Emma Potter

67: Suspicious Surprises

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Zoe, Nicholas and "Dray"

I had dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to a common room that was completely empty. Then down to the great hall where I bumped into Harry, Ron and Hermione

 "Where is everyone?" said Harry, who also looked like he had not slept.

 "Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron,watching Harry and me closely. "It's nearly lunchtime."

 Harry slumped into a bench as we made our way out, I joined him. Snow was still falling outside . "You really don't look well, you know," Hermione said, peering anxiously into my face.

 "I'm fine," I said. 

"Harry, Emma listen," said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron,"you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid." 

"Like what?" said Harry. 

"Like trying to go after Black," said Ron sharply. I could tell they had rehearsed this conversation while Harry and I had been asleep. We didn't say anything. 

"You won't, will you, Harry?" said Hermione.

 "Because Black's not worth dying for," said Ron. I looked at them. They didn't seem to understand at all.

 "D'you know what we see and hear every time a dementor gets too near us?" 

Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive. 

"we can hear our 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!" said Hermione, looking stricken."The dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and — and serve him right!"

 "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." I snapped.

 "So what are you saying?" said Ron, looking very tense. "You want to — to kill Black or something?"

"Don't be silly," said Hermione in a panicky voice. "Emma doesn't want to kill anyone, nor does Harry. do you, guys?"

 Again, Harry and I didn't answer. I didn't know what I wanted to do. All I knew was that the idea of doing nothing, while Black was at liberty, was almost more than I could stand. 

"Harry, please," said Hermione, her eyes now shining with tears,"Emma, please be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants. . . .  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!" 

"we'll never know what they'd have wanted, because thanks to Black, we've never spoken to them," said Harry shortly.

 "Look," said Ron, obviously casting around for a change of subject, "it's the holidays! It's nearly Christmas! Let's — let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him for ages!" 

"No!" said Hermione quickly. "Harry and Emma aren't supposed to leave the castle, Ron —" 

"Yeah, let's go," said Harry, sitting up, "and we can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told us all about our parents!"