Thank you everyone for being so patient! Sometimes I wonder why I give myself two weeks to write when I still end up writing about 1000 words on the last night every single time. Something always comes up, you know? I wish this could be at the top of my priority list, but of course it never is. At least it's a good length this chapter!
Double thanks to everyone who reviews! You guys really keep me motivated.
Theo and I agree to meet after my first potions class- bless that boy. Snape has been about as insufferable as Malfoy since Lockhart showed up. He's already so frustrated with the new professor that he's taken to complaining about him under his breath, which means he isn't kind at all when it comes to my subpar performance.
"Miss Campbell, I know you've been on vacation, but that does not give you the excuse to dump all potion's knowledge from your tiny brain."
"I guess I'm just out of practice," I shrug as I wipe up the rest of the potion that had boiled over onto the table.
"Practice more." He shoots one last withering glare at me before walking away.
"Yeah yeah," I mumble as I finish cleaning. I can't wait to go see Theo, he'll help me with potions.
…
"Theo!" I run and give my best friend a bone crushing hug. "I've missed you! I feel like we don't hug enough." I am suddenly reminded why as Theo very awkwardly returns my affection.
"I'm just not used to hugs," I guess I make a disappointed face because he very quickly adds, "but that's alright! I can get used to them."
"I mean, if you don't like it it's fine."
"No, it's okay. Really." We both move to take a stool in front of the empty cauldrons.
"I got your letter!" I decide to change the subject.
"Oh, uh…" He seems embarrassed about it. "I was bored."
"I enjoyed reading it." We're both rather awkward now. I guess because we haven't seen one another in a while? "So, Snape's already upset with me."
"Already?"
"The potions are harder this year! It's not my fault I had to take a break and then they made the class more difficult!"
"Isn't that how classes are supposed to work? They get more difficult every year as you incorporate new material?"
"Look, wiseass," I joke, "just because I'm struggling with this one thing doesn't mean I don't know how the school system works."
"Ah, cursing at me again, I see. So that means I'm right." I roll my eyes at this.
"So, can you help me or what?"
"Only if you tell me all your secrets," he smiles, the old danger I used to see in it long gone.
"Well, maybe not all of them," I giggle.
"Anyway, I have something for you." Theo pulls a box from his bag and hands it to me. It's gift wrapped, so I can't tell what it is.
"What's this?" I ask as I take it from him.
"Open it." I do, ripping the paper away with anticipation. Inside is a deck of Exploding Snap cards, all quidditch themed.
"Oh Theo, it's amazing! How did you know?" I start leafing through the cards.
"You've been complaining all summer that you wanted someone to play with. It wasn't like I needed Advanced Arithmancy to figure it out." I grin and hug him again. He's expecting me this time, so he hugs me back. "Happy Birthday, Charlotte."
"I can't believe you remembered my birthday."
My birthday over the summer had been rather nondescript, so I hadn't written to Theo about it. My old school friends that mum forced me to see on occasion came and we had an alright time. I would have loved to see my Hogwarts friends, but that was out of the question for a variety of reasons. Mum asked about them, but I just said they were too busy and made up some other excuses.
I don't think I've ever mentioned my birthday to Fred and George, now that I think about it. I'm sure they'll ask eventually when they realize they've never celebrated with me. I actually don't know when theirs is either. I'll have to ask sometime.
"So can I challenge you to a game?" he asks.
"After we study!" I answer.
"Ever the Raven, I see." I shoot him a glare. "Fine, fine. After we study."
…
Luna and I are sitting at lunch a few days later when she asks me a very pointed question.
"It doesn't seem like you have very many friends. Why is that?"
"Oh, uh, well I tried to make some friends last year, but we sort of had a falling out."
"With everyone in your class?" Ah Luna, always straight to the point when it comes to awkward conversations.
"I get really high marks without putting in a lot of effort and I refuse to help my classmates get better grades, so they don't like me." Might as well tell it like it is.
"My classmates say I'm weird. I suppose I might be, though I don't understand what nargles have to do with that." She seems to ponder this as she stares off in the distance. Poor Luna. So misunderstood.
"Are they being mean to you?"
"Oh I don't think so. Just some harmless pranks."
"Are you sure?" I press but Luna doesn't answer me. I wonder if I'm going to have to set up some "harmless pranks" of my own for those mean firsties.
…
The first few weeks of classes pass in a whirlwind as I try to get my bearings in school again. The amount of homework we had last year felt like a lot, but now we have even more! Fortunately it's not like any of it is difficult, but that doesn't mean it doesn't waste a lot of time. Once I finish my homework and get a handle on the new schedule, it's time to fly!
Saturday morning I'm up at the crack of dawn with my broom in hand. I've waited so long to be able to do this! I don't know the quidditch practice schedules, but I might as well check out the pitch first. It'll be a dream come true to fly there!
My Cleansweep Five is a few years old now- I don't need anything particularly fancy since I'm not competing or anything- but I've flown with it so much it might as well be a part of my body. I know everything there is to know about this broom and I couldn't be happier with it. I am also a little more inclined to keep it now that I know that Fred and George are flying with the same brand.
I decide to forgo breakfast and just eat after, so I race straight on to the pitch. There's no one here! Without waiting another moment, I throw myself onto my broom and I'm off. I'm instantly in love. The air is cold but refreshing, and it's worth it for the view of the rising sun poking through the mountain peaks.
The pitch is way bigger than I thought! I've seen games before, but it feels so different circling it on a broom. I feel like I'm going miles around it, but maybe it doesn't feel as big when all the other players are in the way; just by myself though, it feels huge.
Feeling daring, I push my broom as fast it can go, making my circle around the pitch tighter and tighter until I'm spinning so fast I can't see straight anymore. All of a sudden I'm laughing, the beauty around me and the joy within me bubbling out like a fountain. I slowly lower myself to the ground where I fall onto my back, continuing to giggle as I do so. The world around me spins and and my laughter reminds me that, while it's great to have friends, sometimes it's good to be alone.
As irony would have it, that is my last blissful thought before I am interrupted.
"Charlotte?" I look up to see Harry, who is slightly spinning in my still dizzied vision.
"Oh, hi Harry." I wave. He awkwardly waves back.
"What are you doing out here?"
"You know, laying in the grass, just did some flying." I hold my broom up for him to see. "And you?"
"I wanted to do some flying myself." He smiles. "Are you up for some more?"
"Oh, no I couldn't impose." I quickly get up. There's no way I can fly with Harry! This is the whole reason I couldn't join my quidditch team.
"But you were really good up there."
"Harry, I was just flying in circles. That's not the hallmark of a good flyer."
"You've got a lot of control over your broom and you can handle intense maneuvers. Most flyers would have fallen off after a few circles, but you just went tighter and faster after every one."
That means a lot from someone who could go pro. I blush at the praise.
"It's really not a big deal." I take a step to leave, but Harry continues talking.
"You can definitely get on your team. You're trying out, right?" Harry is so not taking the hint.
"No." He stops for a moment, clearly bewildered.
"Why not? You're really talented."
"I just want to focus on school. I don't think I'll have time for quidditch." Shit I can already feel the tears start forming. Keep it together, woman! I turn away again, avoiding Harry's searching gaze.
"But quidditch is a part of school. I mean, I guess not in the way that you're talking about, but it's part of what makes school, you know, school."
"Yeah, I get it, but I really don't think it's a good idea."
"You're- nevermind, it's none of my business."
Harry gets on his broom and kicks off, but before he can get too high I say one last thing: "Thanks." Then I walk off the pitch, determined not to look back.
Ugh that was way harder of a morning than I expected it to be! Not only am I sore physically, but I feel like my psyche just got punched in the gut. I intend to spend my entire breakfast moping, but Luna breaks me out of my shell when she comes in looking like a giant pen exploded all over her.
"Luna! What happened?" I usher her over to my seat, pointedly glaring at anyone who so much as gives the poor girl a second glance. It doesn't stop all of the laughing or whispering, but it makes enough people quiet that Luna doesn't turn into a huge scene.
"Oh, some of the girls in my dorm played another prank. It's an ink that spreads the more water you put on it, apparently. I don't know how to make it go away and I'm hungry." With that, Luna grabs a plate of pancakes and digs in like nothing is wrong.
"Who did this?" I ask. Unsurprisingly, Luna seems uninclined to answer, but she doesn't need to. There's a group of very loudly laughing and whispering girls towards the front of the hall, who aren't really bothering to hide the fact that they are looking at the two of us.
Fortunately, I know who made the ink: Fred and George. I remember them telling me about it on the train. I stand up abruptly, making Luna pause.
"Sorry Luna, I'll be right back. I'm going to fix this."
"Fix?" But I don't bother to explain. I doubt the twins are up this early on a Saturday morning, so I make my way straight up to Gryffindor tower. Halfway up I realize I could have gone out to Harry and asked him to get them for me, but eh, this will be fine.
When I finally make it to the seventh floor I remind myself that I need to ask the twins about some of the secret passages. I keep putting it off because I feel like I haven't needed them, but cutting that walk down some would have been nice.
I make a right from the stairwell and wander down the corridor, looking for the fat lady. When I get all the way to the end, I finally admit I made a wrong turn; now I've got to walk all the way back the way I came. This is turning into an obnoxious morning. Finally I find the fat lady, who is giving me an odd look.
"What are you looking at?" she asks rudely.
"It's nice to make your acquaintance! I'm Charlotte."
"And you're a Ravenclaw," she points out snidely.
"That I am."
"So what is that you want? No one comes here to just say 'hello', though that would be nice."
"Could you tell me if Fred and George Weasley are in?"
"What do I look like, their maid?"
"What if I promised to come and say hi sometime?" She narrows her eyes at this.
"How do I know you're not lying?"
"I...hmm...I guess you don't, but if I'm lying, I obviously won't be able to ask you for help again, and I think I will need it, eventually."
"How very logical of you." I can't tell if that's a compliment or a snide remark.
"Thank you?"
"The red-headed hooligans are in here, but I can't let you in without the password. You'll have to wait for someone to come out. You're welcome." She sniffs hautighly.
"Could you go into one of the portraits in the common room and ask for me?"
"How often are you going to come see me?" she immediately retorts. I want to say once a week, but I have a feeling she'll barter higher, so I'll start low.
"Every other week."
"Once a week and you've got yourself a deal," she crosses her arms smuggly. I pretend to consider it for a moment.
"Deal." Without a word she walks out of her portrait and I patiently wait for her to come back. Suddenly she reappears.
"They should be out in five minutes."
"Thank you!" In the meantime, I begin to make good on my deal, so the fat lady and I have a nice conversation about her portrait companions, whom she apparently loathes.
The short time races by, and before I know it the portrait is swinging at me. I barely manage to dodge it before the fat lady and I are squished into one another.
"Charlotte?" A voice calls for me.
"Behind the portrait!" I respond, stepping around it.
"Charlotte!" The twins are hugging me and I happily hug them back as usual.
"What brings our favorite second year up to our tower at the crack of dawn?" George, I think, asks.
"How did you even find us?" Fred adds.
"One thing at a time, boys. First, can we speak somewhere privately? I don't want anyone interrupting us."
"Ohhh, so it's that kind of meeting," Fred jokes and winks.
"In your dreams! Anyway, know of a good spot around here?"
"Anything for you," Fred says dramatically, and then leads us a few doors down the hall.
"There are classrooms this close to your common room?"
"Nah, those are on the other side of the hall, closer to the staircase. These are just storage closets, mostly," George explains.
"A storage closet?" But before I can have any more reservations, the boys push me inside. I'm surprised to find it's actually much bigger in here than I expected. Right, magic. For some reason I still equate "storage closet" with "incredibly small."
"So what did you want to talk about? If that's what you really wanted," Fred wiggles his eyebrows and I laugh.
"Sorry, I really did want to talk."
"Ah, you're no fun," George teases.
"Well we wouldn't want to ruin her good reputation!" Fred jokes.
"Ha ha, as if I had one of those."
"What do you mean?" Fred looks a little more serious.
"My classmates hate me, remember? My only friend is a first year, now. Last year I didn't have anyone."
I haven't mentioned Theo to the twins. I'm still not really sure why.
"Oh, poor Char! Do we need to put those horrible children in their place?" Fred rolls up his sleeves and starts making his way to the door.
"Yes, actually." Fred stops and turns to look back at me.
"Really?" George asks for him.
"Yes, but not the girls in my year. The first year Ravenclaws. Just a group of them, to be exact."
"Are the first years bullying you now?" They both look baffled by this.
"No, no I'm fine. It's my new first year friend."
"I mean, we would do anything for you, Char, but why come to us? I'm sure you could handle it. You know a lot of our trade secrets." Fred winks.
"As if! I'm not dumb. You guys have barely told me anything about your 'trade secrets'."
I know this for a fact because they haven't told me about most of their future inventions, and I know it's not because they haven't been invented yet.
"Wow Fred, I think she's on to us."
"Well George, it is company policy not to share that information…" They both have the good sense to look a little guilty, even though they're really not.
"Don't worry about it. I don't really care. What I do care about is my friend getting hurt by one of your products."
"Hurt? No one should be getting hurt," George says quickly. It would be terrible for their marketing if students actually hurt one another with their inventions, which I totally understand.
"Hurt, emotionally- not physically. Physically, she's perfectly fine. Your unwashable ink didn't do any damage." The twins both let out a sigh of relief. "Sorry! I'm not trying to scare you two or anything. I'm just holding you accountable for your products, that's all."
"Sorry, Char, but that's not really our business," George shrugs.
"We're in the business of mischief and mayhem, not apologizing for what happens after the items leave our capable hands."
"But those little brats hurt my friend! Multiple times! With your stuff!" I argue, getting upset. How could they not care?
"So the ink has been working well?" Fred asks, grinning broadly. I smack his arm angrily.
"Focus! It's not about the ink, it's about how she feels!"
"If she feels like she needs to prank them back, we have plenty of items her classmates haven't bought yet," George offers.
"That's the thing, she won't fight back! She says what they're doing is harmless, but will barely even talk to me about it. She's been bullied all her life, and she's never stood up to anyone before- she won't start now just because they're making her miserable. She needs our help!"
"No, Char, she needs your help," Fred explains solemnly.
"So you won't help me?" I ask desperately. The twins look at one another, then both shake their heads at me. "But- but I need your help!"
"No, you don't. Besides, we'll supply you with plenty of ammunition, even though we won't join the fight," George says brightly.
"No!" They both pause at my outburst. "If you're so convinced I don't need your help, than fine! I won't take any of your help. I'll take care of this on my own!" I throw open the door and stomp out of the storage room.
"Charlotte, wait!" Fred calls after me, but I ignore him. If they don't want to help their friend when she asks for it, then fine by me! I don't need anyone to help me with anything. I need to learn to fend for myself. No one is going to help me but me- just the way it should be!
I storm down all seven flights of stairs, managing to get lost twice in my anger. I'm even more upset by the time I get to the bottom because I didn't ask the twins about the secret passages. It's only mid-morning and I have had a terrible day, so I might as well take it out on some first year girls, right?
As I walk, my mind goes through a million different plans that for varying reasons won't work. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a lot of spells that can be used as pranks that I actually know. I'll probably have to do some research, even though I would love to just charge in there right now.
I make my way back to the Ravenclaw table where Luna is still sitting. She's long since finished her breakfast and is staring off at a part of the ceiling. It's hard to tell if she's lost in thought or just spacing out. I'm glad she didn't leave though.
"Hey, Luna." I wince. In my anger I completely forgot to ask how to get rid of the ink! "I'm really sorry, but-" As I'm saying this, Tally appears out of the corner of my eye and lazily makes her way to my shoulder. It's much too late for mail, and yet, here she is. She holds her leg out, where a small bottle and note are tied to it.
"Thanks, Tally!"
"She's so beautiful," Luna says.
"Thank you!" I hand Tally some bacon, her favorite. She happily takes it from me with a small hoot and leaves, her duties fulfilled. Luna watches with mild interest as I open the note.
We know you're not accepting our help right now, but we thought you might want this for your friend. ~ Much love, Fred and George
P.S. It's best to just pour this into the bath. Don't bother to take the stained clothes off.
"Here you go, Luna!" I hand her the bottle. I instantly feel guilty for letting my anger get in the way of helping my friend, though I don't know if they would have given this to me if I had asked for it. Why are they suddenly helping me now?
"What is this?" She looks at the bottle of clear liquid curiously, holding it up to look at it in the light. "Do I drink it?"
"No. You're going to bath with it. That will get rid of all the ink. Don't worry about taking your clothes off, it will get the ink off those too."
"Fascinating. It's such a nice color." She holds it up to the light. It looks like water to me, but I decide not to comment. She doesn't say anything after a few moments, so I break the silence.
"You, uh, want to come up to the common room with me? I could use a bath, myself." Luna nods to this and the two of us head upstairs. We hold a companionable silence as we make our way up.
Some more students milling around in the common room stare at Luna, but again my harsh glares stop anyone from saying anything to her, somehow. I have to wonder if I have a strong glare or if they just don't think I'm worth it. Probably the latter.
We head straight to the bath and after I wave my wand to get it started, I start to undress. For a moment I feel awkward, getting naked in front of my new friend, but then I remember- my new friend is Luna Lovegood. Besides, we're both girls. No need for weirdness. So a few minutes later, we're both lounging comfortably in the bath.
"You're more developed than it seems with clothes on," Luna says unexpectedly, looking down at my chest. I pause at the implication, instantly embarrassed. Maybe there was a need for me to feel weird. I've been pointedly ignoring the whole puberty thing, not exactly pleased that I have to suffer through it again.
"Luna, I'm twelve. I'm not exactly 'fully developed'," I use air quotes to accentuate the fact that this is a really weird conversation.
"My mother was very beautiful. I hope I have her curves when I grow up." She looks down at herself, covered in her sopping wet clothes.
"Well, that is hereditary." I'm grasping at straws here. I mean, I guess this is a sort of normal conversation for young girls to have? "Let's add the potion, shall we?" I pick up the bottle of clear liquid and dump it in the water near Luna. The two of us patiently wait, though nothing seems to be happening.
"Is it working?" she asks eventually.
"I don't think so. But they never mentioned how long it would take."
"Did Fred and George Weasley give this to you?" Luna asks, ever the perceptive one.
"How did you know?" They must be really famous for a first year in the first few weeks of school to know of them.
"Everyone knows they are selling their pranking spells." She pauses. "I also heard the girls in my dorm talking about them."
"Yeah, I'm close friends with them, so I asked for their help." I don't mention anything else about the encounter, still feeling sore about it.
"Can you tell them, 'thank you', for me? I'm sure they don't want anyone to know that they helped me."
"Why not?"
"They're the Kings of Pranking. It's not like them to go around helping people, is it? Especially not a first year."
"But they're so kind! They love helping people...in their own way," I counter.
"But they have a reputation of being ruthless pranksters. It's part of their image. I'm sure that's important to them too."
"More important than helping a friend in need?" I ask quietly.
"But they did help you, didn't they?" I take a few minutes to process this as we sit in the tub. They did help me, even though I ended up telling them I didn't want them to. I was so focused on revenge I didn't even remember to finish asking for help with Luna and her current plight. Maybe I'm the bad friend here…
"I'm sorry," I whisper at the water, feeling too guilty to even look Luna in the face.
"There's no reason to be sorry. Look." I pick my head up and notice the ink is now seeping in to the water and out of Luna's clothes. "You did it." She smiles at me. "Thank you, Charlotte."
…..
Despite how much I want to apologize to the twins, I decide to wait a few days before talking to them. I'll put my revenge prank into action first and then give them my apology- that way the prank won't be looming over me when I talk to them.
In the end I go for something simple, but effective. I ask Luna about the schedules of her roomates, specifically about when they shower. It seems that luck is on my side, as they all shower in the mornings. Sunday I start my day with some research, and then beg Theo to help me with potions.
"Why are we brewing this?" Theo asks suspiciously. I don't bother hiding what it is.
"Don't worry, it's not for you. I just want to make sure it doesn't go awry so I don't accidentally kill anyone."
"Knowing you, that's actually a possibility."
"So think of this as your humanitarian work for the day. Without you innocent lives could have been lost." I laugh.
...
On Monday afternoon, during lunch time, I forgo heading straight to the Great Hall and go to our common room first. I know which dorm is Luna's, and it's instantly obvious which trunk is hers when I get inside (no one else would have so many interesting trinkets, including a ridiculous amount of corks). I go up to the trunk next to hers and pull out my wand.
"Accio, shampoo bottle." A bottle is unearthed from the trunk and flies into my hand. "Perfect." I take out the potion bottle from my pocket and drop two droplets of green liquid inside. I repeat this action, at every other trunk and leave the room as quickly as I can.
Maybe I'm not the same kind of prankster as the twins… Oh well! I like to think I use my powers for good.
….
Tuesday morning I wake up earlier than usual and park myself in the common room. I pull out a book and some notes to get some studying done while I wait. It doesn't take too long before I get what I'm waiting for.
"Ah!" A scream, quickly followed by more and a girl comes running into the common room with bright green hair. I'm not alone in here, and those of us who get to see this show are either openly laughing or giving the girl pitying looks. "Who did this!?" she screeches, looking around at all of us. None of us bother to answer her. Unfortunately for her it seems like the prefects are still asleep.
Another scream comes from the bathrooms, followed by a lot of incomprehensible shouting. The first girl runs back the way she came and the shouting gets louder as she joins in. Moments later, the girls' prefect comes streaking out of her room in her pajamas and races to the bathrooms. The shouting intensifies for a moment before abruptly dying off. After a few minutes of silence, as those of us in the common room get back to whatever we were doing, the prefect returns with three girls, all of whom have extremely bright green hair.
"We can't go out like this!" One of the girls wails.
"I'm taking you to Madame Pomfrey. If it won't come out regularly she'll know a way to get rid of it," the prefect soothes.
"But people will see us!" Another girls says.
"They're seeing you right now," the prefect shoots back, waving a hand at those of us in the common room. I am fighting very hard to bite back a smirk. "Besides, it's not like you can hide in your beds forever."
"Yes we can!" The third argues.
"Come on." With only some amount of arguing, the tired looking prefect (now in proper clothes) takes the girls and gets them out into the hallway. Now I just have to wait for Luna, and in the meantime I will bask in the glory of a prank well executed. When Luna does come in a few minutes later, I tell her I have a bit more studying to do before I head down to breakfast. As soon as she is gone I pack up my things and head to the dorms. I've got one more mission before this prank is complete.
Sneaking in to Luna's dorm again isn't difficult, though I am more careful this time to make sure no one notices me. Once I'm inside, I procure some notes from my bag and place them under each of their pillows, excluding Luna. Each note reads:
Bullying makes you an ugly person, so now your outside matches your inside. Think twice next time you want to do something mean. Try to come after me or bully someone again and there will be consequences.
With that, my prank is completed! Now those girls will hopefully leave Luna alone. I'll have to check up on her over the next few days. And I still owe the twins an apology. I hope they'll forgive me for being so self centered.