Chapter 2 - The Glass Vile
Disclaimer: all characters except Jerica are owned by JK Rowling.
Her bedroom door shut behind her, Jerica crawled onto her bed and pulled the tiny black box from her jacket. She set it cautiously on her quilted bed spread and thought for a moment.
What could the contents inside the vile be for?
All she knew of the strange mist was that it was red, and that didn't help her any. She carefully lifted the lid off of the tiny box and lifted the vile from it. Inspecting the vile and the strange metal rose on top of the cork, Jerica's eyes drifted to the box.
Lying inside the box was a tiny piece of very old parchment. She layed the vile down and pulled the parchment out of the box. The parchment was very worn and yellowed, and had but a few words written in red ink covering it's surface. Jerica began to read them, saying them aloud.
"This vile holds the key, and spreads what there should more be, red mist enclosed in glass, be weary of the power in this tiny mass, love and life for all there to see, as the power allows, so mote it be."
Suddenly the mist inside the vile seemed to come alive. Streaks of red light shot out of the glass and lit up the room. The mist swirled and looked alive as power seemed to surge alive inside of the glass.
Jerica picked up the tiny vile cautiously and felt warmth travel through her finger tips and spread throughout her body. Tiny vibrations and sensations of heat traveled up her arms and coursed through her body. Sheer energy flowed freely through her and she felt lifted off her feet.
She closed her eyes and let the energy engulf her. Tiny footsteps seemed to dance across her skin and she felt warmed and whole. She opened her eyes slowly and looked down at the vile. It's glow had ceased slightly and the energy was beginning to be less and less.
Setting the vile down inside the box, Jerica realized what the words on the parchment meant. The mist inside the vile spread love and energy for life.
Taking a deep breath, Jerica stood up and walked over to her dresser. Opening the top drawer, she reached in a pulled out a tiny silver jewelry box. The top of the box, engraved in the silver, were patterns of roses and thorns. It had belonged to the origional owner of the house, Jerica's distant relative.
Opening the silver jewelry box, Jerica pulled out a long thick silver chain. The silver glistened brightly in the dim light of the sun that filled the room. Walking over to her bed, she stringed the small glass vile onto the chain. Placing the chain around her neck, Jerica looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the glowing red vile at her neck.
Somehow, everything felt so right.
~*~
"So how many classes are you taking this year, Hermione? 10 again?" Ron said nonchalantly as he sat down at the house tables for the sorting ceremony.
"Oh shut up, you think you would've noticed that that had gotten old by now."
Harry was hardly listening to his two best friends ramble on as usual, instead he was admiring the Great Hall. Even though he'd been in that very room 6 years in a row, and was now in his last year, it never ceased to amaze him.
The night sky winked down at him as he gazed up at the ceiling. The sky was clear as daylight that night, and it seemed that everyone in the Great Hall was admiring it. Millions of stars shone brightly through a thick blanket of deep blue.
"Harry?"
Harry awoke from his placid trance and gazed, looking annoyed, at Hermione.
"Harry did you hear about the new transfer student? She's transferring here this year from Beauxbatons."
Harry lifted an eyebrow and turned to Ron, who merely shrugged.
"No I didn't...what year is she in?" Harry asked curiously.
"7th, I think...oh well there, I think that's her." Hermione said, pointing over towards the doors that opened to the Great Hall.
A tall girl with long, white blonde hair that was tied back in a braid walked in, chattering happily with a crowd of people. The girl laughed whole heartily at a joke someone had said and looked in Harry's direction. Her aqua blue eyes met his and held their gaze. The girl smiled at him and turned to wave goodbye to the people she was walking with.
It was only then that Harry realized who it was that the new girl had been talking to. Draco Malfoy and his slytherin friends.
Harry's eyes narrowed as the girl walked towards their table, her eyes glancing up at the ceiling and taking in the energy of the large room. She twirled around, still looking at the ceiling, sending her long robes trailing after her.
"Hey! My names Jerica," the girl said excitedly as she sat down next to Hermione. Hermione introduced herself and, since Ron and Harry refused to even look at the girl because she had been talking to Draco, she also introduced them as well.
"Well, it's nice to finally be here at Hogwarts, I've always wanted to come here but my grandmother wanted me to go to Beauxbatons because it was closer." said Jerica, who smiled at Harry and Ron but just got mean glares back.
Jerica's smile eased a bit and she bit her bottom lip. She was about to say something when the tinkling of silverware against glass broke her off.
"Attention everyone! The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily, please quiet down!" Professor McGonagall yelled hoarsely over the loud roar of the students. As if a wave had hit them, the crowd ceased to talk and the Great Hall was silent, everyone seemingly holding their breath.
"Thank you," said McGonagall. "Now, the ceremony shall start now, so if you would all please sit patiently while I go and get the first years, thank you."
~*~
"So what'd you think of the transfer student?" Ron asked Harry as they walked up to the common room after the ceremony.
"I think that she's a stuck up brat who seems perfect for stupid Malfoy."
"Harry!! That's a little harsh, don't you think? Just because she was talking to that jerk Malfoy doesn't mean that she's bad." Hermione said defensively.
The Gryffindor Common Room was already full of students who were busy catching up with friends. In the corner, talking to a group of first and second years, was Jerica.
"Say something in French!!" one of the first years asked anxiously.
"Vous les gars sont bêtes!" Jerica said, causing a huge fit of giggles from the 1st and 2nd years. Jerica walked away from the younger kids and headed through the huge crowds of students in the common room.
Various students waved hi to her as she passed, all shouting hellos and grinning at her. She had fastly made an impression on pretty much everyone in Gryffindor.
Harry and Ron quickly averted their gaze and stalked hastily up to the dorm room when Jerica began to walk towards them.
Her smile faltered fastly as she saw them walk away from her. "Do you know why they are avoiding me?" she asked Hermione.
"It's because you were hanging out with Draco Malfoy...they both, well, actually, all of us really hate Draco...so for them to see the new girl who isn't being what they consider to be a 'true gryffindor' by talking to Malfoy it...well lets just say they were overly upset."
Jerica's eyes flared as she glared up at the boy's dorm.
"Apparently I wasn't informed that there was a rule that you can't be friends with people outside of your house." she said hastily as she looked at Hermione one last time before walking up to the girls dorm.
~*~