Power of the Musea

Chapter 15: Meeting of the Musea

A few weeks later, the school was buzzing with excitement about the upcoming opening quidditch match. After breakfast, Melanie walked over to the quidditch pitch with the rest of the Ravenclaws.

"I'm surprised you're even coming," Rhonda said as they sat down. "I was half expecting you to stay in your room and study."

"I would have, but Harry asked me to come and watch him play."

"Told you so," Rhonda taunted.

"Rhonda," Melanie warned.

"Fine, no words about what's really going on," Rhonda agreed as the climbed into the stands. "Except that Harry seems to have been awfully distracted by something lately."

"Harry Potter?" one of the girls sitting nearby asked. Suddenly, all of the sixth and seventh year Ravenclaws were looking up at her.

"Look, he's not sweet on me!" Melanie protested. "He's just been teaching me how to fly, that's it!"

"He's been teaching you how to fly?"

"Lucky! When?"

"In the mornings, before breakfast," Melanie unwillingly answered.

"That's why you always look so giddy when you're at breakfast," Lisa Turpin laughed.

Melanie looked over at Cho, expecting her to join in, but she simply turned away and focused on the pitch.

"Is something wrong?" Melanie asked Rhonda.

"Oh, nothing. She's just weird because she and Harry had a thing last year."

Melanie looked up at her in surprise. "Really?"

"Of course," Lisa added. "Don't act so surprised. Unlike you, most of us have social lives here." The group finally turned their attention towards the pitch as the players were announced.

First came the Gryffindors. Melanie and Rhonda both cheered particularly hard when Ron, Ginny, and Harry were announced. The crowd quieted as the Slytherins came out, although Melanie threw Rhonda a look when "Malfoy!" echoed throughout the stands and a familiar head of blonde hair flew past.

"I didn't know Malfoy would be playing today!" Melanie hissed.

"Yeah, he's a seeker-just like Harry," Rhonda said. "Didn't you know?"

"Yeah, but I hadn't put two and two together," Melanie said as the game began. Rhonda laughed and turned her attention to the players flying around.

Melanie had no clue about what was going on in the game, but she managed to blend in with the rest of the crowd. She cheered when everyone around her cheered, booed when they booed. She started to get the jist of the game as the flyers tossed a ball through the hoops, but she was disappointed when Harry and Draco did nothing but casually fly around.

"Don't the seekers do anything?" Melanie asked. "They're just kinda floating there."

"Of course they do, they have to catch the Golden Snitch!"

"Golden Snitch?"

"It's a tiny, flying golden ball. If Harry catches it, Gryffindor gets 150 points."

"150 points! But that's so unfair. The score's only 60-0 right now, 150 seems like a bit much."

Rhonda shrugged her shoulders. "That's how the game works. Look, they're moving!"

Melanie looked up and saw Draco fly towards Harry. There was a collective boo from the stands as the two collided.

"That should be a penalty!" Rhonda shouted, but Melanie kept her eyes on the two seekers. Draco seemed to whisper something to Harry, then sped off before Madame Hooch saw him.

"And it looks as though Malfoy's seen the Snitch!" the commentator yelled out. Melanie looked towards where Draco was flying up towards a tiny, glittering gold ball. Harry was far behind, and Draco already had his hand outstretched, reaching towards the Snitch. Melanie added it all up: if Malfoy caught the snitch, Slytherin would win. Now that she thought of it, Slytherin winning wouldn't be too bad. Slytherin had, after all, been her mother's old house...

Just as Draco was inches from grabbing the Snitch, Harry came up along his side. Draco's hand nearly closed around it, then fumbled. Harry quickly swooped in and grabbed it from him. There was an instant scream of joy from the stands around her.

"They won, Melanie! Harry got the Snitch and Gryffindor won!" Rhonda yelled, jumping up and down. Melanie nodded and smiled along as the crowd began to calm down and file out of the stands.

"I'm always impressed by seekers. They have to catch that little thing!" Rhonda chattered as they walked out

"It wasn't that great of a catch," Cho commented as she passed. "I've seen better, especially from Harry."

"She seems cranky," Melanie commented.

"I think someone's jealous," Rhonda chanted as they saw Hermione approach, walking with the Gryffindor crowd.

"Hermione!" Melanie shouted, waving to get her attention.

"Melanie, you came! I thought that you would stay inside studying."

"I decided to come. I thought I'd see Harry, Ron, and Ginny play," Melanie explained as the crowd moved past them.

"Well, you should come with me down to the changing room to congratulate them," Hermione suggested.

"Yes, you should," Rhonda said, winking at her. Melanie gave her a look as they followed Hermione.

They saw Ginny and her boyfriend leaving as they walked up.

"Great game!" Hermione cheered as she passed them.

"Thanks, Hermione!" Ginny said, smiling as her red hair bounced. "See you in the common room!" As they walked by, Hermione walked into the changing room. Melanie shot an uncomfortable look at Rhonda.

"I think we'll wait out here until they come out," Melanie said. Hermione nodded and walked inside, leaving Melanie and Rhonda standing out there alone.

"So, what did you think of your first quidditch match?" Rhonda asked.

"Confusing," Melanie laughed. "I don't think I understood any of it at all. I'm too used to basketball, I suppose."

Rhonda nodded uncertainly. She was opened her mouth to say something else when Hermione rushed out of the changing room, not even looking at Melanie and Rhonda as she hurried past.

"What's wrong with her?" Rhonda asked as Harry and Ron walked out of the changing room.

"Hello!" the two boys greeted, obviously surprised to see them there.

"Great catch, Harry!" Rhonda immediately praised. "And great saves, Ron!" She nudged Melanie in the side.

"Yeah, great," Melanie agreed. Ron just rolled his eyes and walked past. "I'm sorry, I just didn't understand the game!" Melanie shouted apologetically after him.

"Don't worry about him, he and Hermione had a bit of a row," Harry explained, walking up behind her.

"Oh. I was scared that it was something I said."

Harry shook his head and looked silently out over the grounds as the group started to walk back to the castle.

"Oh! I forgot something in the stands!" Rhonda shouted. "I better go back and get it!"

"We can wait for you," Harry suggested.

"Oh, no," Rhonda said, smiling at Melanie. "You two go on ahead. I'll see you later, Melanie!" She disappeared back into the stands.

Melanie rolled her eyes and continued to walk with Harry back up to the castle.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the dweeb dating goup," a voice behind them chuckled.

"Go away, Malfoy," Harry growled, continuing to walk back to the castle.

"Why should I?" Draco asked, running around to the front of the group. "I'm allowed on the grounds the same as you." He looked at Melanie. "You know, I would think a girl of your breeding would choose better companions. Especially someone who has to resort to cheating to win a quidditch match."

"That doesn't make sense, I don't see her hanging around you at all," Harry returned.

"Oh, and you call that comment of yours fair?"

"I only said the truth. It's not my fault it distracted you."

"You're nothing but a hypocrite, Potter. You say nasty things about me, yet you hang around with a girl who's half-Slytherin?"

Harry walked up to him until he was nose-to-nose with Draco. "At least she has the better half. You seem to have nothing but two bad ends."

Draco snorted. "Nice comeback, Potter," he said sarcastically. "What are you going to say next, 'I know you are but what am I?'"

"At least he has the brains for a comeback," Melanie told him quickly, walking past him with her head held up high. Draco quickly grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.

"Manners, Miss Brienwald," he corrected her. "If you're going to make it in the wizarding world, you need to learn manners.

"And you're going to show me proper ones?" she asked. "If I followed your example, I'd be nothing but a cruel, sadistic, spoiled brat with no real friends to show for it. My friends may not be rich and sophisticated, but they genuinely care about me, and, at the end of the day, I'm the one who's much better off."

"You're better off?" he asked unbelievingly. "I can have anything I want. And even some things I don't."

"Oh, I don't think so. You see, Draco, not everyone can be bought off."

"Money has nothing to do with it," Draco responded, acting quickly and pulling her in for a kiss.

It took Melanie a second to figure out what was going on, but she quickly pushed him away and slapped him on the face, her eyes flashing. "How dare you!"

Draco smirked. "See, Brienwald. Anything." He turned on his heel and walked back to the castle.

Harry took a few angry steps as if he was going to follow him, but sighed and turned to Melanie. "Are you all right?"

Melanie was in a daze at first, then nodded. "I'm fine." She laughed. "It's not like I'm gonna die from cooties or anything. C'mon, let's just go back to the castle and forget about this."

Harry nodded and they walked back to the castle in relative silence. Harry walked off towards the Gryffindor common room, while Melanie returned to the Ravenclaw common room.

"So?" Rhonda asked expectantly, looking up at her from one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace.

"What?" Melanie asked, sitting down in the chair next to her.

"What happened after the match?" Rhonda encouraged.

"Oh, nothing," Melanie told her, staring into the flickering flames in the fireplace.

"Oh," Rhonda said, disappointed. "Nothing happened at all?"

"Just a little incident with Malfoy," Melanie said off-handedly.

"Do tell, do tell," Rhonda said, sitting up in her chair. Melanie laughed nervously and told her the whole story.

"And he just...the nerve!" Rhonda trailed of in surprised indignation. She looked at Melanie, who was just shrugging it off. "You didn't like it, did you?"

"What?"

"You don't seem to be all that upset. You didn't like it, did you?"

Melanie laughed. "Rhonda, it's not like I've never been kissed before. It's just not a big deal to me."

"Then, how was it?"

"What?"

"Malfoy's kiss, how was it?"

"I don't know, ordinary," Melanie answered, blushing.

Rhonda's eyes widened. "You liked it, didn't you?"

"What? No..."

"Don't lie to me! You're redder than Ron Weasley's hair!"

"Sshhh! People are starting to look!" Melanie hissed, looking around the common room.

Rhonda looked at her and started to nod. "It all makes sense, now. After Hogsmeade, tonight...you like Malfoy!"

"What, no," Melanie argued unbelievingly.

Rhonda smiled with a triumphant look on her face. "You like Malfoy!" She paused, and a look crossed her face. "Eeew, you like Malfoy!"

"Rhonda..."

"How can you like that spoiled, selfish brat?"

"I don't!"

"Melanie," Rhonda warned.

Melanie sighed. "Maybe I do have a...slight crush," she admitted.

The color drained from Rhonda's face. "How?"

"It was that afternoon we flew," Melanie explained, shaking her head as she leaned back into the armchair and staring up at the giant portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw that hung above the fireplace. "Have you ever seen a spark in someone-a moment where you can see something inside of them that you didn't even know existed." She shook her head again. "I've seen that spark in him, Rhonda."

Rhonda looked at her unbelievingly, and Melanie sighed. "Then, of course, there is every other moment I see him and I want to strangle him with my bare hands."

"Then how can you even like him?"

Melanie shrugged her shoulders. "I guess it just caught me off guard." She shook her head. "It's just a silly crush. I've been through thousands of them. I'll be over it soon."

"I hope so," Rhonda said, getting up and starting to walk towards the stairs. "I'd hate to see you ruin your chances with Harry."

"Rhonda, how many times do I have to tell you..." Melanie complained as she followed Rhonda up to their room.

Rhonda smiled. "At least one more time. I know what's going on, and one day I'm going to be telling you 'I told you so.'"

Melanie just shook her head as she pulled out her charms book and started to read.

A few days later, Hermione caught up with Rhonda and Melanie as they were eating breakfast.

"So, girls, how has your library searching gone?" she asked.

Rhonda and Melanie exchanged looks. "Well, we haven't exactly found anything," Melanie admitted.

"I didn't find much, either, but I think it's about time we start meeting, don't you think? It's been a month; I think it's time we see what everyone's come up with."

"That sounds great, Hermione," Melanie agreed. "When do..."

"How about tonight?" Hermione interrupted. "After dinner."

"Don't you think that's awful fast?" Rhonda asked.

"Well, I've already told everyone else," Hermione said.

"Fine, then? Where?"

"I was thinking of using this empty classroom on the seventh floor. Actually, I was going to go up there after lunch and see what's all there. There might be something we can use there."

Melanie nodded. "Sure, Hermione. I'll see you after lunch, then?"

Hermione nodded and walked off. Rhonda turned and gave Melanie a curious look. "Did she seem a bit off to you?"

Melanie shrugged her shoulders. "She must still be mad at Ron. Harry said they'd had a fight."

"She does realize that Ron is in our group, doesn't she?"

"Rhonda, it's Hermione. Of course she does. I'm sure she'll be able to be perfectly civil."

Rhonda sighed as she turned again to her food. "I hope so."

After lunch, the two of them walked up to the seventh floor, where they found Ginny and Hermione already inside, looking around the empty desks that lined the walls.

"Hi Ronda, Melanie," Ginny greeted as they walked in.

"Hi, Ginny," Melanie returned, giving her a surprised look as she closed the door behind her.

"I got Ginny to come up with me," Hermione said, moving down to the front of the classroom.

"Yeah, any excuse to get out of the common room, right?" Ginny laughed, walking next to Hermione.

"What's in the common room?" Melanie asked, walking up behind them.

"Nothing," Hermione said nervously, starting to push aside spiderwebs to get to a dark object in the corner.

"What, I can't help it if my brother's a stupid git," Ginny said.

"Your brother? Hermione, what's wrong?"

Hermione stood there silently, facing the corner.

"Oh, good, a chalkboard. We can use this to write down the things we found," she said, her voice quivering despite her efforts to speak calmly.

"Hermione?" Melanie asked, taking a cautious step forward. "Are you okay?"

"Okay?" Hermione asked. "Why wouldn't I be okay? Why should I care that Ron wants to spend his time attached at the lips to some stupid girl..."

Melanie and Rhonda looked at Ginny expectantly. "Lavender Brown," Ginny answered.

"I see," Melanie said, nodding as she walked up next to Hermione. She wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulder. "It's okay, Hermione. But it's just a phase. Guys always do random things that don't make any sense." Hermione laughed uneasily. "You know, back in the States, I had a crush on this football player-Billy Willis. I thought he was going to take me to prom, but instead he took this girl named Betsy. Ooooh, that made me so mad that I spent hours complaining about it and planning evil schemes to get even."

"What did you do?" Hermione asked.

"I didn't do anything," Melanie answered innocently. "I just went to prom with a member of the football team that he hated." Melanie smiled mischievously.

Hermione broke into a smile and giggled. "We need to come up with something like that for Ron and Lavender."

"Well, let's keep looking around while we brainstorm," Rhonda suggested, moving to the front of the room, where a large object sat under a large, dusty cloth.

"What's under this sheet?" Ginny asked, walking past to pull the cloth away. She revealed an old, elegant pipe organ buried under a layer of dust. "It's beautiful." She wiped the dust off of one of the ivory keys before pressing it down. The note rang loud and vibrant throughout the room.

"What do you think you are doing?" a high-pitched voice demanded.

"Where's that voice coming from?" Rhonda asked, her voice quivering.

"I think it came from inside the organ," Hermione told, blinking and looking at the organ in surprise.

"Inside?"

"Nobody plays my organ but me!" the voice continued, a ghost slowly appearing out of the pipes. It was the ghost of a middle-aged woman, a large brocaded dress half-hidden under a hooded robe that covered much of her face. "Why do you disturb me?" she demanded as she came to rest on the organ's bench.

"Who are you?" Melanie asked as the group gathered around her.

"Do you not know who I am? It is I, the Phantom of the Organ," she proclaimed in a melodic voice.

Melanie worked hard to suppress a snicker, but could not avoid drawing Rhonda's attention. "What's so funny?"

Melanie started to explain, but shook her head. "It's nothing."

"And you have not answered my question, why do you disturb me?" the ghost demanded again.

"We...we didn't know you were here," Ginny stammered.

"That is of no matter! I have sat in the silence of darkness for hundreds of years inside this castle, and no one has bothered me in my solitude. Why do you disturb me now?"

"The organ was in here, and we..." Ginny tried to explain.

The ghost ignored her and looked at the group. Her eyes focused on Melanie, and she put down her hood, revealing a pretty face framed by brown curls. "Ahh, one who has the gift." The ghost floated down to the floor. "Are you seeking instruction, young one?"

"I guess you could say that," Melanie admitted. "Are you a musea, as well?"

"A what?" Ginny asked. Hermione shushed her and turned her attention back to the ghost.

The ghost nodded. "Yes. A lot of good it did me."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "From what I've heard, it is a good thing."

"Well, it can be a helpful defense, but it doesn't keep you from being stabbed to death by a fellow singer competing for your role," she explained, pulling back the cape to reveal the bodice of her dress, covered in blood.

The girls gasped as the ghost replaced her cape.

"Well, maybe you can answer some of our questions about it," Melanie told her.

The ghost shrugged. "I actually do not know much about it. If it is knowledge you seek, you may be better served by looking to books."

"How can you not know much about it when you are one?" Hermione insisted.

"You offered Melanie instruction!" Rhonda argued.

"I merely asked if she was seeking instruction. I never claimed to be able to give it," the ghost returned.

"You twisted your words!" Melanie exclaimed.

"It was you who twisted their meaning," the phantom answered with a smile.

"I can see you're going to be no help," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, if you require no help, then I shall just return to where I came from," the ghost said smartly, vanishing back into the organ.

The girls looked at each other. "That was interesting," Melanie said.

"I'll say. What on earth was she talking about? What's a musea?" Ginny asked.

Rhonda, Melanie, and Hermione all exchanged looks.

"Way to go, it's only been a month and we've all but blown the secret," Rhonda complained. Hermione blushed deeply but Melanie just sighed.

"It's only Ginny," Melanie responded, looking at Hermione, who gave a small smile and turned slightly less red.

"You know you can't tell anyone else this, Ginny," Hermione began.

"No problem!" Ginny squealed happily, looking at each girl in turn.

"I have special abilities," Melanie explained. "Apparently, music protects me from evil spells."

"It's how she survived the attack that brought her here," Rhonda added. "The Death Eater attacked her with the killing curse."

Ginny's eyes widened. "What?"

Melanie nodded. "Dumbledore wants us to try and figure out how far my powers can go, and see if I can help other people."

"Can I help?" Ginny asked quickly.

Melanie and Hermione exchanged looks. "If she already knows..." Hermione trailed off.

Melanie nodded. She laughed. "Maybe her famous bat-bogey hex will come in handy."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "It's almost time for class. After dinner, then?"

The girls nodded and left the room.

After dinner Melanie and Rhonda walked back up to the organ room, as they were now beginning to call it. Ginny and Hermione were already there, and Harry walked in soon afterwards.

"Where's Ron?" Ginny asked.

"Probably too busy with his face stuck to Lavender," Hermione muttered. "It doesn't matter. If he doesn't want to come, that's fine. He probably didn't do much searching anyway."

"We searched our areas, Hermione," Harry said. "We can't help it if we didn't find anything."

"Did you not find anything, either?" Melanie asked, giving him a disappointed look.

"Wait, I did find that one book," Rhonda reminded her. "But it was just a giant argument trying to prove that museas exist." She looked at Melanie. "I mean, it's not like we have that problem."

Melanie laughed. "Oh, I don't know. I think I need to prove that I exist. After all, that's something the great philosophers of the past spent a lot of time trying to prove that one."

Rhonda brought herself up proudly and proclaimed in a loud booming voice, "I think, therefore I am!"

They both started laughing as the door opened and Ron walked into the room.

"What's so funny?" he asked, looking uncomfortably around.

"Ancient philosophy, apparently," Melanie giggled. Ron gave her a confused look as Hermione loudly cleared her throat.

"Did anyone find anything else?" she asked, suddenly very bossy and orderly. Everyone just shook their heads.

"We searched the entire library and didn't find anything?" Hermione sighed. "Well, I guess I'm the only one who managed to find anything at all. The book that I read had a really good overview."

Hermione cleared her throat and opened a book to a marked page.

"The musea is a wizarding myth of a witch or wizard who is possessed by the spirit of Euterpe, the Greek muse of music. They myth states that music, through Euterpe, is allowed to pass through the individual's body, providing a protection against harmful spells, curses, and hexes.

"Since the myth is not widely believed, it has not been widely investigated. What has been discovered, however, is that the spirit moves randomly from person to person, only inhabiting magical witches or wizards, never muggles or other forms of nonmagical creature. Once a musea dies, usually from a physical wound or old age, the spirit of Euterpe leaves them with their last breath and roams the world in spirit form until it finds a suitable replacement. An individual can only be possessed by Euterpe and become a musea when they take in their first breath of air after being born, and the spirit remains with them until their last breath before they die. The amount of time between individuals varies, but usually it doesn't exceed a few days."

The room all looked at Melanie. "So, there's only one musea on the Earth at one time?"

"Wow, and I thought Harry being a parselmouth was rare," Ron said to himself.

"Can I continue?" Hermione asked slowly, glaring at him. "Anyway....

"The musea's protection against unfriendly skills seems to come from the steady flow of music that flows through their body. When a spell or curse strikes them, the music acts as armor, dissipating the spell around them so that the individual is not harmed. The magic vanishes from there, and there is no way to recollect it and reverse the spell back to the caster. Likewise, the spirit of Euterpe only aids in protection, and provides no extra power to spells that are cast. Thus, the musea cannot be used to attack others, and, since Euterpe has control over whom she possesses, the musea cannot be used for evil and music remains only for good.

"Well," Hermione said, setting down the book, "that's everything this book explained."

"So I'm possessed?" Melanie asked.

Rhonda looked at her with wide eyes and then noticeably scooted away from her.

"Rhonda!" Melanie shouted.

"Oh, come on," Rhonda joked, returning to her spot. "It's not really that bad? You heard Hermione, it's like being possessed by an angel!"

"Does it say anything about moving the gift onto others?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No."

"So what are we supposed to do, then?

Hermione thought for a moment. "Well, we can try to see how many different kinds of spells she can protect against," she suggested.

"So what are we going to do, stand around in a circle and play 'hex Melanie'?" Melanie asked.

"Sounds good to me," Ron said.

Melanie looked at him. "Are you serious?"

"Not quite that," Hermione admitted, "but can you think of a better way to see what you can block?"

Melanie laughed in disbelief. "This sounds absolutely crazy," she said as she stood up in the center of the room.

"It's not. We need to make sure that we cover a wide range of different types of hexes and jinxes," Hermione said, standing up and pulling out her wand.

Everyone else joined her and they started casting random spells towards her. After about five spells, they paused.

"How are you doing, Melanie?" Hermione asked.

Melanie laughed. "I'm getting quite the concert in my head."

Rhonda laughed before yelling, "Tarantallegra!" and starting up the round of curses again.

This time, the curses went on for about five minutes before Melanie held up her hand.

"Did I get you?" Ginny squealed excitedly.

"No, Ginny. I just have a bit of a headache," Melanie explained, rubbing her forehead. "I think I've had enough for tonight."

"All right," Hermione agreed. "We'll meet back here next Saturday and we can keep going."

The group nodded and filed out of the room, the Gryffindors heading one way and Melanie and Rhonda the other.

"Are you all right?" Rhonda asked as the two girls walked back towards the Ravenclaw common room. "You look a little pale."

Melanie shrugged her shoulders. "I'm all right. It was just a lot to take in one sitting."

Rhonda nodded. "Well I'm glad you told us. You don't want to push yourself too far. You don't know how far your powers can go."

Melanie laughed. "They repelled the most powerful curse known to the wizarding world," she pointed out. "I don't think they'd vanish from a few simple hexes."