The Cunning and Ambitious

Chapter Eleven

"So quidditch is like football."

"Like what?"

"Football, it's a muggle sport- forget about it."

"Alright then..." Daphne says, slightly concerned.

Of course she both knows I came here knowing absolutely nothing about the wizarding world, but when I asked her about quidditch she was completely amazed.

"So, I know you've been getting friendly around Gryffindor." She states.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Why?" she asks me, "I mean... everyone here hates them all."

"Why should we hate them?" I ask her back, "Why can't we all be friends with every house? I met Weasley and Potter on the train and they seemed like pretty cool guys, I don't see why we still can't be friends. I'm not saying everyone should be friends with them, I'm just saying why can't I be?"

"Fine." She leans her head back and relaxes, "So I suppose you're going to sit with them then."

"Yep, you could join me."

"I'm actually not going to the match. I'm not interested in quidditch at all. Trace may go with you."

"Yeah..." We continue sitting there.

"Well, promise me one thing." Daphne tells me.

"What?"

"You better cheer for the both of us. For Slytherin."

"Why wouldn't I cheer for Slytherin?"

"Because you're all buddy-buddy with the Gryffindor."

"I promise I'll cheer for Slytherin for you."

"Thanks!" Daphne focuses on her work, "Well, I better work on the homework. I suppose the match will be starting soon."

Tracey walks up to us, "Hey! Are you going to the game?"

"Duh." I tell her, "Daphne's too good for it though."

Daphne scowls, "I'm just doing homework."

"Right." I respond sarcastically.

"Well, are you coming?" Trace asks.

"What are you waiting for?" I stand up, wrapping my scarf around me.

                                                                                ∼⛦∼

Tracey and I reach the stands where Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Dean, and Hagrid are.

"I can't believe we're here." Trace complains.

"Who's this?" Ron asks.

I answer "This is one of my best friends, Tracey Davis."

"I could've introduced myself." she playfully shoves me.

"Yeah, you could've, but I did it first."

She rolls her eyes. "I'm just waiting for the game to start."

And, as if on cue, it does.

                                                                                ∼⛦∼

Gryffindor beat Slytherin with a grand total of 170 to 20 (or 20 to 20 before the snitch was caught). Tracey and I separated, she went to go join Daphne in our common room and I joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they went to Hagrid's hut.

"...And then Harry caught his leg being wounded from that three-headed dog!-" Ron get interrupted.

"How'd yer know 'bout Fluffy?"

"Fluffy?" I ask sarcastically.

"Yeah, he's mine."

I shake my head, "I still don't believe Snape would try to kill Harry."

"Well that's because he treats you and Malfoy like wounded puppies." Ron argues.

"Really? I swear if I weren't in his house I'd be his most hated." I turn to everyone else, "And I don't think Snape's our only suspect. If you had looked above Snape, Quirrell was doing the same thing."

"Quirrell? Trying to kill me?" Harry asks, obviously doubting my alternative.

"It makes a lot more sense than Snape. Think about it, Snape's been teaching here for years, but Quirrell is a new teacher. I'd think the longer you teach here, the more loyal to Dumbledore you are."

"So it could've been Quirrell trying to kill Harry and Snape trying to save him, or the other way around?" Hermione proposes.

"That's what I'm saying."

"Do you understand how ridiculous that sounds?" Ron says.

"Yeah. I do. But I know what I saw, Quirrell had the same amount of concentration as Snape did."

Hagrid stops our conversation.

"You kids need to stop looking into all this. It's a secret for a reason! What Fluffy's guarding is strictly between Albus Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel-" he catches himself, "I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that."

"Hagrid, who is Nicholas Flamel?" Harry asks.

"No. No more. You're not going to get another peep out of me."

Hagrid stayed true to his word, because after that, the four of us left without anymore answers.