Hogsmeade for Everyone Else
Over the next few days as the weekend drew closer, the Hogwarts students, in particular the third years, were getting very exited about their first ever Hogsmeade trip.
"I'm going to Honeydukes first! I heard they have some excellent cockroach clusters!"
"Have you ever tasted Butterbeer?"
"I can't wait!!! I'm dying to get some new dungbombs!" Harry heard many snaps of conversations as he followed his friends down to lunch, a depressed feeling rising in his stomach. If I only had controlled my anger! He thought miserably.
"Oh Harry," Hermione sighed finally, as they seated themselves for lunch, "don't feel so bad! We'll bring you back lots of things!"
"I'm sure you can go next year Harry!" Eleanor said winking mysteriously, "Cheer up!"
"Yeah, mate," Ron added, "Look we're going to be here for at least another three years and surely you can get your uncle to sign it for you some time!" Harry just nodded and silently finished his food.
"Well see you at potions!" Eleanor said picking up her bag, "I've got something to do in the library." And she shot off before anyone could protest.
"Why does she all of a sudden need the library?" Ron asked.
"I don't know." Harry said, equally puzzled, "Is she alright Hermione? She's been avoiding us lately and she looks all pale and sickly."
"She's fine!" Hermione snapped, avoiding their eyes, "Why do you even bother, she's perfectly fine, she's just got a slight cold."
"Because we care Hermione!" Ron snapped back, "She looks weak and Harry was just asking if she was ok, don't need to snap and get all huffy!"
"And you don't need to pry in other people's business Ron!" Hermione huffed back, "Why don't you mind your own, then hopefully your grades will stand a little higher!"
"I don't pry in other people's business I just asked if she was ok! Besides why are you so touchy about it, huh?"
"Girl reasons ok!" Hermione finally said, seeing no point in this argument and walking off.
"Honestly!" Ron said.
~ ~ ~
Eleanor sighed, and flopped down on her favourite chair, under the stain glass window. Even the merry lights that it cast couldn't cheer her up. She wanted to be alone, away from Harry. Looking at him made her feel guilty. Hearing how those muggles ill treated him made her feel bad. She pulled out an old yellowing letter from her pocket and unfolded it.
Dear Eleanor, (It said)
Happy Tenth Birthday! Now that you are old enough to read and learn seriously, it is time for you to know more about yourself. I can't tell you about much as I don't know how to explain it to you. I want you to find out more about yourself, hopefully these books will help you along the way. Your foster-parents will be able to help explain a bit more. Please read them carefully and when you start school practice what the books teach you. Keep it secret from everyone and only use it when you are sure that you can handle it.
Your God-Farther.
When she had read it the first time, it seemed so vague and strange. She could make neither head nor tail of it. What did he mean by 'know more about yourself'? Didn't se already know enough about herself? Now it was all crystal clear.
She opened the thick book that lay at her feet. It had a brown leather bound cover, with no title, nor author. She flipped it open to a page near the back and closed her eyes.
Concentrate! She thought vigorously, Concentrate! You have done it before you can do it again!
Slowly she felt the weight lift from her lap. She dared not open her eyes, for fear that the book would just fall back down again. She knew the book was only an inch or so above her lap and she squeezed her eyes and imagined the book to rise higher and higher above her head. Slowly, very slowly she felt something brush past her face. She dared a peek and looked up. The heavy brown book was hovering above her head. Eleanor felt excitement rush over her, she had finally done it! Magic without a wand. She looked up at it and slowly brought to back down to her lap. She felt exhausted, her head was dripping with sweat and she felt like she was going to collapse any minute, but she was happy all the same.
He would be so proud!!! She thought happily, I have finally done it!!! I can't wait till I tell him!!!
She picked up her things and left the library, hopefully she wouldn't be late for Potions.
"Miss Granger," Snape said greasily, as she rushed into the classroom dungeon, "I see you have gotten behind time! Ten points from Gryffindor, for thinking that the class would wait for you!" The Slytherins sniggered, Potions was like Gryffindor-toture paradise for them.
Eleanor looked coldly up at her teacher, before seating herself next to Hermione. Thinking of at least ten ways of wiping that cruel smirk of his face..
"Why were you late?" Hermione asked when they were mixing the foul smelling ingredients to their sleeping-potion, "And what did you do to your face?"
"My face?" Eleanor said shocked reaching up and feeling it with her hands.
"It's so pale and wet." Hermione said, "It was pale before, but now it's nearly as white as Dumblerdores's beard!"
"Is it really that bad?" Eleanor said worryingly, "I didn't do anything to it, I was just working on my Werewolf essay."
"Hmmm..." Hermione thought out loud, stirring the mixture with her ladle, "You better get some colour or they'll send you to Madame Promfey!"
"Yeah I guess..." Eleanor said slowly, "Anyway..."
"What?"
"I-er Nothing..." Eleanor said quickly, cursing herself, remembering what the letter had said, 'keep it secret!' She was so happy and excited that she nearly told her. It was so hard, especially when Hermione had known her for so long, it felt so weird not telling her everything. Last year it was easy, just disguising the books with a simple spell, when she was reading it and making sure that Hermione never got it. But this year it was harder, she had to practice it. And it drained her energy, making her pale and weak. She knew she could trust her sister; she even knew her biggest secret and had helped her keep it all along, by covering up and helping her make the excuses when words failed her. It felt so wrong not telling Hermione, but she wanted to keep the first promise she had ever had from her god- farther.
"You're not telling me something Eleanor!" Hermione finally said, "I know it, you are keeping something from me!"
"No I'm not!" Eleanor lied, why of all people did Hermione have to read peoples' minds?
"Yes you are!" Hermione pushed, "I don't like it! You tell me everything, stop having secrets! I already know one, so don't think you can't trust-"
"Miss Granger!" Snape snapped, "Ten points from Gryffindor, for thinking that you, a miserable muggle have the right to disrupt the class!" He turned around to the Slytherins and smiled cruelly as they laughed. Hermione was so shocked and angry that she forgot about Eleanor and started muttering how unfair it was under her breath. Eleanor sighed, Snape had saved her, unknowingly of course.
~ ~ ~
"So are we three going together to Hogsmeade?" Ron asked as they sat in front of the fire in the Gryffindore common room.
"No I'm sorry..." Eleanor said, "I'm going with someone else, but I'll meet up with you later."
"Who with?" Ron asked suspiciously, he had a small feeling that Dean had something to do with this.
"Cho." Eleanor replied.
~ ~ ~
The next morning Ron and Hermione made their way towards the entrance, along with a stream of other students eager to get out of the castle. Eleanor had gone off the meet Cho and Harry was left alone in the common room.
He sat for some time gloomily staring at the dying ashes from the night before. Finally he stood up and left the room hoping to do some homework in the library. He was walking along a passageway when he heard someone calling his name from an open classroom to his right.
"Psst!" he heard, not sure whether it was Fred or George's voice, "Harry in here!"
He walked into the classroom and saw the twins looking mysteriously at him, hiding something behind their back. "We have something to give you young Harry!" Fred said, "Something I think you'll treasure very much!"
"Here!" Said George handing him a piece of old parchment, "It is our key to professional mischief in Hogwarts!"
"What is it?" Harry asked, frowning at the old yellowing parchment in his hands, "This is not a prank or anything?"
"No young Harry," Fred said wisely, "This is no ordinary piece of parchment, it is a map! Watch!" And he tapped it with his wand and said, "I swear I am solemnly up to no good!"
Harry gaped as a map of Hogwarts started to reveal itself, slowly spreading from point where Fred had tapped it. Harry scanned the map and saw tiny, labeled dots moving around. He read some of them and it hit him. They were people and other things that lived in Hogwarts.
"Where did you get this from?" he asked, surely maps like these were not an every-day thing.
"Oh," George said casually, "We found it in Flich's office when we were serving detention. It's called the Marauder's Map. "
"Well we'll leave to find out all the wonders of Hogwarts, young Harry." Fred said in that mock wise voice, "Just be sure that you tap the map and say 'mischief managed' when you're done."
"Ohya, and the only non-blocked passageway out of Hogwarts is the one behind Borris the Bewildered, they other two are caved in and the third one is blocked by the Whomping Willow. We're pretty sure Flich doesn't know about any of the secret passageways, too thick that one!" George said and he followed Fred out of the classroom, leaving Harry to marvel over the map that had aided them in so many pranks.
~ ~ ~
Harry let his feet carry him to his dorm; his fingers were just itching to study the Marauder's Map.
He flopped himself on his bed and held the map up above him. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He said, tapping the map lightly with his wand, just like Fred had.
How long he looked at the map he didn't know, but soon he heard the happy and exited voices of his fellow Gryffindors float up the stairs. Reluctantly he pulled himself up and went down to meet his friends.
"Oh Harry! You should have seen Honeydukes!" Hermione said as she and Ron dumped bucket-loads of sweets into his lap. "They have the most and biggest variety of sweets I have ever seen!"
"I can't wait to give Fred one of those crawly Millipede Moose Puffs!" Ron said in a revengeful tone, "I still haven't got him back for putting one of those dung-beetles in my sleeping back, back in Egypt."
Harry looked up, why hadn't Eleanor returned yet? "Hey didn't you return with Eleanor?" He asked.
"No..." Hermione replied slowly, frowning, "She didn't meet us and I saw Cho there but she wasn't with Eleanor..."
"Stwange swuff!" Ron remarked, through a mouth full of chocolate.
~ ~ ~
Harry, Hermione and Ron sat around the fire. Hermione busily scribbling on a long scroll and Ron and Harry playing a game of wizarding chess. Eleanor had not yet returned. Hermione was beginning to get edgy about it and kept on looking up when ever someone entered the common room.
"Hermione give it a break!" Ron said irritated, when Hermione jerked her head up for the how-many-ith time. "Don't worry, she'll come back soon. The Hogsmeade curfew isn't over yet. Maybe she stayed a little longer."
Slowly as the shorter hand on the clock ticked four, Hermione stood up, "Come on you two! This is not right! Eleanor is never out after the curfew! Something's wrong!"
Ron gave Harry a quick glance and nodded. "Yeah, Hermione's right, Harry. Let's go look for her!"
"Hang on! Wait!" Harry said as he quickly whizzed back to his dorm.
"Here! This might be a help." He said as he handed Hermione the Marauder's Map.
"What on Earth..." Hermione exclaimed as she searched the map, "Harry where did you get this from?"
"Long story, don't ask now." He replied and stepped out of the portrait hole.
"Harry, how do you clear it?" Hermione said asked after she had studied the map for several minutes.
"Just tap it with your wand and say 'Mischief managed'" Harry said. Hermione muttered the incantation and handed it back to Harry.
"OK." Hermione sighed, "Why don't you, Ron, go wait at the entrance, just incase she isn't back yet. And you, Harry, go to the second flour and wait around the tapestry of William the Weird. The Ravenclaw tower is around there. She might still be with Cho. I'll go look in the Library. If she doesn't turn up in half an hour meet back here, alright?"
Ron ad Harry nodded and set of to their lookout posts. Hermione waited until they were both out of sight and went to a place other than the library. Her heart pounded as she walked along, That map! She thought Why of all things did Harry have to find that? Why! I have to get it of him. Or else...
Or else thing will be just slightly complicated! She thought sarcastically as she walked past a stretch of wall bare three times and wrenched open the door that appeared.
What Hermione saw next made her temper mysteriously vanish and freeze as she stood at the doorway.
"Oh my God!!!" Hermione whimpered, as she saw her sister's pale shape sprawled in the center of the room. She rushed to her and knelt down holding her sisters head. It was cold and sweaty. She looked around the room. It was small, square and rather bare, except for a few odd objects scattered around the room. This included a big heavy metal weight, a small canary in a cage and a chair Hermione recognized as one from the Library.
Puzzled by all this she shook Eleanor's shoulders lightly, hoping to find some sign of life. Eleanor didn't stir and Hermione panicked. Tears welling up in her eyes, she rocked her sister's lifeless body back and forth.
"No... no!" she moaned, "This can't be! This can't happen! Eleanor... please wake up! PLEASE!!!"
She sat there for a while hugging Eleanor. Everything felt blur, all she could feel was she sadness and grief oppressing her. It blurred her vision and settled as a heavy weight all around her, compressing her. She felt a gap in her heart, as someone who she loved so dearly had departed. Thoughts raced through her mind, Who did this? I swear I'll kill them! What will he say? What will mum and dad say? I let them down...
*Flashback*
"Hermione?" her farther said in a serious voice, "Come here, I want a word."
Reluctantly Hermione turned back and faced him; they were going to be late at Ron's house if they didn't hurry up.
"I know this might sound a bit absurd, Hermione, but I want you to look after Eleanor." he said gravely, "With all that happening last year and the one before... your mother and I just want Eleanor to be safe, OK?"
Hermione nodded, yeah this was absurd, Eleanor could look after herself. Wasn't she along with herself the top students of their year?
"You know what we mean... I'm sure." Mr Granger continued, "With his escape... well we can't be sure what will happen."
"Don't let her wander around alone and make sure she eats enough and gets her rest, ok?" Her mother added as she joined them, "And Hermione... Take care of yourself too!"
Again Hermione nodded and gave her parents a final hug, "We'll go outside and wait for the taxi."
Her farther nodded, "We trust that you'll do the right thing Hermione."
*end of flashback*
~ ~ ~
Ron looked around and looked around the deserted entrance hall and sighed. Where is she? He thought, Hermione's right, Eleanor never goes past the curfew. Unless... Ron tried to stuff the thoughts out of his mind. But the visions of a mangled corps lying in a pool of blood kept popping up in his mind. Finally he thrust his head into his hands and shut his eyes.
"Mr Weasley?" Ron looked up and saw his head of house, peering down at him in a concerned manner. "Mr Weasley, what on Earth are you doing here like that?"
"I... uh..." Ron mumbled, quickly standing up, "Was waiting... for a friends professor."
"And who might that be, Mr Weasley?" she asked. Ron hung his head, he could feel her grey eyes piercing his head.
"Eleanor... Granger." Her finally said looking up, "She hasn't returned from Hogsmeade yet... I was waiting for her..."
"Is that so?" professor MacGonagall asked worriedly, "I'll go check with Mr Flich if she really did go to Hogsmeade, because..." she added looking at her watch, "it is already fifteen minutes past the curfew and all students who have gone to Hogsmeade have returned. Perhaps you should go to the Gryffindor tower to wait for her, I will inform when I have spoken to Mr Flich." And with that she turned around and walked off.
Ron turned around the opposite way and headed back to the Gryffindor Tower.
~ ~ ~
Harry paced back and forth just in front of the tapestry of William the Weird. He stopped now and then to check his watch or whisk around when he heard the sound of footsteps. So far it had only been other students passing by or entering the Ravenclaw Tower. A few of them glared at Harry suspiciously, but for the rest left him alone.
Harry quickly turned around when he heard the tapestry fall back onto the wall, but it was only professor Flitwick, the head of Ravenclaw.
"Ah, Mr Potter!" he said in his small squeaky voice, "What bring you here, may I ask?"
"I'm... just... er..." Harry stammered lost for words.
"Because if it is for nothing, I would be getting back to my common room if I were you. It is getting late you know!"
"I was waiting for... a friend." Harry quickly said, afraid that he might be sent away.
"From Ravenclaw?" his professor asked.
Harry nodded, "Cho Chang, sir."
"Very well, I'll go and see if she is in there." And he once more disappeared behind the tapestry.
A few minutes later he reappeared, shortly followed by a girl, he presumed was Cho.
"Well Mr Potter, here is Miss Chang, I'll leave you two to it." Cho searched Harry up and down with her dark brown eyes, "What is it, Potter?" she asked finally seeing that the younger student wasn't about to speak.
Harry shook himself together, as his stomach did a back-flip, she was so... pretty. Her long straight black hair hung shiningly down to her back and her soft-looking lips sat nicely under her well-defined nose. Eleanor was right,- he thought sheepishly as he felt his face turn red, hang on... that's what I'm here for. Idiot!
"Eleanorhasgonemissing," He said quickly.
"Eleanor?" Cho's eyes widened, "But didn't she go to Hogsmeade with Hermione?"
"No..." Harry said looking down at his feet, "I... was wondering if you knew where she is."
"No I haven't seen her, but I'll help you look. Let's go to your common room again, she might be there." And she walk off, Harry jogging to keep up.
~ ~ ~
When Hermione slowly came to her senses, she stopped grasping for breath in between her sobs.
We trust that you'll do the right thing Hermione Her father's words lingered in her mind as she blinked the tears away.
"Do the right thing!" she said out loud, "How was I meant to know that this would happen... they could have told me something, at least! This is stupid! I should have known, why else would they have warned me?"
She looked down at her sister's body her shock she saw Eleanor's chest rising and falling, so slowly and weakly. So slow that at first Hermione didn't even notice it.
~ ~ ~
"RON!" Harry shouted as he burst into the common room, their half and hour was up, "HERMIONE!"
Ron looked up from near the fireside and said, "I couldn't find her, Hermione's not back yet and professor McGonagall has gone to Flich's office to see if Eleanor actually went or not."
Harry flopped down next to Ron on the sofa and joined him in staring at the flames crackling in the hearth.
Suddenly he remembered that he had left Cho waiting outside the common room. "Hey Ron, I think I left Cho waiting outside." He said, "Let's go see what she thinks we could do, it's no use just waiting here."
"About time!" Cho snapped, "I've been waiting here for ages!"
"Sorry... I forgot!" Harry said sheepishly.
"So!" Cho demanded.
"So what?" Ron asked.
"IS SHE IN THERE?"
"NO!" Ron yelled back.
"Well then what are you waiting for!" Cho snapped, "GO LOOK FOR HER YOU IDIOTS!"
"FINE!" Ron snapped back, why did Hermione AND Cho both have to be so annoying?
"Meet back here in an hour ok?" Harry said looking at his watch, their curfew ended then, and if Eleanor still couldn't be found, well than maybe they needed some help from his dad's old cloak. "Oh Ron, you better wait here for professor MacGonagall."
"K, good luck mate!" and Ron re-entered the common room.
"You go to the library, I'll check the girl's bathrooms." Cho stated and set off.
~ ~ ~
Hermione gave a relieved sigh, at least Eleanor was still alive. Barely, but still. She looked around trying to find the cause of all this. She leaned over and picked up a book that was lying in Eleanor's hand and flipped it open.
Practicing the art of Ancient Magic (it read) can be very tiresome and energy sappings for beginners. It can be dangerous and fatal to the user, as it can take up all your energy in one go. Normally it will result in paleness of the face and feeling weak and sweaty after your first try. However, on your second try, if haven't rested or eaten enough, it can result in a deep coma and eventually death from exhaustion. Or in simple words, the body doesn't have enough energy to live or to breath.
Hermione helplessly flipped through the book, it was empty except for that short paragraph of writing. Well, she thought angrily, that was a great help! It basically said that Eleanor is going to die! And she felt a fresh wave of tears flow down her cheeks.
"Pull yourself together Hermione!" she said angrily to herself, "You are not going to let her die! At least not without trying!" and she stood up and put a hovering charm on Eleanor's lifeless body.
She stepped out of the room and scanned the corridor on either side; if she was quick enough she could get Eleanor to Lupin's office without much fuss. She opened the door a little wider and hovered Eleanor out of the room. Quickly and carefully she walked towards her Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Eleanor floating along side her. Once in the classroom she gently lay her sister down, she wasn't sure if she could trust herself to float her up the stairs to Lupin's office.
"Professor Lupin!!!" Hermione shouted, kneeling down beside Eleanor, "PROFESSOR!!!"
Lupin rushed out of his office looking tired and pale. "Hermione, what on..." he stopped as he saw Eleanor lying on the floor of his classroom.
"Professor, this is an emergency, I need you to read this and do an energy boosting charm that is suitable." And she thrust the book into his hands. Lupin nodded and quickly read the book.
"Ok Hermione, an energy boosting charm will not work in this case, but this will." He said gravely as he pulled out his wand and waved it in and anti- clockwise direction and muttered, "canta morphosa timius"
"This will freeze time in her body for an hour, within that time we need to get her to the hospital wing."
~ ~ ~
"Mr Weasly?" professor McGonagall said, as she entered the Gryffindor common room taking a seat next to him. "According to Mr Filch's records, Eleanor went to Hogsmeade for an hour and returned just before lunch. We have found Eleanor, or rather Miss Granger found her." She sighed and looked lost for words. Finally she stood up and said, "Maybe you would like to follow me to the Hospital Wing."
Dumfounded Ron followed professor McGonagall to the hospital wing where they met up Harry and Cho.
"Let me see her!!!" Cho wailed as she tried to push past professor Snape.
"Is she alive?" Harry asked professor Dumbledore who came walking down the corridor.
"Don't worry Harry," he replied as he walked into the ward, "Cho you'll be able to see her soon. I trust that you'll update them Minerva." And he closed the door.
"What happened?" Ron asked snapping his head towards McGonagall. "What happened to Eleanor!"
"She was found by Miss Granger, unconscious on the third floor, in some unknown room. We are not yet sure what caused this, but right now she is in a coma. They are trying to give her a potion that will revive her and give her energy... to live." McGonagall said slowly.
"She's going to be alright, isn't she?" Cho asked worriedly, "She's going to live, right professor?"
"I can't tell you what I am unsure of, Miss Chang." Was her reply.
Cho sank to the floor and put her knees up to her chest and started sobbing softly. "Why?" she moaned, "Why Eleanor? What happened... I don't understand..."
Professor McGonagall just looked down at Cho with a sad expression on her face, "I'm sorry Miss Chang, but we are all unsure of what happened to Miss Granger. Perhaps as a close friend of hers you'll be able to answer some questions yourself." Cho just shook her head and laid it down on her knees. Professor McGonagall looked frustrated at the emotional wreck of Cho, she just sighed and said, "Right, you three best go back to your common room and you'll be informed of Miss Granger's health."
"What!" Harry protested, "No we're staying here! We'll wait till professor Dumbledore comes out."
"Yeah!" Ron said, "If Hermione's in there, why can't we just wait here?"
Professor McGonagall didn't know what to say; after all, they had a point didn't they? "Very well." And she entered the hospital.
"What happened?" Cho asked weakly looking up at them.
"I don't know..." Harry replied, looking at her swollen red eyes, "She said she was going to with you to Hogsmeade and that she'd meet up with Ron and Hermione later. But she never did... that's all I know." He ended lamely.
Over the next few days as the weekend drew closer, the Hogwarts students, in particular the third years, were getting very exited about their first ever Hogsmeade trip.
"I'm going to Honeydukes first! I heard they have some excellent cockroach clusters!"
"Have you ever tasted Butterbeer?"
"I can't wait!!! I'm dying to get some new dungbombs!" Harry heard many snaps of conversations as he followed his friends down to lunch, a depressed feeling rising in his stomach. If I only had controlled my anger! He thought miserably.
"Oh Harry," Hermione sighed finally, as they seated themselves for lunch, "don't feel so bad! We'll bring you back lots of things!"
"I'm sure you can go next year Harry!" Eleanor said winking mysteriously, "Cheer up!"
"Yeah, mate," Ron added, "Look we're going to be here for at least another three years and surely you can get your uncle to sign it for you some time!" Harry just nodded and silently finished his food.
"Well see you at potions!" Eleanor said picking up her bag, "I've got something to do in the library." And she shot off before anyone could protest.
"Why does she all of a sudden need the library?" Ron asked.
"I don't know." Harry said, equally puzzled, "Is she alright Hermione? She's been avoiding us lately and she looks all pale and sickly."
"She's fine!" Hermione snapped, avoiding their eyes, "Why do you even bother, she's perfectly fine, she's just got a slight cold."
"Because we care Hermione!" Ron snapped back, "She looks weak and Harry was just asking if she was ok, don't need to snap and get all huffy!"
"And you don't need to pry in other people's business Ron!" Hermione huffed back, "Why don't you mind your own, then hopefully your grades will stand a little higher!"
"I don't pry in other people's business I just asked if she was ok! Besides why are you so touchy about it, huh?"
"Girl reasons ok!" Hermione finally said, seeing no point in this argument and walking off.
"Honestly!" Ron said.
~ ~ ~
Eleanor sighed, and flopped down on her favourite chair, under the stain glass window. Even the merry lights that it cast couldn't cheer her up. She wanted to be alone, away from Harry. Looking at him made her feel guilty. Hearing how those muggles ill treated him made her feel bad. She pulled out an old yellowing letter from her pocket and unfolded it.
Dear Eleanor, (It said)
Happy Tenth Birthday! Now that you are old enough to read and learn seriously, it is time for you to know more about yourself. I can't tell you about much as I don't know how to explain it to you. I want you to find out more about yourself, hopefully these books will help you along the way. Your foster-parents will be able to help explain a bit more. Please read them carefully and when you start school practice what the books teach you. Keep it secret from everyone and only use it when you are sure that you can handle it.
Your God-Farther.
When she had read it the first time, it seemed so vague and strange. She could make neither head nor tail of it. What did he mean by 'know more about yourself'? Didn't se already know enough about herself? Now it was all crystal clear.
She opened the thick book that lay at her feet. It had a brown leather bound cover, with no title, nor author. She flipped it open to a page near the back and closed her eyes.
Concentrate! She thought vigorously, Concentrate! You have done it before you can do it again!
Slowly she felt the weight lift from her lap. She dared not open her eyes, for fear that the book would just fall back down again. She knew the book was only an inch or so above her lap and she squeezed her eyes and imagined the book to rise higher and higher above her head. Slowly, very slowly she felt something brush past her face. She dared a peek and looked up. The heavy brown book was hovering above her head. Eleanor felt excitement rush over her, she had finally done it! Magic without a wand. She looked up at it and slowly brought to back down to her lap. She felt exhausted, her head was dripping with sweat and she felt like she was going to collapse any minute, but she was happy all the same.
He would be so proud!!! She thought happily, I have finally done it!!! I can't wait till I tell him!!!
She picked up her things and left the library, hopefully she wouldn't be late for Potions.
"Miss Granger," Snape said greasily, as she rushed into the classroom dungeon, "I see you have gotten behind time! Ten points from Gryffindor, for thinking that the class would wait for you!" The Slytherins sniggered, Potions was like Gryffindor-toture paradise for them.
Eleanor looked coldly up at her teacher, before seating herself next to Hermione. Thinking of at least ten ways of wiping that cruel smirk of his face..
"Why were you late?" Hermione asked when they were mixing the foul smelling ingredients to their sleeping-potion, "And what did you do to your face?"
"My face?" Eleanor said shocked reaching up and feeling it with her hands.
"It's so pale and wet." Hermione said, "It was pale before, but now it's nearly as white as Dumblerdores's beard!"
"Is it really that bad?" Eleanor said worryingly, "I didn't do anything to it, I was just working on my Werewolf essay."
"Hmmm..." Hermione thought out loud, stirring the mixture with her ladle, "You better get some colour or they'll send you to Madame Promfey!"
"Yeah I guess..." Eleanor said slowly, "Anyway..."
"What?"
"I-er Nothing..." Eleanor said quickly, cursing herself, remembering what the letter had said, 'keep it secret!' She was so happy and excited that she nearly told her. It was so hard, especially when Hermione had known her for so long, it felt so weird not telling her everything. Last year it was easy, just disguising the books with a simple spell, when she was reading it and making sure that Hermione never got it. But this year it was harder, she had to practice it. And it drained her energy, making her pale and weak. She knew she could trust her sister; she even knew her biggest secret and had helped her keep it all along, by covering up and helping her make the excuses when words failed her. It felt so wrong not telling Hermione, but she wanted to keep the first promise she had ever had from her god- farther.
"You're not telling me something Eleanor!" Hermione finally said, "I know it, you are keeping something from me!"
"No I'm not!" Eleanor lied, why of all people did Hermione have to read peoples' minds?
"Yes you are!" Hermione pushed, "I don't like it! You tell me everything, stop having secrets! I already know one, so don't think you can't trust-"
"Miss Granger!" Snape snapped, "Ten points from Gryffindor, for thinking that you, a miserable muggle have the right to disrupt the class!" He turned around to the Slytherins and smiled cruelly as they laughed. Hermione was so shocked and angry that she forgot about Eleanor and started muttering how unfair it was under her breath. Eleanor sighed, Snape had saved her, unknowingly of course.
~ ~ ~
"So are we three going together to Hogsmeade?" Ron asked as they sat in front of the fire in the Gryffindore common room.
"No I'm sorry..." Eleanor said, "I'm going with someone else, but I'll meet up with you later."
"Who with?" Ron asked suspiciously, he had a small feeling that Dean had something to do with this.
"Cho." Eleanor replied.
~ ~ ~
The next morning Ron and Hermione made their way towards the entrance, along with a stream of other students eager to get out of the castle. Eleanor had gone off the meet Cho and Harry was left alone in the common room.
He sat for some time gloomily staring at the dying ashes from the night before. Finally he stood up and left the room hoping to do some homework in the library. He was walking along a passageway when he heard someone calling his name from an open classroom to his right.
"Psst!" he heard, not sure whether it was Fred or George's voice, "Harry in here!"
He walked into the classroom and saw the twins looking mysteriously at him, hiding something behind their back. "We have something to give you young Harry!" Fred said, "Something I think you'll treasure very much!"
"Here!" Said George handing him a piece of old parchment, "It is our key to professional mischief in Hogwarts!"
"What is it?" Harry asked, frowning at the old yellowing parchment in his hands, "This is not a prank or anything?"
"No young Harry," Fred said wisely, "This is no ordinary piece of parchment, it is a map! Watch!" And he tapped it with his wand and said, "I swear I am solemnly up to no good!"
Harry gaped as a map of Hogwarts started to reveal itself, slowly spreading from point where Fred had tapped it. Harry scanned the map and saw tiny, labeled dots moving around. He read some of them and it hit him. They were people and other things that lived in Hogwarts.
"Where did you get this from?" he asked, surely maps like these were not an every-day thing.
"Oh," George said casually, "We found it in Flich's office when we were serving detention. It's called the Marauder's Map. "
"Well we'll leave to find out all the wonders of Hogwarts, young Harry." Fred said in that mock wise voice, "Just be sure that you tap the map and say 'mischief managed' when you're done."
"Ohya, and the only non-blocked passageway out of Hogwarts is the one behind Borris the Bewildered, they other two are caved in and the third one is blocked by the Whomping Willow. We're pretty sure Flich doesn't know about any of the secret passageways, too thick that one!" George said and he followed Fred out of the classroom, leaving Harry to marvel over the map that had aided them in so many pranks.
~ ~ ~
Harry let his feet carry him to his dorm; his fingers were just itching to study the Marauder's Map.
He flopped himself on his bed and held the map up above him. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He said, tapping the map lightly with his wand, just like Fred had.
How long he looked at the map he didn't know, but soon he heard the happy and exited voices of his fellow Gryffindors float up the stairs. Reluctantly he pulled himself up and went down to meet his friends.
"Oh Harry! You should have seen Honeydukes!" Hermione said as she and Ron dumped bucket-loads of sweets into his lap. "They have the most and biggest variety of sweets I have ever seen!"
"I can't wait to give Fred one of those crawly Millipede Moose Puffs!" Ron said in a revengeful tone, "I still haven't got him back for putting one of those dung-beetles in my sleeping back, back in Egypt."
Harry looked up, why hadn't Eleanor returned yet? "Hey didn't you return with Eleanor?" He asked.
"No..." Hermione replied slowly, frowning, "She didn't meet us and I saw Cho there but she wasn't with Eleanor..."
"Stwange swuff!" Ron remarked, through a mouth full of chocolate.
~ ~ ~
Harry, Hermione and Ron sat around the fire. Hermione busily scribbling on a long scroll and Ron and Harry playing a game of wizarding chess. Eleanor had not yet returned. Hermione was beginning to get edgy about it and kept on looking up when ever someone entered the common room.
"Hermione give it a break!" Ron said irritated, when Hermione jerked her head up for the how-many-ith time. "Don't worry, she'll come back soon. The Hogsmeade curfew isn't over yet. Maybe she stayed a little longer."
Slowly as the shorter hand on the clock ticked four, Hermione stood up, "Come on you two! This is not right! Eleanor is never out after the curfew! Something's wrong!"
Ron gave Harry a quick glance and nodded. "Yeah, Hermione's right, Harry. Let's go look for her!"
"Hang on! Wait!" Harry said as he quickly whizzed back to his dorm.
"Here! This might be a help." He said as he handed Hermione the Marauder's Map.
"What on Earth..." Hermione exclaimed as she searched the map, "Harry where did you get this from?"
"Long story, don't ask now." He replied and stepped out of the portrait hole.
"Harry, how do you clear it?" Hermione said asked after she had studied the map for several minutes.
"Just tap it with your wand and say 'Mischief managed'" Harry said. Hermione muttered the incantation and handed it back to Harry.
"OK." Hermione sighed, "Why don't you, Ron, go wait at the entrance, just incase she isn't back yet. And you, Harry, go to the second flour and wait around the tapestry of William the Weird. The Ravenclaw tower is around there. She might still be with Cho. I'll go look in the Library. If she doesn't turn up in half an hour meet back here, alright?"
Ron ad Harry nodded and set of to their lookout posts. Hermione waited until they were both out of sight and went to a place other than the library. Her heart pounded as she walked along, That map! She thought Why of all things did Harry have to find that? Why! I have to get it of him. Or else...
Or else thing will be just slightly complicated! She thought sarcastically as she walked past a stretch of wall bare three times and wrenched open the door that appeared.
What Hermione saw next made her temper mysteriously vanish and freeze as she stood at the doorway.
"Oh my God!!!" Hermione whimpered, as she saw her sister's pale shape sprawled in the center of the room. She rushed to her and knelt down holding her sisters head. It was cold and sweaty. She looked around the room. It was small, square and rather bare, except for a few odd objects scattered around the room. This included a big heavy metal weight, a small canary in a cage and a chair Hermione recognized as one from the Library.
Puzzled by all this she shook Eleanor's shoulders lightly, hoping to find some sign of life. Eleanor didn't stir and Hermione panicked. Tears welling up in her eyes, she rocked her sister's lifeless body back and forth.
"No... no!" she moaned, "This can't be! This can't happen! Eleanor... please wake up! PLEASE!!!"
She sat there for a while hugging Eleanor. Everything felt blur, all she could feel was she sadness and grief oppressing her. It blurred her vision and settled as a heavy weight all around her, compressing her. She felt a gap in her heart, as someone who she loved so dearly had departed. Thoughts raced through her mind, Who did this? I swear I'll kill them! What will he say? What will mum and dad say? I let them down...
*Flashback*
"Hermione?" her farther said in a serious voice, "Come here, I want a word."
Reluctantly Hermione turned back and faced him; they were going to be late at Ron's house if they didn't hurry up.
"I know this might sound a bit absurd, Hermione, but I want you to look after Eleanor." he said gravely, "With all that happening last year and the one before... your mother and I just want Eleanor to be safe, OK?"
Hermione nodded, yeah this was absurd, Eleanor could look after herself. Wasn't she along with herself the top students of their year?
"You know what we mean... I'm sure." Mr Granger continued, "With his escape... well we can't be sure what will happen."
"Don't let her wander around alone and make sure she eats enough and gets her rest, ok?" Her mother added as she joined them, "And Hermione... Take care of yourself too!"
Again Hermione nodded and gave her parents a final hug, "We'll go outside and wait for the taxi."
Her farther nodded, "We trust that you'll do the right thing Hermione."
*end of flashback*
~ ~ ~
Ron looked around and looked around the deserted entrance hall and sighed. Where is she? He thought, Hermione's right, Eleanor never goes past the curfew. Unless... Ron tried to stuff the thoughts out of his mind. But the visions of a mangled corps lying in a pool of blood kept popping up in his mind. Finally he thrust his head into his hands and shut his eyes.
"Mr Weasley?" Ron looked up and saw his head of house, peering down at him in a concerned manner. "Mr Weasley, what on Earth are you doing here like that?"
"I... uh..." Ron mumbled, quickly standing up, "Was waiting... for a friends professor."
"And who might that be, Mr Weasley?" she asked. Ron hung his head, he could feel her grey eyes piercing his head.
"Eleanor... Granger." Her finally said looking up, "She hasn't returned from Hogsmeade yet... I was waiting for her..."
"Is that so?" professor MacGonagall asked worriedly, "I'll go check with Mr Flich if she really did go to Hogsmeade, because..." she added looking at her watch, "it is already fifteen minutes past the curfew and all students who have gone to Hogsmeade have returned. Perhaps you should go to the Gryffindor tower to wait for her, I will inform when I have spoken to Mr Flich." And with that she turned around and walked off.
Ron turned around the opposite way and headed back to the Gryffindor Tower.
~ ~ ~
Harry paced back and forth just in front of the tapestry of William the Weird. He stopped now and then to check his watch or whisk around when he heard the sound of footsteps. So far it had only been other students passing by or entering the Ravenclaw Tower. A few of them glared at Harry suspiciously, but for the rest left him alone.
Harry quickly turned around when he heard the tapestry fall back onto the wall, but it was only professor Flitwick, the head of Ravenclaw.
"Ah, Mr Potter!" he said in his small squeaky voice, "What bring you here, may I ask?"
"I'm... just... er..." Harry stammered lost for words.
"Because if it is for nothing, I would be getting back to my common room if I were you. It is getting late you know!"
"I was waiting for... a friend." Harry quickly said, afraid that he might be sent away.
"From Ravenclaw?" his professor asked.
Harry nodded, "Cho Chang, sir."
"Very well, I'll go and see if she is in there." And he once more disappeared behind the tapestry.
A few minutes later he reappeared, shortly followed by a girl, he presumed was Cho.
"Well Mr Potter, here is Miss Chang, I'll leave you two to it." Cho searched Harry up and down with her dark brown eyes, "What is it, Potter?" she asked finally seeing that the younger student wasn't about to speak.
Harry shook himself together, as his stomach did a back-flip, she was so... pretty. Her long straight black hair hung shiningly down to her back and her soft-looking lips sat nicely under her well-defined nose. Eleanor was right,- he thought sheepishly as he felt his face turn red, hang on... that's what I'm here for. Idiot!
"Eleanorhasgonemissing," He said quickly.
"Eleanor?" Cho's eyes widened, "But didn't she go to Hogsmeade with Hermione?"
"No..." Harry said looking down at his feet, "I... was wondering if you knew where she is."
"No I haven't seen her, but I'll help you look. Let's go to your common room again, she might be there." And she walk off, Harry jogging to keep up.
~ ~ ~
When Hermione slowly came to her senses, she stopped grasping for breath in between her sobs.
We trust that you'll do the right thing Hermione Her father's words lingered in her mind as she blinked the tears away.
"Do the right thing!" she said out loud, "How was I meant to know that this would happen... they could have told me something, at least! This is stupid! I should have known, why else would they have warned me?"
She looked down at her sister's body her shock she saw Eleanor's chest rising and falling, so slowly and weakly. So slow that at first Hermione didn't even notice it.
~ ~ ~
"RON!" Harry shouted as he burst into the common room, their half and hour was up, "HERMIONE!"
Ron looked up from near the fireside and said, "I couldn't find her, Hermione's not back yet and professor McGonagall has gone to Flich's office to see if Eleanor actually went or not."
Harry flopped down next to Ron on the sofa and joined him in staring at the flames crackling in the hearth.
Suddenly he remembered that he had left Cho waiting outside the common room. "Hey Ron, I think I left Cho waiting outside." He said, "Let's go see what she thinks we could do, it's no use just waiting here."
"About time!" Cho snapped, "I've been waiting here for ages!"
"Sorry... I forgot!" Harry said sheepishly.
"So!" Cho demanded.
"So what?" Ron asked.
"IS SHE IN THERE?"
"NO!" Ron yelled back.
"Well then what are you waiting for!" Cho snapped, "GO LOOK FOR HER YOU IDIOTS!"
"FINE!" Ron snapped back, why did Hermione AND Cho both have to be so annoying?
"Meet back here in an hour ok?" Harry said looking at his watch, their curfew ended then, and if Eleanor still couldn't be found, well than maybe they needed some help from his dad's old cloak. "Oh Ron, you better wait here for professor MacGonagall."
"K, good luck mate!" and Ron re-entered the common room.
"You go to the library, I'll check the girl's bathrooms." Cho stated and set off.
~ ~ ~
Hermione gave a relieved sigh, at least Eleanor was still alive. Barely, but still. She looked around trying to find the cause of all this. She leaned over and picked up a book that was lying in Eleanor's hand and flipped it open.
Practicing the art of Ancient Magic (it read) can be very tiresome and energy sappings for beginners. It can be dangerous and fatal to the user, as it can take up all your energy in one go. Normally it will result in paleness of the face and feeling weak and sweaty after your first try. However, on your second try, if haven't rested or eaten enough, it can result in a deep coma and eventually death from exhaustion. Or in simple words, the body doesn't have enough energy to live or to breath.
Hermione helplessly flipped through the book, it was empty except for that short paragraph of writing. Well, she thought angrily, that was a great help! It basically said that Eleanor is going to die! And she felt a fresh wave of tears flow down her cheeks.
"Pull yourself together Hermione!" she said angrily to herself, "You are not going to let her die! At least not without trying!" and she stood up and put a hovering charm on Eleanor's lifeless body.
She stepped out of the room and scanned the corridor on either side; if she was quick enough she could get Eleanor to Lupin's office without much fuss. She opened the door a little wider and hovered Eleanor out of the room. Quickly and carefully she walked towards her Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Eleanor floating along side her. Once in the classroom she gently lay her sister down, she wasn't sure if she could trust herself to float her up the stairs to Lupin's office.
"Professor Lupin!!!" Hermione shouted, kneeling down beside Eleanor, "PROFESSOR!!!"
Lupin rushed out of his office looking tired and pale. "Hermione, what on..." he stopped as he saw Eleanor lying on the floor of his classroom.
"Professor, this is an emergency, I need you to read this and do an energy boosting charm that is suitable." And she thrust the book into his hands. Lupin nodded and quickly read the book.
"Ok Hermione, an energy boosting charm will not work in this case, but this will." He said gravely as he pulled out his wand and waved it in and anti- clockwise direction and muttered, "canta morphosa timius"
"This will freeze time in her body for an hour, within that time we need to get her to the hospital wing."
~ ~ ~
"Mr Weasly?" professor McGonagall said, as she entered the Gryffindor common room taking a seat next to him. "According to Mr Filch's records, Eleanor went to Hogsmeade for an hour and returned just before lunch. We have found Eleanor, or rather Miss Granger found her." She sighed and looked lost for words. Finally she stood up and said, "Maybe you would like to follow me to the Hospital Wing."
Dumfounded Ron followed professor McGonagall to the hospital wing where they met up Harry and Cho.
"Let me see her!!!" Cho wailed as she tried to push past professor Snape.
"Is she alive?" Harry asked professor Dumbledore who came walking down the corridor.
"Don't worry Harry," he replied as he walked into the ward, "Cho you'll be able to see her soon. I trust that you'll update them Minerva." And he closed the door.
"What happened?" Ron asked snapping his head towards McGonagall. "What happened to Eleanor!"
"She was found by Miss Granger, unconscious on the third floor, in some unknown room. We are not yet sure what caused this, but right now she is in a coma. They are trying to give her a potion that will revive her and give her energy... to live." McGonagall said slowly.
"She's going to be alright, isn't she?" Cho asked worriedly, "She's going to live, right professor?"
"I can't tell you what I am unsure of, Miss Chang." Was her reply.
Cho sank to the floor and put her knees up to her chest and started sobbing softly. "Why?" she moaned, "Why Eleanor? What happened... I don't understand..."
Professor McGonagall just looked down at Cho with a sad expression on her face, "I'm sorry Miss Chang, but we are all unsure of what happened to Miss Granger. Perhaps as a close friend of hers you'll be able to answer some questions yourself." Cho just shook her head and laid it down on her knees. Professor McGonagall looked frustrated at the emotional wreck of Cho, she just sighed and said, "Right, you three best go back to your common room and you'll be informed of Miss Granger's health."
"What!" Harry protested, "No we're staying here! We'll wait till professor Dumbledore comes out."
"Yeah!" Ron said, "If Hermione's in there, why can't we just wait here?"
Professor McGonagall didn't know what to say; after all, they had a point didn't they? "Very well." And she entered the hospital.
"What happened?" Cho asked weakly looking up at them.
"I don't know..." Harry replied, looking at her swollen red eyes, "She said she was going to with you to Hogsmeade and that she'd meet up with Ron and Hermione later. But she never did... that's all I know." He ended lamely.