The Tear Collector (a Harry Potter fanfic)

Chapter Four: Meeting Nancy

Jeremiah Spade looked around the Gryffindor table. Everyone had that same look on their face, the same emotion in their eyes- fear. After the death of Orsay, not only had everything changed, everyone had changed. Even Harry Potter - the bravest person Jeremiah knew- sat conferring in whispers to his two friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Behind his round spectacles, Jeremiah noticed, Harry's eyes were sunken and exhausted. But then again, so were everyone's.

Jeremiah chewed on his rubbery pudding, was it just him, or had the meals also changed? The house elves were probably down in the kitchen, cowering in fear as well, too scared to make a decent meal.

It was only as Jeremiah lost interest in his pudding that he felt a pair of eyes watching him. He looked up to see a girl dropping her head quickly. He tried to determine who she was. When she turned to look around, he recognized her. It was the muggle-born, the one with no friends. Suddenly, he remember what Dumbledore had said about keeping your friends close. He looked back down to his mangled remains of pudding, feeling pity.

When Professor Dumbledore had dismissed the school to bed (after making them sing the Hogwarts song in attempt to cheer everyone up), Jeremiah left the Great Hall hastily. He didn't want to be caught out of bed after the curfew, or worse...

He began to climb the staircase to the portrait of the Fat Lady as he heard the footsteps. He turned slowly, fearing the worst like everyone did nowadays. And then he screamed.

'Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you.'

He focused, the shock soon leaving him after hearing the innocent-sounding voice. Standing in front of him was the same girl that had been looking at him in the Great Hall.

'Oh, it's you,' he breathed in relief, 'I thought for a moment..well...'

'You don't have to say it,' the girl responded, her voice quiet but soothing.

'Right. Now, what do you want?' He hadn't meant to sound mean, but it was nearing six o'clock.

'Of course, sorry. Well, um, it was just... I hear you're interested in Sherlock Holmes. You know, the Muggle book series.'

It was true, every night, before he went to sleep, Jeremiah would read Sherlock Holmes. His father, a Muggle, always use to read it to him. It was by far his favourite book series.

'Yes, but how did you know that?' he questioned.

'Oh. Well, um, you know Hogwarts, things spread,' she replied jokingly. Jeremiah wondered which of the boys in his dormitory had gone blabbing. Probably Artemis, whenever there was a jar of rumour, this was the boy holding the knife and spreading it across the whole of Hogwarts.

'Anyway,' the girl continued, 'I really like it as well. I thought we could, um, start a club or something?'

Jeremiah considered the thought. A Sherlock Holmes club...he was definitely in.

'Sounds like a good idea.'

'Great, um, well why don't we head back to the dormitory' the girl said. Both first-years began to climb the staircase to the Fat Lady, who was snoring already. A couple of older students rushed by them as they went.

It was the girl again who spoke first, 'so, um, I was thinking we could just discuss the books and you know, his detective skills. I've read all of the books.'

'Me too,' Jeremiah clarified smiling, excitement rising in his voice. 'So where would we meet?'

'How the about in the- Mimbulus Mimbletonia.'

'Where?' Jeremiah asked, baffled. But then he realised that this was the password to Gryffindor tower. The Fat Lady awoke grumpily and swung open, allowing them entrance.

'Sorry,' the girl said, 'I was going to say “in the library”.'

'Great,' Jeremiah responded. 'Tomorrow?'

'Okay, great, tomorrow,' she smiled, heading for the Girls dormitories.

'Wait!' Jeremiah called a little too loud. 'What's you name?'

'I'm Nancy,' she smiled, 'what about you?'

'Jeremiah.'

Both Sherlock Holmes fans said goodbye to their new friend and parted ways. There were detectives at Hogwarts.