Out of the Shadow – Year 2

I woke up to find our dormitory filled with flowers. I rubbed my eyes at least three times. "What is all of this?" I literally couldn't see past my bed posts. "Holly? Are you awake?" I heard Rhea's voice coming from somewhere to my right. "Rhea?" I called out to her. "Who the heck put all these flowers here?" I hear some rustling to my right and Rhea pushed herself though the flowers. "They are literally everywhere. You know, just getting to your bedside took me almost five minutes!"

"I've only been up for two minutes."

"Exactly!"

We stared out at the endless sea of flowers in our dorm. I turned to her. "Have you checked on Ashley? Isn't she allergic to flowers?" Rhea's face was a mask of horror. "Oh no!" She started pushing her way to Ashley's bed. "Ashley!" She called out to her, I threw my covers back and followed in her path. There were roses, Daisy's, and tulips all over the place. We heard Ashley sneeze before we got to her.

When we finally got her bedside her face was red, her nose was running, and it looked like she had been crying. "Are you okay?" Rhea asked her. She nodded. "My head feels like it's going to explode! Another minute and I won't be able to breathe." She said. We helped her out of bed and fought our way out of the room. Still in our pajamas we headed towards the hospital wing. "Who put all those flowers there?" I asked.

"I was hoping you knew." Rhea said. I shook my head. "I don't have a boyfriend; how should I know?" Rhea shrugged and we both turned to Ashley. "I don't have one either!" She said between sneezes. I huffed but kept my supporting arm under hers. There were couples all around the hallways holding hands and giving each other lovey eyes. It almost made my stomach turn.

Just then a dwarf flew over head of us holding a bow and arrow. I gazed wide eyed at Rhea, who also saw it. "What day is it?" I asked. Rhea swallowed hard. "Erm. 14th of February." I rolled my eyes. "I swear if I find out that was another prank by the twins, I will throttle them." I snapped picking up the pace again for Ashley's sake.

"Hello ladies!" The sound of the Twins voices came up from behind us. "We understand it's a Sunday, but even that is a bit casual, don't you think George?" Fred said. I threw them a glare over my shoulder, but we kept walking. "It looks like someone didn't appreciate our gift." George added. I stopped walking. "Rhea, can you take her?" Rhea nodded and led Ashley away. I turned to face the boys. "You sent all those flowers?" I asked them. Fred and George shook their heads. "No. Chocolates." Fred said. "From our new collection." George added.

"Oh."

I hadn't seen any chocolates in the room, but I couldn't see past the flowers. "Someone filled out entire dorm with flowers, and Ashley is highly allergic! She could have died!" That might have been an exaggeration, but I was annoyed. Fred and George raised an eyebrow at me. "Filled it you say?" I nodded. "It's a jungle of flowers in there. Literally." Fred and George shrugged. "It wasn't us, but that's a fun idea." I shook my head and turned to head back to the hospital wing.

When Rhea and I finally made it back to our dorm to change, the flowers where still there. Cho was standing by the door struggling to get back in. "This is ridiculous!" I said. She nodded. "There has got to be a way to get rid of them." I shrugged. "I'll think about it over breakfast." We managed to change and head back downstairs. With my nose wrinkled up in disgust at all the valentine's day stuff we sat down at breakfast together.

"I don't think they'll let us use magic to remove it." Cho said.

"What spell would we even use?" I asked trying to run every spell I could think of through my head. "Depulso is a banishing spell. Maybe that?" Rhea shrugged. "It might work." We ate quickly before rushing back up to the room to try and clean it out before Ashley was released from the hospital wing.

Once back in our room I sighed. "Okay, we will keep any that have a card on them. Just incase some of these were delivered on purpose." The girls nodded. "anything else, we can give away?" I suggested. "There are enough flowers here to give to every girl in this school." We had agreed and instantly started going threw the flowers. There were only two that were sent from someone. One for Cho, and one for Ashley.

"Don't know how she is going to feel knowing Lee Jordan sent her flowers."

"I didn't even realize he liked her too!"

"We they did talk over the Christmas break."

"Hey! I found a box of chocolates!" Cho said excitedly

"Don't eat them!" I yelled back. "Why?" She asked. "They are from Fred and George. I have a feeling they are laced with a love potion. That was their prank, I can only imagine who it would make you fall in love with." I said.

Rhea looked at me and laughed. "What?" I asked her.

"Holly. Love Potions make you infatuated with the person who gave them to you."

I stared at her with my jaw dropped. "Oh no. They said it was new. They probably don't even have it mastered yet." I said once I regained my composure. Rhea cocked an eyebrow. "Fred and George might be tricksters, but they are brilliantly smart. If they managed to brew a love potion, well let's just say I wouldn't be surprised." I leaned back against the wall and sighed. Rhea wasn't wrong, some of the tricks Fred and George could pull off required a lot of impressive magic.

As we were splitting up the flowers so we each could take some and hand them out, I got an idea. "Give me some of those roses." I said to Rhea. She handed me a bunch and I tied them together with a large bow and wrote on a small card attached. Rhea looked over my shoulder.

"Roses are red, violets are blue. I'm sorry I never realized how much I love you. Um. What are you doing?" She asked.

"so glad you asked. This." I said pointing to the box of chocolates. "Had to be Fred's idea. So, I'm going to let him think I ate them. These." I pointed to the flowers. "Are step one. Someone needs to deliver these to him first."

"Who is going to do that?"

I shrugged. We walked out of the common room and to my great surprise the first person I saw was Ginny. "Ginny! Can you help me out?" She looked a little pale but nodded. I handed the roses to her. "Give these to Fred." She read the card and her eyes went wide. "It's part of a prank. Don't tell him they are from me. Got it?" She nodded. "And one for you." I said handing her a single flower.

We stationed ourselves outside of the great hall and handed a flower to every person that walked by. Once it was time for lunch, we placed all the flowers along the wall, and wrote a note. "Take one. Please!" and headed in to eat. I waited at the Ravenclaw table until I noticed the twins sitting down to eat. They had their back to me, and I knew this was the only chance I was going to get. I waited until Ginny, Percy, Ron, Harry and Hermione arrived. I wanted an audience for this.

Ginny noticed me first, but I put my finger up to keep her quiet. I covered Fred eyes. "GUESS WHO!" I said excitedly. "What?" Fred said. I dropped my hands and threw my arms around his neck. "It's me silly." Then I, very dramatically, kissed his cheek. I could feel the blush creeping up his neck. "What the heck Holly!" He said rubbing at his face. "Oh Fred. I don't know how I ignored these feelings for so long! Didn't you get my flowers and my message?"

Ginny burst into a fit of giggles, Ron and Harry were smirking at Fred's embarrassment. "Fred, I love you!" I said turning him in my arms and looking him dead in the face. The expression he gave me almost made me double over with laughter. "W-wh-what?" He stammered. I leaned in so I could whisper in his ear. "Don't give a girl a love potion if you can't handle the heat." I stood up again. "Hogwarts Prank war continues. Holly two. Twins One." I said happily before going back to my own seat.

I sat down and high-fived Rhea. We turned to look at the Gryffindor table. Fred was still staring dumbstruck, George looked impressed, and everyone else was smiling. After lunch the twins caught up with me. "What was that about?" Fred asked. I shrugged. "You sent me chocolates that may or may not have been laced with a love potion. So, I just played along."

"You weren't supposed to fall in love with me!"

"I didn't! I pretended to fall in love with you. You can't slip someone a love potion as a joke, Fred."

He just shrugged. "It was only you. You either would have fallen for me or George and I don' think –"

Fred was cut off by George jabbing his elbow into his side. "Ouch!" Fred said turning to face George. Fred turned back to me. "Either way, it was just some fun. No one got hurt." I rolled my eyes. "No matter." I waived them away. "I'll see you around." I walked off towards the Ravenclaw tower.

Over the Easter holidays all of the second years were given a list of elective classes they could start taking their third year. Together Ashley, Rhea and I sat at the Ravenclaw table looking over the list. "I couldn't choose just one." Rhea said. "I've picked one, but I don't have a second." I added looking back at the list. "Miss. Potter." Professor Flitwick's voice came towards us. I looked up and he motioned for me to join him and Professor McGonagall.

"Have you picked your electives?" He asked me. "Just one." I said.

"Good. Keep the one. We have decided your second will just be training. Professor McGonagall would like to work on your transfiguration."

I smiled up at Professor McGonagall. "Thank you!" I said. "Actually Professor." I said thinking about it. "Could I have a moment of your time, in regard to transfiguration?"

"Of course, would you like to speak in my office?"

I nodded and she walked me down to her office. Once inside she shut the door. "What is it Potter?" She asked. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to let me go through the process of becoming an Animagus."

Professor McGonagall didn't answer right away. Her face gave nothing away either as she thought about my question. "First, I must ask why, Miss. Potter."

"I love Transfiguration, Professor. It is my favorite and best subject. I want to learn every aspect of it, and study it even after I leave Hogwarts. It absolutely fascinates me."

She thought about it for a long time. "I will consider it, and I will bring it up with the headmaster." I nodded, accepting that as an answer. I knew it was something they were going to take into consideration. It wasn't an easy process to go though, and I knew I would have to register. I was perfectly okay with all of that. When I returned to the great hall, I handed my paper to Professor Flitwick who smiled. "Very good."

The next schedule quidditch match was between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, and I decided to go to watch Harry and the twins. I walked out to the pitch with Rhea beside me. Ashley had said she was going to write home before going to the library. We reached the pitch as Professor McGonagall approached the Gryffindor team. "You can't cancel quidditch." Oliver Wood was saying.

"Potter, Weasley. Come with me." She said to Ron and Harry. When she turned around and spotted Rhea and I she sighed. "Well, you two might as well join us. I was looking for you next." Rhea and I exchanged a look before following them back up to the castle. She led us to the hospital wing, and I knew the worst had happened. Sure enough, laying in two sperate beds where Hermione, and Ashley.

Both of them had entered the library carrying a small mirror each. My heart broke as I looked at them. "Oh, Ashley." I said as Rhea sat on the far side of her bed. Ron and Harry sat beside Hermione and I sat between the two beds. None of us said anything for a while, letting the severity of the events wash over us. How close had it come to killing either of them?

After a while Professor McGonagall walked us back. "I have to address the students. Miss Potter, and Miss. Randall get back to Ravenclaw common room quickly. Professor Flitwick will be there."

We nodded and rushed back into the common room. The moment we entered Professor Flitwick nodded and cleared his throat. "Listen up students!" He said loudly. "Sadly, there have been some new rules. All students will return to their house common rooms by six in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further quidditch training and matches have been cancelled. There will be no more evening activities."

He rolled up the parchment he was holding and sighed again. "It's likely the school will be closed until the culprit of these attacks has been caught." With that he bid us goodnight and left. Rhea and I looked at each other in disbelief. I shook my head. "I didn't think they'd ever do that." Rhea nodded. "Me neither but students' lives are at risk, it's getting out of control."

"Let's see. That's Penelope and Ashley, Hermione and the Gryffindor ghost, and Colin and Justin."

The realization dawned on me. "How is it only the Slytherins are safe?" Rhea shrugged. "Probably because there aren't any muggle-borns in Slytherin?" I sat back on the couch and threw my arm over my eyes. "I just know Harry is going to look into this, especially now with Hermione being petrified." I spent the rest of the night thinking about how I was going to help Harry with all these new rules. I wanted to kick myself again for not getting sorted into Gryffindor.

The following morning, I stopped by to say hi to the Twins since getting the chance to see them the rest of the day will be next to impossible. I sat across from them with Rhea, and Lee Jordan and said the same thing to them that I did to Rhea last night. "Stupid Slytherin has managed to stay safe. Put them under lock and key."

"Lee Jordan said the same thing last night!" Fred said. Lee Jordan and I reached over the table and high-fived each other. "Mums going to freak if we get sent home. She loves getting rid of us for the school year." George added. We all laughed, but it was halfhearted. All of this was getting a little too much for all of us. We were only there for about five minutes when we were ushered away to our first class with the rest of the second years.