star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER SEVEN

After being put on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Seeker, Harry and the others had been training almost non-stop. With being so busy with Quidditch practice, he needed Hermione and Arabella's help with his homework in order to keep up. Despite being well prepared, Harry was still terribly nervous for his first match, so much so that he was just playing with his breakfast the morning of.

"Just take a bit of toast, mate. Go on," Ron said.

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

"I'm not hungry," Harry protested.

Arabella almost said something but stopped when she saw who was walking their way. "Good luck today, Potter," said Professor Snape. "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." He shifted his cold gaze from Harry to Hermione, to Ron, to Arabella, then walked away. As they watched him, they noticed that he was limping.

"That explains the blood," Harry murmured.

"Blood?" Hermione asked.

"Listen. Last night, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could get past that three-headed dog. But he got himself bitten. That's why he's limping."

"But why would anyone go near that dog?"

"The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. Said it was Hogwarts business, very secret."

"So you're saying..."

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

While they contemplated this, they heard the screech of an owl and looked up towards the rafters. They saw a single snowy owl flying towards them with a long package. It swooped down towards them and dropped it, but before it could hit the table, Harry grabbed it and gently set it down.

"Bit early for mail, isn't it?" asked Hermione.

"But I... I never get mail," Harry said.

"Let's open it," Ron said.

The four of them got to right to work unwrapping whatever it was, and were amazed to see what was inside.

"It's a broomstick," said Harry.

"That's not just a broomstick, Harry," said Ron. "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand!"

"But who...?"

"Now will you eat?" Arabella asked. Harry looked at her but did not answer. "Oh, come on, Harry! You don't want to pass out and fall off this thing in the middle of the match, do you?"

"No."

"Then eat your breakfast! And fast, everybody else is already done."

Harry did eventually finish his breakfast, his spirits lifted by the arrival of the broom, and he left with the rest of the Quidditch players to the locker rooms. Everyone else left not long after, and Arabella, Ron, and Hermione sat with their fellow first-year Gryffindors in the stands, along with Hagrid, Hogwarts gamekeeper and friend of Harry's.