Amerkat: Is this soon enough? What can I say? I'm easily persuadable…
Heh heh. Sorry about the cliffhanger there, guys (uh, girls, rather). I had to! Otherwise, Draco threatened to bite off a chunk of my shoulder… +_+ And who says it'll be my last (cliffhanger, that is)? EEE hee hee hee hee!!!!! ::Insert Wicked Witch of the West Cackle:: Actually, I'd rather be referred to as the Wicked Witch of the East, but that's another story altogether. This one's much more interesting…
Oh, yeah, and this one's a bit of a shorty…well, longer than my first ones, but shorter than my latest ones. Make sense? Ah, who cares anymore, it's 4:55 in the morning…G'night! ~8]
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Disclaimer: Um, Beware Beer because it can both Blow and Suck at the same time…oh, yeah, and See Previous Chapter…suckersssss (Hmm…two Simpsons references in one shot…boo-yah).
Chapter 11: Bankruptcy (HA! Kidding, kidding…groan)
AHEM
The REAL Chapter 11: Crystalis
Madame Pomfrey leaned over the bed, picking up the stack of freshly washed linens she had just folded. It wasn't until she was upright did she notice the candy wrapper lying at her feet. Balancing the sheets with one arm, she knelt down the best she could, reaching with her other hand for the plastic wrapper. No sooner was it in her hand when the pile of linens toppled over and onto the floor. Only when she was on her hands and knees did Poppy realize that a shadow shared the floor space with hers.
Standing up quickly, she whirled around.
"Ronald Weasley! Didn't your parents teach you anything about not trying to scare people out of their wits?"
Ron blushed a brilliant red. "Sorry 'bout that, Miss Pomfrey, but I didn't want to startle you, or anything."
As she knelt down to pick up the sheets once more, Ron heard her mutter, "Fat lot of good that did." She then stood up, linens in hand once more. "Is it Harry you wish to see, dear?" she asked, motioning with her head towards Harry's sleeping form.
"Yes, Ma'am, if I could. Is he awake yet?" Poppy glanced from student to student, wondering if the boy was really serious or not. Finally, she responded, "Does it look as if he's awake?" No sooner had the words left her mouth when Harry's eyes began to flutter open, having been awoken by their conversation.
"Harry! How're you feeling?" Harry gave a small smile, but had he been more awake, would have jumped for joy at his friend's visit. "Better than before, I'll tell you that." Ron grinned widely, handing Harry his glasses when he began to grope around for them. "Here you are, mate." Ron's attention shifted to the bandage on his friend's forehead. Wincing slightly, he asked, "How does it look?"
Harry shrugged. "Well, I know it's not bleeding anymore, but I haven't seen it yet." Ron nodded, then looked at Harry sadly. "You gave us quite a scare earlier. Do you…remember anything?"
Lowering his eyes, Harry absent-mindedly brought his hand up to his left cheek. "Mmm Hmm. I even had a nightmare about it not too long ago. McGonagall heard me yelling, so she ran and got Dumbledore to do this 'Priori Morpheum' or something spell on me to see what my nightmare was about."
"Priori-what? I haven't heard of that one. And why did they care, anyway?" Ron's face suddenly fell. "Oh, no, Harry. Have they figured it out?"
Harry laughed lightly. "No, believe me. Dumbledore thinks it symbolizes me being too hard on myself, or some kind of psychological shite. Anyway, he used his wand to sort of suck the last dream I had from my head. It was really weird, though. I mean, it wasn't exactly something I wanted to relive again, or anything. I told them I couldn't remember it, but they wanted to see if I'd maybe dreamed of the person who attacked me."
"Oh, I get it. Sort of like 'Priori Incantatem' then. Did it hurt?"
Harry shook his head. "No, not at all. But…something else did." Ron eyed him strangely. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I dreamt that thing kept smacking me across the face, but it was right before I woke up. I just figured it was Madame Pomfrey trying to get my attention, but when I asked her, she denied it." The color had nearly drained from Ron's face by the time Harry was finished.
"Harry…how is that possible?" Harry shook his head. "I don't know, but…I felt it, I know I did. Even after I woke up." Ron continued to stare at him in a mixture of disbelief and worry a bit longer. Growing uncomfortable, Harry changed the subject.
"So," he asked, sitting up against the headboard, "what's Hermione up to?" Ron instantly perked up. "Gods, Harry, you'll never believe what's been going on…"
Ron recounted to Harry the details about the Marauder's Map and Hermione's findings, his friend hanging onto every word with excitement.
"Really?"
"Yep."
"No Way. Marcus Flint?! But he's a Slytherin--"
"It was sheer torture, Harry, sheer torture. I swear it, mate, Snape's going more nutters on us everyday. Maybe we'll be the ones to snap him, eh?" Harry smiled broadly at this, laughing out loud the best he could without drawing Madame Pomfrey's attention. "In that case, I can't wait to get out of here now."
Ron motioned with his head towards the nurse. "She say when that's gonna be?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "Soon, I hope. I don't think I can take even one more piece of chocolate at this point, Ron. Besides, I can't wait to see the expression on Malfoy's face when we finally find out where he's been hiding."
Ron glanced up at the clock. "Well, Harry, I say I've got another minute or two before she kicks me out, so--" Ron then smacked himself on the forehead. "Gods, Harry! I almost forgot! Hedwig brought this to you at Lunch." Reaching inside his robes he withdrew a long, slender box wrapped in brown paper. He was nearly beaming when he handed it to Harry, waiting for his friend to read the return address.
Harry's eyes lit up, nearly threatening to pop from their sockets they had grown so huge. It was from Sirius. Even though there was no return address, Harry knew that his godfather taking the risk to send him a package meant that he was safe. He stared at the package for some time before Ron gently prodded his shoulder with a smile.
"Well, go on, open it!"
Harry carefully untied the twine knotting the paper together, shredding like a present all but the section with Sirius' name on it. Paper aside, the box itself was black, with 'Harry' embossed in smooth, silver lettering on its cover. Lifting the top, a note fell out.
Dear Harry,
I hope this note finds you well. He doesn't want you to know, but Dumbledore owled me and told me what's been going on. I want you to be careful, Harry, more than ever. That's why I've gotten you this.
Inside you'll find a wand. This isn't an ordinary wand, Harry, but one carved from a magickally charged quartz crystal. It's called the Crystalis wand, and I've had it specially made for you.
The reason that this wand is so very different from yours, Harry, is that it is one of the most powerful wands ever created. For this reason it must never leave it's sheath until you feel that you are in real danger, and then and only then should it be used. There are no spells to recite, for simply touching the wand will allow you to possess some of the greatest power ever harnessed. That's all there is to it, Harry, unsheath I,t and then point it.
Oh, and if you should touch it before it's time to really use it, then it won't work. I don't know why because I've never seen one being used before, but I've heard tales of them in Azkaban. Please, Harry, use this just like I told you, and only when you are ready.
Be careful, Harry.
Love,
Sirius
Setting the note aside lovingly, Harry looked inside the box. Laying the leather sheath on the bed, he unrolled it gently for both he and Ron to see. When he was finished, they gasped simultaneously.
Never before had they seen anything so beautiful and masterfully carved in their lives.
The wand lay atop its protective covering looking much like a Unicorn's horn, only in solid crystal. Harry and Ron's eyes slowly met, their mouths wide open.
"Great Merlin, Harry, look at that thing," Ron commented softly.
"I know…I know." He couldn't believe that he would ever have received anything as remotely magnificent as this. Before he could dwell any longer on Sirius' letter, Madame Pomfrey was not-so-gently herding Ron out the door. "Um, I'll be by again later, Harry." Harry heard him yell, "Take care!" right before the nurse shut the door behind him. Harry then turned back to his wand--Crystalis--and carefully rewrapped it. He then slid it under his pillow where his other wand should have been as Poppy came over once more with a thick bar of chocolate.
She must have heard his earlier comment, because she gave him no choice but to chew as she shoved it into his mouth. Any thoughts of chucking it when her back had turned were quelled as he ruefully swallowed the last bit of it. He then smiled, placing one hand underneath his pillow, the wand safely at his side. For the first time in nearly three days, Harry wasn't afraid to fall asleep.
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Within the Library, Hermione had taken the two nearest tables and spread books across every inch of their surfaces, certain Madame Pince would have a conniption fit if she were to see her Library in such a disarray. She had pulled every Omens book, Encyclopedia of Magickal Beings, and everything in between that she saw potentially useful from the shelves around her. Half an hour later, she was down to one table, no small feat given the immenseness of the books surrounding her.
Either the books didn't mention either subject she was searching for, or the information had been repeated from that she already had. Then, finally, picking up one of the many Omen books, she hit paydirt.
Underneath 'doppleganger' was quite a few pages of accounts detailing various people and their encounters with their dopplegangers. Skimming through, Hermione found that both Muggles and Wizards alike had been encountering them for centuries. One was even a famous Muggle author of children's stories, nearly some two-hundred years ago. The more Hermione read, however, the more she noticed a disturbing trend.
After first encountering their dopplegangers, all of the people died shortly thereafter.
Hermione let the book slip from her hands and onto the pile atop the table. Was the doppleganger truly an omen of death? Wiping at her eyes, she chastised herself. You're going to start sounding like that Trelawney cow if you start believing everything you read…
She couldn't help, however, noting the similarities within each account. Finally, she earmarked the book and set it aside, picking up another to skim through. Though she didn't have time now, she made a mental note to ask Madame Pince after dinner just where the missing volume she needed of the Tome of Omens series had been misplaced.
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Okay, like I said, a shorty…-ish. Anyhoo, it's not a cliffhanger, right? Right! Yay! And as for the "famous Muggle children's author who saw his doppleganger and then died" bit, I do believe it was Lewis Carroll. I can't find the book I read it in, but it said that he had seen his sopping wet doppleganger walk up to him or something or another one day, and right after that--he drowned.
See? Truth is stranger than fiction!
And, before I fall asleep, the Updated, New, and Improved (but mainly just Updated) "Bold and the Beautiful" List! Yayyyyy!
Rolllllll Calllllll: Lady Foxfire! Raven! Allocin! Loopy! Lily Malfoy! Taracollowen! Iris! Zahrah Thomson-Radcliffe! Guess! Beccy! Amerkat! Mouse! Lili! AAAANNNNNDDDDD Lady of Arundel!!! Yay!!!! ~8]