A Potter Secret

On the Team?

          Severus steps into his rooms to see Isabella pouring over transfiguration texts and scrolls. "You've spoken to your brother?"

Isabella jumps, turning. "Papa, I meant to tell you but I just didn't know how. I couldn't explain how it was happening."

"Isabella, what if it hadn't been your brother? If it happened with him, someone else may have been able to get in the same way," Severus reminds.

"But I could keep him out if I wanted to. It really only happened when I was tired. I periodically check to see if he's alright. I know how to control my occlumency abilities enough to keep others out. I'd feel if someone entered my mind," Isabella reminds. "You've taught me well."

Sighing, Severus sits beside her and pulls Isabella into his lap. "Isabella, I just want you to be safe. I can't guarantee that if you keep things like this from me. There are people out there who are more skilled in occlumency than we are. They could look into your mind and read everything before you could blink."

Isabella nods, leaning against him. "I'm sorry, Papa. It was really nice talking to him, though. And I did warn him not to tell anyone about me."

"I'll arrange for you two to meet, alright?" Severus relents. "I'll probably give him detention or something."

Isabella chuckles and hugs him. "Thanks Papa."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Professor Quirrell's classroom. He is inside, teaching, holding an iguana. "An iguana s-such as this is-"

McGonagall approaches the class and stops Harry. "You wait here," McGonagall instructs.

"An essential in-gredient-" Quirrell continues.

"Excuse me, excuse me, Professor Quirrell. Could I borrow Wood for a moment?" McGonagall asks.

"Oh. Y-yes, of course," Quirrell says.

A boy, Oliver Wood, gets up to leave and Quirrell continues. "And the vampire b-bat"

"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood, I have found you a Seeker!" McGonagall cheer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Ron are walking through crowded halls. Sir Nicholas and a lady ghost float by. "Have you heard? Harry Potter's the new Gryffindor Seeker. I always knew he'd do well," Sir Nicolas cheer.

Ron walks up beside Harry, asking, "Seeker? But first years never make their house teams! You must be the youngest Quidditch player in-"

"A century, according to McGonagall," Harry finishes.

Fred and George approach and walk along with Ron and Harry. "Hey, well done, Harry, Wood's just told us!" Fred cheers.

"Fred and George are on the team, too. Beaters," Ron explains.

"Our job is to make sure that you don't get bloodied up too bad. Can't make any promises, of course. Rough game, Quidditch," George admits.

"Brutal. But no one's died in years. Someone will vanish occasionally," Fred elaborates. They break off from Harry and Ron, who walk across a courtyard.

"But they'll turn up in a month or two!" George assures.

"Oh, go on, Harry, Quidditch is great. Best game there is! And you'll be great, too!" Ron assures. Hermione jumps up from her work and comes to join them.

"But I've never even played Quidditch. What if I make a fool of myself?" Harry asks.

"You won't make a fool of yourself. It's in your blood," Hermione assures.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The three approach a trophy case. Hermione points at a plaque of Quidditch players. One lists Harry's father as a Seeker. "Whoa. Harry, you never told me your father was a Seeker, too," Ron cries.

"I-I didn't know," Harry mumbles, looking at the plaque.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The three are walking up a staircase. A railing pulls in Hermione looks, but continues walking. "I'm telling you, it's spooky. She knows more about you than you do," Ron says.

"Who doesn't?" Harry asks.

The staircase shudders and begins to move. The three grab the railings. "Ahh!" Ron and Hermione gasp.

"What's happening?" Harry asks.

"The staircases change, remember?" Hermione reminds. The staircase stops, in a new place.

Harry taps Ron. "Let's go this way," Harry asks.

"Before the staircase moves again," Ron says. They all open a door and walk into a spooky, dark room.

"Does anyone feel like we shouldn't be here?" Harry asks, looking around to see no students around.

"We're not supposed to be here. This is the 3rd floor. It's forbidden," Hermione states.

Suddenly, a flame lights on a tall stone support. At that moment, the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, comes running in and meows. The group jumps. "Let's go," Harry mumbles.

"It's Filch's cat!" Ron cries, hearing a cat's meow.

"Run!" Harry cries. The group runs. Flames are lit as they go. They get to the end of the corridor, to a door. Harry grabs the handle, but it's locked. "It's locked!"

"That's it, we're done for!" Ron whisper-shouts.

"Oh, move over!" Hermione insists as she pushes through and pulls out her wand. "Alohomora." The door opens. "Get in." They bustle in.

"Alohomora?" Ron asks.

"Standard book of spells, Chapter 7," Hermione recites.

Filch appears at the start of the corridor with a light. Mrs. Norris looks at him. "Anyone here, my sweet?" Filch asks. Meow. "Come on." They leave the corridor, closing the door.

"Filch is gone," Hermione mumbles.

"Probably thinks this door's locked," Ron replies.

"It was locked," Hermione says.

"And for good reason," Harry notes.

Ron and Hermione turn to stand with Harry. There is a massively huge three headed dog sleeping in front of them. The dog, Fluffy, begins to wake. It growls, yawns, and growls more noticing the intruders. "AHHHHHHH!" They all shout. The three bolt, running out of the door. They turn quickly to shut the door and battle against the dog. They get the door shut and run.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Back in the Gryffindor room. They are breathless. "What do they think they're doing? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school," Ron demands.

"You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione asks.

"I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three!" Ron shouts. they begin to climb the stairs to the dorms.

"It was standing on a trap door. Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something," Hermione explains.

"Guarding something?" Harry asks.

"That's right. Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed or worse, expelled!" Hermione says before she turns and leaves, shutting the door to her dorms.

"She needs to sort out her priorities!" Ron mutters. Harry nods.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~