Chapter Five

Harry stared out over the pitch. Twice, since the night Mrs. Norris was frozen, the Headmaster had pulled him aside to question him, even got his Head of House to do the same. He simply let them question to their heart's content but never spoke more than what he had already told them. He kept reasons to himself and shared only with the Bloody Baron, remembering the words that flowed through his head, hungry…must feed…free to feed. He couldn't share, it was not he that mattered, it was what he believed, "that will soon matter."

"What will matter?"

Harry glanced over to his curious friend, "Nothing, Draco. Shall we win?"

"Slytherin will win unless Gryffindor cheats again."

"Ah, but morale must be high. All I will say is good luck." Harry turned to walk away when he called back to the departing Draco, "You must be careful…soon." He left behind a confused Seeker.

Harry sighed softly, knowing later Draco would question him. But he had to start worrying now as the shadows continued to nip away, whispering as much around the blonde Slytherin as they did Ember. Even now something called to his sister, whispering darkly as all he could do was wait.

Ember, herself, smiled brightly as she rose above the Quidditch pitch. She was happy for two reasons. One, she wouldn't have to face Harry in the game. Two, she always felt free when in the air, as if no burdens could reach her here. For now, though, she wanted to catch the snitch and win once again, especially as Mum and dad finally made it to watch.

Hazel eyes looked down, as if to prove her memory correct, to the stand that mainly held Professors to find smiling and cheering James and Lily Potter, who were also sitting near a silent seemingly cold Lucius Malfoy, who every now and then leaned over to Slytherin Head of House, Severus Snape. Both Seekers had their parents watching, both determined to make their family proud with a win.

Until it happened.

As usual, the Slytherins were cheating to win by using sly tactics that weren't getting them caught as they stretched the rules to their liking. They were rough as they plowed eagerly into the Gryffindor team. Even the Weasley twins as beaters were having trouble with the bludgers as the Slytherin beaters were vicious in sending them at any Gryffindor player, all the while laughing and cheering when Gryffindor lost two players to their tactics, one being their Keeper.

Ember was desperate to end the game as she searched for the snitch when something came hurtling her way. Instinct had her ducking down on her broom as it whizzed by. She twisted to find a rogue bludger continuing on its path.

"What's the matter, Potter? Scared of a little bludger?" Malfoy laughed at her plight.

She ignored him, seeing a glint of gold, there! She glanced behind as she rocketed towards it to find a determined Malfoy catching up as well as a familiar brown object racing towards them as well. Malfoy had finally caught up. Both Seekers reached out for the snitch, engrossed only on beating the other to the win. Ember had forgotten about the hurtling object just behind them until it was too late.

Malfoy gave a startled cry as his broom lurched, knocking him off course, spiraling fast to the ground. Cries of fear rose from the Slytherins as Malfoy hit hard, broom flipping with its rider until he hit a rough patch. He sailed about a foot from his broom before he landed in an odd position, his body snapping viciously before he finally lay upon the ground, writhing in pain while holding tightly to his ribs.

Ember was in shock; at least that was the excuse she was using when the bludger came back and slammed just as viciously into her outstretched arm, snapping the bone cleanly in half. She shrieked with the pain before biting down hard on her bottom lip, tasting blood to fight through the pain, using her thighs to hold onto the broom and her free arm to reach for the fluttering snitch. She toppled off the broom, snatching the snitch from the air, and hitting gritty sand.

"Ember!" She jerked from her prone position only to find the rogue bludger falling from the sky, directly above her head. She yelped, twisting so it would miss her, only to see it come back for more when a spell struck it, causing it to explode in tiny pieces.

"All right there, Miss Potter?" Dazed by pain, she barely recognized her idol at her side, looking over her broken arm, "Ah, yes, a broken arm. I can fix that in a jiffy."

She may be in pain from both a ripped lip and smashed bone but she knew better than to let anyone but a Healer fix anything. "No!"

"Lockhart, don't!" She didn't know who called out to stop the blonde wizard but it was too late. He already waved his wand in a flamboyant fashion, mumbling under his breath. She didn't understand a word but she did understand what he had done when all she saw was a floppy arm, all the bones gone. She whimpered, he vanished my bones! Seconds later she allowed the darkness to overwhelm her, not wanting to see the rubber like arm flop about.

***Hogwarts Infirmary***

Lucius stood by his son's side, quite surprised when the Potter boy had also joined him, "Mister Potter." The boy tipped his head in respect as they turned to the Medi-witch who scurried between two patients.

"He can leave, Mister Malfoy. His ribs will be a little sore and it might hurt if he inhales too deeply or sleep on his chest but he shall be fine. His ribs are just bruised but will heal within the week. He can see his Head of House or myself if he rather a potion to speed up the healing process." Then she rushed away to Ember's side, leaving the Slytherins to their own devises, huffing angrily, "She should have been brought to me immediately!"

"We tried too but Lockhart got to her first."

"I am the professional here, not that man! I could have healed her bones instantly! But to heal vanished bones…"

Ember whimpered, "You can, right?"

Pomfrey grimly smile, "Actually, no, my dear. All we can do is re-grow them. Healing your bones would have saved you a night of pain." She held out a cup filled with a clear liquid, "drink this down." Ember went to swallow a mouthful when most of it came spraying out in disgust, "What? Did you expect pumpkin juice? Drink it. This is skele-grow. It will grow back the bones in your arm overnight but you will be in a lot of pain from it."

Ember grimaced as she forced herself to swallow. Lily hugged her daughter tightly afterwards, "Oh, Em!" James stood off to one side with his two best friends, who had rushed to his side when he fire called to cancel their outing. Now he watched as his wife sobbed over Ember having to be in pain to re-grow something a medi-witch could have healed in seconds.

"James?"

"It's nothing."

Remus knew better, he had heard that excuse for seven years in school and even years later, "You and Lily, even Sirius, drilled into Harry's head the importance of standing by your House. That House unity is the only absolute in this school outside friendships. Then when he does as he was taught, you disagree with his actions simply because of what House he was sorted into."

"James!" Lily overheard the soft tones to her husband, stunned that he still held onto this grudge against his only son. "He is your son!"

James looked down in shame. "I know." He couldn't help it. He couldn't let go of the past. Neither could Sirius but they were trying. All they knew was that Slytherins were evil and they didn't want anyone from their family associated with such a thing.

"It's okay, dad. I don't mind. It's hard for me sometimes." Ember felt embarrassed to admit something so private but she did. There were times she felt betrayed because harry went and settled so easily in Slytherin. He was hers first and foremost but he had found others to befriend. She had to always remind herself he was her twin, her brother, and that family always came first, that he would always be hers.

***Later that night***

Ember jerked awake, hazy with pain and unsure of what just happened. Blinking away sleep, she peered around to find Harry suddenly stepping from the shadows with a weird creature wriggling in his grasp, "Harry?"

"Tell her," he demanded of the creature.

Hazel eyes moved over the creature as they stepped into the moonlight to discover, "a House elf?"

The elf fidgeted, wringing its hands, "Dobby sorry."

"What? I don't…don't understand."

The creature's, Dobby, voice wobbled, "Dobby hear bad things. Bad things about great Ember Potter. Dobby tried to stop great Ember Potter from coming. Bad things at Hogwarts. Dobby failed but had tried again."

Ember started as she realized what he was saying, "You!" She hissed lowly to keep from alerting Pomfrey, "you closed the gateway! You're the reason we got in so much trouble!"

Dobby sobbed, "Dobby sorry! But Dobby didn't want great Ember Potter hurt. So's he try a good plan, new plan, to send her home. Great Ember Potter go home now, yes?"

"Home?" Then it hit her, "You sent that bludger at me! You could have seriously hurt someone more so than we are now!" Then another idea hit her, "wait, bad things. What bad things? Whose elf are you? What do you mean bad things at Hogwarts?"

As she questioned the trembling elf, Harry's head tilted as a voice purred in his ears, so hungry….nothing fulfilling…feed, feed as told. Harry barely contained his flinch but loosened his grip. Dobby twisted away and disappeared as Ember reached out to grab him for answers. Harry immediately melted into the shadows, confusing his sister when she heard footsteps hurrying in her direction. She quickly covered up and lay still, listening.

"This is the second one!"

"Where was he found?"

"Out in the halls. We can only assume he was sneaking out to take pic….wait, the camera!"

Ember heard rustling and almost jumped when a loud poof was heard in the silence. "It seems things are grave after all. A curfew will be applied to all Houses."

"Albus?"

The Headmaster sighed heavily, "It seems, Minerva, the rumors are true. There is a secret chamber hidden in this very school and has been opened. What was inside is now free. The students are no longer safe. It won't be long before the Board Governors close down the school."

Ember remained still, thinking rapidly as the group of Professors left, arguing among themselves. It does exist! But what is it? She carefully sat up and squinted in the faded candle light to see who was on a bed far from hers.

"It is what history is for. Secrets are just that, history. Nothing remains hidden forever." She jumped when Harry's voice drifted from the petrified student. Has to be Colin. He's the only one always carrying a camera. "Can you not hear, Em? Listen as your instincts tell you. It speaks clearly and you may hear. As you know shadows have come, growing darker. Last year was but a taste of what's to come. Soon an even darker time shall arrive but first seeds of doubt."

"H-harry?"

"I must go. The bed checks are yet to be done. Goodnight, sister." And he vanished from her senses.

"I hate when you do that." Her words were lost in the silence. She lay back to ponder what he spoke of. A House elf was causing trouble because of something bad coming to Hogwarts, fearing for her safety. He had to belong to a Dark family, perhaps one aligned with Voldemort, as he would be the only reason she would fear for her safety. Now something was coming from a supposedly non-existent Chamber of Secrets, "Maybe a Professor will know more." Determined, she fell back into an uneasy sleep.