12.

It was the second Saturday of school, the first trip to Hogsmeade of the year for third years and up, and the beginning of Quidditch tryouts. Madeline loved flying on the brooms, some were faster than the others, some turned slower than others and some, although it was incredibly dangerous, came to an alarming halt, making some students fly over their broom. From eight in the morning to two in the afternoon were Hufflepuff try-outs. A lot of students came out to try, beefy third years, tall, lanky fourth and fifth years, barely any sixth years, and one very strong, very handsome seventh year named Ethan Amory, and by the onlookers in the stands, she was not the only one that fawned over Amory; with his curly brown hair and button nose, with huge arms and shoulders, a strong jawline and a shadow and a blonde beard on his cheeks. He was a boulder on a stick, flying gracefully through the air. And an excellent Beater.

After a few ambitious second years, she was next, she tried out as a chaser and then as a keeper and from Amelia Boswell's reaction to Madeline throwing the Quaffle so hard at the Keeper that he nearly fell off his broom, she made Madeline try out as a Beater alongside Amory. Before the tryout could start, she 'psst' at her as they were flying above Amelia yelling at some third year to get off the pitch.

"Hey." Amory whispered in his Cockney accent, like someone could overhear them in the air. "You Greyhawk?"

Madeline hesitated, "Erm, yeah, I am."

"Gregory's sister?" he added disbelievingly

"Well, yes." she said in a defensive tone.

"Hell, if ya' anyfing' like that piece o'-" he stopped and laughed nervously, but by her face he saw no offence taken. "If you're anyfing like 'im, you'll do fine. Broke me arm last year. He's got anger in 'im." She wanted to say thank you but hearing this made her pity her brother more. Was he really that angry?

Madeline did wonderfully knocking the bludgers toward the other side and a few groups of students cheered her on from the stands.

Amelia hugged her after, eyes full of hope and grabbed her face. "You are our last hope, Madeline. Do you think you can handle the pressure?"

Looking at a few others that have been chosen already for the team: John Vionni, Ethan Amory, Amelia Boswell herself and William Satherick, she knew that she could do it. Until she got back into the castle, where Gregory and two of his friends, Dorian Grisimar, a third year, and Morgan Croan, a fourth year like Gregory, were waiting her for under the massive open doorway into the castle. Immediately as she saw them she wanted to back up and away from her brother and his disciples, but unfortunately they saw her as well.

"Heard you did well at tryouts, Mads." he said, leaning against the stone as his friends circle her like prey. "You enjoy putting all my tricks I taught you at work?"

She turned her face at him, looking at his friends judgmentally before looking back at him. "I'm sorry?"

He scowled at her, crossing his arms. "Did you not hear me?"

"No…" she laughed a little, "I am just sorry you really think you made anything up."

Gregory looked like he wanted to hit her, his hand raised to slap, but looked over her head like someone was watching and lowered his hand.

"I swear," he whispered, his voice severe and he sounded more like their mother than ever, his face next to hers. "If you're on the Hufflepuff team when we play, I'll beat you down so hard you wont come back up. I promise, Madeline, I promise."

Her brother pushed her lightly into the stone wall and the two followed like puppies behind him. She stood there for a moment and stared at the ground. Would he really go that far? Gregory had always been rough around the edges and determined to win but would he do the unspeakable? Would he… kill her?

Madeline was unsure and went back to the pitch to take back her entry, she would not risk it. Amelia was disappointed and Amory kept asking what happened and who spoke to her. She couldn't answer, she told them that she just couldn't do it anymore and that Amory should bring in one of his friends. Longing for Jamie, she wanted to go see him, but every time she tried Madam Pomfrey would usher her away and even banned her temporarily from the hospital wing. So before dinner, Madeline told Theordore and Alice of Gregory's plans and he was worried, so worried in fact he yelled at her for the first time.

"YOU HAVE TO TELL PROFESSOR SPROUT!" Theodore shouted at her with urgency as all three of them were stopped on the Gryffindor stairway.

Alice, who also looked worried, chimed in, "Madeline, he threatened you… I know I may not like you all of the time, but death threats to one's sister…" she trailed off.

Theodore added, "Listen Madeline, you have to tell someone."

"Why!" she exclaimed, she knew telling someone would only make it worse. Why would she risk her death date getting closer? "Even if I did tell Sprout, she would tell Snape and Snape would punish Gregory and Gregoy would, in the end, end me."

"He's crazy, Madeline. I've got a feeling…"

Alice groans, annoyed and mocked him, "He's got a feeling…"

Ignoring Alice, "That he's going to hurt you-"

"Theo, he already has, Dad, my teachers, you- You all warn me to steer clear of Gregory, but he's already punch me-"

"I can assure you, Madeline, assault is the least of what someone can do." Alice said in a grave tone, her face and Theo's look like they got paler.

"Please," Theodore begged, looking at her with pleading eyes as they stopped at the Great Hall entrance. "Just tell someone that can do something about it: a teacher, another student, preferably a large one. But don't let Gregory scare you into hiding your talents. Ethan Amory, Madeline! He's been the best beater Hufflepuff has seen in years!"

Alice and Theodore went to their separate tables as Madeline sat next to Ulivia. It was hard keeping her food down thinking of not only did her brother hate her, loathe her entirely, stared sharpened daggers into her, but he wanted her death as well.

"Ill beat you down so hard you wont come back up…"

His voice echoed in her head as she ate her beef stew and contemplated how she could play without playing him. Perhaps she could just not attend when they were playing against Slytherin, or maybe Amelia could talk to Sprout for her and be rescued at the last second, when Gregory starts beating her down, and win by default. But everything seemed cowardice or dishonourable, she may hate her brother as much as he hated her but she wasn't about to publicly display their hate for all the school to see like he might. No, she was better than that. So withdrawing completely was the only way. Madeline instead told Theodore to try out tomorrow and do his best, she knew if she couldn't fly herself she could act though another. So every Wednesday and Friday after that, her and Theodore and Alice, and sometimes Ulivia, would teach Quidditch strategies to Theodore. Madeline knew almost everything about the game, even before Hogwarts. That was one thing her and her brother planned on doing together, playing and flying together, defeating the teams together as the Greyhawk siblings. But now she would fight Gregory through Theodore, and try to beat him with all the knowledge he taught her.

How ironic.

The following weekend was much more eventful as she chose to join a Gobstone club with Alice and Theodore after quidditch practice, just as Madeline thought, Theodore got in because of his arm-span. Twelve years old and almost six-foot-flat. A perfect chaser, and the Gryffindor Team accepted him almost without hesitance, only having a try out for superficial reasons. And Theodore loved the rush of it all, admittingly never having actually been on a broom for competition, Madeline also had high hopes for him.