I'm sorry it took so long but I had a very important week at school. And of course, Sinterklaas! For the non-Dutchies amongst you, he's a sort of Santa Claus in the Netherlands, we get presents, that's the basic idea. I personally like this chappie, hope you do to! Also:

THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO SKYE WIZARD. THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!

Ch. 14 Snape's Grudge

POV BELLA MCLAGGEN:

"IT'S TOO EARLY, GODDAMMIT!"

"Bella, Bella! Seriously, I don't have time for this right now!"

I reluctantly opened one eye and saw Hermione trying to wake me, shaking my arm. Her hair was a wilder mane than ever, and she was wearing the pink bathrobe I recognized from first year.

"What could be so important you risk waking me for it?" I asked, sitting up straight and scratching my head.

I was still a bit annoyed by her, for her bossy attitude towards Ron, I'd never understood why she wouldn't admit Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers. I mean, that's what cats do! They eat rats! I know she wasn't the one to blame for it, but she could at least admit it and apologize…

"It's Ron," Hermione said, sounding worried.

My eyes snapped open immediately and I felt wide awake. "What's wrong with him?"

Hermione seemed to upset to speak. "Mione, talk to me!" I demanded.

"He's in the common room, come on," she said.

I looked around me, and we were the only ones left in the dorm. As I had expected, I found Lavender and Parvati in the common room downstairs, along with what appeared to be all the other students of Gryffindor House.

Hermione and I wrestled through the ground, finding Fred, Harry and George comforting a pale, terrified Ron.

"Bells- Sirius Black!" said Ron faintly. "In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?" I asked.

"I'm telling you-!"

"All right, I believe you!" I said, not wanting him to get more upset than he already was.

"Now, really, enough's enough!"

Professor McGonagall had entered. She slammed the portrait behind her and glared furiously at everyone. "I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to their dorms! My brother Ron here had a nightmare-"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"

Professor McGonagall stared at him. "Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture.

Glaring suspiciously at Ron, McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common fell silent and listened intently.

"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man into the tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" cried Sir Cadogan.

There was a stunned silence both inside and outside the common room. "You- you did?" said McGonagall. "But- but the password!"

"He had 'em!" said Sir Cadogan proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole, her face chalk white and shaking. "Which person," she seethed, shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and let them lying around?"

There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to toe, raised his hand slowly into the air.

"What were you thinking!" I raged. "What if you got caught!"

Padfoot said nothing and quietly ate the food I'd gotten him.

"And do you know what Neville's going through?" I continued. "He's banned from all Hogsmeade visits, got a Howler from home, and is not allowed to write the passwords down anymore! He's got to sit in the corridor until someone lets him in eventually!"

"I didn't steal them from him!" Padfoot snarled back. "He left them on the floor and I found 'em. I saw the chance and I took it. It's not my fault the boy woke."

"You shouldn't have tried to kill him. You'd have had to kill the whole common room to get back out the common room. And there you'd have met the teachers-"

"Don't lecture me!" he snapped. "I had to try- you don't understand what it's like! I lost everything because of that rat…"

I fell silent. I hadn't thought of it like that. "Your freedom…" I thought out loud.

"I dream of freedom every night," he whispered. "But every single time I close my eyes I see their faces."

His face twisted and something remarkably like a tear escaped the gaunt eyes. I didn't know they were still capable of doing that. "James and Lily," he kept saying. "James and Lily."

POV CLAIRE GIBBS:

I had just woken up in the hospital wing when Bella had told me what had happened in Gryffindor Tower. All the attention had gone to that. I was immensely grateful. I was scared someone would find out. Someone would hold me back. Deep in my heart, I even thanked Black for trying to enter the tower again.

Surely George had asked Madam Pomfrey if I was okay. No one had asked me questions, all distracted by Sirius Black.

All but one.

I had just grudgingly eaten breakfast (three slices of bacon and two eggs, it looked more like torture than breakfast, but fine) when someone came rushing into the infirmary. When I saw the familiar dark eyes and the handsome face I turned my eyes towards the ceiling, lying down, pretending I hadn't seen him.

Now I was just hoping he wouldn't see me too.

"Claire?"

Shit. Nevermind.

I sat up straight and frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Good morning to you as well," Cedric said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

My frown increased. Cedric had never been sarcastic before. "How are you?" he asked hesitantly.

"No worse than usual," I said grumpily. "I'm not really in the mood for visitors."

Part of me was wondering what the hell I was doing talking to him like this, and the other part was just proud I was able to talk to him without stuttering and getting red in the face. I was torn between gratitude, since he'd come to visit me, and annoyance, because he had no business visiting me.

"You could at least tell me what happened," Cedric said, sounding more concerned than angry.

My heart swelled with guilt. Why couldn't he just be mad at me and leave?

"I fainted," I said. "Can you leave now?"

He ignored me. "Why did you faint?"

"I don't know, I guess I overreacted with my cheering. Those things happen."

"You hate Quidditch."

I rolled my eyes. "Why do you even care? Just leave, we don't even hang out anymore. We haven't talked in months."

Those were the words that went past my lips, when a little voice in my head said, 'Stay. Stay and show you do care. It would mean so much if I knew you cared.'

"I do care," he said, startled.

My heart fluttered. He ran his hand through his dark curls, then scratched his ear, muttering, "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you. There was just so much going on, I've been so busy with all sort of stuff-"

"Like what?" I interrupted.

Why did I have to give such stupid, blunt answers? Isn't there some sort of bulimia for your personality? What do I have to do to become less blunt and rude? Was there no possibilities I could just puke them out, too? Because if I want to be worthy of someone like Cedric, or really anyone, there was more I had to fix than my 'Fatty Gibbs'-image.

Cedric stayed silent.

I took the liberty of filling in his answer. "Like hanging out with people who are much cooler than me? Pretty girls, like Cho Chang?"

Cedric moved closer, and I itched away, like a scared animal. He tried cupping my face with his hands, but in the end he gave up. "Don't say that," he said so softly, so sweetly that his words melted my broken heart. "You are cool. You are pretty."

Any decent person would have thanked him for the complimented, but I blurted out, "Don't make me laugh!"

"Don't you understand how perfect you-"

"You don't even believe it yourself," I said harshly. "You've shown me how much you care about me the past few months. The worst thing is, I understand. You're a gorgeous, wonderful guy who's got better stuff to do than focus on this loser good-for-nothing friend of his younger cousin. There's loads of pretty girls out there, that serve you way better than I do."

Cedric looked ridiculously pained by my comment. "Why are you so insecure?"

"It's called being realistic."

His expression become one of terror. "Pull up your shirt," he said suddenly.

"What?" I said, stunned.

"This is no time for jokes, pull it up, I wanna see-"

"What exactly?" I snapped.

"I bet it's all bones and skin now, isn't it?" Cedric said, catching the look in my eyes. "I know exactly what's going on here."

My face reddened, which was bound to happen anyway. "You're changing the subject," I muttered.

"Claire."

"Cedric," I said, mimicking the tone of his voice mockingly. "Don't tell me you've never dated one of those girls. The pretty ones. Don't tell me you like the insecure, ugly type way better. You might even be dating one of them now."

Now his face reddened.

"See," I said, while my heart broke into a million pieces again. "Who is it?"

He slung his bag over his shoulder, finally ready to leave and stop mentally torturing me. "It's Cho Chang," he whispered, prior to departing.

No one in Gryffindor Tower had slept that night. The castle was being searched again, but they weren't luckier as the first time. Black might be considered stupid to try and enter the castle again, but he had a passage to get in and out unseen.

He did it twice now. I wondered if he would try again. A small part inside of me was frightened. The first time, Black had got until the portrait. Now he's passed the portrait and had ended up at Ron's bed.

I don't think he'll make the same mistake again. He knew where Harry's bed was. If his own dormitory wasn't safe anymore, where was Harry safe?

But at least the Fat Lady had returned again, and there was no way she would let Black pass, like Sir Cadogan had. Ron had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in his life, people were paying more attention to him than to Harry. It was clear that Ron was enjoying this experience.

Though he was severely shaken by the night's events, he was happy to tell anyone who asked what had happened, with a wealth of detail. Then Hedwig arrived, with a letter from Hagrid.

It was an invitation for us seven (you know who) to come to tea with him. Bella, Janice, Harry, Ron and I were at Hagrid's front door that afternoon. Hagrid was already waiting for us.

"All right, Hagrid," said Ron. "S'pose you want to hear all about Saturday night, do you?"

"I've already heard all abou' it," said Hagrid, opening the front door.

"Oh," said Ron, slightly put out, while Bella sniggered madly.

"Where's Lexie?" Hagrid asked, counting heads.

"I don't know, but something's been keeping her real busy lately," said Bella, shrugging. "She's not usually late, I bet she'll be here soon."

That second Lexie came strutting across a grounds, with a very content smile on her usual pale face, which was now slightly pink. Ron and Harry exchanged looks and followed us inside, together with Lexie, of course.

I saw a gigantic hairy brown suit and a orange tie with red spots. "What are they for, Hagrid?" I asked.

"Buckbeak's case," said Hagrid. "This Friday. We'll be goin' down ter London together. I've booked teo beds on the Knight Bus…"

I felt a nasty pang of guilt. I had been to busy with my own affairs to think about Hagrid's. "Case?" Lexie said. "Why don't I know anything about this? Draco said he'd try to cancel it. Beaky'd never hurt me on purpose, I love that hippogriff!"

"I know yer do," said Hagrid. "But I've got more important matters ter discuss with you lot."

He poured some tea. "What?" said Harry.

"Hermione," said Hagrid.

"What about her?" said Ron bitterly.

"She's in a righ' state, that's what. She's bin comin' down ter visit me a lot since Christmas. Bin feelin' lonely. First yeh weren' talking to her because o' the Firebolt, now yer not talkin' to her because her cat-"

"-ate Scabbers!" Ron interjected angrily.

"Boohoo, Ron!" Lexie said. "Hermione's cat's just like any other. The guys are the ones to blame, Hagrid. It wasn't us."

Both Harry and Ron were glaring at her, but she took it in her stride, as usual. I agreed with her. We hadn't treated Hermione any differently. "She's cried a fair few times, yer know," continued Hagrid doggedly. "Bitin' off more than she can chew, poor girl. Still found time to help me with the case, mind…"

"We should've helped as well, Hagrid," said Janice.

"I'm not blamin' yeh," he said. "But then came the incident with the Firebolt. I thought you cared more about your friend than a broomstick… or a rat."

Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable looks. "She was really upset when Black nearly stabbed you, Ron," said Janice. "She's got her heart in the right place, Mione. But if you two aren't talking to her-"

"If she'd just get rid of her cat, I'd talk to her again!" said Ron.

"People can be very stupid about their pets," I sighed.

POV LEXIE JONES:

They spent the rest of the time discussing the chances if Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup, and I wanted to do nothing but bail. Why waist my time discussing something I don't believe in when I could spent time with my –oh my wizard God- boyfriend.

I felt strange to say it, even think it. It wasn't like we were snogging in public or anything, but just the idea felt so much better. Blaise knew, obviously, and Pansy too. The latter was rather unfortunate because she had treated me worse than before.

She didn't dare to give straight insults, mind you. She was afraid I'd pull a Petyr Selwyn on her.

I left my friends as soon as I could, heading off to the common room, wanting to see Draco and try out some new Dark curses. The one with the snakes had come in really handy, and because I had done the Parselmagic once, it had become a little easier doing it again.

It took a lot of energy and was still incredibly difficult, but I had succeeded doing an Expelliarmus with Parselmagic. I hadn't told anyone besides Draco and Blaise (who was starting to become a good friend as well) and they were extremely proud of me.

When Draco had gotten past the shyness, he was quite a sweet –god, there the word comes again- boyfriend. But, most importantly, he was also still the sarcastic, witty friend. I was a girl, but I didn't need the mushy kind of stuff.

When I came into the common room, I saw it was pretty quiet, so I squeezed in between Blaise and Draco on the grand couch and held pinkies with Draco, while chatting merrily to both of them.

"The next Hogsmeade trip's tomorrow, you know," said Blaise.

"Oh oh," I smirked. "How many?"

"Just one date, this time," Blaise smirked back.

"Now, that's a first," said Draco.

"One?" I giggled. "Someone special? Do I know her?"

"You know her very well," he said.

"Who is it?" I said, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"McLaggen," Blaise said.

I burst out laughing. "And when will you tell her? Or were you thinking of just kidnapping her to Madam Puddifoot's?"

Draco'd wrinkled his nose in disgust and said, "WHY?"

"I think it'll be a challenge," Blaise said.

"Are you a masochist?" I laughed. "Or do you just get turned on by girls with messy, half-dyed hair and marmalade on her face?"

"One, you need to tell me that story one day," Blaise laughed, "two, I don't know. Maybe it'll be a good change. And I mean, how amazing would it be to get her to fall in love with me?"

"So, is it your reputation you plan to destroy, or hers?" Draco snickered.

"Blaise, I'm saying this as your friend, that's a suicide mission," I said honestly.

"So you think I can't do it?" Blaise frowned.

"I'm sure you'll be able to if you try your best," I said. "But it's not something you want. She's a good girl, but you two are like ice cream and bacon. They're both great, but thinking of them together makes me throw up."

The boys laughed.

The next day was fine and breezy, and we didn't like staying indoors, so we went for a visit to the Shrieking Shack. I had talked Blaise out of asking Bella (for now, Merlin knows what he's up to) and while I still didn't find the castle remotely terrifying, I was glad he had his mind set on something else.

Draco and I were holding hands, when he caught sight of Ron. His face spread into a malevolent grin. Trouble was on its way, I just felt it.

"What are you doing, Weasley?"

Ron didn't have time to answer when he caught sight of my hand in Draco's and he face reddened with anger. Draco obviously seemed to be enjoying it, and he pulled me even closer.

"So you've fallen to a real low level now, eh, Lexie?" Ron snapped.

Draco looked at the crumbling house behind Ron, and sneered, "Suppose you'd love to live hear, wouldn't you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom? I heard your family all sleep in one room- is that true?"

It looked like Ron was about to charge on Draco, but something invisible seemed to hold him back. Something invisib- Harry. Once I knew it was there, I saw the silver-ish outline of the Cloak bending down, scooping up a large handful of mud.

I barely had time to duck when the mud splattered on Draco's hair, suddenly covered in muck.

"What the-?"

Ron had to hold on to the fence to keep himself standing, he was laughing too hard. I saw the figure sneak around the path, flinging some foul-smelling, green sludge, hitting Blaise on his robes.

I cursed the Golden Boy inwardly, bent down and flung some mud myself. I wasn't the best thrower, but this one was aimed perfectly and hit the Cloak, making it slide off a bit. Harry's, and to my surprise, also Janice's head were floating in midair.

"Very mature, Potter!" I yelled.

Draco and Blaise had screamed, turned tail and ran.

"I had expected better of you, Janice."

"Oh, don't give her that," Harry said. "I had expected better off you!"

"Well, regard this as a lesson then," I snapped. "Never expect anything of me, and never be disappointed."

POV JANICE DIGGORY:

"We shouldn't have thrown the mud," I said to Harry, as we were walking in the corridors again.

"Malfoy deserved it, you head what he said to Ron!" he answered.

I was panicking. Would Malfoy and Zabini believe what they had seen? I wondered how long it would take them to find a teacher and tell…

"Ron shouldn't have provoked him," I said curtly.

Just as we past the corner, we ran into someone. It was Snape. "So," he said.

There was a look of surprised triumph about him, a look that meant no good whatsoever. "Come with me, both of you," said Snape.

I bent my head and followed him. Harry and I sat down in his office while Snape remained standing. "Mr. Malfoy has just been to see me with a strange story," he said.

I wanted to open my mouth but Harry stepped on my toe, a sign we both better remain silent. "He tells me that he was up by the Shrieking Shack when he ran into Weasley- apparently alone. Mr. Malfoy states he was talking to Weasley, when a large amount of mud hit him on the head. How do you think that could have happened?"

Harry tried to look mildly surprised. "I don't know, Professor."

I, however, completely failed. I was dangerously close to crying and admitting all. Snape's eyes were boring into mine, then Harry's. He was looking which of us was easiest to crack. I tried not to blink. This was like approaching a hippogriff.

"Mr. Malfoy then saw an extraordinary apparition. Can you imagine what it might have been?"

"No," said Harry, whilst I shook my head like a madman. "It were your heads. Floating in midair."

There was a long silence.

"Maybe he'd better go to Madam Pomfrey," said Harry, and my nervous laugh sounded like a shriek of panic.

Like a howl, I thought, shivering.

"What would your heads be doing in Hogsmeade?" said Snape softly. "Your heads are not allowed in Hogsmeade. No part of your body had permission to be in Hogsmeade."

"I know that," said Harry. "It sounds like Malfoy's having hallucinations-"

"We were just up in the library, finishing the vampire essay Professor Lupin had told us to do!" I shrieked, panicking completely.

"Can anyone confirm that?"

Harry and I both didn't speak. Snape's thin mouth curled into a horrible smile.

"So," he said. "Everyone from the Ministry has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Harry Potter goes where he wants to."

"It was not like that," I said, with all the strength I had. "He just wanted to have some fun-"

Snape ignored me. "How extraordinary like your father you are, Potter," said Snape, his eyes glinting. "He too was exceedingly arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch field made him think he was a cut above the rest of us too. Strutting around the school with his friends and admirers… The resemblance between you is uncanny."

"My dad didn't strut," said Harry before I could stop him. "Neither do I."

"Your father didn't set much store by rules either," Snape went on, his thin face full of malice. "Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup winners. His head was so swollen-"

"SHUT UP!"

Harry was suddenly on his feet, looking furious.

"What did you say to me, Potter?"

"He didn't mean it," I said. "I'm sorry sir, he's a bit tired. That's all, really."

"Don't you dare defend him!" Snape said. "Don't you see how bad he influences you, he and his stupid group of friends. You know what they got you into? What you've become?"

"I know that, very well," I said coolly. "But I wouldn't have done it differently if I could."

"Your father-"

"My father would have done the same. He's risked his life for innocent people," I said, not knowing how I found the courage. "He's not the only Dad you're wrong about."

"James Potter-"

"You wouldn't even be here without him! He saved your life!" Harry yelled. "Dumbledore told me!"

Snape's sallow skin had gone the colour of sour milk. "And did the Headmaster tell you the circumstances in which he saved me?" he whispered. "Or did he consider the details to pleasant for precious Potter's delicate ears?"

Harry bit his lip.

"I would hate for you to leave this room with a false idea about your father, Potter," said Snape, his face twisting in a terrible grin. "Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me correct you- your saintly father and his friends played a joke on me that would have resulted in my death if your father hadn't got cold feet at the last moment. He was saving his own skin as much as mine. Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts."

I wanted to say something to change the horrified look on Harry's face, but I couldn't.

"Turn out your pockets, Potter!" Snape spat suddenly.

Sorry Janice's POV was a cliffhanger, the rest will be told next chapter! Leave a review if you have time, and well- I'm already glad if you're reading this.