Cursed Wolf II

Chapter 5 Waiting

Hermione worked on her story and all of her homework all day Sunday making sure she had all the right answers. She had to keep up her grades up or lose her scholarship.

Cedric finally called but she was in bed and feeling lousy. She went to her classes in a bad mood. When she walked into Harry’s class, he was on the phone all the while his nose was in a book. He looked up and nodded to her to signal ‘Hi.’ A moment later he waved at her, wrote something down on a memo pad, sticking it to a book and signaling again ‘look this up?’

Hermione wasn’t in the mood to play teachers’ pet, but she did it anyways for the lack of anything else to do until class started. But yet again Harry waved his hand to her to get her attention. She came up to the desk and he produced a cup. Again he signaled for her to take it as he was talking on the phone.

She brought it back to her desk, opened it. Juniper Berry Tea! She smiled gently and sipped it. It warmed her insides, easing the cramps within a few minutes. ‘He really is nice to bring me tea,’ Hermione thought to herself, ‘He must have girlfriend who drinks this when she having her time’.

She had to look up superstitions/traditions for weddings. Hermione did what he asked and was still writing them down when the class started. The professor talked about superstitions or traditions to keep bad luck away, “On Wedding days it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride. The rice or bird seeds people throw is for fertility. Bridesmaids are decoys for the bride to confuse evil spirits. Of course the something old something new... was to help have good luck in the marriage.”

He talked for a while, Hermione watched him as he talk to the class. Her mind went someplace else, to the library, to her standing on the stepladder and looking in to Harry’s eyes. They were beautiful, clear and bright, looking into hers. She found herself wondering if he was a good kisser. Her hand went around his neck and drew him to her own lips. His lips were soft.

Cedric nudged her out of her daydream and asked,” Hermione, I have practice this afternoon do you think you can come?”

“I don’t know. I got homework and I have to go the newspaper’s office.” Hermione told him. She looked up at her teacher who was just then looking at her with a little know look in his eyes. Hermione felt herself blush. The class ended and the professor was out of the class faster than the some of the students.

Hermione went to the office and handed in her article and was told that she would be called or emailed as soon as the editor had a chance to read it. Hermione decide to go see Cedric practice but her mind was elsewhere. It was on Harry and his all knowing smile that had her wondering what he thought of her. He was acting odd. He seemed happy to see Hermione and yet wanted to stay away from her in some ways or distancing himself from her. Maybe a teacher saw them having dinner in the eatery and then at the game?
Was she flirting with him and not know it?

He canceled one class for a day so the student could go and interview their grandparents, or old relatives about traditions and superstitions from their day or older.
Those without old relatives could go to retirement homes and interview people there. And for the rest of the week he had them looking in to other religions traditions and rituals for luck omens and to ward off bad luck and the evil eye.

Hermione called her grandmother and asked her about any traditions and superstitions. She told her put an acorn in your pocket for luck. Don’t put on your entire brides outfit on until your wedding day... and don’t put new shoes on a table or bed, its bad luck or an omen someone will die.

Her grandmother asked how school was going and Hermione told her about her boyfriend Cedric and a young Professor Potter. There was a long pause and her grand mother said,

“Young teacher. What does he teach?”

“Supernatural course, that’s why I’m asking you about superstitions and traditions for good luck,” There was a long silence on the other end of the line. “Gram, You there?” Hermione asked.
“Yes dear.” she laughed.
“Well I got to get the rest of my homework done, talk to you later Gram.” Hermione explained.
“Yes dear, and get back to your home work, but I’ve a feeling your doing well in your classes as always. Well good bye dear.” Hermione grandmother said with an amused tone in her voice.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Harry came in on Monday with a few pictures of witches, wizards and sorcerers that every one knew, Both Witches from The Wizard of Oz, the wizards of fire and smoke and the man( behind the curtain), Bewitched, Merlin and Mickey mouse with a sorcerer hat on.

“For centuries men have want to have magically powers, why?” the teacher asked.

“If they had magical powers they wouldn’t go hungry, they have treasures, have a beautiful wife or husband and land?” One student said.

“Yes right,” the professor commented.

“To tell the future?” one of the giggling girls in the back said aloud.

“Yeah that too, good one Lavender.”

The other girl giggled and blushed fiercely,

“What is it Parvati?”

“Making...love potions,” Parvati replied and nudging her giggling friend next to her.
“Yes, that too. Actually, witches were look at as potions makers and healers, wise and helpful, other times they were feared and hunted. Many innocent women and men were hung for being a witch, some drown, others were crushed by stones and others burnt?”

“Were any of them real?” Mike asked.

“Some may have said they were, but you have to remember a lot of people believed that if you didn’t believe, what you believe; you were into witchcraft”

“Do you believe in witches?” Mike asked

“I think there are people that have extraordinary abilities. I’ve met many people in my life that have gifts... I think many of us” the professor said and then paused looking at the class and then Hermione, “Have hidden talents. Some people are good at numbers; others can fix things without knowing how or seeing it before. A mother senses when something wrong with her child. People can tell you if there is a storm is coming. And some can tell the possibility of the future.”

He picked up a box and pulled out a crystal ball, tarot cards and a shallow dish and a bottle of black ink.

“I would like everyone to try these for a few minutes and see what they feel, hear or see.” the teacher commented.

Lavender came up and asked for the dish and ink. She brought back to her desk. She poured the ink into the dish and looked in to it.

“What’s she doing?” Mike asked

“She looking into the ink, the blackness to see if she can see anything,” Parvati explained.
Mike went up to table and grabbed the crystal ball.

“Be careful with that its expensive.” The teacher informed him.

One of the other students took the tarot cards. Harry went over to the cabinet and took out a tarot card book, handing it to the student. Harry looked over at Hermione for a moment as she looked to see if Parvati and Lavender were done with dish and ink, but other people were around them also looking into the ink.

The Professor looked around the room and announced, “If you are waiting to try something, grab a classmate and sit facing each other and try to see it you can read their thoughts ... of these images,” as he drew pictures of a circle, wavy lines, a crisscross, a square and a star.

Cedric grabbed Hermione and said,” Try to read my mind.”

Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated. Cedric held her hands in his.
“Circle?” she asked

“No” he replied

“Waving lines” she inquired

“No” he responded

“Star?” she asked

“Yes, now your turn.”

She thought circles like Harry’s glasses.
“Wavy line?

“ No.”

“A square?”

“No.”

“Circle?”

“Yeah.”

Mike brought over the crystal ball to Hermione. She gazed into it for a long while seeing nothing. The classed ended and as Hermione left Harry asked,

“Didn’t see anything?”

“No.”

“Maybe next time.” Harry laughed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hermione got an email from the office. They liked her writing and she was going to get her check in the mail in two weeks.

Hermione went back to the library to look at the other stories written in the school newspaper. She had to come up with something new but her mind was blank. Cedric came up behind her.

“There you are. Some of the team is going to watch a game over in Bedford, we playing them next and we want to see their moves. Do you want to come?”

She wasn’t getting any work done so she said, “Yes.”

It was cold and raining. Cedric was more into the game and his mates then his girlfriend. She racked her brains for a story but all she managed to do is daydream about her Professor. How soft were his lips, how strong were his arms? She knew how gentle they were from the night in the woods, and soothing. She started to doze off and she dreamed of the wolf once more following her, but it wasn’t her she was someone else walking through the dark woods. She lay down in the grass, the wolf laying next to her growling not at her but something in the dark.
Hermione woke up with a start as Cedric nudge her,
“Come on I’ll take you home.”

They walked to her dorm. Hermione talked about Professor Potter and how the class was a joke to the rest of the teachers. She felt it wasn’t and that she found his class fascinating. They got to her dorm and Cedric kissed her good night as he pushed the door open banging it into the wall interrupting Kat and her date while snogging on the couch.
Hermione was too tired to have Cedric over for the night so she asked him not to stay long as they also had classes in the morning. Hermione kissed her boyfriend for a while. He got too frisky for that time of night and she gently kicked him out.

The next two classes the professor had an Astrologist come in to class to instruct the students on how to do each other charts and how to read them. One class the group of students talked about Ouija boards how to use them and when not to use them.
The students used the boards in the next class. Some of the students got questions answered others didn’t.

Cedric sat with a few boys and asked the board if ‘his girlfriend loved him’. The wooden pointer floated over to yes and jumped to no then flew off the board spinning on the floor at Hermione’s feet.
She backed away from the spinning pointer. She moved her foot wards it and it sailed across the room hitting the wall and cracking it in two. Everyone except for the teacher ran out of the room, hairs on their arms and neck standing up straight. Some looked back to see what else might be happening. One by one the student retrieved their books from the room and said goodbye to their teacher. Cedric put his arm around Hermione,

“That was weird. Well class is over I got to go to practice. Want to come?”

“Sure, in a bit.” Hermione replied not really hearing him. Cedric kissed her and said “Meet you there.”

She was wondering if she caused the pointer to fly off the board and break it. Harry came out of the room locking the door. He looked at her and asked,

“You alright Hermione?”

“Just a little freaked.” she replied.

He smiled at her pushing his glasses up higher on his nose,

“Don’t be. There are a few reasons that could have happened.”

“Really what?”

“Static electricity, the boys charge the felt from their hand, everyone wearing sweaters and room is very dry.”

“Another?” Hermione asked.

“You may have done it. Well your energy, your neutrons and protons could have done it, the energy off your aura. You don’t have a poltergeist bothering you do you? Or the board was trying to say you love your boyfriend but …”

“But what?” Hermione asked.

“You’re not loving him or not in love with him.” Harry said.

“Why did the pointer fly off the board and the spin around in front of me and then hit the wall.” Hermione posed.

“You tell me?” Harry questioned her as though she knew the answer. Again she had a funny feel this happened before this conversation, and they both knew the answer.
Hermione felt her heart beat faster wanting to say it. But she couldn’t, she’s not to tell anyone.

“I don’t know. Can’t you look it up in the book?” She asked.

“We can go to the library and look it up on the net.” Harry suggested.

So they spent the afternoon looking for an answer why the pointer flew off the board and after a few very scary stories Hermione didn’t feel any better. Evil spirits coming threw the portal of the pointer.

“Well I have to go back to the classroom I have to do something there.” Harry announced.

“You’re going there alone?” Hermione asked.

“Yeah?”

“Shouldn’t someone go with you?”

“What for?”

“Evil spirits?” Hermione said alarmed.

“I don’t think it was an evil spirit. I think there was a lot of loose energy and static electricity. But just in case, I’ll go to the cafeteria first.”

Hermione found herself following Harry to the cafeteria where he put a package of salt in his and her pockets and then back to the classroom.

He unlocked the door and turned on lights, but put his hand out to have her stay just outside the doorway. He took out the board and placed the pointer on the board,
“Sorry, we didn’t end the session, goodbye. If anyone is here please leave now.”
Nothing happened. Harry went to his cabinet unlocked it pulled out a red candle and lit it with a lighter. He raised the candle and looked at the flame, looked around the room and said something and put it out with a cone like object.
He turned off the lights and locked the door. Harry looked at Hermione,
“No spirits good or evil.”

Hermione felt relieved and could sleep that night after she called Cedric and apologized for not meeting him.

~ ~ ~ ~

Hermione sat down in her seat in class. Harry was there moving desks up again the wall out of the way. Hermione started helping him and asked, “What are we doing today?”

“Séance,” her teacher informed her.

“Where are we going to sit?” Hermione asked looking around.

“We’ll get two tables put together here. Only half the class is going to do it today the other half Monday. Students will be doing the séance or observing it.”

He called out half the class’s names and they got around the table.
The Medium came into the room and put her hand on the Professor’s shoulder. They greeted each other as friends more then professional with a hug. She had long blonde hair with a bright pink and green thin braid in front. She wore a light pink dress that looked like something a fairy would have on.

“Class this is Luna, she here to conduct the séance. So please give her your attention.” the teacher said aloud.

“Hello” Luna said in a soft voice, “I’m going try to see if I can communicate with some form of the spirit world. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

She stretched her arms and legs and then sat down next to the teacher and said
“Now I need everyone to think of something happy. We need good vibes. And at this point we should hold hands. ”

Hermione had Harry on one side and Cedric on the other. Luna was on the other side of Harry. Luna lit the candle and Mike who was watching, turned off the lights.
For a long while nothing happened. Then the candle started to flicker, a mist rose in the room. Luna started to talk to someone, some of the students freaked and ran out of the room breaking the circle and ending the séance. The medium got up and pinched the candle out and said very causally,
“I’ll see you Monday, Harry” and left.

Cedric pulled Hermione’s hand to get her attention,
“I’ve a game this afternoon. Think you can make it this time?”

“I got to come up with a story for the paper,” Hermione told him, “But I’ll try to make it.”

Needless to say Hermione didn’t make it to that game or the next one on Saturday or Sunday’s practiced.

Hermione went to the library those days and each time she by chance met her Professor Harry in the Library, in the eatery or on the street, each time they got to talking about the board, the séance and ghosts losing track of the time. She called Cedric to apologize but got his answering machine.

Monday afternoon Hermione walked in to the classroom half the class was missing. Cedric looked at her leaning against the wall. She went up to him and said,
“Sorry I miss your game. It’s hard trying to write and study. Trying to come up with something that no one else has written about is hard.”

“Can’t you make some time for me?” Cedric asked.

“Cedric I am trying. But I see you after the game and you want to hang out and celebrate with your team. I have to share my time with you with your mates and your groupies.”

“All of them make it to my games AND to my practices.” Cedric commented.

“I’ll try to make it to the next game, all right?” Hermione said.

“Good I got one tonight. Home field, You should be able to make it for some of it.” Cedric commented.

Luna walked in and sat down at the table and all the students sat down. She looked up and smiled at them, lighting the candle,
“Now I want everyone to think happy things, positive vibrations!” and she graceful extended her hands outward. Harry took her left and Lavender took her right.
Mike turned off the lights and joined the circle whispering,
“Can we ask for a specific spirit to appear? Can I take a picture of it?”

“Sshhhh!” Harry said and shook his head, “No. You should have brought your video camera. It’s too late now.”

Once more the room had mist in it and Hermione could see something moving in it. It was an old man in the middle of the table. He looked around at the students and at Luna and an asked “Why are you here in my house?”
“Sir we are in a school Hammond Hall.”

“And I am James Hammond and this is my home.” the figure explained.

“I’m sorry we don’t mean to be disrespectful. Why are you here?”

“I’m waiting for my wife, there’s a bad storm and I have a broken leg. I just hope she’s alright with all the snow.” the man said.

Mike’s cell phone started to ring and the man faded away.

“Sorry lost him.” Luna said.

Mike turned on the lights and apologized,
“Sorry forget I had it on.”

“Well now you all can go to the library or the hall of records and find out something about James Hammond.” Professor Potter announced.

Luna put out the candle picked up her things and gave the teacher a hug.
Parvati looked at Luna and asked,

“Are you his girlfriend?”

“No we’re just friends,” Luna said and walked passed the nosy girl.

“By the way Professor are you married?” Lavender asked.

“No.” he said simply.

“Girlfriend?”
The teacher looked around at the class and than Lavender,

“No,” and then he glanced at Hermione for moment, “not at the moment Lavender.”

“Boyfriend?” Mike asked snickering.

“No. Why you looking?” Harry asked turning to look at Mike.

“No way.” Mike replied laughing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hermione finish her homework and was leaving the library when she bumped in to Harry.

“Hi Hermione, any luck finding who James Hammond is?” Harry asked.

“Not really.” Hermione confessed, “Nothing that sound like he lived here.”
Harry put a pile of newspapers and a few copies of death certificates on a table,
“I think I found something!”

“Have you? Where?” Hermione asked and then she remembered Cedric game,
“Oh Damn. Cedric’s game.”

Harry looked a little disappointed but covered if quickly,
“Oh sorry you need to go to the game.”

“I can stay for a few minutes and then go.” Hermione commented.

Harry smiled and something is his eyes lit up in a wonderful way,
“Great. It will only take five minutes. Where is it at?”

“At the field.” Hermione answered.

“Oh great.” Harry started going through the newspaper from 1850 and found reports of a bad snowstorm. “Gail Hammond was caught in the storm and froze to death walking home. Her husband was found dead too from the cold and also slowly bleeding to death due to his broken leg. He must have fallen a few times after breaking it compounding the break.”

“This was his land,” Hermione said, “his home. He is still waiting for his wife, forever waiting.”

“He died waiting for her,” Harry said sadly.

“It’s so sad.” Hermione commented.