Snakes
“Miss Potter you look you haven’t slept in days!” said Madam Pomfrey as she brought over the breakfast trays.
Anne was starting to get shadows under her eyes from lack of sleep, even the nights she did sleep she didn’t sleep for very long.
‘I’m fine” muttered Anne picking at her breakfast.
“Hmmm yes well” tutted Madam Pomfrey as she moved to Harry’s bed.
“Morning!” called Harry groggily who had just woken up in the next bed over.
Once Madam Pomfrey was satisfied that they had eaten enough she allowed Harry and Anne to leave the Hospital Wing.
They headed up to Myrtle’s bathroom where they found the over three by the cauldron.
“Hi guys!” called Harry cheerily perching himself on top of one of the bathroom counters.
“See they let you two out then?” asked Hermione not even looking up from the cauldron.
“Nobody can hold us for long!” laughed Harry.
“I’m surprised she let you out Anne, you look worse than you did when we took you in!” said Irwin.
“I’m fine” Anne muttered again.
“Hey guys guess what happened last night!” said Harry excitedly as Anne starting chopping potion ingredients.
“You remember us telling you about that crazy house-elf Dobby?” Hermione Ron and Irwin nodded.
“Yeah well, he showed up in the Hospital Wing last night! It turns out he cursed that bludger!!”
“What!” protested Ron.
“Are you sure?” asked Hermione cautiously.
“Yeah, he also stopped us getting through the platform in September!”
“You’re joking?” asked Ron.
“No, no I’m not!” said Harry so excited he was practically bouncing off the walls. “But that’s not all! He told us the chamber had been opened before!”
“Really what did he say?” asked Hermione.
“When was it?” asked Ron.
“Who was it?” asked Irwin.
“We don’t know! He left before he could tell us!” Harry explained. “But there’s more!
Colin Creevey was petrified last night; they bought his body into the Hospital Wing!”
“Wow you two had an exciting night mate!” said Ron.
“Is all that true?” asked Irwin looking towards Anne.
Anne nodded not looking up from the ingredients she was preparing.
“Woah!” exclaimed Ron and Hermione.
When Anne and Irwin got back to their Common Room that night Irwin pulled Anne aside to talk to her.
“Anne,” he said gently, “you look like you haven’t slept in weeks! You have been sleeping, haven’t you?”
“Not much,” she muttered, “I’m still having those nightmares about Quirrell and Voldemort, I don’t like sleeping, besides I don’t want to disturb anyone with my bad dreams,” she explained quietly.
“Anne, you’ve got to sleep!” Irwin told her firmly.
Anne shook her head frantically.
“Come on!” he said pulling her out of the Common Room.
“Where are we going?” asked Anne panicking.
“Back to Pomfrey. Now come on!”
Irwin half pulled half dragged Anne down the seven floors to the Hospital Wing.
“Madam Pomfrey!” called Irwin loudly, “Madam Pomfrey!!”
“Calm down Mr. Scamander now what is the problem?”
“Its Anne, she hasn’t been sleeping properly, I don’t think she’s slept properly since Quirrell” Irwin explained.
“But that was six months ago!” Pomfrey half screamed. “No wonder you look so tired dear, been having nightmares?”
Anne nodded.
“Mr. Scamander, could you take this, please? It’s a vial of dreamless sleep” she said handing her a vial of potion
“Now then you drink this, you won’t be having any nightmares tonight!” she said looking at Anne. “Would you rather stay here or go back to your dorm?”
“Dormitory please,” she half-whispered.
“Off you go then,” said Pomfrey “and Scamander! If this happens again bring her straight back here!”
Irwin took Anne back to the Common Room and walked up to Padma and Persephone. “Hi girls, could you take Anne up to your room and make sure she drinks this please?”
“Yeah, sure!” said Padma “Has this got something to do with her lack of sleep?”
Irwin nodded.
“Come on then,” said Persephone taking Anne’s hand and taking her up to their dorm.
Once Anne was in her pajamas Padma handed her the potion. She took it and fell asleep almost instantly.
“What time is it?” she asked groggily when she next woke up.
She could see the other four girls all chatting on Lisa’s bed.
“Ten o’clock” replied Lisa casually.
“You were asleep for about twenty-eight hours,” Mandy told her.
“I missed a day of lessons!” she screamed.
“Missing one day isn’t going to put you behind!” reassured Padma.
“Now get some more sleep!” said Persephone firmly.
She had another nightmare about Quirrell that night, this time when they touched him, he hadn’t burned.
She woke up in cold sweat from her nightmare. If dreamless sleep wasn’t so addictive, she thought she’d drink it every night if she could!
She managed to get some more sleep that night and walked down to the Common Room at half-past seven.
“What’s up?” asked Anne as she approached the crowded notice board.
“You apparently!” said Anthony sarcastically.
“Yeah we missed you yesterday!” exclaimed Michael.
“They’re going to start a dueling club!” explained Mandy.
“It could be fun!” said Lisa bouncing on her toes.
“I guess it could make a change” muttered Anne.
“Recte!” said Irwin excitedly, “well I guess that tomorrow night we learn to duel!”
On Wednesday night the young Ravenclaws went down to the Great Hall at half-past seven. All the tables had been moved so there was space for everyone to practice.
The Ravenclaws groaned when they saw who their teacher was, Snape wasn’t too bad, but Lockhart!!
The Ravenclaws had laughed when Snape disarmed Lockhart and then divided into pairs. They had already learned expliarmus from one of their research projects in the library, but they took this as a good chance to practice.
Anne and Irwin spent a while practicing disarming each other, they were getting quite good at it!!
Then Snape had decided to have an exhibition duel between Harry and Draco.
Anne and Irwin pushed themselves towards the front as the students crowded around the platform. They were standing next to some of the second year Hufflepuffs including Hannah Abbot and Justin Finch-Fletchley
Lockhart and Snape were trying to help Harry and Draco. Snape gave Draco a good spell to use whilst Lockhart tried to show Harry a complicated wand movement before dropping his wand.
“Serpensortia!” called Draco.
A snake came flying out of Draco’s wand and the snake started to slither its way towards Harry.
As Snape stepped forward to vanish the snake however, Harry began to make strange hissing noises.
Harry seemed to be talking to the snake!!
The snake was now slithering towards Justin, Harry was still hissing at it.
What was going on!!
“Evannesco!” cried Snape and the snake disappeared.
Anne stared at her brother in shock. But this time Anne wasn’t the only one staring, the whole room was staring at him.
The students were dismissed early and they all went back to their dorms.
“You’re a parselmouth Harry!” called Ron as they all caught up with each other.
“A what?” asked Harry confused.
“A parselmouth, you can talk to snakes!” explained Hermione.
“I was talking to that snake!” Harry stammered.
Irwin nodded firmly.
“Everyone thinks you were trying to attack Justin,” Irwin explained trying to keep calm.
“But I was telling him to keep away from Justin!” Harry protested.
“Parselmouths are really rare and usually dark wizards,” said Hermione.
“Slytherin was one and so was Voldemort,” muttered Anne.
“Oh my god! people are going to think I’m the heir of Slytherin aren’t they?” Harry gasped catching on.
They nodded.
“How long till that potion is finished?” Harry asked nervously.
“Ten days,” said Irwin.
“Well, ten days till we catch the real heir of Slytherin then!”