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Harry Potter And The Game of Death

Level 1

Chapter Nineteen: A Party to Remember

It only took a few short minutes to dress. After a quick check in his new room's adjoining bathroom mirror, Harry made his way back to the party.

The second he made his appearance, Mrs. Weasley grabbed Harry into a warm hug and shook him hard. The stout woman was gushing with pride as she praised his new look. "Oh Harry! You look absolutely dashing in those clothes! Have you gained some weight? You must have!""

"A little. Summer with my relatives was a little… easier… this year," Harry said. Long used to the Weasley matriarch's over the top displays of affection, he allowed her to twist him about to better examine his new outfit. "Thank you for the compliments."

"Aww. You are just the sweetest thing, Harry." Molly Weasley prattled as she squished Harry tightly to her pillowy chest. "I really am glad to see you doing so well. Considering what those awful people have done to you in the past I was just so worried for you when you first arrived. But it seems like this summer was different and I couldn't be happier for it!"

Harry politely murmured something in reply. But squished as he was between her large breasts his voice came out rather muffled.

Regardless, Mrs. Weasley happily accepted it and kept on speaking.

"Quite right you are, dearie. It's about time that those dreadful Muggles started treating you right. That letter Sirius wrote them – Arthur and I signed onto it as well – must've had an effect. And while I'll admit I was a bit trepidatious at first – I mean, threatening defenceless Muggles is something a Death Eater might do, not good and proper witches and wizards like Arthur and myself – well, if this is the result of that letter, then I have no regrets at having added my name to the list of signatories."

"And your assistance in that area will always be appreciated, Molly. However, I think you should release Harry from your embrace." Harry felt more than heard Sirius' chuckle at his predicament. "The poor boy looks like he's beginning to suffocate in there."

Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley listened, allowing Harry to surface from the woman's warm valley. He took a deep breath, drawing air into his oxygen starved lungs.

But it was not yet over. Undeterred by his reddened face, the stately woman pushed him back and held him at arm's length. Then, with a curt nod, she promptly embraced him once again. "Nonsense, Sirius. This boy needs all the love he can get and that's just what I am giving him."

"Yes yes, I do agree with you, Molly, but I really think it's time you let him go. His continued ability to breathe notwithstanding, it would be rude of you to hog Harry all to yourself and keep the other guests waiting."

"Oh, fair enough, I guess. But I must insist you bring him back round once he has greeted everyone else." So saying, she released Harry from her embrace and gave a soft kiss to the top of his head. "It's a pleasure to see you as always, Harry."

"That's the spirit Molly! Your generosity shan't be forgotten." Sirius said jovially. And without waiting for the woman to change her mind, he clapped a hand to Harry's shoulder and began to pull him away. "Now, let's be off, kiddo. The other guests await the magnificence of our presence."

Harry shot Sirius a look of gratitude as they walked away. "Thanks, Sirius. I owe you one."

The older man chuckled and tousled Harry's hair. "Trust me kiddo, I understand. Molly is a wonderful woman, she really is, but sometimes she can be a bit… much."

The first person Sirius guided Harry to see was Professor McGonagall. The professor's jet-black hair had been styled into an elegant bun which exposed her slim, pale neck. Combined with her set of flowing red and green robes, and a golden necklace which descended into the valley of her impressive bosom, it gave the usually austere woman a regal look completely different from any Harry had ever seen on her.

This drastic change in appearance caught Harry so off-guard that he failed to return her initial greeting and ended up being scolded by the formidable woman, much to Sirius' amusement.

But while Harry listened to her scolding, he realized that he could finally see why the older boys always placed her just behind Professor Sinistra as the sexiest teacher at Hogwarts. With the different hairstyle and outfit, Minerva McGonagall was gorgeous. Or as Ron later mentioned, 'definitely fanciable, but in a scary sort of way'.

Still, that moment of attraction passed as the professor's light tongue-lashing settled in. No matter what she looked like or how she dressed, the woman was still terrifying.

"Poor manners aside, Mr. Potter," she said sternly, "I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by the contents of your letter this summer. And while I greatly approve of your decision to drop Divination – a rubbish field if ever there was, and why it is still taught at our school is beyond me –, whatever could have convinced you to take up the field of Enchanting in its stead? Enchantments are a rather esoteric field of study, one most wizards and witches do not encounter until well after they have finished their basic schooling."

Unsure of what to say, and still smarting from her scolding, Harry gave a slight shrug. "Well, uh, I just thought that it sounded rather interesting. From what Hermione and Remus – I mean, Professor Lupin – described, it's supposed to be one of the best fields of study out there."

Minerva McGonagall gave a pleased nod at his reply. "It is indeed, Mr. Potter. Many famous wizards and witches, including the legendary Merlin and Morgana, have made a study of its tenets. I myself am well versed in it. But, while I think that it is a good choice on your part, I want to impress upon you that studying it will require a much higher level of academic commitment from you than you have consistently shown in the past."

Harry winced at the last statement. It was, after all, quite deserved. After all the times he had skived off with Ron or put off doing his revisions so he could talk Quidditch with Seamus and Dean, Harry knew that the professor's point was not without merit.

"Yes, Professor," Harry said with as much confidence as he could place into his voice. "I promise you'll see a completely different version of me in your classroom this year than you have in the past. I swear it."

After studying his face for a time, the strict professor seemed to somewhat soften. She gave him a slight nod of her head and raised her glass in salute.

"A wonderful promise to be sure, Mr. Potter. And one I look forward to seeing you keep," she said lightly. "But I do hope you will keep your irrepressible charm intact as well. You are who you are, Harry, and you should not try to change yourself overmuch."

"Seconded! Three cheers to remaining an irrepressible scamp forever says I! He'll be a chip off his father's block by the time I'm through with him," Sirius chimed in with glee.

"Please don't go quite that far, Sirius. The boy and his friends give me quite enough trouble as it is."

"Pshaw. You'll love it, I swear."

After giving the professor a naughty wink, which caused her to sigh, Sirius turned his head around to scan the room. "Oi! Where's Remus? He should be in on this too. Besides, he's the man with the champagne!"

"That's a lovely idea, Sirius, even if I will have a nightmare or three over how you might influence the poor boy." Professor McGonagall had a wry expression on her face as she chuckled at Sirius' antics. "But do make sure to include some sparkling cider with it as well. Harry is still far too young to be drinking."

"Oh, lighten up Minerva. You're only young once in your life."

"Indeed. Though some of us, it would seem, are destined to never grow old at heart." A smiling Remus Lupin wandered over with a tray of glasses and inclined his head in greeting. "It's Harry's party and we're not his professors at the moment – let the boy live a little."

Unfortunately, and in spite of Harry's hopes to get a taste of the beverage being offered to him, neither Sirius nor Remus were the equal of a determined Minerva McGonagall. A grumbling Sirius made the toast and leaned down afterwards to tell Harry that he would sneak him some of the 'good stuff' once the stern professor had departed. A comment which earned the dark-haired man a fierce scolding that soon had Harry laughing, especially when the professor slipped him a wink when Sirius was not looking to let Harry know it was all in good fun.

Afterwards, Harry and Sirius parted from her company and followed Remus over to where Mr. Weasley and the twins were waiting.

Once there, Mr. Weasley smiled at Harry and congratulated him on moving to his new home, saying how he would miss hosting Harry at the Burrow.

That small comment nearly brought Harry to tears and he had made sure to thank the kind man properly for his graciousness in freely taking Harry into his home over the previous summers. Mr. Weasley, though, had waved off Harry's stammered thanks with a kind smile and mentioned that he did look forward to having more regular access to Harry. Thanks to some recent paperwork filled out by Remus, the Cottage was now an official part of the Floo network, making it a quick and simple trip between it and the Burrow.

While Harry was grimacing over the remembered pain he had gone through thanks to Floo powder, Fred and George came up on either side of him and slapped him on the back.

"Hiya Harry! Nice place you've got here."

"It's impressive, mate. Utterly gorgeous. But best of all, both of the adults you get to live with are fun!"

"I know! They're so much cooler than our mum and dad, that's for sure. Remus was telling Fred and me about how he and Sirius were two of the original Marauders!"

"Did you know that? It blew George's mind and nearly did the same to my own!"

"Hold on there, Fred. That's not how the way it happened. I clearly remember you babbling something about asking for their autograph."

"Don't you dare slander my good name, George. According to my recollection, you were the one crying and asking if they could teach you everything they know about pranking."

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"Lies! And for that despicable besmirch to mine honour, oh brother of mine, I challenge thee to a wizard's duel!"

"I accept! And I shall meet thee on the field of battle at thy convenience, you wretched cad!"

"Then have at thee!"

As a comically angry George launched himself at his twin brother, with both brandishing their wands as though they were swords, Harry made sure to give the pair a wide berth. Once the twins got started it was nearly impossible to get them to stop. Though in this case a very amused Harry saw no need to interrupt them, while a laughing Sirius and an openly exasperated Mr. Weasley evidently agreed since the two adults allowed the boys to fight their mock duel.

After the fierce battle ended – with both having been 'tragically slain' by the other – Harry and Sirius bade their farewells and moved to the final pair of people in need of greeting, the two unknown women Harry had spotted upon arriving.

As he approached, Harry noticed that the pink-haired lady looked young enough to be a fresh graduate of Hogwarts. She had a strong, athletic build to her which spoke of long hours of exercise. Combined with her fair complexion and fine features, she was definitely attractive, but it was her infectious smile and outrageously bright hair that made her beautiful. They gave the young woman an air of off-kilter joy that reminded Harry of his godfather and the twins.

Meanwhile, the older woman standing at the girl's side resembled her enough that it was obvious the two were related. But whereas the girl was strong of build and had close cropped hair, the older woman had a willowy figure she paired with a gentle cascade of long brown hair. She had the air of an aristocrat about her that reminded Harry of Narcissa Malfoy. Given that there was a strong similarity in their facial features as well, Harry wondered if the two were somehow related.

But unlike Draco's stepmother, the woman before Harry felt less like a statue carved of ice and more like an elegant swan. There was an approachable air and warmth to her eyes which reminded Harry of Sirius.

The pink-haired girl, who had been the one to yell 'wotcher' upon Harry's initial arrival, was bouncing from one foot to the other as Harry and Sirius made their way over. But before the clearly excited girl could do more than open her mouth, the older woman silenced her with a gentle tap to the shoulder. She then gracefully curtsied in her fancy, silver-embossed black dress robes before inclining her head in a gentle nod.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Harry Potter," she intoned formally. "My name is Andromeda Tonks, and this is my lovely daughter, Nymphadora Tonks. We are extended family members to your godfather, and we eagerly look forward to getting to know you."

Oh. So the resemblance between them and Sirius was more than just in Harry's mind. That was… interesting. And seemed to add credence to Ron's oft mentioned refrain that every British wizard and witch who did not come from the Muggle world was somehow related to each other.

Andromeda raised her head as she lifted out of the curtsy, her greeting not yet finished. "Sirius has been kind enough to entertain my daughter and myself on a regular basis since his return, so I expect we will be seeing much of each other in the coming weeks. If you ever have any questions regarding your schoolwork, the wizarding world, or anything else, please do not hesitate to ask for assistance. Sirius has always been dear to my heart, and I can tell upon meeting you, Harry, that you are a fine and wonderful boy as well."

Her rather formal introduction finished, Andromeda turned to her daughter and made a subtle gesture with her left hand that Harry took as a sign for the girl to introduce herself.

But by the glower she directed at her mother, it did not seem as though Nymphadora wanted to be quite so formal. Andromeda's hand gesture gained a matching glare which only seemed to deepen the younger woman's glower.

Eventually, with movements far less graceful than those of her mother, Nymphadora dipped herself into a polite curtsy with a bow of her head.

"It is my honour and the honour of my family to meet you, Harry James Potter of House Potter," she said in a flat deadpan. She also held the curtsy for a fraction of the time her mother did. "As my most respected mother stated, my name is Nymphadora Tonks, and I, too, look forward to the pleasure of getting to know you and yours. Glory be upon your house, and may your heirs be fruitful and multiply."

Then, with the speed of a flipped switch, the girl's voice changed from utterly deadpan to overly cheerful. "But as my dear cousin Sirius will tell you, kiddo, you can call me either Dora or Tonks. I'm currently training to be an Auror, and if you ever dare to use my full name without my permission… well, I don't care if you're the saviour of magical Britain or the next coming of Merlin himself. I'll still find a way to string you up in the Great Hall by your pants and send the pictures to Witch Weekly for publishing in their celebrity gossip pages. Got it?"

"Erm…" Stunned by the speed of her one-eighty change in greeting, and not sure what to make of that last bit, Harry looked to Sirius for assistance. Only to find the man awkwardly looking away and trying not to make eye contact, while Andromeda had a hand over her face as she muttered something about 'insanity running through the family' under her breadth.

Left without guidance from either of the adults, and with Nym- er, Dora, still looking at him intently, Harry decided to accept the odd pronouncement and nod his head in reply. "Oh. Um, yeah. Sure thing, Dora. It's a, uh, a pleasure to meet you. And you too, Mrs. Tonks. Thank you for coming."

"You have my deepest apologies, Harry, for my daughter's rather rude introduction," Andromeda sighed as she rubbed her forehead. "I have tried my best to teach her proper manners over the years, but I sometimes fear it to be a losing battle."

"You'd better believe it, mum! Fussy manners are for fussy people, not for gorgeous gals like you and me. It's much more fun to relax and call things as they are than it is to beat around the bush all day."

"With a mindset like that it's no wonder I despair of you ever finding a proper husband. Oh, how I worry for you."

Dora had a sharp glint in her eye as she opened her mouth to respond to her mother's barb. And while Harry stood there, watching in morbid fascination as Andromeda's eyes gained an equally flinty glint in response to her daughter's look, Sirius hurriedly pushed his way between the two.

The tall man placed an arm around the shoulders of both ladies and gave each a charming smile in turn. "Now now, oh beautiful cousins of mine, let's not fight amongst ourselves about such minor things. After all, it's Harry's party! Let's just relax and enjoy ourselves, alright?"

Andromeda gave a polite sniff as she removed Sirius' arm from around her shoulders. "Very well, Sirius. In the interests of being polite, I suppose that I can allow my daughter's boorish antics to go without further comment. But in return I expect to be invited over for tea and biscuits far more frequently."

Dora, meanwhile, rolled her eyes at Sirius and twisted one of his fingers into what looked to be some sort of very painful finger lock. "I'll agree to not fight with my mum, cousin, but only if you let me in on the training I know you're planning on giving Harry."

"B-b-but if you really do get the apprenticeship you're after," Sirius gasped out, his face twisted halfway between a charming smile and a pained rictus, "then you won't be available most of the time-"

"Doesn't matter! I'll join in when I can, so leave the offer open."

"Ack! No need to tighten your grip, I agree to the demands! I agree!" Sirius said as he stood on his tip toes. "So, please, oh gorgeous and powerful and merciful Auror in training, please see fit to release me."

Dora gave Sirius a lingering glare before letting go of his finger with a flamboyant flick. The man slumped down, shooting the smirking Dora a disgruntled glare as he did.

The young woman ignored it and turned to Harry, placing both her hands upon his shoulders. Her strong hands gripped him tightly, and Harry found that he was unable to so much as budge.

"Now that introductions are over, what say you we grab some of the others and head outside for a spot of fun, huh? I spotted a fresh new Quidditch field in the back and I know for a fact that Sirius put in an order with Spudmore for two teams'worth of brand-new brooms."

Harry gaped, his mind blown by the implication. "Spudmore? As in the makers of the Firebolt Spudmore?"

"Righty-o! So, what say you? Feeling up for a challenge?"

Bloody hell he was! Seeing everyone was nice, but Quidditch was Quidditch. Nothing could be more fun.

Finally having something he could latch onto, Harry gave the young woman a massive grin. She might be cocky and think herself good on a broom, but Harry knew he was better. "In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Some time later saw Harry warily eyeing the scene in front of his eyes. What had seemed like a rather bright idea at the time was quickly turning into something else entirely.

After he and Dora had grabbed the Weasley kids and informed them of Dora's idea, the group had set out for the newly constructed Quidditch pitch.

Located well beyond the Cottage's crystal-clear pond, the field was set against a backdrop of forest and rolling green hills which reminded Harry of the Hogwarts pitch. Which was probably by design when considering Sirius' continued fondness for the school.

The six youngsters had each grabbed one of the fourteen shiny new Firebolt brooms Sirius had ordered – which had caused the four Weasleys, and Ron in particular, to let out whoops of joy and excitement – and split into separate teams. Fred, George and Ron on one side versus Harry, Ginny, and Dora on the other. What had followed was a fun bit of back and forth as the teammates constantly swapped positions and did their best to one-up the other side.

It was an hour into play when things began to get interesting. Professor McGonagall and Sirius, who had been providing a silly play by play of the aerial activities, got into a bit of a row. During which Sirius had loudly proclaimed he and 'the boys' could easily take on Minerva and 'the girls', which caused the stern-faced professor to flatly tell Sirius to put his money where his mouth was.

Sirius, of course, had agreed, and things had only gone downhill from there.

The two adults split everyone into a pair of teams. Harry, Sirius, Remus, Fred and Ron were on one side. Professor McGonagall, Ginny, Andromeda, and Dora composed the other team. Along with George who had turned traitor to keep the numbers fair.

As for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, neither of whom were very skilled at flying on a broom, the married couple agreed to be co-referees for the match.

After a bit of a discussion between the two sides, and a minor toss-up between the twins when each tried to subtly hex the other, the group agreed to use Professional League rules instead of the Amateur rules they used for the Hogwarts intramural games; George and Ron did their best to catch Harry up on the differences between the two, but he soon found himself lost.

Still, it was the same sport. Things could not be terribly different between the two versions, or so Harry told himself.

In any case the whistle was soon blown, a Professional League Snitch was tossed into the air, and the game was afoot. Or a-broom as the case might be when in regard to Quidditch. Which, in any event, left Harry in his current position staring down the opposing Seeker.

An opponent who was proving to be far more difficult, and cheeky, than he had initially imagined.

A red-cheeked Ginny was giving him an eager grin, warm brown eyes alight with competitive spirit as they soared through the air side by side. For the first time in his life Harry was having a match with someone where a broomstick did not give one of them a competitive edge. And given the skills Ginny was showing off as they flew through the sky, Harry was seriously beginning to reconsider his earlier belief that Gryffindor's longstanding Chaser trio were guaranteed to beat the younger girl out should she wish to join the House team.

"I almost caught you out on that one, Harry!" Ginny called out as she speedily rotated through the air to come up beside him. "You won't be able to get rid of me so easily."

Harry shot the pretty redhead a competitive smirk. Ginny was certainly fun to fly against, but he was not about to let her win. "Let's just see about that!"

Putting his money where his mouth was, Harry sent his Firebolt into a dizzying corkscrew as he shot towards the ground. A familiar feeling of euphoria built within his chest as the wind blew through his hair. The Firebolt came out of the manoeuvrer several yards above the turf, upon which he veered sharply to the right the instant he levelled off.

Unable to replicate it, Ginny was forced to slow down and pull up sooner, creating a gap that Harry fully intended to exploit.

But just as he was about to really kick things into a higher gear and pull out all the stops, Harry heard a woman give a cry of victory while a man began to curse vehemently.

Twisting his head around, Harry saw Andromeda speeding away from his godfather and racing toward the goals. Ron waited between them with a nervous look on his face, lips pursed tightly as his broom wavered in the air. Harry's eyes narrowed as he watched, hoping his friend would be able to stop the incoming shot.

Which is why Harry completely missed the tell-tale sound of an incoming Bludger before it slammed into his left shoulder. The mass of enchanted iron sent him spinning, forcing Harry to wrestle with his broom as he fought through the pain.

He managed to catch himself just before he hit the turf, toes touching the fresh cut grass as he shot a glare towards the opposing Beater.

Dora's hot pink hair waved in the breeze as she sported a Cheshire grin. "Wotcher! Didn't dodge that one, did ya? Looks like I'll need to introduce you to the concept of 'Constant Vigilance' once we finish this match. It'd be a shame if some stodgy Dark wizard or witch were to blast that pretty little head of yours off your shoulders."

"Losers don't get to decide what happens when the game is over, Dora," Harry shot back.

"Then it's a good thing I'm a winner, ain't it? Speaking of which, look at my mum go. Woohoo! Get 'em mum!"

Harry watched as Andromeda neatly faked Ron out and daintily tossed the Quaffle through one of the three hoops. The elegant lady gave a brief victory lap as a cheering Professor McGonagall met her over the pitch for a mid-air hug. Sirius, meanwhile, angrily swore up and down while Remus patted him on the back.

Harry ruefully shook his head at the scene and went back to looking for the Snitch.

After that shot the match seemed to settle into a rhythm. Andromeda, who was clearly an exceptional flier, sped around and took shot after shot at their goal with Professor McGonagall acting as her support. To Ron's credit, he was able to block most of them, but the sheer volume of shots sent his way took a toll. The score against the boys' team began to inch higher and higher the longer the game wore on.

Remus and Sirius had excellent teamwork and coordination with each other, but Remus was not one of the better fliers on the pitch while Sirius was clearly rusty from his time in Azkaban. The brown-haired werewolf often found himself trying to beat back Andromeda on his own while a red-faced Professor McGonagall constantly boxed out Sirius; Harry learned a few new swear words from his godfather as Professor McGonagall's actions increasingly infuriated the dark-haired man. Meanwhile, George the traitorous twin was proving to be an adequate enough Keeper to keep the score tilted in favour of the girls' team.

Harry watched it play out as he sped around the pitch looking for the Snitch, Ginny hot on his tail the entire time. As the game wore on Harry found that it was increasingly difficult to shake her. In fact, she nearly got him at one point when the small redhead suddenly went into a steep vertical drop Harry had instantly imitated.

It was only when she suddenly cut her acceleration and pulled up hard that Harry realized he had been had. It was only through sheer luck and quick reflexes that he avoided planting himself face first into the grassy pitch. After which Harry shot the young girl a look of mixed admiration and annoyance for the manoeuvrer.

Ginny, meanwhile, stuck her tongue out in way of reply. Then her eyes gained a dangerous glint of amusement. One that caused warning bells to go off in the back of Harry's skull.

"Blimey! Harry, watch out!"

Fred's warning came in the nick of time. Harry cut his forward acceleration and went into a Dead Man's Drop. The harsh swoosh of a missed Bludger passed by his ear, close enough to raise goosebumps on Harry's skin.

"Dangit Fred!" George called out from his spot by the goalposts. "Why'd you have to warn him? That could have been game and match!"

"Because he's my teammate, George!" Fred yelled back. "And I don't want to hear it. I know the real reason you ditched us was because you didn't want to face this monster in the air again!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Ha! Boys, boys. There's no need to argue with one another. Just because I obliterated you when your ickle bitty team of stuffed lions played against the mighty badgers is no reason to hold onto a grudge."

Harry watched as Fred directed an unusually sullen look at Dora's cheerful face. "Uh huh. Obliterated is a good word alright. You left George with two broken wrists, gave our Seeker a concussion, and knocked Wood unconscious. Twice! All while leaving the rest of us with bruises that took weeks to fade. I'd definitely call that grudge worthy."

"Oh, whatever. You'd better get your head in the game, Freddykins, 'cause here comes another one!"

Swearing explosively, Fred raced to interpose himself between Dora and Harry. This time he managed to bat away the speeding Bludger and send it at his grinning brother. George was forced to dodge the incoming attack by rolling in the air on his broom, using a type of slack grip Harry had never seen. Once the boy came up, though, he shook his fist at his brother and yelled some rather choice phrases that Fred returned in kind.

The budding argument was quickly broken up by the shrill noise of Mrs. Weasley's referee whistle. "Foul! The Beater for the boy's team took an illegal shot at the Keeper for the girl's team when there was no Quaffle in the vicinity. And shame on both of you for using such foul language! I am going to have words with the both of you once we get back to the Burrow if you don't clean your mouths up at once, so help me!"

After that, Professor McGonagall took the penalty shot on behalf of the girls, which Ron managed to block by the tips of his fingers. The young redhead then passed the ball to Sirius, who took off in a burst of speed to the opposing goalposts. Remus, Andromeda, and the rest sped off in pursuit while Harry and Ginny resumed their search for the Snitch.

It was in the second hour of play that Harry saw a glint of gold hovering in the middle of the pitch. A small portion of uncut grass waved in the wind while a glint of gold flashed from within its green blades.

Sure enough, it was the Snitch.

Doing his best to hide his discovery, Harry mulled over how he should approach it. With Ginny glued to his backside and Dora beating Fred in the battle of the Beaters, his options were rather limited. And given that this was a League legal Snitch instead of the type he was used to at school, Harry felt certain that the pursuit would be even harder than usual.

To give himself more time to come up with a decision Harry began trying to fake Ginny out more intensely than he had since the beginning of the match. The two young fliers began to put on an aerial display as they went through a dizzying array of manoeuvrers.

From corkscrews, to snap-rolls, to sudden dives and bursts of acceleration, Harry pulled out most of the stops in his arsenal. Ginny gamely kept up with him for the most part but was not quite good enough. The span of distance between them steadily began to grow.

It was when they were both high above the pitch, with Ginny a good five or six metres behind, that Harry made his move.

Spotting the Chasers heading to the centre of the pitch, Harry went into a spiralling dive. His blurred figure flashed through the opposing formations, breaking it up as the four adults swerved to avoid hitting him and each other. A single, short expletive was the last thing Harry heard from Ginny as he left the other flier in his dust.

His opponent successfully ditched, Harry moved in on the Snitch's location, readying his hand to reach out and grab it.

But as though it knew Harry was coming, the crafty Snitch jumped out of its cover and flew straight up. Harry adjusted his course to match, grimacing as he lost speed.

Harry kept up his dogged pursuit. Bit by grudging bit he gained on the Snitch, growing ever closer to ending the game. His guiding hand tightened its grip on the wood of his broom handle, trying to will more speed out of the device.

When the Snitch was barely out of reach, Harry pushed his trusty Firebolt hard. Then, letting go of it with one hand, he stretched out with the other to eke out a few more centimetres.

His fingertips touched its golden surface. Then his instincts suddenly screamed at him to dodge.

Harry ignored them and instead clasped his hands around the fluttering object. A split second later, a Bludger slammed into his chest and sent him spinning.

Harry spun around in an out-of-control spiral for the second time that game. Both hands clutched at the handle of his broomstick as he wrestled against inertia with every ounce of muscle his body possessed. But this time his efforts were not enough, and Harry found himself slamming into the pitch with a meaty thud.

"Oi! Harry, are you okay? Is everything alright?"

Sirius' shouted voice was laden with concern as he flew over. Harry woodenly nodded his head before realizing that he was lying flat on his back; that impact had been a nasty one to make him feel so disoriented that had failed to figure it out sooner.

With a pained grunt, Harry pulled himself upright and looked around. Then, with a grin he had been holding back for the entire game, Harry looked for Ginny to rub in his victory.

Only for his jaw to drop the moment he laid eyes on her.

Because clasped within her left hand was the golden Snitch, tiny wings fluttering softly to signify the end of the match.

Several hours later and the exhausted trio of Sirius, Remus, and Harry were collapsed on a trio of sofas in the Cottage's living room. It was night-time, and everyone who had come to welcome Harry to the house had long since departed.

"Well lads, despite the bumps along the way, I think today went fairly well," Sirius said as he sat up with a stretch. "Though I seriously didn't see the final results of that game coming."

"Argh!" Harry yelled into his chosen sofa. "Why didn't anyone tell me that if you dropped a League legal Snitch, it would start to fly again? The ones we have at school stop dead once a Seeker grabs them!"

At some point during his crash landing, courtesy of one oh so jubilant Dora, Harry had let go of the Snitch. Which had meant Ginny, who had been flying close behind him, had been in the perfect position to grab it. And since the rules of professional Quidditch differed ever so slightly from the school version Harry knew, the match had turned into a loss instead of a win.

"Didn't Ron and George explain the differences to you before we started?" Remus asked.

"Well… but… I mean…" Harry spluttered with all the eloquence of an angry troll. "They might have mentioned it, sure, but there were so many little differences between the Amateur and Professional rules that they sort of lost me after a while."

"Ah. Well, sometimes that's just how the dice roll, kiddo," Sirius waxed philosophically. He waved a hand in a lazy circle before letting it flop to his side. "You win some and you lose some. And when you play against the fairer sex, it's been my experience that losing happens more often than not."

Remus groaned in assent. "Don't remind me. I always knew Minerva took Quidditch seriously, I never knew quite how seriously until today."

"Shush! Do not speak that evil witch's name aloud!" Sirius cried out as he melodramatically clapped hands over both ears. "She'll never let me live this down. Ever!"

"She might've been a terrible shot – I think she only made two or three goals total –, but you've gotta admit her ability to box you out was something else."

"No, no, no! I don't have to admit anything, Moony. 'Dromeda, at least, was on the Slytherin team back when she was at Hogwarts, so the talent and skill was always there with her. Same with Dora and Hufflepuff. But when was the last time you saw that dusty old professor of ours play a game on a broom? Tell me that. 'Cause I'd bet it was well before any of us were even born!"

Harry stayed silent as Sirius continued to rant. Between the game and the excitement of moving to a new home, well, Harry felt dead tired. And maybe it was because his exhaustion had lowered his emotional barriers, but Harry could feel tears of happiness forming in his eyes as he watched the two men argue back and forth over the matter.

Remus Lupin. A man who was a werewolf, someone who had been cast out from much of 'proper' magical society and had struggled to find employment for much of his adult life.

Sirius Black. A wrongfully incarcerated and recently exonerated prison escapee who also happened to be heir to a rich family with a Dark and troubled history.

Two men with utterly different backgrounds and life circumstances. Who were completely different in looks, attitude, and bearing. But they were the closest of friends and, if today was anything to go by, seemingly hell-bent on including Harry in their lives.

In order to match their devotion, there was one final thing Harry needed to do before he could let himself fully relax. So despite being tired and wanting little more than to go into his new room and flop onto his bed, Harry gathered the attention of his new Guardians by clearing his throat.

"Remus. Sirius. Thank you. For today. It was amazing, and incredible, and everything I hoped it would be when you asked me to come live with you before the school year ended." Harry gave the two men the widest smile he could manage. "But before I officially move in, there's something I need to tell you. It's a secret I've only shared with three other people, and it's something you must promise to keep secret from anyone else you know."

Sirius gave Harry a long look while Remus pushed himself into an upright position. Both men shared a glance with each other before nodding for Harry to proceed.

At their nods, Harry let out a breath that he did not realize he had been holding. "In that case, let me tell you about a special ability I possess. One which changes depending on the person who receives it… and in my case, is called 'The Game of Death'."

Hermione squinted in annoyance at the book held in front of her.

Today was the day of Harry's welcoming party to his new home… and here she was, not there. A fact which was truly irksome when considering the immense emotional implications it was bound to have on the boy. Who, despite being a wonderful and thoughtful person, could be surprisingly dense about his own feelings.

It was not as though Hermione hated her current circumstances. Her family's trip had several weeks remaining before they returned to England. They had finished touring the south of France and were now making their way through the nation's heartland. Yet gorgeous as it was, Hermione found her mind was not on the sights of the French countryside. It often found its way to a certain boy with brilliant green eyes, and daydreams of what it might be like if they were there together.

Perhaps knowing that their daughter's heart was not completely in the trip, her parents had recently told her an interesting bit of news. In two days' time they had arranged a planned visit to see a place called Beauxbatons Academy. It was apparently the premier school for magic in Magical France, as well as being one of the only remaining all-girl schools in magical Europe. A fact which her mother had recounted with glee when recounting her own experience at an all-girls boarding school.

The ease of making arrangements to pop in was due to Beauxbatons' open policy for young witches to visit it. A policy which – according to a copy of Beauxbatons, a History that Hermione had purchased by Owl Post for some light reading – was the result of a centuries old practice designed to lure potential students from rival schools like Hogwarts.

Ordinarily, going there would have excited Hermione beyond belief. It was a chance to explore something new and magical with her parents. And if Hogwarts were any guide, the place was certain to be fascinating.

But not this time. Hermione would have traded the opportunity in a heartbeat if she could have been with Harry instead.

It was with a resigned sigh that Hermione did her best to pay attention to the tome in her hands. Her Ancient Greek had progressed to where she could finally read the introductory book in the grouping given to her by Professor Dumbledore.

The effort was already paying off. The Ancient Greeks had been one of the first civilizations to understand and study the effects of people such as Harry with any degree of success, and their observations on the subject were proving to be both fascinating and worrying in equal measure.

Hermione picked up where she had left off, mumbling her translation of the words aloud as she read.

"All who bear the blessings of the gods are inevitably beset with fearsome trials. Passage is said to win the Blessed One glory without end; failure, eternal infamy. But though the possibility of death or harm is present in every trial, such an outcome is only guaranteed should the Blessed One fail to complete their penultimate test.

Til now, there has only ever been one person to have successfully passed this dreaded trial."

A/N: A Quidditch game! I know most fan fics tend to ignore them, but it is a major part of the series. Please let me know what I did right and what I did wrong with it so that I can modify any future scenes which feature the game. Though in the interest of providing clarification, for the purposes of this story the rules of 'Professional' Quidditch are different from the canon rules (which are used at Hogwarts in this story as 'Amateur' rules). Also, a Snitch's canon 'flesh memory' ability is non-existent.

I also understand that not everyone will enjoy Harry's loss to Ginny (though I'd point out that Dora had no small part to play in the victory thanks to her Bludger shot). Nor will others like how I have Harry share knowledge about the Game of Death with those he trusts. But I'm okay with this result. Not everyone likes the same things in a story, which is a major reason why there is such a wide variety of literature out there for us to discover :).

Oh. And because several people have pointed it out (including a wonderful PM exchange), I do know that Beauxbatons was never explicitly stated to be an all-girls school in the novels. But the idea appealed to me, so that's how it will be in this story. Durmstrang will be an all-boys school so that I can have Hogwarts act as the middle ground for all three both metaphorically and, during the tournament in Level 2, literally as well.

Until Next Time,

Elsil