Still don't own Harry Potter, thanks for asking.


When classes started, Harry again had too little time and sometimes was too tired to concentrate on reading. Because if earlier Woods training techniques were tiring, now they became murderous. Announcement that Snape was refereeing didn't uplift teams spirit either.

"He's not going to be fair."

"Who made that decision and how drunk was he?"

"Is Hooch really that ill or something?"

Those and many more complains reached Woods ears after he told them that. Harry on the other hand wanted to know more, so when everybody calmed down he asked:

"Does he know ALL the rules?"

"What do you mean?" asked Wood, sensing that there was more.

"You don't bring people out of the street to referee a match, even when they know how game looks like, simply because there might be some sensitive rules or precedents..." Harry answered speculatively.

"Yes?" everyone asked at once, because from team support and better grasp on situation, they simply loved him for what he did to Snape last time.

"If we and Hufflepuffs don't like that Snape is refereeing, why don't we make it that he don't?"

Everybody thought about it for a while, and then grinned at each other. Training was ended for the day, and team spread throughout the castle to talk some more about what to do with that match.

Harry went back to Gryffindor tower to change and then for some more reading time, but while he was walking to the library he came across Neville hopping in direction of the common room.

"Harry, help!" he said leaning against a wall, breathing heavily from the work out.

"What happened to you?" Harry said while coming closer to him.

"Malfoy. I met him outside the library. Can you help me?"

"You got your wand?"

"Yes." Neville said while getting it from his pocket.

"Why not use it?"

"But I don't know the counter curse!" he said while getting a little depressed at how useless he was.

"Professor Flitwick taught us universal one." retorted Harry.

Neville looked at his wand, hesitating to use it, partly because he didn't want to make it worse, and in part because he didn't want another proof that he couldn't use magic.

"Just try it." Harry said, and when Neville looked at him, he simply nodded.

Concentrating, Neville did the Finite spell on his legs, and was released from the Leg-Locker Curse that Malfoy put on him.

"You see, you can do just fine on your own."

"But I can't. I loose my head and don't know what to do near people like Malfoy." said Neville in a small voice.

"You know, I think you should help him..."

"H-Help him?" asked quite baffled at what Harry just said.

"Yes. You should help him hide from Snape..." after which they had a conversation about small steps in improving yourself, because you couldn't expect to be first in everything, and getting depressed that you aren't don't get you anywhere. But by slowly working in your own pace, even if it is a little slower that anyone's else, in time may get you to mastery. But, more important than that, they talked about what to do with people who are too full of themselves.


Time went by seemingly uneventfully, and at last, the day of match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff came. It started pretty much normal. Teams went to get ready for the game while people got comfortable in the stands. Though it was quite a surprise that Dumbledore was attending the game, it wasn't unseen. Players got in positions, chest with balls was placed in the centre. All was set to go.

But it all went wrong after Snape announced to start the game. Truthfully, it didn't go anywhere... The only players that moved were beaters who intercepted bludgers and started to play a ping-pong kind of game between themselves. Rest of the players went to the middle and had a nice conversation tossing quaffle between themselves, not paying attention to stands full of people and especially to Snape, who at first was confused but now was shouting at them to play.

They ignored him, because as far as the rules went, balls were in play, and game couldn't end until the snitch was caught. There was simply no precedent to players not moving during the game, as long as there was no foul play which kept them immobilised.

After the training Harry made his suggestion, they went to Huffelpuffs team and thought together how to deal with situation that would be good for both teams, but not for Snape. And after going through rules book back and forth couple of times, they came up with this. As said before there was no previous situation to that kind of behaviour. But in the longest Quidditch game there was a case where they needed not only reserve players, but reserve referees as well. So, both teams went on adding people from backup list to their trainings, which ended up as normal Quidditch matches played on training time.

Now they only needed to wait long enough that Snape was too tired to referee.

Surprisingly they didn't need to wait as long as they expected, because not so long into non-game there was commotion in the stands. After all explaining was done it will be clear that Neville as always was late, and going alone, attracted attention of Malfoy who was just leaving moaning about stupidity of that game. Malfoy seeing a source of entertainment at once begun to taunt and insult Neville who quickly looked around and went even faster in direction of the stands with Malfoy in pursuit shouting louder and louder to make sure that his target heard him over the noise of conversations from the stadium. Malfoy was about to finish particularly snide insult about Gryffindor, when he finally noticed that in his anger at being ignored by Longbottom he came all the way after him to Gryffindor stands, and because of his shouting, his comments were heard by everyone from that House for quite some time. Of course situation was bad, but it got worse when Crabbe and Goyle started pushing people around to get out. Other Slyherin's seeing "fight" begun their own salve of insults about Gryffindor's always going many on few, totally forgetting about numerous staff near them.

Snape had to be brought down to calm his House and explain the situation before there was a battle in the pitch, and Hooch was again refereeing. Players went on with the plan of normal game with any other referee, but bringing order in the stands took long enough that the game was over before Snape could get back.

Later when Gryffindor's were celebrating Harry's another great catch, Neville thanked him about the tips and had to say that he was right saying that Malfoy would need help to hide from Snape, if the look on Snape's face while he was looking at Malfoy could say anything.


AN. First thing first. I won't be able to post till some time in next month, sorry.

It's a school where you can change your friend into a puddle of goo, if you do something wrong. Normal thing is to teach you how to fix it, just in case you need it, so every student should know at least basic Finite which worked well enough on hexes in duelling club in second book. Wait, I forgot that were talking about Hogwart. They don't teach anything that can keep you out of trouble, right?

Neville had some moments in the books showing that he could take care of himself, most memorable being Department affair. Now, if at every time people would show him how to do some things, but not do it for him, wouldn't it add to his knowing that he could manage on his own?

Malfoy is in Slytherin. Slytherins are supposed to be cunning. But until sixth year while he was working on the cabinet, I just don't remember him being cunning. I remember him telling anyone he thought was weaker than him how superior he is (as long as there wasn't any professor in sight), but getting beaten in the end. What's cunning about that?

Snape is supposed to have control over his feelings and everything. But there are moments when he is shown to loose his cool. Like when Harry sees his memories at one legilimency lesson, or nearly getting into a fight with Sirius in Grimmauld kitchen. And I think that he don't get frustrated because he can insult nearly anyone he wants. But if you make him "play nice", and the fact that Potter was again pranking him... Wouldn't he get frustrated? I'm not a Snape lover, but I don't think that anyone is "beyond redeeming". Only thing is, that person first need to at least begin to change, and until then, they deserve to be treated just like they treat others. So, I think I will bash Snape for quite some time, if not till the end of this story.