A/N: I don't own anything
Chapter 5: Stares, Hate and Quidditch
Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where we were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.
"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all the doors into the Hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the Prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the Hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."
Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the Hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing..."
One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the Hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.
"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.
The Hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.
"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"
"C'mon," Ron said to us; we seized four sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.
"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.
"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron.
"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione, as we climbed fully dressed into our sleeping bags and propped ourselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the Tower..."
" Reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."
Hermione shuddered.
All around them, people were asking each other the same question: "How did he get in?"
"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away. "Just appear out of thin air, you know."
"Ooh please, don't they know you can't Apparate in Hogwarts. I'm a the only one who read Hogwarts, A History?" I said, the first thing of the evening.
The others looked at me.
"You're not the only one who read it, I did to!" Hermione said excited.
"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth-year.
"He could've flown in," suggested Dean.
"Honestly, are we the only persons who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Harry and Ron.
"Probably," said Ron. "Why?"
"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said Hermione. "There's all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. and I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in, too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered..."
"Somehow, I don't believe that," I said, "I think the twins now a lot to, at least that's what they told me."
"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"
The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars.
What with that, and the whispering that still filled the Hall, I felt as though I was sleeping out of doors in a light wind.
Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in.
I watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Percy was only a short way away from us, who quickly pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore's footsteps drew nearer.
"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.
"No. All well here?"
"Everything under control, sir."
"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."
"And the Fat Lady, sir?"
"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."
I heard the door of the Hall creak open again, and more footsteps.
"Headmaster?" It was Snape.
I kept quite still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there, either."
"What about the Astronomy Tower? Professor Trelawney's room?
The Owlery?"
"All searched..."
"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."
"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.
I raised my head very slightly off his arms to free my other ear.
"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."
I opened my eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Dumbledore's back was to me, but I could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.
"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before- ah- the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.
"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.
"It seems- almost impossible- that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed and let-"
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply.
"I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."
"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.
"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I'm Headmaster."
Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the Hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the Headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face, then he too left.
I glanced sideways at the others. They had their eyes open, too, reflecting the starry ceiling.
"What was all that about?" Ron mouthed.
"Are you ok?" Harry mouthed. I nodded.
The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days.
The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbot, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a floweringshrub. The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogen and his fat grey pony.
Nobody was very happy about this.
Sir Cadogen spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.
"He's barking mad," said Seamus angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"
"None of the other pictures wanted the job," said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogen was the only one brave enough to volunteer."
Sir Cadogan, however, was the least of Harry's and my worries. We were now being closely watched.
Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with us and Percy Weasley (acting, Ron suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing us everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog.
To cap it all, professor McGonagall summoned Harry and me into her office, with such a sombre expression on her face I thought someone must have died.
"There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter," she said, in a very serious voice. "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black -"
"I know he's after me," said Harry wearily. "I heard Ron's dad telling his mum. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic."
Professor McGonagall seemed very taken aback. She stared at Harry for a moment or two, then said, "I see! Well,in that case, Potter, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practising Quidditch in the evenings. On the pitch with only your team members, it's very exposed, Potter-"
"We've got our first match on Saturday!" said Harry, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor!"
Professor McGonagall considered him intently. I knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team's prospects. He waited, holding his breath.
"Hmm..." Professor McGonagall stood up and stared out of the window at the Quidditch pitch, just visible through the rain.
"Well... goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last... but all the same, Potter... I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions."
"Now, miss Black, I have to ask you, have you heard anything of your father? We would appreciate it if you would notify us immediately if you hear something of him."
"I'm sorry professor, but I haven't heard anything of him. And honestly, I don't think I will hear him at all. I haven't seen him since I was one year old and I don't think he would remember me." I said sadly.
"I understand, but just in case, you will tell us?" she asked.
"Yes professor, everything to keep Harry save." I said, giving a side glance at Harry.
The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team were training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch.
The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team were looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Malfoy.
"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he sighed, as the gale outside pounded the windows.
"Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I-"
But it wasn't Professor Lupin who looked up at him from the teacher's desk; it was Snape.
"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."
But Harry didn't move.
"Where's Professor Lupin?"
"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?"
But Harry stayed where he was. "What's wrong with him?"
Snape's black eyes glittered. "Nothing life-threatening," he said, looking as though he wished it was.
"Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."
Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down next to me. Snape looked around at the class.
"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-"
"Please, sir, we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas and grindylows," said Hermione quickly, "and we're just about to start-"
"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."
I glared at him. He had no right.
"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class.
Snape looked more menacing than ever.
"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly over-taxing you- I would expect first-years to be able to deal with Red Caps and grindylows. Today we shall discuss-"
I watched him flick through the text book, to the very back chapter, which he must know we hadn't covered.
"-werewolves," said Snape.
No, I thought , oh no, this isn't good. Ooh I hate this guy!
"But, sir," said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks-"
"Miss Granger," said Snape, in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I was teaching this lesson, not you. And I'm telling you all to turn to page three hundred and ninety-four." He glanced around again. "All of you! Now!"
With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, the class opened their books.
"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.
Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it often did, had shot straight into the air.
"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between-"
"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on-"
"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognise a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..."
He turned to me with a smirk on his face. "Black, please inform the class the differences between a werewolf and a true wolf!"
I glared at him. "I don't know sir, as we have told you already, we aren't there yet!"
"50 points for your cheek, Black" he sneered.
"Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"
"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."
Hermione went very red, put down her hand and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears.
It was a mark of how much the class loathed Snape that they were all glaring at him, because every one of them had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, and Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, "You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told? And what's with the 50 points from Aurora, there was no reason!"
The class knew instantly he'd gone too far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly, and the room held its breath.
"Detention, Weasley," Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize that way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."
No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin.
"Very poorly explained... that is incorrect, the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia... Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three ..."
When the bell rang at last, Snape held them back.
"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."
Harry, Hermione and I left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until we were all out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Snape.
"Snape's never been like this with any of our other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he did want the job," Harry said to us. "Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think this is all because of the Boggart?"
"I don't know," said Hermione pensively. "But I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon..."
"He will, trust me." I said.
Ron caught up with them five minutes later, in a towering rage.
"D'you know what that-" (He called Snape something that made Hermione say "Ron!")
"- is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!"
He was breathing deeply, his fists clenched. "Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"
"Ron, you don't mean that, do you?" I asked with tears in my eyes. "And thank you for sticking up for me."
Ron looked at me. "I'm sorry Aurora, I didn't mean it. And that's what friends are for."
I gave him a watery smile.
I woke up really early the next morning. The storm outside was really bad. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to get up and get ready. Warmly dressed I made my way to the Great Hall. I saw Harry siting at the Gryffindor table.
"Good morning Harry" I said.
"Morning" he replied.
By the time we'd started on toast, the rest of the team had turned up. .
"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything.
"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Alicia soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."
But it was considerably more than a bit of rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns towards the Quidditch pitch, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went.
I sat together with Hermione and Ron, huddled together so we would stay out the rain as much as possible.
The wind was so strong that the team staggered sideways as they walked out onto the pitch. The crowd was cheering but I don't think they could hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder.
The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the pitch, wearing canary-yellow robes. The captains walked up to each other and shook hands.
Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant- they were off.
Within five minutes the team was soaked to their skin and frozen. I couldn't hear the commentary over the wind. The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice Harry came very close to being unseated by a Bludger. I was fearing for his life.
I lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to see anything. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. I couldn't see anymore who was who.
With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madame Hooch's whistle.
"I don't think Harry is going to see much in this rain." Ron said.
"Wait here, I've got an idea." I ran as quickly as I could to the Gryffindor team. When I got closer I could hear Harry say.
"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.
"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"
He handed them to me and, as the team watched in amazement, I tapped them with my wand and said, "Impervius!"
"There!" I said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"
Wood looked as though he could have kissed me.
"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after me, as I disappeared into the crowd. "OK, team, let's go for it!"
"No!" Ron cried.
The team went back to the game and they played better than before the time-out. I could see that Harry had it much easier now he could see. Suddenly a yellow flyer shot away across the field and then a red one was following him closely. Must be Harry and the seeker from Hufflepuffs.
But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though I had suddenly gone deaf- what was going on? And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over me, inside me, just as I became aware of something moving on the pitch below...
A least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at Harry, were standing below.
It was as though freezing water was rising in my chest, cutting at my insides.
And then I heard it again... someone was screaming, screaming inside my head... a woman ...
The woman was screaming, and I knew no more.
"Lucky the ground was so soft."
"I thought he was dead for sure."
"But he didn't even break his glasses."
I could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. I didn't have a clue where I was, or how I'd got there, or what I'd been doing before I got there.
"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."
Scariest... the scariest thing... hooded black figures... cold... screaming...
My eyes snapped open. I was lying in the hospital wing. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, spattered with mud from head to foot, was gathered round Harry's bed. Ron and Hermione were also there, round my bed,looking as though they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool.
"Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath the mud. "How're you feeling?"
"Aurora, you're awake" Hermione said relieved.
"What happened?" we said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.
"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been- what- fifty feet?"
"You fainted and we couldn't awake you" Hermione said to me.
"We thought you'd died," said Alicia, who was shaking.
Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot.
"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we having a replay?"
No one said anything.
"We didn't - lose?"
"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a re-match. But they won fair and square... even Wood admits it."
"Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there.
"Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself."
Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.
"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."
"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.
"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff lose to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."
"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.
"But if they beat Ravenclaw..."
"No way, Ravenclaw are too good. But if Slytherin lose against Hufflepuff..."
"It all depends on the points- a margin of a hundred either way-"
Harry lay there, not saying a word.
After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave us in peace.
"We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself up, Harry, you're still the greatest Seeker we've ever had. And we will visit you to, my fair lady."
That had become my nickname, fair lady. I didn't hate it, I actually liked it.
The team trooped out, trailing mud behind them. Madam Pomfrey shut the door behind them, looking disapproving. Ron and Hermione moved nearer to Harry's bed. I climbed out of my bed and went to sit on his.
"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione said in a quaking voice. "I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the pitch as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down before you hit the ground. Then he whirled his wand at the Dementors. Shot silver stuff at them. They left the stadium straight away... he was furious they'd come into the grounds, we heard him-"
"Then he magicked you onto a stretcher," said Ron. "And walked up to school with you floating on it. Everyone thought you were... And then we yelled for a professor, because we still could wake you up, Aurora, and you to were brought here on a stretcher. It was so weird."
He voice faded away, but I hardly noticed. I was thinking about what the Dementors had done to me... about the screaming voice, my mam.
I looked up and saw Ron and Hermione looking at Harry so anxiously.
"What's wrong with you two?" I asked.
"Nothing," Ron said quickly.
"Did someone get my Nimbus?" Harry asked.
Ron and Hermione quickly looked at each other.
"Well... when you fell off, it got blown away," said Hermione hesitantly.
"And?"
"And it hit- it hit - oh, Harry - it hit the Whomping Willow."
My insides lurched. The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree which stood alone in the middle of the grounds.
"And?" he said, dreading the answer.
"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It- it doesn't like being hit."
"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came round," said Hermione in a very small voice.
Slowly, she reached for a bag at her feet, turned it upside-down and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twigs onto the bed, the only remains of Harry's broomstick.
"I'm so sorry Harry," I said and I moved closer to him with my arms opened. If he want, he could get a hug from me. He looked at me and gave in. I embraced him softly.
"Everything is going to be ok, " I whispered in his ear.
We sat there for a long time. Harry in my arms and Hermione and Ron trying to say al kind of things to make him feel better.
A/N: sorry it took so long to post another chapter.
I'm going to tell you now, I'm having exams the rest of the month and I won't be able to post another chapter every day, so don't hate me if it will take some time.
Now, you all know what to do! Review and make me Happy