Chapter One: Subtle Beginnings

I open my eyes, lights streaming through the navy curtains as it always does when I wake up earlier than I planned. I need to make a note to stop doing that, it only makes me angry. I slip out of bed looking for my wand; it's nowhere to be found.

"If you're checking for Nargles, I did that this morning."

I look up at the sound of Luna's soothing voice, she's always so calm. One day I'm going to learn her method, I think it has something to do with meditation.

"Oh, yeah thanks. Um, have you seen my wand Luna?"

She points to a wooden object peeking out from under my nightstand and skips away through the door. I walk over to it trying to remember how in the world it could've gotten there. But then suddenly memories of a crazy game of truth or dare, and Ginny tripping over things floods back and I shake my head.

Thirty minutes later after I've bathed and dressed I'm heading downstairs and am on my way to advanced Transfiguration with the fifth years. And not to sound conceited, but I just may be the best transfiguration student Hogwarts has ever seen. Or so McGonagall tells me... As I emerge into the classroom, I glance around the room for an empty seat. Up front I see a familiar head of messy black hair, and I sigh. Harry still doesn't know how to use a comb. I settle on my usual seat next to a frazzled looking boy who you'd recognize as Neville Longbottom. He gives me a weak smile, before looking at the book we were supposed to transfigure into a teapot with utter confusion.

"You look confused Neville", I note quietly having surprising already having a teapot sitting in front of me.

"I-I'm always confused Emmaleigh… in everything except Herbology that is."

I frown, he looks so sad. I reach over and pat his hand lightly when I hear a familiar voice ring out. "Oh Longbottom's got himself a girlfriend hasn't he? Finally something he can do right."

I look up and send an icy glare Draco Malfoy's way. He smirks and turns back to his half-book half- chair contraption. In a vat of anger I transfigure my teapot into a ball and throw it across the room hitting Draco in the back of the head causing him to fall out of his chair. The class erupts into laughter and I think I even see a wink from Hermione.

"Miss Cambridge, that'll be ten points from Ravenclaw for tomfoolery." Mcgongall yells my way, and I look down laughing a bit myself. It was completely worth it. Class then passes uneventfully, except the part where I proceeded to be awesome and helped Neville transfigure his pot into after all. Soon, class was over and I packed up my things saying goodbye to Neville and walking toward the door when I feel something hit me in the foot and turn around to see Draco Malfoy snickering. I glance at foot to see a hole has been burned through the toe. I frown and keep walking, my dark hair falling over my face as it always does when I'm angry. I sense my hair may have a mind of its own.

"Oh, not so bold now are you Cambridge?"

I whirl around to see him standing in front of me, and my eyes narrow. I glance down at my shoe and huff loudly, I don't know if it's been a bad morning or if it's just being a Cambridge that's made me bold but I push him into a wall and stomp my foot.

"Draco Malfoy, I am not to be messed with, you do not frighten me, you are vile, and completely loathsome. And if you ever cross me again... You. Will. Be. Sorry."

His grey eyes widen and he nods weakly, figuring I've gotten my point across I release him and walk away only to be cornered by a short brunette in a Hufflepuff uniform.

"Goodness, you're in a foul mood this morning. I saw what you did to Malfoy. Wow."

I raise an eyebrow, as a short brunette girl bombards me on my way downstairs to lunch. I've always been jealous of Aria's gorgeous hair but not her horrid timing. I'm still trying to get over the supreme anger I feel at Mr. Malfoy so snapping at her isn't my fault.

We make our way to the Great Hall where we then go our separate ways, and I join Luna at the far end of Ravenclaw table. Next to her I see a familiar bunch of ginger.

"Hi Luna. Hi Ginny."

They both turn and smile, but Luna seems a bit preoccupied examining a small mark on a plant that looks a bit like mistletoe. I sigh, shaking my head slightly and turn to Ginny.

"Aren't you supposed to be over there?" I say motioning toward the Gryffindor table.

She smiled, and shrugged, "Well yes, however Aria told me you threatened to kill Draco Malfoy. I'm impressed."

I shook my head, news spread like wild fires at Hogwarts. Who knew wizards were gossipers? I look down at the abundance of food in front of me, and settle on digging into a bit of lemon tart. I like eating desert first, it was a philosophy I obtained from this one movie I watched about this guy who fell in love & died in 9/11. As I was beginning to think Ginny had let the subject drop, she pinched me the arm and yelled duck. I did as told, and at that moment in time I had never been so glad to have this tiny ginger as my friend. For a poor Ravenclaw first year across from me was sprouting warts and spitting up slugs at a rate that was honestly just down right alarming. I turned around to see a cloaked figure hurrying from the common room. I grabbed Ginny and we headed off after it. We follow the figure down a few hallways, and then through a corridor room on the fifth floor in which I didn't even know existed.

Inside the corridor we look around, no one's there. Whoever was in the cloak is long gone. We look around for any sign of the guy, however he's gone. There's no one anywhere. Ginny & I go to turn for the door, but that's gone as well. I'm beginning to panic slightly; I could have sworn we got in here through a door over by that picture frame.

"Gin? Is it just me, or is the door missing?"

She makes a 360 looking for any sign of our entrance. "Holy hell, Em, where..?"

I frown, and shake my head going over to the wall and pounding on it with my fist, rock solid. Suddenly, I begin to feel the walls closing in on us. I don't know if I'm simply claustrophobic or if the rooms getting smaller, but I grab Gin and try to make a break for it. Only there's no where to break for, I close my eyes. I don't want to see this disaster unfold.

"Obliviate."

I open my eyes, to see the cloaked figure standing in front of Ginny, holding it's wand to her forehead. It turns toward me, and shakes its head before apparating. But the thing is, no one can apparate inside Hogwarts. No one except Dumbledore.

Something's Causing Fear to Fly