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Lori stood, once again, in front of prospective players for the team, with Katie, Harry and Ginny at her side, having told them all that nobody was safe and guaranteed their spot again.
"All right," she began, glaring at them as they fought over broomsticks, "this morning, I'm gonna be putting you all through a few drills just to assess your strengths. Quiet, please!"
"Shut it!" Ginny yelled from beside her, the players lapsing into silence. Lori sent her a thankful look.
"Just because you made the team last year does not guarantee you a spot this year. Is that clear?" she paused, watching as they nodded back at her, "Good."
The three Chasers mounted their brooms, kicking off from the ground as McLaggen and Ron flew to each set of goalposts.
"Come on, Weasley!" several shouts came from the crowd that had turned out to watch, "Go on, Cormac!"
Flying in the Hawkshead formation, with Ginny at the top and Katie and Lori flanking her, they wove through the people trying out for Chaser, the younger Weasley hurling the Quaffle at the posts behind McLaggen, his hand catching it with ease.
He caught every goal they threw at him, even when Katie flew straight at him, before dropping the Quaffle to the Captain below and her taking the shot.
After a few shots at Ron, Lori made a shot at McLaggen, throwing the Quaffle with all her might at the centre goalposts, gaping when he lurched to the side and it soared straight through the middle of the hoop.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Ginny took her last aim at Ron, her brother flipping and deflecting the shot with his head before righting himself.
"Well," Lori smiled, "I've found the team."
The Gryffindors huddled around her, listening with bated breath as she read out the list of names, "Seeker: Harry Potter. Beaters: Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper. Chasers: myself, Katie Bell and Ginny Weasley. And finally, Keeper: Ron Weasley."
The triumphant players all stood beside Lori, the rest groaning and heading back into the changing rooms. With a nod from the Captain, Luna came into the stadium.
Smiling, the team all took one knee, the two Beaters and Harry at the front, the bats crossed in front of the Seeker, the Chasers and Ron all holding the Quaffle aloft behind them. Luna smiled, taking the picture and flitting back into the stadium, saying she would get a copy to each of them.
*
"I have to admit," Ron said once they had arrived back in the Common Room, "I thought I was gonna miss that last one. I hope Cormac's not taking it too hard. He's got a bit of a thing for you, Hermione. Cormac."
Hermione looked over her newspaper, "He's vile."
Lori nodded, as Katie snorted beside her, "Not gonna argue with that one."
Harry set down his Potions book, showing it to the two girls, "Have you ever heard of this spell? Sectumsempra?"
Both shook their heads, Hermione's tone laced with urgency, "No, I haven't. And if you had a shred of self-respect, you'd hand that book in."
Lori looked at them in confusion as her brother spoke, "Not bloody likely. He's top of the class. He's even better than you, Hermione. Slughorn thinks he's a genius!"
Hermione set down her paper, "I'd like to know whose that book was. Let's have a look."
"No." he said, snapping it shut.
"Why not?"
"The binding is fragile." he almost ran to the other side of the room, Hermione following him like a hawk.
"The binding is fragile?"
"Yeah." he nodded.
Ginny pulled it from his hand when he couldn't see her, moving back over to her siblings and Katie and reading aloud from the cover, "Who's the Half-Blood Prince?"
"Who?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"That's what is says here: 'This book is property of the Half-Blood Prince'." she threw it back at him, the four girls sharing a look before going to bed.
*
Katie, Leanne and Cho found themselves sweating in Potions once again, the Ravenclaw looking at Lori on their table and turning to the others, "How does she do it?"
Katie shrugged, pouring some shrivelled fig into her potion, turning it a pleasant lilac, "I don't know, I'm just kinda used to copying her every move."
"Ah!" Slughorn flitted over, "Excellent sample of the Potion, Miss Weasley. Ten points to Gryffindor!"
Leanne chuckled as Katie jokingly rolled her eyes, "I'd rather get cursed than get a compliment from Slughorn."
Lori turned to her best friend, "Don't joke about such horrible things."
Half an hour later, and the students were packing away and filing out of the dungeons towards the Great Hall, and the tantalisingly smell of tomato soup and warm bread.
"Miss Weasley, can I speak to you for a minute?" Slughorn asked.
Lori smiled, saying a quick apology to her friends before waiting for the classroom to empty of her fellow seventh years, "You wanted to speak with me, sir?"
Slughorn nodded, "Yes! Back in the old days, I throw together the occasional supper party for the select student or two. Would you be game?"
