Revised: March 10, 2022

Enjoy yet another revision from Year 3!

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(When I say "Enjoy!" I feel like I'm presenting you some food I made... I don't know why)

The lighthearted atmosphere couldn't last, unfortunately. Whether it was because he thought it would be symbolic given the day, Sirius Black attempted to break into the Gryffindor Tower. He didn't succeed, but he left the Fat Lady terrified and all students slept in the Great Hall that night.

Over the course of the next few days, Sirius Black was the only topic of discussion.

"Why do you think he targeted Gryffindor? Potter's in Ravenclaw."

"Well, he is a Potter. Black probably expects that he's a Gryffindor."

"He's a complete lunatic."

"He's a Black. What do you expect?"

None of that, though, really bothered Harry. Not like the way teachers kept a closer eye on him did. They'd find excuses to walk alongside him in the corridors, and even Percy tailed him, probably at his mother's behest.

"I supposed you're lucky," he told Harry, "that you weren't Sorted into Gryffindor. Though if Black is as smart as they say he is, he won't have any trouble breaking into the Ravenclaw common room."

Harry grunted in response. For the time being, there were no riddles to answer at the door. All the Ravenclaws had to do was tap the eagle knocker with their wand, say their name, and it would scan them before allowing entry. He didn't understand why they didn't do that to begin with.

He jumped as footsteps trudged toward them, but it was only the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Professor McGonagall's okay with this?" asked Percy.

"More than okay," said Oliver Wood. "She knows we have to win. We have to! Slytherin will never let us hear the end of it. And don't say you don't agree, Percy, because I know you do!"

There was a slightly maniacal gleam in his eyes that made Harry take an unobtrusive step behind Percy, who just sighed. Evidently, he was very used to Oliver's energy. "Just be careful." He was looking at the twins as he said this.

"We will, Perce." George clapped him on the shoulder.

"Slytherin isn't playing this match," Harry spoke up.

"What?" Oliver whirled around to face him. "How'd you know?"

"Draco told me. Because of the weather." Or at least that was what they claimed.

Oliver swore. "Well, no point in standing around. Come on!"

He set off at a brisk pace, and the rest of the team had no choice but to follow.

"See you later, Harry!" Fred called over his shoulder.

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie exchanged glances and giggled.

"What?" Fred's ears felt hot. "I was just saying bye."

"We know." Angelina winked at him.

George was smiling way too smugly for Fred's liking.

"Did you have to tell them?" he muttered.

"You're the one who told them about riding the hippogriff."

Fred groaned. It was true; he did. But he didn't know why they were making such a fuss over it. He had just been concerned about Harry's well-being and wanted to give Harry something happier to think about.

That was all.

"Does Snape really hate you that much?"

Remus looked up, surprised. "Sorry?"

Harry kept his eyes downward, though he wasn't really paying attention to the words on the page. "You've heard about the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson covered by now. He made us write an essay on how to recognize and kill werewolves."

"Yes, well, just because he likes you doesn't mean he thinks any better of me," Remus pointed out.

"I know, but..." Harry sighed. "I'd have thought —"

"What Severus and I think of each other is no business but our own," Remus broke in, his tone growing stern. "You just focus on your reading."

"Okay, okay!" Harry ducked his head.

For a few minutes, all was silent.

"Hey, Moony?"

"Yes?"

"They aren't really going to hold a Quidditch match if the weather's so bad, are they?"

Remus sighed. "They are." He glanced out the window, memories swimming in his eyes. "There was this one time the wind was blowing so hard everyone's hair looked like James'."

Harry let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, God..."

Good thing he wasn't playing.

And when he was in the stands watching Gryffindor and Hufflepuff fly back and forth, he felt that sentiment more strongly than ever. Not only was it windy as hell, but the rain made it nearly impossible to see. Harry had to cast Impervius on his glasses, which helped a little. Now he could see the other players —

And something dark at the back of the stands on the Gryffindor side. Harry narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look.

A whooshing had him jerking back to see the Chasers rushing for the goal. Harry looked back, but the dark figure had vanished.

Cedric Diggory was now after the Snitch. As Harry followed the movement, he suddenly realized that all was quiet. Then the coldness came. And the voices.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside, now..."

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead —"

Through the fog that had clouded his mind, Harry saw bright mists rising into the air, forcing back the dark shadows that had appeared in the sky.

"Harry?"

Harry started, his mind clearing in an instant.

Michael and Lisa were watching him in concern.

"Are you all right?" Lisa asked. "Do you need to be taken to the hospital wing?"

A shudder trickled down Harry's spine, but he shook his head. "N-no... no, I'm fine."

As if to try to convince them, he straightened his back and looked back out into the pitch. Cedric Diggory held the Snitch in his fist, and the Hufflepuffs were cheering, though they seemed slightly subdued from the dementors' appearance.

"I'm fine," Harry repeated, even though Michael and Lisa had turned away and were no longer listening. "I'm fine."

But as the students headed back to their dorms, Harry veered off to the hospital wing anyway.

Madam Pomfrey didn't seem surprised by his visit. "Are you feeling well enough to go back to your dorm or do you need to stay here for the night?" she asked as she handed him a bar of chocolate.

Harry opened his mouth to reassure her he would be fine, but then the woman's voice, shrill with terror, flooded his ears again. "I'll stay the night."

To his relief, Madam Pomfrey didn't question him further, just showed him to a bed and gave him a set of pajamas.

He was just getting settled when he heard footsteps approaching and Madam Pomfrey's voice, raised in annoyance.

"Mr. Weasley, I really must insist you clean up before you come any farther."

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey."

A rush of warmth shot through Harry, even stronger than that from the chocolate. What was Fred doing here?

A moment later, he walked up to Harry's bed, still dressed in his drenched Quidditch robes.

"Hey."

"Hey." Harry sat up. "You okay?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Fred pointed out, glancing around the hospital wing meaningfully.

"Fair point. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was a bit worried about you," Fred admitted. "You took off almost immediately after the game."

If Harry thought it was strange that he had noticed this detail in the midst of the chaos, he didn't comment on it. "How's Wood holding up?" It was common knowledge that nothing mattered to him more than winning Quidditch. Harry remembered the previous year when a match had been cancelled; Wood had vehemently exclaimed that it shouldn't be possible.

"Pretty sure he's drowning himself in the showers," Fred told him with a wry grin.

"Course," Harry muttered, taking another bite of chocolate.

"Ooh, chocolate." Fred broke off a piece of Harry's bar. "Don't mind if I do."

"Hey, that's mine," Harry lunged for it, but Fred easily moved out of reach. "Get your own."

Fred smiled teasingly at the pout forming on Harry's lips. "Come and get it."

Harry pulled out his wand. "Accio chocolate."

The chocolate wrenched itself out of Fred's grasp and into Harry's hand. It was his turn to pout as Harry smirked victoriously. "Thanks." He popped the piece in his mouth.

"No wonder you're a Ravenclaw," Fred grumbled. "Little smartypants." He noticed something. "You got some chocolate on your..." He trailed off and reached up without thinking to wipe it away.

Harry's heart began racing a mile a minute as Fred's smooth, gentle hand touched his face. His thumb lightly brushed against the corner of Harry's lip, and it took all of his willpower not to react. He was sure he failed; his neck was most definitely at least a little pink.

A quiet cough made Fred retract his hand quickly and left Harry blinking in confusion. George Weasley stood behind them with a not-so-innocent smile on his face. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Fred glared at him. "No, you're not." He turned to Harry. "See you later?"

Harry nodded, still slightly dazed. "Yeah."

Fred began to walk away, then darted back and snagged the last bit of chocolate out of Harry's hand.

"Hey!" Harry yelped indignantly, but Fred merely winked and skipped away.

Harry scowled and crossed his arms over his chest mutinously. "Your brother's mean," he whined to George.

"I know," said George.

"Tell him to go buy his own damn chocolate at Hogsmeade."

"Will do. Anything else?"

"Tell him to fuck off."

George snickered. "Got it."

I have no idea when this ship had grown on me, but alas, here we are

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The previous version of this chapter had Snape covering Remus' D.A.D.A. lesson. I cut it out because it wasn't really that important.