Chapter 21

The Trouble With Books

Hermione ignored him for the rest of the day.  He knew he had reacted badly, but he was confused.  He spent the rest of the day tailing Liz, who ignored him.  Meanwhile Hermione forgot about her hair and focused on her classes, but Ron and Harry didn't.  They spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what she did and why she refused to answer any of their questions.

The next morning after breakfast Maria and Liz met Amy at the entrance of the school.

"Morning, Liz, Maria, Hagrid said we could use his fireplace to floo to Diagon."

Liz yawned.  "Thank you, Ms. Deluca."

Amy smiled and then turned to her daughter.  Maria smiled half-heartedly, but did not reply.  Amy nodded her head and then turned to lead them to Hagrid's.  Liz looked over at Maria to see her deep in thought.  She was worried about her friend.

"You know we have the whole day, so we can get some Christmas shopping done early."  Amy suggested.

"Sure," Maria said.

"Liz?" 

"Sounds great, we'll have to stop at the bank first."  Liz answered.

"Of course."  Amy replied, "I need to take Maria to her vault."

"My vault?"  Maria asked.

"Sure, I knew deep down that I'd have to return eventually.  I split my savings in half, so you would have something.  Even if it would end up being part of your college fund or for your wedding."

Maria blinked; she had not expected this.

Amy smiled as she knocked on Hagrid's door.  He opened it with a large smile on his face.  "Ah, yer here."  He stepped aside to let them in.  He handed Amy the Floo Powder and left them on their way.  Maria, Liz, and Amy stepped out to Diagon Alley and headed toward Gringotts.  They entered the bank and walked straight up to the goblin behind the large desk.  Liz pulled out her key and showed it to him.  He nodded and then turned to Amy who produced a key as well.

"Right this way."  The goblin said waving them toward a cart.  The three got in and were whisked away.  They went to Liz's first and then traveled deeper into the cavern toward Amy's.  The cart plunged downward before finally coming to a stop.  Amy led her daughter up to the large door and handed her the key.  Maria put it in the keyhole without hesitation and turned the key.  The door opened to reveal a large room.  Half the room was filled with money, while the other half was filled with books and other magical objects.  Amy watched as Maria's eyes lit up.

"Some of this stuff is mine and some, mostly the books belonged to your father."

"Mom," Maria looked up at Amy.  "I don't know what to say."

"Thank you?"

"Thank you."  Maria hugged her mother tightly.  Liz smiled. 

Amy pulled away, "go ahead, and pick out some books.  There are a couple of my old dress robes that will fit you.  I'll get the money we'll need."

Maria reached over and grabbed Liz's hand and pulled her toward the piles of treasure.

"Look at this…" Liz gasped as Maria pulled her closer to a stack of books.

"You could spend hours in here."  Maria said with a bright smile.

"I could."  Liz replied as she picked up a large velvet covered book.  "Beauty and Health for Witches."  She whispered to Maria showing her the book.  "Was your mom cheating mother nature?"

Maria tried to smother a giggle, as she bent to look at another book.

Hermione sat in the library helping Ron and Harry study, when she spied Rath walking through the stacks.  As she caught his eye, he picked out a book and flashed the large print title toward her "Spells of the Heart".  He winked at her suggestively.  Hermione glanced at Ron and Harry, who were busy trying to read her answers upside down.  She looked up as Rath waved his hand over the book cover and changed it to read: "I'm sorry".

She stood and pushed her scroll toward the boys, "here I need to get another book."

They both looked up confused as she disappeared into the stacks.

"But you have plenty of books here."  Ron called after her.  H received glares and shushes from various students.  "She's been acting peculiar lately."  He told Harry.

"I think it's the books."

"Huh?"
"The trouble with books is they tell you a lot of facts, but not how life really is."

 "You are not suggesting what I think you are, are you?"

"She needs to live, maybe a boyfriend is just what she needs."

"She had a boyfriend, he didn't change anything."

Harry rolled his eyes.  "Viktor Krum does not count."

"Of course he does."

"No, he doesn't."

Maria and Liz ended up with a bigger stack of books than they had expected.  Amy laughed when she saw them trying to carry their stacks.  She reached into one of her trunk and pulled out a red shoulder bag.

"Put them in here."  She suggested.

Liz looked at her as though she had six heads.  "That's too small, they will never fit."

"Liz, have you ever seen Mary Poppins?"

"Sure, but…"

Amy cut her off.  "Same idea."  She grabbed two books and put them in the bag.  The girls watched as their two large stacks disappeared into the bag.

"I don't understand."  Liz said in awe and confusion.  Amy handed the bag to Liz, and led them out as Liz exclaimed.  "It' not heavy at all."

"It shrinks them, doesn't it?"  Maria asked.

"Yup, they were all the rage when I went to Hogwarts.  I'm surprised that girl Hermione doesn't have one with all the stuff she carries."

Maria and Liz shared smiles.  "She probably overfilled it."  Liz said.

Hermione caught Rath on the lips; he kissed her back with fervor.  She pushed him up against the stacks as her hands groped his back. He reached to hold her head, when she pulled it away and broke the kiss.

"You're the reason my hair is pink!" 

He smiled.

"Put it back!"  She hissed.

He waved his hand over and down her hair.  "Sorry, sometimes I see colors when I'm emotional."

"Hence the technicolored hair?"  She asked.

"Yeah." 

"We should…"

"Go back to study hall?"  He interrupted her.

She wrinkled her brow, "what I was going to say, is we should go somewhere less conspicuous."

He cocked an eyebrow at her.  "Huh?"

"Go wait in the hall, I'll be out in a minute."  She said as she pushed him out of the stacks.  She watched him leave the library and then walked over to Ron and Harry.  "I think I have the book in my room, so I'm going to finish this there."  She said as she gathered her stuff and rushed out.  Ron and Harry silently watched her go.

"Maybe you're right."  Ron sighed.

"Come on, let's finish this first."  Harry said pointing to their half-finish scrolls.

Amy led them to Olivander's after leaving the bank.  She held the door open for the girls and followed them in.  Olivander glanced up from his work.  "Miss Parker, Miss Deluca, welco…" At that moment he saw Amy, "Amy?"

"Hello, Mr. Olivander."

"When did you get back?"

"A few month ago, but this isn't about me."  She said placing a hand on Maria's shoulder.  "She's ready for her wand now."

Olivander smiled as he rushed about looking for boxes.  He handed her one, she waved and a book blew up.  He took it and handed her another one.  She waved and a lamp shattered.  Again and again, wand after wand, but none were taking to her.  Liz was now sitting on the floor with Amy crouched next to her.  Olivander's desk was over flowing with rejected wands.  Maria was about to give up and walk out, when Olivander reappeared with a very dusty, decrepit, disintegrating box.

"Try this."

Maria watched as he lifted the lid to reveal the wand.  She picked it up and stared as it glowed with a soft, white light in her hand.  Liz and Amy stood slowly as Olivander and Maria smiled.  Maria looked it over in her hand; it was made of a reddish wood, and from tip to tip a thread of silver twisted around the wand.

"8 ½ inches made of a rare Mongolian tree, quicksilver twists around it, and the core is filled with a Chinese red Dragon's blood."  He told them.  "There is a story behind that wand.  It once belonged to a Chinese wizard who helped bridge the gap between muggles and wizards in his village.  He died trying to defend his village from invaders, the wand was sent here to be given to a witch or wizard who is worthy.  It has been here since before my grandfather.  Chinese red dragon's are extremely rare, they breathe red fire hence their name." 

Maria inhaled deeply as she realized how much power she held in her hand.  Amy paid as Liz hugged Maria.  Maria pulled away and hugged her mother.

Amy returned the hug and smiled.  "Don't worry about it."  She pulled away, "come on, let's go do some shopping."  She smiled brighter seeing Maria 's eyes light up.  She led the girls to a small shop next door.  It was the Flying Broomstick.  "Isabel was picked for the Ravenclaw team.  So I think a broomstick is just what she needs."  The girls followed her inside.

Hermione walked out of the library to find Snape lecturing Rath. 

"Until you can contribute something to this school, you are to stay with your assigned chaperone.  No one trusts your loyalty and until you prove yourself…"
"Excuse me, professor."  Hermione quietly interrupted.

"Miss Granger?"

"I'm chaperoning him today, I, uh, just had to drop off a book."

Snape glanced between the two suspiciously.  "Why you?"  He sneered.

"Filch and Professor Lupin had their fill of him, so I volunteered.  Beside I needed someone to practice my potions homework on."

Snape smiled.  "Well, carry on then."  He turned and walked into the library.

Once he was gone Rath turned to Hermione.  "What exactly is your potions homework?"  He asked nervously.

"Potion to heal broken bones, if done wrong you can liquefy the bones."  Rath swallowed nervously.

"So let's go somewhere more private."  She whispered as she led him to the Gryffindor Tower.

"Okay."

It was a little after one when Amy realized that they had skipped lunch.  "Are you girls hungry?"  She asked as they left a shop.

"Not really," Liz replied.

"No," Maria replied.

"Well," she looked at the large bags they all carried, "is there anything else you want to get."

Both girls shook their heads.  "No, I think we're done."  Maria said.

Amy led them over to a bench.  "Sit here, I'll go see about a train ride to Hogsmede."

She handed Liz her bags.  "Do not leave this spot, I'll be right back."

As Amy headed off, Liz sat next to Maria and looked around.  She noticed a girl with purple, blue, and black hair standing in front of a shop window.  She was about Liz's height and was wearing a royal blue robe.  "It can't be."  Liz whispered to herself.

"What?"  Maria asked.

"I'll be right back."  Liz said as she stood.

"No, you won't, my mom told us not to move."  Maria protested.

"Maria, just a minute," Liz said as she stepped in the direction of the girl.

"Liz!"  Maria called out after her.

The girl looked up at Maria's yell.  She spotted Liz and smiled.  She turned and walked toward Liz and Maria as Liz turned and looked back at Maria.

"Hello, Liz, Maria."  She greeted them.  "What are you doing here?"

As she spoke a man with short red hair stepped out of the shop and looked around.   He spotted the three girls and walked over.  "Ava, who are your friends?"