Harry Potter A New Sirius Black

The sickness Susan Bones had started to feel in her stomach had now reached a fever pitch as she sat in the Hufflepuff common room with many of her housemates, in exactly the same position as they had been for hours. Susan wished with all her being that her owl would swoop in through the window, carrying a message from her aunt. True to her word, she had sent the letter in the early hours of the morning, and she was absolutely desperate for a reply.

The mood of the Hufflepuffs around her had only grown worse since they had gone to the Great Hall for breakfast. The Hufflepuff table had been full of tearful and stricken students, many of whom had not laid a single finger on their food. As the meal had drawn to a close, Dumbledore had stood in front of the room, and with a somber, sorrowful tone, had told the students in no uncertain terms that they should leave Harry Potter alone. He had been through a terrible ordeal, and should be allowed to recover in peace.

Susan had known what this announcement would do to many of her housemates, and her theory was proven correct as many faces blanched in fury. Dumbledore had given them all a piercing look, and that had seemed to cow some of them, but this had not lasted long.

On their way back to the common room, she had heard Zacharias whisper to Cedric's best friend Melissa, "Poor, traumatized little Harry Potter. Dumbledore's favorite. Can't even show his face to admit what he's done, can he? Oh, innocent little Harry has been through soooooo much! Well, what about us? Cedric was one of us, what about how we're feeling?"

Susan was furious. Having known and cared about Cedric deeply, of course she felt sorrow beyond belief, but she also agreed with Dumbledore; Harry had been through something horrific. For Merlin's sake, it was possible to feel awful for Harry and grieve for Cedric at the same time! She had glared at Zacharias and Melissa angrily, but they had not given an inch.

Susan had not forgotten about Zach's proclamation this morning that he and anyone who stood with him would go to the hospital wing to deal with the so-called murderer, and she felt her blood run cold as, for the first time, she realized they finally had a moment to strike. Up until now, Professor Sprout had stayed in the room with her students, trying to offer comfort through her own grief. Susan knew her Head of House had also had a sleepless night; it was plain to see from the circles under her eyes, and her face was full of heartbreak at the loss of one of her prized, promising young students. Susan had tried her hardest to find a moment where she could warn her of the terrible theory some of her housemates had come to regarding Harry's role in Cedric's death, but it seemed as though Sprout was always with another student. But Susan also knew how observant the woman could be, and hoped with everything she had that she had an inkling of what was afoot.

But now, she had left the Hufflepuffs on their own, trusting that they could take care of each other while she took care of some business with other staff members. And Susan knew with a bone-deep certainty that Zach had been waiting for a moment like this; now, he could make his move.

But then, something unexpected happened; someone beat him to the punch. Another of Cedric's roommates, Jeffrey, took advantage of the silence that permeated the common room. As he stood up, he withdrew a folded piece of parchment from his pocket. He cleared his throat, and everyone watched him curiously as he began to speak.

"Listen," he said, his eyes fierce as they swept around the room, taking in everyone's faces, and the grief and fear that hung around the room like an ominous cloud. "I've had enough. We lost someone who was truly the best of us last night, and the teachers are doing nothing about Potter. And after Dumbledore's little announcement this morning, they aren't EVER going to do a bloody thing. The little darling gets away with everything, and at this very moment, he's being coddled in the hospital wing, being told that oh, everything's okay, don't worry about it, Cedric's death wasn't your fault, no big deal. Well, I'm sick of it. I won't stand for it anymore."

"Yeah," spat Malcolm, who had been so hostile to Susan earlier this morning. "The little murderer is finally going to get his."

"Now, that's where we disagree," said Jeffrey, causing Malcolm and some of the others, including Zach, to look at him in shock.

"How can you be sick of Potter if you're one of his little fans, then? My best friend is dead because of him," snarled Melissa, her hands on her hips as she glared venomously at Jeffrey.

"Hey, I'm not finished," Jeffrey shot back defensively, his voice growing louder. "I didn't say it's not Potter's fault Cedric's dead. I only said he didn't murder him."

Susan found herself standing before she could think better of it, and her disgusted voice rang out through the common room. "What are you saying, then?" She hissed. "Get on with it. What insane conclusion have you drawn?"

"Don't talk to me that way, stupid," Jeffrey sneered. "Just because you don't care a wit about Cedric ..."

"Don't you dare!" Hannah shrieked, standing up and clasping Susan's shaking hand in her own. "We can mourn Cedric and not think Harry responsible!"

.....

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