Revelation

REVELATION

CHAPTER SIX-ON THE GROUNDS

We arrived in the common room out of breath. We were bent over gasping for breath.

"What on earth was that?" Amy asked nervously looking over her shoulder as if scared that it followed us into the common room.

"I don't know. Come on. Let's get back to bed. It can't come in here," I said reassuringly.

Amy looked a little bit more relaxed.

We headed back to bed.

The next morning, we told Ron and Harry what happened.

Ron naturally suggested that it was Peeves trying to scare us. But Harry however, seemed concerned and curious.

"Did you see any part of it? Like its body?" Harry asked.

Amy and I shook our heads.

"Because it was Peeves!" Ron said huffily and exasperated.

We just chose it ignore him.

"Weird...very weird," Harry mused scratching the back of his neck.

"Why are you egging Hermione on? She obviously needs help! Can't you see it?" Ron asked angrily.

"No, I can't. Because we've known her for almost six years now and never has she lied to us, or played a joke on us. I can't believe you would just turn your back on her!" Harry said snappishly.

"She needs help okay? She's seeing things for crying out loud! Doesn't that say 'I need help'?" Ron argued back.

"For once in your life, Ron try and believe that there are things out there that don't need explaining! They're just there! Just because there's no proof doesn't mean they don't exist!" Harry snarled.

Harry's emerald green eyes were alight with anger and rage. I could see he was suppressing himself not to pull out his wand and aim it at Ron. It was taking a lot of restraint.

"I'm concerned about Hermione just as you are. But seeing ghosts..." Ron's voice trailed off with anger.

"Well then you must be a nutter too. Because you've seen Nearly Headless Nick, Peeves and the others," Amy retorted.

I stared at Amy in shock. Ron's lower jaw had dropped and he too was looking at her stunned. Harry was just looking the other way, biting his bottom lip.

"I'll see you in Care of Magical Creatures," Ron muttered and left the Great Hall without eating the rest of his breakfast.

Amy sat picking at her food. "He made me so angry! How could he turn his back on one of his best friends?" she demanded.

"I appreciate you sticking up for me," I said gently. "But Ron won't change his mind unless it bites him in the butt."

Amy looked at me seriously. "But that shouldn't have to be. He should always believe his best friends,"

"I know, but Ron's just like that," Harry added gently too.

Amy just dropped her fork and it clattered onto her plate. "I've lost my appetite too,"

She got up and also left the Great Hall leaving Harry and I alone.

"She's really upset," Harry said as he watched her leave.

"I am too. I really hoped that Ron would believe me," I said sadly as I finished my porridge.

Harry turned his eyes onto me. "You heard what Dumbledore said. It'll take the actual 'thing' to get Ron to believe us and I hope in a way, that it never comes to that,"

I just sighed again.

Harry got up and sat next to me. He had been sitting across from me next to Ron.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a squeeze.

"You still have me..." he said. "And Amy."

I grinned. "I know and I'm thankful,"

He grinned back.

For a moment, we just stared into each others' eyes. My stomach flipped again and my heart started to pound slightly.

He moved his face closer to mine. Our lips barely touched when the bell rang and he pulled back clearing his throat.

"Come on. We've got to get to Care of Magical Creatures," he said quickly.

He got up and began walking out of the Great Hall with the rest of the students. I followed, still wondering about the almost-kiss.

I met up with Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins near Hagrid's hut in front of a paddock where furry colored objects were running around.

Hagrid was holding something also furry and white in his arms. I stood next to Harry. Ron however, was standing a few feet away from us and wouldn't make eye contact with either me, Amy or Harry.

"Ooh Hagrid! Is that an Ocylix?" Lavender asked eagerly.

"Sure is!" Hagrid beamed. "Less dangerous and friendly."

Ocylix's were basically like Persian cats, but the only difference is their eyes and their ears.

They had turquoise eyes and their ears were thinner and more erect with long fur on the tips. A basic fluffball.

They were gentle and only when provoked or scared would they lash out with their claws, scratching the person or thing and injecting a very mild poison that the body can naturally get rid of without potions or salves. Their whiskers were long and black.

They also come in colors. White, blue, red, green and silver.

"Ermione! Would yeh like to hold 'im?" Hagrid asked beaming at me.

"Sure," I said as I held out my arms.

He handed me the Ocylix. It began purring but the purring sounded like a cross between a cat and a chainsaw.

"Aw lookit. 'E likes yeh!" Hagrid said grinning.

I stoked the soft, silky fur.

"Can I hold him?" Alex asked nervously.

"Sure. You aren't afraid are you? They can sense fear very easily," I asked him.

Alex shook his head looking determined.

I shrugged and handed Alex the Ocylix.

After a few minutes, the Ocylix let out a hiss and swiped at Alex's face. Four thin scratches appeared on his cheek. It began scratching at his arms next until Lavender grabbed the Ocylix from Alex and immediately it calmed down and began purring in her arms.

Harry and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"Are yeh okay?" Hagrid asked concerned.

"I don't feel very well," Alex confessed as he dropped to his knees.

"Ron? Take Alex up to Madam Pomfrey's," Hagrid said at once.

Ron helped Alex back to the castle.

The rest of the class leaned over the paddock railing and picked up the remaining Ocylix's.

I pulled Harry aside.

"That was very odd," I replied.

"I know. Ocylix poison isn't deadly. Why'd he react like that?" Harry mused.

"I don't know," I replied.

After classes, and just before dinner, Harry asked me to take a walk with him on the grounds. I had agreed but felt very nervous.

I met him in the common room and we headed out onto the grounds. There was a full moon in the midnight sky. Stars twinkled merrily and there was a slight chill in the air. I tightened my robes around me. We entered the courtyard, where there was a stone fountain. We sat on the edge of it. Harry glanced up at the sky.

"Beautiful night, huh?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," I said gently. "Why did you ask me to take a walk? What's going on?"

Harry turned so that he was facing me. We stared into each others' eyes again.

"I was thinking...about Alex," he began.

I waited patiently.

"Doesn't it seem odd that he and Malfoy excused themselves at the same time and then Malfoy is killed and Alex isn't?" he asked.

That's what he wanted to talk to me about? I thought with a mix of irritation and hurt.

"Oh yeah," I said forcing cheerfulness. "That is odd."

"And what about what happened with Alex with the Ocylix?" Harry continued.

I shrugged. "It's possible he was allergic to whatever toxin is in the poison,"

"That's true too," Harry admitted. "I just don't understand what's going on here. It's really odd that students are being killed and no one has seen this...thing around the school. Surely someone would've seen something by now...no?"

I nodded. "It could be a Basilisk. It could be staying in the drains again and that's accounting for no one really seeing it,"

Harry shook his head. "Basilisk's don't go for the throat, and how on earth did it get into Gryffindor tower? There's no plumbing in there! Plus the smell?"

I nodded. He had a point.

There was silence. We just sat, enjoying the night air.

Suddenly, the air cold colder. Harry even tightened his robes. Both he and I began shivering. The trees began swaying and the silence was interrupted by a thundering sound, plus the ground was shaking.

"What's happening?" I asked alarmed.

"I don't know!" Harry said scooting closer to me.

The coldness continued to get sharper until I just happened to look toward the Forbidden Forest.

"Oh my God! Look!" I cried nudging Harry with my elbow.

He gasped.

About 20 horses with riders came out. But when I got a closer look at the horses, my stomach churned. They were dead and black. Their skin looked stretched and in some areas revealed muscles. Their eyes were white and their hooves were strange. Their riders were inn suits of armor and carrying flags with a strange symbol on it.

It looked like a circle with a horseshoe in the center in red and black. The smell was horrible. I pressed my face into Harry's shoulder and watched carefully. They marched right past us and when they got to the lakes shoreline, disappeared into thin air.

The coldness vanished until it was the normal temperature and the trees stopped swaying.

Harry and I sat, still stunned for a moment until he spoke.

"Did I just see that?" he asked slowly.

"You saw it?" I asked shocked and relieved at the same time.

He nodded. "What was that?"

"I can't be sure, but from the looks of it, I'd say medieval times?" I asked.

"They just disappeared into thin air!" Harry cried shocked.

"I know," I said quietly. "Now you know how I've been feeling."

Harry looked at me sympathetically. "I can imagine. I saw for myself. But apparently, they didn't want help or they would've spoke to you," Harry said.

"We don't know that yet. They still could come back and ask for it maybe," I suggested.

"Maybe," Harry said slowly. "I'd say we go back to the castle."

"Good idea,"

We then began heading back to the castle.

We decided to tell Amy, to see if maybe she believed us. So that night at dinner, while Ron was sitting with Dean and Seamus, Amy listened intently to what I was saying.

When I was done, she didn't say anything for a bit but then spoke softly.

"Of course I believe you, Hermione. You don't seem to be the type to lie even though I've only known you for a day or so. I mean, who knows what goes on? No one. It's possible," Amy said.

Harry and I looked at each other relieved.

"In that case, you'll never imagine what we just saw tonight on the grounds..." Harry began.

We told her what we saw. Her eyes were wide.

"Wow. I think I remember what happened here. Long ago just before Hogwarts was built, during the medieval times, there was a group of knights that left the castle where Hogwarts now stands," Amy began.

"Oh yes! Now I remember!" I said eagerly. "They went out to search for someone for the king who was accused of treason. Oddly, they never returned."

"And no one was able to find them after that," Amy finished.

"Weird. So you think what we saw tonight was them?" Harry asked.

Amy nodded.

"Keep your eyes opened. They might want to ask you for help,"

After dinner we all headed up to bed.

The next morning, we all headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Once again, Ron was sitting with Dean and Seamus.

"He's not talking to us now?" I asked sitting down next to Amy.

"Leave him," Harry said glaring toward Ron. "Obviously we've seen his true colors."

"But Harry, Ron wasn't like this before," I said reasonably. "He's seen large spiders and believed that. He's seen things like that and didn't hesitate to believe that. He wasn't like this before."

"I know. I don't understand it either," Harry said shaking his head and returning to his breakfast.

"He may not believe me or thinks I'm sick, but we can't abandon him," I said.

Harry sighed. "You're right,"

That morning we had Defense Against the Dark Arts. Several students still hadn't arrived as we were early. Half of the Slytherins and about three quarters of the Gryffindors. Oddly, Professor Solaris and Alex hadn't arrived yet either. . Harry, Amy and I took our seats toward the back of the classroom.

"I wonder where Professor Solaris is." Harry mused.

"And Alex?" Amy added.

"That kid is strange," Harry said frowning. "It seems when one person is missing, so is the other and then something horrible happens."

"I know. I wonder if it's just coincidences." Amy said.

"I don't know but it's too strange and I'm getting a bad feeling again," I said shifting my weight in the chair.

Just then there was a scream in the corridor followed by a loud commotion.

Harry, Amy and I exchanged looks before getting to our feet and running out into the corridor.

We saw a large crowd of people standing over something. People were whispering and looking scared.

As we broke through the crowd, we saw blood on the floor. My heart began pounding loudly in my chest.

Another student? I thought anxiously and worriedly.

Finally, the whole scene came into focus.

Professor Solaris was sitting on the floor looking disorientated and confused. On the front of her robes was blood. Lying several inches away was the body of Pansy Parkinson. She had been badly mauled and several parts were eaten.