Harry Potter an the Light from Wormtail
Harry looked across the room at his uncle. He sat in his Armchair, gripping the sides of it so tight that his knuckles were white. He glared at Harry with his chubby purple face.
Harry didn't know what his uncle was so mad about. He hadn't let Harry read the letter. All he had done was throw it into the furnace and stomp over to his chair and plopped down in it. Harry knew better than to ask him what was wrong. He'd been taught long ago not to ask questions. Mrs. Dursley sat in the far corner, her long neck careened over a newspaper, and Dudley, sat in the corner shivering.
Harry decided to go up to his room, for the silence was starting to get to him. Waiting for him on his bed were three envelopes, all of which belonged to him, thankfully. The first of which came from his Best friend Ron:
Harry!
Dad told me that Sirius had been spotted! Have you heard anything? Dad wants to know if it was in the muggle paper. Mum says not to worry. She's right, Harry, Sirius will be fine. Hope your summers been going all right!
-Ron
Harry wrote back small note telling Ron that Sirius ad been writing him and yes that it was in the muggle paper. He also told him about the letter to Mr. Dursley and what had happened.
The next letter was from his other Best friend Hermione.
Dear Harry,
Hello How's your holiday been? I hope the Muggles aren't treating you badly. Oh I read in the paper this morning that Sirius had been spotted! Oh but don't worry it didn't say that he had been caught. It said that he had been seen in Brazil! That explains the exotic birds then doesn't it? Well, I picked up a book from the library and I need to finish it so I can return it. Write back soon!
-Hermione
Harry pulled out yet another piece of parchment and scribbled down basically the same thing that he had told Ron. He put the two letters aside so he could send Hedwig(who was now fast asleep in her cage) off with them tonight while the Dursleys were asleep.
The next letter was in a more official tone than the other two. It was sealed in an envelope and had the Hogwarts seal on the back of it. Harry stared at it for a few seconds. It was too early for his school letter, and it he hadn't done any illegal magic that he knew of. So what could it want?
Harry opened the letter and read it to himself:
Dear Mr. Potter,
As you may or may not know, Hogwarts has taken in a new student under irregular circumstances. She is fifteen and she is from the United States. Ms. Codwell has not been educated in the magical arts and she has been placed in the fifth year along with you and your classmates. We ask you to please help her get up to date on what you have learned in your studies so far as she comes to live at your house until the semester begins on September the 1st. She should be at your house within the week. Please teach her what you feel is important. You have been given a permit by the Ministry of Magic to use magic to teach Ms. Codwell. We are trusting you to help her be prepared. Your guardians have already been informed of her arrival and we have asked for them to please except her. Thank you.
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy headmistress.
Harry was confused. Why didn't they send the girl to Hermione? She'd probably be more able than he was! None the less he would be more than thankful to have some company around the Dursley's for the remainder of the summer. Well, at least now he knew why Uncle Vernon was so mad! Harry knew there was no need to send a reply to the letter. If Uncle Vernon had been asked to do something by anyone in Harry's school,(no matter how much he said he wouldn't) he had no choice in the matter.
He went downstairs to the quiet living room again. Harry supposed that Uncle Vernon was going to out the girl in Harry's old cupboard. Harry didn't like that idea. He had hated his cupboard all the years he had to stay in it and he wasn't going to let Uncle Vernon do that to anyone else.
"She can stay in my room." He said flatly.
Uncle Vernon snorted. "What?"
"The girl, who's coming... Im not going to let you put her in the cupboard."
He watched Uncle Vernon's face turn red. "How-" he started to say then changed his mind. "Fine. But lets get one thing straight. There is to be None of-- none of your abnormality in this house, understand?" His face wrinkled up.
Harry started to protest, but then he knew he could find a way to teach her outside of the house. He turned on his heel then went back up to his room. Although he couldn't help but wonder how the girl was getting here...
Annie looked down from her broom as the sun rose the next morning. It was floating down behind a house. She could read the road sign that said 'privet drive' on the corner of the street. She smiled it had only been a couple of hours since she'd left the orphan house... well she fell asleep along the way so it only felt like a couple of hours, but she was happy to be here. When the broom set itself down, behind the brick house Annie jumped off, then looked around to see if anyone saw her. Then she set the broom against the back of the wall and walked around front to knock on the door.
She looked around before she knocked. The number 4 glistened in the morning sun on the side of the house. She knocked.... no one answered. It was early but it wasn't that early. She knocked again- harder this time. Again no one answered. She sighed. Maybe the broom had landed her at the wrong house. She rang the doorbell. Maybe English people didn't answer the door at 7:00 in the morning. She rang again. Just as she was thinking about how she was going to survive in England alone, the door cracked.
It was a boy about her age, his weight was the first thing Annie noticed, he looked like he could outweigh an elephant.
"Hi," Annie said feeling rather awkward. "um I know this may sound strange, but I was told to come here... to live?" She looked at the boy hoping he wouldn't tell her to go away. Instead the boy opened the door, only to reveal himself more, and to Annie's surprise, he was shaking. "Um Are you okay?" She asked the quivering boy, but he just whimpered and ran into the living room. Annie followed, not sure what to do.
In the living room sat a man twice the size of the boy who opened the door, a woman who looked like she was just the skin and bones of a giraffe, and a boy with jet black hair and really thin. "um I'm..."
"Lets get something straight," The man in the armchair, his voice unsteady, but stern. "You are a guest in my house and there will be no.... no..." He paused trying to find the right word, finally he took a deep breath and said "no magic in this household... understand?"
Annie wasn't sure what to do or say.. like she was going to do magic! She wasn't a witch! But all the same she wasn't going back to the orphanage so she nodded. "Yes.. sir." She said.
For a moment, they all stared at her, the man and the woman with disgust and the boy with terror. The other boy had no expression on his face, he just got up and motioned Annie to follow. She had no problem with that!
The smaller boy led her up the stairs and to the smallest room on the left. Annie was afraid to say anything to offend him so she simply asked. "Did I do something?"
The boy laughed. "You'll get used to it. I'm Harry by the way." He put out his hand.
Annie took it and introduced herself. "Um... Harry? would you happen to know what Im doing here?"
Harry looked shocked. "You don't know?" He said.
Annie gave him a look that obviously said that she didn't.
Then Harry got off the bed and went over to an old trunk in the corner of the room. When he came back, he was holding a piece of cloth with writing on it. She took it and read it aloud.
Mr. H Potter.... Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry...." She looked up from the cloth, shocked.
"The reason the Dursleys hate you..." Harry said. "is because you're a witch"
Annie looked at him not believing. "You can't be serious!" She said first shocked but now she was ecstatic. "You are serious aren't you? Cool!"
Harry looked at her funny for a second then opened his trunk again. "What they want me to do is tutor you so you're up to my level."
He said pulling out a set of books. "But like Uncle Vernon said we cant do any magic here so if you need to practice something I just figure that we need to go outside."
Annie grinned she liked the way this boy thought!
Harry spoke again. "Er-" he said simply " I have to tell you something... Well since they don't like you er- they said you had to sleep in here- with me."
Annie shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it. Its a lot better than where I used to sleep."
With that they were off talking and getting to know each other like old friends. Harry had lived here all his live with his Uncle, Aunt, and cousin who treated him lower than dirt, or so he told her. And
He also told her about school, his friends Ron and Hermione,(Annie had a time trying to pronounce that one) his enemy Draco Malfoy and all sorts of things like different houses and teachers. Harry had a time telling her about his least favorite teacher professor Snape. Annie sat and listened. She wanted to know as much as possible about this school before she went.
When they went to sleep that night Harry warned her about the Dursley's and that she wasn't to talk about magic around them. He also told her that because of what she was... they would make her life a living hell. But Annie couldn't see how it would be any worse than having a maniac orphan house mother trying to kill her.
It felt weird not being the lowest life form in the house for a while. With Annie's arrival, the Dursleys scowled at the both of them as they sat in the back yard, Harry Teaching Annie, but Harry felt more resentment towards her than him.
Annie wasn't a hard person to teach either. She had sped through both his first and second year's books without a problem or a question for Harry by the end of the month. In fact the only time she needed Harry was to test out the spells, if not on him, then with his supervision. Harry had even sent for Hogwarts, a History from Hermione to give Annie some more information. (and of course Hermione sent all of her books.) Annie herself was interesting too. She was a mix between Hermione and Ron, which Harry found amusing. The way she sped through the books that he'd given her reminded him of Hermione, and her rather different sense of humor reminded him of Ron.
The only thing that she had that the other two didn't(besides a weird accent) was a big attitude. One day only a week after she'd gotten there, she walked in on Dudley picking on Harry as he always did. She wasn't happy about it.
"Hey!" Annie had called to Dudley who dropped Harry immediately. Then, before Dudley knew what she was doing she'd popped him in the cheek. Not that Dudley didn't have enough fat to cushion the blow, but he ran away squealing, mostly in shock of someone standing firm up against him. Harry was chortling for hours on end. It was a Kodak moment for sure!
It was peculiar to Harry that when Annie finished the lot of the books that week that she didn't say anything about his fame. Of course, Harry didn't complain, it was just odd.
On Harry's Birthday, he woke to find Annie asleep by the bed with the Standard Book of Spells Grade 3 in her arms, the last page turned over. When he sat up, Annie jolted awake.
"Happy birthday." She said rubbing her eyes.
Harry was surprised."How did you-" he started, but was soon interrupted by Annie's head nodding over to the stack of books she'd made that she'd already read. "Oh." Harry said simply, not at all surprised.
"So you'd be fifteen today right?" Annie said going into the closet, Harry assumed to change clothes.
He sat back, "Yep."
"I hope you'll forgive me for not having a present. I haven't been to town as of late." Annie stepped out of the closet dressed in the same outfit she'd been wearing since she'd arrived.
"Its not a problem." Harry said stuffing the birthday cards from his friends and godfather under the mattress and smiling.
"Hey don't sweat the cards I saw the owls deliver them last night." Annie said picking up Harry's potions book from his third year and beginning reading into it.
Harry, astonished, retrieved the cards and set them up on his chest of drawers. Then sat back and looked at his clock. Annie would have fifteen minutes until Mrs. Dursley was rapping on the door telling them to get up.
They had gotten their letters a few days ago. Harry had watched in amusement as Annie read hers, wide-eyed. She had a bit thicker envelope than he did, for Professor Dumbledore had sent her extra instructions, or so he assumed. Annie had stared at it for a long time, obviously reading it over and over.
"Harry," she had said. "How am I supposed to get all this stuff?"
Harry had just grinned and said "You'll find out."
Like clockwork at exactly 7:00, Mrs. Dursley came knocking on their door. yelling at them to get up. As Harry got up and started towards the door, Annie grabbed his wand, pointed it at the potions book and muttered. "minisculio" and grinned at Harry. She put a finger to her mouth as she picked up the now pocket-sized book and stuffed it in her pocket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the two of them had finished doing the dishes, and cleaning up the kitchen, they had a moment to themselves. Annie went into the back yard, pulled out the book and started reading. Harry came and sat by her side, looking into the hedges.
"I got a letter from Mrs. Weasley last night." Harry said happily.
"That's Ron's mom, right?" Annie commented without looking up.
"Yes, She want us to come to her house until the remainder of the holidays."
This time Annie looked up. "When? have you talked it over with your uncle and aunt? I know they'll be anxious to get rid of us."
Harry nodded. "Yeah. I just thought you'd want to know. Hermione will be there too."
Annie's face brightened."Cool." She said smiling then immediately went back to her book...
Once again Annie found herself shoving all her possessions into her bag and preparing to make a quick escape. Only this time she had to shrink all Harry's old school books and her broom to let them fit. Harry's friend's father was coming to pick them up, by which means she didn't know. She wanted to be ready to get out of there fast, because judging by what Harry had told her about the last time the Weasleys had come... well she just didn't want to be in the way of Harry's uncle.
She dashed down the stairs and into the living room, which as Annie figured was a silent and as tense as it had been since she'd gotten here. Harry sat in the corner by the fireplace sitting on his trunk. When Annie entered the room he moved over so she could sit with him.
In absence of the Dursley's, Annie found that it was fun to be here. She had sped through most of Harry's school books and had understood most everything. She had already begun on his fourth year's books although Harry didn't know it yet. She had in creased her reading speed so that she would have free time with Harry's friends.
She epically enjoyed the potions books. She found it interesting that she could throw a lot of things together and make someone spill there innermost thoughts, or make them de age. It was a shame Harry hated his teacher. Annie was secretly looking forward to that class.
A knock came on the door. For a moment no one moved. Then Harry stood up and answered the door.
"Hello, Mr. Weasley!" She heard him say. Then he welcomed him in.
Annie stood when Mr. Weasley enter the room, although she was the only one. He was tall a bit lanky and had very bright red hair.
"Ah," Mr. Weasley said. "You must be Annie Codwell. There's been quite a bustle at the ministry about you, My name is Arthur Weasley" He grinned and extended his hand.
Annie shook it, a little shocked. The last thing she wanted to do was start a riot. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Weasley, " She said, not quite sure what to do next.
Mr. Weasley turned to face Mr. Dursley, who sat in his chair, his face looking like a eggplant. "Good to see you again Mr. Dursley." he said putting on an obviously fake smile. Mr. Dursley grunted.
Mr. Weasley looked a little insulted, but not surprised. "Well, Harry, Annie we'd better get going. I rented another ministry car and
they want it back ASAP. Here Harry let me help you with that." He helped Harry pickup his trunk."Good day to you then." He said shortly.
"Bye." Annie said quickly. and followed them out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Annie didn't have her nose buried in her potions book during the long ride to the Weasley's. Instead she looked out the car into the passing England scenery. Lots of countryside that you would have to go into the Appalachian mountains to find in Georgia. Then every once in a while she'd see a city full of people walking around. She really liked it here!
"So Annie," Mr. Weasly said in the front seat. " Is this a lot different then from where you come from?"
Annie simply nodded without looking away. Mr. Weasly laughed.
She only half concentrated on the scenery when Mr. Weasly started talking to Harry in a hushed voice.
"So Harry," He said sounding like he was trying to keep a secret. "have you heard from your godfather lately?"
Annie could tell that Harry had smiled. "Its alright, Annie knows."
"Knows what?" She said trying to convince that she hadn't been listening.
They ignored her question. "I haven't heard from him since he was found, but he did tell me when he was found."
Annie sat back in her seat. Yes Harry had told her the story of his Godfather. He'd told her every story of his years in Hogwarts, after, that is that Annie let him know that she knew about the whole Voldemort thing. Annie had once considered that Harry's Godfather and her uncle were the same person, but she didn't even know her uncle's first name so it could've been anyone. After all, Black was a common last name. At least in the states it was, And Annie hadn't shown anyone the picture before and she didn't plan on breaking that chain.
The Weasley's house was a lot bigger than the Dursley's. It looked like it would topple over any second, and that it looked like it was held up by magic (Annie quickly reminded herself that it probably was). She hoisted her bag onto her back and followed Mr. Weasly and Harry inside.
They were almost thrown over by people rushing at the door. Two kids about Annie and Harry's age, who Annie immediately assumed were Ron and Hermione. Two taller boys who were twins, came along too.
The twins took Harry's trunk and hoisted it up the stairs, and Hermione and Ron started talking excitedly to Harry. Annie stood aside, letting Harry have his time with his friends.
As soon as Annie could sort out what they were saying, she found out that they were drilling Harry with questions- about her! She watched, watching Harry try to calm his friends, who were still taking furiously. The only thing that got them to quiet was when Harry said. "Why don't you ask her yourself?!" Ron and Hermione stopped abruptly, staring at Harry, who simply pointed over in Annie's direction. Annie just stood there and said "Hi, Im Annie."
Harry sat out in the yard talking to Ron the a few days later. They were about to leave for Diagon Alley. The sun was bright and everyone was happy.
Annie and Hermione sat by themselves in the corner of the garden talking. Hermione had really taken to Annie. Harry assumed that they could relate growing up in the muggle world and being assembly muggle born.
"Wonder what they're talking about." Ron said biting into a carrot.
Harry shrugged. "Who knows with girls. All I know is Annie's finished all of my books and Hermione's."
Ron shook his head. "We can't get enough the know-it-alls can we?"
Harry laughed. He had a feeling one more wouldn't hurt.
Annie wasn't sure where they were going. Harry said something about Diagon Alley, but Annie was drawing a blank. All the things
she had read really weren't going to help her in the real world. Annie still couldn't pronounce Hermione's name so Hermione said it was okay if she called her Herms.
They sat in the back yard waiting to go. Apparently the twins had gotten into trouble, which even after a day didn't surprise Annie.
Herms and her were talking about nothing in particular just like girls. Merely trying to pass the time when Herms said something that
caught Annie's attention.
"You like Harry don't you?"
Annie knew what she meant, but still pretend she didn't so she could make up a good lie. "Sure I like him he's a good guy."
"No I mean... you know like in a boyfriend girlfriend way."
Annie sat for a second she didn't think so she hadn't really thought about it. "No I don't." She lied confidently.
"Oh okay then." Herms said dropping the subject.
Annie let out her breath.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diagon Alley was a strange place. People walked around talking, dressed in a lose fitting clothing that Annie didn't recognize.
"This is where we're going to get your school things." Mrs. Weasley had said smiling as Annie emerged from the fireplace. They had used Floo powder to arrive. Annie had read about it in one of Herms' books.
The first place they visited was a place called Gringots. "Annie dear you'll need to get your money converted." She pointed to a desk on the side of the room.
"I'll go with you Ann." Herms said and they walked over to the desk.
There was a small man with pointy ears sitting at the desk which towered over their heads.
"Its a goblin." Herms whispered in Annie's ear seeing the astonishment. "They've got a worse temper then you have so be careful."
Annie grinned. She'd have to grit her teeth for that request.
They'd gotten all their money transferred and put in sacks by the time Harry Ron Ginny the twins and Mrs. Weasley came back.
"Hermione, dear could you help Annie get her things?" Mrs. Weasley asked Herms when she came up. "We need to get over to the
second hand store. Meet us at the Leaky Cauldron when your done."
Annie didn't ask why they needed to go to the second hand store. She'd already been told by Ginny Weasley, a fourth year who was quite sweet.
"I'll come too." Harry said and they set off.
"You got your list, Annie?" Herms asked.
Annie pulled it out. "Yup. And I have no idea what any of this stuff is."
Hermione grinned. "That, my dear is why I am here."
Harry had a good time watching Annie get her robes and such. She marveled at the quills and the robes with wide eyes. By the time
they got back to the Leaky Cauldron, Annie was giggling with shock.
"I mean this is so cool..." She said as she sat down at their table. "I can't wait to have a go with all this stuff.
Harry laughed. He looked around for any signs of the Weasleys. They hadn't finished yet.
"Seriously Herms what's school like?"
Herms? It took Harry a second to realize what Annie was talking about."Ya Herms what's school like from the point of view of the cleverest witch Hogwarts has ever had."
Hermione looked at him like he was going to kill him. "Well its alright except for Malfoy and everything."
"Who now?" Said a voice from behind them.
Harry knew who it was without turning around. He could tell by the cold voice.
"Hey Potter, who's your friend?" Malfoy said coming to sit down next to Annie, who looked at him like he was a freak. "Another mudblood to add to the board? Granger not getting enough company?"
Harry stood. He wouldn't be making a fool out of Annie, but she had already taken care of it. Malfoy was on the floor, his chair spiraling out behind him. His face was blood red.
"Oh poor kid." Annie said standing over him, grinning. "You might want to work on that coordination huh?"
Malfoy stood then glared at Annie. "If you so much as think about hurting or offending my friends again I will make sure you don't get up." She said glaring at him with a stare ten times as fierce.
Malfoy looked like he was going to say something, then just turned swiftly and walked away. Ron grinned at him as he passed.
Harry stared at Annie in awe as she sat down. No words could come out of his mouth.
"Annie!" Ron exclaimed giving her a hug. "You're my hero!"
Annie seemed to be taken aback by Ron's embrace. Harry could still see the rage in her eyes. Harry was glad that he was this girls friend.
The days passed quickly and Annie felt as if this were her only family. The Weasley's Hermione and Harry were so kind and caring to her, and she tried to not lose her temper every time Fred and George played a prank on her.
Annie felt like she was on the verge of tears the day she packed her things to leave for school. Over the month she and Hermione had become inseparable, and Harry and Ron always were around. Annie still wasnt about to let her "more than friendly" feelings for Harry be shown, mostly because Hermione had told her about his crush Cho Chang.
Annie didn't have a trunk like the others did so she was shrinking all of her books and everything so it would fit into her bag with her new wand. She only hoped that the permit was still in effect. She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out into the hall.
Mr. Weasly stopped her in the hall. "Annie," he whispered as Fred and George passed by. "I don't know how the other children will react to your coming so I know I don't have to tell you to be tough."
Annie nodded. She'd been tough in the muggle world all her life she didn't expect the wizarding world would be any different. She just gave Mr. Weasly a reassuring smile and headed out to the car.
Harry sat squeezed between Annie and Ron on the way to Kings Cross station. He sat and thought about what happened at the Leaky Cauldron. He indulged himself in the image of Malfoy on the ground fuming. It was almost as good as the time he got turned into a weasel by Moody/Crouch and bounced around everywhere. Harry couldn't help but smile.
"What?" Ron said beside him.
"Nothing." Harry replied grinning getting a picture of Annie in his head. "Absolutely nothing."
Annie looked around in shock. She had gone though the barrier hadn't she? She didn't die did she? No She didn't die she was certain because here came Harry barreling into her with his cart sending Annie to the round.
"Oh my God." Harry said crouching down beside her. "Are you alright?"
Annie shook herself away."Ya Im fine." She said ignoring the sharp pains in the back of her legs and standing up.
"I'm so sorry." Harry said backing away. "I-"
Anne held up her hand. "Its okay I should have gotten out of the way." She gave Harry a pat in the shoulder, the pain getting worse. "Don't worry about it."
She climbed the train steps wincing and trying not to limp while Harry gave his things to the person taking carts.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Harry said as they walked down the aisle.
"Harry!" Annie said spinning around and looking him in the eyes. "I'm alright."
She didn't turn away though. His eyes... His bright green eyes that seemed to light up the room... they were so familiar...
She didn't have time to examine them any longer because that's when her leg snapped in half, and she went right into Harry's arms and passed out.
Harry let out a breath of relief when he found out that Madam Pomfrey was on board the train. She'd re-grown all the bones in his arm one time; a couple of broken legs shouldn't be any trouble.
"Potter, trouble follows you everywhere doesn't it?" She said after she had finished with Annie and was turning to leave. Hermione and Ron were anxiously waiting behind Harry. "But I expect she'll be alright. She should be awake by the time we get to the school." Then she got up and left.
Harry sat down with a flop. He was so guilty. He had done this to her. He put his head in his hands.
"It's okay, Harry." Ron said smiling. "It wasn't your fault and besides you heard Madam Pomfrey."
Harry ignored him. He just felt so guilty. He looked at Annie laying unconscious beside him. It was his fault.
Hermione leaned in looking at Harry in the eyes. Harry could tell by the expression on her face that she knew. he didn't know how she figured it out. Maybe it was a girl thing.
"Just don't tell her okay?" He said
Ron leaned in. "Tell who what?"
Annie woke at the sound of Hermione's voice and at bolt upright."Wh-what did I miss?"
Hermione came over to her friend."We're going to be at school in about ten minutes. The guys have gone into the next cabin to change. Can you stand?"
Annie swung her legs around and stood up. She was a little dizzy but other than that fine. She felt like she had just been healed from a major hurting leg. "Do I even want to know what happened?" She said as she took her bag down from the hatch.
Hermione just shook her head.
The sun had already set when the train stopped at Hogwarts and the night stars were glistening outside.
"Firs' years!" Called a voice in the distance.
"That's me!" Annie said to her friend. "O you'll tell the guys.."
Hermione just waved her off. "Bye!" Annie called.
She stood two or three heads over the crowd of eleven year olds."Ye must be Annie!" Said a very gigantic man at the head of the crowd. "Dumbledore told me about ya."
Annie didn't know what to say, but she didn't have to say anything.
"Come on then!" The man said, laughing slightly, "Welcome to Hogwarts!"
Harry sat at the Gryffindor table with Ron and Hermione not really listening to all the post-summer chatter. He glanced anxiously at the great Hall doors waiting for them to come in. Hermione had said that Annie was fine, but he had to see for himself.
"Relax, Harry!" Ron said taking a break from talking to Seamus. "She'll get sorted into Gryffindor!"
The houses! Harry hadn't thought of that! He was going to have a nervous breakdown!
Finally, the great hall doors burst open to reveal Professor McGonagall leading a flood of first years and one Annie. She stood abnormally tall amongst the eleven year olds which sent whispers throughout the hall. Harry could hear things like "Giant..." and "skele-grow."
Professor McGonagall stood by the sorting hat and waited for its song to finish, and right when she was about to call out the first name Professor Dumbledore interrupted her.
"Excuse me, but as I do know how well rumors fly around this school, I want to nip one in the bud. Please allow me to introduce Miss Annie Codwell who joins us from the Untied States of America, to come directly into her fifth year. Annie if you would please."
Annie stepped up and sat on the stool, looking very calm. McGonagall placed the sorting hat on to her head and waited.
It was a long quiet minute before the hat spoke."Miss Codwell, you're quite a challenge. I don't think I've had more difficult since Harry Potter, but lets see... Theres a lot of buried things in this head. Very good mind... loyal... very proud...bit of a temper though...hmmm.... I think it better be..."
"GRYFFINDOR!!!"
Annie let out a big smile as she joined her friends at their table. She gave Hermione a grin and sat down next to her.
Soon after the sorting was done, the plates filled with food an Annie couldn't contain herself any longer. She dove right in. She heard Ron talk about Quidditch over and over and ended up spitting food al over the place.
Annie looked over at Harry who was eating silently. He had broken the both of her legs and she couldn't get mad. She smiled to herself. Annie brought herself back to Earth. He didn't want to be with her. She was fooling herself.
"Oh no!" Harry moaned at breakfast the next morning. "Potions with the Slytherins again?!"
"Of course." Ron said biting into a bit of toast. "Its Snape's personal favorite twisted way to torture us."
Harry laughed but Ron was right. Snape did love to make their lives a living-
"Hey Y'all." Annie said sitting down next to Harry.
"Y'all?" Ron asked looking at Harry, who shrugged.
Annie rolled her eyes "Y'all contraction for you all. Don't you know your slang terms?" She grinned.
Ron started to say something but then changed his mind.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Dunno. She was still in the dorms when I left." Annie said buttering up some toast.
Hermione came down the steps just as the owls came fluttering in dropping the mail.
"Hey," she said catching a letter that an owl dropped, and sitting across from Annie. "Sorry I'm late lost my schedule." She opened her letter and read it silently. Her expression dropped more and more as she read.
"What?" Annie said obviously reading her friend's expression.
Hermione handed the letter to Annie and put her head down on the table. Annie read it silently to herself, then gave Harry a solemn look. "I'm sorry Herms. I really am."
Hermione pulled her head up tears running down her face. "It's okay." She said wiping them away. "Its not like I expected it to last forever."
Harry glanced at Ron, who shrugged. "What is it Hermione?" Harry said quietly.
"I know what it is." Came voice from the aisle between tables."That dope Krum dumped her that's what."
"How in the world could you possibly know that Malfoy?" Ron Sneered at him.
Malfoy shrugged. "I have my connections, Weasly. Although I can't see why anyone could like her."
"I don't see why anyone could like you either Malfoy." Annie popped in. "Oh wait that's right no one does!"
The whole Gryffindor table laughed even Hermione. She seemed to be a lot happier after watching Malfoy walk off to his table fuming.
Ron elbowed Harry. " I think I should get a camera that face was priceless!" He laughed.
"Oh come on." Hermione said. "We're going to be late for potions."
"You say that like its a bad thing!" Ron muttered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The truth was, Harry was worried about potions. He knew Annie was crazy about the subject, but Snape wasn't the easiest person to get along with epically if you're a Gryffindor, but Annie seemed to be keeping her cool that is until...
"Ten points from Gryffindor."
"WHAT?!" Annie yelled at Snape. "You can't punish him for what he doesn't know!"
The whole room fell silent. Harry looked back at Annie, who shrunk back into her seat. Snape had been picking on Neville like he always did asking him what happened when you mixed toad vomit with troll toes. (both Hermione's and Annie's hands shot up.)
"Oh, it's Codwell, the special child," Snape said turning around. Harry could hear Malfoy's sniggering as Snape came up to Annie, bending down to look her in the face.
Harry could see Annie gripping her desk as Snape provoked her.
"Do you have a problem with the way I teach my class Miss Codwell?"He said grinning his big crooked nose in her face. "Oh do I scare you, Codwell?"
Harry caught a glance from Hermione and Ron. They agreed that this did not look good. She wasn't going to last much longer.
"Oh come on Codwell, you can defend your friends but you can't defend yourself? How pathetic."
That was the last straw. He saw Annie scowl at Snape and open her mouth to retaliate, but Harry was faster. He shot up his hand into the air.
"What, Potter?" Snape said not turning away from Annie, who still scowled at him.
Harry didn't know what to say. "I-I- have to go to the bathroom."
"It can wait, and another five points will be taken from Gryffindor." Snape said turning away from Annie and marching up to his desk.
Annie mouthed thank you to Harry. He just smiled. He knew a way she could pay him back.
Annie let out her breath as she walked out of potions class She was prepared to worship the ground Harry walked on! She had been about to go nuclear on Snape in her face like that.
"Don't worry about it." Harry said. "I'll think of a way for you to pay me back later."
Annie smiled, and bowed. "I am you humble servant." She waved to Harry as he started up to the North Tower with Ron. She was taking Arithmancy with Herms instead of Divination. She wasn't much for guess work and making peoples lives a living death, just because she decided for them to get a broken leg in a month. Besides she always loved a good challenge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were to meet up with the guys in the Great Hall for lunch then head of to their next class together after Arithmancy. She and Hermione talked happily on their way down from the classroom.
"They'll be a few more minutes." Hermione said as they sat down at the edge of the table. She smiled, but Annie could tell it was a sad smile.
"So. Um Herms..." She said awkwardly. "You alright?"
At first it looked like Hermione didn't know what she was talking about, but then it dawned on her."Oh that. yeah I was planning on breaking up with him anyways."
Annie was surprised. "Why?"
Hermione sighed. "Well.. you know he lives-wherever and I live here, and I dunno. It was just a little crush I guess I don't like him like that anymore."
Annie sat back in her chair. She wasn't so sure about that answer, but she didn't have time to argue.
"Hey," Harry said plopping down in the chair next to Annie. "What do we have next?"
"History." Hermione said simply.
"Yeah we have all the boring classes today. We don't have Defence Against the Dark Arts till Friday and Hagrid till Wednesday."
"Theres always transfiguration." Hermione said as lunch was served.
"Like I said..." Ron laughed as he started into the food.
"How was Divination?" Hermione asked.
"Typical." Ron said.
"Boring." Harry added.
"Pointless." Both Hermione and Annie said together.
Annie nudged Harry with her harm her mouth still full. "When does Quidditch practice start?"
Harry shook his head. "Dunno. Alicia Spinnet is captain this year butwe can't do a thing unless we have a keeper."
Annie nodded. She wished she'd been given a racing broom. She wanted a go at it. She so loved to fly.
A few minutes later, Fred and George came by yanking on Annie's hair as they sat down. She gave them a playfully angry look, but smiled. "Hey you two." She said as they ate. They were speeding through every bite.
Where's the fire you two?" Ron said gawking at his brothers eating like pigs.
"Got work to do." Fred said spitting potatoes everywhere.
"Can't talk." George added, then they both sped off.
Annie was shocked. "Work? Since when do those two work?"
Ron swallowed. "They must still be trying with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes"
She gave a questioning look at Hermione who simply said "Their joke shop."
Annie smiled. She had to see that.
A few weeks later Harry got his letter from Sirius. He looked at it for a second then shoved it into his pocket. The others glanced at him waiting for him to tell them where to meet up to read it, but then something peculiar happened-Annie got a letter.
She paused for a second, obviously in awe, then opened it. She frowned for a second.
"What?" Hermione said across the table from her.
Annie didn't answer. She stood up and almost ran to Gryffindor Tower. Harry glanced at his friends for a second then at once they took off behind her.
Annie didn't stop all the way until she came to her dormitory(she only had to stop then to open the portrait). she did slow some when walked over to her bed, which gave Harry time to catch his breath. What was she doing?
Harry went right on into the girls room while Ron happily waited outside. Annie walked slowly up to her bed followed by Hermione, pulled back the curtains, and gasped.
There were rats in her bed! Hundreds of them, white brown, gray even some that were yellow. Just dead rats. Thankfully they were all dead, but still. Hermione stifled a scream. She could hear Harry take in a sharp breath.
Annie just stood, not exactly sure what to say or do. Harry fortunately took over.
"Hermione, you and Ron go get McGonagall," He said quietly, then gently took the letter from Annie's hands.
"Go to your room," he read, "Thats simple enough." He added sitting on the bed next to hers.
Annie wasn't listening. She was thinking. "Why rats?" she wondered aloud startled by her own voice. "I mean, rats are furry and well at times cute, why not frogs? Or uh I dunno." She sat down on the bed next to Harry. "Rats..."
"Don't know." He said simply.
"Miss Granger I really expected more from you." Came McGonagall's voice down the stairs. "You and Mister Weasly should be in class..." She emerged from the stairwell and gasped.
"Ya that's what she said." Ron said following her in.
"Wh-who did this?" McGonagall stuttered.
Annie turned to face her. "I wish I knew, professor. and if I did I most certainly would not be here."
McGonagall didn't seem to hear her. she just stepped up to the bed, winced and said "Well first things first." She pulled out her wand and a pillowcase from the bed. "Accio"
One by one all the rodents on Annie's bed zoomed into the pillowcase.
Once they were all gone, Annie saw a white envelope on her pillow. She picked it up slowly and opened it. Written there on the parchment inside was one word.
Worthless
McGonagall turned to her. "Come on, Annie lets get to class we can figure this out later."
She gave one sweeping look around the room, then led them off to transfiguration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But Annie didn't want to figure it out later. She sat back in her chair and watched Harry and Ron struggle with the assignment. (Turning pigs into Bacon.)
"Who would do something like this?" Hermione said beside her, also finished. "Malfoy?"
Annie shook her head. She had thought of him, for he definitely had the motive, but-"No. He's to stupid. He doesn't know the pass words and doesn't have the power to put a spell on the Fat lady. No this took a lot of elaborate planning. The only kid who could pull something like this is me or you."
Hermione nodded. "So you're saying this isn't some practical joke."
"Yes I am, Herms"She whispered so as to not let Harry or Ron hear "and the only thing is... that's what's scares me."
After all the 'excitement' of the day, Harry had completely forgotten to read Sirius's letter. He didn't even remember until late that evening after just about everyone had gone to bed, and Annie had just finished helping him with his homework.
"Oh." Harry said reaching into his pocket. "Can't believe I forgot."
Annie moved in closer to read it with him. She sat so close that she was almost sitting on him. Of course, Harry didn't mind.
"Looks like he's settled in alright..." Annie said reading. "Buckbeak? Oh right."
But Harry wasn't looking at the letter. He was staring right down at Annie. He didn't even catch himself until it was to late.
Annie looked up at him, her bright blue eyes focused in his."What?"
Harry tried to say something, but no words came out. He remembered something he'd heard Annie say one time. "Actions speak louder than words." So he spoke.
Before she knew it Harry ad kissed her. Her first to be exact. It was short and most definitely sweet.
Harry pulled away quickly and said."I-I'm sorry." He looked away.
Annie couldn't help but smile."'Night, Harry." She said simply, and she went up to bed.
Harry sat there for a few seconds regaining his senses. Had he just kissed a girl? He headed up to his dorm with a grin on his face. He hoped he didn't offend her in any way, but it sure didn't seem like it.
He spent a few minutes writing Sirius, telling him about Annie, coming to school, the rats, and when Hogsmade was and such. Then he lay back.
"Did Annie help you?" Came Ron's voice from the other side of the room.
Harry grinned."I don't kiss and tell."
He saw the shadow of Ron bolt up in the bed. "Oh tell her that!!!"
Harry got a letter from Sirius a few days later, but all Harry would tell her was the time to meet him to meet Snuffles(the code name for Sirius). The rest he said was "Guy stuff."
"Ha. Ha. Ha" Annie said when he told her this, as she was heading to Arithmancy. "See you at lunch." She said backing up. Suddenly she hit something hard and sent whatever it was sprawling onto the ground.
She immediately turned to apologize but changed her mind.
"Better watch your back, Codwell." Malfoy said, Crabbe and Goyle hoisting him up off the floor. "Don't want any more rats in your bed."
Annie sneered. "If Im not mistaken, Malfoy, you aren't allowed in my bed." She said as he walked off.
Harry came over to her. "I'll bet he's the one." He said ruefully.
Annie just shrugged. She didn't want to worry Harry to worry about her. Not unless there was something to worry about.
She turned and headed to class, but stopped suddenly, for there was a small white envelope addressed to her by her feet. She picked it up, made sure that Harry didn't see and headed off to Arithmancy.
"Ominous?" Hermione whispered in Arithmancy when Annie showed her the note. She leaned over the desk before class started making sure that no one over heard or saw. "What-"
"I don't know, Herms. I've got so many questions swimming in my head I don't know which to ask first."
Hermione sat in the desk next to her and said in a low voice: "And you said you saw it right after you hit Malfoy?"
Annie nodded. She knew what Hermione was thinking." Well, I think its time to suspect he has something to do with it, but I don't think hens the only one!"
Hermione seemed to consider it, then agreed. "To bad poisoning students isn't legal." She said with a smile.
"Oh, but none of this to anyone okay? The last thing I need is Harry or anyone else for that matter as my shadow.
Hermione gave her a strange look, but didn't say anything.
Harry sat in the Great Hall waiting for Annie and Hermione. They had gone off to the dorms for some reason, and said tat they would be back in a minute.
Because there was nothing else to think about, Harry flashed back to the other night with Annie. He didn't know what to do about that. Finally, he decided to wait until Annie met Sirius. He didn't know why, but it just felt like the best thing to do. He wouldn't have to wait to long they would be going to Hogsmade tomorrow.
"Hey," Hermione said sitting down with Annie behind her. "Divination interesting?"
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Hermione." Ron said, picking up his water. "Did Annie tell you?"
Oh no Harry thought.
"Tell me what?"
"About the other night!" He said gaping.
Harry could feel himself blushing. Obviously, Annie hadn't told her, for she was crimson and hissing at Ron to shut up. "I'll tell you later, Herms" She muttered.
"Oh my God, Codwell,"Malfoy butted in "You didn't tell your best friend when the whole school knows!? Shame!"
Annie banged her head on the table, and Harry shot a look at Ron who shook his head.
"Malfoy, do you ever shut your mouth?" Ron said.
"Aww, Weasly. Its so cute you're jealous. I don't know why though. I don't know why anyone would want to kiss that hideous freak."
Harry saw Hermione's eyes widen, and Ron's face turn red. Annie-was gone.
Hermione was the one who had finally found Annie, sobbing quietly in the dorms. Harry was confused. Why was she crying? Malfoy had never bothered her before, why would he now? Harry pushed aside his questions and sat beside Annie, letting her cry on his shoulder.
Annie was so embarrassed. No one. Ever. In her lifetime had ever seen her cry. Mostly because shed never cried before but that was beside the point. Harry thought he understood, but truly only Hermione knew why Annie had broken down. She'd merely been so stressed out with the letters and everything else that Malfoy pushed her over the edge.
She awoke Saturday morning in an exited rush. She waited for Hermione and the two of them went down to the Great Hall for Breakfast. Hermione was trying to convince Annie to tell someone about the other letter. She got one yesterday containing the word. "restles", and Hermione laughed at the spelling error. She determined that they would be coming in three day intervals. (Annie couldn't understand how this helped them, but Hermione offered the information saying "The more we know the better.")
Annie elbowed Hermione who was counting off reasons that Anne should tell, when they entered the Great Hall, mostly because Harry and Ron had walked up.
"What are you dong?" Ron asked giving Hermione a weird look.
"Nothing." Annie quickly butted in. "Ready to go?"
Harry nodded. "Snuffles is going to meet us at four. and its about twelve now, so lets go." He smiled at Annie.
Harry was great. He didn't show that he thought Annie was weak, and that's what worried Annie the most. When people thought she was weak they treated her differently. Not Harry. He was there when she needed him, yet thought no less of her.
"Annie," Ron said, when they were about halfway to the village. "How can you go to Hogsmade when you don't have the parent/guardian thing?"
Annie shrugged, "Wasn't told I needed one."
Ron shrugged too."Guess you don't need one."
They continued walking down the path talking about Quidditch.
"First game is in a couple of weeks, and we still don't have a keeper." Harry complained. "Alicia is going crazy!"
"I would..."Annie started but changed direction. "I want to so bad, but I don't have a broom! It would be awesome!"
Hermione smiled and put her arm around Annie. "You would have been great, Annie"
And they dropped the subject.
Harry had thought about what Hermione had said as they stopped by the Three Broomsticks. Annie would make a good keeper. She was the only person he knew had the instincts to catch a fly in midair, and if she could handle a long distance flight from America to Surrey, she could handle a game of Quidditch. He thought briefly of getting her a broom, when the girls went uptown to Honeydukes and he and Ron went to Zonko's, but dismissed the thought. He had two more years of Hogwarts to think about, not to mention he probably couldn't afford it even then. Suddenly, something in the store next to him caught his eye, and for the first time, he went into the bookstore.
Annie had to give all her money to Hermione to keep from spending it all in the sweet shop, even then Hermione had to threaten Annie with her life to get her of there. In the end she was thankful though. She had Christmas to think about.
"Besides," Hermione said once Annie was clear of the store and the two had sat down on a bench. A large black dog sat panting next to it. "We need to go to the post office.
"What for?" Annie asked absentmindedly stroking the big dog.
"Well, you know now that I think of it never mind."
Annie laughed. "What were you thinking? That we could maybe track the letter through the system?"
Hermione fell silent.
"Ooookaay..." Annie said trying not to laugh.
" I'd bet Ron or Harry would have a couple of ideas..." Hermione said looking at Annie.
"Look," Annie shot back her patience wearing thin. "Harry's got enough to worry about. Don't you think its a bit suspicious that Voldy hasn't made a peep since last year?"
Hermione stayed silent.
"Good Lord, Herms! You haven't noticed?!" Annie said taking her hand off the dog and throwing it into the air. "I'll bet he's going to make another grab at Harry before the year is over, and I'm not going to be the one who distracts him and lets his guard down."
Hermione sighed. "You are right on one part, but we still do need to tell someone."
Annie gave in, "Alright we tell one person... but I decide who it is."
Hermione looked as if she was going to say something, but then stopped. Harry and Ron were coming up the hill.
Harry sat in the Great Hall waiting for Annie and Hermione. They had gone off to the dorms for some reason, and said tat they would be back in a minute.
Because there was nothing else to think about, Harry flashed back to the other night with Annie. He didn't know what to do about that. Finally, he decided to wait until Annie met Sirius. He didn't know why, but it just felt like the best thing to do. He wouldn't have to wait to long they would be going to Hogsmade tomorrow.
"Hey," Hermione said sitting down with Annie behind her. "Divination interesting?"
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Hermione." Ron said, picking up his water. "Did Annie tell you?"
Oh no Harry thought.
"Tell me what?"
"About the other night!" He said gaping.
Harry could feel himself blushing. Obviously, Annie hadn't told her, for she was crimson and hissing at Ron to shut up. "I'll tell you later, Herms" She muttered.
"Oh my God, Codwell,"Malfoy butted in "You didn't tell your best friend when the whole school knows!? Shame!"
Annie banged her head on the table, and Harry shot a look at Ron who shook his head.
"Malfoy, do you ever shut your mouth?" Ron said.
"Aww, Weasly. Its so cute you're jealous. I don't know why though. I don't know why anyone would want to kiss that hideous freak."
Harry saw Hermione's eyes widen, and Ron's face turn red. Annie-was gone.
Hermione was the one who had finally found Annie, sobbing quietly in the dorms. Harry was confused. Why was she crying? Malfoy had never bothered her before, why would he now? Harry pushed aside his questions and sat beside Annie, letting her cry on his shoulder.
Annie was so embarrassed. No one. Ever. In her lifetime had ever seen her cry. Mostly because shed never cried before but that was beside the point. Harry thought he understood, but truly only Hermione knew why Annie had broken down. She'd merely been so stressed out with the letters and everything else that Malfoy pushed her over the edge.
She awoke Saturday morning in an exited rush. She waited for Hermione and the two of them went down to the Great Hall for Breakfast. Hermione was trying to convince Annie to tell someone about the other letter. She got one yesterday containing the word. "restles", and Hermione laughed at the spelling error. She determined that they would be coming in three day intervals. (Annie couldn't understand how this helped them, but Hermione offered the information saying "The more we know the better.")
Annie elbowed Hermione who was counting off reasons that Anne should tell, when they entered the Great Hall, mostly because Harry and Ron had walked up.
"What are you dong?" Ron asked giving Hermione a weird look.
"Nothing." Annie quickly butted in. "Ready to go?"
Harry nodded. "Snuffles is going to meet us at four. and its about twelve now, so lets go." He smiled at Annie.
Harry was great. He didn't show that he thought Annie was weak, and that's what worried Annie the most. When people thought she was weak they treated her differently. Not Harry. He was there when she needed him, yet thought no less of her.
"Annie," Ron said, when they were about halfway to the village. "How can you go to Hogsmade when you don't have the parent/guardian thing?"
Annie shrugged, "Wasn't told I needed one."
Ron shrugged too."Guess you don't need one."
They continued walking down the path talking about Quidditch.
"First game is in a couple of weeks, and we still don't have a keeper." Harry complained. "Alicia is going crazy!"
"I would..."Annie started but changed direction. "I want to so bad, but I don't have a broom! It would be awesome!"
Hermione smiled and put her arm around Annie. "You would have been great, Annie"
And they dropped the subject.
Harry had thought about what Hermione had said as they stopped by the Three Broomsticks. Annie would make a good keeper. She was the only person he knew had the instincts to catch a fly in midair, and if she could handle a long distance flight from America to Surrey, she could handle a game of Quidditch. He thought briefly of getting her a broom, when the girls went uptown to Honeydukes and he and Ron went to Zonko's, but dismissed the thought. He had two more years of Hogwarts to think about, not to mention he probably couldn't afford it even then. Suddenly, something in the store next to him caught his eye, and for the first time, he went into the bookstore.
Annie had to give all her money to Hermione to keep from spending it all in the sweet shop, even then Hermione had to threaten Annie with her life to get her of there. In the end she was thankful though. She had Christmas to think about.
"Besides," Hermione said once Annie was clear of the store and the two had sat down on a bench. A large black dog sat panting next to it. "We need to go to the post office.
"What for?" Annie asked absentmindedly stroking the big dog.
"Well, you know now that I think of it never mind."
Annie laughed. "What were you thinking? That we could maybe track the letter through the system?"
Hermione fell silent.
"Ooookaay..." Annie said trying not to laugh.
" I'd bet Ron or Harry would have a couple of ideas..." Hermione said looking at Annie.
"Look," Annie shot back her patience wearing thin. "Harry's got enough to worry about. Don't you think its a bit suspicious that Voldy hasn't made a peep since last year?"
Hermione stayed silent.
"Good Lord, Herms! You haven't noticed?!" Annie said taking her hand off the dog and throwing it into the air. "I'll bet he's going to make another grab at Harry before the year is over, and I'm not going to be the one who distracts him and lets his guard down."
Hermione sighed. "You are right on one part, but we still do need to tell someone."
Annie gave in, "Alright we tell one person... but I decide who it is."
Hermione looked as if she was going to say something, but then stopped. Harry and Ron were coming up the hill.
Ron and Harry started up the hill to the bench that they were supposed to meet the girls, with a new bag in his right hand. In his left was food for Sirius.
"What's that?" Annie asked as soon as they came up to the bench.
"Nothing." Harry said grinning, Ron rolled his eyes.
Harry laughed, seeing the big black dog sitting beside Annie, who was petting it. Hermione and Ron saw his glance. Hermione's eyes widened, and Ron started to laugh.
"Annie," Harry said. "Did I ever mention that my uncle was an animagi?"
At first, Annie gave him a strange look, then figured it out. Taking her hand off of the dog she said. "No you forgot to mention that little detail."
The dog came over to Harry and sniffed his bag. "You're early Sirius." Harry said, and the dog led them away.
Harry took the back of the line since he knew the path best. Annie kept looking back at him, giving him strange looks, which Harry fond very amusing. By the time he reached Sirius' cave, his godfather had already transformed, and by the sound of it, Annie wasn't happy about it.
It was him!!! Annie could barely believe it. This man, scraggly and thin, was her uncle Black. She couldn't breathe. She collapsed into a seated position gasping for air. Her uncle sat in the corner in front of a huge hippogriff, gnawing on a chicken bone.
"What is it, Annie?" Hermione said kneeling down to her.
Annie couldn't say anything she hadn't found her breath yet. Harry and Ron joined Hermione on the floor, worried looks spreading across their faces.
She put up her hands then quickly reached into her back pocket and pulled out her picture and pointed to him in there.
"I don't get it." Ron said, and Harry looked to shocked to speak.
Annie quickly found her voice. "THATS MY UNCLE!" She yelled pointing at the picture then at the man who now had stopped eating. The whole cave went silent, even Buckbeak didn't move.
"What?" Harry said awestruck.
"That man," She said pointing her uncle. "Is my uncle."
A long time went without saying anything then finally her uncle spoke. "I don't know what you are talking about. I don't have any siblings."
Annie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "L-Let me get this straight." She said shaking and standing up. "Ur telling me that someone dumped me in a stupid orphanage, with a letter telling me that you were going to come and get me "some day".. and now...? Well I guess I don't know." She sat down again, totally pissed.
"Do you have the letter?" The man spoke after a while.
"Ya." Annie said simply then pulled out her wand and summoned it. "Its up at the castle it'll be here in a minute." She said then a couple of minutes later while trying to avoid nervous glances from her friend, the letter cam flying into her hands. "Here." She said giving him the note.
The man read it hurriedly, then said, "He didn't."
"What?" Harry asked reading the letter over Sirius's shoulder.
"This isn't my handwriting. Its Peters."
No. It couldn't be. He looked around the cave. Everyone seemed to have the same expression on their face, with the exception of Sirius, who was still gazing thoughtfully at the picture.
"Nicole," He whispered.
"Huh?" Came Annie's voice, as Harry looked over his godfather's shoulder. It was an exact muggle version of his picture.
"Nicole Codwell, Peter's girlfriend." Sirius said pointing to a beautiful woman in the picture with bright blue eyes. "Well-she was. Died about two weeks before Lilly and James went into hiding; the night that Peter was going to purpose. I knew she was pregnant, but I didn't know she had given birth to the child before she died. She was Lilly's best friend."
Annie took the picture and the letter from Sirius, and stuffed them into her back pocket. "Me, I assume."
Sirius nodded, and Annie, to Harry's surprise, looked thoughtful.
"Wait a sec." She said beginning to pace. "If I have all my facts straight, which..." She looked at Harry, "I am assuming I do, theres a connection here."
He looked at Ron, who shrugged. Harry saw Hermione walking over to Annie nodding. "But what?"
Annie and Hermione both sat down and starting whispering quietly, and Harry, as he often did, felt really left out. Ron seemed to be thinking the same thing, and Sirius had gone back to eating, but with a thoughtful look on his face.
After a few minutes, Annie popped her head up from its position in her hands."Sirius?" She called and Sirius bolted up. "After Voldy fell and before Pet-erm-Dad framed you did you see any of him?"
Sirius shook his head, and the two went back to muttering, leaving Harry totally in the dark. He gave Ron a shrug.
"Alright, this is how we see it," Annie said a few moments later, "Peter is so devastated over the loss of his girlfriend that he decides to join the dark side... supposedly okay you know how Voldy is, when Peter framed Sirius, he takes me and put me in that rat house, the comes back as a rat and finds his way to the Weasleys." Annie shrugged, "What a wonderful story." She plopped down onto the ground, her eyes filled with trouble.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry never got the chance to give Annie what he wanted to give her, because as soon as they got into the common room, McGonagall started lecturing them and handing out detentions and deducting points. He had to admit they were rather late; it was well after diner that they waked into the common room.
McGonagall said that after what happened to Annie, that they shouldn't be running around after hours, although Harry couldn't see why she was getting all bent out of shape. Annie hadn't gotten a letter in a month, so he went to bed wondering what she was ranting about, but it was no matter to him because he liked his second plan better to get the present to Annie. He waited a bit then slid out of bed. He rummaged through his trunk quietly a bit, found his invisibility cloak, took Annie's gift out of the bag then slipped quietly up to the girl's room.
The night was as silent as it had always been when he snuck out. This time it seemed less eerie though, because, he assumed, he wasn't going very far, and there was less of a risk as usual of getting caught. He opened the door to the girl's dormitory silently and slipped through without a sound. He quickly found Annie's bed in the darkness and set the book down. For a fleeting instant, Harry thought of opening the curtains and putting the book in her arms, but decided against it. It would wake her up, but he saw no harm in seeing what she looked like when she slept.
Slowly he drew back the fabric draped between bedposts and he saw her. She was so beautiful. It was hard to believe that she had been born to THE follower of Voldemort. But... Something caught Harry's eye. There in Annie's hand were four envelopes. Two he couldn't see, but two more he could one said restles and the other said malicious.
Harry stood for a second, confused. Then the truth took him. Annie was getting more letters! Why didn't she tell him? Why would she hide it? Harry was overcome with rage and he fled from the room, not concerning himself with being quiet. She'd lied. Why...?
Harry flung off his cloak and jumped into bed. He sat for a second fuming. He wasn't sure how to feel about Annie keeping the letters from him. He knew he was upset but he didn't know if he should be hurt or angry.
He didn't fall asleep until a few minutes later, totally exhausted. He had decided it would be easier to be mad.
Annie woke up to Hermione's shaking. "Hey sleepy head! She said smiling. "Are you okay? Its nearly twelve."
Annie felt a surge of panic and shot up straight in her bed. "TWELVE?!" She screamed looking around to see that no one was in the dorm. "Oh my how could I have slept in so late?"
"Annie..." Hermione said trying to calm her. "ANNIE!" she finally screamed and one that made Annie stop dead in her tracks.
"What?"
"Its Sunday." Hermione said sitting on Annie's bed. Annie just now noticed that Hermione wasn't in her uniform the one identical to the one Annie was hastily changing into.
"Oh." Annie said simply changing out of her uniform now.
Hermione laughed. "Man you and Harry both. I swear you two are like on the same brainwave or something. Ron just went to get Harry up."
Annie sat on the chest in front of her bed, only to stand back up in a hurry to find she was sitting on a rather big book.
"What's that?" Hermione said looking over to Annie.
"I don't know."Annie said picking up the book and unwrapping it from a gold paper. There was no card, and she opened the book to find something writing on the inside cover.
From Harry.
Annie smiled and flipped back to the main cover it read. "How to make you dunce a star- broom transformation. By: Gina Luttrell"
"What?" Hermione said again now coming over to Annie and reading over her shoulder. "Oh I saw that in the bookstore yesterday."
Annie flipped open the book and let Hermione read it. "Ohhh..." She said giving her a sly smile. "Well I guess we have work to do."
Annie grinned at her friend. Then the both of them bounced onto her bed, setting the broom in the middle of them, and opened the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry didn't see the point in having Quidditch practices anymore. The only thing they ever did was go over plans and plays. Everyone, especially Fred and George, were getting sick of it.
They were stuck in the locker room, and Harry was aching to get out into the sunshine and feel the cool breeze in his face.
"Come on!" Fred whined, " I want to get out there and actually do this stuff, not just talk about it!"
Alicia put her hands on her hips, "You know we can't do this without a decent keeper, and no one seems to want the position."
A huge sigh went throughout the room, and Harry saw Fred and George go into a horrible death scene.
"Ahem," said a voice from behind them. Everybody turned, including Harry to see Annie standing in the doorway. "You willing to try me out?"
Never in her life had Annie been so good at something. From the brief explanation Harry had given her of Quidditch, she expected it to be hard. It was simply: quaffle come, you catch, hit or anything necessary to keep it from the hoops. Only a few got past her, and that's when she was trying not to fall off the broom, which she had still not gotten used to the speed and agility of.
After they had landed, Fred and George almost tackled her saying, "She's almost as good as Wood!" Wood, she didn't know who he was, but all she cared about was that this was the happiest she'd been since her letters came, but she had this nagging feeling that Harry was avoiding her.
Harry truthfully had no idea why he was doing what he was doing, but still he sat on Annie's bed, waiting for her to come back from the party that he didn't bother to attend. In and out he saw several girls com in, but the paid him no mind, mostly because they couldn't see him. There was a dim lighting that remained on all the time that illuminated the room. It wasn't all that different from the boys' dorms, only the bedding and decor was more "flowery" than in his dormitories.
A few moments later, he heard a familiar voice from outside the door. Anne was coming. When the door burst open, the first thing she said was, "Hi, Harry."
It took Harry a moment or two to figure out that his foot was uncovered, then he took his cloak off.
"Thank you for the book " She said lightly, setting her new Quidditch robes on the bed and sat down beside him as if nothing was wrong, which made Harry even more ticked.
Annie seemed to read his expression, "What's wrong?"
Harry retorted, "Why should I tell you if you obviously don't trust me to tell me stuff,"
Annie looked at him in a mixture of hurt and confusion, "What?!" She asked in a stressed voice and Harry could tell she was trying not to yell. She stood up, looking down at him.
Harry stood up to meet her gaze, "Restless... malicious? Sound familiar?"
Annie just stood there, looking at him in disbelief, "Of course," she said, "When you dropped off the book..."
"Nice way to thank me," Harry said coldly.
Now it was Annie's turn to get mad. In order not to be tempted to hit him, she picked up her robes, and started putting them away, "It's my life..." she said so quietly that she wasn't sure if she was the one speaking, she knew she was going to regret what she was going to say, but she didn't care, "It's my life and I will do with it what I please,"
Harry rounded on Annie, who was yet again looking into his deep green eyes, but now they were flaring with anger, "Yes," he said, his fists clenched, "its your life and you can count me out of it."
Annie said nothing as she watched Harry slam the door behind him. She pulled out from behind her back two letters. One said: Timid and was addressed to Annie. The other said: I love you and was addressed to Harry.
Annie didn't come down to the common room or the Great Hall at all for the next two days; in fact, the only time Harry ever saw Anne was in classes. He was caught up in a world that he wasn't sure he wanted to be in. Hermione wasn't talking to him either. Ron, Harry thought, only took Harry's side because he was his best friend, not because he agreed with Harry. Therefore, Ron didn't speak much to him about it.
It was hard to know what he was feeling. There was no cease to his anger towards Annie, but at the same time he felt as if he could have handled things better, maybe asked why or let her explain. Either way, the anger he felt didn't change the way Annie made him feel, and guilt pressed into his mind day and night.
One day, he was sitting in the Great Hall playing with his food when he spotted Hermione walking up to the corridor towards the Gryffindor house. Immediately he jumped up and started after her. He knew that if Hermione was taking food somewhere, Annie was likely to be there. Hermione took no notice to him as he walked stealthily behind her. The two of them walked into the common room, and Harry was surprised at what he saw. Annie was sitting on the couch, looking except for a few tear stains very well. She smiled when she saw Hermione, but when she saw of Harry she scowled.
"Can I help you?" She said, making Hermione jump.
"It's the common room," Harry said simply, "I can come and go as I please."
Annie responded quickly. She simply stood and started to head to the dormitories, but Harry cut her off. He could see the anger in her bight blue eyes.
"You wanted out of my life," she said with what Harry could tell was much difficulty, "you got what you wanted. Now please move."
Harry didn't move a muscle, and he paid dearly for it too, for he felt a sharp pain across his face, and the force of the blow knocked him off his feet. Annie simply stepped around him and continued up the stairs.
It took a few moments for the world to come back into focus or as focused as it could be with his glasses knocked off his face, but Hermione was standing over him all the same.
"I forgot..." Harry said. Indeed he had forgotten how fierce Annie was.
"Well it would do better to remember next time then," Hermione said coldly, "Although I though you would be smart enough to say the only two words that would've made her stop."
Harry stood up, quickly fixed his glasses, then glared at his friend, "I'm not the one who should be sorry," he said, "She's the one who lied."
Hermione let out a grunt of disapproval, and said, "You idiot! Why do you think she hid it from you? Huh? She was trying to protect you from You-Know-Who! She told me that since You-Know-Who hadn't made a peep since last year that she thought that he might be dangerous for you to be worrying about her and not having you guard up. Ask Sirius. He heard us," and with that Hermione stormed up the stairs.
Annie paced around the room, torn with anger at Harry, anger at herself, and fear: another letter sat on her bed now, with the one she'd gotten yesterday. yesterday's was Ambitious and today's was Ignoramus. Whomever these letters were describing, Anne bet he didn't have much of a future going for him; both ambitions and an idiot? Something didn't add up.
Hermione burst through the door, a look of annoyance on her face, she stopped and looked at Annie, who simply nodded at her bed, Hermione sighed.
"I dunno what to do, Ann," she said softly.
Annie nodded, "I'd better write to Sirius to give him an update," she said then laughed. One more thing that she wasn't planning on telling Harry: ever since they went to Hogsmade, Annie and Harry's godfather kept in touch. He was a big help to the two girls. She picked up her quill and started to write.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"No... NOOOOO!!!" a voice yelled from far away.
Annie stood in a green corridor. The cry for help echoed throughout the long hallway, and it made her skin crawl. That voice sounded familiar, but she had never heard it before.
Annie started down the hallway, the voice still crying out, pleading for mercy. Annie soon heard a low chuckle, which made her hair stand on end. She knew that sound as well. She started to run down the corridor towards the voice, but just as she reached a small door at the end of the corridor... two shadows... a man and a woman's... the man held a dagger up above his head...
She woke up. No she jolted up--with sweat all over her. She looked around instinctively to find no one there, but one thing she sensed she could not ignore: She had to use the bathroom.
Even years afterward, Annie never figured out why she wanted to get dressed just to go down to the bathroom in the middle of the night, but she did anyway.
The light always burned in the girl's bathroom, for which Annie was thankful most nights, but tonight she wished they had let the lights burn out, because then her attacker couldn't have seen her.
Annie was grabbed by the wrists by two scrawny men in black cloaks. Adrenaline surged through Annie and through all her efforts, she was able to throw one of them into a stall. She never knew her own strength until it was put to the test. Now was that time. She was very close to getting the other one off when she stopped. She would not win this battle.
Malfoy cried, "Expellairamius!(sp)" and Annie went flying into the far wall.
Ouch. She could feel herself slipping out of consciousness. Draco walked up to her. Or at least she though it was Draco. She could make out the blonde hair barely as the world slipped away. Draco grinned, then threw a piece of parchment on Annie's lap that he took the liberty of reading for her: "Lost."
At this time Harry was dreaming too. He stood in a dark clearing that looked familiar. The moon shone brightly and he coud see a path in front of him. By no will of his own, Harry found himself further down that path, a orange light gleaming in the distance. Again he found himself nearer to that light and he soon found that it was a fire. He could hear faint laughter coming from the fire. Harry kept his distance, and watched the people. He knew all three of them, or at least he thought he did. the first sat with the light illuminating on his young face and his whitish-blonde hair: Draco Malfoy. Harry felt a surge of hatred run throughout his body.
The next person had a sandy blonde head, but he sat apart from the group, staring off into nowhere. This person didn't not join into the happy triumphant laughter. Harry felt another surge of hatred when he recognized this face... it was Wormtail.
The last person Harry couldn't see, but he could tell by the high-pitched laugh that it was the most feared person in the wizarding world: Voldemort.
Harry continued to walk closer to the fire, and it wasn't until he got right up close that Wormtail got up and walked off into the distance. There was no sound now, but Harry could tell that both Draco and Voldemort didn't seem to notice he was gone.
Harry could see where Wormtail was going, but it was a sudden burst of smoke from the fire that made Harry squint, and then it became visible what Wormtail was walking to: tied to a giant pole was a girl, her head was down and her dark brown hair hung over her face...
Harry woke with a start, breathing hard and sweating, the only thought that was in his mind... the fear and terror of what might become of her... because of him. Through all of this he could only breathe one word: "Annie!"
Hermione sat awake in her bed. For some reason she couldn't sleep that night. Something was keeping her awake and she had no clue what it was. Something was nagging at the back of her mind and she couldn't figure it out. Maybe it was that she was concerned for her best friend. Maybe... maybe... she looked at the pile of letters in front of her, illuminated by the moonlight. She hadn't wanted to keep anyone awake, so she sat still, ordering the letters chronologically and staring at them. This was what was making her so upset... there were something about these letters that needed to be unlocked...
Worthless
Ominous
Restles
Malicious
Timid
Ambitious
Ignoramus... There was a connection! But where! She couldn't see it. She felt a sense of urgency, like she had to figure it out soon, but she wasn't getting anywhere!
There was a gust of wind from the open window across from Hermione, and she became very cold. She swung her legs out and walked over to close the window, but she stepped on something. She looked down to find a piece of parchment under her foot. She picked it up and found out that it was the letter that Annie's father had given her when he left her. Hermione stared at it. The handwriting was...famili-- She didn't even have time to finish the though before she had figured out the mystery.
She sped to Annie's bed and flung open the curtains. She wasn't there. Hermione tried to keep down the panic as she dashed out of the dorm, not caring abut waking anyone up and when she came down to the common room she found Harry and Ron sitting there gazing into the fire mindlessly. Hermione sighed.
"She's been taken," Harry said sounding like he was in tears.
Hermione sat on the cold steps leading up to the dorms, "So what do we do?"
Ron said nothing, he just kept staring into the fire, and Harry looked over to Hermione.
"I know where she is," he said, "but we need some help first."
TUNE IN FOR MORE CHAPTERS AND MORE STORYS BY ME!!!!!!!!!!!
Harry looked across the room at his uncle. He sat in his Armchair, gripping the sides of it so tight that his knuckles were white. He glared at Harry with his chubby purple face.
Harry didn't know what his uncle was so mad about. He hadn't let Harry read the letter. All he had done was throw it into the furnace and stomp over to his chair and plopped down in it. Harry knew better than to ask him what was wrong. He'd been taught long ago not to ask questions. Mrs. Dursley sat in the far corner, her long neck careened over a newspaper, and Dudley, sat in the corner shivering.
Harry decided to go up to his room, for the silence was starting to get to him. Waiting for him on his bed were three envelopes, all of which belonged to him, thankfully. The first of which came from his Best friend Ron:
Harry!
Dad told me that Sirius had been spotted! Have you heard anything? Dad wants to know if it was in the muggle paper. Mum says not to worry. She's right, Harry, Sirius will be fine. Hope your summers been going all right!
-Ron
Harry wrote back small note telling Ron that Sirius ad been writing him and yes that it was in the muggle paper. He also told him about the letter to Mr. Dursley and what had happened.
The next letter was from his other Best friend Hermione.
Dear Harry,
Hello How's your holiday been? I hope the Muggles aren't treating you badly. Oh I read in the paper this morning that Sirius had been spotted! Oh but don't worry it didn't say that he had been caught. It said that he had been seen in Brazil! That explains the exotic birds then doesn't it? Well, I picked up a book from the library and I need to finish it so I can return it. Write back soon!
-Hermione
Harry pulled out yet another piece of parchment and scribbled down basically the same thing that he had told Ron. He put the two letters aside so he could send Hedwig(who was now fast asleep in her cage) off with them tonight while the Dursleys were asleep.
The next letter was in a more official tone than the other two. It was sealed in an envelope and had the Hogwarts seal on the back of it. Harry stared at it for a few seconds. It was too early for his school letter, and it he hadn't done any illegal magic that he knew of. So what could it want?
Harry opened the letter and read it to himself:
Dear Mr. Potter,
As you may or may not know, Hogwarts has taken in a new student under irregular circumstances. She is fifteen and she is from the United States. Ms. Codwell has not been educated in the magical arts and she has been placed in the fifth year along with you and your classmates. We ask you to please help her get up to date on what you have learned in your studies so far as she comes to live at your house until the semester begins on September the 1st. She should be at your house within the week. Please teach her what you feel is important. You have been given a permit by the Ministry of Magic to use magic to teach Ms. Codwell. We are trusting you to help her be prepared. Your guardians have already been informed of her arrival and we have asked for them to please except her. Thank you.
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy headmistress.
Harry was confused. Why didn't they send the girl to Hermione? She'd probably be more able than he was! None the less he would be more than thankful to have some company around the Dursley's for the remainder of the summer. Well, at least now he knew why Uncle Vernon was so mad! Harry knew there was no need to send a reply to the letter. If Uncle Vernon had been asked to do something by anyone in Harry's school,(no matter how much he said he wouldn't) he had no choice in the matter.
He went downstairs to the quiet living room again. Harry supposed that Uncle Vernon was going to out the girl in Harry's old cupboard. Harry didn't like that idea. He had hated his cupboard all the years he had to stay in it and he wasn't going to let Uncle Vernon do that to anyone else.
"She can stay in my room." He said flatly.
Uncle Vernon snorted. "What?"
"The girl, who's coming... Im not going to let you put her in the cupboard."
He watched Uncle Vernon's face turn red. "How-" he started to say then changed his mind. "Fine. But lets get one thing straight. There is to be None of-- none of your abnormality in this house, understand?" His face wrinkled up.
Harry started to protest, but then he knew he could find a way to teach her outside of the house. He turned on his heel then went back up to his room. Although he couldn't help but wonder how the girl was getting here...
Annie looked down from her broom as the sun rose the next morning. It was floating down behind a house. She could read the road sign that said 'privet drive' on the corner of the street. She smiled it had only been a couple of hours since she'd left the orphan house... well she fell asleep along the way so it only felt like a couple of hours, but she was happy to be here. When the broom set itself down, behind the brick house Annie jumped off, then looked around to see if anyone saw her. Then she set the broom against the back of the wall and walked around front to knock on the door.
She looked around before she knocked. The number 4 glistened in the morning sun on the side of the house. She knocked.... no one answered. It was early but it wasn't that early. She knocked again- harder this time. Again no one answered. She sighed. Maybe the broom had landed her at the wrong house. She rang the doorbell. Maybe English people didn't answer the door at 7:00 in the morning. She rang again. Just as she was thinking about how she was going to survive in England alone, the door cracked.
It was a boy about her age, his weight was the first thing Annie noticed, he looked like he could outweigh an elephant.
"Hi," Annie said feeling rather awkward. "um I know this may sound strange, but I was told to come here... to live?" She looked at the boy hoping he wouldn't tell her to go away. Instead the boy opened the door, only to reveal himself more, and to Annie's surprise, he was shaking. "Um Are you okay?" She asked the quivering boy, but he just whimpered and ran into the living room. Annie followed, not sure what to do.
In the living room sat a man twice the size of the boy who opened the door, a woman who looked like she was just the skin and bones of a giraffe, and a boy with jet black hair and really thin. "um I'm..."
"Lets get something straight," The man in the armchair, his voice unsteady, but stern. "You are a guest in my house and there will be no.... no..." He paused trying to find the right word, finally he took a deep breath and said "no magic in this household... understand?"
Annie wasn't sure what to do or say.. like she was going to do magic! She wasn't a witch! But all the same she wasn't going back to the orphanage so she nodded. "Yes.. sir." She said.
For a moment, they all stared at her, the man and the woman with disgust and the boy with terror. The other boy had no expression on his face, he just got up and motioned Annie to follow. She had no problem with that!
The smaller boy led her up the stairs and to the smallest room on the left. Annie was afraid to say anything to offend him so she simply asked. "Did I do something?"
The boy laughed. "You'll get used to it. I'm Harry by the way." He put out his hand.
Annie took it and introduced herself. "Um... Harry? would you happen to know what Im doing here?"
Harry looked shocked. "You don't know?" He said.
Annie gave him a look that obviously said that she didn't.
Then Harry got off the bed and went over to an old trunk in the corner of the room. When he came back, he was holding a piece of cloth with writing on it. She took it and read it aloud.
Mr. H Potter.... Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry...." She looked up from the cloth, shocked.
"The reason the Dursleys hate you..." Harry said. "is because you're a witch"
Annie looked at him not believing. "You can't be serious!" She said first shocked but now she was ecstatic. "You are serious aren't you? Cool!"
Harry looked at her funny for a second then opened his trunk again. "What they want me to do is tutor you so you're up to my level."
He said pulling out a set of books. "But like Uncle Vernon said we cant do any magic here so if you need to practice something I just figure that we need to go outside."
Annie grinned she liked the way this boy thought!
Harry spoke again. "Er-" he said simply " I have to tell you something... Well since they don't like you er- they said you had to sleep in here- with me."
Annie shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it. Its a lot better than where I used to sleep."
With that they were off talking and getting to know each other like old friends. Harry had lived here all his live with his Uncle, Aunt, and cousin who treated him lower than dirt, or so he told her. And
He also told her about school, his friends Ron and Hermione,(Annie had a time trying to pronounce that one) his enemy Draco Malfoy and all sorts of things like different houses and teachers. Harry had a time telling her about his least favorite teacher professor Snape. Annie sat and listened. She wanted to know as much as possible about this school before she went.
When they went to sleep that night Harry warned her about the Dursley's and that she wasn't to talk about magic around them. He also told her that because of what she was... they would make her life a living hell. But Annie couldn't see how it would be any worse than having a maniac orphan house mother trying to kill her.
It felt weird not being the lowest life form in the house for a while. With Annie's arrival, the Dursleys scowled at the both of them as they sat in the back yard, Harry Teaching Annie, but Harry felt more resentment towards her than him.
Annie wasn't a hard person to teach either. She had sped through both his first and second year's books without a problem or a question for Harry by the end of the month. In fact the only time she needed Harry was to test out the spells, if not on him, then with his supervision. Harry had even sent for Hogwarts, a History from Hermione to give Annie some more information. (and of course Hermione sent all of her books.) Annie herself was interesting too. She was a mix between Hermione and Ron, which Harry found amusing. The way she sped through the books that he'd given her reminded him of Hermione, and her rather different sense of humor reminded him of Ron.
The only thing that she had that the other two didn't(besides a weird accent) was a big attitude. One day only a week after she'd gotten there, she walked in on Dudley picking on Harry as he always did. She wasn't happy about it.
"Hey!" Annie had called to Dudley who dropped Harry immediately. Then, before Dudley knew what she was doing she'd popped him in the cheek. Not that Dudley didn't have enough fat to cushion the blow, but he ran away squealing, mostly in shock of someone standing firm up against him. Harry was chortling for hours on end. It was a Kodak moment for sure!
It was peculiar to Harry that when Annie finished the lot of the books that week that she didn't say anything about his fame. Of course, Harry didn't complain, it was just odd.
On Harry's Birthday, he woke to find Annie asleep by the bed with the Standard Book of Spells Grade 3 in her arms, the last page turned over. When he sat up, Annie jolted awake.
"Happy birthday." She said rubbing her eyes.
Harry was surprised."How did you-" he started, but was soon interrupted by Annie's head nodding over to the stack of books she'd made that she'd already read. "Oh." Harry said simply, not at all surprised.
"So you'd be fifteen today right?" Annie said going into the closet, Harry assumed to change clothes.
He sat back, "Yep."
"I hope you'll forgive me for not having a present. I haven't been to town as of late." Annie stepped out of the closet dressed in the same outfit she'd been wearing since she'd arrived.
"Its not a problem." Harry said stuffing the birthday cards from his friends and godfather under the mattress and smiling.
"Hey don't sweat the cards I saw the owls deliver them last night." Annie said picking up Harry's potions book from his third year and beginning reading into it.
Harry, astonished, retrieved the cards and set them up on his chest of drawers. Then sat back and looked at his clock. Annie would have fifteen minutes until Mrs. Dursley was rapping on the door telling them to get up.
They had gotten their letters a few days ago. Harry had watched in amusement as Annie read hers, wide-eyed. She had a bit thicker envelope than he did, for Professor Dumbledore had sent her extra instructions, or so he assumed. Annie had stared at it for a long time, obviously reading it over and over.
"Harry," she had said. "How am I supposed to get all this stuff?"
Harry had just grinned and said "You'll find out."
Like clockwork at exactly 7:00, Mrs. Dursley came knocking on their door. yelling at them to get up. As Harry got up and started towards the door, Annie grabbed his wand, pointed it at the potions book and muttered. "minisculio" and grinned at Harry. She put a finger to her mouth as she picked up the now pocket-sized book and stuffed it in her pocket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the two of them had finished doing the dishes, and cleaning up the kitchen, they had a moment to themselves. Annie went into the back yard, pulled out the book and started reading. Harry came and sat by her side, looking into the hedges.
"I got a letter from Mrs. Weasley last night." Harry said happily.
"That's Ron's mom, right?" Annie commented without looking up.
"Yes, She want us to come to her house until the remainder of the holidays."
This time Annie looked up. "When? have you talked it over with your uncle and aunt? I know they'll be anxious to get rid of us."
Harry nodded. "Yeah. I just thought you'd want to know. Hermione will be there too."
Annie's face brightened."Cool." She said smiling then immediately went back to her book...
Once again Annie found herself shoving all her possessions into her bag and preparing to make a quick escape. Only this time she had to shrink all Harry's old school books and her broom to let them fit. Harry's friend's father was coming to pick them up, by which means she didn't know. She wanted to be ready to get out of there fast, because judging by what Harry had told her about the last time the Weasleys had come... well she just didn't want to be in the way of Harry's uncle.
She dashed down the stairs and into the living room, which as Annie figured was a silent and as tense as it had been since she'd gotten here. Harry sat in the corner by the fireplace sitting on his trunk. When Annie entered the room he moved over so she could sit with him.
In absence of the Dursley's, Annie found that it was fun to be here. She had sped through most of Harry's school books and had understood most everything. She had already begun on his fourth year's books although Harry didn't know it yet. She had in creased her reading speed so that she would have free time with Harry's friends.
She epically enjoyed the potions books. She found it interesting that she could throw a lot of things together and make someone spill there innermost thoughts, or make them de age. It was a shame Harry hated his teacher. Annie was secretly looking forward to that class.
A knock came on the door. For a moment no one moved. Then Harry stood up and answered the door.
"Hello, Mr. Weasley!" She heard him say. Then he welcomed him in.
Annie stood when Mr. Weasley enter the room, although she was the only one. He was tall a bit lanky and had very bright red hair.
"Ah," Mr. Weasley said. "You must be Annie Codwell. There's been quite a bustle at the ministry about you, My name is Arthur Weasley" He grinned and extended his hand.
Annie shook it, a little shocked. The last thing she wanted to do was start a riot. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Weasley, " She said, not quite sure what to do next.
Mr. Weasley turned to face Mr. Dursley, who sat in his chair, his face looking like a eggplant. "Good to see you again Mr. Dursley." he said putting on an obviously fake smile. Mr. Dursley grunted.
Mr. Weasley looked a little insulted, but not surprised. "Well, Harry, Annie we'd better get going. I rented another ministry car and
they want it back ASAP. Here Harry let me help you with that." He helped Harry pickup his trunk."Good day to you then." He said shortly.
"Bye." Annie said quickly. and followed them out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Annie didn't have her nose buried in her potions book during the long ride to the Weasley's. Instead she looked out the car into the passing England scenery. Lots of countryside that you would have to go into the Appalachian mountains to find in Georgia. Then every once in a while she'd see a city full of people walking around. She really liked it here!
"So Annie," Mr. Weasly said in the front seat. " Is this a lot different then from where you come from?"
Annie simply nodded without looking away. Mr. Weasly laughed.
She only half concentrated on the scenery when Mr. Weasly started talking to Harry in a hushed voice.
"So Harry," He said sounding like he was trying to keep a secret. "have you heard from your godfather lately?"
Annie could tell that Harry had smiled. "Its alright, Annie knows."
"Knows what?" She said trying to convince that she hadn't been listening.
They ignored her question. "I haven't heard from him since he was found, but he did tell me when he was found."
Annie sat back in her seat. Yes Harry had told her the story of his Godfather. He'd told her every story of his years in Hogwarts, after, that is that Annie let him know that she knew about the whole Voldemort thing. Annie had once considered that Harry's Godfather and her uncle were the same person, but she didn't even know her uncle's first name so it could've been anyone. After all, Black was a common last name. At least in the states it was, And Annie hadn't shown anyone the picture before and she didn't plan on breaking that chain.
The Weasley's house was a lot bigger than the Dursley's. It looked like it would topple over any second, and that it looked like it was held up by magic (Annie quickly reminded herself that it probably was). She hoisted her bag onto her back and followed Mr. Weasly and Harry inside.
They were almost thrown over by people rushing at the door. Two kids about Annie and Harry's age, who Annie immediately assumed were Ron and Hermione. Two taller boys who were twins, came along too.
The twins took Harry's trunk and hoisted it up the stairs, and Hermione and Ron started talking excitedly to Harry. Annie stood aside, letting Harry have his time with his friends.
As soon as Annie could sort out what they were saying, she found out that they were drilling Harry with questions- about her! She watched, watching Harry try to calm his friends, who were still taking furiously. The only thing that got them to quiet was when Harry said. "Why don't you ask her yourself?!" Ron and Hermione stopped abruptly, staring at Harry, who simply pointed over in Annie's direction. Annie just stood there and said "Hi, Im Annie."
Harry sat out in the yard talking to Ron the a few days later. They were about to leave for Diagon Alley. The sun was bright and everyone was happy.
Annie and Hermione sat by themselves in the corner of the garden talking. Hermione had really taken to Annie. Harry assumed that they could relate growing up in the muggle world and being assembly muggle born.
"Wonder what they're talking about." Ron said biting into a carrot.
Harry shrugged. "Who knows with girls. All I know is Annie's finished all of my books and Hermione's."
Ron shook his head. "We can't get enough the know-it-alls can we?"
Harry laughed. He had a feeling one more wouldn't hurt.
Annie wasn't sure where they were going. Harry said something about Diagon Alley, but Annie was drawing a blank. All the things
she had read really weren't going to help her in the real world. Annie still couldn't pronounce Hermione's name so Hermione said it was okay if she called her Herms.
They sat in the back yard waiting to go. Apparently the twins had gotten into trouble, which even after a day didn't surprise Annie.
Herms and her were talking about nothing in particular just like girls. Merely trying to pass the time when Herms said something that
caught Annie's attention.
"You like Harry don't you?"
Annie knew what she meant, but still pretend she didn't so she could make up a good lie. "Sure I like him he's a good guy."
"No I mean... you know like in a boyfriend girlfriend way."
Annie sat for a second she didn't think so she hadn't really thought about it. "No I don't." She lied confidently.
"Oh okay then." Herms said dropping the subject.
Annie let out her breath.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diagon Alley was a strange place. People walked around talking, dressed in a lose fitting clothing that Annie didn't recognize.
"This is where we're going to get your school things." Mrs. Weasley had said smiling as Annie emerged from the fireplace. They had used Floo powder to arrive. Annie had read about it in one of Herms' books.
The first place they visited was a place called Gringots. "Annie dear you'll need to get your money converted." She pointed to a desk on the side of the room.
"I'll go with you Ann." Herms said and they walked over to the desk.
There was a small man with pointy ears sitting at the desk which towered over their heads.
"Its a goblin." Herms whispered in Annie's ear seeing the astonishment. "They've got a worse temper then you have so be careful."
Annie grinned. She'd have to grit her teeth for that request.
They'd gotten all their money transferred and put in sacks by the time Harry Ron Ginny the twins and Mrs. Weasley came back.
"Hermione, dear could you help Annie get her things?" Mrs. Weasley asked Herms when she came up. "We need to get over to the
second hand store. Meet us at the Leaky Cauldron when your done."
Annie didn't ask why they needed to go to the second hand store. She'd already been told by Ginny Weasley, a fourth year who was quite sweet.
"I'll come too." Harry said and they set off.
"You got your list, Annie?" Herms asked.
Annie pulled it out. "Yup. And I have no idea what any of this stuff is."
Hermione grinned. "That, my dear is why I am here."
Harry had a good time watching Annie get her robes and such. She marveled at the quills and the robes with wide eyes. By the time
they got back to the Leaky Cauldron, Annie was giggling with shock.
"I mean this is so cool..." She said as she sat down at their table. "I can't wait to have a go with all this stuff.
Harry laughed. He looked around for any signs of the Weasleys. They hadn't finished yet.
"Seriously Herms what's school like?"
Herms? It took Harry a second to realize what Annie was talking about."Ya Herms what's school like from the point of view of the cleverest witch Hogwarts has ever had."
Hermione looked at him like he was going to kill him. "Well its alright except for Malfoy and everything."
"Who now?" Said a voice from behind them.
Harry knew who it was without turning around. He could tell by the cold voice.
"Hey Potter, who's your friend?" Malfoy said coming to sit down next to Annie, who looked at him like he was a freak. "Another mudblood to add to the board? Granger not getting enough company?"
Harry stood. He wouldn't be making a fool out of Annie, but she had already taken care of it. Malfoy was on the floor, his chair spiraling out behind him. His face was blood red.
"Oh poor kid." Annie said standing over him, grinning. "You might want to work on that coordination huh?"
Malfoy stood then glared at Annie. "If you so much as think about hurting or offending my friends again I will make sure you don't get up." She said glaring at him with a stare ten times as fierce.
Malfoy looked like he was going to say something, then just turned swiftly and walked away. Ron grinned at him as he passed.
Harry stared at Annie in awe as she sat down. No words could come out of his mouth.
"Annie!" Ron exclaimed giving her a hug. "You're my hero!"
Annie seemed to be taken aback by Ron's embrace. Harry could still see the rage in her eyes. Harry was glad that he was this girls friend.
The days passed quickly and Annie felt as if this were her only family. The Weasley's Hermione and Harry were so kind and caring to her, and she tried to not lose her temper every time Fred and George played a prank on her.
Annie felt like she was on the verge of tears the day she packed her things to leave for school. Over the month she and Hermione had become inseparable, and Harry and Ron always were around. Annie still wasnt about to let her "more than friendly" feelings for Harry be shown, mostly because Hermione had told her about his crush Cho Chang.
Annie didn't have a trunk like the others did so she was shrinking all of her books and everything so it would fit into her bag with her new wand. She only hoped that the permit was still in effect. She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out into the hall.
Mr. Weasly stopped her in the hall. "Annie," he whispered as Fred and George passed by. "I don't know how the other children will react to your coming so I know I don't have to tell you to be tough."
Annie nodded. She'd been tough in the muggle world all her life she didn't expect the wizarding world would be any different. She just gave Mr. Weasly a reassuring smile and headed out to the car.
Harry sat squeezed between Annie and Ron on the way to Kings Cross station. He sat and thought about what happened at the Leaky Cauldron. He indulged himself in the image of Malfoy on the ground fuming. It was almost as good as the time he got turned into a weasel by Moody/Crouch and bounced around everywhere. Harry couldn't help but smile.
"What?" Ron said beside him.
"Nothing." Harry replied grinning getting a picture of Annie in his head. "Absolutely nothing."
Annie looked around in shock. She had gone though the barrier hadn't she? She didn't die did she? No She didn't die she was certain because here came Harry barreling into her with his cart sending Annie to the round.
"Oh my God." Harry said crouching down beside her. "Are you alright?"
Annie shook herself away."Ya Im fine." She said ignoring the sharp pains in the back of her legs and standing up.
"I'm so sorry." Harry said backing away. "I-"
Anne held up her hand. "Its okay I should have gotten out of the way." She gave Harry a pat in the shoulder, the pain getting worse. "Don't worry about it."
She climbed the train steps wincing and trying not to limp while Harry gave his things to the person taking carts.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Harry said as they walked down the aisle.
"Harry!" Annie said spinning around and looking him in the eyes. "I'm alright."
She didn't turn away though. His eyes... His bright green eyes that seemed to light up the room... they were so familiar...
She didn't have time to examine them any longer because that's when her leg snapped in half, and she went right into Harry's arms and passed out.
Harry let out a breath of relief when he found out that Madam Pomfrey was on board the train. She'd re-grown all the bones in his arm one time; a couple of broken legs shouldn't be any trouble.
"Potter, trouble follows you everywhere doesn't it?" She said after she had finished with Annie and was turning to leave. Hermione and Ron were anxiously waiting behind Harry. "But I expect she'll be alright. She should be awake by the time we get to the school." Then she got up and left.
Harry sat down with a flop. He was so guilty. He had done this to her. He put his head in his hands.
"It's okay, Harry." Ron said smiling. "It wasn't your fault and besides you heard Madam Pomfrey."
Harry ignored him. He just felt so guilty. He looked at Annie laying unconscious beside him. It was his fault.
Hermione leaned in looking at Harry in the eyes. Harry could tell by the expression on her face that she knew. he didn't know how she figured it out. Maybe it was a girl thing.
"Just don't tell her okay?" He said
Ron leaned in. "Tell who what?"
Annie woke at the sound of Hermione's voice and at bolt upright."Wh-what did I miss?"
Hermione came over to her friend."We're going to be at school in about ten minutes. The guys have gone into the next cabin to change. Can you stand?"
Annie swung her legs around and stood up. She was a little dizzy but other than that fine. She felt like she had just been healed from a major hurting leg. "Do I even want to know what happened?" She said as she took her bag down from the hatch.
Hermione just shook her head.
The sun had already set when the train stopped at Hogwarts and the night stars were glistening outside.
"Firs' years!" Called a voice in the distance.
"That's me!" Annie said to her friend. "O you'll tell the guys.."
Hermione just waved her off. "Bye!" Annie called.
She stood two or three heads over the crowd of eleven year olds."Ye must be Annie!" Said a very gigantic man at the head of the crowd. "Dumbledore told me about ya."
Annie didn't know what to say, but she didn't have to say anything.
"Come on then!" The man said, laughing slightly, "Welcome to Hogwarts!"
Harry sat at the Gryffindor table with Ron and Hermione not really listening to all the post-summer chatter. He glanced anxiously at the great Hall doors waiting for them to come in. Hermione had said that Annie was fine, but he had to see for himself.
"Relax, Harry!" Ron said taking a break from talking to Seamus. "She'll get sorted into Gryffindor!"
The houses! Harry hadn't thought of that! He was going to have a nervous breakdown!
Finally, the great hall doors burst open to reveal Professor McGonagall leading a flood of first years and one Annie. She stood abnormally tall amongst the eleven year olds which sent whispers throughout the hall. Harry could hear things like "Giant..." and "skele-grow."
Professor McGonagall stood by the sorting hat and waited for its song to finish, and right when she was about to call out the first name Professor Dumbledore interrupted her.
"Excuse me, but as I do know how well rumors fly around this school, I want to nip one in the bud. Please allow me to introduce Miss Annie Codwell who joins us from the Untied States of America, to come directly into her fifth year. Annie if you would please."
Annie stepped up and sat on the stool, looking very calm. McGonagall placed the sorting hat on to her head and waited.
It was a long quiet minute before the hat spoke."Miss Codwell, you're quite a challenge. I don't think I've had more difficult since Harry Potter, but lets see... Theres a lot of buried things in this head. Very good mind... loyal... very proud...bit of a temper though...hmmm.... I think it better be..."
"GRYFFINDOR!!!"
Annie let out a big smile as she joined her friends at their table. She gave Hermione a grin and sat down next to her.
Soon after the sorting was done, the plates filled with food an Annie couldn't contain herself any longer. She dove right in. She heard Ron talk about Quidditch over and over and ended up spitting food al over the place.
Annie looked over at Harry who was eating silently. He had broken the both of her legs and she couldn't get mad. She smiled to herself. Annie brought herself back to Earth. He didn't want to be with her. She was fooling herself.
"Oh no!" Harry moaned at breakfast the next morning. "Potions with the Slytherins again?!"
"Of course." Ron said biting into a bit of toast. "Its Snape's personal favorite twisted way to torture us."
Harry laughed but Ron was right. Snape did love to make their lives a living-
"Hey Y'all." Annie said sitting down next to Harry.
"Y'all?" Ron asked looking at Harry, who shrugged.
Annie rolled her eyes "Y'all contraction for you all. Don't you know your slang terms?" She grinned.
Ron started to say something but then changed his mind.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Dunno. She was still in the dorms when I left." Annie said buttering up some toast.
Hermione came down the steps just as the owls came fluttering in dropping the mail.
"Hey," she said catching a letter that an owl dropped, and sitting across from Annie. "Sorry I'm late lost my schedule." She opened her letter and read it silently. Her expression dropped more and more as she read.
"What?" Annie said obviously reading her friend's expression.
Hermione handed the letter to Annie and put her head down on the table. Annie read it silently to herself, then gave Harry a solemn look. "I'm sorry Herms. I really am."
Hermione pulled her head up tears running down her face. "It's okay." She said wiping them away. "Its not like I expected it to last forever."
Harry glanced at Ron, who shrugged. "What is it Hermione?" Harry said quietly.
"I know what it is." Came voice from the aisle between tables."That dope Krum dumped her that's what."
"How in the world could you possibly know that Malfoy?" Ron Sneered at him.
Malfoy shrugged. "I have my connections, Weasly. Although I can't see why anyone could like her."
"I don't see why anyone could like you either Malfoy." Annie popped in. "Oh wait that's right no one does!"
The whole Gryffindor table laughed even Hermione. She seemed to be a lot happier after watching Malfoy walk off to his table fuming.
Ron elbowed Harry. " I think I should get a camera that face was priceless!" He laughed.
"Oh come on." Hermione said. "We're going to be late for potions."
"You say that like its a bad thing!" Ron muttered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The truth was, Harry was worried about potions. He knew Annie was crazy about the subject, but Snape wasn't the easiest person to get along with epically if you're a Gryffindor, but Annie seemed to be keeping her cool that is until...
"Ten points from Gryffindor."
"WHAT?!" Annie yelled at Snape. "You can't punish him for what he doesn't know!"
The whole room fell silent. Harry looked back at Annie, who shrunk back into her seat. Snape had been picking on Neville like he always did asking him what happened when you mixed toad vomit with troll toes. (both Hermione's and Annie's hands shot up.)
"Oh, it's Codwell, the special child," Snape said turning around. Harry could hear Malfoy's sniggering as Snape came up to Annie, bending down to look her in the face.
Harry could see Annie gripping her desk as Snape provoked her.
"Do you have a problem with the way I teach my class Miss Codwell?"He said grinning his big crooked nose in her face. "Oh do I scare you, Codwell?"
Harry caught a glance from Hermione and Ron. They agreed that this did not look good. She wasn't going to last much longer.
"Oh come on Codwell, you can defend your friends but you can't defend yourself? How pathetic."
That was the last straw. He saw Annie scowl at Snape and open her mouth to retaliate, but Harry was faster. He shot up his hand into the air.
"What, Potter?" Snape said not turning away from Annie, who still scowled at him.
Harry didn't know what to say. "I-I- have to go to the bathroom."
"It can wait, and another five points will be taken from Gryffindor." Snape said turning away from Annie and marching up to his desk.
Annie mouthed thank you to Harry. He just smiled. He knew a way she could pay him back.
Annie let out her breath as she walked out of potions class She was prepared to worship the ground Harry walked on! She had been about to go nuclear on Snape in her face like that.
"Don't worry about it." Harry said. "I'll think of a way for you to pay me back later."
Annie smiled, and bowed. "I am you humble servant." She waved to Harry as he started up to the North Tower with Ron. She was taking Arithmancy with Herms instead of Divination. She wasn't much for guess work and making peoples lives a living death, just because she decided for them to get a broken leg in a month. Besides she always loved a good challenge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were to meet up with the guys in the Great Hall for lunch then head of to their next class together after Arithmancy. She and Hermione talked happily on their way down from the classroom.
"They'll be a few more minutes." Hermione said as they sat down at the edge of the table. She smiled, but Annie could tell it was a sad smile.
"So. Um Herms..." She said awkwardly. "You alright?"
At first it looked like Hermione didn't know what she was talking about, but then it dawned on her."Oh that. yeah I was planning on breaking up with him anyways."
Annie was surprised. "Why?"
Hermione sighed. "Well.. you know he lives-wherever and I live here, and I dunno. It was just a little crush I guess I don't like him like that anymore."
Annie sat back in her chair. She wasn't so sure about that answer, but she didn't have time to argue.
"Hey," Harry said plopping down in the chair next to Annie. "What do we have next?"
"History." Hermione said simply.
"Yeah we have all the boring classes today. We don't have Defence Against the Dark Arts till Friday and Hagrid till Wednesday."
"Theres always transfiguration." Hermione said as lunch was served.
"Like I said..." Ron laughed as he started into the food.
"How was Divination?" Hermione asked.
"Typical." Ron said.
"Boring." Harry added.
"Pointless." Both Hermione and Annie said together.
Annie nudged Harry with her harm her mouth still full. "When does Quidditch practice start?"
Harry shook his head. "Dunno. Alicia Spinnet is captain this year butwe can't do a thing unless we have a keeper."
Annie nodded. She wished she'd been given a racing broom. She wanted a go at it. She so loved to fly.
A few minutes later, Fred and George came by yanking on Annie's hair as they sat down. She gave them a playfully angry look, but smiled. "Hey you two." She said as they ate. They were speeding through every bite.
Where's the fire you two?" Ron said gawking at his brothers eating like pigs.
"Got work to do." Fred said spitting potatoes everywhere.
"Can't talk." George added, then they both sped off.
Annie was shocked. "Work? Since when do those two work?"
Ron swallowed. "They must still be trying with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes"
She gave a questioning look at Hermione who simply said "Their joke shop."
Annie smiled. She had to see that.
A few weeks later Harry got his letter from Sirius. He looked at it for a second then shoved it into his pocket. The others glanced at him waiting for him to tell them where to meet up to read it, but then something peculiar happened-Annie got a letter.
She paused for a second, obviously in awe, then opened it. She frowned for a second.
"What?" Hermione said across the table from her.
Annie didn't answer. She stood up and almost ran to Gryffindor Tower. Harry glanced at his friends for a second then at once they took off behind her.
Annie didn't stop all the way until she came to her dormitory(she only had to stop then to open the portrait). she did slow some when walked over to her bed, which gave Harry time to catch his breath. What was she doing?
Harry went right on into the girls room while Ron happily waited outside. Annie walked slowly up to her bed followed by Hermione, pulled back the curtains, and gasped.
There were rats in her bed! Hundreds of them, white brown, gray even some that were yellow. Just dead rats. Thankfully they were all dead, but still. Hermione stifled a scream. She could hear Harry take in a sharp breath.
Annie just stood, not exactly sure what to say or do. Harry fortunately took over.
"Hermione, you and Ron go get McGonagall," He said quietly, then gently took the letter from Annie's hands.
"Go to your room," he read, "Thats simple enough." He added sitting on the bed next to hers.
Annie wasn't listening. She was thinking. "Why rats?" she wondered aloud startled by her own voice. "I mean, rats are furry and well at times cute, why not frogs? Or uh I dunno." She sat down on the bed next to Harry. "Rats..."
"Don't know." He said simply.
"Miss Granger I really expected more from you." Came McGonagall's voice down the stairs. "You and Mister Weasly should be in class..." She emerged from the stairwell and gasped.
"Ya that's what she said." Ron said following her in.
"Wh-who did this?" McGonagall stuttered.
Annie turned to face her. "I wish I knew, professor. and if I did I most certainly would not be here."
McGonagall didn't seem to hear her. she just stepped up to the bed, winced and said "Well first things first." She pulled out her wand and a pillowcase from the bed. "Accio"
One by one all the rodents on Annie's bed zoomed into the pillowcase.
Once they were all gone, Annie saw a white envelope on her pillow. She picked it up slowly and opened it. Written there on the parchment inside was one word.
Worthless
McGonagall turned to her. "Come on, Annie lets get to class we can figure this out later."
She gave one sweeping look around the room, then led them off to transfiguration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But Annie didn't want to figure it out later. She sat back in her chair and watched Harry and Ron struggle with the assignment. (Turning pigs into Bacon.)
"Who would do something like this?" Hermione said beside her, also finished. "Malfoy?"
Annie shook her head. She had thought of him, for he definitely had the motive, but-"No. He's to stupid. He doesn't know the pass words and doesn't have the power to put a spell on the Fat lady. No this took a lot of elaborate planning. The only kid who could pull something like this is me or you."
Hermione nodded. "So you're saying this isn't some practical joke."
"Yes I am, Herms"She whispered so as to not let Harry or Ron hear "and the only thing is... that's what's scares me."
After all the 'excitement' of the day, Harry had completely forgotten to read Sirius's letter. He didn't even remember until late that evening after just about everyone had gone to bed, and Annie had just finished helping him with his homework.
"Oh." Harry said reaching into his pocket. "Can't believe I forgot."
Annie moved in closer to read it with him. She sat so close that she was almost sitting on him. Of course, Harry didn't mind.
"Looks like he's settled in alright..." Annie said reading. "Buckbeak? Oh right."
But Harry wasn't looking at the letter. He was staring right down at Annie. He didn't even catch himself until it was to late.
Annie looked up at him, her bright blue eyes focused in his."What?"
Harry tried to say something, but no words came out. He remembered something he'd heard Annie say one time. "Actions speak louder than words." So he spoke.
Before she knew it Harry ad kissed her. Her first to be exact. It was short and most definitely sweet.
Harry pulled away quickly and said."I-I'm sorry." He looked away.
Annie couldn't help but smile."'Night, Harry." She said simply, and she went up to bed.
Harry sat there for a few seconds regaining his senses. Had he just kissed a girl? He headed up to his dorm with a grin on his face. He hoped he didn't offend her in any way, but it sure didn't seem like it.
He spent a few minutes writing Sirius, telling him about Annie, coming to school, the rats, and when Hogsmade was and such. Then he lay back.
"Did Annie help you?" Came Ron's voice from the other side of the room.
Harry grinned."I don't kiss and tell."
He saw the shadow of Ron bolt up in the bed. "Oh tell her that!!!"
Harry got a letter from Sirius a few days later, but all Harry would tell her was the time to meet him to meet Snuffles(the code name for Sirius). The rest he said was "Guy stuff."
"Ha. Ha. Ha" Annie said when he told her this, as she was heading to Arithmancy. "See you at lunch." She said backing up. Suddenly she hit something hard and sent whatever it was sprawling onto the ground.
She immediately turned to apologize but changed her mind.
"Better watch your back, Codwell." Malfoy said, Crabbe and Goyle hoisting him up off the floor. "Don't want any more rats in your bed."
Annie sneered. "If Im not mistaken, Malfoy, you aren't allowed in my bed." She said as he walked off.
Harry came over to her. "I'll bet he's the one." He said ruefully.
Annie just shrugged. She didn't want to worry Harry to worry about her. Not unless there was something to worry about.
She turned and headed to class, but stopped suddenly, for there was a small white envelope addressed to her by her feet. She picked it up, made sure that Harry didn't see and headed off to Arithmancy.
"Ominous?" Hermione whispered in Arithmancy when Annie showed her the note. She leaned over the desk before class started making sure that no one over heard or saw. "What-"
"I don't know, Herms. I've got so many questions swimming in my head I don't know which to ask first."
Hermione sat in the desk next to her and said in a low voice: "And you said you saw it right after you hit Malfoy?"
Annie nodded. She knew what Hermione was thinking." Well, I think its time to suspect he has something to do with it, but I don't think hens the only one!"
Hermione seemed to consider it, then agreed. "To bad poisoning students isn't legal." She said with a smile.
"Oh, but none of this to anyone okay? The last thing I need is Harry or anyone else for that matter as my shadow.
Hermione gave her a strange look, but didn't say anything.
Harry sat in the Great Hall waiting for Annie and Hermione. They had gone off to the dorms for some reason, and said tat they would be back in a minute.
Because there was nothing else to think about, Harry flashed back to the other night with Annie. He didn't know what to do about that. Finally, he decided to wait until Annie met Sirius. He didn't know why, but it just felt like the best thing to do. He wouldn't have to wait to long they would be going to Hogsmade tomorrow.
"Hey," Hermione said sitting down with Annie behind her. "Divination interesting?"
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Hermione." Ron said, picking up his water. "Did Annie tell you?"
Oh no Harry thought.
"Tell me what?"
"About the other night!" He said gaping.
Harry could feel himself blushing. Obviously, Annie hadn't told her, for she was crimson and hissing at Ron to shut up. "I'll tell you later, Herms" She muttered.
"Oh my God, Codwell,"Malfoy butted in "You didn't tell your best friend when the whole school knows!? Shame!"
Annie banged her head on the table, and Harry shot a look at Ron who shook his head.
"Malfoy, do you ever shut your mouth?" Ron said.
"Aww, Weasly. Its so cute you're jealous. I don't know why though. I don't know why anyone would want to kiss that hideous freak."
Harry saw Hermione's eyes widen, and Ron's face turn red. Annie-was gone.
Hermione was the one who had finally found Annie, sobbing quietly in the dorms. Harry was confused. Why was she crying? Malfoy had never bothered her before, why would he now? Harry pushed aside his questions and sat beside Annie, letting her cry on his shoulder.
Annie was so embarrassed. No one. Ever. In her lifetime had ever seen her cry. Mostly because shed never cried before but that was beside the point. Harry thought he understood, but truly only Hermione knew why Annie had broken down. She'd merely been so stressed out with the letters and everything else that Malfoy pushed her over the edge.
She awoke Saturday morning in an exited rush. She waited for Hermione and the two of them went down to the Great Hall for Breakfast. Hermione was trying to convince Annie to tell someone about the other letter. She got one yesterday containing the word. "restles", and Hermione laughed at the spelling error. She determined that they would be coming in three day intervals. (Annie couldn't understand how this helped them, but Hermione offered the information saying "The more we know the better.")
Annie elbowed Hermione who was counting off reasons that Anne should tell, when they entered the Great Hall, mostly because Harry and Ron had walked up.
"What are you dong?" Ron asked giving Hermione a weird look.
"Nothing." Annie quickly butted in. "Ready to go?"
Harry nodded. "Snuffles is going to meet us at four. and its about twelve now, so lets go." He smiled at Annie.
Harry was great. He didn't show that he thought Annie was weak, and that's what worried Annie the most. When people thought she was weak they treated her differently. Not Harry. He was there when she needed him, yet thought no less of her.
"Annie," Ron said, when they were about halfway to the village. "How can you go to Hogsmade when you don't have the parent/guardian thing?"
Annie shrugged, "Wasn't told I needed one."
Ron shrugged too."Guess you don't need one."
They continued walking down the path talking about Quidditch.
"First game is in a couple of weeks, and we still don't have a keeper." Harry complained. "Alicia is going crazy!"
"I would..."Annie started but changed direction. "I want to so bad, but I don't have a broom! It would be awesome!"
Hermione smiled and put her arm around Annie. "You would have been great, Annie"
And they dropped the subject.
Harry had thought about what Hermione had said as they stopped by the Three Broomsticks. Annie would make a good keeper. She was the only person he knew had the instincts to catch a fly in midair, and if she could handle a long distance flight from America to Surrey, she could handle a game of Quidditch. He thought briefly of getting her a broom, when the girls went uptown to Honeydukes and he and Ron went to Zonko's, but dismissed the thought. He had two more years of Hogwarts to think about, not to mention he probably couldn't afford it even then. Suddenly, something in the store next to him caught his eye, and for the first time, he went into the bookstore.
Annie had to give all her money to Hermione to keep from spending it all in the sweet shop, even then Hermione had to threaten Annie with her life to get her of there. In the end she was thankful though. She had Christmas to think about.
"Besides," Hermione said once Annie was clear of the store and the two had sat down on a bench. A large black dog sat panting next to it. "We need to go to the post office.
"What for?" Annie asked absentmindedly stroking the big dog.
"Well, you know now that I think of it never mind."
Annie laughed. "What were you thinking? That we could maybe track the letter through the system?"
Hermione fell silent.
"Ooookaay..." Annie said trying not to laugh.
" I'd bet Ron or Harry would have a couple of ideas..." Hermione said looking at Annie.
"Look," Annie shot back her patience wearing thin. "Harry's got enough to worry about. Don't you think its a bit suspicious that Voldy hasn't made a peep since last year?"
Hermione stayed silent.
"Good Lord, Herms! You haven't noticed?!" Annie said taking her hand off the dog and throwing it into the air. "I'll bet he's going to make another grab at Harry before the year is over, and I'm not going to be the one who distracts him and lets his guard down."
Hermione sighed. "You are right on one part, but we still do need to tell someone."
Annie gave in, "Alright we tell one person... but I decide who it is."
Hermione looked as if she was going to say something, but then stopped. Harry and Ron were coming up the hill.
Harry sat in the Great Hall waiting for Annie and Hermione. They had gone off to the dorms for some reason, and said tat they would be back in a minute.
Because there was nothing else to think about, Harry flashed back to the other night with Annie. He didn't know what to do about that. Finally, he decided to wait until Annie met Sirius. He didn't know why, but it just felt like the best thing to do. He wouldn't have to wait to long they would be going to Hogsmade tomorrow.
"Hey," Hermione said sitting down with Annie behind her. "Divination interesting?"
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Hermione." Ron said, picking up his water. "Did Annie tell you?"
Oh no Harry thought.
"Tell me what?"
"About the other night!" He said gaping.
Harry could feel himself blushing. Obviously, Annie hadn't told her, for she was crimson and hissing at Ron to shut up. "I'll tell you later, Herms" She muttered.
"Oh my God, Codwell,"Malfoy butted in "You didn't tell your best friend when the whole school knows!? Shame!"
Annie banged her head on the table, and Harry shot a look at Ron who shook his head.
"Malfoy, do you ever shut your mouth?" Ron said.
"Aww, Weasly. Its so cute you're jealous. I don't know why though. I don't know why anyone would want to kiss that hideous freak."
Harry saw Hermione's eyes widen, and Ron's face turn red. Annie-was gone.
Hermione was the one who had finally found Annie, sobbing quietly in the dorms. Harry was confused. Why was she crying? Malfoy had never bothered her before, why would he now? Harry pushed aside his questions and sat beside Annie, letting her cry on his shoulder.
Annie was so embarrassed. No one. Ever. In her lifetime had ever seen her cry. Mostly because shed never cried before but that was beside the point. Harry thought he understood, but truly only Hermione knew why Annie had broken down. She'd merely been so stressed out with the letters and everything else that Malfoy pushed her over the edge.
She awoke Saturday morning in an exited rush. She waited for Hermione and the two of them went down to the Great Hall for Breakfast. Hermione was trying to convince Annie to tell someone about the other letter. She got one yesterday containing the word. "restles", and Hermione laughed at the spelling error. She determined that they would be coming in three day intervals. (Annie couldn't understand how this helped them, but Hermione offered the information saying "The more we know the better.")
Annie elbowed Hermione who was counting off reasons that Anne should tell, when they entered the Great Hall, mostly because Harry and Ron had walked up.
"What are you dong?" Ron asked giving Hermione a weird look.
"Nothing." Annie quickly butted in. "Ready to go?"
Harry nodded. "Snuffles is going to meet us at four. and its about twelve now, so lets go." He smiled at Annie.
Harry was great. He didn't show that he thought Annie was weak, and that's what worried Annie the most. When people thought she was weak they treated her differently. Not Harry. He was there when she needed him, yet thought no less of her.
"Annie," Ron said, when they were about halfway to the village. "How can you go to Hogsmade when you don't have the parent/guardian thing?"
Annie shrugged, "Wasn't told I needed one."
Ron shrugged too."Guess you don't need one."
They continued walking down the path talking about Quidditch.
"First game is in a couple of weeks, and we still don't have a keeper." Harry complained. "Alicia is going crazy!"
"I would..."Annie started but changed direction. "I want to so bad, but I don't have a broom! It would be awesome!"
Hermione smiled and put her arm around Annie. "You would have been great, Annie"
And they dropped the subject.
Harry had thought about what Hermione had said as they stopped by the Three Broomsticks. Annie would make a good keeper. She was the only person he knew had the instincts to catch a fly in midair, and if she could handle a long distance flight from America to Surrey, she could handle a game of Quidditch. He thought briefly of getting her a broom, when the girls went uptown to Honeydukes and he and Ron went to Zonko's, but dismissed the thought. He had two more years of Hogwarts to think about, not to mention he probably couldn't afford it even then. Suddenly, something in the store next to him caught his eye, and for the first time, he went into the bookstore.
Annie had to give all her money to Hermione to keep from spending it all in the sweet shop, even then Hermione had to threaten Annie with her life to get her of there. In the end she was thankful though. She had Christmas to think about.
"Besides," Hermione said once Annie was clear of the store and the two had sat down on a bench. A large black dog sat panting next to it. "We need to go to the post office.
"What for?" Annie asked absentmindedly stroking the big dog.
"Well, you know now that I think of it never mind."
Annie laughed. "What were you thinking? That we could maybe track the letter through the system?"
Hermione fell silent.
"Ooookaay..." Annie said trying not to laugh.
" I'd bet Ron or Harry would have a couple of ideas..." Hermione said looking at Annie.
"Look," Annie shot back her patience wearing thin. "Harry's got enough to worry about. Don't you think its a bit suspicious that Voldy hasn't made a peep since last year?"
Hermione stayed silent.
"Good Lord, Herms! You haven't noticed?!" Annie said taking her hand off the dog and throwing it into the air. "I'll bet he's going to make another grab at Harry before the year is over, and I'm not going to be the one who distracts him and lets his guard down."
Hermione sighed. "You are right on one part, but we still do need to tell someone."
Annie gave in, "Alright we tell one person... but I decide who it is."
Hermione looked as if she was going to say something, but then stopped. Harry and Ron were coming up the hill.
Ron and Harry started up the hill to the bench that they were supposed to meet the girls, with a new bag in his right hand. In his left was food for Sirius.
"What's that?" Annie asked as soon as they came up to the bench.
"Nothing." Harry said grinning, Ron rolled his eyes.
Harry laughed, seeing the big black dog sitting beside Annie, who was petting it. Hermione and Ron saw his glance. Hermione's eyes widened, and Ron started to laugh.
"Annie," Harry said. "Did I ever mention that my uncle was an animagi?"
At first, Annie gave him a strange look, then figured it out. Taking her hand off of the dog she said. "No you forgot to mention that little detail."
The dog came over to Harry and sniffed his bag. "You're early Sirius." Harry said, and the dog led them away.
Harry took the back of the line since he knew the path best. Annie kept looking back at him, giving him strange looks, which Harry fond very amusing. By the time he reached Sirius' cave, his godfather had already transformed, and by the sound of it, Annie wasn't happy about it.
It was him!!! Annie could barely believe it. This man, scraggly and thin, was her uncle Black. She couldn't breathe. She collapsed into a seated position gasping for air. Her uncle sat in the corner in front of a huge hippogriff, gnawing on a chicken bone.
"What is it, Annie?" Hermione said kneeling down to her.
Annie couldn't say anything she hadn't found her breath yet. Harry and Ron joined Hermione on the floor, worried looks spreading across their faces.
She put up her hands then quickly reached into her back pocket and pulled out her picture and pointed to him in there.
"I don't get it." Ron said, and Harry looked to shocked to speak.
Annie quickly found her voice. "THATS MY UNCLE!" She yelled pointing at the picture then at the man who now had stopped eating. The whole cave went silent, even Buckbeak didn't move.
"What?" Harry said awestruck.
"That man," She said pointing her uncle. "Is my uncle."
A long time went without saying anything then finally her uncle spoke. "I don't know what you are talking about. I don't have any siblings."
Annie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "L-Let me get this straight." She said shaking and standing up. "Ur telling me that someone dumped me in a stupid orphanage, with a letter telling me that you were going to come and get me "some day".. and now...? Well I guess I don't know." She sat down again, totally pissed.
"Do you have the letter?" The man spoke after a while.
"Ya." Annie said simply then pulled out her wand and summoned it. "Its up at the castle it'll be here in a minute." She said then a couple of minutes later while trying to avoid nervous glances from her friend, the letter cam flying into her hands. "Here." She said giving him the note.
The man read it hurriedly, then said, "He didn't."
"What?" Harry asked reading the letter over Sirius's shoulder.
"This isn't my handwriting. Its Peters."
No. It couldn't be. He looked around the cave. Everyone seemed to have the same expression on their face, with the exception of Sirius, who was still gazing thoughtfully at the picture.
"Nicole," He whispered.
"Huh?" Came Annie's voice, as Harry looked over his godfather's shoulder. It was an exact muggle version of his picture.
"Nicole Codwell, Peter's girlfriend." Sirius said pointing to a beautiful woman in the picture with bright blue eyes. "Well-she was. Died about two weeks before Lilly and James went into hiding; the night that Peter was going to purpose. I knew she was pregnant, but I didn't know she had given birth to the child before she died. She was Lilly's best friend."
Annie took the picture and the letter from Sirius, and stuffed them into her back pocket. "Me, I assume."
Sirius nodded, and Annie, to Harry's surprise, looked thoughtful.
"Wait a sec." She said beginning to pace. "If I have all my facts straight, which..." She looked at Harry, "I am assuming I do, theres a connection here."
He looked at Ron, who shrugged. Harry saw Hermione walking over to Annie nodding. "But what?"
Annie and Hermione both sat down and starting whispering quietly, and Harry, as he often did, felt really left out. Ron seemed to be thinking the same thing, and Sirius had gone back to eating, but with a thoughtful look on his face.
After a few minutes, Annie popped her head up from its position in her hands."Sirius?" She called and Sirius bolted up. "After Voldy fell and before Pet-erm-Dad framed you did you see any of him?"
Sirius shook his head, and the two went back to muttering, leaving Harry totally in the dark. He gave Ron a shrug.
"Alright, this is how we see it," Annie said a few moments later, "Peter is so devastated over the loss of his girlfriend that he decides to join the dark side... supposedly okay you know how Voldy is, when Peter framed Sirius, he takes me and put me in that rat house, the comes back as a rat and finds his way to the Weasleys." Annie shrugged, "What a wonderful story." She plopped down onto the ground, her eyes filled with trouble.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry never got the chance to give Annie what he wanted to give her, because as soon as they got into the common room, McGonagall started lecturing them and handing out detentions and deducting points. He had to admit they were rather late; it was well after diner that they waked into the common room.
McGonagall said that after what happened to Annie, that they shouldn't be running around after hours, although Harry couldn't see why she was getting all bent out of shape. Annie hadn't gotten a letter in a month, so he went to bed wondering what she was ranting about, but it was no matter to him because he liked his second plan better to get the present to Annie. He waited a bit then slid out of bed. He rummaged through his trunk quietly a bit, found his invisibility cloak, took Annie's gift out of the bag then slipped quietly up to the girl's room.
The night was as silent as it had always been when he snuck out. This time it seemed less eerie though, because, he assumed, he wasn't going very far, and there was less of a risk as usual of getting caught. He opened the door to the girl's dormitory silently and slipped through without a sound. He quickly found Annie's bed in the darkness and set the book down. For a fleeting instant, Harry thought of opening the curtains and putting the book in her arms, but decided against it. It would wake her up, but he saw no harm in seeing what she looked like when she slept.
Slowly he drew back the fabric draped between bedposts and he saw her. She was so beautiful. It was hard to believe that she had been born to THE follower of Voldemort. But... Something caught Harry's eye. There in Annie's hand were four envelopes. Two he couldn't see, but two more he could one said restles and the other said malicious.
Harry stood for a second, confused. Then the truth took him. Annie was getting more letters! Why didn't she tell him? Why would she hide it? Harry was overcome with rage and he fled from the room, not concerning himself with being quiet. She'd lied. Why...?
Harry flung off his cloak and jumped into bed. He sat for a second fuming. He wasn't sure how to feel about Annie keeping the letters from him. He knew he was upset but he didn't know if he should be hurt or angry.
He didn't fall asleep until a few minutes later, totally exhausted. He had decided it would be easier to be mad.
Annie woke up to Hermione's shaking. "Hey sleepy head! She said smiling. "Are you okay? Its nearly twelve."
Annie felt a surge of panic and shot up straight in her bed. "TWELVE?!" She screamed looking around to see that no one was in the dorm. "Oh my how could I have slept in so late?"
"Annie..." Hermione said trying to calm her. "ANNIE!" she finally screamed and one that made Annie stop dead in her tracks.
"What?"
"Its Sunday." Hermione said sitting on Annie's bed. Annie just now noticed that Hermione wasn't in her uniform the one identical to the one Annie was hastily changing into.
"Oh." Annie said simply changing out of her uniform now.
Hermione laughed. "Man you and Harry both. I swear you two are like on the same brainwave or something. Ron just went to get Harry up."
Annie sat on the chest in front of her bed, only to stand back up in a hurry to find she was sitting on a rather big book.
"What's that?" Hermione said looking over to Annie.
"I don't know."Annie said picking up the book and unwrapping it from a gold paper. There was no card, and she opened the book to find something writing on the inside cover.
From Harry.
Annie smiled and flipped back to the main cover it read. "How to make you dunce a star- broom transformation. By: Gina Luttrell"
"What?" Hermione said again now coming over to Annie and reading over her shoulder. "Oh I saw that in the bookstore yesterday."
Annie flipped open the book and let Hermione read it. "Ohhh..." She said giving her a sly smile. "Well I guess we have work to do."
Annie grinned at her friend. Then the both of them bounced onto her bed, setting the broom in the middle of them, and opened the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry didn't see the point in having Quidditch practices anymore. The only thing they ever did was go over plans and plays. Everyone, especially Fred and George, were getting sick of it.
They were stuck in the locker room, and Harry was aching to get out into the sunshine and feel the cool breeze in his face.
"Come on!" Fred whined, " I want to get out there and actually do this stuff, not just talk about it!"
Alicia put her hands on her hips, "You know we can't do this without a decent keeper, and no one seems to want the position."
A huge sigh went throughout the room, and Harry saw Fred and George go into a horrible death scene.
"Ahem," said a voice from behind them. Everybody turned, including Harry to see Annie standing in the doorway. "You willing to try me out?"
Never in her life had Annie been so good at something. From the brief explanation Harry had given her of Quidditch, she expected it to be hard. It was simply: quaffle come, you catch, hit or anything necessary to keep it from the hoops. Only a few got past her, and that's when she was trying not to fall off the broom, which she had still not gotten used to the speed and agility of.
After they had landed, Fred and George almost tackled her saying, "She's almost as good as Wood!" Wood, she didn't know who he was, but all she cared about was that this was the happiest she'd been since her letters came, but she had this nagging feeling that Harry was avoiding her.
Harry truthfully had no idea why he was doing what he was doing, but still he sat on Annie's bed, waiting for her to come back from the party that he didn't bother to attend. In and out he saw several girls com in, but the paid him no mind, mostly because they couldn't see him. There was a dim lighting that remained on all the time that illuminated the room. It wasn't all that different from the boys' dorms, only the bedding and decor was more "flowery" than in his dormitories.
A few moments later, he heard a familiar voice from outside the door. Anne was coming. When the door burst open, the first thing she said was, "Hi, Harry."
It took Harry a moment or two to figure out that his foot was uncovered, then he took his cloak off.
"Thank you for the book " She said lightly, setting her new Quidditch robes on the bed and sat down beside him as if nothing was wrong, which made Harry even more ticked.
Annie seemed to read his expression, "What's wrong?"
Harry retorted, "Why should I tell you if you obviously don't trust me to tell me stuff,"
Annie looked at him in a mixture of hurt and confusion, "What?!" She asked in a stressed voice and Harry could tell she was trying not to yell. She stood up, looking down at him.
Harry stood up to meet her gaze, "Restless... malicious? Sound familiar?"
Annie just stood there, looking at him in disbelief, "Of course," she said, "When you dropped off the book..."
"Nice way to thank me," Harry said coldly.
Now it was Annie's turn to get mad. In order not to be tempted to hit him, she picked up her robes, and started putting them away, "It's my life..." she said so quietly that she wasn't sure if she was the one speaking, she knew she was going to regret what she was going to say, but she didn't care, "It's my life and I will do with it what I please,"
Harry rounded on Annie, who was yet again looking into his deep green eyes, but now they were flaring with anger, "Yes," he said, his fists clenched, "its your life and you can count me out of it."
Annie said nothing as she watched Harry slam the door behind him. She pulled out from behind her back two letters. One said: Timid and was addressed to Annie. The other said: I love you and was addressed to Harry.
Annie didn't come down to the common room or the Great Hall at all for the next two days; in fact, the only time Harry ever saw Anne was in classes. He was caught up in a world that he wasn't sure he wanted to be in. Hermione wasn't talking to him either. Ron, Harry thought, only took Harry's side because he was his best friend, not because he agreed with Harry. Therefore, Ron didn't speak much to him about it.
It was hard to know what he was feeling. There was no cease to his anger towards Annie, but at the same time he felt as if he could have handled things better, maybe asked why or let her explain. Either way, the anger he felt didn't change the way Annie made him feel, and guilt pressed into his mind day and night.
One day, he was sitting in the Great Hall playing with his food when he spotted Hermione walking up to the corridor towards the Gryffindor house. Immediately he jumped up and started after her. He knew that if Hermione was taking food somewhere, Annie was likely to be there. Hermione took no notice to him as he walked stealthily behind her. The two of them walked into the common room, and Harry was surprised at what he saw. Annie was sitting on the couch, looking except for a few tear stains very well. She smiled when she saw Hermione, but when she saw of Harry she scowled.
"Can I help you?" She said, making Hermione jump.
"It's the common room," Harry said simply, "I can come and go as I please."
Annie responded quickly. She simply stood and started to head to the dormitories, but Harry cut her off. He could see the anger in her bight blue eyes.
"You wanted out of my life," she said with what Harry could tell was much difficulty, "you got what you wanted. Now please move."
Harry didn't move a muscle, and he paid dearly for it too, for he felt a sharp pain across his face, and the force of the blow knocked him off his feet. Annie simply stepped around him and continued up the stairs.
It took a few moments for the world to come back into focus or as focused as it could be with his glasses knocked off his face, but Hermione was standing over him all the same.
"I forgot..." Harry said. Indeed he had forgotten how fierce Annie was.
"Well it would do better to remember next time then," Hermione said coldly, "Although I though you would be smart enough to say the only two words that would've made her stop."
Harry stood up, quickly fixed his glasses, then glared at his friend, "I'm not the one who should be sorry," he said, "She's the one who lied."
Hermione let out a grunt of disapproval, and said, "You idiot! Why do you think she hid it from you? Huh? She was trying to protect you from You-Know-Who! She told me that since You-Know-Who hadn't made a peep since last year that she thought that he might be dangerous for you to be worrying about her and not having you guard up. Ask Sirius. He heard us," and with that Hermione stormed up the stairs.
Annie paced around the room, torn with anger at Harry, anger at herself, and fear: another letter sat on her bed now, with the one she'd gotten yesterday. yesterday's was Ambitious and today's was Ignoramus. Whomever these letters were describing, Anne bet he didn't have much of a future going for him; both ambitions and an idiot? Something didn't add up.
Hermione burst through the door, a look of annoyance on her face, she stopped and looked at Annie, who simply nodded at her bed, Hermione sighed.
"I dunno what to do, Ann," she said softly.
Annie nodded, "I'd better write to Sirius to give him an update," she said then laughed. One more thing that she wasn't planning on telling Harry: ever since they went to Hogsmade, Annie and Harry's godfather kept in touch. He was a big help to the two girls. She picked up her quill and started to write.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"No... NOOOOO!!!" a voice yelled from far away.
Annie stood in a green corridor. The cry for help echoed throughout the long hallway, and it made her skin crawl. That voice sounded familiar, but she had never heard it before.
Annie started down the hallway, the voice still crying out, pleading for mercy. Annie soon heard a low chuckle, which made her hair stand on end. She knew that sound as well. She started to run down the corridor towards the voice, but just as she reached a small door at the end of the corridor... two shadows... a man and a woman's... the man held a dagger up above his head...
She woke up. No she jolted up--with sweat all over her. She looked around instinctively to find no one there, but one thing she sensed she could not ignore: She had to use the bathroom.
Even years afterward, Annie never figured out why she wanted to get dressed just to go down to the bathroom in the middle of the night, but she did anyway.
The light always burned in the girl's bathroom, for which Annie was thankful most nights, but tonight she wished they had let the lights burn out, because then her attacker couldn't have seen her.
Annie was grabbed by the wrists by two scrawny men in black cloaks. Adrenaline surged through Annie and through all her efforts, she was able to throw one of them into a stall. She never knew her own strength until it was put to the test. Now was that time. She was very close to getting the other one off when she stopped. She would not win this battle.
Malfoy cried, "Expellairamius!(sp)" and Annie went flying into the far wall.
Ouch. She could feel herself slipping out of consciousness. Draco walked up to her. Or at least she though it was Draco. She could make out the blonde hair barely as the world slipped away. Draco grinned, then threw a piece of parchment on Annie's lap that he took the liberty of reading for her: "Lost."
At this time Harry was dreaming too. He stood in a dark clearing that looked familiar. The moon shone brightly and he coud see a path in front of him. By no will of his own, Harry found himself further down that path, a orange light gleaming in the distance. Again he found himself nearer to that light and he soon found that it was a fire. He could hear faint laughter coming from the fire. Harry kept his distance, and watched the people. He knew all three of them, or at least he thought he did. the first sat with the light illuminating on his young face and his whitish-blonde hair: Draco Malfoy. Harry felt a surge of hatred run throughout his body.
The next person had a sandy blonde head, but he sat apart from the group, staring off into nowhere. This person didn't not join into the happy triumphant laughter. Harry felt another surge of hatred when he recognized this face... it was Wormtail.
The last person Harry couldn't see, but he could tell by the high-pitched laugh that it was the most feared person in the wizarding world: Voldemort.
Harry continued to walk closer to the fire, and it wasn't until he got right up close that Wormtail got up and walked off into the distance. There was no sound now, but Harry could tell that both Draco and Voldemort didn't seem to notice he was gone.
Harry could see where Wormtail was going, but it was a sudden burst of smoke from the fire that made Harry squint, and then it became visible what Wormtail was walking to: tied to a giant pole was a girl, her head was down and her dark brown hair hung over her face...
Harry woke with a start, breathing hard and sweating, the only thought that was in his mind... the fear and terror of what might become of her... because of him. Through all of this he could only breathe one word: "Annie!"
Hermione sat awake in her bed. For some reason she couldn't sleep that night. Something was keeping her awake and she had no clue what it was. Something was nagging at the back of her mind and she couldn't figure it out. Maybe it was that she was concerned for her best friend. Maybe... maybe... she looked at the pile of letters in front of her, illuminated by the moonlight. She hadn't wanted to keep anyone awake, so she sat still, ordering the letters chronologically and staring at them. This was what was making her so upset... there were something about these letters that needed to be unlocked...
Worthless
Ominous
Restles
Malicious
Timid
Ambitious
Ignoramus... There was a connection! But where! She couldn't see it. She felt a sense of urgency, like she had to figure it out soon, but she wasn't getting anywhere!
There was a gust of wind from the open window across from Hermione, and she became very cold. She swung her legs out and walked over to close the window, but she stepped on something. She looked down to find a piece of parchment under her foot. She picked it up and found out that it was the letter that Annie's father had given her when he left her. Hermione stared at it. The handwriting was...famili-- She didn't even have time to finish the though before she had figured out the mystery.
She sped to Annie's bed and flung open the curtains. She wasn't there. Hermione tried to keep down the panic as she dashed out of the dorm, not caring abut waking anyone up and when she came down to the common room she found Harry and Ron sitting there gazing into the fire mindlessly. Hermione sighed.
"She's been taken," Harry said sounding like he was in tears.
Hermione sat on the cold steps leading up to the dorms, "So what do we do?"
Ron said nothing, he just kept staring into the fire, and Harry looked over to Hermione.
"I know where she is," he said, "but we need some help first."
TUNE IN FOR MORE CHAPTERS AND MORE STORYS BY ME!!!!!!!!!!!