Not Again//Harry Potter [2]

9

The sun was at it's peak -- metaphorically speaking. For it was not noon but an hour before sundown; Autumn's favorite time of day. The sun was at it's best there; everything was golden -- no matter the season. The way the light moved reminded Autumn of simpler things.

"What should we do while they have detention?" Hermione asked, putting her finished homework on her desk.

Autumn shrugged, turning her head from the window. "We could start the counterspell?" It was the perfect time for it -- Harry and Ron were out and there were no distractions. 

Hermione debated her reply, before nodding. "Let's go to the restroom on the first floor -- no one goes there anymore."

"Why?" Autumn asked, sliding her boots onto her feet.

"A girl haunts the restroom," Hermione answered. 

"Wait, the girls restroom? On the first floor?" Autumn asked, suddenly her head pounding. 

"Think of it. . . Think of the ring. . ."

Hermione stood from her desk and grabbed a book from under her bed. "That is what I said, why?"

"Remember the daydream that I had?"

"That's where the ring is. . ." Hermione said, answering Autumn.

>>>

With a groan, Autumn placed the cauldron on the ground and waved her hands around, getting the feeling in her fingers back. Cauldrons were heavy, Autumn thought. Too heavy. From her pocket, Autumn grabbed the many blackened pages that were originally from her great-grandfather's journal.

"Alright. What's the first step?" Autumn asked, giving Hermione her full attention.

Hermione opened the book to the page that had the instructions. Her finger scanned the page until she found the beginning of the counter-spell.

"First step is to put all the papers in a cauldron," Hermione said, reading from the book.

Autumn followed her instructions and carefully placed the papers into the cauldron.

"Second step is to. . ." Hermione stopped talking.

"What? What is it?" 

"You must get glass and slice your hand - enough to get blood to drip into the cauldron." Hermione grimaced. "I don't think this is a good idea. . . I should've read all of this before. . . I knew this was a bad idea. . ." Hermione rambled on to herself, but Autumn stopped listening.

Her attention was now focused on the dusty mirror above the sink beside her. She knew what she was going to do was a bad idea, but that was family! That journal belonged to her family, and Dobby ruined it. All she had to do was fix it. "I'm going to regret this," Autumn muttered.

"Going to regret wha—" 

Autumn grabbed a small piece of rubble from the ground and smashed it against the glass. The mirror was instantly shattered -- glass was on the floor and some stayed on the mirror. Hermione let out a small scream before the ghost of Moaning Myrtle wailed about. Autumn grabbed a piece of the shattered mirror as she walked back over to Hermione. "What was the step again?"

Hermione stared at Autumn, thinking of ways to stop her, but she knew this girl. She had thrown herself into danger it if meant saving her friend. She could only imagine what she would do for family. "You have to cut your hand and let the blood drip from your hand into the cauldron."

"Alright, then," Autumn said. She held the glass up with her right hand, looking at it. The glass was shattered, but it had a crystal clear reflection.