classes aren�t you? Can you get on a broom without falling off?�
�Well,� she said, beginning to consider it, �I do never fall off, but the height scares me. And quidditch will require me to go up pretty high and fast too.� But the look on his face made her change her decision. She rolled her eyes and laughed. �I guess. Where�s your broom?�
George grinned, �I knew you�d see it my way. Go out there; I�ll meet you there with my broom.�
She nodded and began back down the stairs. She never listened to anyone, and it took her so long to trust Hermione, why does she trust this boy whom she doesn�t even know?
Amber didn�t know at all, but something about him intrigued her. And he made her feel many things that she�s never felt around other guys before.
* * *
He carefully looked over each of the people out on the field. Where was George, he wondered. The other houses were already beginning.
Impulsively, his eyes went up into the stands to search for his friends. As always, they were there. He caught Hermione�s eyes and flushed. She smiled and waved to show that she too saw him.
�Where�s George?� Ron asked from where he stood behind Harry along with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. �I saw him before I came.�
Harry shrugged and turned to face Ron. As keeper ever since their fifth year, he and the whole team had the right to be on the field with him. It was their decision as much as his.
He looked towards the other houses, watching each of them as their teams looked over each one of the people in line. His eyes immediately turned to Slytherin�s house and he spotted Malfoy, easy to make out with his blonde hair.
Malfoy seemed to have spotted him too and flashed a smirk, his eyes truly holding menace. In his Slytherin robe and green and silver scarf, he looked exactly like the others from his house.
Harry glared at him, turning back to see the same look on Ron�s face. �Malfoy always knows how to tick me off doesn�t he? If he does anything suspicious under my watch, I�ll make him pay.�
�Welcome to this year�s Quidditch tryouts,� Pravati Patil announced, the new announcer after Lee Jordan left two years ago. �For Ravenclaw, they have the position as a seeker and as a beater open, for Slytherin, three chasers, for Gryffindor, two chasers, and for Hufflepuff one keeper.�
She looked across the field towards the Gryffindors. �All the houses has started except for one house whose waiting for another member of their judges. Where is George Weasley, the student professor?�
Whispering began to rise from the stands where watchers viewed the event before them. Harry walked to and fro impatiently until Ron put a hand on his shoulder, his face brightening. �Look who has finally decided to join us?�
Harry looked where he pointed and spotted George heading towards them. When he reached Harry, he grinned. �Sorry I�m late, Harry. I was busy speaking to someone.�
�Anyone in particular?� asked Ron looking past George�s shoulder to where Amber stood with his broom in her hands and a smile upon her face. She waved at Harry and he waved back, thinking that this was her first friendly gesture towards him ever since she arrived there.
�That�s none of your business, Ron,� George retorted. He turned to Harry, �are we going to begin yet? I�m sure we�re already late enough.�
Ron scoffed, �no thanks to you. Come on.�
They started towards the Gryffindors in line and observed each of them, taking down their name. Harry didn�t know a few of them, but he knew most of them.
When they finished, he stared at them all sincerely, making sure that they were all ready for what stood in front of them. As each of them slowly nodded, he called them one by one onto the field.
He watched as they chased after the Quaffle and aimed for the three hoops. Not many made it in, but they all did well. He was astonished by Amber�s speed when she�s on the field and the aim that she had. She only missed three out of ten. And her speed was great against Steven Paulsen, one of the fastest beaters. It seemed as if she�s been playing Quidditch all her life.
He was also very impressed with Dean Thomas� performance. His speed was great too; his aim perfect and true. Harry noted to himself to let the two go against each other on the field tomorrow to see who was faster. But they weren�t the only two who were fast and great aimers, there were many other participants.
They all gave superb efforts, but the best were four boys and six girls. The sun was already going down, and Pravati Patil announced over the intercom that the rest of the tryout would be continued tomorrow, Sunday.
Before they left the field, Harry had a discussion with the other judges. They had to discuss the best five out of the thirty who joined the tryout and will be moving onto tomorrow�s tryout.
* * *
Ron took a seat with Hermione and the others while Harry and the other captains took their list of fives up to professor Dumbledore. Before he returned, he paused by George for a few words.
�What�d you tell him?� he asked Harry when he returned.
Harry shook his head and looked back to where George sat. He was busy talking to professor McGonagall. �He was asking me about Amber,� Harry glanced at Amber who was staring at her plate of food and playing with it. �He wanted to know what I know about her, but it�s hard to tell when I barely even know her myself.�
Ron nodded, wondering why George was so interested in her. She was just like every other girl, nothing special about her, except probably her looks and all, but she had nothing that would interest a guy who tried to make everything funny. �Is he interested in her physically? He�s been asking a lot about her. Even wrote to me before he came here. Asked a lot about if there was anyone new here and for me to describe her. Also, I had to ask Hermione to describe her too.�
Harry raised a brow and picked at his food. Ron shrugged and ate a piece of chicken. He glanced up to find himself staring at a very pretty girl with long dark hair and dark eyes.
She caught his eyes and smiled, making his face flush. He�s seen her before. Somehow, she looked so familiar, yet he could not place her. He returned his eyes to his dinner and continued to eat.
After a while, professor McGonagall did professor Dumbledore�s introduction and sat down. The headmaster stood up and looked over the great hall with his half-moon spectacles. �I�m sure that you all enjoyed the tryouts, both the watchers and the participators. Now, it�s time for the moment you�ve all been waiting for.�
Professor Dumbledore picked up four envelopes on the table and slowly opened one. He held it up and looked at the Hufflepuff table. �For Hufflepuff�s five finalist: James Cruz, Amy Larson, Elizabeth Hill, Patrick Simmons, and Megan Lowe.�
Applauds erupted throughout the hall and Dumbledore raised a hand to silence everyone. Then he continued, �Slytherin�s finalists are: Stephen James, Nancy Cole, Jeff Anders, Lewis Turner, and Daniel Pitt.�
There was little applause for the Slytherins. Ron was one of the hundreds who gave no enthusiasm to their house. �Ravenclaw�s finalists are: Christina Gomez, Will Lee, Hannah Whitfield, Crystal Paulsen, and Annie Johnson.�
Dumbledore paused for the applause and carried on. �And for Gryffindor�s five finalists, we have: Henry Stuart, Stacy Clark, Dean Thomas, Amber Daily, and Dillon Troy.� Dumbledore smiled politely and once again waited for the applause to die down. But it seemed impossible; there was so much clapping.
The headmaster took a seat and professor McGonagall stood up to finish. �Yes, yes, congratulations to all the five finalists. Now, tomorrow, the tryouts shall be continued and we will get our team players. Thank-you.� She sat back down and everyone turned back to his or her business, whether it be talking or eating.
�Congratulations, Amber, Dean,� Hermione said. �You guys did do great out there. You deserve to be in the finalist as much as the others.�
Amber smiled shyly, but Dean beamed. He turned to Amber, �hey, we did do great out there. Good luck tomorrow.�
She nodded and smiled, brightening up her face. Ron furrowed his eyebrows. No wonder George thought she was pretty. She is pretty, especially when she smiled. Her dimple made her prettier than her frown.
He shook his head and stood up, �come on, Harry. I�m tired after being out there all day. I need my rest. Hurry up.�
Harry grinned and stood up. He congratulated each of the five before returning to Ron and heading for their dorms. Ron turned back to search for that pretty girl he spotted earlier, but he couldn�t find her. She was lost in the crowd of people who, to Ron, seemed to be blocking her from him.
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Author�s Note: Trust me, they�re not. It just seems to him that they are, but they�re not. Yeah, and whose that girl that he spotted? I don�t know, but I�ll tell you soon. As soon as the Christmas Ball comes, she�ll be revealed. And trust me, she knows someone you�ve all heard of before. Yeah, and sorry there wasn�t much description in the quidditch tryouts. I�m bad at describing. Yeah, and it�s George, wow, huh? Yeah, I had to put him in here somewhere. He is so cute. Well, next chapter, the players will be revealed, and so much other things will happen too. Until then, please review.
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