"It all fits," Hermione whispered.
"What all fits?" Amanda asked uncertainly.
"That's where I've heard that rune before!" Hermione exclaimed, clasping her hands together.
"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Jessica asked.
"The rune! The rune! Don't you see?" Hermione said in a excited voice, "The rune you said meant `beware a blonde hair stranger'! She was the stranger."
"But that's not a good thing, Hermione!" Harry said, exasperated.
Hermione waved her hand impatiently. "I know that, but still, atleast now we know what we're up against."
"And where on Earth have you heard that phrase before?" Ron asked her incredulously.
"Oh...well, I just read it in one of my books." She beamed at them.
"What don't you read in one of your books?" Jessica asked, laughing.
The rest of them joined in laughing, but Jessica still couldn't shake that eerie feeling Faith had given her. A blonde hair stranger...
"Right, well let's go back to the Common Room before Snape comes along and tries to expel us or something," Ron said.
They continued walking toward Gryffindor tower, now oddly silent. Jessica assumed that each of them was lost in their own thoughts, but Harry seemed the most troubled of all.
When they reached the Common Room, Hermione, and Amanda claimed that they were tired and both went to their rooms. Jessica too was feeling sleepy, but she didn't want to go before she had her question answered.
"Harry," she said quietly, "What's wrong?"
Harry merely shook his head.
"Please," Jessica pressed on, "please tell me what's wrong."
Harry raised his head. He was looking straight at her, but she could tell his mind was somewhere else. "How did she know I like Cho? I never told anyone. Not even Ron."
Jessica's stomach gave a funny jolt. He was right. In all that the book had said about Cho, it had never said that he told anyone. Jessica had known of course, but that was only because she had read the...
"Oh no," Jessica breathed
Harry was startled. "What the matter?"
She shook her head. Her throat felt tight. How could she explain to him what she thought? He would think she was crazy. Some of the teachers hadn't even believed her story. She lowered her eyes to the carpet.
"Harry, promise me that no matter what you do, you won't ever talk to that girl again."
Again, Harry was shocked. "Well, I wasn't planning on it, if that's what you mean."
Jessica kept her eyes down. "Please, Harry. Promise that no matter what, you'll avoid her."
"Er..."
"Promise me, Harry," Jessica said, raising her head. "She's like me. She knows..."
"Harry, are you coming?" Ron called from halfway up the boy's staircase.
Harry turned to Jessica, studying her face for a moment.
"I promise."
Then he turned, and started up the stairs.
Jessica shook her head and started slowly off toward her room.
"What all fits?" Amanda asked uncertainly.
"That's where I've heard that rune before!" Hermione exclaimed, clasping her hands together.
"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Jessica asked.
"The rune! The rune! Don't you see?" Hermione said in a excited voice, "The rune you said meant `beware a blonde hair stranger'! She was the stranger."
"But that's not a good thing, Hermione!" Harry said, exasperated.
Hermione waved her hand impatiently. "I know that, but still, atleast now we know what we're up against."
"And where on Earth have you heard that phrase before?" Ron asked her incredulously.
"Oh...well, I just read it in one of my books." She beamed at them.
"What don't you read in one of your books?" Jessica asked, laughing.
The rest of them joined in laughing, but Jessica still couldn't shake that eerie feeling Faith had given her. A blonde hair stranger...
"Right, well let's go back to the Common Room before Snape comes along and tries to expel us or something," Ron said.
They continued walking toward Gryffindor tower, now oddly silent. Jessica assumed that each of them was lost in their own thoughts, but Harry seemed the most troubled of all.
When they reached the Common Room, Hermione, and Amanda claimed that they were tired and both went to their rooms. Jessica too was feeling sleepy, but she didn't want to go before she had her question answered.
"Harry," she said quietly, "What's wrong?"
Harry merely shook his head.
"Please," Jessica pressed on, "please tell me what's wrong."
Harry raised his head. He was looking straight at her, but she could tell his mind was somewhere else. "How did she know I like Cho? I never told anyone. Not even Ron."
Jessica's stomach gave a funny jolt. He was right. In all that the book had said about Cho, it had never said that he told anyone. Jessica had known of course, but that was only because she had read the...
"Oh no," Jessica breathed
Harry was startled. "What the matter?"
She shook her head. Her throat felt tight. How could she explain to him what she thought? He would think she was crazy. Some of the teachers hadn't even believed her story. She lowered her eyes to the carpet.
"Harry, promise me that no matter what you do, you won't ever talk to that girl again."
Again, Harry was shocked. "Well, I wasn't planning on it, if that's what you mean."
Jessica kept her eyes down. "Please, Harry. Promise that no matter what, you'll avoid her."
"Er..."
"Promise me, Harry," Jessica said, raising her head. "She's like me. She knows..."
"Harry, are you coming?" Ron called from halfway up the boy's staircase.
Harry turned to Jessica, studying her face for a moment.
"I promise."
Then he turned, and started up the stairs.
Jessica shook her head and started slowly off toward her room.