Stone | Harry Potter Fanfiction

The Girl in the Cottage

By Cate

Ella Stone was meandering along a strip of grass that ran parallel to a country lane. Her feet crunched the frozen grass beneath her and the low lying mist swirled in her wake as she headed towards the looming shadow that was her school. She was trying to create a good comeback to the name that she had been called the previous day by a "classmate", when she heard a pair of footsteps join her own. 

She had always been the only one who walked this way to school and had always walked alone. Who could it be? Was she being followed? She whipped around, and found herself face to face with a nervous looking, dark skinned girl with kind, dark eyes, frizzy, brown hair, and, rather large front teeth. 

The girl gave a frightened start at the sight of Ella giving her a hostile glare, and with her jaw set and fists clenched. When Ella realised that she had never met the girl before, she stopped glaring and changed her features to a look of innocent curiosity. The girl seemed a little less tense at the change of attitude towards her, but still looked wary (Ella's glares were her most efficient way of getting bully's to leave her alone.) The girl seemed too nervous to speak so she, for once, took the lead.

"Erm... hello." She mumbled "I'm Ella, Ella Stone. Are you new here? I haven't seen you before."

"Uh," squeaked the girl "I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger. And yes, I'm new here. I moved in last week."

For the first time in years, it seemed, Ella smiled. Not a forced smile but a genuine one.

"It's very nice to meet you, Hermione." She said as politely and kindly as possible, trying to make out that she was not actually as frightening as her glares.

"What year are you? I'm year 6 this year." Hermione's voice sounded a lot less frightened now.

"Oh, I'm a year six too! We might be in the same class!" Replied Ella excitedly. She was curious to find more out about the girl, she might, for the first time in her life, make a friend.

Together, Ella and Hermione set off once more towards the school, Hermione asking what the school was like, and Ella, in return, explaining how she was bullied constantly, and how the teachers seemed "wary" of her. At that point they couldn't continue their conversation, as they had entered the school through the intimidating wrought iron gates. Some older children stared menacingly at them as they passed. One, particularly rude looking, plump boy murmured to his friend 

"Oh, look, loony girl has found us another one to teach them their place." He laughed cruelly and leered down at Hermione, who looked terrified. 

"C'mon," Ella murmured to her, pulling her by the hand towards the school office.

***

Over the next few weeks, Hermione, helped by Ella, began to get used to the school bullies. The both of them, while doing homework together, would think up good come backs to the rude names and all manners of other unpleasant things that they were hissed at as they passed the bullies in the corridor. 

As Ella got to know Hermione better over the next few weeks, she realised how very alike they were. They both seemed to have odd things happen to them when in danger, mostly from bullies. For example, both Ella and Hermione, at some point at their time in school had found themselves being pushed up against the wall in the corridor, as though to 'show them who they were dealing with', but instead of hitting solid wood, they has sunk straight through, Hermione having found herself at the back of a classroom in a classroom full of year 2's. 

Both of the two girls were high achievers in everything that they attempted, apart from gaining friends. Even though the friends became almost inseparable in the first two short months of meeting each other, Ella still had a secret. A secret that no one knew, well, apart from her mums. When Hermione's parents were both going away for work and Hermione needed a place to stay for the night, Ella's parents warmly invited her to come and stay. Ella passed the news on to a rather relieved Hermione. 

"But,"Ella added quickly "I want you to know, before you come to my house," she steeled herself, ready for the confession. "I've got two mums... my parents are a gay." 

There was two seconds where there was complete silence. To Ella, the moment seemed to go on for years. Then, Hermione grinned at her,

"The funny thing is, this is exactly what happened with my only other friend that I've ever had. But she had to go to a boarding school in Ireland. I never went to her place, then I asked to stay the night, and she told me the same that you just told me," she hugged Ella and added in a whisper "it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's fine." 

From then on, there were no secrets.

***

"In the charming little village of Chobham, in Surrey, there appears to be traces of magic. The trace has shown us two separate, though near, cases of magic. As the first of September is only roughly three months away, Dumbledore, you need to give these muggles a visit. The daughters of the muggles; Ella Mouve Stone and Hermione Jean Granger, will need to be informed of their children's abilities. As our sources inform us, the two girls are good friends, and don't seem to get on with anyone else at the school." 

Cornelius Fudge looked up from the sheaf of crisp parchment held in his hand, and looked at Albus Dumbledore, sitting opposite him, one on either side of the Minister of Magic's desk. Dumbledore nodded, the lenses of his half moon spectacles glinting in the light of the flickering flame that was illuminating the room. As he rose from his chair, he asked 

"Will they be in at 6.30 this evening?"

Fudge consulted his parchment before looking up, and replying,

"Yes though they are seeing a ... movie? Whatever those muggle things are, at 8pm. So don't take too long."

"Thank you."  The door closed with a snap, as Dumbledore left the room.

***

I will not climb on the roof.
I will not climb on the roof.
I will not climb on the roof.
I will not climb on the roof.
I will not climb on the roof.
I will not climb on the roof.

Ella looked up at the clock hanging on the wall: 4.59pm
Only one more minute, she thought.

I will not climb on the roof.
I will not climb on the roof.
I will not climb on the roof.
I will not climb on the roof.
I will not cli

"You may go now, Ella. Hermione, I want a word."

"Thank you Mrs. Teresa." 

Ella packed up her stuff and walked into the corridor, closing the door gently behind her.

Hermione felt extremely nervous as she stepped up to Mrs. Teresa's desk. The teacher stood up, and she bent down over little Hermione, her locks of blonde hair dangling in the girls face.

"I should warn you," she said in a deep whisper, "you have great potential, Hermione Granger, but that girl," she jerked her thumb at the door, "will ruin everything, get away while you can."

Hermione was shocked by these words, but was too intimidated to retort. 

"Thank you Mrs. can I leave?" she asked nervously.

The teacher nodded curtly, and watched Hermione out the door.

I hope you enjoyed it, this is my first fanfiction so PLEASE give me some FEEDBACK! 

Some of these chapters will be written by my cousin, Emma lifecansucksometimes. She's the co-writer and editor of this fanfiction.