Chapter Eleven:

Elizabeth woke up early the next morning to the sound of her roommates chatting while they packed. Elizabeth got dressed quickly, heading to the common room. She wanted to catch Tobias before he left to wish him a Happy Christmas, and she did indeed find him just as he was pulling his trunk from the boy's dormitories.

"Tobias," Elizabeth said, hurrying over to him, "I was hoping to catch you."

"Yeah, I just finished breakfast and I'm heading down to the train," Tobias said a bit quickly, "Happy Christmas, Elizabeth. I'll see you when I'm back."

"What?" Elizabeth hurried to keep up with her boyfriend, "Is this about yesterday? Tobias, I'm sorry, I just...I guess I freaked out a little. Can we not leave the holidays on bad terms?"

Tobias sighed, putting down the end of his trunk and looked fully at Elizabeth.

"I wasn't thinking to, I was hoping to just head on out without having to have this conversation..."

"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth asked slowly.

"I just..." Tobias started, then sighed, looking away as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I just don't think things are working...Between us."

Elizabeth suddenly felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her and she stared at Tobias.

"Wh-what?" she asked weakly, her voice shaking.

"You're great," Tobias said slowly, shifting a little and cleared his throat, "You're a really great girl, Elizabeth. It's just you always seem somewhere else, even when we're supposed to be together...I can't be your boyfriend when you're constantly heading off to be with someone else. I'm sorry. I just don't think we should date anymore."

Elizabeth felt herself trembling now, staring at Tobias. He cleared his throat again, grabbed his trunk, and left. Elizabeth couldn't move, just standing alone in the tunnel, staring at the closed door separating the Hufflepuff common room from the basement corridor.

Tears were stinging Elizabeth's eyes now. She didn't know what to do. When she woke up, she still had a boyfriend. And now...She didn't.

And it was basically her fault. She kept putting her friends first. She should have known that would push him away...

The porthole opened and, for a fraction of a second, Elizabeth had the wild thought that Tobias was coming back. Though she instantly had that thought squashed when it wasn't Tobias, but Cedric and Lewis that came in. Elizabeth immediately felt herself flushing. She must have looked as bad as she felt because Lewis was instantly over at her side.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Without even really aware she was doing it, Elizabeth moved forward, wrapping her arms around her brother and hiding her face against his chest, her glasses pushing against the bridge of her nose but she didn't really care.

"I can see this is a sibling thing," Cedric said nearby, "I have to finish packing anyway. Happy Christmas, Lewis, Elizabeth."

"Happy Christmas," Lewis said, then leaning back and lifting Elizabeth's face, "Come on, let's find somewhere out of the way."

Elizabeth nodded slowly, letting Lewis lead her from the common room, his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. They walked until they found an empty classroom and the two went in, sitting down against the wall.

"So, what's wrong?" Lewis asked, "What happened?"

Elizabeth sighed, resting her head against her brother's shoulder.

"Tobias and I broke up," she said softly.

Elizabeth felt Lewis' arm tighten on her shoulder, and he was quiet for a moment.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he finally said through gritted teeth. Elizabeth almost smiled at that. She knew Lewis never had liked her dating.

"He dumped me," Elizabeth said softly, "Just before he left for holidays."

"That git," Lewis hissed, "Dumping you and running so he doesn't have to deal with it? And on the holidays?"

"It's kinda my fault," Elizabeth whispered.

"Of course it's not," Lewis said instantly, straightening up and turning to Elizabeth.

"I think it is," Elizabeth tucked some of her hair back, "I...Sort of kept spending more time with my friends than him...I skipped our first Hogsmeade trip to be with Harry, because he couldn't go and I didn't want him sitting around alone...And yesterday, during our date, I just...I heard something that sort of freaked me out, so I hurried off and just left our date..."

"It sounds more like it's his fault," Lewis said, "Sounds like he was jealous and couldn't take you spending time with friends."

Elizabeth frowned. She really doubted Lewis was right. After all, Tobias was a sweet guy. She was sure she had pushed him away, putting friends over dating. But she knew Lewis was trying to make her feel better. And she appreciated it.

"Thanks, Lewis," Elizabeth said, reaching up and wiping her eyes. She wasn't aware when it was she had started crying...

"Anytime, Liz," Lewis said, "How about we head back to the common room, play some gobstones?"

"That sounds great, but maybe later," Elizabeth said, "Harry...Had some really bad news yesterday. I'd like to check up on him."

"Okay," Lewis said, getting up, "See you at lunch?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth said, "Thanks again."

Lewis gave Elizabeth a grin before leaving the room. Elizabeth got herself up, dusting off her skirt before heading out of the room and making her way up to the Gryffindor tower. The castle was getting more quiet now, and when Elizabeth looked out the window, she didn't see any carriages heading to the trains. Apparently students had all left now. Maybe the others were up by now...

Elizabeth had just reached the top of a stairway and turned into the corridor when she walked right into the people she was looking for, all three of them wrapped in warm cloaks.

"Harry! I was just looking for you," Elizabeth said, forcing herself to grin. She hoped her eyes weren't too red, but the way Hermione looked at her told her they were.

"We tried to get you on the mirror," Harry said, "We're going down to visit Hagrid. I want to know why he never told me Black was my parents' friend."

"Oh..." Elizabeth looked over to Hermione and Ron, both of whom looked worried as Harry started off and Elizabeth hurried to catch up. She was about to match pace with Harry, but Hermione took her arm and pulled her back.

"Were you crying?" she asked in a whisper.

"I'm okay," Elizabeth whispered back, "I'm more worried about Harry."

Hermione frowned at Elizabeth, but honestly, Elizabeth didn't feel like sharing the news she was single again twice in one morning, so she quickened her step to walk with Harry and Ron. Elizabeth couldn't blame Harry at all for fixating on what he learned yesterday. She just hoped he learned a difference between wanting Black back in Azkaban and actively doing something about it himself...

When they got outside, the cold air hit Elizabeth and she shuddered, tightening her arms around her, suddenly wishing she had her cloak. She huddled up against herself as they hurried down to Hagrid's, and Elizabeth positioned herself among the others for their warmth, and using them to break the wind before it got to her.

After the first few knocks, there wasn't any answer. Elizabeth, starting to feel numb in her face, hands and feet, glanced worriedly at her friends.

"Do you think something's wrong?" she asked.

"Hagrid!" Harry suddenly called loudly, banging on the door, "Hagrid, are you in there?"

Elizabeth shivered, moving closer to Harry next to her for warmth as the door opened, and it was immediately apparent that he had been crying.

"Yeh've heard?" he asked, immediately hugging Harry—and Elizabeth since she was so close. Elizabeth yelped, trying not to collapse under the weight. Thankfully, Ron and Hermione hurried to their rescue and moved Hagrid to a chair in his hut. Elizabeth quickly followed inside, eager for warmth. Immediately, she was met with the sight of Hagrid sinking to a chair and hiding his face in his arms on the table.

"Hagrid, what's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, moving closer and resting a hand on the giant man's back.

"What's this, Hagrid?" Harry asked, motioning to a letter lying on the table. Hagrid's response was to cry louder before pushing the letter to Harry, who picked it up and began to read as Elizabeth went over to read over his shoulder:

Dear Mr. Hagrid,

Further to our inquiry into the attack by a hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

However, we must register our concern about the hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.

"Oh..." Ron said slowly, "But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get off."

"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" Hagrid was finally managing to settle down in his crying and looked up at the others, his eyes red, "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!"

A noise nearby made Elizabeth jump, squeaking a little in the process. She spun around, then noticed a massive creature laying on Hagrid's bed. The back half seemed like a normal horse, but the front half was like a massive eagle. Its bird-like head was bent over, eating on something that looked like a ferret.

"I couldn' leave him tied up out there in the snow!" Hagrid said, "All on his own! At Christmas!"

Elizabeth glanced at her friends, but didn't say anything. She didn't exactly think the creatures Hagrid called 'interesting' stopped there. Sure, they could be fascinating, but they were often dangerous an illegal. Hippogriffs, however, weren't illegal creatures. Elizabeth knew that as long as they had the proper spells in place to detour Muggles, there was nothing wrong with keeping hippogriffs.

"We'll help you, Hagrid," Elizabeth said, "We'll do some research, find some way to help get Buckbeak off..."

It took nearly half an hour, but Elizabeth and the others finally managed to convince Hagrid that they could help, that they could find a way to free Buckbeak. Slowly, Hagrid began to cheer up, wiping his face and starting to grin at the four.

"I've not bin meself lately," Hagrid said finally, petting Fang who'd come over to him, "Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no one likin' me classes—"

"We do like them!" Hermione said, which Elizabeth knew was a lie. They never talked about Care of Magical Creatures, except for how boring it was feeding flobberworms all the time.

"An' them dementors makin' me feel ruddy terrible an' all," Hagrid went on, "Gotta walk past 'em ev'ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks. 'S like bein' back in Azkaban—"

Hagrid cut himself off, focusing on his mug of tea. Elizabeth came over to Hagrid, patting him on the back. He had never talked about Azkaban, and Elizabeth couldn't blame him. Not with the stories she'd heard.

It took time, but they were finally able to cheer Hagrid up as the light grew dim outside. Hagrid insisted on walking them back to the castle and to the Great Hall. Elizabeth looked over and noticed Lewis at the Hufflepuff table.

"Want to come eat dinner with my brother?" she offered, looking to her friends, "I mean, it's holidays, the tables are pretty empty."

They agreed, and Elizabeth led them over to Lewis, all taking seats at the table.

"Feeling better, Liz?" Lewis asked, and Elizabeth felt herself flushing as Harry and Ron gave her a curious look.

"Were you sick?" Harry asked and Elizabeth shook her head.

"I broke up with Tobias this morning," she said, turning her attention to putting food on her plate.

"Oh, Elizabeth..." Hermione said sympathetically, a hand going over her mouth.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Elizabeth said, not looking up. She didn't want to see the looks of pity her friends most likely had.

At least she had a distraction over the Christmas holidays. Every day, Elizabeth spent her time in the library with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, looking up information to help Hagrid with Buckbeak's defense. Elizabeth always felt a bit odd, surrounded by the decorations and spending her time looking up animal trial cases. Most were horrible examples and Elizabeth often lost her appetite before dinner.

If there was one good thing about all of it, Lewis seemed convinced Elizabeth wasn't up to anything involving breaking rules. With Tobias breaking up with her, and Elizabeth throwing herself into the work of helping Hagrid, Lewis seemed satisfied that his sister wouldn't get u to anything dangerous. In fact, he often came over to help them research. After all, he said, having Hagrid as a teacher wasn't a bad thing. He liked the groundskeeper and wanted to help.

Christmas morning came and Elizabeth woke up to a usual small pile of presents at the foot of her bed. Elizabeth eagerly went through them, grinning at her gifts. She got a small, wooden jewelry box from her mother, with a flower engraved on the lid. Various sweets from various friends—though Elizabeth wasn't surprised. With Hogsmeade access, she was sure most all third years got their friends sweets from Honeydukes. She'd done the same, after all.

There were only a couple of non-sweets presents. The jewelry box from her mother, a new broom compass from her brother, and a matching bracelet and necklace from her aunt. A new quill and ink set from Hermione...She was always one about practical gifts.

Elizabeth got dressed, deciding to wear the new jewelry from her aunt, and made her way into the Hufflepuff common room where Lewis already was.

"Happy Christmas, Liz," he said with a grin, "Up for a game of Wizard Snap?"

"Sounds great!" Elizabeth said, coming over to her brother. She hadn't gotten to spend much time with just him. Even over their Christmas holiday, they've been spending most of their time in the library with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

The two spent the entire morning playing rounds of the explosive card game. It was nice to get time with each other like this, just playing and joking around.

"This is actually really nice," Lewis said halfway through their fourth game, "I've spent so much time studying for my O.W.L.s, or even helping you the past week, I've kind of neglected just relaxing."

When lunch game along, the two made their way upstairs to the Great Hall. As they entered, they noticed the tables were gone. Instead, there was one large, round table in the center of the room where the Heads-of-Houses were already sitting with Filch, Professor Dumbledore, a Slytherin Lewis said was in his year, and a couple of first year Ravenclaws.

They had just sat down when the Great Hall doors opened again and Elizabeth looked up to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione had arrived. Elizabeth grinned and waved to them, and they came over and Harry sat next to her.

"Good Christmas?" Elizabeth asked as they made their plates, and Dumbledore donned a large hat with a stuffed vulture on it he got from his Christmas cracker.

"So far, yeah," Harry said with a nod, grinning at Elizabeth.

"You should see what he got!" Ron leaned around Harry, "He has a Firebolt!"

Elizabeth dropped her fork in shock, her eyes widening as Lewis choked on his pumpkin juice.

"Someone sent you a Firebolt?" Elizabeth asked weakly, "A Firebolt?"

"Who sent you that?" Lewis asked, his own eyes wide.

"I don't know, there wasn't a tag," Harry said, though he was grinning himself, "I won't have to borrow your broom anymore!"

"I don't blame you," Elizabeth shook her head, "That...That's any Quidditch player's dream broom. I don't even play Quidditch but I'd love to use a Firebolt!"

"That broom probably costs more than what Mum makes in a year," Lewis said in disbelief, "Someone must really like you, Harry, to send one anonymously."

"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!"

Elizabeth looked up. Sure enough, Professor Trelawney had come into the Great Hall. Elizabeth suddenly realized she'd never seen her Divination teacher outside of the classroom. She couldn't remember a single time Professor Trelawney was ever at the staff table during a meal.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," Professor Trelawney said in her usual mysterious tone, "And to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you forgive my lateness..."

Dumbledore quickly welcomed Professor Trelawney, pulling up a chair from midair for her. She took her seat, looking around the table.

"But where is dear Professor Lupin?" she asked.

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," Dumbledore said, "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas day."

"I hope he's okay," Lewis whispered, "He gets sick so often..."

"But surely you already knew that, Sibyll?" Professor McGonagall asked. Elizabeth knew their Transfiguration teacher had little respect for the Divination teacher.

"Certainly I knew, Minerva," Professor Trelawney replied, glaring at her fellow teacher, "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."

"That explains a great deal," Professor McGonagall said sarcastically. Elizabeth kept her gaze down, though she wasn't too happy. She might not believe everything Professor Trelawney said, but she still respected her teacher and thought there was a lot of truth to things she taught.

"If you must know, Minerva," Professor Trelawney said coldly, "I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him—"

"Imagine that."

"I doubt that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger," Professor Dumbledore cut in cheerfully before the two women could argue more, "Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape replied simply.

Elizabeth glanced over at Harry next to him. Lupin was sick, and Snape was making the potion? Just like at Halloween...Elizabeth didn't want to think Snape was up to anything, but...It clicked. Once wa a coincidence. Twice, however?

They didn't get much time to think on it, however. As they ate, Ron started talking about brooms again. Harry told Elizabeth he'd bring it down from the common room to let her see it once they were done eating, maybe they'd all go out and take turns flying it.

Elizabeth agreed eagerly and told the boys she'd meet them in the entrance hall as they headed off, though Hermione stayed behind at the table. Elizabeth hurried to her common room and grabbed her winter cloak before heading back into the entrance hall.

When they finally came down, however, Elizabeth immediately noticed that, even though they were in winter cloaks, bundled up in scarves and hats, neither of them were carrying a broom.

"Where's your Firebolt?" Elizabeth asked, seeing their frowns.

"Hermione went to Professor McGonagall," Ron said bitterly, "She gave her some insane idea that Sirius Black could have sent Harry the broom, so now Professor McGonagall's confiscated the broom. She wants to test it for jinxes."

"What?" Elizabeth asked, horrified, "She wants to...Stripping down a broom like that is...What was Hermione thinking? There's no way Black could have gotten that broom! Someone would have seen him walking in, or there'd be some report in the Daily Prophet about someone breaking into Quality Quidditch Supplies, they're the only store that carries them right now..."

"That's what we think," Ron said, "But Professor McGonagall wants to test it."

Elizabeth shook her head slowly. Stripping down a Firebolt? The thought wasn't something Elizabeth cared to linger on. What was Hermione thinking going to Professor McGonagall?