Chapter 5
Attack
"So," prodded Katie as she sat down on her bed, opposite from Vera.
"So what?" asked Vera as she continued to sort out her things around Athena, the cat sprawled out on her bed.
"So how are things going with Oliver?" Katie grinned as she moved over to see the smile on Vera's face.
"Things are fine," Vera replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Oh don't give me that!" replied Katie. "Things are better than 'fine'. I've seen how close you are around meals and if Snape weren't our teacher for Potions, you would have been a lot closer than what I saw. So, I want details."
Vera laughed and sat down on her bed, absently stroking Athena. "Details? Well, I'm not going to tell you much. Just that this has been the best start to a year that I have ever had. Without Oliver I would be lost, literally. I'd still be wondering how I was supposed to get into the Gryffindor common room."
Katie grinned again. "It's great that you two have gotten together, that boy needs something in his life besides Quidditch. I think that injuring my arm was actually a very good thing."
Vera rolled her eyes. "I can't wait for you to get better. I am sure you are a far better Chaser than I am. Now, come on; we're going to be late for the Halloween Feast."
The two girls stood up and straightened their robes last minute. As they left the dormitories, Katie murmured, "I'll bet you that Oliver is waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs."
Vera glanced over at her. "What makes you say that?"
"Because. If he loves something enough to get his mind off of Quidditch. just trust me."
They continued down the stairs and sure enough, Oliver was waiting at the bottom talking to Harry. Katie leaned over and whispered to Vera," I told you. I've known him for six years and no one has caught his eye like you have."
She smiled and left through the portrait hole, Harry, Ron and Hermione not far behind. Wood turned and looked up at Vera, smiling. "Ready?"
Vera nodded and smiled at the fact that his hand automatically found hers. They walked to the Great Hall with the rest of the Gryffindors, Wood telling Vera about some sort of Deathday party that Harry was going to.
"Why would you celebrate the day you die?" asked Vera with a slight shudder. "It seems rather odd to me."
Wood shrugged as he sat down, looking around appreciatively at the decorations of live bats and vast pumpkins that had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in. "I don't have the slightest clue. It would be better to ask Nearly Headless Nick that."
The feast went off without a hitch, the food and company great as well as the entertainment of a troop of dancing skeletons. Every student enjoyed themselves until the end of the feast, in which a great rumble occurred as the students left.
Vera laughed at a comment made by Wood as they walked down one of the corridors. She stopped as the people in front of her froze and she looked quizzically at Wood. Peering over the heads in front of her, she froze as well, terrified.
Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE. Vera drew in a short breath and let her gaze travel downward, and gave a horrified squeak. Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.
Vera took in the whole scene with wide eyes, ignoring the shouts of Draco Malfoy and the yells of Argus Filch. Over and over again she read the words and saw the cat, hardly blinking as she stared.
She only started to breathe marginally as Dumbledore came along and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. He led Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as well as some teachers and the caretaker to Professor Lockhart's office, leaving the rest of the teachers to clear the students out of the way.
Wood looked over at Vera and saw her fearful expression. "Vera," he whispered. When she continued to stare at the words on the wall, he carefully slid an arm around her waist and led her away from the corridor. "Are you all right Vera?"
Vera seemed to come out of her trance like state and finally looked at Wood next to her. "Oliver? Yea. yeah, I'm all right. Just a bit shocked is all."
"You looked terrified, not shocked."
They entered into the common room through the portrait hole where most of the Gryffindors had gathered to talk about what had happened. Vera sighed and turned to Wood. "It.it's nothing, just old stories I remember. I'm going to go to bed, I don't want to listen to all of the talk about Mrs. Norris."
"Athena is going to be fine," said Wood comfortingly, thinking she was worried about her cat.
Vera looked at him quizzically for a moment before she realized what he was talking about. "Athena. Yes, I hope she'll be okay. Goodnight Oliver." She gave him something of a hasty kiss before retreating up the staircase to bed, Wood watching her.
~*~*~*~
For the rest of the week, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. It was the main topic whenever students were talking in the halls, and Vera could do little but listen.
As the Quidditch match against Slytherin was Saturday, Wood had intensified the practices, determined to see Slytherin, and Flint in particular, lose. It was because of these long practices, that the Gryffindor team found themselves on the field late Friday night.
"Okay!" shouted Wood as he landed on the field. "Practice is over, now go get some sleep!" The rest of the team landed, ready for bed whether Wood told them to go or not.
Vera came over and smiled at Wood. "I left a few books in the locker room, you go ahead and I'll catch up with you later."
Wood nodded and smiled as she walked off. Fred and George glanced at each other and came over to him. "Oliver, we have to talk."
Wood began to walk up to the castle. "Sure."
Fred looked uneasily over at his twin before saying it right out. "Vera's lying Oliver."
Wood stopped and turned to them, a confused look on his face. "What do you mean she's lying?"
"She's not who she says she is," put in George. "Look, we sent an owl to dad, asking him if he knew anybody named Shields that works in The Control of Muggle Knowledge department. We got his reply and he says that there is no such thing as The Control of Muggle Knowledge department. Further more, there's nobody by the name of Shields in the Ministry of Magic."
They paused and watched as Wood's expression hardened. "She's been lying to me this whole time?"
The twins shrugged. "We're just telling you what dad told us. Look, Dumbledore must have a good reason for letting her in; we never get transfer students. We're just telling you what we know."
Wood thought for a few moments and then nodded slowly. "I need to go talk to Vera." He turned and left without saying goodbye.
Fred sighed and turned back to the castle. "I wish we could have done this in a better way."
George nodded. "But there was nothing else we could do but tell him. Let's just hope that this turns out all right."
~*~*~*~
*Gasp* Vera isn't telling the truth? Who would have thought? Yeah. So, the next chapter explains some things. Though I honestly would like some feedback. I'll still post if I don't get any, because I write for me, but without any feedback, I have no reason to post the story quickly. I'm already on chapter 9 I think, maybe 10. So please give me some feedback, even flames I will except (and laugh at). So, yeah. Hope you enjoy and look forward to the next chapter: Confessions and a Rogue Bludger. Okay, I might change that title later, but that is beside the point. ~ Alexandra
Attack
"So," prodded Katie as she sat down on her bed, opposite from Vera.
"So what?" asked Vera as she continued to sort out her things around Athena, the cat sprawled out on her bed.
"So how are things going with Oliver?" Katie grinned as she moved over to see the smile on Vera's face.
"Things are fine," Vera replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Oh don't give me that!" replied Katie. "Things are better than 'fine'. I've seen how close you are around meals and if Snape weren't our teacher for Potions, you would have been a lot closer than what I saw. So, I want details."
Vera laughed and sat down on her bed, absently stroking Athena. "Details? Well, I'm not going to tell you much. Just that this has been the best start to a year that I have ever had. Without Oliver I would be lost, literally. I'd still be wondering how I was supposed to get into the Gryffindor common room."
Katie grinned again. "It's great that you two have gotten together, that boy needs something in his life besides Quidditch. I think that injuring my arm was actually a very good thing."
Vera rolled her eyes. "I can't wait for you to get better. I am sure you are a far better Chaser than I am. Now, come on; we're going to be late for the Halloween Feast."
The two girls stood up and straightened their robes last minute. As they left the dormitories, Katie murmured, "I'll bet you that Oliver is waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs."
Vera glanced over at her. "What makes you say that?"
"Because. If he loves something enough to get his mind off of Quidditch. just trust me."
They continued down the stairs and sure enough, Oliver was waiting at the bottom talking to Harry. Katie leaned over and whispered to Vera," I told you. I've known him for six years and no one has caught his eye like you have."
She smiled and left through the portrait hole, Harry, Ron and Hermione not far behind. Wood turned and looked up at Vera, smiling. "Ready?"
Vera nodded and smiled at the fact that his hand automatically found hers. They walked to the Great Hall with the rest of the Gryffindors, Wood telling Vera about some sort of Deathday party that Harry was going to.
"Why would you celebrate the day you die?" asked Vera with a slight shudder. "It seems rather odd to me."
Wood shrugged as he sat down, looking around appreciatively at the decorations of live bats and vast pumpkins that had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in. "I don't have the slightest clue. It would be better to ask Nearly Headless Nick that."
The feast went off without a hitch, the food and company great as well as the entertainment of a troop of dancing skeletons. Every student enjoyed themselves until the end of the feast, in which a great rumble occurred as the students left.
Vera laughed at a comment made by Wood as they walked down one of the corridors. She stopped as the people in front of her froze and she looked quizzically at Wood. Peering over the heads in front of her, she froze as well, terrified.
Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches. THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE. Vera drew in a short breath and let her gaze travel downward, and gave a horrified squeak. Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.
Vera took in the whole scene with wide eyes, ignoring the shouts of Draco Malfoy and the yells of Argus Filch. Over and over again she read the words and saw the cat, hardly blinking as she stared.
She only started to breathe marginally as Dumbledore came along and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket. He led Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as well as some teachers and the caretaker to Professor Lockhart's office, leaving the rest of the teachers to clear the students out of the way.
Wood looked over at Vera and saw her fearful expression. "Vera," he whispered. When she continued to stare at the words on the wall, he carefully slid an arm around her waist and led her away from the corridor. "Are you all right Vera?"
Vera seemed to come out of her trance like state and finally looked at Wood next to her. "Oliver? Yea. yeah, I'm all right. Just a bit shocked is all."
"You looked terrified, not shocked."
They entered into the common room through the portrait hole where most of the Gryffindors had gathered to talk about what had happened. Vera sighed and turned to Wood. "It.it's nothing, just old stories I remember. I'm going to go to bed, I don't want to listen to all of the talk about Mrs. Norris."
"Athena is going to be fine," said Wood comfortingly, thinking she was worried about her cat.
Vera looked at him quizzically for a moment before she realized what he was talking about. "Athena. Yes, I hope she'll be okay. Goodnight Oliver." She gave him something of a hasty kiss before retreating up the staircase to bed, Wood watching her.
~*~*~*~
For the rest of the week, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. It was the main topic whenever students were talking in the halls, and Vera could do little but listen.
As the Quidditch match against Slytherin was Saturday, Wood had intensified the practices, determined to see Slytherin, and Flint in particular, lose. It was because of these long practices, that the Gryffindor team found themselves on the field late Friday night.
"Okay!" shouted Wood as he landed on the field. "Practice is over, now go get some sleep!" The rest of the team landed, ready for bed whether Wood told them to go or not.
Vera came over and smiled at Wood. "I left a few books in the locker room, you go ahead and I'll catch up with you later."
Wood nodded and smiled as she walked off. Fred and George glanced at each other and came over to him. "Oliver, we have to talk."
Wood began to walk up to the castle. "Sure."
Fred looked uneasily over at his twin before saying it right out. "Vera's lying Oliver."
Wood stopped and turned to them, a confused look on his face. "What do you mean she's lying?"
"She's not who she says she is," put in George. "Look, we sent an owl to dad, asking him if he knew anybody named Shields that works in The Control of Muggle Knowledge department. We got his reply and he says that there is no such thing as The Control of Muggle Knowledge department. Further more, there's nobody by the name of Shields in the Ministry of Magic."
They paused and watched as Wood's expression hardened. "She's been lying to me this whole time?"
The twins shrugged. "We're just telling you what dad told us. Look, Dumbledore must have a good reason for letting her in; we never get transfer students. We're just telling you what we know."
Wood thought for a few moments and then nodded slowly. "I need to go talk to Vera." He turned and left without saying goodbye.
Fred sighed and turned back to the castle. "I wish we could have done this in a better way."
George nodded. "But there was nothing else we could do but tell him. Let's just hope that this turns out all right."
~*~*~*~
*Gasp* Vera isn't telling the truth? Who would have thought? Yeah. So, the next chapter explains some things. Though I honestly would like some feedback. I'll still post if I don't get any, because I write for me, but without any feedback, I have no reason to post the story quickly. I'm already on chapter 9 I think, maybe 10. So please give me some feedback, even flames I will except (and laugh at). So, yeah. Hope you enjoy and look forward to the next chapter: Confessions and a Rogue Bludger. Okay, I might change that title later, but that is beside the point. ~ Alexandra