A STORMS BREWING PART II

Severus lay awake on the bed, staring at the starry pattern on the ceiling, something Lily found calming. Lily sat at a table in the corner of the room, stirring a cup of hot chocolate.

"I don't know," she whispered. "I can't think of anything in the Gryffindor tower..."

"This was the one night he knew no one would be there… what could he be after?"

Severus's mind flitted to Lupin, who was alone in his office, no doubt already feeling the affects of the oncoming full moon. "And how did he get into the tower."

"Sev," Lily said, "I'm sure he means no harm. I mean, what would you do if you broke out of Azkaban from a crime you didnt commit?"

"Look for evidence to clear myself," Severus said, his eyes narrowing at the familiar dog constellation above him. Suddenly, he sat upright. "That's it, isn't it. But what evidence is there that Black wasn't the secret keeper? That could be in the Gryffindor Tower?"

"Um," said Lily, dropping her spoon and picking it up again. "I don't know. Only James–"

Severus flinched.

"–Sirius, Pettigrew and myself, oh, and Voldemort of course, knew. Sirius doesn't know that Dumbledore knows, but I guess none of this has anything to do with the Gryffindor tower."

Severus's eyes moved onto the constellation of the great snake. "What do you think happened that night. Thirteen muggles murdered with a single curse… if it wasn't Black."

Silence filled the room as the full scoope of the significance of past events weaved together in the couple's minds.

Lily gasped. "Wait… you don't think…"

"Pettigrew is alive." Severus said grimly. "And more likely than not, Black is convinced he's in the Gryffindor tower. I don't know where he gets his intelligence from but that's concerning. I'm going to go find Dumbledore."

"I'll come with you."

Severus paused. "Only if you're under the polyjuice."

Lily cringed. "Fine."

The next morning Severus had continued his favourite thinking practice. He laid awake in his bed staring at the constellations on the ceiling. At the moment his eyes dwelt upon the arrangement of stars which had been so named as a Phoenix.

"Keep an eye on Harry," Dumbledore had said.

"What does he bloody well think I've been doing all this time," Severus grumbled. Why do I even bother going to him. I give him valuable information and all he says is to keep an eye on Potter. And then poor Lily feels helpless to protect her son…

Severus turn over to face Lily, who remained fast asleep on the pillow beside him. She had fallen asleep in her robes. Severus lent over her and kissed her cheek. "I love you Lily," he whispered. "You make this worth it."

Victoria sat down in the staff section of the bleachers first, taking her father's hand and pulling him down on her left. She then patted the seat on her right, signalling for Ginny and Luna to sit down.

"This is so strange," said Ginny, "getting to sit here."

"Here we're protected from this bloody rain, at least!" Victoria said.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Your house team agrees with you!"

The day of the Quiddich match had arrived – only it wasn't a Gryffindor vs Slytherin match. Today Gryffindor would be playing Hufflepuff, as Slytherin's seeker Draco Malfoy still had an 'injured' arm.

"Well at least we can all cheer for the same team to win," said Victoria.

"I don't mind when Ravenclaw loses," said Luna, "as long as its a good game. Last time the keeper was totally taken over by wackspurts. It was quite funny to watch, really."

Victoria giggled. "I bet it was."

Severus pulled out a bag of popcorn from his cloak, and handed it to Victoria.

"Undetectable extension charm on an inside pocket? Impressed face!"

Severus smiled. "Useful, daughter. Watch and learn."

Victoria laughed, opening the bag of popcorn and handing it to Ginny and Luna after taking a handful.

The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned them to follow him.

The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the field. If the crowd was cheering, they couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder. Rain was splattering over Harry's glasses. How on earth was he going to see the Snitch in this?

The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. Harry saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount Your brooms." He pulled his right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant — they were off.

Harry rose fast, but his Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind.

He held it as steady as he could and turned, squinting into the rain.

Within five minutes Harry was soaked to his skin and frozen, hardly able to see his teammates, let alone the tiny Snitch. He flew backward and forward across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, with no idea of what was happening in the rest of the game. He couldn't hear the commentary over the wind. The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice Harry came very close to being unseated by a Bludger; his vision was so clouded by the rain on his glasses he hadn't seen them coming.

He lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to hold his broom straight. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. Twice Harry nearly hit another player, without knowing whether it was a teammate or opponent; everyone was now so wet, and the rain so thick, he could hardly tell them apart…

With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; Harry could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing him to the ground. The whole team splashed down into the mud.

"I called for time-out!" Wood roared at his team. "Come on, under here —"

They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.

"What's the score?"

"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."

"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.

At that very moment, Hermione appeared at his shoulder; she was holding her cloak over her head and was, inexplicably, beaming.

"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"

He handed them to her, and as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "Impervius!"

"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"

Wood looked as though he could have kissed her.

"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Okay, team, let's go for it!"

Hermione's spell had done the trick. Harry was still numb with cold, still wetter than he'd ever been in his life, but he could see. Full of fresh determination, he urged his broom through the turbulent air, staring in every direction for the Snitch, avoiding a Bludger, ducking beneath Diggory, who was streaking in the opposite direction…

There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning. This was getting more and more dangerous. Harry needed to get the Snitch quickly —

He turned, intending to head back toward the middle of the field, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the stands, and Harry saw something that distracted him completely, the silhouette of an enormous shaggy black dog, clearly imprinted against the sky /in it's spot between two sets of bleachers. /

"Harry!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts. "Harry, behind you!"

Harry looked wildly around. Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering in the rain-filled air between them…

With a jolt of panic, Harry threw himself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch.

"Come on!" he growled at his Nimbus as the rain whipped his face. "Faster!"

But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though Harry had gone suddenly deaf — what was going on?

And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over him, inside him, just as he became aware of something moving on the field below…

Before he'd had time to think, Harry had taken his eyes off the Snitch and looked down.

At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at him, were standing beneath him. It was as though freezing water were rising in his chest, cutting at his insides. And then he heard it again… Someone was screaming, screaming inside his head… a woman…

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl… stand aside, now…"

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead —"

Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Harry's brain… What was he doing? Why was he flying? He needed to help her… She was going to die… She was going to be murdered…

He was falling, falling through the icy mist.

"Not Harry! Please… have mercy… have mercy…"

A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and Harry knew no more.

"Dad! Daddy!" Victoria whispered, tugging on her father's sleeve.

Severus tore his gaze from Harry and looked at Victoria.

"I think that Black might be here," Victoria said, nodding towards a dog hiding in the corner between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw stands. "That dog only really looks at Harry, and behind his back."

Severus stared intently at the dog, memorising its features. "A mutt," he grumbled, standing, "figures. Stay–"

But Severus was cut off as the air suddenly became cold. As he let out a breath frost formed in the air.

"Oh no," Victoria whimpered.

Severus moved to put a hand on his daughter's shoulder as he looked towards the sky. Sure enough, Dementors were flying towards them and the castle. And Harry was just about to catch the snitch, with Cedric close behind. As the Dementors came closer, Severus turned to Dumbledore.

"He will faint," Severus said.

Dumbledore stood, anger storming across his normally passive features. He pulled out his wand, and just in time. And as Harry fell to the ground, Cedric's hand wrapped around the snitch.

Authors note: And by the time the commotion had ended, Sirius had gone! Bold is JKR writing. The / in the bold designates a minor change I made to JKR's pov.