"I hate, positively hate, writing papers." Harry was complaining about the History of Magic assignment, a 12-page essay on the rises and fall of the evil wizard Morwerold in the 1400s. Professor Lundor was giving them two weeks in the library to complete the assignment.
"Oh, it's not that bad, it's fascinating to write about." Hermione was staring off into space, "He was brilliant, really. And by studying the past, the wizarding world tries to figure out the future, as in, You-Know-Who."
"Hermione, Morwerold used to marry the daughters of his foes to get back at them, I don't call that brilliant, I call that weird." Ron's voice was flat. He continued, "And it's super-intelligent how he abandoned them afterward."
"There are still descendents of him around, it's fascinating. And a lot of them turned out to be dark wizards! I believe he was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, actually." She looked in a book, and then confirmed, "Yes, he was. And now I can add that to my paper." Harry and Ron groaned.
"Hey, look." Ron pointed in the direction of Anna, who was sitting on a windowsill, leaning on the side, and writing.
"So? She's writing her paper." Hermione didn't bother looking up.
"Yeh, but nobody has that tiny little smile while they're writing a 12-page paper, not even you." Harry was interested, "And I don't think that's a paper, either."
Hermione did look up now, Anna looked over at the three of them staring at her, and shook her head. Then she turned back to the window and said something. A white owl flew up to the window; she tied the parchment around its ankle, along with another piece of paper (Harry thought it was a drawing), and bowed her mouth on its brow. It cast off into the sun. She whipped out another piece of parchment and started writing again.
"I wonder who that owl was to…" Harry speculated, "If she has no last name, she has no family, right?"
From behind him, Anna answered, somehow she had moved from the windowsill to the bookshelf without him noticing, in a matter of seconds, odd, "I have no last name because my name is not welcome here, Mr. Potter, but yes, it was to my father."
Harry stared at Hermione and Ron, who were both puzzled themselves.
"Not welcome? I don't under…stand…" He trailed off, as she was gone, but then she reappeared from behind a bookshelf.
"There are many things, Harry, that you do not understand." She smiled as if she wanted to tell him, but knew better, and then walked out of the library.
"She's, rather, odd, isn't she?" Ron gulped and raised his eyebrows, "Doesn't like making herself clear, that's certain."
"She's just shy, and she's got to much to tell." Hermione rolled her eyes, "You two are so suspicious all the time. Now look, this is due on Monday, and you've both got what, four pages put together?"
"So, we've got tomorrow, and all weekend to do it. What's the problem?"
"You don't
have all weekend, as we're going to Hogsmeade Saturday, and I thought you were
going to try and find dates to the Yule on Sunday?"
"Well, who are you going with,
Hermione?" Ron grinned, "Neville?"
"No! Neville is going with Ginny. And honestly, I don't know if I'm going or not." She shrugged, "It's just a dance."
"Hermione, stop trying to hide it, you probably don't want to tell us."
Hermione blushed furiously, "It doesn't matter! It's just a stupid dance. And no, I don't have a date!"
"Whatever, Hermione, we'll have to find out eventually."
"Ron, what part of 'I don't have a date' don't you understand?" She stormed out of the library.
"Ron, I really think she doesn't have a date." Harry laughed uncertainly, "Really, Ron, I don't think she has a date."
"Fine, whatever. Perhaps I'll ask her then, which would take care of me. What about you?"
"I dunno. I'll figure out someone." He picked up his books, as he left though, he noticed a bit of parchment on the floor. On it was a poem.
Onto the bloodstained rings of Saturn I waited for you, to come
To come for me, and let the moonlit stars shine over us
Like a wave upon the darkest sun
The wings of night, it is them
They will protect eternity
And I shall die into dusk
Embarrassed, Harry quickly folded it and put it in his book, "I must have dropped it earlier." He'd return it to Anna when he next saw her.
"I'm so happy it's lunchtime, I'm so hungry!" Ron clutched his stomach, "Writing down loads for a boring paper takes energy."
"Eat up, remember, we've got Divination after lunch." Harry groaned, "As if the paper wasn't boring enough. And you know we'll have loads of homework."
They entered the hall and sat down. "Did you figure out who my date is yet?" Hermione rolled her eyes and turned away, angrily.
"Erm, yes, about that, Hermione, as the current situation allows, well, um." Ron was choking, Harry nudged him, and he finally got out, "Since you don't have a date, well, would you, couldyougowithmetothedance?"
She frowned; he put on a rather corny grin and blinked a few times, she finally laughed, "Yes, Ron, I'll 'gowithyoutothedance'. "Well, that takes care of that, Harry, have you found a date yet?"
Rather miserably, he shook his head, "I don't know if I'll get one, there's no chance of Parvati going out with me again, and I'm personally not in the mood to ask anyone else."
"Heather?"
"She's going with someone already."
"Don't worry Harry, you'll think of something."
Just then Malfoy turned to him and sneered, "Haven't found a date for the Ball yet Potter? I thought everyone would want to date famous Harry Potter." He snickered, "Why don't you ask Anna?"
Harry looked around to make sure she wasn't near; actually she wasn't in the lunchroom. "Thought you'd already have gotten to her, Malfoy."
"No way Potter. I'm not asking that thing."
"Then why have you been drooling all over her if she's just a thing?"
"Quiet, Potter." He glared, "I thought, hey, I'd leave her to you, you probably would like to ask her, considering you want to date her." Harry glared.
Hermione smiled, "Why don't you ask Anna, Harry?"
Ron expressed his amusement, "Because she's evil and plotting! Hermione!"
"You don't even know her Ron. You've never even spoken to her."
"I didn't realize that was a problem, sorry."
"I just think you should give her a chance, that's all."
"If Dumbledore doesn't, I don't need to."
"Fine, whatever, don't you have a report to finish?"
All of a sudden they both started laughing, leaving Harry rather confused. He didn't bother asking. Personally he was rather dismayed, but then, he was sort of jealous too. He wondered if there was some truth to what Malfoy had said about him and Anna.
Out in one of the corridors he found Professor McGonagall. "Harry, I know you probably don't want to hear this from me, but don't ask Anna to the Yule Ball."
"What do you mean Professor?" It wasn't really a question; it was a sigh, as Harry had just given up.
"I, well, I know it's not my place but try and find a date with someone else, if you can."
"With the most respect I can put into the sentence, I think I can pick who I want to go to the Yule Ball with."
"Yes, I'm, sure, you can, Potter." She said it slowly, distressed.
"Out of curiosity, what is it about Anna that's so bad?" He tried to frown and glare at the same time, but he couldn't quite finagle it.
"Anna is Anna, Mr. Potter. I can't really tell you, I'm sure sometime Professor Dumbledore will tell you, but it's not my job to tell you."
"Can you tell me why everyone treats her so rudely? The teachers, well, except Professor Caladon, treat her like she's not even human." She shook her head sadly and walked away. Harry was rather ticked off and honestly rather weirded out, all at the same time, yet he was wondering if that thing Malfoy had said about him and Anna was true.
"Ah! Hogsmeade!" Ron stretched and put his arm around Hermione, "Especially since it's Saturday!"
"And tomorrow," Hermione put on a remarkably fake grin, "You can finish your paper so Professor Lundor doesn't fail you!"
"Mine is only 8 pages, I'm rather stuck on it, unfortunately." Harry frowned, "It's just not interesting!" After noting that Hermione and Ron apparently hadn't heard him, he rolled his eyes and walked off; apparently they didn't notice, as they didn't call after him. Apparently, they also hadn't noticed it was pouring down rain. He headed into Three Broomsticks and ordered a Butterbeer.
"Did the other two go off together?" Madame Rosmerta smiled, "I figured as much, they've been hinting at it for years."
"Would've been nice if I had someone I've been hinting at for years." He looked down glumly.
"Hey, it's alright chap! You'll find someone. Perhaps the girl in that window?" She gave him the Butterbeer and walked off. Harry looked over, of course, the girl in the window just had to be Anna. She was sitting against the window, as the rain poured down and a dim lantern lit the area around the glass. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. Then he remembered the parchment she had dropped. He was sort of unwilling to give it back to her, but then, it was opportunity to talk to her. He walked over.
"Um, you dropped this in the library yesterday." He nervously handed her the poem, "I don't think it got too wet."
Her eyes got wide and she looked up, "Oh, erm, thanks. Don't bother saying you didn't read it. It's fine, it's not that great of a poem." Ironically, he was just about to say he didn't read it, but then she said that.
"No, it was nice, I really liked it. It was really, well, I didn't really understand it, but…" He shrugged, "It was pretty."
"Thanks, sit down." She got off the table and onto a chair. He sat down beside her. "Ron and Hermione walking around somewhere like airheads?"
He nodded, trying to hide his disappointment, "Yep."
"You'll find a date to the Yule Ball, don't worry." She bit her lip and smiled, he'd never really seen her smile, it was pretty. She had one dimple.
"I don't know, it's rather soon, and most girls have gotten a date."
"Most but not all. Seriously, Harry, you're charming, a lot of girls have their eye on you. At dinner, look over at the Ravenclaw table." She winked.
"They don't even know me."
"With some people you can just tell, Harry." He suddenly noticed her gray-silver eyes looked very old, as if she knew more about anything than she did.
"Can you tell?" Gosh, that sounded so stupid.
"Tell what?"
"Nothing." He frowned, "Anna, why don't the teachers treat you like everyone else?" He finally had the confidence to ask.
"Well Harry, that would because I'm not like everyone else."
"What are you like then?"
"Apparently, not like everyone else." She sort of rolled her eyes and laughed at the same time, "Harry, you'll figure it out. I can't tell you really why."
"I'm not just some young immature kid. I think I can handle it." No doubt about it, he liked her, and she was really making him mad.
"I know you're not Harry, I know. And if I could tell you, I would. And so would Professor McGonagall. But right now, I think they're trying to keep conspiracies at a low at Hogwarts." She winked again.
"I know, I just sort of, well, I wanted to go to the Yule Ball with you?" Wow, that came out at a weird moment, Harry thought.
"Sorry, Harry, I can't. Dumbledore would never let me." She packed up her books into her satchel.
"Why?" He stood up and tried to block her from leaving.
"Because, Harry, the reason why the teachers treat me different and call me by my first name, is because my last name isn't welcome. I told you."
"But your name shouldn't matter. You're a person, it's a name."
"Apparently they don't think so. But Harry, I can't tell you. I'm sorry. I wish I could go with you. But my grandfather would never let me." She looked into his eyes, saw the connection, and walked out of the Three Broomsticks. And Harry, having received one of the biggest shocks of his life, stood as he watched probably the only girl he had ever really liked, walk away from him and out into the cold world. This time, it was Harry who didn't notice Ron and Hermione.
