The path seemed to be narrowing as they went further. Twigs and
leaves cluttered what little space they had to move in.
After twenty minutes of following the faint bobbing light, Jessica felt a funny tickling sensation at the back of her nose. She could tell right away that it was an oncoming sneeze. Shutting her eyes tight, she tried desperately to stop it, but all it did was make her eyes water.
They started moving slower.
"Hey! Who's slowing us down?" Ron demanded.
"I….I…" Jessica gasped, trying to shake her head.
"What?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"I said I…" she began, but at that moment, the sneeze caught up with her. "a-a-a-CHOO!" she exploded, stumbling on a rock.
The effect of a simple sneeze was incredible.
Amanda stumbled and fell back, sending Ron flying in to Harry, who immediately stuck his hand out and grabbed a low tree branch. Jessica, trying desperately to regain her footing, stepped right on top of a large plant. In an instant, she felt hot liquid sear across her leg and on her ankle. The next moment, a strong smell of petrol penetrated the air.
"Ugh!" she said, holding her nose. Jessica looked down at what she had stepped on, her leg still burning painfully, and realized with a jolt of the stomach that it was a buboter plant…with every single one of its bulbs burst open. Tears stinging her eyes, she tried to stand up. But the moment she set down her non-burnt leg, a sharp rock caught her in the side.
There was a simultaneous scream as they all fell over backward, the tree branch Harry had been holding snapped with a loud crack. They lay there in a heap for a moment. A passerby would have found this sight extremely funny. Miscellaneous hands and legs and other body parts were hanging out from the cloak, looking as though someone had just run down the path, dropping limbs. Jessica may have even found this funny, had she not been in the middle of the pain.
She groaned, reaching down to touch her leg. The sensation was torture. It felt as though someone had poured acid on her skin, and little welts were starting to form all over her ankle.
Somewhere below her, she heard Harry wince.
"Jess," he said, his voice sounding oddly muffled. "Can you get your elbow out of my back?"
"Sorry," she said siting up.
"Ouch!" Ron cried.
"Sorry, sorry," Harry mumbled.
Amanda picked her head up off the ground, spitting out a mouthful of leaves.
"Who sneezed?" she growled.
"That would be me," Jessica said, pulling up her pant leg carefully, "Sorry about that, but don't worry. You won't have to beat me, I got myself pretty good." She cringed as she touched her leg gently.
Harry straightened up, brushing dirt and twigs out of his hair.
"Oooh. Ouch," he said, examining Jessica's leg.
Ron stood up, brushing dirt from his robes.
He bent down to look at her leg, and she saw him flinch.
"Are you going to be ok? I mean, should we stop?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"And do what?" she said through clenched teeth, rolling her pant leg back down. "Sit here and wait to be killed?"
Amanda was the last one to throw off the invisibility cloak. Shaking her hair out of her face, she went and sat down against a tree.
"She's right," she said, massaging her head where she had fallen, "We can't stay here."
Harry walked over and picked up the invisibility cloak. Brushing it off, he held it up to look at it in the faint starlight that was filtering through the trees.
"That's funny," he said quietly, "There's nothing wrong with it. It isn't ripped or anything."
"I think you fell harder than the rest of us," Ron said wide-eyed, "That's not a 'funny' thing. That's a good thing. A very good thing."
Jessica turned around painfully, squinting through the blackness that the canopy of trees above them created. The light from Snape's wand had stopped moving. Jessica's heart jumped up in to her throat.
Had he heard them?
She stood up slowly, not taking her eyes off the light. As she watched, it started moving quickly in their direction.
She backed up slowly. "Harry," she whispered, tugging on his sleeve.
"Wha—" he began loudly, turning around. She clamped her hand on his mouth and pointed toward the light, which was coming ever closer. She watched as his eyes grew wide with horror. Not wasting any time, he dove to the ground and grabbed his cloak. Ron, who had realized what was happening, used a twig to brush away their footprints. Jessica looked over her shoulder. There was a small patch of bush-free land where they could hide. She waved her hands above her head to get Harry's attention, then pointed to this. He nodded and, clutching the invisibility cloak, he, Jessica, and Ron rushed over to it.
Amanda, who hadn't been paying attention, looked up.
"Jessica?" she said loudly, standing up. She paused a moment, looking around. "You guys," she called, "This isn't funny! Where are you?"
Jessica's head jerked up. She had forgotten all about Amanda! Glancing up the path, she saw that Snape was running extremely fast toward them. She wouldn't have time to run out and get her. Harry, apparently, had noticed this too.
Quidditch reflexes kicking in, he dove forward, grabbed Amanda, and jumped with her into the bushes, causing her to let out a strangled scream, which he quickly muffled. Within seconds, Snape came running in to view. He skidded to a halt right in front of where they had been standing, lantern swinging dangerously.
He paused, moving his head from side to side. Jessica crouched even lower, holding her breath. Snape looked down at the ground, obviously checking for footprints. Jessica suddenly remembered what the book had said about Harry suspecting Snape of being able to read minds. She bit her lower lip, praying that Harry had been mistaken. Suddenly, Snape's head jerked up, a malicious smile forming on his face. He turned slowly toward where Harry and Amanda were hiding. As he turned, the lantern cast a stream of light across the ground, illuminating the footprints that Harry had mistakenly made in his hurry to get Amanda out of the way.
He inched closer, eyes narrowing through the dark. Jessica glanced at Ron who looked extremely pale. She decided it was time for drastic action. She stuck her hand down in to the dirt, hoping there was nothing down there that could bite, and felt around silently. Finally, she found what she had been looking for.
Snape bent forward, his long fingers mere inches from the bush. Jessica took a deep breath, and, praying that her aim was true, lifted her hand high above her head and threw the stone she had picked up as hard as she possibly could. She barely saw it go whizzing past Snape's head, when she heard it land with a rustling noise in a nearby bush. Snape straightened back up immediately, obviously trying to spot the source of the disturbance. Now, he turned on Ron and Jessica. He approached their hiding place quickly, his small black eyes squinted against the night.
Jessica grabbed Ron and pushed him down further in to the bush. Snape was coming closer, now bent over, examining carefully the plant growth they were hiding under.
Jessica shut her eyes tight, waiting for the blow to fall, but it never came.
"Severus?" called a woman's voice. "Severus? Are you here?"
Snape stood up quickly, looking around.
"Who's there?" he called in to the darkness.
There was no answer for a long time.
Finally, a man's voice answered. "Severus? It's Dilan! Isabel is with me! Can you hear me? We need to talk to you immediately!"
"I'm coming," Snape said, starting quickly back down the path.
Jessica stuck her head out of the bush, watching the lantern disappear.
Ron jumped up beside her, reaching down to help her climb out.
Jessica stood, brushing dirt off her robes. Harry and Amanda had too emerged from their bush.
"Who threw that?" Harry mouthed.
Jessica raised her hand meekly, deciding it was probably not wise to speak at this point.
"You know," he whispered thoughtfully, "Angelina is taking over Oliver's job of Keeper, seeing as how he graduated. So now we're short one Chaser…how about it? Want to do it?"
Jessica gaped, but Amanda interjected.
"This is hardly the time or place," she said pointedly, "Now let's go. This may be our only chance."
(A/N) Did this make sense?! I hope it did! A tad boring, I think, but the next chapters will be better! Don't forget to review! I love you guys! You're the reason that people like me write! The fans of stories are a bigger inspiration than the story itself! I promise that if you review me, I'll try and review your stories! Ok, I'm out! Please Review!
After twenty minutes of following the faint bobbing light, Jessica felt a funny tickling sensation at the back of her nose. She could tell right away that it was an oncoming sneeze. Shutting her eyes tight, she tried desperately to stop it, but all it did was make her eyes water.
They started moving slower.
"Hey! Who's slowing us down?" Ron demanded.
"I….I…" Jessica gasped, trying to shake her head.
"What?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"I said I…" she began, but at that moment, the sneeze caught up with her. "a-a-a-CHOO!" she exploded, stumbling on a rock.
The effect of a simple sneeze was incredible.
Amanda stumbled and fell back, sending Ron flying in to Harry, who immediately stuck his hand out and grabbed a low tree branch. Jessica, trying desperately to regain her footing, stepped right on top of a large plant. In an instant, she felt hot liquid sear across her leg and on her ankle. The next moment, a strong smell of petrol penetrated the air.
"Ugh!" she said, holding her nose. Jessica looked down at what she had stepped on, her leg still burning painfully, and realized with a jolt of the stomach that it was a buboter plant…with every single one of its bulbs burst open. Tears stinging her eyes, she tried to stand up. But the moment she set down her non-burnt leg, a sharp rock caught her in the side.
There was a simultaneous scream as they all fell over backward, the tree branch Harry had been holding snapped with a loud crack. They lay there in a heap for a moment. A passerby would have found this sight extremely funny. Miscellaneous hands and legs and other body parts were hanging out from the cloak, looking as though someone had just run down the path, dropping limbs. Jessica may have even found this funny, had she not been in the middle of the pain.
She groaned, reaching down to touch her leg. The sensation was torture. It felt as though someone had poured acid on her skin, and little welts were starting to form all over her ankle.
Somewhere below her, she heard Harry wince.
"Jess," he said, his voice sounding oddly muffled. "Can you get your elbow out of my back?"
"Sorry," she said siting up.
"Ouch!" Ron cried.
"Sorry, sorry," Harry mumbled.
Amanda picked her head up off the ground, spitting out a mouthful of leaves.
"Who sneezed?" she growled.
"That would be me," Jessica said, pulling up her pant leg carefully, "Sorry about that, but don't worry. You won't have to beat me, I got myself pretty good." She cringed as she touched her leg gently.
Harry straightened up, brushing dirt and twigs out of his hair.
"Oooh. Ouch," he said, examining Jessica's leg.
Ron stood up, brushing dirt from his robes.
He bent down to look at her leg, and she saw him flinch.
"Are you going to be ok? I mean, should we stop?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"And do what?" she said through clenched teeth, rolling her pant leg back down. "Sit here and wait to be killed?"
Amanda was the last one to throw off the invisibility cloak. Shaking her hair out of her face, she went and sat down against a tree.
"She's right," she said, massaging her head where she had fallen, "We can't stay here."
Harry walked over and picked up the invisibility cloak. Brushing it off, he held it up to look at it in the faint starlight that was filtering through the trees.
"That's funny," he said quietly, "There's nothing wrong with it. It isn't ripped or anything."
"I think you fell harder than the rest of us," Ron said wide-eyed, "That's not a 'funny' thing. That's a good thing. A very good thing."
Jessica turned around painfully, squinting through the blackness that the canopy of trees above them created. The light from Snape's wand had stopped moving. Jessica's heart jumped up in to her throat.
Had he heard them?
She stood up slowly, not taking her eyes off the light. As she watched, it started moving quickly in their direction.
She backed up slowly. "Harry," she whispered, tugging on his sleeve.
"Wha—" he began loudly, turning around. She clamped her hand on his mouth and pointed toward the light, which was coming ever closer. She watched as his eyes grew wide with horror. Not wasting any time, he dove to the ground and grabbed his cloak. Ron, who had realized what was happening, used a twig to brush away their footprints. Jessica looked over her shoulder. There was a small patch of bush-free land where they could hide. She waved her hands above her head to get Harry's attention, then pointed to this. He nodded and, clutching the invisibility cloak, he, Jessica, and Ron rushed over to it.
Amanda, who hadn't been paying attention, looked up.
"Jessica?" she said loudly, standing up. She paused a moment, looking around. "You guys," she called, "This isn't funny! Where are you?"
Jessica's head jerked up. She had forgotten all about Amanda! Glancing up the path, she saw that Snape was running extremely fast toward them. She wouldn't have time to run out and get her. Harry, apparently, had noticed this too.
Quidditch reflexes kicking in, he dove forward, grabbed Amanda, and jumped with her into the bushes, causing her to let out a strangled scream, which he quickly muffled. Within seconds, Snape came running in to view. He skidded to a halt right in front of where they had been standing, lantern swinging dangerously.
He paused, moving his head from side to side. Jessica crouched even lower, holding her breath. Snape looked down at the ground, obviously checking for footprints. Jessica suddenly remembered what the book had said about Harry suspecting Snape of being able to read minds. She bit her lower lip, praying that Harry had been mistaken. Suddenly, Snape's head jerked up, a malicious smile forming on his face. He turned slowly toward where Harry and Amanda were hiding. As he turned, the lantern cast a stream of light across the ground, illuminating the footprints that Harry had mistakenly made in his hurry to get Amanda out of the way.
He inched closer, eyes narrowing through the dark. Jessica glanced at Ron who looked extremely pale. She decided it was time for drastic action. She stuck her hand down in to the dirt, hoping there was nothing down there that could bite, and felt around silently. Finally, she found what she had been looking for.
Snape bent forward, his long fingers mere inches from the bush. Jessica took a deep breath, and, praying that her aim was true, lifted her hand high above her head and threw the stone she had picked up as hard as she possibly could. She barely saw it go whizzing past Snape's head, when she heard it land with a rustling noise in a nearby bush. Snape straightened back up immediately, obviously trying to spot the source of the disturbance. Now, he turned on Ron and Jessica. He approached their hiding place quickly, his small black eyes squinted against the night.
Jessica grabbed Ron and pushed him down further in to the bush. Snape was coming closer, now bent over, examining carefully the plant growth they were hiding under.
Jessica shut her eyes tight, waiting for the blow to fall, but it never came.
"Severus?" called a woman's voice. "Severus? Are you here?"
Snape stood up quickly, looking around.
"Who's there?" he called in to the darkness.
There was no answer for a long time.
Finally, a man's voice answered. "Severus? It's Dilan! Isabel is with me! Can you hear me? We need to talk to you immediately!"
"I'm coming," Snape said, starting quickly back down the path.
Jessica stuck her head out of the bush, watching the lantern disappear.
Ron jumped up beside her, reaching down to help her climb out.
Jessica stood, brushing dirt off her robes. Harry and Amanda had too emerged from their bush.
"Who threw that?" Harry mouthed.
Jessica raised her hand meekly, deciding it was probably not wise to speak at this point.
"You know," he whispered thoughtfully, "Angelina is taking over Oliver's job of Keeper, seeing as how he graduated. So now we're short one Chaser…how about it? Want to do it?"
Jessica gaped, but Amanda interjected.
"This is hardly the time or place," she said pointedly, "Now let's go. This may be our only chance."
(A/N) Did this make sense?! I hope it did! A tad boring, I think, but the next chapters will be better! Don't forget to review! I love you guys! You're the reason that people like me write! The fans of stories are a bigger inspiration than the story itself! I promise that if you review me, I'll try and review your stories! Ok, I'm out! Please Review!