The Tabby, the Phoenix and the kitten

Chapter eighteen

The next day at breakfast, Harry, Ron and Hermione filled Arianna in about what Hermione had told the boys the night before. 

"What could it be guarding?" She asked, the three shrugged their shoulders, telling her they didn't have a clue.

"But that's what we need to find out!" Hermione said just as the mail arrived. Harry looked in shock as he saw Hedwig flying with a rather large package, she flew off after dropping it infront of Harry. 

"But I never get mail!" Harry said in shock as he looked at the package.

"well don't make us wait, open it!" Ron said eagerly, and the four of them helped rip open the package to find a Nimbus 2000, the latest model of broomstick! They all gasped as they looked at the beautiful broom stick.

"But who?" Harry asked and looked around, finally resting his eyes upon Professor McGonagall, Arianna, Hermione, and Ron all followed his gaze and saw their head of house, smiling at them, while petting Hedwig.

"Of course! She got you a broom for the quiditch team Harry!" Hermione explained. 

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The next week was the first Quiditch game of the season, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. The game was going quite well, and Arianna was laughing at Jordan's commentary and Professor McGonagall's scoldings when he became biased towards his house team. 

But then suddenly something funny began to happen to Harry's broom. It began to jolt and rock, as if trying to make him fall. Arianna sat on the edge of her seat, not knowing what to do. But luckily Hermione spotted Snape muttering something, and not moving his eyes off of Harry. So she ran over and set his cape on fire. When Snape noticed his robes were on fire and began to put them out, Harry's broom went back to normal and he continued to play the game. In the end Harry caught the snitch, in his mouth! And won the game for Gryffindor! 

After the game the four of them went to see Hagrid, who congragulated Harry on the game. They began to talk about how Hermione noticed it was Snape who was cursing Harry's broom.

"Nonsense! Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom!?" Hagrid asked shocked that they would even think such a thing.

"Who knows! Why was he trying to get past that three headed dog on Halloween!?" Harry retorted.

"Who told you about Fluffy!?" A voice suddenly said from behind them, making all four of them jump.

"That thing has a name!?" Ron asked shocked, after realizing it was only Hagrid.

" 'Course he's got a name, he's mine! I bought him off an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year, then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"

"Yes?" Harry asked hoping Hagrid would tell them what 'Fluffy' was guarding.

"I shouldn't have said that. No more questions! Don't ask any more questions! That's top secret, that is!" Hagrid told them, scolding himself.

"But Hagrid! Whatever Fluffy's guarding Snape's trying to steal it!" Harry said, trying to reason with Hagrid to get him to tell them what Fluffy was guarding.

"Codswallop! Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher!" 

"Hogwarts teacher or not! I know a spell when I see one! I've read all about them You've got to keep eye contact and Snape wasn't blinking!" Hermione said.

"Now you listen to me! All four of you! You're meddling in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous! What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel." He sternly told them, then realizing what he had said.