Quidditch Tryouts

Even though she understood what Professor Bosde meant, it wasn't a view she could change overnight.

Saturday soon arrived. The weather wasn't very good, and Marlene accompanied Rose through the drizzle and across the chilly grass to the Quidditch Pitch.

A scattered handful of people stood on the pitch. McGu shouted for them to line up, and several older boys reluctantly shuffled into place as instructed.

"Hey, you made it, Claude." McGu nodded to Rose. "Is McKinnon trying out too? I don't think I saw her name."

Marlene quickly shook her head and signaled to Rose that she would wait in the stands.

"That's everyone-has anyone seen Potter?" McGu shouted with a frown.

"He's right there!" Rose pointed behind him. James Potter was swaggering toward the pitch with a brand-new Nimbus broom, with Peter Pettigrew jogging along behind him.

The tryouts were almost exactly the same as what James Potter had told her to practice. McGu first had them fly a few laps around the pitch, then divided them into groups for the tests. Three people were competing for the Chaser position, including a third-year boy named Hudson Sparrow.

When he first saw that Rose didn't even have her own broomstick, he dismissed her and kept his eyes on James Potter the whole time, trying to find the slightest mistake in his movements. But he clearly failed. James Potter flew perfectly, scoring a full nineteen goals, and as soon as he got off his broom, McGu readily told him he'd made the team.

Now Sparrow could only pray that he would fly better than Rose.

Rose scored seventeen goals, her best result so far. McGu looked very pleased with her too.

Sparrow scored only twelve, but he marched over to McGu in a rage. Rose could only faintly make out words like "own broom" and "unfair."

When they came over to Rose together, she was talking to Marlene.

"Claude, you'll be a reserve player along with Sparrow," McGu said with a frown, casting a displeased glance at Sparrow beside him.

"Why should he-Rose scored five more goals than he did!" Marlene protested indignantly.

"He says you don't have your own broom." McGu looked troubled. "If you ask me, that's a minor issue, but the school brooms really aren't very good."

"She can use mine." James Potter walked over with his Nimbus 200, sizing Sparrow up with the same look Sparrow had given Rose.

"It's fine." Rose didn't much care whether someone else was a reserve alongside her. She hadn't saved enough money to buy a broom this year anyway. "But I have to be ahead of him in the order."

"Of course!" McGu readily agreed before Sparrow could speak. "It's settled, then. I still have to oversee the Keeper tryouts."

"Actually, if you don't mind, I have an old broom at home, a Cleansweep Three Star. It still works pretty well," James Potter said hesitantly.

"Of course I don't mind-" Rose was delighted. "I can buy it at the market price!"

"No-how could I-" James Potter shook his head.

"Listen, James, I can't take your things without paying for them." Rose met his eyes seriously.

"Ha—you're really lucky, Claude, having a rich friend!" Sparrow said sarcastically.

"What's it to you-" Rose glared at him.

"It's none of my business, but I can give you a little advice-beg Potter, and maybe he'll buy you a Nimbus too. Or Black?" Sparrow said in a pinched voice, looking her up and down in a way that made her very uncomfortable.

"Scourgi-" Before James Potter could finish his spell, and before Marlene had processed what was happening, Rose punched Sparrow in the nose amid Peter Pettigrew's scream.

"If I were you, I'd remember to brush my teeth more often." Rose grabbed his collar and spoke softly into his ear. "And I wouldn't provoke someone too poor to have much to lose."

Sparrow seemed to have completely forgotten that he was a wizard. After Rose let go of his collar, he ran off screaming.

Marlene stared, unable to hide her shock. She had never seen Rose angry before!

"Nicely done, Rose!" James waved his fist in the air, imitating her punch, and looked at her in a whole new light, as though he were meeting her for the first time.

"Scourgify is too gentle for people with filthy mouths." Rose's heart was pounding. She had wanted to do that for a long time-to teach those bad people a lesson without caring about the consequences!

"You're right!" James Potter laughed. "You're welcome to come exploring at night with us!"

"He won't tell Professor McGonagall, will he?" Marlene looked worried.

"He wouldn't dare. If he tells Professor McGonagall, he'll get detention along with me," Rose said unconcernedly. She had never felt so good.

Back in the common room, Marlene vividly described to the other girls how Rose had landed a beautiful punch on Sparrow. His face had looked as though he'd swallowed a huge mouthful of Flobberworm mucus.

Her performance had the girls doubled over with laughter, and Mary bitterly regretted not being there to see it for herself.

"You're amazing, darling!" Lily couldn't stop giggling. "Sparrow is always saying nasty things. Lots of girls have been harassed by him."

"Exactly! They'll be so happy when they hear about it!" Natasha had broken up with her boyfriend over the summer and had been spending more time with them this term.

"I thought you'd think I shouldn't have done that," Rose said. "That I shouldn't hit someone just because he said a few things-"

"Said a few things?" Lily repeated, looking incredulous. "He upset you, and I bet he knew perfectly well those words would upset you. He did it on purpose!"

"He definitely did it on purpose!" Marlene agreed.

"Then he'd deserve it even if he got hit ten times!" Natasha concluded, and Mary nodded in agreement.

"You're right!" Rose grinned. "I really am amazing!"

The girls chatted late into the night. Before falling asleep, Rose hazily recalled her experiences in her previous life. The hurt caused by those rumors and gossip seemed to have healed, and now she had become a brand-new, braver girl.