the boy that could have been

consequences

Ron was in utter disbelief when Harry told him, "You're joking." He was so shocked that he even forgot about the food halfway to his mouth, "Seeker? But first-years never - you must be the youngest house player in about -"

"- a century." Said Harry, shovelling pie into his mouth, feeling incredibly hungry after his stressful day, "Wood told me."

Ron sat gaping at Harry, but Cress looked delighted, "To be honest, I couldn't give a rat's arse about Quidditch, but I'm so glad that you screwed up so I won't have detention alone with Snape! Why is it with Snape though?"

"Well, Minnie didn't say," Grinned Harry, "But I think it's either because she couldn't be bothered to waste her own time, or she thought Snape would give me a harder time. Probably a combination of the two."

Before either of the others could reply (although Ron still looked incapable of speaking), Fred and George hurried over and congratulated him for making the team. Apparently, they were Beaters, and they were on the team too. Harry didn't have a chance to speak to them, however, because the disappeared as quickly as they'd arrived, going off to check out some new secret passageway. They were immediately replaced with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Having your last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you. Maybe I should've let you fall."

Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles menacingly, and Malfoy leant closer to Harry.

"Just you wait until my father hears about this!" He hissed. Harry laughed dryly.

"Don't forget to tell him you pissed yourself on your way down. I'm sure daddy will be so proud of his brave little boy!"

Ron spat out pumpkin juice all over the table, and Malfoy flushed bright pink as everybody in the nearby vicinity burst into laughter.

"I did not- stop lying, Potter!"

Harry stood up to face him, forgetting for a moment that there was a High Table full of teachers right in front of them.

"You landed right on top of me, ferret boy. I had to burn my robes."

Pretty much everybody in the hall was watching them now as Malfoy took a step closer to Harry.

"Wizard's duel, midnight tomorrow, the trophy room." 

Before Harry could respond, he felt a sharp tap on his shoulder and turned to face Professor Snape.

"Are you threatening Mr. Malfoy again, Mr. Potter?"

"Of course not Professor." Harry gave an uncharacteristic sickly-sweet smile, "He was just thanking me for saving him, and asking me not to tell everybody that he wet himself!"

Howls of laughter sounded from behind him and Harry could hear Malfoy spluttering, but Snape's face remained stony.

"Five points from Gryffindor, and I suggest that you stop being an arrogant brat before you land yourself in... trouble."

He swished on his heel and turned back to the High Table, where the rest of the teachers appeared to be watching him closely. Harry gave a two-fingered salute to his back, then, realising that McGonagall was frowning at him, hastily left the Great Hall. Ron and Cress came running out beside him, holding plates of food.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, "Did he really wet himself?"

Harry smirked, "No, but that rumour won't be leaving any time soon."

Ron burst out laughing again and Harry grinned back as he snatched a drumstick from his plate.

"Laugh now, but if Harry keeps losing points - " Cress began anxiously.

"Don't worry about that, we'll be fine. What we should be worrying about is our detention! We need to hurry if we want to visit Hagrid before we go, like you said."

Although he tried to hide it, Hagrid seemed to find the whole Malfoy situation as hilarious as Ron did, and the boys soon realised that Cress was telling the truth when she told them how kind the half-giant was.

All too soon, they had to leave for detention, and they parted from Ron at the bottom of the staircase.

"Good luck!" He grinned, "Rather you than me!"

The detention, however, was nowhere near as bad as they thought it might be. Snape made them cut up flobberworms for his stores in silence until almost midnight, leaving them with terrible cramps, but he didn't try and torment them or take any more points away, so on the whole it was okay.

Ron had waited up for them, so the next morning the three were exhausted when they went down to breakfast. Harry's day only got worse, however, when a smoking envelope was delivered to him. He didn't know what it was at first, but he was quickly informed that it was a Howler, and if he didn't open it then he'd be in deep trouble. Hands trembling slightly, he broke the seal. It immediately jumped from his hands and turned to face him. His mother's voice screeched out, filling the entire hall and causing everybody to turn to face him.

"HARRY POTTER! DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO A WORD I TOLD YOU? HOW DARE YOU GET ON THAT BROOMSTICK, AND HOW DARE YOU ASSAULT ANOTHER BOY? I'M EXTREMELY DISAAPOINTED IN YOU! YOU'RE LUCKY THAT ALL YOU GOT WAS A DETENTION! IF IT WAS ME-"

She was cut off by James' amused voice, "If it was me, I wouldn't have caught the bugger! Atta boy Harry, I think you broke my record! It took you what, three days to nearly get expelled? And you're apparently a natural on a broom! I'm so proud-"

"JAMES POTTER!" screeched Lily, "STOP ENCOURAGING YOUR SON! I DON'T WANT HIM TO BE A BULLY LIKE YOU, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT-"

"We weren't bullies, Evans!" That was Padfoot. Oh dear, his parents and Sirius were having a full-on domestic in front of the entire school. How embarrassing, "He deserved everything he got! Maybe Sn-"

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK, DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANOTHER WORD! HARRY, DON'T LISTEN TO THESE BUFFOONS, YOU'RE IN DEEP TROUBLE AND I'M DISGUSTED WITH WHAT YOU'VE DONE! WHEN I NEXT SEE YOU-"

James cut her off again, "Hey, I'm not a buffoon! Anyway Hazza, when I next see you you're getting a high-five! That's my son alright!"

"JAMES! STOP IT, OR YOU'RE IN DEEP TROUBLE TOO! HARRY, WE'LL HAVE WORDS WHEN I NEXT SEE YOU. FOR NOW, STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, OR YOU'LL HAVE ME TO FACE!"

The envelope blew a raspberry at him and fell onto the table. Harry wasn't quite sure whether to laugh or cry, but almost everybody else immediately burst into laughter, and he could hear multiple snatches of conversation.

"...wish my dad was that cool-"

"...Not even really a punishment!"

"Best start to the day there is!"

Sat at the end of the High Table, unseen by anybody, Severus Snape was shaking uncontrollably. He'd just heard Lily's voice for the first time in - well, a long time,  but also the voices of his tormentors, and they'd just spoken about him in front of the entire school!

He hastily blinked back tears and tilted his head down to hide his face. If anybody saw him...