Disclaimer: I don't own HP.
Authors Note: Chapter 6: right here.
Chapter 6 – Help from the Head"It's only a month away, Ginny." I said in the DADA lesson on Friday.
"Don't worry. I'll help. OK, first we need to start with what hexes and things you already know. What would they be?"
"And this has what to do with Mud Moots?" Came a stern voice.
"Nothing…w—we were just—"
"Discussing something for—"
"Professor Binns. He wants us to do an essay on the hexes, jinxes and curses that wizards used on Vampires in 1632." Ginny lied. Damn she's good.
"Indeed? Well, everyone! I want a 3 page essay on Mud Moots – everything you need to know." She left as the bell went and we went to Care of Magical Creatures.
"Looks like we're going to be inside today." I said as we reached the Entrance Hall and looked out into the misty haze. And sure enough, Hagrid came striding towards us.
"We're inside t'day! C'mon!" We followed him to an empty classroom on the third floor.
"Now, no moanin', I wan' a four page essay on a summary o' wha' yeh've learned from me so far. Start writing. I'm gunna write som' things on the board."
"That was almost like one of Binns classes." I said miserably an hour later in the Great Hall for dinner.
"Perk up, we've got some learning to do after Quidditch practise."
"Oh, I forgot about that! How am I supposed to get all this homework done, and then on top of that I've got Quidditch and then I've," I lowered my voice," I've got hexes and curses to learn as well. And I've got to take that test with Dan and Luke."
"What are you saying about us?" I whipped around to see Dan, Luke and Colin Creevey.
"Nothing." They walked off to sit down the other end of the table.
"What are they doing hanging out with Creevey?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Probably can't get rid of him. You know how he tags people." We laughed half-heartedly into our bowls of ice cream.
"Team, c'mon, practise!" We pushed our bowls away, grabbed our bags and sped down to the pitch.
"Now, Ginny and Neveah, in the air and have a good blow with these bludgers. Kei, Jessica and Mickey, I want you three practising with the Quaffle and then Ron will defend and I'll try for the Snitch. In the air!" I swerved in and out of Kei's way and spotted a Bludger aiming for Ron so I sped forward and whacked it towards the other end of the pitch.
"Thanks!" It was good to hear him saying something nice to me rather than an insult. But I know that's only on the pitch. I turned around and a Bludger was coming back for me. I held my bat up at the ready and hit it far over to the other end again. In a couple of minutes, Potter called us down with the Snitch in his hand.
"That was great, we've definitely got those Slytherin's beat. Inside." We marched up to the castle (still in my Quidditch robes). Ginny and I got changed, found an empty classroom and started practising.
"So, what's one of the main spells you used last year?" I asked her while she made sure my wand was in good condition.
"Hmm, we stunned them a lot but then I sprained my ankle so I didn't do much. So, why don't we practise the stunning spell? Do you know the incantation?"
"Yeah, what'll we practise with?"
"Some cushions and these chairs and maybe you can do it on me at random intervals." She handed back my wand (now looking sparkly and clean as it always did) and threw up a cushion.
"Stupefy!" I yelled and the cushion fell to the ground, looking like stone.
"That was great. What about the full body-bind? Know the incantation for that one? Great, try it on me."
"Petrificus Totalus! Sulatot!" Ginny was back to her normal self. She sat up looking hurt.
"I hit my head…hard. I think that should be it for the night, Nev. C'mon." We packed up our things and left for the dormitory.
"I'm so tired." Ginny and I said in unison the next day at breakfast.
"Why?" Hermione asked us suddenly. She had not talked to us since that day in the Hospital Wing.
"'Mione, why are you talking to us?" Ginny asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, that's odd. Don't you think Ron will disagree?"
"He doesn't have to know does he?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Well…no. And we're tired because we were up most of the night practising hexes and things," Hermione gave a confused look," for the test in the holidays."
"Oh! That's right." She said.
"What are you doing, Hermione?" Ron asked as he sat down next to Hermione and Potter sat next to him.
"N—nothing. Just asking why—why they're tired." And she whispered something I couldn't hear.
"C'mon, let's go…to the common room."
"Why are—"
"Just come!"
I hauled Ginny out of the Great Hall and up the marble stairs.
"Neveah, where are we going? This isn't the way to the common room."
"We're going to see Dumbledore…he wasn't at breakfast so he must be here." We stopped at the stone gargoyle.
"Tangy Apple!" The gargoyle sprang to life and moved aside revealing the revolving staircase. We waited 'til we saw the wooden door and we heard voices inside.
"You cannot do this, Dumbledore! This is just as preposterous as when you suggested at the beginning of the year that we have Harry Potter as a statue in the Atrium!" Came the Minister's voice.
"And just as preposterous as you sentencing Death Eater's to only 40 years in prison! Or when you suggested nearly two years ago that Voldemort wasn't back and refused to believe it." Dumbledore half-shouted kind of calmly.
"Yes, but I changed my mind haven't I?"
"Exactly. You have changed your mind. Remember our talk last summer? I asked you if Harry and the others could become Animagi and you were all for it."
"Well, like you said—I've changed my mind. Now, if you don't mind I have family commitments."
"Ah, why, Cornelius, do you use the same excuses?"
"Excuse me, Dumbledore I must be leaving."
Muffled footsteps followed that and Ginny and I made it to look as though we were just coming up the stairs as the door opened.
"Girls! You didn't hear any of that did you?" He asked anxiously.
"Heard what Minister?" I asked innocently.
"Never mind. Good day, Dumbledore, girls." He left without another word and Dumbledore beckoned us in. We sat down and Dumbledore showed motion for us to begin.
"Sir, I was wondering if you would be able to resolve a little problem we're having." I asked shyly.
"Go on." He said shortly.
"Well, it's just. You know how we're—that is, Dannielle, Luke and I—we're taking the test thing in the holidays? Well, do we have to do OWL's?"
"No. Becoming an Animagi is something that takes great power and OWL's are just that. Miss Langley, I believe you were wishing to tell me something other than that?"
How had he known that I was intending to ask something but lost heart at the last minute? Crazy.
"Y—yes. Dannielle and Luke have become angry with us for sitting at the Slytherin table. And…I don't want to do the test by myself without cheers from my friends. All of my friends." I added looking at Ginny.
"And how do you see me being able to fix this problem, Neveah?" He asked solemnly with his sparkling blue eyes.
"I haven't thought about that, Professor."
"Then perhaps it would help to tell you that resolving problems does not come from knowledge. It comes from your heart and your loyalty is something you twisted. Put it back into place and then you will be free for a wonderful test with cheers from all your friends."
"Th—thank you Professor. We'll leave now." Ginny and I got up and left.
"What was that all about?" She asked once we had stepped off the moving steps and the gargoyle had moved back into its normal spot.
"I was just getting some help. Come on, we need to find Dan and Luke." We headed for the common room and found Dan and Luke reading hex books.
"Dan—Luke, we need to talk." I said as soon as we were in front of them.
"About?" They asked in unison.
"About how we twisted our loyalties when we went to Hogsmeade with those Slytherin losers."
"Damn right you did." Dan snarled. She didn't seem to want to forgive us.
"We weren't acting ourselves and we betrayed you. Malfoy's dad is in with the enemy and we were wrong in befriending them. We're sorry. Malfoy is sour again to Nev and I. Will you forgive us?" Ginny asked, looking from Dan to Luke and back again.
"So…you're saying Malfoy and Zabini just wanted you for your infectious laughs, your pretty faces and wonderful personalities?" Luke asked and all four of us smiled.
"I knew you would!" I said gaily and we moved into a group hug. We all sat down and began reading the hex book together. Yippee. Back together and normal. I'm a friend with my friends again. And I don't have to worry about those Slytherin losers anymore. I will be doing the test in a month with my friends by my side. I went to bed a happy girl once more and wrote in my diary.
Sunday, November 28thI never noticed how much warmer it is with my friends talking to me again. And the horizon never looked so bright. OK, OK, I know. A load of sissy crap. But at least Dan and Luke are talking to me again. And I never knew Luke thought I had an infectious laugh, a pretty face a wonderful personality. I knew he was a sissy but I never knew he could be so sweet. I am definitely not tired yet it is round 10:30. I might go back downstairs. Goodnight diary.
Authors Note: OK, I know "Sulatot" isn't the counter-curse for the Full-Body-Bind but I can't find the proper one in any of the books so I put "Totalus" backwards. Don't flame me…please.