Nobody Cared Enough !

Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 16 (Pt 2)

11 Oct 1991, Friday

Harry spent the entire week either after classes or after dinner with Snape in his private lab brewing a very complicated potion. He still didn't know what it was, but he was fascinated by the ingredients, many of which were magical ones he'd never heard of, and it was an odd potion that not only required three different brewings, but also had to be distilled four times.

Harry's favourite part in the entire process had to be using the distiller. It was a delicate construct of shiny brass scaffolding that encompassed various phials, philtres, tubes, and coils of gold and silver. The first distillation took a rather sludgy looking potion (the first brewing) through the distiller where it went through a rainbow of colour changes before ending in the heated cauldron that waited for it, where it turned perfectly clear.

By Friday they were working on the third brewing process when Snape discovered to his disgust, that he was out of Christmas beetle carapaces. Using a very delicate modification of a Suspension Charm, Snape put a halt to the brewing.

"Can I go with you, sir?" asked Harry as he watched his teacher put on his outer cloak.

"Are you not forgetting that you have Quidditch practice today, Harry?" Snape reminded the boy.

"I... yes... but I'd like..." Harry's tongue tumbled over his words as he chickened out on telling his teacher that he'd much rather go to Diagon Alley than practice for the game on sunday."

"I won't be gone long, Harry. I ought to return in time to watch your practice." Harry sighed, sort of happy that his professor would be watching, but disappointed that Snape didn't insist upon him going. Snape frowned, wondering what the boy's drooping shoulders could mean.

Snape slipped on his gloves and then asked, "You are looking forward to your first game, are you not?"

"Yeah, I am," he said with a truthful grin. Maybe I'm hanging around him too much, Harry thought to himself as he wiped at some non-existent dust. Dark Man just needs a break from me. Harry stood. "I guess I'll see you later, sir."

Snape watched the small boy leave his lab. His expression was worrisome, but he needed those Christmas beetles. Pushing thoughts of Harry to the side, Snape made his way out of his lab, secured it with several wards, and then left the castle.

--The Little League Teams--

Some hours later, with the newly purchased Christmas beetle carapaces stored away, Snape made his way out to the Quidditch pitch to watch the practice.

Two teams had been created from those that tried out for the little league. The assistant coaches, with the aid of each team, devised names for each of their teams.

Fred and George Weasley were the assistant coaches and they split up to one of each of the teams.

Fred was the assistant coach of the Silver Dragons.  Harry Potter was Seeker, Draco Malfoy, Megan Jones of Hufflepuff, and Kevin Entwhistle of Ravenclaw were the Chasers. Justin Finch-Fletchly of Hufflepuff and Millicent Bulstrode of Slytherin were the Beaters. The Keeper was Gryffindor Neville Longbottom.

George was the assistant coach of the Growling Pixies. Their team was made up of Blaise Zabini as Seeker, Teddy Nott of Slytherin, Mortimer Howe of Gryffindor and Morag McDonald were the Chasers. Wayne Hopkins of Hufflepuff and Terry Boot of Ravenclaw were the Beaters. The Keeper was Ravenclaw Mandy Brockelhurst.

The Silver Dragons and the Growling Pixies played a good practice game. Snape thought all of the players to be well matched, including Neville and Mandy who basically allowed the other team to score because both kept dodging the Quaffle instead of knocking it back into play.