Magic? || Years 1-5

Time For The Holidays: Year 3

"I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her -- "

"There's nothing you can do! The dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and -- and serve him right!" Hermione interrupted.

"You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others," Harry snapped back, eyes narrowed.

"So what are you saying? You want to -- to kill Black or something?" Ron asked stiffly.

"Don't be silly. Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?" Hermione asked, verging on panic.

Once again, he stayed silent.

"You don't... you don't, right?" Amisty whispered, her eyes flickering gold for a brief moment.

"Malfoy knows. Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it were me, I'd hunt him down myself... I'd want revenge.'" Harry sat up.

"You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours? Listen... you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me -- the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black's a madman, Harry, and he's dangerous -- " Ron started, seething at the mention of Draco.

"Malfoy's dad must have told him. He was right in Voldemort's inner circle -- " Harry continued.

Amisty stiffened, Hermione placed a hand on her arm.

"Say You-Know-Who, will you?" Ron snapped angrily, his face ashen.

" -- so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort -- " Harry continued.

" -- and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip. Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you at Quidditch," Ron interjected.

"Harry, please, please be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants... Oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!" Hermione's brown eyes were shining with unshed tears as she pleaded.

"I'll never know what they'd have wanted, because thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them," Harry growled lowly.

His words were followed by silence, Amisty's gaze flickering to Crookshanks stretching and then Ron's shirt pocket, which was quivering.

"Look, it's the holidays! It's nearly Christmas! Let's -- let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him for ages," Ron changed the subject quickly.

"No! Harry isn't supposed to leave the castle, Ron -- " Hermione protested just as fast.

"Yeah, let's go, and I can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told me all about my parents!" Harry got to his feet.

Amisty's heart sank.

"Or we could have a game of chess or Gobstones. Percy left a set -- " Ron offered desperately.

"No, let's visit Hagrid," Harry decided, his voice final.

There was no purpose in arguing. Amisty trailed her feet up the staircase to her dormitory, picked up her cloak and swung it over her shoulders.