Who REALLY is Eloise Midgen?

Chapter One

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Gryffindor Table.

"I don't have a date for the ball!" Harry groaned.

"Well, you can always go with Eloise Midgen!" Ron said grinning evilly.

Eloise quickly turned and glared at them. Harry sighed.

"Well... there IS no one else..." he muttered exasperatedly.

Ron and Hermione grinned ear to ear. Harry walked slowly to Eloise.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" Harry asked.

"You think?" Eloise muttered, not even bothering to look up.

"Oh..." Harry said sitting down.

"Look, you don't have to ask me to the ball... there's always someone else!" Eloise said looking up form her plate.

"Well, no--I mean, I didn't mean it that way!" Harry said.

"I know," Eloise grinned, "You could always ask Ginny Weasley..."

"Yeah, well, um," Harry muttered blushing, "She's um, going with Justin Finch-Fletchley..."

"Oh," Eloise looked at the Hufflepuff Table where Justin was seated.

"So... will you go to the ball with me?" Harry asked.

"I guess..." Eloise sighed, "It's not like I was going to go anyway..."

"Alright, thanks!" Harry stood up and walked quickly back to Ron and Hermione.

"How did it go?" Hermione asked.

"Great, she said yes!" Harry grinned.

"Wow mate, honestly, I'm so happy that ELOISE MIDGEN said yes, really!" Ron said laughing.

*~*

Eloise watched Harry go back to Ron and Hermione. She sighed again and turned to her plate. Why did she have to be so ugly? Not even Neville could look at her. If he couldn't even, how could Justin? Eloise looked at her crush at the Hufflepuff Table. Three years and finally someone had asked her, but he would have gladly gone with someone other than her if given the chance. She looked at her plate's reflection. As always it showed the same depressed girl staring sadly back at Eloise. Suddenly the bell rang.

"Well, time to go to Transfiguration," she sighed once more, picked up her bag, and headed out of the Great Hall.

*~*

Eloise walked hallway, past hallway, occasionally bumping into other chattering students. Suddenly she was knocked to the ground, her bag spewing out her things.

"Hey watch where you're go--" Eloise started.

"Sorry, I was just..." It was Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"No, it's alright!" Eloise said.

Justin extended his hand and Eloise took at as she was heaved of the ground.

"Who are you? I haven't seen you around, are you a Ravenclaw or..." Justin said.

"Gryffindor," Eloise corrected, "and my name is Eloise Midgen..."

"Eloise," Justin grinned, "that's a pretty name, I'm Justin, Justin Finch-Fletchley!"

Eloise blushed and they shook hands.

"Well, I must be going to Transfig--" Justin started.

"I'm going too!" Eloise blurted out as she kneeled down to pick up her things.

"Alright, I'll see you there... Eloise!"

Wow, like just, wow! Eloise watched him go. Then the bell rang.

"Oh my god! No, I'm late!" She exclaimed grabbing her things and running to class.

*~*

Eloise entered the Transfiguration class. She glowered at Harry who was again surrounded by everyone. Where to sit? She thought looking around.

"Hey Eloise! Over here!" Justin called her to a seat next to the Hufflepuffs.

Hannah Abbott glared and whispered something to Justin. He just shook his head and smiled at Eloise who walked cautiously over to them, sitting down next to Justin.

"Hey," Eloise said softly.

Suddenly an explosion was heard. Everyone turned to look at the closed door. McGonagall pulled out her wand and walked out the door, muttering, "Stay here!" Everyone looked at each other worriedly. Eloise looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had also taken out their wands and walked out the door. Other Gryffindors followed while the Hufflepuffs looked one another.

"I want to see what's happened!" Eloise said as she walked out the door also.

In the halls she could see teachers with their wands out and students poking their heads out of classroom doors.

"Eloise wait!" A voice called.

Eloise turned around and saw that it was Justin.

"I want to see too!" he grinned.

Eloise nodded and they both walked down the steps.

*~*

As they got to the Entrance Hall they saw that the teachers had crowded around something. Other students were watching fearfully. Eloise stepped closer and squeezed through the crowd. She gasped along with Justin. There stood a boy of 17 cowering from the teachers.

"Laissez-moi seul, j'ont une baguette magique, n'obtiennent pas plus ètroitement!" The boy exclaimed.

"He speaks French!" Eloise said.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"How do you know?" Snape asked.

"What? Can't a girl know the language of her country?" Eloise asked.

"What?" Everyone exclaimed.

"Yeah, I was born in Nice, France!" Eloise said turning to the boy.

"Qui êtes-vous?" Eloise asked.

"Ah! Vous parlez français?" The boy asked.

"Oui..." Eloise answered.

The boy stood up and bowed.

"Je suis Pierre Moulinet. Certains m'attaquaient et j'ai ètè frappè dans ici pendant l'explosion!" The boy said shaking hands with Eloise.

"Bonjour, mon nom est Eloise Midgen et c'est ma école wizarding Hogwarts..." Eloise then turned to the crowd.

"He was attacked by Death Eaters and was knocked to in here during the explosion. Oh! And his name is Pierre Moulinet," Eloise said calmly.

"Well, tell the boy that Madame Pomfrey," McGonagall said motioning to her, "will take him to the Hospital Wing!"

Eloise nodded and turned to the boy.

"Madame Pomfrey, l'infirmière, la prise vous à l'hôpital nous a-t-elle à cette école, bien? Juste suivez-l'et faites quoi qu'elle dise de faire." Eloise said motioning to Madame Pomfrey.

"D'acord. Si vous dites ainsi..." Pierre grinned and followed Madame Pomfrey.

Eloise grinned back, "Certainment!"

"Adieu!" Eloise waved and turned to the smiling witches and wizards.

All the students crowded around Eloise and started talking to her.

"Wow Eloise, I can't believe it!" Padma said.

"I didn't know you spoke French! Mercy boku!" Parvati said in her fake accent.

"Well, actually it's merci beaucoup!" That made the teens talk even more.

Eloise smiled, but looked over the crowd and saw Justin leaning against the stairs-- glowering at them? Eloise rubbed her eyes. She had never seen Justin so angry. Was it that he was annoyed or jea--no Justin wouldn't think that about me, stop dreaming Eloise. She reminded herself. Eloise was glad when Dumbledore said to go back to class. Now she could talk to Justin. She slowly neared him.

"Justin?" Eloise said softly.

Justin turned to look at her and forced a grin.

"Oh, Eloise, I thought you were with the others..." Justin said, "that's cool that you speak French, I wonder why everyone was so surprised... I mean, the Gryffindors should know!"

"Well, actually they don't, and thanks," Eloise grinned as they started to walk back, "I don't have friends, and no one, not even Hermione Granger or Ginny Weasley bother to know anything about me, only Professor Dumbledore knows, he called me to his office once and talked to me. I told him about how sad I was that no one would speak to me because I'm one of the few fat students and--"

"You're not fat, you're just--" Justin started.

"No, I'm fat... anyway like I was saying... because I'm one of the few fat students with pimples at a young age... I also told him about my other thoughts and fears and everything about me, he's the only one who asked."

"Oh well, consider me as your first friend and the second person who bothers to ask about you!" Justin said, they both laughed.

They picked up their things from Transfiguration and stopped at the turning way to go to separate classes.

"Alright!" Eloise smiled, answering his comment from before.

"Alright," Justin whispered.

Eloise neared him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Bye!" Eloise said running away.

"Goodbye..." Justin muttered.

*~*

Eloise walked to Charms not believing what she had just done. What would everyone think if Justin told? What did he think? Today was NOT her day. She walked into the class and took her seat. Professor Flitwick, his tiny self, came up to her.

"Midgen?" Flitwick squeaked.

"Yes?" Eloise turned to him.

"You're wanted in the Hospital Wing..." Then he turned to the class and began to show them some new charm.

Eloise grabbed her things and walked out the door. She walked corridors past corridors until she reached the sign that read, 'Hospital Wing'. Eloise took a deep breath and entered the Wing.

"Midgen, hurry, come here girl!" Madame Pomfrey rushed to Eloise.

Eloise put down her things and asked, "What's happened?"

"It's Pierre... we don't know what he wants, he just goes around screaming," Pomfrey pointed worriedly at a curtained bed.

Eloise neared it, "Pierre...?"

A voice screamed through the curtains, apparently, someone was trying to calm Pierre down, "Please, Mr. Pierre..."

"Ugh! Vous les gens ne comprenez pas que: je veux est une certaine eau... DE L'EAU!" Pierre's voice yelled.

Eloise groaned, "All he wants is some water!"

Everyone around the curtained bed turned to look at Eloise.

"Eloise!" Pierre opened the curtains and had a big grin on his face.

The Healers were looking at him worriedly.

"Well, what did I say? He wants some water, NOW!" Eloise said bossily, "Pierre, comment t'allez vous?"

"Bien, merci." Pierre grinned again, "mais ces guérisseurs sont fou!"

Eloise laughed, "Ne vous inquiétez pas, je suis ici maintenant!"

Eloise turned to the crowd, "He says that he thinks you people are crazy, but he's okay! I told him that he didn't have to worry, I'm here now!"

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"That must be Professor Lupin!" Madame Pomfrey said, "he knows French too so he'll be teaching Pierre English!"

Eloise nodded. Professor Lupin entered the room and smiled. He stuck out his hand for Pierre to shake.

"Bonjour, vous devez d'être Pierre Moulinet, gentil de vous rencontrer," Professor Lupin said.

"Oui," Pierre said shaking his hand.

Lupin smiled and turned to the rest, "I think Pierre and I will be great friends!"

Everyone clapped at Lupin and Eloise. Eloise turned to Pierre.

"Pierre, pourriez-vous aller avec cet homme? Il vous enseignera comment parler anglais, bien?" She pointed at Lupin.

Pierre nodded, kissed Eloise's hand (Eloise blushed), and followed Professor Lupin out of the Hospital Wing.

"Well, Midgen! Get back to class!" Madame Pomfrey barked.

"Alright, alright, I'm going..." Eloise said she grabbed her things and was whisked out the door.

*~*

When she got to dinner Justin ran up to her, "Eloise! Where have you been?"

"Oh, I was helping Pierre, he--" Eloise started.

"Okay, cool, um, do you want me to sit with you or...?" Justin asked.

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it..." Eloise said as they both took a seat.

Suddenly Eloise was bombarded with other kids and their questions.

"I can't believe it, you speak French?" Ron asked.

"That's so fascinating, I've been to France once, but never really learned the language that much!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Harry agreed.

Eloise's grin spread across her whole face, but she did not notice that Justin was not in the crowd for he had left to the Hufflepuff Common Room...

*~*

After Eloise finished answering all the questions she walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Suddenly someone grabbed her hand and pulled her into an empty classroom.

"Eloise, hi," Justin said, not grinning.

"Oh hello, I'm sorry for leaving you, it's that my friends--" Eloise started.

"FRIENDS? That's what you call them? Friends? Friends wouldn't leave you if you don't know French, they don't care, I thought you knew--" Justin started glaring at her.

"Eloise?" A voice called. It was Pierre.

Eloise released herself from Justin's grip and forced a grin.

"Pierre, hi, I mean... bonjour!" Eloise could have smacked herself for messing up.

"No, it is, erm... okay...?" Pierre tried to speak English.

"Oui, ainsi vous apprenez l'anglais de professor Lupin?" Eloise asked.

"Ye-es (?), I have um... comment dites-vous instruit?" Pierre asked.

"Learned, c'est comment vous dites instruit," Eloise said grinning.

"Ye-es... learned! I have learn-d lots from him!" Pierre grinned.

"Um, Pierre, Eloise and I were talking, haven't you ever heard that it's RUDE to intrude on a very important conversation?" Justin said stepping in.

"Well, well, well, isn't this a little love triangle?" A familiar, annoying voice asked.

"Malfoy, look, now is NOT the time!" Eloise said.

"Oh well... hey, Pierre!" Draco called to Pierre.

"Ye-es...?" Pierre asked.

"So... you're learning English? Good, hmm... let me see if you understand this..." Draco smirked, "You've come a long way from France to eat French Fries in Michigan!"

Pierre looked bewildered at Eloise who was glaring daggers at Draco.

"What...?" Pierre strained to get the English right, but the accent was still recognizable.

There was snickering in the background, Draco's cronies seemed to be around.

"Okay... let's see what Lupin has taught you, or maybe even Michigan or French fries, hey! Michigan, French Fries!" Draco smirked again leaning against the door frame, "French Fries, have you heard? I learned German this summer and I found out how you say French-Fries (A/N: in UK: Chips) in German! Pommes Frites! So, Pomfrey could be you're aunt! Get it? Since Pommes Frites is pronounce Pom-fritz... Pomfrey, Pommes Frites? Or get this Michigan: no loies Eloise! HA! No, wait... wait!"

Draco was already gasping for breath as he said the last thing that he shouldn't have, "You said your name was Pierre? Really? Pea error? I can't believe it!"

That was enough for Eloise, she took out her wand yelled, "Stupefy!"

Draco fell to the floor, not moving.

"What-what ha-appened?" Pierre asked nearing Draco, "Why did... you do that?"

"Because, Pierre, he was insulting us!" Eloise glared at the not moving Draco.

"Insulting...?" Pierre asked.

"Insulter," Eloise translated.

"Oh," Then Pierre turned angry; "He did, did he? And in front of a lady?"

Eloise nodded while Justin was left in the background.

"Eloise, don't let him ever get to you, because," Pierre said smiling softly, "You are the best personne I have ever réuni, maybe better than best..."

"Thank you," Eloise grinned and their eyes just stayed locked together.

Suddenly Justin cleared his throat, making them notice that he was still in the room.

"Well, that was a nice lecture, not let me finish what I was telling Eloise," Justin turned to her, "Like I was saying, don't feel like everyone likes you, they just want to know French, they don't know the real you, and if you think they're friends, then consider our friendship OVER! O-V-E-R-, OVER!"

Everyone was quiet, Justin's face was red with fury, Eloise's face was teary, and Pierre stared at them bewilderedly.

"S-so this is it, is it?" Eloise choked, "This is where it ends?"

"I guess so!" Justin said curtly.

"Well, there's one thing I want you to know Justin Finch-Fetchley," Eloise said.

"What?" Justin asked.

"You don't know me, you think that if you've spent a day with me you would know?" Eloise asked, "Well, I'm sorry, but it doesn't go that way!"

Pierre stared open-mouthed at the fighting teens. Then Draco awoke, but no one noticed, he just stared at Eloise and Justin as well.

"Look, Justin, just--just leave me alone..." Eloise said turning to leave, but Justin grabbed her hand and spun her around.

"Eloise, please, don't--" Justin started pleadingly.

"Look... JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Eloise yelled slapping Justin across the face, grabbing Pierre's hand, and walking silently out the door.

Draco gulped, "So this is where I leave too?"

Justin turned and glared at him, "Then, um, I'll be, um, going, bye!" And with that, Draco left out the door.

Justin stood there shakily staring Eloise and Pierre's running figures. Eloise quickly turned, looked at him, and kept running, then walking, leaving Justin to mingle with what he had just said.

*~*

Eloise walked swiftly to the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Um, Pierre?" Eloise turned to Pierre.

"What?" Pierre asked.

"Well, um, where are you staying? You know, to sleep?" Eloise asked.

"S-sleep?" Pierre asked trying to understand what it meant.

"You know... rest? Sleep?" Eloise put her hands together and pretended to snore and sleep.

"Oh! Sleep! Um, Lupin sed tat erm... ze Gryffindor Boy's Dorm?" Pierre said.

"Oh, I'll show you where it is then..." They entered the Common Room.

"So... what school did you attend before?" Eloise asked.

"Beauxbatons." He answered, "Gradnor House."

"Oh, I've never learned about the houses they've had," Eloise said, "Okay, go up these stairs and--"

"Ooo... Eloise, finally got a cute guy huh?" Parvati and Lavender had appeared.

"Yeah you know..." Eloise rolled her eyes and turned to Pierre, "Just go up these stairs and look for the sign that reads, "7^th years', alright?"

She pushed him lightly to go up.

"Yes, thank you Eloise," Pierre took her hand and kissed it.

Eloise pulled away slightly.

"Well, goodnight," Eloise said stepping back.

"Goodnight," Pierre rushed upstairs.

"Well, Eloise, why won't you tell us what happened?" Parvati asked.

"Yeah, we're your friends!" Lavender responded.

Eloise then remembered what Justin had said, Friends wouldn't leave you if you don't know French, they don't care... Eloise shook the thoughts out of her head. He didn't know her... how would he know who she was? How could know if those were her friends or not?

Eloise sighed, "I'm coming... just let me sleep..."

She slowly followed them up the stairs.

*~*

Parvati and Lavender had kept Eloise up half the night asking questions. Eloise lay in her bed awake, staring up at the ceiling. She unconsciously squeezed her teddy bear closer to her. Why did Justin have to be so angry with Pierre, what had he done? Come to think of it... he did seem very uncomfortable when Pierre was around. Well... three more days till the Yule Ball, maybe things will get better after all, it had been a long day... and with those last thoughts Eloise fell into deep sleep, hoping tomorrow would bring a better day...