Draco's Quidditch Tryout

Breakfast was a hurried affair.

Allen had only managed a slice of bread slathered with cranberry jam, a fried egg, and a quick sip of milk before Draco dragged him outside.

Fortunately, hardly anyone came down for breakfast on Saturday morning.

Otherwise, interrupting Allen's meal alone would have been enough to make the platinum peacock suffer at the young Muggle-born wizard's hands.

Early September mornings were the best: neither cold nor hot, with a gentle breeze brushing against their faces and leaving them refreshed.

Draco held tightly to Allen's hand as they ran, leaving his carefully arranged suit and wizarding robes somewhat disheveled.

When they finally reached the Quidditch Pitch, Allen pulled his hand free of the little peacock's grip and smoothed his clothes.

"How can you be so fussy?" Draco's entire face scrunched up.

That was the first thing the members of the Slytherin Quidditch Team heard as they approached.

Merlin's lace stockings!

Someone so fussy that even a Malfoy, renowned for being particular, felt compelled to comment...

The Quidditch players immediately regarded Allen with awe and quietly put a little more distance between themselves and him.

With everyone gathered, Draco refrained from saying anything else and instructed him, "Just sit on the sidelines and watch my Quidditch skills!"

As he finished speaking, the little peacock proudly tugged at his collar.

Today, not even a Weasley could spoil his good mood.

I'll put up with this fellow, since he helped me get into the tryout!

Flint greeted Draco, hesitated, then gave Allen a nod as well before saying, "Go get changed, Malfoy! We'll start in a moment."

Draco nodded vigorously, his young face taut with nerves, and hurried into the changing room.

Soon-Allen had never imagined Draco could change so quickly-the little peacock emerged from the tent in his training gear.

He straddled his broom and, the moment he heard the command, kicked hard off the ground and shot into the sky.

Seven broomsticks flew overhead. Allen sat in the stands, narrowing his eyes as he carefully tried to tell them apart.

Flint hovered motionless in the air, holding a Magical Recorder.

The other five players threw small balls from various directions, while Draco was tasked with catching them.

The smallest green figure moved so fast he almost left afterimages. Some of his twisting maneuvers made Allen's heart flutter with apprehension, strengthening his resolve to find a Flying Charm.

Flint watched the numbers on the recorder steadily climb. Out of a hundred balls, Draco had caught ninety-one.

The current Seeker, Terence Higgs, had only caught eighty during his tryout.

Flint grew excited. He opened the Quidditch ball trunk, took the Golden Snitch in his hand, and shouted to Draco, "Malfoy, give this a try! Catch the Golden Snitch!"

The instant he released it, the Golden Snitch spread its wings and vanished into the air.

At the same time, he used that hand to start the timer.

Allen saw only a streak of gold flash past, and then there seemed to be nothing left in the air but the seven broomsticks.

Draco's expression was serious, his gray-blue eyes sharply scanning the entire pitch.

At that moment, he finally displayed something of an aristocrat's gravity and bearing.

In less than five minutes, the smallest dark-green figure made his move.

Draco shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, then swept rapidly across the pitch after the Golden Snitch like a missile guided by satellite navigation.

The sight left Allen a little dizzy. In the end, he decided to keep his eyes fixed on Draco and give his ability to track moving objects a workout.

After an indeterminate stretch of time, Draco suddenly leaned forward. His broom slowed-he had caught the Golden Snitch!

The little peacock thrust his arm high in excitement, and the other six broomsticks converged on him.

Flint immediately stopped the timer. It read nine minutes and fifty-three seconds.

He happily clapped Draco on the shoulder. "Brilliant work, Malfoy! You were absolutely fantastic! Congratulations on joining the Slytherin Quidditch Team!"

The seven broomsticks landed, and everyone hopped off in high spirits, showering Draco with praise.

Draco's eyes lit up when he spotted Allen. He ran over, his head held high.

"Allen, did you see that? I caught the Golden Snitch in just nine minutes and fifty-three seconds! Do you know how amazing that is?"

"Yes, an unprecedented time in a match!" Allen nodded with a smile. "It seems our Head of House made a very wise decision!"

The players looked toward Allen, their smiles fading a little as they hesitated over how to treat him.

Flint seemed somewhat awkward. He gave a brief nod and said, "Oh, Cornwall, um, thanks for going to our Head of House and finding us such a good Seeker!"

Allen wore a faint smile. He knew exactly what these little snakes were thinking.

They simply dared not offend him because he was on good terms with Malfoy, yet were reluctant to get too close because he was a thoroughly Muggle-born wizard.

It did not matter. After this year, no one in Slytherin would harbor such foolish thoughts again.

The blond Crown Prince smiled flawlessly and said with grace, "You're too kind. As a member of Slytherin, it's my duty to bring honor to our house."

Flint's expression eased considerably, and his praise came more readily. "I've heard you've earned Slytherin a lot of points in class lately... keep it up. Slytherin recognizes strength!"

Allen inclined his upper body slightly and thanked him.

Once Flint had left, Draco nudged Allen's arm and raised an eyebrow. "Well? Handy having the Malfoy family behind you, isn't it?"

Allen smiled helplessly and nudged him back. "Handy having me around, isn't it?"

Draco accepted the handkerchief Allen offered and wiped away his sweat, then lifted his chin and turned away with a haughty air. "Time to return the broom!"

Allen followed helplessly as Draco continued chattering.

"I'm going to write to my father! I'll have him buy me the latest Nimbus 2000! This time, we'll beat Gryffindor so badly they won't know what hit them!"