Night
♛
For a couple of weeks now, Bambi had been kept up all night, turning in her sheets. Dumbledore still had no further insight on the glow, despite apparently having experts on it. He hadn't told her who said experts were, but Bambi thought better to pry. So she sat dead into the night, thinking. She hadn't told her parents at home anything that had happened. How would she be able to. Bring up her mother was alive, wanting to see her? The necklace she gave her had hidden powers? Alex would have had a heart attack knowing she could be possibly in danger. Any magic she was unsure about sent her off the edge.
That night, Bambi found it even harder to sleep. With Harry and Rita playing on her mind there was no hope. Instead, she decided a walk would at leats clear her mind some what. Knowing she would have to be careful, Bambi kept her candle light dim, creeping around the corner with caution. The halls were deserts, occasionally whispers of teachers on patrol were heard, but nothing she had to worry about. Soon enough, her mind wondered, returning to her haunting thoughts. What trigged it? She thought, what did the Red mean or even Blue?
Preoccupied, she didn't even realise where she was going looking around for some indication. The fire on top of the candle suddenly was vanished, flowing away. Staring at where the candle was placed in her hand, she was confused. She had no more matches on her and using her wand would be too loud. Fuck. But, before she could even think of making her way back, the side of her shoulder was nudged. Bambi went to scream, fear rising but a hand was clamped over her mouth. There Harry stood, only his head and arm visible.
More fear arose in her, backing away. Harry hushing, raced forward, pulling what seemed to be a cloak off him, revealing the rest of his body. Bambi eye was wide. Harry waved the cloak up, "Please don't panic. It's an invisibility cloak. My dad left it too me years ago"
An invisibility cloak? Bambi had nether heard of such thing but there it was right in front of her. More bizarre magic. Harry handed her the Cloak into her hand. Indeed, the feeling of velvet was along her hand, but not being seen. "Wow," she breathed.
He smiled, grabbing the cloak before noticing her to get under with him. Curious, she followed. Sound was slightly muffled under the cloak, but surprisingly, it was light. Next to her, Harry held the egg he caught and a large parchment what seemly could only be a map of the entire school. However, Bambi watched as black footprints walked among the map. When would it end? Noticing her further confusion, Harry explained it was the marauder map, showing him where everyone in the school was. He had even seen her coming along.
Walking along the halls, Bambi was in awe. A magical map and invisibility cloak. What some people could do with that sort of magic. Bambi knew what she would do. Heading straight to the kitchen, stealing a lot of food. Harry began explaining he had seen crouch on the map in Snape officer which greatly confused her. Crouch was meant to be ill? Why was he in Snape office at least? Before she could question further, they both stumbled on a step, the egg and map flying from his hands.
The clanking of the metal on ground echoed across the halls. Fear stuck them both, rambling around trying to gather the items before they were caught. However, the egg had towered through a painting and the map had fallen in between the steps out of reach.
"PEEVES!" The crying of Filch was heard and the two straightened up, backing into the wall. "What's this racket? Wake up the whole castle, will you? I'll have you, Peeves, I'll have you, you'll ... and what is this?" He bent down picking up the egg. They panic. Filch would look behind the painting soon enough, discovering Peeves not the culprit. Heading up the stairs he would find the Marauder map, clearing showing Harry and Bambi right there. Fuck.
Indeed he did pull back the painting finding no Peeves. He edged closer to the stairs. Bambi went to edge away, but notice Harry leg was trapped in the stairs where they had tripped. Fuck double. Closer and closer he got. His ratty haired cat clawing away next to him.
"Filch? What's going on?"
He stopped a step below them. There stood Snape in a long black night shirt, looking up at Filch. "It's peeves , professor. He threw this egg down the stairs." Snape raced quickly up the stairs questioning how the egg couldn't have come from his office.
Bambi gave a warily look to Harry as Snape explained Peeves couldn't be the one to break into his office. Demanding Filch to help him find the culprit, they thought they might have gotten away with it all, but filch looked back yearning. "The thing is professor. The headmaster will have to listen to me now. Peeves has stolen something from a student, it might be my only chance him thrown out of this castle once and for all -"
"Filch, I don't give a damn about the wretched poltergeist, it might office that's -"
Clunk clunk clunk. Bambi necklace began to glow red. Bright crimson red. Panic struck her, hiding the the crystal in her necklace, Harry following suit, clasping his own hands around her's. Whispering ever so slightly in her ear, he reassured her they wouldn't be able to see it. There was that at least.
Snape stopped in his words. Harry and Bambi edged their head, looking between the two to see Mad Eye Moody limping across the staircase. He was wearing a travel-coat over his nightshirt, clutching his staff. Bambi, shivered at the thought of last time she was this close to Mad eye. Filch bursted into the story about Peeves, before Moody eyes wondered the hall. With a heavy beat of her heart they watched as he stared straightly at them. Could he see them? Looking away wearily, he turned to Snape, "Did I hear you correctly, Snape? Someone broke into your office?"
Snape had snapped, telling him to mind his own business. It further shocked them both when Moody announced he had once checked over Snape's office on orders from Dumbledore. This did not please Snape one bit. ' Get back to bed, Snape" Moody laughed.
"You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" Snapped hissed. " I have as much right to prowl this school after dark as you do!"
"Prowl away" moody sniggered, "I look forward to meeting you in a dark corridor some time ... you've dropped something by the way" Bambi blinked. There moody was directing them straight toward the Marauder map. Heart heart had done leaps. They were most entirely done for. Harry next to her, eyes wide began flailing his arms about, mouthing "It's mine, it's mine" Was he talking to Moody?
Snape, fingers achingly reached straight towards the map, a malicious sparkle in his eyes. However, Moody was quick performing a summoning spell, having the map fly through Snape's hands. "My mistake," he had seen Harry's plea. Moody could see them both but how? Bambi could feel a migraine coming on. " It's mine - must've dropped it earlier."
Snape's eyes were darting Deadly between the egg in filch's hand the map in Moody's. "Potter" he breathed with sudden realisation. Fuck, Fuck, Fuck. Snape turned, heading straight towards them and Bambi breath caught in her throat. "That egg is Potter's egg. That piece of parchment belong to potter! I've seen it before! I recognise it! Potter's here! Potter in his invisibility cloak."
How Snape knew Harry had an invisibility cloak would be a later question, but Bambi knew then they were heading to the fan. Her breathing was shallow, wiping the sweat off her hands. He was going to catch Harry deep into no good but also Bambi, with her alarming crystal glowing red. Not a good scene at all. Snape was edging closer to them, hand out clasping at the air.
"I don't know what your talking about Snape," Moody said calmly, "But I'm sure he'll be happy to hear you accusing Potter straight away." A smugness in his voice. Snape head cracked around, breathing heavily. He and Moody shared a long and silent stare. The glow held by Bambi and Harry's hand burned into them, aching to be released.
"I merely thought," Snape said, breathing through his nose viciously, "that if Potter was wondering around after hours again... it's an unfortunate habit of his ... he should be stopped. For - for his own safety." Harry near snorted.
"Ahhh, have the best interest of Potter now have you?" Snape stared, overlooking down at Moody. A bird looking at its new prey. Finally, to their relief, Snape had marched away, dragging Filch with him who protested over Peeves once more. While leaving, Moody demanded the egg from Filch hand. Snatching it away there went his chances with Peeves.
As soon as they left, Bambi let out a breath she hadn't known she held. Still clutching around the the crystal, Harry removed the cloak around them. 'close shave their Potter," his eyes moving to Bambi slowly, "and Winters" There was Moody again around the red glow of her necklace. Why? Last time he had seen he near pinned Bambi up against the wall if it hand't been for Dumbledore.
Lost in thought, she blocked out their conversation on the map and crouch. Moody had merely guided Harry's suspicion that there was something strange and dark coming along. Moody soon turned to her, bounding heart continued. "That necklace," he slowly jittered around the obvious, "why does it glow?"
If she wasn't covering the glows still, Bambi would have pulled it closer to her. What was he going to ask? She didn't know the answers. "I - er, don't know."
He nodded, 'Eh, Dumbledore said so. Told me to not worry my mind about it but - er I'm sorry about ... you know. The Auror in me getting the best I suppose." Maybe that what it had been. Seeing something like that must have to triggered something in a protective figure. Heck, Bambi was fear for it herself. Moody only had her best interest at heart. But still, how he had wrapped his hands around her necklace still sent nerves down her. She only nodded in response.
Harry notching the tension building, tried to leave. Admitting they were simply heading back to their form anyways. To Bambi delight, they were leaving before Moody called back, asking to borrow the map. Warily, Harry handed it over, a grin falling onto Moody face. It unease her. They rushed off rounding the corner as Harry threw the cloak back over.
Thankfully, Harry hadn't asked questions, merely asking if she was okay. She was, but barely. Moody did Truly scare her. Leaving her at the end of the Hufflepuff common room, she was finally grateful for sleep to overtake her. This time it didn't take a second thought. Despite sleeping peacefully, under her pillow the red glow shined throughout the night...
♛
Bambi awoke to an owl screeching at the end of her four poster bed. Alarming, she shot up, pulling the covers up with her. The owl's beady eyes blinked at her. It was not Ruby nor Billy's owls. Normally, owl wouldn't come down into the basement, edging her confusion more. Wiping at her eyes, Bambi steady herself, looking other the owl. There in it's mouth was a small bundle of parchment. It screeched again, rattling though her ears. Leaning over, she took the note from it's mouth, owl souring out as it did so.
Opening it, she read, "Miss Winters, it has recently come to my attention that we have found further information on your crystal. I cannot explain further as of yet, but soon enough we will be ready to share once confirming our suspicions. Hope you are well, Dumbledore
P.S. I myself enjoy a late night stroll"