Disclaimer: As you all know, I do not own Harry Potter, only this story and Daniel.
The morning of November Forth, Harry ate breakfast slowly, thinking over all that had happened since coming to Hogwarts. So far he had been ignored by his family, badgered by the school, and only had Neville and Hermione as friends. He had at least been expected to be confronted by either his mother or father, but he hadn't seen his father since platform nine-and-three-quarters and his mother he only saw at meals. Neither had attempted to communicate with him in the two months he had been at Hogwarts.
Speaking of his mother, Neville had told him and Hermione how Gryffindor Tower had watched Lily Potter heavily scold Daniel for trying to take on the troll himself. Although she hadn't subtracted any points from him, the rumors were that he and Ron were in detention until they graduated and Daniel was grounded for life. Professor Snape however had turned nasty towards them, which was fine with Neville as he was usually Snape's target during Gryffindor potions.
Today was the first Quidditch match of the year; Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Looking over at the Gryffindor table, Harry saw his brother wasn't looking too good, most likely the nerves, but it could also be the Slytherin's teasing and taunting. Seeking for a way to get back on the points Daniel won on Halloween, Harry at let slip to Draco Malfoy that Daniel was the new Gryffindor Seeker, which prompted the Slytherins to intimidate Daniel, hoping to affect his playing ability. Apparently, it was working.
Harry sat in the Ravenclaw side of the stands, watching all of the other students. Quidditch was very popular at Hogwarts, and as this was the first match, nearly everyone was here. The only people not at the pitch were a couple of teachers like Albus Dumbledore and a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs either not interested in Quidditch or those not interested in games where their team didn't play. Using binoculars he brought to the game, Harry saw Neville seating with Ron and his other dorm mates. They had made a large banner that said Potter for President with a large lion underneath.
Just then the plays walked out onto the field. Looking towards the scarlet player, Harry could easily identify his brother as the shortest player, just behind the Gryffindor Captain and Keeper, Oliver Wood. On the other side was the green Slytherins, led by Marcus Flint. The two teams stopped halfway across the field, meeting Madam Hooch, the flying instructor and Quidditch referee. She spoke to them briefly before they mounted their brooms. At her whistle they flew off and the game began.
The game was certainly interesting, despite the fact that the commentator, Lee Jordan, was biased. The Gryffindor Chasers were clearly better than their Slytherin counterparts, and the Weasley twins were more than a match for anything that flew out there, player or not. Gryffindor was ahead, but not by much; Slytherin played dirty, but the line between dirty playing and cheating was thin. The Keepers were doing their best, but Harry knew that the match would be decided by the Seekers, like most games. Slytherin's Seeker was larger than Daniel but had more experience, while Daniel was smaller and had a better broom.
Fifteen minutes into the game and the score was one hundred and ten to sixty, with Gryffindor winning. Harry watched as Angelina Johnson made a score off of a penalty where Flint attempted to knock Daniel off his broom. Suddenly he heard Hermione scream next to him, "Harry! Look at Daniel!" High above the stadium, Daniel's broom was bucking about, trying to get him off. Hermione's scream alerted everyone around her and soon the entire stadium was looking up at Daniel.
As Harry watched his brother hang on for his life, he remembered his DADA essay about curses. Knowing what was happening to Daniel's broom was most likely a dark curse; he started to scan the crowd, looking for the caster. On the other side of the stadium, Ron was doing the same with Hagrid's binoculars. He immediately found the teacher's stand and focused on Snape who was muttering under his breath. "It's Snape. He's jinxing Daniel's broom." he told Seamus and Dean. Harry also saw Snape's muttering, but also saw Quirrell focusing heavily on Daniel.
The game was effectively on hold while everyone watched Daniel, but that didn't stop Marcus Flint from making a few goals. The Weasley twins tried to rescue Daniel, but his broom would move away before they could get too close. Finally they dropped beneath him, trying to catch him if he fell. Both Harry and Ron watched Snape as his muttering got more and more frantic. At last Daniel could hold on no longer and let go of his broom. George Weasley managed to catch him and pull him onto his broom as the Slytherins gave a loud cheer.
While everyone was distracted by Daniel and his rogue broom, the Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had caught the Golden Snitch. The final score was Slytherin two hundred and thirty, Gryffindor one hundred and twenty. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw gave a loud groan at Slytherin's win, they had all been hoping for the fall of Slytherin, provided by the Boy-Who-Lived. Only Harry didn't show any emotion. He too had been hoping for a Slytherin win to embarrass Daniel, but was upset that the only reason they won was because Daniel's broom was jinxed.
The next morning Neville came up to them at the Ravenclaw table. "I overheard Ron and Daniel talking about that dog again. They were down at Hagrid's after the game and he told them that he owned it and that its name is Fluffy." Harry just shook his head; leave it to Hagrid to name a Cerberus Fluffy. "There's more. He also told them that whatever it's guarding was almost stolen from Gringotts during the summer and that it belongs to a Nicholas Flamel." They were shocked at the Gringotts part; no one was supposed to be able to break in to it. "They also think that whatever it is, Professor Snape is trying to steal it."
"Nonsense, Snape is a Hogwarts teacher. He would never try something like that." That came from Hermione. Neville just looked at her, back over to the Gryffindor table, and back again then whispered, "They have some really good evidence though. On Halloween they saw him head towards the third-floor corridor instead of looking for that troll. He also almost got his leg bit off by that dog too." Harry remembered Halloween, and now some things made sense. Ron and Daniel had left before him, yet he had found Hermione and the troll first, and Snape had been limping for the past few days as well; right after Halloween. "They also think that Snape tried to kill Daniel during the Quidditch match. They're even claiming that you can back them up Harry. Ron saw you looking towards the teacher's stand." Harry just shook his head again at his brother and his friend's foolishness. Leave it to them to think that the teacher they hate most was trying to kill one of them publicly.
For the rest of the term Neville kept Harry and Hermione updated with Daniel and Ron's activities. They had been researching in the library a lot ever since the Quidditch match. Harry knew that they were looking for information of Nicholas Flamel to find out what Snape was trying to steal. Hermione was also looking, but that was just because she had to know who Flamel was and wouldn't rest until she did.
Although he hadn't been expecting it, Malfoy had rewarded him for his info on Daniel by inviting him to Malfoy Manor for the winter holidays. Harry, surprised and thankful, turned him down however. Harry had heard from Penelope the Prefect that Hogwarts was amazing during the holidays and had decided to see for himself. That, and part of the deal he made with the Dursleys was that he would stay at Hogwarts for the winter holidays. Both Neville and Hermione had also invited him, but he had turned them down as well.
Christmas morning Harry awoke wondering how the Dursleys would be able to get anything to him at Hogwarts. Seeing Hedwig seating at the foot of his bed with three presents answered that question. Petting Hedwig he opened his present from the Dursleys which was what he asked for; a book on Greek and Roman Mythology which included a story of Cerberuses. Hermione got him a box of Chocolate Frogs while Neville got him Sugar Quills. Smiling at the thoughts of his friends, Harry went down to breakfast. Later that night Harry opened his pack of Chocolate Frogs for a snack. Looking at his first card, Harry got a shock. On the card labeled Albus Dumbledore, was the name Nicholas Flamel.
A/N: I thought about adding the Mirror of Erised, but I couldn't figure out how to put it in. I may add it later though. I do want to say one thing, please don't put any major rants in the reviews, while I appreciate some of your suggestions, please don't tell me how to do my story. Thank-you.
