The Loyal and Just

Chapter Nine

I leap out of bed and get dressed. This is literally the first time in years that I've actually thought about what I'm going to wear. I finally decide upon a plaid shirt and jeans. I race down to the entrance hall, joining a few familiar faces. I wait there for millennia until Tracey and Daphne join me. Finally, I catch Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrive, Harry staying back.

"Staying here, Potter?" Malfoy shouts, "Scared of passing the dementors?"

Tracey, Daphne and I start to head out towards Hogsmeade. The road to Hogsmeade is really boring, and I'm sure I wouldn't have enjoyed it at all if Daphne and I hadn't discussed our plan for the next week.

"Guys, I seriously don't think you should do this." Tracey worries. "It could get you in serious trouble

"Are you bringing this up again?" Daphne complains, "It's not like we're going to die."

"Yeah, but you could get expelled," Tracey says

"I'm still going to pull some pranks." I argue, "And I feel like we could use the fun-" We all start to shiver as we walk pass dementors, "Especially with all of them wandering around."

Then I remember meeting Sirius. I didn't tell him that Harry was staying. Crap.

We continue the conversation until we walk through the gates of Hogsmeade.

The closest I've ever been to the chaos of the wizardry world outside of Hogwarts is at Diagon Alley or the Burrow. Still, after three whole years being exposed to this amazing world, the magic of these places still gets me.

I suppose it showed that on my face because Daphne was chuckling at me. Just like I had imagined, all three of walked into this awesome place.

The first place we went to was Honeydukes, and holy crap, it's amazing. Even Tracey and Daphne were dumbfounded. I've never liked candy too much, mainly just chocolate (because who doesn't like chocolate?), but even I couldn't help but spend at least 5 galleons.

Afterwards, we all head to Zonkos. I took one step inside and suddenly all of my prankster dreams came true.

"Holy crap..." I mutter softly. Daphne looks over at me.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Daphne asks.

"Grab everything in sight." I grin.

We left carrying bags upon bags of tricks that'll last years of pranks.

When we left the building, though, Daphne said she had to meet up with someone so she left me and Tracey. Now lacking our third person, Tracey and I went shopping a bit more (Whoever recommended the owl post is the best). Then we headed to the Shrieking Shack. I ran into Hermione and Ron on the way there, they seemed to be having a lot of fun, though I could tell they were sad Harry couldn't join them.

The Shrieking Shack lived up to the name. Its windows were all boarded up and the wood was old and rickety. Really, the building looked like it could fall over at any second.

"Wow..." Tracey trails "It's terrifying..."

"No, it isn't." I insist, "It just looks really old."

"Do you even know the story behind this place?" Tracey asks

"Nope," I answer.

"The Shrieking Shack is the most haunted place in all of England," Tracey says

I scoff, "I don't believe that."

Tracey looks as if I insulted her.

"Sorry..." I say, "I don't believe in ghosts. I mean I do now," I add thinking about the house ghosts and Peeves "but this place doesn't look very haunted. More like a tourist trap really."

"Well, there was something here back in the 70s." Tracey looks back at the Shrieking Shack and shivers.

"Hey, let's go. I still want to check out the Three Broomst-" I stop mid-sentence. A large black dog is staring up at me.

"What is it?" Tracey asks, looking at my blank face.

"I gotta do something," I tell her, "I'll meet up with you at the Three Broomsticks."

Tracey shrugs and leaves, I go over and join Sirius.

"I forgot to tell you," I tell him, "Harry's Aunt and Uncle didn't sign the permission form so he wasn't able to come."

Sirius whines a bit as a dog and then turns back and walks away.

"Sorry," I say after him.

Before long Sirius is out of my range of vision and I turn back towards Hogsmeade.

It doesn't take long for me to enter the pub. I notice Tracey sipping from a large glass in the corner of the building. I go join her.

"Oh my god Aran," Tracey starts as she sips from her glass, "You have to try this."

"What is it?" I ask

"Butterbeer," Tracey says.

I raise an eyebrow.

"I thought you were anti-alcohol," I say

Tracey looks exasperated,

"It's not intoxicating."

"Well, then, where's my glass?" I ask

Tracey smiles and pulls out another, full, glass of butterbeer. I grab it and take a sip.

The weather outside was pretty chilly, as it was the middle of fall, but when I took a sip from the glass of butterbeer, a certain warmth spread through me. I take another sip.

"It's awesome, right?" Tracey asks me.

"I've never had anything so amazing!" I exclaim.

We continue to talk while drinking butterbeer. However, before long it's well into the afternoon and we begin to head back since the Halloween Feast should be starting sooner than later. We arrive at the school around the time the Halloween Feast starts and we spend the entire Feast talking about next week or admiring the decoration (it's just as amazing as last years)

And just like that, the Feast is over and we leave for our common rooms. Each house separating to the different parts of the castle, I follow the crowd towards the Slytherin common room. My bed calls to me and I head out on my way to sleep.

However, just when I closed my eyes, I seem to be shaken awake again by Daphne. Typical probably wants to scheme some more, I think, but I then see the grim look she has and I know that this is something else.

Before I get to my senses, my entire house is being swept away, back to the great hall to sleep on the floor in big, fluffy, purple sleeping bags with only one explanation why: Sirius Black has attacked the castle.