Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Dangers in the Past.
Hermione was sitting in the common room feeling restless. It had been nearly two months since Harry had supposedly been killed. It had been a very hard time for everyone. Most of the teachers had become overprotective. They were afraid Death Eaters would attack again. Dumbledore and McGonagall had begun to reinforce the protection charms, but it was a slow and tedious process that would take them months. Untill then, all Quidditch practices had been suspended, and no one was allowed to go outside without a teacher. The tension between the students had been growing. Not being able to go outside was taking its toll and the fights between the students of the different houses were starting to pick up. The Marauders had continued doing some pranks, mainly to try and break the tension, but everyone could tell their hearts weren't really in it. James mainly kept to himself, only accepting Lily's presence near him. Both were feeling really guilty about Harry's death and had buried themselves in their studies. They were so involved that they never noticed Ron and Hermione were almost always near them. The two teenagers didn't intrude on the couple, but knew now that Harry wasn't there, the danger had increased for they had no way to know when something was about to happen.
Ryan, Daniel and Ethan kept going on as well as they could, but everyone could see how pale and withdrawn the defence teacher had become in the last weeks. His mind was usually on Harry. Even though he knew his godson was in good hands, it didn't keep him from being worried sick.
It was now Halloween and the bad feeling Hermione had been having all day was increasing. Snape had said the main attack would be on Christmas, but what if the Dark King had changed plans again? Now that Harry was not there, Malfoy didn't really have a reason to wait.
A hand on her shoulder made her look up. Ron had just come back from a walk with Sirius, Remus and Peter, and had seen her sitting in front of the fire on her own. The red-haired boy looked down at her concerned. "Is something wrong, Herm?"
The girl shook her head and looked at the fire again. "I'm not sure, Ron. Can't you feel it? There's something restless in the air, like something dangerous is approaching. Just look at how Harry's pets have been behaving for the last few days."
It had become normal to see Godric or Echo flying around the castle at the most odd hours of the day and night, but for the last few days the four pets had stayed in Harry's room, unwilling to go out.
Ron shrugged. "What about them? They are quieter, but you know they just miss Harry."
"It's been two months, Ron. You know it's not only that. Even without Harry they used to go out or move around the castle. Now they just stay huddled together in Harry's former room and not even Ryan can make them go out."
"Look, Herm, nothing's wrong, they are…"
Before he could go any further, Hermione sprang from her seat and stood in front of her friend, eyes alight with fury. "Will you stop it, Ron! Stop trying to ignore the warnings! I know what I'm sensing and I know you're feeling it, too. We have been in enough dangerous situations to know when there's something wrong. So stop being such a prat and start thinking of ways to protect ourselves."
The whole common room had gone silent. Everyone was looking at the pair in a mixture of horror and amusement. Ron ignored the stares he was getting and slumped back into his chair. Softly, he tried to calm his friend. "I'm sorry, Hermione. You're right. I can sense it too. It's just I don't want to think what will happen. This time Harry isn't going to be here to help us."
Hermione's gaze softened and she knelt next to the boy's chair, gripping his hand in hers. "One more reason for us to be ready."
Ron nodded and squeezed her hand. Then he looked up around the room. Most people had gone back to their own conversations, but he noticed Sirius, Remus and Peter were still looking at them. In a serious tone, Sirius asked, "Do you really think something bad is going to happen?"
Ron noticed the boy was quite pale, but didn't think anything about it and just nodded slightly. "Knowing the Dark Lord, you can nearly count on it."
Everyone stayed silent for a while pondering what could happen and wondering if they were safe. Finally, Peter stood up and left the room, going to the bedrooms to retrieve his homework. Not a minute later, a shriek rang through the room. Ron and Hermione were out of the common room and up the stairs before anyone else realised what was going on. When Sirius, Remus and most of the other Gryffindor students arrived, they saw Ron and Hermione standing at the door that led to the fifth year's bedroom. Peter was sitting on the floor between the two teenagers. Sirius came closer and saw the room was trashed. Someone had thrown all the trunks open, spilling their contents through the room. The hangings around the beds had been ripped, along with the pillows and the blankets. Ron quickly stepped inside, trying to assess the damage and to determine if something had been stolen. Hermione, on the other hand, turned around and faced the crowd forming behind her. "Could someone go get Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Moon, please?"
Some seventh years nodded and ran away. Hermione looked pensively into the room. Ron was walking around carefully, but there was something wrong with this. Why would have someone bothered to trash a room? As far as she knew there was nothing important in it. A sudden thought crossed her mind. What if it was only a distraction? Slowly, realisation began to settle in her mind. She turned around and faced the Marauders, who were still looking inside the room.
"Sirius, where are James and Lily?"
To be continued…
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. Thanks to my beta readers, Gates and Tanya.
Dangers in the Past.
Hermione was sitting in the common room feeling restless. It had been nearly two months since Harry had supposedly been killed. It had been a very hard time for everyone. Most of the teachers had become overprotective. They were afraid Death Eaters would attack again. Dumbledore and McGonagall had begun to reinforce the protection charms, but it was a slow and tedious process that would take them months. Untill then, all Quidditch practices had been suspended, and no one was allowed to go outside without a teacher. The tension between the students had been growing. Not being able to go outside was taking its toll and the fights between the students of the different houses were starting to pick up. The Marauders had continued doing some pranks, mainly to try and break the tension, but everyone could tell their hearts weren't really in it. James mainly kept to himself, only accepting Lily's presence near him. Both were feeling really guilty about Harry's death and had buried themselves in their studies. They were so involved that they never noticed Ron and Hermione were almost always near them. The two teenagers didn't intrude on the couple, but knew now that Harry wasn't there, the danger had increased for they had no way to know when something was about to happen.
Ryan, Daniel and Ethan kept going on as well as they could, but everyone could see how pale and withdrawn the defence teacher had become in the last weeks. His mind was usually on Harry. Even though he knew his godson was in good hands, it didn't keep him from being worried sick.
It was now Halloween and the bad feeling Hermione had been having all day was increasing. Snape had said the main attack would be on Christmas, but what if the Dark King had changed plans again? Now that Harry was not there, Malfoy didn't really have a reason to wait.
A hand on her shoulder made her look up. Ron had just come back from a walk with Sirius, Remus and Peter, and had seen her sitting in front of the fire on her own. The red-haired boy looked down at her concerned. "Is something wrong, Herm?"
The girl shook her head and looked at the fire again. "I'm not sure, Ron. Can't you feel it? There's something restless in the air, like something dangerous is approaching. Just look at how Harry's pets have been behaving for the last few days."
It had become normal to see Godric or Echo flying around the castle at the most odd hours of the day and night, but for the last few days the four pets had stayed in Harry's room, unwilling to go out.
Ron shrugged. "What about them? They are quieter, but you know they just miss Harry."
"It's been two months, Ron. You know it's not only that. Even without Harry they used to go out or move around the castle. Now they just stay huddled together in Harry's former room and not even Ryan can make them go out."
"Look, Herm, nothing's wrong, they are…"
Before he could go any further, Hermione sprang from her seat and stood in front of her friend, eyes alight with fury. "Will you stop it, Ron! Stop trying to ignore the warnings! I know what I'm sensing and I know you're feeling it, too. We have been in enough dangerous situations to know when there's something wrong. So stop being such a prat and start thinking of ways to protect ourselves."
The whole common room had gone silent. Everyone was looking at the pair in a mixture of horror and amusement. Ron ignored the stares he was getting and slumped back into his chair. Softly, he tried to calm his friend. "I'm sorry, Hermione. You're right. I can sense it too. It's just I don't want to think what will happen. This time Harry isn't going to be here to help us."
Hermione's gaze softened and she knelt next to the boy's chair, gripping his hand in hers. "One more reason for us to be ready."
Ron nodded and squeezed her hand. Then he looked up around the room. Most people had gone back to their own conversations, but he noticed Sirius, Remus and Peter were still looking at them. In a serious tone, Sirius asked, "Do you really think something bad is going to happen?"
Ron noticed the boy was quite pale, but didn't think anything about it and just nodded slightly. "Knowing the Dark Lord, you can nearly count on it."
Everyone stayed silent for a while pondering what could happen and wondering if they were safe. Finally, Peter stood up and left the room, going to the bedrooms to retrieve his homework. Not a minute later, a shriek rang through the room. Ron and Hermione were out of the common room and up the stairs before anyone else realised what was going on. When Sirius, Remus and most of the other Gryffindor students arrived, they saw Ron and Hermione standing at the door that led to the fifth year's bedroom. Peter was sitting on the floor between the two teenagers. Sirius came closer and saw the room was trashed. Someone had thrown all the trunks open, spilling their contents through the room. The hangings around the beds had been ripped, along with the pillows and the blankets. Ron quickly stepped inside, trying to assess the damage and to determine if something had been stolen. Hermione, on the other hand, turned around and faced the crowd forming behind her. "Could someone go get Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Moon, please?"
Some seventh years nodded and ran away. Hermione looked pensively into the room. Ron was walking around carefully, but there was something wrong with this. Why would have someone bothered to trash a room? As far as she knew there was nothing important in it. A sudden thought crossed her mind. What if it was only a distraction? Slowly, realisation began to settle in her mind. She turned around and faced the Marauders, who were still looking inside the room.
"Sirius, where are James and Lily?"
To be continued…
A/N: Thanks for all reviews. Thanks to my beta readers, Gates and Tanya.