Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own any of the characters in this story. They
were all created by the wonderful author, J.K. Rowling. The only
characters that are truly mine are Angeline, Lyle, and a few lesser
characters that will pop up from time to time.
A/N: Woohoo!!!! I have soooo many more reviews than I ever expected to get! THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed…Without further stalling….here is chapter thirteen. =)
~Chapter 13~
Hermione scrubbed at Snape's desk while suppressing a shiver. It was a clear day, but the dungeon was unusually cold, even for mid-December. "This mess seemed a lot smaller yesterday."
"What do you think Snape meant when he said, 'there is much more to it?' You don't think he thinks we did this on purpose, do you?" Ron was scrubbing up the ashes on the floor where Crabbe had been hit.
"I don't know, but I wish I'd never learned that stupid counter curse."
"What are you two up to?" Angeline peeked in the door.
"Detention," Ron sighed, allowing his scrub brush to plop into the puddle of soapy water.
"Aahh, I see. You two had an interesting wand encounter yesterday, didn't you?"
Hermione stopped scrubbing and looked Angeline straight in the eyes. "Professor Atwood, I just don't understand Snape."
"Professor Snape, Hermione."
"Sorry. I mean, we know that we caused a ruckus, but we still don't know how or why it happened, and Professor Snape refuses to explain it to us."
Angeline looked pensively at Hermione. "Well, I'm sure if Professor Snape did not tell you, then he probably had a good reason. However, I don't think he would mind if I told you a story." Inquisitive eyes stared back at her as she began. "When I was a young girl, I had two friends, Alex and Sky, who always squabbled about one thing or the other. One night when Sky and I sat up talking after everyone else had gone to sleep, Sky admitted to me that she liked Alex. She swore me to secrecy, and I was happy to oblige. Many years later, the three of us were working on a special project when Alex and Sky got into quite a nasty argument, and I moved to separate them when hectic sparks shot about the room. Neither one of them had commanded the wands to act, though."
"Well, and then what happened?" Ron was leaning forward anticipating her next words.
After a long, dramatic pause, Angeline continued. "Well, it took me a while to get rid of Alex's dragon tails as well as Sky's spider legs, but even when I discovered how to restore them to their former selves, it was ultimately up to them to solve the bigger problem."
"I don't get it. What were they fighting about, and what made their wands react?" Ron was running through a stream of questions in his mind and out loud.
"Well, that brings us back to our present dilemma, doesn't it. The wand, as you both know, chooses the wizard or witch. Wands can also identify brother and sister wands…among other things. If two wands react mysteriously, it coincides with an incident between the owners, not necessarily the wands." Realizing that her riddle was beginning to confuse the students, she stopped and giggled. "I think a more important task would be to discuss the hidden emotions in the room."
The two reddening faces were proof enough that she had struck a nerve or two. "Emotions are an amazing thing, but even more amazing are the deep rooted feelings. Sometimes when witches and wizards suppress the truth, their wands release their frustration." Angeline pulled a small golden watch out of her robes and peeked at it, quickly replacing it and then standing. "Well, look at the time! If you two will excuse me," Angeline strode quickly out the door leaving Ron and Hermione silent and feeling slightly uncomfortable.
As they went back to their cleaning, neither spoke a word. Roughly an hour later, Snape entered the room with several potions books. "Your detention is over. You may both leave."
Ron and Hermione nodded, but kept their eyes fixed on the floor. As they placed their cleaning supplies back into the cabinet, Snape spoke again, breaking the thick silence. "I trust that you two will take care of any problems with your…wands. I do not wish to be putting out fires for the rest of the year."
Ron and Hermione joined Harry in the common room. After sitting and not saying anything for at least ten minutes, Harry finally spoke. "So, how did detention go? Did you two figure anything out?"
"Fine," Hermione said.
"Not really," Ron answered the latter.
Harry sat and waited for a better answer and got none. He decided that argument was better than no conversation at all and decided to bring up the Yule Ball again. "So, have you two decided who you're taking yet?"
A few moments of awkward silence followed and then Ron spoke. "Well, er… I was, um, sort of gonna maybe ask Hermione." Ron's face was almost as red as his hair.
Hermione smiled, flattered at having caused such embarrassment. "I'd like that, Ron," she said simply.
This seemed to break all the pre-existing tension, and Ron and Hermione were soon back to their old selves. "So, Harry, when are you going to ask Cho?" Ron seemed to have developed a new sense of bravery now that he had a date.
"Actually," Harry was now the one who was uncomfortable, "I was thinking of not going."
"What?" Ron and Hermione chorused.
"Last year I didn't really enjoy it, so I figured I'd have just as much fun doing something else."
"Harry, c'mon. This year will be ten times better." Ron looked pleadingly at Harry. "This year we get to watch the faculty squirm to find dates and open the ceremonies for a change…and there's gonna be a wizarding king and queen~"
Hermione jumped in, her excitement growing, "And the winners get crowned and there's a mystery prize. The Broomfield Wizards are going to be performing this year, and I've heard they're really good."
"C'mon, Harry, we can't go without you. It wouldn't be the same."
"Ron's right, Harry. All of us or none at all."
Harry smiled. It was nice having friends like Ron and Hermione. Most all of his life had been spent watching Dudley get his way at every turn and not having anyone to talk to or to understand how he felt. He, at that moment, realized just how lucky he was. "Alright, I'll go."
A/N: Okay, another chapter that's a wee bit on the short side, but as usual, the next chapter will make up in length! Happy trails, good evening, and thanks for making it this far! =)
~Madam Arianna
A/N: Woohoo!!!! I have soooo many more reviews than I ever expected to get! THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed…Without further stalling….here is chapter thirteen. =)
~Chapter 13~
Hermione scrubbed at Snape's desk while suppressing a shiver. It was a clear day, but the dungeon was unusually cold, even for mid-December. "This mess seemed a lot smaller yesterday."
"What do you think Snape meant when he said, 'there is much more to it?' You don't think he thinks we did this on purpose, do you?" Ron was scrubbing up the ashes on the floor where Crabbe had been hit.
"I don't know, but I wish I'd never learned that stupid counter curse."
"What are you two up to?" Angeline peeked in the door.
"Detention," Ron sighed, allowing his scrub brush to plop into the puddle of soapy water.
"Aahh, I see. You two had an interesting wand encounter yesterday, didn't you?"
Hermione stopped scrubbing and looked Angeline straight in the eyes. "Professor Atwood, I just don't understand Snape."
"Professor Snape, Hermione."
"Sorry. I mean, we know that we caused a ruckus, but we still don't know how or why it happened, and Professor Snape refuses to explain it to us."
Angeline looked pensively at Hermione. "Well, I'm sure if Professor Snape did not tell you, then he probably had a good reason. However, I don't think he would mind if I told you a story." Inquisitive eyes stared back at her as she began. "When I was a young girl, I had two friends, Alex and Sky, who always squabbled about one thing or the other. One night when Sky and I sat up talking after everyone else had gone to sleep, Sky admitted to me that she liked Alex. She swore me to secrecy, and I was happy to oblige. Many years later, the three of us were working on a special project when Alex and Sky got into quite a nasty argument, and I moved to separate them when hectic sparks shot about the room. Neither one of them had commanded the wands to act, though."
"Well, and then what happened?" Ron was leaning forward anticipating her next words.
After a long, dramatic pause, Angeline continued. "Well, it took me a while to get rid of Alex's dragon tails as well as Sky's spider legs, but even when I discovered how to restore them to their former selves, it was ultimately up to them to solve the bigger problem."
"I don't get it. What were they fighting about, and what made their wands react?" Ron was running through a stream of questions in his mind and out loud.
"Well, that brings us back to our present dilemma, doesn't it. The wand, as you both know, chooses the wizard or witch. Wands can also identify brother and sister wands…among other things. If two wands react mysteriously, it coincides with an incident between the owners, not necessarily the wands." Realizing that her riddle was beginning to confuse the students, she stopped and giggled. "I think a more important task would be to discuss the hidden emotions in the room."
The two reddening faces were proof enough that she had struck a nerve or two. "Emotions are an amazing thing, but even more amazing are the deep rooted feelings. Sometimes when witches and wizards suppress the truth, their wands release their frustration." Angeline pulled a small golden watch out of her robes and peeked at it, quickly replacing it and then standing. "Well, look at the time! If you two will excuse me," Angeline strode quickly out the door leaving Ron and Hermione silent and feeling slightly uncomfortable.
As they went back to their cleaning, neither spoke a word. Roughly an hour later, Snape entered the room with several potions books. "Your detention is over. You may both leave."
Ron and Hermione nodded, but kept their eyes fixed on the floor. As they placed their cleaning supplies back into the cabinet, Snape spoke again, breaking the thick silence. "I trust that you two will take care of any problems with your…wands. I do not wish to be putting out fires for the rest of the year."
Ron and Hermione joined Harry in the common room. After sitting and not saying anything for at least ten minutes, Harry finally spoke. "So, how did detention go? Did you two figure anything out?"
"Fine," Hermione said.
"Not really," Ron answered the latter.
Harry sat and waited for a better answer and got none. He decided that argument was better than no conversation at all and decided to bring up the Yule Ball again. "So, have you two decided who you're taking yet?"
A few moments of awkward silence followed and then Ron spoke. "Well, er… I was, um, sort of gonna maybe ask Hermione." Ron's face was almost as red as his hair.
Hermione smiled, flattered at having caused such embarrassment. "I'd like that, Ron," she said simply.
This seemed to break all the pre-existing tension, and Ron and Hermione were soon back to their old selves. "So, Harry, when are you going to ask Cho?" Ron seemed to have developed a new sense of bravery now that he had a date.
"Actually," Harry was now the one who was uncomfortable, "I was thinking of not going."
"What?" Ron and Hermione chorused.
"Last year I didn't really enjoy it, so I figured I'd have just as much fun doing something else."
"Harry, c'mon. This year will be ten times better." Ron looked pleadingly at Harry. "This year we get to watch the faculty squirm to find dates and open the ceremonies for a change…and there's gonna be a wizarding king and queen~"
Hermione jumped in, her excitement growing, "And the winners get crowned and there's a mystery prize. The Broomfield Wizards are going to be performing this year, and I've heard they're really good."
"C'mon, Harry, we can't go without you. It wouldn't be the same."
"Ron's right, Harry. All of us or none at all."
Harry smiled. It was nice having friends like Ron and Hermione. Most all of his life had been spent watching Dudley get his way at every turn and not having anyone to talk to or to understand how he felt. He, at that moment, realized just how lucky he was. "Alright, I'll go."
A/N: Okay, another chapter that's a wee bit on the short side, but as usual, the next chapter will make up in length! Happy trails, good evening, and thanks for making it this far! =)
~Madam Arianna