By the time I had run to the Shrieking Shack and barricaded myself inside, I was crying. I sat down on an ancient stuffed chair that sighed a puff of dust as I let my body drop into it. I buried my head in my hands and dug my fingers into my scalp.

Mum was coming here. To Hogwarts.

I wasn't sure which I dreaded more: the idea of Folsom or Mum coming to speak with me.

I lifted my head and watched little motes of dust spin and orbit through the stale air. The house had been vacant for decades. The only ones who used it were Remus and the other Marauders. I drew my wand with a shaky hand and tried to focus on how I felt when I had caught the Quaffle just an hour ago.

"Expecto Patronum." Nothing.

Gripping the wand tighter, I thought of something that had made my blood hotter than Quidditch had: Remus kissing my cheek. "Expecto Patronum."

A cloud of silver mist billowed out from the wand. Excited, I focused on the recent memory more intensely, but within a moment, the smoke was fading back into darkness. I sat there in the chill dim, listening to the sound of my breathing breaking the silence.

Gifted and Talented. How could it be? I knew I was good with magic, but Potions clearly contradicted the fact that I could do well with any course. It was by far my hardest subject. I liked being able to harness my creativity, perhaps the reason why I was so adept with Charms and spells and not by-the-book Potions.

Potions. There was no way to expand upon the material. Everything had to be precisely and exactly executed in a mechanic order. There was no freedom to explore. Stick to the recipe. That was why I did so horribly with the subject.

But even worse was the fact that my wand just wasn't cooperating anymore. I was still a witch, but maybe that would change with time, too. I could hardly cast a spell without it backfiring or failing to do so at all. It had been pure luck that I had made so far this year with my ailing wand. Most of the classes had been based upon reading and lecture time, not spellwork.

Maybe it was time to see Professor Smith, before the wand stopped working completely.

I listened carefully in the dusty light of the derelict house, but there was nothing to accompany me but my own feeble wand. Sighing, I rose to my feet and exited through the tunnel that I had discovered back in my first year and learned the truth about Remus. Now that my blood had cooled and I had stopped shaking, it was easier to process thoughts and see them more clearly.

Wait.

I was alone. With a wand that would no longer do my bidding. I shivered as I thought of Folsom, working for Voldemort, bearing a grudge against me. What if he knew I was here, now, unprotected and vulnerable?

I hastened down the dark earthen tunnel. It was tall enough that I didn't have to bend or stoop to pass through it. Ten tense minutes went by before I exited underneath the Whomping Willow. I pressed a small knot near the roots. The swaying tree froze. I glanced each direction before hurrying out from under the monster and making my way across the deserted grounds and into the castle.

Since it was a Saturday, most students were outside enjoying the brisk fall day. I recognized several of them since they had attended the tryouts for this year's Quidditch teams. I hurried to get away from prying eyes. In the library, I settled in among stacks of books.

Gifted and Talented. I shut my eyes and buried my face in my hands again. How could this have happened?

I knew I should be feeling excited, grateful, proud. But the only emotion running through me was dread.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon hiding in the library, losing myself in the endless volumes of knowledge. I studied the theory behind third-year Potions and found myself near-tears in frustration. I shoved the unhelpful book away, to the furious look of Madam Pince, the vulture-like librarian who skulked through the shelves, always supervising her precious books. I ignored her and stayed hidden inside of the library until the tantalizing scents drifting in from the kitchen drove me to leave. I settled in at the Ravenclaw table, back firmly turned to James Potter and Sirius Black. A moment later, Lily and Remus perched themselves next to me.

"Where have you been?" Lily demanded. "I was worried sick! You just flew out of the Three Broomsticks like you were on fire… are you alright?"

I glared down at my unassuming bowl of barley and mushroom soup. "I'm fine."

"What happened?" Remus asked gently.

Lily handed him the offending letter. When Remus was finished reading it, he grimaced.

"You and your mother still aren't on good terms, are you?" He asked.

Tears blurred my vision. Instead of speaking, I picked up my spoon and took several bites of the hot soup.

"You're crying." Lily said softly.

"The soup is hot." I said defensively. "I burnt my tongue."

I pretended not to see them exchange a look. "Look, I'm fine guys, really. It's just not something I expected."

"It sounds like you don't even want to be in the Gifted and Talented program." Remus observed.

I set my spoon down. "No, I don't. Not if it means I won't be with you."

Lily sighed and took a bite from a buttered roll. "You won't, Amber. You'll still see us in class. Remus and I have been extended the same invitation."

I glanced up. "You have?"

Lily smiled. "Of course. We're the top three students, academically."

I shrugged. "Still. What's wrong with being mainstreamed? Is there a reason why we need extra work?"

"To help us." Lily said. "We need the extra challenge, I guess."

I stared down in the depths of the savory brown stew. I could picture the rest of my life at Hogwarts in the surface. No more free time to be with the Marauders or play Quidditch. Mum and Dad, even if they were proud now (and I knew Mum wasn't), would soon find something else to be disappointed about. All Gifted and Talented would do for me would be to make my life harder than it already was. I liked having free time. I liked playing Quidditch with Sean, reading in the library, and even enjoyed spending hours sneaking through the halls and grounds with the Gryffindor boys.

And, couldn't I use the extra time to practice my homework? Why did I have to take on an even bigger load?

"I don't want it." I said firmly. "I'm rejecting it."

"You can't!" Lily said in a scandalized tone. "Your academic record shows you've got the brains and skills. You're qualified."

"I don't want it." I said stubbornly. "I like where I am just fine."

Remus ladled a portion of the stew for himself and added a few slices of beef shank. "I think you should do what's best for you."

Lily looked outraged. "She's got a huge opportunity, Remus!" She cried. "This would look incredible on her resume for the rest of her life. You'd be better prepared for O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. Don't throw this away, Amber."

"If you like it so much, then you take it." I snapped, my short temper reaching its end. "I'm not going to waste my life trying to please people, especially not my parents." Meaning Mum.

Lily looked at Remus for help. But he shrugged and ate his soup.

"If Amber wants to stay where she is, then let her. They'll try to have you switch up to it every year if your grades keep up."

"Oh, I don't believe this." Lily hissed, tugging angrily on a tendril of ginger hair. "I figured you'd of all people would support me in this, Remus."

"I support the best course of action." Remus said cryptically. "You don't know how Amber feels. Let her make her own decisions."

"Would you two please stop talking about me as if I'm not here?" I snarled. I tore off a hunk of sourdough bread and swallowed. It stuck in my throat. I washed it down with a deep swig of unsweetened iced tea.

"You're really okay with this." Lily said, sounding slightly disgusted. "Amber…"

"Just drop it, alright?" I grumbled. "I don't want to have to deal with you two debating about my future with my parents doing it for me already. Look how well that turned out."

An awkward silence settled like a cloud of dust around us. Remus cleared his throat and looked genially down the table toward Anna Noyes. "Looks like she's about to post the Quidditch team roster."

I stared at Anna. Sure enough, she was scrawling down what looked like names on her slip of parchment. She took a thoughtful sip of tea and carried it to Professor Flitwick, who was seated at the staff table.

In spite of myself, I trembled with excitement. What if she had picked me? What if I was going to be on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?

"I hope you got it, Amber." Lily said after a moment, clearly trying to make up for our disagreement. "You really did do very well today."

"I suppose." I agreed, trying to catch Anna's eye before she sat down. When I did, she gave me an enigmatic look. There was no way to tell if I'd made it or not.

"Well, I'd better be off." Remus said quietly, glancing outside at the sinking sun. "It's nearly evening."

Lily looked at him in question. "Are you feeling alright, Remus? You do look a bit peaky."

"You really should go." I urged, noticing the telltale trembling in his limbs. "Come on, I'll take you."

Madam Pomfrey was already waiting at the entrance to the Great Hall. Remus shook his head and drained the rest of his soup. "No, no. I'd better go alone. You did brilliantly today, Amber. I know you'll make the right choice for yourself." He gave me a wan smile and hurried out of the Great Hall. I watched Madam Pomfrey speak unheard words to him and usher him away.

"What was that all about?" Lily asked incredulously. "He's sick quite a lot, isn't he?"

I turned back to my stew, thinking about how much suffering Remus would be in for tonight once the full moon rose into the sky. "Yeah." I said quietly. "I guess he is."

Lily followed me out of the Hall ten minutes later and halted in front of the door. A grin spread across her face. "Well, I guess you've gotten something you wanted after all."

"What?" I said, following her gaze. Posted on the side of the double doors was a large piece of parchment. It was the roster for the new Quidditch players.

I had been made Chaser for the Ravenclaw team.

My days were quickly consumed with classes, homework, Quidditch, and after-hours escapades with the other Marauders. Remus, Lily, and I especially became increasingly entombed in the library, encouraging each other to finish homework and creating a competition between the three of us to see who was the most knowledgeable about our subjects.

My wand had stopped working. It was like it had gone into deep hibernation, or died.

Adding to my troubles, Flitwick's appointment came with surprising speed. After two months on the Quidditch team, we had yet to play our first match. Anna had us practice five times a week, but even then, I still felt outskilled by the rest of my team. Our first match was scheduled on November the 21st, the same day I was to meet with Flitwick and my parents.

I had seldom felt sicker in my life.

"Look at you." Lily fussed over breakfast on the dreaded day. "You haven't slept, have you? When was the last time you ate?"

I stared at the condensation collecting on the side of my glass of water. Her words swam to me, fuzzy and not registering in my brain.

"Amber. Amber!" Lily said, tapping my wrist assertively. "Earth to Amber, hello?"

"Huh?" I said, blinking.

"Don't bother." Angelina said disapprovingly, coming to sit next to us. "She hasn't slept in three days."

Lily's face fell. "Amber!" She said in shocked tones. "Is that true?"

I didn't meet her gaze. Even the smell of food was making me nauseated.

"She hasn't eaten all day either." Angelina reported. I threw her a nasty look.

"Thanks for sharing that." I growled. I started to get up from the table, but Lily caught me by the forearm.

"You have to eat something, Amber." She insisted. "Come on. Sourdough bread, an egg sandwich?"

The knowledge that my parents were coming to Hogwarts made my stomach squirm. I shut my burning eyes, aching from lack of sleep. I had tried to sleep, but I couldn't make my spinning mind pause from its constant stream of possibilities. What would Mum do? Would Dad be disappointed in me? There was no way he could be pleased about my Quidditch skills. He would have told me about his own prowess if wanted anything to do with the sport.

And we were playing Hufflepuff today. His old team.

"I need to go." I said abruptly, rising. Lily protested. "Please, Amber, really. Eat something."

"I don't want to, Lily!" I snapped. I wrenched my arm away from her anchoring grasp. "I just want to be alone before I make a complete fool of myself before the entire school."

"So dramatic." Angelina muttered. I shot her a dark look.

"That's funny," I said dryly, "coming from the girl who egged Davey on to get his eye ripped out by the Whomping Willow."

Angelina's jaw dropped. "You're such a jerk, Amber! No wonder Remus doesn't like you."

My temper flared. I raised my hand to strike her. A stronger hand caught it. I glanced over, surprised. Remus was eyeing me with an arched brow.

"I happen to like her very much." Remus said carefully. Lily looked furious. Angelina's face had bloomed with color.

"I didn't mean… she's just so mean, Remus!" Angelina tried.

Remus ignored her, his green eyes boring into me. "Come on. I want to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk to anyone." I said harshly, trying to rip my arm away. But Remus was stronger than he looked and didn't relent.

"Come on." He led me forcefully out of the Hall and down a flight of stairs. He led me straight outside. I rolled my eyes. "You can let go now. I'm not going to run away. I promise."

Remus didn't look convinced. "Not yet."

He didn't let go until we reached a beech tree situated on the edge of the lake. The sky was mostly gray, punctuated by wispy spaces of blue sky. A chill wind blew off the water's surface. I folded my arms and looked at him haughtily.

Remus handed me a block of dark chocolate. In spite of myself, my mouth watered.

"What's going on?" He prompted. "You haven't been yourself all year and now you're much worse than usual."

I gave him a sour look. "Unlike Angelina and Zoey, I don't spend hours pampering and preening myself trying to get boys to notice me. I just want to get through school."

"'Get through'." Remus echoed, not saying anything as I broke off a piece of chocolate and ate. It tasted like manna from Heaven. I took another bite.

"I have enough going on in my life without having to worry about what people think of me." I began to pace. "My wand hasn't worked for me in over a month. I mean it's completely stopped working. The only reason I'm passing my classes is because I ace the written portions. I can't even produce a simple Shield Charm anymore, and that was a snap for me before! I could do it as a first year."

Remus pulled out a bottle of water from his robes. He handed it to me. I took a long pull and a deep breath.

"You're nervous about Quidditch, aren't you?" Remus probed.

I threw my hands in the air. "Yes, of course I am! My parents will be here by six-thirty tonight for a parent-teacher conference. I didn't ask to be in Gifted and Talented. I don't want to be. I'm stressed about school, about Quidditch, about my parents, and now, I've got my blasted wand to worry about!" I withdrew it from my belt and hurled it away from me. "It's not even a wand anymore. It's a useless stick!"

I hadn't noticed the stream of tears slipping down my cheeks. I did now, now that most of my steam was gone. Embarrassed, I sniffled and wiped my eyes with the backs of my sleeves. I didn't meet Remus' eyes.

"I guess I'm just tired." I said quietly, gazing out upon the gently rippling lake. "I'm so tired, Remus. I miss my sister. I miss how things used to be. And yet… I don't. I'm happier here without Mum or Dad intoxicating my life. I'm happier here, with you and Lily. And the others." I stole a look at him now through a sheen of fresh tears. "Do you think I'm going crazy?"

Remus was looking back at me with a sad expression. I saw no judgment there, only compassion. A fresh wave of emotion rolled through me. I bit my lip hard to keep myself from bursting out into ugly sobs.

"I think you've been trying to hold up too much weight for too long." Remus said at last. He walked over to a spot ten feet away where my discarded wand had landed. He picked it up reverently. He brought it back to me, standing just inches apart. He smelled like cinnamon and the bar of Honeyduke's Chocolate in his hand. He placed the wand gently back into my hand. I sniffled hard again, unable to meet his gaze.

"I think," Remus said, offering me another piece of chocolate, which I took gratefully, "you need to lessen your load."

"What do you mean? You think I should give some things up?"

Remus nodded. "You can't keep on like this, Amber. It's eating you alive. How can you do this for another four years? It's only going to get more intense from here with our subjects."

I looked away. He was right. But I didn't want to give anything up. I loved Quidditch. I loved learning. And as much grief as they caused, I did love my family.

"I just want everyone to stop expecting so much from me." I admitted. I thought fleetingly of Virginia. How could anyone think anything of me, if they knew that I was the reason why she was gone?

It was a secret I would carry to my grave.

Remus searched my face intently. "There's something else. Something deeper. What happened to you, Amber? You weren't like this in our first year."

"What do you mean?" I said cautiously, afraid he'd seen my deepest secret displayed across my face.

Remus sighed and handed me another piece of chocolate. "You've always been funny, smart, and sarcastic. Witty. You don't take crap from anyone. You're one of the most interesting people I've ever met." His eyes flickered. "But it's like a part of you died or something, after your sister did."

Fresh tears blurred my vision, and I had to bit my lip hard to keep from losing my composure. No one talked about Virginia. It was as if we pretended she had never existed. She was a forbidden subject. But for some reason, I didn't mind Remus talking about it.

"It's my fault." I whispered quietly, so that he couldn't hear me, hot shame burning from head to toe as I said it.

Remus shook his head. "Listen, you need to take care of yourself. You're falling apart, Amber. I'm really worried about you. Lily is too."

"I know." I murmured, clenching my hands so he couldn't see them shaking. "I know."

Remus sighed. His green eyes were probing, but I forced myself not to give way to my roiling emotions.

"Go talk to Professor Smith about your wand. She's very knowledgeable about magic. Maybe she can help."

I stowed my wand back into my belt. "Maybe I need a replacement." The thought made a pang of loss twist in my gut. Useless or not, it was still my first wand. It would be like giving way a pet.

Remus watched me pry apart a beech nut. "Maybe you do. What you do need is to take care of yourself. Don't take advanced level classes if you're already having too much to worry about."

I wrenched a second nut apart. "What about things I can't fix?"

Remus took the nut from my hands. "Don't worry about your parents. You'll be just fine. Hold your ground. In the end, they'll realize you're not a little girl anymore. You can make decisions for yourself without their approval. We're growing up. It's something we've got to learn how to do."

I avoided his gaze. "You'll watch the match?"

Remus smiled. "Of course. Even if James and Sirius give me grief about supporting Ravenclaw over Gryffindor. Just don't tell them. Now, I'll take you back to the castle, but only if you promise you won't hurt Angelina."

I gave him a sheepish grin. "No promises."

Remus looked amused. "I mean it. Come on, Grumpy, you need to take a nap. You'll need your strength for your first Quidditch match."

We walked back to the castle in tandem. Even though my feet were still on the ground, the match still hours away, I felt lighter than I had in weeks.

I felt like I had just closed my eyes when someone was shaking me awake. I blinked wearily and found myself staring up into the angular face of Anna Noyes.

"Get up!" She said urgently. "The match starts in half an hour."

The familiar jolt of panic rattled me and drove away the grogginess. I sat up quickly. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Since after breakfast. It's almost five. You'd better get out of bed and get ready. Come on."

I hustled to get out of my bed. It had felt like laying on a flat, iron board for the past three nights, uncomfortable and unable to give me peace. But after Remus had convinced me to take a nap, it felt like the softest mattress in the world, the heavy feather-stuffed quilt beckoning me back into its warm depths.

"Come on." Anna said, sounding annoyed, as she threw my blue Quidditch robes at me. "Get changed and meet me in the lockers on the field. Don't forget your broom."

She bustled off. I changed quickly in the bathroom, scrubbing my sour-tasting mouth with mint paste and downing a glass of icy water before splashing my face. I hadn't bothered to look at my reflection in a while. I dared to peek now.

My hair hung down in wild lengths, like a lion's mane. My oval-shaped face was pale like a sheet, disturbing dark circles ringing my dull brown eyes. Even my lips, normally red and full, were wrinkly-looking and grayish-pink.

I pinched my cheeks hard, bringing pink color back into them. I quickly scrunched my tangles of blonde hair back into a ponytail. I scrutinized my haphazard appearance, quickly giving up. If I had the time or inclination, I could have had Lily do makeup for me or fix my hair. But there wasn't any time left. Besides, it was a Quidditch match. No one would be looking at my face. Or at me, for that matter.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I grabbed my Silver Arrow from the side of my bed and hurried down to the lockers. It was a long way and by the time I'd reached it, my legs were cramping and I was out of breath. The other members of the team, Sebastian Smethley, Artemis Powell, Anna Noyes, Ceres Amorin, Nemo Stevens, and Kirkley Switch, were all staring at me as I fought to catch my breath.

"Have a good nap?" Nemo asked, smirking. There was no animosity in his tone, only amusement. I was the youngest player by several years. I was also the only new player to the team, aside from Artemis Powell, the sixth-year Chaser.

"Now that we're all here..." Anna said airily, and I realized with a hot rush of embarrassment that she must have had to come fetch me when I didn't show up like the others, "I wanted to give a quick overlay of our strategy. Hufflepuff's good, but not as good as they were twenty years ago." Her gaze touched on me briefly before looking away. "Locke's the best Seeker in the school. Yes, he is, Ceres, and you know it."

"Potter's the best Chaser Hogwarts has got." Ceres retorted lightly, flexing a gloved hand on his broomstick. I glared at him. Artemis and Anna shared the same look of disdain. Anna sighed and brushed her long sweep of raven-black hair back over her shoulder.

"We're not here to bring each other down." She said firmly. "I'm not trying to make us sound weak. We do need to acknowledge the strength of our opponents, and that's why I need my team to work together, not pull apart."

Ceres shrugged, indifferent.

"I need us to get that Snitch quickly, as quick as possible." Anna announced. "Ceres, we know you're a great Seeker, but Sean is almost as good as Walter Harkstone was. Be on your game. Get that Snitch and get it first, but only after we've scored at least a ten point margin ahead of them. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it." Ceres said shiftily, looking determined. Anna looked at Artemis, Nemo, and I next. Her gaze lingered on me. "No fancy tricks, no showing off. We want to have fun, but we also want to win. Understood?"

The six of us nodded in silent agreement. Anna peeked through the thick fabric of the stands. She grimaced. "Be careful, guys. The crowd's ready for some dirty antics."

I gulped, trying to steady my already-frayed nerves. It didn't work.

Five minutes passed by in agonizing slowness. Then Anna signaled to us and led the way out into the arena.

The sound was deafening. Tryouts, which seemed like a lifetime ago, had been child's play compared to this. A third of the school had turned out for those. But now, it seemed like the entire Hogwarts population (and a few Hogsmeade villagers) had decided to come see the first Quidditch match of the season.

At the sight and sound of so many in the stands, my legs turned to lead. The familiar panicky feeling thrilled me from head to foot. My hands were clammy on the shaft of my Silver Arrow. My mouth went dry as Anna led us confidently out into the middle of the pitch. The Hufflepuffs were making their way across the field. Sean Locke was front and center, striding across magnificently in his yellow and black robes. He looked at me and grinned handsomely, waving. Blushing, I turned away.

Madam Hooch was standing with a large wooden crate at her feet. "Captains, shake hands."

Anna and Sean did. Anna looked pink the face afterwards. Squelching down a twinge of jealousy, I copied my teammates and mounted my broom. Madam Hooch blew her shrill whistle. In a flash of movement, the others were off in the air. My nerves made me so shaky that for a moment, my legs buckled when I tried to push off from the ground. I took a deep breath and forced myself up. Miraculously, I lifted. High into the air, I was able to look down in the gathering darkness at the sea of faces. I spotted Lily seated next to Remus, who was sitting next to, Sirius and Peter. To my great annoyance, Angelina and Zoey were right behind Remus.

"Don't let your nerves steal your head!" Sean called as he zoomed past me. Ignoring him, I hovered near Nemo Stevens and tried my best to remember our practices. It was hard to focus with the roar of the crowd and the flood of dizzying nerves flooding through my body.

"And they're off!" An annoyingly familiar voice called. I looked down into the stands again and felt my stomach plummet.

James Potter was doing the commentary.

Professor Smith was standing watchfully beside James with a stern expression on her face. Clearly, she wasn't going to let him get too carried away with his position.

"It looks like the Beaters are having some fun scattering the teams." James said, just as a Bludger screamed by, dangerously close to my ear. Kirkley and Nemo were whacking them back towards Hufflepuff with vicious vengeance. Ceres' clever eyes were already surveying the pitch, looking for the evasive little Snitch.

"Harkstone, catch!" Artemis called as she tossed the Quaffle in mid-air. I snatched for it, but wasn't quick enough. Like a yellow bullet, Sophie Daniels, a Hufflepuff Chaser, intercepted. The sea of blue-clad supports groaned. I felt hot embarrassment wash over me.

"Come on, Harkstone!" Anna urged. "You need to be quicker!"

"You're doing great!" Sean said enthusiastically as he blew past. "Keep it up!"

He wasn't being sarcastic. Gritting my teeth, I plowed after Daniels.

"Looks like Harkstone is in pursuit of Daniels!" Potter said. "She's dived in front of her. Daniels tries to pass to Levine, but Powell catches it! Powell goes for the goal… but it's a no-go! Kensley Horn's just too good of a Keeper. He throws it back to Levine, Levine's going for the other end, but here comes a bludger hit by Switch. Levine passes to Daniels, who passes to Wachowski… blimey! Look out!"

A ball of fire had just launched itself into the air, right at the crowd of Chasers. All of us scattered. Wachowski had dodged the flames, but the Quaffle was now dropping like a stone towards the ground.

"Interference!" Professor Smith cried, pointing towards the Slytherins, who were now cheering and catcalling. "Mr. Filch, if you'd please apprehend Mr. Avery and Mr. Mulciber and escort them to the dungeons, thank you very much!"

I didn't look down into the stands to see them walked off. I was closest to the Quaffle, but was I fast enough? I urged the Silver Arrow on.

"Look at Harkstone go!" James said excitedly, sounding surprised. "But can she catch the Quaffle? Yes, yes, she's got it! She's trying to get past Daniels now."

The white-blond Hufflepuff was edging closer. She wasn't ramming into me, but she looked like she would consider it if I didn't drop the ball soon. I ducked down and sped toward the post. Kensley Horn circled his posts.

"Harkstone approaches the posts… can she get it in the hoops? She shoots, and Horn catches it."

Another moan from the Ravenclaws. Anna shot by. "Just pass it to me and Artemis!" She ordered.

Flushed, I held my broomstick tightly.

"And Horn passes it to Daniels again. She's going for Sebastian Smethley, no, she passes to Wachowski… he scores! Ten points for Hufflepuff!"

Wild cheering erupted from the yellow-clad Huffepuffs below. I ignored their jubilation and focused instead on getting the Quaffle back to my more-experienced teammates.

"The Quaffle is taken by Levine!" James said excitedly. "He and Daniels are protecting each other, but nice bludger hit from Stevens. Oh, ouch! Not quick enough!"

Levine took a bludger right into the arm. He gasped in pain and let the Quaffle drop. Artemis snatched it up and raced to the post, sending it through. She and Anna did this another four times, and soon we were in the lead by forty points.

"Still no sign of the Snitch!" James called loudly. "Only ten minutes into the game, so there's still plenty of time, but not much daylight left!"

At his words, huge torches burned alight at each spire of the stands. It gave off illumination and warmth. Vision improved, I caught the Quaffle from Artemis and passed to Anna, who lost it to Levine.

"And Hufflepuff scores!" James said. "And again! Girls, what's going on out there? Having a beauty contest?"

"Potter!" Professor Smith said crossly.

The game continued for another vigorous ten minutes. Soon, we were in the lead, 170 to 20. Artemis and Anna were ruthless, but it was Smethley who was the real champion. He blocked every shot from Hufflepuff except for the two that passed through.

Nearly a half hour into the game, I was feeling dizzy with the combination of nerves and excitement. A strange foreboding feeling tickled the back of my neck. I shook my head to clear it, trying to focus on the game. But my eye had caught something down in the stands. I squinted, hardly daring to believe what my eyes were telling my brain. I recognized those glasses, that long, blown-straight blonde hair…

Was that Folsom in the stands, mingled among the Slytherins?

"Amber!" Anna yelled, looking slightly panicky. "Wake up! Snap out of it! We're going to lose if you don't pull your weight!"

I blinked hard. No, it wasn't Folsom. It was someone else who looked far too much like they were related to me.

I felt something hit me hard in the chest. Gasping, I looked down, surprised to see the red Quaffle in my arms.

"Go!" Anna screamed as a Bludger smacked her in the side.

"And she's off!" James roared into his wand. "You'd better go fast, Harkstone, or Locke's going to steal the match!"

Sure enough, Sean had spotted the Snitch. Ceres was jockeying to catch up, but it looked futile. In a few seconds, Sean was going to catch the Snitch and win the game.

I knew what I had to do, and I knew how close I was going to cut it. Tucking the Quaffle under one arm, I pressed as close to the broomstick as possible and shot forward.

Kensley Horn swooped, eyes bright with focus. I feinted, speeding at full force toward the center hoop. Horn spread his limbs wide, blocking the hoop.

I threw the Quaffle with all my might into the left hoop.

A second later, a huge cheer went up from the yellow-clad Hufflepuffs. I wheeled around, palms sweaty, heart pounding in my head, and faced the rest of the players. Sean was floating gently in the air, his fist clenched around what could only be the Snitch.

"Locke has caught the Snitch! Locke's got the Snitch!" James said exuberantly. "Hufflepuff's won the match!"

"Wait just a minute!" Artemis Powell shouted, trying to be heard of the wild din of the crowd. "Amber scored! She scored! Hey!"

Hardly anyone seemed to notice. I chewed my lip. "It doesn't matter." I said hurriedly, not wanting to cause trouble. "Artemis-"

But she had flown straight to Anna. Anna frowned, then gasped. She rushed to Madam Hooch, who checked the self-counting scoreboard herself.

Hufflepuff: 170. Ravenclaw: 180.

We had won.

"Wait, wait!" James roared over the crowd. "It looks like… Merlin's beard… the actual winner is Ravenclaw!"

Stunned silence from the sea of yellow students. Then a huge cacophony of jubilation and belated victory from the Ravenclaws. I stole a glance at James, who looked like he was fighting very hard not to look impressed.

I landed hastily on the ground, following the lead of the other players, still shaking with the power of adrenaline. A second later, I was slammed into from all sides by the rest of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

"I knew it, I knew it!" Anna shrieked, looking overjoyed. "I knew you were just like your father! You did it, Amber! You won us the match!"

I swallowed hard, dizzy. Slowly, like a jet engine turbine gathering momentum, the dread and fear was being replaced by realization and pride.

I had scored the last ten points, the only ten points I'd managed to earn. It was only ten points, but it had decided who the victors were.

I grinned sheepishly as the rest of the team crushed me. After a minute, the Hufflepuff players walked over bravely. Most of them looked impressed, though miffed that they had lost the match just when they'd thought they had won. Sean strode over like he was Ravenclaw's Captain and pounded me on the back.

"Excellent, excellent!" He shouted over the cheering. "Knew you had it in you, Harkstone!"

I allowed Sean to hug me. After all, if it hadn't been for his lessons and our practices, I wouldn't have known the difference between a Quaffle and the Snitch. "Thanks, Sean. I owe you one."

His eyes were twinkling. "You bet you do, Harkstone."

I was about to turn and leave the field when I heard a male voice rumble, "Owe me what?"

There were several gasps of recognition, mine included. I revolved slowly on the spot, staring at my father. He smiled down, looking younger than I'd ever seen him.

"Hi, Dad." I managed, not sure if I should be happy or scared.

Both teams were gawking at my father, especially the Hufflepuffs, who could claim him as their alumnus. But he only had eyes for me. He crossed the space between us and enveloped me in a tight embrace.

"I couldn't be more proud of you, daughter." He whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes against the rising tide of emotion.

If only my wand worked… if only Folsom really had been in the stands. In that moment, I felt as if I could have produced a corporeal Patronus.

"Come on," Dad said brightly. "Your mother's waiting in the stands."

And just like that, the good feeling was gone.