Better Be Slytherin!

Huh? 'What's a 'you-know-what'?'

'Damned if I know. Something they're trying to keep secret, anyway. And well-guarded.' Teddy got a sly look and glanced around them to make sure none of their House mates had moved closer; they hadn't, the nearest ones were laughing their heads off a few strides away and couldn't have heard anything over the noise in the room. Even so, he lowered his voice, though not to a whisper. 'Do you know why we're not allowed on the third floor corridor?'

'Peeves?' Harry guessed.

Teddy shook his head. 'Cerberus.'

'Serba-who?'

'Cerberus. A hell hound. Three heads, big teeth, nasty disposition.'

Harry gaped at him. 'A hell hound.'

Teddy nodded.

'In the school.'

Another nod.

'Why?'

'That's a good question. I think it's guarding something.'

'Guarding what?'

Teddy wrinkled his nose a bit and sighed. 'I don't know. But whatever it is -- and Hagrid, you know, the gamekeeper? He called it 'you-know-what' earlier today. Whatever it is, if the Headmaster wants it safe as much as he wants to protect you, then I imagine it's pretty important.' He paused. 'But the Professor was rather put out about Dumbledore being more interested in protecting the you-know-what than you.'

Harry shook his head. It was too much. A three-headed hell hound was protecting something on the third floor, and the Headmaster was being less than helpful when it came to protecting Harry from the broom-cursing, murderous Quirrell.

'How d'you all this?' Harry asked, it being the only question he could wrap his mind around at the moment.

'He's very sneaky,' Millicent said. 'Sneakier than my big brother, and that's saying something.' Teddy gave her a bland smile, and she continued, 'And he eavesdrops.'

'Give away all my secrets, why don't you.'

'Right,' Millie huffed. 'As if you aren't gloating right now 'cause you know things no one else does.'

'You know . . .' Harry said quietly, 'I bet that's why Snape was limping.'

'What?' asked Millie.

'When?' asked Teddy.

'Recently,' Harry answered. 'I really saw he was hurt on, um, Monday night,' he didn't tell them about his trip to the owlery or the pictures Snape had shared; it was too personal. 'But I think he'd been that way since Halloween.'

'He didn't get hurt by the troll,' Millicent pointed out. 'No one did, not even Quirrell.'

'No,' Harry agreed. 'But what if he had to check up on the cerberus?'

Millie rolled her eyes. 'Why would anyone 'check up' on a three-headed hell hound?'

'Because they needed to make sure what whatever it's protecting is safe.'

Harry nodded at Teddy. 'And the troll . . .'

'Was just a distraction. So Quirrell could get his hands on whatever is being safeguarded, while the professors were all off chasing the troll.'

'What are you two going on about?' Millicent crossed her arms over her chest. 'Is this some sort of conspiracy theory?'

Harry was going to ask what she meant by that when a group of fourth and fifth years crowded the table, congratulating Harry on his first Quidditch win.

'Glad you didn't swallow, kid,' said a boy who Harry didn't know, except that he was a fifth year. 'Spittin's way better . . .' He smirked. 'For Snitches, anyway.'

'Shut up, Gaius,' said a girl as she punched Gaius' arm. 'Honestly. He's only eleven.' The others Slytherins around them were laughing, though, and Harry smiled a little. The alternative was to appear stupid in front of older -- and much bigger -- students.

Gaius slung an arm around Harry's shoulders and squeezed the far one while he hugged Harry's body to his side. Harry managed -- barely -- not to twist away, but he did become very still. 'Potter's cool with it, Darcy. He knows what's what. Doncha, kid?'

'Sure,' Harry agreed; pretending he understood was almost always better than admitting ignorance.

'So tell me, Potter, you gonna win us the cup?' Gaius asked, his lips twisted in an almost leer, making Harry want to get away from him even more.

'Yeah, 'course,' Harry said. 'If I can.'

'Of course he will,' Millicent agreed. 'Did you see him fly? Even when his broom was all hexed up.' She grinned at Harry, eyes shining. 'Amazing.'