A/N: First of all, I'd like to say that I hate computers – of all times, my computer broke just as I was about to finish this chapter, leaving you in suspense for a while. So blame my computer for the delay.

Chapter 14: Escape

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"Well, you never notice such things, do you?" said Hermione, opening the paper. Next, she was gaping at the front page, looking horror-struck. "Not again," she whispered.

"What is it?" said Harry and Ron together, both alarmed.

Hermione couldn't speak. "Give me the paper," stated Ron. He grabbed the paper, and he and Harry stared at the headline: The captured Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban – Ministry of Magic speechless.

Now it was Harry's turn to grab the paper from Ron. He scanned the article – "The Death Eaters… Captured in June, with the help of Harry Potter… Escaped from Azkaban last evening… The names of the escapers… Malfoy… Macnair… Rookwood… Lestrange… Crabbe… Goyle… Nott… Jugson… Dolohov… Avery… Mulciber… Probably joined He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named… The Ministry of Magic asked the magical community to be extremely cautious… It was stated that Aurors are already searching for the prisoners… When asked about the way of escape, the Minister replied… 'No comments'…"

Harry raised his eyes from the paper. Ron was pale, and Hermione wasn't able to speak at all. He looked around the Great Hall. He could see some students, who, like Hermione, were getting the Daily Prophet, and were now reading it with fear in their eyes, or else discussing it quietly with their friends.

"What happened?" asked Dean Thomas, who just came down to eat his breakfast. Without saying a word, Harry gave him the paper, and saw him collapsing on the chair. Seamus Finnigan, who came next, started swearing when Dean showed him the headline silently. But Neville's reaction was the most unpredictable of all. Upon seeing the Prophet, he gasped and stormed out of the Hall, without any breakfast.

"Where did he go?" asked Harry quietly. Nobody answered, and Ron only shrugged.

Gradually, more and more students heard the news. That day, the whole school was buzzing, and as it was Saturday, nobody dared to think about studying. Even Hermione didn't insist on their homework. They were sitting outside on the grass, saying a word here and there.

"I should have known that something happened," muttered Harry darkly.

"Why?" asked Ron sharply.

"My scar hurt last night during the tryouts, but I thought it was nothing, it passed quickly. I didn't even feel his emotions…" answered Harry.

Hermione raised her head. "Do you know what that means?"

"What?" said Harry, surprised that Hermione could find something extraordinary in this.

"It probably means that the Occlumency is working," she said, "Otherwise you would probably have had a vision of Voldemort, or something like that. When they escaped last year it was much worse, wasn't it?"

"Yes, I guess so. But maybe he just learned to block his emotions, so that I wouldn't sense them," said Harry, thinking pessimistically.

"I don't think he can do that," said Hermione.

"Are you forgetting who we're talking about? It's Voldemort!!! He can do anything he wants to!"

"Can you stop saying his name?" jumped Ron suddenly.

"Can you start saying his name???" said Harry angrily. "If people are afraid of saying it, it only makes him stronger, can't you see?"

"Harry is right," said a voice from behind. Neville approached them, looking pensive. "If we start saying 'Voldemort', we'll destroy him more easily."

They looked at him in surprise. It wasn't at all like Neville to talk that way, and even more – to say Voldemort's name. "What?" he said when he saw that they were staring at him.

"No, it's just… You're different," said Hermione quietly.

"Oh, that's right, poor Neville is always scared, and needs someone to protect him, doesn't he? I'm not like that anymore," said Neville angrily, "not after last year – I'll do anything that is needed to catch those ----," he swore, "And I'll do it alone if I have to." He turned away from them and strode off to the castle.

"What is it with him?" said Ron, taken aback.

"He wants revenge, and he wants to fight," said Harry grimly. "And I can't blame him for it, it's my fault – I was the one who dragged him to the Ministry. I was the one who dragged all of you to the Ministry – I shouldn't have… If I hadn't been so stupid, none of this would have happened – Neville wouldn't be like he is now, and Sirius – "

"Harry, you can't blame yourself for everything that happened! In case you forgot, you didn't drag anybody to the Ministry, we all wanted to come along! And I don't think that what happened to Neville is such a bad thing – quite the opposite!" said Hermione.

"Easy for you to say 'Don't blame yourself' – you weren't the one who decided that Voldemort got Sirius, you weren't the one who wanted to go to the Ministry in the first place! You weren't the one who didn't practise Occlumency, so you aren't the cause for Sirius's death!! All of you keep saying 'Don't blame yourself', but how can I not blame myself, if it is my fault???" shouted Harry furiously. 

"Harry, calm down, please," begged Hermione.

"Sure. Whatever. I'm calm," said Harry, now in a complete lethargy. What is the point of getting mad at them? They won't ever understand.

"Let's go, it's time for lunch," said Ron carefully, clearly afraid that they would start arguing again. Harry shrugged, and followed him into the Great Hall.

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"Life is good, isn't it?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione were on their way to the common room, when they heard those words from a sideway corridor. Harry froze. "Malfoy," he whispered, his voice full of hatred.

"Finally, there'll be some real action going on," said Malfoy. Harry could hear Crabbe's grunt, and Goyle's stupid laughter. Next moment, they went out of the corridor, facing Harry and his friends.

"Thinking you're smart just because daddy and his idiotic friends escaped, are you?" said Harry, wanting to be the first to say anything.

"At least I have a father, Potter," smirked Malfoy, "And one who isn't foolish enough to get himself killed."

Harry felt his face going hot. "It's only a matter of time until they're caught, Malfoy, and you know it."

"No, it's only a matter of time before the Dark Lord wins, and then, hopefully, we won't be seeing her anymore," he nodded in Hermione's direction. A second later, three flashes of light could be seen, and Malfoy was on the floor, unconscious. Crabbe and Goyle started to move threateningly in Harry's direction, but before they could do anything, there were quick footsteps nearby.

"Detention, all three of you," said Snape coldly, striding forward.

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A/N: Short? Probably. Interesting? That's for you to decide. Myself, I'm not sure whether I like this chapter, especially its end, but it's the best I could do right now, and I didn't want to leave the evil cliffie from the previous chapter un-answered.

How exciting, I'm getting so close to 100 reviews!! So please, make me happy, let's make it 110 reviews, OK?

Love you, bye bye,

Anna.