Chapter Fifteen: The Fall
An unspoken comradeship began between Laura and me the day of flying lessons. I didn't consider her an actual friend, but definitely an ally in the often complicating atmosphere of our dormitory. She still came off as very apprehensive and quiet and dodged the idea of a conversation with me, but there was actual interaction between us after the day I approached her in Transfiguration class. If Arria decided that she had a bone to pick with Natasha or Julianne, Laura and I would slink off to the corner together, quietly completing homework as our roommates quarreled in defying tones.
The month of October was when we grew accustomed to the school and its ways, and we'd strut about school with a knowing air, having felt that we had conquered anything that was a challenge the previous month. As I look back on it now, I laugh, because we were beautifully oblivious to the obstacles that would come in our next six years at the school. But perhaps that was the theme of being young and naïve, especially in a world of magic and spells.
It was in the middle of the month when Laura began a discussion, which was seldom at the time. Ever so casually she spoke, "So, do you remember your grandparents at all?"
I was surprised by this haphazard question, but experienced no hurt from being asked. Finally, I answered, "…Not very much. My grandma died before I was born and I was so little when my grandpa…" I didn't need to finish, for I knew she understood.
"And your mum's parents?" Everyone was aware of my father's background, it seemed.
"Her mother died during the War. I don't even know about her dad – if he's alive or dead, I mean."
"I wish I knew my uncle," Laura softly replied. "He was Dad's best friend, you know. He always carried around a camera – a Muggle one, actually – and took photos of people. And never for any particular reason either…it sounds odd, right?" Laura bit her lip. "But I wished I could have met him."
"I like photography, too," I lightened up my manner purposely, to change the subject. "I have an entire scrapbook full of my photos."
"Really?" Laura smiled, and the grin lit up her face. I liked her when she let down her guarding wall and allowed people in. Of course, at that time, I seemed to be the only one who was brought in. "May I see them?"
I hesitated, having never shown my beloved scrapbook to anyone else before, except perhaps some snippets of it to Liana. But Liana wasn't here with me, and if I was going to share my photographs with someone, it might as well be with a trusting girl like Laura.
She studied each page of the collection intently, running her hand over certain pictures. After she closed the book, Laura smiled at me kindly. "I liked them a lot. It must be fun living at the Leaky Cauldron."
I shuffled in my seat a bit. "It's all right, I guess. I just miss our old home, honestly."
Laura nodded, and then timidly added, "Perhaps you and I could take a picture together? To put in your book?"
It was then when I realized that all Laura longed for was a confiding friend at Hogwarts, just like I did, and that perhaps among the sea of our differences, we had similarities. So I retrieved my camera and sat next to her, holding out the object parallel to our eyes, so that the lens mirrored our faces. As I pressed down the button, we both broke into grins and for no particular reason, suddenly convulsed with giggles. By the time the flash from the camera had disappeared, we were rolling on Laura's bed in laughter, utterly unsure of why we were so uproarious.
We abruptly looked up to find Arria in the doorway, staring blankly at us. "Oy! What's going on here?"
That only made us snigger more. With my camera in my hand and my scrapbook tucked underneath my arm, I rose from the bed and Laura did the same. "Just an inside joke, that's all," I told Arria as we slipped past her to get to the stairs. Behind me, Laura let off a little snicker, which I found shockingly out of character for her.
We headed down to the common room together to find James and Matt there, unsuccessfully trying to do homework, as they were distracted by the enchanted paper airplanes some fifth-year boys were sending across the perimeter. I joined them at their table without any vacillation, but Laura paused, clearly sure that my friends wouldn't welcome her into the group.
"Come on," I motioned towards the only remaining chair. "Sit down."
She slowly obeyed, avoiding any eye contact with the boys, who didn't seem to notice her. Across from her, Matt shot up from his chair to reach at one of the airplanes zooming above his head, snapping it out of its flight. As he flopped down back upon his chair, Laura glanced doubtfully at him. This time, he became aware of her.
"Oh, hi…Lana, isn't it?"
"Laura, actually." She blushed at his careless mistake.
James was scribbling at a sentence on his parchment. "Either of you finish the Transfiguration homework? I'm bloody confused about it."
"What confuses you?" Laura asked primly. "I already finished it, so I could help you…" Her voice was calm but helpful.
James seemed pleased at this offer. "Well, all this mumbo-jumbo about changing water into wine…"
As the two dove into their tutoring session, Matt noticed my scrapbook on the tabletop. With curious eyes he spoke, "Hey, what's that, Alice?"
I subconsciously snatched the book away from his eyes. "Nothing you need to see." Over the past few weeks of school I had gotten to know Matt more than Laura, but something about the latter was reassuring, almost like she had a mother's gentle touch. I trusted her with my photographs, but believed that Matt would only mock me for taking them.
The following two weeks became analogous to our first meeting of four. Laura, so quiet and precise, would help the boys with their homework after dinner. If mine wasn't finished at the time – which it usually wasn't – she'd assist me too. Besides offering hints and pointing out mistakes in our work, she barely spoke in the presence of James and Matt. When she and I would leave the common room to ready ourselves for bed, it was only then when she became animated again, typically wondering aloud if she had truly reached the minimum of words required for our Potions essay.
The photo I took of us together developed soon, and I pasted it into my scrapbook warmheartedly, as if it symbolized that I truly wasn't alone at Hogwarts. I had someone to side with if our roommates got into yet another squabble and a person to walk to class with when the boys were being just that and acting obnoxious. However, even if Laura and I had each other to turn to when things in the dormitory turned ugly, the warfare among Arria, Natasha, and Julianne became too much to bear.
Halloween was about a week and a half away when I told James and Matt about our rooming situation at breakfast; Laura had left early to check over her homework before class time. Seeing the boys devour their food like the pigs they were caused me to believe they weren't listening, but when I paused in my story to take a sip of juice, James glanced up at me, waffle bits bursting out of his mouth.
"And? Go on."
My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Um…well, it's not really Arria being a pain, it's the other two. And if this is how awful they're going to be for the rest of the year, then…"
"Then you might want to start sleeping in the common room," Matt snickered. "Trust me, I know girls. It's only going to get worse."
James's face suddenly registered oddly, and a wicked grin spread across his face. "Not true. We can, say….teach them a lesson on how to play nicely with other girls."
I recognized that face, that manner of voice. I swiftly remembered the pranks James concocted when we were living in Godric's Hollow and that convincing tone he'd adopt when I was doubtful of participating. However, he was always fair if we got caught in action by sitting with me in a double time-out. Feeling that a similar happening was soon to occur, I immediately replied, "What are you talking about?"
"I think Natasha and Julianne are overdue for a little Halloween prank, don't you?"
"I love the way your mind works," Matt patted James's shoulder admirably. "Those girls deserve everything we'll do to them."
My mind then split into two, one side telling me not to join this prank session, for if Dad found out, he'd surely murder me. The other side was persuading me not to miss out on the fun and that Natasha and Julianne really did deserve whatever James had in mind. Before one side fully dominated the other, I spoke, "Well, I guess we could do something to them. What are you thinking of?"
James shook his head. "Don't ask. But just you wait – Halloween's not going to be pretty for them."
And so the affair remained unspoken of until October 30th, the day before Halloween. James disappeared right after dinner and wasn't with us when Matt and I began doing homework with Laura, who was deeply absorbed in a Muggle book that she had received from her mother the previous day. Then out of the blue, James came thudding down the stairs of the boys' dormitory, causing enough of a racket for other studying students to shoot him dirty looks.
Throwing his housemates an equally irritated look, James slipped into a chair at our usual table, a victorious grin on his face.
"Well what's the matter with you?" Matt was currently frustrated with his work, rubbing his quill tip against the paper so violently it had created a hole in the parchment.
"I just finished setting up the you-know-what," James replied. "It's ready for tomorrow."
"What's ready for tomorrow?" We turned to find Laura peeking over the top of her book, her eyes apprehensive.
"Nothing," James said quickly. Laura seemed almost hurt at this retort, her big blue eyes withdrawn and blank once again as she returned to her book.
"Well…will you tell us about it?" I was no longer intent on finishing this work before drowsiness caught me off guard. I wanted to know what James had to report.
James only shook his head again. "You'll see…"
But yet, to this day, neither Matt nor I know what James's Halloween prank ever was. That October 31st was a memorable one for me, from seeing teachers dress in Muggle clothing for amusement and of course eating the kinglike evening feast. We retired to the common room at the end of the day, nibbling at the candy that was distributed at the end of dinner. Matt and I sat in overstuffed chairs by the fire, lazily unwrapping our sweets and popping them in like the pigs we were. James and Laura were nowhere to be found, although I caught a glimpse of the latter heading up the stairs to our dormitory beforehand.
It was nearing nine o'clock when Matt and I wondered if James's prank was to be administered yet. Just as we were about to get up and start looking for him, a great boom sounded from up above, followed by a shriek. There was a sound of running feet, and James suddenly appeared at our chairs.
"No! Someone ruined it!"
Before we could ask what had happened, more pattering feet were heard and Laura came down the dormitory stairs, eyes wild and petrifying.
"You!" A vein in James's neck throbbed dangerously. "What did you do?"
"I – I didn't mean to –"
"You ruined it!"
"But-"
"James!" I shot up from my chair. "What happened?"
"Laura – she messed around with the prank I had set up in your room! She messed up one of my pranks!"
"Wait – how did you get in our room?" I already knew of the enchantment on the girls' steps that forbidden boys to go up them.
"I didn't," He was calming down now, but still red-faced. "I had Arria fix it up for me."
"Well, it was just a prank –"
"I didn't mean to ruin it!" Laura burst out. "I didn't know what it was and only wanted to know –"
"Don't talk to me." James brushed past her and ascended the stairs to the boys' dormitory.
"Wait, James!" Matt ran after him, a piece of candy still in his hand.
Next to me, Laura was on the verge of tears. Shooting her a sympathetic look, I followed Matt, surprised when I made it up to the first-year boys' room without being held back by any spells.
I found James sitting on his bed, punching his pillow agitatedly. Matt was next to him, trying to get a word out of him that wasn't grunting. Eventually, I was able to make out something.
"Stupid – stuck-up – prat -!"
"James!" I had never seen him so worked up over a silly little practical joke. Why was he so upset over this one?
I heard footsteps behind me, turning to find Laura there. Just as I was about to open my mouth in explanation, I saw a tear roll down her cheek, and with a quick turn of the head, she was gone.
I was infuriated at James for his inexplicable behavior and worried for Laura, who didn't speak to me for the rest of Halloween or the early hours of the following day. On November 1st, being too peeved to approach James, I went to console Laura after a rumor flew that she had been crying in the girls' loo.
I went on a search for the right stall during lunch, finding Laura quickly. Cautiously, I knocked on the stall door. "Laura? Can I talk to you?"
The sniffling noises stopped, but there was no reply.
"Laura? What James said – he didn't mean it; he gets a little odd when people mess up his pranks…"
"I'm fine, Alice. Please just go away."
I didn't want to. Laura was my only chance of a female friend at school and it didn't seem fair to leave her because of something James said. I opened my mouth to protest, but then realized that Laura needed a moment. Hesitantly, I slipped out of the room, taking another stumble on my climb up the mountain once again.
A/N: It's a little rushed and not my best work, but I'm just glad I updated. I'll try to put up another chapter soon. Please review if you read it, even if i it's just the least amount of words!
