Harry Potter and the Past That Never Was

The first three weeks of the school year passed with relative quickness as Harry fell into a routine. While it wasn't possible to really see a lot of Pandora given the circumstances, they managed to have almost nightly conversations that quickly became the highlight of his days. At his urging, Pandora did speak to Professor Snape who discovered she had an innate ability to perform Legilimency. It was what allowed her to have both the feelings of Déjà vu, and to know certain things such as the name of Dumbledore's Army when the words hadn't been spoken to her. She was easily able to communicate with Harry through Legilimency, but as with Hermione, was not able to initiate the contact.

As expected, Hermione, Draco and Harry emerged as the best students in all their classes. However, it was difficult at times to keep Hermione from actually trying to teach the class. Snape tried in his way to tell her to pull back a little by taking points away from Ravenclaw on several occasions.

"You're making yourself look too smart," Draco told her after one such potions class. Hermione only gave him an icy glare, and stomped off to the library.

"He's right," Harry thought to her as she stormed away. "Some of the other first years already resent you knowing everything."

Hermione refused to acknowledge him on that occasion. In addition, she pointedly stayed away from both of them the remainder of that particular day.

Oliver Wood posted on the Gryffindor bulletin board about the Seeker trials taking place that same Saturday. To a person, everyone in his year who happened to see him fly in his or her first flying lesson urged Harry to try out for the spot. The morning of the trial came upon him before he knew it. He found himself sitting at the Gryffindor table surrounded by no less than two-dozen supporters, all first years.

To look around the Great Hall, it was still mostly the first year students who mingled with students from other houses on a regular basis. However, to a smaller degree, the third and fifth year students had began to adopt the practice. That these were the two years in which the D.A. had some influence, was no coincidence. It was Fred and George, along with Percy, and Pandora leading that movement.

"It's too bad you only have a school broom, Harry," Ron was telling him. "But you'll do all right, I think."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry told him as he headed out for the Quidditch pitch, followed by all of his well-wishers.

Apparently, word got around there would be a first year, and one first year in particular trying out for Gryffindor Seeker. The entire teams from the other three houses turned out to watch the trials, as well as near 100 other students and staff from all four houses. The most prominent spectator at the trials was the Gryffindor head of house, Professor McGonagall. Harry knew how fond she was of having the Quidditch Cup in her office, so the Seeker trials would naturally be of interest to her on this, a Hogsmeade Saturday.

As Harry walked out on the pitch toward the Gryffindor team, Fred and George gave him a cheery hello as Wood gave him a once over. There were three other people trying out for Seeker, two were fifth years and the other was a sixth year.

"We had to check on this, Potter," said Wood. "First years don't make the house teams, however there's nothing in the rules forbidding it. But you have stiff competition, so I wouldn't get my hopes up too high."

"Gee thanks," Harry thought to himself, but only nodded nervously as Wood addressed all four Seeker aspirants.

"Let's get started then," said Wood. "The way we're going to do this is release the snitch so that you can't see it. Each one of you will in turn have a go. The one who catches it quickest is the new seeker. Any questions?"

There were none, so Wood had a fifth year named Norris turn to face the rest of the team while he took out the snitch from behind him, and released it. Norris took off shortly afterward, looking around for the sneaky little winged ball.

"Can I borrow one of your brooms?" Harry asked the twins, who had Cleansweeps.

"Sure thing mate," said Fred, handing his broom over. "I wondered if you were going to really try with a school broom."

"I didn't think of asking until just a moment ago," Harry confessed.

"Don't worry, Harry," George told him. "You're a good flier."

"Thanks guys," Harry said. "Oh yeah, and I owe you some information, don't I?"

"Cheers, Harry!" Fred said.

"We weren't going to ask you though," George went on.

"In the American World Series of baseball," said Harry in a low voice. "It will be a seven game series. The Minnesota Twins will win four games to three over the Atlanta Braves."

"I don't suppose you know all the scores," asked Fred.

"We can probably get 1000-1 odds or better on that," Fred said.

"And we have over 600 Muggle pounds built up already," George added. This added up to not quite eighty-two galleons.

"How are you able to make these wagers, anyhow?" Harry asked. "Even Muggles won't let underage people gamble."

"We have a couple of contacts," Fred said with a wink.

"I don't know all of the scores," said Harry. "But both game six, and game seven will be extra inning games. Minnesota will win game six in eleven innings, five to four. And they will win game seven in ten innings, one to nil."

None of the three Seekers before Harry had been able to find the snitch in less than fifteen minutes. The best had been 15:34 by the sixth year, Thompson. Now it was Harry's turn to face the team, mounted on Fred's Cleansweep as he waited for Wood to release the snitch. Once he did so he said, "Off you go, Potter."

Harry kicked off the ground to the cheers of the other first years. He started circling the pitch lazily, looking around for any sign of the snitch. After three or four minutes of this, Harry ascended a few feet higher and began circling again. None of the other three Seeker applicants circled the pitch as Harry was doing. They for the most part, just started darting this way and that. Of course, they didn't have Harry's experience at Quidditch.

On the third revolution at the higher altitude, Harry spotted something glinting in the air near the opposite goal from were he was at that moment. He leaned over and zoomed toward it, only vaguely aware of the whooping that was going on in the stands. Sure enough, it was the snitch. Harry made a lunge for it, but just missed. The snitch tried to zip away but Harry was right behind it. Now it was only a matter of time before he'd be able to snag it out of the air. He had no idea how long he'd been in the air, but knew it had to have been much less than fifteen minutes.

The snitch was zigzagging in front of him, trying to elude him. Harry leaned forward just a little so that he dipped below the height of the snitch, and then zoomed just under it, reaching up with his hand, snagging it out of the air. He circled around, started down toward the team, and could see hands in the air, cheering for him, as he got closer to the ground. As he landed only feet from the team, he could see the other three Seeker applicants turning to walk off in disgust.

"Under nine minutes, Potter," said Wood, looking quite impressed. "Well done."

"That was great," Katie Bell told him.

Fred and George clapped him on the back.

"Knew you were a cert," Fred said, accepting his broom back from Harry.

"Good one, Harry," George added as Harry looked to see McGonagall coming toward them.

"Excellent, Mr. Potter," she said, smiling. "There should be no question of winning the cup, right Mr. Wood?" The tone of her voice in reality said there'd better NOT be any question over winning the cup.

"All we have to do is keep the other teams from getting over 150 ahead, and just wait for Potter to catch the snitch," said Wood, holding up the golden ball Harry had just handed back to him.

Looking around, Harry could see the teams from the other houses did not look particularly happy about what they'd witnessed at the Gryffindor trial.

"You looked like you were born to be in the air," Wood told him. "That was excellent flying. Anyway, I'll post on the bulletin board the time of the next practice. We have well over a month before our first match with Slytherin."

After Wood dismissed the team, Harry made his way to where the rest of the first years were waiting.

"Good one, Harry!" Seamus said.

"Blimey," Ron said. "I knew you were a good flier, but that was amazing!"

"Thanks," Harry said. "But I think I had a slower snitch than everyone else.

"Rubbish," Dean told him. "It was a fair trial."

"Looks like Gryffindor is a lock to win the cup," Malfoy said, to which no one disagreed.

"Of course, Gryffindor has a ringer," Draco said in his head.

"You'll be the Slytherin Seeker next year," Harry thought back to him.

"True," Malfoy thought. "I think you're a better seeker, anyway."

"Thanks," Harry told him, Malfoy's admission was genuine, it seemed.

"Trials are over," Harry thought to Pandora as he made his way back toward the castle. "How is Hogsmeade?"

"Hello dreamboat," Pandora's voice told him. "Not bad. I'd rather be in the Room of Requirement, though."

"We can't do that too often," Harry told her, but she knew it already. In fact, she was the one who said it first, after they made a second trip there for the express purpose of snogging. Harry didn't especially like the candles, but it was something he felt he could live with as long as Pandora saw him as seventeen, and not eleven under those conditions.

"I'd still rather be there," she sighed in his head. "I know you made Gryffindor Seeker, so I'm not going to ask."

"Yes, I made it," Harry told her, as he made his way through the Gryffindor common room and to the dorms. "I still don't have my own broom, though."

"You'll be fine," she said, dismissing his concerns.

The morning of the Quidditch match against Slytherin was a brisk, sunny November day. Harry had the usual butterflies in his stomach before the match but it didn't stop him from eating a good breakfast. Harry tried to order a broom but for some reason, Hedwig kept coming right back to school with the letter he sent still in her beak. It was looking increasingly as if he was going to have to play with a school broom, which would in all honesty, only even the odds. On this morning, all of the Slytherin first years remained at their table. They may have made friends with the Gryffindors, but Quidditch was another matter. No amount of friendship would stop them from supporting their own team.

A few minutes before he was going to leave for the Quidditch pitch, a very dark owl flew into the Great Hall and dropped a long package in front of Harry, knocking over several plates, glasses and cups in the process. Harry looked up at the staff table, as he knew McGonagall bought him a Nimbus 2000 in his first year. She probably did so again.

"What's this?" Neville asked.

"Looks like a Broom," Ron answered. "What are you waiting for? Open it Harry!"

Harry began to tear the brown paper but Ron couldn't wait and started to help unwrap it.

"It's a broom all right," Seamus said.

"That's like saying Quidditch is just a game," Dean countered.

Harry blinked and looked closer at the broom. Sure enough, it was a Nimbus 2000. There was a small card attached to it He picked up the card which read, "You may need this." and wasn't signed. Could it have been from Sirius?

"Whoa!" Ron said, awestruck. "This is a racing broom, Harry."

"And there are none faster," Dean added. "Who sent it?"

"I don't know," Harry said. "This card doesn't say."

Everyone wished him good luck as he got up to leave. On his way out Pandora caught his eye and gave him a little wink.

"Coming to the match?" Harry thought to her.

"Wouldn't miss it, dreamboat," she told him. "And I see you have yourself a new broom."

"Did you send it?" he asked.

"No," Pandora told him. "And I'll tell you right now mister, if I find out another girl is trying to woo you with gifts I'll tear her eyes out." He could tell from her tone she was joking.

"I don't know who sent it," Harry said.

Harry knew who sent his broom as soon as he got to the dressing room, and saw Fred and George sporting Nimbus 2000 brooms.

"You two sent me this broom," Harry said.

"Our way of saying thanks," Fred said.

"That World Series thing made us almost 7000 galleons, mate," George added.

"Wow!" Harry said. "Well done. How'd you manage that much?"

"We got odds on picking the amount of games, and the particulars of the last two," Fred said.

"We had 500-1 odds on those last two," George added.

"Thanks then," Harry smiled. "I thought I was going to have to use a school broom.

"No, we couldn't have that," Fred answered.

"Never," agreed George.

Wood started giving a little pre match pep talk.

"We know their only good Chaser is Flint so Fred and George, keep the pressure on him. And Potter, just relax and do what you've been doing. If we're over 150 down just keep Boutin away from the snitch if you find it."

They were lined up just at the entrance to the pitch. The stands were full and the chanting for the two houses was in full swing.

"Scared, Potter?" Wood asked him as they waited.

"A little, but I'm fine," Harry answered. Wood nodded then said, "Let's go."

The Gryffindor team flew out into the pitch just as the Slytherin side emerged from the other side. Harry made a couple of circles of the pitch with the rest of the team then brought his broom to rest above the centerline. Flint tried to crush Wood's hand, and the match was underway.

The Slytherins were employing an interesting strategy with their Beaters. Instead of trying to harass the Gryffindor Chasers, they were going out of their way to hit bludgers at Harry. While this prevented him from looking for the snitch, as he had to constantly dodge bludgers, Gryffindor was rolling up a big lead since the Chasers didn't have to worry about being hit with a bludger. They went to forty, then eighty, then 100, and 180 points ahead when Harry; coming out of a dive after getting out of the way of another bludger hit at him saw the Slytherin Seeker dart off and after what could have only been the snitch. Unfortunately for the Slytherin side, he was heading straight toward Harry who only had to look to his right to see the snitch no more than fifteen yards away. All it took was a quick dart in that direction and just like that, it was over. He had the snitch, and Gryffindor had an easy 370-40 win.

Of the cheering that was going on, although the Slytherin first years were supporting their own house team, they were also cheering their fellow first year on the opposing side. As Harry held the snitch in the air one of the Slytherin Beaters whacked a bludger in his direction, catching him flush in the hand holding the snitch. He was only about twenty feet off the ground, but he hit the ground with a sickening thud, knees hitting first.

Harry thrashed about on the ground, screaming in pain as several people ran toward him. Madame Hooch arrived first and tried to look under Harry's robes but found the task impossible since he was writhing around, screaming. The stands fell silent, even the Slytherin supporters watched in horror as several people crowded around the injured first year.

Mercifully, Harry blacked out from the pain and when he awoke, he saw the quite familiar ceiling of the hospital wing and the worried face of Hermione looking down at him.

"He's awake," Hermione said.

"Oh thank god!" Another voice said; it was Molly Weasley.

"You gave us quite a scare," Arthur said.

"How long have I been out?" Harry croaked. He didn't remember Mr. and Mrs. Weasley coming to the match. The three of them exchanged glances before answering Harry's question.

"Almost a week," Arthur finally said.

"A week?" Harry asked. "What happened?"

"Montague hit a bludger at you after the match was over and knocked you off your broom," Hermione told him.

"How do you feel dear?" Molly asked him, her face a mask of concern.

"Sore," was all Harry could think to say. He felt as if every inch of him were in pain.

"I'm not surprised you're sore," came an unfamiliar voice. "You broke both of your knees, your left wrist, your right arm and nine ribs. As well as a punctured lung, and a ruptured spleen."

"Who are you?" Harry asked; the man was dressed as a healer.

"I'm Healer Drogdan," he said. "And I'm here to have a little look at you."

"Where am I?" Harry wanted to know.

"You're in St. Mungo's," Arthur told him. "Madame Pomfrey couldn't cope with your injuries, so you had to be transferred here."

"You almost died," Molly said, still frowning.

"Almost, but he's out of danger now, I think," Drogdan said. "Of course, you'll not be playing Quidditch for awhile."

"When can I go back to Hogwarts?" Harry wanted to know.

"That depends on you," Drogdan said. "We've been able to heal all the injuries, but you're going to need some time to recover. I'd say at least another fortnight."

"Two weeks," Harry said.

"Well maybe less, we'll see," Drogdan said and then smiled at him kindly. "And we're going to let all the visitors who've been trying to see you come visit when you're a little stronger." He gave Harry a potion. "This will help ease the pain."

"What happened to Montague?" Harry asked.

"Expelled," Hermione said. "I've never seen Professor Snape so angry. He ran out onto the pitch after you passed out, looked at you and went straight to him. Told him right there on the pitch to get his belongings and leave the school immediately."

"He expelled someone from his own house?" Harry asked.

"He even forbids the Slytherin team from playing anymore this year," Hermione said, nodding. "He was absolutely livid."

"I'm going to have to ask everyone to leave so Harry can get some rest now," Drogdan said. Molly and Hermione each leaned over to kiss his forehead as Arthur took his hand. Harry squeezed, but found he wasn't able to apply a lot of pressure.

"We'll see you soon, dear," Molly said. "You sleep now."

"Pandora?" Harry thought.

"HARRY!" she thought back to him. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," he thought to her. "But I can't talk long. I just had a sleeping potion."

"That's okay, dreamboat," Pandora said. "I'm only glad you're okay. I've been so worried."

"I have to sleep," Harry said.