/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟏.𝟜.𝟣

"-as if you had never wasted or misapplied a single moment in all your life. you can turn over a new leaf every hour if you choose." ~ Arnold Bennett

~october 1971~ ((continued))

As soon as breakfast ended, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter dragged Artemis out of the Great Hall, ignoring the protests from the other girls, and they all hurried down to the quidditch pitch. "Do we really have to run?" Peter gasped when they were almost to the benches.

"We can't be late," said James, "Just keep up." Artemis had noticed that the boys never really waited for Peter for anything, oftentimes leaving him in the dust or forgetting he was there altogether. She didn't know why Peter continued to follow them around like a lost puppy, but she felt sort of sorry for him.

They let themselves into the pitch and climbed to the very top of the bleachers where they could get a good look of everything happening on the field and in the air. James jumped up onto a bench and stared up at the sky, scanning it for the number he was looking for. "There he is!" he said, jumping up and down and pointing to a burly sixth year boy. "Matthew McKinnon." His eyes took on that familiar starry expression as Sirius and Artemis scoffed at the same time and stared at opposite ends of the pitch, both acting too cool to get overexcited about seventh year quidditch prodigies.

Remus jumped up onto the bench next to him to get a better look and reached down to pull Peter up after him. Sirius and Artemis stayed on the ground, but squinted upwards at the players. "Ever seen a professional quidditch game?" Sirius asked her, maintaining his superior tone. Artemis didn't know how the other boys could stand to talk to him all the time. Every time he spoke, he got on her nerves.

"No. I'm guessing you have?"

"Of course I have." Sirius looked over to the other boys, who were jumping around excitedly and shouting about the tryouts. "Saw the Wasps against the Canons over the summer."

Artemis nodded her head but didn't answer. Her eyes darted around the pitch, following the players as quickly as she could. She'd never even seen someone fly before, but she wasn't about to tell that to Sirius. "Oh, look! It's the Prewett twins," she said, recognizing the two redheaded boys from the train.

"What?" Sirius followed her gaze. "Oh, yeah," he said in a disinterested tone. "I heard they're trying out this year. They're pureblood, you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked sharply. She didn't like the way he said pureblood. Like it made them better than other wizards; or at least any better than her own half-blood status. Sirius's eyes darted to Artemis's face, and then he shrugged, going back to watching the tryouts. Artemis narrowed her eyes, but did the same. It was amazing to her, how the players could keep their balance while doing crazy tricks and trying to knock each other off of their brooms. "Are you going to try out?"

"No," Sirius said, like it was obvious. "First years can't try out."

"I know," said Artemis in an exasperated tone. "I meant will you try out next year?"

"Oh-" Sirius shrugged. "Yeah, probably." The truth was, just watching the players on the pitch made him feel nauseous. He'd hated heights since his uncle took him to the very top tower of his mansion in Manchester and told him that if he didn't do magic right that instant he'd push him over. His stomach twisted at the mere thought of it and his hand balled into a fist under his robes, digging his fingernails into the palm of his hand. The words still rung in his ears sometimes; 'won't have a squib in the family,' 'shameful that you haven't shown any magical ability yet,' 'shameful,' 'shameful.' He gritted his teeth and tried to suppress the feeling. He was still getting over the fact that he'd been sorted into Gryffindor. Gryffindor, of all the houses. He hadn't opened any of the letters he received from his parents yet, choosing instead to stuff them at the bottom of his trunk in the boys' dormitory. The thought of what they might contain made his heart race.