The next week passed in a similar manner. Only this time Jane was not only avoiding Harry but she was also avoiding everybody else. She felt as if nobody understood except Tom so she withdrew from the world to her dorm to write to Tom.
This avoidance of Jane did not passed unnoticed by a few people. Hermione noticed how Jane was distracted in class, didn't eat, and was always in her dorm. When Hermione told Harry and Ron her preoccupation, Harry dismissed it saying that, that was Jane being Jane. Hermione didn't seem happy by that answer but stayed quiet vowing to keep an eye on Jane.
Hermione was not the only one who noticed the changes on the young Potter girl. Snape noticed too. He watched her closely and noticed she had lost weight and had very dark circles under her eyes and her grades were slipping. She used to be the best in Potion but now she was doing as bad as her brother. Messing her potions, not doing proper essays when she actually made them. He had even gone to McGonagall who told him that apparently it wasn't only in his class since all of the other teachers had talked to her about the same thing.
McGonagall tired of every teacher coming to her to talk about Jane, she decided to make a meeting with all her teachers.
"I think you all know why I called you here" McGonagall said once all the teachers were present.
"I actually don't" Lockhart said and McGonagall wondered why had she invited him there.
"Well there is a situation with Jane Potter" McGonagall told him.
"Oh that poor girl, she is as dumb as they come" Lockhart said earning glares from all the teachers.
"She is not dumb professor Lockhart, she used to be the best one in my class" Snape said.
"Same here, with only Miss Granger competing for that title" McGonagall said and all the other teachers nodded in agreement.
"She has turned into the Weasley twins by the look of her grades" Flitwick said.
"With all due respect, I disagree, at least the Weasley have a passion for something while Jane seemed to be lost in space" Snape said surprising the other teachers.
"I actually agree with Severus" McGonagall said. "That is why I made this meeting we should keep an eye on her we don't want her to keep slipping now do we. In addition I'm going to talk to Sirius about her behavior, maybe he can help her." Everybody nodded except Severus who muttered something about a useless Sirius. After that talk every teacher left except McGonagall who started writing a letter to Sirius.
Saturday came again and the first Gryffindor Quidditch practice came. Jane woke up early and wrote to Tom.
Good morning Tom, today is the first Quidditch practice! I'm very excited but at the same time I'm scared. What if I do horribly and Oliver decides to kick me off the team? or worse, What if I fall of my broom and die?
Good morning dear Jane, How many times do I have to assure you you'll do fine? Don't worry so much girl.
Jane watch the words that Tom wrote and felt a heartache, her only friend was annoyed because of her stupidness.
I'm sorry, next time I'll listen to you Tom, please don't be mad.
Oh Jane I'm not mad, sorry for snapping at you. Sometimes even books have bad days. Now remember to write today after dinner.
Sure Tom, now I have to go, talk to you later.
Jane closed the diary and hid it under her pillow. She got dressed in her Quidditch uniform and went downstairs to the Great Hall to eat something before practice. She sat down at the Gryffindor table on the secluded corner she always sat alone.
After eating only a toast she went to the Quidditch Pitch to wait for the other team member. She laid down on the grass and looked at the sky imagining herself as Quidditch star like her brother and making her family proud of her.
"Good you are early" Oliver said startling her.
"Oh yeah" Jane said sitting up while Oliver sat down beside her.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"No reason, I just have to make sure all my Quidditch players are safe" He said laying down on the ground just like she had been minutes ago. She looked down at her and wondered what it would feel to only worry about Quidditch, school, and nothing else.
"Something on your mind" Oliver asked making her realise she was staring at him.
"Um, not really" Jane said and he nodded sitting up and standing up.
"Come, we'll start practice now and the others can join us" Oliver said offering his hand to help her up. She took his hand and he pulled her up.
"Do you have a broom?"
"No" Jane said.
"We'll work on that later, for now use the one the school have" Both of them started practicing, Jane throwing the Quaffle and trying to score while Oliver blocked the goals and threw the Quaffle as far as he could so she would catch it. After twenty minutes of that the other team members came and watch as Jane got closer and closer to the goals and faking as if she was going to throw the Quaffle through the left goal and when Oliver bought it changing course and throwing the ball through the right goal and scoring. The team members all cheered while Oliver looked at her perplexed. Both of them went back to the ground and Jane was beaming for the first time in two weeks.
"Brilliant, this girl is brilliant" Oliver said to the team while Jane's smile grew.
"Well done Jane" Angelina Johnson said smiling at Jane.
"Yeah, and here I thought we were doom, training a new chaser is hard but you are brilliant" Katie Bell said. However, before they could start practice the Slytherin team came to the Pitch.
"What are you doing here?"Oliver said while Hermione and Ron joined the Gryffindor team. "I reserved the Pitch for the Gryffindor team today"
"Relax Wood we have a letter" The Slytherin captain said. Oliver read the letter and asked "You have a new seeker? Who?" A familiar blond boy stepped from behind the Slytherin team and smiled.
"Malfoy" Harry said.
"Potter" Malfoy sneered. "Oh and that is not the only thing new" Malfoy added showing the Gryffindors his broom and the team's broom. they were the newest model made, the Nimbus 2001.
"Well at least no Gryffindor member had to buy their way into the team. They got in on pure talent" Hermione said smugly.
"No one asked your opinion you filthy mudblood!" Malfoy said and pandemonium broke. Ron attacked Malfoy and the other people around started attacking each other until they heard a blood curling scream. Everybody stopped and turned to find Marcus Flint (Slytherin captain) straddling Jane, who was on the floor and had a her shirt open and a big cut on her belly. She was crying and had screamed in desperation so somebody would help her. The Gryffindor team had to hold Harry so he wouldn't kill Flint but what they had not anticipated was Hermione's reaction. she threw herself at Flint and punched him.
"You... sick... bastard..." She said while hitting him until Fred (rather reluctantly) lifted her off of Flint while Oliver carried a crying Jane and took her to the infirmary and the whole team followed him. On the way to the Hospital Wing they bumped into Sirius who had been talking to McGonagall. When Sirius saw the Gryffindor team he smiled until he saw who Oliver was carrying.
"What the bloody hell happened?!" Sirius asked looking for Harry.
"Sick Slytherin bastards, that's what happened" Hermione said angrily shrugging the Weasley twins hands off of her shoulders.
"What in the world is this?!" McGonagall asked coming to stand beside Sirius.
"Professor, this is Marcus Flint's work" Oliver said angrily too.
"I'll deal with that now. oh before I forget Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley you have your detention tonight" McGonagall said. "Mr. Potter you are with Lockhart, Mr. Weasley you are with Filch" She added leaving the group. Sirius narrowed his eyes at Harry before turning to Oliver.
"I'll take her from here" Sirius said reaching for Jane. As soon as he had her on his arm she held him tightly and stopped crying feeling safe on Sirius arms. He walked fast to the Hospital Wing and the Gryffindors followed him without hesitating.
"Poppy!" Sirius said entering the Hospital Wing.
"Sirius, what's wrong?" Madam Pomfrey said hearing the hysterical tone in Sirius voice. Nobody answered but she noticed the girl on his arm.
"Put her on that bed" Pomfrey said and Sirius obeyed. However, when he was about to let her on the bed she held tighter.
"No" Jane cried out.
"That is alright, Sirius sit down on the bed" Pomfrey said and he looked at her with a bemused expression. "Do it" And he did without questioning.
"Jane relax I need to treat that cut" Jane, who was seated on Sirius lap relaxed a little. "Okay now, Sirius move her so her head is on your lap and she is facing up" This time Sirius looked at Jane who shook her head. "Jane I have to treat it" Jane just looked around and Madam Pomfrey understood."Alright I'll close the curtains." As soon as the curtains were closed Jane moved and placed her head on Sirius lap who relaxed and sighed, relieved that she was cooperating.
"Okay, Jane did the boy who did this do anything else?" Pomfrey asked and Jane looked at her curiously before shaking her head earning another sigh of relief from Sirius. "But it was his intention?" Pomfrey asked.
"Yes, it was, but I can defend myself a little" Jane said. "That is why he cut my belly"
"Well Jane you are perfect now" Pomfrey said and Sirius helped her sit up. "You can leave, but take it easy"
"Okay" Jane said and Pomfrey opened the curtains. Jane was instantly embraced by Hermione.
"Oh Jane" Hermione said.
"I'm fine now, thank you for defending me. You were wicked" Jane said smiling at Hermione, who blushed.
Sirius, after making sure Jane was fine, said goodbye to her and Harry and left. Jane went to her dorm like she always did but fell asleep instead of writing.
Jane woke up a little after dinner had started and decided to skip dinner and opened the dairy and that was the last thing she remembered.
When Jane woke up again she was covered in blood and feathers. She was in her dorm but unfortunately Hermione was in the room too, reading. Jane thought of ways to explain why she was covered in blood but could not so she just stayed behind the curtains until Hermione went to sleep, or left since she really didn't know what time it was. The only thing she remembered was waking up opening the dairy and then nothing. She was really scared and decided to talk to Tom but just when she was going to open the dairy Hermione closed her book looked sadly at Jane's bed and then left. Jane made sure the coast was clear before putting the dairy back under her pillow and left the dorm quickly entering the bathroom. She cleaned herself thoroughly making sure she was free of blood and feathers before she left the bathroom. She went back to the dorm and made a cleaning spell on her bed before going to the common room. There she noticed the sun was very high on the sky so she guessed it was noon and time for lunch.
When she entered the Great Hall there was an air of fright that confused her.
"Jane" Hermione called her. "Where were you yesterday?" Hermione added once Jane was beside her.
"Oh, in our dorm, I was tired."
"Really, you don't look like you slept much" Hermione said thoughtfully and Jane cursed silently.
"Well, you know, um nightmares" Jane said.
"Oh I don't blame you I had those yesterday too."
"Wait why?" Jane asked, and Hermione looked at her surprised.
"You don't know?"
"Obviously, if I knew I wouldn't be asking" Jane said and Hermione narrowed her eyes but didn't comment on Jane's tone.
"Well, Harry found Mrs. Norris petrified and a very scary message was written on the wall with blood" Hermione whispered and Jane paled.
"What did the message said?" Jane asked softly.
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware." Hermione answered quietly. As soon as Jane heard that she got a flashback of herself writing the message with blood laughing. She paled until she was as white as paper (literally thanks to her ability change appearance). "Jane are you okay?" Hermione asked but Jane didn't answer she just stood up and ran to her dorm.
TOM! I think I'm going crazy! Yesterday there was an attack and I think I did it! Jane wrote while crying.
I very much doubt you could hurt a fly Jane
But Tom you don't understand, I was covered in blood this morning and I don't remember what I did yesterday night... I'm scared Tom.
Don't be dear Jane I'm sure it wasn't you, just calm down and think what is the last thing you remember?
I was going to write to you.
Okay, where were you at that moment?
Here on my bed.
Where did you wake up?
Here on my bed.
Exactly, so it probably wasn't you.
But how would you explain the blood and feathers?
Accidental magic, you are a powerful witch so you probably tried to conjure a bird in your sleep and it didn't work, but you ended covered in blood and feathers.
I guess you are right, thanks Tom.
Jane felt so much better after talking to Tom that she didn't notice how absurd his explanation was. She just went downstairs and sat down in front of the fire thinking about the Quidditch game that was taking place the next Saturday.
There a longer chapter (not very long, but longer) hope you like it.
Remember reviews are very much appreciated.