Prophesied

~Chapter 4~

Thestrals

We got off of the train in a wizarding town called Hogsmeade. There was a giant calling for the first years and the other students were walking in a different direction.

I followed Harry and Hermione down the road to a fleet of carriages. I stopped dead.

Thestrals.

I was frozen. I couldn't move towards the carriages or away from them. No one seemed to notice my petrified state. Harry and the others were at the nearest carriage. After Hermione climbed in, Harry looked around. He saw me and said something to someone inside the carriage and walked over.

"You okay?" he asked me. Mutely, I shook my head. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Thestrals," I answered weakly.

"You can see them?" Harry asked. I nodded.

He placed a firm hand on my back and steered me to the carriage where everyone was waiting. I climbed in, not entirely aware of what I was doing, and vaguely noticed Jeff's astonished stare.

I was fighting tears the entire way to the castle. I've seen two people die in my life. Both of them meant more to me than anyone or anything in my life. The first was my brother, who committed suicide in front of me; and my mother, who died in a Death Eater attack.
~*~*~*~

I don't think I've ever been on one carriage ride to Hogwarts in which no one said a word. It was creepy, the silence.

Hermione and Ron both looked like they wanted to say something. They exchanged glances about every five seconds, but never said a word. If I didn't know any better, I'd think they were dating or something.

Finally, the excruciating ride came to an end. I couldn't have been happier.

When we stepped out of the carriage, an interesting sight awaited us. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, along with the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, were waiting out side the huge oak doors.

We walked up to them, wondering what was going on.

"Congratulations, Harry, Hermione," Dumbledore greeted us. He smiled, crystal blue eyes twinkling as usual. "Arinlita, Mr. Barnett, please come with us."

The Sorting began after they joined us at the Gryffindor table. Lita sat next to me and Jeff sat next to Hermione.

"What was that about?" I asked

"They Sorted us, we both got into Gryffindor."

"I noticed."

I didn't pay any attention to the Sorting Ceremony, she was way too distracting. Especially in this light.

~*~*~*~

Does he ever stop staring?

His eyes are so dark, so green, so deep. There is mystery and pain, but most of all, innocence in those eyes. I have never known anyone to have innocence beyond their childhood years.

"Welcome students," Dumbledore beamed. "To another wonderful year. And what a year this is going to be!

"First, as some of your older students may notice, we are hosting students from another country. Arinlita, from Catseye's School of Magic, and Mr. Barnett of the Stoneridge Institution of Magical Learning. Both schools are located in America.

"Second, we have decided that it is time we made school more fun. This year, we are proud to present a new annual dance to take place on Valentine's Day, and a wider variety of extra curricular activities. A full list may be viewed upon request.

"On another note, to all of our new students, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students without a teacher.

"And Mr. Filch, the Caretaker, has asked me--yet again--to remind you that no magic should be used in the halls between classes..."

I tuned out the rest as I wondered what the year would be like, and hoping that whatever exists between Harry and Fungi-Face--guess I should start calling him by his name--doesn't cause me another emotional overload.

Which reminds me...I should owl my father about that.

"Now, everyone to bed. Monday comes faster than you all expect."

Cool, no classes on weekends. Stoneridge had classes on weekends. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.

Harry and Hermione led Jeff and I to the Head Student common room. It was really nice, hard wood floors, bay windows, a huge fireplace, a few couches and some chairs, a table here and there, and its own private balcony.

"'Night Harry," Hermione said before going through the door nearest the fire place. There was another door opposite it.

I walked over to the windows and opened the glass door that led to the balcony. I walked to the edge and leaned against the stone 12" wide rail.

The grounds are beautiful. The lake reflects the moon and stars perfectly; the forest trees sway in the light breeze. It was peaceful out here, like stepping into another world. Who knows, maybe I did. Merlin knows I've just left behind everything I knew.

There was a hut out there, down by the forest. I'll bet if I was fully human, I wouldn't be able to see the shadows that played across the windows. Two of them, kissing as they passed eachother. I smiled. Whoever lives down there must be happy with the other.

"That's Hagrid's hut," Harry said propping his elbows on the rail. "He's the Gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, and he leads the first years across the lake and through the catacombs under the castle."

"Who's with him?" I asked.

"There's someone with him?"

I looked closely at the golden windows. One of the shadows looked very feminine, the other looked like he had a large beard. "I think it's a woman."

"Must be Madam Maxime. She either is or was the Headmistress of Bubaxtons. The French school."

"You have more than one school here too?"

"I don't know how many there are, you'd have to ask Hermione."

~*~*~*~

Did I mention how amazing she looks? The full moon's light sort of reflects off of her skin and with the stars reflected in her eyes, they look like the night sky, only more intimate, warmer.

She looks absolutely amazing.

My gaze traveled over her body as she looked out to the lake. Granted, most of her was covered in the Hogwarts robes, but hey, maybe there will come a time when she's not wearing them.

"Do you ever stop staring?" she asked, still looking out at the lake.

"Erm..." I stalled. "What do you meant?"

Shit! Shit, shit, shit!

"You have a very penetrating stare, Harry," she answered pushing herself off of the rail and went back inside.

Did she just say what I think she just said?

__Flash Back__

Draco and I sat in the Gryffindor common, trying to study. We had to sit at opposite ends of the room just to keep our hands off of eachother.

I could feel his eyes on me; watching me as I worked on my homework. He was stealing my concentration. All I could think about were his eyes and the way his hair fell over his face now.

I threw down my quill, finally giving up the attempt. I thought for a moment before getting up and walking to his table.

"Do you ever stop staring?" I asked.

"Erm..." he stalled. "What do you mean?"

"You have a very penetrating stare, Draco."
__End Flash Back__

God, Draco, why did you do it?

I closed my eyes and let the tears come yet again.
~*~*~*~

"So what do you think?" Hermione asked me as I settled on my bed with my favorite book.

"The Thestrals threw me a little, but the castle is great. Not quite as big as Catseye, but it's much bigger than the Mexico school. Canada's and Stoneridge are about this size."

"You see them?" she asked. "The Thestrals?"

"Ever since I was a little girl."

"I used to wish I could. Then Harry made me realize I wasn't willing to pay that price. I hope they stay invisible...."

"They wont," I said. "Not with the war. Sooner or later, you're going to see someone die."

"May I ask--"

"Who died?"

"Erm...yeah."

"My mother, and my brother Michael."

I didn't want to talk about this, not on my first day here. Catch the hint, Hermione, you're a smart girl.
~*~*~*~

Sirius, the Dog Star. It's really bright tonight. I knew him two years. He was the closest thing I'd ever had to a real family. Sure, Ron was like my brother, and the Weasleys were great, but it just wasn't the same.

Why did Sirius have to die? Why didn't I think of that damn mirror?

And why the hell did Dumbledore ask me to go back to Grimmauld Place for the summer? What was so important that I had to face that torture every year?

And speaking of torture, there were dances this year. How much worse could life get?

I am not going to answer that.

Finally, I went back in in time to see a house elf straightening the common room, not that it had been used at all.

"Mr. Harry Potter, sir; can Dobby get you anything?"

"Not unless you know how to heal a broken heart, Dobby."

"Not Dobby, Mr. Harry Potter, sir, but any other elf can. We house elves is different from others sir. Almost a different spices we is."

"I don't know any elves."

"Harry Potter knows a half elf, doesn't he?"

"Erm...sort of," I said awkwardly. I don't really know Lita that well.

"Half elves knows too, Mr. Harry Potter, sir."

I nodded. "'Night Dobby."

"Good night Mr. Harry Potter, sir!"

I walked into the room I almost had to myself. Two four-posters sat on opposite walls. Jeff himself sat on the one closest to the door reading. He looked intensely at the book and I briefly wondered if he was straight, what can I say, they guy's hot. But then that all too familiar depression came over me.

Death. Depression. Disaster. Does it ever end?