"Happy Christmas, Nikole," greeted Sir Nicholas as he flew past her and
into the wall. Nikole nodded her thanks and walked away.
Christmas. Christmas had always made Nikole smile at least once on that well-celebrated day. But, this year was different. She had been called Lady Kathryn, she had met the Boy-Who-Lived, she had spoken to different animals, but she hadn't known why she had done all those things in less than a year. It troubled her. Her mind wandered into these thoughts when Ron and Hermione were walking and just happened to see her.
"Why, hello, Nikole," Hermione smiled. "Happy Christmas."
"Yeah, Happy Christmas, Nikole," Ron echoed.
"Happy Christmas," Nikole's voice was less than a whisper.
Hermione stopped walking and so did Ron. "Are you alright, Nikole?"
"Compared to the days after my first day, no." Nikole managed a small smile as she walked outside, Hermione and Ron following.
"What's wrong this time?" whined Ron. "Can we please just go on inside for some turkey? I'm starving!"
Oliver Wood was just about to come inside the castle when he heard Ron. "Oh, quit your bellyaching man!" He stopped in his tracks and followed the three back outside. "You've got to have more than food on your mind every second!"
"I wish," Ron agreed. "So, Nikole, what's wrong?"
Oliver, Hermione, and Ron all looked at her, waiting for an answer. "I don't know, I guess, it's because of all that's already happened." She cleared her throat. "Cause I'm usually happy at this time of year."
"It's alright, now. Nikole, things just happen." Hermione coughed, the cold was obviously getting to her.
"Herm, you should go inside," Nikole suggested. "You too, Ron, I don't want you to get a chill out here either."
"Um, all right that is, if it's okay with you," Hermione replied.
"It's fine, Herm. Now go on." Nikole watched as Ron and Hermione made their way through the snow and into the castle. She turned to Oliver. "You should go on in, too, you know."
"I'm fine out here," he smiled. "Besides, I just love being outdoors." Nikole just nodded. She looked ahead and toward the Dark Forest. "Have been in the Dark Forest, Oliver?"
He laughed sarcastically. "No! Are you kidding? No one is allowed in there."
"Why?"
Oliver looked at her. "Why what?"
"Why are we not allowed in there?"
"Oh no, you're not going in there, not on my dead body." Oliver grasped her by the shoulders. "You're not, do you understand me?"
Nikole nodded, but was still persistent. "Why can't we?"
"Because," he began, letting go of her shoulders. "Because they are werewolves and other evil things in there."
"And amazingly enough, they built a school right next to it," Nikole remarked. "What about vampires? Are they in there too?"
"I've heard they are, but are scared to come out with Dumbledore here."
Nikole cocked her head to the side and sighed. "Should I go on and kill them?"
"So, its true. You are the girl who kills vampires when all of us are dead asleep." Oliver looked into her brown eyes. He saw a beauty and determination in them that he'd never seen in anyone before.
Nikole blushed. "Pretty much." She looked back into the Dark Forest. "Should I?"
"You should be asking Dumbledore or Hagrid this, but, if you want my opinion, I'll tell you."
Nikole looked at him. "I want your opinion, Oliver."
He cleared his throat. "I don't think you should go in there, but far be it from me to tell you not to kill the things you need to kill."
Nodding, Nikole sighed. "I guess, but I'm still going in."
"You should ask Dumbledore first," he persisted.
"I know. I will...later." Nikole looked up into his eyes one more time. "I promise." She shivered a little and added, "You best be going inside now, it looks like it's about to snow again." "You should come with me." He pulled her arm, but Nikole did not move. "Nikole, come on!"
"You go ahead. I'll go on and ask Hagrid." Nikole pulled away from him and ran towards Hagrid's cottage. She stood in front of the door and turned around. Oliver was gone. She removed the stake from her coat pocket and ran to the Dark Forest. She figured that no one would see her go in, and Hagrid wouldn't mind. She was doing for the safety of the school and its pupils. Pushing a branch of an evergreen from her face, she went in.
Inside the castle, a lowly, shadowed figure watched her enter into the woods. Iwthin seconds of seeing her enter, it turned into mist and was no doubt at all heading for the exact same spot he wanted her to be lead into: Bizhern's Lair.
Christmas. Christmas had always made Nikole smile at least once on that well-celebrated day. But, this year was different. She had been called Lady Kathryn, she had met the Boy-Who-Lived, she had spoken to different animals, but she hadn't known why she had done all those things in less than a year. It troubled her. Her mind wandered into these thoughts when Ron and Hermione were walking and just happened to see her.
"Why, hello, Nikole," Hermione smiled. "Happy Christmas."
"Yeah, Happy Christmas, Nikole," Ron echoed.
"Happy Christmas," Nikole's voice was less than a whisper.
Hermione stopped walking and so did Ron. "Are you alright, Nikole?"
"Compared to the days after my first day, no." Nikole managed a small smile as she walked outside, Hermione and Ron following.
"What's wrong this time?" whined Ron. "Can we please just go on inside for some turkey? I'm starving!"
Oliver Wood was just about to come inside the castle when he heard Ron. "Oh, quit your bellyaching man!" He stopped in his tracks and followed the three back outside. "You've got to have more than food on your mind every second!"
"I wish," Ron agreed. "So, Nikole, what's wrong?"
Oliver, Hermione, and Ron all looked at her, waiting for an answer. "I don't know, I guess, it's because of all that's already happened." She cleared her throat. "Cause I'm usually happy at this time of year."
"It's alright, now. Nikole, things just happen." Hermione coughed, the cold was obviously getting to her.
"Herm, you should go inside," Nikole suggested. "You too, Ron, I don't want you to get a chill out here either."
"Um, all right that is, if it's okay with you," Hermione replied.
"It's fine, Herm. Now go on." Nikole watched as Ron and Hermione made their way through the snow and into the castle. She turned to Oliver. "You should go on in, too, you know."
"I'm fine out here," he smiled. "Besides, I just love being outdoors." Nikole just nodded. She looked ahead and toward the Dark Forest. "Have been in the Dark Forest, Oliver?"
He laughed sarcastically. "No! Are you kidding? No one is allowed in there."
"Why?"
Oliver looked at her. "Why what?"
"Why are we not allowed in there?"
"Oh no, you're not going in there, not on my dead body." Oliver grasped her by the shoulders. "You're not, do you understand me?"
Nikole nodded, but was still persistent. "Why can't we?"
"Because," he began, letting go of her shoulders. "Because they are werewolves and other evil things in there."
"And amazingly enough, they built a school right next to it," Nikole remarked. "What about vampires? Are they in there too?"
"I've heard they are, but are scared to come out with Dumbledore here."
Nikole cocked her head to the side and sighed. "Should I go on and kill them?"
"So, its true. You are the girl who kills vampires when all of us are dead asleep." Oliver looked into her brown eyes. He saw a beauty and determination in them that he'd never seen in anyone before.
Nikole blushed. "Pretty much." She looked back into the Dark Forest. "Should I?"
"You should be asking Dumbledore or Hagrid this, but, if you want my opinion, I'll tell you."
Nikole looked at him. "I want your opinion, Oliver."
He cleared his throat. "I don't think you should go in there, but far be it from me to tell you not to kill the things you need to kill."
Nodding, Nikole sighed. "I guess, but I'm still going in."
"You should ask Dumbledore first," he persisted.
"I know. I will...later." Nikole looked up into his eyes one more time. "I promise." She shivered a little and added, "You best be going inside now, it looks like it's about to snow again." "You should come with me." He pulled her arm, but Nikole did not move. "Nikole, come on!"
"You go ahead. I'll go on and ask Hagrid." Nikole pulled away from him and ran towards Hagrid's cottage. She stood in front of the door and turned around. Oliver was gone. She removed the stake from her coat pocket and ran to the Dark Forest. She figured that no one would see her go in, and Hagrid wouldn't mind. She was doing for the safety of the school and its pupils. Pushing a branch of an evergreen from her face, she went in.
Inside the castle, a lowly, shadowed figure watched her enter into the woods. Iwthin seconds of seeing her enter, it turned into mist and was no doubt at all heading for the exact same spot he wanted her to be lead into: Bizhern's Lair.