AN: Quick shout out to CAD270895, LadySerenity22, and symonator for following the story! Also shout out to CAD270895, LadySerenity22, and animatez for favoriting the story as well!
Onto chapter 3!
Chapter 3
After a few weeks, everything fell into an easy routine: breakfast, classes, lunch, classes, break, dinner, study hall, bedtime. Over and over again.
My friends and I did everything together, from studying to exploring the grounds. I'd never had so much fun in my entire life! Sure, I did have a bit of guilt from hiding my powers from them, but I had to keep them secret, for my own safety – and theirs.
The only other secret I kept from my friends was Tom. At first I had wanted to tell them about him, but once we started writing back and forth more, I decided I wanted to keep him secret. It was, in a strange way, thrilling to know that I had a secret other than my powers.
One day, only a week or so after Tom and I had become friends, I received my first letter. I had been dreading this letter, as it was from Father. I knew that Draco would write to him and tell him all about how I was friends with Ginny and that I was sorted into Gryffindor.
When I saw that the letter was from him, I excused myself from the breakfast table, telling my friends I'd meet up with them later. I quickly exited the Great Hall, then looked around, trying to decide where to read the letter. I didn't want to be somewhere where someone would see me. Then I remembered – the room Father had told me about! It was on the seventh floor, and if I walked past it three times, thinking about what kind of room I needed, it would appear!
Once I remembered the room, I realized that I'd completely forgotten about practicing with my powers. Oops... I thought. I guess I've been so busy with classes, homework, and my friends that I forgot. I sighed. You've got to do better, Elsa. You have to practice with them or you'll lose control again... You have to be more responsible.
When I reached the seventh floor, I quickly walked back and forth three times, thinking I need somewhere to practice my magic, somewhere no one can find me. I need somewhere to practice my magic, somewhere no one can find me. I need somewhere to practice my magic, somewhere no one can find me. Then I waited. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a door started to form in the wall. It slowly grew bigger and bigger, until it was large enough for me to fit through. I cautiously walked over, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then slipped through the door.
The room I was in was small, yet big enough for one person to practice magic. There was a bookshelf stocked with thick books, and I made a mental note to read them later. Across the room were some cushions in a pile on the floor, and a desk sat in the corner. I took two of the cushions from the pile and made a chair for myself on the floor – one to sit on and one behind my back – then sat down. I stared at the letter for a moment, then ripped open the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper. I unfolded it and started to read.
Elsa,
When I first heard from Draco that you had been sorted into Gryffindor, I must say I was displeased. Yet, after thinking about it, I realized that even though you did the exact opposite of what I told you to do, you are now in a better position to give the diary to Miss Weasley. In fact, I hope you have realized this, and maybe have already given it to her.
I hope you have been practicing with your powers. You know what could happen if you don't. Write soon,
Father
"Well, that was unexpected," I said aloud. "I really thought he would be angry... well, I suppose he would if he knew that I don't intend to give Ginny the diary. Speaking of which..." I pulled out the diary from my bag. I'd been carrying it around, in case I needed to talk to Tom.
Hi Tom! I wrote.
Hello, Elsa. How have you been?
I'm doing well, thank you very much. Tom... can I tell you a secret?
You can tell me anything, Elsa.
Have you ever heard of someone having... elemental powers? Along with being a witch, of course.
Yes, but it's extremely rare... why do you ask?
If I tell you, you have to promise to never tell anyone else, alright?
Of course. I'd never tell your secrets, Elsa.
Well... I can control ice and snow. It's why I wear gloves all the time, just in case something happens.
For a moment, no writing appeared on the page. I started to get worried. Tom?
Sorry, Elsa. I got caught up in my thoughts. But this... this is quite unexpected. How long have you had these powers?
All my life. I was born with them.
Intriguing... I must say I didn't expect you to say that.
You'll still be friends with me, right Tom?
We'll always be friends, Elsa. You can count on that.
Thanks Tom.
Of course.
I've got to go, I should practice a bit with my powers. Father says if I don't, I might have an accident again...
Accident? What happened?
It's... it's a long story. I'll tell you tonight, okay?
Alright... see you then, Elsa.
Bye, Tom! I closed the diary, feeling much better, but also a bit tired. I put it back in my bag, then stood up, pulled my gloves off, and started to practice.
I always started small, making snowflakes fall from the ceiling. Then I would go from there, covering things in frost, then making snowmen, snow castles, ice sculptures, and, reluctantly, ice daggers. Father wanted me to have some sort of weapon available at all times, just in case. That was what he always said. "Just in case."
After practicing for an hour, I realized what time it was.
"Oh no, I'm late!" The Halloween feast must have already started, and if I didn't hurry I'd miss the rest of it! I pulled on my gloves, grabbed my bag, and slipped out of my secret room. But just as I started running, I stopped. I was exhausted... but why? I started to feel faint, so I quickly sat down and leaned against the cold stone wall. Breathe... you're okay. Calm down, Elsa. Now think... why are you feeling like this? I thought. Maybe I practiced too hard? Or maybe- I wasn't able to finish my thought, as the world slowly got darker and darker, until it faded away completely.
When I awoke, I found myself somewhere different then where I had been when I fainted. Not only that, but the hall I was in was dark – it was really late in the night. What happened...? I thought as I used the wall to help me stand up.
"I've got to get back to the common room... everyone must be so worried." Using the wall for support, I walked down the hall, wishing I had something that could light the way. Unless... I pulled off my right glove and conjured a snowball, which glowed in the darkness and lit the way.
"Perfect," I whispered.
It didn't take me long to find a staircase, and by the time I had gone down two flights, I had regained most of my strength and had figured out where I was. I'd been up five floors higher than I had been when I fainted. Maybe I woke up and walked there, fainted again, and don't remember it? It was a long shot, but the only thing that made sense.
As I walked, I noticed I was covered in feathers and red paint. Was I sleepwalking? What on earth is happening to me?! Finally I reached the common room, and was relieved to see that it was empty. I slipped into the dormitory, where I found all my friends were asleep. A quick shower and change into pajamas later, I went back down to the common room and sat in one of the armchairs by the fire.
As I stared into the fire, I wondered if anyone had seen me wandering the halls so late. Well, if they did, they would have told one of the teachers, I thought.
I sat by the fire for a long time, thinking. Finally, I got up and started to head towards the girls staircase when I had a sudden urge to look out the window. I did, and a grin lit up my face when I saw what was outside. It was snowing! How could I go to sleep when it was snowing outside? It was practically calling me. So I raced up the stairs, grabbed my cloak from my part of the room, slipped off my boots, and ran barefoot out of the common room. With my cloak on, no one would know who I was unless they saw my face, which was good, as my platinum blonde hair was quite distinct.
It didn't take me long to find a way to the grounds. I laughed as I stepped outside the door and into the soft layer of snow. I danced around in the snow, using my powers to create all sorts of things. I made a hill of snow, then a sled out of ice, and spent at least an hour sledding down the hill. Then I had an idea. I could make a winter wonderland for everyone to enjoy the next day. No one would know it was me – they would think someone used magic to make it.
And so I pulled off my hood – it would only get in the way, and it was so late no one would see me – and set to work, building the sledding hill a bit higher and with an ice staircase that lead to the top. At the bottom of the hill were four ice sleds, each one a different design. Next, I made six small forts for snowball fights, each one loaded with fifty snowballs. After that, I made sure the ice on the lake was thick enough to skate on, and tested it myself with special ice skates. Finally, I put beautiful frost designs on the trees, each one unique from the rest.
Just as I was about to leave, I remembered one crucial thing. I turned around and waved my hand, creating a snowman.
"I'll name you... Olaf!" I exclaimed happily. And so I headed back into the castle, not knowing that someone had watched me the entire time.
The next morning, I woke up earlier than all my friends. I took a quick shower, braided my hair, and put on some comfortable Muggle clothes, as it was a Saturday. I ran down the stairs, my bare feet making a slapping sound on each step.
As I entered the common room, I found Harry, Ron, and Hermione staring out the window. In fact, almost everyone in the common room was looking out the window.
"What are you looking at?" I asked innocently, knowing all too well what it was.
"It snowed!" Ron exclaimed. "And look," he moved aside so I could see out the window as well, "someone made a sledding hill! And ice sleds! And snowball forts!"
"Wow!" I said, gasping at the sight. All the work I had done last night had stayed just as perfect as I had left it, and already a few people were outside playing in the snow. Just then, Ginny and Noelle came down.
"Guys, come look at this!" I called. They came running over, and as they stared at the beautiful sight, I heard Harry ask, "I wonder who did it... do you know what kind of spells could do that, Hermione?"
"Well... there are spells to affect the weather, but I've never heard of them being this powerful. I'll have to research it in the library." Suddenly something clicked in my mind.
"Hermione?" I said. "Do you know if there are... family records in the library?"
"Yes, there are! I can show you later today, if you want."
"That would be great!"
"Before you two go running off to the library," Ginny interrupted, "I challenge you three to a snowball fight!"
After a quick breakfast, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Noelle and I headed outside. It would be Harry, Ron, and Hermione against me and my friends, and I was extremely excited. I was tempted to use my powers to win – after all, I could use them in a discreet way that my friends wouldn't notice. But in the end, I decided it wouldn't be fair, and so we spent the next few hours having a good old fashioned snowball fight. When we were just about to finish, I saw Draco walking past, strangely alone. Realizing who he was passing, he sauntered over and said, "Elsa, may I have a quick word? Now?" I saw Harry and Ron, who had started to develop a sort of brotherly relationship with me, glance up at the sound of Draco's voice. Immediately they stood up, but I gave them a quick look that said, "I can handle this."
"Of course, Draco," I replied innocently. "I'll be back in a few minutes!"
Draco motioned for me to follow him, and so I did, walking next to him until we reached the lake, which had frozen over in a lovely snowflake pattern.
"What do you want?" I asked, getting straight to the point. For a moment, my brother didn't respond. I was about to ask again when he said suddenly, "I wanted to see if you were safe. Do you know what happened last night?"
"No... I was practicing my powers and missed the Halloween feast. Why?"
"Someone left a message on one of the walls. It said, 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware.' Underneath it, Filch's cat was as hard as stone – I overheard McGonagall talking to Flitwick about it. Seems she was petrified, whatever that means."
"The Chamber of Secrets... didn't Father tell us about that once? It was opened 50 years ago, wasn't it?"
"Correct. Last time, a Mudblood died. Listen, Elsa – I know that you and I are pure-blood, but I want you to be careful. Don't stay out late, don't go anywhere alone, and keep practicing your powers like Father said. Got it?"
"Why are you being so nice?" I asked suspiciously.
"You're my sister," he replied. "Besides, even though we hate each other, I don't think I could stand to lose you."
"Aww..."
"Okay, let's forget that ever happened. I've got one more thing to say to you though." He paused, either for a dramatic effect or because he was thinking how to phrase what he was about to say.
"I know what you did."
"...what?"
"I know what you did," he repeated.
"And just what did I do?" Did he know about Tom and I? No... he couldn't possibly know. How could he, anyways?
"This." He gestured around at the snow, which glittered in the sunlight.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, keeping a straight face. "Father told me to be careful – you know that."
"Who else could have done this?! There is no one in this castle strong enough to cast such a powerful weather spell, except maybe Dumbledore, and he wouldn't do that without a reason." I didn't reply, instead opting to look at the ground.
"Look," he continued. "If you just tell me why, I won't tell Father. I promise." I jerked my head up, staring right into his bright green eyes.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"
"It's happened before, remember? Christmas Eve, three years ago?" The memory hit me the moment he said the word 'Christmas.' I had just turned eight years old, and woke up with a sudden urge to use my powers and create something. So I did – I made it snow three feet overnight, and luckily, Father thought it was a freak snowstorm. Somehow, though, Draco knew it was me, but he'd promised not to say after I spent two hours begging. Sure enough, he'd kept his promise, and to this day my father had not heard a word about it.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.
"Tell me what happened and Father will never hear a word of this."
"That's a strange request."
"Just tell me, Elsa." I knew if I didn't tell him, he'd get impatient and storm off, leaving me to worry if he was going to tell Father or not.
"Fine. It was already snowing, I was up late, and... I couldn't resist. It was practically calling me, Draco. I had to go outside. So I did, and then... this happened. But I was careful," I said quickly. "I-I kept my hood on... the whole time." As I said it, I realized I hadn't kept my hood on. But I couldn't exactly tell him that, could I?
"That's it?" he asked, blissfully unaware of my mistake.
"Definitely. Now if you'll excuse me, my friends are waiting. Make sure you keep your promise!"
I turned and walked away, back to my friends and safe from my own brother.
"What did Malfoy want?" Ron asked later as we walked into the Entrance Hall. Everyone else was shivering with cold, while I was perfectly warm.
"He just wanted to ask me a question," I replied. "And his name is Draco, in case you didn't know."
"Are you sure that's all he wanted? He looked a bit agitated," Harry chimed in.
"Yes, I'm sure. Why don't you all head to the Great Hall and get some hot chocolate? I've... got to go to the library."
"Actually," Hermione interrupted, "I've got to go to the library too. Why don't I go with you, Elsa?"
"Sure, that would be great – you can help me find the family records."
"Why are you looking at family records?" Harry asked curiously.
"Oh, umm..." The truth was, Tom and I had been talking a lot, and I started to realize that something was off in my family life. First, I was drawn to that strange room said only to draw Silverwood family members. Second, I was the only person ever in the Malfoy family to have elemental powers, which was practically unheard of, unless I'd been cursed. Third, I looked a bit different from my family. Sure, my hair was blonde, but it was so blonde it was almost white, and my eyes were a deep blue, unlike the green of the rest of my family. So I had decided to research both the Malfoy and the Silverwood family to see what I could find.
"She's just curious about – er - some of the old wizarding families," Hermione replied, covering me.
"Cool," said Ron. "Have fun in the library you two!"
Two hours later, I was sitting in the library surrounded by books. I had just found the Malfoy family history book and was scanning through it while Hermione finished some charms homework.
"Hermione?"
"Mhmm?" she replied, still concentrated on her homework.
"Why did you lie for me?"
"Oh, umm... well, you hesitated, and I figured it must be something personal, so I made up a lie. Are you mad?"
"Of course not!" I quickly assured her. "I was just curious."
"What are you looking for, anyways?"
"It's... kind of personal, like you said. But maybe I'll tell you once I've found it – if I can find it, that is."
After another hour, I decided to check out the Malfoy history book and the Silverwood history book so I could keep reading. I'd finished my homework, and so the rest of the day and all of Sunday was free for reading. Of course, Sunday was the first Quidditch match of the season, but that would hopefully not last too long. I'll have to get rid of all this snow so our team has better flying conditions, I reminded myself.
As I walked down the hallway, my satchel slung over my shoulder, I thought about what Draco had told me about the Chamber of Secrets and Filch's cat. Why did it feel so familiar? It almost felt as if I should know more about this Chamber of Secrets. I'll ask Hermione about it, I decided. Maybe she knows something I don't, and if not, we can always check the library.
The rest of the day was spent hanging out with my friends and playing games, such as wizard's chess and exploding snap. After that we hung out in our dorm, talking about random things and telling stories.
Later that night, as soon as everyone was asleep, I snuck out of the dormitory, bare foot and cloak in hand, ready to sneak outside and melt all the snow. When I entered the common room, however, I happened upon Fred and George Weasley, Ron's older brothers. They were hunched over something on a table and didn't seem to notice me until I drew near to the portrait hole.
"Elsa?" I froze. Would they stop me from leaving the tower? "That's your name right?" I turned to see both of them looking at me. I had no idea which was which, though I could see the smallest difference in their faces. I nodded in reply. "Where are you going?" the twin on the left asked. I decided then and there to just confess everything – well, almost everything. I couldn't risk getting into trouble, and I knew that Fred and George wouldn't tell any teachers what I was doing. They were the resident trouble-makers, after all.
"I need to go do something important," I replied. "I can't tell you what it is though."
"Well," the twin on the right said, "as long as it isn't a prank, we'll let you pass."
"If it is," the other continued, "we can help, if you'd like."
"It's not a prank," I said, getting nervous. What if they didn't let me leave? The twins must have noticed my nervousness, as one beckoned me over to their table and said, "You don't have to be nervous, Elsa. We're not going to turn you in. In fact, we're going to help you." He gestured to the piece of parchment on their table, which looked like a complex map.
"What is that?" I asked curiously.
"It's a map of the castle. We're going to let you borrow it to get to where you need to go, on the condition you don't tell a soul about it and that you return it when you're done."
"Thank you," I said. "Why are you helping me?"
"Pranksters help each other," the twin to my right winked. "Now, here's how the map works: it shows every single person in the entire castle and where they are, so you can avoid teachers and ghosts easily. To activate the map, just say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' When you're done using it, say 'Mischief managed' or else anyone can read it. Got it?" I nodded again and they handed me the map.
"Which one is Fred and which is George?" I quickly asked before they left. The twins grinned.
"The thing is, neither of us really know which is which. We think Mum switched us around too much and now no one knows who is who. I go by Fred," the twin on the right said, "And I go by George," said the twin on the left. "You probably won't be able to tell us apart though – not even our family can."
"Actually, now that I know your names, I know who is who. George, you've got two extra freckles on the left side of your face, and Fred, your smile is more lopsided." The two gaped at me.
"How in the world did you notice that?"
"I looked," I replied with a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a job to do. Thank you for everything!" With that, I left the tower.
The next morning, I woke up later than the rest of my dorm mates. I'd been up late melting the snow outside, and hadn't gotten back to the common room until past two in the morning. I still had the map that the Weasley twins had given me, so I decided that before I headed down to breakfast I'd return it.
As I braided my hair a few minutes later, I realized that the sun was up higher than I thought it had, which meant it was later than I thought, which meant...
"I'm going to be late for the first Quidditch match!" I exclaimed, quickly finishing my braid and grabbing my Gryffindor scarf and a pair of gloves before running down the stairs and through the almost empty common room.
After grabbing a piece of toast from the Great Hall, I ran as fast as I could down to the Quidditch pitch, where I found my friends sitting next to Hermione and Ron.
Just as I sat down the match began, and the Gryffindor and Slytherin players zoomed out onto the field. Harry was the Gryffindor seeker, while Draco played seeker for Slytherin. It would be an interesting match, that was for sure.
Only a few minutes after the match started, Harry started acting strange. A bludger kept following him, trying to hit him repeatedly over and over, and he had to stop his search for the snitch in order to not get hit.
"Why is that bludger acting up?" I muttered. This can't be good...
Luckily Harry managed to evade the bludger, and eventually caught sight of the snitch! Just as he reached out for it, the bludger whacked him in the arm. Somehow he managed to land, and everyone rushed out to the field. The match was over – Gryffindor had won, though possibly at the cost of Harry's arm.
"Do you think his arm will be okay?" I asked as we ran down the stairs to get to the field.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Hermione reassured me. "Madam Pomfrey can mend bones in a second!"
We had to push through the crowd to get to Harry. Ron and Hermione reached him first, but it took me a bit longer to maneuver around everyone. Just when I finally reached them, everyone gasped. Professor Lockhart was standing next to Harry, his wand pointing at his arm, which seemed to have become boneless.
"Ah, yes, well, that -er- yes, that can happen, this is a tricky little spell, but I'm sure Madam Pomfrey can fix his arm up in a jiffy!" Lockhart said, trying to cover up his mistake. Apparently he'd tried to fix Harry's arm.
"You three!" he said, pointing at Hermione, Ron and I. "Why don't you take Mr. Potter up to the Hospital Wing?"
So, ten minutes later the three of us stood in the hospital wing, watching as Madam Pomfrey muttered about how irresponsible Lockhart was, and how they should have brought Harry straight up to the hospital wing.
"You'll have to stay the night," she told Harry, who looked less than thrilled. "And drink this – it'll regrow the bones." She handed him a bottle of Skele-grow. When Harry tried it, he almost spit it back out again.
"Well, what did you expect, pumpkin juice?" Madam Pomfrey tutted. "Finish that, then drink this potion – you'll want to be asleep while your bones regrow." Then she bustled away, off to help another patient. Harry finished both potions, and not long after had fallen asleep.
"Well, I guess we'd better head back to the common room – everyone's going to want to know if Harry's alright," said Ron.
"Right..." said Hermione. "Um, how about you go ahead Ron? I need to talk to Elsa for a moment." Ron shrugged, then left the hospital wing, Hermione and I walking slowly behind.
"What's wrong Hermione?" I asked. She had had a strange look on her face the moment Ron suggested going back to the common room.
"Well... this is going to be hard..."
"You can tell me, Hermione," I encouraged. She took a deep breath, then quickly muttered something under her breath. "I couldn't hear you – sorry." Why does she look so nervous? Does she know something about the Chamber of Secrets? She took another deep breath, then said "I know you were the one to conjure the snow yesterday." Time seemed to slow to a stop.
"What – what do you mean?" I managed to say.
"I woke up Saturday night to flashes outside the window, so I looked out and... well, there's only one person with your colored hair, and when you turned around... I knew it was you." I barely heard what Hermione said. My mind had gone into panic mode. Someone knows about my powers. Someone knows about my powers. Someone knows about my powers! How could I have been so stupid and careless?
"...Elsa? Are you okay?" I shook my head, then turned and ran down the hall, ignoring Hermione's calls.
I didn't know where I was going, but I knew that I had to get away. My body had taken control, running to a place I didn't know. But I didn't care. My mind was still repeating the same thing, over and over. Someone knows about my powers. And as the adrenaline coursed through me, I didn't even realize what was slowly happening. I had stopped running. The walls around me seemed to close in, and my vision became blurry as darkness took over, and I knew no more.
"Elsa! Wake up! C'mon, we're going to be late!"
"...what?" I muttered, half asleep.
"For class!" Ginny's exasperated voice cried as she shook me awake.
"But it's Sunday..." I protested, now almost awake.
"It's Monday, Elsa! Wake up, class starts in half an hour!" At that I sat up straight in bed.
"What class do we have?" I asked as I leaped out of bed and pulled my clothes out from my trunk.
"Charms... Elsa, are you okay?" Ginny looked at me, concerned, as I froze, fear coursing through me.
"No," I whispered.
"What's wrong?"
"I-I don't know," I replied, sitting down on the bed again. I don't remember anything from last night after... after Hermione told me she knew about my powers. What happened to me? How did I get back here? And how on earth did I forget we had Charms homework?! I took a deep breath. Maybe I could say I don't feel well? That's not exactly a lie... I do feel a bit queasy, and I'm exhausted...
"I don't feel well," I said in a hopefully convincing tone. Luckily it worked, as Ginny's concerned look turned even more so.
"Don't worry," she commanded, suddenly starting to act motherly. "You go back to bed, get some rest, and I'll tell the teachers you don't feel well. And later, if you're up to it, we can go over the homework together. Oh, right," she said, turning and grabbing a piece of toast and a glass of lemonade from the desk. "I got you some breakfast, if you want it."
"Thanks, Ginny," I said gratefully.
"No problem," she grinned. "But I've got to go or I'll be late. Feel better soon!"
The moment she left, I put my breakfast back onto the desk and slipped into bed, laying my head down on the soft pillow. Hopefully I can get some rest, I thought. Then later I can figure out just what happened last night. And so I fell back asleep.
A few hours later, I had woken up and gotten dressed, deciding that even though I was still tired I had to start the day. But when I went to grab my Charms homework so I could work by the fire in the common room, my eyes fell on the diary. I hadn't written to Tom for a few days... maybe he would know what happened to me, or at least help me figure it out. So I grabbed the diary and a quill and sat back down on the bed.
Hello, Tom!
Where have you been, Elsa? I thought you'd lost the diary!
Sorry Tom... it's been quite interesting the past few days.
Even still, you can't just leave me alone like that. Promise you'll write to me every day from now on.
I promise, Tom. And I really am sorry...
It's alright. Now, tell me what happened these past few days...
And I did. I told Tom everything, about the match, Harry losing his bones, Hermione finding out about my powers, and me running away and blacking out.
I'm scared, Tom, I admitted. What if she tells someone? And why don't I remember anything from last night?
Don't worry, Elsa. If Hermione really is your friend, she won't tell anyone. If you really are worried about it though, I can help with that. I'm sure that last night, you panicked so much that you just don't remember what happened. It's normal, trust me.
Oh, I said, breathing a sigh of relief. That's good. I was worried I was going insane for a moment. But... how can you help me with Hermione?
That's a topic for another time, Elsa.
Alright... well, I should be going. I have some Charms homework to finish. But I'll write later, okay?
See you then, Elsa.
Bye Tom!
With that, I shut the diary, grabbed my Charms homework, and ran down to the common room. It wasn't long before my dorm mates came into the common room. Noelle, Sophia, and Chiara ran upstairs to put away their things, but Ginny came over and sat next to me.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"Better," I replied. "I've gotten some homework done, which is good. I still feel tired though..."
"Hmm," Ginny replied. "Maybe you just didn't sleep well?"
"That's probably it," I said. "So, did anything interesting happen today?"
"That reminds me!" she gasped. "I can't believe I forgot! Remember how Filch's cat got petrified? It's happened again last night, but this time it was a student!"
"What?" I said quickly. "Who was it?"
"Colin Creevy."
"That boy with the camera in our year? He's petrified?" Ginny nodded, looking extremely concerned.
"That means... oh no," I said, realizing what she was getting at.
"No one is safe."
AN: I hope you liked chapter 3! Please review and tell me what you think so far! Sorry it took me so long to get this out... Christmas was incredibly busy, I had exams, and my family just got home from a vacation, so I'm quite exhausted! But I needed to get this chapter out, and it's much longer that the last two, so that's something. It might take me a bit to get the next chapter out, what with school starting up again and general busyness. But I'll do my best! Chapter 4 should come out sometime this month at least :) Thanks for reading! ~DancingAdventurer45