Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 2

(Part of the 'Emerald Spellbook' series)

This fic doesn't acknowledge OoTP. None of the sequals to this fic will acknowledge it either.

Harry Potter and all the characters are not mine blah blah blah. The only things/people I own are Wendy Potter and Esmeralda Carney. Please do not use them in a story without asking me. Thoughts are in italics.

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Wendy stared out the window of their train compartment. This time though, the source of her melancholy was not their parents. She was upset that George was not going to be returning to Hogwarts that year. He shouldn't have even been at the school the year before, but because of a certain incident in their seventh year Fred and George had been held back. She felt stupid though. After all, they had never officially become a couple. She looked over at Harry and Hermione. That year's Head Boy and Girl. Harry was sleeping with his head on Hermione's shoulder. She smiled. She was glad her brother was so happy.

Harry woke up as he felt the train shudder to a halt. "Are we there already?" he yawned. He peeked out the window. Hagrid, as usual, was standing on the platform, waiting to lead the first years across the lake.

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Wendy filed sluggishly out of the Hogwarts express and into the carriage that would take them up to the castle. As they drove to the castle Ron busied himself with organizing his book of Quidditch cards. Thanks to a birthday present from the twins he now had a whole lot more added to his collection. He still wanted to know where they got all that money after his fourth year. He suspected Harry had something to do with it since every time he asked his best friend about it he seemed very dodgy with his answer.

The carriage pulled up to the castle and everyone moved into the great hall.

The sorting ceremony was nearly over. A black-haired Irish girl had just been sorted into Ravenclaw. Harry was staring at the unusual color of the beads on Hermione's bracelet when Professor McGonagall looked up from her list. "Alright everyone let's......" she trailed off. There was another student standing near the stage. She had dark brown skin and snow white hair. She also had blue eyes. She looked up at McGonagall with a neutral expression. McGonagall was simply frozen in place. She had never missed a student before. Obviously embarrassed, she cleared her throat. "Oh dear. Um, what is your name child?"

The girl stared blankly for a moment before answering. "Esmeralda Carney," she said tonelessly.

"Well then, Miss Carney. Please seat yourself on the stool. We shall have to retrieve your records later," McGonagall prompted.

Esmeralda sat on the stool and the sorting hat was placed on her head. Everyone waited. Without warning the hat let out a cry of anguish, turned white and fell off her head. It landed with a soft plop on the floor. She looked down with what seemed to be despair and then simply disappeared. Gasps of surprise echoed throughout the great hall. Everyone began talking at once.

McGonagall glanced nervously at Dumbledore as she scooped up the trembling sorting hat, which was slowly returning to it's original color. He stood and clapped his hands. "Alright everyone," he said loudly to make his voice heard over the students. Once the chatter had died down he continued. "That will be quite enough. You will all have plenty of time to discuss this after announcements. Rest assured the teachers and I will investigate this matter," he cleared his throat and continued. "As most of you know the Weasley twins graduated last year. Anyone considering taking their place would do well to remember the incident that cause them to repeat their seventh year." At this, giggles broke out among some of the students. "Silence! The next person to laugh will receive the first detention of the year. It is never amusing when someone has been hurt because of a practical joke," he said angrily. The quiet was instant and everyone who had laughed, even a few of the Slytherins, looked ashamed of themselves. "Minerva, if you would care to continue," he said as he sat down.

McGonagall nodded and stood. "As head of Gryffindor house it is my sad duty to inform you that Sir Nicholas, know to many of you as Nearly Headless Nick, has been missing since mid-August. The Bloody Baron believes he may have crossed over." Looks of sadness passed the faces of many of the students. Three of them even began to cry. McGonagall gave the students a moment to absorb the news before continuing.

"Please be advised that all seventh years must choose at least three elective classes to have enough credits to graduate. Be sure to pick up a copy of the elective list from Hagrid before you leave here. Thank you," she finished. She then took her seat next to Dumbledore.

The start of the year feast went on in a strange silence. For the moment, the passing of Nearly Headless Nick overshadowed the strange girl known only as Esmeralda Carney.

"Do you think Esmeralda's a ghost?" asked Ron as he moved his knight.

"It's the only thing I can think of," Harry replied while he considered his next move. He decided to move a pawn.

"But why did the sorting hat turn white like that?" Ron said as he took Harry's pawn.

"Natural reaction to being put on a ghost?" Harry offered, frowning at the loss of his chess piece.

Hermione made a face. "Harry, look." She pointed over Harry's shoulder.

Harry turned around and sighed heavily at what he saw. Wendy was sitting on the window sill, staring at nothing. He got up and walked over to her. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. I thought you weren't gonna go on about that anymore."

Wendy looked up at her brother and gave a small smile. "It's not that. I'm just a little upset that I haven't gotten anything from George in the last three weeks."

"Talk to Ron. He might know what's going on," Harry offered. Wendy smiled appreciatively and nodded. She and Harry headed back over to Ron.

Wendy tapped Ron, who was studying the chessboard, on the shoulder. "Hey Ron," she said as he turned around, "Do you know what's up with George?"

Ron suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Um......can we talk about this later?"

Wendy suddenly looked suspicious of Ron. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just not something I want to say in public," Ron replied.

Wendy frowned. "Well can we go somewhere else then? This is really bothering me."

Ron nodded. "C'mon. Let's go to the pool house."

The quartet sat on one of the newly installed benches that sat against the walls of the pool house. The benches had tan wooden seats with dark green wrought iron frames. "Okay. Here's the thing. He's nervous," Ron said rather quickly.

Wendy looked confused. "Why? We're just friends."

Ron sighed. "I think he wants to ask you to be his girlfriend."

Wendy looked surprised for a short moment and then smiled. "Really?"

Ron nodded. "But don't tell him I said anything."

"Not a problem. But how'd you find out about this?" Wendy asked.

Ron looked a little embarrassed. "I found a couple of letters to you in the trash. None of them had more than a couple of sentences."

Suddenly Harry burst out laughing. Everyone stared at him. "Sorry. It's just the idea of George being serious........" he trailed off as he began to laugh again. After a moment everyone else joined in.

Hermione looked at her watch through her tears of laughter. "We'd better go. Dinner will be starting soon," she said as she stood up.

As Ron and Hermione went through the pool house entrance Harry noticed Wendy wasn't with them. He turned around to see her staring out the window again. But this time he was glad to see that her expression was a happy one. He smiled and left her to her thoughts.

Harry and Hermione were sitting on the couch directly in front of the Common Room fireplace. Hermione had her head on Harry's shoulder. She had a contented smile on her face. "Love you," she murmured.

Harry smiled. "Love you too, Mione," he said as he bent his head down to kiss her.

Suddenly the couple heard a loud crash behind them. They turned around to see a large vase broken on the floor. Harry looked at Hermione, who shrugged. "Must've been Peeves," she replied to his wordless question.

Harry nodded in agreement at first, then he stopped. "Wait. Where is he? He usually sticks around to gloat." He looked around the room, searching for the pesky poltergeist.

Now Hermione was confused. "You're right. That's odd." She shrugged again and leaned back against Harry.

Harry gave up his search and went back to enjoying the warm glow of the fire with Hermione

High above them, hidden in the shadow of a roof support beam, was a pair of glowing yellow eyes connected to an unseen body with a murderous heart.

.........TO BE CONTINUED