Disclaimer: Don't own HP

A/N: I know most of you think I'm a horrible person by now. I had to laugh at the wide range of reviews where some thought it was perfect and others were upset. But fear not, I don't write (nor care for) tragedies, overall this fic is not one, despite how a chapter goes here and there.

Threads of Power

Sixth Year: Part Two

Hermione stared at the water droplet as it made it's path down the window pane. She was numb to the chatter and random shouts of indignation made by her housemates outside as they tried to tame the overgrown gardens around the cottage Bella had dubbed The Haven. Even Cissa was pitching in, having recovered from the curse, although the scar across her left jaw and shoulder would never fully heal. A fact Lucius could care less about, just relieved his fiance was alive and his sister hadn't gotten herself killed like he'd feared. According to Lily he'd been frantic when they realized Hermione had gone missing, nearly out of his mind with worry when he'd apparated back to the manor. Hermione vaguely remembered him scooping her out of the snow, shaking her and shouting. He'd taken her back to the Bones' to recover and then they'd all moved to The Haven, one of Hermione's inherited properties from Mama- no one wanting to face their ancestral homes at the moment. The youngest Malfoy definitely did not want to see the manor anytime soon if ever.

Hermione jerked away from the window, snapping the book in her lap shut before suddenly flinging it across the room. She pointed her wand at it and shouted, the book exploding. She pointed to various objects about the small study, smashing them to pieces.

"It's NOT fair! IT'S NOT FAIR!" She screamed blasting the clock off the wall, "What did I do wrong?"

The tea kettle burst into shards. "WHO THE HELL AM I SUPPOSE TO SAVE? HOW THE HELL CAN I SAVE ANYONE AGAINST SUCH RECKLESS HATE!"

Tears poured down her face, but she ignored them continuing to take out her rage on the furniture, "I'm just one person. I didn't ask for this!" She set the desk on fire, "DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT!"

She slumped hard against the wall, sliding to the floor sobbing, "I can't save anyone! I know what's going to happen, yet I still can't save anyone. THERE'S NO POINT! What does it matter if I defeat him if I'm left standing alone?!"

The room went silent as Hermione just leaned against the wall crying, before the door opened slightly, soft footsteps making their way across the floor. Suddenly someone slid down beside her, pulling Hermione into their arms.

"Shhh. I know, I know," Bella breathed, tears falling from her eyes, "I miss them too, hell I miss mine. The wizarding world is mourning Lord Bones, unsure of what to feel over your parents, but celebrating the loss of the evil Blacks. Yet, even after everything they did, they were still my parents. I can't stop remembering my mom reading to me when I was a child 'The Princess and the Mudblood'," Bella choked on a sob, "You remember that one right? Lily would die if she ever comes across that book. The ministry banned it for a reason."

Hermione snorted, leaning heavily upon Bella, still crying. Druella had been particularly fond of that story.

"I wanted your parents to win," Bella whispered, "but I still loved mine." She paused, "When did the world turn so crazy?"

Hermione slumped backwards, "I don't know, was it ever sane?" After a long moment of contemplating, "What's the point in fighting when those we're fighting for are still dying?"

Bella shook her head slowly, "It's no longer for us. It's for those who haven't been born yet, our childrens' generation. Ours will be riddled with strife and eventually rebuilding, but we're fighting for their future. Just as your parents fought for ours." She mulled over her next thought, "The current war came into motion long before we were able to stop it from starting- that had been our parents' responsibility, not ours- but we can end it."

'And never let it resurrect,' Hermione thought bitterly. However, this was now her timeline, and she loved these friends and family with a fierceness she only faintly recalled having for the others. She sighed, a phantom image of Harry coming to her mind. She knew she was meant to prevent the second war, not the first, but it was so hard to see the people she loved now die. "How will we win?"

"Together," Amei spoke softly from just in the doorway eyes red from nights of crying, Lily standing beside her with a watery smile, "We'll do it together."

Lily held out her hands to help pull the girls off the floor, "Come on, Petunia is teaching Lucius and Sirius to drive the Ford Capri. Regs has 20 galleons on them ending up in the small lagoon out back! Sirius seems to have a penchant for frozen bodies of water."

Bella sniffed as haughtily as she was able under the circumstances, discretely dabbing at her eyes before taking the offered hand, "Ladies don't make bets."

"But they can watch, shaking their heads in bemused disapproval, while Sirius learns first hand cars don't swim," Amei grinned softly heading out of the room.

"I suppose," Bella smiled shakily, yanking Hermione to her feet before chasing after Bones and Lily. Hermione dusted herself off, then quickly began setting the destroyed study to rights. With everything repaired and the desk no longer blazing merrily Hermione headed towards the yard when she collided with a wall.

Arms came around her to steady her and the wall let out a chuckle. She looked up into blue eyes, long auburn hair brushing his shoulders.

"Hello Little Badger."

Hermione closed her eyes, wrapping her arms tightly around him, breathing him in, "Fabian."

He crushed her to him, sweeping her up in his arms. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," he mumbled into her hair ghosting soft kisses across her brow and cheeks. He loosened his grip slightly, "How are you holding up?"

Hermione trembled slightly, shaking her head, "I'm taking it day by day."

He leaned down pressing a kiss to her mouth, "It will take time Darling. Let's go join the others. Lucy knows I'm here and he'll throw me out if he finds out I have you in here alone. Heaven forbid if you're even slightly ravished."

Hermione let out a startled laugh, the first one since Christmas Eve. He beamed down at her, holding out his hand. She took it, letting him lead her outside to the others- her family.

-#-

-The Magic Time Forgot-

-#-

Hermione reread her last letter from Mama again as she sat in the Hufflepuff common room her friends pushing off the transfiguration essay to play a game of exploding snap. Her mother always tended to know things, brimming with clever advice and hidden meanings. Hermione shook her head bemused, since childhood Mama had been sneakily teaching her and Lucius the secrets of wandless magic, and like complete dunderheads neither of them had pieced it together. 'No wonder there are no Malfoys in Ravenclaw,' Hermione muttered to herself. She grimaced, looking back the signs were all there, Mama wandering around everywhere unarmed, Xeno keeping his wand tucked behind his ear never seeming to remember where it is. She vaguely recalled Luna using her wand like a hair ornament to keep a messy bun in place. Their eccentricities hid their family's secret- wandless magic. She looked back down at the letter.

'Maybe you can find someone who has seen it firsthand.'

Hermione huffed, "They're all dead..." She paused her line of thought, this was strikingly familiar. She racked her her brain trying to remember, it was all so hazy. Students screaming as they ran for their common rooms, the castle preparing for attack, Luna shouting after them when Harry was looking for Ravenclaw's diadem- Luna, the diadem.

She grabbed her cloak and headed out of the common room ignoring her friends' questions as she left. She moved down the corridors and eventually outside, moving towards the outer courtyard the Grey Lady liked to haunt. She wrapped her cloak about her tightly against the bitter winds of January as she spied the ghost in question passing through a column.

"Excuse me, you're Rowena's daughter, correct? You wouldn't happen-"

The ghost turned to her, an unsettling expression on her face as she hissed, "I don't know where my mother's diadem is."

"I'm not asking about that." Hermione huffed, her breath misting out from her mouth as she waved her hand dismissively at the thought, "I want to know if you were alive for the Battle of Black Lake."

The ghost eyed her cautiously, nodding slowly in affirmation.

Hermione felt hope flicker in her chest, her face lighting up in excitement, "How did Helga do it? I know she was the source of the ancient battle magics. How was a human able to be the focus? You had to have seen them wield it during the battle."

The Grey Lady's eyes went wide, then she laughed coldly, "After her death the others couldn't do their great feats anymore. It took me years to realize it, and when a new threat on the horizon appeared, I begged them to show me how she'd done it so I could defend the castle. Godric didn't understand it well enough to explain and Salazaar had already left. Mother knew, but she wouldn't say. She only told me I wouldn't be able to use it, no one but Helga could. That's why I took her diadem, to gain the knowledge to understand how it was done." She shook her head before moving off down the path way. "I was such a fool."

Hermione frowned calling after her, "That's it? You have to know something else about it!"

The Grey Lady turned back to study her, looking slightly agitated, "Mother had the tapestries now resting in your common room commissioned after Helga died. She said they held the secret, but all I learned after hours of staring was what I already knew, Helga was the key." A calculating look entered her eyes, "But perhaps one of her own can figure it out."

Hermione knew a dismissal when she heard one, she wouldn't be getting anymore information on the subject from the ghost. She turned to leave when the Grey Lady passed in front of her, "You have to stop him. He corrupted Mother's diadem; he turned it evil!"

Hermione locked eyes with her nodding, "I know, and I will."

She took off, making her way back inside the castle, bustling past people who stopped to stare as she rushed by. She took the stairs two at a time and darted down the hallway, stammering out the password rapidly to the suit of armor guarding the common room. She immediately honed in on the fireplace and yanked the tapestry off the wall despite protests from housemates. She bundled it up in her arms and moved to her room, depositing the cloth on her bed.

Lily rushed after her, leaving her unfinished transfiguration essay and game of exploding snap in the common room. "What are you doing?"

"Rowena's daughter is the Ravenclaw ghost. She saw the founders use the great battle magics. The secret is in the tapestry."

Lily frowned, "But we've seen it everyday for six years, you've looked at that religiously since you realized what was really going on in the picture. What else can it tell us?"

Hermione's lips twitched a small smile thinking of Mama's lessons as a child as Bella and Bones tumbled in to the room. "Sometimes," she breathed flipping it over, "You just need to look at it from a new angle."

All four girls peered down at the back of the tapestry. Threads ran in tangles all over the back, no visible image or description.

"Well that's a let down," Bones muttered.

Hermione sighed frustrated, after puzzling over it for a few minutes she turned to take a quick walk to clear her head before looking at it again when Bella halted her. She grabbed the edge of the material, lifting it slightly to see the front before laying it back flat.

"Mother made me learn needle point during her decorum drill days when I came home after my first year, it's very ladylike." Bella hummed to herself as she placed her hand around a giant mess of threads that seemed to come from every corner of the canvas. "This is where Helga is, but these threads aren't the correct colors to make up her image. This," she lifted a small tangle of red, orange, and gold, "Is the fire Godric is casting, but look- the red thread starts at Rowena- even though they aren't in her front colors either- moves to Helga, then to Godric. And these," She gestured to another few strands of the same color, "Start at Godric, go to Helga, then return to Godric." She pointed at a run of blue and silver, "And these start at Slytherin, trace to Helga, then go to Rowena for the wave." She took another quick look at the front before looking at back, "In fact, all of the threads used for the spell work circle through Helga, before going to the castor even if they originate at the castor."

Hermione's eyes widened in dawning revelation, "She's not just focusing the magic, she's channeling it. She's taking everyone's magic and redistributing it where it's needed including her own. So a spell could have the power of up to four wizards behind it. That's how they had enough magic to power the ancient battle spells."

Bones whistled, "That's insane, you could make someone a squib. If they all pulled at once they could have drained her magical core."

Hermione nodded in the affirmative, "Or she could have drained one of theirs'."

"Which is why none of the others could do it," Lily whispered, "They didn't fully trust each other- the history books are filled with their little inner rivalries, all of them bickering at one point or another except for her."

Bones laughed, "She's the only one each of them trusted with such open access to their magic. She had no thirst for glory, ambition, or knowledge; she didn't mind not being recognized for what she did, appearing to stand there while the others performed wonders."

Bella sat back, thinking before letting the words fall, "She was loyal. She's the one they knew would never endanger them or their magic on a whim, and she's the only one who trusted the others wouldn't turn her into a squib or leave her defenseless as she channeled."

They all looked at each other grinning widely in a rush of excitement, finally they were getting somewhere. Finally a taste of hope was on the tip of their tongues when Lily suddenly blanched, "So, who's going to be the channel?"

They all looked at each other aghast, if they were seriously going to wield that power, someone would have to channel it.

Bella squared her shoulders, face grim, "I will."

Amei hummed, "Do you know how magic travels through the body, let alone how to intentionally pass it between others?"

Bella grimaced, "No, it's not taught, but I bet we can find a book on it to learn."

Hermione whispered, "I know how." The other three turned to look at her, "It's part of the basic concept of wandless magic, Mama taught me."

"You can do wandless magic," Lily gasped.

Hermione jerked her head in the negative, "No, I didn't realize what she was doing at the time to piece it together. But I know how to deliberately move raw magic, how to intentionally connect to the core and pull magic."

Bella grinned, "Then you can teach me."

"We don't have that type of time; Voldemort is growing stronger by the day," Amei hissed, "Hermione needs to be the channel."

Bella frowned, "No, she's our best fighter."

Hermione twiddled her wand in her hand, Harry's wand, the wand that shared a wand core with Voldemort. While the Dark Lord wasn't aware of it, she knew full well what it meant in battle by Harry's descriptions. She studied it thoughtfully before making up her mind, "No, Bones is right. I'll be the channel."

Bella went to protest, but Hermione cut her off, "Bella, I know you have it in you to be the most dangerous dueler the death eaters have come across. You just have to trust yourself; you won't turn into your parents."

Bella looked at her sharply before tilting her head in tense ascent.

Bones gripped Bella's arm, "We all know you have a dark streak, but you're not evil. You're not even the only one with a dark bent in Hufflepuff," she grinned, "Just look at Hermione."

The witch in question glanced up bewildered.

Lily laughed, "No one who has such a fondness for the bone crushing hex can classify themselves as light. Besides, I was there when Lucius cast a charm on your wand to try to see if any spells you'd fired could have played into the magical exhaustion from resetting the wards. You certainly weren't flinging stupifies- I don't know if your brother was more proud or horrified."

"Ok," Hermione huffed, "So I might be slightly grey."

Bella gave her a look.

Bones patted Hermione's shoulder, "Don't worry, the Prewitts obviously like their women the same way they like their chocolate: dark." Her voice turned thoughtful, "And perhaps in Gideon's case a tad nutty."

"I guess you would understand the pull to dark and slightly unhinged Amei," mused Lily, ignoring Bella's indignant "I'll show you nutty!" and dodging a flying pillow. "Considering I caught you with Regs while you two were suppose to be setting up markers for where Petunia is planting a herb garden in the Spring." She raised an eyebrow, "Unless you were just checking for fertile soil in the back of his throat with your tongue?"

Bones spluttered, Bella paused mid throw to gape.

"Don't worry, I won't tell the great chaperon Lucius. He has enough worry trying to keep Fabian from 'being untoward' with his precious Mione. Poor thing is never going to get any action, forced to keep Cissa company in the nunnery."

Hermione felt the blush rise in her face.

Bella laughed, "Don't pity my sister too hard, Cissa knew she was hitching her thestral to a prude," She paused collecting herself, "Not that a lady doesn't wait until she's married, but a bit of deep kissing helps that wait along."

"Funny, I have a feeling that particular sentence never left your mother's mouth," Amei smirked ducking an owl treat missile, "Or are you writing a new book from your vast knowledge on both etiquette and broom closets?"

With a shriek the atmosphere in the room continued down the path towards more normal waters.

A few weeks later found Hermione flipping through the Daily Prophet at breakfast, reading up for herself on the latest stir in the Wizengot. Lady Bones had taken her husband's seat and was mentoring Lucius and Andromeda- the proxy for the House of Black appointed by the new Lord, Sirius- on the legislative branch of Magical England. Together with the backing of Lords Prewitt, Longbottom, and Potter, they had become a force to be reckoned with in the Ministry.

They started slowly, wearing their robes rolled up above the elbows- Lucius having let it slip that Riddle marks all of his followers on the forearm- and were now pushing for a law to require everyone with a seat to do the same, all known death eaters to be expelled from the Wizengot as traitors. Even if the law didn't pass, they were putting Riddle's supporters in a tough spot, making it increasingly difficult to secretly be in his pocket. The neutral families who had been scared off after the death of Abraxus began to eye those around them who were adamant about keeping their sleeves down with distrust, it was one thing to have dark leanings another to be actively trying to usurp the government.

Needless to say the mood over at the Slytherin table was grim, the two Blacks slightly alienated in the corner with Severus and Anthony. Hermione flicked her gaze over to the four, sitting heads held high as they finished breakfast. The others in the green house unsure how to view the Blacks in the new reign of the House of Black headed by Sirius. The sixth year Gryffindor had not been formally disinherited before his parents' deaths, and had pulled all of his family power and wealth out from under the Dark Lord to pit it directly against him. Regulus had everyone in the house questioning, was he like his brother or parents, but Cissa no one trusted, she was engaged to a Malfoy.

Hermione rolled her eyes, part of her wished they wouldn't be so Slytherin, but then again when living in a snake pit it's dangerous to rattle the nest. Better to leave them unsure and guessing. Hermione sighed as she turned the next page, absently swatting Bella's hand away from her stack of bacon, ignoring the mutterings of ladies not showing aggression.

Lily sat down across from them, picking out some cheese and eggs, "I have an idea for H.A."

A corner of the newspaper folded down, showing Hermione was listening.

"We need to be able to practice real combat spells that we can't cast at each other in fear someone might accidentally get hit by them, so what if we..."

It took Lily, Hermione, and Lupin working together for a few weeks, but by the end of February they had what they needed.

"Everyone put your wands in this basket," Amei announced, walking around the room. With slight hesitance everyone surrendered their wands, Bones making sure not to let up until she was positive she had collected everyones'.

"Now these," Lily proclaimed holding up a simple muggle looking toy wand, "Are going to be our practice wands for the foreseeable future while in this room. You can cast whatever spell you want, light or dark, and when the curse leaves the wand and hits your opponent it will light-up whatever part of your body is out of comission without doing actual harm. This way you know the damage level of certain spells, can safely practice deadly magic, and can practice your aim and avoidance of them. Observe." She whirled about pointing her wand at Potter, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The occupants of the room screamed as James was hit dead on with the green light. But instead of falling over lifeless his whole body lit up green, and the word 'DEAD' flashed on his forehead.

"You're out Potter," Lily called to him, grinning like a loon, "Constant vigilance!"

James walked shakily to the sidelines, "I think I need to sit down for a moment anyway. Took years off my life."

The others stared at her as if she'd lost her mind before suddenly Severus managed to find his voice, "And everyone calls Slytherins the sneaky dark wizards." He huffed in exasperation before taking a wand from his beaming girlfriend. "Next time, pick a less horrifying curse to just fling at someone in a demonstration. For a split second I thought I was going to have to spend the rest of my life viewing you through the bars of a cell in Azkaban."

The others quickly grabbed wands and spent the rest of the evening practicing, moving to the sidelines when they were fully incapacitated according to the wands magic. Hermione eventually plopped down beside Lupin watching the last of those still 'alive' duel it out. She had gotten hit by a curse sent by Bella that had just clipped her wrist, but had spread over the course of a few minutes to take over her whole body, declaring her 'DEAD'.

Lupin sat beside her, quietly observing, "I wish we didn't have a real need to invent wands like these except as a way to goof around with friends. Where we didn't need to know these kinds of spells."

Hermione watched Bella and Lily take on Regs, Sev coming to his housemate's aid, curses flying wildly as they ducked and weaved. She replied softly, "So do I."

-#-

-The Magic Time Forgot

-#-

Hermione found a thread of her magic, gently coaxing it away from her magical core to let it flow through her chest, out her arm, pushing it slowly through her linked hand with Bella.

Bella shrieked, jerking her hand back, "For the tenth time, gentle!"

Hermione huffed frustratingly, "And for the tenth time, I am!"

Lily and Bones let out a putter of laughter from the other side of the room, far enough away to observe without being asked to participate.

Hermione groaned exasperatingly, "You have to trust me, allow my magic to join with yours."

Bella glared at her, "Really? You're doubting my trust?"

The youngest Malfoy sighed, collecting her composure, "Alright, let's try a different approach. Close your eyes Bella."

Bella eyed her suspiciously, "You're just going to zap me again."

"Trust witch, now close them!" Hermione growled, waiting for the restored Scion of Black to listen before continuing, "Alright, now inhale and exhale, slowly. Good, good. In the middle of your chest, a little behind and to the right of your heart, is your magical core. Think of it like a glowing ball of spooled thread. Do you see it?" She waited a few minutes for Bella's nod before continuing, "Take a small end of it and pull it away, gently weaving it through your arm to your hand that's clasped in mine."

Bella nodded, humming to herself. She breathed slowly as Mione reached for her hand again, trying to follow her friend's instructions. Hermione shot her a quick glance out of the corner of her eye to make sure Bella was still behaving before she too closed her eyes. Hermione pictured the magic flowing from her own chest, a soft glowing amber, pulling a piece she let it flow through her arm and when it touched Bella's hand this time Hermione let out a gasp as a lavender magical signature lit up by her side mapping the magical flow through her friend. It was wild yet orderly, encompassing Bella's very essence. Hermione concentrated and joined her amber thread to the lavender one, braiding them together.

Bella's breath hitched as amber erupted behind her closed eyes, flowing calmly through her body following her changling lavender magic to her core. When the amber light wrapped about the center Bella felt a surge of power. Still holding Hermione's hand in her left, she drew her wand and cast a lumos. She saw the amber and lavender race through her wand arm exploding through the wand. Bones and Lily suddenly shouted.

Bella and Hermione opened their eyes and immediately had to close them against the blinding light cast from Bella's wand. Bella ended the spell, opening her eyes again as the rushed footsteps of Bones and Lily drew closer.

Hermione however continued to concentrate, pulling back her amber signature and drawing Bella's with hers. Mione allowed both the amber and lavender magic to flow through her hand and up her arm. She gasped as the power filled her, swirling around in her chest. She disconnected the signatures and let the lavender threads flow back to Bella.

"Oh!" Lily squealed holding out her hand and squeezing her eyes shut, "My turn!"

Bones let out a laugh as Bella continued to stare down at her own hands in amazement. Hermione huffed out a giggle, extending her hand to catch Lily's anxious one.

-#-

-The Magic Time Forgot-

-#-

Hermione sat beside Lily in the stands, on top of her mess of wind teased blonde locks a badger head spelled to roar and chant a fight song Bones and Charles had come up with late one night in third year. Her housemates sat around her in rapt attention to the quidditch finals about to begin on the field below, some of the older students at times leaning over to rub the badger hat's nose for good luck while waiting in anticipation. The whole stadium was abuzz with excitement, Hufflepuff having slowly become a force to reckoned with over the years.

"And they're off! Look at those badgers fly, it's the perfect day for a glorious victory. I just feel it in the wind, don't you?"

"I think both teams are equally likely Charles, given the upsetting results leading to this finals match. Although I must say, the Bludger Queen is in high form-"

"Swings that bat like a true lady."

"- and the Captain of the Puffs isn't messing around either. We might just see the badgers take the cup home again this year."

"Speaking of Amelia, there she goes with the quaffle."

"Racing hard down the pitch, she fakes left and throws right to Evelyn. Completely bewildering Potter."

"Not that that is any real challenge, Zabini."

"Of course not Charles. OH, there goes the throw."

"YES! First goal of the game to HUFFLEPUFF!"

The puffs rose to their feet, thundering their approval. Lily held up the edge of a banner while Hermione's Badger hat gave a mighty roar, the house taking up the cry.

"Yes!" Charles continued celebrating, "Take that you stupid Lio-!"

Hermione and Lily glanced down to the commentators box where Professor McGonnagall had arrived looking particularly nasty.

"Why Professor, we don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes Professor McGonagall, no personal feelings are involved, we swear."

Hermione stifled a laugh as Minerva pulled a chair up in-between the two boys, sitting herself down upon it in a silent threat.

"And Gryffindor has the ball," Charles whispered into his mic, "The Lions doing a perfectly adequate job getting it down the field."

"Very good," Zabini muttered giving a soft, slow golfers clap. "Just not quite as graceful as the fearsome Captain Bones."

Charles leaned around the annoyed professor, "No of course not, but what did you expect?"

"Potter dives for the hoops. Travis going for the block."

"AND-! Ugh, score for Gryffindor."

"We mean yay." Zabini corrected poorly, "Way to go Gryffindor."

Charles gave an unenthusiastic hoot into the mic, waving a little Gryffindor pendant Professor McGonagall provided in a small circle.

The game continued in similar fashion, the Lions and Badgers locked in a tight grid on the playing field, Bones and team struggling to keep any sort of margin ahead against Potter and the others. The fans were starting to get tense, the players agitated. The Gryffindor Head of House eventually confiscated the mic from Charles, although she had to surrender it shortly to a scolding Flitwick.

The snitch finally appeared, Sirius making a dive for it, Amos on the wrong side of the field. Bella took aim and swung her bat violently. Sirius veered off course forced to loose either the snitch or his head as Slytherin erupted into cheers for the first time during the match.

"No," Anthony deadpanned gravely into the mic, "There are no hard feelings remaining from Gryffindors previous match with Slytherin at all. We are a completely unbiased third party."

"Most certainly Mr. Zabini," Professor Flitwick smiled understandingly, "It's not like anyone from our houses have vested interest in seeing Gryffindor lose. Professor McGonagall doesn't rub quidditch cup victories in the faculties faces for the whole summer at all."

Anthony nodded absently watching the seekers race about the field looking for the snitch to reappear, "She's far too professional."

"Quite."

Evelyn intercepted the quaffle from Maureen McKinnon, tossing it to Amei who passed it to Townley for the goal. James swooped in stealing the quaffle, darting down the field. He pretended to shoot, the puff goalie diving left, but instead he dropped it to Frank Longbottom below who now had a clear shot at the hoops.

All of the crowds' focus was on the Gryffindor chaser when out of nowhere Bella bellowed,"Amos!" She swung her bat in what appeared to be thin air, a crack resounding throughout the stadium.

"IS that?!" Anthony cried as he squinted, Amos rearing back to catch the golden snitch like a baseball outfielder as it came hurtling towards him. All of the fans in the stadium came to their feet in disbelief, Hufflepuff letting out a battlecry.

"Oh my, was that allowed?" Flitwick breathed hesitantly into the mic, Hufflepuff students spilling onto the field to tackle their housemates while Gryffindors shouted protests.

"I don't know," Zabini shook his head as he watched his friends pile on top of each other, Hermione's roaring badger hat barely visible, "but it certainly won't be next year."

A/N: A lighter chapter to help balance out the last one. Only four chapter left now! Thank you for your reviews; I greatly appreciate them :)