November arrived gradually, bringing the icy cold weather and the first snowfall of the year with it. Calysta remembered it very clearly, how she was seated in Professor Flitwick's class, right near the window, when she saw light flurries of snow fluttering down from the endless cloudy sky. She squealed loudly, in the middle of the lesson, declaring to the whole class of Slytherins and Gryffindors that it was snowing. 

Although Professor Flitwick had nicked off a point from Gryffindor for her outburst, he realized she was far too jumpy to actually concentrate, and let the class go ten minutes earlier to go enjoy the snow outside.

Elated, she dragged her friends out with her, and because the snow wasn't enough to have a snowball fight or build a snowman, they settled on chasing each other as the little flakes of ice fell from the sky gracefully.

Malfoy had made immense fun of her for her behavior, claiming she was acting like a child.

"Potterette, how old are you, five? Even I never played in the snow like a little child," he scoffed.

Calysta shrugged it off nonchalantly. "Because you don't know the definition of fun," she'd remarked, before setting off with her friends.

The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots.

The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Calysta would be playing in her first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championship.

Hardly anyone had seen the Potters play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapons, Harry and Calysta should be kept, well, secret. But the news that they were playing the position of Chaser and Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Calysta didn't know which was worse — people telling her she'd be brilliant or people telling her they'd be running around underneath her and Harry holding a mattress. 

Harry and Ron seldom hung around her and her friends any more, particularly because Hermione kept company with them. Although things were cool between Hermione and Calysta, Calysta couldn't help but admit that she would lose it if she spent any more time around Hermione. She didn't really hate Hermione, per se, but she knew Hermione didn't like getting into trouble, and Calysta and her friends were the literal definition of the word itself.

Harry did tell her that Hermione had become rather lax about following the rules ever since they saved her from the mountain troll, and she assisted Harry and Ron in completing their homework, which he claimed was a huge help.

Calysta would go to the boys' dormitory to do her homework. Now that all the boys were friends, the dormitory became their usual hangout spot, away from anyone else. It was a large, carpeted, comfortable room once it was cleaned and tidied up.

It was quite spacious, and had a three-seater couch, and two armchairs as well, owning the same warmth as the common room. The only thing it was missing was a fire, and this problem was easily solved after Hermione showed Calysta how to conjure little blue flames in a jar that could be moved around. 

Calysta excelled in Transfiguration and Potions, mainly. Although Professor Snape hated Gryffindors, she couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem to snarl and yell at her in the way he told off the other members of her house. But he wasn't friendly either. Towards Calysta, he just maintained a neutral attitude. Potions came as second nature to her. One glance at her book, and she'd remember the instructions, and then she'd just add the ingredients in the order mentioned in the book, without thinking twice. 

Professor McGonagall was extremely pleased with the sudden progress Calysta made in improving her Transfiguration. This was a huge boost to her confidence. Transfiguration was the only subject other than potions that she excelled in. She was better than Hermione in Potions and Transfiguration, while the muggleborn exceeded her in all the rest of the subjects.

Thus, when it came to doing homework, the five of them would sit in their dormitory. Calysta would help Jeff, Regulus, Raymond and Felix with Potions and Transfigurations, Raymond would help them with Astronomy, (since he claimed he'd been learning it from childhood), Jeff would help them in Herbology, and Felix was more of an allrounder; he helped them in the rest of the subjects.

Amidst all of this, their newfound knowledge of magic that expanded everyday was especially useful in pranking Peeves and the Slytherins. 

Calysta couldn't also shake off the feeling that Felix was hiding something. According to her, he had a serious health condition, and he was hiding it. She was sure of this when some days, he'd turn pale during mealtimes and refuse to eat anything at all, except dessert, while other times, he'd eat normally. Her mind kept moving to the day they fought the troll, and she was nearly about to confide in Raymond, Jeff and Regulus about this, when she remembered she'd promised Felix she'd tell no one.

Another thing she couldn't forget about was how Snape had been limping for a while; although she spoke nothing of her thoughts to anyone.

Things suddenly became clear when Harry requested to speak to her urgently the night before the Quidditch match.

She was sitting in the boys' dormitory, lying down across Jeff's bed, reading one of he Shakespearean novels, A Midsummer Night's Dream, when there was a sharp knock at the door.

"Who could it be?" asked Regulus, sitting up straight from where he and Raymond were drawing something on the carpet.

"I'm going to go check," said Felix, getting up from his bed, putting his book aside. Interested in what he was reading, Calysta slowly sneaked a peek at the cover, letting out a squeak of surprise and topping off the bed when she realized he was reading Pride and Prejudice.

"You're reading a romance?" she echoed. 

Felix said nothing, sending her a glare, wordlessly telling her to 'shut up' as he opened the door.

But the damage was done. Jeff perked up from the couch he was sitting on, tossing aside his comic book and going to investigate and thoroughly inspect Felix's book.

Before the teasing could start, Harry walked in, looking upset and angry about something.

"Calysta, I need to tell you something," her twin was saying. "Urgently."

Calysta, who was wildly concerned for her brother, put her book aside and followed him out, where he took her to the common room, in the corner he, Ron and Hermione occupied as of late.

"Harry, what's the matter?" she asked. "You're scaring me."

And then Harry explained how he had a run-in with Snape earlier in the day, and got into trouble for reading a library book about Quidditch outside. He narrated how he'd noticed Snape limping.

"And then, half an hour ago, I was nervous about the match, so I went to get Quidditch through the Ages from Snape, when I saw Snape and Filch together in the staffroom."

"What happened?"

"Snape was holding his robes above his knees. When I looked, I saw Filch bandaging the wound. His leg was bleeding. And then, I heard Snape say, "Blasted thing, how are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" And then Snape caught me looking, hid his wound, shouted at me, and told me to get out," Harry said breathlessly. "And I ran."

"Oh God," Calysta whispered. "That's why he was limping."

"You know what this means?" Harry continued. "It means that Snape tried to get past the three-headed-dog during Halloween. That's where he was going when we saw him — he's after whatever it's guarding! Do you remember we saw him on our way to warn Hermione about the troll?" Realization dawned on Harry's face. "That means he probably let the troll in as a diversion."

Calysta was quiet for a while. "I don't believe Snape would do something like that," she breathed. "I mean, he's a teacher, for God's sake. But I don't know him that well. I believe you."

"You do?" Harry asked hastily. "Hermione doesn't."

"But what's that dog guarding?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

Calysta nodded. "I'll help," she decided.

It wasn't easy for Calysta to get sleep, what with Harry's words constantly ringing in her head. She couldn't figure out what was so important about a two-inch package as she tossed and turned madly in her bed. Frustrated, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, before heading to the boys' dormitory. Softly knocking, she hoped at least one of them was awake.

Regulus opened the door for her.

"How come you're still awake?" whispered Regulus.

"I couldn't sleep," she mumbled. "I'm nervous about the match."

Regulus nodded, understanding. "You'll do great," he nodded. "You wait and see, you'll be great."

Clearing out the bed with the boys' mixed dumps, he sat on it and patted the space next to him for Calysta. "You can sleep here," he suggested. "If you like. I know you probably want to sleep with the girls, but.."

Calysta's smile had stretched out, and she was so close to giving Regulus a hug. Thinking it would be impulsive, she nodded. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I think having my friends close by would really help."

And that was the first night Calysta slept in the boys' dormitory. Little did she know, it sure as hell wasn't going to be the last.

The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was filled with the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good match.

Calysta had slept surprisingly well in the boys' dormitory. Comforted by the fact that her friends were next to her, she fell asleep instantly, and woke up at the voices of Jeff and Raymond, who talked about how she'd gotten there. She knew if Professor McGonagall knew she wasn't in her dormitory last night she'd be in great trouble, and she was one hundred percent sure none of the boys would tell on her.

She wasn't hungry. In an hour, she'd be walking to the field, and her anxiety had settled in the pits of her stomach, weighing heavily in her belly, as if she had swallowed a stone.

"Eat something," Jeff coaxed her, placing a sausage in her plate.

"I'm not hungry," she shook her head. Glancing at Harry a few seats away from her, she could see Ron and Hermione trying to get him to eat something as well.

"Cal, you need your strength," Ray said, buttering up a toast and placing it her plate. "Chasers are the ones that usually get clobbered up. And if you're playing Slytherin, they'll target you since you're the lightest of them, and probably the easiest to throw off the broom. Slytherins play dirty."

She finally nodded, taking a bite of the toast. "I don't want the sausage," she murmured, offering it to Jeff, who nodded and took it from her plate.

By eleven o' clock, the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes. 

The stands appeared to be overly full, and this was particularly because news that both the Potters were on the team, and would be playing Slytherin traveled around the school faster than the plague. 

Ron and Hermione joined Felix, Regulus, Jeff, and Raymond up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry and Calysta, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Potters Rule!, and Raymond, who was exceptionally good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione and Felix had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors. 

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Calysta, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into the bright, scarlet Quidditch robes. Obviously, Slytherin would be wearing green.

Wood cleared his throat for silence.

"Okay men," he said.

"And women," added Angelina Johnson, Calysta's fellow chaser.

"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."

"The big one," dramatized Fred Weasley.

"The one we've all been waiting for," announced George, equally dramatic as his twin, if not more.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart," said Fred. "We were on the team last year."

"Shut up you two," said Oliver. "This is the best team Gryffindor has ever had. We're going to win, I know it."

He glared at them to say, "or else."

"Right, it's time. Good luck, all of you."

Calysta followed Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet onto the Quidditch field, hoping her knees wouldn't give way. She was so small compared to the rest of the players, it was a wonder how she hadn't broken anything yet, during the triweekly Quidditch practices. The stadium burst into thunderous cheers, clapping and screaming as the players emerged onto the field.

Madam Hooch was the referee. She stood in the middle of the field, waiting for the players to assemble, her broomstick in her hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Calysta noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a fifth year. She gulped, Raymond Avery's warning clear in her mind.

 Calysta thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potters Rule! over the crowd. Jeff and Regulus were sending her the 'thumbs up'. Her heart skipped. She felt braver. 

"Mount your brooms, please."

Calysta clambered onto her Nimbus Two Thousand.

Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.

Fifteen broom rose up high, high, into the air. They were off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor — what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too—"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

 The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve — back to Johnson and— no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes — Flint flying like an eagle up there —he's going to sc– no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle."

Calysta was flying around her broom, carefully keeping the same speed as Angelina Johnson, and keeping quite close to the Slytherin hoops.

The Slytherins were in possession of the Quaffle, and as Marcus Flint was nearly about to pass it to another Slytherin, Calysta blocked him halfway and took the red ball, before tossing it to Angelina Johnson.

Lee's commentary filled the stands. "Gryffindors take the Quaffle — that's Chaser Calysta Potter of Gryffindor there, only a first year, she's fantastic! Nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH —that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger."

Calysta hissed as pain flitted through her head. Although the Bludger hit her head, it wasn't that painful since she'd tied her hair into a bun. Unfortunately, she'd lost the Quaffle to the Slytherins, and swiftly tailed Adrian Pucey to try catching the Quaffle the next time he passed it.

"Quaffle taken by the Slytherins — that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which — nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes..."

Calysta sped her broom towards Angelina, who had Marcus Flint tailing her broom.

"Angelina, here!" called Calysta.

The Quaffle was thrown her way, and she caught it with two hands, before passing it down to Angelina again.

"She's really flying — dodges a speeding Bludger — the goalposts are ahead — come on, now, Angelina — Keeper Bletchley dives— misses — GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"

"WHOOO!" Calysta cheered, high-fiving Angelina as the Gryffindor stands erupted into cheers, while the Slytherins let out howls of disappointment.

Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. 

Calysta sent him a smile, before looking at Flint, who had the Quaffle. Angelina and Calysta flew on either side of Flint, distracting him, while Alicia knocked the Quaffle off his hands, throwing it to Calysta, who was open.

Obviously, Wood had predicted right. The Slytherins targeted mainly Angelina and Alicia, assuming Calysta was small and no good at the game. But during the practices that she'd attended, Wood had trained her to be a better chaser. 

And she was flying past the Slytherin beaters, dodging Flint and Pucey who were chasing her, throwing the Quaffle straight into the hoops.

Again, cheers burst out from the Gryffindor stands, and Calysta blew a flying kiss to the crown, doing a couple of loop-the-loops to let out her feelings.

She'd just scored her first goal and the soaring feeling in her heart was unshakeable.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the —wait a moment — was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, and Calysta picked it up, throwing it to Alicia Spinett, while Pucey was too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear. 

Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch — all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.

Calysta cheered loudly, "GO HARRY!"

Harry was faster than Higgs — he put on an extra spurt of speed —WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below — Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.

"FOUL! THAT'S A FOUL YOU DIRTY STINKING—" Calysta yelled, before gasping as Harry nearly fell.

Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.

Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.

"So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating —"

"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall. 

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul — "

"Jordan, I'm warning you —"

 Calysta giggled, before Alicia passed her the Quaffle, which she passed to Angelina.

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

The three chasers passed the Quaffle to each other fast enough for the other team to get confused. The Slytherin beaters aimed the bludgers for Angelina, who dodged out of the way. She threw the ball to Calysta, who passed to Alicia, back to Angelina, who threw it to Calysta.

"Score!" Alicia told Calysta.

And she did. The Quaffle dropped from her hands, so she kicked it straight into the goalpost, and once again, the Gryffindors cheered.

Lee was still commentating.

"Slytherin in possession — Flint with the Quaffle — passes Spinnet —passes Potter — hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose —only joking, Professor — Slytherins score — oh no."

The Slytherins were cheering.

Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. 

Calysta looked at her twin, who seemed to have lost control of his broom. It lurched and tried to jerk him off, and Harry's knuckles had turned white as he gripped onto the broom tightly. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand. 

"HARRY!" Calysta yelled, hovering right underneath him with her broom. If he fell off, she'd catch him.

His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good — every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. 

Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.

Calysta was right below her twin. "HARRY, LET GO!" she shouted over the noise. "I'll catch you."

Harry looked down at her, as his broom gave another lurch. Nodding, Calysta wordlessly told him to trust her.

But before Harry could let go, his broom suddenly stopped acting strange. It was back to normal, and Harry was able to clamber back onto his broom.

Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick. Calysta sped to the ground, as he hit the field on all fours — coughed — and something gold fell into his hand. 

It was the golden snitch.

"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.

And the Gryffindor team cheered loudly. This was Harry and Calysta's first game, and sure, it could have gone a bit better, but they won.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference — Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results — Gryffindor had won by one hundred and eighty points to sixty.

Harry was still shaken about the whole thing, and Ron and Hermione escorted him to Hagrid's.

Jeff, Felix, Raymond and Regulus clapped Calysta on the back and cheered her on, before lifting her on their shoulders, yelling at everyone to get out of the way as they took her to Hagrid's, where she wanted to check up on Harry.

Hagrid's door was open, and once Calysta was put down, she entered his hut. Hagrid had just made tea, and he gave Harry a cup.

"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."

Calysta's eyes widened, her brows furrowed. "But why wasn't my broom jinxed?"

Hermione shrugged. "Snape obviously likes you more than Harry."

"Yes, but why would he try to kill Harry? It doesn't make sense."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

"I found out something about him," Harry told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

"Yeah," Felix nodded. "He's been limping for a few days."

Hagrid dropped the teapot.

"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said. 

"Fluffy?" echoed Regulus. "That thing has a name?"

"Yeah — he's mine — bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year — I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the —"

"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is." 

"But Snape's trying to steal it." 

"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione. 

Calysta wasn't sure what to believe anymore. On one hand, Hagrid claimed Snape was innocent, and on the other, Hermione, Ron and Harry were convinced he was trying to steal whatever it was that the dog was protecting.

 "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!" said Hermione.

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all of yeh — yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel —"

"Aha!" said Jeff, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?" 

Hagrid looked furious with himself.

{ sorry for the late update, things are so busy for me atm. do check out my other works. comment, follow, vote and share :) love, jasmine. }