Authors Note: This all takes place in the sixth year at Hogwarts, in an alternate universe. This is not Hogwarts as we know it. All characters (except for Penny, Keef, Sheryll and others) are the property of J. K. Rowling, who is the Goddess of Harry Potter and all of his world. You should all know how to pronounce Pennys last name, but here it is again for those of you who want it: Pennys last name is pronounced like the word "dreadful", okey dokey? Enough rambling, read on, and review!
Penny Dredfule Chapter Nine
Temple Gifts
Christmas morning came amongst bright sunshine which seeped through the windows. Harry woke to find the usual pile of presents at the foot of his bed.
Ron and Hermione entered into the room giggling happily, smiles on their partially awake faces. "Oi! Presents!" Ron shouted, dumping his pile of presents on the floor and settling in to open them.
Harry went to his small pile and unwrapped the usual Weasley jumper, blue this time with a star on the front. His next package was from Hermione. Harry opened a box covered in pictures of Ron, Hermione and himself. Inside the box was a small Gryffindor Lion on the end of a silver chain. He looked up at Hermione with awe.
"Wow…" He said, "Thanks Hermione. It's beautiful."
"I made it myself. I hoped you would like it."
"When did you have time to make it?" Ron asked, "You've been studying for so long, I thought that perhaps you might pass away from starvation. It really is nice, Hermione. It's beautiful, just like you."
Hermione blushed. "Thanks, Ron."
Harry, trying to suppress the urge to gag, continued opening presents. When he was done he had a box of mince pies, a small carving of an owl from Hagrid, a Nifflier training book from Ron, a safety pin from the Dursleys, a tea cozy from Dobby and a book of hexes and charms from Sirius. There was one small package left, however.
It was a thin box covered in blue velvet. When Harry opened the box, he nearly dropped it. Instead, he simply put it down and backed away from it.
"Harry?" Hermione asked. "What is it? What's in the box?" When Harry didn't say anything, she went over to the box and looked inside it.
Amongst more blue velvet was a ring. It was small and delicate, made from silver and gold. It was a Celtic band formed into two snakes that were biting each other's tails. One silver snake and one gold snake. It was a beautiful ring.
"Harry?" Hermione said, "What's wrong? Why are you afraid of this ring?"
"That ring," Harry replied after much swallowing, "belonged to my mother."
* * *
Penny woke to find a small pile of presents at the bottom of her bed. Sure beats a tree, she thought. There was a package of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans from Albus, a book on Muggle magic from Hagrid, a book of love poetry from Minerva and a home made set of candle holders from Ron, Harry and Hermione.
There was one last package which appeared to be a book.
Inside the packaging Penny did, indeed, find a book, covered in black leather. On the front in gold letters were the words "Keef Quirrell". A note was attached. It read:
THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE NEEDING THIS. HAPPY CHRISTMAS. KEEF.
Penny sat there staring at the book. She then went to her desk where she had put the "How I love Severus Snape" and "Cats of Isis" books. They were all connected. She was sure they were. She just wasn't sure how.
Penny figured the only way to determine their relationship to each other was to read them. She settled down with Keef's Memory Book and began to read.
After some time she was roused from her reading by a man's voice outside her chambers.
"Miss Penny? Professor Dredfule? May I talk to you?"
* * *
"How do you know the ring was your mother's?" Hermione asked, "There's no way you could know that!"
"It's one of the things I remember." Harry replied. "I remember her wearing it"
"But you were one year old!" Ron said.
"It's one of the things I remember about her. She was always wearing that ring. I think my Dad gave it to her."
"Well then, who do you think gave it to you?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know, but it is my mother's." Harry plucked the ring out of the box and made to put it on.
"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Ron asked. "You've had a history of strange gifts. The invisibility cloak in your first year, the Firebolt in your third year; are you sure you should be trying it on?"
"It's my mother's." He said simply.
And slipped it on his right hand ring finger.
* * *
Penny picked up the three books and hid them in her desk. She went to the door and opened it to find Peeves standing there. Well, floating really. It wasn't possible for ghosts to stand.
"Peeves. . . . Hi!" she said, "What can I do for you?"
"Well, um, ah, um…" he stammered.
"Did you want to come in?"
"I'd, um, love to."
Peeves floated in and settled into Penny's chair.
"So, what's on your mind?"
"Well, um," Peeves stammered, "I've been feeling very inadequate as a man lately."
"Oh." Penny replied. What is this? Poltergeist psychology? "Really?"
"Yes. It seems I don't have 'what it takes' any more. I seem to be losing touch with what I was."
Penny sighed. It was going to be a long day. "So, what does your manhood have to do with anything? Is there something bothering you specifically?"
"Funny you should ask that…" Peeves replied, "You see, well, um, there's really no other way to say this…"
"Say what, Peeves?"
"I'minlovewithyouandyoudon'tnoticeme!" he said all in one rush of breath.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Penny asked. "What are you trying to say, Peeves?" Penny had the feeling that she really did not want to hear his answer.
"I'm. In. Love. With. You. And. You. Don't. Notice. Me." Peeves replied, an even breath between each word.
Penny thought for a moment before speaking. "But how can a poltergeist and a Muggle have a relationship, Peeves?"
"I don't know, but it has to be possible! I think of you every waking day and night! I think of nothing else but you!"
Peeves rushed to hug Penny and passed right though her.
There was a tense moment of silence when neither spoke nor moved. Then Penny heard Peeves sobbing.
"I'm suh-sorry, P-Professor D-Dredfule!" he wailed, "I'll be going now….Happy Christmas." He left something on her desk and glided out the door.
Penny sat there, torn between going after him or letting him be. She then looked at what he had left on her desk.
It was a rose in a vase, all made out of the same smoky substance as Peeves. The flower turned, the sunlight piercing its gray and white tones.
After a few minutes it just faded away and ceased to be.
* * *
Harry slipped the ring on his finger. Nothing happened.
All of them waited a few more minutes. Still, nothing happened.
"Well," said Hermione, "that's a new one. No catastrophe seems to be heading our way and nothing's exploded, no one's inflated, and no one's died. Odd."
"Damn," Ron said. "I feel slightly gypped, don't you?"
* * *
Penny had put Peeves out of her mind for now. She was thinking about more important things. She had the three books gathered in her arms and was heading towards Albus Dumbledore's study. She had attempted to find Sheryll, but she was out again. An Enchantress had a life, too, she supposed.
Penny had been wandering for what seemed a long time, twisting this way and that way. One of the things she had found out about Hogwarts was that sometimes the school did what it could to help you lose your way.
Penny turned a corner to find a stairwell that she had never seen before. There were wall torches lighting her way, the fire from the torches different shades of purple and amber.
She shrugged her shoulders and began the trek downwards.
The stairwell seemed to lead a long ways beneath the castle. There appeared to be no end to the stairs. She walked on for about another ten minutes, finally reaching the bottom
In front of her was a large door made out of hematite. There was a plaque on the front of the door, which read:
ENTER HERE
AND TRY TO FIND
THE CAT WHICH SITS
WITHIN YOUR MIND
WORDS OF CAT
AND FELINE GRACE
WILL LET YOU ENTER
IN THIS PLACE.
Penny stared at the door for a few more moments. Words of cat? What do they mean? She paced the small area in front of the door trying to think of an answer to the riddle. Then she felt her hand throb.
She looked down to find her left hand glowing amber and purple, a soft humming coming from the door in response.
Of course! Penny thought, looking at the books in her hand. Words of cat! She flipped open the "Cats of Isis" book to the poem she had seen before. She read aloud:
"Green eyes, yellow, golden hue
Pierce your heart, see you are true.
Soul exposed before their look
Heart is open like a book.
Evaluating right or wrong
No place to hide, they are too strong."
The doors answered the words with a louder humming, and the colours of Penny's hand intensified. She heard a click and the doors opened before her.
Penny peered into the dim room. She walked to the doorway to get a better look.
It was a large room, with high ceilings and gables. Everywhere she looked she saw cats. Cats made out of wood, out of sand, out of glass, out of clay. Everything was lit by amber light coming from the left and purple light from the right.
In the centre of the room was a woman. She was petite, with shoulder length black hair and a warm smile.
"Welcome, Sister," the woman said. "My name is Dinah and I am the living Goddess. Welcome to the Temple of Isis."
Penny Dredfule Chapter Nine
Temple Gifts
Christmas morning came amongst bright sunshine which seeped through the windows. Harry woke to find the usual pile of presents at the foot of his bed.
Ron and Hermione entered into the room giggling happily, smiles on their partially awake faces. "Oi! Presents!" Ron shouted, dumping his pile of presents on the floor and settling in to open them.
Harry went to his small pile and unwrapped the usual Weasley jumper, blue this time with a star on the front. His next package was from Hermione. Harry opened a box covered in pictures of Ron, Hermione and himself. Inside the box was a small Gryffindor Lion on the end of a silver chain. He looked up at Hermione with awe.
"Wow…" He said, "Thanks Hermione. It's beautiful."
"I made it myself. I hoped you would like it."
"When did you have time to make it?" Ron asked, "You've been studying for so long, I thought that perhaps you might pass away from starvation. It really is nice, Hermione. It's beautiful, just like you."
Hermione blushed. "Thanks, Ron."
Harry, trying to suppress the urge to gag, continued opening presents. When he was done he had a box of mince pies, a small carving of an owl from Hagrid, a Nifflier training book from Ron, a safety pin from the Dursleys, a tea cozy from Dobby and a book of hexes and charms from Sirius. There was one small package left, however.
It was a thin box covered in blue velvet. When Harry opened the box, he nearly dropped it. Instead, he simply put it down and backed away from it.
"Harry?" Hermione asked. "What is it? What's in the box?" When Harry didn't say anything, she went over to the box and looked inside it.
Amongst more blue velvet was a ring. It was small and delicate, made from silver and gold. It was a Celtic band formed into two snakes that were biting each other's tails. One silver snake and one gold snake. It was a beautiful ring.
"Harry?" Hermione said, "What's wrong? Why are you afraid of this ring?"
"That ring," Harry replied after much swallowing, "belonged to my mother."
* * *
Penny woke to find a small pile of presents at the bottom of her bed. Sure beats a tree, she thought. There was a package of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans from Albus, a book on Muggle magic from Hagrid, a book of love poetry from Minerva and a home made set of candle holders from Ron, Harry and Hermione.
There was one last package which appeared to be a book.
Inside the packaging Penny did, indeed, find a book, covered in black leather. On the front in gold letters were the words "Keef Quirrell". A note was attached. It read:
THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE NEEDING THIS. HAPPY CHRISTMAS. KEEF.
Penny sat there staring at the book. She then went to her desk where she had put the "How I love Severus Snape" and "Cats of Isis" books. They were all connected. She was sure they were. She just wasn't sure how.
Penny figured the only way to determine their relationship to each other was to read them. She settled down with Keef's Memory Book and began to read.
After some time she was roused from her reading by a man's voice outside her chambers.
"Miss Penny? Professor Dredfule? May I talk to you?"
* * *
"How do you know the ring was your mother's?" Hermione asked, "There's no way you could know that!"
"It's one of the things I remember." Harry replied. "I remember her wearing it"
"But you were one year old!" Ron said.
"It's one of the things I remember about her. She was always wearing that ring. I think my Dad gave it to her."
"Well then, who do you think gave it to you?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know, but it is my mother's." Harry plucked the ring out of the box and made to put it on.
"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Ron asked. "You've had a history of strange gifts. The invisibility cloak in your first year, the Firebolt in your third year; are you sure you should be trying it on?"
"It's my mother's." He said simply.
And slipped it on his right hand ring finger.
* * *
Penny picked up the three books and hid them in her desk. She went to the door and opened it to find Peeves standing there. Well, floating really. It wasn't possible for ghosts to stand.
"Peeves. . . . Hi!" she said, "What can I do for you?"
"Well, um, ah, um…" he stammered.
"Did you want to come in?"
"I'd, um, love to."
Peeves floated in and settled into Penny's chair.
"So, what's on your mind?"
"Well, um," Peeves stammered, "I've been feeling very inadequate as a man lately."
"Oh." Penny replied. What is this? Poltergeist psychology? "Really?"
"Yes. It seems I don't have 'what it takes' any more. I seem to be losing touch with what I was."
Penny sighed. It was going to be a long day. "So, what does your manhood have to do with anything? Is there something bothering you specifically?"
"Funny you should ask that…" Peeves replied, "You see, well, um, there's really no other way to say this…"
"Say what, Peeves?"
"I'minlovewithyouandyoudon'tnoticeme!" he said all in one rush of breath.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Penny asked. "What are you trying to say, Peeves?" Penny had the feeling that she really did not want to hear his answer.
"I'm. In. Love. With. You. And. You. Don't. Notice. Me." Peeves replied, an even breath between each word.
Penny thought for a moment before speaking. "But how can a poltergeist and a Muggle have a relationship, Peeves?"
"I don't know, but it has to be possible! I think of you every waking day and night! I think of nothing else but you!"
Peeves rushed to hug Penny and passed right though her.
There was a tense moment of silence when neither spoke nor moved. Then Penny heard Peeves sobbing.
"I'm suh-sorry, P-Professor D-Dredfule!" he wailed, "I'll be going now….Happy Christmas." He left something on her desk and glided out the door.
Penny sat there, torn between going after him or letting him be. She then looked at what he had left on her desk.
It was a rose in a vase, all made out of the same smoky substance as Peeves. The flower turned, the sunlight piercing its gray and white tones.
After a few minutes it just faded away and ceased to be.
* * *
Harry slipped the ring on his finger. Nothing happened.
All of them waited a few more minutes. Still, nothing happened.
"Well," said Hermione, "that's a new one. No catastrophe seems to be heading our way and nothing's exploded, no one's inflated, and no one's died. Odd."
"Damn," Ron said. "I feel slightly gypped, don't you?"
* * *
Penny had put Peeves out of her mind for now. She was thinking about more important things. She had the three books gathered in her arms and was heading towards Albus Dumbledore's study. She had attempted to find Sheryll, but she was out again. An Enchantress had a life, too, she supposed.
Penny had been wandering for what seemed a long time, twisting this way and that way. One of the things she had found out about Hogwarts was that sometimes the school did what it could to help you lose your way.
Penny turned a corner to find a stairwell that she had never seen before. There were wall torches lighting her way, the fire from the torches different shades of purple and amber.
She shrugged her shoulders and began the trek downwards.
The stairwell seemed to lead a long ways beneath the castle. There appeared to be no end to the stairs. She walked on for about another ten minutes, finally reaching the bottom
In front of her was a large door made out of hematite. There was a plaque on the front of the door, which read:
ENTER HERE
AND TRY TO FIND
THE CAT WHICH SITS
WITHIN YOUR MIND
WORDS OF CAT
AND FELINE GRACE
WILL LET YOU ENTER
IN THIS PLACE.
Penny stared at the door for a few more moments. Words of cat? What do they mean? She paced the small area in front of the door trying to think of an answer to the riddle. Then she felt her hand throb.
She looked down to find her left hand glowing amber and purple, a soft humming coming from the door in response.
Of course! Penny thought, looking at the books in her hand. Words of cat! She flipped open the "Cats of Isis" book to the poem she had seen before. She read aloud:
"Green eyes, yellow, golden hue
Pierce your heart, see you are true.
Soul exposed before their look
Heart is open like a book.
Evaluating right or wrong
No place to hide, they are too strong."
The doors answered the words with a louder humming, and the colours of Penny's hand intensified. She heard a click and the doors opened before her.
Penny peered into the dim room. She walked to the doorway to get a better look.
It was a large room, with high ceilings and gables. Everywhere she looked she saw cats. Cats made out of wood, out of sand, out of glass, out of clay. Everything was lit by amber light coming from the left and purple light from the right.
In the centre of the room was a woman. She was petite, with shoulder length black hair and a warm smile.
"Welcome, Sister," the woman said. "My name is Dinah and I am the living Goddess. Welcome to the Temple of Isis."
