I heard somewhere that Ron might be playing quidditch. I also heard that J.K. said that the captain
would be someone we would least expect.
I've also been reading somewhere that it would be one of the Weasley
twins. But I'm not sure. So I made
Angelina a captain. These are not
spoilers, I might be wrong; so don't believe some of the things that I would
write. They are just the way I write
them. Just a reminder, I don't own anything!
Chapter 9
**********
Harry was still trying to convince Ron to try out for
quidditch, and to use his broomstick for it.
Even Fred and George joined in to convince him.
"C'mon, Ron, don't
you want to play quidditch?" asked George in the common room where they were
playing chess.
"Yeah, I mean you
can be the third Weasley on the field.
Imagine: Spinnet, Bell, Johnson, Potter, Weasley, Weasley, and Weasley!
Hey, we'll even ask Lee to put your name first, right, Lee?" said Fred, who was
watching them.
"I don't know. I mean isn't it tomorrow? I didn't sign up," replied Ron, taking
George's knight away.
"Oh, that's not a
problem, right, Harry?" said George.
Harry, who looked up from his homework, grinned and nodded.
"What are you on
about?" demanded Ron.
"Well, we sort of
signed you up already," said Harry quickly.
"You weren't doing anything about it, so we did it for you."
"Oh," Ron hesitated
and said, "thanks, I guess I don't know what to say."
"Just say you'll go
tomorrow."
Hermione then came down from the dorms looking a bit
anxious. She was holding her Defense
Against the Dark Arts homework.
"What's wrong,
Hermione?" asked Harry over his Charms book.
They have been given a lot of homework as usual.
"Well, I can't figure
out if I should put a background report of this curse Professor Sullivan gave
us."
"You should go and
ask her then," replied Ron, who just gotten up from his chess game with George.
He won, of course. "And we'll come with
you," he added eagerly.
They stopped in front of her office and knocked on the
door. Professor Sullivan answered and
beckoned them to come in. Harry looked
around the office. There was only one
office that came close to this one, and that was Dumbledore's office. Professor Sullivan's office was decorated in
neat and organized fashion. There was a
shelf filled with all sorts of books.
Many gadgets stood behind her desk, and her dark detectors that she had
bought in Diagon Alley were standing neatly next to the window.
"Well, what can I
do for you three?" asked Professor Sullivan.
"I have a question
to ask you about our homework, Professor," said Hermione. "Do I have to put a background report on
it?"
Professor Sullivan smiled a smile that reached her hazel
eyes, "You sound just like me when I
was in Hogwarts. Well, Hermione, if you
feel that it is necessary, then be my guest.
But you don't have to."
Harry noticed what looked like a fish tank by the
window. It had a creature that was
asleep in it.
"Is that a kappa, Professor?"
he asked, pointing to the fish tank.
Professor Sullivan turned around, "Oh, yes, that is a kappa."
"I know what kappas
are! They strangle unwanted strangers
that enter their ponds," piped up Ron, who was obviously trying to impress
Professor Sullivan.
"That's right,
Ron. Now this kappa is a very
special kappa," she approached the fish tank.
"This is the same kappa that helped me trap a dark wizard when I was in
Norway."
"But Professor
Lupin told us that kappas don't like people," said Hermione, looking confused.
She approached the kappa and peered inside it.
"Professor
Lupin? Yes, he's right. Normally kappas don't like people. But this one is quite unusual, because,
well, he's quite the opposite. He loves
the attention."
"Professor, do you
know Remus Lupin?" asked Harry, looking up at her.
"Huh? Oh, yes, we
used to go to Hogwarts together. We were in the same year, but different
houses," she explained. "So I hear
quidditch try outs are going on. You're
on the Gryffindor team, right, Harry?"
Harry nodded. The
feeling of familiarity came over Harry again as he looked at her.
"How about you,
Ron? Are you in quidditch?"
"No, but I'm trying
out for the keeper position," he answered.
"Really? What broomstick do you have?"
"Er, I'm going to
borrow Harry's. He has a Firebolt."
"Hmm, Harry's, huh?
But aren't you using yours during the practices?" she asked Harry.
"Er, I am. When Ron
gets the position, he can use one of the school brooms when we practice."
Professor Sullivan stood there and thought. She hesitated, then went over to a cupboard
and opened it. She pulled out a very
polished broomstick.
"Ron, do you want
to borrow this instead? I know it looks
like favoritism, but just consider this as a thank you from me to your
father. He has done me a lot of favors,
and, well, consider this is one returned to his favor. It's a Nimbus Two Thousand and Two. It just
came out three months ago."
Ron gaped open mouthed at it for a long time and then
said, "Er, professor, I'm not sure if I
can borrow this."
"Yes, you can," she
smiled. "Just don't tell anyone about
this. It will be our little secret. Go
on. Take it. I wouldn't need it a lot
for now. I already know how to
apparate."
"B-b-but,"
stuttered Ron, "I-I-I can't."
"Well, then, I
guess I'll be putting this away then."
"Oh no, professor,
I'll take it."
Professor Sullivan smiled.
They were all silent for a moment.
Ron was looking over the Nimbus as if it was a rare treasure. It was Hermione who broke the silence.
"Well, I guess we
should be going now," she gestured to Harry and Ron, "Thanks for clearing
things up for me, professor."
"It's my pleasure,
Hermione," answered Professor Sullivan.
As they were headed toward the door, Harry had a changed of
heart.
"I'll meet you guys
outside. I just need to ask the
professor something," he whispered to Ron and Hermione. They both looked at each other and
shrugged. They waited for him outside
as Harry went back inside the office.
"Back so soon,
Harry?" asked Professor Sullivan, who was feeding the kappa that had just woken
up.
"Er, professor, if
you knew Remus Lupin, then you knew my father as well?"
He couldn't see her expression because her back was
turned. But he noticed that she
hesitated before she turned around to face him. She stared at him for a moment and then said,
"Yes, I did know
your father. We used to play quidditch
against each other. He was a good
flyer."
"And my mum?"
"Yes, I did. She
was the nicest person I have ever known. I'm very sorry," she added, looking up
at him with great sorrow in her eyes.
Harry hesitated and then asked, "Then you knew Sirius Black too?"
The Professor, who was now at her desk, did something that
Harry couldn't explain. She looked as
though Harry had just said something very surprising. She looked up at him.
Harry noticed that she became very pale. She opened her mouth several times, as if she was trying to find
the right words to answer his question. Then she finally answered,
"Yes, yes, I did
know him too. He never went anywhere
without your father. Now, it's getting
really late, Harry. I'm sure you would
want an early start for your class tomorrow."
Harry knew from the tone of her voice that she didn't want
to pursue the subject any longer. He
said good night and went outside to find that Ron and Hermione waiting for him.
They asked what he asked the professor.
He lied and said something about the kappa on the fish tank. As they went back to the common room, Harry
thought about how the professor looked like when he mentioned Sirius's
name. He wondered why it was so. He made sure to ask Sirius about Professor
Sullivan the next time they meet.