The Prisoner Of Azkaban (A Harry Potter Rewrite)

TEA LEAVES AND TALONS

The next day, Ria headed to the great hall for breakfast with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Last night before bed, she had been informed by a very excited Hermione, that Professor Kettleburn, who used to teach Care of Magical Creatures, had retired and had ultimately been replaced by none other than Hagrid! Ria couldn't be happier. After being suspected of a crime he never committed, getting kicked out of Hogwarts and then living with that false blame for over fifty years, Hagrid deserved a break. And Ria knew Hagrid would love the job.

They entered the regular hustle and bustle of the Great Hall and headed for the Gryffindor table. Before they could reach it, Ria was ambushed by the Weasley Twins, both looking unsarcastically concerned.

"Where were you at dinner last night?", Fred questioned without preamble.

Ria raised a brow. "I ate in McGonagall's office", she replied.

"Why?", George questioned. Ria turned around and realized they had literally surrounded her so she couldn't escape the conversation. She couldn't really blame them. She had given them slips every time they had stumbled onto a sensitive topic. And she also realized that her friends had very conveniently left her alone and were now busy finding seats around the Gryffindor table.

Ria sighed. "I'm pretty sure you guys already heard I got sick on the train?", she said.

"Yes, almost everyone knows", Fred informed. "You, Harry and Malfoy of all people."

"You don't seem to believe the last one", Ria said with a little smile.

"Well, I would have most certainly not believed it if I hadn't actually been a witness.", Fred said with a grimace.

"Been a witness?", Ria asked cautiously.

"We had gone down the train to pull a prank on some Ravenclaws", George explained. "We were on our way back when we ran into Malfoy. We figured me might just have a bit of fun with him too but then the train stopped and everything went dark. And the Dementors showed up."

"We kind of ran into the first compartment we could find", Fred continued, "But then, one entered the compartment and Malfoy sort of collapsed."

"It was unnerving", said George. "He just lay there on the floor twitching and sweating and trembling"

"He was mumbling too, remember?", Fred added. "Something along the lines of 'not again'"

Ria sighed. So, Draco had re-lived last year.

"He woke up pretty much immediately after that thing left", George said, distaste for the creature crystal clear in his expression.

"Me and Harry went through pretty much the same thing", Ria said. "But there's nothing to worry about. I'm perfectly fine! McGonagall was just being overcautious. I have a feeling she feels a tad bit more responsible for me than anyone else given the lack of parents."

"She didn't keep Harry back", George commented, staring at her shrewdly.

Ria gave him a crooked smile. "Why would Harry need McGonagall when he has Dumbledore being responsible for him?", she said with a smirk; then, did an expert sidestep and marched to the table, sitting down between Hermione and Ginny so the twins couldn't corner her again.

"How are you holding up, Harry?", Fred question, siting down at the table as well, apparently having given up on questioning Ria for the time being.

"Embarrassed mostly", Harry grumbled.

"Don't be", George said. "They're horrible things, those dementors...."

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred.