"Shove off, Pucey. You can't have the pitch all the time!" Ron spat.
                              
"According to Snape we can. Now, you blood-traitors and mudbloods can get off the field," he said, coldly. 
                              
Ron, Harry and the rest of the team cracked their knuckles, as the Slytherins lined up on either side of Pucey as a sort of honor guard.
                              
"Say that again and you'll regret it Pucey!" Ron snarled.
                              
"Really? What are you and your puny team going to do about?" Warrington spat at them, staring intently at Ginny and Williams. 
                              
Harry could see his point. Ron was the only member of the team who was as tall as the Slytherins, but he was still not nearly as built.
                              
"Maybe you'd like to find out how puny we are!" Ginny said, with her wand out and her ears turning the vintage Weasley red. 
                              
Everyone pulled out their wands, and they were going to have a showdown between the two teams right then and there. Harry searched the Slytherin team and found his target. Malfoy. As soon as he made eye contact with him, Malfoy pulled out his wand, too.
                              
"WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE!!!" yelled Professor McGonagall, hurrying out to them. 
                              
Most of them stashed their wands out of sight, but it was pointless. Anyone could have guessed what they were about to do. 
                              
"Weasley! Pucey! What do you think you are doing?" McGonagall shouted, stopping when she was between them.
                              
"Professor Snape said we could use the pitch today and Weasley wouldn't let us have it!" Pucey innocently said, handing her Snape's letter. 
                              
Ron just glared, but McGonagall quickly snatched and read Snape's letter. Her mouth formed the thinnest of lines as she finished.
                              
"Now listen here! If you two captains cannot reasonably agree on who uses the pitch, then neither team can use it! Is that clear?" McGonagall said, exasperatedly. 
                              
Ron and Pucey stared each other down, but did not say anything. Both of them could not afford to lose their practice time. Ron nodded and led his team off the pitch. 
                              
Harry followed reluctantly and with one last look at Malfoy's enraged face, he swept off after Ginny, who had her head high in the air. He heard McGonagall telling off Pucey, but could not make out what she said. Whatever she wanted to say to them was short, because she hurried after them and by the time they reached the castle doors, she caught up to them.
                              
"Potter! I want a word," she said, and Hermione, Ron, and Ginny went on ahead of him, after hearing her tone of voice. Harry was wondering why she was going to yell at him, because everyone was just as guilty.
                              
"Professor, I'm sorry about..." he started.
                              
"I didn't call you over here to talk about that," she hesitated, but continued. "I take it you know that the Knight Bus was a very close call....We have heard from a reliable source that you... may be attacked and soon...."
                              
"Professor, Voldemort has been trying to kill me since..." he stopped, suddenly realizing he almost said before he was born.
                              
"Yes, well... there might be an actual plan to attack you... here. We almost did not find out about the Knight Bus in time. Potter, you need to be more careful. I will not stop you, but... I strongly advise you do not go to Hogsmeade this weekend and do not wander off alone or even with your friends. Even with Professor Dumbledore's new security measures, it is possible that someone can get in. Just be cautious," she paused and with one last concerned look at him, she swept off down the hall.
                              
The next day, they were half-way through Defense Against the Dark Arts when Harry remembered that McGonagall had said the information came from a "reliable source". Could it be Snape?