A/N: yea! more Quidditch. enjoy. Thanks, Tina, glad you like it. i added a short paragraph to the last chapter (the big game '78) . it's not important immediately but it will be later. so if you've already read it go back and read it again.

as always Harry Potter and co. are not mine even though i love them dearly. they will always be the property of JKR and God bless her for it.

Another year, another Quidditch game. Harry paced back and forth across the changing room floor. His teammates were waiting for him to give them some words of encouragement, but he didn't have any. They should be glad that they were playing at all.

The security at Hogwarts had been tighter than it had ever been in anyone's memory. All games had very nearly been canceled, buy Harry and Ron had pleaded with Headmistress McGonagall for over an hour. They reminded her that the players and spectators need not even leave the grounds.

"It's a dangerous sport in these already dangerous times," she had said rather unconvincingly and they knew they were wearing her down.

"Well yes," Harry said grinning. "Someone will vanish occasionally."

"But they'll turn up again . . ." Ron added.

"In a month or two," They finished together laughing.

McGonagall then smiled one of her uncharacteristic smiles and they knew they games her on.

However, now standing here on the morning of the first match, Harry wondered why he had pushed so hard for it to go on. These were dangerous times. People were dying out there in the real world. Harry knew the Horcrux he had destroyed this summer had not gone unnoticed by Voldemort and it seemed his death eaters were making up for it by going on a rampage.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment and tried to close his mind to the memory of the latest pictures from the cover of the Daily Prophet. Then he looked up at his teammates. For better or worse they had a game to play today, and he meant to win.

Harry clapped his hands and rubbed them together looking fiercely out at the field. "Let's do it!"

Ron and the others cheered and followed him out to the pitch. Ginny gave him a quick pat on the back and smiled. They hadn't spoken in weeks. He knew she was trying to give him some space even if it broke her heart to do so.

They all took to the air and Harry hoped for a quick and victorious end to the game so he could get back to dealing with his other problems. It seemed he got his wish. Almost as soon as he reached playing height, Harry spotted the snitch and zoomed towards it. It was hovering just the other side of their own center goal post. No one else was paying attention they were all watching Ginny score down at the other end. Ron zipped out of Harry's way just in time. Harry threaded his arm through the goal and grabbed the tiny snitch.

There was a tumult of noise once everyone realized what had happened. But Harry thought he heard an unfamiliar voice over all of it yell, "That was brilliant, James!"

If that weren't odd enough someone from the stands yelled, "Who's that?" They were pointing in the direction of a girl flying over the pitch wearing Gryffindor robes.

"Hey they're only supposed to have 7 players!" a Slytherin screamed, "That's not fair!"

This was followed by a chorus of "Who's that girl?" and "What's she doing on the pitch?"

It was Harry who noticed that the mystery girl was about to faint and fall off her broomstick. He let go of the snitch and sped over to catch her before she hit the ground.

She looked up at him with blurry eyes. "You're not James," she whispered before she blacked out.