"I can't wait!" Crystal exclaimed as she began jumping up and down as she waited in line to go to Hogsmeade.
"Calm down," Harry said. "Why can't you wait?"
"I get to meet my mysterious man today," Crystal replied as she began waltzing around Harry.
"I get to meet my mysterious girl today but you don't see me dancing around," he replied.
"Sorry," Crystal muttered. "I just can't wait."
Once they had gotten through Filch's inspection they made their way down the path into Hogsmeade.
"See you in the Three Broomsticks," Crystal called as she headed toward Orions. Orions was a cute little coffee shop with red hearts painted on the huge glass windows. Crystal took a huge breath before opening the glass doors to the sop.
"Wow," Crystal said as she looked around. Red and pink glittering hearts hung from the ceiling making the shop glow with red and pink spots. Tiny little pink fairies flew around making it look like they were just little pink balls of light floating in the air.
"I'm early," Crystal thought. "I'll just go and sit down and wait for him." Crystal and her mysterious man had agreed to meet at the back booth. Once in sight she noticed that someone was already sitting in the booth. Draco Malfoy.
"He comes in here!" Crystal laughed. "Oh well. I'll just have to tell him to move."
Crystal made her way over to Draco's table. "Sorry Malfoy but you're going to have to move."
"What's wrong?" Draco asked. "Do I have your seat?"
"Today you do," Crystal replied.
"Well I'm sorry," Draco hummed. "But I'm waiting for someone."
"What did you say?" Crystal asked.
"I said that I was waiting for someone. Is it that hard to believe?"
"You're joking right?" The smile quickly vanished from both Draco's and Crystal's face. However the smile almost instantly returned to Draco's.
"This just proves it," Draco sneered.
"Proves what?" Crystal asked.
"We're soul mates. Good doesn't mix with evil. You're going to change sides in the end."
"No I'm not," Crystal began. "I believe in what I'm fighting for. It's more than you can say."
"I'm not no goodie goodie like Saint Potter," Draco screamed. "And from what I can tell you're not either."
"Don't ever talk to me again," Crystal reached into her pocket and took out his watch. "Here," she said as she threw it on the table. She then quickly turned and ran out of Orions. How could she be so stupid? She must have let her guard down and the Voldemort psychic thing happened again.
"No," she told herself. This was the real thing. Maybe she was meant to return to the dark side. Crystal walked over to a wooden bench near Orions. Crystal couldn't believe her luck. "Why did this have to happen to me?" Crystal sighed as a silent tear ran down her cheek. Draco emerged from the coffee shop. Crystal quickly wiped the tear from her face. She couldn't let Draco see her crying.
Draco stared at Crystal for a few moments. He couldn't believe his luck. Hew silently walked off toward an unknown store.
"Well I can't just sit here all day and cry," Crystal thought as she got up. She walked along the stone street looking in the windows of the shops she passed. At noon Crystal made her way into the Three Broomsticks to see Harry and Ginny, and Ron, and Hermione sitting at a booth with butterbeers already ordered.
"Where's your mysterious man?" Harry asked as Crystal approached the table.
"Um . . He couldn't come," she replied. "He already had plans."
"Well," Hermione begged. "Who is it?"
"I'd rather not say. . . . ."
"It can't be that bad," Ron said. "It's not like it's Draco Malfoy."
"Ha ha good one," Crystal laughed. :So what did everyone do today?"
"Harry and me went to Madam Puddifoot's. It was so cute. The shop was decorated for Valentines Day. There were hearts all over the place," Ginny replied.
"Ron and me went to the Longhodge bridge. The river was dyed pink," Hermione said. "It was so romantic. What about you Crystal?"
"Well we met at Orions. It was very emotional. And he was um . . .nice." Nice wasn't exactly the word Crystal wanted to use but she couldn't think of anything else to say.
"What does he look like?" Ginny asked. "We can guess who he is."
"Well. . . .um. . . .he was taller than me," Crystal said dumbly.
"I sorta figured that out," Harry said.
"He's cute." Crystal flinched at the word cute. She couldn't believe that she had said that.
"So when do we get to meet him?" Ginny asked.
"Well he'd in another house so it's be hard for you to meet him."
"No it wouldn't," Hermione began. "We can meet him in between classes or in the great hall."
"I'll see what I can do," Crystal said.
On Sunday afternoon Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Crystal made their way to the great hall for the Elite awards ceremony. They quickly took their seats at the Gryffindor table and waited for the ceremony to begin.
Albus Dumbledore stood up to begin his speech. "Welcome students. I am very glad that we have the opportunity to get together once again. I would also like to think everyone who competed. Everyone done remarkably well. We will begin with Defense Against the Dark Arts. If your name is called please make your way toward the front of the hall to receive your award. Professor Love, if you would."
The dark haired professor rose from her seat and took her place in front of the students. "Hello," she began. "Second place runner up is Draco Malfoy!" Draco rose from his table and walked to the front. He received a golden pin that had Defense Against the Dark Arts written across it. "First runner up is Crystal Lockhart." Crystal also received the same pin Draco did but she also got 10 galleons. "And the winner is Harry Potter!" The entire hall exploded with applause as Harry received his pin and 100 galleons.
The professors continued announcing their subjects winners. Crystal won Transfiguration, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle won potions, (That was defiantly fixed," Crystal heard Ron say.) Ron won Care of Magical Creatures, and Hermione won charms. After the ceremony was over everyone headed back toward their dormitories to finish their homework and get ready for their classed that would resume tomorrow.
Tuesday morning Crystal made her way to the great hall for breakfast. After she finished eating a piece of toast she grabbed her books and made her way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Professor Love quickly ushered the students into her room.
"Welcome class," she began. "Today we will go onto the grounds and you will take turns going through an obstacle course. I will grade you on how well you do. Follow me."
The class obeyed, following Professor Love out onto the chilly grounds. "Crystal Lockhart I want you to go first."
Crystal walked toward the beginning of the obstacle course. It appeared to be fairly easy.
"Oh and one more thing." Professor Love raised her wand toward Crystal's throat. "Parlarless."
A small puff of smoke came out of Crystal's throat. She looked like she was about to kill the professor.
"And we can't have you turning invisible," Professor Love laughed. "It's not fair to the other students." A cage of energy appeared around the obstacle course, trapping Crystal inside.
"Well go," Professor Love chanted. "You're running out of time."
Crystal stared at the impossible task that laid before her. She couldn't turn invisible and the spell the professor had aimed at her throat had left her speechless. Literally. The first part of the course was to get past a pit of serpents. Since she couldn't talk her wand was useless and so was her Parseltounge ability. She ran, took a flying leap, and landed safe on the other side of the pit.
"Oh great," Crystal thought. The next part of the course was to cross a fallen tree with another pit of serpents below it. "Okay," she thought. "I just need to walk across and I'll be fine." Crystal didn't exactly walk across the bridge, she crawled instead. Once across the pit Crystal sit down for a while. She could no longer see any possible threat and decided to think for a minute before continuing down the course. A large snake head peeped it's head out of the top of a nearby pit. Crystal was too tired to notice it wind it's way around her body.
All of a sudden Crystal felt pain like she had never felt before. This wasn't an ordinary snake. Just by touching her skin the snake was draining away her energy. Crystal tried to move but she couldn't. Suddenly everything went black to Crystal.
"Uh. . . . ." Crystal said as she slowly opened her eyes. She was no longer in the obstacle course. Now Crystal was safe inside the hospital wing.
"Finally," said Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts school nurse. "I didn't think you would ever wake up."
"How long have I been asleep?" Crystal asked.
"About five hours. You were lucky you didn't get hurt worse. Smoke Vipers are highly dangerous."
"Was that what that was?" Crystal asked as she rubbed her head, "They sure pack quite a punch."
"Some boy has been coming in here every hour to check on you," Madam Pomfrey said. "I think he was afraid that if he left something bad would happen to you."
"What did he look like?"
"He was about your age," Madam Pomfrey began. "He had blond hair and I think he was in Slytherin."
"So when can I leave?"
"I'm afraid you won't be able to leave until tomorrow morning," Madam Pomfrey replied.
Knock-knock
Madam Pomfrey walked over to the large door then opened the door only partially, hiding the visitor from Crystal's view.
"May I see Crystal?" She heard the person ask.
"Sure," Madam Pomfrey responded. "Just don't stay long. She needs her rest."
The door opened the rest of the way to reveal Draco Malfoy.
"Hey," he said. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Yeah me too."
"Well I just wanted to see if you had got up yet. I better go back. The professors are starting to wonder why I keep going to the hospital wing."
By the time the door closed it was open once again by Professor Dumbledore.
"I came as soon as I knew you were awake," Professor Dumbledore began.
"But how did you know?" Crystal asked.
"I always know," he replied with a grin. "Now we must have a very important and quick talk. Classes are almost over and then I expect Harry will want to talk to you. I must warn you. Smoke Vipers were Voldemort's favorite weapon when he first was in power. Those who weren't killed by the creatures gave him an open gateway to control their minds. If you experience anything weird alert me at once. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," Crystal replied. "But why?"
"I must depart. Just remember what I told you." With that Dumbledore disappeared into the hallway.
Not long after Dumbledore left Harry, Ron, and Hermione appeared.
"I'm glad you're awake," Hermione said.
"I'm going to kill Professor Love," Crystal swore.
"Why?" Harry asked. "It's not her fault you were attacked.
"Yes it was," Crystal argued. "She put the cage around me so I couldn't turn invisible. She also made it where I couldn't talk."
"Oh," Harry replied. "I didn't know."
"You mean you didn't see her use that spell on me?" Crystal asked.
"No," Hermione replied. "All we seen was her putting the cage around you. She said she done that so you wouldn't go around the pits."
"That liar," Crystal spat.
"I'm sorry," Madam Pomfrey interrupted. "All visitors must leave now."
"See ya," Crystal called as her friends left the room.
"Drink this," Madam Pomfrey instructed.
The potion tasted sweet. Only seconds after Crystal had finished the potion she was in a deep sleep.
Crystal was now in the cold dungeons. Her bare feet touched the cold and slimy tiles as she followed the person in front of her. Even though Crystal couldn't see the person's face she knew who it was.
Very carefully Luna opened the door to Snape's office. They tip toed across the office to the private storage cupboard. Luna took out a select amount of various potion ingredients. They took the ingredients back out into the dungeons.
There was a caldron ready to begin the difficult potion that they were destined to make. Slowly and carefully Crystal began adding the first ingredients while Luna began stirring the contents together. After hours of vigorous work the potions was complete.
A Smoke Viper the size of a basilisk emerged from the caldron. It slithered across the floor and disappeared through the closest wall.
Crystal and Luna left the dungeons and made their way to the great hall. Once they were there Luna wrote a psychic message that stayed suspended in the air:
The reign of Voldemort has begun once again.