A rather pale and shaky Rachel told this to Harry and Hermione after class. She managed not to lose her lunch this time, however. Harry was amazed that Draco hadn't put the letter in a safer place. Hermione came up with a theory to counter that.
"He probably was just going to show it to someone right after class."
"Probably Snape." Harry said the word Snape with utter disgust. "Well, thanks Rachel."
"I do believe I deserve more then a `thanks Rachel'." Rachel said it jokingly, but deep inside, she meant what she said. It had been so degrading to be comforted by Draco Malfoy.
"Yeah, guess so. I owe you one Rache."
"Don't mention it. You would have done the same for me, wouldn't you?" Rachel tried to read Harry's bright green eyes with her own.
Harry blushed and said quietly "Yes, I guess I would."
Only two people and the box that would be Norbert would fit under the invisibility cloak. Hermione reasoned, and Harry and Rachel agreed, that since Rachel had lived up to her part of the plan, and gone beyond the call of duty, that Harry and Hermione would have the job of carting Norbert away. Rachel told this to Ron in whispers in the hospital wing.
"And he was comforting you?"
"Yes Ron. Anyway, Hermione and Harry have-"
"You mean that slimy git was touching you?"
"Yes Ron, but it was what I had to-"
"I can't believe it! I feel so bad for you."
"Ron I did what had to be done. We wouldn't have known any other way."
"And you don't feel bad about it?"
"Ron, I feel awful. I didn't like it, if that is what you are thinking. But if I had to do it, I would do it again, so that I could help my real friends."
Ron seemed to accept this answer, for he sank slowly back into bed and the redness in his face lessened.
"Anyway, they are going out tonight, and I just thought that I should keep you filled in."
"I'm sorry Rachel." Ron said, and smiled meekly up at her.
"I'm sorry too." And with that Rachel left, being ushered out by Madame Pomfrey.
The next morning, Rachel was awoken by a totally unconsolable Hermione. Rachel, a bit grumpy at being woken up earlier then she was used to, shoved a tissue in Hermione's face and said, in a grumpy tone of voice. "What is it Hermione? Stop sniveling, and spit it out!"
Hermione continued sobbing, soaked the tissue and grabbed another. Rachel rubbed her eyes and looked at Hermione. "Good lord child! What is it? You're like Niagra falls! Save the whales!"
"We-" Hermione sobbed, then buried her head in Rachel's shoulder, which meant that she nearly fell on top of her.
"We what? What did "we" do?" A puddle was growing on Rachel's shoulder. She was glad that she was wearing her pajamas, because she was definitely going to have to change.
"We-" Hermione took a deep breath and pulled her head up. "We lost-lost-"
"What did you lose?" Rachel was getting nervous.
"We lost-house points."
"Everyone loses house points at one time or another. It's no reason to get hysterical."
"No- we lost too many house points."
"How many house points is that?"
"Fifty for each of us."
"Wow Hermione." Rachel gave a low whistle."One hundred house points-"
"No!"
"No? Hermione, fifty plus fifty equals one hundred. What do you mean by `no'?"
"We lost one hundred fifty." Hermione collapsed into hysterics again.
"One hundred fif-how?"
Hermione managed one word. "Neville."
It was terrible. People now never spoke to Harry, Hermione or Neville. Rachel was spoken to as if Hermione wasn't there. It broke Rachel's heart, and now some people were even starting to ignore her because she hung out with them. She did talk to Lavender and Parvati, however, so she wasn't a complete outcast.
Hermione and Harry were burying themselves in studying for the finals. Rachel and Ron, being supportive friends, did the same, to make them feel less lonely. Rachel and Harry were walking back from the library when Harry made them stop.
"Wait- I hear something."
"What? Another one hundred fifty house points going down the tubes?" Rachel was exhausted from all the studying, and it had put her in a bad mood.
Harry looked at her. "BE QUIET!" He whispered harshly. "I'm going to investigate." Rachel rolled her eyes, but Harry was dead serious. He walked up to the empty classroom. He stood there for a few moments, then beckoned her closer. Rachel heard what was unmistakably Quirrell's voice.
"No-no-not again, please-"
Harry nudged Rachel. Rachel nudged him back. "I hear it!"
Harry gave her a third nudge. "SHHHHH!"
"All right-all right-" Quirrell was sobbing and gasping. Rachel and Harry exchanged knowing looks, then raced back to the library to tell Ron and Hermione.
The next morning, Hermione, Harry and Neville receive special owls. Hermione read hers and turned rather pink. Harry rolled his eyes and Neville let out a piteous moan.
"What is it?" Rachel reached over her toast and pumpkin juice and grabbed Hermione's letter. "Your detention? Filch? Ergh. That is worse then flirting with Malfoy-almost." Rachel shuddered and handed back the parchment. "Still, I don't envy you."
Classes that day seemed long and drawn out. Rachel kept sneaking glances at Hermione and Harry. She felt so bad for them. Finally the time of their detention arrived. That left Ron and Rachel alone in the common room.
"Fancy a game of chess?"
"Will you go easy on me?"
"Maybe." Ron grinned and got out his board and set. Rachel brought out her pieces, ones that looked like they were made from ice.
They played several games, which lasted late into the night (Ron even let her win one) and then they grew tired.
"They wouldn't mind if we just rested our eyes, right?" Rachel asked in the middle of a yawn.
"A cours' not." Ron said, yawning himself. They both went over to the great squashy couch near the fire and curled up on opposite ends. Before Rachel knew it, she was asleep.
She was having a wonderful dream. She was playing Quidditch, keeper, for Gryffindor, and everyone was calling her name. She kept making fantastic saves, and saw so many posters for herself in the crowd. She were playing against Slytherin, so she had the support of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff as well, and was doing some ariel tricks, much to the delight of all the bystanders. Suddenly her broom began to shake, just like Harry's had. She looked out and saw Snape muttering something. She was losing her grip, sliding off, but there was no one there to save her. She let out a short scream and shot her hand out to balance herself. She connected with something.
"Ouch!" Whispered Hermione. "Do you have to make so much noise? And what did you hit me for? Trying to kill me?"
"Snape-my broom-Quidditch!"
"Huh?" By the light of the dying fire Rachel could make out Hermione shaking her head, confused. Hermione had never been one for Quidditch.
"Never mind, just tell me what happened."
Suddenly Harry moved into the light of the fire. Rachel could hear Ron's confused murmurs as well, signaling that he had just been as rudely awakened as she. Harry took a deep breath and started pacing.
"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort...and Voldemort's waiting in the forest...and allt his time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich...."
"Stop saying the name!" Ron's face was pale and looked splotchy in the flickering light.
"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so....Bane was furious...he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen....They must show that Voldemort is coming back....Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me....I suppose that's written in the stars as well."
Ron's eyes were huge, but he looked uncomfortable. "WILL YOU STOP SAYING THE NAME!" He spat wickedly.
"Who are Bane and Firenze? Where were you?"
But Harry didn't here her. "So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone...then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off....Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."
Hermione looked like she had swallowed one of the pickled frogs they were using in potions, but she managed to clear her throat and speak.
"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid if. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."
That seemed to calm them all down, and Rachel managed to get the true gist of what had happened.
Hermione, Neville, Harry and Draco had gone to the forbidden forest to find an injured unicorn. Harry had been paired up with Draco after he had scared Neville, and they ended up finding the unicorn. However, a figure was there, drinking the dead unicorn's blood.. The figure had turned on Harry, but he had been saved by a centaur.
"I wish I had been there. It must have been so exciting!" said Rachel, as dawn crept toward the castle.
"No, you don't wish you were there. It was utterly terrifying, and my scar was burning."
"Burning? My scar never burns." Rachel placed her left hand palm side up. "Except for when I got it, that is."
"I don't know if burning is the proper word. More like the most painful agony I have ever experienced."
"Wow Harry, descriptive. You should be an author. People need angst like that. Just relax, ok? Maybe we should go to bed, so we don't collapse into our potions tomorrow."
"We have potions tomorrow?" Ron groaned.
"At least you two managed to get some sleep."
"We weren't sleeping Mone, we were resting our eyes."
"`Resting your eyes', sure, I really believe that. You almost poked out my eye when I tried to wake you up."
"I thought I was falling off my broom!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Let's just get to bed." And the four of them split up, and went their separate ways.
"Rachel! Hermione! Get up! Get up!"
"Huh? What? I was just resting my eyes!" Rachel sat up. It seemed only minutes after she had closed her eyes. She looked at her clock. It WAS only minutes after she had closed her eyes. Only she saw no one in the dorm room. Someone was shaking her...but she couldn't see them.
"What? Huh? Who's there?" Rachel grabbed her wand. "I'm armed!"
"Rachie! It's Harry!"
"Harry? Where? If Voldemort has Harry-"
"No! I found the invisibility cloak!"
"Rachel-what is it? I was having a wonderful dream about transfiguration class."
"Harry says he has his cloak, but I can't see him anywhere."
"I'm wearing the cloak!" Rachel felt something knock her head.
"OW! What was that for? I only got a few hours of sleep."
"Well you can go back to sleep in a minute. I just came to tell you that I have the cloak. And there was a note pinned to it."
Hermione blinked sleepily at where she thought Harry was standing. "What did the note say?"
Harry pulled his cloak off his head so they could see it. His eyes widened and he said mysteriously, "It said, `Just in Case.'"
Then he flipped the cloak back over his head and left the room, or, Rachel THOUGHT he left the room, I mean, she couldn't really tell. In either event, Rachel closed her eyes and went back to sleep, dreaming a strange yet oddly happy dream about invisible Quidditch on unicorns.
"He probably was just going to show it to someone right after class."
"Probably Snape." Harry said the word Snape with utter disgust. "Well, thanks Rachel."
"I do believe I deserve more then a `thanks Rachel'." Rachel said it jokingly, but deep inside, she meant what she said. It had been so degrading to be comforted by Draco Malfoy.
"Yeah, guess so. I owe you one Rache."
"Don't mention it. You would have done the same for me, wouldn't you?" Rachel tried to read Harry's bright green eyes with her own.
Harry blushed and said quietly "Yes, I guess I would."
Only two people and the box that would be Norbert would fit under the invisibility cloak. Hermione reasoned, and Harry and Rachel agreed, that since Rachel had lived up to her part of the plan, and gone beyond the call of duty, that Harry and Hermione would have the job of carting Norbert away. Rachel told this to Ron in whispers in the hospital wing.
"And he was comforting you?"
"Yes Ron. Anyway, Hermione and Harry have-"
"You mean that slimy git was touching you?"
"Yes Ron, but it was what I had to-"
"I can't believe it! I feel so bad for you."
"Ron I did what had to be done. We wouldn't have known any other way."
"And you don't feel bad about it?"
"Ron, I feel awful. I didn't like it, if that is what you are thinking. But if I had to do it, I would do it again, so that I could help my real friends."
Ron seemed to accept this answer, for he sank slowly back into bed and the redness in his face lessened.
"Anyway, they are going out tonight, and I just thought that I should keep you filled in."
"I'm sorry Rachel." Ron said, and smiled meekly up at her.
"I'm sorry too." And with that Rachel left, being ushered out by Madame Pomfrey.
The next morning, Rachel was awoken by a totally unconsolable Hermione. Rachel, a bit grumpy at being woken up earlier then she was used to, shoved a tissue in Hermione's face and said, in a grumpy tone of voice. "What is it Hermione? Stop sniveling, and spit it out!"
Hermione continued sobbing, soaked the tissue and grabbed another. Rachel rubbed her eyes and looked at Hermione. "Good lord child! What is it? You're like Niagra falls! Save the whales!"
"We-" Hermione sobbed, then buried her head in Rachel's shoulder, which meant that she nearly fell on top of her.
"We what? What did "we" do?" A puddle was growing on Rachel's shoulder. She was glad that she was wearing her pajamas, because she was definitely going to have to change.
"We-" Hermione took a deep breath and pulled her head up. "We lost-lost-"
"What did you lose?" Rachel was getting nervous.
"We lost-house points."
"Everyone loses house points at one time or another. It's no reason to get hysterical."
"No- we lost too many house points."
"How many house points is that?"
"Fifty for each of us."
"Wow Hermione." Rachel gave a low whistle."One hundred house points-"
"No!"
"No? Hermione, fifty plus fifty equals one hundred. What do you mean by `no'?"
"We lost one hundred fifty." Hermione collapsed into hysterics again.
"One hundred fif-how?"
Hermione managed one word. "Neville."
It was terrible. People now never spoke to Harry, Hermione or Neville. Rachel was spoken to as if Hermione wasn't there. It broke Rachel's heart, and now some people were even starting to ignore her because she hung out with them. She did talk to Lavender and Parvati, however, so she wasn't a complete outcast.
Hermione and Harry were burying themselves in studying for the finals. Rachel and Ron, being supportive friends, did the same, to make them feel less lonely. Rachel and Harry were walking back from the library when Harry made them stop.
"Wait- I hear something."
"What? Another one hundred fifty house points going down the tubes?" Rachel was exhausted from all the studying, and it had put her in a bad mood.
Harry looked at her. "BE QUIET!" He whispered harshly. "I'm going to investigate." Rachel rolled her eyes, but Harry was dead serious. He walked up to the empty classroom. He stood there for a few moments, then beckoned her closer. Rachel heard what was unmistakably Quirrell's voice.
"No-no-not again, please-"
Harry nudged Rachel. Rachel nudged him back. "I hear it!"
Harry gave her a third nudge. "SHHHHH!"
"All right-all right-" Quirrell was sobbing and gasping. Rachel and Harry exchanged knowing looks, then raced back to the library to tell Ron and Hermione.
The next morning, Hermione, Harry and Neville receive special owls. Hermione read hers and turned rather pink. Harry rolled his eyes and Neville let out a piteous moan.
"What is it?" Rachel reached over her toast and pumpkin juice and grabbed Hermione's letter. "Your detention? Filch? Ergh. That is worse then flirting with Malfoy-almost." Rachel shuddered and handed back the parchment. "Still, I don't envy you."
Classes that day seemed long and drawn out. Rachel kept sneaking glances at Hermione and Harry. She felt so bad for them. Finally the time of their detention arrived. That left Ron and Rachel alone in the common room.
"Fancy a game of chess?"
"Will you go easy on me?"
"Maybe." Ron grinned and got out his board and set. Rachel brought out her pieces, ones that looked like they were made from ice.
They played several games, which lasted late into the night (Ron even let her win one) and then they grew tired.
"They wouldn't mind if we just rested our eyes, right?" Rachel asked in the middle of a yawn.
"A cours' not." Ron said, yawning himself. They both went over to the great squashy couch near the fire and curled up on opposite ends. Before Rachel knew it, she was asleep.
She was having a wonderful dream. She was playing Quidditch, keeper, for Gryffindor, and everyone was calling her name. She kept making fantastic saves, and saw so many posters for herself in the crowd. She were playing against Slytherin, so she had the support of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff as well, and was doing some ariel tricks, much to the delight of all the bystanders. Suddenly her broom began to shake, just like Harry's had. She looked out and saw Snape muttering something. She was losing her grip, sliding off, but there was no one there to save her. She let out a short scream and shot her hand out to balance herself. She connected with something.
"Ouch!" Whispered Hermione. "Do you have to make so much noise? And what did you hit me for? Trying to kill me?"
"Snape-my broom-Quidditch!"
"Huh?" By the light of the dying fire Rachel could make out Hermione shaking her head, confused. Hermione had never been one for Quidditch.
"Never mind, just tell me what happened."
Suddenly Harry moved into the light of the fire. Rachel could hear Ron's confused murmurs as well, signaling that he had just been as rudely awakened as she. Harry took a deep breath and started pacing.
"Snape wants the stone for Voldemort...and Voldemort's waiting in the forest...and allt his time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich...."
"Stop saying the name!" Ron's face was pale and looked splotchy in the flickering light.
"Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so....Bane was furious...he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen....They must show that Voldemort is coming back....Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me....I suppose that's written in the stars as well."
Ron's eyes were huge, but he looked uncomfortable. "WILL YOU STOP SAYING THE NAME!" He spat wickedly.
"Who are Bane and Firenze? Where were you?"
But Harry didn't here her. "So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone...then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off....Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy."
Hermione looked like she had swallowed one of the pickled frogs they were using in potions, but she managed to clear her throat and speak.
"Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid if. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."
That seemed to calm them all down, and Rachel managed to get the true gist of what had happened.
Hermione, Neville, Harry and Draco had gone to the forbidden forest to find an injured unicorn. Harry had been paired up with Draco after he had scared Neville, and they ended up finding the unicorn. However, a figure was there, drinking the dead unicorn's blood.. The figure had turned on Harry, but he had been saved by a centaur.
"I wish I had been there. It must have been so exciting!" said Rachel, as dawn crept toward the castle.
"No, you don't wish you were there. It was utterly terrifying, and my scar was burning."
"Burning? My scar never burns." Rachel placed her left hand palm side up. "Except for when I got it, that is."
"I don't know if burning is the proper word. More like the most painful agony I have ever experienced."
"Wow Harry, descriptive. You should be an author. People need angst like that. Just relax, ok? Maybe we should go to bed, so we don't collapse into our potions tomorrow."
"We have potions tomorrow?" Ron groaned.
"At least you two managed to get some sleep."
"We weren't sleeping Mone, we were resting our eyes."
"`Resting your eyes', sure, I really believe that. You almost poked out my eye when I tried to wake you up."
"I thought I was falling off my broom!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Let's just get to bed." And the four of them split up, and went their separate ways.
"Rachel! Hermione! Get up! Get up!"
"Huh? What? I was just resting my eyes!" Rachel sat up. It seemed only minutes after she had closed her eyes. She looked at her clock. It WAS only minutes after she had closed her eyes. Only she saw no one in the dorm room. Someone was shaking her...but she couldn't see them.
"What? Huh? Who's there?" Rachel grabbed her wand. "I'm armed!"
"Rachie! It's Harry!"
"Harry? Where? If Voldemort has Harry-"
"No! I found the invisibility cloak!"
"Rachel-what is it? I was having a wonderful dream about transfiguration class."
"Harry says he has his cloak, but I can't see him anywhere."
"I'm wearing the cloak!" Rachel felt something knock her head.
"OW! What was that for? I only got a few hours of sleep."
"Well you can go back to sleep in a minute. I just came to tell you that I have the cloak. And there was a note pinned to it."
Hermione blinked sleepily at where she thought Harry was standing. "What did the note say?"
Harry pulled his cloak off his head so they could see it. His eyes widened and he said mysteriously, "It said, `Just in Case.'"
Then he flipped the cloak back over his head and left the room, or, Rachel THOUGHT he left the room, I mean, she couldn't really tell. In either event, Rachel closed her eyes and went back to sleep, dreaming a strange yet oddly happy dream about invisible Quidditch on unicorns.