Chapter 6: Attacks

Next morning the atmosphere in the Great Hall was quiet and gloomy. People were pale and terrified. The headmaster Dumbledore had informed Gryffindor student Colin Creevey had been found petrified near the Hospital Wing at night. Nora felt sad and gloomy. She was the only one in her friend circle, who came from muggle family. 'What if I'm next?' Nora didn't know what or who was petrifying students, but she knew she had to be more prepared to defend herself.

Nora had gotten new kind of drive in her studies. She had improved in both Charms and Transfiguration skills. She and Corvus had borrowed previous years' first year Defence Against Dark Arts books and practised some defence spells.

One day after a study break, she met Daisy. "Norra, can you give me a minute?"

"O… Okay…" Nora hadn't spoken properly to the girl for almost a month, and secretly missed the bubbly girl's presence.

"I'm verry sorry! I apologized to Corvus already! I saw 'is face, and it ain't 'im!" Tears came to Daisy's eyes. "So please forgive me, I feel awful! I miss you Norra, I don't like tee silence, and the ot'er galls in our 'ouse, ain't my buttys, I've not'ing in common wit' them."

"Y… you a… apologized to h… him a… as well?"

"Aye, cuz I did really wrong!"

Nora hugged crying Daisy. "It's o… okay. It's f… forgiven." Daisy started to cry even harder in another girl's embrace. Nora drew circles in the girl's back.

"So, yea', what's new? Are you like feelin' scared for all tee things?"

"Y… yeah, I m… mean e… everything is s… so n… new hear. The wh… whole magical world, and at th… the same ti… time it's wo… wonderful and ma…. magical, yet sc… scary and foreign. I s…. see the w… way so… some students l… look at me, be… because of my ba… background, a… and I wo… wonder if I r… really belong in h… here."

"Aye, I know the feelin'. I tried to explain it to Matty, but he can't like quite understand it, because he 'as always known t'is world exists. For us, we are still lookin' for our place between tee two different ones, 'cuz in a way we belong in both and still we don't belong in either."

"M… My a…aunt is the only o… one i… in my family, who knows, that I'm a wi… witch. My g… grandparents and ot… other aunt and u…uncles, d… don't kn… know what I am, and I c… can't tell them. I h… have to h… hide th… this huge p… part of myself from t… them."

"I like understand, me dad doesn't know. He and mum are divorced. I live with me mum, and dad lives in Wales. I can't call him from 'ere, and it's weird to send him a letter. Also, mum don't like me talking with dad. Tee divorce was like super messy. It was almost five years ago, and still 'ey don't know like 'ow to talk."

"I'm s… sorry to h… hear t… that," Nora said. "D… do you s… see your d… dad often?"

"No, not really, he married again, and he's busy with his new family. 'e got a baby girl with her. So, mum is even more furious. They broke up, 'cause of her."

"Th… that sad."

"Yeah, it is, so like when you were givin' me silent treatment it reminded me of tee time when I was six. Me parents didn't talk. But I understand, why you did it. I'd react the same if you'd said that about Matty."

"Ha… have you b… been friends fo… for long?"

"Aye, we met when we were seven. Me and mum moved right next door. First, we didn't really play together, 'cuz you know, he's like wizard, and we didn't know I was one. But I still wanted to play wit' 'im, so I melted tee ice, and asked 'im to play wit' me, like so many times, 'e 'ad to agree wit' me", Daisy smiled, recalling her childhood. "We started to play and discovered magic."

In that moment Matthew arrived in the corridor: "Hey, here you are, I've been looking for you all over the castle. Is everything alright?" Matthew asked after seeing Daisy's red eyes.

"Aye, we made up!" Daisy said cheerfully and radiant smile came on her face. Nora really had missed it.

"Oh, that's great," Matthew said and smiled. "How're you Nora, is everything alright?"

"Ye… yeah, just ne… nervous about, y… you know. H… how about y… you Matthew?"

"Can't complain really, are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

"Great, let's go to dinner."

Next weekend, after lunch, Astoria and Corvus were working on their Herbology homework. They were feeling comfortable in the soft green leather sofas.

"Oh, so, this one is the green leaf we used in Boil-Cure potion! It says you can use it in some potions, but also in tea and soup."

"Okay, that's interesting. Does it tell where it grows?"

"No, it doesn't. But didn't Professor Sprouts say, we'll study them in our fourth year?"

"I think it was third."

"Oh, okay", Astoria said. "Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask, how Nora took the news? She didn't seem that shaken up on the dinner and hasn't really asked to talk about it."

"I didn't tell her."

"What do you mean, you didn't tell her?" Astoria cried out. "I thought you told her after the game!"

"I was supposed to," Corvus defended himself: "but I ended up telling her about my parents."

"Oh," Astoria said: "How did she take it?"

"Really well. She doesn't care, who they are."

"That sounds like Nora," Astoria smiled. "I heard she made up with that chatty girl from her house…"

"Daisy."

"That's it!"

"Yeah, she apologized to me, and Nora forgave her for suspecting me," Corvus said. "She also made up with their mutual friend, Matthew. I think he's related to Weasleys somehow."

"That's good to hear! She has seemed a lot of more cheerful after they made up, but now, when are you going to tell her?"

"When the moment is right."

"The moment is never ri-"

"Tori!" Daphne Greengrass laughed and jumped on her sister's neck. "What are you studying?"

Astoria hugged her sister back. "Herbology."

"Oh, so boring! You have Professor Lockheart's lessons tomorrow as well, right?"

"Yes, luckily. He is so amazing! He has experienced so much! And he's so handsome!"

Daphne laughed: "I know exactly what you mean!"

"I have no idea, what you see in him Greengrass", said cold voice full of arrogance. "Corv, my man, we have to talk."

"Sure cousin, I'll just finish this first." Corvus wrote down rest of the assignment. He got up and followed Draco out of the Common Room into an empty corridor.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Draco asked. "You are hanging out with mud-bloods now? Do you have any idea what it does to our family image? Do I have to tell mother and father? Should they send a letter to your parents?"

"What would they do?" Corvus asked. He had anticipated to have the conversation for quite a while and knew exactly what to say to his cousin. "Why do you even care? What I've seen within past these 12 years, you don't care about me, and I don't care about you."

"But it is bad for our family! People will soon label you as a blood-traitor!"

"I still spent most of my time with Pure-Bloods. And so, what if I spent time with one mud-blood, I am still better in magic than it." Corvus chose his words wisely "Plus, it is just friend of my friend. And any name wins over child of murderers."

"You are joking right? After all your parents did was for the greater good!" Draco's words were copy of his parents'.

"Of course, I am, Draco, what do you take me for?"

"So, you are saying, you are spending time with her, just for your own ego?"

"Of course, why else would I? I'm surprised you call it, her."

"I thought, you might be becoming soft, just like our aunt," Draco said.

"I had no idea, that you knew about her."

"Mother accidently mentioned her once."

"I am the son of my parents", Corvus said condescendingly. "I come from the noble house of Lestrange and Black. Mud-bloods, half-breeds and blood-traitors mean nothing to me."

"Still, why do you spend with time of all those people? I just can't understand that."

Corvus smirked at his cousin: "Isn't it obvious? Didn't the previous war teach you nothing?"

Draco only gave him a puzzled look.

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer." Corvus stated. "So, if I see you coming close to them, and trying to screw up my plan, I will show you hell." Corvus gave him a sinister smile: "Because we both know that I can take you there."

Draco had gone pale. The conversation hadn't gone as he had planned. "S… sure of c… course."

"Good, now I'll continue my studies." Corvus said and left speechless Draco Malfoy behind.

Time flew by and it was already the beginning of December. The Hufflepuff team had faced humiliating defeat tot Ravenclaw's, which Ben and Michelle made the rest of the group hard to forget.

It was sunny morning, and the group had agreed to eat breakfast in the Gryffindor table. Nora, being an early bird came to breakfast first. She went to reserve the seats for her friends: "E… excuse me, c… can I s… sit h… here with so… some of my fr… friends?" Nora asked from first year student. She didn't seem to notice Nora. Nora patted the girl on the shoulder, and she almost jumped.

"S… sorry to s… startle you. C… can I s… sit here, wi… with some of m… my friends?"

The girl tapped on her ears. She couldn't hear her. Nora took some pen and paper from her bag and wrote down the question. The girl nodded.

She was one of the most intriguing looking people that Nora had ever seen. She had long straight hair color of bright carrot. Her eyes were sharp and unique yellow.

Hey, I am Nora, who are you? Nora wrote down the question.

The girl took out parchment and a regular pen. She wrote very quickly with neat letters. Sinead Kelly.

Nora smile warmly at the other girl. She continued to write on the same paper: Nice to meet you! Are you first year as well?

Yes, we actually share some glasses together. Sinead wrote down. Nora looked at the girl's answer and recalled seeing the girl in the back of room in the History of Magic lessons.

Oh, yes, now I remember!

Yeah. Sinead turned away tiny bit and took some toast and tea.

Nora organized her thoughts for a moment. She wondered if she was being rude, but decided to write down the question anyway: I hope, I don't sound rude, but can you read from the lips? Is that how you follow the classes?

Sinead didn't even blink when she saw the question. Nora wondered if the other girl was used to questions like that. I can if the other person speaks clearly. Even better if the speak with Irish dialect.

Are you Irish then?

Yes, born and raised. Sinead smiled for the first time during the whole conversation. Nora understood that her roots mean a lot to her.

That's nice! Do you have any siblings? Nora's mind was filled with the picture of traditional Irish family, with parents and plenty of children.

No, I'm the only child. Evening star.

Same with me. Nora's grandmother had once implied that her parents had had hard time of having a baby. Nora's parents had been over 30 years old when they had gotten her.

You are muggle-born right? How have you enjoyed here? Sinead asked. Nora envied the girl's beautiful and effortless handwriting.

Yes, how about you?

Same with you.

Do you have favorite class? Nora asked. She wanted to know the girl better.

I enjoy Astronomy. I'm also looking forward to study divination in the future. It sounds fascinating. I heard that they use palm reading, but I wonder if they have Tarot cards. Sinead's yellow eyes sparkled with joy and excitement.

Wow, can you read them? Nora didn't know if she wanted to study Divination in the future, but she found the other girl's interest about the subject intriguing.

Sinead wrote even faster than before. Yes, I have practiced some palm reading already, and I own the Tarot cards. If you like, I can do some reading for you one day?

That sounds like fun! Nora smiled at the other girl.

"Morning, you're up early", Olivia greeted while yawning. She turned to Sinead and greeted the girl with a nod. Sinead nodded back at the girl. "Why are you exchanging letters?" Olivia asked seeing the written words on the papers.

Nora didn't know, what to answer to the other girl. She knew it wasn't up to her to tell others Sinead was deaf.

I'm deaf. Sinead wrote down neatly.

"Oh, is that the reason why, you are always on your own, sitting down quietly?" Olivia asked, speaking more clearly than usually. Sinead only nodded. Olivia gave the girl her usual mischievous smirk. "Ah, I see now. Well nice to get to know you better."

Sinead just nodded. She didn't write down anything for Olivia to read, but she exchanged notes with Nora. Michelle joined them some time later, but Sinead still preferred to talk with Nora, so Michelle and Olivia spoke mostly to one another.

"Oh my gosh! Did you hear what happened yesterday in second years dueling club!" Astoria arrived at the table. "Daphne told me, that Potter spoke in Parselmouth! He tried to make a snake attack a Hufflepuff student!" Behind Astoria walked Corvus, who sat down next to Nora.

"A… are y… you c… certain? It sounds like a mi… misun…. misunderstanding. H… he and his fr… friends don't s… seem mean nor e… evil."

"But isn't Salazar Slytherin last known Parselmouth?" Michelle wondered.

"I've heard that Dark Lord also knew, how to speak with snakes," Olivia answered.

"Well, didn't he look like a snake?" Astoria wondered, recalling the pictures she had seen of the man.

"He was handsome, when he was young", Corvus joined the conversation. He recalled his aunt telling him about the Dark Lord and showing him some pictures. Many people had said that his mother was in love with the man, but people knew for certain he was Rodolphus' child, because he looked so much like his father.

"I wonder what happened to him, to make him look like a snake?" Olivia wondered.

"Nothing good, I believe," Michelle stated, shaking her head.

"Did you hear about the Potter -incident?" Ben asked in Herbology lesson. "Do you think he really spoke with the snake?"

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing!" Henrick "Henry" Taylor said, he was sitting in a seat behind Corvus, with rest of boys from their house: Cameron Boyle, Sebastian Dayle, and Quentin Harper. "But Pansy Parkinson insists it happened! Also, Malfoy was saying, that the snake was acting strangely!"

"I heard that as well!" Leslie Norton claimed. She was sitting in a seat a head of Corvus. She had been in the common room when the topic had been brought up. She was pureblood witch. Her hair was blond and eyes crystal blue. She was sitting next to Lisa Martley. Lisa was also pure-blood witch, and Leslie's childhood friend. They still remained friends, though Lisa had been sorted in Ravenclaws.

In the same group with them sat with Felicity Eastchurch and Kim Sheringham. Both of them were Ravenclaw students. Michelle hated the group. They were mean, and condescending, and openly bullied Luna Lovegood, from their year. Michelle wasn't friend of the girl but had gone in between of the bullying couple of times.

"I don't think that he's Parselmouth. I mean, if he was, he'd been sorted in Slytherin", Felicity Eastchurch said. "I mean the sorting hat must sense those things!"

"I think he is fake. I mean the sob -story and all", Dorea Wyton said. She was Corvus' classmate. "I think he's evil somehow."

"I don't think so", dreamy voice said from other side of the classroom. "I think he's an honest person, who has Parseltongue." Luna Lovegood had briefly joined the conversation. Michelle smiled at the girl. She really wasn't afraid to speak up her mind.

"Yeah, I don't think he is evil or mean either", Ben agreed. "I wonder where he'd have learned the language though. I thought he grew up with his muggle relatives."

"I've heard the same," Henry agreed. "I think he didn't even know about being a wizard before getting the acceptance letter."

"Or that was a lie as well, to get some sympathy", Dorea claimed. She really didn't like Harry Potter.

Corvus sighed with relief when Professor Sprout walked in, and the conversation ended. He couldn't care less about someone talking with snakes, even if it was the most famous student in the whole school. He was at the school to learn, not to gossip.

The atmosphere in the common room was gloomy. Hannah Abbott was crying against Susan Bones shoulder. Ernie McMillan was cursing under his breath. Daisy was exchanging startled looks with Nora. The petrification had taken its first Hufflepuff student: Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"Do you think it was Harry Potter?" Daisy asked whispering. Nora shook her head, but Matthew did the speaking: "I don't think any student in here could do this kind of magic. It seems like dark arts."

"What should we do?" Daisy asked, clearly being close to panic.

"Wh… what c… could we do?" Nora wondered. "W… we are j… just f… first years."

"But, still, what if we are next?" Daisy was about to cry.

"I think that for our safety, it's best to leave this for the teachers. They are the most capable ones to solve this," Matthew said.

"You don't understand Matty! It's not you, whose life is in danger here!" Daisy cried out, tears now rolling down on her face. "I'm sick of livin' in fear! Lookin' over me shoulder and wonder if I'm next!"

"You won't be next!"

"How can you promise me that? You don't know what we are up against!"

Matthew went speechless, clearly looking out for the words to make everything alright. Nora was about to change the topic when another fight started: "It is the Potter! I know he did this! Why else he would have made that snake attack him?"

"I don't think so Ernie. He has always been kind and polite to everyone", Susan Bones defended the boy.

"Y… yes, why would he attack Justin. I mean his best friend; Hermione is also muggle-born." Hannah added, sweeping tears off her face. "It makes no sense."

"Are you two blind!?" Ernie cried out: "It is obviously a plot! He survived against You-Know-Who, maybe he is him in a disguise!"

"Are you seriously implying Harry is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Susan asked skeptically.

Ernie blushed: "No, of course not! Just, he is not as innocent as he seems!"

"Maybe, you are right…" Hannah said, still not perfectly convinced. Nora could see that Susan still wasn't behind the whole theory but decided to say nothing.

"Of course, I am right!" Ernie almost shouted.

"Okay McMillan that's enough", Leyla Murphy came in between of the conversation. Her words were spoken clearly, but her Scottish accent could still be heard from her speech: "People are frightened and scared, and you're not helping anyone with your accusations and screaming."

Ernie was about to say something back to Leyla but was silenced by the older student: "No, I don't care, what you are about to say to your defense. You're obviously driven by anger right now, so go to calm down in your dormitory. If I still see you after I come back from getting something light for everyone to eat for supper, then I'll take points from our own house, yes you heard me just right."

Leyla looked around: "Wilkins, Owens, want to join me?"

Nora nodded and the two girls followed Leyla out of the common room. "Sorry about that, are you gals alright? I know the atmosphere is intense there."

Daisy was being unusually quiet and just nodded. "Y… yes, I g… guess…" Nora piped.

"I understand if you are feeling scared", Leyla said honestly. "Hell, I am and I'm seventh year student. You see me parents are also muggles." The older girl smiled at the younger ones. "But it only means not to surrender to the fear. Your friend might not understand what you're going through, no one really can. But stick together. We all are stronger when we are not alone!"

Leyla smiled at the two, and both Nora and Daisy felt lighter. Small smiles appeared on the girls faces. "Have you ever been in the kitchen before?" Leyla asked. The younger girls shook their heads. "Oh, you're going to love it!"

The girl walked short distance and came to portrait of fruit basket: "The trick is to tickle the pear."

The picture went aside and entranced opened in front of the group. As they arrived in the kitchens they could see group of house elves, Nora just didn't know that yet.

"Umm, wh… what a… are they?" Nora whispered and asked shyly.

Leyla smirked: "They are house elves. They take care of the food and cleaning of the common rooms in Hogwarts. They mostly spent time in here the kitchens. Hey Nittie!"

Small and fragile house-elf with long ears and small eyes appeared in front of them. "Oh, Ms. Murphy, it's good to see you dear." The elf bowed. "Oh, and who are these little ones, you brought with you."

"Hi, I'm Daisy!"

"H… hello, I'm N… Nora, n... nice to meet y… you M… Ms. N… Nittie. H… how ha… has y… your e… evening b… been?" Nora shook the elf's hand. Nittie blushed and smiled warmly. She was flattered by their sweet greetings. "Oh, Ms. Murphy, you have brought here some sweet ones. It has been good my dear. How may I assist you Ms. Murphy?"

"I'd like to have some soup and sandwiches for everyone in our common room. Could you also make us some tea and hot chocolate and perhaps pumpkin juice. I think, it'd be good for everyone to have something small for supper, considering what has happened to one of our own."

"Of course, I'll send everything to your common room right away", Nittie smiled and bowed. Then she snapped her fingers loudly together.

"Oh, th… thank you so m… much for yo… your ha… hard work. I h… hope w… we didn't bo… bother you Ms. N… Nittie."

Nittie laughed: "Aren't you just so sweet. I wish all witches and wizards were like you. So good to us." Sad yet thoughtful smile came on the elf's face. "But now, up you go, eat and then rest."

"I… is it o… okay i… if I c… come s… some o… other ti… time as well?"

"Of course, my dear! Come whenever you want. You can always call me, even when I'm not on duty."

"Th… thank you, g… good n… night."

"Good night", Daisy and Leyla waved for goodbyes to the elves.

"Good night, dears!" Nittie waved back smiling brightly.