When Hermione helped Harry get through some last minute homework, he wondered how he survived before her. She was a saint; she never once questioned why he needed help, she just helped him get done. After returning to the common room on Halloween, Hermione understood that rules could be broken if necessary.

A couple weeks later, Harry was standing in the freezing cold courtyard with Hermione, Ron, and Neville. Hermione had conjured up a blue flame and put it in a jar to keep them warm. Snape limped past, glaring at the four. They hid the flame, but still looked guilty, so Snape limped towards them.

"What is this, Potter?" Snape asked, snatching a book out of his hands.

"Quidditch Through the Ages. I'm sure you've seen it. We have seven copies at Potter Manor," Harry said, staring at his professor.

"I believe that all of your copies are at Potter Manor. This particular copy is from the library, and students aren't allowed to take books from the library," Snape said, confiscating the book and walking away.

"He made that up!" Harry said, pouting at the unfairness of it all.

"Why does Professor Snape hate himself so much?" Hermione asked, biting her lip. "No, don't answer that. Draco and I have been working on appropriate questions."

"When have you and Draco been working on anything?" Ron exploded.

"In the library. For the last month. Why does that matter?" Hermione asked. Harry and Neville chose to ignore this news, as they realized the time and signalled their friends to run to class.


"That's it, I want that book back!" Harry exclaimed later that night in the common room. Hermione, Neville, and Ron all looked at him like he was nuts.

"Why don't you just owl Sirius for one of the copies of from home?" Neville asked.

"Snape made up a dumb rule to spite me. I want the book back on principle!" Harry announced to more people than he intended to.

"You're brave, you are," Fred said.

"Going against Snape," George finished.

Hermione, to Ron's horror, blushed as the twins joined them.

"He can't do too much to me. Sirius will kill him if he does. I know, because Sirius told me before I left," Harry said, packing his things away and leaving the common room.

He went down to the staff room and knocked on the door, hoping to catch Snape. When no one answered, he opened the door, hoping to find the book unattended. Instead, he found Snape with his pant leg pulled up to his knee, showing Filch a gash on his leg.

"How are you supposed to keep an eye on all three heads at once!" Harry heard Snape exclaim. Harry tried to sneak the door closed, but the hinges squeaked and alerted Snape.

"POTTER!" Snape exclaimed, causing Harry to run for his life.

When Harry made it back to the common room, he found the Weasley twins arguing Charms theory with his bookworm. He hobbled up to the group, his adrenaline rush wearing off.

"Harry! What happened?" Hermione asked, immediately zooming in on him.

Harry explained what he saw while gasping for air.

"Don't you see?" Harry asked. "This proves that Snape is after whatever is under that trapdoor!"

"What trapdoor?" The twins asked, curious.

"Harry, I realize that for whatever reason, Professor Snape doesn't like you, but I don't think he would honestly try to steal from Dumbledore," Hermione said.

"First things first, Granger. If you're going to hang with us, cut the Dumbledore worship. Man's a jerk. He was going to leave Sirius in prison and Harry with some abusive relatives until Minnie intervened. We don't worship Dumbledore. We just follow him until a better option turns up," Fred explained, pulling on one of Hermione's curls.

"How were you not sorted into Slytherin?" Hermione asked, curious.

"Weasley's are Gryffindors," George said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Yes, and Blacks are Slytherin. Draco said Sirius Black was a Gryffindor," Hermione volleyed back. The twins nodded, impressed.

"Second things second, Hermione," Ron said, drawing her attention away from his brothers. "Not all professors are saints. I agree with Harry. I wouldn't put it past Snape to sneak down there. He was a Death Eater, you know. I don't care that he's Atria's dad. He's still a jerk."

Eventually, the group packed up and went to sleep. Or at least, Harry tried to sleep. He knew he needed sleep; his first real Quidditch game was in the morning. Between Neville's snoring and Ron's latest habit of sleep talking, Harry felt sure that he wouldn't sleep. All that, and the fact that he could still feel Snape's glare every time he closed his eyes.


"Harry, you have to eat something. It's not like you're going to play Quidditch this morning," Hermione said, trying to coax breakfast into Harry. Wood had done an excellent job of making sure no one knew Harry was the new Seeker. Neville didn't even know.

"I know, Hermione. I'm just not hungry. I didn't sleep well last night," Harry said, not exactly lying.

"Harry," Seamus whispered, having overheard a late night conversation, "you need to eat. Seekers always get clobbered by the other team."

Harry made a rude gesture, but ate a piece of toast anyway.


Harry was amazed at how many people were in the stands. Part of him wished that Draco was his opponent in this Slytherin vs. Gryffindor game. Another part of him just wished that he'd have told Draco before the game started. The biggest part of him, however, wished that Wood would just shut up. His 'pre-game' speech was more like a torture session. He honestly would have preferred to set through another lecture from Binns than this. It was almost as if someone from Slytherin had hexed him to make sure the team fell asleep before they hit the pitch.

Finally, Wood led them out onto the pitch. Harry followed Fred and George out, hoping this was just like playing in the garden at the Burrow. The deafening noise of the crowd told him that this would be a bit different. He spotted Draco and Hermione sitting in the Hufflepuff section of all places, trying their hardest to be neutral. Ron, Seamus, and Dean had made him a banner out of a bed sheet and Neville was helping them prop it up.

Madame Hooch, who was refereeing the game, called all the players to the center. Wood and Slytherin's team captain, Flint, seemed to try to break each other's hands. Hooch called for them to mount their brooms, blew her whistle, and released the balls, starting the game.

"And the quaffle is immediately taken by Angelina Johnson, Gryffindor Chaser. And what a Chaser she is too… and quite attractive," Lee Jordan announced.

"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall was heard to say.

"Sorry, Professor!" Lee said, not sounding a bit apologetic.

Lee continued commenting on the game as Harry flew in circles above the pitch, trying to stay out of the worst of the carnage. Katie Bell, one of the Chasers was hit in the back of the head with a bludger just minutes into the game.

"Gryffindor scores!" Lee shouted, causing Harry to perform some loops in the sky to celebrate- and to work off pent up energy.

Draco felt white hot betrayal fill his bones. Harry was on the pitch, playing Quidditch. The youngest Seeker in a century. This is what the upper year Slytherins were talking about. Rampant favoritism amongst the Gryffindors. He would have been expelled if he had pulled that stunt, especially considering his head of house. The worst part was, deep down, he knew Harry's relationship with Professor McGonagall didn't matter at all. Even if she had only met him at the beginning of the year, she would have let him on the Quidditch team after that stunt.

"Did you know about this?" He asked Hermione, leaning over to her, her crimson sweater standing out in a sea of Hufflepuff yellow.

"No, I didn't. I wasn't speaking to them before Halloween," Hermione said, giving the team a look. She was worried about Harry playing such a dangerous game. "Although that would explain why he was so upset that Professor Snape confiscated his book last night."

"What? Snape took a book from him?" Draco asked, shocked.

"Well it was a library book, Quidditch Through the Ages, and Professor Snape said he couldn't take books from the library," Hermione told him, wincing as Katie Bell took a bludger to the back of the head.

"He's got seven copies at home! All with various notes and from various years! He could have had Padfoot send him one of those!" Draco said, unhappy at the unfairness of it all.

"That's what Ron suggested. Harry said something about the unfairness of it all and went to demand his book back. Only, he found Professor Snape in the staffroom with Filch; and he said that Snape had a huge gash in his leg and was complaining about the three headed dog," Hermione filled her friend in on the previous night's adventures. "Needless to say, Harry forgot the book and ran all the way to the common room."

"I wonder what he was up to. I should owl Mother and see what she thinks," Draco said, plotting. It was the easiest way to take his mind off the fact that his best friend had stabbed him in the back.

Just then, Lee announced, "GRYFFINDOR SCORES!" loudly to the crowd. Cheers erupted from most of the stadium, and Draco could see Sirius across the pitch shooting red sparks from his wand in the parents' section.

Game play resumed, and Draco kept his eye out for the snitch. He found it about the same time Harry and Higgs, the Slytherin Seeker, rushed for it. It was hovering near Marcus Flint of Slytherin. Harry zoomed towards the snitch, and would have got it, too, except Flint decided to interfere, slamming into Harry and sending him hurling the opposite directions. Draco could tell it was only from years of practice that Harry didn't go flying off the broom.

"Someday," Hermione said angrily, "when you're captain for Slytherin, you have to keep your players from cheating. That way, when you win, everyone one will know it's from pure skill."

"How do you know I'll be captain?" Draco asked.

"You practice regularly with the youngest Seeker in a century. If even half the stories Harry and Ron tell on you are true, then you'll have to get it. Also, right now the other option is Nott. And I outflew him in flying lessons last week. Of course, Fred Weasley let me use his Cleansweep something or other, so that played a factor," Hermione said as Alicia Spinnett put the penalty goal away and play resumed.

They spied Hagrid sitting with Neville and Ron, commenting on the game. When he got a worried look on his face, Draco felt Hermione clutch his arm tightly.

"Bloody hell, woman! Let go of me!" He said, trying to shoo her off.

"Draco! Look! Harry's broom!" Hermione said, staring at the bucking broom.

"I'd say it's being hexed, but it can't be. Students can't do the kind of magic it would take to curse a Nimbus 2000," Draco said, worried. Hermione scanned the crowd, staring for anyone that would think to hex an 11 year old's broom. She had several options until she found a clincher.

"It's Snape! He's not blinking and he's muttering!" Hermione deduced. Draco didn't want to believe it, but it seemed like the best possible option. Sirius seemed to have come to the same conclusion, judging by the way Hestia was practically sitting on him to keep him from hitting Snape. While Draco observed this, he missed Hermione sneak off. He did not miss, however, the sight of his godfather's robes catching fire… with the blue flames Hermione was so good at. He suddenly understood all those times that Sirius told him and Harry to never anger a brilliant witch. They were dangerous.

Harry had landed on the pitch by this time, having miraculously steered his broom downward in the confusion. Well, not landed so much as fell face first off of his broom and into the grassy field below the playing area meant to give a sense of comfort should they fall. Draco felt concern as Harry started to gag, almost vomiting, and he was afraid his friend had been seriously injured. Then, he spit out the snitch, shiny and disgusting, covered in spit. Draco rushed to his friend's side to celebrate.

"Only you would worry about catching the snitch while almost dying!" Draco said, smacking Harry in the back.

"I love this game!" Harry said jumping up and down. "Padfoot!"

"That was the best catch I've ever seen!" Sirius said, catching Harry as he launched himself at his godfather.

"Congratulations, Harry!" Hestia said, hugging him to her. "I was so worried. I had to sit on your uncle to make sure he didn't hex Sev, though."

"I'm sure he enjoyed it," Harry said mischievously.

Sirius led his merry band of kids away to Hagrid's hut for an impromptu celebration.

"It had to have been Snape!" Ron exclaimed, having come to the same conclusion as Hermione from the other side of the pitch.

"Why would Snape want to hex Harry?" Hagrid asked.

"Yes, why would the man who pined over Harry's mother endlessly want to kill off the only living reminder that James beat him one last time?" Sirius asked sarcastically, causing Hermione to spit her tea a bit. "Oh, sorry, love. Who are you? We haven't even had proper introductions yet."

"Her-Hermione Gr-Granger, sir," Hermione stuttered, blushing a bit.

"NO! Don't stutter and blush! Hermione, you'll only encourage him!" Harry lamented. "You're not all that beautiful, Pads, so don't go getting a full head!"

"Oh, hush, Harry. Hermione, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Hestia Black and this is my husband, Sirius Black. We're Harry's guardians," Hestia introduced, shaking Hermione's hand.

"Nice to meet you. I do, however, agree that Snape is the one who hexed Harry's broom. But I don't think his mother is the reason he did it," Hermione explained.

"Oh, and what reason do you have?" Sirius asked. Hermione hesitated, not knowing what kind of adult she was dealing with.

"It's the three headed dog in the third floor corridor!" Harry exclaimed, knowing Sirius would love the adventure.

"You know about Fluffy!" Hagrid said, shocked.

"What's Fluffy doing locked up in a school, Hagrid?" Sirius asked sternly. A dog's right to freedom was one of the only things Sirius felt passionately about.

"He's guardin' som'thin' fer Dumbledore," Hagrid said, sniffing a bit.

"Behind a door that can be opened with a simple Alohomora?" Hermione asked, then she covered her mouth, having said too much.

"Miss Granger, how do you know that?" Sirius asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"'Cause she did the charm when this wanker," here Ron gestured to Draco, "abandon us in the Trophy Room and we got chased down by Filch."

"There is a story here that will be heard over Christmas hols," Hestia said sternly.

"Back to Snape, it had to be him! I know a jinx when I see one! I've read all about them and he wasn't even blinking! It had to be him!" Hermione said, not letting go.

"You had best stay out of it, the lot o' you. Whatever is under that trapdoor is between Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel," Hagrid said, getting angry.

"HA! Nicholas Flamel! Hermione, remember that name, we'll need it for research!" Harry said, causing Sirius to laugh and Hagrid to look furious. If there was anything that Sirius knew at that moment, it was that little Prongslet would be fine. He was already forming his own little band of Marauders… and he was smart enough to add in a girl.


Kat: I thought you said that this is short!

Gabs: I feel like that 8 pages in two days was pretty short.

Kat: This is true! I graded 300+ paragraphs in six hours. Does that count for anything?

Gabs: It does! It means you'll be ready to go for this weekend!

Kat: That being said, I only edited this chapter! Go Gabs!

Gabs: As always we own nothing. And, you should review. That way we know who's the better writer. *Hint- it's Kat*

Kat: Yes! Tell Gabs she is awesome...urm… or maybe a different adjective, her pride doesn't need a massive boost.

Gabs: Also, my sister has the corner market on Awesome. Remember?

Kat: Yeah, she does. BTW, we aren't sisters. Well, by blood at least.

Gabs: And now we're rambling.

XOXO

Gabs & Kat