The Flower and the Badger

Chapter 12

It was dark outside by the time Anna revived. She groaned as she sat up, clutching her head. She had a hell of a headache, and it took her a moment to remember what had happened with the ghost. Not to mention that she was freezing. She felt like her entire body had been dunked into icy water.
Standing up, she slowly made her way back to the common room, where Harry was pacing anxiously. "Where is she Mione? No one's seen her for hours!"
"I'm sure that Anna's just off doing a prank with George or something Harry."
"Actually I was just assaulted by a ghost-" Anna wasn't able to get another word out because Harry pounced on her, wrapping her into a tight hug. "We were so worried, where have you been...wait, you're shaking..."
Through chattering teeth, Anna told them what had happened with the ghost in the corridor.
"We need to get her to Madame Pomfrey." Hermione said. "She's only getting colder by the second."
Harry wrapped a blanket around his sister's shoulders before walking out with her and Hermione. Harry had his arm wrapped around Anna, supporting her as they walked. Anna took small, shaking steps, and it was a while before they reached the hospital wing. When they told Madame Pomfrey what had happened, she frowned in confusion. "None of the regular ghosts have the power to do this when they pass through something or someone. Luckily the only thing that Miss Potter will need is a simple warming draught."
The warming draught tasted like liquid fire, and Anna coughed harshly as she drank it. It worked though, she felt her body immediately start to warm up.
"I want you to go back to your dorm and rest now." Madame Pomfrey said sternly. "No dilly-dallying. Rowena only knows what trouble you lot could get into on your way back."
"You know us too well Madame Pomfrey." Harry said cheekily, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "I swear, you and Ronald are the main reason why I get into trouble."
"Meanwhile, I'm the perfect little angel." Anna piped up, and everyone started to laugh. "Angel my ass." Harry scoffed, and Anna gasped in mock horror. "How dare you! Everyone knows that you're the demon out of the two of us."
"Enough bickering!" Hermione said, but she was trying to hold back her laughter. "We need to get back and let Anna rest."

The trio made it back to Gryffindor Tower without any trouble. "Well, that was event-" Anna started to say but she stopped when she saw Fred and Angelina full on making out.
"I'll see you two tomorrow." She muttered before practically running up to the dorm.
"I'll make sure she's alright." Hermione said to Harry before scurrying up the stairs after her. "Anna-"
"I hate this!" Anna shouted as she threw her pillow against the wall, waking up Lavender and Parvati in the process. "I hate the fact that I can't stop loving him, even when he clearly likes somebody else!"
"Boy trouble?" Parvati asked, and Hermione nodded. "More like Weasley trouble."
"Oh honey...." Lavender wrapped an arm around Anna. "I'm so sorry. But if Fred is so blind that he can't see how perfect you are, that's his fault, not yours."
"Maybe Parkinson was right." Anna muttered. "Maybe I really am weak and pathetic and that's why he doesn't like me."
"Now you listen to me, Anna Noelle Potter!" Hermione snapped, and the three girls looked at her in surprise as she ranted.
"You are not weak, or pathetic, and anyone that says otherwise is just plain stupid. You are one of the smartest, bravest witches that I know. No other witch in our year is a year ahead in Transfiguration. The only reason that Pansy is saying all of this stuff is because she knows how insecure it'll make you. I know it hurts to see Fred with Angelina, but you'll get over it! You've got your whole life ahead of you! One day you'll find someone who actually deserves, I can promise you that." It was only now that she stopped to take a breath, and the room was silent for a moment.
"If you're like this now when you're only trying to cheer somebody up..." Parvati said finally. "Then I would hate to see you when you get truly angry."
This made everyone, even Hermione, burst into laughter. Anna hugged the girl that was like a sister to her. "Thank you Mione." She whispered, and Hermione hugged her back tightly. "I'll always be here for you.  Just remember that, okay?"
"I will." Anna murmured as the girls parted. She was so grateful to have friends like these girls, friends that would always be there for her no matter what. And she realized that Hermione was right. Eventually she would move on from Fred. Would it hurt for a while? Undoubtedly. But eventually, she would find the person that was right for her. She had just been so sure that Fred would be that person.

The weeks continued to pass. More people got petrified. Colin Creevey, a first year Gryffindor who was always taking pictures. And Ginny was continuing to act strange. But Anna didn't have the time to question it. Between school, homework, Quidditch games, and trying to find the secret chamber that Merlin had told her about, she simply didn't have any time. She had tried to find the corridor where she had seen that ghost, but it was like it had simply vanished. She was, however, able to find out who the ghost was. She found it in a book one day while studying with Hermione in the library.
"That's him!" She pointed to a picture of a man. "Hermione, that's the ghost who attacked me!"
Hermione read his name aloud. "Uther Pendragon..." She gasped. "Anna, this is Arthur's father!"
"But didn't Uther hate magic?" Anna asked. "It doesn't make any sense that he would be a ghost haunting a wizarding school."
"Actually it would if he died here. Anna, Uther had tried to storm Hogwarts when he was King and nearly destroyed it, but the Hogwarts founders managed to kill him before he completely destroyed the castle. He's the reason why Arthur hated magic so much, because he told him almost from the day that he was born that magic and sorcery was pure evil. I don't know if Arthur would have believed it if Uther hadn't died here. That was the tipping point when Arthur really started to hate magic."
"I wonder why Uther would keep me from trying to clear Adriana's name." Anna mused. "If he hated magic, surely he would be proud of his son for killing a whole village of magical people."
"Maybe because he knew that it would tarnish Arthur's name." Hermione suggested. "Or maybe it was because he knew that if people knew the truth, they may try and get Arthur killed."
"You know, that may be it!"
Anna was getting excited now, and she had to struggle to keep her voice down so that Madame Pince wouldn't kick them out of the library.
"Now all that I have to do is find this secret chamber and find the account, and then Adriana's name will be cleared!" She quickly began to pack her things up. "I'm going to search for that secret chamber again, I'll meet up with you at the Quidditch match later." She grabbed her things and ran out.

She searched for about two hours, having absolutely forgotten all about the Quidditch match.
"Anna!!" Harry shouted as he ran up to her. "You've got to come quickly!"
"Harry I can't. And why aren't you out on the pitch?"
"Anna you don't understand! It's Hermione! She's been petrified!"