Chapter 10: Connections
Things became a bit tense between Harry, Ron and Hermione, and sometimes between Harry and Josh which Harry was a bit confused by. Josh was trying to ignore them though Hermione would hang out with him because Harry and Ron were angry with her for getting Harry's new broomstick taken away for testing which could last forever.
All in all, they were all glad when the rest of the school returned shortly after New Years, and Gryffindor Tower became crowded and noisy again. Josh left the common room to get away from all his housemates to find some peace and quiet, but before he left, he grabbed the unwrapped Christmas present he got from his mother. He refused to open it because if he did, it would make him feel that it would be the last present he ever got from his mother.
Josh left the common room, some Gryffindors staring at him as he left, obviously hearing about his mother's arrest and believed that since his mother was a bad witch, then he would be a bad wizard.
Josh entered the hallway and left the seventh floor, all the way down and onto the grounds, and stopped in front of the lake. He sighed as he looked out onto the lake thinking about his mother and Sirius Black, and what they could have been doing. He sat down in the snow under the white fully clouded sky.
'What happened to my life?' Josh thought to himself. He took out his wand, deciding to try his spell again, and pointed, "Expecto Patronum!" He said fiercely, but nothing happened. There was no white mist as their usually was, and Josh knew why there was no mist. Because he wasn't thinking of a happy thought. There were no happy thoughts in his mind right now. There was no way he could do the Patronus spell right. Maybe there would be no way for him to ever do the spell right again at all, now that his life turned to the worst.
"Were you trying to do the Patronus Spell again?" asked a familiar voice. Josh's head snapped towards the voice who appeared to Daphne, standing there, wrapped in her Slytherin Cloak.
"Yeah, I was," Josh replied, disappointment in his voice, and turning back to the lake.
Daphne quietly sat down next to Josh. "Why do you like that spell?" she asked, scooting a bit closer to Josh for warmth.
Josh shrugged. "It seemed like an interesting spell to learn when my grandfather told me about it," he answered. "And it'll help against them," he added, pointing off in the distance, where the dementors patrolled on the other side of the lake.
"Yes, they will," Daphne agreed, squinting her eyes towards the far off dementors "So, I heard about your mother," she said after a few moments of silence.
Josh nodded. "Think I'm a dark wizard now?" he asked grumpily with a sigh, standing to his feet.
"Of course I don't," Daphne replied, appalled that Josh would think that, then stood up next to Josh. "Nor do I think your mother is a bad witch either." Josh continued to look out to the lake. "Joshua, I know you feel horrible and that you probably want to kill Sirius for what happened to your mum..."
"I don't want to kill anyone," Josh interrupted, looking back at Daphne, truth and tears in his eyes. "I just want my mother home."
Daphne took Josh's hand. "I'm sure your mum will be out soon," she told him with a smile. "And don't worry, I'll be here for you until your mum gets out of Azkaban." Josh smiled at Daphne who smiled back, both looked into one another's eyes. Josh then moved closer to Daphne and hugged her, which surprised Daphne who thought he was going to do something else.
"Thanks, Daphne," Josh replied, then turned away and began walking back to the castle with Daphne in tow. "But there's something I don't get," Josh said halfway to the castle.
"What?" Daphne asked.
"Why would my mother be helping a known criminal, an insane one at that?" Josh asked.
"I dunno," Daphne shrugged. "Maybe they went to school together or something? Maybe they were in the same classes and were friends?"
Josh shrugged. "I hope not, but I'll have to ask my grandfather about this."
Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs, which Josh found pretty enjoyable for a bit. He had also began to get used to being around Harry without getting a bit angry, but sometimes he wouldn't be able to and would randomly get bitter or just snap at Harry.
The first Divination lesson of the new term was much less fun; Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry that he had the shortest life line she had ever seen.
It was until after Defense Against the Dark Arts that Harry was keen to get to Josh for his lesson; after Harry's conversation with Wood, he wanted to get started on his anti-Dementor lessons as soon as possible. Blaise also sought Josh out as he was just as eager to learn the spell that could defeat the things he feared most.
"Oh, yeah," said Josh, when Harry and Blaise reminded him of his promise at the end of class, coincidently at the same time. "Let's see… how about eight o'clock on Thursday? I think I know a place up on the seventh floor… I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this… We can't bring a real Dementor into the castle to practice on, but I do have an Idea…"
"Still looks ill, doesn't he?" said Ron as they were all walking down the corridor, heading to dinner.
"Who?" Josh asked.
"Lupin," Ron replied as Harry and Josh nodded. "What d'you reckon's the matter with him?"
There was a loud and impatient "tuh" from behind them. It was Hermione, who had been sitting at the feet of a suit of armor, repacking her bag, which was so full of books it wouldn't close.
"And what are you tutting at us for?" said Ron irritably.
"Nothing," said Hermione in a lofty voice, heaving her bag back over her shoulder.
"Yes, you were," said Ron, as Harry and Josh glanced at one another, knowing there would be an argument coming. "I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you —"
"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority. Josh understood a little ever since he ran into Lupin that one day in the Shrieking Shack, but he still didn't know what Hermione really was talking about. He still needed to figure out what he was doing at the Shack, and the potion he had drank from Snape.
"If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Ron.
"Fine," said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off. Harry and Josh glancing at one another.
"She doesn't know," said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again."
Fifteen minutes before Eight on Thursday evening, Josh left Gryffindor Tower with a bag full of chocolate and walked down the hall towards the Barnabas tapestry where he found the door that showed him that boggart. He was at the wall where he saw the door, and what he thought about how the door appeared was that there was some king of Magic room behind the wall and that it would show up if you thought real hard. So, Josh stood there and closed his eyes and began to think. I need a place to teach Harry and Blaise the Patronus Charm on a Dementor, Josh thought.
He thought about the for a while and then opened his eyes to prove that his theory was right. There, opposite of the Barnabus Tapestry was a door. He opened the door and looked inside to see it was a medium sized classroom with a couple of desks and a tall cupboard that was shaking and giving off a small mist. Josh smiled as he entered the classroom and up to the cupboard. He laid his hand on it to feel that it was very cool, making Josh wonder a bit.
"Whoa, I don't remember this room," said a voice.
"Yeah, I thought the Gryffindor Tower was the only thing up here," said another voice, which turned out to be Blaise and Harry when Josh turned around towards the door.
"Blaise, Harry," Josh greeted with a nod. "Come on in and take a seat." Blaise and Harry nodded, entering the room, shutting the door, and taking a sit in the desks that were provided.
"What's that?" Harry asked, pointing towards the cupboard.
"Another Boggart," Josh answered, stripping off his cloak. "Or a dementor, I think. If it's a boggart, it will turn into a Dementor when he sees you and Blaise, so we'll be able to practice on him."
"Okay," said Harry, trying to sound as though he wasn't apprehensive at all. Blaise giving a nervous sigh, hoping he could do this.
"So…" Josh began taking out his own wand, and indicated that the others should do the same. He also hoped he could do this right or not have to show them the spell. "The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry, Blaise — well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."
"How does it work?" Blaise asked nervously.
"Well, I've read a lot on it and even practiced a lot on it, so when it works correctly, It conjures up a Patronus," said Josh, "which is a kind of anti-Dementor — a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the Dementor."
Josh continued, "From what I know and read, the Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon — hope, happiness, the desire to survive — but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But I have to warn you guys, that the charm might be too advanced for you. It is for me too, and as well as many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."
"What does a Patronus look like?" said Harry curiously.
"Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it," Josh answered. "Nearly always an animal, but it does become a shield like shape first."
"And how do you conjure it?" Blaise asked.
"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory," Josh replied.
Harry and Blaise both looked ahead, trying to think of a happy memory. Josh looking both at them for a moment. The two boys looked up and nodded towards Josh showing him they had their happy memory.
"The incantation is this —" Josh cleared his throat. "Expecto patronum!"
"Expecto patronum," Harry and Blaise repeated, "Expecto Patronum."
"Concentrating hard on your happy memories?" Josh asked his friends.
"Oh — yeah —" said Harry and Blaise nodded both concentrating on their happy memories.
"Now add them together," Josh said.
"Expecto patrono — no, patronum — sorry — expecto patronum, expecto patronum." Harry said, and something whooshed suddenly out of the end of his wand; it looked like a wisp of silvery gas. Blaise's wand too did the same thing.
"Did you see that?" said Harry excitedly. "Something happened!"
"Yeah, it was cool," Blaise added.
"Very cool, guys," said Josh with a smile. "Right, then — ready to try it on a Dementor?"
"Yes," Harry said, gripping his wand very tightly, and moving into the middle of the deserted classroom. Blaise looking very nervous as the two stood up to their feet and moved in front of their desks.
"Alright, who first?" Josh asked. Harry raised his hand first and Josh nodded, motioning for him to move forward, while Josh moved to the cupboard.
Blaise moved back, out of Harry's way.
Josh grasped the cold door knob on the cupboard, twisted it, and pulled it open.
A Dementor slowly exited from the tall box, its hooded face turned toward Harry, one glistening, scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The Dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward Harry, drawing a deep, rattling breath. Blaise watching in horror, Josh feeling the cold around them.
"Expecto patronum!" Harry yelled. "Expecto patronum! Expecto —" But then, to Josh's and Blaise's surprise, Harry fainted.
"Oh no," Blaise said as he walked up to Harry when the Dementor closed in on Harry. Josh watched as Blaise lifted his hand nervously. "Expecto patronum!" He shouted nervously but defiantly and a misty shield flew out of his wand, blocking the dementor from Harry and enclosing it back into the cupboard where Josh quickly closed the doors.
Blaise lowered his wand and fell to his knees, while Josh ran over to Harry.
"Harry!" Josh shouted, and Harry jerked back to life as the classroom lamps were alight again. He didn't have to ask what had happened.
"Sorry," he muttered, sitting up as cold sweat trickled down behind his glasses. He looked over to see Blaise on his knees breathing heavily.
"Are you all right?" Josh asked.
"Yes…" Harry pulled himself up on one of the desks and leaned against it.
"Here —" Josh handed him and Blaise a Chocolate Frog each, eating one for himself. "Eat this before we try again. I didn't expect you to do it your first time; I didn't expect either of you too, but Blaise actually did it."
"He did?" Harry said a bit disappointed.
"Yeah, saved you from the dementor," Josh said. Harry looked at Blaise and gave a smile and nodded, Blaise doing the same. Harry then turned back to Josh.
"It's getting worse," Harry muttered, biting off the Frog's head. "I could hear her louder that time — and him — Voldemort —"
Josh nodded in understanding. "Harry, if you don't want to continue, I will understand —"
"I do!" said Harry fiercely, stuffing the rest of the Chocolate Frog into his mouth. "I've got to! What if the Dementors turn up at our match against Ravenclaw? I can't afford to fall off again. If we lose this game we've lost the Quidditch Cup!"
"Quidditch?" Josh said in astonishment as he glanced at Blaise who rolled his eyes a bit. Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Okay then…You might want to select another memory, a more happier memory, I mean, to concentrate on… That one doesn't seem to have been strong enough…Anyway Blaise, let's have you try one more time."
Harry moved back, while Blaise moved forward, looking a bit more calm than usual.
"Ready?" Josh asked, grabbing the doorknob.
"Ready," Blaise answered with a confirming nod.
"Go!" Josh shouted, opening the door, and the room went icily cold and dark once more. The Dementor glided forward, drawing its breath; one rotting hand was extending toward Blaise—
"Expecto patronum!" Blaise yelled. "Expecto patronum!"
And his wand gave off the white mist that turned into a solid shield, blocking the dementor away from him, and he once again led the cloaked figure back into cupboard where Josh closed the doors.
"Excellent," Josh said with a grin. "Looks like you had a good memory."
"Yeah," Blaise said, smiling. "I was thinking about that day I spent with Tra...cey..." he finished lamely, looking at Josh who had a knowing smirk. "Shut up."
"Alright, alright," Josh said, holding his hands up in defense and chuckling. Josh then turned to Harry. "Are you ready to do this again, Harry?"
"I don't know," Harry said with a sigh. "What if I can't do it? I don't have too many happy memories."
"Oh, right," Josh said, "— perhaps we should leave it here for now. This charm is pretty advanced… "
"No!" Harry blurted out. "I'll have one more go! I'm not thinking of happy enough things, that's what it is… hang on…"
Josh watched as Harry began to rack his brain for a happy enough memory, and then seconds later, Harry smile a little, and nodded.
"Ready?" Josh asked a bit worriedly. "Concentrating hard?" Harry nodded. Josh then walked back to the cupboard while Harry stood in front of it. Blaise stepping off to the side. "All right — go!" he said, opening the cupboard, and the Dementor rose out of it; the room fell cold and dark —
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry bellowed. "EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Blaise and Josh watched in awe as Harry conjured the misty shield that blocked the Dementor from him. Harry took a step forward, pushing the Dementor back. He took more steps and pushed the dementor back into its cupboard where Josh shut the doors.
Harry dropped his arm and the charm went away, as he was breathing heavily and leaned against the desk, feeling like he had just ran a mile.
"Excellent!" Josh said, striding over to where Harry sat. "Brilliant, Harry! That's definitely a pretty good start!"
"Can I have another go? Just one more go?" Harry begged.
"Yeah, me too," Blaise added.
"Actually, not now," Josh said . "I think you guys have had enough for one night. Here —" He handed them two large bars of Honeydukes' best chocolate each. "Eat that, it'll bring you back your strength. Same time next week?"
"Okay," said Harry and Blaise as Josh watched them begin to unwrap their chocolate and eat them.
"I gotta go finish my Potions Homework," Blaise said, and began to leave. "See you later, Josh. Harry."
"Later, Blaise," Josh replied and the two Gryffindors watched the Slytherin leave. Josh turned, sat on the desk, andstared at the cupboard.
"Josh, we're good friends, right?" Harry asked. Josh took a bite of chocolate and nodded. "Okay, good. It's just, lately, I can't help but feel that you're kind of mad at me."
Josh swallowed and looked at Harry. "Look, Harry, it's not you," he said. "It's just that sometimes, when I see you, I see your Godfather, Sirius Black, and then that reminds me of what he did to my mother and got her arrested and sent to Azkaban."
"Yeah, I'm sorry about your mother," Harry spoke. "But you have to know, Josh, I actually hate Black as much as you do. I mean, he got my parents killed. he sold them out. And when I see Black, I'm going to kill him and no one's going to stop me," He said defiantly. "I hope he finds me, so when he does, I'm gonna be ready. And not to sounds like a jerk, but your parents are still alive somewhere, and mine are permanently gone, so I should be the one to kille Black."
Josh nodded. "I know," he said, "But yo have to understand that it's only been me and my mum since my dad left and my grandfather is always busy doing something important."
"I get it," Harry replied, then turned to Josh. "Look, how bout we fight him together? For all the pain he's caused us."
"Okay," Josh said with a nod and a smile.
Ravenclaw played Slytherin a week after the start of term. Slytherin won, though narrowly. According to Wood, this was good news for Gryffindor, who would take second place if they beat Ravenclaw too. He therefore increased the number of team practices to five a week. This meant that with Josh's anti-Dementor classes, which in themselves were more draining than six Quidditch practices, Harry had just one night a week to do all his homework. Josh did try to help Harry with his work whenever he needed it.
Even so, he was not showing the strain nearly as much as Hermione, whose immense workload finally seemed to be getting to her. Every night, without fail, Hermione was to be seen in a corner of the common room, several tables spread with books, Arithmancy charts, rune dictionaries, diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects, and file upon file of extensive notes; she barely spoke to anybody and snapped when she was interrupted.
"How's she doing it?" Ron muttered to Harry and Josh one evening as they sat finishing a nasty essay on Undetectable Poisons for Snape. Josh looked up. Hermione was barely visible behind a tottering pile of books.
"Doing what?" Harry asked.
"Getting to all her classes!" Ron said. "I heard her talking to Professor Vector, that Arithmancy witch, this morning. They were going on about yesterday's lesson, but Hermione can't've been there, because she was with us in Care of Magical Creatures! And Ernie Macmillan told me she's never missed a Muggle Studies class, but half of them are at the same time as Divination, and she's never missed one of them either! And Josh even told me that she was in her Ancient Runes class of the other half of Divination but she was still there."
Josh continued to look at Hermione. He had the mystery of Hermione's impossible schedule all figured out. His theory was that Hermione was using some kind od time travel, and Josh knew that there was only one thing to make Time Travel possible. Two seconds later, Josh's thoughts were interrupted by Wood.
"Bad news, Harry. I've just been to see Professor McGonagall about the Firebolt. She — er — got a bit shirty with me. Told me I'd got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you staying alive. Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Snitch first." Harry stared at Wood in disbelief. Ron and Josh glanced at one another then back at Wood incredulously.
Wood shook his head in disbelief. "Honestly, the way she was yelling at me… you'd think I'd said something terrible. Then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it…" He screwed up his face and imitated Professor McGonagall's severe voice. "As long as necessary, Wood"… I reckon it's time you ordered a new broom, Harry. There's an order form at the back of Which Broomstick… you could get a Nimbus Two Thousand and One, like Malfoy's got."
"I'm not buying anything Malfoy thinks is good," said Harry flatly.
Josh finished his essay and put it away. He nodded at his two friends, and walked over to Hermione. "Hey, Hermione," Josh greeted.
"What do you want?" Hermione quickly asked, not taking her eyes off her homework.
"Just wanted to see if you were okay," Josh replied with a heavy sigh.
"I'm fine," Hermione quickly answered, still not looking at Josh.
"Oh, well -"
"Joshua, I said I'm fine," Hermione snapped at Josh who was taken back by her snap. "Now, could you please go away so i can get all my work done, alright? Thank you, goodbye."
Josh stood there with his mouth wide open. Hermione ever really talked to him like that and it was a bit shocking. So, he quietly left her alone and went to his dorm to get some sleep.
January faded imperceptibly into February, with no change in the bitterly cold weather. The match against Ravenclaw was drawing nearer and nearer, and Harry still hadn't ordered a new broom. He was now asking Professor McGonagall for news of the Firebolt after every Transfiguration lesson, Ron and Josh standing hopefully at his shoulder, Hermione rushing past with her face averted and Josh watching her with concern.
"No, Potter, you can't have it back yet," Professor McGonagall told him the twelfth time this happened, before he'd even opened his mouth. "We've checked for most of the usual curses, but Professor Flitwick believes the broom might be carrying a Hurling Hex. I shall tell you once we've finished checking it. Now, please stop badgering me."
To make matters even worse, Harry's anti-Dementor lessons were not going nearly as well as he had hoped. Several sessions on, Josh and Blaise wacthed as Harry was able to produce an indistinct, silvery shadow every time the Dementor approached him, but his Patronus was too feeble to drive the Dementor away. All it did was hover, like a semitransparent cloud, draining Harry of energy as he fought to keep it there. Josh kew Harry felt angry with himself, he could see it on Harry's face. He was even angrier because Blaise was accomplishing it and now had a solid shield attack the Dementor if it got too close, and even produced a figure once, shocking both Harry and Josh who became envious.
"I think you're expecting too much of yourself," Josh told Harry in their fourth week of practice. "For a thirteen-year-old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement, I know. At least you aren't passing out anymore."
"I thought a Patronus would — charge the Dementors down or something," said Harry dispiritedly, sitting next to Blaise. "Make them disappear —"
"From what i read, only the true Patronus does do that," said Josh. "But you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the Dementors put in an appearance at your next Quidditch match, you should be able to keep them at bay long enough to get back to the ground."
"You said it's harder if there are loads of them," Harry said while Blaise ate some chocolate.
"I have complete confidence in you, Harry," Josh said, grabbing his shoulder. "Here — " he said, handing Harry some chocolate, who took it willingly.
"What's under a Dementor's hood?" Blaise asked curiously.
Josh opened up some Bertie Botts Every flavored Beans then lowered them thoughtfully. "Ummm… well, the only people who really know are in no condition to tell us. You see, the Dementor lowers its hood only to use its last and worst weapon."
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"They call it the Dementor's Kiss," Josh answered, with a slightly twisted smile. "It's what Dementors do to those they wish to destroy utterly. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and — and suck out his soul."
Harry choked on some chocolate and coughed while Blaise's eyes widened in horror. "What — they kill —?" Harry asked.
"Not exactly," Josh replied. "It's much worse than that. You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no… anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just exist. As an empty shell, a vegetable. And your soul is gone forever… lost. It's the fate that awaits Sirius Black. It was in the Daily Prophet this morning. The Ministry have given the Dementors permission to perform it if they find him."
Harry sat stunned for a moment at the idea of someone having their soul sucked out through their mouth. But then he thought of deserves it," he said suddenly. Josh nodded in agreement, while Blaise looked between the two.
"Why?" he asked.
"Cause he's a murdered," Harry replied angrily.
"But do you really think anyone deserves that?" Blaise asked.
"Yes," said Harry defiantly, while Josh began to think otherwise. "For… for some things…"
Minutes later, Josh ended the class and began walking back towards the Common Room where the two nearly ran McGonagall over.
"Do watch where you're going, Potter, Anderson!"
"Sorry, Professor —" the two replied.
"I've just been looking for you, Potter, in the Gryffindor common room, Well, here it is, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all — you've got a very good friend somewhere, Potter…"
Harry's and Josh's jaws dropped. She was holding out his Firebolt, and it looked as magnificent as ever.
"I can have it back?" Harry said weakly. "Seriously?"
"Seriously," said Professor McGonagall, and she was actually smiling. "I daresay you'll need to get the feel of it before Saturday's match, won't you? And Potter —do try and win, won't you? Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year in a row, as Professor Snape was kind enough to remind me only last night…"
Josh watched as the Speechless Harry carried the Firebolt back upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower. As they turned a corner, the two saw Ron dashing towards them, grinning from ear to ear.
"She gave it to you? Excellent! Listen, can I still have a go on it? Tomorrow?" He asked.
"Yeah… anything…" said Harry, his heart lighter than it had been in a month, then looked at his two friends. "You know what — we should make up with Hermione… She was only trying to help…" Josh nodded in agreement, only so he could keep a closer eye on her.
"Yeah, all right," said Ron. "She's in the common room now working — for a change."
They turned into the corridor to Gryffindor Tower and saw Neville, pleading with Sir Cadogan, who seemed to be refusing him entrance.
"I wrote them down!" Neville was saying tearfully. "But I must've dropped them somewhere!"
"A likely tale!" roared Sir Cadogan. Then, spotting Harry, Josh, and Ron: "Good even, my fine young yeomen! Come clap this loon in irons. He is trying to force entry to the chambers within!"
"Oh, shut up," said Ron as he, Joh, and Harry drew level with Neville.
"I've lost the passwords!" Neville told them miserably. "I made him tell me what passwords he was going to use this week, because he keeps changing them, and now I don't know what I've done with them!"
"Oddsbodkins," said Harry to Sir Cadogan, who looked extremely disappointed and reluctantly swung forward to let them into the common room. There was a sudden, excited murmur as every head turned and the next moment, Harry was surrounded by people exclaiming over his Firebolt.
"Where'd you get it, Harry?"
"Will you let me have a go?"
"Have you ridden it yet, Harry?"
"Ravenclaw'll have no chance, they're all on Cleansweep Sevens!"
"Can I just hold it, Harry?"
After ten minutes or so, during which the Firebolt was passed around and admired from every angle, the crowd dispersed, and Harry, Josh, and Ron had a clear view of Hermione, the only person who hadn't rushed over to them, bent over her work and carefully avoiding their eyes. Harry, Josh, and Ron approached her table and at last, she looked up.
"I got it back," said Harry, grinning at her and holding up the Firebolt.
"See, Hermione? There wasn't anything wrong with it!" said Ron.
"Well — there might have been!" said Hermione. "I mean, at least you know now that it's safe!"
"Yeah, I suppose so," said Harry. "I'd better put it upstairs."
"I'll take it!" said Ron eagerly. "I've got to give Scabbers his rat tonic." He took the Firebolt and, holding it as if it were made of glass, carried it away up the boys' staircase.
"Can we sit down, then?" Harry asked Hermione.
"I suppose so," said Hermione, moving a great stack of parchment off a couple of chairs. Josh and Harry sat down.
Josh looked around at the cluttered table, at the long Arithmancy essay on which the ink was still glistening, at the even longer Muggle Studies essay ('Explain Why Muggles Need Electricity') and at the rune translation Hermione was now pouring over, and essay he already finished. A few runes Josh thought seemed familiar for some reason, but thought nothing of it. Ever since he started his Ancient Runes class, it seemed pretty easy for him. He just thought he was a natural.
"How are you getting through all this stuff?" Harry asked her, while Josh sat in silence.
"Oh, well — you know — working hard," said Hermione. Close-up, Josh saw that she looked almost as tired as Lupin.
"Why don't you just drop a couple of subjects?" Harry asked, watching her lifting books as she searched for her rune dictionary.
"I couldn't do that!" said Hermione, looking scandalized.
"Arithmancy looks terrible," said Harry, picking up a very complicated-looking number chart.
"Oh no, it's wonderful!" said Hermione. "It's my favourite subject! It's —"
Josh was about to ask Hermione something, but at that precise moment, a strangled yell echoed down the boys' staircase. The whole common room fell silent, staring, petrified, at the entrance. Then came hurried footsteps, growing louder and louder — and then Ron came leaping into view, dragging with him a bedsheet.
"LOOK!" he bellowed, striding over to Hermione's table. "LOOK!" he yelled, shaking the sheets in her face.
"Ron, what —?"
"SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!"
Hermione was leaning away from Ron, looking utterly bewildered. Harry and Josh looked down at the sheet Ron was holding. There was something red on it. Something that looked horribly like —
"BLOOD!" Ron yelled into the stunned silence. "HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"
"N — no," said Hermione in a trembling voice.
Ron threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation. Hermione, Josh, and Harry leaned forward. Lying on top of the weird, spiky shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.
"Uh oh," someone said, and seconds later, Neville came over next to Josh holding something.
"Josh?" Neville called. Josh turned to Neville. "This letter came for you," he said, handing Josh the letter. Josh looked at it to see that it was his grandfather's reply from the letter he sent to him, asking him if his mother knew Sirius Black. Josh watched his friends argue and then walked over to the fire, opened the letter and began to read it.
Dear Joshua,
The answer to your question is yes. I do believe that your mother was in the same class as the notorious Sirius Black, though he was in Gryffindor, while your mother was in Slytherin. I don't know if they were friends, but we did know the Blacks. Good people. Very wise. I did meet Black once, when he was a child. Right before he ran away from home and moved in with the Potters. He was the black sheep of the family. I don't know too much, and since you can't ask your mother, you could as people there that were in the same class as her, like Severus Snape or Remus Lupin. That's all I can give you.
You're Granfather.
Josh finished reading the letter and folded it back. Snape or Lupin? Who should he ask? Well, that's an easy answer. He should ask Lupin about his mother and Sirius, forget Snape.
While his friends were still arguing, Josh slipped away, left the common room, and began to walk towards Lupin's office. Minutes later, Josh stopped at the defense professor's office door and knocked on it. But there was no answer. Josh then opened the door to see Lupin wasn't in his office. Josh sighed and looked around. Where would Lupin be other than his office after dinner. Actually, there was once place he could be.
Josh left the office and left the grounds towards the Whomping Willow. Minutes later, Josh was standing in front of the Whomping Willow, staring at it because it wasn't moving. He took a few more steps closer and yet the whomping willow didn't move. He took a few more steps, but the Willow was frozen. Josh gave a sigh of relief and then entered the whole under the tree and began to travel through the tunnel. Minutes later, Josh reached the trapdoor which was already open, and then climbed through and entered the Shrieking Shack. He stopped at the stairs just as he heard a big thumb and a low menacing growl.
A/N: Sorry it has been a while, only because of lack of motivation because the HP franchise is sort of over, but I realized that it will never be over. As long as I read more, watch more, and listen to the music, I'm sure i can finish these stories. Have any questions, feel free to ask.