The next morning, in the great hall. The gang is sitting, and eating.

Ron: Take a bit of toast, mate, go on.

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

Harry: I'm not hungry.

Matthew: I know last night was rough, but it'll be good later on.

Snape appears at the table.

Snape: Good luck today, Potter. 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.

Snape walks off, limping. Harry notices this.

Harry: That explains the blood.

Hermione and Matthew: Blood?

Harry: Listen, last night, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that 3 headed dog. But, he got himself bitten, that's why he's limping.

Matthew: But why would anyone go near that dog?

Harry: The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was Hogwarts' business, very secret.

Hermione: So you're saying...

Harry: That's what the dog's guarding. That's what Snape wants.

Hedwig screeches as she enters the Great Hall. She is carrying a very large, long parcel. She drops it off at the table.

Hermione: Bit early for mail, isn't it?

Harry: But I... I never get mail.

Ron: Let's open it.

They open it to reveal a broomstick.

Harry: It's a broomstick!

Ron: That's not just any broomstick, Harry. [recognizing the model] It's a Nimbus 2000!

Harry: But who...?

He notices Professor McGonagall up at the head table, stroking Hedwig. She smiles and Harry nods.

Later on, inside a Quidditch tower, the Gryffindor team is marching toward the starting gate. They reach it and stop, behind a closed double door.

Oliver: Scared, Harry?

Harry: A little.

Oliver: That's all right. I felt the same way before my first game.

Harry: What happened?

Oliver: Er, I don't remember. I took a Bludger to the head two minutes in. Woke up in the hospital a week later.

Harry gulps and looks straight ahead as the doors open.

They mount their brooms and zoom out onto the enormous pitch. There is cheering. Lee Jordan, the Quidditch commentator is announcing from a tower.

Lee: Hello! And welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game is Slytherin vs. Gryffindor!

There is a close-up of Gryffindor students cheering.

Neville: Gryffindor!

Matthew: This is amazing.

The players take their positions in the air in a circle. Harry weaves in, highest amongst. He looks down.

Lee: The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game!

Hooch: Now, I want a nice, clean game from all of you! [looks at Slytherin. She kicks the trunk, and the Bludgers zoom out.]

Lee: The Bludgers are up, followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember, the Snitch is worth 150 points. The Seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game.

The Snitch zooms around each Seeker's head, then disappears. Hooch grabs the Quaffle.

Lee: The Quaffle is released and the game begins!

The Gryffindor takes possession of the ball and a chaser, Angelia Johnson zooms past the Slytherins toward their goal, throws the ball, and scores! There is a ding.

Lee: Angelina Johnson scores! 10 points for Gryffindor!

He presses a button and a 10 shows up beside a plaque with Gryffindor's name. Harry, in the air, claps.

Harry: Yes!

A Bludger suddenly zooms by him.

Harry: Whoa!

In the stands, Gryffindor cheers.

Hagrid: Well done!

Lee: Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle. Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint.

Flint dodges people and throws for the Gryffindor hoops. Oliver appears and whacks the ball away with his broom. He smirks at Flint, who glares. Johnson and Katie Bell pass the Quaffle back and forth as they strategize to score. Johnson takes it, throws, and once again scores!

Ron and Seamus: Yay!

Matthew: Yeah!

Harry: Yes!

Lee: Another 10 points to Gryffindor!

He adds another 10 to the score with a ding.

Gryffindors: Yay!

The Slytherins decide to get messy. They dodge, kick, and try to score. Once again, Oliver blocks.

Flint: Give me that!

He grabs a beater's bat from one and whacks a Bludger right at Oliver. It hits Oliver directly in the stomach and he plummets to the ground, knocked out.

This causes the entire audience to boo; Harry is visibly upset as the Slytherins laugh. The Slytherin members head off. One jumps over George (or Fred) and scores. Lee adds 10 points to the plaque with Slytherin's name. Harry is upset again. Slytherin cheers.

Flint: [to his teammates] Take that side!

They box Johnson in and send her into the capes covering one of the towers. She falls in and is out. The crowd boos. Slytherin scores once again.

Suddenly, Harry sees the Snitch. He starts to head off after it and then suddenly his broom starts bucking and turning.

Harry: Whoa! Whooa!

Hagrid: What's going on with Harry's broomstick?

Hermione looks through binoculars at Harry, then at Snape, who is visibly muttering.

Hermione: It's Snape! He's jinxing the broom!

Ron: Jinxing the broom? What do we do?

Matthew: I got an idea. I'll be right back.

He gets up and goes discreetly past the crowd. Harry is knocked and thrown around, then falls, dangling by one arm from the broom.

Ron: [concerned] Come on, Matthew.

Hermione: [concerned] Please, hurry.

Matthew sneaks his way to the tower appears underneath Snape and touches his cloak with his wand.

Matthew: [quietly] Lacarnum Inflamarae.

A spark ignites and Snape's cloak catches fire. Matthew quickly leaves.

Matthew: I gotta thank Hermione for helping me with the spells.

Man: Fire! You're on fire!

Snape: What? Oh!

Snape knocks the man back, who falls into Quirrell, who then also falls. Snape bats out the fire and acts as though nothing happened. The broom stops bucking, and Harry climbs back on. The Slytherin seeker is after the Snitch. Harry takes off.

Ron: Go!

Hagrid: Go, go, go!

Harry rams the Slytherin Seeker, then is butted out. He returns, smashing the Seeker again as the Snitch dives. The boys follow, but they approach the ground quickly. The Slytherin Seeker backs out, and Harry pulls up his broom as he follows the Snitch, feet above the ground. Harry stands up, and steps forward, trying to grab the ball. He goes too far, and topples off the broom with a yelp, tumbling on the ground.

He gets up and lurches. The crowd gasps. Matthew appears beside a tower to see.

Hagrid: Looks like he's gonna be sick!

Harry lurches and the Snitch pops out of his mouth. It lands in his hands.

Lee: He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!

Hooch: [Blows her whistle whilst riding on her broomstick] Gryffindor wins!

The crowd cheers in joy including Gryffindor.

Draco and Pansy: [dismayed] No!

Hagrid: Yes!

Hermione: Whoo-hoo!

Matthew: Yeah, Harry!

McGonagall giggles happily. Harry raises the Snitch into the air and the crowd, and his team, cheers.

Crowd: Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor!

Matthew smiles as he gives a big thumbs-up to Harry.

Harry looked at Matthew and gave him a thumbs up too.

Harry, Hermione, Matthew, and Ron are walking along a path with Hagrid, talking.

Hagrid: Nonsense! Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom?

Harry: Who knows? Why was he trying to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween?

Hagrid: [turns to them, suspiciously] Who told you about Fluffy?

Ron: Fluffy?

Matthew: What?

Hermione: That thing has a name?

Hagrid: Well, of course, he's got a name. He's mine. I bought him off an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the...

Harry: Yes?

Hagrid: Shouldn't have said that. No more questions! Don't ask any more questions. That's top secret, that is.

Harry: But, Hagrid, whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it.

Hagrid: Codswallop. Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher.

Hermione: Hogwarts teacher or not, I know a spell when I see one. I've read all about them. You've got to keep eye contact and Snape wasn't blinking.

Harry: Exactly.

Hagrid: [Sighs] Now, you listen to me, all four of yeh. You're meddling in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel.

Harry: [Curious and turns to Ron then back to Hagrid Nicholas Flamel?

Hagrid: [Mumbles to himself] I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that.

He then leaves, mumbling to himself "I should have not said that".

Harry: Nicholas Flamel. [Turns to Hermione] Who's Nicholas Flamel?

Hermione: I don't know. [Shakes her head]

Matthew: Ain't that another mystery?

End of Chapter 5