Saturday came quicly, and I was having doubts about trying out for Chaser. I knew that James wouldn't laugh at me, but still, if I was terrible, I didn't want to be embarrased. The tryouts were just before lunch, so I had all morning to decided.
Lily came up to me while I was sitting in the common room, working for once.
"Hey, good luck today Gwen!" she said brightly. Alice looked up from where she was across the table and asked, "Good luck for what?"
"Oh, Gwen is going to try out for Chaser," Lily replied while I frantically shook my head at her.
"Wow, really?" Alice asked. "That's great! It'll be cool to have one of my friends on the team."
"Yeah, well, I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to try out after all. What if I'm not any good?"
"I'm sure you're amazing! You have to try out. If you don't, you'll just regret it," Lily said wisely.
"That's true, but..."
"No. No buts. You're going to try out, and that's final! Even if we have to march you there ourselves!"
So that was how I found myself standing in the midst of Quidditch tryouts with my broom, Lily and Alice keeping an eye on me from the stands. James was walking up and down the rows of students trying out, and stopped short when he saw me.
"Gwen. What on earth are you doing here?"
"I-I'm going to try out for Chaser," I said, and he burst out laughing. My mouth dropped open and I slapped him.
"Hey! Ow! What was that for?"
"That was for laughing at me!"
"You-you're serious?!"
"Yes! Why, do you not think I'm good enough?"
"No, no, not at all! I was just-"
"Well, save it James, because I'm going to try out whether you like it or not!"
"I never said-"
"Shut up! I'm trying out now."
Looking bewildered, James got onto his broom and took off into the air. I got onto my broom and followed him, now determined to get the position just to prove him wrong. Jerk.
Someone passed a ball to me, and I caught it with ease and went speeding off towards the goalpost, scoring easily. The ball was thrown to me six more times, each time getting harder to put it through the posts, but I managed it with ease. When I was finished scoring the last goal, I landed on the ground and James landed next to me.
"Well?" I asked, scared of the answer.
"Gwen, you're amazing!"
"I told you so, didn't I, James?"
"I never doubted y-"
"Stop! Just tell me, did I make the team?"
"Yeah, you made it," he replied. I screamed and threw my arms around his neck, jumping up and down. I pulled away and ran up to the stands, screaming to Alice and Lily, "I made it! I made it! I'm on the team! I'm a Chaser!"
They screamed as well and jumped up and down with me.
"Can you believe James laughed at me?" I said once we had calmed down a bit.
"What a jerk," Lily said and shook her head.
"All right, for the record, I didn't say you couldn't do it," James said behind us, defending himself. I scoffed and he put his head in his hands. "Look, Gwen, I thought you were joking. You had never mentioned before about wanting to be on the team, so I thought you were kidding."
"Well, I wasn't."
"I'm sorry I laughed at you," he said, sounding sincere. "I wouldn't have if I hadn't thought you were messing with me. You do stuff like that a lot, Gwen."
"Yes, I suppose I do," I said thoughtfully. I had convinced them in our second year that I had been expelled and was leaving in a week, and they had been wreaks for days. "Sorry I accused you of laughing. I know you wouldn't do that."
"You really were good," he said. "I'm glad you're going to be on the team. We train three times a week, and the practices usually last a couple hours. We start around seven, right after dinner."
"Ok!" I replied and he walked off to continue tryouts. I stuck around to watch another Chaser being chosen (Aszkara Jupiter, a seventh year), two new Beaters (Jacob Rudolf and Brian Varink, a fourth and a fifth year), and a Keeper (Jessica Minker, a third year). That was the full team, and James called us all down to the pitch to make sure we all knew each other.
"Congratulations, guys. You all were really great, and I know you're going to be a brilliant team. We meet three times a week, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, at seven. I'll see you all then!"
We all split up and went with friends to the Great Hall for lunch. I walked with Lily, Alice, and James (who kept messing up his hair), but as soon as I saw Sirius, Remus, and Peter sitting at the Gryffindor table, I abandoned Lily and Alice and ran over to them.
"You guys! Guess what?!"
"What?" Sirius asked.
"I'm one of the new Chasers! I made the team!"
"You tried out?!" they chorused and I nodded and sat down.
"Aren't you happy for me?"
"Yeah, of course!" Remus said and I grinned.
"I'm just kidding. I didn't try out."
"Oh..."
"No, I'm only messing with you, I really am the new Chaser!"
Everyone just looked confused, and Peter asked James, who had wandered over after Lily had put him down, "Is Gwen really the new Chaser?"
"Yeah, why?" he replied.
"I'm not sure if I believe you..." Remus said.
"I'm holding my broomstick."
"This is why you can't mess with people's heads," James said exaspeatley, sitting next to Sirius. "She really is, though," he confirmed.
"Well, then, congratulations!"
"Thanks!" I said and helped myself to a bit of lunch.
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Later that week, it was time for my first Quidditch practise. I had almost missed it on account of my getting a detention for skipping Potions, but I got out just in time and was able to pull on my Gryffindor robes.
"Hello," I said, entering the changing room. I didn't see James anywhere, so I walked up to Aszkara and Justin, the other two chasers. They smiled at me and I sat down on the bench next to them.
"So, Justin, you've been on the team for a couple years, right?" Aszkara asked. He nodded, and she continued. "Does James usually show up late for practise?"
"No, not usually," Justin said, puzzled. "I'm not sure where he is."
"Oh, I can explain that," I said. "He kind of set a few fanged toads loose in Care of Magical Creatures, and, well, he has to round them up now before they bite any more people."
"Oh..." Justin said. "Well, I suppose that makes sense."
James ran in then, looking perfectly fine. "Let's get started with practise! Everyone grab their brooms and we'll go out." I did what he asked, and followed James and the others out. Mounting my broom, I kicked hard and rose into the air.
"Hey, do you think that James is a tough captain?" Aszkara asked, flying closer to me.
"Nah, he's so easy-going," I replied. James blew his whistle and we flew closer to him.
"Great, guys. So, we're going to be starting off with a couple drills, laps around the field, passing balls, things like that. Then we'll have a makeshift game, and go over strategies, all right?"
Quidditch practise was surprisingly easy, and I'm glad to say I managed to score a couple goals. After I scored the last one before James caught the Snitch, I high-fived Aszkara and almost fell off my broom.
"Good work, guys!" James called. "Remember, the first game will be in two weeks!"
Two weeks? That was on the full moon...
After practise, I ran to speak to James.
"What's up, Gwen?"
"Not much... I just wanted to confirm, two weeks is on the 22nd, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"That's the full moon."
"Oh, yeah. Well, don't worry. The games don't usually go on into the night. And if they do, then you'll just turn into a werewolf in front of everyone and everyone will know who you are," he said nonchalantly.
"I'm glad to see your taking this so seriously, James," I replied sarcastically.
"Look, if you're really worried about it, then go see Remus. I can't really help you with your problem," he said, dropping his voice to a whisper as the Beaters passed by us.
"I know. I guess I will go talk to him."
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Later that night, I found Remus walking back to Gryffindor tower and dragged him into an empty corridor. He dropped the book he was holding and I picked it up for him, looking at the cover.
"How to Pass Your O.W.L.s? Why are you reading this?"
"I'd actually like to have a future."
"I'll figure out what that means later and if it's bad, you're going to get it. But I actually wanted to talk to you about the full moon."
"What about it?"
"Well, it's on the same day as the first Quidditch game. And I was just a bit worried-"
"You won't change until the moon comes up."
"Yes, I know, but everytime I've seen you during the full moon, in the day time, you look terrible. Is it that painful?"
"Um, yes. But you should be fine. Quidditch will take your mind off of it. And besides, the match won't run that late anyways."
"Yeah, that's what James said. Still, I'm worried. I'm scared, Remus."