"I have a gift for you," she began in a secretive tone. Maddie looked
up expectantly and was surprised to see a delicately woven cage, with a medium
sized, snowy white owl fluttering about inside.
"Her name is Christaline. You're only going to be allowed to keep her if I
have her flying in here with a letter for me at least two times a day."
Aunt Rachel smiled again and pulled Maddie into a huge, warm embrace.
"Smile. Just smile, Maddie, for me and for your family, for the friends
you'll have soon enough, but most of all, smile for you."
Maddie stepped away, the profound words of her aunt pounding in her head,
louder than even the crowd that was milling about the station. She nodded
bravely, added her new owl to the pile on the cart, and disappeared through the
brick wall of the platforms. Rachel stood for a few seconds, watching the spot
where her beloved niece had stood earlier.
"I pray to God that she will be all right." She picked up her handbag
and left the station, a sinking feeling in her heart. And when Rachel Marie
Galya got that sinking feeling, trouble was sure to follow.
(*)
Ron Weasley sighed as he shoved the cart laden with trunks through the wall and
onto platform nine and three-quarters. His siblings George, Fred and Ginny
followed him, chattering noisily and searching for their friends. Ron was doing
the same- well, actually he was looking for one friend in particular. Hermione
Granger. He spotted her standing next to Harry, holding her cat, Crookshanks.
Fred and George found Lee Jordan, and Ginny rushed off to stand with Colin
Creevy. Everyone in their places, he thought happily, wheeling his way over to
Hermione and Harry.
"Hullo there," he said, sneaking up on his two best friends in the
entire universe. Hermione gave a surprised squeak.
"Did you have a good summer?" He asked.
"No," answered Harry flatly, "I can't have a good summer with
the Dursley's. It's physically impossible. But it is nice to be going
back." Hermione and Ron looked at each other and nodded their agreement in
unison. Harry gave a snort of laughter and the three of them shoved their
trunks in the compartments and climbed aboard the train.
As they settled onto the benches, Harry and Ron began talking excitedly about
the professional Quidditch game they had been to that summer. Chudley Cannon's
against the Surrey Swingers. It had been a good, close game, and much to Ron's
delight, the Cannon's pulled off a last minute victory.
Hermione tuned out and stared off into the distance as her two friends
chattered aimlessly in the background. The lovely gardens outside captivated
her, and as they slowly gave way to more scraggly fields and wild forests, she
became even more interested in the landscapes.
"I think you'll probably be killed afterward, but man, it would be funny
to see." Fred laughed, then asked, "Where are Ron and Hermione?"
"In our compartment. I had to leave, 'cause Ron's being all kissy-facey."
Harry sounded like a third grader instead of the fifteen-year-old he was.
"Oh, yeah, bit of bad luck, eh? They have the perfect,
best-friends-turned-more situation, and the wimp can't even pucker up for
her!
"Well, there are worse people he could be hanging on," said Harry in
an end-of-conversation tone Fred nodded.
"Um, excuse me," The boys looked up at the voice in the door. Framed
in the doorway was a short, slightly chubby girl with bright violet eyes and
long, jet-black hair. She looked to be about thirteen, and was nervously
clutching the handle of her trunk. "The rest of the compartments are all
full, and I was wondering if you would mind my sitting in here."
"Not at all," said George, not looking up from his Cauldron Cakes.
The girl smiled, and for a second the nervous demeanor was wiped away. She
lugged the heavy trunk inside, and Harry helped her hoist it up into the
luggage rack.
"Thanks," she said, with more confidence behind her voice. "My
name is Madison, but please call me Maddie."
"Okay Maddie," said Harry, "I'm Harry, and these are the famous
Weasley Twins- Fred and George."
Fred tipped the brim of an invisible hat as George raised a hand that was
covered in gooey black residue.
"So Maddie," said George as she sat down next to him, "what year
are you in? I don't think I've ever seen you before."
"Your right, you haven't. I moved here from America just this year,
transferring from the Reginalde School of Magic. I was in eleventh grade there,
but the letter I got told me I'm…a fifth year?" All the boys looked mildly
shocked. She smiled ruefully. "I know, I know, I look younger than that.
It's a handicap that has it's pro's and con's."
"I wonder what house you'll be in?" said Fred
"They told me I'm a Gryffindor. What house are you guys in?"
"Same," said Harry, and the twins nodded.
"Oh, Eeyore's Edible Gunpowder!" she exclaimed, seeing the bag in
Fred's hands. "I love that stuff! Once, at my old school, we took some and
filled the center of this really ripe apple, and then we gave it to our
teacher- he was really vile. When he took a bite, his saliva activated it, and
the whole thing exploded in his mouth! He nearly choked! It was so funny…"
she had been talking quickly and now trailed off, caught up in a memory.
"Well, well, well, I would never have thought that someone like you would
pull stunts like that," said George with a hint of admiration.
"Someone like me?" she repeated.
"Well, yeah, you know, a-" he stopped short, realizing his mistake.
"A girl?" she finished for him, biting down on a giggle, "Well,
Fred, or George, whatever one, you'll soon find out that I am not your typical
girl." The boys all laughed along with her and the new friends began
swapping stories left and right. Madison smiled to herself. Maybe this year
wouldn't be so bad after all.
(*)
As they neared the school, a whistle rang shrilly through the air, and purple
smoke filled the train's corridors. Maddie sat up in her seat with a look of
acute interest on her face. Harry chuckled softly.
"Almost there," he said unnecessarily. Maddie jumped up and pressed
her face to the window.
"I can't see it!" she exclaimed.
"Nope, not for a while. We have to get out at Hogsmeade station and take a
horse cart to the actual school," explained Fred.
"Oh," she said, sitting down and looking slightly disappointed.
George laughed and began helping Fred clean up the prank stuff.
"Who's that?" she breathed.
"That's Hagrid," said a voice behind her. Maddie spun around to see
another tall, redheaded boy with freckles. This one looked younger and had his
arm wrapped around the waist of a nice looking girl with curly brown hair and
slightly large teeth.
"Thanks! By the way, I'm Madison-"
"But you can call her Maddie," Harry cut in from behind her.
"This is my friend from the train. Maddie, these are Hermione and Ron, my
two best friends."
"Hello," she said, smiling up at both of them. Her owl began hooting
wildly and she turned to take care of her.
"Well I think she's very nice- quite polite!" She heard the girl
called Hermione whispering to Ron and Harry. She grinned secretly- friends
already.
Fred, George, and Maddie climbed into one of the horse drawn carriages, all
chattering energetically about the upcoming feast, and, in Maddie's case, first
glimpse of the school.
"I heard it's a castle!" she said happily, nose to the window once
more. "My old school was plain and boring."
"You heard right," said Fred, peering over her shoulder. "We
should be able to see it any second now."
And he was right. In the next minute, a large, beautiful structure came into
view. Maddie drank in the four majestic towers, the numerous turrets and flying
buttresses, the stained glass windows. The sparkling lake to the South added a
perfect finishing touch. She let out a low, "Woah," and didn't take
her nose off the window until they had reached the front doors.
"Maddie, we gotta go!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming" she muttered, following the flaming hair up
the steps.
As the students entered the Great Hall, they all threw back their heads to
stare up at the twinkling stars. Maddie was surprised to see the night sky that
took the place of the ceiling.
"It's bewitched," whispered Fred to her, and she nodded, her voice
caught in her throat by emotion that no one understood.
The students all drifted to their respective tables, getting comfortable and
catching up with friends they hadn't seen all summer. Fred and George lead
Maddie over to some seats near Harry, who was sitting with Hermione and Ron.
"Hey guys!" spouted Maddie in her cheerful American accent. Everyone
scooted about so they were half-facing each other. "What happens
now?" she asked, looking around at the activity surrounding her.
"Well, any minute now, Dumbledore should be up to give the welcoming
speech," began Harry.
"Then there's the school song," Hermione went on.
"And then the feast," finished Fred with a rub of his stomach. Maddie
was about to ask another question, but a revered silence spread quickly over
the hall. Maddie looked to see what it was, and saw a tall, thin wizard with
white hair longer than her own. He has light streaming from his youthful eyes,
but his eyes were the only youthful part of his wrinkled body. He still had the
look of a very energetic person, and he was smiling at everyone as he took his
place at the teacher's table.
"Welcome, students, to this little old shack we call Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry! I am please to introduce our new first years, and a
transfer student in Gryffindor named Madison Wells." Maddie blushed as the
students turned around to look at her. "I would like to remind everyone
that the Forbidden Forest is, well, just that, forbidden. Also, I am forced to
remind you that there is no magic in the corridors of the school. Only in
classrooms and common rooms should the art be practiced. Also, we would like to
remind you of our strictly enforced curfew of nine o'clock at night. I'm sure
this will be no problem." All the students who had been to Hogwarts before
were whispering urgently at the last announcement. There had been no curfew
last year! The friends at the Gryffindor table shared a dark look, wondering
what Dumbledore was hiding this time. "Students, students, please calm
down," called Dumbledore from up above. The dull buzz receded and he went
on. "I believe it is time for our traditional school song. Pick a tune,
any tune!" With a flick of his wand, golden words began tracing themselves
in the thin air. Maddie looked doubtful and nudged George.
"Any tune?" He nodded. She began singing to the tune of a French
lullaby called Dors, bebe, Dors. Once she began to lightly hum the familiar
tune, she lost herself in the melody and projected her lovely voice to the
whole table.
"She's wonderful, I know, but the last thing she needs is more people
staring at her." Ron averted his eyes but did not sing again, listening to
Maddie finish the tune that gave the song's somewhat comical words an entirely
new meaning. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Fred, George and Harry
all staring at her as well, getting disapproving glares from Hermione.
As the last few students got done with the song, dishes of delectable foods
began filling the tables. Maddie's eyes grew wide as she watched all her
favorite foods pop onto the golden platters in front of her. She took some
seafood linguine and started in.
"Well, Maddie, what else are you hiding?" asked Fred casually as he loaded his
plate with thick steaks.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, trying to spear a scallop.
"To their credit, I can remember when they were normal," said Harry.
"I don't even know them, so I shouldn't make any assumptions,"
admitted Maddie.
"Nab, don't worry about it, you pretty much hit the nail on the
head," broke in George. Maddie tried not to laugh and concentrated now on
getting a mouthful of long linguine without looking like an idiot. Someone
walked over and tapped her on the shoulder, making her jump. She turned around
and found herself face to face with Professor McGonagall.
"Hello, Madison. Welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Professor McGonagall;
I'll be your Transfiguration teacher, as well as the head of your house. If you
could come with me, I'd like to take care of some of finalities of your
transfer. I'm sorry to take you away from the feast, but it's necessary."
Maddie nodded and got up from the table, relieved for the moment to be away
from the complicated puzzle of her pasta.
"What did you want to talk to me about, Professor?" asked Maddie, a
slight quaver in her voice.
"Actually, I have to admit that I wasn't quite honest. I needed you to
come here to sing for me." Maddie gave the teacher a strange look. She
understood that this school was run a lot differently than the one she had
left, but this was the oddest thing she had encountered yet.
"Sing for you?
"Well, uh, what would you like me to sing?"
"What was the tune you were singing the school song to? I would like to
hear that song."
"Professor? Professor McGonagall?" she said quietly. Nothing. She
tried again, louder. Still nothing. She nervously walked around the office,
wondering what she should do. Then a terrible thought hit her. Was Professor
McGonagall sleeping? Or had she...Maddie began to tremble. She barely been
there for two hours and she had killed a teacher. She ran over to the chair and
shook her new teacher's shoulders violently, screaming loudly, "Professor!
Please wake up! PLEASE!" As the slumbering woman's eyes fluttered open,
she jumped back, embarrassed.
"Wha-huh? Oh, oh yes. That was very nice.
Maddie tried not to look as blank as she felt. This school was incredibly
weird. "No, at least not under that name. I was in a private choir in
America..."
Professor McGonagall laughed. "No, no. The Melodicia theories were written
by Celestina Warbeck- you may have heard of her, she's a British witch who made
quite a career of singing in her later days. When she was younger she studied
here, at Hogwarts, and was very interested in the effect of the voice and how it
could be used to transport magic. Many Muggle experts believe that music can
effect the emotions to the point where it can control your actions. Celestina
used these reports in combination with her magical training and wrote a series
of thesis' and theories on how witches and wizards could channel spell
working-energy into their voice techniques, focusing mainly on harmonies. Minor
keys for darker spells, major for more positive ones, legato for charms and
enchantments, staccato for Transfiguration, and so on. She wrote a two books;
one explaining her theories and how she came to them, with information on how
to create further enchantments, and another that has several spells and
enchantments that she has worked out the notes to already. And one of the enchantments
that she has listed in her book was the song you were singing."
Maddie sat very quietly; slightly lost. Why was she telling her all this? She
hoped this was not something she was supposed to know about, because all of
this was totally new to her. She looked at the professor, hoping to learn more.
She was not disappointed.
"The reason that I-er- drifted off before has to do with that song. It has
powerful sleeping enhancements connected to it. Where did you hear it?"
"My Aunt Rachel. She's sung it to me ever since I was a baby. It's French,
and it translates to sleep, sleep, sleep, baby, sleep, I love you so much,
sleep, sleep, sleep, baby, sleep, you know I adore you. Then it
repeats." Maddie tried to read Professor McGonagall's startled look.
"Your Aunt Rachel? What is your aunt's surname?" she asked shakily.
"Uh, Galya. Rachel Galya." Professor McGonagall's eyes widened, and
then she shook her head and got up from her chair, pacing the room. "Do
you know her?"
"Well, yes. I taught her once. I need to think about something, but I
would like us to talk again later. Will you meet me here on your Friday
afternoon break?" Maddie nodded, confused but interested. "Perfect.
Come along, I'll take you to the common room. I saw you sitting near Hermione,
I'm sure she'll help you get settled in the fifth year girl dorms."
"Where'd you disappear to?" asked George as she sat on the floor
between all the armchairs.
"Just talking to Professor McGonagall. She…needed my help with something.
What have you guys been doing?"
"Hermione gave the first years a tour and Ron 'accompanied' her. We sat
around, catching up...thinking up some new pranks. See that potted thing over
there?" Fred pointed to a lavish potted tree in the corner of the common
room with a funny glint in his eye. Maddie nodded. "Well, wouldn't that be
perfect for Dungbombs? The leaves would hide it just right..." Maddie
giggled, seeing what he meant, and turned to begin discussing prank potential.
George and Lee got closer, and they looked like they had all been friends since
birth.
(*)
George turned to his twin and best friend as the funny new girl followed
Professor McGonagall out of the hall.
"So what do you think?"
"'Bout what?" answered Fred, mouth full of prime rib.
"'Bout the new girl. Pretty different, eh?"
"Yeah, I should say. Her accent's interesting, and she seemed to know
quite a lot about pranking. That's usually a good sign."
"Yeah. We need some better girl's in Gryffindor. Hermione gets into enough
adventure with Harry and Ron, but she was never one to pull a prank for the fun
of it. Don't get me started on the rest of the female population..." He
put on a high, falsetto tone. " 'Don't make me throw that Dungbomb, I
might break a nail!' Gimp a break!" George shook his head in disgust.
"Speaking of new things, what do you think about this curfew?
The boys talked a little more about the curfew, Quidditch, and the new manger
at Dervish and Bangs before finally filling up on the food and making their way
to the common room.
"Ah, home sweet home," remarked George as they beat the crowds to the
chairs in front of the fire. Ron and Hermione squished themselves into one of
the chairs, and Harry, George and Fred took the others. Hermione let out an
exasperated sigh.
"While you guys were enjoying your feast, I was taking the first years on
a tour of the building. I couldn't believe the behavior!
"Hermione, what's this?" breathed George in a tone bursting with mock
surprise. "A prefect? Speaking ill of fellow students?
"They weren't really that bad, I suppose. I'm just so tired. I
couldn't sleep at all last night, I was so excited to get back and see
everyone.
"Sleepy, Squirt?" he tried out a nickname, pleased to see her
grinning at it.
"A bit. Long day, ya know," she said, slowly standing up,
"Professor McGonagall said Hermione would show me the girls dorms..."
She trailed off, spotting Hermione fast asleep on Ron's shoulder. Fred stood up
behind her.
"Not to worry. George and I'll show you." Maddie raised an eyebrow.
"And what exactly do you two know about the girls dorms?" Fred gave
her a wicked grin.
"Oh, come now, Maddie. We have full knowledge of every other room in the
castle. Did you really think we would stop there?" Giggling, she followed
the redheaded boys up a staircase that branched into two more at a landing
halfway up. They took her up to a mahogany door that seemed to be part of a
tower.
"Here you are," said George, grandly bowing her through the door.
"The girls dorms. Years four through seven share this one, and the first,
second and third years are across the hall. The boys are down the stairs, to
the landing, and back up again. Just give us a yell." Fred turned to leave
and ran head-on into Lavender Brown, who was sashaying by at just that time.
"Well, well, well," she murmured, untangling herself and stepping one
tiny step back. "Fred Weasley. Don't normally come up this way much, do
you?"
"I was just showing Maddie here where she would be sleeping, Lavender. And
now I'm leaving," he said, trying to put a little more space
between him and her.
"Of courssssse," she drawled in an almost-singsong voice.
"Goodnight, Fred." She brushed rudely past Maddie and disappeared
into the back of room. Maddie was red-faced with her silent laughter.
"Well," she sang in a perfect imitation of Lavender. "I guess
I'll go get my beauty sleep, then. Goodniiiiight, Fred. See you later,
George." She gave the brothers a devilish wink, then shrieked with
laughter as they shoved her into her room, calling goodnight after her. As she
found the four-poster bed with her trunk at the foot of it, Maddie smiled
happily, looking around at her new home. Life was turning out good. For the
most part.
She couldn't help but notice the glares she was getting from the blonde girl
named Lavender. Though Maddie smiled at her several times, the girl would do
nothing but stare at her like she was some odd species of bug. Finally deciding
to ignore her, Maddie bustled around, putting her toiletries in the bathroom,
her books on her bedside table and clothes in the wardrobe. She was just
dropping into bed, exhausted, when Ron came in, carrying a sleeping Hermione.
"RON! You're not supposed to be in here!" Lavender squealed,
hurriedly fussing with her hair and adjusting her robes. He gave her a
murderous look and she hushed a bit.
"You're going to wake her up!" He laid Hermione down on the bed next
to Maddie and gave her a smile. "'Night," he whispered, backing out
of the room. Maddie collapsed onto her bed, her head swimming with everything
that had happened that day. As she drifted off, she said a quick thank you
prayer. Someone was looking out for her that was for sure.
As her eyes continued on, she found the newest object of her rejection- Madison
Wells. Maddie. Not there an entire day and she was already moving in on
Lavender's boys. No, that cow didn't fool her. So she could sing a few notes.
Whoop-de-doo. She was overweight, had weird eyes, hair that was much to long to
properly avoid split ends- she didn't even wear make-up! Lavender pulled her
eyes away from the atrocity with a little difficulty. Now, now Lavender,
she told herself, mustn't get upset this early. It'll give you worry
lines, and at the very least, a bad disposition. Go get ready for the day.
That'll make you feel better.
And make her feel better it did. She stood in the shower for almost half an
hour, massaging the color-safe shampoo and conditioner deep into her scalp,
taking time to use her scented body wash. Once she stepped out, she toweled off
and carefully pulled a scarlet tank top on under her black school robes. Good
thing Hogwarts had chosen a slimming color like black- suppose they had done
something dreadful, like requiring orange robes? How are you supposed to
coordinate your make-up and jewelry to that? She smiled a rueful smile of
relief as she put down the moisturizing base for her powder and concealer. Eye
shadow, eyeliner, mascara, lip liner, lipstick. Blush- just a tad now, Lav!
Don't overdo it. She stepped back and reviewed her handiwork. Darling,
you are gorgeous. She reached up and twisted her hair into a bun, allowing
a few sexy strands to spill out of the coil. Add a few rings and some thin
golden chains, and voila- Instant Lavender. She grinned and went to talk to
Parvati about that June girl.
"Oh look, Sleeping Ugly has awoken." Lavender was pleased to see the
tears pop into Maddie's eyes. She looked just like she had been slapped.
"What did I ever do to you?" she nearly whispered.
"Don't play innocent. I've seen you with them. You laugh, you sing, you
bat those eyes of yours. Don't bother babe. I was here first, I've staked out
the turf. They're mine." She was almost nose to nose with her now.
"Wha- who? Fred and George?"
"What? Who? Fred and George?" mocked Lavender. "You know exactly
what I'm talking about. So listen up and take heed. You're not wanted
here." With her final sneer, Lavender stalked away, leaving the scent of
vanilla perfume in her wake. Maddie pushed the confused tears from her eyes and
hurried into the shower. It was way to early in the morning for this kind of
thing.
By the time she had showered, washed her face and teeth, and gotten dressed in
fresh robes, the childish jabs from twenty minutes earlier seemed a lot less
sharp and more desperate. Still toweling her wet head, Maddie saw Hermione,
sitting on her bed braiding her hair into pigtails.
"Morning," she said brightly as Maddie sat next to her on the bed.
"How are you liking it so far?"
"Well, last night went much more smoothly then this morning," she
admitted, proceeding to explain the conversation with Lavender. When she
finished, Hermione was livid.
"Oho, that little... I swear she's crossed a line this time! She hates all
girls that are friends with boys or have boyfriends- imagine my days with her.
Oh Maddie, please don't take her seriously. Fred and George are your friends,
they know your not flirting, she's just jealous because of how good you are and
how fast you made friends. Ugh, she makes me sick!"
"I figured it was something more personal that had less to do with me. But
for someone who makes friends so fast, I've gathered my share of enemies,
too." She looked wistfully to the corner where Lavender and Parvati were
whispering and shooting hateful glares towards the bed.
"Don't let them get to you- whisper back. Just don't get upset. That's
what they want." Maddie seemed to be thinking, then she turned to
Hermione, determined.
"No, I'll be nice. Don't let their jabs get to me, take their insults as
compliments. That way, I'll feel better about myself in the process."
Hermione stared at her with admiration in her eyes.
"Okay, if you can stand that, then you go for it. Come on; let's go downstairs.
I'm starved." Maddie turned to smile at her new friend.
"He's so perfect. My best friend for four years, before he finally asked
me out. Harry was a little surprised at first, but we've been trying to make
him as included as possible. The three of us have been best friends since our
first year."
"Wow, really? My best friend from birth is still in America, but he's a
wizard too, so owl post will come in handy." Hermione smiled knowingly as
they tramped the steps reaching the common room, where the boys were waiting.
"Morning, Ladies!" called out Harry.
"Blimey, Lavender Brown looks ready to spit nails. What's her
problem?" Fred pointed to where Lavender was sitting with Parvati, not
touching her steaming waffles and glaring at Maddie, who was walking between
George and Harry.
"Not a clue," muttered Maddie under her breath as she seated herself
a careful distance away. The others just shrugged, but Hermione gave her an
encouraging glance as she doled whipped cream unto her plate. They had just
barely begun to eat when Professor McGonagall appeared, wielding thick stacks
of parchment.
"Schedules!" she announced, passing the papers around. As Maddie
snatched hers up a shiver of excitement ran through her. The school year was
finally beginning. She reviewed her day.
9:00- Care of Magical Creatures
10:00- Herbology
11:00- Ancient Runes
12:00- Lunch
1:00- Charms
2:00- Transfiguration
3:00- Potions
4:00- Defense Against the Dark Arts
5:00- Free period
7:00- Dinner
9:30- Curfew
"Hermione, let me see yours!" demanded Maddie, reaching over.
"Ooh, we have the same ones!"
"Of course," said Harry, grinning at her ignorance. "All the students
of the same house and year take classes together." Maddie blushed a
little.
"Oh. Well, how was I supposed to know? That's a relief, now I'll know
people." She happily turned to her waffles, which were quickly cooling.
"Hagrid! How was your summer?" This was Harry.
"Eh, good, good. I'm mighty glad to see you three though. Missed ya, I
did. Have meself a bunch of good lesson plans. This years bound to be a good
one." Hagrid spotted Maddie, who was nearly hidden behind Ron's hulking
figure. "And who's this?"
"Oh, sorry. This is Maddie Wells, a new Gryffindor. She transferred from a
school in America." Maddie shyly stepped forward and offered the huge man
her tiny palm. He chuckled and proceeded to attempt ripping off her arm.
"Nice to meet ya. If ya ever need anything, this here's my house, just
come knocking. God knows these three do enough." They laughed, and Hagrid
turned to address the small crowd that had gathered.
"Welcome back, everyone. Today's class is just going to be a bit of a
review of what we covered last year. Take out The Monster Book of Monsters,
and we'll get started." Harry showed Maddie how to open her book and she
listened intently as Hagrid covered Hippogriffs, mugwumps, yeknomtons,
paragats, aeks, and lleds. The colorful, moving pictures drew her attention,
and she wished she could touch the fluffy looking aeks. She didn't snap out of
her reverie until Hermione shook her shoulder.
"Come on, dreamer. We've got to get Herbology."
Maddie had a great time in her morning classes. So far, her teachers were nice,
subjects relatively easy, and homework light. As she sat down to tomato soup and
grilled cheese at lunch, she was explicitly grinning.
"Good morning, Squirt?" inquired George.
"You bet! I understood almost everything the teachers said."
Everybody laughed, and ate their soup hurriedly.
"What do you have next?" asked George.
"Charms, then Transfiguration, then Potions, my favorite." Maddie
looked up, startled, as the twins erupted in laugher. Ron and Harry were
roaring, and Hermione was chuckling with a sympathetic look on her face.
"The Potions master-" she began
"Is a terrible, unearthly, ugly git," broke in Ron over her shoulder.
"Yeah, I think that about covers it," agreed Hermione.
"Well, surely he can't be THAT bad," said Maddie, but George shook
his head.
"You'll see," he warned. And see she did.
That afternoon, Maddie was apprehensive about entering the dungeons.
"At my old school we had Potions in labs!" she said nervously, eyeing
the jars full of gross organs floating in green liquid. She sat next to Harry
in front of a huge cauldron, looking around for a teacher.
"He looks like he just swallowed a lemon," commented Maddie.
"Oh, he's in a good mood today," said Harry in a knowing voice. He
stopped as the man ("Professor Snape," hissed Harry) addressed the
classroom.
"Welcome back. This year, the smarter half of the classroom will make huge
strides in some of the more dangerous potions that are available to teach. The
other half I'm sure will be struggling to keep up as we work on the Romeo
Potion, the Facilornier Potion, and several others. Today, we will be reviewing
a series of nightshade potions that we worked on last year. Now, who can tell
me the most complex potion that nightshade is involved in? Ah yes, Mr.
Malfoy."
"Mister," Harry sarcastically muttered under his breath. A pale boy
with silvery hair stood up.
"The Yestercare Glitterbreeze is the enchantment that is the most complex
with the ingredient nightshade." He smiled smugly and sat back down with a
smattering of applause from the Slytherin side of the room.
"Very nice," said Snape in an oily voice. Maddie raised her hand up
quickly in the air, causing his half smile to flip upside down
"Yes, Miss," he consulted some papers on his desk, "Wells?"
"Well, sir, with all due respect, Mr. Malfoy was wrong. The Yestercare
Glitterbreeze is the strongest potion with nightshade in it. The most complex
is the Nanner Hoax. It's an easy mistake to make."
Don't let him get to you! He makes fun of all the Gryffindor's, me and
Hermione especially. If he sees he upset you, it's just worse.
Maddie allowed herself a small one as she pushed the paper into her bag,
determined to treat him like she did Lavender. Later, when she was working on
her Yestercare Glitterbreze enchantment, he walked by, telling her he "had
never seen a runnier example". When she answered with a cheerful thank
you, she got ten points taken off for her cheek. Harry helped her calm down.
"Nothing you can do will help. Just kind of roll with the punches, okay?
Your potion looks fine to me." Maddie smiled gratefully.
As son as the bell rang, the Gryffindor's stampeded from the room quickly.
Hermione grabbed Maddie's arm as soon as they were out of the dungeons.
"That was a good call about the potions! I didn't even catch that
one."
"Thanks, but I should have kept my mouth shut. I didn't know Snape was
such a jerk- I should have listened."
"He wouldn't dare say anything like that if another teacher was around. He
makes me so angry I just want to-" Ron was talking trough clenched teeth,
building up intensity until Hermione put a little hand on his big arm.
"Never mind," she put in quickly, then leaned up and quickly whispered
something to make his ears red again.
"Hey guys! What's going on?" They showed her where Malfoy and two of
his friends were walking the around right below the window.
"Throw them? Oh sure, and make him hate me more?" She glanced at
their questioning faces and quickly explained the events of Potions that
afternoon. Fred and George exchanged annoyed glances.
"That Snape is an idiot. Just ignore him."
"That's the advice I plan to follow." Maddie sat back, grimly
smiling. "Let's throw one. Just for fun. I can get us out of the
trouble." She snatched it from George's hands, and before he could even
protest, she had lit it with her wand and tossed it out the window. Malfoy let
out a little scream as the harmless sparks showered down on him. He looked up
at Maddie's laughing face for a split second before she ducked out of sight.
"I'll get you!" he shrieked in a high voice.
"The look on his face was worth whatever trouble we get in," gasped
Fred.
"Oh, we won't get in trouble," assured Maddie with a mischievous
grin.
"Excuse me, but we have a very serious matter to discuss. I was just
informed by Mr. Draco Malfoy that someone threw a very dangerous firecracker
from a window. We've deducted that the window was from the Gryffindor tower,
and Mr. Malfoy seems to think that he saw your face sticking out said window,
Mrs. Wells," He shifted uncomfortably. "Did you, um, have anything to
do with this?"
Maddie stood up, pushing the boys down behind her in one swift gesture. She
blinked twice, and her huge, green eyes filled with tears. In a high, sweet
voice the boys had never heard, she began.
"Hush, lamb," he said, giving the increasingly nervous teacher a
reproachful look.
"Anyway," she continued, "I got really, really scared, cause
I've seen those movies where the bombs blow up and the girl loses her hands,
and I like my hands, so I just threw it, really, really hard out the window,
cause I figured that would be the safest thing to do. I just got here, and I'm
not so sure what I'm always supposed to be doing."
Flitwick grabbed a tissue and hurriedly handed it to Maddie, who blew her nose
daintily. "Dear, dear, no need for tears. Just a misunderstanding, happens
all the time. No, no, Mr. Malfoy avoided any harm, everything's fine, not a
problem here, no tears..."
"I think we better take her to get cleaned up," said George gravely,
appearing at Maddie's other elbow. She lifted a convincingly tearstained face
and sniffled once, looking like a five year old orphan.
"Yes, yes, just do what's best, terribly, terribly sorry about that."
He trailed off as George and Fred lead Maddie out of the common room and to a
shower room on the third floor. Once they arrived, Fred fell to the floor
laughing, and George sat down on one of the benches, holding his stomach, face
red with silent guffaws.
"Where," gasped George, "did you learn to cry on cue like that?
That was possibly the best performance I've ever seen. Squirt, those tears were
real!"
Maddie just grinned. It was a funny sight; her face was still red and
tearstained, yet her uniquely pale pink eyes shown with victory. She threaded
her thumbs through imaginary suspenders. "Yeah, it's just one of those
things that the little people can't do," she joked.
They hung around the shower room for another ten minutes ("If we get
caught in a girls shower, Maddie can tell them we were showing her
around." "She can tell them we were making out and still get away
with it.") When the coolness of being in a restricted area wore off, the
boys and Maddie went to join the rest of the school at dinner. As they sat down
next to their friends, the twins turned to Ron and Harry and began discussing
the afternoon in admirable whispers. Maddie just smiled; Aunt Rachel had to be
wrong. How could the year have danger in store when everything seemed to be
going so well?