As November got underway, it started to get colder and colder. Ice started to form on almost every surface available outside the castle, and even the Black Lake turned to ice. Hagrid, the poor man, he was defrosting brooms on the Quidditch Pitch in a large moleskin coat. As the season changed, Quidditch Season began. The first match was between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Our team captain, Oliver Wood, hadn't let anyone see Harry play, as he was gonna be our secret weapon. However, that news leaked, and everyone was bombarding Harry with either praises or insults. Having Hermione join our little group was a blessing for Ron and Harry. She helped them with homework, especially Harry who was getting overwhelmed with Quidditch practice. Since joining our group, Hermione's desire to follow all the rules had diminished and she was more relaxed regarding them. The day before the first match of the season, we were out in the courtyard around a blue fire that Hermione had conjured and put in a mason jar. The four of us stood with our backs to the flame as Snape crossed the courtyard. He was limping, which was weird. We shifted so that the flame was blocked from view. However, something caught Snape's eye and he started to stride towards us. "What's there you've got there, Potter?" Snape demanded. Harry showed him the book he was holding, Quidditch Through the Ages. Snape scowled. "Library books are not to be taken outside of the school. Give it to me, five points from Gryffindor." Harry reluctantly handed the book over. Snape snatched it out of his hand and limped away.
"That's not even a school rule." I told my friends. "He's just out for us 'cause the match is soon."
"Wonder what's wrong with his leg." Harry commented.
"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him." Ron added.
TIMESKIP
That night, the common room was noisy as usual. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I took up a spot near a window to finish our homework. Hermione was looking over the boy's Charms homework. Harry was antsy, and finally, he stood, declaring that he was going to try and get Quidditch Through the Ages back. "Rather you than me." Ron and Hermione chorused. Harry left the common room. About ten minutes later, Harry raced back into the common room and sat down again.
"Did you get it?" Ron asked. I then caught the look on Harry's face.
"Hey." I said softly, putting my quill back into the inkpot. "Are you ok?" Harry dropped his voice to whisper and explained to us what he saw and heard. Snape and Filch were in there together, the caretaker bandaging Snape's leg. Snape was talking about the Cerberus on the third floor.
"You know what this means?" Harry breathed. "He tries to get past the three-headed dog on Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him, he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to create a diversion."
"No, he wouldn't." Hermione protested. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."
"Honestly Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something." Ron snapped at her. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"
"I wouldn't dwell on it." I said. "We've got more important things to worry about right now, like doing your homework, now get to it."
TIMESKIP
The next morning, the dining hall was filled with the smell of delicious food and the chatter of the first Quidditch match of the season. "You've got to eat something Harry." I said before shovelling some eggs into my mouth.
"I don't want anything." Harry protested.
"Just a bit of toast." Hermione pleaded.
"I'm not hungry."
"Harry, you need your strength." One of the first years, Seamus Finnigan added. "Seekers are always the ones who get nobbled by the other team."
"Thanks Seamus…"
TIMESKIP
By eleven, I could hear almost the entire school had converged onto the stands of the Quidditch Pitch. In the Gryffindor changing rooms, our team were changing into our robes. Our team consisted of Oliver Wood, our captain and keeper, Fred and George, our beaters, Harry our seeker, and the chasers consisted of myself, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson. When we were done, Oliver cleared his throat for silence. "Ok men." He started.
"And women." Angelina but in.
"And women." Oliver corrected. "This is it."
"The big one." Fred added.
"The one we've all been waiting for." George continued.
"We know Oliver's speech by heart, we were in the team last year."
"And Kenzie was in the year before that."
"Shut up you two." Oliver interrupted. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win, I know it." Oliver glared at us as if to say 'or else'. "Right, it's time, follow me." The seven of us collected our brooms and walked onto the pitch after Oliver. Harry's was clearly the best broom on the team. The rest of us had older brooms like Cleansweep's and comets. Mum and Dad managed to scrape together enough money to get the twins a broom each when they joined the team last year. I was stuck with a school-issued broom and only managed to convince my older brother Charlie to give me his broom this year. We all had Cleansweep Fives, not the best, but they kept us in the air. Madam Hooch, the flying instructor for the first years, was the referee for the match.
"Now I want a nice, fair game, all of you." Hooch ordered, her gaze set on the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint. "Mount your brooms, please." I got on my broom and lifted into the air once Hooch blew her whistle. The Quaffle was released and the game began. Angelina got possession, who passed it to me. I flew towards the goalposts and passed it back to Angelina but Flint snatched it out of the air. He was about to score, but Oliver managed to save it. He passed it to Katie who started to fly it up the pitch, but she was hit in the back of the head with a bludger (one I swear that one of the Slytherin beaters directed right at her). Another Slytherin managed to get the Quaffle and was booking it towards our goalposts until Fred shot a bludger at him. Angelina managed to grab the Quaffle and flew towards the Slytherin goal posts, managing to score the first point of the game.
The game progressed as normal. but soon my eyes caught a flailing broom above us. I looked up and saw Harry's broom jerking around in the air. The Gryffindor team stopped playing, hovering low underneath Harry to catch him in case he fell. I could faintly hear that we were behind, as Flint scored five times as we ignored the game. It was a little while before Harry was able to climb back onto his broom, which was a relief. I watched as the black-haired boy clamp his hand to his mouth. He sped to the ground and managed to land before spitting something out into his hands. A smile crept onto my face as I saw a flash of gold. He caught the snitch!
"I caught the snitch!" Harry shouted.
TIMESKIP
Later that night, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were in Hagrid's hut discussing the match. "It was Snape!" Ron persisted. "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering...he wouldn't take his eyes off you."
"Rubbish." Hagrid argued. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"
"I found something about him." Harry revealed. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween. It bit him. We think he's trying to steal whatever he's guarding." Hagrid dropped the teapot he was holding.
"How do you know about Fluffy?"
"The...the Cerberus's name is...Fluffy?" I clarified.
"Yeah, he's mine, bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year. I leant him to Dumbledore to guard the-"
"Yes?" Harry questioned, leaning forward.
"Now don't ask me anymore. That's top-secret that is."
"But Snape's trying to steal it."
"Rubbish." Hagrid repeated. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."
"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" Hermione stated. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them. You've got to keep eye contact and snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"
"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong! I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now listen to me, all four of yeh, yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin'. That's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel."
"Ah!" Harry exclaimed. "So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?" I glanced up at Hagrid, he seemed angry at himself for saying so much.