"Next time, Cub, find a safer way to make friends with somebody." Remus implored his younger cub. Who just nodded blankly, trying not to think of wrestling a troll. Absently, his hands moved and started drawing the scene.

"Shall we move on?" Severus asked after taking a breath.

Harry shook his head and struggled out of Sirius' hold. He pulled Sirius up with him and gave his younger self a look, and the boy followed as Harry gently led Sirius out of the room. They were going to get their godfather sorted out before anything else happened.

Everyone else waited until they were gone before they nodded in agreement that they should move on, and the book started again. Chapter 11, Quidditch.

Remus cheered, this was going to be a good chapter, nothing could go wrong with Quidditch! Well, there was that one game his sixth year, when Sirius was in the hospital wing in a coma... but that was a fluke, a freak accident. His cub would be fine.

(As they entered November, the weather turned very cold.)

Ron and Hermione narrowed their eyes. They'd had to force Harry to owl order some decent shoes and boots, because his had been falling apart and by the end of breakfast, his feet would be half frozen. He'd often have the beginnings of frostbite by the time classes were over and they could retreat back to the Common Room fire. It was even worse on days they had Herbology and had to leave the castle to venture out into the snow, once it came. Even then, he'd gotten the cheapest he could while still promising to be warm.

They both shot a glare towards the Dursleys.

(The mountains around the... ground was covered in frost.)

"Hogwarts is so beautiful in the winter." Luna murmured.

Everyone nodded in agreement. "It was a shame the snow came later that year, though." Fred started.

"Yeah, we were looking forward to snowball fights and such." George agreed.

Ron shrugged. "We still got our Christmas fight in, didn't we?" He asked rhetorically. The Twins shrugged.

(Hagrid could be seen... on the Quidditch field,)

"I've never gotten why that was needed." Hermione spoke up. Everyone looked at her like she was somewhat crazy.

"Um, so the cold doesn't affect the runes and enchantments in the brooms. So we can still fly on them...?" Ron asked/stated.

"No, I get that part." She scowled at him. "No, why not heat the broom shed. Get some runes or something around it, or set it up so the warming charms don't just fade, and keep it heated during the winter. It would save Hagrid some time that I'm sure he could spend doing other things."

The teachers blinked and looked at each other. "Why didn't we ever think of that?" Minerva asked.

"It would even allow the school brooms to last even longer, because as they get older, the cold will affect the basic enchantments on them even more." Filius said thoughtfully.

"Of course, they would still need replacing every so often, but they would not be in as bad shape as they currently are." Severus agreed.

"They would still functional, meaning they could possibly be donated somewhere." Pomona said.

"Hmm... Filius." Albus said, and held out what he'd been working on since this conversation started. Good at Runes and Charms as he was, he never bothered to really study them any further than his NEWTS and what he picked up here and there over the years. Filius had a Double Mastery in both, since Runes and Charms could be linked together so easily sometimes. So, Filius would be the best person here to check his work in starting the project they were discussing.

"This looks good... tweak this a bit... move that around, this Rune is good, but this one would be better..." Filius muttered while he redrew what Dumbledore had already done, and made the changes as he went. Finally, he looked up and nodded in thanks.

(bundled up in a long moleskin... Quidditch season had begun.)

All the Quidditch nuts cheered while Draco scowled.

He'd lost quite a bit of money in the betting pools, because he was determined that Potter only got on the team because of his celebrity status, and therefore couldn't possibly play. His father had not been happy when he heard.

(On Saturday, Harry would... Gryffindor versus Slytherin.)

"Always the worst game." Pomfrey said with a sigh.

"Which is why we hold that game first, to get it out of the way." Minerva said, shaking her head. Severus just quirked an eyebrow and said nothing.

"Somebody really needs to do something about the House rivalry between us." Hermione said, shaking her head. She always found it ridiculous that half the students in the castle held such hatred for each other when everything that happened between the two Houses, happened over a thousand years ago. Not to mention, who knows how much of the story was true, and how much was changed to fit somebody else's image of events, or how much of the truth was lost to time.

It was a thousand years, unless Godric's portrait finally opened his mouth and said something, or a personal journal was found, they were never going to know what was true and what was biased rumors that were thought of as fact.

"Agreed." Pomfrey snapped. "The amount of Gryffindor or Slytherin students I get in my Wing because of that rivalry... especially around Quidditch season!" The teachers looked at each other, maybe they could do better with at least cooling things down between the two Houses.

Remus didn't care about any of that, he just wanted to hear about Harry's first Quidditch match.

(If Gryffindor won, they would... anyone had seen Harry play)

"That's the only thing Oliver managed to keep secret." The Twins said with an eye roll each.

"Yes, he even went so far as to ask me to teach him some privacy wards, that he then put up around the Pitch, along with making sure to book the pitch for as late as he could manage while still having light to see." Minerva said with her own eye roll.

(because Wood had decided... should be kept, well, secret.)

Snorts were heard all over the room. Keeping something secret, within Hogwarts?

Please.

(But the news that... had leaked out somehow,)

"It didn't leak." Fred said seriously.

"It poured, and within five minutes of it happening, too." George finished cheerfully.

"It was quite impressive, even for Hogwarts." Neville nodded in agreement.

(and Harry didn't know... underneath him holding a mattress.)

Remus winced. "I bet that didn't help his nerves." He said in sympathy. Ron and Hermione grimaced and shook their heads.

"He just about stopped eating that whole week." Ron said.

"Yeah, we had to force him to eat, and then I had to brew up a potion for nausea so he could keep what little we managed to get in him, down." Hermione said in agreement. Remus shook his head and glanced towards the door where the boys had taken Sirius.

Draco hunched down into his seat, he'd been the one spreading rumors that he'd seen Potter flying, and it wasn't anything special. Not that he really saw him flying, he just chose to spread his own beliefs and make it sound like he really saw it. The people telling him that they would have a mattress ready came from an off-hand comment he made.

(It was really lucky that... all his homework without her,)

Hermione sighed. "He's better with it than he gives himself credit for." She grumbled, thinking about how so much of his mindset regarding homework was ingrained from the Dursleys. And, he really was better with his homework than he ever gave himself credit for, even without that mindset. So many times he would be determined that a paper or something was horrible, only for her to say it was fine, and then for him to get a higher grade than he'd been expecting.

Now, that being said, his essays could still use some work, they were far from perfect, but they weren't as bad as he seemed to always think.

(what with all the last... Wood was making them do.)

"Although, it is difficult for him to do it when Wood is in one of his moods." She sighed. The Twins just grinned and shrugged at her.

Minerva sighed and made a note to make a rule with Oliver Wood. The players get at least two nights a week to themselves, no Quidditch. That way they could get some homework done.

(She had also lent him... a World Cup match in 1473;)

"Seriously?" Hermione asked, deadpan.

"Yeah, one of the ghosts at Hogwarts was one of the players for that match, I guess at one point play was stopped for an hour just so they could get all the penalty shots that got racked up within minutes, taken care of. He said it was the most intense game he'd ever played." Ron said.

Neville nodded, he remembered this conversation. "The ref would call one foul, while another one was happening right in front of him." They didn't mention that they'd watched the ghosts memories... they'd been asked not to share that ghosts could project their memories of events. When they asked Nick later on why not, he said something about ghosts never getting any peace if wizards knew. Right now, they were mostly just left to do their own thing, with the occasional conversation and a job to do as Hogwarts ghosts towards keeping an eye out for the students.

That was the way they wanted to keep it.

Hermione stared at them with wide eyes. She couldn't imagine that anybody would be willing to break so many rules, and all at once! Why would they do that, rules were rules. Hermione just shook her head.

(that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players,)

Both Ron and Hermione glared at the Dursleys while muttering about it not being his fault he was the smallest in their year. He had hit a bit of a growth spurt, after so many years of Hogwarts food and being fed by Molly Weasley.

(and that most serious... to happen to them;)

Remus grimaced, that was one part of Harry being the Seeker that he didn't want to think about. As proud as he was of his Cub for getting on the team as a first year, and without even trying at that... he also didn't want to think that the Seeker was the one on the field with the biggest target painted on their backs. At least, for the Keeper, it was in the rules that they could only be targeted when the Quaffle was within a certain range to their goal posts.

The Seeker had no such rules to keep them from being targeted. They were kept safe only through their own flying ability and situational awareness. A bad flyer, won't last long without being taken out of the game, while an ok flyer might be able to avoid getting hit by anything if they were really careful and played smart. The good flyers can manage to get through a game without incident no problem. While the amazing flyers... they were untouchable.

The only way they might get caught is if they see the Snitch and pull a risky move that only they could have a hope of pulling off.

And Harry was an amazing flyer. He'd seen what Harry called flying. Just watching was enough to turn his grey hairs grey. Such a thing shouldn't be possible, but there you go.

(that although people rarely... later in the Sahara Desert.)

The Quidditch players all coughed, since they'd already mentioned this little tidbit in the earlier chapter. Hermione just looked alarmed at having it confirmed. She hadn't been sure if the players in the room had been teasing or not.

(Hermione had become a bit... from the mountain troll,)

The teachers all sighed. "And here we thought that she would be a good influence the boys." Minerva groaned.

"Well," Hermione said slowly. "I like to think that we were all good influences on each other." She said with a prim shrug. To the teachers disbelief.

(and she was much nicer... freezing courtyard during break,)

"Why were we outside, again? Instead of inside, where it was warmer?" Ron asked Hermione, but she shrugged. She didn't know why they went outside, that was just where they ended up.

(and she had conjured them... around in a jam jar.)

"Bright blue fire?" Severus muttered to himself, suspiciously while eyeing the girl. She turned red but didn't react otherwise.

"Very impressive, Ms Granger. Fire conjuration is usually a third year topic." Filius said, honestly impressed.

She blushed harder, but said. "I've always been good at conjuring different forms of light. Even when I was younger..." She glanced at her younger self, who's eyes lit up in recognition. "That spell is something of a specialty of mine, though. Even if I don't really use it much."

"Interesting..." Severus murmured to himself, looking at the girl calculatingly.

"I honestly forgot about that." Hermione murmured quietly. She used to do it all the time when she was younger. But, she got older and her parents told her to stop doing things like that, so she did. They made sure she knew that they weren't scared of her, but they still didn't want her doing any of that again.

"Why don't you use it more often?" Filius asked, shocked.

"Because fire burns books." Neville answered for her. "And she usually always has a book in her hand." Everyone nodded in understanding. Hermione just turned slightly red while reaching over to smack his arm, making him grin.

(They were standing with... once that Snape was limping.)

Severus scowled, of course. This was probably the start of the Trio's idea about him being a thief. He was many things. A former Death Eater (which came with its own baggage... murder and torture being chief among them), an angry and bitter man, but a thief was not one of them.

"Why did you not come to me?" Pomfrey asked, concerned.

Severus just looked at her, but didn't answer. Personally, he avoided the Hospital Wing at all costs if he could manage it. Too many times spent there during his school years, too much time spent there after he began spying. He was the Dark Lord's spy within Hogwarts, at the same time as he was the Order's spy within the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord didn't like it when his people couldn't bring him any useful information, or reported failure. Sometimes, he had a tendency of punishing all of them for the failure of a few.

(Harry, Ron, and Hermione... sure it wouldn't be allowed.)

"Not really." Minerva said, thinking. "Magic isn't really allowed in the corridors between classes, and while I suppose that you aren't in the corridors, it is still magic in between classes. And, if students were to see you using that and getting away with it, then they would start to think that it is allowed..." She said.

"Although, it is still an impressive bit of magic for one so young." Filius said happily. Hermione smiled at him.

"Besides, magic isn't allowed in order to give your cores time to rest. Particularly after a class like Transfiguration or Charms." Pomfrey said, frowning.

"It's the same reason we don't allow underage magic during the summers." Albus added. Hermione looked surprised. She thought it was keep the Muggleborn down, so the Purebloods could make themselves feel better when the Muggleborn don't have a chance to practice and they do.

(Unfortunately, something... faces caught Snape's eye.)

"Yeah, that would have been us." Ron said, gesturing between himself and Hermione.

"Actually, it was all three of you." Severus corrected, to their shock. "I went to school with James Potter. At that age, father and son had the exact same facial expression when they were playing innocent. That of an innocent little angel." He sneered. "It looked too innocent." He shook his head.

"Harry had the look perfected by the time term started again after winter holidays. After that, I could no longer catch him, just by looking." Minerva shook her head.

(He limped over. He hadn't... to tell them off anyway.)

Severus merely raised an eyebrow when the other teachers gave him unimpressed looks.

He felt he was justified, especially when a Potter had that angelic 'I'm innocent, nothing to see here', look on their face.

("What's that you've got... Ages. Harry showed him.)

"I was more disappointed that it wasn't something more that I could get him in trouble for." Severus lamented. "If I had seen the fire..." He shook his head. Ron and Hermione looked relieved.

The last thing any of them needed, especially so close to the Quidditch game, was for Harry to get a detention. Knowing Snape, he would have made it for Saturday, making it so Gryffindor was a player short. Not only that, but short the most important player. Just like he did for the Championship game their sixth year. They were just lucky that Harry had done what Wood never did, and had a couple of reserve players in mind. Since Ginny could do well enough as a Seeker, he just needed somebody to take her spot as a Chaser while switching her over.

They looked at each other and started letters of their own to Oliver, letting him know that reserve players were a good idea, no matter how much faith he had in his players.

("Library books are not to be taken outside the school,")

Minerva gave a delicate cough, before Remus could protest, while Filius and Albus looked at Severus, amused.

"And just how many library books found their way outside in the hands of yourself, Severus? Hmm?" Filius said, teasing his old student. Ron and Hermione looked at him in surprise while Severus turned red.

"In fact, I do believe she made that rule because of yourself, Lily, and Remus there." Minerva was amused. "How many books did you turn in with a few drops of water on them because it started raining out of nowhere while you were outside?" Now both Severus and Remus were beet red. The younger crowd were staring at them, mouths gaping in shock.

Remus they could kind of understand, the man was a Marauder, but Severus?

Although, they did suppose that Severus had already admitted to helping Lily Potter with pranks when they were in school together.

(said Snape. "Give it to me... made that rule up,")

"Hate to disappoint, but no, he didn't." Minerva said, sympathetic. Ron scowled.

"How are we supposed to know that, it's not like there's a list of rules anywhere. The only rules we know about are what's in Hogwarts, A History, and that thing only has the Hogwarts Charter in it." He grumbled.

"How..." The Twins started to ask how he knew that when he never read Hogwarts, A History, when he pointed to Hermione as his answer. "Oh, right."

Albus frowned, but made a note of it. Maybe have a booklet made and handed out to the students, that way it was guaranteed they had it... not everyone paid attention to the Notice Boards unless something was happening. And perhaps get a separate list made up and posted throughout the library, with one also by the doors as the students are leaving.

Severus frowned too, he had that same list posted on the Notice Board in Slytherin, didn't the other Houses? Judging by the looks on their faces, he would guess 'no'.

(Harry muttered angrily as... him," said Ron bitterly.)

"Ronald." Molly warned.

"What? He was being a git." Ron protested.

"That may be so, but the fact remains he is your professor, and having library books outside is against school rules, therefore he had every right to confiscate the book and take points." She scolded. She made sure to acknowledge that, yes, she did not appreciate the Professor's behavior either, but that didn't excuse her son. She couldn't control what the Professor did, but she did have a say in what her son did and how he acted.

"He didn't know it was a library book, he didn't even check! For all he knew it could have been Harry's personal copy!" Ron defended.

"And was it?" Severus asked, with a raised eyebrow. Already knowing it wasn't.

"Well, no. But you still didn't even ask or bother to check if it was or not. You just assumed, took it and those points, and walked off." Ron said, petulantly.

Severus frowned, as did Molly. Minerva put a hand on his arm to silence him before he could say anything else. "Next time, just check." She said quietly.

"For the record," Everyone turned when they heard Harry come in. "The copy I have now, is my own personal copy." He said, giving a pointed look while he and his younger self led Sirius back to their seat. The man looked much better now than he did, much calmer.

"What did we miss?" He asked, and the trio got caught up quickly.

(The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening.)

All the Gryffindor's snorted. "When is it not noisy?" They all asked, at the same time. All non-Gryffindor's slowly edged away from the Lions.

(Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat... them copy ("How will you learn?"),)

All the teachers nodded in agreement after looking at the boys sternly. "Hey, I wasn't the one wanting to just copy it out, I genuinely only wanted her to look it over for mistakes." Harry said, effectively throwing Ron to the wolves. Besides, Hermione was the one constantly accusing him of trying to copy, when all he did was ask if she could check it.

Molly looked at Ron sternly before she informed Ron that that better not happen when he started school.

Even Bill and Charlie looked mildly disappointed. They thought there baby brother knew better than expecting someone else to do his work for him. They thought they were better examples than that.

(but by asking her to read it... anyway.

Harry felt restless.)

"Oh." Ron and Hermione breathed. That explained so much from that night. Harry just had not been able to focus on anything, at all. When he got restless, it was best to let him go for a walk. Keeping him cooped up was not good, for anybody. It was probably left over from his time in the cupboard. He was forced to sit and stay in a small space for so long, that he just couldn't stand to do it when he didn't have to.

The two ignored the questioning glances while Harry smirked briefly. Honestly, they were pretty sure that not even they knew just how often Harry went for a walk, and just wandered the halls. It would not surprise them that Harry knew the castle better than even the Marauder's or the Twins.

Some of his best pranks went off after he was restless and went for a walk as well... he needed something to do with his hands that didn't involve sitting there and playing a game, so he wandered around, and he set up a prank. Like that time when all of Gryffindor woke up to find out that the boys and girls clothes had all been switched (he left a pair of underwear per person alone, thankfully. The rest of the underwear was fair game, though. He wasn't cruel or heartless.) That same morning, they also woke up covered in honey and feathers. Needless to say, Gryffindor was absent from classes that day while they tried to get cleaned up and hunt down their clothes.

The next morning, the clothes weren't touched, instead all the shower supplies disappeared and everyone woke up covered in glitter.

The morning after that, the entire school went to breakfast in their pajamas because every single uniform in the school disappeared. Even the Professors weren't exempt. They were forced to go to classes like that when the House-elves either wouldn't, or couldn't return them. The next morning, they returned... to the wrong houses. Gryffindor had to put up with Slytherin colors while Slytherin had to put up Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw got Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff got the Ravenclaws uniforms.

Yes, all that happened within one week. Harry was never caught or implicated. Ron and Hermione only knew it was him because Ron knew where he kept his supplies and found it all in there. They suspected he only switched from just Gryffindor, to the entire school because McGonagall was threatening to start questioning everyone in the Tower with Veritaserum until she found out which of her Lions was responsible. Targeting the while school certainly got her attention away from questioning the Lions.

Harry was very restless, every year, leading up to Halloween...

(He wanted Quidditch Through... he be afraid of Snape?)

Everyone who had ever been taught by Snape, looked at Harry like he was growing multiple heads. Did he seriously just ask that? It was official, Harry was nuts.

(Getting up, he told Ron and... than me," they said together,)

That got a few chuckles, while Harry glared playfully. Severus smirked.

(but Harry had an idea... other teachers listening.)

"Smart." A few people said.

"Except I had already returned that book to the library." Severus finally revealed with a smirk. Harry stared at him.

Of course he did.

(He made his way down to... He knocked again. Nothing.)

"I didn't hear anybody knocking." Severus said, tilting his head and thinking back. Harry blinked at him.

(Perhaps Snape had left... It was worth a try.)

The teachers glanced at each other and acknowledged that it was worth a try, since Harry didn't know that it was already handed in to the library. However, they also didn't want students in there when no teachers were present, just in case they had something laying out, like some homework or essays that they were working on. Or test papers.

(He pushed the door... horrible scene met his eyes.)

"Oo, what, what?" The Twins asked, leaning forward in excitement. Severus just narrowed his eyes at Harry, who looked back innocently.

Ok, this time, the boy was innocent. This time.

(Snape and Filch were inside... robes above his knees.)

Remus and Sirius couldn't resist the wolf whistles while those that were taught by Snape were stared at him disbelief.

The Twins were jokingly trying to get Bill to Obliviate them. Luckily, the eleven year olds were confused and had no idea what was happening.

"Keep reading." Severus snarled, face bright red. He was a healthy male who, despite jokes about him being asexual, appreciated the female body just fine, he'd had a couple of girlfriends of his own back when he was younger, as well. He just happened to be respectful and a gentleman, unlike the teenagers he was stuck teaching.

(One of his legs was bloody and mangled.)

Pomfrey narrowed her gaze at the stubborn Potions Master she had the misfortune of calling a colleague. He never came to her when he needed to! It was very frustrating!

(Filch was handing Snape bandages.)

"Much better." Ron muttered. Harry hadn't told them about the scene he walked in on, just said what the Potions Master had said and that his leg was all torn up. Severus scowled at the younger crowds sighs of relief.

Teenagers. Honestly.

Both Draco's were concerned for their godfather. Draco had known he was hurt, but not how bad. While Draco hadn't ever seen him hurt. It was one of those things where a young boy thinks the one they look up to the most is invincible, nothing can ever touch him.

"How on earth did you manage to get around with your leg in such a condition?" Molly finally asked, concerned. Pomfrey glared at him, incensed that he didn't come to her, she would have had it healed up in seconds. He wouldn't have had to walk around like this.

"Pain potions and experience." Severus answered Molly after a minute of debating whether to say anything at all.

("Blasted thing," Snape was... all three heads at once?")

"Well, you could transfigure something to keep the other two heads distracted while you deal with the third..." Remus started thoughtfully, now curious himself.

Sirius sighed fondly. "Remmy, we're not going to find a Cerberus just so you can experiment with different ways to fight it. If you really want to get past it, play it some music." He said patiently. He missed the days when they would sit for hours debating different ways of fighting different creatures. Often, it would end with Remus going out and finding those same creatures so he could test their new strategies out. Remus pouted at him while everyone else looked at them curiously.

"Since when were you telling me 'no'?" Usually, it was James who broke up the strategy sessions and often tied him to his bed so he couldn't go out and find some new creatures.

"Since I'm the only one here right now." Padfoot deadpanned. Moony scowled at him before reaching over and flicking him on the ear. A few of the older people smiled at the typical Marauder behavior while Severus scowled.

(Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but -

"POTTER!")

Sirius groaned. "Of course he saw you." He muttered with a glare. Severus always had a way of spotting the Marauder's at moments when they didn't want him to, they never found out how he did it, either. The only times he didn't find them was when they were under the Cloak.

Severus smirked.

(Snape's face was twisted with fury)

"It was a number nine glare." Harry said with a shudder. Everyone else taught by him shivered at the thought, while amazed Harry didn't drop dead right there. Level nine's were fairly rare, they couldn't think of anyone else who had ever received one.

"Number nine?" Severus asked, confused. Especially when even Draco looked away with the rest of his former students, shuddering. He looked at his colleagues, but they looked just as confused.

(as he dropped his robes... could have my book back.")

Sirius whistled. "You got guts, kiddo. I don't think anybody else would have still asked for it, knowing he was already angry." Harry turned red, but didn't say anything while Severus scowled.

("GET OUT! OUT!"

Harry left... He sprinted back upstairs.)

"Smart." Everybody said, Severus scowled at nothing. Unfortunately at the time, the brat hadn't done anything he could take for that Minerva wouldn't have reversed the point loss. Potter had every right to come asking for his book back.

And, he was the one changing his bandages in the staff room, instead of in his private quarters where nobody would or could have walked in on them. This was his fault, and such an amateur mistake...

("Did you get it?" Ron... "What's the matter?")

"He looked like he'd just escaped from Fluffy again." He said, conversationally. He kept the analogy at something they'd already come across in this book, for the benefit of those who hadn't lived through the books yet. No need to scare everybody before they read about it, after all. He got a few looks from those who knew that Harry had faced worse than Fluffy over the years.

Although Hagrid was slightly hurt that he would use Fluffy in this manner, as if the big dog was terrifying or something. He was just a big puppy, wouldn't hurt a fly after all. Ron caught his eye and grimaced in apology.

(In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen.)

"He left a few parts out." Ron informed them all.

"Thankfully." Hermione muttered.

Severus glared at the wall.

("You know what this... headed dog at Halloween!)

"Half right. I wasn't the one trying to get past it." Severus said with a scowl. Harry ducked his head sheepishly.

"In our defense, sir. You played the part of the villain rather well." Harry said, trying not to draw his temper. He had enjoyed the past year free of that temper, after all.

(That's where he was... in, to make a diversion!")

"Broomstick, please." Ron and Hermione both said, holding out their hands.

Harry blinked at them, confused, until he remembered what was just read and scowled. "I'm not giving you my Firebolt, no way. Besides, neither of you took the bet, it was never a set deal." He said, sticking his tongue out maturely. "Besides, if you want a good broom so badly, you can just ask the Room for one." He shrugged.

Ron blinked in surprise, before he sat back in thought. "I'll do that later, before our game." He finally decided. All the Weasleys looked at each other, excited by the thought.

"The parts about me doing it were wrong, the rest of your conclusion, however, is correct." Severus informed the room.

(Hermione's eyes were wide... something," snapped Ron.)

"That's a bad habit." Remus agreed with Ron, mostly thinking about what he'd heard of Harry's Defense professors over the years, and what he'd heard of the teacher they brought in to replace him at Harry's primary school. "Just because they are a teacher, doesn't mean they can't do bad stuff or hurt students." He said, turning to Hermione, who remained silent.

Teachers were the only people she'd ever had. Her parents, and her teachers, the other students were always picking on her, or making her do their work while the teachers were always the ones encouraging her or protecting her.

The other teachers nodded in reluctant agreement with Remus. While it was good that she trusted her teachers and the adults around her, she was a little too trusting... trust was good. Blind trust was not.

("I'm with Harry. I wouldn't... What's that dog guarding?")

"Million Galleon question, right there." The Twins muttered, tilting their heads to the side to think. They were curious now. They'd gone down there, but they hadn't seen anything worth guarding. It was just an empty room at the end of a series of easy obstacles.

They said as much out loud, much to the teacher's shock and Molly's ire.

"It's gotta be important for all this effort." Harry muttered, Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement. This would have been them trying to figure all this out, if it weren't for showing up here in this room.

(Harry went to bed with... Neville was snoring loudly,)

There were a few snickers while Neville turned red and tried to act like nothing at all was said. He glared at Ron when he was the one snickering the loudest. "I don't know what your snickering about. All four of us figured out how to cast time-activated silencing charms on our bed curtains years ago just so we can sleep through your snoring." He snipped at the ginger.

Ron stopped snickering abruptly and acted like nothing happened.

(but Harry couldn't sleep. He tried to empty his mind-)

Severus narrowed his eyes at the boy in question. Now he tried, why could he have not tried during their lessons?

Harry caught his gaze and narrowed his own eyes.

(he needed to sleep, he had... leg wasn't easy to forget.)

"You need to stop thinking." Severus almost snarled. That had been the boys biggest problem.

"That's not as easy as you seem to think it is." Harry snapped. "Especially when all you tell me is 'clear my mind'," He said it as sarcastically as possible. "Without ever telling me how to do that!" Sirius narrowed his own eyes.

"What is this?" He asked cautiously.

Severus and Harry stared at each other for a few moments. Hermione scowled and went to open her mouth and tell Sirius exactly what this was about, when Harry interrupted. "Nothing, Sirius. It can keep until the fifth book." Hermione looked at him reproachfully, but he ignored her.

(The next morning dawned... smell of fried sausages)

At the hungry sounds of appreciation, Molly sighed. "A few more chapters and we can eat. Until then," A bunch of snacks appeared on the table. "Here's something to tide you lot over." She shook her head fondly when her brood practically fell on the food. She nodded in approval when Dudley limited what Dudley grabbed and how much. He still got a good amount, but it wasn't what he would usual eat, and the options were healthier than what he would normally go for, too.

(and the cheerful chatter... a good Quidditch match.)

Everybody (except for the obvious suspects) cheered at the thought of a good Quidditch match. Only the Twins and Professor's knew what happened at this game, and of those only Severus knew what was really going on the whole time, up until he caught on fire, of course.

("You've got to eat some breakfast.")

Ron and Hermione sighed at this familiar song and dance. "You know when he's nervous or really upset about something when he goes off food." He advised Sirius, although they'd already covered this somewhat.

"No matter what he says, if he won't touch his food, you know he's lying." Hermione added. Remus nodded his agreement. He and his Sirius had figured that out pretty quick when Harry first arrived at Grimmauld Place before his fifth year. Sirius eyed his godson while Harry scowled at nothing.

("I don't want anything."... wheedled Hermione.

"I'm not hungry.")

Every Gryffindor in the room who ever had to sit through a meal with Harry leading up to an event sighed. A nervous Harry was a Harry that just could not eat. It was almost impossible to get him to eat in the first place, and then him keeping the food down was another challenge. Nausea potions happened to be one potion Hermione could brew in her sleep for a reason.

(Harry felt terrible. In an... by the other team.")

"You know, somehow I don't think that helped." Neville said, looking thoughtful. Harry laughed and shook his head.

No, it really hadn't. All he knew was that it was a good thing for those nausea potions Hermione brewed for him, or he would have lost what little breakfast he ate then and there.

("Thanks, Seamus," said... on his sausages.)

"It was not helping my stomach stay where it was supposed to." Harry muttered, rubbing said stomach.

Sirius threw an arm around his shoulders, but didn't say anything. He knew what that felt like, that was how it felt before he asked Marlene to marry him.

"It was amazing how sarcastic he can sound, sometimes." Ron whispered to Hermione, who nodded in agreement.

(By eleven o'clock the whole... around the Quidditch pitch.)

"Quidditch at Hogwarts."

"Oh, how we miss it." The Twins said, longingly.

"Especially the Gryffindor-Slytherin games. Those are always the most attended and most intense." Charlie said in agreement.

"The most fun to play, too." Bill added.

Pomfrey scowled. "And the most bloody." How often did she have both Quidditch teams in her Hospital Wing because of injuries sustained during the game? Honestly. She loved Hufflepuff-Gryffindor games, she rarely had anybody taking up a bed afterward.

(Many students had binoculars... going on sometimes.)

"The seats are not being raised higher." Hermione said, glaring at Ron when he opened his mouth to say something.

He slowly closed it and sat back, sulking. He knew she was afraid of heights, but that didn't mean she had to go all the way up, she could stay on the lower sections or something.

The adults chuckled at seeing those two interact. It wasn't any different than normal, and yet... somehow it was.

(Ron and Hermione joined... sheets Scabbers had ruined.)

Ron scowled at the reminder of that little rat sleeping in his bed.

Remus and Sirius grimaced. "Yeah, he's always had a thing for sheets. Never could figure out why." Remus said stiffly. He didn't want to be talking about the Rat. Even if Harry said he was dead in their time.

Ron looked at him, confused. How did they know Scabbers? His brother Percy only just gave him Scabbers the other day, and he'd been in their family for years.

(It said Potter for President,)

"Why president?" Harry asked, he'd actually wondered about that, but forgot to say anything.

Ron and Hermione blinked at each other. "You know, I don't remember." Hermione said. Ron shrugged.

(and Dean, who was good at drawing,)

"Hey, have you two ever compared your art?" Neville asked Harry.

He tilted his head to the side. "Yeah, a few times. I showed him a painting I did of the Hogwarts grounds one... the mist over the forest gave it a really cool affect."

"Do you still have any of the stuff you painted or drew at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, she'd never seen him drawing before coming to this Room. Well, he doodled on his class notes occasionally, but even she did that once in a while while studying or looking through them for homework.

Harry looked at her and nodded slowly, his hands going to the mokeskin pouch Hagrid had given him. He pulled out a small bag, that he reached in and pulled out a small trunk. "I keep them all in here. I bought an extra trunk, and the only thing I asked him to put on it was a shrinking charm so I could stick it in my pocket.

(had done a large Gryffindor... paint flashed different colors.)

Filius made a noise that sounded impressed, while a few other teachers looked at Hermione in thought.

(Meanwhile, in the locker... his throat for silence.)

Harry and the Twins snickered before they stood up and Harry faced the Twins, looking solemn. "Okay men," Harry said, seriously. Everyone watched, wondering what on earth they were doing now.

"And women." George said, trying to imitate a girl's higher voice, and only succeeding in making some of their audience fall over laughing.

"And women." Harry conceded with a regal nod in George's direction. "This is it." He said, adding some enthusiasm to his voice. He was tempted to rub his hands together like a Quidditch-crazed Oliver Wood had been seen doing sometimes, but didn't.

"The big one," Fred said.

"The one we've all been waiting for." George said, with a final nod.

"Shut up, you two." Harry snapped, just like Oliver did every year, every game, they went over this speech. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it." He glared at them, silently adding the 'or else'. Everyone just blinked.

The Twins snapped a quick salute and said, "Yes, sir!"

Then, all three sat down like nothing just happened. Leaving everyone to stare at them, wondering what did just happen.

("Okay, men," he said.)

Those that weren't on the team with them looked at the trio that were on the team that year in confusion. A couple realized what was going on and shook their heads in amusement.

("And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.)

"He was getting there." Harry said quickly, eyeing Hermione. She'd gone on a rant about men always forgetting that women weren't helpless, or something along those lines anyway, just last week. He still didn't know what on earth she saw that set her off. It was the day before they went to visit the Lovegood's, they were walking through a small village, looking for food (luckily Bill had provided Ron with some Muggle and wizarding money before he left to go find Harry and Hermione again), when she suddenly stopped to look at something, and then started ranting.

Hermione glared at nothing for a moment, before acting like Harry never said anything. To the relief of Ron and everyone else's confusion.

("And women," Wood agreed... for," said George.)

Minerva's face found her hands again. "Oh, Merlin." She muttered. The three boys laughed fondly.

That was their captain, alright.

("We know Oliver's speech... on the team last year.")

"Does he give the same speech everytime?" Minerva asked, glancing up.

"More or less." The three who flew with him said, caught between being amused and being resigned. Harry made a face, but didn't say anything.

("Shut up, you two,"... Gryffindor's had in years.)

"Agreed!" The three on said 'best team in years' called out happily. Fred and George glanced at Charlie.

Charlie scowled, but didn't say anything. His team had relied too much on him sometimes. Or at least, it felt that way. Oliver was the only one he felt pulled his own weight, and even then Oliver had only played the one year before Charlie graduated. He was on the reserve the year before because they already had somebody. That somebody then turned around and taught Oliver everything she knew... including her obsession with Quidditch, it seemed.

Well... Oliver had always been obsessed with Quidditch, she just made it worse.

(We're going to win... if to say, "Or else.")

"This explains so much." Severus muttered to his godsons. Draco nodded while Draco looked somewhat confused.

("Right. It's time. Good luck...

Madam Hooch was refereeing.)

"Like she always is." Charlie said with a nod.

"Until somebody decides to kill one of the players on the field." Harry grumbled, glaring briefly at Severus, who raised an eyebrow. Charlie just looked at them, confused.

(She stood in the middle... fair game, all of you,")

Everyone snorted. A fair game? Between Gryffindor and Slytherin?

Was she nuts?

Hermione looked confused. Why did they act like what she said was so funny? Why wouldn't it be a fair game?

"Fair, and Slytherin don't really go in the same sentence. Especially in Quidditch." Harry explained to her, glancing at Draco and Severus, who looked back innocently. She looked like she was going to say something else, but Pomona put a hand on her shoulder.

(she said, once they were... Flint, a sixth year.)

Hermione frowned, but didn't say anything.

(Harry thought Flint... troll blood in him.)

"Actually, no." Severus said, while his godsons snickered. "Rather, the family was cursed centuries ago so as to look like it." Harry blinked at him, slightly surprised, but then shook his head.

Of course they were cursed like that. Was there a family in Magical Britain that didn't get cursed in some way back then? He was honestly curious.

"Well, whatever is in his family history, guy hits like a Bludger." Harry informed the room. Fred and George scowled at nothing while everyone else glanced at Harry in concern.

(Out of the corner of his... skipped. He felt braver.)

Everyone jumped when they were nearly blinded by a new flash of light. When it cleared, a few of them were out of their seats, wands in hand, only to see what looked like a screen, floating in midair above the book. The scene on it was the one that was just described in the book, Harry quickly silenced the book and they all watched in amazement as the scene kept going, sound and everything.

He laughed. "Somebody in here wanted to watch the game instead of read it, huh? Alright, then." And he willed popcorn to appear. If they were going to watch, they were going to do it right. He did cast a nervous look at Sirius, though. He wasn't looking forward to his godfathers reaction to his broom being cursed.

Sirius saw the look and grew concerned. Did something happen during this game?

("Mount your brooms, please."... blast on her silver whistle.)

Remus grumbled about something and absently rubbed his ear while Sirius did the same. Harry was sitting between them, so he heard what they were grumbling about. Something about evil whistles, canine hearing, and jerk room-mates?

He was very confused.

Unlike with the charm on the book, the screen didn't stop for interruptions.

(Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.)

The Quidditch nuts who hadn't been there for this game cheered.

("And the Quaffle is taken... rather attractive, too -")

The younger Gryffindor's started laughing. Lee was constantly and forever jokingly flirting with Angelina. And she was constantly returning the favor, jokingly. All to get under Fred's skin. Especially once Fred admitted to liking the girl.

Fred scowled around at them. He knew they were always joking, but that didn't mean he always appreciated it.

("JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor.")

Minerva sighed. "No he wasn't." She muttered, and eyed the Twins as if they were the cause of Lee Jordan's unrepentant attitude. Them grinning like lunatics at their best friends actions didn't help their case any, either.

Although, she couldn't deny that his commentary was amusing. It was certainly more entertaining than some commentators they'd had in the past. Judging by the snickering of the younger people in the room, they agreed.

(The Weasley twins' friend... last year only a reserve-)

"Really." Sirius said in surprise, watching Alicia's playing. "Huh, I never would have guessed." He muttered. He silently agreed with Oliver's earlier statement about this being the best team Gryffindor had in years. He wasn't sure if even his team, with James in charge, had been quite this coordinated.

The Twins and Harry glanced at him in pride before going back to watching, with the Twins quietly critiquing themselves.

(back to Johnson and... have taken the Quaffle,)

The Gryffindor's groaned while the Slytherins smirked.

Sirius glanced quickly around the screen, searching for Harry, and found him flying around the pitch, high above the rest of the action, in a zig-zag pattern. He smirked when he saw the Gryffindor Beaters send a pair of Bludgers in the direction of the opposing Seeker.

(Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint... Gryffindors take the Quaffle-)

More cheers from the Gryffindor's and scowls from the Snakes. The Badgers and Ravens were leaning more towards supporting Gryffindor, but were otherwise neutral in this particular game. Especially since they could already guess, from earlier comments or from being there, who won.

(that's Chaser Katie Bell... of the head by a Bludger-)

Harry and Sirius both winced and rubbed their heads where they themselves had been hit, and both came away with a fractured skull. Incidentally, both incidents happened in the sixth year...

Sirius watched, worried, as Katie ended up having to be supported to the ground by Alicia, where Madam Pomfrey was waiting to check on her, while the game continued. He sighed in relief when she was simply given a potion by a very annoyed Healer before getting back up into the air a little while later.

Pomfrey scowled at the sight. She used to love Quidditch, played it herself in school. But, then she became a Healer. And became the one having to treat Quidditch related injuries... she didn't like Quidditch much, anymore.

(Quaffle taken by the... ahead and off she goes-)

A few started to cheer Angelina on, as if they were there and she could hear them.

(she's really flying- dodges... misses- GRYFFINDORS SCORE!")

The Slytherin's scowls got deeper while the rest of the room cheered even louder.

(Gryffindor cheers filled the... up there, move along.")

They were all startled when the screen suddenly changed perspective's, instead of following the game from where Lee was standing with Minerva, it suddenly changed to show Ron and Hermione.

("Hagrid!"

Ron and Hermione squeezed... as bein' in the crowd.)

"Nope! There's nothing quite like it." Sirius cheerfully agreed. Watching his pups first Quidditch game was putting him in a good mood.

(No sign of the Snitch yet... though, that's somethin',")

"Especially as the youngest and most inexperienced player on the field." Remus muttered in agreement, nodding in Hagrid's direction.

"I worried 'bout 'im." Hagrid admitted with a shrug. Everyone else just smiled at the half-giant before turning their attention back to the action.

(said Hagrid, raising his... speck that was Harry.)

The screen changed perspective again.

(Way up above them, Harry... his and Wood's game plan.)

The screen momentarily left the game, settling on an image of Harry and Oliver sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, talking with a miniature Quidditch Pitch board in front of them.

("Keep out of the way... before you have to be.")

"Sound advice." Sirius said in approval before the screen went back to the game. Minerva nodded in approval as well. Despite taking it to the extreme's sometimes, he did care for his players, and he was a good captain.

For a moment, Sirius was angry at how the Harry in the screen looked, as opposed to the older Harry right in front of him, especially when he remembered how Harry looked when they first arrived here. The boy had since been provided with clothes that fit, and he'd had a few days of properly eating, with his portions carefully being watched by Madam Pomfrey.

Only for a moment, though, before he forced himself to focus back on the game.

(When Angelina had scored... of the Weasleys' wristwatches,)

Everyone slumped back in disappointment. They'd seen the flash of gold, too, since this was all in Harry's perspective now, and they were disappointed when it turned out to be a false alarm. Although a few were impressed that Harry could tell from so far away.

(and once a Bludger decided... came chasing after it.)

"How is it you can always tell them apart?" Hermione asked after asking which Twin it was, they couldn't tell. Harry gave a secretive grin, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, not even Lee can always tell us apart, especially on the Quidditch Pitch." Fred said, just then realizing that Harry always knew which was which, no matter how little time he had to look and see. He could tell them apart at first glance...

The Twins stared at Harry in wonder. Not even Bill and Charlie could tell at barely a glance. And Bill and Charlie, much like everyone else who could tell them apart, refused to tell them how.

Probably to avoid the Twins hiding whatever it was or finding some way to 'switch' the identifying factors to confuse people again.

("All right there, Harry?"... furiously toward Marcus Flint.)

"He dodged it, unfortunately." Fred sighed. The screen hadn't shown it, probably because it had had gone back to Lee's perspective briefly.

("Slytherin in possession," Lee... was that the Snitch?")

Just like that, it went back to following Harry's point of view. A few had already decided that they wouldn't use the screen for the whole book, they would keep it to Quidditch matches or fights. This 'jumping perspective' thing was getting to be a bit much.

(A murmur ran through... Pucey dropped the Quaffle,)

"Idiot." Draco and Severus hissed. Adrian had paid for that lapse later on, though, that was for sure. Severus hadn't managed to step in fast enough to save him from Flint or the rest of the older children showing their... displeasure.

The rest of those who had played Quidditch shook their heads, that was a rookie mistake that somebody as old as Adrian, who had played for a while presumably, should not have made.

(too busy looking over... after the streak of gold.)

Everyone sat forward, watching in excitement as the screen image followed Harry in his dive. Although Neville and Hermione had their eyes covered in fear. Those two were never comfortable with flying in general, but now they were getting a closer look at how Harry flew than they ever wanted.

(Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs... hung in midair to watch.)

Now all the Quidditch players groaned and hid their faces at the sight. Harry and the Twins were muttering curses and insults towards Oliver Wood for making them do nonstop drills for this.

For. Five. Hours. Straight.

Especially Harry, it wasn't like he was the one to stop and watch the Seekers instead of continuing to play, after all.

(Harry was faster than Higgs-)

"Harry is clearly the better Seeker here. He only started chasing it when he saw where Harry was going and noticed the gold." Sirius said, waving the Slytherin Seeker off completely. He got a few amused looks from most, and a scowl from Severus.

No matter that Severus privately agreed with him.

(he could see the little... Harry holding on for dear life.)

Sirius yelled in outrage. That was a foul, one of the few regulations to keep the Seekers safe. If the Seeker is chasing the Snitch, only the Beaters can attempt to stop them, and that was only through use of the Bludgers. Well, what Flint pulled was actually a foul no matter who it was he blocked like that.

The rest of the Gryffindors looked outraged, as well, but most of them already knew Hooch would call it as it was. She always did...

Severus scowled. And the Slytherin team wondered why he was always on them in the Common Room. What part of that act was in any way, shape or form, Slytherin? That wasn't cunning or sneaky at all, not to mention it gave the Gryffindor team ten free points. Sometimes it was a wonder that Slytherin won at all when they pulled stunts like that.

("Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors... disappeared from sight again.)

Charlie sighed in frustration when he couldn't find the Snitch anymore. He hated it when that happened, it was so frustrating to be after it, and then it be gone because somebody else got a lucky shot in.

A few groans were heard when the screen changed again.

(Down in the stands... off, ref! Red card!")

"Huh?" Was the general sentiment from those Purebloods that didn't share a dorm with the Muggleborn (or know Lily Evans)

Harry and Hermione shared a fondly exasperated look, but said nothing. Harry was sure Ron would say something, while Hermione knew he did.

("What are you talking... out of the game!")

"This isn't soccer." A few people muttered while others asked what soccer was.

Harry and Hermione shared a longsuffering look before a collection of different sports magazines appeared. The Purebloods descended on them, curious while Dudley sat nearby ready to explain what they needed to and answer questions.

("But this isn't soccer... was on Dean's side.)

Harry sent Hagrid a faintly hurt look, while Hagrid looked at him a little sheepishly, with some worry added for good measure.

("They oughta change the rules.)

Hermione nodded in firm agreement, this game was far too dangerous, how on earth was any of this legal... somebody could get seriously hurt, they didn't even have any kind of safety equipment! Everyone else rolled their eyes.

(Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air.")

"Oh, come on." Harry protested. "If I couldn't ride a love tap like that out, then I have no business being on a broom. Fred and George have rammed into me on accident harder than he did on purpose." He added.

Fred and George scowled. "We said we were sorry." They muttered, mulishly. Although anybody looking would still be able to see the concern in their eyes as they looked at Harry. They'd broken his arm that day, and they had never been so horrified. It had been a pure accident, they weren't even fooling around at the time. Harry just waved them off.

"I said, 'on accident, didn't I?" He asked as they looked back to the screen.

(Lee Jordan was finding... not to take sides.)

Everyone who had ever attended a match and heard Lee's commentary tried to hide smiles when they saw McGonagall's look. Even she looked like she was trying very hard not to start yelling at Flint herself. Minerva just pursed her lips at the sight.

She needed to work harder at not letting her students see when her disapproval was just show. They didn't need the encouragement.

("So - after that... bit of cheating...")

"Obvious is right." Severus grumbled. Draco discreetly patted him on the leg

("Jordan!" growled Professor... open and revolting foul...")

There were a few chuckles at Lee's stubbornness and unwillingness to not call it like it was. Minerva just sighed and shook her head, wondering again why she let him keep this job...

Oh, right. The Hogwarts Food Riot of 1989. She shuddered at the thought.

("Jordan, I'm warning you-"... to anyone, I'm sure,)

Sirius whistled in appreciation. "Now that, is some sarcasm. You two have taught him well." He said to the Twins.

"That, actually wasn't us." Fred said with a shrug.

"Yeah, he came with the mouth, we just helped expand his repertoire." George finished with a smirk. Sirius nodded in understanding while the teachers traded looks.

(so a penalty to Gryffindor... still in possession.")

Lee's commentary got a few more laughs.

(It was as Harry dodged... sudden, frightening lurch.)

Sirius sucked in a breath and shot up in his seat, along with Remus. That... should not have happened. Judging by the look on screen-Harry's face, he didn't do that, either.

"What just happened?" Harry asked, scared. That didn't look like it was supposed to happen, judging by Sirius and Remus reactions and screen-Harry's sudden grip change on the broom handle.

"I don't know, pup." Sirius said absently, watching the screen. He didn't know, but he was going to find out. If it didn't happen again, then it could be written off as a fluke. Hopefully Harry would think to mention it to somebody and his broom could then be checked for defects that hadn't been noticed before being sold, but if it happened again...

(For a split second, he... It happened again.)

"Something is very wrong here." Sirius said, worried. Not a fluke, then. Something was going on. He scanned the screen, specifically the people in the crowd that were on the screen, nobody that he could see was paying Harry any attention, they were focusing on the Gryffindor Chasers nearing the Slytherin goal posts for the third time in as many minutes. They had found a rhythm and had momentum, and were putting it to use, the Slytherin's would get the ball back in a few moments probably.

Remus nodded his agreement, also scanning what little of the crowd they could see on screen.

(It was as though... to buck him off.)

Sirius stood up and started pacing behind the couches at the sight. His mind was racing, and was still watching the screen, agitated. This shouldn't be happening, this was supposed to be a Quidditch game, why was something happening at a simple Quidditch game? It was ridiculous!

Remus remembered what he thought at the beginning of the chapter, about this being a Quidditch game and nothing going wrong at a Quidditch game.

(But Nimbus Two Thousands... Gryffindor goal posts-)

"Good. Call a time-out, get to the ground." Sirius said when he saw where his screen-godson was looking. He was wanting to head towards the goal posts, towards his team captain.

Harry looked at him in fond exasperation, while Harry took out his drawing book again. Very quickly, almost too quickly to be possible, he sketched out the image on the screen, Harry on a broom with the Quidditch stadium around him. It was very good for something sketched out so quickly. With the general shape in place, he started drawing it out in earnest, using the colored pencils that he'd had appear earlier.

(he had half a mind to... out of his control.)

"What, what is that look on your face?" Sirius demanded to know. That look of horrible realization was not good, not good at all.

"I couldn't turn my broom. It wasn't responding to me anymore, at all." Harry said, mind taking him back to those horrible few moments. Sirius turned to watch the screen in horror. Everyone else was watching in slight fear, those that were there were remembering how terrified they had been for the small first year, the teachers had their wands out, ready to slow or otherwise attempt to stop his fall in anyway they could.

Once they noticed something was wrong, anyway.

(He couldn't turn it... was still commentating.)

Sirius looked like he was going to start a riot when the screen changed again... it wasn't showing his godson anymore! Why wasn't it showing him, he was in trouble, Sirius had to know what was happening with his godson!

("Slytherin in possession... face by a Bludger,)

There were a few winces and sounds of pain at the sight, and a few people reached up to rub their noses, but for the most part nobody could find it in themselves to feel any sympathy. Not after how he knocked Harry around earlier.

Fred and George themselves high-fived each other. They honestly didn't know which of them it was that hit him, they both sent a Bludger after him at the same time.

(hope it broke his nose-)

There were some reluctant laughs as the screen showed McGonagall reaching over to try and pull the microphone out of the boys hands, while Lee himself leaned out of her way, avoiding her hands.

They were more worried about whatever was happening with Harry, and wished the screen would go back to him.

(only joking, Professor... was behaving strangely.)

"How is nobody seeing this happening? How? Was nobody watching the Seeker at all?" Sirius demanded of those that were there.

"The Seekers didn't make any moves after the penalty shot. You know that they are boring to watch when they don't see the Snitch." Minerva said, grimacing. "Well, unless they play offensively like Mr. Potter here does." She amended, seeing the put-out expression on her face. Sirius gritted his teeth, but turned back to the screen.

(It was carrying- him... twitching as it went.)

There were a few more groans at another scene change, although at least it was still showing what was happening with Harry, Sirius might have done something that he would (not) have regretted later on otherwise.

("Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing,")

Hagrid got a few incredulous looks for this comment, and he just turned red. "Let's keep watching." Ron cut in, remembering what else Hagrid said and coming to the gentle man's defense.

(Hagrid mumbled. He... but he can't have...")

"Thanks, Hagrid." Harry muttered, offering up a small smile even while he watched himself almost get bucked off a broom. Hagrid flashed him a small smile in return. He had faith in Harry's flying abilities, the boy was a natural on a broom.

(Suddenly, people were... all over the stands.)

"Finally!" Sirius and Remus cried, relieved that somebody finally noticed something was wrong.

"I overheard some people talking later, they seemed to think that Harry was really in control the whole time and was just pulling a joke on everybody. They thought he was faking to lose control of his broom." Neville said quietly. Sirius and Remus looked at him in disbelief while the Trio grimaced.

(His broom had started... with only one hand.)

Harry once again found himself being crushed against his godfathers side while Remus debated the merits of wrapping Harry up in a bubble charm for the rest of his life and locking him away, where he would never see or touch a broom. Let alone all the stuff that had already happened to him this year.

Everybody else was watching in horror, for those who weren't there, and remembered horror for those that were.

Both Draco's were silent. Draco remembered trying to make fun of Harry for this afterward, especially how he caught the Snitch, but now he didn't see what was so funny about it.

("Did something happen... Seamus whispered.)

"No. Can't have." Sirius and Remus instantly denied, voices shaking while they continued to watch.

"Broom is still new, and I doubt Flint has the power necessary to pull something like that off in that one second he was in contact." Sirius continued.

"Broom's are made to resist tampering of any kind, especially while being ridden." Remus finished.

("Can't have," Hagrid... a Nimbus Two Thousand.")

"No kid could do that to a broom, period. Well, not the new ones, anyway. Older models, probably. Brooms are specifically spelled against tampering. Of course, it still happens, but it takes a lot more work than most would be willing to put into it." Remus lectured quickly, voice shaking. His eyes were glued to the screen the whole time.

(At these words, Hermione... frantically at the crowd.)

Sirius, for once, was thankful for the screen changing perspective. Hermione scanning the crowd let him scan it, too, and try to find out who could be cursing his pup while said pup was so high up in the air.

Everyone was pointing and watching in horror... except for two.

His eyes narrowed on Snape and who he was assuming, based off the purple turban, was Quirrell. What were those two up to?

("What are you doing?"... gasped, "Snape - look.")

"Did you even bother to look at anybody else?" Neville asked her. He had seen what Sirius had, Quirrell wasn't the only one fixed on Harry and muttering.

She turned red. "After everything that happened on Halloween, and what the boys told me about seeing Snape going to the third floor instead of the Dungeons with the rest of the teachers..." She said and shrugged sheepishly. She didn't usually just see something and go with it like that. Even with her books, contrary to what others believed, she did not just believe everything she read just because it was in a book. She usually cross-referenced with at least three other books. She should have done the same here, but she was already suspicious.

Severus scowled at her, but didn't say anything yet.

(Ron grabbed the binoculars... nonstop under his breath.)

"Stop focusing on Uncle Severus already." Draco scowled at them. Severus squeezed his knee in a slight warning, partially in thanks for the support. Draco was silent beside him.

("He's doing something...

"Leave it to me.")

Severus leaned forward in his seat, his eyes glittering maliciously. "And what, Ms Granger, are we leaving to you? Hmm?" He asked silkily, dangerously. Hermione squeaked in fear. She had completely forgotten all about this!

Snape was going to kill her!

(Before Ron could say... the Weasleys flew up)

"Yes, get him off that thing!" Sirius breathed in relief. Fred and George exchanged guilty looks. They had tried, but...

(to try and pull Harry... would jump higher still.)

"No." Sirius whispered as relief turned back into horror. Remus eyes were wide as he held Harry protectively, Sirius was holding onto Harry again.

Molly was hiding her face in Arthur's shoulder, unable to watch. Neville, who hadn't been able to watch this happening back when it actually happened, managed to watch this time, it probably helped that Luna was holding onto his arm tightly.

(They dropped lower... to catch him if he fell.)

"Where were the Professor's in all this?" Sirius snapped, he didn't see them anywhere on screen.

"We were ready with cushioning charms and every other charm we could think of that would stop or slow down the boys fall." Minerva said icily. She did not like watching this again.

Luckily (for them anyway), nobody noticed that the Dursley's had been watching this whole time with eyes glittering in smug amusement. They were waiting for the boy to fall, and hopefully break his neck or something. Then they would really never have to deal with him again. They just never had the guts to lift a hand to him themselves, well... except for a few times where their tempers got the better of them and they acted without thinking.

(Marcus Flint seized the... without anyone noticing.)

Sirius snarled as he saw the Slytherin captain doing this. Unfortunately for Gryffindor, there was spell on the hoops, and the scoring was automatic via spell. The spell could be deactivated by Hooch, if she deemed a play to have been illegal and any points scored from it to then be voided, or if she called a time-out and somebody went ahead and scored anyway. So, that was fifty free points for Slytherin since Hooch didn't appear to be aware anything was happening beyond Harry.

Severus scowled at the sight, too. He hadn't noticed Flint doing that, although it was the first Slytherin move he'd ever seen his Snakes make during a Quidditch match. His scowl turned into an irritated glare when he noticed Granger making her way towards him.

("Come on, Hermione,"... Professor Quirrell headfirst)

"Your lucky that you did that first." Severus said, his glare increasing from 'irritated', to 'I'm thinking of ways to kill you'. Also referred to as level two and level five, respectively. He cut off Molly's scolding on her manners, causing the matriarch to look at him, startled.

Hermione grimaced, but nodded to show that she understood. She hadn't even bothered to look at the other teachers to see what they were doing, she saw Snape chanting and immediately went for it. If she hadn't knocked Professor Quirrell over... Harry could have died if the Weasley Twins failed to catch him. Not even he could hang onto a bucking broom forever.

(into the row in front... hem of Snape's robes.)

Filius nodded, impressed as always with her spell-work. Of course, not that he approved at all of how she was using it at the moment.

Of course not.

Hermione stared at her older self as if the other girl had grown multiple heads. Did she really just set fire to a teacher? Was she insane?!

(It took perhaps thirty... she had done her job.)

Severus glared around when they all heard the sound. He never made any sound like that, he didn't care what they tried to say they heard. It never happened.

He glared half-heartedly at his godsons when he saw them trying to hide smiles.

(Scooping the fire off... know what had happened.)

"And here you thought you got away with it." Severus said dangerously, glaring when he recognized the look on her face. It was the look every student wore when they believed themselves to have gotten away without anybody knowing they'd even done something.

She should be so glad right now that she took the flame with her and didn't leave it to burn through his cloak. That cloak happened to have been a gift from Lily, for Christmas their fifth year. He took meticulous care of it, and was thankful that Lily paid extra to get protective runes sewn into it, along with having it charmed to always fit him. She had been afraid that his father would do something to destroy it, like he seemed to have made a habit to do with the rest of his school things, but she also knew he wasn't done growing, since he'd actually hit his growth spurts late.

However, there may be protective runes on the cloak, and he made sure to keep them charged so they didn't run out of energy keeping them 'powered', but with an active flame, they would have eventually given way if the flame wasn't put out in time.

"Sorry. I was trying to help Harry." Hermione whispered, biting her lip. To be honest, she had actually forgotten all about this incident until the other day, when they first got here. Severus just narrowed his eyes.

(It was enough. Up... back on to his broom.)

"The broom stopped bucking the moment you knocked over Quirrell." Pomona said, watching her relieved face when she looked up.

"I didn't notice, I was more focused on my task, and not getting caught right there." Hermione said, turning a little red.

The Dursley's looked disappointed, luckily for them their sons were the only ones that noticed. Dudley narrowed his eyes at his parents, not at all liking the disappointment. He knew that his parents hated practically everything about his cousin, but to really want him dead?

Sirius didn't care, he was slumping over in his seat in relief. How on earth could his pup attract trouble like that at a simple Quidditch game? How was that even possible?

("Neville, you can look!"... the last five minutes.)

"Thanks for the concern, Nev." Harry said fondly. Neville was a good guy, had a heart of gold.

(Harry was speeding toward... was about to be sick-)

Sirius sat up quickly, his relief fading. What was wrong now?! Remus looked at Harry in concern, but he didn't seem worried. Ron and Hermione actually seemed amused by this sight, oddly enough.

(he hit the field on... fell into his hand.)

"Wait a minute." Sirius said slowly, leaning forward and looking back and forth between the screen and Harry in disbelief. "Don't tell me you..." Harry grinned and pointed at the screen.

("I've got the Snitch!"... in complete confusion.)

There was silence for a moment, before Sirius suddenly started laughing so hard he started crying. "Well, that's one way to find the Snitch." Remus said blankly. Now, everyone started laughing, while Harry watched, amused while he absently played with the Snitch in question.

With the end of the game, also meant the darkening of the screen. Everyone took a few moments to calm down, and offer a few more comments towards Harry about the unique catch, before Filius redid the spell on the book, looking through it real quick to figure out where to pick up, no need to read something they had already watched, after all. He decided that, since they hadn't seen anything on the screen about Flint protesting the outcome, that that should be where they should start.

"I think we will use the screen for fights and other Quidditch games, does that sound good to everybody? The changing viewpoints is just annoying otherwise." Minerva said, looking around before the book continued.

("He didn't catch it... twenty minutes later,)

Severus sighed while everyone started laughing again. Sometimes he thought it a miracle that some of his Snakes hadn't been disowned long ago for bringing embarrassment to their Houses.

"Technically, he did catch it. There is nowhere in the rules that says it has to be caught in their hand." Hermione said, grinning in wicked amusement. She missed this part, this must be when they went to see Hagrid.

(but it made no... broken any rules)

Hermione grinned and nodded in satisfaction. Harry and Ron shook their heads in fond amusement.

(and Lee Jordan was... seventy points to sixty.)

"So, the score before the broom started going crazy was 20-10, and then those extra fifty shouldn't have even been valid." Sirius mused. He snorted. "Jokes on Flint. Those extra goals he shot while Gryffindor was occupied with saving their Seeker didn't make a lick of difference." Severus scowled, but didn't refute his statement.

"Well, they did count towards the overall Quidditch Cup. Remember, you could win the last game, but still lose the Cup if the points stacked up that way?" Harry reminded his godfather.

"Oh, yeah." He said in distaste. "I suppose there is that." He grimaced.

(Harry heard none of... with Ron and Hermione.)

"I'm surprised Wood and the rest of the team didn't whisk you away for the after-game party." Minerva said with a raised eyebrow.

"Ron and Hermione got to me, first. Trust me, Oliver sent somebody to come find me later." Harry said, grimacing. Hagrid smiled and laughed at the memory.

("It was Snape," Ron... take his eyes off you.")

"You didn't even bother to look anywhere else, either." Draco muttered, not happy with what happened to his godfather, she could have seriously hurt somebody! Fire spells weren't anything to play around with!

"We already thought he was up to something, why would I have thought to look somewhere else?" Hermione muttered, almost petulantly.

("Rubbish," said Hagrid, who... do somethin' like that?")

"At the time I could have listed off several reasons." Harry offered up.

"Like what?" Severus challenged.

"We saw you going up to the third floor instead of to the dungeons with the rest of the Professor's to find the Troll, you seemed to hate me for some reason that I couldn't understand, and you hate Gryffindor's in general, and we were winning..." Harry ticked off on his fingers. "You've never exactly endeared yourself to the students, if we had told the rest of the school what Hermione had seen, they would have had absolutely no problem believing it even without being offered further proof." He pointed out.

Severus scowled, which got deeper when he saw Sirius giving him that contemplative look again.

(Harry, Ron, and Hermione... decided on the truth.)

"Well, the truth as we knew it, anyway." Harry amended with a shrug. "You have to admit, sir, that you play the part of the villain very well." He complimented.

Severus couldn't tell whether he should take that as a compliment or an insult. He couldn't even really tell which one it had been meant as.

("I found out something... steal whatever it's guarding.")

Severus just sighed, but said nothing while his godsons scowled at their godfather being accused without any further proof. Draco, at least, knew that it was somewhat deserved, the other students outside Slytherin never had any reason to ever give him the benefit of the doubt, but still.

That didn't mean they had to like this.

(Hagrid dropped the teapot... about Fluffy?" he said.)

"That things name is Fluffy?!" Petunia screeched in disbelief.

"He's gotta 'ave a name, don't he?" Hagrid asked, wondering what she was on about now. Every wizard, and Mrs. Figg, had to look away to hide their smiles. (The Dursley's stared at him in horror, inching away slowly as if one wrong move would draw his attention and he might hurt them.)

A response like that was nothing less than what they would expect from Hagrid. He loved all his creatures, and he gave them the most misleading names. Honestly, it was the ones with cute and cuddly names that you needed to be aware of the most. Although, they supposed that Buckbeak wasn't a bad name.

("Fluffy?"

"Yeah - he's mine... the pub las' year-)

"You get way too many of your creatures off of people in pubs." Harry said dryly, gazing at Hagrid fondly. He was thinking of both Fluffy and Norberta, he idly wondered if buying Fluffy had even been legal, since he knew that getting Norberta's egg had definitely not been.

The teachers looked at him in concern and suspicion while Hagrid at least had the grace to look sheepish.

(I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-")

"Hagrid!" All the teachers exclaimed, Minerva and Pomona hiding their faces. Severus scowled and Filius watched in amusement. Hagrid turned red while all the pranksters laughed and swapped quick stories of all the good blackmail they got on people just from having tea with Hagrid.

Hagrid turned steadily redder while the teachers flushed as they realized that the group might have blackmail on them, as well. They could only count themselves grateful that they had never tried to use that information. For one thing, it wouldn't have worked, the attempt would have only gotten points lost and/or detention, but the fact was that the students would know something that they wouldn't want to get out...

("Yes?" said Harry eagerly.... "That's top secret, that is.")

"Telling a group of teenagers..."

"Or pre-teens, brother."

"Ah, yes. Or pre-teens like these three,"

"That something is top secret, will..."

"... only make them want to find out more." The Twins said, grinning. The teachers shared looks and tried not to think about it too much right now.

Harry grinned like the cat that caught the canary. An expression that Harry copied eerily.

("But Snape's trying to... nothin' of the sort.")

"Being a teacher didn't stop Quirrell." Harry muttered petulantly. He was still bitter over not being believed about it being in danger in the first place, as well as angry with himself for allowing himself to have been fooled by the act. He was usually a better judge of character than that, he could usually tell when people were lying or acting about something. Certainly when they were hiding something.

("So why did he just... her mind about Snape.)

"Surprisingly enough." Harry cut in. "I didn't think there was anything in the world that could make her believe something bad about a teacher." He added, eyes wide and innocent as he looked over at Hermione, who narrowed her eyes at him, but decided against hitting him on the shoulder for the comment.

Ron, on the other hand, got no such leniency when he laughed in agreement with Harry.

Everyone else smiled at their interactions. The Trio looked at each other, hoping they could be like that someday. Just... maybe with less hitting the boys on Hermione's part...

("I know a jinx... all about them!)

The teachers suddenly started wondering just what kind of books she was looking at to be reading about stuff like that at eleven years old. They usually didn't recommend students start reading stuff like that until fourth year...

Maybe they should figure out a way to set age-limits on books... they would have to figure out a ward scheme for the library though. Minerva wrote it down.

(You've got to keep... at all, I saw him!")

"The same holds true for counter curses and jinxes." Severus sneered, in a bad mood since finding out it was her to set him on fire. Hermione went pink, she hadn't considered that, either.

"Sorry, sir." She said quietly.

("I'm tellin' yeh, yer... try an' kill a student!)

"Not even annoying Potter's who should know when to stay out of business that does not concern them." Severus said, narrowing his eyes at the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-Nosy.

Harry just tilted his head innocently. He snorted, not buying the act.

(Now, listen to me... don' concern yeh.)

"Thank you, Hagrid." Minerva said. "Since you wouldn't listen to us, I should have hoped that you would have at least listened to Hagrid." She said, frowning. Harry frowned back.

If he had listened to her, Voldemort would have gotten the Stone and returned at the end of his First year, instead of the end of his Fourth like he did.

(It's dangerous. You... Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel-")

Groans sounded from all the teachers, while Dumbledore looked oddly satisfied. "Nice try, Hagrid." Minerva sighed. Hagrid was once again red.

("Aha!" said Harry... involved, is there?")

Looks were exchanged. A worried one between Sirius and Remus, while the teachers looked more resigned.

(Hagrid looked furious with himself.)

Minerva sighed again. Oh, Hagrid.

"And you three are going to get yourselves involved in whatever is going on, aren't you?" Sirius sighed, especially when Harry nodded sheepishly.

"How about two more chapters and then lunch?" Molly suggested, they had snacks, they would be fine. Everybody nodded in agreement.

Chapter 12, the Mirror of Erised


If anybody else has prank ideas, pm me (that way they would remain a surprise, and everybody won't already read about them in the reviews). I would love to hear them, and they might end up in the story somewhere if I can fit them in.


The Hogwarts Food Riot of 1989

"Can I have your attention, please?" Professor McGonagall called out to the Great Hall at breakfast.

It was the Monday after the opening game of the years Quidditch season, and the school was still rowdier than usual in response to a bloodier game than usual. Gryffindor and Slytherin games were usually messy and brutal, but this one was particularly bad. The Gryffindor Keeper was still in the Hospital Wing, and had only just begun to wake up after being knocked unconscious, of course Madam Pomfrey would be keeping her in for a couple more days just to be sure... and to give the Skele-Gro enough time to work. The reserve Keeper, Oliver Wood, wasn't expected to wake up at all for another week, he took two Bludgers at the same time, one to the back of the head and another right to the face.

Charlie Weasley had barely left the Hospital Wing all weekend since the match, he was worried about his players.

Once she was sure she had the students attention, she spoke. "If anybody is interested in commentating Quidditch matches, come see me. There are three weeks until the next match, but don't think that gives you all the time you need." She gazed around sternly, avoiding looking at Lee Jordan at the Gryffindor table. Whispers erupted throughout the Hall, and a few people craned their necks to look at the small Gryffindor.

She had been wary, of letting the First Year do it, but he was the only one who had shown any interest, so she went along with it and let him commentate. However, after thinking it over all Sunday, she had made the decision that, despite the good job he did, some of his other comments just... no. She did not find them to be acceptable in the Quidditch matches.

It wasn't anything inappropriate, for school or his age, nothing she would be writing to his mother about him saying, trying to figure out where he would have heard that, but she didn't appreciate it.

As soon as she sat down, the Weasley Twins stood up, clearly angry. Lee was sitting still beside them, staring at his plate, the look on his face made it clear he was humiliated and trying not to cry. "Hey, you can't just announce something like that, you never even spoke to Lee about it!" Oh, yes, those two were not happy. They weren't even bothering to trade off each others sentences, instead they were both speaking at the same time.

They'd only shared a dorm for a little over two months now, not all that long to get to know somebody, but they liked Lee. He was sarcastic when he wanted to be, had a quick humor, and knew how to keep them from going to far without sounding like a parent. They were not happy that she just sprung this on him, without even discussing it with him in private first. He had driven them insane for days when she agreed to let him commentate, he'd always wanted to do it. He loved Quidditch, he just couldn't play for various reasons, but commentating was something he could do to still be part of the game as opposed to just sitting there and watching.

She narrowed her eyes at them and went to say something, not appreciating their attitude at all, when it happened.

All the tableware; goblets, plates, silverware, platters, and the tables themselves started trembling. She looked around cautiously, wondering what now, and hoping that this burst of accidental magic wasn't going to be huge. There were a lot of students in here that could get hurt. All the professors stood up slowly, prepared to subdue the student should the magic really get out of control. They were pretty sure it was Lee or the Twins, but weren't completely sure, although they did not appreciate how Minerva handled this at all.

All the students were starting to back away from the tables, and more than a few were starting to run for the doors. It wasn't often when a first or even second year lost control of their emotions, and their magic, but it happened often enough that they recognized what was happening. If somebody was losing control enough for everything in the Great Hall to start shaking, they didn't want to be here for the finale. Those who were closest to the doors and had made it out in time, stayed to watch from relative safety.

Minerva thought that shaking things was all that was going to happen, but she underestimated just what humiliation could do sometimes, she jumped back when the food started coming alive.

And attacking.

The students still in the Hall screamed and started running for the exit, the girls were shrieking as pieces of bacon started stringing themselves together to pull at their hair, or started piling on them and getting their clothes greasy. Bowls of cereal and porridge started dumping themselves on heads, while pieces of toast started launching themselves (as if they were being thrown like a Frisbee), while eggs flew everywhere and started pelting people, leaving smears of egg and grease to join the smears of bacon grease. Everything else on top of the tables started flying around as well, adding to the chaos, although luckily the forks and knives weren't attacking along with everything else.

The teachers were not spared, and it seemed like no amount of cancelling charms was going to be of any use to them, either.

And it was chaos. Students were running for the doors screaming, teachers were making their way towards Lee and the Twins, who were trying to calm their roommate down, and the whole time the teachers were trying to duck the attacking food and tableware.

Unfortunately for the teachers, the cloud of flying food was thicker in the area surrounding the three Gryffindors, and they just couldn't get through.

This was the scene Albus Dumbledore finally wandered into.

The wards had alerted him to a huge magical outburst in the Great Hall, and the fleeing students covered in food certainly attested to something going on, but he just wandered in as if he were going to Sunday dinner. He stopped in the doors, blinked and looked around, and then studied what his teaching staff were up to. Severus was the only one not desperately trying to get at the trio of First years sitting in the 'eye of the storm', as it were, instead, he was trying to defend the other teachers from behind so they weren't ambushed.

He was also the only one who was making any kinds of progress in deanimating the food and kitchen items. Or, rather, he was simply banishing all of it that he could instead of trying to undo the magic animating them.

"Albus! Thank goodness, help!" Minerva called, relieved when she saw him standing there.

He said nothing, merely blinked, and let out a magical burst of his own, aided by the wards and Hogwarts herself, to banish everything at once. Severus saw it and scowled, but said nothing. Albus could, however, see the relief in his eyes that it was over.

Only after eyeing the exhausted looking Lee Jordan for a moment, who the Twins had finally gotten to calm down just after everything was banished, did he turn to Minerva.

"Explain." Was all he said.

After that day, Minerva never tried to deny Lee Jordan the position of Quidditch commentator again, and after his second game, came to grudgingly appreciate his dry wit and sarcasm while at the microphone.