Chapter 9: Quidditch.

"Albus! Albus! Albus!"
"I think he's blacked out for now, Naomi."
"Come on, Andrew. He can't be. Albus!" 
Albus fluttered open his eyes. Andrew and Naomi tower over him.
"Naomi's back?" Albus mumbled.
"Yeah, she's back. Came back last night-"
Albus gasped. "Last night? How long was I here? Did I miss the Quidditch tryouts?"
"You were here," Naomi answered, "for about a week. No, Quidditch practice has been rescheduled, the Quidditch team captain is Caspar Lee, and he got detention on that day. It's today evening, after Defense against the dark arts, I predict."
Albus breathed a heavy sigh. "Then I'll make it to tryouts, won't I?"   Andrew shrugged. "Looks like you probably will. You had a heavily cracked skull and a broken arm. The new nurse is somebody called Madam Popplewell. She's the sister of Professor Popplewell... well, she found a way to mend the bones."
Albus nodded as a sweet-looking young lady that looked identical to Professor Popplewell walked to Albus, pushing a cart piled with medicine. "Hello there, young Albus, dear," the woman said, "I'm Poppy Popplewell, it is a pleasure to meet the son of Harry Potter. Please, call me Madam Popplewell," The nurse clapped her white-gloved hands two times and straightened her nurse apron, "You'll need just a fine dose of Bone-mending potion, of course," Madam Popplewell took a small glass filled just a little with a purple, bubbling liquid. Madam Popplewell handed it to Albus. "Drink up, dear."
Albus drank the liquid and coughed hard and clutched his throat. The liquid tasted like the last thing anyone wanted to taste, but then he felt a wonderful soothing sensation in his head. "That's about right," Madam Popplewell continued, and then grabbed a very large cube of chocolate off the cart, "eat this, dear. Makes you feel well."
Albus chipped off a bit of the chocolate and put it in his mouth. A wonderful sensation took over him.
Later on the say, just before breakfast had started, Popplewell let Albus go. Albus arrived at the great hall for breakfast sooner than Albus and Naomi. James walked over to Albus while Albus gulped down his breakfast pumpkin juice.
"Hello there, bro. Heard you were going to try out for the Gryffindor house Quidditch seeker." James said, and handed Albus a broom. "You require a broom for tryouts, you can borrow mine," James said, "I'm already the Keeper of the team. You know, the person who guards the three hoops..."

Albus headed straight for the Quidditch field after Defense Against the Dark Arts, walking fast and clutching the broom James had let him borrow. Albus saw many other people along the hallways heading for the Quidditch field with brooms in their hands.
Finally, Albus arrived at the Quidditch field. It was a big stadium with seats high and low. The field was wide and deeply mowed, and there stood three hoops in the air. Two hoops were low, one high.
The team Captain, Caspar Lee, was at the edge of the field instructing everyone to line up. There weren't much people, about seventeen. Albus lined up immediately up. Alexia Gonzalez was at the front line. Her wavy purple hair was tied into a ponytail. Albus even saw Andrew at the end of the line, next to Joan Krum and Deepti's sister, Jodi , talking to a girl named Abigail Hilburn.
Finally, Lee blew his whistle and the line payed attention. "Okay, let's see. First of all, we'll be trying out every position except for keeper, James Potter's already got the part. First we'll tryout for Chasers, then Seekers, after that'll be Beaters. All those trying out for Chasers, form a separate line, please." Lee ordered, marking the spot to line up with his foot. Alexia Gonzalez, Abigail Hilburn, Jodi Brown, and a boy named Larry Stormer with his friend, another boy named Viet Lam headed for the line, and another boy named Mathew P., and soon the line had about eight students.
First Alexia tried out, but when she stumbled a little on her broom Lee called her out. Next went Abigail. All watched in awe as Abigail rode her broom expertly, and she was selected. Next went Jodi, and she was selected too. Mathew came on the field next, and won the third and final chaser spot.
Finally, it was the seeker tryouts, and Albus went in line. "Now all you lot have to do," Lee told the line, "Is catch the snitch."
First a girl named Isabella Little tried, but failed to catch the snitch. Isabella made her way out, but stopped by Albus and said, "I hope you make it. After all, you're the son of Harry Potter."
Next went a boy named Seuss Reynolds. Reynolds lost too, then came Albus. Albus mounted his broom. Then, Caspar let go of the snitch. It whizzed throughout the air and Albus flew on his broom into the air. He felt the wind swishing as he looked for the snitch, desperately. Then, the broom gave a terrible yank and Albus almost fell off. Then, Albus realized: James wasn't that nice, just giving him the broom. James had jinxed the broom. Albus's heart gave a lurch as he looked and at the same time tried to battle the broom back from throwing him off. But the broom was now making Albus fly all over the place, yanking him off like a bull. Then, it gave a particularly hard yank and Albus found himself dangling off his broom, one hand held on, sixty feet in the air. Albus held on tight, but then he saw it. The Snitch. It had whizzed to a the far and of the stadium, just flying there. Albus then gave it his all to get on his jinxed broom. He heard gasps from below, Caspar yelling to Albus to ask if he was fine. Albus didn't answer, but then, after great piles of effort, was able to get on his broom. His broom was still jumping here and there, swinging about, but the Snitch was still in its spot. Albus zoomed the broom forward, and it almost knocked him off, but zoomed forward immediately. Albus was about to grab the snitch when the broom gave out again and swished Albus off. Albus was now hanging off again, this time eighty five feet in the air, the snitch a foot ahead.
Albus held on his broom tight. Caspar was getting on his broom to go get Albus. People were gaping at Albus. Finally, Albus pulled himself on the broom, headed for the snitch, but it zoomed away. Albus wouldn't stop now. He had to do it. He got off his broom and hung on it by his right hand, and then reached for the snitch- caught it.
Albus made his way down, but the broom gave another lurch, sliding out of Albus' grip. Albus was now hanging by three fingers, as tight as he could, at the edge of the broom. He clutched the snitch. Caspar was making his way to helping Albus. Then, the broom immediately started falling. Albus held on as tight as he could, and just and just a few feet from hitting the ground, he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the broom and chanted the levitation charm:
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The broom stay afloat. Albus jumped from the broom and Caspar ran to Albus, breathing hard, Caspar sighed and said, "Wonderful flier, Albus. Like your father. You've got the job."


Then went the two beater tryouts. A boy named Tom Thompson won the spot, along with Rose Weasley. Albus was happy the rest of the day, and stumbled to his dormitories that night and fell to a deep sleep, recalling all that had .happened at the tryouts. Dad would be proud, thought Albus as he drifted off a deep sleep.