Stay - Mattheo Riddle

merpeople with giant seahorses

One of the worst things about the aftermath of the second task was that everybody was very keen to hear details of what had happened down in the lake, which meant that Kirra was getting constantly bombarded by other students. Thankfully, she had the scary dog privilege that came along with having a bunch of friends in Slytherin. 

Jasper however, found it quite amusing and thought that he could make a game out of it, telling whatever story he felt like telling that day to those who would approach her. Kirra noticed that Jasper's version of events changed subtly with every retelling. 

He would tell them some things that were true of course, Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back above the water. 

However, Jasper was also telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which Kirra had struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who were riding giant seahorses. 

"But Potter was way stronger than all of them of course," he assured some random first year Slytherin girl, who seemed to now adore kirra Potter so much that they often caught the young girl constantly trying to approach the Hufflepuff. 

Though of course, Kirra being who she was, was more than happy to help the young Slytherin with whatever she needed, or to tell her whatever she wanted to hear. 

While Jasper had found fun in the situation. Mattheo was becoming increasingly annoyed at the situation. He and Kirra would be hanging out just the two of them, enjoying each others presence when some random student would approach them. 

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As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. The owl that Kira had sent to Sirius with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; Kirra had no sooner torn off Sirius's reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again.

Sirius's letter was almost as short as the previous one.

Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can.

"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" said Theo incredulously. 

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Mattheo.

"I can't believe him," said Kirra tensely, "if he's caught . . ."

"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" said Theo. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."

Kirra folded up the letter, thinking. If she was honest with herself, she really wanted to see Sirius again. She therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon — double Potions — feeling considerably more cheerful than she usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door with Pansy Parkinson's gang of Slytherin girls. All of them were looking at something Kirra couldn't see and sniggering heartily. 

Ron, Harry and Hermione descended the stairs behind Kirra and Theodore. Pansy peered excitedly around Goyle's broad back as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached. Theodore and Kirra stopped walking, watching the scene unfold before them in confusion

"There they are, there they are!" she giggled, and the knot of Slytherins broke apart. Kirra saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands — Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.