Creperum

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Summery: Classes are beginning, Quidditch Try-Outs are brutal and strange and serious things are happening at this school of magic.

Notes: If you'd like me to contact you when I update, please just ask me in an email, review or PM.

Chapter 10

A New Year

After that brief scene in Severus' office, Harry and Selene were quiet around each other as Harry was still upset that she was keeping something from him. Their attitudes changed, however, during the long awaited lesson with the curious Professor Lupin.

The third years had been hearing interesting things about this new professor. They wouldn't admit it, but the Slytherins were looking forward to their classes with him. Sadly, they would be stuck with the Gryffindors as well.

As they sat in the noisy classroom, waiting for their professor, conversations buzzed in Harry's skull like a swarm of pixies whose home had been destroyed.

"What do you think we'll learn?"

"I think that fourth year is cute."

"When are tryouts? Are you trying out?"

"Harry? Harry!"

Harry blinked several times, trying to get rid himself of the stupor in his mind. Draco was tapping their desk with his fingers.

"I asked if you're trying out," he repeated. "You know our policy."

It took a moment for Harry to comprehend the question; he smirked when he finally figured it out. The Slytherin policy towards Quidditch was simple; try out every year, regardless of who you are or how good you are. If someone was better than you, you had three choices: A, be an alternate, B, try for a different spot or C, quit.

"Good afternoon class," Lupin greeted cheerfully as he entered. "Put away your books as you will only need your wands," he said as he entered the class; Harry didn't get the chance to answer Draco.

Lupin stood at the front of his classroom, hands clasped behind him as he waited patiently with a smile. "Right then, follow me please."

The students of two different households rose from their seats and followed their professor. They talked quietly amongst themselves about what they might be learning as they proceeded in rows through the quiet corridors.

Two corridors later, and McGonagall screaming at Peeves, Professor Lupin stopped them in front of the staff room.

Opening the door, he stood back to allow his students through. "Inside please."

The staff room was longer than it was wide and was filled with mismatched furniture, some which looked like it would swallow you if you sat down. The silent sanctuary of the teachers was empty except for one, Professor Snape. Sitting in a low armchair, a thick book held in his hands, he looked around as the students filed in. He rose quickly as Lupin moved to shut the door.

"Leave it open Lupin," Severus said as he rose from his chair, "I'd rather not witness this." He gave a quick smirk to his Slytherins and closed the door with a sharp snap.

"Now then," Lupin smiled. "Shall we?"

Lupin proceeded to the end of the room, towards the old cloak filled wardrobe that Harry had hid in the year before, and preceded to tell them about boggarts. As he explained it to the class, the wardrobe shook violently, causing several students to step back in fright.

"No need to be alarmed, class," Lupin comforted with a chuckle. "Now, Neville, would you please step up here?"

Neville Longbottom, the accident-prone horror of Gryffindor, stepped from the group of Gryffindors slowly, his face red in embarrassment as he stood beside the professor.

"Now, as I have explained, a boggart is a shape shifter and having to many people will confuse the creature. There is a charm that will repel the boggart, but only laughter will truly destroy it. The charm forces it to assume a shape of something you find amusing."

Lupin paused for a moment to observe his class. "This charm is riddikulus! Practice this please…riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" The class repeated in unison.

"Wonderful," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. Now, Neville, I need your assistance. First of all: what is the thing that frightens you the most?"

Neville was shaking worse than the wardrobe at this point. He opened his mouth, but nothing could be heard.

"A little louder, please," Lupin said gently. "Its alright, Neville."

Neville took a shaky breath. "Professor Snape, sir," he answered quietly.

The class broke into laughter, even Neville laughed slightly.

"See, that wasn't so hard now was it," Lupin smiled, clasping a hand on the nervous boy's shoulder briefly. "I believe you live with your grandmother, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Neville told him, "but I don't want it to turn into her either."

Harry smirked, laughing to himself; he could understand how Neville felt. As much as he loved his Grandmother Rebecca, he really didn't want to face her. The woman was frightening when she wanted to be.

"Don't worry, Neville," Lupin told him, looking as though he was trying hard not to laugh. "I'm wondering if you could tell us what it is she wears."

"Well…it is always the same hat, a tall and dark one with a large stuffed vulture on top," he said slowly. "She wears a long dress…green usually…with a shiny red handbag and a fox-fur scarf."

"All right, Neville, I want you to picture those clothes perfectly, even after the boggart sees you," Professor Lupin instructed. Neville closed his eyes tight in concentration. "As for the rest of you, I want you all to think of what frightens you the most. Concentrate now," he instructed.

The room was silent as they all thought of what frightened them. Harry was unsure…Voldemort? Lycans? Or maybe a furious Constantine or Rebecca…

Harry could remember the one time he was truly afraid of Rebecca. She had furious with Amadeus for some reason and Harry was thankful she couldn't do magic. Her fangs had grown and her eyes seemed to burn; he could picture her appearance as her hair flew around her in her rampage, fists clenched…only her skin seemed to be rotting, scab-like. The pale blue dress was becoming ragged and filthy in appearance as Rebecca transformed into a Dementor…

Harry's eyes snapped open, blocking the image from his mind, shivering slightly.

"Is everyone ready?" Lupin called.

'No…' Harry thought.

"Everyone back now please, let's give Neville some room," Lupin said, taking out his wand. "Remember Neville, its riddikulus! On the count of three," said Professor Lupin, pointing his wand at the wardrobe handle. Neville hand was shaking slightly as he raised his wand.

"Three-two-one-now, Neville!"

Sparks shot from Lupin's wand and hit the handle, flinging the door open. The familiar, menacing form of Professor Severus Snape stepped forth. He bore down upon Neville, reaching inside his robe.

"R-r-riddikulus!" Neville squeaked.

There was a whip like crack as Snape stumbled. The billowing black robes had been replaced by a lacy green dress. A large hat covered his greasy hair with a leering vulture atop it; a red handbag was swinging on his arm.

The room erupted in laughter, several students (the Slytherins included) were doubled over and Selene was wiping tears from her eyes from laughing.

"Parvati! Forward!" Lupin shouted as the boggart froze.

Parvati stepped forward, taking Neville's spot. The cross-dressing Snape disappeared and a bloodstained mummy took his place with a loud crack. It spotted the young girl and lumbered towards her, dragging its feet with stiff arms raised.

"Riddikulus!" Parvati cried.

The class laughed again as the mummy stumbled, its head falling off and rolling away.

"Ron!"

Ron ran forward and a giant spider appeared, causing several people to scream. Harry felt Selene flinch and step back; she disliked spiders greatly. Ron's spider quickly scrambled towards him, but with a loud crack its legs disappeared, causing it to roll around.

The pattern continued for some time. A Banshee, a rat, a vampire, and a large rattlesnake, each turned into something amusing.

"Selene!"

Selene stepped forward, laughing. With a crack, the boggart transformed into Selene's fear and her laughter vanished. True fear had taken its place inside her.

With a crack, the zombie boggart transformed into the figure of a handsome adult male. He had the face of an angel with doe brown eyes and a head of childlike blonde curls.

Selene stood rigid before him, as though a statue of stone, her hands clenched tight in fear. It seemed as though time had stopped as Lupin rushed forward to help her. The boggart opened his mouth; Harry could see the fangs of their kind.

"Sicarius!" He shouted, pointing at her.

Selene spun on her heel and fled from the room, the door banging against the stone. Harry's classmates started whispering as the boggart laughed; his laughter reminded Harry of the sound of nails on a chalkboard and made his skin crawl. Ignoring Lupin, Harry ran after Selene, worried extremely about her. He had seen her face death untroubled, but this one man had rattled something deep within his friend.

Harry searched through their usual haunts as he ran all over the castle and couldn't find her until a portrait pointed him in the right direction, towards Serpent's Tower. The original students of Slytherin House, as a place to escape to besides their windowless dungeon home, had created Serpent's Tower; it was accessible only to Slytherins and the serpents like door couldn't be seen by those of the other houses. Harry had yet to explore it well and it was not available on the Marauder's Map either.

"Selene?" Harry called as he walked up the spiraled stone stairwell. Standing atop the final step, he found her sitting on the windowsill, curled up tightly with her chin on her knees.

Harry walked up to her slowly, allowing her to think. He leaned against the cool stone and stared down at the grounds far below. "It's alright to be scared," Harry finally told her, repeating what Rebecca would tell him after his childhood nightmares.

"I haven't shown fear in years," Selene responded blankly. "Anger, joy, disappointment, depression, love…but never fear."

"Why?"

"Survival. You show your fears others know your weaknesses. I fear a dead man," Selene explained.

"Selene," Harry said, placing a hand against her cheek gently and forced her to look at him. "Do not fear the dead. They can't be brought back to life. It's impossible."

"Look around you, kid," Selene argued. "We are at a school that teaches magic. You and I are vampires. We have seen and fought against things that are thought to be fantasy. That is impossible. You and I are the impossible!"

Selene let out an audible sigh as she faced out the window again, placing her chin back atop her knees. "Nothing is impossible, Harry," she told him quietly. "There is always a way."

As Harry watched her, she seemed to have an air of uncertainty about her; she seemed…older. "Yes," he murmured, hugging her around the waist as she leaned against him, "always a way."

The minds of the Slytherins were quickly brought from the events of their class with Professor Lupin as the day of Quidditch try-outs approached.

"Why am I coming with you?" Selene asked for the twentieth time since they had left the castle after breakfast that morning.

"Because it will do you good to get out and clear that mind of yours," Draco told her in annoyance; the repeated question was starting to grind on his nerves.

"It will do you good to hit something," Harry told her as they walked onto the brightly lit Pitch.

"The hell!" Snapped the voice of Slytherin Team Captain, Marcus Flint. He eyed Selene in disbelief. "A girl?"

Selene blinked several times in confusement as she stared at him. "Can I hit him?" She asked the boys innocently.

"No," both Draco and Harry told her quickly, causing her to pout, with arms crossed her chest.

"What position you trying for, girl?" Flint barked, stopping Selene's pouting session.

"Beater."

"I figured Chaser," Harry muttered to Draco, around Selene, with a grin; Selene elbowed him in the ribs sharply.

"Forget it! I ain't letting no girl in that spot!"

"I'm trying out for Beater," Selene repeated, serious now. "Or it will be that empty skull of yours that we'll use for a Bludger."

Flint narrowed his eyes at her as if daring her to try anything. "Malfoy, seeker again?" He asked, moving on finally. "Thought so. Potter! Position?"

"Seeker," Harry told him.

Flint continued to separate the group of Slytherins into their positions, though none were trying for his Keeper spot. The team Beaters were used in the try-outs for the other positions, so they went first. Only one Beater from the year before was returning and there were five others trying out; Selene was the only female.

At first the two Bludgers were batted across the pitch and different lengths, angles and speeds and then Flint split them into groups; this was when things got brutal. Bats cracked against the iron balls sending them flying at a frightening speed towards the opposing Slytherins. Selene was barely able to dodge a large fifth year, more ape like than human. She held on, however, knocking on fourth year unconscious, giving the returning Beater a black eye with her elbow and threatening another to make him a woman after a sexist remark.

After enough brutality, Harry could see why the Slytherin Beaters were feared; Flint blew his whistle. "Enough! Get down here!"

The remaining students lined up on the ground, brooms in hand; every one of them was marked from the battle of try-outs. Selene stood straight, her hair flying away from its long braid. There were several bruises appearing on her skin, on e extremely nasty one on her cheekbone; Harry noticed three of her right fingers were jammed.

The boys looked no better. Bruises, cuts, blood and fractures were their medals of valor. The ape-like boy's bottom lip was split open from being hit with someone's bat.

"You," Flint barked, pointing to him. "You're in; name?"

"Victor Dawson," the ape-like boy answered gruffly.

Flint just nodded and looked down the Beaters line, seemingly arguing with himself.

"She's in," a voice from behind said coldly.

"Excuse me-Professor Snape!" Flint snapped turning around, his reaction changing when he saw whom it was.

"Hart is in," Snape repeated, his lips curled in an amused sneer. "Slytherin strives to be the best and she's one of the best."

"Yes, sir," Flint agreed. "Hart, you're on," he snapped. Selene responded only by popping her fingers back into place. Flint glared at her for a moment.

"Alright, we've got our Beaters," he barked. "Next will be...Seeker! Line up!"

Harry stood in a line alongside Draco and several other boys, his sleek Nimbus 2001 held in his hand. From the equipment chest, Flint took out several Snitch sized balls and ordered them into the air. From the air, Flint used his wand to control the balls and sent them soaring at various depths, angles and speeds. Sometimes the balls soared up, while sometimes they soared down. The candidates had a specific amount of time to catch the balls; if you failed, you didn't progress. Harry progressed to the second step after a spectacular catch. Flint had sent one of the balls flying up so it would hurtle towards the ground at an alarming rate. In slow motion, Harry saw the ball soar up and then arc downwards. Angling his broom, Harry soared downwards as the ball flew on its own accord. He stretched out his hand, caught the small ball effortlessly a foot from the ground, and had plenty of time to straighten his broom, causing him fly in a brief spiral parallel to the ground before he tossed Flint the ball. The others were speechless; Snape told him quietly, he hadn't seen flying that well since Charlie Weasley, a former Seeker of Gryffindor House.

The second round of try-outs was with the Beaters. They would take the role of a Seeker as though it were an actual match. Using the real Snitch, they had to try and catch it while avoiding the Bludgers. Whoever caught the Snitch quickest would be the new Seeker. Flint sent them up, one by one. Out of the six that had made it to that round, three of them had to be sent to the Hospital Wing after being pulverized by Selene and Victor. Draco and a second year had made it through, but the second year's time was horrible.

Flint ordered Harry up and the two Beaters held nothing back as Harry searched for the small golden orb. He lost track of time as he dodged the iron balls, bats, fists and elbows but finally he saw it, the glimmer of gold. Like lightening, he streaked after it, twisting around Selene's bat as she swung for him. Quicker than the first round, he caught the Snitch.

"You're in, Potter!" Flint shouted as he stared at his watch. "Make a choice, Malfoy."

Draco looked Harry over for a moment. "Chaser," he responded.

"Alright, get in line!"

The Chaser try-outs went without problem or injuries. The candidates threw the Quaffle back and forth to each other and Flint took notice of the best. Finally, he made two teams of three of the best and pared them against the Beaters. In the end, two Chasers were returning from the previous year along with Draco; Harry heard a younger student say that he made a better Chaser than he did Seeker.

"You have just made your way onto the Slytherin House Quidditch Team," Flint told them after the team assembled. "Practices will be hard and they will be brutal. I will show no leniency to slackers and I am not here to hold your hand or kiss any injury you get during practice or matches. You will work hard and long and we will again show the other houses what we are made of. Practice begins Monday; now get out of my sight."

Flint wasn't kidding when he said they would work hard at practice. Every other day, the team of seven ran drills to the point of exhaustion. Even for a vampire, at the end of the day, Harry felt like he had been ran over and drug by an express train. Selene kept saying he was getting rusty and Harry hated when she said that. With his luck, his weekends would soon be Quidditch practice, homework and Madam Selene's training drills.

By the time Halloween rolled around, muscles Harry forgot even existed were aching and he was glad they had time off for the feast. The small group of friends toasted each other's survival of Flint's practices. Earlier that day had been their first Hogsmeade visit and after several sugar and Butterbeer highs later, the group was laughing and giddy.

The night was one laugh after another with the students still laughing and talking about it as they proceeded to their common rooms later that night. However, their laughter soon disappeared.

"Silence!" Severus Snape shouted as he stormed into the common room. "I want silence!"

"You will all follow me to the Great Hall," Snape announced. "I want you to be silent until we get there. Stay together and I want the prefects to stay with the younger students through the corridors," he instructed. "Follow me."

"What do you think happened?" Draco asked as Snape turned around in a billowing of black robes, first years following right behind.

"I don't know," Selene said quietly, staring straight ahead. "But I don't like it."

The Slytherins joined the students from the other three houses in the silent Great Hall, each looking extremely confused and frightened.

"The teachers and I will be conducting a search of the castle," Dumbledore announced and the doors loudly closed, sealing them inside. "For your own safety, you will need to stay here for the night."

"Yay, a slumber party," Selene mumbled as the Head Boy and Girl stepped forward.

Dumbledore turned and was about to leave when he turned back around, smiling. "Ah yes, you'll be wanting these..."

With a flick of his wand, the long tables stood themselves neatly against the walls. With a second flick, hundreds of soft purple sleeping bags appeared on the stone floor.

"Good night," Dumbledore said gently, before leaving out the staff door.

"Alright, what is going on?" Draco snapped as he grabbed a sleeping bag. Percy Weasley, the Head Boy was ordering them to sleep. Harry grabbed a sleeping bag and joined him in a corner. Sitting down, he could see Selene talking to a Hermione.

"What happened?" Harry asked when she rejoined them, dragging another sleeping bag over.

"A break in," she said quietly. "Sirius Black broke into the castle during the feast and attacked the portrait guarding Gryffindor Tower when it wouldn't let him through."

Draco sat back, his arms resting on his knees. "What was he after?" He asked, looking at Selene confused.

"I'm not sure," Selene said shaking her head. "Unless he didn't know..."

"Know what?" Harry snapped. Both Draco and Selene knew something he didn't and he found it infuriating; it was too much like Snape's office all over again.

"Nothing," Selene said quickly, as the candles went out around the hall.

"All right everyone!" Percy called into the darkness. "Lights out! Time to get some sleep!"

"Selene," Harry hissed.

Selene ignored him, using Percy's orders to her advantage to avoid answering him. Infuriated, Harry crawled into his sleeping bag and tried to get some sleep.

Harry slumbered peacefully for several hours while the Head Boy and Girl, Prefects and staff members patrolled the school and the sleepy hall. Nothing had been found of Sirius Black, but, nevertheless, Harry had been awoken with a start. Selene barely touched his sleeping bag as she rose and Harry opened his eyes in time to see her disappear into the shadows. Careful to avoid detection, Harry rose as well and followed her through the shadows and up into the cloudy rafters, carefully finding a way from the hall.

Through the shadows they roamed, carefully avoiding professors as they searched silently. Selene stopped finally before a stone gargoyle, entrance to the office of Headmaster Dumbledore. Something was whispered into his stone ears and the gargoyle sprung aside, allowing the female vampire passage through to the dark halls. Harry stepped forward as Selene's bare feet and loose satin robe disappeared. Quickly, he named every sweet he knew of before he was finally allowed passage.

Stepping forward into the bleak darkness, Harry traversed up the spiral stairs until he came upon a door bearing a large griffin knocker.

"He needs to know!"

"He is just a boy, it would devastate him."

Harry leaned carefully against the heavy door, trying to hear the argument within better.

"Harry is only a boy of thirteen, but he has seen much more than some of you."

"Miss Hart-"

"I'm not finished, Dumbledore," Selene interrupted. "When Harry became a Death Dealer, I made a promise to his grandmother to protect him. When Black escaped, we thought it would be safer for him not to know, but now I can no longer believe in that. How can I keep him safe if he is blind to the truth?"

"It would be safer if Harry didn't know. Black tried to gain access into Gryffindor," Dumbledore argued.

"Maybe Black doesn't know his house; both his parents were Gryffindors after all," Snape informed them.

"It doesn't matter his house!" Selene snapped. "Harry needs to know the truth about his family; it is his right! I can't..."

Selene's argument could no longer be heard as someone inside the office deafened it from Harry's ears. It was useless for him to stay longer, raising the chance of being caught. Quietly, he made his way back to the Great Hall and laid his head down to rest. Sleep would not return to him, even long after Selene returned. Everyone knew something about him that he did not. What did Sirius Black have to do with his family and what did he want with him?

Well, here is chapter 10 of Creperum. I cut this chapter in half to keep it shorter and it is 11 pages long. I hope to start chapter 11 soon. Thank you for sticking by my crazy update schedule and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you'd like another read, check out one of my other stories: Beautiful Oblivion and Lithium are both new. Have a wonderful weekend!

Sunday, February 11, 2007