I slept poorly that night. In fact, I only slept for about two hours before waking up and remaining that way. I was restless in the worst way. In order not to go mad, I stood and dressed silently in sweat pants and a tight blue shirt. I had went out to Diagon Alley again and gotten some new clothes. There was a muggle clothing shop called Muggle Madness.
I went down the steps and into the common room where the fire was crackling happily. I paced around restlessly and found a bunch of knitted hats that Hermione had left out that night. I rolled my eyes, remembering that Harry and Ron believed that the House Elves were quite happy being enslaved.
"Eep!" I heard a squeak and scampering feet.
"Who's there?" I asked, my heart pounding. "Please, who?"
"Dobby, miss, Dobby the House Elf. I is sorry to have disturbed you, miss."
"Oh, you're not bugging me." I shrugged. "Hey, you're Harry's friend, Dobby!"
"Yes I is!" A small creature came out from behind a sofa. I hadn't met this House-Elf. It had the strangest assortment of clothing on. It wore three knitted hats, capped with a tea-cozy, and a maroon sweater and baggy trousers. "And you is Favian Fynn."
I smiled and nodded, not asking how he knew my name.
"How do you like work here?"
"I loves it." He nodded fervently. "Is you liking school, Ms. Favian Fynn?"
"Yes. It's a good school. The House-Elves do a magnificent job keeping such a massive place clean."
Dobby beamed.
"Dobby, are students allowed outside at night?"
Dobby shook his head, ears drooping.
"Oh, thanks anyway."
"But there is a way out, away from teachers' prying eyes."
I didn't want to break the rules, but I had to get out.
"Can you show me?"
Dobby nodded happily. "Come! Come on! I show you."
He grabbed my hand and pulled me to a paining on the wall. It was of a sleeping unicorn with a long golden horn next to a Re'em, a buffalo with golden fleece. The Re'em was awake and watching me with dull animal interest.
Dobby reached out and poked the Re'em. Its eyes shut and its mouth rounded into a doorknob. Dobby opened the door, but the doorway was small and I had to crawl in after him. I wriggled through the hole while Dobby ran ahead.
"To the right, Favian Fynn." I crawled to the right and then I fell.
"Oof!" I grunted as I landed two feet down.
"Sorry," Dobby looked down, "I is forgetting about that."
"It's okay." I groaned.
"Only a little farther, Favian Fynn." Dobby said reassuringly. About three minutes later we came to a solid stone wall. Dobby touched a stone and it turned gold, then three more consecutively and they all glowed and finally opened to the roof.
"Oh thank you Dobby!" I fidgeted out. We stood on a roof that overlooked the Quidditch pitch. The six hoops stood tall over the seats and ground. "I wish I could fly." I said without thinking.
"Why, Ms. Favian Fynn can't you? You is a witch!"
"I don't have a broom."
"You does not need a broom! No. There is a spell."
I wanted to fly over to the pitch and fly around through the hoops.
"Do you know it?"
"No, I is not knowing."
"Oh. I'll find it."
Dobby smiled. "I is needing to get back to the kitchens. Bye Favian Fynn!" And he scurried off.
I spent until sunrise watching the sky. I leaned against the statue of a soldier. It shifted a few times. At first I wasn't sure if it minded, but it didn't seem to. It looked down at me and went back to staring out at nothing. It seemed to wonder what I was doing outside.
"I couldn't sleep. I've been having bad dreams." I explained, feeling slightly foolish.
It nodded.
As the sun cast its rays above the hills I said goodbye the statue, which nodded. I crawled back to the common room before anyone was up. Except, the Weasley twins.
"Ms. Fynn! What were you doing on the roof?" Fred solicited, imitating McGonagall's stern voice.
I blushed. "How did you know I was on the roof?"
"We know everything." George said mysteriously. "Even your darkest secrets."
"And we don't like that you've been seeing three other guys."
I laughed.
"How long have you been up?" Fred asked.
I shrugged. "Since midnight."
"Tsk, tsk. Had you fallen it would have been hours before anyone knew you were gone."
"Ah well, I wouldn't be so sure." I grinned. "There was my lover."
Fred and George gawped.
"I'm just kidding!" They laughed and turned red.
"How did you find that doorway?"
"Dobb- I was poking around." I didn't want to get Dobby into trouble.
"Good way to do it." George nodded sagely.
"That's what I thought."
I went up to the roof every night after that. I was able to collect my thoughts there and even talk to the stone soldier, who was as good a listener as any. I told him that Harry and Ron seemed like they were over-tired as of late and seemed to be hiding something. I complained about Malfoy, whose stalking had only increased. I had found ways to avoid him, but I wasn't looking forward to classes with him. I explained about my perpetual nightmare and how much I missed my parents. The statue had begun to move more and more, eventually patting me on the head when I cried. Some nights I spent a few minutes guessing his name.
"Does it begin with an A?"
He shook his head. I asked until he nodded.
"Is it Jake? Jacob? Jeff? Oh, how many letters are there? One? Two? Five? Six? Six then. Jiggles. Oh I don't know."
The statue indicated that I give him my hand. He took it and traced the letters in my palm.
"Jaeger? Cool name."
He pointed to me.
"Oh mine? It's Favian. I know it's a boy's name but my mother was insane." I smiled and looked away. On the Quidditch pitch I saw a boy flying around on a broomstick. He wasn't too shabby. Then again, I had never flown or seen someone fly, so that was all coming from me. "Can you see who that is?"
Jaeger nodded.
I squinted. "How?"
Jaeger shrugged.
"Do you know his name?"
Jaeger shook his head.
"Oh well. I'll try to find out." I sighed. "I wish I could fly." My wand tingled in my pocket. I pulled it out. "I think my wand does too." It glowed momentarily silver, like the moon. My eyes became hazy and the word slipped from my lips. "Aviatas." And I tapped myself in the chest.
The feeling was like no other I had ever experienced. It was so soft and smooth. It slid around my body like an airy liquid. I pushed myself off of the ground and floated in the air. Jaeger clapped his stone hands lightly together. I rounded my eyes.
"I'll be back in a minute." I whispered. I pocketed my wand and flew out.
"Hermione." I whispered, shaking her shoulders. "Hermione!"
"What?" She groaned, rolling over.
"I've discovered a spell!"
"Favian, couldn't this have waited?"
"Is it normal to discover spells?"
"What do you mean 'discover?'"
"Discover, like I stood there and wanted to be able to do something and my wand made me invent a word."
Hermione was fully awake. "What does your spell do?"
"Allows me to fly."
"Without a broom? For a long time?"
"Yes."
"Favian! This is tremendous!" She sat up. "Can you show me?"
"Yes."
Hermione looked at her clock. "Oh darn! There isn't time! Show me tonight, you promise?"
I nodded. Hermione jumped out of bed and dressed.
That morning at breakfast I had been ready to sit down next to Dean when I was confronted by what looked like a toad that had been turned into a human. Professor Umbridge.
"Why, hello Ms. Fynn isn't it?"
I nodded.
"I am Professor Umbridge."
Again, I nodded. Her voice was sickly sweet and I just wanted to slap her to a lower octave.
"You haven't yet attended one of my classes and I fear you will fall behind the other students."
"Okay. I'm going to next week's." I said.
"Oh no, no, no. I want you to come during your free period."
"Oh, why? Can't I get the notes off of a friend?"
Professor Umbridge's smile widened. "If I allowed students to do that they might end up skipping classes, Ms. Fynn."
"Professor, that's not my style. You don't need to worry about that."
Professor Umbridge's eyes flashed. "You will come to my classroom during your free period."
"Okay."
Professor Umbridge smiled and walked away. I took a seat next to Dean.
"What a bitch." I muttered to him.
"Who?"
"Umbridge."
"Oh, you've met her then?"
"Yes."
"What did she want?"
"Me to come to her class during my free period."
"That sucks."
I nodded my agreement and ate. Ron, I noticed, looked shaky, drawn and pale. Harry looked crabby and Hermione was reading a text book. Ginny and Eloise were deep in conversation and Seamus was working furiously to finish logging a dream for Divination.
"Add something about an egg; I dream about eggs a lot." Neville said.
"Do you really?" Dean asked.
Neville blushed. "Yeah."
I laughed.