UPDATED VERSION 7/28/14
I added something and changed it a little bit.
As always, I don't own Harry Potter and characters, etc. But Elaine, Selenia, and the other characters I created are mine :)
Elaine's POV
The next morning I had a response to the letter from my mother. She must have written back to me the same evening. She heard that I was doing quite well in my classes, especially potions. She was glad I was doing well, and she asked after Selenia.
In response to my descriptions of the other first years, she wrote It seems to me that you have been rather aloof with the other students your age. Perhaps it would be beneficial to your standing if you were to interact with them. Help them in their classes. Gossip with them a bit. If you can earn their trust they may be useful to you during your school years. All except that Lovegood girl. She is, as you say, "full of nonsense." Do not interact with her. Use your intelligence. It is a valueable trait in the Ravenclaw house, no doubt why you were sorted there. Others will admire you for it. It will be to your credit.
She was right of course. I would learn much more with multiple eyes and ears. Although I wasn't sure it was worth putting up with the other silly first years, I would heed my mother's advice and "make friends."
And so I spent Saturday morning in the Ravenclaw common room with Ainslee doing all our homework. We finished the Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration work we had received. We went to the Great Hall for lunch, but ate quickly.
"Let's go get Selenia and spend some time outside," I suggested. Ainslee agreed, so we headed back to the common room to get my kitten.
I called for her, but she didn't come out. We searched for her everywhere, even getting one of the first year boys to check the boys' dormitories.
"She must have slipped out again," I fretted. We headed back down to the Great Hall, calling for Selenia as we descended. Ginny walked out of the Great Hall just then.
"Hi Elaine. I'm Ginny. What's your name?" she asked Ainslee, brightly.
"Ainslee. Nice to meet you. What house are you in?" Ainslee responded.
"Gryffindor. What are you doing?" she asked.
"We can't find my kitten," I worried.
"Oh no! Would you like some help?" She offered.
"Of course. Thanks," I accepted.
We decided that Ainslee and Ginny would go back to the upper floors while I went down to the dungeons. If we couldn't find her we would meet up and check the grounds.
I headed down to the dungeons of my own. I had only ever been to the Potions classroom, so I wandered a little bit, calling for Selenia. A few minutes later I realized I wasn't sure where I was. I continued down a few more corridors and finally heard some voices. I followed them, and turned the corner to find my brother, Draco Malfoy, and their friend Crabbe.
"What are you doing down here?" Gregory demanded.
"Looking for her." I nodded at Selenia, who was hissing at him.
"How did she get down here?" he grumbled.
I watched my kitten curl herself around Draco's legs as I guessed, "Someone must have let her out of my common room. I don't know why she came all the way down here." I called her and she trotted over, quite pleased with herself. I picked her up.
"Better keep an eye on her until she can take care of herself," Draco warned. I looked at him. Was that a threat? Then I remembered how he stroked her head yesterday, and realized he might mean it.
He gestured down the corridor, dismissing me. I followed his direction, as I had no idea where I was, and found myself in the corridor leading to the Potions classroom. I headed back up to the ground floor, finding Ginny and Ainslee there.
"What took you so long?" Ainslee asked.
"Yeah, we were about to come looking for you," Ginny chimed in.
I held up Selenia and explained, "I got lost. You wouldn't believe how many dungeons are down there. Then I ran into my brother and his friends. Selenia was with them."
"Malfoy?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah," I responded. "We should take Selenia outside. Maybe she won't disappear as much if she gets more exercise."
They agreed, so we strolled outside and found a nice tree to sit underneath. I let Selenia wander around, hoping she wouldn't go far.
"How were your classes?" Ginny began.
"They're interesting. I think Potions will be fun. I don't know about Charms though. I spent most of the class in the Hospital Wing," I mused. I told Ginny about getting poked in the neck. "I met a Gryffindor boy while I was there. Neville Longbottom, I believe. Do you know him?" I concluded.
"A little. Do you know why he was there?" she added.
"He said he was hung on the chandelier by some pixies, I think," I responded.
"Pixies? How can pixies hang someone on a chandelier?" Ginny wondered.
"Some pixies are stronger than they look," Ainslee added. I had almost forgotten she was there. She was very quiet sometimes.
"He said Lockhart let them out," I mentioned.
"Oh, I guess he might have done that. What did you think of Lockhart?" Ginny prompted.
"He doesn't seem to know what he's doing, does he?" I questioned.
"I thought so too," Ginny confirmed.
"But half the school is in love with him because of his books," I complained. We sat for a second in silence before Ginny picked up the conversation again.
"I think Transfiguration will be fun. McGonagall's strict, but I don't mind. Oh, speaking of which, I should probably go. I have to do all my homework," Ginny groaned. She said goodbye and headed back to the castle.
Ainslee spoke up, "Look, there's some of the girls from Hufflepuff. I met some of them on the train. Do you want to come talk to them with me?"
I stared at her. I was barely willing to talk to the Ravenclaw first years, let alone Hufflepuffs.
I wrinkled my nose and mumbled, "I'll pass. I have something I need to…" I whistled and Selenia followed me as I sailed back to the castle.
In the courtyard I picked her up. "Getting to know Ravenclaw first years is hard enough isn't it? I just don't have the patience for that and Hufflepuffs in one day," I murmured. Selenia meowed in response.
I entered the castle, intending to go back to the common room. On the fourth floor I turned a corner to find Professor Flitwick staggering down the hall under that weight of a broad, dark-skinned boy who was unconscious.
"Miss Goyle," he puffed, "Would you be so kind as to…?" I quickly glanced around for some reason to refuse, but found the corridor deserted. Everyone must have been outside or holed up in their common rooms.
I dropped Selenia, grabbed the boy's left arm, and placed it around my shoulder, annoyed with the delay this would cause me. Together we managed to drag the familiar boy—I thought he was in Ravenclaw—down the stairs and through the corridors to the Hospital Wing.
Madam Pomfrey hurried over and directed us to an empty bed. The three of us lifted him into the bed.
Professor Flitwick proceeded to explain, as he caught his breath, that a couple of boys in the common room were playing with their wands. He then excused himself to go discipline the other boys.
I stood awkwardly for a moment, then curiosity got the better of me. "Are you going to use a potion to wake him up?" I questioned Madam Pomfrey. She glanced up, surprised I was still there.
For a moment she was just going to send me out, but she didn't. Instead she explained, "There's no need. I'll just make sure he isn't hurt and let him wake up on his own. Do you have an interest in healing?"
I mentally wrinkled my nose at the thought, but only stated, "Not really, but I do like potions."
She nodded, and bent to check on the boy. "You can go now," she dismissed.
As I left I remembered Selenia. I was up two flights of stairs in a flash, and found her sitting patiently outside the entrance to the common room. I answered a riddle and entered with Selenia at my heels.
Professor Flitwick was lecturing two boys in one corner, so I avoided that side of the room.
"Elaine!" called a small, curly-haired first year. I drifted over.
"Where's that other girl? The odd one you met on the train," she continued.
"Nandra Robards!" scolded Ainslee Knight, a sandy-haired girl. "You shouldn't say such things," she admonished, grey eyes intense.
Nandra frowned, "Well she is! Anyway, Elaine, did you hear? Emery got—"
"Taken to the Hospital Wing? I know," I cut in.
"How?" Nandra gasped, her dark green eyes wide.
"I saw him," I muttered, not wanting to mention that I dragged him halfway there.
"Saw who?" demanded Radburn Allen, the first year who had helped search for Selenia earlier that day. The boys joined us, now that Flitwick was finished with them.
"Emery," Ainslee offered.
"You saw Emery? Is he okay?" Radburn asked sheepishly.
"Yeah, I think so," I stammered. "I have to go do, um, something… important." I fled to my dormitory, grabbing the first book I touched, grateful to get away from the crush of people. Settling onto my four-poster bed, I holed up to spend the rest of the afternoon reading my old copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard.
So that's that. Please review!
