I now remember why mum said we could never live in Europe. It gets frightfully cold in the winter, that is, November onwards. When you wake up in the morning, the ground is covered in frost. I've only seen that happen in Australia once, about four weeks before I found myself here. The grass was literally covered in small icicles. The lake hadn't quite frozen yet, but I was sure it was only a matter of time.

When I checked my trunk, I found some winter clothes. Whoever sent me to this place at least packed for me properly. When I got dressed on the Friday before Harry's first Quidditch match, I looked out the window to find Hagrid defrosting broomsticks out in the grounds. Also when I looked in my trunk, I found a copy of Qudditch Through the Ages. Smiling to myself, I pulled it out and gave it to Harry at breakfast.

"Thanks, Sally," Harry said. "But I thought you didn't like Quidditch."

"I don't," I said hurriedly. "My brother got it for me for my birthday last year. I don't know why I brought it with me, but I thought you could use it."

Hopefully, this would save Harry from getting Snape angry at him. If I could keep Harry out of what was going to go on at the end of the year, I might be a very happy person. Hermione looked at me.

"I got that out of the library. I was going to let Harry borrow it."

"I didn't know I had it, sorry Hermione," I said.


After potions that day, during our afternoon break, the four of us were standing out in the courtyard. Sure, the fresh air was nice, especially after having to stay in the castle, but it was freezing cold. Luckily, Hermione had the brilliant idea of conjuring a portable fire. We were all standing with our backs to it, talking about the lesson we'd just had (in which Neville had, once again, screwed up his potion) when we noticed Snape walking across the courtyard.

The other three shuffled closer together to hide the fire. I don't know why, because there's nothing against keeping warm in the rules, but Snape noticed and came over. He looked at the four of us, wondering why on earth we would be looking so guilty.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?" he asked.

I really hated how people were called by their last names here. He was talking to Harry, of course, who showed him the book. Snape seized it.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," he snarled. "Five points from Gryffindor."

"Professor, it's my book," I said as he walked away. He didn't listen.

"He just made that rule up," Harry grumbled, noticing that Snape was limping away. "I wonder what's wrong with his leg."

"I don't know, but I hope it's really hurting him."

"Agreed," Harry said.


Hermione was checking over the boys' homework that night in the common room, and it was really noisy. Ron had got his hands on something to eat, and Harry was fidgeting around almost as much as I was. It was normal for me. Not so normal for him.

"I'm going to ask Snape for the book back," Harry announced, standing up.

"Go ahead," Hermione said.

"Rather you than me," Ron added.

Harry left. "Hold on, I'll go with you," I called out to him. "It's my book after all."

"If there's other teachers listening, maybe he won't refuse," Harry told me as we made our way down to the staffroom. Nervously, he knocked on the door. Then he knocked again. Nothing.

"Professor?" I called out, knocking again. I was about to turn away when Harry pushed the door open. I grabbed his arm.

"Blasted thing," I heard Snape mutter as I tried to get Harry to back away. "How are you supposed to keep an eye on all three heads at once? POTTER!"

I saw Harry swallow. "I was just wondering if I could have Sally's book back," he said.

"GET OUT! OUT!"

I pulled Harry out of the way before snape could give him a detention or something and then ran with him back upstairs.

We fell defeated in the armchairs back in the common room.

"Well?" Ron asked. "Did you get it? What's the matter?"

Harry recounted the story, neglecting to mention that I told him not to open the door. Well, I hadn't told him exactly, but I'd gestured. It's the same thing, right?

"You know what this means?" Harry finished breathlessly. Ron and Hermione looked at him cluelessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Hallowe'en! That's where he was going when we saw him – he's after whatver it's guarding. And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

"He wouldn't," Hermione said, her eyes wide. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."

"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something. I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"

"I dunno guys," I said. "I'm with Hermione on this one. I think if anyone was after whatever it is, it would be Quirrell."

"Quirrell?" Harry asked. "What makes you say Quirrell?"

"Instinct," I said. "And you should know by now that my instincts are usually correct."

"You're both barmy," Ron noted. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

The two boys went to bed, although I knew Harry probably wasn't going to sleep that night. Why? Because it was in the book.


I made my way down to breakfast the next morning after everybody else did after sleeping in far later than I'd meant to. When I got the Entrance Hall, Malfoy pulled me to the side.

"Potter," he said. "Potter's not serious about actually playing today, is he?"

"Of course he is," I said. "What do you want?"

"It's just, first years aren't allowed to play normally, and he's just so small... I'd worry about him getting hurt..."

"Except?"

"Except I don't really care. How did the three of you get away from Filch that night?"

"You don't seriously think we'd be thick enough to fall for that, do you?" I asked him. "Please, I have an older brother. I knew exactly when somebody's trying to get you in trouble." I turned to walk away.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about. How come I've never heard of you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, the only Potter you ever hear about now is that prat that doesn't have any parents. Nobody in my family has ever heard of you, and I'm fairly sure you weren't on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of the year. Any explanation?"

"No good one that I can think of," I said icily. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry, and I'm going to get something to eat."

I stalked off without waiting for an answer. When I sat down next to my supposed cousin, I heard Seamus say something about seekers getting picked on by the other team the most. I didn't say anything.

Before the game started, I checked my trunk again, wondering if I had any binoculars. Surprisingly, I did. Then I tried a little experiment. I knew I didn't have a hand-held mirror in there. So, when I looked through my trunk again, wondering if I had a mirror, it wasn't all that surprising to me when I found I had one. It seemed as though anything I needed or wanted just appeared in my trunk. What the hell was going on?


I arrived at the match just after Hagrid joined Ron and Hermione.

"Why are you so late?" Hermione asked.

"No reason," I said. "Just looking for something, lost track of time. Hey look, Harry's going for the snitch."

He had indeed just dived for the small golden ball. And then Marcus Flint blocked him. After a few minutes of yelling, Alicia Spinnet took the penalty shot, and the game was back on track.

"Send him off, ref!" Dean yelled, though there was absolutely no possibility of Madam Hooch hearing it from that far off. "Red card!"

"This isn't football, Dean," Ron said snappily. "You can't send people off in Quidditch – and what's a red card?"

"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."

I noticed it first. It was as Harry dodged a bludger that his broomstick lurched. Hurriedly, I pulled out my binoculars and looked through them to the teacher's stand. Quirrell was murmurring a curse under his breath already. I watched intently as Snape realised what was happening and started working on the counter-curse. By now everybody had noticed what was happening.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered to Hagrid.

"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking, which was never good. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic – no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."

No, but an immature, greedy teacher could.

I put the binoculars back up to my eyes and looked over at the teachers again, knowing that if something didn't happen soon, Harry could fall off and then we'd all be screwed. "Look over there?" I said to Hermione, pointing over to the teacher's stand.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped. Uh, no, you didn't. "It's Snape – look!"

Ron grabbed Hagrid's binoculars off of Hermione and looked.

"He's doing something," Hermione said. "Jinxing the broom!"

"What should we do?" Ron asked.

"Leave it to me."

With that, Hermione took off. I looked apologetically back at Ron and followed after her. I wasn't going to let her just run off and not include me in anything. I had to have been here for a reason. I caught up with her just as she walked straight past Professor Quirrell. Nothing happened. Wasn't she supposed to knock him over?

I watched as she lit Professor Snape's cloak on fire and I started freaking out. Hurriedly, I pushed Quirrell over as Snape realised he was alight. I ran back with Hermione and we got to our spot in the stand just as Harry spat the snitch out of his mouth. I smiled. No matter what Hermione would think for the rest of the year, I had just saved Harry's life.

Back in Hagrid's hut, Ron was telling Harry all about it.

"It was Snape," he said. "The three of us saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering. He wouldn't take your eyes off you!"

"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who really hadn't heard the three of us talking. I suppose that's what you get for being so much taller than everybody else. "Why would Snape do something like that?"

I could tell from his expression that he was keeping something hidden. I wasn't quite sure what it was – then again, I didn't have all the information, so I didn't know what was going on.

"I found out something about him," Harry said before I could stop him. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Hallowe'en. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

I heard china breaking. "How do you know about Fluffy?"

I put my head in my hands.

"Fluffy?"

"Yeah," Hagrid said gruffly, going red, "he's mine. I bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year. I lent him to Dumbldore to guard the -"

"Yes?" Harry said eagerly.

"Now don't ask me anymore. That's top secret, that is."

"But Snape's trying to steal it." Ron said.

"Rubbish," Hagrid repeated. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothing of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" Hermione countered. I had to hand it to her, she'd probably win at a debate... If she was confident enough to get up and speak in front of people. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"I'm telin' yeh, yer wrong! I don' know why Harry's broom acted lie that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh – yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel -"

"Aha!" Harry cried triumphantly. "So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved is there?"

"I think all three of you are being unreasonable," I said. "So Snape wasn't blinking? He could have just as easily been doing a couner-jinx or something. And maybe you should stop trying to find out what's under the trapdoor. If you're not being told, maybe it's something you don't want to know about. Come on, let's get back to the castle."


Ahhh, so now Sally's trying to stop them going after it. I think she's being stupid, myself. What about you?

Anyway, so I'm on holidays for another week, and so hopefully I'll be able to get at least one more chapter in. The next one is Christmas, so I don't know exactly what I'm going to write for it yet, because Harry's the only one that's supposed to be under the Invisibility Cloak. But hey, I'll figure it out.

Please review :) Because they make me do that.

Love Gabielle xx