The clock chimed twelve. But, Stacy Arrons could not sleep. She could not move. All she could manage to do was occasionally sniffle and grab another tissue. Stacy pulled her knees up to her chin and stared at the fireplace as though in a trance. In only a timespan of six hours, her entire life had been turned upside down.
"How could I not have seen this coming?" She muttered, her eyes never leaving the empty fireplace. Even the once furious flames had died down. "What is wrong with me?" She exclaimed loudly. A little too loudly. Stacy stood up for a moment and waited for the impending footsteps of a prefect telling her to go to bed. But, no one came. 'No one even cares about me'. Stacy thought sadly as she threw herself onto the couch in the common room again. Everyone else had gone to bed an hour earlier, but Stacy was afraid to go upstairs. She was afraid of the comments her room mates, including her Hogwarts best friend Courtney, would say to her.
'Everything would be fine if Jane's parents had never sent her that magazine!' Stacy thought bitterly. The magazine had been a hit with her fellow students. It had been passed around until every Gryffindor knew little Stacy Arrons was actually a huge celebrity with the Muggles. And, they all knew more about her parents' seperation than she did. While several of the Gryffindors had been sympathetic, many had teased Stacy mercilessly. Boys had followed her to dinner taunting her. Calling her 'Superstar' and saying she was just another bit of property for her mother to take from her father.
Normally, this type of a statement would have rolled off of Stacy. She would have either laughed at the people or just ignored it completely. But, it hurt worse when her own friends turned on her. Courtney especially had been furious when she learned Stacy had kept something so important to her life from everyone. Stacy flinched at the memory of Courtney's rantings to her. "What? We aren't good enough for 'Academy Award winner Stacy Arrons'?" She had cried. "I'm sorry. I didn't know we were in the company of a real live movie star all of this time! I should have practiced my curtsy before coming here. I hope we haven't offended you!" Stacy had never seen her friend so angry. It was like she was a completely different person. Not that Stacy could blame her for being upset. Keeping secrets could never end happily for the secret keeper.
The clock chimed again. It was half past twelve. Stacy pulled herself off of the couch and quietly made her way up to her bedroom. She collapsed on her bed in exhaustion without bothering to change into a nightgown or brush her teeth. She only wished the morning would never come.
Of course, the morning did come. And, it came far too quickly for Stacy. Before she knew it she was shuffling toward the Great Hall for breakfast. Instead of sitting in her usual chair next to Courtney, Stacy made her way to an empty section at the opposite end of the table. Neither Ben, Peter, or Courtney would look at her as she passed them. It was enough to make Stacy want to go back to her room and hide under her blankets.
"Feeling better, Stacy?" Keith asked as he sat down across from her.
"I guess," Stacy replied glumly. She took a piece of toast and spread some butter and jelly on it, but could not bring herself to eat. She was afraid she would throw up anything she tried to take in.
"I'm sorry about your parents," He continued. Stacy was surprised to see a genuine look of sympathy in his eyes.
"Good morning!" Rachel chirped as she sat down next to Keith.
"Morning, Rach," Keith said. He didn't seem at all surprised she was sitting at Gryffindor table. She was the only student to sit at another house's table that year.
"How are you, Stacy?" She asked. "Did you sleep well?"
Stacy nodded. She was relieved that Rachel had not asked her why she wasn't sitting with Courtney. "Did you?"
"Why are you sitting with *her*?" Courtney demanded from the other end of the table before Rachel could answer.
"What?" Rachel looked surprised.
Courtney smirked. "She didn't tell you? She's a big celebrity now."
"Actually, she always has been one," Jane cut in. "Ever since she was a toddler."
"What's the big deal?" Keith asked. "Stacy isn't allowed to keep things from you?"
"Well, she lied!" Courtney exclaimed.
"When?" Keith asked.
"She didn't tell the truth!" Courtney persisted.
"When?" Keith asked again.
Courtney shrugged and turned her attention back to Ben and Peter.
"Don't worry," Rachel told Stacy. "She'll get over it. She always does. Well, except when she turns it into a grudge that she holds against you for the rest of your life. But, that's only happened to me once."
"Why's she so mad at me?" Stacy wondered out loud.
"Courtney gets her feelings hurt easily," Rachel stated. "She turns her hurt into anger. She's probably upset that you didn't tell her you were famous."
"I didn't think it was important," Stacy said defensively.
"It isn't really," Rachel replied. "But, everything's a big deal to Courtney."
"I've noticed," Stacy said sadly.
"Don't worry," Rachel assured her. "It'll work out."
'I hope so,' Stacy thought. 'I really hope so.'
Apparently, word spread quickly through Hogwarts. Everywhere Stacy went people called her 'Superstar' or 'Hollywood' and made some sort of comment about the article or her parents. It reminded Stacy of the day she returned to school after winning her Oscar. The only difference was that then people meant it as a compliment.
Classes were especially difficult that day. The teachers did not act any differently toward her, but Stacy still had to sit at her usual place near Courtney, Ben, and Peter. It was almost impossible to work with them "ignoring" her.
"Do I put the Rutaweed or the soil in my pot first?" Ben asked during Herbology.
"The soil," Stacy replied. "You have to add the water to it before putting the plant in."
"Did you hear something?" Courtney sneered.
"Real mature, Court," Stacy muttered cheerfully.
"So what do I put in first?" Ben asked again.
"Stacy just told you," Justin responded. "Didn't you hear her?"
"I didn't hear anything," Courtney answered. "Is Stacy here?"
"Your hearing must be failing," Carrie joked. She winked at Stacy who smiled in response. At least Carrie and Justin weren't mad at her. Too bad they weren't in all of her classes.
"My hearing's fine," Courtney remarked. "I just didn't hear anything worth listening to."
"So, now I'm not worth listening to?" Stacy asked angrily.
"Did you hear something?" Courtney asked again.
By dinnertime, Stacy felt like she could strangle Courtney. Her 'friend' refused to leave her alone all day and had managed to turn Peter and Ben against her. Stacy couldn't understand why she was so mad. But, she did her best to avoid her. She sat with Penny Prickle at dinner in a chair as far away from her friends as possible.
"Are you okay?" Penny asked her hesitantly. Normally Stacy hated it when people asked her that, but it was refreshing to hear those words after a day of being taunted everywhere she went.
"I've been better," Stacy replied with a sigh. "Courtney's being really annoying about it."
"Why's she so mad at you?" Penny wondered.
Stacy shrugged. "She just is."
"So, do you think we have a chance at winning the House Cup this year?" Penny asked a little too optimistically. It was an obvious attempt to keep Stacy's mind off her problems.
"I guess," Stacy said as cheerfully as she could manage, which wasn't very cheerful.
"Before you go," Professor Dumbledore called as he stood up. "I would like to remind you to please stay out of the Forbidden Forest. Mr. Filch has had to stop several students from entering the forest this week." Stacy noticed he was looking distinctly at a group of Slytherins as he said this. "Also, I would like to see Stacy Arrons in my office before she goes to bed." Stacy's mouth dropped open at this. Several people turned around to stare at her and Stacy thought she heard the word 'Hollywood' being muttered somewhere.
"Stacy?" Penny asked after a minute. "Are you okay? Do you want me to come with you?" Stacy looked up and saw an actual look of anxiety on Penny's face.
"I'll be fine," Stacy replied weakly. "Thanks, though." As if in a daze, Stacy stood up and walked over to the teachers' table. Then, she followed Professor Dumbledore to his office amongst the murmurs spreading throughout the Great Hall.
"Have a seat, Stacy," Dumbledore said in an odd voice. It reminded her of the time she was seven and had broked her mother's favorite vase in the middle of a post-Oscar party. The type of voice that meant this is bad, but I am going to pretend everything's fine. Stacy sat down with a sinking feeling in her chest.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and glanced sadly at her. "I received a letter today from your father. I suppose you already know about your parents?" Stacy nodded dimly. Everyone knew about her parents. "Well, your father wanted to tell you that he would like it if you came home for our spring vacation. He is temporarily living with your grandmother in England. He will meet you at King's Cross and take you to see your grandmother."
"Sir," Stacy began quietly. "Why did he write to you? Why didn't he write to me?"
If these questions surprised Professor Dumbledore, he did not show it. "He will explain that when he sees you. He has asked me not to say anything yet."
Stacy looked at him curiously. "It has to do with my grandmother, doesn't it?"
Dumbledore nodded, but did not say anything else. After several minutes of silence, Stacy bid him goodnight and left his office.
The castle was abnormally silent as Stacy wandered through the hallways back to the Gryffindor tower. The silence was welcome in her mind after the day she had been through. Her mind had a lot to process.
'Why can't I just be normal?' Stacy thought dismally. 'What is normal, anyway? Something I'll never be.'
"What are you doing here?" A boy's voice cried from behind her. Stacy whirled around to see Keith talking to a woman dressed in a raggedy robe. Her head was covered in a scarf. Actually, Stacy couldn't tell she was a woman at first. It wasn't until she spoke that Stacy knew.
"What do you think I'm doing here?" The woman answered with the most evil laughter Stacy had ever heard. Stacy quickly stepped behind a suit of armor. Something told her she did not want them to see her.
Keith looked furious. "You won't get away with it! I won't let you."
The woman laughed again, sending shivers up Stacy's spine. "And, how exactly do you expect to stop me? You hardly have the resources or the power? You're nothing, boy. Always have been, always will be."
Keith grimaced. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You would like to think I can't stop you. That you're all powerful. You'll see. Come May 15th." He turned and stalked off in the direction of Gryffindor tower at that. The woman stared after him, before walking away in the opposite direction.
Stacy stepped out from her hiding place. Was it just been her or had Keith said that last part about May 15th a little too loudly?
"Anyone want to play chess?" Ben asked glumly. It was nearly eight o'clock and he was extremely bored.
Courtney looked up from her book and said she would play. Peter sighed and picked up Courtney's book, 'A Study of Rutaweed'. It wasn't the most interesting book, but it would keep him from dying of boredom.
"Where's Stacy?" Peter asked, forgetting he was supposed to be mad at her.
"I don't know and I don't care," Courtney answered as she ordered one of her players to move.
"She's probably still at Professor Dumbledore's office," Penny remarked. "Poor thing. She's had the most rotten day."
"She deserves it. After what she did to us," Courtney's voice trailed off.
Ben looked at her, his concentration broken briefly. "What exactly did she do to us? "
"She lied. Didn't tell us she was famous," Courtney replied.
"You realize how ridiculous that sounds, don't you?" Penny asked with a smile.
"It's not ridiculous!" Courtney insisted. "It's-"
"Silly. Immature. Overly stubborn. Childish. Mean. Cruel. Take your pick," Penny said with such willpower, even her sister Joan looked shocked.
"She's right, Court," Peter said softly. "Stacy didn't do anything."
Courtney, despite her obvious embarrassment, persisted in making her point. "That's my whole point. She didn't tell us. Why not? Is she ashamed of us?"
"I read an article about Stacy in a magazine for teenage Muggles," Jane stated brightly. "It was really interesting. She was only nine then. Had just won her Oscar. In it, she said she wanted to be normal. That she hated all of the attention people were giving her. She said she felt like she hadn't really done anything to deserve all of it."
"See!" Penny cried triumphantly. "Stacy just wanted to be thought of as your average student here. She didn't want the attention her fame brought. She wasn't being snobby."
The common room became silent for several minutes as people digested this information. Several people started to look at Penny with a newfound respect. It was the first time anyone really payed attention to anything she said. By the time Stacy returned several hours later, the whole incident had blown over and Penny finally had friends her age.
While Penny was playing the role of her protective older sister, Stacy was lost. She wasn't sure how it had happened, but she had wandered so far away from the tower she had no idea where she was. Stacy glanced around helplessly. She thought she knew every hallway in the school by now, but apparently she was wrong.
'Where am I?' Stacy thought desperately as she reached another dead end. It was getting to the point that even the sight of Peeves floating toward her with an armful of water balloons would be a very welcome sight. Stacy leaned against the wall and tried to catch her breath. It felt like she had walked the entire length of the school. To her surprise and horror, she abruptly fell right through the wall.
"Who's there?" A man's voice yelled as she tumbled through the wall and landed on the floor on the other side.
"Um, hi!" Stacy called as she pulled herself up. She saw an old man rushing toward her. Stacy glanced around the room and saw what seemed to be an apartment. Apparently, the man was living there.
"Are you okay?" The man asked with a look of concern. "That sounded like it was a hard fall."
"I'm fine," Stacy replied. She rubbed a spot of dust off of her robe's sleeve. "Sorry. I didn't mean to break your wa-" Her voice cut off as she looked at the wall and realized it was still in perfect condition.
The man smiled at her. "That's just there to keep the unwelcome guests out. Who are you anyway? I take it you're a student here."
Stacy nodded. "My name is Stacy Arrons."
The man's eyes widened. "Arrons, eh? Is your father named Simon?"
"That's my uncle," She replied. "My father's Tom. Do you know him?" The man stared at her for several minutes silently. "Hello, mister?" She asked nervously. She didn't like the way he was looking at her.
The man smiled again. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I haven't had many guests here. You'd think I didn't know how to talk to a person. So, you're Tom's daughter? Yes, I have met him. Nice boy."
Stacy frowned slightly. There was something very strange about this man. "He's a man now. He's married and everything." Her face turned red. "Well, he was married. I mean, he still is. They'll work it out."
"How long have you been going here, Stacy?" The man asked curiously. "Which house are you in? What's your best class? Do you play Quidditch?"
"This is my first year. I'm in Gryffindor. I don't really have a best class. I like all of them. I don't play Quidditch. I'm not very good at flying," Stacy answered quickly. Why did he want to know so much about her?
"You're in Gryffindor," The man repeated slowly. "That was my house when I went here. It's the best one if you ask me."
"I like it," Stacy replied. She twirled a strand of her hair nervously. She wasn't sure why she was nervous, but something about the man frightened her. She couldn't help wondering if Professor Dumbledore knew he was living there. "Most of my friends are Gryffindors. Well, I mean were. Now I have more friends in Hufflepuff and Slytherin."
"Slytherin!" The man jumped up in shock. "That always was a bad house. You-Know-Who came from there. So did every other one like him. Awful house. Nasty house."
Stacy glanced at her watch. It was nearly ten o'clock. "I should be going. It's getting late and I have homework to finish."
"Do you have an invisibility cloak?" The man blurted out. He was now pacing the room.
"Um, yes I do actually," Stacy answered. "Why?"
"Everyone should have one of those. They're very helpful. You'll need it many times if you're an Arrons. Arrons' always run into problems. They're drawn to them. Like a magnet. You'll see soon. You're too young to know the power that name can carry. Give it a couple years. Then, you will be begging for a different name. You'll see. Trust me, you'll see," The old man rambled. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to go off on you like that. You see, I am not used to being around people. They confuse me. It isn't you. Don't worry about that any. If you'll excuse me, I will be going to bed now."
Stacy watched him wobble up the stairs which she assumed led to his bedroom with a mixture of amusement and pity. The poor man could barely walk up the stairs. Stacy left his apartment feeling dazed. She instinctively walked back through the wall and easily found her way back to Gryffindor tower. It wasn't until she was safely back in the common room that realized she hadn't asked the man who he was.
The common room was still full as Stacy walked inside. People were everywhere. Doing homework. Talking. Playing games. Stacy didn't feel like dealing with any more insults, so she hurried up the stairs to her room quickly. She would do her homework in there.
"Stacy?" Courtney's voice asked as she entered the room.
Stacy didn't answer. She was still upset with Courtney.
"Is that you, Stacy?" Courtney asked. Stacy saw her curled up on the window seat. Her eyes were glued on something outside. Stacy walked over to the window and peered out.
"What are you staring at?" She asked coldly, trying to keep the interest out of her voice.
"I'm so sorry," Courtney blurted out. "I've been a jerk all day. Please forgive me!"
Stacy stared at her in surprise, but Courtney did not turn around. Was this a joke? "Are you serious?" She asked slowly.
Courtney nodded and spun around to face her. Stacy could tell she had been crying. "Forgive me?"
Stacy sighed. "Of course, I do."
Courtney threw her arms around her friend. "Let's never fight again!"
Stacy laughed. "Okay."
"Want to see something weird?" Courtney asked her eagerly. Her eyes lit up happily in their usual anxious way. Stacy nodded and Courtney pointed to something moving along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "See that? It's been doing that for the past hour."
"What is it?" Stacy asked. She leaned in closer to get a better look.
"I'm not sure," Courtney replied. "It looks like a monster doing some sort of mating ritual." Both girls laughed at this.
"Should we tell someone? A teacher, maybe?" Stacy asked as the figure moved into the woods. "Maybe it's another Slytherin."
Courtney's eyes lit up. "Better than that. Why don't we go after it?"
Stacy looked at her in a mixture of horror and awe. "Are you crazy? We'd be caught in two seconds. Plus, the woods are dangerous. Hasn't Rachel told you enough horror stories about people who go in them at night?"
Courtney jumped up. "I'm going. Are you coming?"
Stacy sighed heavily. "I suppose I should. You shouldn't go alone."
"Great! Can we take your cloak?" Courtney was already digging through Stacy's trunk for the invisibility cloak.
Five minutes later, the girls were covered in the cloak and quietly creeping down the stairs. It was difficult, but they managed to get out of the portrait hole without anyone hearing them. They carefully opened the door to go outside and hurried across the lawn to the Forbidden Forest.
Once inside, Stacy removed the cloak and folded it over her arm. Then, both girls pull out their wands for light. The forest was dark and scarier than anything Stacy had seen before. She grabbed Courtney's arm and they slowly disappeared into the woods.
"Now what?" Stacy whispered as the reached the end of the path they had been following. The path had led them straight to the Whomping Willow.
Courtney bit her lip nervously. "We can't just go back now that we've come this far. Do you see anyone?"
"No," Stacy shivered. The forest was colder than she would have thought. She wished she had brought her cape with her. "Why don't we just go back? I'm tired and I haven't finished my Transfiguration reading yet."
"Who's there?" A voice boomed. Stacy turned around to see Mr. Filch standing about ten feet away from them. She quickly threw the cloak back around Courtney and herself. Then, they made the light from their wands disappear by whispering 'Nox'.
"Is that you again, Keith?" Filch yelled. "It's no use hiding."
Stacy gasped quietly as something moved in the bushes behind them. She grabbed Courtney's arm and they jumped to the side. The bushes parted and Keith climbed out.
"Get up here, boy," Filch yelled. "You can't go creeping around at night like this. How many detentions will take before you will give it a rest?"
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," Keith said in a particularly unapologetic tone.
"Right. Of course it won't," Filch muttered. "I'll see you in detention tomorrow night."
Once they had disappeared along the path, Stacy threw the cloak off again and whispered 'Lumos' to her wand.
"What was that about?" Courtney asked in amazement. "My sister's boyfriend is the one who keeps sneaking into the woods?"
"I guess," Stacy answered. Her mind was spinning, processing the scene she had just watched. Keith was interested in something in the woods. What and why?
"You ready to go back up?" Courtney asked. She looked disappointed. Stacy knew her well to know she had been hoping to find something more interesting than her sister's boyfriend in the woods.
Stacy didn't respond at first. She was trying to remember exactly what she had heard Keith say earlier that evening. "Is there something special that happens on May 15th?" She finally asked.
Courtney looked at her strangely. "No. Why?"
"I was just wondering," Stacy muttered as she pulled the cloak back over them.
"Are you okay?" Courtney whispered as they crept back into the castle. Stacy simply nodded in response. May 15th. The date kept running through her head. Something was going to happen then. She was sure of it. And, she was going to be involved with whatever it was. Whether she wanted to be or not.
The forest was never quiet, not even at night. But, this really didn't bother her. It was such a frightening place, the silence probably would have driven her insane.
Jana Black settled down under a tree. She was awfully tired this particular night. She had spent much of it running around and hiding. The forest had been crowded tonight. Keith had been there again. Jana was sure he had turned every stone over and put his head in every bush in an attempt to find whatever it was he needed so desperately. Plus, Stacy and Courtney had been there. That was a first. Jana was sure Stacy saw her at one point. She had been staring directly at her hiding spot, but she didn't say anything.
Jana shivered. It was an especially chilly night. She put another shirt on and curled up next to the tree. Maybe tonight she would get some sleep.
To Be Continued...
A/N:
Sorry it took me awhile to get this part out. I hope the next one comes out sooner.
As always, please review and sorry for spelling/grammar mistakes.
Thanks! =)
- Hope
"How could I not have seen this coming?" She muttered, her eyes never leaving the empty fireplace. Even the once furious flames had died down. "What is wrong with me?" She exclaimed loudly. A little too loudly. Stacy stood up for a moment and waited for the impending footsteps of a prefect telling her to go to bed. But, no one came. 'No one even cares about me'. Stacy thought sadly as she threw herself onto the couch in the common room again. Everyone else had gone to bed an hour earlier, but Stacy was afraid to go upstairs. She was afraid of the comments her room mates, including her Hogwarts best friend Courtney, would say to her.
'Everything would be fine if Jane's parents had never sent her that magazine!' Stacy thought bitterly. The magazine had been a hit with her fellow students. It had been passed around until every Gryffindor knew little Stacy Arrons was actually a huge celebrity with the Muggles. And, they all knew more about her parents' seperation than she did. While several of the Gryffindors had been sympathetic, many had teased Stacy mercilessly. Boys had followed her to dinner taunting her. Calling her 'Superstar' and saying she was just another bit of property for her mother to take from her father.
Normally, this type of a statement would have rolled off of Stacy. She would have either laughed at the people or just ignored it completely. But, it hurt worse when her own friends turned on her. Courtney especially had been furious when she learned Stacy had kept something so important to her life from everyone. Stacy flinched at the memory of Courtney's rantings to her. "What? We aren't good enough for 'Academy Award winner Stacy Arrons'?" She had cried. "I'm sorry. I didn't know we were in the company of a real live movie star all of this time! I should have practiced my curtsy before coming here. I hope we haven't offended you!" Stacy had never seen her friend so angry. It was like she was a completely different person. Not that Stacy could blame her for being upset. Keeping secrets could never end happily for the secret keeper.
The clock chimed again. It was half past twelve. Stacy pulled herself off of the couch and quietly made her way up to her bedroom. She collapsed on her bed in exhaustion without bothering to change into a nightgown or brush her teeth. She only wished the morning would never come.
Of course, the morning did come. And, it came far too quickly for Stacy. Before she knew it she was shuffling toward the Great Hall for breakfast. Instead of sitting in her usual chair next to Courtney, Stacy made her way to an empty section at the opposite end of the table. Neither Ben, Peter, or Courtney would look at her as she passed them. It was enough to make Stacy want to go back to her room and hide under her blankets.
"Feeling better, Stacy?" Keith asked as he sat down across from her.
"I guess," Stacy replied glumly. She took a piece of toast and spread some butter and jelly on it, but could not bring herself to eat. She was afraid she would throw up anything she tried to take in.
"I'm sorry about your parents," He continued. Stacy was surprised to see a genuine look of sympathy in his eyes.
"Good morning!" Rachel chirped as she sat down next to Keith.
"Morning, Rach," Keith said. He didn't seem at all surprised she was sitting at Gryffindor table. She was the only student to sit at another house's table that year.
"How are you, Stacy?" She asked. "Did you sleep well?"
Stacy nodded. She was relieved that Rachel had not asked her why she wasn't sitting with Courtney. "Did you?"
"Why are you sitting with *her*?" Courtney demanded from the other end of the table before Rachel could answer.
"What?" Rachel looked surprised.
Courtney smirked. "She didn't tell you? She's a big celebrity now."
"Actually, she always has been one," Jane cut in. "Ever since she was a toddler."
"What's the big deal?" Keith asked. "Stacy isn't allowed to keep things from you?"
"Well, she lied!" Courtney exclaimed.
"When?" Keith asked.
"She didn't tell the truth!" Courtney persisted.
"When?" Keith asked again.
Courtney shrugged and turned her attention back to Ben and Peter.
"Don't worry," Rachel told Stacy. "She'll get over it. She always does. Well, except when she turns it into a grudge that she holds against you for the rest of your life. But, that's only happened to me once."
"Why's she so mad at me?" Stacy wondered out loud.
"Courtney gets her feelings hurt easily," Rachel stated. "She turns her hurt into anger. She's probably upset that you didn't tell her you were famous."
"I didn't think it was important," Stacy said defensively.
"It isn't really," Rachel replied. "But, everything's a big deal to Courtney."
"I've noticed," Stacy said sadly.
"Don't worry," Rachel assured her. "It'll work out."
'I hope so,' Stacy thought. 'I really hope so.'
Apparently, word spread quickly through Hogwarts. Everywhere Stacy went people called her 'Superstar' or 'Hollywood' and made some sort of comment about the article or her parents. It reminded Stacy of the day she returned to school after winning her Oscar. The only difference was that then people meant it as a compliment.
Classes were especially difficult that day. The teachers did not act any differently toward her, but Stacy still had to sit at her usual place near Courtney, Ben, and Peter. It was almost impossible to work with them "ignoring" her.
"Do I put the Rutaweed or the soil in my pot first?" Ben asked during Herbology.
"The soil," Stacy replied. "You have to add the water to it before putting the plant in."
"Did you hear something?" Courtney sneered.
"Real mature, Court," Stacy muttered cheerfully.
"So what do I put in first?" Ben asked again.
"Stacy just told you," Justin responded. "Didn't you hear her?"
"I didn't hear anything," Courtney answered. "Is Stacy here?"
"Your hearing must be failing," Carrie joked. She winked at Stacy who smiled in response. At least Carrie and Justin weren't mad at her. Too bad they weren't in all of her classes.
"My hearing's fine," Courtney remarked. "I just didn't hear anything worth listening to."
"So, now I'm not worth listening to?" Stacy asked angrily.
"Did you hear something?" Courtney asked again.
By dinnertime, Stacy felt like she could strangle Courtney. Her 'friend' refused to leave her alone all day and had managed to turn Peter and Ben against her. Stacy couldn't understand why she was so mad. But, she did her best to avoid her. She sat with Penny Prickle at dinner in a chair as far away from her friends as possible.
"Are you okay?" Penny asked her hesitantly. Normally Stacy hated it when people asked her that, but it was refreshing to hear those words after a day of being taunted everywhere she went.
"I've been better," Stacy replied with a sigh. "Courtney's being really annoying about it."
"Why's she so mad at you?" Penny wondered.
Stacy shrugged. "She just is."
"So, do you think we have a chance at winning the House Cup this year?" Penny asked a little too optimistically. It was an obvious attempt to keep Stacy's mind off her problems.
"I guess," Stacy said as cheerfully as she could manage, which wasn't very cheerful.
"Before you go," Professor Dumbledore called as he stood up. "I would like to remind you to please stay out of the Forbidden Forest. Mr. Filch has had to stop several students from entering the forest this week." Stacy noticed he was looking distinctly at a group of Slytherins as he said this. "Also, I would like to see Stacy Arrons in my office before she goes to bed." Stacy's mouth dropped open at this. Several people turned around to stare at her and Stacy thought she heard the word 'Hollywood' being muttered somewhere.
"Stacy?" Penny asked after a minute. "Are you okay? Do you want me to come with you?" Stacy looked up and saw an actual look of anxiety on Penny's face.
"I'll be fine," Stacy replied weakly. "Thanks, though." As if in a daze, Stacy stood up and walked over to the teachers' table. Then, she followed Professor Dumbledore to his office amongst the murmurs spreading throughout the Great Hall.
"Have a seat, Stacy," Dumbledore said in an odd voice. It reminded her of the time she was seven and had broked her mother's favorite vase in the middle of a post-Oscar party. The type of voice that meant this is bad, but I am going to pretend everything's fine. Stacy sat down with a sinking feeling in her chest.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and glanced sadly at her. "I received a letter today from your father. I suppose you already know about your parents?" Stacy nodded dimly. Everyone knew about her parents. "Well, your father wanted to tell you that he would like it if you came home for our spring vacation. He is temporarily living with your grandmother in England. He will meet you at King's Cross and take you to see your grandmother."
"Sir," Stacy began quietly. "Why did he write to you? Why didn't he write to me?"
If these questions surprised Professor Dumbledore, he did not show it. "He will explain that when he sees you. He has asked me not to say anything yet."
Stacy looked at him curiously. "It has to do with my grandmother, doesn't it?"
Dumbledore nodded, but did not say anything else. After several minutes of silence, Stacy bid him goodnight and left his office.
The castle was abnormally silent as Stacy wandered through the hallways back to the Gryffindor tower. The silence was welcome in her mind after the day she had been through. Her mind had a lot to process.
'Why can't I just be normal?' Stacy thought dismally. 'What is normal, anyway? Something I'll never be.'
"What are you doing here?" A boy's voice cried from behind her. Stacy whirled around to see Keith talking to a woman dressed in a raggedy robe. Her head was covered in a scarf. Actually, Stacy couldn't tell she was a woman at first. It wasn't until she spoke that Stacy knew.
"What do you think I'm doing here?" The woman answered with the most evil laughter Stacy had ever heard. Stacy quickly stepped behind a suit of armor. Something told her she did not want them to see her.
Keith looked furious. "You won't get away with it! I won't let you."
The woman laughed again, sending shivers up Stacy's spine. "And, how exactly do you expect to stop me? You hardly have the resources or the power? You're nothing, boy. Always have been, always will be."
Keith grimaced. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You would like to think I can't stop you. That you're all powerful. You'll see. Come May 15th." He turned and stalked off in the direction of Gryffindor tower at that. The woman stared after him, before walking away in the opposite direction.
Stacy stepped out from her hiding place. Was it just been her or had Keith said that last part about May 15th a little too loudly?
"Anyone want to play chess?" Ben asked glumly. It was nearly eight o'clock and he was extremely bored.
Courtney looked up from her book and said she would play. Peter sighed and picked up Courtney's book, 'A Study of Rutaweed'. It wasn't the most interesting book, but it would keep him from dying of boredom.
"Where's Stacy?" Peter asked, forgetting he was supposed to be mad at her.
"I don't know and I don't care," Courtney answered as she ordered one of her players to move.
"She's probably still at Professor Dumbledore's office," Penny remarked. "Poor thing. She's had the most rotten day."
"She deserves it. After what she did to us," Courtney's voice trailed off.
Ben looked at her, his concentration broken briefly. "What exactly did she do to us? "
"She lied. Didn't tell us she was famous," Courtney replied.
"You realize how ridiculous that sounds, don't you?" Penny asked with a smile.
"It's not ridiculous!" Courtney insisted. "It's-"
"Silly. Immature. Overly stubborn. Childish. Mean. Cruel. Take your pick," Penny said with such willpower, even her sister Joan looked shocked.
"She's right, Court," Peter said softly. "Stacy didn't do anything."
Courtney, despite her obvious embarrassment, persisted in making her point. "That's my whole point. She didn't tell us. Why not? Is she ashamed of us?"
"I read an article about Stacy in a magazine for teenage Muggles," Jane stated brightly. "It was really interesting. She was only nine then. Had just won her Oscar. In it, she said she wanted to be normal. That she hated all of the attention people were giving her. She said she felt like she hadn't really done anything to deserve all of it."
"See!" Penny cried triumphantly. "Stacy just wanted to be thought of as your average student here. She didn't want the attention her fame brought. She wasn't being snobby."
The common room became silent for several minutes as people digested this information. Several people started to look at Penny with a newfound respect. It was the first time anyone really payed attention to anything she said. By the time Stacy returned several hours later, the whole incident had blown over and Penny finally had friends her age.
While Penny was playing the role of her protective older sister, Stacy was lost. She wasn't sure how it had happened, but she had wandered so far away from the tower she had no idea where she was. Stacy glanced around helplessly. She thought she knew every hallway in the school by now, but apparently she was wrong.
'Where am I?' Stacy thought desperately as she reached another dead end. It was getting to the point that even the sight of Peeves floating toward her with an armful of water balloons would be a very welcome sight. Stacy leaned against the wall and tried to catch her breath. It felt like she had walked the entire length of the school. To her surprise and horror, she abruptly fell right through the wall.
"Who's there?" A man's voice yelled as she tumbled through the wall and landed on the floor on the other side.
"Um, hi!" Stacy called as she pulled herself up. She saw an old man rushing toward her. Stacy glanced around the room and saw what seemed to be an apartment. Apparently, the man was living there.
"Are you okay?" The man asked with a look of concern. "That sounded like it was a hard fall."
"I'm fine," Stacy replied. She rubbed a spot of dust off of her robe's sleeve. "Sorry. I didn't mean to break your wa-" Her voice cut off as she looked at the wall and realized it was still in perfect condition.
The man smiled at her. "That's just there to keep the unwelcome guests out. Who are you anyway? I take it you're a student here."
Stacy nodded. "My name is Stacy Arrons."
The man's eyes widened. "Arrons, eh? Is your father named Simon?"
"That's my uncle," She replied. "My father's Tom. Do you know him?" The man stared at her for several minutes silently. "Hello, mister?" She asked nervously. She didn't like the way he was looking at her.
The man smiled again. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I haven't had many guests here. You'd think I didn't know how to talk to a person. So, you're Tom's daughter? Yes, I have met him. Nice boy."
Stacy frowned slightly. There was something very strange about this man. "He's a man now. He's married and everything." Her face turned red. "Well, he was married. I mean, he still is. They'll work it out."
"How long have you been going here, Stacy?" The man asked curiously. "Which house are you in? What's your best class? Do you play Quidditch?"
"This is my first year. I'm in Gryffindor. I don't really have a best class. I like all of them. I don't play Quidditch. I'm not very good at flying," Stacy answered quickly. Why did he want to know so much about her?
"You're in Gryffindor," The man repeated slowly. "That was my house when I went here. It's the best one if you ask me."
"I like it," Stacy replied. She twirled a strand of her hair nervously. She wasn't sure why she was nervous, but something about the man frightened her. She couldn't help wondering if Professor Dumbledore knew he was living there. "Most of my friends are Gryffindors. Well, I mean were. Now I have more friends in Hufflepuff and Slytherin."
"Slytherin!" The man jumped up in shock. "That always was a bad house. You-Know-Who came from there. So did every other one like him. Awful house. Nasty house."
Stacy glanced at her watch. It was nearly ten o'clock. "I should be going. It's getting late and I have homework to finish."
"Do you have an invisibility cloak?" The man blurted out. He was now pacing the room.
"Um, yes I do actually," Stacy answered. "Why?"
"Everyone should have one of those. They're very helpful. You'll need it many times if you're an Arrons. Arrons' always run into problems. They're drawn to them. Like a magnet. You'll see soon. You're too young to know the power that name can carry. Give it a couple years. Then, you will be begging for a different name. You'll see. Trust me, you'll see," The old man rambled. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to go off on you like that. You see, I am not used to being around people. They confuse me. It isn't you. Don't worry about that any. If you'll excuse me, I will be going to bed now."
Stacy watched him wobble up the stairs which she assumed led to his bedroom with a mixture of amusement and pity. The poor man could barely walk up the stairs. Stacy left his apartment feeling dazed. She instinctively walked back through the wall and easily found her way back to Gryffindor tower. It wasn't until she was safely back in the common room that realized she hadn't asked the man who he was.
The common room was still full as Stacy walked inside. People were everywhere. Doing homework. Talking. Playing games. Stacy didn't feel like dealing with any more insults, so she hurried up the stairs to her room quickly. She would do her homework in there.
"Stacy?" Courtney's voice asked as she entered the room.
Stacy didn't answer. She was still upset with Courtney.
"Is that you, Stacy?" Courtney asked. Stacy saw her curled up on the window seat. Her eyes were glued on something outside. Stacy walked over to the window and peered out.
"What are you staring at?" She asked coldly, trying to keep the interest out of her voice.
"I'm so sorry," Courtney blurted out. "I've been a jerk all day. Please forgive me!"
Stacy stared at her in surprise, but Courtney did not turn around. Was this a joke? "Are you serious?" She asked slowly.
Courtney nodded and spun around to face her. Stacy could tell she had been crying. "Forgive me?"
Stacy sighed. "Of course, I do."
Courtney threw her arms around her friend. "Let's never fight again!"
Stacy laughed. "Okay."
"Want to see something weird?" Courtney asked her eagerly. Her eyes lit up happily in their usual anxious way. Stacy nodded and Courtney pointed to something moving along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "See that? It's been doing that for the past hour."
"What is it?" Stacy asked. She leaned in closer to get a better look.
"I'm not sure," Courtney replied. "It looks like a monster doing some sort of mating ritual." Both girls laughed at this.
"Should we tell someone? A teacher, maybe?" Stacy asked as the figure moved into the woods. "Maybe it's another Slytherin."
Courtney's eyes lit up. "Better than that. Why don't we go after it?"
Stacy looked at her in a mixture of horror and awe. "Are you crazy? We'd be caught in two seconds. Plus, the woods are dangerous. Hasn't Rachel told you enough horror stories about people who go in them at night?"
Courtney jumped up. "I'm going. Are you coming?"
Stacy sighed heavily. "I suppose I should. You shouldn't go alone."
"Great! Can we take your cloak?" Courtney was already digging through Stacy's trunk for the invisibility cloak.
Five minutes later, the girls were covered in the cloak and quietly creeping down the stairs. It was difficult, but they managed to get out of the portrait hole without anyone hearing them. They carefully opened the door to go outside and hurried across the lawn to the Forbidden Forest.
Once inside, Stacy removed the cloak and folded it over her arm. Then, both girls pull out their wands for light. The forest was dark and scarier than anything Stacy had seen before. She grabbed Courtney's arm and they slowly disappeared into the woods.
"Now what?" Stacy whispered as the reached the end of the path they had been following. The path had led them straight to the Whomping Willow.
Courtney bit her lip nervously. "We can't just go back now that we've come this far. Do you see anyone?"
"No," Stacy shivered. The forest was colder than she would have thought. She wished she had brought her cape with her. "Why don't we just go back? I'm tired and I haven't finished my Transfiguration reading yet."
"Who's there?" A voice boomed. Stacy turned around to see Mr. Filch standing about ten feet away from them. She quickly threw the cloak back around Courtney and herself. Then, they made the light from their wands disappear by whispering 'Nox'.
"Is that you again, Keith?" Filch yelled. "It's no use hiding."
Stacy gasped quietly as something moved in the bushes behind them. She grabbed Courtney's arm and they jumped to the side. The bushes parted and Keith climbed out.
"Get up here, boy," Filch yelled. "You can't go creeping around at night like this. How many detentions will take before you will give it a rest?"
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," Keith said in a particularly unapologetic tone.
"Right. Of course it won't," Filch muttered. "I'll see you in detention tomorrow night."
Once they had disappeared along the path, Stacy threw the cloak off again and whispered 'Lumos' to her wand.
"What was that about?" Courtney asked in amazement. "My sister's boyfriend is the one who keeps sneaking into the woods?"
"I guess," Stacy answered. Her mind was spinning, processing the scene she had just watched. Keith was interested in something in the woods. What and why?
"You ready to go back up?" Courtney asked. She looked disappointed. Stacy knew her well to know she had been hoping to find something more interesting than her sister's boyfriend in the woods.
Stacy didn't respond at first. She was trying to remember exactly what she had heard Keith say earlier that evening. "Is there something special that happens on May 15th?" She finally asked.
Courtney looked at her strangely. "No. Why?"
"I was just wondering," Stacy muttered as she pulled the cloak back over them.
"Are you okay?" Courtney whispered as they crept back into the castle. Stacy simply nodded in response. May 15th. The date kept running through her head. Something was going to happen then. She was sure of it. And, she was going to be involved with whatever it was. Whether she wanted to be or not.
The forest was never quiet, not even at night. But, this really didn't bother her. It was such a frightening place, the silence probably would have driven her insane.
Jana Black settled down under a tree. She was awfully tired this particular night. She had spent much of it running around and hiding. The forest had been crowded tonight. Keith had been there again. Jana was sure he had turned every stone over and put his head in every bush in an attempt to find whatever it was he needed so desperately. Plus, Stacy and Courtney had been there. That was a first. Jana was sure Stacy saw her at one point. She had been staring directly at her hiding spot, but she didn't say anything.
Jana shivered. It was an especially chilly night. She put another shirt on and curled up next to the tree. Maybe tonight she would get some sleep.
To Be Continued...
A/N:
Sorry it took me awhile to get this part out. I hope the next one comes out sooner.
As always, please review and sorry for spelling/grammar mistakes.
Thanks! =)
- Hope