Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [6]

⚡️ Chapter 20 ⚡️

Just as Harry had predicated and as Vega had expected – the trials took most of the morning, and Vega was glad to have freed the day on her schedule. When they arrived onto the field, it was to find that half of Gryffindor House seemed to have turned up that morning, from first years who were nervously clutching a selection of the dreadful old school brooms, to seventh years who towered over the rest, looking coolly intimidating.

And among them was the person that Vega wanted to see ethe least... Cormac McLaggen. He was quick to catch her eye and went far enough to continue to his wink in her direction. Vega rolled her eyes and looked away from him, noting down names.

"We met on the train, in old Sluggy's compartment," McLaggen said confidently, stepping out of the crowd to shake Harry's hand. "Cormac McLaggen, Keeper,"

Vega and Harry shared a look at that – given how wide he was, it was possible he might just block all three goal hoops without even moving.

"And is there a reason why you didn't try-out last night?" Vega inquired, not looking at him as she wrote his name down on the try-out sheet.

"I was in the hospital wing when they held the trials," McLaggen said, with something of a swagger as he looked down at the girl. "Ate a pound of doxy eggs for a bet,"

"Doxy eggs?" Vega asked, sharply. "Where did you get doxy eggs?"

"Nicked from the Potions cabinet," McLaggen responded, and Vega felt wondered if it was true. "Why? Are you interested in making a bet with me?"

"Right," Harry cut in when he saw Vega's expression turn swiftly sour. "If you wait over there..." He pointed over to the edge of the pitch, close to where Hermione was sitting.

As his eyes moved away from her, Vega was very sure that she saw a flicker of annoyance pass over McLaggen's face and wondered whether if he had expected preferential treatment because they were all 'old Sluggy's' favourites or was 'handsome'.

The first few minutes were spent as Vega quickly noted down the names of the students who had gathered. There was no girl from their year or senior – the juniors were all in awe and Vega found them blushing in excitement but the seniors continued to keep up the act of confidence but she tried to only focus on the task at hand to start quickly.

Once they were done with it, Harry decided to start with a basic test, asking all applicants for the team to divide into groups of ten and fly once around the pitch. Vega stood with Katie, mostly watching over the Chasers as they came by.

It was a good decision on Harry's part: The first ten was made up of first years and it could not have been plainer that they had hardly ever flown before.

For only one boy managed to remain airborne for more than a few seconds, and he was so surprised he promptly crashed into one of the goal posts.

And the second group was comprised of ten of the silliest girls that Vega had ever encountered, who, when Harry blew his whistle, merely fell about giggling and clutching one another. Quite unsurprisingly, Romilda Vane was amongst them.

When Harry told them to leave the pitch, they did so quite cheerfully and went to sit in the stands to heckle everyone else. The third group had a pileup halfway around the pitch. Most of the fourth group had come without broomsticks.

"You have to get the brooms from the school closet or share with someone if you didn't bring your own," Vega informed them. "Please, step aside,"

But before this problem could be dealt with, Vega noticed yet another one when her eyes caught the sight of uniforms adorned with blue-and-bronze or with yellow-and-black stood in gaggle, trying to mix into the scarlet-and-gold students.