Deadly Secrets
Chapter Four
The Girl at Flourish and Blotts
(The Challenge)
Two weeks later, the Hogwarts school year was getting even closer. They were all still on edge. James, now having to study on top of everything he knew, Hermione, getting ready for a year of teaching Transfiguration again and Harry, practicing charms and spells every chance he got so he would be prepared for anything or anyone who might try to hurt his family.
"Harry," Hermione said as she came down the stairs into the basement. Harry was practicing charms, and he was quite powerful. "Harry, we need to get out of the house."
"What?" he asked. "Why?"
"James, he is terribly worried about us, and we are over our heads…"
"I thought nothing was over your head, Hermione," Harry said, smiling at her. She laughed a little, but soon was serious again.
"Besides, he needs to get his new supplies. The owl came with the school list." Hermione looked at him and held out a piece of parchment.
"You've got a point," Harry said, stopping his charms and turning completely to face her. "You always have one, but that's beside the point." She smiled. He smiled back at her.
"Thank you. So when do you want to go?" she asked as they both walked to the couch.
"Dunno, tomorrow sounds good," Harry answered as they sat down next to each other. Hermione put her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"What is this for," Harry said, hugging her back.
"I love you, Harry," she said. She looked up at him and smiled. He then kissed her lightly on the lips.
"What was that for?" Hermione said, mocking him obviously.
"I love you," he said. She smiled at him.
"How touching," James said, mocking them both. Harry and Hermione both turned to see him leaning against the wall. He was smiling at them, the first time he really smiled for weeks. "Get a room."
"Hello James," Hermione said.
"We had one until you invaded it," Harry said. "James, someday, you'll be kissing girls…"
"But not too many," Hermione cut in.
"I know, I know. Mum, I'm not going to sleep with too many either," James said, smiling as he turned and headed back upstairs.
"Good boy… wait, TOO MANY? JAMES!" Hermione yelled, going upstairs after him. Harry laughed as he too walked upstairs. God, he had the best family in the world, he thought. What would he do without them?
"JAMES POTTER! WHAT DID YOU MEAN?"
"Mum, calm down, it was a joke. You know, what normal people would think was funny," James said to her. If there was one thing James was good at, it would be bugging Hermione. Well, Harry couldn't forget Quidditch either.
If Voldemort laid a hand on them, Harry would really kill him for it.
Even if he didn't, Harry was still going to.
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The Potter's walked down the street of Diagon Alley. It was packed with witches and wizards. Harry had never seen the place so crowded.
"So, dad, now what do we need?" James asked Harry as they approached the bookstore.
"Books, let's head in here," Harry said. The family went into the store, Hermione the most excited because she loved books.
James looked at the shelves, finally spotting the Standard Book of Spells (Grade Five) by Miranda Goshawk. He went over and grabbed a copy.
"So, you a fifth year too?" someone asked behind him. He spun around to see a girl, a little shorter than him staring at him. She had short hair that only came to her ears. It was brown, but had streaks of purple in some places, which James thought looked cool. She wasn't pale, but she wasn't tan either, she was at a happy medium. Around her neck hung a necklace with a dragon around it, which she had showing over her black robes. But, the most interesting feature was her eyes. They were bluish green and her pupil was a spiral that seemed to go forever. She was smiling at him.
"Jjin," she said, holding out her hand. He took it politely. "Don't tell me, you're the Potter boy, James, aren't you?"
"Yes, how did you know?" he responded. Jjin grabbed a copy of the Standard Book of Spells (Grade Five) and then looked at him again, smiling deviously.
"How could I not? You are famous. I've seen your picture in the papers. And, I've also heard highly of your Quidditch skills. Won the cup every year in and out of school, huh. Well, sorry to break that streak, but this year, I am just going to have to steal that title you hold. I also play Seeker."
"A challenge. Very well, I accept," James replied mockingly. Yeah right, like she could ever beat him.
"You're on English boy," she said haughtily, turning toward the counter.
"And what are you?" he asked. He had wondered why she didn't have an accent. Jjin turned around and looked at him.
"New York. I'm from the states." Jjin then turned around and strolled out of sight. Who does she think she is, James thought. He was the best Quidditch seeker of his age, probably better than some people older than he was.
"Looks like you have competition," Harry said, coming up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "She is cocky."
"Tell me about it. Where's mum?" James asked him.
"Reading every book in the store," Harry said, shrugging. James looked over his shoulder and saw his mum reading a book. She loved books a little too much, it wasn't normal. But, neither was being stalked by the dead Dark Lord. This must be as good as it gets, James thought.
That night, Harry couldn't sleep, he hadn't been able to for a long time because of fear and worry. He laid on the couch in the living room, starring at the ceiling, thinking. At least that girl, Jjin, gave James something other than his parents to think about. Hermione had teaching to keep her mind off things, but he didn't have anything. He had a job, and Aurora, but he didn't have anything to do until he was called, and there wasn't much going on, so that didn't help at all. But, if someone called, that would most likely mean Voldemort was on the move, trying to get at him, so, either way, he had to think about it.
James also couldn't sleep, and like his dad, he was starring at the ceiling, thinking. But, he was thinking of the mysterious girl at Flourish and Blotts, Jjin. Who was she, and why was she going to Hogwarts? Also, he kept wondering how she thought she could beat him? She must be good if she'd say that, but, how good was she? James thought that he should train, like he did everyday, but harder than he was now. His team already won the Division Championship Quidditch Cup, but they still practice because they all play at their schools, (some of them go to Dumstrang and Beaxbatons). He had to beat her, and beat her hard. Her challenge made him hate her, she was a rival and there was no room for friendship, he thought. He was going to crush her, he thought, smiling and sliding off to sleep.
Chapter Four
The Girl at Flourish and Blotts
(The Challenge)
Two weeks later, the Hogwarts school year was getting even closer. They were all still on edge. James, now having to study on top of everything he knew, Hermione, getting ready for a year of teaching Transfiguration again and Harry, practicing charms and spells every chance he got so he would be prepared for anything or anyone who might try to hurt his family.
"Harry," Hermione said as she came down the stairs into the basement. Harry was practicing charms, and he was quite powerful. "Harry, we need to get out of the house."
"What?" he asked. "Why?"
"James, he is terribly worried about us, and we are over our heads…"
"I thought nothing was over your head, Hermione," Harry said, smiling at her. She laughed a little, but soon was serious again.
"Besides, he needs to get his new supplies. The owl came with the school list." Hermione looked at him and held out a piece of parchment.
"You've got a point," Harry said, stopping his charms and turning completely to face her. "You always have one, but that's beside the point." She smiled. He smiled back at her.
"Thank you. So when do you want to go?" she asked as they both walked to the couch.
"Dunno, tomorrow sounds good," Harry answered as they sat down next to each other. Hermione put her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"What is this for," Harry said, hugging her back.
"I love you, Harry," she said. She looked up at him and smiled. He then kissed her lightly on the lips.
"What was that for?" Hermione said, mocking him obviously.
"I love you," he said. She smiled at him.
"How touching," James said, mocking them both. Harry and Hermione both turned to see him leaning against the wall. He was smiling at them, the first time he really smiled for weeks. "Get a room."
"Hello James," Hermione said.
"We had one until you invaded it," Harry said. "James, someday, you'll be kissing girls…"
"But not too many," Hermione cut in.
"I know, I know. Mum, I'm not going to sleep with too many either," James said, smiling as he turned and headed back upstairs.
"Good boy… wait, TOO MANY? JAMES!" Hermione yelled, going upstairs after him. Harry laughed as he too walked upstairs. God, he had the best family in the world, he thought. What would he do without them?
"JAMES POTTER! WHAT DID YOU MEAN?"
"Mum, calm down, it was a joke. You know, what normal people would think was funny," James said to her. If there was one thing James was good at, it would be bugging Hermione. Well, Harry couldn't forget Quidditch either.
If Voldemort laid a hand on them, Harry would really kill him for it.
Even if he didn't, Harry was still going to.
************************************************************************
The Potter's walked down the street of Diagon Alley. It was packed with witches and wizards. Harry had never seen the place so crowded.
"So, dad, now what do we need?" James asked Harry as they approached the bookstore.
"Books, let's head in here," Harry said. The family went into the store, Hermione the most excited because she loved books.
James looked at the shelves, finally spotting the Standard Book of Spells (Grade Five) by Miranda Goshawk. He went over and grabbed a copy.
"So, you a fifth year too?" someone asked behind him. He spun around to see a girl, a little shorter than him staring at him. She had short hair that only came to her ears. It was brown, but had streaks of purple in some places, which James thought looked cool. She wasn't pale, but she wasn't tan either, she was at a happy medium. Around her neck hung a necklace with a dragon around it, which she had showing over her black robes. But, the most interesting feature was her eyes. They were bluish green and her pupil was a spiral that seemed to go forever. She was smiling at him.
"Jjin," she said, holding out her hand. He took it politely. "Don't tell me, you're the Potter boy, James, aren't you?"
"Yes, how did you know?" he responded. Jjin grabbed a copy of the Standard Book of Spells (Grade Five) and then looked at him again, smiling deviously.
"How could I not? You are famous. I've seen your picture in the papers. And, I've also heard highly of your Quidditch skills. Won the cup every year in and out of school, huh. Well, sorry to break that streak, but this year, I am just going to have to steal that title you hold. I also play Seeker."
"A challenge. Very well, I accept," James replied mockingly. Yeah right, like she could ever beat him.
"You're on English boy," she said haughtily, turning toward the counter.
"And what are you?" he asked. He had wondered why she didn't have an accent. Jjin turned around and looked at him.
"New York. I'm from the states." Jjin then turned around and strolled out of sight. Who does she think she is, James thought. He was the best Quidditch seeker of his age, probably better than some people older than he was.
"Looks like you have competition," Harry said, coming up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "She is cocky."
"Tell me about it. Where's mum?" James asked him.
"Reading every book in the store," Harry said, shrugging. James looked over his shoulder and saw his mum reading a book. She loved books a little too much, it wasn't normal. But, neither was being stalked by the dead Dark Lord. This must be as good as it gets, James thought.
That night, Harry couldn't sleep, he hadn't been able to for a long time because of fear and worry. He laid on the couch in the living room, starring at the ceiling, thinking. At least that girl, Jjin, gave James something other than his parents to think about. Hermione had teaching to keep her mind off things, but he didn't have anything. He had a job, and Aurora, but he didn't have anything to do until he was called, and there wasn't much going on, so that didn't help at all. But, if someone called, that would most likely mean Voldemort was on the move, trying to get at him, so, either way, he had to think about it.
James also couldn't sleep, and like his dad, he was starring at the ceiling, thinking. But, he was thinking of the mysterious girl at Flourish and Blotts, Jjin. Who was she, and why was she going to Hogwarts? Also, he kept wondering how she thought she could beat him? She must be good if she'd say that, but, how good was she? James thought that he should train, like he did everyday, but harder than he was now. His team already won the Division Championship Quidditch Cup, but they still practice because they all play at their schools, (some of them go to Dumstrang and Beaxbatons). He had to beat her, and beat her hard. Her challenge made him hate her, she was a rival and there was no room for friendship, he thought. He was going to crush her, he thought, smiling and sliding off to sleep.