Hogwarts Exposed

Hogwarts Exposed

By Neil

Chapter Four

Getting to Know Her

Jamie tried to recoup her composure, as Headmaster Snape at last seemed to be regaining charge of the Hall. She swiftly surveyed the room hoping that no one other than Amanda and Alex had noticed her loss of control. Everybody still seemed to be concentrating on the head table.

"Let the feast begin," said Professor Snape. Astonishingly the dishes in front of the students were now piled with food.

Jamie glanced again at the head tables where the teachers were sitting, most of them, like the students, already enjoying the bountiful meal. Her gaze stopped on Harry Potter. Her mind was still coming to terms with the fact that he was going to be one of her professors this year.

If it hadn't been for him I wouldn't be here today. I would have never been born and most certainly not have lived to attend Hogwarts. He most assuredly has both given me my life and saved it.

Thinking of Harry Potter, took Jamie back to some of the darkest times in recent History. Few in the Wizard World, knew of the existence of the detention camps, Voldemort had set up in the seventies. Their locations had all been concealed by very powerful charms. Even after the first defeat of Voldemort the Ministry had denied their existence. Jamie only knew because her parents had been prisoners in one. That's where they met and that's where they would have died had Voldemort not fallen when his curse rebounded off of an infant Harry Potter.

Jamie's parents had genuinely thought about naming her Harrietta in tribute to the boy who lived, but had mercifully gone with Jamie Lily instead in respect to his parents. As a little girl Jamie had read every book and piece of writing she could find on Harry Potter. Finally the day came that she would get to see him. Not meet him, but at least see him.

England was playing Wales in a Quidditch Cup game and her father had generously been given tickets. The game was scheduled to commence at 2:00 PM and since they were traveling by portkey it was not necessary to depart until noon. Jamie was up washed and pacing the floor at 7:00 AM. As soon as the sitter for her younger sister, Emily, arrived Jamie practically flew out the door.

The day had been a dream to her. Wales had won and she had seen the 'boy who lived'. She didn't think anything could've spoilt the pleasure of that day.

She was wrong.

The dream turned into a nightmare as the game ended and fans were departing the stadium. High above the pitch the Dark Mark, the sign of Voldemort, flashed in the sky causing the spectators to panic. Nine-year-old Jamie struggled to stay erect in the pressing throng of bodies, knowing that if she fell she risked being trampled to death.

She'd long since lost contact with her parents, the crowd virtually carrying her out with them. It was only when outside the stadium that she was able to stop and wonder what to do. She had no idea where her parents were, and didn't have any notion as to what direction to head to look for them. In the end, she decided her best plan would be to remain where she was and let her parents locate her.

With each passing minute her anxiety rose almost in time with the thinning of the crowd around her, till she realized that she was quite alone.

She heard a noise and saw two men come out of the shadows; she was instantaneously alarmed. Even though she had always been taught to not judge people by their appearance, but rather by what was inside them, she also knew there were exceptions to almost every rule. It only took the first glance for her to know that she had no desire to find out anything more about these two men. Jamie started running as fast as her scrawny legs would move.

"Petrificus Totalus!" shouted one of the men, causing Jamie's body to freeze in mid stride. She fell face first to the ground sliding about four feet before coming to a stop. Her frozen body then falling on its side.

Jamie could hear footsteps approaching. She knew it was the two men, but she was helpless she couldn't move. One of the men said, "Well look what we have here; its an early Christmas present. I'll unfreeze you, but don't try running. You wouldn't get far anyway and it would really annoy me. Finite Incantatum."

Jamie stood up. Her nose was throbbing and when she touched her face her hand became all bloody. She felt so tiny and powerless next to them. Both men were rather weighty, though one was taller and the other one just fat. The taller of the two spoke. "Let her go, she's just a little kid. We had a job to do. We did it. Now lets get the hell out of here."

"You never want to have any fun. Lets unwrap the package and see what Santa sent us." He pointed his wand at Jamie and shouted, " Nullus Vestis"

Jamie felt the cold chill of the wind that was blowing on her body, and realized that she was now naked in front of the two of them. Looking into the eyes of the man that had performed the spell, she mustered as much courage as possible.

"Quite the pervert, aren't you?"

Her bravery was rewarded with a whack that threw her to the ground. Her hand reached for her cheek, but before she had any time to register the new pain, she was picked up.

Fatso gave a filthy laugh and said, "Come here sweetie you and I are going to have some fun." He reached out his greasy hand and pulled her tight against him, burying her face in his huge stomach. The repulsion inside of her grew and grew as he started to paw her body.

His partner just looked at him. "You're sick. Do you know that? She's too young; she's just a baby. You'll kill her if you try..."

"So? Do you really think I care?" Fatso had twisted Jamie around, his hands continuing to touch her, up and down her naked body.

"The only thing sicker then what you're doing is me watching it. I'm out of here. You better clean up the mess. I don't want any part of this." The words were no more out of his mouth then he was gone.

'Cleanup up the mess!' Jamie thought as she kicked and bit fatso in an effort to get free. 'He's going to kill me when he's done raping me.'

Just as Jamie felt her attacker start to force her down to the ground, she heard a voice shout, "What's going on there? Let her go."

Fatso looked up to see someone rushing toward him with his wand drawn and turned toward the advancing wizard picking up Jamie and using her as a shield against any curses. The wizard was still about a hundred yards away when he pushed Jamie aside and Apparated.

As soon as she felt her attacker disappear, Jamie ran in the direction of the wizard who had saved her. In her mind, he was her knight in shining armor. When they were within a few feet of each other she leaped for his neck, wrapping her arms around it as her knight wrapped his arms around her waist to prevent her from falling. "Everything is okay now," he said. " He's gone. No one will hurt you anymore."

Jamie didn't say a word. She just held on to her savior as tightly as she could and cried into his shoulder.

They stood like that a few minutes. Her crying her heart out, and him holding her in one arm as he gently stroked her bare back trying to calm her down. Finally he spoke. "Hey, sweetie, do you have a name? Who'd you come to the match with? I think it's best we have a mediwitch look at you."

Jamie slowly relaxed her grasp on his neck and her knight leaned forward letting her slide to the ground. As soon as her feet touched earth, he slipped his robes off and wrapped them around the young girl. "We need to keep you warm," her rescuer told her, giving her as reassuring a grin as he could muster as he enclosed her in his robes.

Jamie smiled for the first time since being caught in the stampeding crowd. She liked her knight; he knew exactly the right things to say to take her mind off what had just happen. "My name is Jamie. I came with my parents, but we got separated in the panic and then, then..."

He could tell Jamie was starting to become distressed again and so he reached down and scooped her up in his arms. "Lets see if we can find that mediwitch and someone to help us locate your parents."

Jamie felt so secure in his arms; she wished he would hold her like this forever. Only now did she look up into his handsome face. Her knight was Harry Potter!

Now over six years later, her Knight in Shining Armour was sitting in front of her at the end of the hall.

After the desserts disappeared, and Professor Snape got to his feet again, the hall fell silent.

"I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First the forest on the grounds is called the 'Forbidden Forrest' for a good reason. Students would do well to remember that. Madam Hooch has private difficulties that prevent her from being with us to start the year. Flying lessons for first years are temporarily canceled." A collective sigh was heard from the first years when this was announced, but nothing compared to the groans when he said, " Hopefully we will not have to cancel the Quidditch season."

After the singing of the school song was complete, Alex and Jamie gathered the first years together and led them through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. The tired first years yawned as they went through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and climbed more and more staircases. Finally they reached the end of a corridor where there hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink sink dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Ear wax," said Alex, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They scrambled through the hole and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room. It was an inviting room decorated in Gryffindor red with a toasty fireplace and full of spongy armchairs. Alex took the boys through a doorway on one side of the common room as Jamie showed the girls to the door on the other side.

Jamie escorted the girls up the spiral staircase and into their dormitory, staying to help them get settled in. She was about to depart when a timid voice called her name. "Jamie, may I speak with you."

Jamie went over and sat on the edge of the girl's four-poster bed. "What is the problem?" she tenderly inquired.

"Jamie, I'm frightened to close my eyes and go to sleep. I have these dreadful dreams and I sometimes wake up screaming. The other girls will think I'm peculiar and not want to be my friend."

Jamie looked at the desperation in the little girls heartbreaking, but beautiful face. Suddenly she had an inspiration. "I think I know someone who can be of aid in helping you sleep well again and feel safer. Put on your slippers and come downstairs to my dormitory and I'll introduce you to him."

"Him? How can some boy help me sleep better?" The girl questioned. "Shouldn't I get dressed? What's a boy doing in your dormitory?"

Jamie held back a giggle as she smiled. "I don't have a boy in the dormitory. It's not that sort of he. You'll understand when you see him."

The other girls had promptly fallen sound asleep, so no one heard them as they left the room and went down the stairs to Jamie's dormitory. They entered the empty room and went over to Jamie's bed, which was on the far wall next to the window. "Pureheart, I'd like you to meet someone," Jamie said.

There lying at the end of Jamie's bed was a tiny unicorn about the size of a small dog. "Oh! He's beautiful. Is he real? May I touch him?"

Jamie whispered in Caitlin's ear. "He's not real, but he thinks he is. Pureheart is a toy stuffed Unicorn that has been charmed to life. He has all the qualities of a real unicorn. As for whether you can touch him or not that is a decision unicorns make based on your purity. You'll have to let him approach you and see."

Caitlin looked nervously at Jamie and then at Pureheart. Will a unicorn consider me pure after what happened this summer? What will Jamie think of me if Pureheart doesn't let me touch him? She'll think I'm some tart that had underage sex.

Pureheart was pawing at Jamie's pillow as if encouraging her to come to bed. "Where did you get him?" Caitlin asked.

"My dad bought Pureheart for me the year before I started Hogwarts. I was having bad dreams about a revolting guy who attacked me after a Quidditch game and tried to rape me. If it hadn't been for my 'knight in shining armor' he would have succeeded and in all probability killed me."

Caitlin looked at Jamie as tears came to her eyes. Someone I can finally talk to about what happened. Someone who will understand how it felt. "I wish a Knight had been there for me," Caitlin whispered quietly.

Jamie's jaw dropped in shook. "Caitlin, were you raped?"

"Technically I suppose some people wouldn't consider what happened to me rape, but it wounded me a lot more and the nightmares are just as dreadful."

Jamie held Caitlin's hand as she was told the entire story of what had happen during the summer. The only detail she left out was the perpetrators name. Jamie gasped in horror as Caitlin told her about how she was tied up and left to die.

"I pleaded for her to stop, but she wouldn't listen. I couldn't do anything," Caitlin told her, reliving the horrible ordeal as she did.

They sat there silently for a few minute; Jamie with her arms tightly around Caitlin.

"Do you think Pureheart will let me touch him or am I soiled because of what happened?"

"I don't know how Pureheart will react, but you certainly aren't soiled. We can only hope. Come sit on the bed so he can decide."

As soon as Caitlin sat down Pureheart approached her and titled his head, as if he were examining Caitlin closely. The tiny unicorn had a strange questioning look on his face. He took a few steps closer and sniffed the air, as if he was trying to work out something. His tiny head lifted after a second and when Caitlin looked at him, she could see tears falling from his eyes. Pureheart licked Caitlin's cheek and then curled up on her lap.

Jamie smiled. "Would you like Pureheart to keep you company for a while?"

Caitlin looked at Jamie. "Could he, you'd really let him stay with me?"

"Pureheart knows where he's needed. He'll keep those nightmares away. Just bring him to visit me occasionally." Pureheart jumped to the floor as Caitlin threw her arms around Jamie's neck.

Jamie walked Caitlin back to her dorm and tucked her in bed while Pureheart took his accustomed position at the foot of the bed. Jamie knew she would miss Pureheart, but right now Caitlin required him a good deal more than she did. "Have you ever done any running," Jamie asked.

"Just at camp," Caitlin replied.

"Professor Granger and a few of us run every morning before breakfast. If you or any of the other first years would like to join us, you're more than welcome. Of course, you have to get up early. We meet in the main hall at 6:30 AM."

"6:30," Caitlin shockingly responded. "Well, not tomorrow. I'm knackered, but I'll ask the other girls about it in the morning."

"Invite the boys, as well. See you at breakfast," Jamie said as she slipped out the door.

As Jamie entered the common room Alex and Amanda jumped up from their game of chess and ran to her. "Where have you been Jamie?" asked Amanda. "It's been over an hour since you took the first years up. How long does it take to get them settled in bed?"

Jamie just looked at her and smiled. "In some cases a little longer then customary. Who's winning?"

"Alex, but doesn't he always? Are you okay now?"

"I'm fine." Seeing him just brought back memories of that horrible night when he saved my life. How can I every repay him?"

* * * * * *

Tuesday, September 2, 2003 6:00 AM

It was 6:00 AM when her clock awakened Jamie. She slid her legs out from under the covers and stretched. It's good to be back at Hogwarts. She went over to Amanda's bed and gave her shoulder a little shake. "Are you running this morning?" Amanada didn't answer, but shook her head yes and started rubbing her eyes. Jamie went to the bathroom then brushed her teeth. Then she slipped on her running gear and headed for the door. "I'll wait for you in the common room, Amanda. I want to see if Alex is up yet"

"I'll be down in a couple minutes," Amanda answered quietly in order to not wake the other girls.

When Jamie entered the common room she was surprised to see Alex already waiting there. "Wow, I'm impressed. What got you up?"

"Thought I'd try to get the year off to a good start by being early for a change," He responded holding back a yawn.

As soon as Amanada joined them, they headed off to the main entrance where Professor Granger was already doing some stretching exercises. Soon six other students and Professors Potter and Malfoy joined them. It was obvious that Draco and Harry were not happy to see each other.

Harry couldn't help staring at Hermione. She hasn't changed a bit. The same pretty face and beautiful body. Her running bra and bicycle shorts left little to the imagination. Harry had a vivid memory of how Hermione looked when they were together. The perfect combination of beauty, personality and intelligence and I dumped her because I hankered after Ginny. What a fool I was.

"Okay!" Hermione broke the silence. "Lets go outside and get started with our warm-up exercises. We have a nice size group for the first morning of the school year. Please pass the word to your houses that anyone is welcome to join us in the morning. Lets pair up and get started with our exercises."

Draco seemed to make a mad dash to Hermione's side. Amanda and Alex paired off, as did the six other students leaving only Jamie and Harry. "Well I guess its you and I," Harry said as he looked at the young girl. He couldn't get over how much she looked like Hermione.

"Looks that way Professor Potter. My name is Jamie Zacherley. I'm a fifth year Gryffindor."

"Nice to meet you Miss Zacherley." Now where have I heard that name before?

Jamie could see by the lack of recognition on Harry's face that he didn't remember her.

"Lets start with jumping jacks," Hermione said. "Since it may have been awhile since some of you exercised; don't over do it. If you want to stop any exercise before it's complete; that's quite all right. I don't want anyone having to go see Madam Pomfrey on the first day of classes."

After warming up they went on to regular exercises finishing with sit-ups. Harry and Draco were in the group doing the exercise first. Harry was determined to do more than Draco who he easily surpassed with seventy-five. It was now time for the partners. Harry held Jamie's ankles, but his attention was on Hermione. She looked absolutely beautiful and from the look on his face, Draco thought so, too. As they neared fifty sit-ups Harry noticed that a few of the students had stopped, but not Hermione; she didn't even look out of breath. Suddenly Harry realized his partner was going strong, too.

He looked at Jamie's face. It's amazing how much they look alike; they could easily pass as sisters. As he watched both Jamie and Hermione continue on further than the other students, he wondered how much Jamie was trying to emulate Hermione. She'd even followed Hermione's fashion tips, he thought in a brief moment before wishing he could do a Doby and bang his head against a tree for noticing the physical similarities and something else.

"One Hundred," good job Miss Zacherley. "Maybe we should raise the bar to one twenty-five?" Harry could hear pride in Hermione's voice as she spoke.

"I'm game if you are Professor," Jamie smiled at her Transfiguration Professor.

Hermione spoke up, "The route we run is a measured kilometer. Do as many laps as you feel up to and then do your warm-down exercises and head for the showers."

* * * * * *

Jamie made her way up to the third-floor hall and headed toward a portrait of a girl in a very large skirt who had a shepherd's crook and a flock of sheep around her.

"Snuggle soft," she said to the shepherdess, gaining entrance to the prefects' bathroom for girls. The bathroom was as opulent as a Roman bath, with marble everywhere. It was also completely empty. It was nice not having to fight for a shower, but it was lonely not having anyone to talk with. Jamie missed her friends from the Gryffindor dorm.

When she was done with her shower she wrapped a towel around her hair and walked to the large wardrobe near the tub. As she walked across the room she had the strangest feeling she was being watched.

Jamie removed a fluffy red-robe with the Gryffindor lion embroidered over the heart and then put on a pair of the black shower shoes from the bottom of the wardrobe. Jamie felt refreshed, but lonely. This private prefect bath isn't for me; I miss my roommates.

She walked back to Gryffindor Tower shaking her head. That was my first and last Prefect shower. After giving the password to the Fat Lady she climbed into the common room only to find it empty, as was the fifth year dorm. This stinks; everyone's already gone to breakfast. She quickly slipped on her clothes, grabbed her books and ran down to the Great Hall.

As she entered, Amanda saw her and waved indicating the seat she had saved for her. Jamie stuck up one finger indicating she'd be there shortly and then she went over to the first years and whispered into Caitlin's ear. "How did it go last night?"

Caitlin looked of at her with a broad grin on her face. "No bad dreams. I dreamed I was riding a unicorn."

Jamie smiled back as she put her hand on Caitlin's. "Have a grand first day."

Professor Granger, who had watched Jamie enter the Great Hall and go over to have a word with Caitlin, looked on proudly with a tear in her eye.

Jamie had no more than taken her seat when her roommates bombarded her with questions about where she had been this morning. Jamie informed them that she had tried the Prefect showers, but that they would have to put up with her again starting tomorrow. Lisa said, "That's our Jamie."

Jamie just smiled and started eating her breakfast.

As they were gathering their things for their first class Alex realized he had left his wand in the Gryffindor Dormitory. "I have to get my wand or Granger will give me detention. You guys go on without me. I'll see you in class."

"Okay," answered Amanda. "Be quick about it. You know Professor Granger won't be exactly happy if you're late for class either."

Jamie and Amanada knew they were early so they took their time walking down the halls using the time to catch up on the summer events they hadn't written each other concerning. As they turned the corner they were startled to see seven first years from various houses except Slytherin floating in the corridor banging their heads against the ceiling. It was no shock to notice that Dick Bancroft the Slytherin Quidditch captain was the reason for the mayhem.

"Bancroft, what are you doing? These first years are anxious enough without you hazing them," Jamie shouted as she angrily approached Bancroft and his underlings.

"Mind your own business Zacherley or I'll charm your shoes to the rafters with you in them so everyone can check out your knickers. No bleeding Gryffindor bitch tells me what I ought to or ought not do."

Although Jamie didn't blink an eye at Bancroft's threat, Amanada looked scared stiff at the thought of this taking place.

"I know your first name is Dick, but that doesn't suggest you always have to be one," Jamie said as she took out her ward, first doing a cushioning charm on the stone floor and then floating the students to the earth. Jamie looked at the frighten first years and said, "Please don't judge all of us by that prat. Hurry to your class now so you're not tardy."

Jamie ignored the fuming Slytherin and turned to Amanda, "We best get moving or we'll be late for class ourselves."

Dick Bancroft turned to his flunkies and whispered, "You guys fancy a show? Watch this." He pointed his wand at Jamie's back as she walked away and....

End of Chapter Four.

Once again I want to thank Andrew for all his hard beta work on this chapter. He has a great knack for smoothing the rough edges off my initial work. Please review here or at my website http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HogwartsExposed/ All question posted at the home sit will be answered.