ChapterOne-Crashes
Harry was very glad to be back at Hogwarts. Striding over the lawn with his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he couldn't think of any other place he'd rather be. Especially since they were heading to the first Care of Magical Creatures class of the year. It promised to be a good day. All around them, their classmates chattered about their summer vacations and classes for the new year, but ahead of them, Harry could see the silver and green uniforms of the Slytherins. He steeled himself for whatever new comments Draco Malfoy would have for him, knowing that after meeting Voldemort last year, he could take anything. The thought of that meeting and the outcome brought a rush of shivers down his back and a cold sweat broke on his forehead. He shook himself of the thoughts, reminding himself of what a beautiful day it was. Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead, momentarily blocking out the sun. Harry looked up and gasped in wonder as a winged horse passed overhead again, desperately trying to stay airborne and losing the fight as it plummeted to the ground in front of his class, sending its passengers flying in every direction. One passenger flew in Harry and Ron's direction, bowling them over and coming to rest just beyond. Harry pulled himself up and looked behind him, where a girl with auburn hair was scrambling to her feet. She wore jeans and a t-shirt, as any normal Muggle would, but she was most definitely not one, as Harry saw when she pulled a wand from her back pocket. She pushed her long red hair out of her face, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes, which searched the scene frantically. She located whatever she was looking for and rushed past Harry without a word, running to where the horse lay struggling to disentangle itself from the harness it bore and rise. She seized the reins and pulled the horse's head up, allowing the horse to get its feet under it and stand up. Once it rose, it was revealed to have a glossy white coat and equally white wings, one of which was broken. The girl hurriedly untied a body from the saddle on the horse and pulled it to the ground. At first she seemed to be trying to wake whomever it was up, but after a while she gave up and sat, cradling the body in her arms. Harry had just thought about sending someone up to get Professor Dumbledore, when the man appeared. He was moved quickly across the lawn, past all of the awestruck students and strait to the auburn-haired girl. He looked at the girl for a moment from behind his half-moon spectacles, then spoke. "Where's Severus, Camden?" The girl raised her head and looked helplessly around the crash site, clearly unsure. She rose from where she sat, gently placing the body on the ground. "He slipped off as we were coming in. Landed in the bushes on the other side of the lake. I'll find him Dumbledore. Specs fell off too. Will you stay with Mum, while I look for them?" Dumbledore only nodded to the girl, who hurried off in the direction that she had flown in from. Harry stood up and helped Ron and Hermione to their feet. They stood quietly talking while Dumbledore conjured a stretcher for the body, which he then levitated onto the stretcher. As he lifted it, the students saw it was a woman of middle years, with long brown hair and several scars on her body. It was obvious to all that she was dead. Dumbledore then conjured a sheet to cover the body. "Who do you suppose that was?" Harry asked, as the sheet went on. "That was Fiona Blair. She's one of the top Aurors at the Ministry of Magic, or was. There was an article about her over the summer in the Daily Prophet. That girl must have been her daughter, Camden. They're one of the most lethal teams in the world," answered Hermione, clearly impressed with the woman and her daughter. "But that girl, Camden. She didn't look any older than us," said Ron. "That's because she isn't. She trains with her mother to become an Auror someday. She gets all practical and other magical training from Fiona." Hermione now bit her lip. Harry could see that as much as she admired the pair, she still disapproved the fact that Camden was unschooled. Studies had always been the most important thing on Hermione's agenda. Neville came over to join their group and was on the verge of saying something when the Slytherins arrived, having come back to see what the commotion was about. They stood about in silence, though Harry could see the obvious smirk on Malfoy's face. McGonagall arrived on the scene, her face drawn at the sight. Hagrid too came as quickly as he could, pounding up the hill to where they all stood. He gasped in delight at the horse, then in shock when he saw the sheeted stretcher next to Dumbledore. "Professor, that ain't." he ceased speaking when Dumbledore nodded his head and stood next to the horse with a frown on his lips and a furrow in his brow. Dumbledore turned to McGonagall. "Will you kindly take this stretcher up to the Infirmary, Minerva? Hagrid, I think you should take your class back down to you house and take Phileo with you." Both obeyed wordlessly. Hagrid rounded his class up and led the way down to the paddocks, holding the reins to Phileo in his hands. "Ye kids jus' wait 'ere. I'll be back wi' the lesson as soon as I take care o' this un." He ambled off around a corner, leading the animal and the class was left to its own devices. They instantly began to chatter about the arrival, the dead Auror and what it all meant. Draco Malfoy's comments could be heard above all. "Well, I knew that that woman would meet her end. It's only a matter of time before all of those Aurors begin to feel the taste of mortality. I'll bet she begged for mercy before the end." Before Harry or Ron could do anything, Neville had thrown himself at Malfoy. The shock of seeing Neville pummeling Malfoy left everyone in disbelief for a moment, then Harry and Ron pulled him off before Crabbe and Goyle got to him or he was hexed. "That, that idiot. He doesn't know what he's talking about. You worthless piece of slime, you'll pay for that insult! I'll kill you! I will!" Harry and Ron struggled to haul Neville away from Draco. He tore at them, scratching and kicking in his attempts to get at Malfoy. Hermione stepped between him and Malfoy and took out her wand. Pointing it at Neville, she muttered, "Relaxiarus," and Neville slumped in Ron and Harry's arms, his eyes glazed over and a half-smile on his plump face. Harry and Ron laid him on the ground. Hermione turned on Malfoy. "How dare you say that about her? She was ten times the person you will ever be Malfoy. You are not worthy to lick the dirt off her shoes," Hermione said, trembling with rage. Malfoy rose to his feet and attempted to regain his composure and think of some insult to offer Hermione, but then Hagrid returned. He took one look at Neville laying on the ground and Malfoy with the bruise on his eye and his hair disheveled and stopped dead in his tracks, Phileo bumping into him. "What's goin' on 'ere?" he asked. Harry and Ron launched into an explanation, how Malfoy had insulted Fiona and Neville had been defending her honor, and that they had had to subdue him. Hagrid's eyes glinted angrily when he heard what Malfoy had said about Fiona and he too looked as though he was sorely tempted to kill Draco. But he held his temper. "Looks as though yeh've gotten yer punishment fer speakin' about th'dead in such a manner, Malfoy. I won' make it worse today, but hol' yer tongue in th'future, or I'll let Neville finish yeh off nex' time." The flash in his eye told all that he meant it and for once, Malfoy didn't reply.
After the lesson, all headed back to the castle for lunch, where the rumor of what had happened spread like wildfire. All were speculating how an Auror could have been killed and who she was. Harry looked up at the teacher's table and wasn't surprised to see both Dumbledore and McGonagall's seats empty. His eyes roamed further down the table, where he marked Snape's replacement as Potions master. She was a substitute, nothing really outstanding about her. She was around forty with short dark hair somewhere between black and brown. She did have a wart on the end of her nose, the kind that had hair growing from it. She didn't mingle with the other teachers. Harry then looked farther down the table to where the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was. Rumor was that this too was a substitute while Dumbledore awaited the arrival of the actual teacher, who was late. This teacher was a male, middling in years, with neatly trimmed brown hair and a heavy Scotch accent. His name Harry knew. Baen MacDouglas, or so the twins had told him. "How was your first day back Harry?" asked the twins as they plopped alongside Harry. Mischevious and daring, the two seventh years were constantly pulling pranks around the castle, much to the anger of Argus Filch, caretaker of the school. They had not achieved the ranks of prefect, something for which their mother had never forgiven them and they rejoiced in. "Oh, other than nearly getting crushed by a flying horse, not bad," Harry replied. "Ron told us about that. Said it was Fiona Blair and her daughter Camden." "That's what Hermione said. I don't know anything about either of them." "Yeah, this'll be bad. They'll be sending the Ministry up to investigate. Other Aurors as well, maybe." Fred's comment piqued Harry's interest. He had wanted to meet Aurors ever since his encounter with Mad Eye Moody last year, though it hadn't been the real Mad Eye. The prospect of more Aurors at Hogwarts was exciting. Once lunch was over, he checked his schedule once more. Divination. He and Ron headed for the North Tower while Hermione headed for Arithmancy. They only just got there in time as the silvery stepladder descended from the ceiling and the class began to ascend one by one. Neville was still missing from their number. Harry assumed he was still in the Infirmary recovering from Hermione's spell. He climbed the rope and passed through the trap door. The fragrance of the room hit him like a sledgehammer. The wave of stupidity that he usually had to fight came over him again and he struggled over to the table where Ron had seated himself. "Good day," whispered the misty voice of Professor Trelawney from the corner of the room, "Welcome once again to Divination." Harry had nearly jumped out of his skin when she had first spoken. Now he breathed deeply to slow the beating of his heart and looked up as she stepped out of the shadows. Harry remembered his first impression of her, that she looked like an oversized dragonfly, and realized that impression remained. She looked down at him from the glasses that were too big for her head and gave him the tragic look that she reserved especially for him then swept past his table toward the fire.
They descended the silvery ladder and headed off to Herbology. They had it again with the Hufflepuffs. Professor Sprout met them by the greenhouses, announcing "Greenhouse Three" before leading them all toward it. Once they were all inside, she set before each of them a seed and a pot of earth. "Today's lesson is easy chaps. You'll all be growing a Venomous Tentacula this year. Before you, you have your seed and a pot of soil. Plant your seed three inches deep and water it lightly, then return to your stations for a lesson from the books." Everyone hurried to follow the commands, grabbing rulers to make sure that their seed was exactly three inches deep and that their seed was only given a little water. "Can anyone tell me where Longbottom is?" Professor Sprout called out over the class. Several answers were shouted out, but Professor Sprout silenced them and pointed to Hermione. "Neville's been sent to the Infirmary. He should be fine by tomorrow." Professor Sprout looked disappointed, but said that she would prepare Longbottom's plant for him. The last of the class had now finished and everyone found a stool and a table to sit at. Harry ended up with Ron, Hermione and Justin Finch-Fletchley at his table and Hermione silenced them all as Professor Sprout stepped up on an over-turned flowerpot so that all could see her. "This year, your one task will be to care for your Venomous Tentacula. Can anyone tell me the properties of this plant? Miss Granger?" As usual, Hermione had her hand in the air and the class turned to look at her.
The rest of the lesson proceeded quickly, with Professor Sprout elaborating on Hermione's comments and lecturing them on the proper care of their plant. They scribbled down notes and charts as fast as they could. Once the instruction was finished, Professor Sprout had them pack up their things and dismissed them ten minutes early. The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs spilled out of the greenhouse, all heading straight for their respective common rooms. "Was it just me, or did Professor Sprout look really upset when we said that Neville was in the Infirmary?" said Harry as they entered Gryffindor Tower after muttering the password (Steaksauce). "Who cares Harry? She let us out early, let's make some use of it!" was Ron's reply to Harry's question. "I'm going to the library," declared Hermione, spilling her books out of her bag and turning for the door. Ron stood staring at her for a moment as she exited the common room, then turned to Harry. "What are you going to do?" "I think I'll get a head start on my homework while I still have time." "I think I'll, uh, head down to the, uh, library. Maybe they have some new, uh, Quidditch books available, yeah that's it." Ron left Gryffindor Tower still muttering to himself. Harry watched him go with a bemused look on his face, then turned to his books. The only homework he really had was Divination. He started on that, knowing that once the twins arrived, they had to hold a meeting. He needed to know what they were going to do about Quidditch.
Harry was very glad to be back at Hogwarts. Striding over the lawn with his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he couldn't think of any other place he'd rather be. Especially since they were heading to the first Care of Magical Creatures class of the year. It promised to be a good day. All around them, their classmates chattered about their summer vacations and classes for the new year, but ahead of them, Harry could see the silver and green uniforms of the Slytherins. He steeled himself for whatever new comments Draco Malfoy would have for him, knowing that after meeting Voldemort last year, he could take anything. The thought of that meeting and the outcome brought a rush of shivers down his back and a cold sweat broke on his forehead. He shook himself of the thoughts, reminding himself of what a beautiful day it was. Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead, momentarily blocking out the sun. Harry looked up and gasped in wonder as a winged horse passed overhead again, desperately trying to stay airborne and losing the fight as it plummeted to the ground in front of his class, sending its passengers flying in every direction. One passenger flew in Harry and Ron's direction, bowling them over and coming to rest just beyond. Harry pulled himself up and looked behind him, where a girl with auburn hair was scrambling to her feet. She wore jeans and a t-shirt, as any normal Muggle would, but she was most definitely not one, as Harry saw when she pulled a wand from her back pocket. She pushed her long red hair out of her face, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes, which searched the scene frantically. She located whatever she was looking for and rushed past Harry without a word, running to where the horse lay struggling to disentangle itself from the harness it bore and rise. She seized the reins and pulled the horse's head up, allowing the horse to get its feet under it and stand up. Once it rose, it was revealed to have a glossy white coat and equally white wings, one of which was broken. The girl hurriedly untied a body from the saddle on the horse and pulled it to the ground. At first she seemed to be trying to wake whomever it was up, but after a while she gave up and sat, cradling the body in her arms. Harry had just thought about sending someone up to get Professor Dumbledore, when the man appeared. He was moved quickly across the lawn, past all of the awestruck students and strait to the auburn-haired girl. He looked at the girl for a moment from behind his half-moon spectacles, then spoke. "Where's Severus, Camden?" The girl raised her head and looked helplessly around the crash site, clearly unsure. She rose from where she sat, gently placing the body on the ground. "He slipped off as we were coming in. Landed in the bushes on the other side of the lake. I'll find him Dumbledore. Specs fell off too. Will you stay with Mum, while I look for them?" Dumbledore only nodded to the girl, who hurried off in the direction that she had flown in from. Harry stood up and helped Ron and Hermione to their feet. They stood quietly talking while Dumbledore conjured a stretcher for the body, which he then levitated onto the stretcher. As he lifted it, the students saw it was a woman of middle years, with long brown hair and several scars on her body. It was obvious to all that she was dead. Dumbledore then conjured a sheet to cover the body. "Who do you suppose that was?" Harry asked, as the sheet went on. "That was Fiona Blair. She's one of the top Aurors at the Ministry of Magic, or was. There was an article about her over the summer in the Daily Prophet. That girl must have been her daughter, Camden. They're one of the most lethal teams in the world," answered Hermione, clearly impressed with the woman and her daughter. "But that girl, Camden. She didn't look any older than us," said Ron. "That's because she isn't. She trains with her mother to become an Auror someday. She gets all practical and other magical training from Fiona." Hermione now bit her lip. Harry could see that as much as she admired the pair, she still disapproved the fact that Camden was unschooled. Studies had always been the most important thing on Hermione's agenda. Neville came over to join their group and was on the verge of saying something when the Slytherins arrived, having come back to see what the commotion was about. They stood about in silence, though Harry could see the obvious smirk on Malfoy's face. McGonagall arrived on the scene, her face drawn at the sight. Hagrid too came as quickly as he could, pounding up the hill to where they all stood. He gasped in delight at the horse, then in shock when he saw the sheeted stretcher next to Dumbledore. "Professor, that ain't." he ceased speaking when Dumbledore nodded his head and stood next to the horse with a frown on his lips and a furrow in his brow. Dumbledore turned to McGonagall. "Will you kindly take this stretcher up to the Infirmary, Minerva? Hagrid, I think you should take your class back down to you house and take Phileo with you." Both obeyed wordlessly. Hagrid rounded his class up and led the way down to the paddocks, holding the reins to Phileo in his hands. "Ye kids jus' wait 'ere. I'll be back wi' the lesson as soon as I take care o' this un." He ambled off around a corner, leading the animal and the class was left to its own devices. They instantly began to chatter about the arrival, the dead Auror and what it all meant. Draco Malfoy's comments could be heard above all. "Well, I knew that that woman would meet her end. It's only a matter of time before all of those Aurors begin to feel the taste of mortality. I'll bet she begged for mercy before the end." Before Harry or Ron could do anything, Neville had thrown himself at Malfoy. The shock of seeing Neville pummeling Malfoy left everyone in disbelief for a moment, then Harry and Ron pulled him off before Crabbe and Goyle got to him or he was hexed. "That, that idiot. He doesn't know what he's talking about. You worthless piece of slime, you'll pay for that insult! I'll kill you! I will!" Harry and Ron struggled to haul Neville away from Draco. He tore at them, scratching and kicking in his attempts to get at Malfoy. Hermione stepped between him and Malfoy and took out her wand. Pointing it at Neville, she muttered, "Relaxiarus," and Neville slumped in Ron and Harry's arms, his eyes glazed over and a half-smile on his plump face. Harry and Ron laid him on the ground. Hermione turned on Malfoy. "How dare you say that about her? She was ten times the person you will ever be Malfoy. You are not worthy to lick the dirt off her shoes," Hermione said, trembling with rage. Malfoy rose to his feet and attempted to regain his composure and think of some insult to offer Hermione, but then Hagrid returned. He took one look at Neville laying on the ground and Malfoy with the bruise on his eye and his hair disheveled and stopped dead in his tracks, Phileo bumping into him. "What's goin' on 'ere?" he asked. Harry and Ron launched into an explanation, how Malfoy had insulted Fiona and Neville had been defending her honor, and that they had had to subdue him. Hagrid's eyes glinted angrily when he heard what Malfoy had said about Fiona and he too looked as though he was sorely tempted to kill Draco. But he held his temper. "Looks as though yeh've gotten yer punishment fer speakin' about th'dead in such a manner, Malfoy. I won' make it worse today, but hol' yer tongue in th'future, or I'll let Neville finish yeh off nex' time." The flash in his eye told all that he meant it and for once, Malfoy didn't reply.
After the lesson, all headed back to the castle for lunch, where the rumor of what had happened spread like wildfire. All were speculating how an Auror could have been killed and who she was. Harry looked up at the teacher's table and wasn't surprised to see both Dumbledore and McGonagall's seats empty. His eyes roamed further down the table, where he marked Snape's replacement as Potions master. She was a substitute, nothing really outstanding about her. She was around forty with short dark hair somewhere between black and brown. She did have a wart on the end of her nose, the kind that had hair growing from it. She didn't mingle with the other teachers. Harry then looked farther down the table to where the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was. Rumor was that this too was a substitute while Dumbledore awaited the arrival of the actual teacher, who was late. This teacher was a male, middling in years, with neatly trimmed brown hair and a heavy Scotch accent. His name Harry knew. Baen MacDouglas, or so the twins had told him. "How was your first day back Harry?" asked the twins as they plopped alongside Harry. Mischevious and daring, the two seventh years were constantly pulling pranks around the castle, much to the anger of Argus Filch, caretaker of the school. They had not achieved the ranks of prefect, something for which their mother had never forgiven them and they rejoiced in. "Oh, other than nearly getting crushed by a flying horse, not bad," Harry replied. "Ron told us about that. Said it was Fiona Blair and her daughter Camden." "That's what Hermione said. I don't know anything about either of them." "Yeah, this'll be bad. They'll be sending the Ministry up to investigate. Other Aurors as well, maybe." Fred's comment piqued Harry's interest. He had wanted to meet Aurors ever since his encounter with Mad Eye Moody last year, though it hadn't been the real Mad Eye. The prospect of more Aurors at Hogwarts was exciting. Once lunch was over, he checked his schedule once more. Divination. He and Ron headed for the North Tower while Hermione headed for Arithmancy. They only just got there in time as the silvery stepladder descended from the ceiling and the class began to ascend one by one. Neville was still missing from their number. Harry assumed he was still in the Infirmary recovering from Hermione's spell. He climbed the rope and passed through the trap door. The fragrance of the room hit him like a sledgehammer. The wave of stupidity that he usually had to fight came over him again and he struggled over to the table where Ron had seated himself. "Good day," whispered the misty voice of Professor Trelawney from the corner of the room, "Welcome once again to Divination." Harry had nearly jumped out of his skin when she had first spoken. Now he breathed deeply to slow the beating of his heart and looked up as she stepped out of the shadows. Harry remembered his first impression of her, that she looked like an oversized dragonfly, and realized that impression remained. She looked down at him from the glasses that were too big for her head and gave him the tragic look that she reserved especially for him then swept past his table toward the fire.
They descended the silvery ladder and headed off to Herbology. They had it again with the Hufflepuffs. Professor Sprout met them by the greenhouses, announcing "Greenhouse Three" before leading them all toward it. Once they were all inside, she set before each of them a seed and a pot of earth. "Today's lesson is easy chaps. You'll all be growing a Venomous Tentacula this year. Before you, you have your seed and a pot of soil. Plant your seed three inches deep and water it lightly, then return to your stations for a lesson from the books." Everyone hurried to follow the commands, grabbing rulers to make sure that their seed was exactly three inches deep and that their seed was only given a little water. "Can anyone tell me where Longbottom is?" Professor Sprout called out over the class. Several answers were shouted out, but Professor Sprout silenced them and pointed to Hermione. "Neville's been sent to the Infirmary. He should be fine by tomorrow." Professor Sprout looked disappointed, but said that she would prepare Longbottom's plant for him. The last of the class had now finished and everyone found a stool and a table to sit at. Harry ended up with Ron, Hermione and Justin Finch-Fletchley at his table and Hermione silenced them all as Professor Sprout stepped up on an over-turned flowerpot so that all could see her. "This year, your one task will be to care for your Venomous Tentacula. Can anyone tell me the properties of this plant? Miss Granger?" As usual, Hermione had her hand in the air and the class turned to look at her.
The rest of the lesson proceeded quickly, with Professor Sprout elaborating on Hermione's comments and lecturing them on the proper care of their plant. They scribbled down notes and charts as fast as they could. Once the instruction was finished, Professor Sprout had them pack up their things and dismissed them ten minutes early. The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs spilled out of the greenhouse, all heading straight for their respective common rooms. "Was it just me, or did Professor Sprout look really upset when we said that Neville was in the Infirmary?" said Harry as they entered Gryffindor Tower after muttering the password (Steaksauce). "Who cares Harry? She let us out early, let's make some use of it!" was Ron's reply to Harry's question. "I'm going to the library," declared Hermione, spilling her books out of her bag and turning for the door. Ron stood staring at her for a moment as she exited the common room, then turned to Harry. "What are you going to do?" "I think I'll get a head start on my homework while I still have time." "I think I'll, uh, head down to the, uh, library. Maybe they have some new, uh, Quidditch books available, yeah that's it." Ron left Gryffindor Tower still muttering to himself. Harry watched him go with a bemused look on his face, then turned to his books. The only homework he really had was Divination. He started on that, knowing that once the twins arrived, they had to hold a meeting. He needed to know what they were going to do about Quidditch.