Hey! Another chapter! If you like it, then you can jump up and down after
you finish reading. If you don't like it, then WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU
STILL READING?
Ok.
The snow eventually melted, but the cold air remained, and the melted snow turned to ice by the morning of Christmas Eve. The students had the hardest time getting across the ice covered ground all the way to the Hogsmeade station without slipping. Some students had to be levitated to the station merely because they had suffered such a bad fall.
Others tried to avoid the ice by using a melting charm and etching a path in front of them as they walked. So, instead of slipping on the ice, they slipped in the mud.
Fortunately, Harry and Jamie were not among these students. Both of them being orphans - they stayed at school.
Although Harry would have been welcome to join Ron's family for Christmas, Ron's parents were still in the Order, and they thought it best that Harry stay where Dumbledore was - now that Voldemort was out in the open, and active as well.
Harry leaned back on the bookshelf and sighed. He had been here ever since lunch, but he would wait the rest of the day if he had to. He wanted answers, and he knew that Jamie would come to the library. She always did.
He often became sick to his stomach and still felt heavy with the loss of his godfather. Had people known Sirius Black was dead, they would have rejoiced - and gone on with their simple lives knowing that they were safe from insane criminals. Nobody understood the injustice of being killed by those you were accused of following. He had been isolated from his family by betraying evil, and isolated from the world by betraying good. He had been accused of selling out his best friends to their murders. And in his anguish and utter sorrow of his loss, he was spit upon by those who did not understand. Harry did not know what it was like, but he had a vague idea, and it was slowly eating away at him.
But amidst all this, Jamie knew. She knew everything - and Harry had to know how.
At that moment, Jamie entered, and Harry could tell she was slightly taken aback. He decided he would get right to the point.
~~~~~~~~~~
Jamie walked into the library, past Madam Pince, and past the table where the Ravenclaws usually sat. It was completely empty now that the students had gone home for Christmas.
*Not all the students went home,* she reminded herself, and then wondered why she had reminded herself of that. Apparently, her subconscious had known that Harry was waiting for her around the corner, but she, herself, had not been expecting it.
He was leaning against a bookshelf, and his eyes acknowledged her presence, but he did not move. "How did you know about Sirius?" he asked, his piercing green eyes not leaving hers.
"Merry Christmas to you, too." she replied with quiet sarcasm.
He did not smile, however, but only kept silent and waited for the answer to his question. Jamie smiled nervously, "I'm doing good, thanks for asking."
When Harry remained silent, Jamie finally concluded that she couldn't avoid this any longer. He was serious about it, and he probably *had* been waiting for her - for answers.
Jamie looked down, "Dumbledore told me everything three years ago."
Harry narrowed his eyes skeptically, "Why?" he asked.
Jamie closed her eyes and mentally prepared herself for what she was about to say. "Because I had seen Peter Pettigrew."
Harry's mouth dropped open in shock and then he closed it and a look of pure confusion swept across his face.
Jamie shook her head quickly and continued nervously, "No, not like that - I.er, I saw - well, I.I-" Harry remained silent while Jamie stuttered, waiting for her to finish. Jamie needed strength to say what she needed to say. She locked her eyes with his and began to search them.
She needed the confidence he had. She wasn't a Gryffindor - and right now she needed to be. She found it. She continued, more sure of herself this time. "I saw him in my mind." Harry waited for a further explanation to this statement.
"Harry, I'm a seer."
Harry didn't move - in fact, he didn't even respond to this confession. So she continued, with that Gryffindor confidence that was so unfamiliar to her.
"I was spying on the Death Eaters for Dumbledore, and that's when I saw Peter - alive. I was confused, and Dumbledore had no choice but to tell me everything. But this was in our fourth year, before-" Jamie didn't continue - she thought it best she didn't. Harry looked away, and Jamie lost her confidence.
~~~~~~~~~~
"I - er." she attempted pathetically to break the silence.
"I'm sorry." Harry said quietly.
Jamie looked up. "What for?" she asked, almost laughing.
"For asking - it was none of my business." he said - more to himself than to Jamie.
Jamie considered this, and said, "Well, since I told you, I guess now it is." The statement made no sense at all, but it was comforting to Harry. Jamie understood him more than anyone else did, and he could confide in her.
Jamie smiled. She must have been thinking the same thing.
~~~~~~~~~~
When the ground finally cleared of ice and mud, and the students could actually see the traces of green grass - it snowed again. Not heavy or blizzard-like. Just a light snow. Somehow it brightened everyone's spirits when they came back to Hogwarts and everything was white - despite all the darkness outside the school.
Ron, Hermione, Jamie and Harry were all walking through the snow - with no clear destination. It was the last day that they didn't have classes - and there was nothing better to do than just walk. Ron was grinning mischieviously - which always proved to be a bad sign.
He yawned - stretching his arms up - and then rested one arm around Hermione's shoulder. Jamie choked back a laugh. Although Ron was going out with Lisa Turpin, he was still torn between the two girls. The funny thing was how casual he was about it.
Hermione glanced at the arm on her shoulder, and then eyed Ron suspiciously. But Ron only smiled.
Only a few moments later, Hermione screamed when Ron had stuffed snow down the back of her robes. She hit him square in the face with a large snow ball that she, evidently, had had in her hand the whole time. Ron darted away and grabbed a massive amount of snow in his hands, and launched it at Hermione - who ducked just in time for the snowball to fly over her and right onto Harry.
Harry dropped down, grabbed an even larger snowball, and launched it at Ron - who ducked just in time for the snowball to fly over him and right onto Jamie.
Harry paused, afraid of what she might do now. Exactly *what* he was afraid of, he was not quite sure.
But Jamie only smiled - which caused Harry to become even more afraid. Before he could react or defend himself, he had a massive amount of snow in his face. Ron and Hermione were already having a snowball fight of their own, and it was just as brutal.
Harry went to grab more snow, but slipped on a patch of ice. It was a rather painful fall. Jamie walked over, laughing, and extended her hand to help him up.
Harry smiled, took her hand, and pulled her down with him. She cried out in surprise and without hesitation, grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it at him. They were dreadfully cold by now, but laughing hard nonetheless.
"We're getting nowhere." Harry said, still laughing.
"Truce?" Jamie asked, extending her hand.
Harry took her hand, shook it, and then, on impulse, brushed the snow out of her hair. Who knows why - even Harry didn't know why he did it. (*gasp* not even the author knows why he did it.)
They stood up, brushed themselves off, and then Harry turned to Jamie and said, "Which one of them should we gang up on?"
Jamie grinned, "Both."
Ok.
The snow eventually melted, but the cold air remained, and the melted snow turned to ice by the morning of Christmas Eve. The students had the hardest time getting across the ice covered ground all the way to the Hogsmeade station without slipping. Some students had to be levitated to the station merely because they had suffered such a bad fall.
Others tried to avoid the ice by using a melting charm and etching a path in front of them as they walked. So, instead of slipping on the ice, they slipped in the mud.
Fortunately, Harry and Jamie were not among these students. Both of them being orphans - they stayed at school.
Although Harry would have been welcome to join Ron's family for Christmas, Ron's parents were still in the Order, and they thought it best that Harry stay where Dumbledore was - now that Voldemort was out in the open, and active as well.
Harry leaned back on the bookshelf and sighed. He had been here ever since lunch, but he would wait the rest of the day if he had to. He wanted answers, and he knew that Jamie would come to the library. She always did.
He often became sick to his stomach and still felt heavy with the loss of his godfather. Had people known Sirius Black was dead, they would have rejoiced - and gone on with their simple lives knowing that they were safe from insane criminals. Nobody understood the injustice of being killed by those you were accused of following. He had been isolated from his family by betraying evil, and isolated from the world by betraying good. He had been accused of selling out his best friends to their murders. And in his anguish and utter sorrow of his loss, he was spit upon by those who did not understand. Harry did not know what it was like, but he had a vague idea, and it was slowly eating away at him.
But amidst all this, Jamie knew. She knew everything - and Harry had to know how.
At that moment, Jamie entered, and Harry could tell she was slightly taken aback. He decided he would get right to the point.
~~~~~~~~~~
Jamie walked into the library, past Madam Pince, and past the table where the Ravenclaws usually sat. It was completely empty now that the students had gone home for Christmas.
*Not all the students went home,* she reminded herself, and then wondered why she had reminded herself of that. Apparently, her subconscious had known that Harry was waiting for her around the corner, but she, herself, had not been expecting it.
He was leaning against a bookshelf, and his eyes acknowledged her presence, but he did not move. "How did you know about Sirius?" he asked, his piercing green eyes not leaving hers.
"Merry Christmas to you, too." she replied with quiet sarcasm.
He did not smile, however, but only kept silent and waited for the answer to his question. Jamie smiled nervously, "I'm doing good, thanks for asking."
When Harry remained silent, Jamie finally concluded that she couldn't avoid this any longer. He was serious about it, and he probably *had* been waiting for her - for answers.
Jamie looked down, "Dumbledore told me everything three years ago."
Harry narrowed his eyes skeptically, "Why?" he asked.
Jamie closed her eyes and mentally prepared herself for what she was about to say. "Because I had seen Peter Pettigrew."
Harry's mouth dropped open in shock and then he closed it and a look of pure confusion swept across his face.
Jamie shook her head quickly and continued nervously, "No, not like that - I.er, I saw - well, I.I-" Harry remained silent while Jamie stuttered, waiting for her to finish. Jamie needed strength to say what she needed to say. She locked her eyes with his and began to search them.
She needed the confidence he had. She wasn't a Gryffindor - and right now she needed to be. She found it. She continued, more sure of herself this time. "I saw him in my mind." Harry waited for a further explanation to this statement.
"Harry, I'm a seer."
Harry didn't move - in fact, he didn't even respond to this confession. So she continued, with that Gryffindor confidence that was so unfamiliar to her.
"I was spying on the Death Eaters for Dumbledore, and that's when I saw Peter - alive. I was confused, and Dumbledore had no choice but to tell me everything. But this was in our fourth year, before-" Jamie didn't continue - she thought it best she didn't. Harry looked away, and Jamie lost her confidence.
~~~~~~~~~~
"I - er." she attempted pathetically to break the silence.
"I'm sorry." Harry said quietly.
Jamie looked up. "What for?" she asked, almost laughing.
"For asking - it was none of my business." he said - more to himself than to Jamie.
Jamie considered this, and said, "Well, since I told you, I guess now it is." The statement made no sense at all, but it was comforting to Harry. Jamie understood him more than anyone else did, and he could confide in her.
Jamie smiled. She must have been thinking the same thing.
~~~~~~~~~~
When the ground finally cleared of ice and mud, and the students could actually see the traces of green grass - it snowed again. Not heavy or blizzard-like. Just a light snow. Somehow it brightened everyone's spirits when they came back to Hogwarts and everything was white - despite all the darkness outside the school.
Ron, Hermione, Jamie and Harry were all walking through the snow - with no clear destination. It was the last day that they didn't have classes - and there was nothing better to do than just walk. Ron was grinning mischieviously - which always proved to be a bad sign.
He yawned - stretching his arms up - and then rested one arm around Hermione's shoulder. Jamie choked back a laugh. Although Ron was going out with Lisa Turpin, he was still torn between the two girls. The funny thing was how casual he was about it.
Hermione glanced at the arm on her shoulder, and then eyed Ron suspiciously. But Ron only smiled.
Only a few moments later, Hermione screamed when Ron had stuffed snow down the back of her robes. She hit him square in the face with a large snow ball that she, evidently, had had in her hand the whole time. Ron darted away and grabbed a massive amount of snow in his hands, and launched it at Hermione - who ducked just in time for the snowball to fly over her and right onto Harry.
Harry dropped down, grabbed an even larger snowball, and launched it at Ron - who ducked just in time for the snowball to fly over him and right onto Jamie.
Harry paused, afraid of what she might do now. Exactly *what* he was afraid of, he was not quite sure.
But Jamie only smiled - which caused Harry to become even more afraid. Before he could react or defend himself, he had a massive amount of snow in his face. Ron and Hermione were already having a snowball fight of their own, and it was just as brutal.
Harry went to grab more snow, but slipped on a patch of ice. It was a rather painful fall. Jamie walked over, laughing, and extended her hand to help him up.
Harry smiled, took her hand, and pulled her down with him. She cried out in surprise and without hesitation, grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it at him. They were dreadfully cold by now, but laughing hard nonetheless.
"We're getting nowhere." Harry said, still laughing.
"Truce?" Jamie asked, extending her hand.
Harry took her hand, shook it, and then, on impulse, brushed the snow out of her hair. Who knows why - even Harry didn't know why he did it. (*gasp* not even the author knows why he did it.)
They stood up, brushed themselves off, and then Harry turned to Jamie and said, "Which one of them should we gang up on?"
Jamie grinned, "Both."