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The Hogwarts All-Star Quidditch Team


Derek Bell came out onto the pitch at exactly 18:00. He strode across the grass in his full Gryffindor uniform, the Quidditch set under one arm, his broomstick over his shoulder. On the pitch was gathered a sampling of the four teams, each dressed in their own team robes, holding their own brooms, and waiting expectantly. Nerves were running high.

“Alright you lot,” Derek said, walking before them all, “We’re picking for players who’ll represent Hogwarts in the tourney against Ilvermorny. This isn’t an ordinary game, it’s an international challenge. We don’t just win the glory of getting to say that we’ve won but we win the ability to show the entire world what Hogwarts students are made of.”

“Atoms,” said a Ravenclaw, “We’re made of atoms.”

Derek looked uncertain how to respond, finally settling on, “Right, yeah. Atoms. And also guts and bravery and good hearts and brains. We’re stronger united than we are apart. That’s why I want to be sure that each house is represented. I’m going to try very hard to be objective and a good captain.” His eyes flickered to where the Gryffindor team stood. “Unfortunately for you lot that means you’ll have to be trying extra hard as I’m not playing favorites at all.”

A general smattering of applause ripped over them all.

“That’s just what he’s got to say before putting the whole of the Gryffindor team up for the all stars,” Sirius said haughtily to Remus and Peter as they clapped and watched James and Lily take to the air down on the pitch. “Sort of a disclaimer so none of the sore sports can claim he didn’t do his best to balance it out. James and Lily are shoe-ins for places on the team.”

“I dunno mate,” Remus said, “I’ve heard there’s a spectacular chaser on Ravenclaw and there’s only three spots for Chasers… Derek’s one, so there’s actually only two open.”

Sirius shrugged, nonplussed by the math of it. It seemed impossible to fathom James and Lily not being on the tourney team with how well they had played throughout the term. But he cheered and jumped up and down as the try-outs went on just the same.

There were quite a few really great players on the pitch, though, and things were getting quite competitive. Derek had given each of the players the instructions to wear their uniforms so that they were numbered and if he shouted out the number a certain player was wearing, that player was out of the running and would have to go and sit down in the stands. Sirius excitedly sat on the edge of his seat, hoping not to hear numbers 28 or 5.

About halfway through, James and Lily both still in the running, there was a stirring on the bench behind them and Remus turned to look. He was surprised to see Chriselda Blythe settling herself down there. “Professor Blythe,” he said, “Hello.”

“Hello Remus,” she greeted him. It had been a couple weeks since they’d seen Professor Blythe, other than during meals in the Great Hall. She was still not teaching classes and the rumors going about the castle was that she was being investigated for something, but nobody knew exactly what it was. “How are the try-outs going so far?” she asked.

Sirius turned back in surprise, too, at the sound of her voice, “I didn’t know you were a quidditch fan.”

Chriselda Blythe shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not a horrid sport.”

“It’s brilliant,” Sirius answered, turning back as Derek’s whistle blew and he shouted out several more numbers down on the pitch - one of them was Frank Longbottom’s. Frank landed his broom on the grass in disappointment.

Remus asked, “When are you going to be teaching Defense again? We miss you.” McGonagall wasn’t a bad teacher, but it was becoming quite apparent that Professor McGonagall was becoming tired with the two classes to juggle. She’d come into Transfiguration earlier that week and pulled out her Defense book and begun talking about counter-jinxes before Lily had reminded her they were in Transfiguration.

“Perhaps soon,” said Professor Blythe, reaching a hand up to tuck a bit of stray hair behind her ear. When she did, a ring on her finger caught the sunlight and flashed bright as a star.

Sirius turned ‘round, attention captured by the shine. “What’s that?” he asked, turning about. He saw her ring, “Whoa, blimey, that’s huge!” It was a rather large diamond that set on her left hand and her face turned scarlet. “Who’s given you that then?” Sirius asked.

“N - nobody,” she stammered, “I’ve ordered it.” She quickly turned it so that the stone was facing inward to her palm and only the band showed on the outside.

Sirius gave Remus a look. If she’d had that ring before now, he definitely would’ve noticed it. It was far too large to overlook. No - Chriselda Blythe was newly engaged. But the question was to whom and why would it be a secret? Suspicion rose up in Sirius and he was about to start asking questions when Frank Longbottom sat down on the other side of Peter beside him.

“They’re bloody competitive down there,” he said, shaking his head, “There was no hope. Good luck to the rest of them.” He leaned his beater’s bat against the row.

“Sorry you’re out,” said Peter.

“S’alright, pressure’s off now, isn’t it?” Frank said, “I’m actually rather relieved. It’s a lot of pressure. Derek’s only going to get worse once the Ilvermorny team arrives. I’ll enjoy the tourney from the stands with the rest of you lot.”

Sirius reluctantly turned away from Professor Blythe, but he was going to be sure to tell James about the ring and see what he thought. The fact that Professor Blythe had been suspended from teaching just as she got engaged to somebody -- and was being investigated -- and McGonagall was refusing to tell them why -- well, those things added up to something extremely terrible going on in Sirius’s mind and he was going to find out what. A worried thought went through him suddenly - what if Chriselda Blythe was engaged to a Death Eater and that was why she didn’t want to tell him? What if she was working for the Dark Lord and that was what they were investigating? A shiver went through Sirius. Sure, Miss. Blythe didn’t seem the type to be doing dark stuff but then again she was very passionate about the Dark Arts in class and she’d obviously studied them to some extent to have become a Dark Arts teacher… He glanced back at her, at her golden hair and excited eyes as she watched the proceedings on the pitch. Could Chriselda herself be a Death Eater?

“Numbers 24, 16, 11 and 5 - you’re out.”

“Oh no - Lily.” Remus’s voice made Sirius turn back around just in time to see Lily Evans land on the grass of the pitch with the other players that had been named out. Among them was also Andy Woodhouse, the Gryffindor keeper.

Frank frowned, “I thought for sure Lily would make the tourney,” he said.

A few minutes later, Lily joined them in the stands and squished herself in between Remus and Sirius. “Sorry you didn’t get on the team,” Sirius said as she settled in.

“Thanks,” she answered, her voice a bit quivery.

“Are you alright?” Remus asked. He held up some water that he’d brought along from the castle and she gratefully drank. “You did wonderful.”

Lily smiled, “Thank you,” she answered, taking the water, “I just wish I’d outlasted James, at least,” she said with a sigh.

“Well James is going to make the team,” Sirius answered, “He just has to.”

The odds were looking pretty good for James down on the pitch, too. Derek had narrowed down the players until he had four chasers, three beaters, two keepers, and two seekers. There were only five more players to cut, and one of them players still flying about was James Potter. Derek was having them shoot goals against the keepers on either end of the pitch and James hadn’t missed a single shot. Granted, nobody else had either, but it only meant that James, who was the youngest player still in play, was keeping up well with the students in higher years. James, Bilius, and Alex Tinnamin were the only players still on from Gryffindor, besides Derek himself.

The whistle blew, signaling the end of the try-outs and Derek waved for everyone to land their brooms. They all spiraled down to the grass and stood about him. James felt his stomach knotting up as he went over all the work he’d done over the course of try-outs. He’d worked very hard and there was sweat up in his brow, despite the fact that there was quite a chill in the air. He clutched his broom, afraid of what decisions Derek Bell was about to make.

“Alright everyone, first off, you should be really honored to have made it this far, you’re all brilliant and I’m really sorry I’ve got to cut some of you out. I really am.” Derek held his clipboard he’d been making notes on and looked about at them all as he spoke, “You all deserve to be in the tourney, but rules are rules and I can only have so many players. But you’re all going to be in our reserves. If we need any back-up players it’ll be you lot I’ll turn to.” Derek stared down at the clipboard a moment, making sure these were his final choices, and then he said, “I’m going to call a position and then the names of the players who’ve made the team. If you haven’t made it, please make your way to the stands. If you have, we’ll be meeting in the Gryffindor locker room to go over some team stuff that Dumbledore’s given me to share.”

James felt sick. Here it was… the moment he’d been playing for.

Derek cleared his throat. “Seeker. Alex Tinnamin.”

“YES!” Alex jumped up in the air excitedly, then turned and shook hands with the other boy - a Hufflepuff named Jory Locheland. “Good play, mate,” he said.

“Congratulations,” Jory answered and he shook Alex’s hand then went off to join the Hufflepuffs in the stands.

James was grinning ear-to-ear, happy for Alex.

“Beaters,” Derek called. “Isaac Horan and Marty Brown.” The Slytherin nodded, having expected the appointment as the star beater, but Marty, who was a sixth year Hufflepuff looked surprised. She was one of the few girls who had ever played the position at Hogwarts and being chosen for an all star team as a female beater -- well that had to be some sort of first and her eyes twinkled with excitement at the appointment.

James was getting more and more antsy and excited.

Derek announced, “Keeper… Quentin Vane.” Quentin was a tall Ravenclaw who hadn’t let a single shot through the golden rings.

“And chasers,” Derek said, coming to the end of his clipboard. James closed his eyes. “I, myself, of course, as Captain, will be taking one of the positions of chaser. Joining me will be Jessica Abbott and Abby Jones.”

The two girls screamed and cheered and jumped up and down and Derek was shouting something about remembering they were all brilliant and being in reserves and all that but it all sounded so far off to James, he could barely hear it. He felt dizzy. Bilius clapped his hand on James’s shoulders, “Sorry mate,” he said. James merely nodded and Bilius led him off the pitch.

“What the bloody hell!?” Sirius shouted, standing up on his bench, “That Abby Jones only made the team because she’s Gwenog’s sister, I’ll bet! Ridiculous! Where’s Derek’s brains? James is loads better than Abby Jones!”

Remus sighed.

“He’s going to be so upset,” Peter said, shaking his head. “Shall I go to the kitchens and get some cakes to cheer him up?”

Sirius pushed by the others, nearly tripping over Frank Longbottom’s beater’s bat, and rushed down from the stands to find James. He ran through the half-melted snow on the grounds to catch up to Bilius, who was leading James up to the castle. James’s eyes were still unfocused with shock and tears were silently going down over his cheeks. Sirius caught up, “I’ll take him from here, mate,” he told Bilius breathlessly.

“Alright,” Bilius said. He looked down at James, “It’ll be alright, mate. You really did do very well. I think Derek just wanted some older players for the tourney, you know? You’re a great player, this doesn’t mean you aren’t. You made it further than most everyone!”

James nodded blankly.

“Thanks Bilius,” said Sirius. When he’d gone, Sirius turned to James, “Are you alright, mate?”

James’s eyes were wet and red and there were tear tracks on his face. He shook his head, swallowing back a great lump that had risen up in his throat. “I’ve been cut,” he choked.

“I know, I’m sorry, but blimey you did grand! You were the only player on the team not above fourth year! And the players that beat you out were outstanding and you were playing just as well… You did spectacular, mate, everyone was saying so in the stands.”

James shook his head, “But I failed,” he said miserably.

“Blimey, you didn’t fail,” Sirius replied, shaking his head, “You were brilliant.”

“I just wanted to be on the team so much,” James choked. “I just thought - I thought - I really expected --”

“I know, we all did,” Sirius answered. He patted James’s back. “Peter’s going to go to the kitchen and get us some cakes to cheer you up,” he said.

James looked up at him, “I don’t want to see the others while I’m crying like this!”

Sirius thought for a moment, “Alright. Well, let’s you and me, we’ll go check on the Daught of Change, then, alright? And we’ll hang out there for a few until you can clear your head up and feel better.”

James nodded.

“Okay. C’mon. Maybe there’ll be something there we can make tea with,” Sirius suggested as they walked.

James sniffled, “Wonder what bicorn horn tea would be like.”

“Miserable, I expect,” Sirius replied, tossing his arm over his mate’s shoulders. “Have you ever smelled a bicorn? They’re rank as murder.”