Chapter 10 - Quidditch Try-Outs

                                        

                                              
The Quidditch Try-Outs
                              
They were just finishing lunch when Colin Creevy came over. "Wotcher, Harry!" he said excitedly.
                              
"Hi, Colin," Harry responded in the same exasperated way since his second year, when Colin arrived.
                              
"Guess what!" Colin exclaimed.
                              
"What?" Harry said, lazily.
                              
"I'm the commentator for Quidditch, now! Lee's gone now, so I went to McGonagall and she said ok! Isn't it great!" he said breathlessly.
                              
"Congratulations. I'm sure you'll do well," Harry said, faking enthusiasm.
                              
"Thanks Harry! See you later," he said, practically running over to the rest of the fifth year Gryffindors to tell them.
                              
"Well, I'm sure he won't be impartial at all!" Ron said sarcastically, smiling at Harry.
                              
"Shut up," Harry responded, slightly irritated. Colin had been hero-worshipping him since he had arrived. He thought by now he would have stopped.
                              
"Let's go practice after classes tonight, and then do some scouting for players for the team," Ron said, still smiling.
                              
"Who said I was going to help you with that?" Harry said, returning Ron's jab with a smile.
                              
"You are kidding, right?" Ron asked uncertainly and looking to Hermione.
                              
"Well, you're the captain," Hermione chimed in.
                              
"Alright, Harry, you have to help me or I'll kick you off the team, how about that!" Ron said defiantly.
                              
"Yeah sure, I'll help you," Harry said laughing. 
                              
They got up and went to classes. After dinner, they got their broomsticks and went down to the Quidditch pitch. Hermione came along, even though she was not playing. They practiced for about an hour, until it got dark. They had to get in by curfew. They headed back toward the castle going through the available players for the team. They needed a Beater or two, (they were not sure about Sloper) and a Chaser. They agreed that they did not have any new players pre-selected. There were not any reserves, and no one had shown any real promise in last year's try-outs. They would have to wait and ask people to come. 
                              
By that point, Hermione demanded they start on their Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. They read the chapter and could not believe some of the spells in there. There was a curse to make the person say things that you are saying and another that made the person think the opposite of what they want. It was difficult to separate all of them and had confusing instructions on how to work them. Some it required more wand movement, like spells they used in Charms. All of them required deep thought and focus. 
                              
Ron was still in a state of disbelief. He still did not understand why they needed to learn illegal spells, but Harry thought that as long as no one used them on humans, they were legal. He read about a spell that can put the person or creature into a trance and remembered at the Triwizard Tournament when Fleur Delacour put her dragon into a similar trance. It was helpful then, and putting someone into a trance does not look illegal.
                              
On Monday, it was another grueling Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Again, Harry was the first to affect his animal, which turned out to be a mouse. He did it on his first attempt. He did it a few more times increasing the length of time he put the curse under the mouse. By the end of class, he had left the curse on the mouse for about ten minutes without recasting the spell. He could make it do anything at his whim. Run, walk, jump, roll over. He just used his mind. 
                              
When he finished, he looked over his shoulder and saw Snape. He looked away and called an end of class. Harry had a feeling Snape was watching him the whole time, but Snape said nothing to him. Then, in Transfiguration, McGonagall set them working on Conjuring Spells.