MAKE SURE YOU READ CHAPTER 27! OR YOU'LL BE UTTERLY CONFUSED...
Chapter 28: A Different Type of Sorting
When Emilia next woke up, the sun was rising. She had slept the day and night away and had apparently been left undisturbed until she was completely rested. Yet another change of clothes were laid out for her and she dressed herself quietly before braiding her hair tightly in a single, simple plait that hung down her back. She left the pendant under the sweater she wore and after folding up the dirty clothes, assuming the house elves would take them for washing, she stepped out from the curtain her bed hid behind and walked out of the Hospital Wing somehow avoiding the attention of Madam Pomfrey as she did so. Emilia wandered through the castle until she found herself at the bottom of the staircase that lead to the tower room she had claimed for herself, just as her mother had before her. Looking up into the darkness, she was just about to ascend the steps when the ghost of Gryffindor House, Nearly-Headless Nick she recalled, came floating toward her.
"Miss Pendragon," he greeted, nodding his head which wobbled precariously on his ruffled collar, "Professor McGonagall has been searching for you everywhere. If you will follow me," he prompted, turning about and floating back down the way he had come. The young Veela cast one last look toward her sanctuary before following the ghost's lead. With Nick as a guide, it didn't take them long at all to reach the hallway in which both McGonagall and Dumbledore stood waiting expectantly. Upon her arrival, McGonagall looked stern though not unkind.
"Thank you, Sir Nicholas," she said and the ghost nodded again before floating through a wall. Emilia thought McGonagall would scold her when Dumbledore stepped forward and asked if she was ready. The girl nodded and he smiled laying a hand on her slight shoulder and started walking down the length of the wall with her but as soon as they reached the end, they turned around and walked back the way they came. This confused her but it only doubled her confusion when they took the walk a third time and she was about to ask when they came to an abrupt stop and suddenly there was a door where there hadn't been one a moment before.
"Sir...?" Emilia prompted and with a mysterious smile, Dumbledore opened the door and gestured inward.
"Welcome to the Room of Requirement. We have placed your family's belongings inside and you can take all the time you need to sort through it. No one will disturb you aside from I or Minerva." Dumbledore gave her a gentle nudge and giving one more look to both adults, she walked in and saw boxes upon boxes and even a few lamps. "Take your time and we will come back and check in on you periodically," Dumbledore promised and when Emilia attempted a smile with a nod his blue eyes twinkled and he shut the door behind her. She slowly turned back to the boxes and swallowing tightly, she moved to the one closest to her and started sorting through its contents.
She couldn't be sure how much time had passed since she had entered the Room of Requirement for there were no windows. However, her heart had been on a roller coaster the entire time. At times it would warm with pleasure at past memories remembered by certain items within the boxes while at others, it would clench hard and feel as though it would wither away from the sadness that attacked mercilessly. She would no longer be able to make memories with Lewis. She had come to terms with her mother's passing only because of her father's constant and loving care to be sure she lacked nothing with the loss of her mother. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen to her now. McGonagall had mentioned something about a cousin but she didn't know who else would have the means or even the desire to take her in. Would she be sent to an orphanage? How long did one stay in an orphanage? Would there be others her age with the same situation?
She thought in spirals when she did think-but for the most part she shied away and focused on the contents of the boxes. A few boxes she opened she realized had been packed up by Lewis himself after Zandria had died. Most of those boxes were filled with clothes and jewelry that Emilia was still too young and small to wear but she knew she would have to keep them somehow.
She also spent some time going through pictures-some having been taken while Zandria was still alive but the majority of them had been afterward. Emilia could feel the love of both of her parents but that didn't completely banish the loneliness that was settling into her bones.
Emilia was only about halfway through when the door opened to reveal a familiar face. "Miss Emilia!" Toddles squeaked as he tottered in with a tray of food for her.
She managed a smile for the house elf as he closed the door behind him with a little elf magic before coming closer and setting the tray down on the floor. He looked at her with concern that she could tell he was trying to restrain and so she tried harder. "How has the kitchen been?" she asked him as she took up the sandwich that had been prepared for her and forced herself to take a bite so to make him worry less. He promptly started telling her of how little they had had to do compared to when the castle was full and he even told a few stories of the antics of the ghosts and portraits around the castle. She was relieved to not talk about why she was in the Room of Requirement in the first place and valiantly finished off every morsel on the tray before Toddles admitted to having to go back to help start preparing the evening meal. He took the tray with him, leaving the goblet which had an enchantment on it to keep it full of water so she wouldn't be left thirsty as she continued her sorting.
She had finally come to the last box and upon opening it, the smell of her father wafting heavily to her nose caused fresh tears to spring to her eyes. She pulled out the sweater that lay on top of the pile...it was his favorite. With trembling hands, she pulled the sweater on over her clothes and buried her face in the sleeves. Remaining like that for a moment or two, she finally peeked back into the box, moisture clinging to her eyelashes. Pausing only for a second, she darted her hand into the box and pulled out a heavy envelope. Turning it over, she saw her name written in her father's scritched hand. Her fingertips caressed the writing before she opened the envelope and pulled out the letter within.
Dearest Emi,
I want you to know how much I love you. You are the greatest gift your mother ever gave to me and not a day passes that I don't thank her for you.
You grow stronger every time I turn around-someday soon, I have a feeling that there will be no one who can stand in your way. No one can tell you what to do, darling. Stay true to your heart and all will be well. I can't express how proud I am of you and your willingness to fight to release your kindred from the wretched spell that has been put upon them.
I am sorry that I am leaving you behind, for if you are reading this, I have already passed the station to stand by your mother's side.
Beware, Emi, of Tom Riddle who soon will probably be none solely as Lord Voldemort. He holds a greater evil within himself than anyone I have ever known. His desire for power knows no bounds and he is drawn to those who would be strong allies. I am sure the only reason he ever came for me was because of you and your mother. Your mother was a powerful witch and I can only imagine that you will surpass even her strength.
But take heart my sweet girl, for you are surrounded by allies. Stick with your learning and you will know the way to go.
We are rooting for you! Stay safe.
Love,
Me
She knew she should feel scared after Lewis' warning of Riddle, perhaps she was too exhausted to feel anything but loneliness. She put the letter down with the few other belongings that she had decided to keep with her at school. She imagined that the rest would be sent to her aunt but, suddenly struck by an idea, Emilia located a Sharpie and labeled the boxes—indicating some for her future home and others for use in the coming years.
When it was finished, not being in any rush to return to the company of those in the castle, Emilia picked up a portrait of Lewis and Zandria taken some time while they were dating and the comforter from her father's bed and noticing a chair under a lamp that she hadn't been aware of upon entering the room, sat thereupon, curled up in the blanket and her father's sweater, holding the picture close as she looked at all the boxes she had gone through.
She hadn't been sitting there for very long when the door opened to reveal Professor McGonagall. The woman looked about before spying Emilia on the couch and closing the door after her, she walked over to the chair in which the young Veela sat.
"Have you sorted everything out?" she asked kindly and when Emilia nodded she nodded in return. "Then gather the things you intend to keep with you and we will have some of the servants take the rest to the post so they can be dispatched to your father's cousin." She turned to leave and Emilia slipped from the couch to gather the spars belongings of her father's that she wanted to keep and tucking them under her arm inside the comforter, she caught up with McGonagall and slipped her small hand in the witch's who made a small sound of surprise before saying softly, "Very well," and they left the Room of Requirement together.
The dining party was quite small seeing as most of the students were still at home for the winter vacation. It surprised Emilia but according to Dumbledore's custom when such a small party was gathered, the teachers and students that remained dined at the same table and she was invited to sit next to McGonagall. She vaguely noticed a few of her Slytherin housemates at the far end of the table whispering among themselves and tossing looks her way but she didn't know any of them personally so she mostly ignored them. She was pleased to find that a Hufflepuff had opted to sit beside her and she found the girl to be quite easy company. Only asking easy questions and nothing too prying, the dinner passed in as amiable a fashion as it could for Emilia in her current state.
After Dumbledore ushered them off to bed, Emilia decided upon entering the common room that she would retrieve Louis' comforter and, after a time, make her way to the tower. She found that she had had to wait longer than she hoped for the other members of the House lingered long in the common room but she once more found herself sneaking through the shadows of the castle out of the ever searching eyes of the caretaker and portraits that might give her away.
The deep blue of the blanket lent to her concealment and she found her way to the tower without too much hassle. She used her wand to light the way and was in the middle of reminding herself of a fire-making spell when she stepped into the room at the top to find a merry fire already blazing, a glass of milk and a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies sitting on the table that sat next to the chaise. When a cursory look about her revealed none, not even a house elf, in the room, she walked closer to the table, whispering, "Nox," as she went and laying the wand next to the plate she picked up a small card of white paper with thin lettering on it.
I thought you might find yourself more comfortable here. Enjoy some cookies and sleep well.
It wasn't signed and the lettering was too fine for a house elf. Emilia wondered sleepily who else possibly knew of the place she thought was her secret and aside from having shown it to Sirius, couldn't think of anyone else she had specifically mentioned it to.
She didn't feel trespassed upon however and, doing as the card instructed, helped herself to the cookies and milk before curling up in the chaise wrapped in the smell of her father and the spirit of her mother lent her by the belongings of the room and fell asleep faster than she could say, "Quidditch."
Reviews: YuYuHakushoObsesser and Aelin08 (who made me realize just how long it had been since my last update... I am a horrible human being)!
Followers: Flos Florum and DarkMangaIza!
Favorites: DarkMangaIza!
I apologize for the long absence! I hope you don't all hate me... but here is a belated Harry Potter birthday gift! I will work on it more after work this evening.
CB
