(1) Lux Brumalis (R. Weasley)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Pixie's ponytail bounces behind her as she races after Hermione, Ron and Harry as they leave the Quidditch stadium. Walking behind Hagrid. Pixie knows she needs to apologise for keeping it a secret from them that she was going to be on the team. And congratulate Harry as well. She wasn't expecting to enjoy the game, she played it because she felt like she had to because Severus set it up for her. But she actually enjoyed herself. There is something in it that she found exhilarating, even if they lost.

"Hey!" She shouts, Harry slows to wait for her with Hermione but Ron tries to ignore her before Harry and Hermione pull him back towards them.

"What do you want?" Ron snaps a little at Pixie who lets out a breath and blinks at the hostility in his tone.

"You guys aren't mad at me for not telling you about the team are you?" She asks them. She knew they would be surprised and maybe a little upset but not outright mad at her for it.

"No" Hermione starts.

"Of course, we are" Ron argues, Hermione and Harry give him a look, because even Harry is over it now. It took him the game to accept that if he could make the team then why shouldn't Pixie, she is just a good flier as he is, if not better.

"No, we're not" Harry counters. Ron grumbles under his breath. Pixie moves closer to them. She and Harry had both left the game in their respective uniforms, only stopping to take off their padding and stash their brooms.

"Flint told me to keep it a secret" She offers. "And with everything else going on, I guess I didn't want to add more to it..." Harry frowns a little. "Oh, come on, Potter" She teases. "We both know I'm the better flier" He smirks a little and gives her a look. "You didn't want to be worrying about having to go up against me for weeks....surprising you was better for your game" Harry nods in agreement.

"Come on," He tells her, ignoring the look Ron sends him. "We're going to Hagrid's" He nods to Hagrid waiting for them down the path. Pixie smiles softly at them and moves to loop her arm with Hermione's as they head towards Hagrid.

"That was some migh'y flying ou' there," Hagrid tells her. "Good firs' game"

"Thank you," She tells him with a smile. "Of course, the Gryffindors did brilliantly too" She admits and winks at Harry. "Catching the snitch in your mouth...inspired" He laughs a little. "I must commend Wood on his play...because of course a move like that had to be on purpose"

"Of course" Harry agrees as they share an amused look. "Had to be on purpose"

........

At Hagrid's Hut, Hagrid busies himself making tea for the five of them. Ron and Hermione sit across from Pixie and Harry on the other side of ta huge dining table, obviously built for someone the size of Hagrid and not four first years. Pixie pulls out her ponytail and shakes out her hair.

"It was Snape," Ron tells them and Pixie snorts her disagreement. "Hermione and I saw him" Ron defends, Pixie looks at Hermione for agreement here, Hermione was on her side regarding Snape. Hermione gives her a sad smile and nods in agreement with Ron. "He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you" Ron continues for Harry as Pixie looks down at her lap, fiddling with her hair tie as she tries to get her head around. Before it was just a coincidence, now. What other explanation could there be for this?

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

"Exactly" Pixie agrees sharply. Her chest is actually hurting at the thought of a member of her family being this heartless, trying to hurt a kid.

"I found out something about him," Harry admits. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Hallowe'en. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding." Hagrid suddenly drops the teapot in his hand.

"How do you know about Fluffy?" He asks them. The four eleven-year-olds turn to look at him.

"Fluffy?" Pixie asks him.

Yeah, he's mine, bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year, I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the..." Hagrid suddenly stops.

"Yes?" Harry asks him.

"Now, don't ask me any more, that's top-secret, that is"

"But Snape's trying to steal it." Harry defends. Hagrid shakes his head.

"Rubbish" Hagrid argues. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" Hermione counters.

"If he did" Pixie argues with her. Hermione looks at her, both annoyed and feeling sorry for Pixie here. "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"

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" Hagrid counters, getting upset and angry. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' 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 guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel..."

"Aha!" Harry suddenly states, looking rather pleased with himself. "So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?" Hagrid looks furious with himself.

......

"Pix" Harry catches up to her as she hurries back towards the castle, she'd been quiet after Hagrid's scolding, but not because of that, but because of the whole Snape thing. She lets out a breath and turns to face Harry and he does feel bad as she seems to be on the verge of tears. "Pixie" He tries but she gives him an upset glare.

"No, I know what you think, and you think that everything you have seen points to that, but I know my family, and I know that he would never...." She stops and shakes her head, swallowing slightly to fight off her upset. "He didn't do it" She argues, firmly. "Whatever they saw, it's wrong...it's wrong, you're all wrong about him" She turns and stalks off, leaving Harry standing there.