Chapter eleven: Half blood prince
There are only a few students on the common room when Renee entered. She went to her favorite seat, a chair near the fireplace and began to flip the pages of the book. There was a nice handwritten on the first page of the book.
The book belongs to the half blood prince, it says.
Half blood prince…as in prince in some fairy tale? I chuckled. Who would come up with this kind of nickname?
Renee browsed through the pages aimlessly, not taking serious the first owner of the book. Then she became serious through out the reading. The book was really informative; it had the different potion ingredients, its characteristic, uses and were could it found.
And the most amusing part was the commentaries of the previous owner. The book was full of his dribbles. He had written other characteristic of the ingredients, making it more understandable.
"Syrup of Hellebore is a blue-colored substance extracted from the Hellebore. It is used in potion-making, and is a required ingredient of the Draught of Peace and Volubilis Potion." She read through the lines.
Smells like maple syrup, but an expired one. The half blood prince wrote on the side of the picture.
Renee smiled on the half blood prince handwritten, it was really entertaining. She wondered if this person is a muggle born. But his nickname says half blood, so most likely he was half muggle and half wizard.
It was getting late but Renee still kept reading the book and began to doze on the chair.
The girl hugged herself as she passed on the street. The stores were still closed and the sun wasn't still up yet. The girl has brown hair that reaches her shoulders. She was petite that she might look younger than her age.
She fastens her pace as she felt eerie on the place. It was already famous gossip that a few girls on her age were disappearing on the neighborhood.
Something is not right.
A small noise came of to her senses that made her stop. She stops and looked around, she saw nothing.
She signed, feeling foolish of the hunch that she was being followed. She looked at the direction she was heading for and start to walk again.
Then she heard a 'crack' on her back. She looked on his back and spotted a ragged man, smiling foolishly.
She knew this man. She slowly walked backwards; the always see the man on front page.
"What do you want?" she demanded, pointing her wand on the strange man.
"I was...just looking for someone. I was wondering if you are her" he slowly walked through her.
"I'm not the one you looking for. Leave me alone or I will call for dementors!" where are those creatures when you needed them? She was shaking to death.
He pointed his wand at her and at a second the girl was already on the floor. He carries the girl and disapparate again.
Renee opened her eyes wide and looked around. She was still chair on the common room with the book on her lap. She wipes the sweat on her forehead, the dream felt so real.
What was that?
She stood up and stretched her stiff arms from the uncomfortable sleep position she had. Renee glanced at the clock, it was already morning.
She groaned on her aching muscles and headed upstairs. They were still asleep comfortably on their beds. Renee signed and sat on the edge on her bed. If I just headed upstairs earlier I wouldn't have this body ache. She grumbled on her drawer until she found the anti-pain potion and swallowed it.
Renee stepped into the showers before everyone wakes up. Cold water tickles her skin, which is a good feeling, removing all of her discomforts she's experiencing. She was still deep in thought about her dream when she put on a shirt and jeans and headed outside.
The dream seems so real, what could this be mean?
Renee sat under the big tree and watched the rising of the sun, deep in thought. Where could that place be? If my dream was true, the girl was in great danger… but what can I do? She stood up and decided to go the great hall for breakfast.
Of course it wouldn't be true. It was just a dream.
The classes seem to be fair this time. Renee took the farthest seat from Trelawney's class so she won't be babbling about her upcoming death. Trelawney doesn't seem to notice her absence from the front row because Harry was already there, meaning he was her target of the day again.
She sat under the big tree again and enjoyed the sun. Everyone seems to be enjoying it too, that few students stayed on the common rooms and the grounds were filled with students.
"Renee?" She looked around and saw Neville beside her. Renee smiled timidly and the boy sat next to her.
"You didn't go to see the Quidditch practice" Neville said, looking at the first years throwing pebbles at the lake to see if the giant squid will appear.
"You know I didn't like that sport" Renee frowned, thinking about her messy flying skills.
Neville chuckled on her statement.
"Don't laugh, it's as if you don't have messy flying skills too" Renee retorted. This time, he is the one who frowned and Renee's one who's chuckling.
They both looked at each other and laughed.
"What are you reading?"
"Oh, it's a book for different potion ingredients" said Renee, flipping the pages to let him see.
"That's interesting" he said and the two began to read the book. Renee shared the book with him and he was delighted with it too.
"Where did you get it?" he asked, after we read a few pages.
"Umm…" I'm not sure if I'll tell him or not.
Renee went nearer to him, and whispered on his ear; she could see he was blushing.
"Oh don't blush Neville" Renee rolled her eyes at the boy beside her.
"Sorry, it tickles me" he mumbled, but still blushing.
"I got it from professor Snape, he lend it to me" she whispered, not bothered about Neville's tickling problem.
"I didn't know you two were close" he was taken aback.
"Well you see…I'm taking extra lessons from him. Oh and don't tell a soul about it! Hermione will think I'm cheating!" she exclaimed, putting her hand on her mouth realizing she made it so loud.
"I won't tell anyone, and Hermione will not think that" Neville said smiling.
"Well, I think she will. You know her, she thinks I don't need those lessons because I almost top those bloody OWLS" said Renee and signed. She looked at him and could tell that he was thinking the same.
"I need those extra lessons. I find it hard to adjust here" she exclaimed in frustration.
"You're actually doing great" he assured her.
"Really?" asked Renee looked at him in the eye. He flushed and looked at the black lake.
"Really… I could really compare you to a puffapod. It's a Fat pink pods with seeds that burst into flower if dropped you see…" She looked at him, is he really comparing me to a plant?
Then Renee noticed the professor with his signature black robe exiting the castle. He was walking fast, with his right hand clutching on his left arm. She couldn't read his face, but Renee could see a flinch of fear and pain on his eyes.
"…you are beautiful and very smart." she didn't manage to catch everything Neville said. She snapped at the reality as Snape disappeared on the forest.
"Gee…thanks for comforting me Neville" Renee managed to say, trying to hide the worry on eyes for the potions master. He blushed again on her statement, though Renee didn't mind it and gazed on the side of the forest which Snape disappeared to.
"Well what do we have here, two little lovebirds" the two jumped on surprise and looked were the voice comes from and saw Malfoy and his goons.
Neville blushed again and Renee gives Malfoy a dirty look. Why is he always blushing…geez.
"Malfoy" Renee raised her eyebrow and scowled, amused to herself that she's beginning to absorb Snape's expression.
"Getting a date here huh…you got yourself a little girlfriend Longbottom. Good for you!" the insufferable boy snickered and Goyle and Crabbe joined him. Neville flushed in embarrassment. Renee stood up and glared at them.
"Leave us alone Malfoy, if you don't have anything to do why don't you just jump on the astronomy tower to make yourself useful?" she snapped.
"Ohm…getting braver huh Matte" he stepped closer at her.
"Oh I will always be Malfoy. Don't you remember our little argument before? I'm quite offended you already forgotten about it" Renee stepped closer and mocked in horror. He stepped back away from her words as he looked at her eyes; he seems to be remembering those fluffy ears.
"I almost forgot I came here to let you see this" Malfoy blinked several times as if he saw something odd. He pointed a picture on his hand.
It was a moving picture like the usual they have in the wizard world. It was Renee, while she was struggling with her broom got berserk.
Damn, where did he get that photo? Renee flushed on embarrassment, Malfoy smirked in triumph.
"Can I take your autograph? It was very famous in our house. They will be envious when they see I got your autograph" he laughed evilly, along with his two sidekicks.
"Back off Malfoy" the three both looked at Neville. He already stood on his feet and glared at Malfoy as bad as he could do.
"Getting braver for your little girlfriend here Longbottom?" Malfoy steeped closer to Neville.
"You're the one who put a curse on Renee's broom! I saw you! You…" he was already red in anger.
"Prove it" he sneered.
He pulled his wand and pointed it to Neville. "Everte Status!" he shouted; but Renee was quick enough to go in between them, grasping her wand on her pocket.
Protego! Renee shouted on her head. The spell bounced back and they were thrown out, drooping hard on the ground.
"What in the bloody…" Malfoy start to swear.
Expelliarmus! She shouted on her head before Malfoy could think another spell on them. His wand went out of his hands and dropped on a few feet away from him.
He stood up weakly, got his wand and run towards the castle; Crabbe and Goyle following him.
"That was way too cool. Waaaay to cool" Renee muttered to myself. I've never tried a nonverbal spell until now. I've just read the theories of it, and never got the time to practice it.
"Are you okay?" She looked at Neville, who looked shocked from what just happened.
"Yeah I'm okay…I should be the one protecting you…sorry" he looked at the ground, ashamed.
"It's okay, were friends…remember? And you could protect me next time" Renee winked at him.
"Thanks anyway…but that was wicked nonverbal spell! How did you do that?"
"I didn't know either. It's the first time I did it actually"
"That's a cool nevertheless"
"Thanks! I could teach you sometime" she beamed at him. He agreed to it and the two sat under the big tree, closer to each other than before.