Creperum
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Summery: Harry learns the truth about Sirius Black and the Slytherins have their first Quidditch match of the season. The days grow colder and the snow growing bolder means one thing…Christmas is coming!!
Notes: If you'd like me to notify you of when I update, please just contact me through a review, PM or an email and I'll be glad to email you.
Suggested Read: The suggested read for this chapter is What If by Potterholic, rated 12+. It is a Ron/Hermione ship. I read it a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it! It was so touching and sweet, that I wanted to cry! Give this story, and her others, a read. You'll enjoy them!
Chapter 11
Truth
Can Be Painful
For days after Black's break in, the school was filled with rumors of how he got in and his supposed purpose. It was during these days that Harry couldn't bring himself to look at Selene. He avoided her in the corridors and common room, never looking at her during class or speaking to her in the Great Hall. However, to his annoyance, Harry found himself being followed by the staff members. He had to admit they were good; it took him several hours to notice that he was their purpose. Professor Sprout used the excuse that she needed to get a potion from Severus to help some sick plants. Hagrid followed him from Care of Magical Creatures to inquire Professor McGonagall about stories he had heard of Killer Rabbits. Professor Snape just flat out trailed him.
Slowly, November trailed by. Unable to speak with Selene, being followed by staff, practices, homework, everything was grinding against Harry's nerves to the point of utter frustration. Finally unable to stand it, Harry snuck past his followers and out of the common room, late one bitter night. Outside he snuck onto the frosty grounds to the dark paddocks were Hagrid held his lessons, far away from the sight of hut and castle. It was here that he took out a wooden practice sword and fought against an unseen foe.
Selene's right, Harry thought quietly, as he brought the wooden sword down in a sharp blow, I am rusty.
The minutes ticked by in silence as Harry practiced his dance of destruction, the night growing darker and colder around him. Stars disappeared above him, hidden by dark clouds promising snow. The hooting of the owls, flying through the forest, vanished as a twig snapped from beside him.
Wand trained towards the cause of the disturbance, Harry laughed at himself; it was only a stray dog. The dog was large and as black as the sky above them with gray eyes that stared into Harry's own with a startling intelligence. Despite its large size, Harry could see its ribcage jutting out.
"You're not from the village, are you?" Harry asked as he knelt on one knee, holding his hand out. The dog was unsure, but slowly stepped closer eventually nudging his hand with a large cold nose. To his astonishment, the dog seemed to smile at him before disappearing back into the shadows of the forest.
"Harry?"
Harry stood quickly, turning around to face her...face Selene. She stood a distance from him, near where he had thrown his practice sword. Her black knit dress blended into the night with her hair down past her shoulders. Uncrossing her arms, she knelt down and gently picked up the sleek wood.
"You've gotten better," she complimented as she straightened. Selene offered him the sword, dangling it between her fingers.
Harry took the wooden sword and shrunk it with his wand. "Thanks," he said the silence returning.
Selene crossed her arms and looked towards the ground. "Walk with me," she requested quietly, turning to leave the paddock.
Harry debated briefly, before jogging to catch up with her. Together the two vampires walked side by side, close to the frigid lake.
"It's snowing," Harry commented, looking up as the sky. The dusty white flakes fell around them, coating everything as though it were the tears of angels.
Selene smiled briefly as she caught them with her hand. The unique patterns rested on her skin for a moment before it finally melted from her low immortal temperature.
"We need to talk, Harry," Selene said finally, dropping her hand to her side.
"About what?"
"You," she said simply. "I know you followed me on Halloween. How much did you hear?"
Harry sat on a lightly dusted boulder on the lakes edge, resting his hands on his knees. "Not much, really," he answered. "Just enough to make me figure out that Sirius Black is after me. I'm right, aren't I?"
"Yes, you are. Sirius Black is after you for one reason or another," Selene confirmed slowly.
"Why?"
"When Voldemort was at the height of his power, many believed that Sirius Black was his number one follower. They-"
"You don't believe that?" Harry interrupted.
"My opinions are my own and have nothing to do with what I'm telling you," Selene said in a tone that closed the subject.
"Continue," Harry said, not going to push her.
"Thank you. As I was saying, Black was thought to be his biggest supporter, that he would have done anything for his Lord and Master."
"I'm sensing a really big 'but' coming up."
"Sirius Black was your father's best friend."
Harry sat there as still as the fallen snow, dumbfounded. "Wh-wh-what?" He stammered, speechless.
"Sirius and James were inseparable, Harry. Best friends and closer than brothers, they caused more trouble in Hogwarts than Fred and George. Their friendship continued well after they graduated and Sirius was even the best man at your parents' wedding. When you were born, they named Sirius Black your godfather and, if their biggest fears were to come true, he would raise you."
"Wait," Harry snapped. "You're saying that the man responsible for killing my parents was to raise me if they were killed?"
"No, Voldemort killed your parents, not Black," Selene chided. "There are many things that I don't understand about what happened before their deaths, so many things," she sighed. Selene started biting her thumbnail. "I do know that after you were born, your parents decided, for your sake, to go into hiding; the Fidelius Charm to be exact. There was no doubt to James on who would hold their secret."
Selene's words were echoing within Harry's mind, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. "Enough please...enough," he pleaded with her.
"No, Harry, you have to know," Selene said sadly. "You have to know. Black was their secret keeper and apparently, it was he who handed your parents over to Voldemort. What happened afterwards, you know very well, everyone does. But there is more. The next day, in muggle London, Black killed a man named Peter Pettigrew and thirteen-"
"Enough!" Harry shouted, bounding off the boulder and running behind her in a blur. "No more!"
Harry bit his lip, the familiar metallic flavor flooding his mouth. Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair, causing it to fly away giving him a look of insanity. "No more! He was their friend, Selene! He betrayed his best friend! Damn it, Selene!"
Selene grabbed his shoulder, preventing him from running again. "Harry, look at me," she pleaded, cupping his face with her hands. "I'm sorry, this is why I didn't want to tell you; I didn't want to see you hurt. Forgive me Harry, but you had to know."
Harry grabbed her thin wrists, stroking the back of her milky white hands with his thumbs. "Why? Why?" He cried, the tears stabbing cold as they fell onto his cheeks. "He was their friend."
"Harry-"
"He was their best friend! Black betrayed them!" Harry shouted, throwing Selene's hands away from him, causing her to stumble backwards over a rock. Selene landed hard on the frozen dirt; she looked up at him with eyes of bottomless pools of sorrow.
"I hope he finds me, Selene," Harry told her, pacing through the snow. "Cause when he does, I'll kill him."
Selene shook her head repeatedly as she stood up slowly, snow falling from her clothes. Moving slowly, she again reached towards him, brushing strands of hair from his eyes. Harry noticed the tears that were causing frost to form on her eyelashes, knowing that his own were doing the same thing. Bowing his head, Harry rested against her shoulder and cried the tears of sorrow, frustration, fear and pain. On her shoulder, Harry cried the tears of what he was...an orphan.
For days, Harry was withdrawn, not wanting to believe what Selene had told him. He was glad that she told him, but in many ways, he wished that he never knew. During the day, he would wander the corridors from class to class often times forgetting what he was supposed to be doing. Once, he walked into the Potions lab and realized he was supposed to be in the greenhouses. At night, he would sit on his bed with the curtains closed and look through a photo album of his parents, staring at a photo of their wedding.
"Sirius was even best man at their wedding..."
How could he have done that to them? Was he already planning his betrayal even then, standing there beside his best friend?
When the other boys would come to the dormitory, Harry would lay there, as though asleep as a deep hatred flowed through him, burning inside as though poison were brewing.
Every night, wide awake, this continued until Selene finally put her foot down and slipped him a sleeping potion in the peach cobbler at dinner. She distracted him with chess and letters from home. He was preoccupied with Quidditch as well. After a rather embarrassing loosing streak, Flint seemed determined to make this year, his final year, the year to count. Practices were held more often, no matter the weather, and were becoming more brutal as well.
Those practices proved to be useful as Harry woke up one morning and found the weather torn between snow and rain. Breakfast was bleak for the team as lightning flashed and thunder echoed through the Great Hall. Flint hurried them from the table before they had much of a chance to eat anything and out onto the grounds. The team ran towards the pitch, slipping in mud and slush as a sharp mixture of snow and rain pelted their skin.
Inside the locker rooms, Selene disappeared to a sectioned off portion while the boys quickly shivered into their uniforms, Selene rejoining them as they started pulling on their gloves and padding.
"I can't believe we're actually playing in this," Draco shouted as thunder echoed through the locker rooms. It was the worst match in Hogwarts history, lightning, thunder and sleet as sharp as knives and they were scheduled to play against the Hufflepuffs. "This is suicide!"
"Don't let Flint hear you," Harry joked as he pulled on his gloves. Walking over to where Selene sat braiding her hair, he tightened the strings. "How you holding up?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder gently.
"What?" She asked loudly, holding the strands of hair between her fingers and pulling out an earplug.
Harry couldn't help but laugh; Selene was afraid of thunder and yet she still managed to find a way around it. "How are you going to be able to hear Flint with those?"
"Oh, I can hear that loud mouth, just not you," she grinned.
"Cheeky," Harry laughed.
"So, are you finally done?" Draco asked walking over to Selene's bench.
"Done with what?" Selene asked, putting a hair tie between her teeth.
"Calling all us males sexist pigs."
Harry smirked. Whereas the other three houses have had female players for years, and more than one, this was the first time in several years that Slytherin had a female player; needless to say, the uniform hasn't been updated since then.
Selene removed the hair tie and tied of her hair, attaching an additional leather tie to keep it in place. The Slytherin males were allowed to wear black trousers with their green and silver jumpers and robes, plus the additional equipment needed. Selene however, had to year a skirt...yes, a skirt. A green skirt with silver pleats, black leggings with knee high boots; she wore something she called 'kick pants' underneath the skirt to avoid embarrassment. After several arguments with Flint, the leader of the Slytherin sexist pigs as she had ranted, the top was altered so now it matched theirs.
"Two minutes!" Flint shouted as he stalked through the room. Harry waterproofed his goggles quickly and pulled on his leg guards. Draco tied on chest armor, to help protect from Bludgers and the Quaffle if he wasn't able to catch it with his hands, and pulled his hair back quickly. Selene finished tying her boots and put on fingerless gloves made of soft dragon hide, though it was as tough as nails; these gloves would prevent her bat from slipping from her grip. After slipping on their goggles, the team of seven grabbed their brooms and stood before the door to walk out onto the Pitch. The door slid open and they marched through the soggy mud, Beaters following their Captain, Chasers following the Beaters and the Seeker following them all. Harry could hear faint sounds of cheering from the stands, but the fresh rolls of thunder drowned out their enthusiasm.
Approaching finally was the Hufflepuffs, bright and easily seen in the dreary gloom in their canary-yellow robes, the only sunshine for this match. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands, one smiling, the other grim faced. Madam Hooch walked between the teams, her official robes clinging to her as the sharp sleet cut at their flesh. With words lost to the storm, the players mounted their brooms as she did and her feather shaped whistle was placed to the her lips; its sharp, shrill blast the only thing Harry could possibly hear in its true clarity in the wind.
The fight was on! Players fought against each other, their skills hampered in the snowy rain as the wind batted them back and forth as though they were a child's toy. The cracks of the bats was lost in the thunder, broom tails lost to lightning; Harry watched as a Hufflepuff Chaser shot towards the ground, out of control of her broom as the end was aflame from being struck by a bolt of lightning.
Less than ten minutes had passed and Harry was numb to the very core of his bones. It was taking everything to keep his hands from shaking and he was sure his teeth were going to rattle from his head; he couldn't remember ever being this cold in his life. He could only wonder how Selene was fairing in this bitter cold; she handled cold temperatures poorly, even with magic helping her.
There, he saw it; flicker of gold, near a Hufflepuff Beater who narrowly missed it with his bat! Harry shot forward, pushing his Nimbus faster as he saw the Hufflepuff Seeker and Captain turn and follow him as he shot upward. They were even as they rose, dodging Bludgers and lightning. Harry stretched his quivering hand out, trying to grasp the tiny ball while something odd happened. A strange silence was falling over the pitch, Harry's ears were echoing with the deafness. No shouts, whistles or thunder could be heard.
The cold was becoming painful now; Harry's stomach twisted into knots from it. Biting his lip to focus away from the pain, Harry saw a dark cloud swirl around him and then another, each quicker than the last.
"Harry!"
That voice...that screaming pleading voice was back. Harry looked around as hundreds of Dementors swarmed around him.
"Not Harry! Please, not Harry!"
"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now..."
"No, please! Don't kill him..."
Harry knew this, he knew who she was. It was like a recording of a distant memory. A painful guilt overwhelmed Harry as everything seemed to slow done, his eyelids becoming heavier by the second.
"Have mercy...please, not Harry...mercy..."
Shrill, cruel laughter cut through Harry's mind like a piece of glass, his nerves burning as though aflame, and Harry knew only emptiness.
"I'm surprised it didn't kill him."
"I'm surprised he caught it."
"Snape looked ready to murder someone."
Harry could hear the whispering, but it made no sense. Where was he? Why was he so cold and wet? He felt whatever he was on shift as someone poked him in the chest; they were poking gently, but to his nerves it felt as though they were stabbing him.
"Wake up, Harry."
"No," he muttered defiantly, opening his eyes slightly. "What happened?"
"You fell off your broom," Draco said from somewhere.
"Open your eyes, Harry," Selene ordered, poking him again.
"Will you stop that," Harry snapped, finally opening his eyes. He could see the entire Slytherin team standing around him, all soaked and covered in mud, wrapped in blankets. Harry could feel Selene shivering slightly as since she was sitting next to his knees, the heavy blanket wrapped around her sickly looking body.
"What happened?" He asked, again.
"We told you," Draco said shaking his head, his soggy cloak wrapped around something tightly in his arms. "You fell off your broom."
"You'd be dead if it weren't for Dumbledore," Victor said quietly, pushing dripping hair from his eyes. "He's the one that slowed you down.
Harry leaned back against his pillows as the memory of the match slowly came back to him; his height, the lightning, the Snitch, and the Dementors. "How did it end?" He asked bleakly, fearing the answer.
The faces of the boys around him lit up with bright smirks. "You caught it!" Flint yelled, his crooked teeth showing; he looked as though he got punched in the mouth by a gorilla. "You caught the Snitch!"
Harry's jaw dropped in surprise as he sat back up. "You're kidding!"
"Nope; you caught it right as you fell," Montague, a Chaser, explained.
Harry doubted his happiness could be destroyed. "My broom, did someone get it?"
Selene looked up at Draco, biting her lower blue lip. "Umm...we did get it Harry," she said slowly, looking back at him, "but not soon enough."
Harry was wrong about his happiness; he could feel it slipping away like the early remnants of a dream. "What happened?" He asked glumly.
"You know about the Whomping Willow?" Selene asked; Harry dropped onto his pillows, covering his face with his hands. "Well, the wind blew it into the willow, and you know that thing doesn't like getting hit."
Harry refused to look at them after that, even as Draco placed the cloak on his lap. "We gathered as much as we could," he said. "Sorry, mate."
Before Harry got the chance to take a look at the damage of his precious broom, Madam Pomfrey scurried over the crowded bed, her white dress flapping around her feet.
"The boy needs rest. Visiting hours are over," she announced hurriedly, starting to usher the team from the room.
Selene gave him a weak smile and rose to leave when a long, bony finger was thrust into her chest; startled she fell back onto Harry's bed, looking up at the nurse meekly.
"Not you, Miss Hart," Pomfrey said, preparing the next bed for Selene. "You are frozen to the bone and you look positively blue. You'll be staying here tonight."
Selene was about to protest when Madam Pomfrey gave her a sharp look. Sighing, she rose from Harry's bed, plopped down onto hers, and pouted while Draco waved good-bye to them both.
"I don't wanna stay," she grumbled, still pouting.
"I doubt either of us is getting out of this," Harry yawned, stretching his arms. "So, what exactly happened when I fell?"
"Well, you fell hard even with Dumbledore's magic; thankfully the ground was a lake of mud. We landed and started towards you as the staff ran from the stands. I got to you first and saw that you had broken your arm, I set it allowed it to heal while checking you over for other injuries."
"You were worried about me?" Harry asked.
"Of course, I was. Someone has to look after you," Selene smirked.
"Enough talking!" Pomfrey fussed. "Get to sleep, you two." Pomfrey slid
Selene's curtains around, allowing her to change into warm pajamas in privacy and by the time the curtains slid back open, Harry was asleep.
"It could have killed him!"
"What was he thinking, letting that loose?"
The sun was shining onto Harry's tired face as hysterical crying echoed through the room. Groaning, Harry shielded his eyes with his arm, not wanting to wake from his dream.
"I'm dying! I'm dying!" A familiar, though somewhat high-pitched voice yelled.
Harry sat up straight in bed. "What the hell?"
"Draco," Selene said quietly as she threw back her covers. Quickly, she left her warm bed and crawled on top of Harry's; he was pleased to see her color had returned. "One of Hagrid's hippogriffs for class attacked him."
"How?" Harry asked, shocked; those hippogriffs were mild creatures, at least the ones Hagrid kept.
"Not sure, no one saw it happen," Selene said, shaking her head as she watched the nurse bustle around Draco's bed. "Hagrid brought him up here."
"I'm dying! It killed me! I'm dying!" Draco yelled.
"You aren't dying," Pomfrey consoled as she fixed his arm.
"I'm dying! I'm dying!"
Madam Pomfrey was able to calm Draco down long enough to heal his arm. She insisted on keeping both Draco, complaining of pain, and Harry there all weekend. Selene however was released after lunch, looking healthy and alive once more. She left for almost an hour, before she came back to the Hospital Wing, this time as a visitor. Seeing both boys upset, uncomfortable and not wanting to be trapped inside the room, Selene sat between them, reading aloud the story of a city called Troy and the men named Hector, Paris, Achilles and a beautiful woman named Helen. The time passed quietly with Selene keeping them company; the nurse had no complaint seeing as it kept her patients quiet, allowing her to get some work done. With Selene's assistance, she was able to convince Harry to part with the remains of his broomstick. He wanted to give it a proper burial, Draco agreed with him, but still, the women somehow managed to win.
As Selene described the city of Troy and the legends of its favored god, Apollo, Harry could hear shouting approaching the Hospital Wing.
"Where is he? Where is my son?" A woman called frantically as she approached the Hospital Wing doors. The doors were opened quickly and a tall, pale woman with dazzling blonde hair, styled fashionably atop her head, appeared, and dressed in exquisite robes of pale lavender that looked as though they cost a fortune. She looked around the room with an air of superiority before her piercing eyes rested upon Draco.
"Draco!" She cried, spying the heavily bandaged arm. Mrs. Malfoy rushed towards her son's bed and started fussing over him. As Selene stood from her chair to allow them some privacy, Harry noticed Professor Snape standing in the open doorway, as Mr. Malfoy rushed in after his wife. His long hair was flying in a slight mess as he moved towards his son, the snake cane held tightly in his gloved hands.
Professor Snape stood aside to allow someone else entrance into the ward. Harry sat up off his pillows when he saw who it was.
"Rebecca," he greeted, smiling at his loving grandmother. Rebecca Potter moved towards his bed with the grace of a dancer, her deep plum dress looking as fine and rich as Mrs. Malfoy's though many years older. Her deep brown hair hung around her slender shoulders, captured within a golden net, large pearls adorning it.
"Harry," she breathed, leaning over to embrace him tightly. "I am sorry, I would have come sooner," Rebecca apologized, her voice delicate and soft, like snow falling gently; her accent was unique, from living in France, England and Spain for so many years.
"Its fine, Becca," Harry smiled. "I wasn't expecting you to come."
"After a fall like yours," Rebecca fussed, smoothing back his hair. "What type of grandmother would I be if I did not come to you?"
"A beautiful and loving one, none the less."
Rebecca smiled and kissed his forehead softly. "How I have missed you," she whispered. "Always a gentleman, you are."
Harry patted a spot on his bed. "Sit down, please. How are you?"
Rebecca sat down gingerly at his bidding, smoothing unseen wrinkles as she did. "I am fine. It is quiet at home for Amadeus is away on business," Rebecca told him. "May I inquire about the other boy?" She asked, directing her eyes toward Draco briefly.
"Draco Malfoy, Becca," Harry told her, "the boy I told you about; he's a friend of mine."
"I see. And his arm?"
"A hippogriff attacked him."
Rebecca nodded silently as Mr. Malfoy was saying something about justice for this heinous act. She looked over at where Selene stood talking quietly with their professor, the thick book held in her relaxed hand. She caught Rebecca's eye for a moment and nodded briefly, her smile seemed to relay a message between them.
"Selene told you about Sirius, did she not?" Rebecca asked, quietly as she turned to face him again, her chocolate brown eyes unable to meet his.
"Yes, she did," Harry confirmed.
"I am sorry," Rebecca said. "We should have told you when he escaped, but we never fathomed he could."
"It's alright, Becca," Harry told her, placing his hand over hers. "I don't blame you. And I know now."
"Please be safe, my little one," Rebecca whispered, worried over him. She stroked his cheek gently, bringing memories of forgotten nights when nightmares plagued him or fear overtook his senses.
"I will, grandmother," Harry whispered, holding onto her hand, never wanting to let her go, "I promise."
Rebecca smiled softly and kissed his forehead again, lingering there for a brief moment. "I know you will," she whispered, standing to leave. "Be good, do your studies well and behave for your professors. And nothing like your old school. I do not want another letter like that," she warned sternly.
Harry started laughing as Severus escorted his grandmother out, followed by the Malfoys. At the temple, several boys and himself got together, nicked a Polyjuice Potion from the storeroom, and put in a chicken feather. They gave it to another boy and the results were amusing, but not that pretty; Rebecca was furious with him.
By Monday, the entire school had heard about Draco's accident and he was enjoying every minute of it. He made sure every Slytherin girl knew how painful it was and Pansy was near tears, saying how he almost lost his arm. Harry knew that it had been healed, but he didn't know if Draco was in real pain or not; after being stuck in the Hospital Wing all weekend with him, he had finally decided to ignore him whenever the topic of his arm came up.
"Father sent me a letter," Harry heard Draco say as he approached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom later that week. "He says it will only be time before that overgrown bird is killed."
Harry just shook his head and made his way to Selene, who was leaning against the wall. "What's going on?" He asked her, seeing that the entire class was still lingering in the corridor.
"Doors locked," Selene shrugged, examining her nails bored. "Lupin hasn't been seen yet."
"Lupin won't be coming," said the voice of Professor Snape. Harry turned to look down the corridor in time to see Snape swoop down upon the class, his dark robes billowing around him like a storm cloud. With a flick of his wand, the heavy classroom door flung open, banging against the stonewall inside. "Inside, class started several moments ago!"
The students of Gryffindor and Slytherin hurried inside, taking their typical seats within the room. Snape slammed the door shut behind him and preceded up the long classroom, between the rows of desks; the window shutters snapped closed as he passed each one, leaving the classroom in slight darkness.
Reaching the teacher's desk, Snape reached up to the thick cord suspended from the ceiling and tugged, lowering the projector screen. "Turn to page 394," he instructed.
The class quickly took out their books, Harry was careful not to hit Draco's arm in case it truly was hurting him, and the sound of pages being flipped quickly filled the room.
"Werewolves?" A Gryffindor girl asked. "Sir, we're supposed to start hinkeypunks."
"I did not ask for that information, Miss Patil. Ten points from Gryffindor," Snape sneered. "Now, who can tell me how to spot the difference between a werewolf and a true wolf?"
Harry knew the answer but really didn't want to bother. Like normal, Hermione Granger raised her hand, but as did Selene.
"Miss Hart?"
"The difference between a werewolf and a wolf are their size, snout length, coarseness of fur, to name a few," Selene answered leaning against her hand lazily; she looked ready to fall asleep on Draco's right shoulder. Harry would have to make sure she went hunting tonight.
"Excellent, ten points to Slytherin," Snape smirked.
The rest of the class, they took careful notes over werewolves as Snape lectured; Harry merely took down scribbles, knowing enough about werewolves than he really wanted to. When the bell finally rang, the Gryffindors, after living through Snape's class, prepared to make a mad dash for the door, but Snape held them all back.
"I want an essay on the ways to recognize and kill a werewolf to be handed into me. Two rolls of parchment on the subject to be handed in on Monday morning," he assigned.
Several students groaned and almost started to protest to Professor Snape, but a fearful glare silenced them. "You're dismissed."
"Maybe he'll be here for vampires," Harry whispered to Selene as he slid his book bag over his shoulder. "So I can write a textbook instead of just two rolls."
"Harry," Selene groaned, smiling as she shook her head at his horrible sense of humor.
Harry just smirked at her, showing the tips of his fangs.
"That was too easy," Harry yawned as he threw down his quill, just finishing his essay as the clock chimed one. The entire castle was asleep except Selene who was waiting for Harry so they could hunt.
"Took you long enough though," Selene teased, as she arched her back, trying to pop it.
"I get distracted easily," Harry protested.
"Oh yes, Exploding Snap is so interesting," Selene said, rolling her eyes. "Come on, I'm parched.
"Fine, fine," Harry mumbled, grabbing his cloak from the back of a chair as Selene fastened hers.
They left the common room quietly, staying in the dark shadows of the dungeons, dodging those on patrol for Sirius Black; the ghosts could sense what they are, but respected the dead like themselves and kept their secret. It was the staff they had to worry about.
"Harry, Selene," Severus whispered quietly, near a vacant classroom; the professor looked down the corridor and quickly ushered his students into the room, lighting his wand once inside. Ever since Black's break-in, the front doors were kept sealed at night and they could no longer sneak out that way. Severus arranged for them to sneak out through the windows of the classroom, the door kept sealed because of an alleged doxy infestation.
"Be careful," Snape warned. "There are rumors of Black in the area again," he told them. He held his wand higher, his dark eyes examining Harry. "Harry, as your head of house, I have to inform you that you are no longer allowed to visit Hogsmeade until Black is caught."
"What?" Harry snapped. "Why? Its not like Black is going to go after me in broad daylight!"
"Keep your voice down," Snape told him as Selene grabbed his arm, calming him down.
"Whose idea was this? Harry's permission slip has been signed," Selene asked, her skin glowing white in the wand light.
"Dumbledore," Snape sneered, finding it amusing. "He doesn't believe you could handle an escaped madman if he were to capture you."
"Bastard," Harry spat, wrenching his arm from Selene's grasp.
"Just so you know, I believe even he can't stop you from what you're doing, but the staff has been informed that you are not to go," Snape told them. "I will not punish you if you somehow make it into the village; however the Dementors can see through an Invisibility Cloak and will capture you."
"How else am I to get to the village then?"
"That is for you to figure out," Snape said, his lips curled in amusement. The light from his wand disappeared as he left through the door, locking it tightly behind him.
Once he heard the locks click, Harry called Snape a name that earned him a smack over the head.
"Harry!" Selene said.
Harry scowled at her and flung open the window, allowing the cool air to enter the stuffy room before he left onto the grounds to finally hunt and vent his frustrations.
"I'll stop at Zonko's a pick you up some dungbombs and biting teacups," Selene said, the next morning in the common room. Harry kept handing her gloves and scarves to bundle up with seeing as the weather turned bitter cold not long after they returned last night; she was preparing to leave for Hogsmeade for the final trip of term and it was snowing outside. "I'll also go to Honeydukes and pick you up some sweets; you seem to be going through them."
Harry smiled weakly and slid a knitted black cap on her head, trapping her long wavy locks beneath it. "You don't have to do that, Selene," he told her. "I'll be fine here, by myself."
"Liar," Selene teased, scrunching her nose at him.
Harry poked her nose. "Play nice."
"You're dressing me up like a child," Selene grinned as Harry made sure her scarf was tight enough.
"Some days I wonder."
Selene covered her mouth with a gloved hand and acted ashamed, for a brief moment. "Now who needs to play nice," she retorted.
Harry grinned and shook his head, plopping down in his favorite leather chair near the roaring fire.
"Are there any last minute gifts you'd like me to pick up?" Selene asked as she wrapped her cloak tightly around her.
"No, Selene," Harry said for the fiftieth time as he picked up his book. "Go to Hogsmeade. Have some fun."
Selene smiled weakly at him. "Don't cause too much trouble while I'm gone," Selene said with a wink before she left with the other Slytherins.
Harry watched them all leave, leaving him alone with the first and second years. It was quiet in the common room at first and Harry peacefully read his book to pass the time, but that was until three fights broke out, five separate games of Exploding Snap and a laughing pack of girls started grating on Harry's nerves.
Agitated, Harry snapped his book shut and sulked from the common room. He wandered the corridors, trying to find a secluded spot free of first years. Finally, he decided to settle for a quiet staircase.
Getting comfortable on a step, Harry, hoping to become lost in the fanciful world of pirates and treasure, opened his book at the page marked with a spare bit of parchment that Selene had given him last year. Selene had said it did something important but, he being the ever intelligent boy Death Dealer he was...forgot.
"Harry!"
"Now what," Harry groaned, his voice rising in frustration; he was quickly accepting the fact that he may never be able to finish the book. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted two tall redheads, identical to the last freckle, beaming down at him.
"Fred, George," he greeted, nodding at the twins.
"We couldn't help but notice," one started, Harry thought it was Fred.
"That you seem to be," continued his twin; maybe that was Fred.
"Stuck in school," the two said in unison.
"And we have our winner," Harry said sarcastically, shaking his head.
"Why don't you go?" They asked.
"Sirius Black," Harry said, spitting out the name.
"Use the map, then," George, he was sure it was George, chimed.
"What map?" Harry asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"The map we gave Selene," George said.
"Or have you forgotten?" Fred asked, almost teasing him.
Harry looked at his nails, suddenly interested in a fleck of dirt there. Finally he took the parchment from his book and rose, handing it over as he did. "She gave me this last year."
Fred took it while George pulled out his wand. "Pay attention, Harry," Fred said, "for Professors Gred and Forge are here to help."
George placed the tip of his wand on the parchment and announced quite proudly, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
To Harry's astonishment, ink lines began to spread at once, forming a complication of lines much like a spider web from the tip of George's wand. These lines joined each other, crisscrossing and fanning out to the very edges of the parchment. Then across the top, curly green words began to appear:
Messrs.
Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
are proud to present:
The Marauder's Map
Harry unfolded the different flaps and folds, speechless at the treasure in his hands. How could he have forgotten something like this! Tiny ink dots were moving around the parchment, each labeled in minuscule handwriting, showing the individual. Harry spotted Dumbledore pacing his office, Mrs. Norris lurking near the library and Hagrid near the forest. This was brilliant!
His eyes wandered around familiar corridors, spotting many secrets he never knew about. Several seemed to lead-
"Right to Hogsmeade," Fred said, tracing a passage with his finger. "Seven total and Filch knows about these four," he explained, pointing them out.
"And the other three?" Harry asked excitedly.
"This one is the mirror on the fourth floor; don't bother with that one, its caved in," Fred said.
"I don't think anyone has used this one," George said pointing to another. "It's right under the Whomping Willow."
"But this one-" Fred said pointing.
"-leads straight to-" George continued.
"-Honeydukes Cellar," they beamed.
"Brilliant," Harry said in awe. "Absolutely brilliant."
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs-" George sighed.
"-we owe them so much," Fred said wistfully.
The twins were silent for a moment with a blissful look upon their faces. "Right then," George said suddenly, startling Harry who had leaned it to see if they were still breathing, "don't forget to wipe it after you've used it-"
"-or anyone can use it," Fred warned.
Both boys placed their wands upon the map. "Mischief Managed," they said in unison. They clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Don't be a stranger, young Harry. See you in Hogsmeade!"
Harry watched the twins walk down the stairs and disappear around the corner before he took off towards the dungeons to grab his cloak. As he ran through the corridors, his recently retrieved item flung over his shoulder, he activated the map and examined the way towards the passage. Finding the coast clear, he soon arrived at the statue of the humpbacked, one-eyed witch. Carefully, he examined the statue for a hidden switch or lever, but found none.
Bewildered, Harry stepped back and looked again at the map, double-checking that he was alone. However he found a new dot near the statue, the dot labeled Harry Potter. Watching it, a speech bubble appeared next to his name, bearing the word 'Dissendium!'
Excitement bubbled within him as Harry cleared the map moving closer to the statue again. "Dissendium!" Harry whispered, tapping the statue with his wand. Immediately, the witch's hump sprung open, revealing a passage to the tunnel below.
Putting the clear map in a pocket, Harry climbed into the space and slid down to the bottom of the tunnel, a crazed smirk on his face.
Honeydukes seemed to be more enjoyable when you were breaking rules. After sneaking up from the store cellar, Harry found himself in the crowded sweets shop; no one would question his sudden appearance.
Careful not to bump anyone, Harry made his way around the displays. Several students spotted him and waved in greeting, but Harry had found his target.
"Blood pops I keep stocked," Selene said to herself. "I've got Ice Mice, Licorice Wands, exploding bonbons, Every Flavor Beans, Fizzing Whizbees; Sugar Quills are mine, Pepper Imps..."
As Selene went over her list of Christmas candy for her, Harry and the boys back home, Harry snuck up on her quietly. As she reached for another thing of Sugar Quills, one of her guilty pleasures, Harry wrapped his hands around her slender waist, causing her to jump.
"Hey! What are-?"
Selene twisted in his grip, almost dropping her basket of sweets, ready to hex whoever grabbed her. When she saw whom it was, her jaw dropped in surprise. "Harry!" She squealed, hugging his neck.
"Surprise," he grinned, hugging her quickly before letting her go.
"How did you get here?" Selene asked, happy that managed to find a way out.
"I'll tell you later, there's too many people here," Harry whispered, picking up some sweets of his own. "Lets get out of here and I'll tell you."
The pair quickly paid for their things and exited into the gently falling snow. As they walked the main street towards Zonko's, Harry told Selene of his talk with the Weasley twins and how they showed him how to work the map; he sheepishly admitted that he had forgotten how after she told him.
"Those two are geniuses," Selene laughed, brushing snow from her hair. "I can't dream of what they'll think of next."
They walked through the snow, visiting various shops as the snow fell on continually. Time flew by quickly, and Selene walked ahead of him, twirling in the diamond like powder. She laughed gaily as she danced in the snow, a gentle dusting coating her, cheeks rosy on her pale cheeks and her dark eyes sparkling. Harry watched her captivated, a smile tugging on his lips as he watched her. His grandmother had said that vampires appeared most alive during the winter. He disagreed though; Selene didn't look alive as she twirled before him, she looked angelic.
"Come on, Harry," Selene laughed, finally stopping. "Let's go get something from the Three Broomsticks."
Harry nodded and offered her his arm, like a proper vampire, and led the way towards the Three Broomsticks.
Here was chapter eleven, all twenty pages of it. I actually left something out that I originally planned to put into this chapter just to cut this shorter. I have some people say my chapters aren't long enough, so I'm curious to see what they'll say now.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are always appreciated and make me happy! If you have any questions or comments, good or bad, don't hesitate to say them in a review. See you next chapter!
