CHAPTER 13.
AFTEREFFECTS
Things slowed down quite a bit at Hogwarts, but the effects of the Yule Ball did not wear off in the least. For instance, Hermione and Ron had become closer. Harry couldn't help but notice that though they still fought, they began to spend more and more time together. He felt left out, like they'd gone to a place that he could not. He had by now decided that he didn't like the feeling very much at all.
Fred and George now spent more and more time with Artemis and with each other, organizing papers and figuring out more ideas for their joke shop. They showed their owl to Harry and Ron the very next day after the Yule Ball, dragging the boys to their room so they could observe her. They stood off to the side proudly as Ron and Harry looked admiringly upon the female owl that ruffled it's feathers and stared at them with intelligent yellow eyes. It was a tawny owl, its long feathers a mixture of brown and gold.
"Her name's Athena. Cool, huh?" Fred said, as he petted the owl and fed it a treat. Ron leaned close to Harry and whispered,
"All I can say is that Artemis must have LOADS of money." Harry had to agree with him, but it was obvious that Fred and George could have cared less how much money the owl was worth. They loved her, and loved the purpose she would serve for them.
Classes resumed as well and the ever imposing test week, though weeks away, was being prepared and studied for. Hermione did so fervently every night, but Harry and Ron did not see the point to start studying yet, as they would surely forget it before test week.
Harry was relieved that Rhiannon had not succumbed to the weakness that plagued her at times. She insisted on teaching D.A.D.A., despite the fact that Professor Snape fervently argued that she should rest herself for a time. But Rhiannon refused, much to her class' relief. Since the night of that horrible storm, that awful conjuring of evil, the D.A.D.A. classes had taken a violent change from the classes they had had before.
Before the storm, Rhiannon had taught things that were less dangerous, not as threatening, but now she had taken it in a completely different direction. She taught about the Dementors, of the Death Eaters and Voldemort's rise to power. She taught about how to conjure a Patronus, a protection conjured by the wizard to protect himself from the Dementors' powers. Harry smiled as Rhiannon taught them how to conjure it, and even asked a few willing people to come up and attempt one. They failed of course, but she thanked them anyway, explaining that it was terribly advanced magic, and that very few of even the greatest wizards could produce a full-bodied Patronus. At that, Harry smiled wistfully, remembering his own Patronus, the brilliant pearl-white stag, Prongs.
She also instructed them on curses, including the Unforgivable Curses. That day was certainly an interesting one for the class. When Rhiannon walked into the room, she carried an enormous box. She said nothing as she sat the box on the floor by her desk, then began to remove the jars that rested in it. Inside each jar, was a large red striped spider. Beside Harry, Ron shivered violently as he eyed the creatures.
"Right then. Today, we're learning the Unforgivable Curses." Rhiannon said, getting a hold of her wand. Seamus Finnigan raised his hand hesitantly.
"Professor, not meanin' to be rude, but we're learning them? I mean, so that we can perform them?" To everyone's astonishment, Rhiannon nodded gravely.
"I have received permission from Professor Dumbledore to teach this lesson, under the strict promise that I would make all of you swear that you will never use any of these curses in jest or for any plan that you might cook up in your heads. These are not to be used lightly! Azkaban is not a place that I want to see any of my students in. Do I have your word?" Rhiannon asked solemnly, staring at each person in the room. Every head nodded dumbly. "Very good. Now, we shall begin with the Imperius Curse, then work our way down."
And so they did. Rhiannon called first, to everyone's surprise, Neville to attempt his curse first on the spider in the jar before him. "Now Neville, you must think of something that you want the spider to do. Class, visualization is the key to performing the Imperius Curse. It is all about using your head and visualizing what you wish to perform. Understand?" The class nodded. "Right then. Neville, visualize it in your head. Think very hard. Visualize what it is you want the spider to perform and what it would look like doing it. Have you got it?" Neville looked up at her nervously.
"I think so."
"What will you do?"
"I, I'm going to make it spin around in circles."
"Very good! Alright! Have a go, Neville! Remember, visualization and repetition is the key. Once you have the thought, repeat it in your head. Force the spider to be at your mercy! You are in charge! He must obey you. Go."
Neville licked his lips, gripped his wand tightly, squeezed his eyes shut, then said quietly, "Imperio!"
Everyone's eyes were fixed upon the spider in the jar. It didn't do anything. Rhiannon looked as though she was about to say something, when the spider twitched. Then slowly, but surely, the creature's legs began to move. It began to turn in a circle, looking as though it was lost and was searching for a way out of the jar. Then it began to spin, faster and faster till the spider was only a black blur whirling around the jar. Everyone stared in fascination as the spider whirled, then lifted all its legs but one in the air and spun on one leg. Then it slowly twirled and stopped altogether, the spider falling in a crumpled, weak heap. Neville stared at the spider in amazement, before looking up at Rhiannon.
Rhiannon did nothing. Harry could not read her expression. Everyone eyed her carefully as she continued to stare at the imprisoned spider as it slowly got to it's feet and began pacing around the jar as it had done before. Her eye twitched. Then she slowly placed her hand on Neville's shoulder.
"Well done, Neville. Sit down, please." Neville looked confused at Rhiannon's expression, but did so, and was promptly congratulated by his classmates.
"The Cruciatus Curse was used excessively by Branwyn the Enchantress to ensnare her enemies, so that she could take them to her home and do with them what she wanted. When they were in her home she would then use the Imperius Curse so that she could toy with them, then she would perform the Avada Kedavra Curse on them when she tired of them," Rhiannon said suddenly, putting a stop to the congratulations that were being whispered to Neville and causing all eyes to look up to her. "She was the witch who used these three curses the most times in her eighty-eight years on this earth. Her followers used it as much as she, and it was their love of torturing and killing Muggles that caused these three curses to be named 'Unforgivable'. But there was not much to be done. The Ministry of Magic really had no way of threatening these people. That was why Azkaban was built. It was also built because our old prison, Hazlad, was very weak and prisoners were escaping constantly. Therefore, Azkaban was created, Dementors were positioned at its gates, and a life-sentence was imposed upon whomever used these curses. It was, and still is a very effective tool." Rhiannon paused, then got to her feet and began to eye the children around the room.
"Malfoy, come up here." Malfoy looked surprised, but smug as he walked up to Rhiannon's desk. Rhiannon eyed him critically then motioned him up to her desk.
"The Cruciatus Curse is a deadly curse, simply because you can torture a person to death with it. One does not necessarily need the Avada Kedavra curse to kill someone. It is a quick and efficient way to kill, but not always necessary. Now, just as with the Imperius Curse, the key to performing a successful Cruciatus Curse is visualization. Constant visualization and repetition. Now, understand that I don't expect any of you to be able to perform these spells perfectly the first time. Practice is needed to perform these curses well. But I do not expect you to practice them on each other." There was complete silence, save for an ill-timed giggle.
"Now, Malfoy, with this curse, you need to visualize the pain that you wish to put the spider in. How much you want it to suffer, how much it needs to suffer. It needs it! You want to give it and it must have it! Visualization! Now, try." Rhiannon said, stepping slowly away.
Draco glanced back at her, then breathed deeply and stared hard at the spider. His eyes turned to slits and he began to breathe deeply and hard. Then he raised his wand and yelled, "Crucio!" The spider did nothing. The Gryffindors began to snigger, but Harry did not. He was watching the spider. It sat still and Draco's hands dropped to his sides. He stared at it a moment, then slowly began to raise his wand again. "Crucio!" He yelled, anger echoing in his voice.
The spider's leg began to twitch, then vibrate madly. The sniggering ceased immediately and all eyes were on the spider. Two legs began to vibrate, then another, then another, till the spider fell on it's back, vibrating crazily. It was not as violent as Mad-Eye Moody's demonstration last year, but it was effective, mainly because it was not a teacher doing it: it was a student. Draco continued to calmly watch the spider as it jolted and rolled under his gaze. Rhiannon quickly stepped forward as she saw Neville become very green and said, "Desisto!"
Immediately, the spider rolled over and was very still. Lavender Brown gasped audibly as the spider lay on the jar bottom, it's legs sticking out in grotesque positions. A hush had fallen over the class as they all watched for some sign of life from the creature. Even Ron's mouth was slightly open as he waited for it to move. Slowly, the spider's leg twitched, then it got to it's feet and moved shakily around the jar. It seemed to Harry that even Rhiannon breathed a sigh of relief as Draco trooped back to his seat, ignoring Pansy Parkinson's praise of him. Rhiannon looked flushed as she waved her wand and the jars of spiders floated to every desk, one to each person. Ron drew back as his jar settled before him.
"Now, we shall practice these two curses. I don't want to see any fooling around either! This is terribly serious business! Do not let your spider escape, and do NOT kill it! Otherwise it will come off your grade." Rhiannon said, stepping from her desk and moving to walk among them.
"Just the two?" Malfoy whined. "But you said we'd learn all three!" Rhiannon stared at him coldly.
"I'd say you've had quite enough learning for one day, Malfoy. These two will be sufficient till your sixth year, when you are due to study more about these curses." Rhiannon said cooly, walking away from him.
The class was a sober one, save for the few slight giggles that were produced from the effects of a working Imperius Curse. Ron's especial favorite was the Cruciatus Curse. "Not that I'd wanna do it on people, but I must say I get a certain satisfaction from torturing this little bugger." He said with satisfaction.
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione chided, unable to say anything else.
Rhiannon complimented Harry when he managed to get his spider rolling in pain on the bottom of his jar from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse, but as soon as she passed, he released the creature from his control, feeling rather sick. Malfoy's cackling as his spider writhed wasn't helping either. He hoped that he'd never have to use that spell on a human being, ever.
Hagrid still had not returned from the mysterious trip that Professor Dumbledore had sent him on. Hermione had tested her teachers to their wit's end by continually asking them when Care of Magical Creatures lessons would resume, using the excuse that she was worried that it would disrupt her learning process. Finally, Professor McGonagall tersely replied that Hagrid would not be returning for a long time, as Professor Dumbledore wished him to perform more duties than getting magical creatures while he was gone. The others were happy to receive the news, still disgruntled, but happy that they hadn't been the ones that had to ask the teachers.
"Don't ever make me do that again! I though Professor McGonagall would have my head! Or worse take points from Gryffindor!" Hermione grumbled afterward.
Another thing that changed was that Bill remained in Hogwarts. He was sent a notice that, for reasons Bill refused to explain, apparating had been forbidden. Wizards were to stay where they were, no matter what. No exceptions. So Bill remained at Hogwarts, keeping a relatively low profile. A low profile until one day after D.A.D.A. that is.
"I don't care, Freds! I think you're wrong!"
"Come ON, George! Don't be such an idiot! I'M right and you're wrong!"
"Look, the only way to figure out whether puff-toads are actually poisonous or not is to ask Rhia."
"Oh come on! Just accept the truth and move on with your life, you block-head!"
"WHO YOU CALLIN' A BLOCKHEAD?"
"YOU, BLOCKHEAD!"
"WHY YOU!"
Before the twins could throw themselves at each other, Artemis quickly thrust herself in the middle as Ron hung his head with disgust.
"Pathetic. Need a woman to break 'em up now." He muttered. Harry chuckled at his friend.
"Oh, just hush! Professor Flutterae will take care of everyth-," Hermione stopped dead in her tracks as they stepped through the partially open door.
She, Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Artemis stared in shock at the sight before them. Bill Weasley and Rhiannon Flutterae were in the classroom, kissing. Rhiannon's arms were around Bill's shoulders, her hands gently clasping his neck, while Bill's rested on her hips. Both of their eyes were closed, completely oblivious to the world around them. Ron, Fred and George's mouths fell wide open. The two adults did not even notice them standing there, until that is Hermione coughed, her face a brilliant shade of red. Then they suddenly slid apart, their eyes wide, their faces red. They were obviously flustered as they noticed the teenagers standing in the doorway.
"What, are you lot doing in here?" Bill asked shortly, tugging at his robes, trying to straighten them.
"One might ask, what are YOU doing in HERE?" Fred said, frowning and crossing his arms across his chest.
"AND kissing our TEACHER." George added.
"That's none of your bloody business." Bill muttered.
"Wanna bet?" Fred asked shortly.
"Look, it doesn't include you, so," Bill started.
"It is too our bloody business!" Ron interrupted angrily. "Look, we've gotta take classes from Rhia, and if you decide to get in a relationship, think how WEIRD that will be! I'll be totally unpopular, even more so than I already am, there'll be the crude jokes about you two snogging in the classroom, and FRANKLY, IT'S, JUST, WRONG!" Ron yelled angrily.
Bill stared at him open-mouthed and George whistled approvingly.
"Gory, Ron. Didn't know you had it in you." He said proudly.
"Oh, bugger off." Ron muttered, glaring hard at his oldest brother. Rhiannon coughed slightly and stepped forward.
"Why does it bother you so much, Ron?" She asked. Ron looked away and turned slightly red.
"It's just wrong, thats all. I've known you forever and you're Bill's best friend, and, well, it's just wrong." He muttered.
"Well, whoever said this was going anywhere?" Rhiannon asked.
"HEY!" Bill yelled. Rhiannon quickly turned to shush him up.
"I'm trying to WORK here." She hissed. She smiled sweetly and turned back to Ron, but before she could speak she was interrupted by Fred.
"Don't even try. It's pointless. You're busted." He said. Rhiannon straightened and glared at the twins.
"Look, I know what you want." The twins nodded together, an evil gleam in their eyes.
"How much?" She asked with a sigh.
"A lot of money. We'll decide on HOW much later. For now, we want to talk to you alone. 'Kay?" Fred said, gesturing to a corner of the classroom. Rhiannon nodded and walked off to the side with the twins. Bill jerked his thumb at them and looked at Ron with a quizzical look.
"What's that all about?" He asked. Ron shrugged and scowled.
"Traitor." He muttered. Bill rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air.
"Good Lord, you're such a baby." He grumbled. Finally, the twins came back over, satisfied looks on their faces.
"Well? What did you work out?" Ron asked.
"That's for us to know and for you to find out." Fred said with a grin, before whispering in Harry's ear, "Rhia's gonna pay us TONS of money as soon as school is over. Thats all we'll take is money." He said jokingly. Harry smiled and sighed as the Weasley siblings continued to argue, while Artemis stayed to watch a pleased grin on her face. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed torn between amusement and disapproval. Harry stepped out of the room, the echoes of the fighting siblings following him down the hall.
He hadn't walked far when a slight wind flew curled around his neck, sending chills up and down his spine with it's coldness.
"Who's there?" Harry asked, his voice reverberating off the empty hall.
No one answered, but the wind rushed by him again, pushing harder against him. He let his body go where the wind directed him. He was pushed down the corridor, then turned into another and yet another till he stood in front of a single statue in the hallway. There were many statues throughout Hogwarts of different great wizards and witches. This one, Harry wasn't sure of. It was a large marble statue of a man, but unlike many of the other statues, this one was not of an old man. In fact, it was of a very young man, a beard barely gracing his face. His hair was fairly long, just barely touching the neck of his wizard robes. In one hand, he steadied a tall gilt mirror, with the other hand, he pointed to the mirror.
"Neat." Harry said, bending down and looking into the mirror.
It merely showed his reflection, nothing more, nothing less. Harry nodded slowly, then stood, frowning as he looked at the face once more. There was nothing wrong with the face. The eyes were simply, odd. Harry shook his head and squinted closer.
"Eyes, eyes, eyes. What is it with eyes?" He muttered, peering close to the wizard's eyes.
He jumped as he saw pupils suddenly appear in the statue's blank ones. Then he realized that they were merely his own reflected. The wizard's eyes were glass. Harry chuckled nervously at himself, then looked into the eyes again. He stared at his own eyes for a time before shouting, as a burst of light exploded around him. The eyes of the statue seemed to have exploded, bright light shining from the pupils. Harry quickly fell to the ground. Immediately after eye contact was broken, the glowing ceased.
Harry stood carefully, but did not look into the eyes again. Instead, he looked down at the mirror, underneath it at the inscription etched into the stone base.
In olden days of yore,
When Merlin roamed England's shore,
He looked into the heart of man,
And saw what lay within.
"The heart of man is cold," he said.
"And filled with harsh demise,
But cursed be the enemies who see it not."
He said as he looked into man's hateful eyes.
So Merlin built a mirror,
Gilt and framed in gold,
But inside the seeing glass,
The visions within whispered stories untold.
The heart was shown to those who looked,
As well as it's desires.
Man could get lost in one such look,
And burn quickly in it's fires.
The good man would see what he wished to see,
The evil man see the evil in his heart.
But both would think the vision was of the other,
Confusing them from the start.
Look into my mirror if you dare,
See what your heart desires,
And of those who wish you ill-care,
Merely look into my eyes.
Harry raised himself slightly to look at the now glassy, empty eyes, which stared into space. Then he looked down at the mirror, then back at the eyes. Then an inscription on the frame of the mirror caught his eye, but unlike the other poem, which he did not recognize at all, this one he had heard before, in the eye of the storm that Sirius called, the Lucrum Insperatum, and his heart filled with dread as he read it aloud,
Thou tell'st me, there is murder in mine eye:
Tis pretty, sure, and very probable,
That eyes, that are the frail'st and softest things,
Who shut their coward gates on atomies,
Should be call'd tyrants, butchers, murderers!
Now I do frown on thee with all my heart,
And, if mine eyes can wound, now let them kill thee;
As if Harry wasn't feeling terrible already as he read that passage, his body erupted in a sea of frantic goosebumps as a scream sounded from just down the hall, from the classroom he'd just left. He took one last look at the statue, then took off running down the halls, back to Rhiannon's classroom. As he rounded the corner, he saw Ron kneeling on the ground outside the classroom, frantically shaking something. Hermione grasped Artemis, both of their faces white, both placing their hands on their mouths. Fred was also on the ground, as were Bill and Rhiannon. Beside Rhiannon, the black cat, Malificent paced back and forth, her gleaming green eyes fixed on person lying on the ground. In the center of the young witches and wizards, lay George Weasley, writhing and screaming in pain.
"What's going on?" Harry asked Hermione breathlessly as he rushed up to them. Hermione turned her white face towards him and shook her head.
"We were walking out and he got real pale, then he just, dropped." She said in a low whisper.
Harry stared at George as he writhed about, flailing his long limbs wildly, occasionally smacking the bent heads of his brothers and teacher. His eyes were wide open and glassy, his lips cracked as they uttered moans and nonsense words. Rhiannon knelt on the ground beside the boy as his brothers attempted to hold him down. She grabbed a vial from her robes, uncorked it, then waited for a good time to dump it down the boy's throat.
"Fred, are you alright?" Ron asked between grunts. His brother shrugged, but said nothing. Harry noticed that he was white faced as well, but he had a good reason. Harry turned his eyes away from him and instead focused on the writhing twin. George's face was now screwed up in pain and he strained against his brothers who tried to hold him down.
"St-stop! Make, stop! Stop! Ced-, M-, make it stop! Freds! Freds!" George's agonized yell became a painful whimper as he cried out for his twin. Fred let go of his brother's arm and bent down weakly in front of his twin so he could see him.
"I'm right here, George. You just hold on now. Hold on." He whispered.
"Freds, so dark. So cold, Get out, get me out, Freds. Freds!" George moaned.
"It's okay, George. I'm here. I'll get you out. Just hold on." Harry watched grimly as George's flailing arms reached out for his brother's form, but never quite reaching it. Finally, Rhiannon took no more chances. When George opened his mouth to yell once more, she thrust the potion in his mouth.
George lay still for only a moment. Then he vomited, again and again. Harry blanched as he heard Rhiannon swear violently under her breath. Bill was not nearly so shy about it. He swore loudly and mopped up the mess with his robes, the potion reeking heavily in the vomit.
"Just back off for a moment, Ron! I need more room." Rhiannon snapped. Ron quickly stood and stepped off to the side, his face pale and his eyes wide. Hermione quickly walked to him and grasped his hand. Ron did not turn to her to acknowledge her action, but merely squeezed her hand tightly.
"I was afraid this would happen." Rhiannon muttered under her breath as she avoided George's flailing arms. Finally, Bill brought out his wand with a swear word and shouted,
"RIDGIDUM FACIO!!" At first there was no result. George continued to spasm on the floor. Then his arms slowly stilled and lowered to the ground as if they'd become weighted. His eyes remained fixed open, his lips twitching ever so slightly. Rhiannon sighed with relief.
"I didn't think a spell would work." She murmured. Bill gave her an inquisitive look.
"Why not? You never know unless you try."
Rhiannon did not answer, but merely turned away to look upon the now stiff twin. It was then that Harry realized that Bill was right. Rhiannon was a professor at Hogwarts, but she'd only tried a potion. The next thing she should have done was to try a spell. He and his friends had been taught that early. But Rhiannon hadn't done this. In truth, she hadn't really tried at all.
"We've got to get him to the hospital wing before he starts to spasm again." Rhiannon said, getting to her feet.
Bill followed her example and grasped his brother's stiff body in his arms. Ron moved as though to follow them, then took a firm step back. Harry watched as Fred turned around and winked wearily at his brother then followed his older brother and teacher.
"I don't understand why this is happening." Ron murmured.
Harry blushed slightly. He wished that he had told Ron about having seen Fred's midnight visit to Professor's Snape's classroom. He felt as though he was holding out on his friend. That was why he prepared himself to tell him, but was stopped by the queer sight of Fred. Fred stood utterly still in the hallway. He stood completely rigid in the middle of the hall, unmoving and more pale than ever. Then, his body fell stiffly and heavily upon the cold stone floor. When he collapsed, Ron let out a frightened yell. Harry quickly ran to the twin, reaching him before Ron and Hermione did.
Harry turned the boy over and was shocked at the difference in his face. His face was deathly white, his eyes wide and unblinking. His body began to spasm and his teeth began to chatter. But he seemed to, for only a moment, recognize Harry. Harry yelped as Fred's hand grabbed his collar and jerked him close to his sweating face.
"Lis-listen Harry. Got to stop it. Got to stop it." Harry shook his head.
"What are you talking about?" Harry whispered. Fred winced as the spasms racked his body, but he breathed deeply and continued to speak.
"Gotta go get, ghost. Ghost. South passage. By Merlin. Don't tell Ron." He whispered harshly.
"But Fred, what's happening?" Harry insisted, his fright increasing by the minute.
"Everything. The twin effect, Snape said that, Dark Lord, everything. Climax. Coming into play, lives in the balance. Got to stop it, Harry. Got to stop it." Fred whispered.
"Stop what, Fred?" Harry repeated, panic beginning to override all rational thought.
"Bill knows. He knows. Rhia, Bill, they both know. Rhia," Suddenly, Fred's eyes seemed to clear and he lifted his red head slightly and stared unnervingly at Harry as he whispered, "Mirrors, eyes, murder, one. Only a little time left before it's gone." Then his eyes rolled back in his head as the spasms racked his thin frame.
"Fred!" Harry whispered. The eyes opened once more, only they were nothing more than thin slits.
"Don't tell Ronnie." He whispered.
Harry stared at the now stiff and slightly twitching body of Fred Weasley. He only vaguely heard Ron's shouts as he ran closer to him. Only then did Harry notice Draco Malfoy and Artemis Thornshadow, staring at him stonily from the end of the hall. That revelation caused excessive surprise and shock, but not so much as when he noticed that in the black depths of his ring, burning brightly, was an eye edged in flame dancing about it's surface.
Harry stood wearily, fighting back the bile at the back of his throat, as Fred stiffened beside him. Ron rushed to him and threw himself hard on his knees at his brother's side.
"Bill!" His strangled yell, filled with pain, quickly caught Bill's attention. Once more, he cursed aloud and ran to his brother. Rhiannon dropped down beside him. One look at the boy's pale, stiff face, caused her own face to pale.
"We've got to get him out of here." She whispered.
"Take the boy to the hospital wing. I'll bring this one." Severus Snape's cool voice cut through the dread as he stepped beside them quietly. Bill frowned slightly and shifted the stiff George in his arms, but Rhiannon did not display any sign of disbelief. She merely nodded and stood, turning to Ron, Hermione and Harry.
"Go back to your rooms and stay there." She said firmly.
"But Rhia," Ron started.
"Listen to your teacher and do what she says!" Snape hissed.
Ron cast a despairing look back at Rhiannon, who gave him a slight smile and nodded. Ron sighed and stepped away, Harry moving with him. As Bill and Rhiannon walked quickly away, Snape bent down beside the fallen twin and placed his hand on the boy's forehead.
"C'mon Harry. Lets go." Ron whispered, beginning to move away. But Harry did not move. He watched as Snape rested his fingers on the boy's forehead, then checked the pulse in his neck. His hand slid from the boy's face and he simply stared at him in silence.
"What spell did they use?" Snape asked quietly. Harry started as he realized that the Professor was speaking to him.
"Ah, I don't know. It was a spell that we haven't learned yet." Harry stuttered.
"Well then, what were the words of the spell?" Snape snapped impatiently. Harry gulped and quickly spoke the words.
"Ridgidum Facio, I think." Harry said. Snape nodded slowly before scooping the boy up in his arms and standing.
"Go to your room, Potter. The halls of Hogwarts aren't safe. And I don't want you to take your usual liberties of carousing about when you feel like it! For ONCE, obey the rules that are set!" Snape said crisply, turning on his heel and walking off. Behind him, Ron sighed.
"C'mon, Harry. Lets go." Harry turned to him slowly.
"Alright. But I, I've gotta use the restroom." He said quickly, walking off in the direction of the statue he had just found.
"But, Harry, the restrooms are, oh, never mind." Hermione muttered. She shook her head as Harry walked briskly away from them. She knew he was up to something, but what it had to do with the current events, she had no idea.
Harry walked quickly down the hall. He noted with dismay that Artemis and Draco had disappeared from the corridor. As he went he counted his steps and tried to remember the passageway in which the statue had been. Then he looked down and saw Malificent stepping in front of him. She moved easily down the corridor, then stopped, her long black tail waving. Harry grinned and ran after the cat as she began to move again. Finally, he found what he sought. He stood at the entrance of the hall panting for a moment, staring hard at the statue. Malificent sat down on her haunches beside him, her eyes gleaming in the darkness.
The hall was dark, the dull gray of the wall reflecting in the mirror the statue held. It was only then that he noticed that the hallway did not connect to any of the other hallways. It was a dead end. He also realized, much to his discomfort, that the hallway was barely lit.
"Alright, what do I do? I'm here. Fred said to get a ghost. What was he talking about?" Harry whispered to himself. "Peeves? No, Peeves couldn't keep a secret even if he wanted to. Nearly-Headless-Nick? He could keep a secret, but I don't think it's him. Then who could," Suddenly a wind coursed through the dank hallway, blowing hard against the now fluttering candles in the passageway. The eyes of the statue seemed to glow for a moment as a whir of light flew past them. Then Harry's heart seemed to jump up in his mouth when a smooth, male voice spoke quietly in the silence of the chamber.
Nick could probably keep a secret, but probably not one this big. Don't you agree, Potter?
Harry stared in disbelief. Standing beside the statue of Merlin, one hand resting casually on the statue's shoulder, was Martin Wothes.
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Author's Note: I have something to say...........I HAVEN'T SEEN CHAMBER OF SECRETS YET!!!! AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! I think I'm going mad over here! We had this big thing and I was gonna go to the premiere, buuuuuuttttttttt, NO, I didn't get the chance to, although things downtown (where the theater is) were simply mad. People were everywhere. Simply mad. But still, I'll probably see it this weekend, and then multiple times afterwards. ;-) SEE IT, if you haven't already, like ME. *sniffles* Shewie, am I evil or WHAT?! What a terrible cliffhangar! And with the kids learning the "Unforgiveable Curses", oh dear. Hmm, did you guys get anything out of this? Besides being royally ticked off about the cruddy ending? :-) But don't worry, the next chapter will kick butt. Maybe SOME things will be revealed. *maybe*. :-) I'm so wicked. Um, okay, I was gonna say something.........oh yeah! I DID write the poem written on the mirror. Yes, I did, and man did that poor poem get me. I did *so* many revisions to it because I just wasn't satisfied with it. I know, picky, picky. But hey, it sounds good NOW doesn' it? :-) But I did NOT write this:
Thou tell'st me, there is murder in mine eye:
Tis pretty, sure, and very probable,
That eyes, that are the frail'st and softest things,
Who shut their coward gates on atomies,
Should be call'd tyrants, butchers, murderers!
Now I do frown on thee with all my heart,
And, if mine eyes can wound, now let them kill thee;
Wish I had, but I didn't. :-)
Man, I think I must be the luckiest fanfiction writer EVER! I've got such amazing reviewers, who not only tell me what they like, but what they don't like as well. They criticize and critique, which helps me tweak future chapters! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I don't know how much more to say and express my thanks! I'm so glad you guys all liked the Yule Ball chapter. It was one of my favorites, just to get away from the death and destruction. Okay, on to the personal thank you's.
Silver Elf: HEY!! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing my stories! I was really flattered to read your review for "A New Day"! Thank you so much! Thank you so much for your reviews here as well! Its great to have you on board! :-) *grins* I love Dobby too! Unfortunately, he will not be in this story. But he WILL be in the sequel to this one. :-) You got to see Chamber of Secrets!!!??? *pitches whining fit* :-) Hopefully I'll see it......SSSSSSOOOOONNNNNN!!!! I'm glad that it's really good and really true to the books. :-) Here you go!!! *hands Silver Elf a piece of draconite* There you are! Compliments of Charlie Weasley! He sent me some and I got an extra one. :-) There! It'll bring you good luck! *whispers* Bring it with you to school on test days. Your teachers will freak!! :-) I loved Richard Harris too. *sigh* Its really hard to believe he's gone. They didn't have a dedication in the film?? I thought for sure they'd add that in quick before they released it! Huh, that's odd. SEAN CONNERY!!!!! AS DUMBLEDORE!!!!!!! GAK!!! *starts choking madly, gets drink of water, but is still disgusted* Sorry, if *James Bond* is Dumbledore, I think I'll vomit. Now, I can see Ian McKellan doing it. We've already seen that he can do Gandalf ( I think its wicked that you like LOTR too! I *am* going to read and review some of your stuff as soon as I get more time! School, ick. Luckily, it's almost thanksgiving break. Yesss!) Of course, I also heard rumors of Christopher Lee (Saruman). I don't think he'd do it for me, just because I've got Saruman in my head. And Count Dooku (Star Wars: Episode II), but I think of Saruman first before that character. I just can't see him as the kind friendly old headmaster. Sorry. *grins* I'm sorry for the confusion in that one part that you mentioned. I do have a habit of doing that, and I apolgize. I try to tweak stuff I miss before I post, but sometimes I miss things. I will try harder to work it out so it makes more sense in situations like that. :-) I'm going on your fave author's list!! Wow! Thanks so much! I'm so honored! I'm pretty picky about my fanfiction too, all the people on this review board have kick-butt stories, which are in my fave stories list. Thank you so much! I'm so grateful to have your opinions and criticisms! It helps me so much! I love the Michelle Branch song too! It's so good. Heh-heh, Artie/Draco/George love triangle. I love it. So interesting to write, especially with how it turns out. *raises eyebrow, hoping people will sense the hint* :-) Okay, that wasn't a hint, but things do work out, one way or another. :-) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I really enjoyed reading your reviews and comments! Thanks!!
Balizabeth: Don't worry. I'm a major sap too. Overexcessively so. It takes all I have in me to keep from making Ron/Hermione scenes too fluffy. I mean, I want to keep to the love/hate relationship they have in the books, but at the same time........I WANT THEM TO JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY!! :-) You know what I mean? So it's a struggle. :-) I too, love the Draco/Artemis sentence using the imagery of the moon and the sky. It's one of my favorites. There's an almost magical quality about it that I just love. Why does everybody love Artemis? Well, why do George and Draco love Artemis? That's simpler and more realistic. Mainly because, they both see things in her that they like. George, the lighter of the two guys, likes her sense of humor and ability for mischief. After all, she was game to plant that constrogo in Snape's office! Draco, Draco is more complicated. I really can't say too much without revealing future stuff in the story, but I'll try. Draco has thought from the beginning that Artemis should have been in Slytherin. To him, she has the qualities of a Slytherin and he was royally astonished and ticked when there was obviously a quality she possessed that placed her in Gryffindor. There's also other things, but heh-heh, I can't really say. How can you get everybody to like you? :-) Go through life with a smile on your face and a chuckle at the ready, no matter what crap people say about you. Some people can be stupid about seeing amazing things that are, right in front of their noses. Give 'em time. *grins* How do I write so well? Well, ah, *blushes* I dunno. It's a gift I suppose. But partly its the reviewers help that keeps me on track, reminding me of little things that I forget! I really am quite a forgetful person! :-) Thanks so much for reviewing!
Kora: *laughs loudly* LIKE A ROCK!! YEAH! I've heard THAT commercial before. :-) Thanks for reviewing! I was actually kinda glad you were in a hyper mood, because then it helped you to enjoy the chapter all the more. It was rather a jump-up-and-down-and-just-have-fun chapter. I thought so anyway. :-)
Hollie: YOU'RE NOT POSTING "FIRE HAWK" TILL DECEMBER 16TH???? *frantically looks through calendar ACK! THAT'S THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER!! Of course, it IS right by the opening of "Two Towers". *grins and rubs hands together* AHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Rapture! Well, fine. I'll just have to wait then. *pouts* But I'm sure it'll be worth the wait to see the finished product. I frankly, can't wait! Okay, now back to the thank you. ;-) OH BLOODY HELL, DRACO!!
*frantically grabs him from Hollie and puts him safely back in the story*
Draco: It's about time, you nimrod.
T.H.: Hey bucky, do you wanna be killed off?
Draco: YOU CAN'T KILL ME OFF!! I'M DRACO MALFOY!
T.H.: Yeah, but I'm the author. I can kill you off quicker than you can say, 'undiluted bobotur pus'.
*Draco pouts and runs back to Slytherin Common Room before T.H. can kill him off.*
*whispers* Not like I would though. He's too cute and too interesting of a character to write. :-) I hate the fidopup thing too. *scowls* Obnoxious creature. Obsequious knave. Ahh, the wonders of vocabulary. :-)
"i have to say to you, i dont think i've ever read a fic that left me feeling like this when the chapter was over. this is almost the same feeling i'd get whenever i had to stop reading LotR to go to school or do something. i never in my life though that i'd have that same begging-for-more feeling when reading fanfiction. never. but, here i am, having it all over again. if you don't become a professional author someday, then there is something wrong with the world."
Wow! Reading what you wrote right there, I was so, well, I dunno. Honored, shocked, pleased, all of the above? Most likely all of the above and more. Thank you so much! That is so kind of you! I would love to become a professional author someday and actually am in the process of writing a novel. It's almost done, but I've got writer's block. Yeesh. But still. There's always Christmas and Thanksgiving break. :-) So thank you SO much! I am so pleased to have your opinion and your praise! That, geez, I'm just still like, 'Wow! That is so cool! THANK YOU!'. :-)
I love writing thank you's too. They're like my favorite part, besides reading your guys' replies to it. :-) Yeah, that's write. This story was written, actually several months ago and it took that long to proofread all 20 something chapters, then get the guts to actually post it. *grins* I was actually quite nervous about putting it up because it was the first really BIG fanfic that I'd ever written. So I was nervous to see how people reacted to *my baby*. ;-) So yeah, this is done. I'm honestly not sure how long it's gonna take to get the second fic out. But from the way it's coming out, it seems like it's gonna be even longer than THIS one, so I really don't know. I might stagger these postings even more, just to give me more time so you guys won't be waiting for the next one for too long. But the next one is already..............99 pages long.............good grief. I'm just realizing how LONG that actually is. Jeezo. But it's really awesome! I can tell you guys that right now, that the second one is gonna be even better than this one! Like we've got thrills right in the first chapter! What did you expect? Voldemort is on the loose after all!! But I love writing it and I can't say anything else (though I long to) otherwise I'll give away THIS story's end and the next one's plot. Nope, no cliffies. I hate 'em, and YES you are evil with cliffies. :-) But it works. Keeps people coming back for more. :-) Thanks so much, luv! Rock on!
Torrential Zephyr: Yep, I posted the last chapter just for YOU! *winks* I know what thats like. I've had several bad weeks like that. Ew. Just gross. Then I go and read reviews to boost me up!!! ;-) I swear I WILL review your update, but I just haven't been able to get on for longer than ten minutes recently. I DID read it though! It kicks butt, like all of your stuff! :-) I love this chapter because its got TONS of Weasleys. I love them. :-) You can kinda tell with the way I write them. I just love writing them. They're so funny and sweet. And also I know a family almost exactly like them, so I've got a resource. :-) "Surely women can be polygamists... with fictional characters...." *laughs hysterically, rolling on the floor etc.* I think I have to agree with you! I wouldn't mind it. Would be rather odd, but still, they're just so cute. I think the actors who play them in the films are just dolls. :-) Of course, Oliver Wood (Sean Biggerstaff) is ahead of them. :-) *looks at pictures of Sean Biggerstaff, James and Oliver Phelps.......swoons* Lol! *chuckles and gets back to writing 'thank you's'.) I agree with you. Here are my pairings: Ginny and Harry, Ron and Hermione. Of course, if it was for my story, I'd have to include Artemis, and it could go either way. Artemis/Draco, or Artemis/George. Don't worry, it'll be SEMI-cleared up in this story. :-) Yeah, I like the Sugilatio Flammae too. Pity her teacher thought it was so pointless to learn about so the *readers* could figure out it's significance in the story. :-) Its really cool, trust me, and by the way, your little observation of it, is pretty dead on. Keep that in mind for the next several chapters. :-) Are Artemis and Draco gonna end up together? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, well, that's an issue isn't it. :-) Actually, you can sift through my words and read my 'thank you' to Balizabeth. I give reasons and examples of things so you guys can guess and discern for yourselves which direction you think I'm gonna go with them. *grins* I love seeing what you guys think about stuff, especially about Artemis. *sigh* I'm so glad I didn't write her as a Mary-Sue. Shew. As for Harry and Cho...............sheesh, it's no good trying to get anything past you. :-) I agree with you totally. If you noticed, George made a comment to Artemis about that.
"They look sweet together. Harry looks as though he's got a MAJOR crush on her." Artemis said.
"Oh he does! He has for a LONG time. But at the last Yule Ball, she went with Cedric Diggory. It's probably just a little crush, one that he'll get over, but he can have his moment." George said quietly. Artemis nodded knowingly, understanding his hesitation.
That was a little hint actually, about future events. Frankly, I agree with you. That was why there was no real *chemistry* between Harry and Cho in this chapter. Sure, he thought she was pretty, but he never really went beyond that. Why? Because CEDRIC was holding him back. I agree. I don't think he'll ever get beyond that crush that he has because of Cedric. Well spotted!
I love the word Zephyr too!! Its SUCH a cool word!! There's a song out called "Zephyr", heard it yet? I'm not altogether fond of it, but its still a rockin' word. I just love your name though. Torrential, another kick-butt word. So cool. You're so creative. Needless to say, I couldn't come up with something NEARLY as cool for my name. But I think just initials has its charms too. :-) As for my author name, no, T.H. are not my initials. :-) I borrowed my pseudonym from one of my absolute favorite authors ever, who wrote one of my favorite books: "The Once and Future King", by T.H. White. That's a phenomenal book! You've got to get through the medieval language, but SO worth it. I love books about King Arthur, that one is undoubtedly my favorite interpretation. And such a cool title! Okay, I'll stop blathering. :-) So anyway, now you guys know the secret behind my name. :-) Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! You've no idea how much I take your opinions to heart.
Oh, one more thing. I had forgotten to do this. I had meant to put this in the previous chapter, but ahhhh, I forgot. This is the list of songs *in order* that were used in the Yule Ball:
*Note: I might get the title wrong, but there's really only one that I'm unsure of, of course, the first one. :-)*
"That's the Girl (I've Been Telling You About)", Blessid Union of Souls
"Everything You Want", Vertical Horizon
"Wherever You Will Go", The Calling
"All You Wanted", Michelle Branch
"I Will Love You" (I'm sorry to say that I lost the name of the woman who sang this. I had the lyrics as well as the name, but it has been so long......I apologize. Unbelievably, this *was* a country song that came out several years ago, and though it sounded REALLY good and sounded more easy listening than country, it flopped. Pity. If you get to hear it, its really gorgeous. Really fitting)
Thank you guys! YOU ROCK!!!
T.H.