Harry Potter and the Angel of Justice

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Chapter Twenty-Seven - Dumbledore's Defeat

Harry spent Sunday morning doing a little homework and listening to the news on the wizard's wireless. While he was glad to be kept up to date on the war, the sensationalism WWN attached to its coverage made him sick. To Harry, it seemed they were treating the war like a combination of a sporting event and a soap opera.

"Everyone, come quick! To the front lawn! They're leaving, most of them are leaving," Colin Creevy yelled, holding the painting of the Fat Lady open.

"Who's leaving?" asked Katie Bell.

"C'mon, then!" Colin said impatiently; he turned around and left the doorway.

All the Gryffindors in the Common Room got up and followed Colin. He led them down the stairs, to the Entrance Hall and then out through the giant oak front doors and onto the steps that led to the front lawn. Hogwarts carriages, drawn by thestrals, were drawn up on the lawn. Most of the Slytherin students appeared to be lining up with their luggage. Harry also saw many adults standing about the lawn whom he knew must be parents of the Slytherins.

"Oh my," said Hermione. "Why are they leaving, Colin?"

Before Colin could answer, a icy drawling voice came from behind them.

"Even a mudblood like yourself, Granger, should be smart enough to realize we're not going to let that murderer, Mars, teach us anymore," spat Draco Malfoy venomously. Behind Malfoy were Crabbe and Goyle; all three stopped near Harry and his friends.

Harry scowled at Malfoy. "He gave you your chance, Malfoy. Mars warned you."

Malfoy looked livid. Harry had never seen him so angry, yet Draco didn't go for his wand. In a cold whisper, Malfoy replied, "I'll kill you myself, Potter. You and your mudblood and muggle-loving friends."

"Try it, Malfoy," said Harry, barely moving his lips. He put his hand on his wand.

Malfoy looked around, saw the teachers nearby, and took a step closer to Harry. "The next time we meet, Potter, you'll be begging me to kill you to end your suffering." Malfoy and his flunkies stomped off to the carriages.

Anger burned through Harry's veins. He knew Malfoy was leaving to join the ranks of the Death Eaters, and that he should curse him now before Malfoy got away. Harry also knew that without proof, he would only get arrested; with great difficulty, he moved his hand away from his wand.

"NO! Please don't go!" shrieked a girl's voice behind them.

Harry turned and saw Heather Parkinson tugging on her older sister Pansy's robes as hard as she could as Pansy walked coolly down the Entrance Hall. Heather's face was red and streaked with tears.

"Stop! Pansy, please," pleaded the weeping first year. "If you go, I'm afraid I'll never see you again,"

Pansy stopped walking, turned, and slapped her much smaller sister hard on the face. The force of the blow knocked Heather to the floor. "Good!" spat Pansy. "Why would I ever want to see a worthless little git like you again?"

Pansy turned away as Heather answered her. "Because I'm your sister and I love you!" she wailed. "A lot more than him! Why do you let Draco treat you that way?" Heather broke down completely. Harry saw a red welt rising where she had been struck. Her last plea, however, seemed to have struck a nerve with her sister. Pansy's look slowly faded from hateful to fearful as she glanced at the coaches and then at her sobbing little sister. Pansy took a step toward Heather, but stopped at a shout from the front lawn.

"Pansy! What are you doing up there? Hurry up, you fool!" shrieked Malfoy.

Pansy turned back to the carriages. "Right!" she said. She turned her nose up and walked toward the steps again.

Harry fought the urge to hex Pansy. Something flashed by his left side. Hermione was drawing her wand. Before she could level it, Ginny and Ron each seized one of her arms.

"No, Hermione. All the teachers are here," urged Ron as he and Ginny pulled her away from Pansy.

"You miserable hag, you!" Hermione screamed at Pansy. "How can you treat someone who loves you like that?" Hermione let out a string of invectives Harry had never heard her use before as she struggled to reach the elder Parkinson. Ron and Ginny had a difficult time restraining her.

Pansy ignored the insults and walked to the carriage that held Draco, Goyle and Crabbe.

Harry's inner voice urged him, "One of your students needs you!" He left the Weasleys wrestling with Hermione and ran over to the sobbing Heather. He knelt down and lifted her shoulders off the floor. When she saw it was Harry, she threw her arms about his neck and sobbed on his shoulder.

"Harry ... how .. could ... she ... leave ... with ... him?" Heather said, gasping between words. Harry had no idea what to say so he just held her tight.

A few moments later, Ron, Hermione and Ginny joined him; Ron offered poor Heather a handkerchief. She took the handkerchief, let go of Harry and blew her nose a few times. She had stopped sobbing, but tears still ran down her face. The mark of Pansy's hand was growing more clear and red by the second.

"Harry, you've got to stop her leaving. Mars told us both that she had some good still in her. Stop her, please," begged Heather desperately.

"But she's seventeen, Heather. She's of age; I can't stop her doing what she wants. I'm so sorry," said Harry, dejected.

"I'll never see my sister again!" wailed Heather, sobbing anew on Harry's shoulder.

Rage built up inside Harry. Yet another family devastated by Voldemort and a Malfoy! At the same time, sadness engulfed him. Heather's grief aroused great sympathy in Harry, but it also shamed him. Pansy Parkinson was easily as unlikable as his three muggle relatives - probably more so - and Harry would gladly have paid any amount of galleons never to see his muggle family again. Heather, on the other hand, was totally despondent that her sister, who had just struck her and insulted her, was walking out of her life. How full of love must this young girl be?

"What's wrong, Heather?" they heard Mark Evans' voice.

Heather let go of Harry and ran to Mark, clinging to him as she had to Harry. Mary Sue Sladen now approached them. "Did her sister leave with Malfoy then?" asked Mary.

When Harry didn't answer, Ginny said, "Yes, she did."

Mary sighed sadly. "C'mere, Heather," she said gently.

Heather let go of Mark and put her arm around Mary.

"She's going to need hot chocolate, lots of it," advised Mary, "and a place where she won't be bothered for a while. Mark, nick a tray of mugs from the house elves, would you? Then meet me by the statue of the Hufflepuff badger. There's a place near there very few people know about." Mary looked up at Hermione.

Hermione flinched at the mention of the Hufflepuff statue. She glared down at Mary as Mark left for the kitchens, but the first year didn't waver. After a few seconds Mary gave Ginny the same confident look and led the still crying Heather away.

After the girls had left, Hermione said, in a tone of annoyance and admiration, "She's one cocky first year, isn't she?"

Ginny nodded. "Too right she is."

Ron and Harry traded confused looks. "Should we even bother to ask what you two are on about?" asked Ron.

Both girls said bluntly, "No."

"Let's go to lunch, then," suggested Ron; and so they did.

As Harry lay in bed that night, he mulled over a reality that he would never have believed could happen. Draco Malfoy and his two flunkies had quit Hogwarts, along with a number of the students Harry most disliked. Rather than ending the day in celebration, however, because of Heather's grief, he would remember this day as one of his saddest days ever at Hogwarts.

Monday morning, as they walked down the corridor towards Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hermione asked, "Do you think Mars is back at Hogwarts?"

"Not from the sound of the news. They reported seeing Charlie and him in London this morning," answered Ginny.

"Then who's going to teach today?" asked Ron.

"As long as it's not Snape, I don't care," said Harry, opening the door to the classroom. He looked inside nervously, afraid that his own gloomy prediction might prove true. There was no Snape at the front of the class; in fact, there was no teacher at all. A few students were already seated, so Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the back, while Ginny took a seat up front near Luna and Katie Bell. Soon the whole class was seated, but still there was no instructor.

Harry was just about to suggest they split up and go over their last lessons when the door to the classroom opened and Steele entered.

"Good morning, class. My name is Steele, and I'll be substituting for a few days. Today's lesson is for the entire class, and will be taught outside, so please follow me," said Steele, holding the classroom door open.

Harry immediately stood up in relief. He was the first to reach Steele, who smiled at him as he went into the hall. Within seconds he was joined by the rest of the class. "It's such a beautiful day that I just couldn't resist an outside lesson," said Steele as they walked.

"Er, Professor Steele. Is Mars okay? Some of us are really worried," said Dean Thomas. Many in the class nodded in agreement.

"He's doing just fine, and will be back as soon as he can. You needn't worry about him; Angel can take care of himself, darlin'," answered Steele.

"Angel?" Some of the students looked confused. Ginny and Luna took turns explaining the source of this nickname. Hermione leaned close to Ron and Harry and whispered, "Another member of his fan club. She might even be president."

"What do you mean?" whispered Harry. Steele chose that moment to look back at them, so Hermione didn't answer.

The class stopped at the large beech tree by the lake where Harry, Hermione, and Ron often rested on nice days like this. Steele turned and smiled at the students. Harry saw that her eyes, as usual, did not match her warm smile. However, this time he didn't think that they were cold so much as empty - like something was missing from her. He suddenly felt a surge of sympathy for her, but he had no idea why.

"There are many bits of advice when it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts. For example, Mad Eye Moody's preaching of 'Constant Vigilance' is one," said Steele, in a surprisingly good imitation of the retired auror's voice. "Some others are, 'The best defense is a good offense,' 'Always take the high ground,' and 'Don't jinx'em until you see the whites of their eyes.' But none of these address what to do if you are hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded.

"The problem is that witches and wizards these days are just too used to being able to apparate away from any tricky situation. There are, however, many times when this will not be practical, so today and Friday we will cover alternative escape methods.

"The first way is useful when your escape route has to be very precise to avoid detection, or has dangerous obstacles. It is, however, best used when you are not currently under surveillance or enemy fire.

"Any volunteers for the demonstration?" asked Steele.

If Hermione still felt any ill-will toward the blond Defender, she hid it well as her hand shot straight into the air.

"Thank you, Hermione. Please come forward."

Hermione approached Steele and stood next to her. Steele tapped Hermione with her wand and said, "Araneus Scando!" Hermione twitched a bit, as if something was prickling her spine.

"Okay, Hermione, now climb the tree--up to that branch--just as if you were a spider," said Steele, pointing to a large branch about twenty-five feet up. "You must concentrate on which hand or knee is sticking, and which is not. It takes a while to get the gist of it, but once you understand, it's a very natural process."

Hermione screwed up her face in concentration. She carefully put one hand, and then the opposite knee, on the huge tree trunk, and lifted herself off the ground. She had managed to climb about five feet when she must have forgotten which appendage to make stick. With a small shriek, she slid quickly down the tree. Steele caught Hermione easily before she hit the ground.

"That was much better than average for a first try, Hermione. Go ahead and start again. We can probably have five of you climb at a time," said Steele.

Hermione started back up the tree, while Steele conjured a ring of soft foam on the ground surrounded the trunk. She called for more students to come forward and to try climbing. Soon, most of the students were enjoying the great view from the beech limb as the last of the climbers slowly made their way up. The quidditch players seemed to climb the fastest, followed closely by Hermione and Luna.

Once the entire class was on the limb, Steele called up to them. "Okay, who knows the quickest and safest way down?"

"Push Ernie and Neville off and then land on them," suggested Zacharias Smith. The two stout boys glared at him as the students laughed.

Steele then called on Hermione, who said, "The feather fall charm should do it."

"Very good, Hermione. Take five points for Gryffindor. Can you show the class?" asked Steele.

Hermione rolled up her sleeves and pointed her wand at her chest. She leaned forward and slipped off the branch. Instead of plummeting to the ground and a set of broken bones, she drifted gently down. She spun around a bit, and laughed as she landed.

"I've never tested the charm on that long a fall." Hermione said breathlessly.

"Okay, now everyone watch me cast the charm, and then practice it some. When you're ready, let me know and then you can hop off the limb. Don't worry about your spell failing; Hermione and I will be here to cast it on you if needed," Steele said, looking up the class.

About half of the class managed the spell on the first try, and neither Steele nor Hermione had any troubles saving those who failed. Once down, the students were instructed to climb the tree again, but this time casting the Spider Climb Charm on themselves. Within an hour all of the students had climbed the tree and and floated down via their own spells several times. To the class' delight, Steele dismissed them without any homework, and they all headed for the Castle.

"That was an excellent lesson," said Hermione as they walked back.

"Must run in the family," added Harry.

"She was Mars' second student, after Bill," commented Ginny.

"Really? Did he teach her the UAS?" Hermione asked with interest.

"And glyphs," Ginny nodded. Hermione looked impressed.

Each night that week, Harry listened to about an hour of war coverage on WWN. He tried his best to tune out the worthless announcers and determine what was really going on. The fighting had really slowed down, and any reporting of skirmishes was always long after they had ended. Most of the talk was about a proposed meeting between Jonathon Simpson, a senior CADS officer, and Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that would take place the day before the deadline the Minister had set for CADS to surrender.

"Do you think they can work out a deal?" asked Ron as he, Harry and Hermione approached the Potions classroom Thursday morning. "Could the Ministry and CADS really have peace and fight Voldemort together?"

"No way," answered Harry. "Dolohov controls the Committee Against Dark Sorcerers. You can't expect a group that's run by Death Eaters to fight against Death Eaters. That's insane."

"But Dumbledore did say that he hadn't given up on that Lennon woman, Harry. Maybe the fighting so far has weakened Dolohov's faction enough for CADS to kick out the Death Eaters?" suggested Hermione as they sat down in the back of the classroom.

"Don't hold your breath," said Harry grimly.

Sally-Anne Perkins and Blaise Zabini were the only two Slytherins left in the class. Even having the two girls flash him friendly smiles could not keep Harry from feeling depressed: the sight of Pansy's empty seat reminded Harry forcibly of Heather's despair.

Twenty minutes into the day's lesson on the Universal Solvent, the students looked up in mild surprise at a knock on the classroom's door. Very few at Hogwarts were brave enough to interrupt Snape's class.

"Come in," said Snape in disgust, glaring at the door. The door opened and Steele took a step inside.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your class, Professor - ," she began.

"Then don't," snapped Snape.

The students' eyes shifted back and forth between Steele and Snape like a tennis match.

"Ugly and unoriginal," said Steele. "Well, at least your personality matches your hairstyle." A smattering of giggles from the class was quickly stifled at a sharp look from Snape.

"Is there a reason you're disrupting my class?" sneered Snape.

"Yes," answered Steele. She turned away from him and looked at Harry. "Ron, Hermione, Harry. Pack your bags and come with me. Quickly, now."

Harry and Ron didn't need to be told twice to leave Snape's class early; they readied their things immediately. Hermione hesitated and then also prepared to leave. Harry didn't quite dare to peek at Snape, but as he left the class, he could feel the Potion Master's stare boring into his back. In the corridor, Harry saw Ginny standing next to Steele.

"What's going on, Ginny?" asked Ron.

"Charlie's been seriously hurt," said Ginny, putting her arms around her brother.

Harry and Hermione both inhaled sharply. Before Harry could ask what had happened, Steele spoke. "No questions yet - just follow me," she said stiffly.

They followed the Defender up to the hospital. Charlie was laid up in one of the beds and looked in a bad state. He was heavily bandaged; only one eye was visible, and one of his legs was elevated. Many odd things were attached to different parts of his body, and a load of potion bottles were lined up on a table next to him.

Ginny and Ron exclaimed, "Charlie!" and ran up to him.

Charlie managed an arduous smile at his youngest siblings. "Are you l-lot skiving off cl-classes? Sally, I expected you to keep a cl-closer eye on them." Charlie winced in pain with each word.

"It's only Snape's class that they're missing," answered Steele.

"Well, I s-suppose any excuse to miss that git's class is justified, eh Sally?" said Charlie, attempting another painful grin.

"I've told you many times to call me Steele."

"I just thought that while on my d-deathbed you might allow me the liberty to call you Sally?" asked Charlie.

Hermione and Ginny both shrieked, "Deathbed?" Ron swore.

"That's not funny, Charlie," said Steele. "Look how much you scared them. Now, stop saying that!"

"Then let me call you Sally," said Charlie, whose face managed to glow through his bandages.

"Fine. Sally, then," said Steele irritably.

"What happened to you?" demanded Ginny, reaching out to grab Charlie's hand. Before she could, however, Madam Pomfrey entered the room, saw Harry and Hermione on the near side of the bed, and shrieked at them.

"What are you two doing here? Charlie's still recovering; he needs rest! Get out of here at once."

Harry and Hermione jumped and backed away guiltily. The nurse then saw Steele, Ron, and Ginny on the other side of the bed, and her demeanor softened. "Family," she said sadly.

"Yes, Poppy. They've only just found out," Steele said to her.

Harry thought Steele's eyes looked different now--almost happy. Anger flared up in him - how could she be happy at such a moment? As he stared deeper into her eyes, however, he realized that they actually weren't happy, just no longer empty. They now looked full of caring and sympathy. He glanced over at Ginny and Ron, and saw that their eyes looked the same: there seemed to be no pupil or color, just emotions jumping out at him. Harry closed his eyes and shook his head. When he reopened them everyone's eyes appeared normal again. Ginny's brown eyes were sprinkled with tears as she held Charlie's hand. "Am I cracking up?" Harry thought to himself.

"I suppose you can stay for a while, but don't make him speak," said Madam Pomfrey. "He's very weak." She gave Charlie two spoonfuls of some liquid and left the room.

"What happened to you?" Ginny asked tenderly.

Charlie's one visible eye was now glassy. It turned to his sister and looked very unfocused.

"Poppy was right, Ginny. I-I can't r-really talk now. Ask Sally - she knows," said Charlie. His eye closed.

The four teenagers looked at Steele expectantly. She motioned for them to follow her to the other side of the ward, where they all sat as Steele spoke. "Charlie was with Fleur and a Defender named Boleslaw Lemsky. They were on a mission to intercept foreign dignitaries from the Baltic areas. The foreigners were coming to Britain to hear Voldemort's pitch on why they should ally with him.

"When the three arrived at the meeting place, around seven foreigners were speaking with two Death Eaters. Boleslaw must have recognized the two Polish wizards, because he said their names and then flew into a rage. The Poles, you see, have had very few wizards ever go to the Dark Side, and I'm sure he took it as an insult to his people to see such traitors.

"Boleslaw's curse killed or incapacitated five of the visitors, and the other two disapparated immediately. The Death Eaters both fired off curses, but Charlie and Fleur blocked them, and then Charlie stunned the female Death Eater. The dark wizard retreated into a doorway. The three Alliance members followed him into the room, but the Death Eater was not alone - Voldemort was with him."

The teenagers flinched.

"Boleslaw is reckless, even for a Defender. He immediately charged them, curses a-blazing. He managed to hit the Death Eater, but Voldemort easily countered his jinx and then blasted him with a spell that Charlie didn't recognize. Boleslaw was blown to bits, and even the tiny portion of the curse that hit Charlie left him in this condition.

"Voldemort was about to finish Charlie off when Fleur attacked. She managed to knock Voldemort down with a stunner, but he recovered instantly. She somehow dodged spell after spell, and led Voldemort away from Charlie. Charlie had just enough strength to call to the other Alliance members for help. Tonks and Henri apparated there a minute later, and brought Charlie here."

"Why here instead of St Mungo's?" asked Ron.

"Several of our people have died under mysterious circumstances at that hospital. Angel thinks that there are Death Eater spies within its staff, so he ordered Charlie to be taken here," answered Steele.

"Is Fleur okay?" asked Ginny apprehensively.

"No one has seen her in two days, sweetie," said Steele. "We are extremely worried."

Ginny's face crumpled; she grabbed hold of Harry with both arms.

"I should have been with him!" said Steele forcefully as she gazed at Charlie. "I would have taken Voldemort more seriously, and been more cautious. When Angel warns us to be wary, I know to listen, unlike Boleslaw. Angel gave strict orders that we were only to approach Voldemort if Angel himself or Dumbledore was with us."

"Dumbledore is helping you? I thought he was furious at Mars," said Harry.

Steele nodded.

"Why did he change his mind?" asked Hermione.

"Perhaps unity was more important to him, Hermione? I can't say with any certainty. When dealing with great wizards like Angel and Dumbledore, it's best to take their words and actions at face value. The depth of their knowledge is so vast that it would be irrationally arrogant to pretend that you could understand their motivations. Either you agree with them or you don't - it's best kept simple," answered Steele.

Harry found this reasoning sound, and apparently so did the Weasleys, as they were both nodding as well. Hermione, however, looked insulted and barely hid a frown.

"Is Professor Dumbledore with Mars, then?" asked Harry.

"No. That's another worry of ours. No one, not Angel nor anyone in the Order of the Phoenix, has seen him for two days," said Steele.

"You don't think anything has happened to him, do you?" asked Ron, concerned.

"Unfortunately, we have only one bit of information, and its source is rather dubious. Several Death Eaters have been bragging to each other that one of them has captured him," answered Steele.

"Captured Dumbledore? How can that be?" asked Hermione.

"I've told you all I know. I've not been allowed to leave this blasted castle since the Herbert murders; with the Headmaster now missing, Angel won't even consider it," said Steele bitterly.

"Is he worried that the Death Eaters will attack Hogwarts?" asked Harry.

Steele opened the door and motioned them to follow her out into the corridor. "No. Hogwarts has many defenses against outside attack. The entire Alliance and the Order of the Phoenix could be here before they breached the castle."

"You're guarding against an enemy from within, then?" asked Hermione.

The bell rang. Steele gave Hermione a quick nod and said, "I need to prepare for my seventh year class. I'll see y'all tomorrow afternoon." She left.

"Snape better watch himself," said Ron as they headed to the courtyard for break. "Steele doesn't seem to have Mars' patience, and there's no Dumbledore around to protect the slimy git."

Harry and Ginny beamed at Ron, but Hermione crossed her arms and looked worried. They had just reached the courtyard they heard Professor McGonagall's voice ring out.

"Potter, Weasley."

They turned and looked at her. She seemed cross and very tense. "You four, follow me to my office," she snapped.

In McGonagall's office the teenagers sat down in front of her desk and stared at her across it. "I have some very grave news for you, I'm afraid. Your brother Charlie has been grievously injured," said McGonagall.

"We know, Professor. Steele just brought us to see him," said Ginny.

McGonagall's head jerked a bit in surprise, but her expression reflected more confusion than surprise. Harry stared into her eyes and tried to guage her emotions as he had earlier with Steele, but he saw nothing but white.

"I've also some bad news about Professor Dumbledore -" she continued.

"He's disappeared, we know. Steele told us that too," interrupted Ginny.

McGonagall again froze, looking confused. After a pause, she asked, "Did she tell you anything else?"

Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but Harry cut her off. "No," he said firmly.

McGonagall looked at him harshly. "Have any of you been in contact with Professor Dumbledore or Professor Mars?"

"No," said Harry again.

"Have you?" asked Hermione.

McGonagall scowled at Hermione, but then her face changed again. It looked strained for a second, and then calm. "You lot can leave now," she said.

The four got up and left immediately.

"What was she on about?" demanded Ron as they walked down the hall.

"Maybe she's worried, now that Mars and Dumbledore are gone, that Hogwarts isn't safe?" suggested Ginny.

"She certainly looked worried about something," said Hermione.

Harry wanted to comment to his friends on her emotionless eyes, but he had no idea how to explain what he had seen. He didn't really understand it himself; so he remained silent.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were tense days for Harry. The whole school remained on edge. Everyone was talking about Dumbledore's absence, and wondering why Mars had not returned. There had been no more skirmishes reported, and no sightings of the red wizard.

On Friday, Harry had a long talk with Heather Parkinson after teaching his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. While she was no longer crying over her sister's leaving, the zest for life that normally dominated Heather's personality was missing.

In the last class of the week, Steele taught them the jumping charm. When properly cast, it allowed you to jump around twenty feet high and forty feet away. As with her first lesson, the class was: held outside, about escaping dangerous situations, and a lot of fun.

That Saturday evening was the deadline Minister Fudge had set for Jo Anne Lennon and the officers of CADS to surrender. The ongoing talks between Simpson and Mrs. Bones went right up to the final hour. At the end of that time, the two emerged and declared triumphantly that a one-month ceasefire had been agreed upon, during which they would begin negotiating a permanent truce.

The crowd at the Atrium cheered at this announcement, and the WWN announcers and spot reporters hailed the news. Harry, however, was distinctly not jubilant. A permanent truce with Death Eaters? Who were they kidding?

Neither Mars nor Dumbledore had returned to the school when classes began after the weekend. Steele taught Defense Against the Dark Arts for the second straight week, and spent both Monday and Friday helping the students prepare for the end of year exams. The other teachers, including Harry, also prepped their classes for the exams. While the mood was still tense, it was also boring, and the week seemed to drag much longer than Harry thought it should. He and Ron were both relieved when Steele dismissed them from class that Friday afternoon.

At dinner Friday night, an announcement was made that Harry had known was coming, but the forewarning didn't make it any easier to take. Slytherin was in the lead for the Quidditch Cup, but their entire team had left the school on the previous Sunday. It had therefore been decided to cancel the competition for the year.

As captain of the Gryffindor team, Ron took the news the hardest. His complaints, however, stopped when they returned to the Gryffindor Common Room and heard on WWN that the battles between the Death Eaters and the Alliance had renewed - apparently the cease-fire was limited to the Committee. There were many detailed reports about the dead and the wounded. Suddenly, who won the Quidditch Cup didn't mean so much anymore.