Virginia felt she had not slept so well for
quite a long time. She didn’t wish to get up, but she finds out soon enough
that it is already late in the morning. She opened the curtains and watched the
snowy scenery outside of the windows.

  Then
she heard bird sing. No, she was sure that was a familiar bird song, not one
from some birds outside. It was Gigi!

  She
ran out to the kitchen excitedly. Gigi’s growingly rapid rhythem welcomed her.
Gigi was jumping around in her cage, quite like a little sparrow, except that
it is larger than a sparrow. Virgina was afraid that Gigi would wake her
parents, so she tried to calm her down by obviously wasn’t at all successful.

  When
Virginia thought she would sweat to death for it, Daddy came from behind and lifed
Gigi’s cage, “It’s time to take it for a fly, it’s got anxious already.”

  Take
Gigi for a fly? What’s that about? Virginia felt nonplussed suddenly, so Mum
explained behind her, “You Dad, I don’t know what’s the matter, but after he
returned from the Chinatown he said that you have to take birds for a fly to
raise them, and so everyday she took Gigi out for a fly.”

  Virginia
wanted to laugh. Gigi is a magical owl, not some pet bird, and even if it was,
it’s not gonna be flyed outside. Mostly you just take the cage and stroll
around outside, or hang the cage on a tree, but taking it for a fly….. Haha,
flying a bird!

  And
so she laughed out loud. She laughed with her hands on her stomach, laughed
till her body has shrinked to a ball on the ground. Apparently she couldn’t
explain what’s so funny, but she laughed and laughed, and at last she shouted, “Oh
no, oh no, oh no, save me Mum, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna laugh to death, hahaha…..”

  And
she tried to stand up but found her stomach not feeling well. She suffered from
a spasm of muscle. What a typical aftermath of her unrestrained relax!

  Happy
periods always pass most quickly, and the family traveled to Ireland for a
week. Virginia brought back a small box of chocolates of all flavor. Dad
brought back several bottles of Whiskey; he bought them only because the seller
said Ireland’s Whiskey is more excellent than England’s or America’s.

  So
the holiday passed. Virginia felt she has only spent a few days at home before
she has to return to school again. This time she asked her parents not to see
her off to the station. She said she needed to have some practice this year,
and they can send her next year if she wishes.

  Then
she took her luggage and got on a taxi. She tried not to look back, but her
eyes are already filled with tears. She buried her face into her luggage and
allowed her tears to flow. Parting after happy time is always unbearable.

  Especially
when you are not sure whether this will become the last time you see each
other, alive.

  Hogwarts
is agained filled with nervousness. Rubeus Hagrid held a “support-Harry-Potter”
party in his cabin during holiday but is now on the run from Death Eaters.

  More
people were killed by Death Eaters. Among those mentioned names only a few she
had heard before.

  Gringotts
now fell low and is under Voldemort’s control.

  If
you are in reality, you might find it hard to take yourself out of all these.
Your classmates and professors are all influencing your emotions. Most people
now lie their hopes on Harry Potter, the boy that can be anywhere in the world
now.

  The
mere name is the only thing that gives them hope.

  But
Virginia knows the result. She tries to make herself calm and act as a
bystander of all these.

  In
the final battle they send students out of school, but this is still much too
unreliable for Virginia because it relies on others to ensure her safety.
Virginia does not count on that. She has to find a place to hide herself. Then
she thought of the Portkey. Yes, nothing is better than a Portkey. She can hide
in her cottage in Spain, the one near the sea, and no one can hurt her there.

  But
afterwards she must go back, so she has to make another Portkey. She thought of
Hogsmeade after deliberation. That was a place only students above the third
year can go. But after the battle begins, there will be a lot of wizards
staying around that area.

  Now
there should be a lot of Death Eaters there, but in the battle Hogsmeade is
certainly much safer than Hogwarts. If she is careful she can surely protect
herself there, and after the battle she can go back to school at once.

  Problem
is, she has never been to Hogsmead before, so she cannot make a Portkey. She
has to go there for once to make her plan work.

  She
is very lucky. Hogwarts hasn’t increased its defense yet, so students above
third year can still visit Hogsmeade at weekends as long as they have the
permission form of their parents. Voldemort still does not know that his
Horcruxes are threatened by “The Boy Who Lived”. But he will know very soon
enough.

  Virginia
invited Olivia Hill to her dormitory with warm welcome and took out her
chocolate from Ireland. She chose several wine-flavored chocolates for her and
then gave her a Sleep Charm when she was not paying attention.

  Virginia
felt very guilty. She mumbled her apologies and took away the permission form.
Then she pulled several hair from her and throwed it into the Polyjuice Potion,
which is the only successful one after her six or seven failures.

  She
watched the Potion change and knew it succeeded. She settled Olivia on her bed
and added another Sleep Charm, which will be able to keep her sleeping for a
while, and the wine-flavored chocolate can make her feel a bit more
comfortable. That’s all she can do now.

  Then
she drank the potion and went out. She politely declined any company and walked
on alone. She kept walking till she met the Shierking Shack and turned back
abruptly.

  Now
she passed the Hog’s Head and found a narrow passageway between Hog’s Head and
Three Broomsticks, both of which are now closed. The passageway is too narrow
to be noticed by many people.

  She
cannot locate her destination in any of the houses because she hasn’t asked
permission from the owners. This passageway is very ideal because it’s so
well-hidden that anyone popping up suddenly in it won’t be noticed by others
unless you stare closely at it. And this is very near the school, so she can
get back to Hogwarts very quickly.

  She
took out the already-prepared hairpin, a Christmas present from her parents,
and walked into the passageway. She eliminated the Disillusionment Charm and
muttered, “Portus.”

  It
was very lucky. She saw the hairpin emit blue light and put it inside the pouch
carefully.

  On
the way back to school, she was still afraid of seeing Olivia Hill. She feared
that Olivia will be sitting there asking her why she had pulled her hair. And
she has to give her a Confundus Charm in case there’s any mistake.

  She
rushed into the bathroom at once when she was back, for she felt that the
Potions is leaving her at the same moment. Returning to the dorm, she found
Olivia there, still fast asleep. She felt really lucky but decided to send all
the chocolates to her; Olivia seemed to like the chocolates previously.

  Maybe
I still have some conscience, Virginia sighed to herself.