A Potter Secret

Quidditch

          "Please Papa," Isabella begs. "I promise I'll stay quiet and I'll sit near Grandma Minnie! Please?"

Sighing, Severus nods. "Alright! Only if you go as me and you act like you should. You are not to raise suspicions."

Isabella smiles and hugs him. "Thank you, Papa! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Go on out there. You don't want to be late for your brother's first game as seeker, do you?" Severus asks.

Isabella changes into Severus and stands tall, trying to personify him. Before long, Isabella sweeps out of the room, robes billowing behind her.

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

The next morning, in the great hall. The gang is sitting, eating. Harry is twirling his food on a fork. "Take a bit of toast, mate, go on," Ron encourages.

"Ron's right, Harry. You're gonna need your strength today," Hermione explains logically.

"I'm not hungry," Harry mumbles back.

Snape appears. "Good luck today, Potter. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you even if it is against Slytherin," Snape says before limping away.

"That explains the blood," Harry mumbles.

"Blood?" Hermione asks.

"Listen, last night, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that 3 headed dog. But, he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping," Harry elaborates.

"But why would anyone go near that dog?" Hermione asks.

"The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was Hogwarts' business, very secret," Harry says.

"So you're saying-"

"That's what the dog's guarding. That's what Snape wants."

An owl screeches. It is Hedwig. She is carrying a very large, long parcel. She drops it off. "Bit early for mail, isn't it?"

"But I-I never get mail," Harry reminds.

"Let's open it," Ron says.

They open it. "It's a broomstick!"

"That's not just any broomstick, Harry. It's a Nimbus 2000!" Ron cheers.

"But who-?" Harry mumbles He sees Professor McGonagall up at the head table, stroking Hedwig. She smiles and Harry nods.

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

Inside a Quidditch tower. The Gryffindor team is marching towards the starting gate. They reach it and stop, behind a closed double door. "Scared, Harry?" Oliver asks.

"A little bit," Harry replies.

"That's all right. I felt the same way before my first game," Oliver says, trying to put Harry's mind at ease.

"What happened?" Harry asks.

"Er, I don't really remember. I took a bludger to the head 2 minutes in. Woke up in the hospital a week later." Harry gulps and looks straight ahead as the doors open. They mount their brooms and zoom out onto the enormous pitch. There is cheering. The commentator, Lee Jordan, is talking from a tower.

"Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game Slytherin versus Gryffindor!" Lee calls out. Cheering.

Close-up of Gryffindor students. They are all cheering. "Gryffindor!" The players take their positions in the air in a circle. Harry weaves in, highest amongst. He looks down. "The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game."