Authors notes at bottom...
Two girls sat, back to back on a four-poster in the fifth-year dorm hall, with scarlet curtains shut, making their hideout totally secret. The first was Juliet Van Kampen - a perky blonde who was no bigger then a minute. The second was Arabella Helene Figg - whose hair was about the same color as dark chocolate and whose eyes were a particularly odd shade of dark blue. The two were talking in hushed voices, revealing secrets and gossiping even though they knew they shouldn't. The subject of names was brought up (it often was, the two girls seemed obsessed with names) and the conversation turned to the two of them.
"Arabella," Juliet stated, "is a lovely name, despite what you seem to think. It means 'beautiful'."
Arabella sighed. "It makes me sound eighty."
"So - if you hate it so much, switch to Helene."
"Helene? That's no better," Arabella said with a sigh. "I wish my name was Juliet."
"What?! Why?"
"To be named after one of the greatest lovers of all time..."
Juliet couldn't help but smirk. "You just might change that."
Arabella gasped, "What exactly are you implying, Juliet?"
"Well - just lately I've been having visions..."
Arabella wanted to laugh. Divination was the least precise magical study of all - mostly involving guesswork. Those who truly see were few and far between - and Arabella was definately not one of the few. She had failed Divination in her third year, when she had originally signed up for the class. On the other hand, Juliet excelled in the class and it was, by far, her favorite. She spoke often of her visions and the tarot - and sometimes, secretly, Arabella wished she'd never dropped out of Divination or that, perhaps, she might have some hidden skill in it waiting to erupt.
"Visions," she repeated, mockingly.
Juliet smiled and moved so she was sitting face to face with Arabella, "I tell you, I can see these things. And I'm right - you just wait and see."
Arabella didn't believe her for a second but she went along with it anyway. "Whatever you say but I won't get my hopes up or anything."
Juliet rolled her eyes. "Look - I've got to go down into the Common Room now and meet Blane." Blane was Juliet's sixth year boyfriend. "Want to come down with me?"
"Oh - sure."
"Okay - let me get my cloak, in case Blane and I decide to take a walk or something."
Juliet took her cloak from her wardrobe and the two headed toward the girl's stairwell, which was crammed with female Gryffindors talking in small packs.
There were seventy students in Gryffindor with ten entering each year; five boys, five girls added together. The Common Room was the public meeting place, the family room of "the Tower" -, as the elder Gryffindors liked to call it. There was enough space in the circular room for everyone and, almost, enough chairs to accommodate everyone plus more.
The annual Gryffindor Chess Tournament had been going on for about four months now. Every night the elder boys would crowd around the chessboard and watch the mini-wars played out by the pieces. During the first month of the tourney the girls of Gryffindor had been quite interested in the tournament - spending nights silently watching the boys - but evidently that was over now and the girls were quickly busying themselves with other things.
Most girls read books, others chatted in quiet corners, and still more pulled their boyfriends out of the tornado of the Chess Tourney - which, from what Arabella had heard, annually ruined relationships and sent grades toppling down to the ground.
The girls made their way through the Common Room - stopping to say their 'hi's' and 'how are you's' every now and then. The Gryffindors were extremely friendly with one another - they were more like a family then a group of unattached kids sharing a dorm-house - and Arabella was surprised with the amount of acquaintances she had acquired over the past months.
"House Meeting tonight!" Adrian Jerie, a Gryffindor prefect, called. "House Meeting! We've got special announcements."
Now there was general commotion in the Common Room as everyone bustled around and began to talk at once. "What time?" someone shouted over the commotion.
"Uh - 9:00 should do it!" Adrian yelled, making his way back toward his fellow prefect, his female counterpart and best friend, Emma Jonbe.
Arabella and Juliet darted through the crowds. "There went my plans for a walk," Juliet said, only slightly sad.
"Well it must be important - otherwise, Adrian and Emma wouldn't call a meeting."
Juliet only shook her head and grabbed the banister of the boy's dorm staircase. "It doesn't matter now," she explained, moving quickly with Arabella slightly behind her.
A crowd of fifth year boys that Arabella was familiar with in class, among them William Potter (a good friend of hers), were clogging the staircase and asking questions of a tall redhead that oddly looked like a boy that had left Hogwarts in third year for home-tutoring, an Albus Dumbledore.
As they passed and tried to squeeze their way through, Juliet gave the boys A Look but quickly forgot them as they approached the 6th year dorm's door. Sweetly, she knocked.
Blane opened the door and immediately threw his arms around his girlfriend. Maybe he didn't know Arabella was there but he immediately lowered his lips down to Juliet's for a kiss.
Arabella broke out into a wild blush - she'd never seen Juliet and Blane kiss before. Quite often they hugged each other, held hands, and linked fingers. Yes, they were quite touchy-feely but never had she seen them kiss - never.
"Excuse me," she mumbled and turned on her heel, moving fast away from the 6th year dorms.
She plowed straight into the group of fifth year boys crowding on the stairs.
***
"Didn't anyone ever tell you to not clog up the stairs?" the blushing brunette with wild eyes cried, pushing her way through the group of them.
Albus watched her as she ran angrily down the stairs, using oddly catlike grace; that of a tiger, a panther, a snow leopard. As she turned the corner the pleat of her skirt shifted for just a second. In that moment he wanted her utterly but was unable to move, to say anything.
"Who the hell was that?" was all he managed to say.
Suddenly, Will Potter broke from the group. "Sorry - can't talk, got to run."
"Don't tell me Will is dating her," Albus said, looking after Will's retreating back.
"Who? Arabella?!" Christian Voight managed.
"Huh?"
"That's Arabella - Arabella Figg."
"Arabella Figg?! You're joking!" Lowering his voice he leaned in, "She did a wonderful job of growing up. But hey - what about her and Potter."
"Oh - no, not that I know of anyway," Christian continued. "They're just good friends is all."
"Ah, I see." Albus began starting to make his way down the stairs.
"Hey - Albus!"
"Yeah?"
"It's great to have you back."
***
She nearly threw herself down the stairs, running away from the image of Juliet and Blane kissing each other hard on the lips. Unfortunately, the Common Room wasn't much better. For one thing, there were couples everywhere - pressed against each other. Sighing, she pushed a strand of hair away from her face and fled toward the library. Perhaps some studying would cheer her up, even though she was rather doubtful of the fact.
A hand touched her shoulder and she spun around to look into the sweet, welcome face of William Potter.
"Will!" she cried in happiness, resisting the urge to throw her arms around his neck.
He smiled at her. "How's my favorite girl?"
"Delightful," she replied.
"Yeah right - the way you plowed through the guys and myself, really delightful."
She blushed again. "Look - I was just trying to get away..."
"Away from what?"
She hesitated to reply and suddenly she was almost overtaken by the image of boys strolling towards her - most of them ones she'd spoken to once or twice in class but this red head was new. The red head smiled as he came closer and, immediately, took her hand in his own.
Though she thought it was a little presumptuous of him, her eyes couldn't help but flutter up toward him gracefully. She looked at him through bright eyes as he raised her hand to his lips. And kissed it.
Dreadfully medieval, deeply old fashioned, impolitely rude.
She loved it.
"I couldn't help but notice the wonderful way you exploded up there on the staircase. You're quite fiery these days, aren't you Bella?"
She immediately wanted to reply with a simple 'yes' but stopped to think of what he had just said. "These days?"
"You mean you don't remember me?"
She paused, unsure of herself. "Not especially."
"Well," he said, adding a smile for good measure, "my name is Albus Dumbledore."
She gasped. "You're back!?"
"Well I had to come back sometime, didn't I?"
"I didn't think you would," she said softly.
Will was watching all of this with knowing eyes. He'd seen the way Albus had looked at Arabella on the stairs and he could make the connection easily enough.
Her hand was still in his own and she pulled it, quickly now, away. "Uh - I'm sorry."
"Oh no - totally my fault."
The two laughed and William winced, knowingly.
"Uh - look, I'm going to go study. There's a Common Room meeting at nine; you'll both be there?" Arabella looked at the two boys matter-of-factly and they both nodded. "I'll see you then."
And she moved away, Albus wistfully watching her walk away. William wasn't watching Arabella as much as he was scowling at Albus.
***
At exactly 8:58 the Common Room was filled to the brim with talking Gryffindors. Arabella had walked in ten minutes earlier and had taken a seat on the arm of a large couch, crossing her legs neatly one over the other and trying to avoid staring at that Albus boy.
As the large Common Room clock chimed 9:00, the Head Gryffindor Prefect - Charles Smith made his way to the center of the room and all talking ceased. He was leading Steven Tyler and Steven's girlfriend, Bethany Toomey. Bethany was something of a role model to Arabella and had been since Arabella's first year of Hogwarts.
Steven and Bethany had been going out for three years and were now in their Seventh Year, together. Most everyone in the room knew the couple well and supported them greatly - so, this news would affect most everyone in the room. Interested, most of the Gryffindors leaned in.
"Take a seat," Charles commanded, as Bethany seated herself in a large chair and Steven sat neatly on the arm of said chair. "Whenever you're ready," he mumbled, moving toward the end of line of Prefects standing behind the couch filled with first-years.
Bethany smiled up at Steven, slightly. "Do you want to tell them?"
"Oh - no, you do it."
"...Okay."
She turned her gray eyes on the room and swept them around, her smile returning. Steven suddenly kissed the edge of her hand and she looked up at him, smile still on her face. "Steven and I are having a baby."
The Common Room became totally silent, as if all of the sound had been totally drowned out of it.
"Isn't that wonderful news?" Bethany pressed on.
Again no one spoke, until...
"You're not serious." Emma was looking at them with steely eyes. "You can't be serious."
Steven looked at Emma angrily.
"Totally serious," Bethany said, "Steven and I have it all planned out - don't we Steven?"
He nodded.
"We're both in our Seventh Year and we're planning on getting married sometime afterwards, anyway. The baby will be born in the last month of school before graduation - "
"What? How long have you known?!" someone cried.
"Since before school began...but its time I told you, I'll be in my third month soon and I'll start to really show..."
"Do the teachers know about this?" the female seventh year prefect, Claire-Louise, asked, her voice filled with fear.
"No, not yet anyway. But we will tell them when we're ready."
"How did this happen?" a first-year, Lyndi Ritter asked.
No one answered her.
"You have to tell Professor Dippit - so they can get proper care for you," Charles began.
"Honestly - we've thought about that...but..."
"But?!"
"Look," Bethany's voice sounded very small "just be happy for us, please."
"How are we supposed to be happy about this?" another prefect asked.
"Accept it," Steven said, rather angrily.
"How are we supposed to accept this, Steven?!" Charles cried.
Tears were filling Bethany's eyes. One of her friends, a girl named Irena Rambota, looked at Charles and Emma matter-of-factly, "Back off, okay?"
Again the room became very quiet.
"Well - I think that's the end of this meeting," Charles said, sarcastically. "Anyone have anything else to say?"
Arabella rose one trembling hand in the air. She was even paler than usual and her dark eyes stood out in her face.
"Yes?"
"May I be excused?"
She did not wait for an answer, only stood up and ran from the room...
There was a brief pause and then Albus stood and followed her at a quick pace.
Author's Note
Chapter Title: Where These Dreams Go: "And I wonder where these dreams go /when the world gets in your way/what's the point in all this screaming/no one's listening anyway"
Feedback appreciated.
Two girls sat, back to back on a four-poster in the fifth-year dorm hall, with scarlet curtains shut, making their hideout totally secret. The first was Juliet Van Kampen - a perky blonde who was no bigger then a minute. The second was Arabella Helene Figg - whose hair was about the same color as dark chocolate and whose eyes were a particularly odd shade of dark blue. The two were talking in hushed voices, revealing secrets and gossiping even though they knew they shouldn't. The subject of names was brought up (it often was, the two girls seemed obsessed with names) and the conversation turned to the two of them.
"Arabella," Juliet stated, "is a lovely name, despite what you seem to think. It means 'beautiful'."
Arabella sighed. "It makes me sound eighty."
"So - if you hate it so much, switch to Helene."
"Helene? That's no better," Arabella said with a sigh. "I wish my name was Juliet."
"What?! Why?"
"To be named after one of the greatest lovers of all time..."
Juliet couldn't help but smirk. "You just might change that."
Arabella gasped, "What exactly are you implying, Juliet?"
"Well - just lately I've been having visions..."
Arabella wanted to laugh. Divination was the least precise magical study of all - mostly involving guesswork. Those who truly see were few and far between - and Arabella was definately not one of the few. She had failed Divination in her third year, when she had originally signed up for the class. On the other hand, Juliet excelled in the class and it was, by far, her favorite. She spoke often of her visions and the tarot - and sometimes, secretly, Arabella wished she'd never dropped out of Divination or that, perhaps, she might have some hidden skill in it waiting to erupt.
"Visions," she repeated, mockingly.
Juliet smiled and moved so she was sitting face to face with Arabella, "I tell you, I can see these things. And I'm right - you just wait and see."
Arabella didn't believe her for a second but she went along with it anyway. "Whatever you say but I won't get my hopes up or anything."
Juliet rolled her eyes. "Look - I've got to go down into the Common Room now and meet Blane." Blane was Juliet's sixth year boyfriend. "Want to come down with me?"
"Oh - sure."
"Okay - let me get my cloak, in case Blane and I decide to take a walk or something."
Juliet took her cloak from her wardrobe and the two headed toward the girl's stairwell, which was crammed with female Gryffindors talking in small packs.
There were seventy students in Gryffindor with ten entering each year; five boys, five girls added together. The Common Room was the public meeting place, the family room of "the Tower" -, as the elder Gryffindors liked to call it. There was enough space in the circular room for everyone and, almost, enough chairs to accommodate everyone plus more.
The annual Gryffindor Chess Tournament had been going on for about four months now. Every night the elder boys would crowd around the chessboard and watch the mini-wars played out by the pieces. During the first month of the tourney the girls of Gryffindor had been quite interested in the tournament - spending nights silently watching the boys - but evidently that was over now and the girls were quickly busying themselves with other things.
Most girls read books, others chatted in quiet corners, and still more pulled their boyfriends out of the tornado of the Chess Tourney - which, from what Arabella had heard, annually ruined relationships and sent grades toppling down to the ground.
The girls made their way through the Common Room - stopping to say their 'hi's' and 'how are you's' every now and then. The Gryffindors were extremely friendly with one another - they were more like a family then a group of unattached kids sharing a dorm-house - and Arabella was surprised with the amount of acquaintances she had acquired over the past months.
"House Meeting tonight!" Adrian Jerie, a Gryffindor prefect, called. "House Meeting! We've got special announcements."
Now there was general commotion in the Common Room as everyone bustled around and began to talk at once. "What time?" someone shouted over the commotion.
"Uh - 9:00 should do it!" Adrian yelled, making his way back toward his fellow prefect, his female counterpart and best friend, Emma Jonbe.
Arabella and Juliet darted through the crowds. "There went my plans for a walk," Juliet said, only slightly sad.
"Well it must be important - otherwise, Adrian and Emma wouldn't call a meeting."
Juliet only shook her head and grabbed the banister of the boy's dorm staircase. "It doesn't matter now," she explained, moving quickly with Arabella slightly behind her.
A crowd of fifth year boys that Arabella was familiar with in class, among them William Potter (a good friend of hers), were clogging the staircase and asking questions of a tall redhead that oddly looked like a boy that had left Hogwarts in third year for home-tutoring, an Albus Dumbledore.
As they passed and tried to squeeze their way through, Juliet gave the boys A Look but quickly forgot them as they approached the 6th year dorm's door. Sweetly, she knocked.
Blane opened the door and immediately threw his arms around his girlfriend. Maybe he didn't know Arabella was there but he immediately lowered his lips down to Juliet's for a kiss.
Arabella broke out into a wild blush - she'd never seen Juliet and Blane kiss before. Quite often they hugged each other, held hands, and linked fingers. Yes, they were quite touchy-feely but never had she seen them kiss - never.
"Excuse me," she mumbled and turned on her heel, moving fast away from the 6th year dorms.
She plowed straight into the group of fifth year boys crowding on the stairs.
***
"Didn't anyone ever tell you to not clog up the stairs?" the blushing brunette with wild eyes cried, pushing her way through the group of them.
Albus watched her as she ran angrily down the stairs, using oddly catlike grace; that of a tiger, a panther, a snow leopard. As she turned the corner the pleat of her skirt shifted for just a second. In that moment he wanted her utterly but was unable to move, to say anything.
"Who the hell was that?" was all he managed to say.
Suddenly, Will Potter broke from the group. "Sorry - can't talk, got to run."
"Don't tell me Will is dating her," Albus said, looking after Will's retreating back.
"Who? Arabella?!" Christian Voight managed.
"Huh?"
"That's Arabella - Arabella Figg."
"Arabella Figg?! You're joking!" Lowering his voice he leaned in, "She did a wonderful job of growing up. But hey - what about her and Potter."
"Oh - no, not that I know of anyway," Christian continued. "They're just good friends is all."
"Ah, I see." Albus began starting to make his way down the stairs.
"Hey - Albus!"
"Yeah?"
"It's great to have you back."
***
She nearly threw herself down the stairs, running away from the image of Juliet and Blane kissing each other hard on the lips. Unfortunately, the Common Room wasn't much better. For one thing, there were couples everywhere - pressed against each other. Sighing, she pushed a strand of hair away from her face and fled toward the library. Perhaps some studying would cheer her up, even though she was rather doubtful of the fact.
A hand touched her shoulder and she spun around to look into the sweet, welcome face of William Potter.
"Will!" she cried in happiness, resisting the urge to throw her arms around his neck.
He smiled at her. "How's my favorite girl?"
"Delightful," she replied.
"Yeah right - the way you plowed through the guys and myself, really delightful."
She blushed again. "Look - I was just trying to get away..."
"Away from what?"
She hesitated to reply and suddenly she was almost overtaken by the image of boys strolling towards her - most of them ones she'd spoken to once or twice in class but this red head was new. The red head smiled as he came closer and, immediately, took her hand in his own.
Though she thought it was a little presumptuous of him, her eyes couldn't help but flutter up toward him gracefully. She looked at him through bright eyes as he raised her hand to his lips. And kissed it.
Dreadfully medieval, deeply old fashioned, impolitely rude.
She loved it.
"I couldn't help but notice the wonderful way you exploded up there on the staircase. You're quite fiery these days, aren't you Bella?"
She immediately wanted to reply with a simple 'yes' but stopped to think of what he had just said. "These days?"
"You mean you don't remember me?"
She paused, unsure of herself. "Not especially."
"Well," he said, adding a smile for good measure, "my name is Albus Dumbledore."
She gasped. "You're back!?"
"Well I had to come back sometime, didn't I?"
"I didn't think you would," she said softly.
Will was watching all of this with knowing eyes. He'd seen the way Albus had looked at Arabella on the stairs and he could make the connection easily enough.
Her hand was still in his own and she pulled it, quickly now, away. "Uh - I'm sorry."
"Oh no - totally my fault."
The two laughed and William winced, knowingly.
"Uh - look, I'm going to go study. There's a Common Room meeting at nine; you'll both be there?" Arabella looked at the two boys matter-of-factly and they both nodded. "I'll see you then."
And she moved away, Albus wistfully watching her walk away. William wasn't watching Arabella as much as he was scowling at Albus.
***
At exactly 8:58 the Common Room was filled to the brim with talking Gryffindors. Arabella had walked in ten minutes earlier and had taken a seat on the arm of a large couch, crossing her legs neatly one over the other and trying to avoid staring at that Albus boy.
As the large Common Room clock chimed 9:00, the Head Gryffindor Prefect - Charles Smith made his way to the center of the room and all talking ceased. He was leading Steven Tyler and Steven's girlfriend, Bethany Toomey. Bethany was something of a role model to Arabella and had been since Arabella's first year of Hogwarts.
Steven and Bethany had been going out for three years and were now in their Seventh Year, together. Most everyone in the room knew the couple well and supported them greatly - so, this news would affect most everyone in the room. Interested, most of the Gryffindors leaned in.
"Take a seat," Charles commanded, as Bethany seated herself in a large chair and Steven sat neatly on the arm of said chair. "Whenever you're ready," he mumbled, moving toward the end of line of Prefects standing behind the couch filled with first-years.
Bethany smiled up at Steven, slightly. "Do you want to tell them?"
"Oh - no, you do it."
"...Okay."
She turned her gray eyes on the room and swept them around, her smile returning. Steven suddenly kissed the edge of her hand and she looked up at him, smile still on her face. "Steven and I are having a baby."
The Common Room became totally silent, as if all of the sound had been totally drowned out of it.
"Isn't that wonderful news?" Bethany pressed on.
Again no one spoke, until...
"You're not serious." Emma was looking at them with steely eyes. "You can't be serious."
Steven looked at Emma angrily.
"Totally serious," Bethany said, "Steven and I have it all planned out - don't we Steven?"
He nodded.
"We're both in our Seventh Year and we're planning on getting married sometime afterwards, anyway. The baby will be born in the last month of school before graduation - "
"What? How long have you known?!" someone cried.
"Since before school began...but its time I told you, I'll be in my third month soon and I'll start to really show..."
"Do the teachers know about this?" the female seventh year prefect, Claire-Louise, asked, her voice filled with fear.
"No, not yet anyway. But we will tell them when we're ready."
"How did this happen?" a first-year, Lyndi Ritter asked.
No one answered her.
"You have to tell Professor Dippit - so they can get proper care for you," Charles began.
"Honestly - we've thought about that...but..."
"But?!"
"Look," Bethany's voice sounded very small "just be happy for us, please."
"How are we supposed to be happy about this?" another prefect asked.
"Accept it," Steven said, rather angrily.
"How are we supposed to accept this, Steven?!" Charles cried.
Tears were filling Bethany's eyes. One of her friends, a girl named Irena Rambota, looked at Charles and Emma matter-of-factly, "Back off, okay?"
Again the room became very quiet.
"Well - I think that's the end of this meeting," Charles said, sarcastically. "Anyone have anything else to say?"
Arabella rose one trembling hand in the air. She was even paler than usual and her dark eyes stood out in her face.
"Yes?"
"May I be excused?"
She did not wait for an answer, only stood up and ran from the room...
There was a brief pause and then Albus stood and followed her at a quick pace.
Author's Note
Chapter Title: Where These Dreams Go: "And I wonder where these dreams go /when the world gets in your way/what's the point in all this screaming/no one's listening anyway"
Feedback appreciated.