(New update. Sorry it took so long. Hope you enjoy the Quidditch action :) )
...
"Harry, you're going to need your strength today." Hermione stared at Harry's untouched breakfast, a week after the night of the Troll in the girls' bathroom.
Since the events surrounding that night, the four of them, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Lucy had all become rather close friends with each other.
Of course that was not to say Hermione and Ron no longer got on each other's nerves, but things were a lot better now since the boys had saved the girls from being crushed by the mountain troll and the girls had helped save Gryffindor House from losing house points.
Harry sighed and dropped his spoon. "I'm not hungry." He muttered. Lucy frowned and pushed her plate aside. "Me neither." She dropped her fork down on the table.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Lucy, it's your first game today. You can't fly on an empty stomach!" She pushed Lucy's plate back towards her.
Lucy made a face at it.
"Not hungry today, Love?" Fred and George came to assume their usual seats, George next to Lucy and Fred next to him.
Lucy blushed. "Well..."
"Well we can't have that can we?" Fred interrupted. "No Fred. We can't have our newest Chaser and Seeker flying on an empty stomach." George grinned and ruffled Lucy's long reddish brown hair playfully.
Lucy blushed even harder. "Good luck today Potters." A familiar cynical voice sounded over the first years' shoulders.
Snape smirked as the Potters turned to gaze at him warily. "Then again since you've managed to prove yourselves against a troll a little game of Quidditch should be easy work."
He turned to head towards the teachers' table. Lucy kept a straight face till he was gone, though she couldn't help noticing that the usually proud Potions' Master was walking with a limp.
"Well that explains the blood." Harry murmured out loud catching the attention of his two friends and his sister.
"Blood?" Hermione wrinkled her eyebrows as Ron twitched his nose curiously. Lucy nudged Hermione with her elbow.
"Professor Snape. He's hurt." She whispered nodding inconspicuously in the Potions' Master's direction.
Hermione glanced fleetingly in his direction. "So? He probably just go injured during the chaos created by that troll." She shrugged.
Harry shook his head. "No. Listen." He grabbed Hermione by the hand. "The other night, I think that Snape let the troll into the castle as a diversion. That way he could get past the three headed dog without being noticed. But! He got himself bit! That's why he's limping!" He explained without stopping to take a breath.
The look on Lucy's face at that pronouncement however told Hermione and Ron that she had been unaware of her brother's suspicions.
"But why would anyone go near that dog?" Lucy wondered aloud, drawing the attention of those sitting nearest to her.
Harry shrugged. "Remember the day we were at Gringotts, Lucy? Hagrid took something from one of the vaults."
Lucy shook her head. "But that's Hogwarts business." She lowered her voice so that Hermione nor the Weasley Twins would hear her. "Hagrid said it was very secret."
"A secret!" Ron squeaked. Lucy shot him a warning look.
"Wait!" Hermione suddenly went very rigid in her seat. "So you're saying that-."
"That's what the dog's guarding!" Harry cut her off. "And that's what Snape wants!"
Hermione's jaw dropped. Lucy clenched her teeth. "Harry, we can't just assume-."
"All the pieces fit Luce!" Harry was insistant. Lucy put her finger over her lips when some of the other students glanced up sharply in their direction.
Harry blushed and focused back on his plate.
"Well! Guess we'll see you two out there mates!" Fred stood and pulled George up with him. George patted Lucy on the shoulder.
"Yeah see you Potters." He grinned, brushing the tips of her hair with his fingers. Lucy smiled slightly.
"Anyone want more breakfast?" She stuck her fork into the platter of bacon as the Twins left. Ron smiled a wobbly grin.
...
"Scared Potters?" Oliver moved his gaze quickly from the Twins as they and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team waited to enter the Quidditch Pitch.
Harry nodded his head. "A little."
"More than a little." Lucy admitted, licking her lips. Harry inconspicuously reached for her hand reassuringly as Oliver nodded his head.
"That's all right. I felt the same way before my first game." He smiled slightly, but then the smile disappeared.
Harry started to nod then stopped. "What happened?" He asked a bit worriedly. Lucy squeezed on her brother's hand. "Did you get hurt?"
Oliver shook his head. "I uh...I don't really remember. I took a bludger to the head two minutes in...woke up in a hospital a week later." He turned to make eye contact with the Twins.
Lucy shuddered and exchanged a fearful glance with Harry. Holy-
*creeeeeeak!* The entrance gate squawked open emitting the bright light from the sun. Lucy slowly let go of her brother's hand.
Good luck.
Harry nodded his head.
You too.
Lucy felt a tap on her shoulder. "Break a leg." One of the Twins grinned as he mounted his broom.
Lucy blushed and turned to mimic his actions. The handle of her brand new broomstick felt smooth and cool under her hands.
She could feel it rearing to go like a fresh young colt aching to start on its first derby race.
Slowly she lifted her foot from the ground. Whoa...She turned to eye Harry unsuredly and he nodded at her haphazardly. The crowd roared from the stands.
"Hello! Welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch Game of the season! Today's game! Slytherin vs. Gryffindor!" Lee Jordan's voice boomed as if over a loudspeaker.
Harry turned his head this way and that looking for a set of speakers around the arena, but there were none.
Lucy sucked in a deep breath of air as she positioned herself next to the other chasers, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell.
The Weasley Twins flew by crowing like showmen while waving their beater's bats like batons as the crowds cheered. "Gryffindor!..Gryffindor!"
"Slytherin! Slytherin!"
Across the pitch, Slytherin team readied themselves. Lucy gulped when she noticed the team's captain.
His teeth were horribly crooked and some were artificial. A sure result of rough play during a match and it was next to nothing compared to the nasty grin the boy was sporting on his face.
Lucy forced herself to look away and focused back on Angelina, the head Chaser.
"You'll do fine Potter!" Angelina called to her from center pitch as Katie flew down next to her.
Lucy nodded her head slightly though she now felt a little more queasy than was durable. She looked down just in time to see Madam Hooch step across the field.
"Now I want a nice clean game!" She barked from the ground though even at the height Lucy was at it was impossible not to hear her. "From all of you!"
She gave all the students a severe look before opening the trunk. The two bludgers shot into the air almost immediately.
Lucy gasped and ducked against her broomstick even though the balls nowhere near to her.
"The bludgers are up!" Lee Jordan announced as something whizzed by Harry's ear. "Followed by the Golden Snitch! Remember the snitch is worth a 150 points! The seeker who catches the snitch, ends the game!"
Lucy nodded her head at that. That'll be you. She looked up towards Harry who was across the field. Harry nodded his head.
Lucy looked back down just as Madam Hooch tossed up the Quaffle. Angelina Johnson and Slytherin's center Chaster dove for it at the same time.
Angelina grabbed it and swerved expertly towards the Slytherin goal posts, ducking and dodging past the opposing defenders.
Lucy turned and made to go after her when someone zipped precariously too close to her broomstick.
"Ah!" She almost lost her grip. The offending player turned and sneered in her direction.
"'Ey!..Watch yourself Lucy!" Oliver called from the Gryffindor goal posts. Lucy took a second to regather her composure then nodded her head.
She turned just as she heard a loud *ding!*
"Angelina Johnson scores ten points for Gryffindor!" Lee Jordan announced gleefully as he flipped the score counter.
Lucy smiled and followed the rest of the team back down the field. One of the Twins caught her eye. "Having fun yet, Lulu?" He laughed as he flew past her.
Lucy started slightly at the unusual nickname but then she shrugged, smiling as she heard Harry cheering from his spot.
Lucy quickly rejoined the chasers just as the second round of the match began. Slytherin had possession of the Quaffle now.
The right field Chaser quickly passed it to the Team Captain whose name Lucy quickly learned was Marcus.
Like Angelina, he dodged past all the defenders even kicking Fred in the ribs disorienting him for a bit.
Lucy gritted her teeth as the Gryffindor crowd boo-ed and charged after him, but he was already at the posts. Dodging Katie Bell, he threw the Quaffle towards one of the hoops.
Oliver Wood flew in to block it just in time.
He smirked as Marcus stared back at him with an icy scowl fixated on his face. The Quaffle was quickly recovered by Katie who called for Lucy to follow her as two Slytherins followed on her tail.
Lucy quickly turned her broomstick to comply. Katie managed to fend off her attackers for a couple yards before one of them started to bump her.
Desperate she lobbed the Quaffle at Lucy who panicked before batting it off towards Angelina.
Securing the ball under her arm Angelina swerved towards the goal and shot it through for another ten points.
The Slytherin goalkeeper punched the air frustratedly.
"Yes!" This time Lucy could hear Harry in her thoughts. Lucy pumped a fist in the air.
"Another ten points for Gryffindor!" Lee Jordan punched the score counter.
The players reassembled at the middle.
Lucy spotted Hermione and Ron as she flew past the stands and waved as she swerved around to get between Angelina and Katie.
Slytherin had the Quaffle again. He made another attempt for the goal.
Nothing was getting past Oliver though. Lucy started to smile until Marcus Flint flew up to one of his beaters.
She frowned when she heard a crack and looked up just in time to see Oliver Wood come crashing down to the ground.
His body hit the mound with a sickening thud.
Harry clenched his teeth. Lucy felt her stomach churn. She looked up to glare at Marcus and he sneered back.
Tossing the bat back to his beater, Marcus flew off to go after Katie who had the Quaffle again.
Lucy turned go after him, but Marcus was faster. Katie tried to go for another pass, but Marcus blocked Lucy and jumped over Fred to shoot the goal.
Without Wood, there was nothing stopping it from going in.
Lucy groaned and punched her broomstick with her fist as the Quaffle was put back into play.
Lee Jordan said nothing this time as he hit the button on the Slytherin's side of the scoreboard.
Angelina tucked the Quaffle under her arm as the familiar *ding!* rang from the scorekeeper's booth and Lucy flew alongside her, ready to take a pass if necessary.
She looked up just in time to see Marcus and another Slytherin closing in on the Gryffindor Chasers and hunched over her broom.
Suddenly Marcus straightened up. "Take that side!" He growled at the one who had been in front of Lucy.
Almost immediately he took off for the other side of Angelina. The left field Chaser swooped in from the other side and horrified Lucy realized what they were doing.
She tried to go in alongside Angelina so that she could pass the Quaffle before it was too late, but the two Slytherins weren't giving her any room.
Suddenly Lucy saw the Quaffle go loose in the air. Lucy caught it just as she heard another sickening crack.
Angelina Johnson tumbled down a Gryffindor team tower landing unconscious by her broom on the ground.
Lucy realized the other Slytherin Chasers including Marcus had noticed her with the Quaffle and turned immediately for the Slytherin Goal posts.
Lu!..Lu look out! They're trying to crash you! Lucy heard Harry's warning booming through her head.
Grimacing she spurred her broom on faster, tossing the Quaffle over handed at the goal just before the other Slytherins could catch up to her.
It swished through the hoop just barely missing the keeper's outstretched gloved hand.
A slight cheer erupted from the Gryffindor side as Marcus glowered at her. Lucy tried her best not to show her fear, but she was afraid.
The snitch had still not shown up which meant the game would continue. With Angelina and Oliver Wood gone, she knew she was probably the next easiest target.
Katie was faster and more experienced than her. Marcus probably knew it would be easier to take her down next to ensure the Slytherin's victory in the end.
She swerved her broom down anyway to join the remainder of her team at center pitch.
"Hey! Nice work there Lu!" George lifted his hand for a high five as he flew past. Lucy slapped his open palm then hunched over to face her opponent across the field.
Marcus curled his upper lip over his teeth. Lucy...be careful. Harry clenched his jaw as he watched his sister from his spot across from the Slytherin seeker.
Lucy nodded her head. Slytherin began with possession of the Quaffle. Lucy tried to block him, but he swerved out of her way.
The Quaffle went easily into the hoop again. The scoreboard dinged and Lucy scowled as something flew past Harry's ear.
The other seeker saw it too and went off after Harry as the younger seeker took after the Golden Snitch.
Lucy started to cheer until her broomstick suddenly bucked up from under her. She held onto the handle to keep from flying off the end, but her broom bucked again.
This time Lucy slid all the way to the end of her broomstick and the crowd gasped audibly as Lucy held on for dear life. Her mount continued to try to throw her off.
"Ahh!" Harry zoomed by dangling off the underside of his broom as it jerked this way and that almost sending him into one of the viewing towers.
Lucy slipped further off the edge of her broom. Harry! What's happening?! She called frantically to her brother as her broom knocked her elbow against the side of her head.
Harry was too preoccupied to answer.
"Lucy!" "Potter!"
Katie Bell and the Weasley Twins flew in, jaws dropped and eyes bulging from their sockets when they saw what was happening.
Hermione frowned as she peered through a pair of binoculors. "Something's not right." She muttered as the wind blew her thick dirty blonde hair up in the air.
Ron stared at her incredulously. "Really? What tipped you off?" He asked his voice climbing over the noise of the other spectators.
Hermione gritted her teeth and turned her head to get a view of the teachers' box. "It's Snape!" She focused in on one spot. "He's jinxing the brooms!"
Ron's eyes bulged to the size of small dinner plates. "Jinxing the brooms! What do we do?" He glanced up at where Lucy and Harry were still getting thrown around in the air.
Fred and George had positioned themselves to catch them if they fell, but the Slytherins were taking full advantage of the distraction.
Another ding sounded and Lee Jordan grimaced before punching the score button.
Hermione shoved the binoculars into Ron's hands. "Just leave it to me!" She ran out of the stands.
Ron swallowed and slowly put the binoculors to his own eyes. Lucy was going to fall any minute now.
"Come on Hermione!" He chanted as Harry managed to get his legs around the underside of his broom. Lucy tried to do the same.
Meanwhile Hermione hurried towards the teachers' stand. She could hear the worried voices climbing higher and higher as she got closer to her destination.
She crawled under the seats, stopping when she reached Professor's Snape's familiar black cape. Silently she pulled her wand from her right robe pocket.
"La Carnum. Enflamore." She whispered flicking her wand ever so slightly. A flame flew out from the tip of her wand and stuck to the edge of Professor Snape's cape.
Quiet as a mouse Hermione slipped away and headed back towards the student section.
Not one minute after she had gone, the man sitting to the right of Professor Snape suddenly leaped from his seat.
"Fire! You're on Fire!" He pointed at the startled Potions' Master. With a yelp Professor Quirrell tumbled to the floor as Professor Snape stood and tried to stomp the flames out.
Everyone jumped away instinctively.
Lucy hardly dared to look up when her broom suddenly stopped balking. She turned to meet Harry's gaze and he looked as confused as she did.
Wasting no time however the Twins climbed back onto their brooms. Harry went back after the Snitch and Lucy flew after the Chaser who had the Quaffle.
As she closed in on him, Katie flanked his other side. With a nod, Lucy zoomed a little ahead attempting to close in at the last second to swipe the Quaffle from her opponent.
That's when the crowd let out a deafening "Ohhhh!" Lucy looked down just as Harry tumbled off his broom, rolling across the pitch whilst kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
Her opponent checked her under the tip of her broom. Lucy lost her balance for a minute then she dove under his broomstick confusing him just enough to allow Katie Bell to steal the Quaffle.
Suddenly Madam Hooch blew the whistle. "Gryffindor Team wins!" She announced just as the crowd went wild.
Lucy felt her cheeks flush with excitement as she followed the rest of her teammates down to the ground where Harry was holding up the snitch in his right hand.
She reached him before anyone else could and threw her arms around his neck almost causing him to lose his balance.
"You did it!" She cheered backing off after a second to give him some air. Harry shrugged a shoulder.
"Actually I almost swallowed it." He smirked. "But yeah! We won!" He pumped his fist into the air.
Lucy's eyes grew as big as the Quaffle.
"What?"
"Harry!" Hermione and Ron came charging across the field towards the Twins. Lucy started to back off trying to avoid being trampled.
"Heeeey Potter!" George grabbed her from behind. "We did it!...We did it Lucy! How do you feel? Think you might faint?"
"Or hurl?" Fred jumped in as George picked her up off of her feet for a second. Fred laughed at the look on her face and messed up her hair causing Lucy to blush.
The crowd took up a cheer as she looked up beaming at the sky as her heart beat thundered through her ears.
She might faint. She was starting to feel a bit lightheaded actually from all the excitement.
One thing was for sure however. As Lucy watched Hagrid carry Harry around on one of his broad brown shoulder, she couldn't remember the last time she had been so happy and excited.
She knew Harry couldn't either.
Even without asking him, she knew. Who knew winning could feel so good?
Harry turned to meet her gaze then. One look and he knew..and she knew. This had to be the greatest day of their whole entire lives.
...
"Nonsense!" Hagrid snapped when Hermione confided her suspicions to him later that day after the Quidditch match had ended and she had told Harry and Lucy about what she and Ron had found out concerning the broom incident earlier in the game.
"But we saw!" Hermione insisted as Lucy followed her. Hagrid shook his big bushy head at the girl.
"No Hermione. Professor Snape is a teacher! Why would he try to put a curse on Harry and Lucy's brooms? It isn't sensible!" He humphed as if that put an end to it.
Harry shrugged. "Who knows? Why was he trying to get past that three headed dog on Halloween?" He asked with a bit of an edge on his voice.
Hagrid stopped walking and Lucy exchanged glances with Ron.
"Who told you lot about Fluffy?" Hagrid asked narrowed his eyes at the four first years.
Ron looked aghast. "Fluffy?"
"That thing has a name?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"Well of course he's got a name! He's mine!" Hagrid said gruffily sounding offended. "I bought him off of an Irish fellow I met at the pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to help guard the..."
"Yes?" Harry inclined his head.
Hagrid shook his head. "I shouldn't have told you that. No more questions! You hear me? No more! That's top secret it is and it's worth more than my job to say anymore!" He pointed a large finger at the students.
Lucy wrinkled her nose. "But Hagrid...what if Hermione's right?" She asked carefully. "What if someone is trying to steal whatever Fluffy is supposed to guard?" She asked careful not to bring up Snape.
She had a feeling it would not be wise to keep up that story in front of Hagrid though she had a hunch Hermione might be right about the Professor.
He's never been particularly friendly to either of the Twins and he seemed so sure that Slytherin would win today. Strangely sure.
"Codswallop!" Hagrid brushed her off. "No one would try to get past Fluffy least of all Professor Snape!" He said letting Lucy know he was onto her.
"Professor Snape is a Hogwarts Teacher and he is sworn to protect the students not harm them!"
Hermione stomped her foot. "Hogwarts Professor or not! I know a spell when I see one! My spell book says you have to keep eye contact in order to get a spell to go through and Snape...wasn't...blinking!" She insisted.
Harry nodded his head. "Exactly."
Hagrid heaved a heavy sigh. "Now you listen to me. All four of you." He pointed at them. "You're meddling in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel." He said sternly.
Ron blinked at the unfamiliar name. "Nicholas Flamel?"
Hagrid paled. "I should not have said that...I should not have said that." He muttered to himself as he turned to go back to his hut.
Harry turned to watch him go. "Nicholas Flamel." He repeated to himself. He turned to where Hermione, Ron and Lucy stood equally as confused as he was.
"Who's Nicholas Flamel?" Lucy wondered voicing everyone's thoughts. Ron shrugged his shoulders.
"Beats me. Is he in one of our books?" He glanced over his shoulder at Hermione.
Hermione shook her head. "No I would have seen him there." She put a finger to her chin.
Lucy did the same. "Maybe...maybe he's in another book." She pounced on an idea. Harry shot her a still confused look.
"In the library perhaps!" Lucy snapped her fingers making eye contact with Harry.
"Or in a newspaper!...If he's involved with whatever that dog is guarding I'm sure someone may have written about him somewhere! Even if it's a short article!"
Hermione nodded her head. "Yes!...We can all team up and do research at the Castle Library together. We'll cover more ground if we all work together." She got excited.
Ron looked disgruntled at the idea. "Are you kidding me? Spend all our free time at the library doing research? No thank you." He shook his head.
Harry bit his lip. "You got any better ideas then?" He stuck his hands into his pockets and looked up at the sky. Ron opened and closed his mouth like a fish.
"Great! It's settled then!" Hermione grinned turning to exchange glances with Lucy. "We start our research tonight. Our query?...Nicholas Flamel." She clapped her hands.
Ron let out a groan.
...