Hello Readers!

First off, I'd like to say thank you for reading. I'm surprised anything I've written could have generated any hits at all. THANK YOU! I just wanted to tell you guys, I won't be able to publish anything until 7/30 -7/31 because I will be at camp! I plan on putting up two chapters when I come back, depending how my hands are (orchestra camp…lots of playing) :D Thank you for reading!

Reviews are lovely. (*wink wink* *nudge nudge*)

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS, EXCEPT FOR ANY CHARACTERS YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE.

CHAPTER 20

Edgar had dragged me, and my new musical companion out of the dungeons. I wanted to change first so I left the cello with him and ran up to the common room to wash up and change. I didn't like the blotchiness under my eyes; I never liked people to see that I was crying. But of course…someone always had to see.

Asia walked through the portrait hole and bumped straight into Oliver, who was heading out.

"Oi!" He said, as they fell over. "Who the- oh! Lass, I didn't know it was you." He laughed, but then stopped noticing her eyes.

I kept walking; I didn't feel like being questioned by Oliver. Knowing him, he would ask. Why? Because he's Oliver Bloody Wood and he sticks his nose in your business when you don't wish to be bothered.

I had successfully made it up to the dorm and went into my trunk to pick out some clothes. I didn't get far into my trunk, as I felt a strong pull at my waist. I turned and saw no one pulling me, but then the pull became stronger so I clung to my bedpost. That didn't last for too long, I guess I had figured that out when my legs were in the air as if there was a tornado and I was clinging for my life. Of course, with my luck and all, my palms became too sweaty and the pull took me painfully down five flights of stairs and I was tumbling out of control until someone caught me. I looked up to see…

"OLIVER!"

"LASS! Why've you been cryin'?"

"It was nothing." Asia said quickly, brushing him off, but he wouldn't let go of her wrist and pulled her towards him.

"Well, if it was nothing you wouldn't have cried." He said softly, wrapping his arms around her.

At this point, I wondered if all Scottish boys were this persistent or if it was just Oliver. It probably was just Oliver.

"How did you bring me down here?" She asked looking up at him with a puzzled expression.

"Don't try to change the subject!" Oliver shot back.

"No, seriously! I want to know!" She demanded.

"I'm not telling you unless you tell me what's wrong!" Oliver matched her demanding tone.

Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of it.

"Your lip is doing that quivering thing." Oliver said in a matter of fact tone.

"Shut up!" She said, a smile coming out as she playfully punched him.

"Tell me!" He whined.

"Not until you tell me how I got down here!" Asia said, not backing down.

"Magic!" Oliver said doing jazz hands.

"Oh really?" She said sarcastically.

"Really." Oliver replied. Asia took that moment to wiggle her way out of his grip and ran up the stairs, but stopped and yelled down.

"Oliver, if you bring me down here again against my will, I'm not going to be wearing much. If you get any ideas and end up bringing me down here anyway, I'm going to bury you alive!"

"Fine, lass!" He yelled up "But I will find out!"

"Yeah…maybe." She called back, and jogged up the stairs.

After I finally managed to wash up and get dressed, I sprinted downstairs, through the common room, past Oliver and managed to get back to the entrance of the Great Hall in seconds. I looked around for Edgar, but I didn't need to search far. I heard the faint noise of a low tune and walked in to see Edgar sitting on the raised platform where the staff table normally is, playing one of the hardest pieces known to a string player…Paganini's 24th Caprice.

Asia's jaw dropped.

"No way!"

"Yes!" Edgar said, stopping. "This is what we're working on next!"

"Are you insane?" She yelled across the hall.

"Are you sane?" He replied.

"Touché." She said, with a nod. "But this piece is for violin!"

"And?" He said. "Are you saying that cellists aren't capable?"

"No, I'm saying this cellist isn't capable!" She said, pointing to herself.

"You are more than capable!" Edgar said, slightly shocked. "You've been playing for over ten years, Anastasia. This is in your blood!"

"I don't know…" Asia said nervously, wringing her hands

"Don't wring your hands!" Edgar hissed. "They'll cramp up. Your mother used to do the same thing. Now come and sit." He commanded, motioning to the chair next to him.

She sat down, staring at the blue case again.

"Well…" Edgar said. "Take it out. Give it a go."

She nodded and hesitantly opened the case.

"Don't be scared of it." Edgar said. "Your mother wanted you to have it."

She nodded again, and for the first time, picked up the instrument.

I really had forgotten how beautiful the cello was; I know it's odd to describe a hunk of wood as gorgeous. The varnish is a deep brown, and there is a red and yellow border. On the back of the instrument there are the names of all of my ancestors who have used the instrument within the large Dalio crest on the back. There was a sudden yellow light, glowing gradually on the back, it was moving, and when it stopped there was only one word "Audrey" It's the little things…

She burst out into tears for the second time that day. Edgar sighed, put down his instrument, and moved over to give her a hug.

"I know, I know." He sat quietly patting her on the back

It took me a good twenty minutes to calm myself, and then finally we played. The music wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though I hate reading in treble clef. The acoustics of the hall were phenomenal, it made me wonder why we never had any performances in here as opposed to the outdoor stage that was conjured for the spring concerts and plays.

Their lesson continued until lunch break, and they were still going while the remaining members of the school and the staff filed in for lunch, but neither noticed.

Teacher and student both determined to reach the end of the song, when they reached the final chord they were both startled by the applause of some of the Christmas crowd.

"Well done!" Dumbledore said walking up to the platform to shake Edgar's hand. "Edgar, is that Paganini?"

"Yes it is, Albus." He smiled. "This one…" he pointed at Asia. "Didn't think she could go through the whole thing."

"Is that so?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "If I remember correctly, Miss Audrey Dalio didn't learn Paganini until she was 16. Your mother would be proud." He gave Asia a pat on the shoulder and then walked down to the crowd.

Time is always running out, I must finish my tale before it is too late. I feel for some reason that it is important… But really is it? My significance in this world is a terrible thing, I did not ask for it. After all, I'm just a girl with a freaky ability…

After dinner that evening, I wandered the halls with Jenny and Pasha (a Hufflepuff girl from the music department) and we all decided to have an impromptu jam session in one of the many practice rooms. We played, sang, and even danced for a good three hours, and then called it quits and headed back to our common rooms.

On the way back, Jenny and I noticed probably one of the weirdest things we had ever encountered in our Hogwarts career at that time. Professor Quirrel was roaming the hallways, by himself talking out loud. But he wasn't talking to himself…because someone was answering.

It was a cold, harsh voice…it shook me.

The voice said, "Get the girl and the stone! We cannot stay here much longer, I can't live off of unicorns forever."

"Yes, my lord." replied Quirrel.

As soon as I heard the mention of unicorns, I immediately thought of my most recent lesson with Bingwen. We found a dead unicorn while roaming the forest.

Bingwen had told me that anyone or thing that could kill a unicorn and drink it's blood was something of pure evil.

Jenny and I were too freaked out to stay there and we both exchanged looks of confusion and terror.

"We should go tell Sev." Jenny whispered.

"No…we should go tell Dumbledore." Asia replied, wide eyed.

"Someone is here" the cold voice sneered.

I don't think you could imagine the fear on our faces, we booked it down the hallway and took one of the secret passageways up to the seventh floor and bolted into the common room. Fortunately, the only people in the common room were George and Oliver.

"Bloody hell, you both look like you've seen a ghost." George grinned.

"Sort of…" was all they could say, and began to tell them about Quirrel and what they heard.