The Flower and the Badger

Chapter 29

"That was bloody fantastic!" Cedric praised Anna. They were in the Hufflepuff common room. Cedric's common room was very warm and welcoming. It was circular in size and had low ceilings, almost resembling a badger's home. The windows were at ground level, and Anna could look out and see the Quidditch pitch, where the Ravenclaw team was currently practicing.
Anna sat down in one of the oversized chairs, and Cedric sat in the chair next to her. "Remind me to never make you angry." Cedric said, causing Anna to laugh. "That would be a wise decision, Diggory."
The Hufflepuffs didn't mind that Anna was there, in fact, they seemed happy to make a new friend.
"Is it true that you're Harry Potter's sister?" One asked, and Anna nodded. "Yeah, I am."
"No offense, but he seems kind of annoying."
Anna laughed again. "Trust me, he has his moments."
They all giggled, and Anna talked with them late into the night. When they finally noticed what time it was, Cedric said that he would walk Anna back, as he knew ways they could go so that they wouldn't run into any of the patrolling prefects. The last thing that Anna wanted was to get chewed out by Percy.
After promising her new friends that she would visit again soon, Anna left with Cedric.
"Sorry if they're talkative." Cedric talked quietly as they walked down the darkened hall.
"It's okay." Anna replied. "It was nice actually. Everyone was super friendly."
"Welcome to Hufflepuff." Cedric joked and Anna had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. "Shut up, you're going to get us caught!" She hissed, and Cedric rolled his eyes. "You worry too much."
"No, I would rather just not get into trouble right when the school year is about to end."
"You're no fun." Cedric stuck his tongue out at her, and Anna scoffed. "You're like, three years older than I am, why is it that I'm the mature one?"
They reached the Fat Lady then. Anna uttered the password and the portrait swung open. "I'll see you tomorrow." Anna said, and Cedric nodded. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."
Anna walked into the common room, and she gasped when she saw Neville on the ground. "Neville!" She ran to his side and immediately recognized that he had been petrified. Luckily the petrification was starting to wear off, and she helped Neville to slowly sit up. "What happened? Who did this to you?"
"Hermione..." Neville groaned and Anna gasped in shock. Hermione? But why? Neville continued to talk. "I found her, Harry, and Ron trying to sneak out of the common room. I tried to stop them and that was when Hermione petrified me."
Anna sighed as she helped Neville up to his dorm. Where had the three gone? What was so important that Hermione felt the need to petrify Neville? Anna didn't know, and she wasn't about to venture out and find out. She did not want to be caught by Filch.
Anna yawned as she made her way back down to the common room. She was determined to stay up until the three returned. But sleep was starting to overcome her, and she drifted away to have yet another conversation with Adriana Petrival.

They weren't in the clearing like they had always been. Instead, they were in a graveyard.
"Pretty drastic change of scenery." Anna commented, but Adriana didn't smile. In fact, she looked rather grim.
"Why are we even here?" Anna asked
"In years to come, your brother will face Voldemort here, if he survives tonight."
"What do you mean?!" Anna yelped. Survive tonight? Was Harry in some kind of danger?
"As we speak, your brother is on his way to a confrontation with Voldemort, the wizard who is responsible for killing your parents."
"I have to go and help him!" Anna cried out, and Adriana shook her head. "This is Harry's fight; he has to fight it alone."
"But he could get himself killed!"
"You need to have faith in your brother; he is stronger than you realize."
Anna nodded, but she couldn't help worrying. What if something happened? What if he got hurt, or killed?
"Trust in your brother," Adriana said as she began to fade away.

Anna gasped as she awoke and shot up straight. She didn't care what Adriana said, she had to make sure that her brother was alright. She tore through the hallways, her heart pounding as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her, running smack dab into Professor Dumbledore.
"Professor..." Anna panted as she attempted to catch her breath. "I think...that Harry....might be...in trouble."
"I shall tend to it." Dumbledore said. "You return-"
Anna shook her head. "Professor, if my brother's in trouble, then there's no way that you're leaving me behind."
"Miss Potter, I cannot help your brother if I am also worried about you."
Anna went to retort, but she bit her lip at the look that Dumbledore gave her. He was right; Anna would just have to trust that he knew what he was doing. Anna watched as he quickly walked down the hall.
"Anna!"
Anna turned to see Hermione walking with Ron, who was cradling his arm and looked as though he had a pounding headache. "What in Godric's name happened?"
"I'll explain everything later." Hermione answered. "Right now, I need your help getting Ron to Madame Pomfrey."
Anna nodded and together, they got him to the hospital wing.
"How you four always manage to get into trouble and get yourselves hurt is beyond my comprehension."
Anna wanted to ask Hermione what had happened, but Hermione looked so distressed about Ron that Anna decided now wasn't the time to ask.
Ron turned out to have a broken arm and a mild concussion, but thankfully, it wasn't anything more serious than that.
Pomfrey had just set Ron's cast when Dumbledore came in, an unconcious Harry in his arms. Anna let out a small cry and Hermione wrapped her in a tight hug. "He'll be alright," Hermione soothed her as Anna sobbed in her arms. She shouldn't have listened to Dumbledore, she should have tried to help Harry. Now she didn't even know if he was alive.
She anxiously waited for Pomfrey to finish her examination, her heart sinking with each minute that passed.
"He's alive." Pomfrey said finally, and Anna felt her legs buckle. She had never felt so relieved in her entire life.
"He'll need plenty of rest." Pomfrey continued. "And he won't wake up for two or three days."
She made everyone leave so that she could properly tend to Harry, and Pomfrey promises Anna that she would inform her as soon as Harry was awake.
Anna and Hermione ran into Cedric out in the hall, and he seemed to know that Anna needed some comfort. He hugged Anna, and she clung to him tightly.
"I'll take care of her," he whispered to Hermione, and she nodded and walked off, leaving Anna to take comfort in Cedric's arms.