It Could Have Gone That Way; A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter 29: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Buzzing with nerves and unanswered questions, the students grabbed sleeping bags from the floor of the Great Hall, chose a place to set them down and climbed into them. Ron, Harry and Hermione dragged their sleeping bags over to the far corner of the room and lay down.

"All right! That's it, everyone, no more talking, lights out!" Percy yelled, and the Great Hall went dark.

Harry lay in between Ron and Hermione in the Hall. Though everyone else in the school was still whispering, Harry lay silently, thinking about the Fat Lady. She claimed to have been attacked by Sirius Black, and every other painting around her confirmed her accusations. Thus, everyone had been made to sleep in the Great Hall, in case Black was still in the castle.

After about an hour and a half, Harry was certain everyone else was asleep. Well, everyone except-

"Harry?" Hermione sat up in her sleeping bag,"Are you awake?" She whispered.

"Yes."

Hermione lay back down,"It's scary, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Sirius Black."

"Oh. Yes."

"I can't believe what's happened to the Fat Lady." She shifted in her sleeping bag,"It just makes you realise how much of a threat he really is."

Harry nodded but, realising Hermione couldn't see him, he whispered,"Yes."

"I'm scared for you."

Unsure of how to respond to that, Harry changed the subject,"Quidditch is on Saturday."

"I know. You really need to beat Hufflepuff."

"Hufflepuff? Hermione, we're playing Slytherin."

Hermione leaned towards him,"No, you're playing Hufflepuff. Malfoy refused to play with his arm still 'hurting', so Hufflepuff are playing you instead. They arranged that a week ago."

"Yeah, well no one told me."

"I heard Hufflepuff have a new Seeker - Cedric Diggory. They say he's brilliant, but I've watched him train and he's nothing compared to you. I tried to see what make his broom was, and I couldn't be sure, but I'm fairly certain it's a Cleansweep five. They've got no chance, so it's all down to points. You can't get the Snitch unless you're fifty points up at least. Otherwise, we'll have won the match, but they'll still be ahead of Gryffindor on overall points. Okay?"

"Blimey, where'd you learn all that?"

Hermione didn't answer. Harry could see in the moonlight that she was peering at the door. Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore were coming in, seemingly in deep conversation about how Sirius Black was able to get into the castle. Harry and Hermione listened intently to them for about twenty minutes before they finally fell asleep.

***********

"Potter, you're late!" Snape said as Harry rushed into Defence Against the Dark Arts class on Friday.

"Only...two minutes!" Harry checked his watch.

"Sit." Snape ordered. Harry sat in an empty seat next to Hermione,"Ten points from Gryffindor."