The Quidditch game did not go well. Sera ended up passing out in the middle of the game. The experience scarred her so badly, she knew that she had to quit. She did not want another incident like that again. And worse, her beloved broomstick got smashed to bits after blowing into the Whomping Willow. The tree that hated being touched.
"I'm sorry about your broomstick, Sera," Professor Lupin apologized. "Is there no way of fixing it?"
"No," Sera answered bitterly. "The Whomping Willow smashed it to bits. Professor, why are the dementors starting to affect me so? It didn't happen on the train! Why did they have to happen, now?"
Professor Lupin sighed. "Listen, Sera. You have witnessed horrors that none of your other classmates have experienced — except for maybe Mr. Knightley."
"But I need to know how to fight them back if they come at me again," Sera insisted as they continued walking along the borders of the Black Lake. "You could teach me! You made the one on the train go away."
"There was only one that night, Seraphina," Lupin rejected kindly.
"But you made it go away," Sera insisted.
"I don't pretend to be an expert, Seraphina," Professor Lupin sighed. "But, since the dementors seem to have a sudden interest in you, maybe I should teach you. We need to do that after the holidays, though. For now, I need to rest."
Sera didn't question Professor Lupin as to why he needed to rest.
***
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Winter came too quickly for Sera's liking. But she didn't mind. She loved the snow that blanketed the grounds. She loved the cold air that nipped at her.
"Last call to Hogsmeade!" Mr. Filch called out. "Come on!"
The first thing Sera, Ron, Dante, and Hermione did was going directly to the Shrieking Shack. Since they didn't visit it last time, they might as well do that first.
"It's meant to be the most haunted building in all of Britain," Hermione boasted proudly. "Did I mention that?"
"Um . . . twice, actually," Ron muttered, embarrassed.
"Do you want to move closer?"
"Huh?"
"To the Shrieking Shack, I mean."
"Oh. No, I think that I'm fine here, thanks."
Ron immediately regretted his decision. Seconds after he refused to go any further, a familiar, obnoxious voice filled the air.
"Well, well, well. Are the three of you shopping for your new dream home? A bit grand for you, isn't it, Weaselbee? Don't you and your family sleep in, um, one room?"
"Shut your mouth, Malfoy," Ron immediately defended.
"Ooh, not very friendly," said Malfoy, who pretended to look scared. "Boys? I think that it's time to teach Mr. Weaselbee how to respect his superiors."
