Chapter 9: The Sixth Year Ends

After Harry returned from his parents' home, where he spent the Easter Holidays, he was ready for the lessons and the Quidditch training. Fortunately, Ronald Weasley was already back in action and the Gryffindor team wouldn't need to rely on Cormac "Hufflepuff's Hero" McLaggen again. "Ready to show some ravens how to play Quidditch, Prongslet?" Sirius eagerly asked.

"I sure am, Sirius!" Harry happily replied.

"Professor Black, Harry." Hermione corrected him.

"Prongslet doesn't need to be so formal with me, Ms. Granger." Sirius explained. "I believe Snivellus allows Malfoy to call him Severus or Unca Sevvie."

"Are you comparing yourself to Professor Snivellus and Malfoy to me?" Harry maliciously asked.

"Uh, I suppose so." Sirius sadly answered.

"Professor Black, which questions will be asked at the end-of-year exams?" Ron eagerly asked.

"Why would I tell you?" Sirius asked. Ron was one of the few students to make him seem mature by comparison.

"So I could pass and become an Auror." Ron explained.

"Do you think Death Eaters will give a detailed list of hexes and jinxes they'll use before each battle?" Sirius asked in exasperation. He was afraid for the Auror Corps' future if they're desperate enough to accept Ron Weasley.

"Honestly, Ron." Hermione was just as exasperated. "We already discussed it."

"Do you think Snape doesn't give such help to those snakes of his?" Ron accused.

"Snivellus might have more defects than I bother to count, most of them based on his looks, but even the greasy git knows better than to think it'd be helpful." Sirius found himself at the arduous task of his third most hated person. The two most hated being Wormtail and Voldemort.

Dejected, Ron went back to his dorm room to do something he hated the most: studying. Two minutes later, Harry showed up and told Ron that they had to report to the Quidditch field to practice for the next game. Suddenly, Ron practically forgot what studying was. He showed himself a great keeper. "Good." The captain said. "I'm glad we won't need McLaggen for the next game."

Speaking of the devil, Cormac McLaggen showed up. "When will it be my turn?"

"When pigs fly without magic." The captain answered.

"My father will hear about this." McLaggen threatened.

"Shut up, Malfoy, I mean McLaggen." Harry replied. "Sorry, but that talk about using your father's name can be quite misleading."

"I didn't come here to be compared to slimy snakes." McLaggen protested.

"Then where do you usually go to get that comparison?" Harry mockingly asked, prompting several bouts of laughter.

McLaggen then drew his wand in a threatening position. "I should…"

"Leave the field and return to the Gryffindor Common Room before further humiliation occurs, Mr. McLaggen?" Professor McGonagall asked as she showed up to watch the practice. "And be glad the Hogwarts charter forbids the use of transfiguration as punishment."

After McGonagall and McLaggen left, training resumed. "So, do I try to catch the Golden Snitch as soon as I can or do I wait until we're ahead enough it'll make us beat the Ravenclaws for the Quidditch Cup?" Harry asked.

"As soon as you can." The captain replied. "Winning the Cup isn't worth the risk of a further humiliation if we lose two matches instead of only one."

Two days later, Sirius Black returned from another board meeting. The smirk on his face meant bad news. For Snape, at least. Sirius approached the headmaster with a parchment. "Headmaster Dumbledore, I hereby inform you that the Board of Governors has declared that no first year student should be required to brew any sort of potion until the Potions Master has properly instructed them on basic safety precautions. All board members signed it."

"You had something to do with it, Black." Snape angrily accused Sirius. The students were amused. They always loved the Sirius versus Snape confrontations at the Great Hall. Except for the Slytherins cheering for Snape, of course.

"Well, their opinion might have been influenced by my report on how the number of cauldrons melted by first year students increased after Potions Master Slughorn retired and his successor decided to discontinue his policy of fully evaluating the first years during their first potions lesson." Sirius acknowledged. "I did it for the betterment of the students and to highlight your incompetence. Each motive is good enough by itself."

Even Harry Potter, who couldn't stand Sirius Black whenever the dog Animagus made it clear what he thought about Harry considering the Dursleys as parents was among the students who applauded Sirius. "You'll pay for this, Black." Snape declared.

"Use the money to buy a new face, Snivellus, or at least a better haircut." Sirius teased.

The next day, it was time for the Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match. In spite of what the Gryffindor team originally intended to do, the Ravenclaw Seeker's efforts to block Harry might leave him with no choice but to wait for a moment when catching the Golden Snitch will not only make Gryffindor win the match but also place them ahead of Ravenclaw for the cup. Fortunately, Weasley was being Gryffindor's "King" instead of Ravenclaw's. Thanks to the last goal Gryffindor scored seconds before Harry caught the snitch, the two houses were tied for first place, meaning the two teams would have to play a new match to set a winner unless Hufflepuff or Slytherin scored enough points to surpass them. No chance of that ever happening. "Nice catch, Prongslet." Sirius complimented his godson after the players landed. "I knew what the rules said about draws but I never thought I'd see it happening."

"I'm just as surprised as you are." Harry replied.

As expected, neither of the other teams scored enough to catch up (Slytherin won, by the way) and Gryffindor and Ravenclaw played a new match. It went pretty much like the previous one and Gryffindor won the cup. The next day, there was the end-of-year feast and the students graduating that year received their diplomas. Among them, Cormac McLaggen was the only one who didn't receive any applause from his housemates. "Even the Hufflepuffs won't applaud their "hero"." One of the fifth year Gryffindors commented. The year ended with the Headmaster announcing the House Cup results and pleased that Gryffindor won.

One train ride later, Harry was meeting his parents at King's Cross Station. "Do you think you'll get your license, son?" Vernon eagerly asked.

"I'm certain I will, Dad." Harry happily replied.

"Me too, Prongslet." Sirius said not only out of genuine hope but also of a desire to be a part of Harry's life.

End year.