Wood turns out to be a confused-looking burly fifth-year boy.

"Follow me, you two," McGonagall says, and leads them up a corridor while Wood peers at Victor curiously. They reach a classroom empty except for Peeves, who's busy writing rude words on the blackboard. "Out, Peeves!" she calls, and the poltergeist throws his bit of chalk into a bin, which clangs loudly, and swoops out cursing. Professor McGonagall slams the door behind him then faces the two boys. "Evans, this is Oliver Wood. Wood—I've found you a Seeker."

His expressions changes from puzzlement to delight. "Are you serious, Professor?"

"Absolutely," she says crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Evans?"

So he's... not in trouble? Maybe? Um.

"Yes, Professor," he says, trying to hide his confusion.

"He caught that thing in his hand between Malfoy throwing it and it reaching the wall from a standing start," Professor McGonagall tells Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."

Wood is now looking as though all his dreams have come true at once. "Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Evans?" he asks excitedly.

"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explains.

"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," says Wood, now walking around Victor and staring at him. "Light—speedy—we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor—a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks..."

He shakes his head very slightly at Wood's question and otherwise doesn't interrupt.

Professor McGonagall peers sternly over her glasses at Victor. "I want to hear you're training hard, Evans, or I may change my mind about punishing you." Then she suddenly smiles. "Your mother would have been proud," she says. "She was an excellent Quidditch player, herself.”

"I think it's unfair to put me on the Quidditch team when first years normally aren't allowed," he says, quiet and a little nervous. "I think if I'm allowed on the Quidditch team other first years should be too."

She blinks. "That would be harder to convince Albus of—and there's a reason for the rule—"

"If there's a reason for the rule, then what's the reason why I'm an exception?"

"Well, you've demonstrated aptitude far beyond most other first years..."

"Then maybe other first years should have a chance to demonstrate aptitude if they have it."

"Yes... perhaps we could set something up with Rolanda..." She nods. "Very well, Mr. Evans. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Professor."

"If you boys will excuse me, I'll get on that. Don't take too long up turn to your classroom," she tells Wood before striding off.

The older boy beams at Victor. "This will be amazing, you'll be the youngest player in a century!"

He smiles slightly.

"I don't know anything about how to play. That was my first time on a broom," he says. "But I'll learn."

"You sure will!" he says, starting to walk back to his class. "We'll start training next week—although if we open tryouts for firsties too we might have to push that back another week, older students already did..."

He nods.

He goes back out to see if the remains of the flying class have dissolved into chaos yet.

The class has actually been dismissed slightly earlier. He runs into the Gryffindors on his way there but Dayo is the only Slytherin in sight.

"Were you expelled?" he immediately asks.

"Professor McGonagall wants me to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I told her it wouldn't be fair unless other first years could try out too."

"You're joking," Ron says, agape.

"That doesn't sound very Victor-shaped, as a joke."

"I'm not joking," he says, smiling a little.

"Tell us everything!"

"She introduced me to the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and told him how I caught the Remembrall and said she'd found him a Seeker."

"And that's it? Now first years can play?"

"I said it wouldn't be fair if I was the only one who was allowed, and Professor McGonagall said I'd demonstrated aptitude, and I said everyone else should get a chance to demonstrate aptitude too, and she said all right."