As October waned, so did the weather; the nights were cooler, the days were shorter and the wind would routinely howl around the castle battlements. The noise was enough for Professor Sinistra to end Astronomy class early one night rather than have the obviously distracted students continue any longer. In their defence, Harry thought as he and the rest of the Hufflepuff first years marched back towards their common room, keeping your star chart from flying off in these conditions was arguably the hardest part of the lesson.

One aspect of school life, however, that cared little for the weather was Quidditch. With all four captains having submitted their teams to their respective heads of house during the previous month, the third week of October saw the opening game of the season - Gryffindor vs Slytherin.

Charity Burbage - the Cultural Liaison from the Department of Non-Magical Affairs, and the person who had introduced Harry to Diagon Alley - had made it clear that Quidditch was widely popular, however, the absolute fervour with which the whole school got behind the airborne sport still took him by surprise. He had seen the popularity of other activities such as competitive flying, gobstones, and duelling - an activity that Harry was disappointed to not be allowed to participate in until his second year - when sign up sheets went around the common room on the first weekend of October.

With the exception of Harry, it seemed like everyone in school had signed up for at least one extracurricular activity. Ernie had joined the debate club and magical golf even Justin - who had been dismissive of wizarding sports - had decided to join the choir. Justin had admitted in private to Harry that although he had been terrified by the giant three headed dog they had stumbled across - which a far calmer Ernie and Stephen had agreed the next day was in fact a cerberus (a creature which they were emphatic about never seeing again) - he was nevertheless pleased with how high pitched his scream had been that night and wanted to further explore his vocal range.

All of that excitement, however, paled in comparison to the fanatical levels of adoration that students and staff alike displayed for quidditch.

"Well, it is our national sport, you know" was Ernie's rather matter of fact response when Harry commented on his surprise.

Harry supposed it wasn't a far cry from some of the excitement that non-magical sports generated. And, he reflected, it wasn't as though he was immune from such a thing either - one of his favourite memories growing up had been when his Uncle had taken him and Dudley to watch England play Australia on day three of the second Ashes test at Lords.

Justin was not as convinced, however, and as he along with Harry, Ernie and a few of the first year Hufflepuff girls walked with the rest of the crowd towards the Quidditch pitch, he confessed - with a bit of pushing from the others - that a big part of his lack of interest was that he still didn't really understand how the game was played.

"It's quite straightforward," said Susan Bones as she rolled her eyes at the sheepish look the muggleborn boy sent her. "Each team has ten players: six Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and one Seeker. Games go for a minimum of one hour, and a maximum of three."

"There are three balls: one Quaffle, one Bludger and one Snitch. There are three goal hoops at each end of the pitch. Each team's Keeper guards the goal hoops. The six chaser's try to put the Quaffle through one of the other team's goal hoops. If they succeed then they get ten points. The Quaffle goes to the Keeper of the team that conceded the goal and they pass it to one of their chasers in order to resume play."

"The two beaters on each team carry a small bat each which they use to hit the Bludger - a heavy ball that locks on and flies at nearby players - at the other team to try and disrupt their plays or stop them from scoring. There's a lot of strategy to controlling the Bludger and not just hitting it blindly at the other team. A good pair of Beaters can lock their opposition numbers out of the match and control the pace of the game."

"Lastly, the Seeker has two jobs. The first is to act as a seventh Chaser. The second job is to catch the Snitch - a small golden ball that is extremely quick. The Snitch gets released exactly one hour into the game and at a random point above the pitch. Only the Seekers can touch the Snitch. Catching it scores your team no points, but it does end the game immediately. So Captain's have to balance whether it's worth sending their seeker off to try and catch the Snitch and end the game while they have the lead, or, keeping the Seeker playing as an extra chaser to continue keeping it a seven on seven fight for the quaffle."

"If neither team's Seeker catches the Snitch then at the end of three hours the game ends and the team with the most points wins."

"Oh, and Hogwarts also limits eligibility for house team selection to students who are in at least their fourth year - no one wants to see a Firstie get flattened by a Bludger" she added as an afterthought.

Justin stared at Susan with his mouth open before turning to Ernie.

"See now! Why couldn't you have explained it to me like that in the first place mate?"

"I did…" Ernie deadpanned.

"Yeah well… I still think your game is pure chaos" Justin grumbled.

Chuckling, the group continued to banter as they walked, pushing and elbowing their way past taller, more senior students as they did their best to arrive in time to get a good seat.

"Witches and wizards…"

"...and Weasleys!..."

"...what a match we have coming up for you today! The 1991-92 Hogwarts Quidditch season is bound to begin with a bang as age old rivals Gryffindor and Slytherin take to the skies in what is sure to be a fight to remember!"

"Fight? You mean match, don't you, George?"

"I don't, Fred. These two houses have been at each other's throats all week in the lead up to this game and it's only been the quick thinking of several professors and one very unfortunate caretaker that have managed to limit the student's curses to the purely verbal. Well… mostly, anyway. I'm sure Mr Filch's hair loss will eventually stop being resistant to all attempts to reverse it."

"Bald is not a look that just anyone can pull off, and it pains me to announce that this instance is no exception..."

"...although that look on him is exceptionally awful…"

…"to be fair with a receding hairline like his, whoever 'spilled' that potion on him was really just speeding up the timeline that nature clearly already had planned."

"'Potion,' Fred?"

"I've said too much."

"Moving right along before Professor Mcgonagall makes good on the threats her eyes are promising and shuts us down. So, as we wait for our teams to make their way onto the pitch and take their places in the sky, let's return to the reason why we're all here today."

"Right you are George. I'm Weasley, he's Weasley, and joining us here in the commentary box to take a look at the season ahead of us is former Wimborne Wasps and English National Team Beater, Ludo Bagman."

"Welcome to the commentary box Ludo."

"Thank you boys, good to be here. The Hogwarts Cup has quickly become one of Britain's premier junior competitions, and the Department of Magical Tourism and Sports is thrilled to sponsor it for the sixth year running. And I know I'm not the only pair of eager eyes here today - I spotted a scout I remember from my playing days seated over here in the general admission stand, and I know the sports editors at both the Daily Prophet and the Cardiff Chronicle routinely send someone up for the first match of the season."

"More than just a win to play for then Fred."

"Absolutely, George. But 'win' is exactly what these teams will need to do. Four teams, double round-robin format with each team playing against the other three, twice."

"That leaves us with twelve games between now and finals, with the last of the regular season matches to take place in the week before Christmas."

"That will set our finals bracket when we resume matches in March, with the top of the ladder team playing against second place for a free pass into the final, and the loser dropping into the lower bracket to take on the victor of the third and fourth place elimination match. Winner of that game moves on to the Grand Final."

"Ludo, you've been in this situation many times before, how important is it for the momentum of these teams to come away from today with a win?"

"Oh It's going to be extremely important for both these teams to get their season started today - there is nothing worse than coming into the first game of the school year with all the attention on you, fuelled by all the hype and the build up only to walk back into the change rooms some time in the next three hours with your tail between your legs."

"Both teams are a mixture of experience and youth, but you've got to think that the edge probably lies with Slytherin in this one…"

"...they are without doubt the favourites going into this one, Fred. They're fielding an unchanged lineup from last year, although Flint has taken over the captaincy for this season, allowing Higgs to hopefully focus his attention on actually catching the Snitch for once."

"And here come the Slytherins now, flying onto the pitch we have Farley, Higgs, Lee, Avery, Parkinson, Rowland, Pyrites, Burke, Orpington, aaaaaaand Flint!"

"Following them into the sky is the Gryffindor team of Stevens, Prewett, MacGibbon, Hall, Barnes, Cordover, Shafiq, Wilkes, Longbottom aaaaaaand Wood!"

"With the departure of a number of their veteran players, Fifth year student Oliver Wood has been promoted into the captaincy as only a second year member of the team. As captain, he'll have a Charlie Weasley sized hole to fill, and somehow I think that I'm not alone in wondering if he's up to the job. Ludo?"

"Well he's going to have to be isn't he? I think it's fair to say the Gryffindor team went into last season expecting to leave with the cup, and were as shocked as the rest of us to find themselves bundled out in the semi final by eventual Champions Hufflepuff. This team is a far cry from last year's early season favourites, with several key players having either graduated or stepped down to focus on their final year of study, they may not be carrying the depth they need to cover off the Slytherin attack."

"It will take an awe-inspiring attempt…"

"...an extreme endeavour…"

"...a massively, monstrous masterstroke of magnificence…"

"...to see Wood and his team come through this one and out the otherside with the win, but I love an underdog so my Galleon is on Gryffindor to grab the goods. Ludo, Madam Hooch is waving the Captains in towards her now. Final thoughts before you head back to your seat?"

"Look, you've got to give this one to Slytherin. On paper, they've got arguably the best team of the four houses this year, and with the exception of maybe Ravenclaw I don't see anyone making them sweat. I'll wait and see how Hufflepuff shapes up against them too, but my heart says that even with veteran captain Brown at the helm, Hufflepuff just lost too many experienced hands to graduation. Slytherin to win today, and to take the cup."

"George?"

"I'll join you in making it two for Gryffindor, Fred. Call me biassed…"

"...you genuinely are biassed…"

…but I'm sensing an upset is on the cards here today."

"I'm no tarot reader, George, but that's a future that I can get behind. We'll leave it at that now as we join the action out in the middle of the pitch just in time for the captains reach referee Madam Hooch for the coin toss."

Harry watched in awe as the players streaked about the sky. The pace was frenetic, the action intense and despite not belonging to either of the competing houses, Harry was loving every second of it. The game had been going for an hour and a half and was showing no signs of slowing down. Admittedly, that was better news for fans wearing green and silver rather than red and gold; Harry winced as a bludger connected with a Gryffindor chaser with a thud so loud that it made him draw his arms in to cover his own ribs in sympathy.

Gryffindor had done well to hold on for the first hour despite being such a comparatively inexperienced team, but now the game was gradually slipping away from them and it was only their keeper, Wood, who was keeping the scoreline as close as it was.

Upon the release of the Snitch at the one hour mark, Gryffindor's Seeker Teddy Longbottom had peeled away from his chasers with the aim of finding the Snitch quickly and catching it the moment the very back and forth game swung in their favour. Slytherin left him to do as he pleased and instead capitalised on having the extra player against the Gryffindor Chasers to great effect; scoring four goals in quick succession and without answer. Wood, having no other option, called his Seeker back but by then the damage was done, and the Gryffindors previous narrow lead was replaced by a scoreline of ninety to one hundred and twenty.

Harry looked around at Ernie who was watching the game intently through a pair of what he'd informed Harry were omnioculars - magical binoculars with the ability to rewind and slow down play. From that point onward they remained pressed hard up against his friend's eyes, and judging from his shouts and accompanying hand gestures, Ernie was as invested in the game as any of the Gryffindors. And as though that wasn't enough support, on the way into the stands he'd managed to buy a red and gold scarf off a pair of highly amused third years.

The Hufflepuff first years hadn't managed to get a seat all together unfortunately, but his friend had readily followed Harry to a few rows further down and across where he'd spotted two seats available next to each other. Harry knew that his friend would have preferred to be sat with the others, cheering along and watching as a larger group, and so the show of support from the outgoing boy made him more glad than ever that he had taken a leap of faith and started a conversation with him at the Welcoming Feast.

Harry was about to tease his friend about whether he'd been sorted into the wrong house this whole time when he noticed that at the opposite end of the field to the current play, Nathaniel Parkinson, Slytherin's Keeper, was behaving oddly in the air; he was veering to the far right of the goal posts, his broomstick bucking wildly and steadily gaining altitude.

"What's Parkinson doing?" Harry said, nudging Ernie.

"What do you mean? He's Keeping, isn't he?" came Ernie's distracted reply, his attention clearly still focused on the Gryffindor end of the field.

"No, somethings up with him. He's going to crash into the goals in a minute, look!"

Sighing, Ernie quickly swivelled his head to point the omnioculars at the other end of the field, just in time to watch the Slytherin Keeper be pushed into the top of the right hand goal hoop by his own broom!

"I say, what's he playing at? It's one thing to be distracted while ahead, but that's just silly. I hope that hurt!"

"I'm not sure it's on purpose" said Harry who couldn't believe that someone would willingly crush themselves into a metal hoop.

"What, like he's lost control of his broom? I'd argue the embarrassment of that would be far worse."

Soon enough, they weren't the only ones who had noticed what was happening to Slytherin's Keeper; people were pointing up at Parkinson from all over the stands as he drifted higher and higher. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped as his broom gave a wild jerk, unseating the Slytherin Keeper who had reached blindly to try and grab on to anything he could and was now dangling from his broom by a single hand.

"Did something happen to it during Gryffindor's last shot on goal?" Harry whispered, his eyes wide in shock.

"Certainly not," Ernie said, his omnioculars glued to the boy hanging from his broom. "Few things can interfere with a broomstick short of powerful magic. No student is going to be up for that, it would take at least one of the teaching staff to pull something like this off."

"Well?! What are the professors doing?"

Ernie paused, turning his head to stare at Harry in disbelief.

"Surely you're not suggesting that…"

As though waiting for a trigger, it was at that moment that Nathaniel Parkinson fell. From sixty feet up in the air, he hit the ground with a thud and didn't move.

Everywhere in the stands, people were on their feet, all of them pushing to get a better look.

Ernie and Harry just stared at each other with wide eyes. Ernie was the first to calm down, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"That's an awful fall. I won't pretend this happens all the time - in fact it's quite the spectacle for your first game Harry - but it does happen. Maybe not quite like that, but falls aren't unheard of, even at a junior level. Fortunately Quidditch pitches are purposefully designed to minimise fall damage - have been for centuries now. The ground won't have felt like a cushion, but that landing looked worse than it was. Maybe a few broken bones, possibly a concussion, but the hospital staff will have him right as rain in no time at all."

Harry just stared at ernie. "Oh, is that all?" he said with no shortage of sarcasm.

"Well…" Ernie defended himself. " When you put it that way I suppose it's not ideal, but there are always risks - that's just Quidditch!"

"I still can't believe you thought one of the professors would hex a student" Ernie continued on, eager to change the subject.

Harry, who had stopped listening, immediately focused back on what was being said.

"Pass me the binoculars, quickly!"

"Omnioculars" Ernie corrected. And what for? You're not going to stare at the poor chap while they lift him up off the field are you? That's a bit morbid for my tastes."

Rolling his eyes, Harry pried the omnioculars out of his friend's grasp and raised them to his face, spinning about until he located the area over by the commentary box which was allocated to faculty and visiting family.

Like everyone else, the teaching staff were all on their feet; either staring grimly down at the pitch or speaking in hushed tones with those who stood closest to them. Professor Mcgonagal was barking orders to a few apprentices and pointing down to the pitch where Madam Pomfrey had arrived to assess Nathaniel Parkinson's condition.

Looking around further, Harry was about to give up when he noticed that up in the highest section of the stand and far away from the prying eyes of the next closest people, Professor Quirrell had his wand raised and was locked in a fierce argument with a dark haired man with a prominent hook nose.

Both men, who had somehow managed to keep their rather public disagreement hidden while the rest of the faculty focused on the fallen student, were standing centimetres apart from each other. The dark haired man gestured angrily at Quirrel's wand and took a step closer still. Quirrel, apparently having had enough of what the man had to say, threw his head back in disdain before pushing roughly past him and making his way down the stand towards the other professors. The dark haired man stared after him, never once looking away.

A hand on Harry's shoulder reminded him of the fact that he wasn't alone.

"Tell me you weren't staring at the professors" Ernie said with exasperation. I don't know how things work in the Muggle world, but here, at Hogwarts, professors don't attack students. What on earth would make you think they would?"

"Because they put a giant, three headed, carnivorous dog in a corridor. Tell me, how is this less believable?

Ernie blinked, caught somewhat flat footed by the straightforwardness of Harry's argument.

"You said a student couldn't do that to a broom" Harry said earnestly.

"Ah, well, yes but that doesn't mea…"

"You also implied that people don't usually just lose control over their broom like that" Harry continued on quickly, eager not to lose his friend now that he had his attention. "And half of those Slytherins have got rich parents, which means they've got good brooms that don't randomly break in the first place, right?"

"Alright…" Ernie replied, slowly, as though checking for a trap. "But just because brooms don't act up like that doesn't mean a professor hexed him until he fell. It could have been anyone!"

"So you agree that someone could have done it?" Harry replied, seriously.

"I… That's not what… You sound like some conspiracy theorist crackpot - you know that, right?" Ernie sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I saw Quirrell fighting with another professor." Harry chimed in quickly, keen to head his friend off before he built up a head of steam.

"You what?"

"When I was looking at them through the binoc… omnioculars. Him and a dark haired teacher with a huge nose. I've seen him before too in the great hall. They were hidden away up the back of the stands away from everyone with their wands out and looked like they were about to attack each other."

Ernie looked carefully at Harry now and seemed to be considering what was being said.

"You're sure of what you saw? That's a big claim you're making, and even if they were fighting, it doesn't actually prove that either one of them did anything."

The wind cut out of his sales, Harry deflated at that before perking up again and pointing at Ernie's omnioculars.

"Don't those things record what they see? Then you could see for yourself!"

"They have a memory of three minutes" Ernie said, picking the omnioculars up and fiddling with the dial for rewind. "They're only designed for quick replays, after that it just records over the top of itself and keeps going. Still, let's see…"

Ernie raised the omnioculars to his face and watched the recording. Harry used the time to look around the pitch; The medi-witch had cleared Nathaniel Parkinson from the field and people were beginning to take their seats.

Quicker than Harry would have liked, Ernie finished watching and put the omnioculars away.

"There wasn't much to watch," he said, forestalling Harry's obvious comment. "I picked up their confrontation just before the end. They were having a right proper argument though, I will say that much. That was Professor Snape with him by the way; he's the head of Potions that Slughorn told us about.

"And…?" Harry prompted hopefully?

"And, it still doesn't prove anything" Ernie finished with an exasperated look as Harry deflated yet again.

"Yeah… Yeah. You're right. Sorry I just…"

"Got carried away in all the excitement?" Ernie finished with a grin. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

"Shove off" Harry shot back. "At least Parkinson will be alright. Hooch is still out in the middle and everyone is going back to their seats. So, what happens now?"

"What happens now is that we play Quidditch. There aren't any substitutes or reserves in Quidditch, Slytherin will just have to play on without their Keeper" Ernie rubbed his hands gleefully as he spoke, the Gryffindor scarf still proudly displayed around his neck.

So, revamped Quidditch. The idea that the Seeker more or less made the rest of the positions redundant never sat well with me. Now its more strategic. Loved it, or not so much? Either way, let me know your thoughts in the reviews!