Chapter 9

A Memorable Match

The castle was abuzz with talk of Sirius' escapade on Halloween night. The students talked about nothing else while we Professors did our best to quell the subject. We refused to engage in conversations that concerned Sirius and tried our best to dispel any rumors pertaining to him. Some professors went so far as to find reasons to walk with Harry to his next lesson, but I never saw the point. Everyone seemed to forget about the upcoming Quidditch match until Friday; then Sirius and his break in were forgotten.

As for me and Remus, things came to a dead stop following our rift. We barely spoke to each other, unless it was to say "Good morning, can you pass the blackberry jam please?" It was all rather pathetic. What made matters worse, the memories decided to return. My mood was rather grumpier for it too.

By the time Saturday came around, I was really looking forward to a good Quidditch match-up for a distraction. Saturday came, however, with a torrential downpour. There were few things for which a Quidditch match would be called for, and a bit of rain wasn't one of them. So after breakfast I wrapped up tightly, cast an impervious charm on myself, and carried a jar of flames out to the pitch.

The pitch was decked out in banners of Red, Black, and Gold. The match was originally scheduled to be Gryffindor versus Slytherin, but the Slytherin Seeker Draco Malfoy was claiming that he was still incapable of using his arm after an incident with a Hippogriff named Buckbeak that occurred during the first week of classes (nine weeks ago!) It was a show of typical Malfoy cowardice. If the school played by league rules, then Slytherin would have been forced to play without their Seeker or forfeit the match. However, since this was school and it was "just for fun," Gryffindor was now playing Hufflepuff.

I sat in the Headmasters Box along with most of the other Professors and Dumbledore. McGonagall was, as usual, in the press box with Lee Jordan. And if Remus was there, he was sitting elsewhere.

The match went on for some time with the score going back and forth. Gryffindor was slowly taking the lead. The skies were gradually darkening, and the rain was steadily falling harder. When Gryffindor was up by fifty points, Wood called for a time out.

"What is Miss Granger doing on the pitch?" Flitwick asked no one in particular.

I leaned in towards him so I wouldn't have to shout. "I imagine she's casting and impervious charm on Harry's glasses."

"That girl is brilliant."

"She may have just won us the match."

"Now, now," Professor Sprout said from behind us. "Don't discount Mr. Diggory so easily. Harry may be faster, but Cedric is less likely to be blown off course by this wind."

"It makes little difference who wins this match anyways. They'll still have to face Ravenclaw and we've a superb team this year," Flitwick said with a squeak.

I laughed. "Were you Professors always this vocal at matches?"

"Indeed, Miss Porter," Dumbledore said with a twinkling smile.

"Oh! Oh look!" Sprout shouted suddenly. "What did I say? He's spotted it! Mr. Diggory's seen the Snitch!"

I looked to where she was pointing excitedly. Sure enough, Cedric was speeding down the pitch chasing after something my eyes couldn't detect through all the rain. I looked around for Harry's location. He'd seen the Snitch too, or at least, he'd seen Diggory flying towards it. But Harry was quite far behind.

"Come on Harry!" I cheered.

No sooner had I begun cheering, however, and a bitter, icy cold came over the stands. A swarm of Dementors flew over the stands in Harry's direction, while several others headed around the stadium for the spectators. I had no time to think about what I was doing. I simply acted on instinct. I pulled out my wand, spoke the incantation, and focused on my happiest memories.

12 August 1989

"Mum!" Jonathan's voice squeaked slightly as he called for me. He came running into the kitchen a moment later, an envelope in his hand. I smiled.

"It's here! It came!" he exclaimed.

"Oh? Are you so certain of what it is?"

"Look at it, Mum! What else could it be? It's just as you described it: thick yellow parchment, green ink, and no stamp! And look at how it's addressed!" He held it up for me to see again.

Mr. J Porter

Second Bedroom on the Left

5 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

"I see that, Jonathan, but I also see that you haven't opened it yet. Go on then. What are you waiting for? Christmas?"

Jonathan grinned madly before tearing open his letter and reading it aloud.

"Dear Mr. Porter… We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September first. We await your owl by no later than July thirty-first!"

With each new sentence his voice grew louder.

"And then it's signed by someone name McGonagall! See! I told you it came!"

"Well of course it did, Sweetheart. I never had a doubt." I pulled him in close and kissed the top of his head affectionately. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks! Oh! I almost forgot. You got one too!"

"Me?" I took the letter he offered in shock. It was made of the same yellow parchment and written in the same green ink. It was addressed as such:

Ms. K. Porter

First Bedroom on the Left

5 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

"Well go on, open it! What are you waiting for? Christmas?" Jonathan mocked.

I opened my letter with a little more poise and read it quietly to myself.

"Huh."

"What? What does it say?" he asked.

"How would you feel… if I went to Hogwarts too?"

"How do you mean?"

"There's a position opening up as the Astronomy Professor. The Headmaster wants to know if I'd be interested in it. Of course, if you don't want me to go, I won't."

"Are you kidding, Mum? It's brilliant! You have to go! I can't imagine going without you!"

6 November 1993

My Patronus leapt from stand to stand quickly, bringing relief to the affected students. But it wasn't enough to deter the Dementors pursuing Harry. So I dug deeper into my memories.

12 August 1978

I walked into the old house, heart racing excitedly, and my luggage floating alongside me. The hall was silent but I could hear the faint hum of music coming from a room in the back. I paused at the door and glanced behind me at Peter and Jacob.

"Are you ready?" I whispered.

Peter nodded.

"They're going to be psyched to see us," I said.

"Wait? You didn't tell them we were coming?" Jacob asked, sounding worried.

"No. Well…they know, but I may have told them the wrong day…accidentally…oh alright, it was on purpose," I added at Peter's blatant look of disbelief.

"And people think James is the wicked one," Peter said with a shake of his head.

"Where do you think I got it from? Come on."

I pushed open the door and stepped into a brightly lit room with a small crowd of Order members. There was a slight pause as everyone looked around to see who had arrived. Then there was another pause before they realized we were early.

"Kate!" Lily shouted before running over and throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. James and Sirius were right behind her, fighting for attention.

"You're early!" Lily said, her excitement evident in her voice.

"Surprise!" I replied.

"And blonde," James said holding up bits of my hair.

"I don't like it," Sirius added.

"Gee thanks," I said. "I hate it too, but I figured if I was going to try and pass as Pete's sister, I needed to at least look the part. I'm changing it back as soon as I can."

"You wouldn't have had to change it if we'd simply been dating like I suggested," Peter pointed out.

"Well yeah, but that would have been weird don't you think?"

"Why?"

"Because," I said. "I'm kind of shagging your best mate. Speaking of, where is that furry bum of his?"

"I do not need to know how furry Moony's bum is," James groaned.

"Well it's…"

"How was America?" Sirius asked, quickly cutting me off. "And who's your friend?"

"It was…different," I answered before introducing Jacob to the group.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Wicked Eyes."

"And this is Prewitt Number One, and Prewitt Number Two," I said.

"I never know which one of us is One and which is Two."

"Well obviously I'm One; I'm older."

"Yeah, but I'm prettier."

"We're identical."

"You two are certifiably mental; you do know that right?" I laughed. "Merlin! I've missed you!" I threw an arm around each of them and hugged them together. As I stepped out of the hug I did another quick scan of the room.

"He's not here yet," Lily said in my ear.

"Where is he?"

"Dumbledore's got him keeping tabs on the Wolves," James said.

"The same Wolves that Greyback leads?" I asked.

"The very ones." He smiled sadly and I pulled my lip in between my teeth.

"Moony's tough, Leo. He can handle Greyback," Sirius said encouragingly.

I nodded in agreement. "You're right. I shouldn't worry. He will be here though, right?"

"He's usually a few minutes late, but yeah he'll be here."

"Oh! I can't take this anymore!" Lily said suddenly.

She threw her hand in my face so quickly that I had to lean back so as to not be smacked. I immediately saw what had her so excited though. I ripped her hand down to get a better look.

"Oh my!"

"I know!"

"You're…"

"Uh-huh!"

"He…"

"Yup!"

"And you…"

"Yes!"

And then we squealed so shrilly and so suddenly, that everyone in close proximity to us had to cover their ears. We hugged tightly.

"You'll be my Maid of Honor?"

"What? Me? I…Yes! Of course!"

"We're going to be sisters!"

"I've always wanted a sister!" We hugged again.

"Don't I get a congratulatory hug as well?" James asked, but I waved him off.

"So when is it, or have you not set a date yet?"

"The twenty-seventh of September," Lily said.

"Of…Seventy-nine right?"

She shook her head. "Seventy-eight."

"Seven…but that's next month! Are you…?"

"No, no, I just didn't see the point in waiting."

"I did enough of that at Hogwarts," James said under his breath.

"Precisely. Besides, it's just going to be a small ceremony. You're parents and mine, and our closest friends at the chapel in Godric's Hollow. That's all I need."

"It sounds perfect. I'm so happy for you. For you both," I said turning to James and giving him his hug at last.

13 August 1978

I lay on the bed, a little clammy and slightly out of breath.

"Wow," I said. "Maybe I should go away more often."

"No," Remus said as he snuggled into me. He buried his face in my neck so that his lips brushed against my skin as he spoke. "Never. I'm never letting you leave again."

"Oh? Did you miss me or something?"

"Or something." He smiled.

I laughed and turned onto my side to face him. I ran a hand over his cheek and behind his ear.

"I missed you too," I said before kissing him.

Thinking of Remus led to several flashes of the two of us together. There were even a few from the last two months. Harry was still being pursued though.

12 August 1979

"Ahhhh…."

Suddenly my scream was met by an equally fierce wailing and a great release of pressure. I fell into the pile of pillows breathlessly. After a few agonizing moments, in which the wailing slowly stopped, the nurse walked over and handed me a small, tightly wrapped bundle.

"Congratulations, Miss Potter. You have a son," she said.

My eyes instantly swelled with tears as I took in his pink face and pinched eyes.

"Oh, Kate, he's precious," Lily gushed at my side. "What are you going to name him?"

There was only one name I had in mind.

"Jonathan," I said softly. "Jonathan Harold."

Lily smiled tenderly. "It's perfect."

6 November 1993

My Patronus burst forth, no longer a single leopard leaping from stand to stand, but a large enveloping mass. It swallowed the whole stadium in a radiating glow causing the Dementors to flee as quickly as they'd come. Unfortunately, it looked like the damage had already been done. It was like watching the incident in slow motion. Harry leaned sideways and fell from his broom.

XXX

I paced nervously up and down the aisle in the hospital wing. I was unable to sit still like the others were; the leopard was too agitated. As he was falling, Dumbledore managed to slow Harry's decent, but he still hit the ground rather hard. Madam Pomfrey said there didn't appear to be any major injuries, but she couldn't do a full work up without Harry's input. And he was currently unconscious.

"Katherine, the pacing won't make him wake up faster," Madam Pomfrey said softly.

"No? And what will? Tell me and I'll see that it happens."

"You know it doesn't work like that. The mind has to heal on its own. You of all people should understand that."

Madam Pomfrey was the only person apart from the Heads of House that knew my secret. Since Jonathan was the son of a werewolf, we didn't really know what changes puberty might bring about. So we thought it best to inform Poppy just in case monthly arrangements needed to be made. Fortunately, they didn't.

"I do. I do understand, but that doesn't make it any easier to handle. How did Mum remain so calm all the time? If I stop pacing my hand does this." I held up my hand to show the healer how it shook. "I prefer the pacing."

Madam Pomfrey scrunched her face in worry. "You look pale too. I heard about the Patronus; such a strong one really takes its toll on the caster. I can whip up a tonic to help you relax if you'd like me to."

"Yeah, alright," I said with a nod.

She smiled and turned towards her office.

"Poppy, while you're at it, how about some more of that sleeping draught? After today, I have a feeling tonight is going to be rough."

She nodded and continued on her way. I resumed my pacing.

Not long after Pomfrey left, the hospital doors opened and Remus walked in. He looked nearly as disheveled as I felt. His eyes took in the crowd around Harry's bed before finding mine. I walked over to him.

"Has…has he woken yet?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. Poppy doesn't think there's major damage, but she doesn't really know without his help."

"What happened? Dumbledore was furious. He said something about Dementors, but I didn't fully catch it."

"They attacked the students at the match." I choked on my sobs as I tried to keep my tears back. "I guess the excitement of it all was too much for them to ignore. Several of them went after Harry. He fainted and fell off his broom. I tried to chase them away, but there were so many of them. I wasn't strong enough, or I didn't act fast enough, or…"

"You did great, Katherine," Remus said, cutting me off and placing a hand on my shoulder. "I heard about your Patronus. They said it covered the whole stadium like a blanket."

"Only in the end, and only because I thought of the first time I held Jonathan…"

My voice cracked with emotion and suddenly I felt myself being tugged forward as Remus wrapped his arm around me. A few tears leaked out, but the overall nervous jitters seemed to fade.

"I can't lose him, Remus. I can't." I clutched at his robes as I gave into the tears.

"Shh, No one's losing anyone today." His hand slid over my back soothingly as I inhaled his calming scent.

"Harry," Fred said suddenly. I pushed out of Remus' embrace quickly and walked back over to the bed, wiping the tears from my face as I went. "How are you feeling?"

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"You fell, what, was it…fifty feet?"

"We thought you died," Alicia Spinnet, one of the chasers, said.

"But the match? What happened? Are we doing a replay?" Harry asked.

"You fall fifty feet off your broom and you're worried about losing a bloody match?" I said. In all honesty though, if I hadn't been so worried and upset I would have laughed.

"We lost?"

"Diggory got the Snitch," said George.

"Enough of this, move aside Jonathan." I ushered him out of the way so I could sit next to Harry. "You can talk about Quidditch later, but first, how do you feel Harry? Anything feel broken? Any pain? Any numbness?"

He shook his head no. "I feel fine, Professor Porter."

"Alright, now follow my finger."

"Professor, really…"

"Appease me, Harry. Do you know how many knocks to the head Jonathan took when he was younger?"

"You know, that may explain some things," Jonathan quipped.

"Shove it, Jonathan," I said. "Now, Harry…" I held my finger up before his face. I moved it from side to side and up and down a few times. His eyes followed it easily. Then I held up a few more fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Six," he replied. My eyes widened. "Three! Sorry! It was only three. I was just trying to be funny."

I stood up and turned to face Madam Pomfrey who had just returned.

"Well?" she asked me.

"I'm no healer, but I am a mother. There doesn't appear to be any major head trauma, and I think it's safe to his smart-arsery is fully functional."

"Professor!" she scolded.

"Relax, Poppy. We're like this weird, convoluted family."

"Yeah, Professor Porter's our future Aunt," Fred chimed in.

"What?" I turned around quickly to eye him.

"We heard Mum talking you up to Bill this summer," George replied.

"If she married your brother she'd be your sister-in-law, not your aunt," Katie Bell pointed out.

"Unbelievable," I said with an eye roll. I turned back to Harry. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, Professor," he said. "I told you didn't have to worry about me."

"And I told you that a mother never stops worrying. Face it Harry, you're a part of this convoluted family too."

"Yeah, she could your Aunt-Sister as well," George said.

"Mum's practically adopted you already," Fred added.

The group began talking about Quidditch again, and what would need to happen for Gryffindor to remain in the running for the cup. I turned back to Madam Pomfrey and took the vials she offered me.

"Thanks," I said. "I promise to only use them if I need them now. I may be alright without the nerve relaxant, but I'll probably still need the sleeping draught."

"Just be careful, Katherine. And I promise to keep you informed on Harry's condition."

"I'd appreciate it." I turned back towards the door, remembering that Remus was there as well, only to find that he wasn't. He had already left.