The school was filled with talking about Valentine’s day. Everyone gave cards to each other. Albert seemed really nervous whenever Olivia passed by. Amelia noticed that too and she would always smirk. While she passed him in the corridor, Amelia saw Albert looking at her anxiously, and suddenly felt an electric shock. 

She soon fell into a pitch black hole.  

This again?

Amelia kept walking in the black path when she saw a red glow. She hurried towards it. She touched it; it was very warm. She then ended up in the Hospital Wing. Albert and Olivia were alone. 

‘Hi-hi Olivia,’ Albert said breathlessly.

‘Hello Albert.’

Albert was now sweating and twitching, but Olivia hadn’t noticed anything as she was drinking warm soup.

‘So… how are you?’ Olivia asked him.

‘Great, great, really great,’

But now Olivia looked at him suspiciously.

‘Albert, you’re not yourself today.’

‘W-what do you mean? I-I’m fine. This is definitely the normal, ordinary me.’

‘Yeah… I don’t think so.’ 

‘Why do you have to be so smart and beautiful,’ Albert whispered to himself.

Amelia was smirking. She knew where this was heading.

‘What was that?’

‘Hmm? Oh, nothing. By the way… how’s your leg? I mean your feet? I mean- I mean, are you feeling a little stronger?’ 

‘Yes, thank you for asking Albert,’ Olivia laughed.

Albert’s face was red. 

‘Madam Pomfrey will probably shout at you if you don’t leave.’

‘Right, goodbye Olivia!’

As Albert turned, his hand brushed against Olivia’s. 

Olivia blushed.

Amelia was laughing, soon she was howling.

‘Good- goodbye,’ Olivia said, her face pink.

The room went dark again and another scene formed. Amelia was in the Boys’ Dormitory. Albert was sitting on his bed. He was doing spells on a… card?

Amelia realised he was decorating it.

‘What is Olivia’s favourite colour… uh… Think Albert…’ 

Amelia howled with laughter and then choked. 

‘Oh, her favourite colour is… crimson red!’

Amelia was surprised. Olivia had told her her favourite colour, but not favourite shade-

‘So what should I write?’ Albert asked himself. ‘Aha!’

Amelia winced at Albert’s neat writing:

Dear Olivia, 

Your beautiful emerald eyes always make me look at them in awe. Your smooth, black hair as beautiful as ever. And your face as bright as the moon. Your amazing personality always makes me smile. I love it when I’m around you. 

Olivia Dragonheart, will you be my Valentine?

-Albert Foxglove

Amelia couldn’t control herself, she screamed and howled in laughter and her ribs hurt. They were only about twelve and eleven years old!   

This is exaggerating, Amelia thought. 

Albert then closed the card. At the front was Olivia’s face, it was moving and blowing kisses. The picture was giving a toothy smile. Albert gently kissed the front of the card and put it under his pillow. 

‘Olivia likes Vanilla cake… I think I should bake one for her,’ Albert said as he rushed towards the door. 

The room went black again and they were in the Kitchens. 

‘Hello, fellow elves!’ 

Albert was in the middle of the room. 

All the house elves looked at Albert happily. They knew him well, Amelia realised. 

‘Will you help me bake a cake for the most amazing girl to ever walk the- I mean, for Olivia Dragonheart?’

All the elves nodded quickly.

‘Then let’s go!’

Albert hummed joyfully as he and the house elves baked and decorated the two tiered cake with books and beams of light. On the top tier, was Olivia as a wax figure. She was waving happily as she shot little golden fireworks from her wand. On the bottom tier, there was a book pattern and some hearts with all shades of red. 

The scene went black and Amelia felt herself being dragged upwards and she found herself looking at the present day Albert. 

She gave a toothy smile and ran up from the corridor, to the Common Room, to her Dormitory. 

Should I tell Olivia? Nah, I would spoil the fun. I’ll tell Isabell.

Amelia then entered their room to find Isabell about to change into her uniform. 

‘OI! Why are you coming in here like that?’ 

Isabell looked surprised. 

‘I need to tell you something… right now.’

‘Yeah?’ 

Isabell looked worried. She thought it was bad news.

‘ALBERT FOXGLOVE HAS A CRUSH ON OLIVIA DRAGONHEART!’   

‘Oh, ok, I thought it was something more seri- wait… what? ‘

‘I know right?’

‘WE NEED TO TELL OLI-’

‘No! We will ruin it for them both!’

‘Oh, right.’

Amelia looked at Isabell, trying to find out about her greatest secret at the moment. But she couldn’t. 

‘Uh, what are you doing?’

‘Hmm? Oh, nothing. I’m so excited to see Olivia’s expression!’

They heard footsteps and pretended to be talking about something else when someone came in. He looked angry.

‘WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY CARD AND CAKE!’

Amelia and Isabell looked at each other, shocked and bewildered.

‘Albert! What are you doing here!’

‘Amelia, I know you’ve done something…’ 

Albert was as red as a tomato.

‘I-I, well-’

‘Tell.Me.Where.My.Card.And.Cake.Are.’

He was breathing heavily.

Albert rummaged through their beds rudely, then found the box and card under Olivia’s bed.

‘Oh… I might have put them there for her,’ Amelia said sheepishly.

‘YOU DID WHAT? And how did you know anyways?’

Albert suddenly looked shocked.

‘DID YOU TELL MY BEAUTI- I MEAN, OLIVIA ABOUT IT?’

‘No, no. That would spoil the surprise, wouldn’t it?’ Amelia smirked.

Albert looked relieved, then started to leave.

‘Please don’t do that again…’

Amelia nodded, while Isabell was still standing where she was. As soon as Albert left, Isabell and Amelia both burst into extreme laughter. 

‘What’s so funny?’ Olivia said as she entered the room.

Amelia and Isabell stopped laughing immediately.

‘I saw Albert sitting near the steps, he looked relieved, then when I walked by he was all nervous for some reason. Do you know what happened?’ Olivia asked, arching her eyebrows.

‘Uh, no. We were here the whole time,’ Isabell said as she scratched her head. 

Amelia had her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

‘Oh, well, let’s go eat breakfast, shall we?’

‘Yeah, ok.’

The girls headed down and ran to the Great Hall. There were floating hearts everywhere and mistletoe was brightening the Hall. There were gnomes dressed in pink dresses and were holding arrows. Even the food was Valentine-related. There was strawberry cake with hearts on them, sweets which were shaped as hearts or kisses. All the plates were pink, red and white.

‘Hogwarts really does care about love doesn’t it?’ Olivia said, grinning.

Amelia and Isabell gave nervous grins. They glanced at Albert, who kept glancing back. His face was fully pink and kept pounding.

‘Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!’ Professor Dumbledore began talking and everyone stayed so silent, as though holding their breaths. 

He was wearing a pink cloak decorated with red rubies.

‘This year, we shall have a Valentine’s Ball!’

Excited talking filled the Great Hall from girls but some boys either groaned or booed.

‘Now, now! The Ball will begin at 8:00 at night today. A boy is to invite a girl to the Ball! Please be dressed for the occasion. See you at the Ball everyone!’

The Hall was again filled with excited yelling and buzzing. Boys were already asking girls to the Ball. Isabell and Amelia looked at Albert. He sunk under the table and hid his face out of embarrassment as Olivia stared at him. 

Amelia and Isabell looked nervously at both of them.  

Albert cleared his throat. 

‘Ahem… O-Olivia, I believe this is for you,’ he quickly shoved his card to her. 

She opened it and read it for a second. She closed the card and her face looked as though it was going to burst. She blushed redder than a plum.

‘So… will y-you go with m-me to the Ball tonight?’

‘I-I need to think about it-’ Olivia said, avoiding looking at Albert. 

Albert looked disappointed then looked down sadly. Amelia and Isabell sighed. Olivia got up and headed for the Ravenclaw Common Room, Amelia and Isabell following her. But someone stopped Amelia. It was Harry and Draco. They looked at each other in pure loath.

‘So, Amelia. I just wanted to invite you to the ball-’ Harry began.

‘She doesn’t even like you,’ Draco said. ‘Amelia, don’t listen to him, he just wants to show-off.’

Draco smirked.

Several people looked at them in surprise.

‘Oh, uh, UH… I-I-’

Amelia couldn’t find words.

She looked at Draco, his face looking sad, and then Harry, his body stiff.

‘So?’ Draco said impatiently.  

‘Ooooh! Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are in love with Amelia Cuckoo Clock!’ a voice screeched.

They looked around and spotted Peeves the poltergeist, wearing his silly hat. 

‘Shut it, Peeves!’ Amelia yelled, raising her wand.

‘Peeves, enough!’ Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher, said.

Peeves glared at her as he flew off, annoying students. Professor McGonagall headed away as Amelia looked at Harry and Draco.

‘Sorry… both of you… I’m already going with someone else.’

She walked away, leaving Harry and Draco shocked and glaring at each other.

‘Peeves should be expelled. So, who are you going to go with?’ Isabell asked as they were walking to the Ravenclaw Tower.

‘Huh? Oh, I don’t know…’ Amelia shrugged.

Olivia was hyperventilating on her bed.

‘Albert asked me… He, Albert Foxglove, asked me... ALBERT ASKED ME!’ 

‘Yes, Olivia. Will you go with him or not? You better choose quickly before he goes with someone else,’ Isabell said as she rolled her eyes.

‘Well, who are you going with Isabell?’ Amelia asked.

‘Oh, I’m not going with anyone… I’ll just come for the food.’

‘What? Why?’

‘There’s too much drama on Valentine’s day to be honest.’

She pointed at Olivia to show an example of drama on Valentine’s.

‘Should I go? Or not? Should I. OR NOT?’ 

But before anyone could answer, Olivia ran out of the Common Room.

‘Where’s she going?’ Isabell asked, surprised.

‘Let’s find out!’ Amelia smirked, for she had a hunch about what Olivia was doing.

They ran behind her and found her talking to Albert.

‘So… I decided that… I will go with you… and… I really liked the card… But just so you know, I’m only eleven! Should have just asked me Albert. But, as I said before, I really like the card.’

Albert blushed dark red. He was trying to hide that from Olivia though.

‘Okay, now that we are over with this,’ Isabell said, making Olivia and Albert jump in surprise. ‘We have to find Amelia someone who would go with her.’ 

Amelia stared at Isabell, then laughed. 

‘Who would want to go with me? Ha!’

‘I mean, I saw Harry and Draco asking you so, choose either of them,’ shrugged Isabell.

‘But I told them I’m going with someone else, and I might go with someone else, anyways.’

‘Your problem, not ours,’

‘Olivia what do you thi-’

But Olivia and Albert were too busy eating Vanilla cake which had a wax figure of Olivia shooting small red fireworks with her wand.

‘I never knew you were that good at baking,’ Olivia said as Albert rubbed off some frosting from her skirt.  

‘I WANT TO EAT THAT!’ Isabell said as she tried to attack the cake. 

Amelia stopped her.

‘Isabell, I think I did find your Valentine.’

Amelia got out a chocolate cake. Isabell immediately grabbed it from her and started to eat it.

‘Too bad it won’t come with me to the Ball!’ laughed Isabell.

Everyone laughed along with her.