Forever... Always

Year 2 - Quidditch Tryouts

I woke up early again today because of how nervous I am for tryouts. I know that Draper basically told Cedric and I are on the team but what if I mess up so bad he changes his mind? I got dressed in my Quidditch robe Madam Hooch lent me for tryouts and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast with my competition and all the others trying out for their own houses' teams. Cedric and I sat together silently eating until Fred and George sat in front of us at our table.
    "Uh, hello, can we help you?" I asked, wondering why they came. We weren't usually allowed to sit at the other house tables, but they sat there as if it was theirs.
    "We came to wish you luck. Not that you two will need it, we heard about your encounter with the captain." George and Fred said at the same time.
    "Well thank you and good luck to you as well." Cedric said without looking up for his plate.
    "You won't need the luck either, I'll deal with the captain myself if you don't get on the team." I joked.
    "No need to worry, we'll both get on the team, he can't tell us apart so he can't send either of us away." Fred laughed. I'm not surprised that Oliver Wood couldn't tell them apart, most people can't.
    "Maybe we'll get on the team because we confuse those who can't tell us apart." Georgie added.
    "Weasleys, back to the Gryffindor table." Madam Hooch called to Fred and George as she entered the hall to retrieve us and bring us to the pitch. "Follow me students, the others need to eat before they come watch your tryouts."
    We followed her through the halls of the school, out to the grounds and towards the pitch. Once we were there, she told us we could warm up on pitch before the rest of the students would start showing up.
    There were enough students participating that we were broken off into four different teams. Cedric, Fred, George and I were all on a different team and this meant that I'd play against each of them once. After a bit of warm up, each houses' team captain flew up one at a time to wish us luck and wish that we'd have fun, all except the Slytherin captain.
    "You'll show us you deserve a spot on the team, no luck involved." He hissed at us all.
    "He's got a point with proving you deserve the spot, but there is some luck involved, don't fret newbies, you got this." Draper assured us, giving a wink to Cedric and I. "Dutchman and Diggory, quick word? Neither of you play in this match anway." We looked at each with a bit of worry and turned back to him and nodded before following him.
    "Good luck Georgie, good luck Fred." I yelled quickly back at them as I headed towards the change rooms after Draper and Cedric.
    "What would you like to talk to us about?" I asked eagerly to get this over with because I could hear the match starting and I felt bad not watching Georgie and Fred.
    "I really just wanted to wish you both the best of luck privately. You both have incredible potential of becoming our Seeker, but as you know, there can only be one. Just know that whoever comes in second won't be viewed as less talented and will even be the back up. Don't forget as well that there is a chaser position up for grabs, that'll probably be the secondary Seeker." Draper told us in his low gravelly voice.
    "Sounds fair, may the best get the position." Cedric said, offering his hand. I took his hand and shook it.
    "Again best of luck to the both of you, I'll be watching in the stands." Draper said as he left Cedric and I alone.
    "Cedric, you know I could just tell them I back out and only want to go for the Chaser position and then you'll have no competition and you'll get it." I told him, hoping he'd agree with me so I don't have to put this competition between our friendship.
    "And you know that I will never be satisfied with having the position if I didn't truly earn it. Rayne, I understand you don't want the competition to come between us and I can assure you it won't. If you become the Seeker, I'll either join you on the pitch as a Chaser or I'll be in the stands cheering you on at every game. I know you'd do the same if I became the Seeker."
    "Thank you Cedric. Now that that's sorted, we better get out there to watch Fred and George."
    We left the change room and joined each of our teams in the stands. Georgie hit a bludger that went flying towards a Slytherin that was playing the Keeper for Fred's team. Fred narrowly saved the Slytherin Keeper from a broken nose and sent the bludger towards a Ravenclaw Chaser on Georgie's team. The Ravenclaw Chaser dodged the bludger, but missed the goal because of it. To summarize that match, it was eventful and it just happened that the Seeker on Fred's team caught the snitch after Fred sent a bludger towards the Seeker on Georgie's team and Georgie didn't quite make it to knock it out of the way in time.
Next was mine and Fred's match. As soon as Madam Hooch blew the whistle, I was high above everyone searching for a little flicker of gold. The Chasers for either team scored some goals and I had just barely dodged a few bludgers that were sent my way anytime I got a glimpse of the snitch. Over every other cheer, I could hear Georgie and Cedric cheering me and Fred on. I took a quick look to where their cheers were coming from and there it was, the snitch! I sped towards it and doove after it when it took a sudden dive. The snitch darted upwards and I was gaining on it. It tried to dive again to lose me, but I caught it on it's way down.
"Rayne caught it!" Georgie and Cedric yelled from the stands.
"Dutchman has caught the snitch! Dutchman's team wins 190 to 80!" The commentator exclaimed into the megaphone.
The matches continued on, Cedric and Georgie's match, Fred and Cedric's match then it was mine and Georgie's. I could tell Georgie felt bad every time he sent a bludger my way, but he knew he had to, otherwise I'd have caught the snitch already. One move that made the game was when Geogre sent yet another bludger my way, but this time, instead of hitting me, it hit the snitch I was about to catch and knocked it right into the hands of the Seeker on their team.
"Outstanding move made by Fred- I mean Geogre Weasley. That's game, 160 to 70!" The commentator exclaimed.
Lastly was mine and Cedric's match, we'd each won the game for our teams once, meaning that this game was the tie breaker, probably the determining factor to who would become Hufflepuff's Seeker. Cedric and I sped around the pitch searching for even the tiniest glimpse of gold. Points were starting to get into the hundreds and neither of us had even gotten near the snitch until there was a bludger sent my way. In dodging the bludger, I rolled over on my broom so I was upside down and that's when I saw it, across the pitch under all the actions of Chasers and Beaters was the snitch. I darted towards it, soon realizing I shouldn't have taken that approach because now Cedric knew where I was heading and saw the snitch as well.  We raced towards it and it sped upwards and back down, trying to lose us. We only chased it faster and it wasn't until it bolted into the crowd of Chasers and Beaters that I saw my opportunity. I sped up a little, nibily weaved through players and caught it right in front of a beater on Cedric's team. Cedric had a look of disbelief on his face as if he didn't believe what I did was even possible.
"Absolutely absurd! Incredible maneuvers accomplished by Dutchman. 250 to 140! That concludes tryouts, outstanding performance today everyone." The commentator exclaimed at last.
"Get changed and head to dinner, captains will reveal results after dinner." Madam Hooch called out.
Cedric, Fred, George and I headed to the change rooms and got changed into our regular robes and made our way to the Great Hall. We talked about everything to do with our matches, complimenting each other and I hugged all three of them to thank them for getting me to try out even though I had said I'd be better in the stands and it wasn't certain I was even on the team. We headed to our respective tables and ate dinner while listening to the gossip and talk of the tryouts.
"I heard the Weasleys are Gryffindor new Beaters." A third year Hufflepuff said from a few feet away.
"Well I heard Diggory is our new Seeker." A fourth year shot back. "Bet you five galleons what I heard is true."
"Deal." The third year responded.
We ate dinner and I answered all of Amber's questions to the best of my abilities until the tables were cleared and Madam Hooch took the stand.
"Now, for the moment you've all been anticipating, the captains will join me and give the results of tryouts." She said loudly so all could hear. "We'll start with Ravenclaw."
Their captain joined Madam Hooch on the stand and called out the name of their new Keeper and Beater. Everyone cheered and the Ravenclaws around them congratulated them. Next was Slytherin. He walked up pridefully mixed with some disappointment and called out the name of their new Chasers. The Slytherins weren't as cheerful and most didn't congratulate their new players. Up came Gryffindor and Oliver Wood seemed a little confused.
"Gryffindor's newest Beaters are Fred and George Weasley." Wood said clearly with a bit of confusion. The table erupt in cheers and it looked as if the people around George and Fred were playfully punching them.
"Lastly, we'll announce Hufflepuff's new players." Madam Hooch said, giving the stand to Draper.
"Firstly I'd like to say thank you to everyone that tried out today, you all did phanominaly and..." Draper started until he was cut off by Sage.
"Get on with it." Sage yelled.
"Alright Cassowary, now, Hufflepuff's newest Chaser is Cedric Diggory." He continued. Everyone looked around confused, if Cedric wasn't the Seeker, who was? Well Georgie, Fred and Cedric knew and they all flashed me huge smiles right as Draper finished the announcement. "And finally, Hufflepuff's newest Seeker is... Rayne Dutchman!"
Everyone at the Hufflepuff table cheered but no one congratulated me as they didn't know who I was. Draper came over to congratulate me and as soon as they saw that I was Rayne Dutchman, everyone was flooding me with congratulations and compliments. It was odd that everyone was now paying attention to me, but I actually didn't completely mind it. The Hufflepuffs decided we'd have a small party to celebrate mine and Cedric's success in our common room and of course, the spotlight was set on us and the rest of the team.
Once the hall was mostly cleared out, Cedric and I congratulated Fred and George and they did the same for us. They mentioned how they wished we could all celebrate our success together and I told them we could tomorrow in the courtyard. We said our goodnights and headed to our common rooms.
We entered the Hufflepuff common room and as soon as we did, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was trying to talk to us. The room was so busy with people everywhere, black and yellow streamers hanging from the ceiling and snacks that some sixth and seventh years snuck from the kitchen. I talked to plenty of people I'd never met before and got in some pleasant conversation with the rest of the team. It was midnight before anything died down. I decided to head to bed if I was going to be spending my day with the twins and Cedric. I said my goodnights to the team and headed to my dorm. Amber was still out socialising with people when I got there so I changed and crawled into bed. I quickly wrote my mom and dad a letter telling them I'm Hufflepuff's newest Seeker, gave it to Daisy to deliver and fell asleep with my parchment, quill and ink box still on my nightside table.