Chapter Seventeen
THE WHOMPING WILLOW
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I said many times, my story is linked to Just Like Hermione's "Harry Potter and the Truest Power" (http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1144913&chapter=1), and I think that from my last chapters some of these links are clear :). I'd really like to know what you think about my story, comments or suggestions are welcome. So please REVIEW!!
Thank you
Kobra
* * *
"Lily, this is Melissa, and this is Chloe," said Clara, smiling. The first girl was a tall, brunette with big green eyes. She was very beautiful, and Lily felt a little envious. The other was much smaller than all four and her hair were red, just as Lily's, but she hadn't the freckles that Lily had inherited from her mother, which Mr. Evans thought were absolutely lovely. She easily passed unseen near her shining friend.
"Nice to meet you!" said Lily, smiling back.
"Lily was a bit worried that you wouldn't like her because of what that boy, James Potter, and his friends say about her," explained Clara.
"Oh, you really don't have to worry about that! I told them that I thought he was an idiot from the very first moment I saw him! Did I, Chloe?" Melissa looked sincere, indignate, and sympathetic.
"True," added the short girl as they walked toward the Great Hall. "I really couldn't believe how he treated you on the first day. I thought your roommates weren't going to care about that, but I gess they did, right?"
"Right. You are the very first Gryffindor girls I've talked with." The other three stared at her, astonished.
"That is... IMPOSSIBLE!!!! I mean, how... how could... OHHH! We're going to have to get BACK at them!!! We'll have to get at HIM. That James Potter... UUUHHMM!!!" Melissa burst.
"I don't care if he pays or not. I just want to avoid him as much as possible, that's all." Lily was genuine.
"But you HAVE to do something! I..." Clara agreed with her friend
"The less I think about him, the better it is. I don't feel like pulling anything on him," said the girl as they entered the Great Hall. They were all hungry and quickly sat at the Gryffindor table. Lily was really happy to have friends to eat with.
They had just taken their seats when James's group entered the room. Remus was the first, and he seemed to be searching the hall for someone; the other three were behind him, talking.
"That BASTARD!!" whispered Melissa.
"Yep!" agreed Clara "His friend is looking here... Hey! What are you looking at?!" she shouted, annoyed. Remus blushed and looked away quickly, heading for his usual seat.
As usual, Dumbledore clapped his hands and the dishes filled with food. James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter took a lot of meat and potatoes and started inhaling their lunch, momentarily stopping their discussion about Godric Gryffindor and his sword.
"Ohh, that's... DISGUSTING!!" cried Clara watching the four boys eat. "They eat like animals! You'd think they grew up on a FARM!" Remus was the only one to hear her (or at least was the only one to care) and suddendly straightened and slowed down his chewing, just as his mother had taught so many times. Clara noticed that but said nothing.
"Look, the Slytherin girl has found some friends!" said Peter as he finished his second helping.
"I know, I said that before. Well, good for her. At least, she won't spend all her time with that Snape!" said James, forcing himself not to look at Lily.
"Don't you think we should apologize with her?" suggested Remus shyly.
"No!! I mean..." began Peter, but no one cared about him.
"I tried to a few days ago, in Potions, but she's really impossible! She wouldn't even listen to me!! I don't care anymore," said James darkly.
"Well, we could at least stop tormenting her." Remus was not about to give up.
"But... but..." Peter was looking for a good argument.
"I agree with Remus. It is time to stop. The best of games always end too soon," said Sirius, happy to sound so clever.
"By the way, why are you so willing to torment her, Peter?" asked James harshly. Peter really got on his nerves sometimes.
"I... no, it's just that..." mumbled the boy, looking down. He was saved by the headmaster standing up in that very moment.
"Please, everyboy. I have an announcement to make." The room grew silent at once. "Our school has just received the great privilege of having a Whomping Willow on school property. It is an old species of magical tree that is quickly disappearing, so we should be proud that the Ministry of Magic has given us the great honor of keeping one here. It will be bed out near the Forbidden Forest, and it must be considered forbidden as well. Let me warn you: the Whomping Willow is one of the last of the moving trees left in our world. It will attack whoever gets near it, so don't do it. You can appreciate its beauty from far away. Thank you." The seasoned wizard sat down again.
"A Whomping Willow... COOL!!" commented Sirius.
"Yeah," said James lazily. He had eaten a little too much. "I'm going to the common room. Anyone else coming?"
"I am!" answered Peter at once.
"Me too," added Sirius.
"We're all coming," concluded Remus, getting up.
They were going out of the room, when Dumbledore called, "Mr. Lupin! May I have a word with you?" The four shared questioning looks, and Remus went nervously toward the teachers' table.
"I really hope he's going to be punished for something!" said Melissa, grinning evilly.
"Ohh, come on, Melly! You're getting worse than them, you know!" said Chloe.
"Dumbledore doesn't look angry," commented Clara sadly as the headmaster entered a door near his table, the boy following him.
* * *
James, Sirius and Peter went to the Gryffindor Tower. After a quarter of an hour, Remus joined them in the common room.
"So, what's wrong?" asked Sirius curiously.
"My mum's not feeling well. I'm going home for two days tomorrow," answered Remus.
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Sirius.
"It's not something serious, is it?" questioned James, concerned.
"No, no. Nothing to worry about. Just a cold... I'm really tired. I'm going upstairs for awhile to rest," said Remus, smiling, and he went on the stairs.
"And he goes home after less than a week for a COLD?!" commented James.
"Maybe it's a bad cold," suggested Peter.
James looked at him, disappointed.
"I hope it's nothing serious, but if he doesn't want to talk about it, I'm not gonna ask," said Sirius. The other two agreed.
THE WHOMPING WILLOW
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I said many times, my story is linked to Just Like Hermione's "Harry Potter and the Truest Power" (http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1144913&chapter=1), and I think that from my last chapters some of these links are clear :). I'd really like to know what you think about my story, comments or suggestions are welcome. So please REVIEW!!
Thank you
Kobra
* * *
"Lily, this is Melissa, and this is Chloe," said Clara, smiling. The first girl was a tall, brunette with big green eyes. She was very beautiful, and Lily felt a little envious. The other was much smaller than all four and her hair were red, just as Lily's, but she hadn't the freckles that Lily had inherited from her mother, which Mr. Evans thought were absolutely lovely. She easily passed unseen near her shining friend.
"Nice to meet you!" said Lily, smiling back.
"Lily was a bit worried that you wouldn't like her because of what that boy, James Potter, and his friends say about her," explained Clara.
"Oh, you really don't have to worry about that! I told them that I thought he was an idiot from the very first moment I saw him! Did I, Chloe?" Melissa looked sincere, indignate, and sympathetic.
"True," added the short girl as they walked toward the Great Hall. "I really couldn't believe how he treated you on the first day. I thought your roommates weren't going to care about that, but I gess they did, right?"
"Right. You are the very first Gryffindor girls I've talked with." The other three stared at her, astonished.
"That is... IMPOSSIBLE!!!! I mean, how... how could... OHHH! We're going to have to get BACK at them!!! We'll have to get at HIM. That James Potter... UUUHHMM!!!" Melissa burst.
"I don't care if he pays or not. I just want to avoid him as much as possible, that's all." Lily was genuine.
"But you HAVE to do something! I..." Clara agreed with her friend
"The less I think about him, the better it is. I don't feel like pulling anything on him," said the girl as they entered the Great Hall. They were all hungry and quickly sat at the Gryffindor table. Lily was really happy to have friends to eat with.
They had just taken their seats when James's group entered the room. Remus was the first, and he seemed to be searching the hall for someone; the other three were behind him, talking.
"That BASTARD!!" whispered Melissa.
"Yep!" agreed Clara "His friend is looking here... Hey! What are you looking at?!" she shouted, annoyed. Remus blushed and looked away quickly, heading for his usual seat.
As usual, Dumbledore clapped his hands and the dishes filled with food. James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter took a lot of meat and potatoes and started inhaling their lunch, momentarily stopping their discussion about Godric Gryffindor and his sword.
"Ohh, that's... DISGUSTING!!" cried Clara watching the four boys eat. "They eat like animals! You'd think they grew up on a FARM!" Remus was the only one to hear her (or at least was the only one to care) and suddendly straightened and slowed down his chewing, just as his mother had taught so many times. Clara noticed that but said nothing.
"Look, the Slytherin girl has found some friends!" said Peter as he finished his second helping.
"I know, I said that before. Well, good for her. At least, she won't spend all her time with that Snape!" said James, forcing himself not to look at Lily.
"Don't you think we should apologize with her?" suggested Remus shyly.
"No!! I mean..." began Peter, but no one cared about him.
"I tried to a few days ago, in Potions, but she's really impossible! She wouldn't even listen to me!! I don't care anymore," said James darkly.
"Well, we could at least stop tormenting her." Remus was not about to give up.
"But... but..." Peter was looking for a good argument.
"I agree with Remus. It is time to stop. The best of games always end too soon," said Sirius, happy to sound so clever.
"By the way, why are you so willing to torment her, Peter?" asked James harshly. Peter really got on his nerves sometimes.
"I... no, it's just that..." mumbled the boy, looking down. He was saved by the headmaster standing up in that very moment.
"Please, everyboy. I have an announcement to make." The room grew silent at once. "Our school has just received the great privilege of having a Whomping Willow on school property. It is an old species of magical tree that is quickly disappearing, so we should be proud that the Ministry of Magic has given us the great honor of keeping one here. It will be bed out near the Forbidden Forest, and it must be considered forbidden as well. Let me warn you: the Whomping Willow is one of the last of the moving trees left in our world. It will attack whoever gets near it, so don't do it. You can appreciate its beauty from far away. Thank you." The seasoned wizard sat down again.
"A Whomping Willow... COOL!!" commented Sirius.
"Yeah," said James lazily. He had eaten a little too much. "I'm going to the common room. Anyone else coming?"
"I am!" answered Peter at once.
"Me too," added Sirius.
"We're all coming," concluded Remus, getting up.
They were going out of the room, when Dumbledore called, "Mr. Lupin! May I have a word with you?" The four shared questioning looks, and Remus went nervously toward the teachers' table.
"I really hope he's going to be punished for something!" said Melissa, grinning evilly.
"Ohh, come on, Melly! You're getting worse than them, you know!" said Chloe.
"Dumbledore doesn't look angry," commented Clara sadly as the headmaster entered a door near his table, the boy following him.
* * *
James, Sirius and Peter went to the Gryffindor Tower. After a quarter of an hour, Remus joined them in the common room.
"So, what's wrong?" asked Sirius curiously.
"My mum's not feeling well. I'm going home for two days tomorrow," answered Remus.
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Sirius.
"It's not something serious, is it?" questioned James, concerned.
"No, no. Nothing to worry about. Just a cold... I'm really tired. I'm going upstairs for awhile to rest," said Remus, smiling, and he went on the stairs.
"And he goes home after less than a week for a COLD?!" commented James.
"Maybe it's a bad cold," suggested Peter.
James looked at him, disappointed.
"I hope it's nothing serious, but if he doesn't want to talk about it, I'm not gonna ask," said Sirius. The other two agreed.