Chapter 31
…He has a look of awe in his eyes every time he looks about as though everything about Hogwarts and our world astonishes him. This is not shocking for, according to Hagrid, he had no idea that he was a wizard until Hagrid told him. His relations who, again according to Hagrid, are the worst sort of muggles, have done everything in their power to keep it from him. I've not had much conversation with him but he seems to be a friendly if quiet boy. He and Ron, Percy's youngest brother, have become good friends. You hardly ever see one without the other. The other students are somewhat in awe of him always staring and whispering. I don't believe he's what anyone expected him to be. Not a proud hero, but just a boy who has no memory of the great deed he is famous for. I have tried to keep people from staring and pointing for I am sure he finds this annoying. I cannot explain it but I feel a strong need to look out for him, even though he has no trouble whatsoever, standing up for himself. Though I have no proof I believe his relatives have treated him very badly. This is all I can tell you for now about Harry Potter. I will keep you updated.
Love Meredith
Remus set down Meredith letter and leaned his head against his hands. When she had told him in her last letter that Harry Potter, the boy who lived, had come to Hogwarts and was in her house he had written back immediately begging her to tell him all she could. If she had found this request strange she said nothing of it. He had quite forgotten that Harry would have been eleven this year. It was no surprise to him that Harry was in Gryffindor. He read Meredith's letter again and silently cursed Petunia Dursley. He knew, he just knew, that Lily's sister had been horrible to Harry. Merlin knew what the boy had gone through these ten years. And to never know the truth about who he was. To never know the truth about his parents. He felt a funny twinge in his heart at Meredith's words "I feel a strong need to look out for him." He didn't find it surprising at all really. Meredith had a protective streak in her that was all too familiar. Meredith had no idea the connection she had to Harry. No idea that her mother and father had been best friends with Harry's mother and father. No idea that her father had been responsible for the death of Harry's parents. In the last ten years he had asked himself time and time again if he should tell her. He always managed to talk himself out of it. The past was the past. But now that Harry, James son and Remus's last link to his friends was at Hogwarts, in the same house as his daughter. He couldn't just ignore it. He needed to know all he could find out about Harry.
Meredith could barely keep her eyes open as she struggled through her morning classes. Not even two weeks into fifth year and she was already buried in homework up to her waist.. All her professors were emphasizing the importance of OWL exams and were piling on the homework heavier than ever. She had stayed up till three in the morning last night finishing her essay on Vanishing Spells for McGonagall. Between the extra homework and her Prefect duties, which had mostly consisted of disbanding the crowds of students that gathered to gawk at Harry Potter, and keeping Fred and George out of trouble, she was exhausted. She was grateful when the lunch bell finally rang. She plopped onto the bench beside Patricia and seized a chicken leg and a piece of bread. She had spent breakfast reading up on bowtruckles and hadn't eaten all that much.
"You really need to eat more Meredith," Patricia said. "Skipping meals is very unhealthy." Meredith did not answer as her mouth was full of bread. Oliver joined them at that moment. He looked rather unhappy.
"Problem?" Meredith asked him. He shrugged.
"It's nothing," he said. Meredith and Patricia shot each other dubious looks.
"Five," Patricia whispered.
"Four," Meredith said.
"Three."
"Two."
"Twenty people try out for seeker and not one of them has what it takes!" Oliver burst out. Meredith and Patricia grinned. Oliver had been obsessing over this since tryouts were held. He was determined to win the Qudditch cup this year, even more so since they found out that Flint was captain of the Slytherin team.
"Don't worry Oliver," Patricia said. "I'm sure you'll find someone."
"I would have the perfect team, if I could just find a seeker."
"You will," Meredith said. "Now eat fast. We've got an hour before Potions and we need to read up on the Draught of Peace."
"Where's Percy?" Oliver asked as he poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice.
"I haven't seen him," Patricia said. "Not since Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Probably already in the library," Meredith said. "He practically lives there these days. Fred! George! CUT THAT OUT!!" The twins had been using hover charms to throw food at the Slytherins.
"Oh, those two are driving me up the wall!" Meredith said angrily stabbing a potato with her fork.
"It's not like they're really doing anything that bad Mere," Patricia said.
"I don't care!" she said. Patricia and Oliver were both silent. They were so used to Meredith's temper that they knew better than to comment.
"Let's hit the library," Meredith said with a sigh. They found Percy in the library talking to a girl with long dark curly hair.
"Who is that?" Patricia asked as they approached.
"Penelope Clearwater," Meredith said as they set their book down. "Ravenclaw prefect."
"What she talking to Percy for?" Oliver asked.
"I dunno. Maybe she's mad that Percy gave someone in her house detention."
"She doesn't look mad," Patricia said. "In fact she's almost…well…flirting with Percy."
"Percy and a girl," Oliver said. "Surely that must be a sign of the apocalypse." They all laughed. Percy joined them and they cracked open their books.
"Watch out!" Percy yelled yanking Meredith away from a hex that Flint had sent their way.
"Expelliarmus!" Oliver yelled disarming Flint. One of Flint's cronies Terence Higgs raised his wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Patricia shouted missing Higgs and hitting Adrian Pucey. Pucey's arms slapped to his sides and he fell to the ground. Higgs fired a curse that sent Oliver flying.
"What's going on here!" Meredith groaned as Filch came scurrying up the hall.
"Fighting in the corridors!" he hissed. "This'll be detention for all of you!"
"Now wait just a moment!" Percy said puffing out his chest. "You can't give us all detention. Just the one who started it. That would be Flint here!"
"Don't you be telling me what I can do!" Filch spat.
"Mr. Weasley is quite correct Argus." Meredith breathed a sigh of relief as Dumbledore joined them.
"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said after he waved his wand over Pucey and removed the full body bind.
"Would you please tell me what exactly happened here?" Percy stood straight and puffed his chest out even further.
"We, that is Meredith, Oliver, Patricia and myself were on our way to Potions when I saw Flint, Higgs, and Pucey trying to hide behind that statue. Flint fired a hex at Meredith and Oliver disarmed him. Then Higgs hit Oliver with a curse. Rictasempra!"
"I see," Dumbledore said. "And who hit Mr. Pucey with the full body bind curse?"
"That was me professor," Patricia said quietly looking at her shoes. "I was aiming for Higgs."
"I see," Dumbledore said. He was staring very hard at the three Slytherins as though trying to see their thoughts. Meredith wondered as she so often did, if Dumbledore could read minds.
"Well, Miss Patterson, Mr. Wood even though you acted only in defense I will be deducting ten points from Gryffindor in hopes that you will in the future resolve your problems in nonaggressive ways."
"Yes sir," Oliver and Patricia said glumly.
"Mr. Flint, Mr. Higgs, for attacking your fellow students with intent to harm I shall be deducting twenty points from Slytherin from each of you and you will both receive a weeks detention. Mr. Pucey, though you did not attack anyone you were an accomplice to this attack and so you will also receive detention."
"Yes sir," the Slytherins grumbled.
"Good," Dumbledore said. "Well that is settled. All of you get off to your classes." Meredith, Percy, Patricia and Oliver hurried off to the cellar.
"I can't believe we got points deducted for defending ourselves against those prats!" Oliver said.
"You got off easy," Percy tutted. "Dueling in the halls is grounds for suspension."
"It's Flint and those other gits that got off easy," Oliver said.
"I guess Flint really meant it when he said he was going to get you Mere," Patricia said. Meredith had been silent throughout this entire conversation. She was afraid if she spoke her friends would hear how truly nervous Flint made her. She had always disliked the Slytherin but she had never felt this tension whenever he was near her. She gripped her quill tightly as the Slytherins entered the potions classroom. She would NOT let him get to her. They made it through potions without incident. Snape marked her Draught of Peace with an A for Acceptable. She grumbled and made a note to read up on it before bed tonight.
"You did better than me," Patricia grumbled. Snape had given her a P for Poor.
"Yes, an acceptable is a perfectly good mark at this point," Percy said. "It gives you a place to work from. You have plenty of time to pull your marks up." Meredith glared at Percy and resisted the urge to smack him upside the head with her Potions book.
"Easy for you to say Mr. Exceeds Expecations," Oliver muttered. He had also received an Acceptable.
"How am I ever gonna pull my grade up?" Patricia moaned. "You heard what Snape said the first day. He doesn't take anyone into his NEWT class unless they get an Outstanding on their OWL."
"We'll just have to work harder," Meredith said. They took the shortcut through the courtyard to get to Charms. They passed a nervous bunch of first years heading out to the field.
"Hello Ron," Percy greeted his brother. "Harry."
"Hey Percy," Ron said glumly.
"Anything wrong boys?" Meredith asked.
"We've got our first flying lesson today. We're with the Slytherins." Meredith's stomach tightened. She still flushed with embarrassment when she remembered her first flying lesson. Even though she had gotten better at flying with time and a great deal of practice she still preferred traveling by floo powder.
"Well just listen to everything that Madam Hooch says and don't get into trouble," Percy said striding off. Meredith shook her head. Percy had become quite pompous since becoming prefect.
"You'll be fine boys," Meredith said patting Ron on the shoulder. "Hey, didn't your mother's ever tell you it's rude to point!" she yelled at a group of third year Hufflepuffs who were pointing at Harry. Harry shot her a grateful smile. She smiled back and hurried to class.
Meredith was racing her quill against Percy's ink bottle in an attempt to learn the Locomotor Charm when the door to Charms classroom opened.
"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick," the voice of Professor McGonagall carried into the room.
"Could I borrow Wood for a moment?" Meredith glanced at Oliver who looked confused.
"What did you do now?" Patricia whispered.
"Nothing," Oliver said defensively. He stood up and left the classroom. He did not return for the rest of the class.
"You don't think she's gonna give him detention for the fight do you?" Patricia asked as they made their way to greenhouse three.
"She can't," Meredith said. "Dumbledore already decided not to give him detention, McGonagall couldn't overrule him."
"Maybe he's in trouble for sleeping in class, you know how he is about that," Percy suggested. It wasn't till halfway through Herbology that Oliver rejoined them. He looked incredibly happy but would not tell them anything till class was over and they were back in the common room.
"Tell us," Meredith demanded once they were seated around the fire out of earshot of the rest of the house.
"McGonagall found a Seeker for Gryffindor," Oliver whispered excitedly.
"Who?" Patricia asked.
"Harry Potter," Oliver said.
"Potter!" Meredith said in astonishment. "But I thought first years weren't allowed on the team."
"Well, there's no official rule that says they can't. It's just that first years usually don't have enough experience flying. But McGonagall says that Potter's a natural. Caught Longbottom's Remembrall after a fifty foot dive!"
"Blimey!" Percy gasped. "Not even Charlie was that good!"
"I know," Oliver said. "Listen, I'm going to be working with Potter Saturday night, and then he's going to be joining team practices. Don't tell anyone that Potter's on the team okay. I want to keep it a secret in case anyone, and by anyone I mean Flint, tries to put him out of commission."
"Your secret is safe with us," Meredith said.
Meredith looked up from her notes and rubbed her tired eyes. Across from her on the sofa Patricia was asleep, The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5 opened on her lap. The two of them studied together more often than not these days. Oliver was busy with Quidditch practice, getting Harry ready for the match against Slytherin. Lord knew where Percy was these days. Meredith stood and stretched her aching back. A glance at the clock told her it was not even seven o'clock. Leaving Patricia where she was Meredith went to the portrait hole and climbed out. The corridor was quiet as most students were in their house common rooms. She took the stairs to the fifth floor. She passed the portrait of Boris the Bewildered and came to a large oak door.
"Pine Fresh," she said. The door swung open. Meredith did not use the Prefects bathroom often. The idea that other prefects, boys in particular could walk in at anytime while she was bathing, was a little off putting. But tonight she felt the need to use the huge bathtub. A dip in the scented foam might be just the thing she would need to relax. She stepped inside and went to her cabinet. She removed her sweater and skirt and tugged on her fluffy red bathrobe. She folded her clothes neatly and laid them on a bench. She set her wand on tope of her clothes and went to turn on the taps. Within minutes the tub was full of steamy pink foam. Taking a last quick look to make sure no one was going to barge in on her, she shrugged off the robe and dove into the bath. Her head popped to the surface and she sucked in a long breath. She lifted her feet and pushed off the side doing a slow backstroke to the other side. After doing a few laps she rolled over and floated lazily on her back just staring up at the ceiling. It was rather like swimming through cotton candy she thought with a little smile. She kicked her foot and sent a candy scented bubble floating. It would be so lovely to just stay here, but her homework was calling her and so she flipped over again and swam to the side. She grabbed her robe and pulled it on. She stepped over the bench and reached for her wand to perform a drying spell on herself when suddenly her wand flew away. Meredith's head snapped up so fast that her neck jolted in pain. Her heart leapt up into her throat when she saw Flint standing there holding her wand in his hand.
"What are you doing in here!" she shouted. "Get out!"
"Don't think so Loopy," Flint said pulling out his own wand. Meredith backed away clutching her robe more tightly around her. A sick feeling of fear was crawling in her belly. She was alone, she did not have her wand, and she was practically naked! This was far beyond pranks or hexing each other in the hall. This was just sick!
"I knew I was going to like being Captain," Flint said slowly moving toward her. Meredith stepped back. She glanced at the door.
"Don't even think about it," Flint said pulling out his wand and pointing it directly at her chest. Meredith froze. Flint was glaring at her with the most evil look in his eyes.
"Not so full of yourself now are you Loopy? No Weasel or Woody to protect you? You think you're just so special don't you Loopy? Big brave Gryffindor, Dumbledore's favorite." He kept moving closer and closer. Meredith cried out as her back slammed against the cabin.
"You just stay away from me!" she shouted.
"What are you gonna do!" Flint snarled. "Scream?" Meredith opened her mouth but before she could make a sound Flint pointed his wand at her and yelled.
"Silencio!" Meredith tried to make her voice work, to call for help but she could not make a sound come out. Flint laughed.
"Look at you," he snarled. "Completely helpless." He seized her wrists and pinned her hands against the cabin. Meredith struggled trying to break his grip on her but Flint was bigger and much stronger.
"You ever take a look in the restricted section Loopy," Flint stared at her, pure venom in his voice. "Lots of really interesting books in there. Lots of curses that are all about causing pain." Meredith's heart was thudding in her chest and blood pounded in her ears. She had heard about what kind of spells could be found in the restricted section. Flint wouldn't really…Meredith clawed at his hands and tried to kick him. In all he life she had never know such fear. She tired to scream to somehow fight off the silencing charm but it was useless without her wand.
"By the time I get done with you…" Meredith jumped as Flint's body suddenly flew through the air. Meredith felt a surge of relief flow through her as Oliver, wand raised and ready, stride forward to stand between her and Flint.
"Stupefy!" Oliver yelled as Flint started to get up. Flint fell flat to the floor, unmoving. Oliver lowered his wand and turned to Meredith.
"Are you all right?" he asked her. Meredith let out a long breath. She placed a hand over her pounding heart. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She tried to move but she was shaking so bad that she feared her legs would not support her. Oliver gripped her shoulders and stared at her hard.
"Meredith," he said gently, "Are you all right?" She pointed helplessly to her throat and then at Flint. Oliver looked confused for a second but then it seemed to occur to him what had happened. He carefully cupped her chin and pointed his wand at her.
"Finite Incantatem," he said. Meredith felt tears stream into her eyes as the charm lifted. Her body went limp and Oliver pulled her into a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder and let him hold her. He rubbed her back soothingly. He'd grown quite a bit over the summer. He was quite a bit taller than her. Her head came just under his chin.
"Thank you," she whispered. She didn't recognize her own voice. When her heart stopped pounding and she felt a little more in control she took a step back. She felt her face grow red as she realized she was still practically naked. She cleared her throat and pulled her robe tighter around her.
"How…how did you know…"
"Moaning Myrtle," Oliver said. "She popped up in the boys restroom. Said someone was being attacked in the prefect bathroom. Was disgustingly cheerful about it to tell the truth." Whatever gratitude Meredith might have felt toward the annoying ghost that haunted the girls bathroom on the third floor, quickly vanished.
"Are you all right?" he asked her seriously.
"I'm all right," she said. "Um…I need to get dressed. Would you mind uh…"
"Sure. I'll just take him out while I'm at it." He lifted Flint's body with a hover charm, banging the unconscious Slytherin's head against a bench.
"I'll just levitate him right to Dumbledore's office," Oliver said.
"NO!" Meredith shouted. Oliver stared at her, startled.
"Mere," he said hesitantly. Meredith shook her head frantically.
"No, don't tell Dumbledore," she said firmly. "Don't tell anyone!" Oliver looked at her, his expression softening.
"Meredith," he said. "We have to tell Dumbledore. Flint attacked you. He could have seriously hurt you."
"I don't care," Meredith said. It was just too embarrassing. Being caught off her guard like this. Letting her wand be snatched away like that. And the circumstances…no.
"I don't want anyone to know," she said her voice pleading. "Not Dumbledore, not Patricia and Percy, not my father, no one. Please." Oliver bit his lip thoughtfully.
"Okay," he said. "I think you're wrong, but I won't tell anyone." Meredith nodded with a sigh of relief. Oliver levitated Flint out of the bathroom and closed the door behind them. Meredith sank down on the bench and buried her face in her hands. How could she have let this happen?
Once she had composed herself she picked herself up and got dressed. She stepped out of the bathroom and was surprised to find Oliver waiting for her.
"What did you do with Flint?" she asked. Oliver smiled.
"Better you don't know," he said mysteriously. "Being a prefect and all." Meredith nodded.
"Mere," Oliver said hesitantly. "I still think we should tell Dumbledore what Flint did. I mean what if he does it to someone else?"
"He won't," Meredith said. "He only wanted to hurt me. Just me." She shuddered a little at the thought. Oliver looked at her, concern etched all over his face.
"Are you sure you're all right?" he said.
"Yes," she said. Oliver shot her a look of skepticism and lifted her right hand. It was shaking. She clenched it into a fist and held it down at her side. For the first time since she'd met him she found herself unable to look her friend in the eye.
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked gently. Meredith looked up at him.
"You just make sure you beat him at the match this weekend," she said determinedly. If there was one sure way to make Flint suffer it would be to beat him at his first game as Captain. Oliver grinned.
"That won't be a problem," he said. "I've been working with Potter and he's even better than Charlie was. That cup will have Gryffindor's name on it this year Mere. No doubt about it."
"Good," Meredith said. "Because if that GIT wins I just don't think I'll be able to stand it."