A/N: AARON POV
*
Aaron felt like a sardine. Or maybe a tuna. He never understood why people said they felt like a sardine when they got squashed, it was [I]actually[/I] tuna fish that did all the jumping over waterfalls.
But in this case the waterfall they were jumping they were jumping over was the Hogwarts entrance hall and the lovely clear stream they needed to get to was the Slytherin common room.
The big scary grizzly bear in this case was Madam Lee, ironically enough, who was looking for Aaron to put him in the hospital wing overnight.
As soon as the game had finished Aaron had come down off his broomstick elated and jubilant over Slytherins victory.
But there in the distance – a figure was heading straight for him, determination in her step and a discouraged look on her face.
You never could have thought a school nurse could look more threatening.
So, quick as a flash, a sudden huddle of Slytherins (some he knew and some he didn't but he wasn't going to question anything, the boy nearest him had a stature not dissimilar to a troll) gathered around him and hid him from view.
He could hear a shrill voice from outside calling his name but he daren't say anything, and shrank further into the crowd. He wasn't exactly a giraffe, so it wasn't hard to hide him.
So here he was, being shoved from pillar to post – or maybe sharp shoulder blade to bony elbow was more appropriate – feeling a lot like a common type of fish and hoping that the school nurse wouldn't discover him.
'You all right in there Aaron?' he heard Angus shout from outside the crowd.
'Bmph smmnn,' said Aaron, feeling ever more the idiot. Bit squashed has never sounded less like "bit squashed".
'Can't hear you in there mate,' Angus shouted back, 'must be a bit squashed. Don't worry, we'll be there in a minute and then we can start the party.'
Suddenly he saw some new figures emerge into the centre of the crowd, three figures that he recognised and was very glad to see.
'Copper, Winter, Faith! So nice to see you! Hope it isn't too much of a squeeze!'
'Are you kidding?' said Copper in a thin voice, 'I feel like a bloody sardine in here!'
'I was just debating that idea myself, but really I likened the situation much more to being a tuna jumping over a waterfall than a sardine,' said Aaron thoughtfully.
'It's a salmon,' said Winter.
'What?'
'It's salmon that jump over the waterfalls, usually only to be faced by the grizzly bears.'
'Oh,' said Aaron, disheartened, 'so you mean my philosophical ramblings about tuna were completely pointless?'
Winter nodded sadly. 'Unfortunately yes. But it was a great theory, and very novel, I've never heard of anyone philosophically rambling about tuna before. Plato would be proud.'
'Why thank you,' Aaron said graciously.
'You know, you two have completely gone off the point here,' interrupted Faith. 'And I tell you, I didn't squeeze all the way into the centre of this crowd for nothing so I'm going to say what I meant to. AARON! YOU WERE AMAZING!' she reached over to give him a hug through the crowd and only managed to skin the top of his head.
'Thank you Faith,' he said sincerely,' my head fully acknowledges and accepts the compliment.'
'She's right,' said Copper, 'okay, so maybe she half deafened me but it's true, you were brilliant Aaron!'
'Yeah, what on earth was there to be so worried about?' chimed in Winter, but then she added – 'on second thoughts, don't answer that.'
'Are you feeling all right now?' asked Faith.
'I'm a little bit shaky but not bad enough so that I have to visit the hospital wing,' replied Aaron.
'Oh yes,' said Copper in a guilty tone that sounded as though he had forgotten to tell Aaron something. 'Whatever you do mate, don't go near that madam Lee.'
'Do you think he's hiding in the middle of a crowd for [I]fun[/I]?' Faith asked.
'Well hiding in the middle of a crowd,' Aaron said, 'is certainly guaranteed to be more fun than what she's got planned for me.'
One hour later Aaron was well into the swing of the party and enjoying himself thoroughly.
As soon as they had arrived safely in the Slytherin common room (password now Ursa Major) they discovered that some kind soul had provided them with food, drinks and several party aids.
When Aaron asked how it had got here, Angus had just given him a wink and said 'Dolcy,' as if "Dolcy" could explain it all.
Aaron didn't ask who or what Dolcy was.
Winter rushed over to the table at once and squealed as she picked up some bottles.
'Yes! Butterbeer!'
'Butterbeer!' Faith exclaimed and took a bottle from Winter.
'Butterbeer?' Aaron asked confusedly. Again he felt slightly out of things – it was funny how he had grown up in the magical community and yet knew so little.
The two girls and Copper gasped at him open mouthed. 'You've never tried butterbeer?'
'Never.'
'[I]Never?[/I]'
'That would be the general gist of it, it would seem!' he said.
'You've never [I]lived[I/]!' said Faith, and handed him a bottle.
He unscrewed the lid and put the neck of the bottle to his mouth, and his mouth was suddenly filled with a warming sensation.
It was hard to describe, really, but it was definitely very nice. It made the bitter December afternoon (fast turning into evening) seem even nicer and Aaron took the bottle away from his mouth and smiled to his friends.
'You like it?'
'I love it! Come on, let's go celebrate!'
In the middle of the room a group of boys Aaron didn't know were setting off some of Dr Filibusters no-heat, wet-start fireworks, some others were blowing droobles bestest best blowing gum version 2 point four, filling the room with little multicoloured rainbows all the colours of the spectrum just hovering near the ceiling.
Aaron had never felt quite so contented as the party got more into swing and everyone was in high spirits.
Aaron had never had so much fun in his life.
As he finished of his – how many had he had now? – butterbeer and put it down, he was handed another bottle.
'Thanks!' he said with a smile and turned to see the person who had handed it to him. It was Amiee Knowles who he found smiling back at him.
'Drink this,' she said with a wink, 'it'll make the evening seem a whole lot better.'
Aaron was going to say that he had already had quite a lot of butterbeer that evening but thought – ah, what the hell? – and took a swig of the stuff in the bottle.
It definitely made an impact, to say the least.
'This isn't butterbeer!' he said after he had got over his coughing and spluttering.
'I know,' Amiee said, 'and I shouldn't really be giving it to you, but you're a cute little charmer and if you stick to that amount you'll be fine. I've got a store of it under the table, I only give it to my favourite boys.'
She smiled cheekily but Aaron knew that only the fact he was so small made her think he was cute. Still, he had no objections!
'No thanks, it hurts my throat!'
'The bottle's not full, and take another sip, it'll taste much better.'
Aaron slowly lifted the bottle to his mouth and took another sip. True, it tasted better this time, and the fact that his eyes weren't watering and his throat burning made some of the taste come through. To be honest, he could see the attraction in it.
'It's nice,' he said.
'Knew you'd like it,' Amiee said, and went off to join some of her other fourth year friends.
'Fudge flies!' he heard Angus shouting, 'I've got about a thousand here, that'll be four each approximately, if you can catch 'em!'
He stood up on the table in front of the fire and started throwing the tiny brown sweets into the waiting crowd of Slytherins, who all started grabbing for them.
'Right,' I'm not missing out on this one,' said Aaron, and he, Winter, Faith and Copper leapt forward to catch their fair share.
Aaron ate his last fudge fly and finished the last of the liquid in the bottle. He didn't know if it had been him, but the drink Amiee had given him had tasted nicer the longer he drank it.
It was true that the party seemed better now, more alive. Aaron felt much more awake than earlier and just wanted to jump around, grinning his head off.
Where had Amiee said she kept the spare bottles? Oh yes, under the table. Right, he was going to find some more.
'Scuse me,' he said to Faith, Winter and Copper and walked over to the table. Getting down on his knees he looked under the table and saw a couple of brown cardboard boxes.
He reached his hand into one and pulled out another bottle. From the outside it looked just like a plain butterbeer bottle but as soon as Aaron drank from it he knew it was the same stuff as he had had before.
The party continued, with everyone eating and eating, watching the antics by some of the older years with special effects sweets and tricks.
Aaron continued to drink the stuff, and even though some of the older students were performing the students they had performed two hours ago, seemed a lot funnier.
'Right!' someone shouted, 'where's the team?'
Several people jumped forward and Faith nudged Aaron forwards slightly. Aaron stepped forwards but suddenly fond he couldn't stop. He suddenly found himself flat on the floor.
'Ha ha ha,' Aaron burst out laughing, he had fallen on the floor! 'Tee hee, ha ha ha ha!'
'Is he … you know?' he heard someone standing above him say to the person next to them.
'As a newt,' came the reply.
'I'm not a newt!' Aaron said, and he suspected much louder than he thought.
'The team?' someone called again. 'Can I have the team up here please?'
'Hang on,' Angus called back, 'we have a small problem down here.'
'Small?' Aaron cried, 'small? Is someone calling me small?'
'No,' Angus said, 'not directly. But you're certainly too small to be drunk. Who gave you the alcohol?'
'Alcohol?' Aaron asked, bemused. 'Amiee didn't give me any alcohol! Oops …' he said quickly, and covered his mouth with his hand.
'Amiee Knowles?' Angus asked. Aaron nodded. 'Right,' said Angus brusquely, 'we're going to have to get you sorted out before any teachers come.'
'You're going to have to get [I]what[/I] sorted out, Mr Wish?'
Deadly silence fell over the entire room, and everyone stared as Professor Severus Snape entered the room, closely followed by Madam Lee.
Students moved to either side to clear a path to where Aaron and Angus were.
'I am, as is everyone else in here, glad that Slytherin won the quidditch match. In fact I will congratulate the whole team on their brilliant effort on the pitch.
'But as much as I hate to break the party up, I must point out that it is one o' clock in the morning and we all have lessons tomorrow. Some of you – potions, in which I will be sincerely disappointed if anyone dares to fall asleep.
'If I could ask everyone to please depart from the common room without a fuss, and may I just applaud – again – the performance of the Slytherin quidditch team. Especially in the face of adversity or … [I]foul play[/I].'
A cheer went up around the room until Professor Snape hushed them and they all went their separate ways. Winter, Faith and Copper took one look at Aaron and left quickly, knowing that if they stayed Professor Snape would only send them away.
Angus started to walk up the left staircase but Professor Snape called him back.
'Come back Wish,' he said abruptly, 'I want to know – who is responsible for the … the state he is in?'
'Professor Snape,' Angus began to explain, 'it wasn't me, it was … I don't know where Aaron got the alcohol from – but surely it can't be any harm? I mean, there are magical ways to cure a hango-'
'It can't be any harm?' said Professor Snape, 'it can't be any harm? Angus, there has got to be a [I]hangover[/I] before we can cure it, and until then he's going to stay as drunk as a skunk! And plus, there's the small barrier of underage drinking we have to face here. He's got to go to the hospital wing earlier as he promised and everything – that's [I]everything[/I] that he's suffering from will go down on record. And do you know who will look at those records? Dumbledore, that's who. And do you know whose job is on the line here? Mine – that's whose! Now, do you know who gave him that alcohol?'
Angus paused for a moment and then shook his head. 'No,' he said. 'No Professor, I don't know who gave Aaron the alcohol.'
'Well,' said Snape, 'all right. But if you have any sudden brainwaves, I'll be in my office. You may go to bed now. Madam Lee, help me get Aaron to the hospital wing.'
Madam Lee lifted the now very sleepy Aaron up by levitation using her wand, and started to direct him out of the room and towards the door.
'Be careful where you point his head,' said Snape, 'I don't want him upchucking on my robes, they're new.'
They brought Aaron out of the Slytherin common room and out into the underground corridor.
Aaron could hardly tell where he was being taken and was very glad that he didn't have to walk, as he wasn't sure if his legs would have been able to take it – they felt like jelly that had just got off a roller coaster.
They stopped outside Snape's dungeon where he entered and came out with some purple potion in a glass phial.
'You keep leading him,' Snape said, 'this hangover cure potion can be nasty when you spill it.'
'Is it corrosive?'
'No, it just smells like a hippogriff's backside.'
'And you'd know this how?'
'Oh ha ha, very funny. Let's just get the boy up to the hospital wing.' Even through his jumbled state of mind Aaron thought he could see his potion master's cheeks turn red.
The rest of the journey was a blur to him but he knew when they had reached the hospital wing because of the sudden whiteness.
He felt himself being lowered onto a hospital bed and he lay there for a while. Professor Snape bid Madam Lee good night and left, and Madam Lee dressed Aaron in some pyjamas. On normal occasions he would have resisted but he felt so sleepy he just couldn't be bothered.
After he was in pyjamas he was laid back down on the bed, and there he fell into a deep sleep.
His head hurt more than words could say. It throbbed, [I]over[/I] and [I]over[/I] and [I]over[/I] again.
He opened his eyes, expecting to see the morning light and feel another rush of pain, but when he opened them he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was still the middle of the night, if edging a little towards morning.
He shut his eyes, willing himself to go back to sleep but he knew that with the state of his head being as it was, sleep was a no go zone.
Was he ill? It had been ages since he had had the flu and his head hadn't felt as bad as this. He didn't remember being ill, but he [I]was[/I] in a hospital wing.
He looked to the bedside table and shouted out loud.
'Argh!'
He clamped his own hand over his mouth, which jolted his head and made it do an extra hard throb. But at that moment he was a little distracted, for sitting next to him on a chair by the bed was a small creature with huge ears and a long round nose.
On the bedside table there was also the large bottle Snape had got for him earlier, but Aaron was so distracted by this creature that he only took note of it for a second.
The small creature gasped slightly and held out an apologetic hand.
'Dolcy is sorry!' said the creature in a high-pitched voice. 'Dolcy does not mean to offend!'
'Don't hurt me,' Aaron said, not concerned over whether he was offended or not, he just didn't want to get hurt by this creature.
A tear fell from her eye (Aaron assumed it was a her). 'No!' she said, too loudly for comfort in the silent hospital wing. 'Dolcy will never hurt Aaron, Dolcy will never hurt [I]anyone.[/I] Dolcy only wants to help!'
'What are you?' asked Aaron. He knew at once that he had sounded rude but the combination of fear and pain had shortened his temper somewhat.
'A house elf,' said Dolcy proudly. 'Dolcy is born to serve at Hogwarts, Dolcy will serve Hogwarts all her life. Dolcy's mother and father serves Hogwarts, and Dolcy must keep up the family tradition.'
'A house elf?' Aaron asked, puzzled.
'That is me,' Dolcy said, and Aaron got the feeling she was quite shy. 'Dolcy has been asked here by Madam Lee to see if you wake up. Dolcy has a job to do for Aaron, and he must promise to stay still.'
'Stay still? What are you going to do?' Aaron was a little scared now.
'Don't be scared!' she exclaimed, now seeming upset again, 'Dolcy is only having to feed Aaron his medicine, Madam Lee is saying it is not too bad.
'Will it get rid of my headache?'
'Madam Lee is saying to Dolcy it is to cure Aaron's hanging-over.'
'Hangover cure? Yes please!'
Dolcy reached over for the bottle. 'One thing though, mister Aaron,' she said, 'Madam Lee is saying that is does not smell very nice.'
'I don't care,' said Aaron greedily,' just as long as it takes away the blasted headache.'
Dolcy reached over to the table with an "I told you so" expression and put a peg on her long round nose.
She took the bottle again and pulled the cork off. After a whole nothing seemed to happen, and then a foul smell filled his nostrils.
It was FOUL – to say the least. Aaron had never smelt anything quite so … disgusting. He had heard once about a plant that smelt of rotting flesh to attract flies.
He coughed, and Dolcy smiled slightly in amusement. 'Dolcy cannot smell the bad smell, mister Aaron.'
'Be glad for it,' he spluttered, 'quickly, just bring it over here. Do I have to drink the lot?'
'All of it. Dolcy is sorry.'
Aaron lifted his head, which hurt but he knew this potion would help. Dolcy tipped the bottle forwards, and Aaron prepared himself for some [I]very[/I] nasty tasting medicine.
The medicine, in fact, was very sweet. So maybe it didn't have quite the same tasting effect as butterbeer, but it was like a mixture of sugar and butter. Aaron was actually quite disappointed when he had finished it.
'You got any more?' he asked Dolcy.
'Dolcy is thinking Aaron has gone mad,' said the elf, who Aaron actually found himself getting quite attached to, 'Dolcy has no more. Is Aaron feeling better?'
'Mm,' Aaron sighed, 'much better, thankyou. But wide awake.'
'Dolcy is awake too,' she said. 'Dolcy is so used to working in the night and seeing her parents in the daytime she does not need much sleep. Sometimes it can be handy when I am called.'
'Called?'
'Dolcy is not really supposed to, but Dolcy knows some students in Hogwarts. Sometimes she … sometimes she even does favours for them,' she whispered the last part.
Suddenly Aaron remembered what Angus had said earlier that very evening. Or was it yesterday now? He had said, "Dolcy".
'Do you know Angus Wish?' he asked her.
'Oh yes,' she replied,' Dolcy is knowing her Angus very well; Dolcy had been knowing Angus for a long time. She does him favours, like fetching him food. But Aaron mustn't tell nobody for Dolcy does not want to get in trouble'
'I won't tell a soul,' said Aaron, 'I think you're rather nice.'
He wasn't sure, but he [I]think[/I] Dolcy may have blushed.
'You is making me blush mister Aaron …'
'Well you are very nice, and you seem to like the night, as I do. do you work here?'
'At Hogwarts? Yes, Dolcy works here at Hogwarts.'
'No, I mean in the hospital wing.'
Oh yes,' she nodded her head vigorously, 'Dolcy works here. Her parents are working in the kitchen but Dolcy thinks it be too hot in there. I likes to help Madam lee make the people better so I works here. Even though I knows Madam Lee uses me only for bad work or night work that no one will do Dolcy still loves what she does.'
'Do you bring food?'
'You mean … does Dolcy give food to the students?'
'To parties and things.'
Dolcy rubbed the tip of her ear in an embarrassed way. Aaron laughed softly.
'That's an odd habit.'
'Does it annoy Aaron?'
'Not at all!' he said warmly, 'I think it's kind of sweet really … for a house elf.'
'Well that is Dolcy's name, to be sweet. Dolcy's dad is telling Dolcy that her mum insisted on this name. "My child will be called Dolcy!" Dolcy's mum is saying. "For it means sweet in the ancient language of the house elves."'
'Your mother is a forceful lady – sorry – house elf?' Aaron asked.
'My mother has been through troubled times sir,' Dolcy said darkly. 'It is all happening before Dolcy is born, of course, but Dolcy knows what is happening because her dad is telling her.'
'Troubled times … there are far too many of them around,' Aaron said deeply.
'Cheer up sir,' said Dolcy, 'or you will be giving Dolcy a headache!'
Aaron gave an apologetic smile. 'Sorry. I'm a little cynical.'
'You must not be cynical,' scolded Dolcy, 'oh no, that is a [I]bad[/I] thing mister Aaron. Always look up, always keep your chin up, that is what Dolcy's parents are saying.'
Suddenly the door began to edge open and a whisper was heard through it.
'Dolcy!' Madam Lee said in a brusque tone, 'come out of there. Stop keeping the patients up.'
'Sorry,' Dolcy said, and started playing with the tip of her ear again. 'Dolcy has to go,' she hopped off the chair and gave a small wave as she left the room.
Aaron lay back and looked at the ceiling. He remembered a book he had read a while ago – [I]Sophie's World.[/I]
In it, it had described how the world was a rabbit being pulled out of a magicians hat, and everyone living on it was just little fleas and midges in its fur. Everyone starts out on the tip of the fur, but as you grew up you slid further and further down until you were burrowed deep in the fur of the rabbit, not bothering about things and accepting them the way they were. Aaron never wanted to be like that. He wanted to always be hanging onto the tip of the fur, trying to look right into the magicians' eyes.
He was going to find out more about his mum and dad if it killed him.
'Merry Christmas!'
'Isn't it just.' Aaron smiled and sat up in bed, looking towards Copper.
It was Christmas day, two days after Aaron had left the hospital wing and met Dolcy for the first time. He was astonished to see he had a bundle of presents as usually he hardly received any.
There was always one from Elsie, and one from Millicent. When he had been younger he remembered vaguely receiving parcels from Peru from someone called Auntie Buffy and Uncle George.
But then even that source of presents had faded away as Millicent told him that first uncle George had died, and auntie Buffy just after him.
But only Elsie and Millicent were his constant source of presents. Aaron had to say – Millicent might have a heart of steel but she gave him presents every birthday and Christmas.
'Have you opened your presents yet?' he asked.
'Yeah, I got some stuff, mostly from family. Thanks for the invisible ink though, mate!' Copper smiled.
'That's okay. D'you think I should open my presents now?'
'Why not? It's Christmas, after all!'
'Okay then,' Aaron said apprehensively.
At the end of the bed he could count over five presents and some kind of scroll thing. A strange owl also sat on the window ledge. Aaron had not noticed it before.
'It's been there since this morning,' Copper said, when he saw Aaron glancing towards the owl. 'It flew in with that scroll.'
'Odd,' said Aaron, 'it doesn't look like any owl I know.'
He reached out to take his first present. It was from Millicent. He felt it and it was hard, rectangular and about two inches thick. He tore the wrapping paper off and saw that inside was some vanilla toffee fudge.
'Who's that from?'
'My sister.'
'I thought you said she was a cow.'
'She is. But apparently she it would seem that she's starting to show traces of a heart.'
'Open another one, go on!'
Aaron reached for one wrapped in navy blue paper with moons and stars on the outside. The stars were twinkling in a beautiful way.
The parcel was quite long and hard down one side. It felt like one half was made from something soft, and one bar of – wood, was it? – went across one side.
'Who's that one from?' Copper asked.
Aaron turned the label over and read it.
'It's from Faith.'
He tore the blue wrapping paper off, feeling guilty that he was ripping straight down the middle of the twinkling stars.
Inside was a beautiful peacock feather quill, very long and very colourful. The blues and greens swirled in eye patterns as if they were watching his, and the quill itself was striking.
There were also some different inks enclosed inside, and Aaron experimented with them on a piece of parchment.
'Cool!' Copper explained when he started writing his name in calligraphy in the burn effect quill. This quill spread an acid-like substance wherever you placed the nib and burnt a bit through the parchment. As long as you didn't make holes – because then the parchment would fall through – it had an amazing effect.
He also got a "Amusing jinxes to use on your enemies" book, from Winter (who had gone home for the holidays) and a twig-tail broomstick streamliner (Cirrus versions 4-7) from Jenny (who was also absent).
After a few other small presents (and a rather large present from Elsie – a dress robe that was far too big for him) he came to the odd-looking scroll.
He opened it up and looked at what was inside. It was [I]not[/I] a present.
[I]Dear Mr Bulstrode,[/I] it began,
[I]First of all I would like to wish you a very merry Christmas, and hope your holiday is good.
But I do have to sadly inform you that for reasons concerning its safety, we at Ollivanders feel it is safer to repossess your wand. You will be invited to the shop and as a Christmas gift to you, you may choose another replacement wand.[/I]
There was more, Aaron gasped in surprise and horror.
'What is it?'
Aaron started to read the letter out loud.
'Dear Mr Bulstrode, first of all I would like to wish you a very merry Christmas, and hope your holiday is good.
But I do have to sadly inform you that for reasons concerning its safety, we at Ollivanders feel it is safer to repossess your wand. You will be invited to the shop and as a Christmas gift to you, you may choose another replacement wand.
It is imperative that you take this advice because, as the wand is legally yours (and we enclose a document with the legal jargon) we cannot force it from you.
But I will say that by keeping that wand you are endangering lives. May I also add that the Japanese cherry is one of the rarest woods these days, after the tree disease a year ago wiped most of the Japanese cherry population out.
Your wand is worth a lot of money now, my Bulstrode, and you may receive some money along with your [b]free[/b] replacement wand. If you agree to the terms and conditions send the contract we have also enclosed back as well.
I must stress that this is a very important thing and it must be done properly. I understand how legal documents must be boring and it is your choice whether you read them or not.
We here at Ollivanders apologise for the inconvenience and hope you have a marvellous yuletide season, and a happy new year.
Yours sincerely, Ollivanders.'
Aaron looked at Copper in a bemused sort of way.
'Well? What do you think?'
'I – I don't know,' stammered Copper, 'you're wand's always seemed fine to me … mind you, I don't use it … but you're so clever and powerful, I can't see how that wand would be bad …'
'I did blow up a table at the beginning of term,' said Aaron worriedly, but also nostalgically. 'But that was just a faulty spell, not the wand's fault.'
'They can't just take your wand away like that,' said Copper, 'not without properly explaining. Let's have a look at the thing you've got to sign.'
The two boys read down the contract (meet us at this date … unseen complications with the wand … confidential evidence …) but nowhere did it say what was wrong with the wand.
'They can't not tell you!' said Copper, outraged, 'Aaron, do Ollivanders keep a check on wands they sell?'
'They can't possibly.'
'Then they must have known what was wrong with it when they sold it to you.'
'Well one thing's for sure,' Aaron said surely, 'they're not having my wand. It's mine, and they said themselves they can't take it away. If it were that dangerous they would have told me. No way, they aren't getting hold of my wand!'
He grinned at Copper, and for once he was glad it was Christmas.
They were getting changed to go downstairs and eat the Christmas breakfast that waited for them.
'Oh no!' said Copper suddenly, and threw his hands up into the air.
'What?'
'I can't find my hat!'
'Oh no!'
The hat Copper was talking about was no ordinary hat. It was his "lucky" thinking hat. It was a strange hat he had brought to Hogwarts with him.
[I]The eyes are the window to the soul.[/I]
This hat could analyse the look in people's eyes and tell whoever was wearing the hat what it meant. Of course, it could only cope with simple emotions like anger, happiness, love, etc … but the makers of the hat were already working on version two.
This hat was Copper's biggest talking point, and he really loved it. Despite the fact you had to be careful what you thought when he wore it, Aaron had to admit it was very cool.
'Your thinking hat?'
'Yes!'
'Let me think … I don't think I've seen it on the floor. I was wearing it the other day, let me just check in my trunk, I might have put it in there by accident.'
'Okay,' said Copper, obviously concerned.
Aaron started to rifle through his trunk, but he couldn't see it anywhere. Still, he had to be sure he didn't have it, so he dug deeper.
The hat was black, and the only difference was a blue sating lining on the inside. From the outside it just looked like an ordinary school one.
He felt right to the bottom of his trunk, which wasn't hard because he didn't have a lot of luggage, and then gasped in shock.
'What?' explained Copper, 'have you found it? Is it okay?'
'No …' said Aaron distractedly. He brought his left hand out of the trunk and held it in his right. It was covered in blood.
Copper visibly recoiled.
'I … don't like blood …' he said.
Aaron picked up a tissue from the side of his bed. His hand was shaking. He wiped most of the blood off with a tissue.
'It's okay,' he said, 'that blood's gone. It's only a small cut, it just bled a lot.'
His hand was sticky and he put his tongue on his palm to see what it tasted like.
'Eugh!' Copper called out, 'I thought you said it was safe to look you vampire!'
Aaron laughed. 'I just wanted to see what it tasted like. I've never tasted blood before.'
'And?'
'It tastes like metal. And by the way, that's the second time this year you've called me a vampire this year.'
They both laughed. 'Well, you do give me the ammunition don't you? Recoiling from light and eating blood, what am I going to think?'
'Hey,' said Aaron genially, 'the weirdness is all part of the package.'
'Backing away slowly … slowly …' said Copper, grinning. 'And anyway, we're straying from the point here. What cut you?'
'I don't actually know,' Aaron said. 'Let me just see.'
He started moving his things around in his trunk, and looked right down to the bottom. And that was when he saw it. Something was glinting.
He reached down to take hold of it but pricked his finger again. 'Ouch!' he exclaimed.
'You're not bleeding again, are you?' asked Copper apprehensively.
'Only a little,' Aaron said, and wiped it away with the tissue. 'I've found what it was. I don't recognise it though. It seems to me right in the lining of the trunk. I'm going to try and get it out.'
He got out his wand and performed a simple severing charm. The fabric of the inner lining split and Aaron put his hand into the trunk and pulled it out.
As he held it in front of his and Coppers eyes, neither of them seemed to know what it was. But it was certainly beautiful.
It was a spinning pointed arrow on a circular base. It was bronze-gold in colour and the arrow was very sharp. You could see that was the part Aaron had hurt himself on.
It as sawing slightly even though there was no breeze and when Aaron tried to spin it, and it just went round and didn't stop spinning.
'What is it?' asked Copper in wonderment.
'I don't know,' Aaron said, and put it down on the bed.
Fine writing on the back of the arrow said "verilunar-verisolar".
'Verilunar-verisolar?' Copper asked, perplexed. 'What the hell is that? Where did you get it?'
'It's not mine,' said Aaron.
'It was in your trunk,' Copper pointed out the obvious.
'It must have been put there then,' he said. 'Because it's certainly not mine.'
But he didn't know that. He didn't know whose it was and at the moment he had no suspicions. How had it found its way into his trunk? If someone had put it there had they seen his stuff? Had they left anything else?
'I'm going to have another look,' he said, and went back over to his trunk.
As he began to reach inside however, the door to the dorm opened, and Faith walked in.
'Faith! You're in here again!'
'I got fed up of waiting in the common room,' she said, disgruntled. 'I've been in there for ages! What are you doing in here, you slowpokes! Did you get like a million presents or something?'
'I got distracted.'
'Oh?'
'Any idea what a verilunar-verisolar is?'
She shook her head. 'Not a clue.'
She and Copper continued to from theories while Aaron looked inside the trunk. After a while he came across something. It was hard to tell what it was, but it certainly didn't hurt him this time.
'Faith! Copper!' he said, 'there's something else in here.'
He pulled his hand out and showed them what was in his hand. It was an envelope.
'Does it have an address?' asked Faith.
Aaron turned the envelope over. It was quite yellow, old and faded, and a bit crinkled. There was one word on the front of the envelope.
Millicent.
It seemed quite fragile so he opened the flap apprehensively. Inside there was a letter and … he gulped. Two rings.
He took the letter out first. It was ripped straight down the middle, which seemed odd to him. He opened the two pieces and put them together on the bed. Copper leaned over his shoulder to read.
'No,' Aaron said distractedly, 'I've got an odd feeling about this letter.' Copper retracted.
He started to read what was on the paper.
[I]My dearest Millicent,
I beg of you, tell them, be it him or her. Tell them on the occasion of anything happening to me, because you will be the one I will leave it with. You are my daughter, I can trust you.
I feel a cold chill in my veins, and I don't know why. It is only two months before the baby comes (I can sense it, I think it is a boy, so excuse me if I call it him).
I feel sometimes that someone is following me, looking in on what I do, and I don't know what to do. Maybe I am paranoid, but I sometimes think it is happening.
I often think it is happening, actually. If anything, ANYTHING, happens to me, look after him. And tell him, you must TELL HIM.
All my love, Maria.[/I]
Aaron gulped. This was from his mother.
Maria.
'Oh my gosh!' he exclaimed, and held the letter to Copper. 'This is amazing! This is …' he had to regain his composure, 'I've found something of my parents'!'
Faith smiled. 'That's brilliant Aaron. I still can't believe Millicent didn't tell you anything.'
'Are they wedding rings?' Copper asked.
'I don't know.' Aaron picked the rings up and examined each of them. There was something written on the inside of each.
"I promise you my deepest love," said the inside of the larger ring. Aaron assumed it was his father's. The inside of the smaller ring read, "I pledge to you my life."
'That's so sweet!' Faith said, and looked at the gold bands. 'I wish my parents' marriage had been all that romantic!'
'How did they get married?'
'Ever been to Las Vegas?' Faith asked. Aaron shook his head, along with Copper.
'It's a place in America,' she said dismissively. 'Loads of muggles have weddings there every year, in our country it's kind of famous for being a place for gambling and eloping, although I'm sure it must have other qualities.
'Well because my grandma is a muggle teacher, we always had muggle links. According to my grandma my parents thought it would be amusing if they went off to Las Vegas and got married in a hotel that's supposed to be a replica of places in Venice.'
'That sounds okay,' Aaron said.
'Yeah,' she said, 'apart from the fact they couldn't afford that, so ended up getting hitched in some place where the vicar was dressed like Elvis and they drove off in a pink Cadillac.'
The three of them looked at each other and burst out laughing. Hebe poked her head out from under the bed where she had been sleeping as if in protest of the loud noise they were making.
'Come on,' Faith said, still laughing, and they started to make their way down the stairs. As they left the common room, even in the dungeon they could smell traces of the Christmas breakfast that awaited them.
'I'm going to go to the library tonight,' Aaron said. 'I want to find out what a verilunar-verisolar is.'
But in the back of Aaron's mind, something was niggling away. There was a reason Millicent had kept that letter. Torn it up, yes, but not thrown it away like she had everything else, he noticed.
And also, what had she been supposed to tell him? Did his mother want her to tell him if she died, that she was dead? Or was there something else?
And was it Aaron, or did his mother's letter cast an air of suspicion about her death?
*
Aaron felt like a sardine. Or maybe a tuna. He never understood why people said they felt like a sardine when they got squashed, it was [I]actually[/I] tuna fish that did all the jumping over waterfalls.
But in this case the waterfall they were jumping they were jumping over was the Hogwarts entrance hall and the lovely clear stream they needed to get to was the Slytherin common room.
The big scary grizzly bear in this case was Madam Lee, ironically enough, who was looking for Aaron to put him in the hospital wing overnight.
As soon as the game had finished Aaron had come down off his broomstick elated and jubilant over Slytherins victory.
But there in the distance – a figure was heading straight for him, determination in her step and a discouraged look on her face.
You never could have thought a school nurse could look more threatening.
So, quick as a flash, a sudden huddle of Slytherins (some he knew and some he didn't but he wasn't going to question anything, the boy nearest him had a stature not dissimilar to a troll) gathered around him and hid him from view.
He could hear a shrill voice from outside calling his name but he daren't say anything, and shrank further into the crowd. He wasn't exactly a giraffe, so it wasn't hard to hide him.
So here he was, being shoved from pillar to post – or maybe sharp shoulder blade to bony elbow was more appropriate – feeling a lot like a common type of fish and hoping that the school nurse wouldn't discover him.
'You all right in there Aaron?' he heard Angus shout from outside the crowd.
'Bmph smmnn,' said Aaron, feeling ever more the idiot. Bit squashed has never sounded less like "bit squashed".
'Can't hear you in there mate,' Angus shouted back, 'must be a bit squashed. Don't worry, we'll be there in a minute and then we can start the party.'
Suddenly he saw some new figures emerge into the centre of the crowd, three figures that he recognised and was very glad to see.
'Copper, Winter, Faith! So nice to see you! Hope it isn't too much of a squeeze!'
'Are you kidding?' said Copper in a thin voice, 'I feel like a bloody sardine in here!'
'I was just debating that idea myself, but really I likened the situation much more to being a tuna jumping over a waterfall than a sardine,' said Aaron thoughtfully.
'It's a salmon,' said Winter.
'What?'
'It's salmon that jump over the waterfalls, usually only to be faced by the grizzly bears.'
'Oh,' said Aaron, disheartened, 'so you mean my philosophical ramblings about tuna were completely pointless?'
Winter nodded sadly. 'Unfortunately yes. But it was a great theory, and very novel, I've never heard of anyone philosophically rambling about tuna before. Plato would be proud.'
'Why thank you,' Aaron said graciously.
'You know, you two have completely gone off the point here,' interrupted Faith. 'And I tell you, I didn't squeeze all the way into the centre of this crowd for nothing so I'm going to say what I meant to. AARON! YOU WERE AMAZING!' she reached over to give him a hug through the crowd and only managed to skin the top of his head.
'Thank you Faith,' he said sincerely,' my head fully acknowledges and accepts the compliment.'
'She's right,' said Copper, 'okay, so maybe she half deafened me but it's true, you were brilliant Aaron!'
'Yeah, what on earth was there to be so worried about?' chimed in Winter, but then she added – 'on second thoughts, don't answer that.'
'Are you feeling all right now?' asked Faith.
'I'm a little bit shaky but not bad enough so that I have to visit the hospital wing,' replied Aaron.
'Oh yes,' said Copper in a guilty tone that sounded as though he had forgotten to tell Aaron something. 'Whatever you do mate, don't go near that madam Lee.'
'Do you think he's hiding in the middle of a crowd for [I]fun[/I]?' Faith asked.
'Well hiding in the middle of a crowd,' Aaron said, 'is certainly guaranteed to be more fun than what she's got planned for me.'
One hour later Aaron was well into the swing of the party and enjoying himself thoroughly.
As soon as they had arrived safely in the Slytherin common room (password now Ursa Major) they discovered that some kind soul had provided them with food, drinks and several party aids.
When Aaron asked how it had got here, Angus had just given him a wink and said 'Dolcy,' as if "Dolcy" could explain it all.
Aaron didn't ask who or what Dolcy was.
Winter rushed over to the table at once and squealed as she picked up some bottles.
'Yes! Butterbeer!'
'Butterbeer!' Faith exclaimed and took a bottle from Winter.
'Butterbeer?' Aaron asked confusedly. Again he felt slightly out of things – it was funny how he had grown up in the magical community and yet knew so little.
The two girls and Copper gasped at him open mouthed. 'You've never tried butterbeer?'
'Never.'
'[I]Never?[/I]'
'That would be the general gist of it, it would seem!' he said.
'You've never [I]lived[I/]!' said Faith, and handed him a bottle.
He unscrewed the lid and put the neck of the bottle to his mouth, and his mouth was suddenly filled with a warming sensation.
It was hard to describe, really, but it was definitely very nice. It made the bitter December afternoon (fast turning into evening) seem even nicer and Aaron took the bottle away from his mouth and smiled to his friends.
'You like it?'
'I love it! Come on, let's go celebrate!'
In the middle of the room a group of boys Aaron didn't know were setting off some of Dr Filibusters no-heat, wet-start fireworks, some others were blowing droobles bestest best blowing gum version 2 point four, filling the room with little multicoloured rainbows all the colours of the spectrum just hovering near the ceiling.
Aaron had never felt quite so contented as the party got more into swing and everyone was in high spirits.
Aaron had never had so much fun in his life.
As he finished of his – how many had he had now? – butterbeer and put it down, he was handed another bottle.
'Thanks!' he said with a smile and turned to see the person who had handed it to him. It was Amiee Knowles who he found smiling back at him.
'Drink this,' she said with a wink, 'it'll make the evening seem a whole lot better.'
Aaron was going to say that he had already had quite a lot of butterbeer that evening but thought – ah, what the hell? – and took a swig of the stuff in the bottle.
It definitely made an impact, to say the least.
'This isn't butterbeer!' he said after he had got over his coughing and spluttering.
'I know,' Amiee said, 'and I shouldn't really be giving it to you, but you're a cute little charmer and if you stick to that amount you'll be fine. I've got a store of it under the table, I only give it to my favourite boys.'
She smiled cheekily but Aaron knew that only the fact he was so small made her think he was cute. Still, he had no objections!
'No thanks, it hurts my throat!'
'The bottle's not full, and take another sip, it'll taste much better.'
Aaron slowly lifted the bottle to his mouth and took another sip. True, it tasted better this time, and the fact that his eyes weren't watering and his throat burning made some of the taste come through. To be honest, he could see the attraction in it.
'It's nice,' he said.
'Knew you'd like it,' Amiee said, and went off to join some of her other fourth year friends.
'Fudge flies!' he heard Angus shouting, 'I've got about a thousand here, that'll be four each approximately, if you can catch 'em!'
He stood up on the table in front of the fire and started throwing the tiny brown sweets into the waiting crowd of Slytherins, who all started grabbing for them.
'Right,' I'm not missing out on this one,' said Aaron, and he, Winter, Faith and Copper leapt forward to catch their fair share.
Aaron ate his last fudge fly and finished the last of the liquid in the bottle. He didn't know if it had been him, but the drink Amiee had given him had tasted nicer the longer he drank it.
It was true that the party seemed better now, more alive. Aaron felt much more awake than earlier and just wanted to jump around, grinning his head off.
Where had Amiee said she kept the spare bottles? Oh yes, under the table. Right, he was going to find some more.
'Scuse me,' he said to Faith, Winter and Copper and walked over to the table. Getting down on his knees he looked under the table and saw a couple of brown cardboard boxes.
He reached his hand into one and pulled out another bottle. From the outside it looked just like a plain butterbeer bottle but as soon as Aaron drank from it he knew it was the same stuff as he had had before.
The party continued, with everyone eating and eating, watching the antics by some of the older years with special effects sweets and tricks.
Aaron continued to drink the stuff, and even though some of the older students were performing the students they had performed two hours ago, seemed a lot funnier.
'Right!' someone shouted, 'where's the team?'
Several people jumped forward and Faith nudged Aaron forwards slightly. Aaron stepped forwards but suddenly fond he couldn't stop. He suddenly found himself flat on the floor.
'Ha ha ha,' Aaron burst out laughing, he had fallen on the floor! 'Tee hee, ha ha ha ha!'
'Is he … you know?' he heard someone standing above him say to the person next to them.
'As a newt,' came the reply.
'I'm not a newt!' Aaron said, and he suspected much louder than he thought.
'The team?' someone called again. 'Can I have the team up here please?'
'Hang on,' Angus called back, 'we have a small problem down here.'
'Small?' Aaron cried, 'small? Is someone calling me small?'
'No,' Angus said, 'not directly. But you're certainly too small to be drunk. Who gave you the alcohol?'
'Alcohol?' Aaron asked, bemused. 'Amiee didn't give me any alcohol! Oops …' he said quickly, and covered his mouth with his hand.
'Amiee Knowles?' Angus asked. Aaron nodded. 'Right,' said Angus brusquely, 'we're going to have to get you sorted out before any teachers come.'
'You're going to have to get [I]what[/I] sorted out, Mr Wish?'
Deadly silence fell over the entire room, and everyone stared as Professor Severus Snape entered the room, closely followed by Madam Lee.
Students moved to either side to clear a path to where Aaron and Angus were.
'I am, as is everyone else in here, glad that Slytherin won the quidditch match. In fact I will congratulate the whole team on their brilliant effort on the pitch.
'But as much as I hate to break the party up, I must point out that it is one o' clock in the morning and we all have lessons tomorrow. Some of you – potions, in which I will be sincerely disappointed if anyone dares to fall asleep.
'If I could ask everyone to please depart from the common room without a fuss, and may I just applaud – again – the performance of the Slytherin quidditch team. Especially in the face of adversity or … [I]foul play[/I].'
A cheer went up around the room until Professor Snape hushed them and they all went their separate ways. Winter, Faith and Copper took one look at Aaron and left quickly, knowing that if they stayed Professor Snape would only send them away.
Angus started to walk up the left staircase but Professor Snape called him back.
'Come back Wish,' he said abruptly, 'I want to know – who is responsible for the … the state he is in?'
'Professor Snape,' Angus began to explain, 'it wasn't me, it was … I don't know where Aaron got the alcohol from – but surely it can't be any harm? I mean, there are magical ways to cure a hango-'
'It can't be any harm?' said Professor Snape, 'it can't be any harm? Angus, there has got to be a [I]hangover[/I] before we can cure it, and until then he's going to stay as drunk as a skunk! And plus, there's the small barrier of underage drinking we have to face here. He's got to go to the hospital wing earlier as he promised and everything – that's [I]everything[/I] that he's suffering from will go down on record. And do you know who will look at those records? Dumbledore, that's who. And do you know whose job is on the line here? Mine – that's whose! Now, do you know who gave him that alcohol?'
Angus paused for a moment and then shook his head. 'No,' he said. 'No Professor, I don't know who gave Aaron the alcohol.'
'Well,' said Snape, 'all right. But if you have any sudden brainwaves, I'll be in my office. You may go to bed now. Madam Lee, help me get Aaron to the hospital wing.'
Madam Lee lifted the now very sleepy Aaron up by levitation using her wand, and started to direct him out of the room and towards the door.
'Be careful where you point his head,' said Snape, 'I don't want him upchucking on my robes, they're new.'
They brought Aaron out of the Slytherin common room and out into the underground corridor.
Aaron could hardly tell where he was being taken and was very glad that he didn't have to walk, as he wasn't sure if his legs would have been able to take it – they felt like jelly that had just got off a roller coaster.
They stopped outside Snape's dungeon where he entered and came out with some purple potion in a glass phial.
'You keep leading him,' Snape said, 'this hangover cure potion can be nasty when you spill it.'
'Is it corrosive?'
'No, it just smells like a hippogriff's backside.'
'And you'd know this how?'
'Oh ha ha, very funny. Let's just get the boy up to the hospital wing.' Even through his jumbled state of mind Aaron thought he could see his potion master's cheeks turn red.
The rest of the journey was a blur to him but he knew when they had reached the hospital wing because of the sudden whiteness.
He felt himself being lowered onto a hospital bed and he lay there for a while. Professor Snape bid Madam Lee good night and left, and Madam Lee dressed Aaron in some pyjamas. On normal occasions he would have resisted but he felt so sleepy he just couldn't be bothered.
After he was in pyjamas he was laid back down on the bed, and there he fell into a deep sleep.
His head hurt more than words could say. It throbbed, [I]over[/I] and [I]over[/I] and [I]over[/I] again.
He opened his eyes, expecting to see the morning light and feel another rush of pain, but when he opened them he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was still the middle of the night, if edging a little towards morning.
He shut his eyes, willing himself to go back to sleep but he knew that with the state of his head being as it was, sleep was a no go zone.
Was he ill? It had been ages since he had had the flu and his head hadn't felt as bad as this. He didn't remember being ill, but he [I]was[/I] in a hospital wing.
He looked to the bedside table and shouted out loud.
'Argh!'
He clamped his own hand over his mouth, which jolted his head and made it do an extra hard throb. But at that moment he was a little distracted, for sitting next to him on a chair by the bed was a small creature with huge ears and a long round nose.
On the bedside table there was also the large bottle Snape had got for him earlier, but Aaron was so distracted by this creature that he only took note of it for a second.
The small creature gasped slightly and held out an apologetic hand.
'Dolcy is sorry!' said the creature in a high-pitched voice. 'Dolcy does not mean to offend!'
'Don't hurt me,' Aaron said, not concerned over whether he was offended or not, he just didn't want to get hurt by this creature.
A tear fell from her eye (Aaron assumed it was a her). 'No!' she said, too loudly for comfort in the silent hospital wing. 'Dolcy will never hurt Aaron, Dolcy will never hurt [I]anyone.[/I] Dolcy only wants to help!'
'What are you?' asked Aaron. He knew at once that he had sounded rude but the combination of fear and pain had shortened his temper somewhat.
'A house elf,' said Dolcy proudly. 'Dolcy is born to serve at Hogwarts, Dolcy will serve Hogwarts all her life. Dolcy's mother and father serves Hogwarts, and Dolcy must keep up the family tradition.'
'A house elf?' Aaron asked, puzzled.
'That is me,' Dolcy said, and Aaron got the feeling she was quite shy. 'Dolcy has been asked here by Madam Lee to see if you wake up. Dolcy has a job to do for Aaron, and he must promise to stay still.'
'Stay still? What are you going to do?' Aaron was a little scared now.
'Don't be scared!' she exclaimed, now seeming upset again, 'Dolcy is only having to feed Aaron his medicine, Madam Lee is saying it is not too bad.
'Will it get rid of my headache?'
'Madam Lee is saying to Dolcy it is to cure Aaron's hanging-over.'
'Hangover cure? Yes please!'
Dolcy reached over for the bottle. 'One thing though, mister Aaron,' she said, 'Madam Lee is saying that is does not smell very nice.'
'I don't care,' said Aaron greedily,' just as long as it takes away the blasted headache.'
Dolcy reached over to the table with an "I told you so" expression and put a peg on her long round nose.
She took the bottle again and pulled the cork off. After a whole nothing seemed to happen, and then a foul smell filled his nostrils.
It was FOUL – to say the least. Aaron had never smelt anything quite so … disgusting. He had heard once about a plant that smelt of rotting flesh to attract flies.
He coughed, and Dolcy smiled slightly in amusement. 'Dolcy cannot smell the bad smell, mister Aaron.'
'Be glad for it,' he spluttered, 'quickly, just bring it over here. Do I have to drink the lot?'
'All of it. Dolcy is sorry.'
Aaron lifted his head, which hurt but he knew this potion would help. Dolcy tipped the bottle forwards, and Aaron prepared himself for some [I]very[/I] nasty tasting medicine.
The medicine, in fact, was very sweet. So maybe it didn't have quite the same tasting effect as butterbeer, but it was like a mixture of sugar and butter. Aaron was actually quite disappointed when he had finished it.
'You got any more?' he asked Dolcy.
'Dolcy is thinking Aaron has gone mad,' said the elf, who Aaron actually found himself getting quite attached to, 'Dolcy has no more. Is Aaron feeling better?'
'Mm,' Aaron sighed, 'much better, thankyou. But wide awake.'
'Dolcy is awake too,' she said. 'Dolcy is so used to working in the night and seeing her parents in the daytime she does not need much sleep. Sometimes it can be handy when I am called.'
'Called?'
'Dolcy is not really supposed to, but Dolcy knows some students in Hogwarts. Sometimes she … sometimes she even does favours for them,' she whispered the last part.
Suddenly Aaron remembered what Angus had said earlier that very evening. Or was it yesterday now? He had said, "Dolcy".
'Do you know Angus Wish?' he asked her.
'Oh yes,' she replied,' Dolcy is knowing her Angus very well; Dolcy had been knowing Angus for a long time. She does him favours, like fetching him food. But Aaron mustn't tell nobody for Dolcy does not want to get in trouble'
'I won't tell a soul,' said Aaron, 'I think you're rather nice.'
He wasn't sure, but he [I]think[/I] Dolcy may have blushed.
'You is making me blush mister Aaron …'
'Well you are very nice, and you seem to like the night, as I do. do you work here?'
'At Hogwarts? Yes, Dolcy works here at Hogwarts.'
'No, I mean in the hospital wing.'
Oh yes,' she nodded her head vigorously, 'Dolcy works here. Her parents are working in the kitchen but Dolcy thinks it be too hot in there. I likes to help Madam lee make the people better so I works here. Even though I knows Madam Lee uses me only for bad work or night work that no one will do Dolcy still loves what she does.'
'Do you bring food?'
'You mean … does Dolcy give food to the students?'
'To parties and things.'
Dolcy rubbed the tip of her ear in an embarrassed way. Aaron laughed softly.
'That's an odd habit.'
'Does it annoy Aaron?'
'Not at all!' he said warmly, 'I think it's kind of sweet really … for a house elf.'
'Well that is Dolcy's name, to be sweet. Dolcy's dad is telling Dolcy that her mum insisted on this name. "My child will be called Dolcy!" Dolcy's mum is saying. "For it means sweet in the ancient language of the house elves."'
'Your mother is a forceful lady – sorry – house elf?' Aaron asked.
'My mother has been through troubled times sir,' Dolcy said darkly. 'It is all happening before Dolcy is born, of course, but Dolcy knows what is happening because her dad is telling her.'
'Troubled times … there are far too many of them around,' Aaron said deeply.
'Cheer up sir,' said Dolcy, 'or you will be giving Dolcy a headache!'
Aaron gave an apologetic smile. 'Sorry. I'm a little cynical.'
'You must not be cynical,' scolded Dolcy, 'oh no, that is a [I]bad[/I] thing mister Aaron. Always look up, always keep your chin up, that is what Dolcy's parents are saying.'
Suddenly the door began to edge open and a whisper was heard through it.
'Dolcy!' Madam Lee said in a brusque tone, 'come out of there. Stop keeping the patients up.'
'Sorry,' Dolcy said, and started playing with the tip of her ear again. 'Dolcy has to go,' she hopped off the chair and gave a small wave as she left the room.
Aaron lay back and looked at the ceiling. He remembered a book he had read a while ago – [I]Sophie's World.[/I]
In it, it had described how the world was a rabbit being pulled out of a magicians hat, and everyone living on it was just little fleas and midges in its fur. Everyone starts out on the tip of the fur, but as you grew up you slid further and further down until you were burrowed deep in the fur of the rabbit, not bothering about things and accepting them the way they were. Aaron never wanted to be like that. He wanted to always be hanging onto the tip of the fur, trying to look right into the magicians' eyes.
He was going to find out more about his mum and dad if it killed him.
'Merry Christmas!'
'Isn't it just.' Aaron smiled and sat up in bed, looking towards Copper.
It was Christmas day, two days after Aaron had left the hospital wing and met Dolcy for the first time. He was astonished to see he had a bundle of presents as usually he hardly received any.
There was always one from Elsie, and one from Millicent. When he had been younger he remembered vaguely receiving parcels from Peru from someone called Auntie Buffy and Uncle George.
But then even that source of presents had faded away as Millicent told him that first uncle George had died, and auntie Buffy just after him.
But only Elsie and Millicent were his constant source of presents. Aaron had to say – Millicent might have a heart of steel but she gave him presents every birthday and Christmas.
'Have you opened your presents yet?' he asked.
'Yeah, I got some stuff, mostly from family. Thanks for the invisible ink though, mate!' Copper smiled.
'That's okay. D'you think I should open my presents now?'
'Why not? It's Christmas, after all!'
'Okay then,' Aaron said apprehensively.
At the end of the bed he could count over five presents and some kind of scroll thing. A strange owl also sat on the window ledge. Aaron had not noticed it before.
'It's been there since this morning,' Copper said, when he saw Aaron glancing towards the owl. 'It flew in with that scroll.'
'Odd,' said Aaron, 'it doesn't look like any owl I know.'
He reached out to take his first present. It was from Millicent. He felt it and it was hard, rectangular and about two inches thick. He tore the wrapping paper off and saw that inside was some vanilla toffee fudge.
'Who's that from?'
'My sister.'
'I thought you said she was a cow.'
'She is. But apparently she it would seem that she's starting to show traces of a heart.'
'Open another one, go on!'
Aaron reached for one wrapped in navy blue paper with moons and stars on the outside. The stars were twinkling in a beautiful way.
The parcel was quite long and hard down one side. It felt like one half was made from something soft, and one bar of – wood, was it? – went across one side.
'Who's that one from?' Copper asked.
Aaron turned the label over and read it.
'It's from Faith.'
He tore the blue wrapping paper off, feeling guilty that he was ripping straight down the middle of the twinkling stars.
Inside was a beautiful peacock feather quill, very long and very colourful. The blues and greens swirled in eye patterns as if they were watching his, and the quill itself was striking.
There were also some different inks enclosed inside, and Aaron experimented with them on a piece of parchment.
'Cool!' Copper explained when he started writing his name in calligraphy in the burn effect quill. This quill spread an acid-like substance wherever you placed the nib and burnt a bit through the parchment. As long as you didn't make holes – because then the parchment would fall through – it had an amazing effect.
He also got a "Amusing jinxes to use on your enemies" book, from Winter (who had gone home for the holidays) and a twig-tail broomstick streamliner (Cirrus versions 4-7) from Jenny (who was also absent).
After a few other small presents (and a rather large present from Elsie – a dress robe that was far too big for him) he came to the odd-looking scroll.
He opened it up and looked at what was inside. It was [I]not[/I] a present.
[I]Dear Mr Bulstrode,[/I] it began,
[I]First of all I would like to wish you a very merry Christmas, and hope your holiday is good.
But I do have to sadly inform you that for reasons concerning its safety, we at Ollivanders feel it is safer to repossess your wand. You will be invited to the shop and as a Christmas gift to you, you may choose another replacement wand.[/I]
There was more, Aaron gasped in surprise and horror.
'What is it?'
Aaron started to read the letter out loud.
'Dear Mr Bulstrode, first of all I would like to wish you a very merry Christmas, and hope your holiday is good.
But I do have to sadly inform you that for reasons concerning its safety, we at Ollivanders feel it is safer to repossess your wand. You will be invited to the shop and as a Christmas gift to you, you may choose another replacement wand.
It is imperative that you take this advice because, as the wand is legally yours (and we enclose a document with the legal jargon) we cannot force it from you.
But I will say that by keeping that wand you are endangering lives. May I also add that the Japanese cherry is one of the rarest woods these days, after the tree disease a year ago wiped most of the Japanese cherry population out.
Your wand is worth a lot of money now, my Bulstrode, and you may receive some money along with your [b]free[/b] replacement wand. If you agree to the terms and conditions send the contract we have also enclosed back as well.
I must stress that this is a very important thing and it must be done properly. I understand how legal documents must be boring and it is your choice whether you read them or not.
We here at Ollivanders apologise for the inconvenience and hope you have a marvellous yuletide season, and a happy new year.
Yours sincerely, Ollivanders.'
Aaron looked at Copper in a bemused sort of way.
'Well? What do you think?'
'I – I don't know,' stammered Copper, 'you're wand's always seemed fine to me … mind you, I don't use it … but you're so clever and powerful, I can't see how that wand would be bad …'
'I did blow up a table at the beginning of term,' said Aaron worriedly, but also nostalgically. 'But that was just a faulty spell, not the wand's fault.'
'They can't just take your wand away like that,' said Copper, 'not without properly explaining. Let's have a look at the thing you've got to sign.'
The two boys read down the contract (meet us at this date … unseen complications with the wand … confidential evidence …) but nowhere did it say what was wrong with the wand.
'They can't not tell you!' said Copper, outraged, 'Aaron, do Ollivanders keep a check on wands they sell?'
'They can't possibly.'
'Then they must have known what was wrong with it when they sold it to you.'
'Well one thing's for sure,' Aaron said surely, 'they're not having my wand. It's mine, and they said themselves they can't take it away. If it were that dangerous they would have told me. No way, they aren't getting hold of my wand!'
He grinned at Copper, and for once he was glad it was Christmas.
They were getting changed to go downstairs and eat the Christmas breakfast that waited for them.
'Oh no!' said Copper suddenly, and threw his hands up into the air.
'What?'
'I can't find my hat!'
'Oh no!'
The hat Copper was talking about was no ordinary hat. It was his "lucky" thinking hat. It was a strange hat he had brought to Hogwarts with him.
[I]The eyes are the window to the soul.[/I]
This hat could analyse the look in people's eyes and tell whoever was wearing the hat what it meant. Of course, it could only cope with simple emotions like anger, happiness, love, etc … but the makers of the hat were already working on version two.
This hat was Copper's biggest talking point, and he really loved it. Despite the fact you had to be careful what you thought when he wore it, Aaron had to admit it was very cool.
'Your thinking hat?'
'Yes!'
'Let me think … I don't think I've seen it on the floor. I was wearing it the other day, let me just check in my trunk, I might have put it in there by accident.'
'Okay,' said Copper, obviously concerned.
Aaron started to rifle through his trunk, but he couldn't see it anywhere. Still, he had to be sure he didn't have it, so he dug deeper.
The hat was black, and the only difference was a blue sating lining on the inside. From the outside it just looked like an ordinary school one.
He felt right to the bottom of his trunk, which wasn't hard because he didn't have a lot of luggage, and then gasped in shock.
'What?' explained Copper, 'have you found it? Is it okay?'
'No …' said Aaron distractedly. He brought his left hand out of the trunk and held it in his right. It was covered in blood.
Copper visibly recoiled.
'I … don't like blood …' he said.
Aaron picked up a tissue from the side of his bed. His hand was shaking. He wiped most of the blood off with a tissue.
'It's okay,' he said, 'that blood's gone. It's only a small cut, it just bled a lot.'
His hand was sticky and he put his tongue on his palm to see what it tasted like.
'Eugh!' Copper called out, 'I thought you said it was safe to look you vampire!'
Aaron laughed. 'I just wanted to see what it tasted like. I've never tasted blood before.'
'And?'
'It tastes like metal. And by the way, that's the second time this year you've called me a vampire this year.'
They both laughed. 'Well, you do give me the ammunition don't you? Recoiling from light and eating blood, what am I going to think?'
'Hey,' said Aaron genially, 'the weirdness is all part of the package.'
'Backing away slowly … slowly …' said Copper, grinning. 'And anyway, we're straying from the point here. What cut you?'
'I don't actually know,' Aaron said. 'Let me just see.'
He started moving his things around in his trunk, and looked right down to the bottom. And that was when he saw it. Something was glinting.
He reached down to take hold of it but pricked his finger again. 'Ouch!' he exclaimed.
'You're not bleeding again, are you?' asked Copper apprehensively.
'Only a little,' Aaron said, and wiped it away with the tissue. 'I've found what it was. I don't recognise it though. It seems to me right in the lining of the trunk. I'm going to try and get it out.'
He got out his wand and performed a simple severing charm. The fabric of the inner lining split and Aaron put his hand into the trunk and pulled it out.
As he held it in front of his and Coppers eyes, neither of them seemed to know what it was. But it was certainly beautiful.
It was a spinning pointed arrow on a circular base. It was bronze-gold in colour and the arrow was very sharp. You could see that was the part Aaron had hurt himself on.
It as sawing slightly even though there was no breeze and when Aaron tried to spin it, and it just went round and didn't stop spinning.
'What is it?' asked Copper in wonderment.
'I don't know,' Aaron said, and put it down on the bed.
Fine writing on the back of the arrow said "verilunar-verisolar".
'Verilunar-verisolar?' Copper asked, perplexed. 'What the hell is that? Where did you get it?'
'It's not mine,' said Aaron.
'It was in your trunk,' Copper pointed out the obvious.
'It must have been put there then,' he said. 'Because it's certainly not mine.'
But he didn't know that. He didn't know whose it was and at the moment he had no suspicions. How had it found its way into his trunk? If someone had put it there had they seen his stuff? Had they left anything else?
'I'm going to have another look,' he said, and went back over to his trunk.
As he began to reach inside however, the door to the dorm opened, and Faith walked in.
'Faith! You're in here again!'
'I got fed up of waiting in the common room,' she said, disgruntled. 'I've been in there for ages! What are you doing in here, you slowpokes! Did you get like a million presents or something?'
'I got distracted.'
'Oh?'
'Any idea what a verilunar-verisolar is?'
She shook her head. 'Not a clue.'
She and Copper continued to from theories while Aaron looked inside the trunk. After a while he came across something. It was hard to tell what it was, but it certainly didn't hurt him this time.
'Faith! Copper!' he said, 'there's something else in here.'
He pulled his hand out and showed them what was in his hand. It was an envelope.
'Does it have an address?' asked Faith.
Aaron turned the envelope over. It was quite yellow, old and faded, and a bit crinkled. There was one word on the front of the envelope.
Millicent.
It seemed quite fragile so he opened the flap apprehensively. Inside there was a letter and … he gulped. Two rings.
He took the letter out first. It was ripped straight down the middle, which seemed odd to him. He opened the two pieces and put them together on the bed. Copper leaned over his shoulder to read.
'No,' Aaron said distractedly, 'I've got an odd feeling about this letter.' Copper retracted.
He started to read what was on the paper.
[I]My dearest Millicent,
I beg of you, tell them, be it him or her. Tell them on the occasion of anything happening to me, because you will be the one I will leave it with. You are my daughter, I can trust you.
I feel a cold chill in my veins, and I don't know why. It is only two months before the baby comes (I can sense it, I think it is a boy, so excuse me if I call it him).
I feel sometimes that someone is following me, looking in on what I do, and I don't know what to do. Maybe I am paranoid, but I sometimes think it is happening.
I often think it is happening, actually. If anything, ANYTHING, happens to me, look after him. And tell him, you must TELL HIM.
All my love, Maria.[/I]
Aaron gulped. This was from his mother.
Maria.
'Oh my gosh!' he exclaimed, and held the letter to Copper. 'This is amazing! This is …' he had to regain his composure, 'I've found something of my parents'!'
Faith smiled. 'That's brilliant Aaron. I still can't believe Millicent didn't tell you anything.'
'Are they wedding rings?' Copper asked.
'I don't know.' Aaron picked the rings up and examined each of them. There was something written on the inside of each.
"I promise you my deepest love," said the inside of the larger ring. Aaron assumed it was his father's. The inside of the smaller ring read, "I pledge to you my life."
'That's so sweet!' Faith said, and looked at the gold bands. 'I wish my parents' marriage had been all that romantic!'
'How did they get married?'
'Ever been to Las Vegas?' Faith asked. Aaron shook his head, along with Copper.
'It's a place in America,' she said dismissively. 'Loads of muggles have weddings there every year, in our country it's kind of famous for being a place for gambling and eloping, although I'm sure it must have other qualities.
'Well because my grandma is a muggle teacher, we always had muggle links. According to my grandma my parents thought it would be amusing if they went off to Las Vegas and got married in a hotel that's supposed to be a replica of places in Venice.'
'That sounds okay,' Aaron said.
'Yeah,' she said, 'apart from the fact they couldn't afford that, so ended up getting hitched in some place where the vicar was dressed like Elvis and they drove off in a pink Cadillac.'
The three of them looked at each other and burst out laughing. Hebe poked her head out from under the bed where she had been sleeping as if in protest of the loud noise they were making.
'Come on,' Faith said, still laughing, and they started to make their way down the stairs. As they left the common room, even in the dungeon they could smell traces of the Christmas breakfast that awaited them.
'I'm going to go to the library tonight,' Aaron said. 'I want to find out what a verilunar-verisolar is.'
But in the back of Aaron's mind, something was niggling away. There was a reason Millicent had kept that letter. Torn it up, yes, but not thrown it away like she had everything else, he noticed.
And also, what had she been supposed to tell him? Did his mother want her to tell him if she died, that she was dead? Or was there something else?
And was it Aaron, or did his mother's letter cast an air of suspicion about her death?