Author's Notes- Hi all! Next chapter! Yay! Bad news in this chap, but I
tried to make it up by putting in a little bit of quidditch for you guys!
Yay! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. I think that is just about it. Sry
about the spacing, it couldn't be helped! Read and Review!
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. I'm not getting paid.
Harry and Sarah came to Hogwarts a few days later. I was at Quidditch
practice when they arrived. Meg was waiting outside the Pitch for me and we
walked up to the school together.
"Harry and Sarah are here. I saw them get here. They're with Dumbledore
right now," she told me.
"Excellent. Let's go back to the tower so I can drop off my broom, then we
can go see them. They should still be here," I said.
Meg and I hurried up to the tower. Avery and Lucy were in the dormitory,
working on homework by the look of it, when we arrived.
"Has that first year stopped setting off Stink Pellets yet?" Avery asked the
moment we walked in, "It absolutely reeked down there."
I shrugged, "I guess. I didn't notice any smell."
"Avery, we don't know it was a first year. For all we know it could've been
anyone," Lucy said, then rolled her eyes, "Erika, Harry's here. Well at
least he was about an hour ago."
"I know, I just wanted to drop off my broom," I replied, putting my broom
into its place.
"Why are they here, anyway?" Avery asked, "They're here a lot, it seems.
More than a lot of people."
I lied, "I dunno. Harry's very vague in his letters. It's probably something
about the wedding, his invitation or something. Harry thinks very highly of
Dumbledore. He was at our parents' wedding."
I did know why Harry was here, Dumbledore wanted to talk to him about
our "protection" in the future, now that he and Sarah were getting married.
Avery and Lucy accepted what I'd told them and Meg and I set off for
Dumbledore's office. I was still in my Quidditch robes.
"We'll wait for them outside," I said, "They have to leave sometime."
We were about halfway to Dumbledore's office when we saw Professor
McGonagall in the hallway, carrying a stack of books. She stopped when she
saw us.
"Miss Riddle, Miss Potter," she greeted.
We smiled, "Hello, Professor McGonagall. Need help?"
"Oh, no, I'm quite fine. Miss Potter, your brother is here. He's speaking to
Professor Dumbledore," she told me.
I grinned, and replied, "So I'm told."
"He told me that if I was to see you I was to tell you to wait for him by
the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office. I expect you know your way
there?" Professor McGonagall asked.
I nodded, and answered, "Thanks."
Meg and I had already been heading there, so Professor McGonagall's message
meant little. When we reached the statue Meg and I leaned against opposite
walls to wait.
"When's your first match?" Meg asked.
"Saturday, against Hufflepuff, They lost most of their good players last
year, and another one isn't allowed to play because of horrible grades. Or,
at least, that's the most believable rumor. Anyways, he can't play. They
won't be hard to beat," I replied.
Meg cast a look down the hallway, and then said, "While you were at practice
I was looking at the latest copy of the Daily Prophet. It seems Draco Malfoy
has been named some position close to Fudge."
"Not surprising," I told her, "I've heard Malfoy the elder has been trying
to get his son buddy-buddy with Fudge lately, trying to get Malfoy the
Younger to be Minister of Magic after Fudge. Having a Death Eater as
Minister of Magic won't be much good for us, but it would do wonders for
their side."
Meg nodded, "Yeah. Lucius Malfoy is a known Death Eater, though, so why
would anyone trust him, especially Fudge?"
"Lucius Malfoy is also quite wealthy, and has been giving Fudge just about
all the money he needs," I reminded her.
"Sounds just like him. Lucius Malfoy is quite an evil creature," Meg told
me, "Hates me with quite a passion."
I laughed, and said, "I can't imagine why."
"Oh, you'd be surprised how much the Death Eaters hated me before I left.
First they hated me for being Voldemort's granddaughter, and now they hate
me for running away and separating myself from him, which is the exact
opposite. Quite strange, isn't it?" Meg asked in jest.
"I thought they'd be more afraid of you than hostile to you," I said.
Meg shrugged, and said, "Nope, they hated all of us, Still do. Voldemort
used to let us, and probably still let's them, use the Death Eaters he's not
fond of at the moment as target practice."
"Target practice?" I asked, curious.
"I've used the Crutacius curse on Malfoy and Avery," Meg answered, simply.
I raised my eyebrows and nodded, "Okay."
"I was eight, Erika. They said I was talented, sure, but I never really had
enough hate to cause much damage. For a while all I could do was inflict
nosebleeds or knock out a tooth," Meg assured me, grinning and half- laughing.
I grinned, too.
"Well, that's better than," I said.
Meg sighed, still grinning, "Malfoy has a serious dislike for me. I knocked
out his front tooth. The one he has now is fake."
"And Avery?" I asked.
"Haven't seen him much," Meg told me, "But if he remembers my face half as
well as Malfoy, I think it's safe to say he hates me enough to kill me
without thinking twice about it."
"Meg, they all would. They'd kill me just to say they'd done it," I said.
The stone gargoyle suddenly moved and the wall broke open. Meg and I
straightened ourselves and moved around to the front.
Harry and Sarah came down the moving stairs, smiling and waving.
"Done yet? You took long enough!" I shouted, grinning.
Harry, looking slightly solemn, lit up and laughed. Sarah and Harry hugged
me and the four of us started down the hallway.
"How about a walk around the grounds?" Harry asked, "We don't have to leave
for a while."
I nodded, "Okay. Meg, are you coming?"
"I can't. I haven't done that Potions essay yet, I need Lucy's notes," Meg
said, "I'll see you later, Harry, Sarah."
We waved goodbye and Meg headed off in the direction of the tower. Harry,
Sarah, and I went down to the lake.
"How are the wedding plans?" I asked.
"The date's set and we're finishing everything up. You're coming home for
Christmas, right? Mom wants to look at a dress for you, and I want to show
you my dress," Sarah said.
I nodded, "I wouldn't miss it."
"Good. Mom is coming in December. Becky got a few days off so that she can
help me with the plans. She's coming in two days," Sarah added.
"Okay. So, what did Dumbledore want to talk to you two about, anyway?" I
asked.
"Just several warnings," Harry said, sounding almost annoyed, "He wanted to
know our future plans so he can decide a way to best protect us."
"Well, that's good, right?" I asked.
Sarah nodded, as did Harry. He was silent for a bit, then asked, "Erika, do
you remember that land Mum left us?"
"Yeah," I answered, wondering what was coming.
"Sarah and I were talking about building a house there. What do you think?"
Harry asked.
I grinned, "I think it's a great idea! When can you start building?"
"Calm down," Sarah said, "It's not the right time now. But I'm glad you like
the idea. I did too."
"It won't be anything big," Harry told me, "But it'll fit us all. Three
bedrooms should do it."
I raised an amused eyebrow, and repeated, "Three bedrooms? As I count, we'll
only need two if you share a room. What's the third for?"
I grinned at my brother and Sarah. Sarah snorted, then hit my arm.
"What do you think it's for, Erika?" she asked.
I shrugged, trying to make them say it.
"Is it a crime for two people who are about to be married to start thinking
about having children?" Sarah asked.
I laughed, and then said, "So you both want kids?"
Sarah and Harry nodded.
"I'm going to be an aunt!" I announced, then, seeing the looks on their
faces, "Not yet. Not for a while, right?"
Sarah nodded, "Yes, at least until after we're married."
"Well, Erika, we have to go now. I have a big test tomorrow to study for and
Sarah has Order duty," Harry said.
"Okay, well, write me often and tell me everything that's happening," I
replied.
Harry and Sarah agreed. They headed off to Dumbledore's office to Floo back
home and I went back up to the tower.
"How did it go?" Meg asked when I walked into the common room.
I told her about the conversation we'd had. Meg and I were both grinning by
the end.
"Good visit, then?" Meg asked.
I nodded, "Very good."
On Saturday we had our first match, against Hufflepuff. Despite the fact
that we knew Hufflepuff was not a strong team, we were very nervous. Captain
O' Captain gave us a nice long speech about how well we could play this
game.
It was a cloudy day, perfect for Quidditch. There was a slight wind, but
there was no sun to get in our eyes.
After our usual pre-match talk Captain O' Captain led us out onto the pitch.
The Hufflepuffs were also walking out onto the pitch. I took a deep breath
and mounted my broomstick.
The match began. A Hufflepuff got the Quaffle first, and shot towards the
hoops. My teammates, Kevin and Zoe, and I flew after them. Out of nowhere
one of our Beaters smashed a Bludger in the Chaser's direction. They dodged
it wildly and barely managed to keep themselves on their broomstick. They
did, however, drop the Quaffle. Kevin swooped underneath and caught it
before the other Hufflepuffs could reach it.
Zoe and I flew after Kevin. Up ahead I saw a Hufflepuff Beater winding up
his bat.
"Kevin!" I shouted.
Kevin saw, and ducked the Bludger, still flying towards the hoops. He
feinted left, and the Keeper believed him. He sent the Quaffle flying
through the right hoop.
"TEN POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR AFTER A TERRIFIC SHOT BY A GRYFFINDOR CHASER!" the
announcer shouted.
The Gryffindors cheered. The Keeper tossed the Quaffle back.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Carly go into a dive, and hoped she had
seen the Snitch. Meanwhile Zoe had regained the Quaffle, but the Hufflepuff
beaters were pressuring her.
She passed it to me, and I sped off before the Beaters could take aim. I
weaved in and out of the other players. One of the Hufflepuff chasers came
rushing at me, attempting to steal the Quaffle. Just before they could reach
me, I dropped about ten feet so they missed me completely, and without
breaking my pace headed towards the hoops. The keeper was just ahead of me,
watching me closely. I feinted throwing right and then, at the last second,
through into the center hoop.
Cheering erupted in the pitch. The cheering lasted longer than usual.
"A LAST SECOND GOAL BY GRYFFINDOR CHASER ERIKA POTTER EARNS GRYFFINDOR TEN
POINTS WHILE TEAMMATE AND SEEKER CARLY HARVESTER CATCHES THE SNITCH!
GRYFFINDOR WINS 170-0!"
I laughed and flew over the where the rest of the team was congregating. We
all slapped hands and greeted Carly when she flew over to us. As a team, we
flew back down to the ground, were the crowd was still cheering.
Of course, Captain O' Captain had a nice long speech in store for us once we
made it back to the locker room. It was generally about how this was only
our first game, and we had to be extra prepared for the next one, who we
could see where we needed to improve now, blah, blah, blah.
But the party in the tower that night was huge, and a great stress-lifter.
Well, at least for the moment.
A few days later Meg, Avery, Lucy, and I were sitting in our dormitory,
doing homework and generally joking around (Avery being rather cold, as
always). Eventually Lucy and I started throwing pillows at each other, which
ended up in a pillow fight. I had just been knocked off my bed when Lucy
pointed to the window.
"Hey, Erika, look, it's Hedwig," she said.
I bent my head backwards so I could see out the window. Sure enough Hedwig
was flying just outside the window, a letter tied to her leg. I scrambled up
and opened the window. Hedwig flew in.
"Hi, Hedwig," I said, taking the letter off her leg.
Once the letter was gone she flew off almost immediately. I was confused by
her actions. Usually she waited around for a snack or a reply.
The others noticed this strange behavior.
"What was that about? Harry must really need her or something." Meg said,
shutting the window behind me to keep out the cold autumn air.
I unrolled the letter. It was very short, only a few lines. Harry's
handwriting was very shaky, but I could still read it.
"Erika- While in Diagon Alley with Becky this morning Sarah was taken
captive by Death Eaters. Becky is safe, but we don't know where Sarah is.
The others should be around soon to talk to you. Harry."
I dropped the letter onto the ground with a shriek.
"What is it, Erika?" Avery, Lucy, and Meg asked, concerned and frightened.
"Oh my gosh, no," I whispered, "No."
Author's Notes- well, that's it. Stay tuned for the next chap. I have a great deal of it done. Okay, special thanks to Galagirl, my awesome beta- reader (she got this back to me in ONE day, snaps for her). Also, special thanks to those reviewers who have been with me since the beginning: there are quite a few out there. Now, REVIEW!!!!
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111aol.com
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. I'm not getting paid.
Harry and Sarah came to Hogwarts a few days later. I was at Quidditch
practice when they arrived. Meg was waiting outside the Pitch for me and we
walked up to the school together.
"Harry and Sarah are here. I saw them get here. They're with Dumbledore
right now," she told me.
"Excellent. Let's go back to the tower so I can drop off my broom, then we
can go see them. They should still be here," I said.
Meg and I hurried up to the tower. Avery and Lucy were in the dormitory,
working on homework by the look of it, when we arrived.
"Has that first year stopped setting off Stink Pellets yet?" Avery asked the
moment we walked in, "It absolutely reeked down there."
I shrugged, "I guess. I didn't notice any smell."
"Avery, we don't know it was a first year. For all we know it could've been
anyone," Lucy said, then rolled her eyes, "Erika, Harry's here. Well at
least he was about an hour ago."
"I know, I just wanted to drop off my broom," I replied, putting my broom
into its place.
"Why are they here, anyway?" Avery asked, "They're here a lot, it seems.
More than a lot of people."
I lied, "I dunno. Harry's very vague in his letters. It's probably something
about the wedding, his invitation or something. Harry thinks very highly of
Dumbledore. He was at our parents' wedding."
I did know why Harry was here, Dumbledore wanted to talk to him about
our "protection" in the future, now that he and Sarah were getting married.
Avery and Lucy accepted what I'd told them and Meg and I set off for
Dumbledore's office. I was still in my Quidditch robes.
"We'll wait for them outside," I said, "They have to leave sometime."
We were about halfway to Dumbledore's office when we saw Professor
McGonagall in the hallway, carrying a stack of books. She stopped when she
saw us.
"Miss Riddle, Miss Potter," she greeted.
We smiled, "Hello, Professor McGonagall. Need help?"
"Oh, no, I'm quite fine. Miss Potter, your brother is here. He's speaking to
Professor Dumbledore," she told me.
I grinned, and replied, "So I'm told."
"He told me that if I was to see you I was to tell you to wait for him by
the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office. I expect you know your way
there?" Professor McGonagall asked.
I nodded, and answered, "Thanks."
Meg and I had already been heading there, so Professor McGonagall's message
meant little. When we reached the statue Meg and I leaned against opposite
walls to wait.
"When's your first match?" Meg asked.
"Saturday, against Hufflepuff, They lost most of their good players last
year, and another one isn't allowed to play because of horrible grades. Or,
at least, that's the most believable rumor. Anyways, he can't play. They
won't be hard to beat," I replied.
Meg cast a look down the hallway, and then said, "While you were at practice
I was looking at the latest copy of the Daily Prophet. It seems Draco Malfoy
has been named some position close to Fudge."
"Not surprising," I told her, "I've heard Malfoy the elder has been trying
to get his son buddy-buddy with Fudge lately, trying to get Malfoy the
Younger to be Minister of Magic after Fudge. Having a Death Eater as
Minister of Magic won't be much good for us, but it would do wonders for
their side."
Meg nodded, "Yeah. Lucius Malfoy is a known Death Eater, though, so why
would anyone trust him, especially Fudge?"
"Lucius Malfoy is also quite wealthy, and has been giving Fudge just about
all the money he needs," I reminded her.
"Sounds just like him. Lucius Malfoy is quite an evil creature," Meg told
me, "Hates me with quite a passion."
I laughed, and said, "I can't imagine why."
"Oh, you'd be surprised how much the Death Eaters hated me before I left.
First they hated me for being Voldemort's granddaughter, and now they hate
me for running away and separating myself from him, which is the exact
opposite. Quite strange, isn't it?" Meg asked in jest.
"I thought they'd be more afraid of you than hostile to you," I said.
Meg shrugged, and said, "Nope, they hated all of us, Still do. Voldemort
used to let us, and probably still let's them, use the Death Eaters he's not
fond of at the moment as target practice."
"Target practice?" I asked, curious.
"I've used the Crutacius curse on Malfoy and Avery," Meg answered, simply.
I raised my eyebrows and nodded, "Okay."
"I was eight, Erika. They said I was talented, sure, but I never really had
enough hate to cause much damage. For a while all I could do was inflict
nosebleeds or knock out a tooth," Meg assured me, grinning and half- laughing.
I grinned, too.
"Well, that's better than," I said.
Meg sighed, still grinning, "Malfoy has a serious dislike for me. I knocked
out his front tooth. The one he has now is fake."
"And Avery?" I asked.
"Haven't seen him much," Meg told me, "But if he remembers my face half as
well as Malfoy, I think it's safe to say he hates me enough to kill me
without thinking twice about it."
"Meg, they all would. They'd kill me just to say they'd done it," I said.
The stone gargoyle suddenly moved and the wall broke open. Meg and I
straightened ourselves and moved around to the front.
Harry and Sarah came down the moving stairs, smiling and waving.
"Done yet? You took long enough!" I shouted, grinning.
Harry, looking slightly solemn, lit up and laughed. Sarah and Harry hugged
me and the four of us started down the hallway.
"How about a walk around the grounds?" Harry asked, "We don't have to leave
for a while."
I nodded, "Okay. Meg, are you coming?"
"I can't. I haven't done that Potions essay yet, I need Lucy's notes," Meg
said, "I'll see you later, Harry, Sarah."
We waved goodbye and Meg headed off in the direction of the tower. Harry,
Sarah, and I went down to the lake.
"How are the wedding plans?" I asked.
"The date's set and we're finishing everything up. You're coming home for
Christmas, right? Mom wants to look at a dress for you, and I want to show
you my dress," Sarah said.
I nodded, "I wouldn't miss it."
"Good. Mom is coming in December. Becky got a few days off so that she can
help me with the plans. She's coming in two days," Sarah added.
"Okay. So, what did Dumbledore want to talk to you two about, anyway?" I
asked.
"Just several warnings," Harry said, sounding almost annoyed, "He wanted to
know our future plans so he can decide a way to best protect us."
"Well, that's good, right?" I asked.
Sarah nodded, as did Harry. He was silent for a bit, then asked, "Erika, do
you remember that land Mum left us?"
"Yeah," I answered, wondering what was coming.
"Sarah and I were talking about building a house there. What do you think?"
Harry asked.
I grinned, "I think it's a great idea! When can you start building?"
"Calm down," Sarah said, "It's not the right time now. But I'm glad you like
the idea. I did too."
"It won't be anything big," Harry told me, "But it'll fit us all. Three
bedrooms should do it."
I raised an amused eyebrow, and repeated, "Three bedrooms? As I count, we'll
only need two if you share a room. What's the third for?"
I grinned at my brother and Sarah. Sarah snorted, then hit my arm.
"What do you think it's for, Erika?" she asked.
I shrugged, trying to make them say it.
"Is it a crime for two people who are about to be married to start thinking
about having children?" Sarah asked.
I laughed, and then said, "So you both want kids?"
Sarah and Harry nodded.
"I'm going to be an aunt!" I announced, then, seeing the looks on their
faces, "Not yet. Not for a while, right?"
Sarah nodded, "Yes, at least until after we're married."
"Well, Erika, we have to go now. I have a big test tomorrow to study for and
Sarah has Order duty," Harry said.
"Okay, well, write me often and tell me everything that's happening," I
replied.
Harry and Sarah agreed. They headed off to Dumbledore's office to Floo back
home and I went back up to the tower.
"How did it go?" Meg asked when I walked into the common room.
I told her about the conversation we'd had. Meg and I were both grinning by
the end.
"Good visit, then?" Meg asked.
I nodded, "Very good."
On Saturday we had our first match, against Hufflepuff. Despite the fact
that we knew Hufflepuff was not a strong team, we were very nervous. Captain
O' Captain gave us a nice long speech about how well we could play this
game.
It was a cloudy day, perfect for Quidditch. There was a slight wind, but
there was no sun to get in our eyes.
After our usual pre-match talk Captain O' Captain led us out onto the pitch.
The Hufflepuffs were also walking out onto the pitch. I took a deep breath
and mounted my broomstick.
The match began. A Hufflepuff got the Quaffle first, and shot towards the
hoops. My teammates, Kevin and Zoe, and I flew after them. Out of nowhere
one of our Beaters smashed a Bludger in the Chaser's direction. They dodged
it wildly and barely managed to keep themselves on their broomstick. They
did, however, drop the Quaffle. Kevin swooped underneath and caught it
before the other Hufflepuffs could reach it.
Zoe and I flew after Kevin. Up ahead I saw a Hufflepuff Beater winding up
his bat.
"Kevin!" I shouted.
Kevin saw, and ducked the Bludger, still flying towards the hoops. He
feinted left, and the Keeper believed him. He sent the Quaffle flying
through the right hoop.
"TEN POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR AFTER A TERRIFIC SHOT BY A GRYFFINDOR CHASER!" the
announcer shouted.
The Gryffindors cheered. The Keeper tossed the Quaffle back.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Carly go into a dive, and hoped she had
seen the Snitch. Meanwhile Zoe had regained the Quaffle, but the Hufflepuff
beaters were pressuring her.
She passed it to me, and I sped off before the Beaters could take aim. I
weaved in and out of the other players. One of the Hufflepuff chasers came
rushing at me, attempting to steal the Quaffle. Just before they could reach
me, I dropped about ten feet so they missed me completely, and without
breaking my pace headed towards the hoops. The keeper was just ahead of me,
watching me closely. I feinted throwing right and then, at the last second,
through into the center hoop.
Cheering erupted in the pitch. The cheering lasted longer than usual.
"A LAST SECOND GOAL BY GRYFFINDOR CHASER ERIKA POTTER EARNS GRYFFINDOR TEN
POINTS WHILE TEAMMATE AND SEEKER CARLY HARVESTER CATCHES THE SNITCH!
GRYFFINDOR WINS 170-0!"
I laughed and flew over the where the rest of the team was congregating. We
all slapped hands and greeted Carly when she flew over to us. As a team, we
flew back down to the ground, were the crowd was still cheering.
Of course, Captain O' Captain had a nice long speech in store for us once we
made it back to the locker room. It was generally about how this was only
our first game, and we had to be extra prepared for the next one, who we
could see where we needed to improve now, blah, blah, blah.
But the party in the tower that night was huge, and a great stress-lifter.
Well, at least for the moment.
A few days later Meg, Avery, Lucy, and I were sitting in our dormitory,
doing homework and generally joking around (Avery being rather cold, as
always). Eventually Lucy and I started throwing pillows at each other, which
ended up in a pillow fight. I had just been knocked off my bed when Lucy
pointed to the window.
"Hey, Erika, look, it's Hedwig," she said.
I bent my head backwards so I could see out the window. Sure enough Hedwig
was flying just outside the window, a letter tied to her leg. I scrambled up
and opened the window. Hedwig flew in.
"Hi, Hedwig," I said, taking the letter off her leg.
Once the letter was gone she flew off almost immediately. I was confused by
her actions. Usually she waited around for a snack or a reply.
The others noticed this strange behavior.
"What was that about? Harry must really need her or something." Meg said,
shutting the window behind me to keep out the cold autumn air.
I unrolled the letter. It was very short, only a few lines. Harry's
handwriting was very shaky, but I could still read it.
"Erika- While in Diagon Alley with Becky this morning Sarah was taken
captive by Death Eaters. Becky is safe, but we don't know where Sarah is.
The others should be around soon to talk to you. Harry."
I dropped the letter onto the ground with a shriek.
"What is it, Erika?" Avery, Lucy, and Meg asked, concerned and frightened.
"Oh my gosh, no," I whispered, "No."
Author's Notes- well, that's it. Stay tuned for the next chap. I have a great deal of it done. Okay, special thanks to Galagirl, my awesome beta- reader (she got this back to me in ONE day, snaps for her). Also, special thanks to those reviewers who have been with me since the beginning: there are quite a few out there. Now, REVIEW!!!!
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111aol.com