Chapter Two: Loopholes

"So," said Albus Dumbledore to the assembled staff, as the next day's morning meeting began. "Do I need to ask for volunteers for the Quidditch team? Or has Madam Hooch, in her enthusiasm, signed you all up?"

Snape muttered something, of which the only word the others could make out was "damned". McGonagall sniggered, which drew Albus' attention to her.

"Minerva, for an ex Gryffindor Quidditch captain, you've kept rather quiet. Why is that?"

"Well, it was rather a long time ago…" she said, smiling slightly. "Besides, I haven't played for years, I don't…"

At that moment Madam Hooch ran in, slamming the door behind her. "Sorry Albus, just discussing this charity match with the Quidditch captains. They want me to play, but I said I didn't know who'd referee if I did."

"I will" Snape volunteered immediately. After all Hooch's endless stories about her own Quidditch days, he just wanted to see whether she was as good as she said she was. Sprout rounded on Snape.

"You? You can't referee, you're…well, biased…"

"Not that that's such a bad thing under the circumstances…" Professor Flitwick added with a smile, and turned his attention back to Professor McGonagall. "What position did you play, Minerva?"

There was a pause, as if revealing this would be sealing her fate. "Chaser," Dumbledore told them.

"Wonderful" Madam Hooch pulled a quill and parchment out of her pocket, and scrawled Minerva's name down. "The first member of the team…this is going to be great, reminds me of my Quidditch days, I was Ravenclaw's seeker for five years, it was fantastic, it was..." The rest of the staff tuned out of her enthusiastic rant. They'd heard it all before.

Severus smirked. "Give Potter a run for his money, eh?"

"What?" asked Hooch.

"Who else will they field? The youngest seeker for a century and all that? Oh come on…"

"You should do it" Minerva said quietly. "Keep me company on the team…"

At that moment, Professor Binns entered the staff room through the fireplace, looking more enthusiastic than everyone had ever seen him since his death. "I want to play" he announced. "I wasn't a bad keeper in my youth, although that was rather a long time ago, I must say, I haven't played in about a hundred years."

There was an awkward silence. McGonagall cleared her throat and looked at Dumbledore. "I think" said Dumbledore gently, "that it would be… impractical…for you to take part."

Trelawney was laughing. "How can you be keeper, the Quaffle would just go straight through you if you didn't fall through your broomst…ow!" Vector, in the next seat, kicked her sharply in the shin.

Binns looked crestfallen. For a moment they thought they were about to be treated to a Moaning Myrtle style "it's because I'm dead, isn't it?" speech, but they weren't. Binns looked at Hooch for approval. "Although Sybill has a point… I mean, couldn't you make me solid, just for the afternoon…?"

Flitwick laughed. "I know just the charm…you would remain solid for the duration of the game with the…ahem…exception of when" nobody could hear the last bit of what he said.

"The exception of what?" Binns asked curiously.

"The exception of when you are in the proximity of a Bludger. Or other players. You could fly straight through them, and…"

"That's cheating!" Trelawney cut Flitwick off. Then she smiled. "I like it…"

"Does anyone else have any bright ideas they would like to share with us while they're at it?" Snape muttered sarcastically.

Flitwick took this at face value. "Well yes, there are all sorts of charms that can be used on Bludgers and the like, they…"

"Hang on a minute" Hooch interrupted. "We can't cheat that much! OK, a biased referee, and a keeper who can fly through people already gives us an advantage."

"It's about loopholes" McGonagall said suddenly. "In the Quidditch rules. They're hinted at in Quidditch Through The Ages. All we have to do is get the rulebook out to refresh our memories, and find all the loopholes we can." Everyone stared at her. "I'm sorry, but I, for one, do not wish to be indebted to the Weasley twins and turned into a…a toilet seat, or something."

"I quite agree, Minerva," Dumbledore conceded.

"Well, that settles it then!" Hooch said cheerily. "Now we know we have the advantage…" "Several" Vector interrupted.

"…would anybody else like to volunteer? Of course, I've already put down those of you who were at school at the same time as me, it'll be fun for us to play on the same side, won't it?" she asked Professor Sprout. "You were a very enthusiastic beater at the time, caused me no end of problems!"

Sprout smiled fondly. "Ah yes, those were the days, weren't they?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "I don't think I can tolerate any more of this pointless reminiscing." He marched out of the staffroom.

"Two of the magnificent seven ride again then?" Dumbledore asked, looking pointedly at Vector. "Chaser, weren't you?"

Vector smiled nervously. "I was, once…"

"Oh, come on!" Hooch exclaimed. "We had a great time, didn't we? We were on the same team for four years! You were still on for another two after I left, weren't you?" she half asked, half announced, enthusiastically. "Now all we need is another beater and a third chaser. Any suggestions?"

Nobody moved. Everyone looked at the floor. "I always wanted to play Quidditch" Trelawney announced suddenly. "But they'd never let me."

"Oh, nonsense! Would you prefer to be a chaser or a beater?" Hooch asked enthusiastically.

McGonagall, however, looked slightly put out at the prospect of having to cooperate with Trelawney. "Do you see the outcome of the match, Sybill?" she asked icily.

Trelawney eyed her suspiciously. "Perhaps my crystal gazing will inspire me…and I would prefer to be a chaser," she told Hooch, glaring at McGonagall.

"Anyone else?" Hooch asked hopefully. "No? OK, never mind Albus, you can get on with the staff meeting now if you like."

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes thank you, although I notice you have already frightened one of our number away…"

Albus had lost their attention. The team had retreated into a corner to discuss tactics.

That evening, in the Great Hall, the Quidditch teams form all four houses assembled at the foot of the Ravenclaw table after everyone else had left dinner. Ron and Hermione waved cheerfully to Harry as the headed off to the common room. Harry took a seat with Fred and George Weasley, who were looking enthusiastic.

"Listen up!" Angelina Johnston was perched on the end of the table, legs swinging. "I spoke to the other captains at lunch time and we decided we have to do this fairly…if more than one of you want the same position we're going to draw for it…we have to put together the best team, and defeat the staff! We have to show them how real Quidditch is played!"

George snorted. "Some of them have been playing about a hundred years longer than we have!"

"Who wants in?" asked Kerry Schofield, the Slytherin captain.

A lot of members of house teams decided not to play. "I have to see this!" Katie Bell giggled to Alicia Spinnet and Cho Chang. They nodded agreement, grinning.

"That Creevy kid had better bring his camera!" Alicia added.

Schofield drew for the chasers, picking three slips of parchment from Fred's upturned hat from the seven students who volunteered. "Angelina, you're in!" Kerry told her. "And you Terry" she told Ravenclaw Terry Boot, "And you Justin" she added to Justin Finch-Fletchley, of Hufflepuff.

"Him!" exclaimed a cold voice at the back of the group. Everyone turned. Malfoy was standing with Crabbe and Goyle, looking smug. "He can't play Quidditch! He's Muggle born!"

Angelina rounded on Malfoy. "Justin is a fine chaser. It's a shame the same can't be said of your ability as a seeker. Speaking of which…"

"I vote Harry," Cho stated, scowling at Malfoy.

"We're drawing, aren't we?" the blond boy sneered. "Add my name, Schofield" he addressed his captain. She clearly didn't think much of his attitude, or ability as a seeker either, but reluctantly scrawled his name on a piece of parchment and handed it to Fred. Harry did the same.

Fred held the hat out to Justin, who closed his eyes, and chose a piece of parchment. He turned to the group, unfolded it and read "Harry Potter!"

The players cheered, even Schofield.

Malfoy was outraged. "It was fixed! You wait until my father hears about this!" he exclaimed. "Come on," he snarled to Crabbe and Goyle, leaving the hall, slamming the door behind him, almost rebounding it off Crabbe and Goyle, who were a step behind him as always.

The rest of the team selection went smoothly. Fred, George and Kerry were handed their positions by the younger and less experienced players, who wanted to see a student win and a staff humiliation, if at all possible, and decided to leave it to the experts.

The next afternoon, the team lists went up on the sports notice board. Everyone was very curious to see who had been selected.

Staff team:

Chasers: Professor McGonagall

Professor Vector

Professor Trelawney

Beaters: Professor Sprout

Hagrid

Keeper: Professor Binns

Seeker: Madam Hooch

Student team:

Chasers: Angelina Johnson (Gryffindor)

Justin Finch-Fletchley (Hufflepuff)

Terry Boot (Ravenclaw)

Beaters: Fred Weasley (Gryffindor)

George Weasley (Gryffindor)

Keeper: Kerry Schofield (Slytherin)

Seeker: Harry Potter (Gryffindor)

"Look at that, they've got four Gryffindors!" Snape sneered to McGonagall, as they surveyed the list pinned up on the sports notice board in the corridor.

"The main reason for that is that the Gryffindor team is quite young," Albus told him, joining the group of interested professors and students surveying the team lists.

"Albus, they're all quite young," McGonagall told him. "Besides, you think everyone under about a hundred's quite young, just the other day you were saying about…oh, never mind. What do you mean?"

"I mean, the other three teams lost many of their players at the end of last year, since so many of them were seventh years, and their new players lack the experience of the Gryffindor team, some of whom are playing for their fourth or fifth season," Dumbledore explained calmly. "I don't think there's any bias, Severus, I think the Quidditch captains of the four houses selected the players very democratically, despite what you may of heard from Mr Malfoy" The look on Snape's face told Dumbledore he was right. "Some members of the house teams didn't want to play, they'd much rather be free to watch, and amuse themselves laughing at you," he continued. "No offence, Minerva," he added hastily.

McGonagall grinned. "Laugh at us, you mean."

Snape smirked. Dumbledore rounded on McGonagall. "What?"

"Haven't you heard?" Snape asked. "Trelawney changed her mind. She won't play."

"Something to do with the fates warning her against it, no doubt" McGonagall put in, trying not to sound too cynical.

"No I hadn't heard, but…" Dumbledore began.

"So, Madam Hooch has put you down for the third chaser. She said she was coming to see you about it this afternoon" Snape announced, with a satisfied smile.

"Oh no, I can't possibly…" Dumbledore began.

McGonagall patted him on the arm. "It'll be fine, Albus, I'm sure you haven't lost your touch." She looked at her watch. "Well, I'll be off then, see you at the training session tonight." She turned to Snape. "And mind you find another few ideas for our…modifications." With that, she turned on her heel and walked towards her classroom.