Hello everyone, remember me?
*ducks as flaming pitchforks and other such mob paraphernalia flies forth from the angry mob*
Yeah, sorry about the delay. I know, I know, I said I'd be gone for two weeks, and it's been more than that now, hasn't it? Much more, I know. There is reason, however - I've been heavily involved with writing my normal works recently, as well as a couple of other things coming up, but I'll get to that in a moment.
First of all, I just want to cover what hasn't happened (these have all been guessed by various people over email or in reviews, btw...):
I have not been involved in:
- a car crash
- a plane wreck
- a shipwreck
- a train derailment
- a jousting incident (by far the oddest suggestion, but potentially valid given my affinity for most affairs of the Medieval Era).
I have not contracted any serious illness such as ebola virus, flesh eating disease, or amnesia.
Nor have I broken any bone in my body recently, including arm, hand, legs, feet, ribs, neck, back, or head.
I also haven't gotten lost in the Amazon, Toronto (Canada), Japan, China, Europe in general, Africa in general, or Australia. Well, that's not entirely true, I have gotten lost in Toronto before... but not recently.
I have never been kidnapped, mugged, beaten, or been involved in the wrong end of any illegal activities resulting in serious or minor jail time. I also haven't been involved in any illegal activities at all (save for running a couple of red lights over the years by mistake, I guess).
I have not been the target on an international assassination attempt lead by Harry/Ginny supporters, or even Ginny/Malfoy supporters (that one had me laughing for a time, let me tell you!)
I did not get married (that's in August, btw), nor did I win the lottery or any trip around the world or anything of the sort.
That's about all the suggestions of things that might have happened to me. One person also guessed partially correct - I have been involved in a few things, like life.
I have:
- enjoyed a significantly longer vacation than anticipated.
- spent quality time with relatives whom I haven't seen in years.
- spent quality time with fiancée.
- helped a set of friends through a rather difficult move after a robbery.
- written five chapters for the sequel to this piece.
- written eight chapters for my current novel.
- started and finished three short stories and laid down the ground work for another novel.
But I'm back now. I seem to have... a few reviews to reply to, thank you one and all. Again, I'm sorry about the long absence. You can expect me to reply to the reviews posted here Tuesday and Wednesday - by the end of Wednesday, I'll be all caught up. The next update will be coming along shortly.
By that, I mean next week, on Thursday. So on May 26, you can expect the chapter entitled Did You Find Freedom? From there, there are only two chapters left, which are currently in progress. I didn't do much writing at all for this piece during my vacation, but rest assured that it will be finished by the beginning of June (The first Thursday in June, by my count...)
Again, sorry about the delay. Here is the latest chapter, entitled Gryffindor Versus Slytherin. While certainly not as long as some other chapters, it will more than be made up in the following couple of chapters, have no fear.
Oh, and to at least a couple of people who's fanfiction I followed nearly religiously - MapleMountain and TheGreatFox2000, namely (their works are great, I highly recommend them to anyone interested in Harry Potter in general, and yes, I know that means everyone out there) - I will be catching up and reviewing the chapters I missed as soon as possible.
One last apology, I guess... sorry about the lengthy Author's Note at the beginning this time, but I figured it was warranted...
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Chapter Thirty Seven: Gryffindor versus Slytherin
As Harry and Hermione made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning, they were somewhat surprised to find several members of the DA waiting for them in various places along the way - almost as though they were guarding the route. Few said more than a simple good morning, and a couple actually asked how Harry was doing now, but beyond that, there was a touch of an eerie calm in the castle.
That ended almost as soon as they stepped into the Great Hall to tumultuous applause from the Slytherin table - much to their surprise. Looking around for an explanation told them that there was only one teacher in the Hall thus far in the morning - and given how the Slytherins were behaving, it was no surprise to find that it was Snape.
Wordlessly, Ginny handed a scrap of parchment to Harry, who scanned it quickly with Hermione reading it over his shoulder. The silence in the hall remained indefinite as the two read the Daily Prophet article from the day before on the two of them, and their relationship.
Harry didn't bother to read the full thing, however. He simply read the parts that Ginny seemed to have circled with her quill before giving it to them - Sneaking around to broom closets... Large arguments with their closest friends involving the intimacy of their relationship... Now fully supported by their friends, the two can find time to slip away on their own whenever desires become too much for them...
*I find myself not very hungry anymore,* Harry purred in an undertone to Hermione. Not entirely sure it would work, he then turned to Ginny. *Thanks, Gem,* he chirped out, thinking hard of her nightingale form. When she nodded, he knew she understood.
Hermione, however, hadn't replied to him. Instead, she took the article from him and kept reading, apparently wanting to obtain all the information before leaving as well. *How are we going to handle this?* she purred back to him when she finished, letting the piece of parchment float to the ground.
*Simple. The same way Ron would've - humour,* Harry replied as he turned to leave with her. She smiled and looped her arm through his, and they made their way back to the large double doors. "Well, since it's out in the open, I think it's high time for us to... er... `slip away on our own...' don't you?"
"Of course!" Hermione said in an equally loud voice. "After all, it's not like missing one dose during breakfast will loosen the potion's effects at all, right?"
That caught Harry by surprise, and he lowered his free hand and pointed as discretely as possible towards the parchment on the ground. "Accio parchment," he whispered as they left the hall. It was in his hands the next moment, and he stopped just out of sight of those in the Great Hall to read it more carefully.
"You didn't see that part, did you?" Hermione asked fretfully. "I mean, honestly I should have expected it, but she said she had toned it down a bit, right?"
"If this is toned down," Harry said in as calm a voice as he could muster. "Then I'd hate to think of what she was going to write before this!" He threw the paper down again after reading the love potion theory - he must be under Hermione's spell, as that was the only way he'd ever fall for a muggle born like her - and shook his head. "I am under your spell," he offered after a moment. "But it's completely of my own free will. You just mean the world to me."
They had turned and started towards the Potion's classroom - as that was the first class of the day for them - when the person they had long expected finally decided to show up with a sneer. "So, off to another broom closet with your... thing?" Malfoy asked, looking in disgust at Hermione. "How you could sullen your pureblood with something like..."
"Pure blood?" Harry asked with a laugh. "Is that what you think?" When Malfoy didn't answer, Harry just laughed harder. "My father was a pureblood - I guess Potter's a rather old name, isn't it? - but my mother was a muggleborn, just like Hermione!"
"So you're a halfblood?"
"Just like your precious Voldemort, yeah!"
"I will not let you insult the Dark Lord!" Malfoy said, furious as he drew his wand in a sudden movement from his sleeves. He didn't have any time to react before Harry had reached up and touched his DA badge. In an instant, a dozen others were surrounding them, all with their wands trained on Malfoy, who was suddenly looking rather pale.
"What's wrong, Malfoy?" Hermione asked with a grin and a sly wink to Harry. "Kneazle got your tongue?" Ginny and Neville, who were both among the crowd surrounding the three, all broke into broad grins, but said nothing. "Besides, shouldn't you have come with your goons? Merlin knows you can barely walk on your own, let alone threaten someone without help..."
"And you're really one to talk?" Malfoy shouted back. "Calling on your precious DA whenever there's trouble! What Dirty Antics are they going to get to next?"
"Dirty Antics?" Harry mouthed in confusion as Hermione burst into laughter.
"That Skeeter bug doesn't know anything!" she laughed. It appeared that most of those around them also knew what they were talking about, causing Harry to bend down to pick up the article again. This time, he was determined to read it all the way so he wouldn't be caught off guard again.
Often found in the midst of their secret organization - publicly called the DA - one has to ask just how committed they are to each other. With a club name like the Dirty Antics, one has to wonder just what type of things they are constantly getting up to together. The biggest question to ask, though, is why Harry Potter would be willing to be used by such a scarlet woman who is the brains behind the Dirty Antics.
An even bigger question is why the Headmaster is allowing such a filthy group to continue in his school - surely a tryst like they have going must be against a dozen school rules at least, as well as every morale fibre in a decent person's being!
He couldn't help himself... he just had to laugh after finishing it. Looking around at the others - who now seemed surprised by his laughter, he couldn't help but laugh even harder. "Dirty Antics?" he roared, shaking his head and holding his sides. "Who came up with that?"
"Why don't you just ask your scarlet - "
Harry had his wand out and level with Malfoy's face before he could finish his question. "One word, Malfoy. Go on... just say it. Just one word, and you can get an repeat of what happened the last time you insulted her in my presence..."
There was a thick silence in the air at that, broken finally by the sound of movement beyond the group. They all turned to find several teachers as a group of students starting to leave the Great Hall, and decided it was a good time to disperse quickly. Without a backwards glance at Malfoy, Harry and Hermione started down to the Potion's classroom again after giving the DA members around them a quick nod of thanks.
After class, Harry made it a point to speak with Dobby about screening Owl posts in the near future that are given to Hermione - he didn't want a repeat of the fourth year incident involving bubotuber pus. For his part, Dobby was ecstatic about being asked to help.
On Thursday evening, Harry ran into Professor McGonagall, who seemed quite worried. To his surprise - and partial dismay, truth be told - the Quidditch match the following day was still on. In otherwords, despite Ron and Luna's kidnapping and the state of affairs in the school and the wizarding world in general, sports were still going to happen. It made sense in one way, as Quidditch always boosted morale, but to Harry, it was simply adding insult to the injury. It was Ron's favourite game, after all, and to play without him around seemed... well, wrong.
It was with this firmly in his mind when Harry woke the next morning, too. He asked the rest of the team to get something to eat, but he couldn't bring himself to even look at food. On top of that, he barely even heard Hermione's words of encouragement before he excused himself from the Gryffindor table and walked out of the Great Hall.
Almost in a trance, he walked through the halls and corridors, as though looking for something that he knew he wouldn't find. `How could they do this?' he thought to himself as he paused by the charms classroom. `How can they ask me to play a game when Ron and Luna are...'
A loud crash inside the classroom interrupted his thoughts, but when he went to open the door, something held him back. "What is the meaning of this?" Someone inside the classroom was obviously upset, and Harry had sat through enough classes to know that voice - Snape?
"I brought you hear to talk, Potion's Master," Talisien's voice replied calmly. "As you seemed unwilling to listen to anything I had to say, I decided to take matters into my own hands to force yours."
His infamous curiousity piqued, Harry knelt down to look through the keyhole of the door to see what was going on. Snape was pacing back and forth along the far wall, but Talisien was simply sitting calmly on a desk, watching him.
"There's nothing to talk about, elf!"
"Perhaps not," Talisien admitted. "But I am aware that you spoke to Dumbledore earlier today about the missing students, did you not?" Snape froze, but then nodded gruffly. "Then I believe I am within my rights to ask about it."
"They are not your concern!" Snape snapped back. "The Headmaster is doing what he can with my information, and..."
"I don't care," Talisien interrupted him harshly, suddenly on his feet. "I want to know how they were doing, not where they are."
At that, Snape's usually pale face lost the rest of its colour. "How they... look, Talisien, surely you know what's going on, don't you? The Dark Lord is holding them, and is planning..."
"Of course I know that you rotting corpse!" Talisien roared back. It was the first time Harry had really seen the elf almost lose his temper, which really surprised him. He couldn't help but smile a touch at what he had just called his least favourite professor, though. "I want to know how they are!"
"Not good," Snape finally said softly. "He has connected the crystal to their systems, and the poison has taken hold, as you surely know. With Weasley's birthday well past, he had to activate it before he was really ready."
"I am not familiar with the effects of the crystal, Severus," Talisien said softly. "Nor do I know how he is planning on activating it."
"Let's just leave it with the fact that he had to start before either of the two were of age. He brought me in to see them to ensure that they would both survive long enough."
"And?"
"They'll live," Snape said, shaking his head. "Though it may be best if they didn't, given the power of the poisons in them. The pain that they have gone through just because of that..."
"I assume they are being treated like most prisoners, too," Talisien said after a moment of silence.
"Most prisoners?" Snape laughed, a sharp, high imitation of a bark which twinged Harry's thoughts of Sirius's own laughter. That the two wizard's laughter was so similar was something he couldn't think about just then, trying to hear what was going on. "Talisien, the Dark Lord doesn't keep prisoners! He had to construct an entire base of operations on top of an old one just to house them!"
Talisien didn't say anything right away, but started pacing himself now that Snape had stopped. "Are they being abused or beaten in addition to the poisoning?"
"Lovegood has gone through things that I will not repeat," Snape said in a hushed voice. "And Weasley has had to live with that knowledge, and the fact that he has been powerless to help her. That started thanks to their refusal to help the Dark Lord - they will not betray Potter. If I were in their shoes, then..."
"Do not finish that thought, Severus!" Talisien said harshly. "For if you were in their shoes, you would have died by now, I am sure." There was a pause, and then Talisien flitted out of sight, reappearing in the front of the room. Harry was really thankful that the keyhole was large enough to see the entire classroom - a student had probably cast a charm on it quite some time ago for that very purpose. "Did you do anything to help them?"
"I made sure they would survive the poison, even if it isn't pleasant."
"I meant with the rest," Talisien replied instantly. "Did you give them anything to protect them from pain or heal their injuries?"
"I dare not," Snape said in equally harsh tones. "If I gave them anything like that, then the Dark Lord would know that I did more than he had asked, and was helping them. My cover would be blown, and my life forfeit."
Harry had to cover his mouth to try and keep the sound of his gasp from reaching inside. He suspected that Talisien probably had heard him by now anyway, but for some reason hadn't said anything about it. The sight of Talisien drawing his sword against Snape and holding it pointing towards the Professor was a shock, though.
"Your life is meaningless in this case, Snape!" Talisien said coldly. "A teacher must do all they can to help a student, to protect a student. If you are more worried about your own life than theirs, then you have no right to be here at all!"
"Our side needs a spy!" Snape shouted back, staring at the weapon held before him defiantly. "Dumbledore respects what I have done, and what I am going to do! It's dangerous enough as it is without stepping in to do more!"
"Spies are worthless," Talisien said, slicing down with his sword as he spoke. Although he didn't hit Snape, the Professor did back up quickly at the motion. "Especially spies who can't help those trapped on the inside!"
"You want me to give up my life to help them?"
"I want you to do the right thing. I am well aware of the risks you have taken, and I know what you are capable of. If you put your mind to it, I'm sure you could help them and get out before being caught."
"My position would be compromised."
"That holds no bearing over me," Talisien said simply. "Now, do you know where they are?"
"I have a couple of suspicions," Snape admitted. "If I were to return a second time to treat them, then I believe I could find out for certain."
"And this crystal... what is that about?"
"The Dark Lord managed to get it out of the Time Room in the Ministry of Magic without anyone noticing. I didn't ask how, and he didn't offer," Snape said before Talisien could question him on it. "Dumbledore is only just aware of that fact, and will probably be moving to deal with it soon. We don't know what it can do."
"Do you know where it is?"
"What do you want from me?" Snape demanded. "I don't have to answer to you or anyone else! I work for Dumbledore, because he trusts me! I'm risking my life everytime I answer one of the Dark Lord's summons, and this is how I get thanked for it?"
In a flash of light catching the drawn blade, Talisien turned and held his weapon before him. A moment later, Snape's left sleeve fell to the ground and he clutched at his arm. There was a scratch just above the Dark Mark, and was now dripping blood on the ground.
"You do the right thing, or I will hunt you to the ends of the earth to make you pay," Talisien said in a calm voice. "My blade has tasted your blood, and would have no trouble taking a second drink. You will do what you can."
"You can't order me to do anything!"
"You have one week," Talisien said before suddenly vanishing from the room. Harry backed up quickly, away from the door, and ran down the corridor to avoid being seen by the head of Slytherin House.
`Talisien threatening Snape?' he thought to himself. `And what about that crystal? And Ron and Luna being poisoned...'
He ran headlong into Professor Dumbledore before he could even stop himself. "Harry, I believe your team will be needing you shortly," he said with a kind smile. "I, myself, am just about to head down to the Quidditch pitch."
"What was stolen from the Time Room?" Harry blurted out before he could stop himself. Dumbledore stopped in surprise, but shook his head rather than answering.
"Now is not the time, Harry," he assured him softly. "I will tell you all I know later. For now, you have a game to play and a team to lead." Harry knew the tone that Dumbledore was taking - he wasn't going to budge from that position no matter what.
It was with some trepidation and more than a little anger flowing through him that Harry made his way down to the Quidditch pitch a few minutes later. He met Hermione at the gates, and gave her a quick kiss. "Sorry about earlier," he said softly, trying to keep a firm hold of his anger. He wanted to use it during the game, so it wouldn't do for her to take it from him now.
"I understand," she promised him. "Now, promise me one thing?"
"Name it," he said with a smile.
"Beat Slytherin into the ground," she said with a smile of her own, though it was more of a sad smile than anything else. "Do it for Ron."
"You got it," he said with a firm nod before turning to enter the changing rooms. Inside, he found the entire team lined up, watching and waiting for him.
"Everyone ready?" Ginny asked as he shrugged off his cloak and ducked behind a curtain to change into his robes. "Because this one's for my brother."
"Are you sure you want me in as Keeper?" Dennis asked. Harry stuck his head out from around the curtain and saw that he was looking quite nervous. "I've never flown as Keeper before!"
"Lavender, Ginny, and Colin are Chasers, Kirke and Sloper are Beaters, and I doubt you'd want to take Seeker, right?" he pointed out, pulling back before the younger Gryffindor could see his grin. "Besides, you'll do fine. I know we haven't had as many practices as we probably should have, but we'll beat them."
"We have to," Ginny pointed out. "And not just for the Quidditch Cup! If we lose to them, when Ron gets back he'll never let it drop!"
"When?" Kirke asked in surprise. "I thought..."
"Yes," Harry said firmly, coming out from the curtains dressed in his Quidditch robes. "When," he repeated. "When Ron gets back, I want us all to be able to tell him that we slaughtered Slytherin for him. And I'm not about to lose that chance, got it?"
"Besides," Lavender pointed out, poking Denis with her broom. "The Slytherin's are pretty brutal. We wouldn't want little old you to take a beating, would we? They almost never send the bludgers at the Keeper, right?"
"But when they do, it's some bad," Colin added. "Didn't Wood take one in the stomach during your first year, Harry?"
"We'll beat them," Harry said firmly, not accepting any other words until everyone on the team had nodded to that bold statement. "And then we'll see where we are, got it?"
As they were filing out into the narrow passage to wait for the calling of their team, Harry caught Ginny's shoulder, holding her back for a minute. *Snape's seen your brother,* he chirped softly to her, not wanting anyone to be able to tell what he was saying expect for her. *He's been better, but he's still breathing. It won't be long now before we know where he is, okay?*
She looked up to him in surprise as tears came to her eyes. *Thank you, Harry,* she chirped back softly as she leaned in to give him a quick hug. "Thank you," she repeated in English.
"Hey," Harry said easily. "I keep saying we'll save them, don't I? I thought you might want to know before we started today, that's all." Just before they were called, he looked back to Ginny. "Oh, if you happen to see Hermione before I do after the game, could you tell her that I have to talk to her?"
"You'll see her first, Harry," she said easily. "Since you'll catch the snitch, and there's no way she's not going to kiss you after you do!" The rest of the team laughed at that, and then mounted their brooms to get ready for flight.
Harry gripped his broom firmly in one hand as he strode out onto the pitch to meet with Madame Hooch and Malfoy for the toss. While wizarding coins might have been shaped slightly differently than muggle ones, they still had two sides that were easily distinguishable.
"Shake hands, captains," Madame Hooch said firmly. "And remember, I want a good, clean game!"
Harry took Malfoy's hand firmly, and grit his teeth against the increasing pressure that the Slytherin was applying, adding it to his already brewing anger. "You know, Potter... I doubt little Weasley can survive much longer," Malfoy sneered in an undertone. "I do hope his little slut does, though. She is quite the looker... ignoring her tendency to scream, that is."
It was only due to shock that Harry actually released Malfoy's hand and both stepped backwards. With a smirk from the other boy as he shot to the air, Harry suddenly had a hard time hearing anything else save for the blood rushing past his ears, his anger building to such an extreme that he could hardly remember another time... save for with Snape at Grimmauld Place over the holidays.
He started suddenly at the hand on his shoulder, and turned to find Ginny hovering behind him, motioning skyward. They couldn't get started until all players were in the air, and Madame Hooch was already looking a little impatient.
"Send Kirke and Sloper down here," Harry said firmly. "Now."
Although Ginny was surprised by the request, she nodded and shot into the air again, only to be replaced by both Gryffindor beaters a moment later. "Gin said you wanted to talk to us, Harry?"
"Yeah," Harry said, looking up to Malfoy as he hovered above them. "You know the rules about malicious beating, right?"
"Once someone's off their broom, you can't hit another bludger towards them," Kirke said easily. "Don't worry, we wouldn't let it happen anyway."
"I don't think you understand," Harry said darkly, mounting his broom and starting to rise slowly. "I want you to take Malfoy out of this game."
Both beaters looked to each other in surprise at the request, and then back at Harry. Finally, just as Madame Hooch blew her whistle to start the game, Kirke nodded. "Keep count, would you, Harry?"
Finally on his Firebolt again, the one place where peace had always managed to grip him as the rest of his life worries seemed to fade away, for once Harry couldn't concentrate on the game. Malfoy's words kept repeating themselves over and over again in his mind. He barely noticed as each of the Chasers on his team tapped his shoulder as they raced forward to contend for the Quaffle.
Looking down, he scanned the crowd of those watching the game quickly, trying to find anyone who looked out of place. Hermione was standing cheering already, and Kailyn was right beside her, which only made Harry smile despite himself. Other than the fact that a couple of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were in the Gryffindor stands, nothing looked out of place at all...
When a great boo erupted from one quarter of the stadium, Harry whipped back around to watch the action beneath him. He was shocked to see Malfoy falling in almost slow motion from his broom a good fifty feet in the air. Just as his broom flew out from under him, another bludger stuck him hard in the chest. As soon as that one had left, Harry saw the air rippled beneath him and looked to the stands quickly, seeing Dumbledore with his wand now trained on the falling Slytherin boy.
Apparently whatever spell he was using had no effect against the bludgers, as they both came in a second time halfway down and stuck him hard in the side, a sickening crunch echoing throughout the arena as the other one caught his leg just below his hip.
There was no question about the fury on Madame Hooch's face as she screamed at both Gryffindor beaters, and than at Harry for letting such brutality exist before giving Slytherin a free shot at the Gryffindor hoops. Harry nodded in grim satisfaction to both beaters as Slytherin scored the first goal of the game.
"Four," Harry said softly as they flew passed him. "Thanks."
"Been wanting to do that for some time anyway, Harry. And I'm sure Fred and George did, too," Sloper replied. "But if anyone asks, if was an accident."
"Course."
What started off as a rather brutal game of Quidditch only intensified as the afternoon wore on. Without a seeker on their side, Slytherin had to make full use of their Chasers in an attempt to score enough points to make the snitch worthless. Gryffindor's Chasers were no slouches, however, and set out to make that as difficult as possible.
As Denis had predicted, he was a horrible keeper, but Harry didn't really think it mattered much. With Ginny, Lavender, and Colin scoring more than twice to every one goal of Slytherin's, there was no concern, so Harry pulled his mind out of the game for a time to try and unravel just what Malfoy may have meant by his words to him.
Has he seen Ron and Luna? Harry thought to himself as he absently spun aside from a bludger sent at him by Crabbe... or it might have been Goyle, but he didn't think it mattered. Not even the enthusiastic announcing of Dean could penetrate his thoughts just then. When would he have had the chance? And where would he have gone? I mean... it couldn't be that simple, could it?
In retrospect, he really didn't mean to, but he reached up suddenly and found the snitch in his hand, fluttering like mad trying to escape for a moment before admitting defeat. Looking down in surprise, Harry couldn't help but laugh out loud as he held it up and waved down to the crowd far below. Apparently he had floated up quite some distance, but as he shot down with it held high, the crowd easily figured out what had happened.
Rather than the traditional landing on the pitch first, Harry flew right into the Gryffindor stands and landed easily right before Hermione. As she threw her arms around him, he turned his head slightly so she'd miss with her first kiss. *Malfoy knows where they are,* he purred to her, and wasn't surprised at all to feel her stiffen in his arms suddenly. *And I've got an idea, but we have to have some way to prove it... if only they had one of the modified badges... we need to get a hold of them to find out for sure!*
Hermione's chocolate brown eyes suddenly lit up as he looked to her again, and she leaned forward and kissed him hard on the lips to applause from the surrounding crowd. Just a moment later, however, she released him, and taking that as his queue, he flipped backwards and landed on his broom again to take to the skies.
*Grab your necklace... the one that Luna gave you for your birthday,* he heard Hermione's meow over the roar of the crowd. Even if he didn't understand what she meant completely, he did nod as he took another lap around the pitch, only to land in the middle of his team. They all looked a little worse for wear - a sure sign that things had gotten completely out of hand in the game, but Harry hadn't noticed because he simply wasn't paying attention.
"330 to 70!" Ginny said with a laugh, turning and throwing her arms around Harry just as Lavender did the same. All four boys slapped him on the back and laughed as well just as both girls pulled away from him. "Good job, Harry! Another year with the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor!"
*Can you cover for me if I have to take off?* Harry chirped softly as they turned back to the crowd as Dumbledore descended to the pitch to award the Quidditch Cup again for another year. Although obviously surprised by the request, Ginny nodded after a moment, and then burst into applause as the golden trophy was passed from Headmaster to student once again.
Even as Harry held the cup above his head, he couldn't keep the thought of out his head that it had been Ron just last year to do this very same thing...
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Snape paused for a moment in the darkened corridor to rub against his left forearm. Although the burning sensation from the Dark Lord's summons had long since warn off, the sting from the cut just above the Dark Mark had not. Although he had taken a potion to heal the wound, it had had no effect, telling his that some sort of magic was at work in the elf's sword... a fact, on second thought, he should have known anyway.
He cursed to himself as his thoughts landed on the elven Professor. He was even more meddlesome than the Dark Lord felt Dumbledore to be, and that was saying something. The ex-Death Eater shook his head quickly to quell his thoughts and slipped into the room quickly and quietly.
"Wake up, Weasley," he muttered as loudly as he dared when he knelt next to the boy. Although the boy still had his robes on, they were drenched in a mix of cold water and drying sweat, and had traces of blood on the main torso. The boy also smelled of urine and feces, which made sense, given how neither prisoner were ever given a chance to go to the bathroom, and had been left to soil themselves repeatedly. "There isn't much time here, you know."
The groan sounded loud to his ears, but he forced his nerves to remain calm. Slowly, Weasley's eyes opened, and then he pulled back quickly, a look of fear in his eyes. "Get... get away, Death Eater! I'm not telling you anything!"
"Really, Weasley, the act is good and all, but I don't have time for it right now!" Snape snapped at him. "Get back here, before I have to leave without treating your girlfriend, too!"
"What?" It came as no surprise to him that the foolish boy didn't have his wits about him. If it had been another student, he would have blamed that entirely on the stay in the prison, but as it was Weasley...
"There isn't time to explain," Snape said, pulling out a vial from the inside of his robes. "Drink this, quickly," he urged, holding the vial to the poor boy's lips. Although obviously a little leery, he still reached up and opened his mouth, being unable to do more than that, given that he was bound hands and feet. "Do not choke on it or spit any out - this is an exact dose."
Once the boy had swallowed, he sat back again and then looked over to the corner where Lovegood was curled up. She was chained to the wall, and had much less mobility available to her than the youngest Weasley boy.
"What's this stuff do?"
"Should heal some internal stuff, and take some pain away. You'll have to fake it, and I'm sure it will be discovered anyway," Snape said. He then pulled out his wand and pointed it at the boy's bindings, muttering under his breath. When they metal shackles snapped off and fell to the floor, Weasley looked surprised. "Help me get her in a position where I can help," he urged.
Apparently, the boy needed no further instructions as he rushed over to the girl's side. While his robes may have been more or less in tact, Lovegood wasn't nearly so fortunate. Her robes were little more than a couple of strips now, not even coming close to covering her appropriately. Snape found himself immensely pleased - in a sickening kind of way, he realised - that he was used to cruel conditions from his own acts as a Death Eater years ago, so he could look at the girl an not be fazed by it.
"Luna, sweet, wake up," Weasley whispered to her, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. Snape looked away at that display, and then snapped his head back.
"We must hurry, Weasley. Time is of the essence... I must get away before the Dark Lord realises what I have done!"
"You're not supposed to be here?" Snape shook his head at the boy's idiocy.
"Not now, Weasley!" he said quickly, pulling out a powder from his robes this time. Rather than wait for him to wake Lovegood up, he pulled a pinch of the powder out and sprinkled it over the girl. "There," he muttered more to himself than to the boy. "When she wakes up, she'll be free of pain for a while. That should heal some things, too, but won't be as effective as a potion."
"You can't stay to give it to her, too?"
"I have already overstayed my welcome here, Weasley," Snape said quickly. "I do not have time, nor a need, to explain myself to you. Now get back over there so I can do up your bindings again!" He was quite thankful that the boy didn't need being told twice, and then he paused at the door, finally looking back again. "Good luck, Weasley."
There was a pause as he opened the door silently, and then he heard a whisper following him. "Thanks, Professor."
By the time Snape had maneuvered through the long halls and large passageways, he could heard the noise above him, telling him that someone had already discovered his transgressions. Doubling his pace, he was now in an all out run as he shot out of the large Manor and stopped just outside the apparation point. In an instant, he had vanished with a pop, and then started up the path in Hogsmeade to report his latest mission to those within the school.
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Until the sun sets upon a broken world...
The Shadows
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