Chapter 9
Professor McGonagall nodded 'hello' to Harry and Hermione when they entered the classroom. There were cages containing stuffed animals that had been brought to life. They watched Harry with creepy plastic eyes while Hermione squealed about how CUTE they were.
"Oooooooooo! Professor! What are we going to do with them? We've already learned how to make them alive and then not already!" Hermione gushed.
"We're going to be changing them into what they really are." Professor McGonagall said.
"So, like, that purple bear will turn into a real bear.. That's purple?"
"Yes, Mr. Potter." McGonagall said. The bell rang and immediately students began to file into the classroom. All the boys got disgusted looks on their faces when they heard the girls squealing over the animals.
"I don't think I will live through this class." Ron whispered to Harry as he came in the classroom and he sat on the other side of Harry. Seamus and Lavender walked in holding hands. Neville sighed when he saw them. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle walked in and began to poke and prod the stuffed animals with their wands. The stuffed lion in their cage started to cry. They laughed. Nellie came in, she had taken her gauze wrap off of her arm, it didn't hurt that bad anymore. Neville caught her eye and pointed to the seat next to him. Nellie smiled and came and took the seat. Neville felt like he would die.
"Now class." Professor McGonagall said and the girls stopped cooing. "This is a very tricky part in Transfiguration. You will all do fine if you all pay good attention." Hermione straightened up in her seat.
"In front of you are some stuffed animals. They are already alive and your assignment is to make them real." Professor McGonagall further instructed them on what to do. Then they were ready. It was mayhem. Ron messed up on his cat and it still had a stuffed head. It yowled piteously and ran around the cage frantically.
"Ah! Animal abuse!" Pavarti yelled and tackled him.
"Ah! Wizard abuse!" Harry yelled and jumped up to help Ron.
"Class! Class! Settle DOWN!" cried Professor McGonagall. "Miss Patil, please get off of Mister Weasley. Potter, sit down." Harry sat down and Pavarti stood up. With a wave of her wand, Professor McGonagall gave the cat a normal head again.
"Do you want to be excused, Miss Patil?" McGonagall asked Pavarti, stepping in front of Seamus' cage to prevent her from seeing the puppy dog which still had stuffed back legs and a tail.
"Ah!!!!!" Pavarti screamed, seeing the dog and lunged for Seamus.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" He yelled and scrambled out of his chair to get out of the line of fire. *PUNCH* Pavarti was pushed back by a severe punch in face. From Nellie.
"Miss Vonwit!" Professor McGonagall gasped as Pavarti clutched her face.
"Sorry Professor." Nellie said, bowing her head. "You told her to settle down. I mean, they're just stuffed animals. So, because she didn't shut up, I.."
"Quite understandable." Professor McGonagall said. "You will be excused this time. Miss Patil, please wait outside while I have a talk with you." Pavarti pouted from under her hands. As soon as McGonagall had left the room, everyone began to talk.
"Whoa! That's one mean right hook!" Ron said. He had a bruise on his face from when Pavarti attacked him. Neville now knew he REALLY liked Nellie. It would nice, no great, to have a girlfriend who would defend you.
After the break after their Double Transfiguration lesson, it was lunch time. Several students were crowded in the entrance hall, reading a bulletin that had been posted up.
"Quidditch try outs and practice starts next week." Ron said to Harry, pushing his way out of the crowd.
"Finally. I wondered when they would start."
"And you won't believe what else they're doing this year." He pulled a face.
"Theres going to be---" he got cut off by his sister, Lavender, and Pavarti who yelled the news for Harry.
"CHEERLEADER TRY OUTS!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"Oh god." Harry muttered. Now all the girls were shoving the boys interested in Quidditch try outs aside and borrowed each others quills to sign up.
"Great. Just what this school needs." Ron said very sarcastically.
"Hi guys!" Hermione said. She had just pushed her way out of the crowd.
"Hi." Ron said glumly. "Man. Ginny watches too much Muggle ESPN and wants to be a cheerleader so bad. If she gets picked, I will die of too much school spirit."
"What's wrong with cheerleaders?" Hermione asked, frowning.
"Well. Uh. They, um... Oh, Great Wizards, I don't know!"
"Humph." Hermione said and stalked off to the great hall. The mass of girls had moved away and they were able to read the list.
"Cheerleader try outs." Harry read aloud. "Girls 5th year and above are welcome to try out for your house Cheering Team for Quidditch matches and other events. "
"Like what, I wonder." Ron said. "I hope they don't post up bulletins for junk like that one sport. Soccer, yeah, soccer."
"I don't think they would do that. Soccer isn't a wizarding sport. I just think they want cheerleaders to kind of make the school more modern." Harry said before continuing.
"Here's who signed up for Gryffindor Cheerleaders." He said. He and Ron went down the list.
".Ginny Weasley, Pavarti Patil, Lavender Brown, Lindsay Jamison, Theresa Wilks, Hermione Granger." They stopped reading and looked at each other.
"Hermione? A Cheerleader?" Ron asked. He started to laugh. "I can see it now." He began to wave his arms around.
"Hey team! Let's go! Wingardium Leviosa! Blah blah blah! Goooooooooo Gryffindors!" he said in a high pitched voice in imitation of Hermione.
"She could make a good cheerleader." Harry said, going slightly red.
"Whatever." Ron said. "Lets get some food."
Hermione didn't talk to Ron the entire lunch time. He kept saying things like, "Like, pass the potatoes, like, okay?" Hermione glared at him and passed the potatoes to Colin Creevy who had wanted them next after Ron. That made Ron shut up.
"I don't think that there is anything wrong with Hermione wanting to be Cheerleader." Harry said to Ron who was looking longingly at the potatoes.
"Well that's what you think. With all that reading she does." he added in an undertone. Harry changed the subject.
"What about Quidditch, eh?" He said. "You thinking of trying out again this year?"
"I was.." Ron said. "I mean, last year the practices were tough."
"Well, it's not easy being a keeper." Harry pointed out. "And with me being Quidditch Captain, that's not a piece of cake either.
"Cake?" asked Seamus. Harry rolled his eyes.
At the Slytherin table, Malfoy was also discussing Quidditch. He bragged about him being seeker and probably going to be promoted to Captain.
"Of course, I think I should be captain so I can grace our wonderful team with my presence and good bossing around skills." He said. He turned to Nellie.
"Why don't YOU try out for Quidditch?" he asked.
"I really don't want ----"
"Oh. You're trying out for cheerleading, aren't you?" Draco asked and rolled his eyes. Nellie didn't answer.
"Oh no! Not you too!" He clutched his head. "Ah! The school spirit! It is getting to me! All the girls are being sucked into the whirlpool of popular!" he fell backwards out of his seat. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.
"You are being so dumb today." Nellie sneered at them. They stopped laughing.
"Careful," Goyle whispered to Draco. "You don't want Master to get on your back." Draco climbed back into his seat.
"Are you still upset or something about the party?" Draco asked.
"No." Nellie said. "I just have a lot on my mind today and you guys are being really immature." She picked up her bookbag and headed towards the library to do her homework. Across the hall, Neville jumped up and followed Nellie out of the Great Hall.
"Hi!" Neville said, catching up with Nellie in the hall. She slowed her pace and smiled at him.
"Hi." She said.
"Where are you going?"
"To the library." Neville smiled.
"You're going the wrong way. The library is that way, past Professor McGonagalls office."
"Oh! I hate new schools!" she said and pouted. "I am getting lost and I am being driven out of my mind!"
"Hey," Neville said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about something? You sound like you need someone to talk to."
"Thanks Neville." Nellie said. "Then, um, could you show me to Professor McGonagall's office?"
"Sure. I guess I'll see you in the library then. I was going there to read up on some things for Defense Against the Dark Arts on Friday." Neville pointed out Professor McGonagalls office and he trotted off. Nellie knocked on the door to the office.
"Come in!" called Professor McGonagall. Nellie opened the door.
"Miss Vonwit! What brings you here?" she asked.
"Um. I wanted to talk to you about something.
"Yes? Have a seat, please." She conjured a chair out of the air and it fell with a thud to the floor. Nellie sat on the chair.
"Well, I was thinking.. If you said it was okay, I mean, I really don't like the Slytherin house a lot, and I was uh. wondering."
"If you could move to Gryffindor house?" Professor McGonagall finished for her and smiled. Nellie nodded.
"I wasn't too pleased myself with the arrangements of housing." She said. "But I think that we can add you in. Wait here, I will quickly speak with the headmaster." Professor McGonagall got up and left the room.
As Professor McGonagall reached the stone gargoyle that led to Professor Dumbledores office, Professor Midrigge was already leaving. Curious, Professor McGonagall quickened her pace.
"Tricky Trekkers." Said Professor McGonagall to the gargoyle and it sprang open. Up the staircase, reaching the door, she knocked.
"Come in!" rasped Professor Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall opened the door. Dumbledore was added more thoughts to his Pensieve.
"Ah. Minerva! I imagine you have something you want to discuss with me?" Dumbledore carried the Pensieve over to his desk and sat down in his plush chair.
"Yes Headmaster, Miss Vonwit is in my office right now. She came to me asking about. Transferring houses. I suppose the Slytherin accommodations aren't that pleasing and are troubling her." Dumbledore continued to stare at Professor McGonagall.
"So.. I was wondering if it would be all right if Nellie transferred to Gryffindor." Dumbledore kept staring. Finally he spoke.
"The sooner the better." Dumbledore said and pushed the Pensieve towards Professor McGongall. "Professor Midrigge had come to me with some great news. There is one survivor."
"I don't know what you mean, Headmaster."
"Remember when it was the feast? I noticed your eyes were a bit misty."
"It was only she briefly reminded me of. Lily." Professor McGonagall's gaze fell to the floor.
"She did not briefly remind you. She did remind you. And she is." Professor McGonagall gasped.
"She's... Lily?"
"No no no, dear Minerva. She is not Lily. But she is Lily and James' daughter. I daresay you remember?" Professor McGonagall stared at Professor Dumbledore. She remembered babysitting for little 1 year old Harry Potter. The smart boy he was. James called her up because he needed to take Lily to the hospital because she was in labor.
"Yes! Yes, I do! Oh this is wonderful! When are you going to tell her? Tell Harry?"
"I am afraid that won't be happening until things die down. You've read the latest Daily Prophet?"
"No, Professor. But why can't we tell them?"
"If Voldemort finds out who Nellie really is, he will want her on his side. Someone related to Harry would be a great ally for him. And imagine how upset they both would be. No parents, never knowing that they were siblings."
"Do you think.. Nellie or Harry know?" Dumbledore swirled the Pensieve with his wand absentmindedly.
"Professor Midrigge didn't say. But I have a great feeling that Nellie knows. And if she does know, Professor Midrigge doesn't want me to know how she found out." He stood up.
"You can tell Nellie she is now in Gryffindor house, but will have all the same classes as she had before. Good day, Minerva."
"Good day, Headmaster." Professor McGonagall stood up and left the office.
Nellie was ecstatic about being able to transfer. Professor McGonagall waited for Nellie to gather her belongings from Slytherin Tower.
"Where are you going?" Draco asked, looking up from the Daily Prophet he was reading in the common room.
"Moving." Nellie said and proceeded to the steps leaving the common room.
"Moving? You can't MOVE."
"And why not?" Nellie shifted her bookbag.
"Because! You're.. Branded." Nellie set down her trunk with a thump, glared at Malfoy, then SMACK! Draco drew back and clutched his cheek. Nellie lowered her hand.
"Never." She snarled. "Tell me what I can or can't do. I may be a new
'pet' but believe me. I know things that would make you treat me nicer."
"Like what?" Draco asked, rubbing his face.
"Ask VOLDEMORT." Nellie spat.
"Fine! I will!" Draco turned on his heel and stomped out of the common room off to his room. Professor McGonagall helped Nellie with her trunk. The Slytherin common room door slid shut. Down below, all was quiet, except for the popping of the fire. Draco's paper was still lying on the table.
"You Know Who's Plans for Hogsmeade!" read the headline. Underneath that were the words: "Outskirts of town. Or Hogwarts?"
The Fat Lady in the painting that led to Gryffindor Tower raised an eyebrow at Nellie.
"Nellie is our exchange student. She is changing houses." Professor McGonagall explained to the Fat Lady.
"Well then!" trilled the Fat Lady. "Welcome! The password is Quakopolis." She then swung open on her hinges and let Nellie and Professor McGonagall in. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at them.
"Attention!" Professor McGonagall said. "As you all know, this is Nellie, our exchange student. The Headmaster has suggested her transfer to Gryffindor house. Please treat her kindly." Professor McGonagall patted her shoulder and left. Lots of people greeted Nellie. She smiled at everyone. Yes, this was much better. Someone barreled through the crowd to get to her. It was Neville.
"Hi! This is so cool! You get to be in Gryffindor!" he said.
"Yeah! It is cool." She agreed. Several younger students were leaving to go to their classes, while the seventh years had the rest of the day off. Nellie was glad that she was in the seventh year classes. The grade and age courses in Salem were different, so she was right at home. Neville begged for help on his Divination, but Harry told him that he didn't have to bug Nellie. All he had to do was write a bunch of bull and he would at least pull a B on the assignment. Neville blanched and begged more.
"I don't want to pass with a B!" he wailed. Nellie smiled and asked him what he needed to do.
"We're studying oracles and prophecies." He said. "We need to decipher these so we can know what they predict."
"All right. That shouldn't be too hard." Nellie showed Neville how to easily figure out some lines by using the meanings of the words. As the minutes passed by, Hermione read a book and Ron helped Harry with making flyers for Quidditch try outs. Neville kept scooting closer to Nellie. It was quite flattering, Nellie smiled at him and went on explaining how to string everything they deciphered together to create the prophecy.
"Now want to help me with my Astronomy?" he hopefully asked.
"I'm hungry though. Why don't we work on your Astronomy a top one of the towers after we get some food?"
"I'm game!" Neville said, causing Ron to snigger.
Draco still had a red stain on his cheek and he avoided Nellie's eyes as she entered the great hall. Since Nellie had never had Astronomy before, nor had been in any of the towers, she asked Neville where to go. But how unfortunate, when they tried to reach the South Tower, they ended up in the Owlrey.
"At least it's a tower." Neville said shrugging. Night had already fallen, it being fall now.
"See those stars?" she asked, pointing out one of the windows.
"Mmm hmm."
"Those make Orians belt. The star in the middle shines to the west which bounces off 5 other stars which makes the connections with the moon which.. Are you paying attention?"
"No." Neville said, looking at her really weird.
"Neville? Are you. all right?"
"No!" Neville yelled, stomping his foot, startling several owls in the process. "I really like you Nellie! I gravel at your feet!" Neville threw himself to the ground and bowed to her.
"Neville! What are you doing?" Nellie asked, kneeling down and taking his shoulders. Then he kissed her.
"Ouch." Nellie said as Neville pulled away and grabbed her right forearm.
"Oh I'm so dumb! I knew I shouldn't have kissed you! Did I bite you? I mean, I never kissed a girl really before and.."
"It's okay Neville." Nellie said and returned the kiss on the cheek.
"Wow!" Neville said, fireworks going off in his eyes. Nellie giggled.
"Now back to Astronomy.."
That night after Neville came back from the common room, ("Finally." Harry thought to himself) Harry reached out of his curtains and picked up his watch. It was 12:54. He set it back down and slid off the bed. Ron snuffled in his sleep. Harry paused for a moment, and then hurried as quietly as he could down the stairs. Hermione wasn't there yet. He hoped she hadn't forgotten, being too busy talking to Nellie. There was a creak on the girl's dormitory stairs. Hermione in her robes peeked into the common room, the light from the fire throwing strands of her hair into glittery threads of gold. She jumped the last three stairs and ran over to Harry. He held his arms open wide and she jumped into them. She kissed him on the cheek. Harry kissed the top of her head and pulled her onto his lap. He leaned his chin on her soft head. There was no point really to this after midnight meeting. They just sat on the couch, cuddled, and watched the fire die down. Hermione broke the silence.
"Don't you think.. It's strange?" she asked.
"What's strange?" Harry asked, stroking her hair.
"Why Nellie transferred houses?"
"Not really." He answered. "If I was an exchange student and they put me with the rotten students, I would have gotten out too. But mind you, the sorting hat did want to put me in Slytherin."
"Well you're a true Gryffindor, Harry." Hermione said. Harry hugged her closer. There was silence once again. The fire crackled and Harry traced stars and hearts on the fabric of Hermione's robes with his fingers. Then there was a creak. on the stairs. Hermione sat up and they both stared towards the boy's staircase.
"Must be the wind from outside." Harry said. Hermione turned and leaned her head on Harry's chest.
"I'm glad we're here." She said. "Just us. Alone." She said and took up Harry's tracing.
"I just feel guilty though." Harry said.
"Everyone can't have what they want." Hermione said. "Everyone gets so many things and chances in life. We have ours. Ron can find his own." Harry sat up.
"Yes. I suppose that's true." Harry leaned in and kissed Hermione on the lips again. They kept kissing and pushing each other farther down on the couch. There was another creak on the boy's staircase. They ignored it. A door quietly shut. Ron pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak and leaned his back against the door and slid to the floor, tears glinting on his face.
Note: I am not trying to ruin everyone's mind. Harry and Hermione did not DO anything except kiss, okay? And there is nothing wrong with cheerleaders. They are just sometimes fun to make fun of. :)
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