After what felt like forever, Melody finally managed the patronus charm. She wanted to try it out, so she formulated a plan. She couldn't go against a boggart, because Dementors weren't her biggest fear, she knew that much. There was no one she could ask to accompany her, in case it didn't work, she'd be at fault for an innocent person losing their life. The only thing left was to make Lupin accompany her. She walked towards his office, non of his things were in the classroom which surprised her. "-resigned, actually." "Resigned, why?" "Seems that somebody let it slip the nature of my condition. This time tomorrow the owls will start arriving and parents will not want, well, someone like me teaching their children." "But Dumbledore-" "Dumbledore has already risked enough, besides, people like me are, well, let's just say I'm used to it by now." - Melody heard the conversation, but stayed in the classroom. "Why do you look so miserable, Harry?" "Non of it made any difference, Pettigrew escaped" "Didn't make any difference? Harry, it made all the difference in the world, you helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate. It made a great deal of difference." - the sound of footsteps inching closer to the door. "If I am proud of anything, it is of how much you have learned this year. Now, since I'm no longer your teacher, I feel no guilt, whatsoever, by giving this back to you. So, now I'll say goodbye, Harry. I feel sure we'll meet again sometime, until then... mischief managed." - Lupin said and Melody saw him entering the classroom. "It wasn't me, I swear." - Melody said as soon as Lupin saw her and he nodded with a small smile on his lips. Her brain finally processed what she heard. "So, he's innocent?" - Melody asked Lupin, her voice barely above a whisper, Lupin nodded. "Well, where is he, where is he now?" - she questioned, a lump forming itself in her throat. "He's on the run." - Lupin answered. "No, I heard you said you caught the actual criminal, why does he still have to run?" - she felt like she was about to cry. "He, Pettigrew, got away..." - Lupin admitted. "Oh." - there was a long pause. "I thought I'd finally have a family, that I could finally get away from the Malfoys...I thought that my family was finally redeemed..." - she felt tears dripping down her cheeks and Lupin was moving towards her. "Don't touch me." - she said at. "Don't." - she whispers and she hates how broken she sounds and feels, she wipes away her tears and leaves the classroom, pushing through the busy hallway. She wants to run until her muscles feel like bursting, but she just walks. Her mind is going a thousand miles per second and she crashes into someone, she already braces for the impact, but someone pulls her by her arm and she is leaning against him. Melody pushes away and looks up, Marcus Flint. "Sorry, captain, I wasn't looking where I was going." - she stares at the ground expecting to be pushed or slapped or punched. "You okay, Black?" - Flint asks and she looks at him surprised and before she knows it, tears are spilling out of her eyes again and she can't form a proper sentence, she looks down and doesn't dare move. A growl and footsteps, she looks to the side, Oliver Wood is approaching and he looks pissed. "What did you do to her?" - Oliver yells at the taller Slytherin, he grabs him by the collar and pulls him up."Ol-" "What is going on here?" - she recognizes Snape. Melody turns to face the professor while whiping away tears. "It's my..fault professor.. I was teasing Gryffindor's.. captain.. and he thought it was Marcus.. I'm completely at.. fault." - she hated how her voice broke, Snape looked at her, but nodded his head. "Miss Black, 10 points will be taken from Slytherin, for starting unnecessary fights." - Snape turned to leave and Melody relaxed. "Melody!" - she recognized Lupin's voice and jumped in surprise, she turned to run, but Snape and the two captains, unintentionally, blocked her way. "Melody, there you are, we didn't finish our talk." - Lupin was out of breath. Melody pushed between the two captains and ran, she hid for the rest of the day in her bed, the patronus charm long forgotten. Lupin had left Hogwarts after lunch, most of the students were sad, but they were also relieved since the dementors were sent away.
Most of the crowd screamed for Gryffindor, Melody found this a bit annoying. Angelina was first to score, Marcus crashed into her and after that Fred threw his bat at his head. Flint's head smashed into the broom handle and broke his nose. Alicia Spinnet then scored, but Wood defended against Flint. Katie scored another penalty, after Montague grabbed her head. Flint then passed her the quaffle in the last moment, so Melody managed to score. One of the batters hit Alicia, so George elbowed him in the face, which resulted in two more penalties. Oliver defended and Gryffindor scored. Katie scored again and the result was 50:10. Both of Slytherin's batters winded Wood two bludgers into the stomach, Melody winced at that, but Oliver was still in the air. Angelina scored again and after Alicia scored, Gryffindor led by 60 points. Alicia missed the penalty and Melody managed to score. Angelina scored again. Draco and Harry were both after the snitch, Melody noticed a grim expression cross the Weasley's faces. Knowing there'd be no time, Melody flew into the path of the two bludgers, she was knocked off of her broom, but managed to protect Draco, who was finally focused on winning rather than ridiculing Potter. Melody crashed into the ground, above her, Harry managed to catch the snitch just before Draco. "You have got to be kidding me?" - she whizzed out while trying to sit up, hot rage clouding her sense of pain. "For the love of..." - she punched the ground as Draco landed next to her. "Melody, are you alright?" - he kneeled next to her and helped her sit up, Melody glared at him. "Good game." - her features softened and she flashed him a smile, which he returned. "Thanks." - he rubbed the back of his neck, letting go of Melody and she slumped down. "I'm so disappointed right now." - she admited and tried lifting herself to her feet, only to be pushed back down. "Your ribs are probably broken." - Draco told her. "I know." - she said and pushed his hand away. She was on her knees now, just a bit more and she'd stand. Draco threw her arm over his neck and helped her stand up, she nodded gratefully, biting the inside of her mouth. The two walked to the celebrating Gryffindors and the gathered crowd. The team looked at them weirdly and Melody smiled, Draco shifted uncomfortably. "George, Fred, that was one Slytherin move." - she grinned at them and they smiled sheepishly. "Congratulations, Gryffindor!" - she said and the people that had gathered from the stands continued celebrating, they were throwing Harry in the air. "I'm fine now." - she told Draco and he let her stand on her own, she smiled at him and he returned to the sulking Slytherins. Melody walked through the crowd, careful not to disturb her already painfull ribs, until she found who she was looking for. "Olly!" - she yelled as loudly as she could, trying to be louder then the crowd around her friend, he seemed to notice her and pushed through to her. "Olly." "Mel." - the two exchanged smiles. "Your chest, are you alright?" "Yes, just a bruise, I'm fine." - she lied. "Alright." - he grinned and crushed her in a hug, Melody gasped in pain, but she quickly got used to the feeling and returned the hug. "Congratulations, Olly! I'm sorry, but I'll have to take the cup back, next year. Keep it clean for us, will you?" - she joked and Oliver glared at her playfully. "Look, I'm sorry for what the twins did, it was a stupid move, but we were kind of desperate." - he admitted and Melody laughed. "It's alright, I'm just glad that both of my favorite captains had the cup in their seventh year." "You're the best person in the world, you know that, right?" - he asked her after a while, his hand unconsciously moving away loose strands of hair from her face, she smiled brightly. "So, what's next?" - she asked him as they sat on the ground, a bit further from the celebration. "I think I'll go pro." "Really?" "Yes, I think this is what I'm made for." "That was a rhetorical question. I knew, I always did." - he looked at her questioningly. "You look so happy when you're playing, even when you're stressing out 'cause the game is not in your favor. It's all in your eyes, you were made for this." - the silence that followed was comfortable. "You know, you two are alike, a lot, actually." - Oliver looked at her confused, he followed her gaze to the brooding Slytherin. "Flint and I? We're nothing alike." - Oliver went into defensive immediately, but relaxed once she looked at him. "Actually, you are. You're both insanely passionate about quidditch. You both desperately try to please those around you. You'd do anything to win, Marcus in a Slytherin way, while you in your Gryffindor way. Honestly, you two could be best friends, if it weren't for the sorting thing..." - she smiled at him. "Wow, you're a good observer." - Oliver noticed. "Thanks, you're even better. What do you think, Olly? If it weren't for the fouls and if Marcus wasn't pressured by his father, would he be a good player, would he be a good friend?" - she asked and his brows furrowed. "I guess, he is the best chaser I've ever seen, he's even better than you, an- wait! How did we come to talk about Marcus?" - Melody smirked. "Congrats on winning, Olly." - she leaned over and kissed his cheek, she got up and winced at the pain in her chest. "I think your team is going on a party, have fun, Olly." - she walked back to her team. "What were you talking about?" - Marcus asked her as she leaned on the wooden wall. "Nothing much, just congratulated him." - she was breathing heavily. "Are you- Melody!" - she dropped to the ground just as Marcus turned towards her.
"I'm not even going to bother this time." - she said while putting her bag over her shoulder. "I'll write this time, I promise." Melody glared at him. "You're right, better not bother... But I will write sometime or maybe I'll even visit." - he hugged her and she returned it. "Alright, my home is always open for you." - they exchanged one more hug. "You're my favorite." - Marcus kissed her forehead, he then ruffled her hair and entered the train. Melody looked to the side, where two grinning Gryffindors stood and exchanged whispers. Melody sighed, she rolled her eyes and entered the train as well, searching for that one cabin, with familiar faces. "George, Fred, Olly." - she entered the cabin and sat opposite the three Gryffindors. The cabin was full of chattering noises and with that, the Hogwarts Express headed back to London.