Shout-out to everybody still reading this! I'm posting very early today because I've actually been a good Ravenclaw and kept up with my writing every day, so now you all get to reap the rewards and don't have to wait longer. Hooray! Please keep up the reviews- they make my day. :)

I'm practically bouncing down to breakfast, I feel so light. Who knew revenge could taste so innocently sweet? I grin to myself and plop happily into my usual seat across from Luna.

"Good morning!" I chirp, grabbing an apple and taking a hearty bite. Luna nods and smiles slightly. The two of us sit in companionable silence as we go through our breakfast. I'm about to get up and head to class when she finally says something.

"You seem very happy today."

"I am! It's a good day." I pick up my bag, but don't get up quite yet.

"It is? I thought today was Tuesday?" I know she doesn't mean it as a joke, but I laugh anyway. She just looks at me in confusion as I laugh. "Is Tuesday a funny day?"

"Don't worry about it, Luna. It's nothing." I stifle my giggles.

"Have you seen any creatures around you that look like orange slugs?" Luna asks suddenly. I shake my head.

"Why?" I put my bag back down, unsure of where this conversation is headed.

"They can make people laugh themselves to death. I just wanted to make sure they weren't causing you any trouble."

"Hey, can't I be in a great mood every once in a while?" I scoop my bag back up and get out of my seat.

"I suppose it's possible," Luna agrees eventually.

"Dang, Luna, I didn't know you had a mean side." I laugh. "Anyway, I have to get to class."

"Bye, Charlotte." She calls after me, never thinking to apologize for what she said. I don't take it too personally though, she's too much of a sweetie to be purposefully mean.

…

I really try to enjoy my day, after all, I just pulled a very successful prank, but my mind keeps going back to my argument with the twins. By the end of classes, I can't wait another moment to apologize to them.

When I'm finally free, I make sure I'm the first one out the door and take the stairs two at a time down to The Great Hall. To the outside observer I must look like I'm starving, but it will be much less awkward for me to catch the twins as they're walking into the hall than trying to talk to them during dinner.

Being an adult does not make this sort of thing any easier. It may seem childish how worried I am, but being a selfish, bad friend makes me feel like a child all over again. In fact, I've been so in the moment lately I haven't even been thinking about how different I am from everyone else.

I can't help but giggle for a moment at that idea- that I've been so caught up in my daily life that I almost forgot about my biggest problems. Suddenly apologizing to my friends doesn't seem so hard.

Once I hit the doors to the hall, I lean in to make sure the Weasleys aren't already at the Gryffindor table. To my surprise, they are, and they're basically alone. Without thinking too hard about it, so I don't spook myself out of doing this, I march over to the table. One of them is facing towards me, and as soon as he notices me he makes sure his brother knows I'm coming.

"Hey." I start awkwardly. Nevermind, this is really hard. The other Gryffindors at the table don't notice or care about my presence, so our conversation goes uninterrupted.

"Hey Char! How's your friend?" George asks, all smiles. It's gotten easier and easier to tell them apart after spending more time with them. Now I usually just need one to talk for me to know.

"She's good...thanks." I take a deep breath. "But I came here to say that I'm-"

"We heard about some first year Ravenclaws getting rushed to Madame Pomfrey with bright green hair this morning," Fred cuts in, stopping me short.

"Oh," I can't stop my smile, "yeah I heard about that too."

"Very impressive." The twins wiggle their eyebrows at me with false drama, making me laugh.

"As if. It was kids' stuff. You two would have done something much better." I immediately regret saying that, as we are all strongly reminded of our argument. "I'm sorry." I say suddenly, avoiding looking at either brother.

"Charlotte, you don't have to-" Fred starts.

"But I was a terrible friend! I was so selfish! You guys have things that are important in your lives too, and I expected you to drop everything for someone you didn't even know and-"

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. It wasn't that big of a deal." George tries to placate me.

"But I yelled at you guys." I can't bare to look at them. I've been such a terrible friend, I don't know why they're being so nice to me.

"Fred and I have been talking about it, actually, and we want to apologize." I look up, stunned at this admission. "We were the ones not being very good friends."

"What are you talking about?"

"We were so focused on our reputation," Fred answers, "that we didn't help our friend in need. You were just trying to help your own friend, and we didn't think that was important."

"But you didn't-"

"How about we call it even. We think we did something wrong, you think you did something wrong, so now that we've apologized, we're square," Fred says.

"Can I ask a favor, then?"

"Sure," Fred agrees.

"Next time I start acting like an ass, can you tell me?" I smile and the twins laugh.

"Only if you tell us when we do the same," George answers.

"I don't know, Char. You're pretty scary when you're mad. I don't want to make you more mad," Fred manages between his laughter.

"Scary? Me? But I'm so cute and innocent!" I make a ridiculous face and we're all laughing even harder. Now I'm starting to draw attention, and more Gryffindors are starting to join the table. "I better go," I say when we catch our breath.

"Why? Come sit with us!" George pats the seat next to him.

"Thanks, but I've gotta get back to my friend. I'll talk to you guys later."

"Bye, Char!" My friends chorus as I head back to my own table. I smile. Maybe living life in the moment really is the best way to do it.

….

"Quidditch tryouts are tomorrow!" I hear a familiar voice say behind me. I turn to see Ron, Harry, and Hermione are headed to class, as am I. "Oh, hey Charlotte." Harry waves me over and I slow my steps to wait for the trio to catch up.

"Hi guys. Ready for our quiz today?" I look at Hermione, trying to change the conversation.

"As if. Harry's been way too focused on quidditch," Ron ribs his friend and Hermione rolls her eyes. "You're trying out too, right? Harry says you're pretty good!"

Has Harry been talking about me to Ron? I look over at him but he just shrugs, embarrassed.

"I told Harry I wouldn't be."

"Why not?"

"I wish I could-" I immediately regret saying that. That wasn't the story I gave Harry the last time we talked. Harry's looking at me so intently now; I need to come up with a better lie and fast.

I let out a big fake sigh before continuing, desperately making time for myself to come up with an idea. "I didn't want to tell anyone because it's so embarrassing but…" Just as I get to this point, I think I'm doomed but then I have a great plan! "My parents won't let me!"

I'm so proud of myself for that lie I almost sound happy when I say that. Let me elaborate with better inflection. "They're afraid I'll get hurt, so they forbid me from playing," I explain forlornly. Much better!

"Well that's very responsible of them. I wouldn't be surprised if my parents felt the same, had I any interest in playing quidditch," Hermione agrees.

"What? That's so unfair! You've gotta play!" Ron argues. Harry doesn't say anything, but eventually nods along as his best friend continues to try to convince me.

"Look Ron, I can't. My parents read the Daily Prophet, they'll see my name if I play. And they'll take away my broom."

"That's like, a line at the back of the sport section. It isn't exactly front page news. How would they notice that?" Ron looks miffed. I ignore him.

"So they gave you a broom but won't let you play quidditch?" Harry asks.

"Yeah, they didn't really want to have me flying, but my grandma started me young, so they couldn't keep me away. At least I can fly when I want to, but that will all change if I play quidditch."

"That's so stupid," Ron says.

"She can't fight with her parents, Ron. They know best. Besides, she has more time to focus on her studies now," Hermione says.

"Exactly!" I agree. Hermione and I share a bonding moment over this. I wish I could spend more time with her. I know we would get along really well, but unfortunately this is the most I'll ever get in terms of a friendship with her.

"Anyway, good luck out there, Harry!" I say.

"Thanks. It's too bad I won't get to play against you."

"Can't be helped," I shrug. We arrive at the classroom and go our separate ways, and I'm left wondering if Harry was always this quiet. It's hard to tell since the books were in his head so often. Maybe he's always been sort of quiet, but since he spent so much time with his friends it was difficult to notice as a reader. I can't be sure, so I let the idea drop. It doesn't make much of a difference either way, I'm sure.

…

Halloween is coming up fast, and I begin to worry about what will happen this year. Nothing has started up about the dueling club, so Harry hasn't been outed as the "Heir of Slytherin" yet. That being said, shouldn't the writing on the wall be happening eventually? I can't remember the sequencing of those events, but obviously it has to happen at some point. The only other thing I can remember is that Halloween is always full of unfortunate surprises. Last year, Halloween was pretty horrible for me too, not just Harry, so I have a bit of trepidation about it and Luna takes notice.

"Are you religious, Charlotte?" Luna asks out of the blue. I give her a confused look in response. "You seem nervous about Halloween. I've heard that religious people are concerned about the devil coming to steal their children at midnight on Halloween."

"I don't think that's true…"

"But isn't that why they dress their children as monsters? So the devil won't realize that they're children?"

"I...that was so logical I don't actually know the answer."

"So that isn't why you're afraid of Halloween?" As per usual, I don't want to hide the truth from Luna, so I decide to be as honest as I can.

"Halloween was really bad for me last year."

"Because of the troll?"

"Oh, you heard about that? Nah, I didn't actually go to the feast because that was the night I realized I didn't have any friends." Normally that amount of bluntness would make a conversation terribly awkward, but with Luna it's just being straightforward.

"Ah. Do you have friends now?"

"Luna, you're right here." I poke her arm and smile.

"But I can't be your best friend. You would want someone more...dependable, right?"

"Luna, you're plenty dependable." I consider lying to her for a moment, but immediately think better of it. It would be a cruel thing to do. "I'm sorry, you're not my best friend. But that doesn't mean I think of you as any less of a friend!"

"Are you sure? My classmates think I'm quite weird. They've started calling me 'Loony' Lovegood."

"I can make them stop," I say with malice.

"Oh, no. No, thank you. I've always been a bit odd, according to my classmates. I've never had any friends."

"Before now," I correct her. She smiles hesitantly.

"Will you be going to the Halloween feast this year then?"

"If you're there, I won't have anything to worry about." I smile. This was a lie, but a lie that wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Great! I have a costume ready."

"You do?"

…..

Halloween night, I come down to the Ravenclaw common room to find Luna in a very strange looking dress.

"Are those...radishes?" I ask. Her dress is covered in them- real radishes, hanging from it with what I assume is magic since glue would never be that strong.

"Yes!" Luna spins around, the overwhelming scent of the vegetables washing over me.

"This is your costume?"

"I've worked very hard on it. Do you think the devil will think I am a demon?"

"I don't think he would want to come near you for the smell." I cover my nose as I speak, trying not to look too pained.

"What is your costume?" Luna asks, looking at me skeptically.

"Oh, I decided to dress as a schoolgirl." I twirl around for her to see my usual robes. Obviously I am being sarcastic, but Luna doesn't catch on.

"Oh I see what you did differently! There's a stain on your left arm. Very clever. Though I don't think the devil will be tricked with just that," Luna admonishes me.

"I'm not too concerned." I head towards the door and Luna follows.

"If you say so. I'll give you some charms tonight that should help ward him off, just in case."

"Thanks, Luna." I giggle, but she doesn't seem to notice. It feels so good to have a friend in my own house, someone I can talk to at dinner and a friendly face to see in the common room. Most of my classmates have generally backed off this year, since I've gotten a better idea of how not to have the top scores without failing, so now they just pretend I don't exist.

It can get pretty annoying to not exist.

…

The Halloween feast is incredible! I'm sorry I missed it last year, now that I've seen it in person. Everything is as festive as it was for Christmas, which I absolutely adored, but having the fun aesthetic of Halloween gives it an entirely different feeling.

The jack-o-lanterns at the table change faces at random; some of them are funny and some are really scary, like the huge flaming 'T' flashing at me. I shiver. A Troll on any exam is definitely a horror movie moment. Tonight there are also bats flying around at high speeds through the ceiling, as if they are also excited for the feast.

At first I'm a little nervous that something might go wrong, but when the food appears my worries are soon forgotten within my pumpkin juice and conversations with Luna. Before I know it, the feast is over, and I'm finally starting to think that maybe nothing bad happens on Halloween this year. It's only when we're rounding the corner of a hallway that I realize my mistake.

The Chamber has been opened...Enemies of the heir beware.

"Fuck." I say a bit too loudly. Luna looks from the wall to me in confusion, but no one else seems to notice my slip in decorum. They're all too focused on the blood on the wall. As luck would have it, Luna and I are some of the first students to arrive, after Harry and the gang, of course. They are looking more and more bewildered as more students show up to gawk at them and, of course, the frozen cat hanging next to them.

Filch appears almost immediately after we do, screaming about how Harry killed his cat. The poor boy looks almost as petrified as the animal. When Filch threatens to murder Harry, Dumbledore appears to salvage the situation, leaving Professor Flitwick and Sprout to send the rest of us from the scene of the crime.

As we're walking to our dorm, there is a lot of whispering going on. I'm surprised how much history the students seem to know about the school; though the more I think about it, it makes sense that some of the Slytherin students would know.

By the next morning, the news is everywhere. At breakfast, Draco has been repeating the word 'mudblood' louder and louder, as if hoping someone will walk over and try to tell him off. The muggleborn students are nervously chattering amongst themselves, wondering if there is something they can do to protect themselves from the Heir of Slytherin, whoever that is.

I'm left flabbergasted. I knew the Hogwarts rumor mill was intense, but this is just ridiculous. I know people were sleeping last night. How were they able to learn all of this so quickly? Group telepathy?

Harry comes into breakfast late. Normally I wouldn't notice (it's not like I spend my days wondering where he is or what he's doing, after all) but when he walks in, a lot of the conversation gets quieter. It's a radical idea right now, but some of his peers are wondering if he could be the Heir of Slytherin. This talk will obviously get much, much worse when he starts talking to snakes in public.

Speaking of which, when am I going to get to enjoy that dueling club?

…

The whispering about the Chamber of Secrets doesn't completely stop, but it definitely gets pushed to the side when quidditch starts up. The Slytherin versus Gryffindor game is all anyone can talk about, especially since Draco joined his team.

"I wonder if he's going to be any good," a sixth year is talking to his friend in our common room. This is my favorite place to do some homework and also listen to the daily gossip. After seeing what a force of nature our rumor mill is, I've decided to try to see what information I can get out of it.

"Malfoy? I doubt it. His bark is a lot worse than his bite."

"But he got on the team as a second year!" The guy puts his book down, his homework temporarily forgotten.

"He bought his way on the team. Daddy's money can buy a lot of shit, but it can't buy talent."

"You don't think he's talented?"

"I mean, I don't know him or anything, despite hearing his loud mouth more often than I would like, but if he was talented, why use his money to get on the team?"

"It guaranteed him a spot?"

"Yeah, maybe." Their conversation ends there and I go back to my homework. It's interesting to know that other people saw the situation the same way Harry did. It makes sense though, Draco's antics weren't exactly a secret from anyone else in the school.

…

Before I know it, the day of the game is upon me. It'll be interesting to watch Harry get his arm broken, I suppose. To be honest, the games that I've seen in the movies aren't nearly as fun to watch as the ones I haven't, since it means I don't know how the game will end. Turns out sports aren't nearly as fun to watch when you know all the major plays beforehand. Who knew?

That being said, I don't remember how this game starts out, so I get into the action immediately. It starts with Harry and Draco at each other's throats the moment the first whistle blows, with Draco following Harry around like a dog. I have to admit, with Harry's track record of finding the snitch, it is probably in Malfoy's best interest to just let his adversary do the work for him. I can hear the Gryffindors jeering, despite his smart tactics.

I lose track of time, watching the quaffle cross the field with rapt attention. In fact, I get so into the game I am not the first to notice Harry being chased by a bludger. I hear some strange shouts and notice some of the Gryffindors pointing at Harry, which alerts me to the problem. Harry is definitely being chased.

I check the Gryffindor bleachers again, which are fortunately not hard to see, and manage to find Hermione due to the commotion she is causing as she runs off the stands. Good, looks like everything is normal. Harry and I notice the snitch at the same time, just above Draco's head, but instead of racing straight ahead to catch it, Harry starts moving towards the Slytherin in a wide arc.

I watch him curiously as the bludger heads for him from the side. Does he plan to outrun is again so it will miss and have to turn back? But Harry just continues in his circle, which will eventually intersect with where Draco is still unaware of where the snitch is resting.

The bludger rockets past Harry once, but as Harry nears his mark, it comes back even faster than before. Harry seems to know that he can't avoid the bludger this time- he keeps eyeing it as it comes closer. Draco is staring like he's about to witness a car accident, completely rooted to the spot he's been hovering.

Unexpectedly, instead of getting hit, Harry turns when the bludger gets close, turning in an extremely tight circle until he is back facing the way he started. The bludger is thrown off course, making it turn back the way it had come and effectively slowing it down. Harry doesn't wait- he uses the opportunity he created to fly full speed at Draco, where the snitch is still happily waiting.

Draco seems to snap back to his senses when he realizes that Harry is barreling towards him, but he's too late to do anything but swerve out of the way. This gives Harry the opening he needs to grab the snitch, and suddenly the game is over! But the bludger is still after Harry.

Harry races around the pitch as the ball follows doggedly behind. His teammates jump into action to try to help him now that they're no longer focused on the game. George(?) manages to get between the boy who lived and the bludger, knocking it away with his bat. Unfortunately, this just changes the bludger's trajectory, now making it fly at Harry at an angle instead of just following behind him.

These frantic attempts to help feel like they last forever, but it's only a few moments. Within that time, Dumbledore has risen from his place in the stands, his wand to his throat.

"All players except for , please exit the pitch immediately."

The Slytherin team does as they're told, but the Gryffindor team lags behind. Katie Bell immediately flies over to Dumbledore, her voice inaudible but her gestures obvious- she doesn't want to leave Harry to deal with this alone. Oliver Wood comes up to argue as well. Dumbledore takes a moment to explain himself, and the captain gestures for his team to do as the headmaster said.

In the meantime, Harry continues to just barely avoid being bludgeoned. With its angle changed, the cursed ball is back to trying to catch him from the side. I, for the record, am having a panic attack. This has never happened before. Things have changed.

"Harry, head to the middle of the pitch as low as you can and then fly straight up," Dumbledore instructs. Harry immediately moves to follow the order, but the bludger seems to think ahead of him. Instead of going at Harry's side, it predicts where he will turn and shoots a bit further ahead, making Harry run straight into the ball's path. With a horrifying crunch that I don't know if I hear or imagine, the ball crashes into his ribs and Harry goes down.

"Harry!" I shout, the panic in me rising ever higher. He was about twenty feet off the ground when he was hit, and now he is plummeting towards what will certainly be his death. I pull out my wand- consequences be damned- but I stop as I see Harry's body slowing down. By the time he is five feet up, Madame Hooch is cradling him gently to the ground.

I would be more relieved by this if this wasn't all so wrong already. Why did this happen? What did I change? I watch with a strange sort of detachment as Dumbledore finally manages to catch the rogue bludger with a spell, causing it to explode. Madame Hooch is getting Harry onto a stretcher, so he's probably not dead.

But he could be. He might be. He might die tonight. Or tomorrow. I can't know because this is no longer the world I knew. Things have changed. Anything could be different now. All bets are off. I could die today.

I'm vaguely aware that someone is shaking my shoulder. I realize I've been staring at Harry, my wand still in my hand. My fingers are tingling, and I can't seem to hear anything but the roaring of the crowd. But why are they still yelling?

"Char-!" I finally remember that Luna is with me. I turn to look at her, but my head is so heavy it feels like it takes me forever, and instead of seeing her, I'm suddenly looking at the sky. Then, just as suddenly, the world goes black.

….

I wake up to find myself in the Hospital Wing with no idea how I've gotten here. What happened? And what was I doing? My head hurts and my back feels a bit sore but other than that I seem fine. The curtains around my bed are all drawn, and when I reach to pull one back, I begin to notice the conversation just outside. I still my hand, waiting to see what's going on.

"Bring him here. Gently!" I hear Madame Pomfrey first.

"There was a bunch of grapes next to him," said Professor McGonagall. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit Potter."

Colin! I had forgotten! Oh well, he'll be...fine…

I suddenly remember what happened before I got here. I try to take a deep breath but find my lungs aren't working properly- they feel constricted. Is there something wrong with them? My vision starts spotting as I starve for air, and out of desperation I grab the curtain shielding me from view and throw it open.

Professor Mcgonagall, Dumbledore, and Madame Pomfrey stop to look at me in surprise, but it only takes a moment for Madame Pomfrey to see my distress and rush over to me.

"Charlotte, what's wrong dear?"

I've managed to get some air back in me, but I feel like I've run a mile. I can't. I can't talk to her. I can't protect myself. I'm going to die. Harry is going to die. I've ruined everything. My vision begins to darken again.

"Charlotte! Charlotte!" Madame Pomfrey grabs my arm roughly, forcing me to look at her. When did I look away? "You're hyperventilating. Do you have a history of asthma?" I shake my head. She barks an order at Professor Mcgonagall, who brings her a cup.

"Can you drink this?" I nod. She doesn't bother handing it to me, instead she brings the cup to my lips and forces it down my throat. It's warm and I instantly feel calmer. "Focus on your breathing. Deep breath in and count to five- deep breath out and count to five." I listen to her instructions, and the black spots start to fade away. "Good. Keep doing that."

The swirling, panicked thoughts in my head have slowed down. I'm starting to feel more in control of myself.

"How are you feeling now?" Madame Pomfrey asks. I notice Professor Mcgonagall and Dumbledore still watching me, looking concerned.

"I'm okay. What happened to me?" This is not something I've ever experienced, as far as I can remember.

"Charlotte, I believe you were having a panic attack. Have you ever had any problems with anxiety?"

"...what?" I just want to laugh. Me, anxiety? When am I not anxious? I have every right to be, don't I?

"Has something like this happened to you before?" I shake my head. "Seeing Harry before was stressful, wasn't it?" I nod, feeling more and more like a child. "That was a lot for you to handle. I would like you to stay here for the night so I can talk to your parents in the morning."

"What did I drink?" I ask.

"This is a calming draught. I will leave some on the table for you. If you are having trouble breathing, take this, and then do the breathing exercise we did earlier. Do you remember it?" Madame Pomfrey asks.

"In for five, out for five," I recite.

"Good. I have some more things to take care of, so I'm going to cast a silencing spell around your cot so you can get some sleep. I will still be able to hear you though, so call if you need anything."

"I don't want to tell my parents," I blurt out before she leaves. I notice Dumbledore give me a look at this confession, but I ignore him. "I don't want them to worry."

"I know you didn't want to talk to them last year about your migraines, which I'm glad have gone away over the summer." I'm glad she believed that lie when I told her at the start of this year. "But I cannot allow a new condition like this to go unreported. It may have just been from your stressful day, but your parents need to know."

I take a deep breath, feeling the panic trying to force its way back into my chest. Madame Pomfrey notes my discomfort as well.

"Let's not talk about this anymore tonight. Get some rest. I'll come check on you soon." Without another word, she is gone, and the curtains are shut.

I run my hands across my face in frustration. I can't believe this! Panic attacks? I don't have time for this! I feel like I should have seen this coming, but all the warning signs were impossible to notice through all my subjectivity.

I force another breath through my clenched teeth. I can't let something stupid like this slow me down. I've got to figure out a way to get over this. But what if I can't? What if I'm paralysed in my own fear and Harry dies and I ruin everything and...now I'm crying. I stifle back a sob, remembering Madame Pomfrey's words that they can still hear me.

What am I going to do? What is there to do? My mind is swirling angrily, not giving me more than a moment with a thought before I have four more that don't really make sense. In a fit of agitation, I take the calming drought and down half the bottle, instantly feeling sweet, sweet relief.

Now my thoughts seem to be floating on clouds. I can barely catch hold of them, but thats okay. They're not that important anyway. I hum happily to myself, imagining the fluffy clouds of my thoughts turn into sheep and bounce away into the sky. Suddenly the clouds have turned into a person!

"Oh, it's Dumbles," I mutter, giggling at the headmaster standing before me.

"Charlotte?" he asks. Grabbing the bottle still dangling from my grasp. I didn't even know it was still there.

"Hmm?"

"You drank half the bottle," he states more than asks.

"Tha's some good stuffs, Dumblydore." Now I'm laughing. I can barely see him as I'm half asleep.

"Quickly Charlotte, I must ask you. Why were you so upset? You can see the future, yes? Did something change?"

"Man, you're way too serious." I laugh at my very bad pun, that wasn't really a pun at all. "But for reals, it doesn't matter. We're all gonna die anyway, right? Who cares. Maybe it's better if we don't know how we're gonna get there."

"Are you saying the future is no longer certain?"

"Nope! I can't see nothin'!" I close my eyes to emphasize my point, and before I know it, I'm asleep.

A/N:

DUN DUN DUNNNN Looks like Dumbles realized that Charlotte is a little liar and doesn't just "see the past". I don't normally do author's notes at the end, but I thought I should make that clear before I get lots of confused messages.