A Halliwell at Hogwarts: The Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter Love Story)

VIII - The Sorcerer's Stone

As soon as Persephone set foot back in Hogwarts, she dragged Hermione to their common room where they found Ron and Harry in the middle of a chess game. When they spotted them though, they abandoned it and welcomed them back. "Oh guys, I missed you! You and your talent for troubles!" Persephone cried dramatically, making them laugh.

Harry told her and Hermione about what had happened during Christmas break, about the Invisibility Cloak and the Mirror of Erised.

Persephone found Harry's story exciting, while Hermione took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Filch had caught you!"), and disappointment that he hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was.

They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Harry was still sure he'd read the name somewhere.

"I know I read it somewhere..."

"Well, when you remember where, tell us. You'd make us all a big favor" Persephone had told him.

Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Persephone and Harry had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again.

Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasleys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic and Persephone agreed with them. However, Harry was on Wood's side. If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in seven years.

Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just gotten very angry with the Weasleys, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.

"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words.

"Snape's refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too.

"It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."

The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Harry and Persephone headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where they found Ron and Hermione playing chess.

"Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Harry sat down next to him, "I need to concen—" He caught sight of Harry's face. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."

Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Harry told the other two about Snape's sudden, sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.

"Don't play," said Hermione at once.

"Say you're ill," said Ron.

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.

"Really break your leg," said Ron.

"I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."

"Oh hush, you two! I was hoping you'd convince him that nothing will happen to him, since nobody is so stupid as to try anything in front of everyone a second time in a row!" Persephone told them.