Harry's previous night had been sleepless; he had been wrong about
having nightmares about Voldemort. However, this actually bothered Harry a
great deal more than he had expected. There had been no trace of Voldemort
anywhere for a long time. Many people considered this very good news, but
to Harry it was troubling. He didn't want to be hearing reports of
Voldemort torturing or murdering innocent Muggles but at least that would
give the magical world knowledge of where he was. All this silence was
unnerving. For all Harry knew, he could be plotting his death right now
under his very nose. . .
Harry tried to think about something else that day and take his mind off everything. He found that he had plenty to occupy himself. Transfiguration was becoming much more demanding now as had Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor McGonnagal was renowned as being a hard teacher, but Professor Lupin had warned them that they would need defence protection more than ever now. This certainly did not lighten Harry's mood. Professor Lupin called Harry back that afternoon to talk to him.
"What is it, Professor?" Harry asked when the rest of the class had gone.
"Oh, nothing really, Harry. I just wanted to check that everything was okay." Professor Lupin was looking old once more, no doubt the transformations into a monthly Werewolf didn't help matters, but if possible he was looking more strained than ever before.
"Yeah, yeah everything's fine," Harry lied, but Lupin knew he wasn't being truthful.
"Look, Harry, you should know that you can talk to me about anything. Sirius isn't around much at the moment I know, and Dumbledore's a little preoccupied. I'm sure that your friends are being supportive but."
Harry nodded. "You're right. I'm not okay. In fact I'm terrified."
Lupin stared deeply at Harry. "Go on."
"It's just. . . we haven't heard anything from Voldemort for a long time now, and I know that that's good news and everything it's just. . . I want to know what's going on, you know?"
Lupin nodded. "I know what you mean. But you need to assume the old saying that no news is good news," he said. "I know it's difficult but try and concentrate on your studies, Harry. It'll take your mind off things."
"Thanks, Professor."
He left.
Outside the door, Cadence had been listening. She hadn't been able to hide herself quickly to avoid Harry seeing her. She jumped.
"Oh, I."
"What are you doing?" he yelled once the door was shut behind him. "Where you listening?"
Cadence looked very uncomfortable. "No! I was . . . I was passing and I. . . I just heard, but I didn't mean to. . ."
"I expect you're going to run and tell your brother what a wimp the Famous Harry Potter is, eh?" he said both angry and embarrassed.
"No! I wouldn't do that! And. . . I mean, yes. Yes, I am."
Harry frowned at her change of heart. "You're weird, you know that?"
"Me? I'm not the one with an ugly scar on my head!" she shouted.
"Look, I didn't ask for this, all right? I didn't ask for any of it!"
They stood for a minute, a few feet apart, Harry angry, Cadence stubborn.
"So. . . Why are you worried?" she asked suddenly. Harry started walking and to his amazement she followed.
"I haven't heard anything from Voldemort for a long time now," he said and noticed that she didn't wince when he spoke the name.
"Well, that's good isn't it? I mean, at least he's not killing anyone," she asked as though this was the most obvious question in the world.
"No. No, its not. I don't know where he is or what he's doing."
"Oh, right. Yeah I suppose." They had reached the parting where each took a different direction to the Common Room. "Well, I'll see you."
"Not if your brother has anything to do with it," said Harry. Cadence actually gave him a trace of a smile.
"Listen, don't worry, I'm sure everything will sort itself out. I mean, it did last time, didn't it?" And she turned and disappeared around the corner, soon to be followed by Malfoy whom she hadn't realised was listening to the whole conversation.
- Sorry it's a bit short, but it's a critical chapter and I wouldn't fit the whole plot in if it were all in one! It IS going somewhere I promise!!! Please keep those reviews coming in...Thankx.
Harry tried to think about something else that day and take his mind off everything. He found that he had plenty to occupy himself. Transfiguration was becoming much more demanding now as had Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor McGonnagal was renowned as being a hard teacher, but Professor Lupin had warned them that they would need defence protection more than ever now. This certainly did not lighten Harry's mood. Professor Lupin called Harry back that afternoon to talk to him.
"What is it, Professor?" Harry asked when the rest of the class had gone.
"Oh, nothing really, Harry. I just wanted to check that everything was okay." Professor Lupin was looking old once more, no doubt the transformations into a monthly Werewolf didn't help matters, but if possible he was looking more strained than ever before.
"Yeah, yeah everything's fine," Harry lied, but Lupin knew he wasn't being truthful.
"Look, Harry, you should know that you can talk to me about anything. Sirius isn't around much at the moment I know, and Dumbledore's a little preoccupied. I'm sure that your friends are being supportive but."
Harry nodded. "You're right. I'm not okay. In fact I'm terrified."
Lupin stared deeply at Harry. "Go on."
"It's just. . . we haven't heard anything from Voldemort for a long time now, and I know that that's good news and everything it's just. . . I want to know what's going on, you know?"
Lupin nodded. "I know what you mean. But you need to assume the old saying that no news is good news," he said. "I know it's difficult but try and concentrate on your studies, Harry. It'll take your mind off things."
"Thanks, Professor."
He left.
Outside the door, Cadence had been listening. She hadn't been able to hide herself quickly to avoid Harry seeing her. She jumped.
"Oh, I."
"What are you doing?" he yelled once the door was shut behind him. "Where you listening?"
Cadence looked very uncomfortable. "No! I was . . . I was passing and I. . . I just heard, but I didn't mean to. . ."
"I expect you're going to run and tell your brother what a wimp the Famous Harry Potter is, eh?" he said both angry and embarrassed.
"No! I wouldn't do that! And. . . I mean, yes. Yes, I am."
Harry frowned at her change of heart. "You're weird, you know that?"
"Me? I'm not the one with an ugly scar on my head!" she shouted.
"Look, I didn't ask for this, all right? I didn't ask for any of it!"
They stood for a minute, a few feet apart, Harry angry, Cadence stubborn.
"So. . . Why are you worried?" she asked suddenly. Harry started walking and to his amazement she followed.
"I haven't heard anything from Voldemort for a long time now," he said and noticed that she didn't wince when he spoke the name.
"Well, that's good isn't it? I mean, at least he's not killing anyone," she asked as though this was the most obvious question in the world.
"No. No, its not. I don't know where he is or what he's doing."
"Oh, right. Yeah I suppose." They had reached the parting where each took a different direction to the Common Room. "Well, I'll see you."
"Not if your brother has anything to do with it," said Harry. Cadence actually gave him a trace of a smile.
"Listen, don't worry, I'm sure everything will sort itself out. I mean, it did last time, didn't it?" And she turned and disappeared around the corner, soon to be followed by Malfoy whom she hadn't realised was listening to the whole conversation.
- Sorry it's a bit short, but it's a critical chapter and I wouldn't fit the whole plot in if it were all in one! It IS going somewhere I promise!!! Please keep those reviews coming in...Thankx.