The following week was dominated by a tangle of rumours about Sirius Black, until Julia thought she would scream if she heard his name one more time. Everyone was safe, and really, there was no reason why it would have been Sirius Black. Whoever had first said it was had probably been too scared to think straight. Enough was enough.
To make things worse, the teachers seemed to have decided to give them all an exceptional amount of work, with the ever-present reason being that their OWLs were mere months away. No one really seemed to care much yet. It seemed so far off. Only Chelsea was already studying, finding more and more excuses to keep her head in a book. Even Defense Against the Dark Arts, which Julia had been starting to like just a little, was far from fun. Snape was filling in for Lupin and had made them review things they’d learned about years ago, like werewolves. Finally, the weather was miserable, and the Weasley twins were so busy training for that weekend’s Quidditch game that they didn’t even think to set off some fireworks or something to lighten the mood. She would have suggested it herself, had she not been a prefect.
It was Friday night when Mason and Sam started pestering her. She was playing Exploding Snap with Grace when they sat down next to her.
–I like exploding cards too, miss,†said Sam.
–Yes,†said Mason, imitating his friend’s Irish accent, –I like explosions a lot.†Parker was sitting on his shoulders, picking through his hair for bugs.
Julia sighed, trying to pay attention to the game. Grace had a habit of cheating if she saw that her opponent was distracted. –What do you two want?â€
–Are you going to the Quidditch game?†asked Mason. –We are. I’m so excited, Sam’s told me all about it . . .â€
–Yes, miss, I have,†said Sam eagerly.
–You don’t need to call me ‘miss’,†said Julia absently.
–So, are you coming?†asked Mason.
–Probably not. Willa and Grace are still bitter . . .â€
–I’m not bitter!†Grace protested. –I just don’t think Cho . . .â€
–And Chelsea will probably think that having everyone down at the pitch will create ideal study conditions, so she won’t budge,†Julia finished.
–Please,†said Mason, batting his eyelashes. –It would be so much more fun if you came too!†Sam tried to imitate his friend, but just looked like he had something stuck in his eye. Parker grunted.
Julia laughed. –Oh, fine. I’ll come. Maybe I’ll even manage to drag the others out.â€
So, despite the howling storm, all of them ended up heading down to the pitch on Saturday morning. They’d opted to dress neutrally, not cheering for one side or the other. Had it still been Slytherin playing, they would have sided with Gryffindor, but now that Hufflepuff was playing instead, the choice was more difficult. It seemed unfair to Julia that the already unspectacular Hufflepuffs had been forced to play under such short notice, especially in this weather. They struggled against the wind until finally they managed to get some seats near the bottom - the worst view, but at least it was somewhat sheltered.
–I don’t see why we couldn’t have stayed inside,†said Chelsea, pulling her scarf tighter around her head to try and block the rain.
–The boys wanted to come,†Julia shouted over the wind.
–So?†said Grace. –I’m freezing!â€
–Oh, it’ll be fine,†said Willa, using her binoculars to scope out her latest crush as the teams came out. –That Cedric Diggory’s a real dream, don’t you think?â€
No one heard her. Sam was cheering loudly, decked out in his Ballycastle Bats robes, and Mason was following his lead. –This is brilliant!†he cried as the players took off.
However, it soon became clear that everyone was struggling just to stay on their brooms, let alone score. It went on and on, everyone getting steadily colder. –And that’s another ten points to Gryffindor . . .†said Lee Jordan, his voice hard to hear over the gale. –Up seventy to thirty now, and Hufflepuff has the Quaffle . . .†The rain got heavier, and lightning flashed. Gryffindor were up fifty points when they called a time out, and everyone was hoping that the game would end soon, even Sam. It really didn’t seem safe, playing in this sort of weather, Julia thought as the red-clad players took off again. Quidditch was never cancelled for something as trivial as weather, though. They’d just have to keep playing, and hope one of the Seekers would manage to spot the Snitch soon. Then, Cedric spotted it . . . the chase began . . . but the crowd quieted suddenly as the air grew even colder.
A huge group of dementors were gliding towards the pitch, looking more frightening than ever through the haze of rain. Willa, Grace, Chelsea, Mason and Sam all drew closer together, wondering if the players would notice. Julia felt paralyzed. They were the closest, down in this corner of the stands. Not everyone even knew, but already the icy fear gripped her heart . . .
She gave a small gasp and remembered, as if it was in front of her, the memory she’d repressed, the memory no one thought was real.
She was only two years old, playing with her toys, when suddenly the lights went out. She cried out as someone rattled the door. Her mom picked her up, her dad following as they hurried into the room, the small room no one would notice, and there was a crash, a flash of light as the front door flew open. They hid there, and her mom kept a hand over the little girl’s mouth to stop her screaming . . . the house was half-destroyed when they came out, as if by an explosion . . . her parents talked, they’d heard nothing like an explosion, but nothing was right these days, the news was full of strange things and they were lucky to have survived . . . burglars, perhaps, but nothing was taken . . . they called the police, but no one ever came. Soon it was like it had never happened, but she remembered, the girl, and it filled her nightmares . . .
Julia gripped the edge of the bench, feeling sick. So it was real. It had been Death Eaters, she was sure of it now. Idle muggle-baiting, most likely, or else they would have looked harder, and killed them with a single curse . . . absently she noticed that the dementors had gone, chased off by something silver - a patronus. A babble of talk broke out, something about Harry Potter . . .
–Julia! Julia, are you okay?†It was Mason, sounding scared. She should be brave, for him . . . the rain was clearing the fog in her mind, but she wished she was warm.
–Chocolate,†said Grace nervously. –It must have been the dementors. Do any of you have chocolate?â€
–Did any of you see Diggory catch the snitch?†asked Willa. –It was incredible . . .â€
–Don’t be so insensitive!†cried Chelsea. –Julia, let’s go back. Everyone’s leaving.â€
–I’m okay, Mason,†Julia whispered as her brother touched her hand. –Let’s go.†Still looking worried, her friends followed her out across the grounds, making sure she didn’t fall as she tried to forget all over again.