Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All I own is my CD collection, my copies of the five HP books, and my imagination. Do not sue.
Terrible Lie
By Saerry Snape
Chapter 5 – Reminders"Y'know, you remind me of someone."
Harry blinked and looked up from his Charms paper at Trish. The dark-haired girl was leaning on the edge of the table, her dark green eyes fixed on his face.
"Really," he said.
"Yes. Only I can't think of who."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I feel like I've seen you before."
"But that's impossible."
Harry smiled slightly and said, "I know."
"This is really weird."
"Mmm-hmm."
Trish sighed and flopped down into the chair sitting across from Harry. He looked at her from under a fringe of dark hair before he turned back to his paper.
"This is really hard," said Trish suddenly.
"What is?" asked Harry without looking up from his paper.
"All of this," replied Trish. "I was all settled in at Durmstrang and then my mother decides to transfer me! Without telling me!"
"Why?"
"Something about there being less demons around here."
Harry paused in his writing and slowly lifted his head to look at her.
"Excuse me, did you just say 'demons?'"
Trish just nodded and replied, "Yes. My mother's a demon slayer. Foremost in Russia."
"Demon slayer?"
"Demon slayer."
Harry was suddenly hit by an idea from behind.
"So…she taught you a few things, right?"
"I killed my first demon when I was four."
Harry took that as a 'yes' and a slow, cat-like grin spread across his face. The Slytherin half of his brain was currently waving a sign that read 'This is your chance!'
"Could you teach me?" he asked.
"To slay demons?"
"To fight."
Trish looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded and said, "Sure. But only if you teach me how to duel."
"Deal," said Harry, extending an ink spotted hand across the table. Trish took it with a wry grin and neither noticed a small spark of red light that appeared for a second between their clasped hands.
"A deal then."
"Great. When do we start?"
"We need a place to practice first."
Harry just grinned and said, "I have just the place…"
Trish nodded and said, "Tomorrow night then. After dinner."
"Alright. Meet me at the foot of the boys stair and we'll go."
Trish nodded again then yawned widely.
"I'd better get to bed," she said, yawning again. "See you in the morning, Harry."
"Night," called Harry after her as he turned back to his Charms paper.
"Eeee-yah!"
"WHOA!"
Thud!
"Ow…"
Trish frowned and peered down at the figure sprawled at her feet.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Peachy," came the grunted reply.
Harry, wincing, pulled himself up into a sitting position and shook his head slightly. "What am I doing wrong?" he asked.
"You're trying too hard. Just…do. Don't try. Just let whatever your body wants to happen, happen."
"Okay."
"Ready to go again?"
"Sure," said Harry, pushing himself up off the floor of the Room of Requirement. He walked behind Trish again, who stood very relaxed, arms at her sides.
Harry gave a little shake before he lunged at her back. There was a flash of movement from Trish and then Harry was once again lying on the floor on his back.
"Ow…again."
Trish shook her head and said, "Maybe we should try something else…"
"No," grunted Harry. "I'm going to get this if it kills me."
"At this rate, it will kill you. But if you insist…"
"I do," said Harry, getting to his feet again.
"Okay," said Trish. "But if you don't get this, I'm going to have to tell the entire school that a twelve-year-old can beat the great Harry Potter."
"Oh yeah, lots of initiative for me there."
Trish just snorted and said, "Let's go then. C'mon, my wimpy friend."
"Wimpy? Okay, that's it. You're going down, my short compatriot."
Trish just laughed and the training continued.
"Ron?"
"Yeah, Mione?"
"Have you noticed something…up… with Harry?"
Ron blinked at the girl and said, "No. Should I have?"
Hermione gave him a dark look and snapped, "Yes, you should! He's your best friend!"
"Okay, okay. What should I have been noticing?"
"He's been disappearing every night after dinner for almost three months, Ron."
"What? Where's he go?"
"I don't know," replied Hermione. "But its somewhere with Trish."
"Trish?"
"The transfer student from Durmstrang."
"Oh. Well. You don't think they're…er…y'know."
Hermione scowled.
"No."
"They might be."
"Ron!"
"Well, they might," defended the ginger-haired boy.
"You wouldn't say that if it was Ginny Harry was sneaking off with."
Ron's face colored and he growled, "He'd better not be off anywhere with Ginny."
"Honestly! Ron, do you have to take everything so seriously?"
"No."
Hermione frowned and asked, seemingly to herself, "Why am I talking to you?"
"Because you want to find out what Harry's up to?"
"Exactly."
"What if they're snogging?"
Hermione growled and Ron backed away.
"Okay, okay. You want to follow him tonight?"
"Yes."
"Too bad its not someone else. We could use his invisibility cloak."
"True," said Hermione. "But I've got a plan."
"Do tell…"