She shut the door silently behind her. Amanda was sitting on the new bed, studying Jessica with a mixture of excitement and curiosity.
"So this is Hogwarts is it?" Amanda said excitedly, looking around the room.
Jessica managed a small smile and a nod. She wasn't angry at Amanda for ignoring the severity of this situation. She too remembered the initial thrill it had been to come to Hogwarts. Amanda had been staying in the spare bed in Hermione's dormitory, in the invisibility cloak of course. And, since she had first arrived, Jessica and she had not yet had the chance to talk alone. Jessica heaved a sigh and sat down on her own bed, shifting some covers over.
Amanda looked surprised. "What's wrong?"
Jessica shook her head. She'd heard that phrase so many times that night she was ready to scream.
Instead of saying `nothing' like most people would have, she looked Amanda straight in the eye and told her the truth. "We have a very big problem, Amanda."
Amanda shifted her comforter over. "We do?" she asked, sounding concerned, "But I thought we had all of our problems figured out...for now, atleast."
Jessica shook her head. "It isn't as simple as it seems," she said, "We still haven't gotten word from the other Aurors, so we don't even know if the letters made it. Plus, the Dark Side is growing so fast, I don't know if, even when we get the Aurors, we'll be able to stop them. And to top it all off, I think there's a spy in the school. A spy who knows what we do. A spy who read the books."
Amanda looked at her, somewhat shocked. "But, how do you think a spy from their world could have read a book series from ours?"
Jessica looked down at her hands. "I don't know," she said finally, "But she does seem to know an awful lot about Harry. Things he's never told other people...even Ron. Things that only you and I know from reading the books, but would never bring up...Honestly, Amanda, didn't you notice something...funny about that Faith girl?"
Amanda thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it," she said slowly, "She did seem...kind of familiar. But I don't know how..."
Jessica leaned forward. "And," she said in a whisper, "She knew that Harry liked Cho, but Harry hasn't ever told anyone. Not even Ron. Doesn't that seem odd to you?"
"Come to think of it, you're right! But wait," she said, suddenly dropping her voice to a whisper, "Do you think Harry noticed?"
Jessica nodded. "He's the one that pointed it out to me."
Amanda leaned back again. "Oh no," she said quietly.
"And that's not all," Jessica said, quieter still, "If Harry wants to figure out how she knew about him liking Cho, we're going to have to tell him about the books."
Amanda clapped her hands to her mouth, shaking her head. "But we can't! I mean, just think about what that will do to him! Imagine, having people you don't even know being able to read and see all of your personal thoughts and trials!"
Jessica nodded. "I know...I know, and I don't want to have to tell him either...but we may just have to."
Neither of them said anything for a long time.
"Hey Jessica," Amanda said finally, "Does Ron have a girlfriend?"
Jessica was startled. That was the last thing she expected Amanda to say
"Oh, um," she stuttered, "Well, no, I don't think so. Why do you want to know?" Jessica said, already knowing the answer.
Amanda blushed and looked down at her hands. "Oh I don't know..."
Jessica laughed. "You are such a dork!" she said as she picked up a pillow and threw it at Amanda.
Amanda caught it and tossed it aside. "But really," she said, back to whispering, "Do you think they'll have another Ball this year? I mean, especially with all that's going on."
"I'm not sure," Jessica replied slowly, "But then again, Dumbledore has been known to pull off strange things at the last moment..." Suddenly there was a sharp knock on the bedroom door. Amanda looked at Jessica with raised eyebrows. Jessica shrugged in silent reply.
They were about to start talking again when a second knock sounded...then a third.
"Should I go answer that?" Amanda asked Jessica with wide eyes.
"Sure, go ahead," Jessica said, flopping back on her bed.
Amanda rose and approached the door. Jessica was watching her from her reclining position. Amanda turned back to Jessica when she reached the door, and Jessica nodded, encouraging her to open it.
Upon opening the door, Amanda grew pale, as though someone had pulled out a plug and let all the color drain from her face.
Jessica sat straight up. "What is it, Amanda? Who's there?"
Amanda didn't have time to reply. She merely screamed, and the next second, she was pulled out the door and disappeared from sight.
Jessica scrambled to stand up and raced to the door. The Common Room was empty. The fire flickering eerily in the corner, casting it's dying light over the furniture. Breathing hard, she cast another look over the room, then something very strange caught her eye. A note was taped to her door. Hands trembling, she reached out and took it: The Dark Side will win. The three united shall fall. One has become a prisoner. Two more await their deaths. A rain of blood shall fall upon the castle. The six summoned shall be dealt with. The Dark Lord has returned. Hope is futile.
Jessica stayed conscious just long enough to hear herself scream as she fell over, her scar searing viscously.
"So this is Hogwarts is it?" Amanda said excitedly, looking around the room.
Jessica managed a small smile and a nod. She wasn't angry at Amanda for ignoring the severity of this situation. She too remembered the initial thrill it had been to come to Hogwarts. Amanda had been staying in the spare bed in Hermione's dormitory, in the invisibility cloak of course. And, since she had first arrived, Jessica and she had not yet had the chance to talk alone. Jessica heaved a sigh and sat down on her own bed, shifting some covers over.
Amanda looked surprised. "What's wrong?"
Jessica shook her head. She'd heard that phrase so many times that night she was ready to scream.
Instead of saying `nothing' like most people would have, she looked Amanda straight in the eye and told her the truth. "We have a very big problem, Amanda."
Amanda shifted her comforter over. "We do?" she asked, sounding concerned, "But I thought we had all of our problems figured out...for now, atleast."
Jessica shook her head. "It isn't as simple as it seems," she said, "We still haven't gotten word from the other Aurors, so we don't even know if the letters made it. Plus, the Dark Side is growing so fast, I don't know if, even when we get the Aurors, we'll be able to stop them. And to top it all off, I think there's a spy in the school. A spy who knows what we do. A spy who read the books."
Amanda looked at her, somewhat shocked. "But, how do you think a spy from their world could have read a book series from ours?"
Jessica looked down at her hands. "I don't know," she said finally, "But she does seem to know an awful lot about Harry. Things he's never told other people...even Ron. Things that only you and I know from reading the books, but would never bring up...Honestly, Amanda, didn't you notice something...funny about that Faith girl?"
Amanda thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it," she said slowly, "She did seem...kind of familiar. But I don't know how..."
Jessica leaned forward. "And," she said in a whisper, "She knew that Harry liked Cho, but Harry hasn't ever told anyone. Not even Ron. Doesn't that seem odd to you?"
"Come to think of it, you're right! But wait," she said, suddenly dropping her voice to a whisper, "Do you think Harry noticed?"
Jessica nodded. "He's the one that pointed it out to me."
Amanda leaned back again. "Oh no," she said quietly.
"And that's not all," Jessica said, quieter still, "If Harry wants to figure out how she knew about him liking Cho, we're going to have to tell him about the books."
Amanda clapped her hands to her mouth, shaking her head. "But we can't! I mean, just think about what that will do to him! Imagine, having people you don't even know being able to read and see all of your personal thoughts and trials!"
Jessica nodded. "I know...I know, and I don't want to have to tell him either...but we may just have to."
Neither of them said anything for a long time.
"Hey Jessica," Amanda said finally, "Does Ron have a girlfriend?"
Jessica was startled. That was the last thing she expected Amanda to say
"Oh, um," she stuttered, "Well, no, I don't think so. Why do you want to know?" Jessica said, already knowing the answer.
Amanda blushed and looked down at her hands. "Oh I don't know..."
Jessica laughed. "You are such a dork!" she said as she picked up a pillow and threw it at Amanda.
Amanda caught it and tossed it aside. "But really," she said, back to whispering, "Do you think they'll have another Ball this year? I mean, especially with all that's going on."
"I'm not sure," Jessica replied slowly, "But then again, Dumbledore has been known to pull off strange things at the last moment..." Suddenly there was a sharp knock on the bedroom door. Amanda looked at Jessica with raised eyebrows. Jessica shrugged in silent reply.
They were about to start talking again when a second knock sounded...then a third.
"Should I go answer that?" Amanda asked Jessica with wide eyes.
"Sure, go ahead," Jessica said, flopping back on her bed.
Amanda rose and approached the door. Jessica was watching her from her reclining position. Amanda turned back to Jessica when she reached the door, and Jessica nodded, encouraging her to open it.
Upon opening the door, Amanda grew pale, as though someone had pulled out a plug and let all the color drain from her face.
Jessica sat straight up. "What is it, Amanda? Who's there?"
Amanda didn't have time to reply. She merely screamed, and the next second, she was pulled out the door and disappeared from sight.
Jessica scrambled to stand up and raced to the door. The Common Room was empty. The fire flickering eerily in the corner, casting it's dying light over the furniture. Breathing hard, she cast another look over the room, then something very strange caught her eye. A note was taped to her door. Hands trembling, she reached out and took it: The Dark Side will win. The three united shall fall. One has become a prisoner. Two more await their deaths. A rain of blood shall fall upon the castle. The six summoned shall be dealt with. The Dark Lord has returned. Hope is futile.
Jessica stayed conscious just long enough to hear herself scream as she fell over, her scar searing viscously.