A first trip to the Hospital. 1 Sept, 10 PM; after Sorting.

This new Great Hall . . . it was a building, yeah, and it was big. Not as big as The Warts, but big enough. The thing was, whereas the Great Hall at Hogwarts seemed--strangely enough--cramped in places due to things being enclosed here and there, it seemed like a good many parts of this Great Hall were opened, like the Dinning area was a room inside a shell. Walking out of the Atrium back towards the West Transept, Kerry realized he'd love to see this place in a full moon. It probably came off spooky and baroque at the same time.

Annie was quiet; she'd said little since he'd fallen out of the mind-bending waking nightmare this place called the "Flames of Sorting". Flames, yeah, but he could think of another word that started with "S" that would fit better. Wow, in the real world they'd have everyone here in jail for child abuse, he thought. But he knew the "real" world had nothing to do with this world, and he was learning that lesson well. Sure, he wasn't saying "Muggle" quite yet, but he was still learning. And what he knew what that stuff like that crazy Phoenix were probably weren't the norm--but in the grand scheme of things in the Wizard War, there were likely things a hell of a lot worse. There was that war I read about, the one that happened 12 years ago . . ..

He got a shiver thinking about what happened then, the people who were hurt and, yeah, killed. And that a lot of them weren't much older than he was now. He held onto Annie and remembered that her dad, a guy Kerry found easy to like even if he was a bit scary, was a teenager then, and . . . well, it was something he didn't want to ask Annie about. He was sure she knew a few stories, maybe things she'd been told by her dad when he was trying to give her a lesson. Or maybe not--

Or maybe not because if Annie's dad is anything like her, she keeps things way close to her. Annie was a bit of a puzzle to Kerry. He liked her; she was the first person he befriended after finding out about all the Wizard stuff and being taken to London. Her parents had him in for dinner, he got to see her dad on a broom and met her pet Yoda . . . and he still had the dragon, which he kept in a special place in his trunk. She had been nothing but good and kind to him.

And then there were the "girl things" she did . . ..

He remembered the peck he'd given her in the Hogwarts owlery. She'd looked faint, and at the time he'd thought it was the owl poop. Then he'd given her that confection in the Dinning Hall when they'd returned and she'd looked at it--and him--kinda strange before taking it. And don't forget we walked about a half mile holding hands, and she never once said crap about it, he thought, remembering afterward how nice hold her hand had been, how soft her skin was, just a little dry from the cold but still so smooth--

He looked up the stairs to his left, and saw the sign on the wall: West Transept. Yeah, this be it. The diagram in the Atrium indicated the Hospital was on the 2nd Floor, so he directed Annie on and up. Or should I call her Sweets again? he thought. Naw. Not right now. Just get her up to the nurse.

They climbed the stairs together, slowly, in step, in silence.

Annie had never felt quite so awful in all of her short life. She remembered closing her eyes on Kerry’s shoulder, and here she was…walking? Wherever she was going, she really didn’t care because Kerry was beside her.

A shiver went down her spine as she felt his hands gently guiding her to the West Transept. Casually, Annie raised her left arm and rested it around his waist. She listened to his quiet, steady breath and the light patter of the rain outside.

As they walked along, arm in arm, Annie smiled. It occurred to her that, at that moment, she was living a parallel life in Hogwarts. Her other self had already been sorted into Hufflepuff and she was probably sitting on that wonderful squashy couch with…Kerry.

She glanced over at him. He seemed to be deep in thought. Probably wondering about his own sort here. That Flame should be sent straight to Azkaban.

The floor began to spin as Annie thought about her short time within the Flame, and she begged her stomach not to betray them both.

As they climbed the steps together, Annie wondered if she would survive long enough to see what lie at the top.

Feeling Annie falter a bit, Kerry slowed their pace, allowing her to take each step carefully. Wow, this sorting really knocked her out, he thought. Sure as hell ain't like that hat we wore! Which, he reminded himself, was just a few hours ago.

He held her closer, getting his arm around her and taking as much of her weight as he could. Now that they were nearly half-way up the stairs, the last thing he wanted was to fall. The thing was, he was thinking more about how it would hurt Annie more than it would hurt him. Not that he wasn't worried about getting hurt, but . . . but, what? I don't want to see Annie get hurt. That wouldn't be good at all.

Kerry leaned in and whispered, "We're almost there, Pumpkin. Just a few more steps." His face screwed up in a grimace seconds later. Pumpkin??? What the heck is wrong with you? She's gonna slap you if you keep doin' this! Or would she? Kerry was testing unknown waters with the affectations, but to be honest, Annie probably wasn't hearing a word of it, seeing as how she appeared lost in her own misery--

Annie felt her cheeks flush pink when Kerry pulled her closer. Nuzzling her, he crooned “Pumpkin”. A profound and exquisite warmth radiated throughout her being, and she felt suddenly disconnected from the Earth beneath her feet.

“Mi edna lyubov…” she whispered back in thick Bulgarian, not bothering to translate—or even open her eyes. She knew what it meant, and for now, that was enough.

Just as Annie was beginning to wonder if the stairs actually led anywhere, they reached the top. She opened one eye a tiny bit, saw a large pair of doors, and finally understood where it was they were going. He’s taking me to the hospital. I really must look terrible…

With that thought lingering in her head, they shuffled together inside.

Coraline smoothed her crisp, white jacket. It had been a long night so far, but things seemed like they were winding down. She had healed a few hundred students already; most of them sent to her with a simple case of shock or trauma and were easily cured with a calming draught. Nevertheless, she had also seen quite a few cuts, bruises, and broken bones. The Flame is in rare form tonight. She thought, as two more young students entered through the hospital doors.

“Well, well. What have we here? Another victim of our Flame?” The girl looked very pale, though she had a pink tinge to her cheeks. Coraline suspected the close proximity and intimate way the red head was holding her probably had something to do with that.

She raised her hand toward an intern, who understood what Coraline needed and ran to fetch it. “Let’s get our patient set up over here, shall we Red?” She winked at the boy and motioned for him to follow her.

Kerry's head was doing flip-flops. First he halls Annie to the hospital because she needed it--being gallant and all, something that Kerry had never been--and now he had this . . . luscious red headed doctor winking at him. Oh, man! He couldn't keep his eyes off her legs . . . Keep it together, Kerry, he thought as he followed her. Do what you gotta do.

"This is Annie, Ma'am" he said as he helped Annie up on an examination table. "She got sorted tonight, and, yeah, it was pretty rough for her." He stepped back, and did really see, in good light for the first time, how bad Annie actually looked. "The spirit, flames, what have you . . . she was pretty rough." He sat in a nearby chair and let the doctor do her thing. But . . . damn, he thought, she sure ain't no Madam Pomfrey! Kerry made sure to keep his gaze wide, focusing on Annie from time to time when he wasn't watching them both.

Coraline patiently listened to the red headed boy and then proceeded to examine Annie. She was still very pale and had not said a thing since the two of them walked through the doors. Coraline noticed how Red did all the talking for the both of them and wondered if Annie was really as out of it as she seemed, or if something quite different was going on with her.

“I’ve got just the thing for you, sweetheart.” She said, just as the intern appeared by her side with a tall, slender glass bottle and a smaller silver cup. She poured a bit of the liquid into the cup and handed it to Annie. “Drink up and you’ll be better in no time at all.”

She waved the intern away and turned to the red headed boy. “Don’t worry, Red. She really will be alright.” She smiled, touched by his look of concern. Ah, they do start younger and younger, don’t they? Still, it's rare to have to use a calming draught for a situation like this...

“So, what do you say, Red? Got a name?”

Clearing his throat he said, "Kerry Malibey, um, Doctor." He looked around her to see how Annie was, but she still looked the same. "Annie and I just transfered in from . . ." he remembered something Helena had said about not mentioned where they were from--doing with all that wibbly wobbly, timey whimmy stuff, he thought. "Another school. It was sort of an emergency."

He looked at Annie again, then asked the stunning redhead, "Can I ask what you gave Annie?"

“It's very nice to meet you, Kerry." She winked again and flashed a brilliant smile of dazzling white. "I’m Coraline, and I'm a nurse here. Actually, you could call me the one in charge.

“Annie got a calming draught. It’s what most students received tonight, but I have to say, she’s the first one I’ve had to give it to for reasons other than the Flame.” She gazed deeply into Kerry’s eyes for any hint of realization. When he did not reply, Coraline stood up and fluidly crossed over to his seat. She placed a hand on his shoulder, leaned in closer, and whispered, “Annie is quite deliriously in love…”

Coraline stood up and put her finger up to her full lips. “Shh.”

She spun around and walked quickly back to Annie’s side. “Feeling better now, aren’t we?” She said. “I’ll give you a few minutes to get your color back. See you kids then.”

Kerry watched Nurse Bombshell--uh, Coraline walk away while her words still rang in his befuddled brain. Kerry was thumbing the mental rewind button on her last comment to him over and over . . . not the "Shh" one, but the one before that--

Annie is quite deliriously in love…

He sat there, opened mouthed, wondering why she told him that. How does she know that? he wondered. Was there some magic code that girls have? Or maybe Nurse Coraline was psychic--that would make sense, and it would make knowing what's wrong with someone a lot easier.

So that way, he thought, she would know about Annie falling in lu--lu--yeah, that thing.

And then it hit him like the Big Bang. Owls and passing out in poop. Holding hands for a long time and never saying anything. That look when he gave her the confection. The look when she got him the books in the library. That look when they were in the commons back at The Warts. That look tonight after his sorting.

The look . . . she sort of has a lot these days.

Oh, man.

He iced his face into composure. "You feeling better, Annie?"

Annie sat quietly, her eyes closed the entire time they were in the hospital. She let Kerry lead the way to the exam table and took the potion from the nurse without complaint. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes to see a curvy woman whispering to Kerry. She stood and Annie watched as she lifted a perfectly manicured finger up to her lips, miming a “Shh.”

What’s that about… she wondered, as the woman, nurse Coraline, turned to face her. Annie sat, stunned by her beauty, as she asked if she was feeling better. Say something, anything! Annie felt like a hippogriff was sitting on her tongue—nothing would come out. She managed a weak nod and watched the nurse saunter away.



"You feeling better, Annie?" Kerry asked.

Annie ran her fingers through her hair and managed a weak half-smile. “I do feel better." she said. "I'm so sorry you had to drag me all the way here and leave the feast."

She scanned the room, glancing once more at nurse Coraline, who was making herself busy administering another calming draught. She noticed she wasn't the only one watching; everyone in the room seemed to be drawn to nurse Coraline.

"What was that all about before with the whispering?" she asked Kerry, still riveted to the nurse. "Did she tell you I'm too emotional for my own good?" Annie giggled and her cheeks flushed. "She is rather stunning, isn’t she? It’s a little distracting.”

Kerry wasn't worried in the least about the feast. He knew--or at least thought--that they'd still get to eat no matter what. "It's okay about the food," he said. "The professor said they elves would get us something if we didn't make it back. As for the whispering . . ."

Kerry wasn't sure how to handle that minefield. The whole line of questioning about the nurse, her being stunning and all: he'd seen his dad get burned by his mom a couple of times with this same stuff, where she'd ask if he was watching such-and-such girl, and if he said yes Mom would rip into him. He didn't think Annie would do that to him, but at the same time he knew he shouldn't say something that might get her . . . upset. It's not that I think she's going to lose it and eat my face, but given this new set of facts--best to keep it general.

"She was just saying you were pretty shook up by the Sorting," he said, trying to look convincing while lying. He'd never really lied to Annie, not since they'd met, and he didn't want to get into the habit of it now. But I didn't think it prudent to repeat what he was told. "As for being too emotional . . . hey, we both know there's nothing wrong with that, right?"

Kerry walked over and, without really thinking about it, took Annie's hand. "I think you're going to be fine, over emotional or not," he said very softly. He wanted to look away, he wanted to be slightly weirded out, but . . . he really couldn't. "As for the nurse being attractive--yeah, but so are you. You can be very distracting without knowing it, Pumpkin. Especially to me." He moved a little closer. "When you're feeling better we can probably leave. They haven't called us back to go to the covens, so we can either go back to the feast, or . . . I don't know, maybe walk over to the library?"

Coraline peeked over at the two lovebirds. She noticed Kerry lean in and smiled. That kid must have been totally clueless. She chuckled and walked over.

“I see you’re feeling much better, Annie.” she said. “I think the pair of you should be alright to rejoin the feast.” She winked again at Kerry. Placing her arm lightly around his shoulders, she stared deeply into Annie’s eyes and said, “This young man really is a prince charming, isn’t he? In my opinion, he is one worth keeping.

“The draught I gave you should keep you until morning. Don’t hesitate to visit again…” she looked now at Kerry and smiled, “should you need anything.”

Kerry nodded. "Thank you, Nurse Coraline," he said politely, "I'll remember that." He smiled at her, then turned back to Annie. "Would you like to go back to the feast, Annie? Or . . . anywhere else?" He shrugged. "They haven't called us to the covens, so it's just our time now." He raise his eyebrows, like he expected a particular answer.

Annie wasn’t ready to head back down to the overly crowded dining hall. I feel much better, but my stomach doesn’t feel like it’s in any mood to be tested. She adjusted her hand so that her long, slender fingers intertwined with Kerry’s.

Nurse Coraline interrupted her thoughts by coming to check on her. The way she moved was hypnotic and Annie, once again, found herself distracted. She felt off kilter when nurse Coraline mentioned Kerry. The message was one aimed at her…but, strangely, also at Kerry. Suddenly, the urgency to be alone with him intensified.

Annie stared at them both. “Thank you very much, Nurse Coraline.” she said. “I think we will head out now.”

She hopped gently off the exam table, still holding tightly to Kerry’s hand and quickly headed for the exit.



Once they were both out of the hospital and the door closed, Annie turned to face Kerry. “I don’t want to go back to the dining hall right now,” she said, her heart pounding so hard it hurt her chest. “Take me somewhere quiet?”

Kerry led Annie down the 2nd Floor corridor, away from the stairs and up towards . . . north? The library? Didn't matter. Kerry wasn't in a hurry. He held onto Annie's hand as they strolled slowly through the darken hall.

His mind was racing. If anything, the nurse's last comment sort of locked everything into position. Now there really wasn't anyway that Annie wouldn't know that something was obvious. And with that . . . with that, I need to do something. Otherwise, there's gonna be something hanging between us, and that's going to be awkward. I don't want awkward.

He spied a bench overlooking an opening in the hallway wall, one that looked down onto the floor below and the Dinning Hall. "Lets sit," he said to Annie and helped her down. Sitting next to her, he knew this was a "quiet place" and they were about as alone as they would probably get for the rest of the school year.

He cleared this throat and looked at Annie. "I think there's something I should say . . .."

Annie followed along through the corridors mulling over the last month in her head. She didn’t care where they ended up, as long as it was quiet.

She needed him, and she wasn’t interested in being interrupted by people or her bothersome emotions. Now was the time. Who knows if we will have this chance again during the rest of the school year?

They sat together on a bench overlooking the dining hall. Annie gazed at Kerry; butterflies were taking flight in her stomach, but she felt wonderfully calm.

“I think there's something I should say …” Kerry began.

Annie could barely hear him over the sound of her own heart beating. She smiled and gently squeezed his hand. “Say it.” she whispered softly, waiting patiently for him to declare what her heart already knew.

"We've known each other for about 6 weeks now," Kerry said, holding back his nervousness as best he could. "And for most of that time, we've always been together. I never realized it until now, but we're in the same houses twice, and that can't be a coincident.

"Your dad said I should look after you, and after what I got put thought tonight, I kinda feel you should look after me as well." He smiled and held onto her hand tightly. "I mean, that's what we do. We have each other.

"I'm not really good with feelings; my family isn't like yours. Yours is warm, and mine is cold and . . ." Kerry swallowed looking for the word. "Empty. I saw that tonight. And it's not my fault I'm not good with feelings; I've just never had the chance to use them.

"Annie, I--" He swallowed again, hard. This is so hard! he thought. But Kerry was going to say it. He would. "Annie, I think, since we can only count on each other . . . we should go steady. Would you please be my girlfriend? I can't say I'll be the best, but I'll be here for you when you need me."

“Kerry, I…” Annie faltered for the right words. She knew this was coming, knew her destiny lie within the boy who now sat across from her, knew she was already his…but he needed to understand. She took a deep breath and began again.

“You must be aware of what it is you are asking. Our world is very different from the one you are used to. Magic takes many forms,” she looked up into Kerry’s eyes and caressed his cheek. “but love is one of the hardest and strongest types.

“It is the only protection against the lure and power of the Dark Arts, which are fueled by hateful emotions…” Annie placed her hand back in her lap. She knew it would be better to stop, but she had to finish. Kerry had to know.

“Do you remember when we were in the library at Hogwarts? We spoke of the ones called seer’s in our world. Mostly every witch or wizard you will ask will tell you seer’s are crazy, but they do exist…though they are very rare.

“A month before we met, my family sat down to dinner. I was upset about having to go to Hogwarts. My parents insisted; I desperately wanted to attend Durmstrang. We were having our thousandth discussion on the topic when my mother dropped her fork.

“My father rushed to her side, he knew what was happening. I sat there watching, panic filling my body like a lead weight. Then she spoke.

‘It will happen soon, when the roads will merge… The red haired one walks alone and friendless, abandoned by his family. His heart has been chained these eleven years...He is weak and ignorant. He will break free and set out to become master. The red haired one will rise up, greater and more powerful than ever he was. The Krum name is profoundly interwoven with his fate. The young girl…a witch, who is dark, will be by his side…’

“After that, I accepted my invitation to Hogwarts without complaint and willingly went with my father to Diagon Alley to pick up all the ridiculous books required for their first years.” A tear slid down Annie’s face as she finished. “I banished all of my Dark Arts books from my bedroom library and tried to forget the thrill I felt when reading one of those well worn copies. Then, that day…I asked my father to go pick up the last book and he agreed. I was thrilled because, up until then he had been watching me—hovering, never leaving me alone. I walked in and saw that tiny display. The book called me and I willingly, and greedily, answered. I began to savor it…and before I knew what was happening, there you were.

“I know you don’t believe in destiny. I know you believe this to be a bunch of nonsense. But here you are,” she smoothed his hair and smiled, “and here I sit with you.

“It is not fair to allow you to ask such questions without telling you the entire truth. I belong with you. We belong together. I know you feel that too. It is our shared fate…but with that comes consequences—for me.”

Annie shuddered at the last word. She knew that love was a powerful magic, and she willingly placed her future in Kerry’s hands. If he loved her enough, she believed her future might be saved. But he had to be allowed to choose.

She lowered her gaze and waited for his answer.

It suddenly felt like the the corridor they were in had turned darker, like Annie's words had pulled in some heavy mojo that affected the very environment. Kerry'd seen things like this as Hogwarts, so it didn't surprise him that something similar might happen here. I could be his imagination, but he suspected it wasn't.

Annie's monologue was . . . well, Matrix-like heavy. It wasn't that he didn't believe in fate, but he did believe it could be changes, which didn't really make it fate, but-- Ah, enough. He'd seen enough in the last few weeks to understand what she was saying and why she believed it. And having met her mother--yeah, he could see Momma Kurm coming up with something like that.

Kerry thought it was a bit melodramatic, but then, seeing visions of the future always were. And with Annie pushing him to "see the future"--was she trying to see if he was going to come up with something different if he did? He might not believe in any of this, but Annie obviously did, and Kerry saw that she was scared by the implications that she was going to go all Dark Side at some point and turn Lady Death on everyone. And who am I to say she's wrong? he thought. Two months ago he'd have laughed at someone had they told him they could levitate for real, or teleport, or brew magical potions--'cause everyone knew that was all sci fi fantasy stuff.

Now he knew it was different. Now he knew it could happen. And if Annie thought she was heading off to her own personal hell if he didn't stand by her--he couldn't say for sure that she was wrong.

He said nothing for almost two minutes while he thought everything out. Then he knew what he needed to say.

And said it.

"Okay, so this isn't going to be a case of simply going steady," he said. "I get that. I understand that you believe we are meant to be together, and you've known this for . . . a while. Like before we even met. And when we were at Hogwarts. And now, here. Yeah."

He signed and went on. "And I can see why you got all strange when I told you what happened in my sort, because if I did change, then you're--um, doomed, 'cause I wouldn't be me anymore, and your destiny is screwed and so are you. 'Cause you really need me to be at your side so you don't turn all Anakin Skywalker on us.

"But, see . . . that's not really true. Because Anakin Skywalker was a loser, and you're not a loser. He thought his crap didn't stink, and he thought people should look up to him because he was meant to be something huge. In other words--" Kerry smiled at Annie. "He was a total douche."

He reached over and took Annie's hand, and held it close to him. "You're not like that, Annie. I'm still learning about this wizarding stuff, but I do know this: anything can happen here. And probably will. And you need friends. And . . . it sounds like you need someone more than a friend."

Kerry sighed. Man, this is way too much to be taking in, he thought. But at the same time, he understand the Hero's Journey, and in a lot of the stuff he read it wasn't unusual to start on it at an early age. Just ask Paul Atreides, he thought.

"You need your own Amidala, Annie," he said, almost choking out the word. "Maybe that's what The Phoenix was telling me; that you could have someone next to you that's your best friend forever, who is always going to stand by you, who is always there to . . . to . . ." He couldn't say it. So say something else! "Who's going to care for you. And maybe that 'she' is really . . . me." He knew he wasn't making a damn bit of sense, but he was saying it, and he was meaning it, and he hoped Annie was hearing the truth behind it all.

"I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you," he said with a unquestionable finality. "I can't say what's going to happen, but I know whatever it is, it'll be interesting." He laughed and kissed the back of her hand in a crazy showing of bravado. "Lets stick together and do it. Besides, if there's one thing Joss has taught me, its that when you're The Chosen One, you can't say no." He held her hand tight. "Would you still like to go steady? 'Cause I would."

Annie’s eyes were damp as she listened to Kerry sort out the burden she just unloaded. She was spent, emotionally drained from the day, but she felt completely prepared for whatever he would decide. She was determined to face her future no matter the cost.

Desperately, she resisted the urge to wrap her arms around him and comfort him. As he finished, her heart soared. She gently touched the place above his heart and whispered, “Mi edna lyubov...” This time, she leaned in closer, closed her eyes and whispered the translation for him. “My one love… I accept.”

Oh, boy . . . Kerry was in it deep now. He'd never been this close to a girl; never said the things he'd just said. Nor had one tell him what she had--

Yeah, and 45 minutes ago you were a girl with purple nail polish wearing a skirt and standing in the middle of a furnace with a spirit dressed like one of the X-Men. Deal with it, dude! This is your world now!

While he still had his nerve about him he leaned in quickly, closed his eyes, and gave Annie a sweet, soft kiss on the lips. Kerry thought his head was going to explode. He wanted to think, but didn't--couldn't. Because there was nothing to think about. It just . . . was.

And it was . . . nice.

When he opened his eyes Annie was still there, still looking up. Oh, man, my parents would die if they saw this, he thought. He pulled her against him and noticed the light in the hallway seemed to be back to normal. He touched Annie's hair. "Hey, you okay?"

Before Annie could comprehend what was happening, Kerry was kissing her. His soft lips met hers, and they yielded to his gentle pressure.

Thanks to the calming draught, her mind was magnificently peaceful; freeing her to comprehend that this moment was one that would live with her for eternity. My first kiss… She knew nothing that came later would compare to this instant, and she savored the brief seconds.

As quickly as it had begun, it ended. Annie stared, slightly dazed, enjoying a luscious radiant heat pulsing throughout her body. With his declaration, Annie now had hope.

He pulled her against him, asking if she was all right. How do I answer that? She nestled her head closer to his and whispered the only thing that fit.

“Life, the gift of nature; Love, the gift of life; A Kiss, the gift of Love.”

Kerry let her words wrap around him. Wow, she's very deep, he thought. Annie was not a normal 11 year old girl--then again, he was no longer a normal boy her age, either. It was like the last month saw them grow up fast, and the last hour kicked them right out of tweenhood and well on the path to teenager-hood.

He didn't want to let her go; Annie was soft and smelled good, and her hair feel good against his chin. Kerry didn't truly understand the full implications of Annie's vision, but he knew she needed him--and, if he was honest with himself, he was feeling like he wanted to be with her more and more all the time.

If we'd stayed at The 'Warts we'd probably be all bored and stuff now, he thought, thinking how the last few days before the "Great Death Eater Clear Out" were, and it was turning into a grind. Yeah, magic--but not really good magic. Potions had been interesting, but that'd been it. And when he was in Potions, he was never there with Annie, and that had been bothering him--

Oh, face it, dude; you want her around, too. She showed you how to get here, and you're doing a lot better than you would have had you stayed "normal" in Cardiff.

And Kerry knew that all to be true. In Annie he'd found more than a friend. Now, where would it take them?

They'd find out together.

"Annie, would you like to go to the library?" he asked. "Maybe they have those divination books here that I had at Hogwarts."

Annie perked up when Kerry mentioned the divination books. "Sure." she said. "I think we have enough time to find them before we have to be in our coven. I still think you'd find a lot of that stuff to be interesting."

She looked him in the eye, thinking. "Are you really sure though? I mean, if you think it's all insane, I'd understand."