Grim Defeat Part 1
Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall... who all looked extremely confused.
"Are they going to tell Harry why they think Sirius is after him now?" young Ron asked.
"Not likely," young Harry said. Adults didn't tell him things.
"The teachers and I need to conduct... "Send word with one of the ghosts. "
The younger Weasley siblings all groaned at the idea of Percy in charge.
Professor Dumbledore paused... closing the door behind him.
"I doubt there will be much sleeping," Rookwood said.
The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly... Lights out in ten minutes!"
Even the teachers seemed to think that was ambitious.
"C'mon," Ron said to Harry and Hermione... Hermione whispered anxiously.
"Unlikely," Sirius said. "I know my way around that school better than most."
"Dumbledore obviously... "The one night we weren't in the tower... "
"Yeah, almost intentional," Kingsley said with a sigh. How had that been missed?
"I reckon he's lost track of time... Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here. "
"Even I'm not that mad," Sirius said with a small chuckle.
Hermione shuddered... "Just appear out of thin air, you know. "
"You can't apparate in Hogwarts," Hermione said through clenched teeth.
"Disguised himself, probably,"... read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Harry and Ron.
"I think so," Harry said with a laugh.
"Probably,... they'll have them covered. . . "
"I doubt Filch knows all the secret passageways," Sirius said with a smirk.
"The lights are going out now!" ... no more talking!"
"It feels like this is something us parents should have been informed about," Mr Granger said tersely.
There was a murmur of agreement from the other parents.
The candles all went out at once... Harry felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.
"If it wasn't because you thought a mass murderer was in the school, I imagine that would be pretty fun," Mrs Granger said.
Once every hour, a teacher would reappear... "Everything under control, sir. "
Percy frowned. He really had been a bit of a suck up.
"Good. There's no point moving them... so he attacked.
Sirius frowned at that. He liked the fat lady.
She's still very distressed... "All searched. . . "
"Told you I wouldn't stick around," Sirius said.
"Very well, Severus... each of them as unlikely as the next."
Sirius couldn't help but grin at that. He liked the fact he'd gotten one over on the old man.
Harry opened his eyes... Snape's profile, which looked angry.
"Why would Snape be angry?" George asked.
"You remember the conversation we had... block Percy out of the conversation.
Percy blushed slightly.
"I do, Severus,"... helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore,
"You suspected Remus?" Sirius asked Severus.
"I suppose my older self must have, but really wouldn't you?" Severus answered honestly.
"I guess." Sirius shrugged. "Except if he really believed I'd betrayed them, I can't imagine he'd pick my side."
and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed... when our search was complete. "
Several people frowned at the mention of the dementors. No one wanted them near the school.
"Didn't they want to help, sir?"... cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster. "
Harry almost laughed at that. Dementors had entered the castle on more than one occasion that Harry knew of.
Percy looked slightly abashed... deep resentment on his face; then he too left.
Severus wasn't sure what to make of that. Did he hate Lupin so much that he forgot how much the man had cared for James and Lily? Or did he just resent the fact that Dumbledore - like usual - wasn't listening to him?
Harry glanced sideways... "What was all that about?" Ron mouthed.
Harry actually did laugh now. It was ridiculous how little people actually told him. "Do you know I didn't even know then that my parents died at Halloween?" he said, his voice a lot calmer than he felt.
Everyone eyed him nervously.
"I didn't know I was a wizard for eleven years, didn't know I had a godfather for almost fourteen, didn't know about the prophecy for nearly sixteen years and didn't know I was a horcrux until it was time for me to die," Harry's temper was rising. "Everytime, you all told me something, it was already too late. Some always seemed to beat you to it or someone ended up getting hurt because people manipulated me with the information I didn't know."
"Harry," Mrs Weasley began.
"What? Are you going to tell me I'm wrong?" Harry demanded, rage in his eyes. "Go ahead. These books will prove I'm right. People died over and over again because I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON!"
Mrs Weasley sniffed, shocked that Harry had shouted at her.
"Do you know who told me why my parents died?" Harry said angrily. "Voldemort. Do you know who told me about the prophecy? Lucius Malfoy. Do you know who told me I was a horcrux? Snape."
No one spoke.
"Do you see who is missing from that list?" Harry glared at Mrs Weasley and then at the headmaster.
The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black... turn into a flowering shrub.
"Now that is just ridiculous," Sirius said, trying to diffuse some of the tension.
The Fat Lady's ripped canvas... which he changed at least twice a day.
"At least?" Minerva said. No wonder Neville had forgotten them.
"He's a complete lunatic,"... brave enough to volunteer. "
"Not sure I'd call it brave," Ron muttered.
Sir Cadogan, however, was the least of Harry's worries... Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him,
"And no one thought that would seem suspicious?" Harry asked, glaring at his teachers.
and Percy Weasley ... an extremely pompous guard dog.
Percy looked slightly abashed. His mother had in fact asked him to keep an eye on Harry.
To cap it all, Professor McGonagall... "I know he's after me," said Harry wearily.
"It was really annoying being told half truths," Harry said.
"I heard Ron's dad telling his mum.... it's very exposed, Potter -"
"You want to take away quidditch?" Sirius asked. "He's already not allowed to go to Hogsmeade with his school friends."
"We've got our first match on Saturday!"... Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions."
"Why not just do that in the first place?" Sirius complained. "It's like your go to is to curtail Harry's freedoms instead of working out a way to keep him safe and enjoying his childhood."
Harry smiled gratefully at his godfather.
The weather worsened steadily... We're playing Hufflepuff instead. "
"Why?" several of the older Gryffindors asked. It wasn't often the schedule changed.
"Why?"... Think it'll damage their chances. . . "
Draco grimaced as his parents shot him sour looks.
There had been strong winds... Angelina, Alicia, and Katie suddenly giggled.
George glared at Diggory. As if it was his fault the girls found him attractive.
"What?"... started to giggle again.
Cedric blushed slightly at the girls' descriptions.
"He's only silent... Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"
Amos looked furious. The only thing stopping him from raging at the Weasleys was that this particular child was dead.
"We were playing in completely different conditions!"... We must win!"
Minerva looked shocked to hear Oliver get quite so irate.
"Oliver, calm down!"... Seriously. "
"Yeah, only match we ever lost," George muttered.