chapter 54

**Monday:** DADA (S) – Herbology (R) – lunch – double Potions (all) – Astronomy (all) at 11 PM. 

**Tuesday:** Free period – Transfiguration (H) – lunch – Herbology (S) – DADA (R) – Arithmancy (all). 

**Wednesday:** Double Care for Magical Creatures (all) – lunch – Ancient Runes (all) – Charms (R). 

**Thursday:** Potions (S) – Charms (H) – lunch – double Transfiguration (R) – DADA (H). 

**Friday:** Double Charms (H) – lunch – Arithmancy (all) – Herbology (R) – Ancient Runes (all). 

Harry sighed as he glanced over his timetable for the school year. It wasn't terrible; he had no major issues with it. However, his mind was preoccupied with other frustrations. Earlier that morning, he had meant to chat briefly with his former teammates about the situation with the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but it turned out they had underestimated how late they'd sleep in, arriving at the Great Hall just moments before Professor McGonagall started distributing schedules. Now, Harry wasn't sure he had enough time to warn the girls and the Weasley twins that he wanted to speak with them later in the day.

But there was always lunch or even dinner for that! With his timetable still in hand, Harry hurried after Hermione and Neville, who had already left the table and were making their way back to the Gryffindor common room.

Although Charms was usually one of his favorite subjects, the lesson seemed to drag on today. Perhaps it was because Professor Flitwick had decided they needed an entire double period to review what they had covered the previous year. Or maybe it was just Harry's anticipation to break the news to his ex-teammates that made the class feel so long.

Finally, the bell rang to signal the start of lunch, and Harry, along with the rest of the fourth-year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, headed to the Great Hall. Oddly enough, no members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were at their house table when he arrived. Harry thought that, given their class schedule, it was possible their previous lesson had been held far across the castle.

A few minutes later, Alicia, Angelina, and the twins arrived—along with the rest of the Gryffindor sixth years. Katie followed quickly after, accompanied by a small group of fifth-year students from various houses, all heading to their tables. Now that he had found everyone he needed, Harry quickly finished his meal. He wanted to speak with Fred and George before they dashed off to prep for whatever prank they were planning.

"Gentlemen," he said, coming up behind the twins, who were hastily gobbling down lunch, clearly in a hurry.

"Why, if it isn't Lord Potter!" the twins said in unison, turning to face him. "What brings you to our end of the table today, Harrikins?"

Giving them an exasperated sigh, Harry cut straight to the point. "Well, I had a talk with Professor McGonagall last night that significantly impacts the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I'd like to discuss it with you and the girls before dinner tonight."

Exchanging a glance as if they were silently communicating, the twins nodded. "Alright, Harry, we'll be there." He returned their nod and went back to where the girls were sitting. As he approached, Katie shifted slightly to make room for him.

"Thanks," he said, to which Katie waved her hand dismissively.

"If you don't mind, I'll get straight to the point," he continued. The three girls nodded in unison. "I spoke with Professor McGonagall yesterday, and it's crucial for the Quidditch team. I'll be holding a brief meeting before dinner to fill you all in."

"Okay, Harry, we'll be there," Alicia responded, while Angelina and Katie nodded in agreement. Harry could see in their eyes that they were eager for the details, but the sight of the Weasley twins leaving the Great Hall—most likely off to devise a new prank—encouraged them to wait.

"Thanks," Harry said with a small smile. He attempted to rise, but Katie placed a hand on his knee, stopping him.

"Tss…" she said softly. "Why don't you tell us about your summer in the meantime, Harry? I'm sure it was quite eventful."

Sighing, Harry considered the many tales he could share about his summer adventures, while balancing the need to keep some secrets...

The afternoon classes passed more quickly than Charms had in the morning, though he couldn't say they flew by either. Eventually, the bell for the last lesson rang, and he hastily made his way back to the Gryffindor common room. As expected, the Weasley twins were already there—having earned only a handful of OWLs, they couldn't have too many classes—and Katie, who had a lighter Friday schedule, had also returned. However, Alicia and Angelina were still absent from their fifth lesson.

After exchanging nods with the twins, Harry climbed upstairs to change into something more comfortable than his Hogwarts uniform. He hurried back down, and by the time he returned to the common room, Alicia and Angelina had finally joined them.

"Thank you all for coming," Harry said, taking a seat in an armchair near the twins. "But I have some bad news to start: I'm leaving the team." He braced himself for their reactions, knowing this news wouldn't be well-received.

"But, Harry!" the twins exclaimed. "You can't! You're the best seeker Gryffindor has had for years!" The girls shared their discontent but were quieter.

"Well…" Harry began, unsure of how to continue. "According to Professor McGonagall, I can't play on the house team any longer." He gestured to his eye. "Even though it doesn't have special features, it's considered an artificial enhancement." An audible gasp spread through the group. "But to be honest," he added, "I had planned to leave the team after this year regardless. I'm not just a heir; I'm a full-time lord now," he explained. The realization slowly sank in, evident in their nods.

"Alright," Angelina sighed. "We'll need to find a decent seeker next year…" Harry shook his head.

"This is where my second piece of news comes in. Professor McGonagall mentioned that while the staff is too busy with the tournament to run the Quidditch Cup this year, we're free to use the pitch for practice at least until early spring. In other words, we can hold tryouts for a new seeker and keeper this year." After a moment's pause, he added, "And you might want to start looking for new chasers and beaters too. No offense, but everyone except Katie will be graduating next year." The group nodded in acknowledgment.

"So, shall we hold tryouts as soon as possible?" Alicia suggested, breaking the silence.

"Actually," Angelina interjected, "it might be wise to wait until after the first-years have their flying lessons. They'll be eligible to play and will have their own brooms next year." She looked pointedly at the twins. "Since you two don't have that many classes, I'm sure you can find time to observe those lessons. Who knows, we might discover a promising firstie."

"Absolutely, Angie. We'll keep an eye out," the twins responded in their usual synchronized manner, though it was hard to tell whether their enthusiasm was genuine. From that point on, the meeting transitioned into a strategic discussion about the team's plans for the upcoming year. Harry contributed little, mostly watching as his ex-teammates took charge of coordinating things.

**~/ *** \~**

The next two weeks passed without any major incidents. However, Professor Moody's DADA classes were anything but ordinary; he employed quite unorthodox methods to emphasize that vigilance was key to safety.

At the beginning of the third week of September, a note announcing flying lessons for first-years was posted on the bulletin board in the common room. Over the following days, the youngest Gryffindors split into two groups: those bragging about their supposed skills and those terrified of making fools of themselves. Harry couldn't help but wonder if he and his classmates had been the same three years ago.

On Friday morning—after the first-years had their flying lessons on Thursday—the entire Gryffindor house crowded around the bulletin board after breakfast. Harry knew why they were there; he was one of those responsible for evaluating the new players, including his own replacement—but he decided to play it cool and acted like an innocent bystander as he joined the throng gathering around the announcement regarding the tryouts.

**Wizards and witches of Gryffindor!** read the note penned by the Weasley twins. **Your illustrious Quidditch team is on the hunt for new talent! If you feel up for the challenge of defending your house's honor on the pitch as either a keeper or seeker, join us at the tryouts at the Quidditch pitch at 10 a.m. this Sunday, September 25th. P.S. Seventh years, please don't bother coming as there won't be any games this year, but first-years are more than welcome to try out for the team.**

After reading the announcement, Harry slipped away from the crowd, which seemed to swell even larger in the moments he'd been reading, and headed upstairs to grab his textbooks for the day. It was Friday, after all, and classes remained in session. If his dorm-mates chose to be late for their first lesson, that was their choice.

By lunchtime, the news of Harry Potter's departure from the Gryffindor Quidditch team had spread like wildfire throughout the castle. This led to unfortunate consequences for him, as he found himself dodging those eager to interrogate him about the situation. Even his most ardent detractors couldn't deny that he had some skill on a broom.

While Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw celebrated the news, hoping that whoever was selected as the new Seeker wouldn't be as capable, the Slytherins were less discreet. Some vindictive members began to spread rumors that Potter had been kicked off the team for losing his fame. Fortunately, those rumors lacked any credibility, and only a few pretended to believe them. Harry himself couldn't muster the energy to feel offended, and by the end of the day, such whispers had died down.

**~/ *** \~**

As expected, at least a third of Gryffindor students who weren't in their final year turned up for the tryouts, many of whom—including the new boy of Magical Britain—were eager to fill the Seeker position. Among this group was Ginny, who looked like she had been practically dragged there by the twins.

Harry took a moment to assess the numerous aspiring Seekers. With so many participants, he quickly realized he faced a challenge: he had a limited supply of fake snitches. While he considered changing the task, he wasn't sure any alternative would offer the same fairness, so he decided upon an initial round to eliminate those who couldn't fly well enough. The twins eagerly agreed to assist him as Beaters.

"Alright," Harry announced, surveying the nineteen Gryffindors awaiting their turn and the ten Comet 260 broomsticks scattered around. "Since there are so many of you, we'll conduct an additional round. You'll be divided into two groups and will need to fly five laps around the pitch while Fred and George do their best to make it more challenging. The five best fliers from each group will move on to the next round. Any questions?"

Unfortunately, someone had a question—and it was not a pleasant one. Ronald had clearly taken being Dumbledore's poster boy to heart and insisted on flying a superior broom to gain an unfair edge. Harry was forced to invest several minutes and a fair bit of patience in persuading Ron to mount one of the provided Comets rather than an upgraded model of his choosing.

Eventually, the disgruntled Ron took to the Comet alongside the others. To no one's surprise, he struggled in the race, finishing seventh and subsequently failing to qualify for the next round. As he muttered profanities about confronting the headmaster, Harry felt a sense of relief.

The rest of the tryouts proceeded smoothly, with those who couldn't fly eliminated early on. In the second phase, the final ten participants hunted down twenty-five fake snitches Harry unleashed into the air. This round took over two hours, during which Harry reflected on more pressing matters while overseeing the seekers.

At the end of the second round, the three best seekers advanced to the final test, which mirrored the previous round but featured Harry as the Seeker of the opposing team. Though it seemed a bit unfair as he flew atop his Nimbus 2000, he believed that any future Seeker needed to understand that sometimes skill was their only asset against better equipment.

After over an hour of flying, they determined the new Seeker: Arnold Simmons, a half-blood second-year who, surprisingly, had caught a snitch while competing against Harry. The odds had worked in his favor, and he had shown genuine talent.

With that concluded, Harry went to congratulate the new Keeper—the vixens had already finished testing their own candidates. To his surprise, Lucy Browning, a slender third-year, was selected. She didn't look like someone capable of defending the goalposts, but appearances could be deceptive.

"Alright, everyone," Katie, who was eager to step into her captaincy role, began once they were all gathered. "Here's our training plan for the year…" She proceeded to share her vision for the team's future.