I give you - Weasley!

The Selection

Saturday was approaching quickly – too quickly, according to the twins. They were becoming more and more nervous during the week and were caught almost every day at playing their jokes.

So when their weren’t having their detentions, they were practising. Since there was no point of speed training with Cleansweep Fives, they decided to improve their aiming skills by releasing the Snitch and trying to hit it with the Bludger. It wasn’t easy, but on Thursday and Friday they were doing quite well.

Finally it was Saturday.

The participants were supposed to meet at the Quidditch pitch at 10 o’clock.

Fred and George were descending the marble staircase so fast that they could almost be envied by Carl Lewis ( a famous athlete ). It was five minutes to ten. The twins had been practising very late into the night and so they had overslept !

When they had woken up at 9.50, they had been slightly panicking. After throwing on their robes and grabbing their brooms, they hurried down and ran outside to the pitch.

Oliver Wood was standing there, surrounded by a crowd of students, nearly all of them older than the twins. But there were a few second- years as well and Fred and George sighed with relief. Fred sighed for another reason, too. Among the participants there was a very pretty second-year girl named Angelina Johnson and Fred was rather fond of her.

George had noticed that long before and had teased his brother often. But Fred hadn’t cared when he was being teased and so George had given up after few days.

Now he wondered aloud whether Angelina was going to apply for Chaser or Beater.

" I hope she’s gonna be a Chaser. It would be wonderful – we could play together in the Team and I would protect her from the Bludgers ...," mused Fred.

George rolled his eyes and hurried towards the crowd.

" Ok, lads, those who want to be a Chaser, go over there and the Beater applicants, come with me. Your selection will be the first !" announced Wood and beckoned them to follow him. They walked over to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and saw immediately how the selection was going to be performed.

Wood had indeed designed a route through a part of the Forest and was now giving everyone a Beater’s club.

" So, that’s what you’ll have to do: You must fly the route as fast as you can, but attention : there are quite a lot of obstacles which you must avoid AND you have to strike the Bludgers on your whole way. I’ll watch and take notes. But remember: speed’s NOT everything ! And now – we’re gonna start. I’ll call you in alphabetical order –"

Fred and George grinned. They would be among the last to call, as always.

" – but I’ll do it in a bit of an unusual way and start from the end – Zachary, John !" said Wood and gestured a fifth- year to go to the start.

The twins looked at each other, horrified.

They would be the very next ! No time for mental preparation ! George looked as if he was going to be sick and Fred paced restlessly around, clutching his broomstick and cursing softly.

But they hadn’t much time to get really nervous.

Soon Oliver called again. " Weasley, George !"

George was chalk – white as he walked over to the start and gave his brother a desperate look. They had watched Zachary when he had been nearly knocked off his broomstick and then almost crushed into a rock that had suddenly appeared in front of him. The route was difficult, no questions there.

Fred mouthed " Good luck !" to his brother and then turned around. " Better if I don’t see it." he thought, wishing that George wouldn’t get injured.

A few minutes later, Wood called Fred to the start and grinned at the younger boy.

" Easy, kid, there’s nothing to worry about. Your brother’s been pretty good and if you’re about as skilled as he is, then I guess you’ve got a real chance to become members of the Team. Off you go !"

Fred flew off, surprised. Wood has praised George ? Hey, if that wasn’t a good omen ... !

He flinched as something soared past his left ear – right, the Bludgers !

For the next few minutes Fred was very busy striking the Bludgers which came from every side and avoiding the obstacles that were appearing in front of him. There were rocks, branches and even whole trees in the middle of the way, but the boy managed not to fall from his broomstick.

Finally, Fred reached the finish where George was standing and grinning at him.

" You were pretty good, bro’ ! The way you avoided the obstacles – with your Wronski Feint you could be a Seeker !"

" Wood said you were pretty good, too – I haven’t been watching ‘cos I simply couldn’t ...." replied Fred a bit breathlessly.

" How can he see us flying the whole route, anyway ?" he asked.

George pointed at the sky where Oliver was hovering on his broom and scribbling something on his writing pad. Then he flew down to the start again and called the name of the next participant.

The twins figured that they were supposed to wait at the finish and lay down on the grass. Sonn more people came after finishing the route and they started to discuss the difficulties of the Selection, Wood’s "great" idea of placing a huge rock right in the middle of the way and the mistakes they had made.

Fred and George participated eagerly at the conversations and they earned praise from the older participants for they performance, too, which caused them to blush furiously.

Finally, the last participant arrived and so, shortly after him, did Oliver Wood.

Several pairs of eyes were staring at him intently. You could have heard a needle falling to the ground.

The Quidditch captain cleared his throat.

" Pals, it hasn’t been an easy decision, I can tell you that. I was amazed how talented some of you are and –" He was cut off by an third – year who couldn’t bear the suspense anymore. "C’mon Oliver, who is it ?"

Oliver hesitated. He would’ve wanted to finish his small speech, but since everyone seemed so eager to know the new Beaters, he decided to skip it.

Instead, he turned to face the twins and said solemnly, " Fred and George Weasley, welcome to the Gryffindor Quidditch Team !"

The twins’ eyes went wide and they gasped.

Suddenly they let out two identcal shouts of joy and embraced each other, while the other competitors were applauding politely.

Wood smiled. " I hope you’ll help us to beat the Slytherins, you two. Now excuse me, all of you – there’s another selection to make." With that, he flew over to the waiting Chaser applicants. The other Beater competitors started to walk towards the castle, some complaining about the race and Wood and some just relieved that their selection was over.

George was whistling the " Triumphal March" from Aida, but a sudden blank look on his brother’s face caused him to stop and ask alarmedly, " Hey, bro’ , what’s up ? Winning’s getting too much for you ?"

Then he got even more startled when Fred began to laugh madly. He wouldn’t stop and so George shook him, getting annoyed. " What the hell’s so funny, huh ?"

Fred chuckled and shoved something into his brother’s hand.

George looked at it, his eyes widening.

It was the small bottle with the Accelerating Potion

Unopened. Unused.

George started to laugh, too. They had totally forgotten to use the Potion ! And they’d won even without it ! It was like a dream.

" Incredible, ainnit ? C’mon, let’s go to Honeydukes. An event like that should be celebrated!" suggested Fred, getting on his feet.

" How very true." George agreed and the twins started to head for the castle with broad grins on their faces.