October was like a blur to Harry. He had no idea how he got through his classes with Quidditch practices, lessons with Professor Mac, and D.A. meetings. The first Quidditch match was against Ravenclaw, and Harry was looking foward to a win. He had a great team, and he really wanted to win the Cup the year he was captain.

"Did Cho make captain?" Ron asked Harry two nights before the match as they sat in the common room doing Snape's homework.

"I think so," Harry answered absentmindedly, as he flipped through his Potion's book for the three uses of grilldon blood. "What is a grilldon, anyway?" Harry said in exasperation as he slammed the book shut.

"It's a cousin creature of the grindylow," Hermione said, looking over the top of her potion's encyclopedia. "While grindylows prey in lakes and rivers, grilldons lurk in swamps and bayous."

"Thank you, Professor Snape," Ron said.

"Oh, come on, Ron. Snape wouldn't be that nice to Harry," Mandy said as she walked up to their table.

She flopped down next to Harry and pulled out her Arithmancy book.

"He might say something like, 'I guess fame prevents one from reading textbooks. Five hundred points from Gryffindor'," Mandy said, and they all laughed at her dead-on Snape impression.

"Remember, Ron, you have Trelawney's homework, also," Hermione chided.

"I can't concentrate on all this work with the match on Saturday," Ron said putting his head in his hands.

Hermione patted his back as she flipped another page in her encyclopedia.

"I'm so excited to see all of you play," Mandy said, her green eyes sparkling.

"It's going to be great," Harry said, but he couldn't deny the butterflies in his stomach.

He hadn't played Quidditch since the beginning of his fifth year.

"You'll do fine," Mandy said softly, putting her hand on his arm.

Harry smiled nervously as the butterflies turned to hippogriffs.

The day of the match dawned sunny but frigid. Harry couldn't remember the weather turning this cold this early in years. He dressed quickly, grabbed his Firebolt, and walked down to breakfast. The Great Hall was decorated for the Halloween feast later that night. Hagrid's gigantic pumpkins were next to the staff table, and magical bats flew above the student's heads. Harry spotted Ron, Hermione, and Mandy at the Gryffindor table and walked over. Ron was staring at his plate as if it were his History of Magic homework. Hermione and Mandy were deep in conversation about Arithmancy.

"Hi, guys," Harry said, as he sat down.

"Hey," the girls responded but kept talking, and Ron didn't say anything at all.

"I'm going to mess up, mate," Ron muttered quietly after a few minutes of silence.

"No, you won't. You've been doing great in practice," Harry said, as he reached for a piece of toast.

Ron had indeed improved from last year, but Harry hoped his confidence would last through the Slytherin's taunts. As if reading Harry's thoughts, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle walked past their table singing yet another version of "Weasley Is Our King." Mandy looked up when she heard them singing and stared at Malfoy with the upmost loathing.

"Did you make that song up all by yourself, Malfoy, or did Twiddle-dumb and Twiddle-idiot over there help you," Mandy said, motioning to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Shut it, orphan," Malfoy sneered. "I know all about you. I know how your parents abandoned you and how you had to stay at some freak orphanage. I can't believe you consider that dangerous half-breed as your mother. What a joke."

Mandy stood up, her hands balled into fists.

"Well, I might have parents who deserted me, but at least they didn't break out of Azkaban and commit murder!" she shouted so loudly that people started staring.

Before Malfoy could say another word, Mandy gathered up her things and stalked off out of the Great Hall. Harry grabbed his Firebolt and walked after her, but he caught a glimpse of Malfoy's face as he passed him. Draco looked like he was struggling to say something, but at the same time, he looked sad because he knew what Mandy said was the truth. Harry couldn't care less if Malfoy was upset. He just wanted to check on Mandy. He found her in the entrance hall leaning against the wall on the right side of the staircase.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said and sighed. "I've just never dealt with anyone quite that blunt. He really is the worst person I've ever met."

"Malfoy isn't big on tact," Harry said. "But you handled him well."

Mandy looked up and gave him a little half-smile, her eyes brimming with tears. One lone tear fell down her cheek, and Harry reached up and brushed it away.

"Don't worry. I"m not going to cry. I'm not going to let him get to me," she said, shaking her head.

"You don't have to be strong all the time, Mandy," Harry said, and as he spoke the word, he knew they were true, even for him.

"I know," she said softly. "Good luck on the match, Harry."

She leaned over and kissed him quickly on the lips and walked away. Harry was frozen to the spot until he heard Ginny call to him as the Gryffindor team came out of the Great Hall.

"Time to go, Harry," Ginny called, and he walked over to them.

He had a huge goofy smile on his face as he walked down to the pitch with his teammates. Ron looked over at him and narrowed his eyes.

"She just kissed you, didn't she?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded and widened his smile.

"Well, I always say a good snog is the best way to start off a Quidditch game, huh!" Ron said, laughing.

"Ron," Hermione called as she ran to catch up them. "Good luck," she said and quickly kissed him on the lips, just as Mandy had done with Harry, and ran off to find a seat.

"Well, mate," Harry said as they entered the dressing room. "Looks like we both got lucky today."

Ron nodded, and he seemed to have adopted Harry's goofy smile. Harry turned his attention to the team (which was difficult), and started his pep talk.

"The Ravenclaw team is good, but we're better. Our team has not been this strong since we won the Quidditch Cup in my third year. Everyone is going to be brilliant. Just stay focused, and I know we can win this match. Are you ready?" he finished, and everyone cheered in response. "Let's go."

They grabbed their broomsticks and walked out onto the pitch. The stadium went into an uproar as they walked up to Madam Hooch.

"Captains, shake hands," she said.

Cho and Harry briefly touched hands. Madam Hooch released the balls. Harry caught a quick streak of gold as the Snitch flew off.

"Mount your brooms. On my whistle, three, two," Madam Hooch blew her whistle sharply and fourteen brooms shot into the air.

"Gryffindor takes possession first," Dean's voice rang through the stadium. "Ginny Weasley, seeker last year for the Gryffindor team, new chaser this year, takes the Quaffle down the field. She dodges everyone with ease. No one can touch her, and SHE SCORES! Ten to zero, Gryffindor. Too bad me and that girl broke up."

"Dean!" Harry heard Professor McGonagall scream. "I will not put up with Lee Jordan, Jr."

Harry scanned the field looking for a hint of gold but saw none. Cho was tailing him slightly like she had in previous games, but she kept her distance. He kept both eyes on the field and one ear to the colorful commentary that Dean was providing. Lavender and Ginny scored two more goals, and Ron made a fantastic save.

"And Mark Evans, new beater for the Gryffindor team, batters the Ravenclaw chasers. He is small, but he is good," Dean said. "Ravenclaw chasers can barely get past him to score goals. Great find by Captain Harry Potter."

Harry tore his eyes away to watch Mark. He really was phenomenal. He could easily play professionally.

"It's now thirty to nothing, Gryffindor," Dean said. "And look at- oh, wait. I think the Snitch has been spotted!"

Harry turned and saw Cho speeding toward the ground near the Ravenclaw left goal post. Harry flew down as quickly as he could, but did a complete turn around as he saw something tiny and gold zoom past his ear in the opposite direction.

"Cho was feinting!" Dean screamed. "But Harry Potter flies his magnificent Firebolt back around after the real Snitch."

Harry could not remember ever willing his Firebolt to go faster. He stretched his hand out and felt his fingers close around the struggling Snitch. The crowd went wild as Harry held up his arm.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Dean yelled. "They stomp Ravenclaw one hundred and eighty to nothing!"

Harry was engulfed by his teammates as soon as he hit the ground, and every Gryffindor ran out onto the field. Mandy ran up and hugged him. Harry picked her up and twirled her around. Hermione kissed Ron on the cheek, and he pulled her into a bone-breaking hug.

"I knew you could do it," Mandy said over the roaring crowd. "You were great!"

"Only because of you," he whispered in her ear.

Mandy looked into his eyes and the fanatical suddenly seemed very far away.

The Gryffindor's victory party seemed to go on forever. The Halloween feast was filling, but Harry and Ron still snuck down to the kitchens to nick some food from the eager-to-please house elves. Harry looked, but he didn't see Dobby anywhere.

"It's probably his day off," Ron said when Harry expressed his concerns.

Harry shrugged thinking it was odd for a Hogwarts house elf to have a feast day off, and he cast one more glance around the kitchens before him and Ron returned to the common room laden with food. The party lasted well into the night until people gradually started to drag themselves up to bed. Soon the only ones left were the members of the Gryffindor team, Hermione, and Mandy. As Ron mentioned for the fifth time how Cho's feinting so horribly backfired, Harry heard a tapping sound. He turned and saw Hedwig at the window. Harry hurried over and opened the glass, and Hedwig hopped inside.

"She's beautiful," Mandy said, stroking Hedwig's sleek white feathers.

Hedwig hooted softly at the compliment as Harry opened the letter that she had delivered.

Harry,

I don't know why I'm about to tell you this, but I feel as if I owe something to you for saving Dudley's life last summer. You know your Uncle Vernon and I are not fond of you, but you did a good thing last year. Your mother and I had a brother named Desmond. He and Lily were closer than I thought two people could possibly be. He was one of your kind, and went to that school of yours. I believe he graduated the year Lily started. Well, I got a letter from him when you were about five telling me what had happened to him. See, he left after Lily's death, and no one was able to track him down. In his letter, Desmond told me that he wanted to know all about you, and that he had a son. I threw the letter away, not wanting any more of my troublesome relatives in my house. He tried contacting me a few more times, but I never responded. I thought I should let you know you have an uncle and a cousin. If my calculations are right if Desmond's son is one of your kind, he should have started going to school this year. I believe his name is Mark. Please never mention this again, especially to Uncle Vernon.

Aunt Petunia

Harry lifted his head and looked across the room where Mark Evans was talking to Lavender. Ron, Hermione, and Mandy, who had been reading over Harry's shoulder, followed suit. They all stared at him with mouths open in shock until Mark felt their eyes on him.

He turned from Lavender, stared back at them, and said, "What?"