Chapter 6: Happy Halloween!
"Harry, you mustn't be sticking your nose into business that doesn't concern you." Dorinda suggested more than scolded, she couldn't hide her curiosity over the said subject. "So don't you dare go back to see that monstrous dog."
It was the day after their run-in with the three-headed dog and other than the two brothers, the rest of the group wasn't too keen on visiting the monster anytime soon. It was September 14th, a Saturday and they were all in the library, holding a decent conversation as they caught up on work, or in Dorinda's case, worked ahead.
"Last night, you mentioned that the dog had been protecting something, standing over a trapdoor of a sort." Harry wanted to know what Dumbledore could be hiding in Hogwarts. It both intrigued him and scared him to death.
"Yes but Harry whatever Dumbledore is hiding is most likely dangerous." Julian shook his head. He grimaced as he thought he sounded a bit too much like Dorinda. "If there is some mysterious object being hidden in Hogwarts, there are probably hundreds of enchantments, spells, charms and other obstacles protecting it other than that dog."
"Julian is right Harry, even if you wanted to pursue the subject, we couldn't. We have nothing to go on." Dorinda reasoned, finishing another page in a horrendously long book.
Rose was staying quiet in the whole situation, she didn't seem to really have an opinion. She hadn't been there last night, regrettably and in such didn't feel she should have a say in the matter. She knew Julian could really careless about whatever the dog was hiding. She was sure he was only curious about the actual dog itself.
"Well, I best be off, going to go take a nap perhaps." Julian dismissed himself, packing up his bag.
"Finish that Charms essay Julian! Due to Flitwick on Monday!" Dorinda yelled at the boys retreating back, Julian just flashed them a devilish smile and with a wave, left the library. Harry, defeated, put his head down on the table, he needed to think more on what he knew.
"Look, you're my brother Harry and I want to help, I do but I need more to go on. You get me something, a bit of information to work with and I promise to do all I can to help. Yes?" Dorinda looked up from her book for the first time at him since starting the conversation. Harry poked his eye out of his arm, his glasses a bit askew and nodded, a slight smile on his face.
Almost a week after their little talk, Harry still had nothing else to give to Dorinda on the reasoning behind the three-headed dog's presence in Hogwarts. It was a Friday and Harry was exhausted from the week's work and couldn't wait for the weekend to arrive. It just so happened, something very exciting was about to arrive for him to make the weekend well worth the wait.
"Eh, Harry, isn't that Hedwig?" Ron said, his mouth full of eggs as he pointed up to the white bird who was carrying a long and thin parcel, with the help of Lily, Rose's owl.
Hedwig and Lily flew over and dropped the parcel into Harry's waiting arms. It was then that Harry noticed the curious eyes of the other students. He grabbed the white envelope and quickly opened it and read the letter inside first. He was glad he did, it read:
DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.
It contains your new broomstick, a Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everyone knowing that you have one. Otherwise, they all will want one. Oliver Wood will meet you at 7 o'clock at the Quidditch field for your first training session.
Professor M. McGonagall
"Whoa!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement as he read over Harry's shoulders.
"Come on Harry, we have a few minutes before class starts. Lets go back up to the dormitory and have a look at her." Harry nodded excitedly.
Harry let Ron grab the parcel, a smile wide on his face, and the two boys hurriedly walked from the Great Hall. With their persistent luck though, Malfoy and Julian with their two goons, were standing next to the Grand Staircase, laughing at some unknown joke.
"What have you got there, Weasley?" Malfoy wasted no time in swaggering over to start harassing the two Gryffindors. Julian wasn't far behind but he smiled happily at his brother. "Is that a broomstick?"
"Harry's. A Nimbus Two Thousand, what did you say you got at home? A Comet Two Sixty?" Ron let out a little chuckle at this. "Comets look flashy but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus!" Ron flashed a smile at Harry which was returned amusedly.
"What do you know Weasley?" Malfoy chuckled himself. "You couldn't afford the handle on that broomstick, I suppose your family saves up the money twig by twig, do they?" Julian didn't hold back his laughter at the redhead's expense.
"Shove it Malfoy." Harry spit out when Ron, who was red in the face, couldn't find the words.
"First years aren't allowed broomsticks anyways Potter but I guess they're making an exception." Malfoy raised an eyebrow at the passing Flitwick, who glanced and smiled brightly at the parcel.
"Come on, Draco, I'm starving." Julian tugged on Draco's robes lightly, the boy gave a last sneer to the two Gryffindors and swatting off Julian's grip, walked off into the Great Hall.
"Stupid prats." Ron muttered darkly, watching their retreating backs. Harry just shook his head and took off up the staircase, Ron dashing after him with the parcel tightly in his gangly arms.
"Hello Hagrid." Rose smiled brightly at the overly large man. Hagrid was busy messing with something in his cabinets, its squawked a bit, making Rose jump and Hagrid smile awkwardly.
"'ello Rose, beautiful day out innit?" Hagrid said opening the curtains and setting down some of his rock cakes on the table. Rose took one politely and nibbled on it a bit, hoping to soften it up.
"Gorgeous." Rose took a sip of the tea, which for Hagrid, wasn't too bad. "How's your week been?"
"Jus' me an' Fang!" Hagrid laughed, albeit a bit nervously. Rose knitted her eyebrows but smiled nonetheless. "How 'bout you?"
"Well, I haven't been spending as much time with the family as I had hoped for. I fear we are losing touch, well I am at least." Rose smiled sadly and blinked away her tears, staring out longingly at the window towards the Quidditch Pitch. Harry was having his first practice today, he had been so excited.
"What do yer mean by tha'?" Hagrid asked, his big forehead wrinkled in concern.
"Well the other night, Harry and Ron, were challenged to a duel by Draco and Julian. But, Draco had planned on setting Harry and Ron up, so Dorinda went as well after giving Julian the guilt trip. Julian eventually went to do his part in helping too however. Then they had this awesome adventure without me, they seen a giant three-headed dog Hagrid!" Rose's voice got a bit louder.
"Fluffy?" Hagrid suddenly stood up and went to the window, peering up at the castle. Rose turned her head sharply towards the man.
"Hagrid?" Rose questioned awkwardly.
"Have they wen' back ter see her?" Hagrid asked, urgency filling his voice. Rose shook her head no.
"They said that it was guarding something though. A trapdoor of a sort." Rose explained, Hagrid startled again.
"You kids are meddlin' in things tha' ough' no' ter be meddle wit'." Hagrid muttered, his large hands stroking his matted and overgrown beard.
"Hagrid, do you know what Fluffy is hiding?" Rose inquired, quietly almost hesitantly. "Hagrid?"
"Look, Rose, yer already kno' too much." Hagrid had a soft spot for the little Potter. "What Fluffy is hidin' is between Nicholas Flamel an' Albus Dumbledore."
"Nicholas Flamel?" Rose whispered, it didn't sound too familiar.
"No, no I shouldn' have even said tha'." Hagrid mumbled nervously looking around. "Look yer bes' be off!"
"Nicholas Flamel?" Dorinda repeated more to herself than Rose; she looked at Harry who shrugged. "I've definitely heard it before but it doesn't ring a bell no."
"But you'll look won't you?" Harry said quickly, his curiosity always got the best of him.
"Yes, yes I'll look. Why do you want to know so bad Harry? It's probably nothing." Dorinda was back to concentrating on her essay for Professor Snape, it was already a half foot over the requirement.
"I dunno, I just have this feeling alright." Harry replied. Dorinda rolled her eyes, Harry always had a feeling. "Look you don't have to help me."
"Shut up already, I said I would." Dorinda was getting frustrated with her brother, she was trying to concentrate!
"Alright then. Good job, Rose." Harry smiled at his sister, who smiled back happily.
Time was quickly passing them by; the Potters could barely even believe it when they had been at Hogwarts for two months! With classes, Quidditch practice, visits with Hagrid and study sessions with the ever relentless Dorinda, time was going by particularly fast. Soon, it was Halloween and the four couldn't be more excited to take a break, even Dorinda took the day to just relax.
"That smell is heavenly isn't it Draco?" Julian took in a big whiff of the baking pumpkin that was going through the corridors; they were on the way to Charms.
"It smells like pumpkin." Draco said dully, Julian often said random things such as this. Draco barely paid any attention to it anymore. "Look who it is." Draco sniggered.
"Harry!" Julian said delighted to see his brother, he patted the boy on his back fondly. "Ron." He acknowledged with a nod.
"Where you off to?" Harry asked, smiling at his brother. He didn't really get to spend much time with him anymore, mostly cause of their rivaling houses. "We've got Herbology with the Ravenclaws."
"Charms with the Hufflepuffs, tell Dorinda I said hello." Julian glanced over at Draco who was sneering at Ron openly, the red-head showing his own contempt by glaring at both Slytherins. "We still on to meet later down by the lake?"
They were planning on relaxing after classes were over; they were cut short due to the holiday, and just having some family time. Something of which they hadn't had a lot of since school started, they felt they needed to reconnect. It would be a perfect time as well, they had at least two or three hours before the feast even started.
"As far as I know we are, hopefully Dorinda doesn't cancel and call another study session." Harry laughed a little bit, Julian smiled devilishly. Dorinda could be a little obsessive and eccentric at times.
"Let's go Julian; the pumpkin smell you adore is being covered up by the stench of filth." Draco's lip curled up. Julian rolled his eyes at the boy.
"I'll see you later then, come on Ron." Harry grabbed the boys arm and dragged him away from the Slytherins, waving at his brother as he did so.
"Are you proud of yourself Draco?" Julian laughed as he walked into the Charms classroom.
"Where's Dorinda?" Rose inquired walking down the hill, coming to where Julian and Harry were sitting comfortably up against a tree overlooking the lake.
"I don't know, she was in Herbology earlier though." Harry shrugged as did Julian, for all they knew Dorinda was in the library ditching them for a good book. She might have even forgotten.
"I had a dream the other night." Rose said airily as she gazed out at the lake.
"Did you?" Julian teased with a smile. "Bit weird I think." Rose just nodded absentmindedly however.
"It was with mum, she was singing to us." Rose closed her eyes seeing it clearly; she had had the dream many times before. "She was beautiful; Hagrid has many pictures of her and dad"
"You look like her you know." Julian told Rose smiling, the girl blushed. "We all have her eyes but well, you're a girl."
"Dorinda looks like her as well." Rose said humbly, she did have to admit though that their resemblance was uncanny.
"Dorinda looks different though, you and mum could be twins. You even have her red hair." Harry said as he grabbed an auburn lock fondly.
"And you and dad could be twins too." Julian ruffled his brother's messy black hair. "It's Dorinda and I that rebelled genetically."
"The perfect mixture." Rose chuckled.
Silence followed as they all contemplated their parents. They waited for their sister and relaxed under the cool air and shining sun. After about thirty minutes, Harry broke the silence with starting a now common conversation in their times together. Dorinda had still not arrived.
"Has Hagrid said any more information to you Rose, brought it up at all?" Harry wondered. The subject wouldn't stop bothering him, he was very curious about what Fluffy was hiding. He couldn't let it rest.
"No Harry, I don't want to even bring it up to him either." Rose said patiently, she loved her brother but he was too curious by nature. "I'm sure that whatever it is, if we need to know, somehow we will find out."
Harry just nodded but at the back of his mind, it still nagged him. They kept up a casual conversation about the upcoming Quidditch match of Gryffindor vs. Slytherin but all of them couldn't help but worry about why Dorinda wasn't there. She had said that she was going to be here and she wasn't, sure her work was important but Dorinda was always where she said she was going to be. Even more was that this had actually been her idea.
"I'm sure she is fine, just got caught up with something." Rose tried to reassure her brothers who instinctively worried about their other sister. "You know Dorinda." Both boys just nodded.
"We better get going; the feast will be starting soon. We should get cleaned up." Harry suggested pushing himself off of the ground. Julian followed and helped Rose up before they headed back towards the castle.
"Will you just hurry up already?" Dorinda was trying her hardest to not lose her temper on this Gryffindor girl, but it was starting to slip. An exhausted Hermione, looked up from behind her hands, tear tracks running down her face.
"Could you be less compassionate?" Hermione retorted, wiping the still falling tears off her face. "Besides, nobody is making you stay."
"I have plenty of compassion." Dorinda crossed her arms. "I'm here aren't I?" Hermione shrugged and sniffled slightly.
"Why are you here? I'm sure you think the same things of me as your brother and his stupid friends think." Hermione got up and went over to the mirror, tugging on her tousled curls. "Little annoying know-it-all muggleborn."
"That isn't a bad thing at all. You need to not let those things bother you." Dorinda was getting bored with the Gryffindor. "You are who you are. Everybody will always have a judgment of you and it most likely will always be negative."
"You didn't answer my question." Hermione said turning away from the mirror. "Why are you here?" She asked when Dorinda raised an inquiring eyebrow.
"I had to use the bathroom and like I said I do have some compassion. I couldn't just leave you here, crying." Dorinda readjusted her bag on her shoulder. "Plus, I heard what happened and I know how you feel."
"Its so hard being here around all these people that I don't know. I'm really homesick!" Hermione gazed back at her reflection. "But magic is so fascinating, I wouldn't dare pass up this opportunity." Hermione's face lit up in a smile for the first time that night. Dorinda just nodded.
"We're missing the feast and I'm a bit hungry. So, we better head down before anybody starts to worry." Dorinda cleared her throat; she hadn't eaten yet today and was beginning to get very hungry. Plus, she felt a bit awkward talking to the feelingly Gryffindor.
"Yeah, nobody is going to be worried about me." Hermione laughed lightly but got off the sink and picked up her bag. "You're right though."
"That's a first, Hermione Granger agreeing with Dorinda Potter." Dorinda made a surprised face. "Amazing!"
"Oh shut up." Hermione laughed and smacked Dorinda's arm. She reached for the doorknob but just as she was about to grab it, it was roughly opened from the other side. "Oh!"
Both girls backed away from the door and up to the wall by the sinks as a large, waxy brown, dirty looking, horribly smelling creature walked in. His face was curled into an ugly, dumbfounded look and he carried a large club in his left hand. He breathed loudly as the door shut quickly behind him and Dorinda barely heard the sound of a clicking lock, the troll was locked inside with them.
"A troll!" Hermione whimpered, her bag falling from her hands as she terrifyingly tried to keep scooting farther and farther away from the foul breath troll.
"This is what you get for being nice, Dorinda." She started murmuring to herself, trying to come up with a plan before the troll did. Dorinda took out her wand and set down her bag, her mind was throwing thoughts around faster than she could process them. "Hermione come here!"
Dorinda wanted fewer targets and the troll's eyes were following Hermione, which was fortunate for her but horrible for the terrified Gryffindor. The troll took a wide swing at the mirrors and crushed them all with his wooden club, Hermione who was closer let out a small whimper as glass filled the bathroom floor. The troll took another disoriented step forward towards the stalls and inconveniently closer to Hermione, who screamed loudly at the top of her lungs. That didn't do anything to help them though except to annoy the troll even more.
"Help me!" Hermione yelled falling to her butt and covering her head, she was too scared to take another step. Dorinda then did something very foolish and very stupid but it might just have saved Hermione's life. She picked up a broken shard of glass from the mirror and stabbed it into the troll's beefy leg. The club missed Hermione by mere inches and destroyed the first three stalls in the bathroom instead.
"Ugh, hey." Dorinda mumbled out looking directly at the now angry troll. Dorinda looked at her wand helplessly; she had dropped it when she picked up the glass. It lay hopelessly mere feet away from her, the troll raised his club at her and all she could think of to do was close her eyes and shield her head. "Oomph!"
Dorinda felt the sudden impact to her entire body and she went flying before roughly hitting the ground. She heard her name being called but pain resounded in her whole body, she was too terrified to open up her eyes as she heard a very loud thump next to her and some cheering.
"Dorinda." It was Julian, Dorinda's eyes sprung open and she realized that she was now being held. Underneath her was her brother, holding on to her as if she were about to break. "Are you okay?" Julian coughed out, dust filled the area.
"Yeah I'm fine, where did you come from?" Dorinda asked confusedly, trying to sit up but Julian's protective arms refused to let go of her. "I'm fine Julian!"
"You scared the bloody hell out of me and Harry!" Julian finally relented and let the girl out of his grasp.
"I'm fine; I just got a little caught up." She insisted, her eyes caught sight of the fallen troll, he was knocked out. "What happened?"
"I knocked him out." Ron's voice came out of nowhere, Dorinda looked over and seen her other brother helping up a hysteric looking Hermione.
"Ugh!" Professor McGonagall's voice all five of the students jumped lightly. Professor McGonagall looked livid; one troll was enough for the evening. "Explanation, now!"
"Well, you see-" Julian began just as Professors Snape, Flitwick and Quirrell ran into the room. Julian fell silent at the look Snape gave him and looked at the floor; for once he was lost for words.
"What happened here." Professors Snape slowly exaggerated each word, his voice in a deathly whisper.
"It's my fault Professors!" Hermione squeaked up suddenly, brushing off the dirt on her robes. "I thought I could handle the troll, so I went looking for it. I've read all about them."
"And I followed her, Professor. I wanted to get to the troll before her; I didn't want to be showed up by a Gryffindor. My brothers and Ron must have seen me and followed, thinking I was heading off into trouble." Dorinda finished the lie up perfectly, the three boys looked dumbfounded at the girls.
Here were the two smartest witches in their year, lying to the Professors to save all of their butts. The three boys tried to act like this story wasn't new to them and nodded in agreement next to the ashamed looking girls. It was even more surprising for the brothers to see Dorinda lie to save someone else, that was against everything Dorinda believed in.
Self preservation.
"Be that as it may, not many first-years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll and lived to tell the tale! You five are beyond lucky!" Professor McGonagall looked disappointedly at the two witches. "I cannot believe you two! How foolishly you have acted, five points will be taken from each of your houses!"
"And for the heroes?" Julian's sly voice entered the conversation, a wide joker smile on his face.
"Five points to each of you, for sheer dumb luck!" Professor McGonagall slowly spit out, Julian's smile got even wider. "To your common rooms!"
"Come on Potter!" Snape barked at Julian, as Ron and Harry went with McGonagall and Dorinda with Flitwick. "What were you thinking? Just like your father, foolish boy!"
"It was my sister." Julian just shrugged, Snape scowled down at him. "Could you have honestly expected anything else?"
"Pathetic." Snape muttered below his breath but Julian just ignored him. The rest of the walk to the common room was in silence. Julian couldn't help but notice the limp that Snape was obviously trying to hide but he didn't want to upset his Head of House anymore, so he kept his mouth shut. "To bed."
"Right." Julian chuckled, walking into the common room to the smell of delicious smelling food. Looking around for Draco, he didn't see him, so he just went and set himself up a very large serving of everything and took a seat on one of the many couches. The feast had been brought up to the four common rooms after the feast had been cancelled following Quirrell's announcement.
"Where were you?" Draco's demanding voice came up behind him. The blond haired boy took a seat next to his fellow Slytherin.
"Off saving my sister." Julian said simply. He didn't feel like explaining much, he was too busy stuffing food into his mouth. He was extremely hungry after such a draining experience.
"Your sister?" Draco looked more interested, reclining with his hands behind his head and his feet up on the table. "Rose?"
"You would think but no." Julian took a big swig of his pumpkin juice. Rose seemed more of the one to need rescuing, she was just more innocent. "Dorinda was with Hermione in the bathroom when that troll was let in."
"Oh? Doing what?" Draco closed his eyes, obviously enjoying the story.
"I'm not sure but Harry was worried once we heard the troll was let in and Dorinda hadn't shown up earlier or at dinner. So, Harry, me and Weasley went to find her and then boom!" Julian calmly explained wiping his mouth. "She was just about to get clobbered and I tackled her out of the way. Harry jumped on the trolls back and Ron made his club fly and hit the dumb thing in his head. Knocked the bugger out cold."
"What did Severus have to say?" Draco asked raising an inquiring eyebrow. Julian rolled his eyes, taking another drink of his juice.
"The usual, that I'm just like my father. He really needs some new insults." Julian just sighed, pushing the now empty plate away from him and reclining as well. "Good Hollow's Eve mate."
"What was that?" Ron asked incredulously as they sat down on the couch. The fireplace was scorching hot and letting out pleasurable warmth. Hermione blushed.
"I suppose I just broke the rules didn't I?" Hermione let out a weak chuckle. Ron and Harry beamed at her in a new light.
A new bond had just formed.
Redone: December 8 2010