Invisible (III)

EIGHT

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
chapter eight

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F O R   A   S L Y T H E R I N

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"Doesn't it sound like a curse?"

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In no time at all, Defence Against the Dark Arts has become most people's favourite class. Only Draco and Pansy have anything bad to say about Professor Lupin.

"Look at the state of his robes," Draco will say in a loud whisper, as Professor Lupin passes by.

"He dresses like our old house-elf."

But no one else cares that Professor Lupin's robes are patched and frayed. His next few lessons are just as interesting as the first.

After Boggarts, they study Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurk wherever there has been bloodshed, in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who have gotten lost.

From Red Caps they move on to Kappas, creepy water-dwellers that look like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

But unlike Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions classes are a bit more difficult. Professor Snape is in a particularly vindictive mood these days, and no one is in any doubt why.

The story of the Boggart assuming Professor Snape's shape, and the way that Millicent had dressed it in her mother's clothes, travelled through the school like wildfire. Professor Snape doesn't seem to find it funny. His eyes flash menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he is giving Millicent a hard time now.

Lily is growing to love the hours she spends in Professor Trelawney's tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes fill with tears of joy every time she looks at her.

Ever since her first Divination class, Lily's visions have turned quiet. Sirius Black's gaunt face still appears occasionally, but she's had no other visions of the future even in the strongly-smelling classroom.

Most unfortunately, nobody really likes Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, has become extremely dull. Hagrid seems to have lost his confidence. They're now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after Flobberworms, which have to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.

Draco's snappy remarks have turned downright offensive now, and Lily wants to hit him every time Hagrid's eyes fill with tears and he turns away to hide them.

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At the start of October, however, Draco has something else to occupy him, something so enjoyable it makes up for his unsatisfactory classes.

The Quidditch season is approaching.

Instead of accompanying Draco, wearing the shirt he'd gifted her last Christmas with his name on it, Lily has chosen to distance herself from him, too, and goes with Harry to his practices. Draco's made it quite clear which side he's chosen and, besides, Lily feels much better having Daphne and Blaise by her side than him.

Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor team, calls a meeting one Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season.

There are seven people on a Quidditch team: three Chasers, whose job is to score goals by putting the Quaffle (a red, football-sized ball) through one of the fifty-foot-high hoops at each end of the pitch; two Beaters, who are equipped with heavy bats to repel the Bludgers (two heavy black balls that zoom around trying to attack the players); a Keeper, who defends the goalposts, and the Seeker, who has the job of catching the Golden Snitch (a tiny, winged, walnut-sized ball, whose capture ends the game and earns the Seeker's team an extra one hundred and fifty points).