Time Turned Back- The Prisoner of Azkaban
Chapter 10: Quidditch, Chessboards, and Dementors
The Saturday two weeks later couldn't come quickly enough for Gryffindor after Oliver had posted the notice for the tryouts. Harry had spent any of his free time since the team meeting, either playing his guitar, or pouring through his dad's journals for information he could use in Quidditch plays. And putting quill to parchment on some of the quidditch plays and tactics he himself had devised in his two years as captain.
All in all Oliver was going to have a heart attack when he saw the tactics a thirteen year old who had only heard of Quidditch two years ago handed him a folder of fifteen sheets of parchment.
He also took the chance to go through the books he found in the Chamber of Secrets. Like Severus said they were combat magic and obscure forms of magic. The book on harnessing the power of the Animagi peaked his interest. But until he regained the full power of his Animagi forms, that would have to wait too.
He spent time speaking with Seth and discovered that the robes and boots he had found. The abilities were very interesting.
After a relaxing shower to wash away the grime and sweat Harry had accumulated during his exercise and his run through the assault course. He changed into a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms, a white t-shirt, and a fleece jacket and left his trunk.
In the third year dorms Harry found Neville on the floor next to his bed doing push-ups.
Harry was amazed at the progress Neville had made in such a short time; his body was oh so slowly beginning to tone with light muscles as he burned away the fat. Harry estimated that by Halloween he would be all muscle.
During their training that morning Neville had told him he planned to try out for Beater. When Harry asked him why he wasn't trying for Chaser or Seeker Neville replied "It's more fun to hurt people, plus the fact that I may be fast, but I'm not that fast"
With a chuckle Harry colleted his broom and the folder with the tactics inside then left the dorm for breakfast.
After eating Harry, Ron, Neville, and Ginny made their way down to the pitch.
"Alright" Wood said "We're here today to build a secondary Quiddtch team for Gryffindor, which means we're trying out all positions. And the players who do make the team…will get these" then he pulled the sheet off the pile behind him "These seven brooms have the ability to match anything the latest Nimbus or the Firebolt can throw at them. And if you make the team they're yours. So let's get to work…Keepers to me"
"Seekers to me" Harry called as he levitated the buckets of golf balls Oliver gave him
"Chasers to me" Katie called as Angelina and Alicia walked towards Oliver to help with the keepers
"Beaters to us" Fred called
Over the course of the next half an hour Harry whittled down the list of potential seekers. Until it was down to two people. Ginny and a fourth year with a bad attitude.
"I'm going to release the Snitch" Harry said "Whoever gets it gets the spot" when the pair nodded Harry said "Mount your brooms and go on my signal"
After a moment Harry opened his hand and the Golden snitch was away "GO" he yelled.
In a split second Ginny was gone with the fourth year, Jack Mason right behind her.
Harry knew right off the bat that she would get the snitch. For the simple reason that Mason's style was too simple he just followed Ginny as she chased the snitch, and with his size and bulk he couldn't turn at high speeds to save his life.
Harry watched Ginny fly across the pitch for a few minutes before they went into a steep dive from above the goal posts.
Ron barely had a chance to dodge out of the way on his return to the ground as she barrelled past him at a hundred and ten kilometres per hour.
And barely five feet off the ground Ginny pulled up with the snitch clutched in her hand. And Jack Mason crash landed a few seconds later.
Harry smiled as he watched Ginny circle the pitch once before settling down.
"So do I get the spot?" Ginny asked as Harry glided towards her on his broom
"When you get on that Desert Blade broom you'll be giving me a run for my money" Harry chuckled "So yes you get the spot"
Ginny laughed as she hugged him. Harry smiled as he hugged her back and made his way across the pitch.
"Oi" Ron yelled from his broom "What exactly are your intentions towards my little sister Mate?"
"My intentions are none of your concern right now Ron" Harry yelled back, knowing that Ginny was blushing from his side.
A few hours later Oliver walked into Gryffindor Tower with a sheet of parchment in his hands.
Harry was sitting with Neville and Ginny playing Poker while Ron tried to keep Scabbers away from Crookshanks and Midnight.
"Ah shit I fold" Neville groaned as he threw his cards down.
Harry chuckled as he looked over his shoulder "The team roster's done"
In an instant Ginny, and Neville were on their feet and Ginny yelled "Ron get your butt down here"
Harry smiled as he read the parchment on the notice board.
Gryffindor House Quidditch Team Roster
Primary Team
Keeper- Oliver Wood (Captain)
Seeker- Harry Potter
Beater 1- Fred Weasley
Beater 2- George Weasley
Chaser 1- Katie Bell
Chaser 2- Angelina Johnson
Chaser 3- Alicia Spinnet
Reserve Positions
Keeper- Ron Weasley
Seeker- Ginny Weasley
Beater 1- Neville Longbottom
Beater 2- Jacop Carter
Chaser 1- Seamus Finnegan
Chaser 2- Colin Creevey
Chaser 3- Dean Thomas
Cheers of 'YES' and 'I got in' filled the area surrounding the board.
Then Oliver said "Go and get your brooms, the top case is for our backup seeker Ginny Weasley, the others are for the rest of you. We've decided to test you out against the primary team in a match next Saturday. Training session are from 6:30AM to 8:30AM on Monday's, and Wednesday, and until 10AM on Saturdays"
"Why so many?" Seamus asked
"Because we want the secondary team ready" Harry said "We talked last night at the meeting about which team would take on which house at the matches"
"And?" Ron asked as he closed his broom case
"Primary team gets Slytherin" Harry said "Secondary gets second match, and we get the finals"
"Then kick their asses" Ginny said
"I handed Malfoy his ass on a plate on the second day what makes you think I can't do it again?"
Ron chuckled as he put his broom case under his arm and walked up the stairs as he asked "Can I borrow Hedwig to send a letter home Harry?"
"Sure" Harry said "She's been getting bored anyway"
The next few weeks progressed quickly for Harry. Severus had finished a potion around the end of September that would work perfectly for the rat and Harry slipped it into the rat tonic bottle on Ron's bedside table. And Ron and Pettigrew were none the wiser.
Quiddtch practice and Muggle Defence went well. The class and the team were progressing well. And Oliver fell in love with the tactics Harry presented to him and had both teams memorising them.
In class Harry was giving Hermione a run for her money at the top student. And to his chagrin, all of Harry's predone homework was perfect.
At present he was sitting in Transfiguration on Tuesday afternoon. He had done the transfiguration and notes. Changing a porcupine into a pin cushion, and he was slightly bored.
So he decided to pick up on a habit he had when he was older.
Taking out a sheet of parchment Harry drew his wand and closed his eyes.
Then after a moment a golden glow appeared on his wand then he pressed the light to the sheet of parchment and the light expanded over the page.
Professor McGonagall, intrigued by this stood up from her desk and watched as the light began to grow in shape.
And after a few moments the glow faded, to reveal a chess board, an inch high, with a red frame, the gold and black squares were by a thin brass square. The gold pawns were brooms, Nimbus 2000, the Knights were two Purple and black Dragons, the Bishops were Hippogriffs, almost identical to Buckbeak, as he reared back on his hind legs, the Rooks were Snitches, the King was a Griffin in the same position as one of the Bishops, and the Queen a Phoenix with its wings spread as if in flight.
The black side's pieces were equally impressive. The pawns were Cobras, the Knights were a pair of Deatheaters with the silver masks, the Bishops were Dementors, the rooks were Black Dragons again, a pair of Hiberdian Black Dragons, the king was Voldermort, and the Queen was a Basilisk, reared up as if preparing to strike.
Professor McGonagall gaped at the board Harry had just transfigured as he cast a charm to ensure that the transfiguration was permanent.
Glancing up Harry smiled as he said "I told you I had a lot of time on my hands Professor"
Shaking her head McGonagall said "Fifty points to Gryffindor and Class dismissed. I want a foot and a half on animal to object transfigurations for next class" as the class began to leave she said "Mr Potter you stay"
Harry nodded as he put way the papers and his things.
"Explain please" McGonagall said "What you just did is OWL level transfiguration"
"Before I left for London" Harry replied "My aunt Petunia gave me hers, my dads, and my mum's trunks. Told me I would have more use for them than she did"
"So you have all the textbooks that your parents used twenty years ago?" McGonagall asked
"Yup" Harry said as he opened a small drawer underneath the chessboard and after transfiguring another piece of parchment into a small box to store the pieces Harry placed the rack in the drawer "I've also got my dad's books from when he was an Auror, a few books he wrote when he was here, and his journals. As it stands I'm a month way from before they died. And from what I'm seeing, I'm not so sure my Godfather is after me"
"How did you know about that?" McGonagall asked as Harry put the board in his bag
"I heard Mr and Mrs Weasley talking in London" Harry replied.
"Well if your theory is right I would like you to come see me" McGonagall said "And we will take it to the Headmaster"
"I will" Harry said as he shouldered his bag and left the class.
"If you bring your chessboard with you next class" McGonagall said as Harry reached the door "I will teach you the charms needed to animate the board and the pieces to respond to voice commands, and to act like the actual animals and objects they are"
"Got it" Harry said "I'll check through my dad's books and find out what the automatic reconstruction charm is for next week so I don't have to constantly rebuild my chess pieces" then he left
At dinner that night Harry decided to have a little fun with the charms he had set up at lunch.
As he began to dig into the pudding before him he snapped the fingers of his left hand and a deep rumbling shook the great hall.
Harry and the rest of the occupants looked towards the head table as a great fanfare blasted out across the castle and the head table began to split in half at Dumbledore's seat.
Then a great booming voice roared through the hall "ALL HAIL THE GREAT LORD OF LEMON DROPS"
Then Dumbledore's chair enlarged and began to strut down the centre aisle as lemon drops rained down on the hall and the fanfare 'Hail to the Chief' began to play.
And when Dumbledore's chair returned him to the Head Table and the table itself was restored to normal, an explosion of fireworks blasted up into the air and a messaged was left behind when it vanished.
THIS PRANK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY HUNTER OF THE NEW MARAUDERS. IN MEMORY OF PRONGS, PADFOOT, AND MOONY
YOUR TIME IS COMING WORMTAIL. WATCH YOUR BACK RODENT. BECAUSE THE HUNT IS ON
The entire great hall began to whisper as the gold and red writing faded.
"Who's Shadow?" someone asked
"Who're the Marauders?" another asked
"Who's Wormtail?"
"Where can we find the genius who devised those charms?" Fred and George asked
Harry grinned evilly as he finished his dinner and left with Ron and the others.
That evening Harry sat reading his dad's journal. He was currently reading about a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix in which it was decided to make Sirius the secret Keeper.
"Another few days and I'll have the proof we need" he thought
"We know that Mister Wormtail was involved in making this thing" He heard Fred say from the table in the corner "But what I don't know is who Mister Hunter is, or why he doesn't like Wormtail"
"I'm afraid that is a personal matter gentleman" Harry said as he looked over the twins shoulders at the folded parchment.
"Harry old boy" George gasped, attempting to hide his shock
"Evening gents" Harry said with a grin "Enjoy my debut?"
"That was you?" the twins said together
"Yup" Harry grinned "Did you like it?"
"Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes" the twins said as one in an excited tone.
"Good" Harry said "Because that was just a warm up. I know you two are potions geniuses, so I want you to start cooking up any crazy ideas you might have, and I'll get you any funding you need"
"Actually…" Fred said
"…There is something we've been wanting to do" George continued
"What's that?" Harry asked with a smile
"We want to go into the pranking business after Hogwarts…" Fred replied
"So you want to set up a shop or something?" Harry asked
"Yes" they replied
"Alright" Harry said with an evil grin "Let me know when you need the funding…Prongs would be proud of me if I continued the family legacy he and his friends began twenty years ago"
"Are you sure?" George asked as they folded away the Marauders Map
"Positive" Harry replied "The Potter's are loaded. And besides I own about 60 of Zonko's so if your business is successful I might be persuaded to sell the stocks to you guys"
Fred and George rubbed their hands together and grinned evilly as they said "We look forward to going into business with you"
Harry smiled as he started back to where he was sitting.
When Fred stopped him and placed the map in his hand "By rights this belongs to you Sir Hunter"
"Thanks guys" Harry said "I'll have something in return for you in the morning"
"Mother fuckin STORM" Harry roared as he fought against the winds to keep ahead of Malfoy as they chased after the snitch at a half mile off the ground.
The score was currently 210 to Gryffindor against 100 to Slytherin. They were well in the lead, but Harry didn't give a shit. All he wanted was to catch the bloody snitch and get out of the storm before he froze his ass off.
"WHAT'S THE MATTER POTTER?" Malfoy yelled over the howling wind "DON'T LIKE STORMS?"
"WHY DON'T YOU GO HUMP A BASILISK?" Harry roared back but before he could make another counter the cold feeling was back
With a howl of fury Harry threw up his Oculmency shields and drove his broom forward in hopes that the Dementor's wouldn't catch up.
But it was unlikely that would happen.
With a quick glance over his shoulder Harry saw that Malfoy had taken a steep five away from the Dementor's, leaving Harry alone with the fuckers.
And with the snitch, so Harry tightened his grip on his broom and urged it onward.
The Dementor's were right behind him as he closed in on the snitch; Harry knew he had to hurry.
Even as the cold intensified Harry watched the snitch pitch downward and he dove after it.
Snatching it out of the air in an instant Harry dove straight down.
"POTTER'S GOT THE SNITCH" he heard Lee Jordan screaming "POTTER'S GOT THE BLOODY SNITCH…and Gryffin…what the hell?"
Harry could hear what Lee was saying, but he didn't care. His primary concern was getting away from the Dementor's without resorting to the Patronus. So he dove, and 100 Dementor's dove with him.
But with the winds his Broom wouldn't go fast enough.
"Guess I'll be seeing you" he whispered as he let go of the broom and dropped away from the Dementor's.
Remus and Severus panicked as they saw him fall.
"I'll deal with the Dementor's, you get Harry" Remus said as he drew his wand and held it to the sky as he roared "EXPECTO PATRONUM" and from the tip of his wand a massive wave of silver light blasted outwards across the pitch.
Harry continued to plunge a quarter of a mile to the ground as Severus drew his wand and muttered a charm.
Harry watched as Remus' Patronus spell washed over the pitch and the Dementor's were forced to flee.
He also felt that he was beginning to slow down about two hundred metres from the ground.
After a few moments Harry turned over in the air and set down on the ground.
He looked up and watched as his Nimbus 2000 was carried away on the wind.
Swearing in every language he knew Harry watched as his broom was carried towards the Whomping Willow.
With the snitch clutched in his fist Harry stalked towards where Madame Hooch was standing, thrust the snitch into her hand and stalked towards the changing rooms muttering darkly, ignoring the cheering of the students around him as his crimson robes billowed in the wind.
Authors Notes: Done. Next time Hogsmeade trip.