I ran into Father’s office without even knocking.

He looked up. “What is it?”

I took a deep breath. “I need to know why you hate Professor Lupin, Sirius Black and Harry Potter so much.”

He frowned.

I knew this was extremely important. I felt like there was a link I was missing, and here it was.

He sighed. “When I was at school, I was bullied. I was bullied by a group of Gryffindor boys. This group was comprised of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew– though Pettigrew was not nearly as bad.”

Professor Lupin had been friends with Black? “Lupin’s a werewolf,” I burst out.

Father looked pleased. “Yes, I know.”

“And if Sirius Black wasn’t a Death Eater…were any of that group Death Eaters?” I asked, thinking as I spoke.

He grimaced. “Oh, yes.”

It couldn’t have been James Potter, which meant it was –

“Professor Lupin?”

He shook his head, a sad smile on his face.

“Then who…you can’t mean – Peter Pettigrew?” I gasped.

He nodded.

Something was going on here that I didn’t understand.

Had Sirius Black really blown up one of his friends, just because he was a Death Eater?

I got up, shaking my head. “I have to go.”

***

Everyone was still talking about Quidditch. Rumour had it that Harry Potter had been sent a Firebolt, the newest make of broomstick.

If it was true, then Ravenclaw wouldn’t stand a chance.

Maybe Kaya had been right. Maybe she had the Sight…

An image came to my mind of an adult Kaya Adams in Trelawney’s room, being sardonic, sarcastic and cynical, while predicting a young Harry’s death.

But I was getting distracted.

Gryffindor would probably win the Cup.

At breakfast, over at the Gryffindor table, Harry had put his broom on the table for all to see.

It was definitively a Firebolt.

Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor team’s captain, was looking very superior, clearly certain of a win for Gryffindor.

***

The two Seekers suddenly raced towards a golden speck in the sky. “Oh!” Cho shouted, pointing downwards. I looked to see what she was pointing at.

Three Dementors were standing there…yet I felt no cold, no fear.

That was odd.

Harry shouted, “Expecto Patronum!” A silvery animal – a stag – flew out of the tip of his wand and went to attack the strange Dementors.

Harry knew how to cast a Patronus?

Well, Professor Lupin liked Harry, that wasn’t actually surprising.

Harry then proceeded to catch the Snitch and the crowd went wild.

Obviously, I didn’t, being a Slytherin. Instead, I looked back at the Dementor.

Harry’s stag flew straight at it and…knocked them over?

They tipped over and the robes slid aside to reveal Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and Flint.

I remembered hearing that Harry had fainted on the train, as well as me. Draco and Harry were enemies, so Draco would want Harry to faint again.

Professor McGonagall left her seat and ran down to where the four Slytherins were still lying, struggling to get out of the huge black robes. She began yelling at them.

The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw teams had landed and the Gryffindors were already celebrating.

Technically, they hadn’t actually won the Quidditch Cup yet. We could still win the Cup if we won the match against Gryffindor.

***

The next morning, security was being tightened everywhere.

In Arithmancy, Hermione informed me that Sirius Black had gotten into the Gryffindor Common Room. For some reason, he had gone to Ron Weasley’s bed. He had been standing over Ron with a knife, and then had disappeared.

Apparently, he had found a piece of paper with all the week’s passwords on it.

A piece of paper belonging to Neville Longbottom.

At breakfast that day, Neville received a Howler – an exploding letter that would burn unless you opened it –fromhis grandmother. He ran out of the Great Hall, but everyone could still hear her yelling.

Draco, meanwhile, was looking very smug almost all the time.

After he was injured by Buckbeak, Mr Malfoy had called for Buckbeak to be trialled.

Of course, the trial hadn’t actually happened yet, but it was obvious that Mr Malfoy would win the trial.

Against an ex-Death Eater who would have no problem with blackmailing the whole Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, Hagrid didn’t stand a chance.