Grim Defeat
As soon as she heard that name the smug arrogance that was always present on her face was wiped away. She was pretty sure her face was ghostly pale and the bottom of her stomach seemed to have disappeared.
Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.
"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Minnie and Professor Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head boy and girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts"
Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…"
One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.
"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.
The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.
"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"
She looked up to see that George was waving her over towards a few of the sleeping bags, but then she saw Fred behind him and, feeling the blush spreading up her neck, she quickly pretended she didn't see and instead went to grab a sleeping bag next to Harry.
The four of them were lying fully clothes in sleeping bags in the corner in order to be away from everyone else, propped on their elbows in order to talk.
Her uncle Padfoot had broken into the castle and attacked the Fat Lady. What did that mean? Was he really after Harry? She had to admit it would make sense, why else would he got to Gryffindor tower, it's not like he would sneak into a place guarded by dementors just to take a trip down memory lane.
"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously, pulling Briar out of her worrying thoughts.
"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron.
"There's no way." Briar shook her head. "If he was smart enough to get into the castle, he wouldn't stick around to get caught"
The other three shared a nervous look, but Briar paid no mind, she was just telling them the truth, he words weren't meant to be comforting.
"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione. "The one night we weren't in the tower…"
"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realise it was Halloween. Otherwise he would have come bursting in here."
Hermione, shuddered, but Briar just lay back, frowning at the starry enchanted ceiling above them. Halloween was the day that his brother in all but blood and the woman he thought of as a sister, whether he betrayed them or not, her uncle Padfoot would have never forgotten today.
If he had chosen today to go up to that tower, it meant he knew that they wouldn't be in the tower. So what did he want? It just didn't make sense, what was his reasoning to sneak into Gryffindor tower if not to kill Harry? To wait for him and have the element of surprise? But that simply didn't follow, it would mean there were too many people around…
What was going on with her Uncle Padfoot?
Unlike Briar, having no insight as to who Sirius Black really is, everyone was asking on another the same question: "How did he get in?"
"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know"
"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.
"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.
That was the suggestion that gave Briar pause. Only she and her uncle Moony had any knowledge of her Uncle Padfoot's best disguise…the big black dog. Could that really be how he had gotten in? if so and he actually did harm Harry, she would never forgive herself for not telling Dumbledore what her Uncle Padfoot really was: an animagus.
"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Briar, Harry and Ron.
"Do you mean are you the only one sad enough?" Briar smirked, the familiar mischievous glint finally returning to her hazel eyes, Hermione glared.
"Probably," said Ron. "Why?"
"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said Hermione. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered…"
Briar pressed her lips together, knowing that Filch certainly didn't know all the secret passageways, only she and the twins did, and, know that she thought about it, her uncle Padfoot.
"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking."
The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Briar felt like she was in her animagus form, sleeping in the forbidden forest, like she had done on more than one occasion.
Laying there in complete silence Briar finally felt everything flood into her. Tears filled her eyes and began to fall absently down her cheeks, and she subconsciously grabbed onto Harry's hand. Why did this have to happen on Halloween? Why did everything have to happen on Halloween?
Memories of her uncle Padfoot, of her uncle Wormtail, her uncle Moony, her parents, Her aunt Marlene, and Aunt Dorcas, everything that was, what is and what could never be all because of Voldemort. Could this really be down to her uncle Padfoot too?
"Are you okay?" Harry's concerned voice whispered and she turned to see him already looking at her with worry filled green eyes.
Briar just shook her head in response.
Harry didn't say anything, just raised the hand that wasn't clasped in hers to wipe the tears from her cheeks and shuffled closer to her so that they were pressed against each other and that was enough comfort she needed.
Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in. Briar and Harry watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Percy was only a short way away from Briar, Harry, Ron and Hermione, who quickly pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore's footsteps dew nearer.
"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.
"No. All well in here?"
"Everything under control, sir"
"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow"
"And the Fat Lady, sir?"
"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still beery distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her"
Briar heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.
"Headmaster?" it was Snivillus and Briar kept quite still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either"
"What about the astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"
"All searched."
"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger"
"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snivillus.
Briar shared a glance with Harry and they both tilted their heads slightly in order to hear better.
"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."
Briar looked over to where they stood discretely; Dumbledore's back was to her, but she could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snivillus' profile, which looked angry.
"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before – ah – the start of term?" said Snivillus, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.
"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.
"It seems – almost impossible – that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed-"
Briar grit her teeth, knowing exactly what he was insinuating. Briar knew that he held a lot of hatred and resentment towards the marauders, and that included her uncle Moony, but he would never help someone hurt Harry. She wanted to hex the greasy git for the very suggestion.
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and Briar smiled slightly when his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snivillus didn't reply.
"I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete"
"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.
"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster"
Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snivillus stood for a moment, watching the headmaster, and Briar could help but smirk a little at the expression of deep resentment on his face, before he too left.
Briar glanced sideways at Harry, Ron and Hermione. All of them had their eyes open too, reflecting the starry ceiling.
"What was all that about?" Ron mouthed.
The morning after the 'incident', the first thing Briar did was to go to see her Uncle Moony, it certainly help since it allowed her to avoid Fred easier. Her uncle Moony looked even more weary that usual, his greying sandy hair in state of disarray and circles under his eyes. He wasn't taking Uncle Padfoot's break in very well, no doubt Snivillus had spent all his time accusing him of helping him.
"Do you think we should tell Dumbledore about Uncle Padfoot being, y'know…Padfoot?" Briar asked.
Uncle Moony looked thoughtful for a moment, biting his lip, before he shook his head.
"No, I doubt he would use his animagus form to get in, it was probably some sort of dark magic he picked up" Uncle Moony said finally, brushing it off, but Briar could see that the thought was bothering him.
Briar didn't bother to point out that since Hogwarts was heavily guarded it was probably protected against every dark magic imaginable. She didn't really think her uncle Padfoot was really a threat to her twin. Why would he kill his own God Son and betray the man he thought of as a brother? It simply didn't follow.
Briar was extremely annoyed that the school talked of nothing but her Uncle Padfoot for the next few days. Although, she did find it amusing to listen as the theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Padfoot could turn into a flowering shrub.
The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replace with the portrait of Si Cadogan and his fat grey pony from the Divination tower. Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half of his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.
"He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"
"None of the other pictures wanted the job," said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."
"Brave? More like complete off his rocker" Ron scoffed lowly and Briar nodded in agreement.
"It won't be long until the Fat Lady comes back. She puts up a fuss a lot, but she loves her job. Makes her feel important" said Briar.
However, Sir Cadogan turned out to be the least of Briar's worries. Due to the fact she was avoiding Fred, she spent most of her time with Harry, who was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him, and Percy (Acting on what were probably his mother's orders) was tailing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog. It was extremely hard to cause trouble when there was an authority figure at every turn.
That was why a few days later found Briar sitting on the second floor corridor floor next to Lee, throwing paper aeroplanes at other students as they passed by. They had places a sticking charm on the tip so that they were extremely difficult for them to remove.
Briar found it very funny to see their annoyed faces, especially since they were too scared to retaliate in fear of getting pranked by Briar Rose Potter in return.
"Potter! Jordon! I've got you now!" Filch's angry voice came as they were in mid throw.
Briar looked up to see that the old caretaker had his angry eyes on them and was quickly making his way toward them.
"What do we do?" Briar asked her boyfriend as they hurriedly shot to their feet, looking up and down the corridors, but there was a wide grin on her face as she looked at the milling students with paper aeroplanes attached to them.
"I say we leg it" said Lee, looking at Filch with wide brown eyes.
"Leg it where exactly?" she asked.
"I don't know, Hagrid's, the forest, that corner over there, just somewhere that's not here" Lee said hurriedly.
Briar looked around again before quickly ducking behind a gaggle of Ravenclaw and into a broom closet, Lee steadying her as she almost fell over a mop.
She and Lee looked at each other for a moment before grins bloomed on both of their faces and they had to smother their laughs lest they get caught by Filch. Briar knew the old git would be downright giddy at catching her in the act.
It didn't take long for the thrill to wear away as they leaned heavily against the walls of the closet, waiting for a time to escape, but Filch was in the corridor, grumbling and cleaning up the stray pieces of paper. Finding it increasingly difficult due to the sticking charms, Briar would have found it funny if she wasn't stuck in a stupid broom cupboard.
Lee looked down at the muggle watch on his wrist and sighed.
"I'm supposed to be meeting Alicia in the Library in like five minute" he said.
"Can I ask you something?" Briar asked, biting her lip as she eyed her boyfriend.
Lee frowned in confusion, but nodded. Briar could understand his confusion, it wasn't often she asked for permission to do anything.
"Would you prefer to spend time with Alicia, or with me?" she asked.
"Honestly?" Lee questioned after a small pause.
"No, lie to me" Briar replied dryly.
Lee opened his mouth, but no sound came out so he closed it again. However, in that pause Briar had her answer…and it wasn't her. She found it weird to know that she had expected as much and she wasn't upset. when he confirmed her suspicions.
"What does this mean?" Lee asked finally. "Do we break up."
Briar paused for a moment before she eventually nodded.
"You liked me back when I was just an innocent first year-" she started, but Lee cut her off.
"You?" Lee scoffed, raising his brows in half part challenge and half part amusement. "Who made a giant goo monster roam the halls?"
"That was one times and totally not my fault. What idiot lets a first year do a switching spell anyway?" Briar exclaimed defensively.
"Fred and George apparently" he said.
"Fine. Back when I was more innocent then" Briar chuckled, but her smile quickly faded. "I think since we were young when we got together it felt so normal and we've been holding onto that, even though it doesn't feel the way it used to"
Lee's smile was gone too.
"Yeah" He agreed. "Sorry."
"It happens" she shrugged, giving him a sad smile. "Friends?"
"Friends" Lee nodded, pulling her in for a hug.
Briar looked through the crack in the door to see that the corridor was now empty and she opened the door, leading Lee out. They stared at each other for a moment, not speaking.
"I can't believe we just had this conversation in a broom cupboard." Briar laughed, breaking the tension.
Lee chuckled too. They made their way to the Gryffindor common room together, Lee figuring Alicia would be there since he missed their meeting at the Library and Briar supposed Hermione would no doubt be doing homework or something in there.
Her suspicions were right. She found Hermione in the corner of the common room at a desk, surrounded by books from every subject and hunched over a piece of parchment, scribbling furiously.
"Hey, 'Mione" Briar greeted with a grin, slumping down in the seat next to her bushy haired friend. "Lee and I broke up"
"Well, it's probably for the best since you like someone else" Hermione said, glancing up from her work fleetingly, before immediately getting back to work.
Briar was about to say something else, but in that moment Fred entered the common room. and looked around. Briar's eyes widened in panic. After breaking up with Lee, she momentarily forgot that she was avoiding Fred and the common room was always the hardest place to do that.
Just as his eyes were about to land on her she grabbed one of Hermione's books, propped it up on a random page and quickly ducked out of sight behind it.
"You can't avoid Fred forever" Hermione commented.
"I know that. I just have to avoid him until he graduates. What's that, two and half years? I can do that" Briar scoffed.
Hermione raised her eyes and gave her one of her famous disapproving looks.
"You know what?" said Briar, putting the book down when she realised Fred was out of sight. "This is all your fault anyway"
"What?" gasped Hermione, finally putting her quill down.
"Yeah. I hate you 'Mione, I hate you so much. I was perfectly fine being blissfully unaware that I like Fred. Now, my stomach hurts when I'm with him, it hurts when I'm not, my cheeks seem to be a permanent shade of red and I'm glaring at any girl who even smiles at him" she ranted in one breathe.
"Why don't you just tell him? It's obvious he likes you, the way he looks at you is different than the way he looks at other girls." Reasoned Hermione.
"That's because I'm his best friend." Briar rolled her eyes. "You know what, I can't deal with this, I'm going to bed"
Briar got up and headed to the girls dorms, intent to stay there for a while before maybe going out to the forest to run as Bambi and blow of some steam, although she knew that was probably a bad idea due to the Dementors swarming about, but, hey, the risk was half the fun.
However, that plan was shattered when she slumped back down next to Hermione a few minutes later.
"I thought you we going to sleep?" Hermione asked, glancing up from her arithmomancy homework briefly.
"I was, but Lavender started crying" Briar sighed in annoyance, slouching down in her seat as she glanced around, making sure Fred wasn't near.
"What did you do now?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes disapprovingly.
"Why do you assumed it's my fault?" Briar asked, affronted. "I just told her she was gaining weight" Briar shrugged.
"Briar Rose, you don't tell someone that" Hermione snapped.
"She asked and I told her the truth, so why not?" Briar asked in confusion.
"Because it's not nice" Hermione replied.
"Look, I can be kind and sweet and all that stuff, but don't ask me to be nice, nice has nothing to do with me" Briar told her, holding up her hands in a surrender position.
The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer, but that did nothing to dampen Briar's spirits, however the fact that she was unable to avoid Fred. She made sure that she was always locked in a conversation with Harry or with Alicia and Katie, her fellow chasers, instead.
Despite the weather, the Gryffindor team was training harder than every under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then, at their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news.
"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."
"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.
"Flint's excuse is that their seeker's arm's still injured," said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. They don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances…"
There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.
"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm! He's faking it!" Briar and Harry said furiously at the same time.
"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly, "And we've been practicing all those new moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead It's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They're got a new Captain and seeker, Cedric Diggory-"
Briar, Angelina and Katie suddenly giggled. Briar wasn't a giggly girl, but in Cedric Diggory's case, she couldn't help it.
"What?" said Wood, frowning at the light-hearted behaviour.
"He's that tall, good looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina.
"Strong and silent," said Katie.
"He has that romance novel stare," said Briar, and they started to giggle again.
"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently, glancing in Briar's direction with a strange look on his face, before he looked back at Wood. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"
"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep out focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"
"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff seriously. Seriously."
The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team was looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Malfoy.
"Ah, if only my am was feeling a bit better!" he sighed as the gale outside pounded the windows.
He wasn't so smug when Briar planted colour bombs in his trunk and he had to attend the rest of his classes in multi-colour. She had gotten a detention and ten points from Gryffindor, but it was worth it to put the smug bastard in his place.
Briar was annoyed that it was the day of the full moon, so when she, Hermione and Ron turned up to Defence Against the Dark Arts, it was to find Snivillus standing smugly at the front of her uncle Moony's classroom. He shot Briar a horrible smile and she glared back as she took her seat.
"Now, Professor Lupin," he sneered her god father's name. "Has not left me anything to go off of, so I believe I will choose the topic. The fact he didn't thing this far ah-"
Briar glared at him as hard as she could, hoping against hope that he glare really could kill. However, she turned sharply when the classroom door was pulled open and her twin brother dashed into the room. He really did pick the worst possible time to be late to defence against the dark arts.
"Sorry I'm late professor Lupin. I-" Harry's eye's widened when it was Snivillus who looked up at him from the teacher's desk, not Moony.
"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down" Snivillus said, a smug undertone was in his voice.
Harry didn't move.
"Where's Professor Lupin?" he said.
"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snivillus with a twisted smile that Briar wanted to hex off of his face. "I believe I told you to sit down"
Harry stayed where he was.
"What's wrong with him?"
Snivillus' black eyes glittered.
"Nothing life-threatening," he said, looking as though he wished it were. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."
Harry walked slowly across the room and took his seat between Briar and Ron. Snivillus looked around the class.
"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-"
"Please sir, we've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows," said Hermione quickly, "and we were just about to start-"
"Be quiet," said Snivillus coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization"
"He's the best defence against the dark arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class.
Briar grinned when Snivillus looked more menacing than ever.
"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you – I, would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss-"
Briar watched him flick through the textbook, to the very back chapter, which he must know they haven't covered.
"Werewolves," said Snivillus.
He glanced in Briar's direction with a cruel smirk as her jaw twitched when she ground her teeth in anger. She knew exactly what he was doing. He's hoping that in teaching the class about werewolves someone will put it together and figure out her uncle Moony's secret.
Not to mention if the rest of the school found out no doubt parents wouldn't be best pleased and Moony would be fired, leaving the teaching position open to Snivillus. Merlin, she hated that greasy git.
"But, sir," said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks-"
"Miss Granger," said Snivillus in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394" he glanced around again. "All of you! Now!"
With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the class opened their books.
"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wold?" said Snivillus.
Briar fisted her hands on her lap so that her nails cut into her palms, refusing to answer even though she knew exactly what the differences were. Everyone else in the class sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.
"Anyone?" Snivillus said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between-"
"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on-"
"Silence!" snarled Snivillus. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…"
He glanced at Briar again with another twisted smile, knowing full well that she knew exactly what a werewolf looked like from first-hand experience. She discretely brushed over the scar on her stomach that Moony's claws had left on her from Christmas in first year.
"Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wold in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"
"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snivillus coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all"
Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. Briar's upper lip pulled back in a werewolf like snarl, but refrained from lashing out. It was a mark of how much the class loathed Snivillus as they were all glaring at him, because everyone had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once.
Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, "you asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"
The whole class knew instantly that he had gone too far, but Briar just smirk slightly, loving pushing Snivillus over the edge. Snivillus advanced on Ron slowly, and the rest of the room held its breath.
"Detention, Weasley," Snivillus said, his face very close to Ron's. "And it I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed.
No one made a sound throughout the lesson, although Briar did extreme teeth grinding and glaring. They sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snivillus prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with her Uncle Moony.
"Very poorly explained…that is incorrect, the kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia…Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three…"
When the bell rang at last, Snivillus held them back.
"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognise and kill werewolves-"
Briar couldn't take it anymore. She launched herself to her feet, knocking her chair back in her fury. The whole class turned to her in shock, looking hesitant at the pure rage on her face as her hazel eyes flashed in a way none of them had seen before.
"That's it! You go on and on about Moony and then start on Werewolves, they have just as many rights as we do! How dare you!- " Briar roared.
"Werewolves are monsters. Uncontrollable beasts." Snivillus said in a low, silken voice, as his black eyes narrowed cruelly.
Briar couldn't hold herself back anymore, she let out a cry of anger and in less than a second her wand was out, the hex cast and Snivillus was hanging upside down by his ankle. The look of pure fury on Snivillus' face and that absolute shock prevented any of the class from laughing.
Briar was breathing heavily.
"POTTER!" Snivillus shouted and Briar had never seen a look filled with more loathing than the one she got at that moment.
"Feeling a sense of Déjà vu Snivelly?" she asked quietly, a cold smirk on her face and her hazel eyes hard.
Snivillus pulled out his wand and performed the counter charm. Once he was let down he stood up straight and adjusted his wand. Glaring at her, his hand twitching as he longed to curse her back. The girl that was so much like the man he hated above all and had just recreated his worst memory.
"The Headmaster's office, Potter. Now" Snivillus said in a scarily calm voice, but Briar was too furious to find it in the least bit intimidating.
She turned, her messy hair whipping the air and rushed from the room, slamming the door so hard behind her that she was sure she heard it splinter.
When she had gotten to Dumbledore's office, she was still breathing heavily, not yet completely over her anger.
"Chocolate Frog" she told the gargoyle to get into Dumbledore's office.
One thing was certain: of all the teachers' offices Briar had ever seen, Dumbledore's was by far the most interesting. It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tainted wizard's hat - the Sorting Hat.
"Miss Potter, what is it you are here for this time?" Dumbledore asked from behind his desk, looking at her over his half-moon spectacles, his blue eyes twinkling.
"I hexed Snivillus" Briar growled, sitting down on the chair in front of his desk.
"Professor Snape, Briar." Dumbledore corrected gently. "May I ask why you did such a thing?"
"Because he's a greasy son of a-" Briar sighed under the Professor's stern look. "Because he was going on and on about my uncle Moony all lesson and teaching about werewolves, and I know full well why he was doing it, and then he went on to set an essay on how to kill werewolves, he's just doing it out of spite" Briar took a deep breath when she had finished her rant.
"Well, regardless of why you're doing, students are not to raise their wands against a teacher. Due to the situation I will not suspend you, but you will have a week of detentions and twenty points shall be taken from Gryffindor" Dumbledore said it in a way that left no room for argument.
"Okay, sir," Briar sighed.
Just before she went to bed, Briar stood beside her bedside table, fiddling with the locket around her neck for a moment, looking down at her hand. Finally she removed the ruby ring from her finger, the gift she had gotten for Lee, for the first time and placed it on her bedside table. It was time to let go.
Briar woke up bright and early the next day, picked up her Nimbus Two Thousand and made her way to the great hall to meet the of the Quidditch team.
"Stand and fight, you mangy cur!" yelled sir Cadogan as she passed through the portrait hole.
"Oh, shut up," Briar yawned.
The rest of the team was already there when Briar arrived, piling her plate with food. She had taken the seat next to Harry, which incidentally was the furthest away from Fred.
"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything.
"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Katie soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."
But it was considerably more than a bit of a rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch tha the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns toward the Quidditch field, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went.
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 for them to follow him. Briar shared a glance with Harry, but they did as they were told.
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. Briar could barely see through the rain. How the hell was she supposed to catch the Quaffle 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, who looked as though he had lockjaw, merely nodded.
Briar saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount your booms…"
She pulled her right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over her Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant, and they were off.
Briar rose fast, but her Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. She held it steady as stead she could and turned squinting into the rain. She was taken by surprise when the Quaffle was thrown in her direction and took off quickly down the pitch.
She through it roughly in the direction of the three Hufflepuff goal posts, but being unable to see or hear the commentary due to the rain and wind, Briar didn't have the slightest clue as to whether she scored or not. She learned quickly that instead of looking for things it was better to look for the colour red, that symbolizing her team and the Quaffle.
Despite her new tactic it was getting harder and harder to hold her broom straight and she began to lose track of time. She came very close to being unseated by a Bludger, and Harry had nearly hit her went he flew past, neither of them able to see. Everyone was so wet, and the rain so thick, she could barely even distinguish colours anymore.
With the first flash of lightening came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; Briar could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing her to the ground. The whole team splashed down into the mud.
"I called for a time-out!" Wood roared at his team. "Come on, under here-"
They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Briar moved some of her heavy, wet hair that was sticking to her face, finally flat, and Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.
"What's the score, I can't even tell in this weather?" Briar asked.
"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night"
Briar groaned in annoyance. She loved Quidditch more than anything, but in this weather it was ridiculous. Near impossible to even do anything. She felt like if the rain got any heavier it would pound her right into the ground.
"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 tabled them with her wand and said, "Impervoius!"
"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!"
Briar went back to battling through the rain and avoid Bludgers at the last minute, and blindly shooting into the goal posts. She hoped Harry caught the snitch soon, she was more than sixty per cent sure she just threw the Quaffle to the other team.
She was streaking down the pitch with the Quaffle again when something odd happened. 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 cast a muffling charm over everything, as though Briar had gone suddenly deaf – what was going on?
And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over her, inside her, just as she began aware of something moving on the field below…
Dementors.
"How do you get past the dog?"
Silence. Refusal.
"Crucio!"
Pain. Scream. Agony.
"No, not Briar! Please not Harry!"
"Avarda Kadavra!"
A shrill laughing. Her mum screaming.
Flash. Green. Empty. Red.
Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Briar's brain and she shook her head, trying desperately to break herself out of it. She heard sudden screaming, and this wasn't in her head turning sharply she saw her twin, he was falling and falling and falling. His broom taking off in the direction of the Whomping willow without him.
"HARRY!" Briar screamed, and shot of like a bullet towards him.
She was vaguely aware of Dumbledore waving his wand, slowing Harry's fall, giving her just enough time to grab onto him, pull him onto her broom and lesson his fall. When she landed painfully, sure she was going to bruise, she heard a loud crack.
Looking down she was sad to see that her Nimbus Two Thousand had snapped clean in half, but her main focus was the unconscious brother in her arms.
The whole of the Gryffindor Quidditch team was gathered around Harry's bed in the hospital wind. They were all spattered with mud from head to foot, but everyone's focus was on her brother. Ron and Hermione looked like they had just climbed out of a swimming pool.
Briar was sitting beside Harry, holding his hand tightly in hers, her face ghostly white, her hazel eyes shining with tears she refused to let fall.
Harry's green eyes snapped open and Briar released a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
"Harry! Thank, Merlin!" she exclaimed and launched herself to him in a hug, not particularly caring she was getting him dirty.
"Ow, Bambi" Harry groaned, shifting slightly.
Briar didn't apologize when she pulled away. It was his own damn fault for falling wasn't it? Well that and the Dementors, if there was a way to kill what was already dead she would have done it, the look of fury on Dumbledore's face toward them only gave her so much satisfaction.
"Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath the mud. "How're you feeling?"
Harry's brows drew together slightly and he frowned as he recalled everything that had happened.
"What happened?" he said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.
"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been – what – fifty feet?"
"We thought you'd died," said Katie, who was shaking.
Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely blood shot.
"But the match," said Harry.
"Harry, who the bloody hell cares about Quidditch!" Briar cried and the others looked at her in shock, knowing how much she cared about the sport, but Briar just glared firmly at her brother, he was much more important, he was her other half.
"What happened?" Harry insisted. "Are we going to replay?"
No one said anything and the sad look on Briar's face seemed to tell Harry exactly what had happened and a dejected look of horror appeared on his face.
"We didn't – lose?"
"Diggory got the snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realise what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square…even Wood admits it"
"Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realising he wasn't there.
"Still in the showers," said Fred.
"We've come to the conclusion that he's trying to drown himself" Briar put in, trying for a small smile, but it faded as soon as it appeared.
Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Briar grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his head, holding them tightly to offer some comfort.
Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly and said, "C'mon, Harry, you've never missed a snitch before"
"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.
"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points"
"Right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin-"
"Hufflepuff will have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.
"But if they beat Ravenclaw…"
"Now way, Ravenclaw is too good." Briar disagreed. "But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff…"
"It all depended on the points – a margin of a hundred either way." Said Fred.
After about ten minutes or so of the team talking and Harry not saying a word, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave him in peace.
"We'll come and see you later," Fred told him, casting a small glance in Briar direction, which she studiously ignored. "Don't beat yourself up, Harry, you're still the best seeker we've ever had"
Briar watched Fred as the team trooped out, trailing mud behind them. It was on these moments when Fred is sweet instead of Wicked, showing a side of him that was more like George. Briar liked the wicked side of him, but she liked the sweet side of him just as much. She fancied him so badly.
Merlin she was screwed.
Madam Pomfrey shut the door behind the team, looking disapproving. Ron and Hermione moved closer to Briar to be nearer to Harry's bed.
"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione said in a quaking voice. "I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field as you fell, waved his wand and you sort of slowed down enough for Briar to catch you. Then he whirled his wand at the Dementors. Shot silver stuff at them. they left the stadium right away…he was furious they'd come onto the grounds. We heard him-"
"Then he magicked you onto a stretcher and I made sure to stay with you the whole time when he walked up to the school with you floating on it." Briar said.
"Everyone thought you were-" Ron voice faded.
Harry was looking at the wall, worrying his lip with his teeth the way Briar often did when she was thinking about something unpleasant. It made sense that as twins they had the same mannerisms.
"Did someone get my Nimbus?"
Briar, Ron and Hermione looked quickly at each other.
"Err-"
"What?" said Harry, looking between the three of them.
"Well…when you fell off, it got blown away," said Hermione hesitantly.
"And?"
"And it hit – it hit – oh, Harry – it hit the Whomping willow"
Harry had a sudden look of horror on his face. Her twin knew from experience that the Whomping Willow was a very violent tree.
"And?" Harry said, no doubt dreading the answer.
"Well, you know the Whomping willow," said Ron. "It – it doesn't like to be it."
"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around," said Hermione in a very small voice.
Slowly, she reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed, the only remains of Harry's faithful, finally beaten broomstick.
Harry was looking at his broomstick, tears glistening in his eyes.
"I know how you feel" Briar said quietly and she held up the two halves of her own Nimbus, the twigs bent at ridiculous angles on one half.
Harry's eyes widened.
"Oh, Bambi, how-?" Harry asked, looking at her in sympathy, knowing how much she loved the Nimbus her Uncle Moony gifted her with.
"It snapped when you fell" Briar said, shrugging as though it didn't matter, even though it really did.
"I'm sorry" said Harry.
"It's okay" Briar sniffed slightly. "You're more important"
She then pulled her brother into a tight hug, not caring that the splintered remains of his own broomstick were digging into her. She was just glad he was okay. She hated how many times she had almost lost him. Her heart could barely take it.
Author's Note: PLEASE REVIEW!