บท 29: Qualifying for the Quidditch Team
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The scuffle with the Slytherins was not to be made public. Harry used Enervite on Malfoy, who was barely involved in the fight, and was able to negotiate with him so that he and his gang wouldn't tell anyone anything, as well as convince Crabbe to crack Justin, since Potter didn't know the counterspell for Petrificus Totalus. But what Harry hadn't considered was that some of the students had seen the beginning and perhaps even a good half of the fight perfectly well. They must have been attracted to Draco's loud shouting about signing autographs. Some of these unwitting spectators had told the Head Boy about it, and the Head Boy had informed the Dean. It was all very simple.
Harry, as the instigator of the fight, was taken off thirty points, which he, however, instantly earned the same day in the lesson of defence against the dark arts. And Professor Steble, remembering that this was not Potter's first transgression, decided to write a letter to his guardians, in which she expressed her concern about the sophomore's behaviour.
From that point on, Harry and Justin began an active friendship with Colin Creevey. For the freshman's birthday in early October, Potter gave him a state-of-the-art video camera, which he had pre-ordered by mail, and Finch-Fletchley, with his sense of humour, gave him a baseball bat. Colin was overjoyed with the new camcorder, and the day after the party he was running around Hogwarts filming everything he could get his hands on. Potter hadn't paid much attention to Creevey's hobby, but he was surprised when the freshman tried to shove five galleons he'd received from selling the pictures to some newspaper. It was not the fact that Colin had managed to earn a dozen galleons in one day that surprised him, but the fact that he had tried to give fifty per cent of his earnings to him. Harry refused the gold coins offered to him, thinking that the money should not belong to him, because he had no part in earning it.The defeat of Crabbe in the magical duel had taken a toll on Justin's character, and he had been vocal in his praise of Harry's fighting ability, then he had complained about not seeing Creevey beat Goyle with his bare hands, and he had suggested that he raid Dumbledore's office to savour the moment in a pool of memory, and after his plan had been rejected, he had sat down to read books on combat magic.
It wasn't hard to draw a parallel. He had been paralysed on the floor for most of the fight, and he had been defeated by Crabbe, the same man who was widely considered by all members of the Hufflepuff faculty to be one of the stupidest students at Hogwarts. And this man, a week later, couldn't use the simplest levitation spell in Flitwick's class. Justin had become very unconvinced of his power and was determined to increase it by all means.
Harry thought about helping him learn some of the simpler spells, but he didn't have time. An unbelievable pile of things had been dumped on his head. The date for the selection trials for the Quidditch team had been announced. Already in the middle of October Harry would have to come to the sports ground and show his broom flying skills. Since spring, Potter has only flown on a broom once - in mid-September, he and Zhou did a few laps around the stadium at speed, flying through the goalkeeper rings. Harry had only lost by a few metres, and Chang had informed him with a smile that he could easily take any spot on the Hufflepuff national team. Potter agreed with her and stopped training, but in the run up to the selection trials he was no longer so confident in his abilities and one day after lessons, after solving a riddle, he went into the Ravenclaw living room and asked Zhou to teach him something else.
With all the chores Harry didn't forget about Hagrid either. Sometimes, when he got bored of studying spells, he would go into the giant's hut, where he would drink raspberry tea in pleasant surroundings with incredibly hard biscuits, pieces of which he would feed to Fang under the table. In early October, Hagrid left Hogwarts for a week and returned with a small aquarium filled with strange fish. Having been given the assignment by Hagrid to 'Find out what these fish feed on', Harry didn't know exactly where to start. He tried digging for worms, but that was unsuccessful, so Potter decided to see if the creatures living in the tank would eat Hagrid's biscuits. This attempt was successful, Harry did indeed find out what the fish were eating. With his fingers...
When he put the biscuits in the water, one of the particularly healthy critters rushed towards him and clawed at his little finger. As it later turned out, it was a species called Piranhas, they are predators and eat other fish, but they are also not afraid of human or some other meat. Now Hagrid left Hogwarts periodically, each time returning with new fish of different species, which were then mercilessly eaten by his favourites. When the giant left for a new batch of "food" for his "cute" pets, Harry had to periodically put pre-prepared pieces of meat - not human - into the aquarium. When asked why he couldn't get himself something more harmless, Hagrid replied:
- I did try. I had a... A cat. Yes! Her name was Norbert, I mean his... Anyway, she was harmless, but he was taken away from me, and she just accidentally set fire to the castle, no, I understand if it was on purpose, but she accidentally....
The giant didn't answer the question so clearly, but Potter didn't want to know how the cat could, or rather would, set fire to the castle. However, he soon began to understand Hagrid. Fish were indeed mesmerising in their beauty, if you forget for a moment that right now they dream of eating you more than anything else in the world, you can appreciate their peculiar feature. They swim... And that's all they do, back and forth, back and forth, over and over again, without thinking about the mortality of existence and other pressing problems, moving from one side of the aquarium to the other, twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, and they want absolutely nothing... Except to eat you. Anyway, Harry decided that if rebirth exists, he wouldn't mind becoming a fish after death.
Also, Potter finally got a proper visit from an owl. This happened when he decided to order a video camera for Colin. Since sophomores were not allowed to leave Hogwarts during their studies, the only possible way to get something from outside of Hogwarts was to order from the owl mail. Harry managed to talk the owl through what was required of her, gave her an envelope with a letter and a few gold coins, fed her some owl waffles left over from a long ago competition, and sent her on her way.
Tonks' birthday present wasn't much of a problem. Despite the fact that Potter had not had time to purchase books for this purpose over the summer, he had been able to find a way out of the situation. The existence of the Wishing Room solved a lot of problems in general. Since the room itself had nothing against having anything taken out of it, it could serve as an incredibly huge repository of all sorts of things, each of which could be appropriated. Harry settled on an amulet in the shape of a golden hourglass that held glowing red pebbles instead of sand. According to the book he'd found nearby, this amulet protected against powerful curses. Although the word "protected" could be replaced with "saved", because, as Potter understood, the jewel did not reflect spells, but pushed them out of their range.
Harry had sent this amulet to the Elemental just after she had returned with the video camera. He didn't put any messages in the envelope, Tonks would know who the gift was from, and Potter just didn't know what to write. Potter spent a few days thinking about the usefulness of his gift and how much he could use the jewellery, and when the Elemental returned with a short message, "Thanks, Harry; I don't know what it's for, but it looks cool," he began to feel very 'toad-ish' and after half an hour of searching the Wishing Room he found a similarly working amulet, in the shape of a snake. Not embarrassed by its obvious belonging to the Slytherin faculty, Potter began to carry it in a secret pocket of his robes, just in case, who knows what Snape would think of, and Moody was always ready for surprises.
After getting a hundred points in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class for quoting word for word "The Troll Trail" and thus putting Hufflepuff in first place in the inter-faculty competition, Harry decided to do a little work on the Lockhart fan club. The first thing he did was invite his new good friends Colin Creevey and Ginny Weasley to join. Colin secretly photographed Lockhart a few times on the first day, and now the circle had its own emblem: Gilderoy Lockhart showing Percy Weasley how to use Aguamenti properly. Colin had also started creating badges for the members of this social group, but so far he hadn't succeeded. Ginny, on the other hand, has simply become a rank and file member. By the way, something strange started to happen to her lately, she turned very pale and stopped noticing people around her, as if she didn't see them. Potter wanted to find out what was going on with her, but Justin advised him to 'mind his own business', so he changed his mind.
With all the studying Harry was torn into many parts. Studying, helping Justin with spells, the Lockharts fan club, preparing for Quidditch sectionals, homework, Hagrid and his fish, presents for various birthdays, learning new spells. Potter even looked in the Room-A-Wish for a book on some invigorating spells so that some of the time he spent sleeping could be spent on more useful things, but it turned out that such spells simply didn't exist. So if he wanted to perk himself up, he would have to invent a new spell. Alas, Harry forced himself to temper his ardour somewhat. He decided to spend less time doing circle time, leave Justin to study spells on his own, and devote a little less time to useless academic subjects like the history of magic and astronomy. The problem with the lack of time was somewhat solved.
* * *
At the end of October, Potter and Justin walked out of the faculty lounge and headed to the Quidditch sectionals.
- Did you remember your broom? - Finch-Fletchley asked, crawling out of the tunnel.
Harry silently pointed to the Nimbus 2000 he held in his left hand. A rather odd question, since they were going together. So Justin was just trying to start an unpleasant conversation from afar. And Potter wasn't wrong.
- Listen, I've been thinking, if you can beat Cedric Diggory in the Seeker competition, can you even play properly?
- What do you mean? - Harry didn't understand. - What do you mean 'if I can play properly'. What's to stop me?
- Well, you don't seem to tolerate..." Justin didn't sound like himself. He was struggling to find the right words. - There's going to be a lot of people at the stadium, and Seekers are always being watched... And you don't seem to like it much.
Harry wrinkled his nose. He'd thought about it before. Indeed, the very thought of having a lot of people watching his actions made him, if not afraid, then very uncomfortable.
- I've already thought about it. I can handle it," Potter replied confidently, though he didn't really feel any confidence at all.
- No, I believe in you, don't get me wrong, it's just that I've recently learnt how to use a very interesting spell, Confundus.
- So? - Harry was beginning to see where Justin was going with this.
- Remember what you told me about Tonks putting Confundus on you, and you sort of forgot all your fears, and could do things you wouldn't have dared to do in your right mind. So, maybe...
- No, Justin, we're not doing that.
- I'm going to put Confundus on you, and you're going to fly normally, without discomfort...
- I've listened to you. We're not doing that," Harry was adamant.- Suit yourself," Finch-Fletchley shrugged.
There were about a dozen or three people gathered on the Quidditch pitch. Harry recognised only two of them: the same senior student he'd sat next to on the first of September, and Susan Bones.
- Hello, Harry. Hello to you too, Justin," Cedric Diggory, the captain of the Hufflepuff team, came up to them. - Are you here to try out for the national team?
- Yeah," Justin replied. - When are the tryouts?
- Right now, we'll wait for a few more and then we'll get started," Cedric turned to Harry. - How's Tonks doing?
"She said to tell you you're a bastard."
- 'Fine, she got a job as an auror, and you don't know that, do you? - Potter replied.
- 'No, I know, do you still want to be a Seeker?
- Yeah, you don't mind, do you?
- It's fine," Cedric smiled. - We'll start with the Seeker selection, there's another boy who wants my place. Warm up for now, we'll start in five minutes.
A rather primitive test was created for the selection of the Seekers: a snitch was released on the field, and after three minutes the Seekers. Whoever caught the three golden balls first would win. In addition to Harry and Cedric, there was a tall sixth year boy with the name Alistair.
The first round ended in favour of the team captain, while Harry and Alistair searched the field, Diggory soared high up, almost immediately dived down and flew up again with a snitch in his hand. The only difference between the second round and the first was that this time Harry and Alistair repeated Cedric's move, but he was the first to spot the golden ball, and the score was already 2-0-0. The interesting part started in the third round. Alistair realised that if the trial continued in the same vein, he would never see the Seeker's place, and he did his best to prevent Cedric from looking around. While Diggory and the tall sixth year were jostling, Harry was able to get the snitch out of the left goalpost without too much trouble. In the fourth round, the roles switched, with Alistair searching for the tiny ball and Potter thwarting Cedric. Since Harry never pushed, and he was a bit smaller than Diggory, he chose a different tactic - he simply blocked the Hufflepuff captain's view. Wherever Cedric looked, Potter was instantly in front of him. It took Alistair about three minutes to find the snitch. The score became 2-1-1.
In the fifth round Harry and the sixth year switched roles again, but this time things didn't go according to plan, Cedric was able to break free from Alistair's tight grasp and managed to snatch the snitch right in front of Potter's nose in a tight struggle. Seeker and captain of Hufflepuff remained Cedric Diggory.
- Fucking hell, Harry, you were bloody close," said Justin, who was watching the challenge from the stands.
Potter didn't answer anything, he sat down next to Finch-Fletchley, put his broom down beside him and watched the goalkeepers' trial in frustration. His Quidditch career was over before it had even begun.
- How upset are you? - Justin didn't calm down.
"No, leave me alone," Harry wanted to reply, but he thought, why lie? After all, he really wanted to be a Hufflepuff Seeker very badly.
- Yes, he did.
- Don't feel bad, you can try next year, or you can try out for hunter or trapper, no one forbids a player to try out for both roles at once.
- You know what, I'll give it a try," Harry said excitedly. - Throwing a quaffle into the goalposts is a lot easier than flying around the pitch looking for a tiny snitch.
- And when you consider that the goalkeepers in the national team are crooked morons," Finch-Fletchley continued. - If you don't even pass the hunter's test, you can always become a pensman, all you have to do is swing a bat and not fall off a broomstick.
- Thank you Justin, you've really helped," Harry thanked Harry heartily.
- You're welcome.
The goalkeeper test was won by Herbert Fleet, the same one who had been the goalkeeper for the national team last year.
- Now the hunters and corralers test, all other players please stand back," Diggory announced.
- Wait, Cedric, two trials are going to be held at the same time? - Harry wondered.
- Well, yeah, what's weird about that? Who do you think the paddlers should be aiming bludgers at? Hunters, of course! Hunters should be tested not only on their accuracy and strength, but also on their ability to evade bludgers. What's up?
- I just wanted to try out for a different role. If Seeker doesn't work out, then all is not lost, right?
- Well done, Harry," Cedric praised him. - That's the way to do it. Never give up. Of course, you can try out for other positions. Do you want to try to become a paddler or a hunter?
Here Potter was faced with a very difficult choice. He has to choose one or the other. On the one hand, the role of hunter is more attractive, but the competition for it is very big, even Susan Bones is trying to become a hunter, but if he chooses the position of a corraler, which does not attract Harry much, it will be a much easier test, besides Justin and two past corralers, there are only two people in the competition. Which one to choose?
- Well a hunter, I guess... Although no, wait, a corraler, definitely a corraler.
- Are you sure? - Cedric smiled. - There won't be any other tests.
- No, I'm not sure," Harry answered honestly. - But I'm going to try out for the paddock position.
- Suit yourself, take the bat from Herbert and fly into the air, the test will start on the whistle.
Potter took the bat and flew into the air. He still wasn't sure he had chosen the right option. Maybe he should have tried to become a hunter after all. Justin, on the other hand, fully approved of Harry's choice as he saw him soar into the air with bat in hand and Finch-Fletchley gave him a thumbs-up from the opposite half of the pitch.
- The game is for one rings, Herbert Fleet will be on the goal, he plays against everyone. - Cedric explained the rules. - You've been divided into two teams, red and blue. The aim of each team is to score as many goals as possible. I will select the hunters not by the number of goals scored, but by technique, so don't even try to be greedy. With the corrals it's roughly the same, you play against everyone, your goal is to take down players from any team. Let's go!
Diggory blew the whistle and the challenge began. The bludgers soared into the air and the quaffle was fired into the field by Cedric himself. Without hesitation Harry and Justin flew towards the same bludger, as Potter was a little better with a broom he was the first to reach the big black ball. He was already picking his target when some incredible force hit him in the shoulders and he nearly fell off his broom.
- Sorry, Scarface, I didn't see you," O'Flaherty flew up to him. - You're too small, so...
A bludger flew at him at high speed, straight into his nose. Finch-Fletchley stepped in for Harry.
- I remind the paddlers that their target is not other paddlers, but hunters! - Cedric's voice boomed across the field as if he were speaking into a loudspeaker.
But Justin didn't care what the team captain said, he was already sending the next bludger at the already recovered O'Flaherty.
- You bastard! - O'Flaherty shrieked and dodged Justin's blow, catching the bludger and sending it at the sender.
Harry and the other three corrals played with only one bludger for the rest of the ordeal, as a second one regularly flew from Finch-Fletchley to O'Flaherty and back again. Potter was always the first to reach the big black ball with ease, but the other contestants flew much worse than he did, and could not keep up with him. Harry never hit anyone, though; all his blows either missed him or were dodged at the last moment. The battle between O'Flaherty and Finch-Fletchley was more interesting. Justin was clearly the stronger of the two - he had not a scratch, while his opponent had a smashed - or broken - nose, a twisted arm and a bleeding forehead.
The climax of their battle came when O'Flaherty, apparently realising that he was not going to win the battle with the Bludgers, went hand-to-hand, charging at Justin, but Finch-Fletchley was ready for the manoeuvre. He flew over his opponent and brought the bat down on the back of his head. O'Flaherty fell off his broom and flew at great speed to the ground, where he was caught by Diggory's spell.
- That's it! Stop! That's enough! - Cedric shouted and whistled. The game stopped immediately. - With a score of one hundred and thirty to seventy, the blue team won. Come downstairs, I'll announce the results of the selection.
Harry landed on the ground, he didn't have a single hit, but the others were doing even worse, so his chances of making the national team were high.
A terribly pleased Justin walked up to him.
- You could have stood up for me," he said.
- It's not right, we could have dealt with him after the game if you wanted to, and it's stupid to spoil your selection trials.
- Consider yourself forgiven," Potter's words all seemed to fly past Finch-Fletchley's ears. - Did you see him fall off his broom? I did him a favour, didn't I?
- Justin what the Merlin have you got going on? - a furious Cedric walked up to them.
- It was his own fault, he broke the rules and hit Harry first. And I retaliated.
- I saw that he was the one who started it, but why do you have to retaliate? Be smart, you made a farce of it, I couldn't even watch the hunters properly because of you!
Justin frowned, perhaps he realised the stupidity of what he had done, or perhaps he was just pretending not to make Diggory even angrier.
- So," Cedric turned to the corral. - The bludger count: Finch-Fletchley, about seventeen, O'Flaherty, two, and the others, zero. However, these two have broken the rules and I can't have them both on the team as they'll just outbid each other, so the Hufflepuff team's corralers are....
Harry's heart raced very quickly.
- Potter and Finch-Fletchley, the rest of you are free to go.
Everything inside Harry was dancing. He did it! He made the Quidditch team!
- The hunters will be chosen by our goalkeeper, he can tell us who gave him the most trouble.
The goalkeeper was quite taken aback. He looked perplexed at the crowd turned to him, and, stammering, said:
- "Well, I can't say for sure... The best was Appleby from the blue team. He scored, like, eight goals and dodged a bludger or two. Priss, you're in the team too, six goals for the red team, with a few of them you organised yourself. And you, McAvoy, I'm sorry, I wasn't impressed, but Bones was very good in the Blue team, she didn't score a goal, but she gave Appleby a lot of passes to empty goals, she made some deceptive moves, she didn't deceive me, but she tried. There!
Herbert finished speaking and looked at Cedric. He nodded after a bit of thought and announced the composition of the team:
- "Great, so the Hufflepuff team this year is Fleet, goalkeeper; Potter, Finch-Fletchley; Appleby, Bones, and Preece, hunters; and Diggory, Seeker, which is me. Hopefully this year the cup will be ours!
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