Disclaimer: Don't own anything you recognise – that's all the lovely JK Rowling's! I do, however take credit for Fiona and some of the titles of spell books used... Many thanks to AA Milne's wonderful creation of Winnie the Pooh (and Piglet too!).
A/N: Thought I'd be nice and upload the next chapter too... :)
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Chapter 9
Previously: As I made my way up to the Gryffindor common room, and then up the stairs to the girls' dormitory, I was struck by an immense sense of gratitude towards A.A. Milne, whose books I had been enamoured with as a child. I would never have thought that they would come in useful in later life, during an attack on my person, but I was suddenly very glad that my parents had started me off on them.
Winnie the Pooh was my new best friend.
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I spent that evening practicing my silent spells and tried, for the first time, to cast a wandless levitating charm. After half an hour of staring at my quill, willing it to rise, I had a splitting headache and my quill had not moved even a millimetre. I decided to call it a day.
The next day I woke to find that my headache had gone, and that the weather had taken a turn for the worse. I had planned to go for a walk in the grounds after breakfast, but the driving rain on the dormitory window changed my mind.
I dressed at a leisurely pace, struggled my hair into a relatively neat ponytail, then made my way down the stairs and out through the portrait hole. I passed through the corridors in a slight daze, thinking back to all the times I had walked this route with Harry and Ron. I missed them very much – even Ron, as irritating as he is sometimes, has a small place in my heart. I found myself wishing that I had never come here, that I could return home. I had to remind myself, for what felt like the hundredth time, that feeling unhappy would not accomplish anything, and that I should stay focused on finding a way back. I would find a way back, I would, I would...
Repeating my new mantra in my head, I entered the Great Hall. Finding the room deserted apart from a single table in the centre of the room, I took a place somewhere in the middle of the table and selected my morning nutrients – a bowl of porridge with liberal helpings of syrup, an apple, and a glass of milk. I was halfway through the porridge, when the doors to the Great Hall opened and Dumbledore entered, followed by Lily and Severus.
"Good morning, Mia!" Dumbledore greeted me cheerfully as he took a seat opposite mine. He peered over his spectacles at me and twinkled.
"I must thank you for the note I received yesterday evening – I understand that the fish and chips at the Three Broomsticks is especially good and that you couldn't bear to leave it." If it was possible, his eyes sparkled even more merrily as he continued, "Your kneazle was very helpful in explaining the merits of the fish." He went on to explain that 'Kneazan' was one of his spoken languages, and that he had learnt it around the same time as he learnt Mermish. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of this news, and so smiled and nodded along.
In the meantime, Lily and Severus had seated themselves on either side of me and were helping themselves to food. Lily distracted Dumbledore from his rendition of 'Beowulf' (in Middle English, of course), by pointing out that the bacon and sausages were extremely good and that he should probably enjoy them. Severus shot me a look that clearly stated that he only put up with the headmaster because he felt obliged. I replied with one that stated 'I have no choice – he is a relative, after all'. He quirked an eyebrow, obviously finding the fact amusing. Turning to Lily, I asked her if she had met Fiona.
"Fiona?" Her brow wrinkled, as if trying to remember something she had forgotten.
"She works in Madame Malkin's, in Hogsmeade. About so high," I gestured with my hands, "red-haired, and very Irish. Great sense of humour." Lily smiled.
"Now you come to mention it, I do know her. She left Hogwarts last year – she was the Ravenclaw prefect and was always very nice to everyone. I heard she's dating a muggle now – apparently seriously... he's called Alasdair, works in a fishmongers in central London. Also Irish – well, he's got to be, what with a surname like Finnigan!"
My stomach gave an unexpected lurch. I had a funny feeling I had just met a younger version of Seamus' mother. Thinking back to first year, after the sorting, I recalled what he had said about his parents.
"I'm half and half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Man didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."
Great. First Harry's parents, then Malfoy's dad, now Seamus' mother! This wasn't going to be as easy as I had first thought if I was going to keep running into people I knew. I sighed, and tuned back into Lily's chattering.
"...and then she says, 'no, it's ehwaz - it's not eiwaz! You've done it all wrong!' And I turned round and showed her the dictionary where it was stated, clear as glass, that it was ehwaz and I had been right. And then doesn't she go and say that I changed the book! Professor Saldoy himself had to tell her I was right! Blondes..." She trailed off, shaking her head. From what I could gather, the girl she had been talking about was called Amy-Lou, and was the sort of person who was convinced that everything they did was right. Ever since then, she had pitted herself against Lily – sort of like a bitchier version of Malfoy. I smiled and finished my porridge.
"So, Mia, what are your plans for today? Sev is going to help me with my potions – not that I really need that much help but there's a bit of Golpalott's Third Law that I just don't understand."
"I'll probably spend most of today in the library – I had wanted to go for a walk around the grounds, but looking at the weather," I gestured at the ceiling, across which a bolt of lightning had just flashed, "I don't think that's on the cards!" Lily nodded, wincing as a loud rumble of thunder echoed through the hall. She got up to leave with Severus, and I quickly followed suit, not wanting to be left alone with Dumbledore, who was humming some sort of Scottish Jig and salt and pepper dance across the table. I waved a goodbye to Dumbledore, who waved back, and once more became engrossed in his dancing condiments.
"I'll see you at lunch then?" Lily asked as we arrived at the staircase I was to take.
"Maybe – if I don't turn up, you may have to send someone to extricate me from the books..." Lily giggled.
"Don't worry – if Dumbledore is still acting crazy, I might come and join you!"
Severus echoed Lily's bid of farewell, and we went our separate ways.
I wandered up towards the library, planning in my head where I would start. First off, look in the transport section – there might be some information on time turners which could relate. Then in Hogwarts, A History, to see if this sort of thing has happened before – and to see if I can relocate the room that must have sent me here. Then maybe if Madame Pince isn't there, I could have a look in the restricted section, and if she is, I could get a slip off Dumbledore... or offer to help Pince – she might take a liking to me and might have books squirreled away somewhere...
I rounded a corner and promptly backtracked swiftly and silently, heart thudding. Sirius was walking along the corridor towards me, gazing moodily at the floor and was the last person I wanted to see. I was reminded of the first time I had seen him in this time as I quickly tucked myself behind a suit of armour and waited for him to pass by.
I waited. And waited.
And then felt an insane need to sneeze. Drawing my wand, I managed to cast a silent 'Silencio' on myself... an instant too late. The first part of my sneeze echoed around the hall, just as Sirius rounded the corner. He stopped and looked around, confused.
Shit.
Thinking quickly, I rapped myself on the head and waited for the tell-tale cracked egg-feel to run down my back, ensuring the Disillusionment charm had worked. I now just needed to stay still and silent until Sirius went.
I was willing him to move on, to go away, when he slowly made his way over to the suit of armour I was standing behind. I gulped.
Please go away, please go away, please don't see me... Please don't itch now, nose – not helpful!
I watched helplessly as Sirius peered behind my armoured guard, his face inches away from mine. In any other situation, it might have been romantic, but the only thing I was feeling at that instant was panic and an immense need to exhale. I would have to in 3... 2... 1...
Sirius moved away, obviously deciding there was nothing there. I let out a great, silenced, sigh of relief as he stepped away from the armour. Poking my head out of the alcove I was hiding in, I watched gleefully as he continued on his way down the corridor. I paused briefly to remove the silencing and Disillusionment charms then, stepping out from behind the armour, I started off again towards the library.
I did wonder, though, why so many students were at Hogwarts – after all it was summer, and Lily, Severus and now Sirius seemed to be staying at the castle. I was bemused as to why they would be doing so, but determined to get to the bottom of it when I could.
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A/N: Slightly shorter chapter, but it felt right to stop here. Some of you are possibly getting tired of the slow pace? I will try and pick it up soon – promise! Pointers would be handy as I have never written a fanfic, or a fic of any kind before... :) Thanks!
Please review on your way out, even if it is a one-liner, or even just a 'like' or 'dislike', all feedback is gratefully received.
Onwards and upwards!
