Harry was surprised. He thought girls liked pink bedrooms with lots of bows and ruffles and pictures of unicorns. But the Room of Requirement was now elegant, beautiful, sophisticated and even --- Harry blushed --- sexy.
A huge, dark wood four-poster bed dominated the room. It was covered in bedspreads of a deep, rich blue. Amethyst flopped down on the bed and sank deep into the covers, which brought out the passionate sapphire flecks in her eyes and made their deep violet color even richer. The bed was covered with throw pillows in purple, silver and gold. And the silver and gold pillows accented Amethyst's highlights and made her hair look even more spectacular. A cool summer breeze blew in and made the gauzy curtains on the windows and bed flutter seductively. Harry stood speechless in the doorway until Amethyst beckoned him in.
"It's all right, Harry. You can come in," she said.
"Wow, Amethyst. This ... this is am-amazing," Harry stammered.
Amethyst smiled. She hopped off the bed and stood in the middle of the room and turned slowly around, gazing at the room and taking it all in. It was the first time since she had been taken away from her mother that Amethyst had been truly happy and completely content.
"It is amazing. I love this room!" Amethyst exclaimed. "And, oh! I almost forgot. I wonder...."
Amethyst dropped to her knees next to the bed and peered underneath it.
"Oh, it did work!" she cried. "Harry, come take a look!"
Harry wondered what in the world could be so exciting under her bed, but he came over anyway. He knelt next to the bed and looked underneath it.
Under the bed there were three tiny beds with white sheets and purple blankets. And in each of the three beds were tiny brown mice, fast asleep, with their tails hanging out of the covers.
"Amethyst, what ..." Harry began. He stopped as he saw the strange expression on her face, a mixture of joy and sadness. He sat silently and waited for her to tell him why there were mice in miniature beds under her bed.
Two glistening silver tears emerged from the sparkling lavender depths of her eyes and splashed down her perfect cheeks. Amethyst squared her shoulders and lifted her chin in a gesture that spoke of incredible resilience and strength in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
"Harry," Amethyst said in her dulcet tones. "I hope I am not wrong in thinking--- That is, I hope that I may call you my friend. Harry, will you be my friend?"
"Of course," Harry said quickly, startled by the question.
"Oh, thank you!" Amethyst said, her face breaking into a grin. She gazed at Harry and went on. "Harry, you are the first friend I've had in my life. Well, you are the first human friend I've had in my life. Before I met you, I had no one. No one, that is, except for the mice you saw under my bed. They are my oldest friends, and they have been there for me when I had no one else. I know you might think it strange, but please don't laugh at me. They are my mice friends."
Harry certainly didn't feel like laughing, and he told Amethyst so.
Amethyst amazed Harry more and more with every passing moment. He couldn't believe that such joy and sadness could coexist in a person. She was naturally cheerful and eager to find the best in a situation. But Harry could tell that there was deep tragedy in Amethyst's past. Behind the beautiful smile and hidden in the depths of her entrancing eyes, there was great pain. Harry knew that he shouldn't push her for information; Amethyst would reveal her past when she was ready.
Harry told Amethyst goodnight and left the room. As he lingered outside the doorway, he thought he heard her singing --- and the voice was that of an angel.
Harry went back to Gryffindor House and went up to his dormitory. Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean were already asleep, for which Harry was grateful. He didn't want to share Amethyst with anyone else, not yet. They'd find out about her tomorrow. And Harry just hoped she'd be sorted into Gryffindor.
A huge, dark wood four-poster bed dominated the room. It was covered in bedspreads of a deep, rich blue. Amethyst flopped down on the bed and sank deep into the covers, which brought out the passionate sapphire flecks in her eyes and made their deep violet color even richer. The bed was covered with throw pillows in purple, silver and gold. And the silver and gold pillows accented Amethyst's highlights and made her hair look even more spectacular. A cool summer breeze blew in and made the gauzy curtains on the windows and bed flutter seductively. Harry stood speechless in the doorway until Amethyst beckoned him in.
"It's all right, Harry. You can come in," she said.
"Wow, Amethyst. This ... this is am-amazing," Harry stammered.
Amethyst smiled. She hopped off the bed and stood in the middle of the room and turned slowly around, gazing at the room and taking it all in. It was the first time since she had been taken away from her mother that Amethyst had been truly happy and completely content.
"It is amazing. I love this room!" Amethyst exclaimed. "And, oh! I almost forgot. I wonder...."
Amethyst dropped to her knees next to the bed and peered underneath it.
"Oh, it did work!" she cried. "Harry, come take a look!"
Harry wondered what in the world could be so exciting under her bed, but he came over anyway. He knelt next to the bed and looked underneath it.
Under the bed there were three tiny beds with white sheets and purple blankets. And in each of the three beds were tiny brown mice, fast asleep, with their tails hanging out of the covers.
"Amethyst, what ..." Harry began. He stopped as he saw the strange expression on her face, a mixture of joy and sadness. He sat silently and waited for her to tell him why there were mice in miniature beds under her bed.
Two glistening silver tears emerged from the sparkling lavender depths of her eyes and splashed down her perfect cheeks. Amethyst squared her shoulders and lifted her chin in a gesture that spoke of incredible resilience and strength in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
"Harry," Amethyst said in her dulcet tones. "I hope I am not wrong in thinking--- That is, I hope that I may call you my friend. Harry, will you be my friend?"
"Of course," Harry said quickly, startled by the question.
"Oh, thank you!" Amethyst said, her face breaking into a grin. She gazed at Harry and went on. "Harry, you are the first friend I've had in my life. Well, you are the first human friend I've had in my life. Before I met you, I had no one. No one, that is, except for the mice you saw under my bed. They are my oldest friends, and they have been there for me when I had no one else. I know you might think it strange, but please don't laugh at me. They are my mice friends."
Harry certainly didn't feel like laughing, and he told Amethyst so.
Amethyst amazed Harry more and more with every passing moment. He couldn't believe that such joy and sadness could coexist in a person. She was naturally cheerful and eager to find the best in a situation. But Harry could tell that there was deep tragedy in Amethyst's past. Behind the beautiful smile and hidden in the depths of her entrancing eyes, there was great pain. Harry knew that he shouldn't push her for information; Amethyst would reveal her past when she was ready.
Harry told Amethyst goodnight and left the room. As he lingered outside the doorway, he thought he heard her singing --- and the voice was that of an angel.
Harry went back to Gryffindor House and went up to his dormitory. Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean were already asleep, for which Harry was grateful. He didn't want to share Amethyst with anyone else, not yet. They'd find out about her tomorrow. And Harry just hoped she'd be sorted into Gryffindor.