Yahoo! Clubs: Order of the Phoenix's RPG
Compiled and Edited by Marsea Truan (Marsea Brooklyn)
Daunte Mills yawned as he got out of bed on September 1. He looked at the clock. 5:30 A.M. Well, it had to be done to get to Kings Cross on time, considering where he lived. Daunte was a mischievous (sp?) one, but he wasn't that much of a troublemaker.
When the food cart came around, Daunte bought 2 cauldron cakes and a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He ate these and fell asleep.
He awoke about an hour later, and went up to the conductor to ask how long it was going to be before they got there. He got back to his compartment. He laid down, when a little first-year asked him where the restrooms were. He replied, "I don't know," then raised his wand and performed a Spooking Spell. The little kid made a high-pitched cry and scampered.
It's going to be a good year, he thought.
Lisa had just heard a scream and saw her little sister.
"Gypsy, what's wrong?"
"The boy scared me 'cause I asked him where the bathroom was!"
"You should have asked me," said Lisa. "Just go down to the end of the train, and I'll meet you in our compartment!" Gypsy walked off.
Lisa opened the compartment and saw a boy sitting down.
"Hey, what did u do to my sister? What's your problem?"
Cedric Sylver sat in his compartment and looked out the window. There were fields, animals and plants and many other things passing by very quickly. "I can remember this so well, this is great." He then got up and walked out of his compartment and headed to the second bathroom toward the front of the train. He walked to the bathroom so he could change into his robes, when a small little boy came out of an apartment and they ran into each other. He fell to the ground and Cedric helped him up.
"Hey are you ok???" He said as he got up, and the boy nodded.
"Sorry about that I will more careful next time, Cedric said as he walked on to the bathroom. With his robes in hand, he walked into the bathroom and changed into his robes. He then walked out and went to the front of the train to see the conductor.
"Sir, when will we be arriving at Hogwarts?"
He said about 1/2 an hour and Cedric said good bye and then headed back to his compartment.
He walked back in his compartment and sat down. " I cant wait to get back to Hogwarts, my 3rd year!! This is gonna be great!!!" He said laughing as he sat and looked back out the window.
Hermione poked her head out of the compartment door at the sound of someone yelling.
"What in the world..." she asked herself, sliding open the door so she could get out. Ron called after her.
"Hermione!" he yelped. "Don't..." But she was gone. At the lou, a little boy was scurrying away looking scandalized.
"Are you all right, there?" she asked. The boy looked up and nodded, trembling. "First year?" she said kindly. He nodded again, looking even more scared. Hermione placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. It's not that bad. Its pretty fun, actually. After the sorting you'll feel much better."
The boy bit his lip. "Really?" he asked in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. Hermione nodded, a small smile on her lips. The boy scampered down the train where he dashed into an end compartment. Hermione shook her head as she sat back down next to Ron.
Harry looked up from his book, "Quiddich Through the Ages," and coughed.
"What?" Hermione demanded bossily. "I couldn't just let him go on thinking he had to wrestle an alligator or something!"
Ron rolled his eyes and bit into a Cauldron Cake.
Soon the train began to slow down. Ron and Harry jumped up and ushered Hermione out of the compartment so they could change into their robes.
"At least I changed sooner!" she hollered at the closed door. "You two should have more sense!"
"Geroff!" Ron muttered. "Cut us some slack!"
The door slid open and Hermione rushed inside to avoid being tossed down the hall by the force of the train. Thankfully, the boys were done changing. They crammed their sweets into their pockets and joined the throng making its way out.
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere in sight.
"D'you suppose they've been sent to another school?" Harry asked as they hopped off the train.
"Oh, I don't know!" Hermione snapped. "Honestly!"
"He wasn't asking you," Ron shot back as Harry was almost crushed under the weight of one of Hagrid's friendly slaps on the back.
"All righ, you three?" he hollered, and Harry rubbed his knees.
"It's our fifth year!" Seamus said happily, catching up to them. "Only two more to go!"
"Then we'll be of age!" Dean piped in.
Harry imagined turning Dudley into a pig and Aunt Petunia into a giraffe and Uncle Vernon into a cow when he got back. He smiled in ecstasy.
"I know what you're thinking," Hermione said hotly. "Don't..."
But they were at the school doors.
Daunte met up with his friends, Dean Framos and Mason Goram. They sat down at the Slytherin table.
"Yo, Daunte, I think that Ravenclaw girl over there thinks I'm hot," Dean said while looking beyond Mason's head.
"Well, let's see, she's blinking, smiling, waving, blushing, and looking over here all at once. I'd say you're right."
Dean leaned over so she could see him and mouthed, No way.
"C'mon, she's a Ravenclaw," Dean said. "What did you expect, did you think I was going to ask her out?"
"God, I'm starving," Mason moaned. Daunte told Mason and Dean about his encounter with the first-year in the train.
"What a pansy," Dean replied. "Bet he'll be a Hufflepuff."
Suddenly, the Headmistress stood up and cleared her throat.
The Ravenclaw, who is known as Artemis, leaned over to her friend and whispered, "He fell for it. Gosh, guys can be so full of themselves. You look over at their table and make mushy eyes, and they think you like them. Could it maybe be that you think their Owl/Cat/Toad/Rat is cute...nope, couldn't be! It's soo stupid!"
"Did you hear the scream on the train?" said Artemis's friend.
"Yeah, poor kid, wonder which house he'll be put into. Oh, here comes Hermione."
"Hullo," said Hermione, "How are you."
"Good." said Artemis as her friend returned to her reading, she didn't particularly like Hermione. "I've been dying to talk to you all summer," said Artimis. "But first, how's Sirius?"
Hermione was aghast.
"How do you know about Sirius?!" she hissed. Artemis wore a smug look and sat with her arms crossed.
"Why?" Artemis asked. "Is something happening with him...what? Is he escaping?"
Hermione blinked and shook her head as if to clear it up. She glared at Artemis' friend and returned to the Gryffindor table.
"Gosh," Ron exclaimed as she plopped down into her chair with a frustrated grunt. "You look ready to 'Crucio' someone."
"I am," she grunted, staring at her empty plate and goblet. Harry raised his eyebrows and they disappeared under his long, untidy black hair.
"What happened?" he asked quietly as the sorting started.
"Those Ravenclaws!" Hermione said shrilly, and the whole population of the Great Hall burst out laughing.
"I, er, think you s-said that a little t-too loud, Hermio-one!" Ron said, gasping between laughs.
Dumbledore stood up and his eyes twinked merrily. He put a hand up for silence and the sorting continued. Hermione blushed and slid down in her chair as "Lintott, Shannon!" became a Gryffindor.
"Don't worry 'bout it, Hermione," Fred Weasley said. "Percy's not here to scold you."
"He was starting to grow on me," George piped in.
As the sorting neared its end, Dumbledore stood up again and raised a hand as the last first year, "Eanuka, David" sat down at the Slytherin table.
"Another year!" he said happily. "Some students are, er, gone...and I think you all know why..."
The Great Hall fell completely silent. "Let's eat, then!" he said thunderously, and the plates and filled magically. Hermione sat, ashen faced, not touching anything.
"K'mon, Hermonkee," Harry said with a mouthful of mashed potato. "Everyonsh forgochen about it."
Hermione stormed out of the Great Hall, and Ron piled her food onto his plate.
"This is good, ain't it?" George said to break the silence.
Cedric Sylver watched as another 1st year was sorted. "Man, its awesome to be back!!" He said to a fellow Ravenclaw.
Then Hermione, one of the smartest girls in Hogwarts yelled out about THOSE RAVENCLAWS. It was pretty funny, but he was wondering how Hermione lost her head. He then started eating his food once again. As he finished up a small bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored beans, the last 1st year was sorted into Hufflepuff. Then as usual the headmaster gave the ever famous welcome back speech, he listened and thought about the year to come, about Quidditch and how great it was going be. The headmaster finished the speech and they were all excused to their common room.
The Ravenclaws all walked to the common room, leading the new first years.
I then saw Artemis walking ahead. He caught up to her started walking beside her.
"Hey, you know Hermione better than I do, do you know what happened when she lost her head and ran off?" He asked as all of the Ravenclaws walked to the common room.
"I really don't know," said Artemis. "Last year before we left on summer break she told me all about this one guy, but I can't say anything about it because I was sworn into secrecy, but now it's like she never even told me. G'night Cedric," she finished sleepily.
Chance Meswin watched silently as he sat with the other first years and waited to be sorted. He was terrified, he came from a muggle background, and knew no one at the school. And what a weird school it was he thought, he'd seen a ghost already and almost fainted. He wondered if any of the other first years felt the same. He felt a nudge in his ribs.
"Hey, do you know what house they are gonna put you in"? This had come from the kid sitting next to him.
"No idea" he replied. "I hope I'm not in Slytherin" the kid whispered to him.
"By the way, my name is Ralon Jannip, what's yours?"
"Chance, nice to meet you to, I hope we get to be in the same house."
"Me too."
"SHHH" An older lady hissed at them.
"Sorry.."
"SHHHH!!!!!!"
Then it was Chance's turn at the hat. He waited forever it seemed.
"RAVENCLAW" It boomed. He was so startled by this that he almost didn't see where to go until a kid ran up and grabbed and took him to the Ravenclaw table. Just as he got there, he heard a high, snotty pitched voice
"Those Ravenclaws!" Oh my, he thought, what did I do? Just as he was about to
go apologize for something that he didn't do, he saw Ralon walking towards the table!
"Hey Ralon, sit next to me!"
He was very happy that he knew someone there now, and wasn't totally alone. He decided he would just forget about that girl who had yelled.
Harry and Ron made their way to the Gryffindor common room. They approached the Fat Lady who was looking exaspirated.
"There was a whole bunch of you then there wasn't," she exclaimed. "People are showing up whenever they feel like it. Its getting rather annoying, I've been opened so many times tonight I feel like..."
"Eanuka Eevesra," Ron muttered, and the Fat Lady's picture swung open. The two clambered inside the hole that led to the common room.
Hermione sat in front of the fire. Ron plopped down next to her and pulled out a pack of exploding snap.
"You OK?" he asked. Hermione gave him a stern look.
"Do I LOOK okay?" she asked shrilly.
"Sorry," breathed Ron. Harry sat in a squashy chair and put his head in his hands.
"Are YOU okay, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Don't feel so well," Harry moaned.
"Go to bed, then," Ron advised.
"Maybe I will," Harry said, getting up. "See you tomorrow, guys." Then he was off.
"What happened at dinner, Hermione?" Ron demanded. "You looked mad."
"The Ravenclaw girl, Artemis is it? She makes me so mad...! And that friend of hers. Their so stuck-up!"
Ron was seriously considering telling HER that SHE was pretty stuck-up herself, but he didn't want to make a bad situation worse. He kept quiet.
"What?" Hermione asked suddenly, turning to face him. "Why're you so quiet now?"
"I'm...tired! That's it, tired," Ron lied.
Hermione softened. "I'm sorry," she said, sighing. "I shouldn't let anyone get to me. Go to bed, I'm all right."
"You sure?" Ron asked.
"Uh-huh," Hermione yawned. She got up and ascended the girls' dormitory stairs.
Ron left the common room and took the boys stairs two at a time. He found Harry lying in bed.
He was an awful shade of green.
"I don't think those house-elves poison the food," Harry wheezed. "They'd be scared of getting fired or something."
"Go to Madam Pomphrey," Ron said, changing into his pyjamas. "She'll have you cured in a minute."
"Don't feel like getting out of bed!" Harry said, sounding light-headed.
Then he blacked out.
Seamus and Dean, along with Neville (who came in late because he had forgotten the password) barged into the dorm room, laughing. People could be heard yelling in the common room below.
"What did you do?" Ron asked. Neville looked ashen.
"I didn't mean to!" he said. "I swear!"
"He set off twelve firecrackers at once!" Dean said, sounding admiring. "They got too close to the fireplace and..."
"Whoosh!" Seamus piped in. "It was great!"
"Really...?" Ron said faintly.
"Fred and George were having the best time of their lives," Dean explained. "We came back up cause they ran off to get THEIR firecrackers."
"I'm going to bed," Ron said, shaking his head in anxiety.
Artemis headed towards the Ravenclaw Common Room, then thought the better of it and headed back and told Tenter (her friend though not that great of one from earlier) to go without her. Glad to get away from Tenter, Artemis decided to try to talk to Hermione, for although she knew that Hermione thought she was stuck-up, she was Artemis's only true friend (or the closest thing she had to one at Hogwarts).
She got to the Gryffindor Common Room and knocked on the portrait three times. The portrait hole opened, "Hermione..."
Marsea was seated at the Slytherin Table in the Great Hall, next to Draco Malfoy. The girl across the way was staring daggers at her. Marsea knew why.
"Pansy," she said quickly. "Calm down."
Pansy Parkinson stared at her still, but was loosening her gaze.
Marsea shook her head. That girl had been a problem since the end of their fourth year, just because Marsea had "accidentally" stolen her date for the Ball. Now it seemed that everywhere she went, Pansy's evil ugly pug nosed face was glaring at her.
Marsea had even seen her peering through a compartment window on the Hogwarts Express at her, while on her way to the bathroom.
Her momentary fear had worn off when a 1st year had screamed shrilly.
"Dumb first years," Marsea thought, walking into the compartment that she shared with Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"Who was that?" asked Malfoy in his lazy drawl. "Potter?"
Marsea laughed. "No, some silly little first year. He'll probably be a Hufflepuff."
She sat down next to Draco, smiling. This was going to be a good year.
But there she sat at the Slytherin table, Pansy Parkinson looking like she was about to use the Cruciatus Curse right there.
"Well, might as well really piss her off," she thought, turning to Draco. "I have nothing to lose, right?"
Smiling, she kissed him. She rest of a table grew silent. He kissed her back, and she turned slowly to look at Pansy, who was scandalized.
This was definitely going to be a good year.
Chance walked with his only friend at Hogwarts away from the Great Hall to the place people had mentioned as "The Common Room" whatever that was. Ralon had tried to explain some of the things here, but he still was very confused. Ralon's Aunt was apparently a witch, so he had a bit of insider information. Poor Chance though, he didn't even know he was a wizard until his Dad has given him the letter.
As he walked down the corridor with Ralon, he tried to think of a time in his life when he was more frightened. He couldn't. Ralon kept assuring him that he would be fine and make loads of new friends, but it just wasn't getting through to him. All of a sudden a couple of older girls walked past and shoved the two first years aside as they did.
"Watch it, weenies" they called back.
"Weenies indeed" muttered Chance under his breath. He would show them. He would show the entire school that he Chance, was going to succeed and show them all up.
He would be the best student Hogwarts had ever known, he thought triumphantly, already hearing the praise in his head.
SMACK and he was flat on his face. "I should really remember to tie those
shoes better."
Back in the Gryffindor Room...
"Hermione, I'm really sorry, I thought you remembered that you had told me about Sirius right before we left on break, and I really didn't mean to make you mad, and if you never want to speak to me, I'll understand!" said Artemis very very quickly.
"What's going on out there?" "Keep it down!" "We're trying to sleep" screamed all of the Gryffindor students.
Artemis turned to leave, but Hermione grabbed her by the cloak...
Hermione heard the portrait door open, but she didn't pay any attention. It wasn't until she heard a faint voice say, "Hermione?"
She looked up from her book and there at the portrait hole, stood Artemis.
"How did you get in?" Hermione asked, raising from her chair. "I thought only Gryffindors were supposed to know the password!"
Artemis blushed. "I got some help..." she muttered. "But don't worry, I won't tell anyone the password. I'll tell the Fat Lady to change it when I leave."
"You better not be in here when Professor McGonagall gets in," Hermione advised. "She'll be..."
Artemis cut her off. "I came to say sorry," she said loudly, and a bunch of Gryffindors screamed down the stairs for silence.
"Hermione, I'm really sorry, I thought you remembered that you had told me about Sirius right before we left on break, and I really didn't mean to make you mad, and if you never want to speak to me, I'll understand!" said Artemis very very quickly.
"What's going on out there?" "Keep it down!" "We're trying to sleep" screamed all of the Gryffindor students.
Artemis turned to leave, but Hermione grabbed her by the cloak and the two made their way out of the room.
"I'm sorry Hermione," Artemis said. "I didn't mean to make you mad. If you don't want to talk to me, I'll understand."
"I'm sorry for doing that too," Hermione said. "You're the closest friend I have apart from Harry and Ron."
"Well...bye then," Artemis said before turning to leave. Hermione stood on the stairs for a while before Ron came barging out the portrait hole.
"Harry's really sick," he breathed. "He's really got to get some help!"
"All right..."
"Hermione!" Ron said with disbelief. "We need to get some help for Harry!"
"I said all right!" Hermione retorted hotly, brushing past him and practically sailing through the portrait hole. "Didn't I say all right?"
"Sorry," Ron muttered, pulling the door shut behind him.
Meanwhile in the Slytherin room...
Severus Snape paced back and forth in front of the fire with his arms crossed, head down.
The other Slytherins watched him warily from their posts on the carved chairs surrounding him.
He stopped suddenly and faced his stdents.
"It will happen," he mused aloud. "I'll make sure it does."
Draco and Crabbe, who had arrived at Hogwarts a day late, looked at Snape with excitement.
"Good," he said happily. "I've been waiting for him to come back a long time anyway."
Artemis, hearing Ron's scream, ran back to Gryffindor Common Room, and jumped inside of the portrait, "Where is he?" she asked frantcially. A Gryffindor first year pointed her in the right direction. She ran into the room to see Harry unconcious on the floor and Hermione, Ron, and a bunch of other Gryffindors around him. Artemis had read about something like this, what was it? Oh yeah, "Everyone, please stand back." she said.
"What is she doing in here, she's a Ravenclaw!" said Lavendar Brown.
Artemis grabbed her wand and pointed it at Harry and said "ENNERVATE" Harry woke up.
"OK, he's awake!" said Hermione.
"Yes," said a cold stern voice behind Artemis, "Ron, take him to the hospital wing. Now,
Artemis, might I ask what you are doing inside of Gryffindor Common Room, when you are a Ravenclaw?" said the voice. Artemis turned around to come face-to-face with Professor McGonnagall.
"Oh dear..."
Back in the Slytherin Room...
Marsea sat on her chair next to Draco Malfoy. Snape was pacing back and forth in front of them.
Malfoy turned to her and whispered, "I can't wait. Once Lord Voldemort returns, Slytherins will once again rule."
Marsea smiled. "With him as our ruler, nothing can hurt us."
Marsea looked around the room at the smiling Slytherin faces. Only one face remained sullen, and it was staring right at Marsea. Pansy Parkinson continued to glare at her.
Marsea turned back to Draco. "I hope she gets over you soon," she said, nodding at Pansy. "She looks like she's about to curse me." she frowned.
Draco smiled and put his arm around Marsea. "She won't, don't worry."
Professor Snape stopped pacing and stared at Draco and Marsea with amusemant. He almost laughed before his gaze shifted to Pansy.
"He almost lookes sort of handsome when he smiles," Marsea whispered. Draco smirked and tightened his arm around her, making Pansy glare all the more.
"Something wrong, Parkinson?" Snape asked softly. Pansy jumped with fright but quickly recovered.
"No," she lied. "Everything is...fine!"
Snape nodded slightly and pulled something out of his pocket. It was shiny and orb-like, with dark purple smoke floating around inside it. The Slytherins gazed at it in wonder.
"This," Snape said evilly, raising the glass ball over his greasy head for all to see. "Is a Majilan. It is used for dark art purposes."
"My father has one of those!" Draco said, and Snape smirked.
"With this we can see what is going on in any room we wish throughout all of Hogwarts. It is very powerful."
"Can't you control things with that too?" Pansy asked innocently. Marsea shot ice at the girl with her eyes.
"Indeed," Snape answered. "My my, I do have a smart lot this year."
Draco shifted position.
"I, or you, can control objects through this," Snape whispered. "If I see a vase in the Ravenclaw common room, for example, I can will it to raise a foot off the shelf and come crashing to the floor. Or I could stick pins in Potter's back. Or I could...dump poison in his food." He cackled. "Poor Potter..."
Marsea smiled. Pansy Parkinson couldn't end her fun. Jealousy was not a good personality trait, and Marsea knew that jealously was all it was. Still, there was a menacing tone in the way that Pansy had spoken. She smiled again, remembering the way Pansy had jumped when Snape had spoken to her.
No, it was just jealousy, Pansy was hurt. She'd get over it, and Marsea had Draco. Nothing could be better.
Artemis stood in the middle of the room with Professor McGonagall and a bunch of angry Gryffindors around her. She was in a sticky spot.
1: she was in the Gryffindor common room
2: the was in the Gryffindor BOYS' dorm
"Well?" asked Professor McGonagall. "I'm waiting for an answer, Artemis!"
"I uh...er, um...I mean..." Artemis stammered. Harry lay alone and forgotten on his bed. Ron and Hermione were looking horrified.
"She heard Ron yell, Professor!" Hermione said with a high-pitched voice. "She heard Ron yelling for me, and I was sitting on the marble steps! She followed Ron's voice and wanted to help!"
Professor McGonagall looked bemused. "Artemis," she said in a deadly voice. "You know the penalties for this?"
"N-no..."
"I will be forced to tell Dumbled-"
She looked quickly at Harry's bed, where he had fallen again.
"Potter! What is going on? Are you okay? Potter! wake up!" she turned to the others. "What is wrong with him?"
Ron spoke first.
"He suddenly got all ill after dinner this evening." he said quickly. "He wasn't looking okay, and then he fainted."
McGonagall frowned. "We better get him to the Hospital Wing now."
They all picked Harry up and carried him to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomphrey tsk-tsked when she saw him. "Well, you all should go to bed and leave him to me." she said sternly.
Back in The Slytherin Room...
Professor Snape smiled, looking at Malfoy.
"I do believe, Mr Malfoy, that Mr. Potter has taken ill."
Malfoy grinned. "It worked then?"
Snape's eyes narrowed. "Like a Charm."
~back in Gryffindor Common Room~
"Err, Professor, should I go back to Ravenclaw?" asked Artemis in an abnormally high voice.
"No, you are coming with me." said McGonnagall very sternly.
"But Professor..."
"Silence Ms.Granger."
Artemis and McGonnagall walked up several staircases and got to a statue of a Gargoyle. "Oh no" thought Artemis "she's taking me to Dumbledore, I'm going to be expelled."
"Cockroach Cluster" said McGonnagall to the Gargoyle which jumped aside."In you step, Artemis, I have alerted the headmaster of your behavior, and he I suspect has alerted your head of house."
When Artemis walked into Dumbledore's office she saw Fawkes the Pheonix, who happened to be a favorite of hers. "Hullo Fawkes," she said gloomily, "I suspect this shall be the last time I see you, I'm going to be expelled, I just know it. I was only trying to help, oh Fawkes."
"Well," said a voice, "what is all this talk of being expelled?" Artemis turned around and saw Dumbledore, not smiling, but not looking as furious as she suspeted. Artemis stood up tall, waiting and hoping for the best.
"I entered the Gryffindor common room," said Artemis gloomily. "I was only trying to help Harry! He's sick, Professor!"
Dumbledore looked amused. He cast a sidelong glance at Fawkes (who was preening his feathers) and sighed.
"Sit down, Artemis," Dumbledore said, taking a seat behind his desk."Now..."
Slytherin Common Room
Draco jumped up and wrung his hands with delight.
"Its working, then!" he said happily. Marsea looked almost embarassed.
"Er, sit down Draco," she said, patting the spot beside her. "Come on..."
Draco sat down and planted a happy kiss on her cheek. Pansy looked scandalized, Marsea; stunned.
"My my, let us not get TOO wound up," Professor Snape said quietly, watching from the fire place. "Lest anyone should detect something...?"
"Sorry," Draco muttered. Marsea sighed.
Hospital Wing
"Dearie me," Madam Pomphrey said, bustling around the room with her arms full of this and that. "You should have brought him to me the minute he looked sick! This is serious!"
Hermione and Ron looked at each other with fright.
"How serious, Madam Pomphrey?" Ron asked. She didn't look up from the spell book she was leafing hurriedly through.
"I told you," she snapped. "VERY serious! Now don't ask any more questions!"
Dumbledore's Office...
"Now, I am not about to expell you, though Snape seems very anxious for that to happen. I am however giving you a warning. Artemis, If you break another rule you will be expelled. Now I will leave you to the capable hands of Professor Flitwick.
"Artemis," said Flitwick in his squeeky voice, "I am shocked and amazed that any
of my students, you most of all, would be found in Gryffindor Boys dormitory. I believe a detention is in order, and about points..."
"Please Professor, don't take off points, I know what I did was wrong, but I was only trying to help Harry, he's very sick."
"Yes Artemis, but circumstances call that I take off twenty points, I am sorry."
A young woman walked through the Hogwart corridors.. A lot of students stared at her and gasped while she passed them by. Melian Millstone smiled she had a certain impact on people because she was half Veela and half nymph.
Melian had been at school with the marauders and befriended them very well. But a twist of fate led her be transferred from Gryffindor to Slytherin.. She was quickly placed within the group of Snape and was betwen two fires. Still she managed to keep both the marauders as the Death Eaters close to her as very good friends.
She sighed as she opened the common room of Slytherin. Many of her fellow friends thought that she had died but actually she turned out to be quite alive..
Draco and Marsea looked at the person who enterd the common room. Draco gasped "I know her, she stands on some pictures of my dad, that is.....
At that moment their head of the house stopped pacing and looked at the new comer. He stared at her. "Melian is that you?"
Melian nodded. She hadn't change a bit since her disappearance, one of traits of being a nymph, not aging.... "What is wrong? Didn't expect to see your fiancee back?"
Artemis walked out of Dumbledore's office feeling, to say the very least, very relieved, only 20 points from Ravenclaw, heck they could make that up in one quidditch game. She did however feel a need to talk to her favorite teacher, Professor Lupin, so she went up the corridor and finally reached his classroom.
"Why, Artemis, good to see you, but shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I got sent to the Headmaster's office, but only twenty points from Ravenclaw."
"What did you do?"
"Ummmm, ended up in the Gryffindor Boy's Dorm...please don't ask! But, Professor, what is going on, I am sensing some serious evilness ((is that even a word)) here, and it was focusing around Harry when he was unconcious, but when he woke up it was gone." said Artemis very worriedly.
"Well Artemis, Voldemort is rising again and..."
"Yes, I know, but, look, I should get to bed, see you at lessons tomorrow." After good-byes, Artemis headed towards Ravenclaw when suddenly a suffocating darkness broke around her in the corridor. Right before she passed out she whispered one small, barely audible word,
"Snape..."
In The Slytherin Common Room...
Marsea gasped at Melian's words. Fiancee? She looked at Draco for answers. He was as stunned as she was. They both looked at Snape, who was still sneering, but his usual expression had faded a bit.
"I.. I thought you were... Dead." he stuttered. "You.. you fell off of that cliff.. how?" He stumbled over his words some more. "You look lovely." he said quietly.
Marsea smiled a bit. She had never seen Snape looking so... human. She glanced over at Draco, who was wearing his usual smirk.
"Looks like our Snape has himself a girlfriend." Said Draco in his cold drawl.
Melian smiled and turned her attention to the students. "Well if that isn't Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson and Brooklyn..." She had known their parents pretty well. She always had Sirius and Lucius Malfoy through transfiguration, and had her share of fights with Patricia Parkinson who had her eyes set for the same guy. Although she was no competition, Melian decided not to take any risks. Crabbe and Goyle were her favourite for carrying her books, although they were more intelligent than their sons.
She sat down next to Draco and broke into a grin. Draco looked at her and started to smile.
"So where has been Slytherin up to." She turned her head to Snape "I hope at least that we reach our annual quota of making Hufflepuffs cry and shiver." The other students smiled, it was clear to them that they had their new DADA teacher on their side.
" Alright I see, we are using the old prank again, so what is the big idea behind this?"
Just then the door of the common room opened and in stepped a fascinating boy that took away the breath of all the people in it. His silvery eyes was carelessly looking at everything in the room. Then his look stopped at Draco. His blood red mouth curled up into a charming smile.
"Well...is this Draco Malfoy I see...?"
His voice, clear as crystal rang out in the quiet room.Draco stared at him with alarmed eyes.The boy opened his mouth again.
"And who is this...Marsea..??? Well, well, well.."
The boy swiftly moved in their direction. All the other Slytherins were wondering if they should stop him before he did any harm to Draco and Marsea. In a flash he was beside Draco. He hadn't made a sound!! The boy looked into Draco's eyes. Then something surprising happened. The boy hugged Draco and Draco was hugging him back!
"Welcome to Slytherin, Requiem Malfoy!"
Requiem smiled a fascinating smile.
"Glad to see you dear cousin!!"
Marsea couldn't believe what was happening.
"This is Requiem, then?" she asked Draco awkwardly as the two embraced. Draco looked up, beaming. Marsea smiled at how *cough* handsome Draco looked when he smiled.
"Yes, this is my cousin!" he bellowed. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was looking interested. Interested in Snape, actually. And Snape was looking interested in her.
Pansy was eyeing the two with disgust.
"Women like that," she said to Marcus Flint. "They take away all the decent teachers around here!"
Marcus was looking amused. "Actually," he said, seemingly trying to choke back laughs. "She's brought out his tender side."
"But he's so mushy!" Pansy shreiked. "He'll start washing his hair and changing his appearance for...for her!"
Marcus watched Pansy with deep suspicion. 'Does she have something going on for Snape?' he thought to himself.
Artemis awoke in the hospital wing. She looked around her, but there was nothing but the cavernous walls and ceiling.
She tried to sit up, succeeded, then dropped back down onto her pillow; clutching her head with dizzyness.
"What happened to me?" she wailed. "Why can't I get up?"
"I feel fine!" Harry protested at the throng of Gryffindors who stood around his bed. He had been trying to get up for over half an hour.
"I seriously feel fine," he tried again. "I don't feel sick at all!"
"But maybe its a temporary thing," Hermione whispered. "Maybe it'll come back!"
Ron was looking unsure of himself. Hermione had her hands on her hips. The rest were staring at Harry, mouths agape. He wished they'd all go away.
"What if Voldemort's behind it!" Came a loud holler. The group parted to reveal a fourth year girl. She was very pretty indeed. Ron's jaw dropped and Hermione made a rude noise in her direction.
"What're you talking about?" Fred asked, eyeing her satiny brown hair and dark eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"What if he's behind it?" she said again. "He's risen you know. I just thought..."
"You don't think," Hermione spat. "You're just trying to freak everyone out, Garlinda!"
"Nice to see you too," Garlinda said matter-of-factly to Hermione.
"You two know each other?" Ron asked as if nothing were wrong.
"Of course!" Garlinda said bubbily, draping an arm over her shoulders and giving the crowd a dazzling smile. "We used to be friends."
"Used to," Hermione muttered, moving away from her.
"The Gryffindors got a new member today," Draco said as the school entered the Great Hall for dinner. "Her name's Garlinda Gairloch or something."
"Yeah?" Requiem said, cranning his neck to see. "Is it that pretty one with brown hair?"
Draco glanced over. "Yeah."
Marsea walked behind the two, scowling at their backs. "Forget me, then!" she whispered. "I'll just find someone else to hang around with!"
"Hello?!" yelled Marsea, who was still being ignored. "You DO realize that your ogling over a Gryffindor?"
Draco turned around quickly, grinning. "It wasn't me." he said quickly. "I was just... commenting on the fact that Gryffindor has a... new student." he cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly. "I wasn't ogling."
"Hmph." Marsea frowned.
"I wasn't! She's not even pretty.." He smiled again, looking sooo cute that Marsea couldn't help but smile a bit.
She stood, looking at him, with her arms folded across her chest.
"Oh, come on Marsea, you KNOW you're the prettiest girl at this school."
They sat down at the Slytherin Table in the Great Hall. Marsea looked around at the rest of the Slytherin girls. Pansy Parkinson was wearing even more of a scowl than usual, if that was possible. Marsea smiled a bit.
Just then Marcus Flint came over and sat down. "Guess what, you guys?" he looked excited. "I think Parkinson's got a thing for Snape."
Marsea and Draco snorted in unison.
"A THING?" asked Draco.
"For..*cough* SNAPE?" Marsea almost broke into laughter right there. That was just so absurd. Looking over at Pansy, she grinned even more broadly.
"Well," she sad quietly to Draco, "I suppose she's over you. Maybe she'll leave me alone.."
Requiem said in a very much amused tone.
"So thats whats between Draco and Marsea!!Draco,I thought you'd never like a girl only a few years ago!!"
Draco smiled and answered.
"Well that few years made a big change for me, I guess. And by the way, when has 5 years become a 'few'??"
Requiem grinned and then turned to Pansy.
"Wow so you liked Draco did ya??? Well.. good thing that you gave it up 'cause Marsea is no one you can compare with..."
He said with a smirk. But seeing Pansy's puzzled face and added in a hiss that sent a shiver everyone's spine, "If you're not smart as to understand that...look into a mirror and you'll soon know."
And then looking at Draco's direction said, "Was that too mean of me...? I just wanted you two to be happy without any...obstacle..."
He stared at Pansy with silver flames burning inside his eyes.
"Cheer up, Hermione!" Ron ordered sternly as Hermione dragged herself over to a chair at the Gryffindor table. "Garlinda's not that bad!"
Hermione made a tutting noise, then reached into her bag for her Transfiguration book. As if on cue, Garlinda appeared.
"Oh, do you carry that bag around everywhere?" She asked, sitting down across from her old friend. Hermione looked sour.
"Of course!" she spat. "Sometimes I get bored, so I read. It helps me catch up on my school work. But oh...there's no book in front of YOU. Maybe that's why you fail all the time."
Ron was looking impressed and aghast. Garlinda turned beet red, then she got up and joined the Slytherin table.
"What happened between you two, anyway?" Ron inquired as if nothing was wrong. Hermione poured herself some juice and propped her book open using the pitcher.
"Tell you later," she muttered. "Long story."
"What're you doing over here?" Draco asked cooly as the new Gryffindor took a seat across from him. The other Slytherins were looking scandalized.
"I'm just here!" she hissed. "I can't stand to be over there, so..." she jerked her thumb over her shoulder to indicate that the Gryffindor table was the topic of her complaint. Draco nodded.
"Can't stand em' myself," he said. "Especially when Potter's around. You know Potter I'm sure."
"He's sick or something," Garlinda responded eagerly. "Its all quite funny actually. If I was sick like that, nobody would care."
"But its Potter!" Marsea piped in cruelly. "Everyone's his servant."
"Like I said," Requiem cut in. "An enemy of Draco's is an enemy of mine."
"Precicely," Draco said curtly. Requiem smiled. Garlinda noticed how cute he was. He caught her eye and winked. She didn't know what to do with her face; she was so surprised. Instead of smiling, she ended up with a weird sort of grimace. Requiem looked away. Garlinda mentally kicked herself.
Suddenly Marsea noticed what they were doing.
"She's a Gryffindor!" she suddenly shreaked, standing up and pointing at her. "Get away from us! I'll bet she's spying!"
The whole hall fell silent except for Hermione, who was laughing her head off.
Requiem had a mocking look in his eyes.He whistled lowly.
"Well...at last they have gone mad...those Gryffindors...!"
The Gryffindor's turned their heads to look at the new comer at Hogwarts. Startlingly charming and surely fascinating, a new face was sitting right next to Draco. He was staring at their table without a bit of hesitation. The cold look in his eyes gave all a chill.
"So...are you really gone mad, girl??? Or is she always like that???"
He asked, looking back at the Slytherins.
"I don't know her," said Marsea coldly, glaring at Garlinda. No Gryffindor had the right... but oh well, it's okay. She's no match.
Marsea continued to scowl however, and soon (but not soon enough for her taste) Draco noticed.
"Are you still in a huff over HER?" he asked, smirking.
"No." Marsea said quickly.
"Good, because I'M not interested in her, and what do you care if Requiem is?
"I don't," she said slowly. "But- but she shouldn't be over here. She turned to Garlinda. "Go back to the Gryffindor table already." she scowled.
"Mmm, okay." said Garlinda, with a half smirk.
Marsea continued to look huffy until Garlinda had returned to the Gryffindor table and sat down.
"I just don't like her, that's all." said Marsea, with a note of finality in her voice.
Draco smiled again. "It doesn't look like your buddy Hermione likes her much either," he said, motioning to the Gryffindor table, where Hermione's scowl had returned.
Requiem had a grin on his face. "This is getting better and better..." He said in a low tone, his cold eyes staring straight at Hermione. He then moved his look to Garlinda.
"Hmmm...."
The tip of his red tounge came out.Then as if he just thought about it he asked the Slytherins.
"Who..is...Harry Potter???"
The Slytherins threw a 'look' at Requiem. A look of disbelief. Draco answered with a smirk.
"That messy guy over there with jet black hair and green eyes...Oh, the guy drooling over at a Ravenclaw..." Draco said this in a big voice meant for Harry to hear. Ron clenched his fists. Harry stopped him-with a beet-red face.
"Just ignore him Ron...You know that's not true...!"
Requiem looked at the Ravenclaw girl who Harry had been staring at. She was quite pretty. No, to be truthful veeeeeeeeery pretty. Only, she wasn't as pretty as Marsea. Only she wasn't his type!!!
Her eyes met with his and then she turned red.
Requiem smirked.So...its time to take over that nerd...the famous Harry Potter. Requiem winked at Draco,and hissed.
"Just see this... "
Requiem headed towards the Ravenclaw table. All the Slytherins put on a expression of shock. Only Draco had crossed his arms over his chest and was wearing a smug look.
"Do you guys now what Requiem's nickname was?"
All the Slytherins shook their heads. Requiem was already at the Ravenclaw table, and the girl was getting redder by the second.
"It was..."
Draco's usual drawl was back.
"Charming Hell..."
The Ravenclaw girl who was of course Cho Chang was feeling her heart beating faster and faster. That was a Slytherin (not to say the fact dazzling) coming to the Ravenclaws...for her!!!
"Hey...."
Requiem's voice had turned husky. His silver eyes were so sexy Cho Chang couldn't take her eyes off... Even though she did blush.
"H..Hi..." She whispered the words. She just kept on blushing. Requiem was making faces inside. 'Blushing... well... that is kind of cute...but ...ugh. That Gryffindor girl was better than this...although she did make a face at me...Well that was at least a new experience! The first girl who made a face at me in all my life...'
He shook his head slightly making his shiny bluish silver hair dance.
'Well...let's start making that just recovered- from- poison Potter sick...wit jealousy....'
Requiem smiled a dazzling smile.He smiles a lot but there never is a same smile.
"What may this beauty's name be...?"
The misty look in his eyes were magic...oh so desperate!!!
"Cho...Cho Chang..."
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl..."
"And you're...?"
Requiem bowed in an elegant manner. "Requiem Malfoy..at your service...."
After some more conversations Requiem went back to the Slytherin table. "Well...that was not much fun," thought Requiem. He looked over at Harry. He was sure...he had a distant look in his face. The expression Requiem had seen from a lot of guys over the past...well, not on purpose. But this time it was and was he happy. He looked over at Draco. He had a look of joy. The next moment...
Thud.
Potter was down on the floor.And Madam Ponfrey rushed up in a second mumbling, " I knew this would happen..!I really did...!"
Lisa made her way to the great hall. She saw Marsea. "Can I sit here? Lisa asked.
"Sure" said Marsea.
Lisa saw a boy who looked like Draco. "I wonder who he is." She thought.
"Hey Marsea, who's the new guy?"
Marsea smiled at Lisa. "That's Draco's cousin, Requiem." Then she whispered "He's cute huh?"
Marsea looked over at Draco, who was watching her closely. She hoped he hadn't heard what she had said. She grinned at him. He HAD been looking at that Gryffindor after all, he had no right to say anything.
She turned back to Lisa. "So, how was you're break? Mine was great. We went to the annual Master Wizards Convention in Manchester. My daddy bought me a new broomstick, a FIREBOLT 2001. It's even better than the original, VERY expensive." She smiled again.
"Then I went to stay with Draco's family for a couple weeks. Do you know Lucius and Narcissa? They're very nice people. Well, as long as you're not a mudblood."
Artemis, still feeling a bit woozy, headed down to the great hall. She saw Hermione, Ron and Harry, and then she saw this new kid, Requiem, all the girls seemed to be goggling all over him, understandable, he was sort of cute...ok really cute, but not really her type. Then she saw some of her "friends" beckoning her to their table, she decided to pretend that she didn't see them and sat down next to Hermione who was looking furious.
"Whoa, Hermione, what's the matter?"
"...."
"Don't mind Hermione," said Ron, " An ex-friend just came by to say 'hi'."
"Er, that's rough, " replied Artemis, "and Harry what's the matter with you?" just noticing Harry looking distraught over at the Ravenclaw table. "You are NOT still on to Cho, please tell me you aren't!"
"...."
"Harry, she's no good for you, she's really really really a bubblehead, I really don't know how she got into Ravenclaw," said Artemis trying to keep her voice low, so nobody would hear her, but low and behold, over sauntered the new kid with the long hair.
Hermione had shrieked when Harry slid out of his chair in a dead faint. The Slytherin's roared with sickening laughter.
Ron's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. With a murderous look on his face he stood up and walked swiftly over to the Slytherin table.
"Come to beg for some money, Weasley?" Malfoy chortled, elbowing Requiem in the ribs softly. The cousin caught on fast.
"Yeah," he said. "Or are you just taking out a loan from Potty over there?"
The Slytherins all snorted into their food. Ron, his lips white with anger, whipped out his wand from his robes and bellowed,
"Serpensortia!"
The end of his wand exploded with a bang that shook plaster from the ceiling. All the teachers (except Professor Flitwick, who had fallen off his chair in fright) stood up and yelled at nobody in surprise.
The Slytherins, meanwhile, had all screamed in terror due to the fact that there was a humungus black snake slithering along the surface of the table, knocking plates and goblets askew.
"What the Hell d'you think you're doing?!" Marsea bellowed, scrambling over the top of the table to avoid being bitten. The snake fell off the end with a loud THUD.
Ron was looking as though someone had died.
Harry
Harry's minda had been perfectly clear (set aside from the fact that Malfoy was at it again). He was beet red, humiliated, when suddenly a blackening dizziness swept into his vision and he keeled over, onto the floor.
For a moment he saw nothing but claustrophobic blackness; like a lake at midnight. But then he heard a tremendous BANG which woke him up. Hermione was kneeling beside him, but looking up over the top of the table. He could hear screaming.
"Aah!" Hermione screeched as Harry got up behind her.
"Oh, thank God Harry!" she said breathlessly. "I was so worried-"
But Harry saw what was making people panic.
"HARRY!" Hermione roared as he leapt over the Gryffindor table, heading straight for Ron.
"What're you doing?!" He yelled, grabbing his friend by the shoulder. Ron was looking scandalized.
"Go sit down!" Harry ordered and Ron nodded. Marsea was wailing, plastered up against the wall by Crabbe who was bellowing like a wounded hippo.
Malfoy and Malfoy were hiding under the table, their hands over their heads. The black snake hissed threateningly before lunging at Harry who screamed,
"GET OUT OF IT!" in a loud, spluttering hiss. Instantly the snake did the exact same thing it had done at the dueling club in Harry's second year-fell over without another sound.
The hall had gone completely silent. The teachers were looking shocked.
"H-Harry Potter?" Professor Binns asked quietly. "A Parslemouth?"
The Slytherins were all still cowering stupidly against the walls. Harry turned to face them.
"S'okay, you gits! The snake's gone!"
Without another word, he walked out of the Great Hall; casting a glance at Cho before he left.
"What the HELL was that?" shrieked Marsea. "Crabbe, get off!" she pushed him away so that she could breathe.
She hopped off the dining table, peering underneath at the Malfoys, who were beginning to come out, looking as though they had never been scared at all.
Draco cleared his throat as he stood up, trembling noticably. "Potter is a Parselmouth, remember?"
"I KNOW that." said Marsea irritably. "I mean, what was wrong with Weasel? Can't he take a joke?"
Marsea glanced over at the Gryffindors, who had all looked at the door that Harry had escaped into. Ron walked over to the door, Slytherins were glaring at him as he went by.
"Marsea, are you okay?" asked Draco.
"Er.. yeah I'm fine. Other than that big oaf pinning me against the wall, that is." she pointed at Crabbe, who was still looking scared out of his mind. Goyle had rejoined him. Apparently, he had fallen on Pansy Parkinson, who took his trip as a sign that he was madly in love with her. She was telling anyone who would listen that he had grabbed her butt.
Marsea laughed. "What butt?" she said haughtily as she strolled over to Pansy. "My dear, no one would purposely fall on you even if you had used a love potion."
The Malfoys laughed as Marsea came strolling back over to them.
"She's a riot." Marsea said, grinning at Draco, who had put is arm around her waist.
Meanwhile, with our favorite Parselmouth...
Harry rushed out of the dining hall, feeling even dizzier than before. He knew that at any second he could pass out. "I've got to get to the Hospital Wing" he thought. He had made it about 20 feet before his mind once again slipped into total darkness.
This time, he heard a voice. "Hello, Harry." it hissed. "What, are you surprised to hear from me? You didn't honestly think that I would be gone did you? Oh, dear no. The fun has just begun. I have my faithful servant there at Hogwarts, dear Harry. No, not Wormtail, he was weak. No, this one will serve me better than Wormtail ever could have. You better watch your back, Potter. You know I will."
Harry's vision turned a blinding green, and the faces of all the laughing Slytherins returned.
"Hey Potter!" he was rushed back to conciousness. "Potter, what, did you see a dementor?" Draco Malfoy's cold drawl rose up all around him, and he opened his eyes to see 3 Slytherins standing above him.
"Potter, you really need to see someone about this, we can't have Potty all over the Great Hall now can we?" Marsea laughed. The 3 of them stepped over Harry and walked back into the Great Hall.
Ron Weasley was running toward them.
"Uh oh," said Marsea. "The serpent master returns." she sniggered. Ron ran past them, glaring, out into the hallway.
Harry was still on the floor, dazed. Was that truly Voldemort? Harry had been thinking he was much too quiet nowadays. But...who is the new servant of his?
Harry shook his head.The strength in his legs had all drained out and he didn't have enough power to stand up.
"Phew..." That was when he saw a glimpse of something silver.
"Statio..." A small but clear voice said. Harry could feel himself get up.
"What on earth...?"
He turned to see the person who put magic on himself.It was Requiem Malfoy,all by himself. The guy's cold eyes had no expression in them. They were colder than anything Harry had ever seen.
"Total humiliation...Dragged along by...Well Potter, you certainly did ... but you'll soon find that you're not that great...You may know but I am stronger than you...See?"
As he said those words Harry could feel a dangerous something flow endlessly from Requiem's body. He couldn't even breathe. Then suddenly it all vanished.
"Well Potter, you did great." He said. "Repiprocare. Harry's bed."
Harry started to go away, and Requiem went too.
Melian sighed as she saw the Slytherins slowly coming in. Most of the students waved and smiled at her. Their parents knew her very well and she had seen the most of them as babies.
"Before we start todays lesson I would like to introduce a new student" A girl stood up and looked around the class. She was a younger version of Melian and was without a doubt a relative of hers. "Ahum, my name is Morgana and I just arrived here as an exchange student from Holland." All the students looked at her and some smiled.
"Please take a seat next to Requiem" Melian continued.
The lesson turned out to be very intresting. Melian taught them how attack their opponent from far away. At the end of the lesson Pansy waved around with her hand.
Melian smiled. "What is wrong Parkinson?"
"Is it true that you use a hiding spell to conceal your true looks?"
Draco hissed and turned to Marsea, Requiem and Morgana. "That is no secret, my dad knew that already. But he never told why. Why does she ask that?"
Morgana smiled "That is because my aunt is half veela and half nymph. She hates that people always stare at her and uses that spell since she was first year at Hogwarts"
Melian looked disturbedly at Pansy. "Much like your mother, Parkinson. How is Patricia doing?" While saying that she pointed the wand at herself and showed them their true face. Some gasped and other started to whisper.
Draco turned his face back to his friends. "She is indeed very pretty, I think that will shut Pansy's big mouth."
Pansy looked beyond herself and turned her head to Marcus. " I don't understand why Snape would like her. But my mother comes for a visit this week so Melian will be gone soon".
Marcus chuckled at the very thought; a jealous Patricia and Pansy chasing Snape. He had to see this...
When the lesson was over the Slytherins left for potions. Morgana caught up with the others.
"Ahum Marsea? Can I sit next to you during potions?"
Marsea nodded "Of course you can."
At that moment Pansy passed them and gave Requiem and Marsea a push. Morgana turned around and shot a bolt out of her wand. The blast caused Pansy to be blown into the potions room. She turned purple and her face got red spots. The Slytherins laughed and Snape said that she go to the hospital wing on her own. Morgana smiled and walked into the potion room.
Marsea and the others followed her and they sat down.
"Were did you learn that?" Marsea asked.
"From Melian, she know tons of tricks. she is a practicer of the art of necromancy."
Requiem turned to the girls. "I thought that was a forbidden art?"
"Yes it is, Melian is the last one who knows how to use it."
Snape cleared his throat. "I see we have a new dunderhead in Slytherin. What is your name?"
"Morgana Millstone."
Daunte awoke strangely. Today was Potions with the Gryffindors. "Hee hee this is going to be fun." He crawled out of bed to wake Dean and Mason. Problem was, they weren't in bed. Curious, he went down to the common room.
He saw a small note on the chair where he usually sat. He picked it up.
It read:
Daunte-
I think Mason's in trouble. I heard him screaming when I came down here early this morning.
Gone to look for him.
~Dean
Daunte squeezed the parchment in his hand, then ran off to find them.
"What's next, Hermione?" Ron asked quietly as she dug through her book-infested bag.
"Honestly Ron," Hermione snapped. "Can't you get your own timetable out?"
"No," Ron said simply. "I lost it."
Hermione sighed. "We have double potions with the Slytherins. Are you happy?" But Ron looked as if he were about to vomit. Suddenly the portrait door opened and Harry clambered through. He looked strangely lopsided, shaken and white as a ghost.
"What on earth...!" Hermione gasped as Harry collapsed in front of the crackling fire.
"I...heard...someone...in...my head!" Harry wheezed, clutching his middle. "It
sounded...like...Voldemort..."
Ron and Hermione exchanged dark looks.
"Harry," Ron said. "You're sick. You might have been hallucinating or hearing things..."
Harry didn't look so sure.
"You going to be all right coming to potions?" Seamus asked, dropping down beside them all. Harry gave him a weak smile and tried to nod, but it must have hurt him greatly because he hissed in pain.
"You sure?" Hermione asked worriedly. Harry looked ready to punch someone if they asked him another question.
"This will be excellent!" Requiem said excitedly as the throng of Slytherins made the quick trip to the potion classroom. Professor Snape welcomed them with a rare smile.
"The Gryffindors aren't here yet," he said in his usual barely-audible whisper. "Take your seats and do whatever until they arrive."
"Is it ready?" Marsea asked, her eyes bright as fire. Draco smiled at her and moved his chair closer, making Pansy scowl.
"Certainly," Requiem said with a smirk that said all to clearly that something bad was up. "Wouldn't miss it."
The temperature dropped with every step the Gryffindors took on their way to the dungeons. Harry kept groaning and stumbling along the wall, barely able to hold himself up.
Requiem raised the Majilan eye-level with himself and set to work. He could see the Gryffindors on their way down to potions in the orb's depths. Then he closed his eyes and sent his power into it...
Harry felt horrible enough without this happening on top of all that. He suddenly felt as though a one-hundred pound block had been dropped onto his shoulders and he fell down the wet, slippery stairs; landing in a crumpled heap at the bottom.
"Harry!" Ron and Hermione screamed in unison, running down after their friend. Harry wasn't moving.
"Why're you picking on him like this?" a girl asked Requiem sadly as the trio burst into laughter.
Snape didn't look up from his lesson book, but he did smirk.
"Because he's a git!" Marsea said between gasps of laughter. "Do something else!"
"No," Reqiem said in a whisper. "The grand finale is going to take place in here...."
Marsea smiled. "Ooh, I can't wait."
She gazed at Requiem, whose cold eyes burned into hers. After a moment, she turned to face Draco.
He was looking as though someone had just told him that his family had gone broke.
"What?" asked Marsea.
"You... I need to talk to you." he said quickly. "Come with me."
Marsea excused herself from the table and walked over to the corner of the classroom with Draco.
"Now, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Don't- don't think I don't see the way you look at him!" hissed Draco, in a kind of emotion Marsea had never seen before.
She was scandalized. "What?" she asked loudly. "You think-" she quieted her voice, as people were beginning to stare. "You think I like your cousin? Never! Come ON Draco, you know I don't like anyone else. Please." she was exasperated. He had never shown so much jealousy in such a short period of time.
"You certainly seem to show an interest." said Draco sullenly. "It's always the same."
Marsea looked at the rest of the classroom. The Gryffindors had arrived and were all staring, as were the Slytherins.
"Look, I don't know if this is a good time..." said Marsea.
"Mmm, I suppose not."
Pansy Parkinson quickly stood up. "Lovers quarrel?" she said in her annoying high-pitched squeal.
Marsea shot an ice glare at Pansy, and, grabbing Draco's hand, walked back to their desks.
Meanwhile. . .
"Harry!" yelled Hermione again. "Wake up! This is serious."
"Sirius," moaned Harry. "I need.. Sirius."
He quickly sat up. "Well, let's get to class!" he said brightly.
Hermione and Ron exchanged worried glances.
"Er, Harry." said Ron. "Are you, felling allright? I mean, y'just passed out there on the floor and now you're eager to hang out with the Slytherins, I dunno.."
"I'm FINE" said Harry quickly.
They all walked slowly into the Potions Dungeon. Apparently something was going on, everyone was staring at the corner of the room.
Ron snorted. "Looks like Malfoy has emotions, he looks about to cry!"
Hermione laughed too. "Maybe his Girlfriend is dumping him, maybe she's, you know, come to her SENSES!"
Harry grinned a bit. It was nice to see Malfoy looking almost human.
Artemis ran up to Harry, "Harry, you've got to listen to me, there is something seriously wrong going on! We need to see Professor Lupin, and you're right you should probably write Sirius as well." she said very quickly.
"Wha??? Artemis, slow down, WAIT! how do you know about Sirius?"
"Harry, there's no time, you've got to speak to Lupin, and write Sirius." she was getting very out of breath, "please hurry, it's Snape, just tell, Lupin that I said that it's Snape and... and Re-----." She then fell into a dead faint.
"What should we do?" asked Harry.
"Well," said Hermione, "Artemis has always had these really strong intuitions, let's talk to Lupin and he can advise us."
"Well, maybe first you three should get Pomfrey." said a certain long silver haired boy with a smirk.
Morgana smiled as she watched the Gryffindor being tortured, until Harry and her eyes met and she felt a strange feeling coming over her. There was something strange about him...
Harry felt the numb pain and saw a new girl standing behind Requiem Malfoy. She tried to turn her eyes away but they met. He saw something very familiar in them.
Melian looked at Lupin and did not try to hide her anger. " If this goes wrong we are in big trouble"
Lupin smirked "Don't worry I got it all planned out"
Melian didn't felt to sure about this. "He has always forgiven me everything. Even the fact that I became Harry's godmother. But this? I don't really know..."
"Just talk to Severus already."
She sighed and left the room. As she was on her way to the great hall, she saw a bunch of students standing there. When she made her way, Requiem, Draco and the others backed away.
"And what is the meaning of this all?"
Potter scowled and broke down on the ground.
"Someone put a charm on him, a very creative someone." she summoned a large wand and pointed it at harry. "There, this should lighten it up a little."
Requiem and the others eyed this with great interest. No one had ever been able to break a spell that easily. "Granger and Weasley, take him to Poppy". She turned to the Slytherins and smiled in a very cruel way. "You had a lot of luck this time. But If I find out that you will try to pull this prank again I will have to report it to Snape. Understood?" They nodded gladly, any other teacher would have given them three weeks of detention and a loss of points.
Melian walked into the great hall and was baout to sit down when she caught a glimpse of someone.
"Patricia Parkinson." McGonagall said slowly.
"What is that git doing here?" Flitwick asked.
"Hunting down men just like her daughter."
Melian felt a shivering going down her spine, she had hated the girl so much. Patricia was everthing that Melian wasn't. Melian had been popular, loved and Patricia always tried to destroy that by chasing after.... Snape?
She saw how Patricia launched herslef in his arms and gave him a kiss. The poor guy didn't know hat to do. Melian hissed and McGonagall looked with disapproval.
Marsea looked at the door. A Ravenclaw girl had run in, said something to Potter, and passed out on the floor.
"Wow," said Marsea, shaking her head, "People are fainting all over the place." She turned to Morgana. "So, you're from Holland huh? Do you know many people here? My family knows everyone. We're very prominent here in the Wizarding World. Do you know Draco and his family?" she pointed to Draco, who was still scowling.
Marsea shook her head. "He's in a bad mood." she smiled a bit, looking at Draco. "Oh, stop that. You know how much attention you've attracted?"
Draco stopped scowling.
Hermione, Ron, and Harry looked frantically back and forth at each other. Should they trust Requiem? Just to solve the problem Madame Pomfrey walked bye and saw Artemis. Heaving a great sigh they she took her to the hospital wing. Requiem walked back to Marsea.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione rushed towards Lupin's office where they found him sitting at his desk looking worried.
"It's Artemis, isn't it?" he said worriedly, "I should have known better then to dismiss her worries."
"What? Professor, what's going on?" asked Hermione.
"Artemis came to me a couple nights ago, she was distressed about Potter's fainting and she was having some bad feelings. Artemis has very strong intuitions."
"What? Is she a diviner?" asked Harry thinking about the fraud, Professor Trelawney.
"No, not a diviner as such. She has a secret that I promised not to say, but it might be of importance. Oh, I'll tell you, Artemis is related to Sirius, remotely, but still related, and she's also, more directly, related to Voldemort." At this Ron gave a shudder.
"But if she was related to You-Know-Who, wouldn't she be a Slytherin?" Asked Hermione.
"Not necessarily, she also had a counter power in Sirius, and she did not want to be in Slytherin, so she was put into Ravenclaw."
The potions lesson began. Snape didn't seem to take that fact that Ron, Hermione and Harry were absent too hard. He looked happier.
Marsea was trying as hard as she could to concentrate on rotting potions, but for some inexplicable reason, her sight seemed to steer itself over to Requiem.
"Stop it!" she screamed mentally. "You're not supposed to like anyone but Draco! Draco, Draco, Draco!"
But her sight stuck on the cousin. Requiem felt her eyes on his back and turned round in his chair; giving her a winning smile.
Draco looked beside himself with fury.
"Artemis is related to Voldemort?!" Harry asked with disbelief. "But then...Sirius...?"
"Don't ask any more questions, please." Said Lupin. "Just please return to your class. This isn't anything that we can't handle."
"Mr. Malfoy," Snape said, looking highly amused. "Is there something wrong?"
Draco seemed to snap out of a haze that was invading his brain; turning his body numb. "N-no, sir," he stuttered, throwing a glare at Requiem. "Nothing at all!"
Garlinda looked sympathetic. She met Draco's gaze and raised her eyes to the ceiling then went back to chopping her rotten anchovies into quarters.
Draco smiled at Garlinda, 'Hey,' he figured, 'If Marsea can goggle at Requiem, I can smile at Garlinda.'
Marsea of course noticed Draco smiling and decided to take matters into her own hands,
"Millicent dear, may I switch with you and sit next to Draco?"
"Sure Marsea," said Millicent, "Glad that she now got to sit closer to Requiem.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the hospital wing, but instead of heading for potions, for they still took Artemis's warning to heart, they set out for Dumbledore's office. When they reached the statue guarding the way Harry stepped forward and started calling out candy names, "Chocolate Frogs, Bertie-Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Cockroach Clusters, Sherbet Lemon, BLOOD LOLLY-POP!" the Statue stepped aside, "Gosh, his choices are getting weirder every year."
The trio hiked the stairs and then knocked on the Headmaster's door three times. Dumbledore opened the door with his eyes twinkling, "Ahhh, I see you three have decided to skip Potions."
"Professor, Sir, It's about Artemis, we heard that shes related to..." said Hermione trailing off.
"To Voldemort, yes, though rather distantly. Also to Sirius, Is this a problem?"
"Oh no," said Harry, "but, does this mean that she's a parselmouth? And how is she related to BOTH Sirius and Voldemort?"
"Harry, from what I know she is not a parselmouth, though you managed to hide it from me for a while, and she is related to Voldemort through her mother, and Sirius through her father, so no, Sirius and Voldemort aren't related. Though she is not a parselmouth, Artemis has gotten her mother's, that is Sirius's, I assume ex, wife's skill of well, it's not divination, it is something much more firm than that, though I don't quite know what it is."
"So, she's Sirius's daughter?" asked Ron.
"Yes."
"Then why is her name Adams."
"She chose it herself, her Mother is in Azkaban for being a Voldemort follower, and Sirius is on the run, though I believe they keep in touch via owl post."
"Thank you Professor." said Hermione, as the trio marched down the steps.
Back in the Hospital Wing Artemis awoke screaming.
"Child, calm down." said Madam Pomfrey.
"I need to speak to father, he's outside, the big black dog, also please, I need Harry and Ron and Hermione."
"Artemis, you need rest."
"Here, I'll let them in," said Prof. Lupin appearing out of nowhere.
"Remus, you have no right!"
"Poppy, don't keep this girl away from her father."
"Her father's a DOG?????"
"He's an Animagus."
"Fine, I surrender, I'll get Potter, Granger, and Weasley."
"Thank you Professor, " Said Artemis, "Sirius!" she squeeled when seeing the black dog. The dog was lying down at the foot of her bed when Harry, Ron and Hermione entered.
"This is enough." Marsea thought. "I'm not gonna look at that guy EVER again. I must think of Draco.," she repeated in her head again "Draco Draco Draco Draco..." She frowned. Draco was looking at her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, smirking.
"Yes!" she said, taken off guard. "Perfectly.. fine.." her eyes drifted over to Requiem, who was trying to sit as far away as possible from Millicent, who kept scooting toward him, batting her eyes. Marsea went into a daze...
"Dammit!" she said, shaking her head and smiling at Draco. "So, how are you doing?.."
"Sirius!" Harry said excitedly as the great black dog transformed into a man. Sirius enveloped Harry into a tight hug; whispering, "Harry, Harry, Harry..." as though he couldn't believe it was really him.
Artemis sighed happily from the bed and Sirius turned to her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked worriedly. Artemis smiled weakly.
"I dunno..."
"For homework," Snape said nastily (more to the Gryffindors than the Slytherins) "I want a roll of parchment's worth of an essay about the earliest potions for shrinking and growing as you can find. The one who gets the most historic one will gain house points." He shot a nasty glare at Hermione's empty seat. The class filed out, chatting about potions. Draco pulled Marsea aside.
"Look," he said, his voice quivering. "If you don't like me anymore...say it! If Requiem's more your choice, I can't stop it. I just wish you'd tell me what's going on!"
Marsea couldn't believe her ears. "Did someone pour shrinking potion on these?" she said, pointing to them. "Cause I didn't hear you right. You wanna know if I like Requiem?!"
"You're always looking at him," Draco said sullenly. "I thought..."
"You thought!" Marsea said in bewilderment. "Malfoy baby, how many times have I told you that I don't like that cousin of yours?"
Draco looked unsure of himself. "You're not lying to me, are you?" He asked as though afraid Marsea would start laughing at him.
"No," she said softly. "Don't worry."
He put his arm around her waist and the two walked up the stone steps.
In the doorway to the potions classroom, Severus Snape eyed the couple with a scowl, his arms crossed over his chest.
"She must be dehydrated or something," Madam Pomphrey said, bustling around the hospital wing with various items in her arms. "Could you get her some water, dear?" she added to Harry. Harry filled a goblet and gave it to his distant relative, who drank deeply.
"Thanks," she said breathlessly. Sirius looked so sad that Harry's heart broke for him.
"S-she'll be all right, won't she?" Sirius asked, turning to Madam Pomphrey. She looked up from the medicine she was mixing and sighed.
"Maybe."
Requiem shut himself in his dorm room and pulled the rough green curtains around his bed shut. Turning to the Majilan, he gave his power to it; as he had done in the hall with Harry. He saw everyone in the hospital wing. Harry was standing off to one side, looking at Artemis who was laying on the bed.
"Bye, bye, Potter," Requiem muttered with an evil grin.
Harry pitched forward and was barely able to stop himself from falling headlong into the floor. Hermione screamed somewhere through a dark green haze that had sifted into his vision.
"Harry!" Ron bellowed and he felt arms pulling him up. Harry swayed on the spot; clutching his head and moaning.
"What's happened?!" Artemis screamed weakly from the bed and Sirius bounded up. Harry collapsed back onto the floor and immediately his scar seared with immeasurable white-hot pain. He yelled in agony before seeing nothing but blackness.
"Got him!" Requiem cried jovially from his spot on the bed. He hollered through the door for Draco to come up as well.
"Look what I did!" the proud cousin said a minute later as Draco entered with a questioning look.
"Marvelous," he said quietly, his eyes locked on Sirius who seemed to be in shock. "Marvelous."
Marsea was sitting in the Slytherin Common Room when she heard Requiem yell for Draco to go and look at something. It was in the Boys Dormitory, so Marsea stayed in her chair.
A minute later, Draco came back, mumbling something about finally getting Potter.
"Oh no, what did you do this time?" Marsea asked, shaking her head.
"Let's just say that Potter's life is even more of a hell when Requiem is around."
Marsea looked at him. "And Yours? Is your life better with him here?" she asked, looking concerned. "You haven't relaxed since he arrived. You seem to think that I am attracted to him, and I'm not. Sit down." she motioned to the floor in front of her. "You're so tense."
Draco smiled. As tough as he appeared, he could never refuse a back rub.
The pain in Harry's head was blinding. He just sat for a while, clutching his forehead and moaning, and then it stopped.
He stood up slowly, looking around the room. Everyone was staring at him, still in shock.
"Harry, what-?" said Sirius
"My forehead." Harry said quickly. "There is no doubt in my mind that Voldemort is nearby." A few people gasped.
"You mean, 'you-know-who-'"
"Yes yes, him." said Harry quickly.
Requiem sat on his bed, grinning. Draco had returned to the Common Room, no doubt to be with his girlfriend, that jealous fool. He had always been that way. Requiem chuckled to himself. If he wanted Marsea, or anyone for that matter, for his own, no one would stop him. No one could.
"How can Voldemort be here?" Hermione asked qith a high-pitched, squeaky voice. "I mean," she added. "Hogwarts is the safest place for anyone..."
"It used to be," said a voice from the doorway. All six of them turned to see Professor Dumbledore. He looked sombre.
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked. Dumbledore sighed.
"I mean," the old wizard said. "That with this unexpected return of Voldemort, he may have figured out a way to get inside the school. We don't know yet."
Hermione and Ron were ghostly white. Madam Pomphrey was stirring her potion slowly, her mouth slightly open. Artemis was looking as though she'd rather faint again, and Sirius was looking angry.
"He won't come here," he growled. "I'll stay here for as long as it takes! I'll help out...I'll be a professor if I have to...!"
"Calm down, Sirius," Dumbledore said quietly. "Your name hasn't been cleared yet. If you show your face in this school, I expect that Malfoy character will have you turned in faster than you can say your own name."
Sirius hung his head and shuddered.
"What can we do?" Ron asked. "What can we do?"
"Ah, shut up you great git," Requiem said nastily as Ron finished his question. It was greeted by an awkward silence. The orb was glowing brilliantly, showing him everything that was being said and done in the hospital wing.
"I don't know yet," Dumbledore was saying. "But we can't just sit here and brood about it. First step is to bring everyone in who is loyal to the good side."
"What, to the school?!" Hermione asked doubtfully. Dumbledore shook his head.
"No," he said. "Not to the school."
"This conversation needs some...excitement!" Requiem said with a horrible grin. Again he went into his trance...
Harry, who had been feeling nothing but throbbing pain in his scar, yelped shrilly as a fresh wave spread over him like a bucket of water cascading over him in turrents. He moaned and dropped to the floor, tears flowing from his eyes.
"HARRY!" Sirius howled as Harry let out a painfully high-pitched scream.
Marsea thought she heard someone laughing up in the boys' dormitory. "I have to slip into my room for a sec," she said to Draco. "Be back soon."
But instead of heading up to her dorm, she sprinted up to the boys' and silently opened the door. The hangings around Requiem's bed were drawn tight and his laugh filtered out from inside. It made the sparse hairs on her arms and neck stand up.
Marsea crept quietly over to the bed and peeked in through the gap in the curtains. She stiffled a gasp as she saw Harry rolling around the hospital wing's floor, looking as though he was suffering from some sort of seizure. Requiem had never looked as odd as he was looking now.
His body was seized up and his eyes were closed tightly, and he was muttering non-stop under his breath.
Marsea cleared her throat and Requiem jumped in fright. The Majilan toppled off the bed and shattered on the stone floor.
Before he could rip back the hangings to see who had disrupted him, Marsea fled from the dorm and back down to Draco.
"What did you need?" he asked, putting his arm around her waist and causing Pansy to scowl.
"Nothing," she lied.
The pain was gone. It really was.
Harry got to his feet, trembling so much he thought his body would bounce off the floor.
"Oh my God," Madam Pomphrey said. She scurried around to a fresh bed and said, "Harry, you're going to stay here for a while. No, don't you complain. I've had enough of this!"
Sirius had fainted.
Marsea looked toward the boys' dormitory, where she had left Requiem. 'God, Marsea thought to herself. That boy is really weird, and what was he doing? Cursing Potter, of course.' But even he didn't deserve the pain that he looked like he was in.
Just then Requiem came sauntering into the Common Room, shooting a glance at Marsea that was unmistakable. He knew it was her.
Harry looked around the Hospital Wing once again. Madam Pomphrey was ushering him over to a vacant bed. He went, but at the same time, he did realize that the excruciating pain that the had felt moments before was gone. It had left as quickly as it had come.
"Really," he said nodding to everyone, "I'm fine."
"Nonsense Mr. Potter," said Madame Pomprey. "You will stay here for the night."
"I'll stay too." said Sirius, and Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes," he said. "That will be wise. The rest of you may leave. Mr Potter needs his sleep."
Everyone left except Harry, Sirius, Artimis, who was still in bed, and Madam Pomphrey, who was bustling around, mumbling something about "taking care of students like they were supposed to."
Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately...
He was in a room. It was all green, and looked as though it was moving, at least, the walls looked alive. Harry stood in the center of the room, and looked cautiously around him. A voice sounded through his brain, it was all around him.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter. We meet again, though this time it is in a place very near and dear to my heart. It IS my heart. Oh, don't be so surprised, of course I have a heart, although as you can see it is nothing like one would imagine. Enough with the formalities., I am here, Mr. Potter, to tell you that your momentary happiness will not be long-lived. You may have been allowed a brief reprieve from your torture, but do not think that you are safe. My servant is remaining true to me, and there is no way that you can triumph. Remember that.
The voice dissipated, and Harry continued to watch the pulsating walls with curiosity. Then they began to crawl. Millions of snakes were writhing around the room, all hissing at Harry in unison.
"Beware, Harry Potter, of the ones who follow the laws of the serpent, but do not alienate them, for the only one who can save you now is one who seems less than apt to."
The serpentine voices continued to burn into his soul, before slowly fading away. The room slowly dissapeared, but just before it did, two eyes appeared in the center of his vision. They were so blue that Harry could not tell whether they were human or that of some sort of beast, but they were beautiful. Harry could sense that these eyes could see deep into his mind. They burned into him..
And then he awoke.
Marsea was still sitting in the Slytherin Common Room when she suddenly felt a dull throbbing pain behind her eyes. She closed them, and they felt as if they were on fire. She looked at Draco.
"I'm really tired, she said, yawning, "And I think I may be getting a headache. I'm off to bed."
"Good night," he said dazily, gazing at her.
She smiled despite the pain behind her eyelids. "I think maybe you should get to bed too."
"All right then, I'll come with you."
"I don't think so." she said, grinning even more broadly.
She kissed him quickly and walked over to the door to the Girls Dormitory. Pansy Parkinson was also on her way over.
Pansy glared as she went by, and Marsea felt as though she could have burned a hole into Pansy's brain with the pain that was now overcoming her head.
She walked slowly to her bed and crawled under the covers, closing the curtains around her.
No sooner had she fallen asleep than she awoke suddenly, it was dark, but she could still see the outline of a person standing at the foot of her bed, watching her...
A tall, shy looking girl entered hogwarts. she was followed by her cat, Sly, and her owl, Misty, swooped down and landed on her shoulder.
She knocked on the headmaster's door. She entered and a kind looking man invited her in. There was a beautiful phoenix sitting on a perch eyeing misty.
"Please place this hat on you head, my dear. This will sort you, and what is your name?" the Headmaster asked.
"Um...Lisa...Lisa Hopkins" Lisa said while looking at the hat. She put it on...
A little voice in her head said "Hmmmmm, quite a nice mind u got there."
"Thank you"
"Not very shy, but not very brave, so that rules out Hufflepuff and Gryffindor!"
Lisa sat listening.
"Let's see....Slytherin or Ravenclaw?? Little quiz for you! Tell me, what you do, study or create mischief, and why."
"Well, wouldn't bother studing, I learn most of it in class, well...I would study, but not too hard. Mischief is fun, but in moderation."
"That case............Ravenclaw!"
Lisa sood up ready to leave.
"Sorry lisa...but it's late, so do u mind sleeping here near the fire until tomorrow until we sort out everything?" said Dumbledore.
"That's fine, Headmaster." lisa replied.
Lisa went to sleep on a bed near the fire, while misty flew to the owlery and Sly lay near her. Lisa thought, "this is going to be fun."
*Artimis Sleeping*
"Uncle Tom, Uncle Tom! You came home for winter holidays!" said a young girl, her dark brown hair in pigtails, and her green eyes twinkling.
"Yes, little Artemis, I did. And Sirius, how are you good man?"
"Fine, Tom, and you?" said a younger Sirius coldly.
"Oh fine, but I come with bad news." then all of a sudden the kindly genteel 'Uncle Tom' transformed into a pale man with slits for eyes and a face like a snake standing in front of Artemis, the man took out his wand and pointed it at her.
"NOOOO!" screamed Artemis, "Sirius, Professor Lupin, Headmaster, somebody..." and then Artemis awoke screaming, "DAAAAAAADDDDDDDD!! Help somebody he's going to kill me."
"Artemis...Artemis it's okay, nothing's happened." said Sirius.
"Sirius, he's here, Voldemort's here, he's going to come after Harry... he's going to come after ME!"
"Artemis that's impossible."
"Don't dismiss this, please, please, I need to speak to Dumbledore, it's Requiem, and Draco, and I think Snape."
"Alright Artemis, I'll try to call Dumbledore."
"AAHHHHHHH!!!" screamed Harry awaking, "NOOOOOO!" a white hot pain pierced his forehead.
"Harry!" screamed Artemis jumping out of bed before Sirius could grab her, "Harry, wake up, Harry, it's me!"
"Artemis?"said Harry.
"Harry, what did you dream?"
"Voldemort was here, Sirius, what's going on?" asked Harry.
"I don't know, but I'm not leaving either of you."
"Sirius... I'm scared. I'm never scared, but I'm scared now." said Artemis.
"Artemis, be brave, and I hate to do this, but I have to get Dumbledore, watch each other, and stay calm." Sirius said very concernedly wrapping Artemis and Harry in a big hug. "I'll be back soon."
Artemis climbed into her bed and curled into a ball, I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry. She then felt someone sitting down at the edge of her bed.
"Artemis, I'm scared, I've seen Voldemort, and it was only fool luck I lived, if he's here, in the school..." said Harry feebly.
I'm not going to... Artemis then sat up on her bed and saw Harry looking not at all like his normal brave self, but scared and defeated, and she put her head in her hands and started crying.
Daunte wondered where Mason and Dean could have possibly gone. He wandered aimlessly through the castle when he heard Dean.
"Daunte! Can you hear me? Down here! Help!"
Daunte searched for an entrance. He kicked down a suit of armor. Behind it was a small hole. Daunte could barely squeeze through.
He felt himself in a damp, dark cave. He saw Dean, standing a far distance from Mason, because a dark hooded figure was walking toward Mason, wand out.
"STOP!" Daunte yelled, but it was too late. The hooded figure yelled "Avada Kedavra!", a green light flashed, and Mason hit the floor.
Dead.
The hooded figure turned on his heel, and advanced toward Daunte and Dean.
Harry got up from his bed and walked, shakily, over to sit with Artemis. She was crying openly now, and Harry put his arms around her. Perhaps, to others, this might have looked like some form of comfort. But Harry actually liked it.
"It's going to be all right," Harry said, his voice trembling. Artemis noticed. She looked up into his face, a ray of moonlight splashing down hers from the window nearby, tears in her eyes. Harry held her gaze for a long time, not wanting to let go.
But then the door opened.
"Sirius?" Harry called uncertainly. He looked over to see who had come in, but nobody was there.
"Oh my God," Artemis cried in mounting fright. Nobody was at the door.
"It couldn't have just opened all by itself," Harry said, trying to sound brave. "I'll check."
"Harry!" Artemis cried, reaching for him. She looked him straight in the eyes. "You be careful now."
Harry nodded, a numb feeling pulsating through his body. He retrieved his wand from the small table beside his bed and crept over to the door.
Dim lights shone all the way down the long, drafty corridor, but it was clear. Harry closed the door and went back to sit down on the bed.
"Oh Sirius," Artemis was chanting, her hands on her cheeks. "Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, please!"
"Ar-" Harry started to say, but a loud creaking noise told them that the door had been opened again. Artemis began to scream and Harry rushed over to clamp his hand over her mouth.
"Quiet!" He ordered. "Um, I'll-I'll go back and...s-see what's out there?"
"No!"
"Why?"
"What if its..."
"I don't think it would be. Why would he waste his time fooling around like this?"
"But Harry..."
"I'll be OK."
Harry walked over to the door with more bravery than he had had a few seconds before. This time he went all the way out into the corridor and said,
"What? Did you want something? Hullo?"
He didn't expect what came next.
A high-pitched, cold voice shattered the stillness of the night, breaking into Harry with cold terror.
"Yes, I wanted something," it said. Harry backed into the wall and held his wand high.
"L-lumos!" Harry said and a bright light illuminated the hall. A tall man, skeletal-looking, ducked behind a stone pillar. Harry yelled and fled back into the hospital wing, slamming the door and propping it shut with a chair.
"What?!" Artemis shreiked. "Who was it?!"
"Voldemort or someone like him," Harry stammered. "We have to get away!"
"SIRIUS!" Artemis screamed at the top of her lungs. Suddenly, a loud banging noise filled the air.
Someone on the other side of the door was trying to force their way in.
Artemis, suddenly gaining her composure stood up, "Revelious" a bright blue light shot out of her wand, there was a thump, Harry and Artemis slowly walked over to the still figure.
"Lumos" whispered Harry.
Then when they were but a foot from the person Artemis stopped and started backing up quickly.
"Artemis, what's wrong?" said Harry.
"It's not Voldemort, Harry, it's it's..."
"Artemis, what is it?"
"It's my mum."
"Well, we'd better try to locate Sirius, ummm, here," said Harry taking out an old piece of Parchment, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." All of a sudden a map appeared.
"Good, he's coming. Oh, Harry, I'm sorry I cried, I probably drew her here, this is all my fault."
"Artemis, this is NOT your fault, Voldemort was just a bad person."
"No Harry, he wasn't, he, he was my Uncle Tom when I was really little, but then one day...one day, I was playing, and my muggle playmate came over and... he just went ballistic, ended up hurting the muggle. Oh, Harry, it's my fault." and then she started to cry again, "Why am I crying? I don't want to cry." Then Sirius walked in.
"Harry, what happened?" asked Sirius.
"Your Wi- Artemis's mother came in and tried to attack us." said Harry.
"Draco!" Marsea said exhasperatedly (is this a word?)at the figure at the foor of her bed.
"What on Earth are you doing here?"
He walked over to the side of the four poster and sat down. "I wanted to see you." was all he said.
"Oh," whispered Marsea. "But you just saw me an hour-"
"I know. But I couldn't sleep. Requiem is snoring like a baby and I can't help but think.. Well I just have this vision in my head of what he may be dreaming about, and.. and I don't think I can take him staying here any more." he sighed, looking as though he was about to cry. "He always takes everything away from me. My friends, my toys when I was younger, everything. He just gets whatever he wants, and it drives me insane. Do you know what his nickname was when we were younger? 'Charming Hell.' And is charming, there's no doubt. Girls always like him more than m-"
Marsea looked at Draco, this was definitly a new side of him. "Stop. Please." she said quietly. "Look, you really don't need to be jealous, I don't like him like that, at ALL. Seriously. In fact, he kind of scares me. I think that maybe he is a little TOO hard on Potter. You may find this shocking, but I feel kinda bad for the guy. Maybe we should leave him alone, just a bit?"
Draco looked stunned. "Potter? Oh come on Marsea, the guy is a git, he deserves it."
"He deserves to be teased, not injured. I think that causing him to writhe on the floor in agony is just a bit much."
Draco smiled. "You're going soft."
"I am not!" Marsea whispered excitedly. He was the one who had almost cried a moment ago.
"I'm joking." he said. "But I need to know that you are absolutely not interested in Requiem."
Marsea sighed. "For the last time, I'm not. Will you please drop it now?"
He grinned. "You know, it's an awefully long walk back to the boys' dormitory, you don't mind if I bunk here for the night, do you?" He crawled under the covers and closed him eyes, still grinning.
"Oh, no no no. You know how much trouble we'll be in if you're caught in here?"
"No one will know," he said, sidling closer to Marsea.
"I wouldn't be so sure," said another voice in the room. Pansy Parkinson was sitting upright in her own bed, looking malicious. "I'm gonna tell Snape and you're gonna be in BIG trouble. In fact, I'm gonna tell him that you two-"
"You'd love that wouldn't you?" hissed Marsea. "Another opportunity to talk to Snape? Don't even think about it, or I'll tell the whole damn school that you've had the hots for him for a year!"
Pansy looked scandalized. "I what? You wouldn't. You couldn't!"
"I can, and I will, unless you keep your big ugly trap shut." Marsea looked coldly at Pansy.
Pansy lay back down. "Okay." she said slowly. "I won't tell if you won't."
Marsea closed her eyes, neglecting to tell Draco to leave.
It kind of made Marsea a little nervous to have Draco with her like that, but she felt better at the same time. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep almost instantly.
"Oh no," Sirius moaned, dropping to the floor and brushing his wife's hair off her face. She turned out to be a beautiful woman. 'She looks like Artemis,' Harry thought, gazing at her.
Sirius stood up.
"We need to get her to the hospital wing," he said urgently. Harry cleared his throat.
"We are in the hospital wing," he said, his voice no longer trembling. Artemis was trying not to cry again. She looked at Harry.
'Oh boy,' she thought. 'He'll think I'm a crybaby or something.'
'She's not a crybaby,' Harry mused. Sirius chuckled, despite the scenario.
"Will you two quit staring at each other and help me?" he said, sounding highly amused. Harry and Artemis quickly withdrew their eyes from each other's and went over to help Sirius carry the woman to a bed.
"What's her name?" Harry asked suddenly. Sirius didn't answer.
"Sirius," Harry said again. "She didn't look like the person I saw out in the corridor. The person I saw looked more like a man...all skeletally and tall..."
Sirius looked up. "Really?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "It was awful. It reminded me of the last task in the Triwizard Tournament last year..."
"Harry," Sirius said. "You're fifteen now, not fourteen. Try to chill a little."
Harry exhaled, aware of a dim throbbing which was starting to play at his scar.
Marsea awoke in the early hours of the morning and tried to sit up, but found it hard to.
"What the...?" she asked herself in alarm, turning to see that the source of the restrain was Draco's arm. Sighing, she lifted it off her and got out of bed. Something had woken her up and she didn't know what.
"Marsea?" came a voice from the door. Marsea whipped around and stiffled a yell. But it was only Pansy.
"What are you doing?" Marsea snapped. "Trying to give me a heart attack?"
Pansy looked solemn. "Marsea, how did you know that I liked Snape?"
Marsea smirked. "Pretty obvious," she said with glee. "You've got a bad way of hiding your feelings, you know."
Pansy sighed and sat on her bed. "Look at Draco," she suddenly said; sounding giggly. Marsea glanced at her own bed and saw Draco's arms trying to wrap themselves around an invisible something.
"Oh my God," Marsea said, half exasperated, half amused. "Coming, you."
"Marsea?" Draco mumbled. "Where'd you go?"
"Nowhere," she said, crawling back into bed. She looked at Pansy who was settling back down to sleep; her shoulders heaving as if she was crying.
Lisa had been woken up by her cat running around the room. Unfotunately she tripped and fell into the fire. "Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh, my arm!" she pulled her arm out, which was quite burned.
"Damn it! Where is the hospital place?" She walked out and looked around. Then she saw a boy who seemed frightened, and then ran back inside a room.
Then a lady went in, followed by a man about 5 minutes later. Lisa decided to go in and ask for directions. As she opened the door, everyone turned and pointed their wands at her.
"Woohhhhhh, I come in peace" Lisa said. "Who are you people?
They all lowered their wands slowly, staring at Lisa as if she was a ghost.
"You don't need to know who we are!" a witch shrieked loudly from a corner. Turning to a wizard who, for the first time, Lisa noticed was wearing a mask, and said,
"Should we kill her?"
Lisa backed away in horror. With a strangled cry, the masked wizard leapt at her, but she was quicker. Lisa sprinted down the corridor and hid behind a suit of armour. Suddenly, a cackling noise filled the air, and Peeves stuck his head out of the gap in the armour's suit.
"Oooh," he said with delight. "A student out of bedie-bies!!"
"Peeves," Lisa whispered desperatley. "They're after me, Peeves! Hush! They'll hear you!" Peeves took off in the direction that Lisa was pointing at, and a moment later, she could hear a loud crash and a lot of angry voices. His laughter echoed down the hall.
Breathing a word of thanks, Lisa tiptoed back to her common room and collapsed, shaking, into bed. Her cat was staring at her questioningly from the window.
"Sirius, we need to get out of here." said Artemis trying to keep her cool, "You know as well as I do Mother was related to Voldemort, for gods sakes, she tried to kill Harry and me."
"ARTEMIS! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!!!" screamed Sirius, for although he would never admit it he was still in love with this woman, and he refused to believe that she could do evil.
Artemis cowered away from her father, a look of utter terror on her face. "I'm sorry Sirius, I-I didn't mean to make you mad." 'Please don't be mad at me, please don't leave.' She thought.
"Sirius," said Harry taking Sirius's arm and pulling him away from his unconcious [ex?]wife, "Artemis is right, even if she didn't attack us, somebody did. I'll go get Dumbledore." Harry started to leave when Artemis grabbed his arm.
"Harry," she said, "l-let me go, I need to speak to Dumbledore myself."
"Artemis, it's dangerous." said Harry.
"Yes, Artemis, I will not allow you to go." Sirius added.
"First off, it is no more dangerous for me than for either of you, and second, Sirius, I hardly feel that you have a right to start forbidding me to do anything. I haven't seen you since last year, and that for but a day, and before that, not since I was a baby, and you ran off. I'm leaving."
Sirius stared dumbfounded at his daughter, hurt with the truth of her words, not even comprehending the danger she was going into before she exited the room.
She reached professor Dumbledore's Office and hammered on the door. "Professor, PROFESSOR!" screamed Artemis, "oh, confounded." she muttered trying to jiggle the handle, and to her surprise the door opened with ease.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to try that." said the Headmaster, "Professor Lupin here, of course, thought that I should have just opened the door."
"Oh, hello, Professor, Headmaster," said Artemis blushing a bit, "We need you down in the Hospital Wing, my M-, somebody tried to attack Harry and me. Also, Professor Lupin, or you Headmaster sir, anyone really, you need to keep Draco Malfoy and Snape away from the student, oh yes, and Re-..." she stopped, eyes open wide, grimacing, "Re-... AHHHHH!" she screamed in pain.
In his Dormitory, Requiem smiled his cool, calm smile, "Artemis Adams, you are almost finished..."
Melian appeared behind Lupin and ran towards Artemis. "No time to lose, let's get going" She said while carrying the body of Artemis. Lupin looked at his old friend who seemed to be the only who knows what she was doing.
Melian kicked the door to the hospital wing open and the others looked stunned. She quickly lay Artemis on one of the beds and gave her a potion to drink. Artemis woke up slowly and smiled weakly at the others. Sirius looked up from his daughter's bed and looked at Melian.
"You are still alive?" he asked.
She nodded " Voldemort couldn't kill me when I refused to rule by his side. I faked my own dead in order to save you and the others" Sirius smiled and hugged her...
"Well I think that it is time for harry to meet his godmother" Harry looked up and tried to figure out what has been said just a minute ago. He recognized Melian from pictures taken at his parents' wedding and at school. She had been Sirius girlfriend throughout the first and second year, and after that they remained best friends.
"Harry may I introduce you to, Melian your teacher and your godmother."
Harry gulped. He had a godmother?
"I am sorry that I didn't tell you this before but I tried to keep you save from
Voldemort" Harry looked into her eyes and saw no fear but only rage when she spoke the name of the Dark Lord. Suddenly Harry and Artemis collapsed both as some curse hit them.
"It is an orb," Melian hissed at Dumbledore. She grabbed her wand from her back and suddenly it became larger. A big druid stick came out and Melian tapped it to the ground. She muttered some words and smiled when a big blue ball formed itself and dissapeared through the ceiling.
A few seconds later Artemis and Harry woke up again. " You are a dark wizard?" Artemis asked curiously. "No I am a necromancer, the guardians of the underworld."
Snape quickly ran through the corridors while being followed by Patricia Parkinson (Pansy's mother). He stopped before the hospital wing and entered it. The others looked up and smiled as Snape looked at the door.
"Patricia is following me all day, I just can't get rid of her" he quickly explained. His eyes narrowed a he saw Sirius and Lupin standing there.
Requiem smiled as he watched his orb. The final attack was beginning. Suddenly he yelped as he saw that one of the teachers found out about his orb. He saw the blue ball and Requiem jumped up. But he was to late, the ball hung before him and suddenly hit him in the stomach at full force. He felt how all the air was punched out of his lungs. He found himself being smacked to the nearest wall and saw the broken pieces of the orb at the floor.
Morgana and Marsea looked at Requiem who sat on the floor. Marsea watched him with big eyes. "Looks like he has been hit by a dragon"
Morgana shook her head " nope he is hit by an energy ball. That is much more painful". Marsea and Morgana dragged him to his bed.
"Who did that?"
"I think my aunt was responsible, she must somehow have discovered the plan of Requiem and this was her way of telling him to back off. He is lucky, the last time she used it, it took the wizard hospital 2 years to recover the damage"
Requiem looked at Morgana " Where did your...."
Morgana got irritated and gave him a goodbye kiss. "We will excuse your absence tomorrow, but please don't pull any jokes anymore. This was a warning, start little before you expand your field to Harry's friends. Try to pull this off one at a time."
Hermione sat in charms class, pondering all the recent happenings at Hogwarts. First she had helped a jumpy little boy on the train. Then the Ravenclaw girl had upset her at the feast. Then Ron had conjured a serpent to the Slytherin table, Harry hissed at it in Parslemouth (to leave them alone, she assumed). Then Harry became ill and he still was. Now there was talk about Voldemort enveloping the school. What was next? She sighed and put her head in her hands.
She couldn't concentrate, not now.
"Professor," she said weakley. Flitwick looked up.
"Yes, Hermione?" he said squeakily.
"I-I need to go to the hospital wing," she said. Flitwick paused. 'She does look a little green,' he mused.
"All right. You may go."
Marsea was sitting on the floor in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room. The flames were unusually bright, and they flooded the cold dungeon room with warmth.
"A little cold down here to be wearing a tank-top, isn't it?"
Marsea twisted around to find Draco sitting in the chair behind her. She sighed. "Not really," she responded softly. "The fire's warm today."
Draco snorted, sitting on the floor beside her. Pansy scurried past, bolting out the common room door. Marsea frowned at her in suspicion.
"You sure she won't tell on us?" Draco asked nervously.
Marsea bit her lip.
Pansy hurried up the stairs and stopped Professor McGonagall who was on her way out of the Great Hall.
"What?" she sniffed. Pansy caught her breath.
"Where's Professor Snape, d'you know?"
"In the hospital wing, I expect," Professor McGonagall said. Pansy scampered off in the direction of the hospital wing, not stopping until she was outside the door.
"Professor Snape!" she called and he opened it. Pansy motioned for him to come out into the hall.
"What, Parkinson?" he hissed. "I have important business inside, if you don't mind!"
"I just, just wanted to tell y-you that," she said. What did it matter if Marsea blabbed to the "whole damn school" that she "had the hots for Snape?"
Snape was looking impatient.
"Marsea and Draco!" she said shrilly, quickly toning it down. "They, well..."
Snape looked grim. He had gotten the gist and he ran off down the corridor at high speed. Pansy shrank against the wall, realizing what she had just done.
"They're going to KILL me!" she thought.
Harry choked back tears as his godmother enveloped him into a hug. Hermione entered the hospital wing and she gasped.
"Harry," she said. "Is that you're Mum?"
Everyone looked at her. "S-sorry," she whispered.
"Its his godmother," Ron explained. "Sirius' wife and Artemis' Mum."
Hermione choked back tears herself.
The common room door opened, but Marsea didn't pay any attention. It wasn't until Draco said, "Aa," in nervousness that Marsea turned around to see Snape standing there, his arms folded.
Marsea gulped. Snape had a very odd expression on his face, somewhere between anger and amusement.
"Er, Professor, did you want something?" Marsea squeaked.
"Yes, um, Miss Parkinson just told me something Very interesting.." said Snape questioningly. "Do you know what she told me?"
Marsea shook her head "No, er what did she-"
Snape looked irritated. "Don't lie to me, Miss Brooklyn, you're sounding like Potter."
Draco spoke. "It wasn't her fault." he said, pointing at Marsea. "She-"
"Ahhh, so Miss Parkinson tells the truth.." said Snape slowly.
"I knew she couldn't resist." said Marsea quickly. "She would like any opportunity to talk to you Professor! You know what? She has the BIGGESY crush on
yo-"
Just then Pansy Parkinson rushed into the Common room, red faced and breathing hard.
"Good," said Snape. "We can have a pow-wow. Miss Parkinson, why don't you tell me what happened?"
"Well, er, Professor, um, I walked into the common room and, well er, they were, umm well" muttered Pansy.
"Girl, get on with it!" screamed Snape.
"Well, ummm, they were, uhhh, well, they were in...in...they were in bed together." said Pansy quickly through her mutterings.
"Oh, well, Ms. Parkinson, I thank you for your time. As for you two, what should your punishment be?..."
Back in the Hospital Wing:
"Aunt Melian, where is Mother, that, that person there, she's not Mother, I mean she IS in the literal sense, that's all it is, a body, there's no person inside."
"Artemis dear, there is so much you don't know..."
"Then tell me! Why do you always protect me? Harry knows his history! Do you think he's stronger than I am?"
"Artemis, that is NOT what this is about!" said Sirius. "We have all had long nights, now into bed, RIGHT NOW! Except for you Artemis and Harry, I need to talk to you for a minute."
In the hallway:
"Artemis, Harry, this is very important. Dear lord I feel awful about doing this. In a way I am throwing you to the wolves, but you two are fifteen, I think you're mature enough. Anyway, Harry, you need to go back to Gryffindor Common Room tomorrow and send an owl to Adrian Potter, don't ask, just do it. I will have to leave in the morning, so follow the directions she gives you, just say I told you to send her the owl and that the thing to be dreaded has occured. Artemis, your job is difficult and dangerous, you need to be transferred to Slytherin. Try to come in contact with that Requiem child, there is something bad about him. I will alert Dumbledore as to the situation. Now off to bed, go to sleep, and try to forget your troubles.
'Right forget the problems, like that's going to happen.' Artimis thought grimly.
Melian entered the Slytherin common room in search for Snape to make her a sleeping potion. She saw some people arguing and Pansy standing there with an angelic like face.
"Euh, Professor can I speak to you?"
"In a minute, but first let me decide which punishment they will get"
Melian raised her eyebrows as she saw the smirk on the face of that Parkinson girl. " What happend?" she asked.
Snape explained it quickly and told her that this could not be tolerated.
"Well Severus, I have to disagree with you on that. Pansy obviously saw something but it seems to me that recent events clouded her mind a bit. And since she has two a impossible love for someone who is already spoken for." Pansy glared at Melian with the utmost loathing and tried to trail off.
"Wait Parkinson, she is right how do we know that you are telling the truth. So what has really happened?" He asked to Marsea.
Lisa had just seen some *very* scary people. "Lisa....are you ok?" asked bubbles. Bubbles is her best friend.
"Oh...um...nothing at all." Lisa stammered. "Lisa, your arm! Let me fix it." Bubbles said. As she said a spell and Lisa's arm was better.
"Thanx bubbles!"
The next day Lisa and Bubbles wandered around and saw many weird things, people running around, lots of worried faces. They decided to go back to the common room and play some Exploding Snap.
Then an owl appeared. The letter read:
"Lisa darling,
How is Bubbles? Are you two doing ok? I miss you heaps and I'm glad you wrote to me. Don't write back, because I know you are busy, when you have time owl me!
Say hi to bubbles.
Monica says 'hi' to you and Bubbles.
From, Mum."
Monica and Mum say 'hi', Bubbles." Lisa said.
Voldemort laughed and Peter backed away. "So my little devil is still alive" he looked at a picture of Melian. "You did well, Pettigrew, very well indeed." Peter nodded while he tried to hold back the tears. Melian used to be his friend and always protected him form Snape's wrath.
But Voldemort neeeded her to become immortal. He looked at the picture and smiled, that woman had been a sister to Lily and Sirius .
The stranger approaching them, Daunte and Dean ran for the exit. Not knowing exactly where they were going, the barged into the common room, where stood Snape, Melian, Marsea, Draco, and Pansy Parkinson.
"Professor, Mason's dead!" Dean shouted.
Marsea looked at the gathering people in the room. Daunte and Dean, also Slytherins, had just run in, shouting, saving her from having to face Snape with her side of the story.
She stood up. "Mason's dead? How? Who?"
Snape whirled around to face Dean. "Stop speaking rubbish, young man. No one is dead."
"Why would he make it up, Professor?" asked Draco.
"You, Mr. Malfoy, should be the last to doubt people making up stories. Tell me, Miss Brooklyn, what happened? Is Miss Parkinson a liar?"
Marsea was astonished be Snape's apathy. She was sure that Daunte and Dean were not the type to make up stories. "Er, Professor, shouldn't we at least investigate what they are saying?"
"Are you trying to weasel your way out of this, Miss Brooklyn?"
"No, of course not, but if someone is dead, especially a Slytherin..."
"Fine, We'll "investigate." But I will expect a full and HONEST recount of last nights events from you once we get this foolishness settled."
Snape turned toward Daunte and Dean. "Show me where this dead friend of yours is."
They all left the common room, leaving Pansy, Marsea, Draco and Melian alone.
Pansy spoke first. "Don't try to get out of this now. You're caught."
Marsea shot ice glares at her. "Just because you like Sna-"
Pansy rushed at Marsea and covered her mouth.
"Gettoff!" Marsea shouted, pushing Pansy away. "What, are you hitting on ME now?"
Pansy looked distraught. "Don't-"
"Don't what?" Marsea said manacingly. "Tell everyone that you like Snape? oh, NEVER.." She looked at Melian, who appeared curious, but not very shocked. "She does, you know." continued Marsea, watching Pansy's panicked face. "She has a HUGE crush on him. Too bad she can't have any man. Maybe if she wiped that sour look off her face,
and wore some makeup, and got some plastic surgery... Oh hell, why don't you just wear a bag over your face? It might at least get people to look at you." Marsea smiled maliciously.
Pansy looked at Melian "Why don't say something about it?"
Melian tried hard not to laugh. 'Pansy hitting on Snape, oh that she just had to tell that to him.' On that moment Morgana came in and waved at her aunt.
"Say Morgana, would you get something to eat out of the kitchen? These students have to wait until their Head of House is back" her niece nodded and while she walked to the door she high-fived Marsea and Draco for their comment on Pansy.
"Why is he so distracted the last days" Marsea asked Melian.
"Well actually we are visited by Patricia Parkinson and it seems that the mother and daughter seem to share their crush." Pansy blushed and Marsea and Draco laughed. Pansy walked off to her bed leaving them alone.
"Marsea, can you do me a favor?" The girl looked up to her teacher. " I want you and Morgana to find out what the Parkinsons are doing, and also Requiem needs to be treated with caution."
Marsea nodded. She knew that you could always joke around with Melian. " You aren't jealous or something?"
Melian smiled "For them? Hell no, I am just very careful."
On that moment Morgana came in while carrying a plate.
Snape, Dean, and Daunte searched the area thoroughly, and yet nothing came up.
"This is rubbish. You will both be given detention for lying of such a thing!" He walked away.
Dean and Daunte sat glumly at the table for breakfast the next morning. Suddenly, three Ministry officers came up behind Dean.
"Dean Framos, you are under arrest for the murder of Mason Goram."
Hagrid loved every time Black came to the school, yes he knew, allthough he probably wasn't supposed to know....but he got to see Buckbeak. Hagrid missed Buckbeak so much. Dumbledore had told him what happened. Sirius was going to leave today, so Hagrid would have to again say good bye to Buckbeak.
Harry awoke early the next morning and sudden realized he was in the hospital wing. Then as if on queue, last nights events came flooding back. Artemis was still asleep. Black and his wife were gone.
"Adrian Potter.......Potter were they related?" Harry thought aloud. Requiem....Harry filled with rage. He remembered the time he fainted when he saw Requiem with Cho.
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can, and will be used against you in a court of magical law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can't afford one, one will be given to you by the Ministry of Magic." said the first Ministry officer.
"Sir," said a mysterious girl appearing from out of nowhere, "I have been looking through in this hallway and I can tell you that it was not this boy who murdered Mason. I can't tell you who it is, just, speak to Dumbledore."
"Young miss, we are going to speak to Dumbledore, now I suggest you get back to your common room!"
"Yes, sir," said the girl as she walked over to Snape. "Professor Snape, my name is Artemis Adams, I have been transferred to Slytherin from Ravenclaw by Headmaster Dumbledore, here is the signed transfer slip." said Artemis handing the small blue piece of paper to Snape.
"Yes, everything seems to be in order," said Snape hatefully, "Move you trunk up to the Common Room, we have no more room in the Fifth year girls Dormitory, so you will have to sleep in the Common Room, but don't worry, Mr. Requiem Malfoy sleeps there as well. Off."
"Yes sir thank you sir." said Artemis trying to smile as sincerely as she could 'Sirius, this had better work!' she thought.
In the owlery:
"Harry, Hermione, Ron, I'm here." said Artemis.
The trio jumped out from their hiding places, "Good Artemis, we have a response." said Harry, "and how is your portion going?"
"I guess good, I got successfully transferred into Slytherin, but they're having me sleep in the Common Room, and Requiem sleeps there. But what does the letter say?"
" Dear Harry,
The time has come for you to take your place, I take it you have already become accquainted with Artemis Adams. Harry, you will be trained with her to improve both of your senses, she, and with any luck, both of you will learn to push minds. I can't tell you everything needed Harry, because even owl post isn't completely reliable, just that Polyjuice Potion is not the only way to shift form, and it is far from the longest lasting.
Love,
Adrian Potter" read Harry aloud.
"I think I read about some other shape shifting potion, oh yes, it's the Polingrous Potion, and it's very difficult to brew I think it's time we all went to Dumbledore." said Hermione.
"Not yet," said Artemis, "I need to get to Slytherin, or Snape will get suspicious."
"OK Artemis, but be careful" said Ron.
"I will." she said and gave everyone a hug before she left." 'What am I getting myself into?' she thought.
Marsea sat down in a chair in the common room, Draco did the same. They looked at each other, and Marsea tried to smile, but she kept picturing her parents' faces when they were informed of her activities, which she was certain they would be.
Snape didn't return after a while, so Marsea picked up "Quidditch through the Ages" and started to leaf through it. Draco fell asleep.
Just then Snape burst into the common room, mumbling something about "students killing each other" and Draco woke up.
"So," said Snape as he sauntered over to Marsea. "Have you perfected your story?"
"What's happening?" asked Marsea quickly. "Is Mason really dead?"
"Miss Brooklyn, that is none of your concern. It is being taken care of."
Marsea sunk back down in her chair. She didn't know why Snape was being so mean, he usually would tell the Slytherins anything, especially her and Draco.
Marsea gulped. "Well, professor, here's what happened. Erm, well I had a bad dream and I screamed and then everyone woke up and Draco (being the kind guy that he is) came in to comfort me and I know that guys aren't allowed in the girls dormitory but I was scared and then Pansy saw him in there and shrieked at us and said she was gonna tell but we weren't doing anything, honest," she said all in one breath.
"Mmm.." said Snape, thinking. "I don't know..."
That was when Requiem came in.
"Professor Snape...if Marsea says something...thats it and no more.You know Marsea...She is one of your best students...If she says what has happened,then that's what happened."
He looked at Marsea with, oh, such emotional eyes...sadness, jealousy, and ...desire.
Snape turned around and looked at Reqiem. "If you don't keep your big mouth shut you and Marsea will share detention together". Requiem looked a the professor with narrowed eyes to intimidate Snape. He however smiled and took the challenge. He felt no fear but amusement. The boy was powerful but not powerful enough. He was perhaps able to tackle Potter and Artemis but that wouldn't last long. On hat moment he grew weary of the student and turned his attention to Marsea once again. "However this will not go without punihment, I talked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher about this and she agreed to have you help her tomorrow afternoon to go to Hogsmeade and pick up some supplies. You will be expected at the main door at 2 hours sharp, understood?"
Marsea and Draco nodded quickly and shot a thankful glance to Melian who had given them the opportunity to go to Hogsmeade instead of scrubbing bedpans.
Requiem turned to morgana who stood there laughing.
"What is wrong?" he asked, irritated.
"You are so stupid, you know, picking a fight with Snape and then drooling over Marsea. Draco won't like that and you have no chance that she is going to like you". He hissed at her and Morgana didn't seem impressed at all. "I am not impressed with that, Requiem."
Marsea smiled at Morgana, who seemed to have put Requiem back in his place, at least for the moment, still, he HAD stood up for her. 'Well of course he did' she thought 'he is trying to steal you away from Draco remember?'
She sat back down in her chair, thankful that their punishment hadn't been more severe. Still, Pansy Parkinson was going to pay dearly.
She looked at the clock on the wall and gasped. "Argh! We are supposed to be in Transifuration in 2 minutes, and we completely missed breakfast!"
Draco sighed. "Okay, let's go."
They got up and Marsea turned to Morgana and Requiem, who appeared to still be digruntled.
"Are you guys coming?" she asked quickly.
"Er, yeah." said Morgana.
They all walked quickly toward the common room door, but it opened before they got there. A girl that Marsea recognised walked in, looking around.
"Hey," said Marsea, "Aren't you a Ravenclaw?"
The girl, named Artimis Adams, smiled nervously. "Um, well I was, but I just got transferred into Slytherin." she thought quickly. "I think Ravenclaw wasn't agreeing with me."
Marsea was unsure of whether to trust this new girl, and Requiem was looking daggers at Artimis.
"Well, okay then." said Marsea slowly. "But if you're not supposed to be h-"
Snape stood up behind them "Yes," he hissed. "Miss Adams is to be in Slytherin, I was informed of this earlier."
"Hmmm," thought Draco. "Okay, you have to come with us to Transifuration now. Just put your things down and one of the house-elves will take it to the Girls' Dormitory for you."
Artimis nervously put her bags down, and followed the others, who were already walking through the stone doorway and into the cold dungeon hallways. The passage closed behind them and nothing but a stone wall could be seen. 'Welcome to Slytherin,' she thought , shivering.
To Be Continued....
Compiled and Edited by Marsea Truan (Marsea Brooklyn)
Daunte Mills yawned as he got out of bed on September 1. He looked at the clock. 5:30 A.M. Well, it had to be done to get to Kings Cross on time, considering where he lived. Daunte was a mischievous (sp?) one, but he wasn't that much of a troublemaker.
When the food cart came around, Daunte bought 2 cauldron cakes and a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He ate these and fell asleep.
He awoke about an hour later, and went up to the conductor to ask how long it was going to be before they got there. He got back to his compartment. He laid down, when a little first-year asked him where the restrooms were. He replied, "I don't know," then raised his wand and performed a Spooking Spell. The little kid made a high-pitched cry and scampered.
It's going to be a good year, he thought.
Lisa had just heard a scream and saw her little sister.
"Gypsy, what's wrong?"
"The boy scared me 'cause I asked him where the bathroom was!"
"You should have asked me," said Lisa. "Just go down to the end of the train, and I'll meet you in our compartment!" Gypsy walked off.
Lisa opened the compartment and saw a boy sitting down.
"Hey, what did u do to my sister? What's your problem?"
Cedric Sylver sat in his compartment and looked out the window. There were fields, animals and plants and many other things passing by very quickly. "I can remember this so well, this is great." He then got up and walked out of his compartment and headed to the second bathroom toward the front of the train. He walked to the bathroom so he could change into his robes, when a small little boy came out of an apartment and they ran into each other. He fell to the ground and Cedric helped him up.
"Hey are you ok???" He said as he got up, and the boy nodded.
"Sorry about that I will more careful next time, Cedric said as he walked on to the bathroom. With his robes in hand, he walked into the bathroom and changed into his robes. He then walked out and went to the front of the train to see the conductor.
"Sir, when will we be arriving at Hogwarts?"
He said about 1/2 an hour and Cedric said good bye and then headed back to his compartment.
He walked back in his compartment and sat down. " I cant wait to get back to Hogwarts, my 3rd year!! This is gonna be great!!!" He said laughing as he sat and looked back out the window.
Hermione poked her head out of the compartment door at the sound of someone yelling.
"What in the world..." she asked herself, sliding open the door so she could get out. Ron called after her.
"Hermione!" he yelped. "Don't..." But she was gone. At the lou, a little boy was scurrying away looking scandalized.
"Are you all right, there?" she asked. The boy looked up and nodded, trembling. "First year?" she said kindly. He nodded again, looking even more scared. Hermione placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. It's not that bad. Its pretty fun, actually. After the sorting you'll feel much better."
The boy bit his lip. "Really?" he asked in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. Hermione nodded, a small smile on her lips. The boy scampered down the train where he dashed into an end compartment. Hermione shook her head as she sat back down next to Ron.
Harry looked up from his book, "Quiddich Through the Ages," and coughed.
"What?" Hermione demanded bossily. "I couldn't just let him go on thinking he had to wrestle an alligator or something!"
Ron rolled his eyes and bit into a Cauldron Cake.
Soon the train began to slow down. Ron and Harry jumped up and ushered Hermione out of the compartment so they could change into their robes.
"At least I changed sooner!" she hollered at the closed door. "You two should have more sense!"
"Geroff!" Ron muttered. "Cut us some slack!"
The door slid open and Hermione rushed inside to avoid being tossed down the hall by the force of the train. Thankfully, the boys were done changing. They crammed their sweets into their pockets and joined the throng making its way out.
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere in sight.
"D'you suppose they've been sent to another school?" Harry asked as they hopped off the train.
"Oh, I don't know!" Hermione snapped. "Honestly!"
"He wasn't asking you," Ron shot back as Harry was almost crushed under the weight of one of Hagrid's friendly slaps on the back.
"All righ, you three?" he hollered, and Harry rubbed his knees.
"It's our fifth year!" Seamus said happily, catching up to them. "Only two more to go!"
"Then we'll be of age!" Dean piped in.
Harry imagined turning Dudley into a pig and Aunt Petunia into a giraffe and Uncle Vernon into a cow when he got back. He smiled in ecstasy.
"I know what you're thinking," Hermione said hotly. "Don't..."
But they were at the school doors.
Daunte met up with his friends, Dean Framos and Mason Goram. They sat down at the Slytherin table.
"Yo, Daunte, I think that Ravenclaw girl over there thinks I'm hot," Dean said while looking beyond Mason's head.
"Well, let's see, she's blinking, smiling, waving, blushing, and looking over here all at once. I'd say you're right."
Dean leaned over so she could see him and mouthed, No way.
"C'mon, she's a Ravenclaw," Dean said. "What did you expect, did you think I was going to ask her out?"
"God, I'm starving," Mason moaned. Daunte told Mason and Dean about his encounter with the first-year in the train.
"What a pansy," Dean replied. "Bet he'll be a Hufflepuff."
Suddenly, the Headmistress stood up and cleared her throat.
The Ravenclaw, who is known as Artemis, leaned over to her friend and whispered, "He fell for it. Gosh, guys can be so full of themselves. You look over at their table and make mushy eyes, and they think you like them. Could it maybe be that you think their Owl/Cat/Toad/Rat is cute...nope, couldn't be! It's soo stupid!"
"Did you hear the scream on the train?" said Artemis's friend.
"Yeah, poor kid, wonder which house he'll be put into. Oh, here comes Hermione."
"Hullo," said Hermione, "How are you."
"Good." said Artemis as her friend returned to her reading, she didn't particularly like Hermione. "I've been dying to talk to you all summer," said Artimis. "But first, how's Sirius?"
Hermione was aghast.
"How do you know about Sirius?!" she hissed. Artemis wore a smug look and sat with her arms crossed.
"Why?" Artemis asked. "Is something happening with him...what? Is he escaping?"
Hermione blinked and shook her head as if to clear it up. She glared at Artemis' friend and returned to the Gryffindor table.
"Gosh," Ron exclaimed as she plopped down into her chair with a frustrated grunt. "You look ready to 'Crucio' someone."
"I am," she grunted, staring at her empty plate and goblet. Harry raised his eyebrows and they disappeared under his long, untidy black hair.
"What happened?" he asked quietly as the sorting started.
"Those Ravenclaws!" Hermione said shrilly, and the whole population of the Great Hall burst out laughing.
"I, er, think you s-said that a little t-too loud, Hermio-one!" Ron said, gasping between laughs.
Dumbledore stood up and his eyes twinked merrily. He put a hand up for silence and the sorting continued. Hermione blushed and slid down in her chair as "Lintott, Shannon!" became a Gryffindor.
"Don't worry 'bout it, Hermione," Fred Weasley said. "Percy's not here to scold you."
"He was starting to grow on me," George piped in.
As the sorting neared its end, Dumbledore stood up again and raised a hand as the last first year, "Eanuka, David" sat down at the Slytherin table.
"Another year!" he said happily. "Some students are, er, gone...and I think you all know why..."
The Great Hall fell completely silent. "Let's eat, then!" he said thunderously, and the plates and filled magically. Hermione sat, ashen faced, not touching anything.
"K'mon, Hermonkee," Harry said with a mouthful of mashed potato. "Everyonsh forgochen about it."
Hermione stormed out of the Great Hall, and Ron piled her food onto his plate.
"This is good, ain't it?" George said to break the silence.
Cedric Sylver watched as another 1st year was sorted. "Man, its awesome to be back!!" He said to a fellow Ravenclaw.
Then Hermione, one of the smartest girls in Hogwarts yelled out about THOSE RAVENCLAWS. It was pretty funny, but he was wondering how Hermione lost her head. He then started eating his food once again. As he finished up a small bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored beans, the last 1st year was sorted into Hufflepuff. Then as usual the headmaster gave the ever famous welcome back speech, he listened and thought about the year to come, about Quidditch and how great it was going be. The headmaster finished the speech and they were all excused to their common room.
The Ravenclaws all walked to the common room, leading the new first years.
I then saw Artemis walking ahead. He caught up to her started walking beside her.
"Hey, you know Hermione better than I do, do you know what happened when she lost her head and ran off?" He asked as all of the Ravenclaws walked to the common room.
"I really don't know," said Artemis. "Last year before we left on summer break she told me all about this one guy, but I can't say anything about it because I was sworn into secrecy, but now it's like she never even told me. G'night Cedric," she finished sleepily.
Chance Meswin watched silently as he sat with the other first years and waited to be sorted. He was terrified, he came from a muggle background, and knew no one at the school. And what a weird school it was he thought, he'd seen a ghost already and almost fainted. He wondered if any of the other first years felt the same. He felt a nudge in his ribs.
"Hey, do you know what house they are gonna put you in"? This had come from the kid sitting next to him.
"No idea" he replied. "I hope I'm not in Slytherin" the kid whispered to him.
"By the way, my name is Ralon Jannip, what's yours?"
"Chance, nice to meet you to, I hope we get to be in the same house."
"Me too."
"SHHH" An older lady hissed at them.
"Sorry.."
"SHHHH!!!!!!"
Then it was Chance's turn at the hat. He waited forever it seemed.
"RAVENCLAW" It boomed. He was so startled by this that he almost didn't see where to go until a kid ran up and grabbed and took him to the Ravenclaw table. Just as he got there, he heard a high, snotty pitched voice
"Those Ravenclaws!" Oh my, he thought, what did I do? Just as he was about to
go apologize for something that he didn't do, he saw Ralon walking towards the table!
"Hey Ralon, sit next to me!"
He was very happy that he knew someone there now, and wasn't totally alone. He decided he would just forget about that girl who had yelled.
Harry and Ron made their way to the Gryffindor common room. They approached the Fat Lady who was looking exaspirated.
"There was a whole bunch of you then there wasn't," she exclaimed. "People are showing up whenever they feel like it. Its getting rather annoying, I've been opened so many times tonight I feel like..."
"Eanuka Eevesra," Ron muttered, and the Fat Lady's picture swung open. The two clambered inside the hole that led to the common room.
Hermione sat in front of the fire. Ron plopped down next to her and pulled out a pack of exploding snap.
"You OK?" he asked. Hermione gave him a stern look.
"Do I LOOK okay?" she asked shrilly.
"Sorry," breathed Ron. Harry sat in a squashy chair and put his head in his hands.
"Are YOU okay, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Don't feel so well," Harry moaned.
"Go to bed, then," Ron advised.
"Maybe I will," Harry said, getting up. "See you tomorrow, guys." Then he was off.
"What happened at dinner, Hermione?" Ron demanded. "You looked mad."
"The Ravenclaw girl, Artemis is it? She makes me so mad...! And that friend of hers. Their so stuck-up!"
Ron was seriously considering telling HER that SHE was pretty stuck-up herself, but he didn't want to make a bad situation worse. He kept quiet.
"What?" Hermione asked suddenly, turning to face him. "Why're you so quiet now?"
"I'm...tired! That's it, tired," Ron lied.
Hermione softened. "I'm sorry," she said, sighing. "I shouldn't let anyone get to me. Go to bed, I'm all right."
"You sure?" Ron asked.
"Uh-huh," Hermione yawned. She got up and ascended the girls' dormitory stairs.
Ron left the common room and took the boys stairs two at a time. He found Harry lying in bed.
He was an awful shade of green.
"I don't think those house-elves poison the food," Harry wheezed. "They'd be scared of getting fired or something."
"Go to Madam Pomphrey," Ron said, changing into his pyjamas. "She'll have you cured in a minute."
"Don't feel like getting out of bed!" Harry said, sounding light-headed.
Then he blacked out.
Seamus and Dean, along with Neville (who came in late because he had forgotten the password) barged into the dorm room, laughing. People could be heard yelling in the common room below.
"What did you do?" Ron asked. Neville looked ashen.
"I didn't mean to!" he said. "I swear!"
"He set off twelve firecrackers at once!" Dean said, sounding admiring. "They got too close to the fireplace and..."
"Whoosh!" Seamus piped in. "It was great!"
"Really...?" Ron said faintly.
"Fred and George were having the best time of their lives," Dean explained. "We came back up cause they ran off to get THEIR firecrackers."
"I'm going to bed," Ron said, shaking his head in anxiety.
Artemis headed towards the Ravenclaw Common Room, then thought the better of it and headed back and told Tenter (her friend though not that great of one from earlier) to go without her. Glad to get away from Tenter, Artemis decided to try to talk to Hermione, for although she knew that Hermione thought she was stuck-up, she was Artemis's only true friend (or the closest thing she had to one at Hogwarts).
She got to the Gryffindor Common Room and knocked on the portrait three times. The portrait hole opened, "Hermione..."
Marsea was seated at the Slytherin Table in the Great Hall, next to Draco Malfoy. The girl across the way was staring daggers at her. Marsea knew why.
"Pansy," she said quickly. "Calm down."
Pansy Parkinson stared at her still, but was loosening her gaze.
Marsea shook her head. That girl had been a problem since the end of their fourth year, just because Marsea had "accidentally" stolen her date for the Ball. Now it seemed that everywhere she went, Pansy's evil ugly pug nosed face was glaring at her.
Marsea had even seen her peering through a compartment window on the Hogwarts Express at her, while on her way to the bathroom.
Her momentary fear had worn off when a 1st year had screamed shrilly.
"Dumb first years," Marsea thought, walking into the compartment that she shared with Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"Who was that?" asked Malfoy in his lazy drawl. "Potter?"
Marsea laughed. "No, some silly little first year. He'll probably be a Hufflepuff."
She sat down next to Draco, smiling. This was going to be a good year.
But there she sat at the Slytherin table, Pansy Parkinson looking like she was about to use the Cruciatus Curse right there.
"Well, might as well really piss her off," she thought, turning to Draco. "I have nothing to lose, right?"
Smiling, she kissed him. She rest of a table grew silent. He kissed her back, and she turned slowly to look at Pansy, who was scandalized.
This was definitely going to be a good year.
Chance walked with his only friend at Hogwarts away from the Great Hall to the place people had mentioned as "The Common Room" whatever that was. Ralon had tried to explain some of the things here, but he still was very confused. Ralon's Aunt was apparently a witch, so he had a bit of insider information. Poor Chance though, he didn't even know he was a wizard until his Dad has given him the letter.
As he walked down the corridor with Ralon, he tried to think of a time in his life when he was more frightened. He couldn't. Ralon kept assuring him that he would be fine and make loads of new friends, but it just wasn't getting through to him. All of a sudden a couple of older girls walked past and shoved the two first years aside as they did.
"Watch it, weenies" they called back.
"Weenies indeed" muttered Chance under his breath. He would show them. He would show the entire school that he Chance, was going to succeed and show them all up.
He would be the best student Hogwarts had ever known, he thought triumphantly, already hearing the praise in his head.
SMACK and he was flat on his face. "I should really remember to tie those
shoes better."
Back in the Gryffindor Room...
"Hermione, I'm really sorry, I thought you remembered that you had told me about Sirius right before we left on break, and I really didn't mean to make you mad, and if you never want to speak to me, I'll understand!" said Artemis very very quickly.
"What's going on out there?" "Keep it down!" "We're trying to sleep" screamed all of the Gryffindor students.
Artemis turned to leave, but Hermione grabbed her by the cloak...
Hermione heard the portrait door open, but she didn't pay any attention. It wasn't until she heard a faint voice say, "Hermione?"
She looked up from her book and there at the portrait hole, stood Artemis.
"How did you get in?" Hermione asked, raising from her chair. "I thought only Gryffindors were supposed to know the password!"
Artemis blushed. "I got some help..." she muttered. "But don't worry, I won't tell anyone the password. I'll tell the Fat Lady to change it when I leave."
"You better not be in here when Professor McGonagall gets in," Hermione advised. "She'll be..."
Artemis cut her off. "I came to say sorry," she said loudly, and a bunch of Gryffindors screamed down the stairs for silence.
"Hermione, I'm really sorry, I thought you remembered that you had told me about Sirius right before we left on break, and I really didn't mean to make you mad, and if you never want to speak to me, I'll understand!" said Artemis very very quickly.
"What's going on out there?" "Keep it down!" "We're trying to sleep" screamed all of the Gryffindor students.
Artemis turned to leave, but Hermione grabbed her by the cloak and the two made their way out of the room.
"I'm sorry Hermione," Artemis said. "I didn't mean to make you mad. If you don't want to talk to me, I'll understand."
"I'm sorry for doing that too," Hermione said. "You're the closest friend I have apart from Harry and Ron."
"Well...bye then," Artemis said before turning to leave. Hermione stood on the stairs for a while before Ron came barging out the portrait hole.
"Harry's really sick," he breathed. "He's really got to get some help!"
"All right..."
"Hermione!" Ron said with disbelief. "We need to get some help for Harry!"
"I said all right!" Hermione retorted hotly, brushing past him and practically sailing through the portrait hole. "Didn't I say all right?"
"Sorry," Ron muttered, pulling the door shut behind him.
Meanwhile in the Slytherin room...
Severus Snape paced back and forth in front of the fire with his arms crossed, head down.
The other Slytherins watched him warily from their posts on the carved chairs surrounding him.
He stopped suddenly and faced his stdents.
"It will happen," he mused aloud. "I'll make sure it does."
Draco and Crabbe, who had arrived at Hogwarts a day late, looked at Snape with excitement.
"Good," he said happily. "I've been waiting for him to come back a long time anyway."
Artemis, hearing Ron's scream, ran back to Gryffindor Common Room, and jumped inside of the portrait, "Where is he?" she asked frantcially. A Gryffindor first year pointed her in the right direction. She ran into the room to see Harry unconcious on the floor and Hermione, Ron, and a bunch of other Gryffindors around him. Artemis had read about something like this, what was it? Oh yeah, "Everyone, please stand back." she said.
"What is she doing in here, she's a Ravenclaw!" said Lavendar Brown.
Artemis grabbed her wand and pointed it at Harry and said "ENNERVATE" Harry woke up.
"OK, he's awake!" said Hermione.
"Yes," said a cold stern voice behind Artemis, "Ron, take him to the hospital wing. Now,
Artemis, might I ask what you are doing inside of Gryffindor Common Room, when you are a Ravenclaw?" said the voice. Artemis turned around to come face-to-face with Professor McGonnagall.
"Oh dear..."
Back in the Slytherin Room...
Marsea sat on her chair next to Draco Malfoy. Snape was pacing back and forth in front of them.
Malfoy turned to her and whispered, "I can't wait. Once Lord Voldemort returns, Slytherins will once again rule."
Marsea smiled. "With him as our ruler, nothing can hurt us."
Marsea looked around the room at the smiling Slytherin faces. Only one face remained sullen, and it was staring right at Marsea. Pansy Parkinson continued to glare at her.
Marsea turned back to Draco. "I hope she gets over you soon," she said, nodding at Pansy. "She looks like she's about to curse me." she frowned.
Draco smiled and put his arm around Marsea. "She won't, don't worry."
Professor Snape stopped pacing and stared at Draco and Marsea with amusemant. He almost laughed before his gaze shifted to Pansy.
"He almost lookes sort of handsome when he smiles," Marsea whispered. Draco smirked and tightened his arm around her, making Pansy glare all the more.
"Something wrong, Parkinson?" Snape asked softly. Pansy jumped with fright but quickly recovered.
"No," she lied. "Everything is...fine!"
Snape nodded slightly and pulled something out of his pocket. It was shiny and orb-like, with dark purple smoke floating around inside it. The Slytherins gazed at it in wonder.
"This," Snape said evilly, raising the glass ball over his greasy head for all to see. "Is a Majilan. It is used for dark art purposes."
"My father has one of those!" Draco said, and Snape smirked.
"With this we can see what is going on in any room we wish throughout all of Hogwarts. It is very powerful."
"Can't you control things with that too?" Pansy asked innocently. Marsea shot ice at the girl with her eyes.
"Indeed," Snape answered. "My my, I do have a smart lot this year."
Draco shifted position.
"I, or you, can control objects through this," Snape whispered. "If I see a vase in the Ravenclaw common room, for example, I can will it to raise a foot off the shelf and come crashing to the floor. Or I could stick pins in Potter's back. Or I could...dump poison in his food." He cackled. "Poor Potter..."
Marsea smiled. Pansy Parkinson couldn't end her fun. Jealousy was not a good personality trait, and Marsea knew that jealously was all it was. Still, there was a menacing tone in the way that Pansy had spoken. She smiled again, remembering the way Pansy had jumped when Snape had spoken to her.
No, it was just jealousy, Pansy was hurt. She'd get over it, and Marsea had Draco. Nothing could be better.
Artemis stood in the middle of the room with Professor McGonagall and a bunch of angry Gryffindors around her. She was in a sticky spot.
1: she was in the Gryffindor common room
2: the was in the Gryffindor BOYS' dorm
"Well?" asked Professor McGonagall. "I'm waiting for an answer, Artemis!"
"I uh...er, um...I mean..." Artemis stammered. Harry lay alone and forgotten on his bed. Ron and Hermione were looking horrified.
"She heard Ron yell, Professor!" Hermione said with a high-pitched voice. "She heard Ron yelling for me, and I was sitting on the marble steps! She followed Ron's voice and wanted to help!"
Professor McGonagall looked bemused. "Artemis," she said in a deadly voice. "You know the penalties for this?"
"N-no..."
"I will be forced to tell Dumbled-"
She looked quickly at Harry's bed, where he had fallen again.
"Potter! What is going on? Are you okay? Potter! wake up!" she turned to the others. "What is wrong with him?"
Ron spoke first.
"He suddenly got all ill after dinner this evening." he said quickly. "He wasn't looking okay, and then he fainted."
McGonagall frowned. "We better get him to the Hospital Wing now."
They all picked Harry up and carried him to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomphrey tsk-tsked when she saw him. "Well, you all should go to bed and leave him to me." she said sternly.
Back in The Slytherin Room...
Professor Snape smiled, looking at Malfoy.
"I do believe, Mr Malfoy, that Mr. Potter has taken ill."
Malfoy grinned. "It worked then?"
Snape's eyes narrowed. "Like a Charm."
~back in Gryffindor Common Room~
"Err, Professor, should I go back to Ravenclaw?" asked Artemis in an abnormally high voice.
"No, you are coming with me." said McGonnagall very sternly.
"But Professor..."
"Silence Ms.Granger."
Artemis and McGonnagall walked up several staircases and got to a statue of a Gargoyle. "Oh no" thought Artemis "she's taking me to Dumbledore, I'm going to be expelled."
"Cockroach Cluster" said McGonnagall to the Gargoyle which jumped aside."In you step, Artemis, I have alerted the headmaster of your behavior, and he I suspect has alerted your head of house."
When Artemis walked into Dumbledore's office she saw Fawkes the Pheonix, who happened to be a favorite of hers. "Hullo Fawkes," she said gloomily, "I suspect this shall be the last time I see you, I'm going to be expelled, I just know it. I was only trying to help, oh Fawkes."
"Well," said a voice, "what is all this talk of being expelled?" Artemis turned around and saw Dumbledore, not smiling, but not looking as furious as she suspeted. Artemis stood up tall, waiting and hoping for the best.
"I entered the Gryffindor common room," said Artemis gloomily. "I was only trying to help Harry! He's sick, Professor!"
Dumbledore looked amused. He cast a sidelong glance at Fawkes (who was preening his feathers) and sighed.
"Sit down, Artemis," Dumbledore said, taking a seat behind his desk."Now..."
Slytherin Common Room
Draco jumped up and wrung his hands with delight.
"Its working, then!" he said happily. Marsea looked almost embarassed.
"Er, sit down Draco," she said, patting the spot beside her. "Come on..."
Draco sat down and planted a happy kiss on her cheek. Pansy looked scandalized, Marsea; stunned.
"My my, let us not get TOO wound up," Professor Snape said quietly, watching from the fire place. "Lest anyone should detect something...?"
"Sorry," Draco muttered. Marsea sighed.
Hospital Wing
"Dearie me," Madam Pomphrey said, bustling around the room with her arms full of this and that. "You should have brought him to me the minute he looked sick! This is serious!"
Hermione and Ron looked at each other with fright.
"How serious, Madam Pomphrey?" Ron asked. She didn't look up from the spell book she was leafing hurriedly through.
"I told you," she snapped. "VERY serious! Now don't ask any more questions!"
Dumbledore's Office...
"Now, I am not about to expell you, though Snape seems very anxious for that to happen. I am however giving you a warning. Artemis, If you break another rule you will be expelled. Now I will leave you to the capable hands of Professor Flitwick.
"Artemis," said Flitwick in his squeeky voice, "I am shocked and amazed that any
of my students, you most of all, would be found in Gryffindor Boys dormitory. I believe a detention is in order, and about points..."
"Please Professor, don't take off points, I know what I did was wrong, but I was only trying to help Harry, he's very sick."
"Yes Artemis, but circumstances call that I take off twenty points, I am sorry."
A young woman walked through the Hogwart corridors.. A lot of students stared at her and gasped while she passed them by. Melian Millstone smiled she had a certain impact on people because she was half Veela and half nymph.
Melian had been at school with the marauders and befriended them very well. But a twist of fate led her be transferred from Gryffindor to Slytherin.. She was quickly placed within the group of Snape and was betwen two fires. Still she managed to keep both the marauders as the Death Eaters close to her as very good friends.
She sighed as she opened the common room of Slytherin. Many of her fellow friends thought that she had died but actually she turned out to be quite alive..
Draco and Marsea looked at the person who enterd the common room. Draco gasped "I know her, she stands on some pictures of my dad, that is.....
At that moment their head of the house stopped pacing and looked at the new comer. He stared at her. "Melian is that you?"
Melian nodded. She hadn't change a bit since her disappearance, one of traits of being a nymph, not aging.... "What is wrong? Didn't expect to see your fiancee back?"
Artemis walked out of Dumbledore's office feeling, to say the very least, very relieved, only 20 points from Ravenclaw, heck they could make that up in one quidditch game. She did however feel a need to talk to her favorite teacher, Professor Lupin, so she went up the corridor and finally reached his classroom.
"Why, Artemis, good to see you, but shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I got sent to the Headmaster's office, but only twenty points from Ravenclaw."
"What did you do?"
"Ummmm, ended up in the Gryffindor Boy's Dorm...please don't ask! But, Professor, what is going on, I am sensing some serious evilness ((is that even a word)) here, and it was focusing around Harry when he was unconcious, but when he woke up it was gone." said Artemis very worriedly.
"Well Artemis, Voldemort is rising again and..."
"Yes, I know, but, look, I should get to bed, see you at lessons tomorrow." After good-byes, Artemis headed towards Ravenclaw when suddenly a suffocating darkness broke around her in the corridor. Right before she passed out she whispered one small, barely audible word,
"Snape..."
In The Slytherin Common Room...
Marsea gasped at Melian's words. Fiancee? She looked at Draco for answers. He was as stunned as she was. They both looked at Snape, who was still sneering, but his usual expression had faded a bit.
"I.. I thought you were... Dead." he stuttered. "You.. you fell off of that cliff.. how?" He stumbled over his words some more. "You look lovely." he said quietly.
Marsea smiled a bit. She had never seen Snape looking so... human. She glanced over at Draco, who was wearing his usual smirk.
"Looks like our Snape has himself a girlfriend." Said Draco in his cold drawl.
Melian smiled and turned her attention to the students. "Well if that isn't Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson and Brooklyn..." She had known their parents pretty well. She always had Sirius and Lucius Malfoy through transfiguration, and had her share of fights with Patricia Parkinson who had her eyes set for the same guy. Although she was no competition, Melian decided not to take any risks. Crabbe and Goyle were her favourite for carrying her books, although they were more intelligent than their sons.
She sat down next to Draco and broke into a grin. Draco looked at her and started to smile.
"So where has been Slytherin up to." She turned her head to Snape "I hope at least that we reach our annual quota of making Hufflepuffs cry and shiver." The other students smiled, it was clear to them that they had their new DADA teacher on their side.
" Alright I see, we are using the old prank again, so what is the big idea behind this?"
Just then the door of the common room opened and in stepped a fascinating boy that took away the breath of all the people in it. His silvery eyes was carelessly looking at everything in the room. Then his look stopped at Draco. His blood red mouth curled up into a charming smile.
"Well...is this Draco Malfoy I see...?"
His voice, clear as crystal rang out in the quiet room.Draco stared at him with alarmed eyes.The boy opened his mouth again.
"And who is this...Marsea..??? Well, well, well.."
The boy swiftly moved in their direction. All the other Slytherins were wondering if they should stop him before he did any harm to Draco and Marsea. In a flash he was beside Draco. He hadn't made a sound!! The boy looked into Draco's eyes. Then something surprising happened. The boy hugged Draco and Draco was hugging him back!
"Welcome to Slytherin, Requiem Malfoy!"
Requiem smiled a fascinating smile.
"Glad to see you dear cousin!!"
Marsea couldn't believe what was happening.
"This is Requiem, then?" she asked Draco awkwardly as the two embraced. Draco looked up, beaming. Marsea smiled at how *cough* handsome Draco looked when he smiled.
"Yes, this is my cousin!" he bellowed. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was looking interested. Interested in Snape, actually. And Snape was looking interested in her.
Pansy was eyeing the two with disgust.
"Women like that," she said to Marcus Flint. "They take away all the decent teachers around here!"
Marcus was looking amused. "Actually," he said, seemingly trying to choke back laughs. "She's brought out his tender side."
"But he's so mushy!" Pansy shreiked. "He'll start washing his hair and changing his appearance for...for her!"
Marcus watched Pansy with deep suspicion. 'Does she have something going on for Snape?' he thought to himself.
Artemis awoke in the hospital wing. She looked around her, but there was nothing but the cavernous walls and ceiling.
She tried to sit up, succeeded, then dropped back down onto her pillow; clutching her head with dizzyness.
"What happened to me?" she wailed. "Why can't I get up?"
"I feel fine!" Harry protested at the throng of Gryffindors who stood around his bed. He had been trying to get up for over half an hour.
"I seriously feel fine," he tried again. "I don't feel sick at all!"
"But maybe its a temporary thing," Hermione whispered. "Maybe it'll come back!"
Ron was looking unsure of himself. Hermione had her hands on her hips. The rest were staring at Harry, mouths agape. He wished they'd all go away.
"What if Voldemort's behind it!" Came a loud holler. The group parted to reveal a fourth year girl. She was very pretty indeed. Ron's jaw dropped and Hermione made a rude noise in her direction.
"What're you talking about?" Fred asked, eyeing her satiny brown hair and dark eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"What if he's behind it?" she said again. "He's risen you know. I just thought..."
"You don't think," Hermione spat. "You're just trying to freak everyone out, Garlinda!"
"Nice to see you too," Garlinda said matter-of-factly to Hermione.
"You two know each other?" Ron asked as if nothing were wrong.
"Of course!" Garlinda said bubbily, draping an arm over her shoulders and giving the crowd a dazzling smile. "We used to be friends."
"Used to," Hermione muttered, moving away from her.
"The Gryffindors got a new member today," Draco said as the school entered the Great Hall for dinner. "Her name's Garlinda Gairloch or something."
"Yeah?" Requiem said, cranning his neck to see. "Is it that pretty one with brown hair?"
Draco glanced over. "Yeah."
Marsea walked behind the two, scowling at their backs. "Forget me, then!" she whispered. "I'll just find someone else to hang around with!"
"Hello?!" yelled Marsea, who was still being ignored. "You DO realize that your ogling over a Gryffindor?"
Draco turned around quickly, grinning. "It wasn't me." he said quickly. "I was just... commenting on the fact that Gryffindor has a... new student." he cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly. "I wasn't ogling."
"Hmph." Marsea frowned.
"I wasn't! She's not even pretty.." He smiled again, looking sooo cute that Marsea couldn't help but smile a bit.
She stood, looking at him, with her arms folded across her chest.
"Oh, come on Marsea, you KNOW you're the prettiest girl at this school."
They sat down at the Slytherin Table in the Great Hall. Marsea looked around at the rest of the Slytherin girls. Pansy Parkinson was wearing even more of a scowl than usual, if that was possible. Marsea smiled a bit.
Just then Marcus Flint came over and sat down. "Guess what, you guys?" he looked excited. "I think Parkinson's got a thing for Snape."
Marsea and Draco snorted in unison.
"A THING?" asked Draco.
"For..*cough* SNAPE?" Marsea almost broke into laughter right there. That was just so absurd. Looking over at Pansy, she grinned even more broadly.
"Well," she sad quietly to Draco, "I suppose she's over you. Maybe she'll leave me alone.."
Requiem said in a very much amused tone.
"So thats whats between Draco and Marsea!!Draco,I thought you'd never like a girl only a few years ago!!"
Draco smiled and answered.
"Well that few years made a big change for me, I guess. And by the way, when has 5 years become a 'few'??"
Requiem grinned and then turned to Pansy.
"Wow so you liked Draco did ya??? Well.. good thing that you gave it up 'cause Marsea is no one you can compare with..."
He said with a smirk. But seeing Pansy's puzzled face and added in a hiss that sent a shiver everyone's spine, "If you're not smart as to understand that...look into a mirror and you'll soon know."
And then looking at Draco's direction said, "Was that too mean of me...? I just wanted you two to be happy without any...obstacle..."
He stared at Pansy with silver flames burning inside his eyes.
"Cheer up, Hermione!" Ron ordered sternly as Hermione dragged herself over to a chair at the Gryffindor table. "Garlinda's not that bad!"
Hermione made a tutting noise, then reached into her bag for her Transfiguration book. As if on cue, Garlinda appeared.
"Oh, do you carry that bag around everywhere?" She asked, sitting down across from her old friend. Hermione looked sour.
"Of course!" she spat. "Sometimes I get bored, so I read. It helps me catch up on my school work. But oh...there's no book in front of YOU. Maybe that's why you fail all the time."
Ron was looking impressed and aghast. Garlinda turned beet red, then she got up and joined the Slytherin table.
"What happened between you two, anyway?" Ron inquired as if nothing was wrong. Hermione poured herself some juice and propped her book open using the pitcher.
"Tell you later," she muttered. "Long story."
"What're you doing over here?" Draco asked cooly as the new Gryffindor took a seat across from him. The other Slytherins were looking scandalized.
"I'm just here!" she hissed. "I can't stand to be over there, so..." she jerked her thumb over her shoulder to indicate that the Gryffindor table was the topic of her complaint. Draco nodded.
"Can't stand em' myself," he said. "Especially when Potter's around. You know Potter I'm sure."
"He's sick or something," Garlinda responded eagerly. "Its all quite funny actually. If I was sick like that, nobody would care."
"But its Potter!" Marsea piped in cruelly. "Everyone's his servant."
"Like I said," Requiem cut in. "An enemy of Draco's is an enemy of mine."
"Precicely," Draco said curtly. Requiem smiled. Garlinda noticed how cute he was. He caught her eye and winked. She didn't know what to do with her face; she was so surprised. Instead of smiling, she ended up with a weird sort of grimace. Requiem looked away. Garlinda mentally kicked herself.
Suddenly Marsea noticed what they were doing.
"She's a Gryffindor!" she suddenly shreaked, standing up and pointing at her. "Get away from us! I'll bet she's spying!"
The whole hall fell silent except for Hermione, who was laughing her head off.
Requiem had a mocking look in his eyes.He whistled lowly.
"Well...at last they have gone mad...those Gryffindors...!"
The Gryffindor's turned their heads to look at the new comer at Hogwarts. Startlingly charming and surely fascinating, a new face was sitting right next to Draco. He was staring at their table without a bit of hesitation. The cold look in his eyes gave all a chill.
"So...are you really gone mad, girl??? Or is she always like that???"
He asked, looking back at the Slytherins.
"I don't know her," said Marsea coldly, glaring at Garlinda. No Gryffindor had the right... but oh well, it's okay. She's no match.
Marsea continued to scowl however, and soon (but not soon enough for her taste) Draco noticed.
"Are you still in a huff over HER?" he asked, smirking.
"No." Marsea said quickly.
"Good, because I'M not interested in her, and what do you care if Requiem is?
"I don't," she said slowly. "But- but she shouldn't be over here. She turned to Garlinda. "Go back to the Gryffindor table already." she scowled.
"Mmm, okay." said Garlinda, with a half smirk.
Marsea continued to look huffy until Garlinda had returned to the Gryffindor table and sat down.
"I just don't like her, that's all." said Marsea, with a note of finality in her voice.
Draco smiled again. "It doesn't look like your buddy Hermione likes her much either," he said, motioning to the Gryffindor table, where Hermione's scowl had returned.
Requiem had a grin on his face. "This is getting better and better..." He said in a low tone, his cold eyes staring straight at Hermione. He then moved his look to Garlinda.
"Hmmm...."
The tip of his red tounge came out.Then as if he just thought about it he asked the Slytherins.
"Who..is...Harry Potter???"
The Slytherins threw a 'look' at Requiem. A look of disbelief. Draco answered with a smirk.
"That messy guy over there with jet black hair and green eyes...Oh, the guy drooling over at a Ravenclaw..." Draco said this in a big voice meant for Harry to hear. Ron clenched his fists. Harry stopped him-with a beet-red face.
"Just ignore him Ron...You know that's not true...!"
Requiem looked at the Ravenclaw girl who Harry had been staring at. She was quite pretty. No, to be truthful veeeeeeeeery pretty. Only, she wasn't as pretty as Marsea. Only she wasn't his type!!!
Her eyes met with his and then she turned red.
Requiem smirked.So...its time to take over that nerd...the famous Harry Potter. Requiem winked at Draco,and hissed.
"Just see this... "
Requiem headed towards the Ravenclaw table. All the Slytherins put on a expression of shock. Only Draco had crossed his arms over his chest and was wearing a smug look.
"Do you guys now what Requiem's nickname was?"
All the Slytherins shook their heads. Requiem was already at the Ravenclaw table, and the girl was getting redder by the second.
"It was..."
Draco's usual drawl was back.
"Charming Hell..."
The Ravenclaw girl who was of course Cho Chang was feeling her heart beating faster and faster. That was a Slytherin (not to say the fact dazzling) coming to the Ravenclaws...for her!!!
"Hey...."
Requiem's voice had turned husky. His silver eyes were so sexy Cho Chang couldn't take her eyes off... Even though she did blush.
"H..Hi..." She whispered the words. She just kept on blushing. Requiem was making faces inside. 'Blushing... well... that is kind of cute...but ...ugh. That Gryffindor girl was better than this...although she did make a face at me...Well that was at least a new experience! The first girl who made a face at me in all my life...'
He shook his head slightly making his shiny bluish silver hair dance.
'Well...let's start making that just recovered- from- poison Potter sick...wit jealousy....'
Requiem smiled a dazzling smile.He smiles a lot but there never is a same smile.
"What may this beauty's name be...?"
The misty look in his eyes were magic...oh so desperate!!!
"Cho...Cho Chang..."
"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl..."
"And you're...?"
Requiem bowed in an elegant manner. "Requiem Malfoy..at your service...."
After some more conversations Requiem went back to the Slytherin table. "Well...that was not much fun," thought Requiem. He looked over at Harry. He was sure...he had a distant look in his face. The expression Requiem had seen from a lot of guys over the past...well, not on purpose. But this time it was and was he happy. He looked over at Draco. He had a look of joy. The next moment...
Thud.
Potter was down on the floor.And Madam Ponfrey rushed up in a second mumbling, " I knew this would happen..!I really did...!"
Lisa made her way to the great hall. She saw Marsea. "Can I sit here? Lisa asked.
"Sure" said Marsea.
Lisa saw a boy who looked like Draco. "I wonder who he is." She thought.
"Hey Marsea, who's the new guy?"
Marsea smiled at Lisa. "That's Draco's cousin, Requiem." Then she whispered "He's cute huh?"
Marsea looked over at Draco, who was watching her closely. She hoped he hadn't heard what she had said. She grinned at him. He HAD been looking at that Gryffindor after all, he had no right to say anything.
She turned back to Lisa. "So, how was you're break? Mine was great. We went to the annual Master Wizards Convention in Manchester. My daddy bought me a new broomstick, a FIREBOLT 2001. It's even better than the original, VERY expensive." She smiled again.
"Then I went to stay with Draco's family for a couple weeks. Do you know Lucius and Narcissa? They're very nice people. Well, as long as you're not a mudblood."
Artemis, still feeling a bit woozy, headed down to the great hall. She saw Hermione, Ron and Harry, and then she saw this new kid, Requiem, all the girls seemed to be goggling all over him, understandable, he was sort of cute...ok really cute, but not really her type. Then she saw some of her "friends" beckoning her to their table, she decided to pretend that she didn't see them and sat down next to Hermione who was looking furious.
"Whoa, Hermione, what's the matter?"
"...."
"Don't mind Hermione," said Ron, " An ex-friend just came by to say 'hi'."
"Er, that's rough, " replied Artemis, "and Harry what's the matter with you?" just noticing Harry looking distraught over at the Ravenclaw table. "You are NOT still on to Cho, please tell me you aren't!"
"...."
"Harry, she's no good for you, she's really really really a bubblehead, I really don't know how she got into Ravenclaw," said Artemis trying to keep her voice low, so nobody would hear her, but low and behold, over sauntered the new kid with the long hair.
Hermione had shrieked when Harry slid out of his chair in a dead faint. The Slytherin's roared with sickening laughter.
Ron's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. With a murderous look on his face he stood up and walked swiftly over to the Slytherin table.
"Come to beg for some money, Weasley?" Malfoy chortled, elbowing Requiem in the ribs softly. The cousin caught on fast.
"Yeah," he said. "Or are you just taking out a loan from Potty over there?"
The Slytherins all snorted into their food. Ron, his lips white with anger, whipped out his wand from his robes and bellowed,
"Serpensortia!"
The end of his wand exploded with a bang that shook plaster from the ceiling. All the teachers (except Professor Flitwick, who had fallen off his chair in fright) stood up and yelled at nobody in surprise.
The Slytherins, meanwhile, had all screamed in terror due to the fact that there was a humungus black snake slithering along the surface of the table, knocking plates and goblets askew.
"What the Hell d'you think you're doing?!" Marsea bellowed, scrambling over the top of the table to avoid being bitten. The snake fell off the end with a loud THUD.
Ron was looking as though someone had died.
Harry
Harry's minda had been perfectly clear (set aside from the fact that Malfoy was at it again). He was beet red, humiliated, when suddenly a blackening dizziness swept into his vision and he keeled over, onto the floor.
For a moment he saw nothing but claustrophobic blackness; like a lake at midnight. But then he heard a tremendous BANG which woke him up. Hermione was kneeling beside him, but looking up over the top of the table. He could hear screaming.
"Aah!" Hermione screeched as Harry got up behind her.
"Oh, thank God Harry!" she said breathlessly. "I was so worried-"
But Harry saw what was making people panic.
"HARRY!" Hermione roared as he leapt over the Gryffindor table, heading straight for Ron.
"What're you doing?!" He yelled, grabbing his friend by the shoulder. Ron was looking scandalized.
"Go sit down!" Harry ordered and Ron nodded. Marsea was wailing, plastered up against the wall by Crabbe who was bellowing like a wounded hippo.
Malfoy and Malfoy were hiding under the table, their hands over their heads. The black snake hissed threateningly before lunging at Harry who screamed,
"GET OUT OF IT!" in a loud, spluttering hiss. Instantly the snake did the exact same thing it had done at the dueling club in Harry's second year-fell over without another sound.
The hall had gone completely silent. The teachers were looking shocked.
"H-Harry Potter?" Professor Binns asked quietly. "A Parslemouth?"
The Slytherins were all still cowering stupidly against the walls. Harry turned to face them.
"S'okay, you gits! The snake's gone!"
Without another word, he walked out of the Great Hall; casting a glance at Cho before he left.
"What the HELL was that?" shrieked Marsea. "Crabbe, get off!" she pushed him away so that she could breathe.
She hopped off the dining table, peering underneath at the Malfoys, who were beginning to come out, looking as though they had never been scared at all.
Draco cleared his throat as he stood up, trembling noticably. "Potter is a Parselmouth, remember?"
"I KNOW that." said Marsea irritably. "I mean, what was wrong with Weasel? Can't he take a joke?"
Marsea glanced over at the Gryffindors, who had all looked at the door that Harry had escaped into. Ron walked over to the door, Slytherins were glaring at him as he went by.
"Marsea, are you okay?" asked Draco.
"Er.. yeah I'm fine. Other than that big oaf pinning me against the wall, that is." she pointed at Crabbe, who was still looking scared out of his mind. Goyle had rejoined him. Apparently, he had fallen on Pansy Parkinson, who took his trip as a sign that he was madly in love with her. She was telling anyone who would listen that he had grabbed her butt.
Marsea laughed. "What butt?" she said haughtily as she strolled over to Pansy. "My dear, no one would purposely fall on you even if you had used a love potion."
The Malfoys laughed as Marsea came strolling back over to them.
"She's a riot." Marsea said, grinning at Draco, who had put is arm around her waist.
Meanwhile, with our favorite Parselmouth...
Harry rushed out of the dining hall, feeling even dizzier than before. He knew that at any second he could pass out. "I've got to get to the Hospital Wing" he thought. He had made it about 20 feet before his mind once again slipped into total darkness.
This time, he heard a voice. "Hello, Harry." it hissed. "What, are you surprised to hear from me? You didn't honestly think that I would be gone did you? Oh, dear no. The fun has just begun. I have my faithful servant there at Hogwarts, dear Harry. No, not Wormtail, he was weak. No, this one will serve me better than Wormtail ever could have. You better watch your back, Potter. You know I will."
Harry's vision turned a blinding green, and the faces of all the laughing Slytherins returned.
"Hey Potter!" he was rushed back to conciousness. "Potter, what, did you see a dementor?" Draco Malfoy's cold drawl rose up all around him, and he opened his eyes to see 3 Slytherins standing above him.
"Potter, you really need to see someone about this, we can't have Potty all over the Great Hall now can we?" Marsea laughed. The 3 of them stepped over Harry and walked back into the Great Hall.
Ron Weasley was running toward them.
"Uh oh," said Marsea. "The serpent master returns." she sniggered. Ron ran past them, glaring, out into the hallway.
Harry was still on the floor, dazed. Was that truly Voldemort? Harry had been thinking he was much too quiet nowadays. But...who is the new servant of his?
Harry shook his head.The strength in his legs had all drained out and he didn't have enough power to stand up.
"Phew..." That was when he saw a glimpse of something silver.
"Statio..." A small but clear voice said. Harry could feel himself get up.
"What on earth...?"
He turned to see the person who put magic on himself.It was Requiem Malfoy,all by himself. The guy's cold eyes had no expression in them. They were colder than anything Harry had ever seen.
"Total humiliation...Dragged along by...Well Potter, you certainly did ... but you'll soon find that you're not that great...You may know but I am stronger than you...See?"
As he said those words Harry could feel a dangerous something flow endlessly from Requiem's body. He couldn't even breathe. Then suddenly it all vanished.
"Well Potter, you did great." He said. "Repiprocare. Harry's bed."
Harry started to go away, and Requiem went too.
Melian sighed as she saw the Slytherins slowly coming in. Most of the students waved and smiled at her. Their parents knew her very well and she had seen the most of them as babies.
"Before we start todays lesson I would like to introduce a new student" A girl stood up and looked around the class. She was a younger version of Melian and was without a doubt a relative of hers. "Ahum, my name is Morgana and I just arrived here as an exchange student from Holland." All the students looked at her and some smiled.
"Please take a seat next to Requiem" Melian continued.
The lesson turned out to be very intresting. Melian taught them how attack their opponent from far away. At the end of the lesson Pansy waved around with her hand.
Melian smiled. "What is wrong Parkinson?"
"Is it true that you use a hiding spell to conceal your true looks?"
Draco hissed and turned to Marsea, Requiem and Morgana. "That is no secret, my dad knew that already. But he never told why. Why does she ask that?"
Morgana smiled "That is because my aunt is half veela and half nymph. She hates that people always stare at her and uses that spell since she was first year at Hogwarts"
Melian looked disturbedly at Pansy. "Much like your mother, Parkinson. How is Patricia doing?" While saying that she pointed the wand at herself and showed them their true face. Some gasped and other started to whisper.
Draco turned his face back to his friends. "She is indeed very pretty, I think that will shut Pansy's big mouth."
Pansy looked beyond herself and turned her head to Marcus. " I don't understand why Snape would like her. But my mother comes for a visit this week so Melian will be gone soon".
Marcus chuckled at the very thought; a jealous Patricia and Pansy chasing Snape. He had to see this...
When the lesson was over the Slytherins left for potions. Morgana caught up with the others.
"Ahum Marsea? Can I sit next to you during potions?"
Marsea nodded "Of course you can."
At that moment Pansy passed them and gave Requiem and Marsea a push. Morgana turned around and shot a bolt out of her wand. The blast caused Pansy to be blown into the potions room. She turned purple and her face got red spots. The Slytherins laughed and Snape said that she go to the hospital wing on her own. Morgana smiled and walked into the potion room.
Marsea and the others followed her and they sat down.
"Were did you learn that?" Marsea asked.
"From Melian, she know tons of tricks. she is a practicer of the art of necromancy."
Requiem turned to the girls. "I thought that was a forbidden art?"
"Yes it is, Melian is the last one who knows how to use it."
Snape cleared his throat. "I see we have a new dunderhead in Slytherin. What is your name?"
"Morgana Millstone."
Daunte awoke strangely. Today was Potions with the Gryffindors. "Hee hee this is going to be fun." He crawled out of bed to wake Dean and Mason. Problem was, they weren't in bed. Curious, he went down to the common room.
He saw a small note on the chair where he usually sat. He picked it up.
It read:
Daunte-
I think Mason's in trouble. I heard him screaming when I came down here early this morning.
Gone to look for him.
~Dean
Daunte squeezed the parchment in his hand, then ran off to find them.
"What's next, Hermione?" Ron asked quietly as she dug through her book-infested bag.
"Honestly Ron," Hermione snapped. "Can't you get your own timetable out?"
"No," Ron said simply. "I lost it."
Hermione sighed. "We have double potions with the Slytherins. Are you happy?" But Ron looked as if he were about to vomit. Suddenly the portrait door opened and Harry clambered through. He looked strangely lopsided, shaken and white as a ghost.
"What on earth...!" Hermione gasped as Harry collapsed in front of the crackling fire.
"I...heard...someone...in...my head!" Harry wheezed, clutching his middle. "It
sounded...like...Voldemort..."
Ron and Hermione exchanged dark looks.
"Harry," Ron said. "You're sick. You might have been hallucinating or hearing things..."
Harry didn't look so sure.
"You going to be all right coming to potions?" Seamus asked, dropping down beside them all. Harry gave him a weak smile and tried to nod, but it must have hurt him greatly because he hissed in pain.
"You sure?" Hermione asked worriedly. Harry looked ready to punch someone if they asked him another question.
"This will be excellent!" Requiem said excitedly as the throng of Slytherins made the quick trip to the potion classroom. Professor Snape welcomed them with a rare smile.
"The Gryffindors aren't here yet," he said in his usual barely-audible whisper. "Take your seats and do whatever until they arrive."
"Is it ready?" Marsea asked, her eyes bright as fire. Draco smiled at her and moved his chair closer, making Pansy scowl.
"Certainly," Requiem said with a smirk that said all to clearly that something bad was up. "Wouldn't miss it."
The temperature dropped with every step the Gryffindors took on their way to the dungeons. Harry kept groaning and stumbling along the wall, barely able to hold himself up.
Requiem raised the Majilan eye-level with himself and set to work. He could see the Gryffindors on their way down to potions in the orb's depths. Then he closed his eyes and sent his power into it...
Harry felt horrible enough without this happening on top of all that. He suddenly felt as though a one-hundred pound block had been dropped onto his shoulders and he fell down the wet, slippery stairs; landing in a crumpled heap at the bottom.
"Harry!" Ron and Hermione screamed in unison, running down after their friend. Harry wasn't moving.
"Why're you picking on him like this?" a girl asked Requiem sadly as the trio burst into laughter.
Snape didn't look up from his lesson book, but he did smirk.
"Because he's a git!" Marsea said between gasps of laughter. "Do something else!"
"No," Reqiem said in a whisper. "The grand finale is going to take place in here...."
Marsea smiled. "Ooh, I can't wait."
She gazed at Requiem, whose cold eyes burned into hers. After a moment, she turned to face Draco.
He was looking as though someone had just told him that his family had gone broke.
"What?" asked Marsea.
"You... I need to talk to you." he said quickly. "Come with me."
Marsea excused herself from the table and walked over to the corner of the classroom with Draco.
"Now, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Don't- don't think I don't see the way you look at him!" hissed Draco, in a kind of emotion Marsea had never seen before.
She was scandalized. "What?" she asked loudly. "You think-" she quieted her voice, as people were beginning to stare. "You think I like your cousin? Never! Come ON Draco, you know I don't like anyone else. Please." she was exasperated. He had never shown so much jealousy in such a short period of time.
"You certainly seem to show an interest." said Draco sullenly. "It's always the same."
Marsea looked at the rest of the classroom. The Gryffindors had arrived and were all staring, as were the Slytherins.
"Look, I don't know if this is a good time..." said Marsea.
"Mmm, I suppose not."
Pansy Parkinson quickly stood up. "Lovers quarrel?" she said in her annoying high-pitched squeal.
Marsea shot an ice glare at Pansy, and, grabbing Draco's hand, walked back to their desks.
Meanwhile. . .
"Harry!" yelled Hermione again. "Wake up! This is serious."
"Sirius," moaned Harry. "I need.. Sirius."
He quickly sat up. "Well, let's get to class!" he said brightly.
Hermione and Ron exchanged worried glances.
"Er, Harry." said Ron. "Are you, felling allright? I mean, y'just passed out there on the floor and now you're eager to hang out with the Slytherins, I dunno.."
"I'm FINE" said Harry quickly.
They all walked slowly into the Potions Dungeon. Apparently something was going on, everyone was staring at the corner of the room.
Ron snorted. "Looks like Malfoy has emotions, he looks about to cry!"
Hermione laughed too. "Maybe his Girlfriend is dumping him, maybe she's, you know, come to her SENSES!"
Harry grinned a bit. It was nice to see Malfoy looking almost human.
Artemis ran up to Harry, "Harry, you've got to listen to me, there is something seriously wrong going on! We need to see Professor Lupin, and you're right you should probably write Sirius as well." she said very quickly.
"Wha??? Artemis, slow down, WAIT! how do you know about Sirius?"
"Harry, there's no time, you've got to speak to Lupin, and write Sirius." she was getting very out of breath, "please hurry, it's Snape, just tell, Lupin that I said that it's Snape and... and Re-----." She then fell into a dead faint.
"What should we do?" asked Harry.
"Well," said Hermione, "Artemis has always had these really strong intuitions, let's talk to Lupin and he can advise us."
"Well, maybe first you three should get Pomfrey." said a certain long silver haired boy with a smirk.
Morgana smiled as she watched the Gryffindor being tortured, until Harry and her eyes met and she felt a strange feeling coming over her. There was something strange about him...
Harry felt the numb pain and saw a new girl standing behind Requiem Malfoy. She tried to turn her eyes away but they met. He saw something very familiar in them.
Melian looked at Lupin and did not try to hide her anger. " If this goes wrong we are in big trouble"
Lupin smirked "Don't worry I got it all planned out"
Melian didn't felt to sure about this. "He has always forgiven me everything. Even the fact that I became Harry's godmother. But this? I don't really know..."
"Just talk to Severus already."
She sighed and left the room. As she was on her way to the great hall, she saw a bunch of students standing there. When she made her way, Requiem, Draco and the others backed away.
"And what is the meaning of this all?"
Potter scowled and broke down on the ground.
"Someone put a charm on him, a very creative someone." she summoned a large wand and pointed it at harry. "There, this should lighten it up a little."
Requiem and the others eyed this with great interest. No one had ever been able to break a spell that easily. "Granger and Weasley, take him to Poppy". She turned to the Slytherins and smiled in a very cruel way. "You had a lot of luck this time. But If I find out that you will try to pull this prank again I will have to report it to Snape. Understood?" They nodded gladly, any other teacher would have given them three weeks of detention and a loss of points.
Melian walked into the great hall and was baout to sit down when she caught a glimpse of someone.
"Patricia Parkinson." McGonagall said slowly.
"What is that git doing here?" Flitwick asked.
"Hunting down men just like her daughter."
Melian felt a shivering going down her spine, she had hated the girl so much. Patricia was everthing that Melian wasn't. Melian had been popular, loved and Patricia always tried to destroy that by chasing after.... Snape?
She saw how Patricia launched herslef in his arms and gave him a kiss. The poor guy didn't know hat to do. Melian hissed and McGonagall looked with disapproval.
Marsea looked at the door. A Ravenclaw girl had run in, said something to Potter, and passed out on the floor.
"Wow," said Marsea, shaking her head, "People are fainting all over the place." She turned to Morgana. "So, you're from Holland huh? Do you know many people here? My family knows everyone. We're very prominent here in the Wizarding World. Do you know Draco and his family?" she pointed to Draco, who was still scowling.
Marsea shook her head. "He's in a bad mood." she smiled a bit, looking at Draco. "Oh, stop that. You know how much attention you've attracted?"
Draco stopped scowling.
Hermione, Ron, and Harry looked frantically back and forth at each other. Should they trust Requiem? Just to solve the problem Madame Pomfrey walked bye and saw Artemis. Heaving a great sigh they she took her to the hospital wing. Requiem walked back to Marsea.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione rushed towards Lupin's office where they found him sitting at his desk looking worried.
"It's Artemis, isn't it?" he said worriedly, "I should have known better then to dismiss her worries."
"What? Professor, what's going on?" asked Hermione.
"Artemis came to me a couple nights ago, she was distressed about Potter's fainting and she was having some bad feelings. Artemis has very strong intuitions."
"What? Is she a diviner?" asked Harry thinking about the fraud, Professor Trelawney.
"No, not a diviner as such. She has a secret that I promised not to say, but it might be of importance. Oh, I'll tell you, Artemis is related to Sirius, remotely, but still related, and she's also, more directly, related to Voldemort." At this Ron gave a shudder.
"But if she was related to You-Know-Who, wouldn't she be a Slytherin?" Asked Hermione.
"Not necessarily, she also had a counter power in Sirius, and she did not want to be in Slytherin, so she was put into Ravenclaw."
The potions lesson began. Snape didn't seem to take that fact that Ron, Hermione and Harry were absent too hard. He looked happier.
Marsea was trying as hard as she could to concentrate on rotting potions, but for some inexplicable reason, her sight seemed to steer itself over to Requiem.
"Stop it!" she screamed mentally. "You're not supposed to like anyone but Draco! Draco, Draco, Draco!"
But her sight stuck on the cousin. Requiem felt her eyes on his back and turned round in his chair; giving her a winning smile.
Draco looked beside himself with fury.
"Artemis is related to Voldemort?!" Harry asked with disbelief. "But then...Sirius...?"
"Don't ask any more questions, please." Said Lupin. "Just please return to your class. This isn't anything that we can't handle."
"Mr. Malfoy," Snape said, looking highly amused. "Is there something wrong?"
Draco seemed to snap out of a haze that was invading his brain; turning his body numb. "N-no, sir," he stuttered, throwing a glare at Requiem. "Nothing at all!"
Garlinda looked sympathetic. She met Draco's gaze and raised her eyes to the ceiling then went back to chopping her rotten anchovies into quarters.
Draco smiled at Garlinda, 'Hey,' he figured, 'If Marsea can goggle at Requiem, I can smile at Garlinda.'
Marsea of course noticed Draco smiling and decided to take matters into her own hands,
"Millicent dear, may I switch with you and sit next to Draco?"
"Sure Marsea," said Millicent, "Glad that she now got to sit closer to Requiem.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the hospital wing, but instead of heading for potions, for they still took Artemis's warning to heart, they set out for Dumbledore's office. When they reached the statue guarding the way Harry stepped forward and started calling out candy names, "Chocolate Frogs, Bertie-Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Cockroach Clusters, Sherbet Lemon, BLOOD LOLLY-POP!" the Statue stepped aside, "Gosh, his choices are getting weirder every year."
The trio hiked the stairs and then knocked on the Headmaster's door three times. Dumbledore opened the door with his eyes twinkling, "Ahhh, I see you three have decided to skip Potions."
"Professor, Sir, It's about Artemis, we heard that shes related to..." said Hermione trailing off.
"To Voldemort, yes, though rather distantly. Also to Sirius, Is this a problem?"
"Oh no," said Harry, "but, does this mean that she's a parselmouth? And how is she related to BOTH Sirius and Voldemort?"
"Harry, from what I know she is not a parselmouth, though you managed to hide it from me for a while, and she is related to Voldemort through her mother, and Sirius through her father, so no, Sirius and Voldemort aren't related. Though she is not a parselmouth, Artemis has gotten her mother's, that is Sirius's, I assume ex, wife's skill of well, it's not divination, it is something much more firm than that, though I don't quite know what it is."
"So, she's Sirius's daughter?" asked Ron.
"Yes."
"Then why is her name Adams."
"She chose it herself, her Mother is in Azkaban for being a Voldemort follower, and Sirius is on the run, though I believe they keep in touch via owl post."
"Thank you Professor." said Hermione, as the trio marched down the steps.
Back in the Hospital Wing Artemis awoke screaming.
"Child, calm down." said Madam Pomfrey.
"I need to speak to father, he's outside, the big black dog, also please, I need Harry and Ron and Hermione."
"Artemis, you need rest."
"Here, I'll let them in," said Prof. Lupin appearing out of nowhere.
"Remus, you have no right!"
"Poppy, don't keep this girl away from her father."
"Her father's a DOG?????"
"He's an Animagus."
"Fine, I surrender, I'll get Potter, Granger, and Weasley."
"Thank you Professor, " Said Artemis, "Sirius!" she squeeled when seeing the black dog. The dog was lying down at the foot of her bed when Harry, Ron and Hermione entered.
"This is enough." Marsea thought. "I'm not gonna look at that guy EVER again. I must think of Draco.," she repeated in her head again "Draco Draco Draco Draco..." She frowned. Draco was looking at her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, smirking.
"Yes!" she said, taken off guard. "Perfectly.. fine.." her eyes drifted over to Requiem, who was trying to sit as far away as possible from Millicent, who kept scooting toward him, batting her eyes. Marsea went into a daze...
"Dammit!" she said, shaking her head and smiling at Draco. "So, how are you doing?.."
"Sirius!" Harry said excitedly as the great black dog transformed into a man. Sirius enveloped Harry into a tight hug; whispering, "Harry, Harry, Harry..." as though he couldn't believe it was really him.
Artemis sighed happily from the bed and Sirius turned to her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked worriedly. Artemis smiled weakly.
"I dunno..."
"For homework," Snape said nastily (more to the Gryffindors than the Slytherins) "I want a roll of parchment's worth of an essay about the earliest potions for shrinking and growing as you can find. The one who gets the most historic one will gain house points." He shot a nasty glare at Hermione's empty seat. The class filed out, chatting about potions. Draco pulled Marsea aside.
"Look," he said, his voice quivering. "If you don't like me anymore...say it! If Requiem's more your choice, I can't stop it. I just wish you'd tell me what's going on!"
Marsea couldn't believe her ears. "Did someone pour shrinking potion on these?" she said, pointing to them. "Cause I didn't hear you right. You wanna know if I like Requiem?!"
"You're always looking at him," Draco said sullenly. "I thought..."
"You thought!" Marsea said in bewilderment. "Malfoy baby, how many times have I told you that I don't like that cousin of yours?"
Draco looked unsure of himself. "You're not lying to me, are you?" He asked as though afraid Marsea would start laughing at him.
"No," she said softly. "Don't worry."
He put his arm around her waist and the two walked up the stone steps.
In the doorway to the potions classroom, Severus Snape eyed the couple with a scowl, his arms crossed over his chest.
"She must be dehydrated or something," Madam Pomphrey said, bustling around the hospital wing with various items in her arms. "Could you get her some water, dear?" she added to Harry. Harry filled a goblet and gave it to his distant relative, who drank deeply.
"Thanks," she said breathlessly. Sirius looked so sad that Harry's heart broke for him.
"S-she'll be all right, won't she?" Sirius asked, turning to Madam Pomphrey. She looked up from the medicine she was mixing and sighed.
"Maybe."
Requiem shut himself in his dorm room and pulled the rough green curtains around his bed shut. Turning to the Majilan, he gave his power to it; as he had done in the hall with Harry. He saw everyone in the hospital wing. Harry was standing off to one side, looking at Artemis who was laying on the bed.
"Bye, bye, Potter," Requiem muttered with an evil grin.
Harry pitched forward and was barely able to stop himself from falling headlong into the floor. Hermione screamed somewhere through a dark green haze that had sifted into his vision.
"Harry!" Ron bellowed and he felt arms pulling him up. Harry swayed on the spot; clutching his head and moaning.
"What's happened?!" Artemis screamed weakly from the bed and Sirius bounded up. Harry collapsed back onto the floor and immediately his scar seared with immeasurable white-hot pain. He yelled in agony before seeing nothing but blackness.
"Got him!" Requiem cried jovially from his spot on the bed. He hollered through the door for Draco to come up as well.
"Look what I did!" the proud cousin said a minute later as Draco entered with a questioning look.
"Marvelous," he said quietly, his eyes locked on Sirius who seemed to be in shock. "Marvelous."
Marsea was sitting in the Slytherin Common Room when she heard Requiem yell for Draco to go and look at something. It was in the Boys Dormitory, so Marsea stayed in her chair.
A minute later, Draco came back, mumbling something about finally getting Potter.
"Oh no, what did you do this time?" Marsea asked, shaking her head.
"Let's just say that Potter's life is even more of a hell when Requiem is around."
Marsea looked at him. "And Yours? Is your life better with him here?" she asked, looking concerned. "You haven't relaxed since he arrived. You seem to think that I am attracted to him, and I'm not. Sit down." she motioned to the floor in front of her. "You're so tense."
Draco smiled. As tough as he appeared, he could never refuse a back rub.
The pain in Harry's head was blinding. He just sat for a while, clutching his forehead and moaning, and then it stopped.
He stood up slowly, looking around the room. Everyone was staring at him, still in shock.
"Harry, what-?" said Sirius
"My forehead." Harry said quickly. "There is no doubt in my mind that Voldemort is nearby." A few people gasped.
"You mean, 'you-know-who-'"
"Yes yes, him." said Harry quickly.
Requiem sat on his bed, grinning. Draco had returned to the Common Room, no doubt to be with his girlfriend, that jealous fool. He had always been that way. Requiem chuckled to himself. If he wanted Marsea, or anyone for that matter, for his own, no one would stop him. No one could.
"How can Voldemort be here?" Hermione asked qith a high-pitched, squeaky voice. "I mean," she added. "Hogwarts is the safest place for anyone..."
"It used to be," said a voice from the doorway. All six of them turned to see Professor Dumbledore. He looked sombre.
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked. Dumbledore sighed.
"I mean," the old wizard said. "That with this unexpected return of Voldemort, he may have figured out a way to get inside the school. We don't know yet."
Hermione and Ron were ghostly white. Madam Pomphrey was stirring her potion slowly, her mouth slightly open. Artemis was looking as though she'd rather faint again, and Sirius was looking angry.
"He won't come here," he growled. "I'll stay here for as long as it takes! I'll help out...I'll be a professor if I have to...!"
"Calm down, Sirius," Dumbledore said quietly. "Your name hasn't been cleared yet. If you show your face in this school, I expect that Malfoy character will have you turned in faster than you can say your own name."
Sirius hung his head and shuddered.
"What can we do?" Ron asked. "What can we do?"
"Ah, shut up you great git," Requiem said nastily as Ron finished his question. It was greeted by an awkward silence. The orb was glowing brilliantly, showing him everything that was being said and done in the hospital wing.
"I don't know yet," Dumbledore was saying. "But we can't just sit here and brood about it. First step is to bring everyone in who is loyal to the good side."
"What, to the school?!" Hermione asked doubtfully. Dumbledore shook his head.
"No," he said. "Not to the school."
"This conversation needs some...excitement!" Requiem said with a horrible grin. Again he went into his trance...
Harry, who had been feeling nothing but throbbing pain in his scar, yelped shrilly as a fresh wave spread over him like a bucket of water cascading over him in turrents. He moaned and dropped to the floor, tears flowing from his eyes.
"HARRY!" Sirius howled as Harry let out a painfully high-pitched scream.
Marsea thought she heard someone laughing up in the boys' dormitory. "I have to slip into my room for a sec," she said to Draco. "Be back soon."
But instead of heading up to her dorm, she sprinted up to the boys' and silently opened the door. The hangings around Requiem's bed were drawn tight and his laugh filtered out from inside. It made the sparse hairs on her arms and neck stand up.
Marsea crept quietly over to the bed and peeked in through the gap in the curtains. She stiffled a gasp as she saw Harry rolling around the hospital wing's floor, looking as though he was suffering from some sort of seizure. Requiem had never looked as odd as he was looking now.
His body was seized up and his eyes were closed tightly, and he was muttering non-stop under his breath.
Marsea cleared her throat and Requiem jumped in fright. The Majilan toppled off the bed and shattered on the stone floor.
Before he could rip back the hangings to see who had disrupted him, Marsea fled from the dorm and back down to Draco.
"What did you need?" he asked, putting his arm around her waist and causing Pansy to scowl.
"Nothing," she lied.
The pain was gone. It really was.
Harry got to his feet, trembling so much he thought his body would bounce off the floor.
"Oh my God," Madam Pomphrey said. She scurried around to a fresh bed and said, "Harry, you're going to stay here for a while. No, don't you complain. I've had enough of this!"
Sirius had fainted.
Marsea looked toward the boys' dormitory, where she had left Requiem. 'God, Marsea thought to herself. That boy is really weird, and what was he doing? Cursing Potter, of course.' But even he didn't deserve the pain that he looked like he was in.
Just then Requiem came sauntering into the Common Room, shooting a glance at Marsea that was unmistakable. He knew it was her.
Harry looked around the Hospital Wing once again. Madam Pomphrey was ushering him over to a vacant bed. He went, but at the same time, he did realize that the excruciating pain that the had felt moments before was gone. It had left as quickly as it had come.
"Really," he said nodding to everyone, "I'm fine."
"Nonsense Mr. Potter," said Madame Pomprey. "You will stay here for the night."
"I'll stay too." said Sirius, and Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes," he said. "That will be wise. The rest of you may leave. Mr Potter needs his sleep."
Everyone left except Harry, Sirius, Artimis, who was still in bed, and Madam Pomphrey, who was bustling around, mumbling something about "taking care of students like they were supposed to."
Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately...
He was in a room. It was all green, and looked as though it was moving, at least, the walls looked alive. Harry stood in the center of the room, and looked cautiously around him. A voice sounded through his brain, it was all around him.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter. We meet again, though this time it is in a place very near and dear to my heart. It IS my heart. Oh, don't be so surprised, of course I have a heart, although as you can see it is nothing like one would imagine. Enough with the formalities., I am here, Mr. Potter, to tell you that your momentary happiness will not be long-lived. You may have been allowed a brief reprieve from your torture, but do not think that you are safe. My servant is remaining true to me, and there is no way that you can triumph. Remember that.
The voice dissipated, and Harry continued to watch the pulsating walls with curiosity. Then they began to crawl. Millions of snakes were writhing around the room, all hissing at Harry in unison.
"Beware, Harry Potter, of the ones who follow the laws of the serpent, but do not alienate them, for the only one who can save you now is one who seems less than apt to."
The serpentine voices continued to burn into his soul, before slowly fading away. The room slowly dissapeared, but just before it did, two eyes appeared in the center of his vision. They were so blue that Harry could not tell whether they were human or that of some sort of beast, but they were beautiful. Harry could sense that these eyes could see deep into his mind. They burned into him..
And then he awoke.
Marsea was still sitting in the Slytherin Common Room when she suddenly felt a dull throbbing pain behind her eyes. She closed them, and they felt as if they were on fire. She looked at Draco.
"I'm really tired, she said, yawning, "And I think I may be getting a headache. I'm off to bed."
"Good night," he said dazily, gazing at her.
She smiled despite the pain behind her eyelids. "I think maybe you should get to bed too."
"All right then, I'll come with you."
"I don't think so." she said, grinning even more broadly.
She kissed him quickly and walked over to the door to the Girls Dormitory. Pansy Parkinson was also on her way over.
Pansy glared as she went by, and Marsea felt as though she could have burned a hole into Pansy's brain with the pain that was now overcoming her head.
She walked slowly to her bed and crawled under the covers, closing the curtains around her.
No sooner had she fallen asleep than she awoke suddenly, it was dark, but she could still see the outline of a person standing at the foot of her bed, watching her...
A tall, shy looking girl entered hogwarts. she was followed by her cat, Sly, and her owl, Misty, swooped down and landed on her shoulder.
She knocked on the headmaster's door. She entered and a kind looking man invited her in. There was a beautiful phoenix sitting on a perch eyeing misty.
"Please place this hat on you head, my dear. This will sort you, and what is your name?" the Headmaster asked.
"Um...Lisa...Lisa Hopkins" Lisa said while looking at the hat. She put it on...
A little voice in her head said "Hmmmmm, quite a nice mind u got there."
"Thank you"
"Not very shy, but not very brave, so that rules out Hufflepuff and Gryffindor!"
Lisa sat listening.
"Let's see....Slytherin or Ravenclaw?? Little quiz for you! Tell me, what you do, study or create mischief, and why."
"Well, wouldn't bother studing, I learn most of it in class, well...I would study, but not too hard. Mischief is fun, but in moderation."
"That case............Ravenclaw!"
Lisa sood up ready to leave.
"Sorry lisa...but it's late, so do u mind sleeping here near the fire until tomorrow until we sort out everything?" said Dumbledore.
"That's fine, Headmaster." lisa replied.
Lisa went to sleep on a bed near the fire, while misty flew to the owlery and Sly lay near her. Lisa thought, "this is going to be fun."
*Artimis Sleeping*
"Uncle Tom, Uncle Tom! You came home for winter holidays!" said a young girl, her dark brown hair in pigtails, and her green eyes twinkling.
"Yes, little Artemis, I did. And Sirius, how are you good man?"
"Fine, Tom, and you?" said a younger Sirius coldly.
"Oh fine, but I come with bad news." then all of a sudden the kindly genteel 'Uncle Tom' transformed into a pale man with slits for eyes and a face like a snake standing in front of Artemis, the man took out his wand and pointed it at her.
"NOOOO!" screamed Artemis, "Sirius, Professor Lupin, Headmaster, somebody..." and then Artemis awoke screaming, "DAAAAAAADDDDDDDD!! Help somebody he's going to kill me."
"Artemis...Artemis it's okay, nothing's happened." said Sirius.
"Sirius, he's here, Voldemort's here, he's going to come after Harry... he's going to come after ME!"
"Artemis that's impossible."
"Don't dismiss this, please, please, I need to speak to Dumbledore, it's Requiem, and Draco, and I think Snape."
"Alright Artemis, I'll try to call Dumbledore."
"AAHHHHHHH!!!" screamed Harry awaking, "NOOOOOO!" a white hot pain pierced his forehead.
"Harry!" screamed Artemis jumping out of bed before Sirius could grab her, "Harry, wake up, Harry, it's me!"
"Artemis?"said Harry.
"Harry, what did you dream?"
"Voldemort was here, Sirius, what's going on?" asked Harry.
"I don't know, but I'm not leaving either of you."
"Sirius... I'm scared. I'm never scared, but I'm scared now." said Artemis.
"Artemis, be brave, and I hate to do this, but I have to get Dumbledore, watch each other, and stay calm." Sirius said very concernedly wrapping Artemis and Harry in a big hug. "I'll be back soon."
Artemis climbed into her bed and curled into a ball, I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry. She then felt someone sitting down at the edge of her bed.
"Artemis, I'm scared, I've seen Voldemort, and it was only fool luck I lived, if he's here, in the school..." said Harry feebly.
I'm not going to... Artemis then sat up on her bed and saw Harry looking not at all like his normal brave self, but scared and defeated, and she put her head in her hands and started crying.
Daunte wondered where Mason and Dean could have possibly gone. He wandered aimlessly through the castle when he heard Dean.
"Daunte! Can you hear me? Down here! Help!"
Daunte searched for an entrance. He kicked down a suit of armor. Behind it was a small hole. Daunte could barely squeeze through.
He felt himself in a damp, dark cave. He saw Dean, standing a far distance from Mason, because a dark hooded figure was walking toward Mason, wand out.
"STOP!" Daunte yelled, but it was too late. The hooded figure yelled "Avada Kedavra!", a green light flashed, and Mason hit the floor.
Dead.
The hooded figure turned on his heel, and advanced toward Daunte and Dean.
Harry got up from his bed and walked, shakily, over to sit with Artemis. She was crying openly now, and Harry put his arms around her. Perhaps, to others, this might have looked like some form of comfort. But Harry actually liked it.
"It's going to be all right," Harry said, his voice trembling. Artemis noticed. She looked up into his face, a ray of moonlight splashing down hers from the window nearby, tears in her eyes. Harry held her gaze for a long time, not wanting to let go.
But then the door opened.
"Sirius?" Harry called uncertainly. He looked over to see who had come in, but nobody was there.
"Oh my God," Artemis cried in mounting fright. Nobody was at the door.
"It couldn't have just opened all by itself," Harry said, trying to sound brave. "I'll check."
"Harry!" Artemis cried, reaching for him. She looked him straight in the eyes. "You be careful now."
Harry nodded, a numb feeling pulsating through his body. He retrieved his wand from the small table beside his bed and crept over to the door.
Dim lights shone all the way down the long, drafty corridor, but it was clear. Harry closed the door and went back to sit down on the bed.
"Oh Sirius," Artemis was chanting, her hands on her cheeks. "Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, please!"
"Ar-" Harry started to say, but a loud creaking noise told them that the door had been opened again. Artemis began to scream and Harry rushed over to clamp his hand over her mouth.
"Quiet!" He ordered. "Um, I'll-I'll go back and...s-see what's out there?"
"No!"
"Why?"
"What if its..."
"I don't think it would be. Why would he waste his time fooling around like this?"
"But Harry..."
"I'll be OK."
Harry walked over to the door with more bravery than he had had a few seconds before. This time he went all the way out into the corridor and said,
"What? Did you want something? Hullo?"
He didn't expect what came next.
A high-pitched, cold voice shattered the stillness of the night, breaking into Harry with cold terror.
"Yes, I wanted something," it said. Harry backed into the wall and held his wand high.
"L-lumos!" Harry said and a bright light illuminated the hall. A tall man, skeletal-looking, ducked behind a stone pillar. Harry yelled and fled back into the hospital wing, slamming the door and propping it shut with a chair.
"What?!" Artemis shreiked. "Who was it?!"
"Voldemort or someone like him," Harry stammered. "We have to get away!"
"SIRIUS!" Artemis screamed at the top of her lungs. Suddenly, a loud banging noise filled the air.
Someone on the other side of the door was trying to force their way in.
Artemis, suddenly gaining her composure stood up, "Revelious" a bright blue light shot out of her wand, there was a thump, Harry and Artemis slowly walked over to the still figure.
"Lumos" whispered Harry.
Then when they were but a foot from the person Artemis stopped and started backing up quickly.
"Artemis, what's wrong?" said Harry.
"It's not Voldemort, Harry, it's it's..."
"Artemis, what is it?"
"It's my mum."
"Well, we'd better try to locate Sirius, ummm, here," said Harry taking out an old piece of Parchment, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." All of a sudden a map appeared.
"Good, he's coming. Oh, Harry, I'm sorry I cried, I probably drew her here, this is all my fault."
"Artemis, this is NOT your fault, Voldemort was just a bad person."
"No Harry, he wasn't, he, he was my Uncle Tom when I was really little, but then one day...one day, I was playing, and my muggle playmate came over and... he just went ballistic, ended up hurting the muggle. Oh, Harry, it's my fault." and then she started to cry again, "Why am I crying? I don't want to cry." Then Sirius walked in.
"Harry, what happened?" asked Sirius.
"Your Wi- Artemis's mother came in and tried to attack us." said Harry.
"Draco!" Marsea said exhasperatedly (is this a word?)at the figure at the foor of her bed.
"What on Earth are you doing here?"
He walked over to the side of the four poster and sat down. "I wanted to see you." was all he said.
"Oh," whispered Marsea. "But you just saw me an hour-"
"I know. But I couldn't sleep. Requiem is snoring like a baby and I can't help but think.. Well I just have this vision in my head of what he may be dreaming about, and.. and I don't think I can take him staying here any more." he sighed, looking as though he was about to cry. "He always takes everything away from me. My friends, my toys when I was younger, everything. He just gets whatever he wants, and it drives me insane. Do you know what his nickname was when we were younger? 'Charming Hell.' And is charming, there's no doubt. Girls always like him more than m-"
Marsea looked at Draco, this was definitly a new side of him. "Stop. Please." she said quietly. "Look, you really don't need to be jealous, I don't like him like that, at ALL. Seriously. In fact, he kind of scares me. I think that maybe he is a little TOO hard on Potter. You may find this shocking, but I feel kinda bad for the guy. Maybe we should leave him alone, just a bit?"
Draco looked stunned. "Potter? Oh come on Marsea, the guy is a git, he deserves it."
"He deserves to be teased, not injured. I think that causing him to writhe on the floor in agony is just a bit much."
Draco smiled. "You're going soft."
"I am not!" Marsea whispered excitedly. He was the one who had almost cried a moment ago.
"I'm joking." he said. "But I need to know that you are absolutely not interested in Requiem."
Marsea sighed. "For the last time, I'm not. Will you please drop it now?"
He grinned. "You know, it's an awefully long walk back to the boys' dormitory, you don't mind if I bunk here for the night, do you?" He crawled under the covers and closed him eyes, still grinning.
"Oh, no no no. You know how much trouble we'll be in if you're caught in here?"
"No one will know," he said, sidling closer to Marsea.
"I wouldn't be so sure," said another voice in the room. Pansy Parkinson was sitting upright in her own bed, looking malicious. "I'm gonna tell Snape and you're gonna be in BIG trouble. In fact, I'm gonna tell him that you two-"
"You'd love that wouldn't you?" hissed Marsea. "Another opportunity to talk to Snape? Don't even think about it, or I'll tell the whole damn school that you've had the hots for him for a year!"
Pansy looked scandalized. "I what? You wouldn't. You couldn't!"
"I can, and I will, unless you keep your big ugly trap shut." Marsea looked coldly at Pansy.
Pansy lay back down. "Okay." she said slowly. "I won't tell if you won't."
Marsea closed her eyes, neglecting to tell Draco to leave.
It kind of made Marsea a little nervous to have Draco with her like that, but she felt better at the same time. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep almost instantly.
"Oh no," Sirius moaned, dropping to the floor and brushing his wife's hair off her face. She turned out to be a beautiful woman. 'She looks like Artemis,' Harry thought, gazing at her.
Sirius stood up.
"We need to get her to the hospital wing," he said urgently. Harry cleared his throat.
"We are in the hospital wing," he said, his voice no longer trembling. Artemis was trying not to cry again. She looked at Harry.
'Oh boy,' she thought. 'He'll think I'm a crybaby or something.'
'She's not a crybaby,' Harry mused. Sirius chuckled, despite the scenario.
"Will you two quit staring at each other and help me?" he said, sounding highly amused. Harry and Artemis quickly withdrew their eyes from each other's and went over to help Sirius carry the woman to a bed.
"What's her name?" Harry asked suddenly. Sirius didn't answer.
"Sirius," Harry said again. "She didn't look like the person I saw out in the corridor. The person I saw looked more like a man...all skeletally and tall..."
Sirius looked up. "Really?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "It was awful. It reminded me of the last task in the Triwizard Tournament last year..."
"Harry," Sirius said. "You're fifteen now, not fourteen. Try to chill a little."
Harry exhaled, aware of a dim throbbing which was starting to play at his scar.
Marsea awoke in the early hours of the morning and tried to sit up, but found it hard to.
"What the...?" she asked herself in alarm, turning to see that the source of the restrain was Draco's arm. Sighing, she lifted it off her and got out of bed. Something had woken her up and she didn't know what.
"Marsea?" came a voice from the door. Marsea whipped around and stiffled a yell. But it was only Pansy.
"What are you doing?" Marsea snapped. "Trying to give me a heart attack?"
Pansy looked solemn. "Marsea, how did you know that I liked Snape?"
Marsea smirked. "Pretty obvious," she said with glee. "You've got a bad way of hiding your feelings, you know."
Pansy sighed and sat on her bed. "Look at Draco," she suddenly said; sounding giggly. Marsea glanced at her own bed and saw Draco's arms trying to wrap themselves around an invisible something.
"Oh my God," Marsea said, half exasperated, half amused. "Coming, you."
"Marsea?" Draco mumbled. "Where'd you go?"
"Nowhere," she said, crawling back into bed. She looked at Pansy who was settling back down to sleep; her shoulders heaving as if she was crying.
Lisa had been woken up by her cat running around the room. Unfotunately she tripped and fell into the fire. "Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh, my arm!" she pulled her arm out, which was quite burned.
"Damn it! Where is the hospital place?" She walked out and looked around. Then she saw a boy who seemed frightened, and then ran back inside a room.
Then a lady went in, followed by a man about 5 minutes later. Lisa decided to go in and ask for directions. As she opened the door, everyone turned and pointed their wands at her.
"Woohhhhhh, I come in peace" Lisa said. "Who are you people?
They all lowered their wands slowly, staring at Lisa as if she was a ghost.
"You don't need to know who we are!" a witch shrieked loudly from a corner. Turning to a wizard who, for the first time, Lisa noticed was wearing a mask, and said,
"Should we kill her?"
Lisa backed away in horror. With a strangled cry, the masked wizard leapt at her, but she was quicker. Lisa sprinted down the corridor and hid behind a suit of armour. Suddenly, a cackling noise filled the air, and Peeves stuck his head out of the gap in the armour's suit.
"Oooh," he said with delight. "A student out of bedie-bies!!"
"Peeves," Lisa whispered desperatley. "They're after me, Peeves! Hush! They'll hear you!" Peeves took off in the direction that Lisa was pointing at, and a moment later, she could hear a loud crash and a lot of angry voices. His laughter echoed down the hall.
Breathing a word of thanks, Lisa tiptoed back to her common room and collapsed, shaking, into bed. Her cat was staring at her questioningly from the window.
"Sirius, we need to get out of here." said Artemis trying to keep her cool, "You know as well as I do Mother was related to Voldemort, for gods sakes, she tried to kill Harry and me."
"ARTEMIS! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!!!" screamed Sirius, for although he would never admit it he was still in love with this woman, and he refused to believe that she could do evil.
Artemis cowered away from her father, a look of utter terror on her face. "I'm sorry Sirius, I-I didn't mean to make you mad." 'Please don't be mad at me, please don't leave.' She thought.
"Sirius," said Harry taking Sirius's arm and pulling him away from his unconcious [ex?]wife, "Artemis is right, even if she didn't attack us, somebody did. I'll go get Dumbledore." Harry started to leave when Artemis grabbed his arm.
"Harry," she said, "l-let me go, I need to speak to Dumbledore myself."
"Artemis, it's dangerous." said Harry.
"Yes, Artemis, I will not allow you to go." Sirius added.
"First off, it is no more dangerous for me than for either of you, and second, Sirius, I hardly feel that you have a right to start forbidding me to do anything. I haven't seen you since last year, and that for but a day, and before that, not since I was a baby, and you ran off. I'm leaving."
Sirius stared dumbfounded at his daughter, hurt with the truth of her words, not even comprehending the danger she was going into before she exited the room.
She reached professor Dumbledore's Office and hammered on the door. "Professor, PROFESSOR!" screamed Artemis, "oh, confounded." she muttered trying to jiggle the handle, and to her surprise the door opened with ease.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to try that." said the Headmaster, "Professor Lupin here, of course, thought that I should have just opened the door."
"Oh, hello, Professor, Headmaster," said Artemis blushing a bit, "We need you down in the Hospital Wing, my M-, somebody tried to attack Harry and me. Also, Professor Lupin, or you Headmaster sir, anyone really, you need to keep Draco Malfoy and Snape away from the student, oh yes, and Re-..." she stopped, eyes open wide, grimacing, "Re-... AHHHHH!" she screamed in pain.
In his Dormitory, Requiem smiled his cool, calm smile, "Artemis Adams, you are almost finished..."
Melian appeared behind Lupin and ran towards Artemis. "No time to lose, let's get going" She said while carrying the body of Artemis. Lupin looked at his old friend who seemed to be the only who knows what she was doing.
Melian kicked the door to the hospital wing open and the others looked stunned. She quickly lay Artemis on one of the beds and gave her a potion to drink. Artemis woke up slowly and smiled weakly at the others. Sirius looked up from his daughter's bed and looked at Melian.
"You are still alive?" he asked.
She nodded " Voldemort couldn't kill me when I refused to rule by his side. I faked my own dead in order to save you and the others" Sirius smiled and hugged her...
"Well I think that it is time for harry to meet his godmother" Harry looked up and tried to figure out what has been said just a minute ago. He recognized Melian from pictures taken at his parents' wedding and at school. She had been Sirius girlfriend throughout the first and second year, and after that they remained best friends.
"Harry may I introduce you to, Melian your teacher and your godmother."
Harry gulped. He had a godmother?
"I am sorry that I didn't tell you this before but I tried to keep you save from
Voldemort" Harry looked into her eyes and saw no fear but only rage when she spoke the name of the Dark Lord. Suddenly Harry and Artemis collapsed both as some curse hit them.
"It is an orb," Melian hissed at Dumbledore. She grabbed her wand from her back and suddenly it became larger. A big druid stick came out and Melian tapped it to the ground. She muttered some words and smiled when a big blue ball formed itself and dissapeared through the ceiling.
A few seconds later Artemis and Harry woke up again. " You are a dark wizard?" Artemis asked curiously. "No I am a necromancer, the guardians of the underworld."
Snape quickly ran through the corridors while being followed by Patricia Parkinson (Pansy's mother). He stopped before the hospital wing and entered it. The others looked up and smiled as Snape looked at the door.
"Patricia is following me all day, I just can't get rid of her" he quickly explained. His eyes narrowed a he saw Sirius and Lupin standing there.
Requiem smiled as he watched his orb. The final attack was beginning. Suddenly he yelped as he saw that one of the teachers found out about his orb. He saw the blue ball and Requiem jumped up. But he was to late, the ball hung before him and suddenly hit him in the stomach at full force. He felt how all the air was punched out of his lungs. He found himself being smacked to the nearest wall and saw the broken pieces of the orb at the floor.
Morgana and Marsea looked at Requiem who sat on the floor. Marsea watched him with big eyes. "Looks like he has been hit by a dragon"
Morgana shook her head " nope he is hit by an energy ball. That is much more painful". Marsea and Morgana dragged him to his bed.
"Who did that?"
"I think my aunt was responsible, she must somehow have discovered the plan of Requiem and this was her way of telling him to back off. He is lucky, the last time she used it, it took the wizard hospital 2 years to recover the damage"
Requiem looked at Morgana " Where did your...."
Morgana got irritated and gave him a goodbye kiss. "We will excuse your absence tomorrow, but please don't pull any jokes anymore. This was a warning, start little before you expand your field to Harry's friends. Try to pull this off one at a time."
Hermione sat in charms class, pondering all the recent happenings at Hogwarts. First she had helped a jumpy little boy on the train. Then the Ravenclaw girl had upset her at the feast. Then Ron had conjured a serpent to the Slytherin table, Harry hissed at it in Parslemouth (to leave them alone, she assumed). Then Harry became ill and he still was. Now there was talk about Voldemort enveloping the school. What was next? She sighed and put her head in her hands.
She couldn't concentrate, not now.
"Professor," she said weakley. Flitwick looked up.
"Yes, Hermione?" he said squeakily.
"I-I need to go to the hospital wing," she said. Flitwick paused. 'She does look a little green,' he mused.
"All right. You may go."
Marsea was sitting on the floor in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room. The flames were unusually bright, and they flooded the cold dungeon room with warmth.
"A little cold down here to be wearing a tank-top, isn't it?"
Marsea twisted around to find Draco sitting in the chair behind her. She sighed. "Not really," she responded softly. "The fire's warm today."
Draco snorted, sitting on the floor beside her. Pansy scurried past, bolting out the common room door. Marsea frowned at her in suspicion.
"You sure she won't tell on us?" Draco asked nervously.
Marsea bit her lip.
Pansy hurried up the stairs and stopped Professor McGonagall who was on her way out of the Great Hall.
"What?" she sniffed. Pansy caught her breath.
"Where's Professor Snape, d'you know?"
"In the hospital wing, I expect," Professor McGonagall said. Pansy scampered off in the direction of the hospital wing, not stopping until she was outside the door.
"Professor Snape!" she called and he opened it. Pansy motioned for him to come out into the hall.
"What, Parkinson?" he hissed. "I have important business inside, if you don't mind!"
"I just, just wanted to tell y-you that," she said. What did it matter if Marsea blabbed to the "whole damn school" that she "had the hots for Snape?"
Snape was looking impatient.
"Marsea and Draco!" she said shrilly, quickly toning it down. "They, well..."
Snape looked grim. He had gotten the gist and he ran off down the corridor at high speed. Pansy shrank against the wall, realizing what she had just done.
"They're going to KILL me!" she thought.
Harry choked back tears as his godmother enveloped him into a hug. Hermione entered the hospital wing and she gasped.
"Harry," she said. "Is that you're Mum?"
Everyone looked at her. "S-sorry," she whispered.
"Its his godmother," Ron explained. "Sirius' wife and Artemis' Mum."
Hermione choked back tears herself.
The common room door opened, but Marsea didn't pay any attention. It wasn't until Draco said, "Aa," in nervousness that Marsea turned around to see Snape standing there, his arms folded.
Marsea gulped. Snape had a very odd expression on his face, somewhere between anger and amusement.
"Er, Professor, did you want something?" Marsea squeaked.
"Yes, um, Miss Parkinson just told me something Very interesting.." said Snape questioningly. "Do you know what she told me?"
Marsea shook her head "No, er what did she-"
Snape looked irritated. "Don't lie to me, Miss Brooklyn, you're sounding like Potter."
Draco spoke. "It wasn't her fault." he said, pointing at Marsea. "She-"
"Ahhh, so Miss Parkinson tells the truth.." said Snape slowly.
"I knew she couldn't resist." said Marsea quickly. "She would like any opportunity to talk to you Professor! You know what? She has the BIGGESY crush on
yo-"
Just then Pansy Parkinson rushed into the Common room, red faced and breathing hard.
"Good," said Snape. "We can have a pow-wow. Miss Parkinson, why don't you tell me what happened?"
"Well, er, Professor, um, I walked into the common room and, well er, they were, umm well" muttered Pansy.
"Girl, get on with it!" screamed Snape.
"Well, ummm, they were, uhhh, well, they were in...in...they were in bed together." said Pansy quickly through her mutterings.
"Oh, well, Ms. Parkinson, I thank you for your time. As for you two, what should your punishment be?..."
Back in the Hospital Wing:
"Aunt Melian, where is Mother, that, that person there, she's not Mother, I mean she IS in the literal sense, that's all it is, a body, there's no person inside."
"Artemis dear, there is so much you don't know..."
"Then tell me! Why do you always protect me? Harry knows his history! Do you think he's stronger than I am?"
"Artemis, that is NOT what this is about!" said Sirius. "We have all had long nights, now into bed, RIGHT NOW! Except for you Artemis and Harry, I need to talk to you for a minute."
In the hallway:
"Artemis, Harry, this is very important. Dear lord I feel awful about doing this. In a way I am throwing you to the wolves, but you two are fifteen, I think you're mature enough. Anyway, Harry, you need to go back to Gryffindor Common Room tomorrow and send an owl to Adrian Potter, don't ask, just do it. I will have to leave in the morning, so follow the directions she gives you, just say I told you to send her the owl and that the thing to be dreaded has occured. Artemis, your job is difficult and dangerous, you need to be transferred to Slytherin. Try to come in contact with that Requiem child, there is something bad about him. I will alert Dumbledore as to the situation. Now off to bed, go to sleep, and try to forget your troubles.
'Right forget the problems, like that's going to happen.' Artimis thought grimly.
Melian entered the Slytherin common room in search for Snape to make her a sleeping potion. She saw some people arguing and Pansy standing there with an angelic like face.
"Euh, Professor can I speak to you?"
"In a minute, but first let me decide which punishment they will get"
Melian raised her eyebrows as she saw the smirk on the face of that Parkinson girl. " What happend?" she asked.
Snape explained it quickly and told her that this could not be tolerated.
"Well Severus, I have to disagree with you on that. Pansy obviously saw something but it seems to me that recent events clouded her mind a bit. And since she has two a impossible love for someone who is already spoken for." Pansy glared at Melian with the utmost loathing and tried to trail off.
"Wait Parkinson, she is right how do we know that you are telling the truth. So what has really happened?" He asked to Marsea.
Lisa had just seen some *very* scary people. "Lisa....are you ok?" asked bubbles. Bubbles is her best friend.
"Oh...um...nothing at all." Lisa stammered. "Lisa, your arm! Let me fix it." Bubbles said. As she said a spell and Lisa's arm was better.
"Thanx bubbles!"
The next day Lisa and Bubbles wandered around and saw many weird things, people running around, lots of worried faces. They decided to go back to the common room and play some Exploding Snap.
Then an owl appeared. The letter read:
"Lisa darling,
How is Bubbles? Are you two doing ok? I miss you heaps and I'm glad you wrote to me. Don't write back, because I know you are busy, when you have time owl me!
Say hi to bubbles.
Monica says 'hi' to you and Bubbles.
From, Mum."
Monica and Mum say 'hi', Bubbles." Lisa said.
Voldemort laughed and Peter backed away. "So my little devil is still alive" he looked at a picture of Melian. "You did well, Pettigrew, very well indeed." Peter nodded while he tried to hold back the tears. Melian used to be his friend and always protected him form Snape's wrath.
But Voldemort neeeded her to become immortal. He looked at the picture and smiled, that woman had been a sister to Lily and Sirius .
The stranger approaching them, Daunte and Dean ran for the exit. Not knowing exactly where they were going, the barged into the common room, where stood Snape, Melian, Marsea, Draco, and Pansy Parkinson.
"Professor, Mason's dead!" Dean shouted.
Marsea looked at the gathering people in the room. Daunte and Dean, also Slytherins, had just run in, shouting, saving her from having to face Snape with her side of the story.
She stood up. "Mason's dead? How? Who?"
Snape whirled around to face Dean. "Stop speaking rubbish, young man. No one is dead."
"Why would he make it up, Professor?" asked Draco.
"You, Mr. Malfoy, should be the last to doubt people making up stories. Tell me, Miss Brooklyn, what happened? Is Miss Parkinson a liar?"
Marsea was astonished be Snape's apathy. She was sure that Daunte and Dean were not the type to make up stories. "Er, Professor, shouldn't we at least investigate what they are saying?"
"Are you trying to weasel your way out of this, Miss Brooklyn?"
"No, of course not, but if someone is dead, especially a Slytherin..."
"Fine, We'll "investigate." But I will expect a full and HONEST recount of last nights events from you once we get this foolishness settled."
Snape turned toward Daunte and Dean. "Show me where this dead friend of yours is."
They all left the common room, leaving Pansy, Marsea, Draco and Melian alone.
Pansy spoke first. "Don't try to get out of this now. You're caught."
Marsea shot ice glares at her. "Just because you like Sna-"
Pansy rushed at Marsea and covered her mouth.
"Gettoff!" Marsea shouted, pushing Pansy away. "What, are you hitting on ME now?"
Pansy looked distraught. "Don't-"
"Don't what?" Marsea said manacingly. "Tell everyone that you like Snape? oh, NEVER.." She looked at Melian, who appeared curious, but not very shocked. "She does, you know." continued Marsea, watching Pansy's panicked face. "She has a HUGE crush on him. Too bad she can't have any man. Maybe if she wiped that sour look off her face,
and wore some makeup, and got some plastic surgery... Oh hell, why don't you just wear a bag over your face? It might at least get people to look at you." Marsea smiled maliciously.
Pansy looked at Melian "Why don't say something about it?"
Melian tried hard not to laugh. 'Pansy hitting on Snape, oh that she just had to tell that to him.' On that moment Morgana came in and waved at her aunt.
"Say Morgana, would you get something to eat out of the kitchen? These students have to wait until their Head of House is back" her niece nodded and while she walked to the door she high-fived Marsea and Draco for their comment on Pansy.
"Why is he so distracted the last days" Marsea asked Melian.
"Well actually we are visited by Patricia Parkinson and it seems that the mother and daughter seem to share their crush." Pansy blushed and Marsea and Draco laughed. Pansy walked off to her bed leaving them alone.
"Marsea, can you do me a favor?" The girl looked up to her teacher. " I want you and Morgana to find out what the Parkinsons are doing, and also Requiem needs to be treated with caution."
Marsea nodded. She knew that you could always joke around with Melian. " You aren't jealous or something?"
Melian smiled "For them? Hell no, I am just very careful."
On that moment Morgana came in while carrying a plate.
Snape, Dean, and Daunte searched the area thoroughly, and yet nothing came up.
"This is rubbish. You will both be given detention for lying of such a thing!" He walked away.
Dean and Daunte sat glumly at the table for breakfast the next morning. Suddenly, three Ministry officers came up behind Dean.
"Dean Framos, you are under arrest for the murder of Mason Goram."
Hagrid loved every time Black came to the school, yes he knew, allthough he probably wasn't supposed to know....but he got to see Buckbeak. Hagrid missed Buckbeak so much. Dumbledore had told him what happened. Sirius was going to leave today, so Hagrid would have to again say good bye to Buckbeak.
Harry awoke early the next morning and sudden realized he was in the hospital wing. Then as if on queue, last nights events came flooding back. Artemis was still asleep. Black and his wife were gone.
"Adrian Potter.......Potter were they related?" Harry thought aloud. Requiem....Harry filled with rage. He remembered the time he fainted when he saw Requiem with Cho.
"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can, and will be used against you in a court of magical law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can't afford one, one will be given to you by the Ministry of Magic." said the first Ministry officer.
"Sir," said a mysterious girl appearing from out of nowhere, "I have been looking through in this hallway and I can tell you that it was not this boy who murdered Mason. I can't tell you who it is, just, speak to Dumbledore."
"Young miss, we are going to speak to Dumbledore, now I suggest you get back to your common room!"
"Yes, sir," said the girl as she walked over to Snape. "Professor Snape, my name is Artemis Adams, I have been transferred to Slytherin from Ravenclaw by Headmaster Dumbledore, here is the signed transfer slip." said Artemis handing the small blue piece of paper to Snape.
"Yes, everything seems to be in order," said Snape hatefully, "Move you trunk up to the Common Room, we have no more room in the Fifth year girls Dormitory, so you will have to sleep in the Common Room, but don't worry, Mr. Requiem Malfoy sleeps there as well. Off."
"Yes sir thank you sir." said Artemis trying to smile as sincerely as she could 'Sirius, this had better work!' she thought.
In the owlery:
"Harry, Hermione, Ron, I'm here." said Artemis.
The trio jumped out from their hiding places, "Good Artemis, we have a response." said Harry, "and how is your portion going?"
"I guess good, I got successfully transferred into Slytherin, but they're having me sleep in the Common Room, and Requiem sleeps there. But what does the letter say?"
" Dear Harry,
The time has come for you to take your place, I take it you have already become accquainted with Artemis Adams. Harry, you will be trained with her to improve both of your senses, she, and with any luck, both of you will learn to push minds. I can't tell you everything needed Harry, because even owl post isn't completely reliable, just that Polyjuice Potion is not the only way to shift form, and it is far from the longest lasting.
Love,
Adrian Potter" read Harry aloud.
"I think I read about some other shape shifting potion, oh yes, it's the Polingrous Potion, and it's very difficult to brew I think it's time we all went to Dumbledore." said Hermione.
"Not yet," said Artemis, "I need to get to Slytherin, or Snape will get suspicious."
"OK Artemis, but be careful" said Ron.
"I will." she said and gave everyone a hug before she left." 'What am I getting myself into?' she thought.
Marsea sat down in a chair in the common room, Draco did the same. They looked at each other, and Marsea tried to smile, but she kept picturing her parents' faces when they were informed of her activities, which she was certain they would be.
Snape didn't return after a while, so Marsea picked up "Quidditch through the Ages" and started to leaf through it. Draco fell asleep.
Just then Snape burst into the common room, mumbling something about "students killing each other" and Draco woke up.
"So," said Snape as he sauntered over to Marsea. "Have you perfected your story?"
"What's happening?" asked Marsea quickly. "Is Mason really dead?"
"Miss Brooklyn, that is none of your concern. It is being taken care of."
Marsea sunk back down in her chair. She didn't know why Snape was being so mean, he usually would tell the Slytherins anything, especially her and Draco.
Marsea gulped. "Well, professor, here's what happened. Erm, well I had a bad dream and I screamed and then everyone woke up and Draco (being the kind guy that he is) came in to comfort me and I know that guys aren't allowed in the girls dormitory but I was scared and then Pansy saw him in there and shrieked at us and said she was gonna tell but we weren't doing anything, honest," she said all in one breath.
"Mmm.." said Snape, thinking. "I don't know..."
That was when Requiem came in.
"Professor Snape...if Marsea says something...thats it and no more.You know Marsea...She is one of your best students...If she says what has happened,then that's what happened."
He looked at Marsea with, oh, such emotional eyes...sadness, jealousy, and ...desire.
Snape turned around and looked at Reqiem. "If you don't keep your big mouth shut you and Marsea will share detention together". Requiem looked a the professor with narrowed eyes to intimidate Snape. He however smiled and took the challenge. He felt no fear but amusement. The boy was powerful but not powerful enough. He was perhaps able to tackle Potter and Artemis but that wouldn't last long. On hat moment he grew weary of the student and turned his attention to Marsea once again. "However this will not go without punihment, I talked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher about this and she agreed to have you help her tomorrow afternoon to go to Hogsmeade and pick up some supplies. You will be expected at the main door at 2 hours sharp, understood?"
Marsea and Draco nodded quickly and shot a thankful glance to Melian who had given them the opportunity to go to Hogsmeade instead of scrubbing bedpans.
Requiem turned to morgana who stood there laughing.
"What is wrong?" he asked, irritated.
"You are so stupid, you know, picking a fight with Snape and then drooling over Marsea. Draco won't like that and you have no chance that she is going to like you". He hissed at her and Morgana didn't seem impressed at all. "I am not impressed with that, Requiem."
Marsea smiled at Morgana, who seemed to have put Requiem back in his place, at least for the moment, still, he HAD stood up for her. 'Well of course he did' she thought 'he is trying to steal you away from Draco remember?'
She sat back down in her chair, thankful that their punishment hadn't been more severe. Still, Pansy Parkinson was going to pay dearly.
She looked at the clock on the wall and gasped. "Argh! We are supposed to be in Transifuration in 2 minutes, and we completely missed breakfast!"
Draco sighed. "Okay, let's go."
They got up and Marsea turned to Morgana and Requiem, who appeared to still be digruntled.
"Are you guys coming?" she asked quickly.
"Er, yeah." said Morgana.
They all walked quickly toward the common room door, but it opened before they got there. A girl that Marsea recognised walked in, looking around.
"Hey," said Marsea, "Aren't you a Ravenclaw?"
The girl, named Artimis Adams, smiled nervously. "Um, well I was, but I just got transferred into Slytherin." she thought quickly. "I think Ravenclaw wasn't agreeing with me."
Marsea was unsure of whether to trust this new girl, and Requiem was looking daggers at Artimis.
"Well, okay then." said Marsea slowly. "But if you're not supposed to be h-"
Snape stood up behind them "Yes," he hissed. "Miss Adams is to be in Slytherin, I was informed of this earlier."
"Hmmm," thought Draco. "Okay, you have to come with us to Transifuration now. Just put your things down and one of the house-elves will take it to the Girls' Dormitory for you."
Artimis nervously put her bags down, and followed the others, who were already walking through the stone doorway and into the cold dungeon hallways. The passage closed behind them and nothing but a stone wall could be seen. 'Welcome to Slytherin,' she thought , shivering.
To Be Continued....
