XI.

No. Leave. Leave me alone. Not again! Not again! I'm not giving in, I'm not. You can't make me. I'm made of stronger stuff than that. You won't break me. No! Cold. So cold. So cold and dark. Everywhere dark. Dark everywhere. They deserved it. They all deserved it, every last one of them! You deserve it, you hear me? You will pay. It is an offense, an offense! I will not give in. NO! No more answers. No more. Do what you want. Kill me. Kill me before I help you. Get off! So cold. I told them! I told them they were after me, but did they listen? No. No, no-one listened to an old fool like me. But I told them, I told them! There he is again, being paranoid, they said. But look, look at me now! Cold. Dark. Trapped.
Help. Help me and they won't do a thing. I promise. I'll stand up for you. Just help. It's so damp. So cold and damp. So dark, cold and damp. I miss the sun. I miss the wind. Let me out, just once? I promise I won't make a sound. Promise. Ha. Hahahaha! I'll never let you. Never give in. Never! Azkaban, you hear me? Azkaban! Do what you like. I've been trapped before. There's nothing you can do. Nothing! Just… just do your worst! They'll find you! They'll find me. And you'll be done for! Done for, you hear? All this time, they're bound to find me. Sooner. Later. They'll find me. I'll be out. Out. Free. Out. In the light. The light and the warmth. Light. Warmth. Free. Free and warm and light! Free!

End XI.


XII.

Horrible students, always walking around, making a mess. I can hear them everywhere. Smell them always. Filthy, grubby little students always breaking the rules. You make him so sad, so angry. I'm the only thing in this world he likes. The only thing. The only one who cares, I am. I can see you. I can! My yellow eyes can see everything. You're misbehaving you are! You're going to get in trouble, real trouble! My master will have you scrubbing the halls until late in the night. Hehehehe! Trouble! You're silly, think you can get away with blue murder. I can smell you, everywhere. I can smell you and he'll know, he'll know it was you!
I'm going to tell him exactly what you've been up to and he's going to give me a big reward. I hope it's those crunchy little biscuits. I'm hungry. You make me hungry. You smell like food. Always get the best food, you do, up in that big hall that he has to clean. Poor thing. All the work, and only House Elves to help. House Elves and me that is. That's not fair, is it? Only right that I should get helpers like you to help him do the work, isn't it? Vermin, you are. Rats to be caught. Master, master, they're here. They're here walking down your clean corridor. Get them! Hehehehe.

End XII.
XIII.

So many things to do, I hardly have the time. So many people to make happy, keep happy, help out, and so few resources to do it with. It's not an easy life, you know, being in charge. There are so many things I have to take care of. I sometimes wonder why I ever put my name up for the job, you know. Why I ever worked so hard to go up in the ranks. I went from position to position, working day and night. But it's a price one has to pay to serve their people. A price that occasionally has it's reward. Like seeing the Triwizard Tournament be played for the first time in centuries. Sparkling stuff, that. Naturally I can't take all the credit. My ministry officials did spanking great jobs. Co-ordination of several departments is what made it work though, isn't it? Makes everything run smoother, doesn't it?
Of course, my job is a lot easier with him gone. You-Know-Who. The ministry was an absolute nightmare when he was gaining power. But that's all been sorted, hasn't it? Thanks to the boy-who-lived. I get along very well with young Harry you know. Though I do worry about the boy. He's not entirely stable. After that Black business last year he was quite deranged, kept going on about how he was innocent. Absolute poppycock. But I expect that is something to be expected from a young child who has been through so much. Yes, well, actually, that reminds me. I'm supposed to be off to Hogwarts right this second to deal with some administative problems. I should really get going very soon. I have matters to attend to you know, top secret of course, but I'm sure no-one would mind if I confided it had to do with the tournament. Well, maybe I'll stay for a few more minutes. I'm sure they're getting on fine without me. Be a dear and get me another drink, won't you?

End XIII.

XIV.

I see her every day, surrounded by friends. Friends and books. It is not easy, I am thinking. Vot should I do to make her notice me? I cannot simply go up to her. She does not seem to care much about who I am. She vill not ask for an autograph. That is why I like her. Those girls, they look at me and all they see is someone famous, a celebrity. A champion. Hermy-own-ninny vith her pretty eyes does not care that I am famous. She sees only another boy. Karkaroff treats me like I am some kind of special object, to be admired and praised, but then put back onto the shelf.
If I did not have my Hermy-own-ninny to look at, I vould vish I vas somevere else, not involved in the tournament. I vant to be on the Quidditch pitch. It is unfair, I am thinking, to not have Quidditch here. I do not care much for the Tournament, it seems stupid. I enjoyed it ven that young boy flew for his task. I vish I had thought of that! I should have done that instead of listen to Karkaroff. Hogvarts is much nicer than Durmstrang. I am sure they have Quidditch usually. That boy, Hermy-own-ninny's friend, vould not have been able to fly like that if they had not. I vish my parents had not vanted to have me so close. I hate having to be at Durmstrange vith Karkaroff. He is not a good man. He is not a good teacher. Now, if you vill excuse me. I have to concentrate. I have to figure out vot I vill say to Hermy-own-ninny. Do you have any suggestions?

End XIV.


XV.

I know I shouldn't have acted like an idiot – but that's what always happens, isn't it? You know afterwards, never at the time. Hermione kept trying to tell me I was acting stupidly, but honestly, does she really think I hang off her every word like a lovesick puppy? No, forget about that. It's just so annoying. We're so alike! Yet wherever I go, it's Harry this and Harry that. Oh, don't look at me like that. I've already told you – I know it's not his fault, but how would you like it if you were regarded as a non-entity wherever you went? I'm never the centre of attention at home, and never the centre of attention here. It's not like I spend my days worrying about it, don't worry. It's just occasionally – when things get extra stupid, you know? Anyway, it doesn't matter now, because we're friends again.
I'm really glad too, because Fred and George were really boring to hang out with. They used to be so much fun, but this year they seem preoccupied, and it's not with their studies. They're obsessed with making money. I don't blame them. I hope they do… and give some to me! I'm getting really sick of hand-me-downs and charity from Harry and Hermione. There is no way on earth that I am wearing that horrible set of dress robes – none – I told Mum, and I mean it – I'd rather go in the buff. If we don't get some more money soon I'll do something drastic. Like offer to babysit for monster muggles or worse yet, wretched little Wizards and Witches. Gee, that's just too depressing a thought to continue on. Yes. We'll have to make some money somehow, and my hopes are all pinned on Fred and George. I just hope they aren't going to do anything dangerous… or illegal. If they did, I bet Hermione would be there with an expression of pure horror. She needs to loosen up. Sometimes I can see, she's getting there, becoming more like a normal person, but then she goes off on a rant about spew, and I realise she hasn't changed. Sorry, what was I thinking? It's S.P.E.W!
It's just no fun making fun of Hermione's strictness without Harry there to laugh though. I realised that. I thought he was going to die, you know. I don't think I could have lived if he had died and never known that I regarded him as my best friend after all, despite always being his understudy. And it's not his fault. I'll just have to keep that in mind in the future.

End XV.