Hogwarts: A Future

Chapter Ten: Beater, black and blue.

Iapetus turned with a worried look to Petra. The edge of Al's robes had vanished through the door to the stairs of the stadium.

'Leave them, Iapetus,' Edwin grabbed a handful of Iapetus' robes as he made to stand, 'we can keep an eye on the try-outs.'

'They're,' Iapetus stopped, muttering angrily.

'I know. You sure Scorrie's a Slytherin? Impulsive behaviour, jumping in without thinking, reckless...'

Iapetus snorted a laugh, 'Maybe the Hat got a little confused.'

He gazed up at the form of James Potter, now fielding a Bludger away from the other student trying out for Keeper.

'Well done, James!' Hagrid called out in a booming voice. James waved his bat cheerfully at Hagrid.

'So, tell me again who does what?' Rachel was saying her head flicking back and forth between the students high in the air above them. Rose began explaining excitedly, between cheering on her cousin.

Iapetus craned his neck to survey the stadium. As no game was being played the wooden stands were bare of house colours, appearing like a skeleton all jarring edges and blank spaces where the green, blue, yellow and red fabric should hang like flesh. His eyes travelled to each group of students seated in the oval space, focusing particularly whenever he caught a flash of emerald mixed in with black. Still he could not see Aello.

''ere, where's Al and Scorpius?' Hagrid had noticed their absence. Rose, Rachel, Freddie and Demetri all turned the boy's empty seats apparent.

'Bathroom?' Petra suggested.

''E's missin' James' turn.' With concern Hagrid looked to the stairwell.

'Al's seen James play loads Hagrid,' Rose laughed, 'and been at the receiving end of the practice Bludger enough times too.'

'Maybe he doesn't want to distract James, he might hit the Bludger towards his brother instead of out into the pitch,' Freddie joined in with a grin.

At a signal from the Gryffindor Captain, James and the trying out Keeper both flew down to the grassy pitch allowing the last two hopefuls up into the air. The groups in the stands all clapped, the one surrounding Hagrid most of all, as Aggie and a fifth year Gryffindor took to the air. They were the last to try out. It could not have been more than the ten minutes allotted to each student, but Iapetus, Edwin and Petra sat through the swoops, dives and goals fidgeting.

'Well now, best be gettin' up to the school,' Hagrid said when the final students had landed. The sky had turned a clear pastel pink, and the first years especially could feel their stomachs rumbling for dinner.

'You all go on, I think Al must be waiting for James in the Gryffindor changing rooms.' Iapetus lied smoothly.

'Yeah, we'll come with you Iapetus,' Petra caught on quickly, 'give him and Scorrie a scare for running off.' She and Edwin followed Iapetus swiftly down the stairs before anyone else could object or tag along.

'Quick thinking,' Edwin said to Iapetus once they stepped out onto the grounds.

'Where d'you think they've really gone?' Petra looked about, frowning.

'Well, thinking like Aello,' Iapetus began.

'Careful,' Petra muttered, making Iapetus and Edwin grin.

'Yeah, so thinking like Aello,' he began again, 'she'd want to get them somewhere no one else would be, right?' the lanky boy began taking strides around the stadium in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.