Title: Deadly Love
Written by: oopsiesgrl
Rating: PG - Parental Guidance recommended (some swearing)
Chapter Four: The Good and the Bad
--------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione woke early.
"Good morning," said Hermione.
"G'mowin'," answered Ron sleepily.
"How are you feeling, Harry?" asked Hermione with concern.
"My hands still hurt. How is yours, Ron?"
"Better. It didn't get very messed up."
"Do you guys think classes will start today?" asked Hermione, always concerned with school.
"I don't know," answered Harry.
"Hopefully not," said Ron. "I'm not ready to face McGonagall and Snape in the classroom again."
Just then, Madame Pomfrey came bustling in with three trays.
"Good morning. How are you three feeling?"
"Better. Thank you."
"Well, here is your breakfast," she handed each of them a tray, "and your schedules for this year. Classes have been cancelled for today, so you three can stay in here and rest. How are your hands?" She changed Harry and Ron's bandages and applied more of the stinging potion. "Your hands will be fine by tomorrow morning."
"Will there be a feast tonight?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Yes," answered Madame Pomfrey. "But -"
"May we go? Please?"
"I will have to ask Professor Dumbledore."
"We will feel fine by tonight," pleaded Harry, who also wanted to get out of bed.
"We'll see. Okay. I'll be in my office next door if you need anything." Madame Pomfrey left the room, closing the door behind her.
"Oh, man!" said Ron, picking up his schedule.
"What?" asked Hermione.
"We have three classes with the Slytherins. Tomorrow!"
"Aw! And one of the is double Potions," said Harry dismally, looking at his own schedule. "Snape will probably find some way to favor them again."
"Wow, that should be a very fun day," said Hermione with not very much enthusiasm. She would have enjoyed Potions if it weren't for Professor Snape and the Slytherins.
Snape is the Head of Slytherin House, and he hated Harry. He went to school with Harry's parents. James Potter made his blood boil with jealously. It was always James this and James that. Snape was downright sick of him, which him just as sick about Harry.
During Voldemort's first rise to power, Snape was a Death Eater. For some reason, he supposedly came back to their side with Dumbledore's trust before Voldemort's downfall. According to Dumbledore, he even helped bring down other Death Eaters. He was also asked by Dumbledore to aid in fighting Voldemort's rise this time. Doing what, nobody knew.
For the past four years that Harry had taken Potions, Snape had always favored the Slytherins. He took any chance he had to take points off Gryffindor for the House Cup. He especially made Harry and his friends suffer.
********
In the Gryffindor common room that morning, as in the other three common rooms, there was much discussion about what happened last night. Every couch and chair was taken, and some even sat on the floor. Everybody listened attentively to the Weasley twins, who had attempted to sneak into the infirmary.
"Why didn't you guys get in again?" asked Dean Thomas, who was in Harry's year.
"I told you!" said Fred impatiently. "There were a whole bunch of teachers patrolling the entire hallway. We couldn't get anywhere near the infirmary!"
"And we asked McGonagall if we could see them," said George, "but she turned all serious and told us off."
"I wonder what happened to them," said Lavender Brown dramatically.
"Does anybody know what really happened?" asked Ginny worriedly.
"I heard them screaming," said Neville Longbottom, a clumsy boy in Harry's year, nervously. "I was in the carriage in front of them."
"Me too," said Dean. "It was me, Neville, and Seamus."
"We could hear them screaming," continued Seamus, "but when we turned around to look, the carriage had disappeared."
"What do you think happened after they disappeared?" asked Ginny, who was near tears.
"I don't know."
"Why won't the teachers tell us a damn thing?" said George angrily, banging his fist on the table.
"Didn't Professor Trelawney predict something about Harry getting in another accident? I knew she would be right," said Lavender, who was in Harry and Ron's Divination class and, along with Parvati Patil, adored the teacher. Ginny looked at her angrily. "What? I'm just saying what I think is right," she replied to the look haughtily.
Then, a second year caused angry uproar in the common room, "Could it have been.You-Know-Who?" All eyes turned on him dangerously and several told him to shut up. For the entire discussion, everyone had tried to ignore that possibility, but he finally brought it up. The second year turned bright red and shied away.
Colin Creevey, too worried about his idol to take the hint just given, said in a shaking voice, "C-could one of th - them have...died?"
Ginny sprang from her seat. She ran up the dorm stairs, covering her face with her hands. Tears were streaming down her face and her body was shaking. The entire common room grew dead silent.
********
That night, Dumbledore gave permission for Harry and his friends to go to the feast. They changed out of their pajamas thankfully. Playing wizard's chess all afternoon with Ron winning every game wasn't very much fun. Harry and Ron's cuts felt much better too. Madame Pomfrey had lightened up on Harry's bandages, so he could move his fingers a little now. Their happiness was soon dampened when they opened the infirmary door and saw Professor Snape waiting in the hallway.
"I'm supposed to walk you to the Great Hall," he said simply, with no trace of sarcasm in his voice. He motioned with his hands for them to pass. The three of them walked nervously out the door, expecting Snape to say something ugly, but he didn't. All he did was follow them, all the way to the Great Hall, without a single word. Harry was deeply confused. This didn't seem like the hateful Professor Snape.
His thoughts were driven away from Snape as soon as they entered the Great Hall. First, light chatter in the room turned into dead silence when the students saw who had just come in the door. Soon, the dead silence became loud clamor as every student began talking about them. The enchanted ceiling charmed to look like the sky outside was black with clouds, making the entrance seem even more dramatic.
"Silence!" Dumbledore's voice boomed over the noise. The students immediately grew silent. "Harry, Hermione, Ron, please come in and be seated." They walked quietly to several empty seats near their friends at the Gryffindor table. "Thank you, Severus, for bringing them here," Dumbledore continued. Professor Snape nodded and took his seat the teachers' table. Then, Dumbledore turned to all the students and made his welcoming speech.
"Welcome, everyone, to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I hope your minds have been emptied during the summer for new information to be soaked up this year. I promise you, there will be plenty to learn!
"Before the feast begins, I have a few announcements. First of all, competitions for the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup are still on. Quidditch games will begin in November. As usual, points for the House Cup will accumulate and be taken away depending on your behavior and performance in the classroom.
"Also, we have a new member to the Hogwarts faculty this year." Dumbledore motioned for Professor Fitz to stand. Many of the male students' jaws dropped at her mesmerizing beauty. Her long, blonde hair sparkled in the candlelight and a pair of hazel eyes shone from a sweet face. But it was the smile that caught everybody's attention. Even Ron couldn't keep his eyes off her, and Hermione was looking at him angrily. If Cho hadn't been so perfect in Harry's mind, he would have been amazed by Professor Fitz too.
Dumbledore continued, "Professor Fitz will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Moody will not take the position this year. He is still not feeling up to it after what happened last year. However, I'm sure Professor Fitz will be a wonderful addition. She has had a lot of experience after spending years in Transylvania, Egypt, the Middle East, and other places around the world. And after all, she received the best training. Professor Fitz graduated from Hogwarts herself 17 years ago.
"Everybody in here probably already expect something to be different this year, and it will be. I am sorry to say that a few of our teachers will not be here for part of the year." Harry looked at Hagrid's empty seat. "For those classes, you will have substitutes. Classes will continue, and so will most of our other programs, no matter what happens.
"With the current circumstances, we must take precautions. Therefore, there will be changes to our school policies. Every mail you wish to send has to be reviewed by one of the teachers or myself first. Mails that you receive have to be reviewed by us first. Your owls will stop by a teacher's office before coming to you. If your mail contains information that is inappropriate in some way, it will not be given to you. You will receive a notice that you have received mail, but the contents will not be revealed. Information that is important will be told to you, but otherwise, the entire message will be destroyed. This year, the owelry will be locked. The only way you may enter is with a teacher's Permission Card. Do not attempt to enter by flying through the owelry windows, because they have been charmed. You will not make it through." Dumbledore's eyes seemed to be looking straight at Fred and George when saying this. "I am sorry disturbing your privacy, but with the current circumstances, it is necessary.
"Also, all students have to be in their common rooms within an hour after dinner is over. Everybody has to be in bed by ten o'clock on Sundays to Thursdays. On Fridays, Saturdays, and during vacations, everybody has to be in bed by eleven. If you are found outside your common rooms after those times, harsh punishment will be given. Weekend trips to Hogsmeade will also be limited. You will travel in groups with a teacher at all times." Hundreds of students groaned disappointedly. Bed times were bad enough, but limited trips to Hogsmeade and being followed around by a teacher made it even worse. Hogsmeade, the only all-wizard village in England, was the only way to get away from the teachers. Harry saw Fred and George whispering something to each other, probably already planning how to sneak away. They quieted when Dumbledore began speaking of the carriage incident.
"You may all have heard some rumor about the so-called 'runaway carriage'. I feel you all are mature enough to handle certain information, so I will relieve you from your suspicions and wild imagination.
"During the trip from Hogsmeade Station to Hogwarts, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger's carriage drove off the road. According to several students, they simply disappeared, but their screaming could be heard. The carriage has been thoroughly checked. An Invisibility Charm was used on it, but there were no signs of tampering with the carriage's route. This indicates the person or persons wishing to bring harm to the students were at the scene. We are not yet certain who they are. It may be involved with Voldemort," - several students cringed at the name - "or it may not. It is certainly a relief that the students were not greatly injured. Their bravery saved their lives.
"This is all I am going to say. I won't keep you from eating anymore. Thank you all for your patience. Now let the fest begin!"
The students were quiet for a while as the food magically appeared on the five tables. Several Gryffindors, and Cho, smiled supportively at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ginny had tears in her eyes as her gaze landed on Harry. Harry smiled back at her assuringly. His eyes, however, were on Cho, who was sitting at the Ravenclaw table with her friends. When their eyes met, Harry felt a surge of warmth go through his body.
Ginny noticed Harry looking somewhere behind her, and she turned around. Her heart ached when she saw it was Cho. For a long time, she had longed to be the girl Harry looked at with those eyes. But for a long time, she wasn't. Ginny worried if she ever will be.
Around them, everybody suddenly burst into talk. But the subject of the carriage incident was ignored. Instead, students from the other three houses began speaking angrily about the Slytherins and the Death Eater parents. "That's the only reason they're putting limits on our mail," Dean Thomas was saying. "They're afraid the Slytherins will leak information to the bloody parents!" The Slytherins were openly criticizing Dumbledore and the other professors.
However, Harry wasn't paying much attention to the talk around him as he ate. He was looking curiously up at the teacher's table.
Written by: oopsiesgrl
Rating: PG - Parental Guidance recommended (some swearing)
Chapter Four: The Good and the Bad
--------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione woke early.
"Good morning," said Hermione.
"G'mowin'," answered Ron sleepily.
"How are you feeling, Harry?" asked Hermione with concern.
"My hands still hurt. How is yours, Ron?"
"Better. It didn't get very messed up."
"Do you guys think classes will start today?" asked Hermione, always concerned with school.
"I don't know," answered Harry.
"Hopefully not," said Ron. "I'm not ready to face McGonagall and Snape in the classroom again."
Just then, Madame Pomfrey came bustling in with three trays.
"Good morning. How are you three feeling?"
"Better. Thank you."
"Well, here is your breakfast," she handed each of them a tray, "and your schedules for this year. Classes have been cancelled for today, so you three can stay in here and rest. How are your hands?" She changed Harry and Ron's bandages and applied more of the stinging potion. "Your hands will be fine by tomorrow morning."
"Will there be a feast tonight?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Yes," answered Madame Pomfrey. "But -"
"May we go? Please?"
"I will have to ask Professor Dumbledore."
"We will feel fine by tonight," pleaded Harry, who also wanted to get out of bed.
"We'll see. Okay. I'll be in my office next door if you need anything." Madame Pomfrey left the room, closing the door behind her.
"Oh, man!" said Ron, picking up his schedule.
"What?" asked Hermione.
"We have three classes with the Slytherins. Tomorrow!"
"Aw! And one of the is double Potions," said Harry dismally, looking at his own schedule. "Snape will probably find some way to favor them again."
"Wow, that should be a very fun day," said Hermione with not very much enthusiasm. She would have enjoyed Potions if it weren't for Professor Snape and the Slytherins.
Snape is the Head of Slytherin House, and he hated Harry. He went to school with Harry's parents. James Potter made his blood boil with jealously. It was always James this and James that. Snape was downright sick of him, which him just as sick about Harry.
During Voldemort's first rise to power, Snape was a Death Eater. For some reason, he supposedly came back to their side with Dumbledore's trust before Voldemort's downfall. According to Dumbledore, he even helped bring down other Death Eaters. He was also asked by Dumbledore to aid in fighting Voldemort's rise this time. Doing what, nobody knew.
For the past four years that Harry had taken Potions, Snape had always favored the Slytherins. He took any chance he had to take points off Gryffindor for the House Cup. He especially made Harry and his friends suffer.
********
In the Gryffindor common room that morning, as in the other three common rooms, there was much discussion about what happened last night. Every couch and chair was taken, and some even sat on the floor. Everybody listened attentively to the Weasley twins, who had attempted to sneak into the infirmary.
"Why didn't you guys get in again?" asked Dean Thomas, who was in Harry's year.
"I told you!" said Fred impatiently. "There were a whole bunch of teachers patrolling the entire hallway. We couldn't get anywhere near the infirmary!"
"And we asked McGonagall if we could see them," said George, "but she turned all serious and told us off."
"I wonder what happened to them," said Lavender Brown dramatically.
"Does anybody know what really happened?" asked Ginny worriedly.
"I heard them screaming," said Neville Longbottom, a clumsy boy in Harry's year, nervously. "I was in the carriage in front of them."
"Me too," said Dean. "It was me, Neville, and Seamus."
"We could hear them screaming," continued Seamus, "but when we turned around to look, the carriage had disappeared."
"What do you think happened after they disappeared?" asked Ginny, who was near tears.
"I don't know."
"Why won't the teachers tell us a damn thing?" said George angrily, banging his fist on the table.
"Didn't Professor Trelawney predict something about Harry getting in another accident? I knew she would be right," said Lavender, who was in Harry and Ron's Divination class and, along with Parvati Patil, adored the teacher. Ginny looked at her angrily. "What? I'm just saying what I think is right," she replied to the look haughtily.
Then, a second year caused angry uproar in the common room, "Could it have been.You-Know-Who?" All eyes turned on him dangerously and several told him to shut up. For the entire discussion, everyone had tried to ignore that possibility, but he finally brought it up. The second year turned bright red and shied away.
Colin Creevey, too worried about his idol to take the hint just given, said in a shaking voice, "C-could one of th - them have...died?"
Ginny sprang from her seat. She ran up the dorm stairs, covering her face with her hands. Tears were streaming down her face and her body was shaking. The entire common room grew dead silent.
********
That night, Dumbledore gave permission for Harry and his friends to go to the feast. They changed out of their pajamas thankfully. Playing wizard's chess all afternoon with Ron winning every game wasn't very much fun. Harry and Ron's cuts felt much better too. Madame Pomfrey had lightened up on Harry's bandages, so he could move his fingers a little now. Their happiness was soon dampened when they opened the infirmary door and saw Professor Snape waiting in the hallway.
"I'm supposed to walk you to the Great Hall," he said simply, with no trace of sarcasm in his voice. He motioned with his hands for them to pass. The three of them walked nervously out the door, expecting Snape to say something ugly, but he didn't. All he did was follow them, all the way to the Great Hall, without a single word. Harry was deeply confused. This didn't seem like the hateful Professor Snape.
His thoughts were driven away from Snape as soon as they entered the Great Hall. First, light chatter in the room turned into dead silence when the students saw who had just come in the door. Soon, the dead silence became loud clamor as every student began talking about them. The enchanted ceiling charmed to look like the sky outside was black with clouds, making the entrance seem even more dramatic.
"Silence!" Dumbledore's voice boomed over the noise. The students immediately grew silent. "Harry, Hermione, Ron, please come in and be seated." They walked quietly to several empty seats near their friends at the Gryffindor table. "Thank you, Severus, for bringing them here," Dumbledore continued. Professor Snape nodded and took his seat the teachers' table. Then, Dumbledore turned to all the students and made his welcoming speech.
"Welcome, everyone, to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I hope your minds have been emptied during the summer for new information to be soaked up this year. I promise you, there will be plenty to learn!
"Before the feast begins, I have a few announcements. First of all, competitions for the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup are still on. Quidditch games will begin in November. As usual, points for the House Cup will accumulate and be taken away depending on your behavior and performance in the classroom.
"Also, we have a new member to the Hogwarts faculty this year." Dumbledore motioned for Professor Fitz to stand. Many of the male students' jaws dropped at her mesmerizing beauty. Her long, blonde hair sparkled in the candlelight and a pair of hazel eyes shone from a sweet face. But it was the smile that caught everybody's attention. Even Ron couldn't keep his eyes off her, and Hermione was looking at him angrily. If Cho hadn't been so perfect in Harry's mind, he would have been amazed by Professor Fitz too.
Dumbledore continued, "Professor Fitz will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Moody will not take the position this year. He is still not feeling up to it after what happened last year. However, I'm sure Professor Fitz will be a wonderful addition. She has had a lot of experience after spending years in Transylvania, Egypt, the Middle East, and other places around the world. And after all, she received the best training. Professor Fitz graduated from Hogwarts herself 17 years ago.
"Everybody in here probably already expect something to be different this year, and it will be. I am sorry to say that a few of our teachers will not be here for part of the year." Harry looked at Hagrid's empty seat. "For those classes, you will have substitutes. Classes will continue, and so will most of our other programs, no matter what happens.
"With the current circumstances, we must take precautions. Therefore, there will be changes to our school policies. Every mail you wish to send has to be reviewed by one of the teachers or myself first. Mails that you receive have to be reviewed by us first. Your owls will stop by a teacher's office before coming to you. If your mail contains information that is inappropriate in some way, it will not be given to you. You will receive a notice that you have received mail, but the contents will not be revealed. Information that is important will be told to you, but otherwise, the entire message will be destroyed. This year, the owelry will be locked. The only way you may enter is with a teacher's Permission Card. Do not attempt to enter by flying through the owelry windows, because they have been charmed. You will not make it through." Dumbledore's eyes seemed to be looking straight at Fred and George when saying this. "I am sorry disturbing your privacy, but with the current circumstances, it is necessary.
"Also, all students have to be in their common rooms within an hour after dinner is over. Everybody has to be in bed by ten o'clock on Sundays to Thursdays. On Fridays, Saturdays, and during vacations, everybody has to be in bed by eleven. If you are found outside your common rooms after those times, harsh punishment will be given. Weekend trips to Hogsmeade will also be limited. You will travel in groups with a teacher at all times." Hundreds of students groaned disappointedly. Bed times were bad enough, but limited trips to Hogsmeade and being followed around by a teacher made it even worse. Hogsmeade, the only all-wizard village in England, was the only way to get away from the teachers. Harry saw Fred and George whispering something to each other, probably already planning how to sneak away. They quieted when Dumbledore began speaking of the carriage incident.
"You may all have heard some rumor about the so-called 'runaway carriage'. I feel you all are mature enough to handle certain information, so I will relieve you from your suspicions and wild imagination.
"During the trip from Hogsmeade Station to Hogwarts, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger's carriage drove off the road. According to several students, they simply disappeared, but their screaming could be heard. The carriage has been thoroughly checked. An Invisibility Charm was used on it, but there were no signs of tampering with the carriage's route. This indicates the person or persons wishing to bring harm to the students were at the scene. We are not yet certain who they are. It may be involved with Voldemort," - several students cringed at the name - "or it may not. It is certainly a relief that the students were not greatly injured. Their bravery saved their lives.
"This is all I am going to say. I won't keep you from eating anymore. Thank you all for your patience. Now let the fest begin!"
The students were quiet for a while as the food magically appeared on the five tables. Several Gryffindors, and Cho, smiled supportively at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ginny had tears in her eyes as her gaze landed on Harry. Harry smiled back at her assuringly. His eyes, however, were on Cho, who was sitting at the Ravenclaw table with her friends. When their eyes met, Harry felt a surge of warmth go through his body.
Ginny noticed Harry looking somewhere behind her, and she turned around. Her heart ached when she saw it was Cho. For a long time, she had longed to be the girl Harry looked at with those eyes. But for a long time, she wasn't. Ginny worried if she ever will be.
Around them, everybody suddenly burst into talk. But the subject of the carriage incident was ignored. Instead, students from the other three houses began speaking angrily about the Slytherins and the Death Eater parents. "That's the only reason they're putting limits on our mail," Dean Thomas was saying. "They're afraid the Slytherins will leak information to the bloody parents!" The Slytherins were openly criticizing Dumbledore and the other professors.
However, Harry wasn't paying much attention to the talk around him as he ate. He was looking curiously up at the teacher's table.
