Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Hogwarts, nor do I write to interfere with the story lines that JKR has already set up. But, Andran, Owlery, Zinny, and most of the students are my own creations. Steal them, and I hunt you down. Deal with it.

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“Andran! You great prat, why didn’t you write? Come to think of it, you could have called me, too, since your Mother keeps a telephone for her Muggle business dealings. Why didn’t you call?�

I smiled at my best friend, Zinny, who had been currently implementing her ‘punch-fist-ask-questions-later’ philosophy to my arm. “Oh, my summer was fine, thanks. And how was yours?� I drawled sarcastically.

Zinny gave me her famous, mischievous grin, “Brilliant. Your sarcasm hasn’t faded at all, I see. I may be lousy at greetings, but you’re not off the hook. I shouldn’t have to ask how your summer’s been, you should have written! Blimey, Andran, I wondered if you’d fallen off a broom and damaged your writing arm or something yet--� she reached out and hefted my right arm up in the air with her left. “It seems to be working just fine.�

I yanked it back from her, “I’m not so sure about that, maybe I should test it out, to make sure…� I flexed it, and then hit her back, harder.

“That’s it, you asked for it!� Zinny pounced. In less than a second, she had me in a headlock, though I had her free arm pinned behind her back. I think we looked like pretzels. That's what we felt like, anyway. Sure, we were close to the same height, but Zinny – being a girl – was much smaller in frame. Not that she’d ever let that stop her from trying to – and sometimes succeeding in – getting the better of me. Half of the time, she only succeeded when pulling some kind of cheap shot, but I let those slide. After all, what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t let her win sometimes?

Several students who walked onto the platform eyed us strangely, I’m sure. They always did. It wasn’t until the Hogwarts Express blew its whistle that either of us snapped out of our brawl.

“Oh, well,� Zinny said, removing her foot from where she’d wrapped it over my shoulder, “Maybe we should get aboard?�

I paused and gave her a thoughtful look, “Yes, perhaps we should. Let me help you there, Madam Graceful,� I grabbed hold of her ankle and started to pull it over my shoulder, just to make her squirm.

“Stop it, Andy! Stop!� Zinny shrieked, somewhat delightedly.

“What ever you say,� I said, letting her go. Zinny fell, yes, but she somehow – I’m not sure how – managed to pull me down with her. She could always do that, pull me down with her; I’m pretty sure that’s her cheap shot. She’s got to have a charmed shoe, or something. Either way, I staggered and lost my balance. I fell and crashed into a rather short girl with lots of curly brown hair. I noticed it because it seemed to go everywhere, including in my mouth.

“Ah!� the girl yelped, dropping an armful of books. What, she couldn’t have brought a bag to carry them in? She was practically asking for them to be knocked out of her arms.

“Sorry,� I said, trying to get her hair out of my mouth while disentangling myself from Zinny – who was laughing hysterically at me from where she was lying on the platform. Once that was accomplished, I tried to help her – the girl, I mean – pick up some of her books. She was muttering something to herself that I couldn’t hear, but I noticed that whatever she was saying, it sounded distressed. I tapped her on the shoulder, planning to ask her if she was alright, but when she turned to me, I froze. Her eyes… wow. I’d never seen anything so… anyway, I was speechless. Her large round eyes were a startling color. Violet. And her hair wasn't brown, it was a deep golden color... almost brown, but much prettier. I swallowed, hard.

I think I looked like a troll or something, because she frowned at me. I tried to say something – anything! – but those eyes were just so startling. Before I could find my voice, or stop her, she took her books from my hands and dashed off towards the train.

“Come on, Zinny,� I reached down and yanked her to her feet, “If we don’t go now, we’ll miss the train, like last year. Professor Granger wasn’t happy about that at all.�

“You mean, you didn’t enjoy those four weeks of detentions for being careless – whoa!� Zinny yelped as I dragged her in the direction the girl had gone.

*** *** ***

My heart was pounding in my chest as I raced onto the train and into an empty compartment at the end. I shut the door, only wishing I could lock it and keep the rest of the world out. Why did stupid things always have to happen to me? I should have seen those two wrestling, and avoided them. Placing my things on the shelf overhead, I seated myself in the corner and drew my knees up tight to my chest.

Those oafs; I just can’t stand stupid people! Horsing around on the platform – didn’t they know that was dangerous? Man! New school, new country, and a new life, right? Whatever. So far it had been unknown school, dreary country and same life the same as always. What had my uncle been thinking, sending me here? Life had been just as good back in Salem.

Wrapping my arms tightly around my knees, I sighed. Hogwarts, I thought. Give it a chance, Marti. Isn’t that what your Aunt and Uncle said? Just give it a chance. Hogwarts is one of the safest Wizarding schools in the world, right? This is just day one, nothing to really worry yourself over…

*** *** ***

I didn’t let go of Zinny’s hand until we had gotten aboard. She could complain about abuse all she wanted, but I could just as easily ignore her protests. Sometimes, I wonder where Zinny, Zilpha Pearson, would be without me to make sure she did things, like get on the Hogwarts Express before it left. The last three years had been completely her fault for distracting me…

“Zinny, do you want the train to leave without us, again?�

“Of course I don’t,� she said, yanking her hand free, “but I can walk on my own two feet, thank you.�

“Sure you can,� I said absently, beginning to look for an open compartment. “It’s getting you to go in the right direction that’s the problem. Help me find a seat, Zinny… Zinny?�

She’d vanished. I did a complete circle but she was… then I saw her. She had found a compartment of Hufflepuff students she knew, and was cracking jokes while parking herself on one of their laps. Last year, she’d sat on that same boy’s lap, only it was during Divination. Professor Brown looked she would skin Zinny alive for that one, and Headmistress McGonagall practically did.

“Wotcher, Zinny,� I muttered while turning away to look for someplace less crowded. “If I had written you, would you have even noticed? Or had the attention span to write back?�

Most everywhere was full. I made my way to the end of the train, going from compartment to compartment, wondering if I’d have to sit with some Slytherins – gag me with a spoon. It was the last compartment, at the very end of the train that was empty. At last. I smiled and opened the door quickly. “Always the last place you look,� I muttered as I shut the door as fast as I could and tried to sit down.

“Aaack!�

“What the–� something pushed, rather forcefully – and in a very inappropriate area, I must say – sending me stumbling into the opposite seat. I jumped around to see what it was that had attacked my backside. There, where I had tried to sit, was the short girl who I’d blundered into on the platform, slumped down in the seat with her feet up in the air, ready to kick me… again.

She was glaring, her large violet eyes the size of galleons, “Do you try to flatten everyone you meet, or am I the only one who has that honor?� she said straightening herself in her seat.

“My word,� I stammered, more than a little embarrassed. “You have my apologies. It was an accident. I didn’t see you sitting there.�

She raised an eyebrow, “That much is obvious. You should install rear view mirrors so you can see around that rump of yours. Might help.�

I frowned, “I gave you an apology, what more do you want?�

She blinked her large eyes, “You're right. Sorry. You’re welcome to have a seat,� she stated blandly, “Just not mine.�

I found a grin pulling at my mouth as I sat down opposite of her. “My name’s Andran, by the way. Andran Audierus.�

She flashed a quick smile, and then tucked it away again. “Audierus?�

“Yes, it’s from a Latin base, meaning-�

“To listen, I know. Roughly speaking, your last name implies your line is made of good listeners.�

“Yeah,� I was surprised. “I didn’t think you’d know that. Not many know Latin very well.�

A small grin appeared on her face as she pulled her knees up to her chest again, “Nunquam denuo ambulare ab lumeni.�

“Beg your pardon?�

She drew a long curl behind her ear, “Its Latin. Look it up sometime. Where’s your... monkey?�

My face got hot, “My what?�

She scowled, “That girl who was sitting on your shoulder when you plowed into me on the platform. What do you think I meant?�

“Uh … never mind. That was Zinny, my friend. Last I checked she was flirting with a group of Hufflepuffs. She’s extraordinarily social.�

The girl cocked an eyebrow at me, “So it would seem.�

“Look,� I leaned forward, “I’m really sorry about that. Really. Zinny may seem strange, well I suppose she kind of is, but she’s a really nice girl too. Hey,� leaning over, I happened to notice her, really, for the first time. She had to be a first year, she was so short, and I knew he’d never seen her before at Hogwarts. But…I caught a glimpse of her figure behind her tucked up legs. First years didn’t have curves like that.

“Hey what?�

“Is this your first year here?�

“Boy smart. Catch on quick. Yes it is.�

I was confused. “Is there something I’m missing? Something’s not adding up quite right, here,�

“Oh, that,� she said and waved a hand in my direction, “It’s just the left side of your brain.�

I frowned. That had been uncalled for, completely! “Perhaps I lost it in that jungle on your head. Oh, wait, is that your hair?�

The girl’s face went red and she clenched her fists. “I’d rather have a jungle on my head, and support the environment, than give off your stench, and pollute it!�

My temper began rising. “Oh, sorry about that. I know things must smell different outside of Munchkin Land.�

“Oh, what was that?� she shouted, jumping to her feet, her red face looking rather menacing when it contrasted with her violet eyes. “I didn’t catch that last bit there, as I don’t speak ape!�

“You could have fooled me! It seems you have your Howler-Monkey down, fluently!�

“Oh, that is it, I am out of here!� she grabbed up her books and things from the overhead shelf, and stormed towards the door. She opened it, but turned back rather than going through it. It slid shut again. “You are the most rude, wretched, deplorable, pompous fool I have ever had the misfortune to meet.�

I met her gaze head on. “You are just steaming mad, aren’t you? Oh, my mistake; it’s the jungle mist.�

“Bite me!�

There was a loud thunk as she slammed into the glass door, full throttle. I was shocked she hadn’t shattered it.

*** *** ***

Holy crap, what did I do? I thought as I fumbled with my hand to find the handle to the door. I felt dizzy and my nose was hurting, and I couldn’t find the handle to save my life. Whatever.

And then he started laughing – laughing at me! Sliding glass doors were dangerous, and I could have been seriously hurt! Some people had been decapitated by them, as Aunt and Uncle had always told me. Geez, the stupid stuff always happens to me.

My fumbling hand finally found the handle and I raced out of the compartment, but my face was feeling numb, so I wasn’t really paying attention, and I smacked into the refreshment trolley, sending my books and pumpkin pasties flying everywhere.

Without warning, I burst out into tears, which didn’t make the fact that nearly a boxful of Bertie Bott’s had somehow found their way into my bra any better.

It was Andran’s fault. Andran Audierus. It was his fault that now everyone in the entire train, except the conductor himself, were now looking out of their compartments to see what was going on, and was seeing a sobbing mess of hair with candy in her bra. Well, they didn’t know there was candy there, but I did.

Ooh, I swore right there, he was going to pay for this. I now had my brazier full ammunition, and I had a mind to use it to get him back.

*** *** ***

Zinny handed the girl a few of her books before she slipped into the compartment with me.

“What did you do?� Zinny asked, somewhat menacingly.

“Excuse me?� I stammered, “I didn’t do anything! That toxic harpy out there started it!�

Zinny raised her eyebrows, “Toxic harpy? That’s a tad harsh, Andy. She’s new.�

I shook my head, “I don’t care. I tried to be nice, I really did, and she just… she…�

“She got under you skin, didn’t she?�

“No she didn’t!�

“Aha,� Zinny laughed. Folding her arms and plopping onto the seat, “She got to you. I’ll bet she got you so riled up that you didn’t even get a chance to get her name, or any information about her. You just let her push your buttons.�

I was outraged, partially because I was still fuming from the fight, but also because Zinny was closer to the truth than I wanted to admit. I grabbed Zinny by her shirt collar and held her up, glaring into her face, “Cork it, Zilpha! She didn’t do anything but pester my temper!�

“Is that a euphemism? If so, it’s not very good. Too many different possible meanings-�

“ZINNY!�

I dropped her as she started laughing hysterically. A glance out of the compartment door showed me that the girl was gone and the trolley with her. I couldn’t believe how angry I’d gotten over a few words… Zinny and I had shouting matches all the time, throwing insults like they were confetti, and I’d never gotten that mad before with her. I shook my head to clear it, then decided to sit down…

…And somehow managed to end up flat on my back. I coughed, completely winded. Zinny doubled over with laughter. Merlin, did she have to laugh at everything?

A moment later, I sat up to check what had caused my fall. At first I thought it was marbles, but then my vision cleared and I noticed it was actually some Bertie Bott’s, scattered under my feet. I’d slipped on them. I frowned…

I know there had been some on the trolley, but how did they get inside the compartment with the door closed?

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Oh, please read and review... this is my first humor fic, and I am open to suggestions on what more should happen. Next chapter is waiting in the wings!

Disclaimer: I have created the entire student body that is currently attending Hogwarts, but the school, teachers, and world around my characters is just being borrowed from JKR. She created it, not me. You steal my characters, and I will hunt you down. You have been warned.

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The train ride to Hogwarts was quiet after Zinny and I got into our robes. She was pretending to be upset with me because I’d nearly strangled her for dropping those Bertie Bott’s every flavor beans on the floor so I’d trip on them. She denied it, of course, but that was her way. There wasn’t another way for them to have appeared there, she’d had to have dropped them. So she wasn’t speaking to me. But that wouldn’t last – it never did. By the time our sixth year officially started, she’d be talking again. As it was, she was already smiling at me from across the seat.

But the girl never did come back. I don’t know where she sat, because I didn’t see her go back up towards the front of the train. Perhaps the Trolley witch let her sit with her.

Not that it mattered, or that I cared. Well, I cared, of course, about if she was hurt or not. Other than that, I didn’t care.

When we arrived at Hogwarts, the school was covered in a thin mist that was slowly turning into a fog. Zinny and I popped into a thestral-drawn coach – things I wasn’t sure even existed, even though I had paid extremely close attention during the Care of Magical Creatures lesson that pertained to them, because I couldn’t see them – and rode up to the castle with Ridley Thomas and Clayton McAfee, two of my dorm-mates. Clay was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team with me, and as far as I knew he’d had a fierce crush on Zinny for the past three years. Too bad Zinny doesn’t notice much beyond the end of her nose, because they’d make a cute couple.

I didn’t see that girl at all… not that I could in such heavy fog, but I found myself looking anyway. Peeves was making the most of the weather situation, for when we headed up the front steps to the castle, he began hurling water balloons at the students. Several of us ended up wet, including myself. Somehow, Peeves had enchanted a balloon to hit me in the back of the head. Professor Granger came out shouting, her usually bushy hair hanging limply from the moisture in the air. She was furious.

“Peeves! Stop it! It’s hard enough to get inside with this fog coming about, we don’t need you making things worse!�

Peeves heard her, and nodded in resignation. Professor Granger looked very pleased with herself, until Peeves began to float away, conveniently dropping his last three water balloons on her head. I had to cover my face and hurry inside after I saw the shocked look on Professor Granger’s face when she got soaked from head to toe.

Zinny was inside, waiting for me. When she saw me, she burst out laughing. “What’s your problem?� I demanded.

“Peeves got you good!� she sniggered, “How many was that? Three balloons, four?�

I frowned, “Just one, Zinny.�

She raised an eyebrow at me, “One? Uh, that’s got to be at least two. Your top half is drenched!�

She was right, I noticed. How much water was in that balloon? I wondered. “C’mon, let’s go watch the sorting. The sooner those first years are sorted, the sooner we can eat – and I’m starved!�

Zinny rolled her eyes and followed me, “You and your stomach…�

*** *** ***

I found myself staring at the thestrals that were at the head of the coaches. Urgh, they were creepy looking… I guess I was so into it I didn’t hear the girl call me.

“Hey,� she shouted again for what must have been the eighth or ninth time – yeah, I was that out of it – and waved at me, “C’mon, get in!�

“What? Oh, thanks!� I climbed into the carriage and seated myself beside the girl. There was only a two others in with us, a couple of other girls who didn’t notice me at all.

“I’m Deanne Liles,� said the first girl, giving me her hand. “I’m a sixth year Ravenclaw. Are you new here?�

I gave her a small smile, “Nice to meet you, Deanne. I’m Owlery, I’m very new here.�

“First year?� she asked, politely.

I shook my head, “No, I’m a sixth year transfer student.�

Her eyes widened, “Really? That’s fascinating! We’ve never had a transfer student before. Exchange students, once, but never a transfer. Where are you from?�

I smiled at her. She was really nice, and pretty. She was taller than me, though that doesn’t say much because most people are taller than me, and had brown hair… you know, that really pretty brown hair that looks almost red? And she had hazel eyes, a color I envied. Oh, sure, having an unusual eye color, like purple, may sound like fun, but trust me, it’s not. Everyone looks at you twice, and then they get the stupid idea in their head that because of your eyes, you have some special magical ability… whatever. It never crosses their mind that you are ordinary and plain as they come, minus your strange eyes.

“The Salem Witches Institute in the United States,� I said, trying to sound as if I didn’t miss the place. Because I didn’t. Really. Well, a little.

Deanne widened her eyes, “Wow, really? That’s awesome!�

“Excuse me,� said a snotty voice from the other side of the coach, “But the Salem Witches Institute is for older witches, a kind of social club. It isn’t a school for witches in training.�

I sighed and blinked at Deanne before turning to see whoever had addressed me so rudely. It was a girl who was just a few inches shorter than Deanne, with blonde hair, like me. Well, not really like me, because my hair is more of a dark blonde, more of a golden color. This girl had beach blonde hair … the American Muggle Marilyn Monroe would be envious. Her hair hung in tight ringlets around head, framing her face and her gray eyes. Ha-ha, mine were prettier.

“Oh,� Deanne said, a little timidly, “Owlery, this is Bailey Brocklehurst. She’s a Ravenclaw prefect, in my year.�

I smiled, “Nice to meet you Bailey. I-�

“What kind of name is Owlery?� she asked me, before I could make a snide comment on her hair. I swallowed the comment, for she was asking for a nastier one. “I mean, that’s where the Owls live. It would be like saying your name was Birdcage.�

Oh yeah, she was asking for a way nastier one. “Back to your first question, not that it was a question per se, because you tried to state it as if you knew everything… I’ll just pretend it was a question. About the Institute, you’re right about it being for older witches. But they began, about ten years ago, a tutorial program, which I was apart of. So, that’s where I received my schooling for the last six years. Then, about my name, it’s actually Marti Owlsten, but my brother’s name was Avery. I called him Aviary, and after awhile he began to call me Owlery. It’s stuck ever since.�

“But Marty?� she sneered, “That’s a boy name, isn’t it?�

I scowled at her. “How old are you, five? No. Marti, short for Martina, short for Martina Bethany Owlsten. Deal with it,� I glanced out the window to see that we were almost to the castle, “And I like your hair. I can’t wait to see what other wigs you wear.�

“What?!� she shrieked, jumping to her feet, “You will have respect for a Hogwarts prefect! Five points from whatever house you get sorted into, as soon as you are sorted into it!�

“Then I hope I’m in yours, Broccoli-purse.�

“That is Brocklehurst, you little…�

“Look,� Deanne said, brightly, taking a hold of my arm, “We’re here! Let’s go, Marti… I’ll show you around, alright?� she practically yanked me out the door. The coach wasn’t even stopped, which was quite dangerous, when we dashed out and up the steps to… where ever it was she was taking me. We stopped just inside the doors, when she hit the brakes.

“Marti,� she said with a concerned look on her face, “You got to be careful when it comes to Bailey. She’s a prefect.�

“I’m not afraid of her.� Well, those ringlets did make me think of evil clowns…

“That’s not it,� Deanne said, barely letting me finish, “I’m serious about this. She’s in Ravenclaw for a reason. Ravenclaws are clever… and she totally lives up to it. She’s in charge, well sort of, so you need to give her respect. Even though she can be a stick in the mud.�

I sighed, “First of all, Deanne, I know all that. Second, she brought on those insults herself. Thirdly, it’s not that she’s a stick in the mud, it’s that she’s got one stuck up where the sun don’t shine!�

A splash from outside caught my attention. I paused and glanced out side. In the air there was a ghost… no, I realized it had to be a poltergeist, because he was throwing water balloons at the students exiting the coaches. Ghosts can’t hold anything physical.

Alright, I don’t know why I did it. I guess I thought about the beans in my bra, but there I saw that boy, Andran, step out of a coach right as the poltergeist dropped a balloon. I drew my wand and levitated that balloon, plus two more that the poltergeist had in his arms, and zoomed them around behind Andran. I lined them up straight, then sent them into the back of his head. He stumbled and Deanne burst into laughter. I smiled triumphantly.

A look of fear passed over Deanne’s face and she pulled me closer to her. “Put your wand away!� she hissed.

I did so without question. After all, it was very unwise to keep your weapon of choice in view right after a prank was pulled. Footsteps came up behind us, and I knew why Deanne had told me to hide my wand. It was a Professor.

“Good evening, Miss Liles,� the Witch said, “It’s Peeves, isn’t it?�

Deanne nodded, “Water balloons, Professor.�

“Curse him,� the Professor said, drawing her own wand and going into the fog, shouting. Deanne and I stepped aside while the other students filed past us, a soaking wet Andran included. After a while, the professor, soaked to the bone, reentered the doorway and looked my way. “You would be Martina Owlsten?� she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,� I said politely. I could be civil to someone in a position of authority. “That would be me.�

She smiled warmly at me, wiping her face with a handkerchief. “I’m Professor Granger. Miss Liles, please follow the rest of your classmates into the Great Hall. Miss Owlsten, please follow me.�

*** *** ***

I dripped my way to a place to sit at the Gryffindor Table. Zinny, Ridley, Clay, and I all flopped into our seats, waiting for the sorting to begin.

“I wonder how many first years we’ll have this year,� Ridley said aloud.

Zinny looked at him, “Don’t we have the same number every year? That’s what I thought…�

Ridley shook his head, “No. There’s always a different number. Sometimes more, sometimes less… last year we only had about thirty or so.�

Clay cleared his throat, “Well, if you ask me,�

“Which we didn’t,� Zinny quipped sarcastically.

“I’d say,� he continued with a pained glance in Zinny’s direction (that she didn’t notice at all) “That we have more this year, since the train was so crowded. That’s always a good indication to how many new students.�

“Yeah…� I muttered. Truthfully, I wasn’t really listening to their conversation. I was looking through the swarm of first years that were shuffling into the great hall, searching for one with bushy hair…

Alright, I have no idea what was wrong with me. But I was still looking.

And I didn’t see her at all.

Professor Weasley brought in the sorting hat and stool – something that seemed odd because usually Professor Granger brought it in – and started the sorting. The old frayed hat began its song. I was too busy looking around the Great Hall to notice what it really was saying.

I finally settled into watching the first years get sorted. Zinny is really big on making the new first years feel welcome, so we watch and clap when one is sorted into Gryffindor, and she makes it a big point to learn their names. I couldn’t believe she didn’t make prefect, she acts so much like one.

When the last first year was sorted, the doors to the Great Hall opened again. Everyone, several teachers included, looked very surprised to see Professor Granger leading a short girl with very curly hair into the hall. Even more noticeable was the fact that the girl didn’t have any house badge on her robes. The hall broke out into whispers.

When they reached the sorting Hat and stool, Professor Granger cleared her throat and silenced everyone. Professor Weasley handed Professor Granger the sorting hat, then seated himself with the other teachers. I guess I half expected Professor Granger to give a speech, but instead, she nodded to Headmistress McGonagall, who stood and cleared her throat.

“I would like to welcome you all to another year at Hogwarts,� she said primly. “But, as I am sure you can all see, our Sorting Ceremony has not been completed.� She motioned to the girl with one hand. “This year, we have a new student. This is Martina Owlsten, a sixth year student from the Salem Witches Institute in Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.A.�

Whispers broke out again all over the hall, until the Headmistress raised her hands for silence. I was too stunned to even whisper. She was American? How had I missed that?

“Now,� McGonagall continued, “Let Miss Owlsten be sorted.�

Professor Granger motioned for Martina, who looked nearly petrified, to sit on the stool. She did so, a little shakily. The Sorting Hat was placed on her head, then sat there… and sat there… and sat there… It seemed to sit there for quite some time, much longer than any sorting I’d ever seen, and made everyone in the Hall jump when it finally shouted, “RAVENCLAW!�

Loud cheers erupted from the Ravenclaw table, especially from Deanne Liles. She was on her feet, clapping and cheering as though they had won the house cup. McGonagall clapped her hands, and the feast appeared before the girl even sat down.

Well, at least she wasn’t in Slytherin.

Then Zinny gave a shout to me, but I was too busy not paying attention to notice what was headed right at me…

*** *** ***

I felt my face go really red when that hat, they called it the Sorting Hat, was put on my head. I noticed my hands were trembling. I mean, the hat covered most of my face, and I couldn’t see everyone while they could see me. What if something happened that I couldn’t see, like snot running down my face and chin? Well, okay, that I might notice, but still.

And I didn’t know what to expect. I wished that Professor Granger would have told me something about the sorting. All she said was that we had to wait until all the first year had been sorted. Heck, I didn’t even know all the house names! Ravenclaw, Deanne was in that house, and then there was the Griffin one, and Puff-n-stuff, and I couldn’t remember the last one… or was there a fifth? Shoot, I couldn’t remember.

“There’s not reason to be frightened, Miss Owlsten,� said a small voice in my ear. Or had it been my head?

“No, you didn’t imagine me. I am the Sorting Hat, and I am just pondering you mind, and where to put you.�

I swallowed. It felt rude to not say anything, but I didn’t know what to say to the Sorting Hat. Um, nice to meet you, Sorting Hat. How many houses are there again?

“Nice to meet you, too,� it replied, “And there are four houses, not five. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.�

Oh. Is there a difference between them? And which is the best?

“Oh, yes, there are great differences between the four houses. Didn’t you hear my song?�

Song? I don’t think so…I wasn’t in the Hall when the new students were sorted. I was outside, then they brought me in and put me on the stool and you on my head. That’s all I know.

“Well, Gryffindor is very brave, named for Godric Gryffindor. Hufflepuff is hard working, named for Helga Hufflepuff. Then there is Ravenclaw, the clever house, named for Rowena Ravenclaw. Now, lastly, there is cunning and power hungry Slytherin, named for Salazar Slytherin. I would go into greater detail, but you are hungry and still need to be sorted.

“Lets see. You have a lot of bravery…�

So, Gryffindor?

“Well, you also are a hard worker, when you want to be…�

Okay, Puff-n-stuff, then?

“Hufflepuff, dear. But, you see, you are also quite sly, so I don’t think you’re right for Hufflepuff.�

Then do I go to the snake one?

“Will you let me finish?�

Sorry. Go ahead. I’ll shut up.

“Alright, now then… Slytherin would suite your sly side, but you have a good strong conscience, and you don’t care much for glory… Hmm… you are a clever one, Very clever, at that… and creative. I would say that you are far more clever than sly, and when you do work your hardest, it is for your own creative purposes… I think you might belong in Ravenclaw.�

I smiled under the hat. Really? Ravenclaw?

“Do you object?�

Not at all! I already have a friend there: Deanne! And I get the last laugh for an argument I had with some twit of a girl who’s also there! Ha ha, take that, Bailey Broccoli-purse!

There was a chuckle, “Well, it was a pleasure speaking with you, Martina Owlsten. You are sorted into RAVENCLAW!�

I jumped, for that last was shouted across the entire Hall. Professor Granger pulled the Hat off my head, and I looked around. The Ravenclaw table was clapping and cheering like crazy, especially Deanne who was jumping up and down. Bailey seemed to be very unhappy, but that only made me smile. I tried to hide my glee as I walked toward where Deanne was sitting. Just as I was about to sit down, I heard the Headmistress announce that we were to now begin the feast – a word that sounded very pleasant indeed – and food appeared. I gave Deanne a huge smile, and Bailey an even larger one, then started to sit down.

Oh, man, I don’t know what happened. I think a shoelace came undone, and I stepped on it with my other shoe, but I don’t really know. All I know is that I tripped on something and fell forward onto the Ravenclaw table. I threw my hands out to break my fall, and they hit a pan of something… and the pan went flying, up over my head and across the Hall, right towards the Gryffindor table.

I winced as screams went out across the Great Hall, teachers jumped to their feet, and all the Gryffindors scattered… except one Gryffindor.

Andran looked up just as then pan of what I could now see was Shepherd’s Pie hit him dead in the face. Heck, I couldn’t have thrown it that straight and hit him dead on.

Now, all things considered, this wasn’t too bad. Yes, I’d managed to make a fool of myself in front of the entire school, and had inadvertently hit a fellow student with a pie in the face, but really, I’d seen worse. I could recover from something like this, even laugh at it, but then something went horribly wrong. Somebody, I don’t know who, gave a shout of the two worst words that could possible have been shouted at that moment.

“FOOD FIGHT!�

“Oh, no!� I shouted, pulling myself to my feet, “No! Don’t do that! Stop please-� I was cut short by a chicken wing hitting me on the left side of my head. I hardly had to blink before food was flying this way and that through the air.

I sputtered, “That was SO uncalled for, really-� a wave of gravy slopped across the right side of my face.

“Stop acting like children!� I hollered, but mid-way through the word ‘children’, a wad of Shepherd’s Pie hit me in the face. I clenched my fists and looked across in the direction it had come from.

There was Andran Audierus, on his feet, glowering at me. His wand was drawn and he had potatoes and beef all over his head. Really, I would have laughed, but he had the scariest look on his face. And his wand was drawn, pointed right at me. I gulped.

“You did this!� he shouted over the din.

“I did not!� I shouted back. “The pie was an accident!�

He scoffed, “Am I honestly supposed to believe that? You hit me dead on!�

“That WAS an accident, you idiot! I wasn’t the one who started the food fight!�

“I don’t believe you for a second! You started this, and I know it!�

I started to shriek something back about his new hairdo affecting his brain, but an apple popped me on the head, making me stumble somewhat. Then I was angry… really angry. I reached out and picked up dish of some British food I didn’t recognize and hurled it at Andran as hard as I could.

Unfortunately, at that exact moment, the Headmistress shouted a spell, and everything froze. I couldn’t move a muscle, except my eyes, and what I saw horrified me. First of all, most all the teachers had their wands drawn and looked absolutely enraged. Secondly, the dish I’d thrown was still in the air, mere inches from my hand, and you could SO tell I was the one who threw it. Then, finally, most all the other students were hidden under the tables in the Great Hall, and while I wasn’t the only one above, I was currently the only one who looked to be throwing something… and all the angry teachers were looking at me.

Crap.

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Hmm... who really started the food fight? Will Marti stay at Hogwarts? Will the entire student body be punished for the food fight, or will they just blame Marti? Next chapter will tell all... as soon as I can get around to writing it. Read and Review! Thanks!

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Disclaimer: As usual, I have created most of the students who are attending Hogwarts in my fic, but the professors, school, and world are all JKR's and not mine in the least.

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“Never, in all my years here,� McGonagall stammered, her voice shaking with rage, “have I ever seen such a display. I – I am appalled!�

I sat in silence. Really, I had nothing to say. My Aunt and Uncle wouldn’t be happy at this… More than that, though, I was really ticked off. I hadn’t started the fight; I had tried to stop it! Fine, I tried to throw a plate of something – maybe it was tripe, I still don’t know – at Andran. They could detention me for that, I would plainly admit to that, but I would go down kicking and screaming if they thought they could blame me for starting the stinking thing.

But, at least I wasn’t the only person in trouble. Andran had been brought in, along with five others who were caught throwing food, including his monkey-friend, Zinny.

Several of the teachers were in the Headmistress’ office with us. Professor Granger was the only one I knew by name, but there was also tall wizard with red hair and freckles, a slightly shorter witch with blond hair, a tall skinny wizard with messy dark hair and glasses, and a wizard with blond hair tied back and an expression on his face like he was ready to kill us all. I decided I didn’t like that one.

“Miss Owlsten,� McGonagall continued, “What do you have to say for yourself?�

I took a few breaths before answering. It was a kind of filter system I used to help stop me from saying something I might regret later. “I didn’t start the fight, Professor.�

A snort came from the other side of the office, where Andran was sitting, but I chose to ignore it. I wasn’t going to let him get me all fired up again.

“I admit, Professor,� I continued, “That the first food thrown across the room was my fault, because I tripped and hit the dish, but I wasn’t the one who gave the call.�

“What a load of rubbish!� Andran shouted at me.

“Mr. Audierus, please calm your self,� the red-headed teacher cautioned.

He got to his feet and pointed at me, “No, I won’t, because she’s lying!�

“Mr. Audierus!� McGonagall shouted. He stopped and plopped back into his chair without a word. “You will control your self. Do not give me a reason to punish you further. Now, Miss Owlsten, please explain what you mean.�

I sighed. “Someone yelled out ‘food fight’, and that wasn’t me.�

The wizard with the blond hair cleared his throat, “But everyone here, along with most everyone in Great Hall, witnessed you participating in throwing food,� he sneered.

I so didn’t like him. “Did you happen to see me try to stop it as well? I did, you know, as soon as the food started flying. I swear, that was the first thing I threw. I freely admit that, because it’s the truth, but I SO didn’t yell food fight! Please believe me, here!�

The blond teacher smirked and took a step in my direction, “Why beg, if you’re innocent?�

I scowled at him, “Because I can tell you don’t believe me, that’s why.�

The blonde teacher met my gaze straight on, and for a moment there was silence. He quickly turned to the McGonagall.

“Headmistress,� he said smugly, “I can put an end to this right away. As the Potion’s Master here, I have various truth serums-�

What! If I hadn’t been so shocked, I would have screamed with indignation.

Thankfully, the Headmistress held up her hand, “I don’t think that is necessary, Draco. This was a food fight, not a robbery. And take that smile off your face, Miss Owlsten, for this is still a serious issue.�

“Yes, Ma’am.�

“Uh, pardon me, Headmistress?� said the teacher with the dark messy hair and glasses. McGonagall raised her eyebrows in acknowledgement, and he continued. “Perhaps I can offer a suggestion, here?�

She nodded, looking somewhat tired. Who could blame her? There wasn’t a way – at least that I knew of – that they could tell who had started it. Even if they used truth serum, they’d have to give it to the whole stinkin’ school, since whoever shouted wasn’t necessarily in the room with us.

The messy haired teacher smiled, “I suggest giving out two months’ worth of detentions to everyone involved-� everyone in the room made some noise over that one, “-or one month to the guilty person if they are willing to come forward and confess.�

McGonagall sighed, “Professor Potter, I am not seeing what good it will do. While the students in this room participated in the mayhem, it does not mean they started it.�

Whoa, did she say Potter? Holy cow… ah, but I pushed that out of my head, because I could think about that later. At the moment it was more important that I think of something that would keep me from getting expelled, so that I could think about it later.

“Headmistress,� I said, an idea coming to me.

She looked surprised, “Yes?�

“I have a suggestion…�

*** *** ***

She was such a liar, and I knew it. Why couldn’t they see it? I was so furious about how she was just… manipulating the situation! I looked next to me, at Zinny, and I could tell that she wasn’t too happy either. I was almost ready to agree with Malfoy – even though I know as well as the next Gryffindor that he’s a total git – on the suggestion of truth serums. They’d know she was a liar for sure.

I watched, basically helplessly, as Potter fell into her web of deceit.

“Alright, let’s hear it,� he said to her with a smile. Of all people, shouldn’t he see through her? He defeated the Dark Lord, for heaven’s sake.

She smiled up at him, briefly, and then turned back to McGonagall. “I just thought,� she started, “since there isn’t a way that we could really truly find out who did it without Professor… uh, Potions Master – sorry, I forgot your name – brewing, like, twenty cauldrons of serum, and then making the students take it, and then getting the information without most of the student body saying or doing something embarrassing… I thought we could use the… the Sorting Hat.�

Several students began snickering, especially Zinny. I elbowed her in the ribs to get her to shut up. Most of the teachers looked stunned at this suggestion, especially McGonagall. Well, Potter didn’t. He looked impressed.

“Miss Owlsten,� McGonagall started, “How much do you know about the Sorting Hat?�

She shrugged, “Not much, I admit that, but I think I know enough. I know it can get into your head, and I’m not saying that we have to use it, just threaten to use it, if you know what I mean.�

Professor Weasley cocked an eyebrow at her, “You mean, tell all the students here that we are going to use the sorting Hat on them, to see if they’re telling the truth?�

“That’s brilliant!� Zinny shouted, jumping to her feet.

What was she doing? “Zin-�

“No, really!� she said, “Think about it, okay? The staff comes out and asks for whoever did it to come forward. Now, we can pretty much assume that they wont, but then we can say that they have one chance to do it, or we’ll have each and every student put on the Hat, and it’ll know if they’re telling the truth or not. If that’s not much incentive to come forward, I don’t know what is.�

“Yeah,� said a Hufflepuff girl to my left, “Would that work? Is that possible?�

Marti smiled, “It doesn’t have to be possible, as long as the student body thinks it is.�
Everyone looked at McGonagall. She pressed her lips together in a thin line. “Very true, Miss Owlsten, but I believe none the less that it is possible. Yet, you all realize that you will lose points for participating in the food fight and receive two weeks detentions?�

A second year Slytherin rolled his eyes, “Two weeks is better than two months, so you won’t see me complain.� All the students nodded in agreement.

“What about you, Mr. Audierus? Is this fine with you?�

Was I fine? No, I was not fine! This American prat waltzes into Hogwarts and just starts… starts… problems, and everyone agrees with it? Fine, I admit it was a good idea, but I wasn’t going to let her get away with what she did. I know she was responsible for it, and she wasn’t going to get away with it if I could help it.

“I’m fine with it on one condition,� I said, ignoring the strange looks that everyone, even Zinny, was giving me. “I think that all of us here should be cleared first. I say we should put on the Sorting Hat and make sure that we’re telling the truth.�

Ha, let her work her way out of that one!

*** *** ***

That pig-headed, moronic, imbecile! What, was he totally out to get me? And he was staring right at me as he said that, too. If there weren’t teachers around, I would so…

I put on my doe-eyes, “That’s even better! Then we can be proof to the other students that you’re serious. And I’m sure they know that the Sorting Hat is never wrong…�

There was some more arguing, mostly among the teachers, and then we finally came about to the decision that my idea was a good one. McGonagall docked fifty points from each house, and then added ten to Ravenclaw for my idea. Man, Andran looked like he was going to explode.

I was the first to volunteer to put the Sorting Hat back on. Everyone agreed to that, as it was my idea.

“Well, Miss Owlsten, did you forget which house I put you in?� it said in my ear with a slight chuckle.

No, there was actually a big hullabaloo in the Great Hall after the Sorting, and they think that I started it. In a way, I kinda did by tripping and sending some food flying, but someone yelled food fight, and I didn’t do that. I need you to tell them I didn’t. You don’t lie, and you can get into my head and know the truth. Especially that Andran, he’s out to get me on this. Can you tell them I didn’t?

There was another laugh, “Absolutely! You may be accident prone, but you are telling me the truth, when you say that you DID NOT START THE FOOD FIGHT!�

A gasp went out around the room. Yes, I know they all thought I did it.

You rock, Sorting Hat, I whispered before I slipped it off my head and handed it gently to the next person to put it on. I glanced over to where Andran and Zinny were sitting. Zinny looked amused, and Andran looked… horrified, I think. It was a little hard to tell.

When the other six, Andran included, finished with our Guilt-Sorting, and all were proclaimed innocent of the deed itself, we filed back down into the Great Hall, where the rest of the school was waiting. The rest of the teachers had put the remaining students to work cleaning up the mess, and they didn’t look happy. Well, we hadn’t started the fight, so I don’t know why they had to look at us like we’d eaten a house elf or something. We followed the professors to the front, where we stood, as is we were waiting for punishment. Then, McGonagall cleared her throat.

“There is an announcement,� she started, plainly, “First of all, on behalf of myself and all the teachers and faculty here, I must say how disappointed we are. As I mentioned to the students you see standing before you, there has never been an incident like this before during the Welcome Feast. I am shocked that anyone would be so disrespectful.�

Grumbles went out across the Hall. I just stared at them, making eye contact with as many students as I could. I mean, we were all still covered with food. I had gravy in my hair. Gravy! I wanted to see if I could tell who the culprit was before they stepped forward. And they WOULD step forward…

McGonagall pressed forward. “I have deducted fifty points from each house, to be taken away as soon as you have earned fifty-� more groans and grumbles, and every eye in the joint blazing at me. “But there is more. While these students actively participated, not one of them was the direct cause. Miss Owlsten here tripped, and therefore is not responsible for the fight. Someone gave a shout, and we intend to find out whom.

“I ask that whoever it was that shouted out ‘food-fight’ come forward now. If you know who shouted it, say so.� There was absolute silence in the Hall. Several people made nervous glances around the hall but no one said anything. McGonagall nodded, “Very well. Perhaps you would change your mind if you knew that should you not step forward, everyone in the hall will receive two month worth of detentions, to be served during the school year.�

Many students, especially first years, shouted in outrage. I noticed, though, that there was a certain group at the Ravenclaw table that was keeping their mouths shut…

It couldn’t be…

“Alright then,� McGonagall went on, “I am afraid that it has come down to the point I did not want to reach. We determined the innocence of these seven students, the same way we will find out who is responsible. Professor Potter, please retrieve the Sorting Hat from my office.�

Potter nodded and headed towards the doors of the great hall…

*** *** ***

Alright, so even I have to admit that it was funny to see everyone’s faces when McGonagall gave her speech. Honestly, I couldn’t help but wonder who it was…

“Bet?� Zinny whispered in my ear as we stood there.

“Sure. Ten knuts, on Slytherin.�

“What year?� That meant that she thought it was a Slytherin also, so the bet would have to go for an age, rather than on just the house. We always made ten-knut-bets… just with our pocket change, really. Sometimes, it was all we could do to pass the time during detentions… just make stupid bets. Wait, Zinny still owed me money…

“First year,� I said. “Don’t know how things around here work.�

“Seventh,� she replied. “They’ve got nothing to lose.�

We nodded to each other, in agreement. I turned back to the students watching us… this whole thing felt weird, to be truthful. We’d never had a food fight before. Not until Marti Owlsten came around. So, fine, perhaps she wasn’t the shouter, but she did start it. I mean, it was insane to think that she could hit me that dead on from her table across the hall, just by accident. No one was that clumsy. I am most definitely going to find a way to get her for this.

Everyone was looking furious. Yeah, day one was off with a bang, for sure. McGonagall sent Professor Potter to get the Sorting Hat. He made his way as though he was really going to go and get it. I kept my eyes on the Slytherin table. He was about to reach the doors, perhaps he was less than a yard away, when the last person I’d ever thought to have been even remotely into trouble stood up and spoke.

“Wait!�

Everyone, teachers and students alike, turned and stared at Deanne Liles.

*** *** ***

“No freakin’ way!� I shouted when I saw Deanne stand up. She was right next to me when the shout was given, and I know that she didn’t do it. Not in a million years, no way…

Yeah, and then everyone looked at me again when my voice echoed through the Hall like a banshee. Why do I do stupid things? Why?

Deanne gave me a little lopsided smile.

Whoa, wait a minute. What was she playing at?

“Miss Liles,� Professor McGonagall asked, “Did you do this?�

Everyone, myself included, held their breath. Please say no, Deanne. Please say no!

She cleared her throat and glanced around at everyone who was watching her, her cheeks going a little red. “No, Ma’am. But…� she paused, looked at me, and smiled, “I know who did.�

Oh, there is justice in the world. You know how sometimes people are so stuffed and self-absorbed, they get boastful and hang themselves? Not really, but I mean they try to save their own skins and end up, like totally confessing? I have never seen that happen before, though I kind of always wanted to. And then, my dearest Deanne, the greatest girl in the whole world, stood up and acted like she was going to say who did it, and then the greatest thing happened.

“DON’T YOU DARE, YOU WRETCHED LITTLE TRAITOR!�

Man, I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard in my life! It was classic, beyond classic! Madam perfect, Miss I-know-I’m-better-than-you-all-especially-anyone-new-with-prettier-eyes-than-mine, clamped her hands over her mouth and went bright red, making her look like a cherry with bouncy cool-whip on top.

“It looks like,� I gasped between bouts of hysterical laughter, “Prefect Bailey Brocklehurst ain’t so perfect, after all!�

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A/N: Sorry this chapter was a little dull, but the next should be better! and it should also be up soon! Hope you all like it, and if you do or don't, please Review!

Disclaimer: The Students are my creation, but Hogwarts and the Original characters are JKR's. Get over it.

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Thanks to you all for reading and reviewing! I appologize if this chapter is slow... it's just setting some things up for the next chapter.

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Man, I wish I could say that Bailey was expelled for what she’d done, but I guess food-fights weren’t expulsion material. Or maybe her Daddy had a lot of money. I dunno.

Either way, it was still funnier than anything I’d ever heard of before.

And I love Deanne, she just rocks. Did I mention that before? Well, she does. McGonagall ordered that the students be given their belated dinner in their common rooms and she took Bailey Broccoli-Purse – that is SO much easier to say than Brocklehurst, or whatever – out of the hall. What a coward, she didn’t even have food on her! I had gravy in my hair, chicken on my face, and miscellaneous slop on my robes, Deanne was smothered in something that smelled like fish, Andran was obviously wearing Shepard’s Pie… but Bailey was clean as a whistle. And no wonder. I’d bet anything that she shouted food fight and then ducked under the table to hide. That wimp.

But then Deanne took my hand and motioned for me to follow her, along with the rest of the Ravenclaws, and we headed out of the Great Hall and… away. I didn’t know the castle at all. I held onto Deanne’s hand for dear life! And there were so many Ravenclaw students… no way were things going to be like Salem.

In Salem, there were only about two handfuls of us all, and we knew each other by name, face, smell… well, that last one wasn’t much to brag about, but still… and we knew Salem better than anything. Closing my eyes, I could almost see the street corners we’d go romping through at night. Part of me still felt like I was in the US, and not in Great Britain at all, like if I took off on my broom and flew a few miles east, I’d see the lights of Salem again in the distance. Deanne was awesome and all, but I still missed my home.

We followed a shorter Witch with wavy-blonde hair and a somewhat faraway expression on her face down corridors and up some stairs. Deanne was constantly whispering things to me, like to be watchful of the stairs, and certain steps, and certain suites of armor. Honestly, I zoned out after awhile because I couldn’t remember it all anyway. I tried, really, but I was more concerned about where I was going.

After three turns and a staircase and a tapestry, we found our destination. It was like a door, I guess, but it was hard to see from where I was, being as most people are taller than me. I turned to ask Deanne what was happening, when without warning, something hit my head and threw me into the wall. Well, it wasn’t hard or anything, since I was standing beside the wall, but my head conked on the wall, and then I couldn’t get it off.

“Aaack! Deanne! What’s happened?!�

“Oh, Marti,� she cooed, trying to get me away from the wall – which wasn’t working, by the way, “It’s Peeves… again.�

I brushed as much hair out of my face as I could and looked up. Sure enough, there was that Poltergeist hovering above us. Several students were grabbing at their hair and at their clothes, and the dreamy-eyed teacher was brandishing her wand.

“Go on!� she shouted, “Shoo! Shoo!� Uh, yeah, like that was going to work. He was a Poltergeist, for crying out loud, not a stray dog.

Peeves grinned wickedly and stuck out his tongue. Then, oh man I don’t think I wanted to see it, but he winked at me. Me. I swear. And I wasn’t the only one. Deanne’s eyes widened and she leaned over to me and whispered, “I think he knew what happened to his water balloons.�

I was too angry to care, though, because whatever that crap was in my hair, it was pulling and hurting. “Whatever – what is this in my hair?�

“Hold still…� she pulled my head down, something that made a few more hairs pull and me scream, “Sorry… I think it’s glue. Sticky glue… and it’s got your hair stuck to the wall…�

“Well,� I muttered grumpily from beneath my hair, “As if my day couldn’t get any better…�

“Professor Lovegood!� Deanne shouted for me, “Over here! Marti’s got her head glued to the wall!� My face went red, but no one laughed. I mean, I thought that people would laugh at me for getting my mass of hair glued to the stone wall, but to my surprise, most everyone seemed to think it was a terrible thing – which it was – and was rather sympathetic. Eh, they probably thought I was a little first year.

“Oh my,� said Professor Lovegood, (I guessed it was her, only because she was wearing odd shoes… I couldn’t see more than her feet) “Are you Martina Owlsten?�

“Yes, Ma’am.� I said meekly.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Professor Lovegood, your Head of House. Well, I guess we’ll meet in a minute here…� she muttered a spell and there was a faint pop, and I hit the floor. Then I felt her hands take mine and lift me to my feet.

Wow, in a way she reminded me of me. Lots of hair, big eyes, a little short… she was still taller than me, but you know what I mean.

Ah, I couldn’t help but like her right away.

“Hello,� I said, and she smiled.

“Nice to really meet you,� she said, her voice somewhat distant. Then she tucked her wand over her right ear. I tried not to pull an odd face… even though I wanted to. “You are now glue free. I guess you already know Deanne? Good. Deanne will be showing you around to your classes, until things get straightened out a little better around here. Alright, now that we are mostly glue free, let us all head into the Common Room. In we go!�

I smiled at Deanne and followed her into the Ravenclaw… common room? Had that been what she’d said? Looked more like a Living Room instead, but I guess that’s what they called it in Britain. Whatever.

*** *** ***

“Any idea what’s in your hair, Zin?� I asked her on our way to Gryffindor Tower. Of all the students, I’m pretty sure that Zinny got the worst of the food fight. As soon as I’d gotten hit with the pie, she’d leapt into action. Her front was covered in potatoes and gravy; she had tripe on her face, and more stuff in her hair than I could count. Thinking about it, I decided that she looked like she’d been dipped in a casserole.

“Not yet,� she muttered absently, picking at the front of her robes. I don’t know if it was more horrifying or humorous, but either way, I gaped at her as she reached down the front of her robes and withdrew a drumstick.

“Zin… was that there during…� and it was a large drumstick, “during the whole meeting?�

She looked up at me, “Well I couldn’t very well take it out in front of Malfoy and the others? Just because I do these things in front of you doesn’t mean I’d do it in front of the snarkiest teacher we’ve got?�

“But… but…� and it was all greasy, too.

“Oh get over it,� she snapped, tossing it aside. “It’s not like I enjoyed having it there, this is just the soonest I could retrieve it.�

I shook my head, trying not to think about how she was able to hide it. “How’d it get there anyway?�

She paused for a moment, thinking. Then she shrugged, “I don’t really know, to tell you the truth. I had launched some salad at the Slytherin table and then it was there… and what’s that face for?�

I shook my head as we resumed our way towards Gryffindor Tower. “That’s just flatly disgusting.�

She stopped and put on hand on her hip, leaning to the side. “You got just as creamed as I did back there. At the moment, you are just as disgusting as I am.�

“I doubt that, Zin. Between the two of us, you are the only one with food on the inside of your clothes as well as the outside.�

She drew her wand and grinned at me wickedly, “I can fix that.�

*** *** ***

Deanne mentioned something about Ravenclaw being in a tower of a sort, with the Girls Dorms going up a spiral staircase and the Boys going down another. She also mentioned that Gryffindor also had a tower, but Slytherin had a dungeon and she wasn’t sure what Hufflepuff had. The living room, Common Room, was beautiful. It had arm chairs and a couple of couches, most of them were blue, but there were a few tan colored ones as well. The stone walls had a few paintings on them, mostly of birds (well, duh) flying over oceans and forests, but it also had blue drapes hung here and there. Now, I still missed Salem, but even I had to admit it was beautiful.

Deanne took me up the stairs and showed me the sixth-year girls’ room. We shared the room with, well I guess being the newbie I should say that I shared the room with Deanne, Bailey (yuck!), and three other girls: Alice Longbottom, Jean Fitzgerald, and Amber Moore. I recognized Amber as one of the girls who stuck to Broccoli-purse like that glue Peeves got my hair with. She didn’t seem to like me much.

My things were sitting on the bed beside the window. I smiled, for two reasons. One, as we girls filed into the room, it was apparent that Deanne had the bed next to me – first of all – and then Deanne said with a nod toward the bed nearest the door (and farthest from my bed), “That’s Bailey’s bed. I guess she won’t be with us until later. Oh well.� So that was where the demon-child slept. I mean, on one hand, I had to sleep in the same room as baby-Jane, but on the other hand I would be in her room while she slept. Ha-ha, there were so many possibilities….

But I was more excited to see my things had all arrived safely. I had my trunk with my clothes and broom, extra books that wouldn’t fit in my trunk without smashing my broom, and there was my most prized item. It had its own case, as it didn’t fit properly in the trunk. I ran to my bed and flopped on it. Deanne went primly to her trunk and began to unpack her books and things. Then she noticed my extra case and books.

She smiled, “I didn’t take you for much of a reader, Marti.�

I snorted, “Everyone says that, once they’ve met me. But, let me just say, the more you read, the better.�

Ah, Deanne didn’t know what I meant, but she smiled anyway. Then she spotted my extra case. “What’s that?� she asked.

I sat up and smiled at her, my hair bouncing around me as I did so. “It’s my Secrete.�

“Oh,� she said politely, but I could tell she was disappointed.

I shook my head and bounced up and down a few times, “No, no, I mean it’s special. I had to get special permission from the Headmistress to bring it here, since it wasn’t on the list of things for me to pack. It was a tough thing to get her to let me, but she finally agreed. Want to see it?�

Deanne’s face lit up, “Oh, I’d love to! What is it?�

Alice Longbottom, who had the bed to the right of mine (Deanne was on the left – well, when you entered the room. When lying on the bed, it switched because you were facing the other direction) perked up and smiled at me. “Could I see, too?� she asked timidly.

“Sure,� I shrugged and grabbed the case, pulling it across my lap. It was only about a foot wide, but it was near three and a half feet long, and about six inches deep. A zipper ran along the length of it. I unzipped it and cracked the case open. The familiar smell of rosin met my nose.

“This,� I said, just a little proud to be showing it off, “Is my Violin.� It was a full-sized, golden hued instrument that I had owned since I could remember.

“Oh, wow,� Deanne said.

“It’s beautiful,� Alice whispered. Jean had been eyeing it a little, but she didn’t seem too interested in anything except getting chicken bits out of her hair. Amber, who hadn’t been listening to me at all, puffed up defensively.

“You can’t have that here,� she said haughtily, “It’s against school rules.�

I rolled my eyes at her, shutting the case since we were all still covered in our dinner. “Well I ain’t sending it home, and I wasn’t going to leave it behind, Miss-I-wasn’t-listening-because-I-like-to-be-snooty. This goes were I do. And, I have permission from McGonagall to have it here. And,� I laughed, “No where in the rules does it say specifically that Musical Instruments aren’t allowed.�

She turned her nose up at me and turned away. Whatever. If she wanted to be a snoot, she could go ahead and be one. No skin off my back.

Alice grinned up at me, “You play that?� she asked, and I nodded, “Oh, that is so impressive! I wanted to play when I was younger, but my parents couldn’t find any non-Muggle tutors. Not that being Muggle was a problem or anything, but they would have a hard time in our house if they were!�

“Tell me about it,� I said, gently putting the case under my bed. “My Aunt was the only Witch who taught it in Salem, and she taught it to both Magic and Muggle kids. She had to be careful when teaching the Muggle students, but she was in such a demand that she did it anyway. If I hadn’t of grown up with them, I don’t think I would have been able to have gotten an appointment with her at all!�

Alice laughed, and then went back to her trunk. “I’m going to go take a shower. I know that Food fight wasn’t funny but…� she turned to me and gave me a huge grin, “That sure was an exciting Feast!�

“I’ll say,� Deanne muttered, looking over her shoulder as the door opened and in stormed Bailey.

I, as opposed to the rest of my dorm-mates, chose to ignore her. “Hey, how about we all go take a shower, then head down to the Common Room to see what the Lovegood has down there for us to eat? Any takers?�

Ah, everyone was watching Bailey. Her face was bright pink, and she was giving both me and Deanne dagger-glares. Under my robe, where she couldn’t see, I drew my wand – just in case. I mean, you never know when you might need to throw a hex or two.

“Don’t – either – of – you – EVER – speak – to – me – again,� she growled.

Deanne took a step backward, but I wouldn’t give in to that wench.

“Really?� I asked excitedly. She frowned at me, confused. “Do you really mean it?� I waited another second, and when she didn’t answer, I jumped up and down and squealed, “Yes! Oh yeah! I don’t have to talk to her! I don’t have to talk to her!�

Alice looked scandalized and Jean was just plain shocked, but Deanne laughed and then joined me as I began a conga line out of the room, chanting “No-no talk to Bail-EE! No-no talk to Bail-EE!�

*** *** ***

“Mr. Audierus, will you please refrain from trying to conjure stewed spinach in Miss Pearson’s pants?� Professor Granger sighed.

I dropped Zinny, who had again managed to climb half-way up me – much like on the platform, and faced the Head of my House. “You have my apologies, Professor, but Zinny started it. She conjured creamed corn in mine, first!�

Everyone in the room began to laugh. Really, I didn’t see the humor in it. Corn does not feel good in one’s pants, and creamed corn is worse. Much worse.

Professor Granger’s cheeks went pink and she tucked in the corners of her mouth, trying to cover a smile with a scowl. “Mr. Audierus, the Common Room is not the best place to discuss what is in your pants,�

Everyone laughed harder.

Professor Granger scowled, for real, “That’s enough, everyone. That’s enough! Now,� she waved her wand, bringing trays of food (almost exactly like those at the Feast) around the room. “While I am very pleased that it was not a Gryffindor who started the skirmish at the Welcome Feast, I want you all to know that I am very upset that members of the Gryffindor house participated in it. That being said, I am glad to see you all back again this year. Please eat your dinners, there will be more than enough for you all, clean up, and get a good night’s rest. I expect to see you all at the breakfast table tomorrow morning to receive your class schedules. Good night!�

Everyone smiled as she left through the portrait hole. Zinny and I nabbed a tray of roast beef and a tray of biscuits and plopped into a corner of the Common room together. I hadn’t realized it, but I was starving.

And I say ‘plopped’ because that’s the sound you hear when you sit down with your pants filled with creamed corn. Zinny snickered, but was nice enough to Vanish them with her wand, and then we tucked into our trays.

“Tho,� she asked around a mouthful of beef, “Wha’ you gonna do ‘bout tha’ Rathenclaw gurl, Mari?�

“You mean Marti?�

“Tha’s wha’ I said,� she mumbled.

It was a good question. I wasn’t about to let her get away with what she did. Oh, sure, maybe she’d tripped and knocked that pie my way on accident, but that was still a crime to me. A smile widened on my face as I thought about it.

“Here’s what I had in mind, Zin…�

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Disclaimer: I don't own Hogwarts or anything... but Marti and Andy are mine and you can't have them!!!

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I looked down the corridor; thankfully no one was there. Without a word, I slipped into the empty classroom. Well, almost empty.

“Marcia? Marcia, are you there?� I whispered.

There was a silence, but then a faint whisper met my ears, “Over here, Andran, under the desk.�

I made sure the door was closed, then dropped to the floor and crawled to where Marcia Longbottom was crouched on the floor.

“Alright,� I whispered, “Why couldn’t we do this in the Common Room?�

“Because,� she hissed, “What if someone heard us? I don’t want tied to Gryffindor. We had a hard time making up for the fifty points we lost at the Welcome Feast, I don’t want to lose more! Nor do I want to tie my sister to this either. If I get caught, the she will, and this had nothing to do with her! Use your head!� she reached a hand up and smacked the side of my head.

“Ouch!�

“Shhhh!� she hissed again, “You don’t want to be caught!�

I rolled my eyes, “Tell me what you found.�

She paused and squinted at me, “Why do you want to know what that girl has, anyway?�

“The less you know, the better, Marcia. Just tell me.�

She thought about it. Okay, why were the Longbottom twins so strange? Alice and Marcia were just plain… weird. Now I know that their Grandparents were heroes, and their Dad had some hand in the great final battle of the second Wizard War, but shouldn’t that make them better than normal? Absolutely identical, they were pretty, but Alice was a compulsive worrier and Marcia was nice enough but she always was paranoid about being caught. Merlin, to think I had a crush on them in my first year.

“Alright,� she said after a length, “This is what I found…�

*** *** ***

I fell, face first, onto the couch in the Ravenclaw Common Room, or CR, as I was coming to call it.

“Marti,� Deanne said, worriedly. She was sitting in an armchair beside the couch, working on some of our Charms homework, but she sat up as soon as I flopped. “Are you alright?�

“Fine,� I said from the cushion, “How are you?�

“What are you doing? C’mon, turn over! What happened?� Deanne brushed my hair aside and picked me up by my shoulders, setting me right on the couch. “What happened?� she asked again.

“Potions.� I stated flatly. To my misfortune, I was taking Newt-Level Potions, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Arithmancy, along with just plain Divination, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms and the rest. Deanne and I had all the same classes, except she wasn’t taking Potions now that she didn’t have to. Instead, she was Newt-Level Herbology, so there were two classes I didn’t have her in. Herbology I could handle, but Potions was a nightmare.

“Oh,� Deanne sighed in that I-know-how-you-feel-that’s-why-I-don’t-take-Potions-any-more way. “Malfoy is rough.�

“Rough? Ha, that’s an understatement,� I scoffed, “He had told us last class that we were to study the ingredients for the Pepper-up Potion. I memorized it. Today, we were going to be making it, and he wrote three wrong ingredients on the board. No one pointed them out, so I raised my hand and asked him if it was correct. He said I’d done a good job in passing his first test – seeing if we really knew the ingredients.�

Deanne frowned, “Well… that’s a good thing, isn’t it?�

“Oh, yes it is,� I drawled, “But then he docked Ravenclaw ten points for me being bossy and second guessing a teacher.�

“What!� Alice came over and sat down, looking stunned, “How could he do that?�

Deanne waved a hand at her, “You know as well as I do that Malfoy is always out to get the others houses, that great git. Don’t worry about it, Marti. I’m sure you could speak with Professor Lovegood about it.�

“And I can also spit in the wind, but I doubt it will help. I pick my battles, so perhaps it’s best if I leave this in wait for a while.� Deanne gave me her I-don’t-get-you face. I smiled at her. “I’ll wait until I have more than one complaint to go to her with.�

Deanne rolled her eyes and flopped on the couch beside me, “Well, if Malfoy keeps up his usual pattern of behavior, you won’t have to wait long.�

“That’s for sure,� Alice said looking at her watch on her wrist. “Oh, I got to the Library for some research. I’ll see you guys at dinner!� Then she dashed out the entrance with her bag over her shoulder.

Deanne and I started discussing the different teachers and what I thought about them all. Deanne shared some of the rumors that Professor Granger was secretly dating another professor, but that no one knew whom. We spent some time speculating on that, and then we started thinking aloud on who the best teachers were and why.

“So, what do you think of, um,� she lowered her voice and gave me a shy smile, “Of Professor Potter?�

I grinned, “Well, I think he’s a great teacher. I’ve had him for two weeks now, and I can honestly say that he knows more about Defense Against the Dark Arts than any of the Witches in Salem did. He’s fantastic. Really, I grew up learning about him, so this has to be the coolest thing ever just to be here to be taught by him. His class is my favorite… though something tells me that’s not what you’re wanting to know, Dee.�

Her cheeks went pink, “Well, we all know he’s great and all as a teacher. But even you have to admit that he’s quite…� she pulled a suggestive face.

I burst out laughing. It was too funny. Deanne – Deanne! – making those funky eyes and kissy-faces… She pulled it a few more times, making me laugh harder.

“Stop it!� I panted, after falling off the couch. “Stop, I can’t laugh anymore! Oh,� I sat up and faced Deanne, “Well, alright, he is somewhat of a hottie. But, what did you mean, even me? Do I look like I’m not into guys, or something?�

She widened her eyes, “No… well, yes… I mean, I know you’re into guys, I just meant that… well, you tend to fight with them more than anything…�

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Was she talking about who I thought she was talking about? If she was talking about who I thought she was talking about, then she was dead wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG! So absolutely completely wrong that she might as well be talking about… well, about Malfoy! She was that wrong.

“Whom are you referring to?� I asked her, showing her my deadpan stare.

She gave me her malicious eye – which is something rather laughable when you considered Deanna, she couldn’t be mean if she tried, and when she did try it was usually funny – and met my stare head on. Brave girl.

“Whom do you think I was referring to?� she countered.

“Who do you think I think you were referring to?�

“Who do you think I think that you think I was referring to?�

“Who do you think I think that you think that I think you were referring to?�

She scrunched her face. I was tempted to do the same, but I held it. She took a deep breath, “Who do you think I think that you think that I think you think I was referring to?

The entrance to the Ravenclaw CR opened and Alice dashed in, interrupting us. We both glanced up at her, and she eyed us… especially me. “Hey Alice, you feeling alright?�

“Headache,� she muttered, heading up towards the girls dorms.

“Did you finish your research early, or did Marti and I just go on for too long here, laughing about hot teachers?� Deanne asked with a smirk.

Alice shook her head, “Just forgot a book. Excuse me.� She dashed up the stairs quickly. I shrugged and then turned back to Deanne.

“So, anyways, as I was interrogating, who were you talking about Dee?�

“Who do you think?�

“Oh, not this again…�

*** *** ***

“Are you sure that’s what’s there, Marcia?�

“More sure than you are. Next time you want some snooping done, talk to Zinny. If my Dad found out that I did that, he’d be furious with me!�

I rolled my eyes, “He won’t find out, Marcia. They thought you were Alice, didn’t they?�

She glowered at me, “Of course they did, but they also thought something was wrong with me too. Especially that buggy-eyed girl, Marti. I don’t know why you wanted to know what she had in her trunk…�

“Like I said Marcia,� I said, folding up the parchment I’d jotted notes down on, that is for me to know, and the less you know the better. Thanks again.� I pocketed the parchment and started to crawl back towards the door.

“Ahem,�

“Yes?�

“What do I get for doing this? I mean, I could get into major trouble. You said I could name my price, didn’t you?�

I winced. I had an idea as to what she wanted… and I really didn’t want to pay up. You see, back in my first year, I had a crush on Marcia and Alice… it was hard to tell the difference back then, unless I saw their robes, and sometimes at a distance I couldn’t… well, in an attempt to get closer to Marcia, I ended up getting closer. Yeah, and then I learned that they were both somewhat weird, but by that time I’d been too close. Ever since then, I’d had a nagging suspicion that Marcia had a bit of a fascination with me.

I swallowed and nodded. “I did. W-what did you want?�

She brushed her hair out of her face and smiled at me. “A kiss,� she stated simply.
“What! I’m… Marcia, look, I think you’re great and all…� I stammered. I was in a mess now…

She frowned at me, “Get over yourself, Audierus. I’m not interested in a boyfriend right now.�

“Huh?� I think I was close to fainting, “Then why do you want a kiss? I don’t understand.�

Her smile went wicked, “The less you know the better, Andy. You may not understand why I would want just a kiss and nothing more from you, but I do and that’s my price. You don’t like it, I march back into the Ravenclaw common room and tell Marti what you have.�

I swallowed hard. Just a kiss… that couldn’t do too much damage, could it?

“A-alright,� I stammered again. Girls were not a strong suite of mine. I didn’t have a girl friend, I never had, and there was a reason for that. Basically, I was about as smooth as a porcupine when it came to girls. And Marcia wasn’t my type, so that wasn’t helping me here. “Uh… how do you, uh, want to, oh!�

Before I had a choice in the matter, Marcia grabbed my face and brought it to hers.

*** *** ***

It was some time before we were ready to go to dinner. Deanne and I finally agreed to call a stalemate, and my stomach rumbled loudly. Man, arguing with teachers made me hungry…

So we headed out. Funny thing was, when we reached the corridor before the entrance to the Great Hall, there was a bit of commotion going on…

“YOU DID WHAT?� came a shout to our ears as we were about to round the corner. Deanne and I paused and looked at one another, then cautiously peered around the stone corner to see what was happening.

“YOU… YOU… OH, FORGET IT!� It appeared to be Monkey, I mean, Zinny, that Gryffindor friend of Andran’s. She was talking to Alice and Marcia Longbottom, if you call that talking. Alice looked as shocked as Zinny did, but Marcia looked very pleased with herself about something. Zinny clenched her fists in aggravation, and then dashed off in the opposite direction. When she was gone, Deanne and I made our way towards the Longbottom twins.

Alice just stood there, staring at her sister, and then Marcia strutted into the Great Hall as if… well as if she had… well, as if she was the Queen of Sheba!

“Alice,� I asked when we reached where she was still standing, staring after her sister, “What was that all about?�

Alice shook her head, her fair hair whipping around her in disbelief, “I think Marcie has lost her mind…� she whispered.

“What happened?� Deanne pressed.

Alice looked at the two of us, then shook her head again, this time as though to clear the disbelief from her eyes, “Well,� she started, “I just came from the Library when I spotted Marcia, and she ran up to me and said she had to tell me something, but she waited until Zilpha Pearson came by – I don’t know what she has against her – anyway, Zinny asks if we’ve seen Andran, because he’s been missing for awhile, and he said that he was going to meet her at the Great Hall entrance and Marcia tells her… tells her…�

I grabbed Alice’s shoulders and shook her, “Tells her what, Alice?�

“Tells her that she just finished snogging him in the empty Transfiguration classroom, and that Zinny should go fetch him, as he seems fairly stunned by the whole thing!�

Deanne crumpled to the floor with laughter, followed by Alice. I felt out of it… what was snogging?

“Wait, what happened?� I asked.

Deanne had to catch her breath, which wasn’t working very well, “She – snogged – Audierus!�

Okay… wasn’t getting a straight answer from Dee. “Alice! What’s snogging?�

I waited with thinning patience as Alice tried to gather herself. It took a good minute before she was able to look at me, and even then her lips were quivering.

She took a deep breath and said, “Sucking face… aha ha ha!� then both her and Deanne lost it again.

“So,� I said to myself, since the two hyenas weren’t listening to me, “Marcia just…�

Then I crumpled with laughter.

I could so use that information.

*** *** ***

I just sat there. After awhile I noticed that Zinny was crouched in front of me, her face very worried.

“Andy?� she asked.

I didn’t know what to say.

“Andy?� she asked again.

This time I tried to say something… but I didn’t think my mouth was working…
“Oh,� I finally managed, “Hi Zin.�

Zinny’s eyes widened and she grabbed my face, “What did that girl do to you!�

I finally blinked and shook my head. “I don’t think you want to know, Zinny.�

She let go of me and sat across from me, cross-legged. I just stared at her, and she seemed to be examining me with her eyes. At long last, she cleared her throat.

“I’m going to kill that freak.�

I managed a laugh, “Don’t be a fuss, Zinny, I agreed to let her do it. It’s not like she… forced herself on me, or anything.�

She looked stunned, “You mean you… why?� her eyes suddenly dropped to her feet in front of her.

I shrugged, “I needed something from her…�

“Andran!� she gasped.

“No! Oh, eww, Zinny, that’s not what I meant!� I fumbled with my robes and dug out my notes I’d taken down earlier. “I needed these! She was the only one who could get it for me.�

Zinny took the parchment and read it over. Without looking up at me, she whispered, “You made out with Marcia Longbottom just to know what was in some girl’s trunk?� She raised her eyes to mine, “I will be allowed to help you here, won’t I? I mean, you weren’t going to pull some prank without me, were you?�

I smiled at her, “Wouldn’t dream of it, Zin. Now, really, I need to do something about my lips.�

She rolled her eyes dramatically, “Are they hurt?�

“In a manner of speaking, yes,�

“Well,� she said, pulling a mocking face, “I’ll just have to kiss’em and make’em better!� She leaned over and pecked me lightly on the lips. Then we both burst out laughing.

“If you weren’t my best friend, I’d worry about that one!�

Good old Zinny… she could poke fun of anything. She’d always been that way; I suppose that’s why we stayed friends for so long. She never let me lose my head over the little things, like a stupid kiss.

With a hand up we were both on our feet and headed to dinner.

*** *** ***

It was perfect, really it was. I waited until I saw them coming down the corridor then zapped the spell I’d remembered from Salem on the door. One of my favorites: if you were kissed recently, and walk through the charm, you would set it off, and it would count how many kisses you had… hee-hee. Sometimes I wonder why that Sorting Hat didn’t think I would be good for Slytherin. When I raced back to the Ravenclaw table and plopped next to Deanne, she looked at me questioningly.

“What did you do, Marti?�

I smiled and looked at the door, “Wait and see, Deanne. Wait and see.�

Andran and his monkey friend Zinny came in laughing… and as soon as he did, a magical singsong voice roared through the hall.

“KISSY, KISSY ANDRAN, WAITING IN A CLASS! FOR HOW MANY SMOOCHES DID HE ASK? ONE, TWO, THREE…�

Andran blanched at the voice, though he didn’t know where it had come from. A few of the teachers that were sitting at the table tried to stop it, but they couldn’t.

Only Andran could stop it, and even then it only worked if he knew who had cast the charm… he had no chance!

“Finite Incantatum!� He roared with he wand out stretched at the door, but it did nothing. The students in the hall were rolling with laughter… Oh, pranks were sweet. Since he didn’t know I did it, he had to let it run its course. Ha-ha!

“FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT! NEXT TIME HE’D BETTER NOT STAY UP LATE!�
It finished with a ring. I drew my wand to rid the door of the charm, but before I could stop it, it started again…

“KISSY, KISSY ZILPHA, FOUND HIM IN THE CLASS…�

What! That wasn’t supposed to happen! The laughter doubled over the hall, and Zinny went red in the face. She’d been trying to stop it, too, until then. When it said her name, she froze and her mouth fell open. Marcia Longbottom saw that and looked furious at the Gryffindor table… I think she yelled something, but it was hard to tell… And to make things worse, the teachers were now flashing their wands all over the place….

“…HOW MANY KISSES DID THEY PASS? ONE! JUST ONE LONG SMOOCH AND THEY WERE DONE!�

Then I saw, to my horror, on the other side of the door Professor Granger was heading into the Hall, carrying several books and papers. I remembered the rumors that Deanne had mentioned to me. I had to stop her!

“Professor, no!� I shouted, getting to my feet and racing to the door as fast as I could…

But I think she thought something was wrong, and she entered the hall anyway. For a split moment, there was silence, and I stopped and sighed a sigh of relief. Perhaps rumors were just rumors….

“KISSY, KISSY ‘MIONE, SHUT THE CLOSET DOOR…�

No! No no no no no! I was so dead! Professor Granger looked confused… until the rest of the rhyme sung out…

“HOW MANY SNOGS DID SHE ASK FOR? ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR…�

A horrified expression crossed her face. She dropped her papers and ran from the Hall. Now several teachers were laughing, especially Professor Potter. I tried to remove it with my wand, but it wouldn’t stop! I waved my wand again, but it didn’t do a dang thing!

Crap it all!!!

I ran over to Andran, as he was still the only one who could get the spell to shut off. Professor Potter ran past me and out the door, probably to go help Professor Granger, and I spotted a very red faced Professor Weasley headed towards the door also…

Oh no!

“SHE GOT LOTS OF KISSES, AND A LITTLE MORE!�

“Andran! Quick!� I said, hurriedly, “Point your wand at me and try to end the spell again!�

He turned to me looking very confused, “Marti? What? Why?�

Professor Weasley was getting closer to the door… “I cast the charm on the door!� I confessed, “You have to say it to me to get it to stop! Do it now!�

His chest visibly swelled with anger, “You did this! How could you!�

“Andran! Hurry, please!� I shrieked, but then Professor Weasley went through the entrance to the Great Hall and…

“KISSY, KISSY RONALD, MET HER SECRETLY…�

Professor Weasley went even redder, but continued his march out of the hall. I grabbed Andran by the collar and pulled his face down to my level. “Do it now!� I growled.

He shoved me away and redrew his wand…

“HOW LONG DID HE SNOG…�

“Finite Incantatum!�

The song died at last, and there was a pop, both at the entrance and over my head. I stood there, everyone looking at me, some very angry, others looking impressed.

I don’t know what happened! I’d always been able to shut off that charm before, always! How could it have gotten stuck? How?

*** *** ***

I glared at her, unable to speak. She looked up at Zinny, and me and cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry Zilpha…� she said, then glared at me, “Believe me, that was meant for Andran alone! Now, excuse me… I have a few more apologies to make…�

She dashed out of the hall before I could hex her. Part of me had a mind to chase after her, but then I reached into my pocked and grabbed a hold of the parchment I had…

“She is going to pay for this!�

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Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I hope you all like it! I can't wait for your Reviews... I also hope nothing was confusing here, but if you have any questions, I respond to all reviews. Production on the next chapter will begin shortly!

Disclaimer: I own everything!!! Muahahahaha! Even you! Muahahaha! And if you believed a word of that, you are a moron! Muahahahahaha! Because I only own Andy, Marti, and their friends. The rest is borrowed.

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My face was still red when I tore down the hallway in the general direction of Professor Granger’s Office. I wasn’t sure that’s where she’d be, but it was a start. She was such a nice person; I really hadn’t meant to embarrass her.

Man, what is wrong with me? I shouldn’t have charmed the door… why couldn’t I just leave things be? I’d just had to pull that one, and it’s only been two weeks since I accidentally started a food fight on my first day! Oh, sure, Bailey may have been the one who called out food fight, and all that jazz, but she wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t tripped on my own two feet and shot the pie in the air in the first place. I was a walking menace.

I dashed past a corridor and skidded to a halt. Well, I skidded and the halt came when I smacked into a suit of armor. Luckily I wasn’t enough to push it over, and it only wobbled a little. Once I was sure that it wasn’t going to topple, I turned and headed back and down the corridor I previously had passed up. That’s where I saw Professor Potter standing outside and talking to a door.

“Hermione,� he was saying, a smile on his face, “It was a silly trick, it didn’t know anything! Please come out, will you?�

“No, Harry!� came a muffled voice from the other side of the door, “It’s too humiliating!�

Man, I guess it was a good thing that she didn’t stick around to here what the door had to sing about Professor Weasley.

“Professor Potter,� I spoke up. I noticed that he was standing outside the Girl’s Bathroom. I suppressed the urge to giggle. I don’t know why I wanted to, exactly….

He turned to me, looking somewhat surprised that I was there, “Yes, Marti?�

I blushed – Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! – because he used my first name… I’ll say that’s one thing that was cool about Potter; when you weren’t in class, no matter who you were, he’d use your first name if he knew it. And… sadly, Deanne was right. He was a teacher, yes, but he was also a total babe. (Now, don’t get me wrong, I did not blush because I had a thing for him – eww, a teacher? – but who doesn’t blush when someone hot looks at you and calls you by name?)

“Um,� I stammered, “Is, uh, Professor Granger in there?�

He sighed and a very teacher-like expression set itself on his face, “Yes, Marti, she is.�

“No, I’m not!� came the muffled voice again.

I faced the door, swallowed, and entered the bathroom. There were seven stalls, only one of which was occupied at the moment. I really didn’t want to confess, but I also hadn’t meant for Granger to get hurt…

“Professor?� I asked

There was a pause, and then I heard a kind of cough or choke followed by, “Please, not now…�

“Professor Granger,� I said, without letting her finish, “I came to apologize for what happened in the Great Hall. I – I was the one who cast the charm on the door to make that song play when someone who had… well, it wasn’t meant for you, believe me, and I’m very sorry for… for any embarrassment I caused you.� Then I held my breath and waited.

Slowly the stall door opened and Granger stepped out. Her cheeks were wet and her face was red. “You cast the charm?�

I nodded.

“Why did you do that?� Man, that hurtful look on her face was heart wrenching. If I had had any second thoughts on confessing, they would have gone out the window there and then. I had to confess, and that was it.

I looked at the ground, “I… I had just found out that Andran Audierus had kissed a girl recently, and I knew he’d be coming to dinner, so when I saw him coming, I cast it, so it would go off when he went through… Really, I don’t know why I did it.�

She pressed her lips together in a thin line and looked me over. My face went red hot… I hated confessing to something I did that I shouldn’t have done. It’s the worst feeling there is.

Finally she folded her arms across her chest, “Mr. Audierus was already in the Hall when I came through. Why didn’t you remove the charm?�

I looked her straight in the eye, “Professor, I tried! Something went wrong! I haven’t figured that out yet... as soon as I’m done here, I’m heading up to the Library to look up the charm and see what could possibly make it do something like that… of all the times I’ve used that before, in Salem I mean, I could stop it.�

There was a long pause between us. I felt so short! I mean, Granger couldn’t have been that much taller than me, but having her staring at me was completely unnerving.

She sniffed, “Five points from Ravenclaw, and you will serve detention with me tomorrow night at seven o’clock. Meet me at my office and we’ll go from there.�

Uh… did she take only five points and give one detention? I felt a grin spread on my face instantly. I didn’t mean to be cheeky or anything, but I’d gotten far worse punishments for it before…

“Thank you, Professor,� I said as I headed towards the door, “And I am sorry, again, for what I did.�

A faint smile crossed her face, “I know. Tell Har-Professor Potter that I’ll be out soon.�

“Yes, ma’am,� I nodded and pushed my way back out the door.

Potter was waiting there, leaning against the opposite wall, his messy hair hanging across his face. When I came out, he smiled at me.

“She’ll be out shortly, Professor Potter,� I said.

He came over to me and put a hand on my shoulder, “I heard what you said in there.�

I blushed again, “Oh.� Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Can’t you be a little more articulate?

“It’s late, you need to be getting along now,� he said quietly, “But I want you to know that I’m proud of you for taking responsibility for your actions, and so quickly. Two points to Ravenclaw…� he leaned closer to me, “But don’t tell Professor Granger, alright Marti?�

I laughed, “Got it. Thanks professor.�

Whoa, yeah, he was a hottie.

*** *** ***

After Marti ran off, presumably off to hide her face, Zinny and I left the Great Hall. Neither of us was hungry, and the looks we were getting were horrible…

The day after Marti put that stupid charm on the door, I happened to have her in transfiguration with Professor Granger.

Zinny and I came in and seated ourselves in the back row. Ever since that song announced that Zinny had kissed me, and exaggerated it to boot, we couldn’t go anywhere together without getting whistles and… well, lets just say trouble. But Zinny is still my best friend, so we still wanted to sit together. That left us only one option: sitting in the very back, if at all possible.

Well, we had transfiguration first thing, and we got their early, so we took the table in the farthest back of the room. Everyone filed in, giving Zinny and me strange glances. Well, at least as soon as class started they couldn’t give us strange glances without Granger seeing them turn around.

Class was about to begin. Professor Granger had started passing out the materials we were going to be working with (wild flowers and feathers, as we were just beginning an in depth study on the nuances of transfiguring, and that meant starting small), when Marti came in, almost late. Her hair was a mess – well, more than usual – and she looked as though she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. She sat in the back row, leaving only one empty desk between her and I.

It wasn’t enough. Before I realized it, I had my wand in my hand and I was about to hex her under the table, but I swallowed the urge and pocketed my wand. Hexing her would be letting her get to me, and I wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Open your textbooks to page twenty-seven,� Professor Granger said after leaving the flowers and feathers on Marti’s desk, giving her a questioning glance, but saying nothing. “Today we will be exploring the slight nuances of Transfiguring. Seemingly simple transfigurations can often be harder than they would appear. Making a daisy smell like a rose? You are transfiguring the inside of the flower. This takes much concentration…�

Marti knocked her textbook off her desk with a loud thud. Everyone in the class turned to see what had happened… but for some reason, they turned to look at me. I glared right back.

What? Did they think she had thrown her book at me? Or did the entire class expect to see Zinny and myself snogging? Lunatics, the lot of them…

“Please pay attention, class!� Professor Granger snapped, making everyone turn back around.

The rest of class went surprisingly well. It turned out that Marti wasn’t as stupid as I thought she’d be, and didn’t try anymore pranks the entire class… really, she looked too tired to prank anyone. I almost felt sorry for her… almost.

But I didn’t once think on going back on my plan. In fact, when I was leaving the class, and the students were bundling up their flowers and feathers to be turned into Professor Granger, I over heard something that presented the most perfect opportunity to put my plan into action.

“Miss Owlsten,� Professor Granger said when Marti handed her the flower/feather bundle, “Don’t forget you have detention tonight, seven o’clock at my office.�

Marti nodded without a word. I leaned over to Zinny and whispered, “Did you catch that?�

Zinny didn’t say anything, but looked up at me and winked. So, yeah, she caught it.

Seven O’clock and Marti would definitely not be in her dorm.

Things were starting to go my way.

*** *** ***

I was so tired I could hardly keep my head up. After leaving Professor Granger, I was curious as to what had gone wrong with my charm, so I headed up to the Library to do some research. Honestly, I’d picked the Charm from a girl in Salem and never took the time to learn which one it was, exactly – yes, I know now that that was a mistake – so I had to search for it… and that wasn’t easy.

After an hour of rummaging through different charm books with little success, I found a book that was mainly about Parlor-trick Charms, ones that most witches and wizards use for parties and get-togethers. Of all the books I’d read so far, it seemed to be book that might contain what I was looking for…

Now, I could have given up and gone to bed, but I really wanted to know what had gone wrong. Seriously, this bothered me. Why couldn’t I undo the charm? I’d always done so before…

Well, I searched the book from cover to cover, and it didn’t seem to help me much. But, then again, the book was close to five-hundred pages long, so I figured that I’d probably held a few pages together, and perhaps I’d skipped over it. The Index, unfortunately, was torn out. Or maybe it just didn’t have one to begin with; it was a little hard to tell.

Before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep. I woke with a start. Even more startling was that it was almost midnight – and way past curfew. I swore and ran as hard as I could back to the Ravenclaw CR.

Finally, something went right, and I didn’t get caught.

But, I overslept the next morning. Deanne had to shake me awake, letting me know that we would be late for Transfiguration… Great, all I needed was for another reason for Professor Granger to hate me. I groggily told Deanne to go on ahead without me this time, and I’d get there as soon as I could. No reason Professor Granger should hater her too.

I completely forgot about any thing like makeup or doing my hair, I just grabbed my things and ran. When I got there, the only seat was next to Andran Audierus… nice. Just who I wanted to see early in the morning when I’d not done anything to ready myself for the day except put on a clean pair of clothes. I think he wanted to hex me at one point, but I was feeling sleep deprived so I probably imagined it.

I was a wreck all through class. I couldn’t make my daisy smell like anything other than a daisy. I tried harder, and then it began smelling like a stink weed. I tried to change it a few more times and ended up making it scent-less all together.

Then I remembered that I had Detention with Professor Granger at seven. Even better. And when I handed in my flowers, my smell-deprived flowers, Granger sniffed at them, frowned, and reminded me about the detention.

The rest of the day went by in a haze. I just followed Deanne everywhere but to Potions. I kept silent and did everything Malfoy wanted, then schlepped off to dinner.

Seven O’clock came too soon.

Before I could blink, I was standing outside Professor Granger’s Office and rapping on it gently.

“Come in,� I heard her call from inside.

I held my breath and entered her office.

Then I found myself unable to move or speak. I mean, I was shocked at what I saw. It was a nice room, about the size of my dorm if not bigger, with a fireplace in the wall to my left. To the right there was a couch and a very large bookshelf loaded with books. I stared at the shelf for a while, just because it was crowded with books… I knew that many books shelves could be ski-wompus, but Professor Granger had it loaded with volumes, crowded to capacity.

Even more astounding, was that where her desk was, straight ahead, on the far wall of the room, near a window, it was surrounded with stacks of books on… charms. I swallowed.

She looked up at me from where she was sitting behind her desk and smiled at me. “Hello, Marti. Come on in, and we’ll get started.�

I tentatively shut the door and walked to her desk as quietly as possible. I do that when I’m nervous, I suppose, because there wasn’t any reason for me to be quiet during a detention. I was just concerned…

“What will I be doing, Professor?� I asked, trying to hide whatever it was I was worried about.

She looked up at me and grinned, “Don’t look so frightened, Marti. You had a lot of guts to come and not only confess, but apologize for what you did, and then I noticed you had been up late. I assume that’s why you were nodding off in my class?� I nodded, and she went on, “It got me thinking. Originally I was going to have you clean something or do some paperwork for me, but then I decided that perhaps we could tackle the idea of what went wrong with your charm. Working with me, so I am told, is punishment enough.�

Did she just say we’d be… that’s is? No climbing into small places to dust, or cleaning the fireplace, or the chimney? I smiled in spite of myself.

“Come,� she said, motioning to a stool in the front of her desk, “Take a seat and we’ll get started.�

*** *** ***

I left Zinny in charge of causing a distraction in the Ravenclaw Common Room. She said something about some fireworks and dung bombs… I didn’t listen too much because it was probably better if I had deniability. But, while she was doing that, and after she showed me which window was the girl’s dorm, I put my plan into action.

I took my broom and flew it up to the window Zinny had indicated and magically opened the window. I didn’t dare enter the room… from what I heard from Marcia Longbottom, the room was charmed much like the Gryffindor Girl’s dorm. I wasn’t sure if something would make noise, or a professor would be alerted, so I hovered outside the window. From what Marcia told me, it was the bed beside the window, and there should be a large back case under the bed, rather than in the trunk. I could barely see it from where I stood, but with a swish and flick of my wand, I levitated it up onto the bed and carefully made it unzip itself.

A violin? What? Marcia told me it was some fancy dress… that liar. Oh well, my plan could still work.

Having obtained my prize, I used a sticking charm and the levitation charm once again to put the note in the case.

Zooming back to Gryffindor tower, I almost felt bad for Marti.

Ha, that’s almost, but almost doesn’t cut it, especially after that song in the Great Hall. She’d be sorry for that one. Guaranteed.

*** *** ***

“Okay,� Professor Granger said aloud after our two and a half hour search, “We’ve narrowed it down to a party trick, a measuring charm, one that measures how many times a person has been kissed…�

I nodded, “And it rhymes it to whatever happened.�

Professor Granger looked up from behind the book she was reading, “Are you sure you never knew the name of it? Anything at all? Perhaps the incantation?�

“No,� I said, “It’s just a general movement, two bounces and a swish with my wand, and I think real hard on the kind of things I want it to say. I learned that my first year, from a friend of mine.�

“Well,� Granger said, glancing up at the wall of books before us, and selecting two, “That’s better than nothing. Here,� she handed me one of them, “Try looking it up in this one by the movement, and I’ll try this other one.�

I sat down the book I was looking in and took the one she gave me. It was for miscellaneous charms that no one really remembers. I started skimming through it, seeing if something seemed familiar. I skimmed through nearly half of it before something caught my eye…

“The Ersatz Echo charm…� I muttered to myself, “developed by Horatio Ersatz around a hundred years ago… takes a recent romantic event, no matter how small, and sings out… Hey, I think this is it!�

I gave the book proudly to Professor Granger and pointed to the paragraph about the Ersatz Echo Charm. She read over it carefully, then smiled at me, “Well, if this isn’t it, it’s close enough. Let’s see what is says about the charm.

“It was designed as a party trick, a door charm for New Year’s Eve – well, that would explain the kissy song – in the early nineteen hundreds. So it could be placed at a moments notice, without attracting much attention, it has no incantation, as most spells do. Ersatz designed it for unknown reasons, though he was known to throw many parties through the years. The spell, while harmless in nature, is not generally accepted as good magic due to its indiscreet nature and unpredictability.� She gave me a look.

“I get it,� I said with a frown, “It’s rude. Is that all it says on it?�

She shook her head, “No. There’s a paragraph here that explains what it does and how to do it and how to remove it…. Alright, here it says: Because there is no incantation, this is not a precise charm. It should make light of young couples who are courting, and who have kissed within the last twelve hours. It does not affect married couples, unless the Wizard or Witch has kissed someone other than their spouse,�

I suppressed a giggle, “Well, that would explain why so many fancy-pants think it’s rude,�

Professor Granger smiled, but kept on reading, “It has odd side effects on those who are not married and are…� her cheeks went a little pink, “in love.�

My eyes widened and I started at her. “Keep reading, please.�

“Love, in any amount, has been to known to change the nature of the charm, from telling exaggerated lies, to spilling the truth in a mocking fashion. If this change occurs, the charm cannot be removed by the original caster. A confession by the caster is required, a truth to stop the truth. Ersatz is still said to be working on party charms that are less menacing.�

We each sat in silence. There it was, the truth of what went wrong. All the people I’d cast that charm on, back in Salem, were giddy and young… not in love with anyone. They were too young to love anyone. But… someone who had passed through the door had to have been in love with someone else. And then most of what was said after that had to be true. That meant for sure that…

“Oh, Marti,� Granger said, putting the book on the table and leaning back in her chair, “Please tell me at what point you tried to take the charm off.�

I gave her a sympathetic smile and thought about it. This was something she wasn’t expecting it to mention love… I could only assume why.

“Well, I think that I cast it when I saw you coming. I didn’t want it to embarrass you… not that I knew anything, or anything, I just thought… well, I’d heard… It was right before you came in.� I finished lamely.

She looked at me, “Are you sure?�

I nodded. “And it wouldn’t come off… so that means that Andran or Monkey- I mean… Zinny must be in love…� several words caught in my throat and stuttered their way out, “Y-you d-d-didn’t trigger it.�

She closed her eyes and looked away briefly. “Alright, Marti, we each have our answers. You can go now.�

“Thanks,� I whispered, dashing lightly to and then out of the door.

I walked slowly up to the Ravenclaw CR, thinking about this information I now had. Andran was in love? With who? Was there a way to learn who this person was? And, most importantly, was there a way I could use this information? Not right away, of course, because it was too soon since my last prank, but perhaps it would be fun to enchant some mistletoe around Christmas time…

There was a commotion out side the CR when I arrived. Deanne was out side the entrance, waiting to get in, along with thirty other Ravenclaws.

“What happened here?� I asked her.

She scoffed and looked at me, “Some jerk set off a bag of dung bombs and fireworks and opened up some kind of a swamp in the Common Room!�

“What!� who would be that devious? Other than me, obviously.

Deanne nodded, “I know. I was the first one to get there and… Bailey tried to clean it up, but the swamp overwhelmed her. We had to get professor Lovegood to come in. She’s cleaning it up now, and we’re all waiting to get back in.�

I snickered, “Bailey couldn’t handle the swamp? Ha, that’s a good one.�

Deanne shook her head, “Marti, I know you don’t like Bailey, but this time you shouldn’t tease her. She was IN the Common Room when it went off. I think she got stuck in some kind of a bog hole. She was really traumatized.�

I rolled my eyes, “Alright, I’ll let this one slide… though I do plan to tease her more for it later, after she’s come to her senses.�

It was a good fifteen minutes more before Professor Lovegood emerged looking somewhat dazed – though she always looked that way – and allowed us back in. The place was as good as new, and Lovegood assured us that the smell of peat would fade soon enough. Deanne and I headed up to our dorms. I, for one, was tired. Deanne said she had to pick up her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay.

We plodded up the stairs and opened the door. Bailey was lying flat on her bed with her hands across her eyes. I was half tempted to throw something at her, but I figured a bog hole was worse than anything I could do to her, so I let her be.

I started to flop on my bed and froze. My violin case was sitting on my bed. I always kept it under my bed…

“Hey,� I said to Deanne, “Did you leave my violin case on my bed, Deanne?�

She shook her head, “Haven’t touched it. You didn’t leave it there?�

Something wasn’t right here… I sprang to the other side of my bed and examined my case. It was unzipped…

Oh, please, no…

I carefully opened the lid…

*** *** ***

A blood curdling scream echoed off the walls of the school, startling several owls and making them flutter off their various perches around the school. Enid, a small barn owl who was sitting in the window of his Hufflepuff owner’s dorm room, ruffled his feathers haughtily. It was most impolite, he knew, for any owl to screech that loudly. How very rude.

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Sorry that took so long in getting up! I promise to try and work harder to get the next chapter up sooner! Believe me, I hated waiting as much as you did!

Disclaimer: I own it all!!! Muahahahaha! Yeah, right, whatever! I own Marti and Andy and their friends, but the rest is borrowed, including a song by Shania Twain. Believe me, I didn't write that song, though wouldn't it be cool if I did?

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“Marti! Marti!�

She did it. I know she did.

“Get off her, Owlery!�

“Marti! Are you even listening?�

Well, since they asked, no I wasn’t. I had Bailey pinned to her bed, my knees on her shoulders as I sat on her chest with my wand practically shoved up her nose. She was screaming and trying to get me off her, but I had her pinned good, so she wasn’t going anywhere.

I had opened the case, and my violin was gone. Absolutely gone, vanished. I even felt the place where it should have been, just in case it had been turned invisible, but it wasn’t. I was so stunned and angry, I wanted to tell whomever it was that was screaming to shut their face because they’re problem was nothing to this… and then I realized it was me.

And then I saw Bailey lying on her bed with a hand dramatically draped across her eyes. That Horrid wench, I knew she was the one who took it. She’d been in here with it, all alone, probably thought that I’d been the one to set off the dung bombs and the swamp and all, and decided to get me back for it! Well, ha, like I wouldn’t know who had done it! Oh, don’t ask how I ended up sitting on her, all I know was that I really wanted to hex her brains out. She was so DEAD!!!

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH IT?� I bellowed, shoving the tip of her nose upward to look like a snout with the tip of my wand.

She screamed and tried to get me off her, but didn’t answer. In the back of my head, I noticed that there were about eight or so hands on my shoulders and back, pulling me off her, but noticing and caring are two different things. I had my feet wriggled underneath Bailey, so they wouldn’t be getting me off her very easily.

“WHERE IS IT, YOU DEMON SPAWN-� a hand grabbed me around the neck and shoulders and hauled me back and away from her. I struggled with the arm, but it had me good. It lifted me over and plopped me down on my own bed, next to my case, though it didn’t let go of me.

I went limp from head to toe. The arm loosened up on me, and then I snapped around and wriggled out of its grasp. I turned around and saw that the arm belonged to Deanne.

“Marti, what’s come over you?� she asked. She looked worried. Well, she should be, I was going to kill Bailey. In her place, I’d be worried too.

My hand was shaking, but I managed to lift it and jab it in Bailey’s direction. Bailey, by the way, was in mild hysterics, and trying to be calmed by Jean and Amber. “She…took…it.� I said slowly, really not wanting to yell at my friend.

“Took what?� she asked me, looking even more worried about me.

“My violin!� I shouted, my voice rising, “My case is here, and opened, and it’s GONE! SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE IN HERE, THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD HAVE TAKEN IT!�

Bailey burst into tears and sat up angrily, “I didn’t take your whatever! I don’t anything of yours, and if I can help it I never will!�

“YOU LIAR!� I shouted at her. Deanne turned to my case and looked at it, but really, I could already tell her it wasn’t there! “I KNOW YOU TOOK IT! TELL ME WHAT YOU DID WITH IT! TELL ME!� I found myself almost lunging at her again, with my wand drawn. Alice Longbottom jumped in front of me and wrestled my wand away from me. Hot tears began streaming down my face. In my frustration I let her take it from me.

“Fine,� I said, my voice cracking, forcing me down to a lower decibel, “Take her side, all of you! You know she hates me, and you can all see my violin is gone! I hate you, Bailey! How could you do this to me? I know I’m hard, I admit it, but I would never, EVER, steal what you love most in the whole world!� I ran from the room.

They didn’t get it. They just wouldn’t understand. It wasn’t fair, and I … I couldn’t believe they would actually take her side on this, especially since you could totally tell she did it…

I started to run out the door, smacked into the door instead – which only made me cry harder – then staggered down the stairs. After nearly breaking my neck in the stairwell, I bounded through the Common Room and out the door. It was gone, my Gwen, my dearest possession. Sobbing in hysterics, I just started running.

“Petrificus Totalus!� I heard from behind me. I froze – literally – and clattered to the ground. I couldn’t even blink.

Deanne turned me over and sat me up right. “Finite Incantatum,� she whispered, making me crumble to the ground, able to move again. Now, though she had my hands and I couldn’t run.

“You don’t get it, Dee,� I sobbed, “You have no idea what my violin means to me!�

She gave me a small smile and sat down next to me on the floor, “Yes I do, Marti. Look,� she held out to me a bit of parchment with a very untidy scrawl on it. “You were so distraught at the thought of losing what you love, you didn’t notice this in the case. It was lying there, obviously for you to find… and I’ve been with Bailey for longer than you have, so trust me when I tell you that she didn’t write it. Here, Marti, read it.�

I took it from her and wiped my eyes. It was hard to read, but hard doesn’t mean unreadable. Hard means it was difficult to believe.

Martina Owlsten-

This is not a gag. I now have something you want, don’t I? And, assuming you plan to look dashing sometime in the near future, you want it back. If you ever wish to have your prize back in your possession, you will do as I ask. You will not take this note to a teacher, head student, or prefect. I do not want to keep what is yours, and am more than willing to give it back to you… at a price. You will meet me this Friday night, in the astronomy tower, at midnight. There, we will make a deal. If you have read this far, then you are bound. I have charmed this parchment, so I will know if it falls into the hands of a teacher. I will also know if you say anything about it to anyone. If you do, I WILL KNOW IT. If you ever wish to get back what I have taken from you, you will follow my instructions to the letter.

-Listener

I finished the letter and tears began running down me all over again. I had probably made things worse with Bailey – I mean, yeah, she had all that coming, yes, but she was my roommate, and it would be good to be on better terms with her eventually – and now this letter. If I went to the astronomy tower, what would happen to me? Who did this, and what would they want from me?

I turned to Deanne, pleadingly, “Oh, Dee, what am I going to do?�

*** *** ***

Zinny was waiting for me when I climbed back through the window into the Gryffindor Boys’ Dorm. Clay and a few others were there, but didn’t seem to mind Zinny being there… oh, back in our first few years they’d protested her presence, but when they learned that she never bothered anything that wasn’t mine, and they couldn’t get rid of her anyway, they didn’t mind anymore. She was like a kind of fixture or something. Some boys had posters on the wall, others had cages for their owls, and I had a Zinny that was nearly permanent on my bed. Besides, I couldn't go into the girls dorm - and why would I want to? They have pink frilly things in there! Well, anyway, Ridley had even fallen asleep with his curtains drawn closed, so I motioned for Zinny to light up her wand, and I drew the curtains around us so we wouldn’t disturb them.

She pointed to the curtains and muttered a muffling charm on the curtains so when she started laughing, which she almost always did, she wouldn’t wake those who were asleep.

“So,� she asked, “Did you get the dress?�

“Marcia was a liar, it wasn’t a dress,� I held up the violin by the neck and showed Zin.

“Cripes, Andy!� she hissed, almost falling through the curtains, “Yeah, I’d say she lied! I’ll murder her tonight, if you want me to.�

I smiled, “Well, as much good as Azkaban would do you, I don’t think that you need to murder her. Really, I don’t think she had the time to open the case, and just guessed there was a dress inside… though, why she thought that was a dress box…�

Zinny and I looked at each other, “Loco Longbottoms,� we muttered together.

“Alright, so we have a violin now,� Zinny said, looking at it, “What do we do with it?�

I smiled, “We do as we planned. Do you have a box for it?�

She shook her head, “Nope, but I can transfigure one. Give me an old sock or something.�

“Alright,� I set the violin down carefully on the bed and leaned out the curtain into my sock drawer, and then tossing Zinny one of my older ones.

She wrinkled her nose at me when I tossed it to her, “Do both your feet smell this bad, or do you just wash your socks now and then?�

“It’s a clean one, you prat!� I snapped, slapping her arm. She just laughed and waved her wand at the sock.

“Make it a tough box,� I said, “I know we want to ransom this, but I don’t want it to get broken.�

She nodded and the sock changed. It made a long oval box, just the right size for the violin. When she’d finished, I placed it in there carefully, then slipped out of our muffled curtains and slipped the box into the bottom of my trunk, where it would be safe. It was a pretty instrument, after all.

When I slipped back into the curtains, Zinny was lying on her back, with her hands behind her head, staring at the canopy over my bed, her feet down on my pillow and her head at the foot of my bed. I put my head next to her feet and stretched out beside her. We just laid there for a moment, before Zinny spoke up.

“So, Andran,� she said in a small voice, “What are you going to make her do to get it back?�

Hmm, that was a good question. I hadn’t quite decided yet.

“Dunno,� I said, frowning at the ceiling.

Zinny was quiet. “Ha,� she laughed suddenly after a moment, “You could always collect from her like Marcia did from you,�

I frowned, “You mean snog her?�

“Yeah…w-why not?� she stuttered with a slight cough.

I shrugged, “Well I could…� Zinny got really quiet again, “But I don’t know I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m not smooth with girls, and… well, doing that is just somewhat perverted. It’s one thing to kiss a girl in a game of spin the bottle, of if she likes you and all, because they know what’s coming, but for ransom? Nah, I don’t want to be a perv.�

Zinny propped herself up on her shoulders and looked down at me, her short hair sticking up in a funny way. “Okay, so what do you want?�

I smiled at her, “You look like a cockatoo,�

She shoved both her feet in my face – thank goodness they didn’t stink – and laughed, “Careful, Andy, or you might wake up tomorrow wearing a hula skirt!�

I wrestled with her legs, trying to get them out of my face, as she was trying to put her big toe in one of my ears. “What a miracle, Zin, you shaved your legs!�

I saw her go very red from her place by my own feet, and she doubled her efforts. “That’s it,� she said, “You’ll be wearing that hula skirt to potions for that one!�

“Wait a minute,� I said, shoving her legs aside and sitting up to looked at her, “What did you say?�

*** *** ***

Deanne and I were totally at a loss for what to do, except to be at the astronomy tower at midnight when the note said. And it was hard for us to even discuss it, as the note said it would know if we told anyone. Deanne half believed it was a bunch of nonsense, but while she was probably right, neither of us were willing to risk it.

“Alright,� Deanne said, once again taking a stab at trying to discuss what we were going to do in a round about manner, “Concerning this small issue, I will go with you.�

“To the…� I caught on my words, as we worked on our homework in the library together, “…the place?�

She nodded. “To make sure nothing bad happens.�

“But what if… Listener sees you?�

She shook her head, “I can hide. But you need some backup there, just incase this is of a, uh, carnal nature.�

I sighed and looked absently at my parchment, “So I guess all we have to do now is wait.�

*** *** ***

The morning after Zinny and I had worked out the fine details of our plan, we began to prepare for it. Zinny looked up the spells we needed and I got the materials. We spent our lunch making up the contract.

“No, no,� Zinny said taking the parchment from me, “A third party has to create the contract if you are going to sign it, and that means me. If you write it, it won’t be magically solid, alright?�

“Fine,� I said, “But you write what I tell you to write, alright?�

She grinned at me, “Don’t worry about that. I’d be more concerned with the way Marcia Longbottom is staring at you right now,�

“Huh?� I glanced around just in time to see Marcia walk past us and sit farther down the Gryffindor table, glaring at us for most of the way, “Is she still sore that you kissed me?�

Zinny shrugged, “Beats me. She and I have never gotten along, and she’s been pissed ever since I discolored her bunny slippers a week ago.�

I raised an eyebrow at her, “How’d you do that?�

She grinned at me wickedly, “I dumped the bottle of her favorite colored nail polish on them.�

“Oh, okay then. So, back to the contract, it needs to say that she has to perform as I specify, and must do it for at least five minutes.�

Zinny looked up, “What if a professor stops her?�

I shrugged, “We can add that to a clause. If a teacher stops her, or a student unwittingly – meaning she can’t tell someone to make her stop,�

“I know what it means,� she interjected.

“Then the five minutes will be accounted for, and her violin is safe. Are their any other clauses we should add in?�

Zinny scribbled for a moment then looked up, “Personal injury? If she breaks a leg, she can’t do it, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t try, right?�

Yeah, that was good, “Make it accidental person injury… and lets add in emergencies with a five minute delay… in case something happens that we didn’t expect,�

“Like a fire or another food fight?�

“Yeah… with the five minute delay, we have enough time to make sure it’s a good reason, and can remove the charm. That should do it, don’t you think?�

“Oh yeah,� Zinny said, with growing laughter, “She’ll be squirming in her skirt when she reads this one!�

Movement behind Zinny caught my eye, “Hush Zin!� I whispered when I saw that Alice Longbottom was walking by giving me a suspicious look as she went to sit by her sister. When they both seemed to be absorbed in conversation, we picked ours back up.

“Okay,� Zinny hissed, “This contract is ready. All she has to do is sign it when you do to make it legally and magically binding. Are you sure you still want to do this?�

I glanced over at the Ravenclaw table where Marti was sitting, beside Deanne Liles. Her eyes were swollen and red looking, and she wasn’t eating much; mostly she pushed her food around her plate.

Okay, I’m not heartless. I’m fair. She deserved what she was going to get, one hundred percent.

“Yes, I’m sure.�

*** *** ***

Midnight came faster than I was expecting. I wasn’t sure whether to be glad or upset over that fact, as I knew that this meeting would lead me back to my violin, yet I’d have to pay in some way that Listener chose. And who was Listener? I didn’t get that one.

Deanne went early, at eleven o’clock, so she could hide and not be seen. I waited by the fire in the CR until it was eleven-thirty. I swallowed and reached under the couch to retrieve my broom, Nina. Rather than sneak through the castle and risk getting caught, I decided to fly there. It was safer, and faster.

Nina was my Nimbus 2001. A few summers ago, I was forced to spend some time visiting Muggle schools, and so I packed away my wand, broom and everything else magical. Somehow, my wand ended up beside my broom, and stayed that way for three months. The result in this was that Nina now had a kind of… a personality; I guess you could call it. She was fussy, and sometimes got too excited about flights, and if someone else rides her, she will most likely buck them off. But it’s not like she could talk or anything, and she didn’t have a favorite color. I guess a personality was just my interpretation of a strange broom.

“C’mon, Nina,� I whispered to the wooden handle as I opened the window and mounted her, “Lets go for a flight to the astronomy tower, and try to stay away from windows, alright?�

She wiggled beneath me for a moment, and then we were in the air. I kept to the walls that didn’t have windows, because having someone like Professor Lovegood or Granger spot me was something I didn’t need right now. It took a bit longer than expected, but we made it before midnight.

We landed smoothly, but as I dismounted, Nina gave a violent buck and I flopped to the ground.

“Nina!� I shouted angrily.

“Blaming your clumsiness on a broom, eh?�

I scrambled to my feet and looked behind me. There, leaning up against a pillar in the shadows was Andran Audierus.

“What are you doing here? Go away, you’re going to ruin it all!�

Then – oh man, I wanted to strangle him there and then – he gave me this smug grin. You know, the I-think-I’m-so-smart-because-I-think-I-know-something-more-than-you-even-though-I-probably-don’t look… that arrogant jerk. He was NOT going to get my violin smashed to pieces. I drew my wand and pointed it at him, “I mean it, Andran. Get out of here. If you don’t-�

“If I leave,� he said, taking a few steps in my direction with that terrible grin, “Then how are you going to get your violin back?�

My jaw dropped almost to the floor. HE had taken it? “You?�

“Who else? I thought that would have been obvious to you. You did, after all, know the latin base of my name.�

Oh my heck... could I have been denser? Audierus is derived from the latin word for listen. I knew that, I knew that from the moment he spoke to me on the Hogwart's Express! Man, I was dumb!

My wand found its way back to my pocket. “Alright,� I said, feeling tears wanting to come again while I fought back my anger, “Let’s get this over with. What do you want from me?�

He squinted his eyes, “Hate me that bad, do you?�

I shook my head, “This doesn’t have anything to do with you. I want my violin back. I didn’t come here to play games.�

A slight look of shock flashed for a moment. What, was he stupid? Eh, his monkey probably put him up to all this.

“Here,� he reached out with a parchment and quill. “Read and sign this. It’s a magically binding contract. You complete your end, you get it back.�

I took it from him and unrolled it, then began to read it. Okay, it was a bunch of legal mumbo-jumbo, blah-blah, and then…

“You want me to WHAT?�

“Do you or do you not,� he said, “want your instrument back? This is what you get for what you did, you,� he pointed to the parchment in my hands, “brought this upon yourself.�

I glared at him for a few moments, before I sighed. “Got any ink?�

*** *** ***

“Marti, you can’t do this! This is… this is…�

“Deanne,� I sighed as she stuttered for a word to describe what I was about to do, “This is the only way he’ll give it back. And I have already agreed to do it, so there’s no going back.�

She looked at me wide eyed, “There has got to be another way.�

“I wish, Dee,� I sighed again, straightening my hat, “but I signed the magical contract. And he signed it too, so he’s obligated to give it back or I am completely allowed to tell McGonagall. So, here I go. If you want to go on ahead, I’ll let you take a seat before the pandemonium starts,�

She shook her head in resignation, “Alright, but I am not happy with this, Marti.�

I gave her a weak smile, “Neither am I.�

Five minutes later, I burst through the doors into the Great Hall, where most of the school was eating breakfast, wearing a grass skirt, two coconut halves connected with string, and a hat made from a pineapple that had various fruits stuck to it. At least I’d been allowed to wear my underwear under the skirt.

I felt like that Lady on the banana stickers.

Gritting my teeth, I touched my wand through my throat and magnified it to echo through the hall, after which I began singing the song Andran said I had to sing – lucky for him I knew it, because it was a Muggle song – which was “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!�, by Shania Twain, and begun to do the best hula dance I could.

“I’m goin' out tonight, I’m feelin' all right, gonna let it all hang out! Wanna make some noise, really raise my voice! Yeah I wanna scream and shout!�

Bailey Brocklehurst fell off her chair laughing – I’d invited her to make up for blaming her – and I even noticed Deanne had the giggles. Most everyone in the Great Hall was in hysterics in seconds.

But this was only half of the deal.

I hula-ed my way over to the Slytherin Table, where I proceeded to leap up onto it and conga/mambo-ed my way down the table, singing all the while, “No inhibitions, make no conditions! Get a little out of line! I ain’t gonna act politically correct, I only wanna have a good time! The best thing about being a woman, is the prerogative to have a little fun and…�

The teachers were in a huff, but while on the table with laughing students all around, they couldn’t catch me. And most of them were laughing too, so that made things even harder.

“Oh, oh, oh! Go totally crazy! Forget I’m a lady! Men’s shirts, short skirts! Oh, oh, oh! Really go wild, yeah, doin’ it in style! Oh, oh, oh! Get in the action, feel the attraction, color my hair, do what I dare! Oh, oh, oh! I wanna be free, yeah, to feel the way I feel…�

When I hit the chorus, I spotted Andran, who was laughing along with everyone else. I caught his eye turned around and mooned the Gryffindor Table. Well, with my underwear on. “Man! I feel like a woman!�

*** *** ***

Hey, she just mooned me! Hey!

“Zinny, did you see that! Zinny?� I looked on the floor, to find Zinny there, barely able to breathe.

Ah, and then Potter made his way over to Marti, and I started laughing again…

*** *** ***

Ah, bending over like that left me open for Professor Potter to grab my arm. He was laughing, yes, but he hauled me out of the Great Hall, just the same. But that was fine. According to the contract, if I was stopped from dancing for five minutes by a teacher, it was legal and my violin was safe. I was alright. Still....

Why do the craziest things happen to me?

Okay, okay, so I had something to do with this one, so perhaps I should rephrase that.

Why do I do dumb things?

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I hope you all liked this chapter, and I hope it made up for the sorta-cliffy I left on the last chapter. I hope to start on the next chapter soon, but I do have to do some plot work so I apologize now if it takes too long. Remember, Read and Review! I respond to all reviews!

Oh, and thanks to all my loyal readers! you guys rock!!!

*Remember when you review, to cast your vote on what ships and plot events you'd like to see! I will tally the votes and try to implement the popular requests into the next chapters! So Review and vote!*

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Marti, Andy, and their classmates. You steal them, and I have the right to maime you.

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Once we were in the hallway, Potter let me go. I pointed my wand at my throat and whispered, “Quietus,� so that if I had to raise my voice, I wouldn’t shake the castle apart.

Instinctively, I crossed my arms over the coconuts I was wearing.

Potter noticed this and took out his wand, conjuring me a funny colored cloak to wrap around myself. I took it from him gratefully and muttered a pitiful, “Thanks, Professor.�

“Marti, what were you thinking?� he said, suddenly looking angry.

I looked at the ground. He’d been so nice to me, and he was my favorite teacher, and now I did this… I wasn’t ungrateful, but I knew it looked like I was.

I smiled and tried to make seem like it was nothing… after all, I couldn’t tell him about the ransom for my violin. “Well, you know me, attention hog.�

He frowned at me, “I don’t believe that for a second, Martina. This isn’t you at all. What happened? Tell me the truth.�

I sighed, “I can’t Professor, and that IS the truth.�

He frowned slightly, “Can you tell me why you can’t tell me?�

Oh boy, he would go there, wouldn’t he? Deanne and I had been doing this for several days. I sighed and thought on how to word what I wanted to say. “I can’t tell you because, first of all, I agreed not to tell any teacher when I signed…something. Secondly… if I were to tell you, and go back on my word, my… I mean, something dear to me would be… would get… they’d...�

He rolled his eyes. “You may not know this Marti, but I know exactly what you mean, or who you mean, as the case may be. There are only two students I know of, who would have the gall to make you do something like this. And they make you sign a magical contract, in which you aren’t allowed to mention anything specific.�

I was dumbfounded. Potter had managed to get that much out of what I’d said? He noticed the look on my face and smiled, “I have heard students with your same stutter and hesitation, on several occasions. I’ve caught them using contracts before. I’ll take care of this.�

“No!� I shouted, nearly dropping the cloak around me. “If you do, I…� tears welled up in my eyes, because I didn’t know if I could get my violin safely back or not, even though I had already done the dance. “Please, Professor, I need to wait… for safety…�

He nodded again, but drew his wand and gave a flick. Then he, after telling me to stay put, marched into the Great Hall. I used the brief time alone to rid myself of the idiotic costume I’d been forced to wear, coconuts and all. There was an awkward moment when I didn’t know what to do with my wand, as this left me mostly naked, but I finally decided that pulling the odd cloak around me closer and sliding my wand in the band of my underpants – the only thing I now had on – was my best bet. It felt odd, standing out in front of the Great Hall Entrance, basically naked… but I could guarantee that I was more comfortable than I’d been wearing those coconuts. Don’t ever wear them… trust me.

A few moments later, Potter re-emerged from the Hall.

He smiled kindly at me, and then said, “They must have taken something very dear to you, for you to be willing to make such a spectacle of yourself.�

I turned my head down, “You have no idea. Hey! Whoa, what happened to me? I’m gone! This wasn’t part of the deal!�

Potter put a hand on my shoulder, “Marti, it’s alright. It’s an invisibility cloak. I would like you to follow me, and I thought you would like to not be seen… for a change,� he added with a grin.

I smiled in return, then pulled the cloak over my head and followed behind Potter. It was stuffy under the cloak, I had to admit, but as we passed a few people here and there, I found that it was nice. No one looked my way, no one noticed me. And the fact that Potter trusted me enough to use this cloak was astounding.

After a few corridors, we passed a group of Hufflepuff girls who were laughing. Out of curiosity, I paused to hear what was so funny.

“She really sang that all over the hall?� one girl laughed to another. The second girl nodded and the group burst out in laughter again. A knot sank into my stomach as I understood that they were talking about me. How could news like that spread so quickly?

“She’s such a freak!� the second one said, “I don’t know why she thinks she can get away with that.�

A third one snorted, “I heard she’s related to McGonagall, that’s why she keeps getting away with such stunts. I still can’t believe she was half naked!�

A fourth girl frowned at the other three, “Well, sure this is funny, but she keeps doing these things! She’s making a mockery of Hogwarts! We are the most prestigious Wizarding School, pretty much in the world. If we weren’t, you can bet that Potter wouldn’t be teaching here, right? Whoever’s idea it was to allow a transfer student to come here was just stupid!�

“Five points from Hufflepuff,� came Professor Potter’s voice from behind me, sounding very angry, “For spreading such unbecoming gossip. So that you know, Miss Reidhead, I teach here because I was taught here, and Hogwarts has many pleasant memories for me. Also, most of the staff was consulted in allowing Miss Owlsten to attend Hogwarts. No one is solely responsible for it, though if you want someone to blame, you might as well blame me, as I was the strongest supporter for her coming here.�

The girls squirmed under his gaze, which he held until the four headed off in the direction of the Great Hall.

One we were alone again, Potter swept his arm out until it touched my arm. He took hold of my hand and then gently pulled me along. It wasn’t until we were well into walking again that I noticed I was crying. Hot tears were falling down my face and my nose was starting to run. I sniffed and Potter glanced in what he assumed was my way.

“What they say doesn’t matter, Marti,� he said comfortingly as we walked.

“Am I really a freak?� I choked from beneath the cloak.

To my surprise, Potter laughed. I frowned. Was I that big of a joke to everyone?

“You have no idea how many times I asked that same question to myself when I was younger,� he said quietly, “I wasn’t a freak, though it took me a long time to believe that, and neither are you. You are different and unique, yes, but those are all good things to be. Take my advice and only listen to people who matter, who can really see the world for what it is, and be honest with you. Ignore what others say.�

I choked and sniffed, “And who would that be?�

He paused and smiled at me, “Miss Liles, for one. Alice Longbottom, for another. And then there are your professors, Hermione, Luna, Ron and myself. We’ve been friends for years, and I – oh, sorry, I meant to say Professors Granger, Lovegood, and Weasley – and I can promise you that they will never willingly steer you in the wrong direction.�

“And what about Malfoy?�

Potter tensed up a little, “McGonagall trusts him well enough, and you can’t find anyone in all of Britain who is better at potions, but he’s often blinded by his pride and house loyalty.�

I smirked in spite of my tears, “So you don’t like him, either?�

“I can’t answer that one, Marti. You should know better than to ask me that,� he said sternly… but was that a hint of a smile on his face? Ha-ha, I knew it. No one likes Malfoy!

We stopped finally in front of a large painting of a fat lady in a pink dress. I frowned, but Potter smiled. So did the fat lady.

He motioned for me to stay where I was, then the portrait swung open to reveal a hole in the wall! I nearly fell backwards. It had to be the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. He stepped inside and the picture swung shut. I waited a few moments alone in the corridor and then the painting swung open again and Potter stepped out, holding a white box under his arm.

“I believe,� he said, removing the lid carefully and reaching inside, “That this is yours,� he gently lifted my violin out of the box.

I pulled the cloak off my head and wiped away the tears that had stained my face, “Please, Professor, can you check it to make sure it’s alright? No charms or hexes or anything? I would, but I can’t lose this cloak…�

He gave me a knowing smile and waved his wand over my instrument. After a moment, he handed it out to me and said, “It’s clean.�

More tears stained my face as I took it with one arm and held it close to me. It was safe. That was all that mattered.

*** *** ***

The Hall was still rolling with laughter when Potter marched back in and over to where Zinny and I were sitting. The anger on his face silenced my laughter, and not only because it meant I was caught. If Marti had told him, then her violin would be in trouble.

Not that I really cared, or anything, I just hated to see such a beautiful instrument get ruined. And, I really didn’t want parents mad at me for that one. I didn’t have the money to replace something, if it couldn’t be magically fixed… alright, I decided that it might be a good idea for Zinny and me to check on if something can be magically fixed or not before we make out our contracts.

Zinny happened to see Potter coming and sobered as much as I did.

“Oh dear,� she muttered as he approached, “We’re in for it this time.�

He raised a hand and pointed a finger at me, then at Zinny, then back at me. “I don’t really want to know anymore about this than I already do. Tell me where it is, Audierus.�

“Where what is, Professor?� I said, trying to look innocent. That, along with girls, is something I’m not good at.

“Don’t give me that, Andran. Pearson,� he said, rounding on Zinny, “Tell me where it is. She didn’t tell me anything – she refused, actually – but I know you two, too well. Just tell me where whatever-you-took-from-her is, and I will lessen your punishment considerably.�

Zinny’s mouth fell, “What! We didn’t do anything! That girl does a hootchie-coochie dance, and you’re going to punish us? That’s not fair!�

“Pearson!� he shouted, looking livid, “Do I look like a fool to you? No? Then don’t treat me like one by lying to me. I’m not asking questions, like I really should in this case. I just want to know where her possession is.�

Zin and I looked at each other and sighed collectively. “Under my bed,� I said, “In a white box.�

He nodded and hurried out of the hall as quickly as he had entered it. I started to say something to Zinny, I think it was something along the lines of how we needed to pull our act together, and how we really ought to check if things can be magically fixed before we hex them, and how we really ought naught to make such binding contracts.

But, when I looked at Zinny, I started laughing again as she was humming that Muggle song to herself and wiggling in her seat.

*** *** ***

A week after I was given, and then served, a week’s worth of detention – doled out by McGonagall herself, for severe school disruption – I tried to keep my life as normal as possible. I had a long talk with Deanne about it, and she agreed after a while.

“I don’t quite understand,� she said at first when I told her about my goal of normalcy, “Are you saying that until now, you were aiming for an abnormal life?�

I shook my head, “No, but… okay, I will be the first to admit that I’m an impulsive person. Most of the time, I just do things that I know will lead me into trouble, just because I think they’ll be fun and I have a slim chance of getting away with it. Exciting as that is, it’s not doing me any good, so this behavior needs to stop. I need to buckle down and act like a normal person.�

Deanne looked at me from where she was sitting on her bed, cross-legged, doing her Herbology essay. If I wasn’t mistaken, she looked distressed. I frowned at her, “Aw, c’mon, Dee, the essay isn't that hard, is it?�

She smiled briefly, “No, that’s not it… I just… I know you do dumb things now and then, like jump on Bailey and pin her to her bed with your knees,� we both grinned at that (after it happened, and after I got my violin back, Deanne decided that Bailey’s face had been rather funny when I’d lunged at her), “but you’re great the way you are! I don’t want you to change.�

I scoffed, “Well, I like me too, but something’s got to give, Dee. If I don’t start being at least a little bit more normal, I’ll get expelled.�

She sighed, somewhat sadly, “Well, that would be worse than you changing. I guess you’re right.�

“Eh, don’t rub it in.�

So I buckled down. I made a vow for three days to not use my wand out of the class room. It was a pain in the rear, especially when I saw Bailey bending over in the hall way… Oh, my wand was out in a split second and it was aimed at her posterior with the words for a bat-boogey hex on my lips and thoughts of what the result would look like running through my head. And I almost did it, too, but then I thought of what Professor Lovegood would say, and perhaps even Professor Potter. He’d been so nice to me… I kept thinking about what he said to the Hufflepuff girls while I was under his invisibility cloak, that he was the person who pushed the most for me to be allowed to come to Hogwarts.

I didn’t want to disappoint him more than I already had, so I put my wand away.

But that was only the beginning. After I caught myself numerous times thinking absently about some odd prank I could do, I started to wonder what it was exactly that other normal girls did if they didn’t spend their time pranking people. It was something I’d not really thought about before. Well, not really what they did, but what did they think about? I sighed, for I knew the answer: boys. That’s what it had to be it.

This was a subject that had always seemed too complicated for me over the years, so I’d not really bothered with it, but the girls at Hogwarts – well, the Ravenclaw girls, anyway – seemed to think it was a major deal. I was sixteen and had never had a real boyfriend. According to Amber Moore, this was a serious thing. I didn’t think so, but she assured me that it was. Hey, could I help it if I’d gone to a mostly girl’s school?

According to Jean Fitzgerald, Amber’s best friend besides Bailey, the first step to get into this subject, if I was going to be starting from scratch – and she assured me that I was – was to find someone I thought was cute, funny, someone to be the object of my affection.

Okay, so was there anyone I liked? Hmm, that was a good question, one that needed to be thought over.

Well, after I finished my Herbology essay, that is. It wouldn’t do me any good to switch completely from pranks to boys and still neglect my schoolwork… that wasn’t normal.

One day in the halls, I noticed a young boy with sandy hair that seemed nice enough to look at, but I made the mistake of asking Alice Longbottom who he was.

She frowned at me, “He’s off limits, Marti,� she said flatly.

“What?� I looked at her and was confused, since this boy had been the first decent looking boy I’d seen in… well, I’d only looked for five minutes, but still, he was decent looking. “Why?�

“That,� she said with a nod of her head in his direction, “Is Gryffindor fourth year Cory Longbottom, my younger brother.�

I smiled at her sheepishly, “Whoops, sorry there. Ooh, what about that boy, next to him?�

A small smile played on her lips, “Gryffindor third year Joshua Longbottom. He, too, is-�

I waved a hand at her, “I know, I know, off limits. Sheesh, Alice, forget I ever mentioned it.� Dejected and feeling rather frustrated, I headed to the Ravenclaw CR.

I was starting to think that I’d go insane in general after that one… what was I doing looking for a man, anyway? That’s not how a person went about getting a boyfriend! Did I even want a boyfriend? Was I ready for that? Maybe, but that wasn’t the way to go about being normal.

Had I really listened to Jean and Amber? They were Baileys friends! Man, I was being stupid, again.

Hmmm… Bailey… My mind began to think about sneaking something smelly into Bailey’s underwear drawer, but caught myself in the process.

“What am I doing!� I shouted out loud. Then I remembered that I was sitting with Deanne in the Ravenclaw CR, which happen to be crowded with a lot of students… and they were all looking at me.

“Uh,� I swallowed, looking around, “H-here I am, sitting around, when I have an essay to write… heh.�

Deanne snorted into her book that she was currently reading, and when everyone went back to what they were doing, she leaned over to me, “You finished it yesterday, Marti. Are you feeling alright?�

I sighed and leaned back in the couch that we were sitting in, “No, Dee, I’m not. This normal thing isn’t going well for me.�

She gave me a sympathetic smile, “That bad?�

I nodded, “I was thinking of putting some coleslaw and tuna in Bailey’s underwear drawer.�

Deanne burst out laughing, and nearly dropped her book.

“This isn’t funny!� I hissed at her, “How can I keep busy?�

“Marti,� she said, trying to be reasonable, “You’ve only been at this for a few days! You and I will think of something,�

I folded my arms over my chest and slumped back into the couch, slouching like there was no tomorrow, “If we don’t think of something soon, Bailey will be smelling like a Kentucky-fried tuna.�

Deanne snorted again, and had to shove her face into the couch for a while to stifle the sounds of her laughter. After a moment, she came up, wiped her eyes and cleared her throat, “Well, um, what about Quidditch? I think the Ravenclaw tryouts are this week, Marti. You have a broom, don’t you?�

“Yeah, I do. But, I don’t think that’s a very good idea… I get violent when I play Quidditch.�

She closed her book and looked at me, “What position to you play?�

“Chaser. I’m quick and a small target for bludgers. But-�

“That’s awesome!� said a voice from above me. I looked up to see Rich Westman, a seventh year judging from the size of him. “You’re the new girl, aren’t you? Martha is it?�

I shook my head. “Martina Owlsten, but call me Marti. You’re Rich, right?�

He nodded and leaned on his elbows on the back of the couch, extending a hand to me as he did so. While he mauled my hand, he said, “Yup, Rich Westman. I’m Ravenclaw’s Quidditch Captain, and Deanne here is right, our tryouts are this Tuesday night, at five. After Rita and Mitch graduated last year, we’re in need of some new chasers. Think you could be up for it?�

I smiled at him, though a little weakly, “You think you’d want me?�

He frowned at me, “Why wouldn’t we?�

I grinned sheepishly, “In my last match, I practically shattered my leg kicking a bludger back at the beater who knocked it my way, who then was unconscious for two days afterwards.�

Rich’s face went blank, “Did you have the Quaffle at the time?�

“No. I was going after it.�

“Did you get it?� his eyes narrowed.

“Did, and scored, thank you very much.�

He smiled, “I’ll see you Tuesday afternoon, then.�

*** *** ***

“Andran? You still plan on being Keeper this year?�

I frowned at Paul, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. “Why wouldn’t I?�

He shrugged, “You had a rough year, getting knock unconscious three times last year, and I thought you might not want to go through that again.�

“Paul,� I glowered at him, “I was ambushed by those two Ravenclaw chasers, and you know it. They’re gone this year, so I doubt there’ll be an issue.�

Paul looked at me and raised an eyebrow, “I wouldn’t be too sure on that.�

“Wait, what’s going on?� Zinny asked, looking up from her essay she was working on. “Why wouldn’t Andy be able to keep playing as keeper this year?�

Paul didn’t take his eyes off me, but said to Zinny, “Because I just came from the Quidditch Pitch, where the Ravenclaw team was holding their tryouts. I wasn’t allowed into the pitch, but I could see some of the flyers from the castle steps.�

I gave Paul an incredulous look, “And what is your point?�

“The transfer student,� he said slowly and raising his eyebrows, making me shiver slightly, “Martha? Marti, that’s her name, Marti Owlsten. Yeah, I saw her fly. She’s good.�

Zinny dropped her essay and stood up suddenly, “I’m still not hearing a point from you, Paul,� she said coolly.

He looked curiously at Zinny, I’m not sure why, and said, “I heard her friends talking out there, too, while they waited to hear some results from the tryouts. Rumor has it that back in America she shattered her leg kicking a Bludger into the head of a beater while heading after the Quaffle. Then she scored. My point,� he held up his hand to stop us from saying anything further, “is that I watched her fly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was true. She’s really good, and if we want to beat Ravenclaw this year I thought I should ask you if you think you can keep your head around her. She’s a really good flyer, but she’s also a mean player. Nothing illegal – so far – but she’s tough. Can you deal with that?�

What – that hairy midget was a mean player? So what? What more could she do to me than try and pull my hair? Besides, I was keeper, not chaser, so I really shouldn’t have to bother with her too much…. right?

I started to say something to Paul, like that he was in need of some new medications from St. Mungo’s or something, but before I could, Zinny – a very red faced Zinny – stepped in between us and pointed her finger down at him.

“Andran is one of the best keepers we’ve had since Weasley himself played here. Shouldn’t you be asking the chasers and beaters, as we’ll be the ones dealing with her directly?�

Paul thought about that for a moment, “Fine. Can you handle her, Zinny? You’re our best chaser.�

Zinny’s eyes narrowed, “Oh, I can handle her just fine. Don’t worry about that.�

*** *** ***

The morning after tryouts, I was sore and tired, but I managed to drag myself out of bed in time for breakfast.

I made my way down stairs, my hair still a huge mess – I was too tired to bother with it – when I was suddenly being mauled by Deanne and Alice.

“Marti!� Deanne squealed, “The Results are posted!�

“Results?� I muttered.

Alice did a little dance in front of me, “About who made the Quidditch team! Go see, go see!�

Ah, I was instantly awake.

There was a crowd around the notice board where the results had been put up. Somewhat shakily, I wiggled my way through the throng and up to the parchment. For a reason I didn’t understand, when people noticed I was the one trying to get through to the results, they parted like… well, like magic. It wasn’t long before I was face to face with the parchment.

It read:

Results from Quidditch Try-outs:

Keeper: Rich Westman
Beater1: Veronica Appleby
Beater2: Donald Garrett
Seeker: Todd Helquist
Chaser1: Evelyn Russell
Chaser2: Jason Barde
Chaser3: Martina Owlsten

Reserve Chaser: Aaron Detrich
Reserve Beater: Tammy Buttons
Reserve Keeper: Evelyn Russell
Reserve Seeker: Martina Owlsten

The rest of the day went on in a haze for me. I was so thrilled to be a chaser and the reserve Seeker… I think Rich was impressed that I’d do anything to get what I was after, even kick a bludger head-on, and that would make a good seeker if they needed it. Really, I was honored to be seen as a valuable player.

But, honored or no, this news made me rather absent minded. I mean, more than usual. I had made a stop in the bathroom, and then had zoned out while looking the mirror so I was running late for Herbology. We had it today with the Gryffindors – not really what I was looking forward to, for whatever reason, in greenhouse three.

Not wanting to give Professor Bones a reason to be angry with me (and not wanting a detention as apart of my new-found normalness) I ran top speed down the halls in the direction of the greenhouses, and… well, it was me, what do you think was going to happen?

I skidded around a corner, and almost made it without wiping out, but someone else was skidding around the corner, apparently doing the same thing I was. I saw robes heading my way and I panicked. There was a sea of black, I turned to see who it was, lost my balance and… yeah, there was a rip somewhere, I fell, the other person fell, and people who were standing nearby groaned and winced. I think I flipped over the person I crashed into… either that or the person flipped over me… well, even then I’m not too sure.

“Oh, cripes!� I shouted, trying to disentangle myself from the other person’s robes. “I’m so sorry! I – I have a tendency to do things like this, and I’m really, really sorry…� I trailed as I noticed that this other person was larger than I was, and was therefore a boy. Then I noticed a red and gold badge on the robe, and I froze.

No way. It couldn’t be Audierus, could it? Well, that would be my luck, wouldn’t it? I frowned and waited for the person to sit up…

But a boy with darker hair and blue eyes pulled his hood off and smiled at me. It totally startled me, as I was seriously expecting it to be Andran. Then I frowned at myself, because, well, Audierus wasn’t the only Gryffindor boy, now was he? I really should have known better than that.

“It’s alright,� he said kindly, still with a smile. He looked me over, concern starting to spread on his face, “Oh, did I hurt you?�

I gave a small smile back at him, feeling my face go a little red as he looked at me so nicely, “No. I do things like this enough that my body is close to being numb to it.�

His smile widened and he laughed, “That doesn’t mean I couldn’t hurt you!� he rolled onto his knees and stood up, brushing himself off. I felt really bad for doing that to him, especially since he was so nice to me. I felt like I had to do something, so I hopped up and helped brush off the back of his robes.

“Again, I’m sorry about all this,� I muttered, seeing my shoeprint on his robe hem, “I really should have been watching where I was going.�

He laughed lightly and started picking up my things – what? He was actually picking up my bag and books for me? “That would make two of us, then,� he said once he had shouldered his own bag and held mine out to me. “I’m Clay. Clayton McAfee, Gryffindor, sixth-year.�

I took my bag and shook his hand, “Marti Owlsten, Ravenclaw, also sixth-year. Nice to meet you, Clay.�

He glanced at his watch, “I assume you were running to Herbology?�

I snorted, “Yeah, trying to be normal and be on time for a change.�

He met my eyes, “Me too. But, it looks like we’re going to be late no matter what we do now, so… mind if I accompany you to class?�

I felt my cheeks go red again. What was it with nice guys and me going red? It’s not like he was flirting with me, he was just being a gentleman! And I had to go red. I’m so stupid!

“I’d like that,� I said, rubbing my cheeks, trying to hide my blush.

“So, Marti,� he said after we resumed our mutual course, “You’re the transfer student?�

“Yup,� I said dryly, “That’s me.�

“You’re from Salem, right?� he asked.

“Yeah,� I absently fiddled with my bag’s strap as we walked.

“How do you like England so far? Salem sounds like it would be a very different place to live,� he seemed to be fiddling with his strap, too.

Surprised by his interest in me, I smiled at him – like an idiot, I might add – and replied, “It was. Well, I wasn’t born there, I was born across the United States in Arizona, but I lived with my aunt and uncle in Salem since I was old enough for school.�

He nodded, “I always wanted to go to Arizona,�

“Really?� I said, turning to him slightly, “Most people hate the heat there. With that in mind, you’d still want to go?�

He nodded, “I hear that the Magical community there is very strong. But, I suppose it would be strong in Salem, too. I read about the Witch-hunts… did that make it hard to live there?�

“Did the history make it hard?� I shook my head, “Not as much as you’d think. The Muggles in that region have changed a lot since then. Their Witch-history is accepted and even adored, now. For some reason, the Wizarding and Muggle communities there are very close. Many Muggles know about our world, and don’t mind. They think it’s great.�

“Really?� he looked shocked, “I can’t imagine…�

“You know, my best friend was a Muggle. She knew I was a witch, because she knew my aunt and uncle, but she didn’t care.� I smiled and remembered my friend.

“That must have been… different. Do you miss Salem?� he questioned.

“Yeah, every day. I like Hogwarts and all, don’t get me wrong, but I miss home,� I fought against the images of Salem and my friends… “What about you? Where are you from?�

He adjusted his bag and smiled down at me, “I was born in Gloucestershire, but I was raised in Surrey.�

Uh, where? Glocken-chicken-tire? I knew little to nothing about England. “I wish I knew where those places were,� I said apologetically, feeling somewhat pathetic. I could say ‘Surrey’ well enough, but I might insult him if I called his birthplace bow-kiss-and-miner. I decided not to try.

He laughed lightly, his almost black hair sliding into his eyes. He brushed it away, “Well, both are in Britain, if that helps.�

“Eh, your accent told me that much,� I snickered.

He frowned at me as we walked through the doors that led outside, then shook his head, “Sorry, dear, but you’re the one with the accent.�

“I do not…� I trailed off, and paused, “Fine, you win. I have the American accent, but if you ever come to America, you’ll be the one with the accent, got it?�

“Fair enough,� he conceded. We walked a while longer without speaking, not because we had nothing to say, but because a group of first year girls were gaggling together in the middle of the corridor, so we split and met back up on the other side of them. Clay coughed and ran his hands through his hair, “Um, I hear you tried out for Quidditch. Is that true?�

I nodded, “Yup. I made chaser.�

He smiled at me, his blue eyes sparkling, “Congratulations! Is the rumor true, then?�

I eyed him strangely, “Depends on the rumor. There are quite a few about me.�

“Well, the one that says you shattered your leg kicking a bludger at a beater?�

Rich Westman was so dead for letting that one slip. “Ah, that would be true…�

Clay shook his head, “Why would you do that?�

I shrugged, “It was coming at me headlong, and was going to take me out anyway, so I thought I had nothing to lose. I figured that if I was going down, I was going to take that freakin’ Beater with me!� Clay took a step back, and I blushed again, “Sorry, Quidditch gets me all riled up.�

He laughed out loud, “Don’t apologize for everything! I’m looking forward to a good match.�

“Oh, are you on the Gryffindor team?�

“Yes� he said softly, “I’m the Gryffindor Seeker.�

“Oh,� I couldn’t help but feel a little crestfallen. He was on the opposing team, and if I talked to him about Quidditch, he could feed them any information I let slip. Dang it. “Well, that would make us enemies, then…�

We reached greenhouse three and he opened the door for me, and whispered, “Nah, we’re both too clumsy to be enemies.�

“Well, well, look who decided to grace us with their faces this morning,� Professor Bones said. She was teasing, but we were rather late, so we both had it coming. “Mr. McAfee, Miss Owlsten, please take your places in your groups and lets all continue. And remember, class,� she cautioned, “Don’t let the puss squirt across the room! I know Bubotubers can do that from time to time, but please try to keep things under control!� We’d been collecting Bubotuber puss for the last few lessons with Professor Bones, as she had a lot of it to collect. It was really quite below us, as we learned about them a few years back, but she needed the extra help.

I watched Clay head over to his group where they were working on the plant. He was tall and nice and friendly… maybe I had someone to think about after all –

“MARTI! LOOK OUT!�

“Huh?� I turned to see who had called me… I think it had been Deanne, but I didn’t see much. I screamed just a splurt of Bubotuber puss hit me in the face, and knocked me down.

Ah, crap it all! That stuff burns!

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I believe this is the longest chapter so far! Took me long enough, didn't it? Well, don't forget to vote on you favorite relationship and plot twists! Next chapter coming soon!

Disclaimer: I own only Marti, Andy, and their friends. I am very possesive of them. You take them, and I hurt you.

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Clay rounded on Zinny, swearing mad, “Zinny! What was that for?�

Zinny backed away from Clay – and seeing as how I’d never seen him so angry before, I couldn’t blame her – from where she had been working with her group a plant away.

“It was an accident!� she said, trying to sound innocent. Sadly, even I had a hard time believing that one. Why did she do that?

“Everyone back!� Professor Bones shouted as she knelt down by Marti, who was kicking and flailing, holding her face… I could bet she was hurting. For the first time since I’d met her, I felt bad for her. The boils were already swelling…

“Why did you do that, Zilpha!� Clay demanded again, getting right in her face.

This time, Zinny didn’t step away, “What’s it to you, McAfee? She’s a Ravenclaw, and she’s a skank. You saw as well as anyone the dance she did in the Great Hall, and what she wore.�

Anger like I hadn’t ever seen in Clay – mild mannered Clayton McAfee – surfaced to his face. Oh, I’d seen Clay get angry before, heck what seeker didn’t blow his top at some time? I’d watched him knock a Hufflepuff off a broom, and I’d seen him hex Ridley in our dorm when he’d started a pillow fight, but this was more than that.

Much more. This was… unreal.

“She’s a friend,� he stated in a dead whisper, “Which is more than I could say for you, Pearson.�

Zinny’s eyes widened, and she stepped away from him. Clay had had a crush on Zinny for ages, and as far as I knew, she’d never known about it, but for as long as he’d had a crush on her, he’d called her Zinny, to try and be friendly with her. To my knowledge, he’d never called her ‘Pearson’ before… and I knew that he never called anyone by their last name unless he was really upset with them. Zinny knew that too, from the look on her face.

“Don’t worry,� he whispered again, “I won’t tell on you… I, unlike some people, do not take the law into my own hands,� he shot me a nasty look, glared at Zinny again, and rushed over to where Marti was on the ground.

“Hey, what did I do?� I muttered as he walked past me, but he ignored me. I hadn’t been the one to shoot her with the puss, after all.

He knelt down next to Professor Bones and said, “Professor, I’ll levitate her to the Hospital Wing,�

“No, no, McAfee,� she protested, trying to get Marti to hold still, “I’ll take her…�

“Professor, please,� he said, pausing and putting a hand on Bones’ shoulder, “It’s my fault she was late, and therefore my fault she got hit with that…you can clean up around here, please let me take her?�

There was a pause, in which everyone was silent, except Marti who was crying now, before Professor Bones nodded, “Alright, McAfee, but be careful with her, alright? Tell Madame Pomfrey that I’ll be there in a while.�

“May I go with her, Professor?� asked a near hysterical Deanne Liles, who was trying to hold Marti’s hand.

“Yes, Liles, go with her,� she answered softly, before she rounded on the rest of us.

I watched as Clayton and Deanne drew their wands and simultaneously levitated Marti up and out of the greenhouse. She was shaking now, and whimpering.

“Not funny, Zinny,� I whispered as Bones began cleaning up the puss that had fallen to the ground as best she could. “That had to hurt her.�

“Andy,� Zinny growled back, “How many times do I have to tell you it was an accident? I didn’t mean to hit her! And you have to admit it was funny when she fell to the ground,�

“No, it wasn’t, Zin.� I turned away from her, and didn’t speak to her for the rest of class.

*** *** ***

I remember crying a lot, and being in a lot of pain… and the swelling all over my face, that was a nightmare.

I knew somewhere in there that Deanne had grabbed my hand and was patting it, but that’s all I noticed.

I don’t know how long I’d been out, but I think it was sometime around noon when I opened my eyes and noticed that I was lying in the Hospital Wing. My face was sore, but when I touched it with my fingers, it felt like it was back to its normal size. That was a major relief.

I sat up and looked around. I thought for sure that Deanne would be there, but she wasn’t. No one was… but I was behind a curtain, so I couldn’t be sure about that.

“Hello?� I asked timidly, “Hello?�

A rustling noise met my ears and after a moment a face poked itself around the curtain to smile at me. It was Clay.

“Oh,� I said a little startled by him, “I didn’t think you’d be here.�

He shrugged and walked over to the bed beside me. “I got puss on my hands when we brought you here, so Madame Pomfrey allowed me to stay for awhile. I didn’t think you’d be awake this soon.�

“Wait,� I said, shaking my head, trying to clear it, “You brought me in here?�

“Well,� he shrugged, “Deanne and I did. But she was fine, so Pomfrey said she had to go back to classes.�

I shivered as I remembered the feeling of the Bubotuber puss on my face, “Thanks Clay, for doing that. That was awful… hey, are you all right? You look a little down.� I noticed a droop to his usually happy face.

He gave me a weak smile, “Oh, it’s nothing. I just… have you ever thought something was really great, and even had proof that something was really great, and learn that there’s something about it that isn’t great at all? It may be one thing, yes, but it’s just… disappointing? Ever felt that?�

I sighed and leaned back in my bed, “Oh, yeah, every time I look in the mirror.�

He shook his head, “Don’t say that, Marti. You’re not like that.�

I grinned at him, “You don’t know me very well, Clay. Trust me; I am a disappointment to myself every day.�

He looked like I’d shot a bunny or something. “How can you say that?�

I gave him a weak smile, “Ask me again sometime when I’m less prone to tears. Back to your point, I have felt that. Why are you feeling that right now?�

He sighed and looked towards the window, “No reason, really. Someone’s just not whom I’d thought they’d be. Nothing bad.�

Alright, that was what he said to me, but I didn’t quite understand him. What did he mean, someone? I knew for a fact that he wasn’t talking about me, and he most likely wouldn’t be talking about Deanne – she wasn’t deceitful at all. Maybe he had a crush on a Slytherin girl, or something. If that was the case, I could tell him that I told him so, but that wouldn’t make him feel better… and I didn’t know that was the case, besides. So, while I watched my new friend with his I-have-a-broken-heart-and-can’t-say-who-over look on his face, I patted his hand.

“Don’t think about that. Think about Quidditch. Deanne told me that you and I get to face off first in a few weeks. What do you think about that?�

He smiled at me and brushed his hair out of his eyes, “I think that should be interesting.�

*** *** ***

Paul was hard on us when it came to Quidditch Practice. I guess what news Rich Westman had spread about Marti had done its job, and Paul was terrified that she was going to be Ravenclaw’s secrete weapon or something. I still had my doubts. Three weeks went by all to fast – though the practices went slowly – and before I knew it, I was adjusting my Quidditch robes, preparing for the match that was going to start in less than half an hour.

In the Three weeks up to the match, I’d still been rather furious with Zinny, and hadn’t talked to her much. I mean, she still refused to show any remorse for what happened, since she claimed it was an accident. It seemed like every time I even looked at my friend, I saw Marti whimpering as she was levitated to the hospital wing. Marti was infuriating, I would be the first to admit that, but I knew that what she’d gone through must have been awful.

If Clay hadn’t had offered to take her in, I would have.

Zinny sat next to me while we waited for Paul to give us some last minute reminders in his pep talk. She kept tapping her fingers on her knee, nervously. I didn’t look at her.

“Andy,� she said in a whisper, “I can’t stand it anymore.�

“Stand what?� I asked coyly, even though I knew what she meant.

“This,� she waved her hand between the two of us. “I can’t stand not having you speak with me. What more can I do? Put puss in my eye? Will that make you talk to me?�

I shook my head, “I don’t like this either, Zinny. You are my best friend, and I miss talking with you, too. But… you didn’t even act sorry for her.�

“Why should I? It was an accident, you know that, and I don’t like her besides. Sorry, but I can’t show remorse when I don’t have it. But I thought we were friends through good and bad, I thought you accepted that I was… different.�

I smiled in spite of myself, “This has nothing to do with you being an odd-ball. I just couldn’t believe you thought that was funny. It really hurt her, Zinny.�

She turned to me and looked me straight in the eye, “And this, you not being with me, hurts me just as much. I do feel bad that she got hurt, but I have a sick sense of humor, and I thought they way she wiggled was funny! I’m sorry I’m too weird for you, Andran, but that’s all I can be sorry about! She’s not even in our house, for crying out loud! She’s a bloody Ravenclaw!�

… I hate it when she has a point. Marti was all right now, from what I saw, and, true, she wasn’t my housemate. I didn’t have a reason to care this much. And, most definitely, what I did have wasn’t enough for me to lose my best friend.

I shook my head, to clear my thoughts, and sighed, “Eh, you’re right, Zin. This shouldn’t be that big of a deal to me, especially since you’re the best friend any Gryffindor could ask for,� she looked up at me and grinned, “I’m sorry, too. Forgive me?�

She threw her arms around me, “Anytime!� then she let go and bounced up and down a little, “Let’s get ready to cream Ravenclaw!�

*** *** ***

Some people get happy before Quidditch Match. Others get nervous. Okay, so most people get nervous. Me? I get grumpy.

“Out of my way!� I shouted while digging in the locker I was given to put my regular clothes into. Most people stopped what they were doing around the room, to stare at me. I think they wanted to see who I was yelling at… they all smirked when they saw it was my own bag.

Maybe that’s why I’m so violent when I get out into the pitch. I’d not thought of that before…

It took me a moment to find what I was looking for – an elastic tie for my hair. It was so long and all over the place, I knew it would be a problem if I didn’t tie it back. I started to give myself a pony-tail, but as that would still let most of my hair roam free, I thought better of it, and twisted it into a bun on the back of my head. With that done, I was ready.

I took Nina, my broom, from my locker and seated myself between my fellow chasers, Jason Barde and Evelyn Russell. Jason bumped my arm and I shoved him back.

“Ouch,� he said with a frown, “Marti, what was that for?�

“Oh, sorry Jason,� I said, trying to sound as heartfelt as possible. But, really, he shouldn’t have touched me.

There was a point when Rich tried to give us a pep talk, but while he was confident in our abilities, he didn’t seem to be too talkative before a match, either.

“Alright… team,� he said with a pause, “We can do this, I know we can. All we got to do is… win. We can do that, right?�

I gave a bitter laugh, but as most people were snickering a little, no one seemed to notice.

“Okay,� he clapped his hands together and hefted his broom, “Let’s head out to the pitch!�

I didn’t start to feel a little less grumpy until I was on Nina and in the air. The voice of seventh-year Hufflepuff, Evan Humphreys filled the stands.

“And here comes the Ravenclaw team! Captain and keeper, Rich Westman!� the students in the stands roared as Rich made a lap around the field, “And then we’ve got Barde! Russell! Owlsten! Appleby! Garrett! And last but not least, Seeker Helquist!�

I was uncomfortable doing a lap around the field, but I wasn’t about to stand out from the rest. I followed Evelyn around, and then lined up for the Gryffindors to enter the field, so we could shake hands.

Was it just me, or did the crowd roar grow in size when they entered the field?

“And now, here comes the Gryffindor Team! Captain and Chaser, Paul Drake! And Pearson! Tinkerman! Dawson! Gose! Audierus! And Seeker, McAfee!�

They, too, flew once around the field before lining up to shake hands with us. Just the way they lined up, I had to shake hands with Kayla Dawson, and she was nice enough.

“Alright, alright, take your places,� Professor Weasley called. He mounted his own broom and we kicked off. Weasley released the Bludgers and the Snitch, and then hovered just above the ground with the Quaffle. “Starters?� he called. We all kicked off, and we chasers on each side waited for the whistle.

Just before Weasley blew the whistle, I nodded to Evelyn, letting her know she should go for the Quaffle, and I’d be ready and open for it when she was swarmed. She nodded back.

And then the game began.

“Russell takes possession,� Evan’s voice rang out, “But Pearson and Tinkerman aren’t taking that well. Tinkerman in pursuit… Russell passes to Owlsten, who races to goal posts! Look at her go, small but fast…�

I had the big red ball under my arm and all I could see were the goal posts. I urged Nina on, but somewhere in the corner of my sight I saw two black flashes…

“Jason!� I yelled, “Catch!�

Just as practiced, Jason was about twenty feet below me, and about the same for distance behind. I dropped the Quaffle into his waiting arms, and pulled up just in time to miss two Bludgers that Dawson and Gose had launched at me. They crossed below me, and Jason continued on his way towards Andran and the Goal. Gose had already re-launched one of the Bludgers towards Jason... just as we had expected from them.

“Nice play by the Ravenclaw team!� Evans shouted, “Barde nears the Goal posts, can Audierus block him? Barde swerves left, feints right, WHOA!� Andran, by what had to be a fraction of an inch, dodged a Bludger that had been following Jason. As Andran ducked, Jason threw…

There was a clang and Evan roared, “TEN POINTS TO RAVENCLAW! Ten nothing, Ravenclaw! And what a play!�

The game went on for a while. Jason and Evelyn and myself tossed and tossed, but it wasn’t long before Drake intercepted the Quaffle from Evelyn and they scored a few points. Jason took a Bludger to the shoulder, but was still able to play. And then…

Weasley blew his whistle, “Foul, on Gryffindor!� he shouted.

I blinked and looked around. Todd Helquist, or seeker, was lying on the ground.

“Rich,� I called, landing and racing to Rich Westman, who was kneeling by Todd, trying to wake him up. “Rich, what happened?�

Rich shook his head; “Pearson hit a Bludger right at him, knocked him out cold. Marti, you’re going to have to take his place.�

“What? But I haven’t practiced much as seeker!�

Rich turned to me, leaving Weasley and a few more teachers to levitate Todd off the field, “You are our reserve,� he said sternly, “And now you’re our seeker. Tammy can fill in as reserve chaser. Buttons, you’re up!� he called, and second year Tammy Buttons zoomed onto the field.

“Can you be our seeker, Owlsten?� Rich asked me again.

Could I? That was a stupid question, for so many reasons. Mainly, he was captain, and I was reserve. I couldn’t say no. “Yes, sir.�

I mounted Nina and took my place above the rest.

*** *** ***

“Quite a blow to the Ravenclaw team,� Humphreys said, “But, it looks like they’re alright, and Todd, too. Chaser Marti Owlsten is now changing from chaser to seeker, and it looks like Tammy Buttons will be filling in as chaser! Let the game resume!�

I watched from my place in front of the goal posts as Marti flew to hover around the field near Clay. Zinny, I could see, didn’t look too pleased about that.

But then Evelyn Russell was heading my way, and I caught the Quaffle before it flew through the lowest goal. I threw it and Paul caught it and headed across the field. I watched the Quaffle carefully… down the field, Paul scored, making us eighty-to-twenty in the lead.

After a few moments, Clay spotted the snitch and dived for it… Watching him, Marti saw it too. She hugged her broom with one arm out and dived after it. Had it not been Clay’s classic feint to see how good Marti was, and the snitch actually been spotted, Marti would have caught it. She was smaller and lighter than Clay, and her broom was in better condition, even though it seemed to be similar to Clay's. She noticed that Clay was watching her as she dived, and even I could see that she was furious that he had tricked her, and she pulled up… brushing her broom twigs across his head as she did so.

Wait… did she just grin at him? Was that a joke? I watched him grin back and wave at her as she passed… was there something going on between them????

“Andran!� Zinny shrieked as Evelyn Russell threw the Quaffle right past me. There was a clang, and Ravenclaw scored. Eighty-thirty.

Zinny made a zoom past me, “Pay attention, you great prat!� she hissed.

I stuck my tongue out at her as she flew on… and had to hold back a gasp. Flying right behind Zinny, right behind her head, almost in her hair, was the Golden Snitch.

But there was no way to tell Zinny. I couldn’t leave my posts, else Drake would murder me, and she couldn’t hear me from her distance. And the worst thing about it was that against the backdrop of Zinny’s dark hair I could see it plain as day. And if I could see it, from half way across the pitch, so could the others.

There was nothing I could do now but watch.

Sure enough, Marti spotted the snitch, like I thought she would. She dived hard. Slender as a rail, wrapped tightly against her broomstick, she zoomed straight at the back of Zinny’s head.

Clay went after it, too. He dived, and called out to Zinny, “Zinny! Duck!�

But, not to be rude to my best friend, Zinny has a one-track mind. When she thinks of one thing, there’s no room for much else. She was after the Quaffle, as Chaser, and when she heard what Clay said it took her a moment to register what was going on.

“What?� she turned to look at Clay, but Marti was much closer, and then it was too late.

They collided hard. The crowds gave a unanimous groan as Marti slammed full into Zinny.

But there’s nothing wrong with Zinny’s grip, I must say.

“Ouch!� Evan groaned with the crowd, “That’s got to hurt. Seeker Owlsten spotted the snitch and rammed into Pearson! Did she catch it?�

“Get off me!� Zinny roared. But Marti wasn’t listening. I think she had the same type of one-track mind that Zinny did.

“Where’d it go? Where’d it go?� she was yelling back.

Weasley had to fly over and disentangle them, after which Marti realized that the Snitch was gone and she went off to find it. Zinny, on the other hand, glared after her, angrily. I had a bad feeling about that.

But then I had to block a shot by Tammy Buttons. I caught the Quaffle and tossed it to Kenneth Tinkerman, our third chaser. He raced it down the pitch and nearly out of my sight.

That was about when it happened. I saw it, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Ken tossed the Quaffle at Zinny, and she caught it. Veronica Appleby, one of the Ravenclaw Beaters, knocked a Bludger towards Zinny. Zinny saw it coming and began looking around for something quickly. At the same time, Marti spotted the Snitch in the middle of the pitch, just floating there, and she took after it. When the Bludger was right upon Zinny, she spun on her broom and wrapped criss-crossed her ankles behind the base of her broom and….

WHAT?!!!

As she spun, the base of her broom connected with the Bludger, with her legs behind it for added support… She cried out, I think she snapped her ankle. Maybe both of them, I couldn’t tell. I was too busy watching where that Bludger went… what had been so important that she had to become a makeshift beater?

Marti had her back turned to what Zinny did, and she was almost to the Golden Snitch, but the Bludger got to her first.

It hit her right in the back of the head. The tie that had been holding her hair back was no more, her hair was all over, and she was out cold.

And over a hundred feet up in the air!

The Quaffle was still being thrown about, and Marti was in a dead fall… could no one see her? Weasley blew his whistle and raced to catch her, but her legs were still wrapped around her broom, and it was wiggling all over the place, making her fall erratic and unpredictable…

I don’t know why I did it, but as she was falling, near fifty feet from the ground, I noticed that she was on my side of the field, and most everyone was over twenty feet from her…

“Marti!� I yelled, leaning onto my broom and flew after her. She was small and light, and wouldn’t fall as fast as I could dive from the goal posts. I watched as her legs popped free of her broom and it wandered away… and she started tumbling end over end…

Heavens… if I didn’t reach her and she landed on her head…

But my theory was correct. She was twenty feet from the field and I was thirty feet from her. Fifteen feet from the field, twenty feet from her… Ten feet from the field, five feet from her…

She was less than five feet from the ground when I caught her. She’d tumbled right side up, and I’d just managed to wrap my right arm around her middle when our paths collided. I could hear people cheering from the stands as I slowed, got off my broom and laid Marti down on the field.

Breathing hard, I put her on her back, laying her head down carefully. Her teammates where landing all around us. A few of mine were too, though most were still in the air. Zinny I could tell was hovering nearby. I don’t think she could stand off her broom.

I looked Marti over… and then I noticed that something was wrong. Her face was turning blue and her mouth looked a little swollen.

No…

“What’s wrong?� Westman demanded from my left.

“I don’t know!� I yelled. She was bluer now. My mind began racing.

Weasley was there then, and he was trying to figure what was wrong, too… and then I figured it out. She wasn’t breathing!

Could she have?

I knew it probably meant detention, but I shoved Weasley aside and took hold of Marti’s face.

“Andran!� Weasley shouted, trying to get me off her.

“I know what’s wrong! Let me help her!� I bellowed. I think the whole stadium could hear me, now. It was silent everywhere.

Quickly putting my hand beneath her neck, and brushing her hair from her face, I parted her blue lips with my fingers and reached three fingers into her mouth. Her mouth was so small, three was all I could fit… or maybe my hands were just too big…

Somewhere to my left, I could hear the Ravenclaw team in an uproar at what I was doing, but I knew what was wrong, and I could fix it. It wasn’t easy with three fingers, but she needed air… down in her throat I felt what I was looking for… It was fluttering all around, and was a hard thing to hold on to, but I took hold of the fluttering wings and pulled the Golden Snitch from where it had lodged itself in her throat.

Marti gasped and coughed, her eyes only opening briefly before she was out again. Cries went out around the Pitch when I held up what had almost killed her.

“What the – Martina Owlsten, uh, apparently caught the Snitch! Ravenclaw wins!� Evan shouted.

I didn’t hear him. Weasley took the fluttering golden ball from my hand and I could feel a crowd of people around me, but all I could do was look at her. She was in my arms now, as I could tell that she had lump on her head and I didn’t want to put her back down on that lump. She was unconscious, but her breaths were short and gasping. I could feel them, for her head had fallen to the side, and her breath was against my forearm.

In just a moment, I had a peculiar feeling. I…I don’t really know what it was. Her face was so white and her lips now were pink, not blue. And she wasn’t yelling at me, that was always nice… and I was shaking a little, but I reached out and touched her cheek to see if it was as soft at it looked… I think she had the longest eyelashes I’d ever seen…

Then some teacher levitated her out of my arms and hurried in the direction of the hospital wing. I just sat there, still shaking. She had almost suffocated to death… had I not thought of where the Snitch had gone…

Then someone lifted me up. Weasley lifted me up, and there was Professor Granger with a hand on my shoulder.

“Audierus, are you alright?� she asked quietly.

I nodded numbly, “She almost died.� I managed.

Weasley patted my back, “Right smart job there, Andran,� he said with a kind smile, “Twenty points to Gryffindor.�

“Thanks…� my team crowded around me, all surprised and even excited. Drake looked surprised… I was sure he would have been mad.

“That was amazing,� he whispered to me.

“You’re not mad? We lost,�

He shrugged, “Yeah, but you earned us twenty points, and you saved her life, Andran.�

I smiled and headed towards the hospital wing. Zinny was floating ahead, and I could see that Professor Granger was with her, helping her. She was still on her broom, so I think she had hurt both her ankles, and Granger was holding her shoulders, keeping her straight and leading her slowly towards the castle. I wasn’t feeling too great myself. Perhaps some Pepper Up Potion would fix that…

I headed on my way, but I couldn’t remove the sight of white skin and pink lips from my vision.

*** *** ***

Later that evening, when I’d been released from the Hospital wing, trudged towards the Common Room. I was tired, and I was hurt. Not physically, for broken ankles were easily fixable.

I was hurt because I had seen him hold her in his arms. I saw the look on his face.

I struggled up the stairs to the Gryffindor Sixth-year Girl’s dorm, and flopped on my bed. Smothering my face in my pillow, I sobbed myself to sleep.

---

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I had been awake for quite some time before I was able to actually move any part of my body. It was a curious feeling. I suppose that I had been asleep for a very long time, and it was interesting feeling. It was like I was tied down to the bed in the hospital wing, yet I had been able to lift my eyelids enough times to know that I was not.

But, hey, it wasn’t everyday that you were allowed to be lazy, so I didn’t exactly mind not being able to move.

Yet… there was one thing that bothered me. I knew I was in the hospital wing, and had been there for some time. I knew that before that, I had been on my broom. In between these two thoughts, I couldn’t remember squat. So, yes, I was hospitalized, but I didn’t know why. That was somewhat annoying.

I laid there for at least five hours. It had to have been. Well, it was dark when I’d woken up, and it then it slowly got lighter. It was morning. Breakfast sounded good.

My ears began to pick out pieces of conversations from the other side of the curtain that surrounded my bed. I could tell that Madam Pomfrey was upset over something.

“…before, and I’ll tell you again now, she is exhausted. What happened to her was fairly traumatic to her body…�

Someone was grumbling, “But I just… I need to be here when she wakes up, please-�

“I do not think so,� snapped Madam Pomfrey. “You have classes to attend. I have permission for Miss Liles to visit her, and stay with her if needed, but that is only allowed because her family cannot make the trip. Young man, I suggest you head on to class. You can visit Miss Owlsten later. Ah, Miss Liles, there you are.�

Deanne? Was she there to see me? Cool. “Good morning, Madam Pomfrey. Morning, Andran. What are you doing here?�

Whoa, what? Andran? Why did he care if I was alright? Something didn’t add up.

“Trying to see the prisoner,� he grumbled, “but security is too tight.�

“Mr. Audierus!� Madame Pomfrey hissed, “Must I remind you that you are to be getting to class, again?�

He ignored her, “Liles, if she wakes up, will you let me know?�

There was a pause. “Probably. If I remember to,� came her curt reply.

Andran sighed, “Well, that’s better than nothing. I’ll talk to you later.�

There was another pause.

“Madam Pomfrey,� Deanne said quietly, “Why do you even let him in here? I don’t like him trying to see her.�

“Neither do I, dear, but I don’t like you in here much either. She needs to rest peacefully…�

“But I have permission, from both Professor Lovegood and Professor McGonagall.�

“… And I respect that, dear. You have a legitimate reason to be in here, and so does he. I don’t know how he can hurt himself so often, but there is always something for me to treat. Headache, toothache, stomach ache, cuts, bruises… I can’t turn him away.�

“Whatever…� the curtain was moved out of the way, and Deanne emerged into my line of sight. She still didn’t know that I was awake, since I could barely crack my eyes open in the first place, but I could still tell it was her. She sat herself down in a chair beside my bed.

“Good morning, Marti,� she said in a happy but tired way. She thought I was still out of it, but was talking to me softly anyway, “Today is the fourth day you’ve been asleep. Just thought you should know…

“A few of your teachers have excused you from your homework, considering what happened. Well, they’ll still have you make it up, but not until you’re ready. I… I’m sorry, Marti, I wish I understood it better. When you wake up, maybe you’ll be able to tell me what happened. You… as you probably know, you went comatose after that fall from your broom…� her voice dropped to a whisper, “You should have been awake three days ago. Pomfrey says you were traumatized, but how? Oh, I really don’t like you in here, Marti. Life’s dull without you… if I only knew, perhaps there would be something I could do to help. I just wish I knew…�

Now my stomach was really hungry, and I really wanted to move. I felt that perhaps I could move a few things now.

Hee, this might be fun…

“Your guess is… as good as mine… Dee…� I croaked. Man! My throat hurt something awful!

I opened my eyes just in time to see Deanne’s face. She gave a startled yelp and toppled out of her chair.

“Miss Liles!� Madam Pomfrey came marching around the curtain, “Permission or not, I will demand you leave for such puerile behavior!�

I giggled. Well, I tried to giggle. I think I sounded like a toad with hiccups.

“She gave me a fright, Madam Pomfrey,� Deanne breathed from the floor.

“Oh,� the elderly woman said, putting her hands on her hips and frowning at me while I did my best to grin at her. “Best get her medications, then.� And she huffed away.

Deanne peeked over the edge of the bed, her eyes wide, “You’re really awake, then?�

I snorted, “Nope, I’m just sleep-pranking. Of course I am.�

She raised her head up higher and flashed me a smile, “That’s great, Marti. It’s dull as tombs without you.�

“Nice to know I’m good for something,�

Deanne laughed and sat back in her chair. I looked at her for a moment, and then decided I’d waited long enough, and asked, “Deanne, what happened?�

“Beg pardon?� she looked surprised.

“I remember riding Nina,� I started, “and then I remember something happened, but I’m foggy as to what. What put me in here, for four days?�

Deanne turned her head down and stared at her hands, “Okay… Yeah, I suppose you wouldn’t remember it. You were going after the snitch and took a Bludger to the back of the head.�

I raised my eyebrows, “That’s it?�

She shook her head, “Somehow when it hit you, you almost swallowed the snitch. It got lodged in your throat, from what I hear.�

Whoa, that was something. I bet not many could say that. “Really? Hey, didn’t you say you wanted to know what happened, and you wished you knew?�

She waved her hand at me, “That was something else. Weasley told me what happened to you on the field. I saw it. You went blue, and no one knew why you weren’t breathing. It was scary, I… I thought you were going to die.� Her voice had faded to a whisper.

I smiled at her, “But I didn’t. Why?�

She squished her lips together, “Andran. He caught you before you broke your neck after falling off your broom, and… well it was weird. You were twitching all over the place because you couldn’t breathe, and Weasley tried to get to you, but Andran shoved him away and…�

I was getting impatient, “What happened? What did he do?�

She frowned, apologetically, and sighed, “He reached in your mouth and pulled the snitch out. No one knew you had almost swallowed it… the Ravenclaw team was ready to kill him when they saw him putting his fingers in your mouth, but Weasley held them back, and the whole stadium went dead silent and… next thing, the crowd was roaring that Ravenclaw had won, as you had caught the snitch. It was really strange, the whole lot of it.�

“He really did that?� I asked. Deanne nodded. “Wow. So… what do you have against him coming to see me?�

“Oh. You heard that?�

“Yes, Dee, I did.�

“Oh,� she scratched her knee, “Well… I just… I was watching in the stands, as you well know. I just… I have a theory, as crazy as this sounds, that it was a trick so Andran could save you.�

I raised an eyebrow at her, “I’m not following you there,�

She swallowed, “The thing is that… Pearson was the one who hit the Bludger at you. She used her own ankles crossed behind her broom… I think she broke her ankles doing it, and that didn’t make much sense to me. Why would she do that, unless Andran wanted her to, so that he could save you?�

“Um, I don’t know, because she’s evil incarnate, and she hates me?�

Deanne shook her head, “No… well, maybe, but… I guess you had to be there, Marti.�

I shrugged as Madame Pomfrey came back around the corner with a tray of soft – yet equally yummy looking – food. Deanne quietly brought me up to speed on the happenings of our dorm mates, and I ate in silence.

I had a lot to think about… and my throat hurt.

*** *** ***

I slumped down onto a couch in the Gryffindor Common Room, still upset with that stinkin’ Deanne Liles. I had just as much right to be there as she did. I had, after all, saved Marti’s life.

Clay sat down opposite of me. He and I hadn’t spoken much since the whole incident on the Pitch, but he and I were on better terms than Zinny and… and well, anyone. A lot of people were angry with her for taking matters into her own hands during the game. In the last four days, after Madame Pomfrey had healed her ankles, she’d spent most of her time in her dorm. I’d barely seen her.

Honestly, I was upset with her for what she’d done, but… okay, one could reason that, yes, Marti was about to catch the snitch, and our beaters were nowhere near the Bludger, and Clay wasn’t close enough to the snitch to catch it herself, so she was only trying to help the team by stopping Marti, even though Chasers aren’t supposed to interfere with the Seekers. On that term, one could also argue that Marti had been a chaser earlier in the game, and perhaps Zinny had made a mistake… Really, there did seem to be legitimately good intentions behind her actions.

But there was extenuating circumstances, meaning that Zinny had done things to hurt Marti before, so even though one could rationalize her actions, I – and quite a few others – knew better.

But, Zinny and I had just tried to make things better, right before the game. I felt compelled to be her friend anyway, even though I was half way tempted to ignore her and yell and shout. She was my best friend, and I didn’t want to argue with her anymore. It was too exhausting.

Never the less, I hadn’t had the opportunity. She had found ways to sit alone, eat alone, and spend her free time hidden where I couldn’t find her. It was useless.

Clay seemed to be having severe issues with the whole ordeal. He was hurt that Zinny was suddenly trying to provoke Marti, whom he had somehow befriended. For almost as long as I’d known him, he’d liked Zinny, and I think he was offended that she wasn’t quite living up to the pedestal he’d put her on. And besides, I had the nagging feeling that he was starting to like Marti, and that seemed to confuse him quite a lot.

I couldn’t blame him there. She was confusing.

Clay looked up at me, a silent question in his eyes.

“No, she’s not awake yet,� I answered. “Have you seen Zinny today?�

He shook his head, “No. She’s been in her dorm all morning.�

“Clay,� I started, “There’s a Hogsmead weekend coming up in a week, why don’t you ask Zinny to go with you?�

His eyes widened and he opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish for a few moments. “What? Why?� he finally managed.

I smiled at him, “Hey… I know you like her.�

He frowned at me and got to his feet, “Since when did you get all sensitive, Andran? Even if I did like her, she won’t give me the time of day – she never has, and never would.�

“Don’t you mean ‘will’?� I asked as he stormed towards the portrait hole, “Never will?�

“I meant,� he drawled in a very un-Clay way, “She never has, and with you around, she never would. But you’re right, with you around, she never will.� And he left the room.

I frowned at him as he left. What had that been all about? Zinny didn’t… she wasn’t…

Whoa, whoa, hold the spell… was he meaning that...

I sat there, trying to think about all the different meanings there could be behind his words.

I think things were starting to get very complicated.

*** *** ***

It had been three days – no, four – and I still couldn’t show my face. I only did what seemed logical when things had come down to the wire, and everyone seemed to blame me for her getting what she deserved.

Hey, was it my fault that everyone thinks she’s so adorable? No. And no one was doing anything to stop her! Clay was trying, but she was lighter and he had no chance to catch up with her, not unless he’d been riding a Firebolt, but he wasn’t. The beaters weren’t watching, and I had the opportunity to stop her from catching the snitch. Was I the only player who actually cared about the game? It wasn’t my bloody fault that she shifted at the last and the Bludger hit her in the head instead of the shoulder.

The bloody plan backfired. It was supposed to knock her out of the way, giving time enough either for Clayton to catch the bloody Snitch or for the Snitch to get away again. That was it.

Instead, it knocked Prissy-pants out, gagged her on the Snitch, secured Ravenclaw’s victory turned most people against me, and pretty much isolate me from everyone I really cared about.

It was just too much.

I went to classes as late as I could, so I could always be in the back of the class. I went to meals early, so no one would be there. If someone was there, I’d skip it. Every other moment of my time, sleeping or waking, was in my four poster bed with the curtains drawn close.

I wanted to show the world I didn’t need them. I wanted to be angry. But, after four days, I was starting to get lonely. My dorm mates would try to talk to me, to see if I was alright, but I knew that some of them were against me, so I ignored them.

Loneliness sucks.

So, four days, and I thought perhaps it was time to head down to the Common Room and see if, you know, anything interesting had happened without me.

Everything was quiet. I figured that it was empty – a rare moment indeed. But a few steps more and I heard some voices. Then it was quiet again. I was about five steps from the bottom when I heard two voices again. One, unmistakably, was Andran’s. The other was… Clay?

“Hey… I know you like her.� That was Andran.

“Since when did you get all sensitive, Andran? Even if I did like her, she won’t give me the time of day – she never has, and never would.� That was Clay. He really sounded upset. Who were they talking about?

“Don’t you mean ‘will’? Never will?�

“I meant,� Clay snarled, “She never has, and with you around, she never would. But you’re right, with you around, she never will.� I heard him stomp away… I heard some noise from out side, and assumed that he had left the room.

Who had they been talking about? Clay liked someone, obviously, and Andran was trying to get him to ask her out – I think – but who was it?

Like I even had to ask. It had to be Marti, Miss Prissy-pants herself. Clay liked her? Gag. He deserved better than that.

I finished my way into the common room, spying Andran in a chair. He looked confused… even a little hurt. I tried to smile, but I couldn’t. If he was hurt over Clay liking someone… alright, so he had been trying to get him to ask her out… but I knew that tactic. That’s something you did when you wanted to know if the person liked someone else or not. It wasn’t the easiest way, especially since that can backfire ten fold, but it works.

If Andran was hurt over that, then there was no way around it. He liked her, too.

I started to say hello, but Andran snapped out of his silence first.

“Zinny!� he said, somewhat sharply. “You’re here – I mean up… awake… out… how much did you hear of that?�

What was he doing? He was being… awkward around me. Things were getting out of hand, and I didn’t like the direction they were heading, either.

In my heart, I’d always been unhappy with the way things had been between Andy and me; I’d always wanted more. At times, I had wondered if it wasn’t necessarily Andran that I wanted, but just someone, and he was the closest to me and so he’d become the object of my affections… I think in the back of my head, in the last three years at least, I’d toyed with that notion in response to the feelings I had towards him. Slowly, though, I stopped toying with it. Andran was all I had – no other guy would ever think to look at me and think of me as more than a rough housing boyish kind of girl. Andy was the only one to ever really look at me… I had friends, mind you, but none of them were as close to me as Andy. And, while I had always been too afraid to risk his friendship, our best-friendship, part of me had always held that small bit of hope that he’d wake up one day, and really, really, want me.

Now, I was losing everything. The small hope was gone, and before my very eyes, his friendship seemed to be dissolving. All I’d ever wanted was… dying.

“I heard enough,� I said in a voice that didn’t quite sound like mine. I practically leapt through portrait hole and began to run… half hoping he’d follow me.

I paused before turning around a corner, and watched the portrait hole. Nothing. Sobbing to myself, I made my way towards… I didn’t know where. Anywhere but where I was.

I was such a fool. Why would anyone bother to come after me?

*** *** ***

“Clay! Hi!� I smiled from my bed. Madame Pomfrey had been kind enough to pull back the curtain around me, so I was able to see Clay as he came through the door. “What brings you to the Iron Pen?�

He pulled a face, “The Iron Pen?�

I frowned dramatically and squinted my eyes at him, “Pomfrey runs this place like a prison. Careful, she may not let you escape!�

Clay laughed merrily and took a seat on the empty bed beside me, “I don’t know,� he said with a laugh, “These beds look comfy…�

I snorted, “Try being in one twenty-four-seven. You’d change your tune. But hey, what are you doing here?�

“Thought I’d bring you a get well card,� he said, reaching over to me with a stiff parchment in his hand. He tossed it onto my lap.

“Whoo-hoo, a card… it better make this Iron Pen worth it.� I scooped up the parchment. It was a very stiff piece of parchment, folded in half, with “Owlery� written in blue ink on the front. I looked at Clay.

“How did you know…?�

“Deanne told me,� he said with a soft smile. I hadn’t told him that my nickname was Owlery. For the most part, while that had been what everyone called me back in Salem, here at Hogwarts they called me Marti. I had tried, somewhat, back when Deanne and I first met to get people to call me Owlery, but it never had stuck. Since then, it was more like a secrete name for myself; one I only thought of now and then, or when I remembered Avery. Clay’s card suddenly meant the world to me, and I hadn’t even seen the inside yet.

“Then I gather you made this yourself?�

He nodded, “Hogsmead trip isn’t for a few more weeks, so I had to improvise. Hope you don’t mind.�

I shook my head, “I never buy cards. I always make them… homemade cards are more personal. You can tell how much trouble someone went through to make them.�

I looked down at the parchment and slowly opened it. Inside was a drawing of… me. It was a caricature… a funny little person with big eyes and lots of hair going everywhere. I laughed.

But then, the drawing started to move. Mini-Owlery bounced up and down a few times, her hair going all over, then a small black broom appeared and she hopped on. Mini-Owlery on a mini-Nina made a few loop-de-loops when a gold droopy Snitch appeared and mini-Owlery started chasing it. Mini-Owlery would jump over strange objects, like Bludgers and other players, and then she did a summersault off mini-Nina and landed on the ground, holding the squishy-looking Snitch in her hand and waving it triumphantly. Scrawly words appeared then, saying “Congratulations on your win!�, “Great Flying!�, and “Get Better Soon!� after which the cartoon started to replay.

I was stunned. “Clay,� I said, facing him, “Did you do this? On your own?�

He blushed and smiled, “Yes. Took me a while, else it would have been waiting for you when you woke up, but you gave me plenty of time to finish it.�

I shook my head, still impressed, “I didn’t know you were an artist. This is really good.�

“Not really,� he said quietly, “It’s just something I do when I get bored. That’s all.�

“Well, I love it still the same. Thank you.� I propped it open on the small bed stand that was beside my bed, so the picture could replay and I could see it. It really was funny. “So… what’s happening in the outside world?�

He shrugged and leaned back on the empty bed, “Not much. The biggest things around here are the upcoming Hogsmead weekend and you.�

I snorted, “Me? Ha, you’re joking!�

He shook his head, “Afraid not. Nearly everyone wanted to see you play. The rumors Westman had circulating about your skills were huge, and after the game it would seem that you lived up to them. You impressed quite a few Quidditch fans.�

I rolled my eyes, “Whatever. If they think taking a Bludger to the head and almost choking on the Snitch is impressive, they’re morons. I could have died,� I added, somewhat lazily. I wasn’t trying to get sympathy, I was just frustrated that some students though me almost losing my life was funny. It SO wasn’t.

Clay gave me a sympathetic smile, “Well, you still flew well. I do agree with you, though, in that it wasn’t funny that you almost died. I don’t know what Zinny was trying to do…�

“She was just playing the game, Clay. Quidditch is rough, and while she may have had ulterior motives, I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same if it had come down to the other team’s Seeker and me being the only one near a Bludger.�

Clay went quiet. “You mean that?� he asked after a moment, “You’d launch a Bludger at me, even if you were a Chaser?�

I shrugged, “It’s nothing personal, but I am not responsible for my actions on the Pitch. Westman may think I’m great and headstrong, but I’m more of a loose cannon. I get wrapped up in whatever I do, and… whoa, whoa, what is with that face?�

Clay had suddenly gone quiet and looked sad. His mouth went tight, and he looked like he was upset over something.

“Clay,� I asked softly, “What’s the matter?�

He seemed to think about answering me, but as I watched his face, he seemed to think better of it. “Nothing,� he muttered, “Er, well, the only other thing buzzing about is the Hogsmead weekend.�

Okay, I’d let him play emotional-hermit for now. I’d give him some time to think on it, but if he didn’t get it out sooner than later, I’d dig it out of him. “Yeah… I’ve heard a lot about it, but what is it?�

He instantly lit up, “Oh, it’s great. You get to go into this nearby village, Hogsmead, for the weekend…�

“Um, I sort of figured that much out on my own, Clay.�

He rolled his eyes, “Well, sure, but… look, Hogsmead is wonderful! It is the only all Wizard town in Britain. They have all these shops, like Honeyduke’s Sweetshop and the Three Broomsticks, and they just got a brand new joke shop that everyone’s been talking about.�

“Yeah,� I said, propping myself up on my pillows more, “I heard about it. Everyone’s all excited about that someone named Zonko merged with a Wheezy? Is that it?�

Clay started laughing, almost hysterically, “No, but… that’s close… I think… ahem,� he cleared his throat, “Sorry, well, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, the largest and most successful Wizard joke shop in London, bought out the joke shop in Hogemead, Zonko’s. I hear that they let Zonko still run it, but they now sell Weasley products there.�

I shook my head, “Wait, you mean Weasley? As in Professor Weasley, our Quidditch instructor?�

“They’re related,� he said, “The two Weasley’s that own Wheezes are Professor Weasley’s brothers, I think. And they’re also related to the Weasley who plays for the Chudley Cannons as seeker. They’re all related, from what I hear.�

I wrinkled my nose, “Cool. So everyone has a good time going there, then?�

He nodded, “Oh, you bet. It’s a lot of fun. I think you’ll like it.�

I smiled to myself, and then had an idea. “Hey, I’ll bet that Deanne, Alice and some of us will just be going to hang out around there. Want to come with us? Or do you Gryffindors have some wild and crazy plans?�

He smiled, back, “Not that I know of… it’s not like we’re Ravenclaws…Hey!� he ducked, but still didn’t dodge the pillow I chucked at him, “I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Really now, if you promise not to throw more things at me, then I’m in.�

*** *** ***

“You’re doing what?� I half-way shouted at Clay when he told me his plans for the Hogsmead trip. “You can’t be serious!�

He gave me an odd look, “Why would I lie? Marti and I and some other friends are just going to have some fun. I promised to show her around with Deanne. Are you feeling alright, Andran?�

I shook my head, furiously, “Okay, no, I don’t think I am. Why didn’t you tell me she was awake?!�

“You’re not her mother, and I’m not her nurse.�

“Clayton!�

“Do you know how girly you are sounding right now, Andy?� he said with a grin.

“Shut it. Look, I’m going to go see her. I’ve been needing to talk with her for days now… dumb comatose girl…� I started to stalk away from him, but he stopped me.

“She’s out.�

“What?�

“Marti’s no longer in the Hospital Wing. Unless you plan to go marching up and into the Ravenclaw’s Girl’s Dormitory, you’re just going to have to wait until you see her in class or something. The Hogsmead trip is still two weeks off, you know. Besides, what were you going to say to her anyway?�

I opened my mouth and closed it. What was I going to say? I felt like I needed to say something, but what? ‘Marti, um, thanks, um, for letting me save you?’ I don’t think so. I opened my mouth a few more times, but still couldn’t figure out what to say.

Clay frowned at me. “That’s what I thought. I suggest you actually think about what you want to say before you talk to her.�

I scowled at him, “You’re not my mother, Clayton. I work out whatever whenever I want to.�

“Yeah, that made sense,� he smiled somewhat slyly at me and headed on his way – which happened to be towards the Library, “Hope whatever you work out sounds better than that did!�

I glared at him, even after he’d turned a corner and I couldn’t see him anymore. What did he know? And why did I even care? What a moron. I turned around to head back to Gryffindor Tower to get my books, when I ran straight into someone…

And that someone was a lot bigger than me. With a whomp, I landed on my backside, rather winded.

“Whoa, Mr. Audierus, I didn’t see you there! Sorry about that one!�

Professor Weasley, who didn’t look the least affected by it, offered me a hand up. I took it, gratefully. “That’s alright, Professor. I wasn’t watching where I was going, either.�

“I noticed,� he said with a smile.

What was it with people giving me odd smiles???

I frowned at him, “What?�

“It’s a girl, isn’t it? I know it’s none of my business, but that’s what it is, right?�

I looked at my Professor in disbelief. I knew exactly what he was referring to, but how could he know that? And, as I watched him, he seemed to be expecting an answer. I sighed, “Two, actually.�

Professor Weasley leaned backwards and roared with laughter. I was appalled. “Good for you,� he said, lightly punching my arm, “But there’s also a problem, isn’t there? Want to talk about it?�

“Not really.�

He raised an eyebrow at me, “You sure? I bet I could help… when I was close to your age, a girl I fancied told me that I had the emotional range of a teaspoon. I’m pretty sure she kept that opinion of me until I started opening up to her and talking about things. Believe me, it helps.�

I eyed him warily. Not that I didn’t trust him, but I just… well, I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone to know.

“Um, there’s not much to tell. All I know for sure is that I’m losing my mind.�

He nodded, “Girls can make that happen. You ought to talk with Professor Potter. He’s always open to talk to students who have problems, heaven knows he had his share back in school. He knows, even more than me, that they are confusing. Oh…� he looked at his watch, “I’m late for a meeting with McGonagall. If you want to talk later, we can…�

I shook my head, “No thanks, professor. Maybe when I’ve got things at least a bit more organized.�

He smiled at me and started to run off down the hall way. I watched him go for a moment, and then he turned back, “Oh, Mr. Audierus. This may or may not help you, but it worked for me… I kind of call it a quick fix for girls… if you’re stuck and they’ve talked you into a corner, or whatever… kiss her.�

“WHAT?�

“You heard me. Swallow your pride, admit you like her – or in your case, just pick one – and kiss her. See you!� And he dashed out of my sight.

Um… I couldn’t…

…

… could I?

---

Well, there you go! Next chapter should be up soon, as this one has taken so long to get approved that I am almost done with it! It will be the longest chapter yet!!!
So, read and review. Let me know what you think about how the story has changed and all. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I own Marti and friends, Andy and friends, and you do not. Got it? Oh, and I'm just borrowing a few professors from Jo... they so aren't mine...

---

Two weeks is a very long time, especially without a best friend to talk to.

In that time, I saw neither hide nor hair of Zinny… and even I had to admit it, it was killing me. I missed her fiercely. But… well, being the dunce that I am, I did not want to think about what I had heard from Clay. His words had left behind a strange feeling in my head, and it seemed like every five minutes or so I would wonder, ‘did Zinny have a crush on me?’ The fact that I hadn’t seen her since she’d dashed off was perhaps an indication that she did, and was now unable to face me.

Why was she acting so girly all of a sudden?

Well, yes, she is a girl, but she didn’t act like that our first five years at Hogwarts, so why now?

I was also having some strange thoughts as to what Professor Weasley had said to me. I didn’t even know what to do with it… it was like having a book and trying to put it on a shelf, but not knowing which shelf it belonged on.

I could almost see it, my brain as a bookshelf. Right at eye level would be a shelf labeled ‘Zinny’. Higher up and almost out of reach would be a shelf labeled ‘Marti’. In between, above, and below, there would be shelves labeled, ‘Clayton’, ‘Ridley’, ‘Professors’, and way too many others to count. Then, in my hand, I would be holding the book entitled, ‘Swallow Your Pride and Kiss Her,’ and it needed to go on a shelf. It was most definitely not going on Clay’s shelf, or Ridley’s, or any of my other friend’s shelves… the cumulative Professor shelf wasn’t even an option. That only left a handful of places I could put it…

And that was something I didn’t want to think about.

So, that left me holding a book and reading the cover over and over again, feeling like I was going to explode.

So, in two weeks, I spend most of my time working, if you can imagine that. Well, I tried to, at least. It was my sixth year, after all. I buried myself in my studies and was rewarded by my marks going up from the constant average. I was learning things well, but it wasn’t solving my problem. I was avoiding it, and I knew it.

So, one night, about a week later, after I finished reading three extra chapters of Charms to get a head start on the upcoming lesson, I mentally reread the cover to my shelf-less book. Slowly, in my head, I started to see some small print on the spine… it read, ‘Talk to Potter’.

Well, it was either that or lose what was left of my marbles.

I checked the time. My watch said it was a quarter to eight. Perhaps I could still catch Professor Potter before it was too late to get safely back to Gryffindor Tower and not get caught? I had to risk it, either way.

I headed down to the common room, which was filled with students who had just come from dinner. The Great Hall was on the way, so hoping he might still be at dinner, I decided to stop by there first.

When I reached the large open doors, I looked inside quickly…

Marti and her friends were sitting and laughing at the Ravenclaw table. It wasn’t as though I was looking, or anything, but they were causing suck a ruckus that it was hard not to. Marti was making fun of something, widening her eyes and frowning while staring at the wall for a brief moment before the girls around her would start laughing…

A loud noise sounded through the hall as I slammed full into one of the doors. More giggles met my ears.

“Smooth,� drawled a Slytherin Prefect in passing as I stood there dazed.

I shook my head, and then scanned the teacher’s table. Potter wasn’t there. I shrugged to myself and started towards his office.

“Mr. Audierus?� called a voice behind me. I turned to see Professor Granger.

“Yes, Professor?�

She came up to me, with a roll of parchment in her hand. “Mr. Audierus, what is the meaning of this? I do not tolerate copying, and you know that.� She held out the essay I’d turned in two days prior. For the first time in my entire life, it had surpassed the length requirement by six inches.

“I didn’t copy that,� I said a little defensively, “I worked hard on that!�

She pressed her lips together and eyed me warily, “You have been paying attention in class, too. Is there something wrong?� she asked.

I sighed and shook my head, “No. Well, there is, but… it’s just a bit of… well, girl trouble. While trying to avoid it I’ve been studying and working.�

“Oh,� her face softened and she smiled, “Is there anything I can do to help with your problem?�

I shook my head again, “Thanks, but that’s actually where I’m headed now… Professor Weasley gave me some advice and said that I might want to talk to Professor Potter about it.�

She pulled a face and rolled her eyes, “Well, a talk with Professor Potter will help you some… but here’s my advice about Professor Weasley: do not listen to any advice he has to say to you about girls. Trust me; he doesn’t know much on the subject. I swear that man has the emotional range of a teaspoon!�

I started to say something, but then realized what she said. I snickered, involuntarily.

“Is there something funny?� she asked.

“No, Professor. See you in class tomorrow,� I nodded to her and hurried down the corridor, trying to hide my laughter… and not doing a very good job of it.

A few moments later, I entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and headed to the front and up the stairs where Potter’s office was. I knocked on the door and waited for him to answer.

No one came.

I frowned, and knocked again.

Still nothing.

Alright… Potter was a regular person, and he was dependable. Maybe he was listening to music and couldn’t hear my knocks…

I knocked louder and harder, a third time.

“The door is open,� called a strange voice from inside. A little confused, but still hoping the smaller voice was Potter, I turned the handle and opened the door.

I froze. This had to be a joke. There was no way…

“That was fast, Harry,� said the scantily clad red-head sitting on Potter’s desk with her back to me… my mouth fell open. She had long red hair and was wearing what was obviously a modified Chudley Cannons Quidditch uniform… it was still bright orange but looked like it was shrunken, so that the robes were hanging off her shoulders and barely down to her crossed knees. “I’ll just have to make my clues harder, next time…� she started to lean over backwards and look my way…

“Uhhh…� I said. Good job, Mr. Articulate.

Then she saw me. There was a small gasp just before the situation hit her fully. When it did, a second later, she screamed. I yelled, too, and jumped back against the wall. She tried to cover herself while shrieking, but that didn’t work, so she finally dropped to the floor and hid behind the desk. We both stopped yelling when all that could be seen of her was her eyeballs and the top of her head.

There were hurried footsteps from the classroom outside. I wanted to move, but I couldn’t. “You’re not Professor Potter,� I gasped.

“Neither are you!� she snapped, her breath coming in short spurts.

The footsteps grew faster and closer. A moment later, a rather flustered Professor Potter entered the office. “Whoa!� he shouted, seeing the woman behind the desk, and me standing there, looking terrified.

The three of us remained where we where for just a moment, I had the chance to see him more clearly. His robes were mussed, and there were the strangest things in his pockets. Hanging from an orange belt around his waist was a pair of orange and black boots tied to the belt by their laces. Something that looked like a handkerchief was sticking out of his left pocket, and something lacey was sticking out of his right; both were orange. I had a shuddering suspicion as to what they were… and then the girl cleared her voice and said, “Hi Harry…�

“Bollocks!� Potter said, suddenly taking me by the shoulders and shoving me out the door. He followed me, slammed the door behind him, and leaning against it as though the woman inside would burst out at any moment. “Andran… Andran is there something I can help you with?�

I swallowed, giving the door behind him a furtive glance, “Professor Weasley said... he said that... I ought to talk with you about some problems I was having… with some girls…�

Potter smiled at me kindly and nodded. “Sure… why don’t you wait for me out here, and I’ll be right with you. Is that okay?�

I nodded dumbly as he raced back inside his office. The moment the door was shut, as I walked down the stairs, I heard two things. First of all, I heard someone laughing hysterically, presumably Potter, and then I heard someone shouting. It was a bit muffled, through the door, but I could still hear, “HARRY JAMES POTTER, STOP THAT LAUGHING RIGHT THIS MINUTE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HUMILIATING THAT WAS! A STUDENT…� That was about it. I decided it was best if I didn’t hear the rest, and moved farther back from the door, down in the empty seats where what was being said was less recognizable. I sat down in one of the chairs and waited.

Potter emerged from the room a moment later, his face still very red. I looked up at him, “Is this a bad time, Professor?�

He coughed and smiled as he headed down the steps to where I was sitting. “No, this is fine, Andran. You said Professor Weasley said to talk with me?�

I nodded and noted that the various orange-things he’d been carrying were gone, with the exception of the lacey orange-thing in his right pocket. He’d forgotten it was there, but I sure noticed. It made what I had to ask about even harder, and more awkward.

“Um,� I tore my eyes away from his right robe pocket and looked him in the eyes as he approached and sat on top of the desk just ahead of me, “I’ve got some problems with girls, and, well, Professor Weasley gave me some advice that I don’t know what to do with.�

He raised his eyebrows, “That advice wouldn’t be his, ‘just kiss her’ advice, would it?�

I nodded, “Yes, sir, that would be it.�

Potter smiled and shook his head, his messy hair going this way and that. “He should talk. I remember when he was back in school; he may not. He claims that worked for him, but it was Herm-the girl he fancied who took the first step. She was the one who swallowed pride enough for both of them and finally kissed him, and that was after bickering for about three years before coming to terms with the fact that they liked each other,� he sighed, “Well, not to say that that advice doesn’t work… it just depends on whom you intend to use it on. Do you mind me asking who?�

I shook my head, “That’s my problem. Things aren’t that simple.�

He nodded, “Alright, then why don’t you explain to me what’s going on?�

“Well,� I shrugged and told him the situation as best I could, then added, “…I don’t know what to do with any of this!�

Potter hung his head down in thought, “I see your dilemma,� he said thoughtfully, “I had a crush on a Ravenclaw girl, once. It wasn’t easy. But, as it turns out, Gryffindor Girls aren’t any easier,� he smiled briefly then stood and stretched his legs, “Andran, here’s something for you to think about. First, if you need to talk things out with Miss Pearson, remember that this is only one school, and there are only so many places she could hide. And, every night, she does go up to her dorm, and you are in the same house. Try harder, and you’ll get a chance to explain how you feel – or don’t, as the case may be. But, be kind. Second,� he started to walk a little bit, “In regards to Miss Owlsten…� He paused in his steps and turned towards me. As he did so, the orange lace in his right pocket caught on the edge of one of the desks, “I know from first hand experience that feelings and emotions can do a lot of damage when not dealt with. You need to work out how you feel about her, honestly, on your own…� Potter started walking again, but the lace was still stuck on the desk, and so it started to pull it out of his pocket, “and you need to make a move on it. If she doesn’t feel the same, oh well, you can move on, but if she does and you do nothing, things, you could be missing out on a whole lot. Does that make sense?�

The lace item had pulled completely out of his pocket, much to my horror, to reveal a somewhat transparent pair or underwear.

“Yes,� I said hesitantly, “It does… Sorry, Professor, but I have to ask, was that who I thought it was, in your office?�

Potter paled a little, “That depends on who you thought it was,� he said lightly, his tone belying the look on his face.

“Well,� I couldn’t help but smile, “Was that Ginny Weasley? THE Ginny Weasley, Seeker for the Chudley Cannons?�

Potter’s face went stern and he looked me in the eye, “It may have been. But, due to the fact that I am not eager for my name to be in the newspapers again, or for reporters to come snooping around Hogwarts for interviews, or for a certain Professor, whom I teach with, to personally maim me and render me unable to ever have children of my own, I won’t confirm or deny that…�

With a sigh, his face softened and he looked at his shoes. “Consider your lack of fame a blessing, Mr. Audierus. In my youth, I had to endure more slander than you can imagine,� his voice fell to a whisper.

I nodded. My parents had told me much of it. “Is that why you didn’t become a professional Seeker? I heard you were the best.�

He smiled faintly, though still didn’t look at me directly, “By the time I finished Hogwarts, I had enough of fame and all that went with it, without asking for it. So had many of the other teachers who are here at Hogwarts, teaching today. Andran,� he met my eyes, “I know you have a lot on your shoulders now, but I am asking you not to mention what you saw tonight to anyone. Sooner or later, we’ll all have more reporters than we can stand poking their noses where they ought not to be. But, until then, I am not willing to risk hurting the lives and careers of those I care about, of those I love,� he cast a quick glance at his office door, “Can you swear to that?�

I nodded, “I swear, Professor. Not a word, to anyone.�

“Good lad,� he said with a smile, “Now, if there isn’t anything else I can do for you, I have a… appointment to attend to…�

“Thanks for your advice Professor,� I said, getting to my feet, “That’s all I came here for… but sir?�

“Yes?� he had started to head back up to his office, and turned back.

“I think you – or someone – left something on the desk, just there,� I pointed to where the orange undergarment still clung to the desk.

Potter went very red and flicked his hand at the underwear. It flipped into the air and he caught it deftly, stuffing in into his pocket with some difficulty.

“The things these – students – won’t leave in class… absurd, the lot of it...� he muttered while struggling to free it from a button it had snagged onto on his robe front while trying to get it into his pocket.

“Yeah,� I said, heading for the door, “Students nowadays…�

*** *** ***

I skipped down the corridor, humming to myself, on my way back to the Ravenclaw CR. When I reached it, I ran through the entrance way.

“Deanne! Guess what! Lovegood-oh!� and tripped over something… there was a kind of shrill shriek, and then I clearly heard Deanne call out a spell…

I landed on the floor – something that should have bashed my face in for sure – with a bounce. Rolling over and sitting up, I spied Deanne on her feet, wand drawn, and Bailey behind me with her bouncy curls all over the place. I also noted that there were papers everywhere… something I’m sure I caused.

“What the heck just happened?� I asked with a sigh. When Deanne started laughing, I turned to Bailey, who was gathering up papers all around her. “Are you alright, Bailey?�

Her head shot up and she glared at me, her face very red, “No, you great oaf! These papers are important! Now our Prefect-Project is going to be set back at least two weeks! Thanks to you, we’ll never get permission in time!�

My mouth fell open. “I so did not do that on purpose, Brat-lee!�

She didn’t pay attention to what I was saying, “Just because I thought it would be fun, and now the Heads put me in charge of getting all the proper permissions needed… Thank you very much, Marti! It’ll take me hours to get all these papers in order! Accio papers!� the lot of them zoomed into her hands. Still ranting, she dashed up the stairs to our dorm, clutching the papers to her tightly.

Still shocked at her, I turned to Deanne, “Am I missing something?�

She shook her head, “Don’t mind her, she’s just stressed. I guess the Prefects are putting together some kind of project, and she’s in charge of something or other. It serves her right, I told her not to sit right there, she was in the way, and too close to the door. You just tripped over her, that’s all. So,� she sat down on the couch, where I – after de-charming the floor – joined her, “What did Lovegood say?�

I smiled, “She said as long as I don’t cause any trouble, I can go early!�

Deanne squealed, as Alice came down the stairs.

“Merlin!� she exclaimed as she seated herself across from us on a chair, “Bailey practically threw me out! What’s her problem?�

I shrugged, “She’s a drama queen. But, hey, Alice, Lovegood said I could go!�

She smiled warmly, “That’s great, Marti! So, what’s the plan for the weekend? How do we work this?�

Deanne folded her arms and leaned back on the couch, “Well, students generally head to Hogsmead near nine in the morning. Marti, what time are you planning to go?�

Shrugging, I said, “I was thinking perhaps about six. Estimating about thirty minutes going and coming back, that leaves me about two hours for practice. I could meet you back here at nine.�

Deanne nodded her approval, “Sounds good. I’ll give you directions to the paddock, and you can meet us at the gate at, say nine-fifteen, so you have time to get your instrument back here. Does that work for you, Alice?�

“Sure. I’ll tell the others.�

I looked at her, “What others would that be, I wonder?�

She reddened, “Well, Marcia – of course – and then there’s a few Hufflepuff boys that we’ve invited-�

“No you didn’t!� Deanne hissed, jumping off her seat. “Tell me you didn’t Alice! Tell me you didn’t!�

I looked between a very upset Deanne and a very embarrassed Alice, “What am I missing? Deanne, are you holding out on me?�

Going redder than I thought was possible for her fair skin, Deanne sank down on the couch, “No… not exactly…�

My mouth fell open, “You liar! You like one of the Hufflepuff boys, don’t you?�

Deanne stared at me for a moment, still red, then grabbed a throw pillow and shoved it over her face and falling back into the couch. She so did! Ahahaha! I wanted to laugh myself silly!

“Who is it?� I asked Alice eagerly.

“Samuel Tate,� Alice said, “A Hufflepuff in our year.� Deanne gave a squeak from under the pillow.

I smiled, “Well, well, well! This may be a very interesting weekend indeed!�

*** *** ***

“Andran, will you come off it? I told you, you are welcome to come with us if you want to. Zinny said she might be up for it…�

“Well, I’m glad that at least one of us is still able to talk to Zinny. I've seen neither hide nor hair of her, in two weeks! And thanks, again, for the offer, Clay,� I snapped, trying to draw the curtains of my four-poster closed, “But something tells me I wouldn’t be wanted.�

Clay glared at me through the curtains. They were shut, but I knew he was still glaring.

“Andran, really, I think you’d have fun with us. I don’t know why you have it in you head that you wouldn’t be wanted!�

That was it. “Oh, really?� I threw the curtains back open, “Who can forget that I am a complete moron, and ransomed Marti’s violin back to her for a school-wide hula dance? Or maybe that I creamed her good with Shepard’s Pie? Or that when I first met her, I couldn’t seem to do anything but fight with her? Think about it, Clayton! She and her friends hate me! And now Zinny does, too, for whatever reason you can fathom…�

Clay stared at me for a moment then smiled faintly, “It bothers you that much that I’m going to Hogsmead with Marti? For the record, it’s not a date, Andran. We’re just hanging out.�

I turned away from him. “I don’t know why it bothers me, Clay. I don’t think it would matter if it were a date… I’m just having mental issues.�

Ridley entered the room, heading to his own bed for the night, “What kind of mental issues?�

I snorted, “The I-am-going-mental kind. Are you going with them, too?�

Ridley laughed and climbed into his bed, “Nope. Scott and I are heading down to check out Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes and then the Shrieking Shack.�

Scott Hastings, one of my quieter dorm mates, had a huge fascination with the Shrieking Shack since he first saw it in our third year. Since then, he’d been determined to find a way inside… though he hadn’t found one yet. He’d been trying to get the rest of us to help him for just about as long. “Did Scott finally convince you that there’s more to that place than ghosts?� I asked.

Ridley shook his head, “No, but he says if I check out how tightly locked that place is, maybe I’ll change my mind.�

Scott, who was halfway asleep with his curtains closed already, sighed, “Ghosts don’t need to lock doors… so why would they be locked?�

“Anyway,� Ridley said with a brief nod to acknowledge Scott, “I’m just curious. What about you, Andy? Why’s that girl driving you crazy?�

“She’s not driving me crazy!� I snapped, “I don’t let girls drive me crazy! She’s just a problem, that’s all!�

Scott snorted, “Is that why you ran into the door of the Great Hall when you saw her inside?�

“Sod off, Scott!� I haughtily shut the curtains and pulled my covers over my head.

I had to find Zinny.

*** *** ***

When the morning struck, I quietly rolled out of bed and dressed. Without even thinking,
I pocketed my wand and retrieved my precious violin case from my trunk, slinging it over my shoulder and across my back. In Salem, music had been a great part of life, especially for me. My violin was everything, yet here at Hogwarts I hadn't had time to play it. Now, though, that could change.

Since I was the only one who had permission to leave so early, and I’d never been there before, Deanne had drawn me a map, just in case I got lost or something. As quietly as I could, I headed down the staircases and hallways through the castle. A few students were milling around, but I avoided them as best I could. I may have permission, but they didn’t know that, and if they thought I didn’t have permission, they could easily delay my expedition.

I rounded one corner and started down the corridor as quickly as I could, but could hear people coming down and around another corner. I looked behind me quickly… no, there wasn’t enough time to turn back and hide. They’d spot me long before that. I listened for a moment… great; it sounded a lot like the Head Boy and Head Girl. I had to hide…

I started up one direction, and then turned back… but the voices were closer, and I wasn’t going to make it to a classroom on time… I changed directions a third time… I just needed a door, any door! It didn’t matter what was on the other side, just something I could hide behind for a moment and let them pass…

I stopped and looked at the bare wall behind me, or at least what I had thought had been a bare wall. There, was a door. I frowned, rolled my eyes, and smacked myself with my hand… What was I? Blind? It was right there and I’d missed it – what was wrong with me?

Well, there wasn’t time to argue, so I opened the door and jumped inside, shutting the door just as the Heads came around the corner. I pressed my ear to the door, listening to them as I passed. It was hard to hear, as the door was so thick (a good thing, too, for I was breathing heavily and a thick door meant they couldn’t hear me, either), and the rustling behind me wasn’t making it any easier…

Whoa, wait a minute.

I froze. Part of me started to panic, as it was just then that I realized I hadn’t looked inside when I’d opened the door, I’d just jumped in. I wasn’t alone in the room.

There was a sinking feeling in my stomach as I listened to what was happening behind me… I wasn’t stupid; I knew what that sound was. I suppose I stumbled upon a large broom cupboard with two students inside, sucking each other’s faces off.

I swallowed. My luck, right? Why do the stupidest things happen to me? Really, I’d like to know.

Then, I don’t know why I did it, I guess I was just strangely intrigued, but I turned around to see…

“Holy crap!� I yelled, jumping back and smacking the door behind me with my violin case. Rather than two students, it was two adults…

Professor Potter and some redheaded woman I didn’t recognize – though, this may have been because her face was half hidden by his own – were standing there, totally making out. Heck, I only recognized Potter from his messy hair, which was getting messier by the second.

Hearing me cry out, Potter broke away from the girl – woman, I should say – and shoved her behind him. “Marti!� he said, just as startled, in a strangled sort of voice.

“I’m sorry!� I blurted, feeling like my eyes were going to pop out of my head, “I just needed to hide from some kids, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to walk in on anything – not that I saw, or didn’t see, anything – I’m so sorry!�

“Marti-�

“I didn’t even know what room this was! I still don’t know what room this is! There’s nothing in here! Why is that? Never mind – please, I’m sorry!�

“Marti!� he took a step forward and took my shoulders, giving me a shake, “Calm down!�

I noticed that the redhead behind him was laughing slightly as she straightened her hair. I still couldn’t see her well…

Then she brushed some more hair out of her eyes, and over Potter’s shoulder, I got a clear look at who he had been locked with a moment before. I gasped.

“You’re Ginny Weasley!� I swallowed hard, “The famous seeker-�

Potter clamped a hand over my mouth and smiled, “Look, Marti,� he said, “You’re not in trouble, but there a quite a few people whom I don’t want to know about… this…� he motioned to Ginny with his head, “I need you to keep silent, and speak of this to no one, got it?�

Wow, she was pretty! I’d only read about her in papers… in America we’d focused mostly on American Quidditch teams, but I had heard about the Cannon’s Seeker from time to time. Since coming to Hogwarts, I’d heard more about her, especially since it seemed that Professor Weasley was her brother. She was a big star… Clay had told me quite a bit about her, though at the time I couldn’t see why he was so fascinated with a Seeker, even such a good one… now I knew why. She was beautiful! I couldn’t think of any teenage boy who wouldn’t be fascinated with her.

She glanced at me and smiled shyly. I looked back at Potter and nodded. He released me and I quickly scooted out the door, only turning back for a moment to say, “I’m sorry… I didn’t even know this room was here!�

Both of them laughed. Potter looked at me, going a little red, “That’s what we were counting on,�

Feeling my own face go hot, I closed the door and dashed away. I didn’t look back until I’d reached the gate. At that point, I didn’t think it mattered if anyone saw me or not.

Once there, I took Deanne’s map from my pocket and headed down towards the town.

*** *** ***

Sleeping had been a tough thing that night. I think I slept at some point, but I wasn’t really sure. Thinking it was about five-thirty or so, I decided to get up and go for a walk. It sounded good. I dressed and left Gryffindor Tower, and started walking, nowhere in particular.

It must have been really close to six when I heard hurried footsteps. Thinking that odd for a Saturday morning, I looked up. Dashing past the end of the Corridor, with a large case on her back, and her eyes larger than I’d ever seen them, ran Marti.

I followed her, not really meaning to be a stalker, but through interest. She was annoying, but she was new to Hogwarts. Perhaps she didn’t know that students left for Hogsmead at nine?

This morning, as I followed the moronic excuse for a girl, I noticed that there seemed something mysterious about her... blond hair catching wind, and her violin case over her shoulder... What was she doing sneaking out so early on a Saturday?

Once in Hogsmead, she seemed even more strange and beguiling. What was she up to?

I followed her to the end of town, into a field, then to a small paddock of trees. What would she be doing here? Blimey, for that matter, what was I doing here?

I waited, wondering... and then... music. Nothing else, just music. I peered around a tree to see in the small grove and spotted her jumping around, dancing while she played her violin. So that's what she’d come here to do…

I felt more than a little stupid.

*** *** ***

Hogsmead was just barely waking up, and the morning sun was bathing all in a whispering light. I hurried, nearly running with my violin case slung across my back, to the far end of the town, far out where people cared little to travel. There, I found a field that looked as though it hadn't been farmed in too many years. Taking Deanne’s map from my pocket, I double-checked that I was in the right place. Nodding I climbed the fence and dashed back to the paddock of trees that seemed just as unused, at the far end.

There, I put down my case and opened it up, revealing the golden wood violin I treasured so very much. In no time at all, I was able to fill the small paddock with all the sounds of my heart.
The Bow crossed the strings again and again, lifting my spirits. Music was so much, and as I danced around the paddock, my hair catching in the breeze, I realized how much I’d missed it. Music was a magic all its own, or so my Aunt had always insisted. Back in Salem, I had grown accustomed to it surrounding me everyday; but at Hogwarts, though I loved the school, there was never a time to really play it. The past few weeks had been hard, but the music made it better.

I had just begun to enjoy myself when I got the alarming feeling that I was being watched. Being that music was a magic all its own, I had a kind of bond with my instrument. It was weird, and I’d never had it officially tested to see if it was true, or just me being paranoid, but I could always feel when my music was being heard by someone else. I stopped dead and held my instrument at my side.

"Who's there?" I demanded to the trees, "I know you’re there, don't bother to hide from me!" I sat my violin down and drew my wand. "You'd be surprised how accurately I can throw curses and the distances at which I can transfigure things!"

*** *** ***

Uh-oh… she knew I was there.

Bollocks.

Not really knowing to take her warning as real or a bluff, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. "Hold your wand, I come in peace!" I shouted as he entered the paddock.

She scowled at me, "I can see that, I'm not blind. The real question is, why?" she still hadn't lowered her wand

I gave her his most charming smile, or at least the best that I could manage with her pointing her wand at my head. "How… um…how else would I… hear such heavenly music?"

Marti’s glare deepened, and she blandly blurted, "Can the flattery. Why are you here?"

I stopped smiling and shrugged, "I woke up early and saw you sneak out with a case over your shoulder. Tell me, why does one such as you sneak? Those who sneak only have something to hide, so I followed you. That wand arm of yours shows no mercy, does it?�

“Never,�

I swallowed, “Okay… well, I know now that I shouldn’t have come here, and with that, I’ll be on my way…�

“I hate spies!� she shouted at me, her face growing redder by the moment, “I came here to practice my violin, which I have been too frightened to do since you stole it, thank you very much, and here you are? Heavens! Somehow I am not surprised… but either way, I am not very happy right now…�

I started to back away from her, “Look, I’ll just be going now…�

Her violet eyes got really large, “I swear you haunt me as badly as Peeves! When will I be free? Huh? And you always get away with it, too,� her wand arm began shaking with her fury, “I ain’t gonna let you get away with this! Oh no… not this time…�

Oh dear.

*** *** ***

If there was anything I hated, it was spies and sneaks. Normalcy could just take a hike! Andran Audierus was about to be sorry for… well, for everything.

For a moment, I was afraid of what he would do to me... He was much taller and stronger than I was... No, I told myself, there was no time for fear!

I kicked up a cloud of dust and cast my two spells. They were special, as me and my friends had developed them just for odd duels. The first spell transfigured the dust into whatever I wanted, and the other spell banished it where I wanted it to go. I pulled up my wand, took careful aim, and muttered the words ...ones would shoot a wad of extra sticky toothpaste right where I wanted it… NOW!

*** *** ***

What in the world was she doing? What was that anyway? I tried to get out of the way, but it followed me… finally hitting me square in the face.

“Toothpaste!� I coughed, swearing around the goo, “Are you bloody mad? What’s wrong with you?!� I tried to wipe it off, but it only smeared and stuck to everything…

“You are what’s wrong with me!� she cried, sending more wads of the mint-goo my way.

Oh, Merlin, that stuff was nasty. I drew my wand. It was my turn to take aim.

*** *** ***

Man, that felt good! I couldn’t help but giggle as he swore and tried to get the toothpaste off his face. It was truly a classic moment.

“Potty mouth!� I shouted, “You’d better clean-up that pie-hole of yours!� I kicked up more dust and turned it into mouthwash, and began to send a spray at him…

But somewhere in there, I’d not noticed that he’d drawn his wand. Something hard and gooey hit me in the side of the head and began do ooze down me. Horrified, I touched it… it was…

“Pie? You actually threw a pie at me?� I asked, totally taken aback.

He shrugged, trying to wipe the paste off his hands onto his pants, “It seemed like something fitting for you. Care for more?�

“Huh? AAACK!� More pies flew at me, hitting me from what seemed like all sides. And they just kept coming! One after the other… a whole volley of them hit me. Cherry was the worst, I think. I shot some mouthwash at him, but it’s hard to aim when you have coconut and bananas in your hair, and so I missed…

I felt my anger rising and I started to throw more toothpaste at him, but this time he was ready.

*** *** ***

I cast a special shield charm around myself. It was special because it was more like a reflection charm that would throw curses back at the sender. Marti screamed as her own toothpaste splattered all over her.

She screamed again while trying to wipe it out of her hair, which, as I could have told her, was useless.

But when she screamed, a curse flew from her wand and hit me square in the chest. I fell over backwards and coughed when I hit the ground. Shaking my head, I sat up and tried to catch my breath.

There was one problem…

*** *** ***

It was everywhere!!! Toothpaste, extra sticky, all over me!!! It was in my hair, on my clothes, and some had even slipped down my back and down my pants!!!

I screamed in frustration, as I couldn’t even get it off my face enough to open my eyes, and ever since I got a face full of Bubotuber puss, I didn’t like things in my face. I finally brought the neck of my shirt up over my face and wiped it clear, just in time to see Andran sit up.

Had I cursed him accidentally? I couldn’t have… could I?

He glared at me and looked like he was going to say something to me, but he coughed and bubbles went everywhere… little pink bubbles. His eyes went wide in surprise, and he started to say something else, but all that there was little green bubbles.

Despite everything, I laughed.

“Bloody woman! Just laugh away!� he shouted amid a spray of purple bubbles. I was still laughing when he hit me with a tickling charm…

Oh, heavens! I couldn’t stop laughing!

*** *** ***

I smiled as she fell to the ground and began laughing hysterically. I got to my feet and walked to where she was lying in the grass, her face red with laughter.

“Finite Incantatum,� I muttered, releasing her of the tickling charm. Her laughing faded and she struggled to get to her feet and face me. She kept slipping and sliding in the mouthwash and pie filling.

“Really now, Marti, you need to learn to play nicer,� I smarted off.

“Shove it!� she shouted, and sprayed me directly with more mouthwash. It hit us both, but we each stood our ground, dripping.

“You are such a brat!� I yelled at her, coughing slightly.

“Ditto, rat breath!� she hollered, taking as step towards me.

“Wench!�

“How DARE you!� she shouted, taking another step and getting herself right up in my face, “I’m a wench? I swear you are the most irritating person I have ever met! You just can’t seem…�

And then the oddest thing happened. I stopped listening completely, as my heart began pounding in my ears, along with the advice Professor Weasley gave me, even though I was told not to heed it… I just couldn’t stop thinking about it…

I found which shelf that book belonged on.

*** *** ***

I was just yelling – heck, I was so furious that I didn’t even know what I was saying – when it happened. Oh, heavens, I didn’t even see it coming, except that the frown on his face vanished, he raised an eyebrow at me, and then…

Holy crap.

Andran grabbed my face and kissed me.

Oh dear… my mind went completely blank.

*** *** ***

Okay, so, I don’t know how to kiss. I’ve mentioned this before, I’m not that smooth with women…

When I realized what I was doing, I let her go and stepped back, somewhat horrified at my own daring. She just stood there, silent, not even blinking. A panicked apology tried to come out of my mouth, but instead I just burped up some more pink bubbles…

And then a wave of embarrassment, unlike any I’d ever felt before, washed over me, and I just couldn’t stand to wait there for her to snap out of it. I turned and ran from the paddock as fast as I could.

If I didn’t get back to Hogwarts before she came to, I was dead meat.

*** *** ***

I watched him run, a string of different things going through my head. He, the bane of my existence, had just kissed me and ran off.

That was my first kiss… well, since I came to Hogwarts, anyway… it wasn’t that bad…

Yes it was! He just did that to shut me up! What kind of man does that? My first kiss here was a shut-up kiss!

He ran away. Was kissing me that bad? It had to have been, I saw that look on his face. Why did he do that?

He kissed me.

Andran Audierus kissed me. That rat kissed me. He… he…

“I’LL GET YOU FOR THIS!!!� I shouted, punching the air around me angrily.

---

There you go! I hope you enjoy it!
Oh, and please check out my Ron/Hermione one-shot, I surrender.... I'd love to know what you all think of it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Wizarding world, but Andran, Marti, and their friends are mine - steal them and I hurt you!

---

“Where could she be?� I heard Deanne ask before I rounded the corner. I think I looked something awful, covered in mouthwash, toothpaste, piecrust and various pastry fillings. No, I’m sure I did.

I stumbled around the corner, and watched as my friends noticed the messy heap heading their direction and then as they realized it was me.

“Merlin!� Alice cried out, covering her mouth. Marcia just started laughing.

“Marti!� Clay cried out, his face looking as though he was completely blown away by the sight of me… and not in a good way.

Deanne, who hadn’t been facing me, turned around somewhere in the middle of all that and gave a kind of a strangled yelp. “Ahhgaahhh! Marti! What in heaven’s name…�

I held up a sticky hand to silence her.

“I have to shower. Don’t wait for me. I’ll catch up.� I said, walking past them into the Ravenclaw Common Room.

“Marti,� Deanne called after me, “Are you sure? Waiting isn’t a problem…�

“Go. Please.� I murmured back. “I’ll catch up.�

“Okay…� she sighed, “We’re heading up to the Shrieking Shack, and then on to the new joke shop… but if we’re not there, we’ll be at the Three Broomsticks, most likely, so if you can’t find us, that’s where we’ll be.�

“’Kay,�

I heard a few snickers from outside as I headed up to the showers. I could have sworn that someone asked, “Was that toothpaste in her hair?�

*** *** ***

I ran back to Gryffindor Tower as fast as I could go, which, given that I was covered from head to toe in slop, was not very fast at all. Twice I skidded into a wall and slipped to the floor, after which I spent a good five minutes trying to get to my feet again.

Halfway there, I decided I’d had enough of all the nonsense and headed into the nearest Boy’s loo. I transfigured one of the sinks into a shower – something for which Granger would strangle me for if she found out, due to some obscure rule – and rinsed the muck off of me.

I transfigured it back when I was finished and started back on my way to Gryffindor Tower…

But I didn’t get far. I think I made it down two corridors when a door suddenly opened on my right and yanked me inside.

“What the-� a hand covered my mouth as I was pulled into the darkness of the broom cupboard.

“Shhh!�

I reached up and pulled the hand off my mouth, “Marcia?�

There was a snort in the darkness, “No. Try again.�

“Zinny? Is that you?�

“Give the boy a Galleon,� she muttered dryly.

“Sorry… shushing me like that, you sounded like Marcia. So… why did you pull me in here?�

There was a pause in the darkness, “We need to talk, Andy. We really need to talk.�

*** *** ***

It was close to an hour later when I finally managed to get back down into Hogsmead. Unlike the first time I’d gone through town, it was now bustling and alive with people. All the shops were open, too, and I could see the items they sold. I paused outside of the store called Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. It looked awesome inside! I could glimpse several things inside, only half sure of what they were… I really wanted to go in there, and would have, but there was a huge line of Hogwarts students waiting to get in. I sighed and headed down to the Shrieking Shack.

I found my friends laughing near a large oak tree by the fence the surrounded the Shack. Alice waved to me when she spotted me heading up the road. I smiled and hurried to where they all were.

“Hey Marti!� Deanne said to me, “Feel better?�

“Heavens yes,� I said, plopping to the ground and crossing my legs.

Alice sat besides me, “What happened? You were an awful mess back there…�

Clay was chatting with the boy I didn’t know… I presumed he was Hufflepuff, Samuel Tate. He had bright blonde hair and pale blue eyes that looked almost grey. As far as most Hogwarts kids went, he was fairly tanned, though compared to what I was used to back in Salem, even compared to me, he was still fair skinned. A few freckles were spattered across his face, too. He totally wasn’t my type, but I could see that he was cute, and it was no wonder that Deanne liked him. Poor Deanne, though, she was a constant shade of red and seemed to have a hard time looking at him.

“Hi,� I said, nodding to him, “You must be Samuel, right?�

He nodded and smiled shyly. “Call me Sam. And you’re Marti, right?�

“You bet. Nice to meet you, Sam. So, everyone, what did I miss?� I asked.

Marcia (and, I have to add, I know that they’re twins, but since I spent a lot of time being around just Alice, it was different being around them both at the same time) smirked at me, “You didn’t answer Alice’s question, Marti. What happened back there?�

Also Marcia seemed to be a little on the rougher side, so it was like Alice had an evil twin… not that I’d ever say that to either of them. Besides, she was a Gryffindor, so she wasn’t evil… completely…

I frowned and looked at my shoes, “I got into a duel.�

Clay laughed, “Okay… so what are you not telling us?�

“What?�

Clay looked at me, almost slyly, “That wasn’t a duel. That was a… well, more of a… a… a personal hygiene product fight, if you ask me. What really happened? You can tell us.�

“Fine,� I snapped, throwing my hands in the air, “That great turkey buzzard, Andran, followed me to the Paddock, just to annoy me, and I snapped. I had had enough of it, of all the crap he put me through… heck, he was the whole reason I was there, because after he stole my violin, I’ve been too frightened to practice it anywhere… and we got into it – again. I threw toothpaste, he threw pies, and before long we were slipping and sliding in this huge mess, oh it was horrid! And then, that jerk, he – he cheated at the last and took off,� I so did not want to tell everyone, especially with Marcia and Samuel around, that he’d kissed me.

Everyone stared at me, mouths opened.

I glared at them, “What? Did you think my wand exploded or something?�

*** *** ***

I couldn't see Zinny in the darkness, but something told me that was exactly what she wanted. “I agree with you, Zin," I said, speaking to where I thought her head was, "We do need to talk. But, as you brought about this meeting - and had the gall to hide from me for the last two weeks, I might add - I'll let you go first.

There was a sigh, "I thought you'd say that," she sounded more serious than I'd heard her be in a very long time. "I... I'm not sure where to begin..."

I swallowed, "How about an explanation for this sudden change?"

"Pardon?"

"You heard me, Zinny."

"I did, but I didn't understand what you meant. What sudden change?"

"You, Zinny. Ever since this year started, you're acting different."

There was a pause, "Andy... you're the one who changed."

"I beg your pardon?" I huffed.

She paused again, "I have been going along with business as usual, but you... you're obsessed with Marti."

It was my turn to be silent for a moment, "Is that what this is about? Another girl?"

Zinny made a strange noise in her throat, "I suppose."

"Look, this thing with Marti is... complicated, I guess. But I don't want to talk about her. I want to know why you pulled me in here to talk. I know you must have had something in mind when you yanked me in here. So, what gives?"

I felt a hand brush my arm slightly. "Your right, I did. I... well..."

"Spit it out!"

"This is hard! You great prat!" she snapped at me before regaining her calm. "Look... I think you have figured out that... that I fancy you..."

"Merlin..."

"And," she ignored me, "Anyone who knows anything would know that you don't fancy me. I suppose I brought you in here to ask you... why not? I just want to know... morbid curiosity, I guess..."

Suddenly, there was a huge weight in my stomach. Leave it to Zinny to be direct... but what could I say to her?

"I... I don't know..." I stammered, stalling, "Geez, Zinny... You're my best friend, you always have been..."

She coughed. "Am I not pretty enough?" she asked.

"Zinny..."

"Not smart enough?"

"Zinny,"

"Not thin enough?"

"Zinny! Will you just hold it for a second?" I ran a hand through my hair, "It's none of that. You're really pretty, I don't know a witch smarter than you, and being thin doesn't matter to me - you know that..."

"Then what is it?" she croaked. My eyes started to adjust to the darkness... If I wasn't mistaken, she seemed to be crying.

"You're... Merlin, Zinny, you're the sister I never had!"

Another cough met my ears and I felt her turn away from me, and then could hear her sniff. I gave her a moment, but even then she didn't speak.

I sighed, "Answer me this, Zinny," I said, reaching out and patting her on her shoulder, or at least what I thought was her shoulder, "What more do you want from... from our friendship?"

She brushed my hand away and faced me again. "I've thought about that..." she sniffed, "and, aside from the obvious... look, Andy, no one thinks of me as anything other than just nutty Zilpha Pearson. No one thinks I'm pretty. Heck, I don't think I'm pretty. But... you always have."

I shook my head, "Zinny... wait, out of curiosity, when did you start to fancy me?"

"Third year," she said, unabashedly, "After you told that seventh-year Slytherin who was calling me names to sod off. He'd called me horrible names in front of at least twenty people, and you said, twice as loudly, that I was beautiful. No one had ever done that before for me..."

"Hmm," I nodded, "Okay... so back to what I was going to say, Zinny, you’re nuts."

"Excuse me?"

"You're very pretty, and I don't know why you would think differently..." and then I knew what I had to tell her. I guess she hadn't listened, really listened, to what Clay had said that day in the common room. Clay would kill me for this, but she deserved to know. "I'm not the only person to think that, Zinny. Clay... he's crazy about you."

"What?" she asked, a deadly edge to her voice.

"Did you not hear what Clay said that day in the common room? Or did you not understand it?"

I could faintly see her frown, "I think I heard, but... I must have missed something. What are you talking about? He's stuck on that Ravenclaw wench as much as you are."

I swallowed, "Clay will kill me for this... but he's fancied you since first year. I was trying to convince him to ask you to Hogsmeade when he told me off that day, because he knew that you fancied me..."

"Stop it! Don't lie to me, Andran!" she started scuttling around... I think she turned her back to me, but as she also kicked a bucked with her foot, it was hard to tell.

"I'm not lying! I swear! I wouldn't lie to you, you know that-" I reached out to put my hands on her shoulders again.

And Zinny screamed.

*** *** ***

It was some time before the laughter started, and an even longer time before it stopped. Even Samuel, who really didn’t know me, couldn’t help but laugh at my circumstances. I, for one, didn’t laugh – I didn’t find it funny at all – but I couldn’t blame them for it. My life was one big laughing stock, so why not let them laugh?

As the laughter grew around me, I slowly turned away. Okay, I know it was funny – I’d laughed hysterically at Bailey for lesser things – but after so much laughing, it started to hurt. I turned away from them, hoping to see something else.

I think it was Clay who first noticed that I was bothered by it.

“Marti,� he said, putting a hand on my shoulder, “Hey, we’re… we’re not trying to be mean… you know that, right?�

“Oh, I know,� I said without looking at him, “I just haven’t reached the point where it’s funny yet. I’m still angry over what happened… but I know it’s funny. I’d laugh, if I were you, too.�

The laughter quickly died. I think Clay had waved at them, telling them to stop it, though I couldn’t see as I still wasn’t looking at them.

“Oh, we’re sorry Marti,� said Deanne.

“Don’t be,� I said, trying to be cooler about the situation, “it’s funny.�

“Well,� Deanne started to her feet. She made a sort of squeak that caught my attention, and I turned in time to see that Sam had offered her a hand up. She’d taken it, after going bright red. “Um, well…� she paused, trying to remember what she was saying, then looked at me and smiled, “it’ll be funny later on, too, when you’re ready to laugh about it. We can wait.�

I felt embarrassed… I hated to be a party pooper on their fun, even if it wasn’t fun for me. I really was sick and tired of being the center of attention.

Again, Clay seemed to notice this and hopped to his feet, “Hey, whaddya say we all head back to into town and see if the line into Weasley’s has died down?�

Everyone agreed, even Marcia, began to slowly head back down the road. Clay offered me a hand and a sympathetic smile.

“Thanks, Clay,� I whispered we followed.

“Anytime,� he replied quietly. Man, I was lucky to have him as a friend. I was more than grateful that the group was interested in something other than me… though judging from the disappointed smirk on Marcia’s face, she would have rather sat and laughed at me some more.

In an amazing stroke of luck, the line into the Weasley Joke shop had nearly vanished (probably due to it being near lunch time) and we were able to go inside.

Okay, let me just say, I loved that place! Deanne, who knew more about the shop than me, because she’d been to the one in Diagon Alley, led me around and showed me what was what. It was great! They had snack boxes that could help you get out of class in various ways (I didn’t get one… I hate nosebleeds and vomiting…) and they had cookies and pastries that could make you sprout feathers… of course, everything cost money, so I didn’t spend much. I bought a few things though… mostly when no one was looking, I raced them up to the counter where a young witch rang up my order.

I frowned at her when she started to laugh at me for not counting out the right number of Knuts… did she not notice my “American� accent, as Clay called it? I had a hard enough time with my classes, I hadn’t really taken the time to learn the British Wizard’s money system. I was accustomed to American paper money, both Wizard and Muggle. They weren’t that different.

But, anyway, after that, we all headed down to the Three Broomsticks – which I’d been looking forward to. I’d heard they had great drinks there.

Alice and Marcia offered to get us all Butterbeers, so we all handed them a few coins each. While they made their way over to the bar, we headed to an empty table at the back that would hold the six of us.

Half way there, I got a brilliant idea. I grabbed Clay by one arm and Deanne with the other. Clay had the same mischievous look that I’m sure I did, and offered to save two seats to his right for Alice and Marcia… leaving Deanne with no place to sit, other than next to Sam.

Muahahaha. I felt delightfully devious.

When she noticed what I’d done, she gave me a dirty look and muttered, “Marti! I’m going to kill you in your sleep!�

I smiled viciously at her, “You’ll thank me, someday!�

She took a seat next to Sam and gave him a weak smile. I was almost bouncing into my chair when he smiled back.

We had all just seated ourselves when Alice and Marcia returned, each carrying three mugs. They seated, Alice a bit more gracefully than Marcia, and passed the mugs around.

I smelled the one Alice sat in front of me. It smelled good, whatever it was… “What’s this?�

Marcia snorted, “It’s butterbeer, what’d you expect?�

I frowned, “Um, well, never having been here before, I thought I’d ask, out of curiosity.�

Marcia’s face softened a bit, “Oh, that’s right huh? I forgot…�

I smiled at her and took a sip at my mug. I wanted to like Marcia… I was trying…

“Thanks Alice,� Clay said after a sip of his mug. “Hey, Marcia, have you noticed anything odd about the prefects lately?�

“You mean have I noticed them carrying papers that they guard with their life, and them trying out strange spells on each other here and there? Yeah, I noticed.�

“Bailey’s been acting weird, too,� Deanne said. “The other day, um, someone knocked her papers out of her hand and she acted like she’d overdosed on Pepper-up Potion. How about you, Sam? Have you noticed anything?�

I ventured a gulp of my drink… it was rather good…

“Yeah, they’re acting oddly,� he said, “One of them changed their hair color pink for a few days… and when asked about it, they acted like we were the crazy ones. Then it changed back without a word.�

“I saw that!� Alice laughed, “I wonder what their up to?�

Clay shrugged, “It’s got me stumped.�

I took another drink… it was really good…

Deanne swirled her mug, “Bailey mentioned something about getting her papers submitted on time. Would there be a contest or something?�

“HIC!�

The table went silent. I looked around the table… everyone was looking at me. Huh? Was I missing something? And who had hiccupped?

“Hic!� my eyes went wide. It had been me… and I hadn’t noticed…

Oh no…

“How much sugar is in this?� I asked frantically.

Deanne shrugged, “I don’t know, why?�

“HIC!� A hand went to my chest “This isn’t good! HIC! Well, the drink is… HIC! I meant the hiccups aren’t good… HIC!�

Everyone at the table was looking at each other in confusion. They didn’t know… how could they? I hadn’t mentioned it… well, I was hoping they’d never know…

“Marti,� Alice said, almost cautiously, “Everyone gets hiccups… no one likes them, sure, but they’re no reason to panick…�

I tried to shake my head at her, but almost fell out of my chair.

“Marti!� Clay cried, straightening me… that was funny…

“Issa shhugar,� I said. The room was getting all… woozy… “Iva kinda allergy to lotta shhugar… HIC!�

“Marti!� Deanne cried, a hand flying to her mouth, “You’re drunk! Sugar makes you drunk!�

“Pfft, Dee, snot tha’… It’s called lucid… prolly…Hey! Hiccups all gone…�

“What do you mean, lucid?� Clay had taken me by both shoulders and was looking me straight in the face… but I didn’t really notice… “Martina! Are you listening to me?�

“I am…�

And then I couldn’t remember anything else.

*** *** ***

Zinny screamed. I got hit across the face with something - I think it was her hand - and the door flew open and the both of us fell out.

I hit the floor hard, flat on my back and gasping for breath. I propped myself up on one elbow, staring at her in disbelief… what happened? Had she lost her mind?

She had somehow managed to stay upright and was standing in front of me. She was standing there, with her eyes wide and her arms crossed across her body, each hand holding on to the opposite shoulder. Neither of us moved or spoke, we just stayed where we were, staring at each other.

Once the banging in my head had cleared, a noise I didn’t know I could dread met my ears. Cat calls and wolf whistles. I went red as I looked around.

Various students were standing around, some looking scandalized, others cheering… and then I realized that all of them had seen Zinny and I fall out of a closet…

I struggled to my feet and glared at those watching us, “Ah, step off!� I shouted at them.

I waited a minute for the crowd to dissipate before I faced Zinny. “What was that, Zinny?� I hissed angrily.

“You prat, why’d you do that!� she retorted.

I raised an eyebrow, “Me? I put my hands on your shoulders, and you suddenly show your banshee heritage, and I did something?�

Zinny’s mouth fell open, “Shoulders? SHOULDERS!?�

“Will you keep it down! People are going to gather again!�

Zinny folded her arms and closed the gap between us. She stood there for a moment, turning various shades of red – for a moment I thought she was going to try and kiss me – before she found her voice.

“I’m taller than that,� she said in a very tiny voice.

It took a minute for her words to sink in… I paled, “And you didn’t turn away from me, did you?�

She shook her head.

We stood there, for close to five minutes, just staring one another. I had… oh Merlin… and to Zinny, of all people! Dear me…

There was a spurt and Zinny started giggling in my face.

“This isn’t funny, Zinny!� but she kept on giggling… and then I found myself laughing in spite of everything…

We collapsed together against the closet door, laughing ourselves silly. When we’d finally had enough of that, silence ensued; the first un-awkward silence we’d shared in a while, just leaning on each other with our backs to the wall.

“So…� I stared after a while, “Where do we stand, Zin?�

“On our feet, I’d suppose.�

“That’s not what I meant.�

She sighed, “I know what you meant. I was avoiding it. I don’t think I can help but fancy you, Andy.�

I stifled a groan, “I know. I can’t very well ask you not to, as things don’t work that way. If they did, we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.�

Zinny was silent for a long while. I didn’t push her to say anything, as I guessed that she was thinking about something important.

“I need to grow up a little,� she said at long last, “And not spend so much time alone with you. I think that’s where most of this is coming from.�

I sat up and looked at her, “Zin, you have had time away from me… isn’t that why you dragged me into the closet?�

She was looking off at nothing in particular, as if she’d not heard me, though I knew she did. “I want things to be the way they were before, but without the pain… that came from being infatuated with you. I should just stop… and we should hang out with other people more…�

I tried not to laugh, though I didn’t succeed very well, “You want to see other people?�

She still didn’t look at me straight on, but she laughed anyway, “Yes… but together. You and I just need to be more social with others, I suppose,� then her eyes met mine, “Do you want things to be as they were?�

“Yes,� I said quickly, almost without thinking, “I want my best friend back. Is that even possible? After everything?�

Zinny broke out into giggles again, “You mean after you tried rounding the bases with me in a closet? No! Never!�

“Zinny!�

*** *** ***

“Martina!� I grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard. She was looking at everything but me, and if I wasn’t too off the mark, her eyes were going in and out of focus. “Are you listening to me?�

She slumped against my arms, “I am…� she drawled as a smile crossed her face, “…Clayton.�

I looked around the table, hoping that someone would know what to do… ah, but they were as shocked and clueless looking as I was. I turned back to Marti, “Marti, are you alright?�

“I’m dizzy, but I’m fine…� she said in a dreary voice. I held her at arm’s length… something was wrong. I wasn’t sure what, but something was wrong… did she say she had a kind of allergic reaction to lots of sugar? What in the world did that mean? And what was the whole think about being lucid?

“Ah…um… what do I do?� I whispered nervously.

Marti looked at me, that odd smile still on her face, “Silly, you play Quidditch and go to school here, but not here, you go to Hogwarts…� she trailed off sleepily.

I frantically looked around the table, “Um, does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do?� Why was I the only one trying to do something?

Deanne, who had been sitting there just staring, looked at me, “I’m trying to think, Clay…�

“Not Clayton…� Marti said, “You think about Sam here…�

“Marti!� Deanne screeched, jumping to her feet, “How could you!!�

“With my mouth!� Marti giggled, swinging one of her arms up into the air, making me lose my grip on her. She plopped out of my hands and onto the table, “Whoopsie daisy!� I swore without thinking, and then Alice was at my side, helping me hoist Marti up again. Deanne grabbed her purse and ran from the place, looking as though she was going to cry.

“We have to get her back to the castle,� Alice said quickly, “Before this gets out of hand!�

Marcia began to pout, “But why? She’s just starting to get fun!�

“Funny, funny, funny…� Marti giggled.

“Marcia!� I snapped, “This is serious! This is some kind of magical allergy she has – this is not some kind of… of… parlor game!�

Marti began to push our hands away, “Oh, no, Clayton, the Salem girls thought this was great! They’d take me around on Halloween like a radio! Or magical eight ball… but not monkey! That’s Zinnity, or whatever her name is…�

Sam cleared his throat, “You’re right, Clay… we’d better get her up to the hospital wing.�

I shook my head at him, “Don’t worry, we’ve got her. Go…go make sure Deanne’s alright…�

Sam raised an eyebrow at me, “I don’t think that’s the best idea… she was really embarrassed…�

“Just do it, Sam!� I yelled, trying to capture Marti’s hands, that were flailing everywhere, “If Marti gets any wilder with you around, I think she’ll ruin their friendship for good!�

Sam nodded and hurried out the door. There had been something else that I’d thought of yelling after him, but Marti distracted me by holding still for a minute. She looked right at me and grinned, “What? You scared that I’ll kiss him, or something?�

I grimaced, “Yeah, something like that,�

“You jealous?� she went limp without warning, but I was lucky enough catch her, and scoop her up in my arms. Thank goodness she was so small… had it been Marcia or Deanne or, well, anyone else at all, I wouldn’t have been able to hold her.

“Um, sure Marti, whatever you say,� I muttered, making my way to the door, Alice and Marcia at my heels.

“Well, donna you worry your preeeetty little heeeaad about it…� she slurred while pointing her foot lazily in the air while I held her (the reappearance of her slurs really worried me), “I ain’t like tha’ Andran. I donna go kissin’ and running off…�

I paused, glancing at Alice and Marcia, “Who’d Andran kiss, Marti? Marti! Pay attention here! Stay awake!�

She’d started humming to her self, and her head began to slump against me, but when I raised my voice she snapped her head up and gave me a look, “Iss allabout YOU, issn’t it?�

“Keep talking, Marti,� I said, taking off at a run towards the castle, the Longbottom Twins in hot pursuit, “Tell me again, who’d Andran kiss?�

“Meeeee!� she giggled hysterically.

“On second thought, stop talking Marti,�

Oh, she hollered about that, but I stopped listening so I could concentrate on running and not dropping her. It wasn’t escaping me that she was acting more and more sleepy, which I had a bad feeling about letting her do. The sooner I got her to the Hospital wing, the better. I reached the castle entrance at a high run and didn’t slow down in the least. I could only pray that no one got in my way…

*** *** ***

Zinny and I laughed for a long while before a new and strange noise met our ears. At first we weren’t sure what it was…

“What in the blazes is that?� Zinny said, sitting up and looking around. (We were still slumped against the closet door until then). I held still and listened. It was someone yelling, and someone wailing…

“Look, there!� Zinny pointed down the corridor.

Both of us sat and watched as Clay came running down the corridor, with something with lots of hair in his arms. I frowned in disbelief… we didn’t even have time to move our legs out of his way.

Clay met them and hurtled over them, skidding a little as he landed, but amazingly staying upright. As he did so, the lump in his arms, that I now recognized – much to my horror – blew a very sloppy kiss my way.

“Heeey ‘dere!� Marti called in a high voice, very unlike her own, as Clay rounded another corner and out of sight, “Smootches!�

Zinny turned and just stared at me. “Is there something you wanted to tell me, Andy?�

“Um…� what the heck had happened there? Was Marti alright? Had I… had I done something to her? “…No, I don’t think so. At least, not until I find out what’s wrong with her…�

---

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I'm trying to get them done faster... I swear!

Oh, yeah, and read and review!

Disclaimer: If you can still remember, Marti and friends are mine, the rest is not. Okay?

---

“Clay! Clay, wait up!�

I dashed after him and the strange acting Marti, with Zinny at my heels. It was no use, though; Clay wasn’t slowing down at all. Panting, Zinny and I stopped and looked at each other.

“Where do you think he’s going?� she asked between breaths.

I shrugged, “I don’t know. What’s in this direction? And why would he be carrying… oh, never mind, it’s the hospital wing. Let’s go,�

Zinny choked a laugh, “I don’t know why they bother to keep a bed for her in her own dorm – she’s always in the hospital wing!�

When Zinny and I reached the hospital wing, we entered to find an interesting sight. I wasn’t sure whether to be horrified or to laugh. Marti was lying on a bed, seemingly unconscious, but her arms were wiggling everywhere. Madam Pomfrey was trying to administer a potion to her while Clay was trying to hold her still.

“Um,� Zinny said, awkwardly, “Andy, I’ll think I’ll, um, head out…�

“Sure Zin,� I said quietly. Zinny, having sent Marti to the hospital wing a time or two, was bound to feel awkward about staying. And, well, perhaps Clay being there had something to do with it, also. I wasn’t too sure on which was more likely.

When Zinny closed the door behind her, Clay looked up and spotted me. “Andran!� he called, out of breath, “Come here and grab her other hand! I can’t hold them both!�

Madam Pomfrey turned and spotted me, too. “Yes,� she said with only a moment of hesitation, “Yes, Mr. Audierus, please, a hand would be appreciated,�

Then I hesitated. Okay, just try and understand that I didn’t understand what the heck was going on. I saw Marti there, acting all weird, and I’d just had a duel – well, sort of – with her that morning… I was feeling very guilty.

“Andran!� Clay shouted, just to startle me out of my guilt, I think.

“Oh, fine,� I muttered. I dashed over to the side of the bed opposite Clay and tried to grab Marti’s hand. Ha, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. I’d take hold of it, and it would wiggle out of my grip, or a fingernail would pinch me, and then it would be free again. Clay had finally managed to wrestle her left hand into stillness – I noticed he was bracing it across his chest and holding her wrist and her elbow with his own arms. I did my best to imitate him, though while I wasn’t as successful, it gave Madam Pomfrey the chance to force the odd potion down Marti’s throat.

Marti gagged, but almost instantly her arms shuddered and went limp. I watched Clay put her arm down gently at her side while Madam Pomfrey worked on reviving her, all the while muttering about magical allergies.

“Is that what happened, Madam Pomfrey?� I asked. “Was she allergic to something?�

The elderly woman shrugged, “It would seem. Never in all my days have I seen such a bad allergic reaction to sugar. Mr. McAfee, are you sure it was only one butterbeer?�

Clay nodded, “Yes, not even a whole one. Half at the most, then she got a short spell of the hiccups, and then she was just drunk and saying everything and anything about anyone. When she started getting sleepy, I began to worry that something was really wrong, and I hurried her here.�

“And good thing you did, too, dear boy,� Madam Pomfrey said solemnly, “I would assume that it wasn’t necessarily the sugar, but the type of sugar that was used. I won’t presume to guess why it happened, or why she didn’t just faint on the spot from it, at least until I double check my book on magical allergies. You don’t see them every day, you know…�

“Aegrota verita,� groaned Marti as she stirred slightly.

The three of us looked at one another, and down at her. She was stirring and blinking her eyes. She coughed a few times, took in her surroundings and started to sit up.

“Lie down,� the old nurse ordered.

“I gotta sit up,� Marti snapped, “Just let me sit… oh, what are you doing here?� she gave me an evil glare.

I met her stare head on, “I was worried about you,�

She rolled her eyes, “Whatever. And, by the way, can I have my hand back?�

“Huh?� I just then noticed that I was still holding her hand in my own. Before I could release it, she jerked it from me. Then she turned her attention to Madam Pomfrey.

“It’s called Aegrota verita, Madam Pomfrey,� she said, rubbing her neck and closing her eyes, “A rare wizard condition. In my case, it’s triggered by stress and high doses of certain sugars.�

A light seemed to click on in the older woman’s head. “Oh, that’s right… that is very rare indeed. I haven’t seen that in many, many years. Now that we calmed your system, you can have some Pepper-up Potion, and be on your way,�

Clay’s mouth dropped, “That’s it? Shouldn’t she stay here, I don’t know, say overnight? To be safe?�

The older Nurse ignored Clay and bustled off to get her potion.

Clay turned on Marti, “Marti, are you sure that’s wise?�

She rubbed her eyes, “Yup, it’s fine.�

“But you were drunk! You were blowing kisses at most everyone we passed, you… you…�

“I made an idiot of myself!� she threw her legs over the edge of bed, towards Clay, her face going red. “I know that, alright? Trust me, it’s nothing new.�

A moment of silence passed through the room. Clay frowned, “Is there something you want to tell me, Marti?� He gently put a hand on her shoulder.

I stared at his hand as though it were an evil creature I wanted to swat away.

“Not really Clay,� she said quietly. “Just… look, I’ve suffered with this for a few years now, and I’m used to it. I treat it like an allergy to sugar – which is basically what it is, though… not exactly since I can eat sugar… but, anyways, the point is,� she sighed with a small shudder, “Thanks for getting me here before things got worse. I… I can’t even remember a dang thing after you asked me if I was listening to you.�

Madam Pomfrey bustled back in with a glass of potion, and handed it to her. “Drink this, dear, and you’re allowed to go on the stipulation that you abstain from stressful activities for the next day or so.�

Marti nodded, waited for Madam Pomfrey to get out of earshot, and then quickly drank the potion as though it were a shot of fire whiskey.

She rounded on me, her temper rising again, “Just leave me alone. Please, just go away. I’ll tolerate you in class, I’ll be nice when I have to, but stop following me, stop torturing me. Why are you even here? I mean, it doesn’t surprise me that you are, but still you have no right to be here.�

I gave her an indignant look, “You were the one who was blowing kisses at me while Clay raced you down the hallway. I was concerned that something was wrong, so I came to find out. It’s lucky I did too, as Clay couldn’t keep you still-�

“So what, you thought you’d kiss me again and shut me up, is that it?�

“Hey!� my own temper began to rise (how was it that she could always get me going? I still don’t get it), “That was uncalled for!�

Clay suddenly looked really uncomfortable, “I’ll be going now, I suppose…�

“No, Clay, stay,� she said without looking away from me, “Uncalled for, huh Audierus? And what would you call kissing me this morning? Requested?�

“I don’t know!� I threw my hands in the air and started heading toward the door, beginning to feel sorry for coming in the first place, “I don’t know why I did it, okay? I don’t know why I kissed you! I don’t know why I followed you! I don’t know why I came here! I don’t know why I even think about you! I… urgh, I wish I knew something!�

And I slammed the door.

*** *** ***

I blinked at the now closed door. I was frustrated, yes, but something about that argument just didn’t seem complete.

“What was that about?� I asked Clay.

But Clay wasn’t listening, “He kissed you and ran off this morning, didn’t he?�

My face grew hot, “Yeah. And the whole duel with him stressed me out, triggering the sugar allergy. Please, Clay, don’t tell anyone it was anything else.�

“I won’t,� he said absently, “Why didn’t you say anything about that earlier?�

I plodded over and sat down on an empty bed, “I didn’t want anyone to know. It only causes trouble. There were these Salem girls that would stress me out, sneak sugar into my food, and then take me around like a radio. After all that, I decided not to tell anyone about it.�

Clay laughed, “That wasn’t what I was asking, Marti. Why didn’t you say that Andran had kissed you?�

Oh. He meant that.

“And make myself look like an even bigger buffoon? I don’t think so. In case you don’t remember, there were a lot of people there when I explained about the duel, and if they knew, there would be a lot of questions and then a lot of rumors. I don’t know what I’d do if they found out… especially Marcia. I like Alice, but – and I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be mean – but she just looks like she’d spread rumors… and what are you laughing at?�

Clay had sat down on the bed opposite of me, red faced and trying not to laugh, “She knows already, Marti.�

I jumped to my feet, “What! He – Andran – he told her, didn’t he?�

Clay went even more red, “Well… actually, it was you, when you were drunk…�

“Ah, crap!�

*** *** ***

“Mr. Audierus! Are you paying attention?�

“Huh?�

Professor Lovegood frowned at me – something she rarely did – and motioned to the stiff, square piece of parchment in front of me. “Are you or are you not trying to, wordlessly, attach that parchment to your forehead with a sticking charm?�

“I’m trying,� I lied.

She gave a small smile, “Well, the best way to test the sticking charm is to put the paper on your forehead. You haven’t been doing that.�

“Uh, sorry, Professor,� I said, “I was… really trying.�

She smiled at me as Zinny snorted beside me, “I’m glad to hear it… I was worried that you’d come down with a case of the Foggles for a moment there…� she turned back to the class, her usual dreamy facial expression back in place. What was it with her and her odd sayings? And what the heck was a case of Foggles? I didn’t think I wanted to know…

I elbowed Zinny and went back to trying to cast a sticking charm without speaking. She’d only been mildly upset when I refused to tell her the happenings of the Hospital wing that Saturday night. Aside from that, things had (amazingly) mended fairly well between us by Monday.

Yet, despite the fact that I hadn’t said a thing to her, she seemed to have an idea of what happened. When I lost focus, she knew why. I was thinking about… well, I was thinking about Saturday night, over and over. Blast that Zinny, she kept giving me this LOOK! It was the I-know-what-your-thinking-about-even-though-you-didn’t-tell-me look.

As I sat there trying to cast the Charm and then trying to stick the parchment to my forehead, like the rest of the class, I could feel Zinny’s eyes on me.

“Zinny, please stop giving me that bloody look!� I whispered, turning to her.

She smiled – yes, there was that look again.

Lovegood had charmed the parchment squares to say a message once they had been successfully stuck to our heads. It was hard to take the serious-acting, Zilpha Pearson seriously, when a square of parchment stuck to her forehead read: DROOBLES RULE!

*** *** ***

So, I had royally messed up almost everything that was possible to mess up. I took my time walking back from the hospital wing that night, because I had a feeling that Dee would just hate me. I took my time walking down the empty corridors, a note from Madam Pomfrey in my pocket, ready to be shown to any teacher that might question me for being out or loitering or whatever. I even stopped and took my shoes and socks off, carrying them in my hand, to distract my self with the cold and slightly uneven stones under my feet. It also took me long to get there barefooted. The school was fairly quiet, and no one questioned me.

And, when I made it back, I found that I’d been right. Deanne wouldn’t talk to me at all. After some discussion with Alice, I learned that I had basically said, in front of Sam, the Hufflepuff boy she liked, that she thought a lot about him…

I’d tried everything, but Deanne just wouldn’t speak to me.

“Dee, I’m really sorry,� I told her that night while she lay, pretending to sleep in her four-poster, “I was out of my head!�

Yeah, she didn’t say anything. I finally sighed, crawled into my bed and tried to sleep. My feet, under the covers, felt as cold as ever, as if the cold from the hallways had permeated my feet permanently. I thought about charming a pair of socks to keep heated all night, but figured that they’d probably catch my bedding on fire, and decided to tough out the cold feet. It didn’t help with my sleep.

Sunday, things weren’t much better, especially since my attempts to sleep had failed miserably. I didn’t even see Deanne all day. I figured she was avoiding me, so I let it go. Maybe by giving her alone time, she’d understand that I hadn’t meant to hurt her deliberately.

Monday went by in a haze. I had completely given up on talking to Deanne at all. We shared all our classes, except Potions, but I sat in the back and tried not to look around. At one point, I thought I saw her smile my way, but I’m sure I was mistaken. She probably had indigestion, or something.

And, Potions was torture. Malfoy was evil as usual. Nothing I did was good enough, nothing!

And that particular potions class was really bad for other reasons… a whole handful of reasons – literally.

“Miss Owlsten!� he shouted at me when I tripped on my own shoe and staggered towards my own caldron, making it swing and slop. “I know it will be difficult for you, but could you please try and not crash into anything that would possibly injure others?� He sneered at me. I wanted to cry.

“I’m sorry professor,� I said meekly as the slop over the side of my cauldron gave a hiss of purple smoke when it met the flames underneath. “I’ll try better.�

“Better? Ha!� he said, his blue eyes glinting menacingly, “You had better start adding those spider eyes before whatever it is you think you are trying to make in your cauldron turns into acid.�

I said nothing, turning back to my stores and getting out the right amount of spider eyes. They were so tiny! Who’s fabulous idea was it to use stupid spider eyes, anyway?

Laughter across the classroom caught my eye. Some odd Slytherin girl had laughed at me, spilling the eyes over my counter top. I frowned at her – I’d seen her in class, but I didn’t know her name. She wore odd robes, with different colors on them and somehow managed to get away with it. Malfoy probably pulled strings for her. I rolled my eyes and went back to my spider eyes.

There was a bump across the room, some girl squealed about a bug on a desk – I think it was that same Slytherin girl, or some other girl near her, and then there was a pop above my head. I ignored it. I reached with my thumb and index finger to pick up more eyes.

I missed them. With a grunt, I tried again… and missed.

I stopped in horror, looking down at my right hand. There was no wonder why I missed picking up the eyes… my right index finger was missing, as though I had been born without one.

A strangled scream escaped my throat, “My finger’s gone!!!�

*** *** ***

In the commotion that followed down in the dungeons – Malfoy yelling at students for disrupting class and various students screaming and shouting at their potions and the fact that someone had lost a finger – no one noticed the Slytherin girl slowly sinking down to hide behind her cauldron.

*** *** ***

Clay was laughing when he entered the common room – I noticed Zinny quickly buried herself in her Charms textbook as he came in.

I smiled at that.

Then I turned to Clay, “What’s so funny?�

He came over and plopped on the couch, next to where I was sitting, “Oh, it’s nothing, Andran,� he said, wiping tears from his eyes.

I frowned at him. “Hey, I want to know, too. What’s so funny?�

He eyed me strangely, “Are you sure you want to know?�

“Yes.�

He started laughing again, “Apparently, there was a huge problem down in the dungeons this afternoon, during Malfoy’s Newt Potion’s class.�

Zinny cleared her throat and looked up, a little red in the face, “Um, what happened?�

“Some sixth year Slytherin, who studies Alchemy in her spare time-�

“Oh, that’s Alexandria,� Zinny piped up, “I’ve heard of her. She wants to be an Alchemist one day. You’ve seen her, Andy, she wears the odd clothes. Alexandria Dublin.�

I hadn’t heard that name in my life, but whatever. I nodded to get Clay to continue.

Giggling, he wiped his eyes, “Well, she killed a bug on her desk, and tried to take it back or something – Alchemy is odd like that – and the bug lived but a girl in the class lost a finger in exchange!�

I noticed Clay giving me a strange look…

“What!� Zinny said, tossing her Charms book aside, “Alexandria sacrificed a finger to save a bug?�

“No!� Clay said, laughing, “She saved the bug without thinking, and another girl lost a finger! The, um, the girl,� he paused slightly, giving me that strange look again, “She fainted twice, but refused to go to the hospital wing. The real commotion was when Malfoy had to drag her there on his own!

Zinny and I looked at each other. We each had a good idea who Clay was talking about, without even asking. That must be why Clay have the strange face.

I was about to wager my guess, but Marcia burst into the room, drawing attention from everyone in the room, myself included. She was beaming.

“Did you all hear the news?� she said aloud to everyone. Now I knew it was Marti who had lost a finger, she was the only one who drew news that quickly. I was taken aback – surely news of Marti’s finger wouldn’t be this big, would it?

An odd feeling welled up in my stomach. I wish I could put my finger on what it was. I was furious, but it was also embarrassing, too, and I started breathing faster. Was this protectiveness? It was a new feeling, so I couldn’t really tell. Whatever it was, it made me feel irrational. My face went red from it.

I got up and pointed a finger at Marcia, “You and your gossip!� I breathed. Everyone in the room looked away from Marcia and turned to look at me. “Can’t you leave people alone for a while? It’s bad enough that terrible things happen to that poor girl, but people like you have to spread it around and make it worse!�

The room went silent. Some third-years over in the corner dropped a bottle of ink on the floor and it shattered. No one flinched from it.

Marcia stopped and glared at me, “What girl?� she held up a piece of parchment, somewhat defensively, “I was talking about the announcement for Halloween… we’re going to have a Masquerade for fourth years and up after the feast… what did you think I was talking about?� she demanded.

Oh… oops.

*** *** ***

“Please, Madam Pomfrey, don’t make me stay!� I wailed after choking down the drink that she’d handed me. It tasted nasty, but she said it would give me back my finger, so I didn’t complain… well, about the drink at least.

I didn’t want to be in the hospital wing anymore! It wasn’t fair. This time the stupid thing wasn’t my own fault! I wanted to go to my own bed, in my dorm! I was angry, and I wasn’t about to give up without a fight.

“You can leave at first light,� the woman huffed, “But you are going to stay the night, end of discussion!�

The doors to the hospital wing burst open, ending my protests. In marched, to my surprise, Deanne Liles, dragging with her the Slytherin girl from my Potions class. She was the same one who… well, she dressed oddly.

“What’s this?� Madam Pomfrey demanded.

“We won’t be long,� Deanne said, determinedly, “Alexandria Dublin, here, owes Marti an apology. She won’t be leaving until that’s taken care of!�

My mouth fell open. Deanne… still cared?

I watched as she dragged the girl my bedside and pointed a finger at her, “Go on, you. Talk.�

Alexandria (I made a mental note of her name, though I couldn’t guarantee how long that would last) wrenched her arm free of Deanne’s grasp. “You know,� she said in a surly manner, “I was more than willing to come and apologize. You didn’t have to drag me here.�

Deanne smiled, “Eh, that was just for show, I guess. Never mind that now, just get the apology over with.�

“Fine,� she snapped, turning to me, “Look, I didn’t think that you, of all people, would lose the finger over that stupid bug. I am really sorry…�

“Um, thanks?� I said, not really knowing how to respond to her. What does a person say to that, anyway? ‘Oh, that’s okay, I really didn’t want my finger, and it was only the index finger, so it’s not a problem’?

She frowned at me, “What, is that a question?�

I gave a small laugh, “No… I just… I’ve never lost an appendage before, and I’ve never had anyone apologize for causing it.�

She pulled another face, “Is that really all you have to say about it?�

I frowned at her, “Well, hey, you tell me, what else do you want me to say? I hate you? You’re a stupid jerk? Why did you have to try and bring a bug back from the dead anyway?�

She shrugged, “I don’t know. Something like that, I guess…�

I scoffed at her, “Sorry, I don’t hate you. You could very well be a jerk, but I don’t know you well enough to make that judgment. When it comes to you and your Alchemy, I think I’m better off not knowing any answers. So… thanks for the apology. I appreciate it, really. I don’t get many of them… usually I’m the one giving them. But,� I held up hand to point at her (which I had to do with my little finger, as, you know, I was missing my pointer), “You owe me. I’ve seen you in class, and you’re good with potions. Maybe you can work with me on an assignment or something sometime, and we can call it even. Does that work for you?�

She smiled, “Sure,� then she rounded on Deanne, “Can I GO?�

Deanne crossed her arms, “Well, I’m not going to stop you,� she said, trying to look as though she didn’t care at all. What a faker. I could tell she was pleased with herself.

With a small wave, and a flourish of her oddly colored robes, Alexandria left, leaving Deanne and I pretty much alone.

I didn’t know what to say. Sheesh, what was it with me being speechless? That was very unlike me.

Deanne sighed and sat down on the edge of my bed. “Marti… I’m not mad at you, alright?� she said at last.

I looked at her, “You’re not? You have a funny way of showing it, dearie.�

She smiled and looked at her hands, “I know… I had to have a little time to be upset, though. I… I talked with Clay. He told me about your sugar allergy and… I know you weren’t thinking straight.�

“To say the least,� I grumbled.

I saw a small smile appear on her lips, “I really should thank you, though…�

“Huh? Why?�

She turned her face to me and gave me a big grin, “Sam and I spent the rest of the afternoon together… he came after me, when I ran off in Hogsmeade. It was… nice,�

I raised an eyebrow, “Going by the goofy grin on your face, it was more than nice… did he kiss you or something?�

Deanne blushed bright red, but didn’t say anything. Go Deanne!

After my laughter had died down, Deanne excused herself and said she’d see me in the morning. I put up more of a fight, trying to get her to take me with her, but Madam Pomfrey was there, so she couldn’t smuggle me out. In angry protest, I pulled the sheets over my head and refused to look at my surroundings.

Stupid hospital wing, with it’s scratchy sheets and stiff pillows and that too-clean feeling - I hate it!

---

Okay - I finally got the next chapter posted! Thank you for all your lovely reviews (ginnybabe, I'll get on those 'secret' spelling errors ASAP). I hope you all like this chapter! And, I also hope I can update this sooner...

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, or anything created by J.K.R. However, I do own Marti, Andran, and all their friends, and they are not to be used without my permission. If I give you permission, as I have for a few friends, that’s cool.
Thank you, and enjoy the fic.

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Masquerade: Part One: Dates

So, news went out about Hogwarts quicker than fire that the Prefects had planned a Masquerade for the older students to take place on Halloween night, after the traditional Halloween feast. The feast was moved up an hour, and for those students, who would be attending, curfew had been extended until 1 am – how they managed to get that approved from McGonagall, I’ll never know.

Gryffindor House was excited as ever – perhaps even more excited than the other Houses, if such a thing was possible. The instant the official announcement was made, all the girls squealed and started gabbering about dresses and me, along with several other Gryffindor boys, groaned slightly.

Oh, sure, I was excited about a ‘dance’, since Hogwarts only has them once in a while, the last one being when I was a second year and therefore wasn’t old enough to attend (from what I heard, dances weren’t at all sanctioned at Hogwarts at all until the newer teachers, like Potter and Granger, came to teach, after the fall of the dark wizard Voldemort. I think Potter was the one to suggest it, I’m not too sure, but I heard that he suggested it because after all the death and destruction Hogwarts had seen, he said it needed something happy… but that’s just the rumor I’ve heard). News was that this Masquerade had been in the plans for a couple of years now, off and on with the Prefects. Apparently, they’d had a lot of kinks to work out.

But, as I was saying, I groaned. I knew what this meant – I’d have to get a date.

I would have to ask a girl to go with me…

Bugger it all.

---

Deanne filled me in on the news the morning I came back from the hospital wing. Just my luck that I get stuck in the Hospital Wing the night that the send out a huge announcement to the whole school.

“A what?� I asked, tying my shoes and getting ready for classes.

Deanne, who was already dressed and was brushing her hair with a comb, smiled, “A Masquerade! It’s like a masked ball! Isn’t that exciting?�

Alice, who had been (according to Deanne) skipping nonstop since she heard the news, skipped into the room and bounced onto her bed, “I can’t wait for it!�

I looked around at them (Bailey and her friends had long ago decided to ignore us… mainly ever since I’d knocked her over and dumped her papers, but the three of us didn’t mind too badly), “I don’t get it, really… so you’re having a dance? So what?�

Deanne dropped her comb and gave me an incredulous look, “So what? So what? Marti! Hogwarts doesn’t have a dance every year, you know. When was the last one, Alice?�

“Four years ago…� Alice sighed from her bed.

“Yes, that’s right,� Deanne said, turning back to me, “That was in our second year, and we weren’t old enough to go to it. This is our first… and not only is it going to be a dance, Marti, but a masked ball!�

Perhaps I was being dense, but I still didn’t get what was so great about it. “So… you wear a mask? Is that’s what so exciting?�

Alice sat up and stared at me like I had grown another head or something (which scared me more than a little, having already lost a finger in the last week that had been – painfully, I might add – re-grown).

“Yes!� Alice said with a giggle, “But Marti, it’s so much more than that! My Mum’s told me stories about how magical they can be! Well,� she motioned to all of us, “I know we are magical, but you know, they’re just… special!�

Done with my shoes, I started digging threw the drawer of my bedside table, looking for a band to tie my hair back with. “I don’t see it… how are they special? I mean, I’ve been to dances before, but what makes the Masquerade so spectacular?�

A snotty snort met my ears from across the room, “Don’t you know anything, owly-poop?� Bailey, with her bag on her shoulder ready to leave, stood near the door, facing me, with her hands on her hips, probably in a pitiful attempt to look cool, “You have costumes and get to leave who you are behind for a whole night – oh, why do I even bother? McGonagall and Granger are going to be explaining it tonight at dinner, in simple terms that you can understand better.�

The room was silent for awhile. I stared blankly at Bailey, trying to understand what she’d said.

“Owly-poop? Is that seriously the best name you could come up with for me? That is… the lamest, seriously, THE lamest name I have ever been called.�

Deanne and Alice snickered. Bailey just stared back at me, probably expecting some snide comment back from me. I didn’t want to give it to her… it’s not like she’d earned it, or anything, but I couldn’t let this one go.

I laughed suddenly, surprising even myself, “Ha! How dumb are you? I mean, you could have chosen to poke fun at my hair or my height or my eye-color, but you choose to mock my nickname – and not even the correct one, at that?�

Bailey turned a vivid pink and spun on her heel, and marched out the door. Oh yeah, I SO wasn’t letting it go… yet. I ran to the door and hollered down the stairs at her.

“Ooh, can I try your technique, Kitty-piddle?� a growly noise from down the stairs let me know she’d heard me, loud and clear. But, as I leaned out the door, something occurred to me.

I spun back towards Deanne and Alice, my face grave, “Oh cripes – a dance! Does that mean we have to have dates?�

Alice snickered again, “Well, most people opt for only one, Marti, but if you’d like more than that, I’m sure-�

Deanne shoved Alice a little, sending her flopping backwards on her bed, “Yes, Marti… I think.�

I covered my face with my hands. “Urgh… I’ve got a bad feeling about this…�

---

Zinny, I had noticed, had begun acting rather strangely since Marcia announced the news that there’d be a Masquerade. She’d paled notably and suddenly became very interested in her homework. I mean, really.

After I had made an idiot of myself in the common room, Zinny suggested we go to the Library and do – of all things – research. I did a double take on her.

“Wh-what?� I asked, visibly stunned. “You want to do… what?�

She blinked at me like I was a goat or something, “Research. I need to do some research, Andran. You have heard of research, haven’t you?�

I blinked at her, “Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Zinny?�

Zinny rolled her eyes at me, “Oh come off it, Andy, and it’s not that weird of me to want to do some work. Do you want to come or not?�

I sighed, “No thanks, I’ve got some reading to finish, preferably in a place where no one will see me,� It had not escaped my notice that people where still looking at me funny since my outburst.

“Suit yourself,� she said, unusually chipper – was she happy that I wasn’t going with her? – and popped out the portrait hole.

I didn’t really see Zinny again until the next day, in classes. The news was official then, and all the House heads had posted that we were to all attend dinner that evening to hear the rules and details about the Masquerade.

Dinner began as a ruckus affair. People – especially the girls – were all in a fuss, giggling like mad. Worst of all of that was that all the girls seemed to be eyeing the boys – much to my dismay – and giggling even more. It was like they expected us to all pair off, right there. The younger years were the worst of the girls, seeing as how they couldn’t go unless they were asked, so they were hinting to older boys that they wanted to go and they were available. It was, in short, madness.

Zinny, on the other hand, was the only girl not giggling. Instead, she was huddled down in her seat reading a book – reading!

As I said, madness. The world had seemingly inverted itself right before my eyes.

“Zinny,� I said, somewhat incredulously, “What are you doing?�

“It’s called reading,� she said absently, digging her nose farther into the book.

I sighed, “Okay, fine, what are you reading, then?�

That got her head up. She looked me right in the eyes, a slightly irritated look on her face, “Are you always so nosy? I’m reading a book! It’s not that difficult to understand.�

I drew back from her, “Heavens! Fine, Zin, sorry I bothered you.� Obviously, it wasn’t a good time for her. Maybe she hadn’t slept well, or something. And yet…

As I watched her, I had the sudden niggling feeling that Zinny was up to something, and not telling me about it.

---

It wasn’t long after we’d entered the hall and sat down that McGonagall stood up at the teachers’ table and lifted her hands for silence. Instantly, everyone was hushed and listening.

“Good evening, students,� she said, primly, a slight smile on her lips (again, the inverted world thing… she never smiles!). “As you all know, you’ve been invited to attend dinner tonight to clarify the rules, restrictions, and other various information regarding the recent announcement of Hogwart’s Halloween Masque.�

At this, the whole hall burst out into fits of whispers and giggles. I guess there were too many people who still thought it was an elaborate hoax. I couldn’t blame them, I hardly believed it myself.

McGonagall held up her hands, her smile fading. “I would ask that you please hold your comments and questions until I have finished. Please,� the hall became quite once again, “Thank you. Please refrain from conversations for the time being to ensure that everyone who wishes to hear this information may do so… again, thank you.

“Now, as I was saying,� she lowered her hands and smiled again, “Your prefects and Head students have been working very hard for the last few years to put this together for you all as a special surprise. As some of you already know, we have imposed several rules for as to whom will be allowed to attend. All students, fourth years and above, will be allowed to attend. Any student younger than this will be allowed to attend by one of two conditions: either they have been asked by someone who is old enough and is already attending, or else they have earned it and will be granted permission to attend by their head of house. The latter of these two,� she added hastily, “Will be few. Each head of house may grant one or two younger students permission to attend, but only if they have earned it.

“Also, as it is clear, this is masked ball, and therefore there are certain requirements of each student who will be attending. You will all need a costume, naturally, but no mask worn by a student will be allowed – let me explain,� whispers broke out in the hall again. “All teachers and house heads will be helping you all construct your costumes over the next few weeks. You will not be purchasing costumes – I repeat, you will not be purchasing a costume.�

I leaned over to Deanne, “What the heck? What are we supposed to wear, then?�

She shook her head and shushed me, indicating to listen to what else McGonagall had to say on it.

The headmistress cleared her throat to clarify, “If you wish to purchase one, that is fine, but it will need approval from your head of house or myself for it to be worn. No mask will be needed. Instead, before each student enters the ball, a teacher will be producing a glamour spell that will enable the teachers to still see the student faces. We decided on this for safety reasons. But, though we,� she motioned to all those sitting on the staff table, “may still know who you are, you will be masked for your classmates.

“Now, this should give you a good idea of what is expected of you, and should you have any further questions on the matter, I ask you hold onto them for your house heads. Thank you and,� she clapped her hands, “Let dinner be served.�

Eh, I was way too excited to eat, really. Excited? Well, okay, maybe nervous. Part of me was still thinking back to Salem and the events that usually happened at a girl’s school when a dance occurred.

Deanne started asking me all kinds of questions while we ate – well, she ate, and I tried to. Unfortunately for me, my head could only think of one question: Who would even want to ask me?

---

The Gryffindor table instantly erupted into noise – everyone was asking everyone else something about this or that. I… well, I just kinda sat there. Zinny was reading that stupid book – where’d she even get it, anyway? I mean, it looked older than the usual slew you found in the Library. Oh well.

I did what I could to eat some, being as how Zinny wasn’t pestering me. I’d eaten most of my plate when I heard someone say, “Hey, Andran,�

“Huh?� I looked up at Clay, who was across from me, grinning.

“Okay, none of us guys are saying it, but the whole unstated question is, who are we going to ask to the ball…�

“Don’t make it sound so noble, Clay,� I warned. I poured myself a glass of pumpkin juice and drank it halfway down.

He shrugged, “Well, it’s noble to the girl you ask, you know. They think it’s great… I know who I’m going to ask.�

I coughed and choked… enough to draw even Zinny’s attention from her book, for her to whack me on the back a few times.

“Andran,� she snarled, “You’re not a fish! Breathe air, not liquid!�

I shoved her hands away, “Okay, I got it!� I coughed a few more times, “Okay, I’m fine… what do you mean you know who? Already?�

Zinny, who had started listening to our conversation, went back to her book, red in the face. Clay glanced at her briefly, as if thinking about something. Then to me he said, “Yeah… see, I won’t be the one who’s stuck with no one just because I was a prat and didn’t ask the girl I wanted right away.�

I raised an eyebrow at him. He was now eating some potatoes as if this was just another day in the life. “So,� I asked, “You already know who you want to ask?�

“Yup. I’ll be asking her right after dinner.�

“Okay… why are you telling me this?�

He looked me in the eye, his face very serious, “You and I both know this person… well.� I noticed he looked at Zinny for just a moment, “And you and I are friends. I want to know… who you’re going to ask.�

Before I could stop myself, I found my eyes glancing at the Ravenclaw table (did I actually do that? I hate myself sometimes). I didn’t necessarily see anyone there… no one in particular… “Um, I don’t really know yet. But…�

So, it seemed like Clay wanted to ask Zinny – if you asked me, it was about time! Merlin, he should ask her! She’d been acting oddly around him lately anyhow, so she probably liked him now, anyway.

I cleared my throat, “Go ahead and ask who you want to ask, Clay. I don’t really have anyone that, you know, I’ve got my eyes on or anything.� I am such a liar. Liar, liar, liar….

“Really? You mean that?�

“Yes.� Such a bloody liar…

Clay smiled, “Brilliant! Great… okay…� he looked around and shook his head, “Ah, bugger it all, she’s leaving! I’m gonna ask her now…�

I started to say something about how he was acting mental, that Zinny wasn’t going anywhere, but I held my tongue when I saw him head towards the door… there was a small group of Ravenclaws making to leave.

What????

---

Dinner at the Ravenclaw table was a strange affair. I’m really not used to being all gossipy and such with girls… I know I can be that way at times – what girl isn’t? – but on the whole, it’s not my thing. Obviously, I tend to fight with boys more than I get along with them.

Deanne was telling Alice that she just hoped so much that Sam would ask her – as if any of us doubted he would – and Alice was saying how she didn’t care if she was asked or not, that she’d just go and have fun, most likely with Marcia if she didn’t have a date. I ate quietly, trying to look interested enough to the point where they wouldn’t start asking me questions.

After half a plate, I decided I didn’t want any more. “Hey, Dee? I’m going to head on back… I’m a little tired, and quite full.�

Deanne shrugged, “I’m done, I guess. I’ll head back with you.�

“Me, too,� Alice added.

We each stood and made our way to the door. Man, I just couldn’t wait to hide under my blankets and not think about dances or masks or costumes… I wasn’t thrilled about transfiguring anything to wear. Ever since I struggled in transfiguring the smell within the flowers, in Granger’s class, most everything I did transfigure smelled like the flowers should have, back then. I didn’t want to go as a daisy.

We were almost to the door, when I heard someone call my name.

“Hey, Marti! Hold up!�

I spun to see Clay, dashing my way. “Hey Clay, what’s up?�

“Um,� he gave Deanne and Alice a nervous glance, “Can I have a word with you?�

Hm… “Sure. Deanne, Alice, I’ll meet you guys back in our dorm, okay?� they nodded and, with two strange smiles, left us. “Um, let’s head out of the hall…� I suggested.

“Great idea,� he muttered, sparing a glance over his shoulder.

Once we were out, Clay took my arm and pulled me around another corner, so we wouldn’t be seen by anyone.

“Clay, are you okay? You look a little flushed.�

He smiled, “Fine, thanks. Look, I was just going to ask you…�

… have you ever seen a monkey fly?
… why is your hair so curly?
… what kind of broom handle polish do you use?
… is your wand pinewood?
… what’s the weather like in Antarctica this time of year?
… do you suppose we’ll get more fog anytime soon?
… want to go pants a Hufflepuff?

Okay, so I didn’t really think Clayton McAfee would actually ask me that last one, but even that one seemed more likely than what he actually asked me.

“… would you like to be my date to the Masque?�

I stood there, staring at him, dumfounded. “Date? Me? Uh… why me?�

He looked crestfallen, “If you don’t want to go…�

I swallowed, “No, it’s not that, Clay… just… you’d pick me? Out of anyone else? I’m your first choice?�

He smiled and looked down at his feet. “Yeah… you see, I… you’re one of my best friends, Marti. You and I have fun together. There’s a girl I really like, but there’s no chance that she’d agree to go with me. I…� that way sad face I’d seen on him way back when he’d brought me a card in the hospital wing surfaced on his face, “She just wouldn’t. And, even if she would, I wouldn’t know where to start when talking with her… so I say screw the whole lot of it!�

I blinked again, “Okay… what are you getting at, then?�

He blushed, “I want to go and have fun, Marti. I know that if I go with you, I’ll do that. I don’t have to worry about putting on a show, or making a fuss… I can just be me, you can just be you, and we can have a blast together. I understand if there’s someone you’d rather go with, someone you really like… you’re braver than me, anyhow… but if you’d just like to not have to worry about a date, like me, and want to have fun…�

Now there was an idea. Clay was cute, way cute, but for whatever reason you can imagine (heck, even I don’t understand it) we’d always just been friends. I’d been so stinkin’ worried about a date. I didn’t want to be worried about it. What if no one asked me? What if someone I hated asked me… and I was too nice to say no? Cripes… there were so many scenarios in which something could go wrong here… and these were concerns only from the first few minutes! I had three more weeks, at least, to go on worrying about it!

But… Clay was offering me a great night of fun, with no worries, and most importantly, not having to worry about a date anymore, from here on out.

“Yes!� I shouted, jumping up and down and hugging him, “You rock, Clay!�

He seemed shocked, “Y-you’ll really go with me? I mean, you know, as a friend?�

I grinned wickedly at him, “You betcha!�

---

Zinny and I walked back to Gryffindor Tower in silence. I tried a couple of times to get my hands on the book she’d been reading, but she kept it far from me. At one point, I even chased her down a corridor for it, but gave up after falling halfway down a flight of stairs, one of which had attempted to eat my foot… and my heart wasn’t really in it, anyway.

We reached the Tower and Zinny, claiming she was tired, went straight up to bed. I headed up to the boys dorm, feeling like I needed to lay down anyhow. Plus, if I wanted to get my charms essay handed in on time, I needed to double check a couple of things on it…

Clay was already there when I came in. I glared at him, without thinking. Unfortunately, he noticed this.

“I did ask you first,� he said absently from where he was lounging on his bed.

“Who said I cared, anyway?� I said, very defensively. “I never said I cared. Never, okay?�

“Whatever you say…�

---

“Hey there, Martina!�

I flinched. Not again!

I decided that I owe Clay, big time. Seriously. On my way back to the Ravenclaw common room, a very shy Hufflepuff and a burly Slytherin had asked me to the dance. I didn’t know either of them! Because I didn’t know them at all, and the second one frightened me, it was WAY nice to be able to say I had a date.

I turned and spotted – of all people – Gryffindor Quidditch captain, Paul Drake, headed my way. Please, please, just go away…

“Um, yes?� I said politely.

He smiled, leaned against the wall I was stopped by, and smiled at me, “So, crazy thing, this dance, isn’t it?�

I said nothing. He didn’t notice. He was too busy reminding himself to breathe while he tried to keep his cool. He also seemed to be sweating heavily.

“So, you are a good seeker, you know that?�

“So I’m told. Thanks.�

“Yeah, would you like to, um, go with me?�

I steeled myself. “Sorry, Paul… I already have a date.�

“ALREADY?!�

---

It was rather late when, of all people, Drake came busting into our dormitory, fuming and pointing an angry finger at Clay – again, of all people!


“McAfee!� he hissed, red in the face, “You… you...�

Clay looked stunned as he sat up and faced his accuser. Scott and some of the others had returned already to the room, and they all looked shocked, too.

“Me?� Clay said, clearly confused, “What the bloody hell did I do?�

Drake stood there, silent. I cleared my throat, “Um, Drake? Let’s clear the air, alright? What is it that Clay did?�

“He… he…�

Clay raised an eyebrow, “Ah, I see. I asked Marti, and you had a crush on her, because she’s such a good Quidditch player, right?�

Drake’s arm faltered, “…No,�

Clay got to his feet and marched to the door, escorting Drake out as he did so, “Don’t act like I’m to blame – I merely asked her, but she is the one who agreed, alright? Next dance, Drake, I’ll let you have first chance to ask the girl you want to ask, fair enough? Okay good – and good night!� He shut the door quickly and leaned against it, his eyes wide.

“Heaven’s what have I gotten myself into?� he muttered.

Scott looked up from his bed, “Clayton, you asked Marti? The Ravenclaw girl?�

Clay hid his face behind his hands, “Yes, I did…�

Scott smiled, “Brilliant! Congratulations, mate, she’s really pretty!�

Clay shrugged and headed back to his four poster, “Yes, I guess so…�

I blinked, “What does that mean, Clay?�

Clay rolled his eyes and looked at me, “It means, Andran, that I didn’t ask her to be my date in order to have a pretty thing on my arm all night or so I can sneak off to a broom cupboard with her, or so I can filch as many Quidditch secrets as I can from her, or – wait, why am I even bothering to explain this to you?�

“Because I asked.�

“Well… whatever. I’m going to bed. Don’t ask me again… and if anyone storms in here like Drake, then… I don’t know, curse them or something. I don’t want to deal with it.�

I sighed as Clay drew his curtains closed and decided to do the same. Not that I figured I would be able to sleep, but still, I wanted to be alone.

I smiled into my pillow. I wonder if Drake would do anything to ‘get even’ with Clay?

---

A/N: I would like to add an apology for not updating this much sooner... I hope all my faithful readers are still out there... somewhere... Please read and review! I will really try to update this sooner, I promise. Love ya all!