"America?"

"Yeah," I say kind of in a trance.

Marlee stops in the hallway and pulls on my arm, so I stop too. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asks me for the third time since breakfast.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I'm alright." She raises her eyebrow, but seems to relax a bit. "Look, Marlee I'm going to run back to the common room really quick to put my potions book away. I accidentally grabbed this morning thinking I would need it."

"Oh! I did too, I'll come with you!" She says, grinning.

I must have made a rude expression because Marlee gaps at me like she can't believe my attitude. But I quickly reach into her book bag to grab her potions book and hold up for her to see. "See you in charms!" I say and rush off to the Gryffindor common room leaving a very angry and confused Marlee behind me.

I try to move fast though the hallways to get there before Carter leaves. I don't know why I'm so desperately trying to see him but he knows about the overheard conversation. It's been bothering all morning now, and I have to talk to him. I hurry around the last corner and stop at the fat lady's portrait. "Strawberry Tart," I say. The portrait swings open and as I take my first step in, Carter's face appears infront of the tunnel.

"Hey America," he says, giving a friendly wave.

I back out of the portrait hole so Carter can walk through. "I wanted to talk to you, actually." I tell him.

"Uh, sure. We just better hurry, we're going to be late to Charms." He says and starts to walk down the now nearly empty corridor. I speed up my walk a bit so I'm next to him. "So, what did you want to talk about?" He says nervously.

"It's about the conversation we overheard yesterday."

Carter's body relaxes and his expression lightens, "oh."

I smile, "what did you think we were going to talk about?" I ask.

"Nothing, I just-"

My smile widens, "did you think we were going to talk about Marlee?"

"What! No, of course not! Marlee? Wait where is Marlee?" He shouts and waves his arms around as he is clearly shocked, but still nervous.

I smirk, "she's already there. But anyway, I still want to talk about what we heard yesterday."

"Oh yeah, that." Before rounding the next corner Carter stops walking and turns to look at me. "It's not really out business, America. If it's really bothering you then you should just talk to Professor Castley about it."

I sigh, and watch him enter the Charms classroom before I follow after him. The room is already full but luckily Marlee as saved me a seat, and to be honest, she doesn't look to happy about me and Carter coming in at the same time.

"I see you still have our potions books," she says stiffly as I sit down.

Darn it, I think, avoiding eye contact with her. "Oh yeah," I say, "I guess I just forgot." Despite my apologies, Marlee turns away from me, and doesn't utter a word for the rest of class. I sigh and turn my attention to Professor Fadaye.

"Today we are going to lean the summoning charm," He begins. "The incantation is pronounced Accio. Now repeat after me, Accio."

"Accio!" The class choruses back.

"Good, good. Now, there is no specific wand movement for this spell because objects could be out of sight, or far away. You wand came be pointed in and direction as long as you know where the objects is."

Across the room from me, Ravenclaw Kriss Ambers raises her hand.

"Yes, Miss Ambers?" Professor Fadaye asks.

"I was wondering wether you could summon a living thing, like a human?"

Professor Fadaye nods, "that is a good question miss Ambers. The answer would be no however. The Accio charm only works on inanimate objects."

Next Professor Fadaye has us practice with the person across from us, so Kriss and I work together to master the charm. When class is over, I watch in disappointment as Marlee leaves the room without me.

...

After eating lunch with just Georgia and double Herbology, classes are over for the day and I make my way back to the Gryffindor common room. Three first years are sitting by the fire, two sixth years are playing wizard chess in the corner, and I go to sit down by Georgia, who is working on a potions essay. "Hey, what's up?" I ask.

She looks up from her work, her face already tired, "oh, nothing much. Just Professor Schreave assigned a 12 inch parchment on a stupid transforming potion. I glance at her half done essay, to top reading; Georgia Whitaker, Polyjuice Potion Essay.

"Wanna take a break?"

She nods eagerly, "I'm starved."

I laugh a little, linking arms with her as we walk to the great hall. The halls are slightly crowded, but everyone is going to the same place so luckily traffic isn't a problem. "So, how was your first day?" I ask tiredly.

"Oh, it was fine. I'm just exited for Quidditch to start."

I yank her arm I bit, "Quidditch?! Your team captain this year!"

Georgia smiles, "Calm down, Ames. And yeah, I'm captain."

I bounce up and down and squeeze her arm so hard I'm sure I'll leave a mark, "yes! Yes! Georgia that's great! When are tryouts?" My smile is so big my jaw is already starting to hurt.

Georgia try's to clam me down as we enter the great hall. It's already full of students sitting at every table. I catch Carter's eye as we walk by, but we don't stop to sit by him, as his friends already soround him. But Georgia and I give a small wave and I follow her to sit down by Marlee. "Hey Marlee," Georgia says sliding onto the bench. "How was your day?"

She sighs, "oh it was fine," she says giving me a pointed glance.

Georgia notices Marlee's expression and that I haven't said anything yet. "Okay, what's up with you two?"

Marlee launches into an explanation about how I lied about putting our potions books away, and then came in late to Charms with Carter. Georgia seems shocked that I lied, but raises her eyebrow whe Marlee complains about me being with Carter.

"Why do you care that she was with Carter so much?" Georgia asks, curious as I am.

Marlee beats red, "I-I don't! I just, She was late!"

Georgia rolls her eyes a bit but smiles, "anything you'd like to say for yourself America?"

"Look," I start, "I'm really sorry about this morning Marlee, I was distracted." I look around to make sure no one is listening in and whisper, "I have something I've been meaning to tell you guys."

They both gasp, and I hear Georgia wispher, "So do I." This I already new since she's been trying to tell me all day, but never got the chance. They both seem eager to listen to what I have to say, so I tell them about the night before and the conversation I overheard between Professor Castley and an unknown man.

"I'm sure it has nothing to do with you," says Marlee when I'm done. But she wiggles her eyebrows, "mabye it's a tragic love story.

I laugh, "it didn't sound like a love story. But I've had this weird feeling that she was talking about me. I know she was referring to a her."

Marlee scoffs, "like that narrows it down much."

I nudge Georgia, "you haven't said anything, what do you think?"

She seems focused and the sighs, "I'm stumped. I think it means something though. Did you see her after you over heard her?"

I nod, "yeah. She's knows Carter and I heard her."

"What did Carter think?" Marlee asks.

"Well, that's what I went back to the common room for. To ask him because it was bothering me." I say, "he said it was probably nothing to worry about and that it wasn't about me."

Marlee nods, "I kind of agree Ames. I think you should let it go."

I sigh, I don't think I'll be able to let it go. "So Georgia, what is you're news."

She bites her lip, a bit nervous. "Well, it's about the article you were reading on the train yesterday." I can tell she is hesitant to revel what's bothering her, but I'm eager to find out so I give her and encouraging smile. "The one about Gregory Illéa."

Marlee frowns, "that last name sounds very familiar."

"That's exactly my point," Georgia says.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you have heard it before. That's August's last name."

There is a moment of silence and then I speak, "it could be a common last name," I suggest.

Georgia shakes her head, "I talked to August about it yesterday. He said his family is one of the last families in the world with the name Illéa, and the few others live in Canada or the United States." She puts her head down on the table, clearly frustrated, "he also said his blood line has been know to do strange things with magic. Like bending the laws of the magic force."

Then a click in my brain settles into place, and I say in a daze, "like magic without a wand."

Georgia nods and echoes me, "like magic without a wand."

| Hey Guys! So sorry this chapter took forever! I've been a bit busy, and I already suck at updating, but I'll try to get the next chapter out to you as soon as possible! Hope ya'll are enjoying the story so far! |