The owl and Amber are still all I own. And I'd say thanks to Greatpowerfuloz for helping in editing but well.....uuhh…..yeah…..if she did I never saw it. Sorry for the grammar and spelling errors. I'm sure you still read it some what. ^-^; Sorry for the major delay. A friend will make sure that I update sooner. * Friend glare and setting hair fire while laughing all the while* I will do it, honestly I will. Excuse me while I go put my hair out. Enjoy the story and please review….and please no flames I get enough. *glares at friend who's holding a lighter* Oh yeah before I forget Bold italic are thoughts J As I now run for my life for now friend has found the joys of a blow torch. HELP!!!!
The first few weeks went by and nothing really happened other then lots of homework. We weren't even able to think about animagus. Slowly Hermione and I were becoming friends. We would study, compare notes while listening to others girls giggle and laugh about boys. Draco Malfoy still hit on me even though I told him to bug off. He just wouldn't get the idea to leave me alone.
"Amber, could you help me with my Deviations?" Harry asked me one Friday evening while I was talking to Hermione in the common room about becoming an animagus. It was after dinner and Hermione and I had already done all our homework.
"Yeah sure in a second," I told him then turned back to Hermione. "Will you get the book from the library?" I asked.
"Yeah but there is no guarantee that it will work," Hermione replied. I just nodded then said. "But it's worth a try isn't? We don't want the teachers to know do we?" Hermione looked worried for a moment then smiled nodded and left the room.
"So what do you want me to help you with? Predicting when you are going to die next?" I teased Harry motioning him to take Hermione's seat. That seemed to be our Professor's favorite past time.
Harry and I were still working when Hermione walked in. She was grinning ear to ear.
"Well?" I asked. Hermione just nodded. "Alright then we can start!" I said startling a few people that were still left in the room.
"Start what?" Harry asked.
"Animagus," I whispered to him.
"I went and got that book," she said.
"But I thought that we couldn't get it?" Harry said a little shocked.
"It's not in the restrictive area Harry," she told him.
"No, but I thought that you…" Harry started.
"Well I changed my mind. Now come on let's start, if I remember right we have a long way to go," Hermione said. Harry and I just nodded and started up stairs to where Ron was. Up in their dorm room.
"We need to find a room that no one will come and disturb us," Harry said as we reached the room. Ron was sitting on his bed with some Quidditch books and cards around him.
"Hey Ron come on!" I said.
"What for?" he gripped.
"Animagus" was all Harry had to say and Ron was up and ready to learn.
"Hey Harry what about the whopping willow?" Hermione suddenly suggested.
"That would be perfect!" Harry said as he grabbed his invisibility cloak.
"Man what I would give for two of these," Ron said as we headed down the stairs and out of the common room. All of us under the cloak slowly made our way out to the tree. Once out at the tree Harry found a stick and stopped the tree. Ron, Harry, Hermione and I went in under the tree. I was slightly amazed that they knew about this. At the end of a long tunnel we came into a room.
"This should do," Harry said. Hermione and I nodded. We started to work on the process. Hermione and I had read the risks and told Harry and Ron about them.
"Bloody hell it's good that we are doing this in a group," Ron exclaimed as we climbed back into the common room.
"Yes," we said. We hadn't gotten very far but then again it had only been a week. We had been working on it every night either after dinner or Quidditch practice, which Ron, Harry and I were on the house team. Ron the Keeper, Harry the Seeker, and I was a Chaser back up.
As the weeks worn on we were exhausted every night and barely getting our homework done, but some how we were still pulling good grades with Hermione at the top. Two weeks before Halloween after a Quidditch practice Cho, who had been at all most all the other practices we had, dragged Harry off. When Harry got back to the common room that night he told Ron that Cho was now his girlfriend. Ron had told Hermione and I overheard it.
"Well can't we just skip tonight Hermione! It's Halloween!" Ron complained as we sat in the common room. We had come a far way and were almost there. None of us had changed yet though, but we had all became closer to one another.
"I guess so," Hermione said pretending to huff. Ron and Harry started to sword fight with their wands.
"Don't worry about it Hermione. Besides haven't you heard all work and no play makes a dull boy?" I told her holding up my wand.
"Yeah but I'm no boy!" she griped back at me also raising her wand. I just smiled ad she returned the smile.
"Well how about…" I started just then Harry and Ron smacked into my wand causing me to hit Hermione's. A jolt of energy ran through me. I looked up at Ron, Harry and Hermione they were all shocked. I figured that the same thing had happened to them.
"What was that?" Harry questioned. Hermione and I just shook our heads.
"Bloody, that was weird!" Ron added.
"You said it Ron, felt like a shock of electricity," I said. Hermione was about to say something when Fred came in.
"Hey are you four going to stay up here all evening smacking wands?" He joked.
"FRED!!" Ron yelled turning as red as his hair. Hermione and Harry were blushing also while I was trying not to giggle, also red.
"Like we wanted to do that!" Harry said turning as red as Ron. I just giggled more, this time Hermione joined me.
"Come on guys the fest is about to start!" Neville said coming into the common room.
We all left the room Hermione and I were still giggling. Then she suddenly stopped.
"Oh I forgot! I'll meet you guys there!" she said then ran off in the opposite direction.
"Wonder what she went to do?" Harry wondered out loud. Ron and I just shrugged our shoulders as we entered the great hall. It was all decked out, with pumpkins hanging in the air and millions of floating candles lighting the great hall. The tables were already lined with students and food. Harry, Ron, Fred, Neville and I sat down at the Gryffindor table. We had been chatting and eating for a moment when Cho Chang came up to Harry. They had been dating for a week or so. He was distracted for the next twenty minutes. Ron and I just made a face at each other.
"You know Ron I really don't like her. She keeps asking me questions about what we do at night. If she isn't with him she is convicted that he is cheating," I whispered to him as I ate a cinnamon roll.
"Really? I just have a bad feeling about her. I tried to tell him but she has him wrapped around her little finger. Besides Harry is to nice to cheat." Ron replied just as Cho left. Harry just watched her leave and go back to her own table. Ron went on talking to a few of the other Gryffindors. I just ate my food in quite. Wonder where Hermione is? She said she would be here. I thought just as Snape came running into the hall. He looked ragged and like he had fought his way to where we were.
"Trolls inside. Trolls…" he said reaching the teachers table before falling to the floor. The great hall was in a panic.
"Bloody hell not again!" Ron said as Dumbledore called out.
"Back to the houses." Everyone silently walked out of the great hall we were about half way to the common room when I remembered.
"HERMIONE!" I said then Harry added, "She doesn't know!" I grabbed Ron's collar.
"Bloody not again," Ron said as we held back and started to look for her.
"I think I know where she is," Harry suddenly said then turned for the library. We were at the door when we heard a scream. It was so loud I thought it would wake the dead. We burst open the door to find Hermione curled up in a ball on the floor. Three trolls stood in our way while a cloaked and masked figure stood with his wand out readying to hit her again with a painful curse.
"Painful isn't it," the guy said hitting her again.
"We have to get Hermione," Harry said gritting his teeth as he tried to get past the trolls. The death eater just laughed as Hermione curled up tighter as he let up on the curse. Harry started to attack the trolls so we could get to Hermione.
"That S.O.B," I said as I slipped between one of the trolls legs. The troll would have followed but Ron and Harry distracted it. The death eater was about to hit her again but I stood in the way and was hit instead. It was the worst pain. It felt like thousands of needles were poking me along my skin as if lighting it on fire, while it felt as if my skin was trying to pull away from me at the same time. I couldn't scream my voice wouldn't work, but I did fall to my knees, twitching. No screaming seemed to irritate the guy so he hit me again. This time it felt like there were knifes, this time I fell to the floor screaming and just wishing for it to stop, suddenly it did. I looked up and in my bleary vision I could see a big black dog sitting on top of the death eater. The dog looked up at Hermione and I, and in the dog's distraction the death eater was able to escape. I turned to look at Hermione who was looking back at me. "Thank you" she silently mouthed and I nodded back to her just as we heard three thuds. Each of the trolls hit the ground at once. Knocked out by Harry and Ron.
"You alright?" Harry asked his eyes still blazing. I noticed that he was leaning on Ron who was leaning on him.
"Yeah," I crocked out, "You?" I asked.
"Bookcase fell," Ron said and I for the first time noticed that the library was a mess of books. There was a small bookcase smashed to pieces and apparently Ron and Harry had been caught in its downfall.
"Thanks for the help Snuffles but you better go," Harry told the dog. The dog looked at him for a second before he ran. All I wanted to do was sleep, to get rid of the pain that still resided in my bones.
"Potter, Weasly, Granger, Lanobi!" We suddenly heard McGonagall call as she appeared in the doorway. Behind her was Snape and Hooch.
"Trying to best your first year Potter?" Snape sneered at Harry. No one said anything.
"I'm sorry it's my fault," I said trying to stand but could only get to my knees. The three teacher's heads turned toward me as in saying "What?"
"I was worried about Hermione, she hadn't joined us at the feast," I started looking at the teachers. "I convinced Harry and Ron to help me find her," I finished still trying to stand but still only was able to make it to my knees. McGonagall looked at me then to Hermione.
"What made you think you could take on a death eater?" McGonagall asked concerned.
"I didn't! I didn't…I'm just sick of people getting hurt! I just didn't want any one else to be hurt!" I said tears now falling from my eyes, as I thought of my parents and how I couldn't do anything for them. No matter what was going on I always was just felt like a spectator and helpless. I hated feeling helpless. I gave up and bowed my head and cried while feeling helpless. It didn't help that I probably just got Ron, Harry and myself expelled from school. I was losing any face I had with them. The next thing I knew I was being picked up and held.
"Still I must say I'm shocked at how well you did. Ten points for each of you," McGonagall said, it barely registered in my mind because of the pain I had and the tears that were falling down my checks.
We all were taken to the Hospital wing. Hermione and I were on magic stretchers, while Ron and Harry limped their way down. Madam Pomfrey just about had a fit.
"I never seen Snape act that way before," Harry said to Ron the next afternoon. We were all sitting in the common room our little adventure with the troll and death eater had brought us even closer. We weren't allowed to go to classes that day, but the teachers gave us the homework so we wouldn't get behind. We were now talking about the night before.
"Yeah, it was scary," Ron said.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Last night didn't you see?" Ron asked. Hermione just shook her head. I was also lost as to what they were talking about.
"Snape, when Amber here started crying he looked like he was also in pain and about to cry. He looked away, if it wasn't Snape I would have thought that he had tears in his eyes," Harry said.
"It was probably nothing maybe he was just remembering something bad," I replied as I looked at some of the photos of my parents. I picked up the last one and found one of my father and his brother. They looked a lot alike. My father's hair was lighter and taller then his brother.
"Hey shall we go practice?" Hermione said finishing up her homework.
"Yeah!" We all said, as we packed our stuff up. After coming back down into the common room Hermione and I waited for Harry and Ron to come back down. She was reading something so I went and read over her shoulder.
"You think you're all that, you little fat bookworm? You are nothing without me. You think that anyone else would want you? You're a @%&*& and &!@#." The note said it and it was just getting started.
"Hermione why read that?" I said as I grabbed it out of her hands.
"Good question," she said as she turned away from me so I couldn't see her cry but I did.
"Who is this guy?" I asked.
"Victor Krum, the seeker on the Bulgarian team," she told me whipping her eyes dry.
"What? That dolt! Are you dating him?" I asked.
"Was, broke up with him. He was just to possessive like I was a snitch, and he still thinks that I'm his. I though he was a nice guy but guess I was wrong," she said.
"That and he is a prat! I saw him a few weeks before I was sent here to England at the beginning of the summer. He was making out with some short chick with black hair," I said.
"WHAT!" Hermione asked but I couldn't answer Ron and Harry came walking down the stairs. "Later," she told me quickly as we joined them.
"Problems?" Harry asked.
We just shook our heads.
"Just girl talk," I said as we walked out of the room.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron told me. I was on my back resting. I had finally succeeded in changing. I turned into a fox, a sliver fox that had a little black in the tail. At least that is what Hermione said.
"Finally," I said as I stood then said. "Come on we need to go," I told them.
"Alright we will be up in just a moment," Harry said as I went down the tunnel to the tree.
I was almost inside and I looked back to see Harry, Ron and Hermione following. When I turned back around I got a very unpleasant surprise, Malfoy.
"Hello, Amber." He said.
"Draco," I hissed.
"I heard that you got into some kind of trouble last night."
"Maybe I did but it's none of your business now leave me alone," I told him as I tried to walk past but he stopped me.
"I told you this would happen if you befriended that Potter, Weasly and Mudblood," Malfoy drawled.
"Shove it Malfoy," I said pulling back from him.
"Hey, Malfoy if I'm a mudblood then you must be an inbreeder," Hermione said cheerfully as she past by. Having her say this distracted Draco enough for me to get past him and join up with Ron, Harry and Hermione.
"Hey if I'm an inbreeder so is your friend Weasly!" Draco called to us.
"No he isn't!" Hermione called back.
"And why not?" Draco questioned.
"Because he's not you," she said as we all walked off, all the way back to the dorm room we were laughing. We all clasped onto the couch in font of the fire, Harry and Ron on the outside while Hermione and I were squished in the middle.
"Inbreeder! Brilliant Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. This sent Harry, Hermione and Ron into another fit of laughter, but I just looked at the fire for a moment.
"Man you don't know how right that comment is," I thought.
"What Amber?" Hermione turned to me.
"Huh?"
"You said that I didn't know how right the comment was," she said.
"I thought it but didn't…" I started but then Harry turned on me.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"Well…. umm…. he is hitting on me isn't he?"
"Yeah but I don't get it?" Ron said lost.
"Um…. I really didn't want to tell anyone this but…." I started.
"Come on you can tell us. We will keep it a secret," Ron said.
"Yeah not like we don't have enough as it is," Harry added.
"Ok fine," I said as I looked at them all. They needed to know they were my friends.
"Draco Malfoy… is my cousin," I said quietly. It was completely silent. The only sound was the fire popping. It was almost like they had all forgotten to breath.
"But how could some one so NICE be related to that GIT!" Ron suddenly shouted.
"Your answer is as good as mine," I replied.
"I wouldn't claim him if he was my last living relative," Harry said.
"I WOULDN'T CLAIM THAT BLOND HAIRED JERK IF HE WAS A DIAMOND!" I yelled.
"I could hear," Hermione said after a second.
"Sorry," I whispered.
"Bloody I'm sorry for you," Ron said.
"Yeah for being related and worse him hitting on you," Hermione added.
"Amber do you think that the death eater that tried to kill your parents was Draco's father?" Harry suddenly asked.
"Yeah, that is as far as my parents knew. You see my father was Lucius's brother. My father married my mother and they disowned him," I said studying the fire. They nodded as the room yet again fell silent.
"Harry, Ron Professor Trelawney would like to see you," Neville said breathlessly as he hurried into the common room.
"Great, I guess that she wants to predict our deaths again," Ron said. Harry tried not to laugh as he got up.
"Well let's hope it is an interesting one this time!" I told them as they left the room. We could hear them chuckling down the hallway.
"Amber we need to talk," Hermione suddenly said as soon as the door closed.
"Sure," I said. Hermione stood and motioned for me to follow.
"Are you sure of what you said earlier?" Hermione asked as we were in our dorm room.
"About Viktor?"
"Yes."
"Well as far as I could tell. There were several girls who were ticked about this Bulgarian seeker who was making out with some girl."
"I'm such a fool! He was nice and all but oh why didn't I leave him after the ball?" Hermione sighed as she slumped on to the bed.
"So did you?"
"Oh yeah! A day after I went to Bulgarian. He was mad. I ran which wasn't the best idea because he found me. As soon as I could I called my parents and they came and got me," Hermione said as she looked at the floor.
"Did he hurt you?" I asked getting angry because a friend of mine had been hurt. Hermione nodded. I then picked up a letter that was sitting next to her and started to read it. It was yet another letter from Viktor. "Hermione! He is coming here over Christmas break," I said reading the letter.
"What? You have to help me!" she shrieked grabbing my arms panic evident in her eyes.
"We need to tell Har…" I started but couldn't finish.
"NO! Please don't tell them!" she shouted cutting me off, fear creeping into her voice.
"But they…" I started but Hermione just looked pleading at me. "Alright I won't tell them and I will help you."
"Thank you," she said, "Now lets study!"
"You read my mind," I said smiling, but on the inside I was trying to figure out how we could deal with Viktor.
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Yeah!!! I'm still alive! Barely……Any ways my friend has put the blow torch away for the time being. I'll update soon. Besides if I want to keep my hair I better.