DISCLAIMER: JK ROWLING OWNS THE WORLD OF HARRY POTTER.
FIFTH YEAR AT HOGWARTS FOR STEPHANIE AND LAURA.( 4TH HARRY POTTER BOOK)
It was a Saturday morning in the month of January, and the grounds of Hogwarts were covered in ever-white snow, giving the castle and more magical aspect then usual. In the Gryffindor common room, 5 best friends were sitting around preparing for the Hogesmeade day ahead.
"Frederick stop! Stop tickling me!"
"It's not my fault Stephanie; when it comes to your body my hands have a mind of their own!"
George, Lee and Laura looked up and just gave to couple an odd sort of look. Laura loved the fact that Stephanie had finally gotten with Fred Weasley, because she had always known he had had a crush on her ever since their first year, when the twins had been in their second year, but sometimes their love antics could get a little out of control.
FLASHBACK" Frederick, you prat! Come back here this instant!" yelled Stephanie on the top of her lungs, as the common room went into pure silence watching the scene before them.
" No! Come and get me! And stop using my full name, only my mom does that…and ONLY when I get in trouble!"
Stephanie lunged after Fred, for he had stolen her poem, that she had written in MR. Binns class as she was bored out of her mind. To Stephanie, she only shared her poetry when she felt like it, no matter how trivial it was, her writing was part of her soul.
" Oh Moon!.." Fred started to read.
" Give it back! You bloody twit! How could you!"
" What MOM, I can't hear you…!" yelled back Fred as he jumped over the sofa.
In a leap of faith, Stephanie tackled him to the ground, ripping the paper out of his hands, rage seeping through her, Stephanie growled, " If you ever do that again, I swear I'll—"
And just then, He kissed her.
So as mentioned before, their love antics were often quite…interesting
BACK TO NORMAL:
"Wait you guys, just stop for a second, me and Stephanie need to have a quick girl talk, " The guys gave Laura a quizzical look, but before they could inquire further, she had already grabbed Stephanie's hand and led her to a corner of the room.
"Ok Stephanie, so the Yule ball is coming up and when we go to Hogesmeade we need to find something to wear..."
"Umm ok Laura, you know I hate the girl talks, so lets skip that please; are you going with Lee?" asked Stephanie not really understanding why this had to be such a secretive conversation.
She glanced over at the boys at the other end of the room, who too seemed to have a secret meeting going on as they were huddling close together, as if plotting something… She raised an eyebrow when George saw her looking at them, and he quickly whispered something to Lee and Fred and closed the circle tighter to make sure there could be no eavesdropping.
"Yea, we are just going as friends though, but I know that with Lee I will not be bored for long." Said Laura continuing with her babble, not noticing the odd glances being passed across the room.
"This is true. Hey, since we are away from the boys I need to ask you something, do you know what is up with Fred's brother's friend Harry? I mean how the hell is he in the tournament. If I ever bring it up to Fred or George they just start ranting about how wicked it is that he got passed the age line and start laughing about when they got that long beard, you got admit that was funny, but you and I both know that something is up. I was talking to Hermione the other day and…"
"Yea, I have been thinking the same thing. You know Stephanie, you me and Hermione have been friends since second year when she was a first year, and I don't think we have ever hung out with her two best friends, and after all, Ron IS your boyfriend's brother."
"Laura that's genius! Before Christmas brake we need to become good friends with them ok? Because if we are going to be in the Order like Dumbledore talked to us about I want to help Harry, plus as I always say, friends you make now are for life…"
Two nights ago, while the twins had detention for smearing the Potion room with a chalk repellent that they invented so that Professor Snape could not write on the board, Laura and Stephanie had been called to Dumbledore's office, the headmaster of Hogwarts, where he had explained to them the rising danger of Voldemort, and had asked them to help them in the fight against evil. At first the girls had thought it was strange that he would ask them, but that night proved to be filled with revelations
"I know this is rather sudden Ladies, but you two possess a rare gift in magic..."
He paused after he said this to anticipate their reaction, but both Laura, and Stephanie had blank looks on their faces. So the professor went on,
"Do you two remember your childhood well?"
Stephanie's eyes darkened, and Laura knit her brow.
"Well, when you two were born, a strange thing happened in the magical world, like a transfer of energies. It is time I told you the reason of your advanced magical powers, and the powers you both withhold. Stephanie, you have a younger brother who will reveal himself in good time, but I fear that now is not the right time. When your brother was born, chaos endured in this world, but you held it together somehow am not sure how to explain this to you girls to make you understand the importance of this situation, let me say this, you each hold more power then any with or wizard in this entire world."
At those words, Laura started laughing shakily and said,
"Me power! Yea right, I cant even pass potions!"
Stephanie smiled slightly, remembering how Laura had once melted her cauldron in third year and Prof. Snape looked ready to hurt something, because it had burned a whole through the wooden table. Stopping her reverie, Stephanie spoke up, "With all due respect Professor, how can two teenage witches hold the future of the wizarding world I their hands?"
"Aah Ms. Kimberly, you misunderstood me. Yes, your power is great but has yet to be tamed, and the future does not lie in your hands alone, for that is too much a burden to ask of anyone wouldn't you say? Ms. Kimberly, your power lies in the core of your emotions, when you feel something strongly such as compassion, love or hate, haven't you ever felt something happen?"
With that Stephanie understood. It was true, when she had met Laura on the first day of Hogwarts, they had shook hands, and she had felt a rush of gratitude to having made a friend, obviously Laura had felt the same, and for that entire day it was as if a warm wind had swept the train and everyone had felt so happy it was like they were on clouds or drunk…
"Ms. Kimberly, Ms. Sockatine," Dumbeldore resumed, " A task is laid ahead for you girls, a great destiny to be told, and I dear I may have already said too much, but I believe it is better to be safe then sorry. I am now going to reveal something only seldom students and wizards know, and I trust you will not repeat this to anyone."
Laura and Stephanie shot each other a look that told the other they were determined to find out what Dumbeldore was so secretive and uncomfortable about letting them discover. To the two teenage girls, seeing their headmaster shifting ever so slightly in signs of unease made them worry to what degree of importance this would be.
" I believe you both know Mr. Potter?" it was a rhetorical question so he just looked at them above his spectacles and resumed on with his thoughts, " He is a year younger then you, but I fear he has seen much worse things then wizards see in a lifetime. I have said it before, and I say it again, Voldemort has returned, and although we he believes that Harry is the key to his success or downfall, I have my reasons (reasons, what reasons? You shall find out later.) to believe that you two are the key and Harry more or less the pawn. I am aware this is a lot to bear on your young shoulders, but I need you two to start training although you are the only two witches who have any knowledge to the growing power of Voldemort and I hope you do not upset anyone and tell them this not even Mr. Potter, because it would be too awful to have him know just yet, and perhaps you will find the answers you seek by talking to Mr. Potter."
There was a silent pause because neither Laura nor Stephanie knew if he had finished speaking, and both their heads were bubbling with questions about why, when? And much much more.
" Now, you may sort out your thoughts, Good day. And never hesitate to come to me if you should wish my assistance in what lays ahead."
Laura and Stephanie shuffled for the door, and did not say anything until they had turned the corner of the corridor, they walked in silence and one would occasionally say " Can you believe it!" and the other would reply with a 'nod' or 'I know.' They wandered by the lake, where they both looked out on the icy surface looking beyond at the storm in the brim of the horizon.
They had completely forgotten about Fred, George and Lee or Hogesmeade for that matter, they kept thinking about this horrible weight they now had to bear, and the overpowering responsibility involved.
" Laura, I say that tonight we talk to Harry, I mean you and me are friends with Hermione, it's high time we make a good friendship with him. Do you think he knows our part in this war?"
Laura blinked a couple of times being brought back to reality, " No, I don't think he knows, I don't think anyone knows except Dumbeledore. I think he is the only one who has an inkling of the future that lays ahead. I mean look around, none of the other order members have been called upon. The only reason Dumbeldore talked to us is because of our parents. I guess it's because Harry has faced him, God how many secrets have we had to conceal since we started Hogwarts... Let's head back its getting dark."
By they time they got back from their long detour, it was dark and everyone was eating dinner as the school had come back from Hogesmeade, and since they didn't feel like being surrounded by excitement and normality just yet, they resumed back to the Gryffindor Common room.
" Laura, do you remember your mother and father?" Stephanie asked looking intently into the crackling flames.
" No, I don't remember my real family, but I know my family now, my adoptive family."
" Yea…but we've heard stories…my parents, your parents and how--"
Their 'what- was- supposed- to- be -a –deep- conversation' was cut short when the portrait hole swung open, and the trio walked in: Ron, Hermione and Harry himself.
Stephanie looked at Laura quizzically as to what to do, but Laura had already stood up and was making her way over to the fourth years.
" Hi Hermione," Laura said trying to sound normal " What are you up to lately?"
Ron and Harry just stared at her unsure of what to say, since she was talking to Hermione, until Stephanie said, " Hi, I am Stephanie, of course I know who you two are…"
" I know who you are, Fred always talks about you at home." That last dry comment came from Ron. The silence was making everyone feel awkward, so Stephanie decided to tell them now and get it over and done with.
" Harry, Laura and I, well…how do I say this...help Laura.."
" What Stephanie is trying to say is that we..umm..this is harder then I thought,"
"We know about you having faced You- know- who ( Stephanie and Laura usually called him Voldemort, but never in public, after all they had been privileged of knowing more about him then most…) more then once, and the danger you are constantly in, and we aren't trying to sound like over bearing fans or anything, it's just--"
" We want to help, and we have to, and we just talked to Dumbledore and--"
The girls both stopped talking, because they knew what they were saying probably wasn't making any sense to Harry, but surprisingly Harry had a very unexpected comment,
" Oh..ok..well, this is awkward." That was the witty remark of Mr. Potter.
Finally Hermione was sensible enough to lay all the cards on the table, and slowly but surely, the five of them started understanding one another. Although, Laura and Stephanie never told him the Voldermort suspicions just yet, they just made them understand that they really were true. If Harry and Ron had any suspicions, (as Ron usually did,) they threw them out the window when Hermione was talking to Laura and Stephanie in full confidence, completely trusting them. And if Hermione thought you to be a true character, then so did Harry and Ron. Soon, the Gryffindor Tower was getting filled with more students, and both of the fifth year girls felt much better having talked to Harry, and all five students felt a new kind of bond between them…when all of a sudden a the Portrait door was flung open much more forcefully then needed…
" LAURA! STEPHANIE! YOU STOOD US UP! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS WOULD MAKE US WORRY LIKE THIS!" shrieked Fred, George as well as Lee.
Laura looked a bit scared seeing the look on their faces, but Stephanie turned back to Harry and said " Sorry, my MOM is overprotecting sometimes, this was a nice chat, better go and be the good daughter now! Later mates!"
" Stephanie you are my girlfriend, not daughter! I am too manly and cocky to be your mother.." said Frederick with a playful cocked grin, and after Stephanie had finished laughing her head off at his last comment, Laura saved the day and said airily, " Sorry guys, but we got a little shaken by menstrual cramps so we decided to stay here, if you know what I mean..." and with that, the guys gave each other a disgusted look and shut up.