Yeah, it's late, yeah, it sucks, yeah, it's incomplete, yeah, it's not beta'd.

Woohoo.

"Okay, listen up!" I shouted over the howling wind. The group of people dressed in flying gear shivered and complained. At least this weather deterred all the wimps that were likely to get hacked anyways. "There are three open spots on the team, two catchers and a beater. But as always, just because you made the team last year doesn't mean you'll be on this year. And because I know you're all thinking it, no, I am not biased against my family, being a Weasley will not get you on this team if you suck. We are Gryffindor's and we play fair." I scanned the group. Two girls in fourth year as well as Violet Thomas; five boys, three from third year, one from fifth, and Lance Davis who was my year. A smaller pool of applicants than normal, but for that I was grateful.

"Alright, we're going to start with five laps around the field. I'll be timing you." I mounted my broom, as did everyone else. I rose up so I could watch from above. "Go!" I yelled as I sent sparks out of my wand as a start signal. Everyone was pretty even as they flew around the pitch, though one of the fourth year girls with ten emblazoned on her back stayed steadily ahead. By the fourth lap she had almost lapped one of the third year boys. I marked her down as a likely chaser. Next I had them practice some passing and noticed with appreciation that Violets arm had improved noticeable as well as number elevens almost sending Davis to the ground with the strength of his throw. I split them up for teams in positions I thought would suit their strong points. It was obvious the fast fourth year's friend would have made a great keeper, it was just bad luck that I had the position squared away. The real surprise came when the fast fourth year stole the snitch from under Lily's nose.

Lily was sulking all through dinner that night. Roxanne was trying to sooth her wounded pride, but all for naught because it was obvious that Lily's own roommate had beaten her from the coveted position. That left Hugo for me bounced idea off of as I tried to determine who should join our team.

"You're going to choose Roger for beater right?" he prodded eagerly from across on of the tables in the common room.

"He has a strong arm, and you two have good chemistry, but his aim leaves something to be desired." I pointed out as I scribbled notes on a spare piece of parchment "That one fifth year was decent, good aim, nice arm." I said, more to myself then Hugo. My brother snorted.

"Yeah, but he's a total attention whoreing prick." Hugo said with disgust.

"True, bad team work." I agreed as I added that to the list of pro's and con's.

That Friday evening I had the roster up on the common rooms board. People were crowded around, commenting on the new players, congratulating their friends, or wondering at the changes I had made.

Chasers: 5: Violet Thomas, 6: Lily Potter, 7: Roxanne Weasley

Beaters: 2: Roger Malone, 3: Hugo Weasley

Seeker: 1: Isobel MacDouglas

Keeper: 4: Rose Weasley

The real mind bender for most was Isobel. She was a born seeker, but she hadn't been on the radar for her first three years here. She confided in me that she had had a nasty fall and has been spending the better part of two years getting over a fear of heights. I was glad to have her on the team, even though Lily was a fine seeker Isobel seemed to have an innate ability of making very fast, very accurate movements, much like in Albus. I was aching to see the two faceoff.

Lily was ecstatic about making the team, even if she was no longer playing seeker. Hugo had his arm around Roger, chatting up his new partner in crime. Violet was squealing among her fellow seventh years and Roxanne hadn't even bothered to show up yet. But it was almost a given that she was on the team anyways.

I had Garrett curled up on my lap, half way through a potion essay when Roxanne got in, or more like burst in. She hurried over and dropped the Evening Prophet in my lap without word.

On the front page was a photograph of a band of wizards in dark robes and one of what looked to be the ruins of a town. The title only worsened my feelings of dread.

Dark Knights Cult Strikes Dufftown

"That's not far from here." I said softly as worry etched deep lines in my face "What did they do?"

"Killed some muggles and muggleborns, blew up a lot of shops and a few houses. Sue Li of the Wizardgamotte and her son were killed in the raid. You know, the Ravenclaws keepers mum."

"That's awful." I said, remembering the ferocity with which he had played, somehow so un-Ravenclaw like. "It sounds so much like the war stories Gran tells." I replied as I worried my lip. They must have at least half of the aurors on this if not more. Intolerance of muggles was a huge deal nowadays and couldn't go without severe punishment. Still, they had managed to evade the law this far. The only cult member captured had hung himself in his cell before he could be questioned.

"It sounds bad." Roxanne agreed as I handed her back the newspaper "But at least the cult doesn't seem to have many followers, thank Merlin."

"I think I'm going to owl my dad. Can I borrow you're owl?" I asked as I reached into my bag for some parchment.

After she gave me the go on using her owl I scribbled a quick note to my father and trudged up to the owlery. All I could think about was the feeling that something was coming, and it wasn't going to be sunshine and rainbows.

…...

My eyes scanned the Slytherin table looking for a mop of messy hair. Albus had missed class. Albus never missed class. Where on earth could that boy have gotten to?

I looked again, more carefully, and found his little friend group. I noticed a lack of both blonde and the mop of hair. What was going on? Did something happen? Did they get hurt during Quidditch practice? No, they were perfectly fine when they left the library last night. Something must have happened last night after they left.

"Looking for Al?" Lily questioned as she sits down next to me on the bench.

"Why? Do you know where he is?" I asked, whipping my head around to look at her.

"Hospital wing." Is all she could get out before I was on my feet and throwing my potions essay into my bag.

"You're going to miss class!" She called after me as I speed-walked my way out of the Great Hall. I ignored her comment. I could make up history of magic. It wasn't that big of a deal since Professor Binns was just going to repeat more gibberish about Goblin Wars.

I slowed down as I reached the hospital wing, knowing that if I rushed in there and disturbed the peace Madam Kingsley would have my head on a shiny gold platter and promptly eject me from the vicinity.

When I entered, Madam Kingsley looked up from fixing a third year that looked like he had had an accident in the potions class room. His arms were covered in boils.

"He's over there." Is all she said as she jerked her head in the direction of the bed that was block off by panels at the end of the wing.

When I reached the last bed I found Scorpius sitting next to it, slumped in the chair, fast asleep. He looked so peaceful, the hard lines of his face less sever in the depths of sleep. But that didn't last long because I shook him awake.

"What happened?" I verbally attacked him as soon as he was semi-conscious. He blinked blearily up at me, and I realized he was in his pyamas. He must have been here all night.

"There was an attack. Some one cursed him while his back was turned doing his rounds." He murmured softly as he stretched. I was vaguely distracted as his shirt pulls tight against his chest. I saw that chest on a warm summers game of Quidditch. It was a very nice sight. But I needed to focus on the issue at hand.

"Who, what, why?" I asked in rapid succession as I grip his arm tightly.

"They don't actually know, but Lucy says she caught Flint sneaking about past hours. She took points and told him to go back, but she didn't escort him there"

"He's dead meat." I growled in a tone that promised horrible things. Flints had it coming and I was going to hand out the well deserved punishment myself. "That menace has had it out for him since day one. I bet it was him."

"The curse that hit Al was a pretty high level magic. I don't know if Flint is capable of that level of magic. He's not even in our N.E.W.T. Dark Arts class." Scorpius points out logically.

"So? It's not like they teach that sort of magic at school. He's likely practicing dark stuff in his free time, just waiting till he's strong enough to actually do some damage and not get his arse kicked." I started ranting. That's something the sneaky bastard would do. He used to be complete rubbish at magic, which had always made dealing with him easier. If he was now actually capable he may pose a threat, especially if it was Flint who did this to Albus.

"Whatever, they can't prove anything either way, at least not until Albus wakes up and gives us an account of the attack" Scorpius coolly reminded me. He covered another yawn as he stretched once again.

"Alright you," I said as I put my hands on my hips "I want you to go change and eat something. You'll only stress Al out more if he wakes and finds you malnourished and un-showered."

"Yes your Highness." He muttered, taking my helping hand and allowing me to pull him to his feet.

….

It turned out Albus didn't know who hit him; the spell had come from behind while he patrolled the ground floor. One moment he was walking along, the next he wakes up in the hospital wing with a massive headache. The attack caused a rise in security at Hogwarts; everyone indoors by dark and in their common rooms by eight. The prefects patrolled in pairs, aurours post through out the castle, and Quidditch was suspended until further notice. That last fact was the least well received. Especially by my team.

"I can't believe this!" wailed Lily as she flopped down on the couch face first. She moaned into the plush cushion and flailed pathetically.

"This is such rubbish" Isobel ground out as she slouched in one of the overstuffed chairs across from Lily and pulled angrily at the lose threads of her robe.

"This may seriously damage my ability to get on a professional Quidditch team." Roxanne said as she paced back and forth behind Lily's couch fervently. "This is messing with my future. If I don't get recruited I'm going to kill the Headmaster when he visits during the Hol."

"We can still practice you know, as long as we do it with the sun up and in a group and I check all the balls for curses before we start." I pointed out in an attempt to cheer them up.

"There's no way they'll let us play, we're the kids of the golden trio. I'm surprised we don't have our own personal aurors trailing after us." Lily muttered as she rolled over on to her side, effectively killing any ray of hope that could be shed.

"We're doomed" Isobel agrees as she slips down farther into her chair.

I have to agree with them there.

But better doomed then dead. I'd like to avoid dead.

….

I've been told I'm a reasonable person, but I've been told that I'm easily angered as well. How do these two co-exist? Well, it's just that weird things happen to set me off, things that other people didn't get. Like how Quidditch was canceled this year; I wasn't angry because I understood that it was for our safety, and that no matter how much anyone would complain it wouldn't change a thing. So weird, yeah, maybe, but, more importantly, it's purely logical what does make me snap. I just become illogically hacked off.

"This is rubbish" I complained as I stalk down the hall. I was peeved once again. It seemed to be a constant state of pissed off that I lived in. Turns out Lily was right about the aurors. I mean, we lived in Hogwarts of Merlin's sake! It's the safest place in the UN, if not the world. Yet we had aurors patrolling the halls, night and day. We even had the head auror, Savage, guarding the entrance of Gryffindor tower and Ted Lupin at the Slytherin common room. Ted was there under the pretense of protecting Albus, but I'm not stupid enough to be blind to the way they treat the Slytherins. Like they're all criminals by nature. It drove me absolutely batty, intolerance and open discrimination of these people, people that had lived with Albus for years, people who went to him for help, just normal people that became the suspect because they lived in Slytherin house.

"You're making a fuss over nothing." Scorpius said from behind me as Albus and Isis trailed farther back. Perhaps to avoid any angry backlash on my part.

"Nothing? Them searching Alex because he's a Slytherin and he looked 'suspicious' is a complete breech of his rights!" I yelled as I threw my hands into the air in disgust. Disgust at the injustice of it all. Times like that make me hate people. I admit, I'm an angry person, but I'm not hateful. But dear Merlin, I just wanted to avada some of these idiots.

"Well, you have to admit, Alex does look like he's capable of killing someone." Albus pointed out as he hurried behind the long legged Slytherin and me.

"This is no time for jokes Al" I reminded him as I whipped around a corner and stomped through a group of gapping first years. "Shove off midgets!" I commanded as they parted to let me through.

"They're only first years Rose. You can't treat them that way!" Albus complained as he caught my elbow and turned me around. I glared at him, which did nothing of course, so I moved my look to an easier target.

"I said shove off!" I said in a deadly serious as I looked down at the firsties. They quickly scattered, almost climbing over one another to get out before the ginger fury got any worse.

"At least they're now well versed in the way to treat the Gryffindor Princess." Scorpius drawled with considerable sarcasm.

"Shove it Mal-form!" I said, voice raising once again, my cheeks burning; my irritation becoming an overwhelming force. "I don't need another ration of your cocky bullshit!"

"That rich, coming from you."

"Oh hardy hardy ha ha." I said bitterly "Sorry for caring."

"No one asked you too."

" 'No one asked me too'." I spat in disbelief. This shit was ridiculous. And Scorpius was just a ball of angry contradictions. I was so tired of this. "That's a fools response Scorpius, I'd expect more from you." I marched up to him and got right in his face. He wasn't going to get away with more of his evasive excuses "Merlin forbid I care about the discrimination, oh, and Rose we don't need you to advocate for us, we just going to go sulk in our basement lair and stew over the injustice instead of doing something. And I most certainly shouldn't bother about all the broken bones, bruises, and emotional melt downs I've had to deal with over the years. You didn't ask for this, I didn't ask for it either. I'm stuck with you people, you should be able to deal with it by now!"

Scorpius was starting to turn a flushed pink as his sneered down at me.

"Scor" Albus said in a warning tone while Isis laid a delicate hand on her boyfriends shoulder. He violently jerked his shoulder away from her touch.

"How hard is it to keep your freckled nose out of my damn business?" He screamed as he hit the breaking point.

"How hard is it to keep from dangling all your secrets in my face?" I shouted back in retaliation.

"Fuck you Weasley, you don't know shit." He retorted. And with that he turned on his heels and stalked away, the tension in his shoulder obvious.

"Just keep telling yourself that you twat!" I screamed at his retreating figure. Isis took off after him asking him to wait. He didn't.

"You two are a lost cause." Albus said despondently before walking away in the opposite direction.

I just stood there and attempted to collect myself. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

And then I punch the nearest wall.

"MERLIN'S BEARD!"

…...

"Owwww" I whined pathetically as I sat on my bed in the dormitory. Riley sat in front of me while she pokes and prods the swollen and bruised skin with her wand.

"So how exactly did you break your knuckles?" Riley asked as she conjured bandages.

"The wall ran into my fist." I told her "Don't you know how to heal fingers?" I asked, hoping she could put them right.

"No, that's Lysanders specialty. What don't you just ask Albus? He is the best at healing charms after all."

"He's mad at me, and I don't want to risk running into the ice king." I said with a scowl as I attempted to flex my hand.

"Ah, another argument I see." She said with a solemn nod. "What was it about this time?"

"It started off with me being angry about how people are treating Slytherins, and then somehow it got to the topic of Scorpius being emotionally stunted and me caring too much."

"So you had the same row you always do?" She asked. I made a face at her. It was true though, the whole caring thing was a straight trip to hell in a hand basket. She just raised her eyebrows, giving me a look that just said 'really?'. I sighed in defeat.

"I know, it's stupid. But what can I do? It's like we're programmed to fight like cats and dog." I flop onto my back and stare up at the crimson canopy above me. "Any words of wisdom?" I ventured to ask.

"Try not to have any more walls run into your fist." She suggested with a shrug. I simply rolled my eyes.

I am so sorry. I suck. I'm sorry.