IT LOOKED LIKE THE END OF RON AND HERMIONE'S FRIENDSHIP. Each was so angry with the other that Harper couldn't see how they'd ever make it up.

Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds.

Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron's head in the Magical Menagerie.

Harper decided not to pick a side. She didn't want to lose both her friends and that's why she was comforting Ron at the moment together with Fred, George, Ginny and Harry.

"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was," Fred said bracingly. "And he's been off-color for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly. One swallow — he probably didn't feel a thing."

"Fred!" Ginny said indignantly.

"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself," George said.

"He bit Goyle for us once!" Ron said miserably. "Remember, Harry?"

"Yeah, that's true," Harry said.

"His finest hour," Fred said, unable to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat. What's the point of moaning?"

In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Ron up, Harry and Harper persuaded him to come along to the Gryffindor team's final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could have a go on the Firebolt after they'd finished. This did seem to take Ron's mind off Scabbers for a moment ('Brilliant! Can I try and shoot a few goals on it?') so they set off for the Quidditch pitch together.

Madam Hooch, who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Harry, was just as impressed with the Firebolts as everyone else had been. She took Harry's broom in her hands before take-odd and gave it the benefit of her professional opinion.

"Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail-end — you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle, too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrow — a Pitt they've stopped making them, I learnt to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too . . ."

She continued in this vein for some time, until Oliver said, "Er — Madam Hooch? Is it OK if Harry has the Firebolt back? We need to practice . . ."

"Oh — right — here you are, then, Potter," Madam Hooch said. "I'll sit over here with Weasley . . ."

She and Ron left the pitch to sit in the stadium, and the Gryffindor team gathered around Oliver for his final instructions for tomorrow's match.

"Harry, I've just found out who Ravenclaw are playing as Seeker. It's Cho Chang. She's a fourth-year, and she's pretty good . . . I really hoped she wouldn't be fit, she's had some problems with injuries . . ." Oliver scowled his displeasure that Cho Chang had made a full recovery, then said, "On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt." He gave Harry's broom a look of fervent admiration, then said, "OK, everyone, let's go —"

And at long last, Harper mounted her Firebolt and kicked off from the ground. It was better than she'd ever dreamed. The Firebolt turned with the lightest touch; it seemed to obey her thoughts rather than her grip. It sped across the pitch at such speed that the stadium turned into a green and grey blur; Harper turned it so sharply that Angelina screamed, then she went into a perfectly controlled dive, brushing the grassy pitch with her toes before rising thirty, forty, fifty feet into the air again before halting next to Katie.

"This is amazing!" Harper breathed, patting the broom fondly.

"It will be difficult for Angelina and I to keep up," she joked.

It was the best practice ever; the team, inspired by the presence of two Firebolts in their midst, performed their best moves faultlessly, and by the time they hit the ground again, Oliver didn't have a single criticism to make, which, as George pointed out, was a first.

"I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow!" Oliver said. "Not unless — Harry, you've sorted your Dementor problem, haven't you?"

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"The Dementors won't turn up again, Oliver, Dumbledore'd do his nut," Fred said confidently.

"Well, let's hope not," Oliver said. "Anyway — good work, everyone. Let's get back to the Tower — turn in early . . ."

"We're staying out for a bit, Ron wants a go on the Firebolt," Harper told Oliver, and while the rest of the team headed off to the changing rooms, she and Harry stride over to Ron, who vaulted the barrier to the stands and came to meet them. Madam Hooch had fallen asleep in her seat.

"Here you go," Harry said, handing Ron his Firebolt.

Harper was watching Ron when someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around and smiled warmly upon seeing Cedric.

"Hello Ced, had a good holliday?"

"Great one actually," he replied, smiling down at her. "Thanks for the present," he added, digging into his pocket before showing her the golden Snitch. "I always carry it with me, it will be my good luck charm."

"I loved your gift, too!" Harper said, blushing slightly while grinning up at him. "Thank you."

"So you've got a Firebolt," Cedric said, nodding at the broom in her right hand.

Harper eyed him amused. "You wanna give it a try?"

He blushed slightly, scratching the back of his neck. "Er — if you insist."

Harper laughed and handed him her broom. "Go ahead, don't hold back."

He accepted the broom eagerly, examining closely before mounting it and flying off.

"This is amazing!" he exclaimed and Harper couldn't hold back a laugh. Cedric took a couple of sprints before landing back next to her. "I'm jealous," he admitted, handing the broom back. "Who gave it to you?"

"I don't know," she replied, "there wasn't any card with it."

Cedric tilted his head. "Could it be from Sirius?" he asked quietly.

"Hermione thought the same, that's why Professor McGonagall took our broom and let it be examined by Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick for jinxes. But it's all good," Harper added, noticing his worried frown.

"I'm glad we already played Gryffindor," Cedric said, smiling. "It would be hard to beat you guys now, harder than usually, I mean."

"Well, I think Hufflepuff's pretty good with a captain like you," Harper replied, honestly. "You're doing well, Ced. Oliver was freaking out when we had to play Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin. I believe his actual words were 'Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker!'."

"I'm flattered," Cedric grinned. "And Oliver is pretty good himself, he should start a Quidditch career after he graduates from Hogwarts."

"I am certain that is his main goal in life," Harper replied. "Besides winning the Quidditch Cup, of course."

"There is still a chance," Cedric replied, smiling down at her. "Certainly with two Firebolts on the team."

"I can't wait to show them to Malfoy. He wouldn't believe his eyes," Harper laughed.

They were interrupted by Madam Hooch who had awoken with a start. She told them off for not waking her and insisted that they go back to the castle.

• ✧ •

     HARPER AND HARRY WENT DOWN TO BREAKFAST NEXT MORNING with the rest of the boys in his dormitory, all of whom seemed to think the Firebolts deserved a soft of guard of honor. As she and Harry entered the Great Hall, heads turned in the direction of the Firebolts, and there was a good deal of excited muttering. Harper saw, with enormous satisfaction, that the Slytherin team were all looking thunderstruck.

"Did you see his face?" Ron said gleefully, looking back at Malfoy. "He can't believe it! This is brilliant!"

Oliver, too, was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolts.

"Put it here, Harry, Harp," he said, laying the brooms in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so that its name faced upwards. People from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were soon coming over to look. Cedric came over to congratulate Harry on having acquired such a superb replacement for his Nimbus. Then, he gave Harper a light kiss on the cheek, murmured a good luck before making his way back to the Hufflepuff table.

Percy's Ravenclaw girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asked if she could actually hold one of the Firebolts.

"Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!" Percy said heartily, as she examined the Firebolt closely. "Penelope and I have got a bet on," he told the team. "Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!"

Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry and Harper and went back to her table.

"Harry, Harp — make sure you win," Percy said, in an urgent whisper. "I haven't got ten Galleon. Yes, I'm coming, Penny!" And he hustled off to join her in a piece of toast.

"Sure you can manage those brooms, Potters?" a cold, drawling voice said.

Draco Malfoy had arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.

"Yeah, reckon so," Harry said casually, while Harper just glared at him.

"Got plenty of special features, hasn't it?" Draco said, eyes glittering maliciously. "Shame it doesn't come with a parachute — in case you get too near a Dementor."

Grabbe and Goyle sniggered.

"Pitty you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy," Harry said. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you."

The Gryffindor team laughed loudly. Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed and he stalked away. They watched him rejoin the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together, no doubt asking Malfoy whether Harry and Harper's brooms really were Firebolts.

At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the changing rooms. The weather couldn't have been more different from their match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day, with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time and Harper, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring.

They could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. She took off her black school robes, removed her wand from her pocket and stuck it inside the t-shirt she was going to wear under her Quidditch robes. She could only hope she wouldn't need it to fight off any Dementors.

"You know what we've got to do," Oliver said, as they prepared to leave the changing rooms. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running. Just — just fly like you did in practice yesterday and we'll be OK!"

They walked out onto the pitch to tumultuous applause.

The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the pitch. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl in the team. She gave Harper a kind smile, which the redhead returned.

"Wood, Davies, shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly, and Oliver shook hands with the Ravenclaw captain.

"Mount your brooms . . . on my whistle . . . three — two — one —"

Harper kicked off and managed to grab the Quaffle, mentally thanking the speed of the Firebolt.

"They're off," Lee Jordan commented, "and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt which Harry and Harper Potter are flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship—"

"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" Professor McGonagall's voice interrupted.

"Right you are, Professor — just giving a bit of background information. The Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in-autobrake and—"

"Jordan!"

"OK, OK, Gryffindor in possession, Harper Potter of Gryffindor heading for goal . . ."

Harper dove under a Ravenclaw chaser, leaving him far behind her as she leaned forward and fastened her speed. In no time, she had reached the hoops and scored the first ten points of the match.

Angelina scored three times, Katie two times and Harper another two times.

"Gryffindor lead by eighty points to zero and look at those Firebolts go! The Potters are really putting them through their paces now. See it turn — Chang's Comet is no match for it. The Firebolt's precision-balance is really noticeable in these long—"

"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

Harper gritted her teeth as Ravenclaw were pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty pints ahead — if Cho got the Snitch before Harry, Ravenclaw would win.

Harper ducked, avoiding a Bludger, and caught the Quaffle that Angelina threw at her. She scored and her head snapped up upon hearing Oliver howl, "HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN! KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

Smiling at this, Harper flew after the Ravenclaw chaser who had the Quaffle. She, Angelina and Katie managed to grab the Quaffle from him and they flew back towards the Ravenclaw hoops.

Katie scored and Harper went to give her a high five, when she saw three Dementors coming onto the pitch—their attention on Harry. However, before she could act, Harry had already taken out his wand and something silver white, something enormous, erupted from the end of his wand. Then, he stretched out his hand and managed to close his fingers over the Snitch.

"We won!" Harper squealed, flying over to Harry and engulfing him in a hug. She was soon followed by the rest of the team.

"That's my boy!" Oliver kept yelling.

They all managed to make their way back to the ground. Harper got off her broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the pitch, Ron in the lead. Before she knew it, she and Harry had been engulfed by the cheering crowd.

"Yes!" Ron yelled, yanking both Harry and mine's arm into the air. "Yes! Yes!"

"Well done, Harry!" Percy said, looking delighted. "Ten Galleons to me! Must find Penelope, excuse me—"

"Good on you, Harry!" Seamus roared before clasping Harper on the shoulder. "You were brilliant, Harp!"

"Thanks, Seamus," she said, smiling brightly.

"Ruddy brilliant!" Hagrid boomed over the heads of the milling Gryffindors.

"Well done, Harp," both Fred and George said, grinning down at her. "We're in the league again!"

"Thanks guys, you were great, too," Harper said and they moved on to the rest of the team.

She was still smiling when two arms made their way around her and picked her up, twirling her around.

"Great job, Harp, you were amazing out there," a familiar voice in her ear said.

Harper grinned and turned around, spotting Cedric wearing a Gryffindor scarf. "Thank you, Ced!"

"Come on, Harp! Party in the common room!" Fred called over to her as they started to make their way to the castle.

"You wanna come?" she asked Cedric.

"Me? In the Gryffindor common room?" Cedric asked, rather surprised. "Is that even allowed?"

"I'll allow it," Harper assured him, taking his hand and dragging him with her towards Gryffindor Tower.

• ✧ •

     IT FELT AS THOUGH THEY HAD ALREADY WON THE QUIDDITCH CUP; the party went on all day and well into the night. Fred and George disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of Butterbeer, pumpkin fizz and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets.

"This is amazing," Cedric breathed, his eyes wide open as he stared around the common room. "It's cosier than I expected."

"Well, we Gryffindors have a soft heart," Harper laughed, handing him a Butterbeer before taking one for herself. Her eyes glided over to Hermione before darting over to Harry, who was also staring at the Muggleborn.

"I'm sorry," Harper told Cedric, "I'll be right back, okay?"

He nodded and she walked over to Harry. "Wanna talk to Hermione?"

He nodded and the two of them headed over to Hermione, who was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles.

"Did you even come to the match?" Harry asked her.

"Of course I did," Hermione said, in a strangely, high-pitched voice, not looking up. "And I'm very glad we won and I think the two of you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday."

"Come on, Hermione, come and have some food," Harper said, looking over at Ron and wondering whether he was in a good enough mood to bury the hatchet.

"I can't, Harp, I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!" Hermione said, now sounding slightly hysterical. "Anyway . . ." she glanced over at Ron, too, "he doesn't want me to join in."

There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten, he could have had some of these Fudge Flies, he used to really like them —

Hermione burst into tears. Before Harper or Harry could say or do anything, she had tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran towards the staircase to the girls' dormitories and out of sight.

"Can't you give her a break?" Harper snapped at Ron.

"No," Ron said flatly. "If she just acted like she was sorry — but she'll never admit she's wrong, Hermione. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on a holiday or something."

Harper sighed in frustration before turned around and stalking back at Cedric, who was watching the paintings on the wall. He turned around, smiling as she approached, but that quickly faded upon seeing her expression.

"What's the matter Harp?"

"Ron and Hermione are in a fight," she said, not wanting to talk about it. "Long story short: Ron thinks Hermione's cat eat his rat and he's holding a grudge right now." She shook my head. "Hermione's really upset."

"You should go and comfort her," Cedric replied. "I don't mind going back to the Hufflepuff common room." He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed in gently. "Your friend needs you, Harp, you should go to her."

Harper smiled up at him, feeling relieved he didn't mind going back earlier. "You're right, Ced, as always. I see you tomorrow?"

"You will," Cedric said, before leaning in, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Harp, sleep well."

"Goodnight Ced, thank you for everything."

• ✧ •

HARPER CAREFULLY OPENED THE DOOR TO HER DORMITORY. "Hermione?"

She could hear her friend cry and quickly closed the door behind her, mentally thanking the absence of Lavender and Parvati, who were both still partying downstairs.

Making her way towards Hermione's bed, Harper picked up a pack of tissues and offered it to her friend as she sat down next to her.

"T-thank you," Hermione said, taking a tissue and blowing her nose with it.

Harper put her arm around Hermione's shoulders. "I'm sorry he acts like this," she quietly said. "It's not your fault."

"But what if it is? What if Crookshanks did kill Scrabbers?"

"That would be unfortunate," Harper admitted. "But it's not like you wanted him to kill Scrabbers. I've seen you doing your uttermost best to keep the cat in our dormitory, 'Mione. You can't blame yourself a thing for something that's in his nature."

Hermione nodded absently, but Harper could see it still bothered her. They didn't speak anymore, they simply sat next to each other, feeling that their presence was just enough. Harper seemed to have drifted off to sleep because she jolted awake, falling off Hermione's bed, upon hearing a terrible scream.

Scrambling up, Harper sprinted towards the boy's dormitory and collided with a dark figure that came from the opposite direction.

"Hey —"

"Sorry," a deep voice said and when she looked up, Sirius Black was staring at her.

Sirius Black was staring at her.

Sirius Black was staring at her.

Sirius Black was staring at her.

Sirius Black was staring at her.

Sirius Black was staring at her.

Do something, Harp, do something, her mind was screaming at her, but she didn't. Her eyes darted towards the knife in his hand and she backed away, a look of horror in her eyes. What had he done?

Sirius followed her gaze and quickly hid the knife behind his back before looking back up at her.

"I would never hurt you, Harper," he promised before running down the stairs—away from Harper.

Harper stood still, frozen on the spot. It wasn't until Harry dashed downstairs and almost bumped into her, that she moved.

"Harper! Are you alright? Apparently Black was in our dorm," he breathed, adjusting his glasses.

"I saw him," Harper stammered. "He stood right here. He had a knife, Harry."

Harry ran down to the common room, closely followed by Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville. After blinking a couple of times, Harper followed them.

The common room was lit by the glow of the dying fire; still littered with debris from the party. It was deserted.

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?"

"I'm telling you, I saw him!"

"What's all this noice?"

"Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!"

A few of the girls had come down the staircase, pulling on dressing-gowns and yawning. Boys, too, were reappearing.

"Excellent, are we carrying on?" Fred said brightly.

"Everyone back upstairs!" Percy said, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge for his pajamas as he spoke.

"Perce — Sirius Black!" Ron said faintly. "In our dormitory. With a knife! Woke me up!"

The common room went very still.

"Nonesense," Percy said, looking startled. "You had too much to eat, Ron — had a nightmare —"

"I saw him too," Harper spoke up, making everyone in the room look at her.

"Now, really, enough's enough!"

Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.

"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" Percy said, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare —"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE! ASK HARPER, SHE HAS SEEN HIM, TOO!"

Professor McGongall stared at Ron.

"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have got through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" Ron said, pointing a shaky finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture. "Ask him if he saw —"

Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait hole back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with a bated breath.

"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" Sir Cadogan cried.

There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.

"You — you did?" Professor McGonagall said. "But — but the password!"

"He had 'em!" Sir Cadogan said proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd. She was white as chalk.

"Which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"

There was an utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville, trembling from head to fluffly-slippered toes, raised his hand slowly in the air.

Oh, Neville.

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January 2nd 2024
I hope you enjoy it & tell me what you think of it! :)