I do not own Harry Potter. Charlotte Potter is my OC.

Meltdowns and Frights

Charlie's soaring spirits quickly plummeted when Ron barged into the Great Hall during breakfast, his face puce. "Hermione!" he roared. "Your bloody cat killed Scabbers!"

"Mr. Weasley!" barked McGonagall.

But there was no need for her to say anything further. The second Harry's eyes landed on Ron he knew exactly what had happened. He sprinted down the aisle and clapped a hand over the redhead's mouth before he could continue spewing fury. He dragged Ron back out the doors, letting them thud shut behind them.

McGonagall started to rise but Dumbledore set a hand against her elbow. "They are more than capable of working it out for themselves," he said softly.

Hermione stared down at her eggs, holding onto the edge of the table with a white-knuckled grip. Their Housemates started to whisper among themselves about Ron's outburst and Charlie took a minute to gather her courage.

"Hermione? Do you remember when you last saw Crookshanks?"

"He couldn't have killed Scabbers," said Hermione hotly, breaking out of her silent stupor and glaring at Charlie. "He couldn't!"

She jumped to her feet and started purposefully for the doors. Charlie frantically went after her and braced herself. Harry had wrangled Ron into an alcove away from the Great Hall, where his shouts would not attract attention. "You!" he cried when Hermione stormed over to him. "This is all your fault!"

"Where is my cat?" demanded Hermione.

"Not in Gryffindor Tower anymore, or else I would have skinned him," said Ron savagely.

"You're horrible!" she shouted.

"I'm horrible?" said Ron incredulously. "Your cat ate my pet and you're not even sorry!"

"You don't have proof he ate Scabbers," said Hermione angrily. "Someone would have had to let him into Gryffindor Tower and you would have known right away, since you've had it out for him since day one."

"No, Crookshanks has been out for Scabbers since day one, and he finally got him because you didn't listen to me!" he hollered.

"Okay, okay," said Charlie pleadingly. "I'm really sorry about Scabbers, Ron, but could you tell us what happened?"

"I left Scabbers in Gryffindor Tower all day yesterday, 'cause he wasn't moving much and I thought maybe he just needed some rest. He was sleeping in my bookbag, and when I woke up this morning, there was blood and ginger hairs and no Scabbers!"

"They could just be your own hairs," said Hermione insensitively.

"I know what my own hairs look like!" Ron tried moving closer to Hermione but Harry placed himself firmly between the squabbling duo. "They're cat hairs and they're from your cat! There are no ginger cats in Gryffindor Tower."

"There has to be! You just don't pay attention! You want to blame this on Crookshanks because you hate him!"

"Of course I hate him! He's a horrid cat and his owner is just as bad!"

"Ron!" said Charlie in shock.

Tears sprung to Hermione's eyes and she said shrilly, "You're the horrid one, Ronald! Don't you dare come near my cat and I hope you feel like a complete fool when you find Scabbers under someone's bed!"

She ran down the corridor and Ron glowered after her. "The nerve of her!"

He stomped into the Great Hall, leaving Charlie and Harry to stare after both of them in dismay. "Do you really think Crookshanks got into Gryffindor Tower just to kill Ron's rat?" asked Harry.

"It sure seems like it," said Charlie heavily. "Snowy doesn't act the way Crookshanks does. Whenever he was out of Ravenclaw Tower he would tail Ron. He would tackle Ron whenever Scabbers was in his pocket if Hermione didn't keep him confined to our dorm. Whenever both of them were let loose, he would find Scabbers in the corridor and chase him. No other rat. Just Scabbers."

"But if Crookshanks was so determined to kill Scabbers why was Scabbers in the corridor when we were in the library before Christmas?" asked Harry in confusion. "Even rats have survival instincts."

"Someone might have let Crookshanks in the Tower then, and Scabbers was just trying to escape." Charlie shrugged. "That's my best guess, anyway."

Harry shook his head. "No way. If Crookshanks managed to get into the Gryffindor common room before now, Ron most definitely would have found out and told us."

Charlie stared at her feet; brow furrowed. "That's true, I suppose. I don't know why Scabbers would risk being in the corridors or why Crookshanks was so fixated on him. It's super weird, but I guess it doesn't really matter now."

"Crookshanks completed his hunt," said Harry with a frown. "How long do you think before they talk to each other?"

"Harry, I'm not sure they'll ever talk to each again."

They went back into the Great Hall and found themselves the recipient of dozens of stares. Charlie flicked her gaze over to Gryffindor table, where Ron was stabbing at his eggs under the scrutiny of his siblings, who seemed sympathetic to his plight. Charlie waited until the Weasleys finished their breakfast and departed before approaching Dean and Seamus.

"So, I'm not entirely sure how Crookshanks got into Gryffindor Tower," she said lowly. "But if you happen to see or hear about a ginger cat taking refuge beneath someone's bed—"

"Save him before Ron kills him," said Dean with a grave nod.

"Yeah. And, uh, don't tell Ron I said this, but could you also keep an eye out—"

"For his rat," finished Seamus. "Sure. But I've seen the state of Scabbers this year. Even if the cat didn't get him, he's probably dead."

Charlie winced. "Don't tell Ron that either."

…

Harry and Charlie were forced to divide their time between their feuding friends. Classes were stifling, with Ron and Hermione simmering in rage on either side of Charlie or Harry. Care of Magical Creatures was a bit of a relief, since they were in wide open air and gave the two plenty of space away from each other. It also gave Charlie and Harry time to lament their situation and wish that the two would make up.

In her spare time Hermione was knee deep in homework. Despite Charlie's efforts to persuade her, Hermione refused to lessen her workload. She was often found camped out at one of the circular tables in the common room or in a study carrel in the library.

On the day of her final practice before the game against Gryffindor, Charlie approached Ron at breakfast, making sure Hermione had left before doing so. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," he said moodily.

"Listen, my last practice before the big game is tonight. Do you want to come over after we've finished and give my Firebolt a try?"

The change in mood was drastic. Elation filled Ron's features and he said eagerly, "You mean it?"

"Of course."

"Yeah! I'd love to!"

"Great!" Charlie grinned at him. "Come to the pitch around seven. We'll be done practicing by then."

"I'll be there! Thanks, Charlie."

She stood up and caught Fred's gaze. He and his twin gave Charlie a thumbs-up and she winked.

It was her first practice with her Firebolt in her possession and Charlie was ecstatic to finally be able to ride it. Her teammates were just as delighted as she was and they had fawned over the broomstick when she proudly showed it to them after getting it back from Flitwick. Even when she arrived at the pitch, they admired it as if they were seeing it for the first time.

"Gryffindor doesn't stand a chance!" Clancy said with a smile.

"We'll dominate!" Tommy agreed.

Scarlet snorted. "We better."

Aurora grinned. "I'd hate to see what's going to happen if we lose."

"Trust me, I'll go crazy if we don't win this," Scarlet said flatly. "I graduate this year. This is my last chance to win the Quidditch Cup."

"Don't worry, we'll win this," Charlie promised. "I'm going to miss you when you go."

Scarlet affectionately pinched her cheek. "I'm going to miss you too. You're the only normal one on this team. Well, except for Eliza, of course. That's why the captain duties are being passed on to her when I leave."

Eliza turned red. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," said Scarlet confidently. "I've been putting in a good word for you with Flitwick."

Eliza was touched. "Wow! Thank you! I won't let you down."

"I know you won't. Now enough sappy stuff! Let's get practicing!"

Charlie mounted her broomstick, gripped the handle, and with a deep breath she soared into the air. The wind rushed past her as she experimented with her twists and turns. It moved effortlessly, gracefully, and its speed and accuracy were unmatched even by her teammates.

"Looking good Potter!" crooned Tommy.

Scarlet was beside herself with glee. "The rest of this season is ours!"

When practice started to wind down Charlie flew to land near the stands, where Madam Hooch was observing them. She offered her Firebolt to the Flying instructor and with no hesitation the woman happily accepted it. Charlie smiled as Hooch zoomed around the pitch, looping and twirling.

"What is she doing?"

Charlie glanced over her shoulder to see Ron approaching. "Well, I thought it was the least I could do. She probably has much better things to do than supervise our practices."

Ron's eyes glimmered as he traced the Firebolt's movements. "It's majestic."

"It is," said Charlie, beaming.

Hooch landed as the other Ravenclaws filed towards the change rooms. "Would it be okay if Ron had a go?" asked Charlie.

"We have a bit of time, so I don't see why not."

"Thanks!" said Ron, taking hold of the Firebolt.

Charlie grabbed a Quaffle and played a game of catch with him. She would lob the ball as far as she could with the Levitating Charm and Ron would chase after it. Once he snagged it, he would toss it back down for Charlie to throw again.

"All right!" Hooch called after ten minutes had passed. "Time to head back to the castle."

Ron came back to the ground and the two kids started off. "That broom is brilliant!"

"It won't replace the Nimbus in my heart, but it has its own special place," Charlie replied.

As they got closer to the castle, Charlie came to a halt when she noticed a pair of shiny eyes staring at her from the bushes. Hooch nearly ran into her and she asked, "What's wrong, Potter?"

"Something in the bushes is looking at me."

With one fluid movement Hooch swept Ron and Charlie behind her, her wand held steadily at the rustling foliage. "Show yourself!" she barked.

The leaves parted and a lumpy form jumped out. Hooch had an attack spell on her lips but paused when a loud mew pierced the night. "Lumos!"

The light illuminated Crookshanks and Ron scowled fiercely. "Get lost!"

Crookshanks sprinted towards the castle and Hooch closed her eyes, taking a few breaths to calm her racing heart. "Just a cat, Potter. No need to fret."

Charlie was sure Hooch thought she had been worried it was Black. In truth she feared it was yet another sighting of the big black dog which may or may not have been the Grim. But that was too embarrassing to admit out loud, so she was grateful when Hooch left the matter alone.

...

Charlie's nerves got the best of her the day of their game against Gryffindor. She knew if they lost, there was little chance of going to the final for the Quidditch Cup. She managed to scarf down a piece of toast as her Housemates buzzed with excitement and anticipation.

She retrieved her Firebolt and she met her teammates in the Entrance Hall. Students were spilling out the castle doors, eager to claim the best seats in the stands. The air was cool and nipped at her ears. Charlie's heartbeat picked up as they neared the pitch.

You've got this, Potter. Even if the Dementors show up you can at least try and defend yourself.

She went into the change rooms and switched from her school robes to her Quidditch robes. Scarlet and the others waited for her outside. Scarlet's face was pinched with a mix of determination and stress. "Ready, Charlie?"

"Ready."

Scarlet looked around at all of them. "If we want a chance at the Quidditch Cup, we're going to have to win this."

"Is that all?" Tommy asked sarcastically.

She ignored him. "I want no funny business. Clancy, I want one hand on the broom and one hand holding the Bludger Bat. Tommy, keep your mouth shut. Aurora, I don't want one curse word out of you. Eliza, keep doing what you do. Danny, just try to fly in a straight line. Charlie, keep doing what you do."

"Favouritism," Tommy muttered.

The Ravenclaw team filed onto the pitch and got into position. Hooch blew the whistle and everyone shot into the air. Katie Bell immediately blocked Danny, snagging the Quaffle and she raced for the goalposts. She tossed it over to Angelina Johnson, who in turn tried to pass it to Alicia Spinnet but Tommy grabbed it out of the air.

Charlie kept her eyes focussed for the golden sparkle that would give away the position of the Snitch. Dean, the Gryffindor Seeker, was tailing her.

This was a slight problem when Charlie pinpointed the location of the Golden Snitch.

Thinking quickly, she went into a deep dive. Acting on instincts, Dean followed her. Charlie's eyes darted between the fast-approaching ground and the fluttering Snitch. Without warning she rolled out of the dive, easily changing direction, and sped right for the Golden Snitch. Dean was not quick enough to change his course and he smacked into the ground with a shocked cry.

A flash of black caught her attention before Alicia's terrified shriek did.

She looked over and whipped out her wand the second she saw the two looming cloaked figures.

"Expecto patronum!"

A full, silver shape burst out of her wand and charged in the direction of the Dementors. Charlie's adrenaline raced and all her attention was focussed on the Golden Snitch, which had darted to the other side of the stadium. She swooped down under it and seized it, joy swelling within her at the solid sphere pressing against her fingers.

The Ravenclaws erupted. Charlie landed and found herself engulfed in a hug by her teammates.

"You're amazing!" squealed Scarlet, happy tears in her eyes.

"How did you do that?" said Tommy, gobsmacked.

"Catch the Snitch?" asked Charlie in bewilderment.

"You cast a corporal Patronus," said Scarlet with awe. "Do you have any idea how rare that is?"

It suddenly occurred to Charlie that she hadn't felt the usual affects of the creatures. She cautiously glanced over her shoulder and was startled to see Snape and McGonagall wrangling Draco, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle from the tangles of the oversized cloaks.

"Whoops," she muttered.

Kind of clever, though. Points to them.

Remus approached her, pride shining on his features. "Charlotte, do you know what you've done?"

"A corporal Patronus, apparently," said Charlie, grinning widely. "I couldn't have done it without you, Professor."

"I only taught you the foundation," said Remus with a shake of his head. "That advanced magic—it was all you."

Charlie felt like she could fly without the use of her broom, she was so light and happy. After changing out of her Quidditch gear she found Ron and Harry waiting for her outside the change rooms.

Harry beamed. "That was amazing!"

"Thanks!"

"That thing that came out of your wand. Is that what Remus has been trying to teach you?" asked Ron.

"Well, kind of. I don't think he ever expected me to be able to do it completely, since not a lot of witches and wizards can."

"I wish I could have seen Malfoy's face," said Harry with a wide grin.

"I saw Snape's," cackled Ron. "He looked mortified."

"I'd ask if you wanted to do something with us, but it sounds like there's going to be a party waiting for you," said Harry.

Ron made a face. "If it weren't for you, we could be partying."

Charlie playfully stuck out her tongue. "I don't think Fred and George need much excuse to throw a party. You can have one anyway."

"Well, that's true."

They walked back to the castle and Charlie separated from them to go to Ravenclaw Tower. Charlie wasn't entirely certain if Hermione had actually attended the game and it wasn't a surprise when she found the girl stationed at her usual table. Charlie waded her way through congratulatory backslaps and hugs to reach her friend.

"Er, in case it wasn't obvious, we won," said Charlie, regarding the jubilee with a smile.

"I know you won. I saw the match. You did brilliantly and that Patronus of yours was great," Hermione said distractedly.

Charlie stared at the book she was reading—it was her Muggle Studies textbook. "Why don't you take a break?"

"I have to get this finished in time for Monday."

"Hermione," said Charlie gently. "It's a book on the customs of British Muggles. You are a British Muggle. I can say with the utmost certainty you do not need to read that to pass your class."

"I have to read it!" said Hermione desperately. "They assign textbook readings for a reason!"

"Yeah, for us to learn," said Charlie patiently. "The students who take Muggle Studies are students who are born and raised in the magical world. That's why there's a textbook for them to read."

Charlie had been trying to help, to coax Hermione into ignoring the workload she didn't need to do. But she burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. "I don't know if I can do this!" she sobbed.

"Of course you can!" said Charlie quickly. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to badger. Do you want some help studying?"

"No, no, you couldn't. You've already been a big help on Hagrid's trial, handing me your notes and everything. There's just not enough time, not even with—oh, I'm going to fail everything!"

Hermione was struggling to breathe as panic overtook her. Charlie rubbed her back in a soothing motion and she helped Hermione out of her chair. "Okay, I think you need to see Madam Pomfrey."

Hermione would have protested if she could talk, but all she could make were strangled sobs. Charlie quickly brought her out of the common room and to the infirmary. Pomfrey frowned sharply as Hermione wheezed for air and she was by her side in an instant.

"What's the matter?"

"I think she's having a breakdown," Charlie informed. "Too much schoolwork."

"Ah, yes. I've seen a fair number of these." Pomfrey pulled a Calming Draught off the shelf and handed it to Hermione. "Come on, dear, drink up."

Hermione reluctantly gulped down the potion. After a moment, her breathing started to even out and the sobs ceased. "Thanks," she croaked, wiping at her face.

"Of course, Miss Granger. I strongly suggest taking a break from schoolwork for the rest of the evening." Pomfrey turned to Charlie and said, "If she has another one, bring her back to me."

"Thank you," Charlie said gratefully and ushered Hermione from the room. "Okay, you heard her. No work for you."

"Fine," said Hermione miserably.

When they got back to Ravenclaw Tower Hermione packed away her books under Charlie's supervision. She loosened up a bit when Eliza offered her treats from someone's personal Honeydukes stash, and Cho invited the two girls to play a game of Gobstones. The cheer lasted until Penelope Clearwater shooed them all to bed.

"Don't groan at me!" she chided, hands on her hips and watching intently as they filed up the staircases to their dorms. "It's already well past curfew."

Brimming with contentment, Charlie got into her pajamas and snuggled in her bed. She was half-asleep when a thump caused her to crack her eyes open, catching a glimpse of Crookshanks slinking out of the dorm—someone had left the door ajar. Curious, Charlie sat up and climbed out of bed. She crept downstairs into the common room, but Crookshanks was nowhere in sight.

He's not…is he?

Charlie hastened down the spiral staircase and saw Crookshanks' tail disappearing through the door. It clinked shut behind him and Charlie's green eyes widened. "What the—?"

The door, as it always did when someone wanted to leave Ravenclaw Tower, automatically opened. Charlie squinted down the corridor in time to see Crookshanks disappearing around the corner.

In the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

"What is with that cat?" she said in bafflement.

She stepped back into the Tower and bit down on her bottom lip.

Do not follow him it's a bad idea. Do not follow him he's just a cat. A very weird cat but still do not follow him—

The next minute she had her Invisibility Cloak in her arms and was in the dark corridor. She swung the Cloak over her body and took out her map. She activated it with her wand and searched the sea of dots for Crookshanks.

She found it—it was skittering past the one marked Sirius Black.

Charlie froze. Black's dot entered Gryffindor Tower.

"Dobby!"

Her house-elf appeared before her. "Miss—" he started in confusion, not able to see the girl.

"I need you to get Professor Dumbledore! Sirius Black is in Gryffindor Tower. Do not tell them I told you. Just say you saw him while you were going around cleaning."

It was all said in one breath but Dobby understood. He hastily Disapparated and Charlie, despite her conscious hollering at her to turn around, sprinted to Gryffindor Tower.

She had just reached Sir Cadogan when she heard Ron's piercing scream.

She started to lift the folds of her Cloak to plead with Sir Cadogan to let her inside when the portrait suddenly swung open, smacking into an unprepared Charlie. Her head cracked off the hard, unforgiving floor and white dots exploded in her vision. She turned her head, staring dazedly down the corridor, but by the time the dots fizzled away there was no one in sight.

Oh, thank you Cloak for not falling off.

A resounding crack caused Charlie to jolt. Dumbledore and McGonagall let go of Dobby's hands and Sir Cadogan said pompously, "The password?"

"Let me in this instant!" said McGonagall shrilly.

"Now," thundered Dumbledore.

The portrait swung open and McGonagall sprinted inside, where the hysteria of her students spilled out into the corridor. Charlie climbed to her feet and looked up to see Dumbledore's blue eyes searing in her direction.

"Stay with me."

Terrified by the power and anger in his voice, she could only nod.

She followed him into Gryffindor Tower, clutching her Cloak to her body. She traversed up the stairs to Ron's dormitory, where Ron's siblings and his dormmates were gathered around the redhead, pale-faced and scared.

Ron was bleeding—there was a knife sticking out of his shoulder.

Charlie choked back a shout.

"Percy, you and your brothers will assist me in moving him to Madam Pomfrey," said McGonagall in a controlled voice.

Blood pooled into the fabric of Ron's pajamas. He was shaking violently but he did not make a sound.

"We've got you," said Fred frantically, carefully taking one leg in his grasp while George grabbed the other. "You're gonna be okay, Ronnie."

"Shh, Ron, it's okay," soothed Percy, even though Ron wasn't saying anything. He gently cupped his hands under Ron's armpits and the boy let out a strangled yip as agony tore through his injured shoulder. "I know, I know."

Ginny was sobbing, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Ron!"

"Get him in the common room and I will magic him onto a stretcher," said McGonagall.

Charlie hastily went back downstairs, having to squeeze by the observing older Gryffindors, who looked confused and shaken. The Weasley siblings and McGonagall strode briskly down the stairs and McGonagall wasted no time in putting Ron on a stretcher.

"I will take them to the infirmary," announced Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please make sure the rest of the Gryffindors make it to the Great Hall safely. I will be with you again shortly."

Charlie dove through the portrait hole and just before it shut, she managed to hear McGonagall furiously asking Sir Cadogan how Sirius Black managed to be granted entry. As she walked a distance away from the stretcher, Charlie longed to reach out and hold Ron's hand but she knew she was meant to remain hidden.

Pomfrey was horrified when she saw the state of Ron. She was even more so when Dumbledore curtly told her the reason for his injury was Sirius Black. Leaving the redhead in Pomfrey's capable hands, Dumbledore promised the Weasleys he would return.

Finally, they were alone and Dumbledore said quietly, "You will tell me what you are doing out in the corridors at three in the morning and how your house-elf knew Sirius Black was in the castle."

I am so dead. Goodbye, Quidditch Cup. Dumbledore is going to have to assign me a guard against Scarlet, because she's going to murder me.

"Dobby knew because I told him," she said nervously.

"I gathered as much when he showed up in my quarters."

Charlie flinched. His tone was calm but his displeasure was evident. "I left Ravenclaw Tower because I noticed Crookshanks was missing. Hermione's cat…he's been acting oddly, so I thought maybe I could finally figure out why he's so interested in Gryffindor Tower. That's when I saw Sirius Black and he was going in the same direction."

It wasn't a complete lie. She just left out the Marauder's Map. She'd only had it for six months—she couldn't have it confiscated. Not when it was so useful to her.

"That does not explain why you followed him."

"I…I thought, if he got inside, and started attacking before you got there, I could distract him," said Charlie weakly. "I could lead him away."

There a long period of silence, where the only sound was their footsteps against the marble floor. "I am going to send word to the other professors," he said at last. "Call Dobby. Tell him to take you back to Ravenclaw Tower. You will then be escorted by Professor Flitwick to the Great Hall. The moment after the castle is deemed secure, we are going to have a discussion, Charlotte."

"Yes, sir," said Charlie softly, shame building in her gut. "Dobby."

He appeared before her. "Is everything okay, Miss?" asked Dobby anxiously.

Charlie removed the Cloak and muttered, "Not really. Can you take me to Ravenclaw Tower, please?" The next second she was in her common room. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "Honestly. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Miss must be careful," said Dobby tearfully. "Black is after Charlotte Potter! Miss cannot be walking the castle at night!"

"So I've been told," said Charlie with a wince. "I'm sorry. I'll try to be more careful."

Dobby regarded Charlie worriedly. "Please do, Miss."

He Disapparated and Charlie hurried upstairs, shoving her Invisibility Cloak and the map into her trunk. A few minutes later Flitwick burst into the Tower, shouting for his students to report to the Great Hall immediately and for the Prefects to assist in guiding them through the corridors.

"You don't think it's Sirius Black again, do you?" asked Hermione fearfully as they walked quickly through the castle.

"I'll tell you when we see Harry," Charlie said wearily.

Hermione shot her a suspicious look. They entered the Great Hall and soon the Hufflepuffs joined them. Harry hurried over to his friends and said, "Seriously! How is he getting in?"

"I don't know. But I have something to tell you."

"Shouldn't we wait for Ron?" asked Hermione.

"He's in the hospital wing."

"What? Why?"

She led her friends into a corner and told them the whole story. Furious and horrified, Hermione slapped her arm. "You can't do that, Charlie!"

"I know!"

"Why do you and Ron have something against my cat?"

"I don't! I just think—"

"He could have killed you, Charlie!"

"Shh!" hissed Charlie. "Keep your voice down! I know, okay?"

"But none of this makes sense," said Harry, carting his fingers through his hair. "He keeps going for Gryffindor Tower. He broke into the boy's dorm, for Merlin's sake."

"I don't know," said Charlie, rubbing at her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on.

"Poor Ron," whispered Hermione, tears in her eyes. "This is all just horrible."

The Gryffindors showed up next, followed by the Slytherins. Neville looked like a man about to die and his dormmates were sending him sympathetic glances. The Weasleys arrived soon after, grim and scared. The twins sought out Ron's best friends and went over to them.

"Where's Ron?" asked Harry, feeling he ought to play dumb.

"Sirius Black got into his dorm," said Fred heavily. "Ron woke up to see Black standing over him and he got stabbed. Seamus ran to grab us. Before we could even think about getting McGonagall she showed up with Dumbledore."

"How did he get in?" Hermione asked.

"Neville kept a list of passwords for the week. He lost it and I guess Black found it," said George with a scowl.

"Is Ron going to be okay?" asked Charlie desperately.

George squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "He's going to be fine. Pomfrey stitched him up, so now he's just recovering."

"If I ever see that stupid git, I'll hand him right over to the Dementors," said Fred murderously. "No one messes with my family."

"Do you lot want to sit with us?" asked George kindly.

"We're fine here," said Charlie. "But thank you."

"Try to get some sleep, yeah? You'll want to be rested to hear his whining tomorrow. And if you need anything through the night, anything at all, we're just going to be over there."

"Thanks," said Charlie with a soft smile.

The twins went to join Percy and Ginny. Hermione's bottom lip started to wobble. "Charlie, what if the last words I ever spoke to him were angry words?"

"He's fine. You have plenty of time to make up with him," Charlie promised.

"Do I feel sorry for Neville," said Harry with a shudder. "McGonagall is going to kill him."

Charlie stared over at Neville, who had his head buried in his hands. He sat alone, with his friends staring at him awkwardly. She walked over to him and gently touched his shoulder. Neville jumped, and when his tear-filled eyes met bright green, he said with a sob, "I'm so sorry! I didn't—"

"I know," said Charlie. "It was an accident. I heard all about Sir Cadogan's random passwords. I don't blame you."

"How can you say that?" said Neville, distraught. "I'm the reason Black got into the Tower. I'm the reason Ron got hurt."

"I'm the reason he's here in the first place," countered Charlie.

"W-what?"

"Sirius Black wants to kill me. It's my fault he keeps trying to get into the castle."

"No, it isn't your fault!" said Neville at once. "I didn't know he was after you."

"Yeah. I defeated You-Know-Who. Black was his biggest supporter. I don't know why he keeps going for Gryffindor Tower, but it all boils down to me, somehow. I'm sorry, Neville."

Neville stared at the girl with wide eyes. "Why—why aren't you mad? It's because of me your best friend was hurt."

"Well, if it's not my fault Black keeps trying to get into the castle, by that logic it's not your fault Ron got hurt," said Charlie firmly. "How were you to know all this would happen by keeping a cheat sheet for yourself?"

"McGonagall is so angry with me," Neville whispered. "So are Ron's siblings."

"They're scared. Sometimes, being scared translates into anger. Ron's siblings will forgive you and I promise Ron will as well. As for Professor McGonagall, yeah, she's probably not going to show much mercy. But just remember that she's always going to care about you."

Neville took a shaky breath and wiped the moisture from his cheeks. "T-thanks, Charlie."

"You're welcome." She gave him a strong hug. "I know it'll be hard, but try not to worry about it."

She stood up and as she went back to Harry and Hermione, her eyes roamed the Great Hall. Professors and students filled the space, whispering madly, their faces tight with fear.

She didn't understand. Black had tried breaking into Gryffindor Tower not once, but twice, and he infiltrated the boys' dormitory. Was he so far gone that he completely forgot the layout of the castle? Did Black know she and Ron were close? Was this an attempt to threaten her?

How many more people would he hurt before he finally succeeded in killing her?