Jessica dressed hurriedly and left her room to find Harry, Ron, and
Hermione sitting around the fireplace discussing the classes they had that
day. She approached them as quickly as she could without actually running.
Ron was the one who saw her first.
"Morning," he said cheerfully, "Where's Amanda?" he added, glancing around the room.
Jessica's heart started thudding painfully hard in her chest. It hadn't been a dream?!
"She, um, she…" Jessica said, stumbling for an explanation.
"Hi guys," said a voice right behind Jessica.
Jessica jumped and spun around. Amanda was standing right behind her wearing a big smile.
"Good morning, Jess," Amanda said cheerfully, taking a seat in the chair beside Hermione.
Jessica opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a funny rasping sound.
"Is something wrong, Jess?" Hermione asked curiously.
She shut her mouth quickly and shook her head.
Ron was now telling Amanda a joke that Fred had told him, and Amanda was laughing loudly. In all the years Jessica had known her, Amanda had never laughed like that. There was something very odd about it. Infact, her laugh almost sounded like a cackle, very different from her usual giggling.
Not taking her eyes off Amanda, Jessica said, "Harry? Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Sure," he said, looking at her very skeptically.
Jessica walked over to his chair, seized him by the elbow, and pulled him over to her room. She cast a final nervous glance around the room, and nudged Harry through the door. She hurried in after him, and shut the door. Leaning against the door, she started to explain everything that had happened the night before, including Hermione and Ron's theory that they were related. As she spoke, she occasionally through glances over her shoulder, as though afraid they were going to come bursting though the door any second.
Harry gasped when she told him about Saria and the other Aurors. "You mean…we're related?" he asked in awe.
She shrugged. "It certainly seems that way. But what's even stranger is Amanda. I'm sure she disappeared last night. There was a note…I think I may still have it. She dashed to her dresser to find the jeans she had been wearing yesterday. "Yes," she said finally, "Here it is." She handed Harry the note and he began to read.
"Do you have any idea who wrote this?" he asked, waving the paper around.
"No," she said, "But right after she left, I ran out in to the Common Room, and it was completely empty."
Harry shook his head, then looked up at Jessica. "Can I hang on to this?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Plus all that, Harry, in all the years I've known Amanda, I have never heard her laugh like that." She sighed and sat down on her bed. "Do you want to know what I think?" she asked Harry, who nodded, "I don't think that's Amanda. I don't know who, or what, it is, but it isn't Amanda."
Harry nodded. "She seemed a little odd to me too."
"Well, I don't know how we're going to figure out…" Jessica began.
A very harassed Hermione flung open the door.
"If you two don't hurry up, we're going to be late for Transfiguration!" she said in an agitated voice.
No one spoke much until they reached the classroom. Amanda was once again behaving oddly. She kept giggling and poking Ron, who didn't seem to be minding it. Hermione was starting to notice something was odd too, she kept throwing inquisitive glances at Jessica, who could do no more than shrug.
When they finally reached the classroom, they found their normal schedule of events to be interrupted. Class usually started by taking notes, followed by an activity, followed by Neville exploding something, followed by mass chaos, followed by the entire class standing by the door, praying for the bell to ring as Professor McGonagall scolded Neville.
Jessica stood, brushing bits of plant off her clothes (today Neville had blown up a cactus). She was starting off toward the door with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Amanda, when Professor McGonagall stood and called for their attention.
"As you may have heard," she began, "our school is hosting yet another Ball this year. However, unlike the Yule Ball, this will be open only to Hogwarts students, past and present. Which means," she continued, eyeing them like a wrathful eagle, "there will be some older and more respected people attending this. I can only hope that you will not embarrass the school. You are to be on your best behavior, as some of your parents may be coming," her eyes lingered on Ron for a moment, "Also, Headmaster Dumbledore has decided to make this a costume event. For the Ball, you are all to wear Muggle formal wear. As this is a last minute idea, the school has notified your parents and they are sending the clothes you will wear. The Spring Ball will take place on May 7th." She stopped for a moment, and cast a long glance over the entire room. Finally, she said, "That is all. You are dismissed."
Jessica couldn't believe her ears. She looked at Harry, who had turned very white. She couldn't just let this go, there had to be a reason they were having this dance. Wouldn't it be dangerous having a dance with all the Dark Activity going on around, and quite possible inside of, Hogwarts?
Jessica approached Professor McGonagall's desk slowly. Just as she reached it, Professor looked up.
"Yes?"
Jessica suddenly forgot what she was going to say. "I, um, er…"
Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrow. "Yes?" she asked again.
"I think what she means to say," Harry said, jogging up to the desk, "Is what's the reason they decided to have this dance?"
Jessica was startled, she hadn't realized that Harry was still in the classroom.
Professor McGonagall looked at him very intently for a moment, and Jessica had the distinct impression that she was sizing him up.
McGonagall cleared her throat and looked down at her papers. "It is merely a moral booster," she said simply.
"But, Professor," Jessica found her voice again, "Isn't it a little dangerous to have a dance? I mean, after the Dark Mark and all?"
Professor McGonagall looked shocked for a moment. Then she said, "Trust me, Miss Ciccone, Professor Dumbledore has taken every necessary precaution." She glanced at her watch. "You two had better go, or you're going to be late for your next class."
Jessica and Harry walked out of the classroom, their own thoughts taking the place of any conversation.
"Morning," he said cheerfully, "Where's Amanda?" he added, glancing around the room.
Jessica's heart started thudding painfully hard in her chest. It hadn't been a dream?!
"She, um, she…" Jessica said, stumbling for an explanation.
"Hi guys," said a voice right behind Jessica.
Jessica jumped and spun around. Amanda was standing right behind her wearing a big smile.
"Good morning, Jess," Amanda said cheerfully, taking a seat in the chair beside Hermione.
Jessica opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a funny rasping sound.
"Is something wrong, Jess?" Hermione asked curiously.
She shut her mouth quickly and shook her head.
Ron was now telling Amanda a joke that Fred had told him, and Amanda was laughing loudly. In all the years Jessica had known her, Amanda had never laughed like that. There was something very odd about it. Infact, her laugh almost sounded like a cackle, very different from her usual giggling.
Not taking her eyes off Amanda, Jessica said, "Harry? Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Sure," he said, looking at her very skeptically.
Jessica walked over to his chair, seized him by the elbow, and pulled him over to her room. She cast a final nervous glance around the room, and nudged Harry through the door. She hurried in after him, and shut the door. Leaning against the door, she started to explain everything that had happened the night before, including Hermione and Ron's theory that they were related. As she spoke, she occasionally through glances over her shoulder, as though afraid they were going to come bursting though the door any second.
Harry gasped when she told him about Saria and the other Aurors. "You mean…we're related?" he asked in awe.
She shrugged. "It certainly seems that way. But what's even stranger is Amanda. I'm sure she disappeared last night. There was a note…I think I may still have it. She dashed to her dresser to find the jeans she had been wearing yesterday. "Yes," she said finally, "Here it is." She handed Harry the note and he began to read.
"Do you have any idea who wrote this?" he asked, waving the paper around.
"No," she said, "But right after she left, I ran out in to the Common Room, and it was completely empty."
Harry shook his head, then looked up at Jessica. "Can I hang on to this?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Plus all that, Harry, in all the years I've known Amanda, I have never heard her laugh like that." She sighed and sat down on her bed. "Do you want to know what I think?" she asked Harry, who nodded, "I don't think that's Amanda. I don't know who, or what, it is, but it isn't Amanda."
Harry nodded. "She seemed a little odd to me too."
"Well, I don't know how we're going to figure out…" Jessica began.
A very harassed Hermione flung open the door.
"If you two don't hurry up, we're going to be late for Transfiguration!" she said in an agitated voice.
No one spoke much until they reached the classroom. Amanda was once again behaving oddly. She kept giggling and poking Ron, who didn't seem to be minding it. Hermione was starting to notice something was odd too, she kept throwing inquisitive glances at Jessica, who could do no more than shrug.
When they finally reached the classroom, they found their normal schedule of events to be interrupted. Class usually started by taking notes, followed by an activity, followed by Neville exploding something, followed by mass chaos, followed by the entire class standing by the door, praying for the bell to ring as Professor McGonagall scolded Neville.
Jessica stood, brushing bits of plant off her clothes (today Neville had blown up a cactus). She was starting off toward the door with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Amanda, when Professor McGonagall stood and called for their attention.
"As you may have heard," she began, "our school is hosting yet another Ball this year. However, unlike the Yule Ball, this will be open only to Hogwarts students, past and present. Which means," she continued, eyeing them like a wrathful eagle, "there will be some older and more respected people attending this. I can only hope that you will not embarrass the school. You are to be on your best behavior, as some of your parents may be coming," her eyes lingered on Ron for a moment, "Also, Headmaster Dumbledore has decided to make this a costume event. For the Ball, you are all to wear Muggle formal wear. As this is a last minute idea, the school has notified your parents and they are sending the clothes you will wear. The Spring Ball will take place on May 7th." She stopped for a moment, and cast a long glance over the entire room. Finally, she said, "That is all. You are dismissed."
Jessica couldn't believe her ears. She looked at Harry, who had turned very white. She couldn't just let this go, there had to be a reason they were having this dance. Wouldn't it be dangerous having a dance with all the Dark Activity going on around, and quite possible inside of, Hogwarts?
Jessica approached Professor McGonagall's desk slowly. Just as she reached it, Professor looked up.
"Yes?"
Jessica suddenly forgot what she was going to say. "I, um, er…"
Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrow. "Yes?" she asked again.
"I think what she means to say," Harry said, jogging up to the desk, "Is what's the reason they decided to have this dance?"
Jessica was startled, she hadn't realized that Harry was still in the classroom.
Professor McGonagall looked at him very intently for a moment, and Jessica had the distinct impression that she was sizing him up.
McGonagall cleared her throat and looked down at her papers. "It is merely a moral booster," she said simply.
"But, Professor," Jessica found her voice again, "Isn't it a little dangerous to have a dance? I mean, after the Dark Mark and all?"
Professor McGonagall looked shocked for a moment. Then she said, "Trust me, Miss Ciccone, Professor Dumbledore has taken every necessary precaution." She glanced at her watch. "You two had better go, or you're going to be late for your next class."
Jessica and Harry walked out of the classroom, their own thoughts taking the place of any conversation.