章節 207: The Seeker

"Where are you going?" Chris asked Harry casually.

Just so Ginny didn't realize that Chris was feeling lonely and force her to go to Burrow with them, especially when Mrs Weasley didn't invite her for Christmas.

"What do you mean?" Harry looked up from his godfather's letter.

"I mean did Sirius mentioned where are you going? Like his new apartment or his parents' house?" Chris explained.

"Oh, I don't know. He said he will pick us up at platform nine and three quarters," Harry grinned.

"Us?" Chris repeated without understanding.

"Er. . . yeah, you and me," Harry replied looking confused.

"What do you mean you and me?" Chris asked sharply.

"Didn't I mention, he invited you too?"

"Nooo," Chris stretched the 'no' but then broke into a grin. "Did he really? You are not messing with me, are you?"

" 'Course not, he asked me to invite you and Hermione, if she is not going home," Harry smiled. "Sirius knows you can't go home this Christmas."

Chris never thought she would be that happy to hear Harry say those words but she was. She wasn't going to spend her holidays alone, she was going to celebrate Christmas with Harry and Sirius, well that was better than nothing.

Chris was in very good mood when she went down for Quidditch trials next evening. She had finally managed to convince Colin to tryout for beater. Angelina, Chris and Ron were the only ones left in team which pained Angelina every time she addressed them with the word 'team'. In fact, she wasn't that much optimistic with the tryouts, and Ron looked like, he was trying to vaporize while standing there. So Chris stepped up and directed the tryouts. They needed two beaters, one seeker and one chaser which was not an easy task. Katie Bell and Alicia Spinet, the former chasers of Gryffindor were best like always, and surprisingly Colin did a great job as a beater, but there was no one even close to Harry. Only two players had a few skills for that but Angelina wasn't sure about them.

"You can't compare them with Harry, Angelina," Chris said after the tryouts. "Not to mention, he has a Firebolt."

"They also lack skills, Chris," Angelina sighed. "Alicia and Katie are good but they are good chaser, not a seeker. I've two chasers but not a seeker. I think I will give Alicia the chaser position and Katie the seeker —"

Angelina abruptly stopped and looked at Chris intensely.

"Er — Angelina?"

"Why don't you try?" Angelina said suddenly straightening up.

"Me?" Chris looked confused.

"Yeah, you Chris," Angelina said seriously. "You know, when Wood saw you fly at our first tryouts he said you could be a great seeker too, Gosh, I almost forgot that. Chris, give it a try for the team. Go on."

"But?" Chris tried to protest but then realized there was no harm in trying so she nodded. "Alright, let's do this."

And turned out Wood was right, Chris was really good. And according to her, chasing the Snitch was more fun then snatching and passing the Quaffle, but she didn't say that aloud.

At the end of the day, Chris was happy as she still got one of her best friend in the team. As Colin and Andrew Kirke were the new Beaters, Katie and Alicia Chasers and Chris the new seeker.

"You are kidding."

It was their last D.A. meeting before the holidays. Chris was telling Ginny what had happened at the tryouts.

"You the seeker and Colin the beater," Ginny continued happily. "I can't believe this. That's brilliant, Chris."

Chris smiled then glanced sideways at Harry who was practising with Ron a little far from them. When Angelina told Harry about the new players his face wore a weird kind of expression, somewhere between happiness, anger and sadness.

"You're getting really good," Harry said at the end of the meeting, beaming around at the D.A. members.

"Yeah, we all are getting good but we need to keep practising," said Cedric smiling. "I was thinking after we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff, what do you think Chris, Harry?"

"Big stuff like?" Chris asked.

"How about Patronuses?" Harry said.

There was a murmur of excitement. Cedric nodded.

"Alright, that's it then," Chris said. "We will do Patronuses and few advances spells after the holidays. Merry Christmas everyone."

There was a general murmur of Merry Christmas. Then the room began to clear in the usual twos and threes; most people wished Chris a Happy Christmas as they went. Cedric hugged Chris and wished her before leaving. Few others like Irena, Melvin, Jane all did the same.

Chris was almost halfway on the way back to the Gryffindor tower with Ginny and Colin when she remembered she had left her gloves in the Room of Requirement. So she went back to get them before the room change itself and the gloves got lost in the room forever. She was relieved to find that the room hadn't changed. Chris thought that maybe Hermione was still there, sorting books, which she could take with her for holidays. But when she entered there was no sign of Hermione, but there were two figures under the Mistletoe, alone in the room and they were kissing.

Chris slowly stepped backwards and close the silently, without knowing if they hear her or not. She just turned around and walked towards the Gryffindor tower. And suddenly everything made sense to her, Padma's sudden shyness whenever she talked about Harry, her trust in Harry, Harry looking very red every time he was helping Padma during the D.A meetings.

"Did you find your gloves?" Colin asked as Chris sink into an armchair in front of him, Ginny and Dennis.

"Nope," Chris replied casually. "The room was gone by the time I reached."

"Hey Chris, want some?" Dennis held out Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. "See if you can find some good ones."

"Don't I just got a vomit flavour," Colin made a disgusted face.

"I got a pineapple flavoured," Ginny grinned.

"And I got ear wax," Dennis said grimly. "And something really bitter, don't know what."

"You know there's an easy way," Chris said smiling and then waved her wand. Few beans jumped out of the box. "Now there's only the good ones."

Chris took one and popped it inside her mouth.

"Strawberry," She grinned.

Dennis instantly took one to check and smile as he ate it. "Chocolate."

Colin and Ginny followed.

"It's a really nice way to spend Friday night, don't you think?" Colin said getting comfortable in his armchair.

It was a long time ago when every Friday night Chris used to gaze up at the sky from the common room with Harry. Chris felt surprised as she realized what she was thinking and more importantly how much she missed those days. She shook her head like she was shaking out the thoughts from her brain then looked back at Colin.

"Yeah it is," she answered smiling.

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To be continued. . .