Chapter 15
The morning of Harry's first Quidditch match dawned cold and bright. The air was crisp, and the excitement at the Gryffindor table was palpable. Whispers and murmurs surrounded Harry, the youngest Seeker in over a century, and all eyes were on him. The pressure was immense, but Harry had trained hard—three times a week with Oliver Wood, who drilled him and the team relentlessly. Now, as the match loomed ahead, Harry felt as ready as he could be.
Ron had finally started to come out of his shell a little, the lingering awkwardness from the Scabbers-Pettigrew revelation fading as the excitement of the match took over. Seated next to Harry, Ron debated Quidditch strategies with Dean and Seamus, his enthusiasm evident.
"You’re going to be brilliant, Harry," Hermione said with a reassuring smile as she buttered her toast beside him.
"Yeah," Ron added, though his voice was tinged with worry. "Just remember what Wood said—stay focused, and don’t get distracted by the Slytherins."
Harry nodded, feeling the flutter of nerves in his stomach. His first match as Seeker, and it was against Slytherin. The entire school seemed to be holding its breath, waiting to see if he would live up to the hype. He hoped he would.
…
When the match began, it unfolded just as it had in the book. The Gryffindor team flew out onto the pitch, greeted by thunderous applause from their housemates. Dean had prepared a banner that read, "Potter for President," painted on a tattered sheet that had been chewed up by Scabbers—formerly known as Peter Pettigrew. As Harry flew above the pitch, he found himself wondering why Peter had behaved so much like a rat. Was it an act, or had living in his Animagus form for over a decade truly warped his behavior?
Unlike in the book, Harry didn’t get the chance to witness Snape limping after being bitten by the three-headed dog. Still, he made a point to mention to Ron and Hermione, during a casual conversation, that Snape clearly didn’t like him. He wasn’t sure if this comment would prompt Hermione to take action later—like when she set fire to Snape’s robes in the original story—but it was a detail that seemed important to drop.
As the game progressed, everything seemed to be going according to plan until Harry’s broom suddenly jerked beneath him. It bucked wildly, throwing him dangerously close to the edge. His heart pounded in his chest as he clung to the broom, desperately trying not to fall. Panic surged through him, but he forced himself to focus on one thought: the story had to play out like the book. He had to trust that the others—Hermione, Snape, and Quirrell—would unknowingly take their roles as they had before.
As the broom tried to shake him off, Harry frantically scanned the pitch for the Snitch. He had to stay in the game. Even if Hermione didn’t accidentally disrupt Quirrell’s spell in time, he had to hope that Snape’s counter-curse would kick in and save him. For now, all he could do was hold on and keep his eyes peeled for that tiny flash of gold.
…
Later, as Harry sat in Hagrid's hut, sipping a steaming cup of tea, the adrenaline from the match still coursed through him. Ron and Hermione were beside him, excitedly recounting the day’s events.
"You were amazing!" Ron said for the tenth time, his face lit up with excitement. "I still can’t believe you caught the Snitch like that. Right out of the air!"
Hermione, though pleased, had a more serious expression. "It wasn’t just your broom acting up, Harry. Something else was going on—someone was trying to jinx you."
Hagrid, who was busy tending to the fire, turned with a grim nod. "Aye, that wasn’t normal, not by a long shot. Good thing yeh managed to hang on, or who knows what could’ve happened."
"Do you really think it was Snape?" Ron asked, a mixture of disbelief and suspicion in his voice.
Harry hesitated for a moment, thinking carefully. He wasn’t sure if continuing with the idea of Snape being behind everything was the best approach, given what he knew from the books. "I’m not sure," he finally said, choosing his words carefully. "But whoever it was didn’t want me to finish the match."
The conversation unfolded as it had in the book, with Hagrid letting slip about Fluffy, the three-headed dog, and the mysterious Nicolas Flamel. Harry was surprised at how naturally the conversation came to him, even though he already knew everything. Pretending that these were new revelations wasn’t as hard as he thought.
Now, according to the events of the book, Harry had nearly two months before the Christmas holidays and the next major turning point in the story. He had to make the most of this time. There was still so much to prepare for and even more to figure out.
..
In the weeks that followed, Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, continued their search for information about Nicolas Flamel. Harry often found himself questioning whether pretending not to know who Flamel was was the best course of action. Wouldn't it be easier to just tell them and move on? But in the end, he decided it was safer to stick closely to the book’s storyline. Too many things had already changed, and he didn’t want to risk even bigger deviations from what he knew. Letting things play out as they did in the books seemed like the safest option.
However, the time spent in the library wasn’t wasted. While Ron and Hermione scoured book after book in their quest to uncover Flamel’s identity, Harry used the opportunity to delve into other mysteries that had been troubling him. Chief among them was the nature of the protection his mother had left him. In the books, her sacrifice had created a powerful magic that had made Voldemort’s touch burn—yet now, in this version of reality, Harry’s touch seemed to have no effect at all.
His first assumption had been that when he had met Quirrell in Diagon Alley, he wasn’t yet possessed by Voldemort. But as the school year began and Quirrell’s strange behavior continued—the fake stutter, the ridiculous turban, the whispering about his trip to Albania, and the failed attempt to steal the Philosopher’s Stone—it became increasingly clear to Harry that Quirrell was already under Voldemort’s control.
The more Harry thought about it, the more it troubled him. Everything fit. According to the book, Quirrell had returned from Albania already possessed by Voldemort, and yet, when Harry had subtly tested the waters, brushing Quirrell’s hand under the pretext of handing in homework, there had been no reaction. No burning, no strange energy—nothing. Why hadn’t the protective magic worked?
He began to question the nature of the enchantment itself. Had something changed since the book’s timeline? Was the protection somehow weaker? Or, even worse, had it failed completely? He had no way of knowing for sure, and without a clearer understanding of how the magic worked, Harry felt increasingly anxious.
To get to the bottom of it, Harry decided to broaden his research. While Ron and Hermione continued looking for Flamel, Harry delved into magical protections and the deeper theories of ancient magic. Day after day, he combed through dusty tomes and obscure scrolls.
No book Harry flipped through mentioned anything like the protection Dumbledore had spoken of—the kind that required him to stay with Aunt Petunia. None of the magical histories or theories on ancient protections offered any answers that matched his situation.
In frustration, Harry expanded his research into broader topics, looking into ancient magical protections and wards. The closest thing he found was a cryptic reference buried deep within a thick tome:
“The Selwyn family has cultivated an unparalleled mastery of healing magic, with techniques so advanced that they remain a closely guarded secret, passed down only through their bloodline.
Central to their legacy is the Selwyn Wards, a near-impenetrable enchantment said to protect entire generations of the family from magical attacks and curses. This protection is so potent that it is believed to shield not just individuals but the bloodline itself, ensuring longevity and health through even the darkest times.
Though the details of their magic remain closely guarded, it's widely known that few Selwyns have ever succumbed to curses or ailments, adding to the family's air of mystique and strength.
According to legend, one of the most potent spells in the Selwyn family's magical arsenal is the Aegis Vitae, a protection spell that can shield a wizard's life force from deteriorating due to aging or curse damage. Although the full incantation and ritual required to cast this spell remain a mystery, it is said that only a direct Selwyn descendant can invoke its full power.”
Harry frowned. His mother had been Muggle-born, so there was no way she could be connected to an ancient pure-blood family like the Selwyns. The only mention of the Selwyns in the books had been a Death Eater with that surname, and Umbridge’s claim about the Slytherin locket proving her relation to the family. That connection wasn’t helpful in his search for answers.
The deeper he looked into old bloodlines and their protective magic, the more it became clear that these ancient wards were secrets only passed down through families like the Selwyns, where the preservation of power and protection was paramount. But none of it helped Harry understand why his mother's protection had changed in this timeline.
Frustrated, Harry snapped the book shut. The knowledge he was digging up was impressive, sure, but it didn’t bring him any closer to answers about the magic that had saved him as a baby. It felt like he was searching for something that had been erased or lost. And yet, deep down, he knew there had to be more to it—something he hadn’t uncovered yet.
For now, he needed to stay focused. Christmas was fast approaching, and with it, the next set of challenges. But the question of his mother’s protection lingered in the back of his mind, refusing to let go.
…
Sirius Black: The Truth Unveiled?
By Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent for the Daily Prophet
It’s been nearly a month since the shocking discovery that shook the very foundation of the wizarding world. The supposed-dead Peter Pettigrew—previously thought to have been killed by Sirius Black in a violent explosion more than a decade ago—was found alive and well, hiding in plain sight as an illegal Animagus. Disguised as a pet rat, Pettigrew had spent years in the halls of Hogwarts, unsuspected by anyone, including the very students who cared for him.
This revelation has sent shockwaves through the Ministry of Magic and called into question the conviction of one of the most notorious prisoners of Azkaban: Sirius Black.
For years, the public has believed that Black, heir to the prestigious and wealthy Black family fortune, betrayed his closest friends, James and Lily Potter, to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. But with Pettigrew’s capture and subsequent confession, everything we thought we knew about that dark chapter in our history has been turned upside down. It appears that Sirius Black, the man who was believed to have murdered Pettigrew and thirteen Muggles, may have been innocent all along.
Now, as the Ministry scrambles to rectify the errors of the past, Sirius Black is finally being granted a trial, something he was shockingly denied in the aftermath of his arrest. For those unaware, Black was imprisoned without trial—an oversight that is now coming back to haunt the Ministry in spectacular fashion.
What does this mean for the wizarding world? Could the man we’ve all feared for so long be innocent? And if so, what other secrets has the Ministry been hiding?
According to inside sources, Theophilus Abbott, a highly respected wizarding attorney…
Harry sipped next few paragraphs and read ending.
As we eagerly await the trial of Sirius Black, there are many questions left unanswered. How did Pettigrew manage to evade capture for so long? What will become of the Black family fortune should Sirius be exonerated? And most importantly—if Black is found innocent, what will it mean for the wizarding world’s trust in the Ministry?
Stay tuned to the Daily Prophet for continued updates as this extraordinary trial unfolds, and as always, Rita Skeeter will be on hand to bring you the full, unvarnished truth.
Rita Skeeter, always digging deeper to uncover the real story behind the headlines.
Sirius Trial was coming.
Now should he wait for Lupin to come in his own time or contact him?