"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."

"Cool, I'm gonna try out!"

"I think I will, too "

That evening at dinner, Malfoy walks up to the Gryffindor table with Crabbe and Goyle. "Enjoying your last meal before taking the train back to the muggles?"

Victor looks up at Malfoy, decides it is not worth explaining, shakes his head, and returns his attention to his food.

"Thought so," he says self-satisfiedly.

"He's not gonna be expelled, he's joining the Quidditch team!"

"Don't be daft, Weasley, first years can't join teams."

"They can now."

He snorts and shakes his head, returning to his table.