Disclaimer: see chapter one.

Chapter five.

Harry Potter stared miserably down at the remains of his beloved Nimbus 2000. The sadness of losing the match was only topped by the destruction of his faithful broom. Madam Pomfrey had insisted on keeping him in the Hospital Wing over the weekend and right now he was to distress to even protest.

Even though the others had tried to hide it and show their concern for him, he knew the rest of the Quidditch team was thoroughly disappointed. Not only did they lose the match, but also there was no hope of winning the House Cup.

He had not told anybody about what had happened to him when he saw the Dementors. He did not know how they would react if he told them that he had heard his mother plead for his life. His body chilled just by the thought of it and his eyes filled with tears.

Why was he the only one who reacted to the Dementors that way? Nobody else grew numb and fainted. Then the memory of the Grim returned to him, and he shook his head angrily. He hadnt told Ron and Hermione about it because he knew Ron would be afraid and Hermione would roll her eyes at him. There was no way he was going to let some death-omen get the better of him.

Harry closed his eyes and feel into a deep and restless sleep with visions of clammy rotting hands and the pleading voice of his dying mother.

Monday morning he was allowed to return and it was a pleasure to go back to noise and hustle and bustle school. It was a joy to be thinking about other things, even if it involved Draco Malfoy taunting him and pretending to faint and fall of his broom.

"Hermione, check if Snape is teaching again, because then I will suddenly develop a terrible disease," Ron muttered as they headed towards the Defense Against Dark Art class. Hermione popped her head around the corner and smiled.

"Don't worry, Professor Lupin is back."

It really looked like Lupin had been ill, his skin was pastier and his robes hung more loosely on him. Nevertheless he smiled and welcomed the class that immediately burst out in a tremendous roar on what they felt about Professor Snape.

"Two scrolls on werewolves" Seamus Finnigan exclaimed "and we know nothing about them!"

"Didn't you tell him that you haven't covered that yet," Lupin asked.

The class started to mutter again.

"We tried to tell him-"

"He was only filling in and-"

"-He is such a stupid sod"

Professor Lupin held up his hands in surrender and the babble slowly stopped.

"I'll have a word with Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay"

When the bell rang and the lesson ended, everyone gathered up their things. "Lupin is gotta be the best teacher ever" Ron said cheerfully and Harry agreed heartily.

"Mr. Potter, may I have a word?" Lupin called as Harry headed towards the door.

"Ill meet you downstairs!" said Ron and disappeared in the crowd.

"Did you try talking to Hagrid?" Harry asked as they gathered around the lunch table.

"We did," said Hermione "but he was to upset about Buckbeak Whenever we tried to ask him what happened, he just started to talk about what a nice creature Buckbeak is."

"You know what… I have been thinking" Ron started and got interrupted by Hermione snorting "-thats a first…" Ignoring her, he continued.

"Rena…she helped you with your Potion homework, right?" Ron asked and Harry nodded.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you" he said excitingly. Harry rummaged around in his bag and withdrew a crumbled heap of parchment. "Snape gave me top grades on it!"

Ron stared at it wide-eyed and grabbed it as if to test its authentic.

"Snape gave you top grade! Even Hermione didn't manage that."

Hermione looked away and her face darkened for a moment. She quickly busied her self with placing sandwiches on her plate and asking someone to pass her the milk.

"Anyways…what was your plan, Ron?" Harry asked, sensing Hermiones dark mood.

"I bet Snape would absolutely hate it, if you asked if Rena could…I dunno, sorta give you extra potion lessons or something. That way you would get to know her better and youll get better grades!" Ron said cheerfully "Hey, even I could use some extra help"

"Dont you think Professor Snape will notice if Harrys grades suddenly got better? I mean, he noticed that Rena had helped him just by reading his essay….how did he notice that though…" Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Good question…"

Suddenly Ginny sat down next to them and with unnecessary force started to load up on her plate while muttering something that sounded like curses under her breath. Ron watched her with a frightened fascination, and even Fred and George stopped eating to watch her.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked carefully.

"It's that stupid, buffoon of an idiot Malfoy" Ginny said under her breath "Oh…I so would like to hex him!"

"What has he done this time?"
"He keeps on interrupting our study-group by throwing ink-bombs, the kind that you can't magic away!" Ginny said and let out a deep breath, and suddenly her eyes started to fill with water.

"And now….my Potions books are completely ruined and I cant…." she trailed of and both she and Ron looked away.

Harry knew what they were thinking. The Weasleys never had much money and schoolbooks were very expensive.

"Don't worry" Hermione said soothingly and placed an arm around Ginny's shoulder. "I'll lend you mine. I will have Mom and Dad mail them to me as soon as possible."

After lunch the food and plates magically disappeared. A few of the elder students left, Fred and George looking vindictive, and the room was filled with the hustle and noise of students practicing their magic. Harry, who did not want to arrive completely unprepared for his first Anti-Dementor lesson with Professor Lupin, had taken out some books from the library and was for once reading enthusiastically.

Hermione was busy studying some very complex looking charts that she told them was Ancient runes, while Ron occupied him self with feverishly trying to make up what new disasters would occur in his life the next week, given the position of the moon.

"Ginny?" A small voice suddenly asked and they all looked up to see Rena.

"You forgot your notes," she said "There's ink on some of them, but you can copy mine if you like" she suggested.

"Did it get in your books to?" Ginny asked and Rena nodded.

"That dim-witted Malfoy" Ron offered as consolation. "If I see him again I will…"

"…You'll what, Weasley?" Draco Malfoys sharp dry voice asked. He looked at them all and snorted. Grabbe and Goyle snickered as always and Ron swallowed his breath.

"If it isn't the freak show! Famous Potter, Mudblood Granger, the Weasleys and…" he eyed Rena up and down looking for an appropriate name.

"You're a smart ass-Ravenclaw" he stated " joined the Potter fan-club have you." Rena withdrew her face in her robes like a turtle and didn't answer.

"Go away Malfoy" Harry said in a tired voice, he was in no mood to quarrel with him now.

"I can stand where I want, Potter," he said in the same voice somebody would say cockroach, "its a free school….even if it has gone to the dogs" He stared at Hermione and Rena.

"You're a mudblood too, aren't you? I can smell it."

"Shut up Malfoy!" Harry said his voice growing agitated. Draco Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest and snorted angrily. "Defending the weak are we Potter. To bad you cant defend your self against the Dementors…" Grabbe and Goyle sniggered again.

"Give me that" Draco said suddenly trying to pull the books out of Renas gasp. She held on firmly and showed a surprising amount of strength for such a puny body. Harry and Ron had risen and Harry was flexing his hands furiously.

"Stop it Malfoy, and go away!" he ordered.

Malfoy won the tug of war and the book ripped at the seam, the pages fluttered at the floor. Rena stared at her ruined book horror-struck, she didn't say anything but started to gather up the lose pages quickly.

"Look what you did!" Ron called angrily.

Malfoys lip curled and he shrugged. "Feh, that wouldn't have happened if she could afford new books!"

Ron was about to jump across the table and at Malfoys throat, but Harry held him back and nudged his shoulder. Professor Snape was coming in their direction, walking with short and quick steps. His face was set in an emotionless stone mask, but his eyes were like an angry storm.

Rena quickly straightened up, the papers fluttering to the floor again. She stared down in the ground and shuffled her feet anxiously. Ron and Harry sat down quickly, but Malfoy set his face in a triumphant grin.

"Is there a problem here?" Professor Snape asked in a low and tight voice.

"Somebody can't seem to take care of their books, Professor" Malfoy said in a bittersweet voice and indicated to the thorn pages on the floor and then he held up Ginnys ink stained books. Ginny had turned brightly red and her lower lip was quivering in fear and hatred

"I despise being lied to so boldly Mr. Malfoy, especially when I have seen the truth with my own eyes" he spoke slowly and it took them a couple of minutes to register what he was saying. Malfoys face fell and Grabbe and Goyle quickly stared to back off.

"I hate even more to take points from my own house, but you leave me with no choice" he was biting off the words as he spoke them and Malfoy was looked shocked and bewildered.

"Twenty points from Slytherin and you will re-place both Ms. Epans and Ms. Weasleys books. Do I make my self clear or do I need to write a letter to your father?" Snape asked and leaned closer to Malfoy. Malfoy shook his head quickly and swallowed heavily.

"Very well. In the future I would appreciate it immensely" he paused "if you would stay out of trouble" Malfoy nodded eagerly and Snape gave a pleasant smile that only a snake could manage.

"Now, Ms. Epans, a word in my office, if I may…." Snape turned around, his black cloak swirling, and started to walk away. Rena bent down and quickly gathered her papers and then she gave them an embarrassed look before she hurried after him. Malfoy snorted and then he to left, leaving the others dumbstruck.

"Was that Snape!" Ron finally exploded.

"What happened to him?" Ginny asked "Is he sick?"
"Hope it lasts" Harry muttered still bewildered.

"Maybe somebody put a charm on him?" Ron suggested.

"I loved the look on Malfoys face though" Hermione said and smiled.

"I have never seen him so pissed-off!" Harry continued "and he usually gets angry just by seeing me"

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