Book of the Facts
Chaper 2. Ghosts, School Hymns and Riddles
The Girl-Who-Lived moved to make some space to Blaise to sit down, the black haired boy smiled at her in return.
"So… Slytherin, huh?" the Zabini wondered. Jaquelle tilted her head to the side. "Ah, yes. The Hat wanted me to choose between Gryffindor or Slytherin. Amusing Hat he is." Draco blinked. "I tought that the great Girl-Who-Lived would go to Gryffindor, or Ravenclaw, at least."
The emerald eyed girl shrugged her shoulders delicately. "I happen to be very unpredictable." She blinked as Professor Dumbledore started his welcome speech. Someone waved a hand in front of her face, she stared at a boy who was seated in front of her. "Yes?" Said boy smiled and extended his hand to her for a handshake. "Theodore Nott, call me Theo." Taking his hand Jaquelle returned the smile. "Jaquelle Potter, a pleasure."
Blaise smirked and leaned forward. "You can call her Jaquie." His smirk deepened at the look Jaquelle was giving him. "Ain't it cute, for such a small girl." The Girl-Who-Lived frowned and was about to say something when the cheery voice of the Headmaster rised.
"I wish to say some words before eating." The students listened with curiosity., some of them leaning forward. "Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak."
Silence filled the Great Hall.
Jaquelle Anemone Bettina Potter, otherwise known as the Girl-Who-Lived, facepalmed. Blaise and Theo bursted out laughing at the girl's reaction and at the senility's of the Headmasters words. Draco chuckled amusedly.
Food appeared on the table and the students started to fill their plates. Jaquelle stared at two red-headed boys fighting over a piece of meat, one of them made a quick move and shoved the meat in his mouth, chewing with gusto. She thought she head something akin to 'Fred! No fair!'.
Jaquelle drank his pumpkin juice, blinking at the metallic tang of it. She narrowed her eyes and searched the Headmasters' gaze. Misty sapphire met shiny emerald. The old man had that twinkle in his eyes and nodded at her, lifting his goblet in a cheer. She mimicked the move and drank from her own.
Blaise, Draco and Theo were talking about quidditch. She put here and there her two cents in the conversation, thinking about her own things.
Albus Dumbledore had been nothing but like a grandfather to her since she had met him… a week ago. The Headmaster had explained to her the consequences of being the Girl-Who-Lived, the hero of the wizarding world. Some magical activities were also explained to her, such as quidditch, magical creatures and ghosts.
They had also talked about… her condition.
She was… anemic, so Albus, the old man had insisted her to call him that, had offered some… asstance. She had been grateful and had hugged the man, surprising him.
Jaquelle's hair at the back of her neck pickled. She turned around to see a ghost, the said ghost wore old fashioned robes and had blood smeared at his chest. What was bothering her, tough, was the gaze of the ghost. Staring unnervingly at her.
"Jaquelle Potter?" the frosty voice of the ghost asked. She tilted her head to the side. "Yes? May I help you?" the transparent being nodded. "I am the Bloody Baron, Slytherin house's ghost, a pleasure to meet you." The Girl-Who-Lived smiled. "The pleasure is mine, sir." The Baron gave an approving nod and flew off.
She returned her gaze to her new friends, still inmersed in the world of quidditch. She smiled at the one-sided mind that boys had. Sweeping the gaze to the Head Table she noticed a dark haired man with a bat-like aura that was gazing at her. Her lightning bolt scar started to burn, making her flinch. She managed to avoid the man's gaze and stared at Professor Quirrell only for the scar to burn more. She hissed, adverting her gaze.
Blaise was looking at her worriedly. She tried to smile at him. Keyword: tried. "You all right, Jaquie?" he whispered to her. She nodded and gave him a reassuring pat on the back of his hand. "Perfectly fine."
He nodded not convinced at all. The food disappeared from the tables and the students stared at Dumbledore who had stood up.
"Ahem… Only a few words. For the first years… the Forbidden Forest is, obiously, forbidden. And some of our eldest students might want to remember it too." He looked pointingly at the Weasley twins that only grinned. "Mr Filch has asked me to remember not to do any magic in breaks nor in the halls. Also, ask to Professor Hooch to apply for quidditch. And, I want to tell you all that the corridor in the third floor is out limits for those who do not want a painful death."
Jaquelle giggled. "And now! Let us sing the school's song!" Some older years groaned and some smirked. The professors stared at the Headmaster improlingly. Everyone started the song, but some people ended it at their free will… like the Weasley twins. "Ah, beautiful. So! To the dormitory! Get a good sleep and get prepared for class!"
The Slyherin prefects guided the first years to the Serpents' quarters. Them being below the lake. The illumination was feeble and greenish. Jaquelle decided that she liked it.
They heard a scream coming from the upper parts of the castle. Marcus Flint, she remembered, who was walking beside her, smirked. "Ah, Gryffindors must've met Peeves." The Girl-Who-Lived blinked. "Peeves?" Marcus laughed. "The school's poltergeist. He usually pranks the other houses, not Slytherin. We have the Bloody Baron." He patted her head in a brotherly act. "Don't worry about him." Jaquelle nodded and smiled.
Suddenly, someone linked arms with her. Looking at her left she saw Blaise smiling at her. "Why, hello there, Jaquie." She was about to say something but a cute yawn assaulted her. When she re-opened her eyes she saw people staring at her. "What?" Theo stared at her. "You're so cute!" And glomped her. She made an 'oof', and tried to regain her composture.
They stopped walking in a dead end. The first years stared in wonder at the two marble snakes that entwined between itselves. Some prefect approached the snakes and waited. The snakes moved and stared at the boy before them.
"What doesss the clock do?" the snakes asked. Jaquelle blinked. The password was a question? The prefect stared at the two snakes, trying to find the answer. The Girl-Who-Lived frowned and stepped forward, earning curious glances from her fellow snakes. "What doesss the clock do?" the two asked again. The black haired girl smiled. "It ticks life away, doesn't it?" The two snakes hissed in surprise.
"Correct."
The snakes leaned away from the center of the wall and the bricks moved to show a staircase that led down. Deeper into the castle.
Marcus Flint patted her head. "My, you do like riddles, don't you?" Jaquelle only blinked at him, tilting her head to the side.
She did.
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