Fraternizing With the Enemy

Chapter 1: The First Sign

As Harry Potter and Ron Weasley walked toward Platform Nine and Three Quarters, they saw a girl dressed in all black disappear through the wall connecting platforms nine and ten. She was heedless, almost as if she wanted the muggles to see and be confused, and yet cautious in her approach as she glanced from side to side just before entering the magical platform. Harry noticed that she had dropped something in her hurry and pointed it out to his friend. When they reached the spot, Ron nearly stepped on the thing—a short dagger coloured a blue so deep it looked almost black. As the blade glinted in the sunlight Ron noticed a detail near the hilt. Picking it up, he saw the inscribed name: FRIMIARE.

They hurried after her onto the platform where the scarlet steam engine was invariably waiting for them. Their search for the girl bore no fruit, however, so they climbed aboard the Hogwarts Express, making their way to the last compartment, as usual, only to find the girl sitting in the last seat facing away from the window. Her head lolled to one side as if she were asleep. When Ron strode toward her and placed the dagger on top of the black leather motorcycle jacket on the seat next to her, he heard her melodic, almost hypnotising voice say quietly, "Thank you."

She said nothing else until Hermione Granger arrived in the compartment to tell the boys to change into their robes because they were almost at Hogwarts. The girl in the back had been sitting motionlessly the entire time. Not a crease in her leather pants had changed, nor a fold in the matching sweater. At Hermione's entrance and declaration, the girl's eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes the colour of ice and a winter sky, expressionless and cold like both. Those eyes flicked from Ron to Harry, rested on his forehead for a split second, unnoticeable but for the barest twitch of a smile at the corner of her mouth, then to Hermione, and finally to the worn leather-covered volume on the floor at her feet. She quickly picked up the thick book, flipped through it carefully as if she were searching for something, then started muttering when she found the object of her search. After the muttering, she closed the book and returned it to the floor, pulled out a small glass thimble from a hidden pocket, pricked her finger on her dagger and allowed a single drop of blood to fall into the thimble. She then put everything away as her finger healed itself.

Hermione, who had been staring, finally managed to tear her gaze away from the girl, noticing that the boys had already changed into their robes. The train came to a stop as the compartment door slid open smoothly to reveal Draco Malfoy standing over the threshold alone. He had opened his mouth to speak when the girl's cold eyes pierced his own, causing him to leave looking rather alarmed. Harry, Ron and Hermione turned to find the girl gathering her things, the spell book and jacket in one arm, the other hand sheathing the dagger in her belt. As she moved they saw that her hair was the same blue-black of her strange blade. As she walked past them she shot Hermione a meaningful glance, causing her to shiver unexpectedly.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Those eyes," Hermione whispered. "They're not...natural."

She shook herself once more, trying to shake the feeling of the eyes' effect, and led the way off the train.

The familiar voice of Rubeus Hagrid, gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures professor, boomed over the crowd, "Firs' years this way!"

The first years gathered around while the returning students made their way toward the thestral-drawn carriages that would take them up the rough path to the castle. As the journey commenced, the trio gazed out over the lake and the traditional boat ride across the lake. They spotted Hagrid’s boat, which contained another person this night. As the boat reached the shore the figure jumped out, waved, and ran toward the Forbidden Forest . Hagrid, who would never allow someone to enter the Forest alone, seemed to take no notice of this and continued to lead the first years toward the large oak front doors through which the rest of the students were already vanishing.

The Sorting Ceremony began differently this year. Instead of the Sorting Hat’s usual poem or song, it gave a short speech welcoming all the students back to Hogwarts, bidding the seventh years farewell, and of course, welcoming the first years to the school and bid them a pleasant stay. It was a rather nice change to the usual routine.

Harry looked around the Great Hall for the girl from the train, but saw her nowhere. He concluded that it was she who had gone into the Forbidden Forest . He pointed this out to Ron and Hermione, both of whom suggested they investigate further.

“Let’s catch Hagrid after dinner and ask,” Ron offered.

“Good idea,” Harry agreed.

When they finally found Hagrid, Hermione scolded him. “Why did you let that girl into the Forest? You know it’s strictly forbidden!”

“That’s not yer business,” Hagrid answered.

“Who is she?” Harry demanded. “Why does she get special privileges?”

“Yeh don’ know the half of it,” Hagrid defended her. “Leave her alone, hear? She can take care o’ herself.”

Despite further persistence from the trio, the half giant held firm until, finally, they relented. Afterward the four of them sat around the table, chatting and drinking tea to their hearts’ content, until at nearly midnight Hagrid forced them to bed. He walked with them to the castle, leaving them outside the front doors, and bid them goodnight.

The trio made their way to Gryffindor tower and stayed up talking about their pending investigation. Who the girl was, what she was doing at Hogwarts, things like that. It was almost two in the morning when they decided to retire to their rooms. This idea was halted, however, when Fred and George Weasley came bumbling through the portrait hole discussing their future sweet shop plans. The each held a short stack of paper, which they spread out on a table near the fireplace.

Ron, noticing a photo amongst the papers, approached his brothers, beckoning his friends to follow.

“Who is that girl?” the redhead asked, pointing to the picture of the girl from the train, seeing that it was paper clipped to a form.

“Her name is Frimiare Mellaria and she wants to work for us,” George said, proud of their first employee.

“Owns a place called the Kiy Shoppe,” Fred added. “She’s pretty successful and offered to help us get our business started.”

“Is she a student here?” Hermione asked.

“Dunno,” George said, shrugging. “Say, we’re going to her shop later. Do you want to come?”

Harry, Ron, and Hermione eyed each other and silently decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about the girl.

“Alright,” Harry agreed.

“Right then, we’ll meet you here at seven,” George replied with a smile.

“Seven!” Ron exclaimed. “Are you mad?”

“We businessmen know no hour,” Fred and George recited together, while Ron simply rolled his eyes.

“In that case, we should get what sleep we can now,” Hermione said, bidding them all good night on her way up the stairs to the girls’ dormitories.

Fred and George gathered their papers and followed Ron and Harry up to the boys’ dormitories, saying good night and disappearing into their respective rooms.