The Wand Makers Apprentice

Chapter 15

The third year students lines up along with the years above them for their first trip to Hogwarts. Chatter rippled down the line as they stood at the gates, waiting to be released. It was freezing cold and Rosie stood clutching George to try and keep warm, her bobble hat and thick sheep skin jacket safice to keeping her at the appropriate temperature for her comfort.

As the gates swung open and a snake line of students walked along the lane to Hogsmead, Rosie grabbed George's warm gloved hand, which felt smooth against her sensitive skin.

They pulled themselves into the warmth of the the three broomsticks and sipped on their butterbeers with care as they began to remove their layers. Rosie wanted to stay in today instead of coming out, but Lena had dragged her along much to her protests.

Lee Jordan was doing something unusual under the table, making Lena burst out laughing. George raised and eyebrow before turning to Rosie and continuing their chat about a group of annoying Slytherin girls they were complaininga bout earlier.

Five butter beers each later and the Three Broomsticks was buzzing with Hogwarts students. Rosie was pestering Lena to leave and go to the hogs head to see Aberforth and escape the ramble of their current destination, but she seemed distracted by soemthing at the other side of the pub and even when Rosie asked her if she would either brutally murder a house elf with her bare hands or have intercourse with Merlin and she just grunted and waved her hand.

"Lene, Lene, Lene!" She said, pulling on the sleeve of Lene's robe, trying to attract her attention. The three boys were deep in conversation with the arrival of the rest of the Gryffindor's in there year, leaving the two girls in privacy. "What's so interesting that you've been gawping at for the last two hours."

"Spinner." She said simply, not removing her gaze. Rosie squinted to a corner of the pub where a small group of Hufflepuff third years where gathered. Rosie moaned in frustration at her best friend and grabbed hold of her chin, pulling her face round and squeezing her cheeks so that they were making solid eye contact.

"What is wrong with you?" Rosie asked in a harsh whisper, not releasing her hand from her face as she could feel Lene urging to turn around.

"I need to watch him Rosetta!" She mumbled, barely able to move her lips because of Rosie's vice like grip. She was starting to look slightly crazy with her big eyes growing, giving her the physcopath look. Rosie knew the serious of the situation from her use of her full first name. "You don't understand."

"Well tell me then!" Rosie said, trying to get through to her. Lena's thoughts were clouded and something that she would've normally been able to pick up without asking was suddenly made obscenly difficult.

"I can't put my finger on it Roz.." She said, trying to move her pupils so she could see this mysterious Spinner boy, and Rosie let go. "I was going to see Grandpa on Friday night, to get some cold potion because of that flu I cauhgt when I was trying to drag you out of the lake, and as I walked past the Snape's office I could hear shouting, and then someone used an illegal curse. It wasn't a voice I recognised, it was Snake like and made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, but it wasn't jusut the use of an illegal curse that made me think that this person is infact evil, it was just something..." She was still looking at Spinner the whole time she re-told her bizzare tale. "Then Quirrel walked out and was fiddling with his turban. He saw me and obviosuly went into his normal flustered state and wandered down the corridor muttering something, so I knocked on Snape's office door, to see if he was Ok because of the voice, but there was no answer and when I tried to open it it was locked."

"And where does Spinner come into all this." Rosie said, looking over at the Hufflepuff table. Among them was Cedric and she had only just noticed him. Unfortunetly, Cecric had noticed the two Gryffindor's looking a while ago and kept nervously glancing up, but Rosie ignored his exsistance, just looking out of the corner of her eye.