Dark Omens
�Enter,�
Draco walked into the headmaster�s office. It wasn�t the same as the one Dumbledore had used, since the password of the original office had conveniently been changed right before Fudge had arrived at the beginning of the school year. Since none of the other teachers knew what the new password was, one of the old classrooms had been converted into an office for Fudge.
�Oh, Mr. Malfoy,� Fudge said, looking surprised to see him, �please sit down. How�s your father?�
�Fine,� Draco muttered. Unfortunately, he added silently.
�Good,� Fudge said cheerfully, �but I assume that isn�t what you came here to talk to me about.�
�No sir,� Draco said, fighting to keep his tone of voice respectful. �It�s just, well, Pansy Parkinson hasn�t been in class and I can�t find her anywhere. No one else has seen her either.�
�What?� Fudge shouted, jumping to his feet. �Uh�I mean�thank you for informing me. I�ll organize a search party. Don�t worry, Mr. Malfoy, we�ll find her.�
�Thank you,� Draco said, standing up and leaving the room. He hoped they�d be able to find Pansy. Much as she annoyed him, he still wanted to make sure she was all right. She�d seemed pretty upset that morning.
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Melissa sighed as she lay down on her bed. She hadn�t gotten anything out of Draco. He refused to answer her questions. She knew he was hiding something from her. She just couldn�t figure out what it was. She felt her eyelids droop lower�lower�
�Melissa,� a voice whispered in the darkness. Melissa�s eyes shot open. Though no windows were open, a cold breeze blew through the dormitory, parting the curtain around Melissa�s bed. Reaching up a trembling hand, Melissa drew the curtain back.
It was dark outside, probably around midnight. Moonlight filtered in through the window, giving everything it touched an eerie glow. Then, within the illuminated path, a person appeared.
The person was most certainly a ghost, as it was a dull gray color and transparent. They wore a silvery cloak with the hood pulled up, hiding their face. They looked back and forth before proceeding forward. They stepped lightly, seeming to glide across the floor. They stopped in front of Melissa.
�Who are you?� Melissa asked, fighting to keep the fear out of her voice.
The person reached up and pulled down their hood. �Hello, Melissa.�
�Pansy?� Melissa said loudly then quickly covered her mouth.
�It is okay,� Pansy said, her eyes unfocused and emotionless. �No one can hear us.�
�But how?� Melissa asked. �And why?�
�I was sent here,� Pansy said distantly, as though her mind was elsewhere, �to warn you and to give you a message.�
�Sent? By who?� Melissa asked, confused.
�I cannot say. I am forbidden,� Pansy said. �I was only sent so that a dreadful event might be avoided and so that I may have compensation.�
�Compensation? For what?� Melissa asked.
�For my unjustly demise.�
�What?� Melissa could hardly believe what she was hearing.
�I have said too much already,� Pansy said quickly as she seemed to fade slightly. �Please ask no more of me. Walk with me.� She turned and walked toward the other side of the room.
Melissa stood up, looked back at her bed, and almost screamed. She seemed to have left her body behind, still sleeping peacefully.
�Do not worry,� Pansy said. �You are not dead, and, as long as we get back before anyone wakes up, no one will think you are.� She turned back around and walked through the wall.
Melissa walked up to the wall. It looked very solid, but, then again, so did the barrier at King�s Cross. She carefully placed a hand up against the wall. She met with no resistance, her hand passing right through. She took a deep breath and plunged through the wall.
She came out in a room that was almost a mirror image of the girls� dormitory. Pansy walked over to one of the beds, passing through the curtains around it. Melissa followed her and saw that it was Harry�s bed.
Harry was tossing and turning, muttering in his sleep. Suddenly he stopped, lying still and quiet. Then, he sat up, his eyes wide open in terror.
�Do not worry,� Pansy said. Her eyes had now rolled back into her head so that only the whites were visible, and she faced the wall. �He cannot see or hear us.�
Harry buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with suppressed emotion. Instinctively Melissa reached out to touch his shoulder, to comfort him, but her hand passed right through him.
�He has been having the dream for quite some time now,� Pansy said, turning toward Melissa. Those pure-white eyes stared at her, through her, and past her, all at once. �He has not yet discovered its true meaning, but this is not what I came here to tell you.
�Normally, spirits such as myself are not allowed to interfere with destiny, but this is a special case. A piece of the puzzle has been tampered with, the consequences of which could be fatal. I am here because I overheard something that can put everything back as it should be.
�I cannot tell you exactly what I heard, for that would upset the balance of powers. I can only give you this warning. If you care for your brother, keep him away from the lake. Guard him with your life.�
�How�d you know he�s my brother?� Melissa asked.
�It was seen fit that I should know if I was to speak to you,� Pansy said, drifting forward. �Take my hand. We have another visit to make before the night ends.�
Melissa took Pansy�s hand and the two were surrounded by a white light, growing steadily in intensity until Melissa had to shut her eyes against it. Then, the light dimmed down again.
Melissa opened her eyes to find herself in what seemed to be a dungeon. Then, spotting the beds set up around the room, she realized that it must be a Slytherin dormitory, and she had a pretty good idea of whose it was.
Melissa followed Pansy across the room and through a curtain, confirming her suspicions. Draco was lying there, tossing and turning, much like Harry had been, except Draco was silent and didn�t wake up.
Pansy sat on the edge of the bed and moved her hand to rest in the air just above Draco�s forehead. �Also plagued by nightmares,� she muttered to herself. She didn�t look at Draco, just stared blankly at the wall about his bed. �He is afraid. I want to help, but I cannot. I could not even in life.�
Then, she seemed to just notice Melissa. �All my life, I thought about the prophecy, of our life together, just me and Draco. I never knew I would fall in love along the way. I never knew that he would not return my love.
�But I am not bitter. It was not meant to be. The prophecy was misinterpreted.
�I am not permitted to tell you the prophecy, but I can tell you where to find it. Check the old Ministry books, under the heading �Dragon.� There you will find the original text of the Prophecy of the Dragon.�
She paused for a moment before changing the subject. �Just being here is almost unbearable. I am sitting right in front of him, yet I feel so far away. If I could have one wish, it would be to be able to look upon his face one last time.�
�What do you mean?� Melissa asked. �He�s right here.�
�It is an old wizarding tradition,� Pansy said, �to bury the dead with their eyes open, so that their spirits will be able to see the earth they have left behind. Unfortunately, my body has not been found yet and, besides, no one holds to the old ways anymore. As long as my mortal eyes remain closed, I am afraid I will never see him again.�
In spite of how much Pansy had hated her in life, Melissa couldn�t help but pity her now. Though Pansy�s face remained dead and emotionless, there was a cloud of terrible sadness in the atmosphere.
�I wish I could help,� Melissa said. She couldn�t imagine what it would be like to never be able to see Draco again.
�There are a couple of things you can do for me,� Pansy said, standing up. �I know you have no reason to help me. I treated you horribly in life and, for that, I am deeply sorry. I could not see, or perhaps refused to see, that it was possible that I was not the One.
�First, I must ask that you do not ask Draco any more questions. He has his reasons for keeping these things from you. He just needs time to work through this. He will tell you when he is ready. I ask that you trust him to make the right decision.
�I also ask that you give him a message from me. Please tell him, no matter how dark things may seem, he should never give up hope. Here,� she pulled the clasp off of her cloak and handed it to Melissa, �give this to him and he will know it was me. It is enchanted so that only the wearer can remove it, so he will know I gave it to you.�
Melissa examined the clasp. It was really quite beautiful. It was carved in the shape of a sword with a snake wrapped around the blade. It was very heavy and seemed to have been cut from a piece of silver.
�Like it?� Pansy asked. �It is the Parkinson family emblem. Everyone in my family has one.� She stopped and looked to the side at something only she could see.
�My time here is spent, my messages delivered,� she said, extending a hand toward Melissa. �I will take you back.�
Melissa took one last look at Draco before taking Pansy�s hand. This time she shut her eyes right away. Then when she opened them again, she was back in her bed, and Pansy was gone.
Melissa lay in bed for a while, thinking. Had it been just a dream? It hadn�t felt like a dream, but, then again, her dreams usually didn�t.
As if in answer to her question, Melissa felt a sharp pain in her hand. She lifted the blanket off her arm and opened her fist. In the palm of her hand was the clasp Pansy had given her. A few drops of blood leaked from a small cut the tiny blade had made in her hand.
Melissa got up and dressed hurriedly. She then went over to Sheila and shook her awake to tell her what had happened.
* * *
�Okay, I just have one question.�
�What?� Melissa asked.
�Why�re we still here?� Sheila said, standing up. �We gotta go get Harry before he goes out to the lake.�
Melissa smiled. She�d known her sister would believe her. They went down to the common room to wait for Harry to get up. Melissa went to the window to make sure he wasn�t already out there.
�All clear,� she said, sitting in a chair. �Now all we gotta do is wait.�
They didn�t have to wait long before Harry showed up. He didn�t seem to notice them. He just walked toward the door, like a zombie.
�Oh no you don�t!� Sheila said, standing up and grabbing Harry�s arm. �Your lake days are over.�
Harry wrenched his arm out of Sheila�s grasp and continued toward the portrait hole. Sheila tried to grab him again but he evaded her hand and left the tower.
�Wanna follow him?� Melissa asked.
�Absolutely,� Sheila answered and the two hurried after Harry.
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Harry looked back over his shoulder just in time to see Melissa and Sheila duck behind a suit of armor. He knew they were following him. They didn�t want him going to the lake anymore, it seemed.
Truth was, they needn�t have bothered. Harry wasn�t going back anyway. It made them worry too much about him. No, he had thought of a better place, where no one would worry about or bother him.
Presently, Harry walked into this place that would become his new refuge. It was the library. There were no students in there, save for Harry and his two pursuers. He went up to a bookshelf and glanced at the titles of the books. He finally settled on Dragons of the Mediterranean. He sat down at a table and buried his face in the book.
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Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. She really hadn�t been looking forward to the prospect of dragging Harry away from the lake.
�Okay, he�s fine,� Sheila said. � I don�t know about you, but I�m ready for breakfast. You wanna get him, or should I?�
�I�ll get him,� Melissa said. �I have something to look up anyway. I won�t be too long.�
�Just make sure you get back in time for breakfast,� Sheila said. �He needs to be in good shape for our match against Ravenclaw. He saved our arses last time.�
�Arses?� Melissa looked at her sister in surprise. �Finally growing into our accent, are we?�
Sheila grinned. �Hey, what can I say? I�m a natural Brit. We both are.� She gave a little laugh and turned around, leaving before Melissa could say anything more.
Melissa sighed and walked over to the front desk. If she was going to get this done quick, she would need some help.
�Can I help you?� Madam Pince asked in a low voice.
�Yes please,� Melissa whispered. She knew enough about librarians to know not to tick them off. �Can you tell me where I might find some old Ministry books, preferably with listings of the ancient prophecies?�
�Yes, I think I can help you there,� Madam Pince came out from behind her desk and walked over to a shelf. She came back with a very old and dusty book. �Is this what you�re looking for?�
Melissa took the book and read the cover: Prophecies of the Past, Present, and Future. �Yes, thank you,� she whispered smiling at Madam Pince, who smiled back. Then, Melissa went to join Harry at his table and opened the book to the index.
There were several listings for �dragon,� including everything from the President of the United States owning one to a tattoo artist who would become well known for a tattoo of a dragon he would make. Finally, Melissa found what she was looking for: the Prophecy of the Dragon. It read as follows:
As the Lord of Darkness gains power, his shadow will be cast over the world. Precisely one and one half seasons before a major point in history, a Dragon will be born to a family of great wealth. His true path will have already been chosen for him, based upon how his mind would develop with no outside influence. He will be tempted by the other side, his thoughts corrupted by it. Only the Dragon�s true love can put him back on his rightful path. Once on this path, he has the potential of soaring to new heights on the wings he built for himself.
Melissa read the words over and over again, trying to interpret them. It had to be Draco. It all made sense. He was conflicted over which side he should be on. His birthday, April 30th, 1980, had been exactly one and a half years, or seasons as they were called then, before the fall of the Dark Lord. The name Draco was even Latin for �dragon.�
As Melissa sat thinking about this, a strong sense of foreboding came over her. The prophecy didn�t say what side Draco was meant to be on. What if the side he was tempted with was good, and he was truly meant to be evil?
Melissa shook her head, closing the book. The Draco she knew couldn�t be evil, no matter what everyone else said about him.
�All right Harry,� Melissa said, standing up. �Time to go.�
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�You little piece of��
�Ron!�
�Sorry Sheila, but he is. You just don�t know when to butt out, do you Malfoy?�
�What the hell did I do?�
�Don�t give me that crap! Why don�t you slither back to the hole you crawled out of like the snake you are?�
�Will you two just stop it� Melissa asked, having just arrived on the scene. Draco and Ron were both standing up, arguing so loudly the entire hall was watching them.
�He insulted my family!� Ron said, his face bright red and livid.
�I did not!� Draco argued. �I can�t help that my mother sends me stuff!�
�Oh please,� Ron laughed dryly, �you were gloating!�
�I was not!� Draco said, raising his voice.
�Stop it!� Melissa screamed, clutching her head. �You two are giving me a migraine. Are you two so selfish that you can�t even sit through a single meal without arguing?�
�I can,� Ron said, glaring at Draco.
�I didn�t start it,� Draco said simply, shrugging his shoulders.
Melissa sat down and rubbed her temples. Pain was radiating through her head in waves. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sheila stand up.
�Let me be the fist of reason,� Sheila said. �Draco, you�re right. It�s not your fault. Ron, grow up. Draco hasn�t insulted you in months and I think you should take a hint.� She sat back down.
Melissa uncovered her eyes to see more of what was going on. Draco sat down next to her, and Ron sat across from Sheila, diagonal from Melissa. Harry had taken a seat in front of Melissa.
�Come on,� Ron groaned, frowning down at his empty plate, �I�m hungry!�
�Doesn�t Fudge seem to be acting a little strange today?� Sheila asked, looking up at the teachers� table. �Stranger than usual, I mean.�
Now that it was mentioned, Melissa could see it too. Fudge seemed really jumpy, afraid of his own shadow. His head jerked at the slightest noise. Once, when a student dropped a plate, he almost leapt from his seat. As Melissa watched him, he whispered something to Professor McGonagall, who nodded and stood up.
�Students,� she said solemnly. She waited as the noise died down before continuing. �It is with deep regret that I announce that one of our own has been taken away from us. The remains of young Pansy Parkinson were found early this morning in the Forbidden Forest. How and when she died remains to be seen. Upon a request from Miss Parkinson�s family, the funeral will be held on the grounds. All students will be welcome to pay your respects. Until the person or persons responsible are caught, I must stress that no one wander off alone, especially not into the forest.�
As Professor McGonagall sat back down, the hall remained deathly silent. Melissa could understand why. At her old school, there had only been one student death in the five years Sheila and she had been there, and it had been the result of a freak accident involving a Transfiguration spell, not a murder.
Draco had gone very pale. He stood suddenly and hurried from the hall. Everyone in the hall, including in teachers, turned to watch him leave. Melissa got up and ran after him.
�Draco, wait!� she called once out of earshot of the Great Hall. Draco stopped, but kept his back to her.
�It�s my fault,� he said, his voice cold and emotionless. �She was upset. I should�ve stopped her.�
�It�s not your fault,� Melissa said, touching his arm. �She wouldn�t want you to blame yourself. She wouldn�t want you to give up hope, no matter how dark things may seem.�
�How do you know?� he asked in a defeated voice.
Melissa dug through her pocket until she found the clasp Pansy had given to her and handed it to Draco. �I know.�
Draco stared down at the clasp in amazement. �How��
�You guys all right?� Sheila�s voice echoed down the hallway. Melissa turned to see Ron and Sheila walking toward them, followed by Harry, who seemed to be off in his own little world.
Melissa glanced at Draco, who nodded. �We�re fine,� he said so convincingly that Melissa would have believed him if she didn�t already know that it wasn�t true.
�I don�t feel much like going back to the Great Hall,� Melissa said. �I�m not in the mood to have people look at me like I�m insane.�
�But Harry has to eat something,� Sheila protested. �He�s missed enough meals as it is this week.�
�I have an idea,� Ron said. �We could go to the kitchens.�
�Yeah, that�s a good idea,� Sheila said, looking back at Harry. �Maybe we�ll have better luck there anyway.�
�Okay, lead the way Ron,� Melissa said, relieved that they weren�t going back to the Great Hall. She didn�t know if Draco could deal with big crowds right now.
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Sheila followed the others to the kitchens, holding Harry�s arm to make sure he wouldn�t try to get away. She was worried about him. Every time it seemed like he couldn�t get any thinner, he lost more weight. He moved around like a robot, as if his life was an unpleasant chore that he longed to finish.
�We�re here,� Ron announced. He had stopped in front of a portrait of a giant fruit bowl. He reached up and tickled a pear, which chuckled and turned into a door handle. Ron opened the door and they walked in.
The room was huge, lit by several windows near the ceiling. Tables were set up so as to make it resemble the Great Hall. House-elves rushed around the room, carrying stacks of dirty dishes.
Sheila heard something shatter. All of the house-elves stopped their work to see what had happened. They looked at a house-elf in mismatched clothing who had broken glass lying at his feet. This house-elf ran toward them, stopping just a few feet from Sheila and looking up at Harry.
�Harry Potter looks different sir,� he said, �but Dobby is glad to be seeing him sir.�
�Sheila, Melissa,� Ron said, �this is Dobby.�
�Nice to meet you Dobby,� Sheila said, but Dobby wasn�t listening. He had spotted Draco and bowed to him.
�Master�s son is coming to see Dobby sir?� he asked, straightening back up.
�Dobby,� Ron scowled, �stop groveling! He isn�t your master anymore!�
�Master�s son was always so kind to Dobby,� Dobby said, staring up at Draco in admiration. �He taught Dobby about freedom. He is the reason Dobby is here now.�
�You is a bad elf Dobby!� a squeaky voice said. �Winky is tired of cleaning up his messes, but she does it because she is a good elf.� The house-elf, obviously named Winky, carried a broom and started sweeping up the mess Dobby had made.
�Dobby should be getting back to work, sirs and ma�ams,� Dobby said hurriedly, turning to go.
�Wait,� Melissa said, �we were wondering if you could get us something.�
Dobby stopped, turned back around, and looked up at Melissa eagerly. �Dobby hopes he can help,� he said.
Can you bring us some breakfast?� Sheila asked. �A couple pieces of toast each should do it.�
�Dobby will see what he can do,� Dobby said, rushing across the room. Sheila soon lost sight of him in the crowd of house-elves who had gone back to work.
Winky, who had finished her cleaning, came over. �You is bad witches and wizards,� she said angrily. �You is making Dobby and Winky fall behind in their work. And you,� she pointed at Harry, �you made Master�s son say evil things.�
�What�s she talking about?� Sheila asked Ron.
�Barty Crouch,� Ron muttered, �long story.�
�Harry Potter is a bad wizard,� Winky squeaked. �So is his friends.�
�Winky will not speak of Harry Potter that way,� Dobby said, as he came back carrying a plate with a large stack of toast on it. �He saved Dobby from his old masters.�
�Let�s get outta here,� Ron whispered as Winky started yelling shrilly at Dobby. Melissa took the plate from Dobby and they left.
�Why�d he have to be there?� Ron asked Melissa, jerking his head toward Draco. �Dobby is trying to free himself from their influence and he just made a fool out of himself.�
�Ron,� Sheila said, grabbing Ron�s sleeve, �do you want to keep this arm?�
�Where�s Harry?� Melissa asked suddenly. Sheila looked around, but he was nowhere to be found.
�You idiot!� Sheila yelled at Ron, hitting his shoulder. �You let him get away!�
�I thought you were watching him,� Ron whined, rubbing his arm.
�Oh, I get it,� Sheila said sarcastically. �It�s Sheila�s job because Sheila doesn�t have a life.�
�That�s not�� Ron started, but Sheila interrupted.
�Don�t you dare say that�s not what you meant,� Sheila hissed.
�Guys!� Melissa shouted, stepping in between them. �I�m sick of being the peacemaker. As I see it, you have two options. You can either keep up this pointless arguing that will get us nowhere, or you can help find Harry. But if you decide to go with the first option, one of you will have to learn a spell to get rid of headaches, because I cannot put up with this.�
Sheila stared at Melissa in amazement. It took quite a bit to set her off like that. Sheila decided to wait till later to yell at Ron some more.
�All right,� she said, �let�s go find him.�
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Professor McGonagall sighed. The funeral for the Parkinson girl would be in June. It would have been sooner, but the girl�s father had requested that it be June 15th, on what would have been her 16th birthday.
Professor McGonagall felt someone watching her. She looked up in time to see Severus turn away. He seemed to be watching her a lot lately.
Professor McGonagall sighed again as memories of the Yule Ball drifted back to her. She�d pretend that she was just trying to help Lisa Wilson when she had danced with Severus, but she�d also hoped for a chance to talk to him. He, however, had not been so eager to chat. After the song was over, he�d disappeared into the crowd. The next thing she�d known, he was putting the moves on Fiona Felina.
Professor McGonagall scoffed as she saw Fiona giggle at something Severus said to her. Why was that woman suddenly hanging all over Severus? At the Yule Ball she�d seemed disgusted by him. And what kind of name was Fiona Felina anyway?
Professor McGonagall shook her head and took a deep breath. She was getting mad at the wrong person. This wasn�t Fiona�s, Severus�, or even her own fault. She just hade to accept the fact that maybe it just wasn�t meant to be.
* * *
�No, you can�t do this!� Professor McGonagall called after Fudge, running toward him.
�I can do as I please,� Fudge said. �I am the Minister of Magic and, besides, you�re the one who wanted more security.�
�But you can�t let those�� Professor McGonagall couldn�t find the right word to describe them, so she had to settle, �those creatures onto the Quidditch Field!�
�I�m doing this for the safety of the students,� Fudge said, walking away with his head held high.
�Where are you Albus?� Professor McGonagall asked the sky. Then she went to sit in the stands, checking her pocket to make sure she had her wand with her, just in case. Although, it seemed that �just in case� was a lot more likely than under most circumstances.
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Sheila picked up her broomstick. She had now been appointed as the temporary captain of the quidditch team, until Harry was back to normal. Of course, if the fact that they hadn�t been able to find him that morning after he�d given them the slip outside the kitchens was any indication, they�d be lucky if he even showed up.
On the other hand, even if Gryffindor lost this game, they would still be in the finals. For, even with his depressed mood, Harry was still an excellent Seeker. He�d led Gryffindor to several victories already. If they won this game, Slytherin would have to beat them by nearly 200 points in the final to win the Quidditch Cup.
Then, Sheila stopped walking. She felt a sudden wave of cold flash through her veins and fell to her knees, breathing heavily. She had a feeling something bad was going to happen. Too bad Melissa wasn�t there. Usually if they both had a feeling that something bad would happen, there was no doubt that it would.
�Are you okay?� Katie Bell asked, extending a hand to help Sheila up.
�I�m not sure,� Sheila answered truthfully, taking Katie�s hand and standing up. Then, she had an idea. �Hey Katie, have you ever been a Keeper before?�
�Once,� Katie answered, sounding confused, �when Wood, our old Keeper, was injured. Why?�
�Will you trade me places?� Sheila asked. �You can be the Keeper and I�ll be a Chaser.
�Sure, I guess,� Katie said uneasily, �but why?�
�I�m not sure,� Sheila said again. �All I know is that I might end up getting distracted. It�ll be better if I get distracted when I�m not guarding a goal.�
* * *
�Okay everyone,� Sheila said to the team. She was happy to see Harry among them, though he looked slightly lost. �I know this match won�t have any effect on whether or not we�re in the finals, but winning will give us an edge over Slytherin. Remember, don�t underestimate the Ravenclaws. They almost beat us last time. So let�s get out there and steamroll them!�
The whole team, except for Harry, clapped, and Fred whistled for added effect. Sheila smirked as George lightly punched his brother. George might be a bit slow when it came to relationships, but he was very protective.
�Pep talk�s over!� Fred announced. �Let�s go kick some Ravenclaw arse!�
Sheila stifled a laugh and led the team out onto the field. Then, for the second time that afternoon, a wave of cold ran through her veins, but this time it didn�t go away. She glanced back at Harry, who had suddenly stopped walking, his shoulders shaking slightly. Sheila went to him and wrapped an arm around him, leading him out to the center of the field to join the rest of the team.
Sheila looked around to confirm what she had known from the moment she�d stepped onto the field. There were dementors in the stands and, to Sheila�s horror, surrounding the field. She stared with hatred up into the teachers� section of the stands, where Fudge sat watching the game, two dementors standing on either side of him like bodyguards.
Sheila stomped to the center of the field and shook the hand of Lisa Turnpin, the Ravenclaw team captain. The whistle blew and Sheila took off, trying hopelessly to shake the coldness that threatened to overtake her. She couldn�t give in. She couldn�t let the whole school find out about her weakness.
The game was pretty normal for the first half an hour. Ravenclaw was leading, but only by ten points. The Beaters on both teams were doing a very good job, as no one had been hit by a bludger yet. Sheila even scored a few goals, finding that she wasn�t bad at being a Chaser. Katie was doing pretty good, considering the fact that she�d only been a Keeper once before. Sheila began to think that maybe what she�d felt in the hallway had just been nervousness.
Then, Sheila shuddered as the coldness she�d felt earlier turned into an icy pain that seemed to penetrate into her very soul. She looked down toward the ground. Unless she was imagining things, the dementors were getting closer. They were slowly drifting toward the center of the field.
Sheila heard a gasp from the crowd. She looked up just in time to see Harry fall from his broom and plummet toward the ground. Without stopping to think, Sheila pointed her broom at a sharp, downward angle and sped after Harry. She quickly caught up with him, made a grab for him�and missed.
Sheila growled at herself and swung over the edge of her broom, grabbing a fistful of Harry�s robe. She was now holding onto her broom by only one hand, and, with Harry�s weight now added to her own, she lost her grip, falling the final distance, which was, fortunately, only about ten feet. Sheila�s jaw hit hard. She felt something, probably a few of her teeth, splinter and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, making her gag.
Harry was lying a few feet away, face down. Sheila crawled over to him, trying to ignore the pain in her chest, which was more than likely a few cracked ribs. She grabbed Harry�s shoulders and turned him over. He had a gash over his left eye and was unconscious, but otherwise seemed to be fine.
The other Quidditch players were circling overhead, looking down to see if they were all right, but none of them seemed to want to land. Similarly, the teachers in the stands were now standing up but made no move to come down to help Sheila and Harry.
The reason was soon made clear to Sheila. The dementors had formed a circle around Harry and her and were steadily moving forward. They were close enough now that Sheila could hear their slow, rattling breath.
Harry�s eyelids opened slightly, revealing only the whites of his eyes. He started twitching and muttering to himself. Sheila tried to figure out what he was saying, but he might as well have been speaking Mermish for all she could understand.
Then, as the dementors once again collectively drew breath, Sheila felt her hold over the coldness break, releasing a flood of ice through her veins, numbing her entire body. The numbness was quickly replaced with a stabbing pain, almost like her frozen veins had shattered.
Then, the moment Sheila had dreaded most finally arrived. She felt most of her mind black out, leaving her to cling to consciousness. She couldn�t feel it, but she knew one her fits must have started. The whole school was out there, watching her twitch and flail around like a fish out of water.
But there was also something she hadn�t been expecting. She could hear muffled voices in her mind. They sounded like a man and a woman, but, in her current state, Sheila couldn�t distinguish the words. Of course, if the dementors got much closer, it wouldn�t matter anymore.
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�Headmaster!� Professor McGonagall yelled, jumping to her feet as the dementors advanced on the fallen students. �You must stop this!�
Fudge was still in his seat. �Couldn�t do anything,� he was muttering to himself. �Not my fault.� He shook his head fiercely, his eyes darting back and forth as if he was trying to find an exit.
Professor McGonagall turned her eyes back to the field. Harry was lying relatively motionless on the ground, and Sheila seemed to have gone into a fit.
�Not again,� Lisa Wilsons voice whispered from beside Professor McGonagall. Lisa was leaning slightly over the railing, her eyes shining with tears.
�This has happened before?� Professor McGonagall asked.
Lisa nodded solemnly. Then she turned to face Professor McGonagall, a single tear escaping to roll down her cheek. �Last time, she barely survived to tell the tale.�
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Melissa held her breath as she watched Sheila and Harry crash to the ground. Sheila seemed to be all right and crawled over to where Harry was. He seemed to be unconscious, but otherwise okay, judging by the look on Sheila�s face.
But the problems were just beginning. Dementors were coming onto the field, sensing injury and weakness. They circled around their prey and started moving in. Harry seemed to be having a fit of some kind, shaking and twitching slightly.
Melissa gasped at what happened next, even though she�d known what would happen. Sheila collapsed beside Harry and started shaking violently, her limbs moving in strange motions. Melissa knew this was all involuntary, because she had seen it happen before.
Melissa knew what she had to do. She had to face her fear, to save her brother and sister. She focused all of her energy toward this one task. Shutting her eyes, Melissa heard the familiar rushing sound in her ears. She felt the darkness creeping into her mind and gave herself over to it, falling deeper�deeper�
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Ron watched helplessly as the dementors closed in on Sheila and Harry. Harry had always had a hard time around dementors, and Sheila seemed to be having an even worse time.
�What�s wrong with Sheila?� Ron asked Melissa. When she didn�t answer, he turned to see why. She was leaning forward and looked like she�d fallen asleep.
�Wake up,� Ron said, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her up. He back straightened, but her head rolled onto her shoulder.
�What�s wrong with her?� Malfoy asked from Melissa�s other side.
�I don�t know,� Ron said, to concerned about his friends to bother with being mad at Malfoy. �Melissa!�
At the sound of her name, Melissa�s eyelids shot open, and Ron immediately wished they hadn�t. He had to cover his mouth to keep from yelling in horror. In place of her eyes, there was instead a black emptiness, seeming to extend for eternity.
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Sheila felt her consciousness return slightly. She was now aware of her surroundings. She was still on the Quidditch field, with the dementors closing in around Harry and her. Yet, even as they got closer, Sheila could feel her strength returning. One of the dementors was now right in front of her. It reached up to pull down its hood.
Sheila hadn�t fully recovered yet, but she�d run out of time. Gathering together her newfound energy, she lifted a trembling hand toward the dementor.
She felt something icy move through her veins, concentrating itself into the arm she held up. Then, the energy was released. A jet-black beam shot from her hand, knocking the dementor back several feet. The beam then circled itself around Sheila and Harry, pushing out all of the dementors it came into contact with. Then, once a large space had been cleared around Sheila and Harry, the spell disappeared.
Sheila dropped her arm and shut her eyes, exhausted. She would need to talk to Melissa about this. Something about that spell hadn�t felt right. It had felt almost�evil.
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Albus opened his eyes slowly, looking up at the sky. Where was he? He�d been marching and he�d gotten a bad feeling, something from�
�Hogwarts!� Albus gasped sitting up suddenly. He felt a pair of hands grab his shoulders.
�Careful sir,� Arabella Fig said. �That was a nasty fall you had. Are you okay? Should I go get a doctor?�
�No, I�m fine,� Albus answered, standing up, �just a little tired. I think I�ll head back to the tent. Can you lead the rest of the march?�
�Of course,� Arabella said. She turned to the crowd of marchers and motioned for them to follow her. After the others had moved on, Albus walked slowly back to the tent.
When the Daily Prophet said the protestors were camping out by the Ministry, they weren�t exaggerating. Several large tents, made to hold twenty people each, were set up on the edge of the Ministry property. Unfortunately, being this close to the Ministry wasn�t always safe. On more than one occasion, someone, who was probably a Ministry official, set fire to one of the tents. No one had been killed, but it was an ever present danger.
Albus entered the tent he currently lived in. It was nothing fancy, being not much more than a large room with narrow bunks lining each wall. The bunks were built of rough wood with four levels each. It wasn�t much, but they�d have to get used to it sooner or later. After all, the same type of bunks was used for soldiers in times of war.
Albus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clearing his mind. He allowed his consciousness to drift away, while focusing it towards Hogwarts. Then, images started flashing through his head, clips of what had happened. Crashing brooms�Sheila and Harry on the field�dementors�Melissa�s eyes going black�a spell�
Albus stumbled as his consciousness shot back violently. Someone had noticed his presence. Whoever it was had now blocked him, but not before he�d been able to confirm his suspicions. They were tapping again. It wouldn�t be long before they figured out the truth, for better or for worse.
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�Meddlesome fool,� the Dark Lord hissed, dropping the final ingredient into the blocking potion, �no more. You won�t be able to save him this time.� The potion sizzled, spewing a thick, red smoke into the air.
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The servant was a bit shaken by the events. The hold was getting weaker, the lesser servant, stronger. But one look toward the forest allowed the servant to gain control again. Red smoke rose from the trees, drifting off in the direction of the Ministry. The servant made the lesser servant smile slightly. Master was growing stronger. It would only be a matter of time.
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Melissa blinked suddenly, shooting back to reality. She looked down at the field. Sheila seemed to be fine and was now being led off the field. Harry had been put onto a stretcher, which was floating next to Sheila.
�Melissa?� a small voice said from Melissa�s left. Ron was sitting there, looking at Melissa like she was a basilisk.
�What?� Melissa asked. Ron flinched as if she�d tried to slap him or something. �Why�re you looking at me like that?�
�Um�Melissa?� Draco said from her other side. �You�re bleeding.�
�Huh?� Melissa followed Draco�s down to her knee, where a large red stain had appeared on her jeans. Glad that she�d worn old jeans, Melissa pulled open the rip that had formed in the knee of her jeans over the years she�d had them. A gash in her leg was bleeding heavily. Yet, even as she watched it, the blood flow reversed itself, receding back into the wound until all that was left was the scar that had already been there. Her lightning bolt scar.
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�I�m fine!� Sheila complained as Madam Pomfrey checked her pulse for what seemed like the millionth time. �You already fixed all my broken bones!�
�Dementors running wild over the school,� Madam Pomfrey muttered, going to check Harry�s pulse yet again. �Idiocy. Lucky there�s no lasting damage.�
�Poppy,� Professor Wilson said from the door. She entered the room, followed by Melissa, Ron, and Draco. �May I borrow my daughter for a moment?�
�Um�I suppose,� Madam Pomfrey said hesitantly. �But she�ll need to stay overnight, in case of a relapse.�
�Thank you,� Professor Wilson said. Then, she turned to Melissa and Sheila. �You two follow me.� She walked toward the door.
�We�ll be right back,� Sheila said as Melissa gave Draco a hug. As she walked towards the door, Sheila looked back at Ron and Draco. �Don�t kill each other while we�re gone.�
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Harry saw Madam Pomfrey wince as she checked his pulse, her hands closing gently around his bony wrists. It was as if she was afraid she might break his wrist or something. She finally dropped his arm and turned to Ron and Malfoy.
�I have some paperwork to fill out,� she said. �Try to keep the noise level down and let Potter rest. I�ll be in my office if you need me.�
After she left, an awkward silence filled the room. Ron and Malfoy glared at each other while Harry looked on with minimal interest.
�Malfoy,� Ron spat, saying the name like a curse.
�Weasley,� Malfoy said, matching Ron�s tone but sounding bored.
�Why are you still here?� Ron asked angrily. �You know you�re not welcome here. You may have fooled Melissa and Sheila, but the rest of us know who you really are.�
�Don�t talk about things you don�t understand,� Malfoy hissed, but still managed to sound bored. �You told me that once. I suggest you heed your own warning.�
�Or what?� Ron asked. �You�ll go cry to your father?�
Malfoy visibly flinched at the mention of his father. �Don�t you dare talk about him,� he said, a hint of fearfulness in his voice.
Ron seemed to sense that he�d struck a nerve and continued. �Why? Is big, bad Lucius Malfoy gonna make me sorry? Ooh, I�m so scared.�
Malfoy sunk to the ground, shutting his eyes and covering his ears. He was muttering something that sounded like �See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.�
Harry watched Ron advancing on Malfoy, still continuing his verbal assault, and couldn�t help feeling sorry for his rival. It was hard to imagine that this pathetic looking boy was the same person he�d grown to hate over the years.
Harry sat up. Ron immediately stopped his bashing of Lucius Malfoy, turning to look at Harry. Harry stood and walked over to stand between Ron and Malfoy.
�Get out of the way Harry,� Ron said. �He deserves what�s coming to him.�
Harry looked at his friend, who looked ready to hit him if he didn�t move. Then, he looked over at Malfoy, who was now rocking back and forth, still muttering to himself. The choice wasn�t a hard one. Harry walked over to stand by Malfoy, narrowing his eyes at Ron.
�You went too far this time,� Harry said. �You�ve crossed the line.�
�All right then,� Ron said, �if that�s the way you want it.� He walked to the door, stopped, and turned back to add �I hope you two are very happy together.� Then, he left.
Malfoy opened his eyes, uncovered his ears, and looked up at Harry, confusion written all over his face. �Why�d you stand up for me?� he asked.
�Because I know what it�s like when no one understands,� Harry answered quietly. �Besides, Ron�s starting the annoy the hell outta me.�
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Sheila walked into Professor Wilson�s office with Melissa. She knew what this was about. They were about to get a lecture.
�I trust you understand the seriousness of this situation,� Professor Wilson said.
�With all due respect Professor,� Sheila said, �how can we understand when you won�t tell us the truth?�
�You know,� Professor Wilson said, �it hurts that you two only call me �mom� when you have to now. As to your question, I�d tell you if I could.�
�And now you�re gonna tell us not to do this again,� Melissa said. �That we could�ve been killed and we must be thankful that we are still here.�
�I don�t blame you for what you did today,� Professor Wilson said quickly. �I�m just saying that you should be careful.�
�Okay,� Melissa said, �can we go now? I don�t want Ron to kill Draco because we took too long.�
Professor Wilson gave a forced laugh. �Of course you can. Before you go, Sheila, do you still have your medicine?�
�Yeah, but it�s in the dormitory,� Sheila said.
�Here,� Professor Wilson wrote a quick note on a piece of parchment and handed it to Sheila, �give this to Madam Pomfrey. I gave her the spare bottle just in case of such an emergency. You�ll need to take the medicine for a couple days to make sure it doesn�t happen again. And don�t worry, your secret�s safe, as long as you want it to stay that way.�
�Thank you,� Sheila said, and left the office with Melissa. She wasn�t ready for people to know. She didn�t want them thinking she was weak.
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Author's note: And now you know why it took so long to type this chapter. Lot's to comment on here, so we'll go through the major events in order.
First, let�s talk about Pansy�s little visit. If the way she talked seemed a little strange, it�s because she didn�t use any combined words (you�re, isn�t, it�s, etc.). The reason, combining words is more or less a way of saving time. Since Pansy�s dead, she has all eternity, and therefore doesn�t have to rush. Also, I know it�s nerve grinding that she didn�t tell us much that we didn�t already know, but remember, she was forbidden. The reason she couldn�t say who had forbidden her is because I didn�t want to get into a big religious dispute with my readers.
Now for the biggest one: the Quidditch disaster. I know some of you prolly already have guesses as to what Sheila�s problem is, but others won�t. Doesn't matter what group you happen to be in, 'cause I'm not telling anyone. Also, I know it�s prolly a bit annoying to have to read about the same thing over and over, but I had to get all of those points of view in. Ya�lls will prolly want to kill me now that I�ve had the servant�s point of view and still haven�t revealed who it is. And if you don�t understand what�s meant by the �lesser servant,� don�t worry, you�re not supposed to. You�ll know eventually, when their identity is revealed.
And, of course, the one that will have Ron fans chewing my head off. I�m sorry, but Ron�s days in the group have been numbered ever since Draco joined. His only connection with the group after then was Harry, and that connection was severed when Harry stood up for Draco. But I did give you warning. Remember Ron�s tarot reading? His future is that of the Hermit. Is he destined to spend the rest of his days alone? Only time can tell. And, to go to another character involved, if anyone would like to know why Draco reacted as he did to the bashing of his father, just ask me. I�ll prolly tell you. It�s gonna be answered in one of my future stories anyway and isn�t terribly important to that other story, so I will tell you. But you have to do some of the work by asking �cause I don�t wanna make it that easy for ya.
If there are any other questions, don�t hesitate to ask. I might not answer, but if I don�t, I�ll have a damn good reason. There�s no such thing as a stupid question. Now that I�ve said that I�m prolly gonna regret it. Have a good day and happy reading! No promises for chapter 35, it'll be done when it's done.
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