Livia: A Solace or An Heir?

by lkaz

The books and films create a wonderful environment that is destroyed. What happens to it? How could a headmaster who cared about it leave it vulnerable? Why would he question his Potions Master about his allegiances if the latter loved one woman his whole life? Why would that man grasp at straws before acting as asked of him? Only if a Plan B existed. This is HER story.

12. Summer in London (Mostly)

Livia enjoyed the train ride home, satisfied that she had her first real sizable break in a long time and that students on board felt elated to have the time off. The raucousness carried through the whole train during the entire trip. She would miss getting Hagrid's assistance to gain everything she needed for the fall term but thought she could bring something to Diagon Alley to carry whatever she bought or could successfully shrink it so she could carry it without difficulty. She would also get to see what exactly existed in her vault, which she had not seen after setting it up nearly two years beforehand.

She wondered if Professor Snape would contact her at King's Cross before her brother found her, though an owl carrying a note for her likely would not upset him. She just did not know how she could explain the author, to anyone who saw it. She figured she would have to claim that it came from the headmaster, instead, though other students might find that implausible. She carefully preserved the list of things she obtained to know what to bring back to Hogwarts for the New Year. She had to hide it in her bag, given the writing and the parchment used. She wished she had gotten an answer to her question to Professor Dumbledore about the West family, since that might help her with her excuses to Tom – or maybe she had a relative that could accompany her.

She collected contact information from her Ravenclaw friends, Reggie and Clara during the trip, also. It seemed that a number of them had to scatter fairly far away from where Livia might wind up. They told her, though, that owls figured out the location of people without a full address, especially if they had taken mail to someone already. Livia had no means to do that in London though, unless she befriended more of them. She still found herself quite reluctant to buy one, until it occurred to her she could ask each if any would prefer to live more freely than a pet would, with the occasional responsibility of carrying mail in exchange for food rewards.

Finally, the train entered the station and Livia collected what she had and made a few trips to get everything, finding a trolley to load it all. As she started placing her things, she quickly said goodbye to as many people as she could, given so many others had family there to greet the students. She soon seemed almost entirely alone in the midst of such a bustling and buzzing scene. She got everything settled when she spotted a large owl swooping down towards her. This Great Grey Owl dropped a note at her feet. The owl retreated to a rooftop trestle, as if waiting for an answer. She figured Professor Snape had found the right carrier to meet the train. The note said:

Dear Miss Woodcock,

I have to put off doing the inventory and such until close to your birthday again. I established that as a typical pattern some years ago and cannot change it presently.

I will not return until 27 August. We would have to work soon after. If you cannot respond now, call this owl Ellen, and she will get a note to me.

Your services do positively affect the school, even if it remains vital to us both that I never openly acknowledge this – nor you.

I have access to a means to get you back to London instantly. Typically, an adult must supervise its use. I will show you.

Sincerely,
P.S.

Livia pondered the note. The fact that the author abbreviated his signature did not escape her notice. She figured he did it to somewhat disguise his identity. Whilst getting there might be quite a trip – if one that would give her a chance to improve her flying skills – the idea that he could return her to London instantly intrigued her. It made her wonder why anyone needed a broom ever. She would have to ask. She also figured Hagrid must have used this when he found her at King's Cross yet seemed to return to Hogwarts so quickly.

Livia decided to accept his invitation. She knew no one else would even consider it. Livia questioned her motivation beyond her curiosity as to this instant transportation method he mentioned. Still, he wrote a very civil letter. Maybe for once he could manage being more like that in person. He challenged her in so many ways, and given how she relished a challenge, she had to accept this. She wrote a quick reply after carefully destroying his note:

Dear Professor Snape,

It sounds as if you are sensitive to my only issue about the timing. Therefore, I will be there no later than the 27th and will await you notifying me of your arrival. I will try to reclaim my room for that time.

See you then. Enjoy your time away.

Best,
Livia Woodcock

After writing it, Livia recognized that she had changed how she usually closed her notes to him, rather unthinkingly. She wondered what he would make of it, if anything. In any case, it seemed innocuous enough. Livia thus called to Ellen still perched above the platform and gave her the note, simply addressed to "Professor Snape." Ellen thanked Livia for not making her wait long, took the note and flew off.

With that task finished, she made her way to the muggle platform area and found a porter to ask him to direct her to the closest elevator. Shortly thereafter, Livia found herself on the street level pushing out her trolley and wondering how she would find Tom in the crowded station. She decided to make her way towards the area where they had shared their last meal before he departed for Durham. He must have thought of the same thing because she spotted him as soon as she got close to it. Tom was standing with Alice, John, Jake and Audrey. It looked as if he intended to split them up to cover more ground, but her arrival made doing that unnecessary. Livia had thought Tom would come alone, so seeing him with four other people surprised her.

"Blimey, I did not expect a committee greeting me," Livia said, as she started to embrace each in turn. "How is everyone?"

All seemed to indicate contentment, if not better. They came to mark Tom's 6 July birthday to be exact. Livia not spent his birthday with him in a few years, a situation she gladly would remedy in 1987, though it would take her a few days to get a decent present.

"How's the wedding planning, going?" She directed at Jake and Audrey as people took various things off her trolley, leaving only with her own backpack, where her most sensitive belongings lay.

"It goes very well," Audrey said. "You are more than welcome to come when we have the ceremony and such in a few weeks. The wedding will not be that grand, but my father went all out for the reception. I think he wants to impress some Americans he, Jake and John know."

As they reached the street and began looking for a taxi to fit all of them, Livia asked, "I would be going by myself, I guess?"

"Why, do you have a boyfriend to invite?" Jake inquired.

"No," Livia answered. "An unrequited crush I had, that's all. He was older and I doubt paid me much attention, as he finds attractive blondes to date. I do not intend to seek him out. I might be able to find a friend, though, if you felt it appropriate and could accommodate two more."

"I have no reason to object and I'm sure I can convince my father it is okay," Audrey asserted. "So by all means try. We are holding it Friday, July 29. Your brother has the particulars."

"Where are we all going?" Livia asked Tom, as everything but Livia's personal bag got put into the cargo area.

"I finagled a space in Russell Square, close to the Chancery Lane area Tom will need to go," Alice revealed. "It is close enough for him without having to continually have to be confined to where he needs to work. I wanted a little breathing room."

"So your family can keep an eye on us instead, eh?" Tom asked, somewhat sarcastically.

"They will not bother you," Alice responded. "But they may distract me enough to keep me from disrupting your studies. I thought that aspect had value."

"I know," Tom admitted. "Very thoughtful and very impressive you could land such a nice space. Any student I come across certainly will envy me, just for that."

A catered, birthday dinner awaited them back in the flat Tom and Alice – and temporarily Livia – shared. All of her things got put into the room that would function ultimately as Tom's study space, though it also included a single bed for Livia's use whenever she needed it. During the meal, they all talked about many things, ranging from how John and Perita broke up (John entirely took the blame for it) to how Audrey's father arranged for the couple to get some photos taken at the garden at Kew itself, though the reception would take place at a private club after a simple civil ceremony that both bride and groom wanted. In Audrey's mind, the photos and reception offered plenty and civil ceremonies had become very popular.

"Just don't tell my Dad that," Tom asserted. "He may have figured it out, but I doubt he wants anyone to say it to him. It's a good thing he will not be there."

"My family would accept it, if forced to do it, but they would not like it, either," Alice said. "My Dad would probably want to invite the queen herself, though I rate the probability of her attendance as .00000001 percent. I would consider it tremendously fortunate to get a card."

John got his turn to talk about new trends in the music industry and how much he enjoyed working for a record label, even if he did not necessarily send things from his own company. "We all know each other and all enjoy the stuff various people produce, so we non-executives share stuff freely, so long as no one upstairs knows about it. The bosses probably have a vague notion but do not get nosy about it because knowing what everyone releases gives us insight as to what new artists we should try to find. For example, I have contacts in America that tell me we should look to new artists emerging from the Seattle, Washington area – it is sorta punk and rock and the name associated with this is typically 'grunge'. They just are waiting to see who really sets themselves apart to reach a large enough audience for us to get involved, even just as a distributor."

"I helped organize a dance featuring a lot of the music you have gotten to me via Tom," Livia stated. "Right now, I must listen to The Joshua Tree about every day."

"I told you, Tom, that album would change everything for U2," John said. "How did the event go, Livia?"

"Pretty well," she answered. "We held it at the end of the term but before exam studying really got intense. Well over 150 people came, which was a good turnout. Gary showed me how his hotel set up its sound system, which really provided me with insight as to how to carry a large room. We had a decent variety of music, too, in terms of tempo, artist and such."

"How come you never say much about your studies?" Audrey queried. "Given your brother takes them so seriously, I would think you would have a lot to say about them."

"I am pretty quiet in my classes and work hard," Livia responded. "I have mentioned studying botany and working with various animals."

"That cannot be everything," Jake suggested. "No boarding school would have such a limited number of subjects – I mean, how is that supposed to translate to attending a university?"

"I may not need to go to one," Livia stated. "If I read my headmaster correctly, I think he wants me to stay on and tutor students. The faculty, on the whole, seem to praise my written assignments the most – that is not something they formally teach, yet they do expect students to be able to write."

"That does not make sense to me, Livia," Tom asserted. "If faculty expect students to master a skill, why would they not provide instruction in it?"

"I do not know the answer," Livia replied. "I can only tell you that my head of house – one of four they have – has told students that if they ever did offer a writing class, I should teach it."

"Now that is the Livia I know," Tom observed. "The quiet part does not seem like my sister at all."

"I learn most by observation right now," she said. "So I sit in the back and just take everything in as best I can."

"They challenge you well, then?" Tom asked.

"Many of them do," she answered. "Part of challenge comes with my lack of familiarity with some of the material they present. Other times particular instructors try to push me hard to see how well I can do."

"And you succeed," Tom asserted. "Every. Single. Time. I have NO doubt."

"On most things," Livia responded. "I cannot say I can master everything because some things take longer. I still have four years to get all of it. But I think I make good progress."

After John, Jake and Audrey left, Livia found a quiet moment to write a short letter to Ted, who she thought might be the closest distance-wise and the most available for Jake and Audrey's reception. She made sure to use Tom's pens and paper:

Dear Ted,

I know you just got home and forgive me for feeling I need to ask this right away. And I intentionally write this with Tom's belongings – I hope you know why I do it.

Anyway, two of my brother's friends are getting married on Friday, 29 July, and they invited me to the ceremony and the reception, the latter which I believe will take place at some private club near Kew Gardens, the wedding site. I wondered if you would be able to join me, since being by myself might draw the wrong kind of attention and my brother may be preoccupied (he and his girlfriend are official witnesses). If not, do not sweat it. I will ask another roommate we had this year.

My brother stays in a top floor flat in the south corner of Russell Square in London, mostly through the contacts of his girlfriend. If you cannot respond right away, I leave that information in case you need it to help find me.

Just let me know, so I still have lead time if I need it.

All my best,
Livia

Livia thought that note served its purpose and appropriately acknowledged that Ted had barely settled in at home. She hoped that she did not have to search for weeks to find someone to say "yes." She found a window she could open in the back of the room and after addressing the envelope silently called out for any available owl willing to deliver a letter in exchange for some food – before leaving and upon return if an answer came from it.

She waited a few minutes before a marvelous-looking Long-eared Owl appeared at the window. Livia bowed and provided some snack food owls liked as an alternative to rodents now and again. After she asked the owl for its name and he said Sherlock, she presented the letter and told him where Sherlock could find her intended recipient. Sherlock ate the rest of the food fairly quickly, took the letter and flew off into the night. Livia found herself awed by Sherlock's speed and agility and hoped the food provided him enough fuel for the whole trip, should he return. Livia had no idea how long the trip took, however. She hoped that she could gauge what he needed by his return, and he would not be too inconvenienced. She had to do right by him so that he would aid her, if needed. She hoped then that she never had to domesticate an owl to do work.

Luckily for Livia, Ted had a few muggle relatives, including a grandparent, and he remembered enough about things she had said at the Ravenclaw table to know why attending a muggle wedding reception alone might give her cause for concern. They could not practice magic but the ban could make a young girl vulnerable, given she had no idea who all would attend. Livia constantly showed prudence, thoughtfulness and care because she typically had to do it. Frankly, Ted could not turn down a free meal, either. Even if he did not consistently like muggle food, he found catered receptions featured the best of what they could offer. He would do this, though he decided he would try to get Livia to do him a favor, also. He quickly wrote back:

Dear Livia,

I would be honored to do this with you. I understand your caution only too well. Oddly enough, however, I have never seen much of London beyond the Leaky Cauldron and King's Cross Station.

If you can make arrangements for me to stay over, at least after the reception, where you currently reside, and take me around some places on the Saturday afterward, I will gladly meet you wherever seems appropriate for making the reception.

Just send me the particulars at your earliest convenience. If the logistics make more sense for me to attend the wedding (that is, come sooner), I will do that, too. I want to give you flexibility since some of the arrangements will be out of your hands, and you will need to observe those limits.

My family, my father at least, can bore if not annoy me pretty quickly, among other things, so this diversion works for me.

All my best.
Your friend,
Ted

Livia got the note the same night from Sherlock and inquired about what she could give him in gratitude for his service. He simply said he wanted a larger portion of what she had given him before. She gladly did so and asked if could come back and deliver a similar message to the same location in the near future. He assented, though indicted he wished that she had a rodent for him on the outgoing trip. They sustained him longer. She agreed and he left shortly after eating.

Ted also took care to use muggle paper and a pen, so Livia could show Tom and Alice the note the next day. Tom asked her how she had done that so quickly. "I had his address and found an owl willing to take it," Livia said. "Why is that so surprising?"

"I got no reason," he admitted. "I have grown so accustomed to you using them with me that I discounted recognizing that you easily could use them with a classmate, too."

"What's the Leaky Cauldron?" Alice asked. "That name sounds oddly familiar to me."

"I believe it is a pub, though one that has seen its better days, perhaps when Ted was younger," Livia answered. "I believe it sits on Charing Cross Road, though I am not sure how closely its location relates to the rail station."

"Maybe you can invite him to come sometime on Thursday and meet you there, if he knows it," Alice suggested. "I'm sure we can find a way for him to sleep comfortably here. Is he really not your boyfriend, Livia?"

"No, he isn't," Livia replied. "We did share a room together with three other girls and three other boys. You remember that issue with one girl and that her male cousin wanted to protect her personally. So if you want to know, yes, we have slept in the same room at the same time. But he was not the boy I had a crush on – and I would prefer if you do not mention that to him, since I believe he knows that particular lad. I do not want that information to become common knowledge. I have to go back, and that boy will still be there."

"I hear you," Alice affirmed. "I remember that dilemma all too well. You like someone, and he does not notice and, as a girl, you are really not supposed to be the one to tell him. If you have to tell him, chances are he does not fancy you, anyway. You are stuck waiting for some piece of good luck or to get over the infatuation before someone can humiliate you about it."

"Exactly," Livia agreed. "Ted may say too much to the wrong person, just because he has no idea how this feels."

"He will not hear it from me," Alice asserted. "Tom?"

"Nor I," he affirmed. "Can you get a rollaway mattress from someone around here, Alice?"

"Probably," she replied. "I'll ring a few people I know. Ask him if he would like me to get anything in particular, like a cereal or type of bread or tea, whatever. "

"Tell him we will set something up for him to come Thursday and meet you at this Leaky Cauldron – if that's the best place to meet – at whatever time he prefers," Tom said. "We will just take you with us and then he can leave on Saturday or Sunday – whichever he wants. I would like to meet someone from your school. You tell me so little, and he will be proof the place exists."

The three spent an agreeable summer day visiting places like Westminster Abbey and some open markets, including one near Covent Garden. Before retiring for the night Livia did a little hunting and was able to zero in on a recently deceased rodent. She might have caught one, but did not relish the little thing talking to her and begging for his or her life. A freshly dead one would do, once she determined it had not died of poisoning – since that would kill the owl who consumed it. No, a local cat had mortally wounded one, she found, and the mouse escaped the cat only to die from its injuries. She clearly saw the puncture and claw marks similar to those she had seen Sarah make. Thus she set out to write Ted another letter just as she wrote the first:

Dear Ted,

Tom and Alice found what you wrote agreeable and Alice is hunting to borrow a portable bed that you can use here. They think that because you know the Leaky Cauldron (Alice thought she might have heard the name before) and a pub is smaller than a rail station, you should pick a time to meet me there on Thursday Then I can convey you to their flat, though we could stop somewhere along the way.

After the reception, each also said you could depart at whatever time on Saturday or Sunday that you wished. Alice also wanted to know if she could get you anything special to eat – like a cereal or type of bread or tea or whatever she could buy.

Let me know when you can. I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.

All my best,
Livia

Livia called for Sherlock and he did not disappoint, showing up in less than two minutes. She told him of the mouse, who a local cat had mortally wounded but did not get a chance to eat. He accepted it gratefully, swallowed it whole and took the letter and headed out to Ted's home.

Ted answered very quickly and decisively. He must have, Livia thought, since Sherlock returned in just over an hour. He wrote:

Dear Livia,

Sounds great. Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron at 2 pm Thursday, 28 July. I can get there pretty easily. We should be able to enjoy a few things before we get to your brother's flat. I need to warn you that I likely will not have much sterling currency on me, so you might have to ensure we have that covered. Or we will need to visit a particular bank first.

That might also determine when I should return home, since I hate to impose.

My tastes are simple, I think. Earl Grey tea, cinnamon bread buttered toast or plain white bread if that cannot be obtained. Cheddar cheese on plain toast works, too, as does common muesli. I am no fan of the typical cooked English breakfast.

See you in a few weeks! Looking forward to it. I can only tolerate my father in short doses, since I can never do anything right according to him.

All my best.
Your friend,
Ted

The message seemed perfect to Livia, and she made sure she handsomely rewarded Sherlock for his service, especially his quickness. She bowed to him, he said farewell after he ate and he flew again out the window into the darkness.

The few weeks Livia had before 28 July often involved only her and Alice, as various errands often required Tom's attention. They did all enjoy attending "The Phantom of the Opera,"* which had become a West End sensation and a tough ticket to get. Livia most often saw Tom at breakfast and dinner, given various people he had to contact, paperwork he had to complete and appointments his firm wanted him to make. Since they sponsored him, he meticulously attended to all their requests and whatever suggestions his mentor made. For Livia, the time with Alice gave her an opportunity to discover that they liked similar activities and shared musical tastes. She also asked Alice what she knew about the Leaky Cauldron, since it was not a prominent location for tourists or even locals. Alice could not remember, except that she thought that she heard an uncle or great uncle talk about it many years beforehand. She had never been there herself. From what Livia learned, she thought that Ted could simply walk there from the Charing Cross station, which connected London to many other points south, especially in Kent.

Livia and Alice went to a market in Covent Garden that featured a palm reader. Alice decided both should get a session. Alice was told she would have two children, a long life and enjoy a happy marriage. She would also make her own mark outside of it and encouraged her to do more with her gifts. Then he saw Livia, who held some trepidation about what the reader would say about her. He said he saw her having two children and spending many years attached to a place she already knew. He said she kept a great number of secrets in her life, and if they did not grow, others would replace those she revealed. He saw her as capable, smart and powerful and recommended that she use her heart more, rather than less, to find balance and happiness in what would be a very long life. She felt greatly relieved he had not revealed anything harmful and figured that he referred to Hogwarts, given what the headmaster had said already. Unlike Alice, she asked no questions, in case they might provoke a comment she did not wish to hear.

Finally, the day had come when Livia would meet Ted. Tom had given Livia £30 for the day, figuring it would tide them over for the afternoon, but unbeknownst to him, Alice had given her £50 to ensure they would not miss a meal or a museum because they lacked enough money. For a few hours, Livia had more than enough for two people.

Livia took the Piccadilly Line and the Northern Line to get to Charing Cross and walked to the Leaky Cauldron. She thought she was close to being on time if not exactly on time, but Ted already was sitting at a table waiting for her when she walked inside. Each joyously greeted the other and Livia asked him if he wanted to see anything in particular – the Crown Jewels, Buckingham Palace, the National Portrait Gallery or something else.

He asked her how she traveled around London and what would keep them on any particular schedule her brother had in mind. She suggested taking the London Underground (Tube) to Leicester Square and walking around toward Covent Garden, where they could later take a different line to close to her brother's flat. He admitted having no experience with this form of transportation but found everything Livia showed him enjoyable, even the Actor's Church. Ted also said he had no idea regarding any of the things she mentioned so anything she chose would please him. Since Livia loved the National Portrait Gallery, she suggested going there on Saturday. She found it interesting for its historical value and for the subtleties that the typical visitors missed. He totally figured out what she meant in terms of the word she had avoided using.

At a little before six o'clock, Livia got back to Russell Square and gained access Tom's building and used a spare key to enter the flat. Both Tom and Alice sat on the couch, hoping they would arrive sooner versus later, so they could enjoy a nice meal nearby. They both greeted Ted warmly and expressed happiness that they both had the opportunity to meet someone Livia knew from her school. Ted thought Tom was more anxious about meeting him but could not figure out why until they had a chance to be alone when Alice and Livia went to a lavatory together at dinner.

"Livia tells me so little about her school," Tom began. "Is she okay? Does she have friends? Do people like her? I am not used to these feelings as her guardian. I worry about her so, but I have no clue as to what to do about how I feel. I'm probably negligent here."

"She's fine," Ted answered. "All of us in her room this past year consider her a friend, though Shelley Silver is her best friend. If you are asking me about her popularity, I do not think enough people know her well. She does not actively alienate them, but you must know that she is so smart and so self-disciplined that people do not know what to make of her. Those who know her to any extent know she is gentle, thoughtful, cheerful and very placid. At times she has amazed me with some of the things she has done."

"What do you mean?" Tom asked.

"Well, most of us students have a few professors that we find intimidating and one in particular exceeds all of them in cutting remarks or finding fault with students or their work," Ted replied. "But Livia never lets anyone – including this professor – bother her in the least. I mean, if he stares at someone, they are shaking – or God forbid, he wants to see a student alone in his office. She has had a few exchanges with him, and went to his office during her first year. Yet he never gets under her skin. No one can fathom it. I think, as a result, she seems quite unreal."

"After what she dealt with – and I have read the medical reports of her years in a juvenile detention center where she never belonged – I can see her being totally unfazed about anything directed at her verbally," Tom revealed. "If he cannot seriously hit her, he will not hurt her."

"No, he cannot strike her," Ted affirmed. "Even if he wanted to."

"Why would he want to do that?" Tom asked.

"Well, I understand she once laughed in his class whilst he was upbraiding some other student for poor work. I don't think anyone has ever done that, and he was quite angry about it. That was last year, though. She had one scrape with him this year, but it was not her fault. Her friend Shelley was trying to get her to explain something, and Livia did not want to say anything during class. For whatever reason, he laced into both of them over the incident. I guess he does not like her, but truth be told, he seems only to favor students from his own house."

"His house?" Tom asked, not recalling Livia's earlier reference to this.

"Our school has four different residential areas named for each of the school's four founders. I belong to the same house as Livia, which is in part how we got a space together. The professor I speak of heads another house."

"But she performs sufficiently in his class?" Tom queried.

"Definitely. That must frustrate him. He would be overjoyed if she were his student, but since she belongs to another house and he cannot find fault with her work, he probably tries to invent reasons to disparage her or try to rattle her."

"Sounds like she handles adversity well. That does not surprise me."

Just then Livia and Alice returned and the meal continued pleasantly. Ted said he would give Livia money when they got back to campus, but neither Tom nor Alice would hear of it.

"We are happy to have you here," Alice stated. "Do not think about it. My parents have already given me more than enough money – for a lifetime, perhaps."

The rest of the weekend went extremely well. None of Tom's family attended the wedding. Jake and Audrey's relatives acted kindly to both Ted and Livia. Still, Livia profusely thanked Ted then for coming as they were dancing after the meal. She had no idea what to expect, and anyone who might have presented a problem to a young girl by herself never materialized because he was there. Ted and Livia did a lot of sightseeing on Saturday, so much so that he decided he should sleep there that night instead of go home. Livia accompanied Ted back to the Leaky Cauldron Sunday morning, before meeting up with Tom and Alice. Livia asked him why he wanted to return there, but he only said the Cauldron possessed a special means to get him home, without spelling it out, since his parents had to be involved. Livia could only wonder if this is what Professor Snape had meant. She figured it had to be, since Hagrid got back to Hogwarts so quickly. She had no access without a guardian, so apparently he would do that – quite an exceptional act.

August passed very well, though Livia could tell Tom had started getting anxious about the legal course that awaited him. She did know how to tell him about her planned trip, but figured that she needed to enlist Shelley in the scheme. She got Sherlock to deliver a letter to Shelley, telling her that she needed to take a short trip and wanted to use her as the excuse for it – that is, she would tell Tom that she would leave to visit her. She told her this just in case he ran into her at King's Cross and he asked about Livia's visit. She begged Shelley not to ask where Livia had to go or why – as it related to the headmaster's edict to her and saying too much could cause problems. Shelley sent back a short note saying she would do as Livia asked and also inquired as to when Livia would go to shop at Diagon Alley, since it would be something they could do together. Livia replied suggesting the afternoon of 28 August would likely work, and she would alert Shelley when she got to the Leaky Cauldron.

Livia told Tom she needed to leave on the 26th and would return late in the afternoon of the 28th. He need not cancel anything regarding her birthday, but she reminded him that perhaps a little space without her could help him prepare for his own work. Since she set off during the day, she had to figure out how she could do it. She opted to go to the hidden King's Cross platform and take off on her broom. Before she set off, she put on her Walkman headphones and put the player in a slot in her backpack. Shrinking everything else made the bag easy to carry on her back.

Following the tracks, even from fairly high in the sky went well. She felt confident enough to even try singing a U2 song in her own voice – which she practically never did. The trip gave her some practice to a voice she typically ignored. She could never perfect male falsetto yells or cries, so she did them at a lower octave, which seemed to work, as best as she could hear her own voice. She arrived at Hogwarts late that afternoon and told the staff she had only come for a few days to do a pre-arranged task that Professor Snape got her to agree to do in exchange for his assessment of her work as "Outstanding." A few seemed to remember that she had done this the prior year owing to an exam. To themselves, they figured he had something on her, since they could not imagine anyone willingly helping him or spending time with him.

He returned to campus early the evening of the 27th and sent notice to her that she could either start then or wait until early in the morning. Thinking of the crows and owls, early in the morning might work for more of them, depending on how early. She sent him that note and he responded that he would have breakfast waiting in the potion room for her and that she should also bring all her belongings because he would send her to London as soon as they finished.

She found him already there about to begin his survey when she arrived at just about 06:30. This time Livia found a setup with two sets of cups and dishes as well as flatware and pot of tea. It looked like he had already had some tea.

"Nice of you to join me, Miss Woodcock," he said flatly. Livia had not thought that she had arrived late but perhaps he did.

Livia put her stuff down, and walked over to him, now standing in his inventory closet. "What would you like me to do first?"

"Are you ready to work?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "I may want a little tea, but it is a little early for me to think about food just yet."

"I thought the same thing," he stated, still rather emotionless. "Set up two lists. One will include things I need to order, noting which I will obtain quickly and the second will list the items that will take longer to get that you will have to see if your avian friends can supply to fill the gap."

"Professor, why don't you order those things when the prior term ends?" Livia asked. He glared at her. "Just curious, sir."

"Some of these items go bad, especially over the summer, despite all my preservation efforts. I have tried to do that before, and I wound up needing to reorder and had poor quality stock until the new things arrived. Fresh and local vastly exceeds distant and rancid."

He methodically called out items and which list or lists Livia needed to use. She carefully followed his orders. She thought to herself he was all business, which did not quite match the letter he had written. She guessed print versus in person meant two different things to him. Or maybe he could manage sounding polite when he wanted something. She dropped thinking about him, after hoping he would seem somewhat more human after she completed the inventory lists.

Despite the economy of the setup, it still took over an hour to go through everything. At the end, she handed him his list of things he had to reorder with the notation beneath it of those he would reorder and wait some time to receive while she sought help with the other list. He began emptying jars of non-viable material and placed them on the table. Livia meantime had opened a window and called out to all crows and owls able to assist again in retrieving local materials for the potion inventory storage. "Taking a break now?" Professor Snape asked.

"I may as well, since I cannot just snap my fingers and have a murder of crows in the room," Livia answered. "Why don't you sit as well?"

"Okay," he agreed. "By the way, Happy Birthday."

Livia could not pass up a chance to gently tease him. "Thank you. Do you have a present for me?" she inquired, trying to smile innocently.

"I did not know we were going to start exchanging gifts," he replied. Again, he used an almost spiritless, grim tone.

She laughed. "Do you ever laugh, Professor Snape?"

"There is nothing much to laugh about, from my vantage point."

"That is a shame," Livia asserted. "Never mind what Goethe said, being able to laugh sometimes is the only thing one can do to prevent either crying or going barking mad."

"Well, I do neither of those," he pointed out.

Just then Alastair, Benedict and several of their friends along with both Sevy and Mel showed up. Mel said Sydney had just bid goodbye to the last of this season's clutch and needed to sleep. Livia got up, addressed each creature and assigned a task, telling each which jar to place it in and if they were uncertain where anything went to just ask before dropping anything. She bowed to all and left a large amount of food for all outside the window to take as they needed nourishment. She then sat back down. Professor Snape had eyed her carefully but had not moved.

"You can do something for me, if you would indulge me a wee bit today," Livia began, "Tell me something that you do not share with others."

He eyed her somewhat suspiciously. "How about that I know about your crush all last year on Bill Weasley?"

"Oh, that's wicked, sir. Who told you that?" Livia shook her head and with it down rolled her eyes. He is one tough cookie, as some would say.

"The headmaster. He said he could see it during your room check of the Great Hall before staff installed the Winter Ball decorations, much as you tried to hide it."

"Yes, I had to accept that and get through it," Livia revealed. "I hope I have. But you clearly dodged my intent of getting you to tell me something about yourself, not about me."

He seemed to grit his teeth. "How about this – the letter you wrote to your brother about me was more accurate than I ever want anyone to know. It compelled me to rethink my own skills and figure out how best to improve them so that no one ever can write anything like that again."

"That's better, thank you," Livia observed. "Of course, I wondered if you lacked someone like my brother or you lost that person. Which is it?"

"Lost," he said dryly.

"Is she still alive?" Livia asked, though realizing he never indicated a gender or the nature of the relationship. She had made that leap on her own.

"No," he answered. "Look, some of your avian friends are back."

Livia walk to the jars, ensured who had what and that each went into the correct container. The job, however, still required more things, the hardest being what she asked Mel and Sevy to bring. Neither had returned yet.

"I am sorry you lost someone you cared about so much," Livia said softly. "I think you must have loved her a great deal."

"I still do," he said, looking very uncomfortably at her. What did I do to make this so apparent to her?

That is so harsh. Livia felt like what he said had smacked across the face. He had set himself a very bitter road to travel. She realized his only outlet came at the expense of his students. "I wish I had the ability to say something profound, whereas I can only repeat the fact that I will never betray anything you have told me to anyone," Livia said, sounding quite sad. "This burden makes having an unrequited crush on Bill Weasley seem like an utter joke."

He might have let her off the hook a little, be it so unlike him, considering all that played a role with him, but her apparent remorse ensured her silence, so he said nothing. Moreover, just then, they both noticed that more crows had entered the room. Livia again ensured each properly placed each item in its labeled container and bowed to them as they left. As soon as she finished with them, Mel and Sevy returned with their items and they also dropped them off appropriately and she bowed to both. Mel noted that the crows had eaten most of the food already and asked for more, which Livia provided. At that time, Sevy had made a respectful gesture to Professor Snape.

"Your avian friends have come through again – completely," Professor Snape stated. "But I still need your help making a few potions now, so they will be ready when I need them. Then I will get you back home."

He brought out some additional ingredients and gave her directions for her potion making whilst he got to work on his own. The both worked meticulously, with both artistry and skill. Livia had nearly finished adding all her ingredients when she noted that she needed to reach for a knife to chop up the last one. Professor Snape had just then reached for the same knife. Livia had not noticed because she was not looking, so she inadvertently placed her hand on top of the exposed part of his hand as he was about to grasp the handle.

"Oh, pardon me, sir," Livia said. "I am so sorry."

"You know, you should look at a sharp object before trying to pick it up," he stated.

By then, a searing sensation had started to travel up her arm. She completed the last part of her potion one-handed and with it completed, she sat down, beginning to breathe heavily, hyperventilating, as if struck by what some would call air hunger.

"What are you doing?" Professor Snape asked. "Your first task is done, but I have one more for you to do."

"I-I-I can't breathe," Livia said. "Ohhh, the pain. Do you live with this every day?"

"What?" he asked.

"Your-your hand. I-I-I left myself too-too-too open. It's like someone has my-my body in-in a vise. My-my-my ribs hurt, this-this-this squeezing." Living kept exhaling, blowing air out of her body and trying to draw enough in. "I-I-I can't go-go on-on like this. I-I have-have never felt so h-horrible."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She kept trying to exhale, kept trying to rub parts of her midsection and raising her hands to try to relieve it. Nothing helped. "I-I feel it. Every-everything. Love. Guilt. Pain. I-I am-am nauseous. I-I feel-feel dizzy. I-I-I had no-no idea. I-I am-am so-so sorry." She thought she might pass out.

Was she sorry she had touched him or sorry for the torment that remained within him? Maybe both. He did not think a potion would help. It seemed to him, this was entirely something only she understood and only she could fix. But he fully recognized that it had come from him. Somehow she had removed a portion of all that oppressed him, but only a part of it. That much he felt. Still, he could not answer how he lived with all of it. "What do you need?" he asked.

"I-I think I-I need to go-go outside with-with my-my Walkman, s-sir," she said.

"No, too risky and time consuming," he said. "Can you do it here and now?"

"But-but the sound, it-it travels," she said.

"I am better at that than you," he said. He secured the room. He retrieved her Walkman. "Do it in your own voice. I doubt you can use another right now. It might help more, too." He amplified the sound. Livia found the tape where she had a song she herself could sing, if occasionally at a lower octave at the end. Fittingly, it was U2's "With or Without You." He hit play.

Livia had to muster a lot of strength to begin, but at least the song began more meekly than it ended. She found about midway through it she could sing fully, if with more desperation than she herself ever had known.

My hands are tied
My body bruised, she's got me with
Nothing to win and
Nothing left to lose...*

The last chorus was strongly voiced, full throated yet desperate. Yet by the last lines, Livia had begun to steady herself on her chair. The vocal ended, however, with almost a moaning cry, and Livia tried to reach out to the table to give her better support. Instead, her hand slipped and, missing it entirely, she lost her balance and crashed onto the hard stone floor.

Professor Snape had been mostly expressionless though he was hearing her exorcising part of his own inner turmoil. He kept his thoughts to himself. He betrayed far too much for one day. He contemplated using the Forgetfulness Potion on her, though he rejected the idea, ultimately, given that she might forget too much. If she did, she inadvertently could make him more vulnerable from whatever she might say than if she remembered and kept quiet. Seeing her fall so hard, he immediately rushed to her side. "Livia, can you hear me?" he asked. "Are you all right?"

She sat up and coughed hard. "I will be okay. Let me get to the chair and give me a minute." Only hours later in London would she realize that he had called her by her first name, which he never had done before.

She drank some more tea and found something left over to eat. Slowly, she regained her own senses and control of her own body. She exhaled one final time and carefully stood up. "Thank you," she stated. "I am ready to start the rest of the work."

He did not entirely believe her, after what he had just witnessed. Yet he saw she was feisty and determined. He had to admire that.

"If you say so," he asserted. "Here is what I want you to do." He laid out the directions for her task as went about his own.

She felt stronger as the work continued. By the end of the morning, they had completed multiple batches of all four potions he needed to store for later use. He evaluated her work on both potions as impeccable. That in itself held no great surprise, but seeing that the second proved every bit as potent as the first, she had shown how capable she could perform, on even her worst day.

Both transferred the various ingredients into the inventory closet room. Then he carefully handed the maturing potions so that he could use them later. It was nearly noon when they cleared everything and the breakfast items got set back to the staff. He asked her to gather her things and follow him to his head of Slytherin office.

"Don't worry, no one here will notice, and the headmaster has cleared this already," Professor Snape told her.

Livia entered an unfamiliar office, different than his faculty room and decorated with pictures of former heads of the house. She also took note of a fireplace in the room, something lacking in his faculty space and one without a shred of wood nearby. Only a burlap sack containing black powder sat adjacent to it.

Seeing that the fireplace had gotten her attention, he inquired if she knew what it was. She told him that she did not. He told her this fireplace had a special purpose and would convey her to the Leaky Cauldron almost instantly. He demonstrated first without entering it, telling her what she needed to do, that she needed to speak clearly and use the powder to make her transportation take place. He warned her about the perils of not being clear and not doing this correctly.

"Can you go with me?" Livia asked. "I have never done this."

"No, I cannot," he replied. "If you were a baby, I could. But I can follow you to verify that you arrived safely. But typically only one person goes at a time."

"Please, sir, I do not wish to mess this up," Livia said.

"Somehow, I doubt you will, Miss Woodcock," he asserted. "But I will verify it. The headmaster will appreciate that I do it, anyway."

Livia took a handful of the black powder, asked for the Leaky Cauldron and cast down the powder. The action was swift and felt like a great "woosh" of sound and wind had surrounded her. When she could see, the recognized the Leaky Cauldron. She stepped away from the fireplace and turned around. Within a few seconds, she saw Professor Snape had followed her and could say she had arrived safely.

"Thank you, sir," she said.

He reached for another small handful of power and only told her, rather tersely, "See you next week." He asked to return to his house office and had gone in a puff of an odd fire and breeze.

"Was that who I think it was?" a patron loudly asked from across the room.

Not sure of the person who spoke to her, Livia turned and opted to inquire more from a man sitting across the room. "Who do you think you saw?"

"It looked like Severus Snape, though I have not seen him in a long time."

Livia found something unsavory about the person speaking to her. She made sure he could not detect anything but sincerity. "No, that was my uncle. I think a few people have said this to him before, and usually it bothers him."

He did try to verify what she had said, figuring a lie from an underage girl would be easy to detect. He believed that she was at least a half-blood witch and that what she said seemed to him entirely sincere. "Okay," he acknowledged. "Thought I saw an old friend."

Livia did not buy this for a second. He knew Professor Snape, but he had an agenda that she did not find entirely friendly at all. They may have had a friendship before but not now. She had more insight into him than he knew about her, but Livia knew well enough to let it go.

She inquired for the innkeeper and said she was supposed to meet Shelley Silver that afternoon. She asked if she had a way to tell Shelley that she had arrived. The innkeeper said he knew that family and would relay the message for her.

About five minutes later, the innkeeper told Livia that the Silvers knew and Shelley would come fairly quickly and that, if she wished, she could have some soup whilst she waited. Livia informed the innkeeper that, at the moment, she only possessed cash in sterling and she would need money from the bank in Diagon Alley to pay for it.

"That is okay, miss," he stated. "On occasion I need sterling – property taxes and such. The bank can change it, too. Just leave what you can that you think is fair." He came back with the place's signature soup, which Livia found hearty and helpful, after her early trials of the day. She had a £10 note and left it. The innkeeper spotted it and though that was too much.

"You did me a favor," she asserted. "The note is fair given that and the soup. I just hope I have not shortchanged you, sir."

"No, not at all, miss," he responded.

Livia did not have to wait long after finishing her soup to see Shelley arrive. After a few seconds, an older woman, presumably her mother, had come as well. Livia thought she had seen her once before. Shelley quickly spotted Livia and introduced her to her mother, a tall, medium color-skinned woman with slightly greying dark auburn hair who had become slightly matronly in her middle age. She quickly followed Shelley to the table where Livia sat. Livia stood up as Shelley introduced her mother, Sheila, to her. Mrs. Silver said she herself had attended Hogwarts and knew what they would need, though she looked at Livia's list to ensure they matched. They did.

The three proceeded to the entrance to Diagon Alley and Mrs. Silver opened it for the two girls to go through, then herself. Livia told them that she needed to obtain funds from the bank first. The school had deposited money, and Ted had sent money recently himself (his parents insisted, he told her, knowing that Tom and Alice would not exactly know how to help her). Livia also saw the fruits of her own ability to take money from others. All in all, it was a nice sum and Livia withdrew what she expected she would need for most of the year, figuring overconfident Slytherins could supply the rest – if not more than what she would need.

She told the Silvers how much she had withdrawn and what remained. Shelley was impressed. "Your ability to take advantage of some overly confident students has given you a good base. If you worked at it just a little, you probably could pay for at least a few years at Hogwarts from the Slytherin house alone." Shelley told her mother about Livia's "side business."

"Serves 'em right, I'd wager," Mrs. Silver observed, laughing at her pun. "Them Slytherins usually 'ave the 'earts of thieves, anyway, so I find it quite fitting they lose some money to someone with superior skills. The school won't stop you?"

"Not yet," Livia replied. "Seems it is not that widely known, since the Slytherins who lose to me are too embarrassed or preoccupied to warn younger ones not to bet against me on anything. The other houses have students who know better, and they tell the younger students quietly."

"What about the 'ead of Slytherin?" Mrs. Silver asked. "'e is a piece of work, no?"

"He sure is," Shelley agreed. "He has found cause to insult both of us last year and he really verbally sparred with Livia the first year, too, from what I understand. It was quite the buzz."

"Professor Snape will not stop me," Livia responded. "Call it benign neglect, or the fact that he believes my father was a Slytherin there, also."

"Who?" Mrs. Silver asked.

"That remains a mystery because my birth mother neither told him nor made any attempt to keep me," Livia revealed. "She abandoned me to a muggle very soon after giving birth. I have no desire to even meet her or know much about her. She cared nothing for me and, well, likewise."

"I see," Mrs. Silver said. "Can't say I blame ya. Probably a good attitude. Well, I'm glad I can assist you today, then, since you lack family support 'ere."

Mrs. Silver produced a cart to carry around everything Shelley and Livia needed to buy, be they books, parchment, ink or new uniforms or other clothes. They also stopped for ice cream, where Shelley wished her a Happy Birthday. Her mother had no idea and wondered why she picked this day to do her shopping.

"Just convenience," Livia responded. "I had another errand and my brother has gotten busy getting everything in order for his own study in London. He is training to become a barrister."

"Interesting," Mrs. Silver acknowledged. "Won't that make trouble for you to tell 'im – if ever you do – about yourself?"

"Possibly," Livia replied. "But his current girlfriend may have familial alumni of Hogwarts. I am not sure."

"What's 'er name?" Mrs. Silver inquired.

"Alice West," Livia answered. "She seems to have an interesting family tree that goes back to the Russell family and at least one Duke of Bedford. The headmaster told me he would look into this but has not confirmed anything. Probably not a big priority."

"Might be so," Mrs. Silver asserted. "I'd be curious to find out. That would improve your situation, I would imagine."

"I think it is interesting," Shelley observed. "Maybe if your brother has children with her, one of them will go to Hogwarts someday."

"That could give me a reason for why I wound up with that family," Livia stated. "It would be nice to say my life had some purpose, given my mother did not supply even a hint of one."

They spent much of the afternoon together pleasantly enough until Shelley expressed interest in getting her own owl. Livia really disliked the thought of them as caged or treated like pets. Yet Shelley wanted Livia to pick her out an owl because she knew so much about them.

"Livia can speak to animals and get wild ones to take mail for her. She never really has to use officially-trained owls," Shelley told her mother.

"Really?" Mrs. Silver asked. "That is quite an unusual gift in this world – and we all are supposed to be gifted."

"I confess I do not like them domesticated," Livia explained. "It is my own quirk. But I will try to find one that wants to serve you, Shelley."

They entered the shop and Livia saw all the species available, including Barn, Screech, Brown and Tawny Owls. The shop owner said he did not have any other types presently. Livia looked at them and tried talking to them. She told them she herself used wild owls for the purposes of why they were sold there, and it frankly pained her to see them confined. She told them about the Barn Owl friends she had at Hogwarts, a mated pair Sydney and Mel and a local they knew named Sevy. She confessed she did not know if Sevy had a mate. She indicated her openness to find an owl that would carry messages for the girl next to her, named Shelley. She said she would likely be nearby and could help any owl, but she never wished to own one, despite the successes muggles have with falconry.

The owls made many noises among themselves and Livia had trouble following it all. Finally, a young female Barn Owl introduced herself and expressed a willingness to serve and hope that Livia could introduce her to Livia's owl friends. The owl told Livia to call her Brontë, as in the authors that Livia probably read. She also said she had only just reached maturity and felt healthy and strong.

Livia motioned to Shelley that she should choose this young Barn Owl that wanted Shelley to call her Brontë. Shelley said that was not the name the shopkeeper used. He had named her Helga. Livia shrugged, saying you either believe me or you don't. Shelley tried calling her Helga and the owl did nothing. When she used Brontë, the owl made some clicking sounds and jumped from her perch to get closer to the cage's door. The owl settled the matter. Shelley would call her Brontë. "I'm sorry I doubted you," Shelley began, "I thought the man running the store knew his owls. Obviously, you know them better, and they are more sentient than muggles or witches think."

Mrs. Silver paid for Brontë and put her on top of the cart they would take back to the Leaky Cauldron. Livia apologized for the small cage and told Brontë she would have a much better situation within the week. Brontë acknowledged that she knew how this situation went, and she would be patient until she had the chance to fly freely.

When they returned to the Leaky Cauldron, Shelley carefully set Brontë aside so Livia and Shelley could divide their purchases. Mrs. Silver was impressed how Livia shrank most everything down to no bigger than a matchbook to fit everything in her backpack and kept it fairly light to carry. Shelley asked her mother how to do that because it looked so useful, especially if flying by broom. Mrs. Silver said that she thought it took lots of skill and practice, but Shelley could try it when they returned home. At street level, they said farewell, with Shelley reminding her where she would wait for Livia on the Hogwarts platform. Then Shelley and Mrs. Silver used the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace to return home.

When Livia left the pub, she realized the afternoon had not completely gone, with the time not yet four o'clock. On her way back to Russell Square, she found a music stall selling vinyl records, among other formats, and listened to a few songs. She decided on a Bob Marley record of hits called "Legend" that included a song that could work for another Muggle Music Club party, entitled "Get Up, Stand Up."* She also took a fancy to a song on Licensed to Ill by a group she did not know, the Beastie Boys. Once she heard the song "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party),"* she thought it funny enough to buy and hoped that Professor Flitwick would agree. She hid partly to shrink those in the bag after she left the store and put the bag in her backpack.

She got to Tom and Alice's flat not long after 16:30. Alice had stood up from the couch, thinking Tom had just arrived. "Livia, Tom will be so relieved to find you here," she stated. "He seems a bit jumpy right now in general."

"I thought I would do him a favor by not being around the last few days," Livia said.

"He might have said that and even believed it, but he has not acted that way," she revealed. "So how do you want to celebrate your birthday? I made the cake you like, but can that be enough?"

"Whatever you want to do," Livia offered. "Shelley's mom bought me some ice cream. I have no particular wish."

Tom entered perhaps twenty to thirty minutes later. He felt very glad that Livia had returned already. "What are you up for?"

"Whatever you are," she answered. "I wonder if some people burden you already, and whether the remedy is something fun or just to sit at home with fish and chips and a movie."

"I am fine, but we can see a film after dinner, if you like," Tom asserted. "What kind of food do you want?"

"Is there any good pizza in this city?" Livia asked.

Alice pondered. "I think I know who can tell me that." She went to ring someone she knew. Within minutes, she had a recommendation – a restaurant within walking distance about two blocks away. "It may not be the best but very close to it, and easy to reach."

The place had everything one could expect for fine Italian dining – a wine list, antipasti, espresso, homemade pasta. So Tom and Alice could indulge on something more sophisticated whilst Livia enjoyed her pizza. She definitely would not get pizza like this at school. Alice whispered something to the waiter and they brought out some wonderful panna cotta for everyone, with Livia's saying "Happy Birthday" on it, written in its drizzled chocolate topping. It even included a little candle on top.

Afterward, they walked more towards Leicester Square to see what films they had at various theatres. Nothing really struck her fancy until she saw a held over British-made, Ken Russell directed film about Mary Shelley's inspiration for "Frankenstein." Alice and Tom thought the film Gothic might not suit a 15-year-old girl but relented. Tom did warn her, though. "Though you have read her book, you may find this film distasteful in a number of respects. From what I recall reading, Natasha Richardson carries the film, even though she looks young. Just root for her."

The aspects of darkness and light, or night versus day, and one's own personal demons weighed much on her mind as Livia watched it. She thought back about what must torment Professor Snape so much that he has to channel his emotions by lashing out at his students. She considered what happened and how awful even a sliver of his state felt as well as what he said. Still, she thought he hid a great deal more and wondered why the headmaster seemed so keen on protecting him. She knew better than to ask the headmaster anything about him. As yet, she had experienced physical and verbal trauma in her past, but she remained untarnished by it. None of those people mattered to her, whereas he obviously carried his past with him like Jacob Marley dragged and carried his chains in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. She felt blessed to not have to shoulder such a burden as those carried by the characters in the film Gothic, too. She could only understand such things intellectually until she opened herself to her instinctive feelings or others's feelings. She would endeavor never to open herself up to him like that again, especially in class. Still, she struggled to figure out how she could close herself in one sense yet be open enough to function as his student. Though being smart and highly sensitive did not intellectually connect, they did within her. She had to master how to think yet limit or target precisely what she could feel or not feel. She saw the challenge especially in dueling – to be able to anticipate an opponent completely yet remain totally invulnerable. This seemed mighty tricky. She had no model to follow, which made her resentment of her birth mother only deepen. She might have helped me if she had chosen it versus being a selfish parasite. Livia knew how harmful carrying such baggage could and did become – she did not need to see the film since she witnessed this firsthand.

For a few days they enjoyed to a pleasant routine of simple enjoyments, even as the anxiety grew for Tom. Cathy had even rung up the flat and spoke to Livia for a few minutes, wishing her well and hoping she had enjoyed her birthday. She apologized for not calling sooner, but her work schedule had impeded that. Tom said that she phoned with some frequency and he had enjoyed a better relationship with her of late, now that she lived with her own flatmates. Rev. Woodcock called on Saturday, also – from his office. He still had to deal with Lydia and his wife, which still put him in a bind. As much as he had grown weary of Lydia's demands – the latest being that her father pay for her to have her own place when she left school – he did not relish having zero children left under his roof. Whilst he found his relationship with his wife to be in a "better place," he did not know if Lydia moving out would finally get her to open her eyes about all that had transpired, including her own role in creating a very spoiled, petulant daughter.

Livia took some comfort in those conversations and minimized her own issues as Tom brooded over his. She preferred to think about the pleasant tasks like another year-end party and seeing people that she knew. She found pleasure in the idea of telling Reggie about the Bob Marley record she had purchased. Yet the ticket for the train that came for her and the calendar date Monday 31 August both gave her some pause. Those nine weeks off went too quickly for her. She also wondered if she had inadvertently given Professor Snape a weapon against her, should he choose to make a spectacle out of her in one of his classes. She could only hope that the headmaster's desire to draw only a modest amount of attention to her also meant that he would not try it. She also considered that he would risk something of himself, too, given what she could say about him, and therefore he would think it too dangerous to try.

Tom and Alice brought Livia to King's Cross in good time to make her train. It seemed that they expected to accompany her to her platform. Fortunately, Livia ensured they came in good time to run into Shelley Silver and her family. Livia had lightened her luggage but did not want it to seem somehow lacking so she only shrunk a few items to keep them well protected in things like socks or other garments that Alice as well as Shelley and her mother had helped her buy. Shelley had a trolley to ensure Brontë would safely negotiate the station, and Livia carefully fit her things on it as she greeted the owl and promised her better days ahead. Fortunately, the Silvers took charge of seeing them off and Livia was able, with some apparent help from errands both Tom and Alice had that day, to say goodbye to them before taking the elevator downstairs and getting onto the platform set aside for the Hogwarts students.

Soon, both girls had unloaded their things on the train and greeted other students they recognized as they did so. Waving goodbye to the Silvers and the rest of the onlookers, Livia settled into her seat with Shelley, Athena, Selene and Ted, along with their third year Quidditch-playing roommates, Don, Terence and Barry. Livia tried to ensure that she did not look for the Weasley family, but a family of redheads simply stood out, nonetheless. It also seemed that yet another son, later learning his name to be Percy, had joined his brothers Charlie and Bill, in boarding the train. Though in the same year with Charlie, Livia knew only a little about him. Then she remembered that he asked her that one day about her ability to speak to animals. She thought about if she should try to be friendlier with him to find out more about Bill, but rejected the notion as a lost cause. It could create an opportunity for someone to humiliate her rather than a chance to actually learn anything remotely useful. Livia opted to relax and let whatever happen just proceed without trying to force anything. The train already had left the station and Livia just stared out the window trying to ponder at least some of what would unfold that year.

* Author's Note

This production of Phantom of the Opera, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, became an international sensation.

"With of Without You" appears on the 1987 album The Joshua Tree by the band U2. Lyrics for all songs derive from lead vocalist Bono.

The compilation album Legend by Bob Marley and the Wailers first appeared in 1984. "Get Up, Stand Up" was penned by Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.

Adam Yauch, member of the group Beastie Boys, wrote "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)" with friend Tom Cushman for the 1986 Beastie Boys's album Licensed to Ill.