I didn't get to dwell on the mysteries of that odd Hufflepuff boy before I realized it was already way past Slytherin curfew at the moment. I had been so caught up with my potions and mixtures that I had forgotten Slytherins had to report to their dormitories by 8 P.M. every evening because of our little rule-breaking house party on Halloween night.
With the wave of my wand, I hid my potions inside a stall before hurrying to my common room. As I reached the ground floor, George and Fred Weasley noticed my appearance and waved at me. I merely waved for a split second as I ran past them.
"What're you in such a hurry for?" I heard as I hurried past them.
"Curfew!" I called back as I ran down the stairs into the dungeons.
I did not know if they said anything back to me as they were already out of earshot, and I was already very close to the Slytherin Common Room.
After exasperatingly saying the password, the wall opened up and allowed me to enter the Common Room, where it was deadly silent.
Many prefects were by the fireplace, unbothered by my sudden appearance — or perhaps they simply did not hear me enter. I shuffled quietly towards the dormitories.
I sighed when I turned left to the girls' side of the dorms, thinking that I was safe and somehow got away with having missed curfew by an hour. Just as I touched the handle of the third-year girls' dormitory, someone cleared their throat behind me, and I yelped.
"I just had to use the washroom," was all I could think of saying as I winced and turned around to face who had caught me — no doubt a prefect.
"Ah, did you, now? I thought every dormitory was already equipped with a washroom," said James, whom I had forgotten was a prefect. I exhaled in relief though he had his arms crossed at me.
"Uh, well, incidentally, I also had to bring a book back to the library," I added with a playful smile.
"And I reckon you also had to take out a few more books as well?" he said, gesturing at the three books protruding from my bag — the books I had taken out to learn more about mending solutions.
"Oh, yeah, absolutely," I said, waving my hand dismissively.
"Well, unfortunately," James said rather sternly, "no matter the reason, curfew mustn't be missed. I shall give you detention."
"What?"
"I know we're friends and all, Blackwood," he said, and I wanted to punch myself in the face for feeling giddy about him referring to us as friends, "but as prefect, I have responsibilities."
"Right, I suppose that makes sense," I responded, accepting my fate. "Just don't give me detention with Filch or Snape, please."
James laughed almost pompously. He cleared his throat.
"No. You'll be serving it with me, of course."
What I thought would be a fun quidditch weekend turned out to be an irksome detention weekend — well, detention-dreading weekend. James hadn't approached me yet to discuss the details of my detention with him, so the ordeal loomed over me for hours when I got up the following day.
The storm outside was still roaring and raging, and I secretly rejoiced that Flint conveniently forgot about my reserve seeker position so I didn't have to play in that kind of weather. I would have paid to see Malfoy play under those conditions, but sadly, his pitiful show about his fake broken arm saved him from embarrassing himself against Gryffindor again — a reoccurring theme, apparently.
When I entered the Great Hall, George and Fred waved at me from the Gryffindor table. I waved back and was about to head onto the Slytherin table until I realized that they were urging me to come over to them instead.
"That's right, come over here!" Fred called.
Hoisting my bag over my shoulder properly, I marched on to the Gryffindor table. Fred and George beamed. Hermione smiled when she saw me arrive, and Harry and Ron gave me a nod.
"So you'll be cheering for Gryffindor today, won't you?" Fred inquired, urging me with his eyes to heed.
"Yeah, of course," I said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I sat next to him.
Fred threw a taunting gaze back at a blonde girl I hadn't previously noticed was behind him: Ivy Law. She stammered.
"I — Of course, I'm rooting for Gryffindor, okay? I just think that Cedric Diggory is stunningly gorgeous, alright?" she reasoned, almost exasperated.
"Lies!" George shook his head in disbelief.
"Booooo! You're not coming to see us play. You're coming to see Diggory play is all I hear," Fred sighed dramatically. "Betrayal! From our own little assistant, too!"
"I — Bloody Hell. Whatever," Ivy law surrendered, playfully glowering at the twins who had successfully teased her into oblivion. They snickered with satisfaction at her reaction.
I looked over at the other Gryffindor quidditch players. Harry looked slightly nauseated, and Oliver Wood, the team captain, looked just as despondent.
"Oi, cheer up, lads," George said, noticing his team's dejection. "This match is going to be a blast."
"It's going to be a tough one," replied Oliver Wood. His plate was shiny and empty; it looked like he hadn't eaten anything all morning.
"Stop worrying, Oliver," said one of the chasers, whom I did not know the name of. She had golden brown skin and dark and thick hair that she had tied into a high ponytail. "We don't mind a bit of rain."
"I'd say it's a lot more than a bit," I interjected. We could hear the thunder roaring and rain hammering outside.
"Hey, a bit more optimism for the team, alright?" the Gryffindor chaser quipped. I raised my hands up in surrender. Her expression fell into a look of puzzlement when she noticed my school robes. "Oh wait, you're in Slytherin. Why are you cheering for Gryffindor?"
"I reckon she's just weird like that," Ron Weasley pitched in. I laughed but also scowled at him.
"The match is Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff, so I can cheer for whomever I want," I asserted, shaking my head with disbelief at Ron.
"Well, pleased to meet you, weird Slytherin," the chaser said, smiling at me. "I'm Alicia Spinnet. Chaser."
"I'm Maeve Blackwood," I greeted, extending my hand out to shake hers. She shook it enthusiastically.
"So, I finally get to meet Aiden Blackwood's sister," she said with a satisfied smile.
"You know my brother?" I asked in surprise. "Seems like everyone knows him."
"How can I not? The lad's insufferable," she huffed.
"That he is," I confirmed, and Alicia chuckled.
"Seems like you're not half as bad as him," she noted but still eyed me dubiously. "Fred, George, is that fair to assume?"
"Hmm?" The twins seemed to have been involved in a conversation with Oliver Wood whilst Alicia and I spoke.
"The Blackwood girl. I take it she's not half as rotten as her brother."
"Oh, she's much worse, I'm afraid," George said solemnly. He gave me a look of utter disappointment. Fred nodded, looking just as solemn. The acting of these boys was unbelievable—
"Perhaps, but I'm not as bad at these clowns," I said to Alicia, pointing at the twins with my thumb. They both gasped dramatically.
"Oh, that's definitely reassuring," she laughed.
And soon, it was time for us to leave the castle to attend the quidditch match. Although the match was only between two houses, nearly every student at Hogwarts went on their merry way to the quidditch pitch. Everyone was enthusiastic about quidditch. It was not just a school tradition, but also a wizard tradition to enjoy this international sport... Which was why it was slightly baffling when we all went on our way to the pitch, and Ivy Law stayed behind to find her friend Romeo Linares at Hufflepuff.
"What are you doing, Law?" Fred asked, puzzled by her sudden interest in the Hufflepuff table.
"I just remembered that Romeo is not coming to the match. I simply want to say bye to him for now. I'll meet you all at the pitch soon," Ivy Law said. And without another word of explanation, she sauntered to the Hufflepuff table, where she joined her curly-haired friend.
"How can he not want to come to cheer on his own house?" George said, bewildered.
"Maybe the storm outside scares him," I offered, shrugging. The Weasley twins stifled a laugh.
"Blimey, Blackwood. Making fun of someone for fearing storms? That's a bit ruthless," Fred said, grinning.
I stammered though they seemed to have found it hilarious.
"Oh, hang on, I didn't mean it to make fun of him — I genuinely meant it as a possible explanation. Sometimes, people are just scared of thunder, and there's no shame in that, of course. I mean, sometimes thunderstorms kind of scare me too, so I wouldn't judge—"
"Alright, Blackwood. Enough rambling," George said, grabbing my wrist. "We have a match to attend."
I joined the Gryffindor team on their way to the quidditch pitch, along with Hermione and Ron. George was still holding my wrist to guide me as we all scampered across the castle grounds, avoiding large water puddles and hiding under our umbrellas. I suddenly remembered the Hufflepuff student whom I saw venturing into the Black Lake yesterday had used his wand to make an invisible umbrella. Perhaps I could find out who it was by paying attention to any Hufflepuff student using that same spell. Then, maybe the mystery of the Hufflepuff boy could unravel itself.
At the quidditch pitch, the Gryffindor quidditch players left for the changing rooms while Ron, Hermione, and I went for the stands.
"Let's sit over there," Ron suggested, finding a comfortable seat for us in the front row.
"You think Ivy will know where to find us?" Hermione asked, peering about as if looking for her.
"Surely," I said. "I mean, we're in the Gryffindor section."
"There she is, actually," Ron said, pointing at who was visibly Ivy Law. Her platinum blonde hair neatly rested on her back as she approached us. She was using a spell with her wand to create an invisible umbrella above her head.
"Hey," she said, sitting next to us.
"How'd you do that spell with your wand?" I asked, knowing it all too well due to recent events.
"Oh, that thing?" she gestured above her head. "Yeah, it's just this neat thing Romeo showed me."
"Romeo? Linares, Romeo?" I repeated. And suddenly, the dots were connecting all at once in my head. The Hufflepuff boy who vanished into the Black Lake yesterday night used that same invisible umbrella spell. And come to think of it; I saw Romeo Linares speaking with a strange man who also vanished into the Black Lake on another occasion. It seemed to me that Romeo was connected to this Black Lake mystery somehow—
"Yeah, you've met him a few times," she confirmed. "I can show you all how to do the spell if you want."
"Oh, er, sure," I said, unable to refuse.
"That'd be grand," Hermione enthused.
"So, the encantation is pluviam obice," Ivy Law informed us.
"Oh, rain barrier in Latin," Hermione pointed out. Ivy nodded.
"Simple enough," Ron said, pulling out his wand. He had already discarded his umbrella. "Pluviam obice."
A thin pale grey wisp flew out of Ron's wand and formed a transparent shield above his head. Water spattered away as if his wand had formed an umbrella. The spell was short-lasting, however, as the grey wisp drew back into Ron's wand and rain resumed pouring onto his head.
"Not so simple, it seems," he deadpanned.
"Well, it does take practice. Eventually, it lasts longer," Ivy assured him. Ron grimaced, briefly looking up at the rain that continued falling onto his freckly face.
Hermione and I proceeded to cast the spell, too, after putting our umbrellas away. Ron cast it again as well. It was successful, but after a minute or so, mine stopped working as Ron's had earlier. I cast the spell again.
"This thing is pretty neat," I confessed, eyeing the fascinating display of raindrops cascading away above my head.
"I agree," Hermione beamed. "Where did Romeo learn this spell?"
"Not sure. Though, it wouldn't be the first time he shows me a useful spell like this," Ivy answered, pushing her stray light blonde hairs to her back.
"You and Romeo seem to be pretty close," I noted. Ivy stammered.
"Well — I suppose we're very well acquainted," she decided. I chuckled softly.
"I may be wrong, but Fred and George seem to have something against him," I added with a sympathetic smile. Ivy huffed, tucking a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear again.
"Oh, these clowns? Yeah, they're just bantering. I think..." she said as if trying to reassure herself. She lifted to eye level her pair of binoculars hanging from her neck. "In any case, when is this match going to start? We're freezing our arses out here."
And as if on cue, Lee Jordan, the Quidditch commentator, began speaking into his microphone, addressing us all about the match that was starting. Madam Hooch lifted her arm in the air, and the quidditch players marched out of the changing rooms and onto the center of the quidditch pitch, staggering sideways because of the strong winds. Despite the hammering rain and heavy storm above, everybody cheered as the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor players got ready to mount their brooms.
At the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle, the match began and the quidditch players zoomed through the rain as thunder rolled above.
Chaos ensued. It was as if nobody knew what they were doing or where they were going. The sky was getting darker and rainier as the match went on. All the players were soaked wet. Somehow, the Gryffindor Chasers were scoring points for their team.
The Hufflepuff seeker zoomed past us for a brief moment and Ivy gasped, hiding her mouth with her hand.
"Blimey, I think Harry just narrowly dodged a bludger right there," Ron said, pointing at the sky where the Gryffindor seeker was haphazardly zooming in spirals.
"He mustn't be able to see through his goggles because of the rain!" Hermione said in sudden realization. She hurriedly started walking out of the stands.
"Hermione — where're you going?" Ron called after her. But she didn't seem to have heard him through the crowd of cheering students and amid the thundering rain above.
"She's probably going to help Harry with his goggles," I told him.
"But how? The match is still going on—"
There was a flash of lightning just as Madam Hooch blew her whistle, signalling a timeout.
"Ivy, lend me your binoculars," Ron demanded suddenly.
"A please wouldn't hurt," she replied, handing her binoculars over to him. He grabbed them urgently.
"Please. Thanks," Ron muttered before looking through the binoculars. The quidditch players had gathered at the bottom of the pit. "Hermione's down there. Can't read lips, but — oh, Hermione used a spell on Harry's goggles. I reckon it's to repel the rain."
It was hard to decipher what was happening down there, so Ron's commentary was definitely helpful. Otherwise, all I could make out through the thick rain and darkness were colours, figures, and the general shape of quidditch players on and off their brooms.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle again and the game was back on track.
Hermione promptly found her way back to us in the stands and I congratulated her on her resourcefulness.
Meanwhile, Gryffindor was already in the lead by sixty points. The Hufflepuff chasers struggled to keep up with the sheer velocity of the three chaser girls from Gryffindor. The Gryffindor keeper, Oliver Wood, swiftly halted many attempts of scoring made by Hufflepuff.
"Harry needs to catch that snitch soon or the game will go on into the night," Hermione said with worry.
"Unless Gryffindor somehow scores one hundred points before Cedric Diggory catches the snitch," Ivy Law interjected.
"No, Harry will catch it," Ron said, almost affronted.
"I'm sure he will. I'm just saying there's another way for Gryffindor to win," Ivy insisted, adjusting her magical umbrella above her head.
There was a flash of lightning, followed by a resounding clap of thunder. Even with the umbrellas that we all cast with our wands, we still ended up very wet from this persistent and stormy rain. Although, I would wager that the quidditch players were infinitely wetter than we were—
Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, chasing a barely noticeable speck of gold through the air. He had found the golden snitch before Harry, but he had not caught it yet. Everyone cheered as Harry Potter noticed the snitch too and zoomed through the rainy air towards it until—
Harry abruptly slowed down on his broom, seemingly lost. There were dark hooded figures gliding through the stormy air. The air had instantaneously gotten chillier and the rain quieter somehow. There was panic in the stands — nobody seemed to understand what was happening.
"Why are there dementors!?" I roared. "Somebody — a professor should do something!"
Cedric Diggory had now successfully caught the snitch, but very few people cheered as, at that moment, Harry fell heavily off his broom. His limp body escaped multiple dementor's kisses as he reached closer and closer to the ground. There were horrified screams across the stands. Hermione grabbed my arm and squeezed. We all held our breath as Gryffindor's seeker was seemingly falling to his death.
"ARRESTO MOMENTUM," the voice of the school headmaster boomed. Harry's body halted just before it reached the ground. He was safe.