The New Trio and the Madness Within

Chapter 6: Destruction

That night was the full moon, which Harry really should have remembered, but there was just so much work to do that it had simply slipped his mind. Luckily, Sirius hadn't forgotten, and he'd spent the night in his Animagus form curled up with Remus in his office. Harry learned this because he saw Sirius sitting next to Remus at the Head table at breakfast. It took him a moment to figure it out, and the second he did he felt horrible. He'd summoned Remus instead of Severus to help them with the Diadem Horcrux just hours before the full moon's rise, after all. However, Draco noticed he looked upset and asked him what was wrong; they had a Quidditch match against Slytherin and couldn't affort to be distracted. When Harry explained to his boyfriend, Draco simply scoffed and tugged him up to the staff table. "Harry feels guilty for not remembering about last night," he drawled as soon as they were close enough not to be overheard by the students behind them.

Sometimes, Harry thought, it really paid to have Draco by his side. Even when they hadn't been together, Draco had always been able to bring him out of his moods, and Harry had done the same thing for Draco, especially in first year. This confrontation that went directly to the point was just the latest example. When he looked up at Sirius and Remus, they were looking up at him with kind, yet exasperated expressions. Well, Remus also looked bone tired, but that was to be expected.

"Harry," Sirius sighed, "honestly. You can't think of everything, you know. Remus has told me about how hard you're working this year, with Os and Es in every subject, even Potions! Besides, you know as well as I do that with your new subjects there's an awful lot of work to do to consistently get those marks."

Harry blushed. "I know, but still..."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. Harry huffed. "Okay, fine. I won't be so hard on myself. Happy?"

Sirius simply grinned and made shooing motions back to the Gryffindor table. Harry, used to this behaviour from Sirius, simply grinned back and started walking in slow motion, so slowly that it took him five minutes to get past Remus' position, by which time said man had fallen out of his chair because of how hard he was laughing. Everyone else sat at the Head Table was also laughing, although in Severus' case it was simply a matter of rolling his eyes and sneering, while his eyes showed how amused he was.

Harry and Draco walked back to the Gryffindor table and sat down to eat. Once they'd satisfied Oliver, who'd been hovering behind them for the last ten minutes of the meal, they made their way down to the Quidditch pitch in the pouring rain and the ferocious wind. Harry was most definitely not looking forward to this match.

The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Oliver's usual pre-match pep talk, but all that escaped him was a strangled garble and a gulp, followed by him hopelessly shaking his head and beckoning them to follow him.

Somehow, the wind had gotten worse during the time they were safe inside the change rooms, for they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the pitch. Huge rolls of thunder reverberated over their heads, and caused them to be unable to hear anything. The rain was so thick they could barely see five centimetres in front of them; Harry was just glad he hadn't needed glasses since he'd gotten them fixed when he was ten. He had no idea how he was going to be able to see the Snitch though, unless it decided to try to fly up his nose.

By this time, the bedraggled Slytherins had made their way onto the pitch too. They'd tried complaining for a week beforehand about the approaching storm, trying to get out of playing, but Professor McGonagall had stayed firm and rebutted everything they and Snape had said. The customary hand-crushing attempts took place, then Harry saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount your brooms."

Harry freed his right foot from the mud temporarily, only to submerge it again once he'd mounted his broom. He saw Madam Hooch inhale and put the whistle to her lips, then barely heard the sound it made. They were off.