Quidditch

After dinner, as Chris entered the Gryffindor common room, she saw Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain there.

"Wood! Can I talk to you for a second?" Chris said walking towards him. 

"Yes?" Wood looked at her. 

"Well, I was asking, do you think we can try for Quidditch this year?" 

"We?" 

"Me and Ginny," Chris said and pulled Ginny beside her. 

"Er. . . Chris, I appreciate the enthusiasm but our team is already pretty great. I didn't think we will take tryouts this year. By the way, for what you want to try?" 

Ginny's face fell. 

"Chasers," Chris said confidently. "And Wood, we just want to try out." 

"So you can try next year.. or so... you two have plenty of time..." 

"That's why we want to start this year. Wood you always should give a chance to new students." Chris said sharply. 

"I know.. but..." he sighed. "You're right. Fine. I'll think about tryouts for Chasers and if you two can beat our current team Chasers, only then you'll be selected." 

"Cool." 

Chris hugged Ginny excitedly as Wood left. 

"Are you sure it's going to be ok?" Ginny asked uncertainly. 

"Ginny, at least we get to try. I didn't persuade Wood for you to chicken out. We'll be great." Chris said.

After one week, Wood fixed the date for tryouts. Other than Chris and Ginny, few 4th and 5th-year students came for trials. Luna and Colin sat on the stands. In the Quidditch field, the Gryffindor team was present except Harry. The Weasley twins were very happy to see their sister trying. They came and encourage her and Chris. Weasley twins were Gryffindor Beaters. 

In the Quidditch match, there are seven players on each side. One Keeper, one Seeker, two Beaters and three Chasers. The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Keepers job is to block the Quaffle before it goes through the hoop. Beaters deal with Bludgers and Seekers with the Golden Snitch. 

Wood was the Gryffindor team Keeper. Wood stated the rules very clearly and everyone mounts their brooms and flew up. When Chris and Ginny were about to do that, Alicia Spinnet, a current Gryffindor team Chaser, approached them. 

"I heard from Wood, you two asked him for this tryout." She said seriously. Chris and Ginny exchanged looks. "Let's see what you two can do. All the best." She said and smiled. "It's nice to see Quidditch spirit like this. C'mon." 

Chris and Ginny smiled back and three of them kicked at the ground, soaring up into the air. A Gryffindor boy threw the Quaffle up and in a split second Angelina Johnson snatched it from the air. Others tried to take the Quaffle from her but failed. As Chris came close to her, she threw it towards Alicia and Alicia tried to pass it through the hoop but Wood stopped it and threw it back. Katie Bell caught it and threw it back towards Angelina. Angelina scored. 

Chris sighed and looked at Ginny, Ginny looked at her and Chris heard Ginny muttering, "That's it." The Quaffle was back in Alicia's hands. Suddenly Ginny went towards Angelina in full speed and before Angelina can catch the Quaffle from Alicia, she came in between and caught it. Before Wood can react Ginny scored. Chris almost whistled. The Quaffle was back and this time Chris caught it. In a few seconds, Ginny and Chris showed some great coordination and after some time the tryouts ended. Everyone landed on ground and Wood came down with a smile. He talked with Alicia, Angelina and Katie for a minute at little far from them. Then came back.

"So I've decided." Wood said with a smile. Ginny and Chris looked at him curiously. 

"I think you all know the scores." Wood said and everyone nodded. 

The scores were like this: 

Angelina - 5 

Ginny - 5 

Chris - 4 

Alicia - 3 

Katie - 2 

Another 5th-year boy did one goal. 

"So I talked with our current three Chasers, and we have a conclusion. Alicia thinks you two can be better Chaser than her." Wood said shocking everyone. 

"Yeah. I think so. You two are just in 2nd year and you did great. So I guess little more practice and you two can be professionals. And our final aim is the same, winning the Quidditch Cup." Alicia said. 

"I agree. Honestly, I never took Quidditch very seriously as my future carrier. I played because everyone said I'm a good player. So now when we've options to choose more talented Chasers then why not." Katie Bell said smiling. 

"I like the way you two played." Angelina Johnson said. 

"So the decision is made. Our new Chasers will be Angelina Johnson, Christina Norton and Ginny Weasley." Wood said and the twins jumped up and down and hugged Ginny. 

Everyone congratulates them, Alicia almost threatened them to win. Katie was happy for them. Angelina said she will personally train them both for their first match. Wood asked them to not to tell anyone else about this. They agreed. 

That day, at Dinner, Weasley twins celebrated this with Chris, Ginny, Colin, Luna, Harry, Ron and Hermione. 

"Are you serious? Our Ginny beat Angelina's score?" Ron asked, his mouth wide open in surprise. 

"Yes. You should see her." George said. 

"You should see them. Ginny and Chris, together they were unstoppable." Fred said. 

"Congratulations you both," Harry said smiling. 

"Yes. Congratulations." Hermione repeated. 

"Thanks," Chris said smiling but Ginny was looking nervous and barely listening anything. Chris noticed her. "Are you ok Ginny? You were happy a few minutes ago. What happened?" "Umm — oh — nothing — I was thinking about our first practice with Angelina." She said and put on a fake smile. 

Chris didn't say anything. Everyone concentrated on their Dinner. Chris knew what was bothering her, she wrote to Mrs Weasley about her selection but only then she realized that she was going to need a new broom. All the money Mr Weasley got last summer, they had spent almost all of it. Now if they buy a broom for her, it'll be a not very fast broom, like her brothers and worse if they didn't have enough money to buy the cheapest one.

Three days later, at Breakfast, as the owls flooded into the Great Hall, as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by two long thin packages, each carried by six large screech owls. Chris knew at once what were those when the owls soared down and dropped one right in front of her and another one in front of Ginny, knocking his bacon to the floor. Everyone tried to get a glimpse, guessing what can be it. Chris opened her parcel and heard a sharp intake of breaths from people around her. It was a broomstick, none other than a Firebolt. Ginny looked at Chris's broom and opened her own parcel with shaky hands. Ginny clapped on her mouth, as she saw that was an another Firebolt. She looked at Chris in disbelief. Colin took lots of pictures. Almost everyone in Great Hall was staring at them. Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Hermione came running towards them. 

"It's gorgeous," Harry said grinning. 

"Brilliant." Ron squealed. 

"Who sends it Ginny?" Fred asked. 

"I don't know — how?" Ginny looked at Chris's smiling face. If to answer that question, Leon came with two letters. Chris took the letters and saw one is addressed to her and others was for Ginny. She gave a letter to Ginny and opened hers. 

Dear, 

My little Eagle, 

Congratulations on making into the team. Honestly, I was sure, you'll make it. As promised, your gift. Fly high Darling. 

All the best. 

Love, Your Dad. 

Chris closed the letter with a big smile. After getting into the team, Chris wrote a letter to her father about her and Ginny's success. Chris peaked into Ginny's letter: 

Dear, 

Ginny, 

Congratulations on making into the Quidditch team, dear. A small gift from me, consider it as an early Christmas gift. No need to worry, I've already sent a letter to your parents and convinced them. You have your parents' permission to take it. Good Luck on your first match. 

Love, Mr Norton. 

Ginny was in tears, she hugged Chris tightly. 

"You told your father to send this. Didn't you?" She said. 

"Honestly, no Ginny I didn't. I just told him we both got selected in the team. That's it." Chris said patting her back. "And trust me, if it wasn't for you then Dad would've brought one for himself and decorated it in our house." 

Ginny chuckled and let Chris go. 

"Thank you." 

"Write to my father. He'll be happy." Chris said smiling back. 

"I will. I promise." Ginny smiled back and wipe her tears. George patted her head.