This chapter is late, and for that, I apologize. I was lacking motivation because of school, but now that is no longer an issue. Why? Because I am now on summer break! So, expect some more frequent updates, and hopefully, I will finally be wrapping up GoF since I have been doing this year for forever. Order of the Phoenix will be... interesting. Also, this chapter has line breaks because there are several scenes and time changes. I will also be going through all the other chapters of Daughter of Gryffindor and adding line breaks when they are needed because I discovered I love using them.
Spring had sprung at Hogwarts. Bright grassy fields and trees with many leaves chased away the cold and bitter winter. Elizabeth much preferred spring to winter, she liked watching nature come alive again. The whole season felt like a time of change, which was certainly true. This spring held a multitude of changes.
"Has McGonagall changed seats with Hagrid?" Ginny asked one evening at dinner, between bites of shepherd's pie.
Elizabeth glanced over at the table, and sure enough, the two teachers had swapped. "I guess so. It must have something to do with what happened between him and Madame Maxime." she said as she scooped a bit of mashed potato onto her spoon.
"He looks like he's doing better, doesn't he?" Julia asked from the next table. She was back to back with Elizabeth, to make having conversations easier. Luna too, sat back to back with Ginny, so all four girls could stay together at mealtimes. They preferred this seating arrangement to being separated.
"He does. We've had lovely conversations when I stop by for thestral food. He's regained his confidence again, but it can waver at times." Luna agreed. They all knew of Luna's hobby, though it mostly was frightening for Ginny and Julia since they couldn't actually see them. Elizabeth however, could, and occasionally joined Luna. Thestrals were peaceful, and feeding them was a relaxing activity, even though it was strange. But, being such great friends with Luna made Elizabeth not mind being seen as strange long ago.
"At least he's got Minerva on his side. She's told me that most of the other teachers feel bad for him, and she suspects Professor Sprout and Flitwick would do the same as her to help him." Elizabeth added.
She passed Luna a dish of blueberry-boysenberry pudding, one of her preferred flavors. She liked it much better than the plain lemon pudding at her table. Dobby had become very attuned to her favorite flavors and often tweaked the dishes to suit her since she was the first student to ever call him "Sir" though Elizabeth had called him that soon after as well. The little elf was delighted and grateful.
"Do you think he'll ever forgive Maxime for selling him out to save herself?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know, Gin. Hagrid can be stubborn when he wants to be. I think it's safe to say that chances of romance between him and her are slim to none." Elizabeth said sadly, looking up at the Gamekeeper in question, who was sneaking glances at Maxime when she wasn't looking, barely fighting back tears.
Though Hagrid's love life was in the low, Ginny's was going quite well.
"Do you think we'll go to Madam Puddyfoots? We aren't a couple yet, I don't want him to go assuming anything." Ginny said one morning when she, Elizabeth, and the other girls in their dorm were getting ready to go to Hogsmeade for the day on a sunny Saturday morning.
"If an older year was taking me on a date in Hogsmeade, I'd go to the Shrieking Shack if he wanted. Why are you so worried about going to Madam Puddyfoots?" Zarah, one of their roommates asked.
"Because my brother Bill's told me that all Hogwarts couples go there on dates in Hogsmeade. And we aren't one." Ginny replied as she pulled on her worn boots.
"Not yet, at least." Elizabeth teased. Ginny looked mock offended as she tossed one of her shirts at Elizabeth's face. Elizabeth caught it, leading her and Ginny to snicker.
"But you went to the Yule Ball together." Olivia pointed out.
"But that doesn't automatically make them a couple. A few dances don't mean you start courting." Elizabeth retorted on Ginny's behalf. Her messing with Ginny was one thing, but she could tell that she was getting on Ginny's nerves.
"You really should start saying 'dating' Elizabeth. No one says courting anymore." Allie said, looking in the mirror and applying a pinch of blush.
"I know." Elizabeth said and left it at that. Though Zarah, Allie, and Olivia were nice, they didn't really click well with Ginny or Elizabeth. They all coincided peacefully, but it was clear that they were best suited as separate groups.
"Courting is a more romantic word, anyways." Ginny said quietly as they left the room and walked downstairs.
"That's why I prefer saying it. Anyone can date, I want to court someone like my parents did." Elizabeth remarked.
"You're finally going to be open to romance? I thought you were engaged." Ginny asked with a smirk.
"I wouldn't say I'm open to it, only because I have no one to be open to. But yes, if I was interested in someone, and he was interested in me, I'd go on a date with him, and maybe start courting. And, Malcolm pointed out many times in his letters that Frederick has probably moved on by now." Elizabeth responded.
"That might be the only smart thing he's ever said. How's his job going?" Ginny inquired when they walked to the Great Hall.
"He loves being an Auror. Sort of like Moody, but not serious at all." Elizabeth told her.
They both chuckled. Comparing Moody to someone like Malcolm was only one thing-laughable. Sure, they were both talented and powerful wizards, but their personalities differed like night and day. Moody was serious and paranoid, where Malcolm was friendly, and a sort of ladies' man.
To imagine her uncle to be like Moody was a nearly impossible feat.
"Another dose of angry letters?" Harry asked Hermione one morning after the owl post was delivered at breakfast. For the past few days, Hermione had been receiving letter after letter from people who despised her.
It was all because of an article written by Rita Skeeter. Since the Second Task, the dreadful reporter had written an article about a love triangle between Hermione, Harry, and Viktor, even though such a thing didn't exist. After the article's debut, Hermione had gotten piles of letters calling her a wicked girl, an evil person, someone not worthy of either boy or anything else people could think of.
Even worse, some were jinxed. Hermione had opened one and gotten her hands sprayed with a terrible venom that made her hands swell and ache. She'd been in the Hospital Wing all morning long and came out with bandaged fingers. She'd stopped opening them since then, and had started saving them until the evening when she could burn them. That had been Hagrid's advice, he had received similar letters after being outed as a half-giant.
"I think it's slowing down. Only six today, in fact. I just wish I knew how she got that information! Viktor invited me to see him over the summer when we were alone, no one else could have heard!" Hermione vented.
"Do we have to start investigating Rita Skeeter now? We've got exams coming up, Hermione!" Ron said between bites of sausage.
"If you don't want to help, I'll just do it myself!" Hermione huffed as she left the Great Hall. Pansy Parkinson cackled from the Slytherin table.
"The letters may have slowed down, but Hermione's definitely got a worse attitude about all this since Easter when Mrs. Weasley sent her a teeny egg compared to you two's," Elizabeth commented, wondering if she should go after Hermione, but figured she might need the time alone.
"Mum means well, she can just be protective. It's actually kind of flattering, Harry, that she's so protective over you. You're practically a Weasley, you know." Ginny said. She had gained more confidence in talking to Harry since she and Micheal officially started courting.
Harry smiled and got up with Ron to leave for Divination.
If Professor Trelawney was better at being a Seer, perhaps she would have foreseen what lied in Julia's future after she vowed to change for the better. Elizabeth certainly wouldn't have been able to. She wasn't clairvoyant in the slightest.
"I think that they're mostly confused by me right now, more than anything else. I understand why, I've drastically changed without any context. Matthew's been friendly, but I'm not really sure what to say to him. And Sophie and Charlotte have kept me at arm's length, I know they aren't sure what to think of me anymore." Julia confided in Elizabeth one spring afternoon. They had gotten out of Muggle Studies class, and decided to have a chat after they passed some Ravenclaw third years whispering harshly, and Julia remarked how she knew they were talking about her.
"They've been doing it for days. Anytime I walk into a room, at least a few people stop talking completely and glance at me." she continued as she readjusted how she was sitting. She and Elizabeth were in the corridor that Helena liked to frequent. Unfortunately, Helena had no interest in meeting Julia, she had become quite shy, and didn't want to reveal her identity to anyone. Elizabeth wasn't sure why, and when she asked, Helena hadn't really given her an answer. She'd always been a little bossy like that.
"Have they done anything to you?" Elizabeth asked, concerned that she was being treated the same way Luna was.
"No. But they've asked me why I hang out with you, Ginny, and Luna now, some even ask what's wrong with me." Julia said quietly, gazing at the floor.
"Julia, you're doing something wonderful. You're changing yourself to be a better person. The people that ask what's wrong with you? They're the ones that have something wrong with themselves. Don't let them ruin what you're working on." Elizabeth encouraged, placing a hand on her new friend's shoulder.
"I know. It's just… I didn't think my friends would react this way. I knew they'd be confused, sure, but whispering and talking about me behind my back… I didn't expect that. But it's what I deserve." Julia said, even quieter.
Elizabeth simply hugged her friend, and let a few tears fall onto her robes.
"I'd bring them together and talk to them, but I'm scared to tell them the truth. I was the leader of my old group, and I'm scared they'd just want me back there again because it's what makes sense to them. But I shouldn't ever be a leader again. I was so horrible…" Julia sniffled.
"Maybe, maybe just tell them a little bit of the truth, at least for now. Tell them that you realized that you were being a bully, and didn't want to be one anymore and that you're even friends with my friends and me now. It's still the truth. And, if you're accepted, then maybe go more in-depth, with the people you trust." Elizabeth advised.
Julia sniffled again and nodded. They separated, and Julia smiled as she wiped her tears away.
"That's really good advice, Elizabeth. Thank you, for everything." she said.
That had been a few weeks ago. And, Julia had taken her advice. Whenever she was asked why she had changed, or what she was doing with Ginny, Luna. or Elizabeth, she'd say, "I don't want to be a bully anymore. And she's a wonderful person and friend. I'm glad to be friends with her."
Things were still a little off for Julia, but she had gotten back on better terms with most of her old friends, Matthew especially.
"I'm so excited to watch the task tonight!" Elizabeth said cheerfully as she walked out of the Great Hall with her three friends. Julia was a permanent addition to their friend group. She admitted that while she had made amends and encouraged as best she could with her other friends, they had drifted some, and she had in a way outgrown them.
"Me too! Micheal and I have a bet on which champion is going to win. He said Krum, but I sided with Harry. Winner gets a galleon!" Ginny told the group.
"Is it normal for couples to bet?" Julia asked with a curious grin.
"Maybe, maybe not. But it's for fun, anyway." Ginny explained, smiling at the thought of her boyfriend. They had begun dating after their Hogsmeade date, and Ginny seemed to like him a lot.
The girls went on to talk about the rest of their exams, as they had started taking them that day. All four had the Charms exam that morning, and the History of Magic exam that afternoon.
"I've got to have done better on Binn's test than Ron. He told me that he made up names for some of the goblin leaders. They weren't even re-" Ginny cut off from her sentence when she saw a movement quite out of place. Elizabeth was the out-of-place movement.
She had started to feel a funny feeling on the back of her neck, all the hairs standing up and feeling tingly. Then, her whole body started shaking violently, and she could not control it. She could hear her friends calling her name, and somebody touching her and trying to get a grip on her arm, but before she could try to regain control, or even utter a word, her legs gave out, and she smacked her head on the staircase right in front of her, sending her into nothingness.
No, it is not a medical issue like epilepsy. It has something to do with what happens on the night of the Third Task when a certain preparation occurred. Does anyone have a guess?
Also, has this version of Luna been true to the original? My goal is to keep all the characters in character as much as I can, aside from how Elizabeth's existence changes things. Luna is my favorite female character but is also hard to write because it's difficult for me to get inside her head and know what she would say. If you have any suggestions for improvements, please let me know.