December started and I immersed myself into my homework harder than ever. When homework was finished I would read a book about a hundred times over just so no one would talk to me. It took a while before anyone got the message that I wouldn't socialize.
I know I'm being stupid, but... I thought as I sat around in the library, I really just want to be left alone.
Hermione, Fred, George, and Becky had shown up moments afterwards and repeated my name several times to try getting my attention.
"Melody."
"Melody."
"Melody."
"Melody."
"Melody."
"Melody."
It might've gone on for minutes or hours, I didn't check the time.. I just ignored them. At one point, Fred finally knocked the book I was reading out of my hands.
"Alas! A book that finally wanted to get away from you."
Everyone laughed but me.
"Melody, please," Hermione implored. "Will you at least talk to us a little bit? Fred and George can't get you to laugh, Becky can't get you to give one of your sarcastic remarks, can I at least get you to say something?"
I groaned, folded my arms on the table, and dropped my face down so I couldn't see them. I only went to the library for peace and quiet, I hadn't wanted them to follow me in. It was an hour before breakfast,… how Becky could have been able to get up and fetch them was beyond me, unless the twins gave her their common room password.
"That Marcus is a twit," Fred said angrily. "I ought to smash his head in. What do you think, Melody?"
I didn't respond.
Correct, I thought, that he is. I am, too. What was I thinking? The Dark Lord's daughter finding love, that's hilarious and impossible. My own mother can't even find true love that lasts. No more for me.
"C'mon, Melody," Fred and George said, both grabbing one of my arms and hauling me to my feet. "We've got someone who wants to see you... later Hermione, Becky." I couldn't help but notice that George had been the one to say that last sentence, and when he said Becky's name it was like... it was as though... I don't even know what to say about it anymore.
They dragged me through the hallways, and I tried wrenching myself away, they wouldn't have it. I finally had to say something. "Where the hell are you taking me?"
"Ooh," they said excitedly, continuing to walk. "We got some words out of you, that's good... we'll say where when we get there."
"Ugh..."
They slowed down a bit when they got somewhere in a gloomy underground passage brightly lit with torches, yet not anywhere near Severus' dungeons and with pictures all mainly of fruit. It was much more cheerful than the passage to the dungeons.
"Hey, Huffle, where are you at?" Fred said with a big grin.
"What is this, a hostage switch?" I asked.
"Ah, there's the sarcastic remark we've been waiting for!" George said.
Out from one of the branching corridors came Addy who leaned against one of the walls with her arms crossed and gave a small smile. "You needn't worry, Melody, no one would dare to kidnap you. I would like to find a way to help cheer you up."
With a loud voice, Fred said, "Which is why we brought you instead of sent you here, we thought we'd be sure the Huffle didn't do anything suspicious to you."
"Since when did you make up such a name as Huffle?" I asked.
"Since this girl here, who is supposedly as funny as we are, made a whole big huff about needing to talk to you without telling us why." George said.
"Not as funny..." Addy said with a small chuckle. "Surely you don't think of me as competition, ey? I just need to talk to her and... and show her something, I guess you could say."
"What?" I asked.
She paused a moment, and then said, "Hope."
I gave a small nod, uncertainly. "You guys can leave," I said to the twins. "I trust her."
"Nah –"
"At least trust me," I said, looking right at Fred. Then to George, "You should know Becky trusts her, too."
This got them to go, though acquiescently.
I sighed and walked up to Addy. "I –"
"No, don't," Addy said, putting a hand up. "... Becky already told me that you blame yourself for not listening to me. Frankly, you had every right not to believe me. After the way I left you and Becky alone the other year, I don't rightly have any merit to you or her"
I looked down at my feet. "Thanks, Addy... for trying."
"Come here," she said, causing me to look up at her in surprise. She walked off and stopped by a picture of a fruit bowl. "There's someone who really wanted to talk to you." She used her fingers to tickle the huge green pear in the painting, which squirmed, chuckled, and then turned into a green doorknob. Addy grabbed it and pulled the door open, beckoning me inside.
We came into a large, high-ceilinged room with four long wooden tables filled with breakfast for that morning. I then realized how the tables seemed to be aligned with the tables in the Great Hall... which was right above us. Not only that, but Addy and I were not alone.
There were at least a hundred elves standing around and, having seen us come in, were bowing and curtsying to us.
"Melody Riddle!" one said, walking up to me with big, excited eyes. He wore a tea cozy for a hat with many bright badges, a black sock, and a sock with pink and orange stripes. It was an interesting assortment of clothing, but it didn't shock me as much as he did. He was very recognizable out of the bunch.
"Dobby?" I asked, my mouth dropped open.
He looked thrilled that I remembered him. "Dobby is happy to see that Melody Riddle remembers him, miss."
"Hard not to," I said with a laugh.
"I was wondering how you could know a house-elf... or remember him..." Addy said awkwardly. "But I suppose you just have a really good memory considering your impeccable grades."
"You mean you don't remember him?" I asked good-humoredly, though I admit I probably wouldn't have remembered Dobby if I hadn't asked him to save Harry in my second year... I wouldn't have ever talked to him specifically. "He used to be Draco's house-elf."
Addy's eyes widened, "And why was he fired?"
"No idea." I lied before Dobby could say anything. I had to.
"Well," Addy said, starting to leave, "I should be off."
"Addy," I said, causing her to turn to look at me. "Thank you."
She nodded, turned, and left the kitchen.
"Would Melody Riddle like a cup of tea?" Dobby asked, beaming at me as I sat down at one of the tables.
"Uh, sure, I would love one," I said with a small smile. Right as I said that, a couple of house-elves placed a large silver tray laden with a teapot, a cup, a milk jug, and a plate of biscuits. "Wow, you guys are impressively quick to serve, that's amazing."
The elves were delighted to hear my satisfaction, and quickly retreated. Dobby stood by.
"Oh, please, sit with me, I'd like to hear about how you've been," I said.
Dobby looked as though he was blushing. "S-Sit with you? You're too kind..."
"Please," I said, then smiled as the other house-elves looked shock. "Take it as an order, if you wish."
They all relaxed.
Dobby nodded and sat down next to me, telling me about how he went from place to place to ask for a job on his own terms. He had to be paid and be given clothes. No one wanted that. For two years, he went searching around for jobs because, though he loves being free, he loves work as well. Then – this next thing shocked me – he went to see Winky, Mr. Bagman's house-elf, found out she was freed too, and decided they would find a new job together. They were now working at Hogwarts for about a week now. Dumbledore was completely willing to fulfill Dobby's demands.
"Ah, Dumbledore, he's a kind one," I said with a small smile.
"But Dobby has been wondering how Melody Riddle has been…"
"Not so perfectly, but yet not so horribly," I said softly. "I'm so confused nowadays."
Dobby's eyes became sad, he seemingly knew what I was saying... what I meant. "Dobby hopes Melody can find the right path..."
I sighed, "That would depend upon what each of us defines as right when I make the choice."
"Dobby knows Melody will follow the right path," Dobby said, rather affectionately. "She has a kind heart. She understands the difference between right and wrong."
"Do I?" I asked. "Do I really?"
Dobby nodded vigorously.
I shook my head, "I seriously doubt it, Dobby. Sorry to say."
I left the kitchen feeling slightly better, yet still feeling bad. Dobby had such high hopes about me, but... I really wonder about what I could do with Dark Magic. With my power as strong as dad's, I could try it – I want to deep inside my heart – but what if it makes me as bad as him?
In Care of Magical Creature's, there were ten Blast-Ended Skrewts left now as their tendency to kill each other had not been 'exercised out of them.' Professor Hagrid decided to put them in boxes to test whether or not they'll hibernate. However, the skrewts did not appreciate being nailed in to pillow-lined boxed and fought their way out – now they were strewn all around the pumpkin patch.
Most of the class barricaded themselves in Professor Hagrid's hut to wait it out while he, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean, Lavender, Seamus, Becky, and myself set out to capture them all. To painful costs, of course.
Finally, when one skrewt was left, a voice suddenly shocked us.
"Well, well, well... this does look fun."
Professor Hagrid launched forward on the skrewt, flattening it – a blast of fire shooting out of its end and withering the pumpkin plants nearby – and looked to the uninvited visitor.
Rita Skeeter, wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar, with her usual crocodile-skin handbag over her arm, leaned against the garden fence.
"Who're you?" Professor Hagrid asked, slipping a loop of rope around the skrewt's sting and tightening it.
"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter," she replied.
Professor Hagrid frowned a bit. "Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore."
"What are these fascinating creatures called?" she asked, ignoring his comment.
"Blast-Ended Skrewts."
"Really?" she actually sounded interested. Obviously, though, she wasn't. "I've never heard of them before... where do they come from?"
Hermione replied, without answering the question, "They're very interesting, aren't they? Aren't they, Harry?"
"What? Oh yeah... ouch... interesting," Harry said as Hermione stepped on his foot.
"Ah, you're here, Harry!" Rita said. "So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite lessons?"
"Yes," Harry replied, Professor Hagrid beaming at him.
"Lovely, really lovely. Been teaching long?"
"This is o'ny me second year," Professor Hagrid said.
"Lovely..." would you stop saying that, woman? "I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these – er – Bang-Ended Scoots."
"Blast-Ended Skrewts," Professor Hagrid said with great enthusiasm. "Er – yeah, why not?"
"Well, good-bye, Harry!" Rita Skeeter called out merrily as we all left after the bell rang. "Until Friday night, then, Hagrid!"
"I hate that woman," I muttered to Becky and Draco.
Draco looked taken aback, "Do you hate her as much as you hate Loc –"
"Shut up."
Later that night, in our dormitory, Becky sat down on my bed as I leaned against the head post reading a book. I looked up at her, waiting for a question to come considering how worried she looked.
"Are you.. you know.. over Marcus?" she asked tentatively.
I chuckled, "Yes, Becky, I am."
"I guess then that you can now flirt back with Fred," she replied, looking a little hopeful.
"I'll flirt, perhaps... but I won't date him if it comes to it."
"Why not?!" Becky asked in surprise.
"It seems like it would just be tiresome... and it would be really cliche for you and me to both date the twins together. It just doesn't work."
"Me?! I'm not –"
"Oh, please, Becky, you can't honestly tell me that you don't want to get into a relationship with George Weasley."
Becky blushed. A blush! Whoah! I'm definitely right!
"Besides," I said, "he's got a bit of a crush on you, too, don't you know?"
"No!... Really?" Becky looked, and sounded, very hopeful.
"Oh, yeah. Definitely."