“Potter!  POTTER!”

“WHAT IN SLYTHERIN’S NAME DO YE WANT, FLINT?!”

Flint sneered at the third year, who was almost as tall as himself, and growled, “Game’s today.”

“I know.  Do I look like an idiot?” snarled Harry.

“Look like one to me,” drawled Malfoy from his chair.

Harry hissed at the blond then growled to Flint, “I know the game is today, Flint.  What do ye want?”

“You have a broom?”

“Yeh.”

“Good.  Be ready.”

“What else am I going ter do?” exclaimed Harry, throwing his hands in the air.  He walked over to the Hexer’s Corner where Niamh sat with Sirius on the floor and collapsed onto the couch, groaning into the pillow.

“That bad?” asked Niamh.

Harry groaned again into the pillow to clarify.

“That’s bad.  Did the Demon Bitch give back your Firebolt yet?”

Harry lifted his head and laid is sideways on the couch cushion, looking wearily at Niamh.  Between schoolwork, Quidditch practice, and dementor lessons, he was dead tired.

“Yes,” he sighed.  “Da even checked it over himself before he gave it to me this morning.”

“This morning?  Hell, Harry, you haven’t even rode it yet?”

Harry looked exasperatedly at Niamh then smirked.

“Why doan we go test it out then?”

Niamh grinned and said excitedly, “Quidditch pitch, here we come!”

Sirius barked happily at this, wagging his tail, causing the two Slytherins to laugh.

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

A few minutes later the three of them walked out onto the pitch, Harry garbed in his gear with the Firebolt over his shoulder and Niamh bundled up in a scarf and Harry’s green Slytherin cloak.  She was borrowing it, as there was a fierce wind outside in the February air along with the already cold air.  Added to her outfit was her scarf and Quidditch gloves along with one of the school’s Comet Two-Sixty’s slung over her shoulder.

Sirius planted himself on the sidelines as the two kicked off into the air, barking in surprise as Harry dove towards the ground, only missing it by a few inches when he pulled up.  The boy looked over his shoulder to grin at the dog; his normally pale cheeks were whipped a slight pink by the chill wind.  Niamh laughed and yelled down, “Chill out, Sirius!  We’re not gonna fall!”

Sirius barked at her and she laughed again, pulling out a small ball from her pocket and tapping it with her wand.

“Hey, Harry!” she yelled, hefting the now Quaffle sized ball in her left hand.  “Catch!”

Harry spun about and dove for the ball as it arched towards the ground.  He caught it with one hand, pushed the Firebolt back up into the air, then hurled it at Niamh.

“How’s it feel?” she yelled as she caught the ball simply by reaching out her right hand.

“Great!” yelled Harry back, grinning.  He did a loop and caught the ball as he came out of it, hurling it back to her as he went into another.  Niamh yelped as the ball hit her hands hard, driving her back a few inches.  She shook her left hand and glared at him.

“Are you sure you shouldn’t be a Chaser?”

“Positive!”

Harry came out of another loop and dove straight towards Niamh.  As he went by her, he reached out and tapped her broom, before diving towards the base of one of the hoops.

“Yer It!”

Niamh gaped in shock for a moment then shrunk the ball, tucking it back into her pocket.  She turned her Comet about and dove after him.

“Come back here, you!”

“Catch me!”

“Braggart!”

“Am na!”

“Are too!”

“Na!”

“Too!”

“It!”

“Cheater!”

Niamh laughed and doubled back as Harry turned to chase after her.

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

“Welcome to the second game of the Quidditch season: Slytherin versus Gryffindor!  And here comes the Gryffindor team now…”

Harry tightened the laces on his left glove, the Firebolt nestled in the crook of his arm.  Once the Slytherin first team had found out about the broom they had been parading around with their heads held high.  The Gryffindor team on the other hand was sullen and silent, glaring at Harry whenever he passed.  With the exception of Fred and George of course, who kept trying to steal the Firebolt from under Harry’s nose and grinning innocently at him when he caught them.

“And the Slytherin team!”

“Let’s go!” yelled Flint, mounting his broom and kicking off.  Harry was third out and flew up to his position above the field.  He was shocked beyond belief to find himself facing Ron in the Seeker position.

“Ron!” he cried, nearly falling off his broom in shock.

Ron nodded at him and spat bitterly, “Harry.”

Harry frowned and scowled.  So that was the way it was going to be was it?  Two could play at that game.

“So…Weasley…ye tried out?”

“What’s it to you?”

“Oh nothing,” replied Harry offhandedly.  He then bared his teeth and hissed, “Besides the fact that I am going ter so enjoy the look on yer face when we win.”

Ron snorted, glaring.

“Yeah, right.”

“Notice the broom?” asked Harry casually, looking down to where Madam Hooch was talking to Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint.

Ron’s jaw fell as he saw the golden lettering on the red broom.

“A Firebolt?”

Harry smirked in response then saw Madam Hooch lifting her whistle to her mouth.  He said, “Good luck, Weasley,” before the whistle blew sharply and the Snitch shot past them.  The two of them plowed after it, Ron pushing his Comet Two-Sixty to its limit.  They were neck and neck until Derricks hit a Bludger at Ron, causing the Gryffindor to veer off course.  Derricks gave Harry a thumbs-up then raced down the field after the Bludger.

Harry cursed as the Snitch vanished and dodged a Bludger from Fred.  He pushed the Firebolt higher, scanning the field for a glint of gold.

“And the new Gryffindor Seeker Ron Weasley has seen the Snitch!”

Harry cursed violently and dove.

“…Johnson has the Quaffle – no, Warrington has it!  Spinnet tries to reclaim the Quaffle for Gryffindor but fails!  And the Slytherins drive home!  10 to 0, Slytherin!”

Harry raced after Ron, who was tailing the Snitch with only a few feet between him and the golden ball.  Bole chucked a Bludger at Ron but George deflected it before it got there, sending it spiraling towards the Keeper, Michael Adicks.

Suddenly there was a gasp from the crowd and Harry looked down to see three black figures marching onto the field.

Good time to try this for real, was what he thought as he drew his wand from its holster at his belt.  He kept the Firebolt steadily racing after Ron with one hand and pointed down at the dementors with the other.

“Expecto patronum!”

A silvery shape shot out of his wand and he snapped his head up, switching his wand to his left hand quickly and pushing the Firebolt faster.  He moved past Ron, who hissed in rage.  Harry ignored him and spun as the Snitch doubled back the way it had come.  He caught it halfway there and the Slytherin stands erupted as he yelled, “I’VE GOT THE SNITCH!!”

Behind him Ron cursed and glared at him but Harry only grinned at the crowd, waving the Snitch above his head.  Bole and Derricks pounded him on the back and Adam Warrington, one of the Chaser’s, said, “Congrats, Potter,” echoed by the other Chaser, Phillip Montague.

By the time Harry touched down, Niamh was on the field and rushed to fling herself onto him, shrieking happily into his ear.  Ginny and Mika followed her, both grinning widely.

A hand suddenly fell on Harry’s shoulder and he turned to see Professor Lupin standing behind him.

“I suppose you won’t be needing those lessons anymore,” said Lupin with a smile.

Harry frowned at him and said, “Wha’?”

“Your Patronus,” said Lupin as though that explained everything.

Mika nodded and said excitedly, “Yeah!  Harry, that was bloody amazing!”

“What?”

“You didn’t see?” asked Mika.

Harry shook his head and Niamh bounced up and down, still hugging him.  She cried, “Oh, it was amazing!  It was…it was…”

“A Darcorn,” said Lupin, causing Harry’s jaw to drop and his eyes to widen to the size of saucers.

“So…the dementors…?”

“They weren’t dementors,” said Lupin.

When the four Slytherin’s looked at him in confusion he led them over to where the three cloaked figures lay on the ground.  And crawling out of one of the cloaks was a very familiar blond head.

“Malfoy!” hissed the four at the same time, all of their eyes flashing angrily.

Niamh made strangling motions with her hands while Mika and Ginny fingered their wands.  Harry only stood there, looking at Malfoy with such a look of contempt that it was indescribable.

Malfoy looked up and paled to the color of chalk at the site of the four.

“Erm…” was all he said before Snape stalked onto the field, the same look on his face as on Harry’s.

“Messer’s Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Sykes, and Talbot – in my office now!”

“Yes, sir,” said six voices through cloth.

Snape sneered and tapped his foot on the ground, crossing his arms.

“I am waiting gentlemen!”

“Yes, professor!”

Niamh smirked and spat, “Serves them right!  Trying to sabotage their own team!  Backstabbing sons of a…”

Mika elbowed Niamh hard, earning a death glare and a sharp remark that Lupin and Snape seemed to ignore.

Harry sneered at the six boys who were still entangled in the long robes then went to find Madam Hooch to hand in the Snitch.  As Mika, Niamh, and Ginny followed him, they did not notice Lupin looking between Harry and Snape in awe and confusion.