Sorry about the wait. Here's your next chapter up, dedicated to my reviewers.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way or form, except for my own plots and creations. Same for you. Don't worry, like me you'll get over it with years of extensive therapy! (That one's for Nick!)
Dedication: To hytenywg (hope that's spelt right) who provided me with another much needed review. Thank you so much! :)
BTW, I don't learn Italian, but have tried to incorporate some (stupid, I know). So if you learn Italian, and some of the grammar is round the wrong way or whatever, please tell me but don't flame. Cheers a lot.
And so on with the story.
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
October brought many events with it, the first and most noticeable change being the weather. The already nasty climate declined to impossible levels of constant rain, sleet, and gale force winds to match the frequent sub-zero temperatures. It was just about the worst weather anyone could remember for so early in autumn, and every pupil and teacher stayed indoors as much as possible. Hagrid began to hold some of his Care of Magical Creatures classes indoors to avoid any possible skiving of that lesson that his pupils might consider due to the weather. Unfortunately, the Erklings he had gained over the summer holidays seemed to be riotous no matter where the lessons were, and managed to break four of the Great Hall windows in one go.
On one such occasion, when the students were attempting to round up the vicious elfish creatures to feed them, the four Gryffindors had a confrontation with their least favourite person. It happened whilst Shannon had attempted a rugby tackle on one of their charges and just ended up with painful elbows as she landed flat on her face.
"Very graceful, Parks," Malfoy sneered. Shannon looked up at him from where she was still lying, propped her chin on her hands, and replied with a grin, "Thank you, I thought so too."
Malfoy pulled a face of annoyance about the fact that his insults could get nowhere with her and turned to Harry as Shannon stood up and dusted herself down.
"I hear your Quidditch team's one down this year." He smirked. "Considering the amount of talentless creeps in your house, I think it's safe to say that the Cup's ours this year."
"That's where you're wrong." Shannon said from behind him, causing him to turn. "The 'talentless creeps' jibe describes your own house sweetie. Get it right."
Harry grinned, even thought the Erkling in his arms seemed just about ready to bite him with its sharp little teeth. Malfoy attempted to look down his nose at her, but found that it isn't effective if the recipient is just two inches shorter than you. Maybe that was why the lopsided grin never left her face as she pushed past him and went to help Hermione use Freezing charms on some of the elves.
It was true that the Gryffindor team were missing a Keeper since Oliver Wood had left the school. Angelina Johnson had been appointed captain in his place, and Harry just hoped that she possibly wouldn't be as fanatical as him. He still had nightmares of being awoken on freezing mornings for gruelling practices that lasted hours on end.
She seemed quite worried about the state of the team though. Before the trials were held on Thursday evening, she confided in the team that they would probably have to train twice as hard as they normally did to get the new player in shape and used to the team in time for their first match. The start of the house tournament was just about a month away, leaving them with an alarmingly short amount of time for practice.
Ron, on account of not having his own broomstick (his ancient Shooting Star had been blown up by the twins over the holidays), wasn't trying out for the team and seemed quite bitter about it. He said nothing as Harry left, but concentrated on the chess game between himself and Ron Weasley-Hermione had refused to play until she had rechecked her History of Magic essay on Grindelwald for what must have been the hundredth time. Shannon was nowhere to be found, as she had scarpered after class claiming that she was researching the charmed ceiling in the hall.
McGonagall, clutching the magically amplified megaphone and a clipboard full of names, sat in the stands and watched the game carry on. The team played as different Keepers switched in and out of the game on her commands. Harry didn't have anything really to do, as catching the Snitch meant the end of the game. Instead, he was more interested in the evaporating line of hopeful try-outs.
There was something about the last one, the casual way she leant on broom as she chatted with some others, the faint laughter carried over the winds, which was familiar. The dark ponytail told him it was Shannon.
"Switch!" she yelled. "Last Keeper up, Shannon Parks!"
Shannon winked at Harry as she passed him to replace a fourth year girl called Emma Dobson. As the game progressed, they saw that she was a fairly good Keeper, and managed to save seven out of the ten goals that were shot at her before McGonagall called them all down to the pitch. As she entered a whispered discussion with Angelina, Shannon sidled up to her friend.
"Hey ya Harry," she said, leaning on her broom again. He looked at her and grinned.
"How come you didn't tell us you were trying out, Shan?" he asked.
She pulled a slight face. "And have Ron wanting to strangle me? Not likely. Anyway, I wanted to surprise you all."
Just then, the discussion broke up and McGonagall spoke up.
"Thank you all for trying out and showing great dedication to Gryffindor. You all played well, but we have chosen our new Keeper as Geoga Atkins."
A sandy-haired girl near the front punched the air triumphantly and became the target of many (sometimes flippant) congratulations and frosty, envious glares. Shannon pulled another face, this time one of disappointment, but shrugged.
"Ah well, maybe next time," she sighed as all the pupils started up the lawns for the castle. "I tried."
"You played well," Harry said, "I bet you were next on their list."
She smiled, causing her eyes to sparkle like crystals. "Thanks Harry."
As they neared the school, a large band of excited, chattering Ravenclaws poured out of the doors and down the steps. Judging by the various makes of broomstick they were all carrying, it was their turn to try out hopefuls for the empty places on the team.
Amidst the crowd, Harry saw Cho Chang, silent and ignoring the talk. As if she could feel his stare, she glanced up and her dark eyes locked with his green ones. They looked at each other awkwardly for a long moment, and he saw the pain and hurt that still haunted her eyes. Then she looked away again, down at the ground as she followed the others down in the direction of the Quidditch field.
Although he still felt the deep-rooted guilt that had affected him since Cedric Diggory's death at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, it wasn't as strong as before. Even when he saw Cho, one of those most affected. The words that he had been told so often after that terrible event had eventually started to work on him-`It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done.'
October also heralded the first Hogsmeade trip of the year, on the day of the Hallowe'en Feast. It was announced via a parchment message left on the notice board in the Gryffindor common room a week before it was planned.
Harry walked over to his friends, still holding his broom from Quidditch practice, and noticed the crowd around the message board. He sat in the chair across from Hermione, immersed in a thick volume of O.W.L Potions revision, occasionally glancing up at the chess match between Ron and Shannon.
Shannon chewed a loose strand of hair thoughtfully as Ron's knight took its move. Eventually, she spoke.
"Rook to H3." She said. The piece in question, and several others, turned to begin arguing in high, squeaky little voices with her, protesting her decision until she finally snapped.
"Stai zitto, tu stupide idiota!" she growled, pulling her wand from her pocket. "Silencio!"
The little black chess pieces fell eerily quiet under the Silencing charm and Shannon moved the rook, laughing in a deranged manner. Ron thought for a moment and made his move to take her king.
"Checkmate."
"Shoot!" she cried, giving all her remaining pieces dirty looks. "Bleeding chess set, never listens to me."
"That's why you lost," Hermione said. "And if you keep on with the 'Shut up, you stupid idiots' comments, its no wonder they don't like you." Upon the questioning glances from her three friends, she shrugged. "What, I learnt a bit of Italian a few years ago."
"Ah, well, you loose some, you...well, in my case, loose some more." Shannon remarked. To Harry, she added, "That's the twentieth bleeding game in a row that he's won!"
Harry laughed. "None of us can beat him. Anyway, Hogsmeade trip this weekend."
"Cool!" Shannon grinned. "My prank stocks are running low, ever since I planted those yet-to-be-discovered dungbombs in Filch's office."
Ron glanced up from packing away the chess set. "Ever been to Hogsmeade before?"
Shannon shook her head. "No. Whenever I came back from Italy in five whole years it was to visit my family in Ireland. What's it like?"
Hermione responded by reciting various historical dates and happenings, whilst Ron told her about all the different types of sweets and chocolates in Honeydukes. Under the torrent of talk, Shannon muttered to Harry, "From this I gain confusion." Above them, she added, "I guess I'll find out when I get there. Oh god, just remembered! Hannah needs a birthday present, fifth birthday in two weeks, quite the little lady. I'm going to the dormitory, 'kay?" Without waiting for an answer, she left.
"Poor Shannon," Hermione sighed, watching her leave. "She misses her little sister something chronic."
"Weird." Ron deemed. "She actually likes her sister?"
She glared at him. "Just because you don't like your siblings, doesn't mean she can't. Didn't you see them together? She really dotes on her."
Shannon heard this from where she sat at the top of the stairs to the girl's dormitory, blinking back the first tears of homesickness. More than anything at the moment, she wanted to see Hannah open her presents. She doted on her more than anyone could possibly realise, and for reasons that nobody could know or understand. Alone, she rose to her feet, and continued on her way to the empty dormitory.
*****
Saturday morning saw a slight ease in the weather- it managed to settle on a slight drizzle of rain and thick dark grey cloud. The Gryffindor quartet sat down at their House table to eat. Shannon seemed cheerfully distracted as she hummed an old Westlife song and almost poured pumpkin juice on her cornflakes.
Her preoccupation deeply worried Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and they ate with frequent glances around the Hall and at their fellow pupils. It was not until McGonagall's magically amplified voice boomed out for the final call to board the horseless carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade that something actually happened.
Kelly Stevens, a Gryffindor first year, was gazing around the room when she suddenly spluttered her pumpkin juice all over the table, and knocked over a jug of milk across the scarlet tablecloth as she abruptly pointed up at the ceiling.
"What? What is it Kell?" her best friend, Anna, asked impatiently.
"Look at the ceiling!" she cried, so loudly that half the hall did what she said. And then that half got the other half to do the same.
Huge, glittering ruby letters snaked across the ceiling, spelling out the words "GRYFFINDOR RULES", complete with the sybol of the rampant lion. By the door, Shannon giggled as guiltily as she ever would and exited quickly before the teachers could punish her.
*****
Down in Hogsmeade, Harry felt sympathy for Shannon. Ron and Hermione were intent on showing her about a hundred different places all at once. He stopped them before Shannon would probably explode with frustration (after seeing her prank that morning, he was in little doubt that she could probably pull this off).
"Where'd you want to go Shannon?" he asked. She shrugged and grinned with the reply of, "The prank shop, of course."
Laughing, the four friends made their way across the street and into Zonko's Joke Shop. As usual, it was a bright place filled with flying sparks and glittering showers of magical pranks. However, it was completely empty apart from a youngish man with greying brown hair at the other end of the room, studying a row of fake wands. Harry frowned. Something about him was overwhelmingly familiar and he watched him, ignoring the chatter of his three friends behind him.
"Professor Lupin?" he called. The man turned around and Harry's question was answered.
"Hello Harry," Lupin said, smiling as he walked over. The other three had looked up by now and Lupin smiled at them as well. "Hello Ron, Hermione." He paused at Shannon. "I don't think I know you."
"Shannon Parks." she prompted. He thought for a moment.
"You must be Joe's daughter, right?" he asked. She nodded. "I thought you moved to Italy. How is he?"
"He's fine, and yes, we did. But we came to England in August." she answered. "You know him?"
"Of course. He was Head Boy when I was in the fifth year." Lupin turned to Harry. "Harry, could I have a word please?"
"Er...sure." Harry followed Lupin back to the other side of the shop. "What is it?"
Lowering his voice, Lupin said, "I thought you should know that Sirius is safe. At the moment, he's alerting people who used to be in our section of Aurors of Voldemort's rise to power again. He says hi."
"Great," said Harry, unable to contain a grin. He felt a lot better knowing that Sirius had left Lupin's house alive.
With a back glance at the other three Gryffindors, Lupin continued, "Does Shannon know anything about Sirius being wrongly accused?"
"Don't think so. Strangely enough, it's never come up in the conversation."
"Perhaps it's better to keep it that way, for the moment at least. Her father works for the Ministry so he might know now and tell her himself. Well, you'd better get back to your friends. I'll see you around." Lupin walked up to the door, but looked back just before he left. "Shannon, I'd get something a little less violent if you're buying a present for a small child."
Shannon glanced at the packet of exploding quills she was holding. "Er...thanks."
Hermione shook her head when she saw what Shannon had picked up, muttering, "Honestly! Trying to buy that for a little girl of five!"
Shannon raised an eyebrow. "Who said it was for Hannah?"
*****
She grinned silently at the happy memories of that day as she climbed into bed, drawing the hangings protectively around her. In the thick sheets of darkness, she cocked her head briefly; listening for sounds that indicated anyone else was awake. Lavender mumbled something in her sleep, but other than that all was silent. The grin slowly faded.
She slid her right hand under her pillow and, after a moment of feeling for the object, brought it out into the open. With her left, she picked up her wand and muttered, "Lumos."
The light from her wand bathed the small book in her thin hands in a yellowish glow. It was small, but thick, with innumerable gold-leafed pages and a hard dusky purple cover, all corners slightly dog-eared with age. She dropped the book silently onto the red and gold coverlets on her bed and lay on her stomach to get more comfortable for her reading. She stared at it for a moment, fingers slowly tracing the gold lettering on the cover, before opening it.
There was no entry to be added tonight to her part of the book. Instead, she wanted to read those of another girl like her, a girl who had attended Hogwarts more than twenty years ago.
A girl who was now long dead.
This book told more of her than she could let on to her friends. Because what would they think if they knew what she had done, without even realising her sins?
*****
The wait was longer, and so the chapter was too. I couldn't be bothered to write the rest of the trip, or the feast, but let's just say that they passed peacefully enough.
If you don't review, I'm not encouraged to write. That's why I kept on with my Buffy fic and sorta left this one. Please review, please!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way or form, except for my own plots and creations. Same for you. Don't worry, like me you'll get over it with years of extensive therapy! (That one's for Nick!)
Dedication: To hytenywg (hope that's spelt right) who provided me with another much needed review. Thank you so much! :)
BTW, I don't learn Italian, but have tried to incorporate some (stupid, I know). So if you learn Italian, and some of the grammar is round the wrong way or whatever, please tell me but don't flame. Cheers a lot.
And so on with the story.
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
October brought many events with it, the first and most noticeable change being the weather. The already nasty climate declined to impossible levels of constant rain, sleet, and gale force winds to match the frequent sub-zero temperatures. It was just about the worst weather anyone could remember for so early in autumn, and every pupil and teacher stayed indoors as much as possible. Hagrid began to hold some of his Care of Magical Creatures classes indoors to avoid any possible skiving of that lesson that his pupils might consider due to the weather. Unfortunately, the Erklings he had gained over the summer holidays seemed to be riotous no matter where the lessons were, and managed to break four of the Great Hall windows in one go.
On one such occasion, when the students were attempting to round up the vicious elfish creatures to feed them, the four Gryffindors had a confrontation with their least favourite person. It happened whilst Shannon had attempted a rugby tackle on one of their charges and just ended up with painful elbows as she landed flat on her face.
"Very graceful, Parks," Malfoy sneered. Shannon looked up at him from where she was still lying, propped her chin on her hands, and replied with a grin, "Thank you, I thought so too."
Malfoy pulled a face of annoyance about the fact that his insults could get nowhere with her and turned to Harry as Shannon stood up and dusted herself down.
"I hear your Quidditch team's one down this year." He smirked. "Considering the amount of talentless creeps in your house, I think it's safe to say that the Cup's ours this year."
"That's where you're wrong." Shannon said from behind him, causing him to turn. "The 'talentless creeps' jibe describes your own house sweetie. Get it right."
Harry grinned, even thought the Erkling in his arms seemed just about ready to bite him with its sharp little teeth. Malfoy attempted to look down his nose at her, but found that it isn't effective if the recipient is just two inches shorter than you. Maybe that was why the lopsided grin never left her face as she pushed past him and went to help Hermione use Freezing charms on some of the elves.
It was true that the Gryffindor team were missing a Keeper since Oliver Wood had left the school. Angelina Johnson had been appointed captain in his place, and Harry just hoped that she possibly wouldn't be as fanatical as him. He still had nightmares of being awoken on freezing mornings for gruelling practices that lasted hours on end.
She seemed quite worried about the state of the team though. Before the trials were held on Thursday evening, she confided in the team that they would probably have to train twice as hard as they normally did to get the new player in shape and used to the team in time for their first match. The start of the house tournament was just about a month away, leaving them with an alarmingly short amount of time for practice.
Ron, on account of not having his own broomstick (his ancient Shooting Star had been blown up by the twins over the holidays), wasn't trying out for the team and seemed quite bitter about it. He said nothing as Harry left, but concentrated on the chess game between himself and Ron Weasley-Hermione had refused to play until she had rechecked her History of Magic essay on Grindelwald for what must have been the hundredth time. Shannon was nowhere to be found, as she had scarpered after class claiming that she was researching the charmed ceiling in the hall.
McGonagall, clutching the magically amplified megaphone and a clipboard full of names, sat in the stands and watched the game carry on. The team played as different Keepers switched in and out of the game on her commands. Harry didn't have anything really to do, as catching the Snitch meant the end of the game. Instead, he was more interested in the evaporating line of hopeful try-outs.
There was something about the last one, the casual way she leant on broom as she chatted with some others, the faint laughter carried over the winds, which was familiar. The dark ponytail told him it was Shannon.
"Switch!" she yelled. "Last Keeper up, Shannon Parks!"
Shannon winked at Harry as she passed him to replace a fourth year girl called Emma Dobson. As the game progressed, they saw that she was a fairly good Keeper, and managed to save seven out of the ten goals that were shot at her before McGonagall called them all down to the pitch. As she entered a whispered discussion with Angelina, Shannon sidled up to her friend.
"Hey ya Harry," she said, leaning on her broom again. He looked at her and grinned.
"How come you didn't tell us you were trying out, Shan?" he asked.
She pulled a slight face. "And have Ron wanting to strangle me? Not likely. Anyway, I wanted to surprise you all."
Just then, the discussion broke up and McGonagall spoke up.
"Thank you all for trying out and showing great dedication to Gryffindor. You all played well, but we have chosen our new Keeper as Geoga Atkins."
A sandy-haired girl near the front punched the air triumphantly and became the target of many (sometimes flippant) congratulations and frosty, envious glares. Shannon pulled another face, this time one of disappointment, but shrugged.
"Ah well, maybe next time," she sighed as all the pupils started up the lawns for the castle. "I tried."
"You played well," Harry said, "I bet you were next on their list."
She smiled, causing her eyes to sparkle like crystals. "Thanks Harry."
As they neared the school, a large band of excited, chattering Ravenclaws poured out of the doors and down the steps. Judging by the various makes of broomstick they were all carrying, it was their turn to try out hopefuls for the empty places on the team.
Amidst the crowd, Harry saw Cho Chang, silent and ignoring the talk. As if she could feel his stare, she glanced up and her dark eyes locked with his green ones. They looked at each other awkwardly for a long moment, and he saw the pain and hurt that still haunted her eyes. Then she looked away again, down at the ground as she followed the others down in the direction of the Quidditch field.
Although he still felt the deep-rooted guilt that had affected him since Cedric Diggory's death at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, it wasn't as strong as before. Even when he saw Cho, one of those most affected. The words that he had been told so often after that terrible event had eventually started to work on him-`It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done.'
October also heralded the first Hogsmeade trip of the year, on the day of the Hallowe'en Feast. It was announced via a parchment message left on the notice board in the Gryffindor common room a week before it was planned.
Harry walked over to his friends, still holding his broom from Quidditch practice, and noticed the crowd around the message board. He sat in the chair across from Hermione, immersed in a thick volume of O.W.L Potions revision, occasionally glancing up at the chess match between Ron and Shannon.
Shannon chewed a loose strand of hair thoughtfully as Ron's knight took its move. Eventually, she spoke.
"Rook to H3." She said. The piece in question, and several others, turned to begin arguing in high, squeaky little voices with her, protesting her decision until she finally snapped.
"Stai zitto, tu stupide idiota!" she growled, pulling her wand from her pocket. "Silencio!"
The little black chess pieces fell eerily quiet under the Silencing charm and Shannon moved the rook, laughing in a deranged manner. Ron thought for a moment and made his move to take her king.
"Checkmate."
"Shoot!" she cried, giving all her remaining pieces dirty looks. "Bleeding chess set, never listens to me."
"That's why you lost," Hermione said. "And if you keep on with the 'Shut up, you stupid idiots' comments, its no wonder they don't like you." Upon the questioning glances from her three friends, she shrugged. "What, I learnt a bit of Italian a few years ago."
"Ah, well, you loose some, you...well, in my case, loose some more." Shannon remarked. To Harry, she added, "That's the twentieth bleeding game in a row that he's won!"
Harry laughed. "None of us can beat him. Anyway, Hogsmeade trip this weekend."
"Cool!" Shannon grinned. "My prank stocks are running low, ever since I planted those yet-to-be-discovered dungbombs in Filch's office."
Ron glanced up from packing away the chess set. "Ever been to Hogsmeade before?"
Shannon shook her head. "No. Whenever I came back from Italy in five whole years it was to visit my family in Ireland. What's it like?"
Hermione responded by reciting various historical dates and happenings, whilst Ron told her about all the different types of sweets and chocolates in Honeydukes. Under the torrent of talk, Shannon muttered to Harry, "From this I gain confusion." Above them, she added, "I guess I'll find out when I get there. Oh god, just remembered! Hannah needs a birthday present, fifth birthday in two weeks, quite the little lady. I'm going to the dormitory, 'kay?" Without waiting for an answer, she left.
"Poor Shannon," Hermione sighed, watching her leave. "She misses her little sister something chronic."
"Weird." Ron deemed. "She actually likes her sister?"
She glared at him. "Just because you don't like your siblings, doesn't mean she can't. Didn't you see them together? She really dotes on her."
Shannon heard this from where she sat at the top of the stairs to the girl's dormitory, blinking back the first tears of homesickness. More than anything at the moment, she wanted to see Hannah open her presents. She doted on her more than anyone could possibly realise, and for reasons that nobody could know or understand. Alone, she rose to her feet, and continued on her way to the empty dormitory.
*****
Saturday morning saw a slight ease in the weather- it managed to settle on a slight drizzle of rain and thick dark grey cloud. The Gryffindor quartet sat down at their House table to eat. Shannon seemed cheerfully distracted as she hummed an old Westlife song and almost poured pumpkin juice on her cornflakes.
Her preoccupation deeply worried Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and they ate with frequent glances around the Hall and at their fellow pupils. It was not until McGonagall's magically amplified voice boomed out for the final call to board the horseless carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade that something actually happened.
Kelly Stevens, a Gryffindor first year, was gazing around the room when she suddenly spluttered her pumpkin juice all over the table, and knocked over a jug of milk across the scarlet tablecloth as she abruptly pointed up at the ceiling.
"What? What is it Kell?" her best friend, Anna, asked impatiently.
"Look at the ceiling!" she cried, so loudly that half the hall did what she said. And then that half got the other half to do the same.
Huge, glittering ruby letters snaked across the ceiling, spelling out the words "GRYFFINDOR RULES", complete with the sybol of the rampant lion. By the door, Shannon giggled as guiltily as she ever would and exited quickly before the teachers could punish her.
*****
Down in Hogsmeade, Harry felt sympathy for Shannon. Ron and Hermione were intent on showing her about a hundred different places all at once. He stopped them before Shannon would probably explode with frustration (after seeing her prank that morning, he was in little doubt that she could probably pull this off).
"Where'd you want to go Shannon?" he asked. She shrugged and grinned with the reply of, "The prank shop, of course."
Laughing, the four friends made their way across the street and into Zonko's Joke Shop. As usual, it was a bright place filled with flying sparks and glittering showers of magical pranks. However, it was completely empty apart from a youngish man with greying brown hair at the other end of the room, studying a row of fake wands. Harry frowned. Something about him was overwhelmingly familiar and he watched him, ignoring the chatter of his three friends behind him.
"Professor Lupin?" he called. The man turned around and Harry's question was answered.
"Hello Harry," Lupin said, smiling as he walked over. The other three had looked up by now and Lupin smiled at them as well. "Hello Ron, Hermione." He paused at Shannon. "I don't think I know you."
"Shannon Parks." she prompted. He thought for a moment.
"You must be Joe's daughter, right?" he asked. She nodded. "I thought you moved to Italy. How is he?"
"He's fine, and yes, we did. But we came to England in August." she answered. "You know him?"
"Of course. He was Head Boy when I was in the fifth year." Lupin turned to Harry. "Harry, could I have a word please?"
"Er...sure." Harry followed Lupin back to the other side of the shop. "What is it?"
Lowering his voice, Lupin said, "I thought you should know that Sirius is safe. At the moment, he's alerting people who used to be in our section of Aurors of Voldemort's rise to power again. He says hi."
"Great," said Harry, unable to contain a grin. He felt a lot better knowing that Sirius had left Lupin's house alive.
With a back glance at the other three Gryffindors, Lupin continued, "Does Shannon know anything about Sirius being wrongly accused?"
"Don't think so. Strangely enough, it's never come up in the conversation."
"Perhaps it's better to keep it that way, for the moment at least. Her father works for the Ministry so he might know now and tell her himself. Well, you'd better get back to your friends. I'll see you around." Lupin walked up to the door, but looked back just before he left. "Shannon, I'd get something a little less violent if you're buying a present for a small child."
Shannon glanced at the packet of exploding quills she was holding. "Er...thanks."
Hermione shook her head when she saw what Shannon had picked up, muttering, "Honestly! Trying to buy that for a little girl of five!"
Shannon raised an eyebrow. "Who said it was for Hannah?"
*****
She grinned silently at the happy memories of that day as she climbed into bed, drawing the hangings protectively around her. In the thick sheets of darkness, she cocked her head briefly; listening for sounds that indicated anyone else was awake. Lavender mumbled something in her sleep, but other than that all was silent. The grin slowly faded.
She slid her right hand under her pillow and, after a moment of feeling for the object, brought it out into the open. With her left, she picked up her wand and muttered, "Lumos."
The light from her wand bathed the small book in her thin hands in a yellowish glow. It was small, but thick, with innumerable gold-leafed pages and a hard dusky purple cover, all corners slightly dog-eared with age. She dropped the book silently onto the red and gold coverlets on her bed and lay on her stomach to get more comfortable for her reading. She stared at it for a moment, fingers slowly tracing the gold lettering on the cover, before opening it.
There was no entry to be added tonight to her part of the book. Instead, she wanted to read those of another girl like her, a girl who had attended Hogwarts more than twenty years ago.
A girl who was now long dead.
This book told more of her than she could let on to her friends. Because what would they think if they knew what she had done, without even realising her sins?
*****
The wait was longer, and so the chapter was too. I couldn't be bothered to write the rest of the trip, or the feast, but let's just say that they passed peacefully enough.
If you don't review, I'm not encouraged to write. That's why I kept on with my Buffy fic and sorta left this one. Please review, please!