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 informed the world of the terrible news; Gryffindor was no longer facing Slytherin.

Everyone was tempted to celebrate, but Oliver terrified everyone by screaming about how Diggory had put together a good team, and how they had to keep their focus and win.

Rose wasn't quite interested in the fact that they were facing Hufflepuff though, she was more concerned with the fact they were facing Cedric Diggory.

"He's the tall, good-looking one, right?" Rose asked Angelina.

"Oh, yes! That's what I said too!" Angelina agreed with a smile.

"Oh, and he's so strong and silent," Katie sighed, having obviously had this conversation before.

Rose and the Quidditch girls giggled, Rose not noticing the twins were listening in.

"And that hair!" Alicia squealed. "I could run my fingers through it for days!"

Rose blushed, "I don't know, I don't think he's all that interesting besides his good looks."
"That's because he's too thick to string two words together," Fred said impatiently. "Look, Katie, Alicia, Angelina, we've already had this conversation, why are you dragging Rose into it?"

Angelina snickered, "She started it!"

Fred and George looked at Rose affronted and she was quick to defend herself, "Look, it's not like I'd date him or anything! He's just nice to look at on occasion!"

"If by on occasion you mean all the time," Katie sighed.

Rose blushed and glared at Katie, "You're not helping."

Fred growled low in his throat so only George and Rose could hear and Rose could have slapped herself for how stupid she was being, "Well, ladies, it would appear that it's time for me to be going! I'll talk to you later!"

"Bye, Rose!"

Rose stood up and looked shyly at Fred, who she could tell was currently very in touch with his inner wolf.

"Want to go…?" Rose asked.

Fred grabbed one of Rose's hands and pulled her towards the portrait hole and lead them throughout the castle to one of the empty rooms that they occasionally claimed.

"What was that?" Fred asked, running a hand through his hair.

"We were just talking about Cedric. I promise there is nothing to worry about," Rose said, holding her hands up.

Fred sighed and was going to say something when George settled his hand on his shoulder again, "Look, Feorge, we both know that Rose isn't even remotely interested in Diggory. If she was everyone would know, it's just how the world works."
Fred sighed, "I know but my wolf was just so protective!"

Rose blushed, "Well, it may mean that you're closer to finishing your transformation! Try it, you're obviously in sync with your wolf right now!"

Fred groaned. The last thing on his mind right now was transforming into a wolf! But if Rose wanted him to try, he would. Fred closed his eyes and slowly his body morphed into that of a wolf, in fact, his whole body changed.

"Fred! You did it!" George and Rose cheered.

Fred the wolf seemed to jolt and stumble as he tried to take a step. He was, however, doing a sort of bark in excitement. Rose was amazed as she looked at the wolf in front of her. She had never seen a wolf that was Auburn before, but somehow it looked natural. The fur around Fred's muzzle morphed into gray, and the fur going down his legs slowly turned to black. Perhaps the most striking feature of the wolf that Fred had turned into, though, was the fact that he had maintained his bright blue eyes.

"Wow, Fred," Rose said, staring intently into his eyes, slowly lowering herself to her knees.

Fred huffed and nosed the side of Rose's neck before sitting back on his haunches.

"Look's like we made the right decision for Fred to get the Transfiguration OWL," George said thoughtfully.

"Well, you try it now, Gred. I imagine that now that Fred's gotten it it'll be easy for you."

George shrugged his shoulders, "What harm could it do?"

Then, as George's body relaxed he slowly morphed into a Coyote. Rose was amazed by the two animals in front of her at this point, but what amused her most was that George's color was almost identical to his twins, although his muzzle was more white than gray.

"You two are amazing, you know that right?"

George sauntered up to Rose, somehow mastering walking immediately and pushed her shoulder with his head.

"What do you want?" Rose asked as she absently ran her fingers through his fur.

There was an almost purr as an answer before another nudge happened and he moved back, pointing his nose in Fred's direction then back again.

"What? You want me to try?"

Both animals nodded in confirmation.

Rose sighed and stood, "Well, let's see if I can do it, yeah?"

Rose relaxed and felt her aura fill her. She felt her inner jaguar start pacing, she felt her mindset start changing dangerously fast to match her inner animals, and she quickly pulled her mind back, remembering that one of the things that was necessary to keep control of for her transformation was her mind.

What Rose didn't feel, though, was her whole body morphing into that of the large cat.

There were suddenly excited yips and barks surrounding her though and she felt two suddenly very large furry bodies collide with her. She went to yell but a yowl came out instead.

Suddenly Rose snapped her eyes open and her tail - she had a tail! - started whipping back and forth. She was a Black Jaguar! She had done it! She was a success! She felt a purr rip through her body and then her tail poofed up at the foreign feel of the purr. She looked at the twins (who had apparently transformed back into people) and bounced slightly on her paws.

"Yes, Princess, you've done a very good job," George said with a smile. "But perhaps it is time to turn back into you, it's almost curfew after all."

Rose whined for a second but then turned back, "I did it!"

"You did it," the twins agreed.

Rose launched herself at the twins and hugged them close, "If this is what happens when I talk about other guys I should do it more often!"

Rose saw possessiveness flash through both of the twins eyes for the split second that she had remained in the room, but she was off like a bullet as soon as she had said that. The chase that ensued was of epic proportions, according to the portraits who had reported the disturbance to one Albus Dumbledore, who couldn't be happier about the situation even if he had tried to.

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.

With the storm reaching a fever-pitch, so did Rose's worry for her twins and Harry. She was so worried, in fact, that she was slacking in classes (by her standards) and she had forgotten that Remus was becoming Moony that day. So, needless to say, it was a shock when she walked in and saw Severus Snape sitting at the desk that Remus was normally leaning against.

That was when she decided to ignore every word that came out of Snape's mouth, so it was only happenstance that she noticed when Harry entered that classroom ten minutes late, making the same mistake that she had in assuming that Remus would be there.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."

But Harry didn't move.
"Where's Professor Lupin?" he asked, worry glazing his eyes.

Rose was trying to motion for him to sit, but Harry was hyper focused on Snape.

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?"

Understanding flashed in Harry's eyes and he hurriedly sat before more points could be taken.

"As I was saying before Potter 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." Rose wanted to scream. She could see where this was heading, and she couldn't believe that Snape would go this low.

"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 -"

Rose watched with thinly concealed anger as Snape flicked through the textbook, to the very back chapter, which he must know they hadn't covered.

"- werewolves," said Snape.

Before Rose could say anything, and before Harry could explode, Hermione spoke up, "But, sir, we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks -"

"Miss Granger," said Snape in a deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again. "All of you! Now!"

With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the class opened their books.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.

Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.

"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between -"

"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on -"

"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…"

Rose had had enough, and she finally raised her hand. Snape's eyes narrowed in on the movement, and he allowed himself a smirk, "Yes, Miss Potter?"

"Well, sir," she said with a sickly sweet smile, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several ways. I can further elucidate if you see it fit?"

Snape, at this point, saw that he was caught in the dangerous hands of someone who knew exactly what these memories could do to damage him, "Continue, Miss Potter," he snarled.

"Well, sir, Werewolves can be easily distinguished from regular wolves by their shorter snout, more human-like eyes, the tufted tail, and their mindless hunting of humans whilst in wolf form. The real difference between a wolf and a werewolf is in behavior. Genuine wolves are not very aggressive, and the vast number of folk tales representing them as mindless predators are now believed by wizarding authorities to refer to werewolves, not true wolves. A wolf is unlikely to attack a human except under exceptional circumstances. The werewolf, however, targets humans almost exclusively and poses very little danger to any other creature."

Snape glared at Rose, "That is an incomplete answer, Miss Potter. Perhaps I was better letting the know-it-all Granger answer the questions."

Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. It was the mark of how much the class loathed Snape that they were all glaring at him, because every one of them had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, and Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, "What did she miss out on then, Professor? Why mention it if you don't want to tell us?"

The class knew instantly he'd gone too far. Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."

No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and made notes of werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin.

"Very poorly explained… That is incorrect, the kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia… Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three…."

When the bell rang, at last, Snape held them back.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."

Rose left the room with the rest of the class but quickly separated from them. The twins currently had the Jokester's Map, so Rose knew they'd be able to find her if necessary. She pulled the Marauder's map out of her pocket as soon as she reached the giant gargoyle and looked at it, pausing as it told her the password.

"Ice Mice," Rose said clearly as she stowed the map away and started going up the spiral staircase that the gargoyle revealed. At the top of the staircase, Rose knocked on the double wooden doors.

"Come in," Dumbledore's grandfather-like voice called.

Rose stepped into the room, and took stock of her surroundings before smiling at the Headmaster, "Professor Dumbledore, sir."

"Miss Potter, what a surprise," Dumbledore said, although he did not sound surprised at all. "Are you here about Remus?"

"No, sir, I'm here about Professor Snape."

Dumbledore seemed to be on guard instantly, but his face hardly showed it. Rose could only tell because Draco had taught her how to read micro expressions just in case it was needed one day.

"Ahh. Please, sit. Lemon drop?"

"No thank you, sir," Rose said as she sat down, "I'd just like to make a deal with you."

"And what would this deal be, my dear?"

Rose's genial smile turned cold, "I wish for him to be on probation."

Dumbledore seemed startled, but Rose pushed forward, "And I decided that perhaps it would be best to keep these affairs internal, and not bring the Board of Governors into it, but if you refuse me after I give you all the evidence you need that a temporary probation is due then I will bring my evidence to them so they will do what you won't."

Dumbledore sighed and nodded, "Show me your evidence."

Rose smirked, knowing that Snape would be on probation the next day.

Rose woke extremely early the next morning; so early it was still dark outside. She groaned and grasped her alarm clock to the best of her ability, noting that Crookshanks and Maple were partially pinning her to the bed. It was just past four o'clock. Rose sighed but slowly got up, doing her best to not disturb the animals, who got angry at her movement anyways and trotted off angrily.

Thunder was rumbling angrily overhead, the wind was pounding against the castle walls, and there was distant creaking of trees in the Forbidden Forest. In a few hours Harry, George, and Fred would be out on the Quidditch field, battling through that gale. She dressed quickly and put her hair in a donut bun before walking quietly out of the dormitory.

The noise of the storm was even louder in the common room. Rose knew better than to think the match would be canceled;Quidditch matches weren't called off for trifles like thunderstorms. Nevertheless, she was very apprehensive. Harry was a gangly boy, perhaps he would be blown away in the wind?

Rose noticed with a start that her brother was sat in front of the fire and she blinked, "Harry?"

Harry jumped and turned to his twin, "Rose? What are you doing up? Did Peeves get to you too?"

"Peeves? Peeves was in the tower?"

Harry sighed, "I'll take that as a no then. Wanna sit together and think about my imminent doom?"

Rose laughed and shrugged, "I guess I could help you come up with ways you'll die today," she walked over and sat next to her twin, curling into his side, noticing how it didn't feel right anymore. His chest wasn't broad enough, and his arms weren't strong enough. "So, when you die, how do you want the funeral done? I'm sure I could hire some girls to cry over the casket and talk about their eternal love for you before fighting with each other about who loved you most."

Harry shook his head and laughed, "You're most definitely not in charge of my funeral, Rose."

"Oh, you wound me!" Rose exclaimed as she playfully slapped his chest. "I'd give you the best funeral ever."

Harry shook his head, "Then throw me a fake one and I'll watch it from the outskirts."

"I will! Just watch!"

The Potter twins lapsed into comfortable silence. They took comfort in the other being there, their bond renewing after many challenges that they had faced on their own. Rose frowned and looked down, thinking about things for a moment before sighing.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, Rose?"

"Later, after the game probably, I think the twins and I are going to give you something. Trust me, it'll be brilliant. You just… Can't get mad that I had it, okay?"

Harry was immediately on edge, "I promise not to get mad, Rose. Just so long as you don't get mad at me when after that I tell you a secret I've been keeping."

Rose sighed, "Well, I bet the exchanging of secrets will be an interesting experience."

Harry and Rose then decided that it must be time for breakfast, so the headed through the portrait hole.

"Stand and fight, you mangy cur!" yelled Sir Cadogan.

"Oh, shut up," Rose and Harry chorused.

Harry, who had been getting steadily more tired, revived a bit over the large bowl of porridge his sister had sat in front of him. Rose hummed as she dug into her giant Weasley-esk breakfast. By the time Harry had started on toast the rest of the team had turned up.

"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything.

"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Alicia soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."

"Besides, it'll be harder if their captain didn't take care of himself by not eating," Rose said with a sharp glare, offering him a plate she had gotten together for him, much to the twins amusement.

However, they soon found out that Alicia's comment about a 'bit of rain' was very off target. 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.

Rose had cast the impervius charm of her brother's glasses, and Wood had hugged her so tightly that her twins had had to intervene. Rose quickly settled into the stadium and cheered when the Quidditch teams staggered onto the field. Rose could barely make out the Captains shaking hands, and she could almost hear Madam Hooch blow her whistle as they all rose into the air.

Rose immediately lost track of the game, only knowing when Gryffindor scored by the cheers that rent the air from those around her. With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle. Not long after the Gryffindor team was back in the air, but the game was getting more and more dangerous.

There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning. That meant the storm was right on them now, and the Snitch needed to be found. Soon Harry and Cedric were shooting into the sky going after the snitch, getting harder and harder to see. Then there was an eerie silence filling the stadium. Then the wave of cold swept over her, burrowed inside of her, just as she became aware of something moving on the field.

At least a hundred dementors were mobbing the stadium, sucking the happiness out of everyone. It was as if freezing water was rising in Rose's chest, cutting at her insides. Then she heard it… Someone was screaming, screaming inside her head...a woman…

"Not my children! Please, not my babies!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now…"

"Not them, please, no, take me, kill me instead-"

Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Rose's brain… What was she doing? Why wasn't she helping the woman? She was going to die… She was going to be murdered…

She was falling, falling through the icy mist.

"Not Harry and Rose! Please...have mercy...have mercy…."

A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and Rose knew no more.

"Lucky the ground was so soft."

"I thought he was dead for sure."

"He didn't even break his glasses."

"But what happened to Rose?"
"Maybe it's because they're twins?"

Rose could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. She didn't have a clue where she was, or how she'd gotten there, or what she'd been doing before she got there. All she knew was that she could feel every inch of Harry's body aching through the bond, almost as if he'd been beaten.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Scariest...the scariest thing...hooded black figures...cold...screaming…

Rose's eyes snapped open at the same time her twins did. They were lying in the hospital wing. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, spattered with mud from head to foot, was gathered around their beds. Ron and Hermione were also there, looking as though they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool.

"Rose! Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath the mud. "How're you feeling?"

It was as though Rose's memory was on fast forward. The lightning - the Snitch - and the dementors…

"What happened?" Harry asked, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.

"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been - what - fifty feet?"

"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?"

Rose groaned and pushed herself upwards, shooing away George's worried hands, "You idiot! That doesn't matter right now, you fell fifty feet!"

Harry glared at her, but before he could respond George broke in, "Diggory got the Snitch just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to fall it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square…even Wood admits it."

"Where is Wood?" asked Harry and Rose, both realizing he wasn't there.

"Still in the showers," said Fred. "we think he's trying to drown himself."

Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Rose struggled to her feet and sat next to him, wrapping her arm around him.

"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before," Rose said with a small smile.

"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 George.

"But if they beat Ravenclaw…"

"No way, Ravenclaw is too good," Rose butted in. "But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff…"

"It all depends on the points - a margin of a hundred either way-"
Harry sat there, not saying a word. Rose sighed but she understood, for the first time every Harry had lost a Quidditch match.

After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave Harry alone, and to tell Rose she could leave.

"We'll come and see you later," Fred told Harry. "Don't beat yourself up, Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had."

George picked Rose up, getting mud all over her, and carried her to the common room.

"Look, I can carry myself, and getting me all muddy isn't a way to make me happy," Rose said with a pout.

"Oh, don't lie to us, Rose," Fred said. "We all know that you'd much prefer getting muddy to getting all dressed up."

"And you look great doing both," George said with a decisive nod.

"Hey, guys?" Rose said after a moment, gaining their attention again.

"Yes, Rose?"

"Where's Harry's broom?"

"Oh… That… It's sort of… It's very broken. The whomping willow got to it," George said quietly.

Rose blinked, "And your guys' brooms? Are they fine? Did they handle well in this weather?"

Fred and George rolled their eyes, "Yeah, Rose, the brooms you spent too much money buying us worked perfectly fine."

Rose shrugged as they put her down in front of the portrait hole before they all went into the rather subdued common room, "I just wanted to make sure. Now let's all go get cleaned up, then I think we need to raise everyone's spirits."

Gryffindor had never had a losing party before, but if the one they had that night was anything to go off of, it was a tradition that they would never get rid of.