Obviously, though, he would need to purchase the brat a broom тАУ and given his obvious talent, it had better be a good one тАУ because unless Harry had a broom of his own, how could Snape confiscate it? Snape smiled to himself at the thought of all the tears that would doubtless be shedтАж though the image of a radiant Harry unwrapping his new broom kept intruding. Snape irritably shoved such thoughts out of his head. He wasn't interested in pleasing the child, just in finding ways to torment him when he misbehaved.
But then Draco shouted at Harry and hurled something away from him. A snitch? A rock? Whatever it was, Harry instantly shot after it, and Snape surged forward in horror. That little fool! He was surely going to crash into the castle wall! He couldn't pull up at that speed! He was going to тАУ and then Potter did the impossible.
Somehow, he managed to snatch the item and simultaneously twist around a mere instant before he would have тАУ should have тАУ smashed himself to paste against the stone walls of Hogwarts. Snape found himself storming towards the Quidditch pitch, absolutely incandescent with rage. He had almost reached the students, who were busily twittering about a proudly beaming Potter, when he was nearly run into by an equally incoherent McGonagall. "Severus тАУ Did you тАУ I couldn't тАУ Never in all my years тАУ I can't believe тАУ That boyтАж!" she sputtered at him.
"I completely agree, Minerva," he said grimly. "Wait until I get my hands on him."
"Oh, no!" she said abruptly. "He's mine! He's in my House!"
"And he is my ward," he retorted furiously.
"That is irrelevant!" she said, her voice uncharacteristically shrill. "He was sorted into Gryffindor. That makes him mine."
By now their raised voices had attracted the children's attention, and suddenly Potter was looking apprehensive. Snape fought down his ire. What were they arguing over, anyway? Obviously Minerva was as angry with the boy as he was. If they coordinated his punishment, it would probably be better for Potter anyway. That way, he would see the adults presenting a united front. "All right, Minerva," he said, lowering his voice so that the students couldn't overhear. "There is no need for us to be at odds over this. It will probably be best if we share тАУ"
"Absolutely not!" Minerva declared. "Don't think you can get around this one, Severus! The rules are unequivocal. It makes no difference if a parent works at the school or not тАУ a student's House allegiance is exclusively based on where the Sorting Hat placed him. Harry is a Gryffindor and will play only for Gryffindor."
Snape blinked at her. "Play for тАУ What are you talking about, you daft woman?"
McGonagall looked smug. "Quidditch, you idiotic bat. The boy will play for my team, not yours."
Snape gave serious thought to strangling the older witch. Potter had come within millimeters of death, flying an unfamiliar broom at unconscionably high speed directly at a stone wall, and the only thing his Head of House was thinking of was her chances for the House Cup. No wonder she and the Headmaster got along so well. They shared the same priorities.
"You seem to have forgotten the other rule, Minerva," he purred. "The one that says that first years do not go out for Quidditch."
She made a rude noise. "With his talent? I'm sure the Headmaster will make an exception for Harry."
"Which his guardian can override," Snape pointed out silkily.
He watched with satisfaction as Minerva's eyes widened in horror as she realized the truth in his words.
There was a distinct pause, then McGonagall spoke again, her tone suddenly honeyed. "Severus, surely you wouldn't deny the boy an opportunity to enhance his popularity within his House? He has a talent that should be nurtured and тАУ"
"Save it, McGonagall," Snape said rudely. "Your dreams of Quidditch glory are based on my ward's reckless endangerment of his life, not to mention his complete disregard of Madame Hooch's orders. Aren't you the least concerned with that?"
McGonagall cleared her throat. "Er, yes. Yes, of course. And I was going to speak with Potter very firmly about that. Very firmly indeed. But, er, about the Quidditch team тАУ"
Before Snape could hex the witch in an effort to derail her one track mind, Madame Hooch came hurrying up. "What's all this, eh? What's going on?" she demanded.
"Potter! Malfoy! Get over here!" Snape thundered, and, looking scared, the two boys hurried up.
"These two miscreants," Snape told Hooch, glaring at the now-trembling children, "deliberately disobeyed you and went flying in your absence."
"Did they now!" Hooch scowled at them. "Young blighters!"
"And Potter displayed flying talent that we have not seen in a generation," McGonagall put in slyly.
Hooch's eyes lit up. "Did he now? Really? A chip off the old block, eh?"
"Even better," Minerva said with a conspiratorial wink.
"Really!" Hooch rubbed her hands together with gusto. "Well!"
Snape gnashed his teeth. Merlin save him from Quidditch addicts. "Malfoy, Potter тАУ go wait for me at the castle entrance." The boys fled. His tone alone told them that they were about to be very, very sorry for their impromptu flying.
"Now then, if you two could kindly focus on the children's well being instead of your pathetic desires to vicariously live your own Quidditch dreams through your students," Snape began, ignoring the affronted huffs from both women, "I would be interested in learning what penalty you are planning to assign the boys for their abysmal behavior."
"Well, I didn't actually see anything," Hooch began, but at Snape's expression, hastily changed her mind. "Er, how about five points from each for failing to obey instructions?"
"Please, Professors," the Gryffindor know-it-all had to stick her nose in, "Harry just wanted to rescue Neville's rememberall. He dropped it when he fell. Malfoy took it and was going to smash it against the wall тАУ that's why Harry had to go after it."
Snape's fury surged anew. A blasted rememberall? The boy had nearly killed himself over some silly trinket?
Worse, he saw McGonagall nodding in approval. "Protecting a Housemate тАУ how very noble of him. Five points to Mr Potter."
Snape nearly choked on his own anger. The silly witch was rewarding the brat? For risking his neck over some easily replaced bauble, which тАУ knowing Longbottom тАУ he was likely to lose within the next 12 hours anyway? How exactly was that supposed to teach Harry that his life had value and was not to be risked needlessly?
Idiot Gryffindors. Always bleating about "heroism" and "nobility" but never bothering to look at the big picture. No wonder the Weasleys bred like rabbits тАУ Gryffindors had the survival instincts of a brick.
"If you will excuse me," he ground out, "I will go see to my ward and my student."
Minerva trailed after him anxiously. "But Severus, you won't really oppose Harry joining the House Quidditch team, will you? It would be such a wonderful way for him to honor his fa-" she abruptly broke off. Gryffindor she might be, but Minerva wasn't stupid, and she knew that invoking James Potter would not help her cause. "It would give him something to talk to the other children about, help introduce him to Wizarding society тАУ"
He interrupted before she could ramble on any longer. "If I support you in this, I assume I will have your full support in my dealings with Potter, even over the Headmaster's objections?"
McGonagall paused, eyeing him shrewdly, then: "Deal."
He nodded, grimly triumphant. He was quite certain that Albus' meddling in Potter's life was far from over, and he wanted to ensure that he had plenty of allies in the inevitable battles. He also wanted to be sure that he didn't have to worry about Minerva quibbling with him about his handling of the boy. Harry's placement in Gryffindor gave her a certain responsibility for the boy тАУ though Snape couldn't see that she had been particularly vigilant in evaluating and providing for his needs тАУ and he didn't want her second guessing him at every turn.