Chasing Shadows

Chasing Shadows

Chapter One- Seeing Things?

"Hey, Hermione? Have you been hearing the weird noises coming from the fourth floor?" asked my best friend Ron Weasley.

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. "What does it sound like?"

"Like someone's banging something heavy," Ron said, frowning.

"Are you sure it's not your head hitting the wall?" asked, my other best friend, Harry Potter, grinning.

Ron scowled at him. "That's really funny,"

"I know," Harry grinned at him.

"Seriously...it's starting to creep me out," Ron said, shivering. "Because there's nothing up there."

"In your head? That's the truth," Harry teased.

"I'm serious!" Ron said, angrily. "It's loud banging!"

"Maybe it's Peeves," I suggested calmly.

Ron's expression brightened.

"Yeah! I bet that's it...we all know Peeves is capable of doing stuff like that,"

"Don't worry then," Harry said, simply.

Ron seemed a bit more cheerful after that.

We headed to Potions. Professor Snape was teaching us the Karvors Potion, which was used to mend broken bones. The person drinks it and in a matter of a few minutes, mends the bones back.

I added the ingredients to my potion in order. It was supposed to be a light pink color and give off a bubblegum smell. Ron's was blue and Harry's was pink. Professor Snape came over and investigated the potions. He deducted five points from Gryffindor because of Ron's potion. Miraculously, he didn't say anything about Harry's.

"Hmm...did you find the fact that Snape didn't say anything about my potion a little weird?" Harry asked as we headed out of the dungeon when class was over.

"Yeah! Normally, he picks at your potion even though it comes out right," Ron said, slowly.

"Maybe he's constipated?" Harry suggested.

Ron snorted with laughter.

I frowned. "Maybe he's finally come to his senses,"

"Riiiight," Harry said slowly.

"You two are impossible! You are ready to believe that Professor Snape is some kind of alien?"

"Alien? Oh no the only one like that is Malfoy," Ron said.

Harry laughed at that. "Yeah...he even does anal probing!"

Ron roared with laughter. I frowned at them reprovingly.

"You are so gross," I muttered.

Ron used his quill to pretend it was a rod and he prodded Harry in the backside. Harry let out a "whoop" and leaped into the air. Ron laughed harder. Harry was laughing too.

Shaking my head, I turned and was about to walk down the corridor when a blast of air hit me, blowing my hair back away from my face.

I froze. I heard whispering, but I couldn't decipher if it was a girl or boy. I saw a shadow rising up at the end of the corridor. Then, I heard screams. The screams were getting louder and louder. I clamped a hand over my ears as another blast of air hit me. I dropped to my knees. The screaming stopped.

I opened my eyes abruptly. There was no shadow at the end of the corridor. Everything was normal. I lowered my hands from my ears.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Harry asked, alarmed as he crouched down in front of me. He put his hands on my shoulders and moved his face close to mine.

"Yeah...I just saw this shadow at the end of the corridor, plus I heard screaming," I said, shakily as Harry helped me to my feet. "And I felt a blast of air."

Harry peered down the corridor.

"There's nothing there, Mione," Ron said. "And we didn't feel anything. Right?"

He looked to Harry. Harry shook his head.

"It was probably just my imagination," I said, smiling.

Harry raised an eyebrow at me and studied me.

"I've never known your imagination to be physical," he said slowly. "I saw the look of fear on your face. You can't fake that."

"It's okay...trust me," I said, smiling broader.

Harry studied me again, before he seemed satisfied.

"Okay. Let's go to Transfiguration," he said finally.

Why was I the only one that saw that and felt that blast of air? I mused as we walked down to the Transfiguration classroom. I am not going crazy...am I?

We entered the classroom and took our usual seats. I was sitting in between Harry and Ron. Harry was on the aisle seat. Today we were transfiguring rats into mice. Ron was strangely happy about this. I guess he was still insulted that Scabbers turned out to me Wormtail. I glanced at Harry. I could see he still misses Sirius. I do too.

But Ron and I helped Harry through it. Miraculously, Harry told Ron and I that his aunt and uncle were treating him a little better. Why and how we didn't know but that was better than how they were treating him before.

I bit my lip. I wanted so badly to tell Harry how I felt, but I was scared to. I didn't want to lose him as a best friend. I'd rather have him as a best friend rather than lose him completely.

I turned my eyes back onto my rat.

"Okay...point your wands at your rats and count to three. Then say, "Arvena!" Professor McGonagall said.

Harry, Ron and I pointed our wands at our rats and counted to three. Just as I was about to say, "Arvena", when my rat turned toward me.

I stood, frozen as it parted its jaws and hissed at me. But there was something wrong with the rat. It didn't look normal. The eyes were a milky white color and the rat had two rows of pointed teeth.

I sat there with my breathing sawing in and out.

The rat's fur was missing in several spots. The rat hissed at me again and prepared to pounce one me. I screamed and threw my arms up over my face protectively.

"Miss Granger! Are you alright?" Professor McGonagall's voice asked concerned.

I felt someone gently pull my arms down away from my face. I looked at the rat. It was normal. It was just sitting there with its little pink nose twitching and the eyes were a normal brown color. The fur was all over its body and there were no bald spots. I glanced to my left. Harry was holding onto my arms with a concerned expression on his face.

The rest of the class was also watching anxiously. Malfoy was smirking and sniggering.

"Yeah...I'm fine," I said, clearing my throat and straightening myself up trying to recapture some of my dignity.

"Okay," Professor McGonagall said, nodding.

She began continuing the lesson.

After class, Harry pulled me aside. Ron said he was going straight to the common room.

"Hermione, what's going on? Are sure you're okay?" he demanded worriedly as he peered at me.

I sighed and pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes. I let them drop to my sides.

"I'm seeing things. First the shadow, then the rat changed," I explained taking a deep breath.

"Changed?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," I said and began telling him what I saw.

"Hmm," Harry mused. "Maybe the stress is getting to you from all the school work?"

"No!" I shouted angrily as I brushed past him and began walking down the corridor. I heard him jogging after me to catch up. I spun around to face him.

"That's fine if you don' t believe me! But don't suggest that I'm going nutty," I said, as I spun around again and continued to head down the corridor.

"Hermione, wait!" I heard Harry sigh behind me.

I didn't slow down until I reached the Gryffindor common room.

Ron and Ginny were playing Wizards Chess. We had a half an hour break before we went to Charms.

Ron and Ginny looked up when I burst into the common room.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Ginny asked concerned.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I demanded irritably.

"Because you seem upset," Ginny said, slowly as she shrank back.

I turned to Ron.

"Our so called "best" friend decides to mark me as a 'nutter'!" I growled.

Ron's face drained of all color.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"Oh no...I'm not saying anymore because I'd just incriminate myself more," I said, shaking my head.

"Mione, what happened?" Ron prodded. "I promise I won't think your crazy."

"Same here," Ginny said, firmly.

Sighing, I sat down and told them what happened. Ron already knew about the shadow, so I just had to fill Ginny in.

When I was finished, the entrance to the common room opened and Harry entered. He was breathing heavily.

"Mione...please," Harry gasped. "I ran full speed after you!"

"Not bad for a nutter huh?" I asked, coldly.

"I don't think you're crazy!" Harry protested. "I just think that maybe you're in danger of collapsing emotionally from all the work and pressure you piled on yourself!"

"Listen, Hermione. Maybe 'Arry's right?" Ginny suggested. "You certainly did take on two more subjects than last year."

I glared at Ginny.

"Erm, come on Gin. Let's go to the library," Ron said, uneasily as he grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her out of her seat. They left the common room.

Harry came over to me and stood in front of me.

"Listen, I would never call you crazy...you know that," Harry said, softly and gently.

His emerald green eyes were filled with remorse behind his black-rimmed glasses. His black hair was its usual untidy self. He folded his arms over his gray vest.

His robe was left opened, exposing a gray vest with the Gryffindor colors stitched around the V neckline...maroon and gold, a white shirt that was under that, and a maroon and gold striped tie that was also tucked into the vest and gray slacks. I was dressed the same way, except I had a gray pleated skirt on that reached my knees and knee socks.

All the boys had slacks and the girls had skirts. Students had their house color stitched along the V neckline of the vest.

"Hermione...calling you crazy is like calling myself nuts," Harry said slowly. "I would never do it and it bothers me to think that you think I would even consider calling you nuts."

I began feeling guilty and just plopped down on a chair. I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my thighs. I propped my head up with both hands.

"I don't understand what's going on," I said, sighing.

Harry crouched down in front of me and put his hands on my arms.

"Listen. All I'm saying is that maybe you should drop the two extra subjects you took up this year. Then, if you still see things, then we'll investigate it, okay?" he said gently.

"Yeah...I'm really going bonkers then," I muttered.

"No. What I mean is that there maybe a reason why you're seeing things. But first, drop Muggle Psychology and Muggle Medical Sciences,"

I smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Okay. I'll talk to Professor McGonagall later on," I said, nodding.

Harry grinned. We stared at each other for a while. My heart fluttered nervously because Harry never broke our gaze.

"I think we should go get Ron from the library. He tends to spaz out in there," Harry said.

I laughed. "Yeah. Him in the library is like a medical physical...it'll never happen!"

Harry laughed again.

I stood up and we headed out of the common room.

We fetched Ron just in time to head down to the Charms classroom. Professor Flitwick was sitting on a large pile of books in front of the classroom.

"Today we're learning the Devrol Charm. It's something like the Veritaserum Potion for truth. When you point your wand at an object and say, "Devrolucious!", the objects true form will appear," Professor Flitwick said.

"I've placed two Marrits on your desks. Point your wand at them and say, "Devrolucious!" Professor Flitwick continued.

Marrits were little shape shifters that were totally harmless. They were a cross between a mouse and a boggart.

I pointed my wand at the Marrit, which was in a rock form and said "Devrolucious!"

A small 'pop' went off and it changed into a little red mouse. That was its true form.

All around, murmurs of Devrolucious could be heard as well as the 'pops'.

I turned to Harry to see how he was doing.

His Marrit had the form of a quill. He pointed his wand at the quill and said "Devrolucious!". The 'pop' went off and it changed into the red mouse like mine had.

"Blimey! They're actually kind of cute!" I heard Ron say on my right.

"Yeah," I said. "But totally hard to decipher them from the rest of the stuff in your house."

"That's why this charm will come in handy," Harry grinned at me.

"Exactly. It'll be easier to tell your belongings from the Marrit," I said, nodding.

Just then, I saw that shadow again in the corner. Again, that blast of air hit me and this time, I froze. The sounds of the classroom faded away and the screaming returned.

The screaming got louder and louder. The shadow then flew toward me. I shut my eyes.

"Mione?" Harry's voice asked.

I opened my eyes.

The shadow was gone as well as the screaming.

"Did you see something again?" Harry asked, as he leaned toward me.

Before I could reply, I felt something liquidy flowing from my nostrils. I shakily raised a hand and wiped the liquid. I looked down at my index finger. Blood.

"Take her to Madam Pomfrey," Professor Flitwick said.

Nodding, Harry and Ron helped me out of the classroom and up to the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey gave me the Occix Potion, which stopped nosebleeds.

A bit of the blood stained the collar of my white shirt.

"Okay. You're free to go," Madam Pomfrey said nodding.

Harry checked his watch.

"Charms is over. It's time to go for dinner," Harry said.

"Good...I'm starving!" Ron said, eagerly, licking his lips.

Ron walked a head of Harry and I.

"What did you see this time?" he asked.

"That shadow again, plus the screaming. But this time the shadow flew at me," I said.

"Hmm," Harry mused. "It's possible Peeves is behind this all?"

"How do you explain my nosebleed?" I asked.

"Maybe the classroom was too dry? That's reasonable," Harry suggested. "There really was no air in there. It reminded me of Divination."

I gave him a smile.

There were possible explanations. But for some reason, something was telling me that what I saw couldn't be explained, or when it was, it was something that no one really should know about.

We headed down to the Great Hall. Nothing weird happened to me for the rest of the night. We all went to bed.

I lay awake, wondering what was going on and I prayed that whatever it was would stop soon. It was starting to really creep me out and I was getting frightened.