Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but my OC's are mine.


Chapter Four

Two months passed. And in those two months, Ira was busy with schoolwork and Quidditch practices. Whenever there was free time after classes, or on the weekends, you could find Ira with Rhys out on the Quidditch pitch. She was very thankful for the time they were spending together; not just the lessons he taught her. She didn't always want bad blood to flow between them. She wanted a good relationship with her brother. Ira was almost spending as much time with Rhys as she did with Lily, Sally-Anne, and Theo.

The four were always linking up after classes. Or you found them next to each other during breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They became inseparable over the course of two months. They helped each other with their studies, stood up to anyone that came in their way – among many other things.

Those three weren't Ira's only companions.

Somehow, Ira was close to Harry and Ron by the time Halloween came around. Not quite Hermione yet, but Ira was determined to be friends with her eventually.

Following an hour spent in the library, Ira was walking alongside Theo when she bumped into the last person she wanted to see. Draco Malfoy. Sticking to her word, Ira made sure to stay away from Draco as much as possible. He tried hard to gain her attention multiple times, but she easily denied it with a flip of her hair and turning the other cheek. It riled him up.

"Soares," Draco acknowledged with a nod in her direction before disappearing in the crowd of students.

Ira scrunched her nose. "That was odd."

"Quite odd," Theo agreed.

"He probably has something up his sleeve."

"I wouldn't doubt it, knowing how Draco works."

"What's it like, by the way?" Ira asked after pulling her books in close to her body as a student shot right past her. "Sharing a dorm with Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, and he? You probably know pretty well how that ferret works by now."

Theo shrugged while balancing his bag over his shoulder. "I know he likes his clothes coordinated by color and type…blacks with black, shirts with shirts…really, the only color in his wardrobe besides emerald green is black. He's quite bland compared to his colorful insight."

Ira raised a brow.

"By colorful, I mean…vivid. He speaks his mind and he doesn't care whether it's wrong or right."

"Everything that comes out of Malfoy's mouth is right to him."

"That's true," Theo sighed.

The duo made it to the Great Hall just in time for dinner. There were bats swooping in above their heads and pumpkins that lit up the whole hall. It was very beautiful and kind of eerie all at the same time.

"Hey, I'm going to run to the girls' room, I'll be back in a bit," Ira said after smiling with Lily and Sally-Anne when they got to their table. They all told her to be quick because the festivities would start soon. She kept this in mind while walking to the closest bathroom.

While standing at the mirror, Ira could make out sniffling coming from one of the stalls. She frowned and followed it.

"Uh, are you alright?"

The sniffling stopped and Hermione's voice came through the wood. "Ira?"

"Hermione?" The girl sounded like she was crying.

Hermione opened the stall door and Ira was met with a red-faced and tear-streaked girl. Ira's frown deepened.

"What's the matter?"

Hermione wiped her eyes. "Nothing, everything's okay."

Ira crossed her arms while Hermione walked to the sink. "Don't give me that. I can see right through you. I'm pretty good at reading people's emotions."

"I just…feel like nobody likes me here. I'm just a stupid Muggle-born."

"You have Harry and Ron, don't you?"

Hermione shrugged.

"Well, you're really smart, Hermione. It's a shame nobody wants to associate themselves with you." Was Ira supposed to be helping her? Ira shook her head and tried again. "I mean, you seem like a really nice girl and anyone would be lucky to have a friend like you."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak when suddenly her eyes went wide. She was looking at something behind Ira when the other girl smelled it. Turning around slowly, Ira looked up at the giant monster glaring at them. It had gray skin and arms that dragged across the floor.

All they could do was scream.

It started swinging the giant club in its hand. Ira cowered in the corner while Hermione ran towards one of the stalls. Although, it wasn't any use because the troll had swung its club through the wood, making shards rain on the girls.

Coming inside the bathroom, Harry and Ron made an appearance. Ira was confused at first, but then thankful as they tried distracting the monster. Amongst the commotion, Harry managed to get himself on the troll, around its neck.

"Harry! What are you doing?" Ira screamed.

Harry ignored her while he and Ron wrangled the troll.

Ron pulled his wand from his robes and pointed it at the beast. ""Wingardium Leviosa!"

The club lifted from the troll's hand, landing on its bald head with a thud. There was a crash when the troll fell over.

"Is it…dead?" Hermione asked quietly from her cowered stance.

Harry gulped. "I don't think so. I think it's just knocked out."

Ira cringed when Harry pulled his wand from the troll's nose, a stringy-gray consistency coming from the end of it. She didn't even notice he had lodged it there during the brawl.

"Ew, troll boogers."

There was another crash. Only this time it didn't come from either of them. Instead, it came from the professors coming from the hall. Professor McGonagall led Professor Quirrell and Snape inside the girls' loo. She was white with fury, looking at each of her pupils with an equal amount of hostility. Quirrell let out a whimper at the troll while Snape observed it carefully.

"What on Earth were you thinking?" McGonagall asked. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Ira opened her mouth to speak when Hermione cut her off.

"Please, Professor McGonagall – they were looking for Ira and I. We went looking for the troll because we…we thought we could deal with it on our own – you know, because I've read all about them. Ira refused but I made her go anyway."

Gaping, Ira couldn't believe that the Hermione Granger was lying to a professor.

"If they hadn't found us, we'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish us off when they arrived."

Ira looked at both Harry and Ron, who appeared just as confused as she did; but they stayed silent and went along with the story.

"You foolish girls," McGonagall said with a shake of her head. "Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this. If you are uninjured and feel fine, you must get to Gryffindor tower at once. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

When Hermione left, McGonagall turned to the remaining students.

She looked at Harry and Ron. "Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

"And as for you," she said to Ira, "five points are taken from Slytherin. You three are dismissed."

Ira parted ways with her friends and walked to the dungeons with her head hung.

Inside the Slytherin common room, the students were full of food and chatter. Theo, Sally-Anne, and Lily were seated around the fireplace with their legs crossed and laughs coming from their mouths. When they saw Ira, they smiled widely and moved over to make room for her.

"Where in Merlin's name were you?" Lily asked through a mouthful of pumpkin pasty.

Ira laughed and indulged them in what happened within the past hour. They hung on every word, and when it was over, the only thing they could muster was amazement.

"You fought a mountain troll?" Sally said, wide eyed.

"No, Harry and Ron fought a mountain troll," Ira corrected. "I cowered in the corner with Hermione like a sodding Hufflepuff."

Her friends barked with laughter at that with Ira following right after, taking a bite of her food and staring into the fire with a perfect conclusion to her eventful night.


November brought more coldness to the Hogwarts grounds. The grass was frosty and the lake was frozen over. But winter wouldn't let the students' spirits be brought down. It was Quidditch season, and each house was in celebratory mode for such an exciting part of their curriculum.

Gryffindor versus Slytherin was a day away, but the night before held lots of excitement for the two houses that would be dueling head-to-head on the pitch the following day. Rhys, being team captain, was full of nervousness even if he played it off with ease.

His curled hair had gotten longer since the beginning of classes and he pulled it back from his face in a knot. He was tending to his Nimbus Two Thousand when Ira met him on the pitch.

"Have the nerves set in yet?" Ira asked while taking a seat next to her brother on the bench. She was dressed in a thick wool jacket and matching gloves. She had Lady following her around that day and the kneazle nestled into her side for added warmth.

Rhys scoffed. "I don't get nervous."

"Everyone gets nervous, Rhys. You're not some alpha-male that is immune to basic human function," Ira laughed. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

Rhys sighed. "I came to the pitch a few weeks ago…and I saw Potter playing a game of Quidditch with Oliver Wood."

"So?"

"Potter's been placed as a seeker on Gryffindor's team," Rhys said.

Ira was taken aback. She figured Harry would've told her if he'd been chosen for something like that.

"Well, how do you know? Maybe it was just an innocent game between friends."

"He has a Nimbus Two Thousand, Ira. Only someone with money could've gotten it for him and let him have it at school, which is against the rules otherwise for a first year."

He had a point, one that didn't sit well with Ira the longer she sat there.

"Harry would've told me," Ira said sadly.

Rhys chuckled darkly. "That's what you think. But look at your robes, Ira. What color are they?"

"Green."

"And what color are Harry's?"

"Red…" Ira frowned.

"And who are you the sibling of?"

"Slytherin's team captain…"

"Now tell me again why you think Harry would've told you anything?"

Ira bit her lip.

"Exactly. Because you're a Slytherin and he's a Gryffindor. There is no such thing as inter-house relationships at Hogwarts. We Slytherin's don't mix well with others. It's just how things are."

Ira didn't want to believe her brother. She just couldn't think the way he did.

"I'm going to go talk to him," Ira announced while standing. "I'm sorry that you're so small minded, big brother. But unlike you, I actually believe in making some sort of change around here. We shouldn't always be stuck in the past that our superiors made for us."

With a small smile, Ira turned around and walked towards the castle. But as she neared closer, she felt her hearing go fuzzy. Something in front of her shifted, and she could see flurries moving past her. They were people, she realized closely. There was an orange hue coming from somewhere ahead and all she could hear was Hermione's older voice coming from behind her.

"Ira! We've got to go!"

Ira watched an older version of herself standing helplessly, staring at the fire that was getting bigger by the second. Her heart dropped when she watched Lady in her hands leap from her arms and scurry somewhere in the chaos.

Older Ira let out a cry. "Lady!"

"Ira, we can't! We have to go!" Hermione was tugging on Ira's arm now, but the Slytherin girl wouldn't budge. She snatched her arm back and followed where her kneazle had gone.

Ira watched herself move in what was like slow-motion towards the forest. She tripped over a root in the ground and fell face-first.

She was suddenly grabbed forcefully, pulled up to her feet by a large set of hands.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing here, Ira?"

Ira looked at the man holding her. He wore a hood and removed the mask he'd been wearing with one hand.

Her vision went black then, and she blinked before finding herself kneeling before the castle. Lady was kneading her robes.

What was that? she thought painfully.

"Idiot girl, what are you doing on the ground?"

Ira shook her head and looked up to see Snape limping towards her.

She hurried to her feet at once. "I…I don't know…uhhh…"

Snape eyed her curiously. "Should I grab Madam Pomfrey?"

"No!" Ira said without haste. "I'm fine. I just…tripped."

Snape raised a brow.

She plastered a fake smile on her face. All he did was shake his head and move around her.

"You should make it to the common room at once, Miss Soares."

Rolling her eyes, she did as told and made it inside. She didn't go to the common room, though. She took a detour and walked to the library hoping to find Harry. He'd most likely be with Hermione or Ron, and knowing Hermione, she's always in the library.

After walking up and down aisles of books for what seemed like forever, Ira grew bored and found Lily sitting at a table near a window.

Lily had her long black hair pulled up in a tight ponytail that bolstered her sharp, cunning features. She was jotting down notes when Ira took a seat across from her, looking worn out.

"You look like you've been chasing a Niffler," Lily pointed out.

"I've been looking for Harry."

Lily instantly rolled her eyes. Neither of Ira's friends liked the Boy Who Lived.

"Don't do that, you know he's one of my friends."

"Well, did you know that Harry is Gryffindor's Quidditch seeker?" Lily asked hotly. "It's against school rules…I think."

"How did everyone know about this except me?"

Lily shrugged. "You haven't been paying attention to the rumor-mill lately. I don't blame you. It's probably because of your lack of Mal-foul's taunting that you're so out-of-the-loop."

"Mal-foul?" Ira laughed.

"He's been really foul lately, let me tell you," Lily said, putting her quill down and focusing completely on Ira.

"Do tell," Ira said.

Lily launched into a story about the past few days where Sally-Anne's been subject to Malfoy and Parkinson's taunting. They've been picking fights with the young girl for no reason, just out of nowhere. It didn't matter where it was. In the halls, the common room, sometimes in the classroom. It was never ending.

"Is that why Sally's been holed up in our room? That's horrible," Ira said sadly.

"Pansy almost sent her to the hospital wing, it got so bad."

Ira was so caught up in her own world that she didn't realize one of her best friends was being dragged through the mud lately. Her frown deepened. Now that she was ignoring Draco at all costs, he was finding other victims. Those victims were the people closest to her.

"Have they done anything to either you or Theo?"

Lily shook her head. "Not yet…but, then again, I think they're afraid of me. And Theo says Draco and he are civil for now."

Ira understood that, considering Theo shared a room with Draco, and Theo wasn't one to make enemies.

The pair gathered up Lily's things and made their way to the dungeons. When they entered, they were met with the Quidditch team in high spirits. Ira was invited to join, but she declined and chose to go to bed. She quickly fell asleep dreaming of a world in fire and a man in a mask.

A masked man who sounded awfully familiar to her.


The Quidditch pitch was chilly, but nobody took notice. The students were too busy holding up signs for their team of choice and chatting about who would win to take note of the temperature. Ira sat with Theo, Sally, and Lily at eleven o'clock that morning waiting for the game to start just like everyone else.

"Here they come," Sally said excitedly with binoculars in her hands.

Everyone cheered.

"Ooh, Rhys doesn't look too happy," Sally observed through her lenses.

Rhys was bitter that whole morning. Ira could tell he was a bundle of nerves that needed to be untangled. She tried to talk to him before the match, but he ignored her like he always did when he was moody.

"He's just nervous," Ira said.

Somewhere in the stands, Lee Jordan, a third year Gryffindor, commentated the game. "And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too—" he was cut off before he could finish. "Sorry, professor."

Everyone seemed to be on the edge of their seats the beginning of the game.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve – back to Johnson and – no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Rhys Soares gains the Quaffle and off he goes – Soares flying like an eagle up there – he's going to sc – no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle – that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Soares, off up the field and – OUCH – that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger – Quaffle taken by the Slytherins – that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger – sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which – nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes – she's really flying – dodges a speeding Bludger – the goal posts are ahead – come on, now, Angelina – Keeper Bletchley dives – misses – GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

All the Slytherins groaned while the Gryffindor's cheered.

"It's okay…it's only the first in," Sally-Anne assured with her face plastered to her binoculars. "Slytherin has got to win this."

Ira watched intently, mainly on Harry who was up above looking for the snitch. A bludger almost hit Harry, causing Ira to gasp, but he swiftly moved away from it.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan said, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the – wait a moment – was that the Snitch?"

Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, causing all of Slytherin to moan. Everyone stopped, however, when both seekers dived for the snitch that had went past Adrian's ear.

Out of nowhere, Rhys plowed right into Harry.

"Foul!" Gryffindor screamed.

Ira shook her head at her brother's dirty-play.

"So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating—"

Lee Jordan was cut off again.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul... all right, all right. Soares nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Sally-Anne gaped suddenly. "Potter's broom is lurching everywhere."

"What?" Ira asked fearfully. She grabbed the binoculars and held them up. "What is going on? Brooms don't just do that."

"Unless Potter is horrible on a broom," Theo suggested.

Ira shot him a look. "You saw him the day of flying lessons. He's bloody good."

"Slytherin in possession – Soares with the Quaffle – passes Spinnet – passes Bell – hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose – only joking, Professor – Slytherins score – A no..."

Nobody took notice of Harry. Everyone stood to cheer for Slytherin, except for Ira who was genuinely worried for Harry's wellbeing.

Then, everyone saw Harry dangling from his broom with one hand. Ira gasped.

Rhys scored a few times for Slytherin while everyone payed attention to Harry.

Harry's broom stopped its antics and he mounted it once more. That was strange, Ira noted. Harry had his hand to his mouth as he fell to the ground. Once he stood up, he spit something gold out of his mouth and held it up for everyone to see.

He got the snitch.

"Gryffindor wins by one hundred and seventy points to sixty," Lee Jordan cheered.

When the game commenced, Ira shuffled off the bleachers to find her Gryffindor friends.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it!" Rhys' voice could be heard somewhere behind her. She was upset Slytherin lost, but she didn't make a big deal like her brother did.

Ira could see her three companions following Hagrid into his hut from where she stood at the pitch. She made her way down the hill, knocking on the door that was now closed.

"Come in!" Hagrid said.

Ira opened the door and walked inside the small hut. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat across from the giant, looking at them accusingly.

"Care to fill me in on what just happened out there?"

Ron explained first. "It was Snape. Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing Harry's broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off him."

Ira narrowed her eyes. "That's strange."

She then gave Harry a deathly stare.

"But what's even more strange is that I have to find out by other people that one of my friends is a seeker for Gryffindor's team," she said.

Harry shrunk away. "I'm sorry, Ira. I meant to tell you, but Oliver told me not to."

"But did Hermione and Ron know?"

He looked at the two in question. "Yes."

"Is it because I'm a Slytherin? Is that why we can't trust each other?"

"Ira, that's not-"

"Because that's exactly what it seems," Ira said. "I thought we were friends…all of us?"

Her eyes went from Ron's face to Hermione's before landing on Harry's.

"That's not why I didn't tell you," Harry said quickly. "You've been busy lately and our schedules are different so it's hard to find you. You are my friend, Ira. You'll always be my friend no matter what."

"And mine," Ron said.

Hermione followed. "Mine too."

Ira could feel herself tearing up, but she blinked rapidly before she could let any of them fall. She threw her arms around Harry and gave him the biggest hug she'd ever given someone.

"I was worried about you," she admitted.

Harry hugged her back tightly, and when they released, Hagrid got their attention.

"Why would Snape do somethin' like that?" he thought loudly.

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione while Ira gave them a curious look. "I found out something about him. He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Ira stopped. "Three-headed dog?"

Harry shrunk away again. "Oh, I didn't tell you…"

Hagrid's teapot fell from his hands. "How do you know about Fluffy?"

Hermione and Ron shared a look. "Fluffy?"

"Yeah – he's mine – bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year – I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the—"

Hagrid dropped off while Harry sat eagerly waiting for him to continue.

"Yes?"

"Now, don't ask me anymore, that's top secret, that is."

"But Snape's trying to steal it."

"Rubbish. Snape's a Hogwarts teacher; he'd do nothin' of the sort," Hagrid said.

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" Hermione cried. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid; I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" Hagrid said hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh – yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel—"

"Aha! So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?" Harry looked proud.

Hagrid didn't, however. He remained quiet and ushered the students out of his hut for the night, believing he'd said too much.

"Do you want to explain to me all that's happened?" Ira asked as they walked back to the castle.

While walking, Harry told Ira about the night they were to duel Malfoy. Apparently, a three-headed dog was guarding something on the forbidden third corridor.

Ira was intrigued. "What do you think it's guarding?"

"No idea. But now we have some clues that can help us put together what exactly is going on here," Hermione said.

They finally made it to the castle and parted ways. Ira walked to the dungeons with a head full of amazing things she couldn't piece together.

Sitting by the fire in the common room, she found Rhys. He had a bottle of Firewhisky in his hand and was chugging it down.

"Rhys!"

His head shot up and he glared. "What do you want?"

"What are you doing?" she made a move to snatch the bottle from his hands but he moved out of her reach. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

Rhys' eyes glazed over as he reached inside his pocket. "I wasn't…supposed to tell you…"

A folded piece of parchment was in his fingers. Ira grabbed it while Rhys took another gulp of alcohol.

Reading it over carefully, Ira had to sit down. It was a lot to take in, all in her father's loopy handwriting. When she was finished, she folded it back up and rested her hands on her lap.

"Mum's sick?" she asked quietly.

Rhys nodded. "They don't know what it is or how it happened, but she's really sick. Dad's been owling me about it these last few weeks, but he told me not to tell you because he was scared how you'd react."

"How I'd react?" Ira bit out. She had to gnaw on her bottom lip to keep from crying. "She's my mother. I deserve to know what's wrong with her."

"He said it's nothing serious, but it could be fatal from what the healers are saying," Rhys continued. "Dad knows how you get when you're upset. He didn't want you to be distracted."

Ira breathed slowly, trying to take it all in.

"I'm heading home for Christmas break and I want you to come with me. It could be our last time we see her."

"Don't say that," Ira cringed.

"I'm being realistic, Ira."

Ira shook her head.

"If that's how you're going to act, then don't come at all." Rhys stood up and took the note from Ira. "This isn't about you, Ira. This is about Mum."

He threw the note into the fire and finished of the Firewhisky, throwing the empty bottle into the fire as well with a loud crash.

"Rhys!"

He turned back to her, gave her one last glare, and walked to his dormitory.

Ira sat there for a long time until it all came rushing to the surface. She cried in front of the fire that night. When she woke up, she was on the couch with a blanket over her body. But she had fallen asleep on the floor. This confused her, but she was too tired to ponder it and fell back asleep. The only thing on her mind was a three-headed dog and a beautiful woman who'd given her the world.


Writer's Note: Thanks for sticking around so long with the story. I'm really excited to see where this is headed. A lot of things are in store for Ira and it's only the beginning. Leave me a review and tell me what you think!