All rights reserved to J.K.Rowlings for story and characters, (well most of them) It's her baby, I just sit in sometimes...enjoy
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Chapter 1
The Lily Unseen
Blurry brightness greeted Harry Potter on his first day back to Hogwarts. With last nights' sorting-feast sitting comfortably in his stomach, he rolled over eager for more rest.
"Oi! Breaaakkkfaaaaast!" shouted Ron, but Harry lay motionless. "Come on Harry, I'm starving!"
Harry, admitting defeat, threw off the covers roughly and started to dress. They entered the Great Hall ten minutes later and saw Hermione waving them over.
"Good morning!" she said cheerfully, then returned to a book she had lain next to her breakfast. Harry thought he heard Hermione whisper: How is he this morning, but only turned around in time to see Ron shrug. Harry was glad his attention was elsewhere.
"Hermione, is that my Monster Book?" Ron asked suspiciously, setting down next to her.
"Oh...yes it is."
A look of dawning touched her eyes. "Yes... well I sort of nicked it while you and Harry were busy on the train." She blushed slightly, "It was easier to get to than mine."
"Well what's wrong with your copy now?" Ron said bluntly as he reached for some sausage.
Hermione gazed at him incredulously, but only for a second. Harry noticed her posture stiffen and her lips purse. He had an inner chuckle at how much she resembled Professor McGonagall.
"Well...nothing. I just forgot and picked your copy up by mistake I suppose."
"We just got back Hermione. What could you possibly have to read about? Classes only start today! I mean really." He looked at Harry, "she going to put her self in hospital if she's not careful. And then she'll want us to get her homework for 'er."
"Just a bit of last minute referencing, Ronald. And it's a bit too early for a row. How 'bout we wait until Charms. How does that sound?" She retorted in a sweet voice. Ron returned with an exaggerated smile.
Harry looked up as a shadow fell over their table. It was Errol, evident by his lack of grace. Ron turned red as a tomato, as the youthfully challenged bird made his final decent. Landing hard on his back, Errol washed himself and Ron in Pumpkin Juice. Harry took the letter while Ron dripped, humiliated. He read it out loud while Hermione, sympathetic to Ron's state, cleaned him up.
Ronald,
I hope they're happy! I can't believe them sometimes! Ginny is
able to return to school now and If I hear one word, Ronald,
just one, and your Cleansweep will be SWEPT
faster than you can say Wonky Faint or whatever!
Mum
P.S. Tell Harry and Hermione to have a good term.
"How do you like that!" Ron said, snatching up the letter. "No Hello. Not even a ruddy 'Have a good term'!" He looked at Harry for supporting frustration. He got a weak smile in return. "The woman is just down right insensitive!" finished Ron, balling up the letter.
"What's wrong with Ginny?" asked Harry. Her absence was striking now and he couldn't believe that he didn't miss her on the train; especially since she had kept him company for more than have the journey last year, while Mr. and Mrs. Prefect were in a meeting. Hoping his thoughts didn't show on his face, Harry reached down the table for another pitcher of Pumpkin Juice.
"Oh nothing Major." Ron said before cramming two sausage links, whole, in his mouth. The next few sentences were just incoherent babble.
"What? Did you get any of that, Hermione?"
"I think he said that Fred and George have expanded their products to include joke makeup. And Ginny gave them the idea this summer."
"Yeah," Ron gulped, "she was startin' to really get into all that stuff, bouffin' her hair up. All that lot. So one day, Fred gives her this make up kit and she runs, top speed, to her room. I asked George what was up and he just said, 'You just wait little bro, you'll see.' Then Fred said, 'If it works I really don't think he will.' Then George just laughed."
Harry looked down. They only had ten minutes until Care of Magical Creatures. "Quicker Ron." said Harry, shaking a new wrist watch at him.
"Oh, right. Well Ginny was nutters all summer, so Fred and George decided to teacher 'er a lesson. That kit was a batch of 'Mischievous Makeup'. She was supposed to go invisible where ever she used the stuff. At least that was their excuse to Mum. They wanted her to see how mental she was becoming. But instead of a Vanishing Charm, they mixed it up with the Engorgement batch. And it was awful, mate," Ron chuckled weakly. "I can tell you."
"Was it anything like my cousin and the Ton Tongue Toffee?" asked Harry and he smiled at the memory of a huge anaconda-sized tongue lolling out of Dudder's mouth.
"Worse."
"Oh, the poor thing," said Hermione. "She wouldn't come down? I know that feeling. I didn't even want you two to see me after that stupid cat accident I had."
"Well not exactly. It was more that she couldn't come down. You know how small the house is. The bathroom's just a closet and Fred recon's he must've over done it on the Engorgio batch."
"That's really... terrible, Ron." Said Harry, though honestly he was holding back the tickle in his stomach.
"You ain't kidding, mate. It was wall to wall Ginny."
Harry let a snort escape. Seeing Hermione's scowl, he quickly turned it into an unconvincing cough.
"I know, Harry," Ron gazed, "She must've used the entire kit. I couldn't stop laughing for two whole days. I was beginning to worry about me-self."
"I think that's all you do sometimes, Ron! I really do!" Hermione huffed. She threw the Monster Book on the table and started to walk briskly to the entrance hall.
"Wha'?" said Ron through a bit of treacle tart. But Harry noticed that Ron watched her until she was completely out of the Hall, with a stupid smirk on his face.
"Unbelievable." said Ron. "You'd've thought we said something awful or somethin'." He threw down a bit of toast. "I can't eat, the woman's destroyed my appetite."
"Ah fink yo'll lib." Harry said with a strawberry pasty half devoured.
"I'm goin' Harry, I...er... I think I left a Chudley Cannons bookmark in here." Ron flipped through ragged pages. "Right... And if she's got it, she might be mad enough to... to chuck it somewhere! If she does, I won't be responsible for what happens next!
And before Harry could swallow, Ron was out of the great hall, presumably to the rescue of a bit of old paper.
Harry did not see Ginny for the rest of the day. After Ron's story however, he started to daydream about what she might look like. Visions of Dudley's boxing matches came back to him and he suddenly felt a pang of guilt. If she looked anything like one of Dudley's victims, he'd feel like a right prat for wanting to laugh at breakfast.
When Harry arrived at Hagrid's hut, he saw Ron and Hermione at the front of the class. Hermione had a look of stern determination on her face and it appeared that the row from breakfast had continued. Ron, however, nodded hello to Harry and winked. Confused, Harry was about to ask Ron if he felt ok, but was cut off by a familiar boom to his right.
"Alrigh', quiet now. An' gather 'round. Got summat ter show yeh today that I think yeh'll really like." Hagrid's eyes shined with excitement. "We'll have ter go ter the Lake. And min' that yeh don't disturb the squid. Got his back up 'bout summat, these days." With that, Hagrid lead them all up to the lake.
"Now, yeh might not be knowin' what's out there, cause they're sor'-of invisible."
Moans soon followed and a few people looked around at Harry and Neville. They were the only two Gryffindors that could see the Thestrals last year. The thought of Thestrals, beasts only seen by those who had previously seen death, put the class on edge. In fact, Hannah Abbot started to tear up, "No more invisible creatures Hagrid, I can't take it." She became twitchy and jumped when ever someone's robes brushed her.
"I can't see anything Harry, can you?" said Neville Longbottom.
"Huh? Oh, no I can't see anything." Harry was daydreaming about Ginny putting on the Mischievous Makeup only so Dudley could pound her face in with invisible gloves.
"Not ter worry. These aren' nuthin' ter be afraid of."
Hermione scowled as the class continued to voice their apprehension. Harry knew she hated the class' lack of confidence. It annoyed him too; Hagrid had gotten him and Hermione into loads of trouble, but they were still alive. It wasn't like he was going to spring Grawp on them or anything.
"Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid said gruffly, "has allowed me the liber'y of searchin' out some rarer beasts for yeh this year. I 'eard about these las' summer and wanted ter get 'em ever since."
Ron looked at Harry with trepidation and Hermione took a step closer to Ron. They and Dumbledore were the only ones who knew where Hagrid went last summer and whatever he saw along the way could very well give cause for panic.
"Yes, that's very interesting I'm sure." drawled a voice from the back of the group. "Just where were you last year?" There was no mistaking that deep, pompous voice. Harry looked around recognizing immediately the shock- white, slicked-back hair and seemingly permanent sneer of Draco Malfoy. To Harry's surprise, Draco seemed different. He was taller than last year, and broader too. But they were still at eye level with one another, which gave Harry the impression that perhaps he'd grown some, too.
Malfoy was looking at Ron and Hermione with such obvious contempt that Harry himself looked sideways at them. He could not prove it, but had it not been for the fullness of their robes, he would've sworn they were holding hands. Ron had a slight smirk on his face, only noticeable to Harry who thought he looked even more stupid than before. Harry was beginning to get annoyed.
"I had 'em shipped from Egypt." Hagrid continued
"Hagrid, they're not Skarts are they? Because I read that they are... well not very friendly." asked Hermione.
"Hermione, what'd yeh take me fer a fool?"
"Well now that you mention it—" Malfoy started and Harry and Ron both turned on him. But before they could utter 'shut up Malfoy', someone else interrupted.
"Excuse me," came an exceptionally resentful voice,"but I was under the impression that this is a class. I see evidence to prove my assumption. I have a throng of students. And look here is a teacher who is about to explain a possible N.E.W.T creature. However if you feel incapable of shutting your trap for twenty— ", she looked at her watch, "Four minutes, I would be more than happy to perform a Silencing charm."
This was all said so loud that she disturbed a flock of Howl Fowl near by. When the birds flew off, she called Malfoy a 'twit' under her breath, but everyone heard her.
"And the creatures could not be Skarts because they are, in fact, illegal as I'm quite sure Miss. Granger was hinting at." she paused, taking a deep breath.
"Please Professor continue," her voice was much calmer now. To Harry she seemed almost pleasant. Her voice had a sleek refinement to it that made him think of luxurious fabric.
Harry looked at Hermione, and then back at the new girl. There was something familiar in what she just said, but Harry couldn't put his finger on it.
Everyone stood in awe that someone, other than the Potter boy and his friends, had the nerve to actually yell at Draco Malfoy, let alone speak to him. But the real shocker was that she was wearing an emerald green ribbon in her hair to match a delicately hand sewn Slytherin emblem on the left shoulder of her robes.
Hagrid was so shocked that a Slytherin had in effect stuck up for him, or at least the basic order of his class, that he gapped at her. And since he couldn't hope for anymore than that, she quite pleased him.
"Couldn't've put it be'er myself. Now..." he whispered excitily. "Who can tell me what's the largest thing floatin' on the Nile River?"
Hermione stood gazing at the waters edge, biting her lip, seemingly pensive. After a minute or two several people started to look at her expectantly. Most of them hadn't even heard of a skartas. However, it was the Slytherin girl who spoke up.
"Could it be, Professor, that you have a colony of Nymphaea Nucifera Lotuses?"
Hermione took in a deep breath.
"That's exac' ly right!" boomed Hagrid. He looked down at Hermione who was looking down at the ground with unmatched focus on her face. Harry could see the veins in her neck pulsating slightly. Reluctantly, Hagrid continued.
"Might I 'ave yehr name Miss?"
"Alexandra Prewett." she said absentmindedly. She had fished out a scroll of parchment that was tucked between the pages of her Monster Book.
"Well Miss. Prewett, five points to Slytherin!"
As soon as the words escaped his lips a bunch of scoffs echoed over the water. Harry saw Hermione shoot a severe look at Ron and then Ron grimaced in obvious displeasure. The girl named Alexandra looked up to see a mass of disgruntle faces.
Hagrid looked around and saw that all the Gryffindors looked completely insulted. They'd become so used to know-it-all Hermione, so spoiled, really, that they didn't know what to think of her silence. Though they complained that she knew everything, they swelled with pride at her almost daily intake of points for Gryffindor. Also, they hadn't gotten over the Slytherin's assault on Hagrid with Professor Umbridge during their last year. That he should ever give points to Slytherin was absolutely the last thing imaginable.
"Five points to Slytherin if what?"
"Ah, ya... er... Five points if yer can name two things the Lotus is good fer."
"Oh, well Nymphaea Nucifera Lotus is used for various potions and charms. It is not an actual creature but houses one."
Harry quickly looked at Hermione, as this girl, Alexandra, started to spout off information as if she were a living text book. Hermione looked close to tears.
"The lotus floats upon a pad with the circumference of around sixty feet and stands on average twenty-five feet tall. The creature inside the flower is a Nymph. The plant is only to be seen when the Nymph comes out. It is said that this only occurs when she senses the presence of lovers." Alexandra stopped and glared at Pansy Parkinson. Then after a few seconds she mumbled, "The petal of the lotus can heal dragon burns," at this Hermione squeaked and stamped her foot. Alexandra's pencil thin eyebrow arched and she finished stronger, "And the Nymph's song is the key ingredient in most love potions as well as some sleeping potions."
Hagrid looked helpless at Ron for only a second, then straightened up. "Right, ten points ter Slytherin. And I'll be needin' an essay from all of yehs on the parts of the Lotus. Jus' give me three or four inches is all. Class dismissed."
More than a few people walked back up to the castle not knowing whether to be angry or impressed.
