Chapter 4: Quidditch

                                    

                                          
For the first day of classes, I walked down to the great hall with Laura for breakfast. Professor Longbottom was handing out the schedules for Gryffindor. Neville, as I prefer to call him, is the Herbology teacher and head of Gryffindor house, but at school, I have to call him Professor Longbottom. Even his daughter, Alice, who is in my year has to call him that as well.
                          
"I've got Herbology and Potions with the Slytherins and Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms with the Ravenclaws," I announced to Laura.
                          
"I wish we were in the same year." Laura pouted. "At least you have Jenny with you."
                          
"And you've got me," Claire said from a few seats away. I gave her a weak smile.
                          
When it was time for classes I headed off to Herbology, with Claire next to me. I didn't really know what to say to her, so we walked in silence, while the rest of the hall was loud as ever with students finding their classes and friends.
                          
On our way there, I caught up with Al and Scorpius, thankfully. Claire still trailed along with us.
                          
"Hello, boys." She said to them.
                          
"Er, hi Claire," Al said. "How are you?"
                          
"Just fine." She tucked her books closer to her chest."Hey Scorpius." She peeked her head out so he would see her from next to me.
                          
"Hey." He smiled. I felt my eye twitch. Why did he always have to be so nice to everyone?
                          
In Herbology, Neville explained everything that we would be studying this year and about our N.E.W.T tests, all of that sort of thing. The rest of the day I had Charms, Arithmancy, and Divination. There weren't many other Gryffindors taking Arithmancy and Divination as a N.E.W.T class, so they put all the sixth years together. I knew most of them, but not well. Thankfully, Scorpius was taking Arithmancy with me. I was glad to have at least one friend there.
                          
By the Friday after classes began, James couldn't wait anymore, and he started our quidditch practices. We were always one of the first houses to start our practices. Slytherin would always be next, Al just copying us, then Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
                          
I felt confident about our team this year. I was playing keeper, as usual, Fred and a fifth-year girl, Emma Thomas were our beaters. My cousin Louis was the seeker and James and Liam Montague, a boy in his year, were our chasers. The team was great, half of it was family, but I would still love them all either way.
                          
This year, we only had one position vacant, we needed another chaser, so James held tryouts for that one position and found a fourth year named Jaqueline. She was good, but not as great as James was. 
                          
I was tired and sweaty, walking back to the common room after practice. I was sure my ponytail had fallen apart and I can't even imagine how disheveled I must look right now.
                          
"Rose!" Someone called from behind me. I turned to see Scorpius walking towards me. He smirked when he saw how awful I looked.
                          
"Hey! I just had practice for like three hours." I defended myself. 
                          
"Hey," He put his hands up in front of him. "I didn't say anything."
                          
"But you were thinking about it." I brushed it off and pulled out my ponytail, which was hurting my head.
                          
Scorpius fell into step with me. "Where are you going?" I asked him. It had to be around nine o'clock by now and I wondered what he would be doing without Al.
                          
"To the library." Of course, he was. He loved reading and doing homework, almost more than even I did, but Al hates it. "Al actually went looking for you, I think. He wanted to ask you something."