C H A P T E R 37
The school was in a buzz the next day about the whole Parseltongue situation with Harry. It was as if people didn't stare at him enough during his First Year so they had to find a reason to whisper about him this year.
When he would pass, kids would murmur and scurry away, like he couldn't hear or see what he was doing. Most of the older students who had OWLs and NEWTs to worry about ignored him as usual and continued on their merry way. They got their glimpse of him during Harry's First Year and that was enough for them. Samantha wondered why all of the students weren't like that.
The Gryffindors stuck by his side like usual while Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw started to drift away from him. Usually the other two houses would stick by him as they faced against Slytherin but now, a lot of them hardly even spoke him, especially Hufflepuff.
Harry couldn't blame Hufflepuff for the sudden change of heart. What happened to Justin was up for interpretation and he understood them sticking by their housemate.
However, Samantha sort of felt a bit relieved that no one besides her friends knew that she was also a Parselmouth.
Samantha felt awful for him. Seeing her little brother being in the spotlight sparked an anger inside of her. She just wanted to go up to everyone in the school and tell them the truth or to not spend their lives revolved around sickleless gossip.
But she had to control her short temper and channel her energy into trying to find a solution to this problem. Needing some time alone, as well as needing to finish up some homework, she went to a place where she could be left in peace, especially from Fred and George.
The library. A place Fred and George barely went to.
She was sitting in the library that night trying to find a solution to what was happening.
She had another bit of information but it still didn't lead her anywhere. Was Harry and her being a Parseltongue another clue to this puzzle? Her gut instinct thought yes but what if it was no? Then Samantha was just wasting her time down a path that would end up in a dead end.
Samantha couldn't really concentrate due to Christmas break coming up and the future encounter with Aberforth as well as the trip to Egypt.
She knew he was upset that she left, but it really didn't mean anything. She was just as upset about why he was so protective over her. Samantha missed him and missed his letters that either had a new piece of interesting information or to tell her to stay out of trouble.
At the same time, she had to stand her ground and to not fall into the way he was treating her. She didn't want to be coddled up anymore and wanted to explore new opportunities.
Being stuck inside the cottage all of the time didn't allow her that. Of course she knew where to draw the boundaries and to not do something that could end up with her in serious trouble.
She was so deep inside her thoughts that she didn't even notice someone sit down next to her until they cleared their throat.
Looking up, a smile came to her face once she saw that it was Cedric.
"Are you following me?" she asked with a cheeky grin.
"Depends," he answered. "Do you want to be followed?"
Samantha rolled her eyes at Cedric's quick wit and then shook her head. She loved and hated that he could easily think of come backs that rivaled hers. It made things interesting, something she valued with guy.
"So what's with all of these books?" he asked and then his eyes widened. "Do you we have an essay due? Or a test tomorrow?"
Laughing, she shook her head. "No we don't, at least I don't think. I'm just trying to figure some stuff out,"
"What kind of stuff?" Cedric asked raising an eyebrow. Samantha Potter was indeed a mystery and he loved finding out a new aspect about her that was leading to the solution of this mystery.
"The attacks, Harry speaking to the snake, the Chamber of Secrets, the Heir of Slytherin," she answered in rushed tone and continued to skim the pages of a book she found about snakes.
"Oh you mean about him being a Parseltongue? All of that hissing?"
Samantha nodded. "Although I didn't hear any hissing," Samantha truly felt like she could trust Cedric. She couldn't explain it but in her heart, she just felt it. "I actually heard what he said....in English,"
Cedric's eyebrows instantly shot up to his forehead. "You-you heard what he said?"
She nodded again, unsure of what to make of his reaction.
"So you're-you're a-so-"
Samantha cut him off. "Yes, I'm a Parseltongue,"
"And you never knew?"
"Yes, Cedric, because I have conversations with snakes on a daily basis," she sassed, rolling her hazel eyes.
"And why wouldn't you? They seem like they have a bunch of stories to tell," Cedric responded with a serious and interested expression.
Samantha couldn't help but laugh. She loved how he could just make a joke to help ease the tension and let go some of the stress she was feeling. This was a new addition to her already complicated life and she didn't know what to make of it.
Was she related to Slytherin?
Should she be in Slytherin house?
Was the sorting hat actually right? Was her gut instinct to choose Gryffindor wrong?
Is she in the right place?
So many questions flooded her mind, and Cedric couldn't help but notice her start to stress since her shoulder started to tense up.
He instantly put his hand on hers and intertwined their fingers.
The questions stopped and Samantha immediately felt warmth rush through her body. She squeezed his hand a bit as a reassurance, and as a thank you.
He was an instant calm to her mental storm and this brought a tug on her heart because nothing could really calm her storm. Usually she would try to diffuse her thoughts but it would never work.
Her mind kept going and going until she would burst into a rage of irrational actions and thoughts and end up doing and saying things she didn't mean.
However, all of a sudden Cedric came into her life and she hasn't felt true stress since. Thinking about him brought a calming sensation and whenever he was by her, she instantly felt protected, like nothing could ever happen to her.
Cedric was staring at her with a look she could not decipher. His stormy grey eyes held a bit of mystery and a sense of understanding.
As if a magnet was pulling them together, Cedric found himself leaning in as his eyes slightly glanced at her lips.
Samantha froze, not sure what to do. This would be her first kiss and her heart started to tug when Cedric was leaning in closer and closer.
A moment later, their lips met and they both felt happiness flowing through them. This being her first kiss, Samantha didn't really know what to do so she fluttered her eyes closed and awkwardly stayed in the same position.
A few seconds later, Cedric pulled away and started at Samantha, a smile starting to form on his face. He didn't want anyone to know but that was his first kiss as well.
"Uhm...," Samantha spoke and started to laugh, hair falling into her face.
Cedric joined in on her laughing and then pushed a few locks of Samantha's hair out of her face an behind her ear.
"Shhhh!"
The two stopped instantly and turned to see Madam Pince standing in between two bookshelves giving them a narrowed expression.
They gave her a sheepish smile and Madam Pince put away the last book and disappeared around the corner back to her desk at the front of the library.
"So does-" Samantha started to say but Cedric cut her off.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked in a rushed tone that Samantha barely caught.
She took a breath and smiled at him. "Yes,"
• • • • •
"Alright, what's going on?" Angelina asked Samantha once they met up in the Common Room.
"Huh?" Samantha returned, snapping out of her daydream about Cedric. She didn't like that she was turning into one of those girls but she was a teenager. And he was her boyfriend.
"Exactly. You're in some sort of daze," Angelina said as they sat down by the fire by Alicia and Katie who were working on homework.
Samantha shrugged. "Maybe I am,"
Angelina raised an eyebrow and glanced at the other two girls. "Does this have anything to do with a certain Hufflepuff?"
"Quidditch player?" Alicia added smirking.
"Goes by the name, Cedric Diggory?" Katie finished matching the other two girls' smirk.
Samantha rolled her eyes and sat back. She then took out her Transfiguration book and opened it up to the page they had to read for their discussion the next day. "Maybe,"
Angelina snatched the book out of Samantha's hands.
"Hey!"
"Tell us what happened right now, Samantha Lily Potter!" she demanded.
Samantha looked up at her with a "really" look. "Are you done?"
Angelina rolled her eyes. "Just tell us!"
"Fine," she said bluntly and sat up. "We were in the library chatting and then we kissed and now we're dating,"
The three girls let out a cheer, which earned a few glares from older students who were trying to finish up their homework for the next day.
"Finally!" Angelina spoke, bumping her fist into the air.
"Finally?" Samantha repeated. "What do you mean?"
"It's been weeks since you started talking to each other and we've been waiting for you guys to become official,"
Samantha rolled her eyes and sat back again. "And what about you and Will?"
Angelina bit her lip and let out a breath. "I don't know. We haven't had much time together and it seems like he just wants to be friends,"
Alicia sat down next to her and rubbed her shoulder with her hand. "Well it's his loss,"
"Yeah, there are plenty more guys at Hogwarts," Katie added.
"Plus you don't have to find the love of your life at age fourteen," Samantha spoke realistically.
"You did," Angelina responded.
Samantha's eyes almost bulged out of her head. "Bloody hell I don't love Cedric,"
"Only time will tell," Angelina returned and shrugged.
• • • • •
As everyone knew, news spread around Hogwarts fast and it was only a matter of time before everyone found out that Samantha Potter was dating Cedric Diggory.
Groups of girls still walked past Cedric and gave him flirtatious looks as well as glares at Samantha who laughed at them.
She found it petty and pathetic that they acted like that and couldn't just be respectful. But girls were girls.
Samantha decided to spend the night after dinner in the library to see if she could find out some more information as to what was going on. She found herself distracted last week when Cedric was there.
Fred and George seemed to get along with Cedric but they seemed a bit hostile since Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff once they got back from Christmas break.
This weekend was Ravenclaw vs Slytherin and she was really looking forward to the match and to get some fresh air.
After a few long hours of looking through books and finding no lead, she sighed and stood up, ready to head back to the Common Room hoping to find the group.
She put the book she was reading back on the shelf and saw Harry walking up that same aisle.
"Oh hello Harry," she greeted as he approached her.
"Hi," he said simply.
"What's wrong?" she asked noticing his disdain face.
"I've been looking for Justin, you know, the kid who thinks I set the snake on him to kill him," he said with an annoyed tone. "It's been a week and I haven't been able to find him. He's been keeping a distance in Herbology,"
Samantha nodded. "You know Harry, I heard what you said, you know in English, not Parseltongue,"
Harry did a double take. "Really?" He had no idea she was also a Parseltongue. This year was starting out very unusual and it seemed the longer he went to school, the more he was finding out about himself.
It seems with the Chamber being opened, he hasn't found much time with his sister. She told him about Cedric and all Harry knew was what from Oliver told him. Which probably wasn't that positive since they were Quidditch rivals.
He wanted to know more about him but he didn't want to pressure Samantha into telling him anything. This was her personal life and she would tell what she wanted.
Over the last few months, she's been telling him more and more stories about what she remembered of their parents and their best friends. Some of it made him feel sad but also happy since he felt more connected to them.
Samantha nodded. "Yes, so it's strange that only you and I can here it,"
Harry agreed. "Oh look, there's the Hufflepuffs," he pointed out looking at the back of the library.
Samantha turned and saw them close together, engulfed in conversation.
"I bet you anything they're talking about what happened," Samantha said as they got a bit closer trying to hear what they were saying.
They heard this boy say that Justin was hiding in their dormitory and that they thought he was Harry's next victim.
Harry recognized Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott but not the other two people. He suspected they were older students.
"That's ridiculous," Samantha whispered but not too loud.
Harry clenched his jaw and nodded.
They went back to listening and sighed when they heard Ernie supposedly connect how Mrs. Norris and Colin were attacked.
"....who knows what else Potter is hiding, along with his sister. Rumor has it that she's aligned with Potter and they've been working together to do the attacks..."
"And Samantha is now with Cedric," the older boy added. "I bet he's her next victim,"
Both of them have had enough. As soon as Cedric's name was spoken, she felt a need to stand up for him. He had no part in this situation and the last thing she needed was for another rumor about them.
They stepped out from the bookshelf and walked up to the Hufflepuffs who immediately stopped their conversation.
They instantly turned and looked scared at the sight of the two, like they knew they and been caught.
Samantha now recognized one of the boys as one of Hufflepuff's Quidditch players. If he did anything about this rumor, she would have to do something during their next match to get the point across that she was not someone to mess with, especially when it involved someone she cared about. She didn't know who the other girl was but she looked to be a Third Year.
"Hello, I'm looking for Justin," Harry said while Samantha smiled sweetly, a bit too sweetly.
The Hufflepuffs looked terrified and they turned to Ernie, gesturing him to answer. Samantha found it odd that the two older students weren't standing up for themselves, but looked at a Second Year to fight their battles.
"Why?" he asked slowly, anticipating that Harry and Samantha wanted to see him to attack him.
Harry opened his mouth to speak but Samantha beat him to it.
"We want to tell him what really happened last night," she stated. "To clear up the silly and ridiculous rumors that have been going around,"
Ernie shook his head. "Look Potters, we saw what happened and before you get any ideas..."
"We're not going to attack you," Samantha said fiercely. "We just wanted to apologize for this misdirected situation," she stated cowering over the Hufflepuffs who didn't move a muscle.
"Whatever," Ernie said trying to sound confident. "We know what we saw,"
"Apparently you don't," Samantha stated and the two decided that they didn't need to keep wasting their time trying to prove themselves to these Hufflepuffs who weren't going to listen to her.
Both Potters glared at them and then stormed out of the library
"This whole thing is just unfair and mental," Samantha spat as they left the library, avoiding Madam Pince's reproving glares.
She's had her eye on Samantha since the exploding ink back in First Year that left dozens of books covered in permanent ink. She almost got banned permanently from the library for that. Instead she got detention until all of the books were cleaned up, which took hours of scrubbing until Madam Pince found a spell that worked. It ended up just being a complete waste of time.
That's where the fake wands got invented, the start to Fred and George's pranking supplies.
She then understood why the twins never came into the library. They would end up being banned for life.
Harry agreed and they turned the corner.
"Something just doesn't add up Harry," she started as they turned along a dark, cold corridor, one that led to the stairs to head back up to their Common Room.
"I can't put my finger on it, but I just hope there aren't any more attacks with us around," she finished but immediately regretted it.
They froze at the sight that regretted Samantha's sentence.
Lying stiff as a board on the ground was Justin Finch-Fletchley who was staring blankly at the ceiling. Next to him was an even stranger sight. Levitating a foot off the ancient marble floors, the pearly-white translucence of Nearly Headless Nick....completely immobile.
Samantha found it very odd that a ghost was petrified. This increased her curiosity for what they were dealing with.
"Oh no," Samantha said breathlessly as a tiny trail of spiders was rushing as quickly as possible out of the corridor through the nearby cracked window.
"Harry we better..." she started but was cut off by Peeves who has just floated by.
"Chief!" he saluted and then looked at Harry. "Hello Potty Wee Potter,"
Samantha was just about to tell Peeves to go, but he froze looking right at Justin and Nick.
"ATTACK ATTACK!" he yelled and flew around the corridor, doing what he does best: making as much noise as possible.
"Peeves! No! Stop!" Samantha cried, trying to stop him but it was too late. This was the only time she hated Peeves for his disruptions, when it was against her.
• • • • •
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<3 Sam