MAELSTROM

CHAPTER TWO-THE FREAK

The next day was the Quidditch match. James was the Seeker for Gryffindor.

We all headed out onto the Quidditch pitch. Gray clouds began sneaking in. The air took on a slight chill as well.

Lily, Sirius, Remus and I sat in the stands. I pulled my robe around me tighter. A slight wind had picked up and blew my hair around my face. I was sitting in-between Lily and Sirius. Remus was on Sirius' left.

Everyone from Gryffindor was cheering loudly. The other houses were in their stands as well. The Slytherin stand was right next to us on the right and on the left was Ravenclaw. On Ravenclaws' left were the Hufflepuffs.

The Gryffindor team were already on the pitch and mounted on their brooms. They floated several feet above the ground waiting for Madam Harris' signal to begin the game. The scarlet and gold robes of the Gryffindors could be seen clearly. The green and silver of the Slytherins seemed to blend in with the darkening sky.

Madam Harris blew her whistle and then the game began.

Aaron Tanner was doing the commentary for Gryffindor.

"And Gryffindor has the Quaffle!" he cried, his voice echoing over the entire pitch. Gryffindor cheered loudly.

Suddenly a blur of silver and green shot by us and then boos started coming from our stand.

"Oh no! Travis Connor from Slytherin has it! And he shoots to Rick Garris, the Slytherin Beater...Slytherin scores!"

The Slytherins were 50 to 0 now. Remus leaned over Sirius to speak to Lily and I.

"Our only hope is that James can find the Snitch if they can at least score 50 points," he said.

"I know," I said watching apprehensively.

"And Gryffindor is back in possession...Alex Winters has the Quaffle now...he shoots to Julie Yung...she passes it to Laura Withers...Gryffindor scores!"

Now we were tied with Slytherin.

The rest of the match was relatively close. Laura ducked being hit by a Bludger sent by the Slytherin Beaters and by now, the score was Slytherin:70, Gryffindor 60. We watched James zoom by on his broom and then we saw him tracking something.

Lily grabbed my hand anxiously.

"I think he's spotted it!" Lily gushed.

We all waited.

"Potter sees the Snitch!" Aaron yelled excitedly. "He's diving for it!"

The Slytherins tried to block James from trying to catch the Snitch, but James reached out his hand and closed around the gold object.

"WE WON!" Sirius yelled.

The cheers from the Gryffindor stands were deafening. Lily, Sirius, Remus and I jumped to our feet and Lily and I hugged each other happily.

Sirius and Lily hugged next, then Remus and I and once we were all hugged out, we turned out attention back to the team.

James and the rest of the team hovered in front of us on their brooms. Lily was beaming at James.

Just then, a clap of thunder boomed in the distance. Rain began pelting down.

Laura was still hovering a few feet above where James and the others were. A streak of lightning shot across the sky and ricocheted to hit the end of her broom. The twigs burst into fire. From the force and rain slicking the broom handle, she slid off her broom and fell to the ground.

Her body hit the ground with a sickening 'thud'.

Screams rang out. I grabbed Sirius' arm in shock. My stomach churned. Remus, Lily and James looked at me with shocked expressions on their faces.

We left the stands and stood down on the pitch. James dismounted his broom and left it on the ground. The rest of the Gryffindor team rushed to Laura's side.

I kept a hold on Sirius' arm. I was afraid that if I let go I would fall over.

Lily stood beside me and so did Remus.

"She's gone," Madam Harris said quietly.

There were sobs all over from the Gryffindors. James came over to me. He leaned close.

"This is what your dream showed?" he asked keeping his eyes locked on mine.

I was too stunned to even speak.

"Carrie," James said grabbing my shoulders and gave me a slight shake. I snapped out of it and looked at him.

"This is what happened in your dream," he said. "Right?"

I nodded as rain water rolled off my face.

James continued to shake me.

"James let go!" Remus cried as he and Sirius pried James off of me.

James wiped rain water from his face and stormed into the boys locker room. Everyone was ushered inside.

I sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. I was soaked again, but I didn't care...plus I was freezing.

A large pool of water collected around my feet and dripped off the ends of my robe.

Remus, Lily and Sirius dried themselves off. Remus hefted up his pants legs up a bit and crouched down in front of me.

"I'm a freak," I muttered.

"No," Remus said firmly staring up into my face.

"Absolutely not," Sirius said shaking his head as he and Lily sat down at the table. "I think James was just a bit blown away...that's all."

I began shivering.

"Carrie, you're freezing," Remus said putting his hand over mine. "I'm going to dry you off."

He pulled out his wand and aimed it at me. The blast of hot air erupted from the tip. Within minutes I was dry again, but I still had that chill and it had nothing to do with the weather.

"Trust me, Carrie," Lily said sitting beside me and wrapping her arm around my shoulder. "James would never don you a 'freak'."

"That's right," Sirius piped up. "Look at us...we change once a month into animals to keep that fuzzball in line."

He gestured to Remus.

Remus' lip twitched, but he was still staring up into my face.

"Please," Remus said in a pleading tone. "This was probably just a coincidence...besides, it looked like it was going to pour from the very beginning of the game."

I began to feel slightly better now.

I nodded and offered him a faint smile.

Lily gave me a squeeze before she and Sirius headed out of the Great Hall. I stood up and Remus did too.

He and I began walking out of the Hall.

The Gryffindor team members had already changed out of their robes and were sitting in the common room when Remus and I entered.

James came over to me. I hesitated.

"I'm sorry, Carrie," he apologized looking upset. "I was just in shock over what happened."

I nodded and smiled.

"I never thought that dream you had would come true," he continued.

"Wait a minute," Alex Winters asked in an accusing tone. "She had a dream that Laura would fall off her broom and no one told us?"

"Alex," James said in a dangerous tone. "We didn't know this was going to happen alright? It was probably just a coincidence."

"I'll say," Alex snorted rolling his brown eyes. "Carrie has a nightmare that Laura falls off her broom...correct me if I'm wrong...and then it actually happens?"

"Sounds a bit weird to me," added the Gryffindor Chaser Mary Rush frowning.

"That doesn't make her some kind of weirdo," Remus snapped.

"Anyone could've had that kind of a dream," James said firmly.

"Not anyone," Alex said cooly. "Carrie was always a bit of a freak in my book anyway."

Remus went to lunge for him, but Sirius and James held him back.. Half the team left the common room, deliberately jostling me.

The other half remained.

"We know you had nothing to do with it," said the second Chaser, Amanda Bell. "They're just a bit upset."

The rest of the team headed in separate directions. Sirius and James let go of Remus.

"I'll get him for that," Remus growled angrily as he sat down on the couch.

"Alex was always a bit of a...what's the word?" Sirius mused pretending to think. "Prick."

Lily just stared into the fireplace. The fire crackled softly.

"He'll come around," James said earnestly. He balled up his fist and punched it into his opened palm. "Or we could always persuade him."

"Stop," I said. "Alex is right. I'm a freak okay? You'd best all stay away from me. What if something happens to one of you? I couldn't live with that."

With that, I turned and left the common room. I headed to the owlery to send my parents a letter.

I was in the midst of writing the letter when I sensed someone behind me. I turned around. It was Remus.

Tons of owls were dozing on perches. My owl, a snow owl named Alison was perched on the window still ready for my letter.

"What do you want, Remus?" I asked impatiently as I folded the letter up and tied it to Alison's leg.

She extended her wings and soared out the window gracefully.

I turned to face him and folded my arms over my chest.

"Carrie," he said coming over to me. "You are not a freak okay?"

I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"You have to admit that was strange," I said.

"So?" Remus said. "It was threatening to rain all day! Everyone was wet from the rain. It was just an accident...nothing more. That dream you had had nothing to do with what really happened."

I went to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm, just above the elbow gently and turned me slightly to face him.

I looked up at him.

"I want to hear you say it," Remus said firmly. "I'm not a freak."

I sighed. I knew he was right of course. I think I was just upset too over Laura.

"I'm not a freak," I said.

Remus smiled.

"There," he said satisfied. "Alex and the others will get over it. They're just upset."

He released my arm.

He and I began walking side by side back to the common room, our shoulders bumping into each other once and a while.

"I think there's supposed to be a Christmas dance this year," Remus said. "Are you going to go?"

I smiled.

"I'm not sure," I said. "The last time no one asked me. I didn't feel like going by myself either. Lily and James had gone with each other, Sirius and Beth and you and Madison. I had a lot of homework to do anyway."

I added quickly.

Truthfully, I had felt left out. It was only natural that a boy didn't ask me. It happened every year since the 4th year when we had a Christmas and Halloween dance.

Lily constantly tells me I'm pretty. If that was the case, wouldn't a boy ask me?

Remus glanced at me sideways as we continued to walk.

"Don't be silly," he said. "This year you're definitely going to go."

"With whom?" I asked.

"With one of us," Remus replied as if that settled the matter.

"I really don't think showing up with Lily would set off a good vibe," I teased him.

He chuckled.

"No," he said. "With either me or Sirius."

"I'll think about it," I grinned.

He grinned back.

Just as I stepped into the common room, something hit me in the face. I froze. It was a tomato.

"FREAK!" Alex cried.

The tomato juice and pulp slid down off my face and onto the floor.

"HEY," Remus shouted angrily.

"She's a freak, Lupin," Alex snarled. "Freaks don't belong here in Hogwarts."

His arm bent back and he prepared to throw another tomato.

Remus pulled out his wand, aimed it at Alex and snarled "Stupefy!"

A jet of white shot out from the tip of Remus' wand and hit Alex right in the chest. Alex was stunned. He fell over backward.

"Now," Remus said coldly, looking around at the other Quidditch team members. "Would anyone like me to go to Professor Dumbledore with this little bit of information on why you are harassing Carrie?"

They looked away, embarrassed.

"I'm sure he'd love to hear it," Remus continued glaring around at each individual.

"What happened?" a voice asked behind us.

We turned around.

Lily, James and Sirius were standing behind us. Lily had a confused expression on her face. Sirius and James too.

"Alex threw a tomato at Carrie," Remus said, still angry. "He called her a freak."

Anger replaced James' and Sirius' expressions.

"I'm really getting tired of this," James shouted. "Just leave her alone alright? She had nothing to do with Laura's accident."

The other team members still would not look us directly in the eye.

"If anyone would like to continue this," Sirius snarled his eyes flashing. He punched his fist into his opened palm. "I would gladly love to give an extra credit lesson right now."

Lily pulled out a tissue and began helping me wipe the tomato pulp off my face and uniform.

"We're sorry," said the Gryffindor Beater, Donna Chester.

They all nodded.

"Good," James said firmly. "What about Alex?"

Remus unfroze him.

Alex stood up and looked dazed for the minute.

"Are you going to stop harassing my friend here?" James snapped.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Sorry."

"Fine," Remus said.

The team members scattered.

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked turning to me.

"Yeah," I said softly. "But getting hit with a tomato definitely put off my appetite for a salad."

James, Lily, Remus and Sirius laughed.

"I really can't believe him," Lily said sighing as we plopped down on the couch. "Why on earth was he so quick to don Carrie a freak?"

"Dunno," Sirius mused sitting beside me. "But one thing is clear...no one messes with our best friend."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave it a squeeze.

I smiled.

I was lucky to have such good friends.

Remus was sitting in a chair across from us staring into the fire. The orange glow emitting from the fire reflected off his face. I began realizing just how cute he was.

I lowered my eyes away from Remus' face. I caught Lily watching me with a knowing grin on her face.

I looked at her imploringly, but she just smiled and shook her head.

James and Sirius got into a "Who can snort the most?" contest. I was laughing so hard watching them.

Lily rolled her eyes and began reading a book. Remus was watching Sirius and James with an amused expression on his face.

But then his eyes switched onto me. I felt him studying me. Pretending not to see him, I laughed when Sirius let out such a loud snort that a pair of first years coming into the common room, looked at us fleetingly with horrified expressions before hurrying into the girls' dorm.

That set off James and Sirius laughing.

"You guys are really twisted," Lily muttered.

"I think you traumatized them for life," I joked.

They only laughed harder.

"Maybe we should shove a tomato down their pants," Remus teased.

That got them to stop laughing.

I had no idea that things would get much stranger and scarier.