The reviews have been so kind to me! Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I encourage you all to keep it up hahaha

The competition is still running by the way; the best new summary for my story gets like a future chapter or one of the one shots I've prepared for the end of this story, or something. Haven't decided yet. Anyway, an exciting summary that still captures the story. Good luck and have fun reading.

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CHAPTER 35

Back in the dormitory I had cried my eyes out, although it was less explosive than I thought it was going to be. I think that part of me had already expected his rejection perhaps. I felt empty and alone and in the following days I felt sad just getting through the day, but I felt I was doing as good as I could and I felt satisfied with that much.

Mathilda had listened to my whole story although it must've been hard to distinguish the individual words as I was crying so hard as I told it, and had relayed it to Aurora as well. They had been extraordinarily nice to me, Mathilda going out of her way to sit next to me on my bed and talking to me till I had calmed down and Aurora going down to dinner to grab us all a piece of persimmon pie.

When I had stopped crying as hard Mathilda squeezed my shoulder, meanwhile leaning back against my headboard. 'Don't worry about the future Cecil, you've dodged a bludger if you ask me. Better to know now than have it go on for another year, right?' She said to me, her tone encouraging. I shrugged. 'I guess.' I wasn't quite ready to agree out loud yet, although I knew she wasn't wrong at all.

In the following weeks Mathilda threw Fred (or often George as she couldn't tell the difference most of the time) dirty looks whenever he came by. Aurora was supportive in her own less obnoxious way. Fred didn't pay much attention to me, which strangely enough both dulled the blow as well as ripped open the fresh wound. Sometimes I'd see his eyes shoot my way as I watched him but he'd mostly hastily look away again. I didn't know what to think of it.

I instead tried to focus on my studies. Although my grades were good, I wasn't on O-level for every single class and I thought it was a good personal challenge to try and get an Outstanding in at least half of my classes. It was a bit ambitious but not impossible and I figured it would give me a chance to concentrate on more worthwhile things than rationally well expected heartbreak.

There was a distraction waiting for me though when I arrived in the Great Hall one morning, only a week after my rejection from Fred. I had a hard time getting out of bed so Mathilda, who was usually up early, would drag me out and push me in the shower, pull me out again, give me some cheery pep talk while I tiredly brushed my hair. I appreciated her foolhardiness, ignoring my depressed mood as she chatted at me animatedly as we walked into the Great Hall. We were met with an oddly hushed murmur of voices.

Aurora was a bit pale as she welcomed us at breakfast. 'Have you seen the Prophet!?' She asked us as we sat down. 'We only just arrived down here, of course we haven't.' Mathilda answered but Aurora ignored her snooty attitude, pushing the copy she had in her hands in our face. My eyes fell on a big headline and a series of ten pictures at the front, each picture displaying the faces of people I didn't know, nine wizards and one witch. They wore what I recognized to be prison uniforms.

"MASS BREAK OUT AZKABAN: MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS 'RALLYING POINT' FOR OLD DEATH EATERS

The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban. Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, confirmed that ten high-security prisoners escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening, and that he has already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous nature of these individuals.

'We find ourselves, most unfortunately, in the same position we were two and a half years ago when the murderer Sirius Black escaped,' said Fudge last night. 'Nor do we think the two breakouts are unrelated. An escape of this magnitude suggests outside help, and we must remember that Black, as the first person ever to break out of Azkaban, would be ideally placed to help others follow in his footsteps. We think it likely that these individuals, who include Black's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, have rallied around Black as their leader. We are, however, doing all we can to round up the criminals and beg the magical community to remain alert and cautious. On no account should any of these individuals be approached.'

The objective of the mass escape remains unclear. The Minister was reluctant to hypothesise further on the reason of why Sirius Black would want to allegedly risk a breakout, especially of this magnitude, but that they have gathered together is unquestionable in reports coming from the Ministry. Knowing the crimes for which all of the fugitives were imprisoned the correlation between them is clear, all of them being former Death Eaters, however with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named having been defeated fifteen years ago could they be looking to finish their mission? In any case do they pose an immense danger to respectable wizard lives. For a refresher on the 1993 outbreak of Sirius Black, turn to page 3."

There was a small picture of the Minister almost getting trampled by reporters as he attempted to give a press conference at the Atrium at the Ministry of the Magic. Underneath was printed in tiny letters;

"'We have confirmed that ten high-security prisoners, in the early hours of yesterday evening, did escape. And of course, the Muggle Prime Minister has been alerted to the danger. We strongly suspect that the breakout was engineered by a man with personal experience in escaping from Azkaban; notorious mass murderer Sirius Black, cousin of the escapee Bellatrix Lestrange.'

Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge commented to the Daily Prophet at the press conference this morning."

I looked up. 'A prison breakout? Again?' I asked Aurora disbelievingly. 'Yes! Sirius Black is trying to recruit You-Know-Who's old followers back or something, that's what the Prophet reckons anyway. Isn't it crazy?' Aurora replied, her eyes wide. 'Look at these people.' Mathilda muttered, studying the photographs closely and I leaned in to have a better look myself.

They all had manic looks in their eyes, although I didn't know whether that was from having spent time in Azkaban or whether that was their natural disposition, but there was something about them that seemed dangerous to even look at. Underneath their pictures was a short description of their most heinous crimes. 'Antonin Dolohov.. Brutally murdered two men, Augustus Rookwood was a spy for You-Know-Who.. And these people are out now.' She said quietly as she passed me the paper. I kept reading.

Alongside the other names I also recognized the name Lestrange, three of them having escaped, who had tortured the Longbottoms into insanity, and a Death Eater named Enoch Travers who had killed an entire family; what did it mean that these monsters had escaped?

Something suddenly occurred to me. 'Sirius Black had tried to- no, had succeeded in breaking into Hogwarts when he first escaped. You think he's going to try again now he has his friends with him?' I asked aloud and both Mathilda and Aurora considered it uncomfortably. 'I think we all should be extra careful these days.' Mathilda only said.

Mathilda, Aurora and myself got up soon after to go to Arithmancy, Eddie Charmichael and Oliver Quirke hurrying after us as they were also trying to earn their N.E.W.T. in the class. 'What do you think of the article?' Asked Eddie as he jogged to catch up with us, slowing to a walking pace when he did. 'It's pretty mad, isn't it?' Oliver piped up, having fallen into pace with Eddie. 'Right mad. You think they're going to try to break into the castle like Black did back in fourth year?' Asked Mathilda and I would've rolled my eyes if the situation hadn't been so grave.

We walked past an aggravated Harry Potter who seemed to want to reach Professor Hagrid but had to wait till we passed. Seeing Potter at this precise moment made something nibble at my mind but I shook my head focussing on the conversation. 'Yeah maybe!' Oliver agreed. 'Maybe Sirius Black stopped trying because he couldn't do it by himself and instead got the only people who'd help him out of Azkaban.' He continued.

The next morning a new Educational Decree was posted onto our notice boards, Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six to be precise.

By order of the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts

Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach.

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-six.

Signed:

High Inquisitor Dolores Jane Umbridge

The new Educational Decree only seemed to add Bulbadox powder to the Cure for Boils as it only made people want to discuss it more and in addition made them wonder why they weren't allowed to discuss it in the first place. It had gotten quite obvious that Umbridge was at Hogwarts in name of the Ministry although her actual role still seemed a bit vague to most. But the fact that she, the Ministry appointed professor and High Inquisitor was trying to keep people from talking about it, made people suspect that there was something we weren't being told. That maybe something else might be going on.

Before the week was over the reigning theory was that the escapees would try to break into Hogwarts like Black had though, rumours flying back and forth about supposed sightings in Hogsmeade, them staying in the Shrieking Shack, the Forbidden Forrest, using Polyjuice or attaching Exploding Charms to owls, each theory topping the next. However as that avenue of imagination was getting exhausted, it wasn't long before new rumours started, these quieter and more careful than the previous.

'What if it isn't Sirius Black?' I heard a Gryffindor third year wearing some big hoop earrings whisper to her friend as we waited to get into the Great Hall when others were getting out. 'What if Potter spoke the truth about You-Know-Who?' A girl murmured in the bathroom to her friends, who all protested, while I was in one of the stalls. 'The Death Eaters are returning to their master!' A brave but foolish boy had jokingly shouted off the stairs, intending (and succeeding) to startle the students going up and down them to class.

Whatever the purpose of the breakout was, it had created a lot of nervousness with the student body (and even the teachers were more on edge than usual). The children who came from wizarding families had grown up hearing these names in fearful, hushed conversations. They instilled terror and panic. It wasn't the same for the muggleborns.

'Is it really so bad? I mean, they're bad people, obviously, but everyone is in such fits over it.' Felix said to me a couple of days after the initial article in the Prophet. We were sitting in the library to study and I at least was bent over my essay with much diligence, although Felix I saw had been doodling in the corner of his parchment before he spoke up.

'What in Merlin's name are you on about?' I asked, briefly looking up. 'They were all Death Eaters in the war. The closest followers of You-Know-Who.' I told him. 'Yeah..' He answered. 'I suppose.' He said non-committedly. I sighed, lowering my quill. 'The war destroyed this country Felix. Many of the students here have family members who were killed. Killed by the Death Eaters. They were the executioners of You-Know-Who's vision of terror and destruction.' I tried to explain to him. 'I'd think you'd be more worried, actually.' I added. He frowned. 'How so?' He returned.

I took a moment to consider my words, not wanting to make him anxious either. 'These people are mass murderers, the closest we'll get to pure evil, and they were not just involved but were enforcers in a regime that specifically went after people like you, Felix. People with muggle heritage.' I said. His face darkened. 'Maybe you're right.' He muttered back. 'I always imagined You-Know-Who more Charles Manson-y than Hitler-y, but maybe it's the other way around.' He added. I didn't know what that meant so didn't say anything, letting him mull it over.

We were both silent a moment. 'Thora used to say I'm hereditarily challenged.' Felix chuckled after a bit. I was surprised at the mention of his ex-girlfriend but it instantly made me think of Fred. I had done a good job distracting myself most of the morning but it was barely two and here I was thinking of him again. I felt the now all too familiar gloominess roll over me in heavy waves.

Felix noticed immediately. 'You know what, how about we take a break?' He suggested. I shook my head. 'I can't, too much work.' I said, my voice betraying my despair. I hadn't told Felix about Fred but he had noted my change in mood in recent days. He was always kind but I could sense the concerned spark in his eyes. It made me feel guilty. I was overreacting. Fred and I had never even really been together. But telling myself that didn't make me feel better at all.

'No excuses.' Felix said good-naturedly, reaching forward and tapping my book. 'Go on, close it, you know you want to.' He said in a low voice, mock-secretive. I looked at him calculatingly, thinking of all the homework that needed to be finished and the reading that needed to done, and I considered being difficult but when I looked down at my essay I realised that I wasn't feeling at all motivated anyway. 'Yeah okay, let's.' I agreed, blowing out a puff of air tiredly and closing my book.

We sauntered down the corridor with relative ease. It had been a good idea to pause my studying. My mind was reeling with both the whole Fred-debacle and the Azkaban breakout; how could I still be expected to focus? 'You mentioned Thora. How are you two doing since you broke up?' I asked Felix as we slowly strolled down the stairs. He winced. 'She's still very much upset with me. I try to get back to my dormitory either very early or very late every evening, just so I don't have to suffer through her glare as I make my way across the Hufflepuff common room.' He told me. 'Heidi and Betty are her best friend and they said I shouldn't worry though. She's just hurt but she'll get over it and all that, but I feel so bad.' Felix whined and I smiled. 'Let's hope so.' I said, thinking of myself more than Thora.

When we arrived in the Entrance Hall Felix started towards the humongous double doors that led towards the grounds. He looked behind him when I didn't follow. 'Aren't you coming?' He asked and I looked at him sceptically. 'It's January. It's freezing outside.' I pointed out. He shrugged. 'So? We're wearing our cloaks and scarves and we can stick our hands in our pockets, can't we?' He rebuffed and I groaned but then went after him.

It was undeniably cold outside and I huffed, seeing my breath cloud up in front of me. 'Happy?' I complained and he chuckled. 'Only if you race me.' He said. 'Excuse me?' I replied. He laughed, showing off his slightly crooked teeth. 'Oh come on, it's good to have some exercise! Always locked in that stuffy library, up there in that stuffy castle, reading those stuffy books. Having a run will release some much needed endorphins into your brain.' He said. I didn't ask what in Circe's name endorphins were but instead I roughly yanked his scarf from around his neck and threw it behind me, right after taking off in top speed in the direction of the lake, running the fastest I could. 'First one at the beech tree!' I yelled.

While I ran, hearing Felix' shouts and laughs come closer, I didn't think of Fred, I didn't think of the uncertainties and the dangers the reality of the world were posing right now, I was just thinking of running faster and beating Felix to that bloody tree.

I reached the tree, touching its bark just in time before Felix almost crashed into me, only just catching himself. Maybe it was the fact that we had been running or because we were laughing or maybe just because we were alone, but I felt exhilarated; my heart was beating against my ribcage uncontrollably. 'I was first!' I called out at him, a grin splitting my face. He disagreed, his grin mirroring my own. 'You started first!' He pointed out and I let myself collapse in the damp grass, leaning against the tree, breathing heavily. 'Excuses, excuses.' I muttered airily, quoting him from earlier when he was trying to get me to take a break from studying. I felt hot from exercise and the winter winds didn't cut into my face as much as they did before.

He sat down next to me, closer than I'd usually be comfortable with but my spirits were also unusually high so I just pressed my shoulder to his, treasuring his warmth. 'I ended things with Fred Weasley.' I said quite suddenly. He seemed surprised. 'Oh?' He said, looking at me sideways. I kept my eyes trained on the horizon, seeing the thin patches of ice drifting on the water reflect the flimsy light of the weak sun our way. I remembered sitting just further up the lake with Fred on another cold day. We hadn't brought our cloaks, unlike now, but he had been so persuasive. The memory came with a pang in my heart. 'Since when?' Felix asked, piercing through my thoughts.

'I don't know. A couple of weeks. Whenever I started being in a foul mood.' I answered and I smiled self-deprecatingly. 'You weren't so bad.' Felix said but he grinned as he said it and I could tell he was mocking me. I elbowed him, which was hard when he was so close. 'Haha, very funny.' I told him, but there was no heat in it.

'Let's just sit here and enjoy doing nothing until we get too cold.' I said, stuffing my hands into my cloak pockets, drawing my knees to my chest. Felix copied my position and together we silently but contently watched the reeds move as the wind brushed through them and the clouds up ahead swirl in dark rainy clusters.

It was a few days later that Aurora leaned in conspiratorially and mentioned a fact to Mathilda and myself that I hadn't really considered before. 'Don't you think that it's weird that Cho and Marietta are out now?'

We were gathered around one of the study tables in the Ravenclaw common room, yawning our way through essays. Classes for the day had long ended, dinner too was over and done with. 'Aren't they up in the dorm?' Asked Mathilda. I looked around the common room myself and didn't see our dormitory mates. Aurora shook her head, still leaning forward. 'I grabbed a quill from my bag upstairs earlier and they weren't there then and they haven't come in since either.' She said. Mathilda seemed to be annoyed with the subject already. 'I didn't realise they needed your permission, Rory.'

Aurora wasn't deterred though. 'You don't think it's weird? It's not long till curfew and these days people aren't too fond of hanging around in the corridors for no reason. You know, since everyone is now worried some mad Azkaban escapees are going to jump out from behind a suit of armour.' She said. Mathilda huffed but I frowned. 'It is odd.' I agreed. Aurora latched onto my words.

'And it isn't just tonight either! They've been disappearing off to places for a while already, since before the holidays even and they are whispering their secret things all the time as well.' She evidenced. 'Like we are now?' Mathilda commented drily but we both ignored her sarcasm. I had in fact, rather passively, noticed them going off on their own a lot as well. I had at the time assumed that Cho just had her thing, whatever it was and they just had their way of dealing with it, or something, I hadn't thought about it much. But now Cho appeared to have improved significantly in her disposition their mysterious outings had not lessened.

'What could they be up to then?' I asked Aurora but she shrugged. 'I have no idea. It's just strange.' She said and Mathilda groaned, pointing towards the entrance. 'Well if you are so curious, go ask them yourselves.' She said and we whipped our heads around to see Cho and Marietta close the door behind them, hastily walking up to the dormitory right after. Neither Aurora or I were eager to confront them.

'Quiet down! Everyone shut up!' A fifth year shouted across the common room as someone else turned up the wireless. The voice of Cornelius Fudge boomed from the small wireless set as it spoke in a reassuring tone, albeit a bit nervous. All conversations in the common room fell silent.

'I promise you that we have sufficient security measures in place to deal with the threat these dangerous individuals pose. The moment they show their faces they'll be back in Azkaban faster than they can say "fair trial".' He joked with ill timing. The reporter interviewing him seemed to share my sentiment. 'But Minister, surely that means nothing if they can just break out again. Has the security breach been properly inspected?' He asked and the Minister seemed annoyed by the question, almost brushing it off as he said 'It has been inspected and the Auror Office has reported a few working theories as to the means of escape.' But the reporter wasn't quite letting go yet. The Daily Prophet had offered up the Ministry's take on the events but the WWN was much more youth oriented and enjoyed less ministerial hovering by the Ministry Press Office.

'Has Head Auror Scrimgeour also proposed a plan to keep this from happening ever again, never mind catching the ten escapees?' The reporter asked and I could almost hear Minister Fudge purse his lips in irritation. 'Rufus has several plans. He'll work together with the Azkaban liaisons to coordinate the Dementors and as for the former Death Eaters that managed to escape one of the most secure prisons on this planet, we caught them before and we'll catch them again.' The Minister said bitingly.

A little bell dinged and the voice of the News-Speaker came back on. 'That was WWN reporter Bart Snyde in an exclusive interview with the Minister for Magic this afternoon. In other news, national excitement grows with the upcoming Leap Day, the once every four year holiday that..-' the News-Speaker was cut off when the wireless was turned off and everyone reverted back to either chatting or studying, hoping that it really was as easy as Minister Fudge had suggested. But many people were no longer satisfied with the explanations the Prophet provided on behalf of the Ministry of Magic. 'Why haven't they caught Sirius Black yet, then? If you could catch them simply because you've done so before.' Mathilda muttered to us. We didn't answer back, already having thought the same thing ourselves.

The next morning the first nice surprise of the month was awaiting us at the notice board in the common room. All sixth years gathered around it, waving their arms animatedly as they talked about the poster on the board. Mathilda and I came down, late as had become usual for me since I had said goodbye to Fred, but we quickly went to see what everyone was so excited about.

If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st of August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate. Cost 12 Galleons.

The names of my fellow year mates had already been signed at the list underneath the text and Mathilda quickly grabbed the quill that Marcus handed her, signing her name with an eager grin, offering the quill up to me afterwards. I was a bit more hesitant. I didn't have 12 Galleons anymore. I had spent it all on that bloody owl. I sighed, putting my name down anyway. I'd just have to swallow my pride and ask my parents for the money. I'm sure they wanted me to learn how to apparate.

At breakfast I sat down next to an uncharacteristically cheery Cho, meanwhile contemplating how I'd word my pleads for more of an allowance to pay for the Apparition Course fees. I could already imagine my mum's lecture. 'You'd be able to pay for it yourself if you hadn't spent an exuberant amount of gold on that owl!'

'Isn't that your cousin, Cecilia?' Marietta pointed discretely towards the Slytherin table and I looked up from my breakfast toast to see that she was indeed pointing at Stacy. She was sitting next to a boy a year or two older than her. She seemed pleased to be where she was and he also had a cocky expression on his face as he had his arm draped over her shoulder. I raised my eyebrow. Had my younger cousin gotten herself a boyfriend before I did? As if I wasn't feeling bad enough already.

'Yeah, that's her.' I muttered moodily. My eyes almost naturally turned towards the Gryffindor table. Fred was laughing with his brother and Lee Jordan; Lee had bright fuchsia dreads now which I suppose was the object of hilarity at this particular moment. I tried not to stare, I was already about to turn back around but then I saw that all three of them had bandages around their left hand. It wouldn't have bothered me a tremendous amount except that it struck me as incredibly familiar. I perused my mind, trying to figure out why this was so striking to me and it clicked so suddenly that I nearly dropped my butter knife.

No one noticed except for Cho who looked at me sideways before looking back at the Charms book she had propped up open against the milk jug. So many things had happened since my detention with Umbridge but now I remembered I couldn't believe that it had slipped my mind; she had tried to scratch a permanent lesson into my hand! At the time I just felt relieved to have gotten out of the detention, eager to put it all behind me, but that this was an ongoing practice of hers had hardly crossed my mind after I had gotten off myself. Which was stupid on my part because Fred and George had told me that she had used the Blood Quill on other students already.

I stared down at my toast. I felt guilty. I hadn't done anything about it. I had just selfishly lived on, figuring that if it didn't happen to me, it didn't for others either, but that was ignorant and wishful. I tried to think back to what Fred and George had said, why I had dismissed the idea of reporting corporal punishment being used by the teacher. I couldn't remember. With a shameful feeling eating away at my stomach I realised that I was probably just scared and would rather forget about it.

But what could I do about it now? Who should I tell? Would I even be taken seriously, coming forward so many months after the fact. But I bit my lip as I stuck my knife into the marmalade, spreading the orange substance out over my toasted bread. I was braver now than I was then. I could withstand more.

So, while taking a deliberate (albeit jittery) bite of my toast, I told myself that I'd tell my Head of House of what had happened at my last detention. My heart was trying to smash its way out of my chest at the prospect.

Review please! It means a lot to me :)

I didn't take the time to proofread my own chapter. I literally just kept writing till it was finished and then immediately posted it. If you notice any mistakes that are just too bad, do let me know. This chapter isn't as long as others have been but not every one of them needs to be a million pages, right haha

I'm trying to get as many chapters out as I can as quick as I can (like to a reasonable degree - quality can't suffer too much haha and I do have a life outside of this). I'm going on holiday in a few months so I won't be able to post new chapters while I'm away. Better get to it now, right? :)