Harry Potter and the Den of Snakes

Grand Schemes Just Out Of Sight

The start of second term was rather anticlimactic. Aside from the secret early morning training sessions with Wright, Harry's schedule was more or less the same. He went to his study group, hung out with his friends in the Great Hall and by the lake on afternoons when it wasn't too bitterly cold or dumping snow, exchanged hexes with Malfoy in the common room, and kept Neville from crashing and burning in Potions. Hermione's manners had vastly improved and even Greengrass was willing to talk to her on occasion, which Harry considered a big step in the right direction, even if Hermione complained about it all the time. Harry just hmmmed noncommittally.

Slytherin politics were far too complicated for him to even bother explaining. Hermione would probably at least follow, but she'd be flabbergasted by the layers and layers to it; she'd think they were all a bunch of nutters.

Greengrass and Pansy's rivalry was capped only by a sense of mutually assured destruction; Davis mostly hung around Greengrass and kept her head down. Pansy exerted significant influence over Malfoy that she mostly used for her own social advantage. Bulstrode was the smarter female version of the beefcakes; Harry might've actually worried about her if she hadn't seemed perfectly content following Malfoy's lead. Harry, Blaise, and Theo were on mostly decent terms with Greengrass and Davis, even if Greengrass liked to keep Harry on his toes with snide comments and clever power plays. Pansy and Harry didn't make a point to spend time together but at least got along better than they had before the holidays. She recognized that he had useful ties to other Houses and he knew she was a valuable ally, so they had come to a mutual truce even though Harry and Malfoy were sniping at each other more often than not. Pansy even occasionally showed up to the study group, and if she cold shouldered Hermione and Justin, Harry counted it as improvement that she was even willing to be near them.

Early morning practices with Wright were suspended leading up to the Hufflepuff versus Slytherin game. Harry was glad of the reprieve. He and Theo and Blaise had started reviewing for their exams, and while he wasn't worried per se, adding review on top of his classwork, his extracurricular wandwork practice, hanging out with his study group circle, and Potions experimentation was tough.

They piled into the stands the day of the game. Theo swapped barbs with Justin and Hannah while Blaise convinced Harry to wandlessly jostle Malfoy's perfect hair every few minutes. It was highly amusing to watch the blond get increasingly paranoid and twitchy.

Lee Jordan was commentating, as usual. "The Slytherin team—Flint, Pucey, Wright, Higgs, Bletchley, Derrick, and Bole!"

Seven green blurs shot onto the pitch in perfect formation, Flint in the center flanked by Wright and Higgs, who took precedence as seventh years. They did a lap of the stands. Slytherin and Ravenclaw cheered. Hufflepuff didn't. Gryffindor booed.

"Aaaand the Hufflepuff team—Fitzsimmons, Park, Stevens, Taylor, Terry, Diggory, and Corner!"

None of the Slytherins booed as the black-and-yellow-clad Hufflepuffs did their lap. Harry was proud of his house's class.

They all cheered themselves hoarse. Harry knew enough about Quidditch now to be impressed by the smooth certainty with which the Slytherin Chasers worked together. Pucey, Wright, and Flint were a machine. They practically read each other's minds. Harry didn't like the thought of being expected to fill Wright's shoes next year, but there really wasn't anyone else—

"Two more goals for a Snitch-proof game!" Malfoy yelled, all composure gone as Slytherin scored yet again.

Suddenly, Higgs' broom lunged forward through the air. Diggory twisted and shot off after him. The stands went nuts.