Why can't
I see your eyes?
-Chapter Four-
Ever since Harry had first been introduced to Quidditch he had loved the game. It was the day of the first Quidditch game of the year and the Gryffindor team was about as nervous as normally if not a little more so. Their opponent: Slytherin.
Slytherin had been very secretive this year, so much that even the members of their own team did not speak of it. There was a rumor that they had a new member but no one had been able to prove it.
"It's probably nothing," George said to Harry as they got ready to leave the locker room. "You know, trying to fake us into being scared."
Harry nodded, unable to suppress the nervous knot in his stomach. That look Sarah had given still sent unconscious shivers down his spine. What did she mean that he needed luck for the match? And that sneer.... it had been the only emotion she had displayed in any way since August.
His mind turned from that momentarily as they stepped onto the field and the crowds began to cheer. They noticed that the Slytherins were cheering harder than ever. Making their way towards Madam Hooch, Harry saw the reason why. The Slytherin team did indeed have a new member, a Beater to be precise.
It was Sarah. She stood among the others of her team, club held loosely in her hand. Malfoy stood by her, smirking towards Harry.
"Mount your brooms, please."
At the sound of the whistle, the game began. Harry kept high, straining his eyes for the snitch. A few minutes into the game, something came barreling towards him. He barely had time to duck the Bludger. George zipped by seconds behind and struck it, sending it towards Malfoy. "Careful, Harry!" the red-haired boy called. "She's been aiming for you!"
At his words, Harry glanced around until he found Sarah. She was chasing after another Bludger. Catching up with it, she swung hard, sending it flying in Harry's direction. He banked sharply, narrowly missing it. Looking back, he saw an evil sort of glint in Sarah's eyes as she sneered at him. He'd have to be more careful.
The score was forty to sixty, Slytherin leading. That was when it started. At first Harry thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He thought he had seen a Bludger fly past Angelina just as he dodged another one. But that couldn't be because Malfoy--off to his left--had also dodged one. That would mean--
A shout from the stands caused him to turn around. He blanched, nearly falling off his broom. There were no less that ten Bludgers on the field. Madam Hooch was looking about, flabbergasted.
Lee Jordan was nearly screaming, "Ten Bludgers?! They're gonna have a hard time dodging them!"
"What on Earth is going on?" Professor McGonagal was saying beside him.
Harry zigzagged through the black balls as best as he could. The four Beaters were doing their best to keep the balls away, but they were vastly outnumbered.
A flash of gold! Down, to the right!
Harry zoomed towards it, a blur to the spectator's eyes. He dived lower, stretching his hand out to grab the small golden ball. The Bludgers seemed to be locked onto him now. Fred and George, seeing he was after the Snitch, dive-bombed several, knocking as many as they could away. Just as Harry felt his fingers wrap around it, he saw out of the corner of his eye two Bludgers streaking to him. George and Fred were too far away to make it. Even if he dodged one, the other was certain to strike him.
A green and silver streak flew through the air, stopping just in front of Harry. Sarah swung forward and smashed one of the Bludgers with her club, the small wooden bat splintering into pieces. Without hesitation, she brought her other hand around.
A sickening *CRUNSH* spilt the air as the other black ball ricocheted off her fist. Sarah was knocked off her broom and hurled to the ground. Harry dived after her, catching her by the arm just in time. He slowed down to a light hover and set her on the ground gently as Madam Hooch came over. Sarah was holding her hand she had hit the ball with tightly to her, blood had begun to stain her robes.
When Madam Hooch ordered Sarah to let her see the injury, those that had gathered around them gasped and stepped back in shock. Her fingers had spilt open from her knuckles down, the bones obviously fractured and forced back. It looked as if her wrist was broken as well.
"To the hospital wing, right away," Madam Hooch said, helping her stand.
"I can't believe she did that!" Ron exclaimed, eyes wide as he and Hermione stood beside Harry. "During the whole game she had been aiming for you and then she just..." he trailed off, somehow not able to put it into words.
"That was certainly weird," Harry said. "How did those Bludgers get loose?"
"I don't know," Hermione said, looking around with a frown on her face. "Where's Amy?"
The three looked around but could not find her. Worried, they left the field to look for her. They did not get far as raised voices reached their ears. It was coming from just under the stands. Ducking under a support beam, they watched as two people came into their view: Amy and Matt. They were shouting at each other.
"Why?" Matt was saying. "Why is none of your business!"
"Yes, it is!" Amy responded, spinning around to glare at him. "It is my business! I swear, you could have killed them--"
"Just shove it!" Matt interrupted. "You don't know anything!"
"Oh, you haven't changed, have you?!" Amy screamed, stomping off.
Matt grabbed her by the arm. "And what is that supposed to mean?" he snarled.
Amy did not reply, keeping her eyes away from his.
"Hey!" Harry called, stepping into view with Ron and Hermione. "Leave her alone!"
Seeing them, Matt made an annoyed face, releasing her. He strode off, muttering to himself.
"You all right?" Hermione asked Amy.
"Y-yes," Amy said, surprised at seeing them. "How long have you been there?"
"Doesn't matter," Ron said. "Where'd you get off to? Gryffindor won the game."
"We did?" she said, face brightening. "Great job, Harry!"
"Thanks," he replied, not able to shake off the feeling that Amy was just avoiding Ron's question.
---
Hermione sighed, closing another large book and setting it back on the shelf. It was only a day after the Quidditch match, but it was still on her mind. What bothered her was the fact that Sarah had managed to hit a runaway Bludger with her hand and do little more than fracture it. If her information was correct, then the ball should have been able to break her whole arm. Since that was true, then the only thing that could be was that Sarah was simply inhumanly strong.
Yeah, real simple.
However, that did support Hermione's idea that Sarah was not human.
"If she's not a Siren," she was saying to herself, taking another book off the shelf, "then what could she be?" The library was empty except for the librarian, so Hermione did not have to worry about anyone overhearing her. Heading back to the table she was using, Hermione was startled to see it occupied.
Sarah was sitting there, leaning back in one of the chairs with her legs propped up on the table. In her hands was a book on mystical creatures she had taken from the large pile Hermione had made on the other side of her. The taller girl glanced over at Hermione, a cold gleam in her dull eyes. "So much research," she said. "I don't believe this is all for class, is it?"
Hermione, wonder briefly how someone can make their voice sound so accusing when it was empty, said briskly, "I enjoy reading about strange creatures."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Hermione nodded, seating herself across from Sarah. "Especially creatures that have been known to disguise themselves," she said, keeping her tone casual.
"Disguise? Into what?"
"Humans, wizards--you know, so they can fool people into believing they're really what they seem." Hermione struggled to keep her eyes on Sarah, not wanting to give herself away.
"And what brought a sudden interest into this?" Sarah asked, reaching over and taking another book.
Hermione's heart jumped into her throat. It was the book she had checked out that had the passage about Sirens. Trying not to break into a sweat, she said, "Oh, you never know if you'll run into one. I'd like to be prepared." She glanced at Sarah's bandaged hand as she spoke.
Unfortunately, Sarah saw this. Slamming the book on the table, she leaned over, her face inches from Hermione's. "You had better watch yourself," she warned. "Didn't you stick your nose into something you had no place in recently?"
At those words, Hermione froze. "Wh-What do you mean?" she stuttered.
"You know perfectly well," Sarah drawled. A wicked look passed over her eyes. She straightened and strode off, leaving Hermione to stare after her.
---
"Why are we doing this again?" Ron said to Harry.
"To humor Hermione," Harry said.
Hermione had kicked into high gear in finding out whether or not Sarah was really human. The only point she had made that they agreed with was how she had managed to hit the Bludger and not have her arm ripped off. In order to prove to their friend that she was wrong they had agreed to watch Sarah in their off period. They had found out that she too had been in their Divinations class and used this time in the library.
"That explains all those books she carries around," Ron had said.
Currently they were hiding behind a corner, waiting for Sarah to exit the library. They had been there for a while and were wondering if she had already left without them noticing. Time passed, during which they talked about various subjects while keeping watch. Then, during the middle of Harry's explanation of a computer, the doors open and Sarah went through, an armload of books blocking her vision of the two boys.
Keeping close to the wall, Harry and Ron followed her. Ron nearly groaned when she entered the staff room. Not wanting to take the chance at being seen by another teacher, they instead got into an unused classroom across the hall, cracking the door a bit. It was not long until Ron announced, "I'm bored. And hungry. Let's go, Harry. She's obviously working on papers or something. Come on."
Without a hint of reluctance Harry nodded and they left. As they made their way to the Tower, they picked up in their conversation. "So a computer can do all that?" Ron asked, doubt evident in his tone.
"And more, probably," Harry said. "Muggles are always improving whatever they've made, computers especially."
Ron shook his head in amazement, saying, "Really, the things Muggles will do instead of using magic."
Harry agreed. Or, he would have if he had not stopped dead in his steps, mouth hanging open. Ron was poised somewhat similarly.
They had just turned a corner, leading into a large hallway that had strangely empty walls. The only thing hung on the walls was a large, ornate mirror to their immediate left. Their eyes were fixed on it, not daring to breath or move. Their reflections stared back.
.....as did the huge creature behind them.
Before fully seeing what it was, instinct took over rational thought for both of them. They tore down the hall, quite possibly faster than Harry's Firebolt. They did not slow down until they reached the fat lady's portrait. Catching their breath, they tried to stammer out the password. It took a second before they saw that the fat lady was gone.
Thunderous footsteps echoed from the direction they had just come from. "Staff room!" Harry shouted, pushing Ron in the direction. "Get the teachers! RUN!!"
Not looking back, Ron ran, somehow managing to get to the staff room. He threw open the doors, expecting to see Sarah. It was empty. Where was Sarah? He was about to voice this question to Harry when he turned to see his friend was not there. "You better not be in trouble, Harry," Ron said under his breath, racing through the hall to the closest classroom. He threw open the door, not bothering to knock, and skidded to a stop inside, breathing heavily.
The teacher stopped and looked up at him, as did the students. Ron saw that this was Hermione's class as she stood up to see what was going on. "Huge...creature!" Ron managed to say between breaths. "Near...Gryffindor Tower! I don't...know what it is!" Ron saw Hermione's eyes widen as she noticed Harry was not with him.
A loud *BANG* sounded seconds before a strong concussion flew through the room, knocking everyone to the ground and shattering anything remotely fragile.
The voice of Professor McGonagal shouted through the rising panic-stricken voices coming from all the classrooms. "All students! Evacuate the building! Everyone outside the castle at once! Teachers, to the Great Hall!"
In the rushing mass of students, Hermione caught up with Ron. "Where's Harry?" she whispered.
"I don't know!" Ron replied. "What about Amy?"
"She's fine," Hermione assured him.
They both glanced around, looking in the direction of the Great Hall then where the rest of the students were going. They did not need to say anything. Grasping their wands, they turned into the Great Hall.
---
Leaning closely to the walls, Ron and Hermione edged their way closer to the Great Hall. One of the doors stood slightly ajar, voices drifted to their ears. Standing just out of eyesight, both looked in. They stifled a gasp of shock.
The Great Hall was a mess. The tables, all four House tables and the one where the staff usually sat at, were crushed and broken, the splintery pieces thrown about the room as if something had crashed through them. A pattern could be made out; showing that whatever had caused the mess was chasing after something. The windows were broken as well. Some areas of the walls were dented, a few holes here and there, a few nearly touching the enchanted ceiling. Most of the teachers were inside, a heated conversation going on.
"--say we should evacuate entirely!" Professor Sprout was saying. "Whatever did this is huge."
"And yet we haven't seen or heard anything from it since that explosion," Professor McGonagal pointed out. "It is quite possible that a shape-shifter did this."
"Well, there's definitely something going on around here," Snape said, sneering as he examined something on the floor. "Whoever it's chasing is injured. There's blood scattered around."
"Let's see if we can follow the blood," Professor McGonagal suggested.
Hermione started in after the teachers had left through another door. Ron caught her, whispering, "Last time I saw it, it was near Gryffindor Tower. Let's try there."
Nodding, she followed him as they made their way back. They were silent, watching for any sign of either Harry or the creature. For the longest time, their footsteps were the only things they could hear. Then a muffled yelp and several thuds met their ears from inside a classroom in the hall they were in. Running towards it, they tried to open the door. Locked. "Alohomora!" Hermione hissed, face obviously tense. The lock clicked and they threw it open, only to stop suddenly.
Hermione gave a soft shriek of horror then rushed to the prone body lying on the floor. It was Harry. He was unconscious; a wound was on the right side of his head near his ear with what looked like a wad of bandages someone had hastily put there to stop the bleeding. His glasses were gone and his robes were nearly shredded to pieces, his clothing ripped and torn. He was also covered in a fine layer of dust that seemed to have come from the far wall, which they saw had been blown apart as there were several large chunks of it laying around.
"Harry!" Hermione shouted, nearly in tears. "Oh! Harry!"
Ron was in shock, numbly standing beside them. His wide eyes stared down at his friend in disbelief. "Oh, no," he said.
Hermione, mumbling something about 'being so stupid', examined the gash on Harry's head. "We've got to get him to the teachers," Hermione said to Ron. "He may have a concussion."
"Right," Ron agreed. "But how do we--"
Hermione looked up when he had stopped speaking. Ron was looking at something just ahead, eyes narrowed in open hate. Hermione followed his glare and stifled a gasp.
Malfoy had come from around a wall piece, smirking. "It took you long enough to find him," he said.
"What did you do to him?!" Ron demanded, pointing his wand at Malfoy threateningly.
Malfoy shrugged. "I didn't do a thing to him."
"Then what are you doing here?" Hermione said before Ron could say anything.
"I was....looking for someone," Malfoy said delicately, avoiding their direct gaze.
"Liar!" Ron shouted.
"Think what you want," Malfoy snapped back. "You better get out of here. I'm not in the mood to teach you a lesson," he paused, his smirk returning in full force, "but I can't say the same about that creature running amuck."
"What creature?" Hermione said, but Malfoy had disappeared from behind the boulder again.
Ron grunted something under his breath, something that was probably profane. "How're we gonna move him?" he said, assisting Hermione in carefully turning Harry over onto his back. "He's too heavy to pick up and carry, and a spell might worsen his injuries if we do it wrong."
Just as Hermione was about to speak, a crack sounded beside them and, within a puff of wispy red smoke, appeared--
"Winky!" Hermione gasped, recognizing the house-elf. In the two years she had known the small creature, Hermione had seen a drastic change in Winky. While still upset about her masters' deaths, she had somehow accepted her free life at Hogwarts and periodically visited them along with Dobby. Yet this was the first time this year she had appeared.
"Winky is here to help, she is!" she said, stopping their questions. "Winky was told were yous was and she came here as fast as she could!"
"We need to move him, before whoever did this gets back," Hermione said, her eyes looking quickly at the place Malfoy had occupied moments before.
Nodding, Wink snapped her fingers. Harry suddenly levitated a few feet off the ground yet looked as if he was still lying on the floor. It was a very startling effect, causing Winky to have to shout, "We needs to go! Before it returns!"
Numbly nodding, Ron and Hermione followed the house-elf as she scampered out the door, Harry floating behind her. They had not crossed but two corridors when they heard it: a shrill, ear-piercing scream coming from just up ahead.
Just as Winky cried out in horror, "Ah! They're here!" another concussion burst through the hall, nearly knocking Ron and Hermione to the floor had Winky not used some spell to prevent that. Two forms, one very smaller than the other, flew into view from an adjoining hallway and struck the far wall, crumpling to the floor.
"Dobby!" It was not really certain who had cried the other house-elf's name. They did not get the chance to work it out because the creature had now stepped into view.
When Ron had first seen it, reflecting back at him in the large mirror, he had only seen the immense size of it. Now he could see that its basic shape was humanoid, meaning a head, two arms, two legs. The head was large, holding eyes that took up a good sum of its face. The eyes were a dull red that contrasted sharply with the bright green slit-like pupils it surrounded. A flat nose rested just above a widely split mouth that contained a set of sharp, shining white teeth. Its limbs were thin, arms ending with long fingered hands. The skin was a dusty slate color, black veins protruding out beneath it.
Two things about this creature made them stare at it, stunned: the hair was white and fell away from the head in thin, wide stripes as if it was paper.
It also had wings. These wings were the strangest of all. Two pairs of bony protrusions from its back--the higher pair longer and slightly thicker than the bottom pair--stretched out several feet behind it. Running crisscross from the end down to the back were strips that were similar to the 'hair' it had, pulled so tightly it seemed a coin could bounce on them.
The three stared at this being as it slowly thundered into the hallway. It made a hissing sound, looking around at the walls and ceiling pressing in on it as if it was irritated. Then, before their eyes, it began to shrink. Soon it was only about seven feet tall.
It rolled its head sharply, popping its neck. It grinned as it uttered a hissing laugh at the two forms struggling to get up.
"Get away!" Dobby shouted, stumbling to his feet in front of the other figure, who was groaning and clutching their left hand in pain. "Get away, you--you--"
The winged-creature laughed again. It raised a thin hand towards the house-elf and quickly closed its fingers in a tight fist. Dobby gasped, his hand at his own throat. He rose a few feet in the air, gagging. The creature sneered and jerked its fist aside. Dobby flew in the same direction, colliding with the wall and hitting the floor. The creature turned its eyes to the other figure, an evil feeling emitting from it now.
"No!" Winky shouted. "You not touch her!" She raised her hands, beginning a spell.
"Stay out of this!" the figure shouted, leaning against the wall as she stood unsteadily. It was Sarah and it appeared that she had been in a fight with the creature; shreds of her robes matched the tattered strips in one of its hand. "Get them out of here, Winky!" she shouted, blood running down one side of her face. "Get out!"
"But--But--" the house-elf hesitated, obviously torn between some inner struggle.
"You know you're at risk as well!" Sarah shouted, her voice suddenly urgent as the creature cocked its head, looking at Winky with interest. Sarah cursed and raised her hands in the creature's direction, finger splayed wide; her left hand was bleeding severely, the remains of the bandage that had been on it hanging loosely around her wrist. Uttering a single word, her hands then glowed a brief red before the creature jerked, hissing as its narrowed eyes glared at her. Teeth clenched in effort to maintain the spell, she ordered, "Get them all out of here, Winky! I mean it, GO!"
Tears bubbling out of her large brown eyes, Winky nodded, snapping her fingers. In the blink of an eye, Ron, Hermione, Harry, Dobby and Winky were all standing close by Hagrid's hut. The others students were standing closer to the castle, all talking to each other about what was going on inside.
Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Hermione gratefully fell to ground beside Harry, rubbing her neck. "What happens now?" she said.
"I guess we wait until the teachers find Sarah and finish off that creature. What was that?" Ron asked Winky.
Wiping her face with the back of her hands, Winky sobbed, "A horrible, horrible beast! Oh, poor, poor Misses Sarah! Poor Misses Sarah!"
"Do you think she'll be all right?" Hermione said softly.
"Misses Sarah will be fine," Dobby answered, wincing as he gave his head a rough shake. Massaging his head where he had struck the wall, he went on. "Misses Sarah knows what to do. She is aware of how to defend herself. She will be fine."
Hermione started to ask how Dobby knew this when something grabbed her robes. She jumped. "Oh! Harry!" she exclaimed when she saw he was awake, though he appeared to be semi-unconscious. "Harry, what happened?"
Harry pulled her robe, trying to say something. He choked and started coughing violently.
"Take it easy," Ron said, coming to Harry's other side and kneeling down. "Save your strength."
Harry grimaced, shaking his head. He attempted to speak and managed to gasp, "Watch.... out--" before another coughing fit took him.
"I will get Professor Dumbledore!" Dobby cried, looking at Harry with worry before he vanished with a 'SNAP!' into the air.
"Just lie still, Harry," Hermione said, smoothing his hair out of his eyes. She bit her lip, trying to hide her own worry.
Harry pulled on her robes again, pulling her down closer to him. "Watch...out....for," he strained to say, his face etched with pain, "...for....Sarah..."
"Sarah?" Hermione repeated, exchanging a glance with Ron. "Harry, don't worry. Just lie still--"
Shaking his head, Harry ground out as he labored to breath, "Sarah....don't know....what.....she....she's....not.....normal..." He coughed again for several moments before his eyes slid shut.
Hermione looked up, meeting Ron's wide eyes. "Looks like you were right," Ron said quietly.
~~~~~
R&R please!!!!
==Seishin no Maigo==