Disclaimer 1: This is fanfic. That means I do not own any of it. I just borrow it to play with for a little while and let people see the pathetic results if they really want to.

Disclaimer 2: I'm not making any money from it. It's just for fun.

Disclaimer 3: What isn't borrowed is all made up. None of this is real or most likely at all realistic. Please don't trust any of the information in here. Most likely you know more about whatever I'm writing about than I do.

Disclaimer 4: Attitudes, views and opinions expressed by the characters or in the story are not necessarily those of the author. Even when writing Science Fiction or Fantasy I do not tend to attempt to create perfect/better worlds in which everybody gets a happy end ... or whatever is best for them. Please accept that some characters will have a bad ending or be unhappy.

Disclaimer 5: I intend no insult to anyone. If I offend anyone I'm very sorry. Please understand that it was an accident as I tend to be very clumsy in these things.

Notes: Not a lot of changes here, except that Snape didn't get to the forbidden corridor in time and wasn't mauled by Fluffy. But we can't have Quirrel actually reach the stone ... but then Hagrid hasn't told him how to get past Fluffy, yet, so ...

Harry No. 5 and the Philosopher's Stone

Chapter 11: Quidditch

Poor Professor Quirrel had hurt his leg during the troll incident. Most students thought it had happened fighting the troll and were very impressed, but Hermione scoffed at the idea.

"That's nonsense, boys. He never fought the troll. It was Professor Snape that did and he never got hurt at all. We were there. We saw it happen."

They had to admit that that was true, but still ...

"Then how did he hurt his leg?" Harry asked.

"Maybe he fell on something?" Ron suggested. "When he fainted, I mean."

"He fainted?" Hermione said sounding amused.

"Yes, he ran into the Great Hall and told the headmaster about the troll and then he just fell over," Draco said. "It was amazing. He just fell over."

"What have you got there, James?" Snape's voice interrupted their conversation.

"I'm Harry."

"What have you got there, Harry?"

"Quidditch Through the Ages," Harry said holding up the book. "It's about Quidditch. Because there's a game tomorrow and I'm seeker."

"Library books must not be taken outside," Snape declared. "Hand it over, James!"

"I'm Harry."

"Hand it over, Harry!" And Snape walked away with the book Harry needed to prepare for his game.

"Why is he so mean?" Harry asked the empty air.

"Because he didn't get the stone?" Ron suggested. "We made him save Hermione and fight the troll, remember? And then he said he had to get to the stone. And we haven't heard that the stone has been stolen, so he didn't get there in time."

"But Snape is a teacher," Hermione pointed out. "He'd never steal from his institute."

"He just doesn't like Harry," Draco said. "Maybe James was mean to him or something."

"My father was not mean!"

"Then maybe it was a misunderstanding," Draco suggested diplomatically.

Harry had bigger things to worry about than Professor Snape's behaviour, though. Namely catching the snitch in his first Quidditch game!

And he'd have to do it without having finished Quiddich Through the Ages!

The game started out fine despite that disadvantage, though and flying was such great fun that he almost forgot about the little ball entirely. But suddenly his broom began to act very strangely. It jerked and twisted and turned and bucked until all Harry could do was cling to it and hope that it would stop soon.

It seemed to continue for ages, though, and then it stopped very abruptly. The broom hang lifelessly in the air and when Harry cautiously tried to give it a command it obeyed readily, but by then Harry wanted only one thing: to get back onto firm ground and shake out the aching muscles in his arms and legs.

He dove straight for the ground ignoring everything and everybody around him. On the way something somehow plopped into his mouth, but he kept going anyway until finally, finally, he flopped gracelessly onto his knees in the grass. Only then did he spit out the mysterious object. To his surprise he found that it was the snitch! He'd caught it after all!

"It really wasn't fair, though," Draco protested later when they were having tea at Hagrid's. "You caught it by accident. Dumbledore should not have awarded you the catch. There should be a rematch after they finish checking the broom."

"There's nothing wrong with the broom," Hermione insisted. "It was Professor Snape. He cursed it and it all stopped when I set him on fire."

"I feel rather bad for causing such chaos in the teachers' box, though," she added after a moment. "Poor Professor Quirrel hit his injured leg. That must have hurt a lot."

"Professor Snape would never do anything like that," Hagrid protested. "He may be a bit strict and dislike Gryffindor, but he'd never do a student any harm. Why would he ever want to do such a nasty thing?"

"He wants to steal the stone," Ron explained. "The one Fluffy is guarding. He told us so after he caught the troll. And now he's trying to kill us so we can't tell anyone."

"We must warn the headmaster!" Harry realised and nodded eagerly.

"Nonsense," Hagrid said. "Snape would never steal Nicholas Flamel's stone. He might try to make his own perhaps, but he'd never steal one. He's a Potions Master after all."

"I wish," Hermione said later as they were walking back to the castle. "I could remember who Nicholas Flamel is. I know I have read about him somewhere."

Unfortunately the boys could not help her with that question. None of them had read as much as she had and they were all sure that they'd never heard of him before.