“You know this completely bonkers, right?” Kat asked, as we leaned to look in the dungeon. “Maybe. Probably. Definately.”

“So what spell are you going to use exactly? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we are bloody first years! What are we to do?!”

I could smell a foul stench reached my nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean. And we heard it -- a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. I gasped at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. The shadow made us look like ants.

It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.

“It’s not a first year spell. My mother taught it to me before I came here. A spell where you use no words. Like so.” I came out from my hiding place and pointed my wand at the creacher. I concentrated on an image. A place I knew no one would be or should be. The third floor girl’s lavatory. A bright light burst from my wand and engulfed the troll. When the light died, the troll was gone.

“Bloody hell! What did you do to it?!” Kat yelled. I shook my head. “Nevermind that. We need to get back before we’re missed.”

“Oh, it’s a little late for that.” We jumped and turned to see Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore. “What exactly just happened, Miss Gwendolyn?”

I fiddled with my wand under the hard gazes of both teachers. “W-well, I don’t really know what it’s called, but I transported the troll to the third floor girl’s lavatory, because I thought no one would be there.”

“Ah, then we’ll rush there right away, but for now maybe you two should get back to your dormitories.” Dumbledore said, and he didn’t have to tell us twice. We zoomed back to our rooms without a glance back. “I swear. They secretly love scaring us like that.” Kat snapped as we started to get into our pajamas.

As we entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, I would have finished my training with the nurses to be a proper on hand nurse for the game. It was Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Whoever won would move up into second place in the house championship.

Malitia had said that, unless something happened, I was to meet her for our weekly meeting right after the game. “Sorry! Excuse me!” I yelled as I weaved through people to get to Madam Hooch’s office. I burst through door to see she was setting up the curtain rod.

“Ah, good timing. Quickly now dear.” I did as I was told and got dressed by saying, “Ruben! Quidditch assistant outffit!” The curtain shuttered and I was in my uniform once more.

“Alright. To the field my dear.” Madam Hooch said, patting me on my shoulder. We made our way to the field and I couldn’t help but feel everyone’s eyes on me. I know that this isn’t the school uniform but do they have to stare at me so much? I shuttered.

When we got onto the the field Madam Hooch and I stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once all the students gathered around her. I noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him, with how he looked and all. I then looked to the stands. Knowing Draco was somewhere on those stands made my heart skip a beat.

"Mount your brooms, please." Madam Hooch said, and then gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.

Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off. "And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor -- what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too --"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

I giggled as I heard the bickering over the intercom.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve -- back to Johnson and -- no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes -- Flint flying like an eagle up there -- he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle -- that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and -- OUCH -- that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger -- Quaffle taken by the Slytherins -- that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger -- sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which -- nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes -- she's really flying -- dodges a speeding Bludger -- the goal posts are ahead -- come on, now, Angelina -- Keeper Bletchley dives -- misses -- GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

The injured were brought over to me, and I did what I could, but I stopped when I heard the mutter about the Snitch. I looked up and saw that Potter and the Slytherin’s Seeker were neck and neck to grab something. I couldn’t see what it was, but I guessed it was the Snitch.

When Potter was nearly knocked off his broom, I couldn’t look anymore. The Gryffindors were yelling that it was a foul, and so was Jordan, the announcer, but it wasn’t seen as a foul by the teachers, so the game continued.

The Slytherins were cheering madly, and I smiled. That is until I noticed that Potter’s broom acting strange. Then we all gave a gasp when Potter was practically thrown from his broom. He was merely a thread away from falling. I was about to prepare a kit to go out and help him when he fell, when I noticed that he was pulling himself back onto his broom.

Potter was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick -- he hit the field on all fours -- coughed -- and something gold fell into his hand. "I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference -- Potter hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results -- Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty.

“Um, Potter, are you alright?” I asked, rushing to make sure that he hadn’t broken or sprained anything from that fall.

“Oh, I’m fine. But what are you doing talking to me?” He asked, I saw him glance at the Slytherin stand.

“I’m the nurse for the games. I have to make sure you’re okay. And seeing that you are, I think you have people who would like to celebrate your success.” I gestured to his friends who were running to him. “Bye, Potter.” I quickly walked off to go change, good thing I took Ruben with me. “Ruben, school uniform please.” The light covered me and I was in my uniform again.

“Coo!” It was Scape. “Hey buddy.” I ruffled his feathers as I made my way to Malitia’s. Scape just kept rubbing his head against mine, not that I wasn’t opposed to cuddling but...

“Coo!” Scape cooed and took off. “Wait, Scape! I swear! That bird will get in so much trouble one day.” I sped after him. I watched him fly into Malitia’s hut and I stopped at her door.

“Hello?” I opened the door slowly, only to that Malitia was asleep in her chair. “Miss Malitia?” I was a inch away from her when her hand jumped and gripped mine tightly. I screamed, and her hand let go of me.

“Oh, Little Gwen. Sorry. I thought you were... well that doesn’t matter. Please sit. Have a scone.” I sat hesitantly. I’d been seeing Malitia for over three months now, and I’ve only been able to recover small bits and fragments of what my mother took. I asked why I don’t get as vivid images as the time I saw the memory of Scape. Malitia says it’s because I came in contact with a key moment of the memory, but it’s still frustrating.

“So, what are we going to do today?” I asked, sitting up in my chair. “We are going to focus on the memory that we’ve been working on, then I have to tell you something, and then you leave.” I nodded and extended my arms in front of me, palm up. Malitia grabbed my arms and a gigantic wave of emotions hit me. When I looked around, I wasn’t in Malitia’s hut anymore. It was fuzzy, but I knew I was in a familiar place. I was walking up stairs when I heard voices.

“She will be ours. You signed her off when you signed this contract.” I heard someone say, their voice was low, and they were not in a good mood. “I know that! But I never expected this. That she’d be so powerful. What will you do when she gets too powerful, how are you to contain it all?” That was my mother’s voice!

“But she’s our best weapon against--” I’d accidentally pushed the door open and my mother rushed to me before I could see the other person. “Aw, did you have a bad dream? there there.” My mother touched my forehead, and I woke up back in Malitia’s hut.

“How was it. Did you see the man?” Malitia asked. I shook my head no and Malitia sighed. “Well, then next week perhaps.” I nodded.

“Well, now I need to tell you something very important.” I leaned in and listened intently. “There is a mirror somewhere in the school. It’s called The Mirror of Erised. I want you to look into it, write what you see and then tell me what you saw, BUT you have to do it the day before Christmas break, when there is less of a chance of getting caught. You must promise!” I nodded. “Good. Now have a good weekend! And remember, don’t come down here until after Christmas break. I too am doing an assignment, understand?” I nodded again.

“Well, you’d best be off then. Can’t have your friends worrin’ bout ya now can we? And here,” she held out a bag. “It’s my gift to you. Go a head and open it when you get back to your dorm, just don’t let your friend see. And take Scape with you, child.”

I nodded once more and called Scape to me. “Goodbye Malitia.” I said, before I left for school.

When I’d gotten into the commons room I sent Scape to my room and hid in the bathroom. “Alright. What’s inside you?” I asked myself before slowly opening the bag. I gasped at what I saw. It was a pin. It was small and glittery. I placed it on and exited the bathroom. “Hey guys. Look at--” When I opened the door, I was met with screams from my friends. “What are you doing here Professor? This is the girls dorms!” The girls grabbed their pillows, preparing to throw them.

“W-wait!” I took the pin off. “Its me!” They lowered their pillows. “Gwen? What are doing using a charm that makes you look like Professor Snape?”

“Oh,” I looked at the little pin. “So that’s what this does!”

“What? Are you saying that you didn’t know what it did?” Natalie asked.

“No, I was just given it as a present. I didn’t know it was charmed.”

“Well bloody brilliant!” Kat said, before flopping onto her bed. “That was probably the most scariest things I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Well, next to seeing my parents snog.” We all giggled at that. “So who gave that to you?” Marion asked. “One of my... tutors... from back home. She won’t be there for Christmas, so she gave me my present early.”

“Cool.” That was probably the dumbest lie ever, and what’s worse is that they bought it. “Well, goodnight girls.”

“Night!” They all repeated as we all snuggled into bed.