The next day, Dumbledore arrived early in the morning. Harry had not been able to go to the chamber, due to all the security. The great Hall was fortified by the magic of Hogwarts wards. He had sent Dobby to tell them what had happened.
"Good Morning students. I hope you all slept well." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling a bit, but dimmer than usual. He looked tired. 'Probably he did not have a wink of sleep.' Harry thought. "The castle has been searched. There was no evidence of Black found. We do not know how he got in without wards detecting him. We have contacted the DMLE. From next week we will be playing host to a dozen Aurors in this castle, all of them are Hogwarts alumni. I wish that you all will co-operate with them. They will be here for your safety. I expect you all to obey them like you will obey a professor, or the punishments will be dire." He said sternly.
"On another note, the today are cancelled. You all can leave for your Common rooms in an orderly manner. Prefects, take charge." Dumbledore said and left.
The Fat Lady was replaced by a complete nutter of a knight named Sir Cadogan. He spent half the time challenging students to a duel and coming up with the most complex of passwords. He had challenged Harry the next day he was put.
"Oi! You! Show me your worthiness! I sir Cadogan challenge you to a duel. Show me your..." He stopped short when he saw Harry holding a flame on the tip of his wand. "Yes, I Heir Harry Potter, accept the challenge. My weapon will be fire. We shall brandish our weapons. If I get skewered by your sword, I lose. But if your portrait burns, you lose. Accept or forfeit now." He said dramatically. The portrait got a fearful look. He probably realized that he was a portrait and would get burned. He never challenged Harry again.
The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub. Harry shook his head at those.
Harry was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him, and Percy Weasley (acting, Harry suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog. To cap it all, Professor McGonagall summoned Harry into her office, with such a somber expression on her face Harry thought someone must have died.
"Potter, I hope that you know that Sirius Black is probably after you." Harry nodded, "During Summer, the evening before Black's escape was published, the minister, Madame Bones and the Headmaster came and told me. I know he is after me professor." McGonagall nodded.
"Well, in that case, Potter, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed, Potter —"
"We've got our first match on Saturday!" said Harry, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor!" Professor McGonagall considered him intently. Harry knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team's prospects; it had been she, after all, who'd suggested him as Seeker in the first Place. He waited, holding his breath.
"Hmm…"Professor McGonagall stood up and stared out of the window at the Quidditch field, just visible through the rain. "Well… goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last… but all the same, Potter… I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions."
The weather was getting worse and Wood was getting frantic. It was his last year and he wanted to win the cup. If not for potions and Harry's ritual, he would have fallen ill due to everyday practices in the heavy thunderstorm in the first few days. He had asked Salazar and Helga for a spell to avoid the rain. They did not have one. So, with their help he modified the impervious charm to protect and keep dry in the rain, like a raincoat. Fred and George had gave him a Bone breaking hug and the chasers had kissed him on the cheeks. He had blushed like mad.
On 8th November, the aurors arrived before dinner. The Gryffindor team had just returned from the Quidditch practice, completely dry thanks to Harry's special charm.
"Attention students. Our guests have arrived. They are all aurors from the DMLE. I hand the stage to Madame Bones to address you all." Dumbledore said. The hot redhead stood up and walked to the platform. "Good evening, students of Hogwarts. I am Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Twelve Aurors are assigned to Hogwarts for your protection in the light of Black's break in on Halloween, a week ago. I expect you all to listen to them. Any suspicious activity by your side will be investigated immediately even from a student. An auror will be given to each house, and will stay in common rooms and accompany you all to Great Hall for meals. Your respective subject teacher will come and accompany you to the classes. Curfew will be regulated. You are to inform them where you go. You will be free to move for the most part as it is a school not a military camp. But, I must insist that you tell one of them, preferably your House Auror where you will be." She paused and looked around.
"Very well. Let me introduce you to the Aurors and their designated posts. First we have John Dawlish, he will be the Slytherin House Auror. For Ravenclaw, it will be Vesta Edwards. For Hufflepuff, Hestia Jones." Every auror waved at them as they were introduced. "For Gryffindor, we will have two aurors as Black tried to break in there. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks" The last name was said by Madame Bones while catching his eye. He immediately understood that the pink... wait red wait... pink again haired girl was assigned for him. That girl was a metamorphmagus, he concluded by her changing hair colour. Interesting. Madame Bones introduced the rest of them before Dinner began.
As dinner began, the five aurors assigned to the houses moved towards their respective tables. The Metamorphmagus came and sat right in front of him, beside Hermione. "Wotcher! I am Tonks!" She said.
"Hermione Granger"
"Ron Weasley"
"Oh! I know your older brother, Charlie. We are friends."
"Harry Potter" Harry introduced himself by kissing her knuckles and giving her a charming smile. "Oh. Nice to meet you. I did not realize it was you. Didn't you have glasses?" She said. It was an act. She knew exactly who he was. "I got contacts, Ms. Tonks. You are a metamorphmagus, ain't you?" Harry said, ignoring the act.
"Yes I am. I am surprised that you know about the ability." Harry shrugged. "What is a meta-what-a-magus?" Hermione questioned
"Metamorphmagus. It is..." The auror started her explanation about it with Hermione pestering the poor girl. But that was not a worry. He would now have to be careful while going in and out of the chamber. He had already warded his bed the very day after the break-in. He was not taking risks due to Black. Now, he would have to be careful from the new aurors too.
"We are playing Hufflepuff this Saturday. Slytherin says that their seeker's arm is injured." Wood scowled as he entered the Quidditch pitch on Wednesday. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances…"
There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder. "There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's faking it!"
"I KNOW! AND WE CAN'T PROVE IT! WE HAVE TO NOW, CHANGE EVERY PLAY WE DESIGNED! THE PLAYS OF THE TEAMS ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT" Wood fumed.
"Calm down Oliver. We can play them. Hufflepuff, while not exactly a pushover is not as tough challenge as Slytherin. Slytherin had their Brooms and Cheating and yet we would have won. So calm down. Also weather makes a little difference to us due to Harry's special spell." Angelina said shooting Harry a grin. "Only problem would be visibility. Nothing we can't handle. And the Hufflepuffs will be at a disadvantage."
Wood nodded at the logic.
"But we should not let the Slytherin team scot free. What do you think Gred and Forge?" Harry whispered to the Weasley twins.
"We think..."
"That it is..."
"A brilliant idea!" They finished together.
"After the match, I will help you set a prank. Don't want Snape putting us in detention on the day of the match." The Weasley twins nodded
The day of the match, the weather was worse. There was a heavy thunderstorm. The whole school had turned up despite the weather. The stands were protected with spells to repel rain. The pitch wasn't. Before going out, Harry applied his special Raincoat charm on the whole team.
The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. Harry saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount Your brooms."
He pulled his right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant — they were off. Harry rose fast, but his Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. He held it as steady as he could and turned, squinting into the rain.
Visibility was deplorable. He could not see clearly more than ten feet ahead of him. How was he supposed to see the snitch let alone catch it? He was hardly able to see his team mates due to the heavy rain. They were just blurs. After around half hour, Madam Hooch whistle sounded signifying a time out. Harry went to their team huddle under the Umbrella. "The puffs have called for a time out." Wood half yelled above the roar of the thunder and rain. The team was dry but looked windswept. Flying in high velocity winds sucked.
"What's the score?" Harry asked.
"We're seventy points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night." Harry nodded. They took to the sky soon.
"Harry! Behind you!" Wood yelled after a few minutes back into the game. Harry looked wildly around. Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering in the rain-filled air between them… With a jolt of panic, Harry threw himself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch. "Come on!" he growled at his Nimbus as the rain whipped his face. "Faster!" But something odd was happening.
An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though Harry had gone suddenly deaf — what was going on? And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over him, inside him, just as he became aware of something moving on the field below… Before he'd had time to think, Harry had taken his eyes off the Snitch and looked down. At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at him, were standing beneath him. It was as though freezing water were rising in his chest, cutting at his insides. And then he heard it again… Someone was screaming, screaming inside his head… a woman…
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" He blocked it by his Occlumency and remembered his meeting with his mum. With one hand on his broom he flicked his wand into his hand. "EXPECTO PATRONUM" he incanted keeping his eyes on the snitch. The Dragon formed, but he paid little heed. Suddenly a bludger slammed into his broom with extreme force, band a snap was heard. Harry lunged without thinking. He took the snitch by its wing. They had won. But Harry had a problem, he was falling and he did not have a functioning broom. It was broken.
He flicked his wand into his hand and cast a Arresto momentum on himself and a wandless cushioning charm down on the ground. He saw above in the sky. His Great Horned Hebridean Black was in the sky, being the brightest of all, well, along with the phoenix. 'Dumbledore's Patronus' Harry realized. There was a cat, an eagle, a lynx, a type of lizard and a doe in the sky. He was descending at a slow speed down, enough to land safely. Suddenly a levitation charm was applied on him. It was powerful. He looked and saw that in the teacher's stand Dumbledore was standing with a furious expression on his face, and wand pointed at him, something he could clearly see despite the rain. Harry landed safely on the ground. His team mates surrounded him. So did some of the puffs.
"Are you alright Harry?" Wood asked. Harry nodded, "Yeah, applied an Arresto Momentum on myself and Dumbledore put a levitation charm on me."
"Thank God. The snitch is lost. We should call for a rematch we can't continue in such..." Diggory trailed off seeing the snitch in Harry's hands. "Oh, Congratulations for the win." Diggory finished with a smile. Harry shook his hand.
"It was a close call. I barely caught it. Well played, Cedric." Harry said.
Suddenly Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape along with some of the aurors arrived. "Mr. Potter! are you alright?" The headmaster asked.
"Yes professor. I applied an Arresto Momentum on myself. Also your levitation charm helped." He nodded.
"It is commendable that you thought of it in such a situation Mr. Potter." Dumbledore said.
"Yes, and thank Merlin for the Dragon Patronus which alerted us to the dementors. Or else, I am afraid we may have lost people." The usually silent Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke in his deep voice. "By the way, whose Patronus was it, Headmaster?" He added.
"Mine" Harry said.
"Yes, as if a thirteen year old can produce a corporeal Patronus, that too one so powerful." The auror, John Dawlish, sneered.
Harry narrowed his eyes and made them glow. "Expecto Patronum" He proved himself. The dragon let out a silent roar. Dawlish was staring wide eyed at it.
"You have any other doubts on my word auror?" Harry asked making his eyes swirling vortexes of power. He did not feel angry, but intimidation was necessary to make the auror respect him. The auror shook his head frantically. "Good."
He nodded at the professors before turning to his team mates. "What are you all waiting for? Party in the common room." Everyone cheered and left for the common room.
Harry had won, but at a steep price. His broom was broken and he would have to buy a new one.