Nell'oscurità Che Temiamo

"They're completely evil, you know that," Ron complained as they went to find seats at the back of the room. "They plan a huge ball on a Sunday, and then expect us to be able to pay attention with only five hours sleep. And they make us come to potions." Hermione rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Ron, it's not they're fault Halloween was on a Sunday," she said sweetly. Ron grumbled and sat down, obviously not wanting too cause a fight. Harry let out a long breath. At least he was making an effort for this new relationship to work.

Snape, of course, pretended not to remember that a late party had happened the night before, and was berating the Gryffindors on every yawn while ignoring Goyle's soft snoring on the other side. When Seamus accidentally dropped the entire bottle of fluxweed extract into his antigen potion, causing the mixture to overflow, the class had to be evacuated, as the liquid at the cauldrons and set fires to tables before devouring the whole.

Seamus was given fifty points off for being clumsy and another twenty because Goyle (who had been asleep) couldn't get out before it burned through his shoe and scorched his foot so badly he couldn't walk. When Dean made the accusation that Goyle's slumber as the reason that happened, another twenty points were lost. After that, the Gryffindors kept their silence as Professor Snape sorted the mess.

The rest of the day was no better. Ron incorrectly said and aimed his transfiguration spell and made Lavender Brown's hair turn into strange feathers that began to fall off, earning everyone extra homework.. In stead of charming the scattered Bertie Botts back into their boxes, Parvati made three of hers come to life, sprouting arms and legs, trying to devour students before Flitwick could disenchant them. (More homework.) Neville nearly drowned in his soup at dinner and Harry plonked out in bed as soon as dinner was over.

In other words, not a day for date chasing.

Tuesday was slightly better, but because of the mishaps the day before, they had two times homework, plus the work from that day. Wednesday and Thursday were spent getting caught up, and by Friday, everyone was starting to relax again or meet up with people they had met at the dance. Ron kept pushing Harry to go and do the same, but he just said he trusted her to find him.

"Come on!" Ron whined, shoving the sandwich he was eating for lunch in his mouth. "You can't keep waiting forever." Harry just finished eating and headed out to the courtyard. Besides the lake, it was the spot that most people passed by. He had taken to completing homework here. Sometimes Ron and Hermione joined him, but his absence also left opportunity to be alone.

By Saturday, Harry wasn't quite as sure that his mysterious shadow girl was truly interested. He spent meals looking around at the girls, wondering which one was his priestess. His dreams were less vivid, more of figures fading into crowds and him chasing them than people dying. By Sunday morning he didn't think he could stand it.

He, Ron, and Hermione were sitting with Hannah Abbott, Luna, and a third year Ravenclaw named Stewart Acklerey. He looked up to see Ron whisper something to Hermione, setting Harry off. He growled under his breath, standing up and shoving the fist with the ring at the girls.

"Have either of you seen this ring before?" he asked, looking impatiently from one to the other. They both shook their heads, Hannah alarmed and Luna slightly worried for a second before turning back to her syrup covered eggs. Hermione stared at him like he had gone mad, startled at him jumping from a calm waiting to an angry storm. Ron just smiled and pointed to the group sitting to their other side. Harry collected his frustration and started over.

He went from group to group, asking if anyone recognized the ring. He carefully avoided Malfoy's group and Crabbe and Goyle who were sitting several seats away. It took fifteen minutes to go around the whole table and the closest he had come to finding her had been a girl saying she had seen a ring like it, only completely different colors. He was completely disheartened when he came to sit back down at Luna's side.

"No luck?" Ron asked, looking as sorry for Harry as Harry looked depressed.

"Well, there must be people who aren't here," Hermione consoled. "Are you sure you have got everybody?"

"Yes, Hermione," Harry said glumly, setting his forehead on the table. "The only people I avoided were Malfoy's gang and the cake-for-brains thugs."

"Well, Malfoy's going to the other side of the room, so you can go ask those girls." Harry's head shot off the table, and both Ron and Harry stared at each other, wide-eyed. They were both sure that the Slytherin girl would bash their heads together as soon as tell him about a ring. Harry was ready to take that chance at this point. Giving a sigh he stood up and walked quickly to where Blaise Zabini sat with the four girls. Mandy Brocklehurst nudged him when she saw Harry approaching, and every one turned to look at him. Flushing slightly, he stood next to the group, stretching out a fist.

"Have any of you so much as heard some one mention a ring like this?" He asked, pleading slightly. Blaise and the Slytherin girl shortly shook their heads and turned back to their hotcakes. The Hufflepuff girl and Mandy both politely shook their heads, smiling kindly. He turned to the last one, the Brunette Ravenclaw called Trisana, who stared at him. After a moment she motioned him to come next to her.

She whispered to him, "Prince?" Harry stood back sharply, nodding his head.

"Yes. You know who gave me the ring?" he looked to her hopefully, his heart beating faster. The girl only turned away and rummaged through a bag at her side, pulling out something and showing him.

A single black feather.

Harry glanced from the feather to her friends to her face.

"Potter!"

Harry jumped and turned around to meet the gray eyes of Draco Malfoy, sneering at him.

"I thought," Malfoy said dangerously quiet so only Harry could hear, "I made it clear were to stay clear, and yet I find you her- again."

"Draco, I'm perfectly capable of fighting my own battles, thank you." Trisana had stood up, feather back in her bag which was now over he shoulder. She turned to Harry, no emotion showed. "Follow me. Goodbye, everyone."

She turned on her heel and strode out, Harry following after meeting Malfoy's death glare. Once outside, he tried to catch up with her but she kept just going faster. She finally turned into a door, but rather than being a classroom, it was the top of a large tower. The insane brunette was waiting there for him.

Harry closed the door saying, "What was all that for?"

She just fixed him with a look. "I don't believe we should let our talk stray from private, no? Now let us start from the beginning." She walked towards him and stuck out her left hand. "Trisana Chambers."

Harry took the hand, and when he saw she was looking at him expectantly, said, "Harry Potter."

"Well that's a start," Trisana said, sitting down on the edging of the tower. She had a wand strapped to her right leg and a mood ring on her right hand. Chestnut hair curled off her shoulders, and her gold eyes reflected the sun brightly.

"A... start?"

"Yes," she made a small smile. "You don't think you're above introducing yourself, even though I know very well who you are." Harry blinked at her. "Proceeding...who's your favorite British Quidditch team?"

"Err," Harry tried to think of any teams he knew. Remembering Oliver Wood, he said, "Pudlemore United." Her smile widened.

"You support your old friend. Good. Mine is the Montrose Magpies. Hmm." She looked at him for a moment. "Do you have a question for me?"

Harry thought carefully before asking, "Have you made some effort for finding me?"

"Actually, I've already checked all the boys in the other three houses, year five and up. The thing is I haven't been able to get in contact with Vicky Frobisher, Jack Sloper, Dean Thomas, or Andrew Kirke."

"Who's- You know Dean?"

"Vicky's a seventh year Gryffindor, Jack and Andy are fifth years, and yes I do. We only have two entire classes together. It's just a coincidence that we happen to be friends."

"But you sit with Malfoy."

Trisana sighed. "Yes, most of the time, but it depends on who gets to the table first. Dean doesn't want to sit with Draco, and I wouldn't want to deal with someone insulting me with every other word."

Harry just stared at her. "You sit with him, don't you?"

"Yes, but...he takes to me better than he takes to even Greg or Vincent." Harry was getting confused with all these new people.

"Who?"

"You know who they are. They usually follow Draco around." He racked his brain for these people who follow him around before it hit him.

"Crabbe and Goyle!?" he asked, bewildered. She frowned.

"Aren't you above using last names? Last names are to be used for fathers, not their children."

Harry decided not to comment on this. As far as he could see, Draco Malfoy was the same slimy git as his father.

"We won't get anywhere on this topic with you in this state. Let's go finish breakfast and talk there. The post will be coming soon and I need the prophet." She slid to the ground, grabbing her bag from next to the door. She briskly walked out, leaving Harry trailing after her. They reached the Hall quickly, sitting in an abandoned section as the owls flew over in the windows.

Hedwig had a letter from Remus, which he would read later. He glanced over the obituaries and missing peoples but, seeing no names he knew, set it down and looked over at Trisana. She was carefully reading over every person and how they had disappeared, where they had last been, who some found killers were, and what family the deceased had left. After a while she began talking as she read.

"I think we could find similarities between us if we put it to mind. For now, we seem too different to find a real companionship. Especially," she gazed up at him, "If you can't get over whom I search for company in."

Harry felt ashamed as she read over more details about the disappearances of a squib named Colonel Fubster and his muggle neighbor, a woman who's name could not be found, even on the tags of her many dogs. Harry flipped back to that page in his paper. Something sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite determine what.

"Poor Colonel," Trisana said sorrowfully. "He was the only one in his family to survive the first war. He had a great family too, proud of a son who could learn to hold his own without magic. Don't see too much of that any more. Anyway, once he retired from the muggle ranks, he moved to the country and never kept in touch with anyone of the wizarding world." She closed her paper and put it in her bag. "They'll find them sometime next week."

Harry stared. "How would you know that?"

"There's a pattern," she said, going through the twelve envelopes in front of her, "and I've been following it." One letter was very mugglish in bright green paper. She opened that one and laughed when she went through the contents. Her smile was lovely, Harry realized, finding himself grinning to. He couldn't help but notice the way her 'r's rolled across her tongue.

She looked up at him. "It's from by brother across seas. He met a girl in the states who was trying to confirm him to being Jewish, so he told her-"she began giggling again, "he told her he was married to a cross-dressing Jehovah's Witness who wouldn't appreciate that particular baptism." Peals of laughter were muffled by her hand, Harry right along with her. The confusion of disappearances was forgotten. When they calmed, she put that letter in her bag, looking at the names on the other letters before they joined their comrade.

They sat there for a while before deciding to meet up on a later date. Harry headed off to the common room feeling very, very...confused.

_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_*~*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_~*~_

Monday came again and with it, Potions. As Harry and Hermione waited for Ron to stop complaining, he looked around. For the first time, he was shocked by how little he knew about his fellow classmates.

There was Ernie Macmillan and Miss Bones' niece (Sally was it?) but all he knew was their house, that Ernie was a bit proud, and that they were dating. There were four Slytherins: Malfoy of course (didn't care about him), Blaise Zabini, Nott (no clue about the first name) who sat away from the others, and Millicent Bulstrode who he only knew by her size.

He knew the three Ravenclaw boys by name. Michael Corner who had dated Ginny last year, Anthony Goldstein, and Terry Boot had all been part of Dumbledore's Army. He was surprised beyond belief when he saw that the final student, laughing with Terry Boot while reviewing notes from the day before, turned out to be Trisana Chambers in the flesh. He could not get around the fact that he'd never noticed her before. How? Was he just totally oblivious? What else had he missed just out of not caring?

Snape slammed the door closed, knocking Harry from his thoughts. As Snape charmed the lesson upon the board, everyone went to their separate cauldrons.

Harry saw her again in Charms and Transfiguration, but she was either by Mandy and the Ravenclaw boys, or Malfoy had his arm tossed over her shoulder. He didn't want to approach her with so many people and tried to avoid Malfoy at all times, so neither was appealing.

At dinner, he was sitting with Hermione and Ron. In Defense against the Dark Arts, Professor Mortlake had been discussing events of the past two years again, and Harry always felt miserable after a lesson like that. Ron and Hermione knew that they'd never get anywhere with him in this state, guilt bubbling up everywhere. Harry just wallowed in silence.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Harry looked up to glare at whoever just sat next to him, to see it was Trisana. Her head was tilted to the side, eyes worried and observing.

"Hi, Trisana, it's nothing."

"Just Tris, please," she said, still looking at him quizzically. Ron and Hermione broke out of each other's gaze to peer at this new visitor.

"Hello!" she said brightly, a smile set on her face. She reached across the table to shake Ron's hand. "Ronald Weasley right? Spectacular saves last year, and this year at that. Spectacular temper, too." She smirked and switched to Hermione, Ron hiding his red face. "And you must be Hermione. You're a tough rival for any Ravenclaw. Keeping these two in line I trust?" She jerked her thumb toward the boys.

Hermione grinned widely. "Thank you! I'm sorry; I didn't quite catch your name."

"That's because I didn't throw it. Trisana Chambers." Ron's eyes grew wide.

"You're from the Chambers family? From Italy?"

Tris sighed, "And Spain, the Americas, Egypt, Ireland, Wales, Luxemburg, Liechtenstein, and various groups of traveling and door-to-door salesmen."

Ron was amazed. "Your family was the one attacked by those Death Eaters right?" Harry's and Hermione's mouth dropped open. Hermione elbowed Ron in the ribs and whispered in his ear angrily about being rude.

Trisana narrowed her eyes. "How do you know about that? You're not nearly old enough to know about it."

"My-my brother and dad told me," Ron stuttered, thoroughly embarrassed about his tactlessness. "I'm sorry- I didn't mean to-"

"I know." Tris turned her gaze to Harry. He was angry at his friend, but also interested. Why would Malfoy's friend be from an attacked family?

"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed, seeing the book Trisana had on the table. "Where'd you get that?" Harry smiled gratefully at Hermione for the redirection of conversation.

"This?" Tris picked up the book to show off the cover. It was small, black, and gold shapes were set into the front. "I picked it up in a second hand bookshop."

"My parents got me that over the summer! It's a muggle book isn't it?"

"Yup. It's Messenger by Lois Lowry. Have you read the two before this one?"

Harry and Ron started talking about standings between the Ballycastle Bats and Caerphilly Catapults while they talked about the three books they'd both read.

"Ron, Harry." They turned to see both Hermione and Trisana were ready to go.

"Well, it's been really great," Trisana said looking to each in turn, "but I've got to study...unless you guys want to come?" Harry felt his heart get heavier.

"Actually Tris, we have got Quidditch practice." They all walked toward the door together.

"That's okay," Trisana said brightly. "Hermione and I will have fun studying with the other girls. See ya later!" She put her arm under a very surprised Hermione and led her to the stares, Hermione turning her head to look at them a couple of times before they disappeared.

Ron chuckled, slapping his hand on Harry's shoulder, walking out the front to the Quidditch pitch. "That girl's something, Harry. It'll do Hermione good to go with some girls for awhile."

Harry smiled. "And to study, no less."

"Yah...but," a frown crossed Ron's face, "now she can't help us with the Potions essay."

_~*~_~*~_~*~_