Khgirl08: Heyheyhey! How's it going, everybody?
Ellie: Yay! -glomps KHG- I missed you! Alright, this time, at Dan's request, I am going to be giving out caramel-filled chocolates! Give a big round of applause to our receiver:
Danielle (I hope you're happy! Lol)
What do you guys want next time? Review and tell us, please!
Khgirl08: Alright, alright, on with the story.
Disclaimer- I don't own it, I swear!
Danielle sighed and opened her eyes, expecting to see her plain white ceiling or the bricked ceiling at Merlin's house. When the ceiling turned out to be a beautiful blue sky filled with puffy white clouds, she sat up in a flash before remembering what had happened to her. That's right… I'm in the meadow of the Hundred Acre Wood. How could I forget that?
As soon as she stood up and stretched out her back, a puff of smoke appeared on the log next to her. A closer investigation revealed that a small, gift-wrapped box was inside the smoke, and Dan pulled it out carefully.
"It's addressed to me? What in the world?" The box fell open on its own, and she caught the note and the piece of chocolate that were inside just before they fell to the ground. "'Dear Danielle: Thank you for your kind reviews, even if they are to my face and not online. You requested this caramel-filled chocolate, so… here! Sincerely, Khgirl08.' Who is Khgirl08? And what is this person talking about?"
"Oh, crap!" A loud voice appeared out of nowhere, and Dan spun around to try and find the source. "I'm sorry, I sent that to the wrong Danielle! Ehehehe… Can I have it back now?"
"Um… Sure…"
"Thanks, Dan, you're a real pal!" The box and its contents disappeared in some more of the smoke, and then Danielle opened her eyes again.
"What? Oh… It was only a dream, a really weird dream. They say that some pregnant women have crazy dreams, but that's a first for me…" Shrugging, Dan closed her eyes again and smiled. "It was a nice dream, though… And that chocolate sounded so good, too…"
"Hello? Is anybody here?" A shrill voice woke Ellie up, and she blinked sleepily as four people entered the cabin, looking around in interest.
"Yes… Grandma Abbie and Dad are asleep in the bedrooms, though…" Yawning, Ellie stood up to greet the newcomers. "Who might you be?"
"My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am… er… was the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The old witch was wrinkled and bespectacled, but her eyes looked kind, if tough, behind her glasses. There were three much younger people, who looked about the same age as Ellie, standing behind her. "I assume that you are Elizabeth Mason?"
"Yes, I am. How did you know that?"
"The King, of course."
"Of course." Ellie smiled wearily as she ran a hand through her mussed hair. "Please, call me Ellie. And who are you three?"
One of the younger people standing behind McGonagall stepped forward, his dark hair sticking up and his glasses sitting lopsided. "My name is Harry Potter, and this is Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
"Harry Potter? Really?!" Abigail suddenly walked into the room, smiling brightly. "Gracious sakes, I haven't seen you since you were a baby! And Minerva, you look so well!"
"Ah, Abigail! It has been far too long!" McGonagall smiled and embraced her friend. "You look just as youthful as ever, Abbie. I only wish I looked as young as you."
"How are things at Hogwarts? Are they improving any? Here, all of you sit down. There's plenty of room, plenty of room." Abbie gestured to the long couch and loveseat that sat in the middle of the room as well as the three plush armchairs around them. All four of the newcomers took her up on the offer and sank into the seats, looking utterly exhausted. Ellie sat back down on the couch and curled her feet under her, staring around at the three teenagers.
"That's why we came, actually. The King told me that if things got too nasty I should bring these three here, and it was getting rather dangerous at Hogwarts. Voldemort just instructed the Minister to make Severus headmaster, and several of the teaching staff have suddenly disappeared only to be replaced by Death Eaters. It would have been too dangerous for the three most wanted wizards and witches on the planet to be at the school, so I decided to evacuate them."
"But Mum wasn't too happy about it. She said that we should never have quit school just to fight Voldemort in the first place." Ron scratched his head and turned his blue eyes back to Ellie. He was quite tall and muscular but thin, and his long red hair looked slightly unkempt. His nose and cheeks were covered in freckles, and his maroon t-shirt and jeans fit him snugly. "You look just like Ginny. I hope that doesn't put her in any more danger."
"Ronald, don't be so rude." Hermione shook her head at her red-haired friend but smiled. "Ron has a younger sister who does look a lot like you. She's taller and has brown eyes, but the two of you do have very similar hair." She smiled at Ellie kindly. "I bet you haven't had the chance to learn any magic yet, have you?"
"No, I haven't."
"That's too bad. You have no idea what you're missing out on." Hermione was slightly shorter than her companions, but her large brown eyes sparkled with intelligence. Her brown mass of hair was so curly, frizzy, and generally crazy that it nearly disguised the beauty of her face. She was dressed in a pink t-shirt and jeans under a white cardigan, and she looked slightly curvy but thin, as if she hadn't been eating well. "I can't wait until you have actually learned magic. You'll love it, I know you will."
"Especially if you're anything like your great-uncle." Harry spoke up once more, smiling, and now that he was closer to the light of the fire Ellie could take in his entire appearance. He was a couple of inches shorter than Ron, and his hair looked like it had been cut more recently than either of his peers. His forehead bore an unusually shaped lightning bolt scar that was partially hidden under his bangs. Like Ellie and Abigail, he had bright green eyes, but his were slightly smaller and more of an almond shape behind his round black frames. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a very old and tattered pair of jeans. "Albus Dumbledore was the greatest wizard to ever live."
"That's what Grandma Abbie told me earlier." Ellie smiled back. "She also told me that, according to her brother, you three are some of the top students of your year at Hogwarts, especially you, Hermione."
All three blushed. "I don't know about me being anything special…" Ron looked away uneasily, and Hermione placed a hand on his arm and smiled. "I mean, Hermione is just an all-around genius, and Harry can duel better than anyone else in our year and is way better at Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I'm…not near as good."
"And yet, you managed to do quite well on your important OWL's without our help, didn't you?" asked Hermione as she placed a hand on his hand. "And you did some serious damage to the Death Eaters in June. You are a great wizard, Ron."
"Yes, and the Death Eaters remember you clearly." Ryan finally made an appearance, sitting on the couch next to his daughter and nodding at the newcomers. "They talked all about you three at one of their last meetings. Voldemort wanted to go over all of your strengths and weaknesses so he could figure out which one of you to go after first. Unfortunately I only got to hear about Hermione and Ron before I had to leave.
McGonagall smiled at Ellie's dad. "It's good to see you again, Ryan. I knew you started lying even lower when you found out that Ellie was on the run from the Death Eaters, but I didn't know you still attended their meetings."
"I usually don't, but they had just captured me and wanted to bring me before Voldemort before throwing me in Azkaban." Ryan grinned wickedly. "Obviously that plan didn't work too well."
"So, Minerva, do you know when the king will be returning? I'm worried about Danielle." Abbie twisted her hands and looked at her feet. "She's expecting a baby, and Lucius kidnapped her."
"Ah, I almost forgot," said McGonagall as she looked at Ellie. "Miss Mason, I am to take you to Radiant Gardens and wait for you to rescue Danielle before returning to The World of Magic with you. The king caught us just before we came here, and he wanted me to tell you all that he doesn't know when he will be back."
Abbie narrowed her eyes. "That's interesting. Do you have any idea where he's going?"
"None. All he would tell me was to make sure Ellie got to Radiant Gardens." McGonagall stood and stretched before turning to Ellie. "Are you almost ready to leave? We don't have much time."
"Yes." Ellie also stood and nodded to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "It was nice to meet you. Hopefully we get a chance to know each other a little better next time we meet."
"It was nice to meet you, as well." To Ellie's great surprise Hermione stood and hugged her for a moment before pulling back and smiling brightly. "Good luck." Ron and Harry echoed their friend's sentiment as she sat back down in the chair that sat between the two of them, and Ellie felt herself blush slightly.
"Ellie, don't leave without your bag." Abigail pulled her wand from her pocket and waved it in the direction of the bedrooms; Ellie's old green messenger bag soared out and hung itself over her shoulder. "Now, be good. I'll try to make sure you find out when I… er… if I leave, alright?"
Ellie smiled knowingly at her grandmother. "Alright, Grandma. I love you."
"And I you." Abbie hugged her granddaughter tightly.
"Ellie?" Ryan opened his arms to his daughter as well, and Ellie had to struggle to hold back tears as they embraced. "Take care, Princess."
"You too, Daddy. It feels like it's going to be another fourteen years until we see each other again."
"No, it won't. I'm not going to let you grow up anymore without me." Ryan smiled at her and hugged her one more time before letting her go and messing up her hair some more. "I'll see you around. I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Alright, Miss Mason, let's get going. We're on a very tight schedule." Professor McGonagall nodded to her three former students. "Make sure you three are careful, and please don't bother Abbie."
"Oh, they won't bother me, but if they do…" Abigail grinned wickedly, and all three teenagers gulped slightly. "Be safe, both of you!"
"Ellie?" Harry stood up, as well, and Ellie turned to him in surprise. He was blushing slightly, and he didn't quite meet her eyes as he spoke. "When you get a chance, tell Ginny that I said…to keep out of trouble, would you?"
Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Ellie nodded. "Of course I will. Goodbye, everyone!"
"Goodbye!"
Ellie and McGonagall went out to the trapdoor, both shivering slightly when the stiff breeze seeped through their clothes. Ellie was sorry that she was no longer wearing Danielle's jeans; her grandmother had insisted she change into one of the blue plaid skirts and white polo shirts that had been retrieved shortly before Maple Brook collapsed. The short skirt wasn't doing much to keep her legs warm, even when paired with the tall white socks that completed the normal uniform for Ellie's school. After Professor McGonagall pulled an invisible string which caused the two women to be raised to the barren island that masked the hide-out, Ellie looked around. "Where is the Gummi ship?"
"Gummi ship?" Professor McGonagall shook her head gently. "If only you could have been raised as what you are, Miss Mason… You really haven't got a clue. I do not need to use a Gummi ship. I Apparate, as I'm sure you've seen numerous Death Eaters and other magical people do."
"Oh, right…"
"No more dawdling, please take my arm." Ellie grabbed the elderly teacher's elbow without hesitation, only to wish she had taken a deep breath first. McGonagall turned sharply, and it was all Ellie could do to hang on for dear life. Once again she had the distinct impression of being sucked through a tiny straw, and when she landed on the pavement of Radiant Garden she took a deep breath and sighed in relief.
"That Apparating really causes a lot of pain, doesn't it?"
"You get used to it after a while." Minerva rapped sharply on Merlin's door. "It's Professor McGonagall! I need inside!"
"Just a moment!" Several locks clicked before Minnie opened the door, smiling broadly. "It has been a while, Minerva."
"Yes, far too long," said Minerva as she smiled down at the mouse. "I have a present of sorts for you."
"Oh?"
"Hello, Your Majesty," said Ellie as she stepped out from behind the elderly teacher. "How are things?"
"Ellie!" Someone dashed around Minnie and hugged Ellie tightly as soon as she spoke. "You're safe!"
"Of course I'm safe, Sky," Ellie replied as she hugged him back. "How are you? And shouldn't you be in bed?"
"Scared, a little nervous. We all stayed up to wait for you. Have you found Hope yet?"
"She is here to rescue your mother, Sky." Merlin walked out of the house, grabbed Ellie's forearm and dragged her inside. "Danielle needs to be gotten from the book as soon as possible. The fact that Lucius managed to hide her in there still mystifies me, but I suppose Death Eaters have their ways."
"Ellie!" Daisy, Denise, Max, Christopher, Taylor, Yuffie, Aerith and Cid were all sitting around the expanded living room, grinning like mad at the sight of their friend.
"Eh-wee!" David clapped his little hands together and smiled. "Eh-wee!"
"Hey, everyone," said Ellie, smiling slightly. "Where is this book, and how dangerous is it?"
"Dangerous?" Cid rolled his eyes. "The Hundred Acre Wood is probably the least dangerous planet out there. According to Sora, it is inhabited by stuffed animals. Danielle is probably having fun in there."
"So, why couldn't you guys have gotten her out without me?" Ellie raised her eyebrows. "I love to help, of course, but if you were so worried about her you probably should have gotten her out earlier."
"Only a Keybearer can go into the book," said Merlin testily, "and none of us have a Keyblade. Therefore, only you can make it into the Hundred Acre Wood."
"Alright." Ellie looked around. "So, where is it?"
"Right over here." Cid gestured to a small stand with a very old book sitting on it, looking innocent. Ellie smiled when she saw a picture of a spiky-haired boy and a stuffed bear sitting under a starry sky.
"Um… what do I do now?"
"Open it! You know, hold your Keyblade up to the lock!" Yuffie laughed loudly. "Come on, Ellie!"
"Right." Ellie summoned Pure Heart and pointed it at the book. "I guess I'll go now. I'll bring her right back, I promise." The lock began to shine brightly, and as the book fell open Ellie felt herself falling forward into it.
When she was standing on solid ground once more, Ellie looked around and saw several stuffed animals: a nervous-looking pig with a pink shirt, a hyper tiger who was bouncing around on his tail, an angry looking rabbit, and a confused yellow bear in a red shirt. "Hi. My name is Ellie Mason. I'm here for Danielle. Do you know where she is?"
"Yes, yes, of course we know where she is, but you just landed in the middle of my vegetable patch!" The rabbit hopped over to her and groaned. "All of those carrots, squashed. Between you and Danielle, I'm not going to have anything to harvest this year!"
"Hoohoohoohoo! Don't worry, Rabbit! We'll make sure no one else falls from the sky!" The tiger, pig and bear all approached Ellie and Rabbit as well. "It's nice ta meet'cha, Ellie! I'm Tigger!"
"And I-I'm Piglet. It is nice to meet you, Ellie…" Piglet blushed when Ellie smiled down at him.
"And I'm Winnie the Pooh, or just Pooh. Are you friends with Sora? When is he coming to visit us again?" Pooh smiled lovably, and Ellie felt her heart twinge with pain.
"Um… soon, I think," she said, hoping that the mediocre answer would suffice the small bear. Apparently it did, because he smiled again and turned away.
"Danielle is over at the log. Come on, Ellie!" The four stuffed animals led Ellie over a small bridge and through some trees, humming and whistling merrily the entire way.
Boy, these guys sure are cheerful! I wish everyone were like them…
"Danielle! You have a visitor!" Ellie followed Tigger around a curve in the path and saw Danielle sitting up against a log, eating something golden-yellow from a pot with an ecstatic expression. A mother and son kangaroo pair and a despaired donkey were sitting with her.
"Oh, Ellie!" Dan stood up and practically ran to the red-haired girl, tears streaming down her honey-smeared cheeks. "Thank goodness you came! I was worried that you might not find me!"
Ellie shook her head. "Nope. My dad figured out that Lucius had brought you here."
Danielle started slightly. "You found out, huh?"
"Yes," said Ellie, "and I couldn't be more thrilled. I missed him so, so much, and I had convinced myself that he was dead. Grandma Abbie is with him at the King's hideout, and I think they're catching up with each other. She told me to tell you hello."
Danielle grinned. "I hope I get to see them after all of this is over. I haven't talked to either of them in years and years." Dan's eyes glazed over slightly, as if she were in a different place and time. "She was like a second mother to me, you know. I practically lived with them during the summers, and half of the time when your mother wasn't even home. Oh, how I miss those days…"
Ellie smiled back. "Are you ready to go? Everyone is very worried about you."
"Oh…" Danielle looked around at all of the stuffed animals, who were still smiling. "I guess this is good-bye, my friends. Everyone… Thank you so much for all of your help and the honey. I was just really, really craving it for some reason…" Danielle began crying again and smiled at all of them. "Good bye!"
"Good-bye, Danielle!"
"Goodbye! Be safe!"
"Say hi to Sora for us!"
"TTFN, ta-ta for now! Hoohoohoohoo!" All of the stuffed animals cried out their farewells and well-wishes as Ellie took Danielle's hand and closed her eyes in concentration. Moments later, they were outside of the book again and standing in front of the large couch.
"Mom!" Sky rushed forward and wrapped his arms around his mother's waist, pressing himself as close to her as he could. "Mom…"
"Oh, Sky! You're alright." Danielle squeezed her son tightly and looked around the room sadly. "Where is Hope?"
"She's safe, for now." Ellie looked over to McGonagall, who was still standing next to the door and tapping her foot impatiently. "Unfortunately, everyone, I have to go to The World of Magic and get some training. I don't know how long it will take me, but… I'll see you all later, alright?" Ellie smiled sadly at everyone around her before walking over to Professor McGonagall, who coughed and stood up a little straighter.
"Yes, of course you will. Good day to all of you." Professor McGonagall and Ellie left the room as everyone shouted their good-byes. "I really had hoped that I would make it back to Hogwarts much sooner, but it seems that I wouldn't get my wishes. Take my arm, please."
Ellie reluctantly grabbed the elderly teacher's elbow and took a deep breath just before being forced through that same straw. Wincing from the unpleasant experience, she opened her eyes just after they landed on solid ground, only to dive to the side to miss a brightly-colored light that shot towards her. "Professor?! What's going on?!"
"The Death Eaters!" McGonagall swore under her breath and pulled out her wand. "Run, Miss Mason! Get as far away from here as you can!"
"Run?!" said Ellie, glaring as the old woman ran into the battle. "Aargh…"
"Ellie, over here," said a young-sounding voice. Ellie turned around to see another red-haired girl standing behind some shrubbery. "This way!"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Ginny, now get over here so I can go and fight!" The girl was glaring reproachfully at the battle in front of her as Ellie joined her. "At least Snape and Malfoy managed to warn us. If Professor Flitwick and I hadn't been waiting out here for their arrival they would have been able to start attacking you the second you arrived."
"Oh… who is the other person for our side, again?" asked Ellie quietly.
Ginny rolled her eyes and set her mouth. "His name is Professor Flitwick. He teaches Charms class here. Now, if you will excuse me…" Ginny took a deep breath and was about to run into the scene of the battle, but a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
"Not happening, Weaslette." Draco looked over at Ellie and winked. "How's it going, Princess?"
"Not too badly, Draco." Why do I feel like I'm going to blush? All he did is wink at me…
"Let me go!" Ginny whispered, tugging futilely on her arm. "I understand that you battling would blow your cover, but why can't I?!"
"You aren't of age yet. Professor Snape instructed me to make sure you didn't try to join in," said Draco, clearly enjoying every moment of infuriating the girl. "What kind of Headmaster would he be if he allowed one of his students to be injured in a pointless battle? You should just stay here and answer this kind little mouse's questions."
"'Pointless battle?' Draco, there is nothing pointless about this battle. We're protecting the school, and that's about as important as it gets right now," said Ginny, still trying to free her arm.
"Actually, Ginny, the Death Eaters aren't attacking the school. They're attacking Ellie. Some of them believed that Ellie was going to show up here sometime, so they decided to stay here and wait for her. McGonagall probably could have managed to bring down the three goons that were originally here by herself within minutes, but one of them went for help when Flitwick went on the offensive and brought lots of friends that are just as thick as he is," said Draco. "So, Ellie, how was your trip? Did you get Danielle back safely?"
"Yes, I did. She ended up inside a book filled with perfectly benign stuffed animals, it wasn't like I actually had to battle to get her out or something. I don't think she was ever in any real danger," answered Ellie.
"She's in danger for as long as her husband is working with the Death Eaters," said Draco, sitting down and forcing Ginny down next to him. "They'll keep going after her if it will make him do their bidding."
"So the king was right! That is how Voldemort is controlling him!" said Ellie loudly.
"Wha? Did I hear someone a'talking from over 'ere?" A pair of heavy footsteps crashed towards the bushes where the three teenagers were hiding.
"Well, I guess this is where I say good-bye. I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll see you both later," said Draco before he stood up and turned on his heel. Before Ellie could even blink he was gone.
"Stay back, Ellie," whispered Ginny as she pulled her wand from her pocket. Ellie nodded and backed up slightly just before a large, red face peered through the brush and sniffed slightly.
"Aha! It's the little Weasley girl! Over 'ere, boys, I found a blood traitor!" The man giggled wheezily before coughing slightly.
Ginny whipped her wand around and said, "Ingruo Bogey!" The man gasped as tiny pieces of bogey flew out of his nose, grew larger, and began attacking the large man.
"Bleargh!" The man pulled back and Apparated away, and the other four Death Eaters quickly followed him.
"Miss Weasley! What were you thinking? I told you not to join the battle!" Professor McGonagall and a very small, very old man with a large quantity of fluffy white hair looked into the bush. The elderly man was looking reproachfully at Ginny. "I also happen to know that you were told the same thing by Professor Snape and the King when they were here."
"I'm sorry, Professor Flitwick, but I didn't have much of a choice. I was in here with Ellie and Malfoy when that Death Eater came over. Draco Apparated away, but that guy would have seen Ellie if I hadn't attacked him. As it was, he spotted me and shouted the alarm, and you know how much most of those Death Eaters hate the Weasley family," said Ginny as she stood up and broke through the branches of the bush with Ellie right behind her. "Did they get in any hits, Professors?"
"No, thank goodness. I believe that Professor Snape and Mr. Malfoy simply warned us of an unplanned attack by several mediocre Death Eaters. If the Dark Lord had actually wanted to capture Ellie outside of the gates he would have sent some wizards with some skill or possibly come himself." Professor McGonagall shook her head and walked back to a large, ornamental gate in the tall fence next to the battle site. As she waved her wand over the lock and muttered some more words that made absolutely no sense to Ellie, Ellie turned Ginny with raised eyebrows.
"How often does this kind of thing happen here, Ginny?" she said.
"Well… There are small skirmishes all over the place, but not usually right in front of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall is right. The Dark Lord would never, ever send people as weak as that to fight here. Professor Flitwick handled them easily by himself. I bet he would have had them gone in another few minutes, even if you and Professor McGonagall hadn't shown up when you did," said Ginny. The two red-haired girls fell into a comfortable silence until the gates opened. Flitwick and McGonagall walked through them at a brisk pace, and the gates closed as soon as Ginny and Ellie had made it through.
"Er… Ellie?" said Ginny softly. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course," said Ellie.
"When McGonagall came to get you, did she have three people about our age with her?" asked Ginny, who had grown even quieter and was looking everywhere but Ellie's face.
"Yes, she did. There was Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter. Why?" Ellie raised an eyebrow at the blushing girl. "Wait, you're Ron's little sister, aren't you?"
"Yes….Were any of them hurt?" Ginny was still avoiding Ellie's gaze.
"No. They seemed just fine."
"And…er…did they mention me at all?" Ginny went even redder as she posed this question; Ellie smiled slightly as even the tips of the girl's ears burned.
"Yes. Ron said that we looked alike, and he was worried about you being in more danger. Hermione told him to stop being rude and told me what you look like, and Harry asked me to tell you-"
"Harry wants you to tell me something?" Ginny looked at Ellie hopefully, and Ellie nodded.
"He told me to tell you to stay out of trouble."
Ginny sighed and turned her large eyes away. "Of course. Never mind everything that happened, never mind the fact that I'm staying here instead of being out there helping him, never mind the fact that he left me here alone! No, all he has to say to me is 'keep out of trouble.' I'll show him keeping out of trouble," she muttered.
"If it helps, Ginny, he seemed a little embarrassed about something, and he almost said something else….What's going on between the two of you?"
Tossing her long red locks over one shoulder, Ginny smiled sadly. "We dated last term, for a couple months. I've had a crush on him for years, ever since I met him, and he finally got up the nerve to take me as his girlfriend in April," she said. "It was perfect, until Dumbledore died. Apparently he left something that Harry had to do, and Harry also got it in his mind that anyone associated with him was going to be killed. Therefore, he dumped me. Right after Dumbledore's funeral, he took me aside and told me that we couldn't be together anymore."
"Oh, Ginny. I'm sorry," said Ellie.
"Don't be. He still likes me, I know he does, but he's got it in his head that the Dark Lord is going to use me to get to him if he doesn't stay away from me." Laughing, Ginny shook her head. "He tried to stop Ron and Hermione from going with him, but they wouldn't hear of it. They're all of age, and as Draco told you earlier, I'm not, so they could leave school and go off on their own and I couldn't join them."
"'Of age?' What does that mean?"
"Are you serious? When you become an adult, of course!" exclaimed Ginny. "When you turn seventeen, you get to make your own decisions and you get to use magic outside of school. I think Muggles have to wait a year longer before they become a legal adult, but it all comes to the same thing."
"Oh…I see."
"How old are you, anyhow? Are you of age yet?"
"Not quite, I guess. My birthday is on Halloween, so I've got a month and a half to go before I'm seventeen," said Ellie, smiling even more. "Wait until I've told Robert that he's been an adult for more than a year. Ha! As soon as my birthday gets here he won't be able to pull the whole 'child' thing with me any longer." Ellie suddenly felt tears come to her eyes at the mention of her friend, and she and Ginny fell into silence.
"Come on, Ellie! Don't let all this talk get you down! You have to concentrate on learning magic so you can go save Hope and the other Princesses of Heart," shouted Axel, inside Ellie's head. "We need you to stop You-Know-Who and Maleficent."
What if I told you that I didn't know who?
"This isn't the time to joke, Princess!"
Axel, I'm telling you, I don't know who you're talking about! And stop calling me that!
"The Dark Lord!"
Oh, Voldemort?
"If you have to say the name, then yes, Voldemort." Axel sighed loudly. "Just keep your head in the game, and don't think about Robert or your mother or Draco or anyone else, alright?"
I'll try…
"There's a good girl. I'm out."
"Finally," Ellie muttered. Ginny gave her a strange look, and Ellie blushed. "Sorry…I…erm…I was just having a conversation with Axel, my spirit guide."
"'Spirit guide?' What's that?"
"Well, I think he's dead, but I'm not sure. He talks to me inside my head, and I answer him back with thoughts. It's actually quite entertaining, because Axel has extremely selective hearing." Ellie giggled suddenly. "He also told me to say hello for him."
Ginny, who had looked positively alarmed for a moment, suddenly giggled as well. "Hello, then! It's nice to meet you…What is that in your hair, Ellie?"
"Huh?"
"There's something right there, in your bangs! It's glowing…green," said Ginny, obviously enthralled.
"Oh, that… The King reckons that it's the result of having my magic pent up for so long or something, it changes with my mood along with this other one," said Ellie, turning her head so that Ginny could see both streaks. "As far as we know, it stays green when I'm not feeling particularly emotional, flashes different colors when I become confused or surprised, and-"
"Miss Mason, Miss Weasley, if you don't get up here at once I shall be forced to lock the two of you out for the remainder of the night," said McGonagall, her voice sharp. Both Ellie and Ginny blushed and walked through the large oak doors that served as the main entrance to the school. Professor Flitwick seemed to have disappeared. "Thank you. Now, Miss Mason, this is the Entrance Hall. The four hourglasses that are lined up against that wall," she said as she crossed the Entrance Hall, gesturing to the four gigantic hourglasses sitting on the ground as she spoke, "keep track of House points throughout the school year. As you can see, each one has a different type of gem that is used to keep track of points. The rubies are for Gryffindor, topaz for Hufflepuff, sapphires for Ravenclaw, and emeralds for Slytherin."
"Ok." Ellie looked around the great stone room; it had a mysterious air of life around it: Ellie was certain that two gargoyles that stood sentry at the entrance were watching her with stone eyes, and the walls seemed to be snorting, as if sleeping. I wonder if they'll be talking tomorrow morning… No! What are you saying, Ellie? Get a grip, girl! Gargoyles don't watch anyone, and walls don't snore or talk!
"Miss Weasley, you may join us if you so wish, but you do not need to. Owing to the absence of our…headmaster at the moment, I will be overseeing Miss Mason's Sorting in his office. She will be considered a sixth year student, but her prowess will be below par, seeing how she has never done magic before." McGonagall's eyes flitted to the now-locked doors of the school and sighed loudly. "This way, please."
The old professor took off at a rather brisk pace, and Ginny followed her without hesitation. As Ellie trailed behind the other two, her amazement at the wizarding world grew exponentially. As well as having enchanted doors, gates, and giant hourglasses, the castle featured staircases that constantly shifted and changed, and Ellie soon realized that the soft snoring that had seemed to emanate from the stone walls was actually coming from the numerous paintings that hung… everywhere. One old witch with the stereotypical wart on her nose and frizzy gray hair muttered something about a flutterby and rolled right out of her frame, causing the young and rugged-looking wizard below her to swear loudly when she landed on top of him.
After successfully navigating the moving staircases, which Ellie supposed was a learned technique, McGonagall led the two girls through a regular maze consisting of long, darkened hallways, several doors, and even one tapestry concealing a hidden passage. The elderly teacher lit her wand tip when they reached a particularly dark passage and continued her brisk pace before stopping at the statue of a particularly ugly gargoyle. "Bumblebee."
"Come right in," said the gargoyle as he jumped aside. Ellie shrieked and jumped away from it, much to the amusement of Ginny and the surrounding portraits, who had been woken by McGonagall's wand. All of them began snickering at her reaction, and Ellie even saw Professor McGonagall's lips twitch suspiciously as she gestured to the stone staircase that lied behind the now open door that the gargoyle had been guarding.
As soon as Ellie stepped foot onto the staircase it began to move, spiraling upwards as she gripped the rail for dear life. How she ended up on solid ground before another great door she wasn't sure, but she was quickly joined by Ginny and Professor McGonagall, the latter of whom rapped sharply on the door and cleared her throat loudly. "I, Professor Minerva McGonagall, have come, along with Ginevra Molly Weasley, to perform a Sorting for one Elizabeth Clarice Mason. Kindly grant us access to Professor Snape's offices," she said assertively.
Ellie had prepared herself for the unexpected, so she wasn't quite as surprised when the door grunted its approval and swung open. McGonagall and Ginny hurried through it, and Ellie barely made it inside before the door snapped shut again. Ginny was staring at it in bemusement. "Excuse me, Professor, but I don't remember that door talking before. What brought that on?"
"It's so Death Eaters can't just storm through the door and stumble upon Snape doing something for the Order," said McGonagall. "Of course, it probably also serves in the exact same way for Order members, but that's beside the point. If Snape is in the middle of something in here, he can have the door hem and haw for a few moments while he gets rid of the evidence. It has also been sound-proofed, so no one inside can hear what is going on outside and vice-versa."
Ellie was looking around the room in fascination. There was a large bookcase devoted to a whole host of slimy, unidentifiable things floating in glass jars of ghastly green liquid, but that case looked tiny in comparison to the floor-to-ceiling shelves that housed what must have been thousands of tomes. There were also a significant amount of spindly-legged tables bearing silver instruments that whirred, growled or gave off puffs of smoke, but none of this interested Ellie as much as the portraits that hung around the large, circular tower. They were all blinking in the sudden light that had encroached upon the dark office as soon as the three women had entered, but every single one of them had their eyes riveted on her. One extremely old wizard actually leaned as close to the front of the portrait as he could and pointed his ear trumpet at her. What are they all staring at?
Apparently Ginny and Professor McGonagall were also curious about this phenomenon, because they were looking at the portraits uneasily. "Yes? What ever is the matter?" asked McGonagall sharply.
"Why have you brought that Muggle girl into the office of our esteemed Headmaster?" queried one particularly sleazy looking wizard, his hands folded calmly over his lap. "I understand that Dumbledore was very keen on those creatures, but is it so much to ask that you keep our world a secret from them?"
"Don't be a fool, Phineas," chided a portly witch several paintings down from the rude wizard. She too was leaning as close to her frame as possible, and her eyes were as round as dinner plates. "She's obviously not an ordinary Muggle, but perhaps she is some kind of a foreign troll?"
"A troll! I should say not, my lady!" All of the portraits began arguing loudly over Ellie's identity, and she couldn't understand the ferocious battle of the words because the sounds and shouts began to echo and crash around the room. Ginny smiled widely as she watched the fight commencing, whereas McGonagall merely shook her head as the wizard with the ear trumpet began striking his neighbor over the head with it.
Finally a quiet voice broke through the chaos. "Friends, please, allow Professor McGonagall to explain herself." All of the portraits settled down, muttering slightly, and Professor McGonagall threw a weary smile at a painting hanging above a large, gilded chair behind the desk. The man in the painting was smiling slightly, and he wore half-moon glasses on the end of his rather crooked nose. His vibrant blue eyes appeared to twinkle, and his long, flowing hair and beard was as white of snow. "I suppose Professor Snape knows of your business in here?"
"Of course he does, Albus," replied McGonagall. "After all, somebody had to oversee the Sorting of our newest student."
The portraits began muttering to themselves and staring at Ellie once more, and she blushed. "Er… hi," she said nervously.
"She doesn't sound like a troll," said the rotund witch, "but maybe she's just pretending…"
"Does she look like a troll to you, Margaret?" asked another witch with narrowed eyes. "Obviously she is a witch, otherwise she wouldn't need to be Sorted, now would she?"
"Preposterous, Minerva! That girl needs to be Sorted with the other eleven year olds in September!" exclaimed yet another wizard. "Why does she get priority? There are still two and a half weeks until term begins, if Professor Snape's calendar is correct."
"I'm not eleven, I'm sixteen." Ellie's statement was met with silence from all of the portraits, and she blushed even harder. "Is that bad?"
"Well, normally people start at Hogwarts when they are eleven," Ginny explained. "You're probably in a one-of-a-kind situation, Ellie."
The long-haired wizard directly above and behind the desk leaned forward with interest. "Ellie, did you say? Ah, Minerva, I did not expect you to find her so quickly after her world was destroyed."
"She somehow ended up on a planet full of Keybearers, and she found King Mickey there before even finding any of them," said McGonagall. "It wasn't a difficult task to track her down, especially when she was reunited with the king and Abigail."
The portrait turned to smile down at Ellie. "How long it has been, Elizabeth, since I held you in my arms? You've grown so much in the nearly sixteen years since I saw you last," he said. "You look so like your mother, and your grandmother. I suppose you also house their spirit. Elizabeth, I am Albus Dumbledore, your grandmother's half-brother."
Ellie grinned. "It's nice to finally meet you, Uncle, although I do wish that I could have hugged you."
"And I the same. However, it was not meant to be." Dumbledore turned to McGonagall and smiled once more. "It is time to perform the most unusual Sorting of Elizabeth Clarice Mason."
"Very well." Professor McGonagall pulled a very tattered hat from one of the bookcases and held it up for Ellie to see. "This is the Sorting Hat. It will tell us what house you belong in so we can settle you into a dormitory-"
"Wait, settle me in a dormitory? Professor McGonagall, I can't just stay here for the whole school year, I have to go to the other worlds and fight Heartless and try to find Sora, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy, not to mention my mother and my best friend!"
"Yes, I am aware of the circumstances. However, you need to be Sorted in order to become a student at Hogwarts, and you need to learn how to use magic," said McGonagall.
"Yes, indeed," croaked the old hat through a rip in its brim. "I have not yet perfected my song, however, so a simple explanation of the houses and their qualities will have to suffice. The four founders of Hogwarts- Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin- each valued a different quality in students. Gryffindor saw bravery, nerve, and chilvary above all else, Hufflepuff believed that hard-work and loyalty should be prized in students, Ravenclaw held the most gifted and intelligent students in high-regard, and Slytherin took in the students who were the most cunning and would go to any ends to achieve their goals.
"I will test you for each of these qualities and place you accordingly. However, just because you are brave does not mean you will be placed in Gryffindor, and you will not be placed in Ravenclaw simply because you are intelligent," said the old hat. "I will attempt to figure out what trait is the strongest within you. Are you ready?"
"Um…" I'm confused… Ellie didn't have much time to mull over her readiness, however. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head, and it slipped down to where it was covering her eyebrows.
"Let's see here… Ah, a Princess of Heart, I haven't seen one of you in years! Now… Yes, I see… Oho! The Dumbledore family continues! Definitely intelligent, a lot of potential for academia… Fiercely loyal to your friends, don't take that loyalty too far, dearie… Certainly you're brave, braver than many a student to sit under me… No, you aren't very cunning, you're far too kind for that… Alright… GRYFFINDOR!"
Ellie winced as the voice in her ear shouted her house loudly, and she heard several of the portraits clapping as Professor McGonagall pulled the hat from her head, smiling broadly. "Very well, Miss Mason, you are in my house! Very well done indeed!"
"Yes! You and I get to be dorm mates!" cried Ginny, throwing her arms around Ellie. "This is fantastic!" Lowering her voice slightly as she released Ellie from the hug, she smiled slightly. "The other girls in our year aren't all that fun to hang out with… They're boy crazy and a little bit dotty most of the time."
"It is time for us to turn in once again; it is nearly two in the morning," said McGonagall as she placed the Sorting Hat back on his shelf. "Let us go."
Ellie turned back to the portrait of Professor Dumbledore, who was still smiling slightly. "Goodbye…"
"Goodbye, Elizabeth," said Dumbledore as McGonagall ushered Ellie and Ginny out of the office. They traveled back down the spiraling staircase (Ellie was still clinging to the railing for dear life) and past the gargoyle, who jumped back into place as soon as McGonagall had cleared the doorway.
"Miss Weasley, the house-elves informed Professor Flitwick earlier this evening that Gryffindor Tower is not quite ready to be lived in. You may stay there if you wish, but the house-elf who spoke to Professor Flitwick, Dobby, I think, seemed think you would know somewhere else to go," said McGonagall. "Goodnight, ladies." And with that, McGonagall strode down the hall, leaving the two girls alone in the dark.
"Lumos." Ginny lit the tip of her wand and held it high, illuminating the hallway around them. Her brown eyes were narrowed slightly. "Right, then, Dobby obviously wanted me to go to the Room of Requirement for some reason. I was up in the common room earlier this evening, there's nothing wrong in there, so he must know something is going to happen there. Let's go."
"The Room of Requirement? What's that?" asked Ellie.
"You'll see when we get there. Actually, we aren't too far from it now, if we take a few shortcuts," said Ginny. The two girls set off in the opposite direction from McGonagall, climbed up a flight of stairs, and traveled down another hallway before Ginny stopped beside a tapestry of trolls in tutus glaring at a funny looking wizard. "Now, think really hard about needing a place to stay and follow me."
"Alright…" said Ellie. She and Ginny paced the length of the hall three times, and a door appeared from nowhere on the third turn, looking as if it had been there all along. "What the-"
"This is it. Come on, before the door disappears," said Ginny, hurrying to the new door and opening it for Ellie.
The inside of the room was impossibly big; it was longer than the wall outside had been, and Ellie was relatively certain that there couldn't actually be a window showing a moonlit meadow in the back. Ginny walked around the room nodding with approval as the entrance melted away behind her. Every wall was draped with scarlet and gold hangings, and there was a two-poster bed on either side of the window with a sink in between them. Although there was a fire going, the room seemed to provide its own light, as well. The fire, on the other hand, seemed to be mostly for decorative purposes; the room was comfortably cool. Ellie removed her messenger bag (which she had nearly forgotten about) and hung it on a peg in the wall. "This is amazing… So it always turns into a dorm room?"
"No. It turns into whatever you need it to. If you want a dorm, it turns into a dorm. If you want a bathroom, it becomes a bathroom. This room has been the Room for Hidden Things, a broom closet, a house-elf bedroom… Harry used it to have meetings of Dumbledore's Army in my fourth year."
"Dumbledore's Army?"
"Yeah. See, there was this horrible hag from the Ministry of Magic, Dolores Umbridge, who got the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts. The only problem was, Umbridge didn't allow us to use any magic in her class because she and the Minister thought Dumbledore was building up an army of students to overthrow the Ministry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all in their fifth year, so they had O.W.L.'s, or Ordinary Wizarding Level exams, and it was really obvious that just learning the theory behind magic wouldn't teach the magic itself.
"Hermione came up with the idea to have a Defense club, led by Harry, that people who wanted to learn how to defend themselves could be taught. It wasn't illegal when we started it, but the next morning Umbridge, who at this point had become the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, which pretty much gave her the run of the school and control over nearly everything, had posted signs everywhere saying that all clubs were disbanded and illegal until cleared by her. She tried to break apart the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but we got that back."
"Quidditch? What is Quidditch?" asked Ellie.
"Oh, I keep forgetting how much you don't know. I'll tell you later, alright? Anyhow, we had to find a place to practice in secret, and Dobby the house-elf told Harry about this room. We started having our meetings in here, and we only disbanded when some girl told Umbridge about one of the meetings. After that… well, we only met twice after that, and that was when Harry went to rescue Sirius at the Ministry and the night Dumbledore died. Only me, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Neville showed up either time." Ginny sighed, looking around the room longingly. "I miss them…"
"Who are Luna and Neville?"
Ginny brightened considerably as she and Ellie sat in one of the plush armchairs that had been placed in front of a roaring fireplace. "Neville Longbottom is a boy in Harry and Ron's year, a Gryffindor like us. He used to be really bumbling and we all thought he was really dumb, but sweet. He absolutely despises Snape, is really horrible at Potions, and really, really good at Herbology. Dumbledore's Army was the first time Neville ever managed to do well at anything spell-wise. We found out that year that he had his dad's old wand, which probably explains his general ineptness, and he had absolutely no confidence in himself until Dumbledore's Army started. He's actually a gifted wizard. Once he got his own wand, he really started shaking things up.
"His parents were members of the original Order of the Phoenix, and when Voldemort disappeared some of his more loyal Death Eaters tracked them down and tortured them."
"Oh, no…" Ellie whispered. "So his parents are dead, too?"
Ginny shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, no. They're still alive and relatively healthy, from what Neville told us, but they're insane. They don't know anything anymore. They were both Aurors, or Dark Wizard catchers, and brilliant ones at that. Neville got sent to live with his batty Gran from the time he was only a year old. We think that part of the reason he was so bad at magic at first was because he was trying to hard to be his dad."
"That's so sad…"
"Yes, it is. Now Luna Lovegood, on the other hand, is quite the oddball. She's a Ravenclaw in our year, and before you get to know her she seems really crazy and weird. Her mother, who I guess was a really gifted witch, died of a spell gone wrong when Luna was nine, so she was raised by her father after that. He runs The Quibbler, which is the oddball magazine of our world, and he is definitely a bit crazy. He has Luna believing in things like Wrackspurts and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, and Luna talks about them all the time, which makes people think she's psycho. She also wears these radish things for earrings, I think they're called Dirigible Plums, because they make you think better, according to her dad.
"Luna got the nick-name of Loony Lovegood back in our first year because she was so different, and she never made any friends. People steal her belongings all year and never give them back until the end of term, and they chuck stuff at her a lot. It wasn't until she met Harry and Neville on the train at the start of my fourth year that she made anything close to a friend, and when the DA started she was all over it. She loved being a part of something, and she became really close to some of us. When Harry needed help at the end of the year, she and Neville were there for him and the rest of us, and she went to the Ministry, too. She fought really well.
"Luna was really, really sad during our fifth year because we weren't having DA meetings anymore. Harry told me that she said that 'it was like having friends.' We all remained friends, however, and she and Neville were the only ones who came to help us fight off the invading Death Eaters at the end of the year." Ginny smiled softly. "I'd honestly call Luna and Neville two of my best friends, along with Hermione."
Ellie sat back in her chair and watched the fire burning. Although the conversation was completely unfamiliar to her, something was causing her to have a minor case of déjà vu. Why does this feel so familiar? Wait…
"Hold on. Now you won't die of pneumonia before you explain what happened, and how you appeared in the middle of the street. Sit. …So, Dad is gone, as well? Obviously somebody wants you, though I can't imagine why anyone would. However, we've got to get you out of here before they do get you. So, let's get going."
"Where can we go, Robert? They're everywhere, they've gotta be."
"Anywhere we can. Maybe if we get out of Maple Brook for just a little bit, they'll go away, and everything will be back to normal. Everything will be okay. It will be like a dream, like it never actually happened."
She had to blink several times before she realized that she wasn't sitting in Robert's library once again, like she and her best friend had so many times before. How long has it been since that last conversation before he disappeared? Oh, Robert! Ellie brought her knees to her chest and began to cry, wishing more than anything that his strong arms would envelop her once more.
"Ellie? Are you okay?" asked Ginny. Ellie looked up at her and attempted to smile through her tears.
"I'll be alright. I'm just missing my own best friend, like you're missing yours. His name is Robert Anderson, and we used to sit in these two gigantic armchairs that were a lot like this one and talk all the time. The library in his house had this roaring fireplace, a lot like this one, and he and I would sit in front of it and talk for hours when it was raining or cold outside," she said, laughing slightly. "Sometimes we would even do our homework together while sitting in those two chairs that he always had to pull in front of the fireplace."
Ginny frowned slightly. "What happened? Did he get killed by the Death Eaters, or did he become a Heartless?"
"I don't know. I was trying to explain to him about everything that had been going on our planet, and he wanted to run away from it all and wait for everything to go back to normal. Then Lucius Malfoy showed up with some Heartless, who turned Robert's mom into one of them before disappearing, and Robert told me to run for it while he fought him off. I almost listened to him, but I stopped to listen to their fight, and I met Axel, or heard him, I suppose, for the first time after Malfoy told Robert to join him or die. I ran back in to help, but Robert was already defeated. Just before I reached him he disappeared in a purple and black fire from the floor. Malfoy said that he didn't have anything to do with it, but I don't believe him. I think he sent Robert somewhere and killed him." Ellie shook her head sadly, trying to stop the tears that were still streaking her pale cheeks. "Robert is more than my best friend. Oh, Ginny, I'm in love with him, but I never got to tell him how I feel."
"Ellie…" Ginny smiled sadly. "We'll find him. Draco and Snape told us that Malfoy Sr. was actually punished by Voldemort for not bringing any hostages from Maple Brook and not killing any of the targets there. I bet Robert was one of the targets, so he can't be dead, right?"
Ellie nodded dubiously. "I suppose," she said before scrunching her eyebrows in confusion. "Ginny, Grandma Abbie told me that most of the magical community is afraid to speak Voldemort's name. Why do you say it?"
Ginny sighed. "I say it because of Harry and Dumbledore. You see, Dumbledore once said that 'fear of a name increases fear of a thing itself,' and Harry truly believes it. He never says 'You-Know-Who' or 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,' not ever. While the DA still existed, he told us about it, and he also tried to get us to start saying it. It was hard at first, but Ron, Hermione and I all say it now. I don't know about the others."
Ellie nodded and stretched. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. What time is it?"
Ginny yawned widely and looked at a clock that had just appeared on the mantle of the fireplace. "Good lord! It's almost three o'clock! We have to be up and ready to go by eight, too!" Both girls groaned and headed for the two beds. There was a set of pajamas on each bed (Ellie's were bright blue while Ginny's were hot pink), and they quickly changed and climbed under the covers. "Good night, Ellie."
"G'night, Ginny." Ellie drifted off to sleep almost at once, and after a while she had a most curious dream. A red-haired woman was next to a dark-haired youth as they walked through a snow-covered field, both of them bundled heavily against the cold.
The woman was much shorter than the man, and both of them looked weary. Ellie wished she could see their faces or hear their voices, but she could never catch up to them. "Hey, wait up!"
She took a deep breath and sprinted towards them, slipping to a stop on the snowy grass and looking at her quarries. The woman had bright green eyes and several wrinkles, and Ellie reached out to touch her. "Mother…?"
"Miss Wheezy! Miss Wheezy!" Ellie jolted to a sitting position when something began jumping on the bottom of her bed. "Oh, my! Please, young mistress, forgive Dobby for his mistake! I believed you to be Harry Potter's second Wheezy. You has the same hair…"
"I'm over here, Dobby," said Ginny, sitting up and staring at the creature with drowsy eyes. Ellie couldn't stop staring, either; it was completely hairless, had large, bulging eyes that were even more vividly green than her own, had long, bat-like ears, and seemed to be wearing at least a dozen hats, as well as an overlong sweater and mismatched socks. Its skin was wrinkly and brown, and it looked quite upset with itself. "You don't need to punish yourself, it was an honest mistake and we aren't your masters. Ellie, I would like you to meet Dobby the House-Elf."
"Hello, Dobby, I'm Ellie Mason. It's a pleasure to meet you, although I wish it weren't so early in the morning…" Ellie looked at the clock on the mantle; it was only six-thirty.
"Please forgive Dobby, but it is urgent that Dobby informs Miss Wheezy of the problems of the dormitories before Miss Wheezy goes to her room." Dobby wrung his wrinkled hands and looked around nervously. "We house-elves has been instructed not to talk, but Dobby must!"
"Dobby, who told you that you couldn't talk? What's going on?" Ginny got out of her bed and sat on the edge of Ellie's, looking down at the elf in confusion.
"The new teachers are not nice people, Miss Wheezy, and they wishes to find Harry Potter and k-kill him." Dobby burst into tears but kept talking. "They want to kill Harry Potter! Oh, the shame, the shame, Harry Potter is a good wizard, he would never hurt no one!" Once he sobbed himself out, he hiccupped slightly before continuing to speak. "The new teachers has put pictures of themselfs on the walls of Gryffindor Tower, Miss Wheezy, so they can spies on you! They thinks you know where Harry Potter, his other Wheezy, and his Granger are, and they will be listening in until the school year starts!"
"Why only until the school year starts?"
"They thinks that the other students will notices the extra pictures in their rooms, Miss Wheezy."
Ginny and Ellie exchanged a dark glance. "Well, then, I guess I'll have to stay in here until term starts, then, won't I?" said Ellie grimly. "They would absolutely love to find me, wouldn't they?"
"Yes, they would," said Ginny. "Thank you so, so much, Dobby. That was a very brave thing to do."
Dobby's tennis ball eyes filled with tears, and he blew his nose into his sweater. "Thanks you, Miss Wheezy!" With a loud crack, Dobby was gone.
"Well, now that we're up and awake, I suppose we should just stay that way. Come on, let's go get showered, and then I'll show you around the school a bit more."
Joy…
Khgirl08: Yay! That chapter's down and out! Review, please!
