(A/N: I have learned that Author Notes throughout the story break thinking patterns of the normal reader…or something similar to that. I will be naming things that need to be pointed out in a numbered fashion. As in (1), (2), (3), etc. If you wish to see them, scroll to the bottom. That, however, is your choice and the story does not have to be interrupted. XD Enjoy!)
"Harry, did it really take you this long to get that combining curse?" Hermione asked accusingly as he strolled in.
"Actually, if you must know, it did. I seem to have a real mental block about them," Harry joked as he met Elizabeth's eyes. She sadly smiled back.
"Aw, Harry. You don't have to keep things from us. We could hear things coming from the Room of Requirement, mate," Ron commented with a smirk in Harry and Elizabeth's direction.
"Well, if you heard sentences and conversation, then I guess you did hear us. But if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, then no, that was not me and Elizabeth," Harry explained calmly. Oddly, after his encounters with Elizabeth, he'd walk off with a feeling of such serenity and peacefulness, even though they almost got into a fight, and Harry liked this content, comfortable feeling.
"Sure, it wasn't…"
"Ron! Would you quit it! You know me, right? You know how self-conscious I am! If Harry would ever think of doing more than kissing me, I suppose I'd stop him because I wouldn't know what he'd think of me!" Elizabeth blurted out in rage. Her cheeks were flaming with embarrassment and disbelief. Harry, Ron, and Hermione could almost see the electricity coursing through her system.
'Obviously she doesn't have the same side effects I do,' Harry considered languorously.
"First off, I don't believe we were talking to you, second, I think that was a little more than what we wanted to know," Hermione said in frustration. She was sick of always hearing fights between her and Ron or words with Harry.
"Look, Hermione, I don't know who put the bug up your butt…What are you laughing about?" Elizabeth asked Ron.
"Bug? Up her butt?" Ron burst out in laughter.
"It's an expression. It means someone's particularly crabby," Elizabeth explained, then, rounding to Hermione, added, "Anyway, I don't know who put the bug up your butt…Oh, do stop giggling, Ron, it's really unmanly…but would you please lay off me for awhile? I mean, I'm sorry for what happened on the train but isn't it a little past that? Can't we all just forget about it?"
Hermione was taken aback by the apology. She looked suddenly disappointed in herself for acting like such a witch (the bad kind, not the magical kind).
"I was waiting for an apology. Consider it accepted. And I'm sorry I've been so unkind to you the whole time we've been here." An awkward silence followed.
"Erm…Apology accepted?" Elizabeth replied ineptly.
Though it would have been found funny under different circumstances, no one laughed. "Friends?" Hermione extended her hand.
Elizabeth paused as she looked at Hermione's outstretched hand. "Friends," she finally replied as she accepted Hermione's hand and shook it.
Things went quietly until about October the first.
"Okay," Harry started, once every Gryffindor was in the common room, "first quidditch match of the season is October the seventeenth. That happens to be one of our chaser's birthday, so let's try to win it for her. Of course, she should try her hardest, too," Harry added, turned to Elizabeth, "Quidditch practice will be every Tuesday and Thursday, like last year. No one's left this year, so that'll work to our advantage." He paused to see if there were any questions. Ron had one.
"You know why the game's are being moved to earlier in the year?" he asked.
"They don't want to completely cancel Quidditch, so they want the games done and over with before Hogwarts can be attacked again, and everyone will have to be stuck inside."
On that cheerful note, they began their first training session and everyone was a little rusty from the summer break. Just their luck, it was pouring rain. They worked hard from six until nine, when Ginny approached Harry and said if she had to throw one more quaffle, she'd die from exhaustion.
"Alright. Everyone, let's turn in!" Harry called out.
Elizabeth was in mid-throw when she heard the call. She threw the quaffle anyway, and since Ron wasn't paying attention, he got hit in the head with it.
"Sorry!" Elizabeth yelled. She didn't think he could hear her through the gale.
As Ron flew to the tent he shouted, "It's okay!"
They got inside the castle and all of them went straight to bed.
Elizabeth was in divination a week later and noticed something was wrong.
"Firenze?" Elizabeth asked the centaur after class.
"Yes?" he answered kindly. He liked her more than regular humans because of her devotion and respect to the ancient ways and beasts of myth.
"Where's Pallas supposed to be at this time of the year?" Elizabeth questioned.
"At fifteen degrees north, thirty degrees west. Why?" (1)
"What's its altitude?"
"A whole three earths' diameter away, why?"
"Because it's closer than that," Elizabeth stated.
"What?" Firenze replied as his brows drew together in confusion.
"It seems that the asteroid, Pallas, has decided to come near earth. In about a month, it will collide with our third rock from the sun," Elizabeth commented.
"Good job, Elizabeth. You are the first student to realize this. Thirty points for Gryffindor. At dinner, today, go tell the headmaster you know what's happening to the first star," Firenze said, sending Elizabeth into a state of shock.
"But what about Pallas? That's supposed to be my celestial body! Doesn't that mean something's going to happen to me or something?" she asked breathlessly.
"Not that I know of. You must relax. I knew the moment you picked Pallas that you were to be the one who figured it out. Now, go on. Another class is going to be here any minute. They happen to be young Slytherins, too," Firenze spat in disgust. Elizabeth was used to outward displays from Firenze about the Slytherins. They regarded him as a mere animal, without feelings or thoughts.
"Good bye, Firenze. Good luck with the disrespectful ignoramuses," Elizabeth said in farewell.
"Good bye, dear Elizabeth. May our next meeting be happier," said Firenze as she walked out his classroom.
Elizabeth told no one about it until Lavender mentioned divination homework to Elizabeth during dinner.
"So, what happened in the fraud's class?" Ron asked.
"Firenze's not a fraud," Elizabeth defended.
"Oh, that's right. I thought that old bat would be back by now," Ron commented.
"So, what did you talk about in divination?" Harry asked this time.
"I figured out why Dumbledore wants us to watch the skies," Elizabeth said.
"What? Why?" Hermione jumped in.
"Apparently, this asteroid, which I'm supposed to be watching carefully, has decided to come very close to earth. I expect, that in the next month or two, Pallas, that's the asteroid I was observing, will come in contact with us," Elizabeth explained.
"Oh, dear. Are we going to be in danger by this comet?" Hermione asked.
"Hardly," Elizabeth snorted, then added, "By the time it reaches our part of the atmosphere, it'll be no bigger than a human fist. Which reminds me…I've got to go tell Dumbledore."
She got up and walked directly up to the headmaster's seat.
"What can I do for you, Elizabeth?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
Her hands were held behind her back as she spoke clearly. "Sir, I've figured out what's going on in the skies," Elizabeth said confidently.
"Indeed. Please, tell me what you think is going on," Dumbledore coaxed.
"Well, I know one meteor is going to become a meteorite. The asteroid, Pallas, is descending on earth, right now. It'll be in our part of the atmosphere in little over a month," Elizabeth explained.
"Do you have any idea where it's going to fall?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes sparkling.
"Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, I believe," Elizabeth answered.
"Oh, no, we can't have that, now, can we? Starlynn?" Dumbledore called softly.
"What is it, Headmaster?" the witch garbed in black replied. Elizabeth noticed that this witch was Professor Sinistra.
"Can we have an exact placing of Pallas before it hits sea level?" he requested.
"Of course, Headmaster. Would you like me to send an emissary to retrieve it? After all, this is the time of the century the Falling of the stars occurs," Sinistra explained.
"Naturally. Thank you very much, Starlynn," Dumbledore said before turning to Elizabeth, "Now, I believe, since you are the first to realize it, points to Gryffindor are in order--"
"Sir, Firenze's already given Gryffindor thirty points. I don't think those points were really deserved. I mean, seriously, it's no big deal noticing something's a little bigger in the sky than it should be," Elizabeth stopped.
"Then thirty more points to Gryffindor for your honesty and nobility. Now, go back to your house table and finish your dinner. I believe Mr. Potter would like to practice that combining curse again," Dumbledore suggested, with a twinkle in his eye.
Elizabeth, who was really embarrassed at the fact he probably knew how everything was going between her and Harry, grinned sheepishly and went back to her friends.
[(1) Do not bother me with the real coordinates. I can't seem to find that asteroid on my astronomy program. I know it exists, though…]