Chapter Nine: Ripple Effect
"Sam," Justin whispered, turning away slightly from cushion he was supposed to be Banishing during Charms to talk out of the corner of his mouth. "Did Professor Flitwick talk to you about the band at all?"
"No," I said, intrigued. "Why?"
"I overheard him talking to the headmaster about possibly having us perform at the last two tasks for the Triwizard Tournament!" Justin said, nearly knocking over his cushion with excitement. I shot out a hand to steady it, a grin on my face.
"Really? That's fantastic!"
"That's not all. Dumbledore was going on about all the compliments he had received from the Ministry officials who were at the ball, and the professors, too!"
"Brilliant!" I said happily, thrilled that The Four Houses had been so well received. It had been nearly a fortnight since the performance, and people were still talking about it.
"Did you see the article about it in the Daily Prophet?" Justin slid over an old copy of the paper underneath the desk and I scanned the room to make sure Professor Flitwick was otherwise occupied; he was whizzing resignedly past us to the other side of the room.
Hogwarts School Bands Together
Unprecedented in the school's colorful history, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry formed a student-run rock band under the guidance and encouragement of Charms professor, Filius Flitwick.
"There's so much talent out amongst the students that never comes into the light," Flitwick said at the Yule Ball on Christmas Day. "There are so many clubs and organizations that allow students to come together to do something great, but sometimes students fall through the gaps and can't find a place to shine. So I decided to launch this band with the hope that it would not only bring those talented students into the light, but also encourage school unity in a time when the students had been divided between the two Hogwarts Champions. And if I might say so myself, it appears to have done the trick!"
The band, known as The Four Houses, comprised of the following students: Seamus Finnegan of Gryffindor, who kept a wicked beat on drums; Justin Finch-Fletchley of Hufflepuff, who transformed bass-playing into an art form; Samantha Evans of Ravenclaw, with a voice to rival most professionals and the guitar skills to match, and Terence Higgs of Slytherin, whose stunning voice and piano playing complimented Miss Evans' sound so perfectly, one would think they had been working together for years previously, as opposed to having just met.
The Four Houses became a hit in an instant. Their impressive and remarkable sound had every student on his or her feet, cheering and moving to their beats. Adults, too! Not a single professor or Ministry official appeared unmoved by these four exceptional students.
When asked whether The Four Houses might continue performing beyond their one-time commitment, Flitwick refused to comment.
"Mr. Finch-Fletchley! Miss Evans! Keep working!" Flitwick squeaked from nearby.
"Yes, sir!" Justin and I said, refocusing on our cushions. Justin pointed his wand at the cushion and it shot straight into the air like a cork, wiggled, and dropped back down on the desk. I laughed, then took my turn. My cushion soared across the room and I gasped with excitement…until it veered a little to the left of the box we were supposed to be aiming for and took out an unsuspecting student.
"Sorry! I called out across the room.
"Me too," Justin said, taking back the Daily Prophet article.
"Don't worry about it, Mr. Art Form."
Justin chuckled appreciatively, earning a disapproving look from Professor Flitwick. We both ducked our heads and didn't speak for the rest of the hour.
I was glad no Prophet reporter had caught wind of the assault after the performance. Harry hadn't told anyone, either, but of course he wasn't aware of my history.
The next day, I was trekking up from the greenhouses after Herbology, nose in my Potions book. I still hadn't brewed a Dreamless Sleep Potion; the band and the ball had kept me far too occupied for my own projects. According to my textbook, it only took an hour to brew, and every single ingredient was in my own personal potion-making kit. I promised myself to make that a priority, as it would also be a nice distraction from the memory the assault had stirred up.
My Potions book suddenly flew out of my hands as I was lifted to the air and spun several times on the spot.
"Terence!" I cried when I realized who it was.
"Did you see the Prophet article?" he said excitedly, setting me back on my feet.
"I did! Can you believe it? I'm still getting stopped in the corridors with autograph requests!" I noticed the first year Ravenclaws coming down from the castle for their Herbology lesson. I spotted Stewart amongst them, and he waved at me happily. I smiled and returned the wave.
Terence laughed. "Like now?" he said as he turned to see who I was waving at.
"Nah, he's a friend of mine." I frowned when the other Ravenclaw boys started teasing Stewart for waving at me. Stewart started blushing.
"Hold that thought," I told Terence. I snatched up my Potions book from the ground and strode over to the first years. I caught the end of the teasing before the boys realized I was approaching them.
"—your girlfriend?" one of the boys sneered.
"I don't see how that's any of your business, McCormick," I snapped. The boy looked startled at being addressed by name. "Ackerley is allowed to wave at his own friends if he so chooses. Now, run along before I transfigure you into a slug."
The boys yelped and scampered off into the greenhouse. Terence, who had wandered over, was laughing appreciatively.
"How do you know human transfiguration as a fourth year?" he asked, watching the first years disappear and the door slam shut. "I don't even know that stuff yet."
"I don't," I said smoothly. "And you, Stewart, are more than welcome to ignore that comment and threaten you peers with it whenever they tease you like that. Understood?"
"Thanks, Samantha," Stewart said with a relieved smile.
"Call me Sam."
"Ok." Then, taking me completely by surprised, Stewart wrapped his arms around my middle before running after the other boys.
Terence resumed laughing. "Anyway, I really hope Flitwick lets us perform again. I'm already missing it."
"He is!" I ejaculated.
"What?" Terence said loudly.
"Shh! It's not official yet, but Justin overheard him. It sounds like we'll be performing at the last two tasks!"
"No way!" Terence gasped. "Fantastic!"
We grinned at each other, feeling euphoric. But the school bell put an abrupt end to our conversation, and I sprinted for Care of Magical Creatures as Terence ambled off for a free period.
February came in without much notice. I tucked into my porridge, my Potions book propped up in front of me. The Dreamless Sleep Draught had improved my sleeping habits tremendously, taking away the stress of the recurring nightmare that had plagued me for so long. I was skimming through the book to see if there might be any other potions that might help me.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Luna said happily as she dropped into the seat next to me.
"Is it?" I asked, looking up from my book with genuine surprise. But before Luna could respond, an overhead rustle caused the entire student body to glance upward for the incoming post.
Quite a few of the owls had red and silver packages tied to their legs, and I decided it must indeed be Valentine's Day. I returned to my porridge and textbook, as I wasn't expecting any mail that day.
No sooner had I lifted my spoon to my lips did a familiar-looking owl drop a letter next to my plate.
"Falcor?" I whispered, reaching out automatically to pet my family's owl. "What are you doing here?" I tugged the letter from Falco's leg; the owl spread his wings and took off immediately. "What, has she alienated you from me?" I called after him, but he didn't turn back. "Fine!" I spat, throwing down my spoon.
I tore open the letter and began to read.
Samantha,
My holiday travels went very well. I thank you for your concern.
Headmaster Dumbledore says you have been doing well in your class, particularly in Potions. I am pleased to know that you have found an area of academic strength that is of importance to the Wizarding world.
Good luck on your upcoming exams.
Your mother,
Cassandra Greyson
I stared at the letter after I had finished writing, a terrible combination of bewilderment and anger welling inside me. My hands began to shake.
"What did she say?" Luna asked mildly.
"Nothing! And everything," I said in a low whisper, afraid that I might start shouting if I spoke any louder. "Essentially, she just told me that my own interests are misplaced and that she is distancing herself from me without actually saying it outright."
"Really?" Luna said, her voice placid.
"She's taking her maiden name back! Look! And it took her two months to reply!" I thrust the letter to Luna, who scanned its contents.
"Oh my."
"Yeah," I huffed, folding my arms and pushing away my now-cold porridge.
"Why would she do that?"
"Probably because now I'm the only person left with any blood relation to Dad and she can't handle it. And by the sound of it, she's trying to stomp his influence out of me. She never liked that we would go flying together. It was our thing. And Potions was the only thing in my life she ever took an interest in."
"That sounds rather selfish."
"Selfish and jealous. Sounds about right. Damn Slytherins."
I had barely seated myself at the Ravenclaw table for lunch a week later when a very flustered Harry Potter launched himself from his seat at the Gryffindor table toward me.
"Sam, I need you," he said, heaving in each breath as though it were his last.
"Good lord, Harry, calm down. You look like hell. What's happened?"
I pulled him down into the seat next to me and gave him a goblet of water. He gulped it down without pause.
"So you know the golden egg I got from the first task?" said Harry, sounding somewhat less frantic.
I nodded.
"Well, it's supposed to be a clue for the second task, right?"
I nodded again.
"Er—well, I can't figure it out," Harry finished lamely, frowning. "Will you help me? I told Ron and Hermione that I already know what it means, and I really can't stand disappointing them. Please, Sam, you're all I've got left." He looked horrified at the thought of failure.
"Of course I'll help," I said easily. "What can I do?"
Harry looked immensely relieved, telling me that he would meet me outside of Ravenclaw Tower tonight at the last student curfew.
That night, I slipped silently out of the common room just as the clock chimed the hour I had agreed to meet Harry. I glided down the spiral staircase, fervently hoping Harry had gotten away from Gryffindor Tower without being spotted.
I stepped into the corridor, glancing around.
"Sam," came a whisper from my right.
"Harry, where are you?" I whispered back, turning toward where I had heard his voice.
"Don't shout," he said. And before I could ask why I would feel compelled to shout, Harry's head appeared next to me, seemingly unsupported by anything.
"Come on," he urged, opening his Invisibility Cloak and beckoning me to join him underneath it.
"This is too cool," I said with quiet excitement as I watched my body disappear beneath the Cloak. Harry chuckled appreciatively, and we made our way down the corridor to the prefect's bathroom.
"Pine fresh," Harry said, and the door swung open. "Cedric Diggory told me about this place. He said it's where he solved his egg."
I shut the door silently behind us before slipping out from underneath the Cloak to stare openly at the magnificence of the room before us. I strode around an enormous bathtub the size of a swimming pool, examining every angle of its elegance as I could manage.
"This is ridiculous," Harry breathed, setting the egg and a battered piece of parchment on the floor next to the tub with his Invisibility Cloak. I nodded in agreement, examining a painting of a sleeping mermaid.
Seized with an idea, I crossed over to where Harry was now crouching and playing with the different taps for the pool. I scooped up his golden egg.
"Go on, get in. I won't look," I said easily, examining the egg with interest. After a moment, I heard him wordlessly undress behind me and slip into the water. The bubbles were so thick that I hardly needed to divert my eyes, but I waited patiently and did not turn until I heard him speak.
"All right, I can tell you've got an idea. What is it?" Harry said, reaching up for the egg. I handed it to him with a smile.
"Well, let's start off simple. What happens when you open the egg?" I asked, seating myself on a towel and kicking off my shoes and socks before dipping my feet into the water.
"It screams like a banshee," Harry said shortly, frowning at the egg.
"That's attractive," I said sarcastically. Harry snorted. "And I presume it is indecipherable?" He nodded. "Well then, Cedric must have found a way of making the egg's meaning clear by using something in this bathroom. If not, he wouldn't have told you to come here. So what is in a bathroom that you can't find anywhere else in the castle?"
"Er—water," Harry said after a moment. "Lots of it."
"Yes," I said, snatching the egg from Harry. "So water must be a vital part of this egg's function. But how?"
Harry continued to frown in concentration, and I couldn't help but grin.
"No fair!" he complained. "I can tell you know the answer!"
I laughed, twirling the egg in my hand. "Life's not fair, my friend." Then, before Harry could react, I reached over and shoved his head under the water with one hand and dropped the egg to settle in between my feet, also under the water. I cracked the egg open and Harry, getting the idea, did not resurface.
After a few long moments, Harry's head broke the surface; he was gasping for air, and an enlightened expression on his face. I shut the egg and brought it back to the edge.
"Hold on, I need to hear it again," he said, seizing the egg and resuming his underwater crouch. After a couple more times, Harry had it memorized.
"So?" I prompted, and Harry repeated the egg's message to me:
Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we've took,
But past an hour—the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.
"Oh wow," I breathed, staring at Harry.
"They're going to take something of mine? But…who would do that? And how?" Harry questioned.
"It doesn't matter," I said, snapping out of my thoughtful silence. "What you need to focus on is how to get it back."
We lapsed into our own thoughts, glancing around the room for ideas. After some time, our eyes fell on the portrait of the mermaid. "The Black Lake," we whispered together.
"But…" Harry started. "How am I supposed to breathe underwater? For an hour!"
I could tell he was starting to panic. I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as I lifted myself from the floor.
"Dry yourself and get dressed. I need to think," I said, crossing back over to the painting of the sleeping mermaid. I heard Harry pull himself out of the bath behind me. I began to pace, thinking very rapidly. I recalled several ways of breathing underwater from my travels, all of which were far too advanced. I frowned, silently urging my memory to produce something of value. I bit my lip, my frown increasing. There had to be something…
"Got it!" I cried, whirling on the spot. Harry hastily pulled his shirt over his head. "Sorry," I added.
Harry shrugged. "What is it?"
I grinned conspiratorially. "Gillyweed."
"What?" Harry asked, toweling his hair dry as I strode back over to him.
"It's a plant. It will alter your biology a bit to give you gills and webbed fingers and toes. It'll hurt a little, but it's the best chance you've got," I said in an excited rush, making my way over to the door.
Harry nodded slowly. "Where do we get some?"
"The Potions storeroom," I said easily, my hand on the door handle.
Harry was gawking at me.
"You want to steal from Snape's stores?" he said, eyes wide.
"We could try asking nicely first if you think that's a better idea," I said, rolling my eyes. Harry scoffed at the thought. Then, slowly, Harry's lips twitched up into a smile to match mine. He threw the Cloak over us as I opened the door.