Chapter Twenty

Virginia felt she had not slept so well for quite a long time. She didn't wish to get up, but she finds out soon enough that it is already late in the morning. She opened the curtains and watched the snowy scenery outside of the windows.

Then she heard bird sing. No, she was sure that was a familiar bird song, not one from some birds outside. It was Gigi!

She ran out to the kitchen excitedly. Gigi's growingly rapid rhythem welcomed her. Gigi was jumping around in her cage, quite like a little sparrow, except that it is larger than a sparrow. Virgina was afraid that Gigi would wake her parents, so she tried to calm her down by obviously wasn't at all successful.

When Virginia thought she would sweat to death for it, Daddy came from behind and lifed Gigi's cage, "It's time to take it for a fly, it's got anxious already."

Take Gigi for a fly? What's that about? Virginia felt nonplussed suddenly, so Mum explained behind her, "You Dad, I don't know what's the matter, but after he returned from the Chinatown he said that you have to take birds for a fly to raise them, and so everyday she took Gigi out for a fly."

Virginia wanted to laugh. Gigi is a magical owl, not some pet bird, and even if it was, it's not gonna be flyed outside. Mostly you just take the cage and stroll around outside, or hang the cage on a tree, but taking it for a fly….. Haha, flying a bird!

And so she laughed out loud. She laughed with her hands on her stomach, laughed till her body has shrinked to a ball on the ground. Apparently she couldn't explain what's so funny, but she laughed and laughed, and at last she shouted, "Oh no, oh no, oh no, save me Mum, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna laugh to death, hahaha….."

And she tried to stand up but found her stomach not feeling well. She suffered from a spasm of muscle. What a typical aftermath of her unrestrained relax!

Happy periods always pass most quickly, and the family traveled to Ireland for a week. Virginia brought back a small box of chocolates of all flavor. Dad brought back several bottles of Whiskey; he bought them only because the seller said Ireland's Whiskey is more excellent than England's or America's.

So the holiday passed. Virginia felt she has only spent a few days at home before she has to return to school again. This time she asked her parents not to see her off to the station. She said she needed to have some practice this year, and they can send her next year if she wishes.

Then she took her luggage and got on a taxi. She tried not to look back, but her eyes are already filled with tears. She buried her face into her luggage and allowed her tears to flow. Parting after happy time is always unbearable.

Especially when you are not sure whether this will become the last time you see each other, alive.

Hogwarts is agained filled with nervousness. Rubeus Hagrid held a "support-Harry-Potter" party in his cabin during holiday but is now on the run from Death Eaters.

More people were killed by Death Eaters. Among those mentioned names only a few she had heard before.

Gringotts now fell low and is under Voldemort's control.

If you are in reality, you might find it hard to take yourself out of all these. Your classmates and professors are all influencing your emotions. Most people now lie their hopes on Harry Potter, the boy that can be anywhere in the world now.

The mere name is the only thing that gives them hope.

But Virginia knows the result. She tries to make herself calm and act as a bystander of all these.

In the final battle they send students out of school, but this is still much too unreliable for Virginia because it relies on others to ensure her safety. Virginia does not count on that. She has to find a place to hide herself. Then she thought of the Portkey. Yes, nothing is better than a Portkey. She can hide in her cottage in Spain, the one near the sea, and no one can hurt her there.

But afterwards she must go back, so she has to make another Portkey. She thought of Hogsmeade after deliberation. That was a place only students above the third year can go. But after the battle begins, there will be a lot of wizards staying around that area.

Now there should be a lot of Death Eaters there, but in the battle Hogsmeade is certainly much safer than Hogwarts. If she is careful she can surely protect herself there, and after the battle she can go back to school at once.

Problem is, she has never been to Hogsmead before, so she cannot make a Portkey. She has to go there for once to make her plan work.

She is very lucky. Hogwarts hasn't increased its defense yet, so students above third year can still visit Hogsmeade at weekends as long as they have the permission form of their parents. Voldemort still does not know that his Horcruxes are threatened by "The Boy Who Lived". But he will know very soon enough.

Virginia invited Olivia Hill to her dormitory with warm welcome and took out her chocolate from Ireland. She chose several wine-flavored chocolates for her and then gave her a Sleep Charm when she was not paying attention.

Virginia felt very guilty. She mumbled her apologies and took away the permission form. Then she pulled several hair from her and throwed it into the Polyjuice Potion, which is the only successful one after her six or seven failures.

She watched the Potion change and knew it succeeded. She settled Olivia on her bed and added another Sleep Charm, which will be able to keep her sleeping for a while, and the wine-flavored chocolate can make her feel a bit more comfortable. That's all she can do now.

Then she drank the potion and went out. She politely declined any company and walked on alone. She kept walking till she met the Shierking Shack and turned back abruptly.

Now she passed the Hog's Head and found a narrow passageway between Hog's Head and Three Broomsticks, both of which are now closed. The passageway is too narrow to be noticed by many people.

She cannot locate her destination in any of the houses because she hasn't asked permission from the owners. This passageway is very ideal because it's so well-hidden that anyone popping up suddenly in it won't be noticed by others unless you stare closely at it. And this is very near the school, so she can get back to Hogwarts very quickly.

She took out the already-prepared hairpin, a Christmas present from her parents, and walked into the passageway. She eliminated the Disillusionment Charm and muttered, "Portus."

It was very lucky. She saw the hairpin emit blue light and put it inside the pouch carefully.

On the way back to school, she was still afraid of seeing Olivia Hill. She feared that Olivia will be sitting there asking her why she had pulled her hair. And she has to give her a Confundus Charm in case there's any mistake.

She rushed into the bathroom at once when she was back, for she felt that the Potions is leaving her at the same moment. Returning to the dorm, she found Olivia there, still fast asleep. She felt really lucky but decided to send all the chocolates to her; Olivia seemed to like the chocolates previously.

Maybe I still have some conscience, Virginia sighed to herself.