Neither of us had much time to question the twins' news. The train started
to move and Fred and George both shot out of their seats as if they had
been electrocuted. They went to the window, forcing Julia and I to both
duck so we wouldn't be squished like bugs. I straightened back up, only to
realize they were both hanging out of the window, waving furiously at their
sister. Ginny seemed much happier than when I had seen her earlier.
"What did you do to cheer her up?" I asked after a silent Julia and I pulled them back in.
George smiled as he retook his seat next to Julia. "We told her we would send her a Hogwarts toilet seat."
"Who came up with that one?" I hadn't thought of doing that yet.
"Mum gave us the idea," Fred replied, propping his feet up next to George.
A boy with dreadlocks popped his head in the door. "Hey guys, I got a tarantula. Come look."
Fred looked at Lee Jordon, "A tarantula Lee? A tarantula is nothing. George and I get them all the time to freak Ron out."
Lee shook his head, "I know that. You've only told me a million times before. This isn't any tarantula. It is a giant tarantula you redheads."
George and Fred shot to attention when Lee added giant. Fred pulled at my sleeve, "Come on man!"
I looked over at Julia, who hadn't said a word since the twins' proclamation earlier. She was staring out the window. What was wrong with her?
"Are you coming or not Andy?" I heard Lee, bringing me back to what was going on.
"Not," I said, turning to look at them. "I'm going to stay here and save my energy for our war on toilets."
They shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat man," and left.
I looked at Julia. She hadn't noticed what had just taken place. "Julia?"
Something was going on with her. But what? She had fallen silent when Fred and George had mentioned Harry Potter. Maybe.just maybe. "Julia?"
This time I broke through whatever wall she had built. She looked at me as if she hadn't stopped talking. "Hmmm?"
Something told me that she was still turning a thought or two over in her mind. "What's up?"
"Nothing," she simply replied. She reached down and picked up Lily, "What made you think something was wrong?"
"Well. let me think," I said sarcastically. Julia looked at me, an eyebrow raised. But I continued anyway, "Oh, I know. Maybe it was the bought of silence. Or maybe, it was your lack of comment when we declared war on the toilets of Hogwarts. I bet you don't even know who was just in here."
She looked at Lily, stroking her fur then looked back at me. "Okay Sherlock, since you know everything, what is wrong with me?"
I couldn't believe it. Apparently, the look on my face gave it away. "You see Andy, you don't know everything. And maybe, it could be possible that I don't either." She looked at me another moment, then looked back out the window, still petting Lily.
There was a possibility, so I decided to take a chance. Her reaction to one word could tell me everything. I went for it, "Harry."
Julia looked at me. I couldn't tell if she wanted to scream at me or cry. What in the world? Teenage girls. She opened her mouth, trying to say something.
"Andy---" she said. She sounded like she was about to cry. That's all she got out though. She turned and looked, not at the window this time, but at the doorway. I followed her gaze and the next second Carrie was there.
"Hello all. My parents had the hardest time getting back through the barrier. They didn't understand that you had to walk straight at it. I got on the train just as it was moving. I heard Fred and George say something about blowing up a toilet to Lee Jordon was it? I don't remember who. But sounds like fun to me. It's all a matter of finding a bathroom that no one will be in at the time. Do you think Moaning Myrtle would mind if we blew up a few in there? What I want to know is how the whole Toilet War started."
All this she had said very fast. I mean this girls mouth was moving at about a hundred miles an hour. Every now and then she pushed her glasses up.
Julia was the one to reply, "Nice to see you too Carrie."
"Where's Midnight?" was all Carrie said.
I felt something scratch at my leg. Quickly I reached down and scooped up this black ball of fur. "Right here Carrie."
Carrie took Midnight, stroking her. "Hey baby."
Lily jumped out of Julia's lap and went to my leg, gently pawing at it. As gentle as it was, it hurt. I reached down and pulled up the leg of my pants. A nice scratch went about three inches down my leg. "That is going to leave a mark."
Julia kneeled down to look at the scratch and Carrie sat where Julia had been. Carrie began to talk about her summer, pausing now and then for us to comment. I was watching Julia. She had pulled out her wand, and thought a moment whether or not to use a healing spell. Not able to decide, she looked up at me and I shook my head. She shrugged and did a spell to put bandages around it. It still felt better like that. I looked at Julia, mouthed a thank you and smiled. She smiled back.
"So what do you think?" asked Carrie.
Julia looked at Carrie, and I did the same.
"About what?" Julia said innocently.
I reached out my hand, helping Julia up. Surprisingly, she sat down beside me.
"About Harry Potter?"
She had been looking at Julia, so I decided to let her answer. "Oh. him. Well," Julia was having trouble talking again. "I wonder how much like his dad he turned out to be."
Carrie looked at her, "Don't you mean turns out? How did you know his dad again?"
Julia looked at me, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, then back at Carrie. "Of course that is what I mean. My parents were friends of the Potters."
"But we were all two when You-Know-Who killed them? How do you remember him?"
"Just because Voldemort kills someone doesn't mean that they are erased from your memory. You're right though, I don't remember that much about him."
"Are you two related or something though? Is he your cousin or something?"
Julia paused a moment before answering. "Just because two people have the same last name doesn't mean they are related. If we are, we must be very very distant cousins."
"Are you sure-" started Carrie, when a voice boomed all through the train.
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Leave your luggage on the train."
Carrie folded her arms, giving Julia the 'whatever' look. Outside the compartment were heard a scurrying noise and the next moment Fred and George were back. "Lee said we can't borrow the tarantula. Boy, were we going to have a surprise for Ron. Guess we will have to think of something else."
Carrie stood, still holding Midnight. "So what is this about a war on toilets?"
George went over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Well Private McDougal, glad you asked. You see, this great war zone more commonly known as Hogwarts has some toilets calling out to be freed. But not only are we going to free them, we plan to set them loose back home. Captain Finch-Fletchley here," he pointed at me, "has volunteered to lead the operation."
I stared at him, "I did? When?"
Fred smirked, "You did. Just now."
"Great."
Shooting a sideways glance at me, Carrie giggled.
The train slowed down and stopped. We had reached the 'war zone.'
A/N~ Hope you like. sorry it took so long to post. I would like to thank all my faithful supporters, all four of them. Thank you andrea, KittyEmpress, PinkPineapple and QuietOne. Thanks for putting up with my delays and everything else. you guys mean the world to me.
QuietOne~ I agree, OCs get very annoying. And Andy sends a message to Nicole: I'm so scared of you. not. I'll take you any day!
KittyEmpress~ vous ĂȘtes une douleur
"What did you do to cheer her up?" I asked after a silent Julia and I pulled them back in.
George smiled as he retook his seat next to Julia. "We told her we would send her a Hogwarts toilet seat."
"Who came up with that one?" I hadn't thought of doing that yet.
"Mum gave us the idea," Fred replied, propping his feet up next to George.
A boy with dreadlocks popped his head in the door. "Hey guys, I got a tarantula. Come look."
Fred looked at Lee Jordon, "A tarantula Lee? A tarantula is nothing. George and I get them all the time to freak Ron out."
Lee shook his head, "I know that. You've only told me a million times before. This isn't any tarantula. It is a giant tarantula you redheads."
George and Fred shot to attention when Lee added giant. Fred pulled at my sleeve, "Come on man!"
I looked over at Julia, who hadn't said a word since the twins' proclamation earlier. She was staring out the window. What was wrong with her?
"Are you coming or not Andy?" I heard Lee, bringing me back to what was going on.
"Not," I said, turning to look at them. "I'm going to stay here and save my energy for our war on toilets."
They shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat man," and left.
I looked at Julia. She hadn't noticed what had just taken place. "Julia?"
Something was going on with her. But what? She had fallen silent when Fred and George had mentioned Harry Potter. Maybe.just maybe. "Julia?"
This time I broke through whatever wall she had built. She looked at me as if she hadn't stopped talking. "Hmmm?"
Something told me that she was still turning a thought or two over in her mind. "What's up?"
"Nothing," she simply replied. She reached down and picked up Lily, "What made you think something was wrong?"
"Well. let me think," I said sarcastically. Julia looked at me, an eyebrow raised. But I continued anyway, "Oh, I know. Maybe it was the bought of silence. Or maybe, it was your lack of comment when we declared war on the toilets of Hogwarts. I bet you don't even know who was just in here."
She looked at Lily, stroking her fur then looked back at me. "Okay Sherlock, since you know everything, what is wrong with me?"
I couldn't believe it. Apparently, the look on my face gave it away. "You see Andy, you don't know everything. And maybe, it could be possible that I don't either." She looked at me another moment, then looked back out the window, still petting Lily.
There was a possibility, so I decided to take a chance. Her reaction to one word could tell me everything. I went for it, "Harry."
Julia looked at me. I couldn't tell if she wanted to scream at me or cry. What in the world? Teenage girls. She opened her mouth, trying to say something.
"Andy---" she said. She sounded like she was about to cry. That's all she got out though. She turned and looked, not at the window this time, but at the doorway. I followed her gaze and the next second Carrie was there.
"Hello all. My parents had the hardest time getting back through the barrier. They didn't understand that you had to walk straight at it. I got on the train just as it was moving. I heard Fred and George say something about blowing up a toilet to Lee Jordon was it? I don't remember who. But sounds like fun to me. It's all a matter of finding a bathroom that no one will be in at the time. Do you think Moaning Myrtle would mind if we blew up a few in there? What I want to know is how the whole Toilet War started."
All this she had said very fast. I mean this girls mouth was moving at about a hundred miles an hour. Every now and then she pushed her glasses up.
Julia was the one to reply, "Nice to see you too Carrie."
"Where's Midnight?" was all Carrie said.
I felt something scratch at my leg. Quickly I reached down and scooped up this black ball of fur. "Right here Carrie."
Carrie took Midnight, stroking her. "Hey baby."
Lily jumped out of Julia's lap and went to my leg, gently pawing at it. As gentle as it was, it hurt. I reached down and pulled up the leg of my pants. A nice scratch went about three inches down my leg. "That is going to leave a mark."
Julia kneeled down to look at the scratch and Carrie sat where Julia had been. Carrie began to talk about her summer, pausing now and then for us to comment. I was watching Julia. She had pulled out her wand, and thought a moment whether or not to use a healing spell. Not able to decide, she looked up at me and I shook my head. She shrugged and did a spell to put bandages around it. It still felt better like that. I looked at Julia, mouthed a thank you and smiled. She smiled back.
"So what do you think?" asked Carrie.
Julia looked at Carrie, and I did the same.
"About what?" Julia said innocently.
I reached out my hand, helping Julia up. Surprisingly, she sat down beside me.
"About Harry Potter?"
She had been looking at Julia, so I decided to let her answer. "Oh. him. Well," Julia was having trouble talking again. "I wonder how much like his dad he turned out to be."
Carrie looked at her, "Don't you mean turns out? How did you know his dad again?"
Julia looked at me, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, then back at Carrie. "Of course that is what I mean. My parents were friends of the Potters."
"But we were all two when You-Know-Who killed them? How do you remember him?"
"Just because Voldemort kills someone doesn't mean that they are erased from your memory. You're right though, I don't remember that much about him."
"Are you two related or something though? Is he your cousin or something?"
Julia paused a moment before answering. "Just because two people have the same last name doesn't mean they are related. If we are, we must be very very distant cousins."
"Are you sure-" started Carrie, when a voice boomed all through the train.
"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Leave your luggage on the train."
Carrie folded her arms, giving Julia the 'whatever' look. Outside the compartment were heard a scurrying noise and the next moment Fred and George were back. "Lee said we can't borrow the tarantula. Boy, were we going to have a surprise for Ron. Guess we will have to think of something else."
Carrie stood, still holding Midnight. "So what is this about a war on toilets?"
George went over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Well Private McDougal, glad you asked. You see, this great war zone more commonly known as Hogwarts has some toilets calling out to be freed. But not only are we going to free them, we plan to set them loose back home. Captain Finch-Fletchley here," he pointed at me, "has volunteered to lead the operation."
I stared at him, "I did? When?"
Fred smirked, "You did. Just now."
"Great."
Shooting a sideways glance at me, Carrie giggled.
The train slowed down and stopped. We had reached the 'war zone.'
A/N~ Hope you like. sorry it took so long to post. I would like to thank all my faithful supporters, all four of them. Thank you andrea, KittyEmpress, PinkPineapple and QuietOne. Thanks for putting up with my delays and everything else. you guys mean the world to me.
QuietOne~ I agree, OCs get very annoying. And Andy sends a message to Nicole: I'm so scared of you. not. I'll take you any day!
KittyEmpress~ vous ĂȘtes une douleur
