𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗭𝗞𝗔𝗕𝗔𝗡 [𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍]

Chapter Thirty Four: Quidditch Tryouts

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ ･⋆✵⋆･ ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾

James Potter likes sleeping in on Saturdays. That's a fact. That was also the reason why this year's Quidditch team tryouts were held in the afternoon.

Not exactly the best decision James has ever made.

Since Sirius, James, Marlene, Fabian and Gideon were left from last year's team, tryouts were held only for those pursuing the spot of keeper or third chaser.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, surprised to see Blake marching onto the field with Marlene's famous Comet 240 slung on her shoulder.

"I thought it'll be a little obvious." Blake answered and held up the broom.

"You're really going to tryout for chaser." Sirius said, happy for his friend. "I thought that was just you daydreaming when doing homework got boring."

"It was. But then I though that Muggleborns were really underrepresented in Quidditch." she said in a tone one would normally use in class to answer a question. "I mean, the numbers are just sad. Tonks was the first Muggleborn to play for a Hogwarts house in decades. So I thought, if I can't be the first Muggleborn then I'll at least be the first female Muggleborn Quidditch player in Hogwarts for decades. And it wouldn't hurt to spend more time with Fabian and Gideon." she added and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Well . . . Godspeed." Sirius said before patting her on the back and taking his place in the stands next to James and the others already on the team.

James and Marlene decided that the best way to choose would be to make the chasers try to score on the keepers and decide from there and the rest of the team agreed to that.

The candidates took turns trying out for their preferred positions, all of them enthusiastic to be part of something as big as the Quidditch team.

There were also a few Slytherins who came to watch the tryouts and make the candidates as uncomfortable as possible, fronted by Lestrange (Slytherin's new captain) and the Carrows (Rabastan's self-appointed megaphones).

"The mudblood's going to get on a broom again." yelled Rabastan when it was Blake's turn. "Somebody should run around under her with a mattress and make sure she doesn't fall again."

"Gits." muttered Marlene under her breath and rolled her eyes, muttering a bit more about their lack of original insults, but a big smile broke over her face when she saw Blake give Lestrange and his guffawing friends two middle fingers, effectively shutting them up, and rise to the height of the hoops with her broom.

The rest of the tryouts was uneventful (except if you count one of the Gryffindors trying out for chaser being hit on the head so hard by a quaffle, he was taken to the Hospital Wing mumbling none sense about hunky punks and peppermint imps), and the candidates gathered in a small circle to hear from the captain after James blew his whistle to signal the end of tryouts.

The sun was already setting by that time and the grass had a certain golden hue to it when the students boots fell on it.

Because James is a very patient person, instead of tomorrow, the team welcomed their two new recruits, Frank Longbottom as keeper and Blake for chaser, right after everyone was gathered in a circle.

"Thanks for coming everyone." James called out when the ones who didn't make the team started dispersing. "Maybe next year."

"I'm a seventh year, you dolt!"

"Okay." sighed James and pursed his lips, before turning to Frank to congratulate him.

"Welcome aboard, Ross." Sirius said and shook her hand businesslike. "I was prepared to beg Prongs to let you on the team even if you were the worst so you wouldn't cry on me the whole year. But that was impressive. I didn't know you flew so well."