Chapter 15
A few nights later Ginny was sitting in the common room with Alex, working on her Arithmancy homework, and Aiden, who had his Transfiguration book on the table next to Ginny’s abandoned Arithmancy homework. Instead, he was bent over Ginny’s parchment where she had sketched out one of the drills she had thought about during the summer.
“You can’t seriously want the beaters to be above the chasers in that move! If the opponent got any brain, they can easily both cut the attack of and possible shoot the lowest chaser of their broom, and that without us having any chance at getting in between! You know the reason we didn’t win against Gryffindor last term was because our chasers and beaters didn’t work good enough together.” For every move they went through their voices went higher and the students around them was throwing them annoyed looks. Pointing his wand at the sketch Lestrange moved one of the stick beaters to in-front and at the same level as the chasers.
“That is stupid! What about-”
“Montague just went to his dorms if you want to speak with the others,” Alex cut their argument of. Ginny looked up, Alex was right, Montague had just left his classmates in the sought-after sofas in the corner. This was her shot at speaking with the other sixth-years without him cutting her off. Without them involved the team would be down to only the reserves and she was not sure Snape would let her book the pitch then.
“Hey,” Ginny felt out of place, she did not think about the age gap at the pitch anymore, but here, surrounded by a large part of the sixth-year form she felt just as when she as a kid tried to get her brothers to take her seriously.
“Cassius,” a girl, who Ginny thought was called Grimblehawk, nudged Warrington in the side and he looked up.
“Weasley, you ok?” Ginny saw Bletchley and Pucey also looking up from their homework when they heard her name.
“Yeah, I just… I mean, I…” she rambled, “can I talk to you three?”
“I think you are,” Bletchley smirked.
“Never mind him, go on Ginny,” Adrian said while Warrington just gestured to the armchair that she guessed that Montague had just vacated. Ginny sat down with an annoyed look at Bletchley.
“I have talked to Lestrange, and we were thinking- “
“You two? Thinking? Who is getting pranked this time?” Bletchley grinned.
“Really funny…” Ginny rolled her eyes at the older boy, “I’m not going to warn you beforehand, just always beware of anything that might explode.” Ginny tried to make her smile as innocent as possible.
“Gin, you can’t guess how much homework they assign in NEWT classes... Two days in and I wish I was back in OWL revision.” Adrian looked painfully at his Potion book lying next to a half-written essay. “What were you thinking about?”
“You take Potion on NEWT level? All of sudden the extra work from my new classes seems like vacation…” Ginny looked pitiful at the sixth-year before continuing, “we don’t want to give up quidditch.”
“Oh, third year joys! When life was happy, filled with unicorns, shimmering bubbles and the excitement of new classes! Yeah, it sucks that it is cancelled, but what can we do?” Adrian raised his eyebrow, “you heard Dumbledore.”
“He only cancelled the cup, no reason we should stop playing? If we keep up training, we will be invincible next year if the other teams haven’t touched a ball or a broom all year long!”
“I’m pretty sure at least the guys will have touched a broom, you can as well if you want to…” Bletchley again. Ginny fought a failing battle against a blush creeping up over her face but still managed to throw him, what she hoped was, a threatening look.
Used to ignoring Bletchley, Warrington spoke as if he had not said anything, “Ok, I’m onboard, as long as I don’t have to do anything but showing up. Between NEWT work and trying to get into that tournament I barely will have any time.”
“Not to speak of the time you need to spend looking at Grimblehawk” Bletchley added with a smirk as if the girl in question was not less than a yard away, “guess I’m also in.”
“Not going to pass up playing quidditch. But I’m with Cassius, if anyone going to help you organise it, it will be Miles.” Adrian said.
“Eh, Weasley, I’m actually kind of short of time as well” Bletchley started, looking uncharacteristically guilty, “did you know those second-years can’t even ward their own dormitories?” Ginny hastily reminded herself not to let slip that Bode had done theirs this year as well. “This prefect business takes so much time,” Bletchley continued his explanation, “I had my hopes on getting the captain badge and passing on this shit-badge to another unlucky fellow…”
“It’s okey, I can organize most of it myself. I got some ideas for what drills and plays we could try out and, I also sent an owl to Flint to get his plans from last year. Lestrange can help me with the practical stuff if I need. I mostly need one of you to come with me to Snape to manage to book the pitch.” Ginny tried to keep her smirk of her face, after sleeping on the idea she kind of really wanted to get the captain role, even if it would be unofficial.
“It is Professor Snape, Miss Weasley, especially when talking to a prefect.” Bletchley knocked on his badge with a mock-stern face before continuing turning his face into a genuine grin “I guess this means that the dork Derek Brown was sort of right with his bet on third-year for your first captaining-year.”
The next day Warrington accompanied her to Professor Snape’s office, close by the common room.
“If you are here about Quidditch, Miss Weasley and Mr Warrington, I can’t help you. The Cup is cancelled and that is final.” The Professor did not let on what his thoughts on the cancelled cup was. Ginny thought that he had seemed proud last year when he accepted the trophy from Flint but on the other hand this would mean he got to keep it an extra year without any risk of handing it over to McGonagall.
“We are, but hear us out, sir” Professor Snape raised his eyebrow, barely noticeable, towards Ginny who hurriedly continued. “We know the Cup is cancelled, but if we are going to win next year then we can’t spend a year on the sofas. The Cup not being in play doesn’t mean we should stop practicing and not prepare for next year, do it?”
The Professor nodded, “No, you shouldn’t. I don’t plan to hand that cup over to Minerva next year either. What is it you want from me?”
“We just want the opportunity to book the pitch, Professor.” Ginny said.
“I see. And am I to presume that you, Mr Warrington, is going to be acting as vicarious Captain?”
Ginny bit her tongue, if she told Snape she was going to he might laugh at her or decide it was not something he would trust her with. But she did not want to let this opportunity go either. Self-confident or modest?
The so-far-silent Warrington grunted, “She is.”
“Miss Weasley?” The professor looked at her with an inscrutable look.
“I am, Professor.” She went with self-confident.
Silence fell in the office. Ginny started to fidget in her chair, had she said the right thing?
“I see,” Professor Snape spoke again, “and what makes you think you could manage that?”
Self-confident it was, Ginny reminded herself before braising herself and fighting to keep her mask of calmness while hiding her doubtful thoughts behind her wall. “I got practices plans sketched out for the year, the first three weeks in detail. We need a clear path both to secure the team needed for the Cup the coming year but also a reserve team ready to fill up after the sixth- and seventh-years graduate. While maybe not having the practical experience of leading the team I know I got the support from the key players I need to be able to build those teams.” Alex had helped her rehearse before going to see Professor Snape, she was almost shaking with nervousness – would he take her seriously?
The silence was deafening. Professor Snape seemed to look her straight into her eyes, his gaze felt so strong as if it almost tickled her brain. Finally, he spoke, “and what times do you wish to book?”
Relief came over Ginny, she gathered her mind and tried to keep her voice calm, “two hours Tuesday and Thursday at seven PM, Sundays until one PM”
Snape nodded once and they stood up, clearly dismissed. “Miss Weasley?” Ginny turned towards the Professor, “I’m expecting that trophy to stay in my office.”