Disclaimer: I do not own anything of this story. Harry Potter and all of the notable characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

Magnolia Crescent

Chapter Nineteen

Puddlemere United

Harry got up the next morning, glancing over the red and gold that decorated his new room. Despite it being Sirius's old room, it still felt much more like him than his old one. He found Sirius in the kitchen going over some papers, empty breakfast dishes beside him.

"Morning, Harry. Remus will be over soon, would you mind helping me go over some spells that I need to teach? In fact, if you want to help me out with the teaching aspect, that would be appreciated," Sirius said. Harry nodded. "Thanks, now in the meantime, let's get back to work. We need to get rid of that boggart; we don't want our guest getting scared again," Sirius mentioned, getting up from the table. Harry silently agreed with him, following Sirius up the stairs. "Wait, you haven't had anything to eat," Sirius realized, turning back to the kitchen.

"No, I'm fine," Harry replied. Sirius waved him off, entering the kitchen.

"Nonsense, with as skinny as you are, I am half-tempted to add a fourth meal just to get you to a decent weight," Sirius retorted, cracking an egg.

"I'm not that skinny. I just wore big clothes," Harry commented but Sirius wouldn't have any of it. Harry felt uncomfortable with someone making him breakfast but recognized there was no use complaining about it.

The two were just finishing up with the beast in the closet when there was a knock at the door. "That would be Remus," Sirius mentioned, moving down the stairs while Harry trailed behind him.

"Will he be joining us?" he asked, looking at his godfather. Sirius glanced back at him, furrowing his brow. "To the game?" Harry added.

"Oh, right," he said, snapping his fingers. "Well, I only have two tickets, so I guess not." He frowned, realizing his screw up. He opened the door, allowing Remus to step inside.

"Seems like only yesterday," Remus sighed. Both Sirius and Harry gave him deadpan expressions. "They never liked that joke then either," he sighed, walking in.

"Now then, shall we get down to business? I have an appointment to make," Remus said. Sirius glanced over at his old friend.

"Why, got a hot date?" Sirius asked while Remus pulled out some papers and a rather large book from his suitcase.

"No, a job interview actually," Remus replied, handing the papers to Sirius. He quickly glanced over everything, seeming to only read bits and pieces.

"So, I'll be talking about these creatures for what year?" Sirius asked. Remus frowned, glancing over his shoulder for a second.

"Second year. Why they let you become a teacher, I'll never know," Remus groaned. Sirius and Harry glanced at each other for a second, wondering if they should tell him an Auror was the original choice until Sirius asked for the job.

"Now then, you will need to know all of this," Remus continued, pulling out even more books. "Luckily, Dumbledore asked me to help you prepare. Now then, these are for years four and seven. Since Harry will be in his fourth year, I believe we should work from that book," Remus explained, handing Sirius another book.

Sirius fumbled with the first one before placing it on the table and opening it up. You've got red pen all over the place."

"Sirius," Remus sighed. "They are notes. I figured you wouldn't bother reading everything so I abridged it all for you." Harry grimaced.

"I'll have you know I can buckle down. I'll have everything read in a week," Sirius replied. Remus paused for a second.

"Really?" Remus questioned, clearly not believing the man.

"Probably not," Sirius admitted, quickly scanning the work. "Let's see here. What would be a useful spell, I know, Accio," Sirius suggested. "Now then, Harry."

"I already know that spell," Harry replied. "Accio Firebolt." The broom sailed down the stairs, allowing Harry to catch it.

"Right," Sirius frowned, starting to flip through the book again. "How about the Bubble-Head Charm?" he asked, glancing over at Harry. He shook his head and Sirius nodded. "Let's move to the living room. Luckily, this is a spell, I know," he smiled.

The three walked into the living room as Sirius faced Harry. "Now then, the incantation for this spell is Aeris Orbis. When the spell is done correctly, it will create a mask of air around the user's face, allowing them to breathe underwater. However, standard limits to how deep you can go still apply." Harry chuckled. "The only wand movement is a gentle tap of the chin. Make sure it is on the chin; a bubble mask is going to do little good if it is attached to your hair," Sirius explained, demonstrating as well. "Aeris Orbis," Sirius cast and a bubble substance appeared over the lower part of his face.

Harry nodded as he took out his wand. He was about to cast it when Remus interrupted. "He needs to practice the incantation first. If you let your students randomly cast spells, someone might take their head off," Remus offered as Harry put his wand down.

"Fine," Sirius replied as he released the spell. "Repeat after me," Sirius started again. Harry repeated the words a few times as Sirius got comfortable with his role as a teacher. It took about an hour but Harry was able to cast the spell, mainly because Remus would keep correcting Sirius more than Sirius corrected Harry.

"Moony, he knows the spell now," Sirius finally said as Remus explained things he could have done better. Harry rolled his eyes as the two men argued.

"I probably could have learned the spell in fifteen minutes if they didn't stop every few seconds to go over teaching directions," Harry thought to himself. "Not to interrupt, but Lupin, didn't you say you had something to do?" asked Harry, not wanting to listen to them bicker.

"Damn it," Remus swore before realizing that he had sworn in front of Harry. "Sorry, look I got to go. Nice to see you, Harry," Remus replied, quickly leaving the house.

"Everyone is always on the run," Harry said out loud as Sirius chuckled.

"Probably seeing some girl. I can't really see anything else worth running out on your friends for," Sirius commented as Harry glanced over at his godfather.

"He never mentioned anything like that, and I kind of took up a lot of his free time during school," Harry replied, not sure how the old professor could manage all his paperwork, Harry and a woman all at the same time.

"You would be surprised what a man can do if he really wants to," Sirius said, walking out of the room. Harry blinked, wondering if his godfather knew Occlumency. "Now then, to the Quidditch game. Man, I haven't been to a game, well, a game in the stands, at least," Sirius corrected, tossing Harry his Firebolt.

Harry caught it with no problem as Sirius pulled out his own broom. "So, who are we going to see? I haven't actually been to a game, I usually play in them," Harry said. Normally, he had some bad luck playing each game through all the way. Something usually got in the way.

"Puddlemere United against Tutshill Tornados," Sirius replied, pulling out his wand. The house dimmed around them. As they exited the house, Harry noted a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, telling him he was forgetting something important.

"Don't you think you should be preparing for the school year? I mean, it would seem a bit more important than a Quidditch game," Harry replied. Sirius frowned, glancing at Harry for a long moment.

"You are starting to remind me of Lily," he replied. "All the same." He pressed, quickly casting a Disillusionment spell. Harry felt as if an egg was cracked over his head with a cold chill spreading throughout his body.

"Please, Harry. I've got to live a little bit. I've been locked up and had to sneak around forever. Let me enjoy my freedom while I can," Sirius replied. Harry felt a small stab at his heart.

"Fine, but afterwards, back to the books. The last thing we need is you getting kicked off the staff in the first week because you don't know the material," Harry said, genuinely concerned for his godfather.

"Look, one game, okay. It's like having a second Remus around. Maybe we should get you a girlfriend. How about Hermione, she seems nice," Sirius commented. Harry's face turned red.

"No, she's just a friend," Harry replied. "Besides, she's like my best friend. There is no way she would see me like that. I wouldn't chance a relationship when I only have like three friends," Harry hastily explained.

"Someone doth protest too much," Sirius chuckled. "All the same, Harry, I would recommend it, there are some school events coming up and a girlfriend will definitely help," Sirius replied. Harry looked him with confusion. "Just keep my advice in mind." Sirius kicked off the ground and Harry followed suit.

"So, where are we heading anyway?" Harry asked.

"We are heading north, to Yorkshire. It's a bit of a ride, but I have no doubts we will make it in time. Luckily, the Black family owns an estate, so we won't have to ride back until the morning," Sirius replied. Harry gulped at this revelation, silently thanking Oliver Wood.

When they finally arrived, Harry dropped into his seat and Sirius sat down next to him. Despite it being a season match, the stands were scattered at best. "I'm surprised nobody noticed me," Harry mentioned as Sirius handed him a glass of butterbeer.

"I guess nobody really expects to see you out and about. From what I gathered, you tend to stay out of the public eye," Sirius commented. Harry shrugged.

"Not like I had much of a choice in the matter," Harry replied bitterly as the players moved onto the field. Harry looked over the arena when he noticed a very familiar face sitting on the bench at the bottom of the opposite tower. "Hey, it's Wood. I remember he was part of the reserve team. Too bad we can't see him," Harry smirked.

"A friend of yours?" Sirius asked.

"He was Quidditch captain since I joined the team. Nice guy, but I've never met anyone more obsessed with the game. I feel sleepy just thinking of all the early morning training session he put the team through," Harry explained. Sirius nodded as the players formed a circle on the pitch. The referee flew out to the center, carrying a crate under his arm.

A whistle was blown, and the game began. Harry kept his eyes peeled as Sirius handed him a contraption to help see the game better. The match was pretty even; the Seekers were doing a good job keeping each other busy while the Chasers moved with the Quaffle.

Harry watched, automatically looking for the golden Snitch. He spotted the small gold dot flitting around one of the towers. Neither of the Seekers noticed but Harry observed that it was keeping to the side. A hand suddenly clapped onto his shoulder, nearly scaring him out of his seat.

"Merlin's beard!" he shouted, turning to see Oliver Wood smiling down at him.

"Hey, Harry," he greeted, smiling while they shook hands. He glanced over to see Sirius sitting next to him. "Hello, Mr. Black," he offered, voice neutral. Sirius nodded, deciding to leave the pair alone.

"Hey, shouldn't you be down on the field, Wood?" Harry asked, looking back at the game.

"Didn't you listen to any of my talks?" he asked, shrugging. Harry's face turned red and he scratched the back of his neck. "Really?" he sighed, keeping his eyes on Harry. "I'm a fourth stringer. You've got the ace players, second string and third string. Fourth string is replacement if all three strings are taken out. That's more or less what the reserve team is. I'm basically a glorified bench warmer," he sighed, trying to hide a disheartened face.

"Well, I don't see three teams worth of men on the bench," Harry replied, looking down at the field. Wood shrugged, giving off a thousand-yard stare.

"True, but I stick around in case they need me. It's silly, really, but I can't help but show up in some vain hope that I will be able to play," he responded. Harry gave him a sad smile and a hard punch.

"Not giving up on me, are you?" Harry said, smiling and raising an eyebrow. "You're not going to tell me all those days of training, all those early morning wake up calls, were just there for you to torment me?"

"Never!" Wood nearly shouted, giving Harry a soft glare.

"Good, 'cause I don't want to find out you gave up after all that. I did not lose a year's worth of sleeping in just for you to mope," Harry replied, a defiant note in his voice.

"I am not giving up. That's why I am here to begin with," Wood replied.

"Good, I want to come to a pro game and see you flying out there with the first string," Harry noted.

"If I had my way, Potter, you'd be out there with me," Wood grinned. Harry simply shook his head.

"Please, Wood, I'm not that good," he denied, waving his hands in front of him. Sirius looked over at him.

"That's not what I hear," Sirius argued. Wood smirked, giving his attention to the older man.

"You know what, after the game, I could ask if you can fly around. Shouldn't be too much trouble," Wood offered. Harry blinked at the pair but decided not to argue on his own skill.

"Well, Wood, if you could pull it off, I wouldn't mind putting my new broom through its paces," Harry agreed with a smile. Wood nodded, glancing down at the ground.

"Well, catch you later, Potter. I will see if I can get you some free time," Wood smiled, casually walking off. Harry smirked, returning his attention to the game.

"Friend of yours?" Sirius asked, watching the man leave.

"Yeah, didn't I already tell you that? he was captain of the Quidditch team. He graduated last year. I'm surprised he got onto a team so quickly," Harry admitted.

"I take it he is good then? Even getting on the reserve team is something for someone straight out of school," Sirius replied, looking at Harry.

"Not bad, but I don't think I'm a very good judge of skill. I haven't been to a game that I haven't played in," he confessed.

"He seems to hold you in high regard," Sirius commented, looking over at his godson. "I've only seen a few games but I still find myself agreeing with him." Sirius smiled.

"Well, I did start early," Harry agreed. "But I doubt I am good enough to play in the pro leagues."

"Really? Before Wood interrupted you, where was the Snitch?" Sirius asked. Harry didn't hesitate in his response.

"Over near that tower," he answered, pointing to the correct location. Sirius blinked in surprise. Harry seemed to think he would be surprised if he was telling the truth. He fell silent and started looking for it again. Sirius noticed this, along with the fact that Harry was very straight-forward in his thinking, much like other Seekers. It wouldn't surprise him if that was the reason his Animagus was a dog, where his father was more of a big-picture person and his mother was very detail oriented. It seemed to fit as Harry was a single-minded person, taking on one problem at a time. Sirius, being a similarly minded person, knew firsthand the problems with such a simple way of dealing with things; it got him landed in Azkaban.

The game went on and it wasn't long before both Sirius and Harry were shouting while both Seekers raced after the Snitch.

"Go!" Harry shouted, cheering on Seeker Blythe Parkin.

"And Parkin catches the Snitch!" the announcer shouted. Harry leaped up, hollering his support before suddenly dropping into the seat again, allowing his adrenalin and heart to slow down from his peak. He sighed, content as he relaxed into the chair.

"Thanks," Harry said. His godfather chuckled, sitting back and relaxing when Wood actually flew up next to them in the tower. Sirius pulled out a small bag, opening it to reveal both of their brooms.

"A Firebolt, impressive," Wood commented as Harry mounted. "I wish you had that last season."

"Been on a broom all day and yet, I still can't find myself complaining," Harry remarked while Wood pulled out a Quaffle and tossed it to him.

"Care to give me some practice?" he asked. Harry shrugged, seeing no reason not to as he caught the ball.

"Don't mind if I join in?" Sirius asked, mounting his own broom. Wood shook his head. Sirius raised his hands and Harry tossed the ball in his direction. He spun the ball on his finger and pulled out his wand. Wood flinched, going unnoticed to Sirius as he cast a spell. He let the ball drop casually to the ground before it sprang back up to his waiting hand. "Forgive an old man his age, but chasing a ball around after I score isn't a favorite past time of mine," he grinned, giving them a small shrug.

"Really?" Wood asked, a confident grin appearing on his face. "I'll have you know that I'm not going to go easy on you, old man," he countered, shooting off for the three goal posts. Sirius tossed the ball in the air, testing out his spell before looking over at Harry.

"Ready?" he asked. Harry nodded, replicating his godfather's grin. They raced off as Sirius tossed the ball. Harry moved to the lowest ring and tossed the ball, only for Wood to easily knock it away.

"Come on, Potter, you're going to have to try harder than that!" he taunted. Harry glared, deciding to take him up on the challenge. They fell back as the ball flew back to Sirius.

"I've seen that look before," Sirius said, smirking as he tossed the ball to Harry. Harry shot off in a blur, always tossing the ball but Wood smacked him down each time. Sirius hung back, watching his godson run the same course over and over again to no avail. Harry stretched his arm before racing off again. Wood was always a monster to score on; in fact, many people had to get physical just to beat him, often leading to suspensions for the other team. Harry raced around the pitch, deciding he needed to catch Wood off guard.

Harry prepared for another shot, leaping off his broom. Wood automatically moved to defend where he though Harry was going to shoot. Instead, the ball went for the opposite hoop as gravity took over. Wood literally grabbed his broom by the handle, swatting the ball away before flipping the broom back between his legs. Harry plummeted towards the ground as Sirius dove after him, catching him in time and summoning the Firebolt back.

"Why did I see you doing that?" Sirius asked rhetorically. Harry gave him a confident grin as he got back on his broom. Wood floated down to check on his old Seeker.

"Nice try, Potter. Didn't think you would pull a stunt like that," Wood admitted. Harry chucked, snagging the ball and tossing it at the goal, only for it to bounce off. "Well, you may be one helluva Seeker, but Potter, you would never be a good Chaser."

"I'll stick to the little gold ball, thank you," he replied, rubbing his sore arm, swearing that he threw it out of place. The Quaffle returned to Sirius and he spun it on his finger. Wood smirked, watching Sirius toss the ball straight into the goal post.

"Seems like you might know a thing or two," Wood acknowledged, flying back to the Keeper's spot. Harry glanced around, noticing that they had gathered a small crowd, including some of the players from Puddlemere United. Sirius juggled the ball as Wood gave him a thumbs-up. He raced off, a blur even with an older broom. When he managed to toss the ball, it went incredibly low, bouncing off the metal pole. Wood paused while the ball returned to Sirius. He took the opportunity and put it through the lowest hoop, effectively scoring on Wood.

"With age comes wisdom," he grinned. Wood gave him a dumbfounded look as Sirius moved back, the ball returning. Wood geared up, finally understanding what he had gotten himself into. Sirius raced in again, throwing the ball but Wood was keeping his guard up and kept knocking the ball away. Eventually, Sirius used Wood's own trick against him and hit the Quaffle like a baseball. Wood knocked the ball away with his head, only for Sirius to kick it back after he recovered from the hit. Wood spun around, hitting the ball with the tail of his broom. Sirius smirked, noticing that Wood was breathing heavier. Even if he didn't want to show it, Harry had worn him down and Sirius's constant onslaught was finally draining.

Sirius rolled the ball between his hands, remembering a move James has used once before. Moving back, he tossed the ball into the air. He shot forward, leaping off the broom and bringing both his hands together, he slammed the ball into the centermost circle.

Wood rushed to the spot, catching the ball as it almost knocked him off his broom. He seemed winded as he struggled to keep his balance while Sirius landed easily on his broom.

"Not bad," he admitted. Wood gave him a grin in-between small winces.

"Agreed," a feminine voice consented. Harry spun to see Blythe Parkin floating behind them, clapping. "I have to admit, I didn't think you would be this resilient, Wood," she admitted. Wood quickly sat up straight, forgetting his exhaustion.

"Thank you, ma'am," he responded, looking at her as if she were a military officer. Sirius glanced over, studying her as she closed in. She had jet black hair that stood in spikes and a pair of red goggles that kept her eyes a mystery. She was very eagle-like, as if she was always in the air. She nodded respectfully at Harry and he returned the gesture.

"I see Sirius Black isn't too stiff. I heard about you, not a bad Seeker," she said, looking at Harry.

"Only 'cause I wasn't a good team player so they told me to go chase the shiny," he grinned. She giggled a very feminine giggle, catching Harry off guard, expecting a more serious individual. "Hope we are not causing any problems," he commented.

"Other than keeping the janitorial staff here a little longer, nothing I'm going to yell at you about," she replied, shaking her head. "Wood, I didn't know you knew Harry Potter," she noted, glancing in his direction.

"Yeah, he was Seeker for my Hogwarts team. Youngest Seeker in a century," he declared. "Did an excellent job, if only he didn't get himself into trouble every year," he insisted, turning to eye Harry.

"Don't remind me; the stupid stone in first year," Harry said, frowning.

"And the snake in the second year," Wood added. "I'm glad he helped me win the Cup in my last year," he said sincerely.

"So, he's good then?" Parkin asked, looking to Harry.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Harry isn't sure what he is going to do but he is a damn good Seeker. I wouldn't mind having him on my team again," Wood admitted. Parkin nodded, not too bothered by his honesty.

"Well then, I may have to talk to the coach and see if we can get you some game time. It seems you have more skill than I thought," she remarked. "I'll go and see if we can't work something out."

"Mind if I join you?" Sirius asked, giving her a confident grin. She gave him a sly smirk, racing off as Sirius gave chase.

"Oh, boy," Harry sighed, resting his forehead in his hand.

"Well, he had been locked up for a while. I can't say I blame him," Wood grinned. Harry gave him a confused look, not quite catching on. "Want to fly around for a while? I could give you a tour of the pro team," he offered. Harry nodded, the two racing off. Harry was more than happy to tour the area.

Wood, Sirius and Harry all showing off. Boys will be boys, I suppose. Anyways, don't have much to say besides enjoy! R&R

~LE