Something About Harry: The Lilia Watt Files

Chapter Five

I was de-Hagrid-ized and back to normal within a few days. But the teachers had no mercy on me.

"Please, Professor, don't do this to me. I have Ophidiophobia."

"Nonsense, Miss Watt. You will turn that garden hose into a snake. Your grade depends on it."

"But, Professor!"

"This topic is closed."

I muttered a few choice words under my breath, and turned back to Ariana and Ginny. "Well, she'll answer to Madam Pomfrey I suppose if I get bitten," I sighed as I put my head down on the desk.

"That's why you have to learn the spell properly," interjected Ginny.

I gave a sarcastic laugh. "And send the snake shooting all over the room? I don't think Aidan Quinn has quite recovered from the porcupine incident."

"It was a hedgehog, Lilia."

"Sorry." No matter what she said to me, I had decided to be nice to her, to get my conscience to stop bugging me.

"You okay?"

I looked up. There was a look of genuine concern on her pretty, freckled face. Some people have all the luck.

"I'm fine, Ginny, actually, never better." I smiled.

"Great. So here's what I'm thinking of wearing to the Yule Ball..."

I decided I needed professional help for the Ophideus spell.

"Hermione!" I said joyfully, spotting her in the common room.

"Hey, Lilia," she answered sweetly. Hermione had indeed grown lovely over the summer, and her hair was no longer curly, but sleek and beautiful. I felt a small twinge of jealousy at her grace and intelligence, but that's life.

"We're learning the Ophideus spell, and I really need your help. I'm afraid of snakes, you see, and I don't want to have an angry snake slithering toward me because I bounced it off of the walls."

"Sure, I'll help," she told me with a laugh. "Why would you bounce it off of the walls, though?"

"Not on purpose! My wand did something weird awhile ago to a hedgehog, and I wanted to make sure I had someone competent to deal with it in case it happened again."

"Okay, how about tonight at 9:00, in the spare classroom on the third floor?"

"That's great! Thanks."

"Hey Hermione!" called Ron as he climbed into the portrait hole. "What d'you say about this Yule Ball thing?"

"What do you mean?" she replied with a grin.

I thought it best to leave them alone, and I winked at Hermione as I left discreetly.

"Where're you going?" asked Ginny, as I was departing to meet Hermione.

"Ophideus spell lessons, with Hermione. Spare classroom on the third floor. Later!" I left Ginny standing looking a little bewildered, and headed for the third floor.

"Sorry I'm late!" I said breathlessly as I burst into the classroom. "The staircase wouldn't move to let me to the third floor, so I had to go the long way..." I stopped as I looked up.

"I brought someone to help in case things get out of control," said Hermione, signalling toward Harry.

Harry shrugged and grinned sheepishly.

"Actually, he almost begged to come when I told him...Ow!" Harry had elbowed her to make her stop talking, and she smirked.

"Okay, hold your wand like this...good, okay...angle your wrist down a bit....there...and say 'Ophidios apparum!'"

"McGonagall will get a letter from my mother if I get hurt doing this..." I muttered, shaking terribly. I really don't like snakes.

"Don't worry about it," said Harry, laying a hand on my shoulder. "I'm a Parselmouth, remember?"

I nodded, and steadied my hand. "Ophidios apparum!" The dormant water hose lying on the classroom floor shifted shape into a long, black and white striped snake. I froze, staring it in the eye as it glided slowly at me. "Quick, how do I make it change back?"

"Say 'Ophidios Disapparum'!"

"Ophidios Disapparum!" I yelled, and a shock went through my entire body, and I was vaguely aware of blue light and a throbbing pain on the back of my neck. I had no clue as to the snake, and my vision clouded. When I came to, the snake was again a motionless garden hose and Harry and Hermione were standing over me.

"Are you okay, Lilia?" asked Hermione, as she and Harry helped me up.

I made a small noise of dissent, aching as they placed me in a chair.

"I'll take her to the hospital wing, Hermione."

"Well, okay. But be careful, Harry." She quietly went out the door.

"Hurts," I mumbled, the pain in my body ebbing away--except for my neck.

"What hurts?" he asked softly, holding onto my hand.

"My neck. The back."

"Hmm." He lifted my hair off my neck, and touched my skin ever so gently. I shivered, and a warm feeling spread through me.

"It doesn't look bruised."

"It...doesn't hurt anymore, either," I answered.

"Odd. We'd better get back to Gryffindor tower. That's enough Ophideus for you tonight."

We walked quickly and quietly back, Harry looking at me sideways as if I were about to fall over. He had also insisted on holding my hand on the way back in order to prevent this. He let go and looked at his finger all of a sudden, and said, "Whoa!"

"Hm?" I answered absent-mindedly.

"My finger's glowing."

Indeed it was, giving off a soft golden light like a candle. I laughed in spite of myself. "Maybe you should visit the hospital wing."

As we were about to split at the staircases, as we always did, he suddenly asked, "What happened?"

"I'm...not sure, really."

Our gazes connected, and he continued, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," I replied, though I wasn't really positive of this.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you," he said, sounding hesitant, and he looked as if he were debating something. He took a step toward me, and before I knew what was happening, he had kissed me. We stared at each other in shock for a moment, faces burning. And then...

"Good night," we said together, then turned quickly away up the two staircases.