Dinner was quiet as per usual tonight. With the two of us and a couple of house elves, it was rather quiet. One would compare the silence to that of a grave yard.

I've only been to a cemetery once, when I was a baby. I wasn't even old enough to remember going but I remember a dark feeling that hung around. When I try to remember that time, all I remember is this dark and foreboding feeling, something that clings to you just like your shadow. You don't even realize it's there till you look down and are reminded of it.

When I was able to draw all I could draw was a cemetery with dark shapes standing around two coffins. None of the shapes had faces, at least none that were discernable or memorable, all except for my mother's face. Some of the smeared figures had discernable features like half-moon eye glasses, and a beard.

When mother came across my grim drawings she snatched them up, and told me to draw something beautiful, taking all my darker colors away. I now believe this was to prevent me from drawing ominous looking graves, she wanted unicorns eating flowers and pooping rainbows; you know the happy girly things every girl should love to draw.

I am not really sure why this particular memory comes to my mind while we are eating. I haven't even had those feelings for as long as I can remember. The moment those feelings surfaced was when I found that photograph tucked away in my mother's old school trunk.

Bringing me out of my reflections mom asked me about the upcoming term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "So what's on the school list this year?"

I looked up from my meal and cleared me throat, "the usual, I need to have my school robes mended and make sure that my quidditch uniform is up to snuff. I am going into this year with confidence that I will make the team again this year."

"Well I hope that I will be able to make a few of your games again this year. I still can't believe that you didn't play last year" mom said with a down tone of voice.

Mom was friends with the Diggory family and worked with Cedric Diggory's father at the Ministry. The loss of Cedric had been hard on everyone. The Diggory family had wanted a private funeral, even mom and I didn't attend even though Cedrick and I grew up together. The news of what happened last year at the Tri-Wizard Tournament was too much for anyone to handle. The whole of the wizarding world didn't want to believe that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, could be back. All the papers, who print that Minister of Magic tells them to print, are accusing Dumbledore of trying to replace Fudge as Minister of Magic and using Harry Potter as a reason for doing so. Since Harry was the only other person in the graveyard with Cedric when he died, no one really knows if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is really back or not. This loss of such a young and beautiful life and claim of the Dark Lord being back is throwing the wizarding world in a tail spin.

"I hope that this year is low key. I just want to go to focus on school, play quidditch and hangout with my friends. I don't want any more killer tournaments, student deaths or unknown serpents crawling through the pipes petrifying people."

"Well with Umbridge as professor, I doubt anything will be normal" mom said while she started clearing away the plates. She continued talking as we cleared the table and put away the leftovers, "Harry Potter was brought in today for his disciplinary hearing, Fudge was working hard to have him expelled. When Professor Dumbledore arrived the Minister's mood was even… darker, I'm not even sure that's an adequate enough explanation for what the mood of the room was."

I looked up from the food that I was putting in the fridge, "what was Harry doing at an inquiry? He's coming back to school right?"

"Oh yes he is, sorry I didn't mean to make it sound as if he had indeed been expelled. You will see him on the train in a few short weeks."

With that marking the end of her story she turned towards me, "Andy I am so glad that you love going to school and doing what makes you happy," with a more serious tone she added, "however, pleases don't make yourself known this year." Confusion surely illuminated my face because she immediately rose hear hand "please just promise me that you will not do anything to gain any attention from anyone this year, for my sake please."

With her worried look and adamant plea I agreed, "I will be as silent as a fox."

Mom raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow "I would prefer something less cunning if you please, how about more like a fish."

And with that she gave me a tight and quick hug with a kiss on the forehead. "Now, off to you bedroom to finish your summer school work." With a small and gentle twist I was turned and pushed out the door.

Once I closed my bedroom door I had no intention of working on my school work. I reached for the bottom drawer of my desk and pulled out parchment and colored pencils. Once they were all laid out on my desk I started drawing an ominous scene from memory, however this time the shapes that had some definition to them. Smudged faces became defined and recognizable. Gasping I crumpled up the drawing and burned it. How I drew it I cannot explain, but burning it would make sure that I would never see it again.