Harry couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, finally getting up with a sigh. He crept to the windowsill, careful not to wake Ron and the others in the room. He looked out over the school grounds. Harry couldn't see much; only Hagrid's cabin and the wet grass glistening in the pale glow of the moon. The Forbidden Forest rose dark and ominous, hiding whatever may be lurking in its shadow. Then, he saw something. A black shape streaking towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry's heart leapt as he immediately recognized it. Sirius. But no, Sirius was dead. His gut felt heavy as the realization hit him. The shadow did not look like a dog, more like a large cat. A very large cat. It had come from the direction of the castle, so it must have been inside. There was nowhere in front of Hogwarts it could possibly have come from. But if it had come from the castle, wouldn't he have seen it? How could he miss a creature that big? He would have to tell Hermione in the morning, she would know what it was.
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Pasha rummaged through her suitcase. "Shoot, where are you?" she muttered.
Digging her hand to the bottom of the trunk,she found what she was looking for and closed her fingers around it, pulling it out. It was a small, glass vial containing a bright yellow liquid. The potion the Dark Lord had given her to stop the dreams. She pulled the stopper out and held it over her head, letting a few drops fall into her mouth.
"What is that?" asked a voice behind her.
Pasha jumped, quickly stoppering the vial. She scolded herself for letting her guard down. She turned to find Hermione looking curiously at the glass vial clutched in her hand.
"It's for my allergies," Pasha hurriedly explained. Allergies? She could think of better excuses than that, but she couldn't do anything about it now.
"But allergy medicines aren't yellow," said Hermione, "I've never heard of- "
"It's an expensive one," said Pasha, cutting her off. "Really hard to get."
She could tell by Hermione's face that she didn't believe her, but to her relief, she let it drop.
"I just came up here to get a book I forgot," Hermione said, looking through the pile of books in her trunk. She found it and stood. "We have Potions first. You want to go?"
"Yeah."
Pasha grabbed her bag and followed Hermione. The Potions class turned out to be, not a classroom, but a dungeon. It reminded her of her old bedroom, except that this room was lined with shelves and shelves of weird looking liquids and knick-knacks. Deadly looking knick-knacks.
Harry was already there, Pasha noted. She thought back fondly to last night. She had been surprised when he had asked her to come over. No one had ever done that before. And the way he made her laugh. She had never laughed like that her whole life. In fact, she was pretty sure she had never laughed.
"Hi," Harry greeted her as she sat down.
"Hi."
Pasha realized that they were with the Slytherins. She could see Malfoy at the back, sitting with a girl who reminded Pasha of a pig, with her slightly upturned nose. The girl caught Malfoy sneaking glances at Pasha, and, in a jealous fit, made her way towards her.
"That's Pansy Parkinson," whispered Hermione as she came nearer. Pasha scoffed at her name.
"So you're the new girl," said Pansy scornfully.
"Yes."
"Are you a dirty mudblood too?" she asked with a sneer, glancing at Hermione.
"I'd rather be a muggle than have my name be Pansy. So why don't you just go back to your seat, Piggy?" Pasha retorted. Ron snorted.
Pansy's face grew red and she opened her mouth to say something when the door burst open and a man with greasy black hair strode into the room, his long black cloak billowing out behind him. Pansy scurried back to her seat.
"And what is your name?" he asked.
"Pasha Mayes."
"Sir"
"Sir," Pasha added.
"I am Professor Snape."
Snape. Snape. She had heard that name before. Yes, she remembered. He was the Death Eater placed at Hogwarts. She wondered if he knew she was also sent by the Dark Lord.
"I hope that you will not fall behind. We have a very strict schedule. Everything has to be learnt before the exams."
"Yes sir".
"What are the main ingredients of wolfs bane?" Snape asked.
Pasha answered automatically, "Hogs snout, beetle juice, gilly weed and one drop of dragons blood."
Snape studied her; clearly a little shocked. She could tell he had not expected her to answer.
"What are the main ingredients of Veritism?" Snape smirked, she would never be able to get this.
Without pausing, Pasha began to list the most complicated and unpronounceable ingredients, listing them in exactly the right order. Harry and Ron struggled to keep a straight face, finding the expression on Snape's face amusing. Snape continued to fire questions at her and Pasha continued to answer them. He finally gave up and told them to turn to page one-hundred and twenty-seven in their text books. The lesson went on,with Snape asking all the Gryffindors questions but never Pasha. He took five points off for each thing they did wrong; Neville sneezed and Snape took ten points. By the end of the class, Gryffindor had lost a total of fifty-five points.
"Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut," said Pasha at the end, feeling a little guilty.
"Nah, it was worth it, just to see that look on Snape's face," laughed Ron.
"And there's more important things to worry about than the House Cup," said Harry.
Like getting to Dumbledore.
The three split up when they reached the marble staicase; Ron and Harry going to Astronomy, Hermione going to History of Magic, and Pasha to Divination. The Divination room was in the North Tower. Pasha made her way up there, her excellent sense of direction guiding her. She climbed a silvery step ladder descending from the ceiling, and emerged into the Divination room. It was a round room, lit with a dim, red glow. It was stifling hot, but a fire was burning under the mantle, giving off a sickly sweet smell. The shelves on the walls were crammed full of teacups, packs of playing cards, and crystal balls.
A short, skinny woman stepped out of the shadows, coming into the firelight. Fine, transparent shawls hung off her bony shoulders; her thick glasses magnified her eyes. She wore a countless number of beads and necklaces around her skinny neck; her wrists weighed down with chattering silver bangles. She smelt strongly of cooking sherry.
"Welcome, to another year of Divination. Come, come, take a seat." Her speech was slurred.
The class settled down into the armchairs that surrounded small, circular tables scattered about the room.
"And who are you dear?" she said, focusing with some difficulty at Pasha.
"Pasha Mayes."
"I'm sorry dear, you're going to have to speak up."
"Pasha Mayes," said Pasha a little more loudly.
"I'll introduce myself first. I am Professor Trelawney. Now you're turn."
"I'm an ogre," said Pasha, exasperated.
"Well why didn't you say so. Ogre, Ogre. That's an interesting name. Where does it come from?"
"Is she drunk?," someone whispered.
"Now, now. Settle down. We are going to start with some crystal gazing today."
Professor Trelawney shuffled unsteadily towards one of the shelves and picked up a silvery orb.
"The art of crystal gazing-"
Professor Trelawney's hands slipped and the ball crashed to the ground and rolled away. She giggled, "Oops, silly me."
Pasha picked up the crystal ball as it rolled towards her, walked to the front of the class and handed it back. She turned and was about to go back to her seat when she heard an unfamiliar voice from behind her.
"She will have her revenge."
Pasha spun around and realized that it was Professor Trelawney who had spoken.
"What did you say?" Pasha asked cautiously.
The whole class was deathly quiet.
"She will have her revenge," Professor Trelawney repeated ina deep, croaky voice, all traces of alcohol now gone. Her eyes were rolling towards the back of her head.
"She wil lbe bonded to the Chosen One, their souls are one. She will uncover memories forgotten, uncover the truth. For this is the only way to avenge her loved ones."
Professor Trelawny seemed to snap out of it suddenly. She blinked when she saw Pasha standing in front of her.
"Ogre. What are you doing up here?"
Professor Trelawney didn't seem to know what just happened. That she had made a real prediction. Had it been a real one? It had to be. It mentioned Pasha, coming to Hogwarts to get her revenge.Pasha turned, the class was going on as if nothing had happened. She had to get out of here. The sickly perfume smell was making her dizzy. Pasha turned and strode out of the class, ignoring Professor Trelawneys cries of, Ogre! Ogre! Pasha needed to think, to go somewhere quiet. She made her way down from the North Tower and before she knew it, she was outside the castle.
Pasha looked around, dazed. She was standing under a tree by the large lake. The sunlight was glinting off the rippling waters of the lake. She slumped down, leaning against the trunk of the tree. The prediction had to have been about her. And the Chosen One, that had to have been Harry Potter. That was what everyone was calling him nowadays. What was all that stuff about being bonded to him? Their souls are one? Pasha had no idea. And about uncovering forgotten memories? The truth? The only thing she did understand was the part about revenge. She will have her revenge. Did that mean she was going to succeed? The sun trickled in through the leaves overhead, warming her face. She felt a little drowsy. Maybe she would sleep for a while…
"Pasha?"
Someone woke her as soon as she had closed her eyes. She looked up at the intruder. It was Harry.
"Have a nice nap?" he grinned.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, "aren't you supposed to be in class?"
"It's lunch. I was looking for you. Here, I brought you this." He handed her a sandwich.
"Thanks. Is it lunch already?" She realized that she had been asleep all morning.
"Yeah. Mind if I sit?" he asked, pointing beside her.
"Go ahead."
He sank down next to her. "So how was your first lesson of Divination?"
"It was… interesting. Professor Trelawney was drunk." She missed out the part about her prediction.
"You serious?" he said in disbelief.
"Yeah. She now thinks my name is Ogre."
Harry laughed. They began talking again. Pasha felt as if she could tell him anything. She almost told him about herself. Why she was here, what she could do, and who sent her. But she knew she couldn't. Harry would never trust her again, and she couldn't bear that. Why did she feel so bad lying to him? It wasn't as if it was the first time she had lied, so why did it feel like it?
Pasha laughed at something he said.
Harry looked at her. Pasha stopped. He leaned forward, slowly. Pasha was frozen, not knowing what to do. He leaned towards her, coming closer until their noses were touching. Pasha, after a moments hesitation, slid hereyes shut and closed the last remaining space between their lips. His mouth was warm against hers. Soft.
"Oi Harry!"
They sprang apart like startled rabbits. Pasha saw Ron coming towards them, waving his arm. He sat down in the grass in front of them.
"Where's Hermione?" asked Harry quickly.
"The library. Where else? What were you guys doing?" Ron looked from Harry's bright red face to Pasha's and made the connection. He grinned.