Gryffindor Princess and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter Fifteen: Starting a Joke Shop

No one went to bed after McGonagall left. They all stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Hope rested her head on Harry's shoulder, while they listened to Ron telling everyone the story of his encounter with Black over and over. At dawn McGonagall had come back to tell them all that Black had, once again, escaped.

Throughout the day Hope noticed more and more security measures. Professor Flitwick taught the doors to recognize a photo of Sirius Black, large yellow security trolls had been brought in and slumped up and down corridors, making students rather nervous. Sir Cadogan had also been fired and the fat lady was back and had been expertly restored.

She was sitting with Ron and Harry at breakfast one Saturday morning, after Hermione had told her she was going to spend the day in the library, and Ron was once again retelling the story of his encounter with Black.

"It doesn't make sense though", Hope said once he'd finished.

"Oh don't tell me you think I made it up", Ron said, "you saw him!"

"No - not that. Why would Black run away when he got the wrong bed? Why didn't he just silence you and move on to Harry? From everything we've heard its clear Black doesn't mind killing innocents. Something doesn't add up."

"He must've known he'd have a job getting back out of the castle once Ron yelled and woke people up", said Harry, thoughtfully, "he'd've had to kill the whole house to get back through if he hadn't left that quickly."

The morning mail swooped down and a large brown barn owl landed right in front of Neville holding a red envelope. He seized it up quickly and ran from the room holding it out in front of him. There was a small explosion just as he got outside the hall and the voice of his furious grandmother echoed around the room. McGonagall hadn't been easy on him either, she'd banned him from all further Hogsmeade visits and forbade anyone from telling the password to him.

Wood came up to Hope later than evening at dinner.

"I hope you don't think that your substitution at the match thinks that your position in the team is at risk", he said, "you were playing a brilliant game before that and no one on the team doubts you."

"Thanks Oliver", she shook her head, "is Alicia going to continue coming to practices?"

"I think so", he replied, "if one of you girls gets injured like that again we'll need her in top form."

She wasn't too keen on the idea, but said nothing. Instead she got up and told Hermione she was going to get started on their muggle studies homework. Hermione, ever perceptive, immediately stood up as well, disregarding her half finished dinner, and said that she hadn't finished it either.

They said goodnight to Wood and left the great hall, but decided instead to go and visit Hagrid, they'd been seeing him more and more as Buckbeak trial grew nearer, spending most of their free time working on it.

"You two know yer' not supposed to come down on yer' own", Hagrid scolded when they knocked on his door.

"Sorry Hagrid", Hope said, "we just thought we'd come down and visit when we noticed you weren't at dinner."

"Come in - come in - been eatin' with Buckbeak thas all", he said, "I think he gets lonely when I go up to the castle, bin tryn' ta stay nearer to 'im make sure he's doin' alrigh'."

"Ah", Hermione looked at buckbeak, who was busy sharpening his razor sharp tallons against the wall of hagrids cabin, "that's very thoughtful of you, Hagrid."

"Well", he said, pouring tea into their huge cups, "quite the commotion goin on up at the castle, Sirius Black appearin."

"It's all anyone's talking about", Hope agreed.