I snuck back that night, and waved at Harry, who had heard me. He smiled.

"I was waiting for you." He said.

I blushed. "Oh really now?"

He nodded. "You seem to come and visit when I'm hurt you know."

I nodded. "I do. Now part of it is because you're injured and you're not in the Common Room and such, but the other part is because you looked like you had something on your mind…like you saw your Grim."

Harry looked astonished. "What?"

"I saw it too. A big black dog, silhouetted against the sky in the empty row of seats." I told him slowly. "Why didn't you mention it?"

"Because Ron would freak out and Hermione would scoff. I figured you would scoff too, so I just kept my mouth shut." Harry explained.

I nodded. "Well I wouldn't have scoffed. If it makes you feel any better, I don't think that you have the Grim, just a guardian. I mean, what does an owl mean? If you haven't noticed, I've had an owl following me ever since Diagon Alley."

"I saw the Grim back…"

"Summer with the Dursleys?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Well, maybe it's just a guardian."

"You just don't want to believe that I'm going to die."

I smiled and nodded. "Trelawney is nutters. You'll be fine Harry."

He smiled. "Thanks Lana. Just, don't tell anyone about this okay?"

I nodded. "Cross my heart. Good night, Harry."

And I kissed his cheek and lingered there for a moment as a tingly feeling entered my stomach, and then when I hurried back to the Common Room, Oliver was lying on the couch. I smiled and walked over to him standing in front of the couch.

"Well, I'm glad to see that you didn't drown yourself." I told him.

Oliver smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"So why didn't you come out anyways? Harry thinks it's all his fault and you weren't there to tell him that it wasn't." I frowned. "Now that's not like Oliver Wood. What have you done with him?"

Oliver laughed. "He's just disappointed. I was beaten by Cedric."

"Well technically, Harry was beaten by Cedric…and well…Dementors…and I was beaten by Cedric…and the team was beaten by Hufflepuff." I said.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Oliver asked smiling slightly.

I nodded. "You weren't beaten by Cedric. Harry and I were."

"Wait…you? How were you beaten by Cedric?" Oliver asked.

I smiled. "Wow…you weren't paying attention to me now were you? Well I guess Harry falling off the broom was pretty big for everyone to see…but when I saw him fall, I reached out for the Snitch, and my fingertips touched it, but Cedric's hand clasped over it before I could snag it. I dunno what it would've done…us forfeit…a replay…but I felt like I had to."

Oliver sat up and took my hands.

"Lana…without you on this team, I would die." He told me.

I blushed. "Thanks Oliver. Wait…but I didn't catch it."

"You tried, and that's the only thing I care about…you touched it? Cause if you did…that's a foul. It's known as a snitchnip." He sounded sincere, but still crushed.

"Well…I didn't actually touch it. I just…it sounds cooler that way…until you mention that it's a foul. I just…it was a reflex."

Oliver laughed. "Yes…well…we still lost…I still lost."

"Oliver, you didn't lose to Cedric." I said again. "Really."

"Says you."

"You're just jealous, Oli."

Oliver blushed and nodded.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, you are much cuter, talented, kind and caring, your eyes and smile are heart stopping, your accent makes me giddy, and you're always there to comfort and give hugs and kisses on the forehead when people need it." I told him. "Now does Cedric do that? I think not, but Oliver Wood sure would, and does. If women can't see that, then that's their problem."

Oliver stood up and kissed my forehead. I was half expecting him to kiss me for my loving words, and I think he thought that I thought that and he kissed me. I had closed my eyes as he kissed my forehead, and then all of a sudden there were lips on mine, and fingers running over my hair.

I was in shock this time though. The first time I had just been caught up in a moment, but this time, I hadn't even really seen it coming. Now I was just totally giddy, and if anyone walked in, they would see the rosiness of my cheeks, and the sparkle in my eyes. When I said lightening before, I meant lightening, and this time was more intense.

"What was that for?" I asked him.

"For always being there for me." Oliver said.

Then he walked up to his Dorm, and I sat there in complete bliss. Not that this really meant anything, but I was giddy nonetheless.

****

Madam Pomfrey kept Harry in the Hospital Wing all weekend. I must admit that I missed his company…except that I saw him almost every waking moment. I had even convinced Oliver to go and see Harry with the rest of the team to tell him that it really wasn't his fault. Monday was weird though, since Lupin came back, which was absolutely wonderful, but Hermione and I had done Snape's work, and Lupin just dismissed it. All that work down the drain…I was going to get Lupin for that. After class I talked to him about it…and well, Harry was there too.

I had waited until Lupin mentioned the Whomping Willow being planted when he got there, to step up and listen to them.

"So you heard about the Dementors too?" Harry asked.

Lupin nodded and I blushed.

"Really, with my eldest Goddaughter as your best friend, what don't I know?" Lupin asked.

"Plenty." I said.

They turned to me.

"I knew you were still here." Harry said.

I nodded. "Of course you did."

"So why do the Dementors affect me like that? Am I just—" Harry had turned back to Lupin.

"It has nothing to do with weakness. The Dementors affect you in a different way because you have horrors in your past that others don't." Lupin told him.

"You're not weak Harry. Haven't you learned this by now? I might not have fainted, but the Dementors affected me as well. There's that coldness that fills your heart and lungs, and the screams…" I stopped and sat down.

"You hear screams too?" Harry asked.

I smiled lightly and then stopped. "Yeah, but not to your extent, Harry. But weakness has absolutely nothing to do with it. Dementors are among the foulest creatures known on earth. They dwell in dark dank places, and glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence though they can't see them. You get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you and if the Dementor feeds off of you long enough, it will reduce you to something like yourself…only soul-less and evil."

I stopped and frowned.

"I've read the books, and then the Dementor set foot on the train, and everything I knew about them became reality. I was no longer the carefree child that I was. Still carefree maybe, but I was reminded of the night that my father was murdered by Death Eaters. I heard screaming and shouts and I wasn't even there. The ways that I've dreamed that my father died suddenly came to life in a jolting vision in my head that made me shake uncontrollably, and though I don't faint…it was the worst experience of my life." I continued. "I mean, knowing what they can do, the worst that happened to you Harry was that you fell off your broom. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"When they get near me—I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum." Harry said suddenly.

I saw Lupin about to set his hand on Harry's shoulder but not touch him, but I had to. I set my hand on his, and stood up next to him, leaning on him. He seemed to be okay with it, but he was angry.

"Why'd they have to come to the match?" He asked.

"They're getting hungry. Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up…I don't think that they could resist a large crowd in the Quidditch stadium…All that excitement…emotions running high…it was their idea of a feast." Lupin said.

"Sickos!" I muttered.

"Azkaban must be terrible." Harry told Lupin.

Lupin nodded. "It's a fortress set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don't need walls and water to keep prisoners in, not when they're trapped inside their own heads, prevented from a single cheerful thought. Most go mad within weeks."

"Yes, but Sirius Black escaped." I said.

Lupin's briefcase slipped and he stooped down quickly to retrieve it.

"Yes, Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible…Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of their powers if he is left with them too long…" Lupin said.

Then it hit me! Sirius Black was part of this whole Marauder's Map thing…but I already knew that—and have mentioned it, so you know it too. Bear with me here. He couldn't possibly have fought the Dementors because he didn't have any powers. He had to have tricked them by becoming his Animagi form…that had to be how he escaped!

"You made the Dementors back off on the train." Harry said suddenly.

I nodded. "You used the Patronus Charm."

"There are certain defenses one can use. But there was only one Dementor on the train…the more there are the harder it is to resist." Lupin told him.

"What defenses?" Harry asked.

"Could you teach Harry, Scott, Chelsea and I?" I asked.

"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting Dementors…quite the contrary…" Lupin said.

"Lupin…Harry could use this for Quidditch matches and such…and Scott and Chelsea and I…and our family are being tracked by Death Eaters…and I play Quidditch too…and we kind of need whatever help you can give us right now." I pleaded.

Lupin looked into mine and Harry's determined faces and nodded.

"Well…all right. I'll try and help but it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the Holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill." Lupin said.

Harry thanked him and left, but I told Harry I'd meet up with him and turned back to Lupin.

"Sirius escaped the Dementors at Azkaban by assuming his Animagus form. He had to have…shouldn't we tell people?" I asked Lupin quietly.

Lupin shook his head. "I thought of that, but…"

"But it shows that you guys did some things that Dumbledore would frown on?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Well I don't like letting Dumbledore down either, but if Sirius is trying to kill Harry, then maybe it's time that we told someone…that you told someone." I said.

Lupin smiled.

"That's your mother's spirit there." He told me.

I smiled. "Thanks."

Then I hugged him and headed towards the door.

"Oh, Lana?" Lupin asked.

I turned around. "Yeah?"

"You're a great friend and sister. Watch out for them…not that you don't already…but just be careful, okay?" He asked.

I nodded, and then turned around again.

"Thanks for the Firebolt…and thank dad too when you see him." I smiled.

He nodded, and I went off to the Common Room.