It took them the better part of the weekend to come up with a plan. The more they had thought about it, the fewer options there seemed to be. There was no way that they could hide Amanda long enough for them to carry out their plan. The only option that they could see was to go to Dumbledore. Harry was sure that any other teacher would try to expel them, but for some reason, Dumbledore had always been open to accepting odd situations. It took long hours of arguing, but they decided the best time to go was on March 13^th, the night of the full moon.
Jessica had convinced them that this was the best day to go. She recalled reading somewhere that in the occasion of a full moon, people's attitudes are changed greatly, and as they were sure Dumbledore would be exceedingly angry with them, perhaps now they would stand a chance.
Amanda did not share their small amount of enthusiasm at this idea.
"But guys," she had said, "what if he banishes me, and makes me go back? I don't want to go...not until I've helped you somehow. I just can't leave now, I just cant."
Jessica looked at her sympathetically, and suddenly felt very guilty. Jessica herself had been wishing every day that none of this would have ever happened. She wanted to go home very badly. At first, she thought that meeting Harry Potter and going to school with him would be an extraordinary experience. However, after all that had happened, she realized that they were all on the same level. Neither of them had any idea of what they were going to do, and perhaps the only thing that kept them going was the hope that tomorrow brought.
Despite the realization that he was just a normal guy, well not entirely, but still, she couldn't shake off the words of her last conversation alone with Ron and Hermione. Vincent Ciccone and Saria Evans...No! It was ridiculous...absurd even! But still, if she really believe that it wasn't true, then why did her mind keep wandering back to that same thought: What if I do have some ancient connection with Harry?
Her questions raged through her mind as she sat in her room with Hermione, Ron, and Amanda on the 13^th of March, waiting for Harry to return from Quidditch practice.
They sat in her room for close to fifteen minutes, until finally Hermione spoke.
"Why did he have to go to Quidditch practice, again? Doesn't he realize that this is perhaps a little bit more important than that stupid sport!?"
Ron gaped at her. "Stupid...sport?"
Hermione nodded her head sharply and glared at him, almost daring him to say something.
Ron's eyes widened and he started shaking his head in disbelief. His mouth open and closed like a fish gasping for air. Jessica almost started laughing, but she was able to control it. Hermione however gave him a wide grin and went to open the door to see if Harry was coming. But the moment she reached the door, it was opened by Harry, drenched in that rain from outside and trying to wipe the mud off his shoes before he came in Jessica's room.
Jessica noticed what he was doing, and waved her hand impatiently. "Never mind that, just come in. We're running late as it is."
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly, "Wood wanted me to stay after. Said he had to show me some new tactics. I don't thin they'll work against Ravenclaw though. Their defense is too strong..." His voice faded in to silence as he noticed that everyone was looking at him with raised eyebrows. He shifted his feet uncomfortably. "Sorry," he said again.
"Right," said Hermione, speaking to Jessica, Ron and Amanda, but still looking at Harry in disbelief, "Well with that, I think we should go down now, you know, before it's too late."
They all nodded in agreement. Harry pushed open the door, and stuck his head out. The common room was deserted, most of the students were at dinner. He nodded and held the door open as they filed out.
"Wait a moment," Harry said suddenly. "Stay here, I have an idea." He ran up the stairway to the boys dormitory, leaving the four of them standing bewildered. He came flying back down about a minute later, the invisibility cloak flapping in his hand. "Here," he panted, skidding to a halt in front of Amanda, "Just so that we don't run in to trouble on the way." He grinned at her, but she looked a little wary.
"Trouble?" she asked uncertainly.
"Oh nothing big," Harry said quickly. "You know, just incase we see someone. So that we don't have to answer questions or anything."
Amanda still looked a little suspicious, but she took the cloak from Harry and placed it over her shoulders. In an instant, everything but her head had vanished. They all nodded, urging her to continue. She nodded bravely and pulled up the hood, rendering her completely invisible.
"Right. Ok can you hear me Amanda?" Hermione said softly. Jessica had to smile. Hermione was speaking to Amanda as though she were a small child that was scared of something utterly ridiculous.
There was a pause. Finally Amanda answered in an impatient voice, "Of course I hear you Hermione." Jessica grinned even broader. They may have been in different surroundings, but it was the same old Amanda.
They made their way slowly down the corridors, trying not to look too guilty. But despite their efforts, they all jumped about a foot at every small noise. Harry was leading the way as he was the only one who knew where Dumbledore's office was. He stopped dead in the middle of a corridor and scratched his head, looking from left to right.
"I know it's around here somewhere," he said more to himself than the others.
Hermione looked shocked. "Harry! You said you'd been there before!"
Harry turned to face her. His voice dripped with impatience. "And I have been, but the last time I was I was in absolutely no shape to recall anything." He turned away again. "Now let's see," he said, thinking aloud, "It should be right down here....Aha!"
He turned around a corner. "Here it is!" he called. He stuck his head back around and beckoned to them all. Everyone looked at Ron, who merely shrugged.
They started off after him. When they first turned the corner, there was just an empty corridor. Following it to the end, they came upon a larger corridor that, at first, appeared to be empty. Then, they saw Harry standing along one wall in front of a large stone gargoyle.
"Harry, you git!" Even Ron couldn't help himself anymore. "You were supposed to take us to Dumbledore's office!!!"
"I know that!" Harry said acidly. "This is the entrance, I just can't seem to remember the password..."
"Oh well that's great," Jessica sighed as she slumped against a wall and slid silently to the floor. Hermione sat down beside with her chin in her hands, and her elbows on her knees.
"Maybe we could just wait for a teacher?" she suggested half-heartedly.
"Well it would look a little suspicious wouldn't it?" Ron said, as he too sat down. "I mean, they'd be sure to ask what we want with Dumbledore..."
"Are you still there, Amanda?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah, I am," Amanda replied quietly. "But I'd like to get out of this cloak sometime soon."
"Wait," Jessica said suddenly, sitting up straight. "Harry. Aren't all the passwords usual some kind of candy?"
Harry thought for a moment. "Hey, you're right! But...how did you know that?"
Jessica turned red. Once again, she had proven that she knew what she shouldn't about Harry's world.
"Oh, just a...um, lucky guess," she said quickly, eager to cover her mistake.
Harry looked at her suspiciously. She felt her throat close, she could tell he didn't believe her. Her heart was pounding in her rib cage. She noticed that the three of them were now looking at her very skeptically. She swallowed hard and thought for a minute.
"Ok, well, everyone start thinking of different kinds of candy," she said in an unnaturally high voice.
"Well there's Fizzing whizbees," Ron said slowly. Jessica had to work hard to hide her relief.
They watched the statue, but it made no move.
"Well that's not it," Hermione said. "What about Drooble's Best Blowing Gum?"
Still, the statue made no move.
Amanda slid the cloak off her head slowly. They all gaped at her.
"I know," she said, "I'm not supposed to take it off. But it's really hot under this thing!"
"Oh I know!" Harry said excitedly, "I remember this one time..." He noticed that once again, they were all looking at him oddly. "Sorry."
Jessica rubbed her forehead, trying to think of what the book said the last password was. Then it hit her, it was cockroach clusters. But Dumbledore was sure to have changed it since everything happened. What was another immensely gross form of wizard candy....
"Acid pops!" she said suddenly, her head snapping up. Instantly, the gargoyle came to life and sprang aside. Everyone was staring at her, looking impressed.
"And when have you ever tasted an acid pop?" Ron asked her. She started stammering for an explanation, then she noticed that he was laughing. She laughed too, feeling somewhat foolish. They all stood, and Harry with a mock bow, pointed to the spiral staircase and said, "Professor Dumbledore's office, first floor." They all laughed and followed him in, as the wall closed and the gargoyle returned to its guarding place.
Jessica had convinced them that this was the best day to go. She recalled reading somewhere that in the occasion of a full moon, people's attitudes are changed greatly, and as they were sure Dumbledore would be exceedingly angry with them, perhaps now they would stand a chance.
Amanda did not share their small amount of enthusiasm at this idea.
"But guys," she had said, "what if he banishes me, and makes me go back? I don't want to go...not until I've helped you somehow. I just can't leave now, I just cant."
Jessica looked at her sympathetically, and suddenly felt very guilty. Jessica herself had been wishing every day that none of this would have ever happened. She wanted to go home very badly. At first, she thought that meeting Harry Potter and going to school with him would be an extraordinary experience. However, after all that had happened, she realized that they were all on the same level. Neither of them had any idea of what they were going to do, and perhaps the only thing that kept them going was the hope that tomorrow brought.
Despite the realization that he was just a normal guy, well not entirely, but still, she couldn't shake off the words of her last conversation alone with Ron and Hermione. Vincent Ciccone and Saria Evans...No! It was ridiculous...absurd even! But still, if she really believe that it wasn't true, then why did her mind keep wandering back to that same thought: What if I do have some ancient connection with Harry?
Her questions raged through her mind as she sat in her room with Hermione, Ron, and Amanda on the 13^th of March, waiting for Harry to return from Quidditch practice.
They sat in her room for close to fifteen minutes, until finally Hermione spoke.
"Why did he have to go to Quidditch practice, again? Doesn't he realize that this is perhaps a little bit more important than that stupid sport!?"
Ron gaped at her. "Stupid...sport?"
Hermione nodded her head sharply and glared at him, almost daring him to say something.
Ron's eyes widened and he started shaking his head in disbelief. His mouth open and closed like a fish gasping for air. Jessica almost started laughing, but she was able to control it. Hermione however gave him a wide grin and went to open the door to see if Harry was coming. But the moment she reached the door, it was opened by Harry, drenched in that rain from outside and trying to wipe the mud off his shoes before he came in Jessica's room.
Jessica noticed what he was doing, and waved her hand impatiently. "Never mind that, just come in. We're running late as it is."
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly, "Wood wanted me to stay after. Said he had to show me some new tactics. I don't thin they'll work against Ravenclaw though. Their defense is too strong..." His voice faded in to silence as he noticed that everyone was looking at him with raised eyebrows. He shifted his feet uncomfortably. "Sorry," he said again.
"Right," said Hermione, speaking to Jessica, Ron and Amanda, but still looking at Harry in disbelief, "Well with that, I think we should go down now, you know, before it's too late."
They all nodded in agreement. Harry pushed open the door, and stuck his head out. The common room was deserted, most of the students were at dinner. He nodded and held the door open as they filed out.
"Wait a moment," Harry said suddenly. "Stay here, I have an idea." He ran up the stairway to the boys dormitory, leaving the four of them standing bewildered. He came flying back down about a minute later, the invisibility cloak flapping in his hand. "Here," he panted, skidding to a halt in front of Amanda, "Just so that we don't run in to trouble on the way." He grinned at her, but she looked a little wary.
"Trouble?" she asked uncertainly.
"Oh nothing big," Harry said quickly. "You know, just incase we see someone. So that we don't have to answer questions or anything."
Amanda still looked a little suspicious, but she took the cloak from Harry and placed it over her shoulders. In an instant, everything but her head had vanished. They all nodded, urging her to continue. She nodded bravely and pulled up the hood, rendering her completely invisible.
"Right. Ok can you hear me Amanda?" Hermione said softly. Jessica had to smile. Hermione was speaking to Amanda as though she were a small child that was scared of something utterly ridiculous.
There was a pause. Finally Amanda answered in an impatient voice, "Of course I hear you Hermione." Jessica grinned even broader. They may have been in different surroundings, but it was the same old Amanda.
They made their way slowly down the corridors, trying not to look too guilty. But despite their efforts, they all jumped about a foot at every small noise. Harry was leading the way as he was the only one who knew where Dumbledore's office was. He stopped dead in the middle of a corridor and scratched his head, looking from left to right.
"I know it's around here somewhere," he said more to himself than the others.
Hermione looked shocked. "Harry! You said you'd been there before!"
Harry turned to face her. His voice dripped with impatience. "And I have been, but the last time I was I was in absolutely no shape to recall anything." He turned away again. "Now let's see," he said, thinking aloud, "It should be right down here....Aha!"
He turned around a corner. "Here it is!" he called. He stuck his head back around and beckoned to them all. Everyone looked at Ron, who merely shrugged.
They started off after him. When they first turned the corner, there was just an empty corridor. Following it to the end, they came upon a larger corridor that, at first, appeared to be empty. Then, they saw Harry standing along one wall in front of a large stone gargoyle.
"Harry, you git!" Even Ron couldn't help himself anymore. "You were supposed to take us to Dumbledore's office!!!"
"I know that!" Harry said acidly. "This is the entrance, I just can't seem to remember the password..."
"Oh well that's great," Jessica sighed as she slumped against a wall and slid silently to the floor. Hermione sat down beside with her chin in her hands, and her elbows on her knees.
"Maybe we could just wait for a teacher?" she suggested half-heartedly.
"Well it would look a little suspicious wouldn't it?" Ron said, as he too sat down. "I mean, they'd be sure to ask what we want with Dumbledore..."
"Are you still there, Amanda?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah, I am," Amanda replied quietly. "But I'd like to get out of this cloak sometime soon."
"Wait," Jessica said suddenly, sitting up straight. "Harry. Aren't all the passwords usual some kind of candy?"
Harry thought for a moment. "Hey, you're right! But...how did you know that?"
Jessica turned red. Once again, she had proven that she knew what she shouldn't about Harry's world.
"Oh, just a...um, lucky guess," she said quickly, eager to cover her mistake.
Harry looked at her suspiciously. She felt her throat close, she could tell he didn't believe her. Her heart was pounding in her rib cage. She noticed that the three of them were now looking at her very skeptically. She swallowed hard and thought for a minute.
"Ok, well, everyone start thinking of different kinds of candy," she said in an unnaturally high voice.
"Well there's Fizzing whizbees," Ron said slowly. Jessica had to work hard to hide her relief.
They watched the statue, but it made no move.
"Well that's not it," Hermione said. "What about Drooble's Best Blowing Gum?"
Still, the statue made no move.
Amanda slid the cloak off her head slowly. They all gaped at her.
"I know," she said, "I'm not supposed to take it off. But it's really hot under this thing!"
"Oh I know!" Harry said excitedly, "I remember this one time..." He noticed that once again, they were all looking at him oddly. "Sorry."
Jessica rubbed her forehead, trying to think of what the book said the last password was. Then it hit her, it was cockroach clusters. But Dumbledore was sure to have changed it since everything happened. What was another immensely gross form of wizard candy....
"Acid pops!" she said suddenly, her head snapping up. Instantly, the gargoyle came to life and sprang aside. Everyone was staring at her, looking impressed.
"And when have you ever tasted an acid pop?" Ron asked her. She started stammering for an explanation, then she noticed that he was laughing. She laughed too, feeling somewhat foolish. They all stood, and Harry with a mock bow, pointed to the spiral staircase and said, "Professor Dumbledore's office, first floor." They all laughed and followed him in, as the wall closed and the gargoyle returned to its guarding place.