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Cold, November winds had just started to breach the walls, students only finding comfort in front of the fires that burned in their torches. The first match of the season, between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, was due to take place in a few days time.
Lori stood, reluctantly, on the pitch, with her team behind her and the prospective Seekers in front.
"Listen up!" she shouted, all of them falling silent, "Please bear in mind that this is only a substitute for Harry and doesn't give you a permanent spot on the team."
McLaggen was stood cockily at the front, as well as Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan and some others she didn't know.
"We will start with some basic one-on-one Snitch catching, just to see where everyone's at. Dean, Seamus, you're up first."
The team watched as the two fourth years kicked off from the ground, the Snitch rocketing into the sky not long after. It was a slow crawl, but eventually, she had seen each person trying out in the sky.
Lori turned to the team, "I can't find anyone that's anywhere near on par with Harry." she put her head in her hands, "I'm gonna have to pull the team."
Katie shrieked, "Loretta Jasmine Weasley, don't you dare!"
Lori was taken aback at the use of her full name, her face crinkling up in disgust, "Merlin, Katie, you sound like my mother when she's angry."
"I try."
"All right, I won't pull the team," she discreetly pointed to the prospective players, "but we're going to get flattened by Slytherin if we rock up with one of those guys."
"Point taken," Angelina said, smirking slightly, "but who said we need the new player as the Seeker?"
Lori looked confused for a moment, before realisation swamped over her, "Merlin, Angelina, no!"
Katie interrupted, a suggestive smile on her face, "But, didn't a certain Hufflepuff teach you to play?"
Lori rolled her eyes, "One time! I can't play against Malfoy. First off, he has a Nimbus 2001 and I've got a school Cleansweep that's probably been alive longer than Dumbledore."
Lori ploughed on, "And second, he's a good Seeker when he's not bullying Harry."
"Is he though?" Katie quipped, leaning on her broom.
Lori suddenly shouted, "This is a dictatorship, not a democracy!"
The team fell into a stunned silence, baffled that Lori, who was such a sweet, innocent girl, would ever raise her voice.
Much calmer now, Lori continued, "But, it's actually kinda sweet you believe in me. So yes, I will play Seeker in the friendlies."
The five of them whooped and cheered, pulling their Captain into a hug. Lori felt awful about taking the spot, bordering on selfish, but if the team had faith in her, as she had in them, that was enough for her.
