Well it has finally ended after 4 months of work I finished my first fanfic. I plan on making a sequel. I don't have many fans but that's okay the few I have I appreciate.
It was exam time, and Kellah was ready. She had studied nonstop for ten weeks—nothing but study parties, which was a lot less fun even with the word party in it. There was no way she could fail, not with Hermione breathing down her neck every day and night in their dorm. Kellah must admit that she knew herself to be very smart, but she liked to be lazy if the subject didn't interest her, and a lot didn't. Learning the basics was so dull. She could barely do any magic, but she had to study hard so she could, and it was Hogwarts or the Church of England School. Kellah left for a reason. She was not going back, and to several people's surprise, she didn't. That would teach them to think she was dumb.
Each written exam they took provided them with anti-cheating quills. It devastated Ron. He probably wanted to cheat on Hermione's paper. Or it appalled him that they didn't trust them at all. Who would trust tweens or teens with something like this?
The written exams were easy. Memorizing facts was second nature. Now, applying it to a wand practically was different.
Charms class was one of the easier ones, thankfully. It was a pineapple tap dancing across a table. Kellah was the best at spells that were not offensive or defensive, just pretty or fun.
"Ballo."
She did more than have it tap dance. Kellah made it do every dance it could. She even transfigured a little hat and cane for it. Most of the class was in awe of her pulling it off.
The Professor brought her aside and said he had never seen a display like that. He gave her a hundred and ten percent for the exam. Then Hermione blew her away. The pineapple had a top hat, cane, tap shoes, and a vest. Hermione even made it do a backflip, and Professor Flitwick forgot all about her. Well, she couldn't be mad. The funny thing was if he had asked her to perform the Severing Charm, she would have failed.
For one of her favorite classes, Transfigurations, they had to turn a mouse into a snuffbox. Kellah made hers ivory with an intricate wood craving that had the look of lace. McGonagall seemed impressed. Then Hermione was made of gold. Inside was red velvet, which had the Gryffindor symbol. There were even encrusted gemstones. Hermione didn't even like any of this stuff. It was more Lavender's style. Kellah had to admit she wanted the box, though.
Now, she was in her domain potions. There was no way Hermione would get a better grade than her. At first, Kellah wanted to pass, but now she wanted to be better at one subject than Hermione.
Snape made them brew a Forgetfulness potion, also called a Memory Potion. It was easy. She was the first to finish; it took her fifty minutes while everyone was putting on the finishing for their potions. Snape came right up to her station.
"You obviously cheated," he said.
Kellah didn't bat an eye. "How could I have cheated if you put an anti-cheat spell on all the cauldrons?"
"Nevertheless, I shall have Professor Dumbledore personally inspect your cauldron until he has proven it has not to be tampered with. You fail."
She heard the class snicker, mostly the Slytherins. Snape didn't even stop them. Malfoy was laughing the hardest. Kellah knew nothing was wrong with her damn potion. He was punishing her for being the best. Now, she felt terrible. Is this what it felt like for Hermione? This whole time, she had been trying to beat her. The only reason Kellah was even doing this well in subjects besides Potions and Herbology, of course, was because of Hermione.
History of Magic, which Kellah tried her best at, but she wasn't very confident. The exam was on self-stirring Cauldrons. Professor Binns couldn't pick a more boring topic. He was asking them questions the entire time. She knew half of them. She liked the magical world, but the only exciting things were the Goblin Rebellion and Wizarding Wars.
The first chance she got, she was dropping this class. History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure rhymes. You know one rhyme. You know them all, like the four chords.
Herbology, a class she knew wouldn't let her down. Well, it let her down. They had to catch and plant a bouncing bulb with a spell for extra points or their bare hands. She tried with her bare hands. She and Neville were both struggling. There were a few times she thought it might crush her to death. With her peripheral, she saw Harry using the Knockback Jinx on the plant. He knocked it right into the pot. Kellah mimicked his spell.
She pointed her wand at the plant and shouted. "Flipendo." Nothing happened. Kellah tried one of the few spells in her repertoire. "Immobulus." The bouncing bulb froze but so did Neville. Professor Sprout had to perform the counter curse.
Kellah had to drag the bouncing bulb while it was unconscious and replant it. Seamus had used Incendio and set his on fire, which was wilted. He still planted it, though, and had the second easiest time with it besides Harry. No one mentioned Hermione passing with flying colors, as always. Neville, now unfrozen, was fighting his plant. It was the second black eye he got that year, but he planted it, so he passed. Ron was much the same; he had the easiest fight out of everyone trying to plant it barehanded. Kellah was looking at Professor Sprout and noticed her taking pictures as souvenirs. Trying to smooth her hair to look more presentable for the future pictures that would be plastered all over the greenhouse next year. Deep down Kellah knew it was futile but it didn't hurt to try.
They then, one by one, had to tell her privately which potion it could be used for. Good, this was the easy part. The entire reason she became so good at Herbology was so she could be better at potions. Kellah knew the Pompion potion encased the drinker's head into a pumpkin. She also knew it mimicked the Pumpkin Head jinx and about Pumpkin Johnny terrorizing kids on Halloween if they said his name out loud, but she didn't dare say it. She was sure she had earned enough points to pass.
For Defense Against the Dark Arts, they had to explain the cure for werewolf bites. They didn't even have to brew it. And it was only two ingredients powered, silver and dittany. What kind of exam was this? It was easy, almost too easy. Why have an exam at all? What kind of class was this? She didn't feel she had learned anything this year from Professor Quirrell. Kellah was thankful because she didn't know many Defense Against the Dark Arts spells. All she knew was the Periculum because it was pretty sparks. She almost learned the Verdimillious Charm, but Quirrell seemed particularly bad at teaching that one. The Knockback Jinx she almost learned on the spot because of Harry. She would have to ask Hermione to teach her Defense Against the Dark Arts spells over the summer, or she wouldn't learn them.
The Astronomy exam was about Jupiter and the moon passing each other. The pair were too widely separated to fit within the field of view of a telescope or binoculars but will be visible to the naked eye. Obviously a trick question. It tested if you paid attention in class and studied the charts outside of class with and without a telescope.
Flying class did not have an exam. If you could summon, mount, liftoff, and land your broom, you had a free period to study. It was not required for the second year. It would be easier to learn from Harry anyway or play Quidditch. But she did like knowing broomology, how it was designed, and constructed the mathematics mechanics of it all. Having actual time with a broom was limited for a first year. Kellah had taken this time to nap in the library.
Lavender Brown dumped library books in front of Kellah's face, startling her. Kellah wiped slob from her mouth. "What? I only get one hour of free period before more exams."
A Defense Against the Dark Arts homework was shoved in Kellah's face. It read A for Acceptable. "I thought you were smart. All the homework you did is barely passing."
"You're an average student, so it's fine, and Defense Against the Dark Arts isn't my best subject. You should have asked me to do a different one."
Lavender tossed the paper in her face. "You will NEVER borrow another item from me again."
"Hey, I held up my end. If you wanted an O, you should have asked Hermione."
"She could do mine," Ron chimed in.
Hermione lifted her eyes from the book momentarily. Lavender stormed.
"I thought you got E's on your Defense Against the Dark Art Homework,"asked Hermione.
"I did barely. She's lucky she got an A out of it,"said Lavender.
Harry chuckled. "I can help. It's the one thing besides Quidditch I'm good at."
After their last exam, everyone cheered and wanted to soak up the sun.
Hermione was trying to review the exam papers. Harry, Ron, and Kellah didn't want to hear any of it but let her chatter.
They went to the lake and sat. They were discussing the exams more. The Weasley Twins and Lee Jordan were talking about the squid in the lake. Kellah took off her outer robe and placed it on a rock. Then she took off her vest and unbuttoned her dress shirt.
"That's not uniform-appropriate," said Hermione.
"What are they going to do, take house points? We are already dead last. I took all my exams already."
Hermione started mumming her more, but she took off her shoes and ran toward the twins and Lee Jordan. She hopped on the squid they were tickling and took a brief ride along the shore. It was nice and cool. The places where she touched the squid were wet, but she was mostly dry.
"She's fearless," yelled the twins in unison.
Lee Jordan was shouting something as well, but she couldn't hear them. Then she had a vision on the squid of flashes of Hagrid saying he won the dragon off a stranger and told him about Fluffy, and if you play him the music, he goes straight to sleep. Then it was Voldemort fighting Harry, but there was another person. It was too blurry. She almost fell off the squid, but it used another tentacle to keep her upright. The squid brought her back to shore, and Harry and the gang came running, handing Kellah her clothes and shoes. "We have to go. It's going to happen tonight,"said Hermione.
"I was just saying we have to see Hagrid," said Harry.
"No need, Snape or whoever will do it tonight,"said Kellah.
"How do you know," Harry asked.
She didn't want to tell him about her visions, so she said. "I just remembered him saying Fluffy needs music played to fall asleep, and he gave the egg to Hagrid."
"That's what I was saying,"said Harry.
"Why didn't you-" Kellah interrupted Hermione. "We should tell Dumbledore."
Kellah waved goodbye to the squid before she left, and it waved bye as well. She ran, putting on her shoes and items of clothing as she went.
They frantically ran to the castle and searched for Dumbledore's office, except they had ever been, and they weren't sure which way to go or if there was a sign to point to where it was. They bumped into McGonagall.
"What are you three doing running in the hall," said McGonagall.
"We need to see Dumbledore. It's about the sorcerer's stone. It's not safe. Someone's going to try and steal it."Harry went straight to the point.
McGonagall was shocked."I don't know how you know about the stone, but it is quite safe, and Dumbledore is not here. He has a meeting with the Minister of Magic. And you three are meddling in things you don't understand."
"We understand perfectly well.," said Ron.
"We figured this all out. We know what we're doing," said Kellah.
"Just send Dumbledore an owl and get him back here,"said Harry.
"I can assure you three are not more important than the Minister of Magic, and the stone is well protected now. Now go outside and enjoy the sunshine,"said Professor McGonagall.
They waited until McGonagall stormed off before talking amongst themselves.
"I had my doubts, Kellah, but it's tonight if Dumbledore is gone,"said Hermione.
"Just know if I say something is going to happen, believe me the first time," she smiled then frowned as she saw Snape approaching.
"You should be outside on a day like this. You all barely passed exams," he stared at Kellah. "Well, most of you."
"We were— "Harry started. Snape stopped him. "You should be careful." Gryffindor can't afford to lose more points."
"We could afford to lose points if they gave my exam the house points it deserved for finishing so quickly. Has Dumbledore looked at my exam?"
"Not quite yet," said Snape. "Although you were right," Snape said to Kellah. She smiled. "You can afford to lose more points. Five points from Gryffindor."
All of them directed their glare towards Kellah, making her feel uncomfortable.
"No more wandering about as well, or I'll make sure I expel every one of you."
Hermione had her mouth wide open. Kellah shut it for her. They went to regroup after he left them be.
"I have a plan. One of us needs to keep an eye on Snape. Hermione, that's you, and take Kellah with you. She's better at lying than you and can pester Snape about her potion."
"Why me? She can go alone," Hermione said.
"Because you can make an excuse about being worried about exams needing to see Flitwick," said Ron. "Oh I can't remember if I got number fourteen right,"Ron said in a high pitched voice.
"Oh, shut it, Ron," Hermione snapped.
"Ron and I will stay outside the third-floor corridor,"said Harry.
They split up. Kellah dragged Hermione outside the teacher's lounge. They weren't out there long before Snape came out.
"What is it that you want now," said Snape.
Kellah crossed her arms. "You know what I want."
"You want more points taken from your house due to selfishness."
Hermione intervened. "Actually, we're waiting for Professor Flitwick. I wasn't sure what I did on question fourteen."
Snape sighed. "Very well. I shall fetch him for you."
Snape wandered outside the door to get Professor Flitwick. Kellah and Hermione exchanged panicked looks and then made a run for it. They had never made it to Gryffindor Tower so fast. Harry and Ron greeted them at the door.
"Sorry, Snape went to fetch Flitwick, and we ran away, not sure where he is now," said Hermione.
"That's it. I'm going out there tonight to get that stone first," said Harry.
"You're mad!" said Ron.
"You can't!" said Hermione.
"I haven't prepared any potions," said Kellah.
"Well, you better make some," said Harry.
"But you heard what the Professors said. One more mishap, and we'll be expelled,"said Hermione.
"What's expulsion compared to the end of the world? That's what will happen if Voldemort gets that stone,"said Harry.
"You're right," said Hermione.
"Of course he's right," Kellah chimed in.
"I'll use my invisibility cloak," said Harry.
"Will it fit all four of us," said Ron.
"Four," Harry said.
"We're not letting you go alone," Ron said.
"I better look over my books for anything useful," said Hermione.
"I have to brew lots of potions tonight," said Kellah.
"If you're all caught, you'll be expelled,"said Harry.
"Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."
"It was the backflip the pineapple did, wasn't it," asked Kellah.
Hermione waved away the question. "That's not important, but yeah, it was."
After dinner, Kellah was holed up in their dorm room, making potion after potion. Her hair was sweating from the fumes she had to keep the window open to keep cool. She had a bagful by the time her dorm mates came. Lavender had come in yawning with Parvati, both holding their stomachs after the minor party in the common room to celebrate the end of exams that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were pretending to enjoy.
Lavender tripped over Kellah's cauldron. "First, you ruined my essay, now my shoes."
The tipped-over cauldron had a bit of cure for uncommon poison in it. She picked it up to see the K on her cauldron had turned into an H. She wasn't sure whose initial those were except for Hela Hufflepuff, but there was no way it was her cauldron.
She cleaned it up with her wand and placed it in the compartment for her cauldron on her four-poster bed.
Kellah made it down to the common room, which was practically empty. Lee Jordan was making his way up the boys' dormitory this whole time she thought he was a girl. His announcer's voice was surprisingly high-pitched. Maybe next year, it will get deeper.
Hermione was with the other, looking over notes. Ron and Harry were playing chess again. Ron was winning as usual. It's a wonder he ever got anyone to play against him.
Everyone was ignoring them, which, for once, they were grateful for. Kellah sat down next to Hermione, pushing the book up. She nearly dropped it, annoyed. Hermione ignored her and read some more.
"Get the cloak," Ron said.
"Bring the flute as well," said Kellah.
Harry ran down just as quickly as he had run up. Coming back, cloak and flute in hand.
"We put it on here, don't want Filch or Mrs. Norris–"
"What are you doing?"Said a voice in the room. It was Neville. They hadn't even noticed him. He blended in with the walls. If he wasn't being accident-prone, no one paid Neville any mind. He had a gift, and he didn't even know it was a shame, really.
Neville was keeping Trevor close, and the toad looked like he wanted to escape. He sadly kept failing at that. Neville couldn't let the poor bugger go. "You're going out again."
"No, of course not. Go to bed, Neville," said Hermione.
Kellah didn't know what to say but the truth, so she said nothing.
"You can't go out. You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again. Kellah already did that today."
"Snape really took those points seriously. We have one week left of school, "Kellah said.
"I won't let you go. I'll fight you," Neville held up his fist in lousy form.
"Neville, you can barely fight the last time they knocked you unconscious," Kellah said.
"Don't be stupid. Get away from the exit," said Ron.
"I'm not stupid. And you shouldn't be. I haven't broken any more rules. You told me to stand up for myself, so I'm doing that."
"I didn't mean us," said Ron.
Neville dropped Trevor, and he hopped to freedom for dear life until the next time he was caught yet again. "Go on, try to hit me."
"Neville, I'm sorry, Petrificus Totalus," Hermione cried.
Neville dropped like a stone. His whole body went rigid. He was stiff as a board flat on his face.
Layla and Dean came down the stairs. "Every time I enter the room, you do something weird,"she said.
Their dorm mate Layla ran back up the stairs, annoyed. Her headphones were not on her head…
Dean smiled."I don't want to know. I'm sure it's for a good reason. I'll take Neville to his room."Dean placed Neville on his back.
"Don't tell anyone," said Harry.
"No worries, everyone will find out tomorrow when we lose all those points if you get caught. Now I'm going to bribe Layla with the new burned CD of Jodeci's Come and Talk to Me."
"Isn't that a love song," asked Kellah.
"Don't worry, I'll let you borrow it later."
"Who's Jodeci," Ron asked.
"Never mind, let's go," said Harry. They waited until Dean was gone and put on the cloak.
They were jumpy the last time they were under the invisibility cloak. Because of their forgetfulness at the astronomy tower, they got caught. They would be more careful this time.
Kellah noticed someone farting under the cloak as they exited the porthole. Hermione elbowed Ron in the ribs.
The word "why" escaped his lips silently, his brows furrowed in disbelief. Her glare was so intense that it sent shivers down Kellah's spine. Harry fanned his hand, causing a rush of air that ruffled Kellah's hair. Kellah desperately held her breath, her nostrils twitching to resist the overpowering odor.
Mrs. Norris stood at the foot of a staircase, her keen eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of movement. The cat let out a furious hiss and futilely attempted to claw at the cloak, but they swiftly moved up a step.
"Let's kick her," Ron whispered.
Kellah kicked him; instead, he mouthed the words ouch.
"Don't you dare," Kellah whispered.
They sidestepped her, and Mrs. Norris' red glowing eyes stared at them in the dark. She lay down, tail fluffed out wildly, whipping back and forth with nothing to pounce on.
As they passed a spiral case, they stopped dead in their tracks. Peeves was sliding down the banister and doing cartwheels straight through a painting. They all sighed in relief.
They waited to ensure he didn't come through the wall again, then made it to the third-floor corridor. The door was already open. They knew Snape had gone through it, and they were in a race to stop him from getting the stone.
"If you want to go back, now is the time," Harry said."Take the cloak. I won't be needing it where I'm going."
"Don't be daff," said Ron.
"We're coming with," said Hermione.
"I didn't make all these potions for nothing," Kellah said, holding them over her bag and placing them back in.
They all held hands and smiled at each other. Harry pushed the door open with his free hand, and dog breath reached them. It blew their hair like the wind, and there was a little bit of spit that was like a light sprinkle of rain.
Every ear of the three-headed dog peaked in their direction, and then his nose also sniffed that way. He was making noises in his sleep, rolled over on his back, and began running in place like he was chasing something. That's when they noticed the trapdoor under its butt.
Close to the trapdoor was a harp playing music. The harp stopped, and the dog's eyes went wide open. He rolled over on top of the trapdoor, growled, and made a slow creep towards them.
Harry took the flute out of his pocket and was about to play it when Kellah raised a hand at him to stop. She reached deep into her bag and threw a massive bone in the corner. The dog's tail wagged, and it ran straight for the bone. It knocked them all over and watched in the corner with the bone in all mouths.
They went near the trapdoor, and it growled. Kellah went right up to it and scratched its ear. The dog rolled over on its belly, and Kellah petted its leg, it kicked in glee.
"Everyone keeps forgetting it's a dog, not a big scary monster. Now go, I'll catch up."
They acknowledged each other with a nod before descending towards the trapdoor. Fluffy growled, but Kellah said no. He hushed, emitting a slight whine, his body language begging for further attention. She waved them off with a wag of her finger as she departed. "Now stay and be a good boy, okay."
With a cheerful bark, the dog expressed its excitement, leaving her with a wet goodbye lick as she ventured down the trap door.
The moment Kellah touched down, she winced as a spiky plant pierced her skin. She felt repulsed by the touch of the Venomous Tentacula's hairy body. An unexpected force threw her off, causing her to collide with Harry before being pounced on by a Chinese Chomping Cabbage. With a shudder, the Venomous Tentacula unleashed a series of snapping sounds from its mouth, causing its enormous plant body to convulse before launching its lethal vines at them. Its tendrils tried to wrap itself around Kellah but Ron pulled them off her. Kellah bit one of the vines and it shrieked then released her.
They all ran, their hearts pounding as they dodged the venom the plant spat at them. Racing through a tight corridor, their outstretched arms grazed the walls on either side. They found themselves confined in a dimly lit corridor, with an adversary closing in from behind.
"I'm hit," yelled Harry.
As time passed, his arm became increasingly discolored, turning purple. With it firmly in his grasp, he raced forward, struggling to catch up. Out of nowhere, a Chinese Chomping Cabbage prepared to attack, but Ron sacrificed himself to protect Harry.
Ron's punch connected with the Chinese Chomping Cabbage, the force of it propelling the vegetable away from him. He wasted no time grabbing Harry and urging him to pick up the pace. As Kellah evaded the Chinese Chomping Cabbage's attack, she swiftly retaliated, delivering a powerful blow to one of his allies. Just as they were about to leave, they came face to face with another Venomous Tentacula, with the Chinese Chomping Cabbage inching closer.
The Venomous Tentacula's bite left Kellah with a throbbing wound oozing with venom. She let out a startled cry, and Hermione quickly pulled her back.
"I need to kill it, but I can remember how," said Hermione.
"We need fire," Kellah said, punching a Chinese Chomping Cabbage as her other arm went limp.
A wave of dizziness washed over her, making it hard to keep her balance. Harry was hunched over, and he followed suit, matching her stance. She could hear the Chinese Chomping Cabbages rustling and preparing to spring at them. Harry struggled to raise his arm, the weight of his wand almost too much to bear. "Flipendo." In a mighty blow, the Chinese Chomping Cabbage was propelled backward, colliding with the Venomous Tentacula at the other end of the hall, meeting a crushing fate.
Hermione panicked. "We don't have wood," Hermione said with her wand in her hand.
Ron pointed at the wand, "Are you a witch or not."
"Frigus Flamma," Hermione said stunned. Hermione set everyone on fire. Harry and Ron panicked as they felt the intense heat on their skin, quickly stopping, dropping, and rolling to extinguish the flames. Kellah stayed calm, her clothes smoldering, as she instinctively patted the fire off herself, feeling the cool burning flame engulf her.
"It only hurts plants and some clothing," said Hermione.
"A warning next time," said Ron.
"Or better–," Harry collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Kellah's head spun, and she slid down a wall, seeking support. From her bag, she produced a potion and took a sip, feeling its warm and invigorating effects. As Kellah cradled Harry's head in her lap, she could feel his pulse against her fingertips, quickening with each swallow of the potion. Kellah gently massaged his throat and observed as the purplish hue of his protruding veins subsided.
Hermione and Ron rushed over, their worried faces crowding around Harry, who woke up with a sudden gasp as if an otherworldly presence had taken hold of him.
"Thanks for saving my life, but next time, do it with a better-tasting potion,"said Harry.
"What is this stuff," said Ron as Kellah handed some to him and Hermione.
"It's the cure for uncommon poisons. It's the advanced version of the common version we learned earlier this year,"said Kellah.
"Wow, you're even better at potions than Hermione. Is this what you used on my hand earlier this year,"said Ron.
Kellah nodded.
"We need to go now. Snape could already have the stone,"said Harry.
"But Harry," said Hermione.
He gritted his teeth and mustered the willpower to stand. "I'm fine. I would rather be poisoned than dead because we didn't stop him."
They nodded in agreement and gently pushed aside the withered plants. Carefully, Kellah extracted a vial from her bag and began gathering samples from the plants. When she was done, she nodded, signifying her readiness.
"I hear something like a flapping noise," said Harry.
"It sounds like wings to me," said Ron.
They entered a brightly lit chamber with high ceilings. It was filled with something tiny and too fast for the eyes. Harry pouted at them. "Are they tiny bluebirds?"
Kellah gasped. "We're in trouble. They are billywigs."
As if on cue, they were all stung simultaneously, leading to an ensemble of yelps. A chorus of laughter erupted from their lips, infectious.
"Don't laugh. Its sting causes giddiness, and eventually," Kellah laughed and couldn't finish.
"They'll cause levitation," said Hermione seriously.
The group exchanged looks with one another before breaking into uproarious laughter.
"Run for the door," Harry said.
They were sprinting at top speed, but each step felt like a sharp sting against their skin. Their bodies floated, and they could feel the sensation of weightlessness taking over.
"I'm walking on sunshine," said Ron, laughing.
"Woah, and don't it feel good," said Kellah.
They all start singing in unison. "I'm walking on sunshine, woah."
"Hey, alright now," said Harry.
"And don't it feel good," said Kellah.
They started full-on levitating and floating to the door. Hermione belted out. "I used to think maybe you loved me, now I know that it's true."
They all crawled through the doors from the ceiling and shut the door. They fell straight to the ground in a mangled heap of bodies.
"Get off," said Ron. Kellah rose up kicking his face with her foot.
"Ron, how do you know that song," asked Hermione.
"Dad listens to Muggle music on the radio sometimes."
"Yet you don't know who Jodeci is," said Kellah.
"Old Muggle music," Ron corrected.
As Hermione and Ron realized they were holding each other, they swiftly let go, their cheeks turning red. They all got up and saw a colossal chessboard. They walked past black pieces and stopped to stare at each other. The white chess pieces were faceless, which made them all the more menacing. The pawns drew swords blocking their path forward.
"We've got to play," said Ron.
Hermione, you be the queen's side castle. Harry, you be the knight, Kellah, the king, and I'm the bishop," said Ron.
Kellah knew Hermione would be the safest. Castles stayed on the board the longest; he must have really fancied Hermione. Kellah would tell Hermione later if they live. Harry and Ron were at risk. Ron should have been a king to keep himself safe, and Harry another castle. Kellah was the king and was the safest and most at risk, except for a pawn. She would only be in danger if there were a checkmate. Ron was purposefully protecting the two girls on the board. No matter how much cheek he gave them, he cared deeply.
Hermione was inside a little castle with a shield. Harry was on a gigantic horse, holding the reins. Ron had a giant staff, and Kellah had a vast sword. She even used it when she was in check, which happened only once.
Ron saw Harry was in danger and moved his bishop to C5 to sacrifice himself. Hermione let out a blood-curdling scream and almost ran to Ron but stopped herself. She wiped tears with her sweater.
Harry moved his knight to H3 and checkmated the king. They both move to Ron's side. The staff took most of the impact, but Ron was breathing, but it was shallow. He had a cracked rib. They were all banged up, honestly. Hermione touched his face, sad, then left, knowing she had to. Kellah took a bottle from her bag and slowly fed it to him. He lay there now, his breathing easier.
"What did you give him,"Harry asked.
"A Wiggenweld potion. It's not as potent. It normally has seventeen ingredients, but I only had Horklump juice and Dittany for such short notice."
The chess pieces cleared the way, creating a path for them, and they made their way hand in hand through the next door. Their noses wrinkled in disgust as the noxious smell reached them, and they soon realized they were supposed to face an entire army of burned inferi, a daunting task they couldn't have handled. But Snape had made it first and killed the entire army.
Purple flames spontaneously erupted from the entrance as they walked away from the next door. The other exit was blocked by fire that flickered with a sinister, black hue.
"Look!"With a quick movement, Hermione seized the parchment roll that lay close to the bottles. Ignoring everything else, Kellah examined the colors and inhaled the fragrances of each bottle. With curiosity piqued, Harry glanced over Hermione's shoulder to glimpse what she was reading.
Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however, slyly, the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.
"Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic -- it's logic -- a puzzle. Many of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic. They'd be stuck in here forever."
"But so will we, won't we," asked Harry.
"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."
"How do we solve it," said Harry.
"I solved it," said Kellah.
"Already," said Hermione.
"I got the answer by color and smell. Purple is an uncommon fire protection potion and the way back. Red is nettle wine, white is mistletoe poison, blue is fire resistant which means forward and yellow is wild parsnip poison, black is nettle wine. Green is hemlock poison."
Hermione checks over everything. "That's right. You even know what's in the bottle."
"Go back and rescue Ron. Get an owl to Dumbledore as quick as you can. I'll handle Snape,"said Harry.
"But Harry -- what if You-Know-Who's with him?"said Hermione.
"Then I'll take him on too. I might get lucky," said Harry.
They wrapped their arms around each other, and Hermione's tearful sniffs could be heard.
"I couldn't have done it without you two and Ron," said Harry.
"We couldn't have done it without each other," said Kellah.
Harry put the potion to his lips. "You sure it's not poison," he asked Kellah.
"Yes, Hermione double-checked."
Hermione nodded, and Harry forcefully slammed it down before confidently striding through the roaring flames. They downed their potion swiftly, the liquid leaving a trail of warmth in their chests. With tired feet, they made their way back along the familiar path.
As they raced back, the memories of the previous trials flashed before their eyes. Hermione ran back to Ron, her breaths coming out in quick, shaky bursts.
With their hands clasped together, Ron's voice trembled as he whispered Hermione's name. Her face lit up with the biggest smile, radiating happiness.
"Just so you know, he made you a castle that's the safest piece on the board. It's also the second-best piece in the game besides the Queen."
Ron's words came out in an inaudible murmur as he mumbled Harry's name and then moved on to Kellah's. Hermione stopped sobbing then and wiped her eyes, her fingers trembling as they brushed against her damp lashes.
"He said all our names."
"He said yours first and mine last. What does that tell you."
"Nothing."
Ron snorted awake. "Nothing, what."
Hermione hugged him. "My rib."
"I'm glad you're okay,"Hermione said.
"We have to get a letter to Dumbledore," Kellah said, and they finally stopped embracing.
They lent a hand to help Ron get back on his feet, and as a team, they advanced to the billywig room. All the insects were frozen in place; it was the Immobulus spell. It was a spell she knew and she hadn't thought to use it. This is why she let the others do all the fighting.
As Kellah turned the corner, it surprised her to see Dumbledore standing there, his twinkling blue eyes fixed on them.
"Harry is facing Snape and Voldemort alone," Hermione said.
"Go to Madam Pomfrey immediately. I shall take it from here. You were all very brave little ones."
Their bodies were weak from the struggle, but they pushed themselves to reach Madam Pomfrey and immediately blacked out at the entrance.
When Kellah woke up, the sterile smell of the hospital wing filled her nostrils, and she found herself surrounded by Ron, Harry, and Hermione in neighboring beds. Harry was the worst. He was still unconscious. Ron and Hermione, dressed in their cozy pajamas, were engrossed in a game of wizard's chess.
"Not tired of that game yet after last night,"Kellah asked.
Ron took Hermione's king. "Never."
Ron and Hermione checked out first, leaving Kellah behind as she needed extra care and observation because of the high toxicity of the Venomous Tentacula.
Throughout the day, a constant stream of visitors went to Harry's side. Cards, candy, and flowers engulfed him in a sweet embrace. You would have thought he died. It was funny how, just a day ago, they despised him for losing countless house points. Kellah couldn't stand how everyone treated him as if he were nothing more than a racing horse judged solely by his ability to win.
Dean dropped off a card to Kellah, a dimpled smile spreading across his face as he thought of her reaction. The words "get well" were written, and she couldn't shake off the feeling of familiarity.
"So, how is Layla?"
"She kept her mouth shut and still is. She didn't even need bribing. I would also like to inform you that Layla turned me down, but she loved the CD."
"You asked her out," Kellah asked.
"I didn't, but she thought so." He then handed her the Jodeci CD.
"Is there a girl you like," she said.
Dean chuckled. "I'm going to go. Feel better." He held her hand stroking it then hurried away.
Uncertainty filled Kellah's mind as she grappled with the meaning behind that statement. As the night wore on, she imagined Draco's tearful gaze and the gentle touch of his lips on her forehead. Upon awakening in the middle of the night, Kellah was greeted by the delicate fragrance of a Kadupul flower. In the soft glow of the moon, the closed flower started to unfurl and release its delicate fragrance. Attached to it was a letter, neatly folded and sealed with wax.
To K
This is the Queen of the Night Flower. It only blooms once a year. I did a spell to ensure it would be tonight just for you.
P.S. I heard Harry was going to die. I secretly hope he doesn't.
From D
Words failed Kellah as she struggled to express herself. Sure enough, that morning, the flower had withered away, its petals drooping. An abundance of more get-well gifts surrounded Harry, creating a colorful and cheerful atmosphere. The room felt like a tomb, with presents piled high around him. He might as well have been sleeping beauty.
At her bedside, Dumbledore stood tall and wise, his presence comforting. He was glancing at her letter and the wilted flower. "I see you have a secret admirer that's not so secret."
Kellah felt her muscles tighten, preparing for what would come.
"I shall not tell a soul, but eventually, you will have to tell your friends. Now, as for what happened once Harry went behind those flames, I will leave that to him. But I did inspect your exam potion, which was not tampered with. You are a truly gifted witch with more talents than you think. There were two other witches, one who taught here and one who was a student. She was the Professor of Divination Mudiwa Onai and her daughter Natsai Onai. I think it would be in your best interest to learn as much as you can about your magical history. Most Muggleborns do not have that luxury. I have also informed Mrs. Granger of this with Hector Dagworth-Granger, the creator of Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers. She seemed not to believe me."
"That sounds like Hermione, and her background sounds more exciting than mine. Although the Divination Professor as my ancestor makes sense. You see Professor Dumbledore, I had a vision earlier this year about Snape dying by snake bite, and I suspect he loves Lily Potter."
If Dumbledore was upset, it didn't show on his face. " I would ask you not to tell Harry until your vision comes to pass. It seems you share the power of a Seer with your ancestor. Tell only those you trust, for many will try to abuse your powers for their gain."
"Can I ask you something else?"
Dumbledore stared at her with a mischievous grin. "Why of course my child."
"What happened to mum's brother? I heard the word obscurial."
Dumbledore quickly cleaned his glasses and then placed them back on his head. Dumbledore looked at her through his moon-shaped spectacles. "I will tell you what I can. The rest is up to your mother; your uncle became an obscurus and died shortly after. That is all I am at liberty to say at this moment. One must simply look for secrets to be revealed." Dumbledore caused the dead flower to bloom and placed it in her hair.
Kellah understood she was too young to know the complete story. No matter how much she wanted to know everyone was trying to protect her.
On the subsequent day when Kellah was released from the hospital, rumors and whispers spread throughout the school as students exchanged details about the mysterious happenings that took place behind the closed doors of the third-floor corridor. Some people were deliberating the idea of Gryffindor surrendering the Quidditch Cup because of Harry's hospitalization. However, their primary concern was centered on the events that had taken place involving Harry and his friends in the underground chamber.
The rumors that were circulating were even more outrageous than what actually occurred. They said he was the next Dark Lord and stronger than Voldemort. That he was scarier than the Dark Lord because he had no allegiances. Most of it was wrong. Then, some said he was the chosen one. A few said it was pure luck, but no one believed that. Kellah possessed a greater level of knowledge compared to Ron and Hermione, but her understanding was still inferior to that of Harry, primarily because of her exceptional visions.
In a show of unity, they came together to visit Harry. Kellan had just left the hospital wing and she had to come back. She would do it for Harry though.
As Dumbledore exited, he left them all with a wink, adding to the intrigue before sauntering off. Following a lengthy and heated argument from everyone involved, Madam Pomfrey finally relented and allowed them to enter for five sodding minutes.
Although Hermione desired to embrace Harry, she ultimately refrained from doing so. Kellah had no reason to hold back, so she threw caution to the wind and followed her heart's desires. She gently pressed her lips against Harry's cheek, leaving a lingering warmth.
"I'll allow it," said Harry. She noticed the pain etched on his face, a clear sign that his head was still tender, but he was trying to be strong in front of them.
"I wasn't sure you would ever wake up," Kellah said.
"Everyone was worried sick," said Hermione.
"You're the talk of the school. So are you going to tell us what really happened," Ron asked.
"It was Voldemort. He was living off the back of Quirrell's head."
"That's disgusting," said Ron.
"How," said Hermione.
"Why," said Kellah.
"Quirrell was the one drinking the unicorn blood for Voldemort."
"No," said Hermione.
"Shut up," said Ron.
"That poor unicorn, at least I got the tail and horn," said Kellah.
Harry cast her a withering look, signaling for her to cease speaking. "Anyways, while he was in Albania, he agreed to let Voldemort latch on to his head. That's why he was always wearing a turban."
"Again, Ew," said Ron.
"What else," said Hermione.
"More details," said Kellah.
"So there was the Mirror of Erised, basically Desire, and anyone who wanted the stone and wanted to use it would see themselves as rich. If you wanted the stone but would not use it, you would get it. Then it was in my pocket."
"Your pocket," said Ron.
"Unbelievable," said Hermione.
"No," said Kellah.
"Yes," said Harry. "There's more. Voldemort couldn't stand my touch because of my mum's love protecting me from Voldemort when I was a child. He asked her to move twice, and she didn't. That afforded me protection from the killing curse, which caused Voldemort not to be able to touch me because my mum's protection is still there. So I touched him with my bare hands, and his face and hands and arms glowed red and burned."
"Did you kill him," said Ron.
"That must have been terrifying," said Hermione.
"How did you survive," said Kellah.
"I didn't kill him. Voldemort left Quirrell's body and killed him on the way out. After that, I remember waking up here."
"What happened to the stone," asked Ron.
"What happened to Nicholas Flamel," said Hermione.
"What happened to that mirror? I still haven't got a look at it," said Kellah.
"The stone was destroyed. Nicholas Flamel and his wife will set their affairs in order and then die. They are over six hundred years old. And I don't know what happened to the mirror stopped asking. Now what happened to you three," said Harry.
They summarized their involvement in the crisis, leaving out the peculiar detail of Ron muttering their names in his sleep and his hidden affection for Hermione. Kellah gave Hermione a subtle nudge, trying to convey her thoughts without words, but Hermione ignored the matter.
"The end of the year feast tomorrow. Slytherin is in the lead to win The House Cup, but other than that, it will be fun. We also lost the Quidditch cup to Ravenclaw without you,"said Ron.
Madam Pomfrey came in with her arms crossed. "OUT! He needs rest now," she yelled. They all left in a hurry.
The end of the day brought a nerve-racking atmosphere that lingered into the night. Kellah rummaged through her closet, searching for the perfect outfit for the feast. Layla's head was shaking in a frantic manner as she tried to make a quick escape from the room. "What should I wear for the feast," Kellah asked Hermione whenshe entered.
"Your uniform, it's the end of the year feast, not a holiday."
Both Lavender and Parvati found Kellah's actions amusing and burst into laughter.
Going against the guidelines, Kellah gathered various articles of clothing that were strictly prohibited from being worn on her uniform, such as big butterfly hair clips. Across her head, she wore her school tie as a headband. She had a pair of sunglasses resting on her eyes. The skirt, which was rolled up to right above her knees, and the wide-open robes gave her a bold appearance.
Hermione stared at her. "You want to lose more house points."
"We already lost no point now."
When they met the boys in the common room, they felt a sense of camaraderie and excitement. While Ron gave her two thumbs up, Harry rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. The sight of Hermione's glare made Ron immediately drop his hands. Kellah strutted down the hall, pulling on her choker. As she walked past Professor Snape, she caught a whiff of his pungent, potion-filled robes.
"One point from Gryffindor," he stared at her mood ring and sunglasses. "For failing to comply with the uniform policy." Snape pushed past them and entered the great hall. It was decorated with Slytherin sickly green.
"It's the last day, and he's taking points. What a wanker," said Ron.
"You got what you deserved," said Hermione.
Kellah couldn't care less about it because she knew they would lose the House Cup, and her prediction proved correct. They could not secure a victory, despite Dumbledore's contribution of extra points, as Snape took away one point. Everyone was seething with anger towards her on the last day. She was relieved to find out that she had come in second in her class, second only to Hermione. Luckily, the boys scraped by. She was getting rather fond of them.
"Sleep with one eye open," said Lavender.
"Try anything, and you'll get the end of my wand," said Hermione.
A gasp escaped Kellah's lips as she registered what she saw. She slept so deeply that not even a sound could wake her, but the next day, Lavender cursed Kellah with an unusual affliction - her hands became covered in thick, unruly hair. It was the best parting gift. Because Hermione easily dispelled it with a counter curse.
They all packed quickly, with Kellah leading the way. She was the first to pack, frantically shoving belongings into her trunk, knowing she had to escape without being caught for making them lose the House Cup.
She hid outside early, crouched behind a cluster of trees. A flicker of movement caught Kellah's attention, and she strained her eyes to see who or what had passed by, but there was no one to be found. Hidden from view, she waited for the carriages to arrive, then swiftly boarded with Harry and the gang, wearing a hoodie and sunglasses. With a mischievous grin, Ron chuckled and flicked a few popcorn kernels at her.
As they reached the train, she felt a crumpled letter tucked inside her hoodie.
Dear K
Thanks for winning Slytherin the House Cup. I will continue to write you. I can't wait to annoy you all summer.
From D
Outside the train, Ron shouted, "I learned what a phone and I will call once my dad figures out what a landline is."
"Okay, well, you can write then," said Hermione.
"We'll try calling when you can, okay, Ron," said Harry.
Kellah intended to reach out to Hermione, but she had excluded Ron and Harry from her call list until Ron got his phone sorted.
As she was about to step forward, Dean's hand shot out, stopping her from entering the compartment. He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear as he whispered his phone number."I want you to call me as well," he said, blushing.
Dean left, and the gang's laughter and conversation never ceased, their spirits high and contagious. While her mates chatted, Kellah discreetly jotted down Dean's number. She stared at Dean's number, the ink smudged and fading in her right hand while clutching Malfoy's crumpled note in her left hand. She then jammed them in her pockets.
"Home will be much more tolerable since they won't know I can't do magic," Harry said.
Kellah glanced at Harry, searching for any signs of weariness or sadness in his eyes, wondering if his home life mirrored her own.
"I was thinking the same thing," Kellah said.
Upon reaching King's Cross, they disembarked and stood before Platform 9 . Kellah felt a sense of emptiness as she realized her parents were missing. Surprisingly, even Harry's aunt and uncle were present. As Hermione and Mrs. Granger approached her, she could see the worry etched on their faces. "You can come home with us. You're not far, sweetie."
Kellah finally had a sense of belonging, a family she had chosen rather than being born into.