Harry Potter
Redemption of the Innocent
By xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related concepts do not belong to me! I am merely borrowing them for my own personal enjoyment. All OC's and anything you dont recognize is copyrighted by me: xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Rating: K
Pairing: N/A (as of now)
Genre: Adventure/Friendship
Warnings: Please do not flame me for anything.
Summary: Third year is approaching and Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. It is believed that he is heading towards Hogwarts. How far are the friends willing to go, to prove the innocence of a desperate man?
Author's Note: Once again, special thanks to DJScales, Alieen Autarkeia, Forever Dreaming Grace and Razmend. You guys should know, that your the reason I update so quickly and check my emails EVERY morning when I get up. I love opening my emails and finding that you four have reviewed. Your truly are the best and make my day that more enjoyable. Thank you.
Horrifying Quidditch Scares
The school talked of nothing about Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had managed to get into the castle were getting more and more ridiculous by the second, once during Lunch, Riley and Charlie who had been sittiing at the Gryffindor table overheard Hannah Abbott a 3rd year Hufflepuff telling her friends that Black was able to turn himself into a flowering shrub and that was how he got into the castle.
"Is she serious?" Charlie whispered to Riley "a Flowering Shrub? Out of everything that she could have chosen to transform into, she chooses that?" the Slytherin shook her head "Pathetic!"
Riley smiled
Aside from the stupid stories that were going around about Sirius Black, the Gryffindors had more things to worry about. Their portrait replacement was literally driving them up the wall, it seemed that Sir Cadagon was not liked by everyone within the castle. Often he challenged Gryffindors and passes by to duels, and thought up complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.
"He's barking mad!" Connor Andrews howled, one evening in the Gryffindor Common room "Can't we get anyone else?"
Charlie looked up from her Potions essay and across the room to where Connor was standing talking with Percy.
"None of the other portraits wanted the job," Percy told him "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadagon was the only one brave enough to volunteer"
"What about Godric Gryffindor?" Charlie asked "Why doesnt he protect the Gryffindor portrait hole?"
Percy turned in her direction "Because no one knows where his portrait is hidden" he answered "Unlike Salazar Slytherin, the other founders have never been found"
Charlie quirked an eyebrow "Mhmm..." she nodded "Just goes to prove that Slytherin would never abandon his house!" she smirked and turned back to her essay.
Percy and a few other Gryffindors glowered in the 3rd years direction, but she ignored them.
xXxHarryPotterxXx
The weather worsened as the first Quidditch Match drew closer. Slytherin had withdrawn themselves from playing first game and Hufflepuff had taken over instead. Something that didnt sit well with Oliver who had instantly gone on the defence, even to the point of targeting Charlie and arguing with her about the patheticness of the Slytherin team. Of course, the Muggleborn took offence pretty quickly and warned Oliver that if he said one more word about her friends that she'd give him something to complain about.
The morning before the match dawned, with winds that reached howling point and rain hit the windows of the castle harder than before. It was the winter months, and so with the extra rain and clouds the corridors of Hogwarts were extra dark during the day, that torches and lanterns were lit. What was only adding to the Gryffindor's hatred, was the fact that the majority of the Slytherins were looking smug about not having to play in the horrendus weather. Charlie, on the other hand was getting sick and tired with the Gryffindor's complaints, Oliver's targeting's of her and the Slytherins smugness; a girl could only take so much and it seemed the morning before the match was her tipping point.
"If only my arm was feeling a bit better," Draco sighed, as Harry passed the Slytherin table on his way towards Hermione, Ron and Riley who were eating breakfast a few feet away
Harry glared but didnt retort.
Charlie, meanwhile, put down her goblet and glared at Draco "There's nothing wrong with your arm, is there?" she asked
"Of course not," Draco smirked "But they dont know that!" and he jerked his head in the direction of the Gryffindor table
"You know this all pathetic!" she snapped "Pretending that you arm is worse than it is, so you can get out of playing in bad weather? Its a childish ploy and im surprised it even worked!"
By now the rest of the 3rd year Slytherins and the Quidditch team and turned to look at he two friends
"Charlie, I -" Draco started
The Muggleborn cut across him "You should be ashamed of yourself!" she argued "Okay, so maybe we would have lost the match! I mean, when was the last time anyone won against Gryffindor since Harry joined the team? But that's beside the point, it isnt all about winning, you know? Quidditch or Soccer...or any game for that matter, is about having fun; winning is just a bonus!"
"Not when its Gryffindor vs. Slytherin" Marcus pointed out
"It doesnt matter who we verse," Charlie retorted "this silly feud between our two houses, is stupid! Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor used to be best friends! One little arguement and suddenly its World War III."
Adrian glanced up from his breakfast "This isnt one of your little 'House friendship' things is it?" he asked
"No! Its about my house being childish!" Charlie retorted "You know for once...it would be nice to see, each and everyone of you, to just grow up and act your age!"
With that said Charlie got to her feet, grabbed her school bag and headed out for Defence Against the Dark Arts.
xXxHarryPotterxXx
No had seemed to notice, that the first two full moons of the school cycle had come on the days that the 3rd years didnt have DADA. Charlie, who was still confused on how Professor Lupin could have been down in Hogsmeade on Halloween, when he was having tea with Harry; hadnt even realized that the DADA professor often went missing from the castle on these days. That was why, when Professor Snape came storming into the Defence class that Gryffindor and Slytherin shared together, following up from the arguement between the Slytherins that morning at breakfast, all students were surprised. Snape slammed the shutters of the room closed and set up an ancient slide projector at the back of the room. He reached the front of the room and pulled down the projector's white wall. He then whirled around and faced the class.
"Turn to page 394," he ordered them
The students did as instructed
"Excuse me, sir" Harry spoke, leaning over the empty side of his desk "Where's Professor Lupin?"
Snape turned in his direction quickly "That's not really your concern is it, Potter?" he replied coolly "Suffice it to say your professor finds himsef incapable of teaching at the present time" he made his way to the back of the room "Turn to page 394"
Ron, who was lazily flickering through his book, jumped as the pages instantly flipped straight through to the designated page. "Werewolves?" he questioned
"But sir -!"
Charlie and Riley, who had been reading the passage in front of them jumped and snapped their heads in the direction of Harry's desk, sitting beside the boy wonder, was none other than Hermione Granger.
"- we just learned about red caps and hinkypunks" the Gryffindor continued "we're not meant to start on werewolves for weeks"
Riley sent a side-along glance at Charlie "Where did she come from?" she asked
"Dunno," Charlie shrugged "But I didnt see her come in. Did you?"
"No," Riley answered
Snape called for silence "Now, which one of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?"
Riley and Hermione's hands shot up into the air
"Miss. Spirit?" Snape asked
"An Animagus is a wizard who elects to turn into an animal," Riley answered "A werewolf has no choice. With each full moon, when he transforms, he no longer remembers who he is. He'd kills his best friend." she breathed in "Furthermore, the werewolf only responds to call of its own kind"
Snape nodded "Very good"
Charlie nudged her friend and smiled, out of all Gryffindors it seemed Snape could only tolerate Riley, it was common knowledge that the Potions master hated the rest of her house.
"Now before I continue," Snape spoke once more "I want you all to take note that I want two rolls of parchment on the werewolf, with emphasis on recognizing it. I want it on my desk by Monday morning"
The Gryffindors groaned
"But sir, it's Quidditch tomorrow!" Harry protested
Charlie and Riley stared wide-eyed at their friend
"Then I suggest you take extra care, Mr. Potter," Snape retorted, looming over Harry "Loss of limb will not exclude you! Page 394!"
He walked away "Now," he added to the class "the term werewolf is a contraction of the Angle-Saxon word 'wer' which means 'man' and 'wolf'. Werewolf, man-wolf'."
Charlie shook her head at the explanation and tried her best to copy it down without getting confused.
xXxHarryPotterxXx
The next morning turned out to be an more stormy than yesterday; but unfortunately the Quidditch Game was to go underway as normal. So everyone bundled themselves up in ponchos and coats, while the older students cast Warming spells over themselves and friends, so the chances of catching a cold were slim. The arguement between Charlie and the Slytherin team had passed; and which was why the Muggleborn Slytherin stood along the railing in the Slytherin stands, cheering on the Gryffindors, although her friends were all for Hufflepuff winning.
"Come on Cedric!" Nikki cheered on her cousin
Harry flew past the Slytherin stands in persuit of the Snitch "Go Harry!" she shouted, as Cedric passed her seconds later.
"You are such a traitor," Marcus mumured, leaning down so that his lips were inches away from Charlie's ear. Obviously it was easier than shouting over the wind and rain.
The Muggleborn shrugged "If it had been you guys out there, I'd be screaming your names!" she pointed out
"Well we could kick you out of the stands, right now" he answered
"But you won't" Charlie countered
Marcus fell silent. The Muggleborn threw him a smirk over her shoulder.
"Shut up," he grumbled
There was a rumble of thunder that caused Charlie to look up "You've got to be kidding me!" she complained "A thunderstorm -" but the rest of her comment was cut off as she felt a coldness overcome her, despite Nikki putting a Warming Charm on her earlier. She shivered uncontrollably and wrapped her arms around herself.
"Charlie, what is it?" Daphne asked, noticing her friends behavious
"Cold," Charlie mumured "Freezing!"
Nikki frowned "Your Charm didnt fail, did it?"
The Muggleborn shrugged "I've only felt like this once before..." she told them, but before she could finish, her world blurred and she staggered backwards, as a scream cut through the atmosphere.
She recognized it.
"Harry!"
Riley!
Glancing up at the sky, Charlie spotted a fast moving figure heading back towards the ground. She screamed, frozen with fear. Suddenly, her friend slowed down in his rapid decent and landed softly on the ground.
The whistle blew.
Hufflepuff had won.
But Gryffindor didnt have time to worry about the match, as they thundered down from their stand; Charlie pushed through her friends and took the stairs leading out of the Slytherin stands two at a time, before sprinting out onto the field to her fallen friend.
"Harry!" she screamed, skidding to a halt and falling to her knees. He seemed relatively okay, except for the fact that he was out cold. Must have passed out as he fell she thought, before looking up as the Gryffindors arrived followed by the Professors.
There was a yell from behind and Dumbledore appeared, he flicked his wand and a stretcher appeared. Harry was placed on it and taken up the school.
"Lets get back to school!" Riley stated, and grabbing Charlie's hand she pulled her through the crowd. Making it back to the castle, the friends agreed that they would get warmed up and change, before going to check on Harry.
xXxHarryPotterxXx
"He looks a bit peaky, doesnt he?" Ron asked
"Peaky?" Fred asked "What do you expect? He fell over 100 feet"
George nodded "Let's walk you off the Astronomy tower and see what you look like" he nudged his little brother
Ron glowered
"Probably a right sight better than he normally does," Harry joked, as he regained conciousness
The team smiled and Harry sat up
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked
"Oh, brilliant" Harry answered, sarcastically
Charlie frowned "Don't take that tone," she scolded "You scared us!"
"What happened?" Harry asked
"Well, you fell off your broom" Ron answered
Harry shook his head "I meant the match," he retorted "Who won?"
The friends exchanged looks "No one blames you, Harry" Riley sighed "The Dementors arent supposed to come inside the grounds. Dumbledore was furious"
"After he saved you, he sent them straight off" Hermione added
Harry looked crestfallen, but this had been the first Quidditch Match that he had lost.
"There's also something you should know too, Harry," Ron piped up, carrying a large bundle in his arms "When you fell; your Broom it sorta flew into the Whomping Willow -" he opened the blanket and tipped the broken shards on the bed.
Harry stared at them heartbroken; his precious Nimbus 2000 broomstick was destroyed. It had finally found something that had beaten it!
-A/N: Nothing to say except goodnight. Going to bed before im caught awake at 5:00am. 20-years-old and still on a curfew.
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All OCs and anything unrecognizable is copyrighted (c) and belongs to me xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Chapter updated 23/01/2011 at 05:01am