Harry got off the broom as quickly as he could, nearly faceplanting in the dirt for his trouble.

"Follow me." Professor McGonagall said, as she strode away - back toward the castle.

Harry followed with a long stride, his deliberate walk swift. Inside, though, he was utterly shaking. He was going to be expelled! He had been caught, and he was going to be expelled!

Ten strides later, Harry Potter was quite busy occupying himself with three separate plans for What To Do After Hogwarts. His favorite involved living on the lam in Diagon Alley (or maybe a slightly cheaper place - Knockturn alley, perhaps? Although he didn't want to be anything like Malfoy, and living there might take hired goons...). He did NOT want to go back to the Dursleys, but he would if he had to. He wondered if there was some reason the Wizarding World, who seemed to take him for a hero, had abandoned him to be half-starved by his Muggle relations. Didn't the Wizarding World mistrust muggles? Maybe... some commie liberal* had it in his head that he could use Harry as a Poster Child for Muggle Does Best. If so, that'd backfired spectacularly.

The thought almost made Harry smile, until he saw McGonagall sliding to a halt in front of the ... was that the Runic Classroom? Harry'd been so busy concentrating on the primary subjects that he hadn't really branched into the specialties** "Oliver Wood, if I might have a moment of your time." The teacher inside looked distinctly unhappy, and Harry quietly tiptoed slightly more behind McGonagall. He didn't need any MORE teachers having a grudge against him. If, that is, there was any possibility of him staying.

Oliver Wood stood and came out of the classroom. McGonagall ushered (her hand literally on Harry's shoulder, how humiliating) them into a nearby classroom. "Mister Wood, I would like to introduce you to your latest Seeker."

Harry Potter found Oliver's gaze on him, sharpening, as he opened his mouth.

Mistress McGonagall interrupted, "How would you like to be on the Quiddich team?"

Harry blinked. And then blinked again, his jaw open and no words at all coming out. "I'm not going to be expelled?"

"No, why would you ever think -"

"Coach Hooch said that if we touched brooms - and Malfoy-" Harry's eyes were wide, the trusting gaze of a pleading eleven year old. Or at least, Harry hoped he was doing it right.

McGonagall barked out a quick laugh, saying, "Oh, she says that every year!" Mister Wood grinned at Harry.

"Every year someone gets injured?" Harry Potter queried, his body going still. How dangerous was this world he had stumbled into?

"Nearly. The school brooms are very, very old, and decrepit to boot." McGonagall stated flatly. "You and ... Mister Malfoy, was it? should both be glad that your limbs are all still attached. I wager there were only three brooms there that could have pulled off reasonable maneuvers. And only one that could do the feats you tried, Mister Potter."

It was remarkable how low Harry could feel. It felt even worse to know that he'd done it for nearly no reason. Just to be accepted. Was his life really worth so little? "What does being a Seeker on the Quiddich team involve?"

Oliver wood explained, and Harry felt tempted to agree, simply because he'd not need to do much of anything. Just catch a ball. He wasn't one for sports, so interacting with the Quaffles and all didn't sound like fun - and he definitely wasn't a team player. But, he had discovered, just today, that he did like to fly. And he figured every minute on the field was one minute he wasn't spending with Ron Weasley.

He opened his mouth, and said something completely different, "This was my first broomride. Are you sure you want me?"

McGonagall huffed a laugh, barking past, "You managed a quicker turn than many professionals, lad. Of course he'd like to have you!" Oliver looked wideeyed at Potter, as if suddenly turning on Hero Status (and accompanying halo).

"Well, in that case, I'd be honored to be on the team."

"Excellent. I'll just have a word with the Headmaster, he'll need to approve your addition to the team." McGonagall walked off swiftly, with Oliver patting Harry familiarly on the shoulder (Harry wanted to throw his hand off, but barely restrained himself).

"A first year Seeker. Wonders never cease..." Oliver Wood muttered as he left. Harry Potter's brow furrowed, as he pondered whether he should sacrifice his dignity to run after Mr. Wood to figure out what he meant.

*Words stolen from Uncle Vernon. Obviously.

**Also, there's fewer of those books lying about the common room.

[a/n: after this, we will return you to your regularly scheduled detentions. Leave a review?]