Things were finally calming down after Krinos's near panic attack and the break-in of Sirius Black. The teachers were on high alert more than they ever have been before.
But the trio were all really frustrated. They knew that people were keeping something from them from how multiple people kept looking at them whenever someone mentioned Sirius Black. It was ever-frustrating and they all had half a mind to grab the next person they saw look at them and use the truth spell to force them to talk. It was not the hardest spell to cast and if someone did not tell them sooner or later, things were going to go crazy.
The only problem was the twenty-four-hour time limit on the spell. When someone is forced to tell the truth for that long, that is when things tend to go to hell. Mostly because you have no idea what was going to come out of their mouths. And as the saying goes, "the truth is out there, and it hurts."
"Melody, you're the Ravenclaw," Harry says. "Did you find anything on Sirius Black in the Hogwarts library?"
"I looked, but someone took out all the newspapers from about twelve years ago," Melody said. "I did find him in some of the old Hogwarts yearbooks. He was a student here about twenty-four years ago and was sorted into Gryffindor. Other than that, there wasn't much else that I could find."
"It seems like someone is purposely removing everything Hogwarts has on him," Krinos said.
"Well, let's do some math," Harry says. "Newspapers from twelve years ago have been removed, so all of us would be around one at that time."
"That was the same age where you supposedly defeated Voldemort," Krinos remembered. "Maybe this was something to do with him."
"Could be," Melody was deep in thought.
"Maybe Sirius Black was one of the death eaters that followed Voldemort like they were sheep and he was their shepherd," Harry guessed.
"So that could easily mean that he could be coming after you," Krinos says. "Like some twisted sense of revenge. You destroyed his lord so now he wants to destroy you."
"Wow, even criminals in this country are idiots," Melody scoffed. "Usually they are a lot smarter than such an obvious plan."
"The others might know and that is why they have been looking at us the way that they have," Harry said. "Since we are from Greece, it makes sense for them to think that we would not know about Black and his motives for breaking out of Azkaban."
"They probably think not telling us is their way of trying to protect us," Krinos says. "If they tell us that Black is after Harry, we might have gotten way too paranoid to work properly in class."
"We're mystic souls," Harry rolled his eyes. "If anything, Black should be afraid of us if he ever actually finds us. I'd like to see him try and take us on. He would be in for one hell of a surprise."
"Anyone that underestimates us usually does not live long enough to tell anyone," Melody laughed. "But that is usually demons."
"How they have not learned that we will always defeat them by this point, I have no idea," Krinos shook his head. "Better they attack us and not helpless mundanes, though."
"No kidding," Melody agreed.
"Do you guys think we should confront one of them," Harry asked his siblings. "Like maybe Percy or Cedric to see if they know anything. They are the oldest in our friend group."
"I think that sounds like a good idea," Krinos says. "They might talk if all three of us confront them at once."
"And if we need to threaten them, we can ask the house elves to give Krinos a bowl of mashed potatoes," Melody smirked.
"I reserve those for bullies, thank you very much," Krinos snickered, crossing his arms.
"Oh, you know we love teasing you, Nos," Harry chuckled as he put his arm over his brother's shoulders.
"Speaking of teasing, you still making heart eyes at Things One and Two," Krinos smirked as he mentioned the twin redheads.
Harry almost instantly blushed and tried to hide his face.
"Oh, Harry," Melody giggled as the twins hugged their brother. "We know you like them. When the time is right, just ask them out."
"But what if they don't like me back," Harry says. "I don't even know if they are gay or not."
"Every time they are near you, they instantly put themselves on either side of you," Krinos said. "If they act like that, they have to like you."
"Yeah, almost like how I see Cedric constantly stealing glances at Krinos," Melody smirked.
"What! Really! He looks at me," Krinos did not know that.
"How I have two gay brothers and am still straight myself is beyond me," Melody shook her head.
"Just lucky, I guess," Harry snickered. "But when you get a crush of your own, you know that we will tease you as well."
"Lucky me," Melody playfully rolled her eyes.
"Okay, now let's go kidnap Percy or Cedric," Krinos stated, walking off.
"Should we be worried that he can say something like that so casually," Harry asked his sister.
They look at each other.
"Nah," they both decided, following Krinos.
*****
Percy was walking toward the library when he passed by a door to one of the many abandoned classrooms in Hogwarts. Before he knew it, the door opened and he was yanked inside with the door closing behind him. He soon found himself on a chair with three Gardna's glaring at him.
"Uh... Hi, guys," he nervously greeted.
"We know you guys know something about Sirius Black," Harry got right to the point.
"The looks you all give each other whenever he's mentioned around us tell us enough," Melody says.
"So you are going to tell us before we do something that we might regret later," Krinos said, crossing his arms.
The three glared at their older friend, even making the Head Boy weak in the knees. If you had asked Percy about three years ago if three thirteen-year-olds would scare him when he was seventeen, he would have said you were crazy. But that was before he met the trio. They were terrifying even when they had been only eleven.
"Don't make us cast a truth spell, Percy," Harry threatened. "You may be our friend, but keeping us in the dark never ends well for anyone."
"Plus, who knows what else will come out when forced to speak the truth for twenty-four hours," Melody evilly smirked.
"Last time a truth spell was cast in a school, it was basically a school-wide war for almost a month after it ended," Krinos snickered.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you," Percy gave in. "Just don't do anything stupid because of this information. Sirius Black is said to be after you, Harry. Whenever he would speak in his sleep, saying things like 'he's at Hogwarts, he's at Hogwarts,' people immediately thought it was about you. Sirius Black was said to be You-Know-Who's right-hand man. So we all believe that he is after you to seek revenge for destroying his master."
The trio looked at each other. They knew there was a chance of that being the case, but now they knew their assumptions were right.
"One peaceful year, that's all we want," Melody facepalmed. "Is one peaceful year at this school too much to ask?"
"Apparently, in magical Britain, it is," Krinos commented.
"Even we find this too much, and we've been fighting demons our whole lives," Harry crossed his arms. "You'd think after fighting them for years, we'd be used to our lives being in constant danger. But guess we can't escape life-threatening situations even in another country."
"No kidding," Krinos scoffed. "What could be next? Zombies? Harpies? Psychotic mermaids?"
"Well, there is said to be merpeople in the lake," Percy said.
"You are not helping, Percy," Melody stated.
"Well, this is certainly a bad time for it, but I now have to go play some Quidditch," Harry went toward the door. "We're against Hufflepuff today."
"In this weather," Krinos raised an eyebrow. "It's raining cats and dogs out there."
"Huh," Percy was confused.
"Mundane expression," Krinos tells him. "Nothing to worry about, Percy."
"Quidditch is apparently played no matter what," Harry shrugged. "Fred and George once told me about a professional match that lasted for three months because neither seeker could find the snitch. They had to keep switching out players so that they could sleep, eat, and drink."
"That is all types of crazy," Melody said. "Even as obsessed with Quidditch that Oliver is, not even he would want a match that lasts that long."
"Well, nothing I can do about it," Harry left to go to the locker room.
Oliver was already there, but that was not very odd.
"Hey, Harry," he greeted him.
"Oliver, I noticed something while I've been attending here," Harry said.
"Really? And what would that be," Oliver was curious.
"That even though you are quite popular, especially with the girls, you have not had one girlfriend since I have known you," Harry says.
Oliver nearly fell over in shock. Normally, Harry would not be so direct, but Oliver was his friend and if he needed to play matchmaker to make his friend happy, he would. And if he could not get him a good match, he would have to ask Eros, the Greek god of love, for some assistance.
"You don't hold back when you're being blunt, do you," Oliver tried to change the subject.
"Oliver," Harry spoke in his 'don't give me nonsense' voice.
He sighed. "No, I have not had a girlfriend. Nor have I had one the entire time I've been at Hogwarts."
"I'm not trying to make you feel ashamed," Harry stated. "I was just curious and also silently planning to meet with Luna later to get a girl's perspective on matchmaking."
"You're an odd dude you know, Harry," Oliver said. "But it is more because the one person that I had a crush on while I've been here has graduated already and I was never sure if h..."
He suddenly stopped.
"You were going to say 'he' right," Harry asked, smirking.
"You don't have a problem with that," Oliver asked, shocked. "I know of others at this school that don't like relationships like that."
"Well, I haven't met any of those people but I wouldn't care even if I do meet them," Harry said. "If you think I would judge a person based on their sexual preferences, you are mistaken."
"I wasn't trying to make assumptions about you," Oliver held his hands up in defeat. "I have just met the wrong type of people in the past and am just being cautious."
"I understand, Oliver," Harry smiled at him. "But no need to worry about that from me. If it makes you feel any better, I've known that I have been gay since I was nine-years-old."
Oliver was shocked but was soon smiling at Harry.
"So, those looks I see you sending the twins are not just my imagination," he chuckled.
Harry blushed. "I have been teased enough today about that. Go tease Krinos about his crush on Cedric."
"I will definitely tease Cedric about his crush during the game," Oliver smirked. "Psychological warfare is the best way to win a match."
"I am so meeting with Luna later to matchmake," Harry shook his head. "If I have to deal with any romantic 'will they or won't they' drama, I will go gray. If I have to go down, I am taking at least one person with me."
Oliver laughed. He knew that Harry and his siblings would be just as accepting of his as the rest of the Quidditch team, but it was certainly a relief to know that there were more people like him at Hogwarts. Even though the wizarding world was more accepting than the mundane one when it came to same-sex couples, there were definitely some people that hate them like the blood purists hate muggleborns.
As the rest of the team came into the locker room, everyone got ready. They all prepared themselves for the storm outside. They could hear the heavy rain even from inside the locker rooms. They did use a few spells to allow them to keep their grips on their brooms even in the rain as well as spells to keep the rain away from their faces. They were allowed in Quidditch matches because it made the game safer for them.
They all went out as Madam Hooch's whistle sounded and both teams flew onto the field.
Within five minutes Harry was soaked to his skin and frozen, hardly able to see his teammates, let alone the tiny Snitch. He flew backward and forward across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, with no idea of what was happening in the rest of the game. He couldn't hear the commentary over the wind. The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice Harry came very close to being unseated by a Bludger; his vision was so clouded by the rain on his glasses he hadn't seen them coming.
He lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to hold his broom straight. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. Twice Harry nearly hit another player, without knowing whether it was a teammate or opponent; everyone was now so wet, and the rain so thick, he could hardly tell them apart.
"Harry!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts. "Harry, behind you!"
Harry looked wildly around. Cedric was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering in the rain-filled air between them. With a jolt of panic, Harry threw himself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch.
"Come on!" he growled at his Nimbus as the rain whipped his face. "Faster!"
But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though Harry had gone suddenly deaf. What was going on? He could feel his amulet start to glow as well as feeling it's power.
And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over him, inside him, just as he became aware of something moving on the field below...
Before he'd had time to think, Harry had taken his eyes off the Snitch and looked down.
"Oh, sweet mother of the Olympians," he gasped.
At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at him, were standing beneath him. It was as though freezing water was rising in his chest, cutting at his insides. And then he heard it again. Someone was screaming, screaming inside his head... a woman...
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"
"Stand aside, you silly girl... stand aside, now..."
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead —"
Numbing swirling white mist was filling Harry's brain... What was he doing? Why was he flying? He needed to help her... She was going to die... She was going to be murdered... He was falling, falling through the icy mist.
"Not Harry! Please... have mercy... have mercy..."
A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming. In the crowd below, Krinos and Melody could barely see their brother through the storm and the cloud of dementors.
"Why isn't his amulet getting rid of them like they did on the train," Neville asked, scared for his friend.
"There are too many of them," Melody yelled to be heard. "Even our amulets are not powerful enough to deal with so many at once."
Krinos was staring at the cloud of dementors. He started to breathe rapidly.
"Krinos," Neville looked concerned for his friend.
Krinos fell to his knees, holding his head. Melody went to her brother. He had tears flowing down his face.
"I hear them," he cried. "I hear them in my head. I hear them killing Mama and Bampás. Make it stop, make it stop. Please."
"Not even all three of our amulets can keep them away," Melody yelled.
"What do we do," Neville had no idea.
"Scream," Krinos looked at his sister through his tears. "Please, Melody. Get them out of my head. I can't take it."
Melody looked between her two brothers. The one crying next to her and the one struggling to stay in the air. Harry had to also be dealing with horrible memories. It was up to her to help them long enough for the teachers to get the dementors away. She touched her own amulet, a look of determination on her face. Everyone had fallen multiple times for their lies about their powers being the work of their amulets. They had not seen her powers as they had for her brothers. But if they could mistake were-creature shapeshifting and an explosion of plants as amulet magic, they can definitely mistake her sonic scream for it as well.
She stood up, letting Neville, Percy, and Luna comfort Krinos. Her eyes and amulet glowed as she looked over the side of the bleachers.
"Harmony shriek," she whispered, casting her spell.
She opened her mouth and shrieked. Out of her mouth came a horrible sound. The sound that came out was like a thousand bats screaming at once. It was worse than a dying cat dragging its claws down a chalkboard while someone played the bagpipes.
Dozens of students around them covered their ears as Melody's shriek almost seemed to cause pain for anyone that heard it. The dementors certainly did not like it. They fled the area anywhere that was far enough away that they could not be affected by her power. It allowed Dumbledore, Lupin, and Flitwick to cast some type of spell that sent three different silver things into the air that chased off the dementors from the match for good.
Melody soon stopped, breathing very hard as she did.
"Wow," Neville and Percy gasped.
"I could go for some nice camomile tea after that," Luna somehow still spoke in her dreamy voice.
Krinos shot up, the bad memories fading away.
"Where's Harry," he immediately asked.
All of them looked up just to see Harry, with his eyes closed, falling from his broom.
"HARRY," they all yelled.
Cedric shot downward on his broom, catching Harry before either of them hit the ground. But he was still unconscious. Melody and Krinos immediately pushed through the crowd to make their way to the field.