Apparently, to rejoice about the good grades and to comfort the not so good or less, the banquet in the Great Hall was superb. It was a remarkable Easter after having worried about the examinations for so long, and in Hermione's case since second grade.
After the O.W.L.s however, the pressure wasn't quite over. There was the issue of consulting the head of houses for their next year's classes. The teachers had given them a schedule in accordance with possible careers. They were told they would be allowed to drop a few of their current subjects, to which Ron was ecstatic, but got over the thrill when he saw all careers needed Potions.
"That is a very important subject, I wouldn't drop it even if I could" said Hermione earnestly.
"It's not the subject…it's Snape I want to get rid of" said Ron miserably. Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry completely agreed. If there was any chance of getting rid of Snape and his greasy hair, he would surely take it.
A Hogsmeade weekend was granted after the examinations. Harry, Ron and Hermione now understood the higher grades. When they were first allowed to go to Hogsmeade, or in Harry's case sneak out, it was surely appealing. But now, if you didn't need to buy anything it was sort of dull. This was too true for Harry, Ron and Hermione. They knew about some things others did not. Some people were going to visit the supposedly seriously haunted Shrieking Shack, but Harry knew better by now. It had turned out, on their third year, the howls were coming from Lupin transforming into a werewolf.
The day of the visit, the castle emptied of third and fourth years. Harry and the rest were hanging around the grounds. With Hogwarts view, an afternoon by the lake talking to your friends and watching the giant squid catching pieces of bread thrown by first years was always worth having.
At dinner time, Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the Great Hall expecting an excited talk floating around, people telling each other what they did or didn't do at the village. But it wasn't what they found. Harry entered behind Ron and Hermione to see the Great Hall almost completely in silence. Heads were down and even the teachers table seemed scented with grief of some kind. What had happened?
Harry sat down beside Ron and then stared at the teacher's table. They were as serious as could be. When the last students entered the Great Hall a couple minutes later, Dumbledore lifted up a hand to call for attention. Harry felt uneasy, and thought of asking "What's wrong?" out loud, but didn't have to. Dumbledore took a deep breath and then gave them the bad news.
"There has been an accident, as some of you may know and some of you may not" he paused. "The carriages coming back from Hogsmeade were attacked." There was a loud murmur explosion as soon as Dumbledore had spoken, however, he asked for silence almost immediately and went on. "Apparently, the creatures from the train attack seemed to have sought for revenge." He was talking slowly as if the words pained him as they went out his mouth. "A terrible consequence came from this attack… there were casualties" he said, his eyes shining. Professor McGonagall along with a couple other teachers couldn't hold it any longer, they burst to silent tears.
"We lost seven friends, there is no other way to call them. I understand you're all grieving, but I ask you to be strong in this hard times." He raised his goblet and everyone followed his lead. Harry did too. He didn't know what to think. Hermione was crying next to Ron.
"Let us remember them forever, let their memories be fresh in our minds as well as in our hearts." He raised his goblet a bit higher. "To Dennis and Collin Creevey." Harry felt as if someone had lit a fire in his stomach. Collin had been annoying to him, but surely won a place between his friends. "To Susan Bones." Hermione whined worse than ever. Tatum, Neville, Ginny, there were so many people who hadn't even had the will to raise their goblets, blinded by the grief. "Simon Leek" "Marion Wise" "Robert Fabian" "Cho Chang." Harry felt an icy feeling on his back, hurting him. he couldn't believe it: Cho was gone. The first girl Harry ever saw as such was dead. He felt his face wet, he dried on his sleeve. He felt Ron patting him on the back. Harry turned to see him and saw he had shiny eyes like Dumbledore's, who had sit after the heartbreaking toast.
Next morning, things suddenly became out of hand. The lessons were suspended until further notice. They were all asked to remain inside their dormitories for the moment. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the common room quietly, apparently waiting the same thing as the rest of the silent students: the answer to what was going to happen. Harry thought the carriages attack had been the definite drop. The anguish he had been feeling since Voldemort's return was suddenly back. Harry could guess this was the time for rush decisions. He was longing to know what was coming. He wished Sirius were there. He thought with him by his side, he would be stronger. After all, Harry had had the worst luck in battles. He had fought alone too many times. Deep inside him, he wished this time wouldn't be the same. But somehow, he felt alone as he had never felt. Sirius wasn't there, his father or mother weren't there, the bottom line was he was alone.
The hours went by and nobody seemed to want to talk. The same with the teachers. Nobody had come to tell them where to go from here. Fortunately, not too long afterwards, Professor McGonagall entered Gryffindor Tower, and she wasn't alone to that effect, Snape was with her. Harry, as he was sure everyone else felt, thought he had no business entering there and felt immediately awkward at his presence. Everyone stared at Snape, rather than at Professor McGonagall. She, however, was the one who spoke.
"Please, I ask you to remain calmed" she said in her inevitable severe tone, not reaching a scold. "Due to certain circumstances out of our control, Professor Dumbledore has decided to cut this school year short." There was an instant arise of mumbling. Professor Snape looked ready to shut them all up with a scold, but Professor McGonagall raised her hand and did a kind shushing sound. "We do think, however, you must be prepared for certain situations aroused in our world, which is why we'll try to give you the most important points remaining in the school schedule within a week."
"A week alone?" said Hermione, turning reddish soon after noticing the words coming out of her mouth. Professor McGonagall smiled politely, didn't comment on her intermission, and went on undisturbed.
"We think a week is a reasonable time frame for your tutors to be acknowledged and you, of course, ready to go" she said in a finalizing tone. "That is all for now. Please be kind enough to be punctual."
"There will be no lessons on the grounds. The lessons that require it will be relocated. The classroom will be announced tomorrow morning on your notice board" added Snape looking around at the Gryffindors, as if daring them to complain. Professor McGonagall seemed to have resented it. She said nothing.
"Miss Salem, be so kind to come with me" Snape added. Everyone turned this way and that, looking for her within the crowd. Harry couldn't see her. Soon, she raised her hand in the air from behind a pack of first years. Her face was red and moist, as if she had been crying in the corner. She straighten her face, looking still weepy, and walked beside Snape.
"Mr. Potter, a word please" said Professor McGonagall steering them both outside. Snape was the last to exit, leaving a noisy common room behind. Professor McGonagall beckoned Harry to follow her. Tatum was staring at the floor walking side by side with Snape.
"Do you truly believe it necessary, Severus?" asked Professor McGonagall from Snape's right, sounding anxious.
"There will come a moment when you see what I'm trying to do" he answered as cold as he did with any student who wasn't from his own house. Apparently, Professor McGonagall didn't believe this any more than Harry did, nor thought it could be a positive action coming from Snape either. Reaching the marble staircase, Professor McGonagall steered Harry upwards, while Snape and Tatum went downstairs.
"Where is she going?" Harry asked Professor McGonagall.
"I don't think I'm the one to tell you that, Potter" she sighed. Harry was about to ask the next question fresh in his mind, when they reached an eagle statue. He was being taken to Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall gave the password and the spiral staircase opened way to the office. She told Harry she had other business to take care of. He went up to the office alone.
"Harry, please come in" said Dumbledore pleasantly as Harry opened the door. He was sitting behind his desk. He had a slight loss in his usual sparkly eyes and warm smile.
"You wanted to talk to me, Professor Dumbledore" said Harry standing by the desk.
"Sit, please" asked Dumbledore. Harry didn't feel like sitting down, but thought of being polite and did it anyway.
"Harry" said Dumbledore rubbing his fingertips. "I must explain myself to you." Harry opened his mouth to say this wasn't true, but his voice was drowned by Dumbledore's raised hand. "I have to confess something to you… after last term, I felt a bit edgy about your well being outside Hogwarts." He was taking his time to say every bit. "I sent someone to look after you."
"Is this about Tatum's Shielding job?" asked Harry who didn't feel so lost anymore.
"Yes, indeed" smiled Dumbledore. "She was sent by me, to look after you. However, I strongly asked her not to tell you it was me. It was better if you knew Arthur Weasley was doing it out of Molly's worry, than from your Headmaster. I didn't want you to feel overprotected or incapable of taking care of yourself." Harry had imagined Dumbledore had been the one sending him a guard, but thought it would be too arrogant to say I knew it. "However, she's no longer fit for the job."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked almost immediately.
"Well, she doesn't care for the same perspectives, and as I'm not the only one who wants to see you well protected, there was another volunteer for the job. One who seems more qualified."
"What could have changed?" said Harry. He asked this question more to himself than to Dumbledore. But, it was he who answered.
"Being back at school, brought her past rebel self, and it is not a good idea to rely a responsibility as great as taking care of someone, to somebody that angry with herself." Harry thought between this last line: angry with herself. Was that why she was so rebellious six years ago? What could motivate her so much, Harry couldn't imagine. He had been angry lots of times, but not so angry as to let it out hurting somebody else.
"Your new Shield will be Charlie Weasley." Harry thought immediately of Ron, and what would he say about it. "It is only temporary of course, he's back at the Burrow for a short time, and then he has to go back to Romania." Harry knew Charlie worked away from home. But no matter how short the guarding would last, he still thought this could be a bad idea for Ron anyway. "Well, that is all Harry, since you are aware of most of the details already. I must be off" he said standing up, lit the chimney fire and took some glittering powder from a golden sack. "I have a very important appointment I just can't miss" he smiled and disappeared into the flames.
Harry turned to leave, when the door was slammed opened. It was Snape looking very agitated.
"Where's Dumbledore?" he asked Harry in an almost demanding way.
"He just left, I don't know where to. He said he had an appointment" answered Harry.
"Come along, I'll take you where you belong" said Snape coldly, staring strangely around as if searching for butterflies. They left the office, and headed back to Gryffindor Tower. They were at the portrait hole in no time. Snape had been running rather than walking dragging Harry by the arm. "Get in! and stay there!" he emphasized. Harry gave the password and the portrait hole opened. The common room was a lot clearer now. Ron and Hermione were still waiting for him though.
"What happened?" asked Ron. Hermione looked worried. She was staring at a point near Harry's right. "What did McGonagall want with you?"
"It was Dumbledore who wanted to talk to me" said Harry. He explained the Shielding change in a couple of words. Harry was expecting a strong reaction from Ron, but he was amazingly cool about it. "There's something that worries me!"
"What, Harry?" asked Hermione distracted as if she had just awoken from a dream state.
"Snape was a bit jumpy when he brought me back" he explained. Harry felt something bad was happening and didn't have a clue what could it be. He tried to stay cool, but found it very hard to do.
Everyone was going up to bed as the night fell. Harry stood in the common room. Ron and Hermione were putting Hermione's books away, since she had been reading more, if possible, because McGonagall had told them they weren't going to have a lot more lessons.
Harry neared himself to one of the windows, deciding to stay a while longer. He saw a dark clear sky, a silent environment, and, Tatum running out of the castle. She was wearing black robes, but her red hair was bright in the dark. Harry wondered was she was up to, and got his answer faster than he thought he would. A second cloaked figure ran out of the castle, it was shooting light balls at her.
"Guys!" he said waving his hand impatiently to Ron and Hermione, who dropped everything at Harry's urgency. They looked through the window too and Hermione gasped.
"We should call someone!" she said.
"We've gotta help her!" said Harry leaving his seat. Ron and Hermione looked alarmed, but didn't move. "The cloaked figure is not her she's running from it… What's got into you two?"
"Harry, we don't even know if we can trust her!" said Hermione with her eyes shining with tears.
"We can't risk it!" said Ron. "Hermione's right, let's just call…"
"Who?" yelled Harry. "We have risk it before! What changed?"
"She's a banshee!" yelled Hermione higher than him. "Alright, Harry? We cannot trust her, because she's a banshee!"
"She's dangerous, mate!" said Ron. Harry felt betrayed. How could Hermione shared this with Ron and not with him as well?
"We've dealt with dangerous before!" he went on storming to the door. Ron and Hermione followed him. Ron grabbed him by the arm.
"This is different. She's a cold blooded murderer!"
"She's also our friend" said Harry, roughly releasing his arm from Ron's grip. He ran out after that, wiping out his wand while trying to reach the grounds on time. He reached the Oak Front doors and kept on running. He had ran a fair distance from the castle when he had to stop abruptly. There was a cloaked figure over what looked like a dead body.
He walked closer, holding his wand firmly. The cloaked figure moved slowly upwards. Harry was pointing straight at face level, prepared to attack.
"Show yourself!" said Harry in a nervous would-be-threatening voice. He was about to say it again when the figure turned to face him. Harry felt cold, freezing his heart and throat. It was Tatum smiling sinically at him.
"Well, well, I honestly thought you wouldn't come" she said in a cold, mysterious voice. "I even had to get rid of him before I meant to" she laughed stepping aside. Snape was the figure on the floor. He was awfully stiff and there was blood soaking his robes.