On Christmas morning, Hermione woke me up, saying, "Presents!"

We tore open our gifts. Mrs. Weasley had sent me a bright red sweater. I loved her sweaters; they were so warm and comfortable. She had also sent pies and cakes. "Look at this," I said, showing Hermione a thin package at the bottom.

I ripped it open. I screamed, jumping up and down. "IT'S A FIREBOLT!" I squealed.

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever—and would ever—own. "Oliver is going to be so happy," I said, dreamily.

Hermione was flabbergasted. "Who sent it?" she asked in a sharp voice.

"There's no card!" I said, astonished. "I've got to go show Ron!"

I ran downstairs and Ron was already there. "Another maroon sweater," Ron muttered, and then he laid eyes on my broomstick.

"Blimey!" he said, rubbing his eyes. "Who got you that?"

"I have no idea! There wasn't a card!" I told him excitedly.

"Dumbledore wouldn't have spent that much on a student," Ron said, thoughtfully. "Lupin! Wait, he can't have this much gold…"

Hermione came downstairs, biting her lip. "Haile," she said quietly. She pulled my Sneakoscope out from behind her and it was whirling around. "I'm not saying this thing works…but I do think there's something odd about being sent that broomstick."

Scabbers peeked his head out from Ron's pocket. Ron stuffed him back in at the sight of Crookshanks appearing from behind an armchair.

"I think it's brilliant!" Ron said, brightly. "Ugh, Scabbers, stop." He pulled him out. "Can you take your cat away?" he snapped. "Poor Scabbers. Lately he's been looking even more ill…"

Christmas dinner was a feast, as usual. I felt full and happy afterwards. The only sad thing was that Lupin had fallen ill again. After dinner, Hermione told us she'd meet us back up in the common room.

Ron and I played wizard chess until she returned, and with her, came Professor McGonagall.

"Miss Potter, may I see your broom?" she asked briskly.

"The Firebolt?" I asked, standing up. "Why?" My eyebrows furrowed.

"Miss Granger informed me that you were sent it and I'm afraid I'll have to ask my fellow teachers to check it for jinxes. Not buts, Potter, just hand it over."

I ran up to my dormitory, angrily, and fetched it. Professor McGonagall took it from me. I was very reluctant to let it go.

"Professor, is this necessary?" Ron asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes," she said, nodding. "Don't worry, Potter. You should have it back in a few weeks."

She left. Ron and I turned to Hermione. I was numb, but Ron had enough emotion left to yell at Hermione.

"You snitch!" he said, furiously.

"Ron, don't you get it!" Hermione snapped back, her face red. "We both agree that broom was probably sent to Haile by Sirius Black!"

Ron stormed up to bed without speaking to her, but I told her quietly that I knew she meant well.

That didn't mean I wasn't mad, though. She started to avoid the common rooms. Ron and I stopped speaking to her—and even though I felt bad—when Oliver arrived back at school, telling him was nightmarish.

"A Firebolt?!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "No! She can't have taken it! I'll talk to her, H. This is unreal. We have to have you riding it by our next game."

When classes started again, Lupin was feeling much better. He agreed that Thursday night we could meet to practice defenses against dementors.

When Thursday night arrived, I excitedly met him in the History of Magic classroom. "There's another boggart in here," Lupin said, pointing at a cabinet in the back of the room. "I thought we could use it to practice on."

"Now the spell I'm going to teach you is extremely advanced magic. It's called the Patronus Charm. If performed correctly, it produces a Patronus, which is a guardian that will protect you from dementors. To perform this, you must think opposite of the dementors, by thinking of a single memory, the most happiest memory you can conjure."

I nodded, envisioning the first time I rode a broomstick. "Okay," I told him.

"The incantation is, 'Expecto patronum!'" I repeated him, and he nodded. "Yes. Now, concentrate on that memory."

I muttered the incantation, while thinking of flying the broom. Something silver and wispy soared out of my wand. "Whoa!" I exclaimed.

"Yes!" Lupin encouraged. "Now, let's try it on a dementor."

"Yes," I said, gulping. Lupin opened the cabinet. A dementor floated out. The lights in the classroom flickered, and it floated closer to me. Fear flooded me.

I tried to focus on that memory, shouting, "Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!"

Next thing I knew, my dad was shouting in my ear.

"Lily, take Haile and go! GO! I'll hold him…just go!"

I woke up again to Lupin handing me a piece of chocolate. "My dad," I said, breathing heavily. "I heard him."

"You heard James?" Lupin asked, in a strange voice.

"Yes," I said. "Hey…Professor…did you know my dad?"

"We were friends at Hogwarts," Lupin said, frowning. "Haile…maybe try a new memory. A very strong one, now."

"I've got it!" I exclaimed, thinking of when I first found out I was a witch. "Let's try again."

Lupin once again opened the cabinet. The dementors glided forward, extending a large, rotting hand…

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" I screamed, thinking of when I found out I was a witch. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

The screaming this time was quieter, and then, I didn't hear it at all. I didn't even faint. A silver figure burst out of the end of my wand, and I shakily smiled, before collapsing to my knees.

"Riddikulus!" Lupin cried, and forced the dementors back into the cabinet. "Haile! That was an excellent start!"

I smiled. "That's enough for tonight," I said, sighing.

"I'll say," Lupin said, handing me a huge bar of chocolate. "Eat."

I eyed the chocolate, and then unwrapped it gratefully. "Snape told me I had gained weight," I offered, taking a large bite of the chocolate.

Lupin threw his head back and laughed. "If only you knew. I assure you, Haile, you have nothing to worry about. Lily and James both were beanpoles."

I mulled over this. "Professor…if you knew my dad, you must've known Sirius Black, too, right?"

Professor Lupin's smile vanished. "Yes. Yes, I did. Why don't you go on up to bed, dear? You're exhausted."

I nodded, thanked him, and left.

The days seemed to get shorter as Quidditch practices lengthened, my new once-a-week night practices with Lupin, and an immense load of homework.

Hermione was overloaded with homework, which didn't seem possible since there was simply not enough time.

"How's she doing it?" Ron asked me.

"No idea," I said back. I hated not talking to Hermione. I had tried to, but she was angry at me for siding with Ron.

"Ernie told me she's never missed a Muggle Studies class, but they're the same time as Divination! And she was talking to a Ravenclaw yesterday about their Arithmancy class, but she was with us in Care of Magical Creatures!"

I shrugged, helpless.

Other than that, Professor McGonagall still hadn't returned my Firebolt. Oliver and I begged daily—Oliver more often—and she flatly refused every time.

My night practices with Lupin were coming along slowly. I didn't faint anymore, and my parents' voices were becoming more distant every week. My Patronus was still too weak to drive them away, but at least I wasn't passing out.

Lupin explained to me more about the Dementor's Kiss. "That's the fate that awaits Black," he said.

"I think he deserves it," I said at once.

"Really?" Lupin said, lightly.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "I think so."

A week or so before the Ravenclaw match, Professor McGonagall found me on my way out from Divination. "There was nothing wrong with it," she proclaimed, handing me my precious Firebolt.

"YAY!" I squealed, causing a scene. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Heaven knows who sent it to you," McGonagall said, thoughtfully. "Anyway, good luck on the match. Get plenty of rest, yes?"

I met with Ron in the Great Hall and showed him. "Now will you please make up with Hermione?" I begged. "She won't even look at me!"

"Okay, anything if you'll let me have a go," Ron said, grinning.

Poor Neville was stuck outside when we arrived at the common room. "I wrote them all down," pleaded Neville. "I must have lost them somewhere…"

"The password is Frickleshrigger," I told Neville and Sir Cadogan swung forward to let us in.

Ron murmured to me. "There she is," he said, pointing to a table in the back where Hermione sat working. "I'll go give Scabbers his rat tonic; you talk to her first. I'll be down in a second."

Once I walked in, everyone crowded me, asking questions and touching it. Finally, I pushed my way past them.

I walked over to her, showing her my Firebolt. "Hi," I said, sitting down.

"Hi," she said, eyeing my Firebolt.

"Nothing wrong with it!" I said happily.

"There could've been!" she protested.

"I know," I said quickly. "Hermione…why don't you drop a few subjects? By the time you come to bed at night, I'm already asleep, and you're up so early to begin again!"

"I couldn't!" she said. "I love them all, I just look tired."

"Look, I'm really sorry," I told her. "I never meant for us to stop talking."

"Me either," she said, relieved.

Well, that lasted for a couple seconds. Ron came running down, dragging her a huge bed sheet. "LOOK!" he yelled at Hermione. "SCABBERS IS GONE AND LOOK!"

I looked on in horror. The bed sheets he was shaking had a nasty bloodstain on them.

"BLOOD! AND YOU KNOW WHAT I FOUND?"

He threw down several long, ginger cat hairs.

Ron and Hermione had definitely fought before, but this time it truly looked like the end of the line for them.

Ron was taking this very hard and nothing anyone said could make him feel better. I was very torn. Hermione was just as angry, if not angrier, with Ron, and she would be angry with me if I sided with Ron again.

Instead, I took to hanging out with Dean and Seamus whenever I could, and when they weren't around, Fred and George. Sometimes, I even talked with Parvati and Lavender, just to escape from both of them.

It was bad, I know, but I couldn't have them both mad at me too. Plus, maybe if they found out I was avoiding them, they'd make up. Or not.

On the day of the match, I brought my Firebolt to breakfast. Fred and George insisted on carrying it, and I let them. People flooded the Gryffindor table and even Cedric Diggory stopped by.

"Brilliant, Haile," he said, appraisingly. "Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker, is going to have a hard time beating this."

I beamed. I had seen Cho Chang, who was rather pretty, chasing after Cedric countless times, so this made me feel rather good.

We walked out to the Quidditch field, feeling confident. Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw captain, something Davies. I jumped up and down, excited to get going on my Firebolt.

"Mount your brooms," Madam Hooch ordered. "On my count. Three…two…one—"

We all soared into flight. I was absolutely in love with how my Firebolt seemed to know what I was thinking before I moved, and went faster than I ever had gone before.

I tuned out Lee Jordan's commentaries, and focused on finding the Snitch before Cho. I already felt a bit threatened by her; she was a year older, and aforementioned, very pretty. I wanted to impress Cedric—and of course, everyone else—by winning.

However, twenty minutes into the game, Cho nor I had any luck. On the contrary, the Gryffindor Chasers were doing an excellent job—eighty to zero, Gryffindor.

Soon, I spotted the Snitch near the goal post of the Ravenclaw team. I soared towards it. Cho, who was nearer to it, saw where I was going, and spotted the Snitch.

I soon caught up to her, of course. Her Cleansweep Seven was no match for my Firebolt. However, when we were two feet away, Cho screamed, pointing down.

I looked down instinctively and saw three dementors. I pulled out my wand, concentrated on winning the game, and yelled, "Expecto patronum!"

Something huge and silvery shot out of my wand, but I didn't stop to look down. I kept speeding towards the Snitch, and Cho was right behind me.

The Snitch dropped down, and so did I, gaining speed. Cho fell behind as this change of direction, and my hand reached out and grabbed the Snitch just before I landed on the ground.

The whistle sounded and I faced the crowd and my team, holding the Snitch high in my hand.

Alicia, Angelina, and Wood got there first. Wood gave me a bone-crushing hug, and Alicia and Angelina screamed, "Brilliant, Haile!"

Katie, Fred, and George came next, and as Katie gave me a huge hug, Fred and George once again kissed my cheek.

I grinned at the Gryffindors making their way towards us. Dean and Seamus congratulated me, grinning as wide as me.

"That was some Patronus, Haile," Lupin's voice came from behind me. I faced him, grinning.

"They didn't affect me at all!" I said with glee.

"Well," Lupin said. "They weren't dementors. Look."

He led me over to the edge of the field. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint were struggling to get out of dark, hooded robes.

"You gave Mr. Malfoy quite a fright," he said with a smile.

"YOU JERKS!" I screamed. "GET A LIFE!"

Professor McGonagall was also screaming at them. "I will be speaking to the Headmaster about this! Fifty points from Slytherin!"

Ron was at my side, laughing, at once. I looked around instinctively for Hermione, but Ron shook his head knowingly. "She left right after you caught the Snitch," he told me, reading my mind. "Said she had tons of homework to get to."

"Party in the common room!" Fred said, winking. "Let's go!"

The celebration seemed to last all night—which it did, actually. Fred and George disappeared for a while, and brought back tons of food and butterbeer.

I extracted myself from the crowd and sat with Hermione for a bit. I sat down a butterbeer. "Hey," I said, hoping Ron didn't see me talking to her.

"Hi," she said distractedly. "Sorry I can't join in, but I've got so much more to do."

"Thanks for showing up at the match," I said, getting up.

She waved her wand like it was nothing, and continued reading.

Right as the party was ending, Ron wandered over by Hermione and said it a very loud voice, "If only Scabbers were alive…he used to love those Fudge Flies. What a shame he was eaten."

Hermione burst into tears, grabbed her stuff, and rushed upstairs.

"Ron!" I said angrily. "I'm going up to bed. Good night!"

Ron shrugged as I hurried upstairs to comfort my friend.

Hermione was very upset. The stress of school and her friendships being broken up were too much for her to handle at once.

Parvati and Lavender pretended not to notice her tears as I tried to comfort her, but went to bed straight away.

Finally, we drifted off to sleep.

Then, in the middle of the night, we awoke to footsteps outside our dormitory. Parvati was the first out of bed. She flicked on the light, and stuck her head out the door.

"Something's going on!" she told us, as we awoke sleepily.

Lavender, Hermione and I followed her drowsily out the door and downstairs.

Most of the boys and several girls were down in the common room already. Ron looked pale as a ghost, and he was yelling about to Professor McGonagall, who was present.

"Sir Cadogan," McGonagall said briskly, as I joined the conversation. "Did you just let a man enter?"

"Yes, I did, fair maiden!" he exclaimed.

Silence engulfed the common room until Ron reached my side. "Haile," he said, looking frightened. "Sirius Black was standing over me holding a knife. Just now! He slashed the curtains and everything!"

Everyone gasped as the words left Ron's mouth.

"Why?" she demanded, coldly to Sir Cadogan.

"He had the passwords written down!" he cried. "The whole week's worth."

McGonagall stared at the room, shaking with fury. "Which foolish person left the week's passwords lying around?"

Neville stepped forward, his whole body trembling.

Black was not caught. Neville was punished, big time. He was even harder on himself. Sir Cadogan was fired, and the Fat Lady was back with the compromise of trolls as bodyguards.

Ron had become a celebrity. I was happy for him, because he was enjoying it big time. He retold his story over and over to anyone who would listen. It was nice to be out of the limelight for once, and I embraced it happily.

The one thing Hermione, Ron, all the teachers, and I just did not understand was…if Sirius Black was after me, why was he in the boys' dormitory? They could only assume he picked the wrong one, although that seemed rather unlikely as Sirius Black himself was in the Gryffindor House. We were stumped.

Hagrid sent Ron and I a letter one morning, and we decided to go down and see him. He met us at the entrance hall and we walked down to his cabin together.

"So, want to hear the story?" Ron asked briskly, once we were seated at his table. Buckbeak sat in the corner of his cabin, chewing on bones.

I felt guilty at once. Ron and I hadn't even helped with the case.

"I've heard it. No, listen. I really wanted ter discuss yer friend, Hermione. She's been upset lately. You two not talkin' ter her…her cat…"

"Her stupid cat ate my rat, Hagrid!" Ron said, testily. "And she's sticking up for it too."

"Well…some people can be a bit stupid about their pets," he said gruffly, jerking his towards Buckbeak. "She's got a lot on her plate, she does, and she's still foun' time ter help me with Buckbeak's case."

"I'm so sorry," I gushed, hanging my head.

"No, no!" Hagrid said, at once. "I know yeh've both been busy! All I wanted ter say is…I thought yeh both valued her friendship more'n broomsticks or rats."

Ron and I glanced at each other.

"I've been trying to talk to her again," I defended. "But she's always so busy. I'm not mad at her! It's hard being stuck in the middle, Hagrid!"

"I know," he said. "Maybe yeh could try ter get these two together again."

Ron snorted, and I sighed. "I'll try," I said, with a half glance at Ron.

There was a Hogsmeade trip coming up when we returned to the common room. "Coming?" Ron asked me.

Hermione's voice rang in our ears immediately. "Absolutely not," she snapped. "If you go, Haile, I'll tell Professor McGonagall about that map. Especially when Black's been sighted twice in the castle."

I sighed. Ron began to furiously protest, but I silenced him. "She's right," I said glumly. "I'm not going."

Ron left with Seamus and Dean on the day of the Hogsmeade trip, looking back at me sadly. I waved, and shook off the sorrow I felt.

There would be other trips...when Sirius Black was caught.