Chapter 9 – Sunny Catnapped
Liz awoke the next morning to a tapping sound on the window and Bettie's snoring. She stumbled wearily to the window to see her mother's white owl. She took it in and shushed it while she took the letter off its leg. "Tell Mum thanks," she muttered to the owl jokingly. The owl gave a loud hoot and flew off.
"Wha—?" came Rachel's voice from behind her hangings. "What was that?"
"I just have mail. Go back to sleep."
Rachel obliged. Liz took the letter and read:
Dear Elizabeth,
Happy Halloween! Is third-year going all right? How are your new classes going? What are you taking? I took Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. Divination was rubbish, honestly, but Care of Magical Creatures was all right. I don't remember why I took those two, really. Wait, yes, I do. I liked your father—no, that was before I knew him. I really don't know, but your father took those classes, too. Maybe it was more than coincidence.
I have to run. I'll write again.
Luna
Liz smiled, folded up the letter, and put it in her upper left-hand drawer.
The weather was getting progressively colder. It was almost the middle of November, which meant it was a little over a month until Christmas vacation. The teachers seemed determined to fill all the students' heads with as much information as possible before the break.
In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Pumjy taught about a Dark creature called a kappa. He even brought one in. Liz was touching it carefully when her unexplained magic turned on and the kappa went wild, spraying water over everyone and everything. Professor Pumjy jumped so badly that he smashed his head on the chandelier and swore loudly. Professor McGonagall, who was passing by, heard and came in, threatening to have his paycheck if she caught him cursing before children ever again.
Professor Weasley was in much the same mood as the headmistress. She seemed determined that every student get everything right. So determined, in fact, that she took points off Michael, her own son, for failing to perform a Switching Spell correctly. Liz nearly made her own mistake after that.
But Professor Stickler was the worst. He yelled at people for not putting their heading on their work, and he even took points from Hufflepuff when David Hannigan tore his book, even after David fixed his page. "I don't care if you repaired it," Professor Stickler said. "It's the principle of the thing. You have to be careful with your school supplies, especially your texts. Five points from Hufflepuff."
Liz attempted to give David a consoling smile, but Bettie was already pouring out the pseudo-sympathy all over him. Liz gave Bettie an icy smile before turning back to pay attention to Professor Stickler's lecture on the layout of the Ancient Runes caves.
In History of Magic, Liz found a new way to take notes. She often wondered how she could be reduced to this. She had gotten a Quick-Quotes Quill in Hogsmeade, and she set it to work while she turned on her Wizarding Wireless to listen to her new favorite singer, Thorn Xeh.
In the middle of Liz's favorite song, there was a loud beep that made everyone in her vicinity wake up. Liz hurriedly turned down the volume. "Today," said an announcer's voice, "there was a break-in at the Department of Mysteries. Ministry officials will not comment whether or not anything was stolen."
"Get back to the music," she hissed at her Wireless, fully aware it couldn't hear her. She got a surprise when it whispered back, "Okay," and reverted to the songs on another station.
In Herbology, Professor Longbottom set them to work repotting Mandrakes. When Michael, who had been having a bad day, asked loudly, "Didn't we do this last year?" Professor Longbottom responded with, "These things saved many, many of my friends in my second year, including Professor Weasley." Michael fell silent.
And so it went, every teacher (except Hagrid) in a bad mood almost every single day. Hagrid kept up his cheerful appearance most every day, except once when he caught Chris attempting to make tea with magic. Liz and the others were careful not to cross his path that day.
Liz dropped into her desk chair after one particularly draining Potions class and whistled softly so that her kitten Sunny would come and purr on her lap. That was always relaxing. But Sunny didn't come. Liz whistled again, this time a little louder, but her cat still didn't appear. Where was she?
"Liz," Rachel said, opening the door to the dorm, "It's time for dinner. Are you coming?"
"Yeah," Liz said absentmindedly. "Hey, Rachel, have you seen Sunny lately?"
"No, I don't think so. I'd ask Desiree, Alberta, and Bettie about it. Come on, we're going to be late."
The two girls hurried down to the Great Hall, where they met Michael. Rachel told him about Sunny going missing and he frowned. "What's wrong?" Rachel asked.
"Well, Winnie and some of the other Slytherins are over there meowing," he said, pointing.
Sure enough, Winnie Chen and a group of her Slytherin friends were laughing about something. They shot Liz a group smirk and Winnie pretended to meow, causing more peals of raucous laughter from the Slytherin table.
"I bet they stole her, I bet they—"
"Calm down, Liz, it'll be fine," said Michael. "Tell Mum, she'll—"
"No," Liz retorted, without taking her eyes off Winnie, "I've got a score to settle."
She waited, not very patiently, for dinner to end. When it was over, she told Rachel and Michael that she'd see them in the common room later and followed Winnie out of the Great Hall at a distance. Winnie unknowingly led her all the way to the Slytherin dungeons. She was in the very back of the queue of students to enter the common room, so just as she was about to go in, Liz called out her name.
Winnie meowed softly, and then laughed. "Are you missing your precious kitty? It was so easy to get someone to levitate me up to your window so I could take it. You really should think about locking those, you know?"
Liz was so incensed that she forgot whatever she had planned to say, whatever she was going to do to even the score. She just wanted to...She only wished she could...
The power. The power was back. So was the sense of being watched, but fainter now. Liz didn't really want to cause her enemy any physical harm. "Winnie," she said weakly, the strength building up inside of her. "Winnie...look out..."
But there was really nothing to look out for. Winnie was lifted bodily and flung against the wall. She slid down it, defeated. A trickle of blood ran down her forehead and dripped into her eye. But whatever was happening wasn't finished. Winnie flew into the air and did three flips before hitting the low ceiling. With a moan, she crashed back down to the ground.
Liz had been so absorbed in what had been happening that she hadn't noticed a door open in the dark hallway behind her. "Elizabeth Potter!" Snape roared, flushed with rage. "What is going on here?"
Liz cringed. How was she supposed to explain this, especially to the teacher who was most likely to twist her words? "I—I—"
Snape conjured a stretcher and floated Winnie, who was unconscious, onto it. "Follow me, Miss Potter," he snapped. "You're going to see the headmistress."
After leaving Winnie at the hospital wing, Snape led Liz to the headmistress's office. He conjured a piece of parchment, filled it with writing with a wave of his wand, gave it to Liz, and sent her inside. She hesitated to open the doorknob.
McGonagall was inside, surrounded by trinkets covered in dust. Lining the walls were frames upon frames of portraits of many wizards and witches, most of whom seemed to be sleeping. A couple peeked their eyes open and eyed Liz suspiciously before sitting up straight.
"Professor McGonagall?" Liz asked tentatively.
McGonagall's eyes snapped up. "Yes, Elizabeth?"
"Uh, well, I...I was...what I mean to say is..."
"Spit it out," said the headmistress.
Instead of "spitting it out," as Professor McGonagall had instructed, Liz handed her the note. Professor McGonagall read it aloud. "'Professor McGonagall, it has come to my attention that there is an enmity between Elizabeth Potter and Winifred Chen. The scene I found earlier tonight best describes this: Miss Potter, standing before a very beaten-up Miss Chen, who is currently in the hospital wing, unconscious. Please ask Miss Potter of these events, or this tension is sure to continue. Sincerely, Severus Snape.'"
The tension issue is sure to continue anyway, Liz thought as McGonagall folded up the letter and looked up at Liz, a white circle around her mouth. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself, Miss Potter?"
Liz took a deep breath. "Professor, this is going to be hard to believe, but...I seem to be having problems with my magic. At times, I can't control it anymore. Winnie stole my cat out of my dorm, and I got mad. It started up and really beat her up. I didn't mean to, honestly. I just—"
"All right, Elizabeth, let me think."
"What is there to think about, Minerva?" said a calm, cool voice. Liz looked around before determining that it came from one of the portraits on the wall. It was of a man with light blue yes, long white hair, a long white beard, and half-moon spectacles. He seemed to radiate calmness. "The burglary at the Ministry, remember?"
"Yes, Albus, that is what I am thinking of," said McGonagall, seemingly embarrassed, for she had obviously not thought of it. Liz finally recognized the old wizard as Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts's last headmaster before McGonagall. He smiled knowingly as Professor McGonagall pulled herself together after the embarrassment.
"What does the burglary have to do with this?" Liz asked.
"Everything, Elizabeth," said Dumbledore's portrait, "because a record of a prophecy was stolen. And that prophecy was about you."
Liz awoke the next morning to a tapping sound on the window and Bettie's snoring. She stumbled wearily to the window to see her mother's white owl. She took it in and shushed it while she took the letter off its leg. "Tell Mum thanks," she muttered to the owl jokingly. The owl gave a loud hoot and flew off.
"Wha—?" came Rachel's voice from behind her hangings. "What was that?"
"I just have mail. Go back to sleep."
Rachel obliged. Liz took the letter and read:
Dear Elizabeth,
Happy Halloween! Is third-year going all right? How are your new classes going? What are you taking? I took Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. Divination was rubbish, honestly, but Care of Magical Creatures was all right. I don't remember why I took those two, really. Wait, yes, I do. I liked your father—no, that was before I knew him. I really don't know, but your father took those classes, too. Maybe it was more than coincidence.
I have to run. I'll write again.
Luna
Liz smiled, folded up the letter, and put it in her upper left-hand drawer.
The weather was getting progressively colder. It was almost the middle of November, which meant it was a little over a month until Christmas vacation. The teachers seemed determined to fill all the students' heads with as much information as possible before the break.
In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Pumjy taught about a Dark creature called a kappa. He even brought one in. Liz was touching it carefully when her unexplained magic turned on and the kappa went wild, spraying water over everyone and everything. Professor Pumjy jumped so badly that he smashed his head on the chandelier and swore loudly. Professor McGonagall, who was passing by, heard and came in, threatening to have his paycheck if she caught him cursing before children ever again.
Professor Weasley was in much the same mood as the headmistress. She seemed determined that every student get everything right. So determined, in fact, that she took points off Michael, her own son, for failing to perform a Switching Spell correctly. Liz nearly made her own mistake after that.
But Professor Stickler was the worst. He yelled at people for not putting their heading on their work, and he even took points from Hufflepuff when David Hannigan tore his book, even after David fixed his page. "I don't care if you repaired it," Professor Stickler said. "It's the principle of the thing. You have to be careful with your school supplies, especially your texts. Five points from Hufflepuff."
Liz attempted to give David a consoling smile, but Bettie was already pouring out the pseudo-sympathy all over him. Liz gave Bettie an icy smile before turning back to pay attention to Professor Stickler's lecture on the layout of the Ancient Runes caves.
In History of Magic, Liz found a new way to take notes. She often wondered how she could be reduced to this. She had gotten a Quick-Quotes Quill in Hogsmeade, and she set it to work while she turned on her Wizarding Wireless to listen to her new favorite singer, Thorn Xeh.
In the middle of Liz's favorite song, there was a loud beep that made everyone in her vicinity wake up. Liz hurriedly turned down the volume. "Today," said an announcer's voice, "there was a break-in at the Department of Mysteries. Ministry officials will not comment whether or not anything was stolen."
"Get back to the music," she hissed at her Wireless, fully aware it couldn't hear her. She got a surprise when it whispered back, "Okay," and reverted to the songs on another station.
In Herbology, Professor Longbottom set them to work repotting Mandrakes. When Michael, who had been having a bad day, asked loudly, "Didn't we do this last year?" Professor Longbottom responded with, "These things saved many, many of my friends in my second year, including Professor Weasley." Michael fell silent.
And so it went, every teacher (except Hagrid) in a bad mood almost every single day. Hagrid kept up his cheerful appearance most every day, except once when he caught Chris attempting to make tea with magic. Liz and the others were careful not to cross his path that day.
Liz dropped into her desk chair after one particularly draining Potions class and whistled softly so that her kitten Sunny would come and purr on her lap. That was always relaxing. But Sunny didn't come. Liz whistled again, this time a little louder, but her cat still didn't appear. Where was she?
"Liz," Rachel said, opening the door to the dorm, "It's time for dinner. Are you coming?"
"Yeah," Liz said absentmindedly. "Hey, Rachel, have you seen Sunny lately?"
"No, I don't think so. I'd ask Desiree, Alberta, and Bettie about it. Come on, we're going to be late."
The two girls hurried down to the Great Hall, where they met Michael. Rachel told him about Sunny going missing and he frowned. "What's wrong?" Rachel asked.
"Well, Winnie and some of the other Slytherins are over there meowing," he said, pointing.
Sure enough, Winnie Chen and a group of her Slytherin friends were laughing about something. They shot Liz a group smirk and Winnie pretended to meow, causing more peals of raucous laughter from the Slytherin table.
"I bet they stole her, I bet they—"
"Calm down, Liz, it'll be fine," said Michael. "Tell Mum, she'll—"
"No," Liz retorted, without taking her eyes off Winnie, "I've got a score to settle."
She waited, not very patiently, for dinner to end. When it was over, she told Rachel and Michael that she'd see them in the common room later and followed Winnie out of the Great Hall at a distance. Winnie unknowingly led her all the way to the Slytherin dungeons. She was in the very back of the queue of students to enter the common room, so just as she was about to go in, Liz called out her name.
Winnie meowed softly, and then laughed. "Are you missing your precious kitty? It was so easy to get someone to levitate me up to your window so I could take it. You really should think about locking those, you know?"
Liz was so incensed that she forgot whatever she had planned to say, whatever she was going to do to even the score. She just wanted to...She only wished she could...
The power. The power was back. So was the sense of being watched, but fainter now. Liz didn't really want to cause her enemy any physical harm. "Winnie," she said weakly, the strength building up inside of her. "Winnie...look out..."
But there was really nothing to look out for. Winnie was lifted bodily and flung against the wall. She slid down it, defeated. A trickle of blood ran down her forehead and dripped into her eye. But whatever was happening wasn't finished. Winnie flew into the air and did three flips before hitting the low ceiling. With a moan, she crashed back down to the ground.
Liz had been so absorbed in what had been happening that she hadn't noticed a door open in the dark hallway behind her. "Elizabeth Potter!" Snape roared, flushed with rage. "What is going on here?"
Liz cringed. How was she supposed to explain this, especially to the teacher who was most likely to twist her words? "I—I—"
Snape conjured a stretcher and floated Winnie, who was unconscious, onto it. "Follow me, Miss Potter," he snapped. "You're going to see the headmistress."
After leaving Winnie at the hospital wing, Snape led Liz to the headmistress's office. He conjured a piece of parchment, filled it with writing with a wave of his wand, gave it to Liz, and sent her inside. She hesitated to open the doorknob.
McGonagall was inside, surrounded by trinkets covered in dust. Lining the walls were frames upon frames of portraits of many wizards and witches, most of whom seemed to be sleeping. A couple peeked their eyes open and eyed Liz suspiciously before sitting up straight.
"Professor McGonagall?" Liz asked tentatively.
McGonagall's eyes snapped up. "Yes, Elizabeth?"
"Uh, well, I...I was...what I mean to say is..."
"Spit it out," said the headmistress.
Instead of "spitting it out," as Professor McGonagall had instructed, Liz handed her the note. Professor McGonagall read it aloud. "'Professor McGonagall, it has come to my attention that there is an enmity between Elizabeth Potter and Winifred Chen. The scene I found earlier tonight best describes this: Miss Potter, standing before a very beaten-up Miss Chen, who is currently in the hospital wing, unconscious. Please ask Miss Potter of these events, or this tension is sure to continue. Sincerely, Severus Snape.'"
The tension issue is sure to continue anyway, Liz thought as McGonagall folded up the letter and looked up at Liz, a white circle around her mouth. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself, Miss Potter?"
Liz took a deep breath. "Professor, this is going to be hard to believe, but...I seem to be having problems with my magic. At times, I can't control it anymore. Winnie stole my cat out of my dorm, and I got mad. It started up and really beat her up. I didn't mean to, honestly. I just—"
"All right, Elizabeth, let me think."
"What is there to think about, Minerva?" said a calm, cool voice. Liz looked around before determining that it came from one of the portraits on the wall. It was of a man with light blue yes, long white hair, a long white beard, and half-moon spectacles. He seemed to radiate calmness. "The burglary at the Ministry, remember?"
"Yes, Albus, that is what I am thinking of," said McGonagall, seemingly embarrassed, for she had obviously not thought of it. Liz finally recognized the old wizard as Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts's last headmaster before McGonagall. He smiled knowingly as Professor McGonagall pulled herself together after the embarrassment.
"What does the burglary have to do with this?" Liz asked.
"Everything, Elizabeth," said Dumbledore's portrait, "because a record of a prophecy was stolen. And that prophecy was about you."