Chapter 3

"She's an absolute brat!"

"I don't know what the boys see in her; it's only because she's kinda pretty!"

"I bet you she's a complete idiot!"

"Bitchy slag, more like!"

Comments had been flying back and forth between the 6th years at Hogwarts. Elani had barely said one word to anyone since dinner and many people had made their own theories as to which she was. Harry couldn't help wonder about her. He decided that he would speak to her. He strode over to the chair she was sitting in. It was beside a corner window and she was staring out at the night sky.

"Er, hello." Harry greeted sheepishly. She eyed him coldly.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to get to know you."

She continued staring out the window. Then slowly she turned her head towards him again.

"What's your name?"

"Harry, Harry Potter." She said nothing to give away her surprise but her eyes widened.

"Harry Potter?" She sat pondering, then pulled up a chair and gestured to it. He sat down awkwardly.

"Er, so why have you come to Hogwarts? What school of magic were you at before you came here?"

"I lived with my mother. In a flat in Paris. I had gone to a muggle school for a few years but I didn't like it. I hadn't attended magic school before because, my mother didn't want me to go."

"Was your mom a muggle then? Does she not like it that you're a witch?"

"No, she just didn't think it was safe." She looked down at her hands.

"Well you'll really like Hogwarts. It's great…"He trailed off, "Er, do you like quidditch?"

Suddenly she smiled, and her face was dazzling. She nodded. "I love watching it, but I think I'd be too scared to play. Do they have a team here?" Harry was relieved she was warming up.

"Yeah, I'm seeker for the Gryffindors. Actually Gryffindor has the first match of the season in a couple of days. We're playing Ravenclaw! Do you have a broom? I have a firebolt. I'll have to show you it sometime. It's really great! I mean you can make these hairpin turns that- " Harry realized he was talking to much and shut his mouth. Elani smiled, now a grin, and said,

"It's okay. You obviously love quidditch. I'd like to watch you play sometime. You have a firebolt! I've never even touched one." Harry grinned. Suddenly Hermione appeared between the two of them.

"Er, Harry can I see you over here a moment. I need to talk to you." She wore a strained smile on her face. The smile Elani wore melted off her face and once again she seemed made of stone. Once Hermione got him away she hissed, "Harry what are you doing? Why are you talking to her! She's horrible! Between you and Ron I don't know which is worse!"

"She's really nice Hermione! She's probably just nervous about being in a new school. And I'm not acting like Ron." He nodded his head in Ron's direction. Ron was staring at Elani with his mouth open. Hermione didn't say anything. She just bit her lower lip and looked up at Harry, as if deciding if she should say something or not.

"Hermione?"

"She's not nice. You don't know the things she said last night!" Harry listened intently, "Parvati and I were trying to talk to her and be friendly and I asked her about her family and she just stared at me and said, "How is your family? Have you gotten over the death of that cousin yet?" but she said it in this dreadful voice. And Harry, how did she know? My cousin died just a month ago, when we were on holiday, and it was dreadful. And then she asked Parvati if her parents divorce was settled and Parvati just froze and started crying. I don't know how she knew those things. We hadn't told anyone!" Hermione looked anxious. "And she just said those horrible, evil things." Harry was shocked. Why would Elani do that, she seemed so nice? But the real worry was how had she known.

"You're sure you didn't tell anyone?"

Hermione nodded.

"Yes. I would've told you and Ron first!"

Harry looked over at Elani and got a jolt when he saw her staring straight at them. She stood up and walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. They heard a bang, as a door was slammed shut.

Harry's first class the next morning was double potions. He hated potions because of the teacher Professor Snape, who loved to embarrass Harry.

"Double potions." He groaned while pulling on his shoe. Ron was yawning sleepily.

"Yeah. I wonder what Snape will think of Elani?" Ron mused.

"Ron I told you what happened with Hermione. I think we should stay away from Elani. She seems nice but look what she did to Hermione!"

"Hermione probably deserved it! I mean she's always being nosy!"

"Ron, shut up. You're only saying that because you think Elani's hot!" Ron threw a pillow at Harry's face.

"Let's go, we're gonna be late." Ron and Harry came to the heavy door that led to the dungeons, where Snape's classes were held. They stomped in, seeing the rest of the class already seated.

"You are late. Five points from Gryffindor" Snape's lip curled menacingly. "And who is this? Another Gryffindor. Girl, what's your name!" He barked. Elani lifter he chin defiantly.

" My name is Elani Lucida. And yes, I am a new student."

"I trust you have the proper ingredients to create potions." She nodded." You say yes, sir when responding to me."

"Yes, sir." Snape's eyes danced.

" 5 points from Gryffindor for your attitude Miss Lucida. Where did you attend school before Hogwarts?" He demanded.

"I didn't. I've only gone to a school in muggle Paris."

"What?" He hissed. "You mean to tell me you've never attended school!" Snape snarled, "I have been sent a girl who most likely cannot tell a sleeping serum from a poison! It is an insult."

"Professor Snape, I did not attend school, but trust me when I say I am most skilled in potions." Snape waved a wand and directions appeared on a corner of the blackboard.

"Because you know so much Miss Lucida, you may try this potion on for size. It is very difficult and if you fail I will remove 10 points from Gryffindor house."

"Yes, sir." She began to take out ingredients.

"The rest of you begin on this pain killing potion." For the next hour and a half the class worked in silence, until a loud gasp escaped Neville Longbottom, an absent minded, clumsy boy, when his potion began to froth over the sides. Harry took this distraction to lean over and talk to Ron.

"How do you think she knows about potions if she's never been to school?" Harry asked.

"Oh, well look who's obsessing over her now!" Ron snapped, while trying to cut though the rubbery skin of an eel.

"No! It's just there's a lot that seems strange about her."

"Everyone step back from their cauldrons while I grade you." Snape walked through the room checking each potion, until five minutes to the end of class. He was furious when he had to give Harry good marks for a successful potion. "We have 5 minutes to the bell and we will now check Miss Lucida's potion." He smirked. But Elani was smirking too. Her ingredients were already packed away and she sat placidly, waiting for her grade. Snape picked up a ladle full of the potion and examined it closely. His eyes opened wide. He looked at Elani. "Stay after class. The rest of you can go." Hermione waited for Ron and Harry at the door. Ron hesitated then whispered,

"Let's listen in."

"No Ron! Let's go." Hermione tugged on his arm, but Ron had already pressed his ear against the door, Harry joined him. Hermione sighed, but decided to eavesdrop too.

"Where did you learn to make a potion like that?" They heard Snape demand.

"My mother taught me sir."

"Was that her profession? Apothecary?"

"No sir. She was just very skilled. She always called it an art rather then a science."

Snape cleared his throat. "It was, I have to say, perfect. Few grown wizards can make a potion as well as you just did. Obviously your skill is great and if you would like I could give you lessons in advanced potions. Very few of my Gryffindor students can grasp the simplest of basics of potion making. I wonder if you should have been put in Slytherin." Harry could tell Snape felt uncomfortable giving praise to a Gryffindor. "You my go Miss Lucida." The trio scrambled away from the door. Elani shut the door behind her. She walked towards the great staircase when someone stepped out hidden by the staircase banister. Draco Malfoy. The one person Harry hated as much as Snape.

"Hello, Elani." Malfoy said with a note in his voice Harry had never heard before. Elani stared at him as if he wasn't there. "Perhaps you don't know who I am. I'm Draco Malfoy."

"I know who you are."

Malfoy smirked. "Well, everyone knows who I am. And who my father is. I was wondering, as you're new in school, if you'd like to be shown around? I can introduce you to my friends. All of them are pure bloods." Suddenly Malfoy stopped. "Are you a pure blood?" He asked a little anxious.

"Yes, I am."

The sly smile returned to his face. "I could tell you were. I'd like to get to know about you." Malfoy placed a hand on her shoulder. Harry knew that Malfoy was only talking to Elani because of her face. He couldn't care less about who she was.

Elani looked straight at him. "I know something about you, Draco. What does your father keep in that room? The one with the trap door hidden under the rug in your living room." A look of horror appeared on Malfoy's face.

"How did you- what are you talking about?" He demanded. He pulled his hand away and collected himself. "Well as I said, if you need someone to show you around." He turned quickly and departed. Elani smiled to herself. Then as if she suddenly sensed it she whisked around. She stalked over to where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were hiding. She grabbed Hermione's arm.

"Stop spying on me. You may find out more then you ever wanted to know." She stopped, suddenly, and dropped Hermione's arm. She backed away shaking her head and looking at Harry. "I didn't know. I didn't know." She turned and ran. Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. He was as equally shocked as them.

"What was that about? She freaked out! I mean, she freaked out!" Ron was still confused while getting ready for bed. Harry smiled, "Ron, you've said that at least twenty times."

"But she freaked out!" Ron said again. Harry wasn't concentrating on Elani's strange behavior. His stomach was in knots. He had completely forgotten that his first quidditch match was the next day. He looked over at Ron who was muttering to himself, "She looked at you and ran. She just-"

"Freaked out?" Harry suggested.

"Exactly!" Ron got into bed still going over the day's events. Harry lay in bed thinking about the match. But as he drifted off to sleep his mind took him away from the match…

A dark room. Black. A feeling of despair haunted the room, as if only dark events had happened in this disturbing place. A figure huddled on the floor, its hands over its head. Another figure appeared and whispered, " Do you know where your family is?" Cold and cruel, his red eyes glowed like hot coals in the darkness.

It burned and stung.

"They're dead." The crouching person whimpered. "Oh, yes. My time of infiltration and spying is almost up. I will come out with my army, no longer hide in shadow. The battle will be beginning soon. But there is still something I need. And you will get it for me. I will use it and win this war. And you will live knowing you destroyed all you cared for." The thing let out a cold, merciless laugh. "Get up you pathetic fool!" He wrenched up the body and cried "CRUCIO!"

Screaming pain ripping through him.

"AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH! OH God! OH GOD! STOP! PLEASE STOP!" The thing laughed again. He bent over the limp body and hissed "Imperio" and the figure froze. "Get up." The figure did so. The evil thing laughed again. "Wormtail, get ready to depart."

Ripping down the middle.

And for the second time in three days Harry awoke, his head on fire. He lay in his bed panting. He wanted to cry out, call to someone, anyone. But he decided, this time, he wouldn't tell anyone about his dream. He held onto his head and sat up. Putting on his glasses and pulling off the bed covers he stealthily moved out of the dormitory, down the stairs and into the common room. He got next to the fire and warmed himself. The dark place had made him cold. He rubbed his head and his eyes drifted around the room. He was not alone. Sitting in a chair was Elani. She had positioned her chair so that she blocked the entrance. Her eyes were glazed over and her hair was a matted mess. Harry walked over to her and looked into her eyes. The gray mist swirled, as if a storm was raging behind her eyes. Harry snapped his fingers. She didn't blink. But when he got closer he heard her muttering under her breath.

"I'll kill him. I'll kill him."

Al right so that was the 3rd chapter. I'm slowly getting towards the exciting part. Just bear with me and please review. I kind of forgot to mention I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters and if I lie and say I do J.K Rowling has permission to see me tortured and executed and/or sued. Once again PLEASE review!