Saida was eating in the Great Hall. They were half way through their last year. It had been weird coming back to school. There were a number of students missing. It was a relaxed, emotional year. Hermione was studying muggles in muggle studies, the first years were battling a skrewt in Care for Magical Creatures, Neville, Harry and Ron were making a mess in potions and Saida was working on advanced charms. She could not concentrate though. She kept thinking of the trip into Hogsmeade yesterday. They were pulling into Hogsmeade station when a group of reporters ran over to Harry and Saida. There was an annoying photographer for the Daily Prophet and a jumpy interviewer.
George turned on the wizard radio and heard Saida, his brother and their friends being interviewed on the Wizarding Wireless Network. He clenched his fists and hit the counter. Fred looked up from the shelf he was stalking. George and Fred's joke shop was doing really well and they were working on a new invention. He remembered the day Saida found a Fizzing Whizbee. He had a crush on her and blushed when she ate one and started floating. She passed out and hit her head on the floor. Everyone ignored the twins for weeks, but Saida didn't. She was the only one who would talk to them, even though they sent her to the hospital wing. That's when George knew he had more than a crush on her. Fred noticed how George would act around her and questioned him everyday until he gave in. Finally, in the summer before his sixth year, Ginny and Fred told him that Saida had a crush on him. They got together on the train ride to school.
"Can you tell us anything about Voldemort?" The reporter shoved his microphone into Harry's face bumping his glasses. Ron tried to grab his arm to pull him out when the reporter shoved the microphone into Ron's face.
"Can you tell us anything about your evil sister Ginny?" the photographer snapped a picture of Saida, Ron and Harry.
"Saida have you ever thought about posing for Play Owl?" the sleazy photographer rubbed Saida's arm. Hermione grabbed Saida and pulled her out. She started yelling at the reporter and Ron and Harry started walking away. The photographer snapped a bunch of pictures and the students stood blinded for a few minutes. When Hermione was done lecturing the reporters they all split up to go to different stores. Saida went to the teacup reader, Mrs. Weasley suggested Percy Weasley's tea lady. Ron and Hermione were going to be visiting a floo hub while Harry was meeting a parsel tongue translator.
"I was expecting you Saida. Come in dear," Saida walked into the dimly lit room, the candles flickered and she instantly relaxed.
"How did you know my name? And that I was coming?" Saida asked the lady curiously.
"I saw you…" She waved her bony hand towards the glass ball. "Sit down. My name is Miss Keday." She sat in a purple covered chair across from Saida.
"I will read your cards, tea leaves and my crystal ball." Saida shifted in her seat, leant forward and bored into Miss Keday's deep, tender eyes until she got lost in emotion.
"You have a very gloomy, heartbreaking essence, you carry a torturous burden." Saida closed her eyes, and Miss Keday put her cards away.
"I wont need those. Drink your tea dear." Saida picked up her mug, letting its heat absorb into her fingers, into her hands, into her arms, warming her entire body. She sipped the herbal tea and listened to Miss Keday hum into her orb. Saida remembered gazing into the orb in divination class and set her empty mug down.
"There is great pain in your past, I see great love, but not with a man. A friend. It is a very strong essence." She waved her hand over the ball and it filled with think fog. She closed her eyes and moved her hands down, left, right or left. She opened her eyes.
"There is a ring, a circle, of light. A figure in the distance hovering, watching. I see a gathering of light, surrounding pain, hurt. The light is circling it, moving in, diminishing all the pain." Saida watched Miss Keday with hope.
"You came here believing that I could tell you how to endure and conquer all your pain. I can only tell you that you indeed, will overcome this, but I cannot tell you how. If you wish for me to red your tea leaves I will do so." She smiled lightly and waited for Saida to answer.
"I would like that." Miss Keday took her mug and stared into it.
"I see a bottle, dark, with a stream of light yearning to leave its corrupt and ruthless bind. You must find this bottle and release the light. Release the good from evil." Saida blinked. "Release the good" she knew exactly what she had to do. Miss Keday smiled and Saida pulled out her purse.
"No dear, I don't take money." She walked to the back of the room. Saida smiled and left. She found her friends and they walked back to school, talking excitedly about their day. Saida just listened and thought of Ginny.
"Saida, Hello?" Saida looked up. The class was empty.
"Sorry, I feel asleep, it won't happen again." She grabbed her bag and left the room. She walked to the library and yanked open the door. She had spent all her extra time reading books about bottles of evil. Ron walked in carrying Hermione's books while Hermione walked in behind him, carrying more books.
"What are we doing Hermione, rewriting 'Hogwarts, A History'?" Ron complained. Saida looked up again an hour later and saw Ron reading eats, shoots and leaves and Hermione still writing rapidly on some parchment. Saida grabbed another book and threw it on the table. She had to find something. She knew she would find something.
The library was closing when she turned the page.
"Miss, you have to leave now, MISS." The woman was tapping her foot impatiently on the marble floor. The crisp page rustled in the air and Saida stared at the picture.
"I need to check this book out." She ran to the front desk and read the page on the way to the common room. She read the page over and over again. This was it.