Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, storylines, or objects that you recognize from this story, J.K. Rowling does. I did however, come up with some of the new characters and concepts that will appear in this fanfic.


Note: This will be a more Quidditch-heavy chapter, we'll see other plots later on. :)


Great Britain Quidditch League Season Previews- Kenmare Kestrels

May 11th, 1999

Stephen Cornfoot

Nine days after the GBL draft, pre-season training camps have opened up for our 20 first-division league teams, and the upcoming season is just over the corner. The GBL draft was a fascinating affair that saw celebrity and international hero Harry Potter become the most controversial and debated selection of all time; this took place after he was selected first overall by the Kenmare Kestrels. As a result, our staff here at Wizarding World News have selected the Kestrels as the first team we will analyze for this upcoming season.

Many critics and analysts from across the world viewed the selection of Harry Potter as a publicity stunt, a desperate move by a struggling franchise that simply wanted to become profitable again. However, recent reports have indicated that Potter is in the best shape of his life, and is committed to the Kestrels, something which has been questioned by numerous members of the media. I for one, having seen Potter play at Hogwarts, believe that he will be able to surprise many of these doubters.

However, the Kestrels have more than just Potter on their minds. Current seeker Aidan Kiely, the team's lone bright spot for the last 8 years, has stated that he expects to be the starter for the team in the upcoming season.

"I don't plan on giving up my spot to a rookie," Kiely said, "He's going to have to earn it."

The Kestrels may face a decision, in which they may have to trade the recently signed Potter or veteran Kiely. Insider reports indicate that the Kestrels are currently leaning towards starting Kieley at the beginning of the year, in hopes that Potter will be able to learn from the veteran. However, fans of the Kenmare Kestrels seem to be against this move.

"The main reason why the Kestrels have now caught my eye is because of Harry," confessed Ernie Macmillan, a former Hogwarts student in the same year as Potter, "Watching him play Quidditch was amazing. I'll never forget the duels he and Cedric Diggory used to have on the pitch."

Potter has already began to show signs of maturity, as reports circulating from Kestrels' insiders indicate that he is learning customs and standards for a Lord of a Noble House from Daphne Greengrass; Greengrass is the daughter of Quentin Greengrass, owner of the Kestrels, and also serves as the team's CFO and Chief of Public Relations. Potter has recently accepted his title as Lord Potter-Black at Gringotts, and has become more financially active with his family's businesses. Furthermore, as the Lord of both the Potter and Black Noble Houses, Potter has claimed two seats on Wizengamot. For some however, these increased responsibilities and power continue to raise concerns.

"This takes me back to Rita Skeeter's article," qualms Pansy Parkinson, a budding Daily Prophet beat writer, "If I was a Kestrels fan, I would not feel confident in Potter staying for the long run. He seems too involved in businesses and endeavors besides Quidditch."

Time will tell about whether these worries are reasonable, but from my time speaking with Potter, I have come to the conclusion that at least for now, he remains firmly dedicated to the Kenmare Kestrels.

Perhaps fans should be more concerned about the injury to one of the team's other rookies- Keeper Devin O'Hare, grandson of the legendary Kestrels keeper Darren O'Hare.

Harry set down the newspaper, pleased with the positive article written by Cornfoot. While the two had never interacted much at Hogwarts, Harry had always admired and respected Cornfoot's intuition and kindness. This kind of public positivity from the press was needed for Harry, as all he seemed to hear about was how he was going to leave the Kestrels.

Daphne had been instructing Harry about how to behave around the press and in public, and had also suggested that he read multiple newspapers to see how the press was treating him, even the dreadful Daily Prophet, in order to see where he stood.

"Sometimes the press isn't so bad," Harry mused to himself, looking over the Wizarding World News newspaper. Harry was about to set down the newspaper, when another article title caught his eye.

Kenmare Kestrels Pro Quidditch Focus Player Ratings

May 11th, 1999

Compiled from the Wizarding Associated Sports Press

David Williams

Our annual player rankings for each team are beginning once again, with the Kenmare Kestrels being the first team we will hand player ratings to, as a result of them finishing last place last year. Player ratings are determined based off of a player's skill and abilities for their position and the overall game, as well as their IQ, intuitive feel for the game, and leadership abilities. Players have been rated from a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best possible score. Players have also been given a potential rating, for how they could develop over the course of the season. Potential rating is also measured on a scale of 1-10, 10 displaying the most potential, 1 displaying the least. Disclaimer: though deliberated over meticulously, these ratings are a combination of both objective statistics and subjective observations, and may be wrong.

Key:

PR= Player Rating

POR= Potential Rating

C= Captain (leader of team)

R= Rookie (first-year player)

Players to watch have been bolded!

Kestrels Starting Lineup:

* denotes player who started last season as well

Keeper: Derry Givens, 24 years; PR: 5.4; POR: 8.1

Beater: Christina Bowens, 27 years; PR: 7.2; POR: 7.6

Beater: Lance Davidson* (C), 31 years; PR: 7.7; POR: 7.8

Chaser: Corey Givens (R), 20 years; PR: 6.0; POR: 9.0

Chaser: Natalia Woods*, 28 years; PR: 7.2; POR: 7.7

Chaser: Anatolia Davidson (R), 20 years; PR: 6.8; POR: 8.1

Seeker: Aidan Kiely*, 28 years; PR: 8.3; por: 9.0

Kestrels Bench (Kestrels have 4 open spots left for new signings):

* denotes player who started last season

Keeper: Maia Adkinson*, 29 years; PR: 6.0; POR: 6.0

Keeper: Devin O'Hare (R), 20 years; PR: 5.0; POR: 7.9

Beater: Emily Reeves, 23 years; PR: 6.5; POR: 7.9

Beater: Justin Hardy, 35 years; PR: 7.0; POR: 7.0

Beater: Ron Davidson*, 39 years; PR: 8.0; POR: 8.0

Beater: Reed Batterson, 26 years; PR: 7.1; POR: 7.6

Chaser: Chris Larsen, 22 years; PR: 6.4, POR: 6.9

Chaser: Lexi Harding (R), 19 years; PR: 6.9; POR: 8.0

Chaser: Ronald Reed, 25 years; PR: 5.9, POR: 7.0

Chaser: Rory Reed, 25 years; PR: 5.9, POR: 7.0

Chaser: Royce Reed, 25 years; PR: 5.9, POR: 7.0

Chaser: Nasim Gupta, 36 years; PR: 5.6, POR: 5.6

Seeker: Kaia Davidson, 35 years; PR: 7.0, POR: 7.0

Seeker: Harry Potter (R), 19 years; PR: 7.5, POR: 9.6

Harry set down the newspaper, shocked at the high potential rating he had been given. Surprised, he got up and headed to go eat a rather large snack, until he reminded himself of the diet he had been put on.

"Damn diet," Harry muttered out loud, "Can't eat anything while I'm on it."

"Well that's the point of a diet, isn't it?" Harry quickly whirled around, and yelled "Expelliarmus!" He deftly caught the intruder's wand before, seeing who it really was.

"Greengrass?" Harry asked. "What are you doing here?"

"May I have my wand back?" Daphne asked, slightly irritated, as Harry handed her his wand. "We had a scheduled meeting today, do you not remember?"

"That's right," Harry said, checking his calendar, "I'll go get ready immediately." Not bothering to pay attention to Daphne's subtle "tsk" of disapproval, Harry quickly went to his room to prepare for the day ahead.


"How is your diet going?" Daphne asked Harry, as they walked down an ornate road that was beautifully lavished with ornate decorations.

"Fine," Harry responded, taking the time to gaze at Daphne, "Although Coach Storm isn't necessarily too focused on the diets. It's the Assistant Coach, Kelly Roberts, who's rather adamant about the team sticking to our prescribed diets."

"As she should be," Daphne swiftly replied, "The team needs to be in shape for the first match of the year."

"But we're not here to talk about my diet," Harry stopped suddenly, raising an eyebrow at Daphne. "Why are we here right now?"

"Do you know where we are right now?" Daphne questioned Harry.

"Of course I do," Harry answered, "We're in Newsnow Street." Newsnow Street was an area where only members of the wizarding elite of London resided. It was renowned for its beautiful Victorian architecture and pleasant streets. Harry had just moved into the area, which contained Potter Manor, (also dubbed Potter Palace by many) the house where his father was raised, was waiting for him. When he had arrived at the mansion, he had been greeted by numerous house elves and portraits of his ancestors and family, including his mother and father. Moving to Newsnow Street had indeed been a joyous occasion for Harry.

The only problem was that Newfound Street was in England, while the Kenmare Kestrels played in County Kerry in the south of Ireland. Luckily, Daphne had it arranged so that Harry had a customized Portkey that allowed him to travel directly to the Kestrels' stadium, training fields, and meetings. This had not been easy, due to the numerous restrictions on Portkey's and Apparitions, however, there had been some exceptions made for the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Do you know why I advised you to move into this area?" Daphne had been the one who had first suggested that Harry move back into his ancestral home, but Harry had not thought much of the decision.

"Was it not simply because this is my family's home?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I could have just as easily asked you to move to Black Manor, or any of the numerous houses you've obtained since you became Lord Potter-Black," Daphne pointed out, "It is because of the business opportunities in this area."

"Excuse me?" Harry turned to Daphne, confused. "Black Manor is in Selfshire Road, the only other road in london as wealthy as Newsnow Street. Furthermore, all of my other houses are in luxurious areas. What makes this place so special?"

"Newsnow Street is the business capital of Wizarding London," Daphne began, "It is home to many businesses such as Herkshire-Davidson, Lumor Wands, and businesses that your family, or I guess you, own, such as Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

"How do you know about me owning shares of their company?" Harry asked Daphne. "I signed on as a private investor."

"I'm your financial advisor," Daphne reminded Harry, "You gave me access to all of this information. Furthermore, both Hermione and I agreed that Newsnow would be the perfect place for you to look over your businesses."

"The Potter family also has more dealings with Muggles and Muggle businesses," Harry suddenly realized aloud, turning towards Daphne, "Making Newsnow Street a better location than Selshire Road because it'll allow me to run business with not only wizards, but with Muggles as well."

"Exactly," Daphne said, almost looking slightly proud of Harry.

"See?" Harry smiled. "I knew I made the right decision when I chose you and Hermione to be my financial advisors, and I'm certain that Ron will do a great job as my agent as well." Daphne blushed slightly as this comment, and turned away.

"Anywho," Daphne continued, "This brings me to my point. As Lord Potter-Black, you need to step up as the leader of all of your numerous businesses. This will require lots of research… which means you have homework to do."

"Excuse me?" Harry stopped suddenly. "I thought that I was done with school once I tested in my NEWTS after the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Considering there are numerous Magical Universities," Daphne replied, "And you'll be needing a top Wizarding MBA and Muggle MBA degree to help train you and improve your reputation for the handling of your businesses- I think that it is time for you to begin studying again."

"On top of Quidditch?" Harry asked Daphne incredulously. "Don't you think that's all a bit too much?"

"You'll be fine," Daphne said, "If anything, it'll keep you out of trouble as you'll be busy when you're not playing or preparing for the Kestrels."

"So this is what this is really about?" Harry asked. "Keeping me out of trouble?"

"Considering how much trouble you got in Hogwarts," Daphne smirked, "Can you blame me?" Harry smiled ruefully and shook his head at this.

"But it will sincerely help your cause for running your businesses as well," Daphne continued, "So I want you to do this."

"But I don't even have a school!" Harry began to complain, before being interrupted by Daphne.

"You're lucky the Greengrass family has numerous contacts in the educational world," Daphne smiled, "You have been enrolled in Cambridge University for your MBA degree, at the Judge Business School. At the same time, you'll be educated by the wizards and witches at Cambridge to receive your wizarding MBA as well. After this, you'll be able to work with both your wizarding and muggle businesses."

"When do I start?" Harry groaned, deciding there was no point in arguing, as Daphne did have a point.

"Today," Daphne smiled innocently at Harry. "Look where we are now." Harry stopped and turned, and saw the building next to him, with the large words Judge Business School at Cambridge University emblazoned on the front door.

"Are you serious?" Harry said, shocked. "You're really making a habit of dropping these things off on me. Wouldn't it make sense to let me know of these sort of things in advance?"

"Your orientation is today," Daphne checked her watch, before looking back at Harry, "I have a lunch date, I really must go. Make sure to arrive to practice on time today, I don't want to hear Coach Storm complaining about another player arriving late again. Have fun at orientation?"

With that, Daphne quickly apparated away, intent on arriving to her lunch date on time.

"Lunch date?" Harry repeated, not hearing anything else after that. "That poor guy better be there on time," Harry thought out loud, "or else he'll be in trouble." With that, a sighing Harry began to walk into Cambridge University, ready to start studying all over again. This occurred while a slightly pang of jealousy resonated within Harry, though he couldn't pinpoint why.


He stalked around quietly, making sure that nobody saw him. While he didn't possess the Invisibility Cloak as the scorned Potter boy did, he had other methods of ensuring that he could stay hidden.

""Your orientation is today," he heard. He looked up, to see the blonde-haired lady checking her watch, before looking back at Potter "I have a lunch date, I really must go. Make sure to arrive to practice on time today, I don't want to hear Coach Storm complaining about another player arriving late again. Have fun at orientation?" The blonde quickly apparated away, causing him to chuckle.

"Lunch date?" Potter repeated, not hearing anything else after that. He chuckled upon seeing this.

"It appears Potter has a made some new friends," he murmured, staring at the boy, who was walking towards his college class, "And is beginning enrollment at Cambridge. How peculiar."

He took out his quill, and began to take note of what he had just witnessed. "We can probably take use of this information," he spoke to himself, thinking out loud, "Especially a potential relationship with the Greengrass girl."

"You should have simply stayed in the Auror Department," He said, looking at Potter's retreating figure, "Business is only a game for those who are willing to go to the depths of hell and morality. And you, Potter, are not."

He took out his phone, a device that most wizards did not understand. However, he had spent enough time studying Muggle society to know when a device could be useful to him. Whenever he wanted to contact a fellow wizard without the Ministry of Magic tracking him, he used a phone, something other savvy business-wizards were doing as well.

"Call Rita Skeeter," He commanded, looking at his phone, which responded obediently, "Calling Rita Skeeter…"

"Yes?" He heard Skeeter's voice on the other side of the phone, almost sounding exasperated.

"Skeeter," He greeted politely, "I have some exciting news for you."

"What?" Skeeter responded, almost looking bored.

"It's about Harry Potter." With this Skeeter pronly snapped her head back up, staring at him with interest.

"So…" Skettr said, "This is really interesting. What about him?"

"I believe he has a potential new romantic interest," he said, almost causing Skeeter to shriek in delight.

"So," he could almost sense Skeeter leaning in, searching for answers, "Start from the beginning."