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Dreams of Home Chapter 34
🕑 Added 2023-08-15 15:49:36 +0000 UTCChapter 34
Rabastan Lestrange stared at the window with a cold fury coursing through his veins. The rage had not subsided since the moment his brother hit the ground, and he thought of little else in the days that followed. Yaxley had written him a letter expressing his shock of what they had witnessed. Neither of the Slytherin teens could believe that Potter had thrown off the cruciatus curse. The way he dueled made what they had seen in class look like child's play. The others were scared now. In his friend's letter, he expressed that Mulciber and McNair were terrified of the display of power they had seen, and that neither were interested in pursuing Potter or Essex any further.
The youngest Lestrange, now heir to the family, could hardly believe what had happened. Rodulphus had been getting personal training from the Dark Lord. Even without it his brother was a gifted wizard, but not seemingly so in the face of someone who had been trained since he could hold a wand. At least that is what the rumors were.
Rodolphus' wife had been inconsolably angry. Bellatrix was a mad witch at the best of times, but when she heard her grandfather, the lord of her family, had been supporting Potter she nearly lost what was left of her sanity. According to his father, the witch may fall to him, something he dreaded deeply. Bellatrix may have been a beautiful woman, but he had seen the woman’s bloodlust on the battlefield, seen what she was capable of in their raids on the muggles. Rabastian may have had a wild side in him, but something told him the Black family madness had descended upon the beautiful woman in question and that was something he desperately wanted to avoid for his health and wellness.
It did nothing to help when the Dark Lord insisted that the Potter boy not be antagonized further by the children of his followers. His father stated that the Heir of Slytherin did not wish to see any more pure blood spilt, but that only meant Potter would get away with what he had done!
Slamming his hands on his desk he put his hands in his hair. The loss of his brother, and the responsibility of a woman he cared nothing for would be an immense burden on the teen that would be seeing his graduation from Hogwarts in the coming months. Damn that Potter Bastard! Rabastian thought viciously. Pacing his room now he desperately tried to think of ways to get even with his adversary.
After many hours of frustration, no immediate answer came to mind, but one thing was for certain. The score would need to be settled, somehow, someway, Rabastan would avenge the execution of his brother. The image of the man being ceremoniously beheaded after Potter tortured him was something he would never forgive, and one day he would make Harry Potter suffer the same way he did. With or without the help of the Dark Lord.
.o.
If the students of Hogwarts were wary of Harry before they were positively terrified of him now. It was the Chamber of Secrets all over again. The whispers followed him at every turn. It hardly bothered Harry though. His Slytherin friends understood why he chose the path he did. The Gryffindors seemed wary.
Frank and Sirius, who were raised under the Pureblood umbrella, seemed to be the most understanding. Alice and Lily had grim looks on their countenance every time Harry encountered them. It was as if Harry was a walking grim reaper in their eyes. The other three Marauders didn’t seem to understand at all. James had been very quiet, while Remus and Peter seemed to think he might start firing killing curses in the Great Hall at any moment.
The week had passed with quiet buzzing anticipation of the upcoming Quidditch Match. Regulus Black had his hands full trying to find replacements for the seventh years who had been suspended. The practices that week were hardly inspiring as the team seemed to realize they were completely outmatched by Gryffindor without their starters. Even if Harry beat them to the Snitch the likelihood that they would be down by more than 150 was high.
Harry was glad the school had the distraction of Quidditch though. Without it, the words of mutiny against him in Slytherin house likely would’ve been a lot louder. He had received glares from allies of House Lestrange, and mumbled threats from those that had been friends with Rudolphus and Rabastian. It wasn’t necessary, but Harry had buffed up the wards around his room just in case.
The only person who had not treated him any differently was Elaina. When Monday morning came she had met him in the Common Room at 5am, followed him onto the grounds, and trained beside him without question. The training had been quiet and little conversation took place. She seemed to realize he needed his space and other than asking about an occasional spell that he cast, she mostly just followed his lead. The consistency was something Harry desperately needed.
In comparison, the tension between James and Harry seemed to increase throughout the week. Every time Harry would try to converse with his cousin the teen made excuses. Hoping to destress the night before the big game Harry found himself on the broom James had given him. The grounds were mostly deserted due to the wind and chill in the air, but Harry found peace just floating in the air on his broom.
Seeking peace and quiet, he had been doing laps around the pitch like this since his second year. As he hovered around the goals he noticed that he was not as alone as he first thought. In the stands where the Gryffindors would be sitting tomorrow, he spotted the teen who had been avoiding him all week. James’ eyes were on him and when the two locked eye contact the teen raised a hand in greeting.
Approaching the teen cautiously Harry wasn’t sure what to say, but before he could speak James offered him a grin that reminded him of better summer days, “Fancy meeting you here.”
“I like to fly around the pitch the night before the game.” Harry said easily, “I try to envision catching the Snitch, and what it will be like to win the game.”
“You will catch the Snitch tomorrow, of that I am almost certain.” James confessed, “But not before we put up enough points to win.”
“We will have to agree to disagree.” Harry countered.
“That we will.” James said leaning back against the stands both elbows propped comfortably behind his back. The young man closed his eyes as Harry dismounted his broom and sat on the ledge with his back towards the pitch. James took a deep breath saying, “I love this game. I have loved it my entire life.”
Harry said nothing as he watched the messy-haired teen relax in his presence for the first time in a week, “It’s so simple. Fourteen players. Four balls. No politics. No dueling. No family honor. It’s just a game, but it’s a game that people love. It makes people happy. Is it bad that I wish life were that simple?”
Feeling a stab in his chest Harry just watched the boy for a long moment. He had no idea what was coming. James just wanted to play Quidditch. He had no idea how much his priorities would change. With Lily, with a child, with the war, with the death of his parents, it was heartbreaking.
“Your silence says a lot.” James said wryly.
Shaking the silence off Harry retorted, “No, it’s not bad, James. It’s the life you deserve. Being the heir to the family is pretty unavoidable, but the rest of this is just the beginning.” Taking a deep breath Harry then said, “If Quidditch is your dream, James, follow your heart. Tone out everything else. Let the family and I handle the other stuff. I am sure it will all be okay.”
James looked surprised by his words. Harry’s heart however was beating really fast now. He knew the effect words could have on people. This could change everything, but as much as Harry wanted his family to be together, more than anything he wanted them to all be alive at the end of the conflict.
“I didn’t think you would say that.” James said honestly, “I thought you would lecture me about responsibility or something.”
“I’m not your parents, James. I am your cousin, your friend.” Harry answered quietly, “You don’t have to fear my judgment. Whatever makes you happy, do it.”
The young man took a deep breath and James let out a sigh, “That means a lot, Harry. I just don’t want to disappoint everyone.”
Trying to lighten the mood Harry nudged the boy with his arm, “You know what I want?”
James' eyes raised to Harry’s and he saw familiar mischief, “What’s that?”
“Let’s fly.” Harry said, mounting his broom and hovering back above the pitch in an instant, “Tomorrow I have to break your heart, but today we just enjoy flying.”
Grinning James stated as he rose to his feet, “It’ll be dark soon.”
“I can hold your hand if you don't feel safe.” Harry responded teasingly, “Just know I will tell Padfoot and the others.”
“Piss off.” James chuckled, grabbing his broom from behind the bench he was propped up on. The two hovered in the air for a second, when he asked, “Where are we going?”
Shrugging, Harry looked towards the castle, “Why don’t you just try and keep up?”
Before James could respond Harry was off like a shot. Not being one to get left behind James was on his tail with little delay as the two flew towards the Black Lake at breakneck speeds. Flying low closer to the water Harry laughed as he flicked his wrist at the water causing a splash of water to strike James. The older boy hardly batted an eyelash however as he zoomed over Harry and began climbing with his approach towards the castle. Following Harry chased the man on his broom as they spiraled underneath the bridges, and sailed over the courtyards.
It was completely dark by the time the two stopped. Both were out of breath, but wide smiles on their faces. It felt like the first time Harry had genuinely smiled since Halloween. James chuckled, “I still don’t believe you never had any lessons.”
“What can I say?” Harry grinned, “It’s in my blood.”
“Can’t deny that.” James said happily. The two hovered above the Astronomy Tower looking quite satisfied when James spoke again after a long moment, “Harry? This prophecy…the one you told me about…what can you tell me?”
Swallowing hard, the smile immediately fell off Harry’s face, “I trust you, James, I do, but what you are asking for is dangerous.”
“Please, Harry. I need to understand.” James pleaded, “I have had a tough time separating the person that killed Lestrange on the Quidditch pitch, from my cousin who flies around with me on the broom like it’s the greatest thing in the world. You say this prophecy has lingered over you, and I need to know this burden you carry. I need to understand.”
It wasn’t fair, Harry thought. To keep James in the dark forever. The whole family knew about his destiny to defeat Voldemort. The man that sacrificed himself in his timeline for Harry had a right to know something, but what could he tell him? What could he tell his real father that wouldn’t get him killed?
“There’s a really bad man out there, James.” Harry said ominously after placing a privacy ward around them, “He is lurking in the shadows right now. Hiding behind these men in the masks. He is powerful. Insanely so. More so than even Grindelwald. He is leading the Purebloods under the pretense that people like Elaina and Lily don’t deserve their magic. In truth, he doesn’t care about that though. He only believes in power and uses any means necessary to get it. He wants to conquer our world. The prophecy, James, says I could be the one to stop him. He doesn’t know about it yet, but it is only a matter of time before he finds out. When that happens he is going to burn away everything in the world to get to me.”
James’ jaw appeared unhinged. He stared at Harry with wide eyes, “Your parents kept you hidden for years, because they knew.”
“They couldn’t risk him finding out while I was at Hogwarts. They had to know I could defend myself. I knew there was something, but they finally told me the full truth a few years ago.” Harry said, trying to stick as close to the truth as possible, “Before that, I just always thought they wanted me to be the best, and that I was supposed to protect our family. His followers started appearing around me when I was school-age. At that point, I knew something wasn’t right, but I had no idea.”
“I heard the whispers…I’ve heard his name whispered in reverence by the younger Slytherins.” James said quietly in disbelief.
“Voldemort.” Harry answered knowingly, “He is going to try and kill me, James. We came face to face in Godric’s Hollow. He knows I exist now. You need to be careful. Part of why I am telling you all this is they may use any means necessary to get to me. You could be in danger. It is why I am telling you what I am, but James…this information puts my life at risk. You can’t tell anyone. I really mean it, no one. The family didn’t want you to have to keep secrets from the Marauders, but I am telling you Voldemort will torture, or do whatever it takes to get this prophecy, and he will not believe you don’t know it. Telling the others will only put them in more danger.”
“I won’t tell anyone.” James promised, “You have my word.”
Nodding Harry put a hand on James' shoulder, “You had a right to know. You have a right to know why we are taking everything to such extremes politically. We can’t appear weak right now, James. If we do, we might as well start running now, and never look back.”
The two held eye contact before Harry nudged his head towards the grounds, “Come on, let’s go get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.”
James solemnly nodded and followed Harry as the two went towards the ground. Landing near the Entrance Hall Harry offered his cousin a smile as he placed his broom over his shoulders. It did feel like a weight was lifted off of his chest. He could only hope his family wouldn’t be upset for saying as much as he had. There was still so much he wanted to share with his real father, but the time wasn’t right. One day it would be though.
Saying goodnight to James, Harry turned his back on the young man, but the call of his name stopped him as he turned to face the now determined-looking young man, “When this is all over…when you win…let’s just play Quidditch. Let’s go pro. We can train together. Even if it is years down the road. We have enough talent that we could enter the combine at the start of the season with some training and get picked. I see how much you love to fly. I think you love this game as much as I do. When our time is right we can play. Until then we have to take care of our family. Of each other.”
Harry offered the teen an appreciative nod, “You have time to change your mind.”
“I won’t.” James said resolutely, “We don’t turn our back on family. It’s not just us either. I will be damned if Lily is ever attacked in the castle again without consequence. When the match is over tomorrow Harry it will be time to begin our training. Until then, good luck tomorrow, you are going to need it.”
The Gryffindor Head Boy had a confident smile on his countenance as he turned up the staircase to ascend towards Gryffindor Tower. Harry however watched in silent admiration. He had worried he had changed too much in the timeline. He had worried that his father would take the chance to abscond his responsibilities and avoid the coming conflict. Instead, he had risen to the challenge, being the man Harry had hoped he was.
The walk back to the dungeons made Harry feel lighter. Thoughts of the man, his real father, was becoming made him feel pride in his chest. He was disappointed in James’ initial reaction to the duel, but it seemed the two would come out of it stronger than ever. It was a risk telling him what he had, but he knew in time it would pay off. He couldn’t keep the secrets forever. Not from him. Not from Lily. One day he would be free of the burden he could only hope all his friends were standing with him when that day came.
.o.
The morning of the game Harry took a rest from his training. Instead, he found himself in the Great Hall early with many others in the castle who were buzzing with excitement. All thoughts of what had happened on the Quidditch Pitch earlier that week had been forgotten. Today was Slytherin Vs Gryffindor and nothing else mattered.
Two strong hands shook Harry’s shoulders and Nate Greengrass took the seat next to him, “Harry, how are you feeling? Can I get you anything?”
Raising his eyebrows at the boy he grinned, “I got ten galleons on you mate. I said we wouldn’t lose by more than five goals.”
Frowning Harry asked, “You bet on us to lose?”
“Well, obviously I am hoping for a win!” Nate said excitedly, “But as long as we don’t lose by more than five, I win. Juice?”
Harry chuckled as he saw one of the fifth-year girls roll her eyes at his companion, “Thanks for the faith, Greengrass!”
“Nothing personal, Reyes!” Nate said defensively, “It’s just that the other Potter may very well have assembled the greatest Quidditch Team to ever play at Hogwarts.”
“Reyes is practically Quidditch royalty, Nate.” Harry said in defense of the girl, “Her grandmother held the record before James beat it. That record stood for nearly a century. I think she was better than our previous starter, and probably won’t cause as many penalty shots. Merlin knows James doesn’t need free points.”
Imelda Reyes nodded her head and blushed at Harry’s words of praise, but spoke quickly, “Thanks Potter, but I will let my own skill do the talking today, and cement myself as a starter.”
Harry thought that wouldn’t be too difficult for the girl. He hadn’t seen her original tryouts, but when Regulus was looking to fill the spots the girl was a solid player. Much better than all the others except Regulus himself.
Offering the girl a nod of respect Harry grabbed a few pieces of toast and bacon as he prepared himself a small meal in preparation for the day. His few acquaintances in the other houses stopped by to wish him well, even Marlene, whom Harry had not spoken to in the last few weeks. Amelia said she was hoping Harry would injure half the team so Hufflepuff would have a chance in the coming weeks, but he doubted even that would stop James, Sirius, and Frank.
As breakfast went on they were joined by the rest of the Slytherin house who were abuzz with hopes and dreams of beating Gryffindor. Regulus looked sick as his housemates discussed their odds of an upset, while Harry just watched the Gryffindor table look electric. The entire house was decked out in red and gold, while the Quidditch Team were already in uniform. James, Sirius, and Frank had the rest of the team around them and they were joking as if today were merely a scrimmage. The confidence of the team looked high, and Harry could only hope he could put a damper on them.
Elaina, Pandora, and Andi, were among the last of the Slytherins to join them at breakfast. The three all seemed in high spirits about something, and Harry eyed the trio suspiciously. Andi merely threw an arm around Harry’s shoulder, “Hey cousin! Just know if you play horribly today I will have convinced your parents to disown you by the end of the game.”
Snorting, Harry shook his head, “I forgot you two were going to sit with them.”
“Us three!” Pandora corrected, “Andi has been writing to your mother and already made sure we could all sit together in the guest stands.”
Eying Andi suspiciously Harry said, “Well you three seem awfully cheery about hanging out with my parents.”
“Without you around we figure it’s more likely we will get embarrassing stories about you. Your reputation will be ruined by the end of the game, Mr. Tall and Broody.” Pandora said with a giddy expression on her face.
Harry rolled his eyes at this while Elaina chuckled, “I personally think it's amusing how terrified most of the house is of you. I am hoping they tell us horrific things that only make the words of fear louder.”
This made both Andi and Pandora roll their eyes while Nate laughed, “I don’t think he needs any help with that. My family was leaning towards the Pureblood movement, but after the four houses prostrated themselves to house Potter I think they are reconsidering.”
“So it’s done then?” Harry asked curiously.
Nate nodded, “It is. House Potter is very wealthy as of sometime last night. Avery, MacNair, and Mulciber are all forking over small fortunes to make this blood feud come to an end. Dad told me last night.”
“Mine probably planned to tell me today.” Harry shrugged stabbing at the last of his breakfast, “I am ready to put it all behind us. The suspended students will be back next week, and they would be stupid to have a go with any of us after that.”
“Elaina will be the safest witch in the castle.” Andi said cheerily.
Her words made the dark-haired girl blush, while Harry just nodded in satisfaction. Before anyone could add to the topic James stood up, “Gryffindors to the pitch!”
His shout drew cheers from the house of Lions and the table as one started an exodus towards the grounds. Nate rolled his eyes, “Potter’s intimidation tactics are old.”
Pandora, who was glancing at the new players chuckled, “Looks like they are just as effective as they have always been.”
Following her eyes Harry saw that even Imelda now looked like she might be sick. Regulus for his part stood trying to be confident, “Alright Slytherin Team to the locker rooms. Let's put an end to Potter’s supposedly unbeatable team.”
The house cheered, but Harry felt it was forced as he rose to follow closely behind Regulus appearing confident. When they cleared the hall however the walk to the locker room was in silence and Harry could tell the team was a ball of nerves.
By the time they gathered, changed, and had their brooms it was nearly time to fly. Regulus looked like he was searching for words as he paced toward the exit to the pitch. Harry took pity on him however, saying, “Let’s play a good game guys. Score points, and play defense like your life depends on it. Hold them off, and I will get to that Snitch. James is great, but one great player is not unstoppable. It's a seven-man team, let's go prove it!”
Harry was grateful the team he had was young. The older ones would have resisted him trying to be a leader for the team, but now most of the team was fourth and fifth years. They were anxious to have someone lead them, and Regulus did not seem ready for this one. Instead, the Captain offered Harry a grateful nod and roared out, “Slytherins on the field! Let’s do this.”
With that, the team cheered and mounted their brooms as they flew out to thunderous applause and cheers from the stands. The team took one lap around the pitch together as the announcer called the lineup. As Harry flew over the guest stands he saw his whole family there and his heart leaped at the sight of them wearing the mix of Slytherin and Gryffindor colors. Dorea had even blown him a kiss with both hands as they flew over.
In no time the fourteen players had assembled on the field and Harry watched from the air as James and Regulus shook hands on the ground before mounting their brooms and taking back to the sky with the rest of their team. The Sonorus charm by a much younger Madame Hooch reached his ears, “Now I want a nice clean game. From all of you.”
The woman then kicked the chest causing it to open. The Snitch was the first ball to release as it buzzed in front of each player's face before disappearing into the skies. A minute passed and the announcer called out, “It’s a beautiful day to start the Hogwarts Quidditch season, and this one promises to be interesting. Can the new Slytherin seeker hope to catch the Snitch before James Potter and his band of unstoppable teammates can put up 150 points? This is certainly a familial affair with Harry Potter climbing into the skies with his cousin. Word has reached the ears of many that he is as talented in his cousin, but in a completely different position. We will have to see if Slytherins’ defense is up to the challenge in holding James Potter and his trio of chasers.”
James was offering the Slytherin team a grin as he waved at Harry with his fingers making the teen shake his head back at him. Turning to the girl beside him Harry called out, “Hey Imelda?”
The girl looked to him as the announcer began the ten second countdown to the start of the game, “Go low.”
She looked confused for a moment and glanced towards Regulus who was in a staredown now with James, before nodding uncertainly. When the countdown reached one the announcer said, “The quaffle is up, and the game begins!”
Harry didn’t waste a moment as he spurred forward towards James who had already snatched the quaffle from Regulus at the start, but before the man could gain any sort of control Harry was on him smacking the quaffle out of his hands straights towards the ground into the hands of Imelda Reyes who caught the ball and raced towards Frank unopposed. In a matter of seconds the girl had crossed the pitch and hit the far corner with a solid bank shot scoring the first goal of the game.
The crowd went wild and Harry offered James a wave of his fingers as he flew past him causing the boy to smile widely. The announcer called out, “Harry Potter took a mighty risk there in the beginning playing the interfering seeker. Had Reyes not been ready, that could have been an easy penalty shot for the Gryffindor Captain. They must have practiced that a few times! We have quite the match on our hands today.”
Harry could wish the announcer had been right. James was not shaken at all by the aggressive start to the game. In fact he basked in the challenge. In the following ten minutes Sirius and James practically worked as one mind. When Gryffindor went on offense James somehow kept ending up with the ball. Anytime that Slytherin had it Sirius would nearly knock someone off their broom with a bludger giving James or one of the other chasers the ball right away.
Trying to stay focused Harry dodged a bludger from Sirius and swore as he whirled around in an attempt to assist the chasers in stealing the ball from James something they had not managed to do since the first play. The teen was proving to be unstoppable. He may have been a good flier, and great at Quidditch, but as a chaser he was unmatched. His arm power was immense, but even that slimmed in comparison to the accuracy he had. The man scored seven goals so fast Harry was forced to stop hunting for the Snitch for a few minutes in order to try and put up some kind of defensive stop, because his team was not having any of it.
Harry had assisted Regulus in scoring two goals, but by that time it had already become 40-120 in favor of Gryffindor. The beaters were outmatched, the defense couldn’t keep up, and the offense was drowning just trying to hold onto the ball.
A timeout was called when it became 40-140. The team was heaving for breath when they landed while the Gryffindor stands were just becoming louder and louder. Regulus looked at Harry and yelled, “Quit playing interference and catch the Snitch!”
Imelda immediately jumped to his defense, “His interference is the only reason we aren’t already down by 150.”
The Slytherin Keeper, a fifth year Harry hardly knew, said, “She’s right Regulus. I can hardly block any shot Potter takes. The only reason we’ve made any stops is because you guys have caught them in mid field.”
Swearing Regulus looked up, “We are holding them. Better than I thought. We need that Snitch. Potter if we lose that will be on us, but focus on the Snitch. I can tell the team is tiring and if we aren’t careful the stamina will crumble and this will turn into a bloodbath quickly.”
Harry nodded in understanding while the rest of the team looked grim. The situation was unlike any he had ever faced in Quidditch. His Gryffindor team in his first few years was a phenomenon. They could keep up with and outscore anyone. The Snitch was always the deciding factor without issue. In which case Harry delivered a win. Even in Ron’s worst games in the last few years at Hogwarts Ginny and Demelza could put up enough goals it was hardly an issue. This was a new kind of pressure. He was grateful Oliver had insisted he knew how to play every position or Imelda was right this game would already be over.
It was a desperate search for the skies as James had clearly figured out what Slytherins plan was. The next three goals were scored in minutes. Gryffindors Seeker, Mary McDonald, seemed to relax with each goal her team scored. She seemed to know it was about to be irrelevant whether Slytherin caught the Snitch or not.
When it became within one goal Harry was beginning to lose hope, but the flutter of gold across the pitch told him it was not over! Without even hesitating or any other care in the world he shot across the pitch in the direction of the gold ball. Mary wasn’t far behind in the pursuit, but Harry knew he could get to it before her. A seeker was defined by his guts as much as they were by their skill, and in that department Harry was fearless.
The cheers of Gryffindor told Harry it wasn’t good. The crowd was going ballistic, but he couldn’t see what was happening. He had to stay focused. The announcer's voice told him it wasn’t over by the excitement, but he was hardly processing the words as his eyes honed in on his target.
.o.
James’ heart was racing. He had never been this close to being beat. He had seen Harry go after the Snitch. Padfoot had already missed his shot at knocking Harry off his broom and his other beater, Michael Spinnet, wasn’t even close to nailing his cousin. Focussing on his own mission he stole the ball from Regulus Black and took his longest shot of the day scoring the shot that put them up by 150. James could see Harry was closing in on the Snitch and the Gryffindor Captain began yelling at his teammates to blitz, even pulling Frank from the goal.
Imelda Reyes had proved to be a good chaser today, and an even smarter Quidditch player as she ran for her life with the quaffle in order to buy Harry time. Unluckily for her Sirius managed to get a hold of another bludger and unseated the girl from her broom with a murderous shot at close range. The ball went into the air and James was on it in a moment. With a swirl of his broom he was sailing back across the pitch in an attempt to get in scoring range. The crowd was going crazy making his stomach turn as he could see a near impossible shot in his vision. With a hurl he took the shot across the pitch hoping to keep his perfect record alive. Watching the ball bounce through the hoop the whistle was already blowing signaling the end of the game.
The announcer and the stands were going absolutely wild and James stared with bated breath trying to figure out what happened. The announcer cleared up the confusion and explained why his teammates were flying towards him with looks of euphoria, “James Potter made back to back unbelievable shots. For those who may have confusion James Potter took his last shot before the whistle was blown. Despite the fact that Harry Potter caught the Snitch before the final shot was made the play was still live. Gryffindor defeats Slytherin House 200-190 that will be a win for the ages!”
James whooped as he went towards the ground being embraced by Sirius as soon as he dismounted his broom. He was mobbed by the rest of his team shortly after. The moment was one he would remember for the rest of his life.
.o.
When Harry’s fingers snatched the Snitch out of the air he held it up immediately in hope he had not been too late. The announcer's explanation made his heart sink however. Despite the loss Slytherin House was in a frenzy in the stands with excitement.
Shaking his head with amusement Harry flew towards the guest stands to where his family sat and he made eye contact with his mum as he offered her a smile tossing her his first caught Snitch for Slytherin House. The woman beamed at him, while Charlus looked at his son with pride as Harry patted his chest twice and pointed to his friends and waved before flying off to meet up with his teammates who had already landed.
When he hit the ground he was congratulated and thumped on the back. When he reached his Captain the boy grinned, “Good job Potter. We may have lost today, but wins and losses don’t mean anything in Hogwarts standings. If we can throttle Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw we may still have a chance at the cup.”
“We will only get better as we continue to play and practice together.” Harry acknowledged offering his hand to the boy.
Regulus looked at it for a long moment before shaking his head with a grin and taking the hand aggressively, “I don’t like you, Potter. You are however a damn good Quidditch player. There is no denying that! You won’t get any hassle out of me.”
Harry figured that would be as good as things would get between the two and when they broke the handshake he heard a voice behind him, “Hey Potter!”
James was approaching the Slytherin team with a maniacal smile. He looked like he had been mugged by his team, and Harry raised his eyebrow to the teen, “What Potter?”
Harry stepped to meet the teen and James reached out and embraced him, “Good game! You made my heart stop when you went after the Snitch.”
“I had no idea what was going on. I tuned it all out. I thought I was going to beat you to it.” Harry confessed.
“You all played really well.” James complimented as he faced the rest of the Slytherin team, “That’s the best competition I’ve had since my first year on the team. This team will be tough to beat in a few years. That sneaky stuff you all pulled at the beginning was beautifully executed. No one has dared to try that against me, and I promise it won’t work a second time. Keep up the good work, and make my team earn this last House Cup.”
Turning back to face Harry he grinned, “I’d invite you to the after party, but I hear you will be in Hogsmeade with our family?”
“You should stop by,” Harry answered with a nod, “Give us a chance to celebrate your luck-, I mean win together.”
“Cheeky.” James laughed as he began walking away, “I suppose the champ can grace you with my presence for a few minutes of my time. I’ll see you in Hogsmeade Harry, good game.”
As James approached his teammates Harry saw Sirius giving him a big thumbs up, and Harry waved at the boy as he followed his retreating team to the locker room. They may not have won today, but Slytherin House certainly made a statement with Harry leading them to a narrow defeat. It was too bad they would not get a rematch!
Comments
Steele Armstrong
Good chapter!
Keeperofthevoid
I really think it might be better if Harry never tells James he is his son tbh. His mind already seems to be changing to associate James as his cousin. Honestly Harry being there has already changed James into a different person in some ways.
SilverMugs
I like that he is not just talking about everything and spilling his guts to people who cannot really comprehend what is coming, even his "father". You seem to go back and forth a bit on how he thinks of James, which makes sense, but considering he never knew him as a father, I think the brother role works well. Is it actually a rule in Quidditch that if the ball is in the air it is in play? That doesn't make sense at all considering it's an aerial sport.
