Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter or Eyeshield 21 or any of the affiliated characters. What I do own is a kick ass Ash Ketchum hat, a freezer full of fudge pops, and a collection of gold medal winning maple syrup. None of which will appear in this story.

Warnings: OC's, some OOC, Het, Slash, AU, fluff, language

The Nineteenth Tackle

Harry breathed out slowly as he continued to sit in one of the comfortable common room chairs with his eyes closed. He was trying to sort his thoughts and get his head on straight. What he was preparing for wasn't on the same level as packing his bag for class or getting ready before a game. Classes and Quidditch were easy in comparison to talking to McGonagall. He had his own skills to rely on. This time he didn't have that luxury.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Seamus' voice cut into his thoughts. Holding back a sigh, he slowly opened his eyes to stare at his friend.

"Shadow boxing," he responded.

"But you're not boxing" Seamus pointed out to him. "You're sitting in a chair."

Well that was true. "Yeah but I'm using the technique to plan my talk to McGonagall," he explained. "I have to see her about my classes." He had been trying to plan what he was going to say for a week now. Did he try to butter her up or just be blunt? Should he bring parchment with all his talking notes written down, or hope that his memory decided to be a team player and helpfully feed him information?

Seamus leaned forward, his face developing a frown. "Did your grades drop again?" he asked with a worried lilt to his voice.

Harry smiled at his friends concern. He had been mulling over some things lately and at the time he didn't want to tell his friends until he was sure of his choice. "No it's not that. I think I'm ready to declare my second elective."

A small smile developed on Seamus' face. "Y'know me and Dean were talking… He fancies he knows what you are going to ask for."

"What do you guys think?" He made up his mind, he knew what he was going to do, but he also knew that he needed his friends support. As much as he wanted to stand tall and be a strong monument of independence, he still looked for support and acceptance from his friends.

"I think that you should do whatever makes you happy. Whether you want to live in a cave and pick mushrooms all day or if you want to run the Ministry, do what makes you happy. Dean though… Dean has already started to save his sickles to buy your professional league jersey. He just doesn't know which team will be printing Potter on their roster."

Harry laughed a little. "You guys really believe in me that much?" It was a warm feeling spreading through his chest and up into his cheeks. He wasn't blushing. His face was merely expressing his happiness at his friend's support.

"Mate," Seamus started. ""You could tell us Merlin spent one week a month acting like a chicken and we would believe you."

He tried, he really did but he couldn't hold back his laughter. "I think I would say something a little more realistic… like Dumbledore's beard is made of dental floss."

Seamus sent his a large grin. "It might just be." Suddenly, the Irish boy stood up and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Right, I think it's time you man up and go see McGonagall."

"I still don't think I'm ready." He didn't even get half way through his visualization. There was at least two more points he needed to decide on, a concluding statement to wrap up his argument, and he needed to decide whether to employ his puppy dog eyes or just hope for the best. McGonagall may be immune to pleading eyes, but he could admit she had a soft spot for him and may just succumb to them this time. There was so much he still needed to do .

Seamus shook his head, "Sorry mate, but I'm not letting you waste time. Every minute lost is another sickle wasted towards Dean's Potter fund."

Harry couldn't really protest as Seamus used his strength against him. He tried to voice his objection to being man-handled out of the common room but Seamus has the ability to go deaf on command. Even the fellow Gryffindor's they passed in the hallways didn't stop to help him. They barely spared a glance for them. If they knew where he was headed they would feel his pain and immediately step in but since every step Seamus took with his unnaturally long legs jerked him forward and stuttered his speech, he couldn't even tell them!

Being dumped in front of McGonagall's office wasn't exactly painless. Seamus didn't even say goodbye to him. He just knocked on their Head's door and then took off. He barely had time to stand and rub his sore bottom before McGonagall's voice beckoned him inside. This wasn't the proper way to approach this and he made a mental note to get Seamus back for it. He might even ask the Twins for help- he was pretty sure Seamus was still avoiding them.

"What can I do for you Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked as soon as he walked through the door.

Harry smiled widely –hoping it covered up his nerves- as he proudly placed the language orb he kept in his pocket, on her desk. It took him a few months, and lots of self-discipline, but he managed to finish it. "I would like to request the second orb please." He wanted to get the part he was confident about out of the way first, before touching on the risky subject. Better to show her he was a dedicated student before asking to take a class she may disapprove of. He had enough time to plan this at least.

"Take a seat Mr. Potter," McGonagall instructed. He was quick to comply, sitting in the now familiar wooden chair.

McGonagall gazed at him sternly over the top of her glasses. "These usually take a whole school year to complete Mr. Potter. May I inquire as to how you finished so quickly?"

Harry couldn't stop smiling. Once he started, it just didn't want to go away. To some it was just an extra class but to him, it was just another step closer to his brother. He was reading and comprehending Japanese faster, he was managing to hold a conversation –mainly with himself- and his written work was getting better. "I combined the orb with the workbooks Mr. and Mrs. Thomas gave me, and I made use of an empty classroom. I used the blackboard to practice writing, and then used the workbooks as a test," he explained.

"You tested yourself? That's quite clever of you."

"Thank you Professor." He was tiny little bit happy that despite the question, she wasn't the least bit surprised.

McGonagall took a moment to sit back and then smiled at him. "I'm quite proud of you Mr. Potter. I admit I had my concerns at the start, as you haven't always been the best student, but as you began to prove me wrong my faith in you grew."

"I… Thank you, Professor." He wasn't sure what to say. It was humbling what she was saying. He wasn't perfect, academically or personally, but it was rewarding to know that she still believed in him. He wasn't used to adults believing in him. The Dursley's certainly didn't.

"I am curious as to why you chose to study Japanese. It's not a language you are likely to need in Britain." She was leaning forward now, her gaze looking over his glasses. It was intimidating to be the sole focus of her scrutiny, but Harry knew he had to soldier on.

Harry bit his lip for a moment as he thought. "It's… like a special project I have going. There's something I want to find and right now it's in Japan. To make it easier to find… I want to learn the language." That was the best explanation he could give without diving into all the details.

"Is it an item of great importance?" His Head of House asked.

"Greatly so." A thought struck him then. McGonagall knew his parents. She said once that James was a prodigy in her class, so he could assume they were close. Maybe… maybe she knew about his brother. "I'm looking for my brother."

She froze then. Slowly, she sat back and clamped her hands together. "Mr. Potter, are you telling me that you do not live with Thornley?"

"You know about my brother?" Harry was eager for information. This was the first time anyone in the wizarding world claimed to know about his older brother. "Can you please tell me about him?"

"You haven't answered my question, Mr. Potter," she pointed out.

"No… I don't live with him. Please tell me what you know," he pleaded again.

McGonagall cleared her throat before speaking. "I don't know much but Lily and James were dear friends of mine after they graduated Hogwarts." She started. "During their time here, they were favoured students. In her last year, Lily Evans fell pregnant. I remember that night she came storming into my office cursing James Potter blue. She had just been to see Pomfrey and she blamed the entire pregnancy on James. Once I calmed her down, she got her head on straight and left. 20 minutes later she was back with James in tow and told him the news when he sat in that very same chair."

Harry gripped the handles of the wood chair tightly. These were his parents he was hearing about. Actual stories proving they were actual people who once lived actual lives. He knew what they looked like but to hear that his mother had a temper. To hear that she man-handled his father around like Seamus did to him. They were starting to be more than some 2D picture in his mind.

"James was struck dumb at her announcement. He just sat there staring at her stomach. When he finally did move it was to try and poke her stomach. Lily did not stand for that. She smacked his hand away and told him that better not get any funny thoughts. She was her own woman and if he even suggested getting rid of the baby she would smack him stupid and ruin any chance he had of making another baby."

Harry cringed. His mother was a very strong woman.

"It was then that I had the great privilege to witness you father proposing to your mother. Usually, James was a very confident boy. He very much like you in the sense that he had a natural charisma that drew others to him. You could throw him in the middle of a crowd and in seconds he would have everyone focused entirely on him. Never in his entire Hogwarts career had I ever seen James Potter fumble so terribly.

"He fell out of the chair and started to mumble 'Marry Me' several times. When Lily finally worked out what he was saying, she wound up and was ready to smack him across the head when he managed to pull a box from his pocket. Apparently, James had planned a large and extravagant proposal that evening. He was waiting anxiously for Lily to return so he could whisk her away and propose but instead Lily stormed the common room and dragged him out. He didn't get a word in before he found out she was pregnant. When Lily learned that he wanted to marry her for love and not obligation like she first thought, she finally broke down and cried."

"Was she sad?" Harry didn't want to interrupt but he needed to know if his mother was upset.

"No, she wasn't. She was relieved I believe. She was prepared to go through with the pregnancy and care for your brother without James' help but knowing that he loved her, and that he wanted to go through everything together, made her so happy. Even when Thornley was born… James loved them both so much.

"He came to me one night, worried and upset. When they learned that Thornley was a squib, Lily worried that James would want to send him away. It's the thing that's done normally in Pureblood families. But James refused. He wanted to ask me what the best course of action was. Should they educate him like a wizard and let him choose his own path when he was older, or should they groom him for one of the few positions a squib can hold in our society."

"They knew… that Thornley was a squib and they didn't care?"

"Never for one second did James Potter ever think about giving Thornley away. Lily of course already had her hand cocked and ready to slap him when she heard the news, just in case he did. Considering he didn't have a hand print mark on his face when he came to me, I can confidently say he didn't think such things."

"What was he like? What was my brother like?" Harry asked. He was desperate, completely and utterly desperate for every little scrap of information he could get out of her. This was the most he had ever heard about his family. He never thought his Head of House would be such a well of knowledge. He had been so close to getting answers… but it wasn't until now that he might get them.

"What happened to Thornley, Harry? Why is he in Japan? Why isn't he with you?" McGonagall countered. He should have known she would want more than one simple sentence. She probably thought the whole time that Harry was happily living with his brother and now that she knows the truth, he couldn't bring himself to hide it from her.

Harry trembled at her questions. "They sent him to an orphanage," he admitted. "The Dursley's, they didn't even let him in the house. My Aunt said that Uncle Vernon refused to care for the both of us and since the letter only said they had to care for me, they got rid of him. I only learned I had a brother this summer. Why didn't any one ever tell me?"

He had never seen McGonagall look so sad before. "I assumed… that you knew. I thought, as well as Filius, that you simply didn't talk about your brother because he was a squib. I never imagined that you didn't know about him."

"He's alive you know. He's doing really well for himself," Harry tried to comfort the woman. He felt like she needed some good news. "He got adopted and he plays American Football. He's famous too! That's how I found out about him. He was in the papers and my Uncle thought we looked similar."

"I'm happy to hear that Harry. Can I assume this is where the sudden interest in muggle sports started?" She asked.

He smiled again. "Yes. I wanted to understand him a little before meeting him. I'm hoping to go there this summer to find him." He admitted. He still needed to talk to Mr. Thomas about that. He hoped the man would be willing to get the plane tickets and hotel for him again. It was a lot to ask, but he felt like Dean's family would be okay with helping him.

"I see. That is very… courageous of you. I will send the request off to the Ministry and we should have the second orb in the next few days." McGonagall easily slipped back into her professional demeanor. "Professor Snape will of course need to brew you a second potion, but I will personally see him to discuss that. I daresay you get the next couple days for vacation from Japanese." McGonagall began to pull some parchment from her drawer, looking like she was ready to end their meeting. Her eyes were a little red, and normally Harry would be quick to run away and avoid any tears but he still had things to talk about.

"Professor… there is something else I would like to talk about," Harry spoke up. He felt like it wasn't the right time… that they both needed the night to just digest everything they learned but… if he didn't do this now then he may very well chicken out in the future and get nowhere.

"And that would be?"

This is what all the shadow boxing was for. He had several conversations in his head between himself and his made up McGonagall. Some were great. She agreed in some. Others she told him he was wasting his time. In one, he pictured that before he could tell her, her office door was blasted open and they were attacked by a large black dog. The last one saved him from having to go through the whole ordeal but since that wasn't likely to happen, he had to soldier on.

"I want to make Flying my second elective," he declared.

McGonagall paused in her preparations and gave him a long look. "You remember me saying that I wouldn't allow you to take Flying as an easy out, right Mr. Potter?"

"I do." She was very scary at that moment, he wasn't about to forget.

"Good. Then you will need to explain to me clearly, why I should allow this."

In his shadow boxing, this is usually where things went wrong. "I want to be a professional quidditch player." She wanted clear, and this was as simple as he could make it.

"A few months ago you weren't sure about your future after Hogwarts. What convinced you towards this? It wasn't pressure from Mr. Wood, I hope."

"Oliver had nothing to do with this!" He rushed to deny. Oliver loves quidditch. Anyone with eyes could see how much passion the older boy had for the sport. But he would never pressure others into playing if they didn't want to. "It took a while. I mean, the choice. I like quidditch, it's fun but… part of me always felt forced into it. Not by you Professor." He denied again. McGonagall did force him a little. She snatched him up from Flying class and without so much as a 'how do you do' told Wood he was the new seeker. It was more by Ron.

Ron was one of the first people he told. The red head had been so excited for him and from that moment on he knew that he could never not play. Ron was invested in his quidditch career. He couldn't stop talking about it and bragging like it was Ron's skill on a broom that got Harry on the team. Every practice, every game that he played, he always felt the red head's presence behind, stopping him from leaving.

Now that he wasn't near the youngest Weasley all the time, it felt freeing. He had the freedom to quit the team or stay, to play for himself or for the House. It took him some time and it wasn't until the last game that he finally realized it. He loved quidditch. He loved flying and being in the air. He wanted to stay a seeker until he graduated and beyond. He was finally playing the game because he wanted to and… he wanted to play professionally.

"In first year, playing quidditch was Ron's dream. It took me awhile to figure out that it's my dream too. I want to play more. I want to see how far I can go. I know I can do better, I know that part of me will never be happy if I just stopped playing and never tried to see if I could be the best. I want to be the best. Not just in Hogwarts, not just in Britain, I want to be the best seeker in the world. That thought scares me a little, that I want something so bad, but… it also makes me excited for the future."

McGonagall gave him a long stern look. He was afraid that she was going to cut down his dream. Tell him that he didn't have the talent, skill, or drive to go pro. She must have seen hundreds of students dreaming of becoming a professional, so she would know what it takes to get there. If she said she didn't believe in him, he wasn't quite sure how he would react. He knew a part of his heart would break. His confidence would surely take a blow. His drive… may just be shifted into park.

"In my tenure as a Professor here, I have had a total of 12 students become professional quidditch players. Some have never made it higher than the reserve team, and three have managed to play for the World Cup. From that 12, one was a seeker. He was also one out of three to play for the World Cup and I have to say Mr. Potter, you have shown more talent and skill at your age, than he did when he graduated."

A large smile blossomed on his Head of House's face after she said those words. Harry, himself, was trying to process what she said actually. His mind wasn't really understanding that he had more talent than a seventh year, never mind one that played for the World Cup.

"If this is truly what you want, than I know, you will achieve great things in your career," She said.

"You don't think I'm crazy? That I'm just fooling myself trying to pursue this?"

Another surprised followed as he asked his questions. McGonagall laughed. "I don't think that at all. If I did, I would be very upfront with you about your chances and then encourage you to explore other career options. Things like a Field Medic, Coach, or Manager all deal with quidditch still but doesn't require the necessary skill on a broom that the teams are looking for."

Harry was honestly stumped. None of his mental scenarios had gone like this at all. He was happy though. McGonagall believed in him, and it wasn't an empty belief. She could compare him to other students who had been in his very position, and could judge if he would make it. She believed he would make it.

"What do you friends think?" McGonagall asked.

"Oh." Harry blinked. "I haven't actually told them," he admitted. "I wanted to tell you first and see what you thought before I told them. But if I had to guess, I think they will support me. Seamus said that Dean is already saving money to buy my professional kit."

"You have some good friends there, Mr. Potter." McGonagall then grabbed some more parchment and added it to her growing pile and started writing. "First, I will inform Madam Hooch that she will have a new student. There will be some books you will need to buy on flying, strategy, and broom care for her class. She will not stand for an untidy broom," McGonagall warned him.

"Second, we will need to set up quarterly check-ins for your career path. This is so I can see how much progress you made, we can find any areas you need to improve, and to check your mental health. Some career paths present more stress the more you work towards them, and I need to see that you are not over working yourself, and will not suffer from a breakdown. Normally we would discuss such things in fifth year, but it's never too early to start."

Harry nodded along. That all made sense to him. He knew Oliver said that he talks to McGonagall a lot about how he's feeling mentally and physically, and he always check in with her after a game.

"Now, as for recruiting, no team is allowed to approach you before you are 16. No manager, player, or coach can try to talk to you about you joining them. Normally, I don't have to worry about this so much as teams are very respectful about under-age witches and wizards, but considering you fame, we will need to be diligent. If they have an interest in recruiting you before you turn 16, they can only speak to your guardian. As you are an orphan and your guardians are muggle, your magical guardianship has been given to the Headmaster. In this case though, any teams wanting to recruit you will instead speak to me, as I am the adult closest to you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor, Harry answered. "All recruitment talk must be sent to you. What happens if they do approach me though?" He was worried about this. The whole 'Boy-Who-Lived' title made people act a little odd. Whether they were fanatic in their praise or down right rude in their distaste, Harry couldn't hope for normal recruitment behavior.

"It depends on how far they go. If they merely express an interest in you joining their team then they will be made to pay a small fine. If they are too aggressive in their approach I will ensure that they are fined heavily and banned from entering Hogwarts grounds until you graduate," she calmly explained.

"Oh…" McGonagall did not mess around. "But what if they just want to tell me 'good job' or something?"

"All praise, criticism, or comments must be made to me, and I will pass them on. There was a case once where a recruiter asked to talk to a young female hopeful about her performance. When he got her alone, he touched her inappropriately. He proceeded to threaten her that if she told anyone, she would never make it in the league. I can't stress enough Mr. Potter that these regulations are in place for your safety. When Mr. Wood started to write letters to anyone who would respond about his future career, I needed to sit down and explain all this to him as well. Under no circumstances are you to meet with any adult, recruiter, player, coach, or manager without me and my consent, understood?"

"Next year, when Oliver joins a team; I can't even talk to him anymore?" He was listening. He fully understood what he could and could not do now. But he wanted to be completely sure that he could still be friends with his captain.

"Mr. Wood, can talk to you. As your former captain there is some leeway as you will of course had time to build a friendship. He can talk about his training, you can talk about yours. You can updater each other on your daily life, but Mr. Wood is not allowed to talk about you joining his team. Some people may see his connection with you as an opportunity. They can use the loophole he creates to sway you to their team. Already, one scout has insinuated that they are willing to sign Mr. Wood to their team if he can promise to bring them you. Naturally he declined faster than the man could say Merlin."

"I understand Professor," Harry responded.

"Good. Now I need you to promise me that you will follow this. I know I have turned a blind eye to some of your past rule breaking stunts, but on this I will stand firm," She stressed.

"I promise." He didn't need to think about it. He had been thinking about his future very seriously the last week. He wanted to play professionally, and if this was one of the first promises he need to make in order to achieve his dream, then he promised to follow all the rules.

"Good. Now I have a lot of work to do, and I know you have several people who will be excited to hear about your chosen career. I think we are done for the day, Mr. Potter."

Harry hurriedly stood up. "Of course Professor. Thank you for everything!" And he meant everything. Not only was she helping him become a professional quidditch player, but she also told him so much about his family. She was helping him find his brother, and well… she was right on top of his 'Most wonderful and awesomely helpful people in the world' list, right beside Mr. and Mrs. Thomas.

He said his goodbyes quickly and then he was off. As the door closed behind him, he couldn't help smile. This was the best his life has ever been, and he knew it was only going to get better.

o.O.o

McGonagall finished he paperwork quickly and rushed off. She had several stops she needed to make and decided to start from the bottom and work her way up.

First was to Severus' office. The man had glowered at her for interrupting before he realized she was not a student. She talked to him about the language potion and when he tried to complain and accuse Harry of cheating somehow she put her foot down and gave him a good telling off. Honestly, how a grown man had a grudge against a child was ridiculous. She then threatened that if he made her buy the potion from of the Ministry Potioneers, then the funds was coming out of his potion ingredients stipend. He complied after that.

Next, on the ground floor, she talked to Hooch. The woman was ecstatic to be taking on a new student. She did get bored with teaching the fewest classes, and while she did supplement her time by refereeing some professional games, she still hoped that more students took up the art of flying.

Her last stop was to Filius. Her long-time friend and confidant welcomed her warmly and as soon as she sat down in his private rooms she sighed.

"Tonight, I believe we will require the good scotch. I have so much to tell you, and much to celebrate."

o.O.o

Meanwhile Harry managed to make it back to Gryffindor and found his friends trading sweets in their dorm. He barely stepped into the room before Seamus was up and dragging him to sit with them and tell them everything.

He did of course. He was so happy to share all the new information he found out about his parents and brother. He couldn't stop smiling as he talked about his chosen career, and everything McGonagall was doing to help.

Soon all the traded candy was pooled together for them to share as the celebrated.

It was a great night.

Fun Football Fact

The Seattle Seahawks were originally owned by the Nordstrom family — yes, the same family who owned the upscale department store. When the Seahawks won the Super Bowl in 2014, the team classily presented John Nordstrom with a Super Bowl ring.

An: Not much going on this chapter but I thought Harry was overdue with some information about his family. I also wanted to set up everything for his future. Also, someone PM'd me and pointed out that in Chapter 17 where I said Harry was using newspapers to learn as they are simple and easy to read, I was wrong. I have been told that Japanese papers are very difficult. I thought about going back to fix it, but considering Hiruma used the paper to advertise Eyeshield 21,I couldn't think of another way to show Harry where his brother might be. So I ask that you suspend your disbelief on this fact, and lets all pretend in my universe japanese newspapers are a lot easier to read than they are in real life. Thank you to Ni Lemur for informing me, and Thank you to everyone else who reads my stories. You guys and gals are awesome, and you are on top of my list of 'Most Wonderful and Awesome People'.