Lydia Mason and the Weeping Pixie Wand repost

by magicmumu

For most of her life, Lydia Mason thought she didn't have magic. All that changed when she was forced to accompany her twin sister to Olyvander's where a wand reacts to her. But is it all as it seems? Is she really now 'one of them? PG rating, no pairing

Lydia Mason and the Weeping Pixie Wand

Written by Erin Sharmane Griffin

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: None, mentions Neville/Ginny, but its established, and not a huge part of the story.

Note: (2/11/2009) I wrote this story about 6 or 7 years ago not long after the 4th book had come out, and at the time, I hadn't any extensive memories of everything that was going on, and I didn't own the books when I did. I also didn't realize then that this was what's called a Mary Sue, even though I don't wish to be this character, as is described in the definition of Mary Sues. I just wanted to write a long story about a Squib coming into their powers a little later, and therefore having a somewhat special place in the wizard world. I hope you enjoy it anyway. I also had written the sequels before the fifth book came out, as well as the notes for the third one but unfortunately, through time, I have lost them, and as they were on computer first before being written long hand, I have no idea what all was on it.

Note Two: After re-editing the story and rereading it again after a two or three year gap from the last time I did so, I have come to realize that I don't really like this character so much I the beginning, but she seems okay near the end. I decided I would put this up anyway as a laugh for myself, since I (hopefully) have come a long way in character and plot development since then.

So in short, very bad fic ahead. Maybe it will catch the eye of the pottersue archivist in livejournal.

Chapter 1

Squib?

"Martio Alentanis!" Julia yelled, holding the fake wand she had gotten for Christmas 6 years ago. It used to make illusions of spiders and bugs, but it is broken, so all it did then was spark. I rolled my eyes behind my issue of Witch Weekly.

"Oh I can't wait until Dad gets home from work. I do hope the traffic in Sauntersville isn't horrid. Dad promised he'd get me a new wand today. When I get back to school, I'm going to turn him into to… the cow he is for snapping my old one in half!" 'Him' was Draco Malfoy, a wicked boy in her school.

"You shouldn't have provoked him," I muttered, never looking up from my article. This week's article was on Harry Potter (again) and how that Cedric Diggory kid died last term in the Triwizard competition. Harry Potter's picture waved up at me and smiled. I secretively smiled back before looking up at my twin, who lay on her bed across the room from mine. You may look at us at that point in time and say 'No way, you two are twins?' but we are. When we were little we were never told apart. Now…I don't know.

I am different from my sister because I am normal and she is not. That may sound mean or strange to you, but Julia is a witch. In fact, everyone in my family is. My mother was a witch, and my father is a wizard. I am the only one without magical powers. I am what most would call a Squib (one of wizard family without magical powers). Since my father is half wizard-half Muggle (one of no magic), there was a chance of one of my parents' kids not having powers, however, they never thought about twins. When wizard families have children, the children take tests throughout their childhood to see if they have magic. At first, both Julia and I failed, but Julia had passed when she was 3½ years old. I once heard my mother and father speaking about me, calling me a 'Bloomer' of some sort. My parents still taught me the simple things like reading, writing and the thing you don't need a wand for, like really easy Potions, but after our mum died when we were 6, all that stopped. I was never tested again since then, for my dad became engulfed in his job at Sauntersville's Famous Muggle Artifacts Shop, where he works hard for a man named Dravis Quimby. Now Julia goes to school, and I don't. Julia goes to one of the best schools in Europe, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She'll be in her fifth year when school starts in 3 weeks.

Our magical differences aren't the only thing that sets us apart. During Julia's first year of Hogwarts, my appearance had started to change. My hair now grows a little faster than Julia's does, making it down to the middle of my spine. It then went from light brown to black, and my eyes went from green to blue. I think my father is afraid to look at me for more than a few seconds because of my resemblance to my mother. Also, the one thing that set me apart from my father and sister is that I am not afraid to say Voldemort's name. It is so hushed in this world because he was a great, but evil wizard.

I don't know the details of my mother's passing, only of what I've been told... and the rumors. I was told that while at the supermarket, a couple of men had gotten into a heated argument over something or other, and then started a wizard duel in front of 10 Muggles. One of them had gotten so angry that he tried to kill the other, but missed with Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse, and got my mum. Nobody truly knows what happened to her body, but witnesses and the media said that nothing was found. Even the man who killed her said that there was smoke coming from his wand when it was doing the curse (which is not normal) and when it all cleared she was gone, and was never heard from again. That man died in Azkaban about 3 years ago. It was a surprise he lasted so long. Ever since then my father has been sort of obsessed with finding our godmother, my mother's best friend who doesn't know about our mum's death. She hasn't contacted the Mason family for 12 years and seemed to have disappeared herself. Her name was Cynthia Dooble

I know that all is sad, but I got over it after a few years and moved on. Julia, on the other hand, had a harder time than I did because they shared something, and it was the only thing she never had to compete with me for. I started to wear Muggle clothing just for a change, and then I listened to music with a radio to help heal my heart. I really like Muggle music. It's twisted, the way they are fast paced and short, but the messages about love and heartache sooth me for some reason. I really like to listen for a song called Octopus's Garden by a band called (I think) Beetle. I told you it was all twisted, but Beetle is not as twisted as a witch band called Toil and Trouble. It has 6 women in it about 25-30 years old and they sing the ingredients to potions. It's very helpful to Julia, though.

Anyway, as I waited for Julia to reply (she was still swishing the wand around way too expertly and saying spells I've never heard her recite before), I looked again at Harry's face. He blew upward at his hair and then brushed it aside. The lightning bolt scar on his forehead was visible for a millisecond before his hair rested again over it. He looked at me with a weird gaze. He looks as if he's hiding something from me. I thought, watching him make a face at me. I had almost forgotten we were talking when Julia finally answered me. "I was NOT provoking him, Lydia. I just told Malfoy that Harry Potter won those 1,000 Galleons fair and square. I mean, you should have SEEN the way he had flown around that dragon!" I looked at the words that glittered next to Harry's picture to hide the tears that swelled in my eyes. I would have given half of my life to see the Triwizard Tournament.

"Yeah… Well you knew Malfoy's an evil one," I told her, trying to keep my voice calm. I sighed deeply and read more of the Witch Weekly. "When is Dad getting home?" I asked in a low moan. "I want to tell him about the dream I had last night," It was actually a very weird dream. I was sitting in a fairly large room. It looked like an old fashioned library (without the books) with two or three armchairs and a desk. I was sitting in one of these armchairs with a fairy creature on my lap, and a small white tiger was sleeping outside of my pocket almost peeking out. A body I couldn't see clearly was sitting in the armchair across from me, but I didn't acknowledge it. Either that, or the person was asleep and I didn't want to wake them up. I'm guessing it was winter because I was breathing fog and I was shivering despite the roaring fire.

"He should be home soon. He said we would be leaving as soon as he gets home. You should come this time. Mr. Olyvander's giving away free licorice wands at his shop. And you never know, you may meet Harry Potter this time,"

"Nice try, Julia. I… don't want to go," I said slowly. She had said that the last time I went to Diagon Alley with her. I went for the first time to Diagon Alley in Julia's first year at Hogwarts. I never saw Harry Potter, but I still had a little bit of fun. There was a man there that every one called the Amazing Muggle. Everyone knew he isn't really a Muggle, but that was his nick name because he is the only wizard in Europe that can do what's called Muggle Illusion tricks. (No one living in the wizard world knows what they truly are, or how to work they and some say it is a new form of magic that everyone can do with some practice.) Well, the day Julia went to Diagon Alley to get her books and robes (and I waited outside on a warm little bench near an ice cream shop), The Amazing Muggle had come up to me and given me a white rose. He had Disappeared before I could thank him. The rose, as a part of a trick I guess, had turned purple almost immediately. I never told Julia of the encounter because jealousy caught hold of my tongue and we were fighting after that happened. I had sort of forgotten about it when we made up two days later.

"Oh, please come this time, Lydia," If I went to Diagon Alley I would go there hurt and come back jealous. I don't want that to happen.

"No thank you," I said to her before she started doing her 'Innocent-Witch-Without-Her-Sister-For-Support' look. I felt the air around me go cold. I heard a small popping noise behind me, and I knew that my father was home. I turned around to see my father, a man in dark red robes with light brown hair and green eyes, look at me with a little concern. At that moment his hair was short and messed up. It was longer this morning when he left. He must have cut it today in Sauntersville.

"Lydia..." he started. "Lydia, I would love to let you stay home alone like I did last year, but the rumors of You Know Who's return's got me a little scared. I want you to come with us," he said madly rubbing his shoulder. When he saw my questioning gaze, he said, "A bit nippy out there." I have great respect for my dad, and I didn't want to upset him in any way, so I sighed and carefully closed the magazine. I looked back at him to see he was rubbing his shoulder even more furiously. He's been doing that allot for the last couple of months. I could never see why, but maybe his work needs to stay could. On the cover the words BACK TO SCHOOL IDEAS! FOBBING FUN FOR EVERYONE!! (I think fobbing is the slang word for a magical form of knitting or sewing that we were never taught. It it's the art of making the letters on fabric glitter, shine, flash, or move.) I watched as Julia literally skipped to the fire place where she picked up a small container that was on top of the mantel place.

"Oh, we're leaving by FLOO POWDER?" I moaned. I hated Floo powder. It always made me queasy and sick inside. There isn't any other way for us to travel, since we can't Apperate like our father can. Aperating is disappearing from one place and popping up in another. Please no Floo powder...

"You know we have no other way to get there," Julia said to me, thrusting the container in my direction. Reluctance filled me as I reached into the container and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder. My father waved his wand and the fire that was going had gotten bigger.

"You can go first, Lydia."

"Lovely," I bitterly muttered. I gingerly threw the Floo powder into the fire and the flames instantly turned emerald green. "Diagon Alley!" I called walking into the flames. They tickled me as I walked for two or three steps. Soon I was spinning in a counter clockwise turn. I will not get sick. I will not get sick. I will not get sick... I chanted silently as I tightly closed my eyes and clenched my fists. I heard a thump, and soon after, a popping noise.

"You girls alright?" My father asked. He had Apperated. I can't wait until we are old enough for that. Well, I will never be able to travel by Floo powder, because I don't have magic and you need the magic to pass the test when you are older. My father hates Floo powder even more than I do. I shook my head slowly. Julia, who landed on her feet (obviously used to Floo powder by now), extended her arm and helped me get to my feet. Then she rushed off towards Olyvander's wand shop. "Jules! We have to go to Gringott's Bank first!" Julia seemed to ignore him as she continued on her way in to the shop. "Oh well, I trust Mr. Olyvander will keep her busy until I get back. You can go ahead. No touching, okay?"

"Dad, can't I just stay out here like I did last time? I highly doubt You Know Who will try anything,"

"Do not speak of Him around so many people, Lydia. And no, you can't this time." Before I could ask why, he walked down the street then Disapperated when he thought no one was looking. I sighed deeply. I watched as many happy witches and wizards walked along the rod, swinging cauldrons and bags at their sides and hanging brooms of all sorts over their shoulder. This scene made me feel odd. I felt really different from everyone else because I forgot to put on my only robe. I usually do this when I go somewhere magical with my dad, but they seemed in so much of a hurry to leave, that I just left with them and forgot. I felt a little better when I saw a Muggle girl there with her nervous looking parents searching for dragon hide gloves. At least I wasn't the only one without robes on.

As I walked into Olyvander's wand shop, I saw Mr. Olyvander was speaking with Julia. "… duck bill wand with green tea leaves at the base. Very authentic. No? Here…" He handed her three or four more wands before I lost interest. Since it is the wand that chooses the owner, I had guessed it would take a while. I walked around the room admiring many types of wands. There were wands for all sizes of people. I reckoned Thumbelina would have a small selection just for herself. I used to love the story of Thumbelina (although the version I read from my late aunt's book said that after a few years the faerie prince was flying with an injured wing and sat on a flower for a rest when the flower was trampled on by an ogre...). It taught me that small people could do great things. Look at Harry Potter; he was only a baby when he somehow made Voldemort weak.

I stopped near the window where there were wands for display, including the licorice wands*. I saw a light blue wand that seemed to sparkle at me... almost like a wink. Words alone would never describe my wanting for it, or the way my hand wanted to touch it. I felt I had to, but my father said not to touch anything. "No touching..." That just made me want to grab at it even more. I felt like a fool just standing there looking at a wand and nothing else. I heard feet shuffling behind me, and I assumed since the conversation was dead between Julia and Mr. Olyvander, they had gone to the back. I reached slowly for the wand. The wand shook slightly when my hand got close to it. "Whoa," I murmured to myself. I heard a pop, and Mr. Olyvander started speaking with my dad briefly. One simple touch wouldn't hurt would it? I was very tempted…'No touching, okay?' my father had said. I sighed. What would happen if someone like me touched a wand? What could it possibly hurt?

"Is this the wand you'd like to try next, lass? OH!" Mr. Olyvander looked shocked. Not as shaken as I was when he touched me on the back and asked me the question. "I hadn't realized it was so hot in here. Ya' know, every once in a while when I get a new order of wands, the magic spills out and they almost always attack my chill charms. It is a bit warm in here... Warm enough for you to remove your robes. Well now, they musta changed your hair color as well. I'll have to fix that. That should not ha-"

"But… I'm not getting a wand." I said to him. He just waved my comment away with ease and chuckled.

"Don't be silly dear. Why, I was just talking to your father and he told me how anxious you were to be getting one today. Now, this one is a real beaut. It'd be a shame if you weren't the owner of this one. Haven't sold this one, and it's been in my shop for almost 15 years. 11 ¾ inch Weeping Pixie Wand made with the wings of a male pixie, and 4 feathers from a Northern Australian peacock... oh, and with the usual unicorn tail for added strength in the wand." He thrust the wand in my hands, and at the same time I tried to get it away from me. "Go on, it won't hurt you I promise."

"But I-" I had sighed then, deciding to stop trying to convince Mr. Olyvander that I wasn't Julia. I took the wand from Mr. Olyvander (I didn't touch it, he gave to me to try out... right?) and almost dropped it when it immediately started to glow.

"Ohhhh, interesting… Now raise your-" As I raised my arm, a bright blue light shot from my wand and turned into a firework. The two children who were waiting for Mr. Olyvander's attention looked at me. I really didn't care. My heart pumped wildly in my chest.

"Wha- What's going on?" When my father saw me he asked, "Lydia, are you alright?" I nodded eagerly, hoping I wouldn't get in any type of trouble. "You d-did that?" He asked in disbelief. I only nodded again. My mouth was wide open. Julia came out from the counter where she was looking at the bottom shelf for a wand to try. She seemed hidden as she slowly revealed her head.

"What just happened?" Julia asked not looking too interested. Mr. Olyvander looked over at Julia and then at me.

"You aren't…"

"I'm the other Mason," I explained.

"The Squ-"

"- one with a brand new wand," My father said quickly. "Try something else." My father blindly grabbed at a licorice wand. "Er- Turn the flavor of this licorice wand. I wanna make sure it truly works."

"But I… I Don't- Know- HOW!" I said, feeling ashamed all of a sudden. Julia looked at me with a little pity in her eyes.

"Accio." She had suddenly. The licorice wand seemed to jump from my father's hand and it went to her. When did she learn that? "Okay, come here and I'll teach ya'." I walked over to where the wand was floating and stood next to my twin. "It's alright, now… When we were younger I used to tell you that you have to concentrate on the flavor you wanted, remember?"

"Yes, I think so," Actually, I did perfectly. "What about it?"

"Well at the time, if you remember right, I was mad at you because you had sharing issues back then, so I lied. You have to concentrate on the flavors you DON'T like to change it to one you DO want. Go ahead, try it," I closed my eyes and pictured myself going through a large assortment of licorice wands. Well, lemons aren't that great and black licorice is nasty tasting too… My thoughts were cut off by Julia's shout of excitement. "Lydia, look!!!" I opened my eyes and saw that the licorice wand (which was yellow just seconds before) was white. I put a small piece in my mouth and then ripped off a piece for Julia.

"MMM… Vanilla," I said heavenly. Vanilla is one of my favorite flavors. My absolute favorite flavor was apple. Julia took a bite and smiled.

"Well done Lydia!! I'll TAKE IT," My father squealed in delight. I've never known any boys to squeal like that let alone my father, a man. Julia continued to look for her wand as I stared blankly at my own new wand. About 10 minutes after the excitement died down, Julia had found herself a wand. ("12 inches with hindoral leaves and a hair of a banchi.") My father couldn't stop smiling, and I never lost the look of shock. It seemed plastered to my face now. "This shopping trip has sure been successful," He shouted once we were out of the shop, causing some witched nearest to us look at him and giggle. He had paid Mr. Olyvander 16 Galleons for both of our wands. That was sort of expensive, but my father wasn't concerned about the price. We aren't a poor family, but our Gringott's volt wasn't overflowing with Galleons either. I think our father was just happy that I got my wand.

Julia twirled her wand expertly in the air, while I tightly gripped mine as if it would fly away or disappear at any moment. What is going to happen now? I asked myself. I was afraid to ask it out loud. "Dad? Can we get some basic spell books for Lydia now that she can use her wand?" I was surprised that Julia asked this, but I did and said nothing about it. I felt glad that she was looking out for me.

"Great idea Jules. Let's go see what they've got," We walked a little ways down the street to a book called Flourish and Blotts. Julia saw a friend of hers and walked over to her. They started talking. I leaned in a to see if Julia would say something about me, but all they were talking about was a girl named Her- Min- Owny... or something like that. They were saying how she was going out with this boy named Victor Krum, and how she could be sneaking behind Harry Potter's back. I didn't know Harry Potter had a GIRLFRIEND. I thought sourly. I knew I never had a chance, but I was still a little sour about that. Things like that are not what you discuss with your Squib sister I guess. "Come now Lydia. Julia will be here when we get back," My father said to me, while he tugged at my T-shirt.

Have you ever gone on a shopping trip with someone and feel really bored? That was how I felt the first time I came to Diagon Alley. It's amazing how interested and excited I was to be there this time. (I guess it was because we were shopping here for me.) I looked at this small leathery book called Ten Ways to Hug Yourself by a woman named Frances Delia. I chuckled and looked to a book that was red and blue. It had an eye that really moved on its spine. The title said Use Your Eye! It was written by a person whom had remained anonymous. I'm guessing it was written by a Cyclops or someone with Cyclops in their family. It is said that the Cyclops' were feared and sometimes even hated, so they live in the mountains with the dragons because no one in their right mind would go up there. The Cyclops' don't bother anyone or the dragons and the dragons don't bother them.

"Ah, here it is! One Thousand and One Basic Spells That Every Young Wizard Should Know. This should help keep you busy this summer," He laughed, rubbing his upper arm, and I followed suit, even though it wasn't really that funny to me. I'm sure nothing would've been funny at that moment. Dad paid man behind the counter 3 galleons for the big book and then handed it to me. "Jules, we have to get some more ingredients for potions," Does this mean he'll start teaching me again? I asked myself hopefully.

Julia walked away from her friend who went back to looking at the books on display. "Who is Her- Min- Owny?" I asked Julia slowing down my pace so she could catch up. Julia shrugged her shoulders.

"It's pronounced Her- my- own- knee. She's this girl who goes to Hogwarts is all," She said stiffly. She kept her gaze ahead of her. "Those three… They need to leave that girl alone. We all know the rumors aren't true…" Julia stopped talking then looked over at me. "It's a long story. I'll tell you about it at home." She smiled warmly. "So, how do you like your wand?"

"Oh Julia, I am so happy. I mean, we all thought I'd never be a witch," Julia's smile faded for a quick second then she looked ahead.

"Well I'm glad," She said and she remained silent.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking how you won't be able to go to Hogwarts. That would've been nice to see you around the castle."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I reckon Dad will find a school for me to go to. Er- If not, he'll teach me best he knows how, I'm sure." Julia smiled at me and grabbed my arm.

"Either way… I'm glad you are one of us now," One of them… A witch… I guess I belong now. What was I before? Was I ever 'one of them'…? These thought suddenly flooded my mind, but I pushed them back enough to smile at Julia. You can't let those thoughts bring you down.

"I am too," I told her. I felt the wand get warm in my hand. I at first thought I had made it glow and heat up, but then I realized I was still holding it in my robes. Reluctantly I let go of it.

"Let's get some ice cream before we go to get the potions ingredients. Today is a day to celebrate! Besides if we went for ice cream afterward we won't be in the mood to eat after seeing all of those ingredients." Our father looked almost as if he belonged in a ballet as his pace quickened towards the ice cream shop. I shook my head as I watched him.

Chapter 2

King's Cross Train Station

If you ask me, since the trip to Diagon Alley, which was 3 weeks prior, nothing really happened to where you could call me a witch. I only did something right in training when I was overly frustrated, or if I was under pressure by my dad. "Alright Lydia, when I get out my wand you have to be one step ahead of me. You may need this if you ever have to duel." I truthfully thought my father went mad, but I went along with it since he knew more about what I was doing than I myself did.

After all the training I did in those three weeks, all I was able to do was light up the end of my wand, change the flavor of my licorice wands, and slide things like quills and parchment across the table (something I took great pride in). Sooner than I realized, the time for Julia to go to Hogwarts had come. Julia and I were in our shared room (divided in half) packing. "Here Julia, you want to bring this book? You've read it 6 times before, so I figger it's your favorite."

"No thanks. I'm starting a new book. It's called From the Witching Hour."

"I heard of that one, it's a romance, isn't it?" I saw Julia blush, but I ignored it. "In that case, you might like to try reading this book. It is a Muggle book, but it's good. It has a witch and a mortal falling in love. The mortal gets kidnapped by this wizard who also loves the witch. The witch goes through the world called Frominot to get her love back. Very interesting, all the... characters she meets." I looked at my sister's reaction.

"So… I guess you liked that book eh?" I nodded. "I'll read it when Emma goes to sleep on the Hogwarts Express." I nodded again, figuring that Emma was a friend of hers. (Was she one of those girls whispering about Hermione? Julia never told me about her, and the 'long story'. I started lessons when we got back.) I rummaged through the book shelf and picked out the book I was looking for. "Love's Journey Through Frominot." I murmured, flipping the book to chapter one.

*

"LYDIA!!!" I jumped at the sound of Julia's yell. Screach, my old screech owl, jumped as well and flew out the window. "GET YOUR TORTICE BUM DOWN HERE AND HELP ME!!!" I hopped off of my bed.

"Screach, come back!" I called helplessly after him. I stomped down stairs. "Julia you scared Screach. He just flew out the window!" Julia rolled her eyes as she grunted in pain. My father was also grunting under the weight of Julia's trunk.

"He'll come… back. He- ooof!!! He always does." My father said. I knew this was true. I rolled my eyes anyway. Uh oh, jealousitous on the way. I thought. I knew jealousy was getting the better of me, but I didn't care. I walked over to Julia's side of the trunk.

"You both have all this magic yet you cannot move a stupid trunk without the help of a Squib?" I muttered. I watched as my father took out his wand. I thought at first he was angry with me and was going to give me a spell that would shut me up. I took my wand out twice as fast. Dad looked at me in surprise, and then pointed his wand at the trunk

"Wingardium Leviosa!" My father yelled. The trunk moved to the door and landed again. He opened the door and then the trunk floated out the door. I walked slowly behind it and got into the rented car. I waited until my father and Julia entered the car 2 or 3 minutes later to buckle my seat belt.

"How do you use this bloody thing?" Julia asked me hotly. I did it for her quickly, holding in a giggle. I watched the buildings and the trees go by as we sped away towards Kings Cross Train Station. I was the first one out of the car, and I ran into the station almost knocking over two children of 5 or 6 years old.

"I'm sorry. Sorry… Watch out." My father was right behind me. I was eager to get to the platform. I wanted to see Harry Potter. Like the trips to Diagon Alley, I always refused to go to the train station, but again I had no choice but to go this time. I knew that I'd see him this time. I waited on a bench for Julia to get to where I was. I saw her stop and talk to a girl with short blonde hair. I watched them talk.

"Have you seen Harry Potter this year? How do you think he looks?"

"He should have grown something. At least a mustache." Julia said in mock excitement. "I mean, that would make him soooo cute." I rolled my eyes in attempt to keep my laughter inside. What would he look like with facial hair?

"I KNEW YOU'D BE HERE!" Some one's angry yell stopped my imagination from answering my own question. I caught a glimpse of this tall, beefy man towering over a boy with kind of long black hair. It was sort of shabby, the boy's hair was. The man was holding up a book that had been strapped down. It was the Monster Book of Monsters text book that had teeth. Julia had a hard time keeping it from biting. Once, she left it under her bed, and when I went searching under there for a book that I lost, it almost took my finger. "YOU DARE LEAVE THIS… FILTH AT MY HOME!! I WILL HAVE NONE OF THIS!!! YOU UNDERSTAND?" The boy shook a little more before he reached behind him. The man*, seeing this and thinking the boy was reaching for a wand, threw the book at the boys feet and stormed off.

"Somebody woke up without their tea this mornin', eh?" I really didn't mean to say it out loud. The boy turned around and I almost gasped. The air condition machine next to the wall you enter to get to platform 9 3/4 was blowing in his face, exposing a lightning bolt shaped scar. The boy was Harry Potter! Man, he looked different compared to the picture I had. His hair was definitely longer and his glasses had different frames. He was taller and definitely not boyish anymore. "It- It's YOU!" I said in astonishment. Harry looked at me in annoyance, then seeing my face, looked as if he wanted to laugh.

"Of course it's me. Why wouldn't it be me?" He asked. His owl hooted in delight. She was looking at a mouse that had run into the wall.

"I- I'm sorry. I just… wasn't expecting to see you here." LYER!!! My head screamed. I pushed it away.

"Oh, that's alright." I looked closely at his face. You'd almost expect him to have an earring and a motorcycle. Actually, his hair wasn't that shabby. Just a bit long. "You look like someone…" I looked over to a family of red heads (one large but kind looking woman, and a girl, and three boys about my age), who shouted for Harry to hurry up. I looked then over to Julia, who was talking to her friends. "THAT'S it." He said loudly. It sort of scared me. When I looked back at him, I saw he was following my gazes. "You look like Julia Mason. Are you related to her?"

"I'm her twin."

"No way! You can't be twins...You look different." He searched my face, and then looked back to Julia trying to see the alikeness of the two of us.

"Well… that I can't explain, but we have matching birth marks on our hands." I told him. I looked back over at Julia. She was now watching me. I smiled at her which she returned quickly.

"I haven't seen you around Hogwarts. You don't go there..."

"Er- no. I don't go to school. I barely have magic. I guess that I can't explain either. I stay home during the year. Really boring, actually." I knew I was sort of babbling. I usually sit at home and wait for my father to get home. While I wait, I try to operate some of the Muggle machinery like the television, and the telephone.

"Oh." Harry looked around. "Well, I know Julia; she's a great Ravenclaw Chaser. What's your name?" Julia was a Chaser? I didn't know she played Quidditch...

"Lydia."

"Lydia…" Harry repeated. It almost seemed as if he was tasting my name and wasn't sure if he liked it. A whistle sounded in a low pitch, stopping Harry from saying anything more.

"Oooh. Time to board the train. Well… you have a good year, Harry, and tell Julia to write me." I joked.

"Will do. Nice meeting you. Bye Lydia." I watched as some of the red headed family disappeared into the wall. Julia walked over to my dad and gave him a hug. They whispered to each other and then my father called to me.

"Come on, Lydia. Say good bye to your sister." I nodded.

"Well… I hope you have a good year this year. I'll miss you." I gave her a hug too, but we were both stiff about it. I watched as she also disappeared through the wall behind Harry. I looked around and saw the red headed woman, who had no other children with her now, Disapperate when no one was really around to see her.

"Alright. Let's go home and try some more of those spells."

Chapter 3

The Weeping Pixie Wand

Later that same night, I was sitting on my bed looking out my window. I had just gotten into a fight with my father. He apologized for over pushing me to do the spells. He told me it was because he wanted me to be ready for anything. He also said he was a bit cranky. He went to his room and I walked past his room to my own.

"Why is this stupid thing burning?" I heard him mutter as I walked past.

It had been 8 or so hours since the conversation with Harry Potter, and I was looking out my window thinking about him. How could he have survived You Know Who? Many Aurors and great wizards died at the tip of his wand, yet a baby weakened him... I love the view my window gets. I'm not sure if it has a spell on it or not, but my room always seems to have view of the moon and it is always lovely. I watched as a small grey and black striped owl flew in through the window. "Hey Screach. Catch anything?" Screach Clicked at me which is a sign that he's happy, so I took that as a 'Yes'.

Screach is an old owl. He was old when I got him 6½ years ago. I think the shop keeper said he was 12 years old then. "It won't live very much longer." She said, but I took him anyway. Owls only live up to 15 years. I got him for my 7th birthday. The shop keeper was telling me how he was abandoned without a name (that she knew of). He didn't cost that much. Only 2 Galleons.
I watched as Screach settled into a sleeping position. I don't have a cage for Screach because he gets scared when he's in one, so I let him sleep on my dresser. He's not a messy owl, so I don't mind. Soon Screach was asleep. I always pet Screach right before bed, because it was therapeutic for the both of us. Screach would be tired during the afternoons, and then he'd feel better in the morning after I pet him. I would soon fall asleep, and I would lay stretched out and start to drift off to sleep. After a while I put Screach on my dresser and watched him fall asleep. I lay down on my bed, sighed and fell asleep also.

I am on a broom and hitting a play Bludger around a Quidditch field. Harry was dodging them and trying to catch a play Golden Snitch "Yeah! Once more, then we will go in!" it was cold and there was snow on the ground. I chase the Bludger around some more-

DRIP… DRIP… DRIP…

I opened my eyes and looked around. "What's that?" I asked myself in just a whisper. It sounded as if it was coming from my bedside table. I looked to the table and see my wand had water coming from the tip!! I picked it up and felt it was warm!! "Is it… tears?" I asked to no one. A tapping sound came to the window which scared me. I stood up to see an owl about half the size of Screach, who was only 5 inches tall, struggling to get the letter up to my window and waited for me. "Julia couldn't have written to me already, could she?" I opened the window and let the owl in. After dropping the letter it was carrying onto my bed, it flew over to Screach, who had a fit. "Oh, get away from him. Come here!" I said to the owl. "Blimey!! It's the Hogwarts seal!" I said looking at the letter. I felt odd about looking at this letter. "You made a mistake, Owl." I said. I picked up the letter and flipped it over. Neatly written with care was my name in emerald green ink. Slowly, with shaking hands, I opened the letter and I gasped after I read it.

Ms. Lydia Mason

The purple side of the shared room

Sauntersville

Dear Ms. Lydia Mason,

Another year of Hogwarts has surely arrived! I am looking forward to the education and journey that lies ahead. I have noticed your absence in the Great Hall tonight. This put a hole in my heart. I was hoping you'd be coming tonight with your sister. Perhaps you just didn't get my last letter. Anyhow, since you missed the Hogwarts express, my good friend, and the game keeper of Hogwarts, Hagrid will be coming for you with in 2 or 3 hours. A list of supplies and books are on the following page. As for Goldgrin the owl, just give him a treat and send him on his way. Upon arrival tomorrow, you will be Sorted and put in to a House. I'm looking forward to meeting you, for I have some good news. I have waited so long for this moment.

Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster

My eyes widened in excitement. "DAD!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, hoping to get his attention. I heard a thud and then quickened footsteps. My bedroom door swung open and there my father stood out of breath and looking worried. All 6 feet of him was shaking as if the one and only Vol-… You- Know Who was trying to kill me. "Oh… I'm fine dad… Look at this!! Just got it!" I got up and handed my father the letter and then left the room as he read the letter. His whole body seemed to relax as I gave him the letter.

"Oh that's GREAT!!!" I heard him yell as I found a piece of meatloaf in the refrigerator. I threw it in the owl's direction when I got back into the room. He then left in a hurry, trying to get back to Hogwarts.

"Bye Goldgrin."

"Alright… We need Julia's old books… some quills… lemme see. We have some parchment... but you'll need more. This doesn't give us much time to get supplies. All the shops in Diagon Alley are closed at this time of night. You'll need this robe… AH! I'll be right back, Love." I smiled as my father jogged into his room. He came back a minute later carrying a small trunk.

"This was your mother's Hogwarts trunk. She wanted you to have it for this very reason. She believed in you, you know? She just knew you'd go to Hogwarts someday." I smiled at those words.

My father and I worked in silence as things were piled into the trunk. So far it was very light, since I didn't have any Hogwarts robes, quills, parchment or many books. I was bringing Julia's books with me since I was at a first year level. My eyes widened as I saw my father putting a cut out picture of Harry Potter. (I cut it out to examine to see if he would look good with facial hair… At least that's my excuse to Julia…) I said nothing, though I knew what my father was thinking. Just let him. I thought to myself.

I heard a small roar of an engine in the distance about an hour and a half later. Soon it got louder and louder. "Looks like your ride's here. Do you have everything you need?" my father asked. I nodded.

"I think so." I muttered, looking around. I saw Screach's questioning look. "Oh… I want to take you soooo badly, but that would mean you would have to be caged up, or you'd have to fly… I can't bring you." I told him. He just hooted hostile at me then turned away from me. "Awww… Don't be like that." I turned just as my father opened the window wider. Outside was a man almost twice as large as my dad and me. He was riding in a flying motor bike. He only looked monstrous in height, but not in his face. He was gentle looking, and I trusted this man instantly. This must be the infamous Hagrid my sister was telling me about. I thought to myself, smiling at the half giant.

" 'Ello there Lydia. Yer to be comin' with me. Don' worry… Dumbledore'll take good care o' ya'." With that, he reached his large elephant trunk like arm into the window and helped close the trunk. Then he grabbed it and easily slid it into one of his many pockets. Seeing the surprised look on my face, Hagrid smiled and said in a proud voice, "I can fit just about anything in these 'ere pocket o' mine." I think he winked, but I had looked over at my dad before I could tell.

"You may have to get the rest of your things at Hogsmeade- which reminds me… I have to get you a permission form." I waited for a few seconds while my dad left the room.

"You're gonna have a great time at Hogwarts, Lydia. I just know it." I heard my dad call behind his back.

"I hope so." I muttered.

"Dumbledore is the greatest man I know. He'll straighten things out with ya' " I smiled. This was a little encouraging. My dad came back into the room just then carrying a small leather sack and a piece of parchment. He laid them gently in Hagrid's hands.

"Here's some money for shopping in Hogsmeade, and the permission form to go. It was nice to see you again, Hagrid." My father said nervously. Hagrid looked at him as if he just now saw him. He squinted.

"Yeah." He grunted. "Well, we got ter get going." He leaned to his left and the whole bike went left. He reached his hand in and helped me onto the bike. It didn't seem sturdy until I was all the way on it. Hagrid got the engine roaring again.

"Hagrid, won't the Muggles hear the racket we're making?" I asked over the rumbling. Hagrid's laugh shook the bike a bit, as if laughing at a question a small tyke would ask, like 'Is there really water in a watermelon?'.

"Naw… They're too insensitive to things like this. Besides, the Muggles will only see the shadow of th' bike on the sidewalk before they see us, and by the time they see us, the bike will be gone." I only nodded, knowing that Hagrid wouldn't be able to see it.

We rode in silence for a long time. After what seemed like hours of riding, I wondered exactly how far away Hogwarts was. Julia said it was a long ride, but I wasn't expecting it to be this long. I watched the scenery as the rumbling soothed me. I thought I was free. I felt freedom within me. I wasn't destined to turn green from envy after all... Hagrid started to sing some sort of song, and my thoughts decreased as I started to fall asleep.

Chapter 4

Hogsmeade

"Lydia. Wake up." I looked at Hagrid and saw that we had stopped and was at Hogwarts at last. I think it was about early afternoon. I felt so tired, but my eyes remained open to soak in the sights.

I looked quickly at the castle to find that it didn't look as large as Julia had always said it was. I slowly got off of the motor bike and stretched. Then I walked groggily with Hagrid inside. I was wrong about the size. It looked ten times bigger inside. "Wow." I said in a whisper. Hagrid looked back at me and smiled, not stopping. We walked up 2 flights of stairs and down a narrow corridor, turned right and walked up 1 more flight of stairs. I quickly became intrigued as I saw the moving portraits and paintings. I think they were of headmasters and mistresses of the past. (I didn't see one of Dumbledore.) At the top of the stairs, I almost ran into someone. I jumped back so I wouldn't be in his way. He seemed to just see me and yelled as if I had startled him. He too jumped back and his head dropped off his neck and hung next to his right shoulder. "Ahhhh!" I screamed loudly, causing Hagrid to come back to where I was.

"What's wrong Lydia? Oh, Nick, you scared the poor gal halve ta death! No pun intended." He added quickly to the ghost.

"I'm so sorry Hagrid," He turned to me after he put his head back in place. He bowed to me. "Miss. I guess I was in deep thought."

"What is on your mind that would make you wander like that?" I asked him after I got my breath back. Nick looked at me again and just shook his head.

"It would ruin the excitement of your first day." I nodded, pretending I understood. Hearing that only worried me a little more.

"Jus' watch where yer going so that doesn't happen again." Hagrid sort of snapped.

"Yes, I am so sorry. Have a good day." We walked slower down the corridor and came to a statue of a large griffin. Hagrid poked the griffin on his head and waited as the griffin woke up. "Bronze... please wake up so I can tell ya th' password." The griffin glared at Hagrid. Hagrid whispered something in the ear of the griffin and it moved to the right to let him pass. I stayed in the corridor as Hagrid took my trunk out of his pocket and onto the floor with a small thud.

"Be careful, Hagrid. That trunk belonged to my mother."

"Ah yes, yer mum. I remember her. She was always nice ter me when yer father made funna me." He said so quietly I had to stain to hear him, which was unusual for a man his size. "You look jus' like 'er." We stood there for about a minute, thinking about her, then Hagrid livened up again and we were on our way out of the castle. The light of the morning sun hurt my eyes as I walked out of the darker castle. "I 'ave a few things ta do at Hogsmeade today, so I will have ter get ya a tour guide. I have the perfect person. She's real nice an' smart too. She will help ya get yer school things." He said as we walked over to the motor bike. We rode through a path that went into a small patch of woods. These woods wound around a lake.

"What's her name? What house is she in?" I asked.

" 'Er name is Hermione." I've heard that name somewhere... I thought. Wasn't she in some sort of magazine? Witch Weekly! She was in there because of some rumor... Weren't my sister's friends talking about her? Was she at King's Cross train Station? I don't remember. I never met her. Hagrid broke my train of thoughts. (Hee hee! No pun intended... Get it? 'Was she at King's cross?' ...Broke my train of..... Forget it.) "She's in the Gryffindor house." I fell silent as we entered the village of Hogsmeade. The first thing I noticed were the many kids in Hogwarts robes. The second thing I noticed were the many shops they were going into. The third thing I noticed were the many stares I got. We got. It is not every day you see a half giant and a teenage girl riding together on a mostly Muggle device in a wizard village. There were small shops lined mostly in a row on a path and in the distance you can see an old abandoned house on a hill.

I saw a girl my age that was my age trotting up to us. She seemed to not notice me or was ignoring me as she gave Hagrid a hug. "Hi Hagrid!"

"Hey, Hermione.'Ow was yer summer?"

"Busy as usual. I was studying... and I was writing letters to Harry, Ron, and Victor." As she said the last name she sort of blushed and turned her head.

"I 'ave a favor to ask ya. See, Lydia here was late in getting her magic, so she didn't get her invitation to come here until las' night. She didn't have a chance ter get some of her things, so now I need you to help her get them." Hermione looked at me as Hagrid spoke. She sort of narrowed her eyes as she inspected me when Hagrid wasn't looking... Then when he was looking, smiled at me, showing off her pearly whites... in jail. Her braces were almost blinding.

"Sure Hagrid, I wouldn't mind helping her out." She said, not looking away from me. Hagrid smiled and patted both of our shoulders.

"Hermione is the best person for the job. She'll make sure you are taken care of." He told me as he searched his millions of pockets for my leather sack of money. When he found them in the first three tries, he smiled. He handed me the money. He patted our shoulders again and walked away into a shop that said The Three Broom Sticks.

"Come on, I don't have all day." Hermione snapped. She spun on her heels and walked away. I trotted after her while dodging the kids walking in and out of the shops. Hermione spun around to face me after a minute or two. "This is where you will be getting your Hogwarts robes. I'll be at the book shop right next door getting your books." I nodded and started to walk into the shop. "Oh Lydia?" I spun to face her. She no longer looked as if she was happy to meet me the way she did when Hagrid was there. "Don't you think it is a little... odd that you had no magic, and then you walk into a wand shop and 'poof' you're a witch? Oh, Julia told me all about it on the train." She added when my face went blank. She smiled almost wickedly.

"You have food stuck, did you know? Just there?" I asked her. She searched her braces and noticing that I wasn't serious, she walked into the book shop called Flourish and Blott's. I shook my head and rolled my eyes as I walked alone into the robe shop.

*

The sun was hot and pretty high in the air when most of my shopping was done. I met Hermione in Zonko's, the joke shop. There I saw Harry. He didn't see me, but the red haired boy I saw in the train station saw Hermione and waved. Harry then looked up and gave me a puzzled look. I knew that he wanted to ask me why I was there, but I didn't have an answer for him. I slowly followed Hermione to the shelf that held jars of Pimple Peppers, whoopee cushions ("Thank Muggles for these." I heard a boy say), and varieties of fake bugs that had moving legs.

"Hey, Lydia is it?" I nodded. "I thought you didn't go to school."

"You know her?" Hermione asked him. Harry nodded and the red head looked at me. This made her seem even angrier with me.

"I met her at the train station."

"Oh, the Squib you told me ab- OW!" the red haired boy was jabbed in the side by Harry, who looked at him and frowned. "Sorry."

"She's not a Squib obviously, now is she Ron? Hey, how come you are here?"

"I seriously don't know myself." I said to them. I explained to them what happened to me. Hermione didn't look too convinced. It's like she's suspicious of me, but why? "I'm waiting to wake up is all." I finished.

"Harry, we are going to Honeyduke's to go pleasure shopping, so we'll meet you later, okay?" Hermione said to him. Harry shook his head. Turning to me she said, "Let's go. I suspect we will be leaving pretty quickly here." Her tone wasn't as sharp as it was earlier, but then she led me out of sight. "Let's go get you a sack of candy then you can join your sister."

"Um, Her- Hermione?" I said uncertainly.

"What." She said facing me with a cold stare.

"Well, um... I was wondering if I made you mad at me." I asked, releasing the same thought I've had for the last half hour. She said nothing, but turned back around and started walking. I heard someone, a drawling boy from Slytherin, yell something along the lines of 'Metalmouth Granger'. "Well, if you don't mind... I would like to get a pet, since my owl is at home and won't be with me this year."

"Fine." we walked in the opposite direction and entered a shop that had screeches and roaring coming from it.

"If I am just wasting your time, you can leave me here and I will join Julia after I'm done." I said to Hermione. She let me go in first and then followed me in, as if what I had just said gave her another reason not to trust me. I shrugged, and was glad when we were greeted by a very pretty woman behind a small counter.

"Hello girls, may I be of assistance?" A woman of 35 or 36 years of age walked up to us and had a smile that made me feel refreshed. I knew that not all witches here were like Hermione. Her eyes looked at me for a long time, then flashed around the room. I nodded my head and looked around briefly.

"I would like a pet for the school year. Do you have any small animals that aren't rodents?" I saw the woman put on a thoughtful face.

"You want something furry?" I nodded. The woman looked at me closely. (I looked at her just as closely. Though we were sort of staring at each other, it was only as if we were checking each other out. I thought I saw her eyes widen a bit, but it must have been my imagination, for when I looked closer, they were back to normal. Well, I can't say it was widening that I saw... more like recognition. I've never seen this woman before that moment. She had dark red hair and hazel eyes. She was a little hefty, but pretty none the less. Her smile made her that way.) She then looked around the room. "Well, I'm sorry Hon, but there is nothing in- wait!" her gaze stopped at the tiger cage, and the white tiger inside went mad trying to tell her something. She inspected me once again, then slowly smiled. "Do you think Dumbledore will allow you to have a tiger? Shrunken of course. She's a baby, so you can train her to be good and quiet..." she said, mostly to herself it seemed.

"Hmmm...." I murmured. I remembered the dream I had the day I got my Weeping Pixie Wand. Maybe I should... I couldn't take my eyes away from the tiger. It had pretty eyes. Hermione looked at me in shock.

"You can't seriously be thinking about it. Lydia, if Dumbledore finds out and doesn't like it, he'll think I was in on it and not only kick you out, but me as well! You can't get this tiger!"

"But... What if he doesn't mind? I mean, as long as I train it to be good, it will alright, and there will be no problem." I told her not looking away from the tiger.

"IT'S A WILD BEAST!" I put my finger to my lips and shushed the yelling girl next to me. She got quiet.

"Not so loud." I said to Hermione, then to the shop keeper, "I will do it. Hopefully, since it is technically a cat, I may be able to keep it. But you have to help me keep it a secret. And, I will let him know that you were against it, which is not lying." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Just hurry up and shrink her." she said, walking outside and waiting by the door. I turned back the lady behind the counter.

"I don't want to cause a fight with you and your friend..." I almost started laughing.

"Er- She's not my friend. She's showing me around the village because I'm new." The woman shook her head in understanding and took her wand out. She waved it around and muttered a word. I watched as the tiger shrunk in the cage. The woman picked it up and walked around the room to look for a small bird's cage and a small box of cat food.

"See if she likes this. If not, I'd recommend giving her people food. Not many veggies and what not, but meats and a bit of cream."

"Thank you very much. Er, how much do I owe you?" I asked her, rummaging around in what was left of my school shopping money.

"That will be 12 Galleons and 6 Sickles." My mouth almost dropped. That was just about all of my money. I wouldn't have much left for too much candy. I just hoped that Julia would share with me as I handed her the money. I slowly walked out of the shop with the tiger in the cage. Buying the tiger left me with only 2 sickles and 4 Knuts. Enough for some candy, but not allot. It was worth the extra money, though. At least I won't totally be alone if Julia disowns me this year. Hermione was waiting impatiently for me. I opened the parcel with my robe in it and put it on over my clothes.

"Thank you, Hermione, for helping me out. I won't keep you any longer. I believe I saw Harry and that other kid go in to Honeyduke's." I said to her in the most proper way I could think of as I put the tiger in my robe pocket. The tiger looked up at me as if to ask 'Do I have to?', but she made no fuss.

"What are you going to name it?" She asked me in a slow manner. I thought blankly for a second, then I said the first word that came to my mind.

"Bumba." Bumba? That was my mother's nickname that my dad gave her. Why would I choose that? But I felt confident about it,. "Yeah, Bumba." Hermione sighed.

"Come on, we can go to Honeyduke's together, since I couldn't find none of your sister's friends. They could be in The Three Broomsticks." We walked in silence to Honeyduke's and saw Harry and Ron right away. With them, I saw another red haired girl, whom must have been Ron's sister. She was holding hands with a boy with brown hair. He was a little chubby, and seemed careful not to touch anything.

" 'Ello again, Lydia." Ron said. I nodded to him in greeting. I looked around and was in awe. I have never before seen so much candy in one place before. I saw barrels of bloodcicles, Super Freezy Ice Pops, milky silky jaw breakers, and licorice wands. I admired the shelves of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans ("And they mean every flavor." Harry told me when I pointed them out), acid pops, cow chip chocolate chips (no thanks), Chocolate Frogs, cricket pops, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and singing Chuble Creams. I wasn't sure what a Chuble Cream really was, and was afraid to try one, so I bought a couple boxes of the Every Flavored Beans, and 3 milky silky jaw breakers. I saw a small barrel of honey combs, so I bought 3 of those as well. I like honey, but when I opened it up I didn't like it, so I spat it out into the wrapper and threw it away. It would have been a waste to throw the other two out, so I decided to keep them and trade with someone sometime in the near future.

Just then, I heard a woman scream, "Hogwarts! Hogwarts students! Let's Go!" I looked at Hermione and then picked up my cauldron and other parcels with unexpected ease and walked outside with my purchases. Ron offered to help me, but I politely declined. I saw Dumbledore for the first time and he smiled at me. I smiled back as I quickly became engulfed in the sea of kids that joined me. We were herded back towards the path that Hagrid and I took around the lake. Walking was kind of nice. The sun was threatening to set, but I was kind of grateful it didn't right away, since we would have been walking in the dark, and even in the day that forest seemed a little creepy.

I felt a little safe in the crowd of kids. Harry was talking to who I guessed were Ron's older twin brothers and their friends. I heard the name Seamus, Lee, and one other that I had forgotten. These were other friends of Harry. I knew that Lee was a 7 year like the twins. Though I was right next to Harry and his friends, I felt a bit left out since I didn't know them or what they were talking about. Hermione complained about the down side of having dentists for parents with the braces and such, then they moved on to Quidditch. Though I knew of the sport, I had never seen a game being played. Apparently, Harry is a Seeker, the one that catches the Golden Snitch, and a darn good one at that.

"Don't know what happened, but I heard he was hit pretty badly." Ron said. "Victor Krum is still out, but is expected to wake up soon."

"I hope he's alright." Hermione moaned. I remained silent and walked ahead of them. I heard my name being said, and then, "Lydia, come back." I slowed down and waited for them. "Are you okay?" I was surprised that it was Hermione among the lot that had asked.

"I'm fine. You were caught up in a conversation, and I didn't have any say in it, so I walked ahead. Um, is Victor a friend of yours? Was he playing Quidditch? I heard you talking to Hagrid about writing to him."

"Yes... to both questions." Hermione said. I mouthed the word 'Oh' and walked alongside her in silence as the conversation sort of ended. I saw the castle in view and then a voice calling out to the students.

"Your term starts tomorrow. You can go to the Great Hall and eat now. I will be attending to other things, but I'm sure you all don't need me. Have a good night, children." I smiled as Dumbledore waved to the other Perfects and teachers. I knew I was his 'other things' he was to attend to. I let the other students walk inside and waited, not knowing where I was to go. I sighed as I looked up at the now massive looking castle. I wondered what it would be like roaming the halls as if I knew where I was going. I thought about the different ghosts that were in the castle, including the one that I had met earlier that day. I saw Hagrid come back out.

"OH! My! I forgot ter get you. Come with me." I walked with Hagrid back into the castle and back to where the griffin statue was. He again whispered into the ear of the statue and it again jumped aside for Hagrid to pass. I waited for him to come back out, but instead he beckoned for me to go with him. "Come on." He said to me. I took a deep breath and walked in after him.

Chapter 5

Hogwarts

We walked in to what I'm guessing was an office. Correction: Dumbledore's office. I was carefully looking around and marveling at the different sights. I saw Dumbledore was sitting at a small desk looking at papers and such, waiting... for me. He looked up and smiled that same warm smile he gave me in Hogsmeade. I looked down quickly as I heard loud purring coming from Bumba. I froze. I looked up to see Dumbledore didn't seem to notice. "That will be all Hagrid. I would like to speak to Lydia alone, if I may. You can wait outside until we are finished." Hagrid nodded and sort of bowed as he backed away. No don't leave me! I tried to send that message to Hagrid through my weak telepathy, but he didn't hear my cry. Dumbledore looked back at me as the statue closed the space between Hagrid and me. "Come here Lydia, I won't hurt you." Of course I knew that, but I must have looked scared. I wasn't scared... well, maybe a little bit. I think I was shifting my weight around from one foot to the other, because he pointed to a chair as if to tell me to sit down. I did so. "Now, do you know what a Blue Bloomer is, Ms. Mason?" Dumbledore asked me, getting serious.

I looked up at the 30 or 40 foot ceiling. Did I? I wasn't quite sure. I may have heard the term before. I shook my head after I found I didn't remember where I may have heard the term. "Is that what they call people like... like me?" I asked, sounding a bit ashamed.

"Yes, in a sense. There is a term in the pixie's language that our tongues cannot pronounce, but it means that. We have found out that in the last 10 years, more kids are not finding their powers until after the time of schooling arrives. There are schools for Blue Bloomers, but usually, like you, kids don't go near anything magical too often. This is mostly a problem if the children are Muggle born. They never go near magic. Once you got near that wand in Olyvander's Wand Shop, your magical side had come to you."

I waited patiently for Dumbledore to continue with some sort of announcement, but he looked at me as if to let me think about what he had just said to me. "Sir, why didn't the Ministry of Magic set magical items here and there around the world, and have it react when these children are near? They could be placed in many different stores and on the streets and look like the merchandising, or things like hydrants and- and litter."

"That's a great suggestion. There are a few loop holes, but I'm sure if I bring it up in a meeting, the other wizards will surely think about it."

"There are loop hole in everything, Professor, that can be maneuvered around, but for the most part everything else works." He nodded I agreement.

"Very true, Ms. Mason, very true." The silence continued to grow and I hated it.

"So... So what does this have to do with me? Obviously, I am too late to be here. Why am I not in one of those schools? Why did you ask me to come? I am not ungrateful for the invitation, but I am so confused." Without meaning to, I let all of my thoughts and questions from the last 20 hours pour out. Dumbledore just smiled.

"As you should be. I understand completely." He said slowly. "There is a very specific way we know which children are old enough and powerful enough to join us here at Hogwarts." I was about to tell him that there was no way that I was powerful enough to be at Hogwarts, but Dumbledore just put up a hand to stop me before I even started. "There is a map of all of Europe. Many houses on this map light up when commanded. Yellow light means a child with magic, and blue is one who already attended Hogwarts. Yesterday morning while I was in my office making plans for this year, I saw that the light at your house was a brighter yellow than normal. At first, I thought Julia's powers were getting stronger, but at Noon, I looked again and the light still existed, so I guessed you, the only one left, had gotten your powers at last." Up until that last sentence, I was looking down at the desk. I looked up at him in surprise. This has to be a trick from the Ministry of Magic to teach me not to touch wands. I thought a little bitterly. Then I looked at Dumbledore's face and saw that it wasn't changing. I knew that he was serious. A minute of silence passed.

"Well, why did you ask me to come?" I repeated. Dumbledore seemed to take in what I asked him and think of a good way to explain it. Finally, he just smiled.

"Because in my opinion, you've never had better timing, Ms. Mason." I thought that maybe Dumbledore had been drinking too much butterbeer in his day, (butterbeer isn't an alcoholic drink since children drink and enjoy the taste of butter beer all the time, but you never know in the wizard world...) because he made no sense. Maybe it was age, I mean he IS like 150* something years old. He just smiled again. "I am pleased to tell you that Hogwarts has now a place for Blue Bloomers such as yourself to catch up to their classes. My idea. Usually, it would take about a year, but since you learned so much about Potions and things without needing a wand, you should catch up within the first term. You won't be alone in this class. There is a 20 year old who will be sleeping in the teachers dormitories named Hans Kittish. He'll be like a first year and will be here for a couple years. There is a boy named Neville Longbottom, who will only join you for Potions classes. He's a 5th year Gryffindor, and is having a hard time in his Potions class. There are two girls who should be in their 3rd year if they had gotten their powers on time. Their names are Lenora Rosetta and Jessie Lowry. Lenora is a Slytherin, and Jessie is in Ravenclaw. Any questions?"

"What are the classes like?" I asked shyly.

"Glad you asked me that. You will be in one classroom with one professor. Professor Snictinstein. I think you will like him. You switch off classes every other day, like the other students here in Hogwarts, plus you will have an extra class one on one with him that will get you caught up in your individual year." I was about to ask another question when Dumbledore took out an old tattered wizard's hat and I forgot the question at once. It was black and had patches that looked like eyes and a nose. There was a stitching job that looked like a toddler did it, but it made it seem like there was a mouth. The Sorting Hat!!! I thought excitedly. I was thinking that they would pick a house for me, or like Hans, be put somewhere else. The Hat shook and came to life. It had started to sing.

Many, many years have passed

Does not seem long ago

Four Great wizards came together

These Wizards could not sew

Gentle child do no fret

'Cause I'll pick your house right

You'll join your friends and your dorm mates

And you'll be there by midnight

Will you be in Slytherin

Wanting all the power?

Or perhaps you'll be in Hufflepuff

The magic of the hour?

I could put you in Ravenclaw

You have to use your head

Maybe brave Ravenclaw

Will lend you a new bed

I can see into your thoughts

I cannot tell you how

I'll make the choice that'll change your life

If you choose to trust me now.

I clapped quickly, then Dumbledore handed the hat to me. "Go on, place it on your head." I did as I was told, and it covered my eyes. This hat must have been made for a giant or a really big wizard.

Well, well, well. The other Mason twin has joined us at last. Took you long enough, eh?

"That was not of my doing-"

All magic you produce or choose not to produce is of your own going! Now, you seem smart. Not clever, but smart. You learn quickly, a Ravenclaw quality. A little bit of bravery. You are quite a bit insecure, not a Hufflepuff quality... Oooh, you're the 'act when off guard' type. Those are always good to watch in a scary situation. You're never evil... Oh, I do love the tough ones.

"Whaddaya mean?" The Sorting Hat seemed to sigh.

This usually means I can't find a place to put you, so you get to pick. Ravenclaw with your sister, or Gryffindor?

"I don't know. I don't want to be in Ravenclaw." Why would I be in Gryffindor?

Why not, she is the only one here you know... trust.

"I just don't want to be there. She doesn't want me here. I will be put out again, I just know it." I don't know that... But it was too late...

Fine, fine. GRYFFINDOR!

I took off the hat and handed it back to Dumbledore. "I was thinking maybe you would be in Ravenclaw since your sister, mother, and father are Ravenclaws." I shrugged. I listened as Dumbledore told me of all the rules, of the House point system, and boundaries of the school. He also told me of the items that will be confiscated if seen. (Tigers were not on the list.) "What have I forgotten..." Dumbledore thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, tigers are normally not a part of the animal acceptance list, Ms. Mason." He knows! "However, Ms. Granger seems to be the only one who knows about it besides me, and I hope you will keep it that way. She told me about it and asked me to let you keep it because your owl is old and could not make the flight here. I will let you keep... Bumba is it? You can keep Bumba, so you'll have a good comfort level while here at Hogwarts, but don't make shrinking tigers a habit.

"That is all. You may go to the Gryffindor tower. Oh! Bring this. I know you must be starving. You can bring it to the Great Hall tomorrow morning at breakfast." He handed me a silver platter that was empty and a large goblet. "Tap them twice and say 'Refillo!' " I nodded and walked towards the statue.

"Can I get a copy of the rules and such, a-and a map?" He waved his hand and a large role of parchment lay on top of the platter. "Thank you, sir." I walked outside of the office and saw Hagrid pacing.

"Ah, Miss Mason. Let me escort ya ter the Gryffindor Tower. I beh' lieve you will have a good year." He said. "An' Dumbledore is a great man. A great man 'e is."

"He sure is." We walked up 4 flights of stairs and down a corridor, then up many more flights of stairs. Hogwarts should get elevators. I thought as we (as I) huffed and puffed up the stairs. Suddenly, Hagrid skipped a step.

"It looks like it's there, but it ain't, so ya got ter jump it." He said. I did so, and continued. I saw many of the paintings move, as I had when we had dropped off my trunk of things. There was one painting of a knight that waved his sword at me and told me that he was going to cut off my tongue if I told anyone that I saw him where he was. (He was in another painting of a different texture, and you could tell he didn't belong in it. In the painting, there was a very pretty woman picking flowers, and every time she was done picking the 20 or 30 flowers, she'd throw them to the ground and they would re-root themselves to the ground. Then she'd start picking them again. If I wasn't in a bit of a hurry to get to my House, I would have watched her all night, for she was very pretty and so graceful.) We finally got to the top of the stairs and saw a large portrait of a pretty big woman. Hagrid could almost look her in the eye. I watched as Hagrid rummaged though his many coat pockets. " 'Ello, there. How's things with you?"

"Boring as usual, Hagrid. I see you got the new girl with you."

"This is Lydia Mason. Her sister is in Ravenclaw. Isn't there another set of twin girls split Ravenclaw and Gryffindor? Ah yes, the Patils." By then, Hagrid had stopped rummaging, and had a small piece of paper with him.

"Do you have the password Hagrid?"

"Yeah, rubber wand." Rubber wand, rubber wand, got it. I thought to myself, as the Portrait Lady opened the portrait. There was a whole the size and shape of a small doorway, and I walked inside for a second to check it out. I saw kids sitting around playing games and reading. "Yer trunk is already in yer dormitory." Hagrid said. "An' the list'a passwords is on top. Be sure to remember all of them an' destroy the parchment." I walked back out of the whole and nodded to him.

"Thank you Hagrid... for bringing me here, and for showing me around."

"Awww... 'Tis nothing." I walked through the hole and heard the portrait close behind me. I sighed deeply and walked over to a corner by the fireplace and sat down. I watched as Harry, Ron, and Hermione played Exploding Snap with three others of the red head family, the brown haired boy and a kid later known to me as Seamus Finnegan. I have never played before. I felt my stomach rumble. I took out my wand and tapped the platter and goblet.

"Refillo!" I saw the platter fill with sandwiches, and the goblet fill with a thick white liquid. I don't know what it was, but it tasted like melted French Vanilla ice cream. I lay on my stomach and ate while I read the rule sheet.

" 'Ey! I'll Trade ya!" Looked up to see the red head twins saw at King's Cross standing over me. I knew they were apart of Ron's family too. (How many of 'em are there?) "Two sandwiches for two canary creams." One of them said.

I was about to say 'Fine', when I heard Ron yell "Don't trade them!!"

"Ron!" said one of the twins. "We weren't going to turn her into part canary. We aren't that cruel. Fine, two sandwiches for two bottles of butterbeer."

"Uh... yeah okay. Help your selves." I found out that the plate refilled itself as did the goblet, so I wasn't going to refuse. The twins greedily grabbed at the sandwiches and handed me the butterbeer. I shook my head and continued to read. I drank a bottle of butter beer (it had been awhile since I had any) to find it was a little bitter. I started belching uncontrollably even though I only took a sip. I tried desperately to keep tears from coming to my eyes and tried to push away the humiliation. I heard some laughing.

"FRED! GEORGE!" Ron yelled. He ran over to me. He screamed profanities at his brothers, and soon I had a spell on me that had stopped the belching. As I gasped for a little air, I heard Ron yelling more at his brothers and I heard them say' we needed SOMEONE to test our belchybeer!'. Ron tried to apologize. After I read the rule sheet, I tapped the platter and said "Refillo" again to see if it would make the sandwiches disappear. I was right, and I did the same to the goblet. I picked up my stuff and walked up to Hermione. "Can you tell me where our dormitory is?"

"Upstairs to the right. You are going to bed already?"

"No, I just want to know where it is so I can get ready for bed." I lied. She nodded. I walked up the stairs and to the right like Hermione had said. I saw the doors marked 1st years, 2nd years, 3rd years and so on. I walked through the one marked 5th years. I looked around and saw two girls whispering to each other. They stopped when they saw me, then started up again when I closed the curtain around my bed. I was sitting there petting Bumba for a long time. I had lie down so it looked like I was asleep. Eventually, the last girl came in and blew out the torch that lit the room. I stayed awake for quite some time. In that time, I thought of my journey so far, fed Bumba the cat food (but she didn't like it), and shifted sleeping position about 100 times. I was worried that I would wake up and be in my room. Finally, I fell asleep.

Chapter 6

First Day of Term

I woke up the next morning and saw that I was still in the Hogwarts bed. I smiled brightly until I heard Hermione near the bed next to me. Then suddenly the curtains around my bed opened. I quickly looked for Bumba to see she was asleep in her cage, which was closed. I didn't remember putting her in her cage, but I was grateful that she was in there. I looked up at Hermione. "If I were you, I'd get up now. The classes will start in an hour." I only nodded in agreement. I wished right then that I had bought a watch in Hogsmeade. I didn't want Hermione to become my living, breathing alarm clock. Not that I didn't mind the wakeup call I just got. I certainly needed it. I decided that the next time I will do that. I scrambled out of bed and started searching through my trunk.

After changing, I put the rest of my candy in my inner pants pocket, tried to feed Bumba again, and grabbed the plate that held the sandwiches. Then I followed the two girls who were whispering to each other only 12 hours before down the steps and into the Gryffindor Common room. I saw Harry and Ron walking groggily out. Ron motioned for me to walk with them. "I'm sorry about Fred 'n' George. They will play pranks on anyone who won't suspect anything. I guess being new, you were the lucky... or unlucky candidate. So, how was your first night?" He asked me.

"You can tell them that if I wasn't so humiliated at that moment, I would have found it funny... and that they better watch out because I know a few tricks myself. My first night was fine. I kept hearing howling and owl hoots, but after awhile, it was comforting." I told them. Harry smiled. I suddenly thought of the picture I ripped out of Witch Weekly, and blushed a little. Luckily for me, he was turned towards Ron and away from me at that moment.

"I doubt you would be able to pull one over on the; they seem to know 'em all." Ron said smiling. I think that was when I decided that I liked Ron. I walked with them down all of the stairs and into the Great Hall. There were tables filled with food. This reminded me how hungry I was. (I didn't eat too many of the sandwiches the night before because of what had happened, but I did drink a lot of the stuff from the goblet. That was good.) I saw there was a small row of empty seats. Hermione was there. I sat down on the other side of the table in front of Harry. I picked out 6 slices of bacon, and put them on my plate, next to a biscuit, a banana, and some scrambled eggs.

"Lydia, I'm curious. If you are new here, you won't be going to our classes will you?" Harry asked me. I looked at him, and tried not to grin at him.

"I go to the dungeons with one professor all day, and switch off class subjects when you do. I was told I may join you guys in January." I told him, picking up a slice of bacon. When I thought no one was looking, I snuck a few pieces in my robe pocket. Hermione saw me though, and gave me this Look. (You know the Look, everyone does. Hermione gives me that Look ALL THE TIME. It's her ' I'm onto you ' look, and I hate it.) I only shrugged and continued eating.

*

I walked quickly down to the dungeons and looked for my classroom. I saw two girls the same age standing in front of a class room. I guessed that they were Lenora Rosetta and Jessie Lowry. They looked very scared. "Is this Professor Snictinstein's classroom?"

The girl with two long black pigtails looked at me and nodded. "He went looking for someone. He said to wait here." I hoped it wasn't me he was looking for. I thought I was on time. I felt my robe pocket move quickly and put my hand inside it. I felt my finger get licked. I smiled and sort of giggled. I saw a tall man walk toward us with another younger man. They approached us.

"Ah! You must be Lydia." I took my hand out of my pocket long enough to shake his outstretched hand. "Alright, everyone is here. Put your bags in here. We are going outside for our first lesson. I want to introduce myself. I am Professor Snictinstein." The taller man said. He had grey hair. He was very tall and as he towered over me, I thought he was kind of scary. He pointed to me. "This is Lydia Mason." He pointed to the tall man standing next to him. "And this is Hans Kittish." He pointed to the girl in the pig tails. "This is Lenora Rosetta." Then he point to the other girl who seemed to almost hide behind Lenora. I already knew that she was Jessie. She had light brown hair and blue eyes. She seemed a little too thin if ever possible. "And this lovely lady is Jessie Lowry. Now, let's go inside and put our bags down. Like I said, we won't need them." I found a chair near the wall and set my bag on it. Then I walked back to where Professor Snictinstien was. He led the way outside and to the Quidditch field. There were 5 brooms in a row on the ground. I walked by one of them and stood next to it, waiting for another instruction. "Okay, class. All you have to do is put your hand over the stick and say 'Up'. Say it firmly now. Go on now, they don't bite. It's the Monster 5000 you have to worry about." I didn't do anything. I looked down at my broom in almost disgust.

"Sir?" I raised my hand.

"Yes?"

"I've never been able to ride a broom before. I doubt I'll start now. Why are we learning this?" I looked around quickly, and saw that Jessie and Hans were nodding in agreement.

"Hogwarts is a place of magic, Lydia. If you can't ride a broom, then what's the point of coming here?" I shrugged. "At least try again. You'll make it go." With that, he turned to face Hans, who was having trouble with his broom.

I sighed heavily and looked down at the old broom stick. "Here goes nothing." I muttered to myself. "UP!" The broom seemed to jump to my hand. Professor Snictinstein showed us how to mount our brooms and to kick up and fly around. The first time I kicked up, I only went up 4 feet and fell again. I fought back tears and tried again. The same thing happened. I kicked off one more time, and found myself in the air. Third time's a charm. I was beginning to eat my words. After everyone got a hang of flying, Professor Snictinstein took out a Quaffle and the two Bludgers. We had played with them for awhile. ( Snictinstein had the Bludger chase us awhile, then he'd hit them away. It was specially made to do that, because as far as I know, Bludgers don't normally do that. They don't chase just one person. With the Quaffle, we had to catch them and pass them while we were on our brooms.) We were all having the best of fun. We all groaned as the bell rang.

"Great job everybody! Everyone gets full point on this assignment and test. Everyone gets 10 points to their houses. Lenora gets 5 extra for being the first one in the air. Let's go into our classroom and start Care of Magical Creatures." We walked inside, and sat in our seats.

"Alright, who can tell me the difference between a pixie and a fairy?" He looked at all of us. When his gaze crossed mine, I slowly raised my hand. I think I know. My dad once told me, though I wasn't really paying attention. "Lydia? Do you know?"

"I think so. Aren't fairies larger than pixies? They are about 3 inches tall at the tallest and pixies are 1 1/2 to 2 inches at the tallest. The pixies have their own language as the fairies speak whatever language the people around them speak." Okay, so maybe I was a little bit there during that lesson.

"Correct. Thank you for that informative answer. 5 points to Gryffindor. What you forgot to add, or perhaps you didn't know, was that pixies are like fairy children; they love pulling pranks. They are best known to take wands and pull hair. And that's if they like ya'." Professor Snictinstein winked at the class. I giggled. "Now, you are each going to take your pick at a pixie and take care of it throughout the term. How well you care for it will be 65% of your test scores. You need to put them in the cage, or if you don't want to do that I have another way for those of you who ask." He called up Jessie to his desk.

I watched as Jessie was taught a wand trick. Then Professor Snictinstein pointed to me and beckoned for me to go to his desk. I looked at the pixies. They were flying fast around the small cage. (Well, it was big, but not big enough to hold 5 pixies, all of which were flying around in the cage.) They were all small, thin, and beautiful. The pixies all had pretty long hair, mostly untamed, except for a couple. They had small clothing either green or red. The male pixies had red wings matching their clothes and blonde hair , while one female pixie had red dark red hair and green clothing, matching her wings. There was another pixie that had blonde hair with purple wings and clothing, and the last one had black hair and yellow wings and clothing.

"Can I find another way?" He smiled and picked up his wand. He waved it in counter clockwise direction and said, "Morentas!" There seemed to be an invisible rope coming from the wand, and the red haired pixie inside stopped flying and seemed to move the way the wand did. She started to scream in her tiny voice.

"You're hurting her, sir." I said to him. He looked at me.

"Morentas." He repeated. The pixie dropped a little, then started to fly again. Before I could say anything, the same pixie jetted out of the cage, stole my wand, and flew outside, clicking and buzzing angrily.

"It doesn't look like she liked me very much." I said to Professor Snictinstein. I jogged outside after the pixie. I ran as fast as I could up the stairs and tripped on one. I think it was that one step Hagrid told me about that wasn't really there, but I had no time to stop and think too hard about it. "Hey! Give me back my wand!" I yelled after the pixie. I tried as hard as I could to gain some speed, but this pixie was fast for her size. I looked around and saw Julia looking out of a window. I don't know what class she was in, but I was relieved to see her smile at me and wave. (I had this strange feeling that she would hate me for being here. I didn't have the guts to walk up to her and say 'Hi'. She must have either guessed I was there, or been told by someone, because she didn't look too surprised that she was seeing me running after a pixie in Hogwarts robes.) I waved back and pointed to the pixie, hoping that she got the message that I was a little preoccupied. We finally reached the Quidditch field and were heading towards the Forbidden Forest. I looked at the sky around it, and saw that it was kind of dark and threatening to rain.

I heard the pixie clicking and she screamed. I don't know what she said, but she was mad. I don't blame her. If I remembered right, my father also told me that pixies understood the language around them, but didn't speak it. I stopped for a second, then started running again. I heard a whizzing sound and suddenly my sister's broom was flying alongside me at the same speed I was running. I had to mount it in mid-run. I was thankful then that I had given flying another chance. I kicked off a little and flew after her, slowly gaining on her. "Come on, Pixie, I will not hurt you. I need you to stay with me for a little while." The pixie turned around and clicked something at me. "Please. I promise I will not hurt you." I repeated lamely. I was within arms length of the pixie and grabbed her from the air. I felt her bite me, but it didn't break skin. I slowly landed and dropped my sister's broom on accident. "Do you like honey?" I asked suddenly. The pixie stopped struggling for a second and looked at me. "Are you hungry? I have honey if you'll trust me. I trust you will not go flying off." I let her go, and she flew to where my hand was reaching into my inner pants pocket. I felt Bumba shaking in my robe pocket. I unwrapped the honey comb and broke off a small piece for her take. She seemed to be in Heaven. I felt glad that I had decided not to throw the two candies out. I let her fly on to a flower pedal nearby and eat it. I took out a milky silky jaw breaker and put it in my mouth. These were very good because when you got to the center, it was like you were drinking a glass of milk. I sat down carefully next to the pixie. I was sweating hard, and saw that the pixie was also. I took Bumba out to see how she was at that moment. She seemed better. There was still a bit of bacon left, but she refused it. Other than that, she seemed okay to me this time around.

"So, will you help me?" I said with a full mouth. "I'll give you all the honey you want as long as it isn't a health hazard or something... An' I don't want to cage you up or do the Roper Wand on you, but you can't fly away from me." To my surprise, the pixie flew up to me and seemed to size me up. She smiled. "Do you have a name?" She nodded her head no, and then took a large bite (for her) of honey. "We'll have to get you one then. I'll look in the library for a book of names and you can pick one out." She smiled again, sat back down on the flower petal, and put her non-honeyed hand through her hair smoothing it out more. I heard voices and looked up. I put Bumba back in my pocket as my class approached me. The pixie flew closer to me. I slowly stood up, trying not to scare my pixie away. I saw Professor Snictinstein.

"Are you alright Lydia? What happened here?"

"Everything is fine, Professor. I think she's okay now. I just hope it was okay to feed her honey, that's all."

"Yeah, pixies love it, and it is good for them." Professor Snictinstein looked at the rest of the class and said the same thing to them. "Pixies love to eat honey and other natural things like berries. Honey is good for their senses."

"That's good." I said, as the pixie clicked angrily in my ear. "I think you hurt her more than I thought you did, and she took it out on me."

"Well, I'm sorry, Lydia, but I didn't want her to fly away." The clicking continued and I sighed. Professor Snictinstein clapped his hands and said, "Well, we can spend the next ten or so minutes out here, hoping it doesn't rain." Luckily for us it didn't rain then, but it did rain later that day.

Chapter 7

Excitement at the Hogsmeade Celebration

I finished the first day of term by making a Stage 1 Happiness Potion. Mine was alright, but it made me jittery as well as happy. ("You may have put in too much worm blood." Our jolly professor had said to me when I had to sing the alphabet.) Snictinstein let us jar up the rest and keep it. I couldn't see why I'd want a Jittery-But-Happiness Potion, but I kept it anyway.

As I had promised, though, I took the pixie to the library and found 4 books on names. Hermione was there and seemed to be a little nicer to me because I was in there when no one else was. I told her about the pixie and the promise I made to her, so she helped me find the books. We sat down and looked through them. I would whisper each name and get a response. I wrote down the named she liked and read those out. Finally she had a choice between Harriet, Kiki, or Dell. They all seemed to fit her. They were pretty names, just as she is a very pretty creature. I thought she really liked the name Kiki, but when I read out the names, she decided she didn't like Kiki after all. She finally pointed to the name Dell. "Are you sure this time?" She smiled and nodded furiously, and I said "Dell... I like it too. Okay, Dell it is." I had spent the rest of my tome looking for different books on the diets of a pixie, and a book on body language any magical creature would know. This way I could talk to Dell. I tried to tell her through my body language that I was a little hungry and if she was also, but she looked at me as if I was an alien from Mars or somewhere like that.

The rest of my classes were Herbology (the study of magical plants), Charms class, and Defense against the Dark Arts. I saw Julia allot, and we sometimes spent our free Friday afternoons together. I became pretty good friends with Jessie Lowry after she got over her fear of Hogwarts, and started having fun in classes. Jesse is Muggle born. We at first had to get together, but after awhile we talked during the transmission of classes about how we got to become Blue Bloomers. Her grandmother had a book on spells that she had found in the public library and was reading it. When Jesse had touched it, the book sucked her into it. She had to hop the pages until she got to the page that had a spell to get her out. She had to use a fake wand that was illustrated on a few pages prior to do that spell to get her out of the book. The rest is history.(Her pixie, named Matt, and Dell talk all the time about who knows what.) I found out that Dell liked pulling hair more than stealing wands. She really liked pulling at Ron's hair. Of course she didn't pull hard, but it was always annoying, to Ron mostly. I told him that she just liked him. He didn't believe me.

Throughout September and the first week of October, I studied hard with Hermione, and on Saturdays with Professor Snictinstein when we had our separate classes. I found I was having trouble in Herbology because some plants depend on the alignment of the stars and planets to grow. I felt happy and relieved when the first Hogsmeade trip came. I was a little excited, but I was mostly seeing this as a shopping trip for more quills, another sweater, and parchment. If I had money left over, then I will spend the rest on candy and/or a watch. Dad sent us 5 Galleons each for spending money and shopping because I told him I was running out of ink.

I almost skipped down to the Great Hall on that morning, and saw that Harry, Hermione, and Ron had already finished eating and were playing games. Harry and Hermione were playing wizard chess. I watched for a little while, then ate 3 biscuits and put 4 slices of bacon in my robes. I then put a large drop of honey on my plate as I did every meal for Dell. (This was a morning ritual for me. Ron and Harry might have found out about Bumba because I learned that I'm not all that sneaky after all. Hermione even gave me a spell that kept my robes clean of bacon grease. Bumba wasn't messy either, because she had regular trips outside.) I reminded myself that I was to get Dell more of those honey combs; she liked those.

I saw Dumbledore stand up and clap his hands. "Today is a wonderful day for a Hogsmeade trip. All of you can come today, for it is a celebration of all sorts. There will be some Hallows Eve games and decorations, lots of prizes... and a parade." He seemed like a little kid as he announced the parade. "For today is Hogsmeade's 1000th Anniversary Celebration!" I heard cheers from the 1st and 2nd years, who would normally not be allowed to go to Hogsmeade, but were instructed to have a permission form this year.

"Wow! A 1000th Anniversary Celebration! Sounds like a blast!" I said. Hermione nodded, and Harry clapped with the 1st and 2nd year students.

"Alright, now if we are all done eating, I would like you to follow the Perfects out to the pathway."

The pathway seemed harder to walk on than the last time I was there. We followed our Gryffindor Perfect, of whose name I forgot, and soon we were at the entrance to Hogsmeade. There, I saw a black dog and watched as Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked up to it. They pet the dog and let everyone else walk ahead of them. I walked up to them and said, "I have to go buy a watch and such, so I'll be back later. Where do you want me to meet you?" Harry looked at the dog.

"She's a friend." I looked at him as if he lost it... gone completely nutters, talking to a dog... but to my surprise, the dog walked over to me and looked me in the eye. After he broke contact, he walked away, almost nodding. "Okay, Lydia."

I watched them leave and I walked into the different shops and bought my quills and a bottle of ink. Then I went to the shop that sold robes and found a nice light green sweater. Looking around, I saw it was packed with people. Well, people, goblins, house elves, ogres, small trolls and elves shopping and participating in the activities. There were tree gnomes playing air bourn hockey next to Honeyduke's, and there was a large table with old witches who were selling fobbed blankets for the upcoming winter, said to be very cold in these parts. I looked in the window for the watches and wondered which one to get. Then I saw them come back, and I walked out of the shop greeting them. "Sorry about that. We had to talk to someone, and their dog... very smart... was to show us how to get to their house." I shrugged, and was about to say something when I heard a voice yelling into the crowds.

"COME SEE THE AMAZING RUGE BROTHERS DUEL RIGHT HERE IN HOGSMEADE! IT IS AT A SPECIAL PRICE FOR YOU! TODAY ONLY AT 1 SICKLE PER PERSON! SO COME ONE AND ALL!" I looked at Harry and Ron.

"Let's go! I'll pay!" I said excitedly. I've never seen a wizard duel. My father never really let us go to wizard towns much, so I didn't know allot about it. (Even if my father DID let us, I would have been too jealous to go.) I walked quickly towards the yelling and followed the small crowd in front of us and got in line. We waited in line and I paid for our seats. A large ring similar to a boxing ring (only rounded) came out of nowhere holding two men. One had really dark brown hair and the other had blonde hair. The dark haired brother had a shiny white letters over a black robe. The letters spelled out Harper in big blocked letters. The other blonde brother had sky blue robes and had black letters saying Jhansi in curvy letters. They seemed fixated on the other, as if they were talking without using any words.

"JOHANIS RUGE IS 28 YEARS OF AGE, 6'1 AND HAS BEEN UNDEFEATED IN THE WDE CHAMPIONSHIPS." Yelled the announcer in a loud voice, as if he was using a microphone.

"What's WDE?" I asked my friends.

"Wizard Duels of Europe." Hermione said with a little disgust. "They are bloody brutal, and 1 of 5 duelers die." I looked horrified at her and she nodded. If Hermione had to swear to make a point, then it must have been as bad as she had said. Worse even. "Yes that's right. I read it this summer in the Big, Big Book of Magical Statistics."

"HARPER RUGE IS 30 YEARS OF AGE, 6'0 AND HAS WON OVER 10 INTERNATIONAL DUELING MEDALS. HERE THEY ARE, THE RUGE BROTHERS!!!"

I saw the two brothers take out their wands and they paced around the ring. Suddenly, Harper pointed his wand at Jhansi and yelled, "Arcticalimo!" This froze Jhansi' leg, keeping him from moving.

"Heatimoni!" Jhansi said, as if he'd done this a million times before. He was then able to move his leg again.

They paced around some more, then "Stupefy!!!" came the cry from Harper.

"Marivis!" Yelled the other Ruge brother at almost the time. This made Harper fall backwards and fall.

When he got up, Harper looked angry. "Martio Alentanis!!!" This made Jhansi look as if he was kicked in the face, and he fell over cold. "Ah! Jhansi! I'm sorry." Harper ran over to his brother, picked him up, and Disapperated.

The announcer turned off his loud voice with a spell and cleared his throat. "Ummm, the duel is now over, but since you didn't get your money's worth, I will personally give you Hogwarts students a little lesson." I felt a chill run down my spine. The announcer's eyes scanned the crowd, then they rested on me. "You there... girl! Would you like to help me out?" I nodded my head no.

"Oh, go on Lydia!! It will be a bloody good lesson." Ron said. ("Language, Ron." I said to him. "You didn't say that to Hermione when she said it." He mumbled back.) I looked at Harry, who motioned for me to go up there. I sighed and stood up.

"You don't have to Lydia, you know that? He could always pick someone else." Hermione said to me as I passed her, but I was up by then. I might as well do it. I think Hermione felt the same way I did about this, that something bad was going to happen.

"Watch my stuff." I told Harry. He nodded as he held my bag of items. I walked up to the ring where the announcer was and walked inside the ring. I focused my attention on Harry.

"Alright, now anytime there is a spell or curse in progress, but you have no clue where it is coming from, or who's responsible, just wave your wand up, then down and say 'Systemoni Newtronis!' Now-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I knew it was Harry who was screaming. I looked in the crowd to see he was holding his lightning bolt shaped scar. Who's-

"Syyysssstemoniiiiiii Newwww TRON isssss!" I screamed the first thing that came to mind. I had no time for thoughts. I waved my wand up then down as instructed. A blinding red light covered everything, making me shield my eyes for a second. It was familiar to me somehow... I searched for Harry and saw there was a thin white line that connected Harry to the wand of a tall thin man that seemed fixed on killing him. Hatred was everywhere on this man's body. "HARRY!!!" I screamed, getting tired. "Petrificus Totalis!" The light was hurting my eyes and I directed my spell towards them, but got Ron, who was trying to get to Harry, instead. Thought I couldn't see them, I knew that Ron's hands and feet were bound together, and he was almost like a statue. Only his eyes could move. "Ah!" I yelled in alarm. "Er- Exspelliarmus!" This spell takes the wand from someone and gives it you, and then forces the other person to the ground. There was suction in my gut, and I felt myself go weak at the sound of my own voice. My knees shook. I watched helplessly as Harry fell to the ground, and the man Disaperated in mid-fall.

"HOW DOES SHE STOP THE SPELL!?" I heard some one's concerned voice faintly. Hermione? I continued to shield my eyes, as I prepared to catch the wand as it flew towards me.

"SAY 'CARICOFF'...! NOW!!" The announcer rushed to me.

"C- Caricofffff." Instantly the redness left as fast as it came. I felt my knees give out, and as I fell to the ground the last thing I saw was Hermione rushing towards the stage. Then everything around me went black as night.

Chapter 8

Visitors

"... the wand. Dell, her pixie, caught it and - I don't know... she fell down. She's been like that ever since." I heard the same concerned voice, but I found I couldn't speak. I felt a little blood come from my lip. That must have been from the fall. I opened my eyes a little bit, but the light hurt them, so I closed them again. I listened to the voices talk about Ron and Harry still in a pretty bad condition, and then my body felt a little heavy, and I fell asleep again.

I am in a dark room unknown to me. I see the man glaring at me. He grabs me by the neck. "You!! You're the one who made me displease my master... I paid with most of my life!! You shall pay with yours!" The man threw me against the wall of the room. He uncovered his left hand which was metal, and started to choke me with it. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I heard Harry's screams ring out and I was unable to help him this time.

"LYDIA!" I woke up to myself screaming the way Harry was. I saw no one in the room, but Dell was flying around me. "Miss, it's okay!" I looked to see that the tiny voice belonged to Dell. I widened my eyes, but wasn't sure if she saw it in the darkness.

"Dell, you t-talk."

"It was an accident, I swear! One minute I'm looking at that man's wand, the next, you're screaming like you did tonight... Took you 5 minutes to calm you down and get you settled back... And then I started speaking, but the people around me understood what I said." I looked at her. I didn't remember the other time she was talking about.

"Did you get in trouble?" I asked her. Non-human creatures aren't allowed to do magic with a wand. If someone found out, we would both be in trouble.

"No, but someone came and took that man's wand and was muttering about how the owner was a poor, poor soul." She seemed to shrug. I knew that the person who took the wand away was Olyvander. I looked over at my wand to see it was on the bedside table next to a large hand bag.

"Whazzat?" I slurred, referring to the bag. My head and body was covered in pain. I saw also that the wand was purple. "Uh... How- How did my wand get purple?"

"Dunno, it was purple after you screamed the last time. Very odd if you ask me."

"Wazzat?" I asked again, pointing to the bag. I found that this movement shot pain through-out my body. I realized then that my whole body ached, most of all my head.

"That is from that boy. Harry. Now, you go to sleep and I will see you when you wake up." I looked over at the bag again. I wanted to see what was in there, but Dell had covered me with the blanket and flew off. I think she went to see Madam Pomfrey, the nurse in the Hospital Wing, and tell her of my consciousness. I lie awake wondering what happened to Harry that day. Is he alright? I was so unsure of what made me react so quickly, but I was glad that I did, even if it put me where I was. Slowly but surely, I fell asleep, and didn't dream that time (thank goodness).

I woke up later that morning with a headache. My lower half of my body seemed numb, but I was able to slowly sit up. I knew that it must have been close to becoming afternoon time. As if I was on radar, Dell came in with Madam Pomfrey. "Ooh, child, you're up. That was quite a blow you took for that Potter boy. Are you feeling alright?" I nodded.

"I have a headache, and my body is a bit numb, but I'm alive. Where's Harry? Is he alright?" I asked. I looked over to the other beds to find they were empty. Oh no, I was too late, wasn't I? I thought franticly. Madam Pomfrey fluffened up my pillow, and handed me a Chocolate Frog.

"Harry's fine thanks to you, now eat this, it will make you feel better." I didn't believe her, but I did as I was told and watched as she went to get some medicine. I did feel a little better because my headache went away instantly, and I got a little more feeling in my legs. Eating the Chocolate Frog reminded me of my hunger, and I asked Dell how long I had been out. Dell flew over to me and sat on my blanket.

"You had us all worried. You would not wake up, and if it wasn't for your still breathing, we'd have thought you died. You have been out for almost 8 days." She said.

"Have you been taken care of?"

"Yes, your teacher gave me honey everyday in the morning, and when I was hungry and he forgot to come, I took some of your honeyed candies." She looked guilty for doing that.

"Good, as long as you didn't starve." Dell seemed relieved that I wasn't mad at her for it. Why should I have been? Madam Pomfrey walked in with some soup and a little goblet with a potion in it. It smelled like stewed carrots in sugar with a hint of strong molasses. I had to drink it with my soup. I had four bowls of soup before I was full. The potion tasted awful. I eventually had to choke it down. Madam Pomfrey advised me to rest. I did that, and didn't want to fall asleep again. I wanted to see Harry and know for myself that he's okay. Dell had fallen asleep on my Hogwarts robes, which had been taken off. I saw Bumba was nowhere in sight. "BUMBA! Oh God! I think I crushed her. What happened to her?" Dell woke up quickly. She looked at me in alarm.

"She's fine, Lydia. I saw that girl... Hermino? Is that her name? I saw her take her out of your robe pocket and put her in her own pocket. She's been bringing her with them to see you." I sat back relieved. Maybe Harry and Ron know about her by now if they didn't before. They never mentioned her if they did know about her. No matter. I thought. They can probably keep a secret. I knew Harry could, since I could sense somehow that he knew something I didn't about the man who attacked him. I let Dell fall asleep again, and felt the silence. I wanted to talk to someone. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep again, but I saw the redness and opened them quickly. I tried to remember where I first saw the flash and remembered that I had dreamt about it on the way to Hogwarts on the back of the motorcycle... I heard a soft knock on the door and a second later Harry, Hermione, and Ron poked their heads into the room. I smiled widely at them, and motioned for them to come in. They crept in, and Ron sat down in the chair next to me. Hermione sat on the bed next to where Ron was sitting. I watched as Harry walked to the foot of my bed and shifted from one foot to the other. I saw the hesitance. I didn't blame him for feeling uncomfortable, and I certainly didn't blame him for what happened in Hogsmeade.

"Alright there, Lydia?"

"Getting there, Ron." I looked at the lot. The 'Look' Hermione always fixed me with was gone, and Harry remained silent. Ron picked at invisible lint. I smiled. "So, what happened after I fell? Did they catch that guy?" I asked, sounding a little too cheerful about it, but not really caring about it.

"No, he Disaperated." I looked at Hermione. I already knew this, but I wanted to start a conversation. "You fell, I grabbed Bumba, the media started going crazy over it, and Hagrid took you to the Hospital Wing when you wouldn't wake up."

"Who was that guy?" I asked. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, then shrugged.

"I don't know, Lydia. I wish I did; I could pay back what he did to you." Ron said, looking as if he was getting angry.

"Wouldn't that be... I don't know... STUPID, Ron?" I asked. Ron shrugged, as at the same time I sighed. "So, the media was there?" Hermione looked through the bag they gave me and took out a small role of parchment that had a page of the Daily Prophet, the wizard world newspaper, rolled next to it. I looked it over. The words were a little blurry to me, then I finally handed it over to Hermione. "Can you read it, my eyes are hurtin' trying to read it."

" 'Tragedy at the Hogsmeade Celebration' is the headline." She said, looking at me to make sure I was paying attention. " 'An almost tragic event occurred at the normally jolly festival thus Hogsmeade's Anniversary Celebration. Hogwarts student Harry Potter was seemingly attacked yesterday by an unknown person, scaring classmate and friend Lydia Mason into action. After a wizard duel between the Ruge brothers, the students were being taught the Curse Max, a spell only taught to the 7th year students. She used this spell to locate the curse, then Petrified friend, Ronald Weasley. Mason tried to disarm the attacker, but passed out from the shock before she could catch it. Witnesses say that her pixie, a school assignment, caught it for her and then flew away. By that moment, Lydia was unconscious and could not be awakened by magic. The announcer swears on his life that he thought Mason was a 7th year student, otherwise he wouldn't have picked her for the demonstration. We will have more word on the story later on in the week." " I looked at Ron.

"Sorry about that." I said to him. He shrugged and looked at Hermione. "That it?" I asked her. She nodded. "Wow, I couldn't be awaked by magic?"

"That means you were close to death, Lydia." Hermione said. "I reckon you are lucky that you woke up so soon." I shuddered. "There was even a rumor running around school saying you died, and it scared us out of our wits. Especially Harry." I looked over at him to see if that statement was true, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He finally spoke up, which made me and Ron jump.

"I didn't want someone else to die because of me." I think he was talking about Cedric Diggory, as well as me. I looked down.

"Do you think the man who did it works for Voldemort?" Hermione asked. At the sound of His name, Ron winced. You tell me. I thought bitterly. You know more than I ever will. "Our friend, the one we saw before the duel, wants to speak with you as soon as you are all better."

"But... why? What do they want?" I asked her. I didn't want to talk to anyone I didn't know. Especially right after I healed.

"He just wants to speak with you, I don't know what about." She said quickly, almost in a snappish manner.

"Okay, okay."

"You may know about Voldem-"

"HERMIONE PLEASE!" Ron almost bellowed, covering his ears.

"I'm sorry." I didn't let her finish the sentence, for I knew what she was going to say. I had been thinking the same thing.

"Me? Why would I know about Him? I only saw that guy, but not Him. I-" I was cut off by the flutter of wings. We all looked to see a red and black striped owl fly into the room and land near me. He was very tiny for an owl. He or she was very fast, though. Harry took the small piece of parchment from the owl while Ron dug into my bag and took out a gummy rat. The rat tried to jump from Ron and when it did, the owl got it and carried it out of the room. Harry looked at the parchment and handed it to me.

"It's for you."

"Who's it from?" I asked. Harry shrugged.

"Dunno... read it." Harry said, giving the parchment to me. I looked at him, and then remembering that it was hard for me to read the article, Harry gave it to Hermione to read.

" 'Lydia, it looks as if you may need the secrets of your mum's trunk. The key to the compartment lies in the picture frame. Good luck.' " Hermione read aloud. She then gave it to me. I looked on the back and the front trying to find a signature of some sort. The writing seemed curvy and smooth like a woman's would be, so I knew it wasn't from my dad. Plus dad said he didn't know about the compartment... I knew there was no key inside my mother's picture frame. That was the only thing I inherited from my mother when she died, and the only thing I saw when I framed her picture was a stupid word that made no sense. "Whomever it was from knew my mother. Closely. My father told me that my mother knew I'd go to Hogwarts... but how? She died a long time ago. Long before I would have ever showed signs of magic."

"Maybe your mother saw little leaks of magic, some too little to be called a magical breakthrough, or maybe, your mother had so much faith in you..." Ron said. I felt a tear fall down my cheek. I saw Madam Pomfrey and dried that tear quickly.

"I think it is time for you three to go. We don't need to get her worked up. Off you go now. " She shooed them off after they each promised to see me later. I sat back and thought about how my mum could have possibly known. Did she see into the future? No, otherwise she would have seen and prevented her death. She used to tell me stories of when she was in Divinations class and getting good grades there. Was that what she was destined to base her profession on? Instead she was a writer for the Daily Prophet for about a year before she gave birth to us. I leaned back and took a nap.

*

"Lydia? Miss Lydia ma'am?" I heard a small squeaky voice enter the room about 3 or so hours later. "It is Dobby, Miss. A friend of Harry Potter."

"Come on in." I said to Dobby. A friend of Harry's was a friend of mine. I took a good look at him. He was obviously one of the house elves that took care of the school. He had on a maroon sweater with an 'R' on it in gold, a belt around his head, and socks not only on his feet, but on his long green ears as well. His fashion sense was admirable. Dell stifled a laugh before I glared at her. She said what I assumed was a curse word in her pixie language.

"Harry Potter sir said you were sick. He say you saved his life, Miss. Dobby brought Miss a gifty to say 'thank you' and 'get well'. I made you this while in the kitchens. Dobby hopes Miss likes it." Dobby shyly hand me a dress robe. It was light blue with the picture of a girl (me) holding a wand in front of her.

"Thank you. I love it. Thank you, Dobby."

"Dobby makes his self miss. Harry Potter sir say you his friend and saved his life." He repeated, color entered his cheeks. His eyes were away from me on the ground. "A friend to Harry Potter's is a friend to Dobby."

"Well, I thank you. While you're here, Dobby, would you like some tea?" I asked, trying to be polite.

"Dobby would love some tea." He walked to the chair and struggled to sit in it. It took him 5 tries before he was settled on the chair. By then, I had already poured myself and him some tea. We sipped our tea a little. Suddenly his left ear perked up and he sighed. "Dobby sorry, miss Lydia Mason. One of the elves is being bad. Still misses her old master. I must go now." He hopped off of his chair and trotted to the door. He turned to me. "Dumbly-dore say you be better soon. Get well, Lydia Mason."

"I hope he is right. Bye Dobby. Thanks again for the gift." I said before he trotted out of sight. I sighed. I was alone again.

*

Dumbledore came to visit me later that night. "I heard Harry telling Mr. Weasley about their visit here this afternoon, so I assumed you were awake. Are you alright?"

"Yes sir. I'm fine now."

"Do you remember what happened then, Lydia?"

"Yes sir. I remember everything." I didn't want to talk about it really, because I had a feeling that whoever attacked Harry will want to try again (and maybe get me too, since I stopped them the first time), but I told him everything anyway. I told him about the hesitation to do it, the whole duel with the Ruge brothers, the lesson with the announcer, and the spell. "The way Harry was screamin'... I thought he was dying... maybe he was, I don't know, but I had to at least do something. If I was screaming like that I would want someone to waste no time in trying to help me." Dumbledore nodded and looked at the floor for a minute, then he looked at me.

"Ms. Granger informed me that after you said the words, you shielded your eyes. That means the red that you saw was very bright. When light from a spell gets that bright, then that means you had enough power to do it. Perhaps you are more powerful than we had thought you were." I can't do a simple Levitation Spell, but I can save Harry Potter? "Mr. Olyvander came to get the wand to see to whom it belonged to. The results were shocking."

"Who's is it?" I asked him. He only shook his head. He won't tell me. What if he tries again? I won't know who he is and I might even trust him.

"You read the Daily Prophet miss Mason?" I shook my head no, because my father never had a subscription after my mother died.

"Not other than today when Hermione showed me the article about me."

"I think you would be surprised of who it was who attacked Mr. Potter. He was very famous in the papers many years back."

"But you won't tell me who he was?"

"That's up to Harry. Telling you could open up a really large can of worms." I nodded, not really understanding. Julia had told me that interesting things happened to him all four years of his Hogwarts years, but I wouldn't listen to her when she tried to tell me. I felt it was her way of bragging about her powers or something. Maybe more things have happened than what she knew of, and only Harry really knows all of the truth. I sighed heavily at my thoughts. Something told me that I would never learn who attacked Harry. "Well, Ms. Mason, I believe you need your rest if you want to get out of here by the weekend. I will have to leave now. Get well." He Disappereated before I could protest. I lay back in my bed and sighed again. This was getting frustrating! I guess this proved to some that I was 'one of them', but was it worth it?

Chapter 9

The Key

Dumbledore was right about my getting out by the weekend. I was very wobbly on my feet, but after walking around the room for an hour, Madam Pomfrey said I was ready to leave, so I put on my Hogwarts robes and slowly walked out of the Hospital Wing. I heard laughter and a scream. "PEEVES!!" I looked up to see Peeves the annoying poltergeist floating overhead. I walked a little quicker. I didn't know, nor did I want to know what he was up to this time. I finally reached the stairs and took my time getting up to the Gryffindor Tower. Next to the Portrait Lady was a window, and Dell was sitting on its sill. I looked to see she was looking outside.

"The new password is Eternity." She said, not looking at me. I dug in my bag for a honeycomb. The lady in the portrait was filing her nails, ignoring us.

"Hey! It will take an ETERNITY to let us into the Common Room, woman! Let us in!" She grabbed the honey (looking as if she was about to throw it at the Portrait Lady before I said her name warningly again) and flew back to the window.

"Dell!" She didn't show any regret about what she had said. I looked up at the woman in the portrait. "I'm sorry about her. She- She just needs to go outside for a little while and she can't because it is raining. She'll be better behaved once she eats some honey."

"My foot!" Dell cried.

"Uh... eternity." The portrait woman stuck her nose in the air, but opened the portrait for me anyway. Once I walked through the whole behind the portrait, Dell flew ahead and got in front of me, making me stop.

"You were late getting here. You said they were letting you out in the morning. And I may not be able to tell time, but isn't it much later than that?" She demanded.

"Is that what was bothering you? Madam Pomfrey said that, then I got dizzy getting out of bed, so she gave me a lake of potions to help me, then she made me walk around to get used to it again since I was in bed for a week and a half, then I had to change in to my Hogwarts robes... Where is everybody?" I said all that in one breath.

"At a Quidditch game. Well, Harry is... and that cute red head. Hermione said she was going to the library, and if you need her to get her there. She said she might come back before the Quidditch game is over, but she was so sure about it." I nodded and started to walk passed her. "You have messages. And an owl! It is nice to me. Owls are never nice to me here, but this one is. And he's gentle." Screach? I asked myself, quickening my pace up the stairs, forgetting that there was a shaking 6th step every Saturday. It shook violently this time, and I fell to the ground 6 steps down. It knocked the wind out of me. I lay there for a minute trying to get my breath back, then I slowly got up and skipped that step. When I entered the empty 5th year dorm room, I instantly saw a familiar black and grey ball lying in a cage on my bed. He had 6 mice skeletons next to him. The joy turned to sadness as I heard his breathing. It was a short wheezing sound. I thought maybe it was because he was caged up.

"Oh, Screach." At the sound of his name, he looked up at me and clicked his beak. "You too? Oh, my baby." I picked him up out of the cage (probably used to carry him here), and started to pet him. He was still wheezing when I took him out and held him for 5 or 10 minutes. Screach has never been sick before, and I was so scared. I picked up the parchment on my bed.

Dear Lydia,

ARE YOU ALRIGHT? I'm so worried. That had to have been the dumbest thing you have ever done, risking your life for his. He's survived You Know Who many times before, and he can do it again. You, on the other hand, had only just picked up a wand 2 months ago! When I read about it in the Daily Prophet, I went insane trying to figure out if you were okay. Luckily, Julia sent me something telling me that you were awake and well. Please be careful Lydia, I don't want to lose another woman in my life. That is the good news, however, the bad news is that Screach is sick. I took him to a vet and was told that he is dying. He has been getting sicker by the day. I thought he was healthy, but after you left, he got sick, so I'm hoping that being with you might help make him feel better. If nothing else, you would get to see him one last time. I'm sorry, Kitten.

With love,

Dad

"Are you okay?" I cradled Screach in my arms. He must have been trying to be strong for me, because he looked up at me and clicked his beak. "I'm glad to see you too, but not in this condition." I told him. I looked at the cage, and took it off of my bed. In the corner of my eye, I saw my mother's picture frame with her picture in it. I walked up to it, put the cage down gently, and took out the picture. I saw nothing but that gibberish. "There's no key in here!" I yelled to no one, getting frustrated. What sick joke was this? If it was from Malfoy, or even Julia I'll... "All that's there is that gibberish! THERE IS NO SUCH WORD AS 'SOSCOODADIKA' !!!" As the last word echoed through the room, I saw my mother's trunk start glowing brightly. I gasped. I quickly opened the trunk to find my robes, books, 12 jars of unused potions, and clothes were gone. Instead, there was only a small box and a roll of parchment. I slowly picked up the parchment, shielding my eyes, for the light was brightest in my mum's trunk.

Dear Lydia,

If you are reading this, then I know you are in a Hogwarts dormitory. I know because I still have faith in you, even if you lost yours a long time ago. I know you are in some sort of danger, which would be the only way you would have gotten into this compartment. Here is something that will help you. This will be of good use to you, I know. The purple one is for you. The blue one is for Julia, but for reasons I can't explain, you mustn't give it to her until after the school year ends. I want you to know that I love you now and when you were considered a Squib. Remember, if you want it enough you can always get it if you know how to look within and ask. Have a good year honey.

Love Always,

Mum

I looked at the box which had tigers, elephants and birds (mostly owls) carved on it, and then closed the trunk. Inside the box were two medallions. They were both gold with different colored jewels. The jewels were about an inch and a half in diameter. I picked up the medallion with the purple jewel in the middle. Warmth came from it. I felt along the jewel. I then put it on and felt my mother's presence, body, soul... Her LOVE seemed to surround me as the room glowed. I felt stronger instantly, and I had no fear or sadness for that moment in time. It seemed as if I had sighed my first bit of air. I could somehow smell her perfume and the flowers in her study. Then it all stopped, but the energy around me still flowed madly. I saw Screach fly to me in fear. I smiled widely. "You're better." My mum cured Screach! I couldn't have been happier. I was so relieved. "Promise me that if you ever start getting sick that you will go that pet shop in Hogsmeade."

"Lydia?" I jumped and turned around, quickly hiding the medallion before I saw that it was Hermione. "You scared me." I told her in a whisper.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to."

"How was the library? Did you see Harry play Quidditch? Did Gryffindor win?"

"One question at a time, Lydia." She said, but she was smiling a little. She walked over to my bed and sat down next to me. "The library was pretty good. I found a book on water creatures for Hagrid's class. I did see Harry play, and we won. It was great. Malfoy almost got the Golden Snitch, but got distracted by his friends, so it gained speed and flew away. Then Harry saw it again about 15 minutes later and caught it." I widened my eyes as I imagined Harry catching the Golden Snitch.

"Wow." Hermione told me that they were celebrating the victory in the Common Room as we spoke, so we walked downstairs and had a good time. I wanted to hear about the victory over Slytherin, while the other people wanted to know the details about the Hogsmeade Celebration, which I never talked about.

Chapter 10

Sirius Black

Professor Snictinstein had me stay for the Saturday classes later than normal to catch up, so I didn't get much free time in between studying, classes, and make up homework. He kept showing me defense magic, which was very hard to do, and I could never get the hang of any of it. Whenever I got frustrated, we would stop and take a break. Then he'd do some Muggle Illusion Tricks and try to get me to talk about the Hogsmeade Celebration. I wouldn't tell him too much because the thoughts I had in my head about the man who attacked Harry would scare me.

I kept getting those dreams, but I never seem to wake anyone up with screams. They happened every night, leaving me to wake up and eat a Chocolate Frog. Hermione couldn't comprehend how I had gone through all of the Chocolate Frogs in one month's time. There had to have been at least 30 or 40. She just thought I had a sweet tooth. I let her think that. For the time being. The bag Harry had given me was loaded with candy. At least 2 galleons worth. One Saturday I walked down to the Common Room fairly early in the morning. I saw that Harry and Ron beat me there. I watched as Harry and Ron played a few games. We were waiting for Hermione before we were to go to breakfast. I was looking at the bulletin board. "Hey, there is another Hogsmeade trip." I said to them. Harry looked uncomfortable.

"We already knew that. We watched it post itself earlier this morning." He said, pretending to be distracted by the board.

"How come you didn't tell me?"

"Be-" Ron started to talk, but Harry cut him off.

"Because we are not going. Ron and I already agreed."

"Not going? Why not? Don't answer that." I sighed. "You know that whoever attacked you isn't going to try it in public again, whether or not you are an easy target. No matter, you should go. I'm not going, but you should go. We kind of missed out on the fun of Hogsmeade."

"Hermione will agree with us. We aren't going."

"What about me?" Just then Hermione was heard jumping the shaking step.

"Lydia wants us to go to Hogsmeade, and I told her that we agreed that we were not going. We were saying that you would also agree with us." I shrugged when she looked my way. She didn't give me that 'Look' she usually gave me when I said something not as smart as the things she would have said. Instead, it was a look of concern that seemed to ask if I needed more time in the Hospital Wing.

"Harry's right. I would agree. Besides, one of these days you have to meet with our friend. And maybe-" She stopped. "Never mind, let's go." She picked up her bag and led the way out of the Common Room. I wanted to ask her what she was going to say, but I knew she wouldn't answer me. We followed her in silence down the stairs and into the Great Hall.

"Ow! Lydia! Get your pixie away from me!!!" Ron looked as if he wanted to swat at her like a bee or fly, but he didn't. Instead, he stopped in his tracks and waited for me to catch up to him. I looked at Dell and tried not to laugh.

"DELL!! Stop that! Ron wants you to pull his ears, not his hair." I said to her jokingly. Ron gave me a pained look as at the same time I smiled devilishly. Dell seemed confused and then slowly moved towards his ear. "Dell . Don't do that. I was joking!" she muttered curse words and flew off. I saw her enter the Great Hall in front of us and start talking to Matt.

The first thing I saw when we entered the Great Hall was allot of kids lining up behind Dumbledore, and when I entered with Ron, Harry, and Hermione, the chattering stopped and whispering started. I felt eyes on me we sat down at the Gryffindor table. I looked around quickly to see that Malfoy kid pretending to faint.

"I'm Lydia Mason. Check this out..." Malfoy said this loudly on purpose. He pretended to faint again. "Oh woe is me. I am still a miserable Squib. Watch me try to save Potter and almost kill myself to prove something."

When I saw him look my way, I looked back at my breakfast.

"Ignore him." Hermione muttered in my ear.

"Awww, isn't that sweet. There's a metal mouthed Mudblood cheering up her loser Squib friend. No wonder they are friends. They are both freaks, and they both don't belong here! They do, though, belong in their little clique. There's a scar face, a Mudblood, a wizard who can't afford an acid pop if he saved all his money for a year (the Weasleys are a poor wizard family, but they were the nicest lot I'd ever meet), and a Squib. One big happy freak show." There was a lot of laughter then. Fighting back the urge to hit him, I fed Bumba and Dell who looked like she was going to get sick.

"Are you alright?" I whispered to her.

"Yes. My stomach hurts. Would it be alright if I went outside?" She asked weakly.

"Yeah, you know where to find me?" Dell nodded and flew away. On her way out she stole Malfoy's wand and hurried the rest of the way as Malfoy tried to catch up with her. I knew he would never catch her. I started laughing as the rest of the Slytherins turned my way and glared at me. This just made my 'big happy freak show' laugh more. I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned around to see Dumbledore was standing there looking at us with his warm eyes.

"You, Ms. Mason, have a visitor on this nice day. Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Ms. Granger can meet you in your Common Room when the visit is over." I looked at him blankly, and then I sighed.

"Yes sir." I said.

"He is waiting for you on the 4th floor corridor." I watched as he left and then I rolled my eyes. I waited for a little while, hoping that Dell would return, and when she didn't, I told Hermione to tell her where I was. I told them that I would meet them later in the Common Room then I walked out of the Great Hall and to the 4th floor. He? Is it Dad? Something told me that it wasn't. I felt an icy grip around my mouth, but the arm was invisible. I tried to scream, but it was muffled.

"Don't move a muscle. I want this magic moment to last a death time. Get it? Last a death time...? Instead of life time? AHAHAHA!!" He released me. I yelled at him, but he didn't seem to hear me. "That was DEAD funny, Hee hee hee ho ho! I just KILL myself! heheheheheheheheheheh! You turned a GHOSTLY white... Ahhhhhhhhhhh hahahahahahahahaha.....!" I fumed as did air bourn summersaults and dived into one of the classrooms. I heard cackling echoing behind him. Once I got to the 4th floor, I instantly saw that same dog that was in Hogsmeade.

"You're going to take me to your master?" I asked it. The dog wagged his tail. I sighed and walked closer to it. "Lead the way." I said. He walked away from me and I followed him. He went into the closest classroom and I shut the door. I saw there was no one in there. "Hello?" I called out, looking for whomever it was I was supposed to meet. I looked back at the dog. "Where-" I stopped when I saw the dog's paws turn to hands and the black fur turn to black robes. I widened my eyes. "S-S-SIRIUS B-BLACK!" This was bad. This was very bad. I knew who he was. Everyone knew of him next to You Know Who. He was a deadly wizard who killed thirteen Muggles in one blast trying to kill a wizard in the middle of the day. I knew he had escaped Azkaban, the wizard prison, but I never thought he'd be in Hogwarts. I heard banging on the door which scared me. I screamed. The door opened.

"Lydia! Don't be afraid. He's innocent. He won't hurt you! He's the friend who wanted to meet you." It was Harry.

"Why didn't you tell me that it was him, huh?" I asked angrily.

"If we told you, you would not have wanted to meet him-"

"With good reason!" Hermione shushed me.

"We thought that it was your father visiting until we just now got this letter saying that he was going to see you today. We're sorry." she said. He had a piece of parchment that said simply 'Today's the day. Sirius'. I sat there trying to get my heart beating again. I looked at Sirius, whom was hunched over. He didn't look like the killer described by my father. He looked weak, almost dead. Ron walked in a moment later with an armful of foods.

"Here you go. I better build some muscle after all this. That was heavy." He said, putting it down next to Sirius, who reached out to grab the loaf of bread.

"Thank you." he said after he gulped it down. "I'm sorry I scared you, Lydia. It was my fault for asking them not to tell you I was the friend." He looked over at Harry and Ron. "Could you all let me talk to Lydia alone?" I backed up a couple of steps and looked at Hermione in alarm.

"It's okay." She mouthed to me, smiling. It almost seemed as if the situation was funny to her. I nodded back to her and watched as she left the room. I looked back to Sirius.

"You don't know how brave you were at the Celebration, Lydia. That curse could have killed Harry. I care about him. And the Curse Max could have killed YOU. I don't know anyone who would risk their own life to save another, someone you don't even know all that well. You're alright now, aren't you?" I nodded. "That's good. I have been told that while you were in the Hospital Wing you were experiencing dreams that woke you up screaming. Is that true?" Again, I nodded. They (Hermione, Ron and Harry) must have been there and told him. "What were these dreams about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Revenge, anger, hatred... towards me. The man who tried to kill Harry was telling me that he couldn't please his master because of me, and for that he had to pay with allot of his life. Then he said I had to pay with mine. I would see him take out a metallic arm, and he'd choke me with it. Then I'd hear Harry scream and I wouldn't be able to help him." Thinking back to the dream brought me fear. I heard the screams again and cry of anger. I almost held my ears to make it stop. I closed my eyes and saw the flash of red light. I quickly opened them up again.

"Yes, I would wake up screaming too, with dreams like those when I was in Azkaban. Do they happen often?" I nodded.

" Every night. Well, the nights after I ran out of the dreamless sleep potion I made last month." I leaned closer to Sirius, then back quickly. "I don't want you to tell Harry or them, but they have gotten scarier. They don't need this. Not at all." I said to him, looking at my hands. I realized then that I had been wringing them, and that they were red.

"Nor do you." He said to me. "Tell me about the scariest one." I sighed. I was getting tired. The dream I had the night before was the worst of them all. I only got about an hour of sleep. When I woke up, I went to the Common Room. Harry was there, but he wasn't awake.

"I was in a cave or something, and I was standing next to that man with the metallic hand. I was staring at Hermione. She had a wand pointed at me. Ron was nowhere in sight, but Harry was on the ground. I hear her yell something..." To tell the truth, I saw only the outline, but the posture and the way she stood made the person look like Hermione. I'm sure it was.

"Look, I doubt that dream is just the imagination going wild..."

"Maybe they all are, but they are still scary, Sirius." He sighed and looked at me. He looked me in the eye which was sort of creepy.

"Harry needs all the protection he can get, and I'm glad that you were there that day. This is not the hardest of the situation. Voldemort has risen to more power, and will try to kill him again. Though you are new to the wizard world, I think you will become something great. You proved that when you saved Harry. Being a great witch or wizard isn't here." He pointed to my wand which was sticking out of my robe pocket. "It's here." He pointed to his chest, symbolizing his heart. "You have a lot in there, you know." He ate a slice of bacon. "I think you will make it. I really do, and I don't say that to anyone. You just stay with Harry and his friends and you'll be fine." I nodded to him. "Also, stick with your gut reactions, always. And pay attention to your dreams. If I'm right, you'll need to. Write them down if you have to." He turned into a dog and showed me out. I saw Hermione was there, but Harry and Ron were nowhere in sight. I asked her about it as we walked back to the Common Room.

"They are in the Gryffindor Tower. What did Snuffles want to talk to you about?"

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"When we are talking about him we have to call him Snuffles because he is still hiding out. So, what did you talk about?" she repeated.

"He said he wants me to help protect Harry. I can't do that. I did it once, but that was luck. And look what it did... Gave me nightmares." Nightmares about betrayal and men with metallic hands... "And people are talking about me behind my back for goodness sake! I can't protect someone else. I'm a girl... JUST a girl. I spent most of my life thinking I was a Squib, and now people are treating me like I have all this power. Harry is in danger because of Vold- " Hermione shushed me. "Because of Him. How can a Squib, one who's just gotten powers 2 months ago no less, fight You Know Who to save the boy who lived? Answer me that."

"He's not asking you to fight Him. He just -"

"What if He tries again? What if He tries again and... and I'm the only one there? I would have to fight him until he did the Killing Curse on me." Hermione didn't say anything. I sighed. "Maybe I'm overreacting, but you have NO clue how scared I am of Him. He might go after me first, then Harry."

"I understand that completely." Was all she said. We were at the portrait. "Heated worms." she said the new password. The Portrait Lady let us in and we saw Harry right away. He was with Dell, Ron, and Ginny (a new friend of mine, and Ron's sister). I sat down and sighed.

"What did you do to Malfoy's wand, Dell?"

"I set it next to a tree and told him that I buried it. Had him digging for an hour before he realized I was lying." I wouldn't have been clever enough to think of that. "We are not a freak show!" I laughed and then I didn't know what to say to any of them, so I barely talked when they played Exploding Snap.

Chapter 11

Wicked Dreams and Every Flavored Beans

Harry's on the ground unconscious. Another Harry's looking at me with allot of hatred. "Thisss is the one who ssstole my victory?" A voice slithers. The conscious Harry nods. "But she'sss jussst a young girl. Perhapsss, Wormtail, you're lossssing your touch. You are becoming ussselesssss to me." The man who attacked Harry went to his knees. "No, master. I was just caught off guard. I am of very good use." the man, known to me now as Wormtail, kisses the other slithering man's robes. The conscious Harry scoffs. "You shouldn't correct him. He knows when he's right..."

I woke up to see nothing but darkness. Harry? Siding with- with him? Can't be. No... There were two. The traitor... Sirius had told me to pay attention to my dreams, but this one didn't make any sense. I picked up my bag of candy, Bumba, a roll of parchment, ink, quill, and my largest cloak. I walked down to the Common Room where the fire was already roaring. I saw a figure in one of the armchairs, and I sat down in the other one. I tried to think of what my dream could mean. I started writing it down before I saw movement in the chair next to me.

"Couldn't sleep?" It was Harry. I nodded my head no, but I wasn't sure if he saw me.

"No." I replied. "Bad dream." I added in a grunt.

"Me either. Deep thoughts." he said, copying my grunt. We were silent for a few moments while I wrote down the dream. When I was finished he said chuckling softly, "You are the first person not to ask me what I was thinking about."

"Well, if it kept you awake, then I assumed it wasn't something you'd want to talk about, otherwise you would be talking to Ron about it... Do you want me to ask you?"

"No, no, I was just thinking- oh never mind. So, are you okay?"

"Just a weird dream. Nothing to worry about." I said to him. More silence. "You want some candy?" I asked him.

"Yes, please." I handed him the bag. He dumped the bag onto the table in front of the armchairs. Not only did the remanding candy come out, but 3 novels, a chessboard with the pieces for both sides, 6 Exploding Snap decks, and 10 boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans came out.

"Whoa, I didn't know about that." I said.

"Hermione did that. I gave her the money for it, and when she went with Dumbledore to find clues or evidence, she bought it for you, and put in that hidden section. We waited to see how long it would take for you to find it. I knew you hadn't, otherwise you would have mentioned it when you thanked me for it. Thank you for the candy."

"Thank YOU." He picked up a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans and opened it. "You be'er be careful when you eat these."

"I know. You told me my first day at Hogsmeade." I said picking up another box. I opened it up as well, and picked up a red bean. I bit off a little bit of it. "Uck! Blood." I spat it out. The good thing about the Every Flavored Beans is that once you spit them out they disappear before it hits anything. It is a new feature they had come up with a year or two ago. I watched Harry put a bean in his mouth.

"Ooh, honey." He chewed on it then later started laughing softly. Dell, who had flown down the stairs with me, and had fallen asleep on my lap, twitched her long pointed right ear.

"What?" Harry chuckled more then turned towards me.

"I was just imagining Dudley putting a handful of these in his mouth and chewing it." I didn't know who Dudley was, but I laughed anyway, thinking of ANYONE stupid enough to do such a thing. I put another bean in my mouth. It didn't have a taste, but each time I inhaled, my mouth went cold. Winter air. I thought to myself. I saw a black bean. "I dare you to put that one in your mouth. Put it in your mouth and chew it good without spitting it out."

"Eww, what if it was something I was allergic to? What if it was a peppered flavored one?""

"It will only taste like it, it won't really be it, and so you won't have an allergic reaction." I shook my head. As far as I knew, I was only allergic to some types of soap (or maybe Julia just put Itchy Powder on it all the time). I took a small taste.

"Coffee beans. Nasty." I grinned. We stayed up the rest of the night eating the beans and playing wizard chess. There were times during the night where we sat in silence and those times reminded me of the dream I had that day I got my wand. I learned how to play Exploding Snap, but we didn't play because it would have wakened the House up. I promised Harry that we would play later that day. I had a good time though. The best time I had in a long while.

The rest of November went by pretty quickly it seemed. There was another Quidditch game. This time I was there to see it. It was against Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. I saw Julia earn 40 points by throwing the Quaffle into one of the three hoops four times. I was rooting for both of the teams since Harry was on one, and Julia was on the other. The Ravenclaw Seeker and Harry were both neck and neck getting the Golden Snitch, but Harry pretended to he wasn't interested in it really until he reached out quickly and suddenly to grab at it. He then dropped it and Ravenclaw's Seeker got it. It was a fun game none the less. I thought it was cool that the Ravenclaw Seeker was so good, because she was a girl, the only girl Seeker of the 4 Houses.

Since the Hogsmeade Celebration, I started getting mail from witches and wizards all around the world that mostly wished me to get well. I got allot that said that I was very special if I could survive what happened and be mostly fine a week later. I was flattered for the most part. I got words of encouragement from the person who told me about my mother's trunk. I was more and more intrigued as the letters were frequent and they became almost obsolete, then finally none at all.

Julia and I had our birthdays on the 19th. I hadn't told anyone, but Julia must have, because I got a book from Hermione, even though I never finished the other three novels. It was called Hogwarts: A History, in which Ron groaned at when I showed it to him. Julia gave me some candy, and my father gave me birthday money. Two Galleons, plus money for Hogsmeade (even though he doesn't want me to go anytime soon). In his letter he said that he had to take some sort of trip on the 11th of December, and that he wouldn't be back until the 30th.

Harry said that it was a good thing since he wouldn't be the only one in the House this Christmas and I could spend it with him. Ron's family was going to visit his brothers and grandparents in the States. Though they offered to take Harry in for the holiday, Harry politely declined the invitation, saying it was a family event. Hermione was staying with her parents, since she was at Hogwarts for the last Christmas holiday. I had to hide the wide grin I was threatening to show.

Chapter 12

Christmas Time

Finally, though, December had come, and in the second week Dumbledore let us go to Hogsmeade for Christmas shopping (which included me). Dumbledore did, though, tell me that he'd have a teacher or two watching me. I didn't care. I needed to get out of the castle for a few hours. Harry and I got on our winter cloaks and were waiting with Julia and one of her friends in the Great Hall. Dell told me that he didn't what to go because it was cold. Professor Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick, the charms teacher, lead the way to a very large carriage. It was freezing outside, but very warm in the carriage as we rode around the lake. The teachers talked about school, my sister and her friend talked about some kid in their House who's dating another girl from their house, and Harry and I talked about Exploding Snap and what we were to get people for Christmas.

"I'm getting Ron another telescope and Hermione is getting the encyclopedia set that tells all there is to know about the magical world. It may help her since she is Muggle born, and may not know as much as she thought about this world. It may help me if I were to get one of those." I said. I thought about all the people I have met this year. I was going to get Dobby a pair of pants (since that seemed the only thing missing from his unique wardrobe) to say thank you for the dress robe he gave me without knowing me. Thought about getting Julia some hair ties that tied themselves, and my father was going to get a tie. I wondered what he was doing on his trip at the moment.

"I hadn't really thought about it, but now that you got me thinking about it, I may get her a dictionary that has wizarding terms... in case she gets stuck while trying to read your encyclopedia. Ron will get a watch." We had just then arrived at Hogsmeade and the teachers watched me like hawks. I went into the clothing store and bought two pairs of pants fit for a toddler (a pair of jeans and a pair of sweat pants), and a tie for my father. Harry bought a brand new pair of socks for a Sickle and 3 Knuts. After we finished our shopping we walked up and down the shops looking at things we wanted and didn't want. I saw a Quidditch training set, and when Harry said he had to get something he left in the candy shop, I told the person behind the counter to wrap it up. I was going to ask Hagrid if he could keep it in his cabin until Christmas day.

*

Once we got back, Dumbledore said that we were going to have a small party. I was excited. I liked parties. My father and mother had parties every year for our family. We still do, but because of the business trip and us all being away we weren't to have one this year. Dumbledore told us to put or packages in a trunk and Hagrid will take them to the dorms where we would send them off when we pleased. That was when I asked Hagrid if he could hold on to Harry's present. He said he'd be delighted to be a part of a secret. I heard music play, and the teachers plus 2 Hufflepuff girls started dancing. The type of dance that would have gone with the music was called Swing. Julia came back from school last year knowing a whole bunch of dances. She taught me slow dancing, even though I didn't want to learn, but I was bored and Julia wanted to teach it to me. Thinking of the devil (kidding), Julia walked up to us and started a conversation about last year's Yule Tide Ball, in which Harry didn't want to talk about. Julia leaned next to Harry and did a fast hand movement by his ear.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Sorry," she said, "you had an owl feather in your hair." Harry scowled at her then she said out of nowhere, "You wanna learn how to Swing dance?"

I smiled widely. Seeing Harry attempt to dance would have made my day. And it did. Harry refused at first, and then when Julia wouldn't stop pleading, he said yes to her. I laughed as he stepped on her feet, sometimes on purpose, and other times on accident. Once, he did it on accident and it hurt her badly. She looked like she wanted to kill him as a tear fell. Harry didn't see it, but I did. When he said he was sorry she just rubbed her foot and smiled.

"That's okay. Why don't you step on Lydia's feet for awhile? I'm sore now. Go on now." she urged me.

I protested, but once Harry offered his hands to help me up and to dance, I mouthed "Just once" and got up. Harry tried his best to stay off of my toes and do the moves at the same time. I tried not to step on his feet. He tried to teach me, but that didn't go real well. "You step here, I twirl you... What are you doing? No, you go this way, this way, and- No! You go- Ouch! You're hopeless, Lydia." After awhile, we were playing around and purposely trying to step on each other's feet and dodging the other's feet too. We eventually had to stop that, because we kept running in to other dancers.

12 minutes later, when that song ended, we collapsed at our table and got some butter beer. (Like I mentioned before, Muggle songs are allot shorter than wizards songs. This is because the drummers' arms get tired easily for the Muggles, but the drummer's could put a short spell on the drum sticks if they got tired.) "Mmmmm, I love this stuff." I said heavenly. Harry nodded.

Later, we were both upstairs talking about gifts and what we ended up getting everyone. We were both comfortable in the good armchairs. "Whatcha get me?" Harry asked me.

" Yer gonna 'ave ter find out la'er on when yer get it from 'Agrid." I said in my best impersonation of our Gamekeeper. Harry scrunched up his nose and I laughed. "Whatcha get for me?" I asked, knowing I'd get the same type of answer.

"For you? Oh, I got you some bogey flavored beans."

"Uck!" We both laughed and then were in a silence. I could tell that we were both thinking about the Hogsmeade Celebration. "Harry?" He looked at me with a question on his face. "Something tells me that you know something about the man who attacked you. No one is willing to tell me. Dumbledore told me that if you told me, it might open up a can of worms. I don't know what that was supposed to mean, but you know something about that man." Wormtail. "You know, Harry." I insisted. "I know you do."

Harry was by then looking almost pained. I suddenly wished I had kept my mouth shut. "That means if I told you who may have attacked me, I'd have to tell you everything, but you almost died for me. I owe you at least that." He launched into explaining about how he got to Hogwarts his first year, and how the Sorting Hat pretty much let him choose his house like it did with me. He told me about his mother's love still protecting him after all these years, and how it had helped protect him against Voldemort that year. He explained to me about the Chamber of Secrets and how it opened. He told me that Tom Riddle (You Know Who's real name) had taken control of Ginny on her first year (Harry's second) through a magical diary, and about taking Godric Gryffindor's sword out of the Sorting Hat. He told my about Azkaban, and Sirius being innocent, and about Wormtail (Peter Pettigrew) being Ron's pathetic rat, Scabbers, for so many years, and how he's been hiding out for two years now, as is Sirius. He talked about Professor Lupin (an old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher) being the best he's had, because he helped him with the Dementors and how he's a werewolf. When he told me about the Triwizard Tournament and the Goblet of Fire, I cried. Voldemort had killed Cedric Diggory in cold blood! He told me about Voldemort's rise to power and how he is almost fully human again. He told me about the people keeping close watch on him. If I didn't know that Voldemort was back in power, I wouldn't have believed Harry.

"That's why Hermione was so suspicious of me." I mostly whispered to myself. "She thought that I may have been working for Voldemort by coming here late and being a Blue Bloomer, but after I saved you she trusted me. If I was working for him, I wouldn't have done anything, or I would have been the one doing the killing." Harry nodded.

"You shouldn't have done what you did, Lydia. It only got you involved."

"I only did the first thing my body told me to do, which was that spell. Besides, I couldn't just stand there. If I'm involved now, then there is nothing I can do but wait for something to happen. If time was reversed, I would change nothing." We stayed in silence and the information had finally sunk in. I was deeper into this saga than I thought!

Christmas morning came and I was surprised by the amount of presents I got. I got a book interpreting dreams from Sirius (but every time I looked up my dreams, all the meanings said danger was getting closer), a book on defense magic from Hermione, a honey teacake from Ron's mother, whom I didn't know (Dell dug into that right away), a broom from my father, candy from Harry, Ron, and Hagrid, and a very nice quill from Julia which turned a light shade of purple once I touched it. I had gone down to Hagrid's cabin to get Harry's present to find that Hagrid brought it to the Gryffindor Tower for me. I was very pleased at the reaction I got from Harry about his Quidditch training set.

"I know it doesn't have a Quaffle, but I thought since you might be playing by yourself, you could use the Golden Snitch... and maybe the Bludgers and Beater clubs for when you get a little more of a team together. I can even train with you if you like, now that I have a broom. All of the balls don't go more than 400 feet away from where the box is, so you won't have to worry about losing them." I explained as he investigated the box and its contents.

"Wow! Thanks!" He gave me a quick hug which was a little uncomfortable. I was blushing when he let go. "We'll have allot of fun with these!" We heard the portrait door open, and we both looked over to see Dobby.

"Harry Potter sir, just the person Dobby wanted to see. Dobby brought Harry's present." I put up an index finger in remembrance.

"That reminds me... I have your present upstairs." I said mostly to myself. I trotted up the stairs and when I came back, Harry had put on a sweater that had a lightning bolt on it. "It looks good on you." I tried not to laugh at his pained look while Dobby was preoccupied by opening up the socks.

"Dobby got socks!!! Dobby LOVE socks!!! Thank you Harry Potter, sir. Thank you." He then looked up at me as I chuckled at his excitement.

"I got you something, but I didn't get a chance to wrap it. I hope you like pants." I said to him while I handed him the pants. He looked confused by the word. "They are like... legwarmers." I explained. "I thought maybe you'd- " I stopped when I saw his lip tremble and his ears droop a bit as he was about to cry. I thought at first that I had somehow hurt his feelings, or that he didn't like pants for whatever reason. Then he hugged at my legs and cried.

"Nobody ever give Dobby leg warmers before, Miss. Dobby have nothing for Lydia Mason!" He said to me as my robes started getting soaked in tears.

"It's okay." I looked up helplessly at Harry. "It was a gift to tell you that I liked the dress robe you gave me. You didn't need to give me anything." I told him. Dobby's eyes dripped a little more as he looked up at me. His ears shot up again and he looked hopeful in a way. He let go of my legs and gave a huge grin.

"Dobby is never been happier since his freedom! Dobby has had the best Christmas!" He left just then skipping out of the portrait. I looked at Harry, who started laughing. I shook my head and sighed as Harry chuckled and tore off the sweater.

"I guess it's safe to say you can get him a pair of gloves next year to add to his collection." I told Harry, sitting down in the armchair next to him.

Chapter 13

Finals and Fighting

When Ron and Hermione came back on the 4th of January, the first thing we did (besides thank each other for the gifts and show off what we got from everyone else) was hit the books. Hermione had pretty much done that on her holiday, but studying wasn't on our 'to do' list for that week. We were getting better at Quidditch. Well, I was getting better at flying. Harry was getting better at Quidditch. There were parchment, ink quills, candy, and books everywhere on the day before the finals were to be taken. I had nothing but nerves. Hermione let me read some of the encyclopedias so that I could get a little more knowledge on some of the subjects. I think I should have studied more. I stayed up in the Common Room with Ron and Hermione, who was helping me make sense of Herbology, my worst subject.

I found the finals weren't as bad as I had thought. I used the lucky quill Julia had given me. I did fairly well on most of my tests. Dell gave me full marks on her part of the test and the questions were very easy. I had to make a potion that changed my voice. We all had to make it a little higher, but I had made it way too deep. I sounded like a giant. For Herbology, I had to feed a Venus trap the right food. Since it wasn't a Venus FLY trap, I failed it when I tried to feed it flies. I had troubles with allot of the Herbology questions, and thought I had failed that portion of the test. On most of the test, I used the pretty quill Julia gave me. During the writing part of our Potions test, I dropped the quill and it was out of reach. I didn't want to disrupt the class by getting up to get it, so I dug into my bag for another one.

When we got our test scores back, I was surprised when I passed all of my tests. I had gotten all of the questions but one right in my Herbology test. Hermione couldn't believe it. "You were struggling on these questions."

"I work well under pressure. You know that." I said defensively. Hermione shrugged, and she had dropped it. We talked about Olyvander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley being robbed instead.

"Why would anyone want to rob a wand shop?" I asked. Ron shrugged.

"ARG!! LYDIA!!!" It was Ron.

"Dell...! I said warningly, without looking at her. She laughed and let go. Then she flew out the window. I guess it was her odd way of saying goodbye to Ron.

"They say it was all messed up, but only one wand was missing." Hermione continued. That is so weird. Why couldn't they just get the wand in the day and pay about 5 Galleons for it? Unless... they needed a new wand and couldn't be seen by the public because.... say, they were presumed dead?

*

The next day was the first day of the next term. I stayed in the Common Room, not really wanting to get ready yet. I was just about to start eating some Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans when I saw Hermione again. "I was just talking to your teacher this morning." I gave her an uninterested look. "I was showing him your test. I saw many mistakes on them. He saw nothing wrong with them. In fact, he said you did very well on them. I see, if my calculations are correct, that you failed Herbology instead of getting 98%, got 61% instead of 76% in Potions, and 60% instead of 110% in Charms class. I asked Professor Snictinstein what this answer is. Read it, what does it say?"

"It says, 'The Venus Trap didn't eat the flies because it likes slugs, but I only had one try at this, so I could not try again and try to feed it slugs' ." I said boredly.

"He read 'The Venus Trap ate the snake eyes I gave it, so the Venus Trap must have needed the nutrients from them' . That is the correct answer, but you read the incorrect answer. I read about this... The only way this can happen is if you have an enchanted piece of parchment, bottle of ink, or qui- "

"Are you saying I cheated, Hermione?" I asked, cutting her short. "I did not cheat. I got those scores fair and square. Where did you read about these things, anyway?"

"Madam Olga's Encyclopedia Volume C under 'cheating tools and enchantments'." How did I know she was going to say that? "How else can I explain it?" That was a good question, but I had gotten into a defensive mode. No one was going to tell me that I cheated to get this far. I got here by myself.

"What is your problem, huh? Are you mad because you no longer have the top scores in the Gryffindor House? Am I stealing your thunder?" I asked, getting angry with her accusation.

"That's not true, and you know it-" she said, getting angry herself.

"SO IS MY CHEATING!" I bellowed at her. She stepped back a step and then looked back at me.

"I was right not to trust you. I bet if you didn't cheat, you'd have to go home and cry about being the miserable Squib you are to your daddy!" That was a stab at my heart, but I still had dry eyes.

"You only trusted me so you could add me to your VERY small list of friends. You are nothing without Harry, Ron and your brains!" I shot back. She opened her mouth to reply, but turned around and packed up her stuff and left. I heard her sniff as she was about to cry, and was about to go and apologize, but she had already left. Besides, she had said some pretty mean things to me as well. I went back to the 5th year girls' dorm and got dressed.

I had to stay with Professor Snictinstein for Herbology and Potions, since they were my worst subjects (Potions was even my worst subject way back when my mother tried to teach me how to make the Band Aid Potion for when I got a scrape and my mother wouldn't be there to help me), but for Care of Magical Creatures, and Charms, I got to join the Gryffindor 5th years. I also had a Divination Class, which I hate, even though the teacher thought I was my mother at first, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with the new teacher Professor Buton. I was waiting for this, because Hagrid was the Care of Magical Creatures' Professor.

Unfortunately, though, we had Charms with Slytherin. Malfoy still pretended to faint when he saw me. On the first day, we were doing a blocking spell. We had to get in to pairs. I tried to get paired up with someone, but they were already in a pair. Hermione was the only one left. She stuck her nose in the air when she saw this. Harry and Ron, who knew about our fight from Hermione, pretended they didn't know about this.

"Okay, to do this spell, you have to swish your wand towards the one doing the first spell and say 'Merivis'. The person who does the first spell has to start out with a small spell. Go ahead and try this with your partner."

"You can do the blocking first." Hermione said coldly, not unlike the first day I met her.

"Fine." I told her, feeling the temperature drop.

"Tearitlis Stremaly!" I tried to block it, but I was too late. I was crying very hard and no matter what I did, it wouldn't stop. It was like the first night in the Gryffindor House. Then I heard Slytherins start laughing. Hermione waited out the laughing before she took the spell away, but that didn't stop the crying. This time the tears were mine.

"Awww, you made the Squib cry, Metalmouth Granger. Good job." Malfoy said, as I left the classroom feeling humiliated. I walked down the hallway for a minute, went to the girls bathroom to get a tissue. I heard gurgling in the toilet in the farthest stall to the door. Suddenly I saw a ghostly girl with straight hair that might have been dark brown or black once and glasses.

"Who're you?" She asked, inspecting me.

"L-Lydia."

"G-G-GHOST!" She said in a mocking tone. "Get out of my bathroom and come back when you've grown up!" She snapped. I walked out of the stall hearing her mutter about the kids today like an elderly person, then went back into the classroom. I heard more laughing.

I sat down with as much dignity as I can build up in 5 minutes, and said calmly, "That must have been an easy spell for you." She said nothing, and we tried again, this time she did a tongue tying spell, which I reflected. I heard Malfoy laugh and when she tried again, I pointed at Malfoy. The tongue tying went to him and then it was my turn to laugh. Hermione giggled a little, then stopped when I looked back at her with interest.

"5 points from Gryffindor for horse play." I heard our teacher say.

Chapter 14

The Valentine's Day Dance

That day at lunch Dumbledore said that we all did so well on our exams that he is letting us have a dance on Valentine's Day. I rolled my eyes at the girls who got excited over this. Dances weren't really for me since I can hardly dance myself.

I still had the Saturday classes, and one day while Hermione and Ron were working on a group project, I invited Harry along with me, since he had nothing else to do. We walked down the Gryffindor Tower and to where my classes are always held. Professor Snictinstein was there with the Amazing Muggle. "Hello, Lydia. This is my son, Alan." I shook his hand and then looked at Professor Snictinstein.

"Can Harry stay for the lesson?"

"As long as he won't distract you. In fact, he can learn this too." He said. He took out his wand and had Harry and I sit down. "Alright, this lesson is important to learn so that the Hogsmeade Celebration doesn't happen again. Now during a battle, some wizards get tired or weak after a few spells. This is because they aren't as powerful as allot of other wizards and have used up a lot of their magic energy." He looked over at me. "They use this spell to give them a little boost. It collects the magic energy from the surroundings and gives it to you. Be careful, because if you don't use it you will become overly happy and/ or very physically strong for a while depending on the person." He looked at us to make sure we were paying attention. "Lonkova Meriot!" He said suddenly, waving his wand downward in a crescent moon shape.

Nothing seemed to happen. I saw Professor Snictinstein frown. He tried it a few times. "Well, something must be wrong with the magic flow in the air around here. We'll have to do something else. Well, we can do some Muggle Illusion Tricks. Here," He walked up to his son and they talked in whispers. "Alright now. Alan will show you how to do a few of these tricks." Allen showed us how to make a Galleon disappear without out wands, and reappear in someone's ear. It was all tricks of the eyes.

"... 12...13...14...15! 15 Galleons came out of Lydia's ear! At least we know that space isn't empty." Harry joked.

"Hey!" I reached over to pretend-swat at him, when I felt my medallion slip. It was now in view. Professor Snictinstein saw this and chuckled.

"That's what was wrong. May I borrow that?" He said. I took it off and handed it to Professor Snictinstein, who made it disappear.

"HEY!!!" I yelled. "My mother gave me that!"

"Medallions aren't allowed in Hogwarts." I had forgotten that. I had remembered reading that on the rule sheet. "You'll get it back at the end of class. I know that your mother is no longer around and that the medallion means allot to you. Now we can try the spell again, now that you have gotten the hang of Muggle Illusion Tricks." He repeated the spell. I felt a shift in the air and it seemed a little emptier. "Now you try." He said to me.

"Lonnnnkovaaaa Merrrry OT!" I said. I did the hand movement wrong, but said it right. I tried it a few times. Professor Snictinstein showed us again and after 5 or 6 tries I got it right. Harry got it right on the first try. When we were finished with the lesson, I was physically strong. My bag, which is normally a bit heavy, weighed nothing. Harry was overly happy. He kept laughing at everything I said even if it wasn't funny.

*

The next month went by fast. February was soon among us and the Saturday classes were getting more intense. Harry started coming with me every week because of the project Ron and Hermione were to do together. We learned how to trick the opponents and how to locate the school no matter where we were. We also learned defense moves with our body that the Muggles called "Karate". It was sort of fun to do. A little painful, but fun. Professor Snictinstein said that the process of "Karate" takes years, but we learned the basics the Saturday before the dance.

The Valentine's Day Dance...

That was all that was talked about with the girls at each table.

I told Parvati Patil that I wasn't gonna go, but she said that I had to.

I told her that I'd make myself sick so I had to go to the Hospital Wing.

She said I was a party pooper.

"Why don't you want to go?" Julia asked me. She was sitting at the Entrance Hall steps, looking at the clouds with me. It was going to rain soon, or that was how it looked.

"I just haven't been in a dance-like mood." The truth was, I knew who Harry wanted to ask to the dance, and I knew that if he were to ask her, she'd say no. He told me about how Cedric was her boyfriend before he died. Harry admitted to me that he liked her when he told me about the Triwizard Tournament. The girl's name is Cho Chang, a 6th year Ravenclaw student. I think Julia is friends with her this year, because she's the female Seeker I mentioned earlier. What that had to do with me was that I wanted to ask Harry, but was afraid to.

"Why not? Are you mad about Hermione still?"

"Yes... and no. I feel mostly guilty." I told her. She shook her head and looked down to me two steps below hers.

"She'll get over it. You should too."

"But Hermione was a good friend to me. You know that I didn't have any friends when I was considered a Squib."

"That's because you didn't want any friends." She said to me simply. I sighed.

"You were my friend, that's why. But now I lost her as a friend..." I sighed. Julia and I talked a little more about the dance, and I stayed away from the topic of the fight. Julia talked about wanting to ask someone from Hufflepuff, but lost the nerve, because he was talking to a bunch of girls in her House. Then she told me that she wasn't going to ask anyone.

It was Valentine's Day. I was dreading the day more and more as girls talked about dress robes and their dates. I wanted to throw myself out the window. I was laying on my bed reading the book about Hogwarts Hermione had given me (I was just at the part where there were many different dungeons in the school that were placed there to protect magical items that protected the students) when my curtain opened up. It was Hermione.

She looked just as she did in my dreams. She had the same posture, but there was something about it that told me that no matter how angry she was with me she wouldn't betray me. That would mean betraying Harry, too, if I remembered my dream right. "You have my Madam Olga's Encyclopedia Volume M?"

"Oh, first I'm a cheater, now I'm a thief, is that it? I've got your point, I'm not to be trusted. No, I haven't got your stupid encyclopedia. Did your other text books reject you along with half the boys in the school?" I said coldly, shutting the curtain on her. I heard her curse at me and then leave to look elsewhere. "Why don't you ask the Dictionary to the dance?" I yelled after her. That was mean. I thought to myself. Why don't you just let it go?

I finally walked down to the Common Room where Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione. She was telling them what I had just said but I didn't care. "Those words hurt more than getting my braces tightened at Christmas." I heard her whisper.

"You did accuse her of cheating. You think she'd study so hard just to cheat? There is something wrong with that."

"The evidence is there and I stand by them..." I gathered my things from off of the desk and went up the steps again. I had put on the dress robe that Dobby gave me, and as silly looking as it may have been, I planned to wear it. If Dobby saw me in it, he would know that I truly did appreciate his thoughtfulness when he made it for me. I was going to have a good time tonight. I combed out my hair and walked out of the Common Room. Harry was there alone because Hermione was getting ready. Neville was waiting for Ginny, and Ron was going with Jessie. I saw that Harry was ready for the dance. I tried my hardest not to gasp when I first saw him. He had combed his hair, and it didn't seem like its usual shaggy state.

"So, you decided to go," He said to me. "So did I. Shall we?" He held out his arm. I shrugged, blushing a little bit, and grabbed it.

"I thought you weren't one to dance." I said to him with a small question in my voice.

"I guess Julia got me in a little bit of a dancing mood at Christmas." He told me. We walked in silence for a little while before he turned to me. "You really hurt Hermione's feelings with what you said to her." Harry said. I sighed.

"I know, I know. I didn't mean to bite her head off. I was still angry with her for accusing me of cheating." I told him as we walked down the steps. Harry was silent. "I should go apologize to her."

"You can do it after the dance. Come on. We're late." It seemed a little like walking into a Muggle fairy tale. I had my (almost) Prince Charming, and I had a pretty nice dress robe made from my fairy godhouse-elf. Harry's hair was a little longer than normal, and his dress robe made him look even more handsome. I fought the urge to tell him so. His eyes stood out a little more behind his glasses as he walked into the Great Hall.

We saw a table near the wall where the Slytherin table was normally. There was a song on, and I saw the couples dancing. I watched as Harry ordered the table to give him some chips and butter beer. Hey anything could happen. I thought, but to my surprise, it was given to him within seconds. I enjoyed the variety of music that was being played by Toil and Trouble. They played my favorite called 'Wave it in Their Face', a song about teasing/threatening a Muggle with your powers. It was a funny song. It was supposed to be a joke, but the Ministry of Magic ordered the radio stations to not play it. I ordered the table to give me a bottle of butter beer. I saw it appear within seconds. I felt a little odd being there next to Harry, because it seemed as if we were a couple, but I wasn't sure, since we walked in together. Not long after the song, I saw Julia walk up to us and ask Harry if she could talk to him about Potions real quick. He gave her the 'Look', and asked if it could wait until the next day. She said that if she didn't ask him then she'd forget about it by the next day. They left for a second outside the Great Hall.

I looked around at all the decorations. It was a bit much. You almost were expected to either kiss someone or get married that night. There were heart shaped candles that seemed to beat rhythmically, and cards everywhere saying "Happy Valentine's Day". On the wall was the painting of the Flower Picker. Sir Codougin was on one knee.

"Please, Lovely Maiden. Give me a chance, as I have given you my heart." The Flower Picker rolled her eyes.

"For the 1000th time, 'No you may NOT ride me off into the Sunset portrait in the Slytherin house'." Sir Codougin looked hurt. Seeing this, she sighed. "Alright, just this once..." Before The Flower Picker was to make a move for the horse, Harry had returned with an odd look on his face.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. He nodded.

"Snape wants us to make this really hard potion in his class. I forgot to tell you how nice you look in that dress robe that Dobby gave you." I blushed. I couldn't help it. Harry isn't really the type to really give out compliments. He and Ron were sometimes thick about things like that. I wasn't sure if Harry saw my blush, but he didn't seem to.

"Thanks. Uh... Where is Dobby? I see just about everyone else here, but him. I wanted to thank him and ask him for a dance."

"In the kitchens. You want to go and see him?"

"Can we?" He nodded. "Sure, let's go." We got up and dodged the couples dancing so they didn't run into us, and walked slowly out the door. I saw Harry's eyes flicker pass me. Then I felt my mouth get covered with a cold hand and the world around me started to spin.

Chapter 15

Mason vs. Mason

Whoever had me let me go after the spinning stopped. Fear swept around me as I slowly turned around and saw the man that attacked Harry. He was next to a snake-like man. This other man was standing over an unconscious Harry. Harry had blood leaking from his head. Not a lot, but enough. We were somewhere in the dark. Almost like a cave. I recognized it from my dream. Oh no. I thought. This is really bad. There were two popping noises, and another Harry was next to the man who attacked Harry and me. I walked back a couple steps, confused. Theother Harry's looking at me with a lot of hatred. "Thisss is the one who ssstole my victory?" A voice slithers. The conscious Harry nods. "But she'sss jussst a young girl. Perhapsss, Wormtail, you're lossssing your touch. You are becoming ussselesssss to me."

The man who attacked Harry went to his knees, pathetically kissing the snake-like man's robes. He seemed to tremble. My dream! It's being played out exactly. "No, Master. I was just caught off guard. I am of very good use." The conscious Harry scoffs.

"You shouldn't correct him. He knows when he's right..." I don't get it, it sounds just like Harry...

"SSSSILENCSSSE! When doesss that potion wear off?"

"I just took it master, but I made it last only a few minutes." The other Harry said. While he was saying this, his hair grew out some, down to his back and his face changed shape. He shrunk a little, and then I knew it wasn't even a guy. They had used the Polyjuice Potion, the shape shifting potion. Professor Snictinstein had me make it with Neville Longbottom. We then switched places confusing our friends for an hour until it wore off. This looked like the dream I had when Hermione was the traitor. "This will be entertaining to watch." The transformer said, their voice sort of changing. I heard a familiarity to it, but couldn't say right then who it belonged to because it still sounded like Harry's.

"Yessss... she'll get a kick out of thisss." After another minute of transforming I gasped. I now knew who the other Harry really was. It wasn't even Hermione, it was much worse than that.

"Julia!" She smiled with an evil I've never seen in her.

"Nice of you to know who I am. Fooled you, didn't I? Bet you thought it was that Mudblood. I see you've met my master." Master? I thought to myself. I've never known Julia to use cruel remarks like that about people.

"Th-that man-" I pointed to Wormtail.

"That man is a FOOL. He couldn't kill Harry Potter! In fact, he let a girl, a SQUIB at that, defeat him. If a girl like you could save Harry's life, than surely a girl like me, your twin with real power no less, can kill him," Julia said almost in a sneer.

"What?" I knew just then what was going on. Julia was working for Voldemort, and was in on killing Harry. I was a little slow taking it all in, and I wondered why it took me so long to figure it out. This was going to be tough. If I had to kill to protect, who do I kill, and who do I protect?

"YOU are going to die, GIRL!" Voldemort said to me. I shivered at the look he gave me. "Unlessssss... You want to make a trade..."

"What kind of t-trade?" I asked, knowing already that I wouldn't like it.

"He wants that lovely medallion you try so hard to hide from me." How did she know?

"And what do I get in return?" I asked, mustering up all the courage I had not to run.

"I think your life is a good bargain, though I'd be getting the better of the trade." Julia said. I scowled at her insult, though I knew she couldn't see it in this darkness. Some trade.

"Wh- what about Harry?"

"He'sss gonna die no matter what! He'ssss gonna pay for all the timessss he'sss weakened and humiliated me!" Voldemort said.

"You can't do this! You-"

"I can and I will. No more monkey buissssssnessss, what'sss it gonna be?"

"You're gonna have to kill me. I will not leave without Harry... alive!" I said to them, surprised at how bold I sounded even through all the fear I felt just then.

"There you go trying to ssave the boy. One would think you learned from the firsssst time. Your father sssaw the article I ssent him. He wasss probably blubbering like a baby to know hissss daughter wass hurt while ssssaving his life. Jussst picture him when he findsss out you DIED trying to sssave him again. And after all the trouble he went through trying to protect you... from me. He should have known that I'd never ssstop torturing him for leaving me." I could sense more negative energy.

"What!? Leave you?"

"You don't know? Mason, you mean she's a top student, but she still knows nothing?" Julia lowered her head.

"No, Master." She turned to me. "You don't know what our father was like before he met mum, or even who he was? Ha! You are more than stupid Lydia! Well, before this git Wormtail here, our dad was one of Master's most loyal servants." This shocked me. "The amount of Muggles and Aurors he's killed will amaze you. One day on his way to kill a suspicious Muggle, he ran into our mother, Jasmine Polaran at the time, and forgot about what he was going to do. He hadn't seen Jasmine since Hogwarts, when he used to tease her. They married, had us... blah blah blah. Jasmine knew what our father was up to every time he left for a few hours at a time every month, but she said nothing. Even after we were born he went to Him when he was summoned, trying to find away to get Him back into power. Then, he became a better husband to mum, and a better father to us. Soon after he stopped going to the meetings -"

"He forgot about the one person who loved him the most... ME!!!" Voldemort cut in, eyes wide with fury.

"He turned his back on Him, Lydia. He turned his back on the other supporters. Dad knew that they would come looking for us, so he moved us from the village where we lived and took us to a small Muggle town when we were 41/2." Sauntersville. I thought. "Mum knew they were going to find us and kill the family for our dad's betrayal. She went to her friend in the pet shop, and being unregistered Animagi, made a plan to make them think they killed one of us. The friend was a small flying animal, and our mum was an animal that I don't know about. They took the Polyjiuce Potion to switch places on the day of the killing. Though they looked like the other, they had their own animal still, and the friend made the other man's wand smoke up. In the smoke, the friend turned into the flying animal and went back to where the two were cooking up the plan. Mum turned into her animal and stayed that way hidden. Mum's alive, Lydia. She's truly alive."

"She's not. This story is hokey!" I yelled. Mum cannot be alive, the pieces just didn't fit. Where is she? Why would she leave us if she's supposed to be alive?

"She's alive."

"How would you know this? I don't trust you."

"The women in our family have an added power that lets us see the future. That is how she knew about the man, that's how I know about it now."

"That's a lie. That wasn't even in the future, that was the past." Julia sighed.

"It's no lie. Last year I started to have dreams that mum was alive, and they bothered me." A couple of the dreams that I had happened too... "I went to see a fortune teller in Hogsmeade and she told me this story."

"If you're so high and mighty with your psychic dreams, then you would have been able to see me stopping the killing at the Hogsmeade Celebration. You would have been able to stop me with ease."

Julia stared at me, her eyes hard. "When the Yule Tide Ball came around, Professor Moody offered to give me dancing lessons, and as creepy as he was, I accepted the offer. After awhile, I saw that he moved too swiftly for a man with one pegged leg. I told him that and he seemed to want to drop the subject. When I threatened to tell Dumbledore, he quickly told me the truth of who he was. I went to see Voldemort later that year, and he said that if I kept his secrets he'd let me have the one thing I wanted the most. I did so, and after the one known as Moody got caught, I went back to Voldemort and he told me that if I joined him and his rising army, I'd get the power to bring our mother back. We had started up another plan to kill Harry, knowing that there would be more security for him the following year.

"When I got home, Dad was so jittery and scared about Voldemort's rise to power, and noticed that I was stronger, thanks to the added power Voldemort had given me. Dad asked me to keep an eye on you and help him find a way to get you to Dumbledore so that you would be safe while he ran off somewhere. He made you go to Diagon Alley because that was the beginning of our plan. When you weren't able to do much with your wand, Dad sent an owl to Dumbledore saying you missed the train because you were scared to go there. I filled your wand with magic every week in the Great Hall to keep you from getting kicked out, and since I knew you wouldn't get good marks on your tests, I gave you a special quill to help you out." Hermione was right. I HAD CHEATED!! I just didn't know... I was scared to think that I might not live to tell Hermione that I was sorry and that she was right.

"The day of the Hogsmeade Celebration, I filled up your wand as usual, but how you used the magic was not in my control. I had forgotten that, and so you used your magic to save him. I tried to drain your wand at the beginning of the spell, but you still completed it. You must have transferred your body energy to magic energy which almost killed you. If I had killed Potter, I would have gotten my Dark Mark. But you ruined it for me. You ruined it for Wormtail. The punishment he got for failing wasn't pretty." The one known as Wormtail looked over at me. In one swift motion, I was about 3 inches off of the floor hanging from my neck.

"You!! You're the one who made me displease my master... I paid with most of my life!! You shall pay with yours!" I heard someone laugh as if my pain was funny.

"Now, you either give me that medallion, or he will kill you." Julia said to me.

"NO!" I wheezed. Wormtailthrew me against the wall of the room. I heard my ribs crack. He came back and picked me up, enjoying the pained look on my face. This time he picked me up with the metallic hand.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I heard Harry's screams ring out and I was unable to help him this time. Oh no! I thought as fast as I could. I used some of that 'Karate' Professor Snictinstein taught Harry and me. I flattened my hand and used it to sort of chop Wormtail's inner elbow. It didn't do much, but it surprised him enough that he let me go. I rubbed my neck while I looked to see Voldemort hadn't even touched Harry yet. I struggled to get up. It hurt to breathe. I took out my wand.

"EXSPELLIARMUS!!" I heard Julia yell, which startled me. My wand flew out of my hands and into Julia's. I was then forced to the ground. I moaned and looked up at her. I saw her grin. I started to get up, but she pointed her wand at me. "Don't... move." She said, throwing my wand to the ground beside her. I got up slowly when she wasn't looking. Now what? I looked over to see Voldemort standing over Harry and laughing. I need time. I thought desperately.

"WHY DO YOU NEED THOSE MADALLIONS VOLDEMORT??" I didn't mean to yell this, but I was in a panic and needed to get it out before he did something. After I said his name, I shuttered for the first time. I saw Harry crawl along the ground for his glasses and his wand.

"Why? I need the medallions' to give me added power. They take magic from the air and givesss it to you-"

"Forgive me master, but she is wearing one, and if she finds out how to use it, we will all die. That is why I stole the M part of that encyclopedia that her Mudblood friend carried around. So that she wouldn't learn how to use it and get stronger. And so that the trade would easier. She must have gotten lots of magic from Hogwarts."

"You sssaid ssso yourself, Massson. She's too dumb to know how to use it." That hurt. All of that encouragement at the beginning of the year was fake. "You have to know how you work." I just gave him a blank look which he couldn't see in the darkness. How I work? I looked in Harry's direction briefly.

"I don't need the medallion even if I knew how to use it." I put my fingers around the medallion which by now was lying outside of my dress robe.

"You lie."

"I assure you, I don't. I know a magic more advanced than medallions and silly wand waving." I said to her calmly. I was sure Julia didn't know much about Muggle Illusion Tricks.

"How? What is it?"

"Got a Sickle?"

Chapter 15

Muggle Illusion Tricks

Julia finally took out a Sickle after a minute of looking at me in disbelief. She handed it to me. Why she had money with her, I didn't know. Maybe after she killed Harry and me, she'd run away with Voldemort and Wormtail. I told Julia to light up her wand so that I could see what I was doing. I showed her my right hand empty, my left hand with a Sickle. "Okay, here we go. I will make it Disapperate to my left. Here and- Oh Julia." I reached behind Julia's ear. She fought my hand, sure I was to attack. "Sorry, still working on it. Luckily Professor Snictinstein didn't fail me for this. Want me to show you another? I can make my wand jump to my hand." In the corner of my eye I saw Harry point his wand towards my wand. "Come HERE!" I commanded, holding my palm out to it, almost as if I was ordering my broomstick to my hand in that first flying lesson. Instantly, my wand jumped from the floor and into my hand. I looked over to Harry and he shrugged. He hadn't done it. I thought. Who did? Me? No way. It is useless to me now, since Julia had been putting magic into it before. Wormtail, Voldemort, and Julia all had wands pointed and either Harry or myself. How did Wormtail get that wand if... The Wand Shop Robbery! I'd known that, but seeing it was still shock to me.

"Remember, if you want it enough, you can always get it if you know how to look within and ask." That was my only choice. All magic you produce or choose not to produce is of your own going! Please... please let me possess the magic to help Harry and me get through this. Please... I choose to produce this magic. I'll become an Auror, learn to like Floo Powder, ANYTHING... but please help me... Right then my wand and my medallion started glowing, lighting up the darkened cave. Harry, Wormtail, Voldemort, and Julia had to shield their eyes, but I somehow didn't need to. I started crying with joy. I found out how to use the medallion! I felt a large burst of energy run through me.

"Martio Alentanis!" Julia yelled.

"Merivis!" I screamed pointing my wand at Julia. She seemed to be kicked in the face and the impact knocked her out. I felt as Harper must have when he knocked out Johanis in anger. I was angry with Julia, too. I know Julia and she wouldn't do this if she didn't have a big meaning for it, but she tried to kill people. Her purpose for it was to find mum (if she really is alive, I was still not sure). That is a selfish reason to kill an innocent person. Voldemort looked at me with more anger in his eyes.

"You don't want to fight me, Massson..."

"You're right... I don't." I said to him, "but I will try if I have to." I calmly pointed my wand at him with swiftness and grace I didn't have.

"But you won't have to if you join my side. You will do what your sister never could." Voldemort used his last remaining weapon, persuasion. I looked over at Julia who was still breathing, but not moving other than that.

"No, I can't. I won't." Voldemort looked as if 'No.' wasn't in his vocabulary. He pointed his wand at me. I saw energy leaking from it and going to me. I felt nothing but an inner icy feeling coming through me for a while. He said four incantations and none of them worked. He looked confused. He didn't know that he didn't have enough energy to do the spells. I saw movement in the corner of my eye. I had forgotten that Wormtail was there. I shot around and yelled "Stupefy!" This was the stun spell I'd learned, probably used on Harry before I got there. Wormtail fell to the floor unconscious as had Julia. Now it was only me and Voldemort. At any second the wand will get more magic and he could use the Killing Curse on me. To tell the truth, I was surprised he hadn't done it yet. I was sure the medallion wouldn't be able to soak up the Killing Curse spell. I didn't know what to do. To my surprise, he looked at me and Disapperated, seeing there was no one left to take the fall for him. "Coward. Couldn't even collect his followers. Shows how much you love them." I murmured. I heard movement and whipped around. It was only Harry. I stood there in shock, not sure what to do.

"Accio Firebolt! Accio Mega Clean Sweep!" Harry commanded.

"Er- right!" We waited in silence, watching both Wormtail and Julia carefully, and ten minutes or so later our brooms arrived. I don't know how they were able to get there so fast, as I had no idea where we were. Harry's Firebolt came first, because it was faster than mine. Harry had fallen over at about the same time Julia reawakened. Harry was weak because of that blood he lost. I took Wormtail's new and stolen wand so he wouldn't be able to wake up and use it. Julia watched me as I hung Harry over the tail of his broom and Wormtail over the side of mine. Then I did the Roper Wand to the two brooms using Wormtail's wand. Now the two brooms were side to side. "Get on my broom... Now." I said in a low no nonsense tone. With my wand at her back, she did as I told her to do. "Lonnnnkovaaa Merry OT!!" I yelled. I felt I needed the extra magic. Right after I said the spell Julia passed out. I think I took some of the energy she had. I didn't know how far away from Hogwarts we were, but no matter, I would be able to get back to it. "Locatorias Hogwarts!" A thin blue line pointed to the left of me. We got out of the cave and I got onto Harry's broom. Then we were on our way.

*

Harry's broom was very fast and we were out of the cave's view with in 5 minutes. After about 35 minutes of flying in the dark, we hit some sort of bubble and when we went through it, the light of day was suddenly upon us. It was getting close to dusk. "Wha-" I asked, confused and shielding my eyes for a second. Julia had awakened then, but I kept flying until at last I saw the castle. If I thought that spell was ridicules before, I take it back. I also take back the comment about Hogwarts being very far from my house. The ride to Hogwarts from where we were took longer than it did my first ride there, even on Harry's Firebolt. The dusk turned to night and the night turned to morning I looked at my watch when Hogwarts came into view. WHAT?! 11:06? I hadn't realized it was so late in the morning. I was getting concerned, for Harry was still unconscious, but he was no longer bleeding.

I turned off the spell, and leaned forward on Harry's broom to go faster. There were two teachers running outside when I landed, and a minute later I saw Ron and Hermione. I pulled the brooms inside with me and into the Hospital Wing without a word spoken. Then I turned to Hermione. "You were right. I did cheat. Mind you, I didn't know... I'm sorry I hurt your feelings at the dance-"

"It doesn't matter." She said to me. "I felt guilty all this time because we fought and the last thing that I said to you was a curse word. When you were gone that night people presumed you 3 dead. I'm just glad you are alive. Where were you all 3 months?"

"Three months?

"Lydia... That bubble we passed was an enchantment to preserve time so that my mas- so that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named could stay alive l-longer in his new form. Hours could be in reality months."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Because you were... and are so angry with me." I closed my eyes and counted to ten twice before I saw some of the last 24 hours flash by in my head. Then I opened my eyes again quickly. Professor McGonagall came in and gasped.

"So the rumor is true? You came back! This is so... so great!! What happened? Is everyone alright?"

"Harry was bleeding, Julia needs to have her head checked out for bumps and what not, and I need a nap." I said in one breath. "I think I cracked some ribs, but right now I just want a nap."

"I can see that," she said. Just then I saw Professor Dumbledore. He had Apperated.

"In all my years in Hogwarts, I have never seen such a miracle." He said, smiling at me. "Madam Pomfrey, get these kids some beds."

Chapter 16

Great Things and Bad Things

I rested in the bed next my sister, but I had so much magic energy left that I couldn't sleep after all. My mind was still spinning trying to piece the puzzles together. There were so many pieces that didn't fit, yet so many that did, pieces that scared and angered me.

Hermione was sitting in a chair between Harry and me. She was reading Madam Olga's Encyclopedia Volume M. Julia had given it back to her. I had fallen asleep for an hour or so, and when I woke up, Julia was explaining to Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall what had happened starting from the beginning when she had become a part of Voldemort's army. There was a curtain around my bed, for my ribcage was now bandaged, and a potion lay right next to my bed. Julia continued on the story and I found out that Julia changed into Harry after she needed to see him about potions, supposedly. Julia was at the part where I had knocked her unconscious. They looked to me for the rest. I told them about Wormtail, and about Voldemort leaving and preparing to bring them all back to the school.

No one knew what to say. Harry was still out, but his wounds were healing. Hermione told me that he had awakened but was still tired, so Madam Pomfrey gave him a dreamless sleep potion. I wished I had gotten one, because I had dreams of my mother turning into an animal, but the animal was so blurry that I couldn't see what it was. Everything else in my dream was clear. There would be no need to look up the meaning in that book Sirius gave me. This had to have been some sort of sick joke.

"You are dismissed from classes for the rest of the year. There is no way you can make up 3 months' work in one." Dumbledore started. I made up 4 years in 3 months (author's note: *Snort*), but I didn't mention it. "You will take your work home for the summer and bring it back for the next year. This goes to the three of you. When Harry wakes up, I'll tell him." Dumbledore said to us. I nodded. I was going to need serious therapy when I got home. The teachers had left. So... if we were gone for three months, then it is the middle of May. Two or three weeks before we have to go home. Where is Bumba? Where is Screach? When I asked about this Hermione said that she had brought Screach to the pet shop like she heard me ask him to do that day I found him sick, but he had died within 4 days of being there. Part of it was because I never told him I was leaving, so he was heartbroken that I had abandoned him. Another part must have been because he was caged again after 6-8 years of being free from them. Plus, he was old. Owls only live for up to 15 years, and Screach was about 20. Maybe even close to 21.

"Screach. When did he die?"

"Last month." I felt tears coming down my face. I felt the urge the stand up point my finger at Wormtail and Julia, and blame them for it, but no matter what I ended up doing, I would not have gotten Screach back. I buried my face in the pillow.

"He died thinking I had abandoned him as had his last owner before him. Please tell me that Bumba is okay."

"She is. She has been with me. And Ron. He didn't really like her though, so I was the one who mostly took care of her. I want you to know that we buried Screach in the garden behind Hagrid's cabin."

"What happened since we left?"

"Professor Buton went to go look for you three, but he was gone for awhile, too, and after a week, his office was cleared out. He ran off scared that You Know Who would attack the school." She told me.

"E-Everyone thinks we're all dead. So, I'm guessing our stuff is gone."

"No, It is part of a shrine in the Great Hall. All three of your trunks and things were put up by the teachers' table." I looked at her.

"They tried to get a hold of your father, but the owl took a long time to get back to them and so he must be far away. Where did he go?"

"He must have cowered to the far regions of the earth trying to hide from You Know Who," I said to her, letting some of my anger drip onto the words.

*

I stayed in the Hospital Wing until the next day, when I was let out for lunch. My ribs regrew when Madam Pomfrey gave me some 'New and Improved Skelegrow', a bone rejuvenator. I changed into my Hogwarts robes and left. Harry was again out of the Hospital Wing before me, but he was nowhere to be seen when I entered the Great Hall. I heard the whole hall get quiet.

"She's GOT to be a ghost... or- or some sort of angel." said some girl at the Hufflepuff table to her friend.

"No, she seems too real for that," the guy next to her whispered.

"Well, how else could she have saved Harry twice and come back unharmed...?"

I heard that as I sat at the Gryffindor Table with Hermione and Ron, but I couldn't eat. I was too much into my thoughts to eat. Hermione passed Bumba to me under the table and I felt a little better. I still sighed and looked at the table.

"Lydia, I know you are feeling bad about Screach, but you have done a lot of great things that you should feel good about. Remember when you were telling me that you couldn't protect Harry? That you were just a girl? Well, you did. Sirius was right. You did have to fight Him, but you came out alive and saved both Harry and your sister. If that isn't something great, then we know now that nothing is."

"Luck, pure luck. He ran away. He's still out there." I muttered to her. Hermione sighed. "I'm still not sure if my powers are truly mine or if they were a part of the medallions."

"They were yours. I know they were yours." I turned around and saw Dumbledore there. "The Sorting Hat let you pick your House, did it not?" I nodded. "It only does that if it knows the person would be great as both. You would have made a great Ravenclaw, too. The Sorting Hat would not have been able to put you into a House at all if it was sure you had no magic. Plus, magic can be exhausting for those who don't use it often." All magic you produce or choose not to produce is of your own going! I remembered just then what the Sorting Hat told me and nodded. I saw Harry come into the Great Hall. He caught my eye and walked to me as Dumbledore Disapperated.

"Lydia, are you alright?"

"Yeah, are you?"

"Yes, I am. You did it. You fought Vol- You Know Who. And WON at that."

"Not proud of it," I muttered, feeling my anger coming back for the thousandth time that day. I almost wanted to say 'So what?', because I still felt like a loser.

"Why not?"

"Because... I still somehow feel like a failure. He- He left. Without Wormtail. Dumbledore said he is in Azkaban, so he wouldn't have a chance to go back to Him."

"Well you shouldn't feel that way, Lydia. Remember when we talked during the Christmas holiday, and I told you about my family? By bringing Peter Pettigrew back, you now have the key evidence to clear Sirius' name, and I can live with him." Harry sat down next to me, and watched me closely.

"Maybe I'm looking too much into the bad. You're alive, Julia's alive, and I'm alive. I should be thankful for that." I said to them, faking a smile. But I wasn't.

Chapter 17

Going Home

I didn't need to pack my stuff since it was already done for me. I just took the stuff I needed and put it away when I didn't need it. I did, though, have three empty cages to remind me of two lost friends. I never talked to Julia, and she never tried to talk to me. At the End of the Year Feast, Dumbledore said goodbye to all the 7th years and good luck to them all. There was some cheering, but it was mostly silent as Dumbledore did his congrats and announcing of the House points. Slytherin was winning with 534 points, Ravenclaw was second with 510 points, Gryffindor was third with 467 points, and Hufflepuff was last with 432 points. "100 points goes to both Hufflepuff and Slytherin for the two times Gryffindor had to forfeit because their Seeker was... gone. Let's see, 40 points goes to Ginny Weasley for helping Hagrid all week with his animals, 15 points goes to Ron for a good test score in Charms, 25 points goes to Hermione for great essay on Muggle money, and 13 points goes to Seamus Finnegan for finally learning how to turn water to rum. Good job. You kept at it, but I hope to never catch you intoxicated," he joked.

"And finally, I have a special gift for a very special girl. She has had some struggles throughout the year but has been tough enough to overcome these and became something... truly amazing." I saw eyes turn to me. "I wish more good could have come to her this year. Lydia Mason gets this special trophy and 200 points to Gryffindor. I'm sorry your year wasn't a very good one." I looked up from my plate to see a small trophy gliding towards me. On it were the words Honorary Student Achievement Award in sparkling gold letters against a black plate. I felt some people pat me on the back. The trophy had a gold girl sitting on top cheering, and calling my name. We had beaten Slytherin by 126 points. We had won the House Cup with 735 points.

"You do deserve it." I heard Hermione say above all the cheering. I had to admit that for the last few hours of my stay at Hogwarts I was happier than I had been since I had gotten back from... wherever we were, if only slightly.

*

I was sitting in one of the good armchairs in the Common Room waiting for my friends to get their stuff. Harry was mostly ready, and was yelling to me from the top of the stairs. When he got down finally, we played a game of Exploding Snap while we waited for Hermione and Ron. Ron had come back down. I slowly ate some candy as I waited for my turn. I gave the rest to the twins. I had to give Ron my cards because Hermione was having troubles closing her trunk because of the Encyclopedia set (two of the cards exploded while trying to do this). We both had to sit on it and rearrange her things in order to get it closed. My trunk was easy to pack, because I put half of my things in the extra compartment. I heard a loud yell of my name and four choruses of laughter. I ran down the stairs with full speed and landed at the bottom to find both of the twins with a full body of hair. "I told you I'd get 'em." I said to Ron with a bit of boredness in my voice. "Don't worry... it will fall off in a few minutes."

We all used a Levitation spell to bring our trunks outside and next to Hagrid. When I set my trunk down in front of Hagrid he said, "Ye got some time if you want ter say guh-bye." He nodded his head in the direction of his cabin, where Screach was buried.

I walked over behind the cabin and saw a small head stone, carefully carved by Hagrid. On it said "Here lays Screach, a loving and loved owl. May you join your owner, and be peaceful together." They did this when they thought I was dead. It also had the date of death. I found I couldn't cry right then. "Screach, I'm sorry. I want you to know that I didn't abandon you. I would rip out my heart with my bare hands before I would ever do that to you. I wish I had a chance to say goodbye. I now have friends, but you were the first of them… and the best by far. You always had a mouse waiting for me when I felt bad. I miss you so much, Screach, and that it hurts me. I love you... always." I felt a slight breeze in the Spring-turned-Summer air. It felt refreshing. I heard rustling and I thought I heard a familiar flap of wings. Wishful thinking. I turned to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione there. Hermione gave me a hug as the tears finally started. "I just wanted to tell him that I did not abandon him." I told her through my sobs.

"He knows that, Lydia. He knows it." I started to ask her how she knew, but she shushed me and we didn't talk for a long time.

"We should, uh..." Ron finally said uncomfortably after a long while.

"Right." Hermione said, before Ron could finish. I wiped my eyes and walked with them. Ron and Hermione's arms were on both of my shoulders. I'm glad that I have great friends like them. I thought to myself.

*

We rode in that same huge carriage to the train station in Hogsmeade as we used at Charismas. I said goodbye to Hagrid and the rest of the teachers as they bid us farewell. "Whoa, is the Hogwarts Express always this fast?" I asked 10 minutes later as the train pulled away from the station. I at first felt a little sick, but it went away as the speed stayed steady for a few minutes. I sighed with relief.

"I keep forgetting that you weren't with us the first 4 years." Hermione said. "Yes, it's always this fast. In fact, it will pick up a little speed in a few minutes. I can give you a book to read about it if you like." I heard Ron groan and I politely told her that I would like to borrow it for summer reading if all the homework could get done.

My face was frozen in a saddened look for a few miles. Then Harry and Ron started getting silly with their remaining Exploding Snap deck, making everyone by myself laugh, though there was a smile on my face. When one of the twins gave me butter beer to cheer me up I had to laugh as they persuaded me to drink it. (I didn't, but I did put it away as a souvenir of sorts) I had so much fun on the train as Harry bought food from the trolley that had come by. I took out my chess pieces and had a tournament with Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Harry, Julia, and I talked in whispers about what had happened and Harry was very apologetic about it all. I told him that it was in no way his fault, and I told Julia that I knew her heart was in the right place. Hermione and Ron sort of listened in on that conversation, while eating candy. I showed Hermione the quill and promised her that I would only use it when I'm writing a letter. At least then it will correct my grammar and spelling mistakes.

Sooner than I had expected, though, we arrived at King's Cross Train Station. I saw our father as soon as we got our trunks off the train and through the wall (an experience that freaked me out a bit). He seemed very nervous and was wringing his hands. When he saw us, he took the two of us into a large group hug. "Oh girls! I'm so glad you two are still alive! I felt awful when I found out that I may have lost the rest of my family due to one large mistake." He looked awful, too. His hair was a mess, like that night I called him into our room after I got the letter from Hogwarts. He was sort of shaking when we all hugged. "Well, say good bye to your friends and let's get going home. We have a lot to talk about." I walked over to Ron, Harry, and Hermione, and we said our awkward "Goodbyes" and "See you next years". I couldn't believe I would be going back! We got into the rented car and went home.

*

Julia and I were in our room lying on our beds. I was looking out the window about an hour after our talk at an owl that was going into the house next to us. It was going to the little girl named Francine Darby (I could see the emerald green writing from where I was). She's a nice little girl I used to see playing dolls by herself when I was her age. She always had a great imagination for a Muggle.

I looked over at Julia and remembered that I still had not given her the medallion that was hers. I searched through my trunk and took the box out of the compartment. I handed her the medallion and saw blue light brighten the room. After a minute, we were both laughing over nothing. When the laughter died down we went back to our serene environment.

I was thinking on my bed about the letter I got from Hermione about Harry's birthday coming up, so I figured I'd get him some candy and Exploding Snap decks for the new school year. The letter also said that Sirius' name was now cleared, but Harry cannot live with him until after a month of inspection of Sirius' living conditions, as well as testing on his mental health to see if he would be mentally stable enough to continue to raise Harry after being in a place like Azkaban for so long. The letter had an add-on from Sirius himself thanking me for clearing his name. I muttered, "That's so nice." There was also a note from Harry saying that he was going to had to meet up with me during the summer to spend some time together and so we could study together. He was also determined to cheer me up because it was really needed. I still cried whenever I thought about what happened.

I heard rustling where Julia was laying down reading the newest Witch Weekly. She gasped. I quickly looked over at her.

"What?"

"You're in here!"

"WHAT?! How did I get in there?"

"It is talking about how you and Harry are meant for each other because you have the fact that you survived You Know Who... And because Colin Creevy took a picture of you two walking into the Great Hall the day of the dance, and they somehow got the picture."

"Great." I muttered.

"They are mostly focusing on the fact that you saved him twice and that you both fought You Know Who and saved people."

"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah!" I said playfully. I shyly asked Julia if she would let me read the magazine when she was finished with it. She said yes and teased me about wanting it to cut out another picture of Harry. I told her that it was so I could send the article off to Hermione and Harry, but Julia didn't believe me, which made me blush... So she teased me more. After Julia was done teasing me about my crush on Harry (which I later admitted to once having, though not so much anymore), she inspected me and was quiet for a while.

"Oh, of course! I should have figured it out by now."

"Figured out what?"

"How you work!" This seemed to make her more excited, and me more confused.

"How I work?"

"Remember what You Know Who had said about using the medallions?" I slowly nodded, not sure where she was going with this. " 'You have to know how you work.' I think I know how you work." I looked over at her with interest.

"How's that?" I asked her.

"I think you have to want it very deeply. I... I have a confession for you, Lydia. When I made your wand glow, I left it alone after I did that on that day. I thought that just the glowing would convince Olyvander that you were meant for that wand, but when you were supposed to wave your wand around, I couldn't say the spell fast enough and had to let you get humiliated. To both of our surprise, it shot out sparks. I could tell you wanted that wand by the look in your eye. Now, I have a feeling that you have had your magic longer than just a year. I think you were using your magic to keep your owl alive, because you loved him so much. We all thought that you'd have Screach for just 3 years, but you owned him for far longer than that. I believe you wanted him alive so much, that every time you pet him at night it gave him enough magic to live one more day. That might not be the only leak of magic you had."

"What do you mean?"

"Hermione let me borrow some of her encyclopedias for the summer. I read that sometimes, very rarely though, wizards leave their mark on objects, either as a way of marking what belongs to them or as a subconscious thing. They mark it with their favorite color. What's your favorite color?"

"Pur- Oh my goodness... You may be on to something."

"This room... your wand, that quill, even the rose the Amazing Muggle gave you. All of it was your doing. Most of the time color changing is too small to count as having magic." Ron had said something about leaks of magic... and that was how my mother knew I would go to Hogwarts. "You had wanted magic, so now you have it. You have to want it badly... and you did." Julia repeated.

"You may have even wanted to defeat me- You know, defeat me... but not kill me- so much that you were able to use the power from the medallion to aid you." My eyes flickered to Bumba, whom had growled softly to tell us that she was there and wanting attention. I had to admit that it did make sense. I got Bumba when I wanted her, but it wasn't because of magic. I wanted Screach to live and when he was near me he was fine. He got sick when I was away, and it had killed him when I was away for too long. How else do I explain it? I heard a joyous cry from next door.

"... a witch! My baby is a witch. Oh, Earl, go get the camcorder..." At the same time, there was a tap at our own window. It was Goldgrin. I went into the kitchen for some meat and heard Julia shouting my name.

"We are both going back!" I cheered even though I had already known. It was just exciting to get that letter. I started back into our room as I heard a pop, telling me that our father was home. We had talked very long the week before, the night we got home from the train station. He told us about how he became a supporter, and I forgave him because he was my father the only guardian we had left. Julia told him of what that fortuneteller had told her. Dad was also surprised and denied it. I walked quickly into the room and Julia handed me the note.

Dear Miss Mason (both of you),

It was an interesting year we have had, but luckily it didn't end in tragedy. Hopefully this year will get better for us all. Enclosed are the books and added materials for this upcoming year. Lydia is to go to Professor Snictinstein for the first term as she had last year. I look forward to seeing the two of you on September first.

ProffessorMcGonagall

Assisting Headmistress

"Wow!" I said, sitting down on my bed. I let Goldgrin leave, and the room was quiet. I felt a hand on my shoulder as I spaced out, looking out the window. I looked up to see Julia. She smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Do you want some tea? Maybe we can talk." I nodded. Tea sounds nice, but not the talking. I've had enough talking. All talking did was make my head spin, and I have more questions asked than answered. She smiled again and left the room. I thought over the last year as I had done a lot since the summer holiday began, and wondered if our mother could truly be alive. We had no proof she's dead, except for the fact that she is not here in this house, and we have no proof she's alive. Julia's story was a logical one, but who knows why she hasn't come back if it was a true story.

Where are you now? Where did You Know Who go? Am I still in danger? I thought this question a lot. I'm scared of this more than anything. You Know Who is still out there and he probably wants to kill me as well because he knows I will help protect Harry in any way I can. Is my father and/or Julia? Where is Dell now? Is she happy? Is she with Matt? All these thoughts ran through my head as I looked out the window. I saw Francine Darby jolt out of her house and skip to the nearest fallen branch where she picked it up and said words like "Abra Kadabra" and "Alakazam". If only magic was that easy... I thought to her. I saw her look up and around, feeling my eyes on her. She saw me and waved. I waved back quickly, and turned to pick up Bumba out of the opened cage where she still sleeps.

"Crazy." I muttered. "That's the only word that sums up the last year." I pet her for a little while, and then set her back into her cage. "D'ya think that maybe mum could see the future and what our lives would have been like for us if she had stayed? Maybe if she didn't pretend to die, we would've all been goners. D'ya think that if she really was alive, that she'll come back when You Know Who is gone?" Bumba purred. "I don't know, either." The room fell silent except for Bumba's purring.

"Tea's done!" Julia called out to me. I sighed and put Bumba back on the bed.

"Please come back to us if you are still alive." I murmured to the room. All magic you produce or choose not to produce is of your own going! Is that true? Did I choose that magic on that night? Or did I have it before then? What now? I sighed, ran my fingers through my now messed up hair, and jumped down the stairs two at a time. ***