Chapter Twenty- One: Quidditch
"Is this becoming a tradition?" Lina asked as Cedric picked up her trunk and led her to the compartment that would be theirs for the journey.
"Next year Danny's doing it" Cedric replied as they walked through the compartment doors.
"Danny's doing what next year?" The man in question asked.
"Bringing Lina's trunk to the carriage, I swear it's gotten heavier."
Lina innocently shrugged and plopped herself down next to Lucy "I've got more stuff" she then let Demeter out of her cage who curled herself up on her owner's lap.
It had only been five days since the four had last seen each other but anyone who walked past their carriage would think they'd gone the whole holiday without each other, the way they laughed, talked and told stories about the things they missed, and for once Lina spent the entire trip time with them.
The four continued to talk and laugh as they left the train and as they got into the carriage that led them up to the castle, they only stopped talking once the new first years were started to be sorted into their houses.
Thirty new students were lead past the tables stopping before the teacher's table in front of the sorting hat, the poor souls looked just as terrified as Lina did this time last year. The sorting ceremony went the same as last year, the hat sang which earned thunderous applause when it had finished, one by one students were called and placed, Hufflepuff gained ten new students who once they sat down seemed to relax just a little.
Once the excitement and babble of new students died down Dumbledore stood up to give his welcome speech, nothing had changed from last year, the rules were still the same as was the reminder about quidditch trails, Lina perked up when she heard quidditch being mentioned.
"Are you going to try out?" Lucy asked Lina whispering.
"I think so, I brought my broom with me just in case I have the nerve to try" the happenings haunted the back of her mind, she was terrified something would accidentally happen and someone would get hurt.
"You have to Eve, you'd make a brilliant chaser" Cedric cut in "I'm trying out for seeker, we can do it together." Lina wordlessly nodded.
As the back to school feast continued the four talked, Lina kept glancing around and every time she saw Tonks or any of the Weasley children she would wave furiously but then she looked up at the teachers table, directly at Professor Snape who glared at her with burning hate, Lina shuddered under his glare and turned back to the conversation she was previously having.
***
For the next two weeks, Lina wrestled with the idea of whether or not she should try out for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, it wasn't until the day before the tryouts started that she finally decided and that was only because she had a little nudge.
Lina sat in her favourite spot of the library, right at the very back that overlooked the grounds, her old mother's spot. She was alone doing homework, sometimes she concentrated better when she was alone, the common room was always so busy, and sometimes she needed an hour for herself. It seemed the world had other ideas today though when Charlie and Tonks sat down opposite her before either of them got a chance to speak Lina beat them to it. "No offence ginger cat, or rainbow girl but this is my quiet time, this better be good."
Charlie wrinkled his nose "are you doing homework on a Friday? You're turning into Percy."
Lina rolled her eyes "well sorry if I don't want to fall behind on the second week" Lina finished her sentence on her history of magic essay "was there something you two wanted or did you both just miss me so much?" She gave them a cheeky smile.
"You should be so lucky. We only stopped by to see if you were going to try out for quidditch tomorrow" Tonks replied leaning back in her chair.
"Ah" Lina out her quill and ink away realising she wasn't going to get any more work done. "I still haven't completely decided to be honest."
"We knew this was going to happen so we signed you up for you."
Lina looked incredulously between the two, her mouth agape "why" she was able to utter.
"Because you're a good quidditch player" Charlie shrugged.
"And because I know what you're like, you needed a little push" Tonks added, Lina still didn't reply "come on you'll never know what could have been if you don't at least try."
That was how the next day Lina stood on the quidditch pitch in a spare Hufflepuff uniform next to Cedric in front of the captain of the Hufflepuff team. "Right!" Justin Appleton called his eyes running over the new candidates, he was a sixth year, had a big build and looked much scarier than he actually was. "We only need one beater, one chaser, and one seeker. There are twenty of you and by tonight I will know which three will be the new members of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Unfortunately you lot won't find out until each team has all there new players, which will won't be for another two weeks, but still" he called his hands together "let's begin."
Tryouts took all day, there were so many people and so little spaces that Justin wanted to be a hundred per cent sure of who he was picking, he did only get this time to choose after all. Each different candidate had to do at least ten rounds as their chosen position, Lina herself had ten goes and only missed one shot.
Cedric did equally as well, catching the snitch almost every opportunity he got. The pair left the pitch more tired than they had ever been but were in very high spirits.
From the time they tried out to the time they actually found out who made the team nearly were agonising not just for Lina but for Cedric as well.
One morning three weeks after trying out for the team Lina ready for her day entered the common room where twenty students were all crowded around the notice board, Justin Appleton stood off to the side watching. Lina approached Lucy and Danny who were sitting on a chair close by "what's going on?"
"The Quidditch team has finally been announced" Lucy answered bored "Cedric's in there somewhere, good luck."
Lina dropped her bag by Danny's feet and pushed herself to the front of the cue, the list was stuck to the wall with only three names posted.
Beater - Jenifer Crew
Seeker - Cedric Diggory
Chaser - Evangelina Black
Lina's mouth popped open somehow by some miracle she had done it! She turned around when someone tapped her shoulder and standing with a smile as big as hears was Cedric, they pushed past disappointed students back to their friends.
"So?" Danny asked.
"We both made it" Cedric answered.
"Told you so" Lina turned around to see Tonks with a very smug look on her face "I'm always right."
"Yeah I guess so" Lima humbly answered.
The five went down to breakfast together, before they could enter the hall they bumped into three Weasley's and Lee Jordan "Hufflepuff's meet Gryffindor's new beaters" Charlie said clapping a hand to each of the twin's shoulders.
"Oh yeah we'll meet Hufflepuff's new chaser and seeker," Tonks said mirroring Charlie's action.
"Congratulations Guys!" Smiled at the twins.
"And me!" Lee exclaimed "I'm the new announcer. McGonagall doesn't know what's hit her."
"Oh, Merlin what the hell is the first match gonna be like" Danny groaned.