"Lucky the ground was so soft."
"I thought they were dead for sure."
"Harry didn't even break his glasses."
I didn't have the slightest clue as to where I was or how I reached there. All I knew was that every part of my body was aching, very badly.
"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."
My eyes snapped open. Somehow, I ended up in the Hospital wing, with the Gryffindor team around my bed. No wait, around two beds. I craned my neck to check the second bed, which was occupied by Harry, who was also stirring awake. I put my hand to my pounding head, and I groaned with pain.
"Rubina!" said Fred, who looked pale despite being covered in mud. "How're you feeling?" The same question was directed towards Harry.
"What happened?" Harry and I asked at the same time.
"You both fell off, Harry was a bit higher then Rubina." Fred said in a shaky voice.
"We thought you both had died." said Alicia, who was shaking.
"But the match?" I heard Harry say. "What happened? Are we having a replay?" No one said anything, but the silence spoke for itself.
"We lost?" I croaked. "But this was my first match." I mumbled with sadness.
"I know love, but it's those Dementors to blame. Dumbledore slowed your guys's fall, and he was furious to see the Dementors had trespassed." said Fred, while reassuringly squeezing my hand.
"No one blames you Harry." said George to Harry, who looked broken and guilty.
"Just after you fell, Cedric caught the Snitch. He didn't realise what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off, wanted a re-match. But they had won fair and square... even Wood admits it."
"Where is Wood?" asked Harry.
"Still in the showers, we think he's trying to drown himself." Fred answered.
Harry put his face into his knees.
"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before." Fred said.
"There had to be one time you didn't get it." added his twin.
"It's not over yet. We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff lose to Ravenclaw, and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin..." said Fred.
"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points." said George.
"Okay, forget about the future for now!" I snapped, taking the twins by surprise, but they didn't utter a single word about Quidditch. I glanced over at Harry who still wore the same expression, then it hit me.
"Hey, where did my broom go?" The twins exchanged a nervous look before George started.
"Well, when you fell, it flew away-"
"To the Whomping Willow, the tree smashed Harry's broom completely." Fred said while shooting a pitiful glance at Harry. "Your broom survived but it suffered some damage."
"Professor Flitwick brought them back."
"Can I at least see it?" Fred hesitantly grabbed down to hand me my broom, while Hermone did the same to Harry.
Mine wasn't a complete wreck, in better shape then Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand, but I doubted my faithful Nimbus Two Thousand and One's performance now.
"Oh." Was all that came out as sadness washed over me. This broom was a gift Mum had given me, and we had so many memories with it. I slid my hand over the broom's handle, as I fought back tears. "Ow!" I retreated my hand as I got a splinter in it.
"Careful, let me take it out." Fred offered. He took my hand gently in his, and carefully pulled out the splinter. "I think you'll need a new broom, this one is too sharp to ride on." Fred said sympathetically.
"Yeah, I guess." I sighed. I closed my eyes, and rested my heavy head.
Ten minutes later, Madam Pomfrey ushered everyone out.
"Take care love, we'll come visit soon." said Fred, as he left with Hermione, Ron and the rest of the Quidditch team.
Silence once again. The horrifying moments from today came flooding back to me. The coldness, the Dementors and those voices.
The voice of the woman, and the bone-chilling laugh of the man.
Who were they? Why did the woman's voice sound so familiar?
I glanced over at Harry, who was looking dazed as well.
"Harry?" At the mention of his name, his gaze shifted towards me.
"Yeah?"
"I have a question." I said rather nervously. "Do you hear voices when the Dementors get too close to you?" He paled slightly at those words.
"Yeah. I can hear a woman screaming my name, and a man, The woman is my Mum, while the man is Voldemort. It's when he tried to kill me."
"I'm sorry." I said softly. "I also hear voices. I can hear a woman and a man, but I'm not sure who they are."
"You know, how come only we are affected like this? Why isn't anyone else? Are we too weak?" Harry wondered.
"I really don't know." I murmured.
***
"Madam Pomfrey, can I go back today?"
"Hmm... You'll have to stay until the afternoon. I'll check on you again, and if you are completely well then, I'll dismiss you.
At least I can get out of here. I thought.
It was Sunday, a day after the horrible ordeal that took place during the Quidditch match. Harry and I had received visitors.
Ginny Weasley, while blushing, gave Harry a "get well" card which she had made herself, and it sang shrilly unless shut under a bowl of fruit.
The Gryffindor team had visited once again, accompanied by Wood this time, who told Harry and I that we weren't at fault of losing the match, in a dead voice.
The twins, occasionally with Lee tagging along, kept me company. Fred would crack jokes, just to get a smile on my face. George brought me snacks, nicked from the Hogwarts kitchens of course. Although the two brothers kept me entertained, I wasn't happy being stuck in the Hospital Wing.
Madam Pomfrey came around at one in the afternoon, and allowed me to leave considering I was healthy now.
***
After having a joyous lunch, I went off to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Upon reaching the door to the classroom, I inhaled deeply before stepping in, opening my eyes slowly. Luckily, my favourite Professor had returned. He looked up from his desk and smiled warmly.
"Good Afternoon Rubina." Although he was cheerful, he looked pale as ever, with dark circles beneath his eyes. Surprisingly, he was the one who had greeted me, considering the fact he was doing his utmost to avoid me for the past while.
"Good Afternoon Professor." I said, while taking a seat upfront. While I was doing the essay Snape had assigned (although not finishing it), I noticed that Professor Lupin disappeared when the moon was full. Which made me think back to the white orb, which was his fear. I became doubtful on whether Professor Lupin may be a Werewolf.
"Um, Professor?" I started hesitantly.
"Yes?" He replied with a curious look.
I initially intended on asking him about my suspicion but I thought against it at the last second.
"How are you feeling?"
He looked a bit relieved and surprised before he said. "Better."
"Professor, um, Professor Snape insisted on doing Werewolves the other day." I started slowly. "He was even insulting you!" I half-yelled, startling Lupin. "He doesn't have any right to do so!" I was breathing slightly heavy, and my hair had turned a deep shade of red.
Professor Lupin chuckled. "Well, I'm not offended. Professor Snape can tend to be-um-a bit too forward with his criticism."
"For what reason exactly? He's like that all the time! He's always deducting points or yelling at students apart from the Slytherins, for no particular reason!" I was out of my seat, and waving my fists around. "He has no right to insult the way you teach a class! Your classes are wonderful, how about he takes a look at his own lessons, always sneering at us!"
"Okay Rubina, that's enough now." Professor Lupin said in a stern voice, even though he wore an amused look on his face. Huffing, I sat down, trying to regain myself.
"Sorry." He didn't say anything but smiled gently.
Remus' Point Of View
I smiled, amused by Rubina's behaviour, as this took me back to my school memories of a particular person, who would react similarly to this. Although, after my suspicions were confirmed by what he committed, I don't want anything to do with the likes of him.
Directing my attention back to the classroom, I looked at Rubina who now wore crimson hair, and sat fuming, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek, to prevent a chuckle escaping.
Rubina's Point Of View
Soon the rest of the class poured in, and they burst into complaining like I had earlier. In the end, Lupin said that no one had to complete the essay. Only Hermione seemed disappointed since she'd finished hers already.
The lesson was enjoyable like always. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a Hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature. When the bell rang, everyone dispersed out of the classroom.
"Wait a moment, Harry, Rubina, I'd like a word." Bewildered, I retraced my steps.
"I heard about the match, so I decided to ask you both, together." He said. "I'm sorry about your broomsticks, any chance of repairing it Harry?"
"No. The tree smashed it to bits." said Harry.
"How about yours Rubina?"
"It suffered damage, but it survived. I can't ride it though, so I'll have to replace it. Mum is going to be mad, but glad that I'm okay, thank goodness." I expressed with gratitude, knowing how scary she gets when she's angry. Lupin smiled, before he sighed.
"They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game until a boy nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it."
"Did you hear about the Dementors too?" asked Harry.
"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time... furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds... I suppose they were the reason you both fell?"
"Yes." We answered together.
"Why? Why do they affect us like that? Are we just-?"
"It has nothing to do with weakness." said Lupin sharply. I slowly tuned out, wondering why, since Lupin didn't mention the reason as to why. I came back to reality when Harry told how he hears his Mum and Voldemort.
"I hear voices too." I said abruptly, catching their attention. "A woman and a man. The man says he's going to kill her and her child. The woman sounds eerily familiar, I just can't figure out who though." I huffed exasperatedly. Lupin gave me a pitiful look.
"Azkaban must be terrible." Harry muttered.
"The fortress is on an island, way out to sea, but no walls and water are needed to keep prisoners in, not when they're all trapped in their own heads, incapable of a single cheerful thought. Most of them go mad within weeks!"
"But Sirius Black escaped from them." Harry said. Lupin's briefcase slipped out of his hand, but he caught it in mid-air quickly after. He threw me a look, the same way he had when I was in his office that other evening.
"Black must have found a way to fight them."
"You made that Dementor on the train back off," said Harry suddenly.
It clicked. He wanted Lupin to teach us the defence against the Dementors. Lupin, who also realized this, answered,
"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting Dementors, Harry - quite the contrary-" I cut him off,
"Please Professor, what if they come to the match again?" Lupin's expression softened before he gave in.
"It'll have to wait until next term though, I'm busy but I'll try and help."
I squealed with joy. "Thank you Professor."
He smiled. "No problem."
Hey!
So here's the next chapter, let me know what you think! Exciting story plot coming up!!
Question:
Who is your favourite Hogwarts Professor?
For me, I'm not too sure, but I love Lupin so he gets first place, and I guess it would be McGonagall after him maybe.
Have a good day! :)
Mini-Padfoot