Disclaimer: I own none of the HP characters. You know which ones are mine. =)
Note: To the wonderful SiobhanPhelps, thank you for commenting once again, I always look forward to seeing what you think-it's a huge inspiration for me to keep writing (as well as potential other readers). I'm pretty sure it's getting read a little more because of you. =) I warn you, this is a crazy chapter! Happy reading!
Blue Eyes & Trouble
It didn't take long to get into the school, I was glad it wasn't raining though, I remembered the few nights we would come in after it rained and the floors would be so slippery. Granted it didn't help that the twins always seemed to make them a little more slippery, just because they thought it was funny. "Lee!" Fred called out, waving his arm, his elbow just missing my nose.
"Watch it" I said to him as I tried to move toward Harry but Fred was still holding my hand as he moved toward Lee.
"I'll see you guys in there!" I shouted at the others as I semi-unwillingly followed Fred to where Lee was.
"So, did you bring them?" Lee asked. I turned back to face them only because Lee's tone was very secretive and he was whispering, something I wasn't aware he knew how to do.
"Um, whatever you're doing is legal right?" I asked Fred as he handed a brown paper bag over to Lee who peeked inside, nodded, handed him some coins and hurried off.
"Course" Fred replied casually.
"Really, because I don't think legal things involve paper bags and money exchanges and whispering" I told him.
"He said he'd guard some special-high quality expensive ingredients for me. I originally said no, but he said he'd chip in on the price" Fred explained.
"Ingredients? For your shop, right?" I asked as he nodded.
"Yes, and that's not illegal" he said as he kissed the top of my head. "C'mon, you know me better than that. If I was going to smuggle something I wouldn't do with you around, wouldn't want you in trouble" he said with a grin as I rolled my eyes.
"Right, because that makes me have so much confidence in you" I teased as we noticed people start moving toward the Great Hall.
"There's George and Melinda, c'mon," he said as we squeezed pass people to get to our friends, happy to see Harry, Ron and Hermione already there.
A few minutes later we filed into The Great Hall, I waved bye to Melinda who broke off with some of the nearby Ravenclaws as the rest of us took our seats at the Gryffindor table. George tried making a statement—or joke—by sitting at the Ravenclaw table, just a minute too long. Oddly and strangely enough no one seemed bothered by it. At least not until Andrew came over and said something about being a Prefect and taking points away. I rolled my eyes, I forgot he was Mr. Prefect. I had actually forgotten Prefects were chosen this year.
I opened my mouth to ask Fred about it, but Seamus started talking first so I had no choice but to listen in on his summer and then listened to Neville tell us about his grandmother as the Sorting Hat started its yearly song. I didn't tune in to the song until toward the end, when it had started singing about being friends rather than staying glued to your house.
Some of you—both student and staff—may think we get sorted too soon
But if that were to happen I would no longer be able to sing the same tune
Not that you should think separation and badges stop the battles and chaos
Just keep in mind it's the friends you gain and the ones you toss
No matter how the saying goes: enemies close, binded by house, blood is thicker
It's really you, you alone who chooses, that's the kicker.
I looked around to see I wasn't the only confused and slightly amused person sitting at the tables. "What did that mean?" I asked Fred who shrugged, the last few sorting hat songs weren't too bad, a general introduction of the houses, a clear understand of why they were separate. But what was this about pulling together, blood being thicker, or not thicker. I shook my head, that was weird, I thought as I decided to not worry about it. Besides, it was a hat. I reminded myself as we all clapped anyway and the sorting started.
The twins and Lee Jordan were the most obnoxious in their clapping, hooting and carrying on every time someone was placed in Gryffindor. I was glad Dumbledore didn't mind, he seemed to be happy actually. I was happy, during the competition the twins's had a pretty strained relationship with each other and though I took full responsibility it didn't help their moods. I was just glad the whole thing was over. Competitions, masquerades, riddles, fighting, all that. Now I'd just have to not think about how this was the twins's last year.
A handful of students went in Ravenclaw this year, which must have been nice for them as not many had been placed there last year. A few new Hufflepuffs, most of which seemed overly anxious to get to their seats.
"They're so tiny" Lee Jordan said to us as he indicated with his fingers that he could hold them in his hand. I rolled my eyes and watched a first year—did McGonagall call her Abby?—proudly take off the sorting hat and stroll over our table. She was red with shyness, but her smile was covering her face.
"Hey, c'mon here, sit with us" I told her as she started to move toward whatever girl she had been standing with. Her eyes got really wide at the sight of me, I couldn't help but smile as she moved closer. I pushed Fred closer to his brother as the girl sat down. She had long dark brown hair, it was braided in pigtails and went down to her waist. She was quite lanky like the twins, her fingers seemed extra-long and she had a bit of a crooked nose. Her eyes were near hazel, overall she looked like the excited little kid I felt when first entering Hogwarts.
"Looks like Tammie has taken a first year under her wing" Fred said with a smirk as I laughed as Abby looked wildly around.
"Wow, I know all you, the twins, the Weasley twins, and you're Tammie, you were in that competition last year. I read all about in the papers, I was glad you didn't die. And your third year, that Professor who almost killed you, that must have been terrifying" she said, her eyes still wide. Normally I would've shooed her off upon realizing she was pointing out all my near death experiences but I couldn't help but notice how she said it with such concern and sincersity. I sort of felt an instant bond toward the girl.
"You're Abby, right?" I asked, just making sure; thankfully she smiled brightly and nodded as she started to look around again. "Oh, Harry Potter" she said stopping at Harry, her eyes wide again as she noticed the scar.
"That's me" Harry said cheerfully as I realized the sorting was done.
"Hey, did anyone see that Courtney girl?" I asked looking around our table, somehow thinking she got sorted into Gryffindor.
"There wasn't anyone named Courtney in our group" Abby said as I frowned and looked over at the Ravenclaw table, even though I knew she wasn't going to be there. "Why? Are you okay?" she asked as I nodded though I was no longer paying attention and instead started to scan the Slytherin table. I had got no further than Pansy's sour expression to know everyone at her table was looking at Courtney. I followed her eyes and sure enough, Courtney was sitting there, next to Draco Ah hell Draco, already? I thought as I started to look away but then Courtney made eye contact. Just like the vision! I told myself trying not to tense up as she smiled, a weird sort of smile, not kindness or even acknowledgement but more like—what was it? I thought as I scanned over her face but slowly let my eyes fall on Draco who seemed caught between saying something to Courtney and turning away.
Then I remembered the rest of the vision, the staff table and blue eyes. I quickly looked around, seeing if someone was supposed to jump out at me but my eyes were instantly pulled back to the Gryffindor table, not but a few students down someone had caught my eye. I had never seen him before and I certainly would've remembered if I had. He was a fair complexion, dark hair, nearly black, cute—no, really good looking, I noticed Lavender had her jaw practically on the floor as she stared at him. There was nothing extraordinary amazing looking about him, but just something about him made my stomach do all kinds of things and obviously there was some sort of appeal. He gave me a tight sort of smile—was he nervous? Who was he? I wondered trying to force myself from making a face or fainting. It was hard looking away, those blue eyes, they were the blue eye. Bright and welcoming and something else. It was like he could see every part of my mind but all that generated from him was warmth, like we were fond friends from some distance past. "Hi" he mouthed as I looked around, thinking he couldn't possibly be talking to me. But when I looked back he was smiling, a little wider, but not obvious, yes he was talking to me.
"Hi" I mouthed back as he seemed to get a little fidgety, what could he possibly be nervous about? I wondered as I felt someone's hand tapping me. "Huh?" I asked looking down at Abby to see her pointing at Fred who was giving me a weird look. "What?" I asked.
"You okay?" he asked as I nodded. "Switch?" he asked Abby as she gladly obligated and let Fred move next to me.
"I'm fine" I insisted. Did I zone out? Did I have another vision? Did I imagine blue eyes? I started to freak out as I looked back to where the guy had been sitting. He was still right there, he was listening to Lavender but I could tell he wasn't listening. His eyes wondered until they found mine again. There it was, that feeling, that warmth. Who was this guy?
"Tammie" Fred snapped as he glanced over his shoulder, glaring at blue eyes who only seemed to raise an eyebrow and gave him an amused sort of look.
"It's—" I started, but my words were interrupted by Dumbledore's voice.
"Students" he said called us to attention. "That was a very interesting song and a very nice variety of students this year" he said as he clapped, the rest of us following suit. Fred had leaned over to start talking to his brother but with a poke of the butter knife and a glare he moved back to his position. I could tell George was refraining a laugh as both Seamus and Lee Jordan wiggled their eyebrows at Fred.
"What?" I hissed at them though I knew they weren't making fun of us.
"They think I'm beat" Fred said as his ears turned red. I started to ask what he meant but then I figured it out.
"You're not beat, you just know I will beat you if you start getting overly obnoxious" I told him as he rolled his eyes.
"Beat" Seamus insisted as Fred went to punch him in the arm.
"Hush, stop, Dumbledore is talking" I hissed at them realizing we were the only one who were making an obvious rattle in the room.
"It is good to see so many new faces and to welcome many of you back." Dumbledore looked around, nodding to each house table. "In additional to this wonderful group of first years I would also like to welcome two older students who have decided to transfer to our school, Hogwarts." He paused and looked around again, a lot of other students turned their heads as well. "Please, Courtney and Matthew Knacks I hope you find Hogwarts just as enjoyable—or perhaps more—than your last school" Dumbledore said as two students rose; one from the Slytherin table—Courtney.
"That explains why she wasn't in the sorting house line" Fred said but I hushed him up, unintentionally swatting him harder than I thought as he sort of glared at me and mumbled something to George. I ignored him as my eyes shifted back to our own table and down a few feet as Matthew stood up. Blue eyes. I thought as I felt myself smile. Why was I smiling? I wondered though I didn't let myself overthink it, besides Matthew was saying something and though most of us were looking at him I doubt anyone was listening. Maybe he was part veela too. Maybe they were full veelas. That had to be only explanation, I decided but still, something about Courtney, her expression, her body language, her—vibe—something—gave me a warning thought she was not a veela but indeed something much more terrifying.
"Who?" I heard Abby ask as I pried my eyes away from Courtney.
"What?" I asked her as she smiled and pointed at the staff today.
"Dumbledore said Professor Madison, she's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She looks like a bitter librarian" Abby said with laugh but instantly covered her mouth. I was happy to see she felt like she could express herself, say what she wanted. I started to reply, tell her a lot of the professors looked like that but I had taken that moment to finally look up at the staff table.
A scream caught in my throat, my knees buckled and I thought I was going to pee myself as I felt my eyes pop out of my head. Sitting between Flitwick and Snape was our new professor. Professor Madison, or as I recalled her, Professor Burnner, the one who fell off a cliff and died in a fiery pit.
