Page 5 of 5
Part 13
It was evening and most of the second years and some first years were in one of the study rooms doing homework and studying…that and staring at Harry. Harry wasn't immune to the staring and it was getting on his nerves. He leaned over to Erin, who was sitting beside him, "How am I supposed to complete this essay with people staring at me?"
She looked around and glared menacingly at a couple of Ravenclaws that turned quickly. "Come on." She said. "Let's go back to the common room, I'll help you with it and we won't have to put up with these idiots." She got her stuff together. Harry looked up and Ron and Hermione didn't really know what to say or do about it. He looked along the table at Ginny, who just went back to writing in her book. Erin stood up and Harry looked at her before getting his own stuff together.
The two of them left and Harry stared at the ones that had been staring at him. See how they liked it. They stopped though when they were out in the corridor. Harry heard some Hufflepuffs talking about him. Erin knew it was Ernie Macmillan who was talking. "I told Justin to stay in the dormitory. If Potter has marked him for his next victim he can't be too careful."
"Harry!" Erin whispered rolling her eyes.
Harry waved her off and kept listening, hidden by the wall. "You definitely think it is him, then?" Erin was quite sure it was Hannah talking.
"He's a Parselmouth, everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark Wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one that could talk to snakes?"
"But he's always been so nice." Hannah argued. "And look at Erin, she's one of the nicest people I know and she doesn't think it's him…of course, we thought it was her before…"
"She could be helping him just as easily, Hannah. Everyone knows she's his girlfriend…"
"Not him too." Erin muttered. Why did everyone think she was his girlfriend? Harry didn't even seem to care since he was still listening.
"No one knows why Potter survived when You-Know-Who met his downfall, he could be a Darker Wizard than him…and he hates those Muggles he lives with…"
"What about Hermione though?" Hannah asked. "She's a Muggle and they're friends."
"I don't know, maybe it's all an act."
"Do you think Justin will be ok?"
"I don't know." Ernie repeated. "But Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let it slip to Potter that he was Muggle born."
Harry had heard enough he swept down the hall. "How could they even think that?" He asked the girl behind him. "How could they…?"
Erin shrugged. "I told you, Harry, people will think what they want. I know you're not the Heir of Slytherin. You never had time to attack anyone. And I most certainly haven't. Harry, this is just like last year after we freed Norbert, no one would talk to us…of course then it was because they all thought we snuck off to snog on the Astronomy tower." Erin laughed and Harry, who had been scowling, could help a laugh of his own. "Have you noticed how people's mind automatically go to kissing if a guy and girl go off alone together?"
"It's absurd." Harry said, his mood considerably lighter. "They've got nothing better to fill their minds with, so they assume other people are doing just that."
Erin shook her head. "Remember, Harry, you said it yourself, you can weather anything, just as long as we have each other." She grinned. "And you have us, Hermione, Ron and me."
"Yeah, I know." He hugged her. It was unexpected, but Erin hugged him back. "Come on." He said when he let go. "I have to finish that essay."
"Sure." Erin said and they turned the corner. "Oh, my god!"
They stared transfixed at what they saw. Nearly Headless Nick was floating there, slowly rotating…and Justin was lying on the floor behind him…both of them petrified…Harry dropped his book and hurried forward. He kneeled next to Justin touching the hard skin… "Caught in the act!"
Erin whirled around and saw Filch. "We just found them!" She yelled at him glaring.
"This time you'll be out of here." And he hurried off.
"What a jerk." Erin mumbled under her breath.
"Hey, Erin…look at this…"
"What?" She asked coming over to him. He pointed to a line of spiders going out through a broken pane in the window. "That's strange…
"Oh no!" They turned to see McGonagall there. She looked at the two of them and back at Justin.
"Professor, we just got here and found them." Erin explained.
"We swear…we didn't…" Harry managed to get out.
"This is out of my hands." She said. "Filch, fetch Madam Pomfrey, you two, come with me."
She led us along the corridors until we came to a large statue with the head of an eagle. "Sherbet Lemon." She said and the statue began rotating and going upward revealing a staircase. "Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you."
We stepped on the staircase and rode it to the top. When it stopped we found ourselves in front of a door. Harry and Erin looked at each other finally Erin knocked. "Come in!" A voice called.
Harry opened the door and let her go in first. "Oh, thanks so much." She said.
Harry smiled, at least she had her sense of humor, and they might actually get through this. Dumbledore's office was quite unlike anything either of them had ever seen. There were books everywhere and other curious knickknacks…including the Sorting Hat. And then they spotted a bird on a pedestal. It didn't look too good. Dumbledore however couldn't be seen anywhere. The voice had come from a painting…there were about 20 of them if not more. This one was of wizard with white hair and a stern expression. "Dumbledore will be back momentarily, I am Professor Dippet, the Headmaster before Dumbledore."
Erin was busy stroking the head of the cute little sick bird. "Oh, aren't you a gorgeous little boy?"
The bird crooned happily. Harry nodded to the painting. "Uh, thank you. Erin, what are you—"
Erin jumped back as the bird burst into flame and fell into ash. "Erin? Harry?"
They both looked up to see Dumbledore standing above them. He came down some stairs. "Sir, your bird…" Harry said.
"Oh, yes, and about time too." Dumbledore said. "He's been looking awful for days. I told him to get a move on…"
"Oh, he's a phoenix." Erin said. "No wonder he liked me."
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded. "No wonder." He smiled and it was like the two of them shared a secret joke. "Harry, Phoenix's are very special creatures, when they die they reduced to ash and are reborn from the ashes. Look." They bent over the ashes and saw that a little bird was there moving out from under them. "Ah, Fawkes…"
"What a cute little baby…" Erin said reaching out a finger to nuzzle the little bird. It crooned again. "Phoenix's make highly faithful pets, they can carry very heavy loads and their tears have healing powers!"
The door to the office burst open and Hagrid stood there waving a dead chicken around. "Headmaster! Wait! Stop! It wasn't Harry or Erin! I know! They'd never do this sort of thing! In fact I'd be willing to swear before the Ministry of Magic!"
"Hagrid! I do not believe they did it."
"Well, of course yeh don't! And—" He paused. "Oh, well, I'll just wait outside then." Hagrid left looking very red.
"You don't believe it was us, sir?" Harry asked.
"No, Harry," Dumbledore shook his head. "I do not believe it was either of you. But, I must ask you whether you have anything to tell me…"
Harry and Erin exchanged a look. Harry shook his head. "No, Professor."
"Erin?"
"No." She said. "No, sir there isn't anything."
Dumbledore looked at both of them as if he was trying to figure something out and then sighed. "All right, you may go."
The Christmas holidays came fast. Everyday the Weasley's, Erin and Hermione were outside having snowball fights, making snowmen and joining Hagrid for sleigh rides. Christmas morning arrived, cold and Hermione woke Erin up around six. Fortunately Erin was able to stop Hermione from waking the boys up. They went and checked on the potion and Erin came back promising to wake the boys up.
Erin yawned as she walked into the boy's dorm. She shook Ron awake and then went over to Harry. "Wake up." She said shaking him.
Harry opened his eyes groggily. "It's too early." He said. "What time is it?"
"Seven, Hermione is playing Christmas Nazi and waking me up at six, don't worry I managed to forestall her in waking you two up."
Harry yawned. "Not waking up." He said flopping back down on his pillows.
"Fine, move over." Erin said, when he didn't she simply crawled over him and stealing one of his pillows. It was cold and Erin was still in her nightgown and bathrobe. Ron yawned and slid into Harry's bed next to Erin, it was cold and he was tired. Erin scooted over and Ron had his own pillow.
"Hey, this is my bed!" Harry complained half-heartedly.
"Don't complain." Erin said snuggling under the covers. "It's warm."
"You're the warmest." Ron said. "You're in the middle."
"Too true." Erin said.
It was about half an hour later when Hermione walked into the boy's dorm and chuckled. Ron was snoring; Erin was sprawled out with one arm across Harry's chest, the other across Ron's face and Harry had his mouth open and one leg was out of the covers. "Oh, this is waking up?" She asked laughing.
Ron groaned. "Whatya want?" He asked sitting up and Erin's arm flopped back on his pillow. He fell back down on Erin's arm. The other two didn't even wake up.
Oh, this was too good to pass up. Hermione ran up the stairs to Fred and George's dorm and flung open the door without knocking. The boy's were snoring their heads off. "Wake up!" She told them shaking Fred.
Fred opened his eyes. "Hermione, do you know what time it is?"
"Yes, it's 7:30, I need your camera!"
"Why?"
"Because Harry, Erin and Ron are asleep in Harry's bed and it looks so funny." She told him.
Well, anything to do with Erin. Fred and George looked at each other for a moment and then were out of bed and George grabbed the camera. They hurried down the tower stairs and into the 2nd years' dorm. George put the camera up to his eye and took a picture. The flash cause Erin to sit up startled. She blinked at them. "Too early." She flopped back down and was asleep the next moment. Hermione, Fred and George fell over each other laughing.