A week had passed since the troll incident and it had been hard on Y/N. He was still wracked with guilt for killing the troll. Not only that, but Smoky has disappeared. She hadn't been seen since Halloween eve, when she was laying on Y/N's bed. He'd searched the castle high and low, even resorting to putting up reward posters around the castle but to no avail. This had all led to Y/N being in one hell of a pissed off mood.

When he found out who had brought the troll into the castle he was gonna punish them. There would be no holding back. The anger stewed in him, something in his mind seeming to push his thought back to it constantly, making him dwell on the anger and pain. One thing was sure, whoever was responsible would feel pain for what he'd had to do.

Many other students were giving him somewhat of a wide berth, his glares alone being enough to put the fear of Merlin into people. As he was so far ahead of his classes McGonagall and Flitwick had allowed him to read while they taught their respective classes, just until he had an understanding of his 'Beast Whisperer' ability. He'd sit alone in classes reading, oblivious to what was going on around him.

He was currently reading Magical Creatures and the People Who Could Hear Them. There had been an ancient family in Britain named the McNairs, from whom the ability originated. The MacNair family, who were still extant in Britain, were an offshoot of the family and descended from an ancestor, Fergus McNair, who had been born without the ability and had subsequently become a fervent hunter of Magical Creatures and ostracised from the family.

The McNairs had married into the Gryffindor line but the direct McNair family line of succession had died out in the late tenth century. Since then there had only been sporadic cases of beast whispering for the better part of the last 1000 years.

Y/N discussed his findings at great length with Hermione. He thanked her again for the enchanted notebook. It made note taking and cross referencing a lot simpler and streamlined the whole research process. Hermione was over the moon that her present had been so useful for Y/N. He had taken over a corner of the Gryffindor common room, charts and family trees lining the walls, an ever larger pile of books growing around him as he worked like a man possessed. He had utilised his considerable bank vault to purchase many books, sending order after order to Flourish & Blotts. It's owner, Madam Villanelle, was handling his account personally, tracking down numerous obscure and aged texts as owls flew in and out of Gryffindor tower at all hours. Y/N was nothing if not rigorous and extensive in his research.

Hermione had watched him in awe.

-~-

It was Saturday morning and the day of the big Quidditch match and tensions were high. The traditional season opener between Gryffindor and Slytherin was always a bitter and spiteful affair. Despite Oliver Wood's best efforts word had spread throughout Hogwarts- Gryffindor had three players making their debuts. Katie Bell was making her debut as a Chaser, but Gryffindor's newest golden boys had also made the team- as first years. Three houses offered the two boys luck, one didn't, but that houses reaction to the two boys couldn't be further apart.

As Harry walked through the halls of Hogwarts alone Slytherin students would happily remind him that he would fall to his death during the match, that he would embarrass himself in front of the whole school or that he would need, in Draco's words, his 'Gryffindor cheer squad to follow him round with a mattress'. Y/N meanwhile hadn't heard a peek from any of them.

The four friends were sitting at breakfast with the rest of the Gryffindor team and Harry was beside himself with nerves. Y/N was beside himself with excitement. Harry hadn't eaten yet and was pushing a piece of bacon around his plate.

"Go on Harry have a bit of toast" Ron said, trying to encourage him.

"I'm not hungry" Harry replied looking down at his plate.

"Ron's right. You need to keep up your strength" Hermione added from across the table, sitting as always right next to Y/N. Y/N looked up from his eggs.

"Harry, eat or I will hold you down and force feed you." Y/N added. Ron and Hermione laughed before doing a double take. Y/N's tone of voice and expression suggested he was serious.

Harry looked at his teammate and nodded, begrudgingly eating some toast. Professor Snape walked up to the table.

"I'll miss you at our usual detention. Good luck today Y/N, but now you've proven yourself against a troll a little game of Quidditch should be nothing to you. Even if it is against Slytherin".

The two stared at each other as Hermione turned bright red.

I'm sorry for bringing it up but I need to keep up appearances of being hostile towards you and Potter. We are being watched even now. Be careful. I will assist you where I can.

Thank you Sev. I understand it wasn't personal. I will keep up the facade as well but understand I mean no disrespect truthfully.

Snape nodded ever so slightly before looking down at Harry and sneered:

"Perhaps the great Harry Potter will grace us with his brilliance today and score enough goals to make catching the snitch meaningless."

He looked at Y/N once more before turning and limping off.

Hermione exploded.

"That foul loathsome...he knows how guilty you've felt... to throw it in your face".

Y/N hugged her tightly.

"I know. I know. It's ok. Thank you for defending me."

"Of course, I'm your girl"

Hermione smiled and blushed, looking down. She subtly tapped her temple, thinking to Y/N:

How was that?

She quickly heard back:

Perfect 'Mione, perfect!

She blushed again and buried her face into Y/N's chest, his arm still wrapped tightly around her. Harry and Ron just observed the pair and chuckled, shaking their heads.

As the pair released the hug Y/N chuckled and spoke:

"Besides I've got an idea that's really gonna get Slytherin up in arms at the game today."

"Really? What is it?" Hermione asked turning back to Y/N, her full chocolate eyes on display, opened wide, pleading.

Hermione had recently discovered Y/N found them irresistible and so she had been giving him those big old puppy dogs a lot lately.

Y/N closed his eyes and turned his head:

"Oh no not this time. I'm not looking. Harry Quidditch pitch now."

Y/N got up and quickly leant down, kissing Hermione on the head and whispering:

"See you at the game" before quickly leaving the hall. Hermione crossed her arms and huffed.

"When are you two going to go out with each other?" Harry asked chuckling, adding:

"It's pretty obvious you like each other"

"Don't know what you mean Harry" Hermione replied happily, taking a bite of toast.

"Sure" Harry chuckled before turning serious:

"Anyway, did you see Snape limp off. That explains the blood"

"What blood?" Ron and Hermione asked together.

"When the two of you were explaining what happened I saw Snape's leg and he was bleeding. I reckon that he set the troll loose and that he went to get passed the Cerberus and got bit."

"That's... troubling" Hermione gasps.

"What?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked at the two with her serious face:

"Be very, very careful before accusing Snape of letting the troll lose in the castle around Y/N, until we have proof."

Hermione spoke with sincerity as Ron scoffed:

"Why, you don't think he'd attack a teacher do you?"

Ron suddenly turned serious, rubbing his jaw.

"Never mind. Good plan Hermione"

Hermione giggled at his response.

"Yeah you learnt first hand not to mess with my man".

The moment the words left her lips her eyes widened, a large blush growing across her cheeks before she was up and out of the Great Hall like a shot.

Ron panicked, turning to Harry:

"We don't tell Y/N about that. If he thinks we are teasing Hermione..."

Ron's voice trailed off and Harry tried his hardest to suppress a chuckle:

"Not a word Ron"

-~-

Harry arrived at the Gryffindor team tent and the nerves were just about to send him running to the toilet. He looked across and noticed Y/N was already in his gear and went to change in the change rooms.

When he exited he went and sat with the other members of the team in a semi circle. Oliver was stood in front of the six others, about to begin his pregame address before Y/N called out suddenly. He spoke calmly, but in that assertive tone he had that warned his listeners to take notice:

"Wood. I need 3 minutes before the start of the game so whatever prep you have get it done before then."

Oliver looked at Y/N stunned as did Harry, Katie and Angela chuckled at the bravado of the first year and Fred and George yelled about when the new captain took over. Wood shook his head slightly and looked at Y/N, asking:

"What are you planning L/N?"

Y/N chuckled.

"My pump me up song. Full blare with a sonorous charm. Gets me pumped up and you don't think have muggle music blaring won't put the snakes off their game" He answered with a devilish grin.

The rest of the team chuckled and nodded their heads.

"Good plan" Wood answered and rushed through his speech.

"Three minutes starts now L/N"

Y/N pulled out his enchanted Walkman and pressed play as well as his wand.

"AC/DC Highway to hell maximum volume"

Sonorous

-~-

Hermione was sat in the Gryffindor stands ready to cheer on the team, and Y/N and Harry especially. The first years had all sat in two rows at the front of their stand.

As they waited with baited breaths for the match to begin they suddenly jumped, loud rock music blaring out around the arena. Hermione's eyes widened in realisation as Bon Scott's vocals roared out while most of the crowd looked around confused.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

"You are kidding me Y/N!" Hermione giggled

"What is this?" Ron asked next to her.

"Muggle Music. Y/N's favourite song!"

"Muggle? Oh that will upset the snakes."

"Yep" Hermione giggled.

Y/N flew out with the rest of the Gryffindor team just as "I'm on a Highway to Hell" blared but rather than gathering with the rest of the team he made a bee line straight for the Slytherin team. He appeared to be singing to them.

Hermione giggled- they looked really annoyed as Y/N moved towards the Slytherin crowd and was singing at them as well.

Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to a laughing Lavender who yelled to Hermione over the music:

"Your future boyfriend is too funny"

"Yep" Hermione giggled in reply as the song ended and Y/N flew over to his starting position.

-~-

As the song ended Madam Hooch spoke through her own sonorous charm:

"Now that festivities are over..."

She looked directly at Y/N who shrugged his shoulders. In the stands Professor McGonagall covered her mouth, trying her best to stifle a laugh at her student's antics.

"I want a good clean match from all of you" Hooch concluded looking directly at the Slytherin team. Y/N smirked. His favourite part of Quidditch was its... more aggressive elements, and the mood he'd been in... he was ready to blow off some steam. He looked over to the Gryffindor stands and smiled.

The other first years had made a large sign together. Dean, Seamus and Lavender painted it. It had a Lion and read

'Go Harry!'

'Y/N for President!'

Hermione had enchanted the sign to light up. Y/N chuckled and gave his friends a thumbs up.

Just as the game was about to begin Hagrid arrived and sat with the first years, squishing them together. He spoke in his usual happy booming voice:

"Y/N looks nice and relaxed. 'Arry looks like he's gonna be sick."

-~-

The game started with Hooch's whistle and Y/N was off like a bolt of lightning. He body checked one of the Slytherin chasers less than three seconds into the game, smirking when he heard a crunch, before flying high to look out for the snitch.

"Ooh tough collision there in the first moments of the game. Slytherin fourth year Martin King collided with first year Gryffindor Y/N L/N and King definitely looks to have come off second best!"

Y/N chuckled at Lee Jordan's commentary as he scanned the arena only to see, out of the corner of his eye, one of the Slytherin beaters smash a bludger straight at him.

Y/N took off like a flash straight towards the bludger, at the last moment he ducked and barrel rolled before charging into the beater.

Y/N was a first year in name only. His body mass, muscle and speed was far more than the Slytherin could handle and he was sent veering off, cannoning off into one of the stands. Y/N flew off as the Slytherin crowd booed and the beater rolled out from the bottom of the stand unconscious.

"L/N caught sight of the snitch early but accidentally collided with the Slytherin beater. The beater is knocked out in the collision and Slytherin are now a man down. Accidents do happen"

Y/N chuckled at Lee's 'unbiased' commentary and flew passed the teacher/announcer box, giving his third year friend a thumbs up.

The game progressed, Harry and Katie scoring goals before Angela was knocked out after being corralled by two Slytherin chasers into another stand.

-~-

The teams were evenly matched at six players a piece as the score sat at 50-20 Gryffindor's way when Y/N finally caught sight of the snitch. He bolted towards it, gaining closer and closer before spotting something in his periphery.

He abandoned the snitch and braced himself, colliding hard with the beefy Slytherin captain Marcus Flint about eight feet from the ground. The crowd groaned at the crunch of the impact as Marcus came off second best, careening off his broom and ragdolling along the ground. He cried in pain, his arm sticking out at in the wrong direction as Madam Hooch blew her whistle, halting the game. A penalty was called as Madam Pomfrey magicked a stretcher and removed Flint from the field. Lee was going ballistic in the commentary box, Professor McGonagall could be heard admonishing him:

"After that filthy bit of cheating.."

"Jordan"

"After that low down attack"

"Jordan"

"After that illegal attempt at stopping the seeker a penalty is awarded which Katie Bell converts. In related news, Flint looks to have broken his arm. Note to Slytherin players- don't fly into L/N. He's built like a brick outhouse and hits like an angry erumpent."

The game was restarted and Y/N flew back up as high as he could, looking hard for the snitch. He caught sight of it at the same time as the Slytherin seeker. They both took off at the same time but Y/N, especially on his Nimbus, was a hell of a lot faster.

Y/N flew towards the darting snitch about three feet off the arena's grass covering and reached out. He got closer and closer... reaching... reaching... and launching himself off his broom.

The crowd gasped as Y/N hit the ground and rolled over and over until finally coming to a stop. The crowd stared with baited breath as Y/N chuckled to himself:

"That was a hell of ride" before raising his left arm, the snitch in his hand.

The crowd exploded in joy, Madam Hooch yelling happily into her Sonorous:

"Gryffindor Wins!!!"

Y/N laid there, noting he definitely had bruised ribs, as his teammates came down and congratulated him.

Wood arrived first and held his hand out, pulling Y/N to his feet as he chuckled and said to Y/N:

"You like making things difficult don't you?

Y/N chuckled back, muttering: "Well go hard or go home"

Wood laughed back before replying:

"Watch out your girlfriend is coming"

Y/N turned around and...

THUMP!

He was on the ground again. All he could see was a forest of brown bushy hair as his teammates cheered.

"You were amazing! Don't ever scare me like that again! What did you think you were doing jumping off your broom? You were sensational!" Hermione blurted a million miles an hour. Y/N chuckled again, replying:

"I can't help but notice some mixed signals here 'Mione"

Hermione leant up and slapped Y/N's arm before hugging him again.

"You upset the lady" Fred laughed

"Happy wife happy life. Unhappy wife steaming pile of..." George cut himself off when Hermione and Katie looked at him with death glares.

Hermione got off Y/N and Wood helped him to his feet again just as Ron and Hagrid arrived:

"You two gave us a scare there. Especially you 'Arry" Hagrid smiled.

"Did something happen Harry?" Y/N asked concerned.

"We can tell you on the way to Hagrids. We're going there to celebrate" Hermione said happily.

"Are we?" Y/N asked with a smirk.

"Yes we are" Hermione nodded happily.

"Alright then" Y/N chuckled.

"You better get changed" Hermione said with a smile as Y/N chuckled:

"Yes ma'am"