Hogwarts, A Musical

Once the First Task was over, everyone began to return back to normal. Well, everyone except Joanne. She had Rosie’s blackmail constantly on her mind, like a black plague that festered and rotted in her mind. She had now isolated herself away from all of her friends, and threw herself into her studies. The only thing that kept her sane now was Neville, who had kept his promise, and wasn’t leaving her any time soon.

“What the hell is up with Joanne?” asked Bekkah to Trey and Autumn as they headed to the Great Hall for lunch. “I mean, she used to be all giddy and nice, and she used to hang with us. Now the only person I ever see her with is Neville.”

“I don’t know,” said Autumn. “This is weird.”

“Something’s got to be up,” said Trey. “I mean, even when I pass her in the hallway and I try to say hi, she blows me off.”

“That’s bitchy,” said Autumn. “Maybe she’s on the rag.”

“Doubt it,” said Bekkah. “Oh my God! Maybe… she’s pregnant!”

“Uh, wouldn’t we be the first to know?!” exclaimed Autumn. “We are her best friends…”

“True, and if she was pregnant, the school would have known by now,” said Trey. “With stupid Colin Creevey lurking around for any gossip he could get his grubby hands on, it’d be all over school before she could finish the sentence!”

All three of them shuddered. Colin was the most annoying kid in the entire school, and he kept taking pictures of Harry, and anyone else he could find for his gossip column, The Bubbling Cauldron. If anyone had dirt on students, it would be him.

“You know, I know I am going to regret saying this, but why don’t we ask him what he knows?” asked Bekkah.

Autumn and Trey protested, but Bekkah held up her hands in a peaceful gesture. “If anyone is the eyes and ears of this school, it’s him. He’ll be able to tell us anything he knows.”

“It all comes with a price though,” said Autumn sourly.

In the end, the three of them walked down to Colin’s usual hangout, the dungeons, where he used them as a darkroom to develop his photographs. Autumn pointed at the door that said Development in process. Do not open!, and Trey kicked open the door. Colin squeaked like the rat that he was, and tried to hide his developing photos from them.

“Damn, it’s all ruined!” he whined. “Thanks a lot. Now I won’t have those pictures of Filch and Mrs. Norris in tutus dancing together!”

Autumn, Trey, and Bekkah snorted with laughter. Was Colin serious? “Okay, that was seriously unbelievable. See, I know Filch loves his cat, but tutus and dancing? That’s pushing it,” said Autumn.

Colin held up an exposure. “Look at that, and tell me if I’m a liar.” Lo and behold, there Filch and Mrs. Norris were, looking like the world’s ugliest ballerinas. Now all three of them were roaring with laughter. “Yeah, laugh all you want, you destroyed the copy I was making. What the hell do you want?”

“Do you have any dirt on Joanne?” blurted Autumn suddenly. Bekkah and Trey glared at her. “What, he asked?”

“Joanne?” asked Colin. “Are you talking about Bellacuore?”

“Yes,” said Bekkah. “Do you know anything about her?”

“I actually do,” smirked Colin. “For a price…”

“See, I knew this was going to happen,” said Autumn. She pinned him up against the wall, and stared into his eyes. “Okay, you are going to tell us right now what you know before I smash your face into a pulp.”

Colin, who couldn’t defend himself even if he tried, whimpered like a baby. “Joanne Bellacuore is going out with Neville Longbottom! She’s been on the down-low lately, and I haven’t been able to find out why, until now. She’s being blackmailed by someone in the school.”

“Blackmailed?” asked Autumn as she loosened her grip. Colin slid down the wall, shaking. “Who’d blackmail her?”

“Someone who’s a better dirt digger than me, that’s for sure,” said Colin as he brushed himself off as he got up.

“Who would that be?” asked Trey.

“I don’t know,” said Colin. “Now if you’ll excuse me…”

“Tell us who!” screamed Autumn as she ran at him and pinned his arms behind his back tightly. “Tell us, or we’ll take turn breaking every bone in your pathetic body.”

“I SWEAR I DON’T KNOW!” bellowed Colin. “Please don’t hurt me!”

“Great, a useless rat,” said Bekkah.

“Hey, I resent that!” said Colin. “I wish I did know. Then I could be in on all the dirt, and I’d have something great to put in my gossip column.”

“You are a lowlife,” said Autumn. “You’d ruin a person’s reputation all for the sake of good gossip and the almighty galleon.”

“Got to make money somehow,” said Colin as he grinned. “Galleons don’t just land in your pockets these days.”

“Let’s get out of here,” said Trey. “I’ve had enough of this lowlife… He knows nothing, and he’s of no use to us anyway.”

“Wait!” said Colin. “Maybe I do know something.”

“You don’t know anything,” sneered Bekkah.

“I know she has some enemies that could be suspects in this blackmail case,” said Colin. “I can name them. Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Rosie Bates-”

“Like we didn’t know those already,” said Autumn. “We’re her best friends! Well, were her best friends…”

“Just think about it,” said Colin. “Who’d have it in for Joanne?”

The three of them looked at each other, and automatically knew. “ROSIE!”
_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Yeah, when my world is falling apart, when there’s no light to break up the dark. That’s when I, I look at you…” sang Neville as Joanne lay in his arms as they sat against a tree. “When the waves are flooding the shore, and I can’t find my way home anymore. That’s when I, I look at you…”

“When I look at you, I see forgiveness, I see the truth. You love me for who I am, like the stars hold the moon right there where they belong. And I know I’m not alone,” sang Joanne as Neville stroked her curly hair.

“Yeah, when my world is falling apart, when there’s no light to break up the dark. That’s when I, I look at you…” sang the two of them together in perfect harmony, their voices blending together as if they were born to sing together so angelic. “When the waves are flooding the shore, and I can’t find my way home anymore. That’s when I, I look at you…”

“You appear just like a dream to me,” sang Joanne, showing off vocally while gazing into his eyes.

He kissed her sweet lips, and she melted into him. Then their world was interrupted when someone cleared their throat. The two of them pulled away from each other, and looked up.

“We need to talk,” said Autumn.

“I have nothing to say,” said Joanne.

“Well we do,” said Trey. “Ever since the First Task ended you’ve been blowing us all off. All you ever do is make-out with Neville.”

“And we finally figured out why you’ve been doing this,” said Bekkah.

Joanne’s stomach began to churn. They knew about her secrets. She was going to lose everything now. She wanted to disappear.

“We don’t have proof, but we think Rosie Bates may be blackmailing you,” said Autumn. “We don’t have the full scoop, but if anyone is out to get revenge on you, it’d be her.”

Joanne sighed with relief. “Don’t worry, we are going to stick by you, and we’ll fight that nasty bitch,” said Bekkah.

“Wait, why would Rosie blackmail Joanne?” asked Neville.

The three girls looked at him oddly. “Um hello?! Rosie hates Joanne!” said Autumn and Bekkah.

“Besides the point, how would she know anything about Joanne?” asked Neville. “I mean, they weren’t ever that close. And the only way to know a person’s records would be to break into the students’ records, and that’s against the rules.”

“Some people think they are above the rules,” said Joanne.

“You’re only breaking the rules if you get caught, after all,” said Trey slyly.

“And besides the point, what the hell does Joanne have to hide anyway?” laughed Neville. “I mean, I know her and love her as much as you guys do, if not more.”

“Ugh don’t get all kissy wissy,” said Bekkah as Neville and Joanne began to make-out. Trey was imitating them, making kissy faces and moaning. Autumn snorted. Her twin brother was a freaking riot.

“So, if you two would please stop making out, maybe we could figure out what we should do about the Rosie sitch,” said Autumn.

“Well, we’d need proof that she broke into the private school records,” said Trey.

“How do we get that?” wondered Joanne as she bit her bottom lip. “Dust for fingerprints and DNA?”

“What?” asked Neville, looking puzzled.

“Muggle terms,” said Autumn. “We could do that. But then we’d get in trouble for going into the restricted student records section! Ugh! This is ridiculous!”

“Why don’t we just ask Dumbledore to see if anyone looked through the cabinets?” asked Bekkah.

“Good idea,” said Neville.

“Wait, even if we go through all of this, what if she ruins my damn life despite all our efforts?” asked Joanne. “Or even worse, what if there is no evidence that she was there?”

Autumn, Bekkah, Trey, and Neville looked at Joanne. “What are you hiding?” said Autumn quietly.

“It’s none of your business what is in my records,” said Joanne coldly. “It’s personal and private.”

“But we’re your friends!” said Bekkah.

“And I am your boyfriend,” said Neville as he put his arm around Joanne. “Wouldn’t you trust us? Especially me?”

“I just can’t tell you…” said Joanne.

“Fine,” said Autumn, shrugging. “Be that way. I’m going to go throw rotten eggs at Harry. Come on Trey.”

Trey looked at Joanne as if he didn’t know her anymore. “You coming Bekkah?” he asked.

Bekkah, who loved Joanne despite whatever she might be hiding, felt torn. She hated being caught in the middle of fights. She had enough of that at home, she didn’t need it at school. “I’m so sorry Joanne,” said Bekkah as she followed Trey and Autumn.

“It’s fine,” said Joanne, trying to be strong despite being on the verge of tears. “I don’t really care anyway.” She looked at Neville, and his face was hard to read. “Go on, tell me you’re done with me. Just like them.”

“Why can’t you tell me whatever it is you are hiding?” asked Neville in a calm voice. “I swear, I won’t tell anyone. You can trust me.”

“I can’t tell anyone,” said Joanne, her eyes watering. “If you had something personal that you couldn’t tell anyone about, I would understand that and wouldn’t pressure you to tell me. Just… accept that I can’t tell you.”

“No,” said Neville quietly. He sighed, and took a deep breath. “I haven’t been honest with you lately. I actually have a personal secret that I’ve never told anyone. But I want to tell you because I trust you.”

“You can trust me,” said Joanne. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

“My parents,” began Neville nervously. “Were in the Order of the Phoenix, a group of witches and wizards that fought against You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. Well, when I was only a year old, my parents were on a mission, and both of them were captured by the notorious Bellatrix Lestrange. She… she tortured them with the Cruciatus curse. Joanne… she tortured them to the brink of insanity…”

Joanne was silent, and she looked at her feet, not able to look him in the eye. She couldn’t figure out the right words to say, so she held him tightly. “Gran ended up raising me. My parents are locked up in St. Mungo’s, my two nut job parents who don’t remember what day it is or that I am even their son.”

Joanne felt Neville shake in her arms, and then slowly pulled back. She was surprised to see he was crying, and she wiped away his tears. “I’d be better off not having any parents,” he said. “I’d rather them be dead than this. It kills me that they don’t recognize me, that we can never be a real family, that my gran had to raise me!” The anger in Neville’s voice rose, and he broke into a sob. Joanne kissed him, and stroked his hair.

“You must think I am such a pathetic loser,” said Neville, getting a hold of his emotions. “I’m a fucking crybaby. A big fat dorky loser.”

“No,” said Joanne softly. “I think you are the most amazing person I have ever met.”

Neville pulled her into a steamy kiss. His hands roamed south from her back to her ass, and he playfully squeezed it. She smiled into his kiss, and playfully bit his bottom lip. “I think,” said Joanne slowly. “I am going to tell you. But you have to promise me that you will not hate me, or think any different of me. This is my past, and I cannot change the past. But I can learn from my past.”

“Joanne, nothing you can say right now can make me love you any less,” said Neville as he kissed her forehead.

She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

“Hey!” yelped Harry as he got pelted with rotten eggs by Autumn and Trey. “Oh God, they smell!”

“Just as bad as you, if not worse!” laughed Autumn.

Bekkah watched as the twins continued to torture Harry, and doubled over with laughter as Harry ran like a girl, trying to get away from the steady stream of rotten eggs.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” asked Draco as he walked over.

“Autumn and Trey are pelting Harry with bad eggs,” laughed Bekkah. “It’s funny as hell!”

“Ugh, and smelly,” said Draco as he held his nose. “God, what a stink!”

“Stop!” whined Harry as he ran towards Draco and Bekkah, trying to get away.

“Oh no you are not hiding behind me you nerd,” said Bekkah as she stepped away from him and leaned against the wall.

“And if you get a speck of rotten egg on this new cloak, you will never live to see the Second Task Potter!” scowled Draco.

“Get him!” shouted Autumn as she whipped an egg at Harry. It hit him in the face, knocking his glasses off. Draco couldn’t help but crack a smile as he watched Harry try to find his glasses, looking like a mummy with his arms outstretched.

CRUNCH!

“That can’t be good,” said Harry as he bent down to get his glasses. He put them on, and looked through the shattered lens. “Damn! That’s the third time this week! Occulus reparo!”

The formerly cracked lens repaired itself to everyone’s amazement. No one really thought Harry could mend his glasses, after all, he barely was able to make it through in Charms and Transfiguration. “You have gone too far!” Harry growled at Trey and Autumn. “I’m telling!”

“God, what a pathetic pussy,” sneered Draco. “Going to run to Dumbledore to tell? What are you, a two year old? Grow some balls!”

“Shut up Draco!” said Harry. “I don’t need your input!”

“You should be focusing on the Second Task,” said Autumn. “Focus on trying to live through it that is!”

Trey threw a rotten egg at Harry, but this time Harry ducked. And it hit…

“BRONTOSAURUS!!!!!!!” screamed Draco as he wiped his face and robes which were covered in nasty, slimy, smelly, rotten eggs. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”

“Oh shit,” said Trey as he began to run away as fast as his legs could carry him. Draco took off after him.

“THESE ROBES COST MORE THAN YOUR FATHER MAKES IN A LIFETIME YOU BASTARD!” howled Draco. “I’LL KILL YOU!”

“Draco!” shouted Autumn as she ran towards him. “Leave my brother alone! It was an accident!”

“Don’t!” cried Bekkah as she held her back. “It’ll only make it worse! Trey can handle himself!”

“If he hurts my brother, he WILL pay!” cried Autumn as she struggled in Bekkah’s arms.

“He won’t,” said Bekkah.

“CRU-” roared Draco.

“What is the meaning of this loud, smelly debauchery?” said Snape as he grabbed Draco by his collar.

“TREY DID IT!” shouted Draco, pointing at him. “HE THREW ROTTEN EGGS AT ME!”

“Be that as it may, you were about to use a Cruciatus curse against him,” said Snape coldly. “That’s 55 points from Slytherin, and detention, Mr. Malfoy. And Mr. Bronte, you will join him in detention, which starts now. Be grateful it isn’t more.”

Bekkah let go of Autumn, and Autumn punched the wall. “Next time, don’t hold me back. I want a clear shot of punching in his fucking face.”

“You do remember he is my twin?” said Bekkah. “And despite him being a jackass, I love him. And I won’t let you hurt him.”

“After all he’s done for you, you are going to stick up for him?” asked Autumn.

“What has gotten into you?” asked Bekkah. “Why are you picking fights so easily?”

“Ok, you have problems,” said Autumn as she began to walk away. “Come talk to me when you’re sane…”

“Autumn!” cried Bekkah, but Autumn ignored her as she walked to her dorm. She slammed the door behind her, and threw herself onto her bed.

“My friends suck,” said Autumn to herself as she punched her pillow. “Joanne and Neville are too in love with each other to even talk to me, Joanne’s hiding secrets, Bekkah’s protecting Draco, and now my brother is in detention. And right now, I could use a hug…”

Almost instantly, there was a knock at the door, making Autumn almost fall off her bed. “Who is it?”

“Dylan, can I come in?”

“Sure,” said Autumn. The door opened, and Dylan entered, closing the door behind him. “What’s up?”

“I heard shouting in the halls,” said Dylan. “I found out about Trey and Draco, and I figured you could use some company.”

Autumn put her arms around Dylan and smiled. “Yes, I certainly could.”