Time had passed and the trio found themselves in mid October, coming out of Defense Against the Dark Arts they headed to the Great Hall and dinner.

Harry was having a better day, which explained the small smile that crept over his face when talking to his best friends.

Sitting at the Gryffindor table, Hermione began to ladle out the vegetables on to their plates. Harry and Ron had long ago given up complaining.

She had only responded with: "There good for you. Eat."

"Worried about the game tomorrow?" Ron asked passing the mashed potatoes.

Harry snorted, "Against Slytherins? Ha, no problem."

Ron started to say something but was cut off by a 7th year Ravenclaw who had come over and was standing in back of Ginny. "Got a bet going on about how long it will take Harry to catch the Snitch."

Harry arched an eyebrow.

"Favorite time," he continued, "Is five minutes or less. Care to place a bet?" The boy looked around at the Gryffindor's and Luna who had continued to dine with them.

There was silence for a moment and they all looked at Harry, then people started to rummage through their robes.

The boy who had finally introduced him self as Robert was taking down names and collecting money from the students. Harry was watching it all with an amused expression.

Ron had taken out a galleon and bet on a minute or less. Harry looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure?"

Ron shrugged, "Hey, if you don't, you owe me a galleon."

Harry laughed.

At breakfast the team was eating together and discussing the game plan. Hermione joined them and Luna wandered over with the hat from last year. Only this time she had added the snake slithering out of the lion's sharp teeth.

Tapping it with her wand it let out a loud roar and moved its jaws causing the snake to squirm. The Slytherins were shooting death glares at them while the rest of the school was applauding.

The chasers (Ginny, Alicia, and Katie) were talking with their heads together, talking about complicated moves.

The beaters (Davies and Thomas, who weren't as good as Fred and George, but had made some good saves) were trying to choke down some food.

Harry and Ron were eating like it was just a normal day and Hermione was buried under her Daily Prophet.

Ten minutes later Harry rose and called out, "Team, let's go."

The seven players left the great hall with their brooms over their shoulders and went down to the locker room. Once dressed in their gold and scarlet robes they sat in front of Harry waiting for his, thankfully, short, before the games talk.

"Let's roll," was all he said.

They layered their hands a top each others "Go Gryffindor!"

The mounted their brooms, and kicked off, rising slightly in the air. Harry took the lead and zoomed down the tunnel and out into the roar of the crowds at break neck speed. Six other red blurs following closely behind him. Whipping around the stands Lee Jordan, who took off from the W.W.W. the day of the games to come back and commentate, called out:

"And here come the Gryffindor team, Ginny, Spinnet, Bell, Smith, Townsend, Ron, and Potter!" Lee had long ago given up trying to call Ron and Ginny 'Weasley' and just settled for their first names; it saved a lot of confusion.

Madam Hooch stepped out onto the field with the crate. Harry and Draco landed and stood opposite each other. "Now I want a nice clean game from you all." She gave Malfoy a sharp look before telling them to shake hands.

They each clamped on to the others hand, squeezing hard, trying to break the others fingers in the process.

Madam Hooch nodded and they kicked off from the ground. Kicking the crate open Harry had a fleeting glimpse of the golden blur before it was lost in the sunlight. The bludgers shot up and whizzed off.

"And the Quaffle is released, and the game begins!"

The chasers served in and out of each other, avoiding the other's by mere inches. Ginny grabbed the Quaffle and raced to the goal posts, the Slytherin chasers hot on her heals. Before they could steal it from her she passed it to Katie off to her left who passed it to Alicia who shot it in the ring before the keeper even knew what happened.

Harry took his eyes off the game and his eyes traveled rapidly over the field. Surprised by what he saw he sped toward the ground from his position 100 feet above the game to the grass below. The crowd was going wild.

The ground was coming closer and closer. He could hear Malfoy cursing him as he urged his broom faster. 10 feet, 5 feet 3 feet . . .

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT! POTTER HAS THE SNITCH IN UNDER A MINUTE INTO THE GAME!"

Harry soared back up into the air and took a victory lap around the field flying just above the heads of the crowd. Slowing down slightly over the teacher's stands he caught Remus' wink and Snape's customary glare.

Later that night there was a party going on in the Gryffindor common room. A knock on the entrance hole went unnoticed till the Fat lady shouted in at them "YOU HAVE A VISITOR!"

Everyone quieted down as Harry went and pushed open the painting.

Robert was standing there with a grin on his face. "Anyone wish to collect their winnings?" He jangled a bag.

Harry smiled and beckoned him in to the room. People lined up in front of him. It was well over an hour later when he left claiming he had to go to the other houses to 'spread the wealth'.

Sometime in Mid November

"What are you doing out of bed Potter?" Snape snarled, coming up on Harry.

"Couldn't sleep." said Harry, who was sitting on the steps. Holding his knees and staring at the floor.

Snape was dressed in his Death Eater robes, having just come back from a meeting. He was still sore from the 'crucio' curse he had been issued no less than three, long, times. He noted that Potter seemed to be in slight discomforted.

Harry looked up at him and took in the robes. "What are you doing up, Sir?" He figured that if he tried to be polite, it would work out better.

"Potter, you know clearly what I have been doing, judging from your reaction at my attire. You would not understand. Now back to bed and-"

" I wouldn't understand would I? You have no idea how much I understand. I have dreams that would make you have nightmares for years. Theses dreams, I can see Voldemort on killing sprees, Death Eater meetings." Harry had stood up; his green eyes a light with a fire the Professor had never had the privilege to see.

Snape tensed at the last one, he started to make a smart comment but-

"I can see them through the scum's eyes. You, kneeling down to kiss the freak's robes."

Snape now went pale.

"Did not know that, did you?" Harry continued softly. "I can hear the lies you say to get him to believe you're still his loyal servant."

Snape went, if possible, paler.

"So don't tell me I don't understand. I understand that every time you go to those meetings, anything could slip and you would not be coming back. I understand that this is all in the name of the Order, and that is something you have to do."

Snape was standing there in shock. Harry started to walk away, then stopped and turned back around.

"The first day of potions you called me the new celebrity. That's something you don't understand. I would give anything to have a normal childhood. Not to have this scar, to be known as Harry Potter, the common kid, To be laughing with my friends, Not trying to figure out how Voldemort is going to try to kill me this year. The biggest worry in my mind would be an upcoming test, to live with my parents, to have Sirius around, people who love me."

Harry gave a harsh, cold, laugh. "Nobody knows what the boy-who-lived goes through every summer. Living with the Dursleys, being treated like a freak of nature. I lived in a cupboard under the stairs for the first ten years of my life, barely getting enough food to support me, given way to large hand-me-downs from Dudley, made to do all the chores.

"I don't know what you thought my childhood was like Snape. But I would not wish it on anyone. Did you think I was raised as some hero? I never knew about wizards or Hogwarts or even my own history till I came here.

"Next time, think twice before telling me I wouldn't understand." Harry turned his back on his professor and walked away.

Snape would be standing in the middle of the hall for quite some time before heading back to the dungeons.

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