ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ɢɪʀʟ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 4

Crimson

"Alright team, huddle up, huddle up!" Rebecca Wood, a Seventh Year, calls from the center of the pitch. Quidditch tryouts have finally arrived, and Amira and I couldn't be more excited.

"Look who's decided to give Quidditch a try," I mutter darkly to her as we walk over to Rebecca, our sleek Velocity 3000's thrown over our shoulders.

"Maybe he's gotten better over the summer?" she suggests.

"Liam? The one who fell off his broom when it was only three feet above the ground just last year?" I ask incredulously.

"Yeah, well, don't know what to tell'ya," she shrugs. We take a place between Reese and James and turn to face Rebecca.

"We've got a pretty good turnout this year, so competition will be tight," she says seriously. "I don't want whining from any of you if I decide that you haven't made the team. I not only value skill," she starts to pace around in small circles, "but also teamwork and especially sportsmanship." Her eyes flicker over to Amira and I, and we fight to hold back our laughter. We're both known to be very competitive, and everyone's seen our absurd tempers if we're losing. "And remember," she continues with narrowed eyes, "just because you were on the team last year, doesn't guarantee a spot for this year. Also, if you do make the team, that means that you're going to commit no matter what. We practice rain or shine, thunder or snow. And we play, we win, even if it means we have to fight to the death," she finishes and a couple of people look at her with wide eyes.

"Dad told me about her dad, Oliver Wood, apparently he was a maniac too," I whisper to Amira.

"I reckon that's where she got her obsessiveness from," she mutters back.

"Alright, first things first," Rebecca says sternly, "we're going to do two laps around the pitch as the first test." We all straddle out brooms and Amira and I share a smug look. "On the count of three. One.... two.... three!"

I kick off the ground powerfully, Amira at my side, and we zoom out to the front of the group, whooping and hollering happily.

"Keep it down, Weasley, Malfoy!" Rebecca scolds from the ground. "You can't fly fast if you're screaming your heads off!"

"Sorry, Wood!" Amira and I call back to her, grinning. James zooms past us, showing off his Seeker skills. After two laps, Amira and I come in second, followed by Ella Thomas, Reese, Charlie, a Sixth Year, Lauren, and a bunch of younger students who I've only ever seen glimpses of in the common room. It takes me a moment to realize that someone is missing.

"Maybe next time, Liam!" Charlie calls from the ground, and I turn to see him doubled over in laughter. Sure enough, Liam is flying, well, hanging would be a better way to describe it, near one of the goal posts.

"Hang on!" Rebecca shouts as she runs over to stand beneath him. "Can you land?"

"I-I don't think so!" Liam calls as he tightens his grip on his broom.

"I've cast a cushioning charm, so you can just let go!" directs Rebecca. Reese, Amira, James, Charlie and I are rolling around on the ground, clutching our stomachs, because we're laughing so hard.

"How can you fall off your broom if there's no wind, no storm, no nothing?" James says between his laughter.

"Only someone as thick as Liam," Amira answers. We watch as Liam falls unnaturally softly onto the frostbitten ground, and try to swallow down our laughter as he draws nearer.

"Sorry, Wood, I don't know what happened back there," he starts casually. "If you could give me another go-," but Rebecca cuts him off.

"No, I think that's enough for today. You can go back to the common room now," she says with a look on her face that seems as if he personally offended her. "Alright," she says, turning back to us, "I think we'll just scrimmage for the rest of the tryouts. Chasers over here, Beaters right there, Keepers over there, and Seekers can stand right here." There's a lot of movement where everyone shuffles to where their position is supposed to be standing, and Amira and I make our way over to the Beater spot.