CHAPTER 8
First issue of Hogwarts weekly came two weeks after. Cedric wrote about quidditch season and the new album of The Weird Sisters and student gossip . Colin was in charge of Photography and distribution which was sending out the issues with Coal. Luna helped with publishing and she wrote a section about unknown (unknown to all) magical plants. Finally Tulip was writing about news from the Wizarding world; which involved a lot about Sirius Black, classes section and co-writing the muggle section.
Thanks to her brother's reputation(he was a Slytherin prefect and it was his last year), their paper became popular quickly. Most of the student started to read it and it cost 3 knuts. But to get attention they needed gossip which all of them lacked. Tulip knew a solution to this problem : Tracey and Blaise.
" Come on Tracey, Blaise says he won't do it without you." Tulip begged her friend.
" I can't give what you want Tulip. People won't talk to me if they see that I am writing about them." Tracey responded.
"She's right about that." Blaise said. Tulip glared at him.
" Are you joking? They will talk to you even more, everyone wants to tell a secret and besides someone always trying to off someone else."
"I don't want to be the person everyone avoids."
" Please Trace, No one in the castle match with the eyes and ears of the two of you." Tulip looked at her friend expectedly. Tracey was getting soft a little.
"Look, you'll use a alias and send me your section by coal so no one will know alright? I know you want this so please say yes." Tulip added.
" Fine, I'll do it but. No one will know just you and me, don't tell the others. I'm serious about this Tulip, this will stay between us!" Tracey said looking sternly at Tulip's eyes.
" I'll take it to my grave" said Tulip with shining eyes.
"This alias idea is actually really good Tulip. I can be called The All Knower." Blaise suggested excitedly which made the girls laugh.
"What?" He said
" That's the stupidest name you can choose." Tulip said between laughs.
" The worst." Daphne agreed.
" Alright, let's see what you have in mind then." Blaise said to Tracey. She thought a bit. Then excitedly raised her hands to put on headline.
" Chatty Cauldron." She suggested.
"Hmm. It's actually alright I can work with that." Blaise said approvingly.
Tulip often met with Dumbledore to talk about the issues. Her little meetings with the Dumbledore became a common thing between them. They would usually have tea at sunday afternoons. She would bring him the issue of the week, sometimes they talk about it sometimes they talk about other things. Things such as her ability, wizards and muggles, difficult braches of magic, credibility of divination, case of Sirius Black...
" Your mother's name is Auva if my memory serves me right, Auva Black?" Dumbledore asked one day. Tulip stiffened immediately. She didn't like her mother's family one bit.
"It's Auva Ulster now but yes, Black was her maiden name." She answered timidly.
" Is that why you are interested in this case? Because you are related?"
" I guess... I don't like that I am related to him, any of them. It's makes me sick just thinking about it... I want him found, writing about him like this makes me feel like I am helping somehow." She explained slowly.
"I see, Auva was the eldest daughter of Walburga. That makes him your unc-"
"No proffesor. He is nothing to me. Whole lot of them. I don't consider them family" she said. Dumbledore gave her a sad, sympathetic smile.
" Surely there must be someone in the Black family that you like."
Tulip kept quiet for a while before answering. " I guess cousin Andromeda and her family seems nice but I can't say I know much of her. She married a muggleborn you see, cast out of the family tree. My mother doesn't see her much. I think I only saw her twice." She paused thinking about something. " Her daughter seemed really cool, she sends me Christmas cards." she added smiling faintly.
Dumbledore often gave his thoughts on Tulip's talent in Legilimens and Occulumens. Dumbledore encouraged her to gain more control over it but she still didn't want to do it. Tulip told him about her nightmares and how it all started. Tulip had never talked about it this way, it felt sort of good. It made her feel lighter.
"What scared you so?" he asked. So far she had avioded telling him about her worst fear, snakes. It always made her feel weak. She was a Slytherin and snakes were their animal. She had never mentioned this to any one except Cedric. But she suspected Hermione must have gussed because of her reaction at the Dueling club last year. Tulip went white faced when she saw the snake. Her muscles became twisted and she was so shaked up she didn't even realise Potter speaking Parseltongue. She was lost in tought when she heard the headmaster again.
"Tulip?" he asked bringing her back to earth.
"Snakes, sir. I fear snakes, see them in my dreams."s
"How peculiar." he said deep in thought. "And you have them for many years?" he added.
"As long as I remember, but they are not very frequent anymore."
" A slytherin with a fear of snakes. I don't think I've ever heard such a thing in my years, dear. What do you think it means?" He was looking at her through his half moon spectacles. Tulip had already gave this a thought before.
"I think it's how I am going to die , sir. I don't really care for divination but if these dreams means anything it's that a snake will be my end." Dumbledore thought this over a bit, then he gave out a chuckle.
"Oh-hoh, Why so grim?"
Tulip shrugged in response.
Addition to her talks with her Dumbledore she also had tea with Professor Lupin, though not as often. Even though their problems were very different, they shared the same burden about it. It was nice to have chats with him. He was understanding, kind and handsome... Tulip may have an additional reason to have tea with him but she was too embarrassed to even admit that to herself. She couldn't ignore the increase of her heart race when he spoke to her. It was just a silly crush and she new that.
