MONDEGREEN
(n.) a misunderstood or misinterpreted word or phrase resulting from a mishearing of the lyrics of a song
THE CHAMBER THEY ENTERED MADE TESSA'S BLOOD RUN COLD. Taking in the massive Sphinx that laid poised in front of them, Tessa suddenly wished she'd never made that stupid joke about answering historical questions.
"What is that?" Harry whispered, looking up at the ruby eyes that glinted tauntingly at them.
Tessa swallowed roughly and said, "A Sphinx."
Harry made a move to go forward, but Tessa raised an arm across of him to stop the boy. "No, look — " she pointed at the hallway at the left side of the room and at the door that was directly behind the Sphinx. "Only one of us can go through that hallway, and only one of us can go through that door. I'll do it."
Harry blindly reached up to grab her hand. "Tessa, no! Y-You promised we'll do this together."
Tessa smiled warmly at him. "I did. And we'll be okay. You'll be okay. I just need to brave through this so you can continue to the final place, okay? You'll be okay."
Harry looked like he wanted to do so otherwise, but he nodded reluctantly. "We'll be okay," he repeated the mantra once more and calmed down.
Tessa let go of his hand and stepped forward to stand directly in front of the Sphinx, its massive, golden lion body was completely solid gold and unmoving. Those ruby red eyes glinted down at her, as it opened its mouth and started to purr in a female voice, "Hello, Braveheart."
She clenched her fists to hide her shaking fingers, swallowing roughly. "Hello."
"Only one of you can make it to the final chamber, while the other can help make it happen. If you answer my riddle correctly, you can go down that passageway and push down that lever on the wall. It'll open this door behind me and let the other walk through unharmed. Will you take this challenge?" The Sphinx's voice was velvety and sensual, enticing them with her purr.
Throwing a look behind her at Harry, Tessa gave him a nod. "As soon as that door opens, you make a run for it and don't look back, okay?" Satisfied with the nod she received in return, Tessa took another step closer to the solid paws, craning her neck to look up at the creature. "Yes, I will."
A hum echoed deep in the chest of the Sphinx before it said, "You have three chances to answer my riddle. If you get all three incorrect, I'm afraid I cannot let you move forward. Are you sure you want to accept this challenge?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Tessa said, raising her chin up in some sort of defiant manner.
"Very well," it said. "Here is my riddle:
I never was, am always to be,
No one ever saw me, nor ever will
And yet I am the confidence of all
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball."
Tessa froze. She'd gone very, very still, she didn't know if she was even breathing. Staring up at the Sphinx, she schooled her features into a blank mask as her brain went haywire as she rummaged her thoughts for an answer.
The Sphinx smirked as though it knew she was clueless.
Her tongue lashed out on its own without even thinking. "Wind. You can't see wind, and you can never see the wind. It's something you breath and you need it go live in this earth."
"Clever," the Sphinx admitted. "But incorrect."
Her heart plunged to her stomach as she pressed her lips together to avoid from spitting out another wrong answer.
What gives you confidence yet is unseen?
Perhaps . . .
"Hope," she tried again, a little more certain this time. "It gives you a great deal of strength and confidence, yet it is intangible."
The Sphinx paused for a moment, the red of its eyes flashing amusedly at her as Tessa's heart thundered against her chest. Her hands were clammy as she opened and closed her fists to keep them from being numb.
"A valiant attempt — but that is still incorrect," it purred with dark humor.
She couldn't feel anything other than pure fear. Not for her own self — but for Harry and what was going to happen to him if she couldn't get the answer right. One chance — she had one last chance that'll make or break everything.
Tessa wanted to wake up from this horrible nightmare. She wanted to sleep and wake up tomorrow and spend the day with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She wanted to wake up to a tomorrow with pranking around with Fred and George. She wanted to wake up to a tomorrow where she could bicker and argue with — dare she say it — Draco Malfoy, despite how stupid and arrogant that pompous buffoon was. She wanted to wake up to a tomorrow where she can go home to her uncle and her best friend Philip. She wanted to see a tomorrow where she can still continue to dream of her parents.
She stilled.
That was it. That was the answer.
Tessa snapped her head back up to meet the flashing red eyes of the Sphinx. "Tomorrow," she breathed out. "The answer is tomorrow."
The Sphinx lost its dark humor gleaming in its eyes. It stared right back at her silently, taking in Tessa's confidently raised chin and straight shoulders. "Very well," it hummed from deep within its throat. "Congratulations, Braveheart. You answered it correctly." It's feminine voice quieted to a warm tone that brought insane relief to her bones.
She turned to face Harry who looked as though he might just cry from happiness. She nodded at him and told him without having to say out loud: We'll be okay.
Harry nodded in response, saying it right back to her without moving his lips.
Tessa turned to face the hallway again. Walking passed the large beast, she paused right at the mouth of the long, dark corridor. It looked too easy, Tessa was afraid this might just have been a trick.
"Go ahead, Braveheart," the purring voice said from behind her.
Deep breaths, Tessie. Deep breaths. You'll be okay, you've come this far. It's too late to back out now. All you need to do is cross the damn hallway, get to the lever on the other side of the wall and pull it. That's all you have to do.
Holding her breath, she started to walk inside.
Eyes scanning the walls, Tessa found it to be dry and covered with a fine layer of dust. Cobwebs suspended from the ceiling to the tan brick walls, and the unmistakable scent of carrion hung in the air. She had a long way to go, the end loomed impossibly far away. Every step she took seemed as though the path stretched longer and longer.
Tessa didn't even notice the small, uneven patch of dirt she'd stepped on until it pushed down on her weight. The flash of silver and the whiz of something sharp were too late for her to notice, the small dart had struck deep in Tessa's arm.
"TESSA!" Harry shouted from behind her as she cried out in pain, feeling her right arm already beginning to feel numb and like dead weight. Falling on her knees, she braced herself with her left hand. She cursed out loud, feeling the patch of dirt push down beneath her hand as another dart sped above her head, narrowly missing her.
"TESSA, RUN!" Harry was yelling again.
Her arm was completely useless, cradled against her chest as she dropped her body to a low crouch and shot forward in a sprint. Every step she took triggered a hidden trap in those walls, more and more darts escaping and threatening to pierce her skin.
Without warning, the ground beneath her began to rumble and shake before a violent sway racked through the corridor. Tessa screamed in surprise, her footing nearly going out of balance as she steadied herself swiftly and pushed herself to run faster. All those times she'd been running with Uncle Kasimir turned out incredibly lifesaving. She'd have to give him a big hug and a huge thank you if she ever made it out of her alive.
The end of the hallway was close, and she nearly cried in relief. Suddenly, the ground shuddered tumultuously and gave out beneath her. The floor collapsed as large, gaping cracks spiderwebbed the brick walls as the ceiling rumbled. Screaming, Tessa jumped to reach the safe place outside the trapped corridor, everything seeming to move in slow motion.
Her knees crashed against the floor and she cried out at the blinding pain surging throughout her body as she tumbled on her numbing arm. The world danced before her eyes in pairs, flashing lights blinding her as she saw stars. She cried and groaned, struggling to get to her feet as she grabbed and yanked on the lever that gave out a whine.
"HARRY, GO!"
Tessa looked back at the boy just in time to see him run to the direction of the door right before the ceiling of the trapped pathway to fall and permanently block her from ever going back to Harry.
She stayed there, slumped against the wall with her hand gripped on the lever for a good minute before getting to her feet. She whimpered at the hot pain throbbing in her knees and nearly every part of her body as she limped. Before her was a door that would bring her back out to the castle, and Tessa was glad because she was about to fall unconscious any second now.
Reaching for the handle, she twisted it open and heard the faint fluttering of something beating against the air. Light filled her vision as she blinked drowsily and adjusted her sight. It was the Hospital Wing, and Madam Pomfrey was rushing for her, a look of complete shock and bewilderment crossing her features. "Tessa Valentine?" was the last thing she heard before she collapsed into the matron's awaiting arms.
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She woke up feeling as though she'd been crushed by bricks. Every inch of her body was numb and she didn't have the energy to move. Her right arm felt like it was on fire, her upper bicep being the most painful.
"Hello, Teressa."
Shifting under the covers, Tessa forced herself to open her eyes and take in her surroundings. Professor Dumbledore stood on her left, his crescent shaped glasses twinkled under the light. She was in the Hospital Wing, she could see the unmistakable sight of beds with white sheets lined up on her side of the wall and on the other. Glancing to her right, her eyes nearly bugged out upon seeing the massive overflow of sweets and candies of all kinds, handwritten letters with brightly colored ink — she saw glimpses of her name and Harry's name on majority of them. And most importantly — there was treacle fudge.
Lots and lots of treacle fudge.
Her eyes slid from the bedside table to the bed next to her, and she did a double take at the black haired boy laying unconscious. "Harry!" her voice cracked and hoarse from not having used it in several hours.
"He's alright, dear," Dumbledore said. "As are you." Tessa forced herself to sit up, ignoring the sparks shooting up her right arm that was wrapped in a bandage. "It was a poison dart, it was designed to invade swiftly into your system and promise instant death if the right antidote is not given at once."
Tessa's brows furrowed as all those events came rushing back to her. "Sir, the Sphinx — Snape — Stone — what happened? Is everything okay?"
Dumbledore nodded at her. "Everything is okay, all shall be explained. A little bit of patience, Tessa. I have some questions about how you managed to escape the Sphinx."
A shudder ran down her spine as she remembered the evil glint in those ruby eyes, the hulking, solid gold body of the beast. "I answered its riddle and pulled down the lever on the hallway, while I let Harry run to the door to go to the next chamber."
"That place is a dead end, there's no way out. How did you escape it and find your way back here?"
She shrugged. "There was a door a little bit up ahead the safe corridor that wasn't collapsed. I walked in and found the Hospital Wing."
Dumbledore paused to assess her words as he hummed, "Interesting."
Before Tessa could ask anything about it, she heard the shuffling of sheets and she turned to see Harry waking up. "Harry! Are you alright? Are you feeling better?"
"Tessa," he muttered groggily, blinking sleep away.
"Good afternoon, Harry," Dumbledore said, walking over to stand between the two of their beds.
Harry stared at him for a moment before blurting out, "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick —"
Tessa was slapped shock as she repeated, "Quirrell? You're telling me that Quirrell was behind all of this?" She scowled and grumbled, "To think we've been going against that greasy monkey all this time just to find out some squirrel was the one after the Stone."
It was like it was back to normal. Dumbledore and Harry ignored her as the professor said, "Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times. Quirrell does not have the Stone."
"Then who does? Sir, I —"
"Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."
"Hey, look at this," Tessa spoke up, pointing at the bedside table next to them in attempt to distract Harry and calm him down.
"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat."
Tessa couldn't help but to snort at that. "Of course they would try to send a toilet seat."
Dumbledore laughed. "No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it." He turned to look at her. "You've had quite some interesting visitors and admirers, Tessa. It was a rather odd sight to see, but not very surprising."
A funny look crossed her face as she racked her brain on who could've visited her. She knew Ron and Hermione would visit her for sure. Fred and George, of course. Maybe her dorm mates, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and Rhea Huang?
"How long have I been in here?" Harry asked.
"Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved that the both of you have come round, they have been extremely worried."
"But sir, the Stone —"
Tessa was also looking at Dumbledore expectantly for an explanation, so he sighed and said, "I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say."
"You got there? You got Hermione's owl?" Harry continued.
"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."
"The squirrel attacked you?" she cried out to Harry.
"Professor Quirrell," Dumbledore corrected her before saying to Harry, "I feared I might be too late."
"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer –"
"Not the Stone, boy, you — the effort involved nearly killed you. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."
"Destroyed? But your friend — Nicolas Flamel —"
"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" Dumbledore sounded quite delighted. "You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best."
Tessa stayed quiet and absorbed all what was happening — her brain was going haywire and she was so lost on what was happening.
"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?" Harry asked, and Tessa was proud of Harry for being the smart one of them two at this moment.
"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die." Dumbledore smiled. "To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all — the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."
"I couldn't agree more," Tessa said with a nod.
"Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking . . . sir — even if the Stone's gone, Vol—, I mean, You - Know - Who — "
"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."
Tessa mouthed those words to herself, liking what he'd just said. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.
"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"
"No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share . . . not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time — and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."
Harry nodded then said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me . . . things I want to know the truth about . . . "
"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."
Tessa kept her mouth shut. This was not her place to jump in conversation, this was about Harry.
"Well . . . Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"
Dumbledore sighed very deeply. "Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day . . . put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older . . . I know you hate to hear this . . . when you are ready, you will know."
Tessa felt a smile of sadness touch her lips. She definitely knew the feeling of having people constantly tell you to wait when you're ready to know about your own parents and why they died.
"But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?" Harry asked.
"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign . . . to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."
Harry said, "And the invisibility cloak — do you know who sent it to me?"
Tessa's ears perked up and she couldn't help but to add, "Why did they send my mother's ring as a part of the present as well? Do you think they're friends with my mother?"
Dumbledore stilled for a second, eyes lingering on Tessa with what looked like something sad before he cheerily said to Harry, "Ah — your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." His eyes twinkled. "Useful things . . . your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here. Tessa's mother was . . . very close with James Potter, and she'd use the cloak at times for pranks or for sneaking to Hogsmeade for treacle fudge."
Tessa didn't wipe away the tears that slipped down her cheeks, replaying his words over and over in her head.
Harry paused for a moment before saying, "And there's something else . . . "
"Fire away."
"Quirrell said Snape —"
"Professor Snape, Harry."
"Yes, him — Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"
"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike the both of you and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."
"What?"
"He saved his life."
"What?" Both Tessa and Harry were befuddled.
"Yes . . . Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt . . . I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace . . . "
Tessa raised her hand. "Why does he ignore me? Does he hate my mother too?"
Dumbledore shook his head at her. "It's a rather complicated story, but in a vague explanation that you deserve — your mother Catherine, despite being a prankster, has never touched or played a prank on Professor Snape ever before. There was an incident that happened, things were said by him, and Catherine couldn't let it just go. Especially when it involved her best friend, Lily," Dumbledore nodded at Harry, "your mother. This caused Catherine's anger to be fueled through pranks towards him, and he's done something that he couldn't forgive himself for, and the guilt comes back to him every time he sees you."
Tessa's head hurt. So many things were being revealed to her and her mind was spinning.
Harry said, "And sir, there's one more thing . . . "
"Just the one?"
"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"
Tessa didn't even bother to ask about that one. She was too caught up in her thoughts.
"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone — find it, but not use it — would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes . . . Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them — but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?" He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"
Harry suddenly started. "Sir, I just remembered something! Quirrell and Voldermort — they talked about this girl. Voldemort kept asking where she was, where the child was. He told Quirrell to find that Potter child, but Quirrell insisted I am the Potter child."
Before Dumbledore could even make a comment on it, Madam Pomfrey had come in and scolded both Tessa and Harry for not resting. She let the headmaster leave, and was now refusing to let Ron and Hermione in to see them.
"Just five minutes," Harry pleaded.
"Absolutely not."
"You let Professor Dumbledore in . . . " he grumbled.
"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You two need rest."
"I am resting," Tessa insisted. "See, I'm lying down — my body inclined in a horizontal position."
The matron sighed before giving in. "Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only."
"Ten," Tessa bargained.
"Seven," Madam Pomfrey finalized before letting both Ron and Hermione in.
"Harry! Tessa!"
Hermione prepared to launch herself into Tessa who had fervently shook her head. "Mione, no—!" Thank Merlin for Ron who had quickly caught hold of Hermione and stopped her from doing so.
"Oh, you two, we were sure you were going to — Dumbledore was so worried —"
"The whole school's talking about it," Ron said. "What really happened?"
Tessa turned to Harry as well. "I still don't know what happened when I left you after the Sphinx."
"Sphinx — what Sphinx?" Hermione asked.
So Tessa told them what the Sphinx's Riddle was, how she had to survive through the trapped corridor, and then Harry proceeded to tell him everything what happened with Quirrell, the Stone, Voldemort hiding behind his turban — Tessa shuddered dramatically at that.
"So the Stone's gone?" Ron said with a relieved look on his face. "Flamel's just going to die?"
"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that — what was it? — 'to the well-organized mind,
death is but the next great adventure.'"
"I always said he was off his rocker," Ron said.
"So what happened to you two?" Tessa asked, reaching over to tug Ron's arm as she pouted at the fudge on her bedside table.
"Well, I got back all right," Hermione said as Ron handed Tessa over her chocolate, helping her feed herself. "I brought Ron round — that took a while — and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall — he already knew — he just said, 'Harry and Tessa's gone after him, haven't they?' and hurtled off to the third floor."
"D'you think he meant you to do it?" Ron asked Harry. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"
"Well, " Hermione exploded, "if he did — I mean to say that's terrible — you could have been killed."
Tessa was busy enjoying her fudge to bother adding a comment, simply listening to their conversation.
"No, it isn't," Harry said thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could . . . "
"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course — you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you and Tessa both — but the food'll be good."
Tessa paled, her jaw dropping. "I missed another Quidditch match?" Her face contorted as though she were going to cry. "Well, this is just fantastic! Oliver'll have my head for this."
At that moment, Madam Pomfrey came over. "You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT!" she said firmly.
Tessa slept early that night and woke up at the very early hours as well — it had just broke through dawn and the whole castle must still be asleep. That is — all except for Madam Pomfrey who instantly walked over to the waking girl.
"How are you feeling, Tessa?"
She was smiling as she stretched her good arm and long legs. "Much better than yesterday. I think I don't have to stay in bed anymore."
After a quick check up from Madam Pomfrey, she was deemed well enough to walk and leave the Hospital Wing. She just had to be careful with her arm as it was still sore. The matron told her to come back later this evening to have her bandages changed one last time and she left Tessa to go check on something.
Tessa slipped out of the bed and got dressed in her jeans and thin, short-sleeved shirt and made her way outside when she stopped short. Glancing behind her, her hazel eyes fell on the door at the corner of the room — the same door she'd entered from when she defeated the Sphinx's Riddle. Shuffling over, she yanked the door open and found herself dumbstruck when it was a broom closet. There was absolutely no sign of that wretched hallway at all. As though it's been a simple broom closet all this time.
She frowned, murmuring incoherently under her breath before leaving the place. She enjoyed the silence of the castle, rounding the corridor and smacking right into something. She yelped, stumbling on her feet as someone's hand reached out to grab her wrist.
"Tessa! Are you okay?"
She looked up and saw Theodore Nott smiling at her as he steadied her back to her feet. Tessa grinned back up at him. "Theo! Yes, I'm doing alright. But what are you doing awake this early?"
Theo chuckled and ran a hand through his brown hair. "I wanted to visit you. Madam Pomfrey always says no visitors, so I've been coming in the last four days at this time of the morning to see how you are."
Tessa's face softened from a large grin to a sweet smile. "Theo — that's so nice of you. Thank you." Now she understood why Dumbledore said she had such an interesting collection of visitors. Because Theo was a Slytherin and he knew Gryffindors weren't the best of friends with them.
They stood there by the corridor near the Hospital Wing, chatting for a moment before the two decided to say goodbye. Tessa insisted that he go back to bed after seeing him yawn, and she said she had to go back and get her letters and the box of fudge she'd left behind on the table of sweets for her and Harry.
Tucking the box and the letters under her good arm, Tessa walked back out of the clinic only to halt in her steps. She blinked in surprise, not expecting to see him at all.
"Malfoy — what in Merlin's name are you doing here?" She slowly made her way to step over in front of him.
He looked surprised to see her, silent for a few heartbeats before his eyes fell on the bandage peeking out under the sleeve of her shirt. Tessa followed his gaze and rolled her eyes as she muttered, "Yes, I'm still alive. Must be tragic for you who must've wanted me dead."
Malfoy scowled and shot a glare at her, though it looked half-hearted. "I don't care, Valentine. I'm not even here to see you."
Tessa snorted and walked passed him. "Okay, whatever you say. Enjoy your five a.m. stroll."
He looked away from her and his voice dropped to a murmur, "Shut up." He let her walk a few more steps further away before he called her name out once more. She stopped to hear what he had to say, keeping her back to him. "For the record, Valentine," Malfoy grumbled lowly, "I don't want you dead. I'm not that evil to wish you were hurt."
With that said, he turned and walked away the other direction. Tessa stood there for a couple more seconds, letting his words register in her mind before she continued to make her way back to the common room.
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The Great Hall was filled by the time Tessa got there for dinner. She'd spend the day with Fred and George, the latter had insisted that the three of them do something mischievous, but Fred wouldn't hear any of it — he was keen on keeping Tessa safe and out of trouble as she had just left the Hospital Wing and had woken up. They'd settled on walking around the school grounds with the sun high in the sky and the wind deliciously cooling their skin.
She rushed in to where all her friends were in the Gryffindor table, sliding next to Hermione and across of Ron and Seamus who beamed upon seeing her. "Tessa! Are you feeling better?" He asked as Neville and Dean joined in the conversation to ask if she was doing okay. She laughed and nodded, convincing them that she felt as good as new.
She looked around the place to see that it was decked in green and silver — Slytherin's house colors. There was a huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent that covered the wall behind the High Table. As she looked, she suddenly noticed the way people were staring and pointing at her. She remembered what Dumbledore said, how people already knew what happened with her, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Harry arrived and more people started to talk and stare at him as the boy rushed over to sit between Tessa and Hermione.
Tessa smiled at him. "Alright, Harry?"
He just nodded in response.
Thankfully for the both of them, Dumbledore had arrived and all voices lowered to silence. "Another year gone! And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were . . . you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts . . .
"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with two hundred and sixty-two points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."
Almost immediately, cheers and stomps erupted from the Slytherins, and Slytherins alone. Tessa scowled at Malfoy who was happily banging his goblet on the table.
"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," Dumbledore said, but he sounded as though he were anything but wishing them well. "However, recent events must be taken into account."
The room had quieted down, all the Slytherins' smiles vanished as Tessa had gone very still.
"Ahem," Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes . . . First — to Mr. Ronald Weasley . . . "
Ron turned purple for some odd reason instead of pink as he ducked his head.
" . . . for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."
The Gryffindor cheered and booted as Percy Weasley started boasting to the others, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"
"Second — to Miss Hermione Granger . . . for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."
Next to her, Hermione buried her face in her arms as she cried. Tessa reached over to pat her back comfortingly as the Gryffindors yelled in happiness, hugging each other. They'd just won another hundred points.
"Third — to Miss Teressa Valentine . . . for it is not always by wit can we find the answers to face danger, but sometimes by living with the hope to see tomorrow." Her heart swelled as Dumbledore's moon-shaped glasses glinted from afar. "For having a heart of bravery, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."
The Gryffindors erupted in roars, the cheers were deafening as the stars above them rattled and shook as the students pounded their goblets against the table. Tessa and Hermione were embracing each other, the latter's face streaked in tears as they laughed happily amongst themselves.
"Fourth — to Mr. Harry Potter . . . " Dumbledore said and the room went deadly quiet. " . . . for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."
Absolutely everyone was yelling and screaming by now — Gryffindor had four hundred and seventy-two points — exactly the same as Slytherin. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were talking loudly and shouting over to the Gryffindors that they were tied for the house cup.
Suddenly, Dumbledore raised a hand that brought the room back to silence. Tessa's heart stumbled as she whipped her head to face Neville who had looked at her in confusion. No one else — there was no one else that night they went after Quirrell and the Stone except for Neville . . .
"There are all kinds of courage," Dumbledore said, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."
It was maddening. Chaos broke out as everyone cheered and exploded into yells as Neville was attacked by hugs from people all around. The Great Hall was bursting with noise and sound as every person got on their feet to applaud.
"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, "we need a little change of decoration." He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place.
"Tessa, look!" Harry rounded the table to sit next to her with a large smile on his face. In his hands was something that looked like a photo book bound in leather. "Your mum's in here!"
She eagerly flipped it open and found several wizard photos of Harry's parents along with their other friends. Her eyes fell on their younger photos — perhaps they were still nineteen or twenty in them — and she saw the familiar blue-black haired girl with jade green eyes staring right back at her.
Tessa nearly cried as she flipped through them. There was a photo of Catherine and Lily Potter with their arms slinging over each other's shoulders; one of Catherine, Lily, and two other of their girl friends that Tessa didn't know the names of; another of Catherine jumping behind a boy with curly black hair to surprise him as a boy with brown hair bent over laughing at them; and one of Catherine and James Potter laughing so happily at one another. She didn't know why, but Tessa lingered on that photo, watching the way Catherine laughed beautifully while James also laughed, his gaze at her as he wrapped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.
Harry watched her expression and he took the photo out of the album, handing it over to her with a warm smile. "Here — you can take this."
Tessa swallowed a lump in her throat. "Harry, no, I can't do that. It's yours! It's got your father in it too."
Harry chuckled, placing it in her hand and curling her fingers over it. "And your mother too. Don't worry about it, I'd really be happy if you keep that picture."
Tessa launched herself into an embrace with Harry as she thanked him endlessly. That night, Tessa had asked if any of her dorm mates had an extra picture frame she could borrow. With Rhea Huang's frame, she slipped the moving photo inside as she put the picture by her nightstand. She didn't know why she adored that photo of her mother and a young and dashing James Potter, but she absolutely loved how happy they looked.
The next few days came by swiftly, as did exam results. Both Harry and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years. Tessa finished second best grades, tied with a Slytherin she didn't bother asking who. She was honestly just ready and excited to go home and spend the summer with Philip and Uncle Kasi.
On the day they had to leave, Tessa had hugged and said goodbye to all her friends. Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake. Soon enough, they were boarding the Hogwarts Express, eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and Tessa's precious fudge as they sped past Muggle towns. Tessa had changed out of her robes, slipping into a long-sleeved shirt, black jeans, and her favorite trench coat. The next thing she knew, the train was pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.
"You must come and stay this summer," Ron said, "three of you — I'll send you an owl."
Tessa beamed and nodded fervently. "Ron, I'd love that! Perhaps by the last weeks of summer after I've spent most of it with my best friend Philip?"
He nodded. "Of course, that sounds good to me."
"Thanks," Harry also said, "I'll need something to look forward to."
Before any of them could say anything else, a familiar voice was calling Tessa's name and she whirled around to see her uncle waving at her a couple platforms down. With one last hug goodbye to each of them, Tessa grabbed her trolley and pushed it over to where he stood waiting for her.
"Tessa!" Uncle Kasi was beaming as she reached over and hugged him. He chuckled before setting her down to her feet and ruffling her hair. "How was school? Stayed away from trouble all year, I hope? Oh, I've received your marks yesterday and they were excellent!"
Tessa was glad her poisoned arm was all better now. She was about to respond when a shriek left her and she was suddenly lifted into someone's arms and spinning in the air. Back on her feet, she blinked away all the vertigo before looking at the familiar black-haired-blue-eyed boy grinning at her. "Philip, you're here!" She squealed and launched herself to him once more and laughed as he spun her around, hugging her back just as tightly.
"Tessie, it's so good to see you!" He pinched her cheek playfully upon setting her back down. "Come on, let's go home." He slung his arm over her shoulders and followed after Kasi who'd started to push Tessa's trolley out of the station.
Tessa's eyes caught sight of a flash of blond hair and saw Malfoy standing next to his parents and she scrunched her nose at him. He was being badgered by his father, but he wasn't listening — gray eyes focused on Tessa and Philip. She rolled her eyes, knowing that he'd probably already come up with snarky remarks about her friend and was ready to say it the next school year.
Looking up and smiling at Philip, Tessa said, "Let's go home. I missed you, you dork."
Philip reached over to flick her nose affectionately before they both followed Kasi out of the station and onto the beginning of summer.