The next morning, Amy awoke with her stomach in knots. At first she
wasn't sure what it was that was holding her back from getting out of bed,
but then her stomach lurched. She rolled over and moaned. Hermione, who
was sitting on the side of her bed, yawning and stretching, glanced over at
her friend. "What's wrong?"
"My stomach," moaned Amy. "I feel awful!"
Looking worried, Hermione asked, "You didn't.you know, do anything last night, did you?"
Amy gave her friend a scathing look. "Yeah, Hermione. I'm pregnant and it only happened last night." Shaking her head, she muttered, "You're smart; you should know that."
Standing up, choosing to ignore her friend's sarcasm, Hermione headed into the washroom to get ready for breakfast. When she came out, she was surprised to find Amy still in bed, asleep. Shaking her friend gently, then more rapidly, she said, "Do you want me to tell Professor McGonagall that you're not coming to class because you're sick?"
Groaning, Amy looked up. "No. But I'm not going to breakfast. Tell Harry and Ron I'll see them in Transfiguration." With that, she rolled over again, flopping her face into her pillow. Rolling her eyes, Hermione grabbed her school stuff and headed out the door.
True to her word, when Hermione, Ron and Harry entered the Transfiguration class after breakfast, Amy was seated at their table, looking pale and tired, but present, nonetheless. Looking nonplussed, Ron sat down at the end of the table, as far away from Amy as possible. "She doesn't have anything catching, does she?" he whispered to Hermione as she sat down beside her friend. Giving him such a menacing look, Ron sat up straighter and faced front.
"Morning, Amy. Feeling any better?" Harry sat down on the other side of Amy. Smiling weakly, Amy grasped Harry's hand.
"No, but thank you for asking."
Professor McGonagall entered the room shortly thereafter and commenced the day's lesson. Harry was more than pleased to see that there was no sign of Tom Riddle in this class. That meant that the only time he had to put up with him was in Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was nothing personal; Harry just didn't like the way that Tom looked at Amy and the way that they acted around each other.
After that lesson (a double lesson that day) came lunch. Amy, still not very hungry, sat with her friends as they ravaged the food in front of them. "'Till not 'eeling 'ell?" Ron managed to say through a mouthful of pumpkin pie. Halloween was just around the corner and Hogwarts pulled out no stops during this time of year. Amy shook her head, catching a glimpse of Tom out of the corner of her eye. He was standing awkwardly at the entrance of the Great Hall. Clutching a book to his chest, he turned to leave.
"I'll see you guys in class," Amy hissed and took off after him. Harry, who was starving a second ago, pushed his food away. He had lost all appetite.
"Tom! Wait up!" Amy chased Tom down the hallway, catching up with him just outside of the entrance to Hogwarts. He turned to face her, his face breaking into a smile.
"Hello!" he cried happily. "How are you?"
Suddenly shy, Amy bowed her head slightly. "Good. And yourself?"
"Couldn't be better. Want to talk another walk?"
Forgetting all about her stomach pains from earlier, Amy agreed and followed Tom outside. Not realizing until fifteen minutes later, she asked, "Where'd that book go?"
"What book?" Tom looked confused.
"The book you were carrying when you left the Great Hall."
"Oh, that thing." Tom patted his robe pocket. "I keep it in here, close to me. It's very special to me."
"Oh." Amy wasn't sure what else to say. She didn't want to pry and she was sure that if Tom felt like sharing what the book was, he most definitely would. "Are you nervous about tonight?"
Tom shook his head. "Not really. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? The hat will tell me, 'You're not fit for Hogwarts!' and kick me out?"
Amy laughed, but her joy was cut short. "How do you know what Hogwarts uses for the sorting ceremony?"
"I was told by Professor McGonagall," he replied quickly. "Want to go for a swim?" he asked, changing the subject as they neared the water.
"Swimming?" Amy was doubtful. "At this time of year? The water will be freezing; it's almost Halloween!"
"Ah, Halloween. My favourite time of year." Tom grinned. "Come on. Just a quick swim. To wake us up."
"I'm already well awake, thank you," Amy replied, a grin spreading across her face. "But you can go if you want!" she shrieked the last word as she shoved Tom towards the water. He fell in with a splash and Amy fell back towards the shore. Laughing, Tom surfaced again, beckoning for Amy to approach the waterfront. She did so with caution and Tom pulled her head close to his.
"You will pay for that, Amy Wilkinson," he said. "But not right now." Amy stood up to help pull Tom out of the water, but he pulled the hem of her robe, causing her to fall into the water, too. Sputtering, she emerged from the water, her hair ruffled.
"I was right!" she cried. "It's damn cold in here!"
Twenty minutes later, the two of them were racing back up the hill towards the castle, drying themselves off as they went. "We won't have any time to go to the dorms and change!" Amy said, hurrying along. Then a funny thought struck her. "Where are you staying, if you haven't been sorted yet?"
"Professor Handar's office," Tom replied, ringing out his robes onto the front lawn of the castle. "He offered for me to stay I his room while he slept in one of the spare staff rooms."
Running all the way to class, Amy and Tom found themselves just in time for the beginning of class. Glaring at her from the back table were Harry and Ron. Grinning was Hermione, who was also staring dreamily at Tom.
"I'm glad you two decided to join us," remarked Professor McLellan, but there was a light tone in his voice. "Now, please, sit down and start taking notes. All of you." And off he went, explaining how one curse's results can vary if a different wand is used each time.
Ripping off a spare piece of parchment, Amy scribbled, "Went for a swim; had a great time. Tell you more tonight at supper." Folding it up into a tight square, she flicked it towards the back table. Hermione caught it and read it, giving Amy a thumbs up signal. Glancing at the front of the room, Amy noticed that Professor McLellan hadn't caught on to the note passing yet.
"Fall in the lake, did you?" Seamus' voice startled Amy and she punched him for scaring her. Then relaxing a bit, she replied, "No. I went for a swim. With some of my real friends, the Grindylows."
"I'm your friend!" cried Seamus indignantly. "Now, will you take me to your sister's wedding?"
"Can I go, too?" Neville asked hopefully. Finding it so hard to say no to either of them, Amy consented to both of them.
"But you have to behave," she hissed at Seamus. "If not I will jinx you so that you cluck like a chicken at every wedding you attend for the rest of your life."
Seamus drew a X over his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die," he pledged.
"Good, because if you misbehave, you will die," joked Amy. Seamus punched her lightly on the shoulder and Amy caught a glimpse of Tom smiling at her from the front of the room. She smiled back and winked at him, something she had never done to any boy before.
After the lesson, Amy hurried once again to catch up with her friends, but only Hermione remained behind to wait for her. "Where are the boys?" she asked when she greeted her friend.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. They rushed off, muttering something about arriving early for Potions." Her face took on a frightened look. "I think they're sick."
Laughing, Amy threw her arms around her friend and they walked out of the classroom, making sure they strolled slowly to be able to watch Tom pass them by. He winked at Amy as he did so, and Hermione let out a squeal of joy. "He winked at you!" she cried.
"I know, Hermione. I can see," Amy said jokingly. "You will never believe what happened!" And with every ounce of energy she had, she relived the entire tale for Hermione, unable to keep it in any longer.
"So I take it you're feeling better," Hermione said as they took their seats in the Potions dungeon. Amy nodded, looking around. Ron and Harry were nowhere to be seen.
"Getting to Potions early?" she muttered. "I wonder what they're up to?"
Seconds later, as if they heard her, Harry and Ron burst through the doorway, halting when they saw the girls already seated at the table. Sensing that Harry was a little upset with her, Amy asked him if he wanted to go for a walk after class, before supper. Harry nodded, absentmindedly.
"Where were you?" she whispered as Professor Snape started the class.
"The Owlery," Harry replied. "I wanted to send an owl to Sirius about something."
Having a strong feeling that she was that something, Amy kept her mouth shut all through the lesson. When it was over, she stayed to help Harry clean up the mess they had made. "If you two had been paying attention instead of blabbing, maybe you wouldn't have this problem!" Snape told them fiercely, but he left them alone to clean up the mess.
"So, what's going on with you and that Riddle guy?" Harry asked, trying to sound casual. Amy grinned to herself. So that's what was bugging him!
"Nothing," she replied, just as casually. "Can you hand me that cloth over there?"
Harry tossed the grey cloth to her. "Nothing? Is that why you two show up late for class, soaked to the bone?"
"We weren't late for class, we were actually on time," Amy replied. Looking over, she saw that Harry was wiping the same spot over and over again, a spot that hadn't been touched by the potion that brewed over the side of the cauldron. He was staring at her intently, waiting for her to continue. Gently putting her hand on his, she made him stop scrubbing. She looked into his eyes and said, "There is nothing going on between me and Tom Riddle! You're still my best friend! You're the one I still talk to all the time. You're the one who stays up with me until two-thirty in the morning, talking about nothing. Don't worry, I still love you!" She grabbed the cloth out of his hand and tossed it to the front of the room. Throwing her book bag over her shoulder and threading her free arm through Harry's, she smiled at him and walked out of the classroom with him.
"My stomach," moaned Amy. "I feel awful!"
Looking worried, Hermione asked, "You didn't.you know, do anything last night, did you?"
Amy gave her friend a scathing look. "Yeah, Hermione. I'm pregnant and it only happened last night." Shaking her head, she muttered, "You're smart; you should know that."
Standing up, choosing to ignore her friend's sarcasm, Hermione headed into the washroom to get ready for breakfast. When she came out, she was surprised to find Amy still in bed, asleep. Shaking her friend gently, then more rapidly, she said, "Do you want me to tell Professor McGonagall that you're not coming to class because you're sick?"
Groaning, Amy looked up. "No. But I'm not going to breakfast. Tell Harry and Ron I'll see them in Transfiguration." With that, she rolled over again, flopping her face into her pillow. Rolling her eyes, Hermione grabbed her school stuff and headed out the door.
True to her word, when Hermione, Ron and Harry entered the Transfiguration class after breakfast, Amy was seated at their table, looking pale and tired, but present, nonetheless. Looking nonplussed, Ron sat down at the end of the table, as far away from Amy as possible. "She doesn't have anything catching, does she?" he whispered to Hermione as she sat down beside her friend. Giving him such a menacing look, Ron sat up straighter and faced front.
"Morning, Amy. Feeling any better?" Harry sat down on the other side of Amy. Smiling weakly, Amy grasped Harry's hand.
"No, but thank you for asking."
Professor McGonagall entered the room shortly thereafter and commenced the day's lesson. Harry was more than pleased to see that there was no sign of Tom Riddle in this class. That meant that the only time he had to put up with him was in Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was nothing personal; Harry just didn't like the way that Tom looked at Amy and the way that they acted around each other.
After that lesson (a double lesson that day) came lunch. Amy, still not very hungry, sat with her friends as they ravaged the food in front of them. "'Till not 'eeling 'ell?" Ron managed to say through a mouthful of pumpkin pie. Halloween was just around the corner and Hogwarts pulled out no stops during this time of year. Amy shook her head, catching a glimpse of Tom out of the corner of her eye. He was standing awkwardly at the entrance of the Great Hall. Clutching a book to his chest, he turned to leave.
"I'll see you guys in class," Amy hissed and took off after him. Harry, who was starving a second ago, pushed his food away. He had lost all appetite.
"Tom! Wait up!" Amy chased Tom down the hallway, catching up with him just outside of the entrance to Hogwarts. He turned to face her, his face breaking into a smile.
"Hello!" he cried happily. "How are you?"
Suddenly shy, Amy bowed her head slightly. "Good. And yourself?"
"Couldn't be better. Want to talk another walk?"
Forgetting all about her stomach pains from earlier, Amy agreed and followed Tom outside. Not realizing until fifteen minutes later, she asked, "Where'd that book go?"
"What book?" Tom looked confused.
"The book you were carrying when you left the Great Hall."
"Oh, that thing." Tom patted his robe pocket. "I keep it in here, close to me. It's very special to me."
"Oh." Amy wasn't sure what else to say. She didn't want to pry and she was sure that if Tom felt like sharing what the book was, he most definitely would. "Are you nervous about tonight?"
Tom shook his head. "Not really. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? The hat will tell me, 'You're not fit for Hogwarts!' and kick me out?"
Amy laughed, but her joy was cut short. "How do you know what Hogwarts uses for the sorting ceremony?"
"I was told by Professor McGonagall," he replied quickly. "Want to go for a swim?" he asked, changing the subject as they neared the water.
"Swimming?" Amy was doubtful. "At this time of year? The water will be freezing; it's almost Halloween!"
"Ah, Halloween. My favourite time of year." Tom grinned. "Come on. Just a quick swim. To wake us up."
"I'm already well awake, thank you," Amy replied, a grin spreading across her face. "But you can go if you want!" she shrieked the last word as she shoved Tom towards the water. He fell in with a splash and Amy fell back towards the shore. Laughing, Tom surfaced again, beckoning for Amy to approach the waterfront. She did so with caution and Tom pulled her head close to his.
"You will pay for that, Amy Wilkinson," he said. "But not right now." Amy stood up to help pull Tom out of the water, but he pulled the hem of her robe, causing her to fall into the water, too. Sputtering, she emerged from the water, her hair ruffled.
"I was right!" she cried. "It's damn cold in here!"
Twenty minutes later, the two of them were racing back up the hill towards the castle, drying themselves off as they went. "We won't have any time to go to the dorms and change!" Amy said, hurrying along. Then a funny thought struck her. "Where are you staying, if you haven't been sorted yet?"
"Professor Handar's office," Tom replied, ringing out his robes onto the front lawn of the castle. "He offered for me to stay I his room while he slept in one of the spare staff rooms."
Running all the way to class, Amy and Tom found themselves just in time for the beginning of class. Glaring at her from the back table were Harry and Ron. Grinning was Hermione, who was also staring dreamily at Tom.
"I'm glad you two decided to join us," remarked Professor McLellan, but there was a light tone in his voice. "Now, please, sit down and start taking notes. All of you." And off he went, explaining how one curse's results can vary if a different wand is used each time.
Ripping off a spare piece of parchment, Amy scribbled, "Went for a swim; had a great time. Tell you more tonight at supper." Folding it up into a tight square, she flicked it towards the back table. Hermione caught it and read it, giving Amy a thumbs up signal. Glancing at the front of the room, Amy noticed that Professor McLellan hadn't caught on to the note passing yet.
"Fall in the lake, did you?" Seamus' voice startled Amy and she punched him for scaring her. Then relaxing a bit, she replied, "No. I went for a swim. With some of my real friends, the Grindylows."
"I'm your friend!" cried Seamus indignantly. "Now, will you take me to your sister's wedding?"
"Can I go, too?" Neville asked hopefully. Finding it so hard to say no to either of them, Amy consented to both of them.
"But you have to behave," she hissed at Seamus. "If not I will jinx you so that you cluck like a chicken at every wedding you attend for the rest of your life."
Seamus drew a X over his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die," he pledged.
"Good, because if you misbehave, you will die," joked Amy. Seamus punched her lightly on the shoulder and Amy caught a glimpse of Tom smiling at her from the front of the room. She smiled back and winked at him, something she had never done to any boy before.
After the lesson, Amy hurried once again to catch up with her friends, but only Hermione remained behind to wait for her. "Where are the boys?" she asked when she greeted her friend.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. They rushed off, muttering something about arriving early for Potions." Her face took on a frightened look. "I think they're sick."
Laughing, Amy threw her arms around her friend and they walked out of the classroom, making sure they strolled slowly to be able to watch Tom pass them by. He winked at Amy as he did so, and Hermione let out a squeal of joy. "He winked at you!" she cried.
"I know, Hermione. I can see," Amy said jokingly. "You will never believe what happened!" And with every ounce of energy she had, she relived the entire tale for Hermione, unable to keep it in any longer.
"So I take it you're feeling better," Hermione said as they took their seats in the Potions dungeon. Amy nodded, looking around. Ron and Harry were nowhere to be seen.
"Getting to Potions early?" she muttered. "I wonder what they're up to?"
Seconds later, as if they heard her, Harry and Ron burst through the doorway, halting when they saw the girls already seated at the table. Sensing that Harry was a little upset with her, Amy asked him if he wanted to go for a walk after class, before supper. Harry nodded, absentmindedly.
"Where were you?" she whispered as Professor Snape started the class.
"The Owlery," Harry replied. "I wanted to send an owl to Sirius about something."
Having a strong feeling that she was that something, Amy kept her mouth shut all through the lesson. When it was over, she stayed to help Harry clean up the mess they had made. "If you two had been paying attention instead of blabbing, maybe you wouldn't have this problem!" Snape told them fiercely, but he left them alone to clean up the mess.
"So, what's going on with you and that Riddle guy?" Harry asked, trying to sound casual. Amy grinned to herself. So that's what was bugging him!
"Nothing," she replied, just as casually. "Can you hand me that cloth over there?"
Harry tossed the grey cloth to her. "Nothing? Is that why you two show up late for class, soaked to the bone?"
"We weren't late for class, we were actually on time," Amy replied. Looking over, she saw that Harry was wiping the same spot over and over again, a spot that hadn't been touched by the potion that brewed over the side of the cauldron. He was staring at her intently, waiting for her to continue. Gently putting her hand on his, she made him stop scrubbing. She looked into his eyes and said, "There is nothing going on between me and Tom Riddle! You're still my best friend! You're the one I still talk to all the time. You're the one who stays up with me until two-thirty in the morning, talking about nothing. Don't worry, I still love you!" She grabbed the cloth out of his hand and tossed it to the front of the room. Throwing her book bag over her shoulder and threading her free arm through Harry's, she smiled at him and walked out of the classroom with him.