Chapter 10: Secrets, Lies and A Big Surprise!

Hello! Loadsa thanks for the reviews from:

Katie: I'm glad you like it and thanks for saying its good. (I'm a lil bit paranoid! ;)

Asterisk Truly: well here's the update (stating the obvious is a special talent of mine!) and I'm thankful you think it's a good job (the angry relatives who want to use the computer don't seem to think so!).

Aelwren: I'm glad to have received your compliments and that you like it, I'm also wary of new characters that's probably why I started this fic!

Iamsiriusgrl: woah thanks for reviewing every chapter, lol I could never do that! Pleased you liked it!

And Paprika90: lol don't worry about the questions am happy to answer them as much as I can! Ok firstly, yes the dream kind of works on the same concept as a pensieve, with one subtle difference; it will only go so far. Secondly, the necklace holds significance yes but only to one person (not Anna). Thirdly yes I had put some thought into the pairings…but I won't spoil it for you and as for that I would like to see what pairing you think is going to happen.

Toodles all, and enjoy!

CRASH! Anna jumped about a foot in the air startled, when she heard the distinct sound of something breaking very close to her. " Mr Longbottom, please do be careful!" Professor Mcgonagall said sternly as she flicked her wand and said sharply,"Reparo!"

Pansy howled with laughter at Anna's reaction "Your face!" she eventually managed to say whilst clutching her sides with eyes brimming with tears of laughter. They were in transfiguration on their second day back from the Christmas holidays and were working in pairs trying to conjure and vanish large vases that no one it seemed (apart from Anna and the Granger girl) had managed to successfully do. Rain was lashing the windows like tiny silver bullets and the sky outside was a mass of iron grey. Anna looked outside wistfully, listening to Pansy recount her tale of the Christmas holidays "And then as if that wasn't enough, my parents decided that I should baby-sit my little cousin! I mean come on, it was Boxing Day and I had better things to do then baby-sit some little brat which happens to be related to me but that I barely know." Anna laughed trying to envisage Pansy babysitting a toddler, it was a good thing the child was still breathing from the sounds of it.

A thought occurred to her as she thought of Christmas, "Did you like your present the end?" Anna had bought Pansy a book called 'Wooing the Unwooable, A young witches guide to getting that dream wizard' for Christmas to cheer her up more after the Draco incident.

"Yeah it was really good, I've been thinking about putting it in to practise. Did you like yours?" Anna smiled at these words and could see her friend's easily distracted mind wandering as she gazed upon Nott.

"Yes it's really…useful." Anna said at a loss for positive words.

"What? Oh that's good," Pansy's mind snapped back to reality, "So come on then, tell me about your holiday, was it good? Make any friends? Anything remotely interesting happen?" Anna could see that she was going to be interrogated but would rather eat her hair then tell Pansy what really happened on Christmas day.

"Um… it was Okay I suppose, nothing much happened," Pansy looked at her suspiciously she was going to have to think fast "No I didn't make any new friends bu-"

A sneering Blaise Zabini rudely interrupted her "I thought that you would have told her by now or at least that you would've heard." He said looking to Anna then to Pansy.

"Told me what, heard what?" Pansy said looking confused and staring accusingly at Anna. He laughed derisively

"Malfoy was seen kissing someone on Christmas day!"

"Maybe it was a sad loser and they happened to be under some mistletoe?" Anna offered, angered that it had got out, she was stillincensedby what had happened; he'd automatically assumed and if Anna did something it was because she wanted (not because some cocky boy decided that she needed to be kissed)to, she wouldn't be forced into it,andhad to beon her terms, she mused.

He snorted, "Don't be so stupid! Do you think for one minute that Malfoy would be forced into doing something like that? Not a chance!"

"Who told you? Who'd he kiss?" Pansy said heatedly.

"I have my sources," he said tapping his nose and being generally annoying "As for who he kissed my source isn't sure but it was someone slightly shorter than him with long hair and a willowy build." He winked at them and skipped off apparently delighted at leaving chaos in his wake.

"Did you see who it was?" Pansy rounded on Anna and poked the vase they had conjured only moments earlier a little too forcefully.

"No, why would I of? Anyway, who's that pathetic that they'd stick their tongue down Malfoy's throat!" she said spitefully sulky as the vase smashed to the floor. They ignored it,

Pansy leaned across and poked Millicent,

"Oi!" she moaned, feeling.

"Who kissed Draco?" Pansy asked lividly, Anna could tell that she was going of into one of those moods where she would not stop until she got what she wanted only this time it was to Anna's expense.

Feeling the sudden need to intervene she said sulkily, "I would think that is would be more of a case of him kissing her!" her spiteful comment went unheard.

Millicent shrugged "I don't know I wasn't even there, ask him yourself if you are that bothered." Still rubbing her side where Pansy had poked her.

Pansy ignored her advice and walked purposely over to where Crabbe was standing with his back to her with Anna trailing along miserably behind.

"Crabbe, who kissed Draco?" she pronounced slowly,

"Don't know." He grunted, Pansy squealed with frustration.

"Fine then I'll ask him myself, you moron!" she spat, marching warlike over to Draco whom Anna had managed to avoid since Christmas day.

His eyes narrowed as he watched them, "What do you want?" he said languidly.

"Who did you kiss on Christmas day?" Pansy almost yelled earning herself several stares.

He laughed, "You actually believe those rumours? Pansy you are so gullible," he chuckled Anna gaped at him, Pansy's was mouth opening and closing soundlessly like a fish "I didn't kiss anyone on Christmas day-"

He never got to complete his sentence because at that precise moment Anna's cousin burst into the room, in floods of tears yelling, "ANNA! SHES GONE!" followed by Professor Rafe the DADA teacher pelting haphazardly into the room behind him. The room immediately erupted into noise

"Silence! What is all this commotion?" Professor McGonagall shouted, eventually gaining control of the situation whilst Professor Rafe was bent over double regaining his breath and Henry was shaking in a corner sobbing uncontrollably.

"SHEE GONE!" He wailed,

"I think perhaps that you should calm down, Mr Marshall and pop along to the Hospital wing." Professor Mcgonagall said gently walking over to where Henry was slouched.

"NO!" He howled, "I WANT TO SEE DUMBLEDORE!"

"Now, now Mr Marshall I'm afraid that he is busy. I am sure whatever it is can wait." Professor Rafe said in gruff voice. He was tall, thin with balding grey hair.

"NO! I NEED TO SEE HIM NOW!" he sobbed and as he did so handed Professor Mcgonagall a picture or note of some kind, what she saw obviously startled her as she almost fell backwards and her face was full of what Anna would call respective shock. The professor swallowed "Professor Rafe please accompany Mr Marshall to the Headmasters office I-"

"NO! Anna needs to come to!" he sobbed, Professor Mcgonagall surveyed him with a worried glance then turned a hawklike stare to Anna

"Miss Safire are you a friend of Mr Marshall's?"

Anna stood rooted to the spot unable to speak, eventually she found her defiant, santimonious voice, "No, we're cousins." She croaked.

"In that case follow me, Professor Rafe please head back to your classroom while I escort them," she turned to the rest of the room who were stunned into silence "The rest of you may leave, please head back to your common rooms for the rest of this lesson."

Anna didn't have time to ask what was going on as Professor McGonagall swept along with Henry leaving Anna in her wake. Anna's mind was whirling with possibilities, what had made her cousin so upset? She wondered until she was confronted with a Gargoyle.

"Pepper imps!" Professor Mcgonagall said clearly, immediately the Gargoyle sprang to life and hopped aside leaving a spiral stone staircase in view. They climbed on and as they did so the staircase began to revolve upwards until they reached a door. Professor McGonagall tapped the door, "Come in." a voice said from behind the door.

The door opened they entered the most extraordinary room Anna had ever seen there were shelves with the most interesting moving silver trinkets, the walls were lined with what she presumed was portraits of the current headmasters predecessors who gazed down at them thoughtfully and a beautiful phoenix was seated preening itself on a perch "Please have a seat. Now, what brings you here?" Anna and her cousin sat down and Professor McGongall stood behind them. Professor Dumbledore observed them over his half moon spectacles leaning across the table, Anna turned expectantly to her cousin and listened to the tale that unfolded.

"Over the Christmas holidays, my mother kept receiving letters from owls she seemed to knew, but they thought nothing of it as the parchment was blank. Until my dad dropped one of the pieces into the fire and words were revealed on the page it said," he screwed his forehead up in concentration, he had seemed to have calmed down since he had entered the room, it seemed to have a calming effect instead to Anna it made her feel inexplicably uncomfortable, "Tell the truth or you'll be sorry, Not to do so would be great folly.' We didn't understand it but…but my mum started acting oddly, like she would go around the house magically locking all the windows and doors and rechecking them, she wouldn't relax either. She was still like that on Sunday when I left. Then…then today in Defence against the dark arts I…I…I got a letter from an owl I recognised with a picture and it said." He burst into fresh tears after withdrawing the letter he had shown Professor McGonagall before, Anna still confused and curious leaned in for a closer look…and wished she hadn't.

There was a picture of a cold corpse or a dead Aunt Polly, Anna gasped nearly falling off her chair in shock. Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle and seemed to deepen "Where is your father?" he asked Henry who continued to sob,

"He he is away on business, he doesn't even know t t that shes d d dead!" Dumbledore nodded sympathetically.

She blurted out, "Why is she dead?" she said her voice level, sounding more intrigued than sombre.

"I have no idea what the truth is, but I will try find out, I will sort everything out. Henry you are to stay within this castle." Dumbledore answered as if in contemplation.

"Could a deatheater be behind this?" Henry asked tentatively.

"I don't know, I will try to find out, Minerva please escort Henry to the hospital wing and Miss Safire I need a quick word." Professor Mcgonagall helped Henry up and Anna watched them depart unemotionally.

"Listen to your Mothers advice."

"Do you know where she is and why she has gone?" Anna said eagerly pushing aside all other thoughts. He silenced her and dismissed her.

Anna sprinted down several staircases descending at a rapid rate, pelted down to the Slytherin common room entrance and breathlessly gave the password. She stalked in surprised to find what seemed to be half the house waiting for her.