I do not own Harry Potter. Charlotte Potter and the Ravenclaw Quidditch team members are my OCs.

The Quidditch Cup

"I guess Draco and Pansy weren't running their mouths," said Charlie grimly. "Did the hearing go that badly, Ron?"

"I didn't think so," he answered. "I mean, Hagrid was nervous and all, but he still said everything Hermione wrote down for him. I thought my speech was good, too."

"Mr. Malfoy probably frightened everyone into doing what he wanted," said Harry with a scowl. "The git."

Charlie shook her head. "I guess no one has the ability to overpower Lucius Malfoy. He can fold everyone into his pocket with a snap of his fingers."

"Isn't there anything else we can do?" asked Ron.

"There will be an appeal, but it won't matter. With the Malfoys involved, no one is going to change their minds," said Hermione bitterly.

"We have to try," said Charlie firmly. "We'll work together and do our very best to give Hagrid what he needs to convince the Committee that Mr. Malfoy is wrong and Buckbeak isn't a danger."

"Hagrid's probably a mess right now," said Hermione with a sniff. "But there's no way we can visit him. The sun is about to set and you know we're not allowed out near dark."

"We'll see him tomorrow in Care of Magical Creatures," said Charlie.

"Do you guys want to do something fun to cheer ourselves up?" asked Harry. "Before I'm grounded for life?"

Hermione frowned at him. "What did you do?"

"I technically didn't do anything," said Harry with a snort. "I just kept a secret."

Charlie explained to Hermione the events of the afternoon and her face turned red with anger. She took a few steps towards them and they recoiled as she shouted, "Have you lost your minds? Can I not leave you alone for a minute?"

"You can't leave me with them, apparently," said Charlie with a wince. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I know it was stupid."

"At least you didn't get Neville in any more trouble," said Hermione with a huff. "If Professor McGonagall found out, I think she really might have expelled him."

"I've gotten in trouble four times for basically the same thing and I'm still here," said Charlie.

Harry raised a brow. "That's only because if they expel you, you're going to the Dursleys, and you'll be dead."

"The Dursleys won't kill me," said Charlie with a straight face.

"Not what I meant."

"You're actually really lucky," said Ron thoughtfully. "Dumbledore didn't take away Quidditch, and if he did tell Flitwick about it, he probably told him to leave you be. And Lupin is keeping the Marauder's Map a secret, so Flitwick and Dumbledore aren't going to find out."

"Very lucky," said Charlie, unable to express just how much relief she felt at not having the chance to partake in the Quidditch Cup taken away.

Hermione looked fed up with the lot of them. "You really need to sort out your priorities!"

...

Harry, understandably, wasn't particularly hungry the following morning. He picked at his rolls, his stomach turning with unease. During the night he wished Remus had taken him off to his quarters the second they left Snape's office. At least the whole thing would have been done and over with.

A hand fell on his shoulder and he nearly sprang to his feet, thinking it was his uncle come to collect him. "Someone's jumpy," said Charlie.

Harry glared. "Yeah, I wonder why."

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "You didn't really do anything wrong."

"I'm afraid he thinks otherwise," muttered Harry. "Is he looking at me? I've been too nervous to check."

Charlie peeked over her shoulder and hastily whipped her gaze back around when she found Remus staring straight at them. "Oh yeah. I better get back to my table. Good luck, Harry. I'll see you in class."

"Bye."

A few minutes later Remus descended from the High Table. He approached Harry and motioned for his ward to come with him. Before Harry left the Great Hall he shot a swift look at Charlie, who watched after him with sympathy, and mouthed, 'I'm dead'.

The walk to his uncle's chambers seemed to take forever. Remus was silent the whole way and that only served to heighten Harry's nerves. They entered his quarters; a circular main room with wooden floors covered in thick red and gold rugs. There was a singular hallway, which led to two rooms and a bathroom. The extra room was for Harry, if he ever wanted to spend the night, and Harry suspected this was probably where he would be staying for the foreseeable future.

Harry went over to sit in a squashy burgundy armchair by the fire. Remus stood in front of him, his lips in a sharp frown. "How long have you known about the map?"

Harry did a frantic calculation in his head. "A few months."

"Do you know what that map is capable of?"

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"It shows every possible way to get in and out of Hogwarts," said Harry reluctantly. "It also showed everyone who is on castle grounds."

Remus ran his fingers through his hair and said in frustration, "All this time you had that map in your possession, it never occurred to you to hand it to a professor?"

"Hermione mentioned it," admitted Harry, fingers twitching anxiously against his knees. "But four of the secret passageways were boarded up, one of them was caved in, and the one Charlie used wasn't accessible at night. Dementors patrolled Hogsmeade, so we thought it was okay."

"When did Charlie get the map?"

"Christmas."

"The first time Black got into the castle was Halloween night," said Remus tightly. "It did not occur to you that this map would help Professor Dumbledore solve how he managed that?"

"It just seemed…like it wouldn't help, I guess," said Harry awkwardly. "If Black could get by the Dementors, what use would the Marauder's Map be?"

"That is possibly the stupidest thing you've ever said."

Harry threw his arms out to the sides. "What do you want me to say?" he snapped.

"I want you to show some remorse for your actions!" cried Remus. "Black very well could have gotten his hands on that map—"

"Charlie kept it in her trunk!" Harry protested. "Even when she had it on her, she wouldn't have lost it. She's a lot more careful than Neville."

"Do not interrupt me!" roared Remus. "You knew Charlotte was sneaking out to go to Hogsmeade. You aided her attempts by not telling anyone what she was doing."

"There were lots of people around!" said Harry in irritation. "There's no way Black would risk moving around during the day."

"You think Black wouldn't try to kill an entire student population?" demanded Remus. "There would be no one to stop him if he ever got his eyes on Charlie. He'd kill whoever he had to in order to get to her. You allowed her to go off into danger."

"I'm sorry, okay?"

"Not sorry enough," said Remus quietly.

Harry flinched and looked away. Remus pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself. It hurt him to think how close Charlie had been to getting killed, whether she realized it or not. It was especially painful to see how reckless his charge was being—he couldn't bear the thought of something happening to Harry.

"You, Charlie, Ron and Hermione are bright kids. You knew exactly what you were doing. That's why I'm so disappointed in you. You know better. You're grounded for a month, and for that time you'll be living here so I can supervise you. All meals will be had in my quarters. After each class you will come directly here. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Uncle," Harry said softly.

"Go retrieve your trunk. I expect you back here in ten minutes. Do not be late."

Harry kept his gaze ducked as he hurried out of the room. He rubbed away the building tears of guilt and shame. Remus' disappointment always stung worse than anger.

...

"He doesn't look good," said Hermione worriedly.

Harry lingered a distance away from Hagrid's hut, looking quite depressed. Hermione, Ron and Charlie joined him and Charlie asked, "How bad is the punishment?"

"I'm grounded for a month," said Harry heavily. "No meals in the Great Hall, I have to live with him, and I can only spend class time with you guys."

"That's horrible," said Ron, aghast. "I'm glad my parents aren't professors."

"I really am sorry," said Charlie with a wince. "I'm the one who should be punished."

Harry sent her a wry smile. "While that's true, even I don't want you banned from Quidditch. It doesn't matter, anyway. Hagrid's troubles are more important."

Hagrid had just stepped out of his hut, his face devoid of emotion and his eyes lifeless. The four were quick to approach him and Hermione said earnestly, "Hagrid, we're really sorry. But don't worry, we'll help you with the appeal. We'll show them Mr. Malfoy is completely wrong."

"I kept droppin' the notes yeh gave me, Hermione. Couldn' stop stammerin' an' I got intimidated by all those Committee members. Made a right fool o' myself." He clapped Ron on the shoulder and Harry set his hands against the redhead's side to keep him upright. "Yeh were great, Ron. It was all my fault."

"You can't lose hope, Hagrid," insisted Charlie.

"It's all said an' done," said Hagrid heavily. "Malfoy's already got the jury on his side. I'm goin' teh enjoy every moment with Buckbeak." He gave a loud sniffle before saying loudly, "Come along, yeh lot."

The crowd of students followed after Hagrid, leaving the Golden Quartet, Draco and Pansy behind. Pansy snickered. "He is such a baby! Look at him sob!"

Hermione spun around so quickly she was nearly a blur. Pansy's cackle was immediately cut off as Hermione's fist cracked against her jaw, sending her sprawling to the ground. Harry and Ron were stunned, but they jumped into action when Hermione started for Draco.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Harry, seizing one of her arms.

"That was brilliant!" said Ron in awe, grabbing her other wrist.

Draco was stock still. Pansy shakily got to her feet, cradling her aching jaw. "You stupid, filthy Mudblood! I'll—"

"You'll what?" countered Hermione viciously. "Hide behind Malfoy, like you always do? Your family certainly doesn't have any influence—not after last year's revelation. If I hear you speak another word against Hagrid, I'll make sure you need to see Madam Pomfrey!"

Pansy turned red, with humiliation or anger, Charlie didn't know. She cast the group a look of hatred before storming off. Draco's eyes were narrowed into slits, but the expression on Hermione's face made him decide it wasn't worth saying anything.

When they were gone, Charlie said in disapproval, "That was not necessary."

"I don't care," said Hermione. "They deserved it."

"That they did," agreed Charlie.

The two Slytherins did not make a sound for the rest of the class. Ron, Charlie and Hermione bid Harry goodbye before hurrying to Charms. Ron and Charlie stepped through the doors and claimed their usual seats. Hermione did not slide into the seat beside Ron and when Charlie glanced around, she was nowhere to be seen.

"Hermione was right behind us, wasn't she?"

"Yeah," said Ron in confusion.

The bell rang to signal the start of class and Hermione was still missing. "Weird," she muttered.

After a lesson of learning and practicing the Cheering Charm, it was time for lunch. "I'm going to see if Hermione is in the common room," spoke Charlie.

"Okay."

When Charlie entered the common room, it was to see Hermione slumbering in one of the chairs. Charlie furrowed her brow at the mess of parchment and books on her table. "Hermione?"

At the poke to her shoulder, Hermione stirred. "What?"

"Did you skip Charms to study?" Charlie asked in bewilderment.

The bushy-haired girl stared in horror. "I missed Charms?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Oh no! Professor Flitwick must be terribly upset with me!"

Hermione sprang from her seat, grabbed her bookbag and hurried off. Charlie shook her head. "Okay. Thanks for giving me an explanation."

She went to the Great Hall and stopped by the Gryffindor table. She told Ron where she had found Hermione and Ron frowned. "I don't know how she keeps pulling these disappearing acts, but it has to be how she's getting to all her classes."

"Whatever she's been doing, she messed up today," said Charlie. "I hope she figures out she can't handle this workload for the next four years. She's going to completely burn out."

The class they had after lunch was Divination. Charlie could not honestly say she had learned anything over the course of the year, but she had a knack for crafting elaborate, fatal, dark predictions that impressed Trelawney.

There was a crystal ball on every table and Charlie studied the white mist floating inside with intrigue. Trelawney taught them how to interpret what she deemed to be the Orb. Charlie tried to relax her mind and see with her Inner Eye. But the mist did not shift or morph and Charlie rested her elbow on the edge of the table, trying to think up a story she could tell Trelawney should the woman call on her.

"Do you guys see anything?" Harry whispered.

Ron snickered. "Yeah. There's going to be a heavy fog rolling in tonight."

Harry could not contain his snort and that caused Ron to burst into laughter. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil glared at them. Trelawney huffed her disapproval at their behaviour and said, "What is going on over there?"

Here it comes, thought Charlie as Trelawney approached them.

Trelawney peered intently into Charlie's crystal ball. "I have grave news for you, my dear. I can clearly see the Grim—"

"No, you can't!" said Hermione hotly. "The Grim is a silly old myth, and Charlie isn't going to die, so it's not going to do you any good to keep predicting it!"

Professor Trelawney straightened up, her eyes flashing with anger. "You, Miss Granger, are the most mundane student I have ever met. No Inner Eye can exist in someone so hopeless."

Parvati and Lavender snickered. Hermione stood up with her bag clutched in her grasp. "Then there's nothing you can teach me!" she said frostily. "I should have left at the start of term when I realized how rubbish this subject is!"

She spun around and stormed down the trapdoor, leaving Harry, Ron and Charlie to gape after her. With a furious, strangled sort of noise Trelawney went to a different table to assist them in their crystal ball gazing.

"Anyone else want to follow her lead?" asked Ron lowly.

Harry shook his head. "I'm already grounded. I'm not looking to add anymore time to my sentence, thanks."

...

Easter holidays meant mountains of homework. Ron, Charlie and Hermione spent the majority of their time in the library working on it. Since Hermione had so much on her plate, Ron and Charlie were working diligently on the appeal. Harry would slip them his own notes in class, lamenting how he couldn't be there to help them.

The combination of the Firebolt and Charlie's natural Seeker skills was a recipe for success. Despite the disastrous first game, they had sealed a spot in the Quidditch final. Scarlet was overrun with adrenaline and excitement and, in the weeks leading up to the final game, held several gruelling practices.

"We can do this," Scarlet had said. "We can totally do this! We have the best team ever! We can...we can..."

Eliza and Danny had to escort Scarlet back to the castle for a Calming Draught. Charlie found herself, for the first time, being properly nervous. "I'm going to be scared for my life if we lose."

"You better be scared for your life if we lose," Tommy had muttered. "I don't want to endure Scarlet's craziness for nothing, you know."

The night before the big match finally arrived and Charlie could not sleep. The match was, of course, against the Slytherins, and Charlie could only imagine what dirty tricks Draco had cooked up. She tossed and turned before finally crawling out of bed.

She leaned against the window sill, eyes tracing the shadows of the dark castle grounds. A movement caught the corner of her eye and she turned to stare at it. Crookshanks slunk out of the shadows and it was not long after when a giant black dog followed.

Charlie's jaw dropped.

Crookshanks and the dog seemed as if they were the best of friends, sprinting down the field together. Charlie watched until they were out of her sight before she slowly crawled back into bed, absolutely stunned. There was no doubt in her mind that it was same black dog she had seen in Little Whinging and on the Quidditch pitch.

"Well. I'm probably going to die tomorrow."

...

Charlie barely ate any breakfast the next morning. It was not the Quidditch game that unnerved her. It was the fact that she very possibly had seen the Grim three times, and that Crookshanks was its friend.

Not that anyone was going to believe her.

The Quidditch stands were packed. Every student and every teacher had come to see this event, as well as family members. The Ravenclaws and Slytherins filed onto the pitch. Charlie gripped her broomstick and tried to calm the pounding of her heart.

You've got this, Charlie. Don't let the Slytherins get to you.

Hooch blew her whistle and they all shot into the air. Ravenclaw took immediate control of the Quaffle until it was taken from Tommy from a Slytherin Beater, who whacked him in the head with his Bludger bat.

Charlie knew instantly it was going to be an interesting game.

Penalties were being given left and right. Danny accidentally crashed into Bole and received a punch in the face. Tommy kicked Flint in the gut in order to steal the Quaffle, still incensed over the strike he had to endure.

Hooch was getting fed up with the lot of them.

Charlie nimbly ducked the Bludgers and kept an eye on Draco, who did not stray too far from her. A while into the game she spotted the golden flicker on the other side of the pitch. She quickly looked at the score. Scarlet didn't want her to catch the Snitch unless they had fifty points, and they were still below. If Charlie caught the Snitch now, it wouldn't matter. By terms of total match points, Slytherin would still win unless they had those fifty points.

All right, Draco. Time to go for a ride.

It seemed Draco did not learn from watching Ravenclaw's match with Gryffindor earlier in the year. She pulled the same move on him as she had on Dean, leading him into a deep dive before smoothly rolling out of it. Draco did not hit the pitch like Dean had, but he did spin out of control.

Aurora laughed loudly. "Nice one!"

Eliza had the Quaffle gripped in her hand as she sped towards the Slytherin goal. Aurora and Clancy prevented the other Beaters from getting her and Eliza scored, netting the final points Charlie was waiting for.

The golden flicker still where she had left it, Charlie sped towards it. She reached out a hand to grab the Snitch when there was a hard jolt on her broom and she was yanked back. The Snitch darted from her reach and out of sight.

"Are you serious?" she demanded, turning to glare at Draco, who had a solid hold on the back of her broom.

Hooch blew on her whistle, calling for another penalty, and Danny took the shot, scoring more points.

Charlie grumbled under her breath as she circled the pitch. When she realized Draco wasn't tailing her, she grew suspicious and studied him intently. His eyes were locked across the pitch, and in the next second he went streaking off.

He had spotted the Golden Snitch.

Charlie wasted no time and raced after him. She bent as low as she could, flattening her stomach against the handle. He kept blocking her path as she closed in, so she flipped over and flew upside down, parallel to his broomstick. Draco's eyes flicked back and, when he didn't see her, paused.

The few short seconds were all she needed.

She soared by Draco and snagged the Snitch, rolling back into an upright position. Draco stared at her, dumbfounded, and she grinned.

"Nice try."

The Quidditch Cup was theirs.

Screams erupted from her teammates as they caught sight of the golden orb clutched in her hand. Scarlet was the first one to reach her, tackling her in a hug and sobbing into her shoulder. Charlie grinned and patted her on the back as Eliza, Danny, Clancy, Tommy and Aurora crushed them into a group hug, all of them screaming so loudly her ears rang.

Ravenclaws poured onto the pitch, shouting victoriously. The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were jumping up and down, hollering their congratulations. The Ravenclaw team sank to the ground and soon found themselves being hoisted onto the shoulders of their Housemates.

Lee was dancing around the commentator's booth, whooping and swinging his arms in the air. Flitwick clapped hard, a proud smile on his face and tears forming in his eyes.

Ron, Hermione and Harry, who after hours of begging and pleading was permitted to attend the final game, rushed over as she was finally set on the ground. They tackled her into a hug just as Scarlet accepted the gleaming Quidditch Cup from Dumbledore. He patted her fondly on the back and Scarlet beamed a watery smile. She carried it over to Charlie and gently set it in her arms.

"We couldn't have done this without you, Charlie," she said with immense gratitude. "Thank you so much."

The Quidditch Cup was heavy and cold and it glimmered brilliantly in the light. Charlie regarded it with awe, gently tracing her fingers over each of the four handles.

"No, thank you, Scarlet. It's easy to be great Seeker when you have the perfect team."

"And the best captain," spoke Tommy as he and the others came up to them. He put an arm around Scarlet's shoulders. "You went out with a bang."

"With the best teammates a girl could ask for," said Scarlet tearfully. "I love you guys."

Aurora groaned. "Do not get mushy."

Clancy grinned at Eliza. "I hope you're ready to manage this craziness next year."

"I'm not," said Eliza honestly. "But I'll do my very best."

Danny patted her shoulder. "You're going to be amazing. You don't have a temper. That's why you're already going to be way better than Scarlet."

"Oh, yeah, I can't wait until next year," snickered Tommy. "I won't have to worry about punishment laps around the pitch."

"I can swear all I want," said Aurora dreamily.

"No more threats against my life," added Clancy.

The tears cleared from Scarlet's eyes as she glowered at them. "I change my mind. I love Eliza and Charlie, and I hate the rest of you."

Tommy gave a dramatic sniff. "Merlin, how I'll miss you."