Elvesmagic010 : thanks again for your review J Hope you will like this chapter. There are just a few more chapters waiting and then it's finished... Aww.
Note: in this chapter Crookshancks uses Harry's Invisibility cloak to creep under the Whomping Willow. It's bad I know, but since this is an alternative universe I couldn't explain how else Snape appeared with Harry's cloak if it never got near the Whomping Willow in the first place.
For those who haven't read elvesmagic010's stories yet (Eyes of Grey, Soul of Steel and Last Chance) please do so now because we are working on a crossover using her character Hana Rowen and my character Lierin Heartilly.
The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing and the only thing that kept the students going, was the upcoming Gryffindor-Slytherin match which would take place on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays. The entire Gryffindor House was obsessed with the upcoming game for Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley had been Seeker and Lierin Heartilly a Chaser.
Only Lierin wasn't excited about the game, she wasn't excited about anything but no one seemed to notice. She taught her classes, ate her meals and went to sleep, that was it. She stopped talking to everyone, even Remus couldn't get through to her and judging from the grim look on Snape's face, Remus could only guess what was going on.
Lierin knew she couldn't keep on going like this, but she still wasn't sure wether or not she should try and find that infernal goblet and therefore solving the mystery. She very much wanted to resign as a teacher from Hogwarts and just leave. There were still many treasures yet to be discovered and the thrill and danger of it would keep her mind from wondering back to what could have been. Then again, she had no idea how much of the world and treasures would be left after the dissappearance of the clouds. She figured she would just go with the flow, until she would be given a sign, an omen as you wish, that would finally enable her to make up her mind.
The day of the Quidditch match arrived swiftly and Lierin joined with the Gryffindor supporters. Almost three-quarters of the crowd were wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them. Lierin was wearing a scarlet rosette as well, but she didn't have a flag. Her eyes often wandered to the place behind the Slytherin goalposts where two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags and Professor Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile.
Each time she set her eyes on him, Lierin could feel a longing in her heart to be there with him, to sit next to him, to be able to touch him even if it meant sitting with the Slytherin supporters. She could feel a tear rolling down her cheek and she wondered why in the world she was torturing herself like that. He deserved to be dead, all she had to do was keep a low profile. If of course she could ignore Dumbledore and the plain look of dissappointment in his eyes. That look in his eyes made her very aware of her failure and made her more determent to solve the mystery. But she just didn't have the will and strength to fight.
A loud cheering indicated that the players entered the Quidditch pitch.
"And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as a commentator as usual.
"Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, the Weasley twins and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best side Hogwarts has seen in a good few years-"
The Slytherin supporters broke down in a tumultuous tide of 'boos'
"And here are the Slytherins, led by captain Flint. I see he's made some changes in line-up since the last game and he seems to be going for size rather than skill"
More boos from the Slytherin crowd but they shut up as the game actually started.
"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Angelina Johnson with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goalposts. Oh, nice swerve around Briggs! Angelina is unstoppable now-SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR! Angelina punched the air as she soared round the end of the pitch until a Bludger caught up with her.
"OUCH!"
The gigantic Slytherin Beater, Derrick, smiled viciously at her but soon Fred Weasley took revenge by clubbing a Bludger in such a forceful way that it resembled more of a cannonball than a Quidditch ball and it hit Derrick square in his stomach causing him to cartwheel in the air, barely able to keep himself on the broom.
"Gryffindor in possession, no Slytherin, no Gryffindor again, no wait it's Gryffindor...boy they're going fast. Alicia Spinet is streaking up the pitch with the Quaffle and- THAT WAS DELIBERATE!!"
Bole another Beater from Slytherin had clubbed Alicia's head instead of a Bludger and she dropped the Quaffle. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out through the air and she soared over to Bole and burst out in an angry tirade. A minute later Alicia had put a penalty past the Slytherin Keeper.
"TWENTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT YOU DIRTY CHEATING-"
"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way I'll do it myself!"
"Sorry Professor!"
"Look out Potter that's a Bludger!" but Harry soared out of the way, he had seen the Snitch.
"Was that the Golden Snitch?"
Suddenly Harry found himself under a heavy Bludger attack and, after missing the Bludgers by a hair, the two Slytherin Beaters were zooming towards him, clubs raised. He turned his new Firebolt upwards at the last second, and Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch. In the mean time Katie Bell had managed to put the Quaffle past the Slytherin Keeper again.
"THIRTY-ZERO FOR GRYFFINDOR! WAY TO GO - Oops, sorry Professor."
"Montague from Slytherin is in possesion and is zooming towards the Gryffindor goalposts and- what in the world is Angelina Johnson doing! I can't believe my eyes, she's standing up on the broom and she's soaring towards Montague! She's actually doing it people, she's broomsurfing! And we all know only one person ever succeeded in doing that, our own Professor Heartilly!! Montague is trying to swerve away but Angelina follows his every move, oof, I can't look, they're about to smash together and- wait no! Angelina punched the Quaffle right out of Montague's arms with her broom and jumped right over him! Ladies and gentlemen, if my eyes do not deceive me, our own Angelina Johnson performed a perfect Charging Bull! FORTY-ZERO FOR GRYFFINDOR! And Gryffindor is in possession again, as Spinet takes the Quaffle- Flint alongside her, oh no! Flint managed to get the Quaffle he's flying towards the Gryffindor goalposts, come on, now Wood, save it! YES HE SAVED IT!" Lee was shouting excitedly and Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him.
"Sorry Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead forty points to zero and Gryffindor in possession..."
The Gryffindors were crushing the Slytherins like bugs and the game turned into the dirtiest match since a very long time. Lierin was getting enough of it though, she was merely torturing herself by sending longing looks to Snape, who on his turn ignored her as if she didn't even exist. Quietly, Lierin got up and left the field, ignoring the curious looks of the students and unaware of beetle-black eyes, boring in her back.
As she was walking back to the castle, Lierin could hear the largest part of the stadium exploding with cheers and her stomach gave a funny jolt. At least we've won the Cup, she thought to herself.
After Slytherin's crushing defeat, Gryffindor's euphoria lasted at least a week before the students even thought of studying for the exams. The weather seemed to be celebrating as well as the days became cloudless and sultry as June approached. So, instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, studying their brains out while enticing wafts of summer air breezed through the castle until exam week began.
The third-years emerged from Transfiguration at lunchtime, limp and ashen-faced, comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they'd had to perform. Turning a teapot into a tortoise had been their hardest task. Professor Flitwick had challenged their brains with Cheering Charms. Thus they could relax just a little before revising their books for Care of Magical Creatures, Potions and Astronomy.
Even Care of Magical Creatures proved to be a challenge as Hagrid (who had finally introduced them to Hippogriffs) told them that in order to pass the exam, they had to be able to at least ride the backs of two different Hippogriffs.
They had Potions that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster. Nobody knew what was wrong with Snape, but he was in such a vindictive mood that no one, not even his precious Slytherins, dared to utter one word and the only one who actually thought she'd done well on the Confusion Concoction was Hermione. Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower and History of Magic on Wednesday morning.
Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology in the greenhouses under a baking hot sun and then an exam in a hot, stuffy Divinations class for Harry and Ron and Muggle studies for Hermione; then back to the common room once more with their backs sunburnt, thinking longingly of this time next day, when it would all be over.
Their second from last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defence against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep pool housing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way through a damp patch of swamp ignoring the directions from a Hinkypunk and then climbing in an old trunk and battle with a new Boggart. The last exam was Ancient Magical Artifacts and Professor Heartilly's exam was as strange as Professor Lupin's. One by one they had to battle themselves though a maze, magically boobytrapped, and find themselves three pieces of a key to a large ancient looking chest from which they had to choose the real Orb of Divination, if they made the right choice it would reveal they had passed the exam, if they made the wrong choice, it revealed they had failed the exam. So that wrapped up the week of exams and they all went down to dinner.
Ron, Harry and Hermione were sitting together at the Gryffindor table as usual. They all seemed a bit preoccupied though be it for different reasons. Ron was worried about his exams; Hermione was buggin her mind to try and figure out what was going on at Hogwarts and why it involved Professor Heartilly; and Harry was troubled by the several appearances of a large black dog. Harry turned to Ron to tell him what he had found out.
"I noticed a book in the bookstore, Ron and guess what was in it? That bloody dog! Apparently it's supposed to be a Grim."
"A Grim? But Harry! A Grim is a bad omen! They only appear to those who are about to die!"
"Yeah, that's what I read as well. So far it seemed harmless though, unless it's just waiting for the grim reaper to cut the lifeline. Maybe the Grim is the grim reaper. I don't know. It makes me wonder why I'm still alive."
"That's easy. You are the boy who lived! It can't just kill you!"
"I wish I were so sure of that. At least it explains why Professor Trelawney kept predicting my untimely death."
Hermione suddenly cut in to the conversation.
"Wait a minute, are you guys talking about a Grim?"
"Yeah, hasn't Harry told you yet? He's seen a Grim a couple of times."
"Grim as in large black dog with pale eyes kind of Grim?"
"Exactly the one. Why, what's up?"
Hermione didn't answer right away. Was this a coincidence or not? No, it couldn't be a coincidence, the Grim Harry saw, had to be the Grim of the prophecy. When the Grim is freed from shame...
"Harry, I know this sounds incredulous, but we have to find that Grim. I can't explain right now, I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to explain now I know that…"
Hermione stopped talking when she noticed the blank faces of Harry and Ron staring back at her.
"Come on, follow me. I'll show you."
Harry and Ron stared at each other, but Hermione was already up and moving. Quickly they followed her to the Common Room and waited as she went to the girls' dorm to get something.
In the dorm Hermione grabbed the notes she had copied out of Professor Heartilly's notes. She flipped through the pages, read the part with the required information and sighed relief. She could tell them. Quickly she ran back down to where Harry and Ron were waiting.
"Harry, do you think that Grim is still around?"
"I guess so. I first noticed him back in Little Winging but I've also seen him on the premesis of the school. I think it's following me, it shouldn't be far away."
"Good, let's go look around the place for it. I'll explain on the way."
Hermione left for the exit and the boys followed, still at a loss.
"I don't know why, but I believe we are trapped in a barrier; called the Clouds of Time. Ever heard of it before?"
Ron and Harry both shook their heads. Hermione sighed exasperated.
"Figures. Anyway, the Clouds of Time barrier is ancient high magic, summoned when history needs to be changed. I don't know if it's ever been used before, but I know of the spell. Now, you must understand that what I'm about to tell you, needs to remain secret. You can't under any circomstance tell Professors Snape, Lupin and Heartilly about it."
"Huh? Why not Mione?" asked Ron.
"Because they are they keypersons, they need to figure it out for themselves.
If we just tell them, the barrier will dissappear and no changes will be made in history."
"Mione, I don't understand at all. Please be more specific."
Hermione sighed again, but she stopped walking, she squatted down and drew a large circle on the ground with her wand.
"See this circle? This represents the world before the barrier. Or actually the world outside the barrier, whatever that looks like. Now, for example, lets assume Professor Trelawney is dead..."
Harry and Ron chuckled but Hermione ignored them.
"Like I said, lets assume she's dead and Parvati and Belinda would want to prevent that from happening, they would summon the Clouds of Time, go back in time and they could have a shot at saving Professor Trelawney."
Hermione drew a second smaller circle within the existing one.
"Only, their own time would continue to exist, they would get the chance to change history in an... alternate dimension, the barrier. Only problem here is, they can't tell the keyperson, in this case Professor Trelawney, that she's about to die, so they have to figure out another way to let Professor Trelawney herself prevent her death. If they would tell her, the barrier would dissappear and they would continue to live in their own time, with a dead Professor. But, if they would succeed, the barrier would expand, and their own time would cease to exist and Professor Trelawney would be alive."
Ron and Harry tried to keep up with her explanation.. It was a hard to believe story though, even for Ron, and he was used to the wizarding world.
"So you are saying," Harry said thoughtfully, "You're saying that we are in that alternate dimension and that Snape, Lupin and Heartilly have to change history?"
"And the Grim, yes."
"What does the Grim have to do with this. How do you know all of this anyway?"
"Well, for once Professor Trelawney was right about her prophecy. I found the same prophecy in Rowena Ravenclaw's diary and I also found it in Professor Heartilly's personal notes in the library right before she got unwell. The notes were very reveiling and I just put two and two together."
"You found the prophecy in Ravenclaw's diary? But, doesn't that mean...?" asked Ron.
"I guess so. Rowena Ravenclaw must have summoned the Clouds and my guess is something went wrong and she traveled back in time too far."
Harry whistled.
"So the prophecy and the diary..."
"Are just hints to guide the keypersons into the right direction. But it wasn't just Rowena Ravenclaw..." Hermione looked at the boys with a meaningful look in her eyes.
"What? No, it couldn't be!"
"Yes it could. I'm talking about Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Slytherin. They all traveled back in time. All four of the founders left a personal diary, all four reveiling a small part of the puzzle. When you just read one, it doesn't make sense. Read all four...
"So, why are you so anxious to find that Grim then? Isn't this a problem to solve for the professors?"
"Just take a look at Professor Heartilly, she's not searching for answers and she's certainly not looking in the direction of the four diaries. At least not anymore. And Professor Lupin and Snape are clueless. "
"So?" asked Ron.
"You now know of the existence of the Clouds Ron, why don't you take a look around."
Ron did as Hermione said and so did Harry. What they saw shocked them both; at the horizon, for as far as their eyes could see, were eerie clouds swirling and shifting rapidly.
"Uhm, Mione? Those clouds can't be very far away, what's behind them?"
"Nothing, this reality is slowly vanishing."
Ron gulped and as they started moving again, none of the three uttered a single word. Before they knew it, they were near the Whomping Willow.
"What do we do now? We haven't found the Grim yet. Or maybe he's not around right now," said Ron.
Suddenly everything seemed to happen at the same time. Scabbers, Ron's pet rat which he always kept in one of his pockets, was fussing around. Ron tried to calm the little critter but Scabbers bit Ron and escaped. Crookshancks, Hermione's pet cat who had sneakily followed the trio, chased the rat shortly followed by Ron who wanted to protect his rat from Crookshancks who'd been on the prowel for Scabbers since the very beginning. Harry and Hermione ran after him and sighed reliefed when they saw that Ron had captured his rat a few yards away. Crookshancks was nowhere to be seen.
They didn't get much time however to catch their breaths, as a large dog came running towards them. Hermione cried out in fear, the three friends tried to escape, but the dog attacked Harry and knocked him right off his feet. The dog landed a few feet away on his feet and immediately turned around to charge again. Paralysed with fear, Harry stayed in his place, watching the dog come closer, but just as the dog jumped for another attack, Ron came charging at him to push Harry out of the way and the dog's teeth sank into his outstretched arm.
Ron cried out in fear and pain and Harry lunged forward to free Ron from the dog but it already dragged Ron away as if he were a rag doll.
Suddenly, completely unexpected, something hit Harry hard in the face, knocking him to the ground again. Harry grabbed his glasses and heard Hermione cry out in pain just before she too fell to the ground. Harry groped around for his fallen wand and tried to wipe the blood from his eyes.
"Lumos!" whispered Harry and a faint light emerged from the tip of his wand. He used the light to get a better view on what it was that had knocked him about. It all became clear soon enough as he saw the silhouet of a huge tree, they had approached the Whomping Willow to near in their pursuit of Ron and the rat. The branches and boughs swept around in a threatingly motion and prevented anyone to come in a too close proximity. And there, certainly near the bottom of the Whomping Willow, Harry saw how the large hound was trying to drag Ron in a huge hole between the overly large roots. His head and torso were the first to dissappear out of sight and Harry cried his name. Soon Ron's legs followed but he quickly hooked his foot behind one of the roots. The beast kept on dragging Ron and suddenly a bonebreaking pang startled Hermione and Harry and they were forced to watch Ron dissappear. Suddenly the tree stopped moving, as if it had turned to stone. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, both confused. Then a silver cloth floated to the ground and reveiled a large ginger cat-
"Crookshancks?" whispered Hermione.
"Of course, it makes perfect sense, Crookshancks and the dog are buddy buddy. I once saw them together. Come on, keep your wand ready."
Hermione followed Harry through the hole, they followed the plushy tail of Crookshancks as it merrily made his way down a long but small tunnel. As fast as there legs could carry them they sped through the tunnel, backs aching from doing this bent over. At a given point the tunnel started to guide them upwards and after a turret they had lost track of Crookshancks, Harry did notice faint light at what he thought to be the end of the tunnel. Thinkin of Ron and what might happen to him, he sat off at a run again and dashed, wand raised, right into what seemed to be a very messy and dusty circular room. Astonished at the sight of crumbling wallpaper and damaged furniture, Harry lowered his wand. It was as though someone had run amok in the room. Hermione too entered the room with an utterly fearfull expression on her face.
"Harry, I do believe we are in the Shrieking Shack."
Harry cast around another look at a few damaged chairs and noticed how big chuncks were missing from the seat.
"Well, I don't think this is the work of ghouls, so keep an eye out."
There was only one door open and as they crept towards it they heard moaning coming from inside the room behind that door. Harry kicked the door open, wand raised again and he saw a big cat lying on a beautiful four-poster bed with dusty curtains. It was Crookshancks. The cat started purring at the sight of Hermione but she only had eye for the form next to the bed. Ron.
They both hurried to their friend, who had a deathly pale complexion.
"Ron, are you okay? Where's the dog... the Grim?" asked Hermione slightly breathless.
"There is no dog," Ron moaned as speaking hurt him greatly, "Harry, it's a trap. He is the dog, he's an Animagus."
"What? Who?"
Harry turned around and suddenly the door slammed closed. Standing next to it stood a man with long filthy black hair, as thin as a carcass, his mouth twitched in a smirk showing off his ugly yellow teeth-