C H A P T E R S I X
SOMETHING SUCH AS A MIRACLE "Did you hear it?" a Hufflepuff girl asked, running up to a group of her friends.
"Here what?" another responded, looking at her.
"They found her! They found the girl! Ginny, she's all right!" she exclaimed, a broad smile on her face.
Marclay looked up from her book towards the group of Hufflepuffs. She noticed a few of them, but most she had no idea who they were. She glanced over at Cho and Carrie, laying asleep beside her and stood up.
"Hey you, what's your name?" she asked the blond girl with pigtails.
"Hannah Abbot, Miss Diggle." the girl said, her pudgy face looking up at Marclay awkwardly.
"Tell me, what has happened. What is this with regard to Miss Weasley you are telling everyone about? And don't lie. I hate liars." Marclay said, threatening the younger girl with her authority.
"Just an hour ago, McGonagall said that we could go out and stretch in the entrance hall. Most were still asleep and they wanted to get some out before those woke up so it wouldn't be such a hustle." Hannah started, smiling up at Marclay. "I had just gone outside and was staying near Hagrid, and suddenly there was someone knocking on the door. He made us all head back to here. I was expecting it to be someone's parents coming to get their children away from Hogwarts, thinking it was unsafe. Well, when he opened the door, Ginny was standing there, as if she was in a daze!"
"Is that all?"
"No, she didn't remember a thing when he questioned her. I bet that the Death Eaters took her to learn stuff." Hannah said.
"What kind of stuff do you suppose?" Marclay asked, nailing the girl so she was able to get all the information she could out of her.
"Because they told her to tell us that no one should worry for a few months. That soon enough Hogwarts would be destroyed." Hannah said.
"Then she went walking by and wanted to find Dumbledore immediately."
"Do you know what it was about?" Marclay questioned.
"Of course I don't. She said she couldn't tell anyone, that she had to give him the message, and only him or they would kill her." Hannah said, her eyes looking down towards the ground. "Is that all you need?"
"Yes," Marclay said, patting her shoulder. "But, do not tell anyone else about this. The Weasley's will probably be sent off to find her. Dumbledore can announce it, we don't need you and all of the others to start gossiping about this and that. There's already enough gossip circulating around Hogwarts as it is."
"Yes, Miss Diggle." Hannah said. She turned and walked back towards the group of her friends.
Marclay let out a sigh of relief and starting walking over to the Weasley boys. As she approached them, she realized that all three were still asleep. She bent down and nudged what she guessed at the time to be George, for he was closest and not scrunched in by Lee Jordan. "W-Wha is it?" he asked, his eyes fluttering open. He glared up at her for a moment and then sat up. "I was asleep, what do you want?"
"I don't know if it is true, but they say Ginny's here. She's alive, here in the castle." Marclay said. When his eyes got wide, she knew it was Fred, for he was the only one of the two that got that wide-eyed expression. "She went to see Dumbledore, Hagrid's with her."
"W-Who told you?" he asked, grabbing her shoulders with his hands. "I must know, who told you this? Are they a known liar?"
"No, I don't believe she is. It was Hannah, Hannah Abbot, that fifth year Hufflepuff, right over there. The pudgy one with the pig-tails." Marclay said, nodding her head towards the girl. "She said it was recent, so you never know."
"I believe her. I don't think that anyone would lie about this." he said. "I-I've got to tell Ron and George, they're so worried."
Marclay smiled shortly as she watched him push George and then poke Ron. "I doesn't wan er wake up. Is it ter irly. Goer away yur stinkin' iadoit." Ron grumbled, rolling over and slapping Harry.
"Wake up you lousy fool." Fred said, poking Ron again in the side.
"You, too!" he pushed George over onto his back and plugged his nose.
"I-I can't breath! He's coming to get me, HELP!" George screamed, his eyes closed as he clawed up at the air.
"Wha- I'm awake! I'm awake!" Ron suddenly said, jumping up to his feet. His head shot around and he looked down at his brother. "Not you again."
"What? Can't I poke some fun?" Fred said, grinning. He finally let go of George's nose and starting chuckling to himself. "You alright there?"
"Of course I'm alright you guinea-pig." George said. He sat up and looked at Fred through slited eyes.
"Why did you wake us up? We need our sleep." Ron asked. He rubbed his eyes and sat back down on his sleeping bag.
"I have it on good authority that Ginny is alive and inside this castle right now." Fred said, watching the two of them look at him gauchely.
"You're lying!" George yawned, covering his mouth. "You just want to get our hopes up so that they can be shattered. Don't you think someone would have woken us up by now?"
"SOMEONE DID!" Fred declared, looking at George wide-eyed.
"Who?"
"Marclay did. Come one we've got to go find Mum and Dad." Fred said. He jumped up off of his sleeping bag and waited for George and Ron to get up. The two of them quickly stood and ran over to the door with him. Marclay looked behind her as they ran out the door.
She stood up and walked over towards the groups of sleeping Ravenclaws. Seeing that most were still asleep, she looked around, hoping to find something to do. As she looked off towards the Slytherins, she saw Kellie awake reading a book silently. She took in a deep breath and walked over to her, almost forcing a smile on her face.
"Er- Hi." Marclay said. "I was wondering if you were doing alright?"
"I'm doing great for the circumstances." Kellie responded, looking up at her. Her eyes were rimmed in red, yet her face looked dramatically refreshed. "And how are you? I know the two of you were really good friends."
"Better then yesterday. I actually slept last night, I guess that's what I could say." Marclay said, shifting on to her left leg.
"Me, too." Kelly replied. She looked back down at her book and turned the page.
"'Quidditch Through the Ages,' now that's a good book." Marclay said, looking at the picture of the famous Bulgarian Chaser, Dimitrov, throwing a Quaffle through a goal. "I remember going to that game when I was six. The referee called a cobbing's on him almost every single second. He even got a skinning from Joey Jenkins."
"So I heard." Kellie said. "Do you want to sit down?"
"Yes, I would like to." Marclay said, seating herself on the bottom of Kellie's sleeping bag. She had a grin upon her face now. Just talking about Quidditch seemed to liven any Wizard or Witch up in the least amount of time. "So, do you have any ideas if they plan on keeping Quidditch going? I think they do. It will just be a matter of a couple of days when they allow it. Of course after everything dies down."
"I suppose that may be true." Kellie said.
"In fact, if they don't decide to have the Quidditch Cup again this year, then I have a really bad feeling that there will be a few Dung Bombs thrown and Stink Pellets to make it worse. I know Terry Boot has an entire stock of them in his trunk." Marclay said, causing Kellie to laugh.
"I just hope they don't bring out Ever-Bashing Boomerangs and Fanged Frisbees. Then everyone will be in trouble." Kellie added.
"I would curl up in a ball and refuse to come out."
"I would run to Hogsmeade!" Kellie laughed. "I wouldn't want to be around while people are being bitten by a bunch of Fanged Frisbees."
"I'll come with you and then curl into a ball!" Marclay said. "That way we can possibly get away from all this fussy stuff!"
"How're you doing, Kellie?" Alexia asked, walking past her.
"I'm fine." Kellie replied, smiling at her. As Alexia walked away she looked at Marclay sadly. "You know, I tell everyone I'm fine, but in actuality I'm not fine. I just find it easier to tell them that. I'm waiting for when I'm dead and they ask how I'm doing. Too bad I won't be there to see their expressions when they find out I'm not FINE. Who knows, I might be, like the Bloody Baron or the Fat Friar. They're still around and no one really knows how long it's been since they've been dead."
"Probably a very long time." Marclay said. She looked off to her side to see Peeves come rolling into the room. Like always, he started throwing things at students, mainly the sleeping ones. Kellie turned and watched as a couple of the students woke up and started throwing things back at him. "You know, that will only make him do it more. Too bad he isn't intimidated by us in the very least."
"He's, well, just Peeves. One day he'll probably just disappear and nobody will even notice he's gone." Kellie said.
"I have a question for you." Marclay stated, looking at her with a straightforward look.
"What is it?"
"Blake told me that one of the reasons Bree was killed was because she was er- part Muggle?" Marclay asked, cringing at the thought of it. "I was just curious about this, well, on account of how the Slytherin house has never accepted anyone of Muggle heritage."
"Yes, she was." Kellie said, frowning.
"That was probably why Angelina was murdered. The two of them being sisters and all. It's very sad. I don't know why they don't like them." Marclay said, referring to the Death Eaters. "There is also something else I was wondering about, something Moody said last year."
"What is it?"
"What kind of a wand did she have?"
"Unicorn Hair, Maple, 9 1/2 inches."
"You're kidding me, right?"
"No, I'm not." Kellie stated, raising her eyebrow.
"I think there's something that's going on. Anna had a Unicorn Hair wand." Marclay said.
"That's right, why?"
"So did Angelina and Brian." Marclay replied, putting her chin in her hand.
Kellie sighed and looked at Marclay carefully. "So what you're saying is that they killed the students from houses with Unicorn Hair wands?"
"No," said Marclay. "Not that, they chose them because of something. But the wands were linked. Moody said they always take that they always take innocent ones first, that was how it was in the beginning of You-Know-Who's reign. Unicorns ARE innocent. Everyone knows this. The four people who they murdered, from what I know were innocent.
"Angelina and Bree were Muggle-born children, Brian was one of the smartest and fastest in Hufflepuff, Anna is a prefect. Not one of them have ever done anything bad that they should be punished for." Marclay explained, glancing around to see if anyone was listening.
"And you've only just realized this?"
"Yes, well, since last night I have been thinking hard about things. I sort of need an answer. What I need to know is what the four of them had in common other then their wands. I'm working on this, of course," Marclay explained. "I don't want to over do anything though. I'm just wondering if there's a link that will show if any others will be murdered any time soon or later on."
"Maybe it's because they were alone in their rooms and this was expected of us. That's why they were the ones that were murdered." Kellie said, half sarcastically.
"No, there were others alone in their rooms. It wasn't just these four students. Blake, being Head Boy, is trying to figure it out right now any ways." Marclay said. "I think I'll just allow him-"
"Oh, my bloody hell!" Kellie suddenly exclaimed. "That man just apparated on top of the Gryffindors!"
Marclay shot around and started laughing almost hysterically. "That's Ludo Bagman! He's one of the most amazing Beaters in the history of Quidditch! Too bad he was kicked out, and then refused to go back. He was great. But what is he doing here?"
"Oh, now I recognize him from coming here last year for the Triwizard Tournament. That's Bode and Croaker." Kellie said as two other men appeared. "The 'Mystery Men.' I wonder why they're here?"
"Probably to investigate the murders."
"Why did they apparate here though? Why not where Dumbledore is? Or outside?" Kellie asked.
"They aren't allowing outsiders to come into Hogwarts. I'm guessing Dumbledore had this planned, for you cannot apparate inside school grounds. They could have come in from a port key, but that is highly unlikely." Marclay said.
"Or they somehow broke the barrier. But then again, maybe there is a way that they can get through since they are from the Ministry."
"Perhaps." Kellie said. "I now know why he is a Beater."
"Why's that?" Marclay asked, turning her head and looking at Ludo. He was clumsily scrabbling out of the mess of Gryffindor's as they cussed at him. He finally managed to stand up straight and dusted off his robes. He then looked at the other two Wizards watching him with curiosity.
"Let's go then. Got to find Dumbledore." Ludo said, his voice overtaking the entire room. The three of them then quickly left the dining hall and disappeared behind the large doors.
"I'm going to go find Professor Snape. Question about Potions." Marclay said, standing up. "Oh, I almost forgot, don't be fine, be whatever you want to be. And let people know that's how you're feeling. Maybe they'll actually care. I can understand what it's like being in the Slytherin house, Ravenclaw's are almost the exact same on special occasions. You should see them come finals."
"I have and it's not the best thing in the world." Kellie said. "And thanks."
"Anytime. If you ever need to talk, just let me know. I'll be here or there. You can never not find me." Marclay said and smiled. "Good-bye then."
She walked off and left Kellie sitting in her spot, reading her book once more. Marclay walked out of the great hall, knowing the exact place she would find her uncle. She headed down to the dungeons, hoping she was right.
After having a little talk with Marclay, Kellie felt much better. At least they had an idea about why four students had died. Bree and Angelina had been part Muggle, but she didn't like to discuss it with anyone. Everyone knew that Slytherins were mainly purebloods, and if word got out that Bree was part Muggle, surely her reputation would be ruined. But that didn't seem to matter now that she was gone.
A loud bang rang suddenly out through the hall and Kellie's head shot up. It was only Peeves, throwing chairs and stealing students' wands and playing with them. This was his usual behavior, of course, for he loved tormenting the students, especially with first years and the prefects.
Kellie sighed and continued reading her book. Word had soon gotten around that Ginny was inside the school, and that the Death Eaters had taken her. The thought of being captured by Death Eaters made Kellie shudder. It had to have been horrible for small Ginny. Even an older skilled witch or wizard would still be frightened. Kellie was just glad that she was ok and it was much more relieving to see the Weasley twins back into their usual happy state. Ron was smiling again for the first time in a while and he looked much better than he did yesterday.
Dumbledore was still talking to Ludo Bagman at the front of the Great Hall. How he ever became the Minister of Magic was beyond Kellie. The man had apparated on top of Gryffindors, which, of course, they were clearly unhappy about. Ludo was once a Beater for one of the greatest Quidditch teams and Kellie thought maybe he should've stayed with Quidditch instead of the Ministry.
Draco, of course, still hadn't made any efforts to apologize to Kellie and she was beginning to think that maybe she didn't need him after all. He didn't care about her like she thought he did. She thought he was nice, sweet, and caring; but she was wrong, so terribly wrong. He only cared about himself and loved to put others down.
Kellie turned back to watch Bagman and Dumbledore, still in deep discussion. Professor McGonagall soon came up to them and told Dumbledore something who nodded and followed her out the doors of the Great Hall. Ludo Bagman then vanished with a small pop.
It seemed like many students were lightening up now that Ginny had come back. Many were laughing and gossiping with each other. Some were playing Wizards' Chess while others did schoolwork. One person that stood out to Kellie was Hermione Granger. Her nose was buried in a book that read, "Arithmancy" across the front of it. How could she possibly be studying for school? It was odd to Kellie why any student would even want to study while they had the time off.
Fred and George Weasley were talking to their Mum who was crying with happiness that her daughter was ok. Fred and George looked as if she was embarrassing them and tried to wander away. Mrs. Weasley caught them trying to sneak off and then pulled them back into a huge hug. Kellie smiled and laughed to herself, then burying her nose back into her Quidditch book.
She was right into the middle of the part where they were explaining how to do a very complicated move that Kellie wanted to pull off, but was interrupted by Ron Weasley, clearing his throat rather loudly.
She looked up at him and said, "Yes?"
"I-er, just wanted to say, sorry for being mean towards you. You're not like other Slytherins. You're nicer than them," Ron said while blushing feverishly.
Kellie smiled and replied, "Well thanks, Ron. That means a lot to me."
"No problem. Oh and I'm sorry to hear about Bree. I know she was your best friend," Ron said feeling a bit guilty.
"It's alright."
"But I do know something that would make you feel better!"
"What's that?" Kellie asked, wondering if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
"I know who fancies you!" Ron blurted out rather loudly.
Harry's head spun and he glared at Ron. "Don't you DARE!" he shouted across the hall.
Ron laughed and said, "It's Harry! Harry fancies you Kellie!" before racing off with Harry right behind him.
Kellie blushed and watched the two run around for a bit, catching bits and pieces of what they were yelling at each other.
"I told you not to tell!"
"It slipped!"
"No it did not! Wait til I get my hands on you, you little-"
Harry was cut off by Professor Flitwick saying, "Harry! What did you say?"
Harry ignored him and continued his chase after Ron.
Kellie laughed and once again tried to finish reading her book. Derrick Pritchyard, the Keeper for Slytherin's Quidditch team, soon interrupted her once more.
"Do you think Quidditch is still on?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, but I'm trying to learn these plays anyways. I think they'll come in handy if we want to beat Gryffindor."
"Well, we will. I know it. This is the first year that you're captain and I know you'll do a good job in leading us!" he said.
Kellie blushed a little and replied, "I'm not too sure about that. But if we can just master these plays, Gryffindor won't know what hit them!"
"That's the spirit!" Graham said before patting her on the back and walking away.
Kellie began working out the moves in her head one by one, praying that they would work out and that Quidditch was even still going to happen. They seemed to work in her head but making them work on the Quidditch pitch was a completely different concept.
Suddenly, Kellie's book was snatched out of her hands.
"Hey give that back!" she shouted.
It was Peeves of course, playing his little games. He stuck his tongue out at her and waved the book in front of her face, taunting her to try and get it.
"Peeves! Give that back!" she shouted once more.
"Try and take it little Kellie!" he said in a singsong voice.
"Peeves, do you want me to get the Bloody Baron involved?" Kellie said threateningly.
"N-No. H-Here's your book!" Peeves said before zooming off to bother other students.
Kellie opened her book back up to the page she was on. Everyone knew that the Bloody Baron, Slytherin's ghost, was the only one who could control Peeves. Even Professor McGonagall, who was the strictest teacher, couldn't control him! He was always up to something whether it was stealing books, tossing chalk, or dropping water balloons on the students' heads, Peeves always found a way to make trouble.
Soon, it was lunchtime and Dumbledore, with the wave of his wand, made steaming hot food appear in front of the students.
Kellie was thankful for this because at the moment she was feeling quite hungry. She ate a full meal for the first time in days and was feeling much better than she had in days. The Hall was filled with talking but soon quieted down so Dumbledore would make an announcement.
"As most of you know, our young Ginny Weasley has been returned to us. She is resting in the hospital wing and I can assure you that Madam Pomfrey is taking excellent care of her. I must ask, though, that you remain here for tonight so we can make sure that Hogwarts is safe. If it seems that nothing is wrong, you will be able to return to your dormitories and resume with classes."
Kellie was feeling quite happy about this for going back to class had cheered her up. She missed learning and was hoping that she would be able to continue on throughout the rest of the school year without Bree.
Before they knew it, bedtime had come and the fluffy sleeping bags had once more been brought out. Kellie took one close to her trunk and lay down. The Great Hall became dim and candles floated around the ceiling lightening the room so that students could walk around without stepping on others.
Kellie watched as the students scrambled about, trying to find sleeping bags that were close to their friends and lie down. Fred, George, and Ron were still sitting in a circle talking, looking wide-awake and much better.
Her green eyes wandered the room, pausing only to look at what people were doing. Her eyes then fell on Harry once more. He was looking at her, with a smile on his face. Kellie returned the smile and he blushed and looked down. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. What if Voldemort hadn't returned Ginny? What if he came here instead and decided to finish off the school? There were rumors that he told Ginny he was going to, but Kellie couldn't believe them. When Ginny said this she was obviously not in the right state of mind.
Why would Voldemort want Hogwarts anyways? What would he want with an old magic school? Would he turn it into a Dark Arts school to train more Death Eaters?
Kellie didn't know the answers to these questions, nor did half the school. But she did know one thing, for the first time in a while, she felt safe. She knew that she had people that cared for her. Marclay helped prove that to her. She had friends, even if they weren't all Slytherins.
Kellie thought of Harry and how Ron let it slip that he fancied her. She smiled to herself. Perhaps she would have to give Harry a chance. Draco obviously didn't care for her anymore so maybe something new was for the better.
Whatever she would decide, it would have to wait til morning. For tonight, she was just too tired to think about anything else.
SOMETHING SUCH AS A MIRACLE "Did you hear it?" a Hufflepuff girl asked, running up to a group of her friends.
"Here what?" another responded, looking at her.
"They found her! They found the girl! Ginny, she's all right!" she exclaimed, a broad smile on her face.
Marclay looked up from her book towards the group of Hufflepuffs. She noticed a few of them, but most she had no idea who they were. She glanced over at Cho and Carrie, laying asleep beside her and stood up.
"Hey you, what's your name?" she asked the blond girl with pigtails.
"Hannah Abbot, Miss Diggle." the girl said, her pudgy face looking up at Marclay awkwardly.
"Tell me, what has happened. What is this with regard to Miss Weasley you are telling everyone about? And don't lie. I hate liars." Marclay said, threatening the younger girl with her authority.
"Just an hour ago, McGonagall said that we could go out and stretch in the entrance hall. Most were still asleep and they wanted to get some out before those woke up so it wouldn't be such a hustle." Hannah started, smiling up at Marclay. "I had just gone outside and was staying near Hagrid, and suddenly there was someone knocking on the door. He made us all head back to here. I was expecting it to be someone's parents coming to get their children away from Hogwarts, thinking it was unsafe. Well, when he opened the door, Ginny was standing there, as if she was in a daze!"
"Is that all?"
"No, she didn't remember a thing when he questioned her. I bet that the Death Eaters took her to learn stuff." Hannah said.
"What kind of stuff do you suppose?" Marclay asked, nailing the girl so she was able to get all the information she could out of her.
"Because they told her to tell us that no one should worry for a few months. That soon enough Hogwarts would be destroyed." Hannah said.
"Then she went walking by and wanted to find Dumbledore immediately."
"Do you know what it was about?" Marclay questioned.
"Of course I don't. She said she couldn't tell anyone, that she had to give him the message, and only him or they would kill her." Hannah said, her eyes looking down towards the ground. "Is that all you need?"
"Yes," Marclay said, patting her shoulder. "But, do not tell anyone else about this. The Weasley's will probably be sent off to find her. Dumbledore can announce it, we don't need you and all of the others to start gossiping about this and that. There's already enough gossip circulating around Hogwarts as it is."
"Yes, Miss Diggle." Hannah said. She turned and walked back towards the group of her friends.
Marclay let out a sigh of relief and starting walking over to the Weasley boys. As she approached them, she realized that all three were still asleep. She bent down and nudged what she guessed at the time to be George, for he was closest and not scrunched in by Lee Jordan. "W-Wha is it?" he asked, his eyes fluttering open. He glared up at her for a moment and then sat up. "I was asleep, what do you want?"
"I don't know if it is true, but they say Ginny's here. She's alive, here in the castle." Marclay said. When his eyes got wide, she knew it was Fred, for he was the only one of the two that got that wide-eyed expression. "She went to see Dumbledore, Hagrid's with her."
"W-Who told you?" he asked, grabbing her shoulders with his hands. "I must know, who told you this? Are they a known liar?"
"No, I don't believe she is. It was Hannah, Hannah Abbot, that fifth year Hufflepuff, right over there. The pudgy one with the pig-tails." Marclay said, nodding her head towards the girl. "She said it was recent, so you never know."
"I believe her. I don't think that anyone would lie about this." he said. "I-I've got to tell Ron and George, they're so worried."
Marclay smiled shortly as she watched him push George and then poke Ron. "I doesn't wan er wake up. Is it ter irly. Goer away yur stinkin' iadoit." Ron grumbled, rolling over and slapping Harry.
"Wake up you lousy fool." Fred said, poking Ron again in the side.
"You, too!" he pushed George over onto his back and plugged his nose.
"I-I can't breath! He's coming to get me, HELP!" George screamed, his eyes closed as he clawed up at the air.
"Wha- I'm awake! I'm awake!" Ron suddenly said, jumping up to his feet. His head shot around and he looked down at his brother. "Not you again."
"What? Can't I poke some fun?" Fred said, grinning. He finally let go of George's nose and starting chuckling to himself. "You alright there?"
"Of course I'm alright you guinea-pig." George said. He sat up and looked at Fred through slited eyes.
"Why did you wake us up? We need our sleep." Ron asked. He rubbed his eyes and sat back down on his sleeping bag.
"I have it on good authority that Ginny is alive and inside this castle right now." Fred said, watching the two of them look at him gauchely.
"You're lying!" George yawned, covering his mouth. "You just want to get our hopes up so that they can be shattered. Don't you think someone would have woken us up by now?"
"SOMEONE DID!" Fred declared, looking at George wide-eyed.
"Who?"
"Marclay did. Come one we've got to go find Mum and Dad." Fred said. He jumped up off of his sleeping bag and waited for George and Ron to get up. The two of them quickly stood and ran over to the door with him. Marclay looked behind her as they ran out the door.
She stood up and walked over towards the groups of sleeping Ravenclaws. Seeing that most were still asleep, she looked around, hoping to find something to do. As she looked off towards the Slytherins, she saw Kellie awake reading a book silently. She took in a deep breath and walked over to her, almost forcing a smile on her face.
"Er- Hi." Marclay said. "I was wondering if you were doing alright?"
"I'm doing great for the circumstances." Kellie responded, looking up at her. Her eyes were rimmed in red, yet her face looked dramatically refreshed. "And how are you? I know the two of you were really good friends."
"Better then yesterday. I actually slept last night, I guess that's what I could say." Marclay said, shifting on to her left leg.
"Me, too." Kelly replied. She looked back down at her book and turned the page.
"'Quidditch Through the Ages,' now that's a good book." Marclay said, looking at the picture of the famous Bulgarian Chaser, Dimitrov, throwing a Quaffle through a goal. "I remember going to that game when I was six. The referee called a cobbing's on him almost every single second. He even got a skinning from Joey Jenkins."
"So I heard." Kellie said. "Do you want to sit down?"
"Yes, I would like to." Marclay said, seating herself on the bottom of Kellie's sleeping bag. She had a grin upon her face now. Just talking about Quidditch seemed to liven any Wizard or Witch up in the least amount of time. "So, do you have any ideas if they plan on keeping Quidditch going? I think they do. It will just be a matter of a couple of days when they allow it. Of course after everything dies down."
"I suppose that may be true." Kellie said.
"In fact, if they don't decide to have the Quidditch Cup again this year, then I have a really bad feeling that there will be a few Dung Bombs thrown and Stink Pellets to make it worse. I know Terry Boot has an entire stock of them in his trunk." Marclay said, causing Kellie to laugh.
"I just hope they don't bring out Ever-Bashing Boomerangs and Fanged Frisbees. Then everyone will be in trouble." Kellie added.
"I would curl up in a ball and refuse to come out."
"I would run to Hogsmeade!" Kellie laughed. "I wouldn't want to be around while people are being bitten by a bunch of Fanged Frisbees."
"I'll come with you and then curl into a ball!" Marclay said. "That way we can possibly get away from all this fussy stuff!"
"How're you doing, Kellie?" Alexia asked, walking past her.
"I'm fine." Kellie replied, smiling at her. As Alexia walked away she looked at Marclay sadly. "You know, I tell everyone I'm fine, but in actuality I'm not fine. I just find it easier to tell them that. I'm waiting for when I'm dead and they ask how I'm doing. Too bad I won't be there to see their expressions when they find out I'm not FINE. Who knows, I might be, like the Bloody Baron or the Fat Friar. They're still around and no one really knows how long it's been since they've been dead."
"Probably a very long time." Marclay said. She looked off to her side to see Peeves come rolling into the room. Like always, he started throwing things at students, mainly the sleeping ones. Kellie turned and watched as a couple of the students woke up and started throwing things back at him. "You know, that will only make him do it more. Too bad he isn't intimidated by us in the very least."
"He's, well, just Peeves. One day he'll probably just disappear and nobody will even notice he's gone." Kellie said.
"I have a question for you." Marclay stated, looking at her with a straightforward look.
"What is it?"
"Blake told me that one of the reasons Bree was killed was because she was er- part Muggle?" Marclay asked, cringing at the thought of it. "I was just curious about this, well, on account of how the Slytherin house has never accepted anyone of Muggle heritage."
"Yes, she was." Kellie said, frowning.
"That was probably why Angelina was murdered. The two of them being sisters and all. It's very sad. I don't know why they don't like them." Marclay said, referring to the Death Eaters. "There is also something else I was wondering about, something Moody said last year."
"What is it?"
"What kind of a wand did she have?"
"Unicorn Hair, Maple, 9 1/2 inches."
"You're kidding me, right?"
"No, I'm not." Kellie stated, raising her eyebrow.
"I think there's something that's going on. Anna had a Unicorn Hair wand." Marclay said.
"That's right, why?"
"So did Angelina and Brian." Marclay replied, putting her chin in her hand.
Kellie sighed and looked at Marclay carefully. "So what you're saying is that they killed the students from houses with Unicorn Hair wands?"
"No," said Marclay. "Not that, they chose them because of something. But the wands were linked. Moody said they always take that they always take innocent ones first, that was how it was in the beginning of You-Know-Who's reign. Unicorns ARE innocent. Everyone knows this. The four people who they murdered, from what I know were innocent.
"Angelina and Bree were Muggle-born children, Brian was one of the smartest and fastest in Hufflepuff, Anna is a prefect. Not one of them have ever done anything bad that they should be punished for." Marclay explained, glancing around to see if anyone was listening.
"And you've only just realized this?"
"Yes, well, since last night I have been thinking hard about things. I sort of need an answer. What I need to know is what the four of them had in common other then their wands. I'm working on this, of course," Marclay explained. "I don't want to over do anything though. I'm just wondering if there's a link that will show if any others will be murdered any time soon or later on."
"Maybe it's because they were alone in their rooms and this was expected of us. That's why they were the ones that were murdered." Kellie said, half sarcastically.
"No, there were others alone in their rooms. It wasn't just these four students. Blake, being Head Boy, is trying to figure it out right now any ways." Marclay said. "I think I'll just allow him-"
"Oh, my bloody hell!" Kellie suddenly exclaimed. "That man just apparated on top of the Gryffindors!"
Marclay shot around and started laughing almost hysterically. "That's Ludo Bagman! He's one of the most amazing Beaters in the history of Quidditch! Too bad he was kicked out, and then refused to go back. He was great. But what is he doing here?"
"Oh, now I recognize him from coming here last year for the Triwizard Tournament. That's Bode and Croaker." Kellie said as two other men appeared. "The 'Mystery Men.' I wonder why they're here?"
"Probably to investigate the murders."
"Why did they apparate here though? Why not where Dumbledore is? Or outside?" Kellie asked.
"They aren't allowing outsiders to come into Hogwarts. I'm guessing Dumbledore had this planned, for you cannot apparate inside school grounds. They could have come in from a port key, but that is highly unlikely." Marclay said.
"Or they somehow broke the barrier. But then again, maybe there is a way that they can get through since they are from the Ministry."
"Perhaps." Kellie said. "I now know why he is a Beater."
"Why's that?" Marclay asked, turning her head and looking at Ludo. He was clumsily scrabbling out of the mess of Gryffindor's as they cussed at him. He finally managed to stand up straight and dusted off his robes. He then looked at the other two Wizards watching him with curiosity.
"Let's go then. Got to find Dumbledore." Ludo said, his voice overtaking the entire room. The three of them then quickly left the dining hall and disappeared behind the large doors.
"I'm going to go find Professor Snape. Question about Potions." Marclay said, standing up. "Oh, I almost forgot, don't be fine, be whatever you want to be. And let people know that's how you're feeling. Maybe they'll actually care. I can understand what it's like being in the Slytherin house, Ravenclaw's are almost the exact same on special occasions. You should see them come finals."
"I have and it's not the best thing in the world." Kellie said. "And thanks."
"Anytime. If you ever need to talk, just let me know. I'll be here or there. You can never not find me." Marclay said and smiled. "Good-bye then."
She walked off and left Kellie sitting in her spot, reading her book once more. Marclay walked out of the great hall, knowing the exact place she would find her uncle. She headed down to the dungeons, hoping she was right.
After having a little talk with Marclay, Kellie felt much better. At least they had an idea about why four students had died. Bree and Angelina had been part Muggle, but she didn't like to discuss it with anyone. Everyone knew that Slytherins were mainly purebloods, and if word got out that Bree was part Muggle, surely her reputation would be ruined. But that didn't seem to matter now that she was gone.
A loud bang rang suddenly out through the hall and Kellie's head shot up. It was only Peeves, throwing chairs and stealing students' wands and playing with them. This was his usual behavior, of course, for he loved tormenting the students, especially with first years and the prefects.
Kellie sighed and continued reading her book. Word had soon gotten around that Ginny was inside the school, and that the Death Eaters had taken her. The thought of being captured by Death Eaters made Kellie shudder. It had to have been horrible for small Ginny. Even an older skilled witch or wizard would still be frightened. Kellie was just glad that she was ok and it was much more relieving to see the Weasley twins back into their usual happy state. Ron was smiling again for the first time in a while and he looked much better than he did yesterday.
Dumbledore was still talking to Ludo Bagman at the front of the Great Hall. How he ever became the Minister of Magic was beyond Kellie. The man had apparated on top of Gryffindors, which, of course, they were clearly unhappy about. Ludo was once a Beater for one of the greatest Quidditch teams and Kellie thought maybe he should've stayed with Quidditch instead of the Ministry.
Draco, of course, still hadn't made any efforts to apologize to Kellie and she was beginning to think that maybe she didn't need him after all. He didn't care about her like she thought he did. She thought he was nice, sweet, and caring; but she was wrong, so terribly wrong. He only cared about himself and loved to put others down.
Kellie turned back to watch Bagman and Dumbledore, still in deep discussion. Professor McGonagall soon came up to them and told Dumbledore something who nodded and followed her out the doors of the Great Hall. Ludo Bagman then vanished with a small pop.
It seemed like many students were lightening up now that Ginny had come back. Many were laughing and gossiping with each other. Some were playing Wizards' Chess while others did schoolwork. One person that stood out to Kellie was Hermione Granger. Her nose was buried in a book that read, "Arithmancy" across the front of it. How could she possibly be studying for school? It was odd to Kellie why any student would even want to study while they had the time off.
Fred and George Weasley were talking to their Mum who was crying with happiness that her daughter was ok. Fred and George looked as if she was embarrassing them and tried to wander away. Mrs. Weasley caught them trying to sneak off and then pulled them back into a huge hug. Kellie smiled and laughed to herself, then burying her nose back into her Quidditch book.
She was right into the middle of the part where they were explaining how to do a very complicated move that Kellie wanted to pull off, but was interrupted by Ron Weasley, clearing his throat rather loudly.
She looked up at him and said, "Yes?"
"I-er, just wanted to say, sorry for being mean towards you. You're not like other Slytherins. You're nicer than them," Ron said while blushing feverishly.
Kellie smiled and replied, "Well thanks, Ron. That means a lot to me."
"No problem. Oh and I'm sorry to hear about Bree. I know she was your best friend," Ron said feeling a bit guilty.
"It's alright."
"But I do know something that would make you feel better!"
"What's that?" Kellie asked, wondering if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
"I know who fancies you!" Ron blurted out rather loudly.
Harry's head spun and he glared at Ron. "Don't you DARE!" he shouted across the hall.
Ron laughed and said, "It's Harry! Harry fancies you Kellie!" before racing off with Harry right behind him.
Kellie blushed and watched the two run around for a bit, catching bits and pieces of what they were yelling at each other.
"I told you not to tell!"
"It slipped!"
"No it did not! Wait til I get my hands on you, you little-"
Harry was cut off by Professor Flitwick saying, "Harry! What did you say?"
Harry ignored him and continued his chase after Ron.
Kellie laughed and once again tried to finish reading her book. Derrick Pritchyard, the Keeper for Slytherin's Quidditch team, soon interrupted her once more.
"Do you think Quidditch is still on?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, but I'm trying to learn these plays anyways. I think they'll come in handy if we want to beat Gryffindor."
"Well, we will. I know it. This is the first year that you're captain and I know you'll do a good job in leading us!" he said.
Kellie blushed a little and replied, "I'm not too sure about that. But if we can just master these plays, Gryffindor won't know what hit them!"
"That's the spirit!" Graham said before patting her on the back and walking away.
Kellie began working out the moves in her head one by one, praying that they would work out and that Quidditch was even still going to happen. They seemed to work in her head but making them work on the Quidditch pitch was a completely different concept.
Suddenly, Kellie's book was snatched out of her hands.
"Hey give that back!" she shouted.
It was Peeves of course, playing his little games. He stuck his tongue out at her and waved the book in front of her face, taunting her to try and get it.
"Peeves! Give that back!" she shouted once more.
"Try and take it little Kellie!" he said in a singsong voice.
"Peeves, do you want me to get the Bloody Baron involved?" Kellie said threateningly.
"N-No. H-Here's your book!" Peeves said before zooming off to bother other students.
Kellie opened her book back up to the page she was on. Everyone knew that the Bloody Baron, Slytherin's ghost, was the only one who could control Peeves. Even Professor McGonagall, who was the strictest teacher, couldn't control him! He was always up to something whether it was stealing books, tossing chalk, or dropping water balloons on the students' heads, Peeves always found a way to make trouble.
Soon, it was lunchtime and Dumbledore, with the wave of his wand, made steaming hot food appear in front of the students.
Kellie was thankful for this because at the moment she was feeling quite hungry. She ate a full meal for the first time in days and was feeling much better than she had in days. The Hall was filled with talking but soon quieted down so Dumbledore would make an announcement.
"As most of you know, our young Ginny Weasley has been returned to us. She is resting in the hospital wing and I can assure you that Madam Pomfrey is taking excellent care of her. I must ask, though, that you remain here for tonight so we can make sure that Hogwarts is safe. If it seems that nothing is wrong, you will be able to return to your dormitories and resume with classes."
Kellie was feeling quite happy about this for going back to class had cheered her up. She missed learning and was hoping that she would be able to continue on throughout the rest of the school year without Bree.
Before they knew it, bedtime had come and the fluffy sleeping bags had once more been brought out. Kellie took one close to her trunk and lay down. The Great Hall became dim and candles floated around the ceiling lightening the room so that students could walk around without stepping on others.
Kellie watched as the students scrambled about, trying to find sleeping bags that were close to their friends and lie down. Fred, George, and Ron were still sitting in a circle talking, looking wide-awake and much better.
Her green eyes wandered the room, pausing only to look at what people were doing. Her eyes then fell on Harry once more. He was looking at her, with a smile on his face. Kellie returned the smile and he blushed and looked down. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. What if Voldemort hadn't returned Ginny? What if he came here instead and decided to finish off the school? There were rumors that he told Ginny he was going to, but Kellie couldn't believe them. When Ginny said this she was obviously not in the right state of mind.
Why would Voldemort want Hogwarts anyways? What would he want with an old magic school? Would he turn it into a Dark Arts school to train more Death Eaters?
Kellie didn't know the answers to these questions, nor did half the school. But she did know one thing, for the first time in a while, she felt safe. She knew that she had people that cared for her. Marclay helped prove that to her. She had friends, even if they weren't all Slytherins.
Kellie thought of Harry and how Ron let it slip that he fancied her. She smiled to herself. Perhaps she would have to give Harry a chance. Draco obviously didn't care for her anymore so maybe something new was for the better.
Whatever she would decide, it would have to wait til morning. For tonight, she was just too tired to think about anything else.