Disclaimer: I'm not clever enough to come up with the genius world of Harry Potter, just clever enough to add my own characters.Chapter Eleven

Happiness, Grief, and Repulsion

Lizzie's POV

December 25th, 1992

Girls' second year dormitory

After the double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, people immediately began booking seats on the Hogwarts Express. The attack on Nearly Headless Nick had shaken people, what could possibly do that to a ghost, they had asked each other.

Poor Harry. Everywhere he went people dodged around him as though he'd sprout fangs or spit poison, and people were muttering, pointing, and hissing as he passed.

Of course, Rhiannon and I found this quite funny, so did Fred and George. They went out of their way to march ahead of him in the corridors shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through…"

One time, they saw we were having a difficult time getting to Defence Against the Dark Arts, so they marched in front us shouting, "Make way, sister of the Heir of Slytherin needs to get to class, relative of an extremely Dark wizard passing through…" Mum just laughed, because she knew they were just joking.

But Percy didn't approve of this behaviour. Ginny didn't think it was amusing either.

"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Harry loudly who he was planning to attack, next, or George pretended to fend Harry off with a clove of garlic.

But, at last, it was Christmas. I woke up first. I prodded Henri awake.

"Get up lazy bones," I said.

"Lizzie, we're on holidays," she muttered sleepily.

"It's Christmas, in case you've forgotten," I said, now prodding Ginny awake. "Gin, get up, it's Christmas!" Her eyes snapped wide open. She sat up.

"Happy Christmas, Lizzie."

"Happy Christmas, Ginny." I walked over to Rhiannon's bed, and pulled her curtains open. "Open the curtains, please, Henri."

She did, the sunlight filtered in through the windows.

"Rhee, get up."

"No."

"Rhiannon Melody Black, get your lazy arse out of bed so we can open the presents," I said sternly.

"Presents?"

"Yes, Rhee, presents, it's Christmas, after all." That did it. She sat straight up.

"What're we waiting for? Merry Christmas to you all!"

Henri was staring astonished at the foot of her bed. "I've actually got presents. I mean, I've actually received presents. I just thought I'd receive gifts from you lot, and that's it.

"Yeah, Mum knew you wouldn't receive any presents, so, she got you something. Not sure what exactly," I said.

"Yeah, and I wrote to Mum saying you didn't expect any presents," Ginny explained.

"And I told the same thing to my dad, so, if you receive a gift that says 'From, Sirius Black' and then underneath that 'Picked out by Remus Lupin', that's my dad and godfather," Rhiannon said in the midst of her unwrapping.

"Do I see some Filibuster Fireworks there?" I asked her, grinning.

"You might," she answered slyly, with a smile.

"Ginny, I don't like that smile," Henri said, turning to Ginny.

"Neither do I."

"Oh, come on, it's Christmas," I said, finally turning to my pile. Mum gave me a diary. "Oi! Rhiannon! What did you get from Mum?"

"A diary, why?"

"Yeah, same here," Henri called.

"I got one too," I said, turning back to my pile. From Sirius, I received several boxes of Filibuster Fireworks and Dungbombs, Remus gave me a book called Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland, I received a vast majority of sweets from Harry, Ginny had given me a few bags of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, from Rhiannon, I received a pack of Exploding Snap cards (my last deck sort of incinerated when Rhiannon added her deck to mine), a new wizard's chess set (again, it's Rhiannon's fault I don't have one, my old set was involved with the Exploding Snap incident), and the latest charm for my charm bracelet. The charm was the Hogwarts crest. It was my eleventh charm. I opened my present from Henri. It was a simple silver chain, with the letter 'E' as the pendant. I pulled it out of the box.

"Wow. Thanks, Henri," I said as I put it on. I looked at Rhiannon. She held the same thing, except hers was an 'R'. I looked at Ginny. She was holding hers, and staring at it in awe.

"Yeah. Thanks, Henri," Rhiannon and Ginny said.

"Glad you like them."

I tossed Rhiannon her present.

"Merry Christmas, Rhee."

"Merry Christmas, Lizzie."

I tossed Henri hers. "Merry Christmas, Henri." She opened it. It was a scrapbook. "Cool, Lizzie. Thanks."

I noticed I had one present left. It was lumpy. I picked it up.

"Uh oh. I know who that's from. It's from my mum. Probably a Weasley jumper," Ginny said. I noticed Henri and Rhiannon were holding the same thing. I unwrapped mine. It was emerald green and there was an 'L' on it. Rhiannon's was purple with an 'R', and Henri's was royal blue with an 'H'. We had also received some fudge. I tried some. It was good.

Later, we headed down to the Great Hall for Christmas dinner. Henri stared at it in amazement. There were a dozen frost-covered Christmas trees, thick ribbons of holly and mistletoe criss-crossed the ceiling, and enchanted snow, warm and dry, fell from the ceiling. Mum sat with us at the Gryffindor table for dinner. Dumbledore led us in a few of his favourite carols, Hagrid roaring louder and louder with every goblet of eggnog he drank. Percy, who hadn't realised that Fred had bewitched his Prefect badge so that it now read 'Pinhead', kept asking us what we were all laughing at.

Hermione ushered Harry and Ron out of the Hall after their third helping of Christmas pudding. I offered Henri a wizard cracker, and she pulled. She jumped as the cracker went off like a cannon, and engulfed us in smoke. She received a wizard's chess set, and a pointed wizard's hat. After her shock wore off, she laughed with the rest of us.

Later

From the diary of

Henrietta Hawthorne

December 25th, 1992

I've never had a diary before. It was more Jo's thing. I'm more of a tomboy. But, I guess there's a first for every thing. I'm not sure what I should talk about. Maybe a little about my life.

When I was told I'm a witch, I knew my life with my parents was over. They're strict Catholics. We couldn't even read books or go see movies that fell under fantasy or supernatural. That meant no Grimms' fairy tales, no Greek mythology, nothing. Our literature had to be approved by our parents. I ended up reading Pride and Prejudice when I was ten.

When Professor McGonagall arrived, and told me I'm a witch, that was the best and worst day of my life. To know I wasn't alone, that there were other kids like me. But then, my parents threw McGonagall out. And then, Professor Dumbledore arrived. For the first time in my life, I was free.

At my Muggle school, I had no friends. I was even alienated among the alienated. My parents seemed pleased about that. Jo and Danny were my only friends. But on the Hogwarts Express, I met my three best friends: Elizabeth Potter, Rhiannon Black, and Ginny Weasley.

I'm worried about Ginny, but I think we all are. Sometimes she can't remember what's she's been doing for hours at a time, and she's looking a bit peaky. She's also having nightmares, and Ron and Percy won't leave her alone.

And these attacks, I can tell Lizzie and Rhiannon are more worried than they let on. I'm a Muggle-born, and those people have been attacked. One of our classmates has already been attacked. I think Harry knows more than he lets on, but he's told us this happened before, fifty years ago.

I know this is a bit off topic, but I don't know what I'm going to do in the summer. My parents have disowned me, I'm not allowed back in that house until the day they die, which won't be for a very long time. With these attacks, I can hardly expect Dumbledore to let me stay here.

I probably should get to bed, it's been a long and fun day. I still can't believe I received presents.

Night.

From the diary of

Rhiannon Black

December 25th, 1992

I can't believe Lily gave me a diary of all things for Christmas. I don't write in diaries. This is my first and probably last time. I've no idea what to talk about. My extremely weird life?

When I was two, my mother was murdered by my father's cousin, and I witnessed it. From what I've been told, this was the only time my dad cried. He Apparated himself and I to Lily and James's cottage in Godric's Hollow. I can vaguely remember Harry and Lizzie not understanding why I wouldn't stop crying. Worst day of my life. Almost four months later, Voldemort murdered James right in front of Harry.

So, as a result I was brought up by my dad, Lily, and Remus. Harry, Lizzie, Sarah, and Emma are the closest I'll ever have to siblings, but that's okay, they're my family. Not the Blacks, except for a few.

People ask if I miss my mum, and I say, 'Yes, I do.' Then there's insensitive jerks, who say, 'How can you miss her? You were two. You barely knew her.' Once, a man said, 'Shame you weren't killed too, it must pain your father to look at you, and not see your mother. If you had both died, it would've been less painful.' Dad punched him on the nose, he broke it, and gave him two black eyes. I was eight. Harry and Lizzie had to hold me back.

I wanted to come to Hogwarts, but I wasn't sure how Dad would handle having the house alone. Then, when McGonagall came round asking us who would like to stay, and who was going home, I was torn between wanting to stay with my friends or going home to stay with Dad. But here I am.

I like it here, it's awesome, except now, because the corridors are really draughty, and the dungeons are really cold.

There's been attacks… attacks on Muggle-borns. I'm worried Lily might be attacked, or Henri. There have been three attacks, so far. Almost everyone in Hogwarts left for the holidays.

I dunno what else to write.

G'night, I guess.

Lizzie's POV

Girls' dormitory

I had pulled out the diary Mum gave me. I decided I could at least write one thing in here. I noticed Rhiannon and Henri had done the same thing. Here goes nothing.

From the diary of

Lizzie Potter

December 25th, 1992

I've no idea what to write. What is there to write? I know.

My name is Elizabeth Potter, sister of Harry Potter. My name is as famous as Harry's, it's a part of the story. I was there.

'Course, Harry's part was much braver than mine, but the fact that I stayed put in my room, and didn't say a word amazes people.

People always overlook other things about me. Yes, I'm brave, loyal, and smart, but they always overlook that I'm a practical jokester, and I love Quidditch, or if they know, they overlook the fact that I play Quidditch.

I like to play Seeker, but that's usually Harry's position, I usually end up playing Chaser. I'm a decent Chaser, but it's not as fun as Seeker.

I love it here. I've always wanted come. Mum considered homeschooling us, but in the end, decided we'd be better coming here.

But then, Dobby came and visited Harry and I, saying 'terrible things would happen'. And terrible things are.

Muggle-borns are being attacked. Two already, a ghost, and Filch's cat. Mum or Henri could be next. Or Hermione. But it'll never be a Slytherin.

I suppose I should explain about mine and Rhiannon's charm bracelets. Ever since we were six years old, we've been giving a charm to each other every Christmas (except when we were six, it was six), so now we each have eleven. I have a broomstick, an 'E', a wand, a book (Rhiannon said it represented I'm smart), a dog (means I'm loyal), a lily flower, a Golden Snitch, my birthstone, the Union Jack, a scroll engraved with 'Family & Friends', and of course, the Hogwarts crest. I gave Rhiannon the Gryffindor crest.

Oddly enough, I didn't envision my first year of Hogwarts like this, especially with Mum teaching us Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Oh, well.

Goodnight.

I closed my diary, as my friends did, and crawled into bed for a much needed sleep.

Lizzie's POV

January 20th, 1993

Exactly one week after Henri's twelfth birthday

History of Magic class

"You guys go ahead, I just need to ask Professor Potter something," Henri said, at the end of Defence Against the Dark Arts. We had History of Magic next. Mum had promised to write a note for Professor Binns, should she be late for class.

Fifteen minutes into class, Ginny showed up, but not Henri. A half hour passed and McGonagall came to into the class.

"Excuse me, Professor Binns, excuse me, but I need to speak to Miss Potter, Miss Black, and Miss Weasley," she said. "And bring your books."

We did as we were told. We followed McGonagall out of the classroom.

"Now, this may come as a shock, I must warn you," she said, as walked down the corridor.

"Professor, where are we going?" I asked. She ignored me. We followed her, we stopped outside of the Charms classroom. McGonagall went in, and told us to wait. When she came back out, Harry was following her. He looked quizzically at me, but I shrugged my shoulders. We continued to follow McGonagall through the corridors. I noticed she had led us to the hospital wing.

"Professor, what's going on?" I asked.

"There's been an attack, another double attack," she said, in a surprisingly gentle voice.. She led us to the beds farthest from the door. My heart stopped.

"Mum. Henri."

I couldn't believe it, I didn't want to believe it. Rhiannon pulled me into a hug.

"It's not fair, Rhee, it's just not fair," I said angrily.

"I know, Liz, I know," she answered.

"What about Sarah and Emmy?" Harry asked.

"Well, I'm to bring you, your sister, and Miss Black to Professor Dumbledore's office," McGonagall said. "Miss Weasley, you're excused from your next class, if you do not wish to attend."

Ginny nodded. We followed Professor McGonagall to Professor Dumbledore's office. She stopped in front of a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.

"Sherbet lemon."

The gargoyle sprang to life, and hopped aside as the wall behind it split into two. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase, which was moving efficiently upwards. Professor McGonagall stepped on, and beckoned for us to follow suit. We rose steadily upwards, in circles, higher and higher, until finally, we could see a door ahead, with a knocker in the shape of a griffin.

We stepped off the stone staircase. McGonagall knocked on the door.

"Enter," Dumbledore said. McGonagall opened the door. We showed us inside, and left closing the door behind her. I stared at the size of Dumbledore's office. I glanced around until I saw Sirius and Remus, with Sarah and Emmy beside them.

"Ah, Harry, Elizabeth, and Rhiannon," Dumbledore greeted. "Please take a seat."

He waved his wand, and three extra chairs landing with a thump next to Sirius. Rhiannon sat in the one closest to him, I sat next to her, and Harry sat next to me.

"As you are no doubt aware of, Lily and Miss Hawthorne have been attacked. We now need a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and there's now the question on what happens to Sarah and Emma-Lynn."

"They can stay, can't they?" I asked. "I mean, they can still do what they've been doing during the day when Mum was teaching, and for dinner, they can eat at the Gryffindor table, and at night, they can come into the second year girls' dormitory with Rhiannon and me?"

Everyone was looking at me strangely. "What? Harry, Rhiannon, and I can look after them."

"I'm ten! I can look after myself!" Sarah said indignantly.

"I'm eight!"

"So?"

"We're old enough to look after ourselves," Sarah said.

"Fine. We'll only tell you when to go to bed," I said.

"Well, that seems suitable, unless you two have any objections?" Dumbledore inquired, looking at Remus and Sirius.

"I have no objections, do you Sirius?"

"None."

"That's settled then, I'll send for their things to be brought up later. Now, I think you should all head down to the hospital wing, even if there's no technical point in talking to a Petrified person."

Lizzie's POV

February 14th, 1993

I can't believe it! I don't want to believe it! What was Dumbledore thinking? Why? WHY!?

Our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is none other than the git known as Gilderoy Lockhart.

I honestly think the world has something against me. Really, I do.

But, still, WHY?!

Here's what happened when we first discovered it.

Last month:

I opened the door to our Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, I froze.

"Bloody hell," I said the moment I had the door open.

"What?" Rhiannon asked, she stood behind me and her jawed dropped. "Sweet Merlin, what was Dumbledore thinking?"

"He wasn't," I said. Finally, he looked up from his desk.

"Hello, ladies, if you could just take a seat."

Rhiannon and I chose seats at the back, Ginny followed.

When the rest of the had filed in, he spoke.

"Let me introduce you to your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher." My hopes rose, and the immediately fell again. " Me. Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, third class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League and five times winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award– but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon banshee by smiling at her."

If there had been no one there but my friends and I, I'd've been banging my head on my desk about now.

If I thought that was bad, it's nothing– nothing, compared to today. The Great Hall looks atrocious. The walls are littered with large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, heart-shaped confetti fell from the ceiling. I look at Rhiannon, disgusted. Simultaneously, we looked at the High Table. Lockhart, who wore lurid pink robes to match, waved for silence. The other teachers were looking stony-faced.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards. Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all– and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands, and through the doors to the Entrance Hall, tramped a dozen surly-looking dwarves. They weren't just plain old dwarves, oh no, no, Lockhart had taken it a step further. The dwarves all wore golden wings and carried harps.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" Lockhart beamed. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Flitwick buried his face into his hands. The look on Snape's face suggested that the first person to ask would be fed poison.

"Why? Why? Why? WHYYYYYYY?!" I moaned as Rhiannon and I left the Great Hall. Ginny had said she needed to ask Professor McGonagall something.

"Henri's lucky, she doesn't have to endure this torture," Rhiannon grumbled.

All day long, the dwarves kept storming into our classes to deliver Valentines, to the great annoyance of teachers. We were queued up for Transfiguration when a dwarf caught up with Harry.

"Oi, you! 'Arry Potter!" shouted the dwarf, elbowing people out of the way. Harry desperately tried to escape. The dwarf, however, cut his way through by kicking people's shins, and reached him before he'd gone two steps.

"I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person," the dwarf said.

"Not here," Harry hissed, still trying to escape.

"Stay still!" the dwarf grunted, grabbing Harry's bag, pulling him back.

"Let me go!" Harry snarled, tugging.

With a loud ripping noise, his bag split in two. His books, wand, parchment, and quill fell to the floor as his ink bottle smashed over the lot.

Harry quickly tried to pick it up before the dwarf started singing, causing a hold-up in the corridor.

"What's going on here?" came the drawling voice of Malfoy. Harry began stuffing everything in feverishly, desperate to get away.

"What's all this commotion?" Percy said as he arrived.

Harry must've lost his head, because he tried to runaway, but the dwarf grabbed his knees, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Right," said the dwarf, sitting on Harry's ankles, "here's your singing Valentine:

"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,

His hair is as dark as a blackboard.

I wish he was mine, he's really divine,

The hero who conquered the Dark Lord."

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. I wasn't trying to be mean or anything, but the looks on Harry and Ginny's faces were just priceless.

Percy was trying to break up the crowd.

"Off you go, off you go, the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class, now," he said, shooing some other first years away. "And you, Malfoy."

Malfoy bent over and picked something up. He showed it Crabbe and Goyle. It looked like a diary. Ginny's diary.

"Give that back," Harry said quietly.

"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" Malfoy said. The crowd fell silent. Ginny stared from the diary to Harry, looking terrified.

"Hand it over, Malfoy," Percy said sternly.

"When I've had a look," Malfoy said, waving the diary teasingly at Harry.

"As a school Prefect–" Percy began, but Harry had lost his temper.

He pulled out his wand, and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

The diary shot out of Malfoy's hand and into the air. Ron, grinning, caught it.

"Harry!" Percy said loudly. "No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report this, you know!"

Malfoy looked furious, and as Ginny passed him to enter our classroom, he yelled spitefully, "I don't think Potter liked your Valentine much!"

Ginny covered her face with her hands, and ran into class. I glared at Malfoy, and made sure Harry wasn't listening before I spoke.

"Bastard," I growled, before I entered the class. Malfoy looked shocked. I immediately began writing down the Valentine. I wasn't going to let them live it down, ever.

Author's Note: So, Lockhart reappears. Three more chapters to go, and then onto GOF. Review, please? I promise I'll get back to you ASAP.