Disclaimer: Yes. I own nothing. It's true. I am a poor little hobo who sits in my little cardboard box all day and thinks up Harry Potter stories so that I can sell them on the Black Market for tens of thousands of dollars.

Chappie Ten

Talking to Owls

Maggie looked apprehensively at Shay. They were standing outside of the Great Hall and she hoped to god that Lily was sitting at Gryffindor table waiting for them.

"She never came upstairs last night," Shay commented.

"I know, Shay, I stayed up too," Maggie replied tersely. She moved to open the doors.

"They were really cute last night, don't you think?"

"Who was cute?" Maggie asked defensively.

"You know. Hari and Lily." Shay sighed, seemingly unaware of her friend's hostility. "I think Hari likes her."

"Well, we'll just have to ask her. Come on! Let's go." Maggie pushed open the doors and scanned the hall. It was crowded, but she saw them almost instantly. She stopped dead; her face fell.

Hari was sitting close to Lily and they were whispering quickly between themselves. Hari leaned in and said something in her ear, and Lily started to giggle. She went to write something down and Hari put his hand on hers.

Maggie's jaw dropped; she spun on her heal and marched away.

Lily immediately shook of Hari's hand and looked up at the doors. She waved. "Hey, Shay. Over here!" she called.

Shay walked down the row of tables glancing casually behind to check where Maggie had gone. She saw the swoosh of a cloak around the corner of and unused hallway, but nothing else; everyone was at breakfast.

"Shay, where's Maggie? I thought I saw her right behind you," Lily said.

Shay sat down across form Lily. "Hmm, yeah, she was. I think she forgot something, maybe, I don't know," she replied vaguely. "So," she continued carefully, "how are you?"

To Shay's surprise, Lily gave a huge, slightly evil smile. "Oh, I'm great. It's time for payback."

Shay returned her smile. "I like the sound of that! Pass the porridge, please!"

Maggie turned a corner sharply, almost running into the suit of armor on the other side. She stopped and looked at it for a second and then kicked it. The metallic clattering of it falling to the floor echoed down the passage after her as she walked away. She looked down at her feet, and then, frustrated, turned her watery eyes to the ceiling.

'I'm not going to cry,' she thought to herself. 'I'm probably just overreacting. It doesn't mean anything. How could it? She's only known him for like what? Twelve hours.'

Without her knowing, Maggie's feet had taken her to one of her favorite secluded courtyards of Hogwarts. She stepped outside and sat down on one of the benches under an old, gnarledoak tree. It's leafy branches cast a dark cool shade that, rather that cooling her thoughts, made them worse.

'She went behind my back to get at him!' she thought angrily to herself. 'She told me she wasn't 'one of those kinds of girls' but I guess I can't believe anything she says now.'

Maggie pulled her knees up to her chest, put her head in her hands and cried. After awhile she felt something land on her knee. She looked up to see a small tawny grey owl perched there.

"Hello there, little owl." She smiled through her tears. "I just don't know what to think anymore."

The owl, unaware of the grief of its recipient, held out its leg and hooted softly at her. She unwrapped the letters attached to it and petted it on its head.

"Thank you, friend. You can go now."

The owl hopped of her leg and swooped into the air to leave, made a wide arc and came back to sit on her shoulder.

Maggie laughed. "Alright. I'll read it first." She unrolled the first parchment. "This is my schedule," she told the owl. "Really boring stuff." She moved to unroll the second, but she shook it slightly at the owl first. "But this has to be something interesting, doesn't it? No one gets real mail on the first day of school." She opened the parchment and read:

Fifth Year Gryffindor Girls:

It is my pleasure to request your presence at my office at 5:00 PM sharp on this, the first day of term. We will discuss matters there. Do not be late.

Headmaster Dumbledore

"Well, see. I told you it would be interesting," she said to the owl who, as if its job was now done, took off as the words left her mouth. "Thanks for sticking around!" She stood up and yelled after it. "I appreci-"

"Maragret! What do you think you are doing?"

Maggie spun on her heel. "Oh, Lisa," Maggie said trying to keep the vemon out of her voice. "I was just saying thank you to the owl that delivered my schedule."

Lisa gave her anddisgusted look. "Okay," she said disdainfully. "Did you get one of these?" She held up the letter from Dumbledore.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I'm not going, so you can just tell him that," Lisa demanded as she left.

"Excuse me but I'm not your little messenger!" Maggie yelled after her, but it was too late. Lisa didn't listen to anyone but the evil voices in her head.

"So what does it say?" Hari asked Shay and Lily.

"Hmm? Oh it says that we have to go to see Dumbledore after classes today," Shay answered.

"Does it say why?" he inquired.

"Nope," Lily replied. "But it does say that 'we will discuss matters there'. Whatever that means."

"Weird."

"Yeah," Shay agreed. "No one ever gets mail on the first day."

A loud bell rang and many students stood up and started heading for the doors.

"That's the warning bell," Hari told Lily. "We should probably get to class."

"'Kay." Lily looked down at her schedule. "It says we have potions first. Where's that?"

"Potions are in the dungeons. Shay will show you were they are."

Lily looked at Hari, confused. "But aren't you coming? It says on the sheet that it's Gryffindor and Ravenclaw." She pointed at it to show him.

He laughed and said, "Lily, I'm in sixth year. I have Herbology first."

"Oh," Lily replied, a little crestfallen.

"Don't worry. I'll see you at lunch," he reassured.

"Okay." Lily turned to Shay. "Lead the way!"

I am sooooooooooooooooooo sorry for not updating sooner ,everyone! It's just with the end of the year and all of the semester tests (Especially in math. Die math! DIE!) I didn't really have enough time to update. I hoped everyone liked this chappie. Don't worry, it won't take me a month to update again!

bRaTsKi: I can't tell you the secret otherwise it wouldn't be a secret. Thanks for reviewing!

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Following Padfoot's Pawprints: Glad to hear you updated! You'll get more reviews soon!

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Mei Queen: Glad you liked it! (Thank you to who ever is recomending it. I couldn't read it in you review!) I'll try to make it longer next time!

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I'm so sorry guys. Here. Have theses special choclate chip muffins for reviewing! They're delicious!