As it happened, as intriguing as the prospect of researching three-headed dogs was, Harry and Draco soon found themselves distracted by other things. An announcement appeared on the Gryffindor notice board on Sunday, indicating that flying lessons were to be held for first years during the second week, as well as Quidditch tryouts for the older students.
'Flying lessons should be a laugh,' Draco said. 'We've both been flying since we were six.'
Harry snorted. 'I have no intention of going to their damn flying lessons,' he said. 'I'm trying out for Quidditch. It says here that they're looking especially for Chasers and a Seeker.'
'Fancy trying out for Quidditch, Aries?' Fred Weasley said behind them.
'Hate to break it to you, mate, but first years aren't allowed on the team,' George added.
Harry laughed. 'They haven't seen me fly yet.'
Fred and George gave him a sceptical look, but Harry's brazen confidence did not waver in the slightest. George turned to Draco.
'Is he really that good?' he asked.
Draco smirked. 'It depends on the position. He's a mediocre Keeper and, his parentage aside, only a so-so Beater. But he's a good Chaser, and Granddad says that Aries is one of the best Seekers he's ever seen.'
Fred and George flashed an eager grin at one another.
'Aries, why don't you come out to the Quidditch pitch with us this afternoon?' Fred said. 'We'll try you out.'
'If you're as good as you say, we'll put in a word for you with Wood,' George added.
'He's team captain,' Fred clarified. 'We've been on the team since last year.'
'What about you, Draco?' George asked. 'Are you as good as Aries is?'
Draco sighed. 'No,' he replied honestly. 'I think I'm pretty good for a first year, but Aries really is ready to play now, especially if you need a Seeker.'
That afternoon, Harry accompanied the Weasley twins to the Quidditch pitch. Draco tagged along just to watch. George loaned Harry his Cleansweep Five and Fred released a Snitch that they had got a hold of somewhere. Within seconds Harry was off, swooping and dipping through the air as easily as if he had been born on a broomstick. It felt good to be back in the air.
He circled the pitch a couple of times, and then caught sight of the Snitch hovering behind Fred Weasley's ear. He dove right towards the twin and pulled up at the last second, handily catching the Snitch without even grazing Fred. Harry landed, and the twins looked like Christmas had come early.
'Wood is definitely going to want to see this,' George said, and ran off to find the Gryffindor Quiddditch captain. He returned a few minutes later with a burly fifth-year, who looked more than a bit put out at having been dragged all this way to see some first-year 'play around on a broomstick.' His expression shifted to one of ineffable delight, however, when he saw Harry fly.
'I'll speak with McGonagall immediately!' he exclaimed. 'I'm sure she'll let us bend the rule about first-years having brooms.' He rubbed his hands in glee. 'We might just win the Quidditch Cup this year. Do you have a broomstick already?'
'A Comet Two-Sixty,' Harry replied.
'Not bad,' Wood nodded. 'Write home as soon as you can and get them to send it to you. I'll be sure to have your permission from McGonagall before it gets here.'
'Do you really think she'll give in?' Harry asked. His impression of the elderly witch had been that she was a stickler for the rules.
Wood chuckled. 'She'll give in all right. McGonagall's a bit of a Quidditch fanatic. She'll do nearly anything to help us win.'
Sure enough, Harry received a note from McGonagall during supper, excusing him from flying lessons as well as authorising him to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Seeker and to obtain a broomstick from home. Harry ran up to the dormitory as soon as he was done eating and contacted Sirius using the mirror.
'What's new, Aries?' Sirius asked.
Harry grinned. 'You'll never believe it, Dad. I've been made Gryffindor Seeker.'
Sirius's eyes went as wide as saucers. 'During your first year? That's incredible. It must be some sort of record.'
'Youngest House player in a century,' Harry replied. He heard a delighted shout from the other side of the mirror.
'Give me that, my boy,' Abraxas's voice said roughly, and soon his face replaced Sirius's in the mirror. 'Did I hear right, Aries? Youngest House player in a century?'
'That's right, Granddad. Gryffindor Seeker in my first year.'
'At least share, Dad,' Sirius protested off the side of the mirror, and soon his face joined his father-in-law's.
'Anyway, I've been told to ask you to send my broom from home,' Harry continued.
'I don't think so, Aries,' Sirius said wryly. 'An occasion like this definitely merits a new broom.'
'A Nimbus 2000, I should think,' Abraxas mused. 'It's the fastest thing on the market right now.'
'Actually, as Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black,' Sirius continued in an artificial drawl, 'I think that buying just one new broom is a bit beneath our dignity. What brooms do the other team members have?'
'I'm not sure,' Harry replied. 'The Beaters are on Cleansweep Fives.'
'Great Merlin!' Abraxas shouted in horror. 'We shall have to remedy that, and quickly.'
Harry laughed. 'You do remember we're talking about the Gryffindor team, right, Granddad?'
Abraxas wrinkled his nose. 'I've conveniently forgotten that little detail, Aries. For now, I shall only remember that we're talking about my grandsons' House team.'
Sirius clapped his father-in-law heartily on the back. 'I knew you'd come around eventually, Dad.'
'Don't push your luck, Sirius,' Abraxas warned, but he was smiling.
'Find out the names of all the team members and let me know as soon as you can,' Sirius said.
'Why?' Harry asked.
'I want to give the brooms to the players personally, not the school,' Sirius explained.
Abraxas raised an eyebrow. 'Rather generous of you, isn't it?'
Sirius shrugged. 'If we give them to the school, there's a chance Dumbledore will redistribute them amongst the other teams in the interest of fair play. This way we can make sure that only the people we want to have them will have them.'
'Very Slytherin thinking, my boy,' Abraxas replied with an approving nod. 'I always knew you were one of us.'
.....
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