As he usual does before every Gryffindor Quidditch match, Jack slept in the common room that night, using some of Professor Sprout's mandrake earmuffs to block out the noise of the storm which he and everyone else would have to play in, in the morning.

"Curse you Evie..." he mumbled into his pillow before drifting off.

Baby Tooth, who was sitting on the arm of the chair, was looking at the rain soaked windows, frowning. How can those dumb adults think that this would be suitable weather to play such a dangerous game such as Quidditch (which was already dangerous) in?

Huffing, to herself Baby finally just curled up on the arm next to Jack's head and went to sleep herself.

o0o

Jack only got a few hours of sleep before he was woken up to the feeling of something swatting at his nose.

Slowly Jack opened his eyes and saw Crookshanks sitting on the opposite arm of the chair he was in, flicking his tail from side to side.

Yawning a little, Jack removed the earmuffs and sat up a little bit, being careful not to wake up Baby Tooth, just as the cat hopped down and went towards the boy's staircase.

Checking the time on the clock over the fireplace, Jack saw it was nearly half-past four.

Sighing, knowing the cat wanted to get to the rat and needed someone to open the bedroom door, Jack got up and started to follow it when Harry, in his Quidditch robes and broom in hand, came down with the feline in his arms saying:

"There are plenty of mice around this place, go chase them. Go on," he added setting Crookshanks down again "Leave Scabbers alone."

"Like that will stop him from trying to get to the rat," Jack said yawning again.

"Oh, sorry Jack I thought you were still asleep." Harry said coming over to one of the other chairs.

"I was until King Cat here wanted me to let him into our room," Jack said letting a grumpy Crookshanks into his lap.

"But you weren't going to right?" Harry asked curious "You know how upset Ron would be if Scabbers went missing."

"That the English term for it?" Jack asked smiling, avoiding answering Harry's question "'They went missing'? In America if a pet snuffs it while the kid's away – at a summer camp for instance, we tell them they ran away and then berry them in the back garden in shoeboxes."

"Well what else would you say to a child who lost their pet?" Harry asked yawning a little, being quiet because Baby was still asleep.

"When I was alive, I would tell them the truth and to say get over it," Jack said lying back in his chair to try and get some more sleep, earmuffs in hand "At that time everyone – even the kids – was given tasks to do which needed doing. We had no time to morn over the loss of a family pet."

"And as a Spirit?" Harry asked before Jack could put the earmuffs back on his head.

"Well until Jamie Bennett, no human could see or hear me, so I could say whatever I wanted," Jack said shrugging. "But I would speak out to the air and say things like 'It was its time to go'. Or that 'They'll still be with you in your heart as long remember them'."

"What would you say to a kid who just lost his parents?" Harry asked quietly, so quiet Jack was surprised he heard him due to the noise of the storm outside which had gotten worse since he went to sleep earlier that night.

"Well..." Jack said choosing his words carefully because he knew Harry was talking about himself and his parents. "I would say things like: 'They didn't mean to die'. And 'If they could come back to be with them, they would. But they rules of being a ghost, means they need to have something that his holding them back from passing on'."

"And an orphaned one and a half year old baby doesn't fall on that list?!" Harry said frowning and looking away from his friend so he wouldn't see him crying.

Sensing Harry was upset, Crookshanks left Jack's lap and went over to Harry's to try and comfort him instead.

Mindlessly, Harry started petting the cat, but was still upset.

"Harry..." Jack said slowly and carefully "There are different ways to die. Natural courses such as old age, or falling off cliffs, drowning, stabbed and blood loss, sometimes even suffocating because of fire smoke are more commonly the ones that let you become a ghost." he paused here making sure Harry was listening "But cursed or planed deaths, like poison, suicide, being hit by the spell that killed your parents, they don't come back, because their souls are taken from them when they die. Do you get where I'm going with this?"

"Something along the lines that since my parents were murders by a wizard serial-killer they lost their souls and can't come back to me," Harry said gloomily.

Pouting Crookshanks reached up and gently licked a few stray tears off Harry's face.

"Yeah, along those lines," Jack said nodding and refitting his earmuffs. "Wake me up when we need to go down for breakfast." he said yawning and going back to sleep.

o0o

A few hours later Jack was being gently shaken awake by Harry, Crookshanks by his feet.

Yawning, Jack stretched and looked at the clock again. It was now seven in the morning.

Taking the earmuff off Jack gave his friend a questioning look.

"I was getting bored, and a little hungry," Harry said picking up his broom.

"Ugh... fine," Jack said getting up and heading for the dorms "Be back in a sec."

In the dorm-room, Jack went over to his bed and stared looking for his own Quidditch things and broomstick. He was about to leave, when he felt something fly past him.

Turning around he saw Peeves, grinning.

"Yes Peeves?" he asked not ready for something like this just yet.

"Just coming to wish you and Potter good luck in the match, Jackie!" Peeves said smiling as a loud crash of lightning and a rumble of thunder was heard. "Hoo-wee... Mother Nature sure is mad today!"

"Yeah I noticed, but thanks, I guess," Jack said calmly heading for the door to the room. He was almost there when Baby Tooth came in mad that she was left behind.

"Ok, ok, Baby I'm coming," Jack said leaving the vermin behind.

"Aww... the little baby's upset she got left alone," Peeves said taunting her as he followed Jack down the stairs.

Huffing Baby ignored him and landed on Jack's shoulder.

"Guys knock it off, it's too early for this," Jack said yawning a little as he rejoined Harry in the common room.

Blowing a raspberry at the fairy, Peeves vanished.

Rolling his eyes Jack rejoined Harry downstairs and they left the common room.

"Stand and fight, you two mangy curs!" yelled Sir Cadogan.

"Oh shut up," Harry yawned.

"Bet he wouldn't be so brave if he was stuck with a dragon in his picture rather than his pony," Jack whispered as they set off for the great hall.

All Harry did – on the means of being tired – was shrug his shoulders, not really caring about Sir Cadogan that much.

"You think the kitchens will be better than the hall?" Jack asked looking at his watch "I mean it is still a little early."

"Kitchen too far..." Harry said still a little sleepy.

Rolling his eyes Jack dusted a bit of golden sand off Harry's head "Fine, but if nothing happens when we sit down, don't blame me."

o0o

Thankfully something did happen when they sat down, and their section of the table was covered in all sort of breakfast-y food.

As they each had a large bowl of porridge, they slowly woke up a little as the heat of the food warmed them up.

Baby Tooth was their making sure that neither put extra spoonfuls of sugar on their food, and that they were eating right.

As they were starting on toast and crumpets, the rest of the team arrived.

"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything and instead making sure his teammates ate.

"Stop worrying Oliver," said the back-up Chaser, Alicia. "We don't mind a bit of rain right guys?"

There was a murmur among the other players as this was obviously more than just 'A bit of rain'.

"Easy for you to say, Alicia," Jack said taking a sip of orange juice "Hopefully, you won't be one of the ones flying in it."

Slowly the rest of the school came and had their own breakfast before grabbing raincoats and umbrellas and running towards the Quidditch pitch, fighting against the wind.

"Curse you Evie..." Jack muttered again starting to get up when he was hug-saulted (hug assaulted) by Sandy, who looked up at him. "Huh, that's different, normally it's Tooth that attacks me." he said patting Sandy on the head.

"Her job has her booked up," Bunny's voice said as he came over with North and a cup of coffee. "Some kids got into a fight so you know,"

"Is everyone alright?" Alicia asked worried for one of her non-Hogwarts friends.

"Everyone's fine, just a few knocked out teeth and black eyes." North said placing Baby Tooth into his pocket "Toothy just won't be coming today, which, going by how it's going outside, might be a good thing."

Sandy, obviously seeing the worried look on Alicia's face stuck up 2 thumbs up and a smile.

Soon it was time for the team to head down to the pitch.

On the way they could see the late comers running into the stadium with huge umbrella's and raincoats, three of whom were Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were all laughing and pointing at the Gryffindor Quidditch team as they went into the changing rooms.

The rest of the team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pep-talk but it didn't come.

Feeling that something needed to be said, Jack got up.

"Ok men, and women, this is it, the big one, the one we've all been waiting for..." he began but paused and shook his head "Yeah no, this has got to be the worst conditions a Hogwarts Quidditch match has ever had. BUT! That won't mean we won't give it our best. We will go out there –" he said pointing to the tunnel to the pitch "And we will give it out all. We will Chase faster, we will Beat harder, we will Keep more, and we will Seek faster than the other team, and we will not die!" he cheered turning his eyes to Harry getting a few laughs from the others as they also cheered for the speech.

"Thanks Jack, we really needed that," Katie Bell said smiling and getting up to follow Oliver down the tunnel.

"Thanks," Jack said then thought of something "Before we go out there, Harry," he said making Harry turn to him, then cry out in surprise when Jack snatched his glasses off his face. "Anyone know how to make these repel water so Harry can actually see?"

"I do," Alicia said taking out her wand tapping them, saying 'Impervious' and giving them back.

"Thanks," Harry said putting them back on.

"Hopefully with that you won't be in danger this time," Jack muttered as they neared the exit.

"I doubt it with weather like this," Harry said as a wail of wind could be heard just outside.

With that, the curtain was pulled back, and the team, leaning into the wind, made their way onto the pitch.

AN: First, The reason why I have Crookshanks being so nice to Harry is, I like the theory that he used to be the Potter's cat, which is why he knew Scabbers (and Sirius) weren't really animals.

Either way, I hope you're all still liking this. :)