Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters. They belong to J. K. Rowling. Any quotes from Harry Potter books don't belong to me either. As usual, no profit is meant to be made by this story.

Similarities with other fanfiction stories are not intended

8. Quidditch

Time passed and the newly formed Gryffindor quartet enjoyed themselves a lot. Hermione was a marvellous addition to the three friends. They now had even less problems with school stuff because Hermione, as Harry, was very good in class and could help Neville and Ron as well. Therefore, they had plenty of free time. Most of it, they used to plan a very nasty prank on Malfoy as they still didn't have had their revenge for his attempt of getting them into trouble when he challenged Harry to the midnight duel. Just for the fun of it, they decided to include the entire Slytherin house and professor Snape as well. The pranks they were going through in their minds became more and more creative. However, they hadn't found a suitable Gelegenheit or the perfect prank yet. So the time passed and it was soon November and the day of Harry's first quidditch match had arrived. He had trained a lot over the past weeks and Wood kept telling him that he was really good and he even got a new broom once in the morning post. He wasn't sure but the owl looked a lot like one of McGonagall's. Harry obviously underestimated her determination to see Slytherin beaten. However when he thought back on breakfast a week ago where Professor Snape had mentioned in his discussion with McGonagall a bit too loud so that all students could have heard it that it really was a pity that Gryffindor hadn't won in the last seven years, he understood her. Harry had a personal cause to urge him on as well. He thought how Malfoy's smirk would be swept from his face when Slytherin lost.

That morning, Harry was very nervous about what would come even if all Gryffindors kept telling him that he was wonderful flyer and that he would manage it. However, the Slytherins kept making snickering remarking like "We will run on the pitch with a mattress in our hand, just in case" which did not help improve Harry's self-confidence.

Breakfast passed in a rush and soon Harry found himself standing in the changing rooms putting on his quidditch gear. Wood gave the entire team his preparation talk which, as Fred said, was the same one as every year. The Weasley twins had fun in imitating his last few sentences which ended with "Let's go, Gryffindor". Then they all took their brooms and headed out for the pitch where they were greeted by a huge applause by what must be three quarters of the stadium as Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students were looking forward to the downfall of Slytherin as well. The Slytherin boohs weren't heard at all as they were grounded in the noise.

On the opposite side, the Slytherin team lead by their captain Marcus Flint was coming on the pitch. The Slytherin's attempt to cheer for their team weren't recognised at all as they were grounded in a sea of boohs from the other students. When Madam Hooch, the quidditch referee, told the captains to shake hands they looked both as if they tried to break each others knuckles. However, neither of them succeeded. Then they mounted their brooms and Harry found himself for the first time facing his opponent, Slytherins seeker Terence Higgs.

When Madam Hooch blew her whistle they took off, Angelina quickly grabbing the quaffle and heading towards the Slytherin goal. Through a couple of quick passes with Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell, the other Gryffindor chasers, they managed to score.

Lee Jordan's voice who was the stadium speaker announced "ten-zero for Gryffindor" and was greeted by cheers of three quarters of the crowd.

Gryffindor slowly built up a small lead but there was still no sign of the snitch, therefore Harry hadn't a lot to do. He circled high above the pitch, looking down on the game, searching the snitch. Fred and George did excellent work with the bludgers forcing the Slytherin chasers more and more into defence. Therefore, the Gryffindors were able to create more and more pressure on the Slytherin goal. However, they didn't get a big enough lead therefore it was still the team who caught the snitch first that would win the game.

When Harry thought that he had seen a golden reflection at one of the Gryffindor goal posts, he started to dive but suddenly his broom began to jerk, trying to throw him off. It was obvious that someone tried to jinx the broom. Harry scanned the audience looking for someone who could do it while trying to stay on his broom. Then he saw it: Professor Snape was looking his way, focussing on his broom. "Then he must be the one who is jinxing it," Harry thought. With these thoughts, he took out his wand and muttered "Finite incantatem". At once Harry got back the control about his broom as the curse was lifted. As soon as he had done it, he saw it, the golden snitch. He dived towards it, now followed by the Slytherin seeker. However, he had no chance to overtake Harry as he had started his dive a few seconds earlier. Little later, Harry was finally able to catch it.

The result told by Lee Jordan, 190-20, went under in the cheers of the crowd. All the students of Hogwarts seemed to celebrate Slytherin's defeat as the Slytherins went back to the castle in quite a hurry and were no longer seen. Harry didn't get a lot of this as he, as soon as the final whistle blow was heard, was surrounded by his team mates, hugging him so strong that he nearly fell from his broom. Once they had all calmed down a bit, they headed to the pitch where they were greeted by the other students and the celebration continued. They needed quite some time till they managed to get back to their common room where the Gryffindors only after match party took place. Fred and George disappeared for a while, then came back with a rather large amount of sweets and butter beer. It was Harry's first encounter with this beverage; however he enjoyed it a lot. The party continued the whole afternoon when Harry suddenly remembered that he hadn't met with Hagrid yet, something he had promised him when they departed in Diagon Alley. Therefore, he decided to visit him now so he didn't forget it again.

He managed to sneak out of the common room and made his way down to Hagrid's hut. When he knocked on the door, he was greeted by a loud bark and Hagrid's voice saying "Calm down, Fang". The door opened and Harry saw Hagrid standing in the door frame, one of his hands on the leash of Fang, his boarhound.

"Ah, it's you. Welcome Harry. I already wondered when you would visit me for the first time. By the way, that was a great game you played out there."

"I'm sorry, Hagrid, I intended to come by earlier, but it somehow got lost. Thanks for the praise but there's one thing I'm wondering about Maybe you could help me?"

"Sure, Harry. What is it?"

"Do you have any idea why Snape should try to jinx my broom during the game?"

"What do you say, your broom was jinxed?

"Yes, and it was Snape. I saw him, his eyes focused on my broom when I lost control about it."

"That's nonsense, Harry, Snape is a professor at this school, and he would never endanger a student."

"You say so. Then why did he try to pass the three headed dog on the third floor. I saw him limping several times. I think it started on Halloween, when the whole school was distracted by the troll."

"Three headed dog? Wherefrom do you know about Fluffy?"

"Fluffy? This thing has a name?"

"Yes, it's mine. Bought him a couple of months ago I lend him to Dumbledore for guarding."

"Then, that small thing you got from Gringotts, that's what the dog is guarding, isn't it, Hagrid?"

"Now listen to me, Harry, it is none of your business what this dog is guarding. That only concerns Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flames."

"So, someone called Nicolas Flamel is involved?"

"Why do I have the feeling that I just talked too much? Now, to something different, would you like a cup of tea before I tell you even more that I shouldn't?"

"Sure, Hagrid. I'd love one."

Harry spent some more time together with Hagrid talking about how Harry was doing in Hogwarts and also about Harry's newest possession. Hagrid was fascinated by it when Harry called it. He told him that he liked phoenixes a lot, but that it would be his biggest wish to have a dragon. When Harry left, it was not without some thoughts about what Snape had against him and why he wanted to steal whatever the dog was guarding.

When he came back to the common room, the party was still afoot. However, his friends had recognised his absence and asked him what he had done. He answered that he was visiting Hagrid. He decided not yet to tell them something about his suspicions of Snape and Fluffy as Hermione wouldn't believe him anyways. She still had this thing that teacher never were wrong. Therefore, they spent the rest of the evening thinking about pranks against Malfoy and the Slytherins. It was late in the night when they finally had the perfect idea and they decided to use it on the next morning.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Another chapter done. As usual, please read and review

Many thanks to baseballmomok and intergalactic smart-ass for reviewing chapter 7