Here is chapter 9! Enjoy!
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Chapter 9: The Quidditch Queue

The next week went by quickly. The first years were getting piles of homework. Clementine, Albus, and Rose sat at a table in the Gryffindor common room working on an essay Professor Binns, the History of Magic professor, assigned them; it was about witch hunts in the early 17th century.

“Twelve and a half inches, I can’t believe him. I barely have six inches written,” said Albus, looking at his short essay. Rose has already finished hers, and Clementine was close behind.

“You’ve barely scratched the surface,” Rose said to him, reading his essay. “You could easily make that into the proper length. Just talk about the witch trails in Salem, Massachusetts. You could write massive amounts on that.”
Albus rolled his eyes.

“Hey, Quidditch try outs are tomorrow,” he said excitedly, not wanting to think about innocent Muggles being burned for no reason other than false suspicion. “I think I’m going to try out!”

Rose and Clementine looked at him in disbelief.

“But you’re a first year! You can’t possibly believe you can make the house team!” said Rose, still shocked and completely forgetting about the sudden change of subject.

“Well, I think I can do it,” he said. “Will you guys come to cheer me on?”

“What position do you plan on trying out for,” asked Clementine, thinking about James.

“I’m not sure. Maybe seeker. I know they are looking for a new one. James played chaser last year. And your brother wants to try out for beater. The Quidditch captain plays keeper, so there is no chance of getting a new one of them,” he finished.

“Well, of course we’ll come to cheer you on,” said Rose.

“Yes, I will definitely be there. I already planned on it,” said Clementine, not meeting their eyes.

“Really,” asked Rose and Albus together.

“Well, yeah,” said Clementine, slightly blushing, “It will be fun. Better than being cooped up in here all day.”

She hadn’t told anyone of her encounter with James, nor had she planned on doing so in the future.

The rest of the day slipped by, and Thursday afternoon came up abruptly. It was a beautiful sunny day. Clouds slowly drifted by, casting shadows in random places across the grounds. A slight breeze picked up, ruffling the leaves of the surrounding trees.

After class, the three of them went outside and sat by the lake until it was time for the tryouts. They walked to the Quidditch pitch; they were a bit early, but Albus wanted to get some flying practice in before the tryouts. To their dismay, however, the pitch was crowded.

Albus attempted to grab a broom from the shed, but due to the immense amount of people trying out, there were none left.

“Listen up everyone,” shouted a robust sixth year boy. He had short black hair that looked as if he had dumped a whole bottle of gel on it. They assumed he was the captain. “Those of you wanting to try out, remain on the field. Even though there are no more brooms in the shed, one may become available to you as we eliminate hopefuls.”

A lot of the people on the pitch were looking nervous. Clementine had spotted James, standing next to Torr. Both had tense faces.

“Those who are here to watch, please go and sit in the stands now. I want this field as least crowded as it can be,” finished the captain.

Rose and Clementine wished Albus good luck, and began walking toward the stands.

“Hey, Rose, save a seat for me, I better wish my brother good luck,” Clementine said. Rose nodded and started for the stands again.

Clementine winded her way through the people seeking a place on the Quidditch team. At last she found James and Torr.

“Hey guys, just wanted to wish you good luck,” she addressed them both, but was looking at James.

“Thanks sis,” said Torr.

“Yeah, thanks,” said James, smiling down at her, and whose face lightened up immediately.

She turned and left before saying anything further. She found her seat with Rose, who was sitting next to their three other dorm mates- Mona, Kiay, and Tanya. Rose and Clementine both looked around for Albus on the ground (they were very high up so it was hard to see), Clementine secretly scouting for James. At last they spotted them. The captain (whose name was Alan Strokes, they had finally come to find out), decided to try out beaters first. The crowded field began to take form, lining up for each position they wished to try out for. This created a very large line. The queue was almost out of the stadium.

Two at a time, the contenders for the beater positions rose into the air and put forth their best efforts. Finally two new beaters were chosen. Torr made it; he had batted the bludgers right through each of the three Quidditch hoops. His fellow beater, a wide shouldered, muscular girl, did just as well. Those who didn’t make it joined the spectators in the stands.

Next, the seekers were evaluated. Albus did pretty well, but he fell off of his broom so that the person challenging him caught the snitch. This put Albus out of the running. He looked very sulky. He joined the girls in the stands as they waited to see James.

Finally, the chasers were chosen. James did exceptionally well, scoring ten out of ten of the shots, and doing an incredible dive to dodge a bludger Torr had sent flying his way. He obviously made the team. Clementine, Albus, and Rose rushed out of the stands to congratulate Torr and James. They enjoyed a relaxing meal together for lunch, talking excitedly about the day’s excitement. Finally, they decided to try and finish their homework for the rest of the day (much to Albus’s dismay).
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