As she stepped into King's Cross Station, Madison Faith Wells shook with fear. She nervously twisted her long, jet-black hair into ringlets with her forefinger. Her Aunt Rachel was standing behind her, and gave her an encouraging smile as she pushed her cart a little closer to the barrier between platforms nine and ten.
"Sweets, are you quite all right?" asked her aunt in the lilting accent that Maddie loved so much.
"Yes," she answered quickly, pasting a large, fake smile across her pale face. Aunt Rachel grinned back and rummaged around in the cart full of luggage.
"I have a gift for you," she began in a secretive tone. Maddie looked up expectantly and was surprised to see a delicately woven cage, with a medium sized, snowy white owl fluttering about inside.
"Her name is Christaline. You're only going to be allowed to keep her if I have her flying in here with a letter for me at least two times a day." Aunt Rachel smiled again and pulled Maddie into a huge, warm embrace. "Smile. Just smile, Maddie dearest, for me and for your family, for the friends you'll have soon enough, but most of all, smile for you."
Maddie stepped away, the profound words of her aunt pounding in her head, louder than even the crowd that was milling about the station. She nodded bravely, added her new owl to the pile on the cart, and disappeared through the brick wall of the platforms. Rachel stood for a few seconds, watching the spot where her beloved niece had stood earlier.
"I pray to God that she will be all right." She picked up her handbag and left the station, a sinking feeling in her heart. And when Rachel Marie Galya got that sinking feeling, trouble was sure to follow.
(*)
Ron Weasley sighed as he shoved the cart laden with trunks through the wall and onto platform nine and three-quarters. His siblings George, Fred and Ginny followed him, chattering noisily and searching for their friends. Ron was doing the same- well, actually he was looking for one friend in particular. Hermione Granger. He spotted her standing next to Harry, holding her cat, Crookshanks. Fred and George found Lee Jordan, and Ginny rushed off to stand with Colin Creevy. Everyone in their places, he thought happily, wheeling his way over to Hermione and Harry.
"Well, hello, hello," he said, sneaking up on his two best friends in the entire universe. Hermione gave a surprised squeak. "You scared me," she scolded as they hugged tightly. He pulled back and kissed her lightly on the nose, then the lips. It had been an entire week since he had seen her last- a week too long, in his opinion.
"Okay, break it up. I've had enough and I've been around you two for about five seconds." Ron chuckled and went over to give Harry a quick guy hug.
"Did you have a good summer?" He asked.
"No," answered Harry flatly, "I can't have a good summer with the Dursley's. It's physically impossible. But it is nice to be going back." Hermione and Ron looked at each other and nodded their agreement in unison. Harry gave a snort of laughter and the three of them shoved their trunks in the compartments and climbed aboard the train.
As they settled onto the benches, Harry and Ron began talking excitedly about the professional Quidditch game they had been to that summer. Chudley Cannon's against the Surrey Swingers. It had been a good, close game, and much to Ron's delight, the Cannon's pulled off a lovely, last minute victory.
Hermione tuned out and stared off into the distance as her two friends chattered aimlessly in the background. The lovely gardens outside captivated her, and as they slowly gave way to more scraggly fields and wild forests, she became even more interested in the landscapes.
"Hello, earth to Hermione!" Harry was snapping his fingers in front of her face. She blinked and pushed his hand away.
"Okay, okay, I'm back," she said with a little giggle. Ron sighed in boredom and rested his head on Hermione's, closing his eyes happily. He quickly fell asleep, leaving Hermione's in a very odd position.
"Quite comfortable, Herm?" said Harry with a sparkle in his eye. Hermione glared at him for a second then tried to go about adjusting Ron's head so she'd be able to rest as well. When she tired of her fruitless efforts, she turned to Harry, who was the one spacing out now.
"Harry!" she whispered urgently. He whirled around and she laughed. "Gotcha! Now, about this terrible summer, anything quite outstanding? Any house elves? Blowing up of aunts? Come one Harry, spill the beans!" Harry grinned at the mention of a few past summer excursions, but had nothing exciting to tell her.
"It was really quite boring. Vernon and Petunia fought like nothing I've ever seen, and Dudley- get this- Dudley has a girlfriend. She's just as fat as he is, which really isn't a huge surprise, but still, I don't understand how they can reach each other to kiss. Their rolls must get in the way!" Hermione cracked up at the gross mental picture and hit her friend as a gentle punishment for installing it in her head.
"Wha…" All their laughter had woken Ron, who snapped his head up and looked wildly around.
"Shush, you just woke up." Hermione put a hand on Ron's back and he lie back against the bench, looking sheepish. Hermione frowned and began grabbing at all the cricks that were now in her head.
"Whoops, sorry, did I do that?" asked Ron, watching Hermione rubbing her neck in pain. Hermione gave him a false stern look and nodded. "Well, then I guess I'll just have to fix it," he said in a coy voice, and reached down to begin massaging her. Harry just groaned and slipped quietly from the compartment, unnoticed by the two oblivious lovebirds inside.
Harry wandered about the corridors, looking for a familiar face in the all the chaos. He spotted a few that he didn't feel much like pursuing (Malfoy, Lavender), but continued on until he heard the voices of Fred and George.
"Knock, knock," he said, sticking his head around the door. "Can I come in?" Fred and George waved him in and showed him the Cauldron Cakes that they were stuffing with Eeyore's Edible Gunpowder. "I'm thinking of giving them to Malfoy, what do you think?" said George with a malicious glint in his eye.
"I think you'll probably be killed afterward, but man, it would be funny to see." Fred laughed, then asked, "Where's Ron and Hermione?"
"In our compartment. I had to leave, things were starting to get too mushy." Harry sounded like a third grader instead of the fifteen-year-old he was.
"Oh, yeah, bit of bad luck, eh? She came up to the house for about half the summer, and was perfectly fine when she wasn't around him. The rest of the time they were all kissy and kissy and 'Lil Honey this and 'Lil Honey that. Mum and Ginny thought it was wonderful, but all the men in the family could only take them in small doses." George leaned back with a faint look of disgust on his face.
"Well, there are worse people he could be hanging on," said Harry resignedly. Fred nodded.
"Um, excuse me," The boys looked up at the voice in the door. Framed in the doorway was a short, slightly chubby girl with bright violet eyes and long, jet-black hair. She looked to be about thirteen, and was nervously clutching the handle of her trunk. "The rest of the compartments are all full, and I was wondering if you would mind my sitting in here."
"Not at all," Lee Jordan spoke up from the corner. The girl smiled, and for a second you could she was a pretty girl. She lugged the heavy trunk inside, and Harry helped her hoist it up into the luggage rack.
"Thanks," she said, with more confidence behind her voice. "My name is Madison, but please call me Maddie."
"Okay Maddie," said Harry with a little smile, "I'm Harry, and this is Fred, George, and Lee."
"Hullo," the boys said in unison.
"So Maddie," said George as she sat down next to him, "what year are you in? I don't think I've ever seen you before."
"Your right, you haven't. I moved here from America just this year, transferring from the Reginalde School of Magic. I was in eleventh grade there, but the letter I got told me I'm…a fifth year?" All the boys looked mildly shocked. She smiled ruefully. "I know, I know, I look younger than that. It's a handicap that has it's pro's and con's."
"I wonder what house you'll be in?" said Fred
"They told me I'm a Gryffindor. What house are you guys in?"
"Same!" said Lee. He looked around at his friends, and they all silently agreed. This girl was pretty cool.
"Oh, Eeyore's Edible Gunpowder!" she exclaimed, seeing the bag in Fred's hands. "I love that stuff! Once, at my old school, we took some and filled the center of a ripe, juicy looking apple, and then we gave it to our most-hated teacher. When he took a bite, his saliva activated it, and the whole thing exploded in his mouth! He nearly choked! It was so funny…" she trailed off, reminiscing about the incident.
"Well, well, well, I would never have thought that someone like you would pull stunts like that," said George with a hint of admiration.
"Someone like me?" she repeated.
"Well, yeah, you know, a-" he stopped short, realizing his mistake.
"A girl?" she finished for him, biting down on a giggle, "Well, Fred, or George, whatever one, you'll soon find out that I am not your typical girl." The boys all laughed along with her and the new friends began swapping stories left and right. Madison smiled to herself. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.
(*)
As they neared the school, a whistle rang shrilly through the air, and purple smoke filled the train's corridors. Maddie sat up in her seat with a look of acute interest on her face. Harry chuckled softly.
"Almost there," he said unnecessarily. Maddie jumped up and pressed her face to the window.
"I can't see it!" she exclaimed.
"Nope, not for a while. We have to get out at Hogsmeade station and take a horse cart to the actual school," explained Lee.
"Oh," she said, sitting down and looking slightly disappointed. Harry laughed at her and helped her get her things down from over head. The rest of the boys got their stuff and Harry left to pick up his. As they left the train, Maddie stopped short at the sight of a giant man with black hair and beard, who was rounding up the first years and putting them in boats.
"Who's that?" she breathed.
"That's Hagrid," said a voice behind her. Maddie spun around to see another tall, redheaded boy with freckles. This one looked younger and had his arm wrapped around the waist of a nice looking girl with curly brown hair and slightly large teeth.
"Thanks! Well, I'm Madison-"
"But you can call her Maddie," Harry cut in from behind her. "This is my friend from the train. Maddie, this is Hermione and Ron, my two best friends."
"Hello," she said, smiling up at both of them. Her owl began hooting wildly and she turned to take care of her.
"Yes, she is pretty small, but positively adorable- she looks like a teddy bear!" She heard the girl called Hermione whispering to Ron and Harry. She blushed and grinned- friends already, just her luck.
Fred, George, Lee and Maddie climbed into one of the horse drawn carriages, all chattering energetically about the upcoming feast, and, in Maddie's case, first glimpse of the school.
"I heard it's a castle!" she said happily, nose to the window once more. "My old school was plain and boring."
"You heard right," said Fred, peering over her shoulder. "We should be able to see it any second now."
And he was right. In the next minute, a large, beautiful structure came into view. Maddie drank in the four majestic towers, the numerous turrets and flying buttresses, the stained glass windows. The sparkling lake to the South added a perfect finishing touch. She let out a low, "Woah," and didn't take her nose off the window until they had reached the front doors.
"Maddie, we gotta go. Maddie, come on!" But she was staring, entranced, and the golden molding over the entrance and didn't seem to hear the boys calling her. Finally Lee reached over and poked her plump little sides. She let out a shriek of laughter and batted his hand away.
"I'm coming, I'm coming" she muttered, following the flaming hair up the steps.
As the students entered the Great Hall, they all threw back their heads to stare up at the twinkling stars. Maddie was surprised to see the night sky that took the place of the ceiling.
"It's bewitched," whispered Fred to her, and she nodded, her voice caught in her throat by emotion that no one understood.
The students all drifted to their respective tables, getting comfortable and catching up with friends they hadn't seen all summer. Fred, George and Lee lead Maddie over to some seats near Harry, who was sitting with Hermione and Ron. Ron was now absently stroking Hermione's hair as he talked animatedly with Harry.
"Hey guys!" spouted Maddie in her cheerful American accent. Everyone scooted about so they were half-facing each other. "What happens now?" she asked, looking around at the activity surrounding her.
"Well, any minute now, Dumbledore should be up to give the welcoming speech," began Harry.
"Then there's the school song," Hermione went on.
"And then the feast," finished Fred with a rub of his stomach. Maddie was about to ask another question, but a revered silence spread quickly over the hall. Maddie looked to see what it was, and saw a tall, thin wizard with white hair longer than her own. He has light streaming from his youthful eyes, but his eyes were the only youthful part of his wrinkled body. He still had the look of a very energetic person, and he was smiling at everyone as he took his place at the teacher's table.
"Welcome, students, to this little old shack we call Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I am please to introduce our new first years, and a transfer student in Gryffindor named Madison Wells." Maddie blushed as the students turned around to look at her. "I would like to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is, well, just that, forbidden. Also, I am forced to remind you that there is no magic in the corridors of the school. Only in classrooms and common rooms should the art be practiced. Also, we would like to remind you of our strictly enforced curfew of nine o'clock at night. I'm sure this will be no problem." All the students who had been to Hogwarts before were whispering urgently at the last announcement. There had been no curfew last year! The friends at the Gryffindor table shared a dark look, wondering what Dumbledore was hiding this time. "Students, students, please calm down," called Dumbledore from up above. The dull buzz receded and he went on. "I believe it is time for our traditional school song. Pick a tune, any tune!" With a flick of his wand, golden words began tracing themselves in the thin air. Maddie looked doubtful and nudged George.
"Any tune?" He nodded. She began singing to the tune of a French lullaby called Dors, bebe, Dors. A voice like that of an angel floated in and around the words of the students surrounding her, causing several people to stop altogether. Ron closed his mouth, twisting his head in search of the source of the entrancing music. His mouth dropped open again as he caught sight of Maddie, her azure eyes shining bright and focused on the words floating in front of Dumbledore, her face relaxed and contented. She looked totally and completely at peace, and as at home as she had been yet. Hermione caught his eye and elbowed him in the ribs.
"She's wonderful, I know, but the last thing she needs is more people staring at her." Ron averted his eyes but did not sing again, listening to Maddie finish the tune that gave the song's somewhat comical words an entirely new meaning. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Fred, George and Harry all staring at her as well, getting disapproving glares from Hermione.
As the last few students got done with the fun little ditty, dishes of delectable foods began filling the tables. Maddie's eyes grew wide as she watched all her favorite foods pop onto the golden platters in front of her. She took some seafood linguine and started in.
"So, Miss. Maddie, any other little quirks we should know about?" said Fred, loading his plate with steak.
"What are you talking about?" she asked innocently.
"Oh I don't know," said Harry with a grin, "so far we've got the age illusion, the pranks obsession, and now we find out you're a professional singer. When's the next surprise?"
She blushed and tried to hide it. "I'm not quite professional, thank you very much, but hey, I warned you. I'm not your garden variety, Sally-next-door type. To boring, if you ask me. If you're looking for one of those girls, you could try over there." She pointed to a few chairs down, where Lavender and Parvarti were flirting shamelessly with Dean and Seamus. They both were wearing their required black Hogwarts robes, but they both also had acrylic nails, long and brightly painted, carefully groomed curls, and lots of necklaces, rings and bracelets. Caked on their faces were inches of thick foundation, dark eyeshadow, silver eyeliner, black mascara, blood-red lipstick and silver glitter. The boys followed her finger and ducked their heads in laughter.
"To their credit, I can remember when they were normal," said Harry.
"I don't even know them, so I shouldn't make ant assumptions," admitted Maddie.
"Nah, don't worry about it, you pretty much hit the nail on the head," broke in George. Maddie tried not to laugh and concentrated on spearing a scallop. Someone walked over and tapped her on the shoulder, making her jump. She turned around and found herself face to face with Professor McGonagall.
"Hello, Madison. Welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Professor McGonagall, I'll be your Transfiguration teacher, as well as the head of your house. If you could come with me, I'd like to take care of some of finalities of your transfer. I'm sorry to take you away from the feast, but it's necessary." Maddie nodded and followed the severe looking woman out of the Great Hall and through a maze of secret passages, locked doors and dim corridors. They ended inside a small office with a warm fire blazing in the grate. Professor McGonagall closed the door and offered Maddie a comfortable armchair in front of her desk. Maddie sat down, drinking in the details of the cozy room.
"What did you want to talk to me about, Professor?" asked Maddie, a slight quaver in her voice.
"Actually, I have to admit that I wasn't quite honest. I needed you to come here to sing for me." Maddie gave the teacher a strange look. She understood that this school was run a lot differently than the one she had left, but this was the oddest thing she had encountered yet.
"Sing for you?" she asked meekly. Professor McGonagall nodded and sat back expectantly.
"Well, uh, what would you like me to sing?"
"What was the tune you were singing the school song to? I would like to hear that song." Maddie sat, thinking for a second, then swallowed nervously and stood up. She took a deep breath and began. "Dors, dors, dors, bebe, dors, je t'aime fort. Dors, dors, dors, bebe, dors, sois sage, je t'adore ." After the first few shaky notes, her voice steadied and she once more allowed the euphoric look to mask her face. As the finished the song and opened her eyes, she saw that Professor McGonagall had fallen fast asleep, head back and mouth wide open. Maddie stood anxiously, not wanting to wake her up and not wanting to stand there watching her sleeping. After ten minutes she decided to wake her.
"Professor? Professor McGonagall?" she said quietly. Nothing. She tried again, louder. Still nothing. She nervously walked around the office, wondering what she should do. Then a terrible thought hit her. Was Professor McGonagall sleeping? Or had she...Maddie began to tremble. She barely been there for two hours and she had killed a teacher. She ran over to the chair and shook her new teachers shoulders violently, screaming loudly, "Professor! Please wake up! PLEASE!" As the slumbering woman's eyes fluttered open, she jumped back, embarrassed.
"Wha-huh? Oh, oh yes. That was very nice. I have to ask you, have you ever been trained in the Melodicia theories?"
Maddie tried not to look as blank as she felt. This school was incredibly weird. "No, at least not under that name. I was in a private choir in America..."
Professor McGonagall laughed. "No, no. The Melodicia theories were written by Celestia Warbeck- you may have heard of her, she's a British witch who made quite a career of singing in her later days. When she was younger she studied here, at Hogwarts, and was very interested in the effect of the voice and how it could be used to transport magic. Many Muggle experts believe that music can effect the emotions to the point where it can control your actions. Celestia used these reports in combination with her magical training and wrote a series of thesis's and theories on how witches and wizards could channel spell working-energy into their voice techniques, focusing mainly on harmonies. Minor keys for darker spells, major for more positive ones, legato for charms and enchantments, staccato for Transfiguration, and so on. She wrote a two books; one explaining her theories and how she came to them, with information on how to create further enchantments, and another that has several spells and enchantments that she has worked out the notes to already. And one of the enchantments that she has listed in her book was the song you were singing."
Maddie sat very quietly, slightly lost. Why was she telling her all this? She hoped this was not something she was supposed to know about, because all of this was totally new to her. She looked at the professor, hoping to learn more. She was not disappointed.
"The reason that I-er- drifted off before has to do with that song. It has powerful sleeping enhancements connected to it. Where did you hear it?"
"My Aunt Rachel. She's sung it to me ever since I was a baby. It's French, and it translates to sleep, sleep, sleep, baby, sleep, I love you so much, sleep, sleep, sleep, baby, sleep, you know I adore you. Then it repeats." Maddie tried to read Professor McGonagall's startled look.
"Your Aunt Rachel? What is your aunt's sur name?" she asked shakily.
"Uh, Galya. Rachel Galya." Professor McGonagall's eyes widened, then she shook her head and got up from her chair, pacing the room. "Do you know her?"
"Well, yes. I taught her once. I need to think about something, but I would like us to talk again later. Will you meet me here on your Friday afternoon break?" Maddie nodded, confused but interested. "Perfect. Come along, I'll take you to the common room. I saw you sitting near Hermione, I'm sure she'll help you get settled in the fifth year girl dorms. That is, if she can take her eyes off that Weasley boy." Professor McGonagall gave Maddie a rueful smile. "Hermione and I have always been rather close, and the relationship is one that has taken everyone that knew the two by surprise. OK, here we are. The password is niarbyeknom. Good night."
They stopped in front of a large portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress, and when Maddie turned to thank Professor McGonagall, she was gone. Maddie searched for a door, window or staircase that would lead her to her common, but found none. Finally she just threw down her arms and cried out, "Niarbyeknom!". She was nearly knocked over by the portrait swinging open to reveal a cozy looking room inside. She carefully pulled herself over the high entrance and stumbled into the cozy looking room. Large gray and scarlet armchairs, colorful tapestries, a roaring fire, chattering students. It was a picture of everything a home should be, and Maddie was happy that this was hers, at least for the school year. She spotted her friends huddled near the fire and jogged over.
"Where'd you disappear to?" asked George as she sat on the floor between all the armchairs.
"Just talking to Professor McGonagall. She had me sing for her, and told me all about something called the Melodicia theories. What have you guys been doing?"
"Herm gave the first years a tour and Ron 'accompanied' her. We sat around, catching up...thinking up some new pranks. See that potted thing over there?" Fred pointed to a lavish potted tree in the corner of the common room with a funny glint in his eye. Maddie nodded. "Well, wouldn't that be perfect for Dungbombs? The leaves would hide it just right..." Maddie giggled, seeing what he meant, and turned to begin discussing prank potential. George and Lee got closer, and they looked like they had all been friends since birth.
(*)
George turned to his twin and best friend as the chubby little girl followed Professor McGonagall out of the hall.
"So what do you think?"
"'Bout what?" answered Fred, mouth full of prime rib.
"'Bout the new girl. Pretty different, eh?"
"Yeah, I should say. Her accent's interesting, and she seemed to know quite a lot about pranking. That's usually a good sign."
"Yeah. We need some better girl's in Gryffindor. Hermione gets into enough adventure with Harry and Ron, but she was never one to pull a prank for the fun of it. Don't get me started on the rest of the female population..." He put on a high, falsetto tone. " 'Don't make me throw that Dungbomb, I might break a nail!' Gimme a break!" George shook his head in disgust.
"Well, I think she gives off such an innocent air." Harry chuckled. "I bet it gets her out of all sorts of trouble. But speaking of new things at the school, what's with this curfew?"
"Dunno, but I'll probably end up breaking it the first night! Common rooms by 9:30? What're we supposed to do?"
The boys talked a little more about the curfew, Quidditch, and the new manger at Dervish and Bangs before finally filling up on the food and making their way to the common room.
"Ahh, home sweet home," remarked George as they beat the crowds to the chairs in front of the fire. Ron and Hermione squished themselves into one of the chairs, and Harry, George and Fred took the others. Hermione let out an exasperated sigh.
"While you guys were enjoying your feast, I was taking the first years on a tour of the building. They were so annoying! They kept wandering away, and childishly poking each other and running around. It was infuriating!"
"Hermione, what's this?" breathed George in a tone bursting with mock surprise. "A prefect? Speaking ill of fellow students?" Hermione gave him a Look and he shut his mouth, lightly snickering.
"They weren't really that bad at all. I'm just so tired. I couldn't sleep at all last night, I was so excited to get back and see everyone."
"Right. Everyone." Harry muttered under his breath. George gave him a sympathetic look out of the corner of his eye. Both he and Fred had been worried this might happen- they didn't want Harry feeling like a third wheel.
Just then the portrait swung open and a head of black hair could be seen, struggling to get into the common room. As Maddie lugged herself over the high opening, she shot the group in front of the fire a bright smile, lighting up her chocolate brown eyes. The conversation went pretty well for a while, then George noticed her yawning.
"Sleepy, Squirt?" he tried out a nickname, pleased to see her grinning at it.
"A bit. Long day, ya know," she said, slowly standing up, "Professor McGonagall said Hermione would show me the girls dorms..." She trailed off, spotting Hermione fast asleep on Ron's shoulder. Fred stood up behind her.
"Not to worry. George and I'll show you." Maddie raised an eyebrow.
"And what exactly do you two know about the girls dorms?" Fred gave her a wicked grin.
"Oh, come now, Maddie. We have full knowledge of every other room in the castle. Did you really think we would stop there?" Giggling, she followed the redheaded boys up a staircase that branched into two more at a landing halfway up. They took her up to a mahogany door that seemed to be part of a tower.
"Here you are," said George, grandly bowing her through the door. "The girls dorms. Years four through seven share this one, and the first, second and third years are across the hall. The boys are down the stairs, to the landing, and back up again. Just give us a yell." Fred turned to leave and ran head-on into Lavender Brown, who was sashaying by at just that time.
"Well, well, well," she murmured, untangling herself and stepping one tiny step back. "Fred Weasley. Don't normally come up this way much, do you?"
"I was just showing Maddie here where she would be sleeping, Lavender. And now I'm leaving," he said, trying to put a little more space between him and her.
"Of courssssse," she drawled in an almost-singsongy voice. "Goodnight, Fred." She brushed rudely past Maddie and disappeared into the back of room. Maddie was cracking up.
"Well," she sang in a perfect imitation of Lavender. "I guess I'll go get my beauty sleep, then. Goodniiiiight, Fred. See ya lata, George." She gave the brothers a devilish wink, then shrieked with laughter as they shoved her into her room, tickling her sides. As she found the four-poster bed with her trunk at the foot of it, Maddie smiled happily, looking around at her new home. Life was turning out good. For the most part.
She couldn't help but notice the mean glares she was getting from the blonde girl named Lavender. Though Maddie smiled at her several times, the girl would do nothing but stare at her like she was some odd species of bug. Finally deciding to ignore her, Maddie bustled around, putting her toiletries in the bathroom, her books on her bedside table and clothes in the wardrobe. She was just dropping into bed, exhausted, when Ron came in, carrying a sleeping Hermione.
"RON! You're not supposed to be in here!" Lavender squealed, hurriedly fussing with her hair and adjusting her robes. He gave her a murderous look and she hushed a bit.
"You're going to wake her up!" He laid Hermione down on the bed next to Maddie and gave her a smile. "'Night," he whispered, backing out of the room. Maddie collapsed onto her bed, her head swimming with everything that had happened that day. As she drifted off, she said a quick thank you prayer. Someone was looking out for her, that was for sure.
"Sweets, are you quite all right?" asked her aunt in the lilting accent that Maddie loved so much.
"Yes," she answered quickly, pasting a large, fake smile across her pale face. Aunt Rachel grinned back and rummaged around in the cart full of luggage.
"I have a gift for you," she began in a secretive tone. Maddie looked up expectantly and was surprised to see a delicately woven cage, with a medium sized, snowy white owl fluttering about inside.
"Her name is Christaline. You're only going to be allowed to keep her if I have her flying in here with a letter for me at least two times a day." Aunt Rachel smiled again and pulled Maddie into a huge, warm embrace. "Smile. Just smile, Maddie dearest, for me and for your family, for the friends you'll have soon enough, but most of all, smile for you."
Maddie stepped away, the profound words of her aunt pounding in her head, louder than even the crowd that was milling about the station. She nodded bravely, added her new owl to the pile on the cart, and disappeared through the brick wall of the platforms. Rachel stood for a few seconds, watching the spot where her beloved niece had stood earlier.
"I pray to God that she will be all right." She picked up her handbag and left the station, a sinking feeling in her heart. And when Rachel Marie Galya got that sinking feeling, trouble was sure to follow.
(*)
Ron Weasley sighed as he shoved the cart laden with trunks through the wall and onto platform nine and three-quarters. His siblings George, Fred and Ginny followed him, chattering noisily and searching for their friends. Ron was doing the same- well, actually he was looking for one friend in particular. Hermione Granger. He spotted her standing next to Harry, holding her cat, Crookshanks. Fred and George found Lee Jordan, and Ginny rushed off to stand with Colin Creevy. Everyone in their places, he thought happily, wheeling his way over to Hermione and Harry.
"Well, hello, hello," he said, sneaking up on his two best friends in the entire universe. Hermione gave a surprised squeak. "You scared me," she scolded as they hugged tightly. He pulled back and kissed her lightly on the nose, then the lips. It had been an entire week since he had seen her last- a week too long, in his opinion.
"Okay, break it up. I've had enough and I've been around you two for about five seconds." Ron chuckled and went over to give Harry a quick guy hug.
"Did you have a good summer?" He asked.
"No," answered Harry flatly, "I can't have a good summer with the Dursley's. It's physically impossible. But it is nice to be going back." Hermione and Ron looked at each other and nodded their agreement in unison. Harry gave a snort of laughter and the three of them shoved their trunks in the compartments and climbed aboard the train.
As they settled onto the benches, Harry and Ron began talking excitedly about the professional Quidditch game they had been to that summer. Chudley Cannon's against the Surrey Swingers. It had been a good, close game, and much to Ron's delight, the Cannon's pulled off a lovely, last minute victory.
Hermione tuned out and stared off into the distance as her two friends chattered aimlessly in the background. The lovely gardens outside captivated her, and as they slowly gave way to more scraggly fields and wild forests, she became even more interested in the landscapes.
"Hello, earth to Hermione!" Harry was snapping his fingers in front of her face. She blinked and pushed his hand away.
"Okay, okay, I'm back," she said with a little giggle. Ron sighed in boredom and rested his head on Hermione's, closing his eyes happily. He quickly fell asleep, leaving Hermione's in a very odd position.
"Quite comfortable, Herm?" said Harry with a sparkle in his eye. Hermione glared at him for a second then tried to go about adjusting Ron's head so she'd be able to rest as well. When she tired of her fruitless efforts, she turned to Harry, who was the one spacing out now.
"Harry!" she whispered urgently. He whirled around and she laughed. "Gotcha! Now, about this terrible summer, anything quite outstanding? Any house elves? Blowing up of aunts? Come one Harry, spill the beans!" Harry grinned at the mention of a few past summer excursions, but had nothing exciting to tell her.
"It was really quite boring. Vernon and Petunia fought like nothing I've ever seen, and Dudley- get this- Dudley has a girlfriend. She's just as fat as he is, which really isn't a huge surprise, but still, I don't understand how they can reach each other to kiss. Their rolls must get in the way!" Hermione cracked up at the gross mental picture and hit her friend as a gentle punishment for installing it in her head.
"Wha…" All their laughter had woken Ron, who snapped his head up and looked wildly around.
"Shush, you just woke up." Hermione put a hand on Ron's back and he lie back against the bench, looking sheepish. Hermione frowned and began grabbing at all the cricks that were now in her head.
"Whoops, sorry, did I do that?" asked Ron, watching Hermione rubbing her neck in pain. Hermione gave him a false stern look and nodded. "Well, then I guess I'll just have to fix it," he said in a coy voice, and reached down to begin massaging her. Harry just groaned and slipped quietly from the compartment, unnoticed by the two oblivious lovebirds inside.
Harry wandered about the corridors, looking for a familiar face in the all the chaos. He spotted a few that he didn't feel much like pursuing (Malfoy, Lavender), but continued on until he heard the voices of Fred and George.
"Knock, knock," he said, sticking his head around the door. "Can I come in?" Fred and George waved him in and showed him the Cauldron Cakes that they were stuffing with Eeyore's Edible Gunpowder. "I'm thinking of giving them to Malfoy, what do you think?" said George with a malicious glint in his eye.
"I think you'll probably be killed afterward, but man, it would be funny to see." Fred laughed, then asked, "Where's Ron and Hermione?"
"In our compartment. I had to leave, things were starting to get too mushy." Harry sounded like a third grader instead of the fifteen-year-old he was.
"Oh, yeah, bit of bad luck, eh? She came up to the house for about half the summer, and was perfectly fine when she wasn't around him. The rest of the time they were all kissy and kissy and 'Lil Honey this and 'Lil Honey that. Mum and Ginny thought it was wonderful, but all the men in the family could only take them in small doses." George leaned back with a faint look of disgust on his face.
"Well, there are worse people he could be hanging on," said Harry resignedly. Fred nodded.
"Um, excuse me," The boys looked up at the voice in the door. Framed in the doorway was a short, slightly chubby girl with bright violet eyes and long, jet-black hair. She looked to be about thirteen, and was nervously clutching the handle of her trunk. "The rest of the compartments are all full, and I was wondering if you would mind my sitting in here."
"Not at all," Lee Jordan spoke up from the corner. The girl smiled, and for a second you could she was a pretty girl. She lugged the heavy trunk inside, and Harry helped her hoist it up into the luggage rack.
"Thanks," she said, with more confidence behind her voice. "My name is Madison, but please call me Maddie."
"Okay Maddie," said Harry with a little smile, "I'm Harry, and this is Fred, George, and Lee."
"Hullo," the boys said in unison.
"So Maddie," said George as she sat down next to him, "what year are you in? I don't think I've ever seen you before."
"Your right, you haven't. I moved here from America just this year, transferring from the Reginalde School of Magic. I was in eleventh grade there, but the letter I got told me I'm…a fifth year?" All the boys looked mildly shocked. She smiled ruefully. "I know, I know, I look younger than that. It's a handicap that has it's pro's and con's."
"I wonder what house you'll be in?" said Fred
"They told me I'm a Gryffindor. What house are you guys in?"
"Same!" said Lee. He looked around at his friends, and they all silently agreed. This girl was pretty cool.
"Oh, Eeyore's Edible Gunpowder!" she exclaimed, seeing the bag in Fred's hands. "I love that stuff! Once, at my old school, we took some and filled the center of a ripe, juicy looking apple, and then we gave it to our most-hated teacher. When he took a bite, his saliva activated it, and the whole thing exploded in his mouth! He nearly choked! It was so funny…" she trailed off, reminiscing about the incident.
"Well, well, well, I would never have thought that someone like you would pull stunts like that," said George with a hint of admiration.
"Someone like me?" she repeated.
"Well, yeah, you know, a-" he stopped short, realizing his mistake.
"A girl?" she finished for him, biting down on a giggle, "Well, Fred, or George, whatever one, you'll soon find out that I am not your typical girl." The boys all laughed along with her and the new friends began swapping stories left and right. Madison smiled to herself. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.
(*)
As they neared the school, a whistle rang shrilly through the air, and purple smoke filled the train's corridors. Maddie sat up in her seat with a look of acute interest on her face. Harry chuckled softly.
"Almost there," he said unnecessarily. Maddie jumped up and pressed her face to the window.
"I can't see it!" she exclaimed.
"Nope, not for a while. We have to get out at Hogsmeade station and take a horse cart to the actual school," explained Lee.
"Oh," she said, sitting down and looking slightly disappointed. Harry laughed at her and helped her get her things down from over head. The rest of the boys got their stuff and Harry left to pick up his. As they left the train, Maddie stopped short at the sight of a giant man with black hair and beard, who was rounding up the first years and putting them in boats.
"Who's that?" she breathed.
"That's Hagrid," said a voice behind her. Maddie spun around to see another tall, redheaded boy with freckles. This one looked younger and had his arm wrapped around the waist of a nice looking girl with curly brown hair and slightly large teeth.
"Thanks! Well, I'm Madison-"
"But you can call her Maddie," Harry cut in from behind her. "This is my friend from the train. Maddie, this is Hermione and Ron, my two best friends."
"Hello," she said, smiling up at both of them. Her owl began hooting wildly and she turned to take care of her.
"Yes, she is pretty small, but positively adorable- she looks like a teddy bear!" She heard the girl called Hermione whispering to Ron and Harry. She blushed and grinned- friends already, just her luck.
Fred, George, Lee and Maddie climbed into one of the horse drawn carriages, all chattering energetically about the upcoming feast, and, in Maddie's case, first glimpse of the school.
"I heard it's a castle!" she said happily, nose to the window once more. "My old school was plain and boring."
"You heard right," said Fred, peering over her shoulder. "We should be able to see it any second now."
And he was right. In the next minute, a large, beautiful structure came into view. Maddie drank in the four majestic towers, the numerous turrets and flying buttresses, the stained glass windows. The sparkling lake to the South added a perfect finishing touch. She let out a low, "Woah," and didn't take her nose off the window until they had reached the front doors.
"Maddie, we gotta go. Maddie, come on!" But she was staring, entranced, and the golden molding over the entrance and didn't seem to hear the boys calling her. Finally Lee reached over and poked her plump little sides. She let out a shriek of laughter and batted his hand away.
"I'm coming, I'm coming" she muttered, following the flaming hair up the steps.
As the students entered the Great Hall, they all threw back their heads to stare up at the twinkling stars. Maddie was surprised to see the night sky that took the place of the ceiling.
"It's bewitched," whispered Fred to her, and she nodded, her voice caught in her throat by emotion that no one understood.
The students all drifted to their respective tables, getting comfortable and catching up with friends they hadn't seen all summer. Fred, George and Lee lead Maddie over to some seats near Harry, who was sitting with Hermione and Ron. Ron was now absently stroking Hermione's hair as he talked animatedly with Harry.
"Hey guys!" spouted Maddie in her cheerful American accent. Everyone scooted about so they were half-facing each other. "What happens now?" she asked, looking around at the activity surrounding her.
"Well, any minute now, Dumbledore should be up to give the welcoming speech," began Harry.
"Then there's the school song," Hermione went on.
"And then the feast," finished Fred with a rub of his stomach. Maddie was about to ask another question, but a revered silence spread quickly over the hall. Maddie looked to see what it was, and saw a tall, thin wizard with white hair longer than her own. He has light streaming from his youthful eyes, but his eyes were the only youthful part of his wrinkled body. He still had the look of a very energetic person, and he was smiling at everyone as he took his place at the teacher's table.
"Welcome, students, to this little old shack we call Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I am please to introduce our new first years, and a transfer student in Gryffindor named Madison Wells." Maddie blushed as the students turned around to look at her. "I would like to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is, well, just that, forbidden. Also, I am forced to remind you that there is no magic in the corridors of the school. Only in classrooms and common rooms should the art be practiced. Also, we would like to remind you of our strictly enforced curfew of nine o'clock at night. I'm sure this will be no problem." All the students who had been to Hogwarts before were whispering urgently at the last announcement. There had been no curfew last year! The friends at the Gryffindor table shared a dark look, wondering what Dumbledore was hiding this time. "Students, students, please calm down," called Dumbledore from up above. The dull buzz receded and he went on. "I believe it is time for our traditional school song. Pick a tune, any tune!" With a flick of his wand, golden words began tracing themselves in the thin air. Maddie looked doubtful and nudged George.
"Any tune?" He nodded. She began singing to the tune of a French lullaby called Dors, bebe, Dors. A voice like that of an angel floated in and around the words of the students surrounding her, causing several people to stop altogether. Ron closed his mouth, twisting his head in search of the source of the entrancing music. His mouth dropped open again as he caught sight of Maddie, her azure eyes shining bright and focused on the words floating in front of Dumbledore, her face relaxed and contented. She looked totally and completely at peace, and as at home as she had been yet. Hermione caught his eye and elbowed him in the ribs.
"She's wonderful, I know, but the last thing she needs is more people staring at her." Ron averted his eyes but did not sing again, listening to Maddie finish the tune that gave the song's somewhat comical words an entirely new meaning. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Fred, George and Harry all staring at her as well, getting disapproving glares from Hermione.
As the last few students got done with the fun little ditty, dishes of delectable foods began filling the tables. Maddie's eyes grew wide as she watched all her favorite foods pop onto the golden platters in front of her. She took some seafood linguine and started in.
"So, Miss. Maddie, any other little quirks we should know about?" said Fred, loading his plate with steak.
"What are you talking about?" she asked innocently.
"Oh I don't know," said Harry with a grin, "so far we've got the age illusion, the pranks obsession, and now we find out you're a professional singer. When's the next surprise?"
She blushed and tried to hide it. "I'm not quite professional, thank you very much, but hey, I warned you. I'm not your garden variety, Sally-next-door type. To boring, if you ask me. If you're looking for one of those girls, you could try over there." She pointed to a few chairs down, where Lavender and Parvarti were flirting shamelessly with Dean and Seamus. They both were wearing their required black Hogwarts robes, but they both also had acrylic nails, long and brightly painted, carefully groomed curls, and lots of necklaces, rings and bracelets. Caked on their faces were inches of thick foundation, dark eyeshadow, silver eyeliner, black mascara, blood-red lipstick and silver glitter. The boys followed her finger and ducked their heads in laughter.
"To their credit, I can remember when they were normal," said Harry.
"I don't even know them, so I shouldn't make ant assumptions," admitted Maddie.
"Nah, don't worry about it, you pretty much hit the nail on the head," broke in George. Maddie tried not to laugh and concentrated on spearing a scallop. Someone walked over and tapped her on the shoulder, making her jump. She turned around and found herself face to face with Professor McGonagall.
"Hello, Madison. Welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Professor McGonagall, I'll be your Transfiguration teacher, as well as the head of your house. If you could come with me, I'd like to take care of some of finalities of your transfer. I'm sorry to take you away from the feast, but it's necessary." Maddie nodded and followed the severe looking woman out of the Great Hall and through a maze of secret passages, locked doors and dim corridors. They ended inside a small office with a warm fire blazing in the grate. Professor McGonagall closed the door and offered Maddie a comfortable armchair in front of her desk. Maddie sat down, drinking in the details of the cozy room.
"What did you want to talk to me about, Professor?" asked Maddie, a slight quaver in her voice.
"Actually, I have to admit that I wasn't quite honest. I needed you to come here to sing for me." Maddie gave the teacher a strange look. She understood that this school was run a lot differently than the one she had left, but this was the oddest thing she had encountered yet.
"Sing for you?" she asked meekly. Professor McGonagall nodded and sat back expectantly.
"Well, uh, what would you like me to sing?"
"What was the tune you were singing the school song to? I would like to hear that song." Maddie sat, thinking for a second, then swallowed nervously and stood up. She took a deep breath and began. "Dors, dors, dors, bebe, dors, je t'aime fort. Dors, dors, dors, bebe, dors, sois sage, je t'adore ." After the first few shaky notes, her voice steadied and she once more allowed the euphoric look to mask her face. As the finished the song and opened her eyes, she saw that Professor McGonagall had fallen fast asleep, head back and mouth wide open. Maddie stood anxiously, not wanting to wake her up and not wanting to stand there watching her sleeping. After ten minutes she decided to wake her.
"Professor? Professor McGonagall?" she said quietly. Nothing. She tried again, louder. Still nothing. She nervously walked around the office, wondering what she should do. Then a terrible thought hit her. Was Professor McGonagall sleeping? Or had she...Maddie began to tremble. She barely been there for two hours and she had killed a teacher. She ran over to the chair and shook her new teachers shoulders violently, screaming loudly, "Professor! Please wake up! PLEASE!" As the slumbering woman's eyes fluttered open, she jumped back, embarrassed.
"Wha-huh? Oh, oh yes. That was very nice. I have to ask you, have you ever been trained in the Melodicia theories?"
Maddie tried not to look as blank as she felt. This school was incredibly weird. "No, at least not under that name. I was in a private choir in America..."
Professor McGonagall laughed. "No, no. The Melodicia theories were written by Celestia Warbeck- you may have heard of her, she's a British witch who made quite a career of singing in her later days. When she was younger she studied here, at Hogwarts, and was very interested in the effect of the voice and how it could be used to transport magic. Many Muggle experts believe that music can effect the emotions to the point where it can control your actions. Celestia used these reports in combination with her magical training and wrote a series of thesis's and theories on how witches and wizards could channel spell working-energy into their voice techniques, focusing mainly on harmonies. Minor keys for darker spells, major for more positive ones, legato for charms and enchantments, staccato for Transfiguration, and so on. She wrote a two books; one explaining her theories and how she came to them, with information on how to create further enchantments, and another that has several spells and enchantments that she has worked out the notes to already. And one of the enchantments that she has listed in her book was the song you were singing."
Maddie sat very quietly, slightly lost. Why was she telling her all this? She hoped this was not something she was supposed to know about, because all of this was totally new to her. She looked at the professor, hoping to learn more. She was not disappointed.
"The reason that I-er- drifted off before has to do with that song. It has powerful sleeping enhancements connected to it. Where did you hear it?"
"My Aunt Rachel. She's sung it to me ever since I was a baby. It's French, and it translates to sleep, sleep, sleep, baby, sleep, I love you so much, sleep, sleep, sleep, baby, sleep, you know I adore you. Then it repeats." Maddie tried to read Professor McGonagall's startled look.
"Your Aunt Rachel? What is your aunt's sur name?" she asked shakily.
"Uh, Galya. Rachel Galya." Professor McGonagall's eyes widened, then she shook her head and got up from her chair, pacing the room. "Do you know her?"
"Well, yes. I taught her once. I need to think about something, but I would like us to talk again later. Will you meet me here on your Friday afternoon break?" Maddie nodded, confused but interested. "Perfect. Come along, I'll take you to the common room. I saw you sitting near Hermione, I'm sure she'll help you get settled in the fifth year girl dorms. That is, if she can take her eyes off that Weasley boy." Professor McGonagall gave Maddie a rueful smile. "Hermione and I have always been rather close, and the relationship is one that has taken everyone that knew the two by surprise. OK, here we are. The password is niarbyeknom. Good night."
They stopped in front of a large portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress, and when Maddie turned to thank Professor McGonagall, she was gone. Maddie searched for a door, window or staircase that would lead her to her common, but found none. Finally she just threw down her arms and cried out, "Niarbyeknom!". She was nearly knocked over by the portrait swinging open to reveal a cozy looking room inside. She carefully pulled herself over the high entrance and stumbled into the cozy looking room. Large gray and scarlet armchairs, colorful tapestries, a roaring fire, chattering students. It was a picture of everything a home should be, and Maddie was happy that this was hers, at least for the school year. She spotted her friends huddled near the fire and jogged over.
"Where'd you disappear to?" asked George as she sat on the floor between all the armchairs.
"Just talking to Professor McGonagall. She had me sing for her, and told me all about something called the Melodicia theories. What have you guys been doing?"
"Herm gave the first years a tour and Ron 'accompanied' her. We sat around, catching up...thinking up some new pranks. See that potted thing over there?" Fred pointed to a lavish potted tree in the corner of the common room with a funny glint in his eye. Maddie nodded. "Well, wouldn't that be perfect for Dungbombs? The leaves would hide it just right..." Maddie giggled, seeing what he meant, and turned to begin discussing prank potential. George and Lee got closer, and they looked like they had all been friends since birth.
(*)
George turned to his twin and best friend as the chubby little girl followed Professor McGonagall out of the hall.
"So what do you think?"
"'Bout what?" answered Fred, mouth full of prime rib.
"'Bout the new girl. Pretty different, eh?"
"Yeah, I should say. Her accent's interesting, and she seemed to know quite a lot about pranking. That's usually a good sign."
"Yeah. We need some better girl's in Gryffindor. Hermione gets into enough adventure with Harry and Ron, but she was never one to pull a prank for the fun of it. Don't get me started on the rest of the female population..." He put on a high, falsetto tone. " 'Don't make me throw that Dungbomb, I might break a nail!' Gimme a break!" George shook his head in disgust.
"Well, I think she gives off such an innocent air." Harry chuckled. "I bet it gets her out of all sorts of trouble. But speaking of new things at the school, what's with this curfew?"
"Dunno, but I'll probably end up breaking it the first night! Common rooms by 9:30? What're we supposed to do?"
The boys talked a little more about the curfew, Quidditch, and the new manger at Dervish and Bangs before finally filling up on the food and making their way to the common room.
"Ahh, home sweet home," remarked George as they beat the crowds to the chairs in front of the fire. Ron and Hermione squished themselves into one of the chairs, and Harry, George and Fred took the others. Hermione let out an exasperated sigh.
"While you guys were enjoying your feast, I was taking the first years on a tour of the building. They were so annoying! They kept wandering away, and childishly poking each other and running around. It was infuriating!"
"Hermione, what's this?" breathed George in a tone bursting with mock surprise. "A prefect? Speaking ill of fellow students?" Hermione gave him a Look and he shut his mouth, lightly snickering.
"They weren't really that bad at all. I'm just so tired. I couldn't sleep at all last night, I was so excited to get back and see everyone."
"Right. Everyone." Harry muttered under his breath. George gave him a sympathetic look out of the corner of his eye. Both he and Fred had been worried this might happen- they didn't want Harry feeling like a third wheel.
Just then the portrait swung open and a head of black hair could be seen, struggling to get into the common room. As Maddie lugged herself over the high opening, she shot the group in front of the fire a bright smile, lighting up her chocolate brown eyes. The conversation went pretty well for a while, then George noticed her yawning.
"Sleepy, Squirt?" he tried out a nickname, pleased to see her grinning at it.
"A bit. Long day, ya know," she said, slowly standing up, "Professor McGonagall said Hermione would show me the girls dorms..." She trailed off, spotting Hermione fast asleep on Ron's shoulder. Fred stood up behind her.
"Not to worry. George and I'll show you." Maddie raised an eyebrow.
"And what exactly do you two know about the girls dorms?" Fred gave her a wicked grin.
"Oh, come now, Maddie. We have full knowledge of every other room in the castle. Did you really think we would stop there?" Giggling, she followed the redheaded boys up a staircase that branched into two more at a landing halfway up. They took her up to a mahogany door that seemed to be part of a tower.
"Here you are," said George, grandly bowing her through the door. "The girls dorms. Years four through seven share this one, and the first, second and third years are across the hall. The boys are down the stairs, to the landing, and back up again. Just give us a yell." Fred turned to leave and ran head-on into Lavender Brown, who was sashaying by at just that time.
"Well, well, well," she murmured, untangling herself and stepping one tiny step back. "Fred Weasley. Don't normally come up this way much, do you?"
"I was just showing Maddie here where she would be sleeping, Lavender. And now I'm leaving," he said, trying to put a little more space between him and her.
"Of courssssse," she drawled in an almost-singsongy voice. "Goodnight, Fred." She brushed rudely past Maddie and disappeared into the back of room. Maddie was cracking up.
"Well," she sang in a perfect imitation of Lavender. "I guess I'll go get my beauty sleep, then. Goodniiiiight, Fred. See ya lata, George." She gave the brothers a devilish wink, then shrieked with laughter as they shoved her into her room, tickling her sides. As she found the four-poster bed with her trunk at the foot of it, Maddie smiled happily, looking around at her new home. Life was turning out good. For the most part.
She couldn't help but notice the mean glares she was getting from the blonde girl named Lavender. Though Maddie smiled at her several times, the girl would do nothing but stare at her like she was some odd species of bug. Finally deciding to ignore her, Maddie bustled around, putting her toiletries in the bathroom, her books on her bedside table and clothes in the wardrobe. She was just dropping into bed, exhausted, when Ron came in, carrying a sleeping Hermione.
"RON! You're not supposed to be in here!" Lavender squealed, hurriedly fussing with her hair and adjusting her robes. He gave her a murderous look and she hushed a bit.
"You're going to wake her up!" He laid Hermione down on the bed next to Maddie and gave her a smile. "'Night," he whispered, backing out of the room. Maddie collapsed onto her bed, her head swimming with everything that had happened that day. As she drifted off, she said a quick thank you prayer. Someone was looking out for her, that was for sure.