บท 54: Snape and Lupin

One evening, as Chris watched the raindrops hitting the window glass in common room while wondering about Sirius Black, Ginny and Colin stopped talking beside her. Ginny suddenly shook Chris hard.

"Wh—what?" Chris said looking at them.

"Tell me what're we talking about?" Ginny said crossing her arms.

"Umm — about our last Defence Against the Dark Arts class ?" Chris guessed.

"No, Chris," Colin sighed.

"Sorry I didn't hear."

"You're doing this for last few days now, Chris. You are always distracted. What's going on in that brain of yours?" Ginny asked getting impatient. "Mind telling us?"

"Yeah. Ginny is right. Nowadays your eyes looked more dreamy than Luna's," Colin said.

"It's just —" Chris tried to lie.

"The truth Chris!" Ginny said over her.

"Fine. I'm trying to solve this mystery about Sirius Black." Chris sighed. "And I'm going nowhere. How he fooled the Dementors? How he entered the castle? Why does he want to get into our common room? What's his connection with Harry and why Professor Snape thinks that Professor Lupin helped Sirius Black? — So many questions but I don't have any answers."

"Nobody does Chris. Everyone is thinking the same thing," Colin said putting a hand on Chris's shoulder.

"Wait, how did you know Professor Snape thinks that Professor Lupin helped Sirius Black?" Ginny asked raising her eyebrows.

"O! That's what I think," Chris told them about the late-night talk between Dumbledore and Snape.

"Ok. So you know more than everyone else here." Colin said looking impressed.

"No. I'm sure, Harry, Ron and Hermione know much more than this. But what?" Chris mumbled.

"Chris, I want to help," Ginny said seriously. "Are you sure? I mean we're dealing with a murderer here, the Dementors are also involved. It can be dangerous, Ginny," Chris said uncertainly.

"I know. And that's why you can't do this alone." Ginny said confidently. "Last year, you did everything alone Chris. Let me help at this time."

"Yes. I don't know how much I can help but I'll try my best." Colin said looking serious as well.

"Ok." Chris thought for a moment. "Ginny, I saw Percy is keeping an eye on Harry always, so if you can get information from him about Harry; then that'll be a great help. Just make sure he doesn't understand why are you asking." Ginny nodded and Chris turned towards Colin. "Listen, Colin, if you found anything unusual in the castle.. anything that you never saw before in Hogwarts, you're going to tell me immediately. Am I clear?"

Colin nodded.

"I can take pictures as well," he said.

"No don't. If anyone heard the clicking noises, you will be in danger. So just use your eyes. Ok?" Chris asked.

"Ok" Colin said.

______________________________

The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team were training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch.

"It's because of Harry. They're trying to keep an extra eye on him, always." George told Chris when she asked about Madam Hooch's presence.

At their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.

"Flint's excuse is that their Keeper is injured, he fell from the stairs," said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances."

There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"There's nothing wrong with him, we saw him falling!" said George furiously. "He's faking it!"

"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly. "And we've been practising all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory —"

Angelina suddenly giggled.

"What?" said Wood, frowning at this light-hearted behaviour.

Chris and Ginny looked at her.

"He's that tall, good-looking one, we saw that day," said Angelina looking at Chris and Ginny.

"Oh! Yes. I saw him." Ginny said giggling next.

"Why didn't I see him?" Chris said, trying to remember.

"I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff are a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?" Fred said impatiently.

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin are trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"

"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."

Chris pulled Angelina and Ginny aside after that.

"What is it, Chris?" Angelina asked.

"Angelina, I was thinking, we should know about the Hufflepuff Chasers and Keepers. That way we can prepare ourselves." Chris said thinking. "Look, if that Diggory is a really good seeker as much as Oliver thinks, then Harry will have problems beating him. So I was thinking if we can goal more than the Golden Snitch points then we can still win; even if Harry fails to catch the Snitch."

"That's a really great idea, Chris — but —" Angelina said. "But — at the same time very difficult."

"Yes we've to do more than fifteen goals and have to stop every single goal of them," Ginny said seriously. "But, we can try to do that."

"Fine. If you two are up to it, we'll try our best. I'll tell Wood about this. He'll be less grumpy." Angelina smiled and left.

"Cool idea Chris." Ginny smiled.

"Thanks for supporting me." Chris grinned.

"Anytime."

______________________________

The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team were looking very smug indeed. Chris, Ginny, Luna and Colin entered the Great Hall for lunch after their Transfiguration class. Fred and George were sitting with Ron, Harry and Hermione. So they also went to sit near them. Chris noticed Hermione was looking very upset and Ron and Harry were looking angry for some reasons.

"You ok, Hermione?" Chris asked sitting beside her. Hermione looked up at her but didn't say anything.

"It's because of that Snape," Ron said fuming.

"What happened?" Ginny asked sitting beside him.

"Snape took our Defence Against the Dark Arts class today," Harry answered.

"What happened to Professor Lupin?" Chris asked.

"He said Professor Lupin is not well to teach," Hermione said quietly.

"So he took over his class and —" Ron was too angry to speak.

"He said bad about Professor Lupin's teaching methods, called Hermione a know-it-all and took God knows how much house points from Gryffindor." Harry completed.

"And gave me detention to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!" He slammed his fist on the table.

"That's too much," Luna said. "Is he doing this intentionally? It's like he has something personal with Professor Lupin or else it's the Wrackspurts, who are making his brain go fuzzy."

Everyone looked at Luna and then turned to Chris for the explanation but Chris shrugged and said, "I think the first one, Luna. I think it's personal."

"I think so too," Harry agreed.