If You Could Be Anywhere

The next week went without a hitch. I steered clear of Malfoy and mostly hung out with Hermione or Daphne. My classes were going great and I was excelling at everything. Ron and Harry weren't on speaking terms with Hermione so I didn't talk to them as much, only to congratulate Harry on his new Nimbus 2000. It was worth seeing Malfoy all worked up and jealous.

By the time Halloween came around, we even managed to convince Professor Flitwick to teach us the flying charm. The class was put into pairs as we tried to get a feather to fly. I was paired up with Blaise Zabini.

"Wingardium Leviosa" he shouted barely moving his arm and overenunciating.

"Are you nervous Blaise?"

"No, I mean-"

I interrupted him. "Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth" he begrudgingly listened. "Now, if you could be anywhere, where would you be?"

"I'd be at home with my mom." He thought, he started to describe his home and I pictured it with him, and I visibly saw him calm down. "Thanks, Maggy that really helped."

"Okay, now we'll try it again. Maybe add a little more swish and a little less flick. And make sure the 'gar' is nice and long."

I counted down and at the same time, we said, "Wingardium Leviosa" sure enough, we made our feather fly. Blaise, who always has a blank face and barely talks gave me a big bear hug and smiled, "We did it!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, we did!" I responded.

I looked around the room and saw at the Gryffindor table Hermione was smiling from ear to ear. She made the feather fly too. We did it. Both of us have been studying for ages in hopes that we would get it right and be good enough, and it paid off. I felt the magic run through me, and that's a feeling no one could take away, not even a stupid blonde boy.

At the end of class, Hermione and I were practically skipping with joy. We were about ready to enter the dungeons for Potions when we overheard Ron.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her....she's a nightmare honestly"

Ron was obviously talking about Hermione, they were paired together for the assignment. Before I could turn to Hermione, she had already stormed past Harry and Ron. I ran after her, "You should be ashamed of yourselves" I said to the boys. I followed Hermione into the girl's bathroom. She sat there crying and all I could do was comfort her. We sat there for the rest of the day as I tried to cheer her up. We were just about to join the feast when the door opened, we expected it to be at least another girl. When we saw that it was a giant troll, we both let out a shriek and went to the corner. But it was no use, the troll kept coming closer, trying to corner us.

Harry and Ron suddenly came into the bathroom and started screaming, trying to distract the troll. Harry bravely, yet stupidly flung himself onto the troll's neck while Ron took his wand out.

"Wingardium Leviosa," he shouted.

The troll's club was flying, and Ron guided it so the club hit the troll square in the head. The toll tumbled and the four of us got up and dusted ourselves off. McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell abruptly burst into the bathroom and they did not look happy. Hermione and I told the professors it was our fault and that the boys came after us. We each got five points taken from us, which I'd take over dying from a troll attack any day.

As we all went to our separate common rooms, it felt as if everything changed. It's almost as if we became closer after the troll, it brought us together. We became inseparable and people started to call us the golden four, but we were really just best friends. That's why when the Slytherin vs Gryffindor game came up, I struggled on which side I should root for. On one hand was my house, Slytherin, and on the other was Gryffindor with my best friend Harry on the team. So on the day of the game, I decided on wearing my Slytherin jumper and a Gryffindor scarf I borrowed from Ron. As I left the girl's dormitory and Slytherin common room I saw Malfoy. He turned to me as if ready to gloat about something, but when he saw my Gryffindor scarf he seemed shocked and hurt. He scoffed and I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to waste my breath as I made my way to the quidditch pitch and sat in the Slytherin stands with Tracey, Daphne, Blaise, and Theo, far away from the other less friendly Slytherins in my year. I looked over to the Gryffindor stands and waved and smiled at Ron, Neville, and Hermione before turning my attention to the game that was about to start.

Paying attention to the game was quite hard because I didn't really understand the rules, but I still enjoyed it plenty as I listened to the outrageously funny commentary from an older Gryffindor named Lee Jordan. It was about mid-game when I noticed that a bludger kept making passes at Harry. I know that in Quidditch everything you play with is enchanted, but this shouldn't happen should it? It was odd but what was even odder was that Harry's brand spanking new Nimbus 2000 started jolting as if it was trying to push him off. Now that certainly can't be right. I turned towards the Gryffindor stands where Hermione was looking at me and gesturing towards the teacher's stands. I turned and saw Snape in a trance, not blinking and muttering something. It looked like he was saying a spell, maybe he was trying to save Harry from his broom. I turned to look at Hermione again, but all I saw was Ron shrugging at me, she was already gone. I was about to go looking for her when I saw Snape and Quirrell trying to get rid of a fire. I just knew that Hermione did it. Sure enough, Harry's broom stopped acting up after that. It couldn't be Snape though, could it? Dumbledore trusts him enough, so I do too. So with that, I turned my focus back to the game, just in time for Harry to nearly swallow and catch the snitch. Gryffindor won! I said goodbye to my Slytherin friends and made my way to Harry Ron and Hermione. We congratulated Harry all the way to Hagrid's hut, where we sat and had tea.

"It was Snape," Ron explained, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing Harry's broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off him."

"I saw Snape too," I interrupted, "but I don't think he was cursing you, Harry. He's a professor that Dumbledore trusts, and not all Slytherins are bad. Maybe he was saying a countercurse?"

"Rubbish. Why would he do something like that?" Hagrid said.

Harry launched into a story about Snape trying to pass the three-headed dog on Halloween and him limping. Apparently, the three-headed crazy monster's name is Fluffy and Hagrid actually owns him. He's guarding something. For Dumbledore and some bloke named Nicolas Flamel. Hermione and I share a look, knowing that we will find out what Fluffy is hiding and who Nicolas Flamel is.

Weeks passed by and Hermione and I found nothing in the whole library about Nicolas Flamel. We decided to give the topic a rest and focus on studies, it was nearing Christmas, and after the winter break finals were soon approaching. Apart from studying, this gave me more time to spend with the Slytherins and get to know them more, as I only ever talked to Daphne, Tracey, and Blaise. I found that most people were like I'd assumed they were. Daphne was quiet and kept to herself, much like Blaise. Tracey was loud and funny and always spoke her mind. Pansy was a gossip and mean girl and Millicent followed her around as if she was Merlin himself. Theo Nott was extremely obnoxious, hilarious, and the biggest flirt. Crabbe and Goyle shared a brain and followed Malfoy around like two lost puppies. And Malfoy was the most peculiar of the bunch. If it were just him and I in the common room, he'd be good company and an actual nice person, but if any other Slytherin came in sight he would become cold, almost as if there was an off switch. One particular morning, after the first snow I received a letter from my father saying he would be on a business trip and I wasn't able to come home to him for Christmas. I was extremely sad and my Slytherin friends were trying to cheer me up.

"It's alright Maggy, I hear the Christmas tree is magnificent. And there are fireworks on New Years'. That's something to get excited about." Daphne said.

"Yeah don't worry Mags," Theo nudged me and winked, "You could always come back and spend the holidays with me,". I roll my eyes and swat him away.

"Please Nott. I know you don't want Muggle filth stinking up your house," Malfoy turns to me, "What's the matter, not even the muggles want you anymore? You don't belong with them and you certainly don't belong with us. How pathetic."

The table got silent and I was close to breaking out into tears. Tracey grabs my hand and pulls me from the table.

"Come on Maggy. I'll show you the entrance to the kitchens. You could use those for midnight snacks over the break." We head over to the kitchens after both sending intense glares to a certain Draco Malfoy.

I avoided Malfoy and his lackeys and stayed in my dorm until they left on the Hogwarts express. When I came out, I hung around with Harry and Ron as Hermione had already left. Of course, she scolded the boys to keep looking for who Flamel is while she's gone. We had done anything but that before Christmas. We stayed in Gryffindor Common Room plotting ways to get Malfoy expelled, playing wizards chess or exploding snap for the most part. On Christmas Eve I even slept in Gryffindor common room, as there was no one in Slytherin and I didn't want to be alone.

When I woke up Christmas morning, Harry and Ron were in the common room with presents of their own. I got a jacket and a book from my father that was brought in by Hedwig. I also got candy from Hermione and a lovely dead rat from Leeroy. This earned "You're lucky that's not my rat or I'd have to get revenge on that bloody cat." from Ron. We laughed and rolled our eyes. There was another parcel that I wasn't sure who it was from. Turns out it is from Mrs.Weasley. She makes all her children and now Harry and I sweaters with our initials on them. Mine is a lovely green with a giant yellow 'M' in the middle. I loved it and instantly put it on. I thought nothing would top the handmade sweaters, but I was wrong because Harry got sent an invisibility cloak. It was apparently his father's and very rare. For the rest of the day, we hung around the common room with the rest of the Weasleys, Percy, and the twins who now went by Gred and Forge. We had a snowball fight in the afternoon and a big feast for Christmas dinner, and for the first time in a while, everything was serene.

The next morning I woke up to an excited Harry and Ron. Apparently that night, Harry used the cloak and snuck around the castle and he stumbled upon a mirror that showed him his parents. He and Ron were going tonight, and I would go with Harry tomorrow night. When Ron said he saw himself as headboy and quidditch captain and not with Harry's parents, I was even more excited to see the mirror. That night we waited until half-past twelve and both went under the cloak. We walked quickly and quietly and found the mirror with ease.

Harry stepped up in front of the mirror.

"I see my parents and they are proud of me, with so many other relatives. A big family really. Come on Maggy, what do you see?"

I stepped in front of the mirror and did a double-take.

"I see myself older as headgirl. My mother is standing next to me. She's alive!," I exclaimed. "It's changing, I'm older and I think I live in the muggle world. I have kids. Three of them. They have my eyes and-" I stopped. All three kids had blonde hair. Not just any blonde, pale blonde that reminded me of a certain Slytherin boy.

I turned to Harry and saw him tearing up. We both just saw our dead parents. I go up to him and gave him a hug and we stay there for a while until we heard a voice.

"back again, Harry?". It was Dumbledore. "And you too Miss Roberts?"

We jumped apart.

"I'm sorry sir. I didn't see you there." Harry said nervously.

"Sir what is this mirror?" I asked.

"You both, like hundreds before, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I don't know what that means sir," Harry said.

I looked again at the mirror and its inscription at the top and it finally clicked.

"Erised spelled backwards is desire" I exclaimed, "this mirror shows our desires, doesn't it Professor?".

"Very wise of you Miss Roberts. It shows the heart's deepest desires. You, who just want to make your mother proud, see her smiling through your achievements. Harry, who has never known his family, sees them standing around him. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge nor truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. Remember that you two. If you ever come across the mirror again, you are prepared." He says the last sentence with a glimmer in his half-moon glasses.

We both bid Dumbledore goodnight and begrudgingly went back to Gryffindor common room. We got into the same bed and stared at the ceiling in complete silence, processing what we saw and what Dumbledore said.

"Maggy"

"Yes Harry"

"I'm sorry you had to see that"

"I'm sorry you did to"

There was silence.

"You miss them don't you?"

"You miss her too."

"Yeah"

"Goodnight Maggy"

"Goodnight Harry"

The rest of the break, I had nightmares about seeing my mom in that mirror, and I know that Harry did too, we stayed in the same bed as it was the only thing providing us comfort. Dumbledore made us promise not to go back so we stayed in the common room with Ron trying to distract ourselves from what we saw. Nicolas Flamel didn't even cross our mind, and when Hermione came back the day before term started, she made sure to voice her annoyance with this. Once the term started the nightmares died down and I started to slowly go back to the Slytherin common room once again. On my first day back in, I entered the common room, and the only person who was there was Malfoy.

"Hey Roberts wait up"

"Can't imagine why you would want to talk to someone as filthy and pathetic as me Malfoy" There was silence and I was about to storm back to my dorm.

"I'm sorry that I was such a prat before break"

"Actually you were more of a stupid oaf"

His face broke into a smile, "So you forgive me?"

"I guess I have to," I smirked.

"Happy Christmas then Maggy" I stopped in my tracks. He never called me Maggy. It's always been Roberts or some obnoxious nickname. I smiled and turned around to fully face him.

"Happy Christmas Draco" I went to go to my dorm again and he called out to me again.

"Oh and Maggy" he paused as his ears grew slightly pink, "That sweater looks nice on you"

He complimented me too, that's new. I smiled at him. "Thanks. The Weasleys made it for me."

He stood there, shocked that he liked the sweater that Mrs. Weasley made for Maggy. How could he when he didn't even like the Weasleys? And why did he say he liked her sweater? Of course, that shade of green did look nice on her. But why had he actually said her name? He couldn't possibly like her, not even as a friend or anything more. She probably doesn't care about him. He thought this as he made his way to his dorm and into bed. He drifted off to sleep, unaware of the girl in the Slytherin girls dorm, thinking the same things.

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Wow. Hello longest chapter so far. I was really proud of this one. Enjoy, kudos, comment, subscribe, whatever you want. :)