A/N: btw im not dead just a very large procrastinator
"She was groundless and falling, fast."
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THIRD-PERSON:
Holy shit.
Holy shit.
These were the only words running through Y/N's head while she walked back up to the school with Ron and Hermione. Y/N barely remembered going up to the school or how she even left the seat in the Three Broomsticks.
Throughout dinner, Y/N and Harry had caught stares from Ron and Hermione. She knew they meant well, but it was really fucking annoying at this point. They couldn't speak freely because Percy was seated way too close to them.
Heading back up to the common room, hoping for time to talk, they were met with Fred and George lighting at least half a dozen Dungbombs. Harry knew the twins would question him on whether or not he got to Hogsmeade and he couldn't deal with it right now. He snuck quietly up to his dormitory and headed straight for the bedside cabinet where the scrapbook Hagrid gave him rested.
Y/N, on the other hand, raced up to the astronomy room, ditching the rest of the group on their way back from dinner. They called her name, sure, but she did not listen.
What the rest of them didn't know, was that her parents meant more to her than anything else in the world. They were the ground she stood on. Despite their recent distancing from her, she still knew they were there when she needed them. Now? What did she know? What did she stand on?
With her legs tucked up to her chest, it being the middle of the night she hardly thought anyone would come up to find her. But who else except her own Xavier L/N? Nobody.
"Y/N?" the sandy-haired boy called out as he looked around. "Y/N, are you up here? Harry, Ron, and Hermione told me you ditched them and came here,"
"Hey," she croaked as she turned around. "Yeah, yeah, I'm up here."
She turned back around and stared at the starry night. She'd always been a fan of stargazing, pointing out the different constellations, though no one was aware. When she heard about Sirius Black, she thought it was funny that one of the constellations in the sky had the same name as the convict.
The boy let out a groan as he sat down on the ground next to Y/N.
"You like the night?" he asked, mimicking her position. She merely nodded. "Not talking to me today?" he nudged her when she didn't respond.
"Today wasn't a good day," she said in a small voice, afraid that she would start crying if she spoke any louder.
"How come?" he dropped his knees and laid on his back, one arm supporting his head. She didn't respond. Y/N knew he cared for her, but she couldn't speak. Her parents were the ground she stood on, in the past tense. Now?
She was groundless and falling, fast.
--------///---
"Harry, Y/N, you - you look terrible."
Y/N and Harry hadn't gotten to sleep until daybreak. Harry had awoken to find the dormitory deserted, dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to a common room that was completely empty except for Ron, who was eating a Peppermint Toad and massaging his stomach, and Hermione, who had spread her homework over three tables. Y/N slept in the Astronomy Tower with Xavier, he eventually gave up and slept, his arm as the pillow. He awoke complaining about an arm that fell asleep.
"Where is everyone?" said Y/N.
"Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron, watching us closely. "It's nearly lunchtime; I was going to come and wake you up in a minute, Harry."
"Speaking of," said Hermione, looking up from her work. "Y/N, where did you sleep? I didn't hear you come into the room?"
"Astronomy Tower," she replied simply. The girl was curled up on one side of a sofa, facing the fire, fiddling with the loose string on her jeans. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Crookshanks was spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug.
"You really don't look well, you know?" Hermione said, peering anxiously into their faces.
"I'm fine," said Harry.
"I'm okay," said Y/N at the same time as Harry.
"Harry, Y/N, listen," said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron, "you must be really upset about what we hear 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.
"You two rehearsed this," said Y/N, unbelieving. "You two rehearsed this while we were sleeping."
"You won't, will you?" said Hermione.
"Because Black's not worth dying for," said Ron.
Y/N and Harry looked at them. They didn't seem to understand at all.
"D'you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets too near me?" Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive. "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 her friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her, what would you do?"
"Did you know how close I was with my 'parents'?" Y/N said to Ron and Hermione, getting up off the couch. "I loved them more than the entire world. They were amazing, and to hear that they lied to me my entire life? That's thirteen years of pure lies! Moreover, to hear that my actual parents are probably dead because of some- because of some convict?! You're worried if we're going to kill him, but you didn't stop for a second to ask how we were! Hermione, Ron -!"
"There's nothing you both 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." said Harry.
"So what are you saying?" said Ron, looking very tense. "You want to - to kill Black or something?"
Again, Harry and Y/N didn't answer. H didn't know what he wanted to do. All he knew was that the idea of doing nothing, while Black was at liberty was more than he could stand.
Y/N was angry and upset and lied to. She felt betrayed. She couldn't believe that Ron and Hermione were pulling this. Their immediate thought was that she and Harry were going to kill somebody? She didn't know what she wanted exactly, but she sure as hell wanted to tackle someone.
"Malfoy knows," Harry said abruptly, "Remember what he said to us in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself. . . . I'd want revenge."
"You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?" said Ron furiously. "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, Y/N, and he's dangerous -"
"Oh, come on!" Y/N burst out. "You guys don't get it, do you?"
"Malfoy's dad must have told him," said Harry, ignoring Ron and Y/N.
"He was right in Voldemort's inner circle - "
"Say You-Know-Who, will you?" interjected Ron angrily.
"Shut it, Ron!" said Y/N.
"- so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort -"
" - and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip-"
"Ron!" yelled Y/N. "Do not tell us to get a fucking grip if you wanna be punched by me!"
"Guys, please," said Hermione, her eyes now shining with tears, "please be sensible. Black did a terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants. . . . Oh, Harry, Y/N, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your parents wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!"
"Don't act like you know what our parents would want!" exclaimed Y/N, outraged. "They're gone because of Black! I barely even knew my Uncle Merkel, much less knew he was married! I guess he's not my uncle anymore." she chuckled sarcastically and sat black down on the couch.
There was a silence in which Crookshanks stretched luxuriously, flexing his claws. Ron's pocket quivered.
"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 now Y/N aren't supposed to leave the castle, Ron-"
"Yeah, let's go," said Harry, sitting up, "and I can ask him how he never told me about Black when he told me all about my parents!"
"I'm staying," Y/N said stubbornly.
"Y/N," said Harry softly, his entire mood changing as he held out a hand for the girl. He'd always held a soft spot for her. He knew why, he just didn't understand it, he didn't understand his emotions.
"Harry, it's fine, I'll find something else to do. I'm just not in the mood," she replied sincerely, patting the hand extended out for her. She knew where she was going, and she knew why she was going. Harry turned around, facing the others.
Harry turned around, facing the others, and told them firmly, "We're visiting Hagrid."
As they got their cloaks from their dormitories and set off through the portrait hole, the young girl raced up to the astronomy tower.
Again.
--------///---
"Up here again?" Xavier L/N called out to his younger sister. He'd done well to memorize the walk from the Hufflepuff common room to this tower after the rumors of Harry being the heir to Slytherin and that she was his sidekick broke out. He'd known that she came up here often, but something was very wrong now.
"Yeah," she called back, in the same position she was last night. "Mom and dad said to stay home too?" She was thankful that her brother was there. She wished so deeply that he was allowed to know.
"They did," he replied, brushing his hands on his black slacks before sitting down next to her. "Any idea why?"
They're not my parents.
"No," she turned to look at him, face close to breaking out in tears. Xavier looked so happy, so happy. Xavier was friends with every single Hufflepuff. Xavier lived the life, she'd always been jealous, but now he was sitting next to her, blissfully unaware. She envied him and how he thought even more than ever now.
"You've been coming up here a lot now, Y/N," Xavier was sitting cross-legged on the ground next to her, toying with her shoelaces. "You only do that when something's wrong."
"I think something's wrong, Xavier," she wanted to tell him that her parents weren't her parents. And her parents were probably dead.
"I don't understand," he furrowed his brows.
"Do you ever feel like you've been lied to?" she asked. Please get what I'm saying, Xavier. She knew he couldn't, but she hoped. "For your entire life?"
"I had people tell me I was a ladies' man," he shrugged. "Now, I'm gay," he grinned. Xavier tried to make a joke to lighten the mood. She laughed. It was the first laugh in over a day. She was thankful for it.
"Forget it," she smiled. She couldn't tell if it was fake or genuine, for now, it didn't matter. Xavier would care. Xavier would be there.
Right?
--------///---
From what Ron, Hermione, and Harry had told the girl, the trip to Hagrid's, though far from fun had gotten the effect that Ron and Hermione had hoped. Though Harry and Y/N didn't forget about the situation, they couldn't take time to brood constantly if they wanted to help Hagrid win his case against the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. Harry, Y/N, Ron, and Hermione went to the library the next day and returned to the empty common room laden with books that might help prepare a defense for Buckbeak. The four of them sat in front of the roaring fire, slowly turning the pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when they ran across something relevant. At least they found Scabbers.
"Here's something . . . there was a case in 1722 . . . but the hippogriff was convicted - ugh look what they did to it, that's disgusting - "
"This might help, look - a manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the manticore off - oh - no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it. . . ."
"1648 . . . they let the augurey off, nope - never mind . . . that was because it bit them . . . . oh, jeez - they retried, gross. . . "
Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor, and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air.
"Y/N?" Y/N heard the shout come from the bottom of the girls' dormitory, she looked up. It was Christmas Eve, Ron and Hermione were out, scoping out books from the library, she assumed Harry'd gone with them. She opened her door, checking out the scenery below.
There he was, Harry Potter, calling her name from the bottom of the steps, holding a bit of parchment.
"Harry?" she asked. She welcomed this surprise, with open arms, but she looked like hell. Multiple nights awake, and the only way she got to sleep was Xavier forcing her to.
"Hey," he looked up, squinted, held up the map, and shook it. "Wanna go for a walk?"
"Not that I'm not happy about this, but why the sudden surprise?" she asked as they passed the Hufflepuff common room. Due to the lack of students, and thereby the lack of teachers, Invisibility Cloaks were not needed.
"Felt like we both needed a bit of cheering up," he said, leading her to a portrait of a fruit bowl. He grabbed her hand in his and swung her playfully forward. "You know what to do," he pointed at the portrait.
She reached out and wiggled her pointer finger on the fruit. The pear shook and the door opened wide.
"Harry Potter!" a tiny elfish-like voice called out. The girl could point out that annoying ass voice anywhere. Dobby the House Elf.
"Damn, I always manage to avoid him," she groaned. Y/N knew the elf meant well, but she really could sock him in the face.
"He has good intentions," he said as she looked at him with a straight face. "Okay, fine, but let's go. He gives me free food, Y/N,"
"Con-artist," she snorted. Whipped.
"Let's go," Harry brought Y/N forward.
"How did you find out about the kitchens anyways?" asked Harry as they were munching on blueberry pancakes cross-legged next to each other on the floor of the kitchens.
"Partial credit to Xavier," she said with her mouth full. "He told me there was an entrance to the kitchens near his common room. I stayed up one night in first year and stayed out here, just trying everything. That one day I fell asleep in Charms?"
"Seriously?!" he laughed.
"Yeah, and I kept going back!" she chuckled, grabbing another pancake.
"Speaking of, how've you been?" he asked lightly. "With the thing?" He knew not to mention it explicitly, it was obvious they both were still very sensitive.
"I've been average," she replied. "Xavier's been helping me but he doesn't know,"
"You can always vent to me when you want, you know that, right?" he tried to catch her gaze, she seemed to be looking at her fingernails.
"I know," she picked at them. "I haven't responded to my parents after their last letter. D'you think I should?"
"Dunno, it's up to you if you still trust them," he shrugged. "Do you still trust them?" Harry peered at Y/N.
"I'm not sure. How are you feeling with your- thing?"
"Just really angry about it, he basically killed my parents, now he's trying to kill me, and he was their best friend," he ticked off the points on his fingers. "Y/N, we are so messed up,"
"Ah," she exclaimed, falling back against the wall behind her. "look at us, the messed up misfits eating blueberry pancakes on the floor of the kitchens,"
"You're more messed up than me, though," he said as he bit into another pancake. He coughed, "These need more syrup,"
--------///---
On Christmas morning, Y/N was awoken by a hairball.
Not literally, but Crookshanks had coughed up one on the pillow her head wasn't on.
"Hermione!" she'd groaned and picked the cat up. "Control your cat!"
Hermione'd been up for about an hour, pouring over her work and articles. She looked up to find the hairball, slimy and large.
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, abandoning the books and hurrying across the room. "I'm sorry, Y/N!" she lifted the cat from Y/N's chest and dropped him to the floor.
"It's okay," she grabbed a tissue and threw the hairball in the trash can. Then she flopped back onto the bed. "I have a very large headache," she massaged her temples.
Hermione tossed a purple box adorned with a bow at her head. "Open mine first!" She sat down at the pile of presents and the foot of the bed.
Y/N opened the box, inside it was a muggle book, five rings, a cassette player titled 'Greatest Hits of The 80's ' and earphones.
"Aw! Hermione!" Y/N opened her arms and Hermione came running into them.
Y/N got Hermione a pair of headphones, a book of TinTin comics (originals and not), and a pack of velvet scrunchies. She gave Ron a cookbook for all his favorite foods and a mug that said '1 Mom'. From the Weasley's she'd gotten a purple sweater with the letter Y/I titled onto it. Ron gave her a jumbo pack of droobles and a mug that said '#1 Dad'. Xavier got her a mini model of the Astronomy Tower along with a note that said, 'So you don't have to keep going in the middle of the night ;)', she gave him a pair of glasses because she knew his vision was getting even worse, and a sketchbook; he loved to draw.
Despite her parents' recent distancing, she still got them a present. She received a letter from them that morning.
'Y/N,
Happy Christmas, there are 10 galleons enclosed.
M/N L/N and F/N L/N'
She kept the money but threw away the letter and their present.
"Y/N, you have one more," Hermione drew her eyebrows together and pointed under her bed.
There was a long, thin package lying underneath the bed.
"What is it?" Y/N out loud as she took it in her hands.
She ripped the parcel open and gasped as a magnificent, gleaming broomstick rolled out onto the floor.
Hermione grimaced, but Y/N didn't see it. "Y/N. . ." Hermione drew out.
"I don't believe it," she said hoarsely.
It was a Firebolt, identical to the dream broom Harry had gone to see every day in Diagon Alley. It was the broom in the magazines Y/N had poured over in her living room during the summer. Its handle glittering as she picked it up. She could feel it vibrating and let go; it hung in midair, unsupported, at exactly the right height for her to mount it. Her eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle, right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.
"Who sent it to you?" Hermione asked warily. The tone didn't register with Y/N, she was too involved with the broomstick.
"No clue. . there wasn't a card," Y/N muttered.
"Y/N, let's go visit the boys," Hermione tapped her on the shoulder.
"Huh?" Y/N asked, surprised. "Oh, yeah. . ."
Y/N took the gift for Harry that she was waiting to get for him, clearly, he was as well; she didn't get a gift this morning.
"What're you two laughing about?" Hermione said as she walked through their dormitory, Y/N following closely behind.
"Don't bring him in here!" said Ron, hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of his bed and stowing him in his pajama pocket. But Hermione and Y/N weren't listening. Hermione dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty bed and stared, open-mouthed, at the Firebolt.
"Oh, Harry! Who sent you that?"
"No idea," said Harry, "There wasn't a card or anything with it."
"Same," Y/N said from behind Hermione.
"You got one too?" Harry asked her. "A broom?"
"Yeah," she smiled. "Under my bed."
To their great surprise. Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lower lip.
"What's the matter with you?" said Ron.
"I don't know," said Hermione slowly, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean these are supposed to be quite good brooms, aren't they?"
Ron signed exasperatedly.
"It's the best broom there is, Hermione," he said.
"So they must've been really expensive. . . ."
"Probably more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," said Ron happily.
"Well . . . who'd send Harry and Y/N something as expensive as that, and not even tell them they'd sent it?" said Hermione.
"Probably someone with a shit-ton of money," said Y/N.
"Who cares?" said Ron impatiently "Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?"
"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" said Hermione shrilly.
Harry, Ron, and Y/N looked at her.
"What d'you think they're going to do with it - sweep the floor?" said Ron.
But before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang from Seamus's bed, right at Ron's chest.
Harry and Y/N exchanged glances.
"GET - HIM - OUT - OF - HERE!" Ron bellowed as Crookshanks's claws ripped his pajamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder. Ron seized Sscabbers by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks that hit the trunk at the end of Harry's bed, knocking it over and causing Ron to hop up and down, howling with pain.
Crookshanks's fur suddenly stood on end. A shrill, tinny whistling was filling the room. The Pocket Sneakosnope had become dislodged from Uncle Vernon's old socks and was whirling and gleaming on the floor.
"I forgot about that!" Harry said, bending down and picking up the Sneakosnope. "I never wear those socks if I can help it. . . ."
"You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione," said Ron furiously, sitting on Harry's bed nursing his toe. "Can't you shut that thing up?" he added to Harry as Hermione strode out of the room, Crookshanks's yellow eyes still fixed maliciously on Ron.
Harry stuffed the Sneakoscope back inside the socks and threw it back into the trunk. All that could be heard now were Ron's stifled moans of pain and rage. Scabbers was huddled in Ron's hands. It had been a while since Y/N had seen him out of Ron's pocket, and he was unpleasantly surprised to see that Scabbers, once so fat, was now very skinny; patches of fur seemed to have fallen out too.
"He's not looking too good, is he?" Harry said.
"It's stress!" said Ron. "He'd be fine if that big stupid furball left him alone! I'm going down for breakfast! See you both later." He slipped on slippers and stomped downstairs.
It was all of five seconds Ron was gone before Y/N and Harry burst out laughing.
"It's not funny but it really is," Y/N choked out, clutching her stomach.
"No," Harry said, bending over. "it is,"
Y/N caught her breath as she sat down on the bed across from Harry and put her hands onto her knees. When she finally did, Y/N looked up and smiled. "I have a gift for you." she sang.
"Y/N," he groaned. "You didn't have to do that,"
"Shut up, yes I did." Y/N tossed it across the room to his bed. The package small and was wrapped in brown paper, she'd been planning his gift since the summer, she'd been planning all of them, in fact. Harry's was special, she didn't know why at the time, but now it was obvious.
For Harry's gift, she bought him a silver chain with a lock charm on it to wear as a bracelet. She had the necklaces' counterpart, a silver chain with a key chain as a necklace. She also got him a scrapbook of all four of them, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Y/N.
"Y/N. . . ." Harry drew out as he dangled the bracelet from his pointer finger and thumb. "You did not need to get me this! This must've been at least twenty galleons!"
"Actually. . ." Y/N shifted her lips to one side. "It was thirty-five."
"Y/N!" he sputtered, flabbergasted.
"Oh, come on," she grinned. "it's not that much, besides, now we can match," Y/N hooked her thumb underneath the chain to show the charm off.
Harry looked away, still smiling, eyes downcast. He got up off his trunk and rummaged through his trunk.
"Here," he said and held up a large package wrapped in newspaper. "your present." He tossed it to Y/N.
Now, Y/N L/N was never one to fall for one by smug grins and witty banter. She had a vision, she would get into a relationship and then fall in love. Then, Harry freaking Potter walked into her life, and screwed up her plan, not that she was complaining.
So what would be her reaction when she opened her Christmas gift from this boy and find photographs of her and him together and a signed copy of her favorite book?
If this were on of her fantasies, she would get up and kiss him, right on the lips. But it was not, obviously.
"Harry. . ." she gasped.
Harry was chewing on his fingernails in anticipation, he'd saved up money for odd jobs over the summer to get the signed copy of 'Blood Meridian', and asked Colin Creevey for copies of the photographs he took over the two years he'd been at Hogwarts. He didn't tell her, but he'd been planning this gift since then.
"Do you like it?" he asked shyly.
"I love it, Harry!" she smiled and was going through the photos
"Harry? Y/N?" Ron's voice called out from behind the door. Really Ron? Y/N thought to herself.
"Yeah," Harry called back. "We're coming, Ron!" Harry walked over to Y/N and held both of his hands out for her to grab. She took them and he pulled her up off the bed then spun her around.
"Smooth, Potter," she commented, staring at his lopsided grin.
"Why, thank you, Y/N." he replied, holding the door open for her. "Ladies first,"
"How very courteous," she said cheekily.
"Oh, come one," he laughed.
He didn't plan to do it, she didn't know it was happening until she saw it was, but Harry put his hand gently on her waist to guide her forward.
It was less than a second, even less than that, but it happened. And they both knew it.
He blanched. "Uh-"
"No- it's fine- "
"But it-"
"It's-"
"Sorry-"
"No, it didn't-"
"It was-"
"Harry," she gently put a hand on his chest.
"Yes?"
"Do you wanna go to lunch now?"
"Sure," he nodded fervently.
--------///---
Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground in the Gryffindor common room that morning. Hermione had shut Crookshanks in her dormitory, but was furious with Ron for trying to kick him; Ron was still fuming about Crookshanks's fresh attempt to eat Scabbers. Harry and Y/N gave up trying to make them talk to each other and devoted themselves to examining the Firebolts, which they had brought down to the common room with them. For some reason this seemed to annoy Hermione as well; she didn't say anything, but she kept looking darkly at the brooms as though they too had been criticizing her cat. Y/N tried to talk to her but she was ignoring her as well.
At lunchtime they went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again and that a single table, set for fourteen, stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldy-looking tailcoat. There were only four other students, two extremely nervous-looking first years, Xavier L/N, and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year.
"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Y/N approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables. . . . Sit down, sit down!"
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Y/N sat down side by side at the end of the table.
"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch's hat topped with a stuffed vulture.
Y/N, remembering the boggart, caught Ron's eye and they both grinned; Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat towards Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.
"Dig in!" he advised the table, beaming around.
As Y/N was helping herself to roast potatoes, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding towards them as if on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly.
"Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore, standing up.
"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness. . . ."
"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair - "
And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.
"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be fifteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when fifteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"
"We'll risk it, Sybill," said Professor McGonagall impatiently. "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold."
Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Professor McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen.
"Tripe, Sybill?"
Professor Trelawney ignored her. Eyes open again, she looked around once more and said, "But where is dear Professor Lupin?"
"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," said Dumbledore, indicating that everyone should start serving themselves. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."
"But surely you knew that, Sybill?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised.
Professor Trelawney gave Professor McGonagall a very cold look.
"Certainly I knew, Minerva," she said quietly. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."
"That explains a great deal," said Professor McGonagall tartly.
Professor Trelawney's voice suddenly became a good deal less misty.
"If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for them -"
"Imagine that," said Professor McGonagall dryly.
"I doubt," said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawyned's conversation, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"
Hermione and Y/N exchanged glances.
"Yes, Headmaster," said Snape.
"Good," said Dumbledore. "Then he should be up and about in no time. . . . Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They're excellent."
The first-year boy went furiously red on being addressed by Dumbledore and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands.
Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner, Harry and Y/N got up from the table and she shrieked loudly.
"My dears! Which one of you left their seat first? Which?"
"Dunno," said Harry, looking uneasily at Y/N.
"Him," Y/N pointed accusingly at Harry, smirking at his annoyed face.
"I doubt it will make much of a difference," said Professor McGonagall coldly, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the entrance hall."
Even Harry laughed. Professor Trelawney looked highly affronted.
"Coming?" Y/N said to Hermione as Ron joined the two of them.
"No," Hermione muttered, "I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall."
"Probably trying to see if she can take any more classes," yawned Ron as they made their way into the entrance hall, which was completely devoiced of mad axe-men.
When they reached the portrait hole, they found Sir Cadogan enjoying a Christmas party with a couple of monks, several previous headmasters of Hogwarts, and his fat pony. He pushed up his visor and toasted them with a flagon of mead.
"Merry - hic - Christmas! Password?"
"Scurvy cur," said Ron.
"And the same to you, sir!" roared Sir Cadogan as the painting swung forward to admit them.
Harry went upstairs to the dormitory, collected the Firebolt and the Broomstick Servicing Kit Hermione had given him for his birthday, brought them downstairs, and tried to fine something to do to the Firebolt; however, there were no bent twigs to clip, and the handle was so shiny already it seemed pointless to polish it. He and Ron simply sat admiring it from every angle, Y/N was a very large fan of hers but it seemed pointless to do that when she could've been completing schoolwork, when Hermione came in, accompanied by Professor McGonagall.
She'd been in the common room once before and that was to announce that the heir of Slytherin was loose in the castle, so they didn't know what to expect. He and Ron stared at her, both holding the Firebolt. Hermione walked around them, sat down, picked up the nearest book, and hid her face behind it.
"So that's it, is it?" said Professor McGonagall beadily, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Firebolt, but not before shooting a concerned glance at Y/N. "Miss Granger has just informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Potter. And you too, Y/N, would you mind retrieving it?"
"Sure, Professor," Y/N said stoically and went upstairs and down rather fast,
As she reached the bottom of the steps, she saw, Harry and Ron looking around at Hermione. They could see her forehead reddening over the top of her book, which was upside down. Y/N simply sat back and watched the interaction unfold.
"May I?" said Professor McGonagall, but she didn't wait for an answer before pulling the Firebolt out of their hands. She examined it carefully from handle to twig-ends. "Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"
"No," said Harry and Y/N blankly at the same time.
"I see . . . ," said Professor McGonagall. "Well, I'm afraid I will have to take these, Potter, L/N."
"W-what?" said Harry, scrambling to his feet.
"Why?" Y/N asked incredulously.
"They will need to be check for jinxes," said Professor McGonagall. "Of course, I'm not expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will have to strip them down - "
"Strip 'em down?" repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall were mad.
"It shouldn't take more that a few weeks," said Professor McGonagall. "You will have them back if we are sure they are jinx-free."
"There's nothing wrong with it!" said Harry, his voice shaking slightly.
"Honestly, Professor, they're fine -!" Y/N said boldly
"You both can't know that," said Professor McGonagall, quite kindly, "not until you've flown them, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that they have not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."
Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the broomsticks out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. They stood staring after her, the tine of High-Finish Polish still clutched in Harry's hands. Ron, however, rounded on Hermione.
"What did you go running to McGonagall for?"
Hermione threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stoof up and faced Ron defiantly.
"Because I thought - and Professor McGonagall agrees with me - that those brooms were probably sent to Harry and Y/N by Sirius Black!"
A/N:
THIRD-PERSON IS AMAZING I'M DOING IT NOW IDC IDC IDC IDC
fun fact: I am drinking coffee from an I heart tintin mug so. . .
guess who gets to go to the neighbourhood concert happening in october :)
EON IS NOT FUNNY.
googling how to make people cry through a wattpad chapter. . . . . .
P lEasE vote nd comment
b Ye <3
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