Once November came the weather became very cold. Trees around the castle were dead, dry, and inky black. The mountains were gray and the lake was like a chilly, frothing pool of ice. Every morning the campus was covered in frost. Henry could see out of the window of Alpaggard Towers that one of Hagish's jobs was to defrost the brooms used for Grilled Cheese Duelling. Bundling up in a long, sleek coat, gloves, baggy winter pants, and enormous boots almost made him look more human in dimensions.

Henry was wired with the notion that the Grilled Cheese Duelling season had officially begun. He posted the first poster of the season. Saturday morning after breakfast in the Grand Hall with Alpaggard competing against Ivybell. If Henry could help Alpaggard win, his team would move into second place for the House Championship where they'd win that Golden Cheese Plate.

Not many people besides the team and Ryan Switch had seen Henry play. Switch had kept Henry hidden away like a secret weapon and Henry had to admit it flattered him greatly. Somehow, as time went on, the news he was not only the new Alpaggard Flipper, but a first year as well leaked and spread throughout the school like wildfire. He had learned to keep his face neutral and not react to the positive or negatives. That could be people either telling him he would be absolutely amazing or the people that told him he'd be dead in the first ten minutes.

The next newest development was having Esmani Ghadjer as a friend. She was a great help when it came to homework. The practices on top of keeping up were stretching Henry quite thin. She was always ready to lend him a hand when he asked for it. Esmani even made good on lending him her book Grilled Cheese Duelling from Here, Now, to the Future. It was a great read and Henry had learned so much!

Hagish was right about it originally being called Genus De Reflexo which meant basically good reflexes. Henry also learned there were over five hundred ways to commit a foul. Flippers were normally the smallest and thinnest players on the team, women were not allowed to play until the 1700's, and some other things Ryan had left out. That or he himself may have not known.

What the book didn't cover: Switch and the rest of the team had filled Henry in. The first couple of practices, Henry had been confused as to where the points even mattered in the game.

"I thought it was just who could make the grilled cheese the most perfect and fastest?"

"No, no, no that's a misconception," Jordan Young, the Guard on their team had said. "Stokers really have to be careful what goal they put the Pane in. It's all about calculating the fire heat. Landing a bunch of twenty five point shots is all well and good...but your fire is not going to be very hot," he crossed his arms, "and scoring a bunch of hundred point shots isn't good because your fire is going to be blazing." Jordan was just one of those guys that made you feel comfortable to speak your mind without feeling stupid so Henry had to ask.

"But that still seems to me like it ties in with the speed of cooking, right?"

"I was getting to that," Young said gently, "you basically want to cook your grilled cheese quickly, efficiently, and in the least amount of points.

"Oh! Like golf," Henry said.

"What's golf?" Jordan asked.

"Nevermind…" Henry began to think maybe Normies did have too many sports.

Thinking back to Esmani, Henry couldn't believe the change he and Jon saw in her. She was way more relaxed than when they first met her and even broke a rule from time to time. The day before the Saturday match the three friends were out in the chilly courtyard during their schoolwide freetime after dinner. Henry and Jon couldn't help but be impressed when she was able to conjure a nice, warm blue flame from her wand tip to give them some warmth. When Snabes crossed the yard, Henry had noticed she was strangely limping but thought moreso of getting caught. On Henry's signal, the three moved in closer to block the fire's view. Esmani must not have perfected her not-guilty face because Snabes stopped and caught her eye. She limped over to them and even though she was oblivious to the fire, Snabes had a habit of trying to find trouble when there was none.

"What have you got, Puffer?" She said slowly.

Innocently, Henry showed the Grilled Cheese Duelling book.

"That's a library book! And library books are not allowed in this courtyard. Five credits from Alpaggard," she then reached out and snatched the book. Esmani's jaw dropped. It gave Henry and Jon quite a thrill to see someone like her get irritated over a teacher.

"That's bologna! That second year has a book right over there! She just made that up," she was muttering and sputtering angrily. "I hope you were done with it Henry," she sighed and watched Snabes' retreating back. "Wonder what is wrong with her leg?"

"Well whatever it is...I hope it's really hurting her," Jon said pitifully.

"This is ridiculous! I'm gonna follow her," Henry said and began to walk. Esmani and Jon glanced nervously at each other but then were right by Henry's side.

"What are you planning?" Esmani asked.

"I was not finished with it and I want it back. Why should I be afraid of Snabes?"

Keeping distance between the adult and the group, Henry led his friends behind Professor Snabes. He wasn't so sure where she was going until she turned a corner and disappeared into a room that had a sign above it.

STAFFROOM

"This is perfect, she can't bend any rules if other teachers are watching," Henry put a fist up to knock when the door creaked open enough for Henry to peak in. Jon and Esmani came near to inspect what was up when Henry's face showed complete alarm and fear.

Snabes had the skirt of her black dress pulled up to showcase her shin and calf. It was all bloody, mangled with teeth marks and drool. Feltch was handing Snabes bandages and some sort of potion.

"Horrid creature," she snapped. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three of those heads coming at you at once?" Henry must have made a noise because her head snapped towards the open door and before the group could react, it was wrenched open by furious Snabes.

"HENRY PUFFER GET OUT OF HERE THIS INSTANT!"

"I just wanted my library book back…" his voice was very small.

"NOW!"

The three backed up and quickly walked towards Alpaggard Tower.

"This means that Snabes tried to get past that three headed dog. Probably on Spooky Day," Henry whispered as the three of them climbed steps to their destinations.

"She did not succeed," Jon pointed out.

"But I'd bet on my hat she let that zombie into the bathroom. She probably even cursified it. That's a pretty advanced Untamed spell and she's always wanted to be the Untamed Magic teacher!" Henry felt his logic was impeccable.

"But why would a teacher want to harm students?" Esmani genuinely wanted to know.

"Not every teacher is a good person, Esmani," Jon put his hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever Simbledore is protecting, it's more important than we ever imagined if a teacher is willing to get caught by harming kids," Henry decided.

That night, Henry's head was buzzing with question after question as he tried to separate the mystery from fact, fiction, and theory. The expression on Snabes' face when she saw Henry wasn't easy to just forget and clear out. Henry squeezed his eyes.

"Grilled Cheese Duelling tomorrow...got to be rested and ready…" he chanted over and over in his mind and slowly out loud until finally, sleep took him.

That morning in the Grand Hall, Henry realized he was so nervous he didn't feel like eating. There were even his favorite smoked pork breakfast sausage links that still did not tempt his rocking and rolling stomach.

"You've got to eat something, mate," Jon advised.

"I'm not hungry."

"Peanut butter toast will give quick energy from the carbs and long lasting energy from the protein…" Esmani rattled away but shut her mouth when Henry gave her a hardened look.

"I am not hungry."

"He probably doesn't want to even think about toasted bread right now," Jon whispered for only Esmani to hear.

"Oy! You dun eat yee will be fallin' right off yer bleedin' broom and makin' a mess outta the field. Quit being an anxious twit and have a bite a'eggs, geez!" Paddy plopped a spoonful of eggs onto Henry's silver plate and with a surprised look at the other boy who had his mouth full of ketchupy sausages, Henry took the tiniest bite.

Henry was expected to go to the stadium early to meet with the team and be fitted into his Grilled Cheese Duelling uniform. The locker rooms were behind the stadium but Henry was able to peak out to see the first early attendants take their seats in the stands. Many students had binoculars and even more had banners with either the Alpaggard crest or the Ivybell crest. The field was decorated in all burgundies and greens to support the playing teams for the day.

Jon and Esmani went early to find the best stand to support their friend. It was easy to see why binoculars were a handy tool. The stands could go very high and the field was liable to be action packed for this game. Shortly, Jon and Esmani were joined by Taryn, Paddy, and Jeremy Tucker. To surprise Henry, they made a huge banner out of a bed sheet Scribbler peed on (they cut that bit off) and painted in big, bold letters Puffer Flipping Rules! Paddy had come up with the pun and Jon laughed really hard at it. Jeremy was a pretty good drawer and drew a flying llama along with a neat pair of Henry's glasses with a plumbob scar where the forehead would be. Esmani finished the look by putting a simple charm to make the paint sparkle and shine to be seen even if you were moving.

Back in the locker room, Henry had his white flight trousers on and tied tightly. They hugged his legs but were surprisingly breathable. Next were the Grilled Cheese Duelling pads. They were interesting things that tied around your legs and provided padding for your inner thighs and inner calves. Broom bruises and wood rash had been common back in the day. (Chpt. 7 in Grilled Cheese Duelling from Here, Now, to the Future) Ankles and feet were protected by mahogany colored leather boots that took a long time to lace up. Henry's heart raced when he put on the burgondie jersey that looked like a tunic over a very snug long sleeved undershirt that had sewn in padding to protect the chest and stomach. Henry also guessed it probably kept you warm with the wind. The jersey tunic was trimmed with gold and had the Alpaggard crest in gold on the front. On the back, across where his shoulder blades would be PUFFER was written in gold. A large, bold F for Flipper was in the middle. To protect the circumference of his forearms, Henry put on his bracers that matched his boots. The uniform was completed when he slipped on his fingerless leather gloves.

"Alright, alright! Team! Listen up!" Switch was speaking and Henry walked to the middle of the room to listen to their team captain and Defender.

"This is the big one! We've been dealt a sorry hand starting the season with Ivybell but it is what it is and we are going to not let it break us." Henry looked at Switch and then at each other player on his team.

Jordan Young, the Guard, looked thoughtful as he pushed up his glasses and nodded his head as Switch talked. He spotted Henry looking at him and gave him a kind smile.

Matthew Parsley, the Reviver, wasn't listening and instead stretching his wrist muscles by pulling his hand inward and outward.

Lex Gidion was one of the team's Stokers and the only girl on the team. She had scared Henry upon their first meeting. She was tall, muscular, and very blunt. She had been the most apprehensive of Henry at first because of his first year status but after the first practice she saw him play, she has been his biggest fan ever since.

Justin Krono was another Stoker. He didn't talk much but always looked focused and would give Henry a thumbs up from time to time.

Brian McRyan was the last Stoker and he was a very laid back charismatic dude. He also had huge biceps and Henry was pretty sure he would always be in a gym if he was a Normie. He was also a seventh year and Switch would say about five times a practice how they were going to miss him next year.

"...ON THREE!" Oh...Henry had missed the entire speech! But he put his gloved hand in the middle along with six other hands and on three they all shouted.

"ALPAGGARD!"

Right behind Matt, Henry walked out of the locker room and onto the field. He could barely be supported on his shaking knees when the sun hit and he saw the thousands of Harnocks students and teachers taking up the entire stadium. In the distance, he thought he saw a banner that said Henry Flipping Rules! He laughed at the pun and hoped to remember to get a better look when he was in the air.

"Whatever happens Henry, you're gonna crush it," Matt patted his shoulder caringly.

Madam Hoover was the referee. Henry grabbed his Pegasus and took formation to begin the game just as he was taught at practice. The Defenders stand across from each other. Slightly behind them are Guard and Reviver, behind them are the three Stokers, and Henry is at the back of formation ready to take flight. He was mounted on the broom with his feet on the ground just as he had been taught. He was still able to hear Madam Hoover even though he was looking at his shaking hands.

"Welcome to the first game of the season ladies and gents," she began cheerily. "I want this match to be clean, fair, and fun…" her voice lost focus and loud and booming, the voice of Jaclyn rang throughout the entire stadium. He hadn't noticed that she had been jabbering once they had hit the field.

"The raw sandwich droppers from Alpaggard this morning is Jesse McNamara! On the Ivybell side we have...Kimmi Spider…"

"JACLYN!" The unmistakable voice of Garspatuon was heard faintly in the microphone. It seems he was the announcer's chaperone to make sure all comments were respectable.

It's an honor to be chosen as a raw sandwich dropper. You have to be in the House that is playing and you have to be chosen by your House Leader. It made Henry roll his eyes at how typical Snabes was to choose Kimmi Slymer as the raw sandwich dropper first. It was so revered because the sandwich had to be placed in the pan right when Madam Hoover started the game. If you messed up your team would start with fifty points! Faintly Henry could hear a whistling sound when…

"And there's Henry Puffer that NEEDS TO GET HIS BUTT UP IN THE SKY!" Jaclyn's voice yelled and Henry looked up to see thirteen players as well as Madam Hoover ten feet above him already. He missed the whistle in his first match! Oh NO! Henry kicked off very hard and met up with the team with the golden spatula clenched tightly in his right hand.

Henry started off with some preliminary cruising as Ryan Switch had called it. He checked the status of the raw sandwich (dropped perfectly and in the pan), he checked his sides, his back, and in front of him. Finally, he checked his team's fire. It was only a few embers. His team needed to score some points quickly!

"That Pane ball is flying folks! Lex Gidion flies above her teammate Justin Krono and drops it down to him. He's flying while Ivybell's Zach Tickymiester thinks he can block him and...what's this? Back handed back to Lex Gidion where she...YES she makes it into the fifty point goal past the hands of Ivybell Defender Marie Reshow!" Jack made a very good announcer because Henry was able to focus on the Pane ball, travel down the tunnel and hit the biggest billow. It's what was needed because the Alpaggard stove had a couple of flames to begin to heat up their pan! Henry watched Marie Reshow fly low and grab the Pane ball off the billow with a frustrated yell. She threw it up just in time for one of the Ivybell Stokers to catch it and put it back into play. Marie then flew up back to defend the goals.

"Matthew Parsley stoops low to Revive his fellow Stoker that just got hit by a Burro ball by Ivybell's Billy Zieter!" Jack was saying and if Henry hadn't been looking at the perfect time he would have missed it. So this was that trick up Jack's sleeve that she had mentioned all of those weeks ago. She spoke of Matt stooping low in the present tense but when Henry looked at Matt, he was doing no such thing until he heard Jack's voice. He began to descend towards the side lines just as Justin got pegged in the shoulder from behind. She had calculated that Justin would get hit and was able to warn Matt in time to give him extra seconds. "Parsley is watching his six at the Burro Ball coming right at him!" Justin had barely dismounted his broom when Matt squeezed his broom with both thighs as he hit a Burro ball away from hitting him with his left hand and tagged Justin in the shoulder with his right hand. "Krono and Parsley both ascended back into play and man does Parsley look extremely attractive doing it like...woah. You can tell he's been working out because his arms…"

"JACLYN!"

"Sorry, sorry..okay so Ivybell just scored one hundred points while Ryan Switch of Alpaggard stooped low to put the Pane ball back into play. Henry looked nervously to the Ivybell stove with a way hotter fire than the one currently on Alpaggard's. Henry must have just been hovering dumbly with all of the commotion when a yellow ball came into focus getting bigger and bigger!

So quick Henry could feel the heat from the Sarten Racket, Matt hit it away and was hovering right next to him. He was sweaty and breathing heavily.

"Don't make it easy by being a sitting duck, mate," he laughed, "keep moving!" He then was off and Henry snapped out of it and ducked low to survey the stoves on each side. More points had been earned and Henry was trying to keep up with not only what he was seeing as well as what Jack was saying.

"This game is heating up...ya know...because both Alpaggard and Ivybell stoves are a'blazing right now. Brian McRyan tosses it neatly to Lex Gidion as she goes to-nope that's gonna be overtaken by Ivybell's Trent Lewis. He owes me five roodies but I digress; so anyway we've got him flying around aimless-I mean diligently to-OH a toss to the twenty five goal and NOPE that's gonna be a block from Alpaggard's Defender Ryan Switch. That backflip move really takes a toll on your broom head but like, who even cares because it looks cooler than...shhhips. (I know, I know...no swearing...geez) Henry laughed at the muffled correction even on the stadium speakers. OUCH! Oh geez Lex Gidion takes a Burro to the left cheek. Just know she ain't blushin' next time you see her. That's gotta burn. Matt's already in pursuit to revive her and he can see the other Burro ball coming towards his three. It's outta there folks and Lex is back in the game!"

In the stands, Jon and Esmani had to squeeze together to give Hagish some room to sit too. Esmani noticed Jon's cheeks get really red in cold weather. Maybe she should get him a thicker scarf for Winterfest?

"I couldn't watch from my hut any longer! This is too intense!" He said. "Has Henry given the 'wich the first flip yet?" Jon shook his head and looked to be hiding behind his corner of the banner he was to be holding up.

"Henry hasn't had to do much right now," Esmani informed. "But he's doing good things. He looks focused and attentive. Jordan Young and Matt had to wack a couple of Burro's away from him but all in all it's been pretty great!"

Back in the sky, Henry tried to follow Switch's gameplan. He wasn't to be too showy or flashy. Just look, listen, smell and only swoop down and show your true skill when it's time to flip. He sniffed the air and got excited...but someone had ordered a corn dog from the snack stand. He listened for sizzling and perked up but it was someone blowing air through their hands to ebb the cold November air. He looked high and low as he did lazy loop-de-loops until he looked at Alpaggard flames.

They were roaring!

He swooped down with the spatula in hand to get a better look.

"Henry Puffer, first year extraordinaire Flipper is being tailed by Ivybell Flipper Chris Pinn!" Henry took into consideration Jack's off time announcement and looked behind him. Chris wasn't very close yet but he was gaining on him. Henry noted that Flippers are allowed to knock other Flippers off course and in seemingly no time he felt the bony shoulder of Chris knock into him.

"Ah!" Henry was caught by surprise and had to change his stance on his broom so he wouldn't careen into the viewers in the stands. Chris was circling low by the Alpaggard's stove and knew by regulation he was only allowed to do so for thirty seconds. So Henry slowed down a bit which gave him perfect speed to look and smell that first side cooking.

"ARG!" Chris yelled as Jack called him out on lingering. Madam Hoover made him go to the sidelines for the foul and would be able to be revived in one minute playing time. That bought time!

"NO MORE POINTS OR OURS WILL BURN WITHOUT OUR FLIPPER!" An Ivybell shouted. Henry could see the crispy edges, smell the butter, and hear the sizzle. He pulled up right next to it knowing Jordan and Matt both were above him to keep the Burros at bay. Henry took his spatula, placed it under the sandwich, and flipped.

Perfectly golden, toasty, and brown!

"WE HAVE THE FIRST FLIP FROM ALPAGGARD! Nice, brown, and toasty but Alpaggard can't get TOO boasty because Ivybell Flipper Chris Pinn is back in and going for the Ivybell stove." Jack commented.

Switch had advised Henry not to play Flipper offense his first game and leave it to Jordan and Matt. So Henry rose up and resumed his defensive waiting. Hey! That banner did say Puffer Flipping Rules! There was Jon, Esmani, Hagish, Paddy, Taryn, and Jeremy! He waved with a huge grin. It was only but a second but as he looked towards his friends he heard Jack's alarmed voice.

"Henry Puffer better WATCH out! Chris is mad and...what...the...F…?!"

BAM!

Hot, burning, greasy pain shot down from Henry's neck to his shoulder. He had been hit by a Burro ball in the neck! He held onto his broom with one hand and held where it made contact with the other. Don't drop the spatula...Henry shifted it between his fingers.

"THAT DIRTY CHEATING IVYBUG…" Jack was having a hard time sounding unbiased.

"Jaclyn…" Garspatuon's voice warned but he was obviously alarmed too.

"Foul!" Alpaggards were screaming from the stands.

Henry hadn't seen it, but as he descended and got off his broom on the sidelines he heard Jack's recap. It made him just as mad as everyone else when she had finished.

"Ivybell Guard tossed it to Ivybell Flipper Chris Pinn. He used his broom to hit the Burro ball to hit Alpaggard Flipper Henry. I don't know about you folks, but I'm pretty dang sure Flippers are not able to handle Burro balls in any way…" As Madam Hoover set up the foul with Alpaggard getting a free hit taken by Lex, Jack was still chattering. "So a free shot will be for Alpaggard after the grubby cheater…"

"Jaclyn…I'm warning you."

"Okay so the dude earned a foul because he hit Henry on purpose and that's not what a Flipper is supposed to do. Real talk. Write that up as a fact."

On the ground, Henry noticed Alpaggard's stove was losing a lot of flame. Glowing red embers with only a lick of flame here and there. He swallowed nervously and watched for Matt who looked like he was dodging and swatting both Burro balls like two, softball sized angry bees. Jordan was trying his best to do his job and help.

"So...Chris Pinn has made the first flip for Ivybell. It's a little crispy but still in play. That put Ivybell at 225 and Alpaggard at 350 with both sides to be cooked to end this game," Jack sounded less cheerful. Ivybells were cheering their heads off and Henry was looking up and watching Matt whiz to and fro. If he gets tagged by a Burro ball...the game is over!

CRASH!

Matt Parsley stopped his broom so hard he fell right off, rolled, and grabbed Henry's ankle to tag him back in.

"GET GOING!" He yelled.

"That's a fair play folks! You can't touch feet on the field unless you are a Defender but Matthew Parsley was on the sideline section where you must be on your feet so...Henry Puffer is back in the game!"

Alpaggard students roared while Ivybell students booed.

Henry quickly mounted and kicked off.

He kept going up.

And up…

And...up…?!

People had to shield their eyes and many pointed their fingers at Henry.

"What's wrong with Henry?" Hagish asked the children back in the stands.

"Is it a penalty when Flippers get sidelined?" Jeremy asked.

"No, lad nobody or nothing can hinder a broomstick unless they know…" he paused, "Untamed Magic." At his words, Jon looked at Esmani nervously and she looked very pensive. Frantically, she began to search the crowd as Jack was talking very quick with alarm.

"Henry Puffer is going up and up, folks. I don't know this strat but let me tell you...the grilled cheese is not going to be flipped from all the way up there!"

"What...what are you looking for?" Jon wanted to know.

"I knew it," Esmani gasped and grabbed Jon so hard he landed right into her so they were cheek to cheek. His red one felt extremely warm against hers. "Look at Snabes!" She held the binoculars hanging around her neck for Jon and he peered through. Snabes was in the faculty box and her mouth was...moving?

"What's she doing? What should we do?" Jon moaned.

"She's hexing it or something," she gasped, "leave it to me!"

Jon couldn't say another word and instead looked up at his tiny dot of a friend soaring through the air in jagged swishes dangerously high above the field. When he looked back towards where Esmani had been, she was gone!

Back in the air, Henry's broom was shaking and jerking so hard his thighs ached from holding on so hard. People below him were now on their feet watching horrified to see an eleven year old boy on an uncontrollable broom nearly sixty four feet in the air! Matt and Jordan both flew up to meet him and tried to pull him back down to safety but if they got near, the broom would lurch away without Henry telling it to do so. Henry screamed to them both that it was no use and he hurriedly explained to them the situation of the rouge broom. Matt barked a few instructions to Jordan and the two decided to circle below Henry like hungry sharks obviously to catch him if he fell. Matt's eyes were also focused on the game in case any of the Stokers needed to be revived. In that time, Ivybell scored two twenty five goals to make their fire hotter.

"Whatever you're doing, Esmani, do it quickly," Jon whispered to the air back in the stands. His eyes flitted every which way to find her but she was completely gone. He trusted her but he hoped she knew what she was doing.

The girl in question elbowed and threw her weight around to get across the stands towards the faculty box where Snabes was. At full speed she ran and tripped over someone's discarded soda container which careened her into Professor Querkle a few stands above where Snabes was sitting.

"OH NO!" Querkle said as she gently went down into the arms of Professor Hoppcraft.

Stealthily climbing down each stand to get to Snabes, Esmani crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few words to ignite the fire spell she had used back in the courtyard to keep her and her friends warm yesterday. In a flash of blue light and flame, the little fire ignited the hem of Snabes' robe.

In about fifteen seconds, Snabes realized her ankles were ablaze! A sudden yelp fell from her lips and told Esmani that her job was done. She was tiny enough that she was already long gone before Snabes had the sense to put out the fire with her own charm.

Back in the air, Henry suddenly was able to control his broom again!

Taryn was sobbing loudly into Hagish's coat the entire time in the stands.

"Taryn! Quit that and LOOK! He's got it!" Jon yelled.

Henry knew two things.

His broom was back in his control.

And the Alpaggard sandwich was done. He could feel that it was.

Henry sped at an even more sickening decline than the one he had done to catch Taryn's Forget-Me-Knot. Jack must have been painting the scene, because Henry could only hear the wind whipping past his ears and the crowd screaming and yelling. The Alpaggard stove was getting closer and closer. Henry had too much speed to be able to stop and his thighs were killing him so he did the only thing he could think to do.

He leveled out his broom and let it slow by itself and let his body fall to the side.

People were shrieking.

Upside down on his broom he held the spatula between his teeth while he adjusted his weight and held on. The gold pan was upside down but he could see that in just a bit more time he would…

Henry let go and stretched his entire body so his legs were the only thing keeping him onto his broom while he rode upside down. The edge of the stove came quick but with his left hand he caught the corner and used that to slow the broom down to a stop. He felt his shoulder muscle pull and he knew that would hurt in the morning. But he was stopped and hanging upside down above the stove. He reached down and flipped the sandwich onto the golden plate.

CLUNK!

White hot heat hit him in his exposed stomach and he was knocked from his broom flat on his back three yards behind the stove on the ground. Henry wheezed to regain the breath he had lost while Madam Hoover was also on the ground over top of him.

"Henry! HENRY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

Rolling over, Henry crawled on all floors still coughing until he reached the stove. Slowly, he used the back of it to pull himself up. With his left hand clutching his stomach he grabbed the edge of the golden plate with the other and held it up (it was heavier than he thought)

Perfectly. Golden. Brown.

"ALPAGGARD'S SANDWICH IS DONE! It is a PERFECT flip! They are now locked in at 425 points and Ivybell has yet to flip at 375!" Henry was helped to the sidelines by Madam Hoover now that his job was done. He had barely sat down when Jack's excited voice filled the stadium.

"Chris Pinn goes for the flip and...it's BURNT! Ladies and gentleman the second side is a smoked puppy! Final score is Alpaggard 425 and Ivybell 475 with ALPAGGARD AS THE WINNERS!"

The crowd was in an uproar!

All six of the other team members flew down and all but tossed their brooms to the side to raise Henry up chanting over and over again:

"HENRY FLIPPING RULES! HENRY FLIPPING RULES!

In Hagish's Hut during lunch time, Henry's grin was still firmly in place. Hagish had prepared him an ice pack for his tender shoulder as Jon, Esmani, and Hagish spoke to him about what he hadn't seen back in the stands.

"It was Snabes," Jon said with finality. "You can't convince me otherwise. I saw her mouth moving. She was putting curses or Watcher knows what on Henry's broom!"

"Why would Snabes do a thing like that?" Hagish inquired.

"Hagish...why do you defend her? You're supposed to be on our side," Henry began getting a bit heated. "We found out something about her, you know! She tried to get past that three-headed dog in the forbidden corridor on Spooky Day. The dog bit her, Hagish. We think she was trying to steal whatever it's guarding!"

Hagish dropped the whole tea kettle with a sickening crash.

"How in blazes do you know about Smooches?"

"Smooches?!" All three younger voices said in harmony.

"Yeah...he's mine! I bought him as a pup in Aarbyville. Picture all the smooches a wee pup can give with those three cutie pie heads! Hence his name! I lent him to Simbledore to guard the…"

"What? Guard the what, Hagish?" Henry was nearly on his feet until he cringed from the pain in his shoulder. He had denied going to the Healing Wing. It wasn't that bad.

"No more of that! You should not have seen that! I'm not saying a word, you hear. I am on your side, lads. But you also gotta remember you are children and as much as it pains me to say this but these matters are for adults only. So that's that."

"But Snabes is trying to steal it, Hagish!"

"She is a prestigious Harnocks teacher and would do none of that!"

"What kind of prestigious teacher would try and kill an eleven year old boy, Hagish?" Esmani cried. Jon looked at her in surprise. She really was warming up to the idea of teachers not always being saint-like. "I know what curses look like! Querkle is kinda starting us out slow in class but I've read and reread about them time and time…"

"Believe you me Miss Esmani I know what a curse looks like too and you're wrong," Hagish was being uncharacteristically curt. "I don't know why Henry's broom did what it did but Snabes wouldn't try and kill a student! Please listen to me and listen good. I never have and never will lead you astray so put this in your bean and keep it there. Stop meddling about in adult matters. It's dangerous. Forget Smooches and what he's guarding. That is business between Simbledore and Mitchell Flannel…"

"AHA!" Exclaimed Henry. "So Mitchell Flannel...Simbledore's old friend has something to do with it. I learned on my Popkin card…"

"ARG! Hagish interrupted in frustration. He was furious with himself.