"Fine, I'm here," Haylie muttered angrily, "What do you want now?"
"Where are they?" the voice boomed, and Haylie almost believed she felt the ground below her feet shake. Haylie sighed and reached into her back pocket, glaring at the cloaked figure standing before her. Finally she heard the crinkling sound of parchment and pulled the list of passwords from her pants. As she handed him the passwords she could feel a tingle crawl up her spine from his touch. His hands were cold.
"Very good," the figure now whispered, a small laugh emerging from behind the heavy cloak.
"I'm really tired," Haylie yawned, feeling too annoyed to deal with her blackmailer, "Can we just get this over with? What do you need me to do now?" More laughter could be heard from the villain. Haylie really didn't understand why he had to act as if all this was a joke, because for her it wasn't. It still puzzled Haylie why she had been chosen to perform this goons dirty work. She was just a skinny little first year, and a muggle-born!
"Don't be impatient with me girl! After all I could kill you right here and now!"
"Just tell me what you want then," Haylie continued to cooperate only for the safety of her friends and sister. It was a few moments before the figure answered her question. Both beings just stood staring at each other loathingly, waiting for the other person t respond. Eventually the cloaked figure began to speak his plan.
"I need you to still keep quiet. I know you've told those two roommates of yours about our little agreement and believe me...I didn't appreciate it," The voice growled, taking a small step toward Haylie, "They better not open their ugly, rotten little mouths and neither must you. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Haylie frowned, not in anger but in confusion. How did this person find out about Corinne and Eileen? What else could he possibly know about? This fact and these questions haunted Haylie's mind, blocking out everything.
"Yeah, whatever," Haylie mumbled, silently ignoring all the person had told her. As she spent this time with the cloaked figure, Haylie tried hard to observe everything as best she could. After all her observations, such as the villain's strange habit of tapping his foot whenever he spoke and directly stopping when someone else talked, she still could not confirm whether the person was a male or female.
"I also need you to steal something I desire. Elvin Danebrigde has something under his mattress. I need you to get it for me, without letting him know it's gone," the voice continued, frequently squeaking horribly. A sudden gasp arose from Haylie's throat. Shock tingled her body.
"Elvin? Why what has he ever done to you?" Haylie demanded angrily. Once again the booming sound of laughter could be heard from the figure's direction. He seemed to always enjoy Haylie's time with him. Haylie never could understand why he laughed at her all the time, or why someone as evil as him could laugh.
"That boy is as worthless as worthless could be, but he holds the key to my plan. You will follow my orders," the shaky voice ordered, "I will see you again Haylie Granger." Instantly, the cloaked person ran, full speed, to the Forbidden Forest. Soon all sight of him had disappeared as he fully entered the dangerous trees. A loud and heavy sigh heaved from Haylie's tired body. From the day she had began her education at Hogwarts her life had been horrible. She could still remember the day she had received that famous letter and how overjoyed she had acted. Now, she just wanted to go home and forget all that had happened to her over the last few months. The nippy winter air slapped her cheeks as Haylie hurried back to the Hogwarts entrance.
"What could Elvin possibly have that the figure wants?" Haylie whispered to herself as she forced the doors to open.
"Come on Elvin, it's time to go out to the fields," Harry yelled up the stairs to the boys dormitories. Haylie stood beside him, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Where is he? We've been waiting for twenty minutes!" Haylie demanded, turning to Ronald Weasley, who stood a few feet from herself. Ron shrugged sheepishly.
"I'm not sure. He's probably still in his bed snoring loudly," Ron joked, but soon finding that she neither felt it funny nor appropriate.
"Well, he better get his scrawny little butt down here right now because I've got that paper on the Poperatives due by tomorrow and I haven't even started it. Snape will kill me and then I will kill Elvin," Haylie shot back angrily, marching up the stairs.
"Haylie! You're not allowed to go up there!"
"Yeah right I'm not!" Haylie screamed. As she reached the top of the stairwell a strange scent reached her nose.
"Yuck!" Haylie said, pinching her nose immediately. The odor of sweat and cologne sickened her. Probably because she had once gone to her older cousin's birthday party where there were sixteen-year-old guys drinking. Then they began to bother both Haylie and Hermione, which let Haylie squirt some of her perfume in their faces. It was actually pretty funny to anyone who saw it.
"Elvin Danebridge! Where are you?" Haylie called, knocking on several doors before finding her prey. She was surprised to find Elvin fully dressed, just sitting silently on the edge of his four-poster bed. He didn't even acknowledge her as she stepped into his room.
"Are you coming? Why are you just sitting here?" Haylie asked him, plopping herself next to him. When she lowered her chin she saw his hands shaking slightly.
"Are you okay?" Haylie questioned, concern surging through her voice.
"Yeah, I just...I don't want to mess up at these Quidditch practices," Elvin finally turned to her, "With Harry Potter there watching me and Ron Weasley! Ron, who will probably become captain next year, if he doesn't like me or thinks I'm horrible he won't put me on the team."
"That's why you have to practice with us now," Haylie told him, reaching over and taking his hand in hers," So Ron and Harry can see how good you will become and how wonderful you'll be as a..." She paused.
"Beater," Elvin whispered, a smile finally appearing on his face. In her hand she could feel his stop shaking, until finally it was still.
"What are you doing in here?" a voice spat from behind Haylie's shoulder. She closed her eyes a shook her head slightly, hoping against al hope he wouldn't tell.
"Nothing," Haylie replied, instantly letting go of Elvin's hand. Damon's eyes were narrowed in suspicion. A loud gulp erupted from Elvin's throat and Haylie realized how terrified Elvin really was of Damon.
"You're not allowed up here Granger," Damon warned, shaking his head and starting to walk away from the door. More and more Haylie was starting to believe that Damon was the cloaked figure. She also, to her surprise, didn't want to believe it. Damon was starting to grow on her, and finding out he was evil...it just was not what Haylie wanted or needed.
Two broomsticks lied on the ground as Ron Weasley tried, with al his strength to untie the powerful bludgers, which would immediately shoot from the box at the speed of light. Boom! Ron fell to the ground as the two tiny balls cut through the air, sending him to the ground with one sharp push. He groaned and lifted himself to his feet.
"I hate those darn things," Ron muttered, rubbing his rear, "No wonder Fred and George loved them!" Harry smiled and picked up his broom, gazing up towards the sun, where the small gold ball was rushing through the sky. Both Haylie and Elvin bent down to reach for their own brooms, which had been borrowed from the stash in the Quidditch closet.
"Let's go," Harry yelled, leaping onto his broom and pushing his feet to the ground with all the force he could muster. Then his feet lifted from the ground like a shot from a gun. They watched as he twirled in the wind, his jet black bangs slapping his forehead rashly. Next was Elvin. Ron had decided to go last so he could help either of the two first years if needed. Now Ron could tell Elvin needed a little push to get going.
"All you have to do is climb onto the wood side of your broom," Ron explained, showing Elvin what to do, "Then you need to hold on tight and push up with your legs, but only with your legs. You don't want to be tumbling face first over the end." Ron laughed at his joke, while Elvin stared straight ahead, his glassy eyeballs stuck in position. He didn't move.
"Come on Elvin," Haylie whispered, touching his shoulder, "I'll be right behind you." He turned to flash her a brief smile, and after one deep breath, he plunged into the air. His stifled scream could be heard from above the roof, as he soared in zigzags. Haylie giggled. She then grinned at Ron, silently telling him to let her do this on her own. He nodded his chin and took a few steps back to where Hermione was now standing. As Haylie was preparing for her next stab at flying, she could hear her sister and Ron having a conversation.
"Are you sure she can do this on her own," Hermione asked Ron, her voice worried, "Why can't you be stubborn with her like you usually are!"
"Because I've seen her in the air before Hermione! She was great," Ron assured the scared Hermione. When Haylie glanced back at her big sister she could see Hermione staring up at Ron, as if she still wasn't one hundred percent sure he was telling her the truth.
"Well...if you're sure..."
"I am Hermione."
"You know I was scared to death when you played your first Quidditch game. With all the noise and the crowds chanting...well, you know...and I have the same feeling with Haylie," Hermione continued on, "What if something happens to her?"
"Believe me Hermione nothing will happen. Nothing happened to me my first game," Ron told her, looking Haylie's way.
"Yes...that's true. But you aren't as fragile as Haylie is..." Haylie giggled as Hermione said this, watching Ron raise his eyebrows.
"What if she falls and gets hurt? What if she dies? I don't know what I'd do!"
"Me and Harry will be helping her and watching her."
"But what if you two can't get to her in time? What if..." Ron raised his hand to Hermione's mouth. She stopped talking at once.
"Since we really need to start practicing and since Haylie is patiently waiting for you to shut your mouth, as have I, I have an idea," Ron said, quickly.
"What?" Hermione questioned, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Since you are obviously too scared to watch her take her plunge, why don't you just shut your eyes and I'll tell you when she is safe up in the air." Hermione's eyebrows dropped and she peered over at Haylie who gave her a little wave. Hermione copied the gesture and nodded her head in agreement. With that she buried her face in Ron's shirt, her head resting on his chest. Satisfied, Ron looked over to Haylie, and with his free arm, told her to go before Hermione changed her mind.
"Here I go!" Haylie thrust into the air with the speed of a fastball, twirling and shouting. Obviously, being closer to the sun helped, as the air being smacked against her face felt warm and welcoming. Beside her she could see Harry, giving her a quick wink and speeding off in the other direction. Elvin, hovered below her, wearing a smile no less than the happiest he had ever worn. Below her she could see the trees of the forbidden forest, still dark and grim in the bright sunlight. Now she was flying over a river, which rippled and splashed as she flew down and let her hand brush the water. Up ahead she spotted Ron still on the ground with Hermione, and both smiling up at her with proud eyes. A feeling of happiness and joy she had never experienced before, consumed her entire being. She knew Quidditch was her only escape from the gray future that would soon come upon her.