A Little Knowledge

For some strange reason Martin couldn’t sleep that night. Part of the problem, he knew, was that Nathan Wainwright’s snoring was growing louder at an almost exponential rate.

And then there was the fact that his father had arranged for them to have lunch together again tomorrow. Martin had received an owl from him just that afternoon. Of course, then he would be seeing him in class immediately thereafter. He didn’t understand why his father wanted to do this. Once a week, the elder Dumbledore had suggested in the note. And that made Martin a bit uncomfortable.

Growing up, his father had come home as often as possible, according to his mother, and it was always great when he was around. But now, seeing him every day, it was different. It was like his father was watching him all the time, waiting for him to make a mistake or something.

Maybe those were the thoughts keeping Martin awake, but whatever the cause, he decided the solution would be sitting in the quiet and solitude of the common room for a while.

He had expected the common room to be empty as it was after hours and the lights were turned down. But he saw a familiar head of messy brown hair sticking up over the back of the couch near the fire.

“I don’t bite,” said Corinna without turning.

Martin felt a chill. How did she know it was him? He was aware of her uncanny little gift, which seemed to be a topic of conversation the others avoided discussing in anything resembling a candid fashion. But still, did such things cover knowing whom it was creeping down the stairs?

He was mildly flummoxed as he took a seat in the armchair that Sissy preferred. It was quite comfy.

“I’m surprised you aren’t in bed. You must have had an exhausting day,” said Martin after a moment of awkward silence.

“I fell asleep for a while, dreamt of Quidditch, and couldn’t fall asleep again,” she admitted, pulling on a loose string on her night robe.

“A bad dream then?” he questioned.

“Neither here nor there,” she shrugged. “And you? What’s keeping you up tonight?” Corinna asked.

“Wainwright’s snoring,” he said with a lop-sided smile that made Corinna giggle. “What? You should hear him,” said Martin indignantly.

“You have my sympathy. None of my roommates snore, of course, but Olivia grinds her teeth something awful.”

“That does not surprise me,” chuckled Martin.

“She probably dreams of Quidditch too,” shrugged Corinna, making a mental list of all of Olivia’s ambitions, most of which were centered around the game or academics.

“What’s your favorite team?”

“Mine? Pride of Portee. They’ve been just shy of a league championship for the last two years. Yours?” asked Corinna, a big smile coming to her face as she thought about her favorite Quidditch team.

“Puddlemere United, like my father. He takes me to a couple games every summer. I love the team. Don’t get me wrong. But I think their chances at a league win are about as good as the Cannons’.” said Martin.

“You never know ...” said Corinna with a cryptic little smile.

“Thanks. I’ll keep my fingers crossed,” he laughed, but he had the odd feeling that there was something to what she said.

“I’ve only been to one game,” Corinna admitted, sobering. “Sissy and I went to see Pride of Portee play the Holyhead Harpies right after school let out last summer. The Harpies aren’t quite what they were a couple of years ago, but they still managed to win. Sissy was ecstatic. They’re her favorites, and Olivia’s too, because they’re an all women team,” she explained.

“Your parents must not like Quidditch then,” observed Martin.

“My father doesn’t enjoy going to games, but he follows the scores in The Daily Prophet,” said Corinna. “Mum doesn’t really care for magical things like that,” she added.

“Oh?” asked Martin curiously.

“She’s a muggle.”

Martin’s eyebrows raised slightly as he said, “That’s really interesting! So you know all about muggle things then?”

“I was raised in a half-and-half town, so I suppose I do,” she answered.

“You’d be great at Muggle Studies then,” said Martin.

“No doubt, but I wouldn’t really learn anything, would I? I have plans to take other courses next year instead,” she told him.

“I think I’m going to take it; when I have the opportunity, that is,” he said.

“I’ll help you with your homework then,” she said with a smile.

“Corinna, you should probably go to bed. You have practice again tomorrow ... and classes,” said Martin after a moment. He shifted uneasily in his seat and glanced furtively toward the portrait hole.

“So you can sneak down to the kitchens all alone and drown your sorrows in a cup of hot chocolate?” she asked with a slight smirk that she had picked up from Sissy. It was quite annoying though seldom seen.

Martin flushed and asked, “How did you know that?” He had been considering that plan of action for only a few minutes and hated to think that he was that transparent.

“I just know things sometimes,” she shrugged.

“Do you want to come along then?” he asked after a moment’s thought. He had planned to go alone, imagining that he could find his way on his own.

“What about the ... vampire?” she asked with a shiver.

“It’s been more than a week now. No one else has seen anything ... and I hear that some of the older Gryffindors are out nearly every night,” Martin told her.

“And where do you hear this?”

“I have defense with the Gryffindors and they talk ... all the time.”

“It isn’t safe out there right now,” Corinna told him. She seemed rather certain.

“You were right about that last time,” he admitted grudgingly, “but if we were careful ...”

“You would still be bitten,” she said as her features suddenly grew cold and stern. Her blue eyes were icy as she looked at him.

“Bitten?” he asked.

“Yes,” she nodded, “I am almost certain of it. That’s what brought me down here.”

“I thought you couldn’t sleep,” he countered, drawing his knees up and resting his chin on them as he looked at her.

“Things happen for a reason. The reason I couldn’t sleep was ... because of what I know. I came down here to try and stop you from leaving the Aerie. It’s safe here,” she said.

“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?” he asked.

“Would you have believed me?”

“I’m not sure I believe you now,” he replied with a frown.

“That’s all right. You don’t have to,” answered Corinna.

Martin simply shook his head. She had already proven herself once. It was difficult to deny that. And was it worth the risk for a cup of chocolate and plate of cookies? He didn’t think so, but something pulled at him ... maybe it was being raised by two Gryffindors. But he wanted to know if there was something, not just something, but a vampire, roaming the halls by night. If she said it was down there ...

“The prefects will be coming in from their rounds soon. It’s Ravenclaw’s night,” said Corinna, “and they will have seen something. We can wait for them.”

Martin started at the calmly spoken words and said, “How long?”

“They finish up at midnight,” she said, looking at the big magical clock by the portrait hole. “Less than half an hour now.”

“Corinna, how do you know these things?” he asked, shaking his head.

“The prefects’ schedule was posted last Monday afternoon,” she answered coolly.

He looked at her blankly for a moment before rubbing his eyes.

“That wasn’t what I meant exactly,” he said.

“What do you want me to say? Something hokey? Like I have the Inner Eye?” she asked in a sharp tone. “No thanks,” she snorted, crossing her arms defensively over her chest.

“Sorry ...” he said quietly. He had not intended to insult her or anything. “I didn’t realize ...”

“It’s all right. The others have got used to it. I don’t suppose you have,” she said with a small sigh.

“But they don’t listen to you,” he pointed out.

“They know I’m wrong sometimes,” she explained with a faint blush. “I mean, no one’s perfect, are they?”

“No, I guess not,” he agreed, “but how often are you wrong?”

“Less than half the time,” she answered a bit too quickly.

“Then you might be wrong about tonight,” he hedged.

“I could be,” she admitted, “but I’m not.”

“Well, we’ll see now, won’t we?” he asked with a lop-sided smile.

Corinna looked toward the clock again and smiled as she left her seat, stretching and yawning softly.

“We will,” she nodded, motioning for him to get up and follow her.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“Out of sight, silly. We wouldn’t want those prefects to catch us out of bed, right?” she asked with a chuckle.

“Right,” Martin nodded, following her into a shadowy alcove near the steps to the fifth year boys’ dormitory.

“We shouldn’t be spotted here,” said Corinna.

“I won’t even ask if you’re sure,” he remarked, squinting at her in the near-darkness.

“Good, because I’m not,” she replied with a half smile.

It was several long minutes later when they heard the portrait hole open, admitting two young men into the Ravenclaw common room. Corinna recognized Ignatius Ambrose’s voice immediately, but couldn’t readily place the voice of the other, older prefect.

“I’m telling you, what you saw was just a student. Nothing more,” said Ambrose.

“And I’m telling you: bollocks! It was something else. Something that ought not have been there,” said the other prefect.

Corinna gave Martin a superior look as the prefects stopped in front of the fireplace to finish their discussion. From where they stood Corinna could only see Ambrose, but she hoped that he could not see her.

“Well, some Gryffindor is probably having a laugh at your expense right now,” said Ambrose, using a very condescending tone, despite the fact that his companion was older than him. “I can’t believe you ran away!” he scoffed.

“You would have too, if you had actually seen what I saw.”

“Hayhurst, I’ve had a long day. I had practice this evening. I want to go to bed. Consider the discussion closed,” said Ambrose shortly.

“Look here, I don’t care what you were doing this evening nor any other. We’ve got to report this to someone,” Hayhurst objected furiously.

Corinna smiled as she watched Ambrose draw himself up to his full height and put his hands on his hips. She couldn’t see Michael Hayhurst, but she knew that he was about six inches shorter than Ambrose, stocky, and just as temperamental as Olivia. He was also a Half-blood like she was.

“Don’t you dare! It could have been just a ... a figment of your imagination. I won’t go along with this,” said Ambrose.

“Professor Flitwick deserves to know if something’s been seen ...” Hayhurst started to tell him, but Ambrose cut him off.

“You wouldn’t disturb the professor over something like this! He would have our heads if it turned out to be nothing.”

“And if it’s something? Something out of the Forbidden Forest or worse? What about that, Ambrose?”

“This is so silly! Fine, tell Flitwick, but do it in the morning like a sensible person,” said Ambrose, starting toward the stairs.

“I will. Then we’ll see who’s silly,” replied Hayhurst, stamping off toward his own dormitory.

Ambrose paused and shook his head before starting up the stairs leading to the fifth year dormitory, muttering, “That bloke will have the castle in an uproar over a figment of his own ruddy imagination. I can see it now.”

At that moment something terrible happened. Martin sneezed, and rather loudly at that. It was possibly due to the dust in the alcove, but that hardly mattered as Ambrose stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes.

“Who’s there?” he asked, squinting into the shadows.

Martin looked at Corinna rather apologetically before sneezing a second time. She considered kicking him in the shin, but didn’t think that it would help.

Ambrose descended the stairs slowly, drew his wand, and said, “Lumos!”

Corinna blinked in the sudden light, and said, “Cut it out!” She knew they were spotted.

“Blimey! Bellew, what the devil are you doing down here?” he asked, pursing his lips and looking rather annoyed, not to mention imperious and surprised. “And ... Dumbledore?”

“We were ...” Corinna began, and the words failed her. What was she supposed to tell the prefect? She ran over a few options in her mind: we couldn’t sleep, we were bored, we were spying on you and Hayhurst. But none of them seemed likely to satisfy Ambrose.

“Nothing,” said Dumbledore. “We weren’t doing anything.”

Ushering them into the light, Ambrose looked at them for a moment before saying, “Well, you’re both awfully young to be caught snogging.” Both of the younger students blushed at this remark. “And I don’t think it would look good if Flitwick found out about this,” said Ambrose, mainly to Corinna. Obviously he didn’t want his new Keeper in any unnecessary trouble. “So why don’t both of you get back to your rooms, and we’ll forget this ever happened?” he suggested.

“Of course,” Corinna agreed.

Martin nodded mutely and proceeded to scamper up the nearby stairs leading to his dormitory.

Corinna started off too, but Ambrose caught her by the arm.

“What were the two of you doing?” he asked in a low voice.

“Like Martin said: nothing,” she replied coolly.

Ambrose studied her for a moment, possibly looking for signs of guilt in her face and eyes, before releasing her arm. He saw only mild insouciance, nothing more, but it still bothered him.

“If I should catch you again, I will have to report it to Professor Flitwick, and he won’t like it,” Ambrose informed her before allowing her to leave.

“You were out last night,” accused Sissy the next morning as they were all getting ready for class.

“For a little while,” Corinna admitted as she tried in vain to do something with her hair. “And it’s a good thing too,” she added.

“Oh?” questioned Olivia curiously as she helped Sophia braid her long hair, which was becoming something of a chore, despite the fact that Sophia had just had it cut before school began.

“One of the prefects who had rounds last evening saw our ... visitor,” said Corinna.

“You’re joking!” Olivia exclaimed.

Sissy stopped brushing her hair to comment, “And what did he see exactly?”

“The vampire, though he didn’t realize what it was,” said Corinna.

“Not surprising,” remarked Sissy. “Not the sort of thing one would expect to see inside the castle. I’m curious as to how it’s getting in,” she continued.

“The front door?” asked Sophia.

“But vampires cannot enter a dwelling unless they are invited,” Sissy pointed out.

“Is that true? I thought it was only a folk tale,” said Olivia with a frown.

“But Hogwarts isn’t a dwelling, is it? Not in the strictest sense of the word,” Sophia commented.

“Why not?” asked Corinna, puzzled.

“Because the castle has no living permanent residents, not even the professors really, when you think about it. Most of them have real homes elsewhere. I mean there’s Ogg, but he doesn’t live inside the castle nor does his apprentice,” said Sophia.

“Semantics,” scoffed Sissy.

“Then who invited it inside?” asked Sophia, looking at her with a raised eyebrow and a confident expression.

“I don’t know, but these creatures are supposed to be wily and cunning,” answered Sissy. “It could have tricked someone,” she defended as the others all frowned, not liking the idea one bit.

“Who would be so foolish? Hypothetically, speaking,” asked Olivia.

“Well, they wouldn’t be a Ravenclaw, but ... the other houses just aren’t as smart as we are,” shrugged Sissy.

“And that’s still working under the assumption that it was invited, that it didn’t have another way inside,” said Sophia.

“Either way, we should get to breakfast,” said Corinna, who was quite hungry after having such a meager dinner the evening before.

“Right. We can discuss this later,” agreed Sophia.

The quartet met Martin in the common room as usual and left the Aerie to go to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were almost halfway there when Olivia realized that she had forgotten something important: her gardening gloves for Herbology.

“Of all the luck!” she said, gritting her teeth in frustration as she fished through her satchel and pockets to be sure.

Professor Sprout had warned them on Friday that they would be working with Borotubers and would require gloves to protect their hands. The gardening gloves had been among the items on the supply list for both their first and second year as everyone was asked to have their own.

“What?” asked Sissy as they all paused.

“My gloves ... I’ll run back for them and meet you in the Great Hall,” she said.

“Hurry or we won’t save you any breakfast,” joked Sophia as her friend dashed back up the corridor.

Olivia had cursed her poor memory, which actually wasn’t that bad, several times by the time she had jogged up to the Aerie, retrieved her gloves, and returned to the main corridors of the school. She had left the gloves on top of her trunk and simply walked out of the dormitory without them.

As she neared the staff room, she heard raised voices inside and slowed her steps. Curiosity got the better of her as she stopped and strained to hear what was being said on the other side of the nearly closed door.

“Albus, Filius, there is no emergency,” said the strained, but patient voice of Armando Dippet. “Two students have supposedly seen something. Well, that’s very strange, but I can hardly sanction your proposed increase in security. The prefects have enough on their hands as it is without doubling their rounds. And as for Mister Pringle and Ogg, I can’t justify having them out after hours, chasing specters or figments as likely as not,” Dippet continued reasonably, perhaps trying to placate the other professors.

“They haven’t seen something;” said Dumbledore, “they have seen what would seem to be a vampire.”

“That, would be unlikely,” said the crisp and business-like voice of Professor Knowles. “We haven’t had a resident vampire in this area since ... since the centaurs came to the Forbidden Forest centuries ago.”

“Then I suppose we are due for one, or more,” said Filius Flitwick in a high and slightly shrill voice.

“Both these claims come from your house ...” said the softer, almost malevolent sounding voice of Professor Krohn. “Perhaps they are already under too much ... pressure, and they are seeing things. Though I must say, it is a bit early in the term for such ... histrionics,” he added.

Olivia colored slightly at the Slytherin’s words and peered through the gap between the door and the jam, trying to get a look at the proceedings.

She could see only a portion of the room as much of her view was obstructed by the back of Professor Dumbledore, who had his hands clenched behind him. But she did spot Krohn leaning against the high-backed armchair in front of the hearth and Flitwick standing on a small three-legged stool to make himself heard better. Knowles, she imagined, was near the window. Professor Dippet, from the sound of his voice, was near the door with Dumbledore, his deputy.

“Histrionics?” sputtered Flitwick.

“It means ...” began Krohn.

“I know what it means!” interrupted Flitwick, stamping his foot and nearly falling from the stool. “Next, you’ll be calling my students liars!”

“Have you any reason for us to believe this wild story that you and Albus have brought us? Have you any proof?” asked Knowles with an edge to his voice, possibly due to having to change his syllabus for the term at the whim of the deputy headmaster.

A figure stirred in the high back chair and ancient Professor Binns stood up.

“Gentlemen, please, are we not more civilized than this? Let us consider their arguments. If what they say is true, then our students are in grave danger,” said Binns slowly and thoughtfully.

Olivia smiled. He too was a Ravenclaw, though his school days were more than a century and a half passed.

“Thank you, Binns,” said Dumbledore with a nod, “you bring up an excellent point. What of the danger?”

“Where there is no threat, there is no danger,” said Krohn, only vaguely mollified by Binns’ soft rebuke. His tone was less hostile, though rather weary, as if he were only yielding to the elderly history professor out of respect for someone so very old.

“True, true,” agreed Knowles.

“Reynard,” said Dippet, addressing the potions’ master by his first name, “they have vampires where you come from. What was it? Großkarol....?”

“Großkarolinenfeld,” said Krohn a bit shortly, “and, yes, there were vampires in the area from time to time, but they almost always moved on peacefully. And at the Akademie der Zauberei we had brushes with local vampires who dwelled in the Black Forest, but no one was ever killed or changed.”

The professor spoke with great distaste on the subject.

“And you really think that we could not possibly have a vampire here?” asked Dippet, acknowledging that Krohn had some knowledge of the subject.

“It is not impossible, but it seems unlikely,” answered Krohn.

“You men,” said an impatient feminine voice that Olivia knew to be Professor Sprout’s. She had been quiet and out of sight thus far. “Such silly questions! Why not believe the students? Why not exercise caution? Would that really be so disruptive?” she asked.

“Agatha ...” sighed Dippet, “do you have any idea how much trouble this would cause if wildly known? The students would be terrified; the parents would be irate at best.”

“Then don’t tell them about the vampire. Make something up,” suggested another witch: Beatrice Vector, who taught Arithmancy.

“Not very Gryffindor sentiments,” taunted Krohn with some amusement.

“Now, now ...” said Dippet, who was beginning to seem like a referee. “I think Beatrice has a valid point. We could institute some of the suggested precautions without making a fuss as to why ...”

“So ridiculous,” said Knowles with a short sigh.

“But it may be worth it,” countered Flitwick quickly.

“Very well, Filius,” said Dippet, “you and Albus may do as you have suggested, but Reynard and Agatha are under no compulsion to change the routines of their house prefects.”

“Thank you,” said Dumbledore and Krohn almost in unison.

With that Olivia knew that the staff meeting was about to come to an end and hurriedly moved away from the door. She heard the door creak open just as she reached a respectable distance down the hall. She simply kept walking as the professors poured out of the room. They seemed to pay her no heed as they went about their business, or in most cases started toward the Great Hall themselves. Olivia smiled to herself. She would have some very interesting things to discuss with her friends.

She did not happen to notice the twinkle in Dumbledore’s eyes as he passed her on his way to his office.

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