Chapter Twenty Four

"Violéta" Harry said, causing the door to the Slytherin common room to swing open.

He climbed through the door and headed for the boys dorm, to drop his bag off before playing some chess before dinner.

"Potter!"

Harry turned to see Miles Bletchley hurrying after him, "What's up?"

Miles looked awkwardly at Harry, "I need to discuss something with you."

Harry could sense that this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation but nodded and followed Miles back down the stairs to a quieter corner of the common room.

"As I'm sure you're aware, all clubs and groups have been banned by Professor Umbridge." Miles began, "I went to her today to ask respectfully for permission to reform the Slytherin Quidditch team, with the original team mates."

Harry sighed, "Let me guess, she wasn't so fond of the idea?"

Miles shook his head, "She said she's given all the other houses permission already, which is true, I'd already checked, but she made a point about there being two seekers… and a 'worrying team mate'."

Harry shook his head, "She meant me?"

Miles nodded, "Yeah, I think so. Look Harry, you are a brilliant player, I'm not trying to put a shadow on that, however she's going to refuse permission if I don't drop you. I can feel it."

Harry wasn't sure what to say. He loved flying, playing Quidditch and being part of the team, even if he didn't get to play every match, was one of the things he loved about Hogwarts.

Miles pulled out a piece of folded parchment, "I just wanted to tell you, to make sure you knew it was nothing personal. You really are a very brilliant flyer and as soon as… if Professor Umbridge leaves or loosens the reins a little, we'll be happy to have you back."

Harry nodded and walked up to his dorm, opening the slip of paper.

This note is to confirm that Mr Harry James Potter, Seeker, is removed from the Slytherin Quidditch team until further notice.

Miles Bletchley

Slytherin Team Captain.

Harry felt a great burst of rage flood his system and he punched his pillow, sending up a small cloud of feathers.

Draco walked into the room smiling, "Come on Harry, Pansy has already beaten Daphne at chess and wants to… you killed the pillow?" Draco said, brushing some feathers off his bed.

Harry flopped down onto his bed and handed Draco the note without a word. Draco took the parchment and read over it.

"What? Why?" Draco spat.

Harry sighed, "Umbridge. She basically told Bletchley that if I was on the team he wouldn't be getting permission. Bletchley thought it was the best move as we had two seekers anyway. I can't honestly say I blame him."

Draco wasn't sure what to say, "You love flying."

"Don't you think I know that?" Harry snapped, hitting the pillow again, causing it to give up it's last few feathers.

Draco glared at him, "Hey, it's not me that's said you can't play."

Harry took several deep breaths, "I'm sorry. I just can't seem to control myself at the moment."

Draco nodded, "I know last year was rough..."

"It's more than that." Harry said, shaking his head, "It's more than that, I know it is. I just can't explain it."

Draco sat down next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders, "Look it's fine. I'll leave a note for the house elves, asking for a new pillow. Come and play chess, we'll talk it out."

Harry nodded, but it was hollow. He felt like he was always being watched, his conversations being over-heard. He hated how paranoid he seemed to of become, it was even worse considering he didn't know why.

He picked listlessly at his dinner later and hurried back to the dorm room to start on his homework. Daphne, Pansy and Draco soon joined him, pulling out text books and rolls of parchment.

"You seemed very distracted over dinner." Draco said, after a few minutes of working quietly.

Harry nodded, "I'm just tired I guess, not been sleeping great and all."

Draco, Daphne and Pansy nodded. Harry was glad of the quiet, he was pleased that his friends knew him well enough not to push him to much, and immensely thankful that even after they'd finished their homework they chose to sit quietly reading with him rather than leaving him alone, until the fire was little more than embers in the grand fireplace.

Harry was deeply buried in 'Alice in Wonderland' when Daphne pulled on his robe sleeve.

"Umm Harry..." she hissed, pointing towards the fire place.

Harry pulled himself away from giant caterpillars and looked into the flames, they had twisted themselves into Sirius's face, beaming at him from the fire.

Harry looked round quickly, they were the only ones in the common room, so he moved over, kneeling down by the fire.

"I'm glad I caught you." Sirius said.

"How did you know I was going to be here?" Harry asked.

Sirius shrugged, well Harry assumed it was a shrug, it was hard to tell when you could only see his face.

"I didn't, I was just hoping that you'd be at your normal space. I know that you prefer sitting by the fire, just like your Mum." Sirius smiled.

Harry grinned, "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." Sirius said, "As I said, I'm glad I caught you. So, hi."

"Hi." Harry said, "So, what are you doing?"

Sirius smiled, "Wanted to check up on you, it's been rough lately, so I've heard."

Harry nodded, "Yeah we've had a lot going on. I umm… it was suggested to our Quidditch captain that I wasn't a good fit for the team. So no flying for me for a while."

"I'm sorry, I know how much flying means to you. Your Dad, James, always thought it was a good release as well, felt like it cleared his head." Sirius said, "I'm assuming it was your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Umbridge, that made this suggestion?"

Harry nodded, trying not to snarl too much. "You would be correct."

"Harry what have you done to your hand?" Sirius asked, seeing the mostly healed scar, as Harry ran his hand through his hair.

Harry flinched and covered the mark, "It's nothing."

"Harry that doesn't look like nothing." Sirius said concerned, "Harry, your Mum is standing right there, I'll call her over in a second if you're not careful so I suggest you tell the truth."

Harry glared at him, he could feel his rage burning again, "It was her, Umbridge. It's her idea of detention. Look don't tell Mum or Dad, the bitch is psycho. Don't tell Mum or Dad I said that either."

"She… Lily I think Danica is waking up." Sirius said,

Harry could hear the noise of someone leaving the room and smirked, "Thanks."

"She carved that into your skin?" Sirius spat, "And Dumbledore knows about his?"

Harry shrugged, "Not sure but I guess so. She didn't carve it, she has this quill thing that does it as you write."

Sirius shook his head in anger, "You have told your Dad about this I hope?"

"No." Harry said, "I can't, and you can't either. He'd be so angry, he'd have a go at Umbridge and she… she made it very clear that if anyone was to find out, it would be bad for you and Dad and Uncle Remus and just about everyone else in my life that I care about."

"So what?" Sirius snapped, "You're just going to carve into your hand next time she snaps her fingers."

Harry glared at him, "I don't have a whole lot of choice right now. At the moment, the plan is to just stay out of trouble, she can't give me a detention if I've done nothing to warrant one."

"And how does setting up illegal Defence Against the Dark Arts clubs factor into that plan exactly?" Sirius asked.

Harry blinked in surprise, "How on earth do you know about that?"

Sirius grinned, "The Hogs head isn't the most secure of locations."

"Hermione thought it was for the best, the Three Broomsticks is always packed." Harry said.

"Which means it would have been harder for someone to over hear you." Sirius pointed out, "Hermione has a lot to learn."

"Well, unlike some people, she's a good little Gryffindor Prefect." Harry smirked.

"Do you know the same way Umbridge knows?" Daphne asked, dropping down onto the carpet next to Harry.

Sirius shook his head, "No, not from our source anyway. Although from her latest educational decree I would put money on the fact she knows some how."

Harry nodded, "Yeah we'd worked that out as well. So how do you know about our 'little' meeting?"

"Mundungus." Sirius said.

"I didn't see him there." Harry said, wrinkling his nose. Mundungus was not his favourite person in the world.

"He was the witch under the veil. Since we lost Moody's spare invisibility cloak he's been having to dress as a woman a lot." Sirius explained.

"So why was he there in the first place?" Daphne asked.

Sirius looked slightly awkwardly at Harry.

"He was following me?" Harry snapped, "So Dumbledore can't be bothered to talk to me but is having me followed every time I leave the castle?"

"Calm down Harry." Sirius said quietly, "He has his reasons, I promise you."

Harry forced himself to take several deep breaths, it wasn't fair to be angry at Sirius, "I don't want to be followed. I've faced Voldemort more than most people still in the Order. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can Harry, we all do. But these are dangerous times, we know Hedwig was attacked. That's why I risked talking to you like this, any letters are no longer safe." Sirius said.

Harry nodded, "I know. Hedwig seemed really shaken up, Professor Grubbly-Plank seems to of gotten her fixed up well though."

"I'm glad." Sirius smiled, "If you need to send any letters home, send them with Severus, it might take a few days to get here but at least we know it will. Same the other way, we can send any information we need you to know with Severus."

Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes, there was rarely any information they felt he needed to know at the moment.

"We need somewhere to meet, for the Defence club." Harry said, "Any ideas?"

Sirius shrugged, "Shrieking Shack?"

"There's too many of us, we'd be spotted for sure trying to get over thirty of us past that tree." Harry sighed, "Plus a lot of people didn't seem so keen on the idea."

"Yeah we gave that place a fairly bad reputation." Sirius grinned, "Lily, any ideas for places they could hold their club?"

Harry waited while Lily said something.

"She says there was an old room, difficult to find. She used it to hang out with Severus, when… when he wasn't up for being around people." Sirius said, "Somewhere on the seventh floor."

"I'll try asking Dad if he remembers where it is." Harry said.

"Your mum says it might not be big enough for a lot of people, although it's worth a look." Sirius smiled.

"Yeah thanks Sirius, and give my love to..." Harry started

"Someone's coming." Pansy hissed looking towards the staircases up to the dorm rooms, "I can hear footsteps."

"I can hear them too." Sirius said, "They're not coming from your end."

"Sirius go!" Harry said, quickly.

Sirius left the fireplace, and a second later there was a pudgy hand, grabbing around the space where Sirius had been a moment before.

The hand grabbed around the fireplace, reaching for someone that wasn't there any more thankfully before leaving, returning the flames instantly to their former, dying selves.

Harry, Draco, Daphne and Pansy sat for a moment, staring into the fire trying to get over the shock.

"That was Umbridge, wasn't it?" Harry said after a moment.

The others nodded,

"Yes. I recognised the rings." Draco said.

"So it's not just owls she's trying to snoop in on, she's watching the fireplaces as well." Pansy spat.

"She must have some sort of alarm system." Daphne said, "It's passed midnight there's no way she's up just watching, waiting for something to happen. Even we didn't know that Sirius was going to contact you this evening."

Harry nodded, that made sense, and would explain the delay in her getting there. She was closing in, there was nothing he could do but wait and hope that at least letters could get home through Severus, for now.