Lumos

Exam week reared its head like an enraged Norwegian Ridgeback, sending Felicity into a near-panic. Summer weather had come, bringing a wave of heat into the corridors and making the written exams miserable to sit through. They spent hours bent over parchment with their new, Anti-Cheating quills and trying to remember names and components and dates.

In the practical exams, Professor Flitwick declared Felicity’s tap-dancing pineapple the best he’d seen in ten years. Professor McGonagall, however, pronounced Felicity’s snuffbox, which she’d Transfigured from a mouse, merely satisfactory – but she did comment on Felicity’s great improvement and offered her a small smile. Felicity was able to easily recall the ingredients for her Forgetfulness Potion, but had a hard time concentrating on what order to add them as Professor Snape breathed down their necks.

Ulric found new companionship with Hermione, who he often chatted with after exams to go over the questions and comment on how they’d each fared. Felicity, finding this pointless and stressful, spent her time between each exam cramming for the next one.

By the time their last exam, History of Magic, came around, Felicity was more than ready to be done. After one excruciating hour of quills scratching on parchment, Professor Binns announced the end of the exam and Felicity, like her classmates, let out a cheer.

They were done at last! Even Neville was cautiously cheerful, feeling that he hadn’t done nearly as badly as he’d expected. He tried to talk to Felicity after the exam, but was whisked off by Seamus and Dean, who seemed to have finally forgiven him. Since Ulric was still talking rapidly to Hermione, Felicity packed up her bag and headed outside, seeking a breeze to break up the dry heat.

Many students were lounging on the grounds or by the lake. Felicity spotted Fred, George, and Lee Jordan by the lake’s edge, tickling the tentacles of the giant squid. Too scared of the squid to join them, Felicity sat down in the shade of a tree nearby and let her mind wander. Soon, she would be boarding the Hogwarts Express and returning home, where she would spend two-and-a-half glorious months relaxing with her family.

If Uncle Markus didn’t get in the way. Unfortunately, Felicity knew he probably would find a way to insert himself into their holiday, which meant Sebastian would be around, as well. She decided she would be polite to him, for Markus’ sake, but otherwise ignore him. Hopefully that would get her through the unpleasant parts of summer.

Felicity jumped as a cheery voice above her said, “Cloud-gazing?”

Opening her eyes, Felicity saw one of the twins standing over her. Letting her eyes drift closed again, she answered, “No. Just thinking.”

“What, after exams? Mental, you are.” The twin flopped down on the grass next to her, leaning back on his palms and looking up at the sky. “Thinking about anything interesting?”

“Holidays,” Felicity answered.

“Big plans?”

“Not really. Sleeping in, avoiding my uncle, trying not to let Felix break my wand, resisting the temptation to hex Sebastian.”

“Sounds like you need a holiday from your holiday.”

“I might, by the end of it.”

“Maybe you could come round to visit,” he suggested. “Fred and I’ve been working on some top secret stuff. Might let you test some of it out.”

“Sounds…dangerous,” said Felicity, cracking an eyelid and peering curiously at George.

“It’s not fun if it’s safe.”

Felicity snorted. “You are a terrible influence.”

“You’ve got me there,” replied George, laying a hand on his chest. “Trouble is my middle name, after all.”

“I seriously doubt that.” Mimicking George’s relaxed position, Felicity asked, “What about you? Big summer planned?”

“Oh, you know. Tricks, hijinks, general trouble-making. Did I mention trouble-”

“Yeah, you mentioned it’s your middle name,” Felicity chuckled. “Git.”

“Hey, name-calling’s not nice!”

“Neither is lying.”

“I never lie.”

Felicity gawked at George. “I seriously can’t imagine how you just said that with a straight face.”

“Practice, practice, practice,” George grinned. “It’s not lying if you believe it.”

“I wish I had your talent,” Felicity sighed.

“Which one? I’ve got so many.”

“Oh, you know, for being so good at talking out your ass.”

George poked Felicity in the ribs. “That’s not nice.”

It was Felicity’s turn to grin. “Did I hurt ickle-Georgie’s feelings?”

Grin turning to a pout, George heaved a heavy sigh and said, “Alright. You’ve definitely asked for it.”

“Asked for wh-”

Before Felicity could finish her question, George had given her a shove, sending her toppling back into the grass. As she sat herself back up, Felicity started to demand what his problem was but was promptly cut off as he easily pushed her back down.

“Stop that!” she exclaimed, trying and failing to sit back up.

George laughed and offered Felicity a hand, which she reluctantly took. After a moment’s paused, Felicity shoved George in the chest, making him land on his back in the grass. He seemed to be momentarily stunned. Then, eyes locking on Felicity, he said, “Oh, you’ve done it now.”

With a shriek, Felicity leapt to her feet and ran. George, several inches taller than her, quickly caught up. Although she veered this way and that, Felicity couldn’t shake him. She wove between students, nearly taking down Ron as he, Harry and Hermione headed toward Hagrid’s, and ran back toward the lake. Her mistake, however, was getting too close to Fred and Lee, who were sitting at the lake’s edge with their shoes off, heels half-buried in the mud.

As Felicity passed, Fred’s leg came up and she tripped. Although she didn’t fall face-first in the mud, her fumble gave George just enough time to catch up. Felicity gave another shriek as George wrapped his arms around her middle, hoisting her up and holding her against his chest.

“What do we think, boys?” George asked Fred and Lee. “Into the lake?”

“No!” Felicity cried, struggling in George’s grip.

“Maybe just into the mud,” was Fred’s suggestion.

“So help me, I will come to your house and break all of your stuff,” Felicity threatened.

“Our stuff’s already broken.”

“But you will come for a visit?” George asked, his tone teasing.

“If you don’t throw me in the lake or the mud, I will,” said Felicity quickly.

“Brilliant. We’ll see you over the summer then.”

With that, George set her down – ankle-deep in lake water.

“Ugh!” Felicity exclaimed, turning to glare at George. “My shoes!”

“They’ll dry out, don’t get your wand in a twist,” called Fred.

Shaking her head, Felicity looked at George, who was grinning and looking rather pleased with himself. His guard was down and Felicity, taking advantage, kicked water in his direction. The splash soaked his pants and he swore before lunging at Felicity.

The chase continued for some time, both of them floundering through the shallow water while attempting to splash the other. By the time they’d reached the other side of the lake, they were out of breath from the exercise and from laughing. Unable to breathe, they sat in the grass, in the shade from some overgrown bushes.

“You know, I think I’ll miss you this summer,” said Felicity, once she’d caught her breath.

“That’s the point of visiting,” George pointed out. Felicity smiled and shook her head. On a whim, she leaned her head on George’s shoulder and they sat in silence, looking out at the lake and watching the students wandering about the grounds on the opposite shore.


Not long after that, Felicity returned to the common room. She saw no one else on her way – everyone was still enjoying the post-exam euphoria. She had just reached the portrait hole and given the password when raised voices met her ears. Pausing, Felicity leaned closer to the edge of the door, which she’d only opened a crack.

“-before I get to the Stone, well, I’ll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it’s only dying a bit later than I would have, because I’m never going over to the Dark Side! I’m going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me. Voldemort killed my parents, remember?”

Felicity froze, a gasp sticking in her throat, and pushed the door closed.

Voldemort. They were talking about Voldemort. Voldemort and the Stone – the Sorcerer’s Stone, Felicity assumed. She understood then – Snape, lover of the Dark Arts, wanted the Stone to bring back Voldemort. And Harry was going to try and stop him. But how? That three-headed dog and possibly other things protected the Sorcerer’s Stone – how were three first years supposed to get to it?

Scared, Felicity turned and rushed down the hall – she had to find Ulric. He would know what to do.


“Tell Professor Dumbledore,” said Ulric the moment Felicity was finished speaking.

It had taken nearly an hour to find him – he’d been in the owlery, writing a letter to his mom amide the soft hooting and lamp-like eyes of the school owls. They’d gone to the Great Hall, which was just beginning to fill for dinner.

“But Harry and the others will get into trouble,” protested Felicity.

“Getting in trouble is better than being dead,” Ulric pointed out. “And if we go to Dumbledore, they’ll only get in trouble for planning to break rules. Not that it matters – if You-Know-Who is involved, we’re all in way over our heads.”

“I know,” said Felicity anxiously. She glanced down the table at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were sitting apart from everyone else. Unlike Neville, they hadn’t yet escaped the shunning from the rest of the students. “This is dangerous. If Snape catches us on our way to see Dumbledore-”

“We wouldn’t say that’s what we’re doing.” Ulric looked up at the high table, where the headmaster’s seat was empty. Snape, several seats down, was looking particularly sour.

“Maybe we should talk to Harry,” Felicity said slowly. “Maybe they’re wrong about all this.”

“It’s an awful big risk to take for something you’re not certain about.”

Felicity looked at the trio again and nodded. “You’re right. We need to tell Dumbledore. Do you think he’s in his office?”

“Must be.” Ulric hesitated. “Er, any idea where that is?”

Felicity shook her head. Her eyes fell on Professor McGonagall. “Maybe we could ask McGonagall?”

“That might work. I’ll be right back.”

Ulric got up and strode up to the head table, where he talked to the Gryffindor Head of House for two seemingly tense minutes. Felicity wasn’t sure she’d ever seen Professor McGonagall’s lips so tightly pinched, her nostrils flared and her brows furrowed. She seemed to tell Ulric off – he looked thoroughly chastised when he sat back down next to Felicity.

“He’s in London, meeting with the Minister of Magic,” said Ulric quietly. “Apparently Harry and the others already asked her about him. She said students need to leave school affairs to the staff and she was going to give detention to the next person who bothered her about Professor Dumbledore.”

“Damn,” Felicity muttered. “If Harry and the others already told McGonagall about the Stone and Snape then…then there really is nothing else to do but try and stop Snape.”

Whatever Ulric had expected her to say, that wasn’t it. His eyes widened and he hissed, “Are you mad? You want to not only let Hermione, Ron, and Harry Potter go after Snape, but you want to go yourself?”

“Yes,” said Felicity. “They’ll need all the help they can get.”

“This is crazy, Felicity,” Ulric pressed. “We don’t know anything about what’s guarding that Stone. We don’t know how to get past some great beast guarding a trapdoor!”

Felicity shushed him, looking around nervously, but everyone was too engulfed in the feast and their own excitement to have noticed. “You don’t have to come with me.”

Ulric fixed her with a blank stare, as though she’d just said something very stupid. “Right. I’ll stay in the common room while you try and take on a three-headed dog with red sparks. Blimey, Felicity, thought you’d have learned something about friendship by now.”

Shaking her head, Felicity wiped away a tear that had somehow trailed down her cheek. “Alright, so right after dinner, we’ll head to the third floor. I know a secret passage where we can wait to catch them before they go in.”

“I’ll meet you there – need to go to the library.”

“Why? Exams are over.”

Ulric laughed, but it wasn’t exactly cheerful. “Need to see if I can figure out what keeps a three-headed dog from tearing you to shreds.”

“Oh,” said Felicity, not sure what to say to that. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Ulric, abandoning his half-full plate, rose from the table and headed out of the hall, his appetite apparently lost. Felicity, heart pounding, pushed her own plate away and lay her head down on the table, quietly hoping she wasn’t about to lead her best friend to a bloody death.