Chapter Eighteen
ATTACKS ABROAD
Two weeks had passed since Remus's weekend at home. He had said his mother was feeling better. None of his friends really believed him. On returning, he looked incredibly pale and tired, as if he hadn't slept at all during his time at home, but nobody made questioned him. A few days later Remus was back to normal, and the event was forgotten.
They were in the Great Hall for breakfast one sunny morning in September. James had had a strange smile on his face since the evening before, but he had given no explanation.
"We're on for tonight," announced James in a whisper. From his expression, he couldn't have waited a moment longer.
"What?" asked Sirius.
"Our little flying lesson," said James, smiling at Remus. His friend paled.
"I don't think it's such a great idea..." mumbled the young boy, thinking about his past experiences with the brooms. Their last flying lesson hadn't gone well for him.
James, instead, had begun to enjoy Professor Rowen's hours because she had decided to divide the class into two groups, beginner and expert. In the very last lesson she had even began to give him personal exercises, since he was the best in the class. She had already expressed that he should try out for the house quidditch team the following year, much to Clara's great disappointment.
Remus was, of course, in the beginners' group, and he was feeling like he was the worst of the class. To make things even more unbearable, Lily's new friends were always staring at him and laughing at his every error. The evilest was the tall one, Melissa, but the one that hurt him the most was the Professor's niece, Clara.
"I don't think it's a good idea," repeated Remus. "What if Pringle catches us out of the dormitory?"
"Don't worry about that. I have a plan." The mysterious smile was back on James' face.
"But... how are we supposed to get the brooms? And were will we practice? I mean, someone will see us if we do it on the grounds!"
"Oh, come on Remus! Don't be a coward!!" said James, patting his friend's shoulder.
"Yep! Don't worry!" agreed Sirius smiling.
"Do you know what he's got on his mind?" questioned Remus.
"Nope, but I trust him. If he says he's got a plan, then there's nothing to worry about. Oh, the post is coming!" The owls were flying down the room with the students' morning mail.
* * *
"Oh, here's my paper." Chloe was holding the latest edition of the Daily Prophet, reading the front page news.
"Merlin," she whispered after reading the headline.
"What's wrong?" asked Lily. Both Melissa and Clara were staring at Chloe.
"Listen to this. 'Disaster Strikes Wizards' Paris. An attack last night on Paris's magic community claimed the lives of 11 wizards and 30 Muggles, writes Jimili Fifer, Special Correspondent.
"The attack, the fifth of its kind, follows the pattern established from recent raids in Berlin, Budapest, Brumsburg and Rome. The primary damage was done to wizards' property, targeting the local Gringotts in each city. Eyewitnesses claim that a large group of masked wizards stormed the bank just after midnight, razing the outer building to the ground.
"Several thousand Galleons have been seized in each of the five raids. Beyond the extensive damage at Gringotts, the masked wizards continued their attack on the surrounding homes and shops. Over a dozen buildings were reduced to rubble, and the attackers left the city exposed to Muggle eyes for some hours afterward.
"Almost all of the Ministries of Magic have joined forces to search for the answers to the many questions currently being fielded at them.' Kinda weird, isn't it?" said Chloe with a forced smile.
For several moments, the four girls looked down to their dishes without speaking.
"Look," said Clara, pointing to the teachers' table, "it looks like the headmaster read the news as well."
Dumbledore had got up from his seat, grabbed the newspaper, and left half of his breakfast untouched.
Lily had lost her appetite, so she, too, got up and went toward the common room.
"Lily!" Severus had followed her out the Great Hall.
"Severus! How are you? I haven't seen you in ages!" said Lily, smiling sincerely. In truth, she was feeling a bit guilty for not hanging out with him anymore, but since she had met Clara, she had spent all her free time with her new friends.
"Yep! I saw you finally found some friends. I'm happy for you" said the boy. Severus was also smiling.
"I was just wandering..." Severus seemed to be searching for the right words. "You could still hang out with us sometimes... your friends too, of course." He seemed embarassed.
"Yes, of course! I'd really like for you to know Clara and the others!" answered Lily. "I... I'm sorry Severus. I know I haven't spent any time with you since I met them."
"Don't worry, I understand. So, let's just keep in touch, okay?"
"Yep! Thanks, Severus!" said Lily. Then, she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and headed off towards the Gryffindor tower. Severus remained there, petrified, staring blankly ahead.
"Then she really IS your girlfriend!" The annoying voice was coming from behind him, and Severus didn't need to turn to know whose was it.
"Mind your own buisness, Potter!"
"Lily's a Gryffindor! This IS our buisness!" shouted Peter from James's side.
"Shut up, Peter," answered Severus.
"Don't tell him what to do!" exclaimed Sirius
"You've got a problem with me, Potter? Tell me, what have I done to you? What has SHE done to you?" James felt that bad feeling again. It was precisely what he hated about Severus. And Lily. They just brought the worst out of him, and he was not proud of his behaviour. "What's this, Potter? She's not my girlfriend, but you really look JEALOUS!" smirked Severus.
"Watch your mouth, Slytherin boy!!" James sprang forward, grabbing Severus's collar.
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" shouted Professor McGonagall, approaching the group. "Mr. Potter! It's you again, I see! Very well, ten points from Gryffindor for your behavior, and tonight you'll have a detention with me!" The witch was furious, and all the boys were too scared to reply.
"And you are...?" she asked Severus.
"Severus Snape," answered the young wizard guiltily.
"I'll report your behavior to your head of house. Now, go. You have class."
James and Severus shared a look of contempt before scurrying off in opposite directions.
* * *
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you like this story, please help me go on! REVIEW!! It's much easier to write if there's someone reading! :)
Thank you
Kobra
ATTACKS ABROAD
Two weeks had passed since Remus's weekend at home. He had said his mother was feeling better. None of his friends really believed him. On returning, he looked incredibly pale and tired, as if he hadn't slept at all during his time at home, but nobody made questioned him. A few days later Remus was back to normal, and the event was forgotten.
They were in the Great Hall for breakfast one sunny morning in September. James had had a strange smile on his face since the evening before, but he had given no explanation.
"We're on for tonight," announced James in a whisper. From his expression, he couldn't have waited a moment longer.
"What?" asked Sirius.
"Our little flying lesson," said James, smiling at Remus. His friend paled.
"I don't think it's such a great idea..." mumbled the young boy, thinking about his past experiences with the brooms. Their last flying lesson hadn't gone well for him.
James, instead, had begun to enjoy Professor Rowen's hours because she had decided to divide the class into two groups, beginner and expert. In the very last lesson she had even began to give him personal exercises, since he was the best in the class. She had already expressed that he should try out for the house quidditch team the following year, much to Clara's great disappointment.
Remus was, of course, in the beginners' group, and he was feeling like he was the worst of the class. To make things even more unbearable, Lily's new friends were always staring at him and laughing at his every error. The evilest was the tall one, Melissa, but the one that hurt him the most was the Professor's niece, Clara.
"I don't think it's a good idea," repeated Remus. "What if Pringle catches us out of the dormitory?"
"Don't worry about that. I have a plan." The mysterious smile was back on James' face.
"But... how are we supposed to get the brooms? And were will we practice? I mean, someone will see us if we do it on the grounds!"
"Oh, come on Remus! Don't be a coward!!" said James, patting his friend's shoulder.
"Yep! Don't worry!" agreed Sirius smiling.
"Do you know what he's got on his mind?" questioned Remus.
"Nope, but I trust him. If he says he's got a plan, then there's nothing to worry about. Oh, the post is coming!" The owls were flying down the room with the students' morning mail.
* * *
"Oh, here's my paper." Chloe was holding the latest edition of the Daily Prophet, reading the front page news.
"Merlin," she whispered after reading the headline.
"What's wrong?" asked Lily. Both Melissa and Clara were staring at Chloe.
"Listen to this. 'Disaster Strikes Wizards' Paris. An attack last night on Paris's magic community claimed the lives of 11 wizards and 30 Muggles, writes Jimili Fifer, Special Correspondent.
"The attack, the fifth of its kind, follows the pattern established from recent raids in Berlin, Budapest, Brumsburg and Rome. The primary damage was done to wizards' property, targeting the local Gringotts in each city. Eyewitnesses claim that a large group of masked wizards stormed the bank just after midnight, razing the outer building to the ground.
"Several thousand Galleons have been seized in each of the five raids. Beyond the extensive damage at Gringotts, the masked wizards continued their attack on the surrounding homes and shops. Over a dozen buildings were reduced to rubble, and the attackers left the city exposed to Muggle eyes for some hours afterward.
"Almost all of the Ministries of Magic have joined forces to search for the answers to the many questions currently being fielded at them.' Kinda weird, isn't it?" said Chloe with a forced smile.
For several moments, the four girls looked down to their dishes without speaking.
"Look," said Clara, pointing to the teachers' table, "it looks like the headmaster read the news as well."
Dumbledore had got up from his seat, grabbed the newspaper, and left half of his breakfast untouched.
Lily had lost her appetite, so she, too, got up and went toward the common room.
"Lily!" Severus had followed her out the Great Hall.
"Severus! How are you? I haven't seen you in ages!" said Lily, smiling sincerely. In truth, she was feeling a bit guilty for not hanging out with him anymore, but since she had met Clara, she had spent all her free time with her new friends.
"Yep! I saw you finally found some friends. I'm happy for you" said the boy. Severus was also smiling.
"I was just wandering..." Severus seemed to be searching for the right words. "You could still hang out with us sometimes... your friends too, of course." He seemed embarassed.
"Yes, of course! I'd really like for you to know Clara and the others!" answered Lily. "I... I'm sorry Severus. I know I haven't spent any time with you since I met them."
"Don't worry, I understand. So, let's just keep in touch, okay?"
"Yep! Thanks, Severus!" said Lily. Then, she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and headed off towards the Gryffindor tower. Severus remained there, petrified, staring blankly ahead.
"Then she really IS your girlfriend!" The annoying voice was coming from behind him, and Severus didn't need to turn to know whose was it.
"Mind your own buisness, Potter!"
"Lily's a Gryffindor! This IS our buisness!" shouted Peter from James's side.
"Shut up, Peter," answered Severus.
"Don't tell him what to do!" exclaimed Sirius
"You've got a problem with me, Potter? Tell me, what have I done to you? What has SHE done to you?" James felt that bad feeling again. It was precisely what he hated about Severus. And Lily. They just brought the worst out of him, and he was not proud of his behaviour. "What's this, Potter? She's not my girlfriend, but you really look JEALOUS!" smirked Severus.
"Watch your mouth, Slytherin boy!!" James sprang forward, grabbing Severus's collar.
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" shouted Professor McGonagall, approaching the group. "Mr. Potter! It's you again, I see! Very well, ten points from Gryffindor for your behavior, and tonight you'll have a detention with me!" The witch was furious, and all the boys were too scared to reply.
"And you are...?" she asked Severus.
"Severus Snape," answered the young wizard guiltily.
"I'll report your behavior to your head of house. Now, go. You have class."
James and Severus shared a look of contempt before scurrying off in opposite directions.
* * *
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you like this story, please help me go on! REVIEW!! It's much easier to write if there's someone reading! :)
Thank you
Kobra