Don't be a silent reader
Percy had convinced Aishi not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again, and for the rest of the Christmas holidays, the invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of Harry's trunk. Aishi wished she could forget what she'd seen in the mirror as easily, but he couldn't. He started having nightmares. Over and over again she dreamed about her parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter. "You see. the mirror could drive you mad," said Ron, when she told him about these dreams along with Harry. Hermione and Draco, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Filch had caught you!"), and disappointment that he hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was. They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Harry was still sure he'd read the name somewhere. Draco didn't ask cause he was too busy with his family's annual ball but tried to find him in his family's huge library but failed.
Once the term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Harry had even less time than the other four because Quidditch practice had started again. Diggory was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. If they won their next match, against Gryffindor, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship for the first time in seven years. Aishi slowly got less and less nightmare due to the bracelet charm working its magic.
Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Cedric gave the team a bit of bad news. "Snape's refereeing this time" "Snape's refereeing?" Welsey spluttered through a mouthful of mud when he fell onto the ground. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He might not be fully fair" The rest of the team landed. "It's not my fault," said Diggory. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us. Wood agrees to do the same" Which was all very well, thought Harry. The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Harry headed straight back to a common room which percy made in a spare classroom for everyone to hang out, where he found Ron and Hermione playing chess with draco watching and Aishi was reading a book.
Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost, something they all thought was very good for her. "Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Harry sat down next to him, "I need to concen --" He caught sight of Harry's face. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible." Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Harry told the other four about Snape's sudden desire to be a Quidditch referee.
"Don't play," said Hermione at once. "Say you're ill," said Ron. "Pretend to break your leg," Draco suggested. "Really break your leg," said Ron. "I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Hufflepuff can't play at all." "Guys calm down....Snape is not that bad. Plus your mom is here do you think he will do anything drastic ?" Aishi said.
At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny-hop up to the hangout room. Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the countercurse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling as Aishi helped him stand up. "What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry and Ron.
"Puecy," said Neville shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on." "Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him to Snape!" Draco said as Neville shook his head. "I don't want more trouble," he mumbled. "You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier." Draco also said
"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Puecyy's already done that," Neville choked out. Aishi felt in the pocket of her robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog. He gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry. "You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Puecy? In stinking Slytherin. No offence Draco you're one of the better snakes" "None taken, People like Puecy give my house a bad name" He said
Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog. "Thanks, Harry... I think I'll go to bed... D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?" As Neville walked away, Harry looked at the Famous Wizard card. "Dumbledore again," he said, "He was the first one I ever-" He gasped. He stared at the back of the card. Then he looked up at the gang. "I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here -- listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"
"Alchemy? What is Alchemy?" Aishi asked
Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework. "Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. The gand barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms. "I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading." "Light?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself. At last, she found what she was looking for. "I knew it! I knew it!"
"Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Draco. Hermione ignored him. "Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!" This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected. "The what?" they all said. "Oh, honestly, don't you all read? Look -- read that, there." She pushed the book toward them, and the others read: The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).
"See?" said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Sorcerer's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!" "A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Quirrel's after it! Anyone would want it." "And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?" "I wonder who wants to live that long? Life can get boring after several years" Aishi said " Having a normal lifespan makes me live life to the fullest and not regret any moment"
The next morning after Defense Against the Dark Arts, while comparing their notes on what are the different ways of treating werewolf bites, Draco and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Sorcerer's Stone if they had one as Harry listened to them. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that Harry remembered about Snape and the coming match. "I'm going to play," he told the gang.
"If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them... it'll wipe the smiles off their faces if we win." "I will not think that but still I think we will win the cup" Draco said "Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Hermione. As the match drew nearer, however, Harry became more and more nervous, whatever he told Ron and Hermione. The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a referee who never refereed before?
The gang wished him good luck before he went to the locker room. even Aishi tied a red thread around his wrist for good luck. Harry hardly heard a word of Diggory's pep talk as he pulled on his Quidditch robes and picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand. Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Aishi meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had both brought their wands to the match. Little did Harry know that the others had been secretly practising the Leg-Locker Curse. They'd gotten the idea from Puecyy using it on Neville and were ready to use it on Quirrel if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt Harry. "Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve. "I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag." "Jai Shree Krishn" Aishi prayed as she watched the field.
Back in the locker room, Cedric had taken Harry aside. "Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favour Hufflepuff too much." "The whole school's out there!" said Holmes, peering out of the door. "Even -- blimey -- Dumbledore's come to watch!" But Harry did not care about him. He calmed when he saw his mom watching the game knowing she would protect him if he was ever in danger even from Snape
"I've never seen Snape look so mean," Ron told Hermione as the teams came out and the game began. "Look -they're off Ouch!" Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Puecy. "Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there." Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle. "Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Does anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?" Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Gryffindor a penalty because Wesley accidentally hit a Bludger at him. Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch. "You know how I think they choose people for the Hufflepuff team?" said Puecyy loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff a penalty for a foul attack. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents -- you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains even Merha should join 'cause she has no family." Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Puecy. "I'm worth twelve of you, Puecy," he stammered. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville." "Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."
"Guys!" said Hermione suddenly, "Harry --" "What? Where?"Draco said as Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as Harry streaked toward the ground like a bullet. "You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's spotted some money on the ground! Maybe even some for you merha" said Puecy. Aishi gently patted Ron shaking her head no before she turned to Puecy smiling.
Before Puecy knew what was happening, Aishi punched him hard on the nose and then tackled him, wrestling him to the ground. Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help. Draco just held the video camera she gave him earlier to film the game as he filmed her fight as Ron yelled in joy of the fight.
"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape -- she didn't even notice aishi beating up Puecy, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle and the cheers from Ron and Draco. Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches -- the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand. The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.
"Ron! Ron! The game's over! Harry's won! Hufflepuff is in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Susan Bones in the row in front. Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. He couldn't believe it. He'd done it -- the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Hufflepuffs came spilling onto the field, he saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped but smiling -- then Harry felt him hugged tightly and looked up to see his mom hugging him tightly. "THAT WAS AMAZING! PARTY IN THE HANGOUT EVERYONE!!!" She yelled as all the kids cheered and headed back to the castle
Harry left the locker room alone some time later after changing, to take his Nimbus Two Thousand back to the broom shed. He'd done something to be proud of now -- no one could say he was just a famous name anymore. The evening air had never smelled so sweet. He walked over the damp grass. He gets tackled in a hug by Aishi, he turns to her smiling but gasps seeing her bloody face and bruised cheek.
"You did it, Hari!" "HOLY MERLIN WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" He freaked and quickly wiped the blood off her with his hankie "Why are you covered in blood?"
"It's not mine" she mumbled as she felt her face getting clean " What?" "I punched up Puecy...I might get detention but it was worth it" Harry chuckled and hooked his head sighing at what to do with this girl. Aishi just smiled as she rubbed her bruised fist.
"You need the hospital wing....till then here" Harry used a fresh cloth and bandaged her fist "You need to get it treated. and do not do it again"
"But he was mean to my friends...our friends hari," She said pouting " I could not take it" "I know but I don't like it when you're hurt. it hurts my feelings and makes me think worse about what kind of pain you are in even if you say it does not hurt. " "Sorry hari..." She said sadly "It's ok...next time tell me...I want to punch him badly" He said making her laugh.
Harry left to keep his broom as Aishi promised to head to the hospital wing but she stopped when she saw a hooded figure come swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. She followed silently. The trees were so thick he couldn't see where they had gone until she heard voices. As she looked from behind a distant tree in a shadowy clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too. Aishi couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever. Aishi strained to catch what they were saying. "... d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus..." "Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all."
Aishi leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him. "Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?" "B-b-but Severus, I --" "You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step toward him. "I-I don't know what you "You know perfectly well what I mean." An owl hooted loudly, and Aishi nearly jumped in fright. She steadied himself in time to hear Snape say, "-- your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting." "B-but I d-d-don't --" "Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon when you've had time to think things over and decide where your loyalties lie." He threw his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Harry could see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified before becoming too calm and walking away grumbling. Aishi ran out from her hiding spot after they both left and were in the hangout room.
"Aishi, where have you been?" Harry said worried when he found her. "We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back. "And Aishi gave Puecy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomftey says he'll be all right - talk about showing them! Draco has the recording of the fight and Everyone's waiting for you in the hangout room, we're having a party, and Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens....woah aishi why have you not healed yourself yet"
"Never mind that now," said Aishi breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this...." She made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, and then he told them all what he'd seen and heard. "So we were right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to tell if he is after it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy - and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus Pocus-- I reckon other things are guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, Qurriel acting weirdly normal is worrying as well"
"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Snape stands strong and Percy too?" said Hermione in alarm. "But we don't know how dangerous Qurriel is?" Draco said "Pretty sure my mom knows and will handle it. But we should be prepared too" Harry said "Agreed! Go team golden!" Aishi said
"Team golden?" Ron said " We are the golden five, we got the hero, brains, brawn, intelligence, and awesomeness," Aishi said pointing at Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, and then herself
"Aishi you get distracted easily by a butterfly," Draco said "Butterfly? Where?!" Aishi looked around. Draco sighed and looked at Harry "This is the girl you fell in love with?"
"Hey she is cute and mine," Harry said with a powerful wolf glare on his face
Bonus
"But I don't need a healer hari.....I am fine!" Aishi pouts as Harry drags her to the hospital wing "No you need to be healed or it will make you sick and you should not get sick in this cold. then you can't eat your rasgullas
"No not my sweets!!!!"Aishi realized and panicked as Harry chuckled and took her to the wing.
Bonus Bonus
"Oh, I am loving this day by day!" Persephone said watching the episode " Hades I feel Harry is like you and Aishi is like me. they will be quite a special couple"
"To be fair we are kinda descended from a son of Hades and a son of Thantos from my ancestor," James said eating his popcorn.
"For me...My brother is blessed as Shiva champion and Aishi I think she is blessed by Krishna" Karan said "Peacocks always gave her their feathers when she was a baby"
"True it was adorable when she played with the feathers" Priya, Aishi's mom, tells Lily
"Oh, their Indian demigods...I forgot they don't have blood children but chose champions who can protect the world. they are more interactive and helpful since they don't have the laws that my idiot brother placed." Hades said
"I love paravati! She and I always hang out when we can" Persephone said " but never get her angry"
"That explains why the Indian underworld is connected to the Greek underworld," Karan said leaning on his wife's shoulder
"All underworlds are connected. It's how you see them...you and few others are the ones who see it more clearly" Hades said eating popcorn " If Harry does become like me, he will be a very scary Hufflepuff"
"oh but hot....an innocent sweet girl and dark mysterious looking boy...just like us...I love it!" Persephone giggle
'But she gets scary when she is mad' they thought looking at the spring goddess nervously