Chapter Twelve

The first of December was pouring with rain that hammered down on the ceilings of Hogwarts, filling the castle with noise. Harry didn't care though. Flint had said he was the better Seeker currently meaning that Harry sat, dressed in his Quidditch robes, eating his breakfast feeling very good about himself.

"The weather is terrible." Hermione said, giving the sky a quick glance before diving back into her book, "Are you sure it's the best idea to be playing today?"

Harry shrugged, "Quidditch doesn't just get stopped for something as small as the weather."

"Harry you wear glasses, how are you even going to be able to see?" Pansy pointed out.

Harry hadn't thought of that. The rain that was lashing down was going to make it nearly impossible for him to see anything.

Hermione took his glasses off his nose and muttered something, pointing her wand at the glass lenses. There was a small flash of orange light before she nodded and gave them back.

"There you go," She said, turning back to the book she was reading, "They should now repel the water so you'll at least be able to see."

"Good." Daphne said, sitting down with them, "We need to beat Gryffindor today."

She glared over to where Ron was sitting with the other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Ron's arm was now finally out of the sling and he was loudly telling everyone that it was only better so quickly because of his hard work.

"Agreed." Hermione huffed.

"You're meant to be on their side." Draco smirked.

Hermione slammed the book closed, "Well I'm sorry but I have so much homework, every single night the last thing I need to be doing is extra research on Magical Creatures but am I because Ronald felt the need to make a fuss over the scratch he got on his arm so excuse me if I'd rather you lot won."

"Miss Granger, you are not permitted to be sitting at this table in the first place, but, since you are would you mind terribly keeping your voice down?" Professor Snape asked, gliding over.

Hermione blushed and gave a small nod.

"Good luck today team, I'm sure you'll all do your very best." Professor Snape told them, he gave them a quick nod, and Harry a quick squeeze on the arm, before heading back to the teachers' table.

Hermione sighed, "I need to go swap my book. I'll see you after the game." She gave a small smile and stood up.

Harry followed her, "You look really tired at the moment." He said quietly, "Have you thought about dropping a couple of subjects? I don't even know how you're making it to all your classes let alone doing all the work they take."

Hermione smiled, "Thanks Harry, but I'm fine."

Harry nodded and went back to finish his breakfast.

The Slytherin Quidditch team was soaked before they even reached pitch for the game, it wasn't a long walk to the changing rooms but the rain was coming down heavily enough to have them all shivering.

"I can't believe how bad the weather is." Daphne grumbled, wringing her robes out, creating a puddle on the changing room floor.

"Ok everyone, yes the weather is crap but we still need to do our best and really show the Gryffindors what we're made of. Getting ahead early will make a huge difference. This is Wood's last year as captain so he's going to be desperate. We can do this." Flint told them.

There were a few cheers from the team before they lined up and made their way out the changing rooms and on to the pitch. Even though the weather was awful and the crowd was getting soaked, there was still a good turn out; most of the school was there.

"Now a nice, clean game!" Madam Hooch instructed as she always did, "Lets not drag on the game any longer than needed in this weather shall we?"

Flint and Wood nodded, looking murderously at each other. Harry looked across the pitch to see Ron joking with his brothers. Harry mounted his broom and kicked off, his eyes fixed on the box that contained the balls.

He saw the snitch be released and fly past his nose before disappearing; at least Hermione's spell was working.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle, barely audible in the weather, throwing the quaffle into the air. It was quickly caught by one of the Gryffindor chasers who flew off towards the goal posts.

Harry ignored them, circling the pitch looking for the snitch. It was clear that Wood had been training his team hard and they were neck and neck. The time ticked on, Harry once thought he saw the snitch but as he dived in he could see it was just a reflection. Ron had followed him though, much to Harry's annoyance.

They'd been playing for a couple of hours, Harry was struggling to stay on his broom, the rain had soaked him through to the skin and was making him shiver uncontrollably.

"Time!" Madam Hooch shouted, blowing her whistle.

Harry gratefully flew back to the ground and touched down. He walked over to the rest of the team and listened.

"Look we have to find the snitch soon." Flint told him, "We're all going to freeze to death otherwise. Look Harry keep looking, everyone else look as well, gesture to Harry if you can see it."

It wasn't really in the rules but Harry couldn't argue that he wanted to be in his pyjamas and by the fire right now.

They all nodded and remounted. Ron was now following Harry closer than ever.

Then Harry saw it.

Just a flash of gold, climbing higher and higher into the sky. Harry didn't think twice but shooted after it. It didn't matter Ron had been so close. Harry was both a much better flyer and had a much better broom so was easily speeding ahead of Ron.

It started to go cold, not the normal cold from the weather, bone chilling and soul crushingly cold. Harry had gone to far, he tried to move his broom to go down but it had started to freeze, moving slowly and not responding.

"Come on." Harry muttered, he could see ice starting to form around his gloves. Ron flew past him but Harry couldn't focus.

Everything was starting to go black and voices in his head seemed muffled and far away.

"Not Harry, please not Harry!"

It was his mum, she was desperate and crying.

"Move aside."

"No please, take me!" Lily begged.

"Move aside you silly girl!" There was a spell that followed that Harry didn't hear, it was cut across by his mother screaming.

"Move. Out. The. Way." the voice ordered her.

"I...I… no." Lily choked out.

There was another ear shattering scream that filled every fibre of Harry's being and then everything went black.

Sirius lay on the bed, Nikka leaning over him, feeding him chocolate covered strawberries, personally she couldn't stand the things but they seemed to be going down well with Sirius.

"Oh yeah, this is the life. More strawberries." He clicked his fingers.

Nikka raised an eye brow, "And where exactly did you want me to put them?"

Sirius smirked and pulled her in for a hug, kissing her deeply, "I'm always so happy with you."

Nikka snuggled into his neck, "I know what you mean. I love being with you."

"Well I am wonderful." Sirius grinned.

Nikka shook her head and laughed, "That you are."

They snuggled up with each other, cosy under the blankets.

"I like you're house." Sirius said, "It's..."

"Small?" Nikka finished his sentence with a grin.

"I was going to say homely." Sirius said, poking his tongue out at her, "But yeah it is a bit smaller than my place."

"But you can get into at least fifty percent of my rooms without tripping over junk." Nikka pointed out.

"You've only got two rooms! Three including the bathroom." Sirius pointed out with a laugh.

Nikka shrugged, "It's still more rooms than you have that you can get into."

"That's it." Sirius flipped her over and pinned her down, tickling under her arms until she was crying with laughter.

There was a small tap on the window, a flustered looking brown owl sat there holding a letter. Sirius stood up and opened the window, taking the letter from the bird and giving it a pat.

"Come back to bed." Nikka teased lying suggestively over the pillows.

Sirius smirked and considered it for a moment before his curiosity got the better of him and he slit the letter open.

"What's wrong?" Nikka asked, getting up as Sirius's face drained of colour from reading the letter.

She got up and gently put a hand on his arm and took the letter from Sirius's frozen fingers.

"Oh god Harry." she whispered.

"I have to go." Sirius mouthed, his brain clicking back to reality and what was going on.

"I'll come with you." Nikka said, pulling on her jeans and reaching for her bra.

"No. It's fine." Sirius said, an edge of harshness in his voice.

"I'm happy to come." Nikka told him.

Sirius shook his head, "You have to get to class." he gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"I'll see you soon." Nikka forced a smile, "Let me know how Harry is doing."

Sirius gave a quick nod and turned on the spot leaving for Hogwarts.

He arrived in Hogsmead, just outside the barriers to Hogwarts. The Dementors glared down at him and Sirius struggled to take a few steps forward. With his mind as hectic and panicked as it currently was he was easy pray for the fowl creatures. The Dementors swooped down at him and he quickly turned into Padfoot and trotted as quickly as possible past them.

Professor McGonagall was waiting for him a the door.

"I thought you'd be here, Mr Black." She smiled.

Sirius turned back into a human and gave her a worried look, "Is he OK?"

Professor McGonagall nodded, "Harry is fine. He's resting in the hospital wing at the moment under Madam Pomfrey's instruction. I'll take you up there if you want?"

Sirius nodded and followed Professor McGonagall down the corridors. He felt like she was walking painfully slowly on purpose but the corridors were filled with students and he didn't feel like physically pushing them out the way to get to the hospital wing quicker.

"He really is fine, Sirius." Professor McGonagall gave him a warm smile and a quick pat on the shoulder.

Sirius felt like he was back at school and gave her a smile, "Thanks, I just need to see him myself."

Professor McGonagall nodded and knocked on the door.

"Minerva." Madam Pomfrey smiled, "I was expecting you."

She opened the door and allowed Sirius into the ward. Harry was sitting up in a bed in the far corner, chatting to Lily and Severus. He spotted Sirius and waved him over. Danica was sitting on Harry's bed playing with a handful of chocolate frog cards.

"Uncle Sirius!" Danica squealed and jumped down.

Sirius swept her up in a hug before putting her back on the bed. Lily patted Harry's hand and stood up, walking over to Sirius.

"He's fine." Lily assured him, "Severus stopped him falling before he got within fifty feet of the ground, he doesn't have a scratch on him."

"Why did he fall?" Sirius asked, "Harry hasn't fallen off his broom in years."

"The Dementors came onto the grounds and he fainted. Madam Pomfrey should be letting him out soon." Lily sighed, "Dumbledore is investigating why the Dementors attacked but we haven't heard anything. Harry was pretty shaken up last night but back to his old self now."

"I should have been here." Sirius hissed at himself.

"We tried contacting you, we sent the owl to Nikka's in case you were there." Lily shrugged, "It doesn't matter though, you're here now and no harm was done."

Sirius gave a tight nod and moved over to sit next to Harry.

"Are you going to pull me out of school Mum?" Harry asked.

Lily shook her head, her long ginger hair shining in the sunlight as she moved, "No. Severus talked me out of it last night while you were asleep. It wouldn't be good and this was hardly your fault, but no more Quidditch- at least for a while."

Harry didn't even argue, just nodded. He didn't really want to be back up in the air alone with Dementors flying around.

"What happened to my broom?" Harry asked, sitting up a little more, "Did Flint manage to catch it?"

Lupin walked over, "Sorry to interrupt, I was just able to get away from classes for a moment. How are you feeling Harry?"

"Fine." Harry shrugged, "I don't really remember much."

That was a lie. He remembered everything, every horrible voice had echoed around his head all night but he didn't want his parents to feel guilty for that. They would hate it if they knew he had laid awake, listening to their soft breathing and Danica mumbling in her sleep, terrified because every time he closed his eyes he could his his mother scream.

"Well I'm very glad." Remus said, giving him a pat on the shoulder, he saw Dumbledore entering the hospital wing "Danica, fancy coming to class with me for a while?"

Danica's eyes lit up, "Yes, Yes! YES!" she shrieked.

"What's the magic word?" Lily asked her sternly.

"Please." Danica beamed.

Lily laughed and gave her a hug. Remus took her little hand in his and walked down between the rows of beds and out the room.

"Professor Dumbledore." Lily said, standing up and shaking his hand, "Has there been any news?"

Dumbledore looked gravely at the floor, "Yes, shall we speak privately?"

Lily looked worriedly at Harry. Severus took her arm and led her a short distance down the room. Harry could still hear them but he thought his parents knew that. Dumbledore looked over to him and frowned.

"So you said you had news Professor?" Severus asked.

"Yes." Dumbledore paused, "The Dementors are claiming that someone ordered them onto the grounds."

"What?" Lily gasped, "Who on earth would do such a thing?"

"I don't know. Clearly, one would hope, it wasn't a member of staff." Dumbledore said.

"This wasn't an accident then? Someone was going after Harry?" Lily fumed.

"We don't know that." Dumbledore said tactfully.

"No but why would they lie? They have no reason, if they weren't after Harry whoever sent them on to the grounds knew they would attack someone." Lily pointed out, "He's not safe here Severus."

"My dear Lily, please think about the wider ramifications of you taking Harry out of school at his time; it could well cause a panic." Dumbledore suggested.

"But Harry would be safer." Lily insisted.

"Not for sure, if someone is after Harry then taking him away from school may only, in fact, remove him from the protection that is here." Dumbledore said.

"We can protect him at home, without the flying horror monsters." Lily snapped, it had been a long night and she was fed up of feeling like she was banging her head against a brick wall.

"Lily he might be safer here, you can't watch him twenty-four/seven." Severus told her.

Lily sighed, maybe they were right, "If anything like this happens again." she warned them, "But for now he can stay, but those... things, are to leave him alone."

"I have had a word with them and they are not to stray onto school ground again. You have my word Lily." Dumbledore placed his hand over his heart and gave them a small bow before leaving the hospital wing.

"Who would send Dementors into a school?" Sirius whispered to Harry.

Harry shook his head, those things needed to be a million miles away from here, he couldn't understand how anyone could possibly feel safer with them around.

Lily and Severus made their way back over to where Harry and Sirius were waiting and sat down.

Harry was released from the hospital wing later that day, feeling much better and mostly just sad his broom had been smashed to smithereens by the Whomping Willow, at least he had his Nimbus 2000 as a back up. A week later though he wasn't even too bothered by that. It was the teams broom that was gone, not his, and they'd already started looking for ways to raise money to buy the team a new one.

Sirius, however, was pale faced and pacing around Grimmauld place waiting for the bell to ring. Lily was out with Danica, getting her a new set of school books from Diagon Ally.

There is was; the door bell.

Sirius straightened up his robes and opened the door. Nikka stood in the door way and gave him an awkward smile. She had clearly just come from school, her hair in a messy bun at the nape of her neck and she was carrying a large bag of books.

"Come in." Sirius said, moving out the way.

Nikka came in and took off her coat, hanging it and her bag up, "How's Harry?"

"He's OK. This time." Sirius said.

"I'm glad. I was worried; I thought maybe something was wrong when I didn't hear from you." Nikka smiled, relieved.

Sirius gave a small cough and composed himself, "We need to talk."

Nikka's face fell and she took an unconscious step back, crossing her arms over her chest, "That doesn't sound good."

Sirius looked down at his feet, "I can't see you any more."

Nikka stared blankly at him, her brain couldn't process what she'd just heard, "Sorry, what?"

Sirius sighed, she looked so beautiful standing there, her large grey eyes looking at him like he could fix anything in the world.

"I… I can't see you any more. I'm ending this." Sirius told her.

"What? Why?" Nikka said, her brain trying to catch up, fighting between wanting to cry, wanting to slap him and thinking it was all a horrible joke.

"I have to protect Harry." Sirius shook his head, as though it was obvious.

"You can't be serious." Nikka said, "Why does us being together put Harry in danger? Has someone said something?"

"No, no one has said anything. They couldn't get hold of me until the next morning because I was with you." Sirius exclaimed, "What if it was an attack? He would have been dead before I could get there."

"But he's fine, you said he was fine." Nikka said, her voice starting to crack.

"Yeah this time." Sirius said, "But what about next time?"

"I get that-" Nikka began.

"No." Sirius snapped, "Look I've made up my mind and I will not, I WILL NOT put my family in danger. I have to be there to protect them."

Nikka's eyes flared with anger. He wasn't even listen to her, giving her a chance to talk this through with him. Was this really all she'd ever meant to him? Someone to get thrown away with a pathetic excuse?

"Well as long as you've made up your mind I wont bother you again." She snarled.

She stuffed her arms into her coat and grabbed her bag. Several of the books fell out of it in her rage.

"Nikka I'm..." Sirius started, bending down to help her pick up the books.

"Don't!" Nikka snapped, "Just don't. You've said everything you want to me. Goodbye." she snatched the books back from him.

She stormed from the house, not daring to look back as tears poured down her cheeks. Sirius slumped against the wall and wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. He shook his head and went into the kitchen, splashing water onto his face; Lily and Danica might be home soon and he didn't want them to know anything had happened.

His heart ached already, he felt like curling up on the floor and sobbing but he couldn't let his selfishness get in the way of protecting his family. Not again.