Chapter 25: A Message
"I can't believe you guys did that!" Zoey said exasperatedly as she brought Ron and Harry into a hug. It was the day after they all returned to Hogwarts and from rumors, clarifications from the twins about the rumors and the howler Ron got this morning she had found out that Ron and Harry had driven Mr. Weasley's car to Hogwarts and smashed it into the Whomping Willow.
"Flying to Hogwarts and smashing into the Whomping Willow! You guys could have been seen! Hurt even!" Zoey said as she looked the two of them over to see any injuries.
Ron and Harry wore guilty looks on their faces.
"You were scene weren't you? How many?"
"Seven muggles," Harry answered.
"Seve– You guys are never going to fly that car ever again," Zoey said sternly
"Not like we would be able to," Ron said, "It drove away to Merlin knows where"
Zoey opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the twins.
"Calm down Zoe," Fred said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, you're beginning to act like mum," George said as he appeared on her other side.
Zoey sent a glare at him.
"Nope, Echo still got you beat," George said with a laugh.
"Going back to the topic. Do you still have to lecture us Zoey?" Ron asked giving her a puppy dog look, "Haven't I suffered enough from the Howler?"
Zoey raised an eyebrow as Ron started to pout his lips.
"That doesn't work on me, but fine after that Howler I guess you guys are free to go," Zoey said with a wave of her hand and the two Second years grinned and ran off.
Zoey shook her head and gave a sigh. Maybe she was acting like Mrs. Weasley but she didn't see anything wrong with that. Mrs. Weasley, though stern, was a kind and loving woman whom Zoey idolized.
"What class do you have next, Zoe?" Fred asked her as he pocketed his hands.
Zoey pursed her lips as she tried to remember her schedule. "I – err – I think I have DADA with the Ravenclaws… ah butter nuggets"
"Butter nuggets?" George laughed, "Seriously, Zoey, where do you come up with those sayings?"
"They're my euphemisms for swears," Zoey blushed, "Anyway, butter nuggets because we have Professor Lockhart for a teacher right now. I'm sorry, but I don't believe he did the things he writes in his books"
"Don't let mum or Hermione hear you say that. They simply adore him," Fred smirked
Zoey laughed before bringing her bag further up her shoulder. "You guys have Potions first right?" she asked them.
"Blimey, Zoey! Did you memorize our schedules?" George feigned shock
"I didn't know you were a fan! Tell us, do you know when our bathroom breaks are?" Fred wiggled his eyebrows.
Zoey made a sound of disgust.
"I just over heard you guys talking about it!" Zoey said before securing her bag under her arm, "I should get going now. See you!"
Zoey plopped herself beside her friend Bridgit and pulled out her books. She gave the book a look of discomfort. Her book held the picture of her teacher and it gave her a pearly white smile and a wink. If it were up to her, she would rip it off and dump it in the garbage bin. Heck, she'll dunk the entire book.
"He's obviously a fake," Bridgit said, looking at the horrific face of Lockhart smiling.
"I know," Zoey said as she turned the book over only to see another of Lockhart's pictures, "He's so full of himself!"
"I know! I actually can't believe that Hogwarts hired an airhead that can beat Fred, George and even that Malfoy kid!" Bridgit reacted; wanting to vomit at the wizard's smiling face.
Zoey laughed, "He'll be gone after the year though right? Isn't that what usually happens?"
"They gotta do something about that," Bridgit answered smiling at her friend, "Because judging by our teacher now; it looks like their running out of options"
Zoey laughed again but stopped when she felt a shiver do down her spine. She turned around and saw majority of the class, females, glaring at her and Bridgit. Zoey turned back to Bridgit and said under her voice, "But the one-year teacher thing is rather suspicious. Why'd that? So you know?"
"Hmm," Bridgit hummed, "Sorry, but no matter how smart I am I can't figure out the answer to that"
Zoey nodded her head before turning to look at the classroom. Her eyes widened when she saw that the classroom was decorated with her professor's face each were of him in a different pose and place but all had the same smile and wink. Zoey noted that the girls in the class were gazing at each photo lovingly. Zoey made a face of disgust before she heard a door slam open and the girls suppressing screams.
"Me," an egotistical voice said making Zoey cringe before whirling around to see her professor, "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class Honorary Member of the Dark Forces Defense League and five-time winner of the Witch Weekly's most Charming smile award – but I don't talk about that –"
"Yeah right," Zoey heard Bridgit murmur beside her
"- I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"
Zoey heard the girls giggle.
"Bet, he'll say the same speech to all his classes," Zoey whispered to Bridgit.
"I bet that the Bandon Banshee was terrified by your face, or maybe you never even saw it," Bridgit whispered, annoyance evident in her voice
Zoey suppressed a laugh by covering her mouth. Suddenly, Lockhart waved his wand and on every table a piece of parchment appeared on the tables. Out of habit, Zoey pulled out her quill and ink bottle. She then turned the paper over and looked at it in disbelief.
"I see you've all brought my books," Lockhart said, "Today, we'll have a little quiz to see how well you've read them"
"He can't be serious!" Zoey whispered as she read the questions
"You have thirty minutes – start now!"
1.) What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?
2.) When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday?
The questions read.
"I honestly didn't read the book," Zoey said under her breath, "And what does this have to do with Defense against the Dark Arts?"
"Umm… In truth I think that he's a work of Dark Arts! He can't possibly think these are important right?" Bridgit answered, getting angry
"No these are very important, Miss Parker," Zoey said jokingly, "You see, he obviously defeated Bobbin the evil fairy warrior by boring him to sleep by telling him his first birthday injury!"
"Oh did he? I would have ran away the moment he said 'I'," Bridgit said laughing at Zoey's joke. Sadly, her laugh didn't unnoticed.
"Excuse me, young Ravenclaw girl at the back, but do you have something interesting to say to the class?"Lockhart says calling Bridgit's attention.
Zoey gasped and sat lower in her chair not wanting to catch unwanted attention.
"Well," Bridgit started, standing up from her seat, "I was just telling my friend here how I found this class –"
"Amazing? Oh no need for flattery," Lockhart cut Bridgit off, smiling.
"Actually, I was going to say stupid, useless or somewhere within those lines, but I could say Amazingly Horrible," Bridgit said, her voice sounding sickeningly like and angel.
Zoey looked at Bridgit in disbelief. She didn't know whether to stop her or to let her continue. She figured she didn't have a choice because she didn't know how to stop her at this point.
"What's your name?" Lockhart asked, getting mad at her insult.
"It's Bridgit Cari Parker, sir, and I must say that your pop quiz about your so called DADA books are really something…," Bridgit started, while the whole class stared at her.
"Bridgit…" Zoey whispered warningly knowing where her friend was going. Unfortunately, she was ignored.
"Let's see," she continued, "The first question: What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color? Sir, please do elaborate how this question will save me from the clutches of a banshee or even a pixie for that matter,"
Lockhart stared at her disbelievingly
"Well –" Lockhart tried to answer but was cut off.
"Next, When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday? Sir, how will this protect me from a boggart or any creature? Do you expect us to pull out our wands and say your birthday?" Bridgit was starting to irritate the professor now, but oddly her voice never changed from its sweet nature.
"Young lady, you will get detention if you do not stop," Lockhart said, hiding the anger in his voice.
"You should listen to him…," Zoey tried again but was once again ignored.
"Then give me detention, because what will we be doing? Reading you fan mail and having you sign our books?" Bridgit asked sarcastically and sweetly at the same time.
Lockhart's face was indescribable; he was really starting to get angry at Bridgit but she didn't seem to care.
"Might I let you know that these will help you in the future," Lockhart said, trying to get some piece of his pride back.
"Oh really now? Hmm… yes, one day when I am working as an auror and am faced in a life or death situation I will say: 'I know when Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday is… do you?' and I will be saved!"
When Bridgit said this, it was the last straw for Lockhart.
"That's it young lad, detention tonight until nine!" Lockhart said to her, making her sit down beside Zoey once again.
Zoey sighed as she covered her eyes with her hand and shook her head.
"Did I do something wrong?" Bridgit asked Zoey, making an innocent expression
"I can't believe you just did that…on the first day too!" Zoey said ignoring Bridgit's innocent demeanor.
Zoey walked side-by-side with Bridgit as they left their Defense against the Dark Arts class. She was glad to leave but still had that unnerving feeling to feel someone glaring behind her back. Zoey checked her watch and noted that Echo was still attending a different class than Bridgit and herself. She shook her head. Why do I even know her schedule? Zoey wondered to herself.
"Hey, how's… what's her name? The youngest Weasley… ah! How's Ginny?" Bridgit asked bringing Zoey out of her thoughts.
"Ginny?" Zoey asked, "She's fine I guess. Probably feeling like all the first years on their first day… why do you ask?"
"Oh no reason… but…when you see her, can you tell her something for me?" Bridgit asked, confusing Zoey a bit.
"Ah…sure?"
"Tell her…some reading materials are not to be read, written on or followed," Bridgit said before excusing herself saying she had to fetch something from her common room.
Zoey watched Bridgit's retreating figure with a curious gaze. What brought Bridgit to say such a thing? Zoey didn't have time to dwell on it. She still had a couple of minutes before her next class and she wanted to get their early, it was going to be Charms next.
Zoey jogged down the corridor and made a sharp turn causing her to bump into someone. She fell to the ground and heard the sounds of books fly to the sky and clamper to the cold hard floor. "Sorry, Fred," Zoey mumbled as she rubbed her sore bum and stood up.
"I'm not Fred," a girl's voice said with a laugh.
Zoey's eyes widened as she looked down and saw Ginny on the floor.
"Ginny!" Zoey gasped as she began to help the girl up, "Sorry about that, force of habit"
"I guess you bump into Fred a lot then," Ginny said as she began to pick up her fallen objects.
Zoey gave of a laugh, "You have no idea," she said as she began to help Ginny pick up her things. Zoey caught sight of a slightly battered notebook. She picked it up curiously and turned it over looking at its back. It seemed to a diary. Zoey raised an eyebrow; she didn't know Ginny kept one.
"Err – Ginny? What's this?" Zoey asked the eleven-year-old as she held up the notebook.
Ginny gasped and snatched the notebook out of Zoey's reach. Zoey stepped back in shock as Ginny hid the notebook behind her back.
"Is that your diary?" Zoey asked her.
Ginny's cheeks grew a shocking red at Zoey's question. Zoey laughed. "Hey, no need to be embarrassed," she said, "I keep one too"
"I-I'm not embarrassed!" Ginny said as she furrowed her eyebrows, her cheeks still red.
"Oh really? Let me read it then," Zoey said as she wiggled her eyebrows.
"You hang out with the twins too much," Ginny said laughing at what Zoey did, "Wiggling eyebrows doesn't suit you"
Zoey laughed, "I know.. wait huh?"
Ginny pushed the notebook into Zoey's hands. "Read it," she said, "I trust you"
Zoey raised her eyebrow and opened it. Inside was filled with pages all blank. Zoey flipped the pages but each one was as clean as the previous. She tried flipping it from back to front but it was still blank. "There's nothing inside," she said to Ginny, giving back the notebook.
Ginny smiled before rummaging in her bag and pulling out a quill and ink bottle. She quickly dabbed her quill and ran to Zoey's side. She held the notebook in one hand and the quill in the other.
"It does something really cool, watch," Ginny then wrote on the notebook. She wrote My name is Ginny Weasley. Zoey's eyes widened as the letters dissolved into the paper and later a reply emerged from the black paper. Hello, Ginny. I see you're back from your classes.
"I-It-"
"It replies. Pretty neat huh?" Ginny said with a grin, "That way, I can consult in it and nobody can read what I've written. Want to try it out?"
Zoey took the quill Ginny had held out and took the notebook in one hand. She held the notebook at a low height so Ginny could see what she was writing. Zoey licked her lips before writing: My name is Zoey. Zoey watched as her words dissolved into the page and new ones came out. Hello Zoey, are you a friend of Ginny's?
"Oooh! Reply to him!" Ginny jumped excitedly.
Zoey brought the quill back to the page and wrote: Yes, I am. Sorry, to cut this short but I have to be leaving for my class.
Zoey did not wait for a reply for she had already shut the notebook and gave it back to Ginny together with the quill.
"Sorry Ginny but what I wrote is true, I don't want to be late for Charms," Zoey said with an apologetic smile.
"Oh okay. I'll see you later then!" Ginny waved as Zoey dashed down the hall.
As Zoey was running to the Third Floor looking for her Classroom 2E she couldn't help but wonder if she forgot something. Bridgit's favor! Zoey screamed in her head as her pace slowed down. She looked behind her and realized she was too far away from Ginny to tell her Bridgit's message.
"Tell her…some reading materials are not to be read, written on or followed,"
Bridgit's words echoed in Zoey's minds as her brows furrowed in concentration. What had she meant by that? She didn't know. Zoey then turned back around and started to walk towards Classroom 2E.
And another chapter done and I magically kept it away from being angsty!
I'm sorry but I feel like the past chapters have been rather sad so I'm trying to make up for it by having light-hearted ones!
This chapter has another Bridgit-Zoey Friendship moment!
Sorry, cause I feel like they don't have much of those moments. It's always either Echo, Fred or George so yeah...
Turns out Zoey and Bridgit aren't much fans of Lockhart?
XD
Okay, I would like to dedicate this Chapter to "ZoomSkater14" for helping me write this. You are so awesome
Also, to answer "BookKailei"'s question: Yes, Sirius is Zoey's real father :)
Anyway, thank you for all the reviews, favorites, questions and alerts!
You are all beautiful!
Don't forget to review and ask questions (XD)
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