The Come and Go Room

Isabell still couldn’t understand why Amelia was being mean and why Olivia kept smiling at Amelia when they spotted her. 

‘What… is… the… deal… with… you… smiling...’ Isabell said, breathing heavily after each word.

‘Huh?’

‘WHY ARE YOU SMILING?’ Isabell yelled loudly that a few students looked in their direction.

‘Is it banned? I’m not allowed to smile?’ asked Olivia sarcastically.

‘Whatever…’

‘Hey, we haven’t seen Hagrid for a long time because of… you know, let’s visit him during night time?’

‘Sure, at least Amelia wouldn’t be there,’ Isabell muttered.

‘What did she even do to you?’ asked Olivia. ‘She’s more mean to me!’

‘Oh, you support her now?’ Isabell yelled back.

‘No I am not! I am just saying don’t make it a big deal and just hate her for no reason. Also, she stood up to Draco for us, and she got detention because of us!’

Isabell raised an eyebrow.

‘I-I- B-BUT REMEMBER AT ST. MUNGO-’ she began.

‘Yes I do, and we do know the truth, don’t you at least understand why she is being mean?’

‘I do understand, you told me about the book’s memories!’ said Isabell, looking angry.

‘It seems like you don’t!’ Olivia snapped.

‘I do! But why did she choose school over friends?’ asked Isabell.

Olivia gritted her teeth and ignored her.

‘Anyways, I’m going to Hagrid alone.’

‘N-no, I will come, there is nothing fun to do these days…’ said Isabell, yawning for some reason.

Olivia sighed and rolled her eyes as she continued to read her book in Transfiguration. This was their fifth lesson of it. The teacher, Professor McGonagall, who was the person who led them into the hall on the first day, was their teacher for the subject. And she was very strict. They were pretty surprised that Professor McGonagall had done nothing and didn’t react or look at them for just a fraction of a second. Some students continued to stare at them, including Draco and the other two Slytherins. She began to tell them to continue working as her nostrils flared.

‘Please continue reading the pages,’ ordered Professor Mcgonagall in a loud clear voice.

‘Now please don’t nickname her,’ grinned Olivia.

‘I won’t…’ Isabell said seriously as she glanced at Professor Mcgonagall.

‘You’re scared of her more than you’re scared of Snape?’ asked Olivia, laughing.

‘First of all I’m not afraid of Snape! And-no I’m not!’ Isabell said, trying to keep her voice steady.

‘Now I’m going to show you the wand movement to turn this water goblet into a rat. Lapifors!’

‘WOW!’ yelled Neville, everyone looked at him in surprise.

 He barely ever talked. 

‘Oh, sorry…’

‘So, please read these pages carefully as you will be transfiguring a thread into a needle,’ Professor McGonagall said. 

She set them homework to practise the Lapifors spell and write an essay about the wand movement and what it did. 

After they finished their classes for the day, they were planning on visiting Hagrid. They went for a little stroll across the school. They had reached the seventh floor, Isabell had to go to the bathroom. She was whispering for herself: ‘I need to go, I need to go now! ‘. And then something unexpected happened, and a door magically appeared in front of them. Olivia exclaimed while Isabell opened the door to reveal a circular room with bathrooms in the corner and some ancient-looking books in the other. 

Olivia reached the books, while Isabell reached the bathrooms.

‘Marvellous! A hidden bathroom!’ Olivia said.

‘What is this place?’ asked Isabell, looking around. 

‘It is the Comes and go room,’ said a squeaky voice.

Olivia looked at the door to reveal an elf. The elf was small with big tennis-ball sized eyes and bat-like ears, and was very poorly clothed. Olivia knew it was an elf that worked in Hogwarts for she read it in a book.

‘The Come and Go room?’ Olivia asked.

‘Yes, Miss,’ said the elf.

‘I see… This place certainly does look nice. Well, thanks…’

‘No problems Miss, me is Blinky the house elf,’ said the elf as her large eyes widened. 

‘So... These are house elves?’ asked Isabell. ‘Weird.’ 

‘Yup, they are enslaved most unfortunately,’ said Olivia, looking at the elf.

‘I is proud to work for Master Dumbledore. Blinky think that this the house elves duty, and we is loyal to our Masters,’ said Blinky confidently.

‘Do you get paid?’ asked Isabell.

‘No, no!’ said Blinky, shaking her head. ‘We is not getting paid because this now house elves' duty if we get master. We is have to help our Masters. We is to serve them.’

‘This is interesting to know the elf’s point of view,’ Olivia nodded interestingly. ‘Well, thanks Blinky, I’m sure you are good to Master Dumbledore.’

‘Really, Miss?’

‘Yes!’ Isabell said, smiling.

Blinky then started to grab a book and hit her forehead.

‘No, Blinky is bad, BAD! Bad elf…’ she continued banging on her forehead.

‘What happened?’ asked Isabell, ‘Did I say something?’

‘ME IS BAD ELF!’ Blinky began hitting her head on the floor and yelling.

‘OH! She feels guilty…’ Olivia finally understood. 

She used her wand to remove the book from Blinky’s thin fingers. ‘I think Dumbledore told her something that she didn’t obey.’

Isabell knelt down and whispered something to Blinky. Blinky then stopped yelling and stood up. 

‘OH NO! We forgot about Hagrid!’ Olivia suddenly said. ‘BYE BLINKY! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!’

‘Bye, miss!’ said Blinky, waving her skinny hand. 

‘Wait! I forgot to go to the bathroom! I’ll catch up!’ called Isabell as Olivia ran downstairs.

‘HAGRID, OPEN UP!’ Olivia yelled after she reached the cabin.

‘Uhh… Olivia?’ said Hagrid, opening the wooden door. ‘Can yeh come visit another time?’ 

‘Why? Please Hagrid… I really want to talk to you.’

‘Oh alrigh’,’ he said nervously.

Olivia entered the room to see Amelia, Albert, Harry, Ron and Hermione having a cup of tea. They all stared at Olivia and Amelia dropped her cup. It broke into tiny pieces. A red glint was in her eyes for a fraction of a second. But she remembered that she didn’t care about being a Death Eater, she didn’t care about not going to Hogwarts. She had the bracelet and the book Isabell had given her. She shook her head and her eyes turned back to blue. 

Apparently, Amelia was explaining everything that happened to the bewildered and sad trio and Albert.

‘I-I’ve been meaning to tell you something.’ Amelia said, taking a deep breath. 

‘What is it?’ said Olivia, guessing what she’ll say.

‘I didn’t know that you were that bad at flying. YOU COULD’VE DIED! I SAVED YOU!’ she said, almost laughing. ’A bludger hitting you without a beater? Wow. And you probably won’t believe me.’

‘I do know it, I saw you before I fainted…’ Olivia said apologetically. ‘Why were you in that weird black cloak? You could’ve shown everyone it was you and their views about you would’ve changed instantly!’

‘DID YOU TELL ANY-’ began Amelia, but before she could complete her question, there was a knock on the door.

‘C’m in!’ yelled Hagrid, looking more worried by the second. 

Isabell opened the door. When she saw Amelia, she suddenly felt mad as her fury rose. Amelia noticed that Isabell was looking angry, so she got out her wand. 

‘WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?’ screamed Isabell. 

Albert, Harry, Ron and Hermione looked nervously at the three girls.

‘Can’t I visit Hagrid too?’ asked Amelia, squeezing her wand tightly. 

Isabell was about to hex Amelia when Olivia came in the way and the hex hit her instead. The trio, Albert and Isabell looked at Olivia in shock.

‘EXPELLIARMUS!’ yelled Amelia, angrily. 

Isabell’s wand flew in the air and out of the window. 

‘OLIVIA?’ Albert cried in shock. 

He carried her on his shoulders and headed to the Hospital wing immediately.  

‘HOW DARE YOU ISABELL!’ shouted Amelia, running after Albert. 

‘I-’

‘WHAT HEX DID YOU USE?’ Amelia yelled from outside.

Isabell was speechless. 

She couldn’t believe that Olivia stood up for that mean girl!

‘The… Weakening Hex.’

‘SHE IS ALREADY WEAK BECAUSE OF HER LEG! NOW SHE WON’T MOVE AT ALL!’

‘I MEANT TO HEX YOU!’ yelled Isabell, breathing heavily. 

‘I KNOW THAT! BESIDES YOU DON’T KNOW THE TRUTH! ONLY OLIVIA DOES!’

Isabell was left in the cabin, regretting what she had done.

Hagrid and the trio were speechless.