2 | CONFESSIONS° HARRY POTTER

10 | HIGH INQUISITOR

ACT THREE, loss
CHAPTER TEN, high inquisitor

       Iris was grateful her friends were oblivious.

No one apart from Oliver had noticed the cuts on her hand. She was always conscious to make sure her hand was hidden at all times which was hard considering she was left-handed.

Iris glanced over at the Gryffindor Table where she saw Harry walking in with a bright and happy look on his face. Cho Chang walked a few paces behind him with a small smile playing on her hand. Harry glanced over in Cho's direction with an awestruck expression as Ron talked to him. Iris raised her eyebrows, wondering how she hadn't suspected sooner that Harry liked Cho after his display on the train when she walked in and he was covered in Neville's plant's sap. She hummed to herself but dragged her gaze away when she caught glimpse of a familiar name on Pansy's copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Let me see that." Iris said, snatching the paper from Pansy.

"Hey, I was reading that!" Pansy protested.

"I didn't know you could read Pansy." Oliver commented with a smile playing on his lips.

"Ha ha, very funny." Pansy said sarcastically. 

Iris blocked them out when her eyes traveled to the bottom of the page. 

The Ministry of Magic has received a tip-off from a reliable source that Sirius Black, notorious mass murderer . . .  is currently hiding in London!

Iris drew in a sharp intake of breath. 

. . . 'Ministry warns Wizarding community that Black is very dangerous . . . killed thirteen people . . . broke out of Azkaban . . .

Iris stopped reading that article any further. Now that Sirius was being suspected of hiding in London, there was no way that Dumbledore was going to let him leave anymore. She felt bad for her father and made a mental note to write to him and her mum when she got the chance. She'd have to be secretive, of course, since anyone could intercept their letters.

Another smaller piece caught her eye.

TRESPASS AT MINISTRY
Sturgis Podmore, 38, of number two, Laburnum Gardens, Clapham, has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on 31st August. Podmore was arrested by Ministry of Magic watchwizard Eric Munch, who found him attempting to force his way through a top-security door at one o'clock in the morning. Podmore, who refused to speak in his own defense, was convicted on both charges and sentenced to six months in Azkaban.

Sturgis Podmore was a member of the Order. She couldn't believe he had been sentenced to six months in Azkaban. He was supposed to be one of Harry's guards and Moody had gone off looknig for him when he didn't show.

With Sirius and Sturgis both being caught for something, Iris couldn't help but wonder if they were being framed. Regardless, something was wrong.

She spent the entire Sunday in the Slytherin common room, surrounded by her friends as they all did their homework. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle mainly joked around but Iris made sure to keep her head down to quickly finish her work. They worked and talked until half past midnight when Iris finally set down her quill after writing an essay on a curse for Professor McGonagall's class. 

Her friends had already gone to bed and left her in the quiet common room. Iris stood up from the chair she was sitting in and went to put out the fire.