Treaty - 1

Harry slammed his fist into the wall just thinking about it, causing a nearby portrait of a lady in Renaissance finery to shriek in alarm. He surveyed the corridor quickly, ready to sprint if he saw signs of Filch approaching. He'd seen the old caretaker skulking around on several occasions. Harry had no idea if, since he technically wasn't a student, Filch still had any authority over him, but he didn't want to find out.

As Harry climbed the final stairs into the Owlery, he caught a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye. Drawing his wand, he inched inside the door.

"Who's there?" he called. "Show yourself."

Hedwig hooted from her perch and swooped down to land on his shoulder, nipping his ear affectionately. He could see Pig up in the rafters with several of the school owls, and Errol lay unconscious near the window. Errol always passed out after a journey.

"It's just me, Potter," Pansy said, emerging from behind a column near the window. She held her dark blue robes gathered in her hands so as not to let them drag in the owl droppings on the floor.

"What are you doing up here so late, Pansy?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"That's my business," Pansy snapped, raising her nose.

"It's my business if you're sending an owl to someone," Harry said, grabbing her by the arm.

She jerked her arm free, her face darkening into a scowl. "Sorry we all can't have things as easy as you," she said scathingly. "You and the Weaselette only have one mother to dodge when you need to find a place to snog, Draco and I have both of ours, and they can be like bloodhounds if they think we're up to something."

"Yeah, we're so lucky," Harry said dryly.

Pansy's face pinkened slightly, but her scowl never dipped. "It's all yours, Potter. It's too dirty in here for my tastes anyway," she said before striding imperiously from the room.

Harry shook his head as he peeked behind the column where Pansy had been hiding. There was nothing there. He gently picked Errol up off the open window and moved him to a perch. The old owl's eyes opened blearily, and he hooted his thanks. He took a sip of water before falling back on his side.

"What was she doing here, girl?" Harry asked Hedwig absently. "I don't see any new owls that might have brought her a letter, and all the school owls have been instructed not to leave the grounds."

Hedwig hooted and nipped Harry's ear again. He stroked her feathers as he pulled some owl treats from his pocket. "Sorry they're mushy. They've been in my pocket for awhile," Harry said, shrugging.

Hedwig reproachfully eyed the mashed treats.

"Hey! They'll still taste the same," Harry said, finding it ridiculous that he felt chastised by an owl.

Hedwig scooped the treats in her beak and flew up to her perch without a sound.

"Be that way, then," Harry said, chuckling.

He began his descent from the Owlery, peering out at the brightly lit sky. It was a full moon, and Harry's heart clenched with worry for Remus. He supposed that was the real reason he couldn't sleep. He wondered where his friend was, and how he was coping with the full moon.

He hoped that Remus would be able to live with whatever it was he had to do to make the other werewolves accept him. Harry's hatred for Umbridge was renewed over the way she'd forced Remus to live. The press conference couldn't come soon enough.