Rowena Potter

Who is Nicholas Flamel?

After Halloween, I decided to keep a closer eye on my pride. Uggg, I mean my friends and family. Hermione and Neville only ate at the Ravenclaw table with me and I tried to keep a closer eye on Draco, who still sat with his fellow Slytherins. Classes still went on and the days started getting colder. I started making plans for the winter holidays, which I had already decided I would be spending in the village we stayed in this summer.

However, one day in Mid-November, I was wondering the halls and got turned around. I ended up in the third-floor corridor. I was with Hermione and Neville at the time and we heard Filtch coming down the corridor. "Hurry, Hide" I whisper-shouted to them. We dashed through the nearest door, which turned out to be a very bad idea. Sitting there, in the middle of the room, was a Cerberus. It looked like a giant rottweiler with three heads. Neville started whimpering.

"Woof" all three heads barked at us and we darted back out the door and down the hall. When we were in a safe place, Hermione asked me, "Did you see what it was standing on?" "No," I answered in a confused tone. "It was standing on a trap door, guarding something I think," she said. " What would it be guarding?" I thought aloud. This time it was Neville who answered, "I don't know, Ro. It has to be something very important or very dangerous. Do you think it has anything to do with the empty vault that was broken into earlier this year?" I thought back to the article that came about a week after school started. "It would definitely be something to look into. Quietly though, we don't need anyone to know about this. And get me the picture that came with that article, it might be able to give us some clues."

We all went off to class, our minds heavy with thoughts of what could be hidden down there. We met up later to discuss it in the courtyard. While we were talking, Hagrid came up behind us and heard. " You don't need to worry about that. What happened is between Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel." He said and Hermione's eyes lit up. Hagrid said, " I shouldn't have said that. Forget I said that," before he turned and walked away. We all glanced at each other before I said "Meet in my room," and we all darted off.

I waited in my room with my kids for Hermione and Neville. "Mommy, can we play the magic ball game. We haven't gotten to play it in months!" Daisy asked. "PLEASE!!!!" could be heard out of the mouth of all the other kids. Even Gianna and Asher squealed. For kids that were just two and a half months old, they sure knew how to respond to a question. I agreed and set Gianna and Asher on a play mat before going over to play ball with the other kids. I threw the ball up and turned it pink. After that, the ball was just a flash of colors and a streak of light.

I don't know when but sometime during the game, one of the kids summoned a few paintballs. By the time Hermione and Neville came down, dragging Draco down after them, well, the room was a mess. The kids were coated in paint and streamers. They looked like an absolute mess. When Draco caught sight of us, he burst out laughing. I just stuck my tongue out at him and sent all the kids off to get changed. Once I was changed, I went over and picked up Gianna and Asher, handing Gianna over to Draco. I pulled him over to the loveseat, curling up next to him while sitting Asher on my lap.

Draco blushed before he curled his arm around me and set Gianna up on his lap. "Do you know anything about Nicholas Flamel?" I asked Hermione. Hermione shook her head, "No, I was going to try to find out this weekend." After she said that, all of the kids came out and sat with us on the couch. Hermione and Neville sat together on the other side of the kids. Suddenly, I hear a click coming from in front of us. It was Eve, holding a camera with a large grin on her face.

I looked at the picture and grinned. We looked like a true family in the picture. " I'm so going to frame that." I looked over at Austin and started a conversation. "Tom Cat, how is your new friend?" " Luna is good, Mama. She is really smart but she seems a little sad. I think she would make a great big sissy, though I still don't know what a Nargle is," he answered. Then Daisy and Daffodil started chatting about their new friends but Maddie stayed quiet.

"Maddie, sweetie, what's the matter?" I asked her. " I don't have any friends and I miss Jasmine. Nobody likes me, cause I'm not girly enough." Maddie sobbed a little at the end. I handed Asher to Draco before gathering her up in my arms. " Baby girl, I promise we will see Jasmine again soon and you will make new friends. Everything will get better." Once she was calm I gathered all the kids together and decided to read them a story. We read a few chapters from my book and then I checked the time.

Oh, gosh. It was almost eight! " Ok, bedtime," I told the kids before helping Draco get Gianna and Asher down to sleep. Once they were all down, I sat in the living area and told Hermione and Neville "Keep an eye out for mentions of Nicholas Flamel but don't actively search, avoid drawing attention to yourself. If you find out anything, inform me immediately. Now please, go off to bed." As they left I turned towards Draco. " As for you, I will tell you all about what we have learned so let's go sit."

We talked for almost an hour and we had drifted completely off the original topic. By the time we were done talking, we were curled up together in the center of the couch talking about what we want to do with our lives. I turned to tell him goodnight and my lips brushed his cheek. We blushed hard and stuttered out our goodbyes and goodnights. As he left, I couldn't stop myself from calling out, " stay safe and keep an eye on our pride."

I crawled into bed that night with two thoughts on my mind. Why did I feel this way about Draco Malfoy? and Who is Nicholas Flamel?

Smile, be happy, and let's all work through these difficult times together.  I want you to know that you ever need to vent, just send me a message and I'll be your listening ear because I care. And remember Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light- APWBD