"Madame Finnagan" Professor McGonnagal walked into my office followed by Professor Flitwick and Madame Hooch. It took a moment to register that she was carrying a Firebolt nearly identical to the one in the rack by my door. I'd been expecting this since Harold's Owl a few hours ago.

"We need your expertise. This broom has been partially stripped and searched for hexes and curses. We've checked for everything we can think of, but I'm still not convinced it's safe." McGonnagal said crisply. I motioned for the teachers to take the various seats around my office and explain further.

"Harry Potter received this remarkable broom from someone unknown, we suspect Black is behind it, we're concerned about Harry's safety if he ever rides this broom." I think for a moment, looking at my filing drawers. As Harold said, 12 years in Azkaban might have been enough to unhinge Black. I pass the scroll on my desk to Minerva.

"This is a letter from my contact in quality Quidditch I was just about to bring to you Madame Hooch. He wanted to confirm that Harry Potter actually purchased this broom- however as you can see from the credit check at Gringotts, the funds were pulled from an account being held in trust for Sirius Black in vault 711 and the handwriting is not Mr. Potter's. I'm afraid I can confirm the broom came from him. However, as an international-standard Quidditch broom the Firebolt is supposed to be nearly unhexable to prevent cheating or tampering. Which would also make it challenging to cast the charms on it to check if there are charms on it." From the looks on their faces, I was correct.

"The captain of Harry's team and his friends are really getting irratating, asking constantly when he will get the broom back." The look Minerva gave over her glasses said even more then tone of her words.

"You know my feelings on this subject, professors- I don't believe that any student should be able to supply their own racing brooms for Quidditch to prevent such an unfair advantage." Flitwich interrupted me before I could get started or warmed up to the subject.

"But having stated that, we are still left with two options: send this broom back to the manufactures for a complete respelling, which I recommend. Or continue stripping the spells that are on it until we either find something or not then attempt to respell it. Which I don't recommend, either of which could take months and none of us here are trained or qualified to respell brooms of this caliber." I was trained and certified, but chose not to argue the point at the moment.

"There is a third option and compromise that I can offer- Professors, if you don't think Harry Potter is overly observant. Harold McGrathe of Quality Quidditch Supplies is willing to trade the broom out for one of the exact make and model and send the one Black purchased to the manufacture and Ministry to strip, search for evidence, and respell since Harry has been cleared of any chance of fraud."

"That sounds like the best plan. How long until the new broom replacement arrives."

I toss a handful of floo powder into my fireplace and called Harold. After a brief exchange, we confirm the plan and he passed the new broom to us and we passed the potentially cursed broom back to him. The brooms were nearly identical. As long as Harry doesn't notice the change of serial numbers, there was nothing further to worry about.

I'm trying not to listen to the ongoing commentary disguised as an advertisement for Firebolts. I have to admit it Harry Potter is a good flyer and seeker. However, on that broomstick sloppiness I noted when he was on the Nimbus seemed exacerbated. Turns were wide, and he seemed to be relying on the broom to do the flying for him but his tactics were good. Lots of potential there. Oliver Wood as keeper and Captain was impressive and he did an excellent job keeping his team working together.

I continued to take notes on the various players in the match. Gryffendor won despite Slytheryn's attempts to distract Harry. I can't help but wonder who he learned to cast a Patronis.

I stayed in my seat by a pure force of will. I've never seen such low-handed tactics as the Slytheryn house was using today. If I were the referee on the field, I'd have the lot of them off their brooms and in detention.

There is a Philosophers stone. Here. At Hogwarts. Because it wasn't safe at Gringotts. This news is almost as remarkable that Harry Potter will finally be joining us here. Has it truly been 10 years since Lord Voldemorts downfall? I think best when my hands are full so I head out to the workshop to overhaul a few more brooms for the new term. I spelled the skylight windows to open and went to work polishing and trimming. A few hours must have passed when Professor Flitwick came in and cleared his throat to get my attention, startling me.

"What can I do for you, Professor?" He was looking around the workshop with interest.

"I see why you disappear out here so often." He said approvingly. He picked up one of the brooms I was restoring from the workbench. "May I?" I gestured for him to go ahead, with a wave of my hand and a smile. He took out his wand and tapped the broom. It flew to a sharp hover. As he did a careful examination of my work, I stored the tools and cleared the workbench. When I was done, he set the broom down.

"You always were good at charms work. Interesting way to combine that with your enjoyment of old brooms. Well, to business." I led the way back to my office through the cases of antique brooms.

"Albus placed me in charge of one of the rooms guarding the... well the item. The idea I have is to combine all the skills needed to be a top-notch quidditch player with a catch." He went on to describe a room filled with flying keys, and the person crossing the room would have to pick the correct key out of several dozen. All while flying on a broom and being pelted by the various keys.

The heads of the houses were each given the assignment to focus on the skills and of the houses. Slytheryn, logic and cunning; Gryffendor, courage and fortitude; Hufflepuff, hard work and dicipline; Ravenclaw, learning and cleverness. How each teacher chose to interpret that was up to the individual's talents and interests. He also asked Professor Quirrill to contribute something from the dark arts, and Hagrid to donate a suitable doorkeeper.

"I need your help with this- first to spell and automate several dozen flying keys, as well as the indefinite loan a few brooms- which I'd like you to charm however you see fit. Think you can have them ready in 3 days?"

"Not a problem. I'll get started this afternoon. When would you like to meet to start spelling keys?"

"Come to the charms classroom this evening after dinner and we can get started. Thanks in advance for your help."

"So we have 5 basic types of keys. Those that are flying around randomly with no purpose, those that fly away, those that attack who ever is on the broom, those that will just fly chaotically around whoever is on the broom, and finally those that are acting as protectors to the ones that fly away. Lets get to work."

It was cheery working with him, it was late into the night before we were even a third of the way through the charming and duplicating of the keys.

The door to the faculty room swung open and Professor Lockhart glided in attempting to make an entrance, we all ignored him. Undeterred, he cleared his throat loudly.

"I have an announcement to make." Obviously. As usual, the git wouldn't look me in the eyes. As Snape would say, never underestimate an opponent who won't meet your eyes. "I've spoken with Dumbledore and have been given permission to re-form the Hogwarts dueling club."

His announcement was met with stunned silence. Flitwich and I exchanged a look of disgust. But it was Snape who bore the brunt of his idiocy this time. "Professor Snape, I wonder if you would be so generous with your time to participate as my first assistant, you might be a bit rusty but I'll go easy on you?"

I had to stifle laughter at this suggestion. Flitwich was less successful.

"Of course Gilderoy. I'd be honored to help you in this endeavor." Lockhart clicked his heals and glided out with a flurry and a swish of his cloak, totally missing the sarcasm and scorn dripping from Snape's every word and the mocking way he bowed Lockhart out the door.

"Severus, you're not planning on really hurting him, are you?" McGonnagal was the first to speak up, voicing nothing but concern. "I wonder why he asked you and not one the rest of us."

"Probably thinks as a potions expert I'd be easiest opponent." But the smile on his face said it all; yes, he did want to hurt the little peacock. I'd have to figure out a way to see this.

"I'm putting 2 gallians on Snape landing peacock on the floor with one spell. Any takers?"

Snape and I spent considerable time as dueling opponents out in the broom shed. Most of the faculty who were in the Order did; including Dumbledore and McGonnagal. Snape originally approached me to oppose him to help keep his Occlemancy under control, and to reprogram the Death Eater reflex to kill or crucio an opponent who was winning. The first year of these matches were done in tandem with Professor Dumbeldore who would cast legemancy spells at random intervals just to throw him off. There were a few close calls in the beginning, but these days it was a challenge to keep each other on our toes.