An: I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while and that this is kinda short, but it's vital to the story. The next part will be much better. I don't know what Professors FLintwick or Sprout's first names are so they get to be Robin and Flora. Any way enjoy
Disclaimer: Me? Own this? Nope, not at all.
Part Four: Voldemort's First Attack

Between classes Harry had almost no time to talk to Ron and Hermione, so when
evening meal finilly arrived, he couldn't be happier. "Harry, Harry," Ron called as he sat
down. "It's not true. It's not! Is it?"
"Are you talking about Malfoy and his dumb claim that me and Gretchen were
making out today? Because if that's it, you should know better. I would never do that to
you, Ron," Harry scolded.
"I now. It's just well.....I think she likes you," Ron admitted. Harry shurgged.
Then, as if only to prove Ron wrong, Gretchen walke din hand in hand with Justin. He
kissed her on the cheak, and then hurried off to the Huffelpuff table, while Gretvhen
headed towards the Gryffindors.
"When did you start going out with Justin?" Hermione asked.
"He asked me out when we met in the hall on the way to the libary," Gretchen
explained as she smiled radiently. "He's so nice to me."
"Huffelpuffs ussually are," Harry commented. Even though he felt sorry for Ron,
he couldn't help but be glad for Gretchen.
"Right.....," Ron added softly, pain seeping into his voice. Harry had felt that way
once, too, with Cho. He hoped Ron would be alright.
Harry suddenly realized that he wasn't the only one who had heard Ron.
Hermione was looking at him, almost shocked, while Gretchen was looking at him, he
cheaks burning red and embaressment in her eyes. "Oh, Ron....I....," she managed before
she got up and left the table heading for the girls bathroom. Hermione went after her.
Five miniuts later she came back, refusing to tell Ron or Harry what they talked about.
She didn't come back, not even to eat. Everything was quite for the rest of the meal. Ron
looked rather stunned with himself, not knowing wether her running off was a good thing
or a bad thing ("What if she likes me but she thought I didn't like her?"), and Hermione,
who was forever rambeling about one thing or another, decided it was best to stare at her
plate and nibbel on her food. Harry thought that she probebly felt a bit guilty for some
reason, and wonder what Gretchen had told her.
All of the sudden, the middle of dinner, Dumbeldore stood up, stroked his silvery
beard, and the hall fell silent. "There is something, you must know," he said seriously.
Harry alreasy knew what he was going to say, but he pretended not to, for Ron and
HErmione's sake. "Last night, while we were all at the Halloween party, or, in some
cases, at the dance, a terrible crime occured. Voldemort broke into Azkaban. His most
faithful servents have rejioned him once more. It is for this reason that you are all-with a
feew exceptions-going home tomorrow." Dumbeldore waved his hand and a very small
peice of parchment appeared in front of him. "Adam Artser, Hellie Anderson, Fran
Dranson, Iris Indago, Gretchen Locus, Bert Mongulous, Harry Potter, and Mogana Zelk
are staying here, you all know why, so please to not bother packing tonight. The
Gryffiindor Quiddich practice has not been canceled and nither has the first Quddich
game. I'm afreid I will not be able to see you off tomorrow so I'd like to take this time to
bid you all a farwell and I shall see you all nexyt week." With that Dumbeldore bowed
and hurried out of the hall. No one spoke.
After dinner Ron suddenly decided that divination was the most fasinating subject
in the world and started his homwork. Hermione went straight to the girl's dormitories
and Harry grabbed his firebolt and hurried to Quiddich practice. The first game of the
season, Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw, was only three weeks away.
Harry was extrodinarily relieved that he had practice. He wasn't in much of a
mood to think. By the time practice was over, most people were in bed, exactly were he
intended to go, but he didn't. Gretchen, Ron, and Hermione were in the Gryffindor
Commen Room, waiting. Waiting for him. "Dumbeldore wants to see us," Ron
whispered.
Harry nodded and the two quickly left the commen room. "Did he tell you his
pass word?" Harry asked.
"No, Professor Elestor is going to let us in," he explained, "We're to meet her by
the gargolye."
"What do you suppose he wants?" Harry asked.
"I don't know," Ron said, "I just hope that whatever it is that it helps me pass
potions!"
"You can't be doing that bad," Hermione told her.
"I'm not doing that bad, just bad." Ron and Hermione started arguing. Harry took
that oppertunity to start walking behind them, next to Gretchen. "I thought it was just us,"
he whispered.
"Me, too," Gretchen said, "But I guess not. Then agien, he didn't read their
named off at dinner. I really don't know what's happening."
Harry nodded. "He's a funny man Dumbeldore." Gretchen nodded and then
gestured to Professor Elestor, who hated Gretchen, standing ten feet in front of them.
"Finilly," she said iritably as she gave the password (moonbeam) to the gargoyle.
The five walked up the curving stair case to the circuiler office, which Harry was seeing
more and more off. Four professors, McGonagall, Sprout, Flintwick, and Snape, were
already there. Dumbeldore smiled.
"Good evening," he said, addressing Professor Elestor.
"It is headmaster," she replied dryly. "I take it my package arrived?" Dumbeldore
smiled.
"It most certenly did Herriet. Severus, could you hand the white box over there to
Herriet?" Snape nodded, picked up the box and handed it to the professor, giving her a
dirty look alongthe way. Harry wondered why. They had so much in commen, like hating
Harry. "Well, thank you for joining us."
"The pleasures mine," the professor said, but didn't mean, as she turned around
and left the office.
"Really that woman.....," Professor Sprout started before she was met with
Dumbeldore's silencing hand.
"She was the only one willing to take the job this year," he said quietly. "We shall
respect her for that." He tured his attention to the four students. "Ah, it is getting rather
crowded in here," he said cheerfully as he waved his wand, making four more chairs
appear. "It's a tight fit, but it will do." He smiled at them. "Now, what were you saying,
Robin?"
Professor Flintwich eyed the four students. "I was just saying it may not be wise
to trust some one so blindly. Espiecally......" His voice trailed off.
"Robin, I assure you, I am trusting no one blindly. Now, do you think you could
preform that Charm?"
"Yes," the small man replied, "I could."
"Great. Perhaps you should get started. Severus, you go, too. And you too, Flora.
We must do this as soon as the students leave," Dumbeldore instructed. The three nodded
and rose from their chairs, quickly leaving the room. Dumbeldore waved his wand and
three of the chairs disappeared. "Ah, that's better."
"Albus......," Professor McGonagall said quietly. The old man nodded. "Gretchen,
you wouldn't by any chance know anything about Sirius Black?"
Gretchen pretended to look puzzeled, as if she thought this an odd question, but
Harry saw a look of amusement in her eyes. "Well, I know he was in Azkaban. Mother
would always use him as an example whenever she thought I was being unfaithful. 'See
what happens to the one who doesn't serve the dark lord?' That's what she would say,
though I doubt that's what happened. Why?"
Dumbeldore spoke, more to Harry and the others then to Gretchen. "No one's
seen Sirius in quite a while. We're sending a seach party out for him. A serch party of
three."
"Two....," Professor McGonagall interjected.
"Three, Minerva. I know that you're reluctent to take Gretchen along, but it's the
saftest way."
"Harry Potter I might be able to slip under Voldemort's nose, but Gretche Locus?
Albus if what the girl claims is true......"
"What Grtechen had told us is true. She's givin me the prof herself. Voldemort
won't go near her....not at least for a few months," Dumbeldore said. "You are safer with
her then without her, Minerva. Trust me. Now," he said turning to Ron and Hermione, "I
have things for you, too. Ron, give this letter to your father, don't open it. Hermione, tell
your partents t hide this behind their kitchen sink. It's a protection charm." He handed
her a shamrock shaped item. "Now, all of you should get to bed. I need a word with
Minerva." The four nodded and hurried out of the room.
"Why won't Voldemort go near you?" Ron asked Gretchen.
"Because he won't," she said.
"But why not?" Hermione pleaded. Gretchen said nothing for the rest of the walk
or when they got to the commen room.
"What do you suppose it is?" Ron asked as they got into the commen room. "You
think it's something like what you had?"
"No," Harry said quickly. "Voldemort couldn't touch me because I was marked
with love. I doubt Gretchen's family ever did anything like that for her."
"Oh," said Ron. They went to bed. Harry didn't dream that night. He was too
worried. He wanted to wake up Gretchen and talk to her for some reason. I've never
really met someone who....I know this is strange.....someone who could probably
understand me, assuming I told you everything, she had said earlier. Did he understand
her? Was that why he wanted to wake her up in the middle of the night and talk to her?
And why, why, was he thinking about Gretchen in the first place?
"Are you talking about Malfoy and his dumb claim that me and Gretchen were
making out today? Because if that's it, you should know better. I would never do that to
you, Ron," Harry scolded.
"I now. It's just well.....I think she likes you......"
I think she like you. Or did Harry like her? He had remembered how it felt to like
Cho. How his stomach was filled with butterflies everytime he saw her, how he imagined
what it would be like to hold her in his arms.....But Gretchen? He felt quite normal
around her, and sometimes annoyed when she was being mysterious, and he had never
though about stuff like that with her.
No, Harry didn't like Gretchen. He was just curious, as they all were. He didn't
like Gretchen.
The next morning Harry bid farewell to his friends at the train station. Then he
quickly hurried to the Great Hall where Dumbeldore waited for him. Snape gave
Gretchen, Harry, and Professor McGonagall each one sip from a what he said was the
Godric Potion. Professor Flintwick put some charm over the three of them and Harry
went on the shortest adventure of his life.
Professor McGonagall apperated, Harry and Gretchen dragged with her. Harry
didn't know how, and he didn't care. They landed up right, the weak form of Sirius Black
at their feet. Harry wanted to shout, but the words were lost in his throat. Gretchen quickly
took off her coat and lay it over the freezing man, but Professor McGonagall seemed
more intrusted in Sirius's left wrist. "Oh dear...," she said quietly. "The dark lord walks
again..."