Chapter 11-

As the players got on the field, They lined up on the field. James winked at Ricky with a level of arrogance that could only be compared to Draco Malfoy.

Ricky was all too ready to flash that mentality down the drain.

Sirius smirked at Ricky wickedly. For Sirius, it wasn't quite arrogance, so much as a thrill for a challenge, a hunt, with Ricky being the prey.

Harry Potter's memories had caused him to account a lot Sirius's unstable personality traits to him being locked up in Azkaban for over a decade, but the more time Ricky spent with the younger Sirius, he thought it might have more to do with who he was as a person.

Ultimately, Sirius was a good person but wrapped around that good person was a streak of something far more vicious and volatile. Something that drove him to push boundaries, to seek out conflict and chaos.

Was there really any wonder about him being a Beater?

And sure enough, mere moments after the whistle was blown, Ricky was forced to roll to avoid the bludger.

He soured high and blessed the world for this day. The sky was a perfect blue, not a cloud in sight. The air was crisp and that chill contrasted beautifully with the heat of the sun.

Eira wasn't kidding about Ricky being their only hope. James wasn't a good flier nor was the Gryffindor team merely a strong team, they were bloody fantastic.

Ricky laughed to himself, the Gryffindors would have buried the Chudley Cannons, though to be fair, so could almost every other Hogwarts team. He kept track of Sirius and stole glances at James as searched the field for the snitch.

Ricky grinned when he spotted it. The Gryffindor Seeker was beside him and he saw it too.

The announcer called, "The snitch has been spotted, Gryffindor Seeker, Devon Ilke, seventh year, better flier, better broom against rookie Potterclaw."

The Ravenclaw stand seemed to sigh together, their faith in Ricky non-existent.

That was until Ricky began his descent. Head first, straight down. And like he had anticipated, the older broom built up more speed than the newest model. It shook a little but Ricky had no problem keeping himself centered. He sped past the Gryffindor Seeker in moments and Sirius's bludger missed him by yards.

"Ravenclaw Seeker In The Lead!" The announcing proclaimed, sounding as if were proclaiming the sky was falling. The

Ravenclaws stood and cheered.

The first screams started with Lily Evans.

Ricky was most literally headed towards the ground at a breakneck pace, the snitch shimmering about a foot off the ground.

The Gryffindor Seeker was nowhere close and everyone seemed convinced that Ricky was about to go splat.

The rest the game went on, too consumed with their own tasks to keep up with the seconds it had taken Ricky to enter his dive.

With a practiced effort Ricky pulled the tip of his broom up, he flew straight, his toes brushing the grass as he scooped up the snitch. His momentum carried him across the field to the other side of the pitch before he could stop.

The crowd had gone silent. The announcer appeared to be speechless.

James scored another goal, the Ravenclaw Keeper smiled at him.

James frowned, as everyone on the pitch halted in place. The Ravenclaw team with growing smiles and the Gryffindor team with a growing sense of confusion.

Sirius who had seen the entire thing, bumped in James' shoulder with a playful grin, "Looks like it's in the Potter genes after all."

James frowned, "What-" but then he saw the fluttering wings in Ricky's grasp as he held it out up.

The announcer finally got his act together and roared, "Ravenclaw Wins!"

Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin stood and cheered, the rest of the announcer's talk was lost in the din.

Gryffindor stayed seated, utterly bewildered in what to do, they hadn't lost a match in five years. Suddenly, James Potter spawns an older more mature brother who gets sorted into Ravenclaw for some Merlin forsaken reason, and then this new Potter plunges to his death only to do the impossible and beat the unstoppable.

For Ravenclaw and Slytherin, it was just a blessing to have a chance at winning the cup. Gryffindor was now far enough behind that even if they won against all others the others houses could still undermine them with points.

Rickard Potter was suddenly everyone's hero, no longer James Potter's clawy shadow, but the anti James. Eira kissed his cheek and Terry spent the night bouncing beside Ricky's side.

In the stands, Filius gave Minerva a sly smile that drip of smugness and said simply, "Ha ha."

Minerva's lips thinned, but her eyes sparkled. What was winning worth after all, if there was no challenge?

The next day after the fanfare has died down, James was spoiling for a fight the next night and Sirius who had a bottomless reserve of energy was up for any mischief James had in mind.

It was only bad luck that Snape found himself parting ways from Lily when the terrible duo found him.

Ricky who had snuck away to find somewhere quiet to read came across the duel. He hesitated before stepping around the corner, wanting to see how James fought when he wasn't under the gaze of a teacher. He was,

James was just as bad at DADA when there were no rules to follow. Sirius was the better duelist, Ricky could gage that at glance.

Ricky was about to join the fray on Snape's side when Snape let loose a number of spells that had Sirius not pushed James out of the way and brought up a shield Snape might have caused an insane amount of damage for a hallway scuffle.

So, yeah, maybe Snape wasn't exactly the hapless victim his memories had made him out to be.

Ricky spotted Snape's bag, he took the liberty to search through it.

He found four books on the Dark Arts and one rather sourly abused potions book. Every inch of free space in the potion book had been written in. Measurements had been rewritten and what look liked… experimental spell invention.

Snape really was a genius.

Ricky had yet to write his name in his own potions book. He exchanged his copy using a quick cleaning charm for books (the one Hermione had taught Harry and Ron after Ron had spilled butterbeer on her copy of Hogwarts, a History), with Snape's.

The charm also acted as a way to keep someone from tracking the original owner of the book. Snape's custom book Ricky stored in his own bag along with the four Dark Art books.

He doubted these books would have what he needed, but he needed a place to start. Ricky peeked around the corner. Snape was holding his own against James and Sirius, which might have been impressive had James and Sirius not been using lightweight attacks and Snape using deadly force.

Seeing as they hadn't succeeded in killing each other in school, Ricky left them to it. No one could tie him to this place at this time, and Snape would never suspect who had stolen his books.

The freshly cleaned new printing of the textbook would probably confuse Snape the most. After all, what kind of thief stole a second hand copy of a book only to replace it with a new one?

The next day, a gloomy looking sat by himself in the library. Severus was grouchy today, and the reason was because he couldn't find his books. Couldn't find his bloody books!

Avery was going to kill him if he found out that he lost the Dark Art books, the Dark Arts books and his notebook on the Dark Art books.

His potion book was missing too. All his flipping notes, an entire summer's worth of work lost. The shiny new, hardly cracked spine book was taunting him.

Who the hell would steal his books and give him a new copy of his textbook in return?

It didn't make any sense.

A hand touched his shoulder and only the accompanying, "Hey Sev," kept him from hexing his friend.

Sev looked up to meet eyes as green and beautiful as the most princely emeralds in the world. Her hair was caught and spun fire, it surprised him that her hair didn't burn at the touch. And then there was her smile. Lily was the most beautiful person on the planet.

Finally finding his voice, he said, "Hi, Lily."

She sat beside him, "Something wrong? I've never seen you glare at a potions book like that before."

He shoved it up the table and crossed his arms, "It isn't my damned book."

Lily laughed, "Others have you doing their homework again?"

"No, someone stole mine."

She raised a brow, "And you bought a new one?"

"No."

She frowned and pulled the book towards herself, "A gift?"

"No, the thief left it."

"You're telling me someone stole your book, your book that is barely held together at the seams and has more spidery handwriting than a spider web made out of black ink? That book?"

"Yes," Severus grumped.

"And then they gave you a new copy of the same book?"

"Yes."

"Why?" she asked. She was about to open the book and paused, "It isn't cursed, is it?"

"Lily, do you really think I would let you handle a cursed book?"

She smiled at him, "Of course not." She began flipping through the pages. "No name," she noted.

"I know."

Lily pulled out her wand and cast a track it back to owner charm. There wasn't so much as a twinge. Lily frowned and laid her wand on her palm, "Point me." The wand rose spun and settled on Severus. "Huh, either someone cleaned the book, or it is a new book that was always intended to be yours."

"I want my book back."

"At least you can keep up in class."

"Lily, all my corrections were in the other book."

"Like you haven't memorized everything you wrote down."

"That isn't the point, I want my book back."

"You sound like you're five," Lily huffed, and shook a hand through his hair.

Lily was the only person in school who knew that Severus's hair wasn't greasy, sure, it had oil like everyone else's hair did but it wasn't filthy like the Marauders liked to chant around the school.

Somewhere far back in his muggle heritage, Severus had an ancestor who had been a trader from East Asia. Which left him looking like every other British man only with silky black hair that on any other British man would mean it was unwashed.

"You wouldn't like your things stolen."

Her smile grew, "No one would dare, I would destroy them."

She wasn't lying, Severus spared with her and could barely keep up, at least not with Defensive magic.

"I'll keep an eye out for your well worn book, Sev. I am sure it will turn up."

Severus sighed. Together they worked on their charms and transfiguration books.

They had been growing apart over the last few years. Mainly because he had been hanging around people like Avery who hated anyone who didn't have magical families.

But the end of the last term his father had died from some health issue that Severus was one hundred percent certain was due to Tobias's heavy drinking.

He thought it would be the answer to all their woes, Severus paid not a single tear to his father's death.

But his mother did. In the first month of summer vacation, he had been convinced his mother was going to drown herself in her own tears.

For the life of him, he could not understand why she cared so much, but she did. And while Severus thought they would move back to the wizarding world, maybe visit his Prince grandparents, his mother only got worse, secluding herself in Spinner's End.

It seemed that one could neither with Tobias Snape nor live without him. Lily had been Severus's rock over the summer, magic, morals, and house divisions aside, Lily had been there for him.

He would always be in debt to her kindness, always be in need of her friendship. Avery and his lot hadn't reached out once, except to ask for the answers for the summer assignments. Severus wasn't quite ready to wash his hands of them yet, but he was done hiding or apologizing for his friendship with Lily.

So what if she was muggleborn, she was top of their year in charms and not far behind in either potions or DADA either.

No, Severus was not ashamed of Lily and if he got teased, so what? There was nothing anyone could do to him that the Marauders hadn't tried first.

Somewhere else in the castle James was frowning at Padfoot who was writing in his answers to his Transfiguration homework. He would be done in about ten minutes, James himself was already done with it.

"What's wrong, Prongs?" Moony asked.

James shook his head, "Do you ever feel like Ricky does too well here? From what I've heard he keeps up with class easily? I mean, I've never seen him act surprised about anything in the castle or get lost."

Moony shrugged and Padfoot looked up with a grin. "Lost? How on Earth would he get lost? Terry Greengrass is always with him unless Ricky's hanging out with us."

"I think he knows," Wormtail said suddenly.

The other three looked at him.

"Knows what, Wormtail?" Padfoot asked.

"About Moony."

Padfoot and James exchanged a look.

But Moony shook his head, "He doesn't know. Ricky doesn't treat me any different than anyone else. The only person he acts weird around is you, Peter."

Padfoot rolled his eyes, "Well, that's probably because within the first five minutes of meeting him you insulted the way he looks and called him a bastard. You can't be that stupid to think even someone as nice as Ricky is just going to forgive that, especially seeing as you're hostile to him whenever he's around."

"He isn't nice," Wormtail emphatically. "He's a liar."

Moony let out an exasperated breath of air, "Ricky is a kind person. It really isn't a surprise he was sorted into Ravenclaw, annie that I think about I am kind of shocked he was put into Hufflepuff. Anyway, again aside from you, he seems to get along with just about everyone."

"He does have secrets, though," James said softly.

Moony looked at James with an almost pitying expression, "I know you met him at the beginning of summer but he was in a coma for all of break. You've only had a month or so to get to know him."

James looked off into the distance, "I never want to go back to St. Mungo's, that place is depressing, and my parents… it tore them up to see him like that."

"It hurt you too, didn't it," Moony said softly.

"It got me thinking if it is what I will look like on my deathbed. The healers could say he was going to heal just fine all they wanted but he looked… So broken, like a corpse just laying there."

"I can only imagine how bad it was for you," Padfoot said.

After a brief moment of silence Remus spoke once more.

"But honestly how do you think he is related to you?" Moony asked. "He has to be a close relation, there is no way he is your distant cousin."

James shrugged, "My parents say that my Grandfather Henry went out drinking one night in order to drown out his sorrows and met with a pure blood witch who happened to be doing the same, one thing let to another and they got it on. Ricky is pretty emphatic that his mother is dead though."

"He could be lying," Wormtail said.

"Would you shut up?" Padfoot snarled. "We get it, you don't like Ricky. But he isn't going anywhere and he doesn't have a reason to lie about his mum dying."

"Did he describe his muggle family at all?" Moony asked James.

James leaned back on the couch, "Only that he doesn't like them and that they hated magic. I think he's told more to my parents though."

"Yeah, Hedwig is always dropping off letters," Padfoot said, "I love that Mrs. Potter sends us all chocolates whenever Ricky gets a letter."

James' lips pressed together, "I don't know how he writes that many letters. My parents are great and all, but I can't think of anyone I would exchange letters with almost four to five times a week."

"I think the Potters are the first family he's ever had," Padfoot said. "And you are all basically strangers. I doubt he will be exchanging that many letters as the year goes on."

"Isn't it weird that Harry looks a bit like Mr. and Mrs Potter?" Moony asked. "He doesn't look a whole lot like you, Prongs, bur he does have similar features as both of your parents though."

James nodded, "Flitwick did a spell and apparently Ricky is in some way related to both my parents. Apparently, his mother isn't just some random unknown witch, she was somehow connected to the Ross family. Even Flitwick said the spell was working right after casting it a few times for confirmation."

Moony got a eager look in his eyes, "How does it work?"

"It is supposed to connect family, but a gold chain of light indicates parent and child, Silver for siblings, Bronze for distant relatives."

"So?" Padfoot pressed, his homework forgotten. "Was there a gold chain for Ricky?"

"Nope, just a silver chain from my dad to him, and a bronze to him and my mum."

Wormtail snorted in disdain at that statement while muttering under his breath.

Both Moony and Padfoot casted a cold look his way, the kind that promised pain, and like the coward he was Wormtail whimpered while looking down.

"Oh, I almost forgot entirely. I also found out that my mum is cousins with McGonagall," James said.

"Too cool," Padfoot said. "Is she going to be at the next Potter Yule dinner?"

James grinned, "I should ask my parents to invite her."

"Do you think she is more relaxed outside of school?" Padfoot wondered.

Moony snorted, "Seems unlikely."

The conversation moved away from Ricky, but Wormtail thought of what the failed spell might mean and how he might invent a way to drive a wedge between the two Potters.