I pushed Theodore Nott from my mind over the next several days in order to focus on my schoolwork. The nonverbal spells we had practiced in Defense Against the Dark Arts were now being used in Charms and Transfiguration. The potions we brewed were getting increasingly more difficult, and in Herbology we were messing with plants more dangerous than we had ever dealt with before. N.E.W.T. levels were seriously difficult; I had no time to think about other less-important topics.

Even Astronomy was getting hard. I wanted to give up on the star charts we were doing because they seemed next to impossible. It wasn't until I went to bed early one night without bothering to finish my homework that I remembered the Lunascope I had.

I opened my trunk and pulled it out, thinking about how much it would help me with the assignment. But my eyes pooled up with tears when I thought about who had given it to me. I couldn't do it. I threw the Lunascope back in the trunk.

I was about to slam the lid shut when I caught a glimpse of the Firebolt again. I began to reach out and grab it when my journal started vibrating on my nightstand.

I opened it and saw Dora's handwriting...

Hey, are you there?

Yes. What is it?

I just wanted to check in on you and see how things are going.

I'm fine. And you don't have to treat me like I'm three. I can take care of myself.

All right, then!

Right, I'm sorry.

Well, how are things?

Not bad. Snape's detention was a nightmare, though. I had to pick all of the gum from under the desks in his classroom and then clean the floor with mess remover.

Well ... you ... never mind.

I know I got what I deserved!

Yes, that's what I was going to say. Anyway, anything else?

How are you? Are you doing any better?

No.

I'm sorry to hear that. Listen, our first Hogsmeade trip is in mid-October. Is it all right if I meet you at the Three Broomsticks?

That's fine.

Thanks. Well, I should go. I have homework.

Okay. Bye.

I paused for a second. I was about to shut the journal when a sudden, insane thought hit me.

Dora? Are you still there?

Yeah.

May I ask you something?

What is it?

Do you think I'm a good flier?

I waited a few seconds. She didn't seem to have an immediate response. Finally she answered with:

You're not bad. Why do you want to know?

Well ... Sirius gave me a Firebolt. And I want to use it ... well, I don't, but I think he would want me to. And Quidditch tryouts are coming up and I thought it might help me with my anger ... you know, if I tried out for Beater. If I have a good broom, I might as well use it, you know?

Her next response came with no hesitation:

Lyra, I think that's a great idea! You should go for it.

Really? You do? Well, I'll try out. I'll tell you if I make it.

Great! Hey, I have to go. Talk to you later.

Okay, bye.

That was that. I was trying out for Quidditch.

The next morning, I went to the common room to put my name on the list. My heart fell slightly when I saw the number of other students trying out, but upon closer inspection I realized most of them were just girls who might at well start an I Love Harry Potter Fan Club. Harry was the new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, so chances were most of the people weren't trying out because they liked Quidditch.

After breakfast I grabbed my broomstick and walked to the Quidditch pitch. I really wasn't nervous about trying out, just nervous because I had never flown on my Firebolt before.

Since there were so many applicants, Harry told us to get into groups of ten or so and fly around the pitch once to see if we could actually fly at all. From the beginning it was obvious that Quidditch was not the reason for signing up.

When it was finally my turn to fly around the pitch, I realized I did have nerves after all. But the moment I mounted my broom for the first time ever, I knew that I loved it. As soon as I began to fly with the group, I saw a huge difference between the Firebolt and my old Comet Two-Sixty. With the Firebolt, it was extremely fast, easy to turn, and extremely smooth as it cut through the air. I was actually the first one to finish the circle.

Then Harry announced that the Chaser trial was first. Everyone trying out went onto the field and practiced throwing goals through the hoops. As this went on, I sat in the stands and watched as I ran my fingers over the handle of my broom.

"So, what position are you trying out for?" asked a voice. It came from the guy next to me. I looked over at him. I recognized him as seventh year Cormac McLaggen.

"Um, Beater," I said.

"Ah," he said, looking extremely satisfied. "I'm trying out for Keeper. I noticed you had a Firebolt and you flew pretty well out there. I was worried that you might actually be some competition for me. The rest of the people trying out for Keeper don't stand a chance. Anyway, good luck. I hope to see you on the team with me."

"Uh ... you do know you have to try out first, right?" I asked, annoyed.

"Well, yeah, but I know I'll make it."

"Right."

When Harry announced the new Chasers - Katie Bell; a seventh year who had previously been on the team for years; Ginny Weasley, who had flown the best; and Demelza Robins, a new girl who had dodged the Bludgers well - many others began to protest, argue, and even throw tantrums.

"They're such bad sports, aren't they?" Cormac McLaggen said.

"Yeah," I replied as Harry told the Beaters to come down.

I went down and joined the others on the pitch. Harry had us go two at a time. I was last in line. When the second and third to last applicants, Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote, were trying out, Harry said to me, "Well, they're not Fred and George, but they're probably the new Beaters. Unless you can do better."

"I don't know," I muttered. "I'm going to try, but I've never flown on this broom before. Or even played Quidditch at all, for that matter."

"Well, it's your turn," he said as Peakes and Coote left the field with the bats in their hands. "Give it your best. Nice broom, by the way."

"Thanks," I said, feeling particularly fond of Sirius's present. I took a bat from one of the boys and walked onto the pitch. I mounted my broom and flew upward gracefully on the Firebolt, but stopped when I saw the number of people staring at me from the crowd.

Harry released the Bludgers and I began to dodge them furiously. One of them flew at me and I swung at it, but missed ... it grazed the side of my arm and I felt lucky that it hadn't hit me or my broom.

I felt myself slipping off and grabbed the handle of the Firebolt as another Bludger sped towards me. I didn't think to hit it, but flew away from it instead. I was near the goal posts when the Bludger caught up. I swung again and missed. This time I hit the bat against a goal post and almost fell off again.

The crowd laughed and I felt ashamed. Why had I even attempted this? I swung at the Bludger coming at me and finally hit it, but it sped off weakly.

The people in the crowd were now getting amused at my attempts. I heard them muttering things like, "She obviously doesn't play" and "Why did she even bother coming?"

I wanted to give up. There was no way I could become a Beater like this. Why had I chosen to humiliate myself? It wasn't like I ever had a chance.

Then someone - I don't know who - but someone in the stands yelled, "Why don't you just go to Slytherin where you belong?"

That did it. I felt the rage coming on. Go to Slytherin where I belong?

The Bludger zoomed at me and I swung the bat angrily with as much force as I had. It sped off at top speed and came back - I hit again. It was working. Every Bludger than came at me was sent away with force, and when my trial ended, Harry said, "Wow. That was great. I'd say you're definitely on the team. You hit the Bludgers excellently."

Then he called everyone who had tried out for Beater over to announce the results. I stood anxiously, hoping my trial had been good enough even though Harry had complimented me. I was also still slightly affronted at whoever had made that comment - though, thanks to them, I was probably on the team.

"All right," Harry said. "Our Beaters will be Jimmy Peakes - " He turned to a third year boy, who looked back happily, " - and Lyra Lestrange," he said.

Many people began to protest and several shot me looks of dislike. Whether it was because of the obvious or because they wanted the position, I didn't know, until I noticed they weren't giving Jimmy the same looks.

Though happy about making Quidditch, I tried not to look too satisfied as I joined the rest of the team in the stands. Ginny smiled at me and said, "Hi! You were great. I didn't know you played Quidditch."

I looked out to the pitch the Keepers were now going onto with their brooms in hand and said, "Neither did I."

"And you did really well. I like your broom, by the way. I would love to have a Firebolt."

I looked over at her worn-out Cleansweep Five and said, "Well, it was a gift ... from ... someone."

She shrugged. "So was my broom. I've had the same one since before Hogwarts. It was my first broom."

"It's not really about the quality of the broom, don't you think?" I said to her. "It's more about the importance of it to you. I mean, your broom was your first broom. Mine was a present."

"Yeah. Who gave you your broom?"

I paused for a second before answering, "Sirius."

"Oh," she said, sadness in her voice. "Well ... anyway, great trial."

"Hey, Ginny ... by chance, do you know who made that comment? The one about me being in Slytherin?"

"Oh," she said, rolling her eyes. "That was Romilda Vane. She's a fourth year. She was one of those girls from the second group who began laughing when Harry told them to fly." She rolled her eyes again. "I would ignore it."

"Yeah ... "

Ron, Keeper from last year, ended up returning after a perfect trial. Cormac McLaggen almost made it, but lost by one penalty. He didn't take it well, either; he had a bad temper like the rest of the rejects.

That evening I was in the dormitory, thinking about how pleased I was about making the team. It was something I had never done and something I hadn't thought I could do - but now I had. And hopefully it would help the anger issues.

I wondered what my parents would think now. Had they been Quidditch players? Probably not, but maybe ...

That's when I remembered my original plan - to discover the past and find out what happened. And now that I was at Hogwarts, I could at least discover what kind of students they had been when they had attended the school. The trophy room would be the first place to check.

I was ready for bed. I gave one last grateful look to the Firebolt in my trunk before getting under the covers. Before I closed my eyes, however, I reached over and opened my journal, leaving Dora one short message:

I made the team.