Wisdom beyond Measure...   von Aylatha
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                               Kapitel 5: Gifted
                               -----------------


Staring down at the pale, slim figure lying motionless in one of the beds, Lily
tried to under­stand what had happened...
Lilian had just managed to score when she noticed that Elinor was speeding up
– in the direction of Harry. And as far as she could see, there was no Snitch
anywhere in sight.
What is she doing?!
“Elinor!”, she shouted, despite the fact the Seeker was probably too far
away to hear her.
And then she almost knocked him off his broom. A lout scream came from the seats
below as the others noticed what was happening.
The next moment, a Bludger slammed into Elinor's back. Lily was by now close
enough to hear her scream before she lost consciousness and slid off her broom.
Harry dived after her and managed to catch her while Lily raced after her broom.
She heard Madam Hooch's whistle and drifted over to where Harry was.
“I think she's unconscious”, the Gryffindor told her.
“Get her to the ground, she needs to go to the hospital wing”, Lily
replied.
Side by side, they descended towards the lawn. Teachers were already running out
onto the pitch.
“Do you have any idea why she did that?”
“No, but – if she hadn't, that Bludger would've most likely hit you, as she
knocked you off your intended flightpath...”
“But she couldn't have known it would have hit me – could she?”
After Elinor had been taken away, the game had resumed. Ravenclaw had lost,
210:340, because Elinor hadn't been there to catch the Snitch, and they had no
replacement for her. But it wasn't too bad, Lily told herself. If Gryffindor
lost against Hufflepuff or Slytherin, and they managed to beat them both, they
could still win the cup.
Stop deluding yourself, you know this is just wishful thinking.
Oh, but I can dream, can't I?
Returning to the present, she again watched Elinor's pale face. After the match
had ended, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Snape, Hooch
and herself had almost raced each other to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had
told them that Elinor's spine had been cracked in several places, but she had
already fixed that. However, Elinor hadn't regained consciousness yet.
On the way here, all the others had bugged Lilian with questions as to why
Elinor had done that. Lily had given them the same answer she had given Harry,
and everyone had agreed that they wouldn't have expected her to do something
like that.
After what seemed like ages, Elinor's eyelids started to flutter and a few
moments later, she was looking at them, slightly disorientated. She scanned the
faces, but quickly decided it would be better to stare at her hands.
“Miss Shiras, can you hear me?”, Madam Pomfrey asked.
Elinor nodded, very slowly, as if it was difficult for her.
“Good. How do you feel?”
“M-my back i-itches.”
“It'll pass. The bones need to grow together. Do you remember what
happened?”
Another nod.
“Not very talkative, is she”, Madam Hooch observed.
“Miss Shiras, we all here would like to know why you did what you did”,
McGonagall said. “You do realise that attacking another player is against
Quidditch rules? And that we don't particularly like it when students injure
each other purposefully – or even attempt to?”
Elinor paled instantly and Lily rolled her eyes. McGonagall could have tried to
phrase it a little less accusing.
“I-I-I di-didn't m-m-mean t-to - “
“Minerva, that's hardly helpful”, Madam Pomfrey observed.
“Miss Shiras, please tell us why you did what you did”, Dumbledore asked her
gently.
Elinor just looked more frightened than before.
“Give her a sedative”, Snape advised. “Otherwise, we'll never find
out.”
“Yes, that might work”, Lily agreed.
Elinor looked panicky.
“Hey, it's all right”, Lily assured her, squeezing her hand. “You'll just
get a potion that'll make you calm down so you can tell us what happened. Your
stuttering gets worse when you're nervous, after all.”
Madam Pomfrey handed Elinor a cup and after eyeing the contents suspiciously,
she emptied it.
After a minute or so they could see it was taking effect, and Dumbledore
repeated his question.
Elinor frowned and thought about it before answering.
“I'm not exactly sure what happened”, she finally said, without any
stuttering at all. “I was circling over the pitch, close to Harry Potter, as
instructed, when suddenly – everything was strange. I can't put it otherwise.
It was as if I had missed something – and suddenly everything had changed. I
saw Potter getting hit by a Bludger and fall.
And the next moment, everything was back to what it had been before – and
Potter was still in the air. There was no Bludger, no-one was screaming and he
wasn't hurt. But I had just seen it happen – I was confused. So I figured that
if it hadn't happened yet, for which I had visual confirmation – it had yet to
happen. Of course, I couldn't be sure about that either, but the only way to be
certain was to wait until it happened. I might have done that in someone else's
case, but not with Harry Potter.
Somehow, I felt I had little time before I would see proof, so I had to hurry. I
saw no other way but to ram him so the Bludger would miss him. I knocked him out
of the ball's way and then – I knew I had been right. I got hit instead.”
Everyone watched her for several heartbeats, stunned. Elinor had never before
spoken so much.
“So – you did that to protect me?”, Harry finally asked.
She looked up at him.
“Yes.”
“But couldn't you have done that in any other way – a way less
dangerous?”, McGonagall asked.
“There was no time. You know how long it usually takes me to say something,
Professor. And even if I did manage to tell him before it was too late, there
was always the chance he would think I was just crazy. Just imagine, if I told
you you'd better move away from where you were standing, since you would get run
over by a car if you didn't, would you believe me?”
“Probably not, no.”
“I most certainly wouldn't have believed it”, Harry added. “Not in a
situation like this.”
“Did you know you would get hit instead?”, Dumbledore inquired.
“No. But it wouldn't have mattered either way.”
“How so?”
“Harry Potter is our only hope against Voldemort - “ several teachers
flinched upon hearing that name - “and we need to protect him.”
It impressed Lily that she actually managed to say that with a straight face. It
was obvious she really meant it.
“But there is still something I would like to know, Miss Shiras”, Dumbledore
said. “You told us earlier you 'saw' Harry fall. Do you mean to say you had a
vision?”
“I don't know for sure, but stuff like this is usually called a 'vision',
right? But you should probably ask Professor Trelawney.”
“Have you ever experienced anything like this before?”
“No. But sometimes, when I was just gazing into my crystal ball, I thought I
saw shapes moving in there... since I wasn't sure it had not just been my
imagination, I took Divination. I wanted to know, but so far, I didn't find
out...”
“I see. I will speak with Sybille about this, but I would also like you to pay
attention to anything – unusual. I think it might be possible that you have
the potential to become a seer.”
Elinor looked thoughtful, and also impressed.
“Talking to her like that is much easier”, Snape observed. “Perhaps we
should have her drink a sedative more often...”
“Professor Snape!”, Madam Pomfrey protested. “We can't have her
permanently drugged, that would be bad for her health!”
Snape shrugged.
“So we can conclude from all this that Miss Shiras' actions weren't an attempt
to harm Mr. Potter”, McGonagall said.
“Yes, I agree”, Flitwick squeaked.
“In that case, we don't have to alter the outcome of the match”, Madam Hooch
said.
“Why alter the outcome?”, Lily asked. “We lost, and one penalty more or
less wouldn't make a difference.”
Elinor looked up at her upon hearing that.
“I'm sorry”, she said quietly.
“Hey, it wasn't your fault. Our chances weren't too good from the beginning.
And accidents do happen during a match. So don't blame yourself.”
“I think it would be best to let Miss Shiras rest now”, Snape suggested.
“The effect of the sedative will wear off soon, and then she'll be as nervous
and jumpy as ever.”
The other teachers nodded.
“Miss Shiras, I'd still like to keep you for the night, just to be sure”,
Madam Pomfrey said.
Elinor nodded.
“Then I'll come by tomorrow morning to pick you up, and I'll bring your
bag”, Lily said, rising from the chair she had been sitting on.
“Thanks.”
Lily, Harry, Ron and Hermione left the hospital wing together.
“She's weird”, Ron said.
“Extremely”, Harry agreed.
“But she did save you”, Hermione pointed out.
“Do you remember when she said that Harry was our only hope, without even
blushing or anything?”, Lilian asked. “That's not normal. Not even people in
the order think like that. I bet her parents are hero-worshipping you at home,
and she's been taught to do it as well.”
“I heard her parents are pretty fanatic”, Hermione said.
“That's right”, Ron confirmed. “My parents think they're crazy.”
“They have pretty extreme views, yes”, Lily agreed. “My parents don't like
them particu­larly, either. They just think they're better company than Death
Eaters.”
“Anyone is better company than Death Eaters”, Harry muttered.
“I wonder if you would still say that if Mr and Mrs Shiras started murdering
Death Eaters – or their children. Because to them, those people have no right
to live. I say they're equally bad in their ways of thinking.”
“Well, I don't know them, so it's hard for me to say. But I think that hating
Death Eaters is justified.”
“The problem is that they don't just hate Death Eaters”, Lily replied.
“They hate everyone who's interested in the Dark Arts. Anyone using Black
Magic, no matter who they are, what they think or why they use it. I know most
people think of Black Magic as evil, but that's not something you can say. You
can do just as many things with Black Magic as with White Magic. I'm not an
expert, but I have heard that there are healing spells only known to Black
Magicians, healing spells that are the only counter-curse to harmful dark
spells. And Black Magicians protect their houses usually with Black Magic.”
“You may be right there”, Harry admitted. “I never considered being able
to talk to snakes harmful or evil, either. Of course, I could use it for evil,
if I wanted to...”
“Such is the nature of every ability or weapon”, Hermione said. “It
depends on the user whether or not it's bad.”
“I guess it's just much easier to believe the world is black and white”, Ron
added with a shrug.
“Indeed”, Lily replied. “You may be right about that.”



Her behaviour during the Quidditch-Match caused Elinor a lot of unwanted
attention. The Weasleys, Hermione and some other Gryffindors now thought of her
as some kind of brave hero (which Elinor most certainly wasn't), while most of
the others thought her to be crazy and the Slytherins actually started to hate
her. They would have loved it if Harry had been killed by that Bludger. Their
behaviour didn't bother her as much as that of the Gryffindors, though. She was
used to not being liked, after all.
Lily and some other Ravenclaws made sure the Slytherins did nothing to harm her,
though. Otherwise, Elinor would have been completely helpless against any
attack. It was not that she was incapable of using defensive magic – she just
would have never been able to use it in time.
But there was something else Elinor wasn't at all looking forward to: Detention
with Snape. She was scared of him, and he knew it. He might also have realised
that she feared him more than the other teachers. And that didn't really make it
easier for her, especially since he didn't seem to mind frightening people in
general.
However, there was no way to avoid it. She didn't want to know what Snape would
do to her if she dared not to show up. So she gathered what little courage she
had and made her way down to the dungeons.
Miraculously, she wasn't waylayed by some malicious Slytherins and reached
Snape's office unscathed. A little hesitant, she raised her hand to knock.
“Come in!”, Snape's voice called.
Elinor took a deep breath and entered. During her last visit, she had seen
enough of his office as not to be surprised by what was in here.
“Ah, Miss Shiras. Over here.”
Obediently, she went over to where Snape was standing. The shelves not occupied
by bottles were full of boxes and satchels containing herbs, roots and other
kinds of brewing ingredients. It was a lot.
“You will start with these here and work until I say you're done. You can use
the table over there, if you need more space. You will come here as often as
needed until you have sorted through all containers.”
“Y-yes, S-sir.”
Elinor seized the first box and carried it over to the table. After carefully
emptying it onto the table, she checked the box for any sign that it could no
longer be used for storing herbs, such as damp wood or fungi. Since she found no
such signs, she then started to sort through the herbs.
Since she had as much time as she needed, she made sure to check every single
plant carefully, as not to miss something. However, she still made sure not to
take too much time, as Snape might not like that.
After a while, he came over to take a look at her progress. She had already
sorted out some herbs that could no longer be used for potion-making.
“Do you like Potions, Miss Shiras?”
“N-not p-particularly. B-but I-I don't d-dislike i-it, either.”
“Well, you are most certainly more talented than some other fools I had to
teach. And, from what I have heard, you have less troubles with Potions than
with other subjects.”
“B-brewing d-doesn't require t-talking.”
“I see. So you have problems with any subject where you need to talk much or
use spells.”
Elinor nodded.
After that, Snape left her to herself and went back to correcting essays. Elinor
was very glad about that.
She had no idea what time it was when Snape suddenly said that she could go.
“You may go to the kitchen to eat”, he added. “If anyone from the staff or
a Prefect should stop you, tell them you have my permission. And now get
out.”
“Y-yes.”
Elinor hurried out of his office, checking her watch on the way to the kitchen.
It was well past 10.
That night, when she had finally reached her bed in the common room, Elinor had
the first strange dream.


After what seemed like eternity to Elinor, she had managed to sort through all
the plants in Snape's office and he announced her punishment to be over. While
she hadn't found the punishment in itself hard or gruelling, she was glad she
now only had to see Snape during lessons.
In addition, she now had time to go flying again. She had really missed that.
I need to think of something when Winter comes, for I won't be able to survive
four months in this castle without flying.
The hour or two she spent in the air helped her to clear her mind. But once she
was back on the ground, she started worrying and wondering again. She still had
no idea what to think of those strange dreams she had been having lately. She
heard a voice, a woman, call her. Or someone singing – a lullaby, perhaps?
I don't know who that woman is. I can't even see her face... and mum never sang
any lullabies... I don't think she can even sing.
Shouldering her broom, she went back to the shack, trying to figure out what
this was all about.
“Hello again.”
“Oh, it's you. Had a good hunt?”
“Yes indeed. Haven't seen you out here in a while.”
“I was kept away.”
“By another of your kind?”
“Yes. I had to do some work for him.”
“I see. Well, I'm glad you're back, so I have someone to talk to.”
“Say, would you mind if I gave you a name?”
“No, not particularly.”
“I see... Well... What do you think about Shizel?”
“Can't say that I particularly like or dislike it.”
“All right, then. I'm Elinor.”
“Elinor. Now that's a strange word.”
“You think so?”
“Definitely.”
“I see...”
“So you're a Parselmouth as well. Now that's interesting.”
That voice made Elinor jump. It was male and belonged to – Harry Potter, of
all people! Elinor stared at him for a few heartbeats, before she had found her
voice again.
“So – you're the other Parselmouth.”
“Apparently.”
He eyed the snake.
“Did she tell you about me?”
“She only said that there was another one and that he didn't like talking to
snakes.”
“That's right”, Shizel added.
“It's not that I don't like talking to snakes, but it makes people around me
edgy. They don't understand what I'm saying, after all. And besides, this
ability is usually associated with Dark Magic...”
“That's why I'm so surprised you can use it”, Elinor replied.
“I 'owe' that to Voldemort. The night he tried to kill me, he accidentally
passed some of his abilities on to me, or at least that is what Dumbledore
thinks. But – how comes you can use it? I doubt Voldemort tried to kill you as
a baby, too.”
“No, most certainly not.”
“Then – how? It's usually linked to Black Magic, or at least blood.”
“I don't know. There are no Black Magicians in our family, and if my parents
ever find out, they'll – they don't know.”
“Hm. I see... almost the whole school knows about me, and when it came out I
was a Parselmouth, I had to deal with a lot of suspicions and stuff...”
“I can imagine that rather well. You – you won't tell anyone? Please?”
“Not if you don't want me to.”
“Thanks.”
“Funny”, he observed. “You haven't been stuttering once ever since I
showed up.”
“Now that you mention it... Well, I guess I'm a little less nervous than
normally, but apart from that I can't explain it...”
“So your stuttering comes simply from you being nervous?”
“Yes...”
“I see. That must be hard.”
“I got used to it.”
“But still... Say, would you mind if I told Hermione and Ron? They're
trustworthy, they wouldn't tell anyone else.”
Elinor shook her head violently.
“No. I don't want anyone to know. Maybe they won't tell anyone, but what if
someone overhears you? Besides, I don't trust people. It's bad enough that you
know.”
“I see. Then I won't tell them. But – does that mean you don't trust people
in general? Why?”
“Why would I? Do I gain something by trusting someone?”
“Well – probably not, but life is much easier if you have someone to confide
in – someone to rely on.”
Elinor didn't reply. She didn't know if that would be easier. And he didn't need
to know she didn't know.
“I need to go”, Shizel suddenly said. “Need to find myself a nice place
for the night – somewhere the big birds won't spot me.”
“Oh, right, you can't move if it's too cold”, Harry said.
“I could take you with me”, Elinor offered. “It's warm in our tower, and
there are no birds in there, even though we are the house of eagles.”
“Sounds tempting, I admit. But wouldn't that get you into trouble?”
“I don't think that students may not keep harmless snakes – at least the
rules don't say anything like that. Worst case I'll just hide you. And of course
no-one should see me talk to you.”
“In that case I'll take you on that offer.”
Smiling faintly, Elinor reached down and the snake quickly wound herself around
her arm. From there, she made her way up to Elinor's neck, where she curled
herself around like a necklace. Elinor tugged her Quidditch-robes in place so
Shizel wasn't that easy to spot.
“I don't think anyone would give you detention or anything because you keep a
snake”, Harry said. “There are much more dangerous things to keep as pets,
just ask Hagrid.”
Oh I won't.
“Mind if I accompany you?”
Elinor shook her head and the Gryffindor fell into stride next to her. She would
have never thought that Harry Potter, the hero of the wizarding world, and
herself could have anything in common – and if it was only a power everyone
thought to be evil. She knew better than that. Now she just had to hope that he
would keep his word... Because if anyone else found out, she would be doomed.

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