Helloooo! I promised I'd be back once I'd written Naruto - and I did! I finished this MUCH quicker than I thought I would, but I really don't mind. I do still need to - somehow - make it a total of 7 parts D: so, yeah...

If you haven't read the last one yet, then go read it! :o

Guest - NOO! You're not supposed to understand it, you're not thick. Don't worry! It's all part of the mystery side of things. hehehe. You'll find out eventually - way before part 7, I promise! If I'm not mistaken, the whole thing going on with the Selwyns will be understood in The Goblet of Fire and The Order of the Phoenix. ^^

MeganAllard - É, voce chegou BEM perto! hahaha - mas ja te expliquei entao eff it ;) a morte do Athos é so na parte 5, entao é.. Ta chegando mais ainda tem um tempinho pra curtir com ele *-* E TA CHEGANDO! Eu tambem amo aquela parte toda e fico poota porque ninguem acreditou nele -.- Sei como se sente! :p

Little Foot - Aww! Well, first off, I'm REALLY happy you're enjoying this *o* and it just motivates me to work harder. I do actually copy a few things from the book - as I'm sure some people have noticed - but it's just because I think it sounds better and blabla (I own nothing, ehem). As for Jess dating... Well, something I've already told everyone about: there are looooads of CedricXJessica moments in part 4 (and a little in part 3 :p), but he dies, so it's not like she'd end up with him anyway! I already know how it all ends, who Jess ends up with and blabla - but I shall not tell! For now, I'll keep rotating between DracoJess, HarryJess and CedJess! lol. On the loyalty side of things, Harry and Jess NEVER fight over that. EVER. He's very well aware that Jess is close with Draco, and even though it bothers him from time to time, they never argue over it. As for her fear of flying, I wouldn't exactly say she gets over it... But she does put on a brave face! She will have to fly at the end of part 3... and further on in the future too. She will fly a broom - freaking out, but will! Unfortunately - I swear I tried very hard to change things up, but it just wasn't working - Sirius Black will die. I THINK I can postpone it for a while longer, but from what I can see... He will have to die :( However, I have plans to keep Lupin alive, because I just think his death was completely unnecessary (and yes, I've seen the interview with J.K Rowling and how she explains why he had to die... But I just can't agree with it! lol) But, there are loooads of things that I change along the way, my story guide is never 100% accurate from start to finish, so we'll see. If I can perfectly change things around, then I'd really have no problem in keeping Sirius Black alive! (also unnecessary!)

Well... Seeing as I gave Little Foot a few spoilers, I'm going to be VERY kind to you all and say that - FRED WEASLEY WILL NOT DIE! Nope, there's absolutely no way I'll make him die. It's just too cruel. So, no... He will get injured and he will ALMOST die, but thankfully, doesn't.

Also, I should warn you all now - before you start reading - I DO NOT like Lavender :x In my story she will be quite terrible. She won't focus solely on Jessica, because I don't want to make her like a main victim or anything... But she kinda is in this chapter! :p (but hey, I've got loads of ground to cover still!)

Okay... Enough of me! Enjoy! ^^

Lakeside Tales

Jessica skipped up the never ending stairs and down a few hallways toward Gryffindor Tower. She'd spent nearly her entire evening finishing her potions essay, and partially wondering why Snape made them hand in so many of them. Draco had surprisingly helped her out for a while. She didn't expect him to know so much about the subject; then again, he always did hand in his homework and get decent remarks from their Professor. Though, she always thought it was because Draco was Snape's favourite.
"Jess! Look at what I've got!" Harry called out, just as she'd given the Gryffindor password. He was holding up his Firebolt with one hand and practically waving it around.
"Did McGonagall give it back?" Jessica asked, eagerly.
"Yep... She also told me not to lose our next game." Harry grinned.
"I didn't know she liked Quidditch that much." Jessica said, thoughtfully, as she continued on through the portrait hole.

Nearly all the students were crowding around the common room, and they all wanted to know more about Harry's mysterious present. Oliver Wood was beaming in excitement.
"Ravenclaw won't stand a chance!" He said.
Ron and Seamus were practically drooling over the broomstick. Ron kept going on and on about the day they found it in their room.
"Wow... You've got some very generous friends, Harry." Dean said.
"I need to ride it tomorrow morning." Ron said, breathless with so much excitement.
"Can I touch it?" Seamus asked.
"Can I take a picture?" Collin Creevey asked.
"Don't let Ron ride it, he'll crash it into the Whomping Willow!" Fred teased.
"Just like dad's poor old car." George sighed, faking remorse.
The questions and comments were endless. The only person that didn't seem too interested was Hermione. Jessica noticed this and decided to take a seat next to her friend.
"Lighten up, Mione, there's nothing wrong with it." Jessica grinned.
"I know there isn't, but I still find it weird. It probably was Dumbledore, after all." Hermione said, frowning slightly.
"Or maybe even McGonagall. It seems like she doesn't want to lose to Ravenclaw either." Jessica grinned.
"Well... As long as there's nothing wrong with it, then there's nothing to worry about." Hermione smiled.

The four remained in the common room as the other students retreated to their rooms. Eventually only a few sixth years were present, apparently working on a very long essay. Ron asked to carry the Firebolt back to Harry's bed; he held it as if it were made of glass. Hermione still had some homework to finish and she was willing to get it done, no matter how tired she was. The table before her was completely cluttered with books and parchment. Jessica and Harry looked over the long Arithmancy essay, on which the ink was still glistening, then at the even longer Muggle Studies essay – 'Explain Why Muggles Need Electricity' – and finally at the rune translation Hermione was now pouring over.
"How are you keeping up with all these?" Harry wondered.
"Oh... Well... Working hard and all... You know?" Hermione said. Harry noticed that she looked almost as tired as Professor Lupin.
"Why don't you just drop a couple of subjects?" He asked, watching her lifting books as she searched for her rune dictionary. He heard Jessica snort next to him.
"I couldn't do that!" Hermione said, as if he were mad.
"Arithmancy looks terrible." Jessica said, as she leaned forward and picked up a very complicated looking number chart.
"Oh no, it's wonderful!" Hermione said, earnestly. "It's my favourite subject! It's perfect for-"

Whatever was perfect about the subject, Jessica and Harry never found out. At that exact moment, a strangled yell echoed down the boys' staircase. The students present in the common room fell silent, staring, petrified, at the entrance. Harry and Jessica were both already on their feet, with their wands pointing toward the stairs. Harry silently prayed it wasn't Sirius Black out to kill him in the comfort of his very own common room. Then came hurried footsteps, growing louder and louder – and then came Ron leaping into view, dragging with him a bed sheet.
"LOOK!" He bellowed, striding over to Hermione's table. "LOOK!"
"Ron, what-"
"SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!"
Hermione was leaning away from Ron, looking utterly bewildered. Harry carefully took hold of the crumpled sheet and started to unfold it. There was something red on it, something that looked horribly like...
"BLOOD!" Ron yelled. "HE'S GONE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"
"N-no." Hermione said, her voice trembling.
"Ronald, stop shouting otherwise the teacher's are going to think that Black's up here." Jessica said, slightly annoyed.
Ron complied and didn't shout any more. He simply threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation. Harry leaned forward slightly, to investigate what on Earth was going on. Lying on top of the weird, spiky shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.

x.x

Hermione and Ron refused to talk to each other and were constantly getting Jessica and Harry in the middle of things. Jessica sometimes thought about locking them up in a cupboard and leaving them to settle their differences, but she feared they'd end up killing each other – she wouldn't want that to happen. Ron was completely enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshank's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn't bothered to keep a close watch on him, and was still trying to pretend that the cat was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshank's had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since it had landed on his head in the Magical Menagerie. Harry personally thought that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, and when he tried to point out to Hermione that the evidence all pointed that way, she lost her temper with him too. Jessica refused to comment on their situation, stating that she'd only talk to them properly when they decided to act civilized toward each other again. Both had exclaimed they were being civilized and left stomping their feet. Jessica didn't mind, however, she knew it was only a matter of time before they came to their senses – or before Scabbers was actually found and Crookshank's was proven innocent. She secretly hoped that was the case.

Jessica joined Harry and Ron during the Quidditch practice – it was their last one before their match against Ravenclaw. Ron got his ever so desired chance to ride the Firebolt. Harry kept commenting on how he had potential to be on the Gryffindor team and trying to convince Jessica to have a go. She still lacked courage, however. The entire thought of having to fly sent shivers down her spine and she was terribly thankful she wasn't obliged to take further flying lessons. Madam Hooch, who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Harry, was just as impressed with the Firebolt as everyone else had been.
"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 one – and a very fine old broom it was too!" She said, grinning happily, as she held onto the Firebolt and examined it. She continued on for some time, until Wood decided to interrupt:
"Er – Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Harry has the Firebolt back? We need to practice and-"
"Oh! Right, yes, here you are then, Potter!" She said, quite excitedly. "I'll sit over here. Weasley and Selwyn will stay with me."
Jessica and Ron only really had to leave the field once the game started, so they decided to listen to what Wood had to say – it was mostly Ron's idea, but Jessica agreed to it with a slight shrug. They all huddled together and glued their eyes on Oliver Wood.
"Cho Chang will be playing as Ravenclaw's seeker. 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. Jessica found it rather amusing, but decided not to laugh at the Captain's thoughts. "On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt!"
"What happened to their old seeker?" Angelina Johnson asked.
"He got kicked off due to his poor grades. Who would've thought? A dumb Ravenclaw!" Fred said, teasingly.

Jessica decided to read while the team practiced. Ron stared at her, completely shocked, and muttered something about her spending too much time with Hermione. She did think he was probably right, but to her, Quidditch practice wasn't as exciting as the actual game. She did notice that Harry was soaring around faster than ever with his new broom, but even still, she still had one more essay to do and she couldn't do it without studying first.

It had been 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. Ron and Jessica were alongside the players not a moment later. Harry looked up and saw that Madam Hooch was snoring peacefully in her seat, without a care in the world.
"I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow!" Wood said. "Not unless... Harry, you've sorted out your Dementor problem, haven't you?"
"Yeah." Harry nodded.
"They won't turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledore will go ballistic!" Alicia Spinnet said, confidently.
"Well, let's hope not. Anyway, good work everyone. Let's get back to the tower, turn in early and-"
"I'm staying out for a bit; Ron still wants another go on the Firebolt." Harry said. Wood nodded and headed out, soon followed by the other players. Once only his two friends remained, Harry handed Ron the broom. "Here you go."

Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness, while Jessica and Harry walked around the edge of the field watching him.
"So... You can do the Patronus charm." Jessica said, nonchalantly.
"Yeah, I – wait... You know it?" Harry asked, curiously.
"I know of it, but I have no idea how to do it." She replied.
"I could always teach you, you know?" Harry grinned. "It's not easy, though. I've spent all this time learning and it's nowhere near strong enough to take on more than one Dementor."
"Didn't you just tell Wood that you had it sorted?" Jessica asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I did... But it's not like I'd actually tell him the truth. I want to play during our next game." Harry said. They'd already gone round half the field, but neither felt like stopping just yet.
"Even still... What if they show up again? I don't want you to get hurt." Jessica pouted slightly.
"I won't." Harry laughed, though he wasn't entirely sure about his words. "Besides, Lupin and Dumbledore will be there. It's not like they'd let things get out of hand."
"True, I guess... Hey, I think Josh knows! Maybe he could help you out a little." Jessica grinned, excitedly. "They say each person has a unique form... Do you know what yours is?"
"No idea." Harry sighed. "I could teach you the basics right now, if you want?"
"Really?" Jessica said, jumping down and down.
"Really." Harry laughed at her reaction. They stopped walking and Harry pulled her wand out of her back pocket, handing it to her immediately. "Think of your happiest memory – it has to be a really good one – and then say the incantation: Expecto Patronum."

Jessica closed her eyes and focused her mind. She had a selection of good memories, but it had to be a very good one. When she got Brownie, perhaps? No... It had to be even stronger. She decided to focus on how she felt the day she got accepted into Hogwarts. Her parents handed the letter to her on her eleventh birthday, and she was quite certain she felt very happy that day. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes once again. She pointed her wand out in front of her and stared at nothing in particular. Harry stood beside her, anxiously waiting to see what would happen. For some reason, she wanted to get it perfectly right.
"Expecto Patronum!"
No matter how much she focused, it didn't work. Not even a little spark escaped her wand. She pouted, regrettably, and tried once again... And again... And again... And one last time, before Harry put his hand on hers.
"Don't push it; it takes up a lot of energy."
"I guess I need another memory – but I can't think of anything better!" She whined.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, it took me a while too." Harry smiled. He started walking again, but Jessica wasn't quite finished. She wanted at least a little spark to escape her wand. Harry stopped once he realised she wasn't following him. "Seriously, don't push it."
"Just one more... Please?" She practically begged. "Help me think of something really amazing."
"How about the day you met me?" He smirked.
"Cocky much?" Jessica raised an eyebrow.
"You never know... It might work." He grinned. Jessica sighed and focused on the day she met Harry. It hadn't been on the train, it was at Diagon Alley. They'd bumped into each other – twice.
"Expecto Patronum!"
There was, in fact, a very miniscule spark of silver that escaped her wand. Harry was taken aback by that, and Jessica's cheeks were slowly turning bright red.
"Well... I-it's a start." Harry laughed, nervously.

Night had fallen before Madam Hooch awoke with a start, told them off for not waking her, and insisted that they go back to the castle. Harry shouldered the Firebolt and they walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolt's superbly smooth action, its phenomenal acceleration, and its pinpoint turning. They were halfway toward the castle when Harry, glancing to his left, saw something that made his heart turn over – a pair of eyes, gleaming out of the darkness. Harry stopped dead in his tracks, his heart banging against his ribs. All colour from his face vanished almost instantly.
"What's wrong?" Jessica asked, worriedly. Harry, without saying a word, pointed out into the darkness.
"Lumos!" Ron muttered. 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 you damn cat!"
Ron bent down to grab a stone lying on the grass, but before he could do anything else, Crookshanks had vanished with one swish of his long ginger tail. Jessica wasn't paying attention to the cat, she still focused on Harry. He'd gone pale, so suddenly, and was still in shock.
"Are you feeling alright?" She asked.
"I can't believe she still lets him wander about wherever he wants! He's probably washing down Scabbers with a couple of birds now!" Ron exclaimed.
Harry still didn't answer, which only worried Jessica a little more. He took a deep breath and continued his way toward the castle. Jessica looked out to where Harry was looking, but there was nothing there.
"Well come on then!" Ron called out. Jessica looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. She shook her head slightly and started walking again.

x.x

Jessica was the last to wake up on the day of the long awaited match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Lavender, Parvati and Hermione had all already left, so she took advantage of her time in the bathroom. She washed her hair, dried it with a towel, changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a plain red shirt, put on her charm bracelet, a watch, a bit of perfume and deodorant, and finally her mid-calf black boots. It would be cold outside, so she'd have to later grab a coat. She adjusted her hair with her hands, making sure all the curls were in place, and frowned at her reflection. Lavender had teased her the night before, saying she never wore any makeup, but she'd put on a brave face and said she didn't need it. However, standing there now, staring at her bare face was getting quite unnerving. She wanted to believe she didn't need makeup, but Lavender's voice kept echoing in her mind. She'd be outside, in the freezing cold, therefore her reasonably full lips and cheeks would go red – so she didn't exactly need blusher or lipstick – her chocolate brown eyes glistened underneath a generous amount of eye lashes – so she didn't exactly need mascara either. She remembered Anna telling her that people used makeup to hide their flaws, but Jessica didn't believe she had flaws – at least not on her face. The things she disliked about herself couldn't be solved with a bit of makeup.

By ten thirty-five, Jessica gave up on her contemplation and headed down for breakfast, without any makeup. She did suck on her lips slightly, making them go a little redder than usual. She carried her coat under one arm, and Roary in the other, as she made her way toward the Great Hall. The entire school was talking about bets, Harry's new Firebolt, and how Gryffindor was going to squash Ravenclaw into dust. All the Hufflepuff students dressed in red to show their support. One in particular, seemed to be heading right toward her, and she mentally cursed herself for having a stuffed animal under her arm at that very moment – perhaps she had time to hide it under her coat?
"Excited for today's game?" Cedric Diggory smiled. He looked extremely dashing in his tight red turtleneck.
"Definitely." She grinned.
"I just caught a glimpse of Harry's Firebolt... It's one fine broom! I'm just glad I didn't have to go against it." He laughed.
"Yeah... It would've been quite embarrassing and I doubt you'd be wearing red right now." She smirked.
"Oh come on... I always support Gryffindor once Hufflepuff's out." He smiled his charming smile.
"Well, in that case-"

"Munchkin, I need you for a sec." Josh said, pulling his sister away from Cedric Diggory by the arm. She glanced back at Cedric, who stood there quite surprised, but she didn't get a chance to say a single word to him. Josh dragged her all the way toward the Gryffindor table and only let go once they were both seated.
"What the heck was that for?" She asked, bewildered.
"No reason. He's too old for you, though." He said, frowning slightly.
"Who's too old for you?" Harry asked, as he got up and started to get ready to head out.
"Nobody." Jessica muttered, as she glared at her brother, who only seemed to acknowledge his food.
"Please don't tell me it's that Diggory again." Fred groaned. Josh rolled his eyes and nodded in response.
"As in Hufflepuff's seeker?" Ron asked, exasperated.
"It's really none of your business who I talk to, Joshua." Jessica said, angrily.
"Yes it is." He replied, flatly.
"Is not." She spat.
"Okay... Well I'll be going then." Harry said, trying his best not to laugh at their bickering. Jessica continued to glare at her brother, even while she was eating. He pretended not to notice most of the time.

"Today we've got Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw, and I'm very happy to announce that Gareth has officially been stripped from his rights as seeker, and taking his place is Miss Cho Chang!" Lila announced, happily, through the microphone.
"That's right, and to support Ravenclaw's newest girl power, we girls are going to be doing today's commentary!" Melody Thomas exclaimed, in a heavy Irish accent.
"Where the heck is Josh?" Lila muttered, away from the microphone. Melody shrugged in response.
"It's going to be quite an interesting game today, especially since Harry Potter has a Firebolt!" Melody said.
"Hello ladies, sorry to tell you this, but there's no way I'm allowing girls to dominate this area." Lee Jordan said, as he sat down in between Lila and Melody. "Welcome everyone! I am your main host, Lee Jordan, and I'll like to start things off by saying that Gryffindor rules!"

Cheers erupted in the crowd as Lee Jordan's voice echoed through the air. Not a moment later, both teams were on the field and eager to get started.
"Come on Harry! Kick their asses!" Ron screamed.
"Mind if I join you?" Hermione said, meekly. Ron didn't even notice she was so close to them.
"As long as you two don't tear each other apart, I don't mind." Jessica shrugged.

Harry's eyes met the Ravenclaw seeker's as soon as he entered the field. Cho Chang was the only girl on their team. She was just about as tall as Jessica – which meant she was shorter than him by about a head – and he couldn't help noticing, nervous as he was, that she was rather pretty. She smiled at him as the teams faced each other behind their captains.
"Wood, Davies, shake hands." Madam Hooch said briskly. The two captains shook hands, both with an intense glare that never faltered. "Mount your brooms... On my whistle-"

"And we're off!" Lila exclaimed.
"If anyone dares hit Fred Weasley with a bludger, they'll have to answer to me!" Melody said, angrily.
"I bet no one in the stadium wants to hear about Fred, they want to know more about the fascinating Firebolt! 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, we would like to hear about the match, not the broomstick." Professor McGonagall interrupted, irritably.
"Right – yes – I was just giving a bit of background information. The Firebolt, incidentally, has a built in auto brake and-"
"Jordan!"
"Gryffindor's in possession, Katie Bell is heading for the goal!" Lila said, hoping Jordan would stop talking about the Firebolt and get his head in the game.

Harry streaked past Katie in the opposite direction, gazing around for a glint of gold and noticing that Cho Chang was tailing him closely. She was undoubtedly a very good flier – she kept cutting across him, forcing him to change direction.
"Show her your acceleration, Harry!" Fred yelled, as he whooshed past in pursuit of a bludger that was aiming for Alicia.
Harry 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, he saw it – the Snitch was close to the ground, flitting near one of the barriers.

"Katie scores! Gryffindor is already in the lead!" Lila said, with a slight hint of happiness in her voice.
"Go, go Gryffindor! Go, go Gryffindor!" Melody chanted happily into the microphone.
"To make things perfect, all we need now is for Harry to find the Snitch!" Lee grinned.

Harry dived. Cho saw what he was doing and tore after him. Harry was speeding up, excitement flooding him. Dives were his speciality, he was only ten feet away... Then a bludger, hit by one of the Ravenclaw beaters, came pelting out of nowhere. Harry narrowly avoided getting hit, but in those few crucial seconds that he'd changed his course, the Snitch had vanished.

"No! Come on, Harry! Get that damn thing!" Ron shouted.
"Come on Harry!" Jessica and Hermione yelled in unison.

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.

"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!" McGonagall, Lila, Melody and all the other teachers behind him shouted in unison.

Ravenclaw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead. If Cho got the Snitch before him Ravenclaw would win. Harry 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! Harry accelerated, eyes fixed on the speck of gold ahead – but just then, Cho appeared out of thin air, blocking him.

"That girl is really starting to get on my nerves." Jessica muttered, glaring intensely at Cho Chang.

"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN! KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!" Wood roared, as Harry swerved to avoid a collision.
Harry turned and caught sight of Cho; she was grinning. The Snitch had vanished again. Harry turned his Firebolt upward and was soon twenty feet above the game. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cho following him. She'd decided to mark him rather than search for the Snitch herself... All right then... If she wanted to tail him, she'd have to take the consequences...

"JUST KNOCK HER OVER HARRY!" Ron and Jessica shouted together.

"I think Harry's found it again, let's just hope Cho Chang doesn't interfere... It's getting really annoying!" Melody said, irritably.

He dove again, and Cho, thinking he'd seen the Snitch, tried to follow. Harry pulled out of the dive very sharply and she hurtled downward. He rose fast as a bullet once more, and then saw it, for the third time – the Snitch glittering way above the field at the Ravenclaw end. He accelerated and, many feet below, so did Cho. He was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second, then – Cho screamed.

"No... No, please not again." Jessica said, worriedly.

"Professor, something's not right." Lila said, thoughtfully.
"Remus, would you mind?" McGonagall said, turning toward Lupin, who sat beside her. He simply nodded and stood.

Three Dementor's, three tall, black, hooded Dementor's were looking up at Harry. He didn't stop to think. Plunging a hand down the neck of his robes, he whipped out his wand and –
"Expecto Patronum!"
Something silver white, something enormous, erupted from the end of his wand. He had shot directly at the Dementor's but didn't pause to watch. His mind was still miraculously clear. He looked ahead – he was nearly there. He stretched out the hand still grasping the wand and just managed to close his fingers over the small, struggling Snitch.

"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch!" Lila announced.
"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Lee and Melody cheered together. Behind them, McGonagall had a wide spread grin on her face.

Madam Hooch's whistle sounded. Harry turned around in midair and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on him; next moment, the whole team was hugging him so hard he was nearly pulled of his broom. Down below he could hear the roars from the Gryffindor's in the crowd.
"That's my boy!" Wood yelled.
Alicia, Angelina and Katie all gave him a kiss on the cheek. Fred had him in a grip so tight, Harry felt as though his head would come off in complete disarray. The team managed to make its way back to the ground, Harry got off his broom and before he knew it, he had been engulfed by the cheering crowd.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Ron yelled, yanking Harry's arm into the air.
"Well done, Harry!" Percy said, looking very delighted.
"Ruddy brilliant!" Hagrid boomed over the heads of the milling Gryffindor's.
"We won! You are beyond amazing!" Jessica grinned, giving him a very tight hug.
"That was quite a Patronus." Came a voice behind Harry.
"Oh yeah! Are you sure you're okay?" Jessica asked, worriedly. Harry turned around to see Professor Lupin, who looked both shaken and pleased.
"They didn't affect me at all! I didn't feel a thing!" Harry said, excitedly.
"What?" Jessica said, in complete shock.
"Well... That would be because they – er – weren't Dementor's." Professor Lupin said. "Come and see."
He led Harry – and Jessica, who followed even without being properly invited – out of the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the field. Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team captain.
"You gave them quite a fright." Lupin said. Jessica burst out laughing almost instantly.
"Just when I thought you lot couldn't get any thicker." She laughed, uncontrollably. They struggled to remove themselves from long, black, hooded robes. It looked as though Malfoy had been standing on Goyle's shoulders.
Coming toward them, however, with an expression of the utmost fury on her face, was Professor McGonagall. She was closely followed by the mass of Gryffindor supporters.
"An unworthy trick! 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!" She shouted.
If anything could have set the seal on Gryffindor's victory, it was this. Ron, who had fought his way through to Harry's side, doubled up with laughter as they watched Malfoy fighting to extricate himself from the robe. Goyle's head still stuck inside it.
"Come on, Harry!" George said, fighting his way over. "Party at Gryffindor's common room, now!"

Jessica followed the others soon after, but not before she caught another glimpse of the four struggling on the ground. Truthfully, she didn't like teasing Draco, but sometimes he just made it so easy for her, that it would be a sin not to.
"Apparently we're all invited to the party." Jessica spun round quickly at the sound of the familiar voice. Her laughter stopped abruptly and she silently hoped not to blush. "Though, it might not be as fun with your brother around."
"What did you do to make him hate you?" Jessica wondered.
"I guess I could tell you... But I bet it will be too loud back at Gryffindor tower." Cedric said, thoughtfully.
"Well... We could go somewhere else and you could tell me this little story between the two of you." She said, as she fidgeted with the sleeves of her coat.
"That might make him even angrier." He said, furrowing his eyebrows. Jessica shrugged.
"Oh well... It's up to you. You know where the tower is." Cedric watched as she skipped past him. A smile began to form on his lips and his chuckled slightly. Jessica silently hoped his chuckle meant what she wanted it to mean.
"Wait up, Jessica! I know a place we could go."

x.x

When Cedric Diggory said he knew a place, Jessica hadn't expected it to be something so different – yet at the same time, ordinary. They sat on the cold grass, sharing a warm blanket, by the lake. Cedric had conjured two large mugs of hot chocolate, which happened to be the best one she'd tasted so far. She'd been to the lake before, but this time it felt completely different. It made her wonder if this is what Anna would call 'a date'. She'd probably give anything to have her sister around to explain a few things.
"Let me know if you get cold... I know a pretty decent charm that might work." Cedric smiled.
"Might?" Jessica raised an eyebrow.
"It'll definitely work." Cedric laughed. He had an adorable laugh.
"I hear you're pretty good with spells." Jessica said, thoughtfully.
"That does go around a lot... That and the fact that I'm an air head." He grinned.
"I don't think you're an air head." Jessica said, rolling her eyes.
Jessica wasn't sure whether or not she was supposed to ask him about her brother. How was she supposed to know whether he liked awkward silences or not? It definitely wasn't easy hanging out with someone when you know nothing about them. She felt extremely thankful when he started talking again.
"I've been practicing a lot more lately. If I'm not mistaken, the Triwizard Tournament happens next year, and I'd love to get a chance to participate. They say it's the greatest set of games out there." Cedric said.
"Isn't it dangerous?" Jessica asked, quite surprised.
"Some people say it is... But my dad told me that it was quite exaggerated most of the time. The Daily Prophet loves making us all paranoid." He smiled. "Besides, it's not like I can't handle a little danger."
"Well, as long as you're careful and know what you're getting yourself into." She sighed.
"I wonder where it's going to be, though. I doubt my dad would let me go study in another country for a year."
"Oh... Well, I always thought they were held in the same place." Jessica shrugged. Cedric shook his head and laughed in response. Jessica then took a deep breath and decided not to get straight to it. It wasn't that she wanted to get things over and done with, but she was genuinely curious.
"So... Tell me. Do you and Josh have some sort of rivalry going on that I should know of?" She asked.
"Yeah... I guess in many ways we do. I think our worst moment was back in our second year. He was briefly on the Quidditch team-"
"But he quit because he was too lazy to practice. I know that already." Jessica nodded. Cedric laughed slightly.
"Well – yeah, he's pretty damn lazy – but that's not entirely true. He got accepted as a seeker. He took the offer and their first game was against Hufflepuff."
"Were you already on the team?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah... It was quite a game – your brother's a really good flier – but there was a lot of pressure hanging on him and he had to win, otherwise he'd never hear the end of it. If you think the seventh years now are bad, you have no idea what it was like during our second year. They were hell." Cedric chuckled slightly at the memory. Jessica wondered if he smiled all the time. "Wood wasn't captain back then, but he was pretty good at giving out ideas. Unfortunately Gryffindor's old captain didn't care about them, or his teammates for that matter."
"I knew there had to be a bad Gryffindor somewhere." Jessica grinned.
"I'm still waiting on a bad Hufflepuff." Cedric said, thoughtfully. "Well... During the game, there was a moment in which I was certain he was going to win. Of course, I couldn't just hand it over to him, so I tried to do everything I knew to keep him from getting the Snitch. One of our beaters sent a bludger toward him, just as he reached out for the Snitch, and he fell... I caught it and we won."

Jessica furrowed her eyebrows for a moment. That meant that it wasn't Cedric's fault, but the beaters.
"I still don't get why he hates you."
"Well... I also had a crush on Lila Davis – which developed during my third year." Cedric laughed.
"Ah... Yeah, that explains it then." Jessica nodded. "He's crazy about her."
"I know... And they're great together. Besides, it was just a crush. I'm completely over it." Cedric smiled.
Jessica's mind went blank. Was that supposed to mean something? She desperately wanted Anna here, spying on her and making sure everything was going according to plan. She had no idea where her sister was, however, and she would have to figure things out on her own, hopefully without making a fool of herself.
"Please tell me he didn't punch you too." Jessica said, suddenly. Cedric laughed, quite hysterically.
"No... No..." He tried to catch his breath. "His only victim was Flint. He deserved it too."
"I wish I'd seen it." Jessica smirked, mischievously.
"It was... Hilarious. They both got in trouble for it, but it was worth it in the end. Flint had it coming for a while." Cedric nodded. "Is it true? That he's-"
"Yes and it doesn't mean he's stupid." Jessica said, defensively.
"I know." Cedric said.
"Flint's an ignorant prick." Jessica mumbled. Cedric laughed, once again.
"And you have a little temper, don't you? It must be genetic."
"I do not have a temper." Jessica pouted. Cedric grinned and nudged her side with one arm; he used his other hand to pinch her cheek.
"You're a cute kid."
Jessica bit her lip and laughed, quite nervously. He'd said 'kid'. He didn't think of her in any romantic way, he didn't have a developing crush on her. To him, she was just a cute kid that was fun to talk to. So what if he was already sixteen? She was going to be fourteen in July – and time flies! There was nothing she could do about it, though. To him, she was just a child.
"Are you okay?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Y-yeah... Great!" She lied. "Listen... I should get going. I promised Hermione I'd help her with a few things."
Cedric stood up instantly and offered a hand for her. She wanted to growl at his chivalry. Why did he have to be so charming? It only made things worse!
"Thanks." She said, forcing a smile.
"I'll walk you back." Cedric smiled.

The walk back to Gryffindor tower consisted mostly of Cedric talking every now and then, just so they weren't in complete silence and Jessica answering with a few nods, and sometimes – hardly ever – with a few short words. She wanted to act like she didn't care, but she didn't know how to. She wasn't even sure if Cedric was her first teenage crush or not. It was all too complicated for a mind to grasp.
"So... I'll see you around?" He said, giving her another one of his fantastic smiles.
"Yeah... Definitely." She nodded. Definitely? Why did she have to go and say that? That meant she wanted to see him again – and even though she did, she didn't!
"Good night." Cedric gave her a surprise kiss on the cheek before walking off. Jessica stood there, frozen, with her eyes wide and her hand resting on her cheek, where his lips once were.

x.x

"Jess! Where have you been all night?" Harry asked, once he spotted a very dazed Selwyn entering the common room. "You've missed nearly the whole thing."
"I... Was... No idea..." Jessica managed to say. She strode across the room and sat on the sofa, her eyes focusing on nothing in particular.
"She's Josh's sister, right?" Melody asked. Fred nodded in response. "Jessica? Are you sure you're feeling alright?"
"She looks like she's in a trance or something." Neville said, worriedly.
"What if it's Black? What if he's done this to her?" Dean whispered. Harry sighed and knelt down in front of her.
"Jess?" He said, clicking his fingers in front of her eyes. He was silently thankful when she turned her attention to him. "You okay?"
"Yeah..." She said, dreamily.
"Oh no... I've seen that look before." George said, dramatically.
"Kind of reminds me of when the girls see Diggory practicing during the summer." Oliver Wood said, thoughtfully.
"Diggory is the dreamiest." Alicia said, almost and dreamily as Jessica had sounded. "Hang on... Were you with him? I can't believe it! Did you kiss him? You must've kissed him, otherwise you wouldn't have that look on your face."
"Unless he kissed you!" Melody said, eagerly.
"W-what? D-don't be ridiculous." Jessica laughed, nervously.
"Where's Josh when you need him?" Fred sighed.
"Was it on the lips?" Angelina asked.
"Did he use his tongue? I bet he's good with his tongue... You should see him licking his lips while he's studying." Alicia grinned.
"I'm going to go away and pretend I didn't hear anything." Harry said, uncomfortably.
"I think I'm going with you." Oliver said, sighing.
"Me too." Seamus said.
"Well?" Melody asked, grinning widely.
"Well, what?" Jessica wondered.
"Did he kiss you?" Alicia, Melody and Angelina asked in unison.
"No! Well – yes. Kind of." Jessica said, scratching the back of her head. "It was on the cheek, but-"
"OH MY GOD!" Alicia squealed.
"What's so great about a kiss on the cheek?" Dean asked, confused.
"It's the start of something, girl, there's no doubt about it!" Angelina grinned.
"I doubt it." Jessica pouted. "He said I was a cute kid... He thinks I'm just a child and-"

"You are a child and he's too old for you." Josh said, rolling his eyes.
"Where did you go, mate?" Fred asked, curiously.
"I was getting thirsty so..." Josh grinned mischievously and pulled out dozens of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets.
"How did you do that?" Angelina squealed.
"With a little help from Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs." Harry smirked.
"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" George beamed.
"Oh... And about Cedric, he doesn't think you're a child. Boy's say things, but they mean other things. It's complicated but you'll get used to it. You should totally go for it." Alicia grinned, before standing up to grab herself a bottle of butterbeer.

The only person that wasn't joining in the festivities was Hermione. She was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled 'Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles'. Harry broke away from the table where Josh and Lee Jordan had started juggling butterbeer bottles and went over to her.
"Did you even come to the match?" He asked.
"Of course I did – didn't I, Jess?" Hermione said, in a strangely high pitched voice.
"Yep." Jessica said, as she sat down next to her bushy haired friend.
"I'm very glad we won, and I think you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday." Hermione said, not taking her eyes off her book.
"Come on, Hermione, at least have some food." Harry said, looking over at Ron and wondering whether he was in a good enough mood to bury the hatchet.
"That sounds like a good idea." Jessica grinned.
"I can't! I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read." Hermione said, now sounding slightly hysterical. "Besides... He doesn't want me to join in."
"That's not-"
"Of course I don't want you around! If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten, he could have had some of those fudge flies. He used to really like them!" Ron shouted, not caring that he'd interrupted Jessica. Hermione burst into tears. Before Jessica or Harry could say anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm and ran toward the staircase to the girls' dormitories.
"Can't you give her a break?" Harry frowned.
"No." Ron said, flatly. "If she just acted like she was sorry – but she'll never admit she's wrong. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something."

The Gryffindor party only came to an end at one in the morning, when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net, insisting they all went to bed. Lavender Brown seemed to be waiting for Jessica on the stairs, because she only started walking once again when Jessica walked past her.
"So... Cedric Diggory? Honestly, he's way out of your league." Lavender snorted.
"What's it to you anyway? I thought you liked Josh." Jessica sighed.
"Josh is madly in love with Lila Davis, a Slytherin, therefore he's no longer worth my time. What's your game, Selwyn? You're always around Harry, you sometimes talk to Draco Malfoy, and now you want Cedric Diggory too? Well you can't have him." Lavender said, confidently.
"Just so you know – Harry and I are friends, Draco and I are somewhat friends and-"
"And you really think Cedric would look twice at you? Please – you're weird in so many ways, Selwyn, you don't stand a chance."
"Do you want to bet on that?" Jessica asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Lavender! Hurry up! I need to show you what Gareth Hampton drew in my potions book!" Parvati called from their bedroom door.
"I'll be right there!" Lavender giggled, excitedly. She turned back to Jessica as soon as Parvati closed the bedroom door. "You, little Miss Jessica Selwyn, can't have him. You're childish, one of the youngest in our year, you hang around with Hermione Granger and – more importantly – I bet not even Harry Potter would look twice at you. Just spare yourself from all the shame, okay?"
Jessica simply glared at Lavender as she climbed the stairs and entered the bedroom. She knew Lavender was just trying to get her annoyed, that what she said wasn't true – or was it? Jessica huffed and slumped against the stone wall. She decided she'd wait a while before heading to bed; she didn't want to have to look at Lavender again.

Jessica was dozing off, still slumped against the stone wall of the girls' staircase, when she heard something:
"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGHHH! NOOOOOOO!"
The sound of someone screaming made her jump. It had come from the boys' side, and, acting on instinct, she ran toward Harry's room. By the time she'd made it to his room, all the boy's were awake. Ron was the one who looked the most pale.
"What happened?" Jessica asked, worriedly.
"Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!" Ron cried.
"What?" Dean asked, bewildered.
"Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains and woke me up!" Ron whimpered, hysterically.
"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?" Seamus asked.
Due to all the noise Ron was making, more students started gathering around their room. Most were still half asleep, but wanted to know what on Earth was going on.
"Why aren't you all asleep?" Percy asked, irritably.
"Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed." Katie Bell yawned.
"Is the party still going on?" Josh asked, peering through the door.
"Brilliant." Fred and George said, both grinning mischievously.
"Percy – Sirius Black – tried to kill me!" Ron said, breathlessly.
At that moment, everyone present – including Fred, George and Josh – went silent. They all stared at Ron, some bewildered and others terrified. Percy, however, didn't seem to believe a single word of it.
"Nonsense! You had too much to eat, Ron, and had a nightmare." Percy said, irritably.
"I'm telling the truth!" Ron bellowed.

"I thought I told you all to go to bed!" Professor McGonagall said, completely annoyed, as she walked into the crowded room. "I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"
"How did she get here so fast?" Jessica whispered to Harry, who shrugged in response.
"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" Percy said, indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother, Ron, had a nightmare-"
"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled.
"Mr. Weasley, please, I'm standing right next to you." Professor McGonagall sighed, rubbing her earlobe.
"Professor, I woke up, and Sirius Black was standing over me. HE WAS HOLDING A KNIFE!" Ron cried once again. McGonagall stared at him for a good moment or so.
"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"
"How did he get into the castle last time?" Jessica said – soon regretting speaking out of turn when McGonagall glared at her.

Professor McGonagall turned, without uttering a single word, walked down the stairs, through the common room, and finally, out the portrait hole. The students quietly walked down to the common room and waited for McGonagall to return – even though some were certain she'd gone back to bed. They could hear, just barely, that McGonagall was talking to Sir Cadogan.
"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?" She asked, rather irritated.
"Certainly, good lady!" Sir Cadogan said, proudly. There was a stunned silence inside the common room. The first years were all trembling on the spot.
"You... You did? B-but... But the password!" McGonagall said, shocked.
"He had 'em!" Sir Cadogan cried. "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. She took a deep breath and eyed all the students.
"Which person..." She started, 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 slippers, raised his hand slowly into the air.

x.x

Jessica was rather surprised when she saw her father standing outside the Great Hall – possibly waiting for her to arrive. She paused her tracks for a moment, hoping he wouldn't notice, and allowed her mind to wonder. However, it didn't take long for him to find her. With a wide spread grin on his face, he walked over to her and pulled her into a very tight hug.
"You have no idea how happy I am to see you." He said, clutching her tightly. Jessica, still buried in his arms, furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"What's that supposed to mean? You forget to write to us and now you're happy I'm at school?" She said, quite angrily.
"What? I sent you letters... Well, I sent them to-"
"Sorry! Forgot to tell you!" Josh said, as he dashed past them and quickly entered the Great Hall. Jessica frowned. Athos rolled his eyes and sighed.
"I'm not happy you three left, though, but I'm not here because of that. I heard about what happened last night. Is your friend alright?" Athos asked, worriedly.
"Yeah... He's a bit shaken, but he'll be alright." Jessica shrugged.
"I'm just so glad you're okay." Athos said, pulling her into another tight hug. "I'll be here nearly all day making sure the security is accurate."
"Lucky you." Jessica mumbled into his sweater-vest, as she tried to pry herself away. "I do have to go now, though, otherwise I'll be late for Lupin's class."
"Alright, alright. Go." He said, letting her go. He smiled when she gave him a large grin and waved goodbye.

"Black wouldn't dare touch her." Remus Lupin said, startling Athos slightly.
"I'd kill him." Athos said, confidently.
"I'm surprised he didn't kill Ron Weasley last night. He could've if he wanted to." Remus said, thoughtfully.
"I know... Please don't start, Remus. It happened, no matter how much it pains me to say it, but he's not the same person we once knew." Athos sighed.
"You don't sound so convinced. Anyway, your son gave me this... Perhaps you could make good use of it." Remus handed Athos a small black box, which Athos examined rather closely. Opening it cautiously, he discovered the golden key. He had no idea what it was for, but he did have a few suspects. "Let me know what you discover."
"I will... And you make sure he doesn't return." Athos said. "Oh – and before I forget, is the map still with you?"

Well, Athos, the map was with your son and the twins, but it's currently in the hands of Harry, your daughter, Ron and Hermione... Such mischievous little creatures!

Ehem, anyway... Yeeey! I've updated faster than usual! I did re-read this, but I apologize if I missed out on anything! Hope everyone liked it aaaand until next time! :o xoxo