Chapter Forty-Six, Second Dementor Attack

"What villains are these that trespass upon my private lands?" The mental portrait of Sir Cadogan cried, brandishing his sword at Izzy and her friends as they left Gryffindor Tower. "Who dares challenge Sir Cadogan? Back you scurvy braggarts, you —!" He cried only to cut himself off with a yelp as he fell backwards from his wild movements.
"He's barking mad." Seamus laughed.
"What did you expect?" Dean asked. "After what happened to the Fat - sorry, Izzy. I mean Elizabeth," Dean amended at Izzy's heated glare, "none of the other portraits want to take the job."

"But he's so annoying." Neville moaned. "He's always changing the password. He changed it twice just this morning." He felt thankful that his memory was much better than a few years ago, along with his self esteem and confidence; and it was all thanks to his sister. They all, as one, cast one last annoyed look at the portrait before they turned around and left.
"Farewell, comrades. If you ever have a need of a noble heart and steely sinew... call upon Sir Cadogan." The Knight yelled as he climbed to his feet at the retreating teens.
"Yeah, we'll call you, if we ever need someone mental." Ron scoffed, Seamus and Dean laughed high-fiving Ron.
"Come on," Izzy said, rolling her eyes. "We've got Defence and I have a feeling it'll be better to be early than late today."

She knew someone, most likely Snape, would step in for her Papa today as he would be recovering from last night's Full Moon with her Dad. She was still pretty shaken up from Pettigrew breaking in the night before but she tried to put on a strong façade so no one would worry about her, but her Dad had also booked an appointment with Healer Fawley tomorrow after the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. It was supposed to be against Slytherin but Marcus Flint got it changed because he didn't want to play in the storm; Draco had groused to her the day before last as they had both been looking forward to playing against each other.

"You're right." Ron agreed with a nod, linking his arm through Izzy's while Neville did the same on her other side so she had a protective brother on either side of her.
"We're not taking any chances." Kellah and Celeste told her as the two girls along with Seamus and Dean protected their backs, casting their eyes warily along the halls as they hurried along to their next lesson.

It would seem that Izzy had the right idea. They had barely sat down when Professor Snape came storming into the classroom with such force that the door banged against the stone wall, the sound ringing around the silent classroom making the entire class jump out of their skins. Not losing stride, nor caring for the startled students, Professor Snape waved his wand at the shutters over each window, adding to the din as they shut with a bang as the slights faded to a faint glow.
"Turn to page 394." Professor Snape ordered, pulling a projector screen shown in front of the teacher's desk at the front of the classroom.

"Excuse me, sir. Where's Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked, leaning over Izzy.
"That's not really your concern, is it Granger?" Snape drawled with an eyebrow raised causing Hermione to shrink a little in her seat. She just wanted to know why he kept being ill every month. "You could just ask Miss Potter-Black who's sitting right beside you. He is, after all, her Papa." Snape mocked, striding slowly towards the back of the class. "However, suffice it to say your professor finds himself incapable of teaching... at the present time. Turn to page 394." He ordered forcefully, flicking his wand at Ron's textbook as he was just casually flicking through it.

"Werewolves?" Ron asked stunned, drawing everyone's attention. As everyone turned towards Snape at the back of the class no one noticed Izzy's eyes widening in fear. She couldn't have anyone finding out. She had to protect her Papa.
"But sir," Izzy protested, thrusting her arm into the air, "we've just begun learning about Red Caps and Hinkypunks. We're not due to start learning about any nocturnal creatures until after Yule."
"Quiet Potter!" Snape snapped, scowling at the ravenette.
'She knows. The brat knows.' He thought.
"Now, which one of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?"

Immediately Izzy and Hermione raised their hands into the air. "No one? How disappointing." Snape drawled completely ignoring their raised hands.
"Please sir." Hermione complained. "An Animagus is a witch or wizard who elects to turn into an animal. A werewolf has no choice. With each full moon when he transforms he no longer remembers who he is. He'd kill his best friend if he crossed his path. Furthermore, the werewolf only responds to the call of its own kind."
"Awoo!" Draco and Blaise howled, getting several laughs from around the class; their grins widened when they heard Izzy trying to stifle her giggles behind her hand.

"Thank you Messers Malfoy, Zabini." Snape muttered tersely through gritted teeth, quieting the class instantly. "That is the second time you've spoken out of turn, Miss Granger. Are you incapable of controlling yourself... or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?"
"He's got a point." Ron muttered to Neville and Izzy.
"Ron." Izzy hissed.
"It'll be a while before we forgive her, Izzy." Neville whispered in explanation as Snape went back to teaching about werewolves after he'd taken points from Gryffindor and prescribed them homework. As Izzy was jotting down notes in a notebook, a note in the shape of a bird fluttered into Izzy's lap from Draco, it read:

'Are you okay? - Draco.'

Looking up with a small smile on her lips, Izzy nodded to Draco reassuringly who smiled happily in return. Happy his new friend was okay after the trauma and went through the day before.
'Perhaps, I'll get her some more Chocolate Frogs in dark chocolate. Just to make sure.' Draco thought to himself as they all went back to taking notes, lest they find themselves in detention.

* * *

The following day a storm had rolled in over the Scottish Highlands. It was so ferocious that even with the goggles with an Impervious Charm cast upon them neither the Hufflepuff or the Gryffindor teams could see more than a few feet in front of them with the dark waterfall of rain pelting against them, soaking them within minutes of leaving the dry, warm confines of the changing rooms. As the game wore on, so too did the weather until it became too difficult to see through the pelting rain, not to mention Izzy could no longer hear Lee Jordan's commentary (so she didn't know who was winning or losing) or the chants of her friends over the thunder booming overhead.

The game was steadily becoming too dangerous to play in: the tail of Angelina's broom was struck by lightning and caught fire causing her to lose control, two Hufflepuff Chasers had crashed into each other due to the vision impairment caused by the weather resulting in all three to fall to the ground with a splat, mud flying everywhere. Izzy was just thankful the ground was now water-logged from the storm making it a somewhat softer landing.
'Thankfully they were too high up, otherwise it could've been much worse.' Izzy thought mildly, casting her eyes around the pitch for the Golden Snitch. 'I would've thought they would postpone the match.' A shine and a sudden fluttering in her eyeliner brought her fully from her mind. The Snitch.

Izzy lunged for it but she just missed it, her fingertips numb with cold brushing the wings as it suddenly changed direction and took off upwards. Izzy took off after it with the Hufflepuff Seeker, Cedric Diggory who was a year ahead of Fred and George, beside her. Higher and higher the pair followed the Snitch until they left the Quidditch pitch altogether and rose into the cloud bank; neither noticed the worried looks of Andromeda, Sirius, Remus and Minerva as they lent over the edge of the tower tracking them with their keen eyes. Nor the worried looks of Hagrid and their friends down in the stands.

As they flew ever higher their only focus was that of the Snitch, the pair neck and neck with their hands outstretched, they didn't notice the clouds building above them or the electrifying current in the air around them until it was too late. Lighting struck the Snitch at the exact moment Cedric lent forwards electrocuting him. Izzy paused in the air in shock at the turn of events, shocked over what had just happened until the Snitch flew in front of her as if it was taunting her. There was nothing she could do for Cedric, as much as that pained her to admit as he'd been nothing but kind to her, but she could catch the Snitch and end this game before anyone else got injured. She knew the teachers and Madam Pomfrey could help him better than she ever could.

At that last thought, Izzy took off after the Snitch, pressing against her broom as low as she could to increase the speed fighting against the blustering winds. Quickly she was gaining on it. Her hand became closer to grasping it as she rose higher still, ignoring the rain that pelted her in a thousand needles, blood trickling down her face mixing with the rain. That is until the water on the broom handle froze over making the broom harder to control with it covered in ice, and a whoosh of a cloak came from her right and then her left. Flinching, Izzy shielded her eyes from the rain trying to spot them but they were too fast.

Facing forward intending to relocate the Snitch with panic rising within her she came almost face to face with the Dementor a little in front of her. She no longer cared about the Snitch; she just wanted to get to the ground. To her Dad and Papa. To safety. Flying towards, Izzy swerved to dodge the Dementor that flew towards her with a rapid speed, sucking as it flew past, flipping in the air she faced towards the ground with screams rising in her ears.

Her pain and fear was almost palpable as more appeared out of nowhere. There were at least ten blocking her way to the ground; black spots were appearing in her vision as her consciousness waned fading in and out. Her mother's screams were much clearer than they were on the train. Shaking her head, Izzy tried to swerve around them, pressed as low to the broom as she could get when they descended. The last thing she heard as she fell from her broom and lost consciousness was her mother's screams mixing with her own and that of those from the ground.

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Author's note: DO NOT ask me to update in any way shape or form. There are other ways of telling me what you thought of this. Anyone who does will get one warning before they are blocked.