LMDGlUV4EVA: Oh. Well, good to know I'm doing good. Thanks for reviewing.
hpsk8ergurl: They are, I just haven't focused on it much but I'll do something. It's really hurting you that she's dead, isn't it? -gives her a lolly bouquet- Feel better please! Thank you so much for the comments!
A/N: I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, a whole bunch of things are going on! R & R, if you please :D
Chapter 11: Peculiar Coincidences
In the morning when Harry woke up, Susan Bones was checking his temperature and gave him some pumpkin juice. She let him go early and he left the hospital wing, going down to the Great Hall. The Gryffindor tableas usual was watching him the entire timeand he got a bit angry by their attention.
Ok, so he acted a little mental, big deal. Harry knew what he saw.
Ron and Hermione sat down beside him and began soliciting how he was, Harry responded that he felt fine and it was probably just the stress about coming back to Hogwarts. They bought it.
While Harry was eating, Seamus Finnigan shouted loudly about an article in the Daily Prophet, he heard him say, "--Said that the dragons were seen flying straight over a Muggle town!"
"What about dragons Seamus?"
The obnoxious teen said a bit more louder, "Some bird wrote an article in the Prophet about loose Welsh dragons. A few were seen over a Muggle street and the Ministry had to Obliviate all of the Muggle's memories."
Harry burrowed his brows. Dragons set loose? How could this have happened, more importantly, where the hell was the Ministry when this happened?
Hermione shook her head and Ron said with a mouthful of toast, "Percy's old girlfriend wrote the article."
The discussion of the article died down and breakfast ended. New classes started and Harry went to History of Magic first, and ended up fast asleep right in the middle of it along with half the class.
Once the two hours were over, Harry asked his friends, "So I missed the Sorting Ceremony?"
Ron nodded, "Yeah, several new first years in Gryffindor. They seemed happy to be in our House and real excited about wanting to meet you."
Harry snorted, "Last year, they were frightened to death of me. Now all of a sudden everyone wants to talk? Fat chance."
They continued into Potions where Snape was surprisingly absent from his teaching and it was taken over by Professor Grubbly-Plank. She was strict but fair and luckily did not favor any House. To the Gryffindors unfortunate luck, as usual, the 7th year Gryffindors were with the 7th year Slytherins. Hermione whispered to Harry as Draco Malfoy made a rude gesture at them, "Ignore him." So he did.
When lunch rolled around, Harry hurried down the second floor corridor when a pearly white ghost emerged from out of nowhere and passed through him.He dropped his things and shivered uncontrollably, that was so cold.
A placid voice spoke, "Oh, sorry, I didn't see you." The woman ghost began floating away and Harry thought she seemed familiar. "H-Hey, aren't you the Ravenclaw ghost?"
She looked back at him, her silver petticoats glowing, "Yes. And you're that Harry Potter everyone talks about. I am Sarah Emmer, Heiress of Ravenclaw, descendant of the one and only Rowena Ravenclaw," The ghost finished dramatically, curtsying to him, "How can I help you?"
Harry figured if he was going to ask about something...
"Do you know about something called the Nameless?"
She looked thoughtful a moment before replying, "Nope. Never heard of it."
He shrugged. Worth trying.
Thewoman ghostsat down gently in mid air, "I did heard about this dragon article. The Ministry has really let us down lately." Harry muttered under his breath.
"I'll say."
"I believe the girl who wrote the article was a former Ravenclaw. Lovely child, brilliant reporter." He blinked several times, Ron had said that Percy's old girlfriend had wrote it. Harry blurted out, "Penelope Clearwater."
She smiled, seeing that this was another chance to extend her knowledge, "Yes, dear Penelope. I remember her well, she was one of my favorite--"
He interrupted, "Do you know much about her?"
The ghost looked befuddled by his interest then said casually, "No. You would want to talk to that screaming ghost, Moaning Myrtle. She knows more about her then I do." Harry gaped slightly, this was becoming an fascinating day quick. Instead of going to lunch, Harry went to the out-of-order girls bathroom to find Myrtle flooding the bathroom again and sobbing piercingly.
"Myrtle! I need to talk to you!"
She looked down at him from the ceiling and stopped crying, appearing beside him with a grin, "Hello Harry. You came to visit me." Her face turned hard, "You haven't in a long time."
Harry tried to be polite, "I'm sorry Myrtle, it's been a busy three years. So... I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about a Ravenclaw by the name of Penelope Clearwater." She frowned.
"Fine. What do you want to know?"
"Did she ever come visit you?"
Moaning Myrtle looked down at him depressed, "She came in here every other day,writing about something in all these notebooks she had in private; figured no one would go looking for her in there. Once in a while she'd greet me but would ignore me every time...like I wasn't even there!"
She screamed out the last word and began bawling, Harry sighed, "Is that the only thing she did?"
Myrtle calmed down, sniffling, "She'd mention your name a couple of times, the Headmaster's, when she was composing. I think she was writing an article or something."
One word came into Harry's mind.
Spy.
For all he knew she probably was and got her information from Percy because he was her boyfriend and hecould be easily manipulated like that.
This stuck in his mind as he leftforthenext class, his stomach pleased to get some nourishment when dinner came around the corner. Hermione clucked her tongue at him in a similar manner that Mrs. Weasly would as he ate, annoying Ron and he glared. As night fell and everyone headed to their Common Rooms, Harry walked out of the Great Hall, heading forMgGonagall's office. Hermione had told him earlier that they would be meeting there to assume their responsibilities of Head Boy and Girl.
He pinned on his badge and some of the Gryffindor girls, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, eyed him and his badge; giggling like the schoolgirls they were. After turning red and avoiding deliberate glances, Harry entered the Head of Gryffindor's officeto discoverHermione already seated in a chair, straight as a soldiar and ready to learn. She flashed him a momentary smile as he sat down beside her, facing Professor MgGonagall.
Sharp eyes looked at him from behind thick square rimmed glasses, "You, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger have been chosen to be Head Boy and Girl by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. You have gotten your letters and have been informed of this." Hermione nodded quickly and Harry continued listening, "There are a few things I would like to inform you of, you both will be sharing a Head Dormitory, with a Common Room downstairs, there will be separate bathrooms and bedrooms so we would not want to worry about invasion of personal space. When the torch lights are lit in the corridors, that is your signal to check up on the Prefects to see if they have done their jobs of patrolling the halls. You can take away points for misbehavior of students and Prefects but do not abuse your privilege."
She looked pointedly at Harry and he stared right back emotionlessly.
"I think that's all you'll need to know. Any questions?"
Harry looked at Hermione who replied, "No, Professor."
MgGonagall instructed them to follow her and they did, up the fifth floor to a painting of wealthy man and woman. They asked stiffly, "Password?" The strict witch straightened her robe, "Buckbeak."
The two teenagers shared a look as they stepped into the Dorm, it was much roomier then the Common Room and decorated in Gryffindor colors for the sake of them. MgGonagall pointed to the staircase nearby, "If you go to the left up the staircase, there will be the Head Boy Dormitory, on the right will be the Girl. I'll leave you two to arrange your things upstairs."
As she left, Hermione put her hands together with a big grin, "This should be fun."
Harry shrugged indifferently and went to check out his red and gold room with a four postered bed and Hedwig's cage sitting by the window. He sat down beside her and let Hedwig out, she gave him a grateful look and nibbled on his ear sweetly. Harry laughed andpeered out intoto the clear starry night, peacefully enjoying it until Hermione knocked on his door.
She poked her head in, "Harry, the torches are lit."
He responded, not looking at her, "Go on without me."
Hermione glowered, her voice raising, "Harry Potter..."
He made a face and breathed, "Fine." She let him step out before asking, "What's got you in this mood?"
"I dunno...maybe I'm cranky."
Hermione said prudishly, "We'll sleep later, right now the Prefects need to be checked on." Theymarched downto the fourth floor corridor and Harry questioned, "Where are we suppose to meet them?" Hermione actually looked nervous, "I don't know. MgGonagall didn't say."
"Ok, you go down that corridor and I'll meet you around the other way." Harry darted off down a deserted hallway and after a few minutes of leaving Hermione, found the group of students wandering down his way. He called out, "You lot! Over here!" They walked over and some of them ogled at him, the others had expressionless faces. Judging by their badges, they were the Prefects he had been seeking. Two out of every House, boy and girl.
Harry inquired, feeling a little stupid, "So, er, did everyone check the corridors...?"
The Slytherin boy Prefect sneered, "Duh. Bloody hell, I thought the Head Boy was suppose to be smart, not a witless git." Both Slytherin Prefects snickered and Harry's temper rose a notch, "How about I take off 50 points from your House for your smart mouth then we'll see who's the witless git?"The Slytherin boycrossed his arms, "You can't do that."
Harry got closer, causing the rest of them to back away, "Like hell I can't."
While the Slytherin sized him up, Harry remembered what MgGonagall said and backed away.
'Damn, how did she know?'
"Did anyone happen to see Hermione?"
A brunette Hufflepuff male asked boorishly, "Who the devil is Hermione?" The blonde Ravenclaw in the group answered serenely, "She has lots of bushy hair and an absurdly narrow mind." Sixth year Luna Lovegood did acknowledge that she knew Harry, and of course, was looking different from the pack. Her blue and bronze tie slipped around her waist like a sash and her Prefect badge pinned upside down on the sash. He hadn't noticed her until she had spoken up.
Harrywatched them all shake their heads and ordered, "Alright, you lot can go to your Common Rooms."
They disappeared into the night and Luna looked at him once before leaving with the rest of them. He took off around the cornerandcouldn't find her. Harry reached the forbidden third floor corridor and wasn't thinking of going inside, he didn't think she'd go traveling through there out of good sense--until he saw that the torches were lit inside.
A strange chamber door stood wide open for the world...inside Hermione standing gawking in front of the Mirror of Erised.
Her brown eyes were wide with irrepressible marvel and Harry grabbed her arm, purposely looking at only her, "Hermione, get away from that!" She didn't move, continued staring spellbound.
"Come on! You shouldn't be near this thing!"
Harry forcibly dragged her out of the third floor corridor and she spoke up at last when they reached the wealthy painting, "I saw...I saw..."
He knew that look in her eyes, the same hungry look that he had when he experienced that mirror first hand. Harry pleaded, "Forget about it Hermione, it only shows you what you want, not what's going to come true." He wanted to know what she saw but then saw tears slip down her face. Harry whispered the password to get inside and carefullyled her inside, "Go to sleep."
But he knew she'd be up. Harry tended to the fireplace, waiting. Somewhere around one in the morning,he finallycaught her trying to sneak out and explained his experinece. She understood, but didn't tell him what she saw and he didn't force it out of her. He didn't think he could.
Nevertheless, he stood up the rest of the night...just in case.
