Part Nine
November flew by and December was starting to also. Before they knew it Christmas was coming. Hermione and Erin had divided their time between finding out about Nicolas Flamel and learning about Animagery. For some reason Hermione wasn't really progressing or learning as fast as Erin was, she knew the information but the understanding wasn't coming as fast. Erin tried to help her as much as she could. Erin didn't really know why it came so easily, but she loved it. She loved learning about being an Animagus. It was complicated, because it felt like she was learning about herself as she went along.
McGonagall sent around a sign-up sheet to see who was going to be staying for Christmas. Erin signed up right away as did Harry and Ron, (his mum and dad were going to Romania to visit his brother, Charlie, who was studying dragons) Hermione wasn't staying though. She was going home.
The classes were ok, except for Snape's dungeon where they had to huddle close to the cauldrons and each other when it was permissible to keep warm. The Great Hall and the Houses were always fired up with roaring fires in the fireplaces and stoves, but the dungeons certainly were not.
Malfoy was always trying to be the center of attention and make fun of Harry. He was so jealous it wasn't even funny. At the moment he was making fun of him for not having a 'proper family'. "I feel so sorry for those people that have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they aren't wanted at home." Malfoy was saying during one unending potions class.
Erin was working with Harry again and, if anything, the dungeons were getting colder instead of warmer with the fires and body heat. Malfoy was looking straight at the two. He was still angry about the fight at the first flying lesson. "Better here than at that freeze-trap he calls a family." Erin whispered to Harry.
Harry smirked as he measured out the powdered spine of lionfish. Erin was crushing up some dragon scales in a pewter dish. "What did you say, Lyancomp?" Malfoy demanded.
The girl turned to him with a look of surprise. "Why Malfoy were you listening in on mine and Harry's conversation? I thought you were too busy making fun of us."
Erin went back to the potion and only Harry could see her efforts to not laugh. A draft of cold air hit them and they knew Snape was standing right behind them. "This is not a class for flirting, you two! 5 points from Gryffindor!"
They watched him go and looked back at each other. Harry shook his head and added the lionfish to the cauldron and started on adding the porcupine bile. Erin added the dragon scales in pinches carefully making sure it was added evenly while Harry stirred it in. "Potter and Lyancomp sitting in a tree…K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
"At least we'd be warm." Erin said not rising to Malfoy's taunts.
Ron snorted into his cauldron behind them. Harry and Erin had grown to be such good friends that Malfoy didn't really bother them anymore with his taunting, not that he didn't try. It was getting worse, but the four of them thought they could weather anything that blowhard shot at them.
The girls had it the worst in the cold, because of their skirts. Hermione and Erin had devised a way to insulate stockings to wear under the skirts and knee socks. So they were warm but most of the other girls were freezing.
Unconsciously Erin moved closer to Harry to look into the cauldron. "Ok, I think it's been stewing long enough."
"Good, we can take it off the fire then…" Harry, realizing how close they were, smiled a little nervously. Erin scooted a little further away, blushing, so he could take the cauldron off the fire. When Harry had done that Erin added the dragon's blood. A red puff of smoke erupted from the cauldron. Snape came over sneering, Erin was afraid he was going to say something, but all he did was look at the potion and leave. "I guess we did something right." Harry whispered.
Erin ladled the potion into a cup and capped it before writing their names on it and put it up on Snape's desk. Snape glared malevolently at her, but didn't say anything.
After the lesson the four of them went up to the library. Hermione and Erin were doing two things at once: Studying up on Animagery and looking for Nicholas Flamel. Erin had finished her homework for the Christmas break already so she had nothing else to do, but work on the two extracurricular activities. She was actually looking at two books at the same time as they sat together at the table. "Erin?"
The girl looked up and saw Ron was looking incredulously at the two books. "What?" Erin asked.
"Why are you reading a book on Animagery while looking in a book on recent wizarding developments?"
"I am interested in Animagery." The girl defended.
"What's Animagery?" Harry asked.
"Animagery is the election of a witch or wizard to turn into an animal." Erin said. "You've seen McGonagall as a cat. Well McGonagall is an Animagus." An image flashed before her eyes.
"Erin? You ok?" Harry asked.
"Duck!" The girl said and threw herself under the table. The other three followed suit, not knowing why they were doing it. They were under the table maybe 5 seconds, enough time for a few of them to think how stupid they looked, when a whole bunch of books fell onto the table and all around the table they were under.
"Sorry! Sorry!" They heard Neville's voice coming around the books. "Are you all right?"
"Fine." Harry said crawling out from under the table. "We got under the table before the books hit us."
"But how did you know?" Neville asked surprised.
"Erin saw it." Hermione said a little in awe.
Erin blushed then suddenly her face became excited. "I did it!" She exclaimed. "Harry, I did it!"
He looked at her, puzzled and then a smile spread over his face. "Great job!" He said.
"What are you talking about?" Hermione and Ron asked at once.
"Erin is a…what it is called?" Harry asked.
"A Legilimenist, I was born like that. I know people's emotions and memories! Only an Occlumenist can block me! I have been trying to hone my skills and practice more."
"What's an Occlumenist?" Ron asked.
"Someone that can block his or her feelings and memories from a Legilimenist." Harry supplied.
"My talents can help me as an Auror someday." Erin said.
"That and your reflexes." Ron said. "We saw you evade that troll club."
"I wasn't so good with the last part." Erin said blushing.
"You were concerned about Harry not yourself." Hermione reminded her. "You were making yourself stay there."
"We just have one more day until break." Harry said. "And it's time for lunch."
Madam Pince came around the corner. "What happened?" She asked.
"It was my fault." Neville said. "My wand went off accidentally and the books went flying."
"It's a good thing no one was hurt." She said. She usually wasn't this nice about her books. She waved her wand and the books flew back to their shelf.
"You guys go ahead, I will catch up." Erin told them. "I want to check a few books out."
"Ok." Hermione said and the others nodded. They walked with Neville, who didn't have many friends to hang out with.
Erin took out a few books on Animagery to read over the holidays. She could just come in here, but it was more comfortable in her favorite chair by the fire. Madam Pince looked at the books the girl wanted. "Still on your Animagery phase I see."
"It is just so interesting." She asserted and Madam Pince smiled, a very rare smile. "All the things that could go wrong and still people try their entire lives to become an Animagus. And so many different animals you could turn into."
Someone wanted to ask Madam Pince a question so Erin said good-bye and left. She stopped off in the Gryffindor Common Room and put her books on a table. No one would bother them, and she headed down to the Great Hall for lunch.
A few minutes later Erin slipped in next to Fred and George. "What are you two whispering about?"
They looked up. "Ok, Erin, we want the truth." Fred said.
"What?" she asked unconcerned as she dumped a bunch of tuna casserole onto her plate.
"Why doesn't anyone ever sing about us and you up in a tree kissing?" George asked.
"Well that could get a little awkward." Erin said. " 'Erin, Fred and George sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.' No, I am afraid that would be bad, because then people would start saying you two were kissing."
They looked at each other. "Well, maybe they could just do two separate songs." Fred said.
"I've already told you guys, I am not going to be going with either one of you and I can't very well go with both of you. That would drive a wedge between you and I definitely do not want that to happen. So you two had better get used to the idea."
"What if one of us had a girlfriend?" Fred asked.
"That would be different." Erin said. "Then I might consider going with the other, but that is a big might. Why can't we just be friends?"
"Because you are the best looking girl in school." Fred said.
"Not to mention the one with the best personality." George said.
"Flattery will get you no where. Thank you, though." Erin got up kissed them both on the cheeks.
They looked proud of themselves. "I'll never wash my face again!" Fred and George said at the same time. Erin laughed.