Harry sat back on his knees, slightly stunned. He opened his mouth to try
and say something, but no words could form. She was looking at him
quizzically, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"You okay?" She asked, once again Harry heard the soft accent in her voice, the only way you could tell she wasn't from around here.
"Y-Y-Yeah--I'm fine. I.." he trailed off as he saw her staring, and inwardly groaned. She was staring at his forehead.
"That scar...you're Harry Potter, aren't you?" she smiled.
"Yeah," Harry said, guarded. The warnings of the Weasleys were screaming in the back of his mind, telling him to get away as soon as possible. "I-- um..."
"Have to get to class. Yeah, me too." She got up and smoothed out her hair, grabbing her bag. "See you soon, Harry."
"Um...bye Vivianne," he said. He looked around once more and saw that Cho had gone inside her classroom---Vivianne had made him miss his chance. Cursing under his breath, he ran back into the direction he came from, not wanting to give Snape any reasons to take off more points from Gryffindor.
He got to Potions and sat in his seat just as the bell rang, panting and out of breath. He pretended to search for something in his bag, so to avoid the quizzical looks from Ron and Hermione. He had let slip to them that he liked Cho, but he wasn't ready for the looks on their faces if he told them he sometimes followed her, too.
"Got what you needed?" Ron asked.
He nodded. "Ran into that girl Vivianne on the way, too. Literally," he added.
Ron's mouth dropped open. "That's not good Harry...what did she say?"
Harry shrugged. "Just apologized, really. Oh yeah, and she saw my scar and told me I was Harry Potter...like I didn't already know," he laughed, trying to make the situation light.
But Ron ignored the humor. "Harry, that's really not good! Especially if they support You-Know Who! I know you weren't raised in the wizard world so you wouldn't know this--but listen to us and stay away from her. Avoid an Avalon witch whenever you can! I've heard stories that would make you sick..."
Ron shuddered. "They make the Malfoys look like angels," he muttered.
Hermione sighed, exasperated. "Everyone says giants are horrible, and look at Hagrid! You can't always believe everything you hear!"
"You know Hagrid's my friend too," Ron said. "But he's only HALF giant, Hermione. He's got a human personality and--"
Ron was cut off by Snape, a disgusting voice Harry never liked hearing first thing in the morning.
By now Harry had learned how to tune Snape's voice out of his head, but still act like he was paying attention. He would ask Hermione what they had to do later---she always took extensive notes.
Thoughts bombarded his brain, most of them having to do with his encounter with Vivianne. She didn't SEEM horrible, or evil...then again, did anyone(besides Voldemort) really just LOOK evil?
One quick look at Snape made his change his mind about that---Snape looked absolutly evil. But then again Snape is on Dumbledore's side...so judging by looks wasn't the way to go.
He felt very confused---Vivianne seemed nice, he didn't want to avoid her without a reason to--he knew how much he hated it when people judged him without getting to know him. But once again, the warnings of the Weasleys filtered back into his head.
Hermione poked Harry with her wand, signaling him that Snape had finished speaking, and that it was now time to work at their caldrons.
"What did we do?" he whispered to her.
"Pepper-Up Potion. But you should really listen yourself, Harry."
"That's what I have you for," he smiled. "Let me copy?"
She sighed, but then smiled, showing him that she was giving in. She tapped the notes with her wand. "Duplicatus," she whispered, and another copy of the notes, written in Hermione's neat handwriting, appeared on the table. She slid it to Harry.
"I owe ya."
"If I had a Knut for every time you've said that, I'd be rich," she laughed, but Snape shot their table a dirty look, and then both of them began to work on their potions.
"So what did Vivianne do? When you saw her, I mean," Ron whispered, interested.
"Well I was by the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and---"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts? Why were you down there? The common room is down the corridor before that!"
Harry felt his face turn red. He'd been at Hogwarts five years--Ron knew he hadn't gotten lost. Harry forced down the lump that was forming in his throat, trying to find a good excuse for being on that side of the school.
"I--um--blanked for a minute, and thought we had Defense Against the Dark Arts class first! Like we did last year..."
For a moment it looked like Ron didn't believe him, but then Ron smiled. "I did that the other day. Went to Herbology instead of Divination. The seventh years were in there, working with some monster of a plant...I ran out of there quick!"
Harry laughed nervously. He DID feel guilty about hiding this from Ron, but it didn't feel right to tell him.
"hehe...yeah...stupid, right?"
Ron nodded. "So you were by the classroom...and what happened?"
"I was walking around the corner, and I guess I wasn't really looking where I was going...and I kinda bumped into her, I guess. Spilled my papers everywhere, I just kind of stuffed them back into my bag and got out of there quick..." he pulled crumpled mound of paper out of his bag.
Hermione laughed. "So that's what you do with my notes, huh?"
She snatched one out of his hand, and immediatly her face scrunched up in confusion. "This isn't your handwriting...or mine...Harry, where did this come from?"
Harry took it back from her, and looked at the elegant handwriting, and at first didn't recognize it, but then remembered seeing before...very recently in fact...
"I'm pretty sure it's Vivianne Cole's handwriting. I remember seeing it from before. I must have picked up some of her notes by accident. I'll give it back to her at lunch, I guess."
"Harry you twit! Didn't I just say to avoid her?" Ron said.
"I don't think giving her back..." he looked down at the paper to read what it was. "It's her schedule, Ron! She needs this!"
"Do you ever use your schedule?!" Ron shot back.
"Um...the first day of school when I didn't know what classes I had when, and where they were? Then I needed it! And so does Vivianne!" Harry said.
"Fine, we'll return it to her, but me and Herm have to go with you, just in case. And ARMED!"
"Ravenclaws have Potions next," Hermione informed them. "So we should be able to catch her as we're leaving."
"Good."
The rest of the class went by quickly, and after what only seemed like a few minutes, the bell rang. All the students scrambled to get their books together and go to their next class. Harry felt someone bump into him from behind and all his books and papers fell to the floor, for the second time that day. "Great," he muttered. As he looked up he saw Draco Malfoy and his group of Slytherins leaving the room, laughing. It was probably them who knocked into him. "Go guys wait outside, I'll be out in a minute."
Ron and Hermione left, and Harry bent down to collect his things and put them back in his bag. He heard the door creek open and slam closed, and then heard the voice of Dumbledore.
"She has this class next, Severus."
"Headmaster," Snape said cooly. "I am aware that I have fifth year Ravenclaws next!"
"No one seems to know she's here yet, but when it's discovered...I don't like to think of what he may do to find her. We must be exceptionally careful."
"I don't see why you would risk the lives of the students and staff for this girl!"
Dumbledore sighed. "It is crucial she is hidden here. It's all I can divulge at the moment. I'll let the students in now, and then Mister Potter could go to his next class."
Harry double-taked. This wasn't the first time he had the feeling Dumbledore knew where he was, even when he was hidden. He stood up, and smiled sheepishly. "My books fell, I had to pick up my papers."
Dumbledore nodded. "Your friends are waiting for you outside your next class."
Harry opened the door, and watched the Ravenclaws filter in. After searching the crowd of students for a few moments, he found Vivianne.
"Vivianne?" he called.
She walked over to him and smiled. "Hello, Harry."
"Hi," he ansewered. He held out the piece of paper. "Heres your---"
"My schedule," she said, taking it back. "I realized you'd taken it right after you ran off. And believe me, it would probably have been easier to break into your Azkaban then to get someone to tell me where to go!"
"Why is that?"
She shrugged. "I'm new, I guess. I'm from Avalon."
There was an akward pause. "Well...we both have to get to class. See you soon, Harry." She said before walking into the Potions classroom.
Harry began to think as he walked. This wasn't the first time something had been hidden inside Hogwarts. In his first year, the Sorceror's Stone was concealed here. But could Dumbledore conceal a person here? "It's possible, I guess..." he murmured.
It wasnt as hard to figure out who it was that Dumbledore was hiding. There weren't many new fifth year Ravenclaws, were there? But why was Vivianne being hidden here? Who was out to find her?
Maybe Ron or Hermione would know something, he thought to himself, as he ran off towards his next class to find them.
"You okay?" She asked, once again Harry heard the soft accent in her voice, the only way you could tell she wasn't from around here.
"Y-Y-Yeah--I'm fine. I.." he trailed off as he saw her staring, and inwardly groaned. She was staring at his forehead.
"That scar...you're Harry Potter, aren't you?" she smiled.
"Yeah," Harry said, guarded. The warnings of the Weasleys were screaming in the back of his mind, telling him to get away as soon as possible. "I-- um..."
"Have to get to class. Yeah, me too." She got up and smoothed out her hair, grabbing her bag. "See you soon, Harry."
"Um...bye Vivianne," he said. He looked around once more and saw that Cho had gone inside her classroom---Vivianne had made him miss his chance. Cursing under his breath, he ran back into the direction he came from, not wanting to give Snape any reasons to take off more points from Gryffindor.
He got to Potions and sat in his seat just as the bell rang, panting and out of breath. He pretended to search for something in his bag, so to avoid the quizzical looks from Ron and Hermione. He had let slip to them that he liked Cho, but he wasn't ready for the looks on their faces if he told them he sometimes followed her, too.
"Got what you needed?" Ron asked.
He nodded. "Ran into that girl Vivianne on the way, too. Literally," he added.
Ron's mouth dropped open. "That's not good Harry...what did she say?"
Harry shrugged. "Just apologized, really. Oh yeah, and she saw my scar and told me I was Harry Potter...like I didn't already know," he laughed, trying to make the situation light.
But Ron ignored the humor. "Harry, that's really not good! Especially if they support You-Know Who! I know you weren't raised in the wizard world so you wouldn't know this--but listen to us and stay away from her. Avoid an Avalon witch whenever you can! I've heard stories that would make you sick..."
Ron shuddered. "They make the Malfoys look like angels," he muttered.
Hermione sighed, exasperated. "Everyone says giants are horrible, and look at Hagrid! You can't always believe everything you hear!"
"You know Hagrid's my friend too," Ron said. "But he's only HALF giant, Hermione. He's got a human personality and--"
Ron was cut off by Snape, a disgusting voice Harry never liked hearing first thing in the morning.
By now Harry had learned how to tune Snape's voice out of his head, but still act like he was paying attention. He would ask Hermione what they had to do later---she always took extensive notes.
Thoughts bombarded his brain, most of them having to do with his encounter with Vivianne. She didn't SEEM horrible, or evil...then again, did anyone(besides Voldemort) really just LOOK evil?
One quick look at Snape made his change his mind about that---Snape looked absolutly evil. But then again Snape is on Dumbledore's side...so judging by looks wasn't the way to go.
He felt very confused---Vivianne seemed nice, he didn't want to avoid her without a reason to--he knew how much he hated it when people judged him without getting to know him. But once again, the warnings of the Weasleys filtered back into his head.
Hermione poked Harry with her wand, signaling him that Snape had finished speaking, and that it was now time to work at their caldrons.
"What did we do?" he whispered to her.
"Pepper-Up Potion. But you should really listen yourself, Harry."
"That's what I have you for," he smiled. "Let me copy?"
She sighed, but then smiled, showing him that she was giving in. She tapped the notes with her wand. "Duplicatus," she whispered, and another copy of the notes, written in Hermione's neat handwriting, appeared on the table. She slid it to Harry.
"I owe ya."
"If I had a Knut for every time you've said that, I'd be rich," she laughed, but Snape shot their table a dirty look, and then both of them began to work on their potions.
"So what did Vivianne do? When you saw her, I mean," Ron whispered, interested.
"Well I was by the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and---"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts? Why were you down there? The common room is down the corridor before that!"
Harry felt his face turn red. He'd been at Hogwarts five years--Ron knew he hadn't gotten lost. Harry forced down the lump that was forming in his throat, trying to find a good excuse for being on that side of the school.
"I--um--blanked for a minute, and thought we had Defense Against the Dark Arts class first! Like we did last year..."
For a moment it looked like Ron didn't believe him, but then Ron smiled. "I did that the other day. Went to Herbology instead of Divination. The seventh years were in there, working with some monster of a plant...I ran out of there quick!"
Harry laughed nervously. He DID feel guilty about hiding this from Ron, but it didn't feel right to tell him.
"hehe...yeah...stupid, right?"
Ron nodded. "So you were by the classroom...and what happened?"
"I was walking around the corner, and I guess I wasn't really looking where I was going...and I kinda bumped into her, I guess. Spilled my papers everywhere, I just kind of stuffed them back into my bag and got out of there quick..." he pulled crumpled mound of paper out of his bag.
Hermione laughed. "So that's what you do with my notes, huh?"
She snatched one out of his hand, and immediatly her face scrunched up in confusion. "This isn't your handwriting...or mine...Harry, where did this come from?"
Harry took it back from her, and looked at the elegant handwriting, and at first didn't recognize it, but then remembered seeing before...very recently in fact...
"I'm pretty sure it's Vivianne Cole's handwriting. I remember seeing it from before. I must have picked up some of her notes by accident. I'll give it back to her at lunch, I guess."
"Harry you twit! Didn't I just say to avoid her?" Ron said.
"I don't think giving her back..." he looked down at the paper to read what it was. "It's her schedule, Ron! She needs this!"
"Do you ever use your schedule?!" Ron shot back.
"Um...the first day of school when I didn't know what classes I had when, and where they were? Then I needed it! And so does Vivianne!" Harry said.
"Fine, we'll return it to her, but me and Herm have to go with you, just in case. And ARMED!"
"Ravenclaws have Potions next," Hermione informed them. "So we should be able to catch her as we're leaving."
"Good."
The rest of the class went by quickly, and after what only seemed like a few minutes, the bell rang. All the students scrambled to get their books together and go to their next class. Harry felt someone bump into him from behind and all his books and papers fell to the floor, for the second time that day. "Great," he muttered. As he looked up he saw Draco Malfoy and his group of Slytherins leaving the room, laughing. It was probably them who knocked into him. "Go guys wait outside, I'll be out in a minute."
Ron and Hermione left, and Harry bent down to collect his things and put them back in his bag. He heard the door creek open and slam closed, and then heard the voice of Dumbledore.
"She has this class next, Severus."
"Headmaster," Snape said cooly. "I am aware that I have fifth year Ravenclaws next!"
"No one seems to know she's here yet, but when it's discovered...I don't like to think of what he may do to find her. We must be exceptionally careful."
"I don't see why you would risk the lives of the students and staff for this girl!"
Dumbledore sighed. "It is crucial she is hidden here. It's all I can divulge at the moment. I'll let the students in now, and then Mister Potter could go to his next class."
Harry double-taked. This wasn't the first time he had the feeling Dumbledore knew where he was, even when he was hidden. He stood up, and smiled sheepishly. "My books fell, I had to pick up my papers."
Dumbledore nodded. "Your friends are waiting for you outside your next class."
Harry opened the door, and watched the Ravenclaws filter in. After searching the crowd of students for a few moments, he found Vivianne.
"Vivianne?" he called.
She walked over to him and smiled. "Hello, Harry."
"Hi," he ansewered. He held out the piece of paper. "Heres your---"
"My schedule," she said, taking it back. "I realized you'd taken it right after you ran off. And believe me, it would probably have been easier to break into your Azkaban then to get someone to tell me where to go!"
"Why is that?"
She shrugged. "I'm new, I guess. I'm from Avalon."
There was an akward pause. "Well...we both have to get to class. See you soon, Harry." She said before walking into the Potions classroom.
Harry began to think as he walked. This wasn't the first time something had been hidden inside Hogwarts. In his first year, the Sorceror's Stone was concealed here. But could Dumbledore conceal a person here? "It's possible, I guess..." he murmured.
It wasnt as hard to figure out who it was that Dumbledore was hiding. There weren't many new fifth year Ravenclaws, were there? But why was Vivianne being hidden here? Who was out to find her?
Maybe Ron or Hermione would know something, he thought to himself, as he ran off towards his next class to find them.