The Story of Jessica Black
Chapter Twelve: Halloween Happenings
The morning of All Hallows Eve dawned bright and warm, entirely untypical for the end of October. Many Quidditch captains were taking advantage and reserving the Quidditch pitch for practice. The other students were busy trying to catch up on all of their homework before the feast that night. The Gryffindor fifth years found themselves swamped in Defense Against the Dark Arts essays, and many were to be found in the library, looking up ways to kill werewolves and ways to distract ugly impish things called Krinkydunks. Professor Snape had given the Slytherins a lighter load, claiming they "needed to practice for the upcoming Quidditch game."
Jessica sat in a very tense breakfast with her friends. She and Harry hadn't spoken since the previous evening. Whenever she talked, Jessica noticed a pink tinge appear in Harry's cheeks, and he would stop eating for a moment. Finally, she gave up talking and became as reclusive as Harry. Ron and Hermione argued over Snape's essays.
Harry got up from the table first. He left quickly and quietly, and went back up to the common room. Ron and Hermione quieted when he left.
"What happened last night?" Ron asked.
Jessica sighed as Hermione turned to her as well. "I don't want to talk about it," she said.
"C'mon, Jess," Ron said, "We'll probably hear it from Harry later anyway."
Jessica laughed. "No, I don't think you will." The other two looked at her expectantly. She sighed again. "Fine, just, don't tell Harry I told you. I went walking with Harry last night. We had a little conversation by the lake." She took a deep breath. "And Harry toldmehelovedme." She said this last part very fast, then started to get up from the table. Ron grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back down in her seat.
"He what?" Hermione asked.
Jessica sighed yet again. "He said he loved me." Her two friends gawked at her.
"Did you say it back?" asked Ron.
Jessica avoided his gaze and didn't answer his question. Hermione gasped.
"But, Jessica," she said, "You told me . . ."
"I know what I told you, okay?" Jessica burst out, "But when I was out there with Harry, something stopped me. I don't know what or why, but something kept me from saying it back."
"Wait," Ron said, "I'm confused. Do you or don't you love Harry?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Ron," Jessica said dejectedly.
They left breakfast shortly and went up to the common room, hoping to find Harry. He wasn't there, however, when they got there. Jessica resigned to teaching Ron and Hermione Spinks. After a few practice games, however, Jessica threw her pile of cards down.
"This is stupid," she said, "I'm going up there."
She got up off the couch and climbed the stairs to the boys' dormitories. She quickly found the one labeled "Fifth Years" and went inside. The smell was the first thing that hit her. It was a mixture of five different colognes and dirty socks. She choked, then stepped further into the room. She saw Harry sitting on his bed, polishing the handle of his Firebolt. He didn't notice her come in.
She crossed the room and as she did so Harry looked up.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, "You're not supposed to be in here."
Jessica smiled. "I know that. I was worried. And a little guilty." Harry looked at her, confused.
"Why are you guilty?"
Jessica sighed. "Because of what happened last night. Look, I just want to say I'm sorry, and . . ."
"And what?"
"And . . . and I love you, too."
There was complete and utter silence in the room. Neither of them moved for a very long time, until Jessica said, "Say something, please." Harry said nothing. Jessica was about to turn and walk away when Harry stood, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a kiss.
Downstairs Ron, Hermione, and Sirius heard a high-pitched scream from outside in the hallway. Ron and Sirius ran out through the portrait hole, while Hermione stayed where she was and rubbed her amulet stone.
Harry and Jessica broke from their kiss, and by chance noticed that each others' stones were glowing. Harry grabbed her hand and led the way down the stairs. They met Hermione in the common room.
"There was a scream, outside," Hermione said, breathless, "Ron and Sirius went running."
They didn't hesitate. Immediately they ran outside found Ron trying to revive a brown-haired girl lying limp on the ground. As they got closer, they saw her face, frozen, contorted into a look of fear. It was Lavender Brown.
"Oh my God, Ron, is she dead?" Hermione asked, bending down next to her. Ron shrugged. Sirius leapt off down the hall to find the other members of the Order.
"Come on," said Harry, "Let's get her out of here."
Harry, Jessica, Ron, and Hermione picked up Lavender's lifeless body and carried it away quickly. They went into an empty classroom and laid her down across a few desks. Some of the Gryffindors were at the window, staring. Jessica whipped out her wand.
"Nox!" she proclaimed, and the light shining through the window was gone. She used the spell to extinguish wandlight to block the window. They all said, "Lumos," and the room was illuminated by wandlight.
Shortly thereafter Professors Dumbledore, Flitwick, McGonagall, and Snape, and Sirius and Remus came into the room. Professor Dumbledore immediately swept over to Lavender and began to examine her by his wandlight.
"This is ridiculous," said Professor McGonagall, and with a wave of her wand the classroom was illuminated by an undeterminable light. Professor Dumbledore continued to examine Lavender. The others waited with varying degrees of patience. Finally, after a very long period of time, Professor Dumbledore stood up.
"She is not dead," he said. Everyone else exhaled as if they had been holding their breath.
"Petrified, then?" asked Hermione.
"No. A Montrifigus Mortus curse has been performed upon her."
"Montrifigus Mortus?"
"A form of Avada Kedavra. It is used to make its victims appear dead without killing them. This may be a warning."
"A warning from who?" asked Harry, who had dropped Jessica's hand.
Dumbledore picked Lavender gently up off the desk. "A warning from our intruder."
Chapter Twelve: Halloween Happenings
The morning of All Hallows Eve dawned bright and warm, entirely untypical for the end of October. Many Quidditch captains were taking advantage and reserving the Quidditch pitch for practice. The other students were busy trying to catch up on all of their homework before the feast that night. The Gryffindor fifth years found themselves swamped in Defense Against the Dark Arts essays, and many were to be found in the library, looking up ways to kill werewolves and ways to distract ugly impish things called Krinkydunks. Professor Snape had given the Slytherins a lighter load, claiming they "needed to practice for the upcoming Quidditch game."
Jessica sat in a very tense breakfast with her friends. She and Harry hadn't spoken since the previous evening. Whenever she talked, Jessica noticed a pink tinge appear in Harry's cheeks, and he would stop eating for a moment. Finally, she gave up talking and became as reclusive as Harry. Ron and Hermione argued over Snape's essays.
Harry got up from the table first. He left quickly and quietly, and went back up to the common room. Ron and Hermione quieted when he left.
"What happened last night?" Ron asked.
Jessica sighed as Hermione turned to her as well. "I don't want to talk about it," she said.
"C'mon, Jess," Ron said, "We'll probably hear it from Harry later anyway."
Jessica laughed. "No, I don't think you will." The other two looked at her expectantly. She sighed again. "Fine, just, don't tell Harry I told you. I went walking with Harry last night. We had a little conversation by the lake." She took a deep breath. "And Harry toldmehelovedme." She said this last part very fast, then started to get up from the table. Ron grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back down in her seat.
"He what?" Hermione asked.
Jessica sighed yet again. "He said he loved me." Her two friends gawked at her.
"Did you say it back?" asked Ron.
Jessica avoided his gaze and didn't answer his question. Hermione gasped.
"But, Jessica," she said, "You told me . . ."
"I know what I told you, okay?" Jessica burst out, "But when I was out there with Harry, something stopped me. I don't know what or why, but something kept me from saying it back."
"Wait," Ron said, "I'm confused. Do you or don't you love Harry?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Ron," Jessica said dejectedly.
They left breakfast shortly and went up to the common room, hoping to find Harry. He wasn't there, however, when they got there. Jessica resigned to teaching Ron and Hermione Spinks. After a few practice games, however, Jessica threw her pile of cards down.
"This is stupid," she said, "I'm going up there."
She got up off the couch and climbed the stairs to the boys' dormitories. She quickly found the one labeled "Fifth Years" and went inside. The smell was the first thing that hit her. It was a mixture of five different colognes and dirty socks. She choked, then stepped further into the room. She saw Harry sitting on his bed, polishing the handle of his Firebolt. He didn't notice her come in.
She crossed the room and as she did so Harry looked up.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, "You're not supposed to be in here."
Jessica smiled. "I know that. I was worried. And a little guilty." Harry looked at her, confused.
"Why are you guilty?"
Jessica sighed. "Because of what happened last night. Look, I just want to say I'm sorry, and . . ."
"And what?"
"And . . . and I love you, too."
There was complete and utter silence in the room. Neither of them moved for a very long time, until Jessica said, "Say something, please." Harry said nothing. Jessica was about to turn and walk away when Harry stood, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a kiss.
Downstairs Ron, Hermione, and Sirius heard a high-pitched scream from outside in the hallway. Ron and Sirius ran out through the portrait hole, while Hermione stayed where she was and rubbed her amulet stone.
Harry and Jessica broke from their kiss, and by chance noticed that each others' stones were glowing. Harry grabbed her hand and led the way down the stairs. They met Hermione in the common room.
"There was a scream, outside," Hermione said, breathless, "Ron and Sirius went running."
They didn't hesitate. Immediately they ran outside found Ron trying to revive a brown-haired girl lying limp on the ground. As they got closer, they saw her face, frozen, contorted into a look of fear. It was Lavender Brown.
"Oh my God, Ron, is she dead?" Hermione asked, bending down next to her. Ron shrugged. Sirius leapt off down the hall to find the other members of the Order.
"Come on," said Harry, "Let's get her out of here."
Harry, Jessica, Ron, and Hermione picked up Lavender's lifeless body and carried it away quickly. They went into an empty classroom and laid her down across a few desks. Some of the Gryffindors were at the window, staring. Jessica whipped out her wand.
"Nox!" she proclaimed, and the light shining through the window was gone. She used the spell to extinguish wandlight to block the window. They all said, "Lumos," and the room was illuminated by wandlight.
Shortly thereafter Professors Dumbledore, Flitwick, McGonagall, and Snape, and Sirius and Remus came into the room. Professor Dumbledore immediately swept over to Lavender and began to examine her by his wandlight.
"This is ridiculous," said Professor McGonagall, and with a wave of her wand the classroom was illuminated by an undeterminable light. Professor Dumbledore continued to examine Lavender. The others waited with varying degrees of patience. Finally, after a very long period of time, Professor Dumbledore stood up.
"She is not dead," he said. Everyone else exhaled as if they had been holding their breath.
"Petrified, then?" asked Hermione.
"No. A Montrifigus Mortus curse has been performed upon her."
"Montrifigus Mortus?"
"A form of Avada Kedavra. It is used to make its victims appear dead without killing them. This may be a warning."
"A warning from who?" asked Harry, who had dropped Jessica's hand.
Dumbledore picked Lavender gently up off the desk. "A warning from our intruder."
