Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Inc., Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Raincoast, and any other affiliated party.
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Chapter 3: Another Attack
The Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Quidditch match came about a week after Draco's attack. Slytherin was absolutely crushed since they had no seeker. As soon as he had caught the snitch and had landed, Harry was bombarded by Cassandra who pulled him into a deep passionate kiss out in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch where she had ran on. Before, Harry could react, the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team had landed and were backslapping Harry or showering him with whistles and catcalls as well as most of Gryffindor house whom had streamed onto the pitch. Amidst the chaos, Harry managed to escape Cassandra's grasp and make his way to the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Password?" asked the Fat Lady.
"Phoenix Feather," said Harry. The portrait swung open and Harry climbed into the Common Room. He was startled to find Hermione in one of the sofas facing the fireplace, crying.
"Hermione? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. Hermione looked up quite startled and made a double take when she saw Harry, still in his scarlet Quidditch robes.
"N-nothing is wrong," she managed to stutter. The truth was that she was heartbroken when she saw Cassandra kiss Harry out on the Quidditch pitch and had run back to the Common Room. Harry came over and sat beside her.
"You know you can tell me about anything that is bothering you," he said.
"I-I can't tell you."
"If you can't tell me I'll respect that," said Harry. "Just remember that I'll always be there for you." He drew Hermione into a gentle hug.
Hermione glanced into his emerald green eyes, which shone with care, warmth, and concern. 'He cares for me so much,' she thought. 'He's always been so kind and is always concerned about other people. I love him so much. But he's bound to Cassandra. I'm just his best friend.' Even though Harry had constantly assured her and Ron that he felt nothing for Cassandra, Hermione couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Cassandra was probably the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts. She on the other hand, though quite attractive wasn't exactly stunningly beautiful and only had an average figure. She was short at five foot three and had frizzy brown hair and simple cinnamon brown eyes. She often felt tiny next to Harry's five foot eleven and Ron's six foot two frame. Feeling insignificant, Hermione burst into another wave of sobs and buried her face into Harry's chest.
Harry simply sat there comforting the crying girl in his arms. He constantly whispered soothing words to her and rubbed her back gently. He also kissed the hair on her head. Harry gazed down at Hermione. Sure she wasn't exactly a stunner, but Harry suddenly thought, 'She's so beautiful.' Harry was floored when he realized what had just crossed his mind. 'Wait a minute. Did I just think Hermione is beautiful? Well, she is, admit it Potter. But still, she's your best friend. You can't think about your best friend like that.' Harry shrugged and buried the thought away. After a few minutes, Hermione calmed down and she soon fell asleep in Harry's arms. The exhaustion of the Quidditch match catching up to him, Harry also fell asleep as he laid his cheek on Hermione's head. They remained in that position for about an hour and a half when the rest of Gryffindor house finally returned from celebrating their victory outside.
* * *
"OK, today we're going to be studying about succubae," said Lupin. He was instructing the sixth year Gryffindors the following day in their Defense against the Dark Arts class. "Now can someone tell me what a succubus is?"
Like always, Hermione's hand was the first one that sprang up. "A succubus is a demonic creature with the appearance of a beautiful woman. They primarily prey on men and they suck out their victims' life force while their victims are sleeping. The male versions are called incubi and they prey on women."
"Excellent Hermione. Five points to Gryffindor." Lupin addressed the rest of the class. "Succubae and incubi are amongst the most dangerous of dark creatures that exist. Part of that has to do with the fact that they usually attack sleeping victims. Eventually, a prolonged attack from a succubus turns fatal. Muggles often have no defense against them but a wizard can easily fight off a succubus if he knows what to do. Now there are two dark creatures that are distinctly related to succubae and incubi. Does anyone know what those two creatures are?"
Hermione's hand sprang up. "Vampires and dementors," she said. Lupin nodded.
"That's right, five points to Gryffindor. Succubae, vampires, and dementors are all dark creatures that live off of the life forces of others. A vampire lives off of blood, but succubae and dementors on the other hand live off of spirit. Therefore, they can both be warded off the same way, with the patronus charm. Harry, could you demonstrate one?"
Harry nodded. He thought up of a happy thought, namely the day when he first arrived at Hogwarts, and bellowed, "Expecto Patronum!" All the students gasped as a silvery stag leaped out of Harry's wand. It walked back and forth through the isles before it bowed and disappeared. Lupin nodded.
"The patronus charm is one of the advanced charms you will ever learn in your sixth year. Ordinarily, we learn them later on in the year when we study dementors, but since we're doing succubae right now, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn it a little early." Lupin instructed the students to pull out their wands. "Now the key to creating a patronus is a happy thought: the more happier the thought, the stronger the patronus. The patronus is essentially a guardian of positive energy so strong that dementors and succubae can't stand it. Now I want you all to think of the happiest thought you have and say 'Expecto Patronum'. Harry you can sit out if you like since you can already use the charm."
For the remainder of the class, the students all tried to produce patronuses. By the end of class, Hermione was the only who could even make an indistinct patronus. The next class they had was potions, so the Gryffindors all charged down to the dungeons where they had the class. They all tumbled into the room and quickly scrambled to their seats.
"10 points from Gryffindor for causing such a racket," sneered Snape. The Gryffindors all scowled as Snape started instructing them on how to make a truth serum. Snape was in a foul mood as he deducted points from Hermione for getting the right answers and he gave Neville a detention when he melted his fourth cauldron.
About forty minutes into the class, there was a knock on the door. "Yes?" said Snape, not looking too pleased about being disturbed. The door opened and Cassandra Frost walked in. Harry groaned: Snape did not miss it. "Five points from Gryffindor, Potter," he sneered. He turned back to Cassandra and said, "What do you want?"
Cassandra glared at Snape for a second before she said, "Professor McGonagall requests some boomslang skin for our transfiguration class." Snape nodded and started rummaging around his desk. As he pulled out the required specimens, his sinister eyes traveled to Harry.
"Potter! Didn't I tell you to crush the beetle eyes? Not smash them! Twenty points from Gryffindor!"
"Slimy git," muttered Harry under his breath. Unfortunately for him, Snape heard what Harry said.
"Detention Potter!" he shouted. "And five more points from Gryffindor!" He turned to Cassandra and passed her the boomslang skin. "Now if you don't mind, I have a class to teach," he sneered. Cassandra glared at Snape with a look of utmost loathing. She turned around and stalked out of the dungeons.
* * * * * * * * * *
That night, Snape was in his dungeons waiting for Harry and Neville to show up for their detentions. He had thought up of a particularly cruel ordeal for his most hated student and he couldn't wait to spring it on Harry. There was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Harry and Neville, Snape said, "Come in," and was startled when Cassandra walked into the room. "Frost? What do you want?" he sneered.
Cassandra walked up to the greasy haired professor. "Professor Snape, I have a question about your potions homework."
"Well, go on with it," sneered Snape not particularly interested in what Cassandra had to say. He was shocked however, when Cassandra pulled him into a deep kiss! Before Snape could retort angrily, he felt his body weakening. He collapsed to the ground and gasped. "W…what? H…how?"
"That was for being so cruel to my Harry," hissed Cassandra looking positively livid. She kicked Snape in the gut who promptly blacked out. She then stalked away.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I wonder what punishment Snape has got in store for us this time," said Harry as he and Neville walked down together to the dungeons. "He'll probably have us cleaning the dungeon floor with a tooth brush."
Neville simply shuddered at the thought of Snape's punishment and remained quiet. They finally made it to Snape's classroom, opened the door and gasped.
Snape was lying on the floor in the exact same coma that Malfoy was in. Neville looked like he was about to faint. "Go to Dumbledore! NOW!" yelled Harry. Neville didn't need to be told twice as he dashed toward Dumbeldore's office.
Harry went up to Snapes's form and said, "Mobilicorpus." Snape's body rose into the air and Harry led the comatose Snape to the hospital wing.
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A/N I wanted to clarify a few things. Firstly, I've never seen "Charmed" before in my life so I wouldn't know if a succubus came out in that show. Also, while Batman's nemesis Poison Ivy spreads poison into her enemies' bodies with a kiss, my character Cassandra, sucks the life force out of her victim's mouth so below the surface, they're different. Anyway, please R/R. Oh, I better warn you know that next chapter will have an ever so slight hint of F/F slash (the horror).