Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or universe. No offense is meant by the situations portrayed in this or any other fanworks.
A/N: Next chapter's the last one. As usual, I will be posting the first chapter of PoA at the same time as the final CoS chapter.
Chapter Fourteen: The Duelling Club
Christmas went by smooth and pleasant. Hattie and Neville spent most of their break reading and playing chess together. Christmas break refreshed Hattie and gave her new motivation in her classes. She still worried about Ron and Hermione, but she no longer felt that weight upon her. They'd be fine, and she needed to be fine when they got back.
A day before students starting piling back into Hogwarts, Hattie and Neville had visitors. The Weasleys brought the Grangers to see Hermione, since they were going to see Ron. Of course, Molly dragged Petunia along to see Hattie, and both Hattie and Neville felt the need to follow them along. Arthur and Molly did a great job of cheering the Grangers up, their bubbly personalities reminding them that everything would be fine.
Aunt Petunia took Hattie out of the hospital wing. She folded her arms across his chest. "I swear, Harriet Potter, if you're avoiding me-"
"I just didn't feel much like celebrating Christmas," Hattie said. "I'm sorry."
Aunt Petunia smiled softly. "Dudley missed you," she said. "Christmas felt strange with just the two of us. Dudley wasn't as thrilled as he thought he was about having two Christmases. It wasn't nice, being alone for Christmas. Molly invited me to their place, but it didn't feel right to go. It's a time for family, not obscure friends."
Hattie looked up to her Aunt and took her hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about you," she said.
"It's okay," she said. "I did have Dudley for a few days."
"I'll come home next year," Hattie said. "No matter what, okay? If all my friends are petrified, I'll be there."
Aunt Petunia seemed to lighten up a bit. "And you have to spend the summer with me in our new apartment. I got all your things moved in, and I even set up some of your figurines," she said. "Dudley got you a new one for Christmas. It's an iguana, and I don't like it."
"Why did he get me an iguana?" Hattie asked.
"Because I told him he had to get you something, and he bought the iguana because he knew that I wouldn't like it," Aunt Petunia said.
There was an awkward pause before both of them started laughing. "Come here," Aunt Petunia said, hugging Hattie close to her. "You're not embarrassed by my hugs yet, right?"
"Never," Hattie said. "Plus, no one here."
They separated. "Not even your darling Professor Lockhart?"
"Oh here's around," Hattie said, sighing. "Do you want to meet him?"
"Maybe some other time," Aunt Petunia said, straightening her skirt.
Hattie scoffed. "Come on, you look fine," she said, tugging Aunt Petunia's arm.
"Did you get the jam jars that I sent?" Aunt Petunia asked, trying to change the subject.
"And the clothes," Hattie replied.
"I noticed you were wearing the shirt I got you," Aunt Petunia said, doing up the top button.
Hattie wore a white button-up blouse with puffy cap sleeves and patterned with baby blue flowers. Hattie was lucky her hair was red or else Aunt Petunia would buy her nothing but pink clothes. She didn't mind being a bit of a doll for her Aunt, so long as she could wear jeans, she was fine.
"Yeah," Hattie said. "It's nice to have some clothes that aren't a uniform. Are you sure you don't want to meet Professor Lockhart?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Aunt Petunia said.
The two families and Aunt Petunia stayed for the day and left before dinner. The Weasley children stayed behind at Hogwarts. At the dinner table that evening, Ginny handed Hattie a parcel. It was wrapped in moving Daily Prophet news. "Oh Ginny," Hattie said. "You didn't have to get me anything. I don't have anything for you."
Ginny waved her hand, "It's nothing."
"Well then I'm ripping it open," Hattie said, ripping through the newspaper.
And there it was. Another green scarf, but this one was more of a moss green. The edges were sloppy and there were various holes throughout, but it was there. "I made you a scarf," Ginny said. "Mum tried teaching me last year when I was at home, but I didn't keep up with it. It was hard to make you the scarf because I didn't have a lot of time to make it, but there it is."
Hattie put it on already, knotting it carefully at her neck. "Thank you," Hattie said. "I love it. I'll wear it all the time when I'm flying."
"I got you something too," Fred said, tossing Hattie another gift wrapped in Daily Prophet paper.
"Uh, thanks Fred," Hattie said.
She unwrapped the gift to find Percy's prefect badge. "Oh Fred," Hattie said loudly. "It's just what I wanted."
"Let me pin it on your shirt for you," Fred said, leaning over the table.
Percy's eyes peeked up at the movement. He did a double take as he realized what was being pinned to Hattie's robes. He looked absolutely furious. "Give. That. Back," he snarled.
"But it was a gift," Fred said, sounding close to tears.
And Christmas break ended with the normal screams from Percy. Draco was back in school after Christmas break, with a new vengeance towards Hattie. It was almost as if he needed to prove he was better than her. Snape, too, was still strict towards Hattie and Neville. But they both dealt with it. Hattie mainly ignored Malfoy and tried harder in class. She didn't want to hinder Neville's marks.
Luckily, Hattie's spirits were up when Quidditch started again in February. When Hattie played Quidditch, things felt normal again. Hattie felt like it was just another practice that Ron and Hermione watched, and the two were just lost in the sea of faces. They could be cheering in the stands like Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan.
She wore Ginny's scarf when it was cool, as she promised. While they lost to Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff was creamed by Slytherin, and Slytherin had been creamed by everyone else. The final victory against Ravenclaw wrapped things up nicely. Neville still acted as the Gryffindor's mascot, but he also took pictures to give to Colin when he became unpetrified.
But Quidditch was about the only subject Hattie was doing well in. She had a hard time remembering inane facts about Gilderoy Lockhart, or else Defence Against the Dark Arts would be interesting, but she still found potions the most difficult. Neville and Hattie managed to help each other through most subjects, but in potions they were both moderately useless. After several fails in a row, the pair approached Snape to beg for make-up assignments. They spent one evening a week in Snape's classroom redoing whatever they had failed.
They were teased endlessly by Draco, but both students were so amazed that Snape gave them this oppourtnity, they simply turned the other cheek. Percy would have been impressed if he had been paying attention. Hattie made sure Aunt Petunia heard about it, and her Aunt was extremely pleased with her.
A week before exams, Hattie studied Transfigurations in the Common Room at night. Her only company was Percy, who had fallen asleep studying. Neville gave up half an hour earlier. Dobby broke up the monotony by cracking into the Common Room. Percy stirred and grunted, but stayed asleep.
"Hattie Potter," Dobby said. "Dobby has come to remind Hattie about the danger."
"The danger that I sliced apart?" Hattie asked with a smile, not looking up for her textbook.
"No, the danger that Hattie has forgotten," Dobby replied.
"You're looking good in your cravat," Hattie noted, chewing on the tip of her quill.
"Dobby thanks Hattie, but Dobby must remind Hattie about the danger-"
Hattie interrupted, "What danger have I forgotten about? Remind me."
"He is still at Hogwarts," Dobby said.
Hattie bit her bottom lip. She knew what he meant. She completely forgot that Voldemort had been haunting the halls of Hogwarts alongside the Basilisk. She kicked herself (mentally). If Voldemort wasn't behind the Basilisk, there was another reason he was there.
"Thanks for the reminder," Hattie said. "Don't worry, I'll look into it."
Dobby nodded with a smile and cracked out before Hattie could make any small talk. She closed her transfiguration textbook and woke up Percy. "You fell asleep," she said.
Percy wiped the drool from his mouth and nodded. Both of them packed up their things and headed to their rooms. Percy muttered a good night before stepped in. Hattie crawled into her bed and turned over to look at Hermione's empty bed. If Hermione had been there, she would know what to do. But Hattie knew only to go to bed. Generally the morning brought about clearer thoughts for Hattie.
The following morning, Neville and Hattie were chatting with Dean and Seamus over breakfast. Neville and Hattie had extra raspberry jam since they didn't have Hermione and Ron to share with, but they shared with their classmates. But no one ate it as religiously as the Quartet had.
They talked about the last Quidditch game. Gryffindor had managed to win, and everyone pinned it to Neville and Hattie. Neville for the morale and Hattie for the eyes. Of course, Hattie knew it was more of a team effort, reminding everyone of it constantly, but the attention was pleasant.
Hattie stared distantly off to the Slytherin table, thinking about what Dobby had said. Dean tried to talk Seamus into meeting up during the summer to give football a try. Hattie already told Dean she'd try her best to meet up with him, so only Seamus was left to convince. Neville noted that he would likely be rubbish, but he'd try nonetheless. Hattie wasn't positive Dean had even invited Neville.
That's when Hattie realized something with the Slytherins. Most of them hadn't grown back any hair. Something clicked together in Hattie's brain.
She looked to the Head Table. Professor McGonagall was there, but neither Dumbledore nor Snape was present. Lockhart was there too, and he may have killed a basilisk, but he was still useless. Hattie knew she could go to McGonagall, but Snape had been such a prat lately she thought she could suck up to him with her observation. And bringing a jam jar as an offering would help.
"I'll meet you in the library later, Neville," Hattie said, interrupting some conversation. "Tell Ginny I'll be there too, okay?"
"Sure thing," Neville said, too interested in the football conversation to think hard about where Hattie was going. Truth be told, a game without magic sounded promising for Neville – though he wasn't sure he could pull off a lot of physical activity either.
Hattie rushed down to the dungeons and knocked on Snape's door. He rolled his eyes when he saw Hattie there, waiting for him. "Yes, Miss. Potter?" he asked. "I hope you're not asking for another make-up assignment for you and Mr. Longbottom."
"No, sir," Hattie said. "I just wanted to talk to you about-"
"Please, Miss. Potter," Professor Snape replied. "You have your own head of house to whine to."
"Well it's about your house," Hattie said, stubbornly. "And I brought you jam."
Snape held out his hand as if he wouldn't accept her inane conversation without it. She placed it in his hand and he folded his arms behind his back, hiding it from sight. He didn't thank her. "What is it about my house?" he asked.
"Remember how when we were searching for… You-Know-Who, how some of your students were hairless?" Hattie asked.
"I remember that Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore searched my students," Snape replied.
Hattie hesitated. "But you remember the hairlessness?"
"I remember your and Mr. Longbottom's hairlessness when you caused your own potion to burst," Professor Snape replied, shortly. "Perhaps you should focus more on your studies and less on the hairstyles of my students."
Hattie could feel the frustration crawling up her legs. She decided to walk away before it reached her mouth and she said something stupid. She heard Snape's door shut behind her. She stomped down the hallways determined to find Professor McGonagall.
However, before she left the dungeon, she heard heavy footsteps behind her. She turned around quickly. "I knew you'd-"
It wasn't Snape. She stood face-to-face with the thick-headed and bald Vincent Crabbe. "You knew I'd what?" he asked.
It started swiftly, the pain in her forehead. It frightened her more than the Basilisk. Courage fuelled her then, but nothing fuelled her now. She reached to grab her wand from her robe, but Crabbe hit it out of her hand. She flinched as it hit the ground behind her. She didn't know where it landed.
"You never could do anything by yourself, could you?" Hattie said through her teeth.
Crabbe's face twisted into complete loathing. "I-"
"Shut up," a voice Hattie knew too well. "You know what to do."
Before Hattie could even think of lunging at him, Vincent Crabbe flicked his wand, shouting, "Petrificus totalus!"
And Hattie fell to the ground with a loud 'thunk.' He flipped her over, and Hattie prayed that Voldemort didn't want to kill her. She thought she could survive whatever torture he wanted to put her through, and at least if she was frozen she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of screaming. But she didn't think she could survive death.
She felt the flesh on her chest back split open. Warm blood weighed down her robes, clinging her shirt to her body. She could hear the two of them hissing to each other, but she couldn't make out much conversation. The pain deafened her. They wanted her blood for something, that's for sure.
Suddenly Crabbe shot up like a rocket. Someone was coming. "Hide her," Voldemort hissed.
"No time," Crabbe said. "I'll just take whoever it is out."
Voldemort laughed, but Hattie knew who it was before he sashayed onto the scene. He still smelt like Satsuma. "Miss Potter," he shouted. "I saw you-" Then he saw the scene before him. Vincent Crabbe with his wand out. Hattie frozen on the ground. A face on the back of Crabbe's head. "Mr. Crabbe," Lockhart said. "What do we have here?"
It wasn't a threat. Lockhart honestly had no clue what was going on.
"Avada Kedavra!" Crabbe shouted.
Lockhart narrowly missed getting hit, swinging his body successfully out of the way. Hattie blamed this agility on his seemingly endless dance lessons. Hattie tried to say "Stun him!" though no sound came out. If Lockhart stunned him, they could probably take both Crabbe and Voldemort to Dumbledore. They could catch them.
Crabbe raised his wand to try again, but Lockhart spoke too quickly.
But what he spoke made Hattie scream inside her paralyzed form, though the scream didn't reach the school walls.
Lockhart's eyebrows were tense and close to his eyes. His stupid smile was turned into a frown. His blue eyes flashed something deadly. Lockhart was stupid, but Lockhart was also furious, and that made Gilderoy Lockhart a very dangerous man. He may not know any useful spells, but Crabbe just reminded him of one.
Through gritted teeth, Lockhart snarled, "Avada Kedavra."
And Crabbe's lumbering body couldn't dodge.
And Crabbe's lifeless body fell hard to the ground.
And the other face on Crabbe's head disappeared.
Lockhart stayed frozen with his new wand outstretched. It hadn't hit him yet, what he had done.
The pain in Hattie's forehead stopped as if a weight was suddenly pulled off of her.
There were new footsteps down the hallway. Hattie didn't feel relief until she recognized his dark eyes looming over hershoes on the tile. She was overwhelmed with the relief. If she wasn't petrified, she would have been crying of it. "What happened?" Snape asked.
"The boy…" Lockhart said. "He attacked Hattie and I…"
"You reacted," Snape said, simply.
"I couldn't remember any other spells," Lockhart said.
"Let's get Miss. Potter up," Snape said.
He waved his wand and cast a "Finite."
Sitting up, Hattie could no longer see any rage in Lockhart's face. It was like a blank slate. Lockhart didn't know what to feel at this moment. She looked at the cut on her chest, and remembered a simple healing spell Molly taught her (since they were constantly getting scrapes). She spotted her wand on the ground, grabbed it, and cast the spell. The wound quickly scabbed over, but didn't disappear completely. She didn't like that Snape hadn't bothered to heal her.
"Is what Lockhart says true?" Snape asked.
Hattie sat on the cold stone tile. "Crabbe attacked Lockhart first, and he attacked me first as well." Hattie lowered her voice and childishly tugged on Snape's robes. "Voldemort was on his head. Did that kill him?"
"No," Snape said. "Run. Go get Professor Dumbledore."
Hattie felt the strength return to her legs as she ran. She felt the scab on her chest break open as she ran. She ran past Neville and Ginny who shouted to her. She ran past Percy who told her to slow down. She tried to run past Professor McGonagall, who grabbed her arm.
"Miss. Potter," Professor McGonagall said as Hattie tried to catch her breath. "Professor Sprout just told me the Mandrakes will be ready to harvest shortly. Your friends will be restored by the end of the day."
And amidst the fear, adrenalin, and pain, Hattie felt a burst a joy.