A/N: Ch. 2 has a really creative title. Sorry but by brain went like blah blah blaaah when I tried think of a chapter title. I'll have to fix that. Anyway second chap. is here. Btw, ch 1 was kind of a prologue. The main story takes place when Biddy goes to Hogwarts for her fourth year. I am not desperate but, REVIEW!
A/N2: None of the character that are recognized from the Harry Potter books belong to me but to of course J.K. Rowling. Nope I own nothing from those books but only OCs like Biddy Hart, Eleanor Hart, and Hollows etc……. Oh and the only money I am making is from Christmas and birthdays.
At the Twilight: Part One
Chapter 2: Nine Years Later...
A fourteen-year-old Biddy sat by her window staring outside. The weather outside was gorgeous; the sun was shining on the streets of London this day on September 1st. She longed to roam the streets today because of how nice the weather was. Today she would not be able to do that. Within the hour she would be heading to King's Cross Station to board the Hogwarts Express. Her trunk was waiting downstairs in the flower shop for the time when she would be leaving.
Seven years later after her father's death, Biddy Hart was starting her fourth year at Hogwarts. Sure enough she was not her five-year-old self anymore. She had grown a lot in nine years with a height of five feet and two inches. Her long chestnut hair was often braided to keep out of her face. Of course Biddy still had the same hazel eyes as her late father and she was still rather skinny for her age.
She sighed and got up from her seat by the window. Her room was small and just contained a bed, closet and a desk scattered with old parchment from the previous year's homework and some quills. A box of abandoned chocolates sat on her bed next to a lime green bag emblazed with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Biddy walked out of her room and across the hall.
Since her father's death the charms guarding the door had disappeared and now the door could be opened by anyone. Her mother rather would not want Biddy snooping around her father's old things. Biddy just had to make sure she was never caught. That was proven easy since her mother was always busy in the flower shop.
Biddy opened the door to make one more visit to the dusty study. It smelt of old parchment, dried ink and smells that stained the air from her dad's experiments. There many files and drawers containing papers from old reports at work. An old, messy desk was in the left corner opposite from the immense wall of file cabinets. In the center of the room was a large cauldron that had been wiped clean from its previous concoctions.
The floor boards creaked as Biddy moved about the room. She made her way towards the desk and examined the walls. Across the whole wall was old family photographs scattered across it. One photo showed her mother and father on a camping trip before they were married. Another showed the three of them at the park when Biddy was three. Among the other photos was one that had been hung after her father's death. It showed her father laughing with her mother at their wedding party. Her father was immortalized forever as his twenty-eight self. It troubled Biddy that she would never be able to remember that laugh. An ache formed in her chest and her eyes watered.
"Bidelia! Come down here! The Channings will be here any minute!" Mrs. Hart called from downstairs in the flower shop.
Biddy sighed and walked unwillingly down stairs. Since the death of Mr. Hart, her mother has been able to cope. She still ran the flower shop even though it was sometimes hard to provide for both of them. They managed to get by whether Mrs. Hart or Biddy had to have a part time job on the weekend. As she ran down the stairs she wiped her eyes dry. Downstairs her mother pulled her into a hug.
"I am going to miss you Biddy," Mrs. Hart said still hugging her daughter. "Be careful at school and make sure you behave for your teachers."
Biddy managed to get away from her mother's grasp. "Don't worry so much! Besides last year I didn't mean to turn Professor Julian's hair purple."
"Yes. You meant turn her hair bright pink with yellow polka dots," Mrs. Hart corrected her.
"I couldn't help it! Hetcher dared me and Jake tried to stop him," She protested.
Her mother fetched Biddy's sweater from the cashier's counter and handed it to her. "I know Jake to be a very lovely boy who knows what is right. Luke should remember to act more responsibly."
"Oh yes I'll remember to tell Hetcher that as soon as I see him," Biddy remarked sarcastically. Mrs. Hart walked behind the cashier's counter, but not before giving her daughter a small whack on the shoulder. "You are truly the mother of a teenager," added Biddy joking.
"Stop it you make me feel old," Her mother laughed. "Do you have everything packed?" She asked, returning to full protective mother mode.
"Yes," Biddy sighed.
"Completely sure?" Mrs. Hart asked not completely believing her.
"Completely,"
"You're sure?"
"Really sure!"
"Can you repeat that for me please?" Her mother said before reaching under the counter and pulling out Biddy's wand. "Have you noticed you left this in your jeans' pocket which was in the wash?"
Biddy let out a nervous laugh, "Um...Yes...It won't happen again."
Just then they saw a car pull up to the flower shop. A boy stepped out of the car with dirty blond hair and blue eyes.
Jake Channing was the same age as Biddy, entering his fourth year at Hogwarts. He was in Ravenclaw unlike Biddy who was in Gryffindor. Most of his family had been in Ravenclaw so naturally being also the smartest one of their year, he would end up there. Biddy knew him since they were little and she would sometimes go to his house like the day her father died. They remained close even if they were not in the same house at Hogwarts.
"Hello Mrs. Hart, Biddy," He greeted upon entering the shop.
"Hey Jake," Biddy said with a small wave. Biddy picked up her trunk at one end and tried to haul it towards the door.
Jake quickly went to the other side and picked up the other handle, "Let me help with this."
Together they waddled towards the door like a pair of penguins. "Geez Bee...What did you put in here…Decided you needed three cauldrons this year instead of one?" Jake said. His voice was strained from the weight of the trunk.
"Oh yea, my summer's been great. What about yours? Uh-huh. Mm-hmm, sounds interesting," Biddy joked, struggling herself with her half of the trunk.
Jake kicked open the door with his heel and they managed to get her trunk outside. Jake stopped and checked his watch, "It's five past 10 o'clock. We'd better hurry up if we want to there before eleven and get seats." Together they hauled Biddy's things into the back of Mrs. Channing's small blue car.
"Hello Biddy!" Mrs. Channing called from the front seat. Biddy saw Jake's older sister, Ellie, sitting in the front sit. His sister was in her sixth year at Hogwarts. She had the same dirty blond hair as Jake and their mother. "Is your mother busy?" asked Mrs. Channing. As they both stepped out of the car, Ellie said a quick hello to Biddy.
"No, you can come in if you'd like."
Jake was busy feeding his owl, Ezra, some owl treats to keep him calm while the three of them went back into the shop.
"Hello Eleanor! I haven't seen you much since we came back from visiting our relatives in the country side," Mrs. Channing said walking up to Mrs. Hart. "How have things been?"
"Well business has been a bit slow but besides that everything's fine, Jane," She said. "How did Ellie and Jake like the countryside?"
"Oh it was beautiful! They really enjoyed it. First time in weeks I've been able to breathe…"
As the two mothers continued their conversations, Jake came back inside and joined Biddy and Ellie. They sat on the window ledge while their mothers talked.
"So really Jake, how was your summer?" Biddy asked while braiding a small strand of hair.
Jake scratched behind his neck. "Alright I guess."
"Alright if you like waking up six-thirty in the morning to go for a nature walk. And bugs! And aching feet! And when your mother can stop talking about how beautiful nature is for one second!" Ellie complained, "I honestly would like to know how muggles find it entertaining."
Biddy stopped playing with her hair and looked Ellie, "Well not all muggles like that stuff. I should know. When I was three, my mum told me that my dad wanted to go camping. Within the hour we got there my mum was fed up from the heat and bugs."
By that time the mothers stopped talking and they all said good-bye.
"Now be careful!" Mrs. Hart said, pulling her daughter into one last hug. "I'll see you at Christmas Bidelia."
"Okay. Okay," Biddy told her mother after being released from her grasp. She grabbed her mother's shoulders and looked into her eyes, "Just…Don't…Call me…Bidelia."
Mrs. Hart chuckled, "Good-bye Biddy."
They all left the flower shop and got into the car. "Remember to write!" Mrs. Hart called out to Biddy after she closed the car door.
Half an hour later the Channings and Biddy were standing right outside the large, red steam engine, Hogwarts Express. Students and their families were arriving and rushing about with luggage and their pets to find a compartment on the train. Jake, Ellie and Biddy all said good-bye to Mrs. Channing and Biddy thanked her for the ride. The three of them boarded the train.
"Well I have to be going now," Ellie said and left for the prefect compartment with her friend, Cameron Stone.
Biddy and Jake went to find seats. Towards the end of the train they found an empty train compartment. They sat picking out unusually colored Bertie-Botts' Every Flavored Beans and daring each other to eat them. When the door to their compartment opened and a red-headed girl and a boy with wavy brown hair walked in, Jake and Biddy had tried various revolting flavors. Toe nail clippings and rotten milk were among their favorites.
The energetic girl sat down next to Jake and picked out a safe, pink colored bean that was being ignored during the previous dares. "Hey guys, how was your summer?"
Jake shrugged and Biddy answered. "There wasn't much to do, Dorie. Unless you count helping with the flower shop."
"Same here. My dad's always busy at the Ministry. I was all alone," Dorie gave Jake a look. She popped the pink bean in her mouth. Being a Hufflepuff, Dorie Madison was loyal and honest. She however unlike more conservative Hufflepuffs, was talkative and loud. The curly-haired boy (whom Biddy was trying to ignore) shifted in his seat and put his hands behind his head.
"You know that's cough medicine flavored?" He said, stifling a laugh.
Dorie choked and spat the bean out, "You know you could have told me that before Hetcher," she took a long swig of pumpkin juice she'd taken from her bag. "I thought it tasted a little weird for strawberry."
"Heh! Well since when have Berties been safe to assume to have a normal flavor?" Hetcher smirked and looked at Biddy. Luke could be a bit big headed at times. Unfortunately his attention was often drawn to Biddy. What could only make it worse was that he also was a Gryffindor. "So guess what I know?" He proudly announced.
"What Hetcher?" Biddy rolled her eyes and tried to stare out the window looking uninterested.
Luke flashed his boyish grin. He chuckled, "Call me Luke for once Bidelia." Jake snorted into the pile of beans on his hand.
"So stop calling me Bidelia!" Biddy retorted.
"What?" Luke raised an eyebrow, "I think Bidelia is a very pretty name. So will -- "
"Hetcher will you just say what you were going to say in the first place!" Dorie interrupted him before he could further annoy Biddy therefore leading to the annoyance of the rest of the compartment.
"All right, Madison," Luke growled.
Dorie batted her eyelashes at him. "Oh please. Call me Dorie." She let out a shrill, girly laugh. Jake smiled from her joking.
"Well I know two things. First, what I think you'll find interesting Biddy, Jude, you know my brother in the sixth year? He's been made Quiditch captain." Luke looked rather pleased with himself.
"And what may that have to do with me, Luke?" Biddy asked giving him a confused look.
"You're going to try out."
"Oh, I am?"
"Yup."
"Why would I do that?"
"I saw you in flying lessons our first year and you were pretty good. Also I've seen you borrow Alders' broomstick sometimes." Luke spoke the truth. Biddy had helped Karen train and sometimes rode her broomstick. She was a tall, plain, black girl with awesome chaser skills. She had dead-on accuracy when it came to shooting the quaffle.
"Are you stalking me?"
Luke smiled sweetly, "Maybe I am."
"That only makes me more creeped out to be within ten feet of you."
"Come on! You know you want to."
"If I say yes, will you stop annoying me? Promise?"
Luke sighed, "Sure Bidelia."
Biddy turned to him and took out her wand. She pointed it at his neck. "Will you stop that?" She demanded.
Luke smirked. "Fine, how 'bout you be my little Bumble Bee?" He put his arm around her shoulder. Biddy pushed him away resisting the opportunity to hex him into oblivion.
Jake saw the distress call from Biddy when she gave him an extremely annoyed look. Taking her warning, Jake got up. He took down his bag from the luggage rack and opened the compartment door.
"Come on Hetcher. Let's go change into our robes," Jake announced.
Luke looked disappointed, "But I haven't finished yet!"
"Well hurry it up!" Dorie took his bag from the floor and threw it at him, which he caught.
"My mum says that we're getting two new teachers this year. Professor Tankard and Professor Smarting both have retired."
"Wow Hetcher you've finally said something useful," Dorie said. "I was almost failing both Defense against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration all last year. Now scat!" She pulled him up and shoved him through the door. Biddy mouthed thanks to Jake.
"Thanks Dorie," Biddy thanked her as soon as the boys were out of earshot.
"No problem," Dorie said pulling on her robes, "I just feel sorry for Jake."
The two of them finished getting ready. Several minutes later Jake returned alone. He explained that Luke had met up with his friend, Ian, and ran off somewhere talking excitedly about the Quiditch World Cup. Biddy thanked him once again and the three of them sat talking about their vacations. Jake seemed more concerned about the new teachers and how they would be like.
Outside the sky was getting darker as the orange sun dipped below the hills the train was speeding by. Half an hour later the train gave a final lurch and stopped. The three of them collected up the Cauldron Cakes and chocolate frog wrappers from the seats and grabbed their bags. Biddy held Ezra while Jake collected his things from the top of the luggage rack.
The three of them joined the outside rush to get off the train. Outside a tall, bearded man wearing a trench coat with many pockets and holding a lantern was calling for first years.
"Hey, Hagrid! How was your summer?" Ian Elbon called out to him. Hagrid waved to him and continued to call first years over to the docks. His giant half-brother, Grawp followed Hagrid, holding another lantern and ushering the students forward with his humungous arms.
Luke and Ian joined the three of them and they all shared one of the horse-less carriages.
Finally after eight long minutes talking about Quiditch and whether or not the new professors would be any good, they arrived at the school entrance. There they joined the crowd flowing into the Great Hall. Biddy left Jake and Dorie as they went to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. She followed Luke and Jake over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Karen Alders who was sitting across from Jude Hetcher and his girlfriend, Cat Jones (both of them were in their sixth year). Jude and Luke could be identical if not for Jude being taller and polite. To Biddy's disappointment, Luke sat down next to her on the bench.
"Hi," Biddy greeted the three of them. She saw that Jude had the quiditch captain badge pinned to the front of his robes.
"So Biddy," Jude said turning to her, "Luke told me on the train that you'll be going out for the team."
Biddy smiled sweetly at Luke, "More like against my will."
Luke looked at her offended, "Bumble Bee I thought you liked Quiditch?"
"Anyway," Jude interrupted before Luke could annoy Biddy anymore, "How 'bout it? Try-outs are this Friday?"
Biddy sighed and gave in, "Fine."
"I'll help you practice," Karen piped in, "Not that you need it or anything but some practice before try-outs couldn't hurt."
"Yea. That's a good idea," Jude encouraged, "Cat going to try out too." Jude gave Cat a quick kiss.
Biddy specifically heard Luke whisper to Ian 'Three guesses why'. Biddy could not help but smile a little. Cat had overheard them too and kicked Luke under the table.
"Hey!"
"I heard that! Don't worry. I plan to have an equal chance just as anybody else." Cat declared. She squeezed Jude's arm tightly. Both Luke and Ian were still snickering.
Their conversations however ended when the doors opened, revealed was Professor Flitwick, the tiny Charms professor. He carried the Sorting Hat (which took up more than half of him) and the first years followed him up to the front of the Great Hall. Biddy noticed how small the first years looked so little and scared. That was exactly how she felt coming into this immense room with hundreds of people staring at you as if you were a tiny bug. She would like to remember why she had been so desperate to come to Hogwarts in the first place.
In front of the Head table Professor Flitwick began reading names off the long piece of parchment. Professor Sprout quickly left her end of the table to assist putting the Sorting Hat on the students. At that moment the Sorting Hat began its song and the Sorting began.
"Alfred, Louise!" called Professor Flitwick in his squeaky voice. A small girl with short black hair came to the stool and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted after only a few moments. Louise joined the Ravenclaw table. Biddy saw Jake clapping along with the other Ravenclaws.
"Ashton, Jason!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Bradley, Daniel!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Burren, Oswald!"
"SLYTHERIN!"
"Frederick, Wayne!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table erupted with cheers and people clapping. The poor boy startled by this sudden uproar, smiled weakly and ran over to join them. A half an hour later the Sorting Hat finished with sorting Joel Wellington into Hufflepuff. Seven more first years had joined the Gryffindor table.
Headmistress McGonagall stood up and cleared her throat. All the talking in the Great Hall ceased and the hundreds of heads turned over to their Headmistress.
"Good evening!" She greeted, "I'd like to welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts. Let's all make this a productive year full of learning."
"Now," the stern witch continued, "On a more serious tone, I'd like to inform first year students, and remind older students that the Forbidden Forest is obliviously forbidden, hence the name, will not be entered unless accompanied by a professor." Professor McGonagall took her time at looking suspiciously at a pair of seventh year Gryffindor.
"Also I suggest everyone to check the list of illegal items on Mr. Filch's office door. Numerous Wealsey inventions have also been banned,
"Now this year we have two new professors joining us this year. Over the summer both Professor Smarting and Professor Tankard have retired," She announced. Biddy just noticed that two seats to the headmistress' left were empty. "I would like to introduce your two new professors who will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. One is an old student and colleague of mine, an extremely gifted professor. Another is an old student of mine, the most gifted witch of her year, whom I believe will prove herself a most excellent teacher."
Luke whispered to Biddy, "I'll bet you three sickles that they're both old and wrinkly and can't see two feet ahead themselves."
"Please welcome Professor Remus J. Lupin and Professor Hermione Granger!"
The door behind the head table opened and a man and woman walked through it. The students clapped politely as the two professors walked over to their seats. Biddy noticed that Professor Lupin looked pale and a bit shabby, his robes were worn as so did his face look. He however had a friendly smile and his appearance did not reflect in his cheerful eyes. Lupin waved politely to the students.
Professor Granger sat on Professor Lupin's right and unlike her older colleague; she looked young maybe in her early twenties. She had wavy brown hair and wore midnight blue robes. Never before had there ever been a teacher that young at Hogwarts.
She must have been brilliant to be teaching this young, Biddy thought to herself. The
Transfigurations professor smiled, embarrassed a little by all the clapping. Biddy could already tell that she would enjoy those subjects more now that they weren't being taught by ancient witches.
"I know that everyone will welcome the new additions to our staff," Professor McGonagall warned making a specific emphasis on the word 'everyone'. "Now let the feast begin!"
Professor McGonagall clapped her hands and food appeared on the plates. Some first years gasped in surprise while older students stared to pile on food.
"So," Biddy smirked at Luke, "Where's my three sickles?"
Luke stopped midway in piling mashed potatoes on his already full plate. "Um, yeah," he stalled, "How about I pay you back?"
Biddy held out her hand. "Pay up," She demanded. Unwillingly Luke stuck his hand in his pocket and fished out three sickles.
Biddy sighed. "You should know not to bet Luke. In case you haven't noticed, you're not particularly good at it." She took bite out of a piece of bread.
All through the dinner Luke and Ian were joking around while both Jude and Cat were getting all lovey-dovey across the table. Biddy turned to Karen for conversation in which they talked about their summers and the upcoming Quiditch try-outs. They also debated the possibilities if their new professors would be easy or not. That was when both Jake and Dorie joined their table.
"So Jake, what do you think of the new professors?" Biddy asked him. Jake looked over to the Head table for a moment. He blushed and looked the other way when Professor Granger glanced over at the Gryffindor table. "Um, she looks nice." Jake said.
Dorie raised an eyebrow, "What about Professor Lupin?" She questioned.
"Him too," Jake answered quickly. He busied him self by nibbling on a cookie that appeared for dessert. For the rest of the feast they talked, mostly Dorie who seemed particularly convinced that Professor Granger may not be qualified for the job.
"She's just so young!" Dorie protested.
"So?" Jake argued back. "Would you prefer the Deadly Prune Duo?" Biddy snickered at his sudden sense of humor towards their retired professors.
Dorie looked defeated but then lit up, "Well Professor Lupin is younger than Tankard but still old enough to teach."
"When did you care about school any way?" Jake responded. Dorie decided to stop arguing.
After five minutes the desserts were cleared away from the table (another round of amazement from first years). The prefects got up to escort first years to the dormitories and the six fourth years left the Great Hall with the flow of older students a couple of minutes later. On their walk to the staircases Dorie and Jake forgot their quarrel and were talking peacefully along with Karen about their classes. Since no one was there to help Biddy, Luke mercilessly flirted with her. It improved slightly when Karen returned to her side after Jake and Dorie left to go to their respective dormitories.
They reached the Fat Lady and Ian gave the password "Bowtruckle". The portrait swung open and they all stepped into the Gryffindor common room. The room was filled with dozens of students talking excitedly. Biddy, tired as she was walked to the girls' dormitory and Karen soon followed after.
A/N: END OF CHAPTER TWO! Yes! It took so long. It's really hard to write an original story even if it is fan fiction. There are its good points though. Most of my characters will never be OoC.
My one hope is that people will read and review. I am NOT afraid of constructive criticism…but no flamers please…and thank you. 'o