1A week later Vanessa was getting ready, as she'd entered the contest. Everyone was sure she'd win. She was the only Gryffindor to enter. There was three Slytherins, two Hufflepuffs and five Ravenclaws, all girls.
"Vanessa you'll do fine" Amber reassured her.
"Yeah you look great" Charlie started and Maddy finished her "and you sing great."
Vanessa smiled "thanks guys."
Vanessa was wearing a dark purple knee length skirt that flowed outwards losely, and a long sleeved scoop necked shirt a in a purple that was a few shades lighter then the skirt. She was wearing black eyeliner, but that was the only makeup she wore. On her feet were thick dark purple platforms that made her look even taller, though she was already tall for her age.
Her sapphire eyes shone like diamonds and Charlie knew she'd win.
They went down to the Great Hall where the contest was being held and Charlie, Maddy, Amber, Alexis and the boys sat down in the front row. After two Slytherins and a Ravenclaw Vanessa was called. She opened her mouth and the beautiful notes spilled out.
"if i could grant you one wish
i wish you could see the way you kiss.
I love watching you baby, when you're me crazy.
I love the way you, love the way you love me.
(The way you laugh and breathe and smile.
When you touch me, drive me wild)
there's nowhere else id rather be.
To feel the way i feel with your arms around me.
(I melt and spin and fall again)
i only wish you could see the way you love me
(love me)
whoa, oh, oh, the way you love me.
It's not right, it's not fair.
What you're missing over there.
Someday I'll find a way to show you,
just how lucky I am to know you.
I love the way you,
love the way you love me.
(The way you laugh and breathe and smile.
When you touch me, drive me wild)
there's nowhere else id rather be.
To feel the way I feel with your arms around me.
(I melt and spin and fall again)
I only wish you could see the way you love me
(love me)
Whoa, oh, oh, the way you love me.
You're the million reasons why there's love reflecting in my eyes.
I love the way you,
love the way you love me.
(The way you laugh
and breathe and smile.
When you touch me,
drive me wild)
there's nowhere else id rather be.
To feel the way I feel with your arms around me.
(I melt and spin and fall again)
I only wish you could see the way you love me
(love me)
whoa, oh, oh, the way you love me.
The way love me
(love me)
whoa oh, oh,
the way you love me..."
She finished and the Great Hall exploded into applause way more than they had for he others yet.
Vanessa walked off the small stage that was erected in the center of the Great Hall.
"That was for you." She whispered to Alex sitting down between Charlie and him.
"Thanks" he said and they were probably about to kiss but then it was the last girls turn.
Afterwards Prof. Tamora walked up behind a small podium facing the students.
"Everyone that has entered and sung has done miraculously. Now we, the teachers involved, have listened closely to you eleven. We will even it down to five now. And when the choosing day comes, one of those five will be picked. So here are the five." She paused a moment and took out a piece of parchment,
"These are the five."
Vanessa as well as the other eight held their breath and crossed their fingers.
"Ashley Nott, Veronica Avery," the two Slytherins beamed their ugly grins as she went on. "Jessica and Ailcia Primross" two Ravenclaws smiled and blushed, "And Vanessa Wood."
It took the nine, including Vanessa, a whole minute to register this. Then they all burst at the same time with congratulations to Vanessa and such.
On the way out of the Great Hall Mike and Nick both snuck behind Alex and Vanessa and pushed them into a kissing embrace. The former two broke out running before Vanessa and Alex could register it.
That night after almost all the Gryffindors had gone to bed and the four boys had snuck off to do their own bit of mischief, four girls snuck into the common room.
"Should we ask Alexis if she wants to come?" Amber asked in a voice just barely above a whisper. Charlie answered in the same tone.
"No remember last time we tried to do something she chickened out?" Amber nodded after minute.
"So where are we goin?" Maddy asked from underneath Charlie's invisibility cloak, Vanessa was under hers with Amber.
"Er... the kitchens" Vanessa replied after a minute.
Charlie heard a bit of shuffling and a whispered bit of words and guessed Vanessa had brought out the Pranksters Map.
"Ok, Charlie, Maddy I'll tell you if there's someone coming. You go up to the common room or split, depending on where we are. Me and Amber'll be either next to you or behind you."
They were now in the hallway and heading down the stairs. The Fat Lady resumed her sleeping and they ignored a bossy picture asking what they were doing up at that time of night.
"Crap Fletch's down there by the kitchens. What's he doin down there?" Charlie heard Vanessa let out a few choice words then resume walking.
"We'll have to take the back way." She continued, as they had discovered it last week on the Marauders Map and added it to their map. They quickly and with some difficulty changed onto a shifting staircase, which meant temporarily deserting the cloaks. After they had them back on and were all on the same staircase they continued.
From the look in their eyes and the equal gleam Charlie felt almost content.
We must be naturals. She thought as she watched out for any teachers or Fletch. Natural pranksters, at least. As their footsteps gradually slowed down and they maneuvered from hallway to hallway, they felt more at ease.
They came to a halt in a long dimly light corridor. Pictures of different foods adorned the walls as they did in the regular kitchen hallway. The beautiful scents of food wafted through out the corridor and into their noses.
They started, now faster as if driven by the scent of the food, or by a unseen force, down the corridor. It was a miracle none of them tripped or anything. They stopped abruptly in front of a rather big picture. It was a perfect match to the one in the main corridor, so they had to tickle the pear. Charlie reached up and tickled it and after a moment the picture moved slowly out of the way.
"God i love those houseelfs." Vanessa said as they walked up a staircase, book bags loaded with food and stuff.
"Which part, the fact they give you food, or they give you whatever you want." Charlie joked, almost tripping on the hem of the invisibility cloak.
"Both" Vanessa replied in a whisper. A meow could be heard in front of them and they froze.
"Mrs. Nox" Maddy and Amber said at the same time. The cat stood right in front of them, and, apparently, could see through invisibility cloaks.
Then they heard Fletch's raspy breathing.
"Run!" Vanessa hissed and they took off. Charlie tripped on the cloak, as running under a cloak was not the best way to run, and they flung it off. Vanessa and Amber were nowhere to be seen. They couldn't even hear them.
"Damn it" Charlie said as they both slowed down, "We must've split up when we started running."
"Where are we?" Maddy said looking around.
Charlie looked up and realized they were nowhere near where they should have been.
Apparently they'd run right onto a shifting staircase.
They now stood in a long dimly light corridor with a few rooms on either side. None of which was classrooms. One of the doors stood slightly ajar and the dim light from a chandelier running out of light shone through the crack.
A mirror like thing stood near a wall and Charlie stared at it in disbelief.
"No way." She breathed heading towards the room, Maddy right behind her.
"What is it Charlie?"
"The Mirror of Erised. My dad told me about it. I didn't know it was still here. It's a mirror that reflects your deepest desires." Maddy just stared at it in disbelief.
Before she could look up Charlie was in front of the mirror. She was smiling slightly.
"What d'you see?" She asked, the curiosity overwhelming her. Charlie looked at her and smiled.
"I see myself as Quidditch captain, with the Gryffindor House Cup. My whole family's there with me. Even my grandparents."
If this subject bothered Charlie, she didn't show it.
"You try." Maddy frowned, but stepped in front of the mirror. She stood there, normal, as she was now, with the full moon behind her. Her mum was behind her smiling proudly, none of the haunted, distant look was in her pretty eyes and face, and a nice looking house was behind them.
"How about you?" Charlie asked after a minute.
"I see my mum and me. We're standing in front of a new house at night." She paused a minute and added quietly, "and I'm normal." Charlie frowned but didn't ask her to explain.
It must've been hell for her. She thought watching as Maddy stepped back.
Charlie looked around the corridor as they walked back down it.
"This is a fifth floor corridor. Damn hold on." She said taking off her book bag and messing around in it for a few minutes. She sat up and produced a piece of parchment. "Knew we'd probably need it. I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." Letters sprawled out on the map.
Moony Wormtail Padfoot and Prongs, Mssr.s of Mischief, present the Marauders Map.
"Yep." Charlie said looking at it. "Fifth floor corridor. Looks like Vanessa and Amber found their way back to the common room." They started back in silence at first, trying not to make any noise under the cloak, but as they neared the Gryffindor Common Room Charlie turned to Maddy.
"Hey" she said "lets not tell them about the mirror 'till later. I got a surprise for them." Maddy laughed.
"Sure" she said as they got to the portrait. Charlie wiped the map and stuck it in her pocket.
"So where were you?" She asked Vanessa and Amber before they could ask them. Leaning forward, her eyes gleaming like two candle sticks.
"We found the Slytherin Common Room."
The week passed almost uneventfully, except for the pranks Alex and his friends were putting off. Especially on the Slytherins. And the fact that Vanessa won the contest. They had a quiz in Anigmagus Training, Amber, Vanessa, Charlie, Maddy, and Alex and Mike had went to higher levels along with two Ravenclaws. All of them on level three. Alexis had went up to level two. Making three classes she was good at.
Now it was Saturday. Maddy was looking a bit off, all pale and tired.
"Maddy you ok?" Charlie finally asked before they went to the Great Hall for supper. She smiled and nodded
"I'm fine." Charlie frowned but didn't ask. Meanwhile Snape's girl was being a total brat.
She'd hexed Vanessa when she wasn't looking, which wound Vanessa up in the Hospital Wing for a day and a night, she was out now and they, along with some help from the boys, had got her good. Or were about to.
The Slytherins entered, looking smug as ever.
"Morons" Charlie heard Maddy whisper loud enough for the closest one to hear and had to try hard to not laugh.
"You're not earning fan mail, Madds." She joked, calling Maddy by the nickname the boys had given her, as the Slytherins took their seats.
"Neither are you." It was Amber
"So?" she said, "its supposed to happen when she drinks it." Vanessa nodded. Alex came in after a few minutes.
"Drinks should be brought up any minute now." Sure enough., Slytherins goblets filled.
"Where's Alexis?" Charlie said and Vanessa frowned.
"Hospital wing. She didn't miss the playful stair. Got a broken arm. Too bad Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let her come down." Before Charlie could reply a great SQUAWK! filled the hall.
Everyone turned to Snape, she sat rigid and opened her mouth. Another SQUAWK filled the room. Everyone, even a few Slytherins, burst out laughing as she sprouted chicken feathers. She jumped onto the table and started doing a chicken dance, singing the anthem to Barney, a muggle kids show.
"God this is too good!" Vanessa said gasping for breath.
"Priceless" Alex said wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
"We need a camera" Maddy said laughing "this is something to remember forever."
"I think every one will remember it, Maddy. Especially Snape and her bunch." Charlie said.
After a minute Dumbledore stood up, letting out a small chuckle. He silenced them and took the spell off. He said some words and dismissed them. Charlie thought she saw him wink at them.
After a minute she realized they weren't following the Gryffindors, but the Slytherins. Vanessa threw the invisibility cloak over them, as Charlie's was in the dorm.
"What..." Maddy started but Vanessa stopped her.
"D'you wanna find out the password or not?" She whispered going up to the first Slytherin. Sure enough, he said the password.
"Crucio." 'lovely password.' Charlie thought rolling her eyes.
"C'mon" Vanessa whispered going back "can't risk goin in yet."
"Well i was right." Amber said "it would be after a cruel., vile curse. What do they pick Crucio! "
"That's Slytherin for you." Maddy said when they were a safe ways away, "Nice and vile."
She stopped suddenly and looked out a window at the late afternoon sky. Charlie noticed that she was looking even worse than she had earlier when they'd entered the Great Hall; pale, weary, sick like and... Afraid even, though of what, Charlie couldn't come close to guessing.
"Maddy" Vanessa said "you look terrible why don't you go to the Hospital Wing?" After a bit of pressure Maddy relented and headed to the Hospital Wing.
"Great" Charlie said "two down now."
"Yep" Amber joked "we should start our own M.I.A. card." When the other two gave her looks she laughed. "Missing in action." Charlie laughed but Vanessa was watching after Maddy, a confused, yet strange look was in her eyes.
"Hey" a voice said and they all jumped, then turned around. It was Kat, Issy was behind her.
"Hey" Charlie replied Issy groaned as she checked something in one of her folders, "great. Full moon tonight. Somehow Professor. Trelawney seems to think its the best thing in the world." Kat sighed "gotta go. See ya, death by Divination here we come."
"Halloween Ball, October 30. Man, same day as the Quidditch Game." Charlie said as they walked down to the Quidditch Pitch.
She was a Seeker, Vanessa and Alex, Beaters.
"Why, you goin' Charlie?" Vanessa asked as she walked next to Alex.
The two were already partners. He'd asked her yesterday before Transfiguration to go with him to the Ball.
She'd said yes.
" 'Course I'm not. But hell, people'll be too busy trying to figure out what to wear than goin' to, or paying' attention to the Game. Anyways Mike, Maddy and Alexis ain't going. Personally i don't see what's so big about a dance."
Vanessa just laughed.
Charlie turned around to glare at her but spotted a familiar figure she hadn't seen for almost three days.
"Hey, Maddy" she said going over to her friend. "You ok? You look like hell did a nice job of running you over five times." Maddy half smiled and Charlie saw a long scar on her face.
"Thanks" she said sarcastically.
"Hey Maddy" Vanessa said as her and Alex came over.
"Where ya been?" Alex finished her. Maddy smiled.
"I was a little sick. You know Madame Pomfrey." They each grimaced.
Madame Pomfrey was nice but a bit too caring. Not in a bad way but it did get somewhat annoying.
"So... Look here who we have." A sneering voice they knew all to well.
Jack Malfoy.
"Two Potters" he all but spit the name out. "A Wood, another mud-blood lover. And our little scumbag..." He called Maddy a name that made them all tense up and almost lunge at him for.
"Quite a lovely little bunch of nothings. Have fun, scum." Maddy's eyes looked ready to burst into flames.
"Don't pay attention to the sorry bastard, Maddy." Vanessa said.
"I don't, the moron. But he called you scum." Charlie stared, open mouthed, at Maddy.
"Maddy he called you a..." Maddy cut her off.
"I'm used to it. Honestly."
"Hey, Charlie, Alex, Vanessa you'd better hurry. Practice is starting." Charlie looked at Adam but he gave her a look as if to say 'just wait 'till later. He'll pay.' She nodded and they said good bye to Maddy who had to go to the Library to return a book.
Yep Charlie thought the bastard will pay. Nobody calls my friend that and gets away with it. Beside her Vanessa was silent and appeared to be thinking hard about something.
"C'mon Charlie, eat something." Adam frowned when his sister merely pushed the plate away.
"Yeah, foods good, food is your friend " Amber said as if she was talking to a psycho. Charlie looked up and glared at all of them.
How could they eat!
If she ate anything, she was sure it'd revisit her mouth before the day was over. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I'm not hungry. Really."
After a few minutes the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams stood on the Field.
The two coaches, grudgingly, shook hands and quickly pulled away as if the others touch burnt into them like acid.
They all rose up on their brooms into the air, Charlie looked at the Seeker for Slytherin. A tall slim boy in his second year. Thomas Knox. His hair was blonde, bangs falling over cold gray eyes. She gripped the broom as the Snitch was finally released and the game began.
After a hour Gryffindor was in the lead 170 to 150.
Adam was the best Keeper Charlie'd ever seen and Alex and Vanessa hit the Bludgers like they would never stop. The Chasers were great and she was faring pretty well. Thomas Knox had tried, three times, to trick her into a dive for a imaginary Snitch. She hadn't but got the git good once or twice with a practiced Wronski Feint. Harry'd taught her that since she was young enough to fly.
Apparently the guy was very thick.
He still fell for it.
She did a few laps around the field, scanning for the Snitch and watching Knox carefully.
"Charlie watch out!" she heard Vanessa yell. Charlie didn't know what happened but she pivoted right just in time. A bludger going at a speed fast enough to knock her out good, was flying down the Field.
"Thanks" she said looking up and almost screaming like a banshee. The git Knox had spotted the Snitch and was zooming towards it.
"No!" She said zooming after him, putting her whole weight onto the broom. She felt the wind whip at her face and loved it. But now she had only one thing on her mind.
Catching the Snitch.
Knox and her were now shoulder to shoulder. With a tremendous effort he rammed into her. She pulled the broom as hard as she could to the right and barely missed a stand. She flew back and just ahead of him.
There it was just before her. A small golden speck.
"Go! Hurry" she willed her broom forward. She was sure this was faster than anything normal, probably too fast to be good, but she didn't care. With a small leap forward she had her whole upper body off the broom. Her legs pinned around each other and locked at the ankles.
She used her legs to push her forward on the broom and stretched her arm out.
Now the only thing keeping her on her broom was her legs.
She groaned and thrust her whole body forwards. Her fingers closed securely around the Snitch as her grip on the broom was lost.
The last thing she felt before hitting the ground was the Snitch struggling horribly against her bolt iron lock grip.
Then her vision proceeded to fade into darkness.
A giant brightly shining snitch hung in the air above her. But she couldn't reach it.
Her arm wouldn't move.
Why was everything white?
Where was the Field?
As her vision focused Charlie blinked. She was in the Hospital Wing.
But why here?
Memories of the game swam back into her memory. She sat up and groaned as a pain filled her whole left side and right arm and sank back down. Right then Madame Pomfrey chose to come in.
"You lay still there. You've got a broken arm and most of your ribs were broken, also. Magical healing doesn't do miracles by themselves." Charlie looked at her as if drunken by memories.
"Did... did Gryffindor win?" Madame Pomfrey smiled.
"Yes you landed holding the Snitch. Slytherins didn't seem all to happy, though. Your friends and brothers were here earlier."
Charlie stopped listening.
She'd caught the Snitch.
They'd won.
Gryffindor beat Slytherin.
With these thoughts she sank into sleep. Dreaming about Snitch's and, strangely, full moons. When she woke up there were voices outside her door.
"Can we see her just a minute?" That sounded like Vanessa.
"No, she's resting." Charlie gathered up her voice
"no I'm not Madame Pomfrey. Can they please come in?" She asked, actually saying please, which she rarely, if at all, said to anyone. After a minute they were let in.
Maddy, Alex, Mike, Vanessa, Amber, Alexis, Todd, and Nick all crowded in the room as Charlie managed to sit on the edge of the bed. Her pants covered her feet and she realized she must save been wearing some extra pajamas. Talk erupted at once.
"You were great!"
"How the hell'd you do that!"
"Screw that, why the hell did you do that!"
"You won!"
"You should've seen it!"
"The Slytherins were sooo pissed!"
"Teachers were scared to death!"
"Didn't think you'd make it at first..."
"...you were knocked out cold."
"Woah" Charlie said, trying to gather up a mental picture, "Was it that good?"
"It was great!" Alex said.
"You should've seen those Slytherin gits!" Mike chimed in.
"Man were they ticked." Maddy said smiling.
"That was cool and all, but don't do stuff like that. Wouldn't want to lose you by a Snitch" Adam said. "And I don't mean just dead. You could never be able to play Quidditch again." Charlie shivered at the thought.
"Fine I'll be careful from now on. I promise." She said laughing.
After a few minutes Madame Pomfrey shooed them out and left Charlie to rest.
God i can't wait to get back out there again. She thought to herself trying not to drift off to sleep, but her eyes refused to stay open. Her last thought before drifting off to sleep, was that she was glad they didn't tell parents everything.
Maddy flippied onto her stomach and trying to finish the last part of Lord of the Rings- The Two Towers book that Charlie had given her when Charlie'd finished it.
"You look great" Alexis said to Vanessa as she came up the stairs. Vanessa smiled, feeling fake inside, "thanks."
"Why ain't you going to the Ball?" Amber asked Maddy and Alexis.
"Didn't want to" Maddy said closing the book. There was no way she could finish it right then.
"How 'bout you Alexis?" Alexis shrugged.
"No one asked me."
"Speaking of Balls where's your dress Amber?" Vanessa said.
"Oh yeah, be right back" Amber jumped off her bed and went into another room for fifteen minutes.
She came back out in a baby blue dress that had sparkles on it. Her hair was tied up in a bun, ringlets falling down on her face.
"Woah" Maddy said Vanessa trailed her.
"You look great." Amber blushed lightly.
"Not as good as you do."
There was a small silence broken by Vanessa.
"Whom are you goin with?" Amber smiled.
"Jaspyre."
Maddy raised a eyebrow.
Jaspyre Bylloks was a Ravenclaw second year.
Tall, muscular, what some girls called dreamy with clear blue eyes. He was a Chaser, and a pretty good one, too. His family owned a muggle bakery and a Quidditch shop in America. They were pretty well known and rich. For some time there his dad had been Minister of Magic, but he retired. Now some woman worked there. Jaspyre himself was strange. Everyone knew he was never serious about girls.
But maybe he changed.
"Cool" Maddy said after a few seconds.
She put her head down.
The next full moon was tomorrow night.
She wouldn't wish that on anyone.
Not even Jack.
She couldn't take the Wolfs Bane potion like professor Lupin because it dangerous for younger children, So she had to go about it the hard way, with the monster ripping and tearing at her flesh to get out and run wild in the Shrieking Shack.
She hated how much pain it took, she hated how scary it was.
It was all her fault.
"You ok Maddy?" Amber asked as her and Vanessa were leaving. She looked up at her and smiled
"Yeah. Just gotta visit my mum tomorrow. She's sick and she wants me to come home for a day or two."
Vanessa looked at her, struggling to hide her disbelief and the sadness she knew was filling her eyes.
"Hopefully she's ok. She seemed nice when we met her." She said.
I have to go to the library tomorrow Vanessa told herself as they headed to the Great Hall.
Charlie sighed and sank back into her pillow.
Despite all her pleas and promises she was made to stay here until after lunch. And then she was to rest in the dorm and be careful and crap. Vanessa had came in to visit her and said she had an idea, but couldn't say it there.
"Hey Vanessa cool dress. Er... what's wrong?" Charlie said looking over a Vanessa who was wearing a long simple black velvet gown that was off the shoulders.
Vanessa looked at Charlie with worry in her eyes.
"It's about Maddy." Her voice was barely a whisper. 'Oh no.' Charlie thought to herself sitting up straighter
"What'd that dumb ass brother of her do to her?" She asked out loud. Vanessa sighed.
"Nothings happened to Maddy. But something is happening to her."
Charlie looked at her, her eyes now full of the same worry.
"What?" She said slowly.
"We don't know" Amber said coming out behind Vanessa, in another beautiful dress, "But Vanessa's got a theory." Charlie was silent a minute.
"And Alexis?"
"We've told her about it." Vanessa said, "but I can't tell you here, Charlie." Charlie sunk back down into the bed.
"When are you gonna tell me?" "Tomorrow" Vanessa sounded determined. "After you get out." Charlie frowned but couldn't say any more. Madame Pomfrey rushed them out again.
She'd be leaving any minute now. God she couldn't wait. Why was that damned clock going so slow? 1 second... 2 second... Time was playing with her mind.
Stupid git, that time was.
Finally she was let out.
If she sprouted wings she couldn't have ran out any faster.
When she got up to the fourth floor her paces slowed.
She went to the abandoned classroom they did everything in. Vanessa, Amber, and Alexis, who looked still mildly shocked at whatever their "idea" was.
"So" Charlie said coming into the room. "What's your idea, Vanessa?"
"First" Vanessa walked over to her and put a rather thick red cloth like cover. On its front was printed, in very fancy, golden writing: Every Dark Creature and How to Defend Yourself
"What's..." Vanessa cut her off.
"Its my idea. Read page 502 and you might find out like I did. If you do please remember Maddy." Her voice was soft and firm.
Charlie opened it and started at the title. She then looked up and stared at Vanessa who motioned for her to read on. She stared at the title again for a second, what it said was shocking that Vanessa would tell her to look there. It read:
Were Wolfs "Wait a minute" Charlie said slowly and looked up at Vanessa. She'd read the passage. Everything corresponded right. The full moon, the worse for wear look, the days missing. "You think Maddy's a werewolf?" She waited for the laughing, for the three girls to tell her they'd pulled some horrible prank or joke on her just now and that Maddy was fine, that one of her best friends wasn't cursed forever, that this idea had been a huge joke to get her going.
To her dismay, shock and horror, Vanessa looked down and nodded. Charlie set her jaw.
"But..." she started, suddenly feeling annoyed at Maddy. "Why the hell wouldn't she tell us if she is. I mean we're her friends! " Vanessa sighed.
"Charlie, you know what they do to people who are werewolves. It's horrible. They torture and kill them. Usually in the worst way possible. Even normal people go berserk if they find out a werewolf's living in amongst them. Maddy said she had to move around a lot. And I'll bet most of it was 'cause she's a werewolf. If that happened to you d'you think you'd trust people that easily?"
Charlie looked down and thought a minute. Maddy's words the night they found the Mirror haunted her. "I see my mum and me. We're standing in front of a new house at night...And I'm normal." Had the night been a full moon night? Suddenly she remembered the fear in her friend's eyes that day just after the prank on Snape Oh God she thought suddenly she has to go through unspeakable hell, and knowing she can't even tell her best friends for fear of hatred. Damn this stupid society to hell. Stupid fearing people who hate them cause of what they are once a month. She felt tears actually trying to get into her eyes but she fought them back.
No, I will not be weak. Not now. Oh God. Maddy I am so sorry. Oh God, why her? She felt numb, cold and hot all at the same time.
"We've gotta tell her we know." Charlie's voice sounded forced and in between pain and what Vanessa knew as genuine hate of modern society that shunned their unfortunate friend.
"Not yet Charlie. I'm thinking next month after the full moon. But first we gotta think how to get her alone and tell her. And I'm sure if we don't help back her up once a month the boys will figure it out. I'm not sure how they'll react. So we keep it to ourselves." Charlie nodded in agreement.
Maddy she thought. I'm sorry. God I'm sorry. I swear, though, you won't be suffering under that damned moon alone any more, I swear it. But how can we manage it?
"Ok," Amber said, her eyes shining with strange light like they did when the five were gonna play a prank. "I've got a idea. How about one of us drops something silver where she'll have to pick it up?" Charlie and Vanessa and Alexis all stared at her as if she was mad.
"Are you daft! Of course not!" Vanessa and Charlie yelped at the same time and Amber winced.
"Just an idea."
Maddy sighed as she sat down next to Vanessa, Charlie, Amber and Alexis in the common room. She'd just gotten back from getting what homework she'd missed in Herbology. Suddenly a silver pen dropped down next to her.
"Oh crap, hey Maddy, wanna hand me my pen?" Came Amber's voice. Charlie and Vanessa positively glared at her while Alexis cast her a horrified look. Maddy's insides twisted.
What the hell am I going to do now, and just what, exactly do all the looks mean!
"Amber, you idiot, you'll hurt her." Charlie said, voice sounding as ticked as the glare she was fixing Amber with. She picked it up swiftly and all but thrust it at Amber, who was standing behind Maddy and Vanessa, Amber gingerly took it.
"Sorry," she whispered.
Maddy felt her insides freezing and the room was suddenly hot and cold at once. How did Charlie know that it would hurt her? How did Amber know?
Before she knew what she was doing, she'd pushed herself from the table the five girls were at with a terse, "I've gotta go" and was now out of the Common Room, leaving the Gryffindor Tower at a run.
"You idiot, Amber!" Charlie half shouted, ignoring the looks that she was getting, "What the hell were you thinking!"
"I-I'm sorry," Amber stammered. Before Charlie could go further, Vanessa took her arm.
"We've gotta find her. Amber, Alexis, you two stay here till we bring her back."
If we can find her, that is Charlie added mentally as Vanessa dragged her to the Portrait, the whole Common Room was staring now.
They'd checked everywhere Maddy could've went and twenty minutes later, twenty minutes of almost non-stop running, Charlie was nearly bent over, gasping for air. Vanessa was also panting, but looked much more graceful at it than Charlie.
"Nessa, we'll probably never find her." Vanessa looked out the window and caught sight of the Whomping Willow and then something just clicked.
"That's it!"
"What's it?"
"C'mon." Charlie groaned as Vanessa took off down the hall and then resumed chasing.
"I should get paid for this." Charlie panted as they ran across the Hogwarts Grounds, getting closer and closer to the Whomping Willow.
"Vanessa, have you noticed that neither of us are tiny, nor is there a stick long enough to get to the knot!" Charlie said as she caught up with Vanessa.
"There has to be one, else how would Maddy have gotten in?"
"We don't even know she's in there. If she is, she might've taken it with her." Vanessa found a stick half the size to poke the knot and said the spell needed to elongate it and then prodded the knot, giving Charlie a triumphant look.
"Brat." Charlie muttered, following Vanessa in.
The two slowly made their way down the passage and into the shack, a run down shack with furniture gnawed and gashed up and blood stained by more than one werewolf. This thought sent a shiver down both girls.
They found Maddy sitting in a corner on the upstairs floor, wand out, staring at the opposite wall, where the cream colored pain was peeling and, lower near the floor, was a million, or so it seemed, scratches and a dark blood stain.
"Maddy" Vanessa started almost hesitantly. Maddy raised her eyes slowly to meet the two girls standing in the doorway, which made her look fierce and Charlie almost backed up. But, instead of having fierce anger, her eyes had the same haunted look, and the same look as a child who had seen too much. Only now, both looks were intensified heartbreakingly much.
"Maddy, we know about you being a.. . .."
"Werewolf?" Maddy finished, but, instead of her usual quiet and almost sad voice, this one had bitterness and sarcasm shining through clearly, "that's nice."
They already hate me. I knew this was too good to last. Why did I have to go and get attached!
I told you not to get attatched in the beginning, remember!
I know, I-I'm sorry.
"Maddy, we want to help you."
"Yeah right."
"We do" Charlie said finally, her voice earnest.
"I don't want to be another one of your 'pet projects'." She said tersely, standing up. Both girls knew she was referring to Alexis.
"Maddy, you're not." She almost believed Charlie.
"Sure."
"Maddy, what can we do?" Maddy gave Vanessa a dark smile.
"Besides go away and leave the dangerous menace to the Wizarding and Muggle worlds to herself? Got me, I can't think of anything else." Vanessa and Charlie just stared at her as if she was insane.
"That wasn't what I meant."
Oh come off of it already. You can just go desert me already. Stop the stupid teasing game
"Well what then?" She said almost crossly.
"Well, what I meant was is there anything to help you?" Maddy groaned and rolled her eyes.
"I told you, I don't want to be one of your stupid pet projects and I don't want your damned sympathy!" Her voice steadily rose to a yell, now mad that she couldn't leave, Charlie and Vanessa were blocking her only escape.
"Will you get over yourself, we want to help you 'cause you're our friend!" Charlie yelled back, voice raw.
"We're not trying to make you into any pet-projects, no sympathy, no mystery, no bull. We just want to help you as friends, 'cause we are friends. You do want to be our friend?" Vanessa asked and it suddenly occurred to Charlie that Maddy could say no, could refuse their friendship.
Maddy's cold front seemed to be disappearing as she stared at Vanessa and Charlie.
They're kidding, right?
Of course they are, they don't wanna be friends, they don't care. Maddy sighed.
Besides, they can't do anything.
"You can't do anything, nothing can change it." She said in a small, defeated voice. What she said hit Charlie and Vanessa like a huge piece of lead.
Oh god, please don't, Maddy Charlie mentally pleaded, feeling her insides turn cold and her eyes burn.
Maddy looked at the two girls. Vanessa looked crestfallen but Charlie looked like she'd took the brunt of the hit and then it occurred to Maddy. Charlie had nobody but the five friends, her dad was almost always working, her mom and Adam had a special bond, she was away from her mom now, and rarely was with Adam, Vanessa had Alex and vice versa and Vanessa had her dad and sister, though the three didn't get along too great, she had her mom, in a way, but her mom and her relationship after Lucifer Malfoy was more distant than it should've and now she was away from her mom at Hogwarts, Alexis and Lavender had each other and their parents and Amber had her parents. Charlie and her were alike in a way, all they really 'had' was the friendship of the five girls and the boys, though the groups weren't always together.
She looked up and realized the two had left the room.
No.
She couldn't let it go like this, she couldn't loose them.
"Wait!" she called running out. They both stopped and turned around as one and Maddy couldn't help but smile, "you can't help but I do want to be friends." They both looked relieved and Maddy felt the tears in her eyes.
Damn, why now?
But she also noticed the same ones (not literally) in Charlie's eyes, making the dark green brighter.
The two girls shared an understanding glance before hugging, Vanessa joining in, wrapping her arms around both other girls.
Three girls emerged into the Gryffindor common Room around five minutes later and found Amber and Alexis who stared at them, Amber lowering her gaze after a second.
"I-I'm sorry about the pen, I know it was stupid, but.. .."
"Damn right it was stupid." Charlie muttered but shut up at Vanessa's glare.
"It's ok, we're still friends, right?" An immense look of relief crossed over Amber and Alexis' faces.
"Of course," Amber said, grinning
Maddy lay down on her back and looked at the ceiling above her bed.
Oh great she thought staring at some cracks forming into a picture. A wolf, how appropriate.
The next full moon was in one week. In one week there was supposed to be a horrid cold spell.
Perfect timing.
Then again, her whole life was cursed. Why care about a little part of it?
"Saturdays pass slow don't they?" She looked up at Charlie who had just came in and sat on her bed.
"Kinda" she replied mentally erasing the wolf picture and turning it into a silver bullet. Another great picture.
"What's wrong?" Charlie said, sensing something was up with her friend.
"Nothing"
Nothing except my life's a living nightmare and in one week i have to be reminded of what a cursed being I am.
She immediately pinched herself painfully hard in the side for the trace of self-pity. Her eyes automatically watered. Charlie frowned and looked at her friends face, or tried to since lately Maddy wouldn't even keep eye contact with them.
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to tell her we knew. She instantly pushed the thought aside.
"Maddy, something's wrong. Ever since last week you haven't looked at us, much less talked to us, you know we're your friends."
Maddy groaned. She sat up and put her face in her hands.
"I know you're my friends. But i don't deserve you." She said in a quiet, muffled voice, "I'm a monster, a horrible one. People hate us, we don't deserve friends." It sounded rehearsed, memorized, robotic even, and Charlie raised an eyebrow and gave Maddy a look.
"Just because you're, well, somewhat different once a month doesn't mean you're not worthy of friends. You're a great kid, and you really deserve to have friends there ain't a law against that is there? Anyways you've got a better personality and better senses -er... you know what i mean. -"
She smiled lopsidedly at the inquisitive look from Maddy, "Than any of us do. Hell look who you've got for family. And someone like you I wouldn't exactly call a monster. You're the farthest thing from a monster. I've seen people be monsters and they didn't even need a full moon."
Maddy smiled, then looked at the calendar of the next three months of the year on it and swore an admirable bit. Charlie looked at it to and held back her own swearing. The very same day of the full moon was the next Quidditch Game.
"Damn, I'm sorry Charlie. This hell won't let me watch the next match." Charlie laughed,
"It's fine. I'm sure it'll be warmer in the Shack than it'll be out there." She was relieved to see the small smile flicker over her friends face. She vowed to visit Maddy in the shack at dawn.
Icy cold wind whipped around Hogwarts grounds and the Forbidden Forest. Charlie sat in a tree near the Forest holding a small jar full of blue fire.
Gryffindor had beat Hufflepuff, they'd pounded them to a pulp. 150 to 25. Maddy, of course couldn't be there to see it. She was in the Hospital Wing resting for her monthly hell. But that morning at dawn Charlie and Vanessa would go to see her. Charlie knew it wouldn't be the most beautiful site in the world.
Why Maddy though?
She'd wondered this for ages. Well, ever since they'd found out.
Why her?
She sure as hell didn't deserve it.
If anyone did it was Snape's kid or Jack Malfoy.
Much less worthier a person than Maddy. She never complained or cried about it. And she never ever wished it on someone else. Why the hell her though? Life sure was screwed up.
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It wasn't hard to not be heard, the wind was howling up a riot. Vanessa and Charlie wondered a bit whether a wolf's voice was part of it. The moon was setting and now the sky was brightening up as the suns first violent red rays caught it.
Thank God it's only Saturday. We'll be dead tired later. Charlie thought as the two snuck through the large double doors, clutching Charlie's invisibility cloak. They'd brought it this time instead of Vanessa's.
They walked silently, each lost in their own thoughts, to the Whomping Willow.
"So" Vanessa said looking around "who's gonna prod the knot?" Charlie looked up.
"I will." She bent down and found a rather long, thick, and pointed stick. After a minute of blind prodding at the Willows trunk, she hit it. The Willow froze and they quickly scrambled in.
"D'you think she's well, safe yet?" Charlie thought a minute then answered Vanessa.
"Well the books say werewolf's are only harmful when the moons up. And it's went down a bit ago. But i think she might still be in wolf form." They waited a minute in silence and thought they heard a few muffles howls and whines.
When everything resumed its uncomfortable silence they did the Opening Charm on the door. Vanessa and Charlie both exchanged glances and tried to prepare them selves for whatever sight they'd meet.
The room itself was a mess.
Pieces of broken chairs and furniture lay everywhere. The curtains were tore by claws and blood stained the floor boards. Charlie's eyes moved around the torn room. She wondered what else was damaged in the house. Blood went into different equally torn rooms. They searched until they got to the second floor, in the very left room.
They weren't prepared for what they saw.
Charlie had to close her eyes a minute to calm her stomach.
Had she not her food would surely revisit her mouth, unwanted.
The room itself was traditionally torn upside down.
Only worse here.
More blood.
How much had she lost that horrible night? Charlie wondered as she saw Maddy's body. Her stomach did another lurch and the did flip flops.
"Oh God..."
Vanessa's groan sounded so far away.
Maddy lay in a heap on the floor near the pieces of an old chair. She was sprawled face down, looking as though she'd tried to rise and had then collapsed again. There was blood all over her, through her hair, over her face, her hands, her legs and body; there was a pool of blood on the floor beyond her and smears of red on the remains of the chair. Her robe- what was left of it- was tangled in a heap across the room. A bit of it -about a few feet was on her back to her upper legs, as if the wolf had been playing with it.
She'd done this Maddy did all this, to the rooms, to herself. Charlie thought looking wildly around, trying to grasp words.
No . She corrected herself that horrible wolf did this to her. The wolf that bit her.
"Maddy" she whispered sinking down next to her.
Vanessa snapped out of her trance and grabbed her cloak.
"She needs it more than me." She whispered, not knowing if Charlie could hear her, or if she was even listening. Charlie blinked as Vanessa's voice tore her away from her thoughts.
"God. It must've been living hell for her." Vanessa said in a quiet, gradually steadying voice.
Charlie's eyes rose to meet Vanessa's.
They looked so fierce it would have scared Vanessa, had she not seen them that way before. But it had been long before when they'd held the look.
Long, long before when she was a little kid...
Her usually bright, stormy emerald eyes were now clear as a cloudless sky, and had another brightness to them. They -Vanessa had to look twice- they looked to be holding back tears.
"Vanessa" her voice was dangerously calm, "We can't.." she paused a minute to look back at Maddy. Vanessa thought she heard her draw an uneven breath, but she continued in the same calm voice.
"We can't let her go through this again." Vanessa thought a moment and tried to come up with the right words and almost had them to.
"What are you two doing here?" Vanessa looked around at the same time Charlie did.
Directly into the face of Madame Pomfrey.
Charlie looked into the questioning face of Madame Pomfrey.
She swallowed hard and beat Vanessa to the answer.
"We're seeing our friend, Maddy. Nothing wrong with that is there?" Had she been all there she would have thought of a believable answer, since she was one of the best liars, next to Maddy. But what lie could she tell?
'Oh Madame Pomfrey! We were just on a walk and we went through the Willow'?
Not likely.
"What? You mean to tell me you..." Vanessa found her words back on time.
"Yeah we know she's a werewolf. We don't care, honestly Madame Pomfrey. She's not a monster." Madame Pomfrey studied them a moment as if trying to figure out what they said was true then smiled.
"You know, it means everything to Maddy that you've accepted her and are still her friends. She didn't expect that at all - she's been terrified about people finding out, because she'd have to leave school. Though I must admit, I've been wondering how long it would take you lot to discover her secret." Her voice was gentle, yet firm.
Vanessa and Charlie now stared at her in amazement
"You thought we'd find out?" Charlie couldn't help but ask.
"We have to talk later. She's waking up." Maddy let out a low moan and Vanessa wasn't sure who got to her faster her, Madame Pomfrey, or Charlie. But in any event Charlie was closer to her face when she opened her eyes.
Maddy blinked.
She knew she was seeing things.
Why the hell would Charlie be there?
She tried to sit up but a hand -probably Madame Pomfrey's by the velvety feel of it- steadied her. She blinked again as her vision swam.
Slowly everything came back into focus.
Madame Pomfrey magically cleaned most of the blood, leaving a bit of nasty gashes on her arms and legs, which she healed.
Maddy, she said, had a broken shoulder bone and had a pretty broken leg. Nothing Magic couldn't heal, of course. There was a great gash on her chest that Madame Pomfrey got to stop bleeding, but it'd need magical stitching.
She wrapped Maddy in a cloak she'd brought and insisted both Charlie and Vanessa wear their own cloaks. Plus they'd have to have a Pepper up Potion when they got back.
"Why'd you come?" Maddy asked, now resting in bed back at the Hospital Wing. Vanessa and Charlie sat in separate chairs next to her bed.
Charlie's stomach had finally stopped lurching and giving her hell, now she could talk normally.
"We didn't want you to be alone." She said calmly, but her mind was made up.
They had to do something. Maddy couldn't suffer under that damned moon anymore. Not if she could help it.
"But what can we do?" Alexis asked, leaning forward. A day had passed. Both Vanessa and Charlie had been to tired to speak the day before and had just recounted the last morning.
"I dunno, but i do know Maddy cant suffer alone anymore." Vanessa's eyes sparked to life.
"Charlie you brilliant creature!" Charlie raised a eyebrow. She thought she'd been called brilliant -a great exaggeration- and a creature at that.
"Huh?" She replied weakly but Vanessa was already dragging her, the other two in tow, to Anigmagus Training room, but they passed it and went into a deserted corridor.
It was brightly lit and all the doors were colored exceptionally bright, well except for a few black ones.
A sign, much like the Platform 9 3/4 one hung above them.
"Teachers corridor." Charlie read aloud.
"Only a special few can see this, it's hard to explain." Vanessa said hurrying them along to a blue door. Passed them flew doors, two that caught Charlie's was a red one, Mc Gonnagal & Sprout and a black one, Ivus & Trelawney. That made her fight back a laughter fit. The blue one read Lupin & Sirius.
When Vanessa a knocked and Remus answered he was almost knocked over she rushed in so fast.
"Weneedyourhelp." Sirius looked between her Remus and the three behind her.
"Erm... could ya slow down a bit?" This time Charlie did start laughing.
"Ok" Vanessa said starting again, "We need your help."
"For what?" Amber asked, feeling totally confused.
"We found out about Maddy." Sirius and Remus both stopped and listened, both had a ghost of a smile flickering on their face.
"And?" Remus asked, almost as if he knew the answer.
"Well, we're still her friends. But" she hesitated, grasping for the right words.
"We cant let her suffer in the Shack alone anymore." Charlie suddenly said, beating her to it.
Sirius gave Remus a knowing smile.
Marauders again. They both pushed the thought away as fast as it came.
No, they couldn't be the Marauders.
There'd have to be a Peter.
And there wasn't a Peter.
There was never gonna be a Peter again.
"That's good. What'd she say?" Charlie grinned at Remus.
"Besides being over joyed, and somewhat awkward at first?" She didn't tell him of what happened in the Shrieking Shack when Charlie and Vanessa found her there, the three had decided it was best kept to their selves. Sirius just laughed.
Just like Remus was. Well, except that we almost got into a fight when we told him. Charlie reminds me of me and Vanessa reminds me of Lilly or James, personality wise James. Thank God there isn't one like Peter.
"And" Vanessa continued "we wanna help her."
The idea suddenly dawned on the other three as lights sprung to their eyes.
"You helped Remus." Sirius frowned.
"But that takes ages. You'll have to wait longer..." Vanessa cut him off.
"we don't need to know theories. How long did it take you to actually do it?" Sirius looked at Remus who gave him a look to say 'why not?' and spoke.
"Well it took us a month. And then a week to actually get the transforming down."
which was mainly cause of Peter. He reflected, somewhat bitterly.
"Will you help us become Anigmagus. Please?" Vanessa asked. Sirius and Remus shared worried glances.
"Yeah, you're the only ones who will." Amber said, speaking finally. Sirius looked at Amber and froze for a second.
Damn it, stop being so sentimental. You've gotta help these kids for Maddy. For their Moony. He looked at them and sighed.
"Fine we'll help you."
Hey Maddy" Amber whispered from the back of Anigmagus training, "We've got two plans. One has to do with you, the others a prank." Maddy looked up from her notes and frowned.
"What trouble are ya'll gonna do now." Vanessa laughed.
"Nothing it's good." Maddy had a hard time trying to keep a straight face.
She'd just got out of the Hospital Wing and was now trying desperately to keep up with the work that they'd done.
The bell rang and instead of going to lunch they pulled her into the same room they'd told her they knew about her in.
"Look. We don't want you to suffer in the Shack anymore." Well that feeling sure was mutual, "And we've thought of a way to make sure you ain't alone no more." Charlie cut off Vanessa.
"We're gonna become anigmagis." Maddy frowned.
"You can't, it takes ages to even get the gist of it. And you sure as hell can't do it... by... your... selves" she said slowing down at the smiles on their faces.
"We know we cant do it alone" Amber said and Alexis finished her.
"Sirius and Remus are gonna help us. We don't need the theory. Remember, we're one of the upper levels?"
"So" Charlie said "are you with us?"
Maddy laughed "I can't stop you?" They shook their heads. "Well. Yeah."
Later in the day, almost supper time, they went to the Slytherin Common Room and said a few enchantments.
"Just wait till supper time." Vanessa whispered.
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There was tremendous laughter as the Slytherins walked sourly in. Each of their hair had been dyed rainbow colored. Their faces were covered in pink, red, and purple lips and they each had vibrant glowing pink tutu's on.
Vanessa said something inaudible and Snape jumped into a split, ripping her bellbottoms under her tutu and started belting out a Barney song. If that wasn't enough, it got funnier. The Slytherins started dancing behind her and belting out the same song.
Then as they calmed down and sat down pink and purple, gold and scarlet and silver and green sparks shot out of their hair. The sparks formed letters.
'Gryffindor is the best. All Slytherins bow down to them.'
As if on cue the Slytherins got up went to the Gryffindor table and bowed down to them, still scowling and trying to figure out what was wrong. The gales of laughter went louder. Everyone was laughing so hard they were crying.
"God that was good." Charlie said wiping her eyes, Professor Mc Gonnagal hadn't even yelled at them.
"Hey Charlie" Charlie turned around and saw Maddy come in smiling.
"Hey."
"Guess what?"
"What?" Maddy smiled brighter.
"John asked me to go to the Thanksgiving Ball with him." Charlie smiled.
It was time Maddy got to have some fun. Too bad she couldn't feel as happy as Maddy obviously felt.
"That's... Great." Maddy looked at Charlie and Charlie just barely suppressed a groan. She knew what was coming.
"What's wrong? And don't say nothing; I know something's wrong."
Charlie laughed "Fine. Mike asked me to go to the Thanksgiving Ball with him." Maddy grinned.
"Cool, you goin?" Charlie frowned.
"I dunno. I never wear dresses and, well I've never been to a ball. What if I over dress or under dress. Or what if I mess up on the dance floor. I mean I can dance but, what if I get nervous and mess up? I mean, I always mess up like that so what if..." If Maddy didn't butt in she knew Charlie would keep going and in the end, have both girls totally confused and not remembering what exactly they'd been talking about.
"First of all, you won't you'll be fine. And anyways if he asked you he must really want to go with you." Charlie smiled.
"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt, would it?" She suddenly stopped, "Who's John?"
"He's a Hufflepuff third year from America. He used to be a Beater but got hurt pretty bad one day and quit. His parents are muggles and are pretty well off. But i wouldn't call him a boyfriend though." She added, seeing Charlie's look.
"Is Nick goin?" Charlie asked Maddy, who Nick sometimes buddied around with.
"Nope, he's got a flue. Didn't Alex tell you?" Charlie shook her head.
"He don't tell me a lot."
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"There goes Malfoy." Charlie whispered to Vanessa as they lay in a corner for some reason trenched like. Vanessa nodded and they both stood up and slung each of their invisibility cloaks over themselves. They both took out their wands and muttered a spell and words began to form on his robes in gold and scarlet.
'I love Adam from Gryffindor.'
"God that's wrong" Charlie whispered laughing.
"But it pays him back for what he did to Maddy." Vanessa whispered back, both their eyes flashed red for a second when they thought of what had happened the day before.
Maddy saw the same hall. "Damn it why did Peeves have to chase me down here?" she said out loud. As she walked further down she began to panic a little. She didn't know this hallway.
She only knew up to the old Charms classroom.
Torches light up as she passed them and eerie pictures jeered at her as she passed them. Windows flew open creating huge gusts of wind that froze her to the bone and past.
Gradually more and more got silver. Suddenly she heard a wailing noise and steered to the left onto another silver like corridor. She didn't look up in time to see Peeves push her into a solid silver door.
He sped away cackling.
Her whole body burnt, nothing but a horrible red color could be seen but she felt it burning.
Her screams turned into pleas for help.
She crawled slowly into the other corridor. Her begs for help got fainter and fainter until they were a hoarse whisper.
Her vision swam and black dots danced before her eyes. She passed out with a soft groan that barely sounded like help.
Charlie and Vanessa ran down from the second floor Corridor.
They'd seen Malfoy talking to Peeves and knew it wasn't good.
"Peeves" Charlie breathed catching up to him. But he sped away. They followed at a run and he trapped them in a room off to the side.
When they finally got out they were facing the third floor corridor. Walking down it one by one the torches went out.
The pictures taunted them and they got further and further away from the boundry they knew as the old Charms room.
Vanessa stopped so fast Charlie ran into her, sending both of them crashing into the wall. After they stood up Vanessa started running.
Charlie finally saw the heap that was Maddy laying on the floor.
They instantly knew why Malfoy was talking to Peeves. He'd meant for him to chase her to the haunted hall, but Peeves must of gotten lazy there.
As Charlie and Vanessa sat in the place usually reserved for Maddy at full moons they both swore silently to have revenge. Maddy'd be fine after a week. But she had to recover from the internal burning.
Had they found her any later she'd be dead.
Malfoy was being punished with detentions for five months.
"This is only the beginning." Charlie said, reading Vanessa's mind.
"Yeah" Vanessa said, a hint of angriness to her voice.
"Ok today we'll be making Wrinkling Solution. Nobody mess this up or you'll be having detentions for a month." Prof. Ivus snapped. They got out all the ingredients including Wolfs Bane and Charlie looked at Maddy who had just returned from the Hospital Wing.
She looked horribly pale but didn't say anything about what happened in the hall.
Her, Maddy and Vanessa were working together. Charlie added the wolfs bane as Vanessa and Maddy did the rest. When they were done they all took out a piece of parchment.
Maddy wrinkled it up and tossed it into the trashcan next to Malfoy. The can obediently chewed it up. A silvery liquid escaped from its base and spilt onto Jack Malfoy's shoe. Although he didn't see it, several Gryffindors did and silently snickered among themselves.
His Wolfs Bane disappeared and the silvery liquid ate it, then, after a minute of bubbling it turned into the Wolfs Bane plant. He picked it up and scowled at it.
Then again Malfoy always scowled.
After cutting it in half and dipping it in he stirred it and added the golden liquid next to him. The liquid turned the appropriate shade of purple. Maddy looked at Vanessa questioningly but she just shook her head slightly and mouthed the words 'hold on.'
Then the potion started bubbling, still the same color.
A huge bubble appeared and burst. The contents spilt all over thirteen Slytherins, including Jack Malfoy and his little gang.
Ivus stood up and ran over to them so fast Charlie wondered how she didn't trip. If she would've grown wings she couldn't have went faster. The Gryffindors and other Slytherins fell immediately silent after some girls stopped shrieking.
"Jack Malfoy!" She yelled loud enough to almost break Charlie's eardrums, "you know how to mix this Potion right!..." She yelled on and on as he next to cried with pain at his skin.
Finally after deducting fifty points, for all three of Jack and his friends and giving Jack a months worth of detention she sent them to the Hospital Wing. The whole Gryffindor side buzzed with talk.
"God that was way to cool." Maddy said as they left.
"The worst is yet to come." Amber said walking up behind them.
"Yeah" Charlie said angrily. "Nobody messed with our friends and gets away with it." Vanessa finished her.
"Specially when they almost kill them." Alexis said throwing a contemptuous look to where Jack had previously been.