I do not claim ownership to any of J.K. Rowling's characters, and I am not making any sort of profit from this. It's simply for a larf. Please R&R. Thanx. ~ZiMsta
GENEVIEVE'S TRANSFORMATION
Genevieve had followed Ezzie's advice, keeping to herself as much as humanly possible. When she was in class, she only spoke to the teachers, and only if they had spoken to her first. In the evenings and on weekends, she would sit by herself in the common room, reading a book or drawing. Ezzie sometimes sat with her, but Ezzie had more friends in the Slytherin house, so she often spent more time with them. Genevieve didn't mind. She had grown used to being by herself, and wouldn't know what to converse about anyway. She felt closed in. She couldn't even remember the last time she had smiled. Her skin was beginning to grow pale, and her once vibrant eyes were now a cold gray.
"Miss Hemlock, I usually do not concern myself with such matters, but you are looking more that slightly under the weather. Shall I send you to madam Pompfry?" Snape asked from his desk in the far corner of the common room. Genevieve looked up from her book, Advanced Anigmagus', her movements sluggish. "No thank you sir. I'm fine." She said in no more that a whisper. Snape looked at her curiously, and she looked away. All she wanted was a window to look out of. She would normally go outside, but she just didn't have the energy.
"I have a potion that may help you." Snape continued. Genevieve shook her head. "I don't want a potion. I'm fine. Really." She tried to smile, but the corner of her mouth only gave a slight twitch. Snape's look of concern increased, but he left it alone and continued on with his work. The room was suddenly filled with idle chatter and laughter as the Slytherins returned from their trip to Hogsmead. At first, Genevieve went unnoticed in her usual corner, but that did not last long.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss Gryffindor Hemlock, wasting away in your little corner, a?" Malfoy sniggered, stuffing his face full of sugar worms. Genevieve didn't even looked up. She was used to his comments, and just pretended that he was quacking like a duck. Snape, however, was listening to every word.
"Draco Malfoy, shut your great filthy gob before I am forced to shut it for you!" He growled from his desk. Malfoy's candy flew in every direction as he himself nearly hit the ceiling. He spun around to face Snape, the other Slytherin's diving for Malfoy's lost candy. "Shutting up, Sir." He quavered, trying to avoid Snape's glaring eyes. Genevieve was hardly paying attention. She was too busy staring blankly at the wall next to her. A spider suddenly came scuttling at her from a large crack. Normally she would have shot out of her chair, running and screaming in the opposite direction. But now, she just sat there. Eyes unblinking, watching the spider as it watched her.
****
Genevieve was outside for the first time in weeks to watch the Slytherin V.S. Ravenclaw Quidditch match. She sat at the far end of the Slytherin benches by herself. She would have normally sat next to Ezzie, but she was a Beater on the Slytherin team. So alone she sat, barely even paying attention to the game. Someone soon joined her side, wearing a Slytherin scarf and holding out a steaming cup of butter beer towards her. It was Professor Snape.
"Thank you, sir. But I told you I didn't want any potions." Genevieve said, her lips barely moving, her eyes remaining forward. Snape tipped his wrist, dumping the liquid under the bleachers. "You cannot blame me fore trying. Of course it is your choice, Miss Hemlock, but I strongly suggest you see madam Pompfry. Or perhaps, the Headmaster?" Snape offered, insinuating that Genevieve was not just dealing with physical problems, but psychological as well.
"I'm sure you will understand when I say that I would just like to be left alone. I'll speak up when I'm ready." Genevieve explained quietly. But she wasn't even fully aware of what her problem was. She had sunk into a deep form of depression. Her body was growing weaker, her ambitions down to almost nothing. Her sketchbook remained untouched, her homework barely passable. Some potion was not likely to cure her
"Do not waste away your last year here, Miss Hemlock. You will soon regret it when you realize that you have wasted your entire life away." Snape spit the words as if they held a bitter taste. He looked at her a moment, then stood up and walked to the other side of the stands, sitting by himself. Genevieve watched the rest of the match in a sort of daze. She wondered if she was going to hear from her mother again. She hoped that Dylan's life was turning out to be as miserable as hers was. She wondered if her father was looking down on her, worried. What would her tell her at a time like this? He would probably say, Genevieve, you've got to pull yourself together.' She knew that's what she had to do.
*****
She stopped in front of the tall mirror, watching Olivia as she settled on top of it. At first, she did not see her reflection. But a slow gray mist began to form, her image soon appearing behind it. She was slightly older, definitely thinner. She had her long hair pinned back, and was wearing a velvet, emerald green dress. Two hands suddenly came around her shoulders, but the image was too blurry for her to make out whom the hands belonged to. She reached out to touch them, but the mirror shattered
"It is sufficient to use three splinters of pickled rose cactus, but flutter bilk stingers will give better results." Genevieve answered Snape's question lazily, giving the remaining ingredients for a Burning Bitterroot Balm. Snape nodded. "Correct Miss Hemlock. But you could have also mentioned that firefly wings might also prove to be a reliable substitute. Five points to Slytherin." He finished. Genevieve felt all the Gryffindors glare in her direction, but she had become accustom to it. Only Hermoine had said any kind words to her, and they were still friends. She had spoken to Ron Weasley momentarily when he apologized about the episode in the library, and complained that she had left Gryffindor a Chaser short.
Halloween had proven to be one of the first enjoyable experiences Genevieve had had in a long time. The Great Hall was fully decorated, and there were enough sweets to send every student into a state of Diabetic Coma. There was no way Genevieve could stay depressed on Halloween. It was one of her favourite holidays. The whole of Hogwarts laughed and feasted. They were all completely free of worry, filled with only goodies and happiness. Genevieve finally felt somewhat normal again, though keeping mostly to herself because she still had not made any friends. She talked to Ezzie, but their conversations were cut short when Dumbledore rose from his chair, asking for everyone's attention.
"Thank you, and happy Hollow's Eve! This year, we are going to start what I hope will be a long standing tradition here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore bellowed, a low hum of curious whispers soon filling the hall. "We have a little treasure hunt for you all to participate in. Whoever reaches the end first not only receives the awaiting prize, but also 50 points to the founders house." He continued. The curious hum quickly turned into an excited buzz. Genevieve loved treasure hunts, and she found herself becoming eager to get started. "You will have one hour to finish. Now that we are all fed and watered, you my begin!" Dumbledore cried merrily. Genevieve had never heard such a noise as students jumped to their feet, making a mad dash for the door.
"Well this should be interesting!" Ezzie shouted at Genevieve over all the noise. Genevieve just nodded and watched Ezzie hurry along with the rest. She was moving along at a slower pace, when something caught her eye at the top of the entryway. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a piece of parchment. She turned around, towards the teacher's table, and saw that they were all talking amongst themselves. So she pulled out her wand and focused on the parchment.
"Accio Parchment!" She murmured, waving her wand. The parchment shuddered, but did not detach from the wall. Genevieve turned to look at the teachers again, and some of them had already dispersed. But Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall were still talking to one another, not paying her any attention. Genevieve faced the parchment again, and pointed her wand towards her breast. "Leviartum." She whispered, and her body became weightless. She floated upwards, leveling with the parchment as she read:
Good of you not to run,
Now we shall begin the fun!
Seek, thee, where there is no sun,
A head start on everyone!
Genevieve took the riddle from the wall, and then lowered herself back to the ground. She was startled to see Snape standing a few feet in front of her. He almost looked like he was impressed, but he said nothing. He simply turned away, walking into the darkness.
Genevieve walked through the mass of scrambling, searching students as she studied the riddle again. Seek, thee, where there is no sun', she read. It was dark outside at the moment, but the sun did shine at some point. And the sun did shine through the windowsexcept in the dungeons. Genevieve folded the parchment and put it in her robes, making her way towards the dungeons. She was filled with a sort of excitement. Something she hadn't felt for a long while.
There wasn't a soul to be seen the dungeons, aside from Peeves the Poltergeist, who zoomed past her without stopping. Genevieve kept her eyes open and aware, looking for the next clue. She walked to the darkest corners of the dungeons, the hairs standing on the back of her neck. Her attention was suddenly grabbed by one of those dark corners, where low whispers could be heard. She stopped to listen.
"That will never work, Potter! It's too obvious! We need this to be as discreet as possible." It was Draco Malfoy's voice, but why did he say Potter? He couldn't possibly be talking to Harry Potter. They were mortal enemies. But it was none other that Harry Potter's voice that replied. "Look, it'll work! You haven't exactly been coming up with any brilliant ideas!" He growled. Genevieve took a step closer, her foot kicking a small bit of rock away from the floor. She froze in her place, listening to see if Draco and Harry had heard.
"Hemlock!" Malfoy suddenly appeared, his features masked in the darkness. He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly into the corner. "What did you hear, a?" He asked, pushing her against the wall. Genevieve saw Harry just behind Malfoy's shoulder, looking worried. "Speak, or I'll cut your throat!" Malfoy threatened. Genevieve didn't quite take this threat seriously, but she was frightened nonetheless. "Nothing." She finally said. Malfoy's mouth formed a sinister grin.
"You hear that, Potter? She says she didn't hear anything. Shall we see how much she really heard?" He suggested. Genevieve was fearful of what was to come next. "Come on, Malfoy. Let's just get out of here." Harry begged, looking over his shoulder quickly. Genevieve tried to break from Malfoy's grasp, but he pushed her harder against the wall. "Now, we wont be having any of that." He said, pulling his wand from his sleeve. A stream of rope flowed from his wand, binding Genevieve to the wall.
"That should keep you from running off and telling someone what you didn't hear'. But all the same" Malfoy whispered an incantation, and a dragon's claw made of thick, red smoke appeared from his wand, floating towards Genevieve. She didn't know what it was supposed to do, and this thought frightened her more than anything. She tried to back away, but that, of course, was impossible due to the wall she was bound to. The claw soon closed around her throat, and then strangely disappeared. She had felt no pain, or tingling, or any sign that there had been a spell cast on her. She felt normal.
"Any objections?" Malfoy asked. Genevieve said, Let me go', but she soon realized what the dragon's claw had done when no voice emerged from her lips. She was now terrified as Malfoy's smirk of satisfaction grew wider. "Such a pretty thing" He said, running his finger down her cheek. Genevieve cringed, then in one swift movement, bit his finger.
"Ah! YOU" Malfoy raised his hand to strike her, but stopped when he heard a noise in the corridor. They all froze, and it only took a few seconds for Draco and Harry to realize that they should get out of there. "Enjoy your evening, Hemlock." Draco growled, then both he and Harry turned and ran away from her, disappearing into the darkness. They left here there in the dark dungeon corner, bound to the wall, her voice lost. Someone would come for her. Someone would surely notice that she was missing. Ezzie. Hermoine. Dumbledore. But all she could do was hang there and wait. She slumped her head, tears splashing against the cold, stone floor.
****
She had been bound to the wall for what seemed like days. She had no way of knowing how much time had really passed, as she had no watch, and no windows to see the sun. Malfoy had come back a few times to laugh at her, but did not let her go. She had never been through anything like this before. She wanted more than anything to be found, but at the same time just simply wanted to waste away. Why continue on? She felt that she had nothing left. Her father was gone. She had no mother to speak of. The man she thought she had loved left her. She had certainly hit an all time low.
"Ms. Hemlock!" a silky, familiar voice floated into Genevieve's ears. She raised her head slowly, finding herself face to face with Professor Snape. She had no tears left to cry, so she just stared at him. It was the first time she had ever seen a look of complete and utter concern on his face. Her mouth twitched slightly, and she smiled, her body suddenly convulsing in spasms of empty laughter. She felt her body fall forward into Snape's arms when he removed the ropes that had bound her.
"My God, are you all right?" he asked, supporting her with one arm as he turned her face towards his with his free hand. Genevieve looked into his charcoal black eyes, slowly shaking her head, no'. "Who has done this, Ms. Hemlock?" he asked, shaking her slightly. Genevieve mouthed, Malfoy', her voice still absent. She could not keep it up any longer as she allowed her body slip into unconsciousness.
