"Look, the Prophet's listing another attack!"

"Anyone we know?"

"It doesn't say who died, but look - Harry Potter's joined up with the Aurors to try and figure out who's causing them!"

"Is it that bad?"

"You think they'd bring someone like him in if it wasn't? Jeez..."

"Maybe they just want to be cautious? I dunno. It say anything else that's interesting?"

"Mm... just that Wolf's said that there's nothing to worry about and that they'd catch the culprits before any more attacks can happen. Load of crap, if you ask me. It's just a blanket statement to try and calm the public. But these have been happening for awhile now, haven't they?"

"Well, there was that village... and families have been getting attacked for awhile before that. That was just the biggest thing whoever it is has done. It can't just be one guy though, right?"

"Doubt it. Like I said, if Harry Potter's joined, he's probably worried. And that's never a good sign. Remember a few years ago when that group of escaped Death Eaters tried to make people think that You-Know-Who had come back to life? He'd joined up with the Aurors then and they managed to stop them."

"You think this is just more Death Eaters, then?"

"Could be. Plus he probably wants to round all the guys he didn't capture or kill in Germany."

"Think so?"

"Dunno, but I think it's likely. Kinda makes me uneasy though, thinking about people like that out there, running free. Hopefully they'll catch them. Or kill them."

Vega felt like banging his head against the Slytherin table. A couple of noisy Hufflepuff girls were sitting within earshot, noisily going on about that morning's news. He hadn't gotten a letter letting him know that his father was teaming up with Wolf's division again. It wouldn't stop people from bothering him about it, of course, so he knew he was in for a headache for at least a week to come. He wasn't really worried about his father, though. He could take care of himself and then some, after all.

Still, Vega couldn't help but agree with at least one point the girls had made. Harry wouldn't mobilize unless he thought it was serious enough. He enjoyed his relatively quiet life and had made it known on more than one occasion that he was getting too old to go out and, in his own words, 'keep saving the world.' He was sure his mother would go and stay with the Malfoys until Harry had gotten back, just to play it safe and to keep Harry from being worried. So he wasn't particularly worried about her, either.

Tuning back in on the girls' conversation, one other thing started nagging at him. The latest attack had taken place disturbingly close to Godric's Hollow. Vega was sure it was the culprits purposely taunting his father into action. It was no secret where they lived, after all. Anyone, the ones behind the attacks included, could easily find out where his family resided. Harry had once told him that he wasn't worried about a direct attack. Most of Godric's Hollow had been magically warded, their house especially so. No one with malicious intentions would be able to get within a mile of them without Harry knowing about it.

"Wish they'd shut up." Came Viola's voice from his right. "Some of us don't like to hear about death while trying to eat breakfast!"

"It would be easier to get the sun to stop shining than it would be to keep the rumor mill from gossiping." Hydrus said, looking as though he was trying to ignore the chattering girls as best he could.

"I guess. Let's talk about something less depressing! You guys decided whether or not you're gonna try out for the team?" Viola asked.

"I will be." Hydrus said. "Our team is in poor shape, after all."

"Vega?"

"Dunno. Danielson's got his damn eye on me, though." Vega sighed. "He's been pestering me for awhile now, asking if I'll be coming to try out. I've just been telling him that I'd think about it. Dunno if I wanna risk the kind of injuries dad liked to talk about, though."

"Bah, with the change to the no-firsties rule and the switch to lighter Bludgers, you'd be fine. And if not, the nurses can fix you up in a day or two. School Quidditch isn't that dangerous!" Viola chirped.

"Your dad never got his arm de-boned." Vega dryly retorted.

"That happened after the match." Viola pointed out.

"Yeah, he only had his arm broken during the thing." Vega said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I still dunno if I'll be there. Hyde, what position you going for? Keeper, I assume?"

"Mm." Hydrus replied, nodding as he chewed a bit of toast. "You really should come along, Potter. I've seen you in the air, remember. I know how you can--"

"Can we not bring that up?" Vega said, a forceful edge to his voice. "You know I don't like getting like that..."

Hydrus gave Vega a calculating look for a moment before nodding. "Fair enough. I just figured that with you going after the Snitch and me blocking the other team's shots, we could pull the Quidditch Cup into Slytherin's hands fairly easily."

Scowling, Vega finally did let his head thump the table. "There's more than enough toast left, Hyde. No need to butter me up instead. Look, I'll promise nothing. But if Danielson keeps pestering me and you really think I could, then... I dunno, maybe I'll give it a go. But if that kind of thing happens again, I'm out."

"Understandable." Hydrus said.

"I remember that. Your eyes were scary..." Viola said, frowning. "Hydrus, don't you dare try and guilt him into this, either! Vega shouldn't join unless he wants to."

"I'm merely throwing the suggestion out there." Hydrus replied, raising his hands defensively. "If he decides not to, I won't push the point. Though speaking of - don't look now, but Danielson's arrived."

"Dammit." Vega muttered, sitting up as Ian Danielson called his name.

"Potter! Good, you and Malfoy are here." Danielson said, casting a quick look at Hydrus. "Word got back to me - we've got the pitch for tomorrow morning! I'll be opening tryouts up at about 8 and run until 10 or 11, depending on how many show up. Can the two of you make i--AUGH!"

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Viola asked, her tone icy and her elbow in Danielson's stomach.

"Three. Three of you..." Coughed Danielson. "Ugh... thanks, I didn't want to eat right now, anyway."

"Brought it on yourself, 'captain.' I'm sure Vanessa and Julie would love to hear how you conveniently forgot I was here. Or that I was coming, too." Viola said.

Danielson suddenly went very still. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"...You're evil for a first year. Anyone ever told you that?"

"I'll accept that as a compliment, thank you!" Chimed Viola, smiling pleasantly.

"Right... well, anyway. Tryouts tomorrow morning. I'll be posting a notice up in the common room after breakfast, probably. We've got to get our team back into shape. Paul's been boasting that they have some secret weapon or something. Damned if I know what he's on about, though. And he certainly isn't telling..."

Paul Hawthorne was the captain of the Ravenclaw team. A 6th year and built like a small house, he was their current Keeper. He did a fine job of it, too. What he lacked in outright talent, he made up for with size. He and Danielson seemed to have had a running bet going on four years now. If one won the Cup, the loser had to do something embarrassing in public. The last two years, Slytherin had done rather poorly, and Danielson was getting rather irritated about it. He clearly was bothered by whatever secret that Ravenclaw was hiding.

"We've met." Vega snarked darkly.

"He's gonna need a secret weapon if the three of us make it on!" Viola said, smirking.

"Yeah... yeah, that's the spirit!" Danielson said, a spark re-igniting in his eyes. "Bloody piglet's gonna be the one in the tutu this year..."

Danielson headed up the table to eat then, rubbing his aching stomach and growling under his breath about the bet he had made. Vega watched him go, groaning and blowing out another sigh. "This place is gonna be the end of me..."

"Ah, come on. You won't know if you don't try, right?" Viola said, patting Vega on the back. "It was true, though. If the three of us made it on, we'd help right Slytherin's team back to where it needs to be! Wonder what Piggy Pauly's upto, though... look at him, grinning over there like he's already won..."

Sure enough, Paul Hawthrone had a wide grin plastered on his face and was joking with several of his friends and pointing off towards the Slytherin table - specifically, toward where Danielson was sitting. Probably joking about what he had made Danielson do for losing the bet multiple times. Vega watched him for a moment, his eyes wandering along the table. The secret weapon was obviously a person. But who? There were a number of people that looked like they were 'secret weapon' material. Vega wasn't entirely sure what positions on their team needed filling, but he was hoping Beaters weren't on there. The two they currently had were of average builds. But there were some rather large students sitting at Ravenclaw's table.

"Wonder if it's another first year." Vega murmured, partially lost in thought. "If it is, chances are we'll know who during flying class this afternoon..."

"If Hawthorne thought you'd get tapped as Seeker, he probably scoured all of Ravenclaw for someone that could go up against you." Hydrus said.

"That's rich, given he doesn't even know how well I can fly." Vega said. "Just because dad was good doesn't mean I will be."

"Hopefully you'll do alright in the air." Viola said. "Now that I'm thinking about it, it'd be pretty bad if Slytherin got a half-rate Seeker while Ravenclaw got an ace..."

"Ach... now I'll be thinking about it. You guys both suck." Vega whined. "If I get on the team and break my kidneys or something, you'll never hear the end of it!"

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Up!"

The cry resounded through the Quidditch Pitch as the assembled first years tried to get their brooms to hop up off the ground and into their hands. For most of the students, the brooms did as instructed. But, as usual, more than a few had brooms that just rattled on the ground. Vega, whose broom shot straight up and into his hand, quickly scanned the crowd and made a mental note of the ones who couldn't get their brooms to obey. Those were right out for 'secret weapon' candidates.

The twins seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as Hyde had his eyes narrowed slightly in thought and Viola was silently counting downed brooms. Both were holding their own brooms loosely, having been able to rather easily get them to obey. Vega winced as a poor Gryffindor boy managed to get his broom vertical, only for it to jump up and crack him on the chin.

"Ooh, that'll sting for awhile." Viola hissed next to him.

Madam Hooch went along to each student who was having trouble and briefly helped them get the feel for handling their assigned brooms a little better. By the time she was ready to move on, most of the ones who had failed the first attempt had been able to get their brooms up, no matter how slowly or shakily they came. Though her hair had thinned and gotten whiter, Madam Hooch's eyes were still as sharp as ever, darting from one student to the next like a hawk searching for prey. Eventually, her whistle blew and she went to stand in front of the group again.

"Now then, everybody mount up and we'll actually take to the air! Not very high, mind you - I don't want to see any acrobatics from any of you." Said Madam Hooch, her eyes briefly shooting towards Vega and the twins before glancing over to someone else. But before Vega could follow her gaze, she had turned her attention on her own broom. Demonstrating how to kick off, Madam Hooch hovered a few feet off the ground, slowly circling her students. "This is as high as you go. So don't put too much force behind your push!"

Vega hopped on the school broom and kicked off, wobbling slightly as he got balanced. Frowning, he let himself move forward slowly. The broom seemed shaky to him and he wasn't entirely sure why. He shrugged it off to the brooms just being old and whirled around to face Hydrus and Viola, who seemed to be thinking similarly.

"Someone spike these with firewhiskey?" Viola asked, swaying a little.

"They do seem rather... clunky." Hydrus said. "But it may just be the fact that the three of us are used to far better. Potter, holding up alright?"

"I will so long as I don't get to taste the air." Vega muttered, glancing up at the sky and scowling at it.

"YAUGH!" Came a suddenly shriek from the far end of the Pitch. One of Ravenclaw's girls had been slowly doing a lap of the pitch when her broom suddenly pivoted downwards, throwing her off.

"Alright over there, Miss Thompkin?" Asked Madam Hooch, quickly flying over to check on the girl.

"Been better..." Said the girl, rubbing at her elbow as she stood back up. "There something wrong with these brooms?"

"A lack of talent on your part, maybe." Came another voice.

The girl, Emily Thompkin, turned to glare at the boy in question. "Oh, shut up already, Lapis! Just because you're doing alright doesn't give you the right to put me down!"

Lapis Eskander came to a halt near the girl, smirking down at her. "After what you said this morning, I think I'm perfectly justified in saying it, actually. Need a hand up?"

"I'd rather stick my hand in the toilet than have it touch yours." Snapped the girl.

"Children, settle down!" Madam Hooch said, her sharp voice making both Ravenclaws flinch. "Now then, if you're alright, Miss Thompkin, hop back on so we can continue..."

"Yes, Professor." Said Emily Thompkin, uprooting her broom from the ground and swatting at it before getting back on.

"Well, barring a few exceptions, it looks like everyone's got the hang of it. Perfectly normal to be bad with a broom, though. Not everyone's cut out for flight! Those of you who wish to remain low to the ground may do so. Everyone else has permission to fly up a little higher and speed up a bit. No flying any higher than the lowest goal post, though!" Madam Hooch said, flying up to the middle of the pitch and scanning her students. "And keep in mind where your fellow students are. Don't need any mid-air collisions this early on!"

"Come on, Potter. Just like warm-ups at home." Hydrus said, grinning at Vega as he shot up into the air, leveling out just below Madam Hooch's height and heading for the far end.

"Vivi, if... that happens again, would you stun me?" Vega asked, watching Hydrus fly around back of the goals.

"Don't think that'd be a very good idea. You'd get hurt when you slam into the ground. But I will go and holler at Madam Hooch." Viola said. "But c'mon. It was just the once, yeah? Don't be too scared. We're both here, so we won't let anything happen again!"

Patting Vega's back, Viola went to fly after her brother, leaving Vega back to watch the two of them for awhile. A little over a year prior, he had been staying with the twins for a week over the summer. They had been flying around Malfoy Manor, playing a dumbed down version of Quidditch. Two would be the Chasers while the odd man out acted as the Keeper. They had been playing the game for a few years off and on, allowed to go a little higher and faster with each passing summer, and it was all old hat for them by that time.

But something had happened when Vega and Viola were being the Chasers. Vega couldn't remember exactly, as to him, it had been like blacking out. He remembered nothing of the event itself, only knowing what the twins passed along. From what they said, he had suddenly come to a dead halt in the air, clutching at his forehead like a headache had struck him. He had almost fallen off his broom, but managed to keep on somehow. When he next looked up, all they had said was that he looked really weird. He had apparently swiped the Quaffle from Viola and nearly knocked Hydrus off his broom with the speed and force he had shot the thing at him. After the wild throw, he had actually blacked out and toppled off to one side. It was only due to the fact that their parents had come out that Vega hadn't hit the ground head-first.

He hadn't woke up until late that evening, and he remembered nothing about the time between the 'two' blackouts he had experienced. Truth be told, he had been worried about getting back on a broom until now, not wanting to trigger whatever had been the cause of his accident. But he felt alright so far, even feeling a twinge of longing hitting him as he watched Hydrus and Viola fly back and forth in a race of sorts from one end of the pitch to the other.

"What're you doing down here?"

Vega jumped a little at someone speaking to him and turned, seeing Lapis Eskander float down next to him. The Ravenclaw had been watching Vega for awhile, waiting for him to join his friends. When that never happened, he came to find out why.

"Bad memory. Nothing special." Vega said. "What about you? You look like you could be up there with Vivi and Hyde."

Lapis looked up as the twins continued their racing, Viola beating Hydrus out almost every time. "I'm not interested in races with no point."

"No point?"

"There has to be a point involved or it's boring." Lapis said, shrugging. Dark eyes shining, he grinned at Vega. "Was hoping to catch you up there and ask for a proper race, though. Word is, you're trying out for Seeker on your team."

Vega's gaze jumped back to Lapis. "Well, I guess that solves one question." He muttered. "Trying to scout the competition?"

"Something like that. Just looking for someone worth flying against." Lapis said. "I've seen the idiot Gryffindor's got as their Seeker. Even Thompkin could outfly that idiot. They must've been desperate."

"So what happened between when I saw you storming away from here and today?" Vega asked. "Because you looked pretty mad then."

"The potbellied pig wouldn't let me show him my worth right then and there." Lapis said, shrugging. "Simple as that. I turned up for tryouts like he wanted and blew away the other two who showed up. Word around the school is Danielson wants you as their Seeker. So what do you say, Potter? Let's have a friendly race. Call it a warm-up if you want. A little pre-match test to see which of us is superior."

"Pretty hung up on proving yourself, aren't you?" Vega stated dryly.

"Not all of us get free passes in life." Lapis said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Anything I'm good at, I'm good at for a reason. I spend a lot of time proving that people shouldn't look down on me. But I guess you wouldn't understand such a thing, would you?"

"You'd be surprised." Vega said, his own eyes narrowing.

"Would I, now?"

"You're no different from the people you claim to hate, you know. Judging me before you can see what I can and can't do."

"So prove yourself." Lapis said, his grin getting wider. "Show me your moves, Potter. Let's see what you can do in the air."

Vega hesitated for a moment, glancing up at the ever-watchful Madam Hooch. "You really think she'd let us little firsties do such a thing?"

"Only one way to find out." Lapis said. Shooting straight up on his broom, he called out to the flying instructor. "Madam Hooch!"

Madam Hooch glanced toward Lapis for a moment before resuming her scan of the students. "Yes?"

"I wanna see how Potter down there takes to the skies. Will you let the two of us race around the pitch?" Asked Lapis.

"Absolutely not." Madam Hooch stated.

"I've made Seeker for Ravenclaw, and Potter's going to be trying out for Slytherin. And we promise not to go too fast. We'll keep low enough to the ground that even if we tumble, we'll only get a few cuts and bruises. Come on, pleeeease?"

Madam Hooch cocked an eyebrow suddenly. "...And why can this not wait until an actual match?"

"Because I'm bored and he hates how slow the school brooms seem to go." Lapis said, lying through his teeth. "Come on, what harm can it do? Aside from, I dunno, one of us pulling right and crashing into the stands!"

"You're not helping your case." Madam Hooch said, blandly.

Scowling, Lapis looked down at Vega, waving for him to come up. Rolling his eyes, Vega flew up to join the two, his heart pounding a little harder as he ascended.

"Come on, Madam Hooch. Please? You know we'd find a way to come out here when no one's around and race if you don't let us. Isn't it better to race when you're around and we're both safer in doing so?" Lapis said.

Madam Hooch turned to properly look at Lapis, her eyes briefly wandering to Vega. "Buttering me up isn't going to help your cause, either. But it isn't the first time I've seen students like you. Eager to get a taste of speed in the air. Very well. But you WILL fly low and you WILL mind your speed. You're not going to blaze about or resort to underhanded tactics. This will be a straight race. Understand? Mr. Potter, are you also alright with this?"

"I suppose." Vega said, looking around him. "I won't lie... I've missed being in the air..."

"Flown at home, have you? Explains a bit. About both of you, actually. You'll be allowed your race, but only once class is over and only once the other students have vacated to a safer place. I'll keep watch from where I am right now, and should either of you try anything funny or it looks as though you're about to crash, I will intervene. These are the rules you will abide by or you can just wait for your match. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lapis said, grinning.

Vega nodded and, with Lapis, the two flew lower to the ground once more, arguing between themselves. Madam Hooch shook her head and let out an inaudible groan. "I must be getting soft in my old age. To think I'd cave that easily..." She winced as a Hufflepuff boy crashed at slow speed into the stands. "Then again... this is pretty bad..."

With a sigh, she grabbed at her whistle and blew on it, flying down to help the embarrassed boy out.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"You're doing what?!" Viola hissed, staring incredulously at Vega. "After all that talk about being wary in the air? And you're going to race someone?!"

"You didn't hear him. He's gonna keep bugging me until I relent. Besides, if I make Seeker, I'm going to be flying against him, anyway. Wouldn't hurt to see how he flies before I properly face him, now would it?" Vega said, idly tapping his broom against his shoulder.

"So you've decided for sure that you're trying out?" Hydrus asked.

"Mm. Maybe this'll just be one of 'those' things. I wouldn't mind having something other than Potions that I know I'm good at. Just wish I had my broom. I'll have to ask mum to send it over..." Vega said, sounding thoughtful.

"Well, if we can't talk you out of it, at least it's being monitored. ...That said, go show that smarmy Ravenclaw what it means to challenge Slytherin!" Viola said, a grin splitting her face.

Snorting, Vega waved a dismissive hand as he headed across the pitch toward Madam Hooch, who was standing in the middle. Class had ended, though a good many students had heard of what was going to occur and decided to hang back to watch. Lapis was already next to the flying professor, watching Vega carefully as he approached. Vega was doing something similar, scanning Lapis to see what kind of opponent he might be.

He was almost as short, being only a little bit taller than Vega was, and his weight seemed about the same. It was obvious that he had flown before and had to be fairly proficient if he was challenging someone to a race. If he had been made Seeker, Vega knew he had to be fast and good with turning sharply. That was fine - he could do that, too. Scowling a bit, he shook his head suddenly. No matter how he looked at it, they seemed to be evenly matched. It was just a matter of seeing who could do better once they were in the air.

"Alright, you two..." Madam Hooch began as Vega drew nearer. "Since you've somehow talked me into this, you'll follow the rules I listed earlier. Understand? You'll stay low, you won't push yourselves to your limits, you'll play fair, and you'll be mindful of the audience you seem to have gathered. I'll be watching from overhead and will bring a halt to things the minute I deem any of these rules have been broken." Turning her gaze on Lapis, she asked, "Did you have a path decided upon?"

"Up to Potter. Would you rather have a straight line back and forth or do you want to have a proper race around the edge?" Lapis asked, looking at Vega.

"Let's start with a straight line as a warmup, maybe." Vega said. "I'm still not sure if I can make this broom do what I want it to."

"Fair enough." Lapis said, grinning. "Shall we dance, then?"

Letting out a sigh, Vega mounted his broom and kicked off, heading for the far end of the pitch. Lapis was quick to follow, setting up a few feet beside him. Madam Hooch slowly spun her way up higher into the air and glanced down at the two first years.

"You're not going to show me up." Lapis said, quietly, his tone dark. "No famous-by-proxy kid is going to beat someone like me. I've gotten where I am through sheer hard work."

Vega glared at Lapis, who was focused on a point at the far end of the pitch. Swearing under his breath, he gripped the front of the broom a little tighter. To hell with playing by the rules. He was sick of people talking down to him like that! He didn't know who Lapis Eskander was or why he had such a chip on his shoulder, but someone needed to knock the smarm out of his mouth. Feeling highly irritated all of a sudden, Vega took it upon himself to do just that.

When Madam Hooch blew her whistle, Vega flattened himself out against the broom, shooting forward as fast as he could make the school broom go. He allowed himself a quick shift of his eyes, only to see Lapis, still almost perfectly at his side. But Vega was pulling ahead by just a little bit, and that was all the lead he needed. If Lapis was so very eager to take on the throne, then he would just have to accept the hand that fate dealt him. Focused as he was, Vega managed to pull a good broom's length ahead of Lapis before the two reached the end of the pitch. Lapis whirled his broom around sharply, glaring venomously up at Vega as he arched around into the air, coming to a halt near the top of the stands. The glare from Lapis was met with an equally fierce one from the Slytherin, whose heart felt as though it was going to jump out of his chest.

He wasn't sure where the sudden surge of confidence had come from, but it felt good to show someone up for a change, even if it was in a meaningless contest after flying class. And it served a second purpose, as well. It cemented a fact into Vega's mind - that he was capable of flying fast without suffering another blackout. That he could actually try out for the Seeker position without having to worry about anything but the occasional Bludger flying his way. Despite his hearing seemingly going out for a few seconds after coming to a stop as he tried making the adrenaline slow down, Vega felt better at that moment than he had since coming to Hogwarts.

Flying back to ground level, he hopped off his broom and hitched it over one shoulder, smiling at it and whispering a word of thanks. Maybe it wasn't such a clunky broom, after all. It wouldn't beat his own broom in the air, but it had done its job admirably. And the look of anger on Lapis Eskander's face made it all worth it. The Ravenclaw was stomping his way over toward Vega, his broom thrown carelessly to the ground en route.

"This isn't over, Potter!" Snapped Lapis, drawing up close enough for Vega to see how bloodshot his eyes were. "You're going to try out for the Seeker position, you're going to get it, and we're going to have a proper match in the air on proper brooms next time! And so help me, if you try to worm your way out of trying out, I'll find you and beat you up good! I want a real challenge. I want to see who can get the Snitch first. And when Ravenclaw first faces off against Slytherin, I want to show the entire school who the better Seeker really is!"

And with that, he was off, shoving his hands into his pockets and skulking his way off the pitch. Vega watched him leave, something odd trying to sound off in the back of his mind. It was like he had seen something in Lapis' eyes but couldn't place what. Dismissing it as just a bit of confusion after pushing himself a bit too hard after so long off a broom, Vega turned and headed over toward where Madam Hooch was waiting.

"Uh... sorry?" He said, offering a nervous grin to the professor.

"You're just like your father. Has anyone ever told you that?" Madam Hooch asked, her tone as dry as a desert. "What happened to not going too fast?"

"Got something stuck in my craw?" Vega offered.

Rolling her eyes, Madam Hooch took the school broom from Vega. "Snippy as that child is, Eskander was right on one point. If you make Seeker, watching the two of you fly should be quite an experience. Your father had a good many crazy moments in the air up until he quit the team. In fact, I'll offer you this, Potter. You get on the Slytherin team and give us something interesting to watch and I'll 'forget' that you two broke one of the rules you agreed to."

"...Really?" Vega said, eyebrows raised. "But why do that? I'm not that impressive. And if Lapis couldn't keep up, he couldn't be, either, right?"

"Ah, but you weren't observing things like I was. I saw something quite intriguing in the few seconds it took the two of you to shoot from one end of the pitch to the other. I'd like a chance to see that again." Madam Hooch said, an odd look in her eyes. "In any case, think about it. You two have piqued my interest a good deal. It would be a shame to see such naturals in the air go to waste."

Passing by, Madam Hooch headed over to collect Lapis' broom before taking off. Vega watched her leave, frowning at what she had said. He just didn't get it. But maybe he didn't need to. Viola and Hydrus were approaching, the former looking stunned and the latter having an equally odd look in his eyes.

"What was THAT?!" Viola cried.

"What was what?" Asked Vega, cocking an eyebrow.

"What you just did!" Viola said, poking Vega in the chest. "You didn't fly that fast last time you were in the air with the two of us!"

"I...dunno? Just felt like beating Lapis, I guess." Vega said, shrugging. "After what he said to me before we started, I couldn't let him win. ...Something wrong, Hyde?"

"Ask again if you make the team." Hydrus said, slowly. "For a brief moment, I thought I saw something off... but I want to confirm it before I say anything more..."

"Something off? Like what?" Vega asked.

Hydrus shook his head. "I'll tell you after our first match against Ravenclaw."

"You think we can all make it?" Vega asked.

"If you can pull that kind of performance at tryouts, I do." Hydrus said, offering up a rare smile. "In fact, I'd imagine word of your speed is going to reach the corners of the school by nightfall, given the other onlookers. They've already run off, presumably to inform others of what Ravenclaw and Slytherin might be bringing to the table. Keep that pace up all year and no one will be able to touch our team."

Vega flushed, bowing his head a little. "Stop talking like I was some Quidditch god. I don't even know if I could chase after a proper Snitch. Never had any practice going after a real one... I might be able to bring a little speed, but what if I can't focus on the Snitch? Just now, I was focused pretty solidly on the far end of the pitch. Dunno if I can go that fast and still pay attention to other stuff..."

Hydrus put a hand on Vega's shoulder, causing him to look up. "Potter, trust me. I think there's something only you'd be able to do for our team. I don't know who else plans on trying out, but I can almost guarantee they wouldn't be able to pull off what you just did. All you need to do is set your initial focus on the Snitch. Block out everything else. Leave the Bludger worry to the Beaters, leave the Quaffle worry to the Chasers, and leave stopping the other team's Chasers to me. You just keep focused on the Snitch and don't let any of the other teams' Seekers get their filthy paws on it. Think of it like it was your property. The other Seekers have no business touching it, now do they?"

"Do... do you really think I'd make a good Seeker, Hyde?" Vega asked, quietly.

"Potter, I think you could be a better Seeker than your father was." Hydrus said, looking Vega squarely in the eyes.

"Vivi...?"

"Hydrus is right." Viola said, grinning and latching onto Vega, pulling him into a hug. "You could be the best thing this school's seen since our parents were running around it! You could fly circles around everyone here, I'll bet!"

Blushing a bit more, Vega let out a groan. "Fine, fine. I'll try out. But the first time something gets one of my limbs broke, unless it's my own fault, then I'm out. Okay?"

"It's a deal." Hydrus said, smirking.

"Let's go up and tell Danielson the good news!" Viola exclaimed, punching at the air. "We'll have this team filled out and working better than it has in years!"

Vega let the twins tote him back up towards the castle, talking animatedly about the potential the Slytherin team could have with its roster properly filled out. Vega mostly stayed quiet, his mind racing. He wasn't sure why he felt like doing this now. Maybe it wasn't any more complicated than not wanting Ravenclaw to win the Quidditch Cup. But the praise from Hydrus certainly didn't hurt any. It was rare for the boy to get that fired up about anything. As much as his friend tried to keep an even head at all times, he couldn't keep it up all the time. Vega knew that Hydrus also wanted to prove himself to a certain extent - that his family name wasn't going to be what got him places in life.

Viola encouraging him wasn't anything new, though. She was always there with a kind word, and he was grateful for it. She kept him from being depressed quite a bit through sheer stubbornness and an upbeat attitude. But just like Hydrus, Vega had seen the other side of the girl a handful of times over the year. When Viola and Hydrus were five, they had gotten a kitten for their birthday. Viola had taken to it right away and it was rare to see her away from it for too long. Around their tenth birthday, however, it had gotten into something it shouldn't have and died overnight. Viola had been inconsolable. It was one of the few times Vega had ever seen her cry, in fact.

Vega had done what he could for her, trying to be there for her like she usually was for him. He wasn't very good at it, though, and no matter what he had tried, he hadn't been able to cheer her up. Finally, he had decided to simply talk to her and tell her what he did when something had upset him. As nice as it was to have friends you knew you could trust to be there for you, sometimes that just wasn't what was needed. So he sat next to her and ordered her outright to cry until she couldn't anymore. She had been jolted by his sudden change of tactics, and asked what he was trying to do. He had said that whenever something was really bothering him, it was what he did, embarrassing though it was to admit. He said that until you had a good, long cry and did something properly about the situation, it was just going to hang around.

He had promised that they would go and fix a proper little grave for the cat, who had simply been buried in the expansive 'back yard' of the Manor, under a large tree that it liked to get stuck up in. They would give it a little tombstone and bring flowers and give the cat a proper farewell. He had grinned at Viola then, saying that he wasn't going anywhere until she gave in. To that day, he wasn't sure which part of what he said got her to break down in tears. He just knew it took almost two hours straight before they subsided. Hydrus had wandered in at the sound of his sister crying again, and joined Vega in comforting the girl until she was feeling better.

When the tears had ended, Viola claimed to feel a little better, if slightly sick from crying so hard for so long. And after she got to feeling better, Vega and Hydrus went to the twins' parents to tell them what they wanted to do. Vega had hung back while the four Malfoys had gone out to the tree to make it look a little better. He had told Hydrus to keep ahold of his sister for support, just in case. And until they turned to come back in, Viola's face tear-stained but finally smiling once more, Hydrus had kept a hand on her back.

A number of things had become clear to Vega on that day, none of which he really enjoyed thinking about at length. They all tended to make him sad. But, as the trio entered the castle and headed for the dungeons, Vega couldn't help but smile a little. It was weird to think that it had occurred just a little over a year ago. It seemed like so much longer to him. But since that point, Vega couldn't remember seeing Viola upset over anything. And Hydrus had taken Vega's words to heart, trying to be a better brother, as he had been rather lost in regards to what he should do to help his sister out.

"Hey guys?" Vega said, interrupting the talk about Quaffle weight that had been going on.

"What's up?" Asked Viola. "You've been pretty quiet. Alright there?"

"Yeah. Just thinking too much, I guess." Vega said.

"Haven't we warned you that that was bad for you?" Hydrus said.

"Yeah. Do that too much and you'll be re-Sorted into Ravenclaw. And think about that for a minute. You'd have to deal with that Eskander guy constantly!" Viola added.

"...Great, now I've completely lost my train of thought. I was going to ask something and it's totally slipped my mind." Scowled Vega.

Ruffling his hair, Viola cackled. "Good! Mission accomplished, then!"

Batting the girl's hand away, Vega glared at her. "Stoppit!"

"Or you'll do what, shorty?" Asked Viola, grinning.

"Shorty?!" Vega repeated, sounding indignant.

Viola stuck out her tongue. "Yeah! Shorty! Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"You remember that bat-bogey hex we saw in one of my dad's spellbooks?" Asked Vega, a grin of his own slowly forming.

"...You wouldn't dare." Viola said, standing very still all of a sudden.

"I might. I might not." Vega said. "Depends on if you keep it up with the name-calling."

"Viola, stop tormenting Potter. Potter, stop threatening to hex my sister." Hydrus said, passing between the two. Drawing his wand, he tapped the right places in the wall, letting the door to their common room form. "In you go. Potter, go and round up Danielson."

"If I must." Vega said, sighing. "But if he makes a scene, I'm gonna hex him instead."

"If he makes a scene, you have my full permission to do so." Hydrus stated.

"This might not be so bad after all, then. In we go!"

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Author's Notes: Well, this one didn't take long to crank out. Three sections, three sessions. Not like chapter two, which took a month of Sundays to get done. Might be able to get a backlog going at this rate! Feels good to get back into the swing of things! It helps that I've decided to section off my time in a way that leaves me a bit more 'free' time to do stuff other than stare like a zombie at friggin' WoW all day.

Anyway, this came out a bit longer than I'd intended. It was planned to end right at the finale of Vega' race against Lapis. Who, by the way, seems to be very cranky about something or another, don't you think? He must be at least a little worried now that he's seen Vega fly.

Next chapter shouldn't take too long to do. Maybe it will. Quidditch always was one of my weaker points. Expect very little Quidditch-ing and a lot more internal monologuing and banter between Lapis and Vega, though. September's drawing to an end in the story and the first match of the season will pit Ravenclaw versus Slytherin. Because why the heck not, right? And hey, poor Vega finally found something else he's not terrible at, good for him! Jeez, he keeps this up and he might manage to drag himself away from his inferiority complex, huh?

Points to anyone who can catch any of the various hints at stuff that gets dropped. There were a FEW in this one. I'm trying to pepper them here and there and not be TOO blatant about it. Though occasionally I'll throw you guys a bone. Who knows what I might be foreshadowing at any given time, though. There's a lot of craziness planned for R-II. Guess you'll just hafta keep reading to find out what. Seeya next time!