Anna awoke the next morning feeling a certain sense of relief. She knew now what had actually happened in that village on that fateful day. She still had a big job ahead of her though. She knew that Merlin had hidden his account in a secret chamber in the school, but he hadn't told her where, or even how to get into said chamber. Still, it was easier now that she knew for one hundred percent that Adriana was innocent. A part of her was mad at Merlin though. She got that he had loved Arthur, but that didn't mean he had to go and frame someone else for it. She sighed as she got dressed.
"Morning Anna!" Fred chirped as she sat down in the Great Hall for breakfast. "Ready for your exciting day of helping Lockhart?"
Anna groaned in dismay. "I had forgotten all about that." She took a bite of her scrambled eggs, wondering what Lockhart was going to have her help with, and whether or not it would have her end up in the hospital. She didn't trust him one little bit. At least he was better than their last DADA teacher. Anna was pretty sure that Lockhart didn't have Voldemort living in the back of his head.
"Did you ever talk to Ginny last night?" George asked and Anna nodded. "Yeah, I did. She's okay, there's nothing to worry about."
Anna had been late to breakfast so she had to hurry up and eat so that she wouldn't be late for Transfiguration. She quickly ate before grabbing her back and rushing to the Transfiguration classroom, making it with just seconds to spare. McGonagall raised an eyebrow but thankfully she didn't say anything. That day's lesson was on Animagi, and what they were. Anna took notes of everything that McGonagall said. Being an Animagus sounded interesting. Well, besides the fact that each Animagus had to register with the Ministry.
"An Animagus can only take the form of one specific creature." McGonagall said. "That animal usually is decided based on the person's personality and inner traits. A person's Animagus may look similar to their Patronus, which most of you will be learning about in Defense Against the Dark Arts later this semester."
Anna pouted a little bit. She wouldn't get to learn about Patronuses until next year. But if Lockhart were still their professor next year, Godric only knew how that would go. The bell rang, and Anna gathered her things together. She had DADA next, and she walked to class as slowly as possible, dreading what was to come.
It turned out that Anna had been right to dread it. Lockhart gave her a glass cage that contained a snake and had her walk up and down the rows of desks so that everyone could see them. "This a rare type of snake, found only in certain places in Africa. While its bite isn't fatal, it does contain a hallucinogen that will make your deepest and darkest fears come to life."
"So it's kind of like a boggart then." Hermione spoke, and Lockhart nodded. "Yes, I suppose you could say that, Miss Granger. But the boggart changes its form into your fear, and the venom of this snake makes it seem like your fear is actually happening."
Pansy smirked as Anna was walking by, and she stuck out her foot, tripping Anna. "Oops." She giggled. Anna went tumbling to the floor, and cage went flying. The glass broke, and students started to scream as the snake slithered along on the ground. Lockhart shrieked and he jumped up on his desk. Anna was still laying on the ground. She had little cuts on her arms from the broken glass, and her eyes widened as the snake came up to her.
"Don't move!" Hermione hissed. Anna was so frozen with fear that she couldn't move even if she wanted to. The snake raised its head, its beady black eyes staring at Anna. A split second later the snake lunged forward, sinking its fangs into Anna's wrist. Anna screamed as she felt the venom coursing through her blood. The snake slithered out the door as Harry kneeled next to Anna, but it wasn't Harry that she saw. At least not the Harry that she knew. This Harry was smirking at her. "You're such a klutz. But honestly, I'm not all that surprised. You always have been a bumbling fool." He started to laugh coldly. "That's why our Aunt and Uncle always beat you, you know, because you can never do anything right. If Mum and Dad were here, they would be so ashamed of you."
"No..." Anna whimpered quietly, and Harry started to laugh. "Aw, are you gonna go and cry now like the little baby you are?"
"NO!" Anna stood up and she ran out of the classroom. Someone grabbed her and she struggled against them with a strength that she didn't even know she had. She escaped their grip and started running again, but she saw Harry yet again. He had his wand out, pointed right at her. "Everyone would be so much better off without you."
"Harry..." Anna whispered, her voice laced with fear. "Harry please..."
"Harry please," Harry mimicked, mocking her voice. "God you really are pathetic aren't you? Everyone's probably going to thank me. Crucio!"
Anna screamed and she fell to the floor, writhing all around for a few moments before everything went black.
Harry, the real Harry, had watched his sister run out of the room, and his jaw dropped. "What the hell..."
"It was the snake." Hermione said. "It bit her, it must have released some of that hallucinogen stuff that Professor Lockhart was talking about into her bloodstream."
"We need to find her." Harry said and he, Hermione and Ron ran out, ignoring a still terrified Lockhart.
"Where did she even go?" Ron asked as they ran down the halls.
"I don't..." Harry started to say, but then he gasped as he saw Anna's limp body on the ground. "There!" He dashed to his sister's side and shook her, trying to get her to wake up.
"It's one of the side effects of the venom." Hermione said. "I remember reading about it. "Once the person slips into a coma there's only hours before they can receive the antidote or else..."
"Or else what?" Ron's eyes widened. "She's not gonna die is she?"
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Harry tried to pick Anna up but she was too heavy. Frantically he looked around for someone to help, almost giving a joyful shout as he saw Cedric walk out of the Charms room. He waved him over, and Cedric picked up Anna with ease. "She really can't stay out of trouble." He murmured as they made their way to the hospital wing.
"It wasn't her fault this time." Harry said. "Lockhart had her carrying a snake in a glass cage. Pansy tripped her and Anna dropped the cage and the snake got out and bit her.
Thankfully Madame Pomfrey had some of the antidote on hand. "I thought that something like this might happen, with that oaf teaching you."
She quickly fed Anna the potion. "She should wake up in about ten minutes or so."
True to her word, Anna began to wake up a few minutes later. "I'm really hating Lockhart right now." She groaned, causing the trio to laugh. Even Hermione was now starting to agree with them that perhaps Lockhart didn't know as much as he wanted them to believe that he did. The venom had no lasting effects, so Anna was able to get out of the hospital wing. Hermione was telling her how Cedric had carried her there after they had found her passed out. "My knight in shining armour." Anna teased, and she giggled as Cedric's cheeks turned pink. "Shush." He mumbled and Anna laughed. "I bet the girls loved seeing those muscles of yours "
"Course they did." Cedric grinned as he flexed. "Who wouldn't want to see these bad boys?"
"Me. I definitely don't want to see them."
"I'm sure that Anna doesn't mind too much." Harry joked and Anna glared at him. "Shush up. The last thing I need is for people to start up rumours again about me and Cedric."
"That's the last thing that we need." Cedric said with a shudder.
"Well if you two weren't so close that wouldn't be a problem." Hermione pointed out, and Anna gasped dramatically. "Cedric was the very first friend I made! Naturally we have to be close."
"Drama Queen." Hermione said and rolled her eyes.
"Oh thank you." Anna smiled sweetly. "I do try my best to earn that title."
Hermione groaned in exasperation. "How in the world do I put up with you?"
"That's something we both want to know."
They parted from Cedric to make their way down to the dungeon for Potions. "It's always so cold down her." Anna complained, rubbing her arms.
"Is the itsy-bitsy Potter cold?" Came the simpering voice of Pansy, and Anna groaned. "Piss off Pansy."
"I'm surprised you aren't in the hospital wing fighting for your life."
Anna scoffed. "Lockhart told everyone that the snake's venom wasn't poisonous, and if you had actually been paying attention instead of staring dreamily at Draco you would have known that."
"I wasn't staring." Pansy scoffed, but her cheeks turned red, and Anna smirked.
"You may be able to fool yourself, but you can't fool me. I feel bad for you, it must be hard to be in love with someone and not have that love reciprocated." Anna turned and walked into the classroom, leaving a open-mouthed Pansy behind.
"That was brilliant!" Ron whispered as they went to their seats. He was paired up with Anna while Harry and Hermione sat together. "She had it coming." Anna answered. "I'm tired of her treating me like crap."
Snape walked in then and immediately all of the students went silent. Anna and Ron worked on their potion, and managed to get it somewhat satisfactory, unlike Seamus who somehow managed to get his potion to blow up in his face. Anna swore that he had caused something to blow up at least once a year; she wouldn't be surprised if he turned into some kind of pyromaniac. He already sort of was one.
After nearly falling asleep in History of Magic, it was lunchtime, and Anna grabbed a ham sandwich. Fred sat down beside her. "Harry told me how well your DADA class went."
Anna rolled her eyes. "That's the last time I help Lockhart with anything."
"Look on the bright side. Tomorrow's Saturday, and in a couple of weeks you'll be commentating your first Quidditch game."
Anna had to admit that she was looking forward to that. "Hopefully I'm a good one."
"Don't worry, we'll make sure that Lee teaches you everything he knows."
"Isn't that the whole reason why McGonagall wanted a co-commentator? Because she didn't want someone like Lee?"
Fred shrugged his shoulders. "It's no fun otherwise, and people don't want a boring commentator."
"I'll think about it. But I would rather not have McGonagall yell at me thank you very much. She's scary enough as it is."
"You're so boring." Fred sighed and Anna chuckled. "Yet somehow you're still friends with me."
"I don't even know how I manage some days."
"We all know that you couldn't survive without me."
"Just get together already." Dean groaned. "It's gross watching you two go back and forth with the flirty banter."
"I'm not flirting with him!" Anna retorted as she felt her cheeks burn.
"That's not what everyone here thinks. George has started bets on how soon you two will get together."
"He what?!" Fred glared at his twin, who smiled innocently. "I don't have any idea what Dean is talking about Freddie."
"George, I'm gonna kill you." Anna growled, and he gulped nervously. "Would now be a good time to run?"
"Yes, now would be a very good time for you to run."
George sprang up and ran away, and Anna was right on his tail. They ran all through the castle and out into the courtyard before she finally managed to tackle him, and they both went sprawling onto the grass. "I'm sorry!" George yelped as Anna began to tickle him.
"You placed bets?!" Anna said, playfully pretending to be angry. "What the hell Weasley?!"
"Well, it's not my fault! Everyone knows that you two are going to get together eventually!"
"He doesn't even like me like that!"
"That's not what he told me-" George suddenly froze and he looked at Anna with wide eyes.
"He what?" Anna let go of George, sitting on the ground in shock. "He told you that he likes me?"
"Um...uh..." George stammered. "I don't suppose that you can just forget everything I just said can you?"
"George you just told me that your twin brother, one of my CLOSEST FRIENDS, has a crush on me! How the hell am I supposed to just forget that!"
"Please don't tell him I told you!" George begged. "He'll kill me!"
Anna was trying to process all of this in her head. Fred had a crush on her? She almost didn't want to believe it, and just chalk it up to George playing some kind of trick on her. Yeah, that was it. George must have been playing some kind of prank on her. There was no possible way that Fred would like her in that way. They were friends, nothing more than that...right?