Cursed Child Years 1-4 | Marauders Era

113 | Behind the Mask

Behind the Mask

Wednesday 1st November, 1974

Today was the day. James and Sirius hadn't stopped talking since she'd returned at the end of September about the first Quidditch game. The entire Gryffindor team had been training most mornings for the first match of the year, which also declared that Quidditch Season had begun. Even when it isn't Quidditch Season James is out on the pitch before the sun has fully risen practicing, mostly with Sirius, but sometimes with Marlene.

On October sixteenth Frank, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, passed around letters to everyone who had been at try-outs for the team during dinner. Some said that they had a position on the team and what it would be, some said that they were a backup player and what for and some simply said that they did not make it through. James, Marlene, Sirius and Ted had bolted from their seats at the table, running to one another, jumping and cheering with joy because they were on the team.

However, the people surrounding Peter were more shocked by the fact that Sirius and James had somehow managed to talk him into trying out as a backup Beater and the fact that Peter was handed the position by Frank.

Peter Pettigrew was on the team.

Already, Elizabeth could hear the girls packing their bookbags and Marlene preparing her Quidditch uniform. According to what Marlene had just finished explaining to Mary, the Great Hall was open earlier today for those who wished to eat before seven in the morning.

"Why can't they just play at night?" Mary whined, flopping her head back down onto the pillow like a child.

"Mary, c'mon!" Marlene pleaded, sounding slightly irritated now. "This is the first game of our Fourth Year! Don't you want to be there to cheer us on and to see Regulus out there against Tompson? Watching both Lestrange brothers go against our team for the first time?"

"Of course but... I'm so bloody tired McKinnon! Sirius's party last night seemed to go on all night, I don't even know how you two are up so early!"

"It wasn't just Sirius's early birthday party, it was also a Halloween party and celebrating the start of Quidditch Season, that's why so many people were there and why it was on the Quidditch Pitch," Marlene explained.

"So... three parties in one basically?"

"Mary, wake up now," Lily ordered, marching her way over, abandoning her bookbag on her bed then grabbing each of Mary's hands and gently pulling her into a sitting position for the second time that morning.

"How come you're not waking her up?" Mary whinged, eying Elizabeth through a small parting from the curtains around her bed, allowing the three girls to peek in to see if she was still there or not.

"Because..." Lily looked to Marlene for help, but she only turned her back on the two, pretending to make sure she had all of her books for her classes later that day. "For goodness sake MacDonald just get up. El will be ready when you're ready, she always is. Right, El?"

"Yes," Elizabeth replied bluntly as she slowly sat up behind the curtains.

She sat listening as Lily went back to mumbling her class schedule and then counting her books numerous times. Marlene double checking to make sure that her Quidditch uniform was clean and Mary getting dressed, fixing her hair and pulling her book bag over her robes as she looked about ready to fall to the floor again from exhaustion.

"C'mon, El. We're all ready now," Mary sighed, trying her best to sound cheerful. An awkward silence filled the room as Elizabeth pulled the curtain to one side, standing from her bed and quickly pulling her Gryffindor robes on too. Elizabeth had most of her books for each class in her bag so she didn't have to change them out every morning or night. She pushed a hand over her hair, flattening it down slightly and turning to Mary.