Morning Chatter
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 02-01-02 10:25
Friday morning, Hermione got up early and bounded down the stairs hoping to find Harry and Ron already up. Of course, they were still sleeping, so she decided to think about what steps she would take next in her plan to redeem herself in the eyes of her fellow classmates and teachers.
She had her three suspects: Tempest, the initiator; Clara, the backup; and Pyrrhus, the mastermind.
Now, she just needed proof.
She had witnesses who saw the collision in Potions class, but did any of them actually see Tempest slip the cheat sheet into Hermione's papers? Probably not, but she could always interrogate her classmates to find out whether they had or not.
The cheatsheet. One of those three had to steal a sample of her writing in order to create it. She didn't have any classes with Pyrrhus, except for Care of Magical Creatures and they didn't write in that class anyway. Hermione scratched Pyrrhus off of her mental list. Unless he swiped one of her papers outside of class, he wasn't the culprit, but Tempest and Clara could have done it in any of the classes they had together.
As Hermione sat there lost in thought, Harry and Ron approached.
"Hey, Hermione," Ron said, taking a seat next to her.
Hermione snapped out of her reverie and smiled, "Hi Ron. Harry."
"Morning, Hermione," Harry yawned and collapsed in a nearby chair.
"I have something to tell the both of you," Hermione stated.
She began to tell them the whole thing, how she remembered Tempest mixing papers with her and how she needed the proof to clear her name.
"Is there anything you can remember that could possibly help me win my case?"
Ron and Harry looked at one another. "Actually, I remember something," Harry said, turning back to Hermione.
"You know that eagle we always see around campus? We always see it perched on window sills just staring into the rooms. Maybe it saw something."
Hermione raised a brow, "An eagle? You're telling me that my only hope for getting the evidence I need rests with a bird!"
"It's worth a shot, Hermione. Could be an animagus, anyway," Ron said. "And maybe the ghosts know something. Peeves."
Hermione groaned and buried her head in her hands. "I guess I'll try to find out who that bird belongs to."
She slowly got to her feet and checked the time. They didn't have class until the afternoon, so she had plenty of opportunity to investigate in the morning.
"Why don't you two find Peeves. See if he knows something. Majandra and I will look for the eagle's owner."
As if on cue, Majandra trudged down the stairs looking tired and worn out.
"Majandra, are you alright?" Ron asked, getting to his feet.
Majandra shrugged, "I have a headache, but otherwise I'm fine. So, what's the plan?"
Hermione filled her in and then the group broke to do their investigations.
As the two girls climbed through the portrait, the Fat Lady cried out, "Hermione, I must speak with you!"
Lunchtime!!
Author: Eileen
Date: 02-01-02 21:41
I sit down beside Katie Bell and Australia Kingston. We discuss Quidditch and our plans to take the house cup again.
"There is no way we can lose this year!!" says Katie.
"We've come from behind before," says Australia.
"Yeah, we did that when Harry and his gang lost 150 points for us, then gained 170 back . . .heheheheh I still relish the sight of Draco Malfoy's face that night!!" I say.
Talking happily we start on our breakfast.
Lunchtime
Chatter
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 02-01-02 23:09
Hermione and Majandra sat at the lunch table, deep in conversation about what they had learned from the Fat Lady. It was almost too good to be true. Surely, the news would be enough to clear Hermione's name, but she wanted more. She needed more.
Their meeting with Prof. Sorcha, the owner of the mysterious eagle was only somewhat fruitful, for all Ailsa could tell them was about as much as Hermione had been able to discover herself. She was thankful, nonetheless, for the information Sorcha and Aisla provided and believed that it could still be useful for her when she would present her case to Dumbledore.
As they whispered to one another, Harry and Ron approached looking quite defeated.
"Any luck?" Hermione asked hopefully.
Ron shrugged and took a seat next to her, "Peeves hadn't seen anything, but he offered to help you get your revenge."
"Thanks, Ron. The only revenge I plan on taking on those Slytherins is making them look bad in front of the whole school."
Harry laughed knowingly and added, "We tried to talk to the Bloody Baron, but I'm sure you can imagine how well that went."
"Thanks, anyway," Hermione said. "Now listen to this tidbit Majandra and I got from the Fat Lady..."
The two girls proceeded to tell the boys everything they had learned, including the bits of information Sorcha was able to tell them.
"Wow," Ron said, stunned. "Looks like everything is going your way."
"Not yet," Hermione said. "I won't be fully satisfied until I have more proof."
Harry rolled his eyes, "You're such a perfectionist, Hermione."
"Maybe. But I'm going to get back my pride, if it's the last thing I do."
They wrapped up lunch and headed off to Muggle Studies while Majandra wandered off somewhere. After class, Hermione would find herself back in Snape's office, serving her second detention of the school year.
Jane Austin
on Love
Author: Ron Weasley
Date: 02-02-02 02:51
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were cheerful as they made their way to muggle studies. It looked as though Hermione was going to get her justice all right, and then some. Those Slytherins were going to pay. But they put their thoughts of revenge on hold as they prepared to enter the classroom. As they walked in, they found Adriana sitting cross-legged on top of her desk. Hermione made her way up her teacher.
"Professor Fairchild, I just wanted to tell you that I–"
"Didn't cheat?" Adriana volunteered. "I know that. You're not the type."
Hermione smiled in appreciation and then took her seat between Ron and Harry. As soon as everyone had arrived, Adriana began.
"Alright class, today we're going to start our discussion on William Shakespeare. But first, are there any last questions about Emma before we go on?"
Ron looked around nervously and then raised his hand.
"Yes Ron?"
"Why does it take so long for Emma to realize that she loves Mr. Knightley?" Ron asked innocently, while glaring not-so-inconspicuously at Hermione.
Adriana thought for a moment. "Well, Ron, sometimes it's hard to see what's right in front of you." She paused, suddenly understanding the purpose of Ron's question. "And then, once you do it can be a very tricky situation. I mean, how do you approach that subject without jeopardizing the friendship?"
"Remember that in Jane Austin's time, you couldn't just date someone, you had to marry them. So naturally, Emma wanted someone to come and sweep her off her feet, so she would be sure. And Emma had known Mr. Knightley for so long, she didn't even see him as a possible suitor, just as a dear friend. If we recall both Mr. Elton and Mr. Churchill, however, I think we can all agree that she made the right choice." Adriana's eyes rested firmly on Hermione. "Mr. Knightley."
"I hope that answers your question, Ron." She winked. "Now, Hermione, in which one of Shakespeare's plays does the heroine share your name?"
Hermione smiled. "The Winter's Tale."
Adriana nodded in approval and continued to lecture to the class. Hermione, however, tuned out, lost in thought. Had Ron asked that question deliberately to get her attention? Did he feel the same way about her as she felt about him? But her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she realized she was scribbling "I love Ron' on her paper again. She turned the page quickly, hoping that Ron and Harry didn't notice. But this time Ron did notice.
He had seen it with his own eyes. Hermione had written "I love Ron" three times in a row. So, thought Ron happily, Emma really does love Mr. Knightley after all!
A Meeting,
Floo Powder, and Gringotts
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 02-02-02 11:36
Bill arrived outside Adriana's office at two o'clock on the dot. Before giving the door a hard knock, he ran his fingers through his hair a few times to make sure he at least looked decent for his outing with Miss Fairchild.
"Did you bring the floo powder?"
Bill was astonished, "Hello to you too, Adriana. I'm doing fine, thanks. And you? Fine too? Wonderful."
Adriana glared and folded her arms.
"Yes, I brought the floo powder," Bill said hastily. "Are you ready to go?"
Adriana grabbed a handbag off her desk and pushed Bill out of the way so that she could lock up her office. With that done, she turned to him and smiled, "Ready!"
The two exited the school and walked across the grounds towards Hogsmeade. They chatted a little bit about this and that as they went, and Bill tried his best to avoid any subject of conversation that could cause Adriana to get hostile. He was very curious as to what she wanted with Gringotts, and deep down he had a feeling there was more to this trip than just money from the bank.
When they arrived at Hogsmeade after their rather lengthy walk, which none of them seemed to have minded, they stopped at the inn Bill was staying at. He invited her up to his room and offered her some tea.
"No, thanks, Bill. So, how do you use this thing?" she asked, pointing towards the fireplace.
Bill took the floo powder out of his pocket and said, "Give me your hands."
Adriana held out her hands and cupped them together as Bill began to pour the powder into her white, dainty hands with one of his, while holding his other beneath hers. Her skin was a milky white, compared to his much darker complexion.
"That Egyptian sun is good to you," Adriana murmured.
Bill grinned, "Is it?"
"Well, yeah. Your skin has got this fantastic color!" Adriana took a few steps away from him and turned towards the fireplace. "Now, what do I do?"
"Just throw it into the fireplace."
Adriana threw the powder into the fireplace and watched as the flames turned a bright green. Meanwhile, Bill came up behind her and watched the glow from over her shoulder.
"Step inside the fireplace and say, 'The Leaky Cauldron'." he said, shifting his gaze from the fire to the side of her face. "Go on, I'll be right behind you."
She cautiously took a step towards the fireplace, before stepping all the way inside. "The Leaky Cauldron."
And then she disappeared. Bill took a deep breath, and followed suite.
***
Bill found Adriana dusting off her clothing when he arrived at the pub through the fireplace. He said hello to a few of acquaintances before taking her by the arm. "Come with me."
"Hey. Where are we going?" Why aren't we leaving the pub?" Adriana asked, as Bill led her to a back room.
Instead of answering her question, he found the correct bricks on the wall to tap, creating the archway to Diagon Alley.
"Wow."
Bill grinned and took her by the arm again, "Nice, eh? Come this way, Gringotts is close by."
They followed the cobbled street, walking past various shops and interesting characters. Soon, the white marble building came into view.
"There it is," Bill said, looking up at the bank. "Gringotts."
A Trip to
the Bank
Author: Adriana Fairchild
Date: 02-02-02 13:21
"There it is." Bill motioned to the bank. "Gringotts."
The two of them walked up the stairs and into the lobby. Adriana immediately laughed at the sight of the goblins. "Cute." she said, rather sarcastically. "What are these, gremlins?"
"Goblins." Corrected Bill, as he waved to one across the hall. "They're very clever and fierce, so be polite."
Adriana smiled. "I'm always polite!"
Ignoring her comment, Bill put his arm around her and led her to the back where the goblin was standing. Adriana's stomach fluttered; he had strong arms.
"Bill Weasley!" the goblin shouted while shaking his hand. "It's nice to see you back in London. Is there anything I can help you with today?"
"Yes, Griphook. Miss Fairchild needs to get to her vault." Bill handed him the key.
Griphook led the two of them pasts lines of wizards. "Wow, Bill." Adriana started playfully. "You're just a regular VIP. You'd make a better goblin king than David Bowie!" And a hotter one too! Adriana thought to herself.
Bill shushed her, either not appreciating her joke or else just not getting it. Apparently movies were a foreign concept to the wizarding community, even classics like "Gremlins" and "Labyrinth."
When they reached the vault, and the goblin finally turned the key, Bill and Adriana found themselves surrounded by piles and piles of golden galleons. Bill was in shock; she was rich. There were also pieces of antique furniture stacked up in the corner, but what really caught Adriana's attention was an old beat up trunk half hidden in the shadows.
With Bill's help, she slid the trunk out of its hiding place and tried to open it. It was locked. Typically, this wouldn't be a problem for a witch or wizard, but this lock, however, was enchanted.
"Damn it!" Adriana kicked the trunk. "Am I doing something wrong?"
"Easy there, tiger." Bill took out his wand and silently uttered Alohamorra, with no prevail. This was going to take much stronger magic. He wrestled with the enchantment for about five minutes before he was finally triumphant. The trunk lid flew open. That was impressive, Adriana had to admit to herself.
In the trunk were odds and ends–mostly scrapbooks and trinkets–wrapped up in newspaper.
"Hey, look at this." Bill pulled out a photograph of a very young Adriana playing outside a huge English manor. She waved happily and then continued with her imaginary tea party. "So you're not American after all?"
Adriana shrugged, "I'm American in every sense of the word, believe me. But, yes, I was born here." She flashed him a sly smile. "Come on, what do you expect with a name like Fairchild?"
Bill's smile faded. "Who was your father?"
"Sir Robert Fairchild." Adriana didn't like the look on Bill's face. "Why, what's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing's wrong." Bill sighed. "It's just that I've never heard of him...and the wizarding world isn't very big."
Adriana flipped through one of the albums until she found a picture of her mother and father. "Here he is with my mother, Ann. Apparently, he and Dumbledore were good friends.'
Looking closely at the picture, Adriana noticed how sad her father looked. But then her mother, who Adriana only had a few faded memories of, looked blissfully happy. Snapping the book closed, she moved on to the rest of the trunk. They found all sorts of old family heirlooms and treasures until the trunk was completely empty.
"Well, it looks like that's it." Bill started to put the items back in the trunk.
Adriana quickly placed her hand on his and whispered. "Wait."
She pressed down on the bottom if the trunk, and knocked. "Aha! There's a false bottom, I knew it!"
Again, it was guarded with an enchantment, although this time Bill couldn't crack it. Adriana tapped him aside, "It's a family trunk, so maybe I have to do it.'
She was right. Within seconds, the wood disappeared revealing an old book and a thin box.
The book was a leather-bound journal, with For Adriana glittering in gold letters on the front cover. The pages were all blank. Adriana shrugged, "It must be a journal."
Next she opened the thin box. She and Bill were shocked to see a brand-new wand. Adriana grasped it gently, but her touch started an eruption of light and silver sparks. All at once Adriana felt a power unlike any other. She pointed her wand at one of the old chairs and within a flash in became a monkey. Laughing, she turned it back and smiled at Bill. "This wand is amazing! It's like it knows what I'm thinking!'
Bill frowned. "Adriana, I don't think you should use that until Dumbledore has seen it. This is strong magic."
Although a little defeated, Adriana knew he was right. She wrapped up the wand and put it in her purse along with the journal, a photo album, and a handful of galleons. "Right then, let's go."
They strolled back through Diagon Alley, arm and arm. Bill didn't say anything, but he was worried. Things just didn't add up. Although now he at least was aware of Adriana's innocence. Anything troubling in her past was that way because of her parents.
As they walked into the Leaky Cauldron, Adriana suddenly turned to face him. "Have you been to London?"
Bill looked confused. "We are in London."
"No, darling, Muggle London!" Bill cringed at the hint of irritation that slipped into her tone.
"Of course." Bill paused. "Well, when I was younger."
Adriana grabbed him by the hand and led him to the door. He hesitated, "We can't go out there, Adriana!"
"Sure we can. It's only four o'clock" She then flashed a sexy smile that Bill couldn't resist.
"Fine. But only for a few hours."
