The Black House Heiress (Book 1)

Chapter 10: Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback, a Letter from Mom?

Weeks passed and the only difference that Rhea's friends notice in the DADA teacher was the fact that he was getting paler and thinner. But for Rhea, the wave of emotions that she felt when she saw the teacher increased. Now, with his mere presence in the room she felt overwhelmed. Rhea started to even skip dinner, grabbing just little food and going to the common room instead.

Even though it looked like Quirrell haven't cracked yet, Harry, Ron and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside.

"You know that this is not necessary right?" said Rhea, leaning in the wall next to the door.

"Why not? Rhee is everything okay? You've been weird lately" asked Hermione in concern.

"Yeah, Fred and George told me that you have been refusing their request to prank with them." said Ron.

"You've also been skipping dinner a lot." added Harry.

"I'm fine" she said while standing straight. "It is just that I don't think that Snape will try something on school hours, or when everyone is up and moving around." She said as she walked away.

In all honesty, Rhea was not okay. The whole situation of the Sorcerer's Stone and the feeling that she had in the presence of Quirrell were starting to get a toll on her.

The bad temper of Snape was still present, this meant for her friends that the Stone was still safe. Harry and Ron started to be a little nicer towards the DADA teacher. Meanwhile, Rhea just tried to avoided him as much as

She decided to join Hermione in her study crazed state. Her bestfriend had started drawing up study schedules and color-coding all her notes. Rhea actually enjoy the idea which helping her to get her troubled mind out of the current situations; Harry and Ron didn't seem to share Rhea's enthusiasm.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away".

"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. ",That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what are you two studying for, you already know it all."

"What are we studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, we should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me."

" 'Mione take it easy. We have been doing study sesions all term. I am sure we will do great in out exams." said Rhea. She then pointed at Harry and Ron, "it is you two that should worry."

Thankfuly, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her best friend. They have piled them with so much homework that Rhea could get her mind off Quirrell during the Easter holidays.

Even though Rhea was not able to go back home for the holidays -her excuse being that she had a lot of homework and study to do with Hermione-, she found herself enjoying listening to her friend reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood and practicing wand movements with her. Sometimes, they played around, questioning each other about topics randomly. Harry and Ron would usually be with them trying to get trough all the extra work they had without falling asleep.

During one afternoon while Hermione and Rhea were questioning each other and giggleling at how they jump from subject to another one, Ron had a breakdown.

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window. The girls perck up at this, and Hermione went towards him while Rhea went to sit next to Harry.

"You're looking for Dittany?" she asked the boy while looking at the parchment in front of him, and the book near it -One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi- Harry nodded in reply. "Let me help you." Rhea started fliping through the pages, looking for the one they needed when Ron's voice got her attention.