Well, it's Friday and that means it's time for another chapter. And this time, we learn that the black knight always wins. And when the black knight is a Dementor, it really is just a flesh wound.

My thanks, as always, to everyone who has read. And more thanks to those of you who have reviewed. To the ever faithful Snood (to whom I proudly award the title), I enjoy writing their relationship as well and I'm glad it makes you smile. And Esdras is still looking into the Little Whinging attack, but most of the work is being done by Veras and the 8th Infantry who are on Azkaban where the action is. To the ever faithful KRP, Esdras could have held back all the attackers, but then he would have been in the crossfire. Besides, he was too busy with Katie. As for Dementors in the castle, I'm writing it like the rule is still in place, but not enforced. No one's going to complain in emergencies, but Dumbledore probably doesn't want them coming in for no reason. Also, the Assault cloaks (like all cloaks) can be charmed with the Mark 13 Inhibitior charms, depending on the situation. So when subduing prisoners, you feed, and when threatening toads, you don't.

All the rest of y'all should review as well. Review enough times and you'll get the moniker of "ever faithful" as well. I like hearing what other people think about my work, be it good or bad, so let me know.

And the usual notes would apply if there were any Azkabaaner in this chapter, I must be slipping. And I don't own HP.

Chapter 9 – It Can Always Be Worse

Esdras stared at Katie with wide, glowing green eyes. "Banned completely? And their brooms confiscated?"

Katie nodded sadly. "All three of them."

The Dementor sighed and floated backwards. "But Fred wasn't even involved in the fight. What the hell is that all about?"

The mortal leaned against the wall, looking completely tapped out. "Apparently he was in the wrong place at the wrong time." She rushed forward, falling against the Dementor, who quickly wrapped his arms around her. "But this is horrible for us! What are we going to do without those three?"

Esdras shook his head slowly, finally resting it atop her head as he held her tight. "I don't know, but you'll figure something out."

Katie pulled away to look up into his eyes and laughed suddenly. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this. It doesn't matter to you; it'll make us easier to beat without Harry or the twins."

She was met by a very serious expression and the Dementor leaned his forehead against hers. "If it matters to you, it matters to me. Nothing is more important to me than you."

The mortal pressed her body against the Dementor and sighed happily. "You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better." After a few moments, she pulled away again and looked at her watch. "I have to get going to Care of Magical Creatures."

The reply surprised her. "So do I." At her curious expression, Esdras continued. "I have a free period now, and Hagrid asked me if I could help him with the lesson, since he knows for sure I'll be able to see what he's teaching about."

Katie laughed as they walked out the main door and into the sunlight. "We're not learning how to care for Dementors, are we? Because I think I can do a pretty good job of that."

Esdras smirked and took her hand as they walked. "I don't doubt that at all. But no, it's not Dementors today."

The pair walked in comfortable silence until they reached the cottage of the groundskeeper. Outside, Hagrid sat on his front stoop and some of the other early students were waiting patiently on the grass. To the side of the cottage was a burlap covered wheelbarrow that emitted a foul smell. At the sight of the pair, the professor stood and lumbered towards them. "Esdras! It's mighty nice of you to help me out today. If you could just take the wheelbarrow into the forest and get them ready, I'll bring the class in when everyone is here."

Katie's eyes grew wide as she turned to face Esdras. "You're going into the forest? We're going into the forest?"

The Dementor smirked. "We're not going that far in. Besides, I'm a Dementor. I'll keep you safe."

And with that, he was gone, pushing the wheelbarrow ahead of him into the darkness of the forest. Katie waited patiently for class to begin, and when it did she paid precious little attention to Hagrid. Her attention was instead focused on the forest. It was a relief when they were finally led into the darkness and down a narrow trail to a clearing. In the center of the clearing, judging from the smell, was the contents of the wheelbarrow Esdras had been pushing, the carcass of a cow. However, there was no Dementor in sight. Katie pushed to the front of the crowd and looked to Hagrid. "Where is Esdras?"

The massive man did not reply, but merely pointed straight ahead. Coming into the clearing from the darkness of the forest was Esdras. He was in his natural Dementor form was and riding upon a terrifying, winged skeletal steed. Katie gasped and walked forward, as drawn to the sight as the rest of the class was repelled. Behind her, Hagrid was beginning the lesson. "Who here can see what Esdras is riding?"

Katie turned and nodded, she could see only two other people in the class with their hands up. She slowly approached the winged creature, which calmly regarded her with glassy white eyes. She reached out to touch its leathery wings, and the thestral made a sound of enjoyment. "What is it?"

Hagrid gestured to the forest again, where another of the winged creatures was entering the clearing and making a beeline for the dead cow. "They are thestrals, and keep doing that, Katie. They love having their wings scratched. They can only be seen by people who have witnessed death." He huffed slightly. "I had a devil of a time when I was showing them off to the fifth years yesterday. Not to mention with that Umbridge woman being there…" He shrugged jovially. "Anyway, I asked Esdras to help me today because I know he can see them."

Katie shook her head slowly. "But how can this be? I've never seen anyone die, but I can see them."

Esdras replied softly as he leaned against the neck of his steed. "You hold part of my soul within your own, my love. That part has seen death, so you in turn are able to see the thestrals. Did you not notice them drawing the carriages this year?"

The mortal blushed. "I was too afraid to say anything, and I knew you would protect me if they were dangerous."

As Hagrid continued on with the lesson, Esdras extended a hand down to Katie. "Want to go for a ride?"

Katie smirked softly and sighed dramatically. "The fierce black knight wishes to take me for a ride. Whatever shall I do?"

The Dementor smirked softly as she took his hand. With a quick tug, he pulled her up onto the back of the skeletal steed and held her close. His voice was soft in her ear. "It's very simple, you go with him. No one refuses the black knight."

The thestral ride served to cheer up Katie, but when Esdras saw her later at dinner, she was entirely too cheerful for it to have been the result of a mere horse ride. The proximity of three new faces to the Gryffindor Quidditch group worried Esdras, and by unspoken agreement between the Ravenclaws, he glided slowly over to the table and took the seat beside Katie. He gave her a quick kiss before addressing Angelina, the captain. "New friends, I see?"

The chaser smiled brightly. "It had to happen sooner or later, you know." She indicated new additions in turn. "Andrew Kirke, Jack Sloper, our new beaters. And you know Ginny, of course, our new seeker."

Esdras nodded and quickly changed forms, taking his Dementor form and lowering his hood. The result was surprising, Kirke and Sloper both screamed and fell backwards off the bench, landing on the floor and knocking themselves unconscious. Ginny, however, remained unfazed. The slender redhead glared. "Did you have to do that?"

Katie thumped him hard on the shoulder. "Damned it, Esdras. We don't need things like this happening to them again."

The Dementor retook his mortal form and smirked. "What do you mean by again?"

Katie's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she looked back to her plate. "Nothing, nothing at all."

Angelina, however, simply sighed and looked up from her position where she was trying to wake up the pair of unconscious beaters. "Might as well tell him, the story will get out sooner or later. Sloper here knocked himself out with his own bat."

Esdras tried his best not to laugh, and managed to for a good five seconds before he shot up into the enchanted ceiling, from whence a peal of Dementor laughter filled the hall. When he finally glided back down to his table, he took his usual seat between Cho and Roger and smirked. Cho couldn't stand the wait. "Well?"

Ben looked at him from across the table. "Good news, I hope?"

The Dementor shrugged. "A little, actually, yes. Kirke and Sloper are their new beaters. We should have no trouble against them. What I'm worried about is their new seeker, Ginny Weasley."

Cho laughed. "Ginny? Please, I'll have no trouble with her."

Esdras narrowed his eyes, concentrating across the hall to where the slender redhead was helping to get the two beaters back sitting upright again. "Don't be so sure. She's a Weasley in the style of her twin brothers; we would do well not to underestimate her. Besides, as the only girl in a house full of boys, she'll have something to prove."

Roger shivered and grabbed another roll. "Merlin, Esdras. How is it that you can turn even the simplest things into a guaranteed omen of doom?"

The Dementor shrugged and grabbed for a whole shepherd's pie that was in front of an unassuming first year. "Hey, I'm a Dementor. I can turn anything I want into a guaranteed omen of doom. It's part of the job." He returned his attention to the redhead. "But I know one thing is for sure, I won't be able to use a single intimidation tactic against her. I don't frighten her."

Ben met his friend's eyes and laughed. "I got news for you; you don't frighten a lot of people. Now less concentrating on what we can't do and more concentrating on what we can. We're still going to win that cup this year, and Gryffindor isn't going to stand in our way."

Esdras finished buttoning up his Quidditch robes and ran across the common room. "Where the hell is she? The match starts in half an hour."

Cadwallader, the newest Chaser, pointed back towards the girl's dormitory. "Hey, I tried to get her out of the bathroom but she wouldn't come. She's locked herself in. I figured one of you could help me get her out."

The Dementor glared at the girl and turned to face Ben. "Gather the team, get to the locker room and fast. I'll get Cho. Hurry!"

Esdras quickly glided up the dormitory stairs and came to rest outside the sixth year girl's bathroom. He pounded on the door. The voice that replied was watery and weak. "Go away; I don't want to play Quidditch today. Use Gardner, he'll do fine."

It took the patience granted by immortality to not beat down the door. Instead, the Dementor spoke clearly to the wood. "Cho, get your ass out here now before I break this door down. You know Gardner is useless, we need you. The match is in half an hour and Hufflepuff won't wait."

The mention of the opponent caused the seeker to break out into terrible sobs. Through the tears, she cried out. "I don't want to play…not against them. I can't stop thinking about him."

Esdras sighed and leaned against the door. "Cho, be reasonable. Would Cedric want you to be like this? He'd want you to go on, to be strong. He wouldn't want you to waste away into nothingness."

Cho screamed through the door in reply. "Don't you dare tell me what he would have wanted, you horrible, dark creature. You don't know what it's like to lose someone you love."

The voice that replied was calm, but sad. "Not in that fashion, no. But my parents died sixty seven years ago. I still offer prayers to the gods for them every day." With a quick Alohamora, Esdras unlocked the door and it swung open with a creak. His voice remained calm and soothing. "Everyone has lost a loved one, so don't think you're alone in all of this. You've never been alone."

The seeker looked up from her spot on the floor through tear stained and bloodshot eyes. She managed to squeak out a reply before bursting into tears again. "I'm sorry."

The Dementor merely sighed and picked her up, holding her in a tight hug until the sobbing subsided. When she was finally calm, Esdras sighed and whispered softly. "There is an option. I can help you."

The mortal looked up and sniffled. "How?"

Esdras was hesitant, but time was running out. Finally, he spoke slowly. "I can take all of your memories of Cedric out of your head for the course of the match. People do it all the time with Penseives. It's easy and it doesn't hurt. At the end of the match, I'll put them right back in and we can work together on helping you get over this."

Cho pushed away from Esdras and glared at him with a righteous fury. "You want to make me forget all about him? How dare you!" She drew her wand to curse the Dementor but he quickly pulled it from her grasp. "I hate you!"

The Dementor remained unfazed. "Love me or hate me, we both have duties we are expected to perform today. Cedric was my friend, too, and I know he wouldn't want you to miss a Quidditch match because of him. Now you either get over it or take my offer. Because I'm not going to let you sit here and wallow in this." His voice became sharp with the hints of his native accent. "Decide and decide now!"

With fury in her eyes, the seeker stepped forward and grabbed her wand from Esdras' hand. She pointed down the stairwell. "I'll be down in five minutes. Now get the hell out of the girl's dormitory." The Dementor nodded and floated down the stairs. He was stopped by her voice calling out, much softer this time. "I don't hate you, Esdras."

Esdras didn't turn around, but his voice echoed back up the stairwell. "I know."