Chapter - Hogsmead Visit
Harry was so excited to see Sirius, he rushed up to the Owlry to send him a reminder and care parcel. He almost ran into Araya as she was coming out.
"Hi Harry." she smiled, "Looking forward to this weekend?"
"Hello Professor. Yeah, very much." he smiled.
"Hey Ron, Hermione." she called pleasantly as she headed out the door. Ron noticed a piece of paper that had fallen out of her pocket.
"Professor Araya! You dropped this." he said, holding out the scrap. She paused in the stairs.
"Thanks, my head must be elsewhere." she replied, snatching the parchment. "Later."
"I'd swear she acts more like a silly girl than a teacher." Hermione sounded offended.
Honeydukes, the candy store, was their first stop. It was packed with Hogwarts students as usual during these day trips.
The trio had great fun shopping and looking about. They ended up at three broomsticks just before noon. They were supposed to Professor Lupin here before going to visit Sirius.
"Do you think we've got time before we go for a butterbeer?" Ron asked, "I could do with a warm up." Although the sky was clear and beautiful, the weather had turned unusually cold.
"Probably." Harry said, "We still have half a day."
"I haven't seen him. Do you think he's alright?" Hermione asked. "You don't think that she put anything else in it do you?"
"Don't be thick." Ron said. Then lowering his voice, "She's too young to be a Death Eater, and she's trying to help find a way to hurt You-Know- Who."
"Enjoying yourselves?" Professor Lupin asked, "Sorry, I was delayed getting some sweets. It's crazy in there." He smiled at them, "Ready to look for that stray?"
"Yeah." Harry said, excited, "Just to make sure he's ok."
"Do you think Dumbledore will let us bring him back to the school?" Ron asked, hopeful.
"Not likely." Lupin said, "But we best check on Snuffles."
"It was just a thought." Ron shrugged as they left.
They met up with Sirius on the edge of town. He was still in the form of a large black dog. He barked and wagged his tail when he saw them.
They walked up to his cave, where he transformed back to himself. Harry was overjoyed to tell him about what was happening at the school.
"Sirius, do you think you could maybe - that is - er - come to the first Quidditch game of the season?" Harry asked, looking down at the floor. He really did want Sirius there. Perhaps it was a lingering desire for parental support, or simply that he knew that his godfather would be safer at the school. Whatever the reason he wanted him there.
"Harry, I'd love to." Sirius smiled, "Remus, do you think that with James' old cloak, I could sneak in for the game?"
"It might work." Lupin smiled, "If...well, I'll worry about that. I'll make sure its clear for you and let you know."
"Right, Snape'll be back by then, won't he?" Sirius said, "Bet he'd love to catch me."
"Probably." Harry said.
By the time they'd returned to Hogsmead, most of the students had left and the sun was sinking low in the sky. The little town had a picturesque quality, set against the mountains with the sun just kissing the roves good- night.
"Are we going to be allowed to do this again soon?" Harry asked, he felt happier and at home.
"I don't know, Harry." Lupin said, as he popped a chocolate in his mouth.
"It's been so nice without Snape around." Ron said, "You think there's any chance he'll extend his 'absence'?"
"Not likely." Lupin laughed, "Severus has always been punctual. He'll be back on Halloween.
"Aaahhhhhh!!!" a girl's scream ripped across the town. She sounded terrified and in pain. Remus looked up and ran in the direction of the scream. It was only slightly startling the speed that he travelled. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed, curious as to what was going on, and worried that it might be a trap.
They weren't the first to get there. In fact, quite a crowd had gathered, but Lupin was the first teacher. "Please let me through." he said. He was looking at the girl; she was a third year Ravenclaw. She was half awake, deliriously mumbling, a huge, ugly gash across her arm.
"Do any of you know her?" Lupin asked, taking of his scarf to bind the wound.
"I do." a blond haired Ravenclaw girl answered nearly in tears. "Her name's Rebecca."
"You're her friend?" Lupin asked, "Talk to her and try to calm her down." He waved the other girl forward. They heard more people arrive. Remus set about trying to treat the wound and kept Rebecca from giving into shock.
"What's going on?" Hagrid asked.
"Did any of you see what happened?" Lupin asked. A lot of blank looks met him. "It seems Rebecca is hurt Hagrid. Would you be so kind as to carry her to a carriage? I think Madame Pomfrey should see her." Although his voice was calm and smooth, there was a note of urgency to it that was hard to miss.
There were a lot of whispers travelling through the dinning hall that night. The stories and rumours were exaggerated by Rebecca's absence. Some declared that she'd died. Others that, Pomfrey (as per usual) was 's'mothering the poor girl. Either way it was the main topic of conversation.
"What do you think really happened to her?" Ron asked, "You think she was attacked?"
"It sounded like it." Harry said, "You don't scream like that for no reason."
"Where do you think Professor Luna is?" Hermione asked her eyes fixed on the staff table. "Or Lupin?"
"I don't know. Maybe they've gone back to Hogsmead to look for clues as to what happened." Ron said, grabbing more roast. "I hope this doesn't mean we won't get to go back."
"I just hope that no one blames Snuffles." Harry sounded scared and sad.
"You don't think it had anything to do with You-Know-Who do you?" Ron whispered. "Do you think You-Know-Who would come and try something under Dumbledore's nose like this?"
"Maybe." Hermione said, "But why go after Rebecca? Why not attack Harry?"
"Well, he was with us." Ron said.
"And with Lupin and, er, Snuffles." Harry added. "Maybe she - that is, if it was Voldemort got in his way."
"Or was left as a warning." Hermione suggested. It was eerie how very logical she could get at times. Useful, but somewhat scary.
"Why?" Ron pondered. "Wouldn't a surprise be better?"
"Yeah, but You-Know-Who might think it was a joke or a challenge." Hermione said. "But Harry, you must not go off grounds alone until we know for sure, just in case. Don't play into his hands, Harry."
Harry was so excited to see Sirius, he rushed up to the Owlry to send him a reminder and care parcel. He almost ran into Araya as she was coming out.
"Hi Harry." she smiled, "Looking forward to this weekend?"
"Hello Professor. Yeah, very much." he smiled.
"Hey Ron, Hermione." she called pleasantly as she headed out the door. Ron noticed a piece of paper that had fallen out of her pocket.
"Professor Araya! You dropped this." he said, holding out the scrap. She paused in the stairs.
"Thanks, my head must be elsewhere." she replied, snatching the parchment. "Later."
"I'd swear she acts more like a silly girl than a teacher." Hermione sounded offended.
Honeydukes, the candy store, was their first stop. It was packed with Hogwarts students as usual during these day trips.
The trio had great fun shopping and looking about. They ended up at three broomsticks just before noon. They were supposed to Professor Lupin here before going to visit Sirius.
"Do you think we've got time before we go for a butterbeer?" Ron asked, "I could do with a warm up." Although the sky was clear and beautiful, the weather had turned unusually cold.
"Probably." Harry said, "We still have half a day."
"I haven't seen him. Do you think he's alright?" Hermione asked. "You don't think that she put anything else in it do you?"
"Don't be thick." Ron said. Then lowering his voice, "She's too young to be a Death Eater, and she's trying to help find a way to hurt You-Know- Who."
"Enjoying yourselves?" Professor Lupin asked, "Sorry, I was delayed getting some sweets. It's crazy in there." He smiled at them, "Ready to look for that stray?"
"Yeah." Harry said, excited, "Just to make sure he's ok."
"Do you think Dumbledore will let us bring him back to the school?" Ron asked, hopeful.
"Not likely." Lupin said, "But we best check on Snuffles."
"It was just a thought." Ron shrugged as they left.
They met up with Sirius on the edge of town. He was still in the form of a large black dog. He barked and wagged his tail when he saw them.
They walked up to his cave, where he transformed back to himself. Harry was overjoyed to tell him about what was happening at the school.
"Sirius, do you think you could maybe - that is - er - come to the first Quidditch game of the season?" Harry asked, looking down at the floor. He really did want Sirius there. Perhaps it was a lingering desire for parental support, or simply that he knew that his godfather would be safer at the school. Whatever the reason he wanted him there.
"Harry, I'd love to." Sirius smiled, "Remus, do you think that with James' old cloak, I could sneak in for the game?"
"It might work." Lupin smiled, "If...well, I'll worry about that. I'll make sure its clear for you and let you know."
"Right, Snape'll be back by then, won't he?" Sirius said, "Bet he'd love to catch me."
"Probably." Harry said.
By the time they'd returned to Hogsmead, most of the students had left and the sun was sinking low in the sky. The little town had a picturesque quality, set against the mountains with the sun just kissing the roves good- night.
"Are we going to be allowed to do this again soon?" Harry asked, he felt happier and at home.
"I don't know, Harry." Lupin said, as he popped a chocolate in his mouth.
"It's been so nice without Snape around." Ron said, "You think there's any chance he'll extend his 'absence'?"
"Not likely." Lupin laughed, "Severus has always been punctual. He'll be back on Halloween.
"Aaahhhhhh!!!" a girl's scream ripped across the town. She sounded terrified and in pain. Remus looked up and ran in the direction of the scream. It was only slightly startling the speed that he travelled. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed, curious as to what was going on, and worried that it might be a trap.
They weren't the first to get there. In fact, quite a crowd had gathered, but Lupin was the first teacher. "Please let me through." he said. He was looking at the girl; she was a third year Ravenclaw. She was half awake, deliriously mumbling, a huge, ugly gash across her arm.
"Do any of you know her?" Lupin asked, taking of his scarf to bind the wound.
"I do." a blond haired Ravenclaw girl answered nearly in tears. "Her name's Rebecca."
"You're her friend?" Lupin asked, "Talk to her and try to calm her down." He waved the other girl forward. They heard more people arrive. Remus set about trying to treat the wound and kept Rebecca from giving into shock.
"What's going on?" Hagrid asked.
"Did any of you see what happened?" Lupin asked. A lot of blank looks met him. "It seems Rebecca is hurt Hagrid. Would you be so kind as to carry her to a carriage? I think Madame Pomfrey should see her." Although his voice was calm and smooth, there was a note of urgency to it that was hard to miss.
There were a lot of whispers travelling through the dinning hall that night. The stories and rumours were exaggerated by Rebecca's absence. Some declared that she'd died. Others that, Pomfrey (as per usual) was 's'mothering the poor girl. Either way it was the main topic of conversation.
"What do you think really happened to her?" Ron asked, "You think she was attacked?"
"It sounded like it." Harry said, "You don't scream like that for no reason."
"Where do you think Professor Luna is?" Hermione asked her eyes fixed on the staff table. "Or Lupin?"
"I don't know. Maybe they've gone back to Hogsmead to look for clues as to what happened." Ron said, grabbing more roast. "I hope this doesn't mean we won't get to go back."
"I just hope that no one blames Snuffles." Harry sounded scared and sad.
"You don't think it had anything to do with You-Know-Who do you?" Ron whispered. "Do you think You-Know-Who would come and try something under Dumbledore's nose like this?"
"Maybe." Hermione said, "But why go after Rebecca? Why not attack Harry?"
"Well, he was with us." Ron said.
"And with Lupin and, er, Snuffles." Harry added. "Maybe she - that is, if it was Voldemort got in his way."
"Or was left as a warning." Hermione suggested. It was eerie how very logical she could get at times. Useful, but somewhat scary.
"Why?" Ron pondered. "Wouldn't a surprise be better?"
"Yeah, but You-Know-Who might think it was a joke or a challenge." Hermione said. "But Harry, you must not go off grounds alone until we know for sure, just in case. Don't play into his hands, Harry."