𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘆, sirius black

˗ˋ 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH HIS PLAN IS DISRUPTED

. . .

"Breakfast is a pretty varied event." James was practically commentating as Sirius guided Nancy through the constantly moving aisles between the tables, leading her to the table filled with red ties just like the one around the Scamander girl's neck and sitting beside her recently made friends.

"People generally just sit with their friends, no matter what house they're in." The Potter boy continued, beginning to pile food onto Nancy's plate for her. "But.. none of us really have any friends in other houses close enough to sit with so-"

"Easy for you to say." Dorcas raised her eyebrows. "Just because you idiots -" her gaze flickered between James, Remus, Sirius and Peter, "-didn't bother to make any friends outside of your group until like last year, doesn't mean we all didn't."

"Not that we need any other friends." Sirius grumbled, taking one of the pieces of toasts that James had loaded onto Nancy's plate. "What?" He asked when several of the others stared at him. "He gave her all of the bits with the most butter?" 

He was reaching for the jam as the conversation continued, mostly filled with the girls talking of their variety in friends, promising to introduce Nancy to some of them. At some point, Lily and Remus slipped off to collect their timetables for the year, and upon returning they found the conversation had taken it's usual turn. 

"So as I said yesterday, I wanna see what your Quidditch skills are like." James had his hands clasped in front of him, eyes bright and fuelled with the love for the sport. "Actual tryouts don't start until next week so I was planning on asking McGonagall to play after lesson today but.."

"You should've waited until after getting your timetable, right?" Remus shook his head. "None of us have McGonagall until Wednesday." 

"Right..." Sirius is lathering jam onto yet another slice of toast, resting an elbow on the edge of the table and looking around. James seemed to have physically deflated, chewing on his bottom lip as he tried to figure out a solution. 

He could just go against the general rules and not book an hour or so- the pitch wasn't used during the first week of the year and nobody would be bothered about overlapping appointments. 

And it wasn't that James really bothered about the rules - none of them ever had. But McGonagall had appointed him Quidditch captain, and the letter that had told him so had a note below the signature that threatened that if anything went particularly badly then it would be taken away. 

He wasn't too sure if she was joking or not, and if that note had just become a term for him getting the position - merely a formality - and if that only really applied to Quidditch or everything. He would use such questions as excuses for when the time came, but he really did just want his first week of term to go without the possibility of him getting kicked out of the position before tryouts. 

"Well come on then." James was broken out of his halfway trance by Sirius shaking his arm, toast eaten and making his way out of his seat.

"What?" James and Nancy chorused, the girl just as confused as the boy. 

"Well we go up as ask her now." Sirius shrugged, beginning to hurry Nancy out of her seat. "I'm betting that Minnie couldn't resit the possibility of her team winning?"

"You're right." James nodded, standing up and dragging Sirius and Nancy up to the teacher's table, ignoring Lily's suggestion about maybe not interrupting her breakfast. "Evans, I would usually listen to everything you say, but it's Quidditch." 

"Is it really that big of a deal?" Nancy mumbled. Luckily, she was quiet enough for James not to here her, but Sirius did and he stared her, eyes wide and nodding slowly. 

James didn't stop until they were in front of Professor McGonagall, who was sprinkling sugar of a half of a grapefruit with a spoon. "Professor! Lovely summer I assume?" His voice was bright and loud, and Minerva almost dropped the metal in her hands. 

"Mr Potter. Mr Black, and Miss Scamander." McGonagall looked between the three, sighing when she saw the look on James' face and sitting back in her chair, abandoning her grapefruit for now. "Can't this wait until after I've finished my breakfast?"

"No." James shook his head, pushing up his glasses. "It's about Quidditch. See Nancy says she's a seeker, and it sounds like she's crazily good at playing. Right Nancy - tell her about that Russian school."

"Koldovstoretz?" Nancy replied, glancing between Sirius and McGonagall, incredibly nervous. "Oh.. I.. they play on uprooted trees -  I've played on uprooted trees.."

"And what about Japan?" James prompted her.

"Mahoutokoro, the school in Japan, a group of Hogwarts students taught them how to play Quidditch after they blew of their course whilst trying to circumnavigate the globe by broomstick. It became quite big there." Nancy recited

"I see." McGonagall looked almost confused by hearing this information, as if it was supposed to prove something. "We need a new seeker right? Ruth King graduated in the summer." She nodded. "And what is it that you would like to ask me?"

"If we can get your permission to use the pitch tonight?" Sirius was smirking, tucking a curl of hair behind his ear. "You know? Test to see if Nancy actually has the skills she boasts about."

"I wasn't boasting." Nancy mumbled, but the other two didn't hear her.

"The pitch? Let me finish my breakfast and I shall write youu a permission slip. Come to my office around lunch time." McGonagall confirmed.

And just like that, James's plan was in action.

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