Candles in the Dark

Chapter 3

Whispers in the Dark

As it was Potions next morning, every Gryffindor had braced themselves for a wave of abuse from the extremely smug Slytherins. Harry and Ron were both extremely apprehensive as they went down the dungeon steps and found the rest of the class queuing in the dimly lit stone passage.

Just as they thought, a familiar drawl rang out through the chattering crowd. 'Hey Potter, Potter! How are your parents eh? I heard you saw them last summer. How are they bearing up in the afterlife?'

'Just ignore them,' Ron intoned into Harry's ear. It was strange - it was usually Harry saying that to Ron. Malfoy's words still rang in his ears though and Harry gripped his wand very tightly to prevent himself from lunging at him.

'It's only a matter of time Potter. You picked the wrong side and you'll pay for it. You and the trash you hang around with!' Malfoy shot a withering look at Ron and Hermione and smirked widely.

It was as though someone was playing a video tape in Harry's head. He remembered Cedric Diggory's death, his confrontation with Voldemort and the grey ghost of his parents begging him to hold on. He saw his mother's soft eyes and long hair, his father's intense face and - he saw the picture in his own head of his parent's wedding day and Sirius behind them. Their best man.

He then noticed that Hermione was nudging him hard and pointing at Pansy Parkinson. Harry looked over and so she was crying and was surrounded by a whole crowd of Slytherin girls.

Harry watched in amazement as, despite Hermione's intense dislike for Pansy, she moved forward uncertainly and said in as gentle a voice as she could manage 'Are you OK Pansy?'

There was an intense silence. The whole class looked in horror at Hermione who stood between the two groups - the Slytherins on one side of the corridor and the Gryffindors on the other. Hermione was doing something Harry doubted anyone had ever done before. She had tried to bridge the gap between the two houses. The animosity between them was greater than ever and Hermione was actually asking Pansy if she was OK. Pansy didn't take it gracefully.

'Get lost, mudblood,' she spat viciously at Hermione and the Gryffindors bristled angrily.

'In' came the deadly soft voice of Snape and the class trooped into the freezing dungeon. Harry wondered whether, without Snape's intervention, a massacre would have broken out.

The lesson proved to be one of their most difficult with Snape yet. Though Snape wasn't the problem. Try as he might, Harry couldn't get his mind to focus when he kept seeing Malfoy and the other Slytherins pointing and laughing at him from the other side of the dungeon.

In the end, he had to start his ingredients again and was in such a state of confusion by the end of the class that he was almost glad to get to Divination.

Harry hated Divination. It was his second least favourite subject next to Potions. Professor Trelawney, in Harry's opinion was the most irritating woman ever to walk the planet.

They left Hermione in the Entrance Hall where she head for the fourth floor and her Arithmancy class and proceeded to climb six sets of staircases. (They avoided one by taking a secret passage through a concealed panel).

As soon as they entered Professor Trelawney's attic room, Harry began to dread every second he spent there. Professor Trelawney emerged mysteriously out of the shadows to the 'ooohs and aaahs' of Lavender and Parvati.

'Good morning my dears,' she said in her usual mystical whisper. Ron quickly feigned snoring loudly.

'I see many among you who are troubled in their subconsciouses,' she continued while Ron turned his snores into snorts of laughter.

'And death continues to linger here, on the faces of those who have lost something they cannot see.' Professor Trelawney looked mournfully at them for a moment and then whispered 'We will be looking at fire emblems this year and studying the images and patterns the flames can show. I fear-' she stopped and sniffed delicately, her huge, magnified eyes closed. 'I fear some of us may see our future laid out more clearly than we had yet thought.' She looked very meaningfully at Harry.

'At least she hasn't predicted my death yet,' Harry said bitterly to Ron who was looking as grumpy as Harry felt.

When they had all seated themselves around the heavily perfumed fire, Professor Trelawney bent down, pulled a dust from a pouch that looked a bit like floo powder only it was electric blue in colour and, threw it dramatically into the flames.

Harry could see her thin figure, huge glasses and many bangles illuminated very clearly in the flames. For the first time, Harry thought she looked powerful, as if the fire had given her slender body a better definition.

'Can you see the evil shapes, my dears, writhing in the flames. They are predicting death - death and destruction!' Professor Trelawney's voice rose alarmingly and the fire crackled noisily.

They left the stifling classroom an hour later. Professor Trelawney had sat in front of the fire for an hour, explaining how the different formations of flames represents different event, her explanation punctuated occasionally by nods and sounds of understanding from Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.

Harry, Ron and most of the class had learned absolutely nothing however and Harry wondered how long it would be before he could give up Divination. Perhaps he could do Arithmancy like Hermione but then he realised it was bound to be very hard and Harry wasn't really in the mood for extra work.

As they were crossing the Entrance Hall, they saw the Slytherins emerging from the dungeon steps. Malfoy spotted them and called spitefully 'How long do you think your family will last Weasley, before the Dark Lord wastes them?'

Harry saw Ron drop his bag and lunge head first at Malfoy, knocking him to the floor with the force of a speeding bullet. Soon they were wrestling with all the ferocity each of them could muster, surrounded by a growing crowd of eager people.

'Enough!' came a deep voice. The crowd dispersed quickly to reveal Professor Dumbledore standing in robes of pale blue, looking down on the scene of the panting boys with deep dismay.

'There will be no fighting in this school. Get up both of you.' Malfoy and Ron got roughly to their feet, shooting vicious glares at each other.

'You will put your differences aside,' Dumbledore continued. 'Shake hands!' Neither boy seemed to want to do anything less than pull the other's head off but under the gaze of the headmaster, their hands connected in a half shake.

Dumbledore walked quickly away, leaving the remaining Slytherins and Gryffindors standing in the centre of the Entrance Hall, the hatred between them palpable.

*

Harry had been at Hogwarts a week when George Weasley told him in the Common Room that there was a Quidditch meeting that night at the pitch.

'If you get on Angelina's good side, you might be in with a chance as keeper,' Fred said, nudging Ron who looked sourly at him.

Harry was so eager to start practises again that he wolfed down his dinner and he and Ron raced to the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock to find half the team already there in the gathering dusk.

As soon as the whole team had assembled, Angelina Johnson, who had unofficially been elected as spokesperson for the team cleared her throat.

'Right, well I know we're all a bit rusty after the Triwizard Tournament last year but we won the cup before, if you remember. Oh, and Ron wants to try out as keeper,' she added, and Ron nodded shyly.

'You do realise Ron how fast that quaffle comes at you.' Fred said warningly, wagging a finger at Ron.

'Yeah, are you sure you're up for it?' George joined in, while Ron scowled heavily.

'If we get our act together now, we can retain the cup - and our pride too.'

'Who's the first match against?' Katie Bell asked tentatively. They had all guessed what the answer was going to be.

'Hufflepuff,' Angelina said sadly. Their new seeker's been training all summer. We're wearing black robes in memory of - anyway, Hufflepuff are wearing white. It's only for the one match!' Angelina said angrily, seeing the frown on Fred's face at having to wear black instead of their normal red.

'There's only one thing left then,' Angelina went on, staring meaningfully round at the other six players, huddled together in the growing darkness. She paused then said 'Who's captain?'

'It should be you Angelina,' Harry declared and the team nodded and muttered in agreement.

'That's settled then Ange,' Fred said, grinning at Angelina's stunned face.

'Yep, see you tomorrow,' George added and the twins made to leave the pitch. The rest of the team laughed and Angelina smiled nervously.

'You really think I can do it?' she asked, looking doubtfully at their faces.

'Course,' Katie said. 'It's dark now - we should be getting back.' They turned to leave the pitch.

'Wait!' Fred said quickly. 'Do you hear something?' They listened and Harry could distinctly hear shouting, even screaming, coming from down the hill.

'Sounds like it's coming from the village,' Angelina said suspiciously. No sooner had the words left her mouth, a huge explosion, as though a firecracker had just been let off, rattled the quiet night air.

They all looked around, thoroughly taken aback and Harry automatically gripped his wand.

'Oh my god!' Alicia Spinnet screamed, pointing in horror past the golden scoring hoops and down the sloping lawns.

'They all looked, terrified of what they were going to see and Harry felt his heart drop like a stone. Just visible over the lawn, hanging low in the charcoal sky was a colossal green skull - The Dark Mark.

'It's over Hogsmeade,' breathed Ron and Harry felt Alicia collapse beside him.

'Get back to the castle!' Katie Bell whispered. 'Now!' Nobody moved for a moment, then Harry, Ron and the twins hauled Alicia to her feet and they hurried back up the lawns into the Entrance Hall.

'Stay there!' Angelina said and she went straight into the Great Hall. They heard a hush fall over the noisy students and a minute later, Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall strode out of the hall followed by a harassed looking Angelina.

'Go back to the common room,' Professor McGonagall commanded sharply as she made for the door.

'Miss Spinnet should go to the hospital wing.' Dumbledore said calmly. 'Madam Pomfrey will take care of her,' he added, seeing their stunned faces. The two of them exited the Entrance Hall and moved out of sight, into the dark grounds.

The door to the Great Hall banged open again and Hagrid hurried forward to the motionless group, supporting Alicia.

'Wha' happened?' Hagrid asked worriedly.

'The Dark mark,' George muttered as he pulled one of Alicia's arms over his shoulder. 'It's over Hogsmeade.'

Hagrid looked completely dumbstruck for a moment, then he hurried out of the hall too, slamming the door behind him.

Harry heard the rumble of many feet in the Great Hall and the whole team helped move Alicia down the passage to the hospital wing, before people began asking questions.

Ron banged impatiently on the door to the dormitory and Madam Pomfrey bustled over, her lips pursed at all the noise.

'Really, there's no need for that, Mr Weasley, she said crossly. 'What on earth's happened?'

She didn't wait for an answer but pulled Alicia onto a bed. The team gathered round anxiously.

'Stay here and don't move,' she said sternly and hurried off to her office.

'This is really bad,' Ron muttered quietly so as not to annoy Madam Pomfrey further.

'Are you OK?' Katie asked Alicia worriedly.

'Fine,' Alicia replied though her face was clammy and pale.

'Move aside,' Madam Pomfrey said briskly, shooing the team away from Alicia's bed and putting a large potion on the bedside cabinet.

'Drink all of this,' she said and Alicia sat up, taking the steaming mug warily.

'You lot, out now,' Madam Pomfrey barked at the remaining Gryffindors and they hurried out, closing the door softly on the matron.

'D'you think they'll catch him?' Ron asked tentatively as they huddled outside the door to the hospital wing.

'Who?' the twins said together.

'You-Know-Who of course,' Ron said and the team shivered collectively.

'Don't be an idiot Ron. They didn't catch him before. What makes you think they will now?' George said exasperatedly and Ron shrugged.

They heard footsteps behind them in the corridor and Professor Dumbledore rounded the corner, looking deadly serious.

'Ah, Madam Pomfrey is not in one of her better moods then?' he said, his eyes twinkling when he saw the team grouped together outside the door.

'She won't let us in,' Ron muttered grumpily and Dumbledore smiled.

'I wonder perhaps if she will allow me a quick word,' he said and knocked softly on the door.

They all heard a considerable amount of tutting before Madam Pomfrey flung open the door and said angrily 'You might as well go back to your house, she- headmaster?'

'Evening Poppy,' Dumbledore said serenely. I wonder if I might have a quick word?'

'Of-of course,' she muttered, highly embarrassed and she let Dumbledore in, leaving the Gryffindor team to trudge miserably back to Gryffindor Tower

He was just beginning to see something Mr Weasley had told him at the Quidditch World Cup. He'd said it was one of the worst things you could see - Voldemort's mark - hanging silently over your house. Harry swallowed hard and wondered who in the village had been killed. He imagined the mark hovering above his parents' home fourteen years ago. The thought made him feel sick.

As soon as they had climbed through the Portrait Hole, every face swivelled in their direction and they were immediately bombarded by questions by what looked like, half of Gryffindor house.

Harry and Ron pushed their way through the eager crowd and told Hermione and Ginny, who was sitting next to her, what had happened, as did the rest of the team and soon the whole of Gryffindor Tower was squashed into the Common Room, few of the usually noisy crowd speaking.

'It's getting worse,' Ron muttered to Hermione but for once, Hermione had no answer. She was staring straight ahead at the wall.

'He's getting more powerful,' Harry said, more to himself than Ron. 'Every time he kills it's another victory. We have to stop him!'

'There's nothing you can do Harry. Dumbledore'll think of something.' Ron said comfortingly. Harry could tell Ron was more hoping this would come true than expecting it.

Harry went to bed about one o'clock but never slept. He imagined being inside a house and seeing Voldemort blast open the door. He got out of bed and looked out of the window. If he craned his neck to the left, he could still see the mark, glittering cruelly. Voldemort's reign of terror was beginning again, and Harry replayed Hagrid's words in his head. What would come, would come, and they would have to meet it when it did.

*

By the next morning, news had spread of the attack in Hogsmeade and at breakfast, Ernie Macmillan came by the Gryffindor table.

'I knew the family who was killed,' he said in a hoarse voice. 'They were friends of my dad's.' He looked down at the floor.

'Well don't keep us in suspense,' Ron grunted in exasperation. Half the people around them, leaned closer, listening intently.

'It was the Eddlebys, the whole family.' he paused for a moment, drew a deep breath and said 'the kids as well. They came by our house sometimes. I just can't believe it!' Ernie looked too overcome for anyone to ask any more.

After he'd hurried off to the Hufflepuff table, leaving the group of Gryffindors in very low spirits, Harry noticed that Snape had just walked in heavily hooded although the morning was very bright. The enchanted ceiling was illuminating the Great Hall in giant sunbeams.

Every person in the Great Hall swivelled where they sat to get a better look at the heavily cloaked Snape who was striding purposefully towards the Top Table. Hundreds of eyes watched him as he reached Dumbledore, said something so quiet, not even the closest of people could hear him and disappeared off into a side chamber.

Dumbledore and Professor Lupin quickly followed. The rest of the teachers looked very sombre and talk didn't fill the hall again for several minutes.

'It's not looking good, is it?' Hermione said over the rim of her book.

'I really want to know what Snape's been up to,' Ron said through gritted teeth, glaring at Hagrid, sitting at the teachers' table.

Harry was pondering what Ron had said when he heard Lee Jordan shout something further down the table.

'Hey Neville, did you hear about that Sirius Black?'

Harry had become increasingly worried about his godfather since the report in the Daily Prophet came out for he had neither heard anything else about it or got a letter back from Sirius.

He had been meaning to ask Lupin about it when he saw him in their Defence Against the Dark Arts classes but something was holding him back.

The truth was that Harry's doubt about Sirius' innocence had been growing all week and he really didn't want Lupin to tell him something he didn't want to hear.

The next two weeks passed calmly in comparison to what had happened before. Their lessons had become more challenging and the three of them were round at Hagrid's almost every night, discussing the plans Dumbledore had been making or to ask of news about Sirius. Harry was deeply worried to find that no one had heard of him since the death of Osbert Parkinson.

Harry had found it much easier to put these thoughts to the back of his mind though, now he had Quidditch practices to distract him. He found he felt wonderfully free and happy when he was in the air and almost forgot that a death eater could swoop down on him at any moment.

The rest of the students in the castle were beginning to feel the strain too. Despite the relative calm in the outside magical world, there had been another two murders and Harry could tell that, just as he was worrying about Sirius, his friends were worrying about their families.

This was evident in a letter Ron received in late October.

'It's from my mum,' Ron said anxiously, ripping open the envelope while his owl, Pig pecked eagerly at his toast.

'What the -!' he burst out about thirty seconds later. The rest of the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione all crowded round him.

'What is it?' Ginny asked.

'It's Bill!' Ron said. 'He's left his job at the bank. He's gonna work for Dumbledore. Be a spy.'

'What!' the twins chimed in, in absolute astonishment.

'He's gonna get himself killed!' Ron yelled throwing the letter into Harry's porridge. For once, no one could find any comforting words. The Weasleys slumped back into their places while Ron scowled at the table. Harry and Hermione said nothing; there was nothing they could say.

They were walking down to Hagrid's cabin later that night when the information they had been longing for, was finally revealed.

It was awkward moving under the Invisibility Cloak and as a result, it always took them about twenty minutes to get down to the entrance Hall, even with their shortcuts.

As the three of them moved down the third floor corridor, Harry heard angry voices just ahead. Thy stopped abruptly and listened.

Harry was sure he could make out Snape's hiss among the tangle of voices issuing from the room. Cautiously, they edged forward until they could see Professor Lupin's lighted office up ahead.

'Quick man, this is no time for details, we need the facts!' came Lupin's exasperated voice.

'I've just risked life and limb for this Remus or have you forgotten.' Snape hissed venomously back.

'We all have a duty. None of us have forgotten whose side you were on last time!'

'Enough!' Dumbledore's deep voice drowned out the others.

'Is he alive Severus?' the calmness in Dumbledore's voice was astonishing after Snape's and Lupin's.

'I don't know. All they said was he'd been dealt with.'

'That could mean anything,'

'And it could mean everything.'

'We can't tell anything for sure!'

'So go out and find him!'

'And where do you suggest I look Remus?'

'You're the spy, not me. Go back to your pals and ask them if he's lying dead in some forest!'

The door to the office was flung open and Snape stormed out and up the corridor, missing Ron's right foot by inches. The three of them stood pinned to the wall as Dumbledore and Lupin locked the door to the office and set off silently, conversing in hushed voices.

'To Hagrid's,' Hermione whispered urgently and they set off again. They were much quicker after that and reached the cabin in five minutes, skirting three ghosts in the Entrance Hall.

They were surprised to find the light on at one o'clock in the morning but they had been later in previous years so they knocked hurriedly and waited.

There was no answer. They knocked again. Fang came to the door, scratching at it from the inside and whining. They looked around them for any sign of Hagrid.

A loud scuffle behind them made all three of them jump out of their skins. A moment later, Hagrid burst out of the Forbidden forest, covered in mud and wheezing noisily. There was another man behind him, dirtier even than Hagrid and twice as breathless. Harry strained to see him through the darkness.

'Sirius!'