Harry Potter and the Wizard's Granddaughter
Chapter Five: Connections
Author's Note:
Not mine: Harry, Malfoy, Hermie, Ron, Hogwarts, Quidditch, and big explosions.
Mine: Ollie-girl, new teachers, main plotline, title. Don't touch.
Hermione ducked out of the way of several flying textbooks, and crossed her arms, glaring heavily at Harry. "Listen, just because Fudge canceled Quidditch (Author's Note: I TOLD you! I got NO reviews! Bad readers! Bad!) doesn't mean you have to throw a temper tantrum! You're acting like a child!"
Ron, who for the last few minutes since they entered the Gryffindor Common room had been colorfully describing the Minister of Magic's upbringing, heritage and species, turned to snap at Hermione. "You're only saying that because you don't care about Quidditch! You even brought a book to Harry's last match!"
"I had a test coming up!"
"So?" Ron snapped, and he turned and kicked a nearby sofa as hard as possible. "Ouch! That stupid git! How dare he cancel Quidditch!"
Harry had calmed down quite a bit during this exchange. "I guess he just isn't really responsible and organized enough to handle the school and Quidditch at the same time."
"SO?" Ron snapped again.
Hermione decided to change the subject. "Harry, have you heard from Sirius lately?"
Harry shook his head. "I sent him an owl at the beginning of the year, but Hedwig came back without an answer or anything."
"Oh dear, I hope nothing's terribly wrong."
"OF COURSE SOMETHING IS WRONG!" Ron bellowed. "FUDGE CANCELED QUIDDITCH! ISN'T THAT A SIGN THAT SOMETHING IS MAYBE A LITTLE WRONG?"
Harry was more inclined to agree with Ron, but decided to keep quiet about the subject of the canceled sport.
"I'm sure Dumbledore is working hard to get everything back to normal."
"Maybe we should send him an letter!" Hermione said excitedly.
"That stupid git!" Ron repeated, stomping about in a circle.
"Who Dumbledore?" Hermione looked lost.
"NO! Fudge!" Ron yelled.
"Are you STILL harping about that?" Hermione shook her head. "It's not THAT big of a deal, is it? It's not life-threatening or anything!"
The way Ron stared at Hermione told Harry that in a minute it WOULD be life threatening.
"Listen, we've got that report due on Dark Wizards of Hogwarts for tomorrow. D'you want to go down to the library and-"
"That reminds me!" Hermione interrupted. "Have either of you two seen Olivia lately?"
"No," Ron admitted, "I thought she was up here. She left dinner early again."
Hermione looked around. The common room was almost completely empty, excepting Neville, who was trying desperately to change a doll into a cat, (their transfiguration homework) and several seventh years who were playing Blackjack with Exploding Snap cards.
"I think something is up with her," Hermione said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. But they would never find out what she was about to say, because the portrait swung open and Olivia came inside, looking breathless.
"Hi!" She said cheerfully.
Hermione and Ron both groaned under their breaths.
The smaller girl looked at both of their faces. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Harry said quickly. "Ron's just ticked off about Quidditch being canceled."
"Oh, that's right!" Olivia turned to him. "You were the Gryffindor seeker, weren't you? Oh, I'm sorry!" She looked really disappointed. "I was looking forward to watching you play. It sounds so exciting."
"Yeah, oh well," said Harry. "Well, I'm probably going to go work on that report for Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"I'll go with you," both Hermione and Olivia said at once. They gave each other dirty looks.
"I guess I might as well, no use hanging around up here with this lot," Ron muttered, waving his hand at the seventh years, who kept creating small explosions with their game, and Neville, who had engaged the assistance of several first years, who had no trouble with the assignment.
To Harry's disgust, as they arrived at the library, a large group of Slytherins was exiting, and among them were Draco Malfoy and his two giant lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy had a great fondness for mocking and tormenting Harry, his friends, and all Gryffindors, in that order. In fact, as Malfoy spotted Harry, his usual sneer appeared immediately.
Malfoy and the two goons walked right next to the four Gryffindors, and Malfoy opened his mouth.
"Gardener," he said cordially, nodding at Olivia.
"Malfoy," Olivia replied. The blond Slytherin then continued walking down the hall without saying another word.
Harry stared openmouthed. Malfoy never, ever passed up a chance to ridicule him; yet, he and Olivia had greeted each other like friends! He was not the only one who had noticed the exchange: Ron was shocked, his jaw dropping to the floor.
"What was that?" Hermione asked sternly, staring at Olivia.
"What?" Olivia asked innocently, trotting ahead of them into the library.
Ron and Harry exchanged glances. Something was wrong here.
Several exciting things happened the next day.
Christmas was fast approaching, and yet, instead of the usual cheerful preparations for the Christmas Feast, there was just more activity. The teachers were all distracted by something, but they weren't letting on what. Only Fudge seemed to be unperturbed by all the commotion.
On their way to their first class, they ran across a group of Slytherins again, Malfoy and his friends prominent among them.
"Hey Mudblood!" Crabbe called out, cackling, as Hermione and the others passed by. "You and your little four-eyed freak friends having fun?"
Hermione and Olivia kept quiet and so, strangely enough, did Malfoy.
"You know," Crabbe tried again, worried at the lack of support from his idol, "I'm starting to think the only reason you're so smart is that you can steal the answers to all the tests." Apparently, this spontaneous bit of mockery wasn't Crabbe's best work. Malfoy wasn't laughing; he wasn't even watching. He was turning to talk to some of the other Slytherins. And the Gryffindors didn't look too insulted.
"Y'know," Crabbe said nervously, turning his attention to Olivia, "you're the ugliest freak I've ever seen! Where'd you get your girlfriend, Potter? The circus?"
That did it. It wasn't that they felt insulted, but it was the principle of the thing. Both Ron and Harry started forward, fists ready, but, surprisingly, Malfoy beat them to it.
Whump! The sound of a fist hitting piles of fat echoed in the empty hallway. Crabbe groaned, and fell to the floor, clutching his stomach. Malfoy drew back his fist, and turned to Olivia.
"That's two you owe me, Gardener," he said coldly.
"Right." Olivia answered, and walked away. Malfoy walked in the opposite direction, not listening to the hoots and catcalls from the Slytherins, and ignoring the wondrous looks coming from Harry and Ron.
"What the hell?" Ron muttered.
Later, after Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and after lunch, everyone had a half hour of free time before Divination started. Hermione had Arithmancy at the same time, but Professor Vector was feeling sick, so the class was canceled.
Olivia and Neville were searching for his Transfiguration homework, which had wondered off somewhere in the common room.
Thus, Harry, Hermione and Ron were left alone. A gentle snow was falling outside the castle, and most of the Gryffindors were taking advantage of this and starting snowball fights. However, Hermione had something important to tell Harry and Ron, and she didn't want to be interrupted. So, sitting underneath a tree by the frozen lake, she asked them a question.
"Do you guys notice anything," she glanced around, "strange, about Olivia?"
Ron sighed. "You mean besides the fact that she and Malfoy seem to be best buddies?"
"Or that she can see a few seconds into the future?" Harry shook his head, and shrugged. "Nothing much, besides that."
Hermione sighed deeply. "You are so blind!" She leaned in closer. "Listen. First of all, you met her completely by chance in the train station, right? And then suddenly on the train ride, the Hogwarts Express nearly tips off a mountain. While that's happening, Olivia disappeared, remember?" She tapped Harry on the side of the head with her finger. "She wasn't there."
"She was finding a teacher!" Harry protested.
"And then, the next disaster. The troll in the dormitory. Do you remember what happened just before that? Olivia left McGonagall's class early. Then, she suddenly reappears, and there is a troll in the Gryffindor tower. Then, the suits of armor start attacking people."
"Wait, wait," Ron held up his hands. "Are you saying Olivia is the one causing all these problems?"
"Well, think about it!" Hermione snapped. "Use your brains for once! When those suits of armor attacked us, it was a big surprise for Olivia, remember?"
"It was a surprise for all of us!" Harry said sensibly. "I mean, I wasn't expecting it, were you?"
"No, but do you remember what spell she used?" Hermione waved her finger in Harry's face. "We haven't learned two-person spells yet! And yet she was able to use YOU, Harry, to complete the spell!"
"I think you're insane." Ron shook his head, and stood up. "Olivia isn't trying to kill people! She's just a student!"
Hermione raised a finger. "I know. However, remember what Professor Trait said in her class? A Dark Wizard, Persephone Gardener. Same last name! And also, I checked out a list of all the students in the last ten years, and you know what? Another Gardener appeared on the list. In Slytherin. She graduated four years ago. Her name was Marie Gardener, and her description matches you-know-who pretty closely."
"What, Voldemort?" Harry asked loudly.
"No, you idiot, Olivia!" Hermione said. "It said she had blue eyes, dark hair, and was short for her age! Just like Olivia!"
"What are you getting at?"
"DUH!" Hermione stood and threw up her arms. "Olivia is-"
"Going to be late for her next class." Olivia's voice came from behind them.
The three whirled around, to see Olivia trudging up the path to the lake. "Were you talking about me? I thought I heard my name."
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "How did you find us?"
"I didn't." Olivia's eyes were narrowed too. "I was walking up to the lake, and I saw you talking. I thought I heard my name."
Hermione snorted. Harry stared at his friend; usually, she was calm, and sensible. Usually she was the one criticizing Ron's foolish ideas, not the other way around. And yet…
"Olivia, if I could talk to you in private, I think we have some things to discuss." The tone of Hermione's voice… Was it anger? Disgust? Fear? Or some weird mixture of the three?
"We had better get back to the castle anyway," Ron said quickly. "C'mon, Harry."
Somehow Harry didn't feel safe letting those two be alone together, and yet he didn't have much choice.
Olivia never showed up for Divination: Harry was beginning to wonder what he would find if he went back to the lake that afternoon. Unbidden, the thought sprang to his mind: what if somehow one of them had killed the other? Not that he truly believed either girl was capable of murder. And yet, he had seen something in Olivia's eyes that belied her shy manner, something… cold. Tired. Ancient, almost, and yet childish at the same time.
Harry tried to forget everything Hermione had said; after all, she was wrong, wasn't she? Hermione couldn't truly be insinuating that Olivia was trying to kill people?
And yet…
After all that worrying, Harry was really relieved to see both Hermione and Olivia in the Great Hall at suppertime.
"So have you read chapter twelve yet?" Hermione was asking as Harry and Ron sat down beside the two girls.
"Yeah! But there was something wrong with the assumption made there," Olivia said just as cheerfully. "Oh, hello Harry, Ron."
"Hi," Ron said slowly, staring at the two.
Harry echoed the greeting.
"I really don't think that vampires have been wronged, though!" Hermione went back to the conversation.
"I left the book up in the dorm, should I go get it?" Olivia asked.
"Please," Hermione said with a grin. Olivia jumped up and walked away.
Harry watched her retreating form, and then turned back to Hermione, who seemed to be engrossed in her food.
"So," Ron said leadingly, leaning toward Hermione. She gave him an odd look.
"So what?"
"So, what did Olivia have to say?"
"About what?"
"You know!" Ron switched to a hushed tone. "About all the weird stuff that's been going on. You were saying that you think she is causing it all?"
Hermione twirled her fork in her hand. "Of course not! Why would I say such an idiotic thing?" She turned back to her plate.
"But you said-" Ron broke off. "You said it! You were telling us all this stuff about Gardeners who have been in Slytherin, and how Olivia hasn't been around when anything happens, and all this other stuff!"
"Well, can't a person change her mind without her friends berating her constantly?" Hermione huffed, slamming her fork down on the table. "For pity's sake, I don't think she's causing any of it. It's just a coincidence!"
Ron threw up his hands. "Geez, earlier today you were her worst enemy, and now it's like you're best friends!" He turned to Harry. "What do you think about all this?"
Harry shrugged. For some reason, he didn't want to think about it. He was still seeing colored spots in front of him because of the fires in Divination, and just the memory of Professor Trewlaney's voice, carefully explaining that those who had fires which blazed up to eye-level once incense was added were in great danger of being burned to death was enough to keep him annoyed and unfocused for an evening. He didn't need Hermione and Olivia's strange new… whatever.
Hermione finished eating as Olivia returned, toting a rather large book, and sat down in the chair between Hermione and Ron.
Ron started to ask the small girl a question, then stopped. Olivia looked like she was going to be sick.
"What?" Ron asked in annoyance. "What is wrong now?"
"Look up," Olivia said simply.
The three of them did.
The magic ceiling was usually enchanted to look like the sky outside. At this time of day, Harry was used to seeing the violet and black beginnings of night, separated from the bright blue of day by streaks of scarlet and gold as the sun went down. However, though there was a golden light shining down in the room, the sky was not blue. It wasn't black, or even purple.
It was brown. A dusty brown, not quite rich enough to be chocolate colored and not quite golden enough to be the color of wheat, filled the top of the room. Along with the strange color, gray clouds were appearing, seemingly out of nowhere, although Harry knew that they came from just beyond the spell's reach, and were swirling and spinning into a spiral in the sky. It was almost beautiful; however, the howling of the wind blowing those clouds was beginning to echo even inside the protected castle like a wolf's cry at the moon.
"What in the world-" Hermione choked out, staring up at the scene with wide eyes. Her eyes darted briefly to Olivia.
"It's a tornado," Olivia said bluntly.
"Yeah right," Ron scoffed. However, within minutes, the clouds had grown into a huge spiral, which shot down from the sky. It was like looking at a picture, and then putting on 3-d glasses.
The wind suddenly grew MUCH louder, and the walls of the castle began to shake and creak.
"What should we do?" Harry shouted the question above the wind.
"Get to the dungeons! That'll be the safest place!" Ron tried to say, but Hermione interrupted.
"Geez, you two are such dopes sometimes. All we have to do is use some anti-weather spells." She brought out her wand, and nodded to the teacher's table, where McGonagall, Snape, and several of the other familiar faces were standing and shouting to each other. Their words were lost in the noise, no longer like a wolf's cry, but instead like a train rushing into the station at full speed.
"Atmos Petrificus!" McGonagall shouted, raising her wand above the table.
"Atmos Petrificus!" echoed Snape, touching his wand to hers.
"Atmos Petrificus! Petrificus Cyclona! Firmamenta Arasha Zonerus!" Professor Flitwick was shouting, also raising his wand.
A moment later, the wind died down, and then stopped.
Everyone was staring in wonder at the teachers, who looked just as befuddled as most of the students. The sky slowly shimmered, and the terrible brown color was blown away by the wind, revealing the normal night sky.
"Well, that was exciting," Hermione said briskly. "Shall we continue our discussion in the library, or the common room?" she asked, turning to Olivia.
"In the common room, most definitely."
The two stood up and walked away as if nothing had happened out of the ordinary.
Harry and Ron glanced at each other. What in the world was going on?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Bad readers! I didn't get ANY reviews concerning Quidditch! Oh well, out the window it goes.
Don't worry, the plot will thicken quite considerably as the year goes on. In the next installment, Divination heats up, a new character is introduced, and Christmas is a little more exciting than the characters would have expected.
This is part five, and the story will have ten to twelve parts. Please review, flames accepted and welcomed, as well as normal reviews. Thank you!
Chapter Five: Connections
Author's Note:
Not mine: Harry, Malfoy, Hermie, Ron, Hogwarts, Quidditch, and big explosions.
Mine: Ollie-girl, new teachers, main plotline, title. Don't touch.
Hermione ducked out of the way of several flying textbooks, and crossed her arms, glaring heavily at Harry. "Listen, just because Fudge canceled Quidditch (Author's Note: I TOLD you! I got NO reviews! Bad readers! Bad!) doesn't mean you have to throw a temper tantrum! You're acting like a child!"
Ron, who for the last few minutes since they entered the Gryffindor Common room had been colorfully describing the Minister of Magic's upbringing, heritage and species, turned to snap at Hermione. "You're only saying that because you don't care about Quidditch! You even brought a book to Harry's last match!"
"I had a test coming up!"
"So?" Ron snapped, and he turned and kicked a nearby sofa as hard as possible. "Ouch! That stupid git! How dare he cancel Quidditch!"
Harry had calmed down quite a bit during this exchange. "I guess he just isn't really responsible and organized enough to handle the school and Quidditch at the same time."
"SO?" Ron snapped again.
Hermione decided to change the subject. "Harry, have you heard from Sirius lately?"
Harry shook his head. "I sent him an owl at the beginning of the year, but Hedwig came back without an answer or anything."
"Oh dear, I hope nothing's terribly wrong."
"OF COURSE SOMETHING IS WRONG!" Ron bellowed. "FUDGE CANCELED QUIDDITCH! ISN'T THAT A SIGN THAT SOMETHING IS MAYBE A LITTLE WRONG?"
Harry was more inclined to agree with Ron, but decided to keep quiet about the subject of the canceled sport.
"I'm sure Dumbledore is working hard to get everything back to normal."
"Maybe we should send him an letter!" Hermione said excitedly.
"That stupid git!" Ron repeated, stomping about in a circle.
"Who Dumbledore?" Hermione looked lost.
"NO! Fudge!" Ron yelled.
"Are you STILL harping about that?" Hermione shook her head. "It's not THAT big of a deal, is it? It's not life-threatening or anything!"
The way Ron stared at Hermione told Harry that in a minute it WOULD be life threatening.
"Listen, we've got that report due on Dark Wizards of Hogwarts for tomorrow. D'you want to go down to the library and-"
"That reminds me!" Hermione interrupted. "Have either of you two seen Olivia lately?"
"No," Ron admitted, "I thought she was up here. She left dinner early again."
Hermione looked around. The common room was almost completely empty, excepting Neville, who was trying desperately to change a doll into a cat, (their transfiguration homework) and several seventh years who were playing Blackjack with Exploding Snap cards.
"I think something is up with her," Hermione said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. But they would never find out what she was about to say, because the portrait swung open and Olivia came inside, looking breathless.
"Hi!" She said cheerfully.
Hermione and Ron both groaned under their breaths.
The smaller girl looked at both of their faces. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Harry said quickly. "Ron's just ticked off about Quidditch being canceled."
"Oh, that's right!" Olivia turned to him. "You were the Gryffindor seeker, weren't you? Oh, I'm sorry!" She looked really disappointed. "I was looking forward to watching you play. It sounds so exciting."
"Yeah, oh well," said Harry. "Well, I'm probably going to go work on that report for Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"I'll go with you," both Hermione and Olivia said at once. They gave each other dirty looks.
"I guess I might as well, no use hanging around up here with this lot," Ron muttered, waving his hand at the seventh years, who kept creating small explosions with their game, and Neville, who had engaged the assistance of several first years, who had no trouble with the assignment.
To Harry's disgust, as they arrived at the library, a large group of Slytherins was exiting, and among them were Draco Malfoy and his two giant lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy had a great fondness for mocking and tormenting Harry, his friends, and all Gryffindors, in that order. In fact, as Malfoy spotted Harry, his usual sneer appeared immediately.
Malfoy and the two goons walked right next to the four Gryffindors, and Malfoy opened his mouth.
"Gardener," he said cordially, nodding at Olivia.
"Malfoy," Olivia replied. The blond Slytherin then continued walking down the hall without saying another word.
Harry stared openmouthed. Malfoy never, ever passed up a chance to ridicule him; yet, he and Olivia had greeted each other like friends! He was not the only one who had noticed the exchange: Ron was shocked, his jaw dropping to the floor.
"What was that?" Hermione asked sternly, staring at Olivia.
"What?" Olivia asked innocently, trotting ahead of them into the library.
Ron and Harry exchanged glances. Something was wrong here.
Several exciting things happened the next day.
Christmas was fast approaching, and yet, instead of the usual cheerful preparations for the Christmas Feast, there was just more activity. The teachers were all distracted by something, but they weren't letting on what. Only Fudge seemed to be unperturbed by all the commotion.
On their way to their first class, they ran across a group of Slytherins again, Malfoy and his friends prominent among them.
"Hey Mudblood!" Crabbe called out, cackling, as Hermione and the others passed by. "You and your little four-eyed freak friends having fun?"
Hermione and Olivia kept quiet and so, strangely enough, did Malfoy.
"You know," Crabbe tried again, worried at the lack of support from his idol, "I'm starting to think the only reason you're so smart is that you can steal the answers to all the tests." Apparently, this spontaneous bit of mockery wasn't Crabbe's best work. Malfoy wasn't laughing; he wasn't even watching. He was turning to talk to some of the other Slytherins. And the Gryffindors didn't look too insulted.
"Y'know," Crabbe said nervously, turning his attention to Olivia, "you're the ugliest freak I've ever seen! Where'd you get your girlfriend, Potter? The circus?"
That did it. It wasn't that they felt insulted, but it was the principle of the thing. Both Ron and Harry started forward, fists ready, but, surprisingly, Malfoy beat them to it.
Whump! The sound of a fist hitting piles of fat echoed in the empty hallway. Crabbe groaned, and fell to the floor, clutching his stomach. Malfoy drew back his fist, and turned to Olivia.
"That's two you owe me, Gardener," he said coldly.
"Right." Olivia answered, and walked away. Malfoy walked in the opposite direction, not listening to the hoots and catcalls from the Slytherins, and ignoring the wondrous looks coming from Harry and Ron.
"What the hell?" Ron muttered.
Later, after Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and after lunch, everyone had a half hour of free time before Divination started. Hermione had Arithmancy at the same time, but Professor Vector was feeling sick, so the class was canceled.
Olivia and Neville were searching for his Transfiguration homework, which had wondered off somewhere in the common room.
Thus, Harry, Hermione and Ron were left alone. A gentle snow was falling outside the castle, and most of the Gryffindors were taking advantage of this and starting snowball fights. However, Hermione had something important to tell Harry and Ron, and she didn't want to be interrupted. So, sitting underneath a tree by the frozen lake, she asked them a question.
"Do you guys notice anything," she glanced around, "strange, about Olivia?"
Ron sighed. "You mean besides the fact that she and Malfoy seem to be best buddies?"
"Or that she can see a few seconds into the future?" Harry shook his head, and shrugged. "Nothing much, besides that."
Hermione sighed deeply. "You are so blind!" She leaned in closer. "Listen. First of all, you met her completely by chance in the train station, right? And then suddenly on the train ride, the Hogwarts Express nearly tips off a mountain. While that's happening, Olivia disappeared, remember?" She tapped Harry on the side of the head with her finger. "She wasn't there."
"She was finding a teacher!" Harry protested.
"And then, the next disaster. The troll in the dormitory. Do you remember what happened just before that? Olivia left McGonagall's class early. Then, she suddenly reappears, and there is a troll in the Gryffindor tower. Then, the suits of armor start attacking people."
"Wait, wait," Ron held up his hands. "Are you saying Olivia is the one causing all these problems?"
"Well, think about it!" Hermione snapped. "Use your brains for once! When those suits of armor attacked us, it was a big surprise for Olivia, remember?"
"It was a surprise for all of us!" Harry said sensibly. "I mean, I wasn't expecting it, were you?"
"No, but do you remember what spell she used?" Hermione waved her finger in Harry's face. "We haven't learned two-person spells yet! And yet she was able to use YOU, Harry, to complete the spell!"
"I think you're insane." Ron shook his head, and stood up. "Olivia isn't trying to kill people! She's just a student!"
Hermione raised a finger. "I know. However, remember what Professor Trait said in her class? A Dark Wizard, Persephone Gardener. Same last name! And also, I checked out a list of all the students in the last ten years, and you know what? Another Gardener appeared on the list. In Slytherin. She graduated four years ago. Her name was Marie Gardener, and her description matches you-know-who pretty closely."
"What, Voldemort?" Harry asked loudly.
"No, you idiot, Olivia!" Hermione said. "It said she had blue eyes, dark hair, and was short for her age! Just like Olivia!"
"What are you getting at?"
"DUH!" Hermione stood and threw up her arms. "Olivia is-"
"Going to be late for her next class." Olivia's voice came from behind them.
The three whirled around, to see Olivia trudging up the path to the lake. "Were you talking about me? I thought I heard my name."
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "How did you find us?"
"I didn't." Olivia's eyes were narrowed too. "I was walking up to the lake, and I saw you talking. I thought I heard my name."
Hermione snorted. Harry stared at his friend; usually, she was calm, and sensible. Usually she was the one criticizing Ron's foolish ideas, not the other way around. And yet…
"Olivia, if I could talk to you in private, I think we have some things to discuss." The tone of Hermione's voice… Was it anger? Disgust? Fear? Or some weird mixture of the three?
"We had better get back to the castle anyway," Ron said quickly. "C'mon, Harry."
Somehow Harry didn't feel safe letting those two be alone together, and yet he didn't have much choice.
Olivia never showed up for Divination: Harry was beginning to wonder what he would find if he went back to the lake that afternoon. Unbidden, the thought sprang to his mind: what if somehow one of them had killed the other? Not that he truly believed either girl was capable of murder. And yet, he had seen something in Olivia's eyes that belied her shy manner, something… cold. Tired. Ancient, almost, and yet childish at the same time.
Harry tried to forget everything Hermione had said; after all, she was wrong, wasn't she? Hermione couldn't truly be insinuating that Olivia was trying to kill people?
And yet…
After all that worrying, Harry was really relieved to see both Hermione and Olivia in the Great Hall at suppertime.
"So have you read chapter twelve yet?" Hermione was asking as Harry and Ron sat down beside the two girls.
"Yeah! But there was something wrong with the assumption made there," Olivia said just as cheerfully. "Oh, hello Harry, Ron."
"Hi," Ron said slowly, staring at the two.
Harry echoed the greeting.
"I really don't think that vampires have been wronged, though!" Hermione went back to the conversation.
"I left the book up in the dorm, should I go get it?" Olivia asked.
"Please," Hermione said with a grin. Olivia jumped up and walked away.
Harry watched her retreating form, and then turned back to Hermione, who seemed to be engrossed in her food.
"So," Ron said leadingly, leaning toward Hermione. She gave him an odd look.
"So what?"
"So, what did Olivia have to say?"
"About what?"
"You know!" Ron switched to a hushed tone. "About all the weird stuff that's been going on. You were saying that you think she is causing it all?"
Hermione twirled her fork in her hand. "Of course not! Why would I say such an idiotic thing?" She turned back to her plate.
"But you said-" Ron broke off. "You said it! You were telling us all this stuff about Gardeners who have been in Slytherin, and how Olivia hasn't been around when anything happens, and all this other stuff!"
"Well, can't a person change her mind without her friends berating her constantly?" Hermione huffed, slamming her fork down on the table. "For pity's sake, I don't think she's causing any of it. It's just a coincidence!"
Ron threw up his hands. "Geez, earlier today you were her worst enemy, and now it's like you're best friends!" He turned to Harry. "What do you think about all this?"
Harry shrugged. For some reason, he didn't want to think about it. He was still seeing colored spots in front of him because of the fires in Divination, and just the memory of Professor Trewlaney's voice, carefully explaining that those who had fires which blazed up to eye-level once incense was added were in great danger of being burned to death was enough to keep him annoyed and unfocused for an evening. He didn't need Hermione and Olivia's strange new… whatever.
Hermione finished eating as Olivia returned, toting a rather large book, and sat down in the chair between Hermione and Ron.
Ron started to ask the small girl a question, then stopped. Olivia looked like she was going to be sick.
"What?" Ron asked in annoyance. "What is wrong now?"
"Look up," Olivia said simply.
The three of them did.
The magic ceiling was usually enchanted to look like the sky outside. At this time of day, Harry was used to seeing the violet and black beginnings of night, separated from the bright blue of day by streaks of scarlet and gold as the sun went down. However, though there was a golden light shining down in the room, the sky was not blue. It wasn't black, or even purple.
It was brown. A dusty brown, not quite rich enough to be chocolate colored and not quite golden enough to be the color of wheat, filled the top of the room. Along with the strange color, gray clouds were appearing, seemingly out of nowhere, although Harry knew that they came from just beyond the spell's reach, and were swirling and spinning into a spiral in the sky. It was almost beautiful; however, the howling of the wind blowing those clouds was beginning to echo even inside the protected castle like a wolf's cry at the moon.
"What in the world-" Hermione choked out, staring up at the scene with wide eyes. Her eyes darted briefly to Olivia.
"It's a tornado," Olivia said bluntly.
"Yeah right," Ron scoffed. However, within minutes, the clouds had grown into a huge spiral, which shot down from the sky. It was like looking at a picture, and then putting on 3-d glasses.
The wind suddenly grew MUCH louder, and the walls of the castle began to shake and creak.
"What should we do?" Harry shouted the question above the wind.
"Get to the dungeons! That'll be the safest place!" Ron tried to say, but Hermione interrupted.
"Geez, you two are such dopes sometimes. All we have to do is use some anti-weather spells." She brought out her wand, and nodded to the teacher's table, where McGonagall, Snape, and several of the other familiar faces were standing and shouting to each other. Their words were lost in the noise, no longer like a wolf's cry, but instead like a train rushing into the station at full speed.
"Atmos Petrificus!" McGonagall shouted, raising her wand above the table.
"Atmos Petrificus!" echoed Snape, touching his wand to hers.
"Atmos Petrificus! Petrificus Cyclona! Firmamenta Arasha Zonerus!" Professor Flitwick was shouting, also raising his wand.
A moment later, the wind died down, and then stopped.
Everyone was staring in wonder at the teachers, who looked just as befuddled as most of the students. The sky slowly shimmered, and the terrible brown color was blown away by the wind, revealing the normal night sky.
"Well, that was exciting," Hermione said briskly. "Shall we continue our discussion in the library, or the common room?" she asked, turning to Olivia.
"In the common room, most definitely."
The two stood up and walked away as if nothing had happened out of the ordinary.
Harry and Ron glanced at each other. What in the world was going on?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Bad readers! I didn't get ANY reviews concerning Quidditch! Oh well, out the window it goes.
Don't worry, the plot will thicken quite considerably as the year goes on. In the next installment, Divination heats up, a new character is introduced, and Christmas is a little more exciting than the characters would have expected.
This is part five, and the story will have ten to twelve parts. Please review, flames accepted and welcomed, as well as normal reviews. Thank you!