Hayleigh pulled her eyes open, and saw Madam Pomfrey over her.
"Where am I?"
"The hospital wing. You and Mr. Longbottom both. And the two of you have woken up in time to get dressed, to get to the trial." Professor McGonagall said, sweeping into the room. Hayleigh looked over, and smiled.
"The trial?"
"It's in an hour and a half. We are able to see Wood during the time before the trial, with a guard nearby to make sure we don't check stories," she said, smiling. Hayleigh giggled, looking over at Neville, who was pulling on his shoes.
Hayleigh looked around the main hall of the Ministry of Magic, and smiled. Professor McGonagall led her and Neville down the hallway to the court. They didn't even reach the door when Oliver stepped into the hallway, clad in faded blue jeans and an old black sweater. She smiled, the tears stinging her eyes, and raced down the hallway.
"Oliver!" she exclaimed. He turned, and smiled. Her arms were around his neck, holding him, before Neville and McGonagall reached them. It took her a moment to realize that he didn't hug her back. Stepping back, she saw his hands tied behind his back.
"They don't have handcuffs," he mumbled. She touched his face. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes, and his hair a mess. She sniffled, trying not to cry at how badly he looked, when Cornelius Fudge walked out.
"The trial will begin in forty-five minutes." Hayleigh watched the guard untie his hands, and before she could say anything, Oliver's hands were around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug, pressing his cheek against hers. She put her arms around his shoulders, and placed one hand on the back of his head.
"How are you doing?" she asked, the tears blurring her vision.
"Until you got here, horrifying. I don't want to go back," he said, pulling away. "Don't let them send me back."
"They can't. Neville and I are both able to vouch for you.Seamus, Harry, Ron, and Hermoine would have come, but they've been Petrified. A conspiracy, Oliver. The Slytherins did this, and I will prove it. I swear I will." she whispered. He leaned over, and kissed her, his eyes closed, trying not to show them that he, too, was going to cry.
Hayleigh and Neville stood outside the door with Professor McGonagall, waiting for Fudge to call them in, one at a time, to testify for Oliver. Finally, the guard walked out.
"Gryffindor," he growled. Hayleigh took a breath, glanced back at Neville, and walked in. He sat her in a chair a few feet to Oliver's left, and a couple steps closer to Fudge.
"Miss Gryffindor, could you tell us what you are here for?" he asked, crossing his fingers.
"Yes, I could. I'm going to prove that Oliver is innocent. I was in the common room with him between twelve thirty and one fifteen. And, my father being where he was, I discovered it would be extremely difficult for Oliver to get out of the school and fly there to kill my father in fifteen minutes. No one can apparate inside the walls of Hogwarts, and he does not have the ability to turn back time, and fly out there.There wasn't any possible way for him to get there.before my father was killed."
"Why were you up so late, when you knew had classes the next morning?" Hayleigh sighed.
"I had a nightmare that he was killed during a Quidditch match, and I had to know that it wasn't true. I ran out of the girls dormitory, with one of my friends behind me, who had been trying to get to me to go back to bed, and he was finishing up his homework when I got down to the common room." Fudge nodded. Hayleigh sighed.
"How did he die during this match?" She lifted her head.
"What?"
"How did he die during this match that you had a nightmare about?" he asked.
"He.The Slytherin house was chanting something and after they mentioned his name in the chant, I could hear him, too. Everyone was else was.speaking without sounds. And then the Slytherin's, like, ripped open, and turned into some creature that..killed him." she said, looking at the floor. Hayleigh hadn't spoken of the dream to anyone but Oliver, and she wished that they hadn't asked her. Her cheeks were turning red, and Fudge nodded.
"Alright. You may go." She stood up quickly, sniffling, and shot a glance at Oliver as she left the room, tears falling from her eyes. She stepped outside, and the guard brought Neville inside. Hayleigh watched as the door slammed, and she spun around, fumbling about her pockets.
"What are you going for, dear?" McGonagall whispered.
"Something." She pulled out the string, and held it out. It slithered across the floor, and as soon as it touched the door, it flew back into her hand. Snapping her fingers, she buried it back into her pocket.
"What is that?" she asked.
"Extendable Ears. An invention by my dear friends, George and Fred Weasley. Doesn't work on bewitched doors, though," she muttered.
Neville walked out, hiding a quite triumphant smile.
"Neville? What did you do?" she whispered.
"I think we got him off," he whispered back. The guard took hold of Neville and Hayleigh's elbows.
"Can't stay here while they decide." McGonagall led them into the main hall of the Ministry, and they sat down, waiting. Hayleigh and Neville sat on the floor, playing a stupid kids game, "What's In My Pocket?" They were bored, though, so it didn't matter.
"I'm guessing that you have.Extendable Ears in your pocket," Neville said, shrugging.
"No.What makes you sure that we got him off, though, Neville?"
"I was very.thorough in my details of what happened between the time he left you to the time that he fell asleep.at two fifteen. Your father was already." He didn't finish his sentence as Hayleigh nodded.
"Alright. Neville, you are the greatest," she said, leaning over and hugging him. The Extendable Ears that had been in her pocket dropped to the floor as she did so, and he looked up at her.
"You lied!" he hissed, picking them up. She giggled, and jammed the Ears back into her pocket, flipping him a Sickle.
"Fine, take this and feel better." She saw him look up, silent, without picking up the Sickle, and gave him a confused glance. "Neville?" His surprised look turned into another triumphant smile as she raised an eyebrow, and looked up at McGonagall, who had stood up, her hands together, smiling. Hayleigh pushed herself off the floor, and turned around. Oliver was walking down the hall, rubbing his wrists, shaking his head, smiling.
"I was right," Neville muttered. Oliver looked up, and Hayleigh was crying again, running towards him. He threw his arms around her, and they held each other for the longest time. She sniffled, and lifted her head, pulling her lips from his shoulder.
"I love you." she whispered.
"I love you, too." he said, pulling back, kissing her. She kissed him back, tears falling onto her nose and to their lips.
They walked back into Hogwarts, Oliver's arm around Hayleigh, her left arm around his shoulder, and her right arm around Neville's shoulder. She smiled as McGonagall stopped them.
"Lunch will be starting soon." Hayleigh shook her head.
"I'm going to go the hospital wing.and see Seamus, and Harry, and Hermoine, and Ron," she said, and pulled away, heading down the hall.
"I'm starving," Neville said, running for the Great Hall. Oliver jogged after Hayleigh, and grabbed her around the waist.
"You could have waited for me." She smiled, took his hand, and pushed open the door to the hospital wing. Looking from bed to bed, she stopped by Seamus', and sat at his side. Reaching up, she touched his cheek. He wasn't as cold as he had been when he was found. Madam Pomfrey walked in.
"How are you feeling, Miss Gryffindor?" she asked.
"A lot better than I did this morning, thank you," she said, smiling. Hayleigh got up, and walked to Harry's bed, checking on him, and then checked on Hermoine and Ron, who were looking better. "Madam Pomfrey? Has the Potion been made yet?" she asked, turning around.
"Professor Snape is bringing it in this evening." She smiled, and turned to Oliver.
"Let's go.I guess I'm more hungry than I thought." He laughed, and they headed into the Great Hall, Hayleigh casting a backwards glance at her friends.
She sat at the table for dinner, across from Oliver, smiling. He glanced up.
"What?"
"Nothing," she said, reaching out and kicking him. He jumped.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. She giggled, and lifted her fork. The chatter going on around them quickly became quiet, and, confused, she looked up, to see Seamus, Hermoine, Harry, and Ron in the doorway, looking around. She pushed herself up, at the same time as Neville, and smiled. Turning her head, she motioned for Oliver to stand. He straightened himself up, and the four smiled. Hayleigh and Neville ran down the aisle, hugging them, smiling.
"Your alright!" she exclaimed, her arms around Seamus and Ron. They laughed. The students began to applaud.all except the Slytherin's. They were grumbling. Hayleigh hugged Harry and Hermoine, and she and Neville pulled them back to the table, to the four empty seats near them.
"You got off!" Hermoine exclaimed.
"Thanks to Hayleigh and Neville," he said, smiling. "But, I think it was the surprise that you came in to defend me that convinced them." Hayleigh looked confused. "Well, I was being accused of killing your father, and they thought that you would come in to place the blame on me, instead of the other way around." Hayleigh smiled.
"Never underestimate the power of a Gryffindor." They laughed, and she giggled, too.
Hayleigh didn't want to go to sleep. She was afraid that it might be a dream, and that when she awoke in the morning, Oliver wouldn't be there, so she took his hand that night, and they snuck outside, to sit beneath the beech tree by the lake. They sat facing each other, legs straight out in front of them, with his feet against her right hip, her feet against his right hip. Her hands were behind her, holding her up, and she looked at him, in the moonlight.
"They don't know who really did it, do they?"
"Who did what?" he asked.
"Who killed my father," she said. Oliver flinched.
"No.whoever did it hasn't been caught yet." Hayleigh looked down, her hair falling over her face. He tried to look at her, but her hair covered her face. All he saw was the single tear glitter in the moonlight as it fell, and hit his shoe. "Aw, Hayl." He pulled his feet back, and moved close to her, wrapping his arms around her.
"Its not fair, Oliver.why did he have to die?" she cried, placing her hands on his upper arms as he held her around the shoulders, the tears stinging again. "He wasn't supposed to die.he was one of my best friends.he always liked you, at least," she said, blinking away the tears. He pressed his lips against her cheek, and she sighed.
"Lots of things aren't fair, Hayleigh." He pulled back, and pushed her hair out of her face. She looked up at him, and smiled. Oliver pushed back, leaning against the tree, and she turned her back to him, leaning against him, as he placed his arms around her shoulders. She took his hands, and rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes.
"Where am I?"
"The hospital wing. You and Mr. Longbottom both. And the two of you have woken up in time to get dressed, to get to the trial." Professor McGonagall said, sweeping into the room. Hayleigh looked over, and smiled.
"The trial?"
"It's in an hour and a half. We are able to see Wood during the time before the trial, with a guard nearby to make sure we don't check stories," she said, smiling. Hayleigh giggled, looking over at Neville, who was pulling on his shoes.
Hayleigh looked around the main hall of the Ministry of Magic, and smiled. Professor McGonagall led her and Neville down the hallway to the court. They didn't even reach the door when Oliver stepped into the hallway, clad in faded blue jeans and an old black sweater. She smiled, the tears stinging her eyes, and raced down the hallway.
"Oliver!" she exclaimed. He turned, and smiled. Her arms were around his neck, holding him, before Neville and McGonagall reached them. It took her a moment to realize that he didn't hug her back. Stepping back, she saw his hands tied behind his back.
"They don't have handcuffs," he mumbled. She touched his face. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes, and his hair a mess. She sniffled, trying not to cry at how badly he looked, when Cornelius Fudge walked out.
"The trial will begin in forty-five minutes." Hayleigh watched the guard untie his hands, and before she could say anything, Oliver's hands were around her waist, pulling her into a tight hug, pressing his cheek against hers. She put her arms around his shoulders, and placed one hand on the back of his head.
"How are you doing?" she asked, the tears blurring her vision.
"Until you got here, horrifying. I don't want to go back," he said, pulling away. "Don't let them send me back."
"They can't. Neville and I are both able to vouch for you.Seamus, Harry, Ron, and Hermoine would have come, but they've been Petrified. A conspiracy, Oliver. The Slytherins did this, and I will prove it. I swear I will." she whispered. He leaned over, and kissed her, his eyes closed, trying not to show them that he, too, was going to cry.
Hayleigh and Neville stood outside the door with Professor McGonagall, waiting for Fudge to call them in, one at a time, to testify for Oliver. Finally, the guard walked out.
"Gryffindor," he growled. Hayleigh took a breath, glanced back at Neville, and walked in. He sat her in a chair a few feet to Oliver's left, and a couple steps closer to Fudge.
"Miss Gryffindor, could you tell us what you are here for?" he asked, crossing his fingers.
"Yes, I could. I'm going to prove that Oliver is innocent. I was in the common room with him between twelve thirty and one fifteen. And, my father being where he was, I discovered it would be extremely difficult for Oliver to get out of the school and fly there to kill my father in fifteen minutes. No one can apparate inside the walls of Hogwarts, and he does not have the ability to turn back time, and fly out there.There wasn't any possible way for him to get there.before my father was killed."
"Why were you up so late, when you knew had classes the next morning?" Hayleigh sighed.
"I had a nightmare that he was killed during a Quidditch match, and I had to know that it wasn't true. I ran out of the girls dormitory, with one of my friends behind me, who had been trying to get to me to go back to bed, and he was finishing up his homework when I got down to the common room." Fudge nodded. Hayleigh sighed.
"How did he die during this match?" She lifted her head.
"What?"
"How did he die during this match that you had a nightmare about?" he asked.
"He.The Slytherin house was chanting something and after they mentioned his name in the chant, I could hear him, too. Everyone was else was.speaking without sounds. And then the Slytherin's, like, ripped open, and turned into some creature that..killed him." she said, looking at the floor. Hayleigh hadn't spoken of the dream to anyone but Oliver, and she wished that they hadn't asked her. Her cheeks were turning red, and Fudge nodded.
"Alright. You may go." She stood up quickly, sniffling, and shot a glance at Oliver as she left the room, tears falling from her eyes. She stepped outside, and the guard brought Neville inside. Hayleigh watched as the door slammed, and she spun around, fumbling about her pockets.
"What are you going for, dear?" McGonagall whispered.
"Something." She pulled out the string, and held it out. It slithered across the floor, and as soon as it touched the door, it flew back into her hand. Snapping her fingers, she buried it back into her pocket.
"What is that?" she asked.
"Extendable Ears. An invention by my dear friends, George and Fred Weasley. Doesn't work on bewitched doors, though," she muttered.
Neville walked out, hiding a quite triumphant smile.
"Neville? What did you do?" she whispered.
"I think we got him off," he whispered back. The guard took hold of Neville and Hayleigh's elbows.
"Can't stay here while they decide." McGonagall led them into the main hall of the Ministry, and they sat down, waiting. Hayleigh and Neville sat on the floor, playing a stupid kids game, "What's In My Pocket?" They were bored, though, so it didn't matter.
"I'm guessing that you have.Extendable Ears in your pocket," Neville said, shrugging.
"No.What makes you sure that we got him off, though, Neville?"
"I was very.thorough in my details of what happened between the time he left you to the time that he fell asleep.at two fifteen. Your father was already." He didn't finish his sentence as Hayleigh nodded.
"Alright. Neville, you are the greatest," she said, leaning over and hugging him. The Extendable Ears that had been in her pocket dropped to the floor as she did so, and he looked up at her.
"You lied!" he hissed, picking them up. She giggled, and jammed the Ears back into her pocket, flipping him a Sickle.
"Fine, take this and feel better." She saw him look up, silent, without picking up the Sickle, and gave him a confused glance. "Neville?" His surprised look turned into another triumphant smile as she raised an eyebrow, and looked up at McGonagall, who had stood up, her hands together, smiling. Hayleigh pushed herself off the floor, and turned around. Oliver was walking down the hall, rubbing his wrists, shaking his head, smiling.
"I was right," Neville muttered. Oliver looked up, and Hayleigh was crying again, running towards him. He threw his arms around her, and they held each other for the longest time. She sniffled, and lifted her head, pulling her lips from his shoulder.
"I love you." she whispered.
"I love you, too." he said, pulling back, kissing her. She kissed him back, tears falling onto her nose and to their lips.
They walked back into Hogwarts, Oliver's arm around Hayleigh, her left arm around his shoulder, and her right arm around Neville's shoulder. She smiled as McGonagall stopped them.
"Lunch will be starting soon." Hayleigh shook her head.
"I'm going to go the hospital wing.and see Seamus, and Harry, and Hermoine, and Ron," she said, and pulled away, heading down the hall.
"I'm starving," Neville said, running for the Great Hall. Oliver jogged after Hayleigh, and grabbed her around the waist.
"You could have waited for me." She smiled, took his hand, and pushed open the door to the hospital wing. Looking from bed to bed, she stopped by Seamus', and sat at his side. Reaching up, she touched his cheek. He wasn't as cold as he had been when he was found. Madam Pomfrey walked in.
"How are you feeling, Miss Gryffindor?" she asked.
"A lot better than I did this morning, thank you," she said, smiling. Hayleigh got up, and walked to Harry's bed, checking on him, and then checked on Hermoine and Ron, who were looking better. "Madam Pomfrey? Has the Potion been made yet?" she asked, turning around.
"Professor Snape is bringing it in this evening." She smiled, and turned to Oliver.
"Let's go.I guess I'm more hungry than I thought." He laughed, and they headed into the Great Hall, Hayleigh casting a backwards glance at her friends.
She sat at the table for dinner, across from Oliver, smiling. He glanced up.
"What?"
"Nothing," she said, reaching out and kicking him. He jumped.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. She giggled, and lifted her fork. The chatter going on around them quickly became quiet, and, confused, she looked up, to see Seamus, Hermoine, Harry, and Ron in the doorway, looking around. She pushed herself up, at the same time as Neville, and smiled. Turning her head, she motioned for Oliver to stand. He straightened himself up, and the four smiled. Hayleigh and Neville ran down the aisle, hugging them, smiling.
"Your alright!" she exclaimed, her arms around Seamus and Ron. They laughed. The students began to applaud.all except the Slytherin's. They were grumbling. Hayleigh hugged Harry and Hermoine, and she and Neville pulled them back to the table, to the four empty seats near them.
"You got off!" Hermoine exclaimed.
"Thanks to Hayleigh and Neville," he said, smiling. "But, I think it was the surprise that you came in to defend me that convinced them." Hayleigh looked confused. "Well, I was being accused of killing your father, and they thought that you would come in to place the blame on me, instead of the other way around." Hayleigh smiled.
"Never underestimate the power of a Gryffindor." They laughed, and she giggled, too.
Hayleigh didn't want to go to sleep. She was afraid that it might be a dream, and that when she awoke in the morning, Oliver wouldn't be there, so she took his hand that night, and they snuck outside, to sit beneath the beech tree by the lake. They sat facing each other, legs straight out in front of them, with his feet against her right hip, her feet against his right hip. Her hands were behind her, holding her up, and she looked at him, in the moonlight.
"They don't know who really did it, do they?"
"Who did what?" he asked.
"Who killed my father," she said. Oliver flinched.
"No.whoever did it hasn't been caught yet." Hayleigh looked down, her hair falling over her face. He tried to look at her, but her hair covered her face. All he saw was the single tear glitter in the moonlight as it fell, and hit his shoe. "Aw, Hayl." He pulled his feet back, and moved close to her, wrapping his arms around her.
"Its not fair, Oliver.why did he have to die?" she cried, placing her hands on his upper arms as he held her around the shoulders, the tears stinging again. "He wasn't supposed to die.he was one of my best friends.he always liked you, at least," she said, blinking away the tears. He pressed his lips against her cheek, and she sighed.
"Lots of things aren't fair, Hayleigh." He pulled back, and pushed her hair out of her face. She looked up at him, and smiled. Oliver pushed back, leaning against the tree, and she turned her back to him, leaning against him, as he placed his arms around her shoulders. She took his hands, and rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes.
