The Marauder's Tale [MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT, & PRONGS]

XXI. Invincible

"Well, troops, this is it," Adam said. "This is our first match of the year."

"And we needed to be reminded of this?" Eric muttered, leaning close to James.

James laughed.

"Is something entertaining you, Potter?" Adam asked.

"Just nerves," James chuckled.

Adam gave him a look that said quite plainly that he didn't believe him, but grinned anyway. "Right, now that James is ready to listen, I'll continue." He turned serious again. "I know that we won the Quidditch Cup last year, and I'm sure that you'd all love to see a repeat of that event. But we can't rest on last year's success. We are a new team this year, and we have to prove ourselves all over again."

"Well, we have great leadership!" Minnie grinned.

Adam winked at her. "Thank you, thank you. Please, hold your applause."

James and Eric grinned at one another, and laughed again. Maxx, their new Beater, looked at Maggie and Olivia as if asking if their captain was insane.

"Don't worry," Maggie said, leaning over Minnie to talk to him. "This is just how Adam is. But he knows when to be serious. Honestly."

Maxx smiled, but still looked noncommittal.

"Look, if he was always serious, it would be boring," James said. "I like him this way."

"All right, troops, let's get out there and show Ravenclaw what we've got!"

The team cheered, and began its march out to the field. Maxx looked up at the packed stands with a nervous expression. James took a few quick steps so that he was walking next to him.

"Nervous?" he asked, ruffling his hair.

"Yeah," Maxx admitted.

James nodded. "I am, too."

"Really?"

"I'm nervous before every match," James admitted. "But it's better this year than it was last year. Look, we all think you're good, or we wouldn't have picked you for the team. So just get out there and do what you need to do. We're all here to work together." He reached up to ruffle his hair again.

Eric cleared his throat loudly.

"Well, Eric thinks that he's the only important team member," James conceded with a grin. "But we'll prove him wrong."

Maxx smiled. In spite of James' pep talk, he still looked nervous.

The match began with the signal from Professor Aves' whistle. James grinned as he looked at the professor, wondering if the man had ever realized that first years students had broken into the Quidditch office, stolen his broomsticks, and practiced flying. He assumed not. If he had realized it, Gryffindor would have four less members. James grinned again. Sirius was right. They really were that good.

The match moved quickly. The Gryffindor team performed as well as it had the year before. Maggie, James, and Olivia worked together as a team even better than they had before; they now knew each other well enough to almost communicate without words. The entire team could feel the difference in their Beaters, though. While Maxx was quite good, it wasn't the same as having Derek and Adam working together. After serving as Gryffindor's Beaters together for five years, they had been almost like a single person. Now, Adam and Maxx would have to work to achieve that level of solidarity.

After fifty minutes of hard flying, Eric and Tim Middleton, the Ravenclaw Seeker and Head Boy, streaked across the field in pursuit of the Snitch. Olivia gasped as a Bludger shot in Eric's direction; Adam was quick to intercept it and send it back at the Ravenclaw Beater. Just as the Beater was about to send it back toward Eric, he shot up into the air with his fist held high.