Harry sighed and threw himself into an armchair in the Gryffindor Common room. His eyes followed the dancing flames in circles in the fireplace. He was in his 5th year at Hogwarts. There had definite increase in homework. Everyone had noticed and had been complaining loudly the whole day. It was pretty late and only a few people were still up. It was finally quiet. Probably because Hermione (a Gryffindor Perfect) had been threatening detentions to everyone who was talking because she was trying to get all her homework done before midnight. He got to thinking about Sirius. He had been captured by the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore had been away for the past few weeks trying to convince Fudge that Sirius was innocent and was not the person who killed 13 people. But Dumbledore had no proof since Pettigrew hadn't been caught yet. It was depressing to think. So he went to bed early. Like Ron did a few hours ago.
* * *
Halfway across the world, in America,
a girl named Alyssa Greenfield woke up screaming from a nightmare. It was
the same every night. She and a boy, a young man actually, about maybe
15. The same age as herself. They were quietly doing homework on opposite
sides of the living room. But once in awhile, one of them would glance
up. It was her house. Her parents were reading the Daily Prophet on the
couch drinking their cups of coffee. A muggle sort of drink that they liked.
The door burst open with a blinding flash of blue light. In stepped 3 black
robbed men. Only 2 had masks on. The 3rd glanced amusedly around the room.
There was a crash. Her mother had dropped her mug of coffee. The coffee
spread and stained the rug. It was Voldemort. A dangerous smile played
on his lips. Green light erupted from his wand. Alyssa's mother fell back.
A look of horror on her face. Eyes and mouth wide open, unmoving. She was
dead. Her head had hit the coffee table. A trickle of blood flowed from
the corner of her mouth. Staining the carpet as the coffee did. Voldemort
turned his wand on her. He said that if they gave up the boy, there wouldn't
be anymore murders tonight. But her father, who was a very good friend
of James, refused. Knowing that if Voldemort had the boy, all would be
doomed. The green light flashed on him. Alyssa's father was dead before
he hit the ground. Boom.
Alyssa turned on the light and
walked into the living room. She screamed, loud, long, and shrill. Her
parents were dead. Several people from the ministry were there, examining
the bodies. So… Alyssa thought. My dream was real. But the fact that her
parents were dead still didn't really get to her.
* * *
Harry woke up with a start. Did
Voldemort really kill those two people? Who were they? Who was the girl?
He asked himself. Harry shook his head. It was too confusing. Drank some
water, and fell back asleep.
* * *
Alyssa was crying. The fact that
her parents were dead finally registered in her head. The ministry had
taken her to Diagon Ally and given her a room. They had also given her
the key to her parent's vault in Gringotts. She was to go to Hogwarts for
the rest of her school years. She checked the list that the owl gave her.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand
Sorc.,Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,International Confed. Of Wizards.)
Dear Miss. Greenfield,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary
books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no
later tan July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGongall
Minerva McGongall,
Deputy Headmistress
Alyssa pulled out another piece of parchment. On it was her list of books and equipment.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
Fifth year students will require:
1. 5 sets of plain work robes (they may
be black, green, purple, or blue)
2. 1 pointed hat (black, green, purple,
or blue) for day wear
3. 1 pair of protective gloves (dragon
hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, green, blue,
or purple, with silver fastenings)
5. One dress robe
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each
of the following:
Advanced Transfiguration
By Minerva McGongall
Predicting the Future V
By Sibyll Trelawney
Looking Back at the Past
By Mirianda Goshwick
One Million and One Magical Plants and
Herbs
By Gladio Trelwana
Advanced Guide to Muggles
By Yolanda Tampener
Charms for the Advanced Students
By Hamerion Vindidus
How to recognize potions
By Severus Snape
Animal Transfigurations
Vicle Tramkle
Reviewing the Past's Facts
By Trefel Revle
Defend Yourself Against the Unknown
By Sliya Alvios
Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean
By Kevin Richardson
Where to find Magical Creatures
By Britney Spears
How to Manage Magical Creatures
By Nick Carter
How to manipulate Dark Wizards
By Severus Snape
OTHER EQUIPMENT
2 Wands
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 6)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 collapsable telescope
1 set brass scales
5 quills
1000 rolls of parchment
10 bottles of ink ( black, green, blue,
or purple)
2 sets of basic potions ingredients (level
5)
2 pairs of boots (dragon hide or similar)
3 book bags
Alyssa shook her head. It was all
too confusing. She had to buy her books? At her old school, the Professors
provided them. She never had so many books to study. Not as many subjects
either. She smiled. She was especially good at Potions at Strawgoh School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was really gonna miss her Professors, who
were really nice and funny. She sighed and walked into Madam Malkins to
get her robes.
* * *
Harry, Hermione, and Ron trudged
to dinner after a very nasty Potions with Snape. As they sat down at the
Gryffindor table, they noticed that the plates were empty. Which really
wasn't good cause they were hungry. And the sorting hat stood on a stool
in the middle of the room. Dumbledore and McGongall walked briskly into
the room. Followed by a very dazed looking girl. Professor Dumbledore cleared
his throat and looked around meaningfully. "We have a new student
attending Hogwarts. Her name is Alyssa Greenfield. She is going to be in
5th year. When she is sorted, I expect you to show her around and everything."
Said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling at them. The girl, Alyssa, was actually
very pretty. Dark brown hair, bright green eyes, and a nice figure. Ron's
eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he gaped at her. Alyssa walked to
the hat, put it on, and sat there for a long time, as the hat was having
a very hard time deciding with her. Professor McGongall was starting to
look very nervous. After about maybe ½ an hour, the hat opened it's
brim wide and shouted: GRYFFINDOR! Groans came from all the guys
at all the tables except for Gryffindor, who cheered wildly. Alyssa grinned
and sat down next to Harry. Fred immediately pushed an unfortunate 2nd
year off his chair and sat down. He took Alyssa's hand and kissed it. "My
dear Alyssa, you grace our halls with your beauty. Will you please go to
the Halloween Ball with me?" Said Fred without the slightest trace of doubt
that she would refuse or embarrassment. Then George butted in. "Alyssa,
go with me. I'm the better twin. Fred here is just a dud." Said George
convincingly. Harry began to wonder if the Weasleys' had any veela relations
in their past generations. Alyssa just laughed and shook her head. She
had someone else in mind. Looking dejected, they Weasley twins headed back
to their original seats. Not bothering to help the guy that Fred had knocked
over in his rush to get to Alyssa first.
* * *
A trembling teenager walked up
the steps to a very gloomy and dark looking stone building. He waited a
few minutes to get his nerve up and knocked on the door. A twitchy man
peered at him from the window and opened the door. The teen walked in mumbled
something inaudible to the ratty looking man and walked into the main room.
It was an unusual room. There was a fireplace and a single green chair,
but that wasn't why it was unusual. It was filled knee deep with deadly
poisonous snakes. There was a man sitting in that green chair. He spoke.
Every syllable was fringed with evil. "What is your report." It was neither
a statement nor a question. The teen trembled from head to toe just hearing
that voice. " The girl has finally arrived in Hogwarts. She is in Gryffindor.
A 5th year." He said in a small, weak voice that could have barely been
heard. "Good. Go now. Before people realize you're missing." Said the guy
behind the green chair. The guy left.
* * *
Alyssa had started a conversation
with Harry. It was a very long conversation. It covered almost every subject
they could think of. The twins kept throwing dirty, jealous looks at Harry.
Harry however, was becoming very interested in Alyssa. There was something
about her. She sort of looked like the girl in his dream he had. Something…almost
inhuman. She was very obviously hiding something Harry decided. Something
important.
The teachers
signaled that it was time to go to their dormitories. Alyssa followed Harry,
talking in an unbelievably fast pace. Asking about the professors and the
subjects that they had. Harry answered the best he could, but could not
resist adding details about his feelings about Snape. Alyssa stopped
suddenly, saying that she wanted to go to the library, that she needed
to look up something important. That it couldn't wait. Harry agreed and
told her to wait until he got his invisibility cloak. Her eyes widened,
impressed, and grinned, thinking of all the adventures they could find
roaming the halls of Hogwarts. All the things they could do! But just then,
Harry returned, interrupting Alyssa's train of thought, which for Harry,
was actually a good thing. They sneaked downstairs to the library, pulled
a few books off the shelves in the restricted section as well as the regular
section. While they were getting the books, Alyssa told Harry about her
plans for his invisibility cloak, and watched in amusement as his eyes
bulged out in shock. They returned to the Gryffindor common room without
any big accidents, excluding the many times when Alyssa fell down the stairs
or knocked down something. Filch and his cat must have been asleep, Harry
decided at last, having wondered about that for some time.
Harry and Alyssa skimmed through
most of the books. She still didn't tell Harry what she was looking for.
Finally, Alyssa found what she was looking for. She poked Harry who gave
her an annoyed look and read the paragraph she was pointing at.
In
the wizarding world, there are 12 gems that account for power. They are
legendary, in myths, but there are pieces of history of which they were
involved. They supposedly brought He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to power 50
years ago. Salazar Slytherin was also a claimer of using the gems to build
the Chamber of Secrets. With all 12 gems, the impossible could be real.
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was said to have 3. Salazar was said to have 2
of the gems. To this day, no one knows where all 12 gems are and hopefully,
no one will be the owner of all 12 gems. The location of one gem is currently
in possession of Headmaster Dumbledore. The other 11 gems are lost in the
world, waiting to be found.
"What does that have to do with
anything?" asked Harry. Alyssa blinked and very carefully answered Harry.
"I…my…um…well…see…okay. My mom gave me something and told me that I needed
to protect it and always have it with me. I didn't know what it was, but
she told me that it was vital to find out the meaning of it. She didn't
know herself. So I guess the thing she gave me is one of the 12 gems. But
I don't know how to use it. That's the problem now. The book didn't tell
us. What am I supposed to do now?" Harry just stared at her. He had
once paid attention to Professor Binns last year because the story was
actually interesting. He had talked about the 12 legendary gems. Everyone
had been fascinated. "Alyssa…" said Harry "Nobody really knows how Voldemort
and Slyterin used it. The only way to find out is to ask Dumbledore. But
you can't do that without his suspecting you're up to something. Wow! You
actually have one of the 12 legendary GEMS??? " Harry almost shrieked the
last word but not quite since it was well past midnight in the Gryffindor
Common Room. Alyssa looked uncomfortable. "Do you know anything else about
the gems?" Harry just blinked for 5 minutes and finally answered, "Well,
they say you can raise the dead. But that's with more than one gem." Harry
added quickly seeing the look on her face, a hopeful look on his own face.
Across the room,
Hermione felt tears roll down her cheeks. She had heard the whole conversation.
The look on Alyssa's face was so identical to the look Harry always wore
when he was thinking about his parents. When he was longing for them. The
hurt expression mixed with hope that they would somehow miraculously come
back to life. Hermione stepped out of the shadows. " With 6 gems, they
could grant you what you want most in you're life. With these gems, you
could rule the world. Which is probably why You-Know-Who went for your
family, Alyssa. Some gems are more powerful than others, so it sometimes
depends on what kind of gems you have and not how many." Hermione finished
with Alyssa and Harry staring at her. " It was sort of a private conversation
Hermione." Said Alyssa sort of angrily. "Well, if you want to know or even
care, I also have a gem or 2 in MY possession. And you do know that you
need at least 3 to raise a recently dead person." And with that, she sat
down with a flourish in one of the big poofy green armchairs. Noticing
with a pleased smile that Harry's eyes were fixed on her. "Exactly how
many gems do you have? And why haven't you told me or Ron that you had
a few gems?" asked Harry, utterly amazed. "For your information, I have
3 gems. And I didn't tell you because you would want to raise the dead.
More specifically, your parents." Said Hermione with her head down, no
longer looking superior. When she looked up, there was the look on her
face was immediately replaced by an expression of horror by the look on
Alyssa's face. It was a sort of hungry gleam in her green eyes and a hurt/hopeful
expression on her face. It was obvious of what she wanted Hermione to do.
"See here Hermione, I have 1 gem, you have 3. 1+3=4. We can raise my and
Harry's parents with that! You don't know what it feels like! Harry won't
be living with the Durslys' anymore! I would have a place to call home!
Don't you understand?" Alyssa whispered pleadingly. Hermione looked uncertain.
It was illegal, and they all knew it. But…still, giving Harry back his
parents? Alyssa's too? The punishment couldn't be that bad…could it? But
then there was the problem of finding out just how to use the gems. Ofcourse,
there was always the possibility of draining your life force. Since she
didn't know what else to say, Hermione shared that information with Alyssa
and Harry, and watched them pale. But Alyssa still looked as determined
as ever. Hermione sighed and agreed to help. They got up and went to bed.
It was late. And nobody noticed a tall dark figure lurking in the corner.
He/it/she smirked and disaparated.
In the morning,
Alyssa woke Hermione up with a pillow in the face. It was 6 in the morning.
They went to bed at 2 am, but each stayed up awhile longer thinking his/her
own thoughts. They had gotten less than 4 hours of sleep. Hermione knew
immediately why Alyssa woke her up. She wanted to know more about the 12
legendary gems. Still lying down, she told Alyssa all she knew. "A really
long time ago, even before Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena
Ravenclaw, and Godric Gryffindor, there were 12 divine beings. They had
a special kind of power. And they were the only ones in the world who would
ever have it…except for 5 people in the future. They picked these 5 people
specifically. They knew that so they stored their divine powers into a
gem. One for each of them. The 12 beings then performed hundreds of spells
on them. It is said that the gems can perform spells on their own, by the
permission of their owner. By a thought command. It's like telepathy. But
there is also a password set on the gem. There is also a string of spells
and curses you have to remove before you get to the password, which is
almost impossible to crack. The gems can be used for almost anything, like
I said last night, or actually, this morning." Here, Hermione stopped and
yawned. Alyssa had a glazed look in her eyes. She was thinking over what
Hermione said. They went downstairs to breakfast. They met Harry ½
way down the stairs and Alyssa filled him in on what Hermione said. Word
by word. "So they weren't human?" asked Harry. Alyssa looked at him surprised.
" Ofcourse not Harry, they were divine beings. They sometimes have an inhumanly
aura around them. But that they can hide." Answered somewhat briskly which
was very difficult since she was stuffing eggs into her mouth, then got
stuck in a thought. Something reminded her about a muggle song she heard
during the summer. She shook her head and concentrated on trying to swallow
the stuff in her mouth. Suddenly, the air seemed to get colder, even though
it was the same temperature. The lights seemed to dim, but it was the same
brightness. A tall, cloaked dark figure came into the room. Everyone hushed.
Chatter and laughter long gone. Dumbledore hurriedly stepped up to him,
and raised his wand. Voldemort laughed, cast a spell, and disaparated.
Dumbledore was left in a daze. How could he have disaparated? It's not
possible on Hogwarts grounds. He wondered for sometime, standing in the
middle of the room, his hand that was holding his wand was outstretched,
pointing at nothing. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alyssa stared, wide-eyed
at each other while Dumbledore was led to the hospital wing. Something
was really wrong.