It was finally November, which meant the Quidditch season was starting. Harry and I have been training for weeks with the team in secret since Oliver didn't want anyone to know that we were on the team, which means that the secret was leaked pretty quickly. It didn't help that kids were coming up to Harry to tell him they'd run around underneath him with mattresses in case he fell. During practice, I got to spend more time with the two other Chasers on the team, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell who were both amazing players that were able to give a lot of tips that Oliver couldn't.

Tomorrow will be my first match and it'll be against Slytherin, who I've been told can play really dirty. If we won though, we'd move up into second place in the House Championship. Another good thing that was happening was that Harry, Ron, and Hermione all seemed to be getting along a lot more now, which made things a lot less stressful for me. Hermione would help the boys out with most subjects while I helped them with Potions, which if you ignored Snape picking on and treating Gryffindor students (especially Harry and his close friends- still don't know what that's about) and DADA. Hermione was also becoming less and less strict about breaking the rules and although she still tended to nag, she would also join in. She let Harry barrow a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages, which the four of us were currently reading outside in the freezing courtyard, surrounding a blue fire that Hermione had conjured up and could be carried around in a reused jam jar.

As soon as we saw Snape across the way, we moved closer to block the jar and prayed he wouldn't look this way, but with Harry as your best friend, he did. Something about how we looked must've made us seem guilty because once he did, he turned and limped toward us. Why is he limping?

"What's that you got there, Potter?" Harry just showed him the copy of the book and Snape snatched the book out of his hands. "Library books are not to be taken outside the school." He snapped, "Give it to me. 5 points from Gryffindor." As he was walking away, I went to open my mouth but Harry lightly elbowed me so I closed my mouth but continued glaring.

"He's just made that rule up," He muttered. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him." Ron and I simultaneously said while we glared at each other and all walked inside toward the Gryffindor common room.

The common room was very busy and loud when we got back. We all huddled at one of the desks near a window, Hermione checking the boy's homework, Syrus snuggled in my lap, and Harry bounced his leg up and down while biting his nails.

"Harry, you really don't need to worry so much. We've practiced almost nonstop and it's clear you're an amazing Seeker." I tried to tell him, attempting to mask my anxiety about the game as well, but he jumped to his feet, causing us all to jump and stare at him.

"That's it. I'm going to ask Professor Snape for my book back." He told us.

"Better you than me." Both Hermione and Ron said together. I sighed and placed Syrus on Hermione's lap and got up to stand next to Harry. "Sam you don't need to come." He tried to tell me.

"You won't get it by yourself, the man hates you, but he can tolerate me so you might have better luck." He nodded his head once in appreciation and we started walking through the corridors. "He's less likely to say no if he's around other professors so we should probably check in the staffroom first," I told him and started to lead the way to the room. Once we got there, Harry knocked but there wasn't an answer. He tried knocking again, louder, but only got the same results.

"Maybe he left the book in there?" He suggests quietly and opens the door open slowly and peeked inside, with me trying to look in the room from over his shoulder. My eyes widened when I saw what was there. Only Snape and Filch were inside and the former was holding his robes above his knee and I could clearly see how bloody and mangled his leg was. So that's what his shoes look like, I observed. Filch was handing the professor bandages to wrap his wound with.

"Blasted thing," He complained. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" Harry and I shared a look with me shaking my head at him. He tried to shut the door slowly and quietly but of course, Snape noticed. I mentally groaned.

"POTTER!" He yelled, quickly covering his leg as he glared at the boy with more anger than I had ever seen on him, and that's saying something. I gripped the back of Harry's robe out of anxiety and slight fear.

"I just wondered if I could have my book back..." He said in a low voice, trying to explain that there was a real reason we were here.

"GET OUT! OUT!" So Harry slammed the door and we started to run and didn't slow down until we were a few corridors away.

"Holy shit." I gasped, and he nodded at me. "Do you think he saw me?" I asked, hoping this hadn't put me even more on the teacher's bad side. Harry seemed to ignore me.

"That's why he's been limping!" He exclaimed, almost proud that he had put the pieces together. "We need to go tell Ron and Hermione!" I simply nodded, slightly out of breath, while Harry grabbed my hand and dragged me all the way to Gryffindors tower not noticing the stares and points we were getting. He's probably used to it by now, I assumed, not thinking enough on the issue to let it bother me.

"You know what this means?" Harry questioned us after he finished retelling what had happened to the other two. "He tried to get past the three-headed dog on Halloween!" He momentarily focused on Ron. "That's where he was heading when we saw him while looking for Sam and Hermione. He's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in so he could use it as a diversion!" By the time Harry was done, he was almost out of breath.

"No! He wouldn't!" Hermione proclaimed, eyes going wide, while she continued to pet Syrus in an attempt to calm herself down. "I know he's not very nice," Ron snorted, "-but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe." Hmm.

"Honestly Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something." Ron snapped at her. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape." He looked at me, expecting me to side with him but looked away irritated when I didn't do or say anything other than a slight shrug.

"If it is Snape, then what is he after? What could be so important they'd need a dog that size to guard it?" No one had any answers though, so we all headed to our dorm rooms after saying goodnight to each other with Syrus trailing behind me and Hermione.

After we had changed and got ready for bed, I turned to look at Hermione to see she was already asleep. Syrus was snuggled up against my side and although I felt exhausted, I had a horrible time trying to fall asleep. Between trying to figure out what was so special that Snape risked losing a leg for and the fact my first quidditch game was in the morning I was a ball of nerves.

The next morning was quite chilly but the sky seemed pretty clear. The Great Hall was full of students talking about the game and I could barely eat anything. I sat between George and Hermione munching slowly on some toast while Fred, Harry, and Ron sat in front of us.

"Lee Jordans the commentator." Fred had told me, pointing to his friend next to him. "Is that because he's the only one in the school who can tell you two apart?"I grinned at him, causing all three of the boys to snort.

"As if. I've known these two for years and still can't do that." Lee laughed.

"If it helps any, no one back home can, either," I told him, trying to make him feel a little better as George threw his arm around my shoulders.

"Minus you, my lovely dear sister. And now Harry." He added, ruffling my hair, causing me to pull away from him and join Hermione and Ron's conversation.

"You've got to eat something," Ron told Harry.

"I don't want anything."

"Just a bit of toast." Hermione pleaded with him. "Even Sam's having a slice."

"I'm not hungry." He sternly told her. I lightly kicked his shin from under the table to get his attention and sent him a small smile when he glared up at me. "She's right. You're going to need your strength."

"Yep! Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team." Seamus informed us as he took a seat next to Harry, causing me to roll my eyes. "Thanks, Seamus," Harry responded sarcastically, but Seamus didn't seem to notice the sarcasm as he smiled and dove into a conversation with Dean on the other side of him.

As we were leaving the Great Hall, I could hear Draco complain to his friends, "How'd she afford that broom, anyways?"

Just before 10:30, the Gryffindor team headed down to the changing rooms. We were all changing into our scarlet uniforms and I admired the 5 and "Montgomery" on the back, the twins had jokingly informed me they chose that and not Weasley since "there were already too many Weasley uniforms on the field already." Everyone was chatting amongst each other, minus Harry who sat between me and the wall and kept silent until Oliver Wood cleared his throat. We all turned our attention to him.

"Okay, men." He started.

"And women." Angelina Johnson cut in, causing Katie Bell and I to smirk a little. I'm sure if he hadn't been so distracted, Oliver would've rolled his eyes but instead, he just nodded.

"And women. This is it." He took a deep breath.

"The big one." Fred interrupted. " The one we've all been waiting for." George continued.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart. We were on the team last year." Fred told Harry and me.

"Shut up, you two." Wood brought the attention back to him and ignored the twin's grins. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win, I know it." The speech was inspiring until he gave each of us a glare that was basically daring us to lose. I shuddered thinking of the extra practices we'd have to face if we did, and Harry must've thought the same thing since he shuddered as well. "Right. It's time. Good luck to all of you." I noticed Harry stall for a moment when we all got up and started to leave so I hung back for him.

"Nervous?" I asked him. He nodded. "Terrified."

"Harry you don't need to be, you'll do great. Plus it'll feel a lot less stressful once we get out there and start flying around." I smiled at him.

"Aren't you scared?" He quietly asked me, as if he was ashamed of how he felt. I nodded back. "I'm nervous, of course. But we have Wood, who is an amazing Keeper. The twins, who are amazing Beaters. Angelina and Katie who are great Chasers, and you. The youngest Seeker in over a century." I added a wink, leaning my head against his shoulder.

"And you." He told me. I looked up at him in confusion. "You're the youngest Chaser in over a century. Plus you're amazing at the game." I smiled and got up, holding my hand out for him to take, which he did. As I pulled him up I told him, "then that's even less you need to worry about. If we lose, at least we'll lose together, right?" He nodded and I pulled him in for a hug, hoping it would bring the both of us comfort. It took him a few seconds to hug back and I felt a little saddened at the fact he still wasn't used to getting hugs from others but shook that to the back of my mind.

"Come on, let's kick ass," I told him and lead him out to the field with my broom, stopping between the twins and giving each a fist bump. As the team got to the field, the crowd's cheering got even louder, which gave me a rush of adrenaline. I grinned back at Harry.

Madam Hooch was refereeing the match and stood in the middle of the field with her own broom waiting for both teams to join her.

"Now, I want a fair game, all of you." She announced to us but mainly looking at the Slytherin captain, Flint I believe, who was quite large compared to everyone else on the field. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see two giant banners flashing different colors with the Gryffindor lion on each, one saying "Potter for President" and the other saying "Weasley for the Win". It warmed my heart to see our friends cheering for us, I motioned to Harry to look as I waved back at them quickly before turning my attention back to Hooch.

"Mount your brooms, please." She ordered us. I climbed on my Nimbus 2000, still not used to the fact that it was mine, as Madam Hooch blew the whistle. All of us flew up in the air and I quickly flew up next to Angelina.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor. What a lovely Chaser that girl is, and pretty attractive, too-"

"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall must be overseeing Lee knowing he'd be doing something like this. I laughed to myself, high-fiving Angelina as she rolled her eyes at the boy.

"Sorry, Professor. And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Katie Bell- Back to Johnson and- no. Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle, and off he goes- Flint flying like an eagle up there. He's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by the Gryffindor Keeper Oliver Wood, and Gryffindors take the Quaffle. Chaser Katie Bell has it, nice dive around Flint, off up the field, and- OUCH! That must've hurt, hit in the back of the head by a bludger. Quaffle is now taken by Slytherin..." I tuned Lee Jordan out for a moment to fly over and check and see how Bell was doing. She gave me a thumbs up and a weak smile as we started to chase after one of the Slytherin Chasers, Adrian Pucey, who was getting ready to try and score on Oliver.

"-Blocked by a second Bludger, sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which, nice play by the Gryffindor Beater anyway. Gryffindor takes back the Quaffle! That's the newest Chaser, Samantha Montgomery- Weasley up there, man what genes that family has, a clear field ahead, and off she goes! She's really flying- dodges a speeding Bludger- the goalposts are ahead... Come on, now, Sam... Keeper Bletchley dives- misses- GRYFFINDOR SCORES! Samantha's first goal on the Gryffindor team!" I couldn't contain my cheer as I scored, my heart was pounding and I could barely hear the Slytherins boo'ing over the rest of the school's cheers, though their disappointment only made my grin even wider. Both of the twins flew over to give me a high five and a pat on the shoulder and when I looked up at Harry, I could see him flying in loops and cheering for me. He really hadn't been able to do much more than that since there was no sign of the Snitch that I knew of other than dodging a few Bludgers that had been sent his way, which were hit back toward the Slytherins by Fred.

"Slytherin is in possession," Lee got back his duties after his quick cheer. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the- wait a moment. Was that the Snitch?" I tried to stay focused to try and help get back the Quaffle. Which, surprisingly, is what Pucey didn't do as he completely dropped it when trying to spot a small golden ball fling. He looked over his shoulder but I didn't notice why. Most of the people on the field stopped to watch as Harry and Slytherin's Seeker flew toward the direction the Snitch went, both of whom were practically neck and neck. I could also see Angelina going for the Quaffle but also keeping an eye on what was going on between the Seekers. I followed after her but a lot slower when I noticed Harry's flying was off. I tried to look at Oliver to see if he noticed, but I don't think he did. Harry was flying higher and higher, jerking around at all angles. I stopped completely when his broom started to roll over and over, not in the loops he had been doing either, and horror was evident on his face. There was a collective gasp when the broom jerked suddenly and Harry swung off, just barely managing to keep his grip and hanging in the air.

"George! Do something!" I cried out, he and Fred nodded and flew their way to Harry to try and get him on one of their brooms but each time they got close, the broom would suddenly jerk higher. They started flying around below him so that if, or by the looks of things when, he fell, they'd be there to catch them. Everyone was so focused on Harry, that no one noticed when Marcus Flint scored five times.

Somehow, in an instant, Harry's broom seemed to go back to normal and he was able to get back on safely. I rushed and was able to grab ahold of the Quaffle but noticed Harry was now diving toward the ground. I took advantage of the Slytherin Keeper being focused on Harry and managed to score once before I could hear Harry yell out, "I've got the Snitch!" He was waving it around as we all flew towards him. I got off my broom and ran to hug him.

"You did it, Harry!" I cheered for him, deciding to wait until there were fewer people around to ask him about what happened during the game. Ron, Harry, Hermione, and I quickly ran down to Hagrid's hut once we put our brooms away, but not before I noticed we had won 170 points to 60.

"What the bloody hell was that, Harry?" I asked him once we got inside. His smile fell a little bit but before he had the chance to answer, Ron did.

"It was Snape!" He yelled angrily. "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off of you." My eyes widened.

"Rubbish!" Hagrid cut in. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?" We all gave the giant a weird look. "Have you seen the way Snape treats Harry?" I wanted to ask but I kept my mouth shut and looked at the other three students, not wanting to say something I shouldn't. I trusted Hagrid but I know he wouldn't believe anything we've told him that we've found out.

"I found out something about him," Harry finally spoke. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding." Hagrid dropped the teapot he was holding, face turning a slight pink color. I rushed over and picked it up for him.

"How do you know about Fluffy?" Was all he said.

"Fluffy?" We asked him simultaneously. I shared an incredulous look with Ron before focusing back on Hagrid, who was nodding.

"Yeah, he's mine. Bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year. I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"

"Yes?" Harry asked eagerly, leaning forward in his seat. I wanted to smack him for interrupting because now Hagrid knew that he had said too much.

"Now, don't ask me anymore. That's top-secret, that is."

"But Snape's trying to steal it!" Harry argued back.

"Rubbish," Hagrid said again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort." Ron and I both scoffed.

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" Hermione countered, her mind completely changing on how she viewed him, despite being a Hogwarts teacher. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" He hollered, his accent coming out more. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all four of yeh. Yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what its guardin'. That's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nikolas Flamel-"

"Aha!" Harry interrupted, again, making me roll my eyes. "So there's someone called Nikolas Famel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked madder than I had ever seen him when he kicked us all out of his hut but we were too busy discussing Nikolas Flamel, and I put my guilt in the back of my mind for later.

This might be silly to point out, but in case someone asks why Sam calls people by their first names (even her teammates) and not their last, I like to use first names to show the closeness and bonds. Also, if it feels repetitive that Sam and Ron say and do the same things a lot, that's because they are that close. They are the same age, and although Sam is a girl and she bonds well with Ginny, she and Ron share a similar bond that the twins do. They'll actually fight and such unlike the twins but they are pretty much another set.

Ps...

Recently found out that in the movie when Oliver lets go of the Snitch, he looks around trying to spot it but Harry was able to keep his eyes on it the entire time. Interesting.