Another Potter

twenty six

chapter twenty six
the chamber of secrets

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The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? people asked each other. What terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Draco told Amelia one evening in the common room. "Us, the two idiots over there," he nodded towards Crabbe and Goyle, "and Potter and his friends. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."

"Good," Amelia said as she looked at him. She was glad that most people were leaving. She was tired of people skirting around her in the corridors, as though she was about to sprout fangs or spit poison. She was tired of all the muttering, pointing, and hissing as he passed.

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Amelia down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil witch coming through. . . ."

Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior.

"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Amelia in a hurry."

"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant," said George, chortling.

Ron's younger sister Ginny didn't find it amusing either.

"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Amelia loudly who he was planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Amelia off with a large clove of garlic when they met.

Amelia didn't mind. It made her feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the idea of his being Slytherin's heir was quite ludicrous. 

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At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. Amelia found it peaceful, rather than gloomy, and enjoyed the fact that she, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle had the run of Slytherin common room, which meant they could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practice duelling in private. 

Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. Amelia woke up at around five in the morning, and decided to surprise Draco one morning. She put on her bath robe, grabbed their presents and gently put them on Blaise's bed when she walked in. She walked over to Draco's bed and put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing when she saw Draco fast asleep, his blond hair a state. 

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"  

Amelia jumped on Draco's bed, waking the older boy with a yell as he sat up, only to look down as see Amelia laughing her head off as she lay on her back. 

"Holy shit," she laughed as Crabbe and Goyle looked utterly confused, "you should have seen your faces."

"Yeah, yeah," Draco said, "very funny."

"It was," Amelia said, still laughing as she held her stomach.

Amelia had already opened her presents. The Dursley's had sent her a toothpick and a note telling her to find out whether she'd be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer vacation, too.