Chapter 099

"Have you come to cheer us on during our try outs?"

Harry's lips twitched into an amused smile. He really was rather fond of the two trouble makers. In his mind, the Weasley twins were upholding his father's tradition of causing mischief around the school, something he could not do since it would ruin his sterling reputation as an upstanding and helpful student.

"Watch you guys try out?" Harry asked with a playful scoff. "Do you really think I would be here to cheer you two troublemakers on? No." He shook his head and adopted a pompous look. "I am here to try out for the Seeker position."

He had decided to try out ever since his first flying lesson had ended. During their free time, he and Tracey had taken to the sky, and while his Slytherin friend had simply flown loops at a leisurely pace, Harry had taken his desire for a thrill to the extreme. Having remembered the many stunts his father had shown him and spoken of, Harry had tried to emulate those maneuvers: dive bombing toward the ground before pulling up at the last minute, barrel rolls and gut turning loop-de-loops, skimming the grass while he was upside down before turning about at a sharp ninety degree angle without losing any speed. He had gotten so lost in what he'd been doing that he hadn't even realized the entire crowd of first years and Madam Hooch gawking at him.

When he had finally come down, the flight instructor with hawk-like eyes had informed him that she had never seen such marvelous flying since his father, and that he should consider trying out for the school team next year.

Of course, Harry being Harry had decided to try out this year. Thus the reason he was now standing at the Quidditch Pitch with the other hopefuls.

There were two reasons Harry had decided to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch. The first was because making the team would boost his reputation, and making the team as a first year would raise it even more so. There had never been a first year to gain entrance onto the House teams, as far as he knew, and definitely never one who had gained the position of Seeker, which was often the considered the most prestigious position. If he could become the Gryffindor Seeker in his first year, his standing amongst his peers would be raised even more, and he would be that much closer to stepping out of the shadow his title as the Boy-Who-Lived cast.

The second reason was much more personal, and in many ways, far more important to him. His father, James Potter, aside from his prodigious talents in Transfiguration and his knack for getting into trouble with pranks, had been one of the greatest Quidditch Players in the last century. He had been so good that by the time he graduated Hogwarts he'd had seven propositions by various Quidditch teams asking him to sign a contract with them as a Chaser.

Unfortunately, the war had still been going strong and his father's sense of justice led him to not accepting the positions. Instead he had joined the fight against Voldemort, which ultimately led to his parents demise.

Harry did not blame his dad for what had happened, or for the fact that his desire to fight against the Dark Lord led to Harry being raised by the Dursleys. Voldemort's campaign against wizarding Britain had been more of an extermination of all things non-magical and different, including those witches and wizards born from non-magical parents. That meant his mother had been a target, and would have always been a target no matter if they had entered the war or not. Who knows what might have happened had they not decided to fight. Perhaps things would have happened differently and all three of them would have died in a Death Eater Raid.

"Trying out for the position of a Seeker?" questioned Fred, blinking.

"I do believe that is what he said, Gred."

"A first year?"

"Indeed, a first year."

"Isn't that against school rules?"

"I'm surprised you two are even concerned about whether it's allowed or not," Harry interrupted. "Considering neither of you are sterling examples of rule abiding students."

"Oooh, that hurts Harrikens, right here." George placed his hands over his heart and gave Harry a hurt look, as if the young raven haired youth had just stabbed him in the chest.

"I will have you know that my brother and I are the most upstanding young men you will ever meet."

"Indeed, we are perfect gentlemen."

"Right you are, dear brother of mine."

"I couldn't help but notice," Harry began with an amused eyebrow raised. "That neither of you said anything about being rule abiding."

The two twins looked at each other, then back at Harry.

"By golly, you're right! We didn't, did we?"

"Well, it's not as if we can say otherwise. Mischief makers we may be, but liars we are not."

"So," Fred swung his left arm around Harry's shoulder while George swung his right around Harry's other shoulder. "Our little firsty thinks he's got what it takes to make the team?"

"You know, it is quite difficult to make the team. Especially with our captain. He's very... driven when it comes to Quidditch."

"Obsessed is more like it."

"Indeed."

"I believe my skills will speak for themselves once I'm in the air," Harry informed them. He had complete confidence in his own abilities. He may have only flown on his own once—not counting the toy broom he had received from Sirius when he was one—but when he had been on that broom he had never felt more at least. It had felt like the broom was an extension of himself, rather than a piece of wood between his legs.

"You seem pretty confident," Angelina said as Harry, Fred and George stopped next to the other students waiting for the try outs. "Getting on the team isn't easy, and it will be even harder for you since you're a firsty."

"As I said, my skills will speak for themselves once we're in the air," Harry told her with a smile. "I don't believe we've met before." He stuck out his hand. "Harry Potter."

Angelina gave him an amused smile before sticking out her own hand.

"Angelina Johnson."

"A pleasure," Harry said as he took her hand in his grasp and laid a kiss on her knuckles.

"Such a gentlemen you are," Fred exclaimed....