Albus was trying to remember his way back to the main staircase. He had been in Hogwarts a lot longer this time than when he last made this same trip, but he still got lost when he was not with Rose. He also kept watch for a certain Goblin's traps as he picked his way down.

His mind was a swirl of confusion, questions battering it back and forth.

Why did Liam choose me to be his nemesis? I've never done anything to him.

What did he mean, "Someday I may need someone to stop me". Is he mental?

What was with Shacklebolt saying, "When I agreed to let you come to this school". Your name put on the roll the day you are born, yeah?

"Mr Potter, might I have a word?"

Albus spun around at the voice, shock causing him to reach for a wand he no longer had. He expected to see a creepy, grinning Goblin, but instead, he was looking at a pleasant moonlit-glen landscape portrait with an unpleasant man staring at him arms crossed, his glinting black eyes peering though his greasy-looking bangs.

"Professor Snape?" Albus stammered.

The man sneered. "How very observant, if you don't mind, I have a question to ask. I had to endure all matter of niceties with other paintings to get here, including one dreadful ordeal with that awful gaggle of gossiping witches in the "Order of the Scourgifying Sisters Reunion" painting," he barely stifled a shudder, "so if you will pause a moment, I promise to be brief."

Albus sighed wearily. "What do you want to ask?"

"After our conversation the other day, I have had many hours to ponder the fact that your father named you for me. I really must know what he told you about me. I was rather content with the knowledge that he despised me, a feeling I have always returned with a comfortable level of mutuality. If you don't mind, I really must know."

Albus thought of several things he could say, some mean and malicious, but he decided on the truth.

"Actually he never really talked much about you. I was worried about being in Slytherin, and he told me that I bore the name of two former Headmasters of Hogwarts: one from Slytherin, and he was maybe the bravest man he ever knew. I've asked at other times, but he told me that his reasons were his own, and he would share them someday. He has several portraits in his office at the Aurors; maybe you can go ask him yourself. Goodnight, Professor."

"Goodnight…Albus."

Albus stopped. Did Snape just call him by his first name? He turned in time to see a swirl of black robes, and the man was gone.

Albus was so discomfited by his exchange with Snape, that he completely forgot about his duel, until he came through the door of the Cellar that is.

A group of persons in the common room immediately beset him.

Rose and Scorpius were waiting with the entire Quidditch team, minus Roderick. Diana began peppering him with questions. It was all his tired mind could do to field them. 

“Did you get suspended? If you are, how long until we get you back? Is everything still functional? How’s your arm?”

Finally, after Albus had wearily encouraged them that they would not be looking for a new Chaser, the Quidditch team left.

Rose glared at the closing doors scathingly. "Oh sure, he's fine. He's not hurt or anything, the nerve of those people!"

Albus chuckled. "It's alright, Rose."

She rounded on him. "They took your wand, even though you were the one attacked and you're alright with it?"

Scorpius for once was agreeing with her. He did not look as outraged, of course. He was better at hiding his feelings.

"I brought it up, " Albus admitted sheepishly. "I'm getting too dangerous. My wand makes me a target. I need to get better control before I hurt someone."

Rose saw how earnest he was, so she backed off. "Well, I am glad you're alright."

Scorpius slapped him on the back. "Yeah, good shield charm Albus!"

Rose grinned cutely. "I wonder who he learned that from." With a wave good night, she strolled to the entrance to the girl’s dorm and was gone.

Scorpius chuckled. "You know she's going to hold this over our heads for a month or two, right?"

Albus rolled his eyes.

He had a meeting with Uncle Neville the next morning and agreed to meet for tutoring Friday evenings, during the time that the duelling club was going on.

He missed carrying his wand, but Neville made sure he had it for every class, and his lessons on wand control helped Albus immensely. Albus remembered his dad mentioning that Neville was a very promising Auror before he left to pursue his Herbology professorship. Albus had no trouble believing that, Uncle Neville certainly knew his spell craft.

Liam Donovan and Albus now were on nodding terms. They seemed to have gained a mutual wary respect, at least. Now that he was not avoiding the boy, Albus began to notice that he did not seem to have any friends.

October passed rather quickly. Filch still chased Peeves. Growltooth was still creepy, and from the glares Albus saw the Goblin was receiving from other students, he was evidently expanding his activities. Charms was still challenging, Transfiguration, frustrating but fascinating, Herbology was brilliant, Defense Against the Dark Arts was boring, tedious, and dry, and History of Magic remained interesting but scary. Points were awarded and taken away, and Hufflepuff's bright yellow-topaz's filled their hour glass almost as full as Gryffindor's placing them in a close second, which Albus was told, hadn't happened this late in the year in recent memory.

Quidditch practices were exhausting, and sometimes brutal. Diana was a very driven taskmaster. When she wasn't drilling them on the scouting report, she was letting Violet and Valencia hit Bludgers at them to simulate game conditions. Albus was sure, after one particularly brutal double hit, that the other House Beaters were going to be cake afterwards!

Halloween at Hogwarts was an amazing time. The castle was decorated spectacularly, with fake cobwebs in every corner that did not have a real one, spelled bats swooped down corridors making girls yip. Albus wondered if there was going to be a pumpkin shortage in England when he saw the amount of Jack O'Laterns that lined the alcoves in the Halls. The Ghosts got into the spirit by popping out at students unexpectedly. Nearly Headless Nick almost gave a bubbly first-year Hufflepuff girl, Gertrude Statham, hysterics.

 Slytherin celebrated the holiday by putting on an actual Haunted Hut in and unused dungeon level classroom, which was so horrible, that it was shut down by complaints from Madam Pomfrey. She had evidently run through her supply of Doctor Ubbly's Oblivious Unction.

Before it was cancelled, Scorpius, Gas and Cormac went down there on a dare; Albus chickened out, his decision, validated when he saw how pale Gas and Cormac were when they returned to the Cellar common room.

He looked up as they came in from an eight-inch essay for Charms that Rose was helping him write. Gas sat down stiffly on a sofa across from them. "Those nutters talked The Bloody Baron into helping them!" he remarked with a tremble in his voice. Cormac's hands were shaking as he drank some pumpkin juice he must have skived from the kitchen. Albus noticed that Scorpius was yawning, and looked bored.

"I take it you were not impressed?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "When I was eight I had to stay over at Aunt Daphne and Aunt Mike's for one month while Mum and Dad were travelling in Europe. Three words to describe it: pink, ruffles, pomeranians. After that, even Azkaban wouldn't faze me."

The other three boys blanched in horror.

Gas murmured, "Thanks for putting it in perspective, Scorpius."

Rose scoffed and bent back to her work.

It was not long before November broke, and the day of the first match against Slytherin came around.

On that Saturday, Albus was a wreck. It was the first day since they came to Hogwarts that Scorpius was the one giving encouragement to get up and get dressed.

At breakfast, Albus didn't eat, but nervously tore his toast into small pieces trying not to get sick at the rich smell of sausages and kippers. He received two owls. The first owl was a big snowy owl named Roarke. The beautiful bird was the family owl; he had a good luck note from Albus' mum, dad and Lily, along with an encouragement to stop playing with his toast and eat something. They knew him well. He smiled immediately feeling better.  He grabbed some bacon and eggs and set to with a will.

The second owl was his brother's wickedly clever Great Spotted Owl, Loki.

He carefully opened the parchment knowing two eyes at the Gryffindor table were watching him.

It turned out to be the Last Will and Testament of Albus Severus Potter. It looked very official.

I, Albus Severus Potter, being not of sound mind, do leave all my meagre possessions to my more handsome and talented older brother, James Sirius Potter, and my equally dashing and clever cousin, Fred Bilius Weasley, seeing as I am soon to be reduced to unrecognisable paste by a team of rather large Slytherin thugs.

Signed... (The doomed)

Rose read over his shoulder and spun furiously to see her cousins, Fred and James, innocently eating their breakfasts.

James and Fred did not speak for all of his cousins. Dominique, Molly and Lucy came by to offer their encouragement. The sisters both ruffled Albus' hair and left him a piece of Droobles gum for good luck. Roxanne came by and offered to send an owl about the prank to Ginny and her mother on Albus' behalf, but he turned her down. Victoire swept by making some strange statement about "Don't worry I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Scorpius looked confident and calm, even when he saw that big tawny owl coming with a Howler for him. He bore it behind the muffle charm with a resigned look on his face. After the charm dissipated, he wiped some ash off the table. "Grandfather just wanted to wish me luck," he stated wryly.

They all sniggered.

They arrived in the locker rooms, and saw their uniform robes for the first time. It finally became real when Albus saw his name on the back of his.

Diana stood up.

"I don't like long speeches. You all know what we have to do. I made sure you knew what we are facing. So just three things: Scorpius watch Sloan's hands in your robes when you go for the Snitch, the whole team's got Comet 360's, fast, expensive and flashy, but doesn’t turn very well, you can use that."

Scorpius nodded solemnly.

“Albus, since you've got the arm, the Beaters will be gunning for you, don't get rattled." Albus gulped loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Violet and Valencia, try not to kill anyone, or do irreparable damage." The sisters nodded, looking disappointed.

With those words, Diana's calm dark brown eyes swept the room one last time, then she turned and walked out, they all filed out behind her.

As soon as they left the tunnel and entered into the sunlight, the Pitch got quiet, as they strolled out in brand new black robes with bright yellow trim.

Albus had to admit they made his team looked intimidating. The Slytherins were larger, but their emerald green robes just did not match the sheer malevolence of the black.

Diana had explained earlier that she checked the rules, and there was nothing to say that Hufflepuff had to wear the traditional yellow. As long as their uniforms were a house colour, which black was, it was allowable.

The look on the Slytherin faces was worth all of her effort.

The Hufflepuff side of the pitch erupted in cheers, soon followed by all the rest of the students rooting against Slytherin. With just a change of uniform colour, Hufflepuff had gone from underdog to dangerous.

Violet and Valencia in particular seem to relish the change. They both put on darker than usual eye makeup, looking skeletal, but kept the pink and purple ribbons in their hair.

They smiled and blew kisses at Oliver Huer, who went pale, obviously remembering the double Bludger hit to the head he suffered the year before.

Albus blew a bubble, chewing the gum Molly and Lucy gave him, as he studied the stands. He saw Rose with a book to read sitting with Olivia, Gertrude and Iris. Gas was sitting with that big Gryffindor Michael Nedved, but Cormac, surprisingly, was not with him. He looked glum but determinedly cheered with his housemates. James and Fred were arguing heatedly with Roxanne and Dominique over in the Gryffindor stands. Albus was certain it was over their large banner in the shape of a tombstone that read:

ALBUS POTTER

Rest In Peace

Krum walked between the teams, eyeing the two sisters warily. "I vant a clean game. I vill penalize or suspend any vone who breaks the rules. There vill be no game like last year I will disqualify both teams. Am I clear?"

They all nodded.

"Captains, shake hands."

Roq MacNast smiled evilly as Diana put her smaller hand in his. Soon it became apparent why Albus had seen her squeezing a rubber ball almost constantly since he met her. Roq nearly went to his knees from her crushing grip. She smiled prettily as she released his hand. He glared trying not to show his pain. 

Krum called aloud enough for everyone to hear, "Mount your brooms!"   

 Albus climbed astride his Nimbus Millennium, and stared at the Chaser across from him, which he knew, was Jakob Ackerman. Huge for a Chaser, and with an unrefined quality like someone carved him from granite, the boy had a chin like a battering ram.

Krum blew his silver whistle and there was immediately a mad swirl of black and green heading up into the air.

Albus almost fell off his broom as he heard the first words from the student commentator.

"And there they go. I must say Hufflepuffs choice of black is making quite the fashion statement. I've personally always thought the yellow made them look a bit pasty."

"Miss Weasley, less fashion, more Quidditch."

Albus glanced over at the commentator’s booth and saw Victoire with a glaring Professor Flint; a very odd pairing indeed. Albus was so distracted by them, he nearly got his head taken off by vicious Bludger hit from the direction of Aiden Gallo.

"Oh! That Slytherin thug, Gallo, nearly decapitated my little cousin, Albus! Oh, do be careful!"

"Miss Weasley, try to be less partisan."

"Sorry, Professor, but you must admit, that Gallo bloke resembles a vulture!"

"Victoire!"

"Okay, okay, back to the game. It seems that Paige Hawkins has the Quaffle. Her hair looks like a bird nest. Honestly, she could do with some conditioner!"

"Miss Weasley, more Quidditch!"

Albus watched as the slender girl with the trailing flyaway brown hair took a shot at Roderick close range. She made a brilliant feint, but he kicked a boot out and sent the Quaffle arching back to the Hufflepuff end. Diana plucked it out of the air, and darted through a hole made by a nasty Bludger hit from Valencia, and headed full steam at the colossal Slytherin Keeper, Max Gates. He was obviously picked for his size rather than ability because she had to literally go around him to get at the rings. With a backhanded flick, the Quaffle slipped through the rings.

"Oh, well done, Hufflepuff! Delaney scores! I've always thought Diana has such perfect skin tone!"

"Keep your comments to Quidditch only, Miss Weasley."

Albus got his chance to take score not long after, when he received a pass from Diana. He cocked his arm back and launched a strike from twelve meters out, but following Diana's game plan, he did not really aim; he just threw it with all his might. She wanted him to intimidate Gates; not necessarily score, but make him so afraid to get hit by one of Albus' throws they could use fakes and feints later.

His rocketed throw, however, ricocheted off of Max's shoulder with a resounding pop and sailed through the right hoop.

"Albus Potter scored? Oh, dear me! I mean, Albus Potter scored! Twenty to zero, Hufflepuff. I knew he had it in him, although he's always been such a sickly boy, to be honest."

"Miss Weasley, less family history, more Quidditch!"

"Sorry."

Albus stared at the hoop. That was a bit lucky.

He somehow knew that something was amiss. For the next bit, he watched the game, and saw some peculiarities. Roq MacNast was aiming for Cornelius, who was flying a bit low away from the action, and he mishit the Bludger, hitting Oliver Huer in the back of the head. Violet and Diana collided almost knocking each other off the broom as the both tried to block Ackerman at the same time. Roderick caught his sleeve on the end of his broom and let Paige Hawkins score. Good luck and bad luck at the same time. Probabilities run amok. Albus was nearly hit as he ruminated, but the Bludger sharply hit by Gallo, nailed Roq instead.

Albus' eyes scanned the stand looking for bright orange hair.

He picked Cormac out, he was standing just inside the tunnel staring up at the players, and his lips were moving. Albus could have sworn he saw a dark robed figure just behind him in the shadows, the next blink and the shape was gone. Suddenly, Cormac collapsed. An older Ravenclaw saw him, and several students went down to help.

After that, the game went more conventionally.

Ackerman tried to bull his way through the Beater line, but was nearly knocked off his broom twice, taking some brutal shots from the Sisters before deciding to change tactics.

Scorpius dove twice, only to suddenly lose momentum mysteriously, Sloan just behind him. Sloan almost got to the Snitch both times, but Scorpius using his manoeuvrability managed to get around and block.

"And there goes Malfoy again! Is his braking Charm malfunctioning?"

"Less speculation, Miss Weasley."

"Well, I mean honestly has Krum forgotten his whistle?"

"Less partisanship please."

"Of course you would say that!"

"Miss Weasley!"

"Okay, okay, yet another extremely fortuitous pass made by Leon Sloan, who seems to like the back of Malfoy's robes a bit too much, seeing as he can't keep his hands from grabbing them!"

"MISS WEASLEY!"                

Krum was distracted watching the sisters, so he missed the next dive altogether. Scorpius was slower so he could not get the separation he needed. His face was flushed and desperate.

Violet and Valencia, who had been behaving, for them, up to this point, made a point to bear down on Sloan with a merciless barrage, earning them the first penalty of the game. Scorpius finally got clear of the dazed Slytherin Seeker and moved to the other end of the pitch.

Albus and Diana, dodging well-hit Bludgers, managed to make Max Gates life misery. He was going to have Quaffle-sized bruises all over his body the next day. Cornelius, as always, looked after Cornelius, away from the fray.

Paige Hawkins, after the first goal, managed to fake Roderick and score twice more, but other than that, the boy was perfection. By that time Diana had scored twice more and Albus had cannoned one more through, making the score fifty to thirty Hufflepuff.

"I think Malfoy sees the Snitch! There he goes! I must say, that boy does look good in black!  Maybe it’s a Malfoy thing?"

"Weasley! Focus!"

Albus spun in time to see Scorpius rocket by, with Sloan gaining. Valencia slowed the Slytherin Seeker down with a partial body block but he managed to slip through closing on Scorpius. Just as they started to pass by the left Slytherin ring, Sloan blatantly reached out for robes, obviously deciding to take the penalty. Suddenly, as soon as he grabbed a handful, Scorpius launched himself off of his broom pulling Sloan off of his own. Scorpius' hand flashed in the sun then his off hand grabbed the ring pole as he passed and he slid down following a plummeting Sloan. Sloan landed on his back, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Scorpius landed a few moments later.

With a cool boredom, he walked over to Krum, handed him something and then headed for the tunnel in a slow walk.

Krum stared at his hand. Then held up his fist, turned it out and pulled it down, the universal sign for a caught Snitch. His whistle blow was lost in the roar from the crowd.

Victoire was barely heard over the din as she remarked, "Oh, my! That was simply fabulous! I have to tell Teddy about that one! Hufflepuff wins! Two-hundred to thirty!"

Albus noticed his friend did not stop or acknowledge the congratulations. He just nodded at the well-wishers as he made his way to the tunnel. Rose came out of the stands, and rushed over to him. They walked off together.

Albus in a sudden burst of jubilation, swept low over the Gryffindor stands, and grabbed a gaping James' tombstone banner and made a circle of the Pitch showing it off. People clapped and cheered. He landed and celebrated with the team, rolling his eyes with Diana as Cornelius made some pronouncements about being a decoy.

When they arrived at the locker room, Rose was waiting outside.

"Scorpius is in the Hospital Wing."

Later on Albus was sitting beside his friend reliving the game, as Scorpius tried not to gesture with his heavily bandaged arms, victims of friction from the pole. He did not want anyone to see how bad he was hurting, which is why he left the field so abruptly. Ironically, his hands were perfectly fine. He was definitely going to send Ridley Bartlesby a thank you owl! Rose thought he was being a git for wanting to hide his injuries from the crowd. Albus and Scorpius exchanged an understanding look past her, which caused her to throw her hands, up exasperated and loudly declare, "Men!"

They all three glanced up from time to time and tried not to snigger as Madam Pomfrey checked a surly Leon Sloan for injuries. He was glaring at Scorpius non-stop.

After a while, Scorpius was inundated with visitors. The entire Quidditch team showed up. Rose had left to bring some homework back for him to do while the Essence of Dittany did its work.

Albus' suddenly remembered Cormac. His eyes swept the large room.

He saw Gas sitting by a bed. Gas caught his eye and waved wanly.

Albus excused himself and walked over.

"Hey, Albus."

Gas had a worried look on his face. Albus waved. Cormac was so pale, that behind all those freckles, his skin blended in with the sheets. He had dark rings under his eyes.

"What happened, Gas?"

Gaspar, looked at his friend, confusion etched on his face. "Madam Pomfrey said that someone Imperiused him. He fought it so hard, that he broke through it. Why would anybody do that?"

Albus had an idea, but he did not feel free to say. "I don't know. Is he going to be alright?"

"She said he should be fine, she gave him a sleeping draught, and treated him for some mental spell damage. Who would Imperius a kid?"

They sat in silence.

Suddenly, Albus realized that everything was silent. He looked up and people were still around Scorpius' bed, glared at by Madam Pomfrey, who was preparing to shoo them out, but frozen like statuary.

He caught movement by the bed out of the corner of his eye.

He looked up past Gas and saw an ethereal looking woman, in delicate green robes, gently brushing hair out of Cormac's face. Her hair was a coppery orange just like Cormac's. She looked normal sized, but her ears, oddly pointed, peaked up through thick braids.

"Are ya gonna look all day, or introduce yerself?" she remarked absently.

"I-I'm Albus."

She looked up and Albus felt his heart skip a beat.

"I know."

"Y-you're Cormac's mum?" he managed to stammer.

She smiled warmly, but did not say a word.

They sat in silence as she gently traced the dark rings under her son's eyes; they seemed to disappear with her touch. "My brave lil man," she whispered quietly. "Do ya have anna idea who did this?"

"No."

She looked up and the anger in her bright blue-green eyes felt like a heat against Albus' face.

"Somebody did this ta me boy, for a ruddy Quidditch game. He fought them hard, that's why he's hurt. I wanna know who did this. And I wan your word you'll let me know when ya do."

Albus shot up in his chair. "What makes you think I'll know?"

She looked at him calmly, "Cause I canna see the future clearly, but I know that tha person who did this to me boyo, will cross your path. When he does, I wan yer word you will let me know who it is. Do I have it?"

Albus was afraid of what would happen if he turned her down, so he nodded.

In between one eye blink and the next, she was gone.

Noise came back into the room. Madam Pomfrey was admonishing the Quidditch team to let Mister Malfoy rest.

Cormac opened his eyes.

Gas got excited, and was about to call Madam Pomfrey when Cormac rested a hand on his arm. "Could ya leave me and Albus fer a minute Gas? I hate ta ask but it's important."

Gas looked disappointed, but he nodded and walked a few steps off.

Cormac's eyes bored into Albus'. "Me mum was here, wasn't she?"

Albus nodded.

"I need ta know wha was said."

Albus told him. Cormac managed to look even wearier.

Cold fingers of fear played piano on Albus' spine. "What's wrong?"

Cormac said, "Check yer hand."

Albus looked at his hand and realized he was holding an ancient looking gold coin so hard, it had made an imprint in his palm.

"You accepted a bargain with a Leprechaun, Albus. That coin is the seal on it. It willna leave yer possession until the bargain has been fulfilled."

Albus tried to downplay it. "She just wants to know who did this to you. That's all."

Cormac shook his head, "You don understand. She wans ta know, so she can pay them back."

Albus shrugged. "Well, they deserve it."

Cormac's eyes looked haunted. "They hurt a Leprechaun; my people willna let tha pass. The sentence is likely death, or worse."

Albus looked at him alarmed. "Worse?"

"Worse."

Albus stared at the coin in his hand. "Well then, I just won't tell her."

Cormac looked grave. "You made tha bargain, ya gave yer word, you break that, the price they would've taken from tha person who attacked me, is on your head."

A slow creeping terror settled into Albus' stomach. He was afraid he was going to lose his breakfast.

"Not good," he murmured.