"Noctua?"
As the girl quickly looked up, she found herself staring into the worried-looking brown eyes of Hermione Granger.
With a faint smile Noctua greeted her new friend.
"Hi, Hermione!"
The other girl smiled as well, carefully dropping the many books which were- as usual- in her arms on the table before Noctua. She then sat down.
"So. What is wrong?"
"Nothing." Noctua answered swiftly- hearing herself how incredibly incredible that sounded.
Hermione heard it as well and raised one eyebrow… so much resembling Noctua's Auntie that the girl blushed.
"You are lying." Hermione commented dryly. "I know I've only known you for three days, but I think I already know you well enough to see that you are definitely lying. Aren't you?"
"Yes…" the other girl muttered.
"So what is wrong?"
Noctua sighed. Perhaps Hermione, whom was so smart- oh, that she'd already noticed!- could help her with this. Hermione Granger, star pupil of her year, had a really incredible knowledge. She did perhaps not know everything, but she knew something about everything…
"I have a problem."
Hermione giggled, but her eyes were still serious.
"That I'd noticed already. Now tell me."
And Noctua explained the whole thing, and in the end handed the piece of parchment to Hermione, who examined it with a frown on her face.
"Oh- yes, I see. And you don't have other… clues?"
Noctua sighed and shrugged her shoulders- yet there was something like… hope in her eyes. Hermione was so smart. She just had to know something more!
"No. Not really- I just know it is something about my parents. And it seems to be very serious- that's what bothers me."
"Yes…" The other girl nodded.
"It has to be very serious- it is not at all like Professor McGonagall to act like this. And we have to find out what this is about. It is important."
Noctua smiled relieved. Hermione understood. It was important.
"Yes. Yes, that's exactly how I feel…"
Hermione nodded practically.
"Okay. So, if it doesn't hurt you too much… I mean… could you tell me some things about your parents?"
Noctua nodded as well, yet she swallowed softly as she felt a tear in her eye… Her mom and dad…
"Yes. My feelings aren't important here, now… no… We have to find this out. So, let's see…. err… my mother's name was Katie- Katherine- Elaine Smith. She's only half a witch… well, her mother was a Scottish witch and her dad was an English muggle. She became an Auror when she was twenty and fought against Voldemort…"
She swallowed again, yet continued.
"She didn't have any sisters or brothers. Her only living relative is my former neighbor… one of her older cousins. Kirsty Trefusis. Now my dad…His name was Alfred Ilias McGonagall. He was a full wizard with Scottish blood. He was an Auror as well… that is where he met my mother, you know. They weren't in school together, since he attended Hogwarts and she did not… or, yes, she did… Auntie Minerva told me… Oh!"
She hid her face in her hands, and Hermione comfortingly patted her shoulder.
"Don't bother. We will find out the truth. Now, is that all?"
Noctua looked up again.
"Well… yes, I think so. Except… my father had a sister, but that you know of course."
Hermione unknowingly raised her eyebrows.
"Do I?"
A smile appeared on Noctua's lips as she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, you do! My father's sister is Auntie Minerva, of course! She's five years my dad's senior, I believe…"
"Oh yes…" Hermione grinned sheepishly, yet then, she practically nodded.
"Okay. So that are our facts. Now, let's examine this riddle. The first line…"
The two girls stared at the parchment again.
"Your first name tells it all…" Noctua read out loud.
Hermione nodded again, determinedly, this time.
"Okay. This has to tell us something, doesn't it? "Your" first name… Whose first name? Well, since it says "your", I think we must find out the meaning of your name. Do you know it?"
Noctua bit her lips nervously and shook her head.
"No."
"Okay then. It is Latin, I believe, so all we have to do is look it up in…"
She stood up and walked towards one of the large bookcases. Almost immediately, she grabbed a small book with a leather cover.
"this Latin dictionary!" Hermione then grinned triumphantly.
Noctua smiled in surprise.
"My god, Hermione, how many hours have you already spent in this library?"
"Lots." Hermione answered dryly as she sat down again.
"Now, Noctua, let's see… Yes! Yes, here it is! "Noctua"…" she read out loud.
"It means "Night owl"…"
Noctua stared unknowingly at her friend.
"And what can that mean? "Your parents always bond, in animal and symbol, and the first is the second." I don't get it!"
Hermione sighed.
"Neither do I… unless… but that is impossible. No. I do not get it, but don't you worry…"
She stood up.
"We will solve this, Noctua! But now, we have to go. We don't want to miss your Auntie's class…"
~*~
Author Note:
Well? Well, well, well? Yes, my dear readers, try to solve it yourselves! A challenge wont kill you… mu ha ha ha… And it really isn't that difficult… Or yes, it is… *grin*.
As the girl quickly looked up, she found herself staring into the worried-looking brown eyes of Hermione Granger.
With a faint smile Noctua greeted her new friend.
"Hi, Hermione!"
The other girl smiled as well, carefully dropping the many books which were- as usual- in her arms on the table before Noctua. She then sat down.
"So. What is wrong?"
"Nothing." Noctua answered swiftly- hearing herself how incredibly incredible that sounded.
Hermione heard it as well and raised one eyebrow… so much resembling Noctua's Auntie that the girl blushed.
"You are lying." Hermione commented dryly. "I know I've only known you for three days, but I think I already know you well enough to see that you are definitely lying. Aren't you?"
"Yes…" the other girl muttered.
"So what is wrong?"
Noctua sighed. Perhaps Hermione, whom was so smart- oh, that she'd already noticed!- could help her with this. Hermione Granger, star pupil of her year, had a really incredible knowledge. She did perhaps not know everything, but she knew something about everything…
"I have a problem."
Hermione giggled, but her eyes were still serious.
"That I'd noticed already. Now tell me."
And Noctua explained the whole thing, and in the end handed the piece of parchment to Hermione, who examined it with a frown on her face.
"Oh- yes, I see. And you don't have other… clues?"
Noctua sighed and shrugged her shoulders- yet there was something like… hope in her eyes. Hermione was so smart. She just had to know something more!
"No. Not really- I just know it is something about my parents. And it seems to be very serious- that's what bothers me."
"Yes…" The other girl nodded.
"It has to be very serious- it is not at all like Professor McGonagall to act like this. And we have to find out what this is about. It is important."
Noctua smiled relieved. Hermione understood. It was important.
"Yes. Yes, that's exactly how I feel…"
Hermione nodded practically.
"Okay. So, if it doesn't hurt you too much… I mean… could you tell me some things about your parents?"
Noctua nodded as well, yet she swallowed softly as she felt a tear in her eye… Her mom and dad…
"Yes. My feelings aren't important here, now… no… We have to find this out. So, let's see…. err… my mother's name was Katie- Katherine- Elaine Smith. She's only half a witch… well, her mother was a Scottish witch and her dad was an English muggle. She became an Auror when she was twenty and fought against Voldemort…"
She swallowed again, yet continued.
"She didn't have any sisters or brothers. Her only living relative is my former neighbor… one of her older cousins. Kirsty Trefusis. Now my dad…His name was Alfred Ilias McGonagall. He was a full wizard with Scottish blood. He was an Auror as well… that is where he met my mother, you know. They weren't in school together, since he attended Hogwarts and she did not… or, yes, she did… Auntie Minerva told me… Oh!"
She hid her face in her hands, and Hermione comfortingly patted her shoulder.
"Don't bother. We will find out the truth. Now, is that all?"
Noctua looked up again.
"Well… yes, I think so. Except… my father had a sister, but that you know of course."
Hermione unknowingly raised her eyebrows.
"Do I?"
A smile appeared on Noctua's lips as she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, you do! My father's sister is Auntie Minerva, of course! She's five years my dad's senior, I believe…"
"Oh yes…" Hermione grinned sheepishly, yet then, she practically nodded.
"Okay. So that are our facts. Now, let's examine this riddle. The first line…"
The two girls stared at the parchment again.
"Your first name tells it all…" Noctua read out loud.
Hermione nodded again, determinedly, this time.
"Okay. This has to tell us something, doesn't it? "Your" first name… Whose first name? Well, since it says "your", I think we must find out the meaning of your name. Do you know it?"
Noctua bit her lips nervously and shook her head.
"No."
"Okay then. It is Latin, I believe, so all we have to do is look it up in…"
She stood up and walked towards one of the large bookcases. Almost immediately, she grabbed a small book with a leather cover.
"this Latin dictionary!" Hermione then grinned triumphantly.
Noctua smiled in surprise.
"My god, Hermione, how many hours have you already spent in this library?"
"Lots." Hermione answered dryly as she sat down again.
"Now, Noctua, let's see… Yes! Yes, here it is! "Noctua"…" she read out loud.
"It means "Night owl"…"
Noctua stared unknowingly at her friend.
"And what can that mean? "Your parents always bond, in animal and symbol, and the first is the second." I don't get it!"
Hermione sighed.
"Neither do I… unless… but that is impossible. No. I do not get it, but don't you worry…"
She stood up.
"We will solve this, Noctua! But now, we have to go. We don't want to miss your Auntie's class…"
~*~
Author Note:
Well? Well, well, well? Yes, my dear readers, try to solve it yourselves! A challenge wont kill you… mu ha ha ha… And it really isn't that difficult… Or yes, it is… *grin*.
