I stared at the piece of parchment on the wall, fists clenched and heart thumping wildly as I scanned the writing for the millionth time, feeling like the whole world was crashing down around me.

"James!" Steph's sing song voice reached my ears but it didn't comprehend with my brain. I was too busy frantically searching the paper for my name, which seemed to be absent.

Suddenly Steph was behind me, her hands on my shoulders. "What's wrong James?" She asked, reading me like a map.

I tried to control my anger but I couldn't; it all came rushing out it once so that I turned around and shook her hands off me.

"Here's whats wrong," I said, jabbing my finger at the paper.

"Your 'friend' Morgan here didn't put me on the quidditch team." Acceptance setting in I let out an angry "AHH" and pounded my fist on the wall, ignoring the hot pain that snaked up my wrist.

The day had been perfect. This morning the boys and I hung out by the lake, pulling pranks and laughing, before Steph and I had headed off to Hogesmade for our date, where she surprisingly let down her guard, revealing her secret of liking me for "forever."

Then we actually, believe or not, kissed. I know it sounds cheesy but it was like a beautiful magic, just like I'd imagined it for years. 

Then as Steph and I headed into the castle, officially a couple, I spotted Morgan running off to her room with tears in her eyes, acting like the baby she is.

Now we were standing outside the Gryfindor common room, people rushing around us and getting ready to put an amazing party in motion, witnessing another piece of evidence that Morgan Winters is a parasite.

Behind me Steph gasped and when I turned to her I saw Mack, Sean, and Elliot beside her, holding bottles of butterbeer and plates of food they nicked from the kitchen, staring at the list with wide eyes.

"Hey!" Sean said angrily, eyes narrowing. "We didn't make the list either!" Surprised I whipped around and scanned the list again, and sure enough none of us were on there.

Elliot shook his head, dreadlocks swinging before turning to Steph and saying "Did you know about this?"

Steph shook her head frantically, and Elliot adjusted his glasses suspiciously, while Mack stood frozen in front of the list, feeling the sinking acceptance that I had already experienced. Even though I was hating Morgan more than ever, I had to admit that my friends probably hadn't made the team because they arrived late and practically begged Morgan to give them a chance before tryouts ended.

But that was no excuse for her lack of knowing skill when she sees it.

"I promise I had no idea!" I turned back to Steph as she said it, and I relaxed into relief as I searched her face, finding no deception there.
Sean angrily kicked the wall, wincing silently at the pain, before turning to me, his eyes glimmering with anger. "Morgan will have to pay for this. She can't not put us on the team. We're the best players there!"

I looked worriedly at Steph, wondering how she felt about this all, but to my relief she was nodding along, eyes narrowed in her cute annoyed way. "Morgan's been jealous that I have a boyfriend this whole time and I've just felt sorry for her. But now she's messed with my baby and now I draw the line."

I decided not to point out we had just became a couple a minute ago.

The boys let out chorus's of agreement and I felt my confidence return, along with relief that I wasn't the only one who didn't make the team and a new passionate resentment towards Morgan.

"We'll make her pay!" I said, noticing out of the corner of my eye my sibling Lily. I didn't speak to her; I never wanted her to find out that her "extremely talented" older brother didn't make the quidditch team.

I waited until she passed by before turning back to my girlfriend and the boys, fists clenched. "We'll still have the party tonight," I said with a grim smile.

"Except it'll also be a night to plan against Morgan. We can't tell her anything though, okay everyone?" My eyes flitted to Steph, who nodded earnestly.

"Alright then!" I said, rubbing my hands together. "Let's go."

...

The party was in full swing, people dancing and talking all around. Every once in a while someone who yell, "GO JAMES!" and a chorus of "YA'S!" would follow, but I couldn't enjoy myself.

Even though everyone was on my side about Morgan not choosing me to be on the team, I couldn't get the fact that I didn't make it out of my mind. Was someone really better then me out there?

Suddenly Steph was pushing her way through the group of chatting people towards me, her short skirt swishing around her swirling as she walked.

When she arrived towards me she grabbed my hands and laughed. "Come on James," she said playfully. "Lets make all the other couples jealous."

That spread a grin to my face, and I shook off my jacket and let her lead me into the middle of the crowd of dancing people.

Music pumped through the speakers, and I closed my eyes and suddenly was taken back to my room back at home, finishing up my homeschooling lessons that Mum made us take before Hogwarts.

I had just finished my maths, and now I was running outside with my broom, riding along the country side, dreaming of the time when I would really play quidditch...

When I opened my eyes my heart throbbed with pain, and I was reminded once again that I was deprived of the one thing I was good at, the one thing that made me fit in.

My anger deepening into a haze, I felt my eyes search the crowd of people, until I found the one person I wanted to see.

Morgan Winters was spinning around with Chris Jackson, her head thrown back in a laugh, like she had no care in the world, like she couldn't hear everyone's hate towards her. I watched as her heels moved to the rhythm of the floor, enjoying the party.

Right when I was about to march over and punch her to oblivion I felt Steph tap my shoulder, and I snapped back to her.

"Don't focus on her James, just me. It'll help you get over your anger." She said matter-a-factly, and I took her advice and danced with her to one of my mum's favorite slow songs, "Playing my heart," by the Weird Sisters.

But I still couldn't focus, and after about five songs I told Steph I had to sit down and she reluctantly let me go, and began to brag to her friend about the date we had today.

I know I should be happy; I got my dream girl, and she really liked me. But quidditch was too important for reasons... especially since quidditch was the only thing I felt like I was good at. The only thing that made me stand out among my siblings.

It made me, me. But now that was gone and I was miserable. I could go over and pretend like I didn't care, but the thought of acting like everything was alright was so exhausting that I couldn't comprehend.

So instead I sat down on a leather chair and watched through narrowed eyes as Morgan danced around the room, chatting to others and silkily avoiding Steph and the boys.

"James?" I turned, startled, as my sister Lily sat beside me. "Hey Lily," I said, forcing a smile on my face. "How are you?" Lily's eyes narrowed with mischief. "Fine," she said, before handing me a butterbeer. I muttered a quick thanks before taking a swig of it.

"How are you? Having fun with Steeeph?" Lily cooed. She made a kissy face while I ruffled her hair playfully. "Go hang out Lily. You don't want to be seen with your stinky old brother."

Lily giggled. "I don't think your stinky James. I'll always love you, even if you didn't make the quidditch team." Then she kissed my cheek briefly and disappeared into the crowd, leaving me stunned.

I didn't know that Lily knew.

Did she think I was a bad brother? A failure? Had she already wrote home or told Albus, or Rose, or anyone else?

This officially was the worst party I've ever been to.

Thoughts spiraling, I took a sip of butterbeer and almost didn't notice a thick, old gold notebook on the table beside the chair I was sitting on.

Intrigued, I picked it up and flipped to the first page, and my eyes widened when I read what it said.

Property of Morgan Winters: Please return if found.

(Sixth year, Gryfindor common room) 

Eagerly I flipped through the pages, and I gasped with excitement at all the writing that filled the pages, all matching Morgan's neat handwriting.

As I read my jaw dropped at all the secrets that Morgan had, not feeling the slightest bit bad about snooping through her personal things.

This was exactly what I needed; something that would expose Morgan so bad she'd never cross me and the crew again.

That's when I came across just that; a secret so big that I could barely contain myself from jumping up and yelling it to the entire school.

A grin spreading across my face I slipped the notebook into my book bag and got up to find the boys and share the good news.

Suddenly this party didn't seem so horrible after all.