Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November. Gryffindor were not out of the running after all, although they could not afford to lose another match. Wood became repossessed with his manic energy, and worked his team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December.
Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies.
To everyone's delight except Harry's, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term.
"Harry's going to be left out again." Bree said to Fred and George.
"Yep." George agreed.
"Shame really. No third year should have to miss out on the wonders of Hogsmade." Fred stated.
"Too bad we can't do anything for him." Bree said.
The twins looked at each other, turned away, and began whispering. After about a minute they turned back to Bree.
"You two have an idea?" she asked.
Fred pulled out a large, square, very worn piece of parchment with nothing written on it.
Bree stared at it.
"What's this?" she inquired.
"This is the secret of our success," George explained, patting the parchment fondly.
"We've decided that Harry needs it more than we do." Fred said.
"What does it do?" Bree asked.
George took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP
It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing.
"Do these lead into Hogsmeade?" Bree asked, pointing to several passages that went off the map.
"Yeah. Filch knows about four of them, and the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor caved in last winter. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes, so we figure that Harry can use that one to get to Hogsmade." Fred explained.
"Mischief managed." George said, tapping the map with his wand again.
"I see. Good to know that Harry won't be missing out this time." Bree said.
On the day of the Hogsmeade weekend Fred and George went to give Harry the map. Bree had taken the opportunity to hurry ahead and prepare an ambush snowball fight, with the help of Lee Jordan.
When the twins finally arrived they were immediately assaulted with snowballs. The twins quickly took cover and began firing back. While the sides should have been clear cut, George and Lee kept switching sides. The fight ended when George "kidnapped" Bree and carried her into town. Fred and Lee mounted a rescue mission that ended in front of the three broomsticks when George released his "hostage" so that they could go in and get some butter-beer.
When they got back to the school Fred and George set off half a dozen Dungbombs. Bree went to bed early because she had to be on the train the next morning.
Before leaving for her Grandmother's house, Bree egged the Dursley's front and stuffed bacon up their drain spout. She had decided to make the egging parts of the house and hiding bacon a Christmas tradition.
For Christmas, Bree and her parents to her Father's Mother's house, where they would spend a day, before heading to America where they would stay in California with her Mother's Parents. Next year they would be visiting her Father's Father at his currently-under-construction-house in Australia. To Bree the whole thing seemed to be part of her paternal Grandparents "Look-how-good-I'm-doing-without-you" contest that had developed after their divorce, but whatever.
While in California, Bree visited the San Diego Zoo, where she accidentally discovered that there was a magical portion when she leaned against a wall in the reptile house. She quickly returned to the muggle portion, but not before catching a glimpse of a Runespoor. She didn't bring it up with her parents until later, because they were with her Grandparents and her Aunt, all of whom were quit muggle.
Bree got back to her home in England a day before she had to go back to Hogwarts. On that day two wizards came to the door. One was a large bearded man and the other was a woman with bright pink hair.
"Hello. I'm Bob from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and this is Nymphadora Tonks from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." the man said to Bree's mother after she answered the door.
"Call me Tonks." the woman put in.
"May we speak with Bree Smith?" Bob asked.
"What did she do?" Mrs. Smith asked.
"Nothing. Nothing." Bob assured. "We are here to ask her a few questions about the Hippogriff attack she endured in September." he explained.
Mrs. Smith let the two Ministry employees in.
"Why do you want to know about the attack?" Bree asked once they were seated in the living room.
"We just need to establish what happened in order to be sure that nothing criminal happened." Bob answered.
Bree rolled her eyes. "I figured that much out, what I meant was, why now?" she said.
"Lucius Malfoy wanted an inquiry. He's insisting that the hippogriff be put to death." Tonks replied..
"So what do you want to know?" Bree questioned.
"Just tell us what you remember about that day." Bob told her.
Bree thought for a moment. "It was the first Care of Magical creatures lesson, and Hagrid led us into the forest. Then he went and led the Hippogriffs out."
"What was he using to control them?" Bob interrupted.
"Ah, leather collars and chains." Bree answered. Bob motioned for her to continue.
"Right. So he told us exactly what we needed to do in order to safely approach a hippogriff."
Bob interrupted again. "What did he tell you?" he inquired.
"They Hippogriffs are proud, and never to insult one." Bree explained "He said to get near one you have to bow and if it bows back then you can go near it, and if it doesn't then you got to back away quick. But I noticed that Malfoy wasn't listening. He was talking to Crabbe and Goyle… So after he told us what we had to do, Hagrid asked for a volunteer. Harry stepped forward and Hagrid brought Buckbeak forward. Harry bowed, then Buckbeak bowed, so Harry was allowed to go near him… Harry petted Buckbeak, then Hagrid let him ride Buckbeak."
"He rode the Hippogriff?" Tonks asked incredulously.
Bree nodded. "Yeah, they went once around the paddock, then landed. Everyone was a lot less nervous after that, so we all climbed into the paddock, and everyone was doing well with the other Hippogriffs, but I went over to Buckbeak 'cause Malfoy was there. He was saying how interacting with the Hippogriffs was very easy, and that he knew it was because Harry could do it. He said that Buckbeak wasn't dangerous, then he called him a… a "great ugly brute" I believe it was."
"Are you sure that's what he said?" Bob asked.
"Yeah. So then I tackled Malfoy out of the way and Buckbeak got my shoulder." Bree had begun playing with the collar of her shirt, which drew attention to her scars. While the had faded somewhat, they still stood out against the rest of her skin. "Hagrid restrained Buckbeak and took me up to the hospital wing, and Madame Pomfrey fixed me up."
"Thank you. I believe we have everything we need." Bob stated as he left.
The next day when Bree arrived back at school, she found out that Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren't getting along.
Harry had received a Firebolt for Christmas. The Firebolt was the fastest broomstick currently on the market. The broomstick had been sent anonymously and apparently Hermione had been worried that Sirius Black had sent it. She had informed McGonagall and McGonagall had confiscated the broom and was having Professor Flitwick and Madam Hooch strip it down in order to look for jinxes. Ron and Harry weren't happy with this and were rather angry with their bushy haired friend.
Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs. The first Divination lesson of the new term was much less fun; Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry that he had the shortest life line she had ever seen.
After Defense Against the Dark Arts Bree walked to dinner with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Still looks ill, doesn't he?" said Ron as they walked down the corridor, heading to dinner.
"What d'you reckon's the matter with him?"
There was a loud and impatient "tuh" from behind them. It was Hermione, who had been sitting at the feet of a suit of armor, repacking her bag, which was so full of books it wouldn't close.
"And what are you tutting at us for?" said Ron irritably.
"Nothing." said Hermione in a lofty voice, heaving her bag back over her shoulder.
"Yes, you were." Ron argued. "I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you —"
"Well, isn't it obvious?" Hermione asked, with a look of maddening superiority.
"If it were obvious he wouldn't be asking." Bree responded dryly.
"If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Ron.
"Fine." said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off.
"She doesn't know." said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again."
"It's just a broom." Bree muttered.
Harry and Ron stared at her in disbelief.
"It's a Firebolt. It's" Bree interrupted Ron.
"It's a cleaning implement. Now if it were a Maserati or a Ferrari I'd understand." she stated.
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked in a confused manner.
"Cars, Ron. Cars. Fast, beautiful machines that are like high-speed works of art." Bree explained with an air of longing in her voice.
"I don't see what's so great about them." Ron mumbled.
Bree glared at him. "Your only experience with a car is a Ford Anglia. Bulky square thing. What I'm talking about are modern streamlined high performance vehicles, with perfect curves." Bree had a smile on her face that grew as she spoke.
They arrived at the Great Hall and Bree went to go sit with the twins.
As I was writing this chhapter I realized something. I think that Draco might owe Bree a Life Debt. Sure the hippogriff wouldn't have killed him if Bree hadn't of tackled him, but he dosen't know that.
What do you think?
Review please.
