(1) The New Ones// A Messed Up Hogwarts Year

32/ After Hours

The astronomy tower is cold at night.

When you can't go sleep, it's your best bet.

Sure it's illegal I guess, but I could care less. It was just this morning when Erin brought up Harry and I had been thinking about it the whole day. Even when Padma asked me about what happened with the Sorcerers Stone. Even when  Arnie McMillan asked me the answer to the Ravenclaw riddle. It was always there I guess. What bothered me most though is that she was right.

He is always getting better, according to Madam Pomfery but still. It's enough to keep you up at night when you were there with him and still woke up first. I shake my head to clear the thoughts and swing my feet back and forth. I am sitting on the very edge of the astronomy tower so if I decided to lean over and look down past my feet it would be a long way away. My owl, Lesia sits next to me.

Thoughts swirl around my head as the stars twinkle above and Lees hoots softly. The term is so close to ending and I'm stressing over nothing. He's getting better.

"Elaine?" I hear a voice and literally come so close to falling off the tower it's alarming.

"Who's there?!" My voice sounded squeaky.

"The rules aren't supposed to be broken," a voice said. My heart was hammering and Lees flutters her wings. "But this is a special case," the invisibilty cloak slides to the ground and Hermione steps out.

"Oh my lord Hermione!" I gasped, my heart still beating insanely fast.

"Hey there," she said, coming to sit next to me. "Jeez Lainey how can you stand these heights?" Hermione spooked Lesia who took off, soaring back to the owlrey.

"I dunno," I said, playing with a dark curl.

"Worried?" She asks, fiddling with the sleeve of her cozy looking sweater.

"Yeah I guess,"

"You're so brave Elaine, it's okay to worry." I grit my teeth.

"But I was there with him! I should be in his place!" I hiss.

"It's only been three days, give it time."

"Ugh!" I say and Hermione laughs, sliding her arm around me.

"It'll be okay," I nodded, shivering a bit. "How long have you been up here?" She asked.

"Long enough," I said, swinging my legs again.

"Well you should get back to bed,"

"You're not my mother 'Mione."

"I know, but still." She said. I gnawed on my fingernail and shrugged.

"Okay," I got up off the cold wall, shivering again. My Celestina Warbeck (the singing sorceress, who else?) sweater was getting quite old.

"Let's go," Hermione said, swinging the cloak around both of us.

We walked down the stairs, past a ghost and several clanking suits of armor. I kept shivering however now that we were in the castle it was a tad warmer. Finally we made our way up to the base of the Ravenclaw staircase.

"Thanks Hermione,"

"Anytime,"

"See you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." She gave me a quick hug and slung the cloak back around her shoulders, disappearing from view. I took a deep breath, continuing up the stairs. Halfway up the long, winding staircase I heard a faint meow.

Mrs. Norris!

I started to panic, darting down a flight of stairs to an alcove with a stained glass window. My heart was pounding and I no longer had Hermione and the invisibility cloak. I held my breath as the meows got louder. Finally the tabby cat slunk past. I could see her beady reddish eyes fixed ahead and stood as still as possible.

She passed and I sprinted silently up the flights of stairs despite my short legs, arriving at the bronze eagle door-knocker out of breath. I lift the knocker and drop it.

"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?" The eagle asks. I think for a minute, brushing my dark hair behind my ears.

"An echo," The door swings open and I dart inside, collapsing on a couch. The common room is large, circular and airy, the windows overlooking mountains and all the bookshelves full. We don't have a fireplace yet the ceiling is galaxy twinkling with stars and planets. That and the torches on the walls combined illuminates the common room dimly.

I take a deep breath, get up, and head down the spiral staircase.