I apologize for the long wait before this chapter. But I hope you will find the waiting worth. In this chapter, you will discover something significant about Susan's character.

SUSAN VI

August 2nd was by far the hottest day in the summer so far. They might be at the end of the afternoon, but the heat was unbearable all the same. The burning sun bore down on the city of London, turning its skyscrapers and homes into frying pans. The back alley where they walked provided them with shadows, but it also stank as a result of all waste lying around.

"Maybe we should have taken another path," Susan suggested.

"We're not far anyway. But the smell could be better, yes," Harry acknowledged.

They were taking the same path to reach the nearby park that they took each time. The back alleys of London provided for a relatively discreet way to travel in the neighborhood. It arranged both Susan and Harry, who both disliked crowded space, especially now.

"Perhaps we should have brought swimsuits, finally. We could do with a journey to the swimming pool," Susan said.

"We can go there tomorrow of you like," Harry suggested.

"That would be a good idea."

Susan was not usually a huge fan of swimming pools, but lately, they had been something she indulged in a lot, given the extreme temperatures. She wasn't the only one either. Many Londoners rushed to the public fountains and swimming pools, which were always crowded. Ice cream trucks and shops made fortunes. She and Harry stopped by one earlier and were now eating their ice cream cones as they progressed.

The day was truly hot. It was hard to think about anything else, despite all the concerns Susan had right now. But all her mind could focus on right now was the extreme heat of this day. Being more used to inside than outside activities, Susan did not appreciate extreme temperatures. Even most of her clothes were not appropriate for this kind of weather. Susan had still donned her T-shirt with the lightest tissue and shirts. Harry was dressed in a similar manner. Still, it felt way too hot out there.

"I wonder how they manage to get through this temperature," Susan asked, looking at the tall buildings on the horizon. "These apartments must feel like a furnace right now."

"I love magic," Harry commented.

"Me too."

Susan rubbed her forehead from which sweat was pouring as she voiced her agreement. She had arranged her hair into a plait today, so that her skin would not melt under her mane. However, despite the furious strokes of brush she made this morning, her hair was coming out of order on her front, and wet strands glues to her forehead in no time after they went outside. She had to remove those strands regularly. A part of her wanted to go back to the Abandoned Tower, where magic would keep them cool. She thought about the poor people inside the tall towers made of steel. It must be hell for them.

"I wouldn't mind playing Quidditch with this weather," Harry said.

"Because of the wind?" she asked. Her boyfriend reluctantly nodded. "That, I can understand. Maybe I could convince my father to let me try one of his prototypes."

They both laughed. Susan had not climbed onto a broomstick in a very long time. It was never the easiest thing for her. She barely got through her flying lessons during her first year.

"Too bad that I'm horrible at flying," she voiced aloud.

"I could show you if you want," Harry offered.

"If you learn to sing first," she retorted, which got smiles out from both of them. Susan had tried to show Harry how to sing once, with very poor results. He had a horrible voice.

"I don't think an entire life would be enough. And I already know how to dance, so…"

She smiled in return. It was hard to forget their dancing lessons in December. It was even harder to forget about the pain her feet endured afterwards. And even more harder to forget about the ball that followed.

"Finally," Harry sighed as they emerged from the alley, the park right in front of them.

Susan almost expected all zones of shadow to be filled with people looking for some refreshing air. But the park was almost empty safe for the swimming pool and the football field.

"Don't you miss it?" Susan asked, pointing the field where boys were kicking white balls to each other.

"Sometimes," Harry said. "I just… I don't know. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to play this summer."

Susan knew why. She was also afraid to a certain extent to wander outside. During their walk to the field, she looked more than once over her shoulder. While Harry's mother might assure her they were safe, but Susan couldn't manage to feel sure about it.

They wandered through the park, following paths shaded by the trees. They eventually stopped under one of them, close to the fence surrounding the football field, leaning against the railing. They watched the boys, who looked like they came from the same team, playing what looked like a simulation match.

"I think I'll never understand what an offside is," she commented as a referee whistled.

"That wasn't an offside. It's the ball that left the limits of the field," Harry told her.

"Oh." The angle must have fooled her. "I'm not sure I'll ever understand it all the same."

Harry then went on to try to explain her. Despite growing in an environment surrounded by both Muggles and wizards, Susan never really got to understand the rules of football. The truth was that she never really gave a lot of attention to the sport, or to sports in general. The only sport she understood very well was Quidditch. With the father she had, it was inevitable. Even if Susan had never wanted to discuss this sport, her father talked about it all the time, and it was impossible for her to not know the sport as well as the biggest fan in England. But for the other sports, she could never really get them.

"Hey, Harry," one of the boys playing football shouted all of a sudden, running towards them on the field's outskirts.

"Hi, Eric," Harry said. "You're training?"

"Yes. We have a tournament during the next weekend. Is it true that you're not playing this year? I haven't seen you of the whole summer."

"No, I'm not. Not this summer."

The boy named Erie groaned. "Why?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I just… didn't feel like it this year."

"Well, too bad. Our season is not going very well. We have lost our last three games. We would need a wizard to win right now."

Susan's eyes widened. Did he just say…

"By the way, this is Susan," Harry said. "Susan, this is Eric. We played on the same team for the last three years."

"Glad to meet you," Eric said, addressing Susan. "I've never seen you around before. Where do you come from?"

"I live here in London," Susan replied. "Only… I don't go out a lot."

"Oh. Well, it's been good to see you, Harry. I hope you'll participate to the league next year. We want our wizard back."

And the Muggle boy ran away, going back to the practice. Susan turned immediately to Harry. "They know you're a wizard?" she whispered.

"No. It's… Only a nickname. When I was nine, I made the mistake of telling them I was a wizard. They didn't believe me, and they started calling me like this for fun, and it stuck."

"Harry…" Susan said, exasperated.

"I was only a kid. My mother just told me that we were wizards," he defended himself.

"Still… They really all call you the wizard?"

"It's only during matches, and I don't have any this year."

Harry looked ahead, where other boys were playing football.

"You really miss it," Susan declared.

"Yes," Harry replied.

She took his hand into hers, and they interlaced their fingers. They didn't remain in that position for long though. Sweat accumulated between their fingers. They went to walk a little more in the park, but not for long.

"It's really hot," Susan complained, passing her backhand across her forehead once more.

"True," Harry confirmed. His disheveled hair was falling on his forehead just like hers.

"Let's stop a moment. And then we'll go back home."

Harry nodded. They stopped under a tree and sat there. The sun was setting on the horizon. Susan hoped the temperature would lower soon.

"I once heard that some Muggles are concerned about a global warming of the planet," Susan said. "I didn't pay too much attention to it, but I'm beginning to think this is real," she sighed.

"Today's temperature gives that impression," Harry agreed. "I suppose it's not as hot in Scotland right now. Maybe it's even tolerable at Hogwarts."

"I'm not so sure. I think I heard that even Scotland is very hot right now."

"It can't be worse than here."

"We go to the swimming pool tomorrow." Susan sighed again and let her head fall against Harry's shoulder. "I don't care if it's crowded. We go there."

"As you wish," Harry whispered. He put his arm around her shoulders, in her back. "I'm wondering if this is hot where Ron and Hermione are currently."

Susan nodded. "Probably. I doubt they are out of England."

"In her last letter, Hermione said we would be reunited soon. I wonder what soon means."

"I don't know," Susan admitted. "At least, we know Ron and Hermione are both alive and well."

"Unless someone managed to imitate their writing and signature," Harry commented.

They had discussed this eventuality recently. There was a possibility, even if unlikely, that these letters were fake and someone might be writing them. But Susan didn't think it was the case.

"Did you ask your mother how they were?" Susan asked.

"Yes. She told me they were hiding in a safe place, but when I asked her where, she said she couldn't tell me."

Susan rolled her eyes. It was to be expected. In fact, she suspected, just like Harry did, that his mother and many other people had joined the organization that Dumbledore created during the last war to fight Voldemort and his followers: the Order of the Phoenix. Susan's uncle had been part of it. She supposed it would make sense that Dumbledore revived it. However, Harry's mother refused to tell him about this group. Susan had questioned her parents about it, but they had no idea. As for her aunt, she said that she suspected the group to have been resurrected or for another one similar to have taken its place, but she had no proof of it so far.

Susan had not seen her aunt for a while now. The last time was almost two weeks ago, during a dinner, and she left as soon as she was done eating. Susan didn't have the chance to give her the message her uncle might have wanted to give.

Harry had talked to her about the echoes of people he saw the night he confronted Voldemort. Early this summer, he had asked Susan what her uncle Edgar looked like. She had shown him a family photo album where he appeared. Harry had recognized him, and also her grandparents, who he said had appeared that night. Susan had been very curious to learn more about this, but it was the message Harry said that her uncle wanted to give his sister that troubled her the most.

The dogs are coming.

Susan had absolutely no idea what this meant, and didn't have a chance to tell her aunt about this yet. She thought about writing to her, but she was afraid it might be dangerous right now to carry a message that might mean more than she thought. It wasn't only Voldemort who worried her, but also the Ministry. Her aunt warned her and her parents during her last visit to be careful with people of the Ministry, and that the Minister was setting aside all people who showed any open support to Albus Dumbledore. Susan feared what might happen to her aunt if she wrote about this and her letter arrived while she was at the Ministry.

"There was something odd when she told me that," Harry said.

"What?"

"Well… She said that it was for Ron's and Hermione's safety, but… She also said that even if she wanted to tell me where they were, she couldn't. As if there was something that physically stopped her from talking about it."

"A spell, you think?"

"Maybe. But which spell? Unless she simply promised someone to tell no one." He sighed and passed his hand on his forehead. "I wonder why Ron and Hermione must remain hidden while I'm here. If Voldemort wants to kill someone right now, it would be me."

Susan shuddered at the name. She was still getting used to hearing it. Harry wasn't afraid of using it, and since she spent most of the last month with him and their daily conversations could not avoid the subject, she heard it regularly. She tried to say it, but without success so far. She avoided calling him You-Know-Who though. She viewed it as her own personal attempt to oppose that man, however silly it might seem.

Last week, she had gone to visit Hannah. Her best friend said she was afraid, and she felt as if there was nothing she could do against the looming threat Voldemort represented. Susan felt exactly the same way, and so did Harry, and her parents too. They were all powerless.

"Strange, it's true," Susan acknowledged. "I don't mind you being around, but I wouldn't want…" She gulped. "… him to hurt you."

"I'm not sure I could escape him anywhere. My mother says that I'm safe as long as I live with her. Something to do with the protection my father gave me when he died, but… She didn't look sure when she told me that."

"Your scar… has it disappeared now?" Harry frowned at her question. "Not on your forehead. Your arm."

His eyes widened as he understood what she meant. He showed her the arm where Bartemius Crouch Junior plunged his dagger in June.

"At least, there's no mark left," she said, trying to smile. Harry tried to smile as well, but without success. It was hard to smile when talking about anything related to what happened during the third task.

CRACK!

The loud, reverberating sound made them jump as much as one of Professor Moody's outburst about constant vigilance. Maybe the former Auror would have berated them in this very moment for not being prepared for everything, but Susan had more important things to think about right now. Within an instant, both she and Harry were up and looking around. Harry drew his wand, and the moment Susan saw it, she put her hands on his fist and lowered it.

"Hey, don't do that! We must not show it!"

But Harry barely listened to her. "What happened?" He was looking in all directions. Susan was doing the same thing.

"I don't know. It sounded like…"

She and Harry looked at each other at the same time, but it was Harry who voiced what he thought first. "Apparition." She was thinking the same thing.

Harry put a finger on his lips. Susan stopped talking just like he did. They looked all around them, but there was no one. Everything seemed normal. Some players were still playing football not far away. The swimming pool, which was barely visible from where they were, was emptying slowly as people left.

Susan's heart was beating very quickly. The sound seemed to come right next to them. She had heard it on several occasions, and she was sure that it was the same. Did someone Apparate? Then where was this person? Did he Disapparate? Then where was he a moment ago? Could this person be right behind them, out of their field of view? But why would someone Disapparate there, right next to them, in a public park for Muggles? The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy forbade wizards and witches from using magic in the presence of Muggles or in places inhabited or frequented by Muggles. Who would use Apparition here?

"Do you see anything?" Harry asked her.

"No," she replied as she looked behind a bush. "And you?"

"Nothing."

Susan was afraid. There was something wrong. She didn't imagine this noise. Harry had heard it as well. Could it be possible that someone was spying on them? Either someone who spied on them and Disapparated, or someone who just Apparated and who was spying on them as they searched. Susan looked all around, her plait flying while following her quick head movements.

"Maybe…" Harry began. "Could it be a car backfiring?"

Susan looked at him. He didn't seem to believe it himself. "I don't know," she answered. "It really sounded like…"

She was really beginning to grow worried. Someone used magic very close to them, in a Muggle-inhabited area. Susan didn't have her wand with her. She left it at her parents' apartment. She never carried it with her during summer. It remained in a case, within her bedchamber. She had no use of it since it was forbidden to use magic before the age of seventeen. She was only fifteen and would only turn seventeen next year, on the September 11th of her sixth year at Hogwarts. Now she wished she brought it with her like Harry did. The fact that darkness was slowly falling didn't make her feel safer.

"I think we should go home," she said, trying to hide the quiver in her voice.

"Yeah. Probably." He was still holding his wand against his leg.

"Hide your wand, Harry," she said, although a part of her wished he would keep it out. She felt that something was very wrong.

They walked towards the exit of the park. A journey of about half an hour on foot separated this park from the Abandoned Tower where they lived, and they needed some time to get out of this huge park. The back alleys they used to return home were deserted.

After about fifteen minutes, halfway to the Tower, Susan calmed down. Harry may be right. Maybe they just heard a car or something else crashing or breaking. Susan was a little on edge since Voldemort returned. It was easy to panic.

"We go to the swimming pool tomorrow, don't forget," she reminded him. Despite the darkness that now settled, the temperature was still incredibly high. She would need a good shower when she would arrived home.

"I promise. It will do us lots of good," he said.

She nodded and gently squeezed his hand. She held it since they left the park. It helped to calm herself down.

"Do you think your mother will be home at this hour?" she asked.

"I doubt it. And your parents?"

"My father, maybe. But my mother… They are so busy at her work right now. She almost has no time for anything else."

The truth was, Susan believed that her parents were drowning themselves into work to forget about their worries. She wished they were home more often. She missed them. She enjoyed spending her days with Harry, but spending her entire summer without seeing her parents was not really what she had in mind. Sometimes, she wondered if they also did that to avoid Harry. She asked them the question once, and although they denied, she could feel that they didn't approve their relationship.

Susan didn't totally blame her parents. They were afraid, for them, and for her. Susan herself sometimes was afraid that she might be targeted, being Harry's girlfriend. The second half of the year, after the Yule Ball, after she and Harry began to see each other, was characterized by unwanted attention, sometimes mockeries, and even hostility from certain people. This made Susan feel uncomfortable for the last few months, but… Now that Voldemort was back, this was entirely different.

The mere thought of Voldemort and what he might do caused her to shiver. Half of Susan's family was slaughtered by Voldemort and his supporters during the last war. Her mother was the only one to escape the slaughter, because Susan's grandparents sacrificed themselves to save her. Her mother also testified against Peter Pettigrew, a declared Death Eater who was now dead. Her aunt was at the head of the most important and powerful department in the Ministry of Magic, the one who handled the research for Death Eaters, led their trials and managed Azkaban's prison. Susan was afraid that her family might already be a target for all those reasons, but dating Harry might make things even worse. The children of Death Eaters at Hogwarts would have no problem telling their parents about her and Harry, and those Death Eaters would certainly tell their master.

Susan shivered further. She was afraid to be in danger, but also of endangering her parents.

"Are you fine?" Harry asked her, looking worried.

"Yes, I am," she replied, trying to put as much certainty as she could in her voice.

She couldn't abandon Harry. It would be unfair to break up with him when his only crime was to be the main target of Voldemort. And she loved him. She didn't want to lose him. She rubbed her forearm. She was still shivering.

"Is it my imagination or it is getting cold?" she asked. The night had definitely fallen. Aside from the stars and a few bulbs from houses around, there was no light left.

"No, you're right. The temperature has gotten more fresh. Maybe…"

And suddenly, all light vanished. Not only those of the houses around, but also the light of the stars and the moon. They had all vanished. And it wasn't only the light. The sound of the wind against the surfaces of the houses and skyscrapers, the sounds of cars not far away on the boulevards… all sounds around them vanished. And it was cold. The only source of heat was Harry's hand in hers, and it was faint. They both had stopped in their walk, surrounded by complete darkness and heavy silence. It was so cold, there were only two situations when Susan remembered feeling so cold. One was when she came back from the bottom of the Black Lake in February. The other one was when…

"Susan, run! RUN!"

She barely took time to react. Harry dragged her by the hand as he ran forward, and she reached his pace in no moment. Susan was not as athletic as Harry, but she could run nonetheless, especially when she felt a great danger upon them just like now.

"Lumos!"

A light appeared from the tip of Harry's wand which he pointed in front of them. Susan had more important things than to worry about than the fact Harry was using magic outside of Hogwarts right now. They were only a few minutes away from the Abandoned Tower. They would be there soon…

They would be there soon…

They turned a corner, and Harry stopped dead. Susan might have no trouble running at all, but she didn't have the same reflexes than Harry. And despite his grip on her hand, she couldn't stop and he let her go. She charged right into a concrete wall in front of her and fell to the ground. She looked up to Harry, and saw what made him stop and that she didn't see in time. A tall hooded figure hovered in front of Harry, breathing air deeply as if it wanted to siphon life in the surroundings.

No, that couldn't be… A Dementor! There couldn't be one… Not here…

"Susan, run away! Run! I'll hold him off!"

She didn't react immediately as she watched Harry pointing his wand at the Dementor. She turned her head, and saw with horror another identical hooded figure heading her way, hovering like a ghost from those Muggle movies, but without the white color, and in a way much scarier way. Susan tried to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth. She thought she heard Harry saying something, and a silvery shade appeared at the corner of her vision, but she couldn't take her eyes off the Dementor coming at her. She tried to get away from him, crawling on the ground from behind, trying to put some distance, but the tall figure kept approaching, its breathing becoming more distinct each and every second. It was so cold that it was getting hard to breathe. She felt herself choking, as if her lungs were filled with water.

The screams erupted all around her, but they sounded as if they were muffled. It was as if she heard them from the other side of the wall. Two grey hands that looked like they had been decomposing for centuries emerged from the black cloak, approaching her. A thick fog seemed to slowly surround Susan as the screams got stronger.

She couldn't move anymore. She had no force left. She now lied, unmoving, on the pavement of the road, her mouth wide open, fighting to get any breath of air.

The Dementor was above her. He removed his hood with his rotting hands and revealed his face, made of grey, stained skin, with empty eye sockets and a large, round, gaping mouth that sucked all the air around. Susan closed her eyes. It was over. She could feel this was the end. She didn't want to see that.

Closing her eyes made her hear the screams more distinctly. They were still muffled, but she could almost make out what they were saying. What they were screaming. She felt two large, stinking hands on her throat. And then, she heard distinctly two voices scream the same two words in chorus, an explosion, and another loud crack like the one she heard earlier today.

Then the hands left her throat, as if jerked from it. Instinctively, by reflex, Susan opened her eyes and saw a large silvery shape over her, pushing the Dementor away. She turned her head to look at it running after the dark shape of the Dementor, which flew up and disappeared. The silvery animal disappeared as well a few moments later. Susan kept staring at the place where it disappeared.

"Susan! Susan! SUSAN!"

Someone shook her up and brought her to look up. She was so disoriented that she didn't recognize the boy with a lightning-shaped scar right away.

"Susan, are you alright?" he asked her.

She then remembered where he was. She took in her surroundings, turning her head around while remaining on the ground. They were in one of London's alleys. She remembered how they got there, and what just happened.

"I… I…" Her voice was rusted, as if she was the one who just screamed. But who screamed? She had no idea. And yet she knew only too well at the same time. Her lips were quivering. Her whole body was shaking. Cold tears had run across her cheeks and dried. "I'm fine," she finally managed to murmur, her voice still shaky.

"We have to go. There might be others," Harry said, looking around.

This brought Susan back to life. There could be other Dementors around. They had to go home. She tried to stand, grabbing the concrete wall next to her, scratching her left hand by the same occasion, but she didn't care. She almost felt nothing, except for her legs who were shaking so uncontrollably that she struggled to stay on her feet.

"Come on," Harry said, seizing her hand and almost dragging her.

She followed him without a word. Harry didn't say a word either as they walked towards the Abandoned Tower. They kept looking all around them. The return of lights, stars, the moon and familiar city sounds failed to reassure her. Susan expected a Dementor to appear from anywhere. She wiped the sweat across her forehead, one born out of cold this time. The ambient heat didn't seem enough to warm her up after facing these Dementors.

As they progressed quickly towards their destination, Susan's mind was running. What were Dementors doing in London? She heard that they may sometimes come to the Ministry of Magic to guard prisoners from Azkaban, but this was a rare occurrence, and they were never allowed out to wander into the city. Ministry's people watched them very closely to prevent that from happening and to ensure they didn't come into contact with Muggles. How could these two Dementors happen to be in a back alley of the capital?

It seemed to take an eternity to reach the Abandoned Tower. Every dark corner seemed suspicious to Susan. Even when they came inside, she didn't feel safe. What if the Dementors attacked them inside? What could stop them from getting in? She and Harry didn't exchange a word as they climbed the stairs. They first stopped at the apartment of Susan's parents, but neither of them were present. Susan supposed they were both still working. Harry left her, saying he would check to see if his mother was there.

Susan was left alone in the living room of her family's apartment. She was still shivering. Sitting on one of the couches, huge spasms sometimes went through her body. She looked at the window, showing a pitch-dark night outside, and wondered if any other of those things were still wandering outside.

The Dementors were not Susan's greatest fear. No, her greatest fear was Lord Voldemort himself. Susan had discovered it two years ago, when Professor Lupin made them face the Boggart. Susan had been terrorized to see the most dangerous wizard of all times appear in front of her, but she had managed to mechanically turn the Boggart all the same. But the Dementors terrified Susan too. She remembered when she first came across one, on the Hogwarts Express, when she was on her way to Hogwarts for her third year. The Dementor didn't come into their compartment. It stayed in the compartment right next to theirs, where Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Ginny Weasley were. Susan knew that both Harry and Ginny lost consciousness because of the Dementor. Susan almost lost it as well, and the same almost happened during the Quidditch match later in November. Both times, Susan had heard distant screams.

She thought that these horrible creatures made people scream in panic. Sally did confirm to her afterwards that she did scream while the Dementor was approaching on the train. And people were definitely screaming and shouting all around as Harry fell from a very high altitude at Quidditch. But tonight… she knew that those screams couldn't be coming from real people. She and Harry were alone in that alley tonight, and the screams definitely did not come from him. She was lucky that he knew how to create a Patronus or else she might be…

She let a whine escape her throat as she thought that her soul might have been drained. Harry came back at this moment.

"My mother is not here either," he said, closing the door behind and locking it.

Susan closed her eyes, sighing deeply, desperate. "What… what were they doing here? What were Dementors doing here, in London?"

A long moment went on before Harry voiced what they both suspected. "I don't think I really need to answer that."

No, indeed. He didn't need to. Susan was with Harry in the hospital wing in June when Dumbledore had his famous argument with Cornelius Fudge. He warned the Minister against keeping the Dementors as guardians of Azkaban. He warned Fudge that they would join Voldemort sooner or later. And today, the Dementors attacked them. They attacked Harry. He was their target, and Susan happened to be right next to him, so they attacked her as well.

"Are we safe here?" she asked. "There are spells protecting the place, but…"

She left the rest untold. Harry didn't say anything either. He looked troubled and exhausted, just like she was.

"I'll prepare some hot chocolate," he said after a while.

"I don't really feel like eating sweets right now," Susan whispered.

"It's not for that. Remus made me eat chocolate after each meeting with a Dementor. It helped me feel better."

Susan closed her eyes again. It was true. Madam Pomfrey even gave them some after they got out of the Black Lake. However, despite the shivers running along her skin, she didn't feel like drinking chocolate right now. There were too many things going through her mind. And in the back of it, she kept hearing the same voice, the one she heard screaming very distinctly when the Dementor rushed on her. As Harry prepared the mugs, it kept playing again and again.

Rosa, leave! Save yourself and your child!

And so, the Dementors have attacked. The following chapters are going to detail the consequences of this.

Please review.

Next chapter: Lily