Hello again! Welcome to Chapter 4 of WITCH at Hogwarts! I hope you enjoy it.

Must I mention the disclaimer again? Yes? No way….

Disclaimer: I do not own WITCH or Harry Potter.

There. Are you happy?

On to the next chapter!

Lessons and a Revelation

….

"What is the first lesson for the day?" Ron asked lazily as he peeked over Hermione's shoulder to check the timetable.

"Double Potions with Professor Snape, along with the Slytherins," Hermione snapped. "Now get off my shoulder so that I can go on with my homework!"

"Alright already," Ron said, annoyed. "You don't need to snap." That was before the true message sank in. "Wait…did you say Double Potions with Snape?" he sputtered, his eyes going wide with shock.

"Yes, yes, yes, so please stop pestering me!"

Just then Harry sauntered into the common room. "Hi Ron. What's up?" He peered over Hermione's shoulder to check on her work. His eyes widened as well when he saw what they would be having for their first period of the day.

"Double Potions?" he mouthed incredulously at Ron, whose mouth was also agape. Sigh…we're off to a bad start.

….

Will woke up groggily, still in her pajamas. The dormitory she slept in was oddly silent. She turned about in her bed to get a look at the alarm clock.

"Eight thirty?" she shrieked hysterically and started diving into her bags for a set of clothes and robes. "Oh am I sooo late." Great. What an exciting start for a new day. Why didn't Taranee or someone wake me up? she wailed.

She dashed hurriedly to the Great Hall, a disarrayed stack of books in her arms and a bag dangling on her back. She groaned to see the entire Hall empty of occupants. The food had also been cleared off the house tables. No breakfast for me, she thought before hastily running in a random direction.

"Timetable, timetable…." She moaned as she searched her bag for the piece of cardboard. "Oh where did I put the timetable? Ah, here it is. Double Potions, Professor Snape, along with Slytherins." She froze. O-kay. She knew she had Double Potions, but where is the class held?

Will sighed unhappily. This just isn't my day.

….

Harry glanced over to where an empty seat was between the three new girls.

Taranee? Check.

Cornelia? Check.

Elyon? Check.

Will? No check.

Where are you, Will? He thought. The girl's friends were obviously echoing his thoughts as their frantic eyes darted frequently to the door.

Just then, the door creaked open. Every student watched its progress with bated breath. It opened one inch wider. Then another. And another. Harry found himself watching it with growing apprehension. He had a nasty feeling of the person behind the door….

Sure enough, it wasn't the sweet face of Will who greeted them. It was a thin, sallow faced man with a hooked nose and wore black robes. He felt his hopes sink. Some distance away from him, he thought he saw Will's girlfriends' hearts plummet to the ground as they did not see their friend anywhere in sight.

"Good morning," Professor Snape said. The single word hushed the entire class. "To those who are new here, I am Professor Snape, the Potions master. I hope that you aren't a batch of dunderheads I usually have to teach."

"Does he suggest that we are stupid?" Elyon whispered angrily.

"No, he said dunderheads. That means he thinks we are dumb," Cornelia whispered back. "But I think he is the dumb one."

That made Elyon giggle before she gave it any thought. Heads swirled around in surprise to hear giggles breaking out in the dungeon when the sallow faced teacher is in sight.

"Ah, Miss Elyon Brown, am I right?" Professor Snape swooped down to Elyon's desk in a swift movement.

Elyon gulped. "Y-Yes sir," she said meekly. Snape gave her a malicious smile and moved on to Cornelia, who was seated beside her.

"Cornelia Hale?"

"That's me sir," Cornelia replied breezily. She did not want to get on the bad side of a teacher on the very first period of the day.

"Taranee Cook?"

Taranee managed a small smile that the teacher never returned.

"Wilhelmina Vandom?"

No answer. Professor Snape looked up from the name list to look around the dungeon. His thin mouth twisted into a sneer as he saw the empty seat beside Taranee.

"Uh, Will is here, sir! She only -" Taranee tried to cover for her best friend.

"I never asked for an explanation, Miss Cook," Snape said silkily. "Now keep quiet." Taranee shut her mouth at once, looking down on the table angrily.

"Since Wilhelmina -" Snape allowed the Slytherins a good laugh at the weird sounding name "- isn't here, I think I'll deduct fi-"

"Good morning sir!" a breathless voice huffed from the door. The students' attention were diverted to the messy haired person. Will stood there holding tight onto the door, panting heavily. Harry sighed in relief mixed with apprehension.

"-Five points from Gryffindor," Professor Snape finished without even glancing at her. Will was flabbergasted. She lost points for her House the moment she stepped into the classroom? Outrageous.

"But sir -" she protested.

"Another point for interrupting and it will be fifty if you don't sit down," Snape said icily. Will scowled and went over to her friends' table, where she sat on her seat, fuming.

That isn't fair! She thought vehemently.

I know…I've heard that Professor Snape can get really nasty unless you belong to Slytherin, Taranee said soothingly via telepathy. I guess it's true.

"Wilhelmina Vandom -"

"Will, if you please," the redhead spat before thinking. She clapped her hand over her mouth in horror.

What did I do? What am I going to do?

"I don't care what you prefer to be called, Miss Vandom. Answer my question. Why are you late?" Professor Snape said sharply.

"I-I overslept," Will confessed embarrassedly. "And then I didn't know the way here."

To her immense relief, the teacher turned his back on her and finally started his lesson. So passed the first two drastic periods of Potions.

….

The rest of the lessons breezed by without any mishaps. Will was thankful for that. She didn't think that she could withstand another round of humiliation that day, plus no breakfast that dreary morning.

"Oh goody. It's lunch time," Elyon said cheerfully. Cornelia grinned at her best friend's attitude. Will, however, wasn't paying attention.

"Somewhere hidden. Quick!" she hissed all of a sudden, scaring Elyon and Cornelia out of their wits. Worriedly, they stared at Will. The Keeper of the Heart was doubled over, her left hand holding her right clenched fist. Nevertheless, she somehow managed to stand up and push herself to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Her friends followed her frantically.

As soon as they were well hidden, Will opened her palm. Instantly the Heart of Kandrakar popped out of it, pulsing a very bright pink. Will heaved a sigh of relief. Only for the moment.

The Heart flashed and covered the five girls (yes, Elyon too) in a swath of pink light. The next moment, they were gone.

….

"Ugh…Professor McGonagall sure set us a ton of homework," Irma groaned.

"Oh come on, it's just a little charm about levitating," Hay Lin said lightly.

"Humph. Easy for you to say since you have control over air," Irma grunted enviously. Her bubbly friend giggled.

Suddenly, they disappeared in a flash of bright pink.

….

"Oof!" Cornelia grunted as she landed on something soft. The soft something turned out to be her best friend. She hastened to stand up, not wanting to crush her.

"You sure are heavy," Elyon groaned as she stumbled. She succeeded in standing on her second attempt.

"Am not!" Cornelia protested hotly.

"Are!" Elyon grinned. Teasing Cornelia is sooo fun.

"Am not!"

"Are!"

"Am not!"

"Are!"

"AM NOT!"

"ARE SO!"

"Girls! Behave yourselves!" a reedy voice scolded. Hay Lin squealed in joy as she turned around to face her Yan Lin, her grandmother and ex-air Guardian of the Veil.

"Grandma!" She yelled and launched herself into her grandmother's waiting arms, inhaling the scent of jasmine oil with pleasure.

Yan Lin hugged her granddaughter affectionately for a moment before pulling away. "Girls, there is grave danger before you," she said seriously.

"When are we never?" Irma quipped.

"This is not a laughing matter, Irma," she admonished sharply. The water Guardian flinched and kept her mouth sealed. Yan Lin sighed and returned her attention to the more matured girls of the group.

"All of you know that Prince Phobos is a problem that is solved and done with. However, I would like to inform you that -"

"That he escaped? Oh man…." Irma wailed.

"No…" Elyon whispered shakily. This couldn't be happening!

"Stop jumping to conclusions, Irma. No, Prince Phobos is still safely locked away in the Tower of Mists. I want to tell you that -"

"We have a new mission?" Irma joked.

"Yes, you could say that. We have recently received some bad news. Prince Phobos was merely a henchman for another, who is far more powerful than he." The quirky water guardian gawked.

"WHAT!"

"NO!"

"This can't be happening!" Irma howled.

Elyon simply stood rooted to the spot, frozen. Her brother had been so powerful during his regime of power in Meridian, and now Yan Lin says that he was merely a henchman? Elyon shuddered. If so, she didn't want to think how powerful his master is.

"Who is his master, Yan Lin?" Will asked shakily. Her stomach was churning. Now she felt glad that she had missed breakfast, seeing the looks of nausea her friends bore on their faces.

"His master's whereabouts is currently unknown, but he originates from the school you now go to," Yan Lin said gravely. "His name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort."

Taranee gasped. "You mean the one who recruited people called Death Eaters to kill?" Trust Taranee to read books in the school library as soon as she stepped into the castle. The elderly woman nodded. The fire Guardian's shoulders sagged.

"Who is he, Taranee?" Will pressed gently.

"He is the person who led the Death Eaters on mass killing sprees thirteen years back. He reigned supreme. No one could stand up to him. Until today, he is feared by so many that most people just refer to him as You-Know-Who."

"If he was that powerful, why didn't he take over Hogwarts as well?" Cornelia asked.

"I read that the man Lord Voldemort had probably ever feared was our Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore."

The other five girls stared at the fire handler in shock. (My, I seem to be giving them many shocks this time)

"A-Albus Dumbledore?"

"No way!"

"Why not? I mean, look at what he did for us! That seems to be a good example of complex magic," Hay Lin objected.

"What did he do for you girls?" Yan Lin wanted to know.

"He transferred the channeling of our powers into our wands, so now we can shoot out magic from our wands as well as our hands," Irma said as if it was the most pointless thing to do.

"He did, did he?" Yan Lin said appreciatively. "Yes, you are right, little one. That is indeed a complex bit of magic."

"Right. So if this Lord Voldemort is taking over everywhere, how come the places we've been to did not show any sign of wreckage or despair?" Will objected. Will, Will. Always the negative, aren't you?

"Rumour has it that Lord Voldemort mysteriously disappeared after killing a family whose surname was Potter. The weird thing was that Voldemort easily got rid of the adults, Lily and James Potter, but his curse backfired on him when he tried it on their son. Big parts of the mystery is still left unsolved," Taranee explained.

"Potter?" Will said in confusion. "Now where have I heard that name before…."

Cornelia's eyes widened in surprise. "Harry Potter! Don't you remember Irma gaping at that weird lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead?"

"Right! But that's weird…I would've thought that anyone who had been through all that horror should had been traumatized at the very least," Will muttered.

"He must've been strong," Hay Lin murmured.

Yan Lin clapped her hands. That got the Guardians' attention. "So, now you have a new mission: to rid the world of Lord Voldemort. Oh, and Your Majesty -"

"Elyon will do, Yan Lin. I've known you for years so there's no need to call me by my title," Elyon said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

The elder woman chuckled. "Very well. Elyon then. If you are willing, I want you to assist the guardians in their task."

The teenager was taken aback. "You mean…team up with them?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

The young queen's face lit up in a smile. "No problem at all! I guess I'll be sticking with you girls then!"

"Welcome to the team, Elyon. Or should I say, Your Majesty," Will mocked, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Hey!"

"Be ready for your new mission, girls. The defeat of Prince Phobos is nothing compared to who you are about to face."

Irma groaned. Should she be happy or sad?

"Go back now, Guardians. You will be just in time for your lunch. Good luck Guardians," Yan Lin said in her reedy voice and waved her hand. Instantly the six girls shimmered and started to disappear.

"Wait, Grandma! I -" Hay Lin cried out desperately, reaching out to her grandmother.

"- want to ask you something," she said softly as the six girls reappeared in the glen. The bell rang, signifying the end of class and the start of lunch.

"Come on, I'm starving," Elyon said eagerly as she pulled Cornelia across the grounds. The remaining four girlfriends giggled and followed suit.

….

"Hey Ron," Harry whispered to his friend, his hands dirty with damp soil. In his right fist was a Bowtruckle, a long, thin stick man. It had tried to run away but Harry had caught up with it near the nursery, explaining Harry's soil-stained hands. "Did you see any of the girls?"

"Nope," the latter answered, focusing on the Bowtruckle he was supposed to be drawing.

That's weird. I thought I saw them heading down with us to Herbalogy, Harry thought, frowning deeply. He then yelled in pain as the Bowtruckle he had been crushing in his fist gave him five deep scratches on his hand. He cursed under his breath and transferred the specimen to his other hand, examining his wounds. Blood was flowing freely from it. He sighed unhappily then returned the struggling Bowtruckle to Professor Sprout to go to the hospital wing where he can get his arm bandaged.

….

Harry reappeared from the hospital wing, nursing his arm. Right on cue, the bell rang shrilly, signifying lunchtime. Maybe I'll meet her there, he thought hopefully as he walked to the Great Hall.

Sure enough, the four girls were already seated there, eating lamb chops with unwonted enthusiasm. Harry shrugged and seated himself not too far away from them, keeping an eye on Will.

"Hey Harry! Are you all right?" Hermione's anxious voice butted into his thoughts. Harry turned around. Sure enough, Hermione and Ron were walking quickly in his direction.

"Hi mate. Sorry we couldn't follow you earlier, I just had to finish that drawing," Ron apologized. "Here, you can borrow mine."

"Thanks. Let's tuck in now, shall we? I'm starving," said Harry as he picked his fork up and started enjoying his piece of lamb chops.

Will finished her meal first, being by far the hungriest of the lot. She sighed contentedly as she downed the rest of her lemonade down her throat. It gave her such a cool feeling in her insides.

Suddenly, she pushed her chair back. Her girlfriends stared at her dubiously. "I'm going to ask someone about something," she whispered, winking at them. They understood at once.

The redhead took a deep breath and walked purposefully towards a certain jet-black haired boy with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. This is going to be hard, she reflected. I hate wheedling information out of anyone.

….

I sat on my seat, eating my food with gusto. A sudden movement to my right caught my attention. I turned my head, just a little, to see Will standing up. She whispered something to her friends then push her chair back to its original position.

She then did something I never thought would happen. She came towards me! I felt my heart pumping furiously, beating against my chest. My heart was beating so hard, I was surprised that no one else in the room could hear it too.

My heart skipped a beat when she hesitated for a short moment. I barely registered what Hermione was saying.

"Later," I murmured dismissively, my eyes trained on Will.

Oh my God, I thought, my heart racing. She's coming closer! What am I supposed to do?

Closer and closer she came, until we were only several feet apart…my heart beat even more furiously now until it hurt.

I stared, mesmerized, into her beautiful brown orbs….

And then….

She...

….

There. The fourth chapter done. Why didn't anyone review? Was the third chapter that terrible? Tell me if so.