Chapter 9
.and life goes on.
Linnea sat bolt upright and breathing hard. She was drenched in cold sweat. It was the most emotionally trying dream she had ever had.
It was five in the morning and there was no way Linnea was getting back to sleep, so she went down stairs to sit by the fire in the common room, but she was not alone.
"Ella?"
Ella Chambers was sitting in a chair by the fire. She seemed to be quite troubled herself.
"What are you doing up Ella, do you know what time it is."
"Do you?" Ella snapped.
Linnea was taken aback by her harshness. It wasn't like Ella at all. She could probably get the award for quietest person at Hogwarts.
"Yes I just couldn't get back to sleep. Are you alright?"
"Fine, couldn't be better. Why would you think something is wrong? Do I seem upset to you, because I'm not upset."
Linnea couldn't believe it. She had never seen Ella so uptight before. She tried to think of something to say, but instead.
"Be right back Ella, Just stay there."
She ran upstairs and grabbed one of her letters from Sirius and hurried back down.
"Here."
Inside the letter was an autographed picture of Sirius Black, smiling and winking up at Ella.
"I got this a little while ago, I just kept forgetting to give it to you."
"Thanks Linnea. It was really nice of you to do that, you didn't have to."
"So will you tell me what is wrong now?"
Ella looked up at Linnea with a look of foreboding.
"It's not that big of a deal really." She finally said. "It's just that I am kind of stressed out. See my family expects a lot of me here. And I don't really want to be anyone special. I just don't want that kind of responsibility you know. And my dad is upset because I didn't make the quidditch team."
"First years aren't aloud anyway are they."?
"Well no of course not, but it has happened before, so why not to me right. That is of course according to my family." I know that other people have it worse off than me, and there really is no reason for me to act this way, its just that I feel I have no one to turn to. I feel lost. Sometimes I feel like I don't even want to be here."
Linnea sat quite still trying to absorb everything Ella was saying. Linnea had no idea what it felt like to have no one to turn too. She had always had someone to talk to when she felt bad or lonely. She didn't know what to say.
"Well," she finally said. "You can always talk to me if you need to, I mean, I'm not the best counselor, but I don't want you to feel like you have no where to turn. Right now though, I think it might be a good idea to get some sleep. You look like you haven't gone to bed at all tonight."
"I haven't"
"See there. You're going to be crabby in the morning if your not careful. Good thing we don't have any morning classes tomorrow. Go get some sleep."
"Ok, and thanks a lot Linnea, You probably don't know how much it means to me to know that someone cares enough to listen to me. See you tomorrow."
"Alright, good night Ella."
As Ella walked upstairs Linnea couldn't help but feel better. This is what is real not stupid dreams.
The next Tuesday came all to soon for Linnea. She had begun to dread flying lessons. Not for what she learned which was incredibly fun, but who she was with. It had become a sort-of weekly torture.
"Well look who it is." Cho Wood scoffed as she made her way down to the quidditch pitch. "The fabulous five.oops you seem to be missing some people. Where are your little Hufflepuff friends"?
"Just ignore it." Amerie reminded them as Linnea and Piper clinched their fists in anger.
"Today," Mr. Bauer began, "we will practice speed."
Linnea looked across at the menacing looks she was getting from the Slytherins that this was going to be more than just a practice run around the field.
They mounted their brooms and made their way to the end of the pitch following Mr. Bauer.
"Line up in four rows," He called.
Not surprisingly the first row was Slytherin Boys, the Second row, Slytherin Girls, the third row held Linnea and the other Gryffindor Girls, while the last row held the boys of Gryffindor
Cho looked menacingly across the t Linnea who had "coincidently" lined up next to her.
"When I blow my whistle speed across the pitch as fast as you can while still maintaining control of your broom. Let's make a sort of contest out of it shall we. No points on the line now so it's all in good fun."
Linnea Piper and Amerie looked at each other and new that however they got across the pitch it would not be in "good fun" against the Slytherins.
Mr. Bauer blew the first whistle and John Basely, Jacoba Thompson, Jonathon Oakley, and Ella Chambers sped across the pitch. Unfortunately, John Basely of Slytherin won.
The next group went, and Aaron Seeburger of Gryffindor won. Next Piper sped across with incredible speed. Linnea had never seen anything like it. But she was up next, and before she new it she had laid down flat on her broomstick and sped off. Cho was barely in front of her as she urged her broom onward. She creped up on Cho and was almost right next to her when suddenly Cho leaned to the left and made Linnea veer off. She crossed the finish line second to last just in front of Richard Pucey. Amerie finished in second to end the first race.
On and on they went, by twos until only Piper and Jason Isaacs remained. (Cho had been beaten on her second race). Piper sped across the pitch in her record time blowing away Jason and coming to a halt amongst the tumult of applause from the Gryffindors.
"Piper, Where is the world did you learn to fly like that." Linnea said in awe as they made there way back to the common room.
"Dunno," she replied shrugging her shoulders. "Just kinda, picked it up."
After dinner Alexia and Parvati met up with the others and learned that Alexia and a Ravenclaw girl Breena Brighthart had tied. "That's awesome Lex," they all said together.
That night Linnea made her way to Professor Lupin's office and noticed the door was closed. Wondering if he had possibly forgotten their meeting she started to knock but the door cracked open. Linnea heard muffled voices coming from inside and recognized them immediately.
"Thanks so much Professor Snape." Lupin said sounding relieved
"Yes well just don't forget, I won't always be able to remind you every month you know."
"Yes yes of course, now if you will excuse I am sorry but I have a meeting in a matter of minutes Lupin said hurriedly. At these words Linnea heard parchment ruffling and the distinct sound of Lupin rising from his desk. Footsteps began coming toward the door, and in a panic Linnea jumped up and ran back down the hall as quietly as she could and turned around quickly to see Snape and Lupin exiting his office still deep in conversation. Lupin looked around seeing Linnea and sighed.
"Ah there you are."
Snape merely glanced at Linnea with his look of menace and stalked off to his office.
Linnea made her way into Lupin's office realizing that she couldn't suppress asking about it.
"What was Snape doing here?" she asked nonchalantly.
"What, of yes, um, he was just you know visiting."
"I.well.I kind of heard you guys talking."
"Oh, he was just reminding me to take some medicine, I have been feeling a bit under the weather, and Snape was kind enough to fix a potion for me. I am no good with potions you see."
This satisfied Linnea and they continued with their lessons.
"Ok, now I realize you want to keep this between us and all, but you really need to practice outside of these lessons. There is only so much I can do here. I need you to at least once a day try to train you mind to move small objects, I would prefer if you could summon them, but any little bit is fine. This is going to take more from you than I can do alone."
As the lesson progressed Linnea could, though with difficulty, lift the chair across from her about a foot off the ground.
"That's good, that's good. It's a start most definitely."
Linnea was quite proud of herself, but lost focus and made the chair drop on Lupin's foot."
"Oh, geez sorry professor."
"No, no" he wheezed. "We're ok here. Excuse me."
He ducked under her desk and let out a huge amount of air. When he came back up he was smiling once again. "Well.ahem.I think that will do it for the evening. Remember please practice."
"Alright, thank you professor. See you tomorrow in class."
"Alright kid, see ya then."
Linnea though did not make her way back up to the Gryffindor common room; instead she headed toward the owlery. She had a letter for her parents she had yet to deliver. They had been writing faithfully to her since she came to Hogwarts, and Linnea was not about to slouch on her end of the deal.
"Orion." She called as she made her way across the long rows of owls. Her snowy owl fluttered to the nearest perch and gave a soft hoot of approval at the sight of her letter.
"It's going to my parents alright."
He clicked his beak to show he understood and flew out the window. She watched him for a moment fly into the darkness then finally made her way back to the common room. For the first time, she was really looking forward to leaving Hogwarts and being able to see her parents again.
.and life goes on.
Linnea sat bolt upright and breathing hard. She was drenched in cold sweat. It was the most emotionally trying dream she had ever had.
It was five in the morning and there was no way Linnea was getting back to sleep, so she went down stairs to sit by the fire in the common room, but she was not alone.
"Ella?"
Ella Chambers was sitting in a chair by the fire. She seemed to be quite troubled herself.
"What are you doing up Ella, do you know what time it is."
"Do you?" Ella snapped.
Linnea was taken aback by her harshness. It wasn't like Ella at all. She could probably get the award for quietest person at Hogwarts.
"Yes I just couldn't get back to sleep. Are you alright?"
"Fine, couldn't be better. Why would you think something is wrong? Do I seem upset to you, because I'm not upset."
Linnea couldn't believe it. She had never seen Ella so uptight before. She tried to think of something to say, but instead.
"Be right back Ella, Just stay there."
She ran upstairs and grabbed one of her letters from Sirius and hurried back down.
"Here."
Inside the letter was an autographed picture of Sirius Black, smiling and winking up at Ella.
"I got this a little while ago, I just kept forgetting to give it to you."
"Thanks Linnea. It was really nice of you to do that, you didn't have to."
"So will you tell me what is wrong now?"
Ella looked up at Linnea with a look of foreboding.
"It's not that big of a deal really." She finally said. "It's just that I am kind of stressed out. See my family expects a lot of me here. And I don't really want to be anyone special. I just don't want that kind of responsibility you know. And my dad is upset because I didn't make the quidditch team."
"First years aren't aloud anyway are they."?
"Well no of course not, but it has happened before, so why not to me right. That is of course according to my family." I know that other people have it worse off than me, and there really is no reason for me to act this way, its just that I feel I have no one to turn to. I feel lost. Sometimes I feel like I don't even want to be here."
Linnea sat quite still trying to absorb everything Ella was saying. Linnea had no idea what it felt like to have no one to turn too. She had always had someone to talk to when she felt bad or lonely. She didn't know what to say.
"Well," she finally said. "You can always talk to me if you need to, I mean, I'm not the best counselor, but I don't want you to feel like you have no where to turn. Right now though, I think it might be a good idea to get some sleep. You look like you haven't gone to bed at all tonight."
"I haven't"
"See there. You're going to be crabby in the morning if your not careful. Good thing we don't have any morning classes tomorrow. Go get some sleep."
"Ok, and thanks a lot Linnea, You probably don't know how much it means to me to know that someone cares enough to listen to me. See you tomorrow."
"Alright, good night Ella."
As Ella walked upstairs Linnea couldn't help but feel better. This is what is real not stupid dreams.
The next Tuesday came all to soon for Linnea. She had begun to dread flying lessons. Not for what she learned which was incredibly fun, but who she was with. It had become a sort-of weekly torture.
"Well look who it is." Cho Wood scoffed as she made her way down to the quidditch pitch. "The fabulous five.oops you seem to be missing some people. Where are your little Hufflepuff friends"?
"Just ignore it." Amerie reminded them as Linnea and Piper clinched their fists in anger.
"Today," Mr. Bauer began, "we will practice speed."
Linnea looked across at the menacing looks she was getting from the Slytherins that this was going to be more than just a practice run around the field.
They mounted their brooms and made their way to the end of the pitch following Mr. Bauer.
"Line up in four rows," He called.
Not surprisingly the first row was Slytherin Boys, the Second row, Slytherin Girls, the third row held Linnea and the other Gryffindor Girls, while the last row held the boys of Gryffindor
Cho looked menacingly across the t Linnea who had "coincidently" lined up next to her.
"When I blow my whistle speed across the pitch as fast as you can while still maintaining control of your broom. Let's make a sort of contest out of it shall we. No points on the line now so it's all in good fun."
Linnea Piper and Amerie looked at each other and new that however they got across the pitch it would not be in "good fun" against the Slytherins.
Mr. Bauer blew the first whistle and John Basely, Jacoba Thompson, Jonathon Oakley, and Ella Chambers sped across the pitch. Unfortunately, John Basely of Slytherin won.
The next group went, and Aaron Seeburger of Gryffindor won. Next Piper sped across with incredible speed. Linnea had never seen anything like it. But she was up next, and before she new it she had laid down flat on her broomstick and sped off. Cho was barely in front of her as she urged her broom onward. She creped up on Cho and was almost right next to her when suddenly Cho leaned to the left and made Linnea veer off. She crossed the finish line second to last just in front of Richard Pucey. Amerie finished in second to end the first race.
On and on they went, by twos until only Piper and Jason Isaacs remained. (Cho had been beaten on her second race). Piper sped across the pitch in her record time blowing away Jason and coming to a halt amongst the tumult of applause from the Gryffindors.
"Piper, Where is the world did you learn to fly like that." Linnea said in awe as they made there way back to the common room.
"Dunno," she replied shrugging her shoulders. "Just kinda, picked it up."
After dinner Alexia and Parvati met up with the others and learned that Alexia and a Ravenclaw girl Breena Brighthart had tied. "That's awesome Lex," they all said together.
That night Linnea made her way to Professor Lupin's office and noticed the door was closed. Wondering if he had possibly forgotten their meeting she started to knock but the door cracked open. Linnea heard muffled voices coming from inside and recognized them immediately.
"Thanks so much Professor Snape." Lupin said sounding relieved
"Yes well just don't forget, I won't always be able to remind you every month you know."
"Yes yes of course, now if you will excuse I am sorry but I have a meeting in a matter of minutes Lupin said hurriedly. At these words Linnea heard parchment ruffling and the distinct sound of Lupin rising from his desk. Footsteps began coming toward the door, and in a panic Linnea jumped up and ran back down the hall as quietly as she could and turned around quickly to see Snape and Lupin exiting his office still deep in conversation. Lupin looked around seeing Linnea and sighed.
"Ah there you are."
Snape merely glanced at Linnea with his look of menace and stalked off to his office.
Linnea made her way into Lupin's office realizing that she couldn't suppress asking about it.
"What was Snape doing here?" she asked nonchalantly.
"What, of yes, um, he was just you know visiting."
"I.well.I kind of heard you guys talking."
"Oh, he was just reminding me to take some medicine, I have been feeling a bit under the weather, and Snape was kind enough to fix a potion for me. I am no good with potions you see."
This satisfied Linnea and they continued with their lessons.
"Ok, now I realize you want to keep this between us and all, but you really need to practice outside of these lessons. There is only so much I can do here. I need you to at least once a day try to train you mind to move small objects, I would prefer if you could summon them, but any little bit is fine. This is going to take more from you than I can do alone."
As the lesson progressed Linnea could, though with difficulty, lift the chair across from her about a foot off the ground.
"That's good, that's good. It's a start most definitely."
Linnea was quite proud of herself, but lost focus and made the chair drop on Lupin's foot."
"Oh, geez sorry professor."
"No, no" he wheezed. "We're ok here. Excuse me."
He ducked under her desk and let out a huge amount of air. When he came back up he was smiling once again. "Well.ahem.I think that will do it for the evening. Remember please practice."
"Alright, thank you professor. See you tomorrow in class."
"Alright kid, see ya then."
Linnea though did not make her way back up to the Gryffindor common room; instead she headed toward the owlery. She had a letter for her parents she had yet to deliver. They had been writing faithfully to her since she came to Hogwarts, and Linnea was not about to slouch on her end of the deal.
"Orion." She called as she made her way across the long rows of owls. Her snowy owl fluttered to the nearest perch and gave a soft hoot of approval at the sight of her letter.
"It's going to my parents alright."
He clicked his beak to show he understood and flew out the window. She watched him for a moment fly into the darkness then finally made her way back to the common room. For the first time, she was really looking forward to leaving Hogwarts and being able to see her parents again.