Angel Of Mercy

Classes started up after Halloween weekend as usual. On Monday morning, the Gryffindors had Potions with the Slytherins. Snape glared at Melody and Ron before beginning the lesson.

"Guess he's still a little pissed about Halloween," Melody whispered to her boyfriend.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Miss Phillips," said Snape, not looking away from the blackboard. He turned and faced the class. "Today, you are going to make the Skele-Gro potion because the Hospital Wing supply is dangerously low. You may begin now."

Everyone got their ingredients together and began brewing the potion. Ever since the Dreamless Sleep fiasco, Melody and Ron were much more careful in following the directions. Most of the time Ron and Melody did quite well, even if Snape didn't give them the credit they deserved; other times they bombed so badly that they made even Neville look good. Of course, Neville always looked better because he had Hermione as a partner.

"I want you all to be very, very careful, as I don't want anyone to end up in the hospital wing," said Snape. After that warning, everyone was much more careful.

The potion was fickle. I had to be exactly the right temperature, and had to be stirred just so. When the potion was finally finished and the class was finally allowed to go, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Melody all breathed a sigh of relief.

"I hope I never see another potion as long as I live," said Ron.

"I really hate to say this, love, but you're stuck in Potions until you graduate," said Melody.

"I didn't need to be reminded, you know," said Ron. He stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. "Kiss me; it'll make me feel better." Melody rolled her eyes,

"What's the magic word?" she asked.

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Ron asked hopefully, adding in the puppy eyes.

"Public display of affection coming, folks. Young children and easily squeamish people please avert your eyes," warned Melody jokingly before she stood on her tiptoes and pecked Ron on the lips.

"Come on, we're going to be late for Transfiguration," said Hermione, urging everyone to get to class on time. Harry, Melody and a slightly reluctant Ron followed in her wake.

They entered the Transfiguration classroom and took their usual seats. They were starting to transfigure larger things now that they were in the later stages of their magical education.

"Today, we will be transfiguring raccoons into skunks," said Professor McGonagall primly. "Be sure you don't agitate the skunks, because they will spray you."

"I wonder who the rocket scientist who thought this up is," remarked Melody as she began transfiguring her raccoon. She wasn't all that good at Transfiguration either, but she got by. Hermione glared at her for her comment.

"You need to know this," she said.

"But what's the point?" whined Ron. Professor McGonagall glared at the redhead.

"Five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley," she said sternly. Ron scowled and was happy when the bell finally rang for lunch.

"Melody, can I ask you something?" asked Hermione.

"You just did, but go ahead," Melody replied with a smile.

"How did you get into Hogwarts right away?" Hermione asked.

"I didn't," replied Melody. "I applied last February, and I didn't know if I was accepted until I got my letter the last week of summer."

"Ah, okay," said Hermione, understanding. She didn't pursue the issue further, which Melody was extremely grateful for.

It was true that Melody had applied for Hogwarts back in February. What everyone else didn't know about was the extensive interview process Melody had to go through. Apparently, Hogwarts didn't take transfers unless they were extenuating circumstances, and Julia and Melody had to do a lot of bargaining with Dumbledore, McGonagall and the Ministry. It had taken lots of Floo powder and arguing, but Melody had made it into Hogwarts. She was glad; if she hadn't, Melody probably wouldn't have been able to go to school at all, and would have had to take a year off.

"What class do we have next?" asked Ron in between monstrous bites of food.

"We have a study block," Hermione replied, "which I suggest you use it to actually study, Ronald Weasley." Ron stuck his tongue out in a childish fashion before shoveling more food into his mouth.

"Hey Melody, do you want to go flying after lunch?" asked Ron after swallowing.

"I don't fly," Melody replied. "I'm not very good; you know that."

"Come on, I'll teach you," said Ron. "It's easy."

"It's cold out," pointed out Melody.

"So? I've had to play in worse weather, believe you me," said Ron. "Come on, it'll be fun."

Hermione and Harry caught the progressively nervous expression on Melody's face. What Ron didn't know was that Melody was absolutely petrified of heights. They had found this out when they wanted Melody to climb up a tree with them. Melody vehemently refused to remove her feet from terra firma, and when asked why, she told them that ever since she had fallen off a broom at the age of eleven she didn't really like heights all that much. And now Ron was trying to get her up in the air, unaware of Melody's fear.

"If I go fly a broomstick, will you never bug me about it again?" asked Melody. Harry and Hermione's eyes widened; was she actually going to go through with this? Ron thought about his answer for a bit before replying.

"I guess I will, but I don't know how you wouldn't be able to not like it," he said.

"Okay, fine. But if I end up in the hospital wing, I'm blaming this on you," said Melody. Ron grinned brightly at this.

"You won't end up in the Hospital Wing," Ron said brightly. "I'll just pop up and get my Cleansweep from my room." With that, Ron jumped up from the table and rushed from the room.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Hermione as soon as Ron was out of earshot.

"Not really, but I have to get over my fear of flying somehow," Melody replied.

"Ron's my best mate and all, but are you sure you want him to teach you to fly?" asked Harry. "I mean, we could probably get Madam Hooch to teach you, or I could get my old Quidditch captain to come in. He's probably quite busy, but Wood would make time for an old friend..."

"Wait a minute," said Melody, "you don't mean Wood as in Oliver Wood, do you? Keeper for Puddlemere United?"

"Yep, that's the one," replied Harry. "Why, are you a fan?" Melody nodded and was about to say more, but just then Ron came back, holding his broom.

"You ready Mel?" he asked. Melody gulped and nodded faintly, her pale skin growing paler. She picked up her bag and swung her cloak over her shoulders and allowed Ron to lead her out of the Great Hall. Harry and Hermione shared a look; they just hoped their friend wouldn't end up in the Hospital Wing.

#

"Okay, you have to mount the broom," said Ron, circling Melody, who was attempting to mount the broom. "Grip it tightly, as I don't want you to slide off the end." Melody gripped the broom so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. "Now, kick off the ground, but not too hard. You don't want to go too high just yet."

Melody kicked off the ground, and she felt herself rising into the air. The broom was a little wobbly at first, as if it could sense Melody's fear, but it soon began rising quickly. It shuddered to a halt, and Melody looked down. My, Ron looked small from up here...

"Now lean forward and you should come back down," Ron yelled from the ground. Melody gulped and took a deep, shuddering breath to calm herself.

"Okay, Mel, you can do this," she whispered to herself. She leaned forward, hoping that the broom would go down, but instead it shot forward at lightning speed. Melody was so surprised that she lost her grip on the broom and, with a scream, began falling, falling, falling...

From the ground, Ron saw his girlfriend fall from her broom twenty feet in the air. He tried to react, but he couldn't think of a single, solitary spell that could help her. With a look of horror, he watched as Melody landed with a sickening thump on the ground.

"Oh shit, oh fuck, oh crap," Ron kept on saying over and over as he rushed over to where Melody was lying. He was so caught up in trying to get over to her as fast as he could that he didn't see the overgrown bat known as Snape sweep over and crouch at her side.

When he got there, Melody was deathly pale, her eyes closed. Blood was trickling out of her nose and one of her arms was at an odd angle. Snape looked up as Ron approached.

"Is she going to be okay?" asked Ron. Snape's eyes narrowed in intense dislike at the question.

"She just fell from a speeding broomstick. What do you think?" asked Snape. Ron shut up and let the Potions Master examine Melody more closely. "We have to get her to the Hospital Wing." Snape conjured a stretcher and placed Melody on it. Ron, Snape and the floating stretcher bearing Melody all headed up to the Hospital Wing. Unknowing to each other, Ron and Snape were both praying for Melody's life.