The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

The Slug Club

Alice Bell had an older brother on the Gryffindor Quidditch team who played chaser and was known around the school for being one of the best on the team. He scored points like crazy. He was built large, with broad shoulders and strong features. The sixth year girls of Gryffindor swooned as he walked by them to where his little sister sat with Lily Evans. He set his books down and gazed at Lily for a moment. "I heard you saw Potter's catch."

Lily frowned, "Yeah, I saw it."

"Honestly Derek," Alice protested, "She's been asked about this so many times - if she had a knut for every time, she'd be rolling in riches."

"I'm sorry, I just had to find out if it really was as impressive as everyone's made it out to be," Derek explained.

"It was not," Lily lied. "It was a red gum ball, even I could have caught it if I wanted to." Her voice was tense.

Derek looked no less impressed, but he didn't insist on continuing talking about it. Instead, he turned to Alice. "How are your classes going?"

"Well," she answered.

"Excuse me." They all three looked up. A second year boy with thin glasses and a nervous expression had come over.

"Oh hi Frank," said Alice. "This is Frank Longbottom," she said. "Frank this is Lily Evans and this is --"

"Derek Bell, yeah," Frank nodded vigorously. "I was curious when tryouts were. I heard Gryffindor needs a beater this year." He was staring at Alice, though, and appeared more interested in her than he was in Derek or the tryouts. Alice was oblivious.

Derek looked Frank Longbottom over. Lily didn't know much about Quidditch but she knew without asking that Frank was far too scrawny to play any position called 'beater'. But Derek was nice enough. "Next Friday afternoon," he told Frank, "On the pitch at 4:00."

Frank beamed. "Thanks," he said. He started to turn away, then turned back to look at Alice. "See you around the common room."

"See you," she answered, already concentrating on her dinner more than she was on Frank. Lily watched as Frank walked back down the table and sat down with the other second year boys.

"Everyone is really into Quidditch here, huh?" Lily asked.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Oh God yes," she groaned, "And the season hasn't even started yet! Just wait - it gets worse."

As though to emphasize Alice's point, a fourth year slapped Derek on the back and said, "Alright Bell?" as he passed by. Alice smacked her palm to her forehead in frustration.

Derek smirked at his sister's annoyance. "As you can see, my sister is the exception to the rule around here. Everyone at Hogwarts is into Quidditch - especially the Gryffindor-Slytherin matches. Even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff choose sides." He grinned, "Usually Gryffindor. The stands get pretty loud... everyone cheering..." Derek's face was taken over by a dreamy, sort of nostalgic expression, as though he were recalling the sound of the pitch, echoing with spectators.

"If I'm the exception," Alice said, waving at Derek with her fork, "Then he is the epitome of the rule."

A floppy grin crossed Derek's face and he shrugged, "It's a great sport. Excitement, blood, tension - the wind in your hair, the whistle of the flying quaffle, the crack of a bludger off the beaters' bats..." he took a deep breath, and turned to Lily. "Do you play?"

Lily shook her head.

"Stupid, she's muggle-born," Alice reprimanded him, grabbing another potato jacket from the platter in front of her, "Muggles don't play Quidditch."