章節 133: Karmic Retribution
Just as Tracey had predicted, Gryffindor won pretty handily. And just as Oleandra was beginning to think Draco had chickened out, or had realized how abysmally stupid anyone would have to be in order to fall for the fake Dementor prank, three figures wearing black hooded cloaks appeared down on the pitch.
"It's starting!" Oleandra said excitedly, pointing down. "They're actually doing it!"
"Wait," said Daphne, narrowing her eyes. "This is what you've been waiting for?"
"Those are some weird Dementors," Tracey pointed out. "They're not even flying. Don't tell me; Draco and his two buddies?"
Close enough; Draco had also somehow managed to convince Marcus Flint, Slytherin team captain, to join in on this idiotic plan. Actually, now that Oleandra thought about it, it probably wasn't very difficult to convince someone who probably had troll blood coursing through their veins to do something stupid.
And just as Oleandra had predicted, Harry responded with the Patronus Charm. Harry managed to cast it the Incorporeal version on his first try, since he was feeling pretty good about his victory. And since Draco wasn't a real Dementor, he didn't emit an aura of despair, so Harry wasn't even debuffed!
Seeing as Oleandra had already warned them to be on the lookout for bright lights, the four boys didn't panic. Upon realizing that their plan had failed, they immediately turned tail and ran, only to be pursued by a furious Professor McGonagall! Hel hath no fury like a sports fan scorned, it seems.
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Oleandra was still laughing when she went to bed that night. The expression on Draco's face when Professor McGonagall lit into him, it was priceless! And from what she heard, even Professor Snape hadn't spared Draco from a few scathing remarks about his poor judgment. This little prank had cost Slytherin fifty points after all, but when had Oleandra ever cared about points, or the House Cup? She wasn't salty at all about Dumbledore's preferential treatment leading Gryffindor to win in her first year, no sir!
However, Oleandra didn't find it nearly as funny when she was rudely awoken in the middle of the night by a prefect and told to head to the common room with her dorm mates. When she arrived, she found that no Slytherin had been spared this treatment; the room was filled with sleepy and irritated faces.
"Sir, what's going on?" an oblivious first year asked Professor Snape when he entered the room.
"Quiet," Professor Snape said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Listen well, as I'll only be saying this once. Sirius Black is once again on the loose in the castle."
Despite the students knowing better, a murmur rose from the crowd as they shared their worries with whoever was closest.
"The headmaster has ordered that the castle be searched, from the dungeons to the towers," Professor Snape continued. "We won't have you all sleep in the Great Hall again, but you will all need to sleep together in the common room while I search your rooms."
Oleandra studied the expression on Professor Snape as he spoke. For someone who perpetually looked like he had a broomstick stuck up you-know-where, he seemed oddly excited, for some reason. There was murder in his eyes, with some anticipation mixed in.
"Is that supposed to reassure us?" Oleandra heard someone nearby say. "Safety in numbers? Sirius Black once blew up twelve Muggles with a single spell! We're sitting ducks!"
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After a night of fitful sleep, Oleandra didn't feel rested in the slightest. To make matters worse, as she was heading up from the dungeons for breakfast, Neville Longbottom accidentally rammed into her as he was running out of the Great Hall. Just as Oleandra was coming to her senses after being knocked on her behind, she was treated to a close encounter with Longbottom's Howler's screaming, which made her ears ring.
If there was any positive to this experience, it was that running into ol' forgetful Longbottom made Oleandra remember that she had forgotten something very important: she had a long History of Magic assignment due on Monday, which was tomorrow!
Oleandra groaned; due to yesterday's excitement, she hadn't got the chance to even read the directives about what she was supposed to be writing about, much less get started on the essay! And of course, Daphne was nowhere to be found, so Oleandra couldn't even copy her sister's work. What use were siblings if you couldn't mooch off of them?
It proved to be impossible to concentrate in the common room. Security Trolls had been posted at key points around the castle, which included the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Their stench was so potent that it somehow penetrated through the secret entrance and rendered the air inside nearly unbreathable. How was Oleandra supposed to work in such conditions? There had to be a place where there weren't Trolls, where she could work in peace.
And that's when it hit her: Trolls, of course! There was one place that would provide her with a place to work in peace. It was, of course, the Room of Requirements, which was located opposite a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach Trolls to ballet dance, on the Astronomy Tower's seventh floor.
Oleandra packed up her things and pinched her nose as she walked past the security Trolls. Ignoring their leering, she made her way to the Astronomy Tower. But just as she was passing by the Charms classroom, she heard someone calling after her.
"Oleandra, wait up!" an out of breath voice shouted. "We were looking for you!"
She turned around and saw Harry and Ron running after her. Oleandra frowned; there was no reason for two slackers to be in a tower that only held classrooms on a weekend. How exactly had they known they'd find her here?
"Heya," Oleandra responded. "Funny coincidence, meeting here. So, you were looking for me?"
"Yeah," said Harry, once he had caught his breath. "Hagrid wanted to invite the three of us for tea at six."
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