Chapter Eight: Slytherin or Not?
Whenever Zoey Emeraude couldn't get to bed early, she would head down to the Common Room, take a seat in front of the fireplace and listen to her fellow Hufflepuffs talk about their day. She never participated in any of the conversations (not like she was invited to) but she found it entertaining when she heard them tell stories about pranks and jinxes going haywire, interesting spells and curses. Zoey even had to place her hands over her ears because some of her Upper Classmen talked about things Zoey preferred not to know about.
One of the many topics her fellow Hufflepuffs (mostly the muggleborn witches and wizards) talked about was how their classes went. Several would grumble about Potions while the rest talked animatedly about either Transfiguration or Charms. From what Zoey heard, their least favorite subject, besides Potions, was History of Magic because it was dead boring. Apparently it was more boring than Muggle History and that was saying something.
When the Emeraude first heard this, she wanted to give the subject the benefit of the doubt but when she found herself sitting in the classroom, listening to Professor Binns's droning voice, she finally understood what they meant.
Zoey felt her eyelids begin to drop as she tried her best to pay attention to Professor Binns's lecture. Looking at the board behind the ghost of a professor and down at her roll of parchment, the Emeraude saw that she had already jotted down everything he has written and she realized that there was nothing more to add because he was now reading the lesson off of their book. This was bad. Taking down notes was the only way Zoey stayed awake in class and it wasn't helping that Professor Binns's voice was lulling her to sleep.
Putting her quill down, Zoey wondered if Professor Binns's even noticed that more than half of his class was asleep. What was the use of teaching when there was no one to pay attention? The Emeraude looked lazily around the classroom and her gaze immediately stopped on Fred and George. Her hand shot up to her mouth, stifling the giggle that was about to escape.
Lee Jordan, a Gryffindor and friend of the Weasley Twins, had fallen asleep on his desk and Fred and George took it upon themselves to doodle all over his face and mess up his signature dreadlocks. Zoey was amazed that the boy hadn't woken up yet. He must have been dead tired to not feel the pressure of the quills and the pulling of his hair.
The Emeraude shook her head at the twins' antics and turned around. All of a sudden a piece of parchment appeared before Zoey's eyes, surprising her. She let out a surprised yelp and fell off her chair causing Professor Binns to stop his lecture and, along with her classmates, turn to her.
"Is there something wrong, Miss Emeraude?" he asked.
Zoey felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment and she slowly rose up from the ground and sat back down on her seat, snatching the parchment and placed it on her lap. She bit her lip when she saw the looks her classmates were giving her. At least they had to decency to hold in their laughter.
"It's nothing, Professor," Zoey mumbled, ducking her head and opening the letter under her table. She recognized Echo's penmanship and immediately began reading the note.
Zwei, do you have any sweets? I need to stay awake. Professor McGonagall's lecture on these spells is getting tedious. – Echo.
The Emeraude resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she placed the note on her table and began writing down her reply.
Shouldn't you be changing animals into goblets? – Zoey.
With a swift tap of her wand, the note disappeared. After a minute, the note reappeared before her.
You haven't answered my question. I've done that Vera Verto spell over a thousand times already. Now give me sweets. My stomach is eating itself again. – Echo.
Zoey furrowed her brows before turning towards Fred and George. The Weasley Twins were now hunched over a notebook of theirs, discussing quietly amongst themselves. They seemed to have gotten bored of Lee and Zoey saw that the boy was now completely covered in doodles and rude writing. You could hardly see his skin anymore. He resembled a human sketchpad.
"Fred…George…" Zoey whispered, catching their attention. They both raised their brow at her in question. It wasn't like her to talk in class. "Do you happen to have any sweets?"
"Why?" They asked her.
"Echo's asking."
Fred and George's mouth formed an 'O' at the mention of the Ravenclaw's name and they immediately stuffed their hands into their pockets, pulling out their assorted candies. Having known Echo for so many years, they were already used to her sweet tooth. Zoey gave them her thanks before she quietly brought the sweets to her table and attached them to the parchment with a simple sticking charm and sent the note away.
Zoey spent her free period sitting under a beach tree near the lake with Echo and the twins. The Ravenclaw was quietly reading a book while the Weasley Twins were peeking out from behind the tree, casting spells on unsuspecting students. The Emeraude knitted her brows together when she saw that the latest victim was a Hufflepuff Third Year. She was just walking down the hall when the twins casted a spell that caused her feet to stick firmly on the ground. The Third Year wobbled a bit when her feet wouldn't budge and she looked around, hoping to see the cause of her predicament but saw no one because the twins were now fully covered by the tree, laughing behind their hands.
The Emeraude briefly wondered if she should have told off Fred and George for pranking an innocent Hufflepuff but for some reason, she just couldn't. Eventually, the twins lifted the spell and the Third Year stumbled forward. She quickly composed herself and ran off in a different direction.
"You know, Fred and George should remove their freckles to complement their black hair," Echo suddenly said, causing Fred and George to stop laughing and glare at her.
Zoey raised her brows at this and looked over to the twins. Their hair was still black but she could see that it was beginning to fade. It now took on a navy blue color.
"Actually, I think they should keep their freckles and return to their natural ginger hair," Zoey said distractedly, trying to remember if she ever came across a spell that could revert hair to its normal color. She came up with nothing in the end. "Besides," she cleared her throat, "I think the black's already fading."
"Oh well. Guess I'll have to ask the prankster, whoever it may be, to brew that hair dye potion and maybe a freckle remover," Echo let out a laugh.
Fred and George's glares hardened. They didn't find what she said funny at all.
"Did you ever find out who the prankster is?" The Emeraude asked after a moment passed, hoping to direct the twins' attention away from Echo. At this rate, they might burn a hole into the Ravenclaw's head.
"We haven't." Fred said, folding his arms across his chest and leaned against the tree's trunk.
"But we suspect it might be a Slytherin." George added, bringing his hand up to his hair and ruffling it.
"How did you come up with that?" Zoey asked, titling her head in question.
"It could have been a Ravenclaw of even a Hufflepuff for all we know. A Slytherin couldn't brew a potion like that perfectly, you know." Said Echo.
The Emeraude slowly shook her head at Echo's words. The Ravenclaw really thought low of the Slytherins.
"Well, those lot were the only ones we've seriously pranks," Fred shrugged.
"And they are most likely to hold a grudge," George mused. "It would be odd if they didn't seek out revenge."
"But you both pranked students from other houses, right? Maybe one of them just got fed up and… you know… got you back?" Zoey suggested.
"Fred, don't be so naïve. These students have feelings too." Echo frowned.
"Either way," George began before Fred could retort, "Slytherin or not, we don't like him and we still don't have a clue on who the prankster is."
"Or how to remove the dye," Fred grumbled, running his hand through his hair. "We were just about to narrow down who the prankster could be but you, Zoey, just had to say there could be other people involved.
"Sorry." The Emeraude said sheepishly, causing Fred to grin.
"Bringing the subject back to the dye, why don't you just dive down the Great Lake?" Echo suggested, jerking her thumb towards the said lake. "I do hope you drown – err – I mean, have the dye fade out."
"Why don't you go down there first?" Fred snapped, tired of hearing Echo talk about his and his brother's new hair. It wasn't like he wanted it to be black in the first place. "I'm sure the Giant Squid would love your company."
"I sure would love to." Was Echo's sarcastic reply. She stood up from her spot and curtsied to Fred.
Zoey watched quietly as Echo walked towards the Great Lake. Her head was held high, inching closer and closer to the body of water. The Emeraude knew for a fact that Echo, like her, did not like the thought of swimming in the lake and she knew that Echo was not one to show fear. Her, Zoey's, eyes glazed over, her gaze focused on the lake. It was softly sparkling under the sun.
The sight would have been beautiful if it did not bring unwanted memories.
"You better drown, you brat!" A cold, cruel voice rang in Zoey's head.
It was so clear – like the person saying it was sitting right beside her.
Pictures of a huge bathroom and bathtub flashed in Zoey's mind. A blonde woman was grabbing a younger version of herself by the hair and was dumping her head into the water. Zoey could see herself struggling against the woman's hold, gasping for air whenever her head was brought back up.
Suddenly, something wet landed on Zoey's hand, bringing her back to reality.
A shiver ran down the Emeraude's spine and she felt tears stream down her face. She brought her hand up to wipe them away, hoping no one noticed. Unfortunately for her, someone did.
"Why are you crying?"
Zoey lowered her hands to her lap and turned to Fred, seeing him looking at her with a worried expression. She stared into his blue eyes, immediately getting lost in them, and forced herself to look away. She didn't want to tell him what she just remembered. It was too personal and not worth his concern.
Turning her attention away from Fred, Zoey focused on the lake. She saw George holding Echo by the arm, whispering something in her ear.
Maybe, Zoey thought, He's telling her not to jump in.
Fred cleared his throat, making Zoey bring her attention back to him. He raised his brows at her, showing that he was waiting for her answer.
"I…I just kept my eyes open too long," Zoey lied, bringing her hand back to her face to wipe away the remaining tears. She made a mental note to wash her face once she got back to her Common Room.
"You're a horrible liar," Fred said, looking Zoey in the eye, daring the girl to lie to him again.
The Emeraude bit her lip and felt her cheeks warming up. Even though she didn't want to, she looked into Fred's eyes as well and immediately got lost in them. Fred's eyes were mesmerizing and even though George had the same blue eyes, Fred's just seemed different to her. Zoey wasn't sure if it was just because she fancied him or it was because she liked the way they sparkled and –
Zoey frowned, shaking her head as if the action would shake her thoughts away. Stop it, Zoey, The girl thought to herself, the voice in her head taking on a stern tone. You're losing it. Focus.
"It's… nothing. Really," Zoey coughed into her hand, hoping that her tone made Fred realize that she didn't want to talk about it. "I… I just… uhm… remembered something. Nothing to worry about."
Fred raised his brow at Zoey once more before letting out a sigh. "If you didn't want to talk about it you should've said so," The boy shrugged and stood up from the ground, holding his hand out to her. "Come on, George and Echo are coming and class is about to start soon."
"Do my ears deceive me?" Zoey began, taking Fred's hand and allowing him to help her up. "Does Fred Weasley – The Fred Weasley, actually care about being late to class?"
Fred smirked and dragged the Hufflepuff towards his twin and Echo.
Zoey placed her utensils side by side as she finished her dinner, her plate clean from any trace of food. The entire day had been uneventful and she couldn't wait to sneak into her dorm and onto her bed to sleep. The girl liked to use the term "sneak" for she was pretty sure her dorm mates would think she was some sort of trespasser. After all, they most likely didn't know she existed.
Once Dumbledore dismissed them, Zoey stood up, patted her skirt down and walked side by side with Echo and the twins as they headed for Gryffindor Tower.
It was their normal routine. After dinner, the two girls would bring Fred and George to their House's Tower before splitting up and heading to the Ravenclaw Tower and Hufflepuff Basement respectively.
Fred and George had just entered their common room and Zoey and Echo were just about five feet away from the Fat Lady's portrait, ready to split up, when they heard the twins and their fellow Gryffindors yell in horror. Zoey and Echo swiftly turned around to see what was going on and immediately caught sight of Fred and George marching up to them, scowling.
Zoey opened her mouth to ask what the problem was but Fred interrupted her, fuming.
"It's that other prankster!" The boy said, grinding his teeth together in frustration.
"He covered the entire Gryffindor Common Room with Slytherin's colors!" George explained. "Everywhere you look – Silver and Green! It's a nightmare!"
"Everywhere?" Echo asked, slightly unconvinced.
"Everywhere." The twins said, folding their arms across their chest.
Without warning, Fred and George grabbed hold of Zoey and Echo and dragged them into their Common Room, showing them what they were talking about. Zoey's eyes widened at the sight. She had never been in the Gryffindor Common Room before but she knew for a fact that it wasn't so green before.
The curtains, couches, chairs and tables were dyed different shades of green – ranging from neon to a mossy shade. The Emeraude approached the chairs and even saw some snake like pattern sewn into the cushions.
"This is proof you know," Fred began, drawing Zoey's attention to him. She saw him glaring at everything around him, clearly pissed. The Seventh and Sixth years were waving their wands around and muttering spells under their breath in an attempt to bring their Common Room back to how it looked like before.
"Proof of what?" Echo asked, quirking her brow.
"That the other prankster is a Slytherin," George replied.
Zoey bit her lip and knitted her brows in thought, looking around the room once more. Her suspicions about the other prankster coming from a House other than Slytherin seemed to be wrong. "Maybe they're right, Echo," Zoey said, looking at her violet-haired friend.
"Right or not, I'm getting tired and I would really like to sleep," Echo said as she grabbed hold of Zoey's wrist and dragged her out of the Common Room, not giving her a chance to protest.
The Ravenclaw walked briskly until they reached the fork in the hall that separated them. She released Zoey's wrist and turned to the girl, wishing her "good night" before leaving. Zoey gave a small wave, knowing that Echo couldn't see it, and left for the basement. It was no use going back to Gryffindor Common Room to tell Fred and George "good night". They were probably too riled up to sleep anyway.
Echo walked leisurely down the hall as usually after the daily good-bye routing and her uncovered eye was focused on the hallway she was passing through to get to her Common Room. Her journey didn't take long and everything seemed to be as normal as ever except for the laughter she could hear just a few feet away from herself.
Curious as to who was laughing, the Ravenclaw silently crept up to the edge of the hallway where she found some sort of intersection. The laughter came again. Echo poked her head out and saw a brown-haired girl stuffing bits of green decorations into a bag. The girl's eyes squinted at the other girl's uniform and saw that she had the Ravenclaw crest on her robes.
Should I disturb her? Echo thought, looking away from the other girl. Better not. I wouldn't want to ruin the fun. A slow smile crept on her features. It's better if they are the ones who found the culprit.
"I knew it was a girl," Echo said to herself before walking off to the Ravenclaw Tower.
HELLO.
AnimeFlowerGirl here :) Welcome to Chapter 8 of Crossroads, my first Harry Potter Fic!
If you are one of my old readers, the people who have read this fic when it began back in 2011, WELCOME BACK! Nice to see that you stopped by to see how things are going. Want to sit down, have some Butterbeer?
If you are a new reader, WELCOME!
Please, new reader, come join me and old reader :)
So yeah, new reader, this is actually a rewrite. My old reader/s was/were notified about my rewriting project in Chapter 86. So please bear with me. You can continue on if you want. I hope you enjoy :D
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