Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the final Quidditch match of the Hogwarts season! There are only 3 more chapters after this, so enjoy the ride. For those curious, I'm nearly to the final challenge in my Goblet of Fire story, and I'll begin posting that immediately with the last chapter of this story.

Thank you to my reviewers: the wonderful canuck84 and the ever constant KRP. (And yes, KRP, I know who you're referring to. That would be chi psi 390.)

You can be a reviewer, too. Don't just sit there, review! I enjoy the feedback.

And remember, all text in italics is spoken Azkabaaner, and I don't own HP.

Chapter 21 – Gryffindor vs. Slytherin

Esdras really didn't have the heart to tell his team that most likely, with the capture of Sirius Black, both he and his division would be reassigned to Azkaban. As much fun as it was being a mortal, he would be unable to escape the fact that he wasn't one. The worst part was when he realized that he would have to break up with Katie. When he realized that, he put down his potions textbook and went off for a float around the lake. He would be useless studying for a while.

The float around the lake was eventful. As he banked over the shore where the Dementor command bunker was, he caught sight of a familiar cloak and called down. "Hello there, Aaron."

The commander spun about and looked up, offering a casual salute. "Captain, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

The commander of operations for the Hogsmeade region sighed heavily, his hood hanging limply over his face. "Aaron, what am I?"

The Dementor looked up at his friend for a second, then quickly waved his hands in front of him. "Oh no, Esdras. Not this. You're not dragging me into a philosophical argument about the nature of mortal-Dementor relationships and your place in that argument as a result of being able to be both."

The captain looked at his friend with a wide hood. "How did you know I was going to ask that?"

Aaron laughed lightly. "I've been your friend for almost two centuries now, Esdras. You were best man at my wedding; you're godfather to my sister and children. You're like a brother to me. You should be worried if I don't know what you're thinking."

Esdras growled at him and grabbed a large rock from the shore of the lake, tossing it halfway out into the lake. "Fact remains, I'm a Dementor, and she's a mortal. And when we catch chi psi three nine zero, we're going to be recalled to Azkaban and I'll most likely never see her again."

The commander made a dismissive motion as he picked up a rock as well and tossed it. "Now you're being fatalistic. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Remember when we got stationed in Poland and I thought we'd be stuck there forever and I'd never see Christine again?"

The captain laughed. "You were such a child about that, all because of some silly little mortal war. But, I see your point." He sighed and tossed another rock into the lake. "I don't know, I just don't think it's fair on her."

Aaron nodded slowly and looked out over the rippling water. "Fair or not, the choice of who she wishes to become involved with is hers to make. You know as well as I do that a relationship between a Dementor and mortal is possible, so don't close yourself off to the idea simply because distance may get in the way."

Esdras bowed his head. "Yes, you're right about that. And if this is what she wants, she'll do anything to get it." His gaze drifted to the quickly stilling water. "And if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. But that scares me, Aaron."

The commander nodded and cuffed his commanding officer on the back. "Fear is part of living life. The only question is in how you manage the fear that comes your way. Now come on, I was looking through the Hogwarts student files and there's something you need to see."

It was a few days before the last Quidditch match of the season, and by now most of the students had gotten used to the random vulture flying in with post from Azkaban for Esdras. However, when the vulture that flew in on this day turned to make a run down the Gryffindor table, people paid attention.

Katie was already digging through a large stack of mail this day, but she looked up just in time to grab the letter. Translating the Azkabaaner writing, she determined the return address to be from the Reaping residence, North Mountain, Azkaban. Alicia looked over at the letter with strange print and arched an eyebrow. "Birthday cards from everyone?"

Katie nodded and opened the foreign post first. "The Reapings are very nice. It's easy to see why Esdras is such close friends with them."

The contents of the letter turned out to be a very nice mortal birthday card, signed by Christine, Jacob, Calla, and Sasha, four stones, a crayon rendition of the North Mountain mint fields by Jacob, and a finger painted…something…by Calla. Alicia looked at the paintings while Katie read the note written on the inside of the card. "Well, the Reaping children are quite the artists, aren't they?"

Katie laughed as she got to a particular part of the missive. "And apparently, Christine is still cleaning finger paints off the walls from Calla's first attempt at painting."

Angelina leaned across the table and smiled slyly. "What do you think Esdras got you?"

Katie shrugged and indicated the four stones resting near her goblet. "Most likely a small stone, it's a traditional Azkaban gift. It serves to remind them that they are not completely immortal and will fade away, unlike the stone."

Angelina looked rather put off. "That's a bit of a downer on your birthday."

The blonde smiled. "They don't think of birthdays the same way we do."

Her concept of how Dementors viewed birthdays was turned on its ear, however, when the cloaked form of Aaron Reaping floated cautiously into the Great Hall. It looked like he was trying to blend in, but being nine feet tall and cloaked black as pitch, he was succeeding about as well as Hagrid in a Doxy nest. The Dementor carried a carefully wrapped box and glided silently down the aisle. When he got to her, he bowed politely and held out the present. Atop the box rested a small stone. "Happy birthday, Katie."

She took the gift and smiled brightly at the Dementor. "Thank you, Aaron. You didn't have to."

The Dementor waved aside her concern. "Nonsense, I wanted to. Anyway, I have to go give Esdras the day's duty rosters before he thinks I'm abusing my castle privilege."

Katie giggled softly and pointed behind him. "Too late."

Sure enough, when Aaron turned around, there stood Esdras, standing hood to hood with him. "And why would I think you're abusing your castle privilege, Aaron?"

The commander's voice was amused. "Very funny, sir." He handed off a sheaf of parchment. "Today's duty roster, the Eighth and Ninety First infantries are on perimeter patrol, Seventy Seventh is on roaming patrol, and we've got the gates today."

The captain reviewed the documents and conjured a quill and inkwell, signing his name where necessary. "Very good, commander. Just try not to show me up next year, I still haven't given Katie her gift yet."

Aaron snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir."

Esdras returned his salute. "Dismissed, commander." As the commander floated off, Esdras again took his mortal form and stuffed the rosters into his cloak. He sighed. "I thought being a captain would be fun, instead it's just paperwork."

Katie nodded and moved over on the bench to make room for him. Once the Dementor had sat down, she leaned against him and spoke anxiously. "So, what's this I hear about a birthday present?"

The Dementor shrugged and reached into his cloak, pulling out a small stone. "The stone is permanent, mortal child, it changes not from year to year."

Katie nodded and took the stone, repeating the necessary line. "But we are not the stone, child of Azkaban, our time is measured by the sand instead." She palmed the smooth stone and hugged Esdras tightly. And as she hugged him, she felt something crinkle beneath his cloak. She pulled back with a questioning look on her face.

Esdras smiled, and withdrew a large, flat package. Katie laughed and tore into the paper. When she finally opened the box, she gasped to see the same dress that she had been staring at in the window of Gladrag's at the last Hogsmeade trip. She looked over to her boyfriend who simply shrugged. "Hey, you did the Dementor thing and now you're going to do the mortal thing. Happy birthday, darling."

Esdras walked with his teammates towards the Quidditch pitch. "Remind me again why the Gryffindor-Slytherin game got postponed to the last game of the season?"

Cho sighed. "Because according to Marietta who heard it from Padma who heard it from Parvati who was actually there, earlier this year Draco was a git to a hippogriff and got his arm sliced open. He played up the injury, so that game got moved back and all the other ones got moved up."

The Dementor smirked and glided up the stairs. "Funny how that works out. If he hadn't played up the injury, they'd have a better chance since Harry would still be riding his Nimbus 2000."

Roger laughed and looked back at the two. "Yeah, karma is a bi…good morning, Professor Flitwick." The diminutive professor squeaked his greeting and made his way past the students. Roger let out a sigh of relief. "That was close."

Chambers decided to raise another interesting point. "And why is it that all our information comes fourth or fifth hand, anyway? Nothing exciting ever happens to us, like with that whole Chamber of Secrets thing last year."

Cho shrugged. "We're just not important enough."

Esdras looked hopeful. "I'm a Dementor."

Cho shook her head. "Not important enough."

The Dementor grumbled. "I'm important enough. It's not like anyone would want to write a book about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets or anything. And besides, who would read it?"

The Ravenclaws shrugged in response and took their seats and waited for the start of the game. Esdras had his cobalt glasses on and was waiting for the start of the action. Lee Jordan had already dutifully announced the Slytherin team, whose entry onto the pitch was accompanied by much booing and a strange hiss from the Dementor. Finally, the Gryffindor team was announced and the stadium echoed with the roar of the crowd. Esdras cheered loudly and waved around a small sign that read, in Azkabaaner, "Death to the opposition."

The game was, in a word, brutal. With the Slytherin team putting up a dirty fight in order to secure the championship, Gryffindor was fighting for every point and paying the price. Down in the Ravenclaw stands, the result was the other six members of the Quidditch team, plus a few others, actively holding Esdras down every time a Slytherin got close to Katie.

The final straw came when Montague took Katie's head in his arm instead of the Quaffle. The Dementor burst free from his mortal shackles and into the air, emitting a strange, amplified keening wail that switched midway through to a mortal scream. All action on the field slowed momentarily as the floating Dementor glared icily at the Slytherin chaser. Montague carefully released Katie from the headlock and visibly gulped as he was stared down from one hundred feet away.

The Dementor remained hovering in midair, arms crossed, as the action on the pitch resumed. Finally, he saw fit to descend to his seat, his point made. Cho sat silently beside him for a moment. "You realize what she's going to say to you after the match is over, right?"

Esdras smirked and adopted an irritated Katie tone…

"Esdras Tarsus Demnin, what do you think you were doing out there? I'll have you know I can take care of myself on the pitch without your help."

The Dementor laughed inwardly as Chambers slapped his forehead. The poor mortal now owed him ten Sickles. Katie glared at the Dementor for a moment more before breaking out into a grin and jumping into his arms, cheering loudly. "We won! We won the cup!"

The Dementor laughed with her and spun her around in a tight circle before kissing her deeply. "Congratulations! You were wonderful out there. How's your neck?"

Caught in the moment, Katie answered truthfully. "It's still a little sore but…" She caught herself and cuffed the Dementor on the shoulder. "It's fine. No need to worry."

Esdras shook his head slightly. "Not so fast. Five minutes with Madame Pomfrey, then we can party the night away. Deal?"

Katie made a show of contemplating the proposition. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't want to be encumbered in any way." She leaned in dangerously close. The smell of dirt and dragon leather was almost intoxicating. "Especially if you're going to be there."

The Dementor nodded, not trusting his voice, and wrapped his arms around her before kicking off and floating them both towards the castle. The trip to the Hospital Wing took less than five minutes, and the treatment by a bemused Madame Pomfrey took less than that. She smiled to the chaser as she tapped the back of her neck with her wand. "Well, certainly not life threatening, but you would have been sore in the morning if you hadn't gotten this taken care of."

The ministrations complete, Katie put her hand to the back of her neck and rubbed before smiling. Esdras was hovering around the chandelier in the hallways outside the Hospital Wing. "Dementors take great care in watching after the health of their friends and loved ones. Sickness and lingering injury are so rare among them that they will wait hand and foot after someone for as little as a cough."

The nurse smiled and sent Katie on her way with a clean bill of health and a piece of advice. "My dear, I don't think that's the reason why he looks after you like he does."

Katie left the Hospital Wing with a blush. Esdras floated down and joined her. Noting the color on her cheeks he cast a quizzical glance. "What?" She smiled and walked ahead a little faster, the Dementor trailing after. "What, did I miss something? Katie…?"