Harry woke up to a banging noise. For a moment, he was six years old again and Dudley was stomping on the stairs. Fortunately, he was eleven and at Hogwarts. He got up groggily, and put his glasses on. In under a minute, he had his robe on and was at the door. Harry opened it, and was greeted by Theo's scowling face.

"Do you know what time it is?"

Harry folded his arms across his chest. "I could ask you the same thing. I was sleeping, you know."

"It's nine in the morning! You can save sleep for later. We have to go grab brooms before they run out."

"Why would they run out?"

"Hello? Quidditch tryouts? Everybody and their mother is going to feel like flying today - even if they're not trying out."

Harry rubbed his eyes. Theo had a point.

"Yeah, give me a second to put on my shoes. Is Draco coming?"

"That git is probably fixing his hair. He'll be ready in a few minutes. I don't know why he bothers - the wind is going to ruffle it anyway."

"A Malfoy must always look his best," Harry replied in his best impression of Draco's voice.

As soon as he had his shoes on, he joined his friend in the corridor. A few minutes later, Draco's door swung open and its occupant strolled out leisurely.

"Alright, let's get a move on," Theo announced, shooting a glare at the later arrival.

The trio made their way through the dungeons, and up the grand staircase. The castle was fairly empty - it seemed like most people had decided to sleep in. As they walked past the great hall, the aroma of bacon and eggs drifted through the doors. Harry found the smell irresistible, and it seemed like Draco felt the same.

"Let's stop for a quick bite."

Theo groaned. "Fine, but if all the brooms are gone by the time we finish, you'll owe me a galleon."

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. The interior of the great hall was somewhat more populated, with small groups of students scattered here and there. Harry spotted Daphne and Tracy sitting at the Slytherin first year table. The boys made their way towards the table. As they got close, Daphne beckoned, so they sat down opposite the girls.

"Hi Harry. I hear you're trying out for Seeker."

"You heard about that? Yeah, we're going to head out and practice after breakfast."

"Everybody heard about it. Apparently, Flint personally asked you to try out."

"Yeah… that's right," he replied awkwardly. "Draco's trying out too, you know."

"That's great," Daphnee replied with a yawn. "I've been thinking, us girls should come to the tryouts and cheer you on. You know, to show some unity."

"She thinks Flint is dreamy," Tracy piped in.

"Shut up! I do not."

"Do too!"

"Ladies, stop arguing. I know you're both coming to the tryouts to watch me."

Daphne stuck her tongue out at Draco. "I have my sights set higher. That might be true for Pansy though…"

Draco blushed, and suddenly got interested in his omelet. The Slytherin boys also dug into their food. Harry still couldn't get over how convenient meals were in the great hall. There was a fixed menu dinner at 6:00pm, after all the classes were over. Breakfast and lunch could be had at any time, since class schedules were different between upper and lower years. Every day, a menu was posted on the wall, and all he had to do was tap his wand against his plate and announce what he wanted. He wasn't sure who prepared the food or how it got to his plate, but it generally appeared mere seconds after being ordered. He spent the next fifteen minutes eating his toast and sausages. Draco and Theo were similarly preoccupied, while Daphne and Tracy were whispering back and forth. Disconcertingly, they turned to look at him.

"Hey Harry, we hear you've been spending a lot of time with that know-it-all from Gryffindor."

"Maybe, what's it to you?"

"Nothing," Tracy replied. "We are just trying to look out for your best interest."

"How's that?"

"Everybody in her house hates her you know. If you're looking for a girlfriend you can do better."

"I'm not interested in her like that," Harry sputtered.

"That's how it starts you know," Daphne cooed. "First, you're studying together, then you're kissing in the astronomy tower."

"Hey guys, I think we should head out"

"Brilliant idea, Theo." Harry tapped his wand on his plate, and it vanished after a few seconds, along with his goblet and utensils. Together with the two other boys, he walked out of the great hall. "Thanks for saving me back there."

"Don't sweat it. It's the truth - we really have to get going."

The air outside the castle was nippy. Harry was glad for the coverage provided by his robes. As they were walking towards the broom shed, Harry spotted the giant man that had escorted them from the train. He was carrying a sack the size of uncle Vernon slung over one shoulder. He waved a meaty hand at Harry as he passed by the group.

"Mornin' Harry."

"Er… Hello."

"Goin' fer a walk?"

"We're headed to the broom shed, actually."

"Ah, flyin' then. Yer father was a great flier. I 'ave some photos of yer parents if you ever want to stop by my cabin fer tea."

Harry only thought about it for a second. He never had any pictures of them. Now that he thought about it, this bothered him.

"Sure, would next week be fine?"

"Yea, see you then!" The giant man continued on his path, the trio resumed walking towards the shed. Draco turned his head towards Harry, a questioning look on his face.

"Do you know him?"

"No, not really. I only met him when he led us to the castle. Do you?"

"Father told me about all of the staff. Apparently, his name's Hagrid, and he's a bit dim. Half-troll or something. I wouldn't go to his cabin if I was you."

Harry shrugged. "I can't really back out now without offending him. Besides, he's staff after all, so I should be safe enough."

"Suit yourself. Maybe he'll eat you, and father will finally have what he needs to get him put down."

When they finally made it to the broom closet, Harry was disappointed to see that there were only a few brooms left, all of which looked rather worn. He grabbed one at random and took to the skies, with his housemates at his tail. They trained with the practice snitch for an hour, with Harry and Draco each catching the silver orb twice and Theo once. Afterwards, they played tag on their brooms. Flying so close to and sometimes directly at other people felt a bit unsafe to Harry, but he was reassured by Draco that actual Quidditch matches were far more dangerous, so he might as well overcome his fears now. Once they grew bored, the group descended to the shed and placed the beaten brooms in their rack.

"These brooms are pathetic. I can't believe us first years aren't allowed to bring our own."

The school brooms were the only ones Harry had ever flown on, so he couldn't really judge.

"Do you have a better one at home?"

The blond boy scoffed. "Of course. Father owns a piece of Nimbus. I get the newest model each year for Christmas."

"Good for you," Theo muttered.

It was already past noon when they returned to the castle, so the trio made their way to the great hall for lunch. Harry stopped just inside the main door. Vincent and Gregory were sitting at the first year Slytherin table across from Pansy. She seemed to be worked up about something, gesturing with her hands as she spoke, but the two boys across from her were busy shoveling down food.

"I really don't want to deal with this right now," Draco lamented.

Harry looked around the rest of the great hall, and spotted Neville sitting by himself at the first-year Gryffindor's table. He elbowed Draco and tilted his chin towards the front of the room. "How about we sit with Neville this time?"

"With a Gryffindor?"

"Why not? Beats sitting with Pansy right?"

"Both options sound pretty bad."

"Come on… I think you'll like him. He's a pureblood just like you, although obviously not as talented or wealthy."

"Awww, stop it. Alright, I'll join you. Nott?"

"I think I'll stay at our table. I can let you know what Pansy is fuming about."

"You're one of a kind."

Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table with Draco in tow. A few heads turned as they approached Neville, and even the boy in question stopped eating to stare at them.

"Hi Harry… and Draco."

"Hi Neville! Things are a bit tense at the Slytherin table today, so I thought we could keep you company."

Neville paused for a moment, then nodded slowly and gestured at the bench. Harry sat down, and tapped his plate while saying 'roast chicken.'

"Where are the rest of your housemates?"

"Dean, Ron, and Seamus are out giving the new guy a tour of the castle. I don't know about the girls…"

"You have somebody new in Gryffindor?"

"They try to keep ten students per house in each year, so it was only a matter of time after Blaise transferred out. Any idea who he is or where he is from?" Draco interjected.

Neville frowned slightly and shook his head. "He only just arrived this morning - I spoke to him for all of two minutes. His name is Boris and he was at Drumstrang for the past couple of weeks, but I don't know anything about his family or how much money he has, if that's what you are getting at."

Draco raised his hands. "Easy there."

"Any plans for the weekend, Neville?"

The boy turned to look at Harry. "Not really. I'm going to try to power through my homework today... maybe go to the greenhouse if there's time. How about you?"

"The Slytherin Quidditch trials are this week. Draco and I are trying out for Seeker."

Neville raised his eyebrows. "Wow, I didn't know first years could play…"

"It's up to the team captains, and usually they don't let anybody our age try out since they think it's a waste of their time. Flint made an exception for us though."

"Why did he do that?"

"Harry here saved one of your housemates with a fancy dive, and word got out to Flint that he can fly. I'm as good if not better on a broom, so he decided to bring me along."

Harry leaned in towards Neville. "Don't tell anybody I said this, but the Slytherins trying out for Seeker are pretty weak. Flint is in a tight spot."

Neville nodded slowly, and took a sip from his goblet. Harry's eyes almost popped out when his friend's hair turned bright green. A group of older students to their right burst out in laughter. Neville shot them a look, and then turned back to his mashed potatoes. Draco was doing his best to stifle a laugh.

Harry spoke up. "Umm… Neville?"

"Yeah?"

"Your hair is green."

The boy grabbed a polished plate from the table, and looked at himself in the reflection. He groaned loudly, laying his head on the table.

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think so, at least. It's Ron's brothers… they've been terrorizing all the first years in our house. They especially like going after me and Hermione."

"How did they do that to your hair?"

"I don't know. They're pretty crafty, so I'm sure they have a way."

"I doubt any number of Weasleys could manage something like this..." Draco interjected.

Neville shook his head, leaning forward towards the two Slytherins. "Those two aren't anything like Ron. They know tons of spells and are good at making prank potions and stuff. They almost never get caught."

"What if it was somebody else, and they're counting on you thinking it's the Weasleys?"

"I doubt that, I mostly keep to myself, so I don't really have anybody that is out to get me. The Weasleys do it for sport, so they don't need a reason."

Harry reached out and patted Neville on the shoulder. "What are you going to do about it?"

"I'll probably go to the infirmary and see if Madam Pomfrey knows how to reverse whatever they did. Even if she can't, it should wear off on its own. It's very hard to change hair color permanently. Even Gran has to use a special potion every couple of months to do her hair. It's no big deal."

"That's a relief. You mentioned earlier that they like going after Hermione?"

"Yeah, it's not just them either. Everybody thinks she's annoying."

Harry thought about the bushy haired girl. Neville had a point - she could be irritating when she started talking about something. It felt like she had no sense for when people were no longer interested in listening, and quickly became a nuisance. That was in a library, where she was probably trying her hardest to be quiet. He couldn't imagine what she was like in the Gryffindor common room. Nonetheless, he felt bad for her. He never saw her with other people, and according to what Neville was saying, some of her house-mates were going out of their way to torment her.

"Maybe you could try to keep an eye out for each other? She's pretty smart, you know… and you kind of get used to her after a while."

Neville rubbed his hair hesitantly, but then nodded. "Alright, I guess I could do that. It might just make things worse, but maybe it will make them better. I suppose I won't know until I give it a try."

"In the meantime, if you ever feel like you need company at lunch, feel free to join me at the Slytherin table." Harry felt Draco kick him under the table, so he intentionally elbowed him back as he rose to his feet. "I think we're going to head off now. We've been flying all morning, and I don't know about Draco, but I could do for a nap."

"Alright, later Harry. Draco."

As soon as they left the great hall, the blond boy spoke up. "What were you thinking! We can't have him at our table."

"Why not?"

"We… we just can't. He's a Gryffindor. Can you imagine what my father would do if he found out? I already took a pretty big risk today just sitting with him once."

"Alright, I don't think he's going to take me up on that offer anyway. I imagine Neville's just as scared of the other Slytherins as you are of your father."

Draco stayed silent for a moment, before chuckling.

"What's so funny?"

"I never would have thought there is so much intrigue in Gryffindor."

After taking a nap, Harry decided to follow Neville's example and finish his homework. There was little chance he would have any time to do it the following day with Quidditch tryouts and all. He grabbed his books and headed off to the library. Unsurprisingly, Hermione was sitting at the usual table. As Harry sat down, he noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. She didn't said anything, so he took the initiative.

"Hey Hermione."

"Hello," she replied, her voice scratchy. She continued to write on her parchment.

"Are you OK?"

She looked up at Harry, staring at his eyes for a moment. "What do you think?"

"Was it the Weasleys?"

She paused for a moment. "Not today, this time it was Lavender."

Harry frowned. "What, the flower?"

Hermione smiled a bit. "No, the girl."

"Is she pretty like a flower at least?"

"No… I think she's rather plain. She knocked my books down when I was coming down the dormitory stairs. Her personality isn't very flower-like either."

"It certainly doesn't sound like it. What are you going to do?"

The bushy-haired girl shrugged. "What can I do? It feels like the entire house is against me."

Harry tapped his fingers on the table for a moment. "Do you know Neville?"

"Yeah… he's alright. He doesn't pick on me."

"Maybe you could sit with him at lunch sometime? He's pretty good with herbology - you can tell him about that book you've been reading."

"How did you know I've been reading about herbology?'

"Just took a guess," Harry smirked. "You're usually reading something about everything."

She rolled her eyes. "Now you sound like the others. I shouldn't be singled out just because I'm trying to learn."

"Of course not," Harry hastily added. "That's what I'm saying. You should be friends with Neville, that way it will be the two of you against the rest of Gryffindor."

"Gee, thanks."

"Don't mention it. You know… if you ever feel like it's getting to be too much, I could try to help."

He shook her head slowly. "I think that would only make things worse, if I got a Slytherin involved in Gryffindor drama. They already see me as an outsider - that would only make it more so."

"Ok. Well, you can always talk to me if you need to vent."

"I know… thanks," Hermione replied, smiling at Harry.

They spent the rest of the afternoon working side by side. Harry was able to finish the vast majority of his work, except for Friday's transfiguration assignment. It was good enough - he would have time on Monday evening. Towards the end of their study session, he grabbed a glossy Quidditch book from its display shelf in the magical sports section. It was basically a picture-book, which was great because he didn't feel like reading.

"Quidditch?"

"Yeah, I'm trying out for Seeker tomorrow."

"I suppose it makes sense, you are a great flier after all."

"Thanks, I hope Flint feels the same."

"Is he the Slytherin captain?"

Harry nodded. "Would you like to come and watch?"

Hermione bit her lip. "I would like to… but would that be such a good idea - me at the Slytherin tryouts?"

Harry smacked his forehead. "Of course, I'm sorry. My brain feels so fried right now."

"Do you think you will have time for both Quidditch and your classwork? You will probably be just as tired after practices start."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I can always quit the team if it gets to be too much. I might get murdered by Theo, but whatever."

"I really wish people didn't care so much about Quidditch… That's all most of the Gryffindor boys talk about too."

"I hate to break it to you, but the season hasn't even started yet. It's only going to get worse."

"Sadly, that's probably true. Alright, if you aren't going to study anymore, I might as well stop too. It's almost time for dinner anyway."

They got up, and packed up their school supplies. Harry put the Quidditch book back on its shelf, and they walked out of the library and towards the great hall. The castle felt much more alive now than it had in the morning. Even the inhabitants of the paintings looked more active. On their way, they ran into four Gryffindor boys headed in the same direction. Harry immediately recognized Ron, Dean, and Seamus, and he guessed that the stranger with them was Boris.

"Hello there."

"Hi Ron," Hermione replied in a clipped tone.

"Fraternizing with the enemy?"

"Gee, that's a big word for you."

Ron glowered at her, before turning to the new guy. "See that green badge on his uniform?" Ron pointed a finger at Harry's chest. "Means he's a Slytherin. You should watch your back around them."

Boris raised an eyebrow, turning to Ron in confusion. "Why?"

"Why is he a Slytherin?"

"No, why do I have to be careful around Slytherins."

Harry smirked at Ron. The redhead sputtered for a second before answering. "Because they're crafty… and ambitions… and up to no good."

Boris shrugged. "Two of those three thing don't sound too bad - and I can judge the third by myself, no?"

Dean put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Let's go mate. I think we've shown him everything we can anyway. It's up to him if he wants to listen to us."

Ron nodded quickly. "Later, Boris." He stepped into the great hall with Dean and Seamus.

The new guy turned to Harry and Hermione. "Hello there, you are in my house, no?" The bushy haired girl nodded.

"Can you tell me what got them so upset? My English isn't the best - I am afraid I may have insulted them."

Hermione tossed her hair, and Harry knew she was getting ready for a rant.

"As a new Gryffindor, you are supposed to have an innate disdain for anybody in a different house - particularly in Slytherin." She turned to Harry. "Slytherins feel the same way about Gryffindors, right?"

Harry tilted his head. He remembered Draco's monologue just after he got sorted. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Anyway, people like Ron take it to the next level, and think that's all there is to Gryffindor, so they base their own self-worth on being as abrasive around Slytherins as they can be. Naturally, anybody that even talks to a Gryffindor is on their hex list."

Boris shook his head slowly, running a finger through his jet black hair. "I thought I would get away from that sort of stuff by coming here. We don't have houses in Drumstrang. Instead, people have feuds over things their families did to each other decades ago."

"That's a shame." Hermione glanced at Harry before turning back to Boris. "Do you want to sit with me for dinner? I am going to join Neville - he doesn't buy into all of the Gryffindor bravado stuff either."

Boris nodded eagerly. "Count me in."

Harry waved a hand with a grin. "I'll be at the Slytherin table plotting evil schemes. It was nice meeting you, Boris. See you later, Hermione."

He made it to the Slytherin table just in time to hear Pansy accuse Draco of avoiding her.

The next twenty-four hours seemed to drag on forever. Harry spent most of the evening in his room, flipping through his textbooks and trying not to think about the upcoming tryouts. At times like this, he missed living at Privet drive, or more specifically, missed his TV. With electronics rendered useless by the magic permeating throughout Hogwarts, there were very few ways to kill time. He spent Sunday morning flying with Theo, Draco, and even Gregory and Vincent. The latter two boys had picked up some of the Quidditch mania that was spreading through Slytherin ahead of the tryouts. It looked like most of his classmates would be in the stands later, a thought that should have comforted Harry, but only served to put him on edge.

He was barely able to eat anything at lunch. Draco too was paler than usual. At half past one, they waved goodbye to the other first years, who split off to head to the stands. The two tentative Seekers made their way to the shed, and picked out the least crummy brooms they could find. As they walked towards the Quidditch field, they spotted bigger, older students heading the same way - with newer, shinier brooms in hand. Harry felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was odd, because he didn't even care that much about Quidditch. He had only learned about the sport for the first time two weeks ago. While being on a broom was fun, he didn't have to be on the team to fly around - he could do so in his free time if he wanted to. On top of that, being Seeker would probably be a huge time sink, and dangerous as well. Nonetheless, he felt extremely anxious as he joined the other prospective team members in a circle around Flint.

"Hello. For those of you who were on the team last year, it's good to be back at Hogwarts, and to see you all again. I'm excited for another season of Quidditch, and undoubtedly another trophy. I hope you haven't been sitting on your asses all summer, because you will be trying out for your positions again this year. For those of you who don't know me, I am the Slytherin captain, and I am here to see if you are worthy of playing for our house."

Harry looked at the faces around him. A couple of the older students - probably returning members - were smiling. The clear majority of the group had had various combinations of grim determination and anxiety painted on their face. There were dozens of people in the stands. He thought he could pick out some of the other first years in the blob of green. Runcorn's red hair stood out, but it was tough to make out any faces from this distance.

"Here's what we are going to do. First, I'll run flying, passing and throwing drills for the Chaser candidates to determine approximate skill levels. Afterwards, I will pick the top six prospects, and split them up into two teams. At this point, we will run scrimmages. Candidates for Beaters and Keepers will be rotated in. You will all be assessed on how well you can perform your specific duty - whether it is scoring shots, blocking them, or knocking people off their brooms. In addition, you will be scored on how well you work with your team-members. For example, a Chaser that takes every shot - even if a teammate is in a better position - will not be scored favorably. The Chaser combinations will be scrambled regularly. In the second half of the scrimmages, we will introduce our Seekers two at a time. There are quite a few of you trying out - particularly for Seeker and Keeper - but everybody will get to partake in at least two scrimmages. I hope you are all well rested, because I booked the pitch for six hours."

Harry groaned internally. He had never been on a broom for that long. While he wouldn't be flying the entire time - and there would certainly be breaks - the prospect was daunting. He took a seat in the lower portions of the stands as Flint ran the preliminary Chaser trials. It was easy to pick out the returning members. They were all fast, accurate, and had a general aura of confidence. The subsequent scrimmages were fun to watch. It was the first-time Harry had seen real Quidditch, although it was rather piecemeal with people being rotated in and out. He winced involuntarily whenever a Beater scored a hit, and found himself cheering at some of the more impressive goals. Before he knew it, it was his turn to take to the skies as a Seeker candidate. Unexpectedly, Flint waved him over.

"Why did you bring Malfoy along?" he asked in a hushed but stern tone.

"He a good Seeker, so I thought you might like to see him try out too."

"You should think less. That's my job as captain. Your job is to catch the snitch, and you better do that so I don't look like a fool for inviting you here today. I'll let Malfoy try out - hell, I practically have to considering his father is on the board of governors. But keep this in mind - next time you pull a stunt like this one, I'll show you just how easy it is to have an 'accident' in Quidditch."

Harry gulped, nodding his head quickly. He mounted his broom and rose above the rest of the players. Flint blew his whistle, and the scrimmage commenced. Watching the match from above was quite different. He was mesmerized by the plays happening below, and almost missed the other Seeker taking off after a blur that he assumed was the snitch. He quickly followed, but it was clear that his opponent was faster, no doubt because of the brand new broom he was riding. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have very good control of it. The snitch made a sharp left, and the other Seeker made a sharp left too - straight into the stands. Harry was moving at a slower speed, so he was able to avoid crashing. After a few seconds, he had the snitch in his hand. Flint blew the whistle, and Harry glided down to the grass.

"Not bad Potter. Malfoy, Stebbins - you two are up next. Everybody else, keep going."

Draco had a bit of a tougher time with his opponent. Like Harry's opponent, Stebbins was older than Draco and had his own broom - also faster than the school brooms the first years were forced to use. Unlike Harry's opponent, Stebbins was cautious, and never went into a dive or a turn without slowing down first. The snitch was rather shy during their scrimmage, and it was only by superior positioning and luck that Draco was able to get enough of a head start to beat Stebbins to the snitch. It didn't hurt that a bludger almost took the older boy off his broom mid-chase. Flint blew his whistle, and sorted out the next match-up. Harry didn't know either of the Seekers so he didn't pay much attention to them, choosing instead to study the Beaters. Thirty minutes later, it was his turn to face off against Draco.