Bonded

The Statue Curse

Wendy waited for everyone to get her attention than started to sing "Beat Back Those Bludgers and Chuck that Quale Here" by Celestina Warbeck, everyone was amazed, her voice was angelic, thin but at the same time full, she sailed through the song as if she had written it herself, as if she was part of it. Professor Flitwick listened to her serious, and when she finished he waited for the applause to put off before speaking.

-Well it appears I was wrong.. - He began. - You're so not like your father... YOU ARE EVEN BETTER!! - Wendy blushed coming down from the bull. -Congratulations Miss Boardman!! You're in the choir!-

After Wendy it was Verity's turn who was so agitated that couldn't even control her voice, but since Professor Flitwick though she was tuned and with a pretty voice gave her a chance too, with the peculiarity that she would have had to follow extra classes to catch up with the others.

When the both of them had finished they set off together for their afternoon classes.

-Was I that bad?- Asked Verity.

-No no you weren't that bad .. but that piece is not in your comfort zone at all-

-I feel pretty comfortable in it actually.. everyone always tells me that I sing it really well..-

-Fine. Then why did you ask for my opinion if you were so sure about it?-

-I don't know to have your support?-

-Okay fine. You did great!!! Better now?-

-There's no need to be mean! I just wanted to talk with you because I feel pretty uncomfortable in this world, is not like I had my daddy to teach me everything... -

-See? You are so dull that the moment you stepped into this world you started to talk without even know what you are talking about! You are just like anybody else-

-How dare you call me dull? I talk about what I see, and what I see is a spoiled witch-

-Stop it.- Said Wendy with her teeth tighter than steel.

-Whose father taught her everything she needed to know as a starter, and she's too proud to admit it fearing anybody will think less of her.-

-I said STOP IT!!-

Verity was invested by a flash of red light, and called back sitting on the ground, she got up immediately and drawn out her wand too pointing it directly at Wendy's chest.

-My father was never around, everything that I've learned, I've learnt it by myself. He was not the "I take you under my wing" kind of dad, but more a "I leave you forever, with unkept promises" kinda of dad. So I won't accept that you'll take away what I've earned.-

Without adding anything else Wendy put back her wand inside her robes, turned on her heels and left, as she walked away she could feel Verity's eyes pointed on her back. For a moment Verity stood there watching Wendy walk away, then store back the wand in her robes too and walked the other way.

What happened that day between Verity and Wendy seemed to had have really upset Wendy, since she seemed to not look Verity in the eyes, and when they meet in the corridors she appeared to change path on purpose. The situation remained stucked this way until one of the first Spring mornings in March.

Gryffindor and Ravenclaws students had just finished their Charms Class on a Thursday, during which Verity had tried to talk to Wendy about what happened but she seemed to avoid her, when they saw a crowd of students coming from the Great Hall running towards the Tower's Clock Countryard.

-What's happening?- Asked someone in the back, everyone was murmoring different hypothesis.

-Do you think someone died?- Said someone.

Professor Snape and Professor Mc Granitt were running towards the countryard, passing right beofre their eyes.

-Professor what happened?- Asked a Slytheryin girl passing by.

-It's none of your buisiness Nook! You and your house, and all of you back there. - She said gesturing towards the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws croweded at the feet of the Great Staircase. - In your common rooms! - And without adding anything else she headed towards the Clock Tower Countryard.

Verity looked left and right seeing her fellow students moving towards their dormitories, she met Wendy's eyes who immediately looked somewhere else, but it was enough to know both of them had the same thought. They moved from the staircase and started to walk towards the garden, followed by Fred and George they sticked their heads out from the door and saw Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Madam Pomfrey, and Professor Dumbledore all surrounding a grey figure.

-What do you reckoned happened Severus?- Asked Dumbledore decisive.

-It seems to me that he's been petrified Sir, how I cannot say.-

-Yes I thought so..- Dumbledore eyes studied the grey figure.

-What kind of curse is this Dumbledore?- Asked Minerva Mc Gonagall in a shaky yet still voice.

-I don't know, never seen such a thing, for sure this is not a Pietrificus Totalus Curse, or the body would be rigid... this one has been completely turned into stone.-

-What shall we tell the students?-

-Nothing for now Minerva, I want Mr. Powell here out from everybody's sight, take him to the hospital wing. -

Professor McGonagall conjured a concealing  cloth which covered entirely the boy's body camouflaging it with the rest of world. All the professors set off in a different direction leaving the twins, Verity and Wendy alone.

-Do you know him?- Asked Wendy to no one in particular.

-I know it's a Hufflepuff's boy.. - Said George. - Mudblood. -

-What does that mean? - Asked Verity.

-It means your parents are not from the magical world. - Replied Wendy stiffly without even looking at her in the eyes.

-I'm a mudblood, what does that mean? -

-I hope nothing.. - Said Fred. - Come on.. let's go. -

They headed for lunch in the Great Hall which was filled with murmurs everywhere about what had just happened, Fred George and Verity sat at the Gryffindor table and Verity turned at the Ravenclaws hoping to catch Wendy's eyes but she wasn't even there.

-The two of you still aren't talking? - Asked Fred.

-No. - Replied Verity in tight teeth.

-What happened? I mean you looked so close.. - He looked at Verity, who didn't seem to being keen to reply. - Well changing the subject.. do you know that we have a foreign student in Hogwarts? -

-What you mean? - Asked Verity finally raising her eyes from the plate.

- Alanza Alves, she's coming from Castelobruxo. -

-What is that? -

-Castelobruxo is the Magic School of Brasil. - Explained George.

-I didn't know there were other Magical Schools other than Hogwarts.. -

-Are you kidding? Each country has its own.. - Said Fred.

-We have Hogwarts right? America has Ivelmorny, Brazil Castelobruxo, France has Beauxbatons, Norway has Durmstrang.. -

- Russia has Koldovstoretz, Japan Mahoutokoro, Uganda has Uagadou and Italy Bosco Bolla. - Concluded George.

Verity looked at them startled, amazed by how the twins who may have seemed so superficial from the outside where always ready to surprise you.

-How come you always know all these stuff? - She asked.

-We can't tell you our secret.. - Said Fred pompously. -But we have our source. -

After lunch they headed for Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, with Professor Rackepick, and then they all headed back to their own common rooms, thinking about what that episode happened that morning might have significated. In the following days, all through the classes and free periods, this was the only topic discussed around Hogwarts, everyone was making theories about what happened and about who could have been behind it.