The Other Potter

CLXX. FEELING LUCKY

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"Mia, where have you. . . ."

Hermione's jaw dropped as Mia stumbled into the common room. Her uniform was soaked with water and blood, with the ends of her hair wet. Looking at her friends, her face was filled with horror and fear as her hands were shaking.

"What happened?" Ron asked, looking at the girl. She looked at her brother and saw he was holding the potion textbook lying limp in his hand. Harry looked at her as she stared at him.

"He nearly killed Draco," Mia said, her voice shaky as everyone looked at Harry. "There was a spell in the book."

"How did you know?"

"I asked Professor Snape after we took Draco to the Hospital Wing," Mia said, her blue eyes still filled with tears, "and he said it was a Dark Magic spell, one to be used on those you wish pain and suffering too."

"Why do you care?" Harry asked. "Why do you care about that boy so much?"

"Because he could have died," Mia said as she looked at Harry.

"He is a despicable. . . ."

"He is someone's son," Mia said, her voice shaky, "he is. . . ."

"Why are you defending him?" Harry demanded.

"Because he was the only one who cared about me when I died!" Mia yelled as everyone went silent. "Because he was the one who didn't treat me any different, who didn't look at me like I was this fragile thing! Because he was the only one I could talk to when my brother caused me to relapse!" Her eyes watered as she looked at Harry. "Because he was the only one who made sure I was okay after the entire school turned on me, including my brother!"

Mia took a shaky breath as she looked at Harry. She said nothing as she walked up to her dorm, slammed the door, closed the curtains around it, collapsed onto her bed and sobbed into her pillow.

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"Mia."

The ginger girl was sitting in the common room, curled up in an armchair, reading her book as the vial of liquid luck was in her pocket. She looked up and saw Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting down with her.

"What?" she asked, closing her book and looking up.

"I think we should use the liquid luck to talk to Professor Slughorn," Harry said.

"What do you mean, we?" she asked, looking at him.

"Well, me and you," he said as Mia chuckled.

"No," she said, shaking her head. She got the vial out of her pocket and looked at her brother. "I am taking it."

She raised the little bottle and took a carefully measured gulp.

"What does it feel like?" whispered Hermione.

Mia did not answer for a moment. Then, slowly but surely, an exhilarating sense of infinite opportunity stole through him; she felt though she could have done anything, anything at all . . . and getting the memory from Slughorn seemed suddenly not only possible but positively easy. She got to her feet, smiling, brimming with confidence.

"Excellent," she said. "Excellent. Right . . . I'm going down to Hagrid's."

"What?" said Harry, Ron and Hermione together, looking aghast.

"No, Mia, you've got to go and see Slughorn, remember?" said Hermione.

"No," said Mia confidently. "I'm going to Hagrid's; I've got a good feeling about going to Hagrid's. I feel like it's the place to be tonight, you know what I mean?"

"No," said Harry, Ron and Hermione together, all looking positively alarmed now.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," Mia said with a grin, "or at least Felix does."

She sent them a wide grin before walking out of the common room, leaving the others standing in shock.

"But first," she said as she left the common room, "I have to do something." She walked to the hospital wing, quietly opened the door and was revealed to see Draco sitting up in his bed, reading a book.

"Potter?" he asked, looking up, and Mia walked in. "What are you doing here?"

"Something I should have done a while ago," she admitted. She walked towards him, put her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him. He instantly responded to the kiss before Mia stepped away and looked at him. "Okay, bye," she said, smiling before walking out and leaving Draco sat there, a confused but happy grin on his face.

It was as though the potion was illuminating a few steps of the path at a time. She could not see the final destination, she could not see where Slughorn came in, but she knew that he was going the right way to get that memory.

When she reached the entrance hall, she saw that Filch had forgotten to lock the front door. Beaming, Mia threw it open and breathed in the smell of clean air and grass for a moment before walking down the steps into the dusk. It was when she reached the bottom step that it occurred to her how very pleasant it would be to pass the vegetable patch on her walk to Hagrid's.

It was not strictly on the way, but it seemed clear to Mia that this was a whim on which she should act, so she directed her feet immediately toward the vegetable patch, where he was pleased, but not altogether surprised, to find Professor Slughorn in conversation with Professor Sprout. Mia lurked behind a low stone wall, feeling at peace with the world and listening to their conversation.

"I do thank you for taking the time, Pomona," Slughorn was saying courteously, "most authorities agree that they are at their most efficacious if picked at twilight."

"Oh, I quite agree," said Professor Sprout warmly. "That enough for you?"

"Plenty, plenty," said Slughorn, who, Mia saw, was carrying an armful of leafy plants. "This should allow for a few leaves for each of my third years and some to spare if anybody over-stews them. . . . Well, good evening to you, and many thanks again!"

Professor Sprout headed off into the gathering darkness in the direction of her greenhouses, and Slughorn directed his steps towards where Mia was hiding. Seized with an immediate desire to reveal herself, Mia stepped around the corner.

"Good evening, Professor."

"Merlin's beard, Mia, you made me jump," said Slughorn, stopping dead in his tracks and looking wary. "How did you get out of the castle?"

"I think Filch must've forgotten to lock the doors," said Mia cheerfully, and was delighted to see Slughorn scowl.

"I'll be reporting that man; he's more concerned about litter than proper security if you ask me. . . . But why are you out here, Mia?"

"Well, sir, it's Hagrid," said Mia, who knew that the right thing to do just now was to tell the truth. "He's really upset and he means a lot to me, so I'm going to make sure he's okay. It's because of his spider, Aragog. He was really big and talked a lot."

"I heard rumours there were acromantulas in the forest," said Slughorn softly, looking over at the mass of black trees. "It's true, then?"

"Yes, he tried to get his babies to eat me, Harry and Ron when we were twelve," Mia said smiling as if it was a normal thing. "Now if you don't mind, I'll just be heading down."

"It's nearly nightfall!" Slughorn said as Mia looked at him. "Surely you realise I can't allow you to roam the grounds all by yourself."

"Well, then by all means come along, sir," the ginger girl said smiling.