Chapter 2

Ellie continued to make her way to her first class after breakfast: Potions, what a wonderful thing to wake up to, she thought sarcastically. From her first day at Hogwarts, Ellie had always seemed to have a knack for magic, but no one ever noticed.

Her 6th year was starting out all wrong, she thought, angrily. That was the problem with this swarm of bees that always followed her everywhere. People were beginning to notice as Ellie walked by. Pointing and whispering among themselves. If it wasn't for them, Ellie wouldn't have had a problem with the bees. Quite contrary to the rest of the students at Hogwarts, the friendless girl began to enjoy their company, feeling an odd sense of content knowing that they'd be there as she drifted to sleep in the evening, and when she woke up in the morning.

That feeling was not enough to get away from the curious stares and conversations that followed her down the halls and even in her sleep. Solution: She remained in her dorm until forced to go to class, and she rarely slept. Sometimes she would nod-off in the commons area and then wake up to discover that she had missed a class. Ellie was beyond caring, who would miss her anyway?

"Are you alright?" A redheaded girl asked when Ellie tripped up the stairs one evening. Ellie gave the girl the deer-in-the-headlights look. No one had ever asked her that question before.

"I'm fine." Ellie answered sternly.

"Are you sure?" The girl persisted.

"If I wasn't sure, I'd say so." Ellie continued up the stairs. Just outside, the bee's followed her from window to window, seemingly knowing that they wouldn't be welcomed inside the castle.

"I'm Ginny, by the way," The girl continued to follow Ellie.

Ellie stayed silent for a minute, she could hear a distant howling outside.

"Why are you talking to me?" Ellie asked sharply.

"I just..."

"If you want to know about the bees, I can't tell you, so let me be!"

"The bees. That is such a mystery." Ginny said, "It's like they're drawn to you, or maybe you can control them."

"Control them! Like some batch of bad sorcery. Why would I want to control bees, out of all things?" Ellie looked at her defensively.

"Maybe you don't mean to control them. Maybe they just follow your emotions. Like the way you set them on Draco Malfoy yesterday!" Ginny laughed and Ellie was horrified to find herself laughing with her. "Did you see the look on his face?"

"Well I didn't mean to, that's for sure."

"Maybe you should talk to Professor Dumbledore; he would know what to do." Ginny told her.

"No, he wouldn't care, with everything else that is going on." Ellie was sure Dumbledore didn't have a clue that she even existed. When he passed her in the halls, he wouldn't even meet her eye. "Do you hear that?" Ellie had heard the howling again, louder this time.

"Hear what?" Ginny looked over at Ellie, confusion flickered across her face.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it sounds like its hurt." Ellie speedily turned around and made her way back down the stairs, Ginny fell behind, hardly able to keep up with Ellie's lengthy stride.

Once they had made it outside, Ellie slowed down, allowing Ginny to catch up.

"What are you looking for?" Ginny asked as Ellie peered into the darkness.

"Hush!" Ellie ordered, she could hear the moans of the creature coming closer.

"Ellie, look!" Ginny pointed off into the distance at the silhouette of a large dog, slowly moving closer. Ellie remained still as the dog crept closer to her; she got down on her knees to get a closer look. Precariously, the dog began to lick her hand.

"Be careful." Ginny whispered, but Ellie paid no attention.

"He's limping, look, and he's got a gash in his side." Ellie hated dogs. She hated all animals, she always had. Something about the pitiful creature drew her to him.

Against Ginny's will, Ellie managed to slip the poor dog into the common room and up the stairs into her abandoned dorm.

"Go away now," Ellie told Ginny who stood in her dorm begging Ellie to let the dog back into the woods.

"Just leave so the mutt can be mended." She tried desperately trying to shut Ginny out of her room.

"Why are you so secretive, anyway?" Ginny asked.

"Why are you so nosey?"

"That doesn't answer the question."

"Fine," Ellie gave in, "Stay if you must, but please at least shut the door." As soon as she heard the click of the door, Ellie took a small, unpolished, brass key out of her pocket.

"What's that for?" Ginny eyed the key.

"Quit asking questions!"

Unlocking her trunk, Ellie took out a large book. She cracked open the book, and watched the particles of dust float off the pages and into the air.

She found the spell and as hard as she concentrated, she stumbled over the words and eventually slammed the book shut.

"It's hopeless!" She had forgotten Ginny was sitting in the corner up until that moment.

They both dressed the dogs wounds the best they could with a few pieces of spare cloth.

"I don't see why you don't take him to Madame Pomfrey, she could fix him up."

"Killyjoy is strong, he'll survive," Ellie spoke in a voice that wasn't her own.

"Killyjoy?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Ellie stood up, rigidly, "That was his name once, I'm sure it was."

As Ellie lay in bed that night after her shower, with Killyjoy at her side, she struggled to fall asleep do to the burning sensation that covered her body. She placed her arm under the moonlight that flowed into her window. Her skin was raw and she had a sun-burned look about her.

To try and ignore her discomfort she watched the bees that covered her windowsill.

Once again, she wondered why Ginny had spoken to her and she fell asleep pondering.

Thanks for reading! Someone PLEASE review!

-Penny