Chapter 13 - Harry Finds a Number of Things

Harry walked Ginny back to the medical wing Wednesday morning as she had to floo home. Harry was wondering out loud why he hadn't thought to call up the bond magic with Ginny and take care of the troll that way.

"We got very busy immediately is what I remember; you jumped right into the middle of everything. Luckily things worked out well and we didn't have to call on that Harry. Now that I'm not so scared, I can tell you that you make a lousy hat for a troll!"

Harry laughed as he remembered his wild ride on the back of the monster! He was very happy that only the troll ended up getting hurt. Hermione was more stunned than anything; she didn't even have any scratches from all that wood collapsing on her.

The two walked through the doors to the infirmary and stopped at what they saw. Professor Snape had his leg stretched out on a cot and it was very bloody and had a lot of deep rip marks in it! Madame Pomfrey was approaching the professor from the other direction with a blue bottle of something so Snape didn't see them initially. When Snape saw Madame Pomfrey stop, he turned and closed his robes over the damaged leg. "What are you two doing here?" he roared at them.

"Just heading home, sir" said Ginny as she ran to the floo and grabbed some powder and disappeared in the green flames.

Snape turned back toward Harry. "Leave now Potter!" was all he yelled. Harry made a hasty retreat from the medical wing. He caught up with Hermione just as she was sitting down for Transfiguration class.

'Ginny, you listening?'

'Yes Harry!'

(HP): 'Hermione, we just saw Snape with a wrecked leg! He was headed up the stairs yesterday when we were headed for you! He must have run into that monster dog. He was trying to get whatever's hidden under that trap door!'

Unfortunately the class started right then and the three of them didn't have a chance to discuss any more of what they had just seen. Harry had a lot of time to think while he was taking down notes but wasn't really happy about the conclusions he had come to. As much as he didn't like the professor, Harry didn't want to believe that Snape was working for Dark Wizards or worse, was actually one himself.

Hermione and Harry ended up holding their breath at the end of the class. Ron had raised his hand to ask Professor McGonagall what the professors had done to stop the troll the previous night. She looked where Harry and Hermione were sitting and then told the class that "due to some unusual circumstances, the troll was clumsy and had collided with a castle wall and had rendered itself unconscious." The boys in the class were disappointed that they didn't get a complicated battle to talk about and all the girls just sighed in relief. Harry and Hermione were the last to leave the classroom and Professor McGonagall just gave them a small nod as they were leaving.

Hermione and Harry headed to the library to work on homework and have a talk with Ginny about the latest development. There was a heated discussion about Professor Snape's actions the previous night but Hermione didn't want to believe that Dumbledore would employ a dark wizard. Ginny, of course, had the opposite opinion and warned Harry to keep a careful eye out.

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Friday's breakfast found a couple of the professors still recovering from the incident with the troll. Professor Quirrell still had numerous scratches from his encounter on Tuesday night and Harry saw that Snape was still favoring his injured leg as he limped away from the high table after eating his breakfast.

Professor Snape sat behind his desk and stayed there for the whole Potions class. While he usually wandered around the class room inspecting everyone's work, today he just randomly asked students, mostly Gryffindors, to bring up samples to the front for him to look at.

Everyone bottled up and labeled their final work and left it on Professor Snape's desk at the end of the class. After walking back to lunch, even Neville commented on the professors strange behavior. He had made it through his first potions class without being yelled at or having points taken from him. Hermione and Ginny exchanged a look at that comment but didn't dare say what they thought.

The lesson with Dumbledore that afternoon was more of a opportunity to show off than any real instruction. Each of the girls was asked to create something individually. Hermione brought up a small personal shield for herself that Dumbledore tested and found quite good. Ginny got praise from the headmaster for creating a miniature statue of the troll that they had seen a few nights before. She gave it to Harry as a memento of his 'people saving thing'. Dumbledore, who also knew the whole story, told the three students that they had done an outstanding job of defending the school.

Harry was then asked if he wanted to show the others what he had been doing with his goblin staff. Harry hesitated and then produced the staff from where he had been storing it - in one of his green knee-high boots. He expanded it back to normal size and then asked Hermione to just hold it upright for a second. While Hermione was looking for new markings on the staff, Harry walked to the other side of the room and stood next to Dumbledore.

Harry closed his eyes in concentration and Hermione and the staff disappeared! Ginny whistled her approval and Dumbledore nodded his head at the results. Dumbledore asked Harry to bring her back and he concentrated again. But Hermione didn't reappear! Harry was starting to panic and jumped in surprise when Hermione tapped him on the shoulder from behind! He gave a sigh of relief at her appearance but turned to Ginny in mock anger. "You told her to do that! Sneaking up on a person is a Weasley specialty."

"No, Harry, I thought of that myself", Hermione said with a smile.

Dumbledore smiled at the fooling around of the three students. "That should be enough for this afternoon. I thought since Harry has his first Quidditch match tomorrow, I wouldn't have him try anything strenuous today. Harry, I hope you're not using that particular trick to sneak around the castle after curfew?"

Reassuring the headmaster that he wasn't violating any school rule, Harry watched as the headmaster said 'Good afternoon' and left the classroom. Hermione gave an immediate yell and started chasing Ginny around the classroom.

"What now?", Harry said as the pair danced around the desk.

A laughing Ginny finally collapsed as Hermione tackled her. "All I said to her was that it was a good thing that Harry brought all of you back. He could have just brought Hermione back and left her clothes invisible!"

Red-faced but laughing, Harry hurried off to his Quidditch practice, leaving the two girls in a tickle fight back in the classroom!

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Harry was trying real hard to concentrate on the book in front of him but he wasn't having much success. Everyone at the Gryffindor breakfast table was coming by to either wish him good luck or offer advice on his first real Quidditch match. Hermione and Ron were also trying different ways to encourage Harry to actually eat his breakfast.

He was just very nervous. Hermione had found a great book in the library for him that week - Quidditch Through the Ages. All Harry was trying to do at the present time was remember which fouls were routinely called. There were also strategies by position and Harry didn't know if he should follow one of them or just play it by ear.

He was interrupted (again!) by a scarier voice this time. "I seriously doubt that you find anything useful in that book Mr. Potter."

Harry turned around to see Professor Snape standing behind him. "I want to wish you good luck in your match. You will undoubtedly need all of it you can find!" With that Professor Snape stalked away from the Gryffindor table with a little limp.

"You know", Ron said shaking his head, "I just bet he showed up here trying to rattle you."

"Ron is probably right." Ron turned his head so fast to look at Hermione that Harry heard Ron's neck crack in three different places.

"Thank you Hermione. About time you realized that I'm right more often than… iuggg!" Harry's elbow accidentally contacted Ron's side before the youngest male Weasley talked himself into trouble again. The last thing he wanted at that moment was to listen to a squabble between Ron and Hermione!

Hermione looked up and smiled at Harry and he also 'heard' the greeting from Ginny exiting the floo in the medical wing. He sent her a welcome and she 'told' him that her parents were coming to watch the first match too.

Harry was just too nervous to sit still. He stood and told everyone who was within hearing range that he needed to go out and settle his nerves a little. He handed the book back to Hermione and stopped Ron from coming and keeping him company. He passed Ginny and her parents who were just coming into the main hall and received good luck wishes from all of them.

An hour later, Harry was just finishing getting dressed in the locker room. The official scarlet uniform made him feel a little better but he just couldn't seem to settle the mass of butterflies in his stomach.

Captain Wood gave a great warm up speech to the team and told them that they had more than enough talent to outfly and outscore the Slytherin team. He looked at Harry more than once and came over after he had finished speaking to just tell Harry that he would do well.

Then it was time for the match to start. Harry walked out with the rest of his team to the field. The stands were full to the brim with students and there were a large number of banners here and there. Harry located his friends cheering madly from the highest seats in the stands. Ginny and Neville were holding a banner between them that said that 'Harry's the best!' Harry waved to them and then made a point of locating Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who were sitting with Professor McGonagall in the teacher's section of the stand. He smiled at them and took his place on the field.

Madame Hooch was the referee for most of the Hogwarts matches. She spoke for a couple minutes about the new rules and the behavior she expected from both teams. Harry looked across the lines to see that the Slytherin team was certainly bigger and rougher looking than his teammates. Harry thought that he would not only have to watch out for the hit bludgers coming his way but the Slytherin players themselves! They didn't look they would mind bending the rules (or him!) at all.

The command was given to mount up and then Madam Hooch blew her whistle - releasing the balls and starting the game. Harry took off on his Nimbus and started circling the field from on high trying to see the snitch.

Hermione was excited to see her first Quidditch game but she had more that a few worries about Harry. The game was played so fast she couldn't use the binoculars that Ginny had brought from home. She tried keeping an eye on Harry as well as the play on the field but she just kept losing track of one or the other. She finally settled on what Ginny was doing; watching the action on the playing field but keeping a mental tab on Harry.

Lee Jordan, a roommate of the Weasley twins, was doing the play by play report and broadcasting it over a loudspeaker.

"… and with that goal by Alicia Spinnet, Gryffindor goes up 40 - nil. Great pass from the lovely Miss Johnson by the way. Slytherin chasers with the Quaffle now. Flint passes to Pucey who had to duck away from a bludger sent his way by Fred Weasley. Great shot Fred! Or is it George? They're hard to tell apart. Yes, I'm getting back to it, Professor McGonagall. Pucey fakes a pass as he approaches the goals. He throws a wicked strike but it's blocked by Captain Wood. Wood throws it back to Katie Bell who ducks around Vaisey for the Slytherins. She passes it to Johnson who passes it back as a bludger hits her in the shoulder. That's going to smart tomorrow. The seekers still haven't seen the Snitch yet. Bell approaches the goals…"

Harry ignored the commentary as he kept a watch out for the snitch. Seeing a reflection of gold down nears the stands, Harry put his broom into a dive.

" ..and Harry Potter has passed the Slytherin seeker Higgs as they are both chasing down the Snitch. Harry is gaining on the Snitch. Foul! Deliberate Foul! Captain Flint just flew through Harry Potter almost unseating him! Whistle blown by Madame Hooch and a penalty shot has been awarded Gryffindor!"

Ginny and Hermione started breathing again after they saw that Harry had resumed his search for the Snitch. Both greeted the arriving Hagrid who told them that he had come to get a better view of Harry's first game.

Play resumed after Angelina Johnson took and scored the penalty shot! Gryffindor was really outflying the Slytherins in spite of their dirty tactics!

Ginny was watching Harry regain altitude when she clutched Hermione's arm. 'There's something wrong with Harry's broom! He's in trouble.'

Hermione watched as Harry's broom started lurching and spinning wildly. It was like Harry couldn't control it anymore! The rest of the people in the stands also noticed the odd behavior along with some of the players out on the field. Fred and George tried to get close to Harry to help him out but the misbehaving broom just skittered away from them.

Harry was only hanging on by one hand at this point! It was shaking him so violently that he popped a couple of buttons off his uniform!

Hagrid had a huge hand clutching his umbrella. "I hope Harry can get that back in control. That looks like the brooms been jinxed but Nimbus 2000's are supposed to be tamperproof."

Hermione has a horrible suspicion and trained the binoculars on the teachers' section. She groaned when she saw Snape staring intently where Harry was and muttering words as fast as he could speak! 'Snape's doing that to Harry's broom Ginny!' Ginny reached down and grabbed Hermione's hand in hers and started calling on their bond magic.

'Ginny, your parents are right there in that section. Be careful!'

Hermione had no idea what Ginny was planning but knew that they had to do something immediately to rescue Harry!

The boards that Professor Snape was standing on suddenly snapped in half, spilling him down a few steps and completely knocking Professors Quirrell and Flitwick down! Mr. Weasley and Professor McGonagall were the ones to help the fallen professors back to their feet. By the time they had straightened everything out, Harry was back in control of his broom and flying smoothly.

Hermione looked over at Ginny. "Great work there!"

Ron spoke up from his place below them. "Yes, I knew Harry could figure it out and fix whatever was wrong!" Hermione caught Ginny's fist before she could deck her brother. "We're watching the game Ginny, remember?" Ginny laughed and smiled back at her.

".. and the game approaches the hour and a half mark and the score stands 80-50 Gryffindor. After an initial scoring rush by our favorite team… Sorry, Professor …the game has turned into a great defensive battle with the beaters and keepers turning in great plays to keep the other team from scoring. The Snitch has been seen a number of times but only that initial chance by Potter came close to ending the match. Ooh, that bludger came close to blindsiding Captain Wood in goal. The Quaffle is grabbed by the Slytherin Captain Flint and he flies his way toward the other end of the field! And there's another dive by Harry Potter as he flies off toward the ground. He's coming close to the path that Flint is taking the other way. I don't believe it - Potter just calmly steals the Quaffle from Flint and flips it to one of the Weasley twins! George or Fred passes the Quaffle across the field to a streaking Angelina Johnson who is racing in alone toward the opposite goal. Bletchley is totally out of position and Gryffindor scores again!"

"Potter is still racing down the elusive Snitch as Higgs peeled off to avoid hitting his own captain. The chase is mere feet above the ground now as Potter stretches out his hand toward the Snitch. I think he's grabbed… no, Harry Potter has fallen off his broom and tumbled hard on the ground! The Snitch is nowhere to be seen! Potter seems to be ok; he's patting himself to see if he's broken anything! No, that's not it at all! Harry Potter is rolling along the ground laughing and patting his sides! He reaches into his shirt and pulls out… the Snitch! Harry Potter has the Snitch! The match is over - Gryffindor wins! The captain of the Slytherin team is trying to protest the catch but Madam Hooch just points at Harry Potter and sounds the final whistle! The final score is Gryffindor 240 and Slytherin 50!"

Harry was still laughing as his Gryffindor teammates landed and congratulated him. He held up the Snitch and everyone saw his unbuttoned cuff. "The silly thing, reversed itself and flew up into my sleeve. Those wings tickle!"