By Aleese Sundancer
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All of these Characters belong to the wonderful creator of Harry Potter, J. Rowling. The only characters she doesn't have rights to are the ones I made up (but, she's TOTALLY welcome to use them if she'd like, I would be very much honoured).
Synopsis: Harry Potter, along with his friends Ron and Hermione are in their 5th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With a new year upon them, surprises and adventures lay waiting, and love is in the air.
Warning: Please be nice with your reviews. I'm used to writing Star Wars Fan fiction (feel free to read it), and this is my first Harry Potter one. I can't wait for your reviews!
Part One: From Clouds to Sunshine
Harry Potter sighed as he stared up at the ceiling of his room. As he counted down the hours to leaving the dreary and loveless home of the Dursleys to Hogwarts School and his friends, he could have sworn that the clock on his night table was counting backwards.
While the minutes ticked by, Harry thought of all the wonderful adventures he?d had at School, with Ron and Hermione. From the Quidditch championships to the budding romance brewing between Ron and Hermione (though they'd deny it like the plague), Harry couldn?t imagine life being normal anymore.
"Welcome back!" Dumbledore called out among the crowd. They grew silent, and sat watching him. He gave his traditional welcoming speech, clarifying their duties and the traditions of Hogwarts. "Finally, before the feast begins, I'd like to introduce our newest student, Ms. Aleese Sundancer. Unlike most of you, Aleese will be starting in her fifth year, as she's been taking her classes by correspondence." He said, motioning for a girl to walk up and stand in front of them.
Harry watched, interested as the small figure walked to the front. She was wearing an emerald green robe, with the hood hiding her face and hair. The only thing distinguishable about her was her thin fingers and silver ring. Many people stood up and tried to get a glimpse at her face, but they managed only to see her chin. She seemed to want to shrink into the table behind her, her hands grasping it firmly.
"Why don't you take off your robe and show us your face? Unless you're ugly." Malfoy called out, laughing. His goons laughed behind him. You could tell that Aleese had grown nervous, her hands reflexively gripping the table harder. Dumbledore threw Malfoy a glare.
"Malfoy, that sort of thing isn't welcome. If you'd like to continue, you may leave now before the feast. Otherwise, I'd like to recommend that you sit down and listen." He said, his voice lowered, but still friendly-like. He placed the Sorting Hat on her head. After a few moments of contemplation, similar to what Harry had gone through, it yelled out "GRYFFINDOR". Her thin hands reached up and put the hat down, not so much as moving the robe's hood. She slowly made her way to the Gryffindor table, and sat down, all eyes falling upon her.
"Aleese was cursed as a young child, by a follower of Voldemort. The curse, commonly called the "fatal attraction" curse causes all members of the opposite sex, that aren't strong wizards, to fall fatally attracted to the one who's been cursed. The only way this will occur is for them to see into the one who's been cursed eyes. While there are no preventative measures beyond being covered and isolated have been powerful enough, we are very close to finding one here in Hogwarts between Professor Snape and the Dark Arts Teacher. For this reason, we would like to ask you all to not attempt to look at Aleese's face, and to not disturb her in her room, located close to my office. We have been tutoring Aleese since the Fifth Years began, and we believe that she is wise enough and the students are smart enough to let her learn in the classroom environment. I trust each one of you will be respectful and accepting of Aleese, since this is no doubt a terrifying experience for her." He said, staring straight at Malfoy. Smiling, he seemed to shift moods. "Now, if everyone is as hungry as I am, I'd like to welcome you all back, and ask for you all to enjoy a Feast!"
The first years gasped as the empty dished in front of them filled with food, and the whole school dug into their meals.
"I wonder what she's like." Ron asked Hermione. Obviously not eager for Ron to be looking at other women, she laughed lightly.
"I'm sure she's human, maybe with two heads." She elbowed him.
"I bet its been hard for her, not to have anyone see what she looks like, living under that cloak." Harry whispered, as if talking only to himself. "We should introduce ourselves."
Hermione seemed to be surprised at Harry's reaction. Sighing lightly, she called out her name. "Aleese"
The cloak moved a bit, as if she was looking up. "Yes?" a small voice called out.
"Come, eat at this end. There's an empty spot." Hermione continued. Aleese got up and sat down next to them.
"Thank you for..." She started, nervously.
"There was an empty spot, we figured you'd like to be down here with the other fifth years. Besides, we wanted to introduce ourselves." Hermione continued, seeming to think nothing of it. Harry remained silent, his eyes riveted to the pale chin under the cloak. He could tell that Aleese was blushing and smiling, and he thought that it looked good on her chin. "I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ron Weasley, and this is Harry Potter." She introduced around the small group.
Aleese seemed to look at their hands and reached up to shake them. "I'm Aleese, if you weren't paying attention." She laughed lightly. "I'm...not used to so much attention, I'm afraid that I might have a bit of a problem with the boys at that table."
"We'll protect you from Malfoy. Don't worry." Harry piped up. She seemed to smile again.
"Thank you." She said, putting a fork-full of food in her mouth. "I have a feeling that we'll be good friends."
Part 2: Hidden Shadows
Harry looked up and smiled as Aleese walked into his Potions lab. Unlike with most students, Snape smiled slightly, and she sat down next to Harry. He helped her get set up, and soon they were working on the latest potion. Snape's eyes seemed to follow Harry, his lips turned down in a frown and his eyes throwing glares at him. Harry tried weakly to smile at him, feeling slightly self-conscious under the glare. Every once in a while, Aleese would reach over and clutch his hand, trying to show her silent support for him in the only way she could. Slowly, the minutes ticked by until the class was finally over, and they were able to escape. Waiting outside the door, Harry paced about, nervous as to what Snape wanted to with Aleese after class. She emerged, and turned her hood to him.
"Harry, what is it?" Her delicate voice asked, seeming to pick up on a vibration in the room. In the few weeks that they'd been in school, Aleese seemed to have grown able to distinguish moods from thin air.
"I was just worried about Snape and you. I mean, he doesn't like you hanging out with me." He sighed
"So? He knows he doesn't have any say in it." She said, walking beside him to the Gryffindor tower.
"You didn't tell off Snape did you?" Harry asked, a sigh breaking through his voice. He knew that if she got in trouble with Snape, then he would get it tenfold the next day.
"Yes, I did. But, you don't have to worry Harry. He'll be good." Aleese said, offhandedly. Her manner was almost like a mother to Snape. Harry groaned and Aleese let out a laugh. Hermione and Ron walked up, and the four got to work on their assignments.
"So, what did Snape want?" Hermione asked, in her usual blunt way. Ron laughed.
"Nicely put Hermy."
"Just to talk about the curse. He said he found out something about it." Aleese said, offhandedly, her hooded head following the words on the page. "Apparently, its one of those silly curses with the trick in it. 'The only way to solve the curse, is the one it wont affect.'" She recited. "I just don't get it. I mean, it doesn't work full-blown wizards and witches, because they have the ability to block it. Well, it does affect them, but they can just counter it. But, otherwise, it affects everyone. Race, gender, age..." she sighed. "Its like it's a dead end, trying to lead me astray."
Ron smiled. "Well, if anyone can find the answer, it's Harry. I mean, he figured out all sorts of things, things that I'd never get. And if he doesn't get it, Hermy here will. Just wait."
Patting his hand, Aleese laughed. "It seems I made friends with the best."
Harry gasped and woke up from his deep slumber to a loud-pitched scream. The other boys in the room woke up, or turned over, and looked at each other. Quickly, Harry jumped out of bed and ran into the common room. The girls were all sitting there, looking around for the source. Harry opened the picture door and followed the screams. Approaching a doorway, he threw the door open.
"Aleese, what is it?" He gasped. Lying on the bed, Professor Snape had his arms around a red-gold haired girl, her face buried in his chest, and she was crying. "Professor Snape, what are you doing here? What are you doing to her?!"