Troubled Waters
Ron stormed into the common room, slamming his fist against the wall. He was mad, and not just at Malfoy. No, he was mad at everyone, Harry, Melissa, Sheila, all of them. But he found himself directing most of his anger at Melissa and Sheila. Before they came along, it had been just Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Now that Hermione had left the group and Harry had sided with his enemy, Ron�s connection to the group was broken.
�Hey Ron,� Hermione�s voice came from across the room, �is that you, or did a herd of dragons escape into the school?�
Ron laughed dryly. He really wasn�t in the mood for jokes right now.
�Okay, something�s wrong,� Hermione observed. She gestured towards a chair across from her. �Have a seat and tell me what happened.
Ron sat down, trying to think of the right words to say. He was vaguely reminded of the time he�d gotten into a fight when he was seven and had run home crying to his mother. He felt very much like he had back then, except slightly embarrassed this time.
�Harry sided with Malfoy!� Ron blurted out. He knew he sounded whiny, but he didn�t care. �I can�t believe it! He hates Malfoy as much as I do!�
Hermione leaned forward, staring at him unblinkingly. �Ron, tell me the truth. How much do you really know about Draco?�
�I know he�s a lying piece of��
�Ron!� Hermione interrupted. �You know what I mean!�
�Everyone in his family was in Slytherin and his father�s a deatheater, what else is there to know?� Ron asked, annoyed by the stupid question.
�Exactly my point!� Hermione said. �You�re judging him based on his family.�
�Like father, like son,� Ron said stubbornly. �Why�re you defending him?�
�Because I know something about Draco that�s changed my mind,� Hermione said, fidgeting slightly.
�Oh yeah, and what�s that?� Ron asked.
�I can�t tell you,� Hermione said, her voice lowered to a whisper. �All I can tell you is that Draco�s life isn�t as perfect as it seems. He knows what he did in the past was wrong. He�s trying to change, why can�t you see that?�
�I can�t believe this!� Ron exploded, leaping to his feet. �You�re all against me!� He stomped off, hearing Hermione call after him but not looking back.
Ron growled. He had no friends left. Every one of them was against him. It never occurred to him that the majority might be right.
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Harry hated himself for what he�d done. He�d driven his best friend away. He didn�t regret having stood up for Malfoy, but he hadn�t wanted to make Ron mad.
Harry shook his head. This was probably for the best anyway. He�d wanted people to stop working about him, and Ron certainly wouldn�t be worried now. Harry knew he had to do everything he could to protect his friends, even if that meant driving them away.
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Melissa walked back to the hospital wing with Sheila. When they arrived, Draco was sitting in a chair by Harry�s bed and Ron was gone.
�Where�s Ron?� Sheila asked, going over to Harry and placing a hand on his forehead.
�He left,� Draco said simply.
�What happened?� Melissa asked, sitting by him and taking his hand.
�It�s a long story,� Draco said, and Melissa knew he didn�t want to talk about it.
�Okay,� Melissa said, standing up again. �I�m gonna go find Ron. Maybe I can get a cliff notes version from him. Draco, you�d better stay here. Sheila, you coming?�
�No, I can�t,� Sheila said. �I have to stay, remember?�
Melissa mentally slapped herself. She�d forgotten that Sheila had to stay to take her medicine. �Okay then,� she said, �if I�m not back in an hour, send out the search party.�
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Sheila waved to her sister and went back to her bed. She was really tired after everything that had happened that day. Plus she didn�t think she could take it if Madam Pomfrey got angry.
�Draco,� Sheila said, �I need to talk to Harry for a moment and��
�Say no more,� Draco said. �I�ll just go wait for Melissa outside.�
�Thanks,� Sheila said. Once he was gone, she turned to Harry, who was staring off towards a window. �Harry? Harry, look at me.�
Harry slowly turned to face Sheila and she flinched at the coldness in his eyes. She wondered how it was that he got like this. It seemed like only yesterday had been the beginning of the school year, when Harry had been okay. She missed that Harry, even though she�d known him for less than two months before he started on this downward spiral.
�Harry,� Sheila spoke softly, knowing that Harry didn�t want to talk to her, �what did you say to Ron? You must�ve said something, or he wouldn�t have left like that, even with Draco here.�
Harry looked away, turning his back on her. Sheila would�ve questioned him more, but Madam Pomfrey had just come back.
�Good, you�re back,� Madam Pomfrey said, walking over to Sheila�s bed.
�My mom gave me this note to give to you,� Sheila said, handing the parchment to Madam Pomfrey.
�I see,� Madam Pomfrey said after glancing at the note. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bottle of pills. �I had a feeling you�d be needing these.� She took out a couple and gave them to Sheila.
�Thank you,� Sheila said. �Did my mom tell you what they�re for?�
�Yes,� Madam Pomfrey nodded, �but I promise I won�t tell anyone.�
�Thank you,� Sheila said. She poured herself a glass of water from a jug by her bed and took the pills. Meanwhile, Madam Pomfrey had moved on to check up on Harry.
�Still cold as ice,� she muttered after checking his pulse. She then placed a hand on his forehead. �And still burning up. I don�t know what to do with you. I�ve tried every spell and potion I know, but nothing�s helped.�
Sheila shut out Madam Pomfrey�s voice. She knew why nothing had helped. Harry�s problem wasn�t medical. It was emotional. She knew that he was partially depressed because Hermione seemed to be avoiding him, but that wasn�t the only reason. There was something else, something that Sheila couldn�t figure out. She felt useless knowing that she couldn�t even help her own brother.
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Melissa walked into the common room. She hadn�t been able to find Ron anywhere else. She spotted Hermione across the room and walked over.
�Hey Hermione, have you seen Ron?� Melissa asked.
�Um�yeah,� Hermione said, sounding a bit unsure.
�Do you know where he is?� Melissa persisted.
�He�s upstairs,� Hermione said, �but I wouldn�t go up there if I were you. You�re probably third on the list of people he least wants to see right now.�
�Third?� Melissa was confused. �Who are the first two?�
�Draco,� Hermione paused, looking down at the ground, �and Harry.�
Melissa thought that she might�ve heard wrong. �Harry? Why would he be mad at Harry?�
�From what Ron told me,� Hermione said, �I would guess that he and Draco got into a fight of some sort and Harry took Draco�s side.�
�Wow, it must�ve been quite a fight to get Harry�s attention,� Melissa said. Hermione flinched at the mention of Harry�s condition and Melissa quickly apologized.
�No, it�s okay,� Hermione said, standing up. �I guess I shouldn�t dwell on the past.� She rushed off toward the dormitory.
Melissa bit her lip to keep from calling after her. She knew Hermione loved Harry and she wanted desperately to tell her, but she couldn�t. Harry�s condition had worsened over the course of the year. If he found out that Hermione loved him, he might push her away even more that he had his other friends. Melissa and Sheila had discussed this and decided not to get involved. They didn�t want Hermione to get hurt.
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Sheila took a sip of water and felt like celebrating. After three days of taking pills, she was finally done. The pills had really just been a precaution, in case of a relapse, but she�d taken them the full three days, just in case.
�Hurry up!� Melissa said. �Madam Pomfrey�s releasing Harry today and we�ve gotta catch him before he runs off again!�
Sheila slapped a hand to her forehead. She�d completely forgotten that was today. Catching a quick glimpse of her reflection in the mirror she hurried after Melissa.
Madam Pomfrey had released Sheila the morning after the Quidditch disaster, but had said that Harry�s fever was too high for him to leave right away. In fact, Sheila had a feeling that Madam Pomfrey had kept him as long as she could before Fudge started getting suspicious.
�Did we make it?� Melissa asked as soon as they arrived at the hospital wing.
�Yes,� Madam Pomfrey called from across the room, where she was just taking Harry�s temperature.
�How is he?� Sheila asked, walking over to stand by Harry�s bed, followed by Melissa.
�No change,� Madam Pomfrey said solemnly. �He refuses to take the potions I tried to give him. I didn�t push them because I knew they wouldn�t have helped anyway.�
�Is there any way he can stay here?� Sheila asked, feeling a bit panicked.
�No, I�m sorry,� Madam Pomfrey said. �The headmaster is coming by at 9:00. He�s threatened my job if Mr. Potter�s not out of here by then. If that happens, I�ll be no good to anyone.�
�Is there anything we can do?� Melissa asked, placing a hand on Harry�s forehead. Harry immediately pulled away from her, giving her his usual icy glare.
�Yes, actually, there is,� Madam Pomfrey said. �I would like for you to please keep a sharp eye on him. Make sure his fever doesn�t get any worse. If it does, bring him here straight away. To check his temperature, just feel his forehead. The spell is more accurate, but it�s too complicated for me to teach to you.�
�Okay, we will,� Sheila said. She grabbed on of Harry�s arms while Melissa grabbed the other, and they pulled Harry into a sitting position. �Come on Harry, either get up or we�ll have to drag you out.�
Harry pulled his arms out of their grasp and stood up. He walked right past them, toward the door. Melissa and Sheila hurried to catch up with him to make sure he didn�t try to run off.
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Draco was relieved when he finally saw Melissa coming toward the Great Hall. He�d been standing by the door awkwardly, not wanting to sit at the Gryffindor table without her there. Sheila and Harry had arrived, too.
�Sorry we took so long,� Melissa said, giving Draco a quick hug. �Let�s go sit down.�
�There�s Ron,� Sheila said, pointing to the Gryffindor table, where Ron sat apart from the rest of the students. The others walked over there and Draco followed reluctantly.
�Hey Ron,� Melissa said, reaching a hand towards him.
�Don�t touch me,� Ron hissed. Melissa�s hand stopped about an inch from his shoulder and jerked back, as if from a poisonous snake.
�Ron�� Melissa said, but Ron interrupted.
�I can�t talk to you anymore,� he said. �Just leave me alone!� He got up and left the hall, seeming not to notice the curious stares of the other students.
Draco felt really bad about this. He�d never liked Ron that much, but he certainly hadn�t wanted him gone. Ron was Melissa�s friend, and Draco respected that. One of the lessons he�d been taught growing up was the importance of loyalty. Of course, Draco had broken his loyalty to Slytherin, so maybe this was yet another false lesson of his father�s.
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Harry looked into the mirror and grimaced at his pathetic reflection. It was a warm Saturday and Melissa, Sheila, and Draco had decided it would be fun to go swimming. Of course, Harry had to go because Melissa and Sheila could barely stand to let him out of their sight for more than two seconds at a time. It was a wonder they even let him go to his classes.
Harry forced himself to look in the mirror again. He had changed into his swimming trunks, which, thankfully, fit better than his robes. He guessed this was because he�d just gotten them in January, four months earlier.
But the rest of his appearance was dismal at best. In addition to the tired look he carried everywhere these days, the full results of his serious weight loss could now be seen. A person wouldn�t have to look very hard to see the way Harry�s ribs stuck out.
Harry turned away, unable to look at this anymore. He pulled on a T-shirt to hide the sight from Melissa and Sheila. He didn�t want them to ever see him like that. He grabbed a towel and went down to the common room.
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Draco didn�t want to go swimming. More specifically, he didn�t want to go out there wearing just his swimming trunks. The bandage on his arm stuck out. People would certainly ask about it.
Draco grabbed a white T-shirt out of his trunk and pulled it on. The bandage was still visible, but it didn�t stick out as much. The shirt also covered up most of his scars.
Draco placed a hand over the bandage. He had a feeling that today would be the last day of secrecy. Melissa had said that she loved him. Now was the time to find out how much.
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�Come on! We don�t have all day! Well, actually we do, but I don�t wanna swim in the dark!�
Melissa smiled to herself. �It�s only 2:30, we have plenty of time!� she yelled to Sheila, who had already gone down to the common room.
Melissa pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt on over her swimsuit and went downstairs.
�It�s about time,� Sheila said, her hands on her hips. �What took you so long? Look, even Harry got down here quicker than you.�
�Give me a break, I couldn�t find my towel,� Melissa said.
�You mean this?� Sheila asked, holding up a towel Melissa recognized as her own.
�You little�give me that!� Melissa said.
�What, this?� Sheila teased. She pretended to think about it for a while. �Nah, I think I�ll keep it.�
Melissa smirked. �All right, you want a war? You�ve got one!�
�Okay, the game is tug-of-war,� Sheila said, planting her feet firmly on the ground. �Winner takes all, no mercy. Ready? Go!�
Melissa and Sheila both started pulling on the towel as hard as they could. Melissa could�ve laughed at the irony of this. They were equally matched. Neither one could win. In fact, the towel would probably rip in half before one of them beat the other.
Out of the corner of her eye, Melissa saw George coming down from the boys� dormitory. �Cat fight!� he announced, making an impossible running leap over the back of a couch and sitting down.
Sheila immediately let go of the towel, causing Melissa to fall over. �Excuse me?� Sheila asked, giving George a deadly look. �What did you say?�
�Who cares?� Melissa asked, standing up and rubbing her backside. �That hurt!�
�What�re you doing in a swimsuit?� George asked, quickly changing the subject. �Going swimming?�
�Nah, I just like walking around like this,� Sheila said sarcastically. �Of course we�re going swimming.�
�In the lake?� George asked faintly. �But there are merpeople�. and grindylows� and��
�George, calm down,� Sheila said. �We can take care of ourselves.�
�Yeah, but you can�t go out like that!� George�s eyes drifted downward slightly before snapping back up to Sheila�s face. �Shouldn�t you at least put on a shirt?�
�No, I think it�ll be fine,� Sheila said. �After all, it�s nothing the other girls haven�t seen before, and I�m sure the guys won�t complain��
George started stuttering wildly and Sheila burst out laughing. �Oh, I�m so sorry,� she gasped between laughs. She wrapped an arm around George. �I was kidding! I�ll go get a shirt.� She kissed George on the cheek and bounded up the stairs.
George blushed scarlet. Then, he stuttered a quick goodbye to Melissa and went back up to his dormitory.
Sheila came back down, now with a T-shirt on over her swimsuit. �Ready to go?� she asked.
�Yeah,� Melissa said. A muffled scream came from the other side of the portrait hole. �And it sounds like Draco is, too.� She grabbed Harry�s arm and the three went out into the hallway.
�Finally!� Draco said as they shut the portrait. �Your picture here wouldn�t let me in!�
�Excuse me,� the Fat Lady said from her frame, staring down at Draco like he was something foul she�d stepped in, �I am a portrait, not a picture. And besides, you need a password to get in.�
Draco looked ready to argue, but Melissa but a hand on his arm to stop him. �Just drop it. If you upset her, she might very well never let you in, even if someone who knows the password says to.�
�Right,� Draco said and they headed downstairs. Melissa and Sheila walked so that Harry was between them. Draco walked a little bit apart from the group, looking lightly nervous.
�Are you okay?� Melissa asked, drifting over to walk with Draco. She spotted a bandage on his arm. �What happen to your arm?�
�Huh? Oh, it�s nothing,� Draco said unconvincingly. Melissa noticed that he was avoiding her eye.
�Draco��
�We�re here!� Sheila announced. Melissa looked up in surprise. Sure enough, they had arrived at the edge of the lake.
�Let�s just go swimming,� Draco said, starting toward the lake.
�Draco,� Melissa said, grabbing his arm, �we need to talk.�
Draco didn�t speak. When Melissa tried to get him to look at her, he turned his head away.
�Damn it Draco, would you just talk to me?� Melissa asked loudly, feeling a small surge of anger rise in her.
�I can�t!� Draco burst out, surprising Melissa into letting him go. �Don�t you think I would if I could? I went over the words in my head a thousand times and couldn�t find one way to tell you without making you mad!�
�Oh I�m already mad,� Melissa said. �In the time we�ve known each other, we�ve always been able to talk. I don�t see how this is any different. If you don�t tell me the truth, I will walk away right now, assuming the worst. To give you an idea of what the worst would be, let�s just say you�d be better off dead in my eyes.�
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Draco sighed. �I had a feeling this would happen. All right, you want to know the truth. I�ll tell you.� He turned to Sheila and Harry, who were standing a little ways away and looking uncomfortable. �You guys had better listen, too. I�m not gonna tell this twice.�
Draco sat down on a large rock by the lake. Melissa sat beside him while Sheila and Harry sat on the ground in front of him.
�Story time,� Draco muttered grimly. �Okay, it all started when I got a letter from my mother, saying that I would be coming home for Easter Holidays and that my father needed to speak to me about something. I knew what it had to be about. There was nothing else it could be.
�Melissa, I�m sorry I avoided you before the holidays. I knew that my father must have someone watching me. On the last day, I went straight to the train station so you wouldn�t find me.
�When I got home, my suspicion was confirmed. He knew about us, Melissa. Not only that, he�d been told that we had still been together after I got the letter, even though I�d stayed away.
�He�� Draco�s voice broke slightly, but he forced himself to keep going. �He punished me. That�s how I got this scar,� he pointed to the scar on the right side of his face, �as well as several others.
�When I came back, I tried to cover my face by wearing a hooded shirt, but Hermione spotted me. I also had a pretty bad bruise on my other eye. Anyway, Hermione talked me into going to see Madam Pomfrey.
�Madam Pomfrey didn�t ask any questions. I tried to tell her I got hurt helping my father train Crups. It was partially true, but I know she didn�t believe me. I�ve been in there too many times after holidays for her to suspect anything but the truth.
�After that, I just decided there was no point avoiding you anymore. I knew that whoever told my father would tell him we were still together, even if we weren�t. So, here I am.�
Melissa, Sheila, and even Harry looked at Draco expectantly. They knew there was more to the story than what Draco had told them, but Draco wasn�t going to say any more unless he had to.
�What about your arm?� Melissa asked. �Why didn�t Madam Pomfrey heal it?�
�I was afraid you�d ask that,� Draco sighed. �I knew I couldn�t hide it forever.� He turned his arm so that his wrist faced upward and began to unravel the bandages.
When the last of the cloth was removed, the effect was immediate. Harry�s eyes widened slightly. Sheila got up on her knees to stare in astonishment. Melissa gasped softly, a look of pure horror on her face.
The spot where the bandage had been was pale, even compared to Draco�s normally pale skin. The thing that brought such a reaction stood out drastically. Black lines intertwined, forming a symbol that struck fear into the hearts of witches and wizards everywhere. A skull with a snake slithering out of its mouth. The Dark Mark.
�My father wanted this to happen years ago,� Draco said softly, �but my mother talked him into waiting until I graduated. That was, of course, before he found out about us. He thought this would be a good way to keep me in line.�
Draco groaned as a splitting pain ran through his arm, claming a hand over the Mark. The others leaned back slightly, as though he had a contagious disease. �The pain comes and goes,� he said, as the pain subsided.
Melissa let out a choked sob and stood up. Before Draco could stop her, she took off for the Forbidden Forest.
�Melissa, wait!� Draco called, standing up and rushing after her. When he reached the forest, he slowed to a walk and looked at the ground. It had rained recently, so Melissa�s footprints showed up clearly in the mud. All Draco had to do was follow them.
Draco weaved his way through the trees, plunging deeper and deeper into the forest. Then, he noticed the trees getting farther apart until finally there were no more. He had reached the edge of the forest, a place he�d never seen before. A small stream flowed past a few feet away, separating the forest from rolling hills that seemed to go on forever on the other side. Many different kinds of ferns and flowers grew at the edge of the water. Melissa was sitting on a stone by the water�s edge.
�Isn�t it beautiful?� Melissa asked, not looking up but seeming to sense Draco�s presence. She bent to lightly touch one of the ferns. �There are no people to interfere, so the plants grow wild, thriving when the water level rises.�
�So, do you come here often?� Draco asked, sitting next to Melissa.
�I did for about two months,� Melissa whispered, drawing her knees up to her chest, �before I met you. Then I realized that, as winter came, the beauty would slowly disappear, but that you would stay the same. I never thought that you might get hurt. Maybe we both would�ve been better off if I�d settled for temporary beauty.�
�Melissa, it�s not your fault,� Draco said.
�You can say those words a million times, but it won�t change the truth,� Melissa said, burying her face in her hands, muffling the rest of her words. �You would be better off if we�d never met.�
�No,� Draco said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, �being away from you would be a greater pain than any my father could inflict upon me. You�ve made me a better person.�
Melissa uncovered her face and gave Draco a small smile. She leaned her head against his shoulder and they sat in silence. Even the normal sounds of the forest had stopped, as though the creatures sensed the sacredness of this moment and decided to keep quiet. Time seemed to stand still and speed up all at the same time. Then, all too soon, Melissa pulled away, and the world came back to life.
�Thanks for not mentioning what happened in the Astronomy Tower to the others,� Melissa whispered, staring out over the stream.
�About that Draco said, knowing that Melissa deserved an apology. �I didn�t mean to hurt you. I��
�Don�t say anything,� Melissa interrupted, looking up into Draco�s eyes. �That wasn�t really you. I know it wasn�t.�
�But it was,� Draco said,� at least, it was a part of me. It still is. I feel like I have this dark presence in my mind, and I have to fight him. I�m afraid that if I lose my hold over him, he might hurt you again.�
�But you are fighting,� Melissa said, leaning her head on his shoulder again, �and you�re winning. He might be part of you, but you are not like him. Remember, you have not truly lost until you give up hope.�
Draco put his arms around Melissa again, wishing they could stay here forever, suspended in this moment. Reality, however, was not as giving as it had been the last time. A twig snapped a little ways downstream. Draco and Melissa looked up and saw a cloaked figure crouched by the edge of the stream, collecting water in a bucket.
�Who are you?� Draco called, none too politely after being interrupted.
The figure straightened up, holding its hood to keep its face hidden. It seemed to stare at them for a moment before taking off toward the forest, leaving the bucket behind.
�What was that?� Melissa asked in a low voice.
�I don�t know,� Draco said, shaking his head. Yet, even though he hadn�t seen the person�s face he felt like he knew them. And it seemed that they had recognized either Draco or Melissa, too.
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�It�s about time. What were you guys doing out there? Or do I want to know?�
�Very funny,� Melissa smirked. She and Draco had gone back to the lake. Harry was sitting on the stone he always sat on before, while Sheila sat on a towel she�d spread out on the ground. It was now starting to get dark outside.
�Sorry you guys didn�t get to swim,� Draco said, picking up his towel off the ground and throwing Melissa hers.
�That�s okay,� Sheila said, standing up. �I�ve been working on my tan.�
�You mean burn,� Melissa said, looking at Sheila�s bright red arms. �You�d better put something on that before it starts peeling.�
�Thanks Mom,� Sheila said sarcastically, picking up her towel and going over to Harry. �Man, this boy must be invincible or something. He�s still white as a ghost.� She grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. Harry pulled away from her and started toward the school.
�And there he goes again,� Sheila sighed, hurrying after him.
Melissa thought she heard something rustling behind her and whipped around. All she saw was the forest, but she shivered nonetheless.
�You coming?� Draco asked.
�Yeah,� Melissa nodded. Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they walked up toward the school. Melissa glanced back at the forest. That cloaked figure was still out there somewhere. And Melissa had a feeling she hadn�t seen the last of it.
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�Here�s yer supper, fer all the good it�ll to ya. End o� the month, yer gonna be worse than dead. �Cause if them dementors don�t get ya first, I�ll finish the job.�
Sirius took his tray from the grisly old man who came by a couple times a day. He�d learned long ago to keep his mouth shut in the face of insults. The satisfaction he�d get cursing the old man out wouldn�t be worth the punishment.
Sirius went to the back wall of his cell and placed the tray by a crack near the floor. Three large, black rats crawled out and set to work eating the pathetic excuse for a meal.
Sirius had been feeding all of his meals to the rats, taking only a little for himself once in a while so he wouldn�t starve. He�d forced himself to stop changing into his dog-form to save energy. He couldn�t rely on the protestors to get him out of here.
Sirius yawned loudly and settled down in the corner, leaning his back against the wall. There was a bed, but Sirius had found out long ago that the floor was more comfortable and a lot less bug-ridden. He shut his eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
* * *
Sirius� eyes snapped open and he stood up, ignoring the screaming of his stiff back. Parts of his dream came back to him, pictures frozen in time: a forest� a clearing� a bright, green light� a shimmering, evil presence� a cloaked figure� a hood being lowered�
A servant was at Hogwarts! And Sirius knew who it was! He had to get there before it was too late.
Sirius took a deep breath and forced his racing mind to concentrate. He felt the changes begin. Before he could count to ten, he was down on all fours.
He wasn�t Sirius Black anymore. He was Padfoot. And Padfoot was getting out of here. He slipped through the bars, glad he�d lost so much weight, and started off on the long trip to Hogwarts.
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�It�s about time,� the Dark Lord hissed as the servant came back, lugging a bucket of water behind them.
�Sorry Master,� the servant murmured, tipping the water into the cauldron, �I was delayed.�
�Yes, I saw,� the Dark Lord said, narrowing his eyes. �Someone else almost did too.�
�Don�t worry Master,� the servant said quickly. �I�m sure he won�t say anything. He didn�t see who I was.�
�It�s not the boy I�m worried about,� the Dark Lord said. �Just finish the spell. This has to be done tonight, before the sacrifice wears off.�
�Yes Master,� the servant said obediently. They pulled out a knife, slicing the palm of their hand and letting a small stream of blood splash into the cauldron. Then, they pulled out their wand and waved it over the mixture muttering the spell, �Caeruleus.�
A beam of green light shot out of the liquid, racing up toward the sky and creating a pillar of light. The Dark Lord lowered himself so his feet touched the ground, tapping into his stored energy to bring his body back.
�It is time,� he said with a cold, cruel smile, staring up at the light that would bring about the return of the Dark Times.
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Author's note: Oooohhh scary, ain't it? I've gotta start off by saying for the last time, I don't hate Ron. It might seem like I do with all the bad stuff that happens to him, but I don't. And, don't worry, you'll find out in the next chapter what's wrong with Sheila. Now, for the more interesting developments. Draco's a deatheater. Didn't see that one coming now, did ya? Next chapter, we get to find out who the servant is and hopefully answer a lot of questions. Be afraid, be very afraid.
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