Disclaimer: All the characters belong to J.K.Rowling. Adie is just a fan.
Dear readers
Before you start to read, Adie would like you to be informed about the lack of updates and the revision of both of her stories.
Adie is extremely sorry for being such a procrastinator and for those who have stuck with this story even after all these months, well, to put simply, SHE LOVES YA! Adie hopes in the future that she will be a lot better at updating. If not, well, you can expect a similar note of the likes of this.
Secondly, if you are big fans of the original story, Adie is sorry but, she felt the need for changes and hopes you like this one just as much. The chapters as you can tell are a lot longer and, the plot should develop a lot smoother this way.
The Malfoy Crown Affair will undergo similar editing but, the evilness that is Draco, the insanity that is Blaise and the stupidity of their ideas will not change. That is after all, why Adie loves them. It should be updated soon.
Enjoy.
Adie Ornament.
But as the scenery grows, I see in different lights
The shades and shadows undulate in my perception
My feelings swell and stretch; I see from greater heights
I understand what I am still to proud to mention- to you.
Never is a promise; Fiona Apple
What Would An Angel Say? The Devil Wants To Know.
It was a harsh winter. With Christmas approaching, all the students grew more and more anxious to leave the terribly cold school and huddle inside their warm houses with their families. Not even magic could cure their grumpy moods as the last day of school finally ended. With only a few students staying and no visitors planning to come to the castle, it was sure to be a very uninteresting holiday.
No one could fathom just what the impending storm would bring. It wouldn't just be snow, ice, wind and sleet; it would bring something completely different as well.
"Come on Gin, you love Christmas at the Burrow and you'd have to be mental to stay here. It's horrid. I welcome the moment I'll be able to feel my fingers again." Ginny's older brother Ronald was just settling into his brotherly role, worried as usual about his little sister. Clutching the burgundy coat tighter around his lean frame and wrapping the plaid scarf once more around his neck he stared at the young sixteen year old, who was shivering as wisps of smoke tumbled out of her rosy lips.
"Honestly Ron! I'll be fine. It's just a bit of snow." Ginny knew that was an understatement as she glanced around to see mountains of snow around them and more falling at the moment. "Now, you best get a move on, the train'll leave soon and I know that mum will have a fit if more then one of us doesn't come home on that red express." Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, she handed him his final piece of luggage and waved him off. She waved until the Hogwarts Express was completely out of sight until she moved from her spot.
Just outside the castle she was greeted with noiseless corridors and, even more strange- empty corridors. Happy Holidays… more like solitary confinement, she thought.
Perhaps though, she was being too pessimistic for such a jolly time of the year. Hogwarts certainly couldn't be that bad; Dumbledore had decorated it rather pleasantly. Mistletoe hung from every doorframe, there were wreaths, and trees – both decorated and au naturel. The castle was beautiful, and Ginny became determined to enjoy it as she would have at the Burrow. She knew though that despite the pleasant surroundings of mistletoe and snowflakes, one thing would be missing. The Weasley family.
Pushing any thoughts concerning Christmas at the Burrow out of her head, Ginny focused on the reason that she was at Hogwarts and not at presently, on the train with everyone else. The TROLL grade that she presently had in Transfiguration. After a meeting with McGonagall, both Ginny and her professor came to a mutual decision of an over the holiday project to make up for every other failed work submitted by Ginny. It was fair enough, she supposed. Better than failing.
Besides, Luna was staying as well, so there was good company – which is a necessity for Christmastime. Although that meant last minute Christmas shopping, something Ginny dreaded; believing it more to be a battlefield than a day out at the shops. She had yet to get Luna a gift, and she needed one for McGonagall as well. A trip to Hogsmaede was in order.
So absorbed in her thoughts, Ginny looked at her surroundings for the first time since seeing her brother off. She was still outside, her hands, she just realized, were numb and red, as she had forgotten her mittens inside. She cupped her hands and blew hot air into them. She was just outside the Quidditch pitch and from her spot; she could see that someone was flying.
Entering the pitch, she could see a figure clad in green atop a broomstick. It was Malfoy. She stared, angry shouts threatened to burst from her mouth. It took all her energy to form one coherent thought.
He is not supposed to be here.
She sighed. Her windows were ice cold, frost continued to dance it's way along the ornate glasswork of the young girl's Ravenclaw dormitory. Wrapped in numerous blankets, varying from fleece to wool to her roommates' precious dragonhide. From her view, Luna could see most of the grounds including the Great Lake that was no longer covered in various students and their skates. Faded figure eights were all that was left. She sighed again; Christmastime would not be the same this year.
Two days ago, Luna had received a letter and package while eating her breakfast. The package was terribly wrapped in the ugliest Christmas paper she had ever seen, it was a mess of Santa's, reindeers, wreaths, ornaments and everything else associated with this time of year. After her examination of the package, she opened the letter and began to read the hurried scrawl that was her father's writing.
Luna,
Weird sightings along the Mediterranean
Must go
Don't bother coming home
Love,
Dad
P.S. Happy Christmas.
She sighed again, remembering the letter, further proof that her father would always choose the Quibbler over her.
Knocks on the door woke her from sombre thoughts. Luna wiggled out of her cocoon and headed to the door. Opening it, she was greeted to a second or third year girl who stuttered that someone was waiting for her outside the Ravenclaw common room.
Hastily, Luna pulled on her boots, coat, Ravenclaw coloured scarf, hat and her wool mittens. Back in her usual whimsical mood, she exited her dormitory and made a beeline for the freckled redhead who stood outside.
Smiling, she greeted Ginny and the two friends then proceeded outdoors.
He was so strangely familiar. The features were those that any girl would remember, she thought, searching his face for a name. Then, his mouth twitched as he tried to conceal a smile after watching Malfoy pull up from a dive, and Susan recognized him after her careful and subtle analysis.
He sat at the very top of the stands, on the Slytherin side, she noted, feeling foreign and out of place.
Montague. She remembered the Hufflepuff Quidditch team talking about him from time to time in the common room. Good player, they'd admitted grudgingly. Last Susan had heard, he was playing for some big team in Wales, but she'd never really bothered to find out which one. She didn't really like the sport all that much, it brought out the bad side of her fellow students.
But why was he here? He had already graduated and besides, it wasn't that the situation was suspicious. Rather, just curious.
Montague sat there taking notes, watching, then quickly penning whatever he saw, then watching again.
Slowly, she approached the Hogwarts alumni.
"Mind if I sit down?" She spoke with confidence. Unlike others, Susan admired the prospect of House unity; even if she was the one required to make the first move.
"Go ahead; Snape's already tarnished it with his own greasy ass." He spoke to her but his eyes remained fixed on Malfoy as he circled the pitch.
"Well, in that case…" she said as she sat down.
For as long as Susan could keep her mouth shut, they sat in silence. No insults, no snide remarks and amazingly no hexes thrown between either of them. All Susan could do was twiddle her fingers, dying to ask what the Slytherin was doing at Hogwarts.
"Beautiful day," she remarked nervously, as if Montague would call upon every Death Eater he knew because of her commenting on the weather,
"Spit it out, or go away. Don't think that because I'm Slytherin I'm as idiotic as the others in my house. Go annoy someone else if all you really came to talk about was the weather."
Slowly allowing herself to grin, Susan relaxed and stopped fidgeting. "What are you doing here? Quidditch business? Is that why you're taking notes on Malfoy?"
Seeing that Montague was still giving all of his attention to Malfoy, she leaned over his shoulder, on a mission.
"Moderately good flyer, although still can't seem to beat Potter, so perhaps not best asset to team. Seems to want to impress; fancy moves down pat, but simplest moves seem to be a struggle. Needs lessons if—"
"This is really none of your business." snapped Montague as he covered his parchment with his arm. "Who are you anyways?"
"I'm not asking about business, Montague. I'd just like to know. Humour me; I'm curious." A tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks as she realized she forgot to answer his question. "I'm Susan. Susan Bones, I'm a Hufflepuff."
"Curiosity killed the cat, you know, Bones" he said, more airily than before.
"I don't think that any information concerning 'golden-boy' Draco Malfoy is lethal enough to kill me."
"You'd be surprised." His tone was much harsher than it had been previously. Susan stared at him, watching him watch Malfoy with a dark look on his face. Suddenly, his face contorted and Montague let out a series of hacking coughs. His quill fell as his had flew to his chest and the other waved her off, as if this wasn't serious. Or unusual.
It finally stopped, picking up his quill, he once again resumed his work. Susan knew that something was going around the school, many or her classmates and taken trips to see Madame Pomfrey and her medical expertise. Up close though, she knew that this was worse than your average cold or flu. Montague briefly looked at her, perhaps to see her reaction and wasn't surprised to see concern etched into her features. His friends had given him the same look.
"I'm fine. There seems to be a bug going 'round your school. Loas of kids are sick. I probably just caught it walking through the corridors. Seriously, I'm fine."
"No. You're not."
"I'm fine, Bones!"
"No you're not. And don't call me Bones!"
Cho walked down the hallway for the third time this week. First it had been the coughs. Her chest and throat had burned as she hacked through the night and day, disturbing her classmates constantly and getting no rest during the night. A quick trip to Madame Pomfrey and some sleeping potion later, she expected to get good nights sleep. What she woke up to though had been a second symptom. Chills. A second trip to the mediwitch was in order. With a new set of potions, she thought she would be cured.
The fever had come in the last night, getting higher and higher each passing hour. This time, it was not her usual bed that she would be sleeping in. Her friend Marissa had had similar symptoms and was required to remain in the hospital wing.
The wing's cots had begun to fill up again, winter was especially bad in this damp and cold castle. Cho thought nothing of her sickness, thinking that this flu like virus could be used as an excuse as to why she hadn't even started her potions work, the reason why she had actually stayed at Hogwarts for a while longer instead of visiting her family for the holidays.
Humming a popular tune, she became the fourth student to occupy a bed.
After multiple snowball fights and making snow angels, Ginny and Luna headed inside for a cup of coca inside the kitchen. Sipping their drinks they discussed the usual array of topics.
"Mum was pretty mad when I told her." Gently thumbing the large mug that rested in between her two hands Ginny continued. "It really came as a shock to her that I'd gotten a TROLL in transfiguration. Don't know why, my grades in that class have been slowly declining with each passing year. Guess she was just in denial. Still, I'm pretty pissed I won't be at the Burrow for Crimbo this year for the sole reason that McGonagall has a stick so far up her arse that she is incapable of seeing my reasoning."
"And what is your reasoning?"
"That I don't care."
Luna laughed. Ginny was the best company that she could think of. "Fair enough."
"What about you? You were so looking forward to spending time with your dad."
Now it was Luna's turn to fidgit with the mug, somewhat embarrassed be her father's unparent like behaviour. "He deserted me so he and some of his rather eccentric mates could go watch Nogtails along the Mediterranean."
"The Quibbler has been flying off the stands in it's recent issues," Ginny stated matter of factly. "Perhaps he just wants some exciting news to ensure that it remains as such. I'm sure things will calm down in a bit."
"Speaking of news, did you read the Prophet today?"
Ginny nodded. "Ministry troubles. How typical that they'd try to pin it on Dumbledore again. Honestly, I can't believe the shit that the Prophet has been printing as of late. Until it's verified by another paper, I refuse to believe their trash."
Luna refilled her Christmas themed mug. "I agree. Their journalists seem to write for the sole purpose of breeding controversy."
A snort was Ginny's only reply.
"What?"
"I just think that journalist is too good a word for those at the Prophet. They're the same old shower. Fat and stupid miscreants who receive numerous awards when the reach a certain weight."
They both laughed as they exited through the portrait hole. Making their way to the great hall, they passed portraits of Cliodna, Nicholas Flamel ("Must be new," mused Ginny) and Democles decked out in holly and tinsel. Arriving at the Great Hall, they were greeted with a strange sight. It was virtually empty, only eleven students, including themselves presided in the room. Of the teachers, the sole one present was the potions master, Snape, the usual look of disdain greeting them as they entered.
Looking around, Ginny was amazed to see the likes of Oliver Wood, Montague and her brother, Bill in attendance. Confused, she and Luna sat down. Everyone seemed to be just as anxious to learn what was going on. The other thirty odd students who had decided to stay over the holidays were nowhere to be seen.
It was then that Snape began to speak.
"Something is wrong at Hogwarts. Against my better judgement, I have decided that you ought to know just what is happening here. A Quarantine has been placed upon Hogwarts." Shocked faces were all that Snape could see but, deep down, they knew that something had been amiss. That the coughs that echoed through the hallways, that the shivering in the classes and that the fevers that couldn't be stopped, deep down, they knew that this was different. "Effective, immediately."
Little introduction there, things should really start to get interesting from here on in. Adie loves comments and would love it if you could just leave a little message, even if it is just a hello or whatnot.
The next chapter is already halfway done and will be put up shortly. Cookies will be put up at Adie's livejournal- adieornament. It may shortly become friends only so, just friend her and she will friend you back.
-Adie.