Chapter 3: Discoveries, and Rescues
The sun shone brightly through the window next to her bed, and Melanie groaned into her pillow. Why must she get up today? It's not like they were doing anything. She and Faye would just hang around the orphanage, not really anything of importance.
Melanie sat up in her bed and slowly opened her eyes. It took a while for them to adjust to the sudden light but when they did she furrowed her eyebrows. Since when did the home get crimson bed curtains? Melanie was about to crash back down onto her bed to fully wake up, when the curtains were ripped open.
"C'mon Melanie! We need to go down to breakfast or we'll be late for classes!"
Melanie looked up at the joyous face of Hermione and pinched herself. Hermione gave her a strange look as Melanie felt around the bed and her side table.
"What are you doing?" she asked hesitantly.
Melanie looked up at her for a few moments before saying, "I'm not dreaming am I?"
Hermione laughed and pulled the curtains the rest of the way back before turning to the next bed. Melanie slowly and carefully pulled herself out of her bed. She really wasn't dreaming. It was all real. She was at Hogwarts.
Hermione, who was fully dressed, sat down on her bed next to Melanie's and opened up one of their school books. Melanie looked around and saw that two other girls, Lavender Brown and Padma Patil, were also busy getting ready. She got off her bed and walked over to her truck, where she pulled out her school uniform.
When she had finished dressing, Melanie walked out of the dormitory with Hermione who had decided to wait for her. They had reached the stairs when they heard the sound of voices coming from the bottom.
"She's my friend Ron, so I'm going to wait for her."
"Alright! I was just wondering…"
Melanie felt heat rise to her cheeks and hurried down before Hermione could ask any questions. Harry and Ron were waiting at the bottom for them. Harry smiled at Melanie and Melanie smiled back, but Ron just looked on with annoyance. She must have been keeping him from his breakfast.
They walked down together, earning many stares from the students who passed. Well, Harry was earning stares from the students who passed. He kept his head down the entire way to the Great Hall and did not join in the conversation as they ate breakfast. Melanie, who was sitting to his side, leaned over to whisper to him.
"Just ignore them. They don't know anything," she said in hushed tones.
Harry looked at her and gave her a weak smile before turning back to his eggs.
Melanie spent the rest of the week learning the different routes of the enormous castle and attempting to remember all the trick steps and the quickest way to their classes. She often walked to class with Hermione, who she was beginning to like greatly, and they were rarely late, but did have a few close calls. Harry and Ron weren't as lucky.
Melanie was also beginning to recognize more and more faces around Hogwarts. She could remember most of her fellow Gryffindor first years and a few of the older years, but she mostly hung around with Hermione, Harry, and Ron.
Classes were a more comfortable occurrence to her now, she knew exactly what to expect from the classes and exactly what the teachers expected from her. Her favorite class by far was Charms, something tiny Professor Flitwick said she had a knack for. Melanie even got a few charms quicker than Hermione, who was titled the smartest girl by the end of the first week.
History of Magic painfully reminded Melanie of all the tours of museums she had been on with Mrs. Danielson. It was a good chance to catch up on her sleep though.
Transfiguration was something Melanie also enjoyed, but she had to work harder at it than she did in charms. Professor McGonagall had told them that transfiguration was some of the most complex and dangerous spellwork they would learn at Hogwarts. Melanie was strangely excited.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was a close second favorite of Melanie's, though she thought Professor Quirrell's lessons were a bit of a joke. He told far too many far-fetched stories for any of them to be real, and the garlic stench that wafted around the room was enough to make her eyes water.
Friday morning came and Melanie and Hermione were sitting at the Gryffindor table enjoying their breakfast, when Harry and Ron came in with the biggest grins on their faces.
"Made it without getting lost?" Melanie asked. She couldn't help but smile at them, they had gotten lost on their way to breakfast everyday that week.
"You know it," Ron said grinning from ear to ear.
As he reached for a bowl of porridge, Harry asked, "What have we got today?"
"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them – we'll be able to see if it's true."
"Wish McGonagall favored us," Harry said.
Melanie nodded. Professor McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.
Hermione and Melanie began their own conversation about their Charms class (the only one Melanie ever liked to talk about) just as the morning post arrived. The first day this had happened, Melanie had a bit of a shock when hundreds of owls swooped into the hall, dropping packages and letters right onto their owner's plates. Melanie hadn't expected anything from the orphanage, seeing as they didn't have an owl to send anything to her, and she had been too busy with homework to have the time to write to them. Harry hadn't gotten anything either, and Melanie could tell by the look on his face that he never really expected anything to ever come for him.
They soon left the Great Hall to walk down to the dungeons where their potions class was. They all waited in the line outside the class door all chattering away about their first week. But as soon as Professor Snape came out of the room, they all fell silent.
They entered the room in the same silence and sat down at a table. Harry and Melanie sat beside each other, and Hermione and Ron behind them. The silence was suffocating the room and Melanie couldn't stand it. Even in the other classes, the teachers allowed some whispering, but Snape seemed not to tolerate it.
"I don't expect any of you to understand the exact art of potion making," Snape began. "But, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses."
Melanie looked to her side and saw Harry with his quill out scratching down every word that Snape spoke. She wondered briefly if she should do the same, but decided that she could just ask Hermione later if she forgot.
"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death."
Melanie looked up at Snape to find him glaring at Harry. The Slytherins sitting at the front sneered and grinned when they saw where their beloved Professor was looking.
"Then again," he said walking toward their table. "Perhaps some of you believe that you are smart enough…to not pay attention!"
Melanie looked over to Harry and saw that he was still writing. She gave him a quick nudge causing him to look up and see the Professor's eyes on him. Harry looked right back and Melanie knew in an instant that this would go from bad to worse very quickly.
"Mr. Potter. Our new – celebrity," Snape sneered. At the front she saw Malfoy, along with his blundering bodyguards, sniggering at Harry.
"Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to and infusion of wormwood?" Snape asked Harry in a voice that stated he clearly knew Harry did not know the answer. Behind them, Hermione's hand shot up high in the air. Harry looked at Melanie to see if she knew the answer, but she helplessly shook her head.
"I don't know, sir," Harry said.
Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Hmm, let's try again. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Again Hermione's hand shot up, but Snape ignored it. Melanie tried not to look at the front of the class where the Slytherins were shaking with laughter.
"I don't know, sir," Harry said again.
Long before this point did Melanie realize she hated the Potions Master.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape continued.
Hermione raised her hand and again it was ignored.
"I don't know," Harry answered in a tone that said he was fed up with questions. "I'm pretty sure Hermione does, why don't you try her?"
Snape swooped over to their table, his long black cloak billowing behind him, and stared right down at Harry. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying this down?"
Melanie reached down into her bag, cursing Snape under her breath. She pulled out a quill and parchment just as Snape said, "Five points will be taken from Gryffindor, for your classmate's cheek."
The rest of the class wasn't much better for Harry or any of the Gryffindors.
They left the dungeon in a foul mood, but cheered up immensely when they reached the warm fire in the Gryffindor Common Room.
The next morning Melanie slept in as late as she could, before heading down to breakfast with Hermione. The boys were already there, half way done their meal, when they sat down at the table.
"Did you see the notice?" Harry asked Melanie sourly before she could even take a seat.
"What notice?"
"Flying lessons with the Slytherins! You'd think the teachers would understand we hate each other!" Ron exclaimed.
Melanie looked sympathetically at them, knowing that they dreaded the idea of being stuck with the Slytherins. Not that she didn't, the very idea of spending an hour with Malfoy made her skin crawl, but she felt the hate wasn't rooted as deep for her as it was for them. Yet.
Suddenly the post arrived and a tawny brown owl flew down and dropped a paper on Hermione's lap. Melanie looked at it questioningly, until Hermione explained that she got a subscription to the Daily Prophet, the British wizarding newspaper.
Melanie sat quietly listening to Harry and Ron go on about their hate for the Slytherins, while Hermione flipped through the paper. She placed it on the table when she was done, only for it to be picked up by Harry. While they were talking, they were joined by Neville, Seamus, and another Gryffindor first year named Dean Thomas.
At this point Neville opened up a package from his Gran and pulled out a small glass ball filled with grey smoke.
"I know what that is! That's a Remembrall!" Dean exclaimed.
"When you've forgotten something, the smoke inside turns red," Hermione said as a matter of fact.
"The only problem is, I don't remember what I've forgotten!" Neville exclaimed as the smoke turned a dark red shade.
"Melanie!"
Melanie looked over to Harry, who was looking at the paper with wide eyes.
"What is it?" she asked in a concerned fashion.
Harry pushed the paper into her hands. She looked down at a moving picture of a few goblins looking utterly dumbfounded in front of a vault door at Gringotts. Melanie thought that the vault looked familiar and read the headline.
GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST
"A break-in? How? I thought Hagrid said it was impossible," Melanie said her eyes still trained on the picture. It looked familiar…but it couldn't be.
"Keep reading," Harry insisted.
"Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on the 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards and witches unknown," she read aloud. Ron and Hermione were also listening and both looked confused as to why Harry and Melanie were so interested. "The 31st? Isn't that-?"
"Go on."
"Gringotts' goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. Vault 713 had in fact been emptied the same day. 713? That's the vault Hagrid emptied!" Melanie said, though only loud enough for them to hear.
"I know. Remember Hagrid wouldn't tell us what was in the vault? Whatever it was, someone was trying to steal it," Harry told her.
Melanie nodded her head. "But why? What could be so important that someone would risk breaking into Gringotts for it?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know."
That afternoon, Melanie followed the others out of the castle and onto the Hogwarts grounds for their first flying lesson. She was actually quite excited. Ever since she had seen the broom shop in Diagon Alley, she had been wondering what it would be like to fly through the air like a bird. Now she was going to learn how.
They walked over to where the Slytherins and their teacher Madam Hooch were waiting and they each stepped up to one of the school brooms that were laying motionless on the ground. Melanie stood beside Harry, who looked as excited as she felt, and Neville, who looked like he was about to throw up.
"Stick your right hand out over your broom," Madam Hooch instructed, "and say 'Up!'"
"UP!" everyone shouted.
Harry's broom flew up from the ground and right into his hand. Melanie looked at him in amazement. Hers had only got a few inches off the ground before it gave up and plummeted back down. Melanie tried again, determined not to be the last to do this, and this time her broom jumped right into her hand. She grinned at Harry and he grinned back, both pleased that they had been first to accomplish the task.
When everyone had managed to get a hold of their brooms (Neville had been the last one trying and Madam Hooch had to ask him to just pick it up) Madam Hooch told them how to mount their brooms and grip it correctly. Melanie felt a little better when she had been told that she was doing it right, only she needed to grip the handle tighter. She couldn't help but snigger with Harry and Ron when Madam Hooch had told Malfoy that he had been doing it wrong for years.
"Now when I blow my whistle, I want you to kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. Melanie looked excitedly to her side where Harry looked just as excited. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle – three – two –"
Beside her Neville jumped off the ground before the whistle blew and began to rise up.
"Get back boy!" Madam Hooch called, but Neville seemed to have no control of his broom at all. He continued to rise up, Madam Hooch continuing to call, twelve feet – twenty feet. Melanie looked on helplessly as Neville gasped and slipped sideways of the side of his broom. He fell straight down, too quickly for Melanie to catch, and the next thing she knew there was a sickening crack and Neville lay face down in the grass.
Madam Hooch and the Gryffindors ran over to him (the Slytherins had decided to stay behind) where he lay in a heap on the ground. Madam Hooch bent over Neville and helped him sit up. Melanie heard her mutter something like, "Tut, tut – broken wrist," before she helped him up and turned to the rest of the class.
"None of you is to move while I take him to the hospital wing. If I see a single foot off the ground you'll be out of Hogwarts faster than you can say 'Quidditch'" she said before leading Neville off back into the school.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Malfoy burst into laughter.
"Did you see his face?" he laughed before picking up Neville's Remembrall off the ground and tossing it into the air. "Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he would have remembered to fall on his fat ass."
"Give it here Malfoy!" Harry demanded, walking forward towards him. The rest of the Gryffindors followed behind him, Ron and Melanie on either side and Hermione closely behind.
Malfoy smiled nastily. He stepped onto the end of his broom and it rose a few feet off the ground with grace. If she had to admit anything, Melanie could admit that he was the most skilled flyer there. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find it – how about on the roof!" He rose higher into the air before calling down to the rest of them. "What's the matter? Scared Potter!"
Harry grabbed his broom and mounted it just as Hermione grabbed his arm. "No! Madam Hooch told us not to move – you'll be expelled!"
Harry ignored her and kicked off the ground flying unsteadily towards Malfoy.
"What an Idiot," Hermione said.
Melanie watched as Harry and Malfoy faced each other, and she hoped that they got this out of the way before Madam Hooch could see.
"Give it here Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!" Harry shouted lunging forward on his broom in an attempt to snatch the fragile glass object from Malfoy's hand. Malfoy rolled sideways on his broom, causing Harry to fly past him. Harry regained his balance just in time to see Malfoy smirk and chuck the Remembrall as hard and as far as he could.
Melanie gasped as Harry leaned flat against his broom and sped forward after the tiny glass ball. He was crazy! His first flying lesson and he's up twenty feet or more in the air chasing a stupid glass sphere! What was he thinking?!
Harry was gathering speed while heading towards a solid stone wall. Melanie knew that even if he did catch Neville's Remembrall, he wouldn't be able to pull out of his dive in time. Unconsciously, Melanie let out a scream, but when she heard herself she was shocked. So was Ron. He just looked at her in amused amazement. Did she just cheer Harry on? He was about to die and she just yelled 'Go Harry!' She had some serious problems.
She watched as Harry reached for the ball when it was only an inch from the ground. His fingers wrapped around it, but he was still speeding towards the wall. Melanie wanted to close her eyes, she would have given anything to have closed her eyes, but she looked on in horror.
He grabbed the end of the broom handle and jerked it back so he was level with the wall and came to a sudden stop. Melanie was pretty sure her heart came to a sudden stop as well. She was also pretty sure she broke the awed silence by cheering and clapping. Ron soon joined and soon the entire Gryffindor house was applauding the spectacular display. The Slytherins looked utterly devastated.
Harry flew a short way towards them until he stumbled from his broom and ran the rest of the way to the cheering group. Melanie ran forward and launched herself onto him, giving him a tight hug.
"That was brilliant Harry!" she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thanks Mel," he stuttered. He seemed to be just as astounded as the rest of the group.
Melanie suddenly realized that she was hugging Harry in front of the entire Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses and pulled away from him quickly, pink in the face. He was a faint shade of pink as well.
"Don't you ever, ever do that again!" Melanie said as the rest of the House began to surround them.
Harry just laughed.
The rest of the House came to congratulate Harry and Melanie stepped quietly away. Hermione was at the back of the group, neither condemning nor congratulating the fact that Harry had just broken the rules. When Melanie stood beside her, she could feel Hermione's stare on her. She looked over to Hermione to see a grin on her face.
"What?" Melanie snapped, though she didn't intentionally mean to.
Hermione appeared unaffected by her harshness and continued to smile. "Oh…nothing," she uttered loud enough for Melanie to hear.
Melanie scowled at her and opened her mouth to retort back, but was interrupted by a shrill voice.
"HARRY POTTER!"
Melanie looked up to see Professor McGonagall running towards them, burning a direct path to Harry. Everyone saw her gaze and cleared a path for her, but Melanie did the opposite. She left Hermione's side and walked over to Harry's.
"Never – in all my years at Hogwarts –," McGonagall scolded. Melanie made it to Harry's side to hear Professor McGonagall say, "– how dare you – might have broken your neck – "
"It wasn't his fault, Professor!" Melanie said cutting her short.
McGonagall gave her a stern look. "Be quiet, Miss Danielson –"
"But Malfoy-!"
"That's enough, Miss Danielson! Potter, follow me, now," Professor McGonagall said, nearly dragging Harry away back into the castle.
Melanie was about to start after them again, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"There's nothing we can do. He's done for," Ron told her, visibly gulping at the thought.
She refused to believe him, but decided Harry would be no better off if she burst into Dumbledore's office and started screaming. Hermione appeared at her side and grabbed her arm to lead her away, probably back to the Common Room. Ron followed on her other side, at least two feet away, acting as if she would explode at any moment. Melanie couldn't blame him; she even considered warning Hermione to tread lightly as well. But, she decided to try and take deep breaths and calm herself before she became hazardous.
That didn't work out so well.
They had just entered the Common Room when Melanie couldn't handle it anymore.
"They can't expel him! He was doing the right thing! Malfoy should be the one to be expelled! He threw the bloody thing in the first place!" she shouted causing those around the room to look up from their places.
"We know Melanie," Hermione replied calmly. "Malfoy started it. But Harry should have known better, he should have let the teachers handle it."
"How can you take their side?! What was Harry supposed to do, let Malfoy break it?!" Melanie hollered.
A few students got up and left while the others gave her looks that stated they were questioning her sanity. Melanie didn't give any mind to either. All that mattered right now was that Harry was not expelled.
"I'm not taking sides, Mel! It was wrong for Malfoy to do that, yes, but it was wrong for Harry to get involved as well," Hermione told her, trying to avoid further argument.
Melanie gave her a withering look for not taking her side and then shot a glance at Ron, who was pretending to be invisible off to the side.
"And you? Do you think Harry should be expelled too?" she hissed.
Apparently Ron wasn't sure of how to answer that because he glanced right at the floor and immediately took interest in his shoelaces. Melanie turned away from him and back to Hermione, who looked so frightened she was on the verge of tears.
"It's not fair! They can't! It's madness! It's…"
The sound of the portrait hole flying open stopped her mid-sentence and she spun around quickly. Harry jumped into the Common Room, with a grin plastered on his face, but stopped at the sight of a cowering Ron and Hermione and a slightly livid Melanie. Melanie strode towards him, completely unaware that she was making a scene.
"Harry, they can't do this! It wasn't your fault!"
"I know. Look…"
"I'll tell Dumbledore myself! I'll go right now in fact!"
"Mel, I'm not…"
"He has to understand! Malfoy's the one who…!"
"MELANIE!"
Melanie stood before him somewhat afraid, but more confused than anything else. She knew that Dumbledore would understand if he knew the whole story. But why was Harry stopping her?
"I'm not being expelled," Harry informed her. He walked by her and sat on the couch where Hermione and Ron followed, as silent as the grave. Melanie took a moment to think about what he said before turning around to stand in front of the three.
"What do you mean you're not being expelled?" she asked quietly, now realizing that she made a fool out of herself.
"McGonagall wasn't taking me to Dumbledore to be expelled. We didn't even go near his office," Harry said.
Ron gave her a look that said 'I-told-you-so' before he asked Harry where they had gone then.
"She took me to Quirrell's class and asked for Wood. First I thought they were going to make a fire and burn me or something, but it was a student. Oliver Wood he's the – "
"The Gryffindor Quidditch Captain!" Ron interrupted. Melanie faintly wondered how Ron knew these things, but couldn't be bothered with it. "Why'd she want him?"
Harry looked around to see if anyone was listening (which they weren't) and beckoned Melanie closer. She leaned towards them just as he said, "They want me to play Seeker for them. For the team."
Honestly, Melanie didn't know what to say. She knew too little about Quidditch yet to know what a "Seeker" even was – she vaguely thought perhaps that was like a towel-boy for Muggle football – so she looked to Ron and Hermione for help. Hermione's face held a look of doubting, while Ron looked as if someone had told him Christmas was coming early that year.
"You're joking," Ron scoffed, but when Harry shook his head Ron's face immediately lit up. "Seeker? But first years never…you must be the youngest player in…"
"A century. Wood told me," Harry finished.
They seemed to know what was going on, and clearly she didn't, so Melanie made a mental note to ask Hermione later. She sat down in a stuffed armchair beside the couch, feeling ashamed of the way she had acted earlier. She looked on as Ron watched Harry so amazed, so impressed, that he could only sit and gape at him. Hermione, on the other hand, had her face screwed up in concentration trying to figure out how it could all be possible.
"I start training next week," Harry said. "Only don't tell anyone. Wood wants to keep it a secret."
They had all nodded when Fred and George Weasley walked into the room, identical grins on their faces.
"Well done mate! Wood just told us," George (at least Melanie thought it was George) congratulated.
"We're on the team too – Beaters!" Fred said.
"Our job is to make sure you don't get bloodied up too bad."
"Can't make any promises though."
"Don't worry; no one's died in ages!"
"Some go missing…"
"But they turn up in a month or two!"
Both boys left for the dormitories, leaving Harry looking a little less excited.
"Don't mind them. It'll be brilliant Harry!" Ron said as if pleading with him to join the team.
Harry looked over at Melanie, who smiled encouragingly, though she didn't quite know what she was encouraging him to do. After a second of thought he smiled back and then turned to Ron.
"I think you'll have to explain the rules."
For some reason, Melanie thought Ron couldn't be happier.
The next few weeks passed slowly for Melanie as classes became a regular occurrence and the things that shocked her the first few days were now considered somewhat 'normal' in her opinion. Harry began Quidditch training sooner than they expected and it wasn't long before he and Ron thought of nothing else. Hermione often scolded them on not paying more attention to their work, but Melanie found her mind also wandering.
She missed her family at the orphanage. This was the first time that she could remember ever being away from them and it was beginning to make her feel homesick. The wonder of magic could no longer hold her attention long enough to distract her from thinking about all of her sisters and Mrs. Danielson. She wondered how Faye was doing, if she was enjoying her own school, and if she was still upset that Melanie had left her. She wanted to know if Marissa was planning another big birthday party, or an even bigger one for her sixteenth birthday. She wished she could see Mrs. Danielson again to thank her again for always being there for her. That's why she finally decided to send a letter.
At first she wasn't sure that Hedwig could make it (she had asked Harry to borrow her) , that she wouldn't know where the orphanage was, but Ron told her not to worry about it and that she would find her way there and back easier then a Niffler could find a gold coin in the side of a mountain. She didn't know what he was talking about, but trusted his judgment all the same.
However after a week of waiting she began to grow nervous again. What if Hedwig got lost? What if Mrs. Danielson didn't let her in, not knowing it had a letter?
What if they didn't want to write back?
"Melanie, it'll come! Just be patient," Hermione told her at breakfast.
Melanie wasn't sure what had caused Hermione to know she was thinking about the letter, until she looked down at her plate. The once edible looking eggs had been unknowingly prodded at until they were nothing but yellow mush. Melanie pushed her plate away, no longer having the appetite to eat, and rested her head on her hand.
"Hermione's right. It'll come," Ron said smiling at her. She smiled back just as hundreds of owls swooped into the hall. Melanie craned her neck around the hall to look for Hedwig and grinned when she came soaring down the middle of the table and dropped a letter in front of her, before taking off again. Melanie wasted no time in picking up the letter and tearing it out of the envelope it was in.
Dear Melanie,
Sorry for the late letter. Mrs. Danielson told me to write it personally and it was forgotten beneath the mountain of homework I've received. Sorry.
We are all fine at the orphanage, thanks for asking. We all appreciate your concern but there is really no need for it when it has only been a few weeks. Other then the start of the school term, nothing has changed.
No, I am not planning a huge party this year for my birthday. It would be too inconvenient for everyone else here. Just a small get together with my friends again. And before you can say anything about it, really it's fine, I prefer a smaller party to a bigger one anyway.
Faye is also fine (I know you would want to know about her particularly). She is doing well in school and although she misses you, she has accepted that this is a great opportunity for you. She says thank you for the stuffed owl.
We hope your classes are going well and want to hear all about them in your next letter!
Can't wait to see you at Christmas!
Marissa and…
Below her name were fifteen others, including Mrs. Danielson, who neat cursive was easy to pick out against the rest of the scrawled writing. Melanie smiled and struggled to push away the tears of joy that threatened to spill over. She was relieved to know that the late letter was not because they didn't want to talk to her, but because of Marissa's forgetfulness. It was a silly thought anyway. Though now she had to figure out what to write when it came time for her classes…
"See! Told you didn't we?" Ron laughed.
Melanie smiled bashfully before turning back to re-read her letter.
The day passed surprisingly quickly and before she knew it, Melanie and the others were walking back from their last class of the day, heading towards the Common Room. She wasn't quite paying attention to where they were going – she was thinking of what she would be doing in history were she in a Muggle School – but vaguely recognized the moving staircases. Hermione and Ron were behind her, bickering about something or another, and Harry was ahead of her leading the way.
She was climbing a set of stairs when she was shook from her thoughts and had to grasp the side rail to keep from falling over. Melanie focused her eyes and saw that the staircase had conveniently decided to move while they were on it. When they finally stopped, Ron suggested they move before the stairs changed yet again and they made their way off of the flight of steps. They came face-to-face with a solid wooden door and seeing no other option; they pushed it open and stepped inside.
This place was completely unfamiliar to Melanie. Not that she expected to know every corridor in the school yet, but somehow she thought that this particular one was unfamiliar to most. It was completely cast in shadow, not a single torch illuminated the stone, though she could see them hanging flameless in their brackets on the walls. A statue stood in the middle, but she could not see the figure clearly enough to tell what it was.
"Why do I get the feeling we're not supposed to be here?" Ron blurted out looking around in the darkness.
"That's because we're not supposed to be here! This is the third floor corridor!" Hermione exclaimed in a hushed whisper.
Melanie silently agreed wanting nothing more than to escape the dark cold that surrounded her. Just looking around sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine.
"C'mon," Harry finally urged.
They turned around but stopped dead in their tracks when they looked down. Mrs. Norris stood in the doorway, looking at them in an accusing fashion. That was something Melanie defiantly did not want to see right now. Suddenly the lights flickered to life and Mr. Filch's footsteps could be heard on their way.
"RUN!" Harry yelled and they all bolted in the opposite direction down the corridor. Melanie ran as fast as her legs could carry her and nearly ran straight into Harry when he came to a sudden stop at the end of the hall. They were faced with yet another door and again seeing no other option tried to open it. Ron pulled and yanked on the door with no luck. Behind them they heard the approaching footfalls of Filch and the approving meows of Mrs. Norris.
"It's locked!" Ron exclaimed.
"Oh, move over!" Hermione said, shoving him out of the way and drawing her wand at the same time. She pointed it at the heavy iron handle and muttered 'Alohomora!'
The lock clicked and the door swung open just enough for them to all pile in and shut the door behind them. They all pressed their ears against the door and held their breath. Melanie heard a grunt of disapproval and shuffling feet before she let out a deep sigh.
"Alohomora?" Ron asked Hermione breathing deeply.
"Standard Book of Spells: Chapter 7," she gasped.
Melanie rolled her eyes. Figures Hermione would read ahead. She had to remember to thank her later.
"That was close," Melanie whispered, still trying to catch her breath. "Why was it locked in the first place?"
"That's why."
Melanie looked at Harry questioningly, only to see his eyes dead set on something behind her. She could tell from the sickly pale shade of his face that whatever 'it' was, it definitely wasn't good.
Slowly she turned around and looked straight into the eyes of a monstrous three headed dog. Three headed! Three pairs of vicious yellow eyes, three noses sniffing in their direction, and three drooling mouths with countless sharp fangs.
Fear didn't even begin to describe what Melanie was feeling.
Her scream of terror might have.
Hermione yanked the door open and the four of them pushed through, the dog's jaws snapping just inches away from them. The closed the door and lent against it as the beast tried with all it's strength to push through. Somehow they got the door closed and ran from the forbidden corridor.
Melanie never remembered being so terrified in her entire life. Not even the frightening Gringotts carts could compare to the horror that ripped through her just moments before. Why would they have such a thing, in a school no less? She couldn't seem to find an answer and before she knew it they were already in the Common Room.
"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Ron exclaimed as they made their way towards the dormitory stairs.
"You don't use your eyes do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione said.
"Standing on?! I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a little preoccupied with its head! Or maybe you didn't notice… it had three!" Ron nearly yelled. Harry shushed him so Hermione could continue.
"It was standing on a trapdoor. And it wasn't an accident. It was guarding something," she said.
Melanie furrowed her eyebrows. "Guarding something?"
Hermione nodded.
They were all lost in their own thoughts until Hermione spoke up. "Well, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed – or worse, expelled." With that she walked away and up towards the girls' dorms.
"She needs to sort out her priorities," Ron said before turning away to the boys' dorm.
Melanie turned to Harry to see him looking at her. "Were you thinking what I was?"
He nodded. "Hagrid said the only place safer than Gringotts was Hogwarts. If that thing was guarding something…"
"Do you think whatever Hagrid took out of the Gringotts vault… do you think that dog's guarding it now?"
"Maybe…"
Melanie returned to her thoughts, hoping that some idea to what the thing inside the vault was would jump out at her. It didn't, though she did jump when Harry touched her arm.
"Are you alright? You look really pale," Harry said.
Melanie laughed weakly. "It's not everyday you're nearly eaten by a three headed dog."
Harry tried to laugh too, but the sound seemed to catch in his throat. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine. Thanks. See you tomorrow?" Melanie said as she stared into his vibrant green eyes. Strangely she found that the fear that had been shaking her body dulled and her breathing returned to almost passive.
Harry smiled. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."
And with that he left her to ponder over the nights events.
Hermione was frustrated to say the least. Their little 'adventure' the night before was not only making her short with Melanie's endless questions, but she now refused to talk to Harry or Ron. Apparently it was their fault they were nearly killed by a giant three headed dog. Melanie decided to let her burn herself out because before long, she would be pestering them about homework and reciting advanced books to them again.
Still, she now had to split her time between Hermione and the boys and her patience was slowly warring. Melanie felt guilty when she left Hermione alone, but she felt a little bored being away from the guys. Hermione might have been annoyed at their adventure, but it thrilled her. Of course, that was after she stopped shuddering with fear. The fact that she might miss the next venture because she was in the library with Hermione upset her.
"Hermione, will you please just talk to them again? I hate having to time myself between all three of you," Melanie pleaded as the two walked together towards their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Ahead of her she could see Harry and Ron also in deep conversation, and she wanted to run to catch up to them.
"Do you realize that we could have been killed? We've only been here two months and there's already been a near death experience because of those two!" she replied.
"And how is that their fault?"
Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but seemed unable to find one.
"Please Hermione! Please!" Melanie begged.
Hermione gave her a scornful look before rolling her eyes dramatically. "Fine!"
Melanie grinned and pulled her along enthusiastically towards the classroom.
Maybe it was because of the overwhelming load of homework, or the trouble with her friends, or the still lingering excitement of their escapade, but before long it was already Halloween at Hogwarts. Melanie couldn't believe that two months had already passed, but the anticipation of the feast kept her from fretting too long on that. She had heard from some of the older students that Hogwarts' Halloween feast was spectacular, with delicious food and tons of sugary sweets. Halloween had always been one of Melanie's favorite holidays and she couldn't wait for this one at Hogwarts.
The morning of the 31st of October arrived with the smells of baking pumpkins, a smell that warmed the very bones of Melanie's body. Throughout the entire morning she could be found with a smile on her face and chatting away happily to everyone. And as if that wasn't enough to make her day perfect, Professor Flitwick announced that they would be learning how to levitate objects in Charms class.
No one could have described Melanie's excitement. She was literally bouncing in her seat beside Dean Thomas, who was looking at her as if she had finally lost it.
"Now don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" tiny Professor Flitwick squeaked. "Swish and Flick," he reminded while demonstrating the movement with his wand. The class copied him, all except Melanie, who had practiced the movement the night before and doubted she could possibly screw it up now.
"Very good! Now has everyone got their feathers?"
As if reading the other's mind, Melanie and Hermione held up their feathers proudly, both excited to get started. Professor Flitwick instructed them to begin practicing and soon the classroom was filled with the repetitive words Wingardium Leviosa!
Melanie cleared her throat and pointed her wand at the snowy white feather on her desk. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she said, clearly and loudly as the Professor had instructed, and did the wrist movement. To her surprise, the feather rose gently from the desk, flying a few feet into the air.
"Excellent! Excellent, Miss Danielson!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed as he passed their table, a wide smile on his face.
Melanie lowered the feather back down onto the table, a pleased grin across her face.
"How'd you do that?"
She looked beside her at Dean, who was staring at her in awed amazement. Melanie blushed. "It's simple really. You just have to picture the feather rising up. I don't think it works otherwise," she told him.
Dean nodded and looked back at his feather. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he said. His feather gave a feeble twitch and he sighed.
Melanie gave him a sympathetic look and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Keep working on it. It'll come."
He smiled and opened his mouth to thank her but it was interrupted by Hermione commanding Ron, her partner, to stop.
"Stop, stop, stop! You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides your saying it wrong," she said. Melanie turned in her seat to see Ron looking at Hermione with annoyance on his face. "It's Wingardium Levi-o-sa, not Levios-a-," Hermione finished.
"You do it, then, if you're so clever!" Ron snapped.
Hermione rolled up her sleeves and pointed her wand at her feather. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she said confidently. Like Melanie's feather, hers rose from the table causing everyone to look and her in wonder. Ron huffed and put his head down on the table, looking positively put out.
When the class ended, Melanie got up from her seat and went over to Hermione, who was putting her books into her bag.
"Go on ahead Mel. I want to ask Professor Flitwick something about the essay," she said when she realized Melanie was waiting for her.
"Alright, see you in Defense!" Melanie replied before heading out of the classroom.
Looking around in the Hall, Melanie couldn't see Harry or Ron anywhere, so she started off on her own. She knew Ron would be upset about Hermione, but he was doing it wrong and Hermione was only trying to help. Just maybe not in the best way.
Walking out into the courtyard, she saw the boys walking with Seamus, Dean, and Neville. She ran through the crowd to catch up to them, bumping into people along her way.
"Harry! Ron!" she yelled. They both turned around and waited for her to catch up.
"Hey," Harry greeted. "Where's Hermione?"
"She wanted to ask Professor Flitwick something. She told me she'd meet us in Defense," Melanie answered, not missing the annoyed huff that came from Ron.
"It's Levi-o-sa, not Levios-a-!" he said cruelly mimicking Hermione's earlier correction. Melanie was about to tell him off, but he continued. "It's no wonder no one can stand her. She's a nightmare, honestly!"
Harry knocked into her as someone pushed passed him and Melanie saw her worst fear coming to life. Hermione pushed on ahead quickly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I think she heard you," Harry said, watching Hermione run off too.
"So? She must have noticed she has no friends," Ron answered.
Having heard enough, Melanie stood in front of him and shoved him angrily. "Why do you have to be such a prat, Ron? She was only trying to help you! And just so you know, she does have a friend! She has me! Which is more than you can say right now!"
Ron looked at her with startled eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Melanie walked away before he could say anything. Fuming, she pushed her way through the crowd in the direction that Hermione had gone, hoping that she would find her soon.
It turned out that Hermione had pulled a disappearing act because Melanie saw no sign of her. Before long it was time to go to class and Melanie hoped she would see her friend in class. But again her hopes were shattered and Melanie had to sit alone throughout class, trying to ignore the pleading looks Harry and Ron were giving her.
Melanie didn't see Hermione all afternoon and wondered where on earth she had gotten to. Ron had tried to talk to her a few times, perhaps to apologized, but Melanie paid him no heed. Instead, she hung out with Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, who seemed extremely pleased to have her with them. She found that they were actually quite nice, except for the fact that all they did was talk about boys and the school gossip. Even after having only talked to her for the afternoon, they were asking questions about the boy she 'liked'.
She met them again at the feast (she had left them to drop her books off in their dorm room), sitting a short way away from Harry and Ron who were already enjoying their meal. They sat and talked, Melanie barely eating a thing because of her ever constant worry over Hermione, until they told her the latest piece of gossip.
"And we went into the girls' toilet, the one on the fifth floor, and guess who we saw," Lavender told her excitedly.
Rather reluctantly, Melanie asked who.
"Hermione Granger! You know, the smartest girl in our year," Parvati said.
Melanie straightened up. They found Hermione!
"She was crying and said she wanted to be left alone," Lavender added.
"Is she still there?" Melanie asked bluntly, not caring who was watching her.
The girls looked at her confused. "Yeah…but why would you…?"
Melanie gave them no time to finish because she jumped from her seat and dashed out of the Great Hall. She ran through the corridors and up the stairs until she reached the girls' bathroom on the fifth floor.
Quietly, she opened the door and stepped inside. If she hadn't known that someone was already inside, she would not have heard the near silent sniffle that came from one of the stalls.
"Hermione?" she said softly.
"Go away!" called a voice from the stall. Melanie knew immediately that it was Hermione, her voice was cracked and unsteady still, even after hours of crying.
"Hermione…its Melanie," she said, approaching the stall.
"Go away!" Hermione yelled again. "Go back to Harry and Ron and just leave me alone!"
Melanie ignored her and still walked closer. "I've been looking for you all day. Lavender and Parvati just told me they found you here."
Another sniffle. "Shouldn't you be at the feast?" Hermione asked a little less angry.
Melanie shrugged even though Hermione couldn't see it. "It wasn't that interesting. Besides I didn't know how much longer I could take Lavender and Parvati asking me who I liked."
A sound came from inside the stall, but Melanie couldn't tell if it was a laugh or the beginning of more tears. She hoped it was the former.
"What about Harry and Ron? They must be down there. Why don't you talk to them?"
"I haven't talked to either of them since after Charms class." Melanie answered.
"Why?"
"Well after Ron said what he did…I might have pushed him, called him a prat, and told him I didn't want to talk to him anymore."
This time Melanie was positive that she heard a laugh come from the stall.
"You did?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, I did. He shouldn't have said that, Hermione."
There was a short pause. "Is it true though? Am I really that bad?"
"Of course not! You're really smart Hermione and you should be proud of that! If Ron doesn't understand that you were just trying to help him, then that's his problem," Melanie said.
Again there was a slight pause. Suddenly the door opened and Hermione stepped out, rubbing the tears from her eyes. Melanie smiled at her, glad that she had helped. Hermione looked at her, but the smile that was there quickly disappeared as she looked over Melanie's shoulder.
Not saying a word, Melanie glanced over her shoulder and nearly screamed in fear at what she saw. Standing in the entranceway to the bathroom, its head nearly touching the ceiling, was a giant cave troll. Its rough skin was a dull stony grey and its body was large and imperfect. Its legs resembled the size of thick tree trunks and its feet were huge enough to squish them both in a second. It carried a very big wooden club in its great hands.
She slowly backed away, trying not to draw attention to herself, and pushed herself and Hermione back into the stall. She closed the door behind her but it was too late. They had been seen.
The troll let out a rumbling growl and the tops of the stalls were smashed away. Melanie and Hermione hit the floor screaming as shards of wood rained down on them.
"Hermione! Melanie! Move!"
Melanie and Hermione did as they were told, throwing themselves underneath the stall into the next one, just barely avoiding the club that came crashing down just inches from where they were.
"Harry, help!" Melanie screamed.
She could hear Harry and Ron outside, trying to distract the troll and knew she had to do something.
"Hermione we have to get out of here!" she shouted.
Hermione nodded and began to crawl out from underneath the stall. Melanie moved to follow her, but felt something tugging on her leg. Looking back she saw her pant-leg caught on a piece of wood, stooping her from going anywhere. She reached down to try to tug herself free, but nothing happened.
She looked up when she heard Hermione scream. She was huddled underneath one of the sinks; the one behind her had been smashed away. The troll raised its club again and Melanie held her breath.
"Oi! Pea-brain!"
Ron threw a piece a wood at the troll at hit the back of its head, causing it to turn around. Harry raced at, grabbed onto its club and was thrown onto the trolls shoulders.
Melanie frantically pulled at her leg, but still nothing happened.
Frustrated (and clearly confused) the troll flung Harry around, ending up with Harry's wand stuck up its nose. Melanie gasped as it grabbed Harry by the leg and dangled him in front, then swung its club at him.
"Do something!" he screamed at Ron, dodging the troll's swing.
"What?" Ron asked looking around him.
"Anything!" Harry shouted, dodging another attack.
Still tugging at her pants, Melanie watched Ron draw his wand from his pocket. He looked at Hermione, who did the proper wrist movement and said, "Swish and flick!"
Ron raised his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
'Perfect!' Melanie thought.
The troll went to swing at Harry again, but held nothing but air. It looked at its empty hand and then towards the ceiling, where its club hovered over its head. Suddenly it fell, hitting the troll on the head, knocking it out. Harry fell and scrambled away from the troll, which crashed to the ground with a loud thud.
Melanie gave a sigh of relief.
"Melanie?"
She looked up and saw Harry coming over to her, a look of worry on his face.
"I'm alright," she said as he bent down beside her. "My pant-leg is stuck s'all."
Harry helped her pull herself free, leaving only a small rip at the bottom hem of her leg, and helped her over the piles of wood. Melanie gave Hermione a tight hug and gave Ron a smile just as Professors McGonagall, Quirrell, and Snape came into the room.
Professor McGonagall took one look at the troll and gave a startled yelp. Stuttering slightly from shock she said, "Oh, oh my goodness."
She looked at Harry and Ron and said, "Explain yourselves…the both of you."
Harry and Ron struggled to come up with an answer, but were saved when Hermione spoke up. "It was my fault Professor," she said causing everyone to look at her. "I went looking for the troll. I've read about them and thought I could handle it. If Harry, Ron, and Melanie hadn't saved me…I'd probably be dead."
Professor gave her a surprised, yet stern look. "Be that as it may… I am very disappointed in you Miss Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor."
Melanie lowered her head as Professor McGonagall looked at Harry, Ron, and herself. "As for you three… I just hope you realized how fortunate you are. Not many first years can take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Five points will be awarded to each of you," she told them.
Melanie grinned at the others as the Professor added, "For sheer dumb luck."
It was strange, but that incident brought the four of them closer than they had ever been before. Melanie was grateful that Harry and Ron had come to save her and Hermione. Hermione was grateful that Melanie had come to find her in the first place. And the boys were just grateful that they were forgiven. After that, their friendship grew stronger and soon enough they were inseparable.