Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

Beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Hermione, Ron, and Siria crept toward the painting of the fruit bowl. Siria kept her eyes and wand on the Marauders Map while Ron and Hermione directed her from either side. "It wants us to tickle the pear," Siria whispered.

"Tickle the pear?" Ron repeated. He angled his head over Siria's shoulder. "It really does." Siria shrugged him off. Hermione stepped up to the painting and, through the Cloak, tickled the pear.

[Book: B4, 375 the large, green pear turns into a green door and they enter the kitchen]

The kitchens were filled with an ocean of tiny, blue and grey house elves. Each wore a little apron with the Hogwarts crest on it. Hermione held her breath and looked to Ron and Siria. Ron nodded. Siria yanked the Cloak off of them. She held her breath, but the house elves that noticed three people standing in the kitchen after curfew didn't seem upset at all.

"Hungry?" A house elf near them asked.

"Thirsty?" Another asked.

"Errr." Siria looked to Hermione.

"Actually, we were hoping to talk, if some of you can spare the time." Hermione smiled at the two house elves. They confessed no one, beside Headmaster Dumbledore, ever comes to talk with them. Siria stuffed the Invisibility Cloak into her mostly empty messenger bag and pointed to the closest table. She and Ron sat down at one of the four long tables that lined up with those in the Great Hall.

Hermione went down a row of house elves doing dishes, asking them the same series of questions. Occasionally, a house elf would come by and offer some food or something to drink to Ron and Siria. Siria yawned and stretched out onto the table. After an hour of just sitting, Ron had fallen asleep. Hermione seemed to be running at full power with no sign of stopping. Siria yawned and rubbed her eyes. She rested her head on her hand and thought about Kreacher. Maybe she could write him a letter and Sirius could read it. She could teach Kreacher to read himself next summer and he could write to her.

"Tea, miss?" A high voice asked. Siria nodded. Her eyelids felt so heavy and she was so tired that she kept nodding off. She rubbed her eyes and yawned again. The smell of freshly poured tea made her eyes feel a little lighter. She mixed in some cream and looked to the house elf as she said "Thank you—" Siria froze. The house elf had large, bright green eyes and a long, thin nose.

"Dobby?" Siria asked as the elf asked "Siria Potter?" The two gave a shared, slow nod.

"Dobby!" Siria swept the small house elf into a hug. "Thank goodness you're okay!" She placed Dobby back down. "Sorry. Are you okay?" She asked. Dobby nodded.

"Dobby is much more than okay! To see Miss Siria Potter again, though Dobby hears you are Potter-Black." He nodded so much his bat like ears flapped back and forth.

"It is. Sirius adopted me. Goodness though, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"It is thanks to you, Miss Siria Potter-Black!" He told her.

Dobby explained that Kreacher found Dobby and Winky. Kreacher brought Dobby and Winky to Sirius, who brought them to Dumbledore. Dumbledore was more than happy to take on Dobby and Winky. He even agreed to pay Dobby and give Dobby time off. Dobby's story left Siria with a smile of awe on her face. She was going to write to Kreacher and make Sirius read the letter as soon as he got it.

"Could I come visit you?" Siria asked over her third cup of tea.

"Miss Siria Potter-Black wants to visit Dobby? Dobby wants to visit Miss Siria Potter-Black!"

"I'd love that." Siria smiled wider. "You know, if you want, we meet in Augusta Dungeon on Sundays and I'm sure everyone would love to meet you."

"To meet Dobby, Miss?" He asked.

"Yeah, but only if you want to."

"Dobby would love to meet Miss Siria Potter-Black's friends!" His sharp voice startled Ron awake.

"Wha'sit?" Ron looked around, but yawned and nodded back to sleep.

"Yeah. Um, Dobby, would you mind just calling me 'Siria'?" She scratched at the back of her neck and sealed her lips together.

"Dobby would be honored, Miss Siria." He beamed.

"Cool."

The Hogwarts Herald

Sunday, September 28th 2014

After being out of print for nearly a century, The Hogwarts Herald returns!

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Hermione Granger and a collective of students,

this paper will be an outlet for students' voices and a trustworthy news provider.

(see more on page 4)

Siria slung her arm around Hermione and kissed her forehead. "You did it!" She told her. "You really did! And Cedric put you on the front page!" Siria knocked on the paper. A picture of the ocean of house elves in the kitchen, running to put out dishes, was beneath the headline "Slavery Beneath Our Feet". Hermione took hold of the paper and smiled. "I just hope it helps people see." She confessed. "I'll keep writing until they do." Hermione told the faces of frantic house elves on the cover.

The school was a buzz with news about the Herald. Hermione couldn't walk a meter without being congratulated by someone, and she wasn't the only one. To mark members of the Herald, so students with ideas, questions, or an interest in joining could easily find them, Hermione, Dean Thomas, and Padma Patil designed and made small buttons for them to wear. "H. H." would write itself the font of the Hogwarts crest, on the front page of a newspaper.

True to her humility, Hermione was less excited for her newfound fame than she was over Ron's changed views. After listening to what sort of things Dobby went through, Ron had completely changed his view on house elves. He was in full support and had even helped Hermione interview some of the elves from the kitchen.

It wasn't until after lunch, when Hermione and Siria were heading out to the Quidditch field that anyone voiced a negative opinion on the paper. "Hey Potter, Granger, are you calling this lot of garbage a paper?" the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy laughed. Hermione linked her arm through Siria's. Her round brown eyes clearly read "do no fight." Siria took a strained breath and continued onto the grounds. "Potter!" Malfoy called again. The grip around Siria's Firebolt tightened. "Running away?" He asked. "I'd run too if my name were on this trash!" Hermione placed her other hand over Siria's arm and marched with her head held high onto the grounds.

"That was awfully kind of you." Siria told Hermione through gritted teeth.

"As much as I'd love to see you put him in his place, you'd just be stuck holding his hand until Dumbledore and Sirius think you've learned your lesson." Hermione replied. "Besides, aren't you trying to be nicer?"

"I'm trying to be nice as you; it's just a lot harder than it looks." Siria confessed.

"I'm not that nice." Hermione argued.

"Even when you aren't talking, you make sure everyone's fed. Even when no one was on your side, you wanted to help the house elves." Siria shrugged. "You're one of the kindest people I know."

"You're one of the toughest people I know." Hermione smiled at her.

"I think it's tougher to be kind or walk away."

"Maybe." Hermione gave Siria's arm a light squeeze. "Ron and them are waiting. I'll be in the stands."

[Book: B4 230-231 the weeks roll by & Moody starts to put the Imperius Curse on them. Hermione says it's illegal and Moody tells her she can leave if she wants, but she stays. Moody casts it on Siria and she feels the rush of joy and floating sensation]

There was something familiar about the sensation that filled her, but Siria knew she had worries for as long as she could worry.

[Book: B4, 231 Moody's voice enters her head and tells her to jump]

The echoing of the voice in her mind combined with the feeling sent chills through her. Immediately after the voice told her to "Jump onto the desk" another voice shouted in protest. Her knees started to bend, but as if someone was trying to pull her down. "I don't want to jump!" She insisted against voice that repeated "Jump onto the desk." There was no way she would. She would sooner walk to the Willow.

Panic pierced through the floating joyous feeling and Siria collapsed to her knees. She watched her trembling fingers shaking on the ground. "Yes!" Moody praised her for fighting, but it was drown by the panic rushing through her. She knew this feeling and the gravity hit her with weighing panic. Last year, almost exactly a year ago, Peter Pettigrew had cast the Imperius Curse on her in an attempt to draw her to Shrieking Shack.

"Potter!" Professor Moody shouted. Hermione ran between Professor Moody and Siria.

"She's obviously not ready!" Hermione shouted back at him. She pulled Siria to her feet. "Are you alright?" Siria nodded, though she wasn't entire sure. There wasn't any pain, but she felt haunted.

"Can you go again?" Professor Moody asked.

"Could I have a moment?" Siria asked in reply.

"You think the Dark Lord is going to give you a moment to catch your breath, do you Potter?" he snapped. Hermione's grip on Siria's arm tightened, but Siria patted Hermione's hand as if to say "I'm fine."

"No. Tom wouldn't. Fine."

"That's it, Potter!"

[Book: B4, 232-241 Moody continues to put Siria under the Curse until she can resist almost immediately after the curse is placed on her. He continues with the rest of the class. It's announced that the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive on October 30th. The castle is notably cleaner than usual.]

Thursday morning, Hermione woke extra early and shook Siria. "No." Siria croaked and rolled over, far more asleep than awake. Hermione tsked. "Siria, you need to Transfigure your hair back." Hermione told her. She tugged on Siria's blankets. "People will be looking for you; they know 'The Girl Who Lived' attends here. If you don't do it, I will." Hermione threatened.

An hour later, Siria's flat red hair had been returned to its natural jet black and wild nature. Parvati agreed to french braid Siria's hair. Lavender and Hermione joined to form a braid train, so they could all match. Siria yawned and nodded off twice. Each time, Parvati pinched Siria's shoulder. The girls headed to the Great Hall together.

"Nice hair, Potter!" The drawling voice of Malfoy called. Siria gritted her teeth, but didn't have the energy to snap back. She'd been woken so early. The excitement in the air hadn't hit her as it had Lavender and Parvati. If anything, other people being so excited made her more tired.

[Book: B4 241-247 Beauxbatons arrive first in a small house, carried by Pegasi and Durmstrang arrive in a boat. Viktor Krum is one of the Durmstrang students. Everyone heads back toward the castle]