Harry was awoken Wednesday morning by something large and furry leaping up onto his bed and licking his face.  Hedwig hissed in annoyance and slithered out from under the pillow and off the bed to the floor.  Whenever she slept under the pillow, it meant Harry had had a nightmare the night before and tossed and turned.  The Slytherin rarely remembered these dreams but most of them were of his times on the streets.  And then there was the recurring one about the green light that had gotten an addition since he had met the dementors.  He now heard the woman’s screaming in the dream.

But dreams weren’t what was bothering him at the moment.  It was the large furry creature standing over him and licking his face.

Reaching up, Harry buried his hands in shaggy fur and shoved.  The beast barely moved and made a sound in its throat.  Harry opened one eye blearily and glared at the large dog hovering over him.

“Shouldn’t ye be in Niamh’s dorm?”

The dog simply looked at him and he sighed, brushing the saliva off his face with one of the sheets.

“Do ye mind letting me up, Sirius?”

The large dog looked at him for a moment then jumped down off the bed, causing Hedwig to slither hurriedly under the cabinet.  Harry heard her hiss loudly, “Ssstupid mutt!  Nearly ssstepped on me!!”

Harry chuckled and swung his legs over the side of the bed.  Leaning down towards the dog, he whispered, “I suggest ye be more careful.  Hed’s na very happy wi’ ye.”

Sirius looked at him and barked in response.  In the bed beside Harry’s, Crabbe snorted and rolled over.  Sirius seemed to sneer at him and Harry nodded, agreeing with the dog.  He then hopped to the floor and padded across the cold stones to the end of his bed.

“Bludgering hell, its cold!”

Harry grabbed one of his spare school cloaks and threw it on the floor, transfiguring it into a fluffy rug with his wand.

“Much better.”

Hedwig hissed, “No fair,” and slithered across the floor onto the rug, where she curled up around Harry’s ankle.  Sirius looked askance at the snake then lay down, putting his head on his paws.

Harry shucked off the shirt he had slept in and Sirius’ head came up fast.  He blinked at the dog then shrugged, tossing the shirt into a basket beside his trunk.  Reaching into the trunk, he pulled out the white shirt, gray sweater vest, and silver and green tie that finished off his uniform and pulled them on.  Tugging Hedwig off of his ankle and tossing her onto the bed, he pulled on his shoes and socks before stepping off the transfigured cloak and changing it back.  He slung it into the trunk and pulled out his robes, closing the lid of the trunk as he did so.

“C’mon, Sirius.  Le’s go see if Ni’s up yet.”

Harry shrugged the robes onto his shoulders and crept out of the boy’s dorms, the large dog at his heels.  When he entered the common room, it was deserted except for a very sleepy looking Ginny in a chair by the fire.

“Mornin’, Gin,” said Harry, sitting across from her on a footstool.  The girl jumped then smiled at him.

“Good morning, Harry.”

She yawned and he smiled.

“Tired?”

“Yeah.  Victoria and Lilliane kept the rest of us up all night with their chattering.”

“Ye should hex ‘em.”

Ginny smiled a tired smile and said, “I’m going to ask Niamh if she’ll do that.”

“Oh, she’ll be delighted.”

“Delighted to do….what?”

Niamh entered the common room, her voice stretched out as she yawned.

“Hex Gin’s dormmates?”

Niamh’s eyes lit up as she fell into a chair near them.

“Delighted.  Sirius, what’re you doing in here?”

The dog looked at her and Harry reached out to pat his shoulder.  He said, “Yer new pet ‘ere woke me up this morning.  I got a faceful o’ saliva.”

Niamh chuckled and asked, “Did it taste good?”

“I didn’t taste i’.”

“Pity.  Hey, where’s Hedwig?”

Harry groaned and got up.

“Be right back.”

He vanished into the boy’s dorm and reappeared a moment later when there was a loud crash and a few curses yelled.

“What was that about?” asked Niamh with an arched eyebrow.

“Zabini’s terrified o’ snake’s apparently an’ had a fit when ‘e saw Hed.  ‘E also fell off the bed,” replied Harry as he sank back down onto the footstool.

Ginny asked, “Why was he cursing?”

“Becaussse the floor isss cold.”

“Floor’s freezin’.  I transfigured me cloak inter a rug when I woke up.”

“You mean when Sirius woke you up.”

“Same thing.”

“Good morning, my dear, dear companions!”

Mika came bounding into the common room, eyes bright.  Niamh glared at him and asked, “How can you be so bloody cheerful?”

“Why, Quidditch trials are today, of course.  Surely you didn’t forget.”

“Today?!  What!  NO!  When?”

“Four o’ clock,” said Harry.

“Damn.  So I won’t have any time to practice beforehand.”

“No, I don’t think so,” said Mika.  “You need practice?”

“Yes!  Unlike you, my parents are Muggles.  I also don’t own a broom, so they kind of puts a wrench in my plans, doesn’t it?”

“Snappish today, aren’t we?”

“Sod off.”

“Oh, yes.  We are.”

Harry decided to get inbetween the two of them before Niamh hexed Mika beyond recognition.

“Le’s go down ter the Hall.”

“Good idea,” said Ginny, who has been about to say something of the same sort to keep Mika and Niamh from killing each other.

Niamh nodded and turned to Sirius.

“You stay here.  Don’t go anywhere.”

“Ni, he can’t understand you.”

Sirius barked loudly at Mika in retaliation and Harry smirked.

“Apparently ‘e can.  C’mon, le’s go.”

The four of them plodded out of the common room, leaving Sirius behind by the fire.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

A good many hours later…

“Harry, I can’t do this.”

“Yes, ye can.  Chaser or Beater.  Ye can play both.  Ye’ll do fine.”

“Yeah, Ni.  Perfectly fine.”

“You shut up, you too cheerful bastard.”

“Ouch.  I’m hurt.”

Harry rolled his eyes and looked over at Flint.  He silently prayed, Please let us get through this without any incidents.  Preferably without Ni and Mika killing each other.

“Alright!  Let’s go!”

Harry walked out onto the field with Niamh and Mika beside him, the two of them dressed in normal robes except for Niamh, who was wearing the gloves Harry had given her the year before.

“O’Feir, why are you wearing those things?” asked a fourth year, eyeing the gloves.  Niamh looked at Harry, who had climbed up into the stands, then replied, “For luck.”

Flint blew a whistle and yelled, “Alright!  Everyone trying out for Chaser make a line over there.  Beaters over here.  Those trying out for Chaser will have a minute to get as many Quaffles as possible past the Keeper.  Those trying out for Beater will be hitting Bludger’s back to Derricks and Bole.  LET’S MOVE!”

Niamh moved with those trying out for Chaser while Mika went into the line where the Beater’s were lined up.

Harry leaned back against the seat behind him, settling down to wait.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“You think I got it?”

Harry nodded as Niamh as him that question for the seventh time since she had finished her turn trying out for Chaser.  She had gotten twenty-four Quaffles past the Keeper during the minute time limit, which was the second best of all those that had tried out.  A sixth year had beaten her by one Quaffle.

“Yeh, Ni.  If ye doan get the main spot, ye’ll at least get on the reserves.”

“With Malfoy.  Oh, joyous day.”

Harry snorted then watched as Mika flew over to them from the Beater tryouts.  He landed heavily beside them and collapsed, panting.  Harry steadied the other boy as he asked, “Ye alright?”

Mika nodded and replied, “Fine.  But Derricks and Bole….they sure work hard.”

“I know.  They’ll be missed nex’ year.”

“Question: why are we having tryouts now, if no one’s leaving till next year?”

“So those picked c’n get ready for nex’ year,” replied Harry.  “’Ere comes Flint.”

Flint called out, “The results will be posted in the common room in a week.  Good job everyone!”

The Slytherins set up a clamor as they gathered their gear together and began to leave the pitch.  As Niamh, Harry, and Mika left, Malfoy caught up with them, smiling maliciously.

“Hey, Potter!  You might want to watch out.  I might just take your spot this year.”

Harry gave the blond a Look and Niamh snorted.  She said, “In your dreams, Malfoy.  Oh wait.  That is a dream.  I’m so sorry that that’s so.”

Mika chuckled as Malfoy glared at Niamh then turned and stalked off.

“Very nice, Ni.”

“Thank you, thank you.”  Niamh bowed mockingly and Harry laughed, shaking his head.

“Hey, isn’t that Sirius?”

The three of them looked across the grounds to where Mika was pointing.  Indeed, there was the shaggy black dog Niamh had claimed as her own, sniffing the ground.

She asked in shock, “How’d he get out of the common room?”

“Who knows?” replied Harry.  “Le’s get ‘im and head inside.  Supper’s in a few minutes.”

“Right.  Sirius!  Sirius!”

The dog looked up and barked, bounding over to them.  Niamh patted the great head, scratching behind the ears.

“There you are.  How’d you get out of the common room, eh?”

“I don’t think he can answer you, Ni,” said Mika.

“Hush, goose.  It’s tradition to talk to your pets.”

“Not in Harry’s case.”

“Harry’s a special case.”

“Uh-huh.  His pet’s can talk.”

“Oi,” said Harry sharply.  “I doan consider Jar or Hed a pet.”

“Then what do you consider them?” asked Mika.

“Friends.”

“Speaking of friends, let us get inside and find our young red-headed one.”

The two boys nodded in agreement and the three of them headed towards the castle, Sirius plodding along between Harry and Niamh.