A/N: I hope this keeps you in suspense and gripping your computer chair,
reading as fast as possible to see what is going to happen next . . .
DISCLAIMER: Not all mine
EAGLE EYES
Chapter One: Feathers
"Well, here we are . . . last time," said Ron Weasley with a sigh as he and his classmates of six years exited the Hogwarts Express.
Hermione Granger, Ron's girlfriend of two years looked up at the many towers of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The stars in the sky glittered above it, reflecting sparkles off of some of the windows. Her eyes began to water.
"Oh, Herm don't cry," Ron said, putting his arm around her. "There're some good points about leaving Hogwarts!"
"Yeah, like what? We'll never see most of our friends ever again!" Hermione cried as they made their way across the dark grounds with the other students.
"Well, you wont have to deal with those creeps anymore!" said Ron pointing over his shoulder at Draco Malfoy, and his two sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle who were torturing a second year by throwing his pet rat up in the air.
"Hey guys! I see how you're gonna' be!" Harry Potter came running up to them from the train station. "Don't even wait for me! Fine! Who needs you anyway!" He sarcastically turned and stuck his nose in the air, folding his arms. But he wasn't looking where he was going and would have smacked head on into a tree by the lake if it hadn't been for Hermione.
She grabbed his arm before he hit the tree and shook her head, "What would you do without us?"
Harry grinned, "Hit a tree."
The students walked up the front steps and came into the Entrance Hall. A cool wind from the night outside rushed into the Hall and the students wrapped their robes around them.
The Great Hall doors creaked open heavily and they entered, feeling a surge of warmth. The many floating candles lit the Hall and the students took their seats at the four house tables.
"Hey, where's Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione whispered to Ron, next to her. Harry swiveled around to look at the teacher's table. Hermione was right. There was Snape with his usual scowl, Professor Sprout, Flitwick, and the other teachers. Only Dumbledore and the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers' spaces were empty. Ever since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had come to Hogwarts, they had never had a steady teacher for that class.
"I wonder who the new Defense Arts teacher is this year." Ron said rolling his eyes at the teachers. Neville Longbottom leaned in and whispered with a nervous look, "I heard it's a woman. She's supposed to be some sort of crazy hag!"
"Oh Neville, don't listen to rumors!" Hermione snapped, rather more harshly than she intended. But just then, the door behind the teacher's table opened and the Hall hushed in anticipation.
Professor Dumbledore entered followed by the most exotically beautiful girl Harry had ever seen and another woman who looked like her mother.
The girl looked Harry's age, but much prettier than any of the other girls in 7th year. She had tan skin, but light grey, almost white eyes, and dark, red-black hair adorned with a silvery feather. They both looked as though they were from an island tribe.
Harry got an odd sensation when he looked at her . . . Like he could fly.
The girl glanced uncertainly around the room, but smiled, showing perfect, white teeth. Her mother, who was also deeply tanned, but with black hair, also adorned with a feather (though it was from a hawk) and seemingly more normal followed Professor Dumbledore and sat in the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher seat.
"Doesn't look like a hag to me, Neville." Hermione whispered.
"Yeah," Ron said, "Neither does her daughter."
"Wait, she has Hogwarts' robes on, is she enrolling? She can't do that." Hermione said matter-of-factly. "She hasn't been in all six –,"
"Shhhh!" Harry shushed Hermione. The coming first years had just walked in and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on its stool in the middle of the platform. Dumbledore stood.
"Welcome everyone to yet another year here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore's sparkly eyes danced around the room. "And what an interesting year it shall be. First and foremost I would like to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Kiona." Dumbledore applauded and the students followed, but the feeling of the applause was distracted. Everyone was looking at her daughter.
Dumbledore noticed this, "Ah, yes and this is her daughter who will be attending seventh year at Hogwarts. I'm sure you will all make her feel very welcome." He smiled warmly. "Normally, students are not admitted to the school if they did not apply in their first year, but as her mother is teaching, there were some exceptions made." Hermione scoffed slightly.
"As all students know, the Forbidden Forest is just that precisely, forbidden. And now, the sorting."
The rip in the Sorting Hat opened and it began to sing. Harry didn't catch a single word because his eyes were trained on Professor Kiona's daughter. She was so . . . Harry couldn't explain it. Interesting he guessed. He didn't have a crush on her, he didn't know her! For all he knew she was a really nasty person! But for now, he could only watch her. Those eyes . . .
"Analee, Caren!" Professor McGonagall began calling out the first-year's names, and each one approached the hat nervously. Harry remembered when he had first tried on the hat, and then he thought that this would be the last time he saw the Sorting as a student and he drew his gaze away from the girl.
"Hornblow, Wilson!" A large boy, shaking all over, stepped up to the hat and put it on. "HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted. The Hufflepuff table cheered.
"Jarek, Thomas!" stepped up to the hat which shouted "SLYTHERIN" almost immediately. The Slytherins hooted sickeningly.
The Sorting progressed and Gryffindor had gained eleven new students when Professor McGonagall called the last person.
"Kiona, Aquillus!"
The Hall fell quiet as the girl, stepped up to the stool showing little agitation. She slipped the hat on over her feather. The Hall was tense. Even the stars in the ceiling above seemed hushed. Harry gripped his seat hoping she would be in Gryffindor. The Hall had never been quite this silent.
***********
"GRYFFINDOR!!" the hat roared. The Gryffindor table erupted! Along with the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. It was almost as loud as when Harry himself had been put in a house. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were just glad that she hadn't been put in Slytherin. The Slytherins were jeering and shouting things like "she doesn't deserve us!"
Aquillus smiled again and made her way towards the Gryffindor table. There was only one empty seat left. The end seat, across from Nearly Headless Nick, and right next to Harry. She sat down and everyone was very eager to learn more about her. But they were soon distracted as Dumbledore stood again and bade them all eat. That's when Harry, Ron and Hermione got to talk to her.
"Hi, I'm Harry. And this is Ron and . . . Herm." Harry was the first to speak up between bites of potatoes.
"Um, Harry. My name is Hermione. And yours is Aquillus?" Hermione said helping herself to some peas.
"Yes, but most everyone calls me Quill." she said.
"Hey – Kill." said Ron with a mouthful of steak "You 'ungry?"
She smiled, and when she did, her face lit up beautifully. "No, I just ate on the flight here."
"Really? Where do you live? How did you get here?" Hermione asked eagerly.
Quill's white eyes wavered and flitted towards her mother. "We travel, many places, so I don't really have a permanent home." The tone of her voice suggested that she didn't or couldn't talk any further.
"Did you come by broomstick? I used to be able to do that." Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost sighed. His head flopped over to one side as he attempted to lean on his hand. "I used to be able to do that, too."
Quill laughed. "I'm beginning to like this school." She smoothed her dark hair, which glinted red in the starlight.
"What school did you come from?" Hermione asked, being more pressing than she realized.
Ron leaned over and whispered, "Don't mind her, she's used to knowing it all, and if she doesn't . . . watch out."
Quill smiled. It looked to Harry, a tired smile. Her eyes were distracted and sleepy, but she answered Hermione anyway. "I just now transferred from a magic school in Poland, but I've been to many schools. We're always moving."
"Oh really? What does your mother do? Does she teach or ---" Hermione was saying when Harry cut her off.
"You look tired." Harry shot a meaningful look at Hermione who glared back at him with a 'well-I-just-wanted-to-know.'
"Sure you don't want any food? The desserts are coming up soon." Harry asked genially as the last bits of his meal disappeared from his plate. She really did look exhausted and Harry was worried she might faint or something.
"Desserts?" Quill suddenly looked more alive. "Yes, I wouldn't mind some sugar."
"Wouldn't we all!" Ron began to dig into the custard pudding that had just arrived.
Nearly Headless Nick sighed again. "It all looks so delicious." He said wistfully.
"Oh, that's right, ghosts don't need food. I wish we didn't have to eat in front of you." Quill said sympathetically.
Nick looked surprised, as though it had been a while since someone had showed him such courtesy.
"My name is Sir Nicholas De Mimsy Porpington. But most people around here call me Nick. I'm the Gryffindor house ghost. I think you'll do well in this house." He said with a wink.
But it was most likely that Quill hadn't heard what he'd said. She was very busy loading her plate with pudding, crumb cake, spotted dick, marmalade rolls, and everything else available, even rock cakes (which no one else touched). Lavender Brown who was sitting nearby gave her an odd look and commented, "That's an awful lot of calories, and saturated fat."
Quill only nodded solemnly and began spooning some Black Forest Cake in her mouth as Harry, Ron, Hermione and Nick watched with wonder.
***********
When at last the desserts had been cleared from the tables (Quill being the last to finish) Dumbledore stood once again.
"And now, I am sure we are all very tired. Head Girl and Boy, please lead the way for the new students. To bed!"
Hermione stood, motioning the students forward. Her shiny Head Girl badge glinted on her robes. "Okay, everyone, follow me to the Gryffindor Tower."
Harry groaned. "Oh, Hermione I forgot you were Head Girl."
"And that is bad why?" Hermione asked following the Head Boy, *** out with the other students.
"Because now we have to take orders from you." Harry whined.
Hermione smiled deviously, "Mm-hmm."
Hufflepuff and Slytherin were lead to their towers by the Prefects as Gryffindor and Ravenclaw left with the Head Students. As they started climbing the stairs, Harry noticed someone was missing.
"Where's Quill?" He asked aloud.
Ron yawned and looked around. There were Gryffindors climbing the dark, marble stairs around them, but he didn't see Quill. "Dunno. Is she still in the Hall?"
Hermione looked around, too. "I don't think we left her behind. Strange. I'll notify Professor McGonnagall when we get to the common room."
They reached the portrait hole, sleepy and full. Hermione gave everyone the password ('cauldron sparks') and they all entered, climbing heavily to their rooms. Except Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry was worried about Quill. Where could she be?
"What if she got lost? It could take days to find her!" Harry said as he and Ron waited for Hermione to get back from Professor McGonnagall's.
Ron yawned, "Don't be ridiculous, 'arry. It wouldn't take days . . . maybe hours." He smiled, his freckly face and bright orange hair lighting up.
Harry half-smiled, "I don't know why I'm so worried about her. I don't know her that well."
"But you want to, huh?" Ron snickered.
Harry threw a pillow from the cushy armchairs at him.
"Hmmm . . . I dunno. She has pretty eyes." he mused, staring into the crackling fire in the fireplace. He was suddenly struck on the side of his head with a pillow, knocking his glasses askew.
"Hey!!" Suddenly Harry and Ron were so fully immersed in a huge pillow fight, that they didn't even notice Hermione climb in the portrait hole.
She stood for a while watching them, and giggling to herself. Then she cleared her throat. The pillows that had been flying through the air stopped and a few feathers here and there floated to the floor. They looked quite funny and Hermione had to laugh. Harry's round black glasses were on the side of his head and Ron's hair was full of small feathers and well as one stuck to his cheek.
"So, where's Quill?" Harry asked brushing little white goose feathers from his robes.
"Professor McGonagall said that Quill had something to deal with 'personally' and that we shouldn't badger her about it when she gets back."
Ron raised his eyebrows. "Really, well in that case, I'm going to bed. I'm beat . . . . with pillows."
Harry laughed and tossed a flat pillowcase, devoid of feathers at him as he climbed the stairs. Hermione shook her head, her bushy brown hair swishing at her shoulders. She pulled out her wand and, with a flick, the loose feathers zipped back into their cases.
"We might as well go to bed, too." She yawned.
"Yeah," Harry said, looking at the watch he'd gotten from Diagon Alley. It gave the time, as well as a miniature map of where you were in whatever country you were in.
"Ten-thirty. We have Herbology and Defense Arts tomorrow so I'm going to get some sleep. See you in the mornin'."
"G'night." Hermione said, climbing up the stairs to the girls' dorm.
As Harry ascended to his room, he thought about Quill. She seemed nice, but he couldn't help thinking she was hiding something. He got into bed, distracted, and ended up falling asleep without changing into his boxers.
***********
DISCLAIMER: Not all mine
EAGLE EYES
Chapter One: Feathers
"Well, here we are . . . last time," said Ron Weasley with a sigh as he and his classmates of six years exited the Hogwarts Express.
Hermione Granger, Ron's girlfriend of two years looked up at the many towers of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The stars in the sky glittered above it, reflecting sparkles off of some of the windows. Her eyes began to water.
"Oh, Herm don't cry," Ron said, putting his arm around her. "There're some good points about leaving Hogwarts!"
"Yeah, like what? We'll never see most of our friends ever again!" Hermione cried as they made their way across the dark grounds with the other students.
"Well, you wont have to deal with those creeps anymore!" said Ron pointing over his shoulder at Draco Malfoy, and his two sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle who were torturing a second year by throwing his pet rat up in the air.
"Hey guys! I see how you're gonna' be!" Harry Potter came running up to them from the train station. "Don't even wait for me! Fine! Who needs you anyway!" He sarcastically turned and stuck his nose in the air, folding his arms. But he wasn't looking where he was going and would have smacked head on into a tree by the lake if it hadn't been for Hermione.
She grabbed his arm before he hit the tree and shook her head, "What would you do without us?"
Harry grinned, "Hit a tree."
The students walked up the front steps and came into the Entrance Hall. A cool wind from the night outside rushed into the Hall and the students wrapped their robes around them.
The Great Hall doors creaked open heavily and they entered, feeling a surge of warmth. The many floating candles lit the Hall and the students took their seats at the four house tables.
"Hey, where's Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione whispered to Ron, next to her. Harry swiveled around to look at the teacher's table. Hermione was right. There was Snape with his usual scowl, Professor Sprout, Flitwick, and the other teachers. Only Dumbledore and the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers' spaces were empty. Ever since Harry, Ron, and Hermione had come to Hogwarts, they had never had a steady teacher for that class.
"I wonder who the new Defense Arts teacher is this year." Ron said rolling his eyes at the teachers. Neville Longbottom leaned in and whispered with a nervous look, "I heard it's a woman. She's supposed to be some sort of crazy hag!"
"Oh Neville, don't listen to rumors!" Hermione snapped, rather more harshly than she intended. But just then, the door behind the teacher's table opened and the Hall hushed in anticipation.
Professor Dumbledore entered followed by the most exotically beautiful girl Harry had ever seen and another woman who looked like her mother.
The girl looked Harry's age, but much prettier than any of the other girls in 7th year. She had tan skin, but light grey, almost white eyes, and dark, red-black hair adorned with a silvery feather. They both looked as though they were from an island tribe.
Harry got an odd sensation when he looked at her . . . Like he could fly.
The girl glanced uncertainly around the room, but smiled, showing perfect, white teeth. Her mother, who was also deeply tanned, but with black hair, also adorned with a feather (though it was from a hawk) and seemingly more normal followed Professor Dumbledore and sat in the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher seat.
"Doesn't look like a hag to me, Neville." Hermione whispered.
"Yeah," Ron said, "Neither does her daughter."
"Wait, she has Hogwarts' robes on, is she enrolling? She can't do that." Hermione said matter-of-factly. "She hasn't been in all six –,"
"Shhhh!" Harry shushed Hermione. The coming first years had just walked in and Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on its stool in the middle of the platform. Dumbledore stood.
"Welcome everyone to yet another year here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore's sparkly eyes danced around the room. "And what an interesting year it shall be. First and foremost I would like to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Kiona." Dumbledore applauded and the students followed, but the feeling of the applause was distracted. Everyone was looking at her daughter.
Dumbledore noticed this, "Ah, yes and this is her daughter who will be attending seventh year at Hogwarts. I'm sure you will all make her feel very welcome." He smiled warmly. "Normally, students are not admitted to the school if they did not apply in their first year, but as her mother is teaching, there were some exceptions made." Hermione scoffed slightly.
"As all students know, the Forbidden Forest is just that precisely, forbidden. And now, the sorting."
The rip in the Sorting Hat opened and it began to sing. Harry didn't catch a single word because his eyes were trained on Professor Kiona's daughter. She was so . . . Harry couldn't explain it. Interesting he guessed. He didn't have a crush on her, he didn't know her! For all he knew she was a really nasty person! But for now, he could only watch her. Those eyes . . .
"Analee, Caren!" Professor McGonagall began calling out the first-year's names, and each one approached the hat nervously. Harry remembered when he had first tried on the hat, and then he thought that this would be the last time he saw the Sorting as a student and he drew his gaze away from the girl.
"Hornblow, Wilson!" A large boy, shaking all over, stepped up to the hat and put it on. "HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted. The Hufflepuff table cheered.
"Jarek, Thomas!" stepped up to the hat which shouted "SLYTHERIN" almost immediately. The Slytherins hooted sickeningly.
The Sorting progressed and Gryffindor had gained eleven new students when Professor McGonagall called the last person.
"Kiona, Aquillus!"
The Hall fell quiet as the girl, stepped up to the stool showing little agitation. She slipped the hat on over her feather. The Hall was tense. Even the stars in the ceiling above seemed hushed. Harry gripped his seat hoping she would be in Gryffindor. The Hall had never been quite this silent.
***********
"GRYFFINDOR!!" the hat roared. The Gryffindor table erupted! Along with the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. It was almost as loud as when Harry himself had been put in a house. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were just glad that she hadn't been put in Slytherin. The Slytherins were jeering and shouting things like "she doesn't deserve us!"
Aquillus smiled again and made her way towards the Gryffindor table. There was only one empty seat left. The end seat, across from Nearly Headless Nick, and right next to Harry. She sat down and everyone was very eager to learn more about her. But they were soon distracted as Dumbledore stood again and bade them all eat. That's when Harry, Ron and Hermione got to talk to her.
"Hi, I'm Harry. And this is Ron and . . . Herm." Harry was the first to speak up between bites of potatoes.
"Um, Harry. My name is Hermione. And yours is Aquillus?" Hermione said helping herself to some peas.
"Yes, but most everyone calls me Quill." she said.
"Hey – Kill." said Ron with a mouthful of steak "You 'ungry?"
She smiled, and when she did, her face lit up beautifully. "No, I just ate on the flight here."
"Really? Where do you live? How did you get here?" Hermione asked eagerly.
Quill's white eyes wavered and flitted towards her mother. "We travel, many places, so I don't really have a permanent home." The tone of her voice suggested that she didn't or couldn't talk any further.
"Did you come by broomstick? I used to be able to do that." Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost sighed. His head flopped over to one side as he attempted to lean on his hand. "I used to be able to do that, too."
Quill laughed. "I'm beginning to like this school." She smoothed her dark hair, which glinted red in the starlight.
"What school did you come from?" Hermione asked, being more pressing than she realized.
Ron leaned over and whispered, "Don't mind her, she's used to knowing it all, and if she doesn't . . . watch out."
Quill smiled. It looked to Harry, a tired smile. Her eyes were distracted and sleepy, but she answered Hermione anyway. "I just now transferred from a magic school in Poland, but I've been to many schools. We're always moving."
"Oh really? What does your mother do? Does she teach or ---" Hermione was saying when Harry cut her off.
"You look tired." Harry shot a meaningful look at Hermione who glared back at him with a 'well-I-just-wanted-to-know.'
"Sure you don't want any food? The desserts are coming up soon." Harry asked genially as the last bits of his meal disappeared from his plate. She really did look exhausted and Harry was worried she might faint or something.
"Desserts?" Quill suddenly looked more alive. "Yes, I wouldn't mind some sugar."
"Wouldn't we all!" Ron began to dig into the custard pudding that had just arrived.
Nearly Headless Nick sighed again. "It all looks so delicious." He said wistfully.
"Oh, that's right, ghosts don't need food. I wish we didn't have to eat in front of you." Quill said sympathetically.
Nick looked surprised, as though it had been a while since someone had showed him such courtesy.
"My name is Sir Nicholas De Mimsy Porpington. But most people around here call me Nick. I'm the Gryffindor house ghost. I think you'll do well in this house." He said with a wink.
But it was most likely that Quill hadn't heard what he'd said. She was very busy loading her plate with pudding, crumb cake, spotted dick, marmalade rolls, and everything else available, even rock cakes (which no one else touched). Lavender Brown who was sitting nearby gave her an odd look and commented, "That's an awful lot of calories, and saturated fat."
Quill only nodded solemnly and began spooning some Black Forest Cake in her mouth as Harry, Ron, Hermione and Nick watched with wonder.
***********
When at last the desserts had been cleared from the tables (Quill being the last to finish) Dumbledore stood once again.
"And now, I am sure we are all very tired. Head Girl and Boy, please lead the way for the new students. To bed!"
Hermione stood, motioning the students forward. Her shiny Head Girl badge glinted on her robes. "Okay, everyone, follow me to the Gryffindor Tower."
Harry groaned. "Oh, Hermione I forgot you were Head Girl."
"And that is bad why?" Hermione asked following the Head Boy, *** out with the other students.
"Because now we have to take orders from you." Harry whined.
Hermione smiled deviously, "Mm-hmm."
Hufflepuff and Slytherin were lead to their towers by the Prefects as Gryffindor and Ravenclaw left with the Head Students. As they started climbing the stairs, Harry noticed someone was missing.
"Where's Quill?" He asked aloud.
Ron yawned and looked around. There were Gryffindors climbing the dark, marble stairs around them, but he didn't see Quill. "Dunno. Is she still in the Hall?"
Hermione looked around, too. "I don't think we left her behind. Strange. I'll notify Professor McGonnagall when we get to the common room."
They reached the portrait hole, sleepy and full. Hermione gave everyone the password ('cauldron sparks') and they all entered, climbing heavily to their rooms. Except Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry was worried about Quill. Where could she be?
"What if she got lost? It could take days to find her!" Harry said as he and Ron waited for Hermione to get back from Professor McGonnagall's.
Ron yawned, "Don't be ridiculous, 'arry. It wouldn't take days . . . maybe hours." He smiled, his freckly face and bright orange hair lighting up.
Harry half-smiled, "I don't know why I'm so worried about her. I don't know her that well."
"But you want to, huh?" Ron snickered.
Harry threw a pillow from the cushy armchairs at him.
"Hmmm . . . I dunno. She has pretty eyes." he mused, staring into the crackling fire in the fireplace. He was suddenly struck on the side of his head with a pillow, knocking his glasses askew.
"Hey!!" Suddenly Harry and Ron were so fully immersed in a huge pillow fight, that they didn't even notice Hermione climb in the portrait hole.
She stood for a while watching them, and giggling to herself. Then she cleared her throat. The pillows that had been flying through the air stopped and a few feathers here and there floated to the floor. They looked quite funny and Hermione had to laugh. Harry's round black glasses were on the side of his head and Ron's hair was full of small feathers and well as one stuck to his cheek.
"So, where's Quill?" Harry asked brushing little white goose feathers from his robes.
"Professor McGonagall said that Quill had something to deal with 'personally' and that we shouldn't badger her about it when she gets back."
Ron raised his eyebrows. "Really, well in that case, I'm going to bed. I'm beat . . . . with pillows."
Harry laughed and tossed a flat pillowcase, devoid of feathers at him as he climbed the stairs. Hermione shook her head, her bushy brown hair swishing at her shoulders. She pulled out her wand and, with a flick, the loose feathers zipped back into their cases.
"We might as well go to bed, too." She yawned.
"Yeah," Harry said, looking at the watch he'd gotten from Diagon Alley. It gave the time, as well as a miniature map of where you were in whatever country you were in.
"Ten-thirty. We have Herbology and Defense Arts tomorrow so I'm going to get some sleep. See you in the mornin'."
"G'night." Hermione said, climbing up the stairs to the girls' dorm.
As Harry ascended to his room, he thought about Quill. She seemed nice, but he couldn't help thinking she was hiding something. He got into bed, distracted, and ended up falling asleep without changing into his boxers.
***********