The Mysterious Heir

Chapter 7, Book 1, "Gryffindor vs. Slytherin"

As November arrives, the weather turns very cold. The mountains around the school become icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground is covered in frost. Hagrid can be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaver skin boots.

The Quidditch season has begun. On Saturday, Polaris will be playing chaser after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship. Hardly anyone has seen Harry play because Wood has decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he is playing Seeker has leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse - people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress. It's really lucky that Harry now has Hermione as a friend. He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She also lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read. Harry learnt that there are seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and the fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.

Hermione has become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she is much nicer for it. The day before the first Quidditch match of the year, the three of them are out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she has conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They are standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crosses the yard. Harry notices at once that Snape is limping. Harry, Ron, and Hermione move closer together to block the fire from view; they are sure it isn't allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces catches Snape's eye. He limps over. He hasn't seen the fire, but he seems to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway. "What's that you've got there, Potter?" he asks in a condescending tone, motioning towards Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry shows him. "Library books are not to be taken outside the school," says Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor." Polaris, sitting nearby, puts his book on bowtruckles down and walks up to the three first years as Snape limps away "He just made that rule up," Ron mutters angrily

"Wonder what's wrong with his leg?" Harry asks.

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," says Ron bitterly.

"It's from that dog. That boy has massive teeth, and he knows how to use them." Polaris comments, startling the three first years "Where'd you come from?!" Ron asks "From behind you, dumbass." Polaris answers "How do you know that that thing bit Snape?" Hermione asks "I went there to study, as usual, and I saw blood on the ground, and the dog was on high alert. Anyways, do you want to borrow my copy of Quidditch through the ages? I know Snape probably won't give that book back." Says Polaris "I'm Alright, Polaris. Thanks for offering though." Harry says, shaking his head

A few hours later
Harry's Pov

The Gryffindor common room is very noisy this evening. Ron, Hermione, and I sit together next to a window. Hermione is checking our Charms homework for us. She won't let us copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, we get the right answers anyway.