The following weekend didn't result in any drama from the Traitor of Gryffindor. With so many people determined to find out who it was, most Gryffindors believed that they decided to give up before they were identified. James however had several people tease him about his relationship with Aoiffe.

"Here come the lovebirds" several people teased on Sunday breakfast, when they coincidentally entered the Great Hall at the same time.

Aoiffe was so embarrassed by the whole affair; she tried to avoid James as often as she could. James didn't blame her, but whilst she and Victoire Weasley were determined to try and put the dream-o-graphs behind them, he wanted to know exactly who took them.

"The Traitor of Gryffindor made a mistake to mess with me" James said, whilst eating porridge at the same time.

"James, eat with your mouth shut, or I'm deducting five points from Gryffindor" warned a passing Teddy Lupin.

"Sorry" James apologised.

He noted how Teddy didn't seem as friendly as he was used to. After telling James off, he went over to the Slytherin table, and berated Oswald Cannon for getting food over one of the library books. James was certain that his new found bitterness was down to both losing access to the Lestrange family vault, and whatever was in the Dream-o-graph photo. James wasn't one hundred percent certain that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but he did know that he was the one person that Victoire confided the truth with.

"I'd say let the professors work it out" replied Darren. "They know more about everyone here than you or I."

"You really trust Thicknesse?" James questioned with disgust.

"Ok, maybe not Thicknesse" admitted Darren.

"Thankfully" muttered Bella.

"But Professor Longbottom's smart" Darren continued. "If anyone's going to figure it out, it's him."

"He was the one who told you that he was a wizard wasn't he?" said James. "What was that day like for you?"

"I'd like to know that too" added Bella. "Me and James knew about magic all our lives, but you only learned about it two months ago."

"How I learned about magic" Darren muttered. "It all seemed so fast to be honest. I didn't actually do any magic until last November."

"Ooh, what kind of magic did you do?" asked Bella. "I apparated to South Korea. Took days for dad to find me."

"I accidentally set my sister's teddy bear of fire" James chuckled. "Mum was very pleased to see that I was magical, but I was still had to spend my pocket money to pay for a new bear."

"I moved a lorry a few meters up the road" Darren replied.

"Oh…" Bella muttered. "Well…" she left herself hanging, unable to think up a compliment.

"It's fine" said Darren. "Anyway, a few months afterwards, I was visited by Professor Longbottom, who explained to me why I was able to move the lorry, and that I had an invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I met him again a few weeks later to go to Diagon Alley, and then before you know it, I'm here."

"Why did it take so long for you to go to Diagon Alley?" asked James. "Why didn't Professor Longbottom just take you there the day you met?"

"Personal reasons" Darren replied hastily. "Professor Longbottom understood the situation completely. We were both boys who were living on their own with their grandparents after all."

"Do you mean that your parents…?" James only now realised what Darren could have meant. "Darren, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be" Darren scoffed. "Regardless, Professor Longbottom will find out who the Traitor of Gryffindor is; and it will probably be some sixth year who we've never met."

Quiditch training has been brutal. Saturday afternoons were so physically exhausting, that James was beginning to dread them as much as Transfiguration. Wednesday practise sessions have been easier, but Patricia Muggs' perfectionism has meant that there was always something wrong with the way he was flying.

"Fly faster Potter" she ordered frequently. "You're a seeker, not a keeper."

Sebastian's tactics briefings were more entertaining, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Sebastian often showed moving diagrams of the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams playing out the current strategy, with the Gryffindors winning every time. Sebastian always used this to prove that they are way better than Slytherin; though Patricia would often argue that it was unrealistic for the Slytherin team to either crash to the ground immediately, hit their own team members with bludgers, or forget which goal posts they're supposed to be shooting at.

"You think too highly of Slytherin" Sebastian muttered after one practise session in October. "Benedict told me that the Slytherin team is still a mess."

"Cannon is very worried about their chances" Benedict admitted. "Their best hope is that Bletchley has inherited his father's keeping abilities. He'll still be tricky to score past."

"How's Travis Gant doing?" asked James.

"Better than expected" replied Benedict. "He's quite a good flyer, and I'd say that the pair of you are quite evenly matched."

"Don't insult him Benedict" protested Sebastian. "Don't compare any Slytherin seeker to Potter."

"How long is it until our first match?" asked Tulip.

"Three weeks" replied Corner. "Then the week afterwards is Hufflepuff against Ravenclaw."

"Then we don't have long before we start fighting" shouted Sebastian. "Prepare yourself."

Over those next three weeks, Patricia was patrolling the Gryffindor table during meal times in order to ensure that the team were eating healthy meals. James was about to dig into a large slice of chocolate cake, only for Patricia to transfigure it into a cauliflower.

"What was that for?" moaned James.

"You're gaining muscle weight from all the exercising" Patricia explained. "You can't be eating all this fatty food on top of it."

Thankfully Bella began saving the desserts, and giving them to James in the Common Room once Patricia was out of sight.

"You're a lifesaver Bella" said James one evening. "If I ate all the stuff Patricia ate, I'd lose the will to live."

"That's the diet you need to eat though when you want to be a pro athlete" replied Darren.

"I don't want to be a pro athlete" protested James. "I only wanted to play quiditch."

"How are you Potter?" Jackson Lestrange asked rudely. "Disappointed that your first match got cancelled?"

"What?" gasped James.

"We're playing Slytherin in two weeks" Bella muttered.

Sebastian Gorren was in the general area, and was talking to some of his friends, until he heard the words first match got cancelled from Jackson.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

"You're the Gryffindor captain, and you haven't heard" scoffed Jackson. "First match of the season isn't Gryffindor vs Slytherin anymore; it's Ravenclaw vs Slytherin."

"Are you winding us up?" roared Sebastian.

"Go and check with Montague if you want" replied Jackson.

"Those repulsive vermin" Sebastian declared. "Come on James, let's get some answers."

On the one hand, James didn't want to leave the Common Room before eating his custard pie; but on the other hand, he was interesting to find out why the teams were suddenly swapped around. Sebastian and James stormed out of the castle, and marched their way through the grounds towards the quiditch pitch.

"What do you think's the problem?" asked James.

"It's obvious" replied Sebastian. "Montague was scared that we'd make his beloved Slytherin team look bad, so he gave them an easier opponent to give them more time to prepare against us."

They entered the quiditch pitch where the Slytherin team were currently practising, and James could see why team leader Cannon wanted Benedict's help. Each position were doing their own thing, but most of them were not doing it very well. Oswald Cannon kept on passing the quaffle to his fellow chasers, but they always failed to catch it. When they passed the quaffle back to Cannon, it always flew well past where he could reasonably catch it, but when they tried to shoot it past Bletchley, their aim was spot on.

"I don't think you have to worry about the chasers too much" James concluded.

The beaters looked equally inept. Their club swings never hit a bludger, and once or twice actually hit each other. Both beaters had several bruises across their face, and one of them had a chipped tooth. James finally understood exactly how dire the Slytherin team's position actually was. He looked up trying to find Travis Gant, but when he found him, he saw Benedict Falcon talking to him.

"Falcon" Sebastian bellowed. "Get down here now."

It wasn't just Benedict who followed his order, but the entire Slytherin team as well. Oswald Cannon looked he was visited by his least favourite family relative.

"I didn't expect you here Sebastian" said Benedict in a more calming manner.

"Neither was I" Cannon snarled. "I'd expect to see you in a pig farm, before a crowd of Slytherins."

"I want answers" Sebastian roared. "Why did you change the schedule?"

"You don't know?" chuckled Cannon.

"Oh, I know" replied Sebastian. "I just want to hear it straight from you."

Cannon just suddenly began laughing to himself. The rest of the Slytherin team followed suit. Benedict released a sigh of embarrassment.

"Potter" Cannon called. "Why does this idiot think the schedule's been changed?"

"Because you're scared that we'd thrash you" replied James.

"The rescheduling of the matches has nothing to do with Slytherin" muttered Benedict.

"Oh come on Falcon" Sebastian argued. "If it wasn't Cannon, then who else would demand this?"

"My girlfriend, Silverstone McLaren" answered Bletchley. "She has a motor race on the day Ravenclaw were supposed to play Hufflepuff. She requested to play us a week earlier so that she could actually play."

"Eh…" gawped Sebastian.

"We had nothing to do with it" confirmed Cannon. "If you want to complain about having to play Hufflepuff a week later, moan to McLaren."

"Only leave Potter behind" roared Bletchley. "I'm not having him checking out my girl."

"Next time we meet Cannon, it won't be me looking like a fool" Sebastian snarled.

"Will it be Potter then?" asked Bletchley.

A few of the team members laughed, but James was thankful that Gant and Cannon didn't find the insult particularly funny.

"We better leave" suggested Benedict. "I'll see you next week Oswald about that Potions assignment."

"Cheers Benedict" Cannon thanked in a considerably more friendly voice.

"You really need to stop getting angry at the Slytherins every time something inconvenient happens" Benedict scolded Sebastian as they walked back towards the castle.

"I can't help it" Sebastian moaned. "We planned so hard for Slytherin, and now we need to take on Hufflepuff instead."

"There's nothing wrong with the Hufflepuff team" said Benedict. "In fact between you and me, Cannon is having a nightmare trying to get his team to work properly."

"What were you talking to Gant about?" asked James suspiciously.

"You better not have gave away any of our tactics" snapped Sebastian.

"In actual fact, he wanted to know how my progress was going in deducing who the Traitor of Gryffindor is" Benedict replied. "I told him that I have read up on the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, and I'm up to the challenge."

"What are you on about?" asked James.

"To put it more simply, I've read Sherlock Holmes" sighed Benedict.

"Sherlock Holmes" Sebastian spoke as if it was a disgusting word. "But that's a muggle book."

"It's a muggle book series that teaches you important skills in the art of deduction" explained Sebastian. "Expanding our horizons in our thinking is an area in which us wizards are overall lacking in."

James was with Sebastian in this instance. He was constantly reading muggle books when he was in primary school, and he hated how they were constantly reading books without magic, or when they did, they were completely wrong about it.

"Ah, McLaren" Sebastian shouted out.

James' heart skipped a beat, and was so shocked that he almost tripped over on his face. Silverstone McLaren was just a few metres away, staring at a small metallic rectangle the size of wallet. McLaren saw them, and walked over. James felt himself going ever redder, the more he could see how attractive she was.

"What is it Sebastian?" asked McLaren.

"I heard you had a race coming up, so you had to reschedule the quiditch matches" Sebastian said. "Is that true?"

"Yeah" muttered McLaren. "Sorry if I messed up your strategy. If it makes things better, my team are angry too because we were training against the Hufflepuffs."

"I suppose we are equally handicapped then" admitted Sebastian.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is that contraption?" asked Benedict.

James tried to look at Sebastian and Benedict as much as possible; and hoped that McLaren didn't notice he was there.

"This is called a mobile phone" replied McLaren. "It's a thing muggles use to contact people all over the world. My racing manager has told me that I need to set up a social media presence to help out with my public image."

"What on earth are you talking about?" demanded Sebastian.

"I don't know" McLaren shrugged. "All I do is take photographs of myself, then it can be shown to everyone else."

She then smiled, and took a photo of herself. James was taken back to his days in primary school. He didn't understand Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Instagram; and he especially didn't see the need to own a mobile, when he could just send an owl.

"How can muggles do things like that without magic?" asked Sebastian.

"And whilst we're on the topic, how is it that this device still works?" added Benedict. "Electric objects tend to go berserk in areas with high concentration in magic."

"I don't know how muggle things work other than cars" McLaren responded. "I'm still wondering why muggles keep on sending me messages back with colons and closed brackets next to each other."

"Well, we'll let you get on with it then" replied a truly perplexed Sebastian. "Make sure you thrash the Slytherins."

"Can you stay behind Potter?" McLaren asked. "I'd like a word with you in private."

This was the exact thing James didn't want to hear. He tried to come up with a reason as to why he had to go back to the castle with Sebastian and Benedict, but he couldn't think of one that didn't make him seem weak. He swallowed his pride, and waited for his friends to walk out of earshot.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" James asked.

"I think you know the reason" chuckled McLaren.

"Oh" James muttered. "McLaren I'm sorry I dreamt of you like that, I…"

"What are you apologising for?" McLaren asked.

"For embarrassing you" answered James. "Your boyfriend was really angry about it."

"You shouldn't have to say sorry for having a crush on a girl James" said McLaren. "And to add some perspective; a lot of guys have a crush on me."

"Really?" gasped James.

"Let's read out the first comment that came up after I took that photograph" said McLaren. "I wish I could kiss you; colon then closed bracket" she read out. "That was actually one of the less creepy comments I received about my charm."

"You're fine with this?" questioned James.

"It wasn't like you came out and boasted how much you really wanted to be my boyfriend" replied McLaren. "Someone took your dream-o-graph, and used it to publicly humiliate you; and honestly the dream-o-graph wasn't even that bad. At least I was wearing clothes in it."

"I see" James murmured. "I better get back to my friends now, so… I…."

"Wish me luck for the game against Slytherin next week, and my race against the French the week after" McLaren replied.

"Yeah, good luck" James shouted, before running off hoping he didn't embarrass himself too much.

"So you've sorted things out with yourself and McLaren" Darren summarised the following breakfast.

"She wasn't offended anyway" replied James.

"I don't think Bletchley thinks the same way" muttered Bella.

James turned around to see that whilst the rest of the Slytherin team were engrossed in conversation, Bletchley was staring him down like a hawk examining its prey.

"I wonder how that match is going to go down" said James. "McLaren and Bletchley are playing against one another, yet they're both dating one another."

"Well Bletchley plays keeper and McLaren plays seeker, so I don't expect it will impact the game much" muttered Bella.

"I'm interested to know how you're going to play her James" Jackson sneered out of nowhere.

"Here we go again" sighed Darren.

"Will you stay loyal to the ever noble house of Gryffindor, or will you allow your heart to override your position?" Jackson asked sarcastically.

"Can someone pass me some more cornflakes?" asked James.

"Here" said Bella, passing him a bowl with the milk already poured in.

"I asked a question" snapped Jackson. "Are you going to ignore me?"

James grabbed Jackson's neck, and shoved his head into the cornflakes. Jackson emerged spluttering milk, his hair all wet and covered in cereal.

"No I wasn't actually" grinned James.

Many people around the Great Hall laughed, as Jackson stormed off elsewhere. James joined in too initially, until Professor Thicknesse suddenly appeared from behind.

"Detention Gorren" he declared. "You're doing such a dreadful job in keeping this animal in shape."

Thicknesse then walked away without even glancing at James.

"That biased little…" James muttered.

"Don't say anything bad" warned Darren. "If he hears you swear at him, he'll give me a detention."

"He'll give you a detention anyway Darren" said Bella bitterly. "Maybe not today, but you'll get another one eventually."

The unpleasantness was then interrupted by the owl post. James was wondering what Benedict Falcon got from his owl, when he was shocked to see his own family owl fly down with a parcel.

"Snowflake?" James gasped, as the white owl presented him the gift.

"That looks like the length of a broomstick James" noted Bella.

"Is it really?" James suddenly said enthusiastically.

He grabbed the note attached to the parcel and read it.

Dear James

I'm sorry it took me so long to write to you. The Auror office has been very busy since you boarded the Hogwarts Express. A former classmate of mine, Pansy Parkinson has been kidnapped. Although we never liked each other, she's still a citizen; and therefore I need to work every hour I can in order to find her.

But enough about all that sad stuff. I heard from Professor Longbottom that you made the Gryffindor Quiditch Team. Firstly whilst this is a great achievement, I managed to do it before I even knew what quiditch was, so I'm still up on you there. Secondly, when I was made seeker, I got one of the best broomsticks money could buy at the time. It's only fair that I give you the same opportunity. I heard that you're up against Hufflepuff first. Don't underestimate them, they beat me twice when I was playing them. Work hard, practise hard, win the game, then when you come back home for Christmas, I can show you how good your mum and dad really were at quiditch.

Your Forever Loving Dad

"A new broomstick" James screamed.

He tore open the parcel wrapping like a child on his birthday. Once all the paper was ripped away, the broomstick could be seen for all its glory. James had never seen one so smooth, so polished, so finely crafted; and on the side written in gold was the name Nimbus 3000 .

"No way" Bella shrieked. "You've got the new Nimbus Three Thousand."

"Did somebody say Nimbus Three Thousand?" Bletchley asked from the Slytherin table.

There was soon a large crowd of people gathered round James, all wanting to look at the new Nimbus.

"Is this supposed to be a good broom then?" asked Darren, after being almost crushed by excited Gryffindors.

"The best broom anybody in my team has" replied Hazel Macmillan. "Great broom James."

"This is amazing" gawped Sebastian. "Nobody is going to be able to stop you James with this. I cannot wait for our first game now."

"Break it up people" Professor Longbottom commanded. "Let's keep the aisles clear. Well done James."

"Thank you Professor" replied James.

"If I were you, I'd go back to the Common Room, and put that thing in a safe place" advised Longbottom. "The Nimbus Three Thousand is a very expensive broom; I don't want to imagine how much money your father spent on this."

"I'm very grateful" said James. "I'll go back right away sir, thank you."

"Typical, just typical" Jackson moaned, as he tried to comb cornflakes out of his hair.

Like everyone else in the Great Hall, he saw James receive his Nimbus Three Thousand; though unlike his fellow Gryffindors, he couldn't stand looking at it.

"Well done Potter, congratulations Potter, Fantastic Potter that you made the team despite me being better than you" Jackson crudely imitated the people complimenting James. "I beat him, yet he gets to be seeker, and he gets a really nice broom from his parents."

"You sound a bit sour Jackson" a passing Hagrid noticed.

"Yeah" Jackson sighed. "Potter's acting like a b… bighead" he caught himself before saying something that would have resulted in Gryffindor losing points.

"I told you before Jackson, it's not his fault for him being seeker, and it certainly isn't his fault for receiving that broom from his father" Hagrid scolded him.

"I never got gifts like that" Jackson muttered. "If I was lucky, I'd get a new DVD for Christmas."

"Yeah… finances aren't kind" admitted Hagrid. "But you don't deal with it by arguing with other people."

"Finances aren't kind…" Jackson muttered, before reacting like a switch just turned on in his mind. "Of course."

"Eh?" grunted Hagrid.

"When the Gringotts Department of Finding Out All My Relatives Thingy gives me the key to the Lestrange vault, I can buy a Nimbus Three Thousand myself" Jackson realised. "In fact I can buy a Nimbus Nine Thousand, that vault is so loaded."

"Jackson…" Hagrid muttered.

"I know what you're going to say; I already talked about it with Benedict, and I'm not going to screw Teddy over."

"That wasn't what I was going to say" replied Hagrid. "Look over there."

Hagrid pointed out a few seventh year students, who before being singled out by Hagrid, were glaring at Jackson with contempt.

"What about them?" snapped Jackson.

"You're making yourself sound like the person people think you are when they pick on yer" Hagrid explained. "The more you talk about trying to one up James, the more those idiots feel justified in bullying yer."

"But James deserves it" Jackson protested.

"That's not the point" Hagrid said. "I don't want you to see you hurt Jackson; you're a good kid. But the more you continue to harass other people, no matter the reason, the more people are going to fight back on that. Worse still, I don't want you to become what other students were to Harry and…"

"So now we're back on to Harry again" Jackson shouted back. "I'm sick and tired of Potter being so important."

"That's not something that can be ignored Jackson" Hagrid told him.

"I don't care" Jackson barked back. "I hope the Traitor of Gryffindor ruins his life even more."

He left his seat, and stormed out of the Great Hall. Several people booed him as he left.

"Stop that" Hagrid ordered.

"Come on Hagrid, did you not hear him?" asked Sebastian.

"I heard a boy who has had a very difficult start to Hogwarts" replied Hagrid. "Nobody deserves to be mocked and ridiculed like he did, and he's learning the wrong lessons in life because of it. I'm not going to let Jackson Lestrange live up to his name because of some gits who made his school years hell."

Hagrid had to take a breather after his speech. Most of the people watching merely giggled, and continued with his breakfast. Hagrid however returned to the staff table with a new found resolve. Jackson Lestrange will not become the new Draco Malfoy. He was worried that he might have failed after he tried getting him to apologise to James in his hut; but he decided no matter how hard, or how long it will take, he will get Jackson accepted throughout Hogwarts.