Menacie

Chapter - 29 : A Usual Day at Hogwarts

Harry's heart sank faster than he'd dived.

Professor McGonagall was running towards them. He got to his feet, trembling. She was almost speechless with shock.

There was a chaos of argument by the Gryffindors when she finally said, "That's enough, Mr Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

Ava caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle's triumphant faces as Harry left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode towards the castle. He thought that he was going to be expelled for sure.

Ava stood there - worried and furious. Her anger was about to lash out on Malfoy but he was saved by Madam Hooch who swept in again. She hadn't bothered to notice that Harry was gone so she continued her lesson but with more precaution.

When Ava kicked off from the ground, it seemed almost natural to know what to do next. But other than Malfoy, nobody seemed as comfortable with the broom, even Ron (who was a tad bit too clumsy for the broom to handle).

But riding the broom felt like a therapy to Ava. Her anger, for the time being, had melted into the back of her mind.

~

"You're joking!"

It was dinner time. Harry had just finished telling Ava and Ron about what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall.

"Seeker?" Ron said, "but first years NEVER make the house teams! You must be the youngest house player in about-"
"- a century," Harry said, "Wood told me."

Oliver Wood was the Gryffindor house Quidditch captain.
Professor McGonagall had be amazed at Harry's talent of riding a broom purely on gut instinct. They'd offered him the position of the Seeker. Ava had read a few books about Quidditch and it did seem like Harry was the proper build for a Seeker.

"I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too - beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyways, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passage out of the school."

"Ooh! Can I come?" Ava asked.
"Sure, kid! But do you think you'd be up for it? Do you know how to escape?" Fred said.

"Oh yes! And I'll be really helpful, trust me." she grinned at Ron and Harry, who grinned back, and followed the twins out of the Great Hall.

"So where are we going?" she asked.
"There's a portrait on the fifth floor. So Lee reckons that if we tilt the portrait of a little boy in muggle clothes, it opens up a secret passage to Hogsmead. But he hasn't tried yet. He wants to try it with us." George answered her.

"Ok, that's so cool!" she was genuinely excited about the thought of a secret passageway.

Seems pretty smart for a first year! Fred thought.

"Why, thank you Fred!"
"What? I didn't say anything!" Fred was shocked.

"Not from your mouth, you didn't," she shot back.

Ok this is FREAKY! What's happening?!?! Wait... Is she a..?

"Yes, yes I am, Fred." Ava was a little smug. Clearly her hidden talent had caught the twins off guard. Fred was trying to figure out her talent and George was plain confused as to what was happening.

"Ok, fine! I'm a Menacie - I'm a naturally skilled Legilimence and Occlumens. I can hear your thoughts and also shield my mind from being heard."

George looked like he'd been slapped in the face. Fred had almost reached the conclusion of her being a legilimence but he hadn't thought that she was a Menacie!

George caught on.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, "That's why you said that you could be helpful! You'd be able to hear when Filtch is coming, won't you?"

Ava just smiled and continued walking.

She had never entered this part of the castle - the stairs were made of beautiful off-white marble and gave a cuddly feeling like that of wearing warm clothes and slipping into her comfortably warm bed in the Slytherin dormitories.

As they walked up the staircases, the walls were covered in portraits and tapestries. The movement of so many people and animals inside the portraits made the stairs feel extremely crowded yet they were all alone - everyone was at dinner.

They clambered onto the fifth floor after a few minutes and she saw the portrait the twins had been talking about.

The portrait of a little five year old boy with honey blonde hair (just like Ava's) was hung on the farthest end of the wall. The boy was dressed in a simple brown corduroy overalls with a pale blue shirt underneath, a brown ivy hat and pale blue shoes.

His eyes were just like Ava's - mysteriously grey with hints of aqua and gold among them. But that's where the similarities ended.

The boy was pale and completely white with absolutely no colour on his face. He almost seemed, well, dead.
Ava's complexion was much warmer than the boy and her cheeks had a beautiful red flush to them.

While the boy's lips were thin and almost invisible, Ava's were full and completely pink.
She couldn't make any more distinct differences for the boy's face was still underdeveloped being only five years old.

They met Lee Jordan waiting for them.

-------
I solemnly swear that I'm upto no good!

Let the troubles begin, shall we?
Just kidding!

But I loveddddd writing this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it too!

Thanks for reading! Lots of love!

Always,
Ana

P.s - the craziest thing happened- we're #382 in #mysterious! Like I don't really understand how that works but like.... Yay!!