Willow didn't sleep that whole night. She found Hermione in bed and asleep by the time she entered their dorm. Willow threw off her covers after staring at the ceiling for an hour, giving up and deciding she needed fresh air.
Merely a half hour later, Willow was in the courtyard, streaking towards the trees on the horizon. She reasoned that no teacher would be up and expecting a student to suddenly appear outside castle walls in the earliest hours of morning. There was no wind, and the stars sparkled like diamonds in the night sky, leading Willow away from the castle. She relished the feel of a night time run, however unexpected and short, as it cleared her head from the hectic day.
Willow's senses were overloaded with nocturnal sounds when she reached the Forbidden Forest's edge. Crickets chirped incessantly, owls hooted, mice squeaked, and branches creaked despite the windless night. For some odd reason, Willow was unafraid of the dark tonight, instead following its call faithfully. She slowed her gait to a walk when she passed the boundary.
I am breaking so many rules right now, Willow thought to herself.
She didn't make it very far before she was distracted by a tree that had oddly twisting limbs very close to the ground. She squealed in excitement, having not climbed a tree in years. Willow scrambled up it, her hands remembering familiar movements, her strong legs propelling her higher and higher until she found a final handhold at the top of the tree. She emerged from the canopy and looked up at the sky. Willow gasped the moment she did.
"Wow," she breathed.
Willow stared in awe at the galaxy millions of kilometers away. The stars were brighter than she had ever seen them before, the moon glowing so fiercely that the blind must be able to see its light. With no light pollution to distort their projections, Willow could see every last space object within viewing distance for its true brilliance. She was in complete and utter awe.
"This is stargazing," Willow whispered to herself.
She didn't know how long she crouched in that tree's boughs, gaping at the wonderful world that she had missed all of her life. Willow studied it until she knew where every constellation was positioned. It was calling to her, although she had no idea why. The sky simply paralyzed her in its glory.
The map, the voice suddenly boomed.
Willow fell down a few branches, startled. What map?
The one you bought in Diagon Alley.
What about it?
Bring it next time, silly girl, the voice chuckled.
Oh. Why?
But the voice had gone. Willow hit a branch in frustration, but instantly recoiled. She rubbed her bruised hand in anger.
"Why can't anyone tell me anything?" she sighed.
Willow made her way to the forest floor again. She began walking back towards Hogwarts when a noise in the bushes startled her.
"Who's there?" Willow stiffly cried.
There was no answer except more shuffling. She began backing away, expecting the worse. Her fear of the dark hit her all too soon.
"Show yourself!" Willow commanded in a shaky voice.
An animal grunted, then puffed as it poked its head around a tree. Willow immediately leaped into the air.
"Merlin's beard! They're real!" she shouted.
The unicorn whinnied softly and shook its flawless mane. Its pearly white coat rippled as it was caught in the moonlight. The foot-long horn on its head shone brightest of all, almost creating its own light. Willow had never seen anything more beautiful before.
"You're a unicorn," Willow said. "Unicorns are real."
The only response was a flick of the unicorn's tail. Willow barely held in a scream.
"I thought you were just a Muggle child's fantasy!" she breathed. "Apparently not."
The unicorn stepped towards Willow. Its charcoal black eyes were fluid and empathetic, seeming to Willow as if they were human. She slowly reached out with her hand.
"Can I- can I pet you?" Willow stuttered.
The perfect white beast stood there, not moving. Willow cocked her head in confusion.
"Wha- ?"
The unicorn neighed and stamped its hooves, obviously disgruntled. Willow threw up her hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay! I'll come to you."
Willow inched her way towards the creature, maintaining eye contact the whole time. The unicorn simply watched her as she closed the distance between them. Willow stopped at about a foot away.
"Please don't bite my hand off," she pleaded.
Willow cautiously put her hand forward until she felt contact. She closed her eyes.
"Oh my God," she breathed. "Your coat is so soft!"
Willow let out the breath she realized she had been holding and freely began stroking the unicorn's neck. It happily flicked its ears, liking the attention. Willow grinned from ear to ear.
"Thank you," she said, stepping back. "Merlin, the children's stories do you no justice."
The unicorn snorted, flicked its tail, and trotted away. Willow watched it go until the last bit of pure white disappeared into the night. Her heart was heavy with sadness at letting it wonder off alone.
"Unicorns are wild creatures, Willow. They take care o' themselves much better than we ever could."
Willow whipped around, heart in her mouth. "Hagrid!" she exclaimed, clutching her chest. "I didn't know you were here!"
"What are ya doing in the Forbidden Forest this early in the mornin'?" Hagrid questioned, raising his bushy eyebrows.
"I couldn't sleep," Willow explained. "It was such a beautiful night, I couldn't resist."
"There's a reason fer Hogwarts's rules, Willow," Hagrid said, eyeing her with concern. "Yer lucky ya found a unicorn an' not a werewolf tonight."
"There's werewolves in this forest?" Willow shrilled, her heart beating fast. "I- I'm sorry, Hagrid, I didn't know they were real. Of course, it's a full moon, how could I be so stupid?"
"Come on, Willow, let's get back to me hut," Hagrid said, ignoring her rambling. Willow quickly scrambled after him.
"Are you going to turn me in to Professor McGonagall?" she squeaked quietly.
"No, I'll tell ya what yer gonna do," Hagrid said. "Yer gonna help me dis mornin' with takin' care o' me pumpkins. They need to be nice an' ready fer Halloween. Can ya do that, Willow?"
"Yes, thank you, Hagrid!" she exclaimed.
Willow practically bounced along beside Hagrid. The forest began thinning out around them as they found the trail and headed back towards Hagrid's hut.
"How did you know to come looking for me?" Willow suddenly blurted out.
"Fang always wakes up an' starts barkin' when summat's near me house. We're already here."
Willow shifted her gaze ahead to a small, round house on the edge of the forest. Hagrid's home was made of wooden planks and various other strong materials to hold them together. A shackled roof gave way to a chimney that lazily puffed a smoke trail into the night sky. The garden beside it, however, was enormous. Willow thought it must be able to grow enough food for all of Hogwarts for a month. Several pumpkin vines had sprouted up already, but these weren't ordinary pumpkins. Willow realized as she got closer that these pumpkins were three times the size of normal ones.
"Hagrid, how much Miracle Gro do you use?" Willow asked.
"Is that da stuff dat Muggles use to grow their plants? Then no. I use somethin' special from Diagon Alley."
Willow waited outside Hagrid's front door as he went inside and retrieved a grand container of what Willow assumed was wizarding Miracle Gro. He handed it to Willow.
"Sprinkle this 'ere stuff on 'em," he said. "I'll watch ya ter make sure ya don' give 'em the wrong amount."
Willow happily sprinkled the plant food at the base of every pumpkin vine. She even made sure to bury it slightly, ensuring that it would get to the plant faster. It took her nearly an hour to do them all.
"Are you going to water them today, Hagrid?" Willow inquired.
"Yes, Fang usually helps wit that."
Inside the house, Fang groaned and flopped on the floor.
"Usually."
Willow giggled. "Fang sounds funny."
"He is a funny dog. Although, I coul' say I 'ave four funny dogs, but-" Hagrid suddenly cut himself off. "Ya don't need ter know that."
"Know what?"
"It's Hogwarts business, between Dumbledore an' me. Ya don' want to meddle in it."
Willow shrugged, pretending to be indifferent. "Okay."
"Good. Now, you better git back in the castle before firs' light, or the professors will see ya."
Willow nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Hagrid! I can't wait for Halloween!"
"Good night, Willow," Hagrid called after her.
Willow heard Hagrid shut the door to his hut as she streaked back towards the castle. The sun was almost beginning to peek up at this point, the eastern sky beginning to lighten with wisps of grey. Willow cleared a window, managed to sneak through the halls undetected, and found herself back in the common room before she was even breathing hard. She checked her watch, which said it was six in the morning. Willow wondered if she would ever succeed in sleeping until eight.
Outside the window, Willow noticed the winged horses were playing again. She thought to ask Hagrid what they were next time she saw him. Other than those funny creatures, though, the Forest was silent and void. There were no signs that unicorns or werewolves lived in those woods. Willow sighed, the image of that beautiful unicorn surfacing in her mind. How could there be so many beautiful things she didn't know existed?
Willow decided to try and sleep for a little while in her dorm. She quietly made it up the steps and into her bed without disturbing anyone. Hermione was still sound asleep, and the snoring chorus was the same as she had left it. Willow surprised herself when she yawned, finally feeling a bit tired. She laid down and fell asleep within ten minutes.
Alas, she only rested for an hour.
"WILLOW, GET UP!" Maia shrilled.
"Guys..." Willow groaned, stretching her stiff muscles.
"IT'S SEVEN!" Fay shouted. "GET YOUR LAZY BUTT UP!"
"I didn't sleep well..."
"WILLOW, BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE TO EAT IT, SO GET UP!" Lavender ordered.
"Fine..."
Willow opened her eyes and rolled over, only realizing her mistake when she smacked onto the floor. The girls erupted into hysterical laughter.
"Willow, you look like you were running around in the Forbidden Forest all night! Look at your hair!" Maia said.
"I was," Willow admitted before clapping a hand over her mouth. Parvati gasped.
"You what?"
"You're joking, right? We were joking too," Fay said.
Willow sighed. "No, I'm not joking. I really did."
"Willow!" Hermione barked, giving her a knowing glance. "What if Professor Snape had caught you? He would have advocated for your expulsion from the school! Do you have any idea how many points from Gryffindor you could have lost?"
"Yes, but I couldn't sleep. The best part was I saw a unicorn."
Fay, Maia, Parvati, and Lavender all dropped their hairbrushes and make-up kits. "What?"
"That was pretty much what I said. I didn't know they existed until this morning."
"Willow, you're absolutely insane!" Parvati exclaimed.
"It could have trampled you!"
"Those things are dangerous!"
"Why didn't you take me with you?"
"Guys, guys! I'm fine," Willow assured, waving away their complaints. She located her hairbrush and combed out the tangles in her hair. "I promise, I can take care of myself. The unicorn was fine. I got to pet it, actually."
All the girls suddenly stopped talking. It grew eerily silent in the dorm. Willow paused for a moment to stare at their dumbstruck faces. Their eyes were fixed on a point slightly above her head.
"What? Is there something stuck in my hair?" Willow asked.
"N-no," Maia stuttered.
"Your hair, Willow," Fay breathed.
"It's gorgeous!" Lavender squealed.
"What?" Willow said as the girls clambered over one another to get to her. They trampled her underfoot and started fighting with each other, pulling her every direction, yanking on her hair.
"Let me do your hair!"
"No, I'm the one with a mom as a hairdresser!"
"Let me do it!"
"Woah, woah, guys!" Willow said, backing up. "I like my hair how it is. It looks okay with the natural style. Plus I wouldn't want you guys to waste your hair products and time on me, seriously. I'm hopeless."
"Willow, please?"
"You're too pretty!"
"Let us do it!"
"My hair is nice plain, though. It's wavy, isn't it?"
"Yes, exactly!"
"I need to practice on you!"
"It's too perfect not to make it prettier!"
Willow groaned. "Fine. Let me finish brushing my hair."
The girls attacked her the moment Willow set her brush down. Hermione and Parvati looked on, giggling at Willow's pained expression, creating a picture-perfect moment that Hermione used Willow's camera to capture.
"Having fun there, Willow?" she teased, setting the camera back in her friend's trunk.
"You have no idea," Willow muttered.
Parvati and Hermione began cracking up as Willow soldiered through three different girls trying to decide what to do with her hair. It went in her face, tickled her ears, and was thrown every which way as the girls worked their magic. After fifteen long, slow, agonizing minutes, the girls stopped.
"Oh my God," Maia gasped.
"Willow, go look in the mirror, quick!" Fay squealed.
"It's absolutely gorgeous!" Lavender shrieked.
Willow raced into the bathroom, turning on the light. When she turned and looked in the mirror, she gasped, astonished.
Her long, dark hair was perfectly wavy because of the humid night before. The girls had fishtailed two side strands of her hair, wrapped them around her head, resting part of it on her ear, then rubber-banding the two strands together and letting the remaining bit cascade down with the rest. They had decorated it with some flowers that Mia's parents had enchanted to never die or whither. Willow stood there, stunned, as the other girls rushed in to see again.
"I- I..." Willow stuttered.
"You look like a princess!" Fay announced.
"Perfect hair for royalty!" Lavender added.
"Thank you," Willow breathed, unable to form words. Her hair had never been done before. Never had Willow had friends that were so willing to work with her and do nice things for her. She wondered if this was how other girls felt all the time.
"Let's show you off to that boyfriend of yours!" Maia said.
"B-boyfriend?" Willow stammered, the ridiculous statement scattering her thoughts. "I don't have one! Okay, yes, I spend a lot of time with boys, but-"
"Don't try to deny it, Willow!" Parvati interrupted. "You're always running off with those Weasley twins."
"What- no! I do not!" Willow retorted.
"Please, Willow," Fay droned. "Just give up. We've found you out."
"Guys, I'm eleven," Willow countered. "I can't possibly be interested in anyone yet."
"Stop being so difficult, Willow! This is going to be fun for you!" Mia insisted.
"Wait! She's not finished yet!" Lavender said. "One second!"
Lavender dashed into the room, bringing back a make-up box. She grabbed a bit of foundation and handed some blush to Fay.
"Help me with this!"
"Hold still, Willow!" Mia warned.
The girls once again tormented Willow until they were satisfied with their work. They squealed among themselves as everyone, including herself, saw Willow in the mirror.
"You look like a goddess!" Parvati admired.
"Let's go!"
"Wait, guys- " Willow started.
Willow helplessly glanced at Hermione, mouthed Help me! and was dragged into the common room. Hermione couldn't stop laughing as she followed the trail of first-year girls. Unfortunately, the twins, Harry, and Ron were all talking in front of the fireplace. They paused in their conversation when all the girls appeared.
"Guys, no!" Willow pleaded.
"So, what do you guys think of the new and improved Willow Guerrero?" Fay asked provocatively.
The girls all shoved Willow into view now, watching as the boy's expressions changed from amusement to wonder. Willow really did shine up well. Her face was flawless now, bringing out her bright green eyes and dark hair. The girls somehow had managed to make her bit of freckles that stretched across her nose and under her eyes more prominent. Her hair, however, was what surprised everyone. Normally, it was a mess that she never really bothered to tame. Now, it was as if a professional stylist had done it. The twins exchanged a glance with Ron and Harry. Willow wished she could melt into the floor.
"How did you girls manage to sneak in a Beauty Witch?" George asked coolly.
"And what did you do with Willow?"
The first year girls cheered, having succeeded in their first attempt at taming Willow.
"We'll leave you alone with you boyfriend, Willow," Maia taunted.
"Bye bye, now!" Fay called in a sing-song voice.
The girls left through the portrait hole, leaving Willow to face the boys. She seated herself before she could collapse with embarrassment, her cheeks blazing red.
"What is this about a boyfriend, Willow?" George teased, raising his eyebrows.
"It's nothing," Willow said much too quickly. "They just got a hold of me this morning before I could resist."
"Alright, alright, but don't ever think we'll forget this," Fred said, winking at Willow. She blushed an even deeper shade of scarlet if that was possible.
"You do look stunning, though, Willow," Harry said. "They did a very good job on you."
"I bloody hated it, but I guess I can deal with it," Willow sighed. "They were nice enough to take the time to try and fix me, so I can embrace it for them."
"Let's go get some food, your highness," George teased.
"I'm starving!" Ron said.
"You're always hungry."
The five made their way through the castle until they were in the Great Hall. Fred and George went away with Lee while Harry and Ron found Seamus and Dean. Hermione and Neville were speaking quietly a good deal away from them, so Willow decided to join them.
"I'm really scared now," Neville whimpered. "What if they're hiding something the whole world wants?"
"Who's hiding what?" Willow asked.
"Oh, sorry, Willow!" Hermione said. "I totally forgot to inform you on what happened last night."
Willow eyed the shaking Neville. "It must be bad. Did Filch catch you?"
"No, thanks to Peeves," Hermione said.
"Then what could possibly be worse than detention?"
Neville squeaked. "You're not going to believe this, but there's a- there's a-"
"A three-headed dog guarding a trapdoor on the third floor corridor," Hermione finished.
Willow's eyebrows shot up. "The forbidden one?"
"Yes," Neville said shakily.
An unsettling silence fell over the table. Willow began munching on some blueberries, Neville and Hermione continuing through their porridge. The Great Hall continued in its merry-making, oblivious to the dangerous news the two first years had delivered. Willow wondered why Hogwarts would be hiding something.
"Harry thinks it must be the package Hagrid and he retrieved from Hogwarts's vault at Gringotts this summer," Hermione commented, breaking the silence. "There was a break-in that same day."
"This sounds like a dangerous puzzle we weren't meant to play with," Willow observed.
"Whatever it is, I'm staying out of it," Neville sniffed. "I'm not going anywhere near those dogs."
"I don't blame you, Neville," Willow comforted, rubbing his shoulder. Neville smiled a bit. "Maybe I can convince Hagrid to let me help take care of it. He has to feed it everyday, right?"
Hermione nearly exploded. "Willow, are you mental? That thing would kill you first chance! And Hagrid would never let anyone touch his precious animal, he's very defensive."
"Well, this morning I helped him with his giant pumpkin patch."
Hermione and Neville stared at her. "What?"
Willow explained how she hadn't slept almost the entire night, and went into the Forbidden Forest after they were asleep. She remembered the map that was sitting next to Achelous back in the common room, but decided to keep quiet about it. Neville got excited when she talked about her encounter with the unicorn; Willow was glad to take his mind off of the three-headed dog for even a moment. Hermione was surprised when she recounted how Hagrid had "punished" her by making her take care of the garden.
"I still can't believe he let you in his garden," Hermione said.
"Me neither, but he seems to like me pretty well."
Suddenly, the owls exploded into the Great Hall. Willow caught sight of Iris and held out her arm, the owl swooping into a perfect landing. Stroking Iris on the head, Willow took the parcel attached to her leg. She opened it to find a letter from her mom.
"Oh no," Willow groaned. "What is it this time, a death threat?"
"Your mother sent you another letter?" Neville questioned.
"Yes, I'll open it in a little bit. I'd rather eat before this disgusting piece of garbage ruins my appetite."
Willow glanced to her right to see Harry and Ron jumping up and down about an object sitting on the table. They read a short notice that came with it, then gleefully exited the Great Hall in flurry of excitement.
"That's a Nimbus 2000!" George cried. "Wow, is Harry lucky!"
"Professor McGonagall sent him that?" Willow inquired.
"Yes, the youngest seeker of the century deserves the best, you know!" Fred exclaimed.
"Speaking of Quidditch, do you want to start practicing this afternoon, Willow? We can easily manage to grab a few broomsticks."
"I'd love to!" Willow replied, elated that she would begin practicing so soon.
"Good, we'll find you during lunch."
"Sounds perfect!"
Willow's mind was clouded with thoughts of her succeeding in Quidditch, impressing the twins, and possibly making the team. She could almost hear the crowd cheering her on as she raced after another player on the pitch. Willow didn't even notice that she finished her piece of toast until she accidentally bit her finger.
"Ouch," she mumbled, the good thoughts being chased away as she remembered her mother's letter.
"Better open this and see what it says."
Willow tore off the seal and threw the envelope on the table. She unfolded a very short piece of parchment.
Dearest Willow,
We hope you are doing well at school. Your father is certainly not.
Be careful or you'll share the same fate.
"Damn her!" Willow shouted, drawing the attention of her friends. "I'm going to burn this in the common room first chance I get."
"God, Willow, was it really that bad?" Lee asked.
"Read it for yourself!" Willow growled, chucking it across the table.
A hurricane of emotions were threatening to seize Willow as she sat back down. Her father was most likely at work, safe and sound. Her mother was probably bluffing, just trying to rattle her. But there was still a chance that he was in trouble. Not being able to know was killing Willow; she wanted to race to her mother's mansion that instant to check if her mother was for real, at the same time longing to stay at Hogwarts, knowing that it was doubtful her mother had blatantly captured herbusband. Willow thought her heart would explode with grief and rage. Why had the world taken her mother away from her?
"Willow, are you okay?" Fred worried. "You're looking quite pale."
"No, I'm really not," Willow said, clutching her chest. "Actually, not at all. What the- ?"
Willow gasped as her vision flicked from the present to her mother's mansion. The moment passed as quickly as it came, and she was staring at four fretting Gryffindors.
"Willow, what's going on?" Hermione demanded.
"I- I think I just saw my mum's house," Willow stuttered, feeling very dizzy.
"Why would you be seeing your mum's house?"
Her vision flickered again. Willow wrenched it back into the present. "God, I think my brain is trying to give me a vision."
"Why?"
"I have no idea!"
Willow shook her head, attempting to clear it. She stood up, disliking not being in control of her own brain. Willow nearly fell right back down.
"I don't want to suddenly start spouting off random things in the Great Hall."
"You're not going anywhere alone, Willow!" Neville squeaked. "What if you fall and hit your head?"
"Then I've got a concussion."
"Why must you always be so stubborn all the time?" Hermione complained.
"Ask my mum."
"Willow, it could be that you're really tired, and your brain is trying to dream while awake because it wants to be asleep," Hermione offered.
"If that's the case, I'm seriously considering giving myself a concussion."
The scene before her eyes changed for a whole three seconds this time before returning to normal. Willow swayed on her feet, making her friends at the Gryffindor table shoot to theirs.
"Um, Willow? This isn't good."
"You need to go to the hospital wing."
"I'm fine. I just need- "
No one found out what Willow needed. The last thing she saw before her vision was whisked away was Fred catching her right before she hit the ground.
Willow's eyes now perceived a very different scene, one where she was in her mother's dining room, watching as several people dressed in dark clothing were discussing something very seriously.
"Grace, what do you think we should do from here?" a man asked.
"I believe that we should keep her interested." Willow seethed with anger upon hearing her mother's voice. "As long as she believes we are a threat, she will obey."
"I like the way you think."
"Thank you, Alex."
Willow wanted to charge that horrible man and snap his neck, but her feet were rooted to the spot. She simply glared daggers at the back of his head.
"And what have you heard of the movements at Hogwarts?"
Willow's heart froze. She remembered Hermione's mention of the trapdoor. What could Hogwarts be doing?
"The Stone is well guarded. It will be hard to get to it, but our dear friend believes he holds the key to getting it in due time."
"Good, very good. And what of Willow?"
Grace smirked. "She will pay, in time. Patience. She will be punished accordingly, all in good time."
"Splendid. To victory!"
The group of dark-robed witches and wizards clinked their glasses in a toast. Willow gasped as her vision returned to the familiar halls of Hogwarts. She shot to her feet, only to be restrained by Fred, whose arms were still around her.
"Jeez, Willow, take it easy!" Fred commanded. "You may have only passed out for a few minutes, but it was still enough to make us worry."
Willow swallowed hard and tried to calm her panicked breathing. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that."
"It's okay, we understand," Hermione sympathized.
"Good Lord, she's running before dawn, running during school, running after dark, running in her sleep; do you ever stop running, Willow?" Lee joked.
"Do you ever run?" she retorted light-heartedly.
George snickered. "She's definitely fine. Well played, Willow."
Fred gently guided Willow to her feet, still not freeing her from his grasp, as she was still light-headed and unbalanced. Neville, Hermione, Lee, and George looked on, worry etched into their faces.
"What did you see, Willow?" Neville asked.
"I'm not sure, exactly," Willow said. "It looked like some sort of meeting between my mum and her colleagues. They were talking about my dad, me, and something about the movements at Hogwarts."
"That sounds like a jumble of nonsense to me," Lee said.
"I wouldn't worry about it, Willow," Fred advised. "For now, you are not going to Potions today."
"Fred!" Hermione scolded.
"But- " Willow started.
"No if's, and's, or but's about it," George said. "Freddy and I weren't planning to attend today's classes, either."
"Where are we going, then?" Willow retorted.
"You'll see."
"If you lose points for Gryffindor, I swear- " Hermione began.
"Oh, come off it, Hermione," Lee interrupted. "They never get caught. I'm going to class so that at least one of us has notes. See you guys later."
"Fine! Don't say I didn't warn you! Neville, we're going."
A completely lost Neville was dragged away into the dungeons while Fred and George took Willow up to the common room. She was surprised when she was taken straight to the third year boys' dorm instead of hers.
"What- "
"We're going to mess with Professor Snape today, and your assistance is required," George explained.
Willow was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the boys' room. She thought it would be dirtier and smellier, but instead she was met with the smell of cologne and a spotless floor. Fred and George opened a closet door on the side of the room.
"Welcome to our pranking storage compartment," they announced. "It's not much yet, but we'll add more to it soon."
"Hopefully Mum doesn't catch us smuggling all this in next year..."
"Anyway, we've got loads of dungbombs, and I think Snape's due for a classroom disturbance."
Willow smirked. "I think I can make that happen."
"Good. You can use this to smuggle them in."
George handed her a satchel. When she gave him a quizzical glance, Fred explained, "It has an Undetectable Extension Charm on it. You can carry loads of dungbombs in here."
When Willow looked inside it, she found several dungbombs stuffed deep inside. She grinned with the anticipation of what was to come.
"When should I go?"
"Right now, if you'd like."
Willow glanced at her watch. It was eight fifty. She had about ten minutes until class started.
"I might even be able to attend what remains of his class afterwards," Willow thought out loud. "Thanks, guys!"
"Our pleasure!"
Willow ran through the castle until she reached the dungeon level. When she was outside the Potions classroom, she set a dungbomb so that it would explode in a minute's time. She stepped into the classroom and smiled as she spotted a shocked Hermione.
"Willow, I thought you weren't coming to class!" she hissed.
"I wasn't. This won't be class for much longer."
Hermione eyed the bag Willow was carrying with her. "What did you do?"
"Nothing, yet. You'll see."
Willow made her way to her table where Draco stood in all his rich-boy glory, sporting an expensive set of perfect robes. She rolled her eyes as he glared at her.
"What's that you've got with you, traitor?" he drawled.
"None of your business," Willow replied.
"You're going to do something, aren't you?"
"Can you tell the future? Sit down."
"Seat yourselves and turn to page sixty," Snape boomed from the front of the classroom. Everyone quickly obeyed, the room suddenly falling silent. "Today we will be working with- "
A few students screamed as the dungbomb went off outside the classroom with a loud bang! Snape was stalking angrily out the door within seconds, wand drawn. Willow seized her chance and set all the bombs inside the bag for a minute, then threw it at the foot of Snape's giant chalkboard. Draco glared at her.
"What did you do?" he barked.
"Absolutely nothing."
"Liar."
Willow stole a glance at Hermione, who gave her a quizzical one in return. She gave her a thumbs up. Hermione only responded by looking at the bag, then pointedly raising her eyebrows at Willow. Willow smiled innocently while Snape swept back into the room.
"That ridiculous poltergeist, Peeves," Snape muttered. "Anyway, as I was saying..."
Professor Snape began writing the ingredients for the newest potion they were brewing on the word. Willow scribbled a few notes down, then waited patiently.
"With your partner, you need to gather these items, then -"
BANG!
Willow thought Snape would jump through the ceiling when that bag of dungbombs exploded underneath his feet. Everyone began laughing hysterically as he waved his arms wildly, trying to find the source of this chaos. Snape angrily glared at everyone in the room.
"Which one of you miserable children is responsible for this?" he snarled. "Stand up!"
To no one's surprise, everyone stayed put. A few people, including Malfoy, glowered in Willow's direction, but Snape didn't see it. He growled threateningly.
"Everyone out. Class is dismissed while I clean up this mess!"
Willow tried to sprint away, but Draco grabbed her by the back of the neck and stopped her in her tracks.
"You filthy Gryffindor!" he snapped. "Why did you do that?"
"Are you so uptight that you can't enjoy Professor Snape being publicly humiliated?" Willow asked coolly.
"No, I'm just not stupid enough to do something that will get me detention."
"Honestly, Malfoy, live a little. Did your parents only teach you manners and forget about the fun?"
"Don't talk about my family."
Willow put her hands up in surrender. "Hey, I'm only telling it as I observe."
"Stay away from me, traitor."
"Whatever you say, blonde."
"Blonde?"
Willow swaggered away, proud of herself for accomplishing something that easily. Hermione seemed rather angry about missing Potions, but everyone else was excited to have an hour to themselves. Willow caught up with Neville on the way to the Gryffindor common room.
"I saw that it was you, Willow. That was brilliant!" Neville exclaimed, his eyes shining. "Where did you get all those dungbombs?"
"A professional never spills their secrets," Willow said.
"You're not a professional, I know you had help from my brothers," Ron said, he and Harry appearing beside Willow.
"I'm only joking, Ron," Willow chuckled.
"Thanks for getting us out of there. I can hardly think about anything except my new Nimbus!" Harry said.
"It was nothing, really. Just a fun prank on Snape. Go have fun with it!"
"We will!" the boys called as they ran ahead, hardly able to contain their elation.
When they arrived in the common room, Fred and George were gone, probably off to play some other prank on one of their teachers. Willow chatted with Hermione and Neville for a bit to pass the time.
The rest of the morning was a blur. Willow nearly fell asleep in class, receiving a sharp blow from Hermione at one point. She could hardly wait to get to lunch.
Willow was literally tripping over herself by the time she stumbled into the Gryffindor table. Fred and George had still not made an appearance, but Lee was there, stuffing his face with rolls.
"Lee, where are Fred and George?" Willow asked sleepily.
"Oh, they'll be here soon," Lee smirked. "You just wait. We're all in for a treat."
Willow perked up a bit. "What are they doing this time?"
"I can't say," Lee said. "It will ruin it."
Willow finally realized how hungry she was and began eating some pork sandwiches and glazed carrots. Harry and Ron were still chatting excitedly about the Nimbus, and Hermione had her back turned to them.
"Hermione, why are you ignoring them now?" Willow questioned.
"I told them not to go looking for trouble," Hermione fumed. "And what do they do? Almost get us killed by a three-headed dog!"
"So...?"
"So? They could have lost points for Gryffindor, or worse, been expelled!"
Willow raised her eyebrows. "You're not at all concerned about their safety?"
"Yes, but don't you think they could have prevented it in the first place?"
"I see."
"Exactly. Do they care about anything but themselves, the selfish idiots?"
Willow returned to eating in silence. Hermione continued muttering under her breath about Harry and Ron. Neville uncomfortably stared at his Remembrall, unsure what to do.
Lee tapped Willow on the shoulder. "Are you ready for this?"
"Ready for what?"
"Look up, above the teacher's table."
Willow shifted her gaze to the high windows that filtered a slight bit of light in. She couldn't stop the torrent of giggles that ensued.
"Snape is dead," Willow said between fits of laughter.
"Hey, Professor!" two redheads called.
Everyone looked up just in time to see Fred and George dump a bucketload of dungbombs and stink pellets onto an unsuspecting Snape. He tried to move at the last second, but it was too late. Snape was knocked to the ground with an explosive bang! The other staff simply stayed where they were, covering their mouths, trying not to laugh as Snape lashed out at thin air. Three students appeared above on broomsticks.
"Having a rough day, Professor?"
"Are you familiar with these dandy explosives?"
"You can thank Peeves for that!"
"Insolent brats!" Snape snapped. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor!"
Fred, George, and a dark-haired girl touched down at the front of the Gryffindor table, not put down in the slightest. The entire Great Hall erupted into cheers, minus Slytherin. Professor McGonagall looked conflicted, as if she wanted to get up and punish the three, but at the same time couldn't help enjoying Snape's moment of humility. The twins and the dark-haired girl bowed before sauntering over to Willow.
"Ready for a fly, princess?" the girl asked in a gruff voice.
Willow nodded excitedly, jumping up from her seat and following them into the entrance hall, ignoring the fact that everyone's eyes were on her.
"How was that for a prank on Snape, Willow?" Fred asked.
"Much better than what I did. It did get us a day off of Potions, though."
"Is this your prodigy you've told me so much about?" the girl said to George.
"Oh, yes! Sorry, I forgot you haven't been properly introduced. Willow, this is Paige. Paige, Willow."
"Pleasure to have you aboard," Paige grinned, holding out her hand. Willow shook it.
"Do you play Quidditch?"
"Only as a reserve," Paige grumbled, her mood turning sour instantly. "Wood's always going to be a better keeper than me."
"You're a keeper?"
"In soccer, too," Fred remarked. "Best one in London, I reckon."
"Not quite that good," Paige said modestly.
"I play soccer too! That's so cool!" Willow exclaimed.
"I thought you might like her," George said. "Here we are, Willow: the Gryffindor locker room."
Willow noticed that they had entered a small room decorated in red and gold. Large lockers lined the walls, and an open closet gave way to several uniforms and broomsticks. She watched with an excited gleam in her eyes as Paige grabbed a broomstick and threw it to her.
"You a good flier?" she questioned.
"See for yourself!"
Willow ran out the door as Paige raised her eyebrows skeptically. She mounted her broom, pushing off just as the three older kids emerged into the wind. Willow's muscles remembered the familiar roughness of the school's brooms, adjusting as necessary to allow her greater movement. She targeted the hoops that she guessed were the goals for the Chasers to throw the quaffle through. Willow weaved in a tight zigzag through them, then shot into the sky, nearly upside down. She surprised everyone present, including herself. Willow ceased her ascent and gently lowered herself until she was hovering in front of the third years.
"I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were that good, Willow," George said.
"You're a natural!"
"Should make teaching you Quidditch easier," Paige remarked, only seeming mildly impressed. Willow sensed that she was one of those people that never exposed her soft side and took this as a huge compliment.
"Well, would you like us to begin teaching you the other 95% of the game?" Fred teased.
"What else would I be here for?"
"Target practice," Paige said, the corner of her mouth twitching in a half-smile.
"Let's save that for later. Right now, you seriously need catching up," Fred emphasized.
The four launched into the air, giving Willow a tour of the pitch. Willow focused more than she had ever focused in her life. Every single detail was seared into her mind the moment she heard it. She learned about the positions, the three different types of balls, the rules, the risks. Willow paid attention to every precise movement of the twins. She mimicked their swing with their clubs, failing several times before she did it correctly. Then, Paige showed her the techniques for catching the quaffle. The four raced each other two laps around the field, then determined that Willow was ready for the real quaffles, bludgers, and the snitch. Paige stayed with Willow while the twins went to retrieve them.
"So, only an ickle first year?" Paige began.
"Yes, although I have a feeling I could easily be a second year," Willow said.
"You get good grades?" Paige raised her eyebrows. "That's rare for a Gryffindor. I wish I was smart."
Willow was beginning to pick up on the little things about Paige, like the way she sat so easily on her broom, her grumpy, don't-care attitude, the way she seemed so care-free yet grounded. She had a feeling that Paige was a rebellious teenager that couldn't be punished. Willow now knew why she had never seen the girl before- these traits were what drove most people off, but if they were anything like Willow, they could see straight through those things as if they were transparent.
"I bet you are smart," Willow countered. "Maybe not book smart, but in a different way."
Paige snorted. "What other way could anyone be smart?"
"Street-smart, sports-minded, excetera."
"If you can count pranking genius, then I guess you could pretend I have a brain."
Willow grinned. She was making a little progress against Paige's rock-solid defense systems.
"Did you play for a soccer team in London?" Willow asked.
"You can call it that. I bounced around a bit."
"Your parents moved around a lot, then?"
Paige eyed Willow with a perfect blend of remorse and hope, as if she was trying to say something, but couldn't bear to. "I don't exactly live with them."
"What?"
Paige shifted uncomfortably on her broom. Willow had obviously hit a sore subject. Her dark eyes betrayed that she didn't want to talk about her parents at all, and filled with relief when Fred and George zoomed back onto the pitch. Willow decided to file that information away for later discussion.
"How are you feeling, Willow?" George asked. "Ready for dodging bludgers?"
"I thought we were doing that later!" Willow exclaimed.
"Only joking," Fred winked.
"I have first dibs at chucking the quaffle at her!" Paige said, immediately reverting back to her usual self.
"What!"
Paige simply smirked at her while Fred and George got out the snitch. "We're going to time you while you chase after the snitch. Any longer than a ten minutes and we're releasing the bludgers."
"That's another joke, right?"
Fred shrugged. "You'll find out after ten minutes."
"You absolute- "
"And you're off!" George announced, tossing the snitch into the air.
Willow instantly ceased her bickering with the twins and hightailed it after the golden object glinting harshly in the afternoon sun. She locked her eyes on it, noticing the way it jerked from one position to the next, very seldom fluidly moving in one motion. Willow chased it twice around the quidditch pitch before it veered into the wooden supports that snaked around it. She sharply dove down, nearly hitting her head on a beam.
"Willow! What do you think about playing seeker now?" Paige taunted.
"You can shut up any time now!" she retorted.
Willow concentrated hard as the snitch began zooming through the railing, taking her on dangerous paths where a single sloppy turn could send her to the hospital wing for a week. She ignored the sensation of fear tickling the back of her mind. Willow was gaining on the snitch, inch by inch. Only a few meters more and she would have it.
Suddenly, the snitch shot straight up into the sky. Willow angled her broom up and raced after it. Her abs hurt with the effort of keeping her on the broom and not plummeting towards the grass below. The snitch disappeared into a cloud.
"You are not getting away from me!" Willow growled, her competitiveness surfacing.
She entered the cloud, slowing down as she did so. The fluffy grey mass doused her in what felt like buckets of water as she passed through. She squinted her eyes, peering into the shadowy realm, desperately searching for any sign of that winged golden ball. Willow was almost ready to give up when a small glint caught her eye. She groaned when she saw which direction it was heading.
"You've got to be kidding me," Willow complained.
She tipped her broom straight down and found herself descending fast towards the ground. The snitch was now only a meter away.
"Willow, don't do this!" a panicked Fred called.
"This isn't what you should be doing your first time out!" George yelled.
"Go for it!" Paige shouted, only seeming slightly interested.
"Paige!" the twins reprimanded in unison.
Willow ignored them. The wind buffeted her face, burning her skin. Her muscles were on fire, slowly giving out as the ground loomed closer and closer. Willow only had eyes for the snitch that was so close she could touch it.
"Stop it! You could kill yourself!" George cried.
"I'm fine! Watch!" Willow finally said.
The ground was now only ten meters below her. She was rocketing in faster than she had ever ridden a broom before. Willow gritted her teeth, taking a deep breath.
Here goes nothing.
Willow jumped, caught the snitch in her hand, and hit the ground tumbling. The three third years were instantly upon her.
"What the hell, Willow?"
"You could have hurt yourself!"
"Do you have any idea how fast you were flying?"
"That was bloody brilliant!"
The twins and Willow both turned to Paige, who was wearing a rare impressed expression on her face. She took the snitch out of Willow's hand.
"You're another daredevil, aren't you?"
"I guess so," Willow shyly replied. Fred and George nearly exploded.
"Brilliant? She could have ended up in the hospital wing for a week!"
"What if she had fallen off her broom?"
"Good God, have you two adopted her or something?" Paige scoffed.
Fred and George finally relented, realizing how defensive they were being. "Fine. But just for that, you're dodging bludgers, Willow!"
Willow threw up her hands in surrender. "You're right, I deserve whatever's coming at me now!"
"Oh, there's going to be plenty coming at you," Fred chortled.
At dinner, a very bruised and battered Willow was happily chatting with the twins and Paige.
"How many times did you get hit again?" Paige asked.
"Seventeen." Willow glanced at the twins. "You guys are very good beaters. If beaters are supposed to bloody up the other team, that is."
"That's pretty much our job," Fred agreed.
"And it's quite fun to rub it in afterward, ay, Freddy?" George said.
"Oh, shut it, you two," Willow said.
"Willow, what did you do?" Neville blurted out as he sat down with Hermione.
"I see you've bloodied up our future quidditch star," Lee remarked as he appeared beside George.
"Woah, I didn't know you played quidditch, Willow!" Neville said.
"I didn't either, until I nearly killed myself a total of...how many times?"
"Well, you nearly fell to your death, so that's one," George began.
"Then you almost got knocked off your broom all seventeen times you got in the way of a bludger," Fred added.
"And Paige threw you through the goals five times, so that's twenty three."
Hermione's appalled expression didn't shock anyone. "You taught Willow everything about quidditch in a single day?"
"Yes, and it was quite amusing," Paige mumbled through a mouthful of steak.
"But you could have killed her!"
"Relax, Hermione," Willow laughed. "I realized that fact while I was plummeting towards the ground after the snitch. It's really okay, I like a little bit of danger to make my life interesting."
Hermione huffed and withdrew herself from socializing. While Lee talked with the twins and Paige about their latest scheme, a letter dropped into Willow's lap. She caught sight of a flash of tawny white before Iris was gone. The owl was probably sleepy and didn't want attention at the moment. Shrugging, Willow undid the parchment to see that it was from Hagrid.
I need yer help tomorrow with takin' care of Fang. I'll be gone the whole day. He's got a water bucket and his food should be hanging inside the door.
Hagrid
Willow got out her pen and wrote a reminder for herself on her hand. She decided to head back to the common room early, seeing as she had a lot of studying to do over the weekend. Thanking the twins and Paige profusely for their training, she headed off towards the shortcut to the common room.
Willow was drowning in her onslaught of knowledge from the day as she made her way up the steps. She was so consumed in her own thoughts that she nearly dismissed the sounds of sniffling from the second floor. Willow had passed the floor when it finally registered in her brain that there was someone crying in the bathroom. She instantly turned on her heel, careful to not run, and headed towards the noise.
It was coming from the girls bathroom, which was out of order on this floor. Willow had assumed no one would use it because of this reason, but now it dawned on her that it was a good place to go and be left alone. She paused at the doorway. Upon glancing inside, she saw a girl with tear-stained cheeks standing in front of the mirror closest to the doorway. Willow gently knocked on it.
"Go away!" the girl sobbed.
"Um...are you sure you want me to leave?" Willow asked, knowing deep down that she didn't.
"I want to be alone!"
"Being alone only makes things worse."
"How would you know?" the girl demanded angrily, turning to face the door. "Who are you? Show yourself!"
Willow stepped out of the shadows, revealing herself. The girl didn't react. She simply stared at this stranger that had intruded upon her emotional moment.
"What is your name?" the girl demanded.
"Willow. Yours?"
"Sue."
Willow examined the pretty girl's face. She was a few shades darker than Willow, and her hair was almost black. Her robes told Willow that she was a Ravenclaw, the blue emblem standing out against the dark clothing. She had dark eyebrows and watery brown eyes. Willow sensed that she was incredibly smart, even for a Ravenclaw.
"What are you doing in here?" Willow said.
"Trying to be alone," Sue replied sharply.
"You shouldn't be alone, though. That makes it worse."
"What would you know about me?" Sue questioned, her face reddening in anger. "Do you know what it's like?"
"What what's like?"
"Never mind," Sue said, bitter sadness replacing the outburst. "I shouldn't say anything."
Willow was genuinely interested by this time. "Please, go on. I'd love to hear about this."
"Why would you care about the issues of a Muggleborn Japanese girl?" Sue retorted.
Willow shrugged. "I like to listen to everyone's story. It's a hobby, I guess."
Sue eyed Willow with a level of uncertainty, mistrusting, yet warming up to this curious Gryffindor. She sighed, and Willow could practically see the glimmer of hope shining within Sue.
"I was born in Japan. Until about a year ago, I lived there, surrounded by Japanese culture. I grew up there. It was really hard, moving to Britain for my parents' new jobs."
Sue's British accent began slipping away, revealing her Japanese one instead. "I didn't know that I possessed magic until I got my Hogwarts letter. It was hard enough trying to integrate into such a different culture, let alone adjust to the fact that I'd be coming here for the next seven years of my life. I've been trying to change too fast for too long. I- I just-"
Sue's voice trembled and gave way to sobs. "I can't keep this up. My parents were always telling me to act like a Brit; 'You grew up here, you lived her your whole life, you love your country,' they always tell me. But that's not the truth. I can't stand hiding anymore."
Willow's heart broke in two as the poor girl fell to her knees, uncontrollably crying. Sue was trusting her with so much so soon that Willow wondered if she had ever told anyone this before. Willow lowered herself to the floor as well, instinctively wrapping her arms around the girl.
"I hate it when people do this to people like you," Willow whispered. "You should never be put down for being different; it's what makes you unique. My dad always told me that those with the most differences were the ones that would rise above the rest."
Sue continued to cry into her arm. "I can't be myself. No one will accept me that way."
"That's where you're wrong," Willow said. "There are an equal amount of people out there that will put you down as support you. I'm one of those people that will bring you up, and I know for a fact that Ravenclaw has accepting individuals among their ranks."
Sue sniffled, her torrent of emotions calming a bit. "But it seems as if nearly everyone I've met hates me."
"That's all those dirty Slytherins, isn't it?"
Sue nodded. "They always call me names, and hit me with spells that I haven't even heard of before."
"Yeah, well, they're pigheaded pricks, all of them," Willow chuckled. "In fact, I've hit Draco Malfoy at least twice already."
Sue looked up at Willow, her eyes red and puffy despite her lips that were beginning to form a smile. "Really?"
"Yes, and if you'd like me to hit him again, that would be perfectly fine with me."
Sue laughed at that one. It was such a pure, light, fluffy sound that melted Willow's sense of hearing. Sue rubbed her eyes, brushing herself off.
"I think I'd like that. Thank you, Willow. I feel much better now."
"I'm glad I could help."
Sue surprised Willow by hugging her, but she didn't hesitate to hug her back.
Willow finally got more than a few hours of sleep, and the next morning she had already gone for a run, fed & played with Fang, and done a little bit of her homework before her roommates were even up. She elected to take a day off from their craziness and went to the library after breakfast to get some quality studying in. Madam Prince was at her usual post behind the circulation desk, reading an old, tattered book with a spine as thick as Willow's forearm. Willow found an empty table and laid out her numerous papers and textbooks, which covered the length of the dark wood.
"Good Lord, again with the potions homework," Willow sighed. "Why must he give us so much?"
Willow's senses subconsciously tuned into the familiarity of the library: the smell of old and new books wafting together, pages turning, soft whispers floating from every corner. She relaxed, transported back into her own library at home. It was always a place she could count on to go and be undisturbed. The quiet serenity of the library always felt like an oasis among her fast-paced life. Willow felt at home among the shelves upon shelves of parchment, a big contrast compared to being outdoors and in the whipping winds of the soccer field.
She was halfway through figuring out how to transfigure non-living objects into living ones when a familiar blond boy plopped into a chair across from her. Willow rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile.
"Since when does Blonde come to the library? Don't you have a crowd to please?" Willow droned.
"Is that my name now? Blonde?" Draco asked.
"It is now that you hate it."
Draco snorted. "You are completely mental."
"Likewise."
"If you're not going to be talkative, I guess I won't tell you the answers to the potions homework," Draco tempted.
Willow raised her eyebrows at Draco. "You? Share answers on homework with a Gryffindor? I highly doubt you even got them correct."
"See for yourself, if you're so sure."
Willow snatched the paper out of Draco's hands, her eyes furiously scanning the page. To her surprise, most of the answers matched up with what she had gotten. She glanced suspiciously at a smug Draco.
"You sure you didn't copy these answers from anyone?" Willow questioned.
"Of course I didn't," Draco sneered. "At least I know how to stay out of trouble, prankster. I know that you were the one that set off the dungbombs yesterday."
"Wow, Blonde is smart and observant."
"Seriously, what is with the nickname?"
"Give me one, if you're so fired up about it," Willow challenged, smirking.
"Fine, I will!"
"In the meantime, are you going to sit here all day and bother me? Or are you actually going to study?"
"I do whatever I want."
Draco moved Willow's papers out of the way to make room for his. The two scribbled down notes about various different subjects, doing homework, writing essays, comparing answers, taunting each other every once in a while, and so on. Outside, the sun grew brighter and brighter. It was turning out to be a beautiful day. Willow got so much done during those few hours with Draco, though, that she had hope of going out later. She could hardly believe the time when she checked her watch.
"How is it already half past twelve?" Willow thought out loud.
"Three hours passed, that's how," Draco said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"Shut up, prick."
"Right back at you, dork."
"Let's go get some food," Willow suggested, packing up her stuff. "I pretty much skipped breakfast."
"Don't do that, imbecile, and maybe you won't be so hungry," Draco shot back, purposely slamming his textbook shut.
"You are so immature."
"You're one to talk."
The two exited the library, heading down the stairs. Everyone they passed backed off because of their constant bickering and name-calling. They had a clear passage to the Great Hall. Right before they went through the doors, Draco stopped Willow by roughly grabbing her shoulder.
"What do you want this time, Blonde?" Willow said sarcastically. "A parting gift?"
"I think I figured out a nickname for you," Draco announced, a mischievous smirk on his face.
"Oh no, what is it?" Willow mockingly sighed.
"Wisp."
Willow scoffed. "Seriously?"
"I'm going to use it now that you don't like it."
Willow gaped at Draco for a moment, realizing he had quoted her from earlier. "You little mierda!"
"You know, I could understand that without learning Spanish," Draco said, not put off by discovering her background in the slightest. "I know you're defensive of nature, and about that legend. You're always writing about it in your journal."
Willow's heart skipped a beat. How had he found that? She practically slapped Draco when he held it out in front of her, having stolen it from her in the library. Willow snatched it back immediately.
"You read my entries?"
"Only a few," Draco drawled, "but it was enough to tell a lot about you."
Willow rolled her eyes, pretending that she wasn't internally panicking. "Of course. You can totally learn everything about a person in a few sentences."
"You'd be surprised." Draco took pleasure in the shocked expression on Willow's face. "Have fun with your precious Gryffindor friends, Wisp."
"Go entertain that wonderful crowd of yours, Blonde," Willow exaggerated as she parted ways with him.
All throughout the rest of the day, the same thought reoccurred to Willow: what had Draco read so far? And what was he planning to do with that information?
Willow wanted to be alone after lunch. Taking advantage of the beautiful day, Willow went outside and sat on the edge of the cliff facing the Forbidden Forest. She swung her legs as if she were a child waiting on a bench, absent-minded and restless. Willow had written down some very personal entries recently. What if Draco had read the worst of them? She hated the idea that Draco had dirt on her, but she absolutely couldn't stand the fact that she knew nothing of how much Draco had learned. Frustrated beyond belief, Willow hugged her journal tight to her chest, wishing that everything she wrote about in it would come true.
Willow thought back to the last time she was this confused and angry. It was a few years ago, shortly after her mother's incident. She was waking up for the first time without the most cherished person in her life by her side. Willow had angrily punched a hole through the wall, thrown her favorite vase of flowers into the window, knocked over her furniture, scattered her clothing everywhere. Her dad had rushed in to find his daughter screaming out several names and abuse, her knuckles bleeding. Willow tried to resist when her father enveloped her entire body in a hug but failed.
Why, dad? Why is she gone? Willow had screamed.
I don't know, pumpkin, but it hurts like hell, doesn't it?
Willow had gone limp by that time, all the anger drained out of her and replaced with the real emotion she was feeling: terrible remorse. The only thing that hurts right now is my hand.
You're an awful liar, her dad chuckled.
Willow sniffed. Is Mummy going to come back soon, Dad? I miss her.
Honestly, I don't know, pumpkin. I miss her too.
Did Mum ever love me?
At that point, Carlos pulled away from his daughter, taking her tiny hands in his giant ones.
Mummy loves you very much, Willow. Sometimes you can love someone so much that you'll do bad things for them. Mummy had to do something very, very bad, Willow. She had to go away because of that. Can you understand?
Willow had nodded, her eyes tearing up. Are you going to leave me, too, Dad?
Never. And here's a little something to remind you that I'll keep my promise, no matter how dark the times may seem.
Carlos had handed Willow a very thick journal. It had a family picture on the front and inside cover. Willow had squealed and hugged her father, then looked at the photos for a while, reminiscing on the happiest times with her mother. She gazed at her journal now, caressing the beautiful face that once belonged to her mum. Tears threatened to drip from her eyelashes as she remembered that day.
"Hey Mum," Willow whispered in a shaky voice. "I miss you like crazy. It's been really hard to pretend I don't have hope that you'll come back, but I've managed." Willow swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Please try to remember. I love you still. I've seen the old you reappear, and every time it does you make me think that maybe, just maybe, there's hope for you yet. But then you go back to your new normal, and it breaks my heart. We're all broken now. Please, try. I'll wait forever if that's what it takes."
Willow sniffled, her chest actually hurting with longing for her mother. She blinked hard, driving out the happy and sad memories alike that threatened to overtake her mind. Willow was in a new place now. Her life was different than a few years ago. She had to enjoy what she had now, or she would take a turn for the worse. How could she move on otherwise?
Willow stood up, her journal still clutched tightly in her hand. She wasn't about to let her secrets escape any more than they already had. If anyone knew...
She bit her lip. Draco would never exploit me that badly. He just wouldn't.
Willow shook her head, inhaling deeply. Clearing her mind, she felt her steps lighten and her mood improve. She had simply needed time to contemplate the recent turn of events. Much better now, Willow began strolling back to the castle.
All of a sudden, Willow caught movement in the corner of her eye. She snapped to attention, focusing on the spot. Another flash of white appeared on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was right around the area where Willow and all the other first years had left the harbor in canoes. Shielding her eyes against the harsh sun, Willow peered onto the horizon, desperately searching for whatever had caught her eye. She didn't have to wait long. Two figures appeared, one supporting the other while limping itself. Willow gasped.
"Are those...are those students?" she wondered aloud.
Anything Willow had been pondering about earlier instantly vanished from her mind. She jogged down the cliff and towards the forest, sticking close to the edge of the lake. The giant squid decided to make an appearance and swam beside her the whole way.
"Remind me to never go swimming in here," Willow noted to herself.
The two figures made it to the small, sandy launch, then collapsed. Willow pushed her legs to go faster, somehow sensing that their vitals weren't doing well.
What is that all about, Mrs...I don't know your name.
Your powers are greater than you know, Willow. It will all make sense in due time. For now, rely on your instinct. The lives of these children are in your hands.
What?!
But the voice was gone. Willow's frustration was quickly overridden by her arrival at the beach. She fell to her knees and skidded to a stop in the crunchy sand.
"Are you okay?" Willow asked, her voice pitched.
"F-f-fine," a small voice croaked.
Willow turned the two over in her arms. The students were obvious twins, as their identical facial features and strawberry blond hair gave it away. They looked to be about the same age as her. One main difference between Willow and the twins, though- and a troubling one at that- was the bruises and dried blood that covered their arms and faces. Alarm bells rang in Willow's head louder than ever before.
"Can you hear me?" Willow questioned, her face taught with worry.
"Y-yes," the little girl stuttered softly.
Willow bit her lip. The boy was already unconscious, and the girl was fading fast.
"I'm going to get help. Don't move, okay?"
"Okay," the girl wheezed, her chest rising and falling much too quickly.
Willow sprinted up the hill, not caring that her asthma was acting up. Her lungs constricted themselves as if a snake was wrapping around them. She couldn't care less as she ran as fast as she could for the castle gates. Once inside, Willow shouted for several students to get out of her way as she raced for the hospital wing. Students stared and called after her to watch where she was going. Willow didn't even hear them as she zipped around corners, flying through the corridors as if a dragon was on her tail. Two familiar redheads stopped her in her tracks.
"Oy, Willow, where are you going in such a hurry?" Fred asked.
"Let me through! I need to see Madam Pomfrey!" Willow demanded, panting hard with adrenaline.
"Jeez, Willow, why- ?"
"Just fetch her for me, please!" Willow pleaded, staring at them both simultaneously. "It's urgent! I found two children down by the lake! They're badly injured and can't make it up to the castle!"
Fred and George's expressions changed to ones of confusion. "Why- ?"
"No time! Go!" Willow ordered, starting back down the hall the way she came. She glanced over her shoulder once to make sure the twins had gone after Madam Pomfrey, then pushed herself once more to run back outside and to the children.
"Willow, what on Earth are you doing?" Hermione shrilled as Willow shot past her.
"Not now, Hermione!" Willow shouted.
Willow rocketed out the front gates and down the hill once more. The grass was trampled underfoot as Willow practically soared over the fields. She was gasping for breath by the time she made it back to the beach.
"Oh no!" Willow cried upon seeing the two students.
They were both losing their color fast, ghostly white and passed out. Willow's heart stopped for a horrifying moment, thinking them dead, before realizing that their chests were still moving. She would have breathed a sigh of relief had it not been for the dire situation.
What do I do, what do I do?! Willow screamed at herself.
Trust your instincts, was all the voice echoed back.
How is that helping!
Willow's rib cage was in searing pain as she crouched beside the children, picking the boy up and laying him across her lap. She put her hand over his heart. The beating was frail and quick. Willow's mind began to descend into chaos.
I'm losing them!
Willow was about to try and pick the children up and carry them when her hands began tingling.
"What the- ?"
Willow nearly jumped up in fright when she glanced down at her hands and saw that they were glowing. They felt...powerful, as if something was fueling them. Willow gulped.
Um, help!
The lady did not answer. Willow closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself down.
"Trust your instincts..." she whispered to herself.
Willow didn't even know what was happening until she opened her eyes. She clasped her free hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.
Willow's instincts had worked, alright. Her hand was fixed upon the boy's chest, which was now glowing with a creamy golden light. Little trails of gold began snaking around his body, concentrating themselves in areas where the worst damage had occurred. The brightest place of all was his forehead, which puzzled Willow. She instinctively knew that her powers were healing the boy, but why would they be healing his head? Willow hadn't noticed any damage to it. Was there a wound there that Willow had not seen before?
The glow began to decrease until it only remained in Willow's hands. She removed them from the boy, noting that the injuries had lessened considerably, but only part of the way. Willow backed up as the boy coughed and spluttered, his chest now heaving at a safer rate than before. He didn't open his eyes, simply falling back asleep. But Willow was satisfied that his chances of making it out of the hospital wing were now much higher than before. She moved on to the girl and put her still-glowing hands across her chest, watching in wonder as the golden light once again spread across the girl's body, repairing skin and healing wounds. The girl's brightest spot was also her head.
I wonder why that is, Willow thought to herself.
"Willow! Willow!" a voice called.
She turned to see two wide-eyed twins running towards her. Her hands twitched, wondering if she should hid them, but the idea dissipated, as they had already seen it. Plus, she could trust them. These were the Weasleys. She could trust them to keep this secret.
"Bloody hell, what is with your hands?" Fred exclaimed, staring at her hands.
"Um...I'm not exactly sure, but I think it's healing them," Willow admitted.
"Not all the way, I see," George commented, crouching beside the unconscious boy.
The glow once again faded until it was only in Willow's hands. She removed them from the girl and laid her down in a comfortable position.
"They're still in critical condition," Willow said, surprising herself.
"How do you know that?" the twins questioned in unison.
"I- I have no idea." She glanced at both of them. "This is all new to me. Apparently I know a bit about someone's health by touching them. Lovely."
"Now we know who to go to when we fall off a broomstick, ay, Freddy?" George joked, naturally dealing with the extreme weight of the situation by lightening it.
"Don't you dare do it on purpose, or I'll refuse and just laugh until I can't move," Willow warned.
"Dear Lord, what happened?" Madam Pomfrey cried, making an appearance behind Fred.
"I don't know, Madam. All I know is that I saw them tumble out of the forest, then came down here and found them like this," Willow explained. "The girl was conscious, but not for long. Do you think they'll be okay?"
"As long as they're taken care of, their injuries don't seem too severe," Madam Pomfrey said, examining the children. "But one never knows. Let's get them back to the castle, quickly!"
That didn't do any good to the sinking sensation in the pit of Willow's stomach. Fred and George picked up the boy while Madam Pomfrey and Willow carried the girl. They walked at a brisk, meaningful pace that got them to the castle walls in a short amount of time. Students scuttled out of their way, gawking at the unconscious twins. They were nearly at a run when they finally reached the hospital wing.
"Lay them on these two beds, quickly," Madam Pomfrey ordered.
The twins were made comfortable in two beds, their sunken faces nearly blending in with the white fabric. Willow nearly choked on her own words when she saw how weak and frail they seemed. She walked in between them both, putting a hand on each of their foreheads.
"Good luck, and heal fast," Willow whispered, a lump forming in her throat.
She didn't know how, or why, but somehow, Willow felt connected to these two siblings despite not even knowing their names. They were already stealing a part of her heart. She couldn't stand to see them looking so vulnerable, so fragile. Willow had to be escorted out of the room by Madam Pomfrey with Fred and George nearly dragging her away.
"Go on, dear! They're in good hands now," Madam Pomfrey reassured her.
"Come on, Willow, you can see them when they're better," Fred promised.
"You've already done your part. Let Madam Pomfrey do hers," George said.
Willow reluctantly allowed herself to be taken out of the room and back to the Gryffindor common room. She was beginning to feel light-headed and dizzy, the adrenaline wearing off. Willow lost her balance once and fell into the wall to steady herself.
"Woah, Willow." Fred reached out and wrapped his arm behind her. "You okay there?"
"Yeah, I'm just- "
Willow's vision blurred. Her hand shot out to steady herself on the wall.
"- unbalanced," she finished.
The pain in her chest was doubling, perhaps even tripling. She coughed and wheezed a bit.
"This tends to happen when I run hard without a proper warm-up," Willow explained.
"Can you walk the rest of the way to the common room?" George asked.
"Yes, just make sure I don't suddenly slam into the floor."
"That's not reassuring."
Willow was in a daze as her vision flitted in and out of focus. Everything swam before her eyes, changing in shape and size constantly. She didn't know how she made it into the Gryffindor common room without falling into the wall. Willow's eyes only saw black dots by the time she was standing in front of the fireplace. All of her muscles were on fire, her chest burning worse than all of it combined.
"Willow, you need to sit do- " Fred began.
Willow didn't hear the rest of his sentence. Her vision was swallowed up by nothing but black for a whole minute. Willow's eyes fluttered open to find herself somehow on the couch, the twins pacing nearby.
"I hate it when that happens," Willow muttered.
"Bloody hell, Willow!" Fred cursed.
"Stop trying to give us a heart attack!"
"Sorry," Willow apologized.
Fred and George didn't give Willow the option of continuing a normal day. They had to restrain her several times from getting off the couch. Eventually, she ceased her efforts to escape and submitted herself to staying on the couch the rest of the day. They told her jokes, and taught her how to play wizarding chess. Willow beat them both by a lot once she go the hang of it. When night came, Paige took over supervision of the twins' patient. Willow was surprised but talked with her a bit, filling her in on the details of her day. Paige cracked a rare smile at the thought of Fred and George pacing around the common room.
"Now that's a sight I'd like to see," Paige said. "I could have sworn they lacked the ability to take anything seriously."
"Don't worry, they were as ridiculous as usual the rest of the day," Willow sleepily mumbled.
She closed her eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. Willow thought she must have been dreaming when she felt Paige stroking her hair. The last thing Willow knew before she fell asleep was Paige's strong arms carrying her upstairs and gently placing her in bed.