Hello my readers! Isn't it a glorious day? Okay, yes I had chocolate, blame my mother! Lol, so go on read the chapter…you know you want to. X)
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Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.
"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important.
"Send word with one of the ghosts."
Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…"
One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.
"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.
The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.
"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"
"C'mon," Fred said to George and James; they seized three sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.
"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" George whispered anxiously.
"Of course I'm right here," James said mockingly and the twins chuckled slightly
"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Fred.
"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said James as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower…"
"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said George. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."
George shuddered.
All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?"
"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know."
"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.
"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.
"Honestly, is Hermione and me the only people who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said James crossly to Fred and George.
"Probably," said Fred. "Why?"
"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said James. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered…"
"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"
"Prat," Fred and George muttered.
The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, James felt as though she were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.
Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in. James watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Percy was only a short way away from James, Fred, and George, who quickly pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore's footsteps drew nearer.
"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.
"No. All well here?"
"Everything under control, sir."
"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."
"And the Fat Lady, sir?"
"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."
James heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.
"Headmaster?" It was Snape. Harry kept quite still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."
"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"
"All searched…"
"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."
"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.
James raised her head very slightly off her arms to free her other ear.
"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."
James opened her eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Dumbledore's back was to her, but she could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.
"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before — ah — the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.
"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.
"It seems — almost impossible — that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you accepted and appointed —"
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it, student or teacher," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply. "I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."
"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.
"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster."
Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face; then he too left.
James glanced sideways at Fred and George. Both of them had their eyes open too, reflecting the starry ceiling.
"What was all that about?" Fred mouthed.
The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub. James had snorted loudly and had gotten glares although most would laugh to if someone had said that their father could turn into a flowering shrub.
The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony. Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day. James, being a Black, she wasn't allowed into the common room until she got pissed and went for McGonagall who told Sir Cadogan that James was the only Black allowed in the common room.
"He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"
"None of the other pictures wanted the job," said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."
Sir Cadogan, however, was the least of James's worries. She and Harry were now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with them, and Percy Weasley (acting, James suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing Harry everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog. To cap it all, Professor McGonagall summoned Harry and James into her office, with such a somber expression on her face James thought someone must have died.
"There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter," she said in a very serious voice. "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black —"
"I know he's after me and want's James," said Harry wearily. "I heard Ron's dad telling his mum. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic."
Professor McGonagall seemed very taken aback.
She stared at them for a moment or two, then said, "I see! Well, in that case, Potter, Black, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed, Potter —"
"We've got our first match on Saturday!" said James, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor! I've never played a match before, I need all the practice I can get!"
Professor McGonagall considered them intently. James knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team's prospects; it had been she, after all, who'd suggested Harry as Seeker in the first Place. She waited, holding her breath.
"Hmm…"Professor McGonagall stood up and stared out of the window at the Quidditch field, just visible through the rain. "Well… goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last… but all the same, Potter…Black… I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions."
The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team was training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then, at their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news.
"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry.
"What?" James demanded.
"Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."
"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.
"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances…"
"Oh that's Bullshit! Fucking Malfoy wasn't even hurt!" James said angrily.
There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.
"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's faking it! Bastard wasn't even the one hurt, James is the one who took the claws to the face!"
"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly, "And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory —"
Alicia and Katie suddenly giggled while James rolled her eyes.
"What?" said Wood, frowning at this lighthearted behavior.
"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said James mockingly to Oliver with a roll of her eyes.
"Strong and silent," said Katie, and they started to giggle again.
"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"
"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"
"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."
The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team was looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Malfoy.
"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he sighed as the gale outside pounded the windows. James who had been near him grabbed his arm turned around his back and slammed into the wall.
"Your fucking arm is fine, Malfoy. I'm the one that got hurt fucking little snot nosed brat." James hissed making Draco cry out in pain before letting go and high fiving the twins who wore smug smiles at the shocked Slytherins.
James had no room in her head to worry about anything except the match tomorrow. Oliver Wood kept hurrying up to Harry and her between classes and giving them tips. The third time this happened, Wood talked for so long that they suddenly realized they were ten minutes late for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and set off at a run with Wood shouting after them, "Diggory's got a very fast swerve, Harry, so you might want to try looping him —"
They skidded to a halt outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, pulled the door open, and dashed inside.
"Sorry We're late, Professor Lupin. We—"
But it wasn't Professor Lupin who looked up at him from the teacher's desk; it was Snape. James groaned loudly at the sight of him and he docked 20 points for it.
"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, Black, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."
But Harry didn't move, James did however and took a seat next to Dean Thomas who blushed slightly.
"Where's Professor Lupin?" he said.
"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?"
But Harry stayed where he was.
"What's wrong with him?"
Snape's black eyes glittered and James shuddered.
"Nothing life-threatening," he said, looking as though he wished it were. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."
Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Snape looked around at the class.
"As I was saying before Potter and Black interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far —"
"Please, sir, we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows," said Hermione quickly, "and we're just about to start —"
"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."
"Have you even checked?" James called out and Gryffindor lost 10 more points and James thought if the prick took anymore points from her for talking she'd be walking out and too McGonagall, to see what she thought about it.
"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class.
Snape looked more menacing than ever.
"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you — I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss —"
James watched him flick through the textbook, to the very back chapter, which he must know they hadn't covered.
"— werewolves," said Snape.
"Oh hell no." James said with a glare at him and Snape docked 15 more points and James grabbed her bag.
"Where do you think you're going Black, sit back down." Snape demanded.
"You obviously don't want me here, since you keep docking points from me. So I think I should just leave." James said doing exactly as she said and Snape yelled after her about 50 points. Like she cared, she had a head of house to see. When she got to the classroom she saw Professor McGonagall was teaching a class, Fred and George's class to be exact. She decided to just send a note to McGonagall and she knew she received it when she calmly excused herself. When she came outside she had a stern look on her face.
"Shouldn't you be in class, Black?" She asked seriously with a frown on her face.
"I wasn't going to be treated unfairly like that, so I left." James said as she looked out the window.
"What do you mean by unfairly?" McGonagall asked with scowl.
"Professor Snape, Oliver kept me and Harry ten minutes late to DADA, I know that you can dock points for it but he docked ten each and then twenty from me because I groaned. Then he started off on a tirade about Professor Lupin not being a good teacher and Hermione tried to tell him where we were in the lesson but he ignored her and docked 15 points from me when I asked if he bothered looking for the lesson. Then he said we were going to study werewolves, and I think you know why Professor. I said something and he docked more points and then I left and he shouted fifty points after me." James said looking out the window.
"I see Miss Black, I will have words for Severus, you on the other hand, I want to know how you knew about Remus's condition?" McGonagall asked with a seriousness.
"I read a book from a werewolf's point a view and Professor Lupin's Boggart was a full moon. I put that and that today is a full moon, that Professor Lupin is a certain something." James finished and McGonagall nodded.
"You are not allowed to tell anyone and I will talk to Professor Snape about how he should treat his students. Now why don't you come inside, learn something advanced. You have an hour and a half left, Black." McGonagall said and she opened the door and James came in much to the twins delight. McGonagall rolled her eyes when James took the seat in between the twins who started to show her what they were doing and the three were actually quite productive, much to McGonagall's shock.
James woke up to a loud wail of thunder and she groaned at what the time was. So she got dressed and grabbed her Nimbus 2001 and one and went downstairs with her Chaser gloves in her hands. The noise of the storm was even louder in the common room. James knew better than to think the match would be canceled; Quidditch matches weren't called off for trifles like thunderstorms. Nevertheless, she was starting to feel very apprehensive. Wood had pointed out Cedric Diggory to her in the corridor; Diggory was a fifth year and a lot bigger than Harry. Seekers were usually light and speedy, but Diggory's weight would be an advantage in this weather because he was less likely to be blown off course.
James whiled away the hours until dawn in front of the fire, getting up every now and then to stop Crookshanks from sneaking up the boys' staircase again with Harry. At long last James thought it must be time for breakfast, so he headed through the portrait hole with Harry.
"Stand and fight, you mangy cur!" yelled Sir Cadogan.
"Oh, shut up," James yawned.
Harry revived a bit over a large bowl of porridge, and by the time he'd started on toast, the rest of the team had turned up. James was eating eggs and bacon with some tea.
"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything, until James stuffed a biscuit with eggs and bacon and put it on a plate shoving it a Oliver. He gave a strained smile but ate at her glare.
"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Alicia soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."
But it was considerably more than a bit of rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns toward the Quidditch field, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went. just before she entered the locker room, James saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, laughing and pointing at her and Harry from under an enormous umbrella on their way to the stadium.
The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned them to follow him.
The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the field. If the crowd was cheering, they couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder. Rain was splattering over in James' eyes and she was freezing, Fred noticing cast a warming charm on her.
The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. James saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount Your brooms." She pulled her right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over her Nimbus Two Thousand and one. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant — they were off.
James rose fast, but her Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. She held it as steady as she could and turned, squinting into the rain barely catching the quaffle and zooming off towards the Hufflepuff goal post, scoring the first goal and barely dodging a bludger. James zoomed after the person she saw grab the Quaffle and soon she stole it passing it to Alicia who scored.
Within five minutes James was soaked to her skin, hardly able to see her teammates, and had put in four goals out of the ten they had.
She flew backward and forward across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, with no idea of what was happening in the rest of the game besides where the Quaffle was. She couldn't hear the commentary over the wind. The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice James came very close to being unseated by a Bludger; her vision was so clouded by the rain she barely seen them coming.
She lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to hold her broom straight. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. Twice James hit another player, without knowing whether it was a teammate or opponent; everyone was now so wet, and the rain so thick, she could hardly tell them apart…
With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; James could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing him to the ground. The whole team splashed down into the mud.
"I called for time-out!" Wood roared at his team. "Come on, under here —"
They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes. James held on to Fred and George who were casting warming charms left and right. James herself was ghostly pale and her lips were turning blue.
"What's the score?"
"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."
"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.
At that very moment, Hermione appeared at his shoulder; she was holding her cloak over her head and was, inexplicably, beaming.
"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"
He handed them to her, and as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "Impervius!"
"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"
Wood looked as though he could have kissed her.
"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Okay, team, let's go for it!"
Hermione's spell had done the trick. Harry was still numb with cold, still wetter than he'd ever been in his life, but he could see. Full of fresh determination, he urged his broom through the turbulent air, staring in every direction for the Snitch, avoiding a Bludger, ducking beneath Diggory, who was streaking in the opposite direction…
There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning. This was getting more and more dangerous. Harry needed to get the Snitch quickly —
James turned, intending to head back toward the middle of the field, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the stands, and James saw something that distracted her completely, the silhouette of an enormous shaggy black dog, clearly imprinted against the sky, motionless in the topmost, empty row of seats. No, he couldn't be here, the Dementors…they only go after people don't they…and that means he's an Animagi…he's been using his form to…Oh my merlin…
James numb hands slipped on the broom handle and her Nimbus dropped a few feet. Shaking her sodden bangs out of her eyes, he squinted back into the stands. The dog had vanished.
"Harry!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts. "Harry, behind you!"
Harry looked wildly around. Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering in the rain-filled air between them…
With a jolt of panic, Harry threw himself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch.
"Come on!" he growled at his Nimbus as the rain whipped his face. "Faster!"
But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though James had gone suddenly deaf — what was going on?
And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over her, inside her, just as she became aware of something moving on the field below…
Before she'd had time to think, James had taken her eyes off Harry and looked down.
At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at him, were standing beneath them.
It was as though freezing water were rising in her chest, cutting at her insides. And then she heard it again… Someone was screaming, screaming inside her head… a woman…her mother… pushing that aside she flew off towards the twins and all three flew off with Dementors chasing after them, some going for the other players as well. Then they watched as Harry fell from at least a hundred feet, Dumbledore stood up casting, expecto patronum and then a cushioning charm for Harry. Everyone flew down and the Dementors were gone they chased after Madam Promfrey who then had the boy on a hospital bed and Harry look so lifeless that James had to grab the twins so she didn't collapse.
"Lucky the ground was so soft." Katie said with a frown.
"I thought he was dead for sure." Alicia said shuddering.
"But he didn't even break his glasses." Fred tried to joke but everyone was to tense to appreciate it then.
"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life." James said with a frown, she had taken a quick shower and changed into clean and dry fluffy sweater and nice comfy jeans with sneaker on her feet.
Harry's eyes snapped open. He was lying in the hospital wing. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, spattered with mud from head to foot, was gathered around his bed. Ron and Hermione were also there, looking as though they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool. James was the only one dry, and he knew that once she heard he would be alright she had probably went for a shower and clean clothes.
"Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath, the mud. "How're you feeling?"
Harry looked to be in deep thought, he was so pale.
"What happened?" he said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.
"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been — what — fifty feet?"
"I'd say a hundred." James said with a shudder.
"We thought you'd died," said Alicia, who was shaking.
Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot.
"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"
No one said anything. The horrible truth sank into Harry like a stone.
"We didn't — lose?"
"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square… even Wood admits it."
"Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there.
"Still in the showers," said James. "We think he's trying to drown himself."
Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. James grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.
"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before." She said with a forcefulness you rarely seen with James.
"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.
"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points."
"Right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin…"
"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said James.
"But if they beat Ravenclaw…"
"No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff…"
"It all depends on the points — a margin of a hundred either way —"
Harry lay there, not saying a word.
After ten minutes or so, Madam Promfrey came over to tell the team to leave him in peace.
"We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself up Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had."
The team trooped out, trailing mud behind them. Madam Promfrey shut the door behind them, looking disapproving at James who pulled the Family card. James, Ron, and Hermione moved nearer to Harry's bed.
"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione said in a quaking voice. "I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down before you hit the ground. Then he whirled his wand at the Dementors. Shot silver stuff at them. They left the stadium right away… He was furious they'd come onto the grounds. We heard him —"
"Then Promfrey magicked you onto a stretcher," said Ron. "And walked up to school with you floating on it. Everyone thought you were…"
His voice faded, but Harry hardly noticed. He looked up and saw Ron and Hermione looking at him so anxiously that he quickly cast around for something matter-of-fact to say.
"Did someone get my Nimbus?"
Ron and Hermione looked quickly at each other and James had turned paler.
"Er —"
"What?" said Harry, looking from one to the other.
"Well… when you fell off, it got blown away," said Hermione hesitantly.
"And?"
"And it hit — it hit — oh, Harry — it hit the Whomping Willow." James said looking away from him not meeting his eyes.
Harry's insides lurched. The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree that stood alone in the middle of the grounds.
"And?" he said, dreading the answer.
"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It — it doesn't like being hit."
"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around," said Hermione in a very small voice.
Slowly, James reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed, the only remains of Harry's faithful, finally beaten broomstick.
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Love it, hate it? That is question. Lol that song's stuck in my head, so review! X)
KrisxCross out!~
