Disclaimer: I love JKR and she wrote all the Harry Potter books with style
and flare and I'm only basing my story upon her wonderful ideas.
Chapter Twelve: A Charming Goodbye
"So, if nobody was behind you in the hall that night, then that doesn't make sense. Why did you collapse then?" Hermione questioned. The four friends were sitting at the breakfast table and Oscie had just told them her story about Draco and Walt. Luckily for her they seemed more interested in the part about the invisibility cloak than the revealed secret.
A thought suddenly occurred to Oscie, "Oh my - I think I know what it is." She jumped up from the table and ran out of the Great Hall with her friends close on her heels.
"Where are you going?" Ron panted.
"The library," she replied.
"We're going to be late for our next class!" Hermione puffed as they finished climbing the stairs and reached the library.
"Look you three go on to class. Just tell Hagrid that something came up if he notices I'm not there. This is more important to figure out," Oscie stated.
"Oscie." Harry began.
"Go on! You'll be late!" she called back to them as she slipped into the nearly empty library. She scoured the shelves and eventually found the book about charms she was looking for and read all that she could until she found her answer. Care for Magical Creatures was halfway done when she went running out to the grounds near Hagrid's hut with the book in her bag.
The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were examining things in boxes and most of their faces held looks of disgust. Hermione, Harry, and Ron were sitting around a box and Ron was holding a leaf into the box. Oscie sat next to them and peered inside to find a small green snotling. It was looking slightly scared and was simply sitting in the corner of the box.
"Snotlings? Where did Hagrid get these? They're supposedly unintelligent and are usually used by goblins to do work," Oscie commented. "I read about them in True Celtic Myths and Legends."
"We don't know. But what have you found out?" Harry questioned.
Oscie leaned in closer and lowered her voice, "I gave my sister a brooch of a wolf for her wedding and I put a charm on it to protect her. Unfortunately I didn't know until I read this," Oscie pulled out the book from the library, "that in the case of blood relatives the spell is increased and since I'm the one protecting her I can see through the brooch or feel through it sometimes. The only way to stop the charm is to get the brooch back or if she stops wearing it. The only problem is that she can't stop wearing it since it's now become a part of her because of the blood relative thing. I'm not sure if she realizes the effects yet or not but at least I know for certain that she can't see what I do or feel what I feel."
"So is there a way to stop it?" Ron inquired. Oscie shrugged.
"I haven't found out yet," she replied. "It wasn't in the book."
"Maybe we should ask Moony. I think he'd be willing to tell us," Hermione suggested. "Here, we can write the letter now since this snotling isn't doing anything."
"I've also been thinking," Oscie started to speak. "This plan with Draco is going nowhere and I don't want anyone ending up hurt. It's my choice if I want my life on the line but I don't have the right to put other wizards' lives at stake. I'm going to end this relationship with him and hope on Merlin's beard that he doesn't say what he saw last night."
"But," Ron began to protest.
"What have I found out from it? Nothing," Oscie interrupted.
"Try Veritaserum," Harry suggested.
"And then when he comes back from being under the spell what will happen? He'll say what I am and what I did and then I won't even have magic to protect myself from the wrath of his family," Oscie countered. "Besides, I don't want to be that close to the son of someone who helped to kill my parents. I heard Lucius Malfoy's voice there in the vision."
"She has a good point and I think you should stop," Hermione concluded after a pause. "It did have its possibilities but with the way things are going I don't think anything will come of it." She set down her quill and folded the letter to Lupin. "I'll send this during lunch."
"With exams coming up and then the end of school I'm going to tell him as soon as possible. Maybe then I'll be able to repair my image with the Gryffindors," Oscie surmised. Ron sniggered.
"It might take a little while for that to happen," he said. Oscie shrugged.
"But I'm sure you'll be in good favor with the Ravenclaw house. Especially one in particular," Hermione grinned. Oscie's cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Is what obvious?" Harry questioned.
"Yes," Hermione replied and the girls giggled.
"Girl talk," Ron rolled his eyes.
While the fifth year Gryffindors crammed for their O.W.L.S. the sixth years were more at ease since they had already been through the experience once and knew that the exams were not as hard as most pictured before the actual exams occurred. The Saturdays at Hogwarts were full of study groups or time out on the grounds of the school for breaks. Oscie took this opportunity to speak to Draco since the only time they had really spoken was when he found her as a wolf. She had avoided him ever since her parents died since she saw so much of his father in him and her anger flared every time she saw him. This experience helped her to understand some of what Harry experienced because of Sirius' death.
Oscie and Draco were sitting by themselves near the edge of the lake outside Hogwarts while Harry and Ron sat nearby outside to keep an eye on the scene. They had insisted they be there since both wanted to see the look on Draco's face when he was dumped and to make sure Oscie was alright.
"We haven't talked much recently," Draco commented.
"I know," Oscie replied bluntly. "That was my doings."
"What do you mean by that?" his eyes flashed and there was a specific emphasis on the word 'that'.
"It means that I've been avoiding you," Oscie replied keeping her voice level.
"Oh?" Draco sneered. His attitude that he used with most others was beginning to show and Oscie realized this might not go well. She had played over in her head many times what she would say but had never considered his reaction.
"Draco, haven't you noticed that we haven't talked much since - since my parents died?" questioned Oscie. "Well that was for a reason other than me trying to cope with the loss." He shifted on the ground uncomfortably as though he knew what was going to be said but glared at her. "I know how they died. I also know who killed them. And thirdly I know who tortured them right before they died." Oscie had tears streaming down her face but kept focused. She was breathing heavily from the forced words and she paused for a moment to gain strength.
"I don't see where this is going," he drawled.
"Oh but you should. I'm sure your father wouldn't torture your friend's parents without telling you about it," Oscie seethed.
"And how do you know about this?" sneered Draco. Oscie lost her temper and what she had rehearsed to say went out the window.
"That's none of your concern," she spat. "I know he did it and your whole family is despicable! You walk through these halls as though you deserve high praise but all you deserve, thanks to your father, is a spit in the face for even resembling that man! The last emotions my parents experienced were pain and fear thanks to him!"
"Don't talk about my family that way!" Draco's voice rose to a yell. The pair was now standing facing one another.
"Oh what are you going to do now?" she sneered. "Tell the professors about me so my wand will be snapped and you'll never have to see my face again? Take the easy way out to avoid being cursed off your feet?"
"No, I'm not going to do that. I have other plans for you. I'm sure you've received a howler and a few death threats. You know you'll face your end sooner or later and seeing you try to fight your way out will be amusing," he retorted. "You're really nothing like your sister. She's intelligent and strong in magic."
"You'd be surprised what this wand can do," Oscie ranted as she whipped out her wand. Draco had pulled his out first and both stood staring at one another almost daring the other to make the first move. One's eyes were glinting maliciously while the other's eyes were darker than the night sky.
"Oscie! You should have told us you were going to have fun here," Ron sneered as he and Harry walked up behind her with wands out. Draco was now completely outnumbered and appeared to notice the odds were against him.
"I see you've chosen death. I thought you might be like your sister but I suppose you're no better than your fowl uncle or Mudblood parents!" Draco scoffed with his menacing drawl.
Before Harry or Ron realized what had happened Draco was sent flying backwards into a tree where he hit his head and was knocked unconscious. His wand slid from his hand to lie next to him. Both turned to face Oscie who had done the spell. Her jaw was set and her eyes remained black and full of angry tears.
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. "Damn! He's out cold! You really scare me sometimes, Oscie."
"You should have left him to me," Harry snarled.
"No, this one was between me and him. His father wasn't just there that night. He tortured my dad with the cruciatus curse," Oscie said softly. "Let's leave."
A few other students who had been outside gaped at the scene and a few had already crowded around. The three friends pushed their way through the crowd and got all the way to the steps before a teacher appeared. Snape was standing in the doorway to the school and caused the group to stop since he was blocking their way.
"Miss Whitmore," he said in his soft, malicious tone. "I do believe you will be serving detention for a week starting Monday and fifty points are now lost to Gryffindor."
"Fine!" Oscie exclaimed in a voice strained from her tears. She pushed past the professor and continued into the castle as Snape was saying something about docking ten more points for her rude behavior towards teachers.
Hermione was upstairs in the girls' room when Oscie, Ron, and Harry returned so only Oscie was able to talk with her. Lavender and Parvati were sitting on Lavender's bed talking excitedly about something or someone.
"Where were you?" Oscie questioned as she flopped on her bed across from Hermione.
"In the library studying and looking for an answer to the charm problem. Moony doesn't know how to stop it either but he said to look in the library since the answer has to be there," she replied. "So how'd it go?"
"Worse than I had expected since I didn't plan on loosing my cool," she grinned. "I left him unconscious under a tree with a large bump on the back of his head. Sadly Snape saw the whole ordeal and I have detention with him for a week."
"Who'd you knock unconscious?" Parvati inquired as her curiosity got the best of her.
"Draco," Oscie replied offhandedly.
"Oh! I wish I could have seen that!" Lavender exclaimed. "I thought you two were a couple though."
"Key word - were. I just broke it off with style. I only wish I could have cursed him up one side and down the other," Oscie sighed.
"Then you would have had detention for the month left until school is out," Hermione replied with one eyebrow raised.
"But it would be worth it," she replied with a huge smile. The three girls laughed at her and then began conversing as though Oscie had been on speaking terms with the whole of Gryffindor all her time at the school.
Chapter Twelve: A Charming Goodbye
"So, if nobody was behind you in the hall that night, then that doesn't make sense. Why did you collapse then?" Hermione questioned. The four friends were sitting at the breakfast table and Oscie had just told them her story about Draco and Walt. Luckily for her they seemed more interested in the part about the invisibility cloak than the revealed secret.
A thought suddenly occurred to Oscie, "Oh my - I think I know what it is." She jumped up from the table and ran out of the Great Hall with her friends close on her heels.
"Where are you going?" Ron panted.
"The library," she replied.
"We're going to be late for our next class!" Hermione puffed as they finished climbing the stairs and reached the library.
"Look you three go on to class. Just tell Hagrid that something came up if he notices I'm not there. This is more important to figure out," Oscie stated.
"Oscie." Harry began.
"Go on! You'll be late!" she called back to them as she slipped into the nearly empty library. She scoured the shelves and eventually found the book about charms she was looking for and read all that she could until she found her answer. Care for Magical Creatures was halfway done when she went running out to the grounds near Hagrid's hut with the book in her bag.
The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were examining things in boxes and most of their faces held looks of disgust. Hermione, Harry, and Ron were sitting around a box and Ron was holding a leaf into the box. Oscie sat next to them and peered inside to find a small green snotling. It was looking slightly scared and was simply sitting in the corner of the box.
"Snotlings? Where did Hagrid get these? They're supposedly unintelligent and are usually used by goblins to do work," Oscie commented. "I read about them in True Celtic Myths and Legends."
"We don't know. But what have you found out?" Harry questioned.
Oscie leaned in closer and lowered her voice, "I gave my sister a brooch of a wolf for her wedding and I put a charm on it to protect her. Unfortunately I didn't know until I read this," Oscie pulled out the book from the library, "that in the case of blood relatives the spell is increased and since I'm the one protecting her I can see through the brooch or feel through it sometimes. The only way to stop the charm is to get the brooch back or if she stops wearing it. The only problem is that she can't stop wearing it since it's now become a part of her because of the blood relative thing. I'm not sure if she realizes the effects yet or not but at least I know for certain that she can't see what I do or feel what I feel."
"So is there a way to stop it?" Ron inquired. Oscie shrugged.
"I haven't found out yet," she replied. "It wasn't in the book."
"Maybe we should ask Moony. I think he'd be willing to tell us," Hermione suggested. "Here, we can write the letter now since this snotling isn't doing anything."
"I've also been thinking," Oscie started to speak. "This plan with Draco is going nowhere and I don't want anyone ending up hurt. It's my choice if I want my life on the line but I don't have the right to put other wizards' lives at stake. I'm going to end this relationship with him and hope on Merlin's beard that he doesn't say what he saw last night."
"But," Ron began to protest.
"What have I found out from it? Nothing," Oscie interrupted.
"Try Veritaserum," Harry suggested.
"And then when he comes back from being under the spell what will happen? He'll say what I am and what I did and then I won't even have magic to protect myself from the wrath of his family," Oscie countered. "Besides, I don't want to be that close to the son of someone who helped to kill my parents. I heard Lucius Malfoy's voice there in the vision."
"She has a good point and I think you should stop," Hermione concluded after a pause. "It did have its possibilities but with the way things are going I don't think anything will come of it." She set down her quill and folded the letter to Lupin. "I'll send this during lunch."
"With exams coming up and then the end of school I'm going to tell him as soon as possible. Maybe then I'll be able to repair my image with the Gryffindors," Oscie surmised. Ron sniggered.
"It might take a little while for that to happen," he said. Oscie shrugged.
"But I'm sure you'll be in good favor with the Ravenclaw house. Especially one in particular," Hermione grinned. Oscie's cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Is what obvious?" Harry questioned.
"Yes," Hermione replied and the girls giggled.
"Girl talk," Ron rolled his eyes.
While the fifth year Gryffindors crammed for their O.W.L.S. the sixth years were more at ease since they had already been through the experience once and knew that the exams were not as hard as most pictured before the actual exams occurred. The Saturdays at Hogwarts were full of study groups or time out on the grounds of the school for breaks. Oscie took this opportunity to speak to Draco since the only time they had really spoken was when he found her as a wolf. She had avoided him ever since her parents died since she saw so much of his father in him and her anger flared every time she saw him. This experience helped her to understand some of what Harry experienced because of Sirius' death.
Oscie and Draco were sitting by themselves near the edge of the lake outside Hogwarts while Harry and Ron sat nearby outside to keep an eye on the scene. They had insisted they be there since both wanted to see the look on Draco's face when he was dumped and to make sure Oscie was alright.
"We haven't talked much recently," Draco commented.
"I know," Oscie replied bluntly. "That was my doings."
"What do you mean by that?" his eyes flashed and there was a specific emphasis on the word 'that'.
"It means that I've been avoiding you," Oscie replied keeping her voice level.
"Oh?" Draco sneered. His attitude that he used with most others was beginning to show and Oscie realized this might not go well. She had played over in her head many times what she would say but had never considered his reaction.
"Draco, haven't you noticed that we haven't talked much since - since my parents died?" questioned Oscie. "Well that was for a reason other than me trying to cope with the loss." He shifted on the ground uncomfortably as though he knew what was going to be said but glared at her. "I know how they died. I also know who killed them. And thirdly I know who tortured them right before they died." Oscie had tears streaming down her face but kept focused. She was breathing heavily from the forced words and she paused for a moment to gain strength.
"I don't see where this is going," he drawled.
"Oh but you should. I'm sure your father wouldn't torture your friend's parents without telling you about it," Oscie seethed.
"And how do you know about this?" sneered Draco. Oscie lost her temper and what she had rehearsed to say went out the window.
"That's none of your concern," she spat. "I know he did it and your whole family is despicable! You walk through these halls as though you deserve high praise but all you deserve, thanks to your father, is a spit in the face for even resembling that man! The last emotions my parents experienced were pain and fear thanks to him!"
"Don't talk about my family that way!" Draco's voice rose to a yell. The pair was now standing facing one another.
"Oh what are you going to do now?" she sneered. "Tell the professors about me so my wand will be snapped and you'll never have to see my face again? Take the easy way out to avoid being cursed off your feet?"
"No, I'm not going to do that. I have other plans for you. I'm sure you've received a howler and a few death threats. You know you'll face your end sooner or later and seeing you try to fight your way out will be amusing," he retorted. "You're really nothing like your sister. She's intelligent and strong in magic."
"You'd be surprised what this wand can do," Oscie ranted as she whipped out her wand. Draco had pulled his out first and both stood staring at one another almost daring the other to make the first move. One's eyes were glinting maliciously while the other's eyes were darker than the night sky.
"Oscie! You should have told us you were going to have fun here," Ron sneered as he and Harry walked up behind her with wands out. Draco was now completely outnumbered and appeared to notice the odds were against him.
"I see you've chosen death. I thought you might be like your sister but I suppose you're no better than your fowl uncle or Mudblood parents!" Draco scoffed with his menacing drawl.
Before Harry or Ron realized what had happened Draco was sent flying backwards into a tree where he hit his head and was knocked unconscious. His wand slid from his hand to lie next to him. Both turned to face Oscie who had done the spell. Her jaw was set and her eyes remained black and full of angry tears.
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. "Damn! He's out cold! You really scare me sometimes, Oscie."
"You should have left him to me," Harry snarled.
"No, this one was between me and him. His father wasn't just there that night. He tortured my dad with the cruciatus curse," Oscie said softly. "Let's leave."
A few other students who had been outside gaped at the scene and a few had already crowded around. The three friends pushed their way through the crowd and got all the way to the steps before a teacher appeared. Snape was standing in the doorway to the school and caused the group to stop since he was blocking their way.
"Miss Whitmore," he said in his soft, malicious tone. "I do believe you will be serving detention for a week starting Monday and fifty points are now lost to Gryffindor."
"Fine!" Oscie exclaimed in a voice strained from her tears. She pushed past the professor and continued into the castle as Snape was saying something about docking ten more points for her rude behavior towards teachers.
Hermione was upstairs in the girls' room when Oscie, Ron, and Harry returned so only Oscie was able to talk with her. Lavender and Parvati were sitting on Lavender's bed talking excitedly about something or someone.
"Where were you?" Oscie questioned as she flopped on her bed across from Hermione.
"In the library studying and looking for an answer to the charm problem. Moony doesn't know how to stop it either but he said to look in the library since the answer has to be there," she replied. "So how'd it go?"
"Worse than I had expected since I didn't plan on loosing my cool," she grinned. "I left him unconscious under a tree with a large bump on the back of his head. Sadly Snape saw the whole ordeal and I have detention with him for a week."
"Who'd you knock unconscious?" Parvati inquired as her curiosity got the best of her.
"Draco," Oscie replied offhandedly.
"Oh! I wish I could have seen that!" Lavender exclaimed. "I thought you two were a couple though."
"Key word - were. I just broke it off with style. I only wish I could have cursed him up one side and down the other," Oscie sighed.
"Then you would have had detention for the month left until school is out," Hermione replied with one eyebrow raised.
"But it would be worth it," she replied with a huge smile. The three girls laughed at her and then began conversing as though Oscie had been on speaking terms with the whole of Gryffindor all her time at the school.