Reader: For sure! In Chapter 3, since this happens while the Potter's are still alive, I'm basing him more off of how I see him after getting to be around baby Harry and the acceptance he feels in the Order (before the death of the Potters, the betrayal, etc.). Later on, after everything has gone down, Remus will definitely be more reclusive and afflicted by how dangerous he can be, but here, we just get to see a bit more of the softer side of him. & I love Remus, so I loved getting to flesh out what he could have been, had things not gone the way they did...

Chelsea always: Thank you! I love writing this, so I'm glad you're enjoying reading!

As they entered November, the weather got colder and colder. Autumn leaves were falling from the trees and littered the courtyard, crunching underfoot as students trekked from class to class, bundled up in scarves and cloaks to keep out the chill. Being outside felt like walking through a cloud of mist: the mountains that surrounded the school were icy gray, and the lake looked like chilled steel. While the Slytherins couldn't see the frost-covered grounds or snow-peaked mountains from their dorms, they could see the thin layer of ice that was starting to freeze on the lake, the sun twinkling through the icy crystals and casting fractured beams of light across the common room floor.

The news of the Halloween troll attack had faded surprisingly quickly. Gossip was now being taken over by a new, and much more important subject…

It was officially Quidditch season! That upcoming Saturday would be the first match: Slytherin versus Gryffindor. The entirety of Hogwarts was abuzz with excitement as Quidditch memorabilia started popping up all around the castle. There were flags and pennants for each House's teams, temporary tattoos that moved across the wearer's skin, and even a variety of noisemakers that would spew out sparks or smoke, depending on if your team had scored or not. It was easy to spot who was rooting for which team - Aurora had even spotted Professor McGonagall representing Gryffindor, of course, with a small, broom-shaped pin with scarlet trimming affixed to her robes.

The Slytherins seemed more ready for the match than anybody else, determined to demolish the Gryffindor team and win the Quidditch Cup for the fifth year in a row. Sometime in the last few weeks, the news that Harry Potter was the new Gryffindor seeker - and apparently their 'secret weapon' - had spread across the entire castle. This led to a mixed bag of reactions: while half the school seemed excited to watch him play, the other half refused to believe he could possibly be any good. Draco, in particular, hadn't been quiet about his disdain.

"I bet you a galleon that Potter falls off his broom in the first five minutes." Aurora had overheard him whispering to an upper level Slytherin. "I say someone should keep a mattress nearby, just in case."

While the Slytherin first-years discussed amongst themselves where they would be sitting for the match, Aurora already had plans to watch the game with Cedric. He was practically giddy with excitement at the chance for Aurora to experience her first ever Hogwarts match, and had been talking her ear off every free moment he could - which wasn't much. Cedric was busier than ever now, with classes and mandatory Quidditch practices. And when he wasn't busy with either of those, he was most likely still on the Quidditch pitch, running drills on his own and preparing for the fast-approaching Hufflepuff verses Ravenclaw game.

The Friday before the match, with her classes done for the day, coursework fully completed, and nothing better to do than wait around for the upcoming match, Aurora took to wandering the grounds in her free time, Draco and Theo in tow. She had convinced them to join her with the possibility of finding a secret passageway or two, but so far they had come up empty-handed. Now they found themselves back where they had started an hour earlier - the courtyard.

"Rora, we've already looked here," Theo pouted, his voice muffled from the thick scarf he had wrapped around his neck. Before they had set out on their exploration, he had been reading by the roaring fire in the common room, and he had made it clear many times that he wanted to get back sooner rather than later.

"You're so dramatic," Aurora laughed. Despite the chill in the air, the weather was enjoyable for once - a layer of frost still covered the grounds, but the sky peeked through the clouds bluer than it had been in weeks.

"It's not even that cold yet," Draco scoffed. Aurora gave him a sideways glance. The blonde was bundled just as much as Theo was, with a fur-lined hat pulled snuggly down to just above his eyebrows. "Don't be a baby."

"I can't feel my fingers." Theo ignored him, flexing his hand. Beside him, Draco rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright you two, but we haven't gone down that way yet." Aurora pointed to an ivy-covered passage on the opposite side of the courtyard. "We can go back after this, I promise."

Theo sighed, muttering something under his breath that sounded something like 'promises, promises'.

Someone should really make a map of this place, she thought, trying to conjure a mental image of where in the castle they had already explored. As she reached the archway leading into the courtyard, the sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting on the lip of the dried-out fountain made her pause.

"Well, well. Look who it is," Draco sneered, glancing over Aurora's shoulder. Aurora elbowed him in the ribs, but with the layers he was bundled in, she knew it didn't do much.

The three Slytherins stepped just out of sight, huddling together outside of the breezeway, both to keep the mid-afternoon chill from freezing them, but also to observe the Gryffindors. They watched them in silence for a moment: Harry was sandwiched between Ron and Hermione, holding an impressively thick book open and seemingly reading something out loud from it. Behind them, a bright blue flame danced in what appeared to be a jam jar.

"Still can't believe Potter gets to be the seeker." Draco practically spat out Harry's name, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He kept his voice low, not wanting to be overheard. "It's not right; he's just a first-year. Father couldn't convince the board of governors to let his own son try-out for the team, so what makes him so special?"

"I think catching that Remembrall was a pretty good show of talent," Theo said. "And if I remember right, he has you to thank for that, Draco."

Draco's cheeks burned a bright red. Aurora had to cover her mouth, biting down on her mitten to keep from laughing out loud. Once news got out that Harry had been made the new seeker of the Gryffindor team, Draco's unintentional involvement had become very well known. Despite the fact that it had happened months ago, it was still a sore subject for Draco - but that didn't stop a handful of them from bringing it up every so often.

Draco straightened his cloak and narrowed his eyes again at the three Gryffindors. "I think it's time I cleared up that misinformation with Potter."

"Draco, wait!" Aurora hissed, grabbing his cloak and pulling him back before he got too far. He turned to say something, but she only shushed him again before pointing to the doors of the castle, where Snape had just emerged and was stalking directly to the Gryffindors.

They crouched behind the low wall on the outside edge of the courtyard, hidden in case either the Gryffindors or their Head of House decided to glance over in their direction. While they couldn't hear what Snape was saying, his anger was obvious. He snatched the book that Harry had been reading out from his hands and turned on his heel, limping back into the castle. Ron made a rude gesture to his retreating back.

"Now, that was interesting." Theo smirked.

They waited for a few moments as the Gryffindors gathered their jar of fire and disappeared into the castle, muttering to themselves.

"Was Snape limping?" Aurora asked as Theo stood and stretched beside her.

"I think so." Draco leaned over the wall, as if he could still see the retreating Snape. "Wonder what happened to him."

Aurora shrugged, already back to trying to mentally trace their exploration through the castle so far, wondering which way they should go next - or if they had done enough adventuring for the day.

"Maybe he finally tripped over his cloak." Theo grinned as Aurora made up her mind and led them across the courtyard.

Aurora grinned back. "Now that I'd pay to have seen."

Saturday morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was filled with the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of the entire school, all anxiously awaiting a good Quidditch match.

Aurora stood near the front of the Entrance Hall, practically buzzing with excitement. After they had finished eating and painting dots of silver and green on their faces, she had told her fellow Slytherins to head out to the pitch without her. And despite Pansy's whinging about House pride, nothing could spoil her mood - she was finally getting a chance to spend time with Cedric.

The Entrance Hall was bustling as students and teachers alike made their way out to the Quidditch pitch. Aurora had claimed a seat on the staircase's bottom banister, eager to spot Cedric approaching in the crowd. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long before she spotted him, his yellow Hufflepuff scarf sticking out amidst the sea of primarily crimson and emerald.

"Sorry about that!" Cedric bounded up to her, two pairs of binoculars tangled around his neck. "Hope I didn't make you wait too long."

"Nope!" Aurora beamed at him, hopping down from her seat. As she realized he was alone, her brow furrowed. "Wait, where are your friends? Malcolm and Heidi and the rest?"

"Probably already at the pitch. I told them to bugger off and find their own seats today." At Aurora's still scrunched-up face, Cedric laughed. "It's your first Hogwarts game, Aurora! We're going to watch it the way we always said we would - together."

He threw his arm around her shoulder and led her out of the Entrance Hall. Aurora's face flushed with pride - Cedric was her best friend, and she knew how popular he was at Hogwarts. The fact that he had chosen to spend the first Quidditch game of the season with her reminded her of when it was just the two of them, back at the Cottage.

"But we should hurry," he continued as they emerged into the afternoon sun. "I sorta bribed a second year to hold a good spot for us, and I don't know how long he can survive alone up there."

Together, they joined the crowd as it headed down to the Quidditch pitch. It was nearly eleven o'clock and it seemed as if the entire school had already arrived. Aurora gawked at the stadium, craning her neck in order to see the flags that waved from the top of the stands. It was her first time seeing the stadium so close, and she was amazed by the sheer size of it all.

Carefully, Cedric guided her through the stadium's main archway and lifted a flap of fabric under the stands, which led into a darkened passageway. They followed the thinning crowd up multiple steep sets of wooden stairs before emerging back into the sun, quite higher up then they had started. He climbed past a few students on the low row of wooden bleachers, his long legs making easy work of it, while the students had to scoot out of Aurora's way.

"Alright, Tuckett?" Cedric clapped the shoulder of a narrow-eyed blonde, who seemed on edge and ready to throw an elbow at anyone who even glanced in the direction of the bench space he was saving.

As Cedric ushered Aurora into the seats, he slipped two Sickles into Tuckett's hand. The blonde's eyes lit up and he gave Cedric a nod before he moved farther down the stands, where a gaggle of Hufflepuffs seemed to be waiting for him. A few of them turned to stare, bewildered, at Cedric, and more than one of the second-year girls fluttered their eyes at him.

"Match should be starting soon," said Cedric as he stretched out his long legs. He checked his watch before glancing over to Aurora. "That face paint looks good. Was it your idea?"

"No, actually, it was Daphne's, but Blaise and I figured out how to make them move." She demonstrated, wrinkling her nose. The silver and green dots of face paint sparkled and danced across her nose and cheeks, swirling from one twinkling constellation to another, spelling out 'Go, Slytherin!' inbetween.

"I always knew you'd be bloody good at Charms," Cedric said, smiling at Aurora. "Slytherin is lucky to have you."

Aurora blushed again and looked down at her toes, scuffing her shoe against the wooden slats. She and Cedric had talked plenty about her 'planned for Hufflepuff, ended up in Slytherin' dilemma from her Sorting, but no matter how much she adored being in Slytherin, she still felt a little guilty. She and Cedric had been crafting a Hufflepuff-centric life since they were practically still in nappies; Aurora couldn't help but wonder if Cedric was disappointed in her, even just a little bit.

And as if he could read her thoughts, he nudged her shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, Aurora."

She grinned, still staring at her feet. Sometimes it was hard to remember, but she knew that no matter what - what House she was sorted into, what friends she made, what adventures she went on - Cedric would always be there for her.

Cedric nudged her a second time. "Rory? How are you feeling?"

Aurora looked up and out at the Quidditch pitch, then back to Cedric, excitement quelling any unsettling feelings. "Cedric, this might be one of the most exciting days of my life."

He chuckled and handed her a pair of the binoculars he had brought. Aurora took them and gazed around the stadium, not wanting to miss a single detail.

Cedric had told her all about the Quidditch matches at Hogwarts - the ones he had seen and the ones he had played - , but his stories hardly did justice to the electric excitement she could feel in the air around her. Students filled the towering stands to their absolute capacity. Gryffindors and Slytherins seemed to be the most clumped together, with their House colors waving in the air, but she could see the occasional smatter of yellow and blue within the crowd. Directly across the pitch she could see the Gryffindor first-years whooping their support for Harry. Hermione and Ron were helping Neville hold up a large, flashing banner that read Potter for President. Alongside them were two other Gryffindors Aurora recognized vaguely from their shared classes: a thin, black boy named Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan, a short, sandy-haired boy she thought she may have shared a boat with on their first day.

Nearby, just to the left of where Aurora was sitting, there was a section of the stands that sat a few feet higher than the rest.

Cedric followed her gaze. "That's the Professor's box." He pointed to where Snape and McGonagall were sharing a bench in the front row, separated only by a wide-eyed boy with dreadlocks, who was holding a megaphone and too enraptured with fiddling with the score box to notice much of anything else. "The Heads of House of the two playing teams sit on either side of the announcer. Helps to keep things fair."

The rest of the box was filled with Professors and Hogwarts staff, all amicable chatting. Flitwick was teetering on a few plump pillows beside Professor Sprout, and sitting behind Snape, Professor Quirrell was wringing his hands and nervously glancing over the edge of the stand. Aurora nearly rolled her eyes - of course Quirrell would be afraid of heights.

Once she was sure she had taken in every detail of the Quidditch stadium, she turned back to Cedric, who was gazing down at the pitch and drumming his fingers lazily on his leg.

She nudged him. "Are you excited to play again?"

Cedric's face lit up. "Rory, I can't wait! And I can't wait for you to see it. The team has been practicing a few new plays, and you know I don't like to toot my own horn, but…" He mimed blowing a very obnoxious horn, making the sound so loudly with his mouth that the people around them turned to see what all the commotion was about. Aurora laughed. "Hufflepuff is winning the Quidditch Cup, no doubt."

"Even with Gryffindor's 'secret weapon'?" Aurora waggled her eyebrows.

Cedric rolled his eyes and blew out a half-laugh, still grinning. "You know, for Harry being a 'secret weapon', I've sure heard a lot about him. The Weasley twins sure have big mouths when they're excited." He shrugged. "But I'm still skeptical. If Harry's never been on a broom before in his life, I can't imagine he'll be that good."

"I dunno - he was pretty good in Flying Class," Aurora remembered, thinking about how Harry had snatched the practically invisible Remembrall out of thin air. "I heard this makes him the youngest Seeker in a century."

At this, Cedric blew a raspberry. "That doesn't mean anything!" He crossed his arms in mock-annoyance. Aurora poked him a few times in the arm before he laughed, swatting her away. "Alright, alright! So fine, maybe I am a little nervous that he's going to be brilliant and end up a child prodigy. But I'll believe it when I see it."

As if on cue, a blast of fanfare rang throughout the stadium, sparking a cheer to roar from the stands. From opposite sides of the pitch, the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams made their way to where the referee, Madam Hooch, was waiting in the middle of the field, brooms in hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you." Madam Hooch's voice was magically amplified, echoing across the pitch. She waited until the Slytherin and Gryffindor captain nodded back at her before continuing. "Mount your brooms, please."

As soon as the final player had mounted their broom (which, Aurora noticed, was Harry; his messy black hair made him easy to spot), Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.

"Here we go!" Cedric cheered, pumping his fist in the air as the fifteen players rose up, high, high into the air.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

Aurora whipped her head back to where the teachers were sitting. Beside a stern McGonagall, the boy with dreadlocks was smiling madly, his eyes flicking back and forth as he kept track of the game.

"That's Lee Jordan," Cedric practically shouted as the crowd roared, the Gryffindor chaser having made a rather impressive play. "He's a third-year. Friend of the Weasley twins. And equally as chaotic."

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc - no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which - nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead, and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goal posts are ahead - come on, now, Alicia - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

Cheers from the Gryffindor's sections, along with most of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, filled the cold air, while howls and moans came from the Slytherins.

"No sight of the Snitch yet, still anyone's game," Cedric mutters to himself as the cheers died down and Lee Jordan went back to commentating.

Aurora peeked at Cedric out of the corner of her eye. She could see his eyes flitting rapidly around the empty skies. Even though it wasn't his game, Aurora knew Cedric liked keeping his eyes open in hopes of spotting the Snitch - especially if he could spot it before either team's Seeker did. It was a quirk, he had once told her, he had picked up during his first summer at Quidditch training camp, and Aurora was certain it had helped him to become the brilliant Seeker he is today.

"Neither has been hit with a Bludger yet either. That's a good thing," Aurora replied. Cedric nodded, his focus still on the skies.

Besides Cedric, the only other Seeker Aurora really knew of was her uncle, Laurence Fawley. He played for Puddlemere United and, unlike other Seekers she had read about, he tended to play a more defensive strategy on the pitch. Meaning that, instead of remaining high in the air like Harry and the Slytherin Seeker were currently doing, he dove and weaved throughout the game, distracting the other team while hunting for the Snitch. It was a tricky tactic, but one that seemed to work wonders for her eagle-eyed uncle.

Through her binoculars, Aurora could see Harry doing a few loop-the-loops high in the sky as the game continued below him. She wondered if he had been told to stay out of the way, as to better keep him out of danger.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Puceg dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had whizzed by his left ear. Cedric groaned, disappointed he hadn't spotted it first.

"Higgs had the head start," Cedric muttered, leaning forward with his fists clenched tightly on his lap, fixated on the Seekers, "but Harry's smaller, he's faster. Hell, he might actually get it."

Aurora was sitting up even straighter now, eyes locked on the Seekers as they raced behind a golden streak she could barely see herself. She was enraptured by the game - the two Seekers neck to neck, hurtling towards the Snitch. Harry seemed just about to reach out and grab it when -

WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the stands as Marcus Flint blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course.

"Foul!" Cedric screamed, jumping to his feet.

The game halted for a moment as Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint, then ordered a free shot at the goal post for Gryffindor. Once the game had kicked off again, the Snitch was nowhere in sight.

"How exhilarating!" Cedric let out a breath as he sat back down. He pushed his hair from his forehead and turned to Aurora, a grin stuck to his face. "You were right, Harry's bloody good!"

"Told you so!" Aurora gave his arm a solid swat, which just made Cedric laugh.

In the teacher's box, Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides, much to Professor McGonagall's chagrin.

"So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating - "

"Jordan!"

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul - "

"Jordan, I am warning you - "

"Alright, alright. Flint nearly kills Gruffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Aurora was so busy watching the Weasley twins fight off the Bludgers (Beater was her favorite position in Quidditch), that it took her a few moments to notice Harry's jerky flying. But one she did, she couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"What's Harry doing?" she asked Cedric, shaking his shoulder to get his attention. She pointed up in his direction. "Is that a sort of distraction strategy?"

Harry was now lurching side-to-side, zigzagging across the sky in a wild path that seemed to almost unseat him multiple times. The way he was gripping the broom, with both hands and knees clenched tightly together, it almost seemed as if Harry wasn't in control, and instead his broom was moving on its own, desperate to buck him off.

"That's not a strategy." Cedric's eyes had gone wide. "At least, none that Wood would've come up with."

"I think he lost control." Aurora gaped up at Harry as he, or his broom, jerked backwards, broom bristles pointing to the sky while Harry held on desperately, trying not to slide off the front and fall from such a height.

Lee was still commentating, not yet noticing Harry.

"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - oh no…"

The Slytherins and Slytherin supporters let out a cheer, and Aurora felt a tickle across her nose as the painted dots on her face did a little jig, celebrating the goal just as she had hoped they would when she and Blaise charmed them. Aurora would have cheered along with her House, but her attention was fixated on Harry and his jolting broom.

Others seemed to start to notice Harry too. All across the stands, whispers started breaking out like wildfire, and people were pointing up at him. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and now Harry was dancing from it, holding on with only one hand.

"Did Flint do something to it? When he hit Harry?" Aurora asked, standing on the bench now, as if she planned on diving to catch Harry if he slipped and plummeted.

"Flint is strong, but not clever," Cedric replied, standing so he was shoulder to shoulder with Aurora. "I don't think he could plan anything this complex."

Aurora glanced over to the teacher's box, hoping to see that at least one of them had jumped into action, but they were all as shocked and still as the students in the stands. McGonagall looked deathly pale and was clutching onto Lee Jordan's arm for dear life. Behind her, Flitwick was peeking out from between his fingers. Quirrell had his hands steepled in front of his mouth and he seemed to be making a silent plea, his eyes wide and fixated directly on Harry. Snape too was staring directly at Harry, his lips moving quickly as he muttered nonstop under his breath.

A push from behind made her stumble, and Cedric grabbed her arm to keep her upright. The crowds were beginning to shift forward, all eyes now turned to where Harry's broom was spinning in wild circles.

"Come on, Harry." Aurora crossed her fingers.

Harry's broom was vibrating so hard, it seemed an impossible feat that he was still holding on. The entire crowd watched, terrified, as the Weasley twins flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms. Aurora sighed in relief - until one of them got too close and Harry's broom jumped higher, higher, out of their reach. After a few tries, Fred and George ended up just dropping lower and circling beneath, ready to catch Harry if he fell. In the midst of the distraction, Marcus Flint seized the nearest Quaffle and scored five times in a row without anyone noticing.

Suddenly, there was a loud yell from the teacher's box. Aurora turned just in time to see Snape topple backwards, directly into Professor Quirrell. He must have lost his footing trying to see what was happening with Harry - now both professors were sprawled on their backs, Snape's cloak thrown over his own head. Aurora turned back to the skies and…

In the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back onto his broom.

"He did it!" Aurora cheered, shaking Cedric's arm as he cheered just as loudly beside her. "Harry did it!"

Harry was speeding toward the ground - to get his feet back on solid ground, probably - when he clapped his hand to his mouth. He looked like he was going to be sick as he hit the field on all fours - coughed - and something gold fell into his hand.

"No way…" Cedric's eyes had gone wide.

"I've got the Snitch!" Harry shouted, waving the now still orb above his head, and the game ended in absolute confusion.

A few minutes later, Aurora found herself down on the Quidditch pitch, surrounded by cheering students who were all trying to get a glimpse of the winning team. Cedric had an iron-like grip on her wrist, and was guiding her through the crowd, which seemed to part easily for him.

"Oy, Wood!" Cedric shouted over the crowd's roar as he got closer to the center of the celebration.

The most attractive person Aurora had ever seen turned around and gave them a beaming smile. A tall, sturdy fifth-year, he had dark brown hair, brown eyes still shining from Gryffindor's victory, and a slightly crooked nose, probably broken on more than one occasion. On either side of him, Fred and George Weasley stood, each with a Beater's bat slung over their shoulder.

Aurora felt her face turn a bright red and she had to clamp her mouth shut to keep herself from letting out a startled squeak. Her heart was thumping in her chest so loudly that she could hear it in her ears; she thought she might be in love with Oliver Wood.

"Congrats, mate," said Cedric, giving Oliver Wood's hand a firm shake. "He really was a 'secret weapon' after all."

"Appreciate it, Diggory." Oliver Wood had a Scottish accent, which made Aurora like him even more - it made him sound mysterious and interesting. She hoped she wasn't staring. "But don't think niceties will help you on the pitch. We won't be going easy on Hufflepuff."

"I would hope not," Cedric laughed.

"Since when do you associate with Slytherin, Cedders?" one of the twins cut in, glaring down at Aurora. His brother mirrored his glare, both looking ten times more intimidating in their Quidditch gear.

"Drop it, Fred." Cedric gave them each a harsh look.

"I'm just saying," Fred continued. "I liked her better when she was supposed to be a Hufflepuff."

The twins shared a look before huffing away, disappearing into the still celebrating crowd almost immediately.

Aurora hit the inside of her cheek, trying not to look as if the comment had stung. Also, she really didn't want to cry in front of Oliver Wood.

Cedric slung his arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze before addressing Oliver.

"This is Aurora Rosier. Major Quidditch fan too and wicked on a broom, but she's a first-year. Bet she'll be out on the pitch for Slytherin next year, though."

Oliver Wood gave her a nod and a smile that made her heart skip a beat.

"Hi." She barely got the word out, her blush intensifying.

"It would be nice to see a girl back on their team. Haven't seen one on since my second year." Oliver Wood rubbed the back of his neck. "And sorry about them." He tilted his head in the direction that Fred and George had left. "It was a rough game. I mean, you saw it. Slytherin always plays rough, on top of whatever happened to Harry's broom…"

"Where is the little champion, anyway?"

"Think he went down to the groundskeeper's hut." Oliver Wood gestured off, and through the flaps of the Quidditch stadium, Aurora could just barely see the side of a small wooden cabin, surrounded by massive pumpkins. "His friends nearly carried him off before I got the chance to speak to him. Looked right furious, which is odd since we won the match."

"Maybe I'll join them." The words were out of Aurora's mouth before she realized she was going to say them, but being around Oliver Wood made her feel all topsy-turvy. "To congratulate Harry."

"You sure?" asked Cedric. He had gotten pretty good at hiding it by now, but Aurora could tell he was worried. "We could always head back to the castle if you wanted. Play a few rounds of Gobstones before dinner."

"I'm sure." Aurora shot him a winning smile. Taking the binoculars from around her neck and handing them back, she gave him a quick hug. Speaking into his chest she said, "Thank you, Cedric. For everything.. This was really great."

He hugged her back, bone-crushingly tight. "Tell Harry I look forward to flattening him when Gryffindor goes up against Hufflepuff." He released Aurora and turned back to Oliver Wood, who had been nodding at something a fourth-year Ravenclaw was saying to him. "And now you, oh great winning Quidditch Captain. I've been meaning to ask you something…"

Aurora left the two to talk Quidditch and hurried out of the stadium. Without Cedric leading her, it was harder to navigate the thick crowd, but she was only elbowed once and had her toes stepped on twice before she made it through the main archway and into the strangely empty-feeling grounds beyond. A few people were walking the gravel path that led back to the castle, either to escape the crowds or start their celebration early, but Aurora didn't follow them. Instead, she turned and made her way down to the groundskeeper's cabin.

It looked empty, with a few gardening tools and a wheelbarrow half-filled with dirt left out in the front garden, but she could hear voices drifting out from the opened window.

"It was a bloody fantastic win, yes, but you have to listen to us! I saw it with my own eyes."

It was Ron, his voice sounding much thinner and more frantic than usual. She figured they were talking about the match, and she was eager to join them.

The main door was larger than she would have expected, and much heavier than it looked, but she managed to push it open.

"Blimey, Harry, that was some match," she said, as a way of announcing herself. "Cedric and I were nearly out of the stands. What happened to your broom?"

Aurora blinked a few times. trying to let her eyes adjust to the dim light of the cottage. A fire was raging in the main room, which Harry, Ron, and Hermione were gathered around, sitting in an assortment of chairs and clutching mugs of dark tea. What looked like biscuits and scones sat on the table in front of them, but they hadn't been touched.

The door closed behind her, and she turned, looking up to see…

"Oh…wow."

She had known Hagrid was large. He had been the one to guide the first-year students from the train to the castle, but she had been farther back in the group. Standing directly beside him was an entirely different experience. Aurora had to tilt her head back a bit just to see his face, and she noticed his head was practically scraping the roof.

"An' who might you be?" Hagrid's voice was gruff, but not unkind. If anything, he seemed more confused at her intrusion, his face scrunched up as if he were trying to place her.

Aurora's eyes had gone wide, and her mouth was suddenly very dry. She wanted to ask for a cup of tea, but she wasn't sure she could speak properly.

"I - I'm so sorry, I didn't know that you - you lived here, I just thought it was some sort of…shed or something or…I'm so sorry, I'll go."

"Wait!"

Aurora had just turned around to face the door, flushed with embarrassment, when Hermione's voice made her stop. She glanced over her shoulder.

"S'alright, Aurora," said Harry. He spoke to Hagrid as Aurora slowly turned around. "Aurora, this is Hagrid. Hagrid, meet Aurora. She's our…she's nice. She helped with the troll."

"Well, alright. If yer sure. Grab yerself a seat there, Aurora, there's plenty of tea to go around." Hagrid narrowed his eyes at Aurora, as if he wanted to say more, but changed his mind, turning back to Harry. "Now, what were you lot sayin' about Snape?"

Aurora took a seat beside Hermione on the overstuffed couch, the bushy-haired brunette giving her a small smile. She handed Aurora her own untouched teacup, then gave her a small shake of the head as Aurora reached for one of the treats on the table - 'like a rock' was all Hermione mouthed in warning.

"He cursed Harry's broomstick!" Ron was shouting, practically shooting up from his seat. The tea in his teacup was dangerously close to sloshing over the rim.

"He was?" Aurora's eyes were wide.

"Of course he was." Ron crossed his arms defiantly. "I know you don't believe me, you're a Slytherin, just like him. I bet -"

"No, no, it's just - " Aurora interrupted. She thought back to the last few weeks of classes and Snape's interactions with Harry. He had always been harder on him…okay, much harder, but she had figured it was because Snape was an extremely strict teacher. "Can he do that?"

"No!" Ron fumed as Harry shook his head.

"It's even stated in Quidditch Through the Ages that no one outside of the playing teams and referee can interfere with the game," Hermione added. "That includes all forms of spells, jinxes, curses, and potion-usage."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all shared a look.

"I found out something about him," Harry told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him."

"He did?" Aurora's eyes had gone wide as she took in the new information. Ron shushed her, fixated on what Hagrid would say next.

"We would've told you, Aurora, but with Quidditch coming up and it being Harry's first game, it…well, it slipped our minds." Hermione looked bashful.

Aurora just shrugged. She and the Gryffindors were still navigating their new-found friendship, she couldn't expect them to come running down to the dungeons anytime something of importance happened. It did still shock her to hear that Professor Snape would try something like this.

That must be why he was limping, she realized. It made so much more sense now.

"I saw what happened to his leg," Harry continued. "We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hagrid dropped the teapot he had been holding.

"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.

"Fluffy?"

"Does that dog belong to you?" Aurora leaned so far forward in her seat, it was amazing she hadn't tumbled face-first into the untouched food. "Ever since we saw him I've been reading everything I could get my hands on about three-headed dogs. They're fascinating creatures, really, especially because everyone just sees them as a dog with three-heads, but they actually -"

"Aurora was actually the one to identify Fluffy," Hermione interrupted.

Now it was Hagrid's turn to look impressed. "Did you now?"

Aurora nodded sheepishly. "I've loved magical creatures ever since I was a little girl. They're fascinating."

"Show off," Ron muttered under his breath.

Hagrid was giving her another look, this time much warmer. He seemed about to say something more, when Ron let out a frustrated grunt.

"Hagrid. Why do you have a three-headed dog living on the third floor of Hogwarts?"

"Bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year - I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the -"

Aurora's ears perked up as Hagrid practically had to slap his hand over his mouth to stop himself from talking.

"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.

All eyes were on Hagrid as he wiped his massive hand down his face, exasperated.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."

"But anyone could have stumbled into that room!" Aurora threw her arms up.

"Yeah, exactly," Ron agreed. "We weren't even looking for it and we found it."

"And Snape's trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid again, more forcefully. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione. Her fists were balled up on her lap, and she looked like she was about to start crying. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid. I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"She's right," Aurora said, thinking of the jinxing basics she had read about from Marius' collection. "But a lot of people were staring directly at Harry at the same time. McGonagall was there, and Quirrell, and Madam Hooch. I know they wouldn't do anything like this, but how can you be sure it was Snape?"

Ron rolled his eyes as Hermione nodded vigorously.

"We saw him from across the pitch - oh, stop it, Ronald, these are the questions we have to ask to be certain." Hermione shot Ron a glare. "When I lit fire to his robes and he fell back, the jinx ended. As soon as he broke his eye contact from Harry."

"I'm tellin' all of yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. His voice had become so stern, it made Aurora look down at her lap. "I don't know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn't try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all four of yeh - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardian', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicholas Flamel -"

Aurora's head shot up. She, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other, alert.

"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid just put his head in his hands, looking furious with himself.

The return of Cedric!

I absolutely adore the friendship Aurora & Cedric have. I knew from the start I wanted to write this chapter away from the Gryffindors & Slytherins for a bit, & just get a little more time with these childhood besties. It's just sweet & fun & they're like the siblings they never had.

Also, Aurora's first crush ooooo! Of course, she's just eleven, so it's all innocence & nerves! No real romance until later...but I have a few ideas as to who she may end up with / date :)

As always, thank you for reading! Next chapter will be a bit of a wait - too may things piling up, but fear not, it will be posted! Until then, feedback is always loved & appreciated, & I love replying to reviews so...review! ILY!