He wouldn’t feel bad though. He was still happy that something was being done to protect the Squibs. He thought for a moment about Mark, Jeremy and George - the three boys missing from his dormitory, and he felt a stab of something that might have been guilt. But then he pictured Samuel instead. Samuel was his brother. What was happening to his housemates was a shame, but the Ministry seemed so sure that the magic had been gained illegitimately and if they’d broken the law, it was difficult to feel too sorry for them.
Professor Sprout distributed their timetables during breakfast and the fourth years all seemed to become very engrossed in studying which subjects they had first. Everything had been shuffled about a bit to make room for the new compulsory Muggle Studies class each week. Adrian saw that his wasn’t until Friday morning. That morning he had Ancient Runes followed by Transfiguration. He enjoyed both of these, even though they could be difficult, so he looked forward to being able throw himself into work for the morning.
He was the only Hufflepuff left in his year who was taking Ancient Runes so he headed to the class alone. Professor Babbling wasted no time in setting them a difficult translation. –You’re in your pre-OWL year now - it’s important to learn as much as you can,†she warned. She allowed the students to talk to each other and share ideas, but Adrian preferred to work alone. Last year Mark had been in the class too and they had occasionally helped each other out but now the class was full of Ravenclaws and one or two Gryffindors or Slytherins. He thought briefly about what Adrian had said about Mark and wondered where he was now. But rather than dwell on it he pushed it to the back of his mind and started on the translation. He had always been better than the other Hufflepuff anyway.
Transfiguration passed in a similar manner, though in this class he was with the rest of his housemates. Professor McGonagall had them working from beginning to end, meaning there definitely wasn’t time for talking.
By lunchtime, Adrian felt he had never been away from the school - he was also wondering what everyone had made such a fuss about. Other than the missing students, everything seemed exactly the same. He packed up quickly and arrived at the Great Hall before the others. He sat down in time to see Dorian hesitating for a moment before coming to join him. Obviously, the previous night’s argument was not going to be forgotten easily. Before he could say anything, he heard someone shouting his name from the other end of the table.
–Oy, Radley, come here a minute.†He looked up to see the Quidditch Captain, Ralph Summerby. Shooting an apologetic glance at Dorian he quickly went to join him.
–We’ve got a Chaser spot open this year,†the older boy said when he approached. –I’ve heard you fly well - will you be trying out?â€
–I hope so,†Adrian replied, do his best to sound confident.
–Great. I’ve booked the pitch for Thursday at seven. I wanted to make it earlier but the Gryffindors got in before me.†He scowled. Gryffindor had been Quidditch champions for as long as Adrian had been at the school, though there had been no tournament in his first year much to everyone’s disappointment. The other three houses were desperate to beat them, especially Hufflepuff, who hadn’t won the cup in over ten years, as they were constantly reminded.
–I’ll be there.†Summerby nodded and gave a little wave of his hand to show that Adrian was dismissed. Adrian headed back to where Dorian and the other fourth years were sitting.
–What did he want?†Dorian asked, his curiosity overtaking the earlier awkwardness.
–Oh he was asking about try-outs. I think I’m going to give it a go this year.â€
–You should. Dad’s always talking about how fast you can go.â€
Adrian smiled, enjoying the compliment. He may only ever have been average at most school subjects, but flying was something he could do.
–Perhaps I should ask for a new broom for my birthday,†he remarked, referring to the fact that he would be turning fifteen in a matter of weeks. He knew they were expensive but the Firebolt had been out for at least four seasons now and a series one model could be picked up for a reasonable price.
–Mark probably would have tried out too,†Gemma remarked suddenly. Adrian felt a funny flip in his stomach as his former housemate entered his mind for the third time that day. What was going on? Surely it couldn’t be guilt. He had nothing to feel guilty for. He simply shrugged at Gemma’s comment, not really sure how else to respond.
After an afternoon and dinner of awkward silences and working alone, Adrian was finally back in the common room to relax for the evening. The classes may have been tough but at least they hadn’t been set any homework yet so he didn’t have anything to worry about.
Conversation was slow to get going among their group. Eventually Dorian let out an exasperated sigh. –How long is this going to keep up? Can’t we all just remember that we’re friends?â€
–That depends,†said Gemma, –on whether Adrian thinks he’s wrong or not.â€
All eyes turned to Adrian and for a minute he almost considered lying and pretending everything was fine but he simply couldn’t do it.
–I’m not going to pretend I don’t agree with the Ministry because I do,†he said instead. –And frankly, I thought you’d all be a little bit more supportive. You know what my family has been through.â€
–At least they’re not in Azkaban,†came the response.
–No, but Samuel doesn’t get to be here either. He’s got generations of magic behind him. How can you tell me that he didn’t deserve a place here more than Mark or any of the others?â€
Gemma looked at him in disgust. –You’re as bad as the Slytherins. Perhaps you should go join them in the dungeons so that you can be among your own kind.†The final words were delivered with a venom he didn’t even know the girl was capable of and it shook him for a moment. Before he could collect his thoughts to reply, she stood up. –Come on,†she said, looking towards the others. Rosa immediately got up to follow but Dorian hesitated.
–Gemma, can’t we-†he started before being cut off.
–No, Dorian, I’m not spending one more minute with this git who thinks that what’s happening to our friends is right. You said for yourself that you’d seen Mark and how awful it was. You can’t agree with Adrian?â€
–No, but I-â€
–Look, you’re either on our side or his. You can’t be on the middle with this one.â€
Dorian continued to hesitate but Adrian could see from the look in his eyes which side he was on. –It’s fine,†he muttered. –Go with them. I don’t want friends who won’t support me anyway.â€
And with that, his three friends left him. They didn’t go far - it was hard to escape in the common room - but it was enough to make Adrian realise that it was the only the second night of term and already he was completely alone.
It turned out to be the beginning of a long week. Adrian went to classes and worked hard. At mealtimes he sat on his own, concentrating on his food. He began to feel grateful when the teachers set large amounts of homework because it gave him an excuse to sit in the corner of the common room surrounded by books and not talking to anyone. He even started going to the library occasionally, something he had rarely done before. A couple of fifth years remarked that they had never worked so hard when they were fourth years, but it was pretty obvious to most that he was only on his own because he had to be. A couple of the other girls in his year, who weren’t part of his usual group, made occasional conversation but they had never really known each other well and it was awkward.
By the time Thursday and the Quidditch try-outs rolled around, Adrian was desperate to get out on his broomstick. He arrived at the pitch early, just in time to see the Gryffindors finishing up. The red-headed girl Adrian had seen at platform nine and three-quarters was leading them. He vaguely recognised her from the previous year when he had seen her with Harry Potter’s arm round her waist. Harry Potter was one of the many who hadn’t returned to school that year, though not because he was a Muggleborn. According to the Prophet, he was wanted for questioning over the murder of Dumbledore. This was something Adrian was confused about. At the time, everyone had seemed to say it was Snape, but now Snape was at Hogwarts as headmaster - surely that wouldn’t have been allowed if he’d murdered his predecessor. Perhaps Potter had been responsible after all.
He hung back from the pitch, not wanting to look like he was spying, until the team had finished. From his brief glance they had seemed less polished than the previous year. He wondered how many of their players were missing.
Summerby arrived just as the Gryffindors were finishing. He looked at his watch impatiently. –They’re always pushing beyond their time. Come on, let’s get out there.†He led the small group of Hufflepuffs onto the pitch, glaring at the other team.
–Hurry up, Weasley,†he called over. –We haven’t got all day.â€
–Keep your hairpiece on Summerby,†the girl replied. –We’re on our way out anyway. We know you lot need the practice.†A couple of the Gryffindors laughed and Summerby went so red he looked like he might explode.
–Right, you lot, in the air,†he snapped at the group of try-outs, ignoring the Gryffindors completely while they trudged off. Adrian immediately mounted his broom and kicked off the ground. He soared into the sky and followed the others round a quick circuit to warm-up before returning to the centre where the existing team was gathered.
–Right, this is simple enough. I’m going to try out each position separately. We only have spaces for a Beater and a Chaser, so if you’ve come here for anything else then I’m sorry but you’re going to be disappointed. We are looking for some reserves though so you may as well stick around.
–Beaters, you’re up first. Chasers, you can watch from the stands.â€
Adrian watched while the Beaters were put through their paces. He also spent some time studying the others trying out for the Chaser position. There were a couple of third years that he felt sure he’d beat, and then a fifth year boy who he recognised as having tried out last year and failed. The person he thought would be the biggest threat was a sixth year girl. He wondered why she hadn’t tried out before. She was thin and wiry, the perfect build for a Chaser. She looked nervous though and he wondered if it might affect her performance.
–Okay, Chasers, it’s your turn,†Summerby called from the air after half an hour or so. The light had faded and the pitch was now lit by lighting charms. Adrian quickly got back on his broom and stretched out his limbs, stiff after half an hour on the wooden spectator benches.
–First off, we want you to do some laps so we can see your speed and agility,†Summerby explained. –Then we’re going to put you in formation with Smith and Cadwallader and see how well you can work with them on passing and scoring. Any questions? No, off you go then.â€
Adrian shot off as quickly as he could. He knew this was his biggest chance to impress. He focused on staying low on his broom to gain momentum, careful to take his corners tight without having to slow down too much. The others couldn’t keep up with him, especially the third years, who looked out of breath after just one lap. Adrian had flown for hours at a time when he could so he didn’t get tired easily.
After five laps, during which Adrian held on to his lead, they were called back into the middle. The two third years were called first, one at a time to practice formations with the other two. They didn’t last long however and after a few minutes Summerby called them a halt. –You both flew well,†he said, –but you’re not quite ready for the team yet. Try again next year.â€
The younger students looked disappointed but not surprised. Adrian was surprised at how nice the Captain had been to them. He had thought him rather hard before.
The fifth year followed and was met with a similar response, though Summerby invited him to go back for training as one of the reserves. He flew back towards the castle, looking disappointed but relieved that it was over.
–Radley, you’re up,†Summerby said suddenly, taking Adrian by surprise. He quickly darted forward to join Smith and Cadwallader in formation.
–Right, this is simple enough,†Cadwallader said. We’re going to fly in a straight line, one heading for each hoop. Lewis, our Beater, will be sending Bludgers our way so keep an eye out but always try and get back in line. Pass the Quaffle quickly from player to player so the Keeper doesn’t get an idea of where we’re going to shoot from. As soon as we’re in shooting range, whoever has the Quaffle makes one last pass and the next one goes for the goal, preferably for the ring ahead of them but diagonally if you have to. No hogging the Quaffle! It’s more about scoring than who scores, and refusing to pass because you want the goal isn’t going to get you a place on the team. Got it?â€
Adrian nodded, feeling suddenly nervous. He did his best to focus his energy though and got into formation. He kept up well with the other two, keeping an eye out for the Bludgers and dipping and swerving when he had to, while also making sure he always knew where the other Chasers were. His passes weren’t as smooth as they could be but he caught every throw, even when he had to swing off to the side to catch a Quaffle that had veered off course. A few metres out from the goals, Smith passed to Cadwallader, who threw it on to Adrian with a shout of, –Shoot!â€
This was his moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Keeper turning, lightning fast, to guard the ring directly ahead of him. Without missing a beat, he shifted his aim diagonally, all the while keeping his broom pointing straight forward. He put all his power into the throwing the Quaffle and watched as it soared away from him and then, to his horror, over the ring.
He had missed only by centimetres but it was enough. He had failed at the most important part. All the speed and agility in the world wouldn’t make up for a Chaser who couldn’t score those all important points.
He headed back to the centre. The disappointment was obvious on Summerby’s face, but rather than dismiss him, he gestured for him to wait while the older girl took her turn.
She flew in the exact same formation, and though her flying was a little timid, it was good. Adrian’s heart sunk further. Then, halfway down to the goal, Smith threw her the Quaffle and instead of landing safely in her hand, she fumbled and it dropped.
For a split-second she just stared dumbly at the Quaffle as it fell, and her late reaction cost her. By the time she had spurred in to action to dive and get it, Cadwallader was already there, grabbing it from the sky beneath her. He threw it upwards and she caught it this time, but the damage was done. Adrian could have cheered. He suddenly felt as though he had been given one more chance.
They regained formation and resumed their speed towards the goal. As with Adrian’s turn, she was thrown the Quaffle just as they reached a scoring distance from the goals. However, unlike Adrian, her throw took the Quaffle straight through the centre ring. She punched the air in happiness as she flew back to them.
Adrian had no idea what to think now but he couldn’t help but feel that scoring the goal when he hadn’t would be a huge mark in the girl’s favour. They all descended to earth and the two of them were left standing on the pitch while the team went into a huddle. After a couple of minutes, Summerby beckoned them back over.
–You’re both good players,†he started. –And there are strengths we could take from both of you. Radley, you fly well, really well, but you have to be able to score every single time. You can’t afford to miss out on the points.†Adrian nodded glumly.
–Lockley, your shooting was excellent and you’ve got some good flying technique there too, but it needs a bit of polishing. You’ve also got to work on your reactions. It’s a quick game and you had a few near Bludger misses as well as the incident with the dropped Quaffle. It’s no use being able to score if you lose the Quaffle to the other team before you can reach the goal.
–It wasn’t easy, but we’ve come to a decision.†Adrian thought he might be sick. After Summerby’s comments, he didn’t really know what to expect.
–Radley, you’re on the team. But we expect to see you here practising your shots. Lockley, you’re a reserve. Train hard and you’ll make the team next year. You’ll also have to play if Radley is unavailable.â€
Adrian’s face had broken into a huge grin. He couldn’t believe he’d actually made the team. He’d expected to be told to try again next year but they’d just taken him as a first team player.
He changed as quickly as he could, the smile never leaving his face, and headed back to the castle, making it well in time for curfew. He couldn’t wait to tell Dorian and the others and he could just imagine their reaction when they found out. Except - suddenly he stopped. He couldn’t tell Dorian and the others because none of them were speaking to him. In his excitement he had forgotten the argument and the fact that there was no one waiting for him in the common room. It was the happiest day of his school life, and he didn’t have a single person to share it with. His pace slowed, his grin faded and he headed back to common room feeling suddenly unenthusiastic and wishing he had stretched the journey out longer.
It was going to be a long year.