MAELSTROM

CHAPTER THIRTY-SNAPES' RESCUE

HERMIONE.

The white wolf charged at me and knocked me onto my back before it turned and fled from the common room.

The gray wolf followed after giving Jenna a nudge with its snout.

"Your parents right?" I asked her.

She nodded and looked back at me defiantly, as if daring me to say something. But I didn't.

"I thought they were supposed to get a Lupine Potion? Wasn't Professor Snape supposed to give it to them?" I asked.

Her expression relaxed.

"Yeah," she mused. "But apparently he didn't show up."

"Weird," I said.

CARRIE.

WOLF FORM.

Remus and I galloped along the corridors. They were dark and shadowy, which was really useful for us to keep hidden.

Suddenly, as we passed Snape's office, I heard him shouting to someone. Remus and I paused outside the office and listened. The door was ajar. I stood on all fours and put my jaundice eye to the crack. I could see Snape standing in front of a heavily hooded figure.

"I was supposed to meet someone!" Snape was snarling. "They needed their medication!"

Then, the heavily hooded figure pulled out a wand and aimed it at Snape's throat.

In a voice I didn't recognize, the figure answered.

"Then let them die," the voice snarled.

"You don't understand," Snape snapped. "Everyone else might!"

"Too bad," the voice snapped. "Now I have to kill you."

At that, I pinned back my ears and snarled. I burst into the room. Snape's expression was that of shock and fear. I lowered my head and pulled back the top lip of my snout, exposing white canines and incisors.

Remus was right beside me.

The figure went to aim his wand at Snape again, but Remus charged him, knocking him onto his back on the floor. The wand rolled out of his hand. I picked it up in my jaws and snapped it in half.

Remus and I stood in front of Snape protectively and snarled.

The figure got to his feet and tore from the office.

We turned and faced Snape.

"You two are really foolish," he snapped, but then, his expression softened slightly. "But I appreciate the help."

Remus and I barked before tearing from the office.

THE NEXT MORNING.

Today was the match. I awoke in the girls' dorm curled up on Jenna's bed at the foot nude.

"Morning Mum," Jenna grinned.

I yawned and stretched.

"Morning,"

I quickly grabbed my clothes and pulled them on before any other girls' woke up.

"That will give me images for the rest of my life," Jenna moaned getting dressed too.

"Hey," I scolded lightly. "It's not like I haven't seen anything you've got before."

Jenna moaned again and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

"Today's the match," Hermione said as she came over to us.

"Yep," Jenna said. "I only hope he's not going to be biased."

I smiled.

"Somehow, I don't think so,"

We headed down to the Great Hall. Remus and Harry were already sitting at the table.

"Morning," I said brightly. "Sleep well?"

"Not really," Harry admitted. "I'm so nervous."

"Nah," I said shaking my head. "You'll be fine."

"Exactly," Jenna said brightly.

Harry gave Jenna a smile.

We headed to classes and then Harry headed to the locker room. We wished him luck and gave him a hug. We headed out to the stands and sat down next to Neville, who couldn't understand why we looked grim or why we had brought our wands to the game.

Jenna and Neville began talking.

I gently nudged Remus and nodded toward Jenna and Neville. Neville was blushing and seemed shy around her.

I winked at Remus, who grinned back.

But just before heading out to the match, Hermione and Jenna had been practicing the Leg-Locker curse.

"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Jenna slipped her wand up her sleeve.

"I know," Jenna snapped. "Don't nag."

But much to our relief, Professor Dumbledore had even come to the match. We felt a bit relieved and knew Harry would feel just as relieved. No one would try and hurt Harry with Dumbledore here.

Oddly though, Snape looked angry as the teams marched onto the field.

"I've never seen Snape look so mean," Jenna said to Hermione and Remus. "Look—they're off. Ouch!"

Someone had poked Jenna in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there,"

Malfoy grinned broadly. Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Lupin?" Malfoy smirked at Jenna.

Remus turned around.

"How about a bet that I can shove my wand up your ass?" Remus snapped his eyes narrowed.

Malfoy seemed stunned as Remus turned back around.

Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because one of the Davis' twins hit a Bludger at him.

Hermione, who had her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" Malfoy said loudly a few minutes later as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there are the Davis' who are poor—you should be on the team Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Neville turned bright red and turned around in his seat to face Malfoy.

Remus threateningly took out his wand and brandished it front of Malfoy.

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," Neville stammered.

Malfoy, Crabbed and Goyle howled with laughter.

"You tell him, Neville," Jenna said.

"Longbottom, it brains were gold you'd be poorer than the Davis' and that's saying something,"

Remus' nerves were stretched.

I pulled out my wand and flicked it at Remus'. It soared right at Malfoy's behind.

Malfoy yelped and jumped up from his seat, clutching his behind. As Malfoy turned around, Remus' wand was definitely stuck.

The Gryffindors roared with laughter.

"Next time, Malfina," I snarled. "Keep your mouth shut."

Malfoy was howling in pain as he, Crabbe and Goyle hobbled out of the stands and back to the castle, clutching his behind.

"Are you sure you want that wand back considering where it's been?" Jenna asked Remus.

"I'm not sure," Remus said deadpan.

"Guys!" Hermione cried suddenly. "Harry…!"

"What? Where?" Jenna cried.

Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth as Harry streaked toward the ground like a bullet.

Harry was speeding straight toward Snape. Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shooting past him, missing him by inches—the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

The stands erupted; it had been a record. No one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so abruptly.

We all danced around and Hermione hugged Parvati Patil in the row in front.

Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. The Gryffindors came spilling onto the field. Snape landed nearby, nearly white-faced and tight-lipped—then Dumbledore appeared beside Harry.

"Well done, nice to see that you haven't been brooding about that mirror…been keeping busy…excellent," we heard Dumbledore whisper.

We hugged Harry happily.

Harry headed into the locker room.

Remus, Jenna, Hermione and I headed back to the common room to wait for Harry.

When he arrived, he had an anxious expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked looking up.

"I just saw Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell in the forbidden forest. It sounded like Snape was threatening Quirrell,"

He sat down on the couch beside Remus.

He began launching into detail about what happened.

"So we were right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone and if Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy, and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus-pocus'—I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through…" Jenna mused.

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Hermione said alarmed.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," Harry said.

"Guys," I said holding up my hand. "How many times have we told you? Snape wouldn't do something like this. If I know him, he's the one who's trying to protect the stone."

"This is so confusing," Hermione said sighing.

Quirrell though was looking paler and thinner. Each time we passed the third floor corridor, we would press our ears against the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside.

Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which we knew the Stone was still safe.

Jenna began telling off people for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.

Hermione began drawing up study schedules and color coding her notes for the exams.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away," Harry moaned.

"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not like ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

"But we're not six hundred years old," Jenna reminded her. "Anyway, what are you studying for? You know it all."

"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're important, I should have started worried a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me…"

The teachers seemed to be thinking along the lines of Hermione though. They piled so much homework on Harry, Jenna and Hermione that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. Jenna and Harry found it hard to relax when Hermione kept reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements.

Finally, Remus and I forced them to take a break.

When Remus, Jenna, Harry and Hermione headed to the library, I headed off to Snape's office.

I knocked on the door.

"Come in," Snape said.

I gently opened the door and stepped inside.

"Lupin," he said. "What can I do for you?"

I entered the office and closed the door behind me. I sat down.

"First, call me Carrie okay? I hate using last names," I said.

Snape nodded.

"Second, I saw you with Quirrell in the forbidden forest. What's going on?" I asked.

I conveniently left out the fact that it was Harry who saw him.

"Were you spying?" he said coldly.

"No…vision remember? You certainly have a short term memory," I said stiffly folding my arms over my chest.

I was deliberately leaving out details.

He sighed and sat down behind his desk.

"I have a feeling Quirrell is up to something with the Sorcerer's Stone. I gather you had a vision about that already am I right?"

I nodded.

"What do you think he's up to?"

"I think he's trying to get it," Snape said simply.

"But why? Why would he have use for it?"

Snape shrugged.

"I don't know,"

Silence then:

"Why were you so angry at the match?" I asked.

"Because I suspected Quirrell might try something even with Dumbledore at the match. But I was wrong. Now I suspect Quirrell might try again,"

I nodded.

Suddenly, I felt something sharp pierce the back of my neck.

I cried out and raised a hand to the back of my neck.

"Carrie?" Snape demanded alarmed.

"Something sharp just…" I said as I felt a small tiny dart the size of a Muggle battery. I pulled it out.

Snape's face drained of all color.

Snape's office faded as I fell forward unconscious.

SNAPE

Carrie fell forward out of her chair.

I rushed forward and crouched down beside her.

Just then, my office door opened and it was Professor McGonagall.

"Get Remus and Madam Pomfrey," I said urgently.

She nodded and hurried off down the corridor.

I felt Carrie's neck for a pulse. Thank God there was one.

I gently moved the hair off the back of her neck. It looked like the dart had pierced her spine. I turned her over and picked up the dart.

There was a gold-red color liquid on the sharp tip of the needle.

The only potion that is this color is the Memory Eraser Potion. Could someone know Carrie's psychic and try and erase her visions or memories because they're afraid of her getting too close?

A short moment later, Remus, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall arrived.

They magicked Carrie up to the hospital wing.

"What did you do to her?" Remus demanded.

"Nothing," I said coldly. "She was hit with this."

I showed him the dart.

"Odd," Remus said accusingly. "If there was no one else in the office how could that happen?"

"I would never harm her," I snarled. "I think of her like a friend…you too. Why on earth would I hurt someone?"

"You tell me," Remus said smoothly.

My face filled with rage.

"I know you hate me," I spat. "But I would never hurt someone I care about! Someone was probably in the office that we couldn't see!"

"Riiight," Remus said rolling his eyes.

"She definitely got a dose of the Memory Eraser," Madam Pomfrey said. "It was injected right into the spine…so either she won't have memory of who she is or she will and not remember anyone else. It's sort of like an Amnesia Inducer if you will. But I'm not sure how much she was hit with. It could be temporary, or permanent,"

Remus was glaring at me with so much anger.