"Someone was definitely jinxing Harry's broom!" Hermione insisted firmly as she, Ron, and Hagrid saw to Harry's comfort after the game. While Gryffindor had won, their primary concern was Harry's continued cough and hoarseness. Hagrid had a remedy for that with his tea, especially since it was presumably just from nearly swallowing the Snitch or - more likely - coughing it back up, so he was hustled off to Hagrid's hut rather than to the Hospital Wing. "The only one I saw maintaining eye contact was Professor Snape-"

"And I'm telling you, Hermione, there's no way it can be him!" Ron insisted, looking as stunned at his words as Hagrid and Hermione were. "You...you've seen how he acts in Potions. Harry's like his pet project or somethin', always testing him harder than others but also taking a less harsh approach. From what Percy said, that's about as close to nurturing as it gets from the sourpuss, and I can't believe he'd do that and try to kill him!"

"Will wonders never cease," Kevin murmured in Harry's ear as he slithered up the back of the couch Harry was sitting on, diving into his robes for concealment when no one was turned Harry's way. "He's looking past House prejudice and using his brain? Maybe I was wrong about him after all."

"Welcome back," Harry murmured softly in Parseltongue, hiding both sound and lip movements with the mug of tea as he took another sip to sooth his throat. "Did you see the whole game?"

"I did," Kevin murmured back reassuringly. "You played quite well, for as much as that matters."

"I'm not arguing, Ron," Hermione was saying as Harry and Kevin spoke. "Professor Snape probably was casting a counter-jinx like Hagrid suggested. But I didn't see who was casting the jinx, and I don't like not knowing who might be trying to hurt Harry! How are we going to make sure he's safe if we don't know where the threat's coming from?"

"Now don't be hasty!" Hagrid insisted gruffly. "I'll admit it's bad someone was jinxing his broom, but this is Hogwarts! Not only do all the staff now know somethin' happened and can search for who dun' it, but Hogwarts is the safest place in England!"

"Tell that to the three-headed dog that nearly ate us back in our second week," Ron grumbled irritably.

Hagrid's eyes narrowed. "And just what were ye doing at Fluffy's post, ey? That corridor's ferbidden ta students fer a reason!"

"Fluffy?" Ron gasped in shock.

"Post?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Forbidden?" Kevin posited in a teasing tone, getting an amused snort from Harry.

"Aye, Fluffy," Hagrid explained easily. "He's a good guard dog, and would sooner go hungry than hurt a youngster! 'ts why Dumbledore asked fer him when he needed that place guarded, and I was happy t' lend him fer that! Course, just cause he won't hurt 'em doesn't mean he'll let 'em get past when he's on duty..."

"Is there a safe way past him?" Harry asked curiously, getting everyone's attention. "If he's guarding there, there must be something there worth guarding, so there must be a way for those who are supposed to go past to do so, right? Or does he just know everyone who's allowed?"

"Nah," Hagrid insisted firmly. "Only one's he knows on sight ta let past are me and Dumbledore. 'ts why he went in last o' the defenses-" He stiffened. "...ah shouldn'a said that..."

"So he's guarding something really important with a lot of other defenses," Harry mused thoughtfully. "Meaning that if anyone wanted to get past to get to whatever is being guarded, they'd want the entire school's attention somewhere else...like, say, on a troll wandering the halls?"

"You think the troll was a distraction?" Ron asked in surprise.

Kevin purred in Harry's ear. "Very nice," he praised softly. "Good critical thinking..."

"But wouldn't that mean someone on the staff let it in?" Hermione asked worriedly. "That's what Professor Dumbledore was saying before Professor McGonagall made him stop..."

"Or someone who knows the wards well enough to know how to get around them," Harry pointed out worriedly. "Or at least, how to let something get around them."

"What, you think whoever did it tagged the troll to be read as an unSorted student or something?" Ron asked dismissively.

"...that'd do it..." Kevin and Hagrid murmured simultaneously, the former pleased while the latter was worried.

"Wait, really?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Ah'm sure Professor Dumbledore's thought about that loophole by now and has closed it," Hagrid insisted firmly. "He's the greatest wizard in all Britain, after all!"

"...Harry, can I borrow Hedwig?" Hermione asked hopefully. "I'd like to send Professor Dumbledore a letter with all the possible loopholes I can think of that might be there on the Hogwarts wards, just in case he hasn't thought of them."

"Fine by me," Harry replied warmly. "As smart and thorough as you are, I'll feel safer knowing all the loopholes you could think of are being addressed." He blinked in surprise at her reaction to his words. She was surprisingly adorable when she went that particular luminescent shade.

Kevin shook against Harry's arm in suppressed amusement. "And here I thought I wouldn't have to worry about anything like this until you were at least 13," he mused finally. "Still, she shouldn't be the only eyes on this problem. Your thoughts about that troll being a distraction...if you're right, I doubt whoever did it is happy that you resolved it so quickly..."

Harry blinked in surprise. "Do you think whoever let the troll in might have also been the one who tried to jinx my broom?" he asked in English, wanting to share that observation with the others.

"A distinct possibility," a sour voice observed from the door as it swung open, admitting Professor Snape. He shielded his eyes against the gloom with a wince.

"Professor!" Hagrid gasped in surprise, getting to his feet. "What brings ye out here?" He hastened to find a chair for the Professor, though without much luck.

"Only that my own suspicions follow along the same lines as Mr. Potter's, and as such I would prefer he were safely within the castle walls before he was out of sight of those with the magic to see to his safety," Snape observed dryly. His eyes narrowed further, though not in irritation. As his hands twitched briefly, it was plain he was mightily resisting the urge to rub at his eyes.

"Professor Snape, are you alright?" Harry asked worriedly as he saw how red the man's eyes were. "What happened?"

"While the flash of light - whatever it was - broke the line of sight of whoever was jinxing your broom, Mr. Potter, I wasn't willing to chance that they were prepared for such an instance," the dour man allowed ruefully. "Since it sounds like your throat has recovered, I think it best if you returned to your common room, and the party that is sure to await you after your team's victory." He frowned darkly. "As I will be seeing you into the safety of the castle walls before seeking out either Madam Pomfrey or my own supplies to treat my eyes, I would appreciate an observable level of haste."

"R-right!" Harry said as he leapt to his feet. He glanced briefly towards Hagrid, who quickly waved the group off, before leading the way out to follow the Professor towards the school. "...Professor? Do you have any idea who might have been jinxing my broom?"

"This is not a half-grown troll bested by an experimental potion," Professor Snape snapped back firmly. "I will be most displeased if I hear you've gone seeking this like some sort of adventure."

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Harry insisted, much to Ron's shock. "But I'd like to be prepared to better defend myself if they try again, and I was hoping you might have some idea what I'm preparing for? Someone my age? Yours? Dumbledore's?"

"The strength of the jinx I was countering implies someone of at least an accredited graduate's abilities," Professor Snape observed dryly. "NEWT level or above. I doubt you have anything in your pockets or up your sleeves that can deal with something like that...yet."

Harry's eyes widened at that last word before a grin crossed his face. He liked the sound of that...