Chapter 11

"So what happened?" Asked Sorina. "Why'd you come back to the tower so late?"

I sighed. This could take a while. Careful not to scare Sorina too much, I told everything that happened with almost perfect detail. The horror I felt at being kidnapped. The pain in my arm and how Madam Pomfrey had fixed it. About my shock when I heard the parts f the prophecy. When I was done, I looked up.

Sorina's eyes were wide open and her jaw was hanging down.

"Sorina, please don't hate me!" I cried desperately. "I can't help it! I'm trying to get better though, I really am."

She realized she was staring and shook her head. "Malfoy, granting evil horrible powers, all that! It's crazy! I can't believe…I mean…I'm here for you." She finished determinedly.

I gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"No problem." She replied. "No problem at all. I mean, I'll get used to the whole portal thing. Thanks for trusting me." She said.

"You're welcome." I said sincerely. "Without you, I don't know if I could take it. I'm too much of a freak as it is with all this portal nonsense. What I really need now is a friend."

Sorina nodded. Then laughing, she said, "This is starting to sound like a soppy love story."

I smiled in agreement. "You're right. Wanna play chess?"

Sorina narrowed her eyes. "You're going down." She said, like one of the cowboys in those old western movies.

"This town ain't big enough for the both of us." I replied, the same way.

Laughing, we got out a chess board and set up the pieces. Thankfully there were no classes that morning. I just hoped that this chess was like the type Ron was so good at.

After playing a few rounds of chess (which WAS like the type in the HP books), we went downstairs to get breakfast, although it was really lunchtime. We sat down at the Gryffindor table, chatting about how cool Hogwarts was.

Professor Potter (I should just say Potter, shouldn't I? Harry did.) came over to me. "Ashley, tonight at 9 we'll meet you on the seventh floor, opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls." He explained.

"Why?" I asked, confused. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Just be there. We're going to teach you in a special room. A very special room."

My eyes must've lit up. Which room? The Room of Requirement? The room where Harry saw the Mirror of Erised first. WHERE!

Potter returned to the teachers table.

"What was that about?" Asked Sorina. "The lessons, duh, but why a special room? What's wrong with the classrooms?"

I sighed. "Have you ever read the Harry Potter series?" I asked her.

Sorina laughed. "You mean the story of Professor Potter's life that Professor Rowling wrote so muggles would think that any thing they found out about our world was for the books and movies? Of course not. Why would I need to? I'm sure it'd be interesting. I heard they're almost completely true."

"Well, maybe you should read them." I said, secretively. "There are some things that, if they're true, are probably not what you expected from him."

Sorina rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Maybe I will, someday. Hurry up! I need to finish my Potions report."

I groaned. "Don't remind me. Why'd she have to give us homework on the first day of school?"

"I know." Agreed Sorina. "She's such a warthog"

I sighed. "Animal?"

She giggled. "Sorry. It's just something you'll have to get used to."