The next morning everyone is staring at the walls, ceiling, floor, benches and tables. They are looking at the plates, silverware, the goblets and hourglasses. Basically anything that is in the Great Hall is worth looking at. The walls are flashing rainbows and the tables and benches are bright pink and purple. The ceiling and floor look like they have been flipped and the hourglasses are randomly adding and subtracting points from all the houses. The ceiling, which looks like the floor, also has random plants and other things hanging from it.

"You know I think the best part of this prank is the people," Sirius says, a smirk on his face that is extremely contagious.

I smile as I look around at everyone. People who ate the banana nut muffins are sporting neon pink hair. Those who ate blueberry pancakes have pastel green hair. Anyone who ate waffles, myself included, have punk purple hair. If you ate bacon you had black lowlights added, while strawberries gave blonde highlights. Therefore if someone eats waffles with bacon they would have punk purple hair with black lowlights, while someone with banana nut muffins and strawberries would have neon pink hair with blonde highlights.

I smirk at James, who had eaten said muffins and berries. Peter has pastel green hair with both highlights and lowlights in it. Remus's hair is pretty much normal, except for the lowlights, because he isn't eating very much. Sirius has made it so that he has purple highlights just because of how much bacon he had.

"I can't believe that this is actually working," Remus whispers.

James looks up at the teachers table and starts laughing. When the rest of us look we see Professor McGonagall with neon pink and punk purple hair with black lowlights. Professor Dumbledore has pastel green hair with blonde highlights.

"How long is this supposed to last again?" Peter moans.

"Till tomorrow morning, remember that we charmed it so that at lunch our eye color would change and that at dinner our ears," James reminds him.

"Why change a person's ears? Why not something else?" Remus asks.

"Because ears are often overlooked and I wanted to give them some attention," James explains.

"Ok, then." I'm holding back a snigger as I say that and then turn back to my breakfast.

Sirius sighs and looks around to try and find something to do, "I know I am the last person who should be saying this, but can we go to class or something? I'm too bored to stay here longer."

I'm about to agree when the family owl lands in front of me. I take the letter from the owl and have to quickly snatch my hand away before the owl can bite me. Frowning, I open the letter and groan when I see my mother's script.

Annalisa,
You are to come home for the rest of the week. Grandfather Legarious has passed and we will be having the wake and funeral this weekend. Arrive at home by Floo and bring some respectable clothing to wear. We will be buying robes for the wake and funeral later. No loitering about Hogwarts, return instantaneously.
Mother

I sigh at the letter then stand up and look at the head table. There is no way for me to get out of this, but I really don't want to bother Professor McGonagall at the moment.

"What is it?" Remus asks.

"You might not want to ask. That's paper that is only used for official family matters," at the odd looks Sirius continues, "You can tell by the thickness and how the paper has a watermark of the family crest. Also how calligraphy was used to write it rather than regular penmanship."

I frown, "I really have to go, excuse me."

The four boys look up at me curiously at the polite whisper and Remus and Sirius frown then turn to each other. Though Sirius and James are closer, Remus and Sirius are pretty close too so they can interpret each other's thoughts accurately.

Shaking my head, I step up to the head table in front of Professor McGonagall. I'm about to open my mouth when she looks up.

"Yes Miss Grimwood?" she asks.

"I have to go to my house for the rest of the week," I tell her quietly. Before she has a chance to object or otherwise ask me why I show her the letter. She quickly reads it and nods.

"Very well. Come with me so that you can retrieve your things then head home. I expect that your sister has already been informed?" She's taking long strides so we are soon out of the Great Hall and on the entrance stairs.

"Not until Friday," I mutter. It takes me a moment to realize that McGonagall isn't escorting me up the stairs. When I turn around she is looking at me with raised eyebrows.

"And why is your sister not going to be notified until this Friday?" the professor asks.

I pause, not entirely sure if I could tell her, "It's tradition that the Protector, or future head of the family I guess you could call it, arrives at the manor and helps with the preparations of the wake and funeral. The preparations usually take about five days or so."

"And you are the…protector?"

"Yes."

McGonagall seems to be floored by this, "But you're only a first year. What could you do to protect your family?"

"I've been trained for this since I was five, and have been learning about magic since I was three," I look up eyes cold, "I think I can handle it."

McGonagall's mouth presses into a fine line, but she doesn't press it any further. She starts up the stairs once more and continues up to Gryffindor tower silently. It's time like these that I really wish that I could read people's body language better. If I had Remus with me he could help me, but I don't so I have to guess that she's processing what she has learned.

"Pride." McGonagall opens the portrait and motions me to go ahead of her.

I move across the common room and then up the stairs and into the first year girl's dorm. I open my trunk and find my better looking clothing. All of my perfect formal clothing is at the house. I finish packing everything into a small bag and then descend the stairs. When I reach the bottom McGonagall seems to be rather impatient.

"Very well, follow me."

I sigh and proceed to do as she directs. I don't know what she thinks about my standing in my family, but I hope that she doesn't start to look into it too much. I look around when we reach her office. I've been in it already, but it's still rather interesting. The walls are lined with books and there is a nice mahogany desk in the center of the room. There are also quite a few cages with different animals in them.

McGonagall motioned to the fireplace and I stepped in it with the green Floo powder. Throwing it down and calling out for the house I say one last look of my professor's face. The expression on it confused me, because it seemed almost like pity.

I arrive at the house and almost immediately hear my mother's cold voice. Luckily she hasn't greeted me with a hit this time.

"You're to go straight up to the library and read over the books that I have set out for you. They are on the different spells and procedures that will occur during the funeral and wake. I expect them to be memorized by this evening," she informs me. She doesn't need to add on the 'Or else…' I know that it's tacked on by the way her words are said.

I drop my bag and head up to the appropriate room of the house. I enter and sit down to read the books. Unfortunately they are terribly dull and I soon find myself paying more attention to my little brother, who is hiding behind a bookcase, than to what I'm supposed to be doing.

"Alright Kiddo, come on out." I lean on the back two legs and grin at Rowan as he steps out of his hiding spot.

"What's with the new hair color?" Rowan asks.

I glance at a group of hairs that have fallen into my line of sight. When I see that they're still punk purple I grin.

"Prank my friends and I started. To be honest I'm going to miss not being able to see the rest of it. Sirius will probably get a photo for me though," I muse.

"If you made it so that there were purple streaks in your hair and the tips were purple it would look better. Since you're eyes flash violet when your emotions are completely out of your control and are only streaked the rest of the time this doesn't look like it matches too well," Rowan explains.

"Since when have you become an expert at hair?"

"Since mother started making me watch all her shows." Rowan grimaces at the thought then looks at the books on the table, "Aren't you supposed to be reading this for the funeral? I heard mother say that you were to be tested on it later."

"Yeah, well, they aren't going to be doing too much "damage control" with relatives and god knows who else arriving so soon," I mutter.

"Actually I think that she might get one of the house elves to do it. She was discussing it with father before you arrived," Rowan says.

I sigh and rub my hand over my eyes, "Great. Now I have to study this crap."

Rowan chuckles, "Shouldn't you be watching your language around your very corruptible little brother?"

"If you're corrupted to be like me," I smirk, "I don't see the problem."

"You wouldn't." Rowan shakes his head with a grin on his face before sitting at the table and pulling out his own book to read.

Sighing I pull the book closer to myself and start to read it again.

The family has always done the encasement charm on its family members whom are extremely important. Heads of the family, protectors, and others whom held great responsibility in the Grimwood family are always given this highest honor.

"You wish that you were like the rest of us. Too bad that you could never give your family any honor."

I shake my head and refocus.

The encasing is like the darkest of onyx, while an arrangement of garnet gems are cast in the top, or lid, of the encasing. The arrangement has to deal with the rank in the family of that person as well as their magical ability.

"We know that she's powerful, she'll make a great Grimwood someday." "Damn it Gerladim! Why hasn't anything come into the proper plans?" "Don't worry they will. She's powerful, and I can tell that she has some sort of edge that's useful in darker magics. Just give her a moment to run out of this phase."

I run a hand through my hair and I can tell that I'm not going to be able to get this done if these images keep popping up in my mind.

"Ann? Ann are you alright?"

I look up at Rowan and notice that he's watching me with concern in his eyes. I smile and nod, I can tell that he doesn't completely believe me, but he goes back to reading his book.

'What the hell is going on with me?' I wonder.

There are differences in the type of garnet that appear on the encasing. Part deals with the caster, and part deals with the body it is being cast upon. The darker the gem upon the encasement the stronger the caster. Each encasement is different, yet they are entirely uniform.

"She doesn't fit! Gerladim, we are losing our chance at making the Grimwoods great. We need to gain control of her again." "Don't worry Celestra, we will. She'll only be able to take so much pressure. Plus she has practically been drowned in the magic of our ancestors since birth. I'm quite afraid that one day she will surpass even me." "I hope you're right about her coming to the family." "I am."

I shake my head before shutting the book and rubbing my temples, "Rowan is father home at the moment?"

"Not that I am aware of. Last time I knew he had to go to the ministry for some important meeting, or something like that," Rowan says.

'Then what the hell is going on?' I frown before shaking my head and diving back into my reading, which is really boring and leaves me actually wishing that I was back at school so that I could play some pranks to relieve some stress.

When I finish reading about the encasement spell I mutter it under my breath and practice the wand motions with a quill in my hand. After a couple of moments I'm sure that I have the motions down and look at all the other books that they want me to read.

"Why do I have to read all of these? Isn't father going to do most of this since he's the head of the house?" I mutter.

Rowan shrugs, "I'm not sure. I thought that you would only be there for show. You know like a proof as to what the future of the Grimwood family is supposed to be."

I snort, "In that case they would probably prefer to show Tessa. I am the complete opposite of what mother and father want this family to become."

"Well, personally I think that you'll bring this family out of its hollow shell better than anyone else."

"At least I can have my brother at my side to help me with that. To pull us out of this dark pit, we'd need more than a lumos maximus," I grin.

Rowan shakes his head and is about to respond when a house elf appears.

"Mistress Annalisa is to report to her mother in the lounge to go shopping for the proper clothing for the events later this week," the elf squeaks before disappearing again.

I watch where the elf had been for a moment before turning back to Rowan, "Well that's just great. Are you sure that you don't want to trade positions and go shopping for me?"

"I wouldn't do that if I was paid all the money in the world."

I laugh, "Gee, thanks! Some brother you are!"

"Love you too sis." Rowan doesn't look up from his book, but I can see his smirk.

Rolling my eyes, I quickly grab a cloak and enter the lounge.

"Wipe that smirk from your face, and hold yourself like a proper Grimwood!" mother snaps.

I instantly shut down all emotion and stand straighter. I give a bow to her, but apparently hadn't been fast enough because she flicks her wand and I can feel a slight burning against the base of my head. It's not like she's set fire to it, but it's like someone has smacked my head really hard.

"Come with me, and I expect your best behavior." Mother exits the house via Floo, and I can do little but follow her.

I tumble out of the fireplace and quickly scramble out of the way, and it's a good thing too because a moment later, my mother steps out and is looking furious.

"How dare you beseech the name Grimwood like you have? It's bad enough that you're Gryffindor scum! Must you attempt to act like a mudblood as well?" her voice turning to a screech.

I scramble back as fast as I can, trying to become as small as possible. I have neverseen mother this angry before, and I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that father is not here.

She sneers at me for a moment, "Pillborn!"

The elf appears with a crack and bows deeply, "Yes mistress?"

"Pillborn, you are to discipline Annalisa as you were told earlier. Fifty for now should do."

As she leaves my eyes widen. Surely she doesn't mean for Pillborn to use an elvin whip? Since it's magic it leaves no mark, yet it supposedly hurts worse than a normal muggle whip.

Pillborn looks at me for a moment before shrugging and then snapping her fingers. I'm pulled up to a standing position and turned around, and I can't seem to stop anything. I struggle slightly, but hear a crack right next to my ear and stiffen. A moment later Pillborn begins and I soon taste blood in my mouth from trying not to scream.

I run along one of the corridors of Hogwarts and it's practically empty of people. I see a group of people and smile when I recognize them. As I approach Remus turns around and nudges the others.

"Well, well, look who it is. A bloody traitor," James sneers.

I look at him surprised and shake my head, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, let me think, maybe the fact that you have used dark magic, are a member of one of the darkest families to exist in the Wizarding world, and are the future head of that family," James lists, "I'm trying to remember why I'm friends with you again."

He turns around and leaves. I turn to the others but see that Peter's taken a step away from me as well, "There's what James said, plus the fact that you scare me like crazy." With that he takes off down the hall.

"Sirius, Remus, what…what's going on?"

Remus shakes his head, "I'm sorry. I have too much going on to try and be your friend. Hey, being a werewolf going to school and trying to keep it from everyone isn't the easiest thing to do. I don't need you here to make anything even worse."

I watch as Remus leaves and close my eyes, "Sirius please tell me that you won't leave!"

"I thought you were different."

I don't have to watch him leave. I can tell, because once he's gone I've lost all my friends. Other than Rowan I've lost everyone, but when I open my eyes it's to see my brother sneering at me as he chases after my friends. Looking behind me I see mother and father nodding their approval. When I look down at my clothing I see that the family crest is on my robes.

The funeral is rather uneventful. I cast the charm and watch as my grandfather is placed in an onyx tomb with darkly colored garnets. That seems to please mother and father so I can go to my room immediately after the burial.

"That was impressive Annalisa."

I shoot up from my lounging position on my bed and look at my father with wide eyes.

"Don't stand, I know how tired you are." His left hand is held up in a sign for 'stop'. He looks at me for a moment before nodding, "If you continue like this then you'll make a fine Grimwood. I have never told you this, but that is because I need to push you. You're strong, but you can be so much stronger if you would embrace the magic that flows through your veins. I know that you've been holding out for some reason. I want you to let that reason go. You are a Grimwood, accept it. Magic like you did tonight will seem simple as levitation once you let go."

I feel shock at his low voice. It's soft and I haven't heard it like this since I was four. I know that he feels pride, and for some reason that makes me happy, and the fact that I feel happy makes me want to hex myself. This is my family, drenched in dark magic and I should feel revolted that something they have said makes me feel happy. I should be upset that I've made him proud. But…he's my father.

"I'll leave you to rest. Rest my Annalisa, my darling."

After he leaves I lay my head on my pillow confused. I know why they're happy, and I know that if I made them happy it would make my life easier, but I know that I could never do that. To act like them would to go against my morals, yet to feel like my father was proud of me…are my morals worth it?