PRINCESS ➳ harry potter, draco malfoy (NEW VERSION)

09 || Tryouts

Chris had made the cut for this year's line-up of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, which came as no surprise to Katie. Niall had also earned his spot as the second Chaser. This would be his first year playing Quidditch at school, and he was ecstatic.

As she made her way towards the smooth lawn dedicated to first-year flying lessons, Katie allowed her mind to wander. Niall had been right when he said she was a good flier. Dare she even say she was great. To say she was better at Quidditch than Chris might have been a stretch, because he was nothing short of phenomenal, but Katie had grown up flying and playing mock Quidditch games with her older brother and his friends. That was until his friends grew sick of her, of course, but that's beside the point.

Even if she made the cut for the Slytherin team, Katie would be hesitant to play against her brother, or any other team, for that matter. It was no secret that the other houses rallied against Slytherin. If Slytherin won the House Championship and she were to play a part in that, the vast majority of the school would hold a grudge against Katie for the rest of her years at Hogwarts.

Hearing Draco Malfoy boastfully tell what were clearly the most bogus stories about his triumphs on a broom as they walked to their first flying lesson gave Katie an added want to try out for the Slytherin team. And hearing him tell Pansy that he was going to try out for the position of Seeker sealed the deal. She couldn't bear the thought of him bragging about his new position, or the glory he would bask in if he caught the Snitch during a game. As they were first-years, the chances of either of them making the team were slim, but Katie would much rather it was her than Draco.

About twenty broomsticks were lined out on the lawn. Katie had heard all of Chris' complaining about the school brooms, about how some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left. She was not thrilled by the idea of riding one of them, but first-years were forbidden to bring their own brooms to school, so she would have to deal.

The Gryffindors arrived in a clamour of chatter and laughter. On their tail was Madam Hooch, the flying instructor and Quidditch referee.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." She had yellow eyes that bore a striking resemblance to those of a hawk, and just that was intimidating enough to urge Katie to do as she said with no delay.

Selecting a broomstick between Pansy and Theo, Katie stepped up beside it. Harry chose the broom directly opposite. Across the way, their eyes met, and she flashed him a bright smile, which he returned with a small wave.

"Stick your right hand over your broom and say, 'Up!'" 

With a ringing chorus of, "Up!" a select few broomsticks shot straight into the hands of some students. Impressively, Harry was among this group, and while Katie was not, her broom gave an aggressive jolt and leapt about an inch or two off the ground. After her second call of, "Up!" it jumped comfortably into her grasp, and she smiled in satisfaction.

As Madam Hooch began giving instructions regarding how to properly mount a broom to ensure that one didn't slide off the end, Katie's mind drifted. These were all things she had known since she was a kid. She really didn't need a refresher course, but first-year flying lessons were mandatory. And, she supposed, it had been almost two months since she had last ridden a broom. It would do no harm to get back into the swing of it before going to the Quidditch trials.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch instructed. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly—"

Eager to do some proper flying, Katie had almost been bored out of her mind, but that was until Neville Longbottom pushed off from the ground before the whistle had even sounded. He was beyond nervous—anyone could tell by the way his complexion paled when he first stepped up to his broomstick, not to mention the obvious green tint around his mouth.