The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The day after everyone spent the night in the Great Hall Harry explained the events leading up to that night. How Sirius Black had broken into the Gryffindor Common Room looking for Harry, he had destroyed the Fat Lady's portrait and now there was a replacement, a knight named Sir Cadogan. No one was a fan. Theories about how Black could've gotten into the castle grew wilder as the days passed. Jade wrote to her parents about the recent break-in and when she got a letter back she expected her parents to be frightened, to ask if she was alright, to ask for more detail… but her mother's response was short.

I'm sure it did cause quite a stir. Tell Harry not to worry too much about it. Sirius would never harm him.

Jade didn't know what to make of it. She was confused and irritated. She had gone on about how nervous everyone was and how dementors were at their school actively guarding against the escaped prisoner. How would that not warrant a bit more concern from her mother? It was very unlike her mother to not be worried for Jade's safety and it made Jade want to ask her mother more about Sirius Black but she doubted her father wanted to speak about it.

"Jade?" Hermione touched Jade's arm gently and Jade brought her attention back to what was going on in front of her. Jade was standing in the middle of a corridor with Harry, Hermione, and Ron in front of Professor McGonagall.

"If you all would follow me, I'd like a word in my office." Professor McGonagall said, changing her glance from Jade to Harry. They followed her silently until they were in her office and she closed the door behind them. "There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter." McGonagall spoke seriously, "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black-"

"I know he's after me," Harry interrupted her. "I heard Ron's dad telling his mum. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic." Professor McGonagall wasn't expecting that, she stared at Harry for a moment before saying,

"I see! Well, in that case, Potter, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members... it's very exposed, Potter."

"We've got our first match on Saturday!" Harry objected. "I've got to train, Professor!" McGonagall stared at him, considering this. The others stood by Harry's side waiting to hear what Professor McGonagall would decide. Jade wanted Harry to play, she enjoyed watching him. But, if he didn't play, the Gryffindor team wouldn't have a Seeker and the replacement for Harry wouldn't be as good and the Slytherin team would have an easier time beating Gryffindor. Jade shooed the thought away as quickly as it entered her mind, it was a selfish thought, besides there'd be no challenge in that.

"Well, goodness knows I'd like to see us win the Cup at last…" McGonagall walked towards the tall window in her office. "But all the same, Potter, I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions." There, a win-win. Unfortunately, the weather got worse as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Jade was excited nonetheless, there'd be a quidditch match on Saturday and then her birthday was the next day.

There was a change of plans that no one had seen coming the day before the match. Jade often ate breakfast with her Gryffindor friends, Pansy and the others weren't fond of it but Jade was trying to spread her time out equally. The Gryffindor quidditch team captain, Oliver Wood, slid in next to Fred Weasley with a frustrated expression on his face.

"What's up, Captain?" Fred smiled, "Not getting nervous now, are we?"

"We're not playing Slytherin!" He told them.

"What do you mean we're not playing Slytherin?"

"Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" Jade asked and Wood's burning gaze turned towards her.

"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," His jaw flexed as he ground his teeth together. "But it's obvious why they're doing it; they don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances." A bad storm had started that morning and a low rumble of thunder could be heard from outside.

"Like they'd back down because of the weather." Jade rolled her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" Harry groaned, tired of saying it multiple times. "He's faking it!" Draco's arm had been free from the sling for a short while now but he'd still get random flares off pain if he overworked it. It was a big gash, makes sense it needs a longer time to heal. Even though Jade wanted to defend her friend, this was obviously not the time or place if she didn't want to be kicked out of their conversation.

"And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory-" The girls on the team suddenly giggled. "What?" Wood asked.

"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" Angelina asked.

"Strong and silent," Katie added before they started giggling again. Jade had never heard of him, she might ask Theo, he had a few Hufflepuff friends.

"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," Fred said impatiently. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood's voice rose and Jade shared a look with Harry. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this, we mustn't relax. We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us. We must win!" Jade could see what the others had been talking about before, Oliver Wood was only concerned with winning the Cup this year and it made him frantic.

"Oliver, calm down, mate." Fred placed a hand on his arm, "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously." Breakfast ended with the team talking in hushed tones about how they could turn around their previous approach for the match, Jade was lucky they let her stay.

Jade walked into a surprise at Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Lupin was gone and in place was Professor Snape. Snape grinned as the students looked alarmed as they walked in and quickly took their seats.

"Welcome." Snape drawled as he turned toward the blackboard.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" Jade could hear Pansy whisper behind her and Draco shrugged at Jade's side as he pulled his book out from his bag. "I will be filling in for Professor Lupin today," Snape said as he looked at the untidy handwriting on the board. "God, he has the writing of a ten-year-old," Snape muttered but it was just as loud as his normal voice in the silent room. "Take out your books." There was a mass scuffle as everyone quickly fiddled in their bag and there were soft thuds as their books hit the desks. Just then, the door opened and everyone turned to see Harry hurry inside,

"Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin. I-" He looked up to see that Professor Lupin wasn't there and he paled slightly at the sight of Snape.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter. So I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down." But Harry didn't move.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" He asked.

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," Snape smiled, "I believe I told you to sit down?" But again, Harry didn't move.

"What's wrong with him?" Snape's smile fell and turned into a faint snarl.

"Nothing life-threatening." He drawled, "Five more points from Gryffindor and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty." Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Professor Snape looked around at the class. "As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left me any record of the topics you have covered so far-"

"Please, sir, we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows," Hermione listed off quickly, "and we're just about to start-"

"Be quiet," Snape hissed. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Dean Thomas said boldly from his seat in the front, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Snape narrowed his eyes at the class.

"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you. I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss..." Snape flicked through the textbook and landed somewhere in the back. "Werewolves." He concluded.

"But, sir," Hermione grimaced, knowing she shouldn't speak but she couldn't help herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start Hinkypunks-"

"Miss Granger," Snape addressed her calmly, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again when no one had moved to find the page. "All of you! Now!" The class quickly opened their books. "Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" Snape asked. Jade glanced around, everyone sat in silence, this would be the time Hermione usually raised her hand and answered the question. On cue, Hermione's hand shot into the air. "Anyone?" Snape asked, ignoring Hermione and the wicked smile stretched his lips. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between-"

"We told you," One of the Parvarti twins spoke up, Jade had never seen the Gryffindors so bold to speak against Snape. "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on-"

"Silence!" Snape snarled. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…" The class was silent again, Draco smirked at her side, obviously enjoying the discomfort of the other half of class.

"Please, sir." Hermione spoke again, "The werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger." Snape sighed. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all." Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. Jade glared at Snape,

"Does she ever shut up?" Draco said and Crabbe and Goyle laughed in front of him.

"Do you?" Jade bit back and Draco glared at her. He hated it when she stood with her other friends against him.

"You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?" Ron spoke up and there was a sharp intake of breath around the room. Jade watched with wide eyes as Snape approached Ron slowly.

"Detention, Weasley," Snape said, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed." The class was silent for the rest of the lesson. They copied down notes about werewolves from their textbooks as Snape traveled up and down the rows of desks like he normally did. Snape grabbed an old paper from Neville and looked it over. "Very poorly explained. That is incorrect, the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia… Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three…" He let the parchment fall from his hand onto the desk and Neville quickly stuffed it back into his bag. When the bell finally rang, Snape stopped them before they could go. "You will each write an essay, to be handed into me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand." There was a low groan around the room, "Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention." Jade quickly left the room and Pansy audibly shivered at her side,

"Too tense for me." She sighed and Jade grunted in agreement.

"I thought Snape was going to blow when they all started arguing with him."

"I hope Professor Lupin gets better soon, that was the worst class we've had so far."

"I hope he wasn't too hard on Ron," Jade spoke, mostly as an afterthought.

"Are you kidding? He'll make him do something awful." Pansy smirked and Jade rolled her eyes, "Sorry, sorry."

The next morning, the storm outside had gotten worse. The thunder rumbled loudly through breakfast and the wind whistled outside the windows. Fred had pointed out Cedric Diggory and Jade looked over at the next table to see an older boy laughing with his friends. The girls had been right, he was very attractive, but the boys next to her grumbled about him. Saying he was too big to be a Seeker, Seekers were supposed to be light and quick and Cedric certainly didn't look the part.

"It's going to be a tough one," Wood told them, Jade felt strange when she sat with them during their otherwise team breakfasts. She felt like Oliver was talking to her as well but he wasn't. He was just allowing her to stay. Jade had no interest in playing quidditch, she loved to watch it, but quidditch seemed stressful. All of the practice and the stress of carrying your whole house, she had better ways to spend her time.

"Stop worrying, Oliver," Alicia said soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain." But it was considerably more than a bit of rain and when it was time for them to leave to get ready they walked with the rest of the school down to the pitch. The rain came down in a consistent sheet and the wind made it impossible to look where you were going by throwing rain into your eyes. Jade was angry at herself because she was so unprepared, she had walked with the Gryffindor team right out into the storm with no umbrella or any protection at all besides her cloak. She saw a few people struggle to open their umbrellas while others just ran to the pitch instead. Suddenly the rain stopped and Jade looked up to nothing but black.

"Your savior to the rescue," Draco smirked down at her and she rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't in need of saving." She told him, she was grateful that he'd come along but she wouldn't let him know, he'd hold onto it forever. "Remember when you were walking through the biggest storm of the year? I came to your rescue with nothing more than an umbrella." The voice in her head was ridiculous but she could picture Draco saying it.

"I don't want you all sick and sniveling on your birthday," Draco told her and she smiled,

"Thanks." Draco looked around them and realized he was surrounded by the Gryffindor quidditch team,

"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" He sighed loudly. Fred and George shot Draco a frightening glare that she'd never seen from them before and she looped her arm around Draco's and veered them away from the team.

"Don't pick a fight today, they're not in the mood." She warned him.

"Careful with the arm, love." He told her and she relaxed her hold on his arm.

"How is it today?" She asked.

"Better, maybe because I can't focus on it with the storm trying to rip the umbrella out of my hand." Jade smiled, now that the rain wasn't attacking her she felt better, the wind was still an issue but she could deal until they reached the stadium. Then she would be surrounded by other people for warmth and her mind would be on the game. By the time they'd reached their old spot in the stands, the rain or wind hadn't dwindled at all and Jade could barely see anything. The students in the lower stands began to cheer and Jade was guessing the teams were coming out onto the field even though she couldn't see them. A roll of thunder boomed above them and Jade ducked subconsciously as if lightning were going to hit her. Jade could barely hear the whistle signaling the match had begun but she saw the small specks of the teams as they took off into the storm. Each player looked a bit shaky at times, the wind fought against them as they played and Jade was worried Harry might get knocked off his broom at one point. It didn't take long until everyone was drenched and freezing, but they watched on and cheered. Jordan was trying to commentate the game but a lot of it was drowned out. The Slytherins cheered as Harry almost got unseated by a Bludger more than once and Hufflepuff continued to score. As the game went on it was almost impossible to see the players so Jade relied mostly on Jordan's unsure commentary. There was another sharp whistle and the specks of players made their way down onto the ground.

"What time is it?" Jade asked Draco over the rain and he wiped droplets off the face of his watch,

"Half-past two." Jade didn't realize how long the game had been going. Gryffindor was winning but not by much and if Harry or Cedric couldn't get a hold of the Snitch soon they could be playing into the afternoon. They were only on the ground for a minute or two and then back up they went. There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning that illuminated the stands. Another flash of lightning showed a large silhouette of something.

"What's that?" Jade asked as she pointed at the figure. "It kind of looks like-"

"The Grim!" Pansy shrieked. Pansy was right, the silhouette represented a big dog. It flashed again and Jade turned back towards the sky.

"Where's Harry?" Jade asked,

"Come on, you don't even believe the stuff that comes out of Trelawney's mouth," Draco said.

"Most of the stuff." Jade corrected him. "Where is he?"

"Potter's fine-"

"Find him!" Jade argued and Draco groaned as he turned his eyes towards the field.

"Jade," Draco muttered beside her,

"Did you find him?"

"No." Draco instead pointed at the few black whisps coming towards the stadium.

"What the hell?" Pansy squinted at the small figures that were quickly getting larger and a scream shushed the stands.

"The dementors." Jade gasped. The rain was falling and the wind was blowing but Jade couldn't focus on anything other than the dementors. A horribly familiar wave of cold swept over them, it was a different cold than the rain had brought, this cold seeped under Jade's skin and she felt it tighten her chest. They were only able to see a few at first, but as the dementors got closer they could see more on the way. They stopped above the stadium but they weren't focused on the students below, they were looking at something above them.

"Students! Evacuate the stadium, now!" Professor McGonagall's voice roared over the stadium and then the students began running down the stands, screaming and shoving to get out first.

"Jade, come on!" Blaise and Draco were pushing her away but Jade's eyes were looking down at the retreating quidditch teams. The Gryffindor team was standing right at the entrance of the locker rooms, staring up at the cloud. She only counted six players on the ground and she looked up at the dementors again.

"Wait! Where's Harry?" She tried to look through the black cloud of dementors but all she could see were just dark clouds.

"Who cares?" Draco groaned as he pulled her down the stands.

"No, wait! Draco, stop pushing me!" Jade tried to fight against the two boys.

"No!" He yelled back at her and she froze, Draco took this moment and exchanged a look with Blaise, both hooked an arm under Jade's and lifted her off the ground. "Let's get out of here, you can yell at me about it later."