HELLOOO! This came out quickly, didn't it? Well - Before I can let you all read... I have a few things I NEED to say:
IMPORTANT NOTICE - PRETTY PLEASE READ!
Right, I actually have TWO VERY IMPORTANT things I'd like to say, so...
1. Before I started planning this entire series, I had this guide done... But it was just a basic guide, something I could use to create the ACTUAL story. In my original plan, Mr. Athos Selwyn became a father around the age of 16-17... However, that was before I had the brilliant idea of creating Joshua James Selwyn. I changed the Selwyn family - into a family of 5 - and COMPLETELY forgot about the whole age business thing. I only came to realise my HUGE mistake this week, and I've been pulling my hair because of it (not really, I'd never pull my own hair). So - no matter how ABSOLUTELY CRAZY it sounds - Mr. Cheeky Athos Selwyn became a daddy at the age of 15 (teen parents - always makes decent drama stories). Elena is in fact still older than him - though, I can't remember whether or not that's been mentioned already - and you'll all EVENTUALLY know more about the past and blabla. So I've finally concluded that Athos was born December 1959 (yes, that means he went to school with James, Sirius and Remus - and I KNOOW he became a dad in his forth year, can you imagine what the teachers said? D: ) and Elena was born October 1956 (she likes younger boys, what can I do? :p). Anna Louise was born at the end of June 1975, Josh in November 1977 and Jessica remains July 1980. \o
Yes - that does mean that Athos and Elena started their family WAY early, but oh well... that's life. I've seen that happen so many times here in England already that I'm not exactly being unrealistic!
2. I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU ALL! In The Prisoner of Azkaban - before they go back in time to save Sirius and Buckbeak - I have decided to do a special chapter about the Marauders. I have a slight idea about what I want to write about, but I'd REALLY LOVE IT if you guys could tell me what you'd like to know. As long as it's related to the Marauders, Elena, Athos, Lily, Snape... Then I shall write it. I shall also be introducing yet another OC in that chapter, that is quite important to develop Elena's character (you shall all understand everything, eventually). So PLEASE let me know what you want to hear and I promise that I will try my very best to get all your wishes done!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!
Right, I know this is going to be a VERY long author's note, but please bare with me for a moment. I still need to thank my reviewers! (You may skip down to the chapter if you don't normally read my replies!)
Dream Lightning - There will actually be CedJess in the next one, I can't avoid it, but it's not like it's going to get serious or anything. I mean, Jessica does have this crush developing and stuff, but of course, there's loads going on and she won't actually fall madly in love with him!
BlueGreen216 - I know what you mean. I don't plan on making Lavender TOO ridiculously mean, because my story isn't exactly about bad girls vs good girls (it's more like good vs pure evil hehe). But please let me know if you think it's getting out of hand. I'd really appreciate it.
Little Foot - Okay, I must ask: would you mind if I quote you in the future? About the makeup? Because Lila will, in fact, become like a big sister to Jessica. Especially since Anna doesn't exactly show up much for a long time. She also grows close to Hermione and yadda yadda. They do in fact go shopping in Part 4, because of the Yule Ball... and it's going to be a completely perfect girly girl moment. And that's where I'd like to quote you on the makeup thing!
MeganAllard - Voce eu ja respondi! Aquelas HAHAHA. Poxa nao! Ele nao é muito velho pra ela D: (okay, é - mas nao!) Ainda nao vou revelar porque o Josh simplesmente esqueceu hehe. Deixa que a Lila cuida dele ~.~
Right - Thank you for having patience with this LONG author's note. :p But I shall now let you read the update - ENJOY! ^^
Snape's Grudge
Poor Neville Longbottom was in total disgrace. Professor McGonagall was so furious with him, for leaving the Gryffindor tower passwords lying around, that she had banned him from all future Hogsmede visits, given him a detention, and forbidden anyone to give him the new passwords. Jessica and Hermione found him waiting outside the portrait hole the evening after the attack, patiently waiting for someone to show up and let him in.
"It'll all be forgotten by the time the year ends." Jessica said, hoping to cheer the poor boy up, even if just a little.
"We don't blame you, Neville." Hermione added, with a small smile.
In all honesty, Jessica didn't blame Neville for what happened. She'd always been secretly grateful for having someone she could double-check passwords with, especially after Sir Cadogan took over. Thankfully, the Fat Lady resumed her post – on the condition that she had extra security.
Two days after Black's break in, Neville's grandmother sent him the very worst thing a Hogwarts student could receive over breakfast – a Howler. The school owls swooped into the Great Hall carrying the mail, as usual, and Neville choked as a huge barn owl landed in front of him, a scarlet envelope clutched to its beak.
"Run for it, Neville." Ron advised.
There was no need to tell him twice. Neville seized the envelope and sprinted out of the hall. Harry was too busy feeling sorry for his friend that he had didn't notice he had a letter too. Hedwig got his attention quickly, by nipping him sharply on the wrist.
"Ouch! Oh... Thanks, Hedwig." Harry said, rubbing his wrist. He tore open the envelope while Hedwig helped herself to some of Neville's cornflakes.
"Aw... Brownie likes cereal too." Jessica said, as she stroked Hedwig's head.
"It's from Hagrid." Harry said, looking up from the letter in his hand.
Dear Harry, Jessica and Ron,
How about having tea with me this afternoon at about six? I'll come collect you from the castle. WAIT FOR ME IN THE ENTRANCE HALL. YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED OUT ON YOUR OWN!
Cheers,
Hagrid
"He probably wants to hear all about Black!" Ron said. He'd become quite the celebrity after the attack. Everyone wanted to know what had happened in the upmost detail.
During lunch, while people were huddled around Ron, Jessica momentarily broke away from her friends and set off down the endless corridors. She'd wanted to have a little word with her brother after discovering that he'd somehow forgotten to hand in the letters from their parents. It wasn't like him to be this slow-minded. She was walking along the fourth floor, when she spotted the familiar wavy, dark blond hair, resting against the stone wall. Sitting opposite him, was a very cheerful looking Lila Davis.
"Jess! Shouldn't you be eating?" Lila asked suddenly, making Josh turn his head slightly.
"I need to talk to my brother." She said. Lila sighed.
"Joshua, what have you done this time?"
"Nothing!" He said, dramatically. "What's up tiny J?"
Jessica stared at him for a moment. She suddenly preferred the usual nickname, 'Munchkin', than this new one. She continued her way toward them and sat down on the ground, next to Lila.
"Why didn't you tell me that dad sent letters? Do you have any idea how mad I've been at him lately?" She said, irritably.
"Oh yeah!" He laughed, scratching the back of his neck. "Really sorry about that, but he didn't really say much. He spent most of his ink on scolding me."
"I wonder why." Lila muttered, sarcastically.
"I'll give them to you later, if you want, Munchkin." Josh grinned. Jessica crossed her arms and pouted.
"You wouldn't simply forget to hand them in, Josh."
"Yeah, well, I did." He shrugged. "Now go away so I can be with my girlfriend."
"Don't talk to her like that." Lila said, suddenly pulling Jessica into a hug and rubbing her head. "She'll grow up traumatized."
"You two are weird." Jessica said, giving them both a look and trying to relieve herself from Lila's grip.
"There's no need to baby her." Josh sighed.
"But she's your baby sister! Babying your baby sister is a must." Lila grinned and let go of Jessica, who immediately started to fix her hair and clothes.
"Right then, I'll leave you two alone." Jessica said, getting up. She started walking away, but something suddenly clicked in her mind. She paused in her tracks and turned back toward them. "Weren't you two forbidden to see each other, or something like that?"
"We were... But Professor Lupin came to his senses and realised he overreacted." Lila said.
"Actually... It was more like Lila went crying to him, claiming she was depressed and feeling suicidal. Lupin talked to Dumbledore and we were given the okay. We just can't exactly do certain things anymore." Josh smirked, mischievously.
"Wow... You two really are weird." Jessica said, turning once again and continuing down the hall.
Lila waited until she was certain Jessica was out sight and earshot, before she turned her attention back to the smirking blond in front of her. She knew very well what he was doing, and she wasn't going to allow him to go through with it. Not anymore.
"Are you going to tell me the real reason why you didn't hand in the letters, or am I going to have to snoop around your things?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow; the smirk still hadn't faded.
x.x
At six o'clock that evening, Jessica lazily followed Harry and Ron toward the entrance hall. Hagrid was already waiting for them by the time they arrived.
"All right, Hagrid! I supposed you want to hear about Saturday night, right?" Ron asked, quite excitedly.
"I've already 'eard all abou' it." Hagrid said, opening the front doors and leading them outside. Jessica bit the inside of her cheek to keep her from laughing at Ron's expression.
The first thing they saw on entering Hagrid's cabin was Buckbeak, who was stretched out on top of Hagrid's patchwork quilt, his enormous wings folded tight to his body, enjoying a large plate of dead ferrets. Jessica quickly averted her eyes from that unpleasant sight and soon saw a gigantic, hairy, brown suit, and a very horrible yellow and orange tie, hanging from the top of Hagrid's wardrobe door.
"What are they for?" Jessica asked.
"Buckbeak's case against the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures. This Friday. Him an' me'll be goin' down ter London together. I've booked two beds on the Knight Bus." Hagrid said.
All three soon felt a nasty pang of guilt. They had completely forgotten that Buckbeak's trial was so near, not to mention their promise about helping him prepare Buckbeak's defence. Hagrid poured them tea and offered them a plate of bath buns, but they knew better than to accept.
"I got somethin' ter discuss with you three." Hagrid said, sitting himself opposite them and looking uncharacteristically serious.
"What?" Harry asked, curiously.
"Hermione." Hagrid answered.
"What about her?" Ron huffed. Jessica nudged him, quite hard.
"She's in a righ' state, that's what. She's been comin' down ter visit me a lot since Chris'mas. Been feelin' lonely. Firs' yer weren' talkin' to her because of the Firebolt, now yer not talkin' to her because her cat-"
"Ate Scabbers!" Ron said, quite loudly.
"Because her cat did what any other cat would do." Jessica mumbled, receiving a very deadly glare from Ron soon after.
"She's cried a fair few times, yer know? Goin' through a rough time at the momen'. Bitten off more than she can chew, if yer ask me, all the work she's tryin' ter do. Still foun' time ter help me with Buckbeak, mind... She's found some really good stuff fer me! Reckon he'll stand a good chance now." Hagrid continued, with a small smile.
"Hagrid, we should've helped as well – we're sorry." Harry said, awkwardly.
"I'm not blamin' yer!" Hagrid said, waving the apology aside. "God knows yer've had enough ter be gettin' on with. I've seen yer practicin' Quidditch every hour o' the day an' night – but I gotta tell yer, I thought you'd all value yer friend more than broomsticks or rats. That's all."
Jessica felt even more terrible now. She had spent more time with Hermione than Harry and Ron had, but even still, it hadn't been enough. She'd spent most of the previous evening with her. Hermione had cried a river about Black's attack. She kept asking over and over whether or not Ron had been hurt.
"If she'd just get rid of that cat, I'd speak to her again, but she's still sticking up for it! It's a maniac, and she won't hear a word against it!" Ron insisted.
"We're all a bit stupid abou' our pets, Ron." Hagrid said, wisely.
Behind him, Buckbeak spat a few ferret bones onto Hagrid's pillow. They spent the rest of their visit discussing Gryffindor's improved chances for the Quidditch Cup. At nine o'clock, Hagrid walked them back up to the castle.
There was a large group of people bunched around the bulletin board when they returned to the common room.
"Hogsmede next weekend." Ron said, craning over the heads to read the new notice. "Want to go?"
"Well, Filch hasn't done anything about the passage into Honeydukes..." Harry said, quietly, once they were further away from the other students.
"I don't think that's such a good idea." Jessica frowned. "I mean, Black nearly killed Ron, probably thinking it was you. It'd just be too easy."
"Don't be ridiculous Jess; Black wouldn't dare go to Hogsmede." Ron said, rolling his eyes.
"He's entered Hogwarts, Ronald – twice! Hogsmede will be a piece of cake for him." Jessica said, sounding a lot like Hermione.
"If you go into Hogsmede again, I'll tell Professor McGonagall about that map!" Hermione squeaked, appearing behind them and nearly giving Jessica a heart attack. "You can't let him go with you, Ron! Especially not after what Sirius Black nearly did to you! I mean it, I'll tell!"
"Look, don't tell McGonagall, because that map could be really useful to us." Jessica said, hoping to ease the tension between her two friends. "However, I still think it's not a good idea for Harry to go. I'll even stay behind with you if you want."
"No... Really, it's fine." Harry said, uneasily.
"McGonagall needs to know!" Hermione insisted.
"So now you're trying to get Harry expelled? Haven't you done enough damage this year?" Ron said furiously. Hermione, with tears in her eyes, stomped back up to the girls' dormitories.
"What did we just talk about with Hagrid?" Jessica said, dramatically throwing her hands into the air. "Honestly, Ron, you can be so thick sometimes!"
"Harry has the cloak; he can use it at all times! Black won't even realise – that is, if he decides to show up." Ron said, still furious. He only loosened up when he turned his attention to Harry. "So how about it? Last time you didn't get to see anything. You haven't even been inside Zonko's yet!"
"Okay." Harry sighed. He refused to look at Jessica, who was glaring angrily at him. "I'll take the cloak, I swear!"
x.x
Jessica decided against Hogsmede that weekend. She had an essay to get done for DADA about Vampires, which she hadn't bothered to look into properly. She woke up along with all the other students and watched as they got ready for their time out of the castle. She was still mad at Harry for tagging along and was almost certain things wouldn't end too well. She just hoped that didn't mean Sirius Black would decide to appear. She ate her breakfast quickly, so she could follow Harry and try to reason with him at least once more.
"Just think about the risk you're taking... Just for a moment!" She insisted.
"Jess, nothing bad is going to happen." Harry sighed, as he continued his way toward the statue.
"How could you be so sure about that? The people that are in Hogsmede don't appear on the map. Even if they did, could you imagine how terrible it would be if Black got his hands on it?" Jessica said, practically whining.
"You really have been spending too much time with Hermione." Harry chuckled.
"This isn't funny, Harry." Jessica frowned.
"Hey! It seems like you two aren't going to Hogsmede either, that's great!" Came Neville's voice down the corridor. Harry took a deep breath and turned to face him.
"Hello, Neville." He forced a smile.
"Harry was just telling me that he needed to finish his DADA homework. We were discussing whether or not we should go to the library." Jessica smirked, mischievously.
"Oh! That's great! I need to finish mine too... I don't mind where." Neville said, excitedly. Jessica grinned at him.
"Actually, I was just about to tell Jess that I managed to finish mine last night." Harry said, smirking equally as mischievous as Jessica.
"Oh..." Neville said, looking rather confused.
"Well you could always help us, right Neville?" Jessica grinned at him again and she ignored the fact that he blushed quite badly.
"That wouldn't be a bad idea." He squeaked.
"I'll go get my things and meet you at the library then." Harry said, not sounding sincere at all.
"Nonsense, we'll accompany you back to the common room." Jessica said, raising an eyebrow. Harry frowned.
"Come on, Jess, you can't be serious."
"What are you three doing meeting up here?" Snape said, as he strode toward them. He glared coldly at the three thirteen year olds.
"We're not meeting here, we just met up here." Jessica shrugged.
"I've told you time and time again not to test my patience, Miss Selwyn." Snape said, icily. "You three should head back to Gryffindor Tower, where you belong."
Jessica mentally cursed herself for leaving all her books in her room. If boy's were allowed up there, she would've kindly asked Neville to retrieve them for her, but that wasn't the case, and she couldn't spend the entire day keeping an eye on Harry without getting anything done. She sent him a death glare before she dashed up the stairs, but it obviously hadn't been evil enough.
"He said he was going to get something from the library and he'd be right back. I didn't really understand what he said, though, because he talked so fast." Neville said, once she was back in the common room.
She decided it would be a waste of time if she ran after him again. He'd still find a way of getting into Hogsmede, eventually. She knew he desperately wanted some time away from the castle and just be normal for a bit, but she couldn't help but worry for him. Hermione went along with Lila and Melody for a change and promised to bring back some pumpkin pasties. Jessica nearly got lost in her own mind at the thought of pumpkin pasties...
"Are you listening to me?" Neville asked nervously.
"What?" Jessica said, rather startled.
"I don't understand the twenty-third chapter. The whole thing about blood types is just too complicated." Neville said, completely avoiding eye contact.
"Oh... Right... Hang on, I haven't even reached chapter twenty yet." She said, sheepishly.
After three and a half long hours of constant writing, Jessica happily finished her DADA essay. Neville was still a few lines short and desperately searching for a few other facts. Jessica kindly pointed him to another book – which had things written down in much more detail – so he could complete it. Neville had wondered a few times about Harry's whereabouts, but Jessica had told him he must've been caught by Snape again and now suffering the consequences. Apparently, Neville bought it.
"Could you help me with a potion? I need to get it done for Snape, otherwise he'll fail me." Neville said, quite bitterly.
"Yeah... I don't mind." Jessica shrugged. "Do we need any specific ingredients?"
"I should probably go get them... Though, I have no idea where I'm going to find dried worms." Neville said, thoughtfully.
"Okay... Why don't you get your cauldron ready while I go raid Snape's cabinet?" Jessica suggested, raising an eyebrow. Neville grinned and nodded eagerly.
Unfortunately enough for Jessica, Snape's personal cabinet was locked and the key was most likely with the Potions Master himself. Taking a deep breath, she continued down the hallway and stopped just outside his office door. She raised her fist to knock – but paused when she heard the sound of his voice.
"It was your head, Potter, floating in midair." Jessica face palmed. She just knew something was bound to go wrong. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to think of something. Anything. No matter how badly she wanted to slap Harry, for being so damn stubborn, she wasn't going to let him get suspended – or expelled.
"Maybe he'd better go to Madam Pomfrey if he's seeing things." Came Harry's voice.
"What would your head have been doing in Hogsmede, Potter?" Snape said, softly. "Your head is not allowed in Hogsmede. No part of your body has permission to be in Hogsmede."
"It sounds like he's having hallucin-"
"He is not having hallucinations! If your head was in Hogsmede, so was the rest of you." Jessica's eyes widened slightly as something struck her mind. Something that might actually work.
"I've been up in Gryffindor Tower." Harry said.
"Can anyone confirm that?"
Jessica grinned evilly when she heard it. That was the cue she'd been waiting for. Putting on the most innocent face she could come up with, she knocked on Snape's door. He irritably asked her to come in and so she did. She peeked through the door, cautiously, maintaining the innocent look on her face at all times.
"Sorry to bother you, Professor, but – Harry! What are you doing here? I asked you to get that book for me and you're here spending quality time with Professor Snape? No offence, Professor, I'd love to do so myself some time, but we really need to get Lupin's essay done. It's not like either of us will be this determined tomorrow." Jessica said, in an almost scolding tone. Snape stared at her, somewhat amused.
"I was heading to the library when Snape found me." Harry replied, just as innocent as Jessica.
"Honestly, Professor, did you really think that we'd be crazy enough to disobey you after you sent us up? We're troublemakers, but we're not completely insane." Jessica said, shaking her head.
"Right... Well, you two may go." Snape said, rather suspiciously.
"Oh! Before I forget... Neville said he has a potion he needs to get done, but he asked me to get the ingredients because he has no idea where they are. Could I possibly get them from your cabinet?" Jessica asked, with a bright and cheerful smile.
"You are not to help Mr. Longbottom, Miss Selwyn, is that understood?" Snape said, as he got up to retrieve his cabinet key.
"Perfectly, Sir." Jessica nodded.
Snape led the way to his personal cabinet, where he remained as Jessica retrieved all the necessary ingredients. He surprisingly helped when she couldn't reach the top shelf, and she thanked him more than once. She was constantly talking about what she'd written down on her DADA essay, which Snape – also surprisingly – listened attentively to.
"It's nowhere near perfection, but I don't doubt its good enough for Lupin." Snape commented, as he locked his cabinet once more.
"Thanks again, Professor!" Jessica grinned as she dashed off down the hallway, with Harry following closely behind.
"You owe me – big time." Jessica muttered.
x.x
Ron felt terrible after Jessica explained to him – or rather nearly bit his head off – what had happened. Harry didn't dare comment or interrupt as she continuously scolded him for his actions. Somehow – almost miraculously – Ron understood Jessica and Hermione's concerns about Harry being out of the castle without proper protection. He admitted that it was a foolish idea to persuade him to going to Hogsmede. Sirius Black had been sighted there before and there was no stopping him from appearing again. Jessica eventually got tired of scolding the two of them and decided she was going to head up for a shower. However, she didn't get very far. Just as she made her way round the sofa, she saw Hermione entering through the portrait hole, looking rather glum. She also managed to catch a glimpse of Professor McGonagall standing outside.
"Mione, is everything alright?" Jessica asked, silently praying that Hermione hadn't ratted Harry out. "I just thought you all ought to know..." Hermione said, forcefully holding back the tears. "Hagrid lost the case. Buckbeak's going to be executed."
"What? No... This isn't fair!" Ron said, completely shocked.
"He sent me this..." Hermione said, holding out a letter. Harry took it. The parchment was damp, and enormous teardrops had smudged the ink so badly that it was quite difficult to read.
Dear Hermione,
We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed. Beaky has enjoyed London. I won't forget all the help you gave us.
Hagrid
"They can't do this... They just can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous." Harry said. Jessica hiccupped slightly and bit her lip to keep her from sobbing.
"Malfoy's dad frightened the Committee into it. You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope... Nothing will have changed." Hermione said, wiping her eyes.
"Yeah, it will. You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help." Ron said, fiercely.
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of her head.
"God... I'm going to tear Lucius Malfoy – limb from limb." Jessica said, through gritted teeth, as she pretended to be tearing something apart in front of her.
"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers..." Hermione sobbed.
"Oh – well – he was old..." Ron said, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him. "And he was a bit useless. You never know, mum and dad might get me an owl now."
The safety measures imposed on the students, since Black's second break in, made it impossible for them to visit Hagrid in the evenings. Their only chance of talking to him was during Care of Magical Creatures.
"S'all my fault. Got all tongue tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yer looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then... Lucius Malfoy... He stood up an' said his bit, an' the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em."
"There's still the appeal!" Ron said, confidently. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it."
"S'no good, Ron." Hagrid said, sadly, as they walked back up to the castle with the rest of the class. "That Commitee's in Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that."
Hagrid left them at the castle, turned around and hurried back toward his cabin. His head was bowed and he held on tightly to his handkerchief. Jessica took a deep, shaky breath and wiped her teary eyes.
"This really isn't fair." She puffed her cheeks and pouted. Harry raised an eyebrow at her facial expression – if it had been during any other situation, he would've commented on how adorably cute she looked. Her cute expression, however, soon turned into something angry and murderous. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the dreaded little group, all sniggering amongst themselves.
"Look at him blubber." Crabbe teased.
"Pathetic." Goyle chuckled. Draco crossed his arms and snorted – his eyes never leaving Hagrid.
Jessica wasn't entirely sure what possessed her at that moment, but she was feeling murderous. No one was going to tease Hagrid in front of her. It was bad enough the Committee had decided to execute an innocent creature; she didn't have to take crap from other students. At that moment she didn't care if a teacher saw – not even Snape, who would gladly give her a month's detention. She didn't acknowledge the desperate calls from her friends behind her, asking her what she was up to. She didn't care. She marched right up to those blue-grey eyes and –
SMACK!
Harry, Hermione and Ron froze simultaneously. Never had they imagined something like that could happen. Ron did somewhat feel like cheering, but decided against it, seeing as it wouldn't have been appropriate at the time. Draco – who had his hand on his reddening cheek and his eyes completely wide – didn't quite understand what was going on. He was actually quite afraid to ask, because he was certain she'd slap him again for being supposedly dumb.
"That was initially intended for pathetic father, but you happened to be the easier target." She said, in a very scary soft voice.
"She's lost her mind, she has." Crabbe said, gobsmacked.
"I'm actually still quite sane, but that all depends on what you're going to tell that pathetic father of yours." She continued, still looking quite murderous. She took a few more steps forward, making Draco take a few back. He knew better than to do anything when she was angry. He'd been her target more than once – it never ended well.
"Let's go." Draco ordered his little group. He left, rubbing his red cheek, without glancing back.
Hermione cautiously approached Jessica and tapped her on the shoulder. Jessica took a deep breath and slowly turned around to face her friend.
"Feel better?" Hermione asked, quite worriedly. "I'm quite surprised you did that. It was totally wrong and I hope you never do anything like that again, but... Wow!"
"Let's go." Jessica nodded. "We have charms next, don't we?"
x.x
They learnt how to do Cheering Charms during Flitwick's lesson. Jessica was extremely proud of herself for getting it right on the very first try. She was also very grateful for getting the chance to practice the spell on herself. Only a Cheering Charm to change her mood, after she'd lashed out on Draco. She silently wondered whether or not she should apologize for it. In her opinion, he had it coming ever since he decided to tell his father about Buckbeak, but even still... She couldn't help but feel strange. Another strange thing was that Hermione – who had been right behind Jessica the entire time – didn't show up. Jessica tried to think of all the possible reasons for her not being in class, but there was really nothing that made perfect sense. Hermione wasn't around even for lunch, and by then the spell was already starting to fade, so worry started to lurk in. Jessica skipped up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, closely followed by a very tired Harry and a full-stomach Ron.
Inside, on the ground, with her head resting on her Arithmancy book was Hermione Granger. The three friends exchanged confused looks, before Ron strode over and shook her awake. She startled and nearly sent all her pieces of parchment flying.
"What it is? Do we have class now?" She asked, groggily.
"Divination, but it's not for another fifteen minutes or so." Ron said, still looking rather confused.
"You missed charms." Jessica stated.
"WHAT?" Hermione screeched. "No! No! No! How could I forget about charms? I need to go speak to Professor Flitwick!"
"You were with us the entire time, how did you manage to forget?" Harry asked, furrowing his eyebrows together.
"I went to the bathroom and then I lost track of time! I can't stop thinking about Buckbeak... And Hagrid... And I just can't believe this!" She said, hysterically.
"You know what?" Ron said, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. "I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much."
"I am not!" Hermione said, brushing her hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag.
"There's really no need for so many classes..." Jessica said, worriedly.
"I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick now and apologize. I'll see you in Divination!"
Hermione joined them at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom, fifteen minutes later, looking extremely stressed.
"I can't believe I missed his class. I bet Cheering Charms come up in our exams; Professor Flitwick hinted they might!"
Together they climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. The four huddled together at their usual rickety table.
"I thought we weren't starting these until next term." Ron muttered, casting a wary eye around for Professor Trelawney, in case she was lurking nearby.
"Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry." Harry muttered back. "I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands."
"Good day to you!" Said the familiar, misty voice, and Professor Trelawney made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows. Parvati and Lavender quivered with excitement. "I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned. The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice."
"Well, honestly... 'The fates have informed me'... Who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction." Hermione snorted, not bothering to keep her voice down. Jessica nudged her, but looked amused. Harry and Ron both pinched themselves to keep from laughing. It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelawney had heard them as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not.
"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art. I do not expect any of you to see when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes." Ron began to snigger uncontrollably. Jessica and Hermione exchanged amused looks. "So as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will see before the end of class!"
And so they began. Jessica felt quite silly, staring blankly at the crystal ball. She tried to clear her mind – more than once – in order to focus properly. It didn't help much when Ron and Harry kept commenting, or when Hermione started to tut.
"Has anyone seen anything yet?" Jessica asked, after a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal gazing.
"Yeah, there's a burn on this table." Ron said, pointing. "Someone's spilled their candle."
"This is such a waste of time. I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms." Hermione groaned. Professor Trelawney rustled past.
"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" She murmured over the clinking of her bangles.
"I don't need help. It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight." Ron whispered. Harry and Hermione burst out laughing and Jessica rolled her eyes.
"Now, really! You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!" Trelawney said. Everyone's heads turned to their direction. Trelawney moved closer to their table and peered into their crystal ball. Harry felt his heart sinking. He was certain he knew what was coming. "There is something here! Something moving... But what is it?"
"A Firebolt, maybe?" Jessica muttered, sighing deeply. Ron snorted.
"My dear!" Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry. "It is here, plainer than ever before... My dear, stalking toward you, growing ever closer... The Gri-"
"Oh, for goodness sake! Not that ridiculous Grim again!" Hermione said, loudly. Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. She then stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakeable anger.
"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane." There was a moment's silence. Jessica's eyes were wider than they'd ever been. She looked between her Professor and Hermione, wondering which one would react first.
"Fine!" Hermione said, suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. "I give up! I'm leaving!"
And to everyone's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder and out of sight.
After Hermione's outburst, Harry and Ron had settled down a little. Jessica managed to finally clear her mind and focus, while the two boys went on and on about the Quidditch final. She rested her head in her crossed arms, tuned out the sounds around her and stared into the crystal ball. A sudden memory flickered into her mind – she'd seen something there before. With her mind focusing on that, the fog began to swirl. Ever so slowly, shapes began to form. They soon turned into something small, quite round and – it was a rat. Jessica jumped back with a disgusted look on her face. She hated rats. Harry and Ron gave her a confused look, but she shrugged them off and rested her head on the table once again, and continued to stare at the crystal ball. She rolled her eyes when she saw the rat again – perhaps this thing was a much nicer version of a boggart? This time, however, the rat appeared next to the Whomping Willow. Jessica wondered, for a slight moment, whether Scabbers was alive or not. What really caught her attention was what was standing right next to the temperamental tree and growling at the rat.
"Scruffy!"
"What?" Ron asked, confused.
"Oh God, I think she's seeing things." Harry teased.
"Shut up." Jessica huffed.
x.x
Jessica groaned and pulled on her long curls for the thousandth time that night. Hermione had, very strictly, sent her to bed at ten o'clock, but she hadn't been able to sleep at all. At half past midnight, Jessica gave up on tossing and turning and headed down to the dark common room. She curled herself up on the comfortable armchair and stared into the pitch black room. Strangely enough, the image of the stray dog, growling at a rat, right under the Whomping Willow, didn't leave her mind. It was as if there was some sort of sign behind it. Did it have anything to do with Harry and the Grim? It said in the book that the Grim took the shape of a black dog. Was Harry in danger? Well, more danger than Jessica already knew of at least. With that in mind, she cursed herself for leaving her wand upstairs. What if Sirius Black chose that exact moment to enter the common room? She could possibly pretend to be asleep, then sneak up behind him and leave him defenceless... Of course, she would have to learn the spells to do so first. She groaned again and closed her eyes. Hermione had told her to count sheep. She didn't exactly know what she meant by that – especially because there was not a single chance she'd go out looking for sheep just to count them up. Jessica huffed and placed her feet back on the floor. Even though she was in her slippers, she could feel the cold seeping through. She was cold all over when she had cold feet. She sighed and stood up. Even if she couldn't sleep, at least her bed would be much warmer.
However, just as she lazily made it to the staircase, she bumped into someone – and fell to the floor. "I was wondering when that would happen again." Harry smiled.
"What are you doing up?" Jessica whispered, as he helped her back on her feet.
"I... I'm going to check something out. I'll be right back." He said, dashing past her.
"Wait... What? Have you completely lost your mind? Not only is it not safe for you to be alone, it's against the rules!" Jessica said, astounded.
"Rules were meant to be broken." Harry said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well – okay, good point." Jessica sighed and began walking toward him. "Where are we going then?"
"No... You should stay here. I mean-" Jessica grabbed the map from Harry's hands before he continue his reasoning. She flipped through it, silently wondering what could be so important that had to be seen at such an hour.
"I swear, if you're going after Black, I'll kill you myself." Jessica murmured, as she continued to survey the map.
"No... It's not Black. It's-" Jessica gasped. "You've found it, I suppose."
"Peter Pettigrew?" Jessica read, her eyes growing wider by the second. "That's impossible. That's improbable. There's no way that he's... I-I mean Black... A-and you said-"
"I know. Maybe you should stay, Jess." Harry said, trying to pry the map out of her hands.
"What and miss out on this? Dream on Harry James Potter. Let's go." She said, eagerly.
"Lumos!" Harry whispered.
The Marauder's Map was in fact a very blessed gift. Jessica had no idea how she would ever thank the twins and her brother for passing it down. She was quite curious to know where they got it from, though. She never remembered to ask Harry. Now wasn't the time, however. They walked down the long corridors and down a few steps. Some of the portraits would complain about their light, but at least they kept their voices down. As long as they didn't run into Peeves, they'd be safe.
"Where's your cloak?" Jessica whispered.
"I... Kind of left it behind the statue." Harry said, uneasily. Jessica rolled her eyes at him. He pulled the map out of his pocket and handed it to Jessica. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good! I saw his name around here; keep an eye out for anything."
Jessica did as she was told, while Harry walked a little faster with the light. She rolled her eyes when she realised she'd been left in the dark and skipped up to him. He glanced over at her for a slight moment, before returning his full attention back to the path ahead. Jessica frowned. Why couldn't they find Peter Pettigrew? She was certain she'd read his name before. She wasn't that sleepy. She was just about to suggest that they give up when –
"Here!" She said, excitedly.
"Come on." Harry said, dragging her by the arm. They stopped, just outside the Room of Doom and took another look at the map.
"He's here." Jessica whispered, now feeling rather terrified.
Looking down at the map, it was all very clear. Standing together were the two tags 'Harry Potter' and 'Jessica Selwyn', not even three metres away from them was the other tag 'Peter Pettigrew'. Harry grabbed hold of Jessica's free hand and bravely held out his wand. He wouldn't attack, but he wouldn't be reckless; it was bad enough they were wandering around the castle at night. They didn't utter a single word. All that could be heard were their heartbeats, beating violently in anticipation. Jessica's grip on Harry's hand grew tighter as the 'Peter Pettigrew' tag grew closer. Harry started to back away, but the supposed dead man seemed to move faster. Jessica screamed – Harry covered her mouth on instinct – when the tag rushed right past theirs. Harry raised his wand a little more, hoping he'd spot something. Anything.
"Turn that light out!" One of the portraits exclaimed.
"We're trying to sleep here, children!" Another said, irritably.
"Harry!" Jessica whispered, frantically pointing at the map. Just round the corner, approaching ever so quickly, was Severus Snape.
"Mischief Managed! Knox!" Harry managed to say, just in the nick of time. Their light immediately went out, leaving them in the dark corridor. He quickly stuffed the map into his pocket and turned around. A part of him actually hoped he'd manage to get away, but the sudden light upon their faces proved him wrong.
"Potter. Selwyn." Snape said, moving his wand to take a good look at both of them. "What are you two doing wandering around the corridors at night?"
"Sleepwalking." They answered simultaneously. They exchanged surprised glances for a split second, before turning their attention back to Snape.
"How extraordinarily like your father, you are Potter. He too was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the castle." Snape said, harshly.
"My dad did not strut." Harry replied, rather angrily. Jessica nudged him and glared. He didn't falter, however. "And neither do I. Now, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you could lower your wand."
Snape did, in fact, lower his wand, but that meant he was able to see clearly that there was something hidden inside Harry's pocket. Jessica sighed inwardly at this and prayed she didn't get suspended for being extremely curious.
"Turn out your pockets." He ordered. Harry hesitated for a moment, but complied. Snape eyed the parchment, curiously. "What's this?"
"Spare bit of parchment." Jessica answered, quickly. Snape eyed her warily.
"Really? Open it." He ordered once again. Harry did as he was told while Snape watched them, carefully. Not a moment later, Snape placed his wand upon the parchment. "Reveal your secrets."
Jessica's eyes widened slightly when writing began to appear. Surely Snape wasn't going to figure everything out just like that was he? Where was the fun in that? There wasn't a chance they could go on without the map now that they knew of its existence. Not only that, but Josh and the twins would probably be furious!
"Read it." Snape snarled. Harry, once again, did as he was told:
Messer's Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs,
offer their compliments to Professor Snape
and –
Harry hesitated for a slight moment. He wasn't entirely sure whether or not it was safe to continue. Jessica had a look on her face that practically begged him to keep his mouth shut. Of course, she knew that Snape would just snatch it from them, but that didn't mean it was okay to make matters worse.
"Go on." Snape ordered, raising an eyebrow. Harry sighed and concluded the message:
and request that he keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.
The face Snape made was, by far, the most terrifying state Jessica had ever seen him in. She was quite certain they'd both be at least suspended after tonight.
"Why you insolent little-"
"Professor..." Jessica and Harry nearly jumped at the sound of the new voice approaching them.
"Well, well... Lupin." Snape snarled. "Out for a little walk in the moonlight, are we?"
"Harry... Jessica..." Remus nodded, ignoring Snape's previous comment. He had a genuine look of concern on his face. "Are you two alright?"
"That remains to be seen." Snape said, snatching the map out of Harry's hands. Jessica opened her mouth to say something and reached out to grab the map back, but she soon regretted doing so and shyly placed her hands back down, and looked away. "I have just confiscated a rather curious artefact from Mr. Potter and Miss Selwyn. Take a look, Lupin. This is supposed to be your area of expertise. Clearly, it's full of dark magic."
"Oh... I seriously doubt it, Severus. It looks to me like a piece of parchment that is designed to insult those who try to read it." Lupin laughed slightly. Jessica perked up almost instantly.
"It's from Zonko's." She said, rather desperately. "I-I... Bought it... Last time I went to Hogsmede... Since Harry didn't get to go."
"Is that so?" Snape said, obviously not believing a single word. However, Jessica once again plastered her best innocent look on her face and nodded.
"Nevertheless, I should investigate any hidden qualities it may possess." Remus said, turning to Snape. "It is, after all, my area of expertise. Jessica, Harry, would you two come with me please? Professor, good night."
Jessica and Harry silently followed Lupin all the way to the DADA classroom. The man didn't say a single word on the way, which made the two teenagers wonder what was in store for them. They had just narrowly avoided getting into major trouble with Snape, but they didn't believe Lupin would take their little adventure lightly. Once inside the classroom, Lupin closed the door and continued to walk down the room, toward his desk. He then turned to face the two, slightly terrified, children – who stood quite far away from him.
"Now, I haven't the faintest idea how this map came to be in your possession, but quite frankly, I am astounded you didn't turn it in." Jessica and Harry exchanged worried looks for a few seconds, before turning back to Professor Lupin. "Did it ever occur to you that this, in the hands of Sirius Black, is a map to you, Harry?"
Jessica was absolutely certain she'd never seen her Uncle Remus so angry before. He was always so kind, calm and never raised his voice. Not that he was raising his voice at them now, no, in fact his voice remained quite normal. That's exactly what made it even more worrying. She knew he was right. If Sirius Black got his hands on that map, they'd be done for.
"You know, Harry, your father never really followed the rules during his time at school, but he and your mother gave their lives to save yours. Gambling their sacrifice, by wandering around the castle with a killer on the loose, seems to be a pretty poor way to repay them!" Remus was, now, gradually allowing his voice to get louder. He didn't like scolding them. He wasn't enjoying this. However, he would have never been able to sleep properly again if anything had happened to them. He'd made a promise to James to keep a close eye on his son. He'd assured Athos that his daughter would be safe. He simply couldn't accept that they would wander around the castle, alone, at this time of night. What could possibly have been so important at this hour? "And you, Jessica, all the things that your father goes through to ensure the safety of his children... How do you suppose he'd feel if he ever found out about this?"
"We're really sorry." Jessica said, though her voice was barely a whisper. Remus paused for a moment and sighed deeply. They were fine. There was really no need to let Athos know of something like this. He'd just be worrying his friend for no reason, and he had other things to deal with at the moment. There was also no need to get the Headmaster involved. Harry and Jessica had learnt their lesson. They regretted their foolish actions.
"I will not cover up for you two again, is that understood?" He said. They nodded obediently. "I want you to return to your dormitory and stay there."
"Yes, Sir." Harry said, meekly. He tugged on Jessica's sleeve and they turned to head out of the classroom.
"Do not take any detours. If you do, I shall know." Lupin warned, holding up the map.
Jessica and Harry nodded once again. Jessica reached out to open the door, when Harry nudged her. His eyes were wide and he looked as though he had something to say. Jessica raised an eyebrow at him and waited for his words to come out. Silence. He then, out of the blue, turned on his heels and rushed back to the middle of the room. Lupin, who was busy storing away the map and reorganising his desk, glanced back at Harry.
"I... W-we're really sorry." He said, quite nervously.
"It's alright, but you two really should get going." Lupin half smiled.
"Right... Well... Just so you know, I don't think that map always works." Harry said, fidgeting with his pockets. Jessica, who had been walking toward Harry as he spoke, stopped by his side and nodded.
"It's true. Earlier on it showed someone in the castle..." Jessica said, hesitantly glancing toward Harry.
"Someone we both know to be dead." Harry finished. Remus stared at them for a moment. The map showed everything, including ghosts. Surely they'd noticed that by now. Had they gone out ghost hunting? He sighed and walked toward them.
"A-and it wasn't a ghost." Jessica blurted out, before Remus could say anything. "The tag rushed right past us, but there was nothing there."
"Who exactly was it?" Remus asked. A part of him couldn't comprehend what the two of them were trying to say, and another part of him wanted to chuckle. However, nothing – absolutely nothing – could have prepared him for what Harry said next.
"Peter Pettigrew."
As you can see, I've switched a few things around a bit. I get a few bits from the book and others from the film :p That last part, when Harry and Jess are wandering around the castle is from the film, because I find it WAAAAY more interesting than the book version :x It's just something about wandering around the castle at night and breaking the rules that just fascinates me! LOL (I'd constantly get into trouble if I studied at Hogwarts :x)
Anyway, as always... I shall update once I've finished writing! I'm hoping it will be another fast update because my mind is currently 100% in the Harry Potter world! So, until next time - and don't forget to let me know what you want to know for the Special Marauders chapter! XOXO