Chapter Nine

A/N – Just so you know, there is a talent show at my school in two weeks and practice and auditions start soon…I might try out so it may take me a while to update…on to the story…

The rest of the day was very stressful for Mia; she had left Dumbledore's office heading to the Great Hall for lunch, but didn't stay long. Almost as soon as she had opened the doors she had spotted Ron glaring at her. Harry looked exasperated, as if he were trying to calm Ron down, but failing. Mia sighed, and headed over to the small table set up near the door. It had been placed there a few years ago upon Ravenclaw request; since many of them spent more time in the Library, they didn't want to waste time getting food at their tables, so a small table full of food was set up for those who wanted to catch a quick bite. Mia bowed her head as she grabbed some food before heading off to the Library.

She entered, half a sandwich finished, heading with purpose over to the Restricted Section. She made it to the entrance, when the Ravenclaws started to whisper among themselves. One even ran to get Madame Pince. Mia shook her head, walking into the section, eyes skimming the books looking in particular in the snake section. After all she needed to know how to raise her Basilisk. A small smiled graced her face as she found what she was looking for. Not many people had ever had a basilisk, even fewer raised one successfully, making it that much harder to find anything related to one.

Mia pulled the book from the shelf, hearing the speedy footsteps of the mad librarian getting closer to the section. "…possibly be in the Restricted Section!" Mia heard her yell at one of the students. "They should know it is Restricted for a reason! They need a teacher's permissions! Who could possibly be that stupid…" She was in the middle of yelling as Mia turned to face the librarian. Madame Pince paused, staring open mouthed at Mia. Pince opened and closed her mouth like a fish for a few minutes.

Mia gave a small chuckle, "Hello Madame Pince," she said, snapping the librarian out of her shock.

"Oh, it's just you Miss Matthews," she said as Mia stepped closer, "Did you find everything you needed?" She asked, stepping to the side so that Mia could exit, the Ravenclaw student staring in shock. Mia nodded, "Oh, that's good…" she looked at Mia's book, checking it out, "Will there be anything else?"

"No, I should be good," Mia said, taking the book back, "Thank you." Madame Pince nodded as Mia walked off to a small table near the back of the library.

She took a good look at the cover of the book she had taken, ignoring the murmurs going on around her. It was a very old red leather book, with a silver Serpent on the front. Mia turned it on its side, noticing that the book was held shut by a leather strap. She shook her head; she could only guess the way to open the book. It was just like the entrance to the chamber…now there's a thought…maybe….

Mia looked up, many of the students had been watching her, and quickly looked away. As quietly as she could, she spoke the word "OPEN" in parsel tongue.

The small lock clicked open, she smiled, looking up again to make sure that no one had noticed, it seemed like no one had. She opened the book, checking first who had written it, and her smile grew, just as she suspected, Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk Basics.

She shook her head, leaning forward to read and not be noticed, blending into the background, as was her skill.

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"Mia…" A voice said. She looked up to see Madame Pince staring down at her smiling. Mia looked around the now empty darkened Library. She had finished her book about an hour ago and was reading up on some of the more early stages in basilisk rearing.

"Sorry Madame," she replied. She closed her book, putting it under her arm, heading for the exit.

"I'm afraid you've missed dinner," Madame Pince's voice cut in, "None of the students wanted to disturb you."

"It's alright," Mia said, yawning slightly, "I'm actually ready for bed."

Madame Pince nodded as Mia left.

Mia walked alone in the darkened castle, gaze drifting over the various paintings.

"What's a little Miss Mia doing wandering the castle this late at night?" called a nasally little annoying voice from above her.

Mia looked up and smiled, "The same thing you are Peeves," he gave her a look, "Plotting the reputational ruin of a random teacher." He looked at her for a minute before letting out a cackle, realizing that she was joking. She laughed with him, continuing on her trek, Peeves following close behind. "Yes Peeves?" she asked, already knowing what he was going to ask…

"…um…well I…was….wondering if…well…"

…but she just liked to toy with him, "If you could accompany me on my long journey to the Gryffindor Tower?" she asked for him. He nodded humbly, somewhat embarrassedly. "Of course, you know that I'm always up for your company."

The walked…well, Mia walked, Peeves floated…together in silence for a while. Mia enjoyed Peeves' silence, out of all the ghosts in the castle Peeves was her favorite. Many of the other ghosts thought that this was quite odd, but the annoying little poltergeist had weaseled his way to her soft side. It was probably due to the fact that when Mia was young, barely even 6, and she had come to the school because her father's mother had died, her grandmother. She had been so sad, wandering the castle while the adults talked about things.

Mia smiled in memory, Peeves had found her crying and told her that tears didn't suit such a young girl. He showed her the castle, played some tricks on the other ghosts and some teachers who weren't with the other grown ups. That was actually how she first knew Professor Snape. He was in the Potions lab working on some potion or another. Mia wandered in while she and Peeves had been playing hide and seek…a rather unfair game now that Mia thought back on it, Peeves could disappear after all.

Any who, she had wandered into the potions room and saw a potion bubbling over the cauldron, it was foaming and her mother always told her that when soup did that it needed to be stirred. So she climbed on a chair and stirred it. It was like playing house, and she was the chef. She saw a bunch of ground up white stuff and sniffed it cautiously. It smelled bad so she added just a pinch of it to the potion. A small poof occurred which got Professor Snape's attention, he came stalking out of his office ready to yell at her, but saw that the potion was actually finished.

That was the start of a beautiful friendship. Professor Snape took her under his wing as a Potion's apprentice, and Peeves helped her get even when Snape was unfair. She laughed remembering how Snape actually looked good with pink hair, that one time that Peeves helped her switch his shampoo with Pink dye in what would have been her third year.

"What are you laughing at?" Peeves asked, checking his incorporeal self for oddities.

"Nothing, just remembering Professor Snape with pink hair. Do you remember that?" she asked.

Peeves laughed, "Do I ever! That was my best work…" Mia coughed, "I…I mean our best work." Mia nodded in approval, noticing that they had just arrived at the Common Room entrance. She bid her goodbye to her friend about to say the password when Peeves spoke again. "You know…if…if you ever need to talk to someone…I…I'm always…that is to say…"

Mia smiled, "I know, thank you." Peeves smiled and floated off through one of the walls. Mia looked down for a moment remembering the time when she arrived at Hogwarts after her parents…Peeves was the only one who treated her like a normal person. She didn't need anyone's pity or attempts to make her feel better, she just needed someone who wouldn't try to talk and act differently around her. Peeves didn't, he treated her the same, waiting until she was ready to talk, and soon she was ready, and she talked to Peeves first.

"Dormiens Vita," She said, stepping through the entrance. There were only a few people left in the common room. Among them was the golden trio. Ron and Harry were finishing up a game of wizard's chess, as Hermione sat next to Rom reading Hogwarts, A History, for what must have been the 100th time.

She walked over to the trio. Harry looked to be in serious thought, as Ron sat there with a smug, felling calmer, look on his face. She could only guess that Harry was loosing to Ron, making him feel better.

She walked up to Harry's side, behind him, looking over his shoulder at the game. She only caught a glimpse before Harry turned to greet her.

"Hey Mia," he said, ignoring the slightly darker look that Ron now had.

"Hello Harry…" she paused, unsure of whether to acknowledge the others, but decided to be polite, "Ron…Hermione…what are you doing?"

"We're playing Wizard's Chess, obviously." Ron said somewhat snappily. He returned his attention to Harry, "Come on Harry, just make your move and we'll call it a game." He looked at the board, he had cornered Harry, there was no other move possible for him to make other than the one that would end the game, naming Ron the winner.

Harry sighed, before straightening slightly. He turned to Mia again, "Do you play Wizard's Chess?" He asked her.

Ron looked ready to protest on the ground of cheating or interference, but decided that he was safe, there was only one move left.

"Well…I play it sometimes with my uncle and some of the teachers. But I prefer regular muggle chess, it's more challenging when the pieces aren't giving advice." She looked at the board, "Although yours seem to have given up."

"You would too!" One of the few remaining pieces shouted, "He's horrid!"

Mia giggled slightly, head cocked to one side, studying the board before saying, "Queen to F5."

(I really don't know anything about chess, sorry if it makes no sense.)

The pieces on the board started to whisper among themselves, coming to life. The Queen moved to the position she was told…win…winning the game…

Ron stared at the board in awe…even he didn't see that move…

Harry on the other hand started whooping with glee. He finally won. Don't get him wrong; he had nothing against playing Ron to cheer him up. He knew that he wasn't that great in chess, but once you've reached the 11th game and you've only played the last 6 because your best mate insisted it, you get a little twitchy.

"Thanks Mia!" Harry said, standing and stretching his sore butt muscles.

"It wasn't anything special really. I had a lot of time to play the game last year." She looked over at Ron, who still was staring at the board in disbelief. Mia sighed, "Professor McGonnagal had the same reaction when I was 11."

"11…" Harry said in thought, "The giant chess board?"

Mia nodded, "She showed me it and was rather miffed when I beat her two out of the three times we played…the last one was a draw…only because I had to leave…well…" She said, looking anywhere to avoid Ron's glare, "I should be heading off to bed. See you tomorrow Harry…Ron, Hermione…"

Harry turned to his friends just a Ron began to open his mouth. "Don't even say it Ron." He said, before heading off to his own dorm, leaving Ron and Hermione to throw a tense look at each other.

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It was now Monday morning, and the golden trio was sitting together. Mia was meeting her uncle once again. The owl post had just arrived, and Neville, who was sitting next to Harry that morning, was flipping through his mail at a rapid pace.

"Whoa, Neville," Ron said, "Where's the fire?"

"There's no fire Ron," Neville said, "Mia mentioned something about my parents and my Gran and I wrote her to see if it was true…Found it!" He said pulling out a letter from his Gran.

A/N – What does the letter say, I wonder?