I totally meant to get this chapter out, first for Harry's Birthday, and then September 1st to celebrate the first day back at Hogwarts. So, sorry about that.

Alright, this update coincides with Chapter 7 of Chamber of Secrets. As always, I only claim my OC. I hope you enjoy this update! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up sooner rather than later.

ALSO: It always seemed weird to me that we didn't actually see the alternate players for the Hogwarts Quidditch teams until the fifth book [Alicia is mentioned to have been one in Lee's commentary during the first book, but substitute players aren't brought up until later in the series]. You'd think the team rosters would include reserve players, as they do for the professional Quidditch team. I've decided to rectify that. From my understanding, the reserve players for professional teams only participate in games if the A-team player cannot take part in the match, or if games go on for longer than a day. As such, those same rules apply to the Hogwarts teams.

Susanna inhaled deeply, gloved fingers wrapped tightly around the near-splintering wood. With a sharp twist, she curved around her opponent, ducking and rolling as one of the twins sent a Bludger her way. Eye on the Quaffle being tossed from one player to another, she leaned forward and willed herself to fly faster, streaking up and over the fourth year attempting to catch the ball, snatching it from the air. Keeping possession of the Quaffle, she zig-zagged through the air to avoid players and Bludgers alike, imagining she was back in the Burrow flying with Harry and the Weasleys.

Noticing the opposing Chasers were coming straight at her, Susanna knew she'd have no real chance in getting the ball through any of the hoops. Alicia Spinnet was open, though, and after quickly shouting her name she tossed the ball to the other Chaser. Alicia caught the Quaffle, sparing Susanna a wink before throwing it through the middle hoop, Oliver Wood too slow to block it. He blew his whistle, signaling the end of the game, and everyone touched back down on the grass beneath them. Susanna briefly flew past the stands where Ron and Hermione were watching, the red-haired girl beaming at their wide smiles. There wasn't even a book in sight, which meant her studious best friend had been completely absorbed in Susanna's tryouts.

"Excellent work, all of you. Now, remember, no hard feelings if you do not make the team. It's nothing personal, it's simply professional. You should all be proud of yourselves. Keep an eye out for the new team roster, it will be posted in the common room at the end of the day." Oliver announced. Everyone clapped for themselves, Susanna laughing as Harry grabbed her in a tight hug. His own tryouts had been easy - only a couple of Gryffindors went out for Seeker, but none were as quick as the Boy Who Lived.

"Brilliant! I saw that pass - it was smooth."

She laughed at her cousin's glee, but shook her head. "Yeah, but I'm still green, aren't I? Not a natural like you."

"Ballet seemed to have helped though. You looked graceful up there, weaving around." Harry pointed out, stepping back so he could move his arm the same way Susanna had flown. "Lots of loops."

"I was just trying not to slide off. That would have been embarrassing."

With the first half of the cousins' day having been dedicated to Quidditch tryouts, both were more than ready to just shower, meet up with Ron and Hermione, and grab some lunch in the Great Hall. Susanna waved to the twins, fist bumping Alicia when the Chaser offered it. "Nice pass, Dursley. Not many of the other Chasers were doing the same."

"Thanks." Susanna blushed at the sincere compliment before hurrying away, not sure what more to say.

"And nice form!" Alicia called after her.

"Told you so." Harry nudged his cousin. "Must run in the family."

"You got your skills from your dad, remember?"

"Yeah, and who's to say my mum wasn't an excellent flier, either." Harry gently reminded her.

Susanna smiled over at him. That'd been the most she'd heard him muse out loud about his parents in quite some time. "You're right."

"C'mon. Shower, then food."

Susanna sniffed herself, wrinkling her nose. "Right. Last one to the tower is a rotten egg!"

"On the count of - hey, you're cheating!" Harry called after his cousin as she sprinted into the castle, laughing before chasing after her.

Susanna spent the rest of Saturday with her stomach in anxious knots. She was confident in how she played, but she knew she wasn't as strong a player as Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell. Flying lessons with Madam Hooch last year proved that she was a more than fair flier, Harry often crediting her skill to years of ballet. She'd only had a month's worth of Quidditch training with her cousin and the Weasleys, but they'd play for hours at a time, in full game mode.

"There's always next year, if it doesn't work out this time around." Hermione gently reminded the redhead when she'd caught her best friend biting her nails. They were curled up on the couch together, but Susanna had twisted around so she could eye the announcement board near the dormitory stairs. "I'm sure Harry will practice with you - as long as it doesn't distract you from your school work!"

Ron and Harry ran into the common room, panting as they struggled to catch their breaths. "He's… coming…" Susanna's cousin groaned. "Sorry, didn't… didn't get to see… the roster."

"It's fine, Freak." She nudged him, then watched the portrait hole in anticipation. Finally, Oliver walked through, flocked by the Weasley twins who were begging to see the roster - as if they had anything to worry about. The Gryffindor Quidditch captain simply rolled his eyes and ignored them, pushing his way through the small crowd that had formed near the board. Susanna sighed and walked over to the board, passing by her disappointed housemates. A couple were shaking Oliver's hand, thanking him for putting them on the reserve team - they'd be able to replace a player if they were unable to participate in a match.

The second year hummed, lips pursed in understanding as she read the roster - Katie, Alicia, and Angelina had been selected as Chasers yet again, for good reason. "There's always next -"

Before Susanna could finish, Harry - who'd followed her up to the board, along with Hermione and Ron - jumped excitedly as he tugged her into a tight hug. "Reserve! You made it!"

"What?" She asked, confused, then her eyes flicked back to the roster. The reserve team had been listed at the bottom of the roster. And there, beneath reserve Keeper Cormac McLaggen, was her name.

She'd made it. She faced the possibility of never playing a match that year, but she'd still get to train with the team, which would only help her improve. Not to mention all the exercise Susanna'd be doing - she disliked ballet, but she also missed how active she'd been because of it.

"Reserve player! That's not bad at all!" Ron cheered for her, Hermione pulling Susanna into a hug. "Just don't let Fred and George take all the credit, I'm the one who taught you how to do the Wollongong Shimmy!"

Susanna snorted. "I would never." She swore before hugging her fellow redhead, pretending to fuss after he ruffled her hair.

"Excuse me, I'm the one who raced her every day to get her up to speed!" Harry reminded them.

Susanna rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes. Thank you for your help. This was all you guys, none of it was my own talent."

"Exactly, glad you get it." Harry beamed.

"Ignore them. You were wonderful!" Hermione then screwed her face in a stern expression - one that meant business. "Now, I need to speak to Oliver about your training schedule. We have to make sure they don't interfere with your studies. Or Harry's, for that matter!"

Susanna groaned as her best friend started making her way to the Quidditch captain. "Please don't say anything that'll get me kicked off the team! It's barely been a minute since I made it!"

Ron whistled. "You know, I almost feel bad for Wood. Hermione's worse about school than he is about Quidditch, if Harry's and my brothers' stories are anything to go by."

Susanna groaned, then glanced at the other redhead, suddenly curious. "Hey, you're good at Quidditch. Why didn't you try out?"

The boy flushed. "Oh, thanks. I might've, but… I guess I'm just… I don't know, I'm not nearly as good as the twins."

"You are! Maybe not as a Beater, but you're a great Keeper."

He smiled shyly at her. "Thanks, Susie."

Harry cleared his throat, shifting his weight. "I'll be right back - I left my Potions book upstairs, and I've been meaning to ask you about the Fire Protection Program."

"Didn't you ask me -" Harry was off before Susanna could finish, and she frowned at Ron. "That was weird. He asked me about that yesterday."

"If you say so." Ron shrugged, smiling a little too innocently. Susanna narrowed her eyes, and the other redhead cleared his throat. "Sorry, Percy's calling me."

"Prat." The girl grumbled, then hurried up the stairs to see what Harry was up to, suspicious of her cousin's behavior. She made sure to keep herself calm, not wanting the sentient stairs to think her intent was negative, as it did last year when she was sent sliding down to the common room.

This time Susanna was able to reach her destination, freezing at the top of the steps. Harry beamed back at her, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he held out his hands.

His non-empty, broomstick holding hands. Susanna's green eyes went wide as saucers as she took in the sleek black wood and polished silver. A Nimbus 2001. Harry had gotten her a Nimbus 2001.

"Harry, how… when did you… what?" She stammered out, glancing between her cousin and the broom.

"Diagon Alley. I doubled back for it when Hermione and Ron distracted you at the other shops. The shopkeeper shrunk it for me, and the twins righted it after we got here. Do you know how many times I had to stop Ron from ruining the surprise?" The boy explained, eyes shining with glee. "I was just waiting for the right moment to give it to you, and then you signed up for tryouts. I figured whether or not you made the team, this would be a nice surprise. Happy belated birthday, Suze."

Susanna's eyes filled with tears, and she sniffled. "Oh, Harry!"

Harry laughed as she jumped on him, arms wound tightly around his neck. "I'm proud of you, Freak."

"Thank you." Susanna finally accepted the gift with shaking hands. "You didn't have to buy me this, though. It must have cost a fortune!"

Harry scoffed. "Oh, like it wasn't as expensive as a Nimbus 2000." He smirked as she pursed her lips. "Thought I'd forgotten all about that, did you?"

Susanna pouted. "It was mostly Professor McGonagall. I only told her which one to order."

"And paid."

"Obviously, not like it'd be appropriate if a staff member did." She tried to brush it off while Harry rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. So, do you like it?"

"I love it." Susanna hugged Harry once more. "You're the best cousin a girl could ask for."

"You're welcome, Suze." Her cousin grinned. "Now, how about we show off your broom to the rest of the team, yeah? Wood'll lose it!" She laughed as Harry dragged her down the stairs, her hand gripped tightly around her broom.

Susanna momentarily regretted making the Quidditch team that next morning, when Angelina, Katie, and Alicia shook her awake at the crack of dawn. The other girls in the redhead's dormitory groaned but promptly fell back asleep - Susanna was especially jealous of Hades, who'd only twitched his ears in annoyance but otherwise did not rouse. The second year tried to be as quiet as humanly possible as she changed into her scarlet robes. Oliver had explained the evening before that while she was a reserve and would most likely not be playing in many games, perhaps none at all, she and the rest of the alternates were still part of the team, and would be treated as such.

Yawning as she stumbled out of the dormitory, Susanna barely remembered her broom. She managed to not fall flat on her face coming down the stairs - had they always been that steep? The other girls stared at her Nimbus 2001 with a mixture of awe and envy, but smiled at the redhead with pride as she attempted to fix her uniform. "Here." Alicia helped Susanna with her padding. "I was an alternate my second year, you know." The redhead vaguely remembered Lee's commentary from last year. "Angie, Katie, and I will get you where you need to be. You've got the skill and talent. Now you have to refine your technique."

Susanna flushed. "Thank you."

"Hey," Angelina shrugged, "us girls have to stick together."

"Come on." Katie - only a year above Susanna - threw an arm over her shoulders. "Before Wood comes down and sees us lollygagging."

"Where is he, anyway?" Susanna asked with a frown.

"Getting the boys. They'll meet us in the changing room."

The cool morning air practically slapped Susanna awake. The other girls frowned as the redhead jogged beside them. "Not a morning person, but mum… she made me an early riser. This usually helps me stay up." The second year explained.

"Merlin, don't tell Wood that. He'll shape you into a mini-him, and that's just what we need." Angelina moaned.

Fred, George, Oliver, and the other reserve players - Cormac McLaggen and Nick Alas - walked into the changing room, with only Cormac and Oliver appearing to be awake. "Where's Harry?" Susanna was quick to ask.

Fred huffed tiredly. "Good morning to you, too, Susie-Wusie."

"Morning. Where's Harry?" She repeated.

"Coming. Or he fell back asleep." George glowered at Oliver through a yawn, though the Gryffidor captain paid no attention to the grumbles of his team as he started writing out some strategies on the chalkboard.

Harry eventually appeared, eyes brimming with irritation. He glanced around at the exhausted Gryffindors; Alicia was nodding off against the wall behind her, Fred and George beside her. Cormac and Nick were sitting together on a bench, and Angelina and Katie were leaning against the wall opposite from the Weasley twins and Alicia. Harry's gaze landed on his cousin, who was sitting on the ground closest to Oliver's board, seemingly the most focused. He wondered if it reminded her of having to learn choreography - how different was learning a Quidditch play to a dance, really?

"There you are, Harry, what kept you?" Oliver cried out, breaking Susanna from her intense staring at his writing. She waved her cousin over while the Keeper went on talking, as though he never asked Harry about his lateness. "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference."

Susanna watched with a furrowed brow as the Quidditch captain began explaining his new tactics - dives and how to recover from them, Chasers perfecting their reverse passes. "Dursley, your Woollongong Shimmy was smooth, today I'd like you to watch Spinnet, Johnson, and Bell to see where they need help." Oliver pointed at the second year, who blushed when Harry nudged her encouragingly.

Oliver continued calling out his plans, tapping the board so the arrows began moving around like worms. It took him over an hour to go over all three diagrams. By the end of it, only Harry, Susanna, and Cormac seemed to be awake - though Susanna could see her cousin's eyes had glazed over, as if he were in a trance. Fred had long since passed out on Aicia's shoulder, Katie and Angelina slouched against each other with George resting his head on the latter's knees. "So, is that clear?" The Quidditch captain asked, voice somehow at full strength. "Any questions?"

"I've got a question, Oliver." George began, yawning as he woke from his nap. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake."

Susanna was pretty sure Oliver's glower rivaled Professor McGonagall's. "Now, listen here, you lot. We should have won the Quidditch cup last year. We're easily the best team. But unfortunately - owing to circumstances beyond our control -"

"You mean the fact Quirrell was really a dark wizard?" Susanna jumped in, her hunger and exhaustion doing very little to control her sass. "Who was defeated by a first year? Go ahead and say 'you're welcome' Harry."

"You're welcome, Harry." Her cousin quipped with an embarrassed groan while Fred and George chortled.

"Dursley, Potter, focus!" Oliver cut in, Susanna miming zipping her lips while Harry looked at her like them being in trouble was her fault alone. "This year, we train harder than ever before. Okay, let's go put our new theories into practice!" The captain shouted, snatching up his broomstick and marching onto the field. The rest of the team followed behind him, stiff limbed and yawning.

Susanna did some gentle stretches, grinning as her bones and joints cracked while Harry grimaced at the noise. "Suze, look." He nodded over to the stands, where Ron and Hermione were sitting and eating toast and marmalade.

"Are you finished yet?" Ron asked, eyebrows raised in surprise. Indeed, Oliver had spoken for so long that the sun had completely risen.

"Haven't even started." Harry grumbled, the cousins eyeing their friends' food with jealousy. "Wood's been teaching us new moves." With a tired groan, the Boy Who Lived mounted his broom and shot up to race the Weasley twins.

"Dursley! C'mon up!" Alicia shouted, finally awake. She waved at the second year with more energy than a rabbit, urging her to join the rest of the team.

Susanna grinned, then winked at her two best friends. "Save us some toast?"

"Not bloody likely." Ron said around a mouthful of jam-and-bread, Hermione wrinkling her nose in disgust while Susanna laughed. She then mounted her Nimbus 2001, pushing up off the grass with a small shout of glee. The cold air wiped away the last of her exhaustion, Susanna practicing her loops as she danced through the air, envisioning herself as a leaf being carried by the wind. Katie flew above her, laughing as she twisted so she was flying upside down, the two girls slapping their palms together in a high five as soon as Susanna copied the third year's move.

"What's going on?" She heard Oliver call out, and she watched with a small frown as he flew towards her cousin, the twins, and a blonde boy with a camera - Colin. At first, his excitement had been somewhat endearing - Susanna understood his joy all too well. It got old pretty fast the more pictures he took, which seemed to be twenty in a single minute. Ignoring the older Chasers as they asked where she was going, the redhead zoomed closer. "Why's the first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training program." Oliver accused the first year, who was shaking his head frantically, eyes blown wide with innocence.

"He's in Gryffindor." Harry was quick to tell Oliver.

"And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver." George added.

Oliver narrowed his eyes at the quieter of the Weasley twins while Susanna frowned in confusion. "What makes you say that?"

"Because they're here in person." George responded, pointing to the grass below.

Sure enough, the Slytherin team had just walked onto the field, broomsticks in hand and emerald robes billowing in the wind.

"I don't believe it!" The venom in Oliver's voice made Susanna wince. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!" He shot down, worrying the team at his harsh landing, the sixth year staggering in his anger. The rest of the Gryffindor team followed him down, albeit more gracefully. "Flint!" Oliver roared at the trollish Slytherin Captain.

Marcus Flint - somehow even larger than Oliver - smirked down at the Gryffindor. "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."

"But I booked the field!" Oliver growled - Susanna privately likened it to whining, but she'd never say that outloud. "I booked it."

"Ah, but I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape." Flint cleared his throat and unrolled the scroll in his left hand. "'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'"

"You've got a new Seeker?" Oliver narrowed his eyes while Susanna's eyes flicked over the Slytherin team, only counting six large figures - she noted three extra players stood off to the side and assumed they were the alternates. "Where?"

A small, blonde boy stepped into view, smugger than the red-haired second year had seen him before.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" Fred asked Draco while Susanna plotted ways to keep the blonde off the pitch without getting into any serious trouble.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father." Flint grinned broadly, along with the rest of his team. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team." Seven incredibly polished broomsticks were held out to the fuming Gryffindors. The black wood gleamed in the sunlight, the silver practically blinding. "Very latest model. Only came out last month." Flint bragged, inspecting his Nimbus 2001 for any noticeable imperfections. "I believe it outstrips the old 2000 series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps -" he grinned nastily at the Weasley twins, who were clutching their Cleansweep Fives, "sweeps the board with them."

Susanna nearly snorted at what was surely an unintentional pun. She cleared her throat, drawing attention to herself despite her cousin trying to nudge her into silence. "Oh look, we match." The redhead smiled pleasantly at the Slytherins, though a blind person couldn't mistake her expression for anything other than smugness. They stared down at her in confusion until she proudly held out her own Nimbus 2001, practically waving it in their faces. Indeed, most of the Slytherin team looked disgusted at the prospect of owning the same broomstick as a Muggle-born Gryffindor. She winked at Draco, who sneered back. "Guess your daddy isn't the only one able to afford this beauty, is he?"

Before the new Slytherin Seeker could snap back at her, Flint huffed, distracted by two smaller figures hurrying towards them. "Oh, look. A field invasion."

"What's happening?" Ron asked Harry and Susanna as soon as he and Hermione had joined the feuding teams. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?" He nodded at Draco, who was peacocking at the second year Gryffindors in his Quidditch robes.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley. Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team." Draco responded smugly while Ron gaped at the seven Nimbus 2001s. "Good, aren't they? But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new broomsticks, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives. I expect a museum would bid for them." The Slytherin team cackled.

Susanna rolled her eyes as she stepped forward, standing face-to-face with Draco. "I thought we already established that your seven broomsticks are nothing special."

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in." Hermione added sharply, speaking before the blonde could even open his mouth. "They got in on pure talent." Susanna nodded in agreement, low-fiving her best friend.

Draco's smirk had long since passed, and a nasty glower was in its place. "No one asked your opinions, you filthy little Mudbloods!"

Chaos broke out instantly. Flint had to dive in front of Draco to keep the Weasley twins from jumping him, Angelina pulled Hermione and Susanna back to check on the two girls while Alicia shouted, "How dare you!"

Hermione only frowned at the scene in confusion, having never heard the word before - and wasn't that something? Harry was equally puzzled, though he'd stepped in front of his cousin and their friend, ready to defend them. Susanna had glowered back at Draco, ready to fire back before the Gryffindor team had snapped into action. Her stomach had tightened as soon as the blonde second year had snarled out the slur, once more reminded that the boy she'd met on the train had faded from existence as soon as she'd met him. She didn't understand why she felt betrayed, and yet she did all the same.

Susanna, unlike Hermione and Harry, had heard "Mudblood" before, Pansy Parkinson having spent most of their first year hissing it at her until Susanna finally retaliated with a well-aimed Flipendo. She could only guess the word's meaning, though it wasn't a challenge to decipher, and found her father had come up with more scathing insults than anti-Muggle witches and wizards could ever dream of.

Susanna was broken from her thoughts by Ron's cry of, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" He pulled out his broken wand and aimed it at Draco's face. There was a loud bang and a jet of green light shot out the wrong end of Ron's wand. He was struck in the stomach and sent flying back onto the grass.

"Ron! Ron! Are you alright?" Hermione squealed, hurrying over to the redheaded boy, helping him sit up.

Ron opened his mouth to respond, but it wasn't words that came out of his mouth. Instead, he practically roared out a belch. Several slugs poured out of his mouth, staining his chin, robes, and the grass with their slime. All at once, Ron's words from earlier that week came to Susanna's mind. "Eat slugs," he'd said to Draco in the courtyard, but the girl didn't realize there was actually a spell to do just that. Had Ron even said the spell?

The Slytherin team laughed like a pack of hyenas. Flint was doubled over, using his Nimbus 2001 for support. Draco had fallen onto all fours to bang at the ground with his fists. Susanna was tempted to kick him over, but ignored any other violent thoughts to focus on her best friend, Ron still belching out slugs-and-slime.

Hermione and the Gryffindor team had gathered around him, though none seemed eager to touch him. Susanna pushed her way to kneel on Ron's left side. "We need to get him out of here." She muttered to her cousin and their other best friend.

"Hagrid's. He's closest." Harry responded, Hermione nodding. Susanna would've argued for the hospital wing, except she had no interest in forcing Ron to throw up slugs in front of the whole school. It was bad enough the Slytherin team was there to see it.

"What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he ill?" Colin asked, having approached the warring teams in the midst of the chaos. Susanna groaned in frustration.

"No, he's clearly fine!" She snapped at the first year as she helped Ron stand. Nevertheless, the bouncing boy chased after them, camera in hand.

"Ooh!" He cheered in fascination as Ron heaved out more slugs. "Can you hold him still, Harry?"

"Get out of the way, Colin!" Harry, too, had lost his patience. He joined his cousin and Hermione in rushing their friend away from the Quidditch field and across the grounds.

"Nearly there, Ron." Hermione tried to comfort the red-haired boy as they got closer to Hagrid's hut. "You'll be alright in a minute, almost there."

They were just entering the pumpkin patch when the front door swung open, though it wasn't Hagrid who walked out of the gamekeeper's home. Susanna and Harry groaned when Lockhart emerged, dressed in pale mauve robes. "Quick, behind here." Of the four Gryffindors, only Hermione was reluctant to hide behind the large pumpkins.

"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" They heard Lockhart exclaim cheerily into the hut. "If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one. I'll sign one tonight and send it over! Well, goodbye!" He strutted towards the castle, seemingly unbothered by the door slamming shut loudly in his wake.

As soon as their lackluster Defense Professor had disappeared from view, Harry pulled Ron to the hut, Susanna and Hermione hurrying behind them, stepping the slugs that had dribbled out of the redheaded boy's mouth. The Boy Who Lived knocked urgently, Hagrid stepping outside a breath later. He was the grumpiest they'd ever seen him, but he smiled fondly at them when he realized who his visitors were. "Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me. Come in, come in. Thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again -"

Harry and Hermione helped Ron inside while Susanna quickly explained the situation, leaning hers and Harry's broomsticks by the front door. Hagrid appeared unperturbed by the slugs, only waving at Harry to lower Ron into a chair while he set a large copper basin in front of the heaving second year. "Better out than in." He told the Weasley boy. "Get 'em all up, Ron."

"I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop." Hermione said anxiously as Ron bent over the basin. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand -"

"Wait, that's a curse? What is it? I didn't hear Ron say anything." Susanna quickly cut in, intrigued.

Hermione paused, then blinked over at the red-haired boy beside her. "I didn't, either, but it's in a book of nasty spells I accidentally came across in the library. No, I won't be telling you the name of the book, nor the curse. I don't trust that smile!" Hermione pointed at her best friend while the redheaded girl pouted.

"Whatever, I'll find it myself." Susanna muttered darkly.

While Hagrid bustled around to make them tea, his dog Fang curled up beside Harry's leg, slobbering on his knee. Susanna cooed while Harry wrinkled his nose, but scratched Fang's ears all the same. "What did Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?" The boy asked.

"Givin' me advice on getting' kelpies out of a well." Hagrid growled as he exchanged the half-plucked rooster on his worn table for a mat and a teapot. "Like I don' know. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle."

Susanna nodded in agreement, her arms still bearing the huffing when Hermione began to defend the professor in a high-pitched voice. "I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job -"

"He was the on'y man for the job." Hagrid offered them a plate of treacle fudge while Ron coughed wetly into the basin. "An' I mean the on'y one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it now. So tell me," the gamekeeper gestured to Rob. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Malfoy called Suze and Hermione something. It must've been really bad, because everyone went wild."

"It was bad." Ron said, voice hoarse as he looked up from the basin. "Malfoy called them 'Mudbloods' Hagrid -" He hunched over once more to cough his next round of slug.

"He didn'!" Hagrid growled at the two Muggle-borns.

Susanna shrugged while Hermione frowned. "He did." The brunette confirmed. "But I don't know what it means. Do you, Anna? I could tell it was really rude, of course."

"It's about the most insulting thing he could think of." Ron gasped, leaning back in his chair. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born. You know, witches and wizards with non-magic parents. There are some - like Malfoy's family - who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call 'pure-blood'." He burped and one slug fell into the palm of his right hand. He quickly threw it down into the basin before wiping his hand off on his robes. "I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at Neville, he's pure-blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up!"

If it weren't for his plight, Susanna would've kicked him in the shin for insulting Neville.

"An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione and Susanna can' do." Hagrid beamed proudly at the two girls, who blushed furiously at his compliment.

"It's a disgusting thing to call someone." Ron added. "Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles, we'd've died out." He retched and bent over the basin yet again.

Susanna hummed. "I figured." It wasn't until she felt the others' eyes on her that she realized she'd said it out loud. "I mean… I-"

"It wasn't your first time hearing it. Was it?" Harry correctly guessed, green eyes narrowing at the idea that his cousin had been subjected to such a term without his knowledge.

"No." Susanna admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. "Pansy called me Mudblood -"

"Susie, don't say it!" Ron managed to scold her before belching loudly once more.

She huffed. "Yeah, fine. She called me that word a lot last year, after our first flying lesson."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Harry asked, staring worriedly at the emotionless girl.

"It wasn't because I was ashamed." Susanna was quick to defend herself. "I didn't know what it meant, but it wasn't hard to put two-and-two together. The last time Pansy called me that was during a Defense class at the end of last year. She was using it to insult Hermione, too, but only in writing." The girl huffed. "So after class, I -"

"You knocked her into the suit of armor, and got detention." Hermione's eyes were blown wide as she remembered scolding her best friend for the violent outburst. "Why didn't you tell a teacher?"

"Because the teacher who found us was Professor Snape, and at the time we were pretty sure he was trying to steal the Stone for Voldemort." The redhead snapped back before staring down at her clenched fists, more consumed by the previous threat against her cousin than the detention she served for getting back at Pansy - it was worth it.

After a few tense moments, Hagrid hummed. "Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron." He spoke loudly over Ron's heaving. "Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble. Harry," he turned to the Boy Who Lived abruptly, "gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"

Susanna smiled smally as she watched her furious cousin wrench his teeth apart, the raven-haired boy having been the only one to indulge in the dense fudge. "I have not been giving out signed photos." Harry practically snarled. "If Lockhart's still spreading that around -"

Hagrid's boisterous laughter cut him off. "I'm only jokin'!" He patted Harry on the back, nearly bowling him over. "I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. Yer more famous than he is without tryin'."

"Bet he didn't like that." Harry grinned.

"Don' think he did." Hagrid's eyes shown with mirth. "An' then I told him I'd never read one o' his books an' he decided ter go. Treacle fudge, Ron?" He offered the redhead boy, who shook his head.

"No thanks. Better not risk it."

"Come an' see what I've been growin'." Hagrid set the plate back down and turned to Harry, Susanna, and Hermione. He waited for them to finish the last of their tea before leading them back outside to show off the pumpkins they'd previously hidden behind. Now with more time to look, the three Gryffindors took in how large they truly were, each one nearly the size of a boulder. "Gettin' on well, aren't they?" Hagrid commented happily. "Fer the Halloween feast. Should be big enough by then."

"What have you been feeding them?" Harry asked.

Hagrid looked around to check they were alone before shifting his weight suspiciously. "Well, I've bin givin' them, you know, a bit o' help."

Susanna noticed the flowery pink umbrella first, elbowing Harry in his ribs and pointing at the unassuming object as he rubbed the sore spot. The cousins remembered the knowing expression on Ollivander's face the previous year, when he warned Hagrid against trying to use his snapped wand. Hagrid had been expelled, and wasn't supposed to use magic, but he never actually said why. Susanna had enough tact not to press for answers, but Harry had tried and failed.

"An Engorgement Charm, I suppose?" Hermions sounded both disapproving and amused. "Well, you've done a good job on them."

Hagrid grinned. "That's what Ron's little sister said. Met her jus' yesterday." Susanna's mind drifted to Ginny, and she was flooded with guilt about the fact she'd spent little time with her since the school year began. She'd have lunch with her, ask about her first week, apologize for not being more present. "Said she was jus' lookin' round the ground, but I reckon she was hopin' she might run inter someone else at my house." Hagrid winked at Harry while Susanna giggled at her feet. "If yeh ask me, she wouldn' say 'no' ter a signed -"

"Oh, shut up." Harry blushed, ignoring Susanna as she snorted at how flustered the idea of a girl having a crush on him had made her cousin.

So far, it looked like they were going to have a normal year. There were no murderous teachers or secret immortality stones hidden in the castle. All they had was an incompetent teacher, intolerant peers, giant pumpkins, and a girl with a crush on the Boy Who Lived - probably one of many. Yeah, nothing out of the ordinary, despite the magic of it all.

Susanna would come to wish she'd never entertained that thought.