THE RAVENCLAW MATCH
It looked like the end of the little group they had. Ron was angry at Hermione because of Crookshanks, and Simran supported Hermione in the matter. Ron completely stopped talking to the other two.
Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him, and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron's head in the Magical Menagerie. Simran was a cat person, who liked all things cat argued for Hermione, saying even if it was true that Crookshanks ate Scabbers, it was only due to instinct and Ron cannot blame Hermione.
Personally, Natasha was also with Hermione in the matter, but did not want to side with anyone publicly in the matter, so she tried to maintain equal distance between the both.
"Come on, Ron! Talk with her about this matter.", Natasha begged Ron one day.
"I will talk to her only if she comes and talks to me and apologise to me.", Ron argued. Natasha knew that, it was not good to argue more.
When she tried to talk to Simran and Hermione, they said the same thing. "When Ron realises that, Hermione is not the one to blame here, I will talk to him.", Simran said.
"Guys, you can't fight like this forever.", Simran said.
"That is debatable.", Simran said angrily. Natasha knew that, this was also completely hopeless.
Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.
"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was," said Fred bracingly. "And he's been off-colour for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly - one swallow - he probably didn't feel a thing."
"Fred!" said Ginny indignantly. "That is absolutely not the nicest thing to say!"
"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself," said George. " I don't think even I would keep such a pet for long."
"He bit Goyle for us once!" Ron said miserably. "Remember, Natasha?"
"Yeah, that's true," said Natasha.
"His finest hour," said Fred, unable to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat, what's the point of moaning?"
"This is absolutely not working.", Natasha thought. Ron and Simran were pressuring her to take a proper side, but Natasha just didn't want to. A fight between friends was something that she never wanted.
In a last-ditch attempt to bring them all together again, Natasha persuaded him to come along to the Gryffindor team's final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could have a ride on the Firebolt after they'd finished. This did seem to take Ron's mind off Scabbers for a moment ("Great! Can I try and shoot a few goals on it?"). Natasha then invited Simran and Hermione to join. She thought that, bringing them together to watch the practise will make them talk to each other. Hermione said that, she could not come due to her workload but Simran was eager to come. But when they started leaving for the practise, Simran saw that Ron was also coming.
"Is he also coming?", Simran asked.
"Yeah. He was also interested.", Natasha said. "I hope that, both of you don't have any problems with this.", Natasha asked.
The both of them just shook their heads without saying a word. That is a good first step, Natasha thought happily. It was a first step for friendship, maybe even more, Natasha thought with a smile looking at Ron and Simran. Natasha knew that, Simran had feelings for Ron and was very sure that it was not a one way love.
Madam Hooch, who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Natasha, was just as impressed with the Firebolt as everyone else had been. She took it in her hands before takeoff and gave them the benefit of her professional opinion.
"Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end - you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows - a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too..."
She continued in this vein for some time, until Wood said, "Er - Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Natasha has the Firebolt back? We need to practice..."
"Oh - right - here you are, then, Potter," said Madam Hooch. "I'll sit over here with Weasley and Simran."
She and the other two left the field to sit in the stadium, and the Gryffindor team gathered around Wood for his final instructions for tomorrow's match.
"Natasha, I've just found out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. It's Cho Chang. She's a fourth year, and she's pretty good...I really hoped she wouldn't be fit, she's had some problems with injuries..." Wood scowled his displeasure that Cho Chang had made a full recovery, then said, "On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt." He gave Natasha's broom a look of fervent admiration, then said, "Okay, everyone, let's go -"
Natasha had heard about Cho Chang, and heard the rumours that even she was after Cedric. This had made Cho a rival in Natasha's eyes. Rivals in love, rivals in game, Natasha thought.
And at long last, Natasha mounted her Firebolt, and kicked off from the ground.
It was better than she'd ever dreamed. The Firebolt turned with the lightest touch; it seemed to obey her thoughts rather than her grip; it sped across the field at such speed that the stadium turned into a green-and-grey blur; Natasha turned it so sharply that Alicia Spinnet screamed, then she went into a perfectly controlled dive, brushing the grassy field with her toes before rising thirty, forty, fifty feet into the air again. Natasha knew that, what she was doing was dangerous, but somehow knew that, it was possible.
"Natasha, I'm letting the Snitch out!" Wood called. His eyes full of excitement.
Natasha turned and raced a Bludger toward the goal posts; she outstripped it easily, saw the Snitch dart out from behind Wood, and within ten seconds had caught it tightly in her hand.
The team cheered madly. Natasha let the Snitch go again, gave it a minute's head start, then tore after it, weaving in and out of the others; she spotted it lurking near Katie Bell's knee, looped her easily, and caught it again.
It was the best practice ever; the team, inspired by the presence of the Firebolt in their midst, performed their best moves faultlessly, and by the time they hit the ground again, Wood didn't have a single criticism to make, which, as George Weasley pointed out, was a first.
"I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow!" said Wood. "Not unless - Natasha, you've sorted out your Dementor problem, haven't you?"
"Yeah," said Natasha, thinking of her feeble Patronus and wishing it were stronger. But she was feeling more confident than she was a week ago. She knew that, with Firebolt in hand it will be difficult for the other teams to beat them.
"The Dementors won't turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledore'd go ballistic," said Fred confidently.
"Well, let's hope not," said Wood. "Anyway - good work, everyone. Let's get back to the tower...turn in early..."
"I'm staying out for a bit; Ron wants a go on the Firebolt," Natasha told Wood, and while the rest of the team headed off to the locker rooms, Natasha strode over to Ron, who vaulted the barrier to the stands and came to meet her. Madam Hooch had fallen asleep in her seat, and Simran was sitting next to her watching Ron and her.
"Here you go," said Natasha, handing Ron the Firebolt.
Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Natasha and Simran walked around the edge of the field, watching him.
"Did you talk to him?", Natasha asked Simran.
"No. He didn't talk to me, so I did not bother him. Was that the reason why you brought me here? So that, you can try and make us talk?", Simran asked.
"No. I mean, yes. I am sick and tired of this nonsense fight.", Natasha said the truth.
"I am sick and tired of Ron's attitude. My policy is this 'If you show me love, I will show a hundred times more love. But if you show attitude, I will show thousand times of that thing'". Simran said and walked back to the castle.
Night had fallen before Madam Hooch awoke with a start, told Natasha and Ron off for not waking her, and insisted that they go back to the castle.
Natasha shouldered the Firebolt and she and Ron walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolt's superbly smooth action, its phenomenal acceleration, and its pinpoint turning. Natasha knew that, discussing about the fight will give the same result as Simran. They were halfway toward the castle when Natasha, glancing to her left, saw a pair of eyes, gleaming out of the darkness.
"What's the matter?" said Ron.
Natasha pointed. Ron pulled out his wand and muttered, "Lumos!"
A beam of light fell across the grass, hit the bottom of a tree, and illuminated its branches; there, crouching among the budding leaves, was Crookshanks.
"Get out of here!" Ron roared, and he stooped down and seized a stone lying on the grass, but before he could do anything else, Crookshanks had vanished with one swish of his long ginger tail.
"See?" Ron said furiously, chucking the stone down again. "She's still letting him wander about wherever he wants - probably washing down Scabbers with a couple of birds now..."
"For the last time, Ron. Just talk to Hermione. The fight does nothing to you other than harm!", Natasha said angrily.
"I will talk to them only when, Hermione apologises to me for that.", Ron said.
"What about Simran? I don't think she has done anything to you.", Natasha said.
"She did not even look at my face during the practise.", Ron argued
Natasha didn't say anything for that. They set off for the castle once more. When she reached the took a small bath first, and then went to talk with Hermione and Simran. But Hermione was still very busy with her work, and this was affecting her health very badly.
"For the last time, Hermione! I suggest you drop one or two of these subjects!", Natasha said. "Its taking a heavy toll on you!"
"Natasha is right. The dark circles around your eyes are becoming bigger every day. You will fall seriously ill, if you continue this.", Simran said.
"I am sure that, I can handle this.", Hermione said in a really tired voice.
"Hermione! I will write to your mother if I have to.", Natasha said.
"Please don't. She will be extremely worried.", Hermione begged. "I will drop these subjects, as and when I feel it is out of my league."
Natasha did not want to argue more, but decided to keep more closer watch on Hermione so that, if she becomes really tired and still doesn't drop the classes she could write to Mrs. Granger.
Natasha went down to breakfast the next morning with the rest of the people in Gryffindor, all of whom seemed to think the Firebolt deserved a sort of guard of honor. As Natasha entered the Great Hall, heads turned in the direction of the Firebolt, and there was a good deal of excited muttering. Natasha saw that the Slytherin team were all looking thunderstruck.
"Did you see his face?" said Ron gleefully, looking back at Malfoy. "He can't believe it! This is brilliant!"
Wood, too, was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolt.
"Put it here, Natasha," he said, laying the broom in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so that its name faced upward. People from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were soon coming over to look. Percy's Ravenclaw girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asked if she could actually hold the Firebolt.
"Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!" said Percy heartily as she examined the Firebolt closely. "Penelope and I have got a bet on," he told the team. "Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!"
Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Natasha, and went back to her table.
"Natasha - make sure you win," said Percy, in an urgent whisper. "I haven't got ten Galleons. Yes, I'm coming, Penny!" And he bustled off to join her in a piece of toast.
Cedric then came to her when she was going to take her wand which she had forgotten to take and said, "Congratulations, Natasha. This is a really good broom that you have got."
"Worried that, you can't beat me anymore?", Natasha asked playfully.
"I am sure you know that, the outcome of the match doesn't always depend on the speed, Natasha.", Cedric said with a smile.
"I know, because if it was true, we would have got pummelled by Slytherin last year.", Natasha said with a smile.
"Well, I wish you best of luck.", Cedric said and kissed her in her cheek.
"T-thank you.", Natasha stammered. "Did he just kiss me?", she thought. She was blushing too much. She then turned and saw Simran and Hermione giggling. They just nodded at her. Thankfully no one else saw the conversation.
At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldn't have been more different from their match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and Natasha, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring. They could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. Natasha took off her black school robes, removed her wand from her pocket, and stuck it inside the top she was going to wear under her Quidditch robes. She only hoped she wouldn't need it. She wondered suddenly whether Professor Lupin was in the crowd, watching.
"You know what we've got to do," said Wood as they prepared to leave the locker rooms. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running. just - just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be okay!"
"We are going to win this one, Oliver!", Natasha said with determination.
"We definitely are!", the other members of the team joined her.
They walked out onto the field to tumultuous applause. The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the field. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Natasha by about a head, and Natasha couldn't help noticing, angry looks that she was giving her. She looked at Natasha with an angry face as the teams faced each other behind their captains, and she just gave her a smile. Natasha thought that, it would make her feel that her tactics of intimidation are not working.
"Wood, Davies, shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly, and Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw Captain.
"Mount your brooms ... on my whistle ... three - two - one -"
Natasha kicked off into the air and the Firebolt zoomed higher and faster than any other broom; she soared around the stadium and began squinting around for the Snitch, listening all the while to the commentary, which was being provided by the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan.
"They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Natasha Potter who is one of the best looking girls is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship, "
"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted Professor McGonagall's voice.
"Right you are, Professor - just giving a bit of background information - the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and -"
"Jordan! Enough. Now go back to the match!"
"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor, heading for goal..."
Natasha streaked past Katie in the opposite direction, gazing around for a glint of gold and noticing that Cho Chang was tailing her closely. She was undoubtedly a very good flier - she kept cutting across her, forcing her to change direction. Natasha glared at her, and she just gave her a smirk. Natasha knew that, she had to show the girl who was the boss here.
"Show her your acceleration, Natasha!" Fred yelled as he whooshed past in pursuit of a Bludger that was aiming for Alicia.
Natasha urged the Firebolt forward as they rounded the Ravenclaw goal posts and Cho fell behind. Just as Katie succeeded in scoring the first goal of the match, and the Gryffindor end of the field went wild, she saw it - the Snitch was close to the ground, flitting near one of the barriers.
Natasha dived; Cho saw what she was doing and tore after her - Natasha was speeding up, excitement flooding her; dives were her specialty, she was ten feet away -
Then a Bludger, hit by one of the Ravenclaw Beaters, came pelting out of nowhere; Natasha veered off course, avoiding it by an inch, and in those few, crucial seconds, the Snitch had vanished.
There was a great "Ooooooh" of disappointment from the Gryffindor supporters, but much applause for their Beater from the Ravenclaw end. George Weasley vented his feelings by hitting the second Bludger directly at the offending Beater, who was forced to roll right over in midair to avoid it.
"Better luck next time.", Cho said to her with a evil grin.
"Thank you for your confidence in me.", Natasha retorted back.
"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn - Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision - balance is really noticeable in these long -"
"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"
Ravenclaw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead - if Cho got the Snitch before her, Ravenclaw would win. Natasha dropped lower, narrowly avoiding a Ravenclaw Chaser, scanning the field frantically - a glint of gold, a flutter of tiny wings - the Snitch was circling the Gryffindor goal post...
Natasha accelerated, eyes fixed on the speck of gold ahead - but just then, Cho appeared out of thin air, blocking her, with a nasty grin again.
"NATASHA, THIS IS NO TIME TO PLAY NICE" Wood roared as Natasha swerved to avoid a collision. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"
The Snitch had vanished again. Natasha turned her Firebolt upward and was soon twenty feet above the game. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cho following her ...She'd decided to mark her rather than search for the Snitch herself...All right, then...if she wanted to tail her, she'd have to take the consequences.
"You have some really bad tactics you know. Following me around, and not looking for the snitch yourself.", Natasha taunted Cho.
She dived again, and Cho, thinking she'd seen the Snitch, tried to follow; Natasha pulled out of the dive very sharply; she hurtled downward; she rose fast as a bullet once more, and then saw it, for the third time - the Snitch was glittering way above the field at the Ravenclaw end.
She accelerated; so, many feet below, did Cho. She was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second - then -
"Oh!" screamed Cho, pointing.
Distracted, Natasha looked down.
Three Dementors, three tall, black, hooded Dementors, were looking up at her.
She didn't stop to think. Plunging a hand down the neck of her robes, she whipped out her wand and roared, "Expecto patronum!"
Something silver-white, something enormous, erupted from the end of her wand. She knew it had shot directly at the Dementors but didn't pause to watch; her mind still miraculously clear, she looked ahead - she was nearly there. She stretched out the hand still grasping her wand and just managed to close her fingers over the small, struggling Snitch. She knew, that they had won the match and grinned widely.
Madam Hooch's whistle sounded. Natasha turned around in midair and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on her; next moment, the whole team was hugging her so hard she was nearly pulled off her broom. Down below she could hear the roars of the Gryffindors in the crowd. When she looked at Cho, she saw that she was giving her a nasty face and went to meet her team mates.
"That's my girl!" Wood kept yelling. Alicia, Angelina, and Katie had all kissed Natasha. Fred had given her one hell of a handshake that Natasha felt as though her palm would come off any second. would come off In complete disarray, the team managed to make its way back to the ground. Natasha got off her broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the field, Ron in the lead. Before she knew it, she had been engulfed by the cheering crowd.
"Yes!" Ron yelled, yanking Natasha's arm into the air. "Yes! Yes!"
Simran and Hermione also came and hugged Natasha and were grinning widely. "Diggory's kiss made wonders huh?", Simran asked with a grin. Natasha just blushed.
"Well done, Natasha!" said Percy, looking delighted. "Ten Galleons to me! Must find Penelope, excuse me -"
"Good for you, Natasha!" roared Seamus Finnigan.
"Ruddy brilliant!" boomed Hagrid over the heads of the milling Gryffindors.
"That was quite some Patronus," said a voice in Natasha's ear.
Natasha turned around to see Professor Lupin, who looked both shaken and pleased.
"The Dementors didn't affect me at all!" Natasha said excitedly. "I didn't feel a thing!"
"That would be because they - er - weren't Dementors," said Professor Lupin. "Come and see - "
She led Natasha out of the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the field.
"You gave Mr. Flint quite a fright," said Lupin.
Natasha stared. Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team Captain, all struggling to remove themselves from long, black, hooded robes. It looked as though Malfoy had been standing on Goyle's shoulders. Standing over them, with an expression of the utmost fury on her face, was Professor McGonagall.
"An unworthy trick!" she was shouting. "A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake! Ah, here he comes now!"
If anything could have set the seal on Gryffindor's victory, it was this. Her friends, who had fought their way through to Natasha's side, doubled up with laughter as they watched Flint fighting to extricate himself from the robe, Goyle's head still stuck inside it.
"Come on, Natasha!" said George, fighting his way over. "Party! Gryffindor common room, now!"
"Right," said Natasha, and feeling happier than she had in ages, she and the rest of the team led the way, still in their scarlet robes, out of the stadium and back up to the castle.
It felt as though they had already won the Quidditch Cup; the party went on all day and well into the night. Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets. Simran was also talking excitedly to Ron as though they were not fighting. The atmosphere was so happy, that they forgot about their whole fight.
"How did you do that?" squealed Angelina Johnson as George started throwing Peppermint Toads into the crowd.
"With a little help from Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," Fred muttered in Natasha's ear.
Only one person wasn't joining in the festivities. Hermione, incredibly, was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles. Natasha broke away from the table where Fred and George had started juggling butterbeer bottles and went over to her.
"Come on, Hermione, come and have some food," Natasha said, looking over at Ron and wondering whether he was in a good enough mood to bury the hatchet seeing that he was at least temporarily made up with Simran.
"I can't, Natasha. I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!" said Hermione, now sounding slightly hysterical. "Anyway..." She glanced over at Ron too. "He doesn't want me to join in."
"There is nothing like that. See,", Natasha pointed to Simran and Ron.
But then Ron chose that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them -"
Hermione burst into tears. Simran gave Ron a very angry look and slapped him on his cheek. Ron just stood there with a stunned look. Everybody in the room stopped the festivities for a moment and stared at Ron. He just stood there red-faced. Before Natasha could say or do anything, Hermione tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls' dormitories and out of sight. Simran also followed Hermione.
"You deserved that.", Natasha said to Ron angrily.
"Not you too!", Ron complained.
"You should not have told such things to her.", Natasha said. The festivities had resumed just after that. Natasha went to her common room to console the other two.
She found Hermione sobbing in her bed, and Simran was trying to console her. "I have given him what he deserved, Hermione. Now cheer up."
"Yeah, that was a well deserved slap.", Natasha said.
"I-I just hate it when people accuse of thing I am not responsible for. H-how could I have m-made sure that C-Crookshanks will not attack S-Scabbers", Hermione asked while sobbing.
"He is just a git sometimes.", Natasha said.
"I have no idea, what happened to him this year. He was so nice last year.", Simran said.
"That is a very good question.", Natasha agreed. Then they talked to each other for sometime and went to their beds. Natasha climbed into bed, twitched the hangings of her four-poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight, lay back, and felt herself almost instantly drifting off to sleep...
The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net at one in the morning, to insist that they all go to bed.
Natasha had a very strange dream. She was walking through a forest, with Firebolt over her shoulder, following something silvery-white. It was winding its way through the trees ahead, and he could only catch glimpses of it between the leaves. Anxious to catch up with it, he sped up, but as he moved faster, so did her quarry. Natasha broke into a run, and ahead she heard hooves gathering speed. Now he was running flat out, and ahead she could hear galloping. Then he turned a corner into a clearing and -
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Natasha woke as a scream came from somewhere outside. By the sound of it, it had come from the boy's side. She then opened the curtains and found in the glow of other girls' wand that all had woken up. She could hear footsteps going down.
"What's going on?", Simran asked with a sleepy voice.
"I think the scream came from the boys' side.", Parvati said.
"Let's go down and check it.", Natasha suggested and everyone went down to the common room
Ron was near the opening of the common room, with a look of utmost terror on his face.
"Black! Sirius Black! With a knife! He was in there"
"What?", Natasha asked terrified.
"There! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!"
"You sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?", asked Lavender. "and why would Black come there?"
"I tell you, he was here!", Ron said again. "I don't know how."
The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserted.
"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?"
"I'm telling you, I saw him!"
"What's all the noise?"
"Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!"
Many other people also came down from their dormitories as they stood there.
"Excellent, are we carrying on?" said Fred Weasley brightly.
"Everyone back upstairs!" said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke.
"Percy - Sirius Black!" said Ron faintly. "In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"
The common room went very still.
"Nonsense!" said Percy, looking startled. "You had too much to eat, Ron - had a nightmare -"
"I'm telling you -"
"Now, really, enough's enough!"
Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.
"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"
"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare -"
"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"
Professor McGonagall stared at him.
"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"
"Ask him!" said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture. "Ask him if he saw -"
Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath. "Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"
"Certainly, good lady!" cried Sir Cadogan.
There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.
"You - you did?" said Professor McGonagall. "But - but the password!"
"He had 'em!" said Sir Cadogan proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"
Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd. She was white as chalk.
"Which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"
There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to fluffy slippered toes, raised his hand slowly into the air.