All the Time in the World | Sirius Black

25. Trials

James Potter was made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain over the summer. Since then, Sirius had been going on and on about finally trying out for Quidditch team this year— apparently, Sirius never liked the old Quidditch Captain. And due to the fact that James bought me a broom for my birthday, I had everything I needed to participate in trials end of September.

"Prongs, do I really have to participate in trials?" Sirius groaned.

The three of us were talking about Quidditch and when James would set up the trials. Professor McGonagall was passing over the trial documents to James so he could check out the students that wanted to try out for the team. James noticed the lack of applications from Sirius and me and started to chew us out.

"Yes, you do! And you have to fill out an application," said James. "Both of you."

"Well, I planned on participating in trials, but not filling out the forms," I laughed. "You know what year I'm in and my name, doofus."

"Just fill out the form," James groaned, throwing us the little packet and quills.

Gryffindor Quidditch Trials 1977

Name: Aurora S. Pyrites

Year: 7th

Position: Chaser/Keeper

Then the forms continued with more legalities and what classes I'd be taking. After fifteen minutes of scribbling down my answers, I handed James the application with a tight smile. Sirius, on the other hand, threw the packet at James, as he had done to us, with a scowl.

"Thank you," James said in a sweet mocking tone.

"Prongs, Padfoot," I said seriously causing them to look up at me in fear; I never call them by their Marauder names. "I bid you ado, I have shit to do," I giggled.

"Aurora!" they chorused as I cackled, running out the portrait door.

When we left the Gryffindor table two weeks later to head down to the Quidditch pitch, I was a ball of nerves. The Marauders, Lily, and I made our way down to the stadium through the cool, misty drizzle.

"I haven't flown in so long," I mumbled to Lily, "I'm going to slip and fall off my broom."

"Good luck," she pinched me and left to the stands with Remus and Peter to watch our trial.

Looking up at the stands, I saw, what had to be, at least half of the Gryffindor House. James motioned me over to stand in a line with Sirius by my side; the other half of Gryffindor House seemed to be in this line. James chatted up a boy instructed him to stand next to me.

"If you are in first and second year, please leave," James bellowed over the pitch.

About seven or eight Gryffindors mumbles as they marched off the pitch.

"Now, if you please, trial Beaters to my left— Keepers to my right— Chasers in front of me. If you want to be a Seeker, I'm sorry, but that position is taken by yours truly," James instructed.

People moved all over the the pitch, into separate groups; there were only six Gryffindor's trying out for the Chaser position, me being one of them. James decided to start with a basic test, asking all applicants for the team to fly once around the pitch. James made a good decision in having the basic test: half of the students flew horribly and it seemed as if only one boy managed to remain airborne for more than a few seconds— he was so surprised he promptly crashed into one of the goalposts.

After two hours, many complaints, and several tantrums, one involving a crashed Comet Two Twenty and several broken teeth, James had chosen three Chasers: Jeffery King, returned to the team after an excellent trial; Olivia Partin, who had outflown all the competition and scored seventeen goals to boot; and me, as I managed to trick some of the trial Keepers who tried to save my goals. James had also managed to shout himself hoarse at the many complainers and was now enduring a similar battle with the rejected Beaters.

"That's my final decision and if you don't get out of the way for the Keepers, I'll hex you," he bellowed.

Along with Sirius, he had chosen Isla Cowell, a tall but toned third-year girl who had managed to raise a lump the size of an egg on the back of Jame's head with a ferociously hit Bludger. They now joined Jeffery and Olivia in the stands to watch the selection of our last team member.

James had left the trial of the Keepers until last. As each Keeper flew up to the goal hoops, the crowd roared and jeered in equal measure. James had me throw all the Quaffles at the trial Keepers. I glanced over at Everette, the same bloke from last year that almost had us lose our first game and another guy who had tried to ask me to Slughorn's Christmas Party last year.

I followed through with what I'd done during my trial and none of the first five applicants saved more than two goals apiece. To my disappointment, the Christmas guy saved four penalties out of five. On the last one, however, he shot off in completely the wrong direction as I managed to trick him.

Finally, it was Everette's turn. Staying true to my advances, I launched each ball to different hoop and made my false throwing, but to my surprise, he managed to save all five penalties in a row. Nice.

After fixing the time of our first full practice for the following Thursday, James, Sirius, and I bade good-bye to the rest of the team and headed off toward the other two Marauder boys, Lily, and Marlene, who finally showed up. A watery sun was trying to break through the clouds now and it had stopped drizzling at last.

"I think trials went well," I said to the group.

"Rory, I didn't know you flew so well!" said Lily in awe.

"You should have seen her during Christmas," Peter said excitedly. "She beat James and Sirius at a race—"

"We had let her," James grumbled, cutting him off.

"Come of it, Rory was pretty fast and flys well," Remus laughed.

James mumbled something under his breath and Sirius laughed, punching his shoulder. I dismissed the two of them and separated from the group, going to the library with the girls. For the last month, the three of us had been going to the library for extra studying for this was our N.E.W.T.s year, regardless of it being the start of term. I knew Hermione would be proud, she always complained that the boys and I studied too little.

"Have you heard the rumor, girls?" Marlene said quietly.

"Rumor? What rumor?" I leaned in, leaving my voice low so that no one could hear us.

"About Halloween! For the first time since our first year, they're doing a Halloween ball," Marlene smiled.

"I haven't heard of that," Lily mumbled, "and I'm Head Girl. How did you hear that?"

"My boyfriend told me about it. Apparently the Hufflepuffs are in charge of setting everything up being that Gryffindor was in charge our first year and messed everything up," laughed Marlene.

"Do you know anything else about it?" I asked.

"No, that's all he told me. According to him, Professor Dumbledore is to announce it on October thirteenth, leaving us enough time to get dates and dresses and such," she nodded.

"I'm excited!" Lily beamed. "Maybe I'll have a proper date unlike the last time. Oh and hopefully it won't end up like Slughorn's Christmas Party."

"Lily, the boys have been well behaved recently. I think they're trying," I said. "I reckon they won't act up again. I bet Sev is grateful they've been on his tail."

"I'm grateful," Lily mumbled. "Their duels are horrible!"

"As Head Girl, you could always give them detentions and take away house points," Marlene said.

"Take points away from our own house?" I rebuttled.

"It's just an option."

"Well, I'm just glad his term is going well so far," Lily nodded and opened her book, signalling the end of the conversation.

These girls, Merlin. Can't live without them, can't live with them.