Bludgers, Broomsticks, Snitches and ...Snape?

Chapter 3 : "Practice Makes Perfect"

That evening the student Quidditch team met out on the Quidditch pitch for their first training session together. Oliver Wood and the Ravenclaw Captain had both come forward to take up the post of coach. After some, perhaps rather intense, deliberation it was decided that perhaps 2 captains could be better than one (although Harry had the distinct impression that Wood, with his fierce competitive streak, would be running the show before long).

They trained for almost 3 hours. Harry was pleased to see that Seamus did indeed have a good arm on him and pretty good aim as well. Susan Bones was also proving to be a good decision. After a wobbly start, (that had left Harry wondering if she had actually been on a broom before), she had seemed to have got control of herself and was now flying smoothly around the pitch and catching some tricky passes Wood was giving her. Flint, the only Slytherin on the team, hovered lazily around the goal posts for most of the session looking as uninterested as possible. More of a concern however was Derek Allan. Although many Ravenclaw students had put him forward as being keen to play and he had performed well in the try out, he now seemed completely overwhelmed by the whole experience.

All in all the session had gone pretty well. Wood at least seemed pleased.

"Not a bad team eh?" he said to Harry grinning as they walked back up to the castle for dinner. "Sure, Allan needs some work but he's a good flyer, we've got enough time to train him up and look who he's up against, Sprout and McGonagall! Really not much competition there. This is going to be the easiest win ever!"

Fifteen minutes later, after getting changed, Harry walked into the Great Hall for dinner and found Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table.

"So how did it go?" Hermione asked as Harry sank into the seat next to her at the table and pulled a plate towards himself.

"Not bad, we just did basic skills. Probably start practicing an actual game on the weekend," Harry said stuffing a piece of chicken into his mouth.

"What about the new ones, are they okay?" Hermione continued.

"Yeah, anyone completely useless?" Ron asked.

"Well, Seamus is almost as good as Fred and George and Susan's getting there as well. I don't know about Derek Allan though. I suppose a few more practices and he'll be okay, besides as Wood said he's up against Sprout and McGonagall, how good does he have to be really?" laughed Harry.

Both Harry and Ron laughed but Hermione didn't look impressed.

"You know," she said finally, "I find it interesting that everyone is so quick to say that we are going to win when we don't even know how good the teachers are! I mean no-one has ever seen them play, for all we know McGonagall could have been a fantastic Quidditch player when she was at school!"

Harry and Ron looked at one another.

"Well, you could always find out for us Hermione," said Ron grinning. "You know, do some research!"

"I'm just saying that we should try and get the best team that we can. The teachers just might be better than we think!" said Hermione.

"Since when are you so interested in Quidditch?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged, "I want to win as much as anyone -"

"You know," said Harry interjecting, "I wonder when the teachers are practicing, I haven't seen them, have you?"

Ron shook his head and looked up at the staff table where all the teachers were sitting.

"May be they don't need any practice," Hermione said smoothly with a slight smile.

**********

Friday afternoon the three of them were sitting in the last class for the week, Potions, copying down notes Snape had written on the board.

It was the first time Harry had really seen Snape since the staff list had been put up. Snape had been eyeing him all lesson, almost willing him to ask about being Seeker and to show some reaction, but Harry gave him nothing.

**********

Saturday morning Harry woke early and watched as the sun rose. He lay there for a while then suddenly got the idea that it would be a perfect morning to slip down to the Quidditch pitch for a bit of time to fly around on his own before the team got together. He could let the snitch out and do some practice with a few new dives he had been trying recently. He dressed quickly and then headed out of the common room and down toward the Quidditch pitch. Trouble was there was already someone there.

As Harry got closer he could clearly see Snape flying low circles around the edge of the pitch. Harry stood and watched for a moment. Part of him wanted to turn around, get away before Snape saw him. The other part however was so intrigued (and amused) by the sight of Snape out in the morning sun, sitting on his broomstick with his black robes billowing behind him, that Harry just stood with his feet fixed to the spot.

Snape flew another circle around the pitch before he caught sight of Harry and changed course. He dismounted from his broom and strode over to where Harry was standing. "Potter!" Snape said as he stopped in front of Harry. "Why are you up and around so early? Thought you'd come down and do a little spying did you?"

"No," answered Harry, looking straight into Snape's black eyes. "I don't need to spy, our team is all set to - "

"I wasn't talking about the team Potter. I was talking about you. Come to see your competition? Feeling a bit anxious are we?"

"No," said Harry quickly. 'I just came down for a practice."

Snape raised his eyebrows. "Yes, I suppose that particular trait doesn't run in your family does it now?"

Harry said nothing, determined not to give Snape any satisfaction of getting to him.

"Well, since you're here how about a trial run?" Snape said as he pulled a snitch from the inside of his robes. Its golden wings beat against his fingers as he held it out towards Harry.

Harry stared at the snitch in Snape's hand while he tried to register what Snape had said.

"Come now Potter, shame to waste a perfectly good morning - you did come down for a practice after all."

They stood in silence for a few moments. Snape continued to stare at Harry with an unreadable expression on his face.

"No?" Snape eventually said with a smirk pulling at his face. "You disappoint me."

Snape turned to go but Harry's curiosity that had been building up over the past few days, finally got the better of him.

"I thought you were going to be Beater?" Harry said suddenly and Snape stopped and turned around to once again face Harry. A Malevolent smile on his face.

"I have no real interest in this Quidditch match Potter, but the Headmaster insisted - school spirit," Snape said, folding his arms across his chest. "So I thought I would take the opportunity that I missed out on in the past."

Harry stared at him with a sinking feeling that he was about to learn that the missed opportunity had something to do with him.

"All those years your father played Gryffindor Seeker. Every game a chance for him to show off, strutting around like he was better than everybody else - his arrogance was blinding. Someone should have taken him down. Unfortunately I never got the chance

to - "

"You couldn't get on the Slytherin team," Harry blurted out, struggling to keep the humour out of his voice.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "Watch your tone Potter," he said coldly. "If I had I doubt you would be here today! It's amazing how much like your father you really are, and now I finally have the opportunity, granted not against your father but to knock some arrogance out of his son would still be acceptable. Who knows you may even thank me."

Harry was now fuming. So this was the reason Snape was so keen to be Seeker, to settle a long time grudge he had against his father.

Against his better judgement (and trying to ignore a voice in his head that vaguely sounded like Hermione telling him not to be such an idiot and to turn back while he had the chance) he slowly took the Snitch from Snape's outstretched hand.

"You really do live up to your name," said Snape, with a twisted smile as he mounted his broom and took off again into the air.