Dayo is actually pretty good, too. She lacks Victor's natural skill, but makes up for it by being an extremely quick learner.

Draco learnt some things wrong but once they're corrected he's had quite a lot of practice flying in his life already.

Flying is the best thing.

Madam Hooch allows Dayo and Ron to try out, although Ron only barely scrapes by. Neville is completely hopeless and satisfied with this. After collecting Hooch's permission slips, the Gryffindor firsties will have tryouts this evening (Slytherin's tomorrow), and Ron is definitely going regardless of how well he did.

So that evening around seven, Ron, Seamus, and Parvati go try out.

And Victor too, he supposes.

Indeed! Oliver Wood is already there waiting for them when they get there. He winks at Victor when he sees the boy.

"I know Hooch said you won't kill yourselves flying," he says after collecting their permission slips, "but we have a higher bar. Everyone without their own broom can use one of the school's." He gestures towards the pile of brooms on the ground and the other Gryffindors scramble to get one each.

Victor has his own broom. He gets on it.

And Wood tells them to try a series of flying exercises and tricks of increasing difficulty, hmming and aahing as he watches. After about ten minutes of this, a few other Gryffindor players arrive and Wood starts assembling small subteams that will test each other's strengths in their preferred positions. Victor will play Seeker with glowing enchanted balls.

Victor likes playing Seeker.

He is extremely good at it!

After about half an hour Wood thanks and dismisses them all, and tells them they'll have results on Saturday and training sessions begin next week.

Victor suspects that he is going to make the team!

The next day Dayo herself is excited about Slytherin tryouts but Malfoy will also be there so that's a slight bummer.

Yes, Malfoy being places is like that.

On Saturday morning the notice board in the Gryffindor common room announces the official team. Victor made it. Ron, Seamus, and Parvati did not.

Oh.

Yeah they're gonna go get breakfast and mope.

At least, Ron is. Seamus and Parvati are mostly okay with it.

"You can try again next year."

"Wood's the Keeper, I shouldn't even have tried, I'm not that good at the other positions, and he won't graduate for a few years yet..."

Sympathetic nod.

He sighs. "Maybe in fifth year."

Dayo himself looks exactly the kind of torn that seems to indicate he probably got in but so did Draco.