29. First night
Snape sat at his place at the head table, watching the students as they entered. The usual exuberance was muted in places, as missing friends were discovered, or tales of attacks and threats were shared. He watched his own table carefully, measuring the glances sent his way, as well as the ebb and flow of power struggles, as students subtly established the year's pecking order. The doors at the end of the hall opened to reveal the first years, and Snape's attention turned to the students nervously making their way up the center aisle. Every year they seemed to get smaller and younger. His eyes found Ella, trailing at the back of the line, though she wasn't alone. Another girl was slowing her pace to stay even with her. Snape was glad to see it, for it meant Ella had found an early ally. He closely examined Ella's appearance, judging how the potion was working. Other than the cane she used and one leg that appeared stiff, there were no marks from her beating from her father. Her eyes lifted to the head table and looked at each professor. He realized that Ella didn't know what he looked like and had to restrain himself from acknowledging her glance with anything other than a cool look.
After the hat's song, the Sorting began. When Ella's name was called, Snape mentally counted the seconds before her house was announced. It took long enough that rustling began at the student tables. Snape wondered why it was so difficult for the hat to place her. When at last it called Ravenclaw, he didn't know whether he was disappointed or relieved. After all, had she been placed in his own House, he would have spent her entire school career wanting to protect her from the political dealings and power struggles that took place in Slytherin's common room. But now that she was in a different House, he was more limited in his interactions with her. At least she had been placed in a decent House, not with the fools in Gryffindor, or the blind in Hufflepuff.
The Sorting ended, and Professor McGonnagal tapped her glass for attention once more. Dumbledore stood, drawing the eyes of every student in the school.
"A few start-of-term announcements: First, the forest that surrounds the school grounds is completely off limits to every student. If you are found inside the forest, you will be punished severely. Second, due to the dangerous nature of these uncertain times, all visits to Hogsmeade have been canceled for the year." He held up his hands to forestall the complaints rising from the crowd of students. "There will be additional activities offered to the students to compensate for the loss of that privilege. Finally"—his face grew very serious—"I am declaring Hogwarts to be neutral ground. No matter what your personal or family political leanings are, if you are found drawing wands or spouting heated words on the school grounds, your loss of House points and your personal detentions will be greater than any seen before at this school. Hogwarts is a place of learning, not of dogma. I will not see its halls turned into battlegrounds. Now, let the feast begin!" Dumbledore sat down as the plates and platters filled with food, and the students turned their attention to filling their stomachs.
XxX
Back at Ravenclaw table, the students gleefully dug into the feast spread before them. Ella could not believe the variety and amount of food that was presented. She filled her plate and ate slowly, glancing at her watch from time to time. It was surprising how slowly time was passing. It wasn't yet eight, for which she was very glad. The last thing Ella wanted to do was take her potion in front of everyone, which would mean answering a lot of questions she didn't want to deal with.
Next to her, Vivianne was chatting away, happy as anything to have been Sorted into Ravenclaw. Ella let the chatter wash over her as she watched and listened to the students around her. From what she had observed, very few details were missed by her Housemates, and she had the feeling that her cover story would be inspected, researched, and validated—not for any vicious reason, but simply because they wanted to know everything. Ella smiled to herself as she sipped hot chocolate at the end of the meal. She could really grow to like it here.
At the end of the meal Headmaster Dumbledore stood again, and the conversations quieted.
"The time as come to end our meal. Now that your stomachs are comfortably full, let me fill your minds with a few introductions. Professor Binns has chosen to take a well-deserved sabbatical, and taking his place until his return is Professor Tania Rogers, anthropologist and author of many books, including our own Hogwarts, a History."
A slight, brown haired witch in scarlet robes stood and bowed to the polite applause.
Dumbledore continued, "Also, our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Alexi Mithrandir." The applause for the tall man with pulled-back hair was much sparser, as students considered who or what this teacher may end up being. None of the professors could really blame them, considering what they'd had to endure the year before. Once the school song had been sung, Dumbledore dismissed the students to their dormitories.
Ella and the other first-year Ravenclaws followed their two prefects, Moira and Christopher, as they led the way from the Great Hall toward the dormitories. Although they took the most direct route, it turned out that Ravenclaw Tower was the furthest dormitory from the Great Hall. They climbed stairs and walked through long hallways, the prefects pointing out landmarks to find their way back in the morning. They had reached the third floor east corridor when Ella suddenly felt dizzy. She stopped and leaned against the wall, but even that wasn't support enough. She slid to the floor, her vision graying around the edges and sounds echoing as though through a long tunnel. She thought she heard Vivianne's voice ask if she was all right but found herself unable to answer. Her vision went completely black as a wave of pain swam over her, and she lost her grasp on consciousness completely.
XxX
Several of the first year students gasped or cried out when Ella slid to the floor and then fell sideways. Moira ran to her side and smoothed the girl's hair out of her face. In horror she realized that dark bruises were appearing over the girl's face, and Moira turned around to shield Ella from the students crowding around.
"Christopher, take everyone else up to the dorm, I'll stay here with her until help arrives. What is her name again?" she asked the girl hovering at her side.
"It's Ella. Ella Dafydd," the girl answered worriedly.
Moira nodded. "Go on, Christopher. The last thing Ella needs is a lot of people crowding around her." The older boy nodded and shepherded the first year students away, many of them looking back over their shoulders at their fallen classmate.
Moira tapped her prefect's badge with her wand and called out, "Professor Flitwick, there's a medical emergency on the third floor east corridor. Please hurry." She sat by Ella's side, monitoring her breathing but carefully not moving or even touching the unconscious girl.
XxX
Snape was still in the Entrance Hall, waiting for the last of his Slytherins to head to their common room, when a hummingbird buzzed past his head.
"Flitwick, what's wrong?" he asked quickly.
The bird turned around and then transformed into the Charms Professor. "There's some sort of medical emergency up on the third floor," he answered before transforming again, and Snape followed the bird up the stairs and through the halls. They found Moira still sitting on the floor, wringing her hands while she waited for the professors. She stood when she heard their footsteps, relieved that assistance had come so quickly.
Snape knelt down beside Ella, running his wand over her fallen form. "What happened, Moira?" Flitwick asked.
"Her name's Ella Dafydd, sir. I don't know exactly what happened, but on our way up to the common room, she collapsed and passed out. She hasn't regained consciousness since, but her breathing has been steady, if shallow. What really worried me was this." She motioned to the bruises on the girl's face. "They appeared from nowhere, and I didn't want to chance touching her and causing more damage."
Snape found Ella's potions bag and opened it. "Here's the problem," he said, lifting out a full phial of potion. It was swirling around, its usual purple color mixing with a violent red. "She's an hour and a half late on her dose." He gently lifted Ella wrist, noticing that the lightest touch was leaving additional bruises behind. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "No one told the girl that her Muggle watch would stop working when she entered Hogwarts. It stopped at 7:23, likely the moment she stepped off the boat onto Hogwarts proper."
Flitwick turned to Snape. "Do we take her to the hospital ward then?"
Snape shook his head. "No, that would be an unnecessary trip. If you trust me to enter your House's tower, she should have emergency treatment with the other doses of potion."
"Of course I trust you, Professor Snape, don't be foolish." Flitwick turned to Moira and said, "We need to know what room Ella's things are in. Will you slip into the common room and find out, and then we'll take the girl up to her room to treat this." Before Moira could leave, Flitwick held up a cautionary hand. "Ella is being treated for injuries she received before coming to Hogwarts. I know you will be discreet about helping us, as I'm sure she will not want the attention of everyone knowing."
Moira looked slightly hurt at the admonition. "Of course I will, Professor. I wouldn't dream of blabbing about this to everyone." The girl ran ahead to the common room and Flitwick turned back to Snape.
"Normally I'd levitate her to her room or to the hospital ward, but I think that would cause additional embarrassment to the child. Would you be willing to carry her?" Snape nodded and gently lifted his niece into his arms. The child's small stature, combined with his billowing robes did make her much less noticeable. Flitwick then cast a spell around Snape to further draw attention away from him and led the way to Ravenclaw Tower.
At the foot of a set of stairs that apparently led nowhere, Flitwick tapped his wand in a complicated pattern on the banister, and the stairs silently slid ninety degrees to the right and met up with a doorway that stood between two large pictures. They climbed the stairs, and when they reached the top, the door opened, and Moira beckoned them through.
"She's actually in my room at the top of the tower, Professor," she said quietly. They walked around the edge of the common room, which was filled with students, most of whom were laughing and talking. They started up a spiral stairway at the back of the room, and when they had passed the first curve of the stairs, Moira turned slightly to speak with the professors as they climbed.
"I did take the liberty of telling the first year students who asked that Ella would be fine and would be joining us in the common room later. Several of them were very worried, and others were noticing."
Flickwick nodded. "I suppose that was the right thing to do. Professor Snape, will she be able to join them later?" he asked.
"Yes, once she's back on the correct dosage of potion, it will be as though nothing had happened," he assured both of them. Finally they reached the top of the winding staircase, and Moira opened the door to the room.
"Ella's things are over here," she said quietly. Snape laid the girl on the bed and opened her trunk. On the top was the potions case the mediwizards had given Ella. He opened it and took out a phial with a dropper. He delicately placed three drops in her mouth and waited three minutes, timing it with his pocket watch. At the end of the three minutes, he opened the phial of potion Ella hadn't taken and carefully poured it into her mouth, angling her head so she could swallow. Moments after the potion was taken, the bruises faded away and her breathing eased.
XxX
Ella swam back to consciousness slowly. The pain was gone, as was her dizziness. She opened her eyes and took in the three forms above her.
"What happened?" she asked, looking around the room.
"You missed your potions dose by quite a while. I believe you were warned not to let that happen?" said the taller man standing above her.
Ella sat up, realizing she was lying on a soft bed with a blue canopy above her. She looked down at her watch and back up at the people watching her.
"How can that be? It isn't eight o'clock yet. I've been watching," she protested.
The second man, who was very short, nodded in understanding. "You've been checking to see that it wasn't yet eight, not what time it actually was, weren't you?" he asked kindly. Ella nodded. "Then you wouldn't have noticed that the actual time hasn't changed for the past two hours," he said.
Ella's eyes widened before she signed in embarrassment and buried her face in her hands. "I'm an idiot!" she exclaimed.
"Not at all, simply unaware of a phenomenon of the magic around Hogwarts. Nothing with electricity or batteries will work in the castle. There's just too much magic around," said the taller man.
Ella noticed that Moira had glanced sideways at the man, as though his response was out of character. "Who are you?" she asked the two men. "I know you're professors, but I can't thank you properly for your assistance.
The small man offered a hand to Ella to help her sit up. "I am Professor Flitwick, your Head of House and Charms professor. This gentleman"—he gestured to the other man—"is Professor Snape, the Potions master, which is why he was able to recognize your symptoms so quickly and render you aid.
Not to mention that he knew very well what potion I was taking, Ella thought to herself. This was her uncle, her rescuer, and the person she wasn't supposed to know. From what Shelly had told her, his not agreeing that she was an idiot was out of character. She smiled shyly up at both professors.
"Thank you for helping me," she said quietly. "I don't suppose there's any hope that people didn't notice?" she asked Moira.
"It was a little hard to miss you turning white and passing out," Moira replied, "but I sent everyone away before they saw your bruises, and Professors Flitwick and Snape sort of snuck you up here while everyone's back was turned. If you come back down and act like nothing happened, people will forget about it. We can tell them that you just got lightheaded, if you like."
Ella nodded in thanks. She carefully stood up, and Professor Flitwick handed her the cane, which he'd carried up from the hallway. The four exited the room, and Ella looked with dismay at the winding staircase that extended below her. Though she could handle stairs if they had a handrail, the effort always left her tired and sore. The others looked back to see what was keeping her, and Professor Flitwick's face lit in understanding.
"This just won't do at all, will it?" he asked cheerfully, pulling out his wand. He waved his wand in several complicated moves, placing charms on the handrails and the stones on the top of the stairs.
"Come stand right here, Miss Dafydd," Professor Flitwick instructed, pointing to the edge of the stairs. Ella complied, looking to him for further instructions.
"Until you are able to climb the stairs normally, all you must do is stand at the top or the bottom of the stairs and grasp the handrail. Say the word ascend or descend and you will safely be slid along at a walking speed. Let go of the rail and your movement will stop," he explained to her. "You may look a bit strange, because you will move at the diagonal, rather than by step, but it will do for the next month."
Ella smiled in relief and hooked her cane over her left arm. She grasped the rail with her right hand and said, "Descend." She began to smoothly slide down the stairs, moving slowly. She let go of the rail and settled without a jar on the closest stair step. She looked back up the few stairs to where her professors and the prefect were still standing and gave them a brilliant smile. Professor Flitwick and Moira smiled in return, and all three moved down the stairs to join her.
As they all continued down, Ella watched her uncle surreptitiously. He was tall and thin, and his face seemed drawn, perhaps by pain, or by stress. She hoped he was not always as grim as he now appeared. The hazy memory of a kind voice speaking to her in the hospital, and the gentle hand that had rested on her head belied her fears somewhat, though she wasn't certain if she had dreamed it or if it was a true memory. Most of the first days of her hospital stay were firmly fixed behind a hazy veil of pain and potions.
Halfway down the stairs, her uncle spoke to her, breaking his silence. "Since you seem to be without an appropriate timepiece, I will be certain you receive one before your next required dose of potion," he said quietly. Ella's head turned to face him fully.
"Thank you, sir," she replied.
That was all they spoke for the remainder of the trip down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, Professor Flitwick bid Moira and Ella a good night, and he and Professor Snape left quietly, unnoticed by the students who were conversing and relaxing in the common room.
Moira led Ella over to a chair on the side of the crowd and slipped over to a tall boy with dark hair. She whispered something in the boy's ear, and he nodded. He walked to the fireplace and tapped his wand against a metal bell. It rang clearly through the room, and the conversation died away as everyone turned to face him.
"Ravenclaws, I bid you welcome to another year," he said clearly. "We have just a few things to attend to, before we bid you goodnight and let you go to your rooms. First of all, for our new first years, my name is Alexander Devon, and I am the elected head of the Ravenclaw council this year. I will allow the others on the council to introduce themselves as they share with our newest House members the truths of Ravenclaw House." He gestured to a group of students sitting to the side of the fireplace, then continued, "The first truth of Ravenclaw that you must understand is that the beginning of knowledge is admitting your ignorance. Do not be afraid to be wrong, but seek to learn what you do not know."
A girl with long black hair stood next. "I am Cho Chang. The second truth of Ravenclaw is that the mind cannot reach full strength if the body is weak. You must strengthen both, together."
Another girl, who was shorter, with the coloring of the Mediterranean countries stood. "Aletha Rotice. Words are power in Ravenclaw, for they not only provide information, they are your bond. Speak wisely, for you shall be held to them."
The fourth person stood, a boy who was thin and gangly. "I am Richard Newson. The fourth truth is that information hoarded is knowledge wasted. Share discoveries, so that all may benefit."
The last member of the council stood, a short, compact boy with dirty blond hair. "Joseph Banyon. The final truth is that there are many sides to every argument or opinion. Try to fully understand the different sides, so that when you choose to stand for someone or something, you know what you are standing for."
Aletha stepped forward. "We are Ravenclaw, the House of wisdom. Our philosophy is explained in the History and Traditions book that each of you first years will receive. Read it carefully; be sure you understand it. Although you did not necessarily choose to become a part of Ravenclaw House, you are now one of us, and as such, you must live by our truths and abide by the code."
The older students in the room responded with a rousing, "Hear, hear!"
Aletha sat down by the unlit fire with the other council members, while Richard took her place.
"The council has several proposals that we much present to the House for approval," he said. "The first is based on observations made over the last three years. It has been pointed out that each year there is an expectation that either Gryffindor or Slytherin will take the House Cup, and that the only chance Hufflepuff or we have of winning is if the latter two lose too many points from attacking each other. The council would propose that this assumption is based on faulty logic, and we would like to prove it so, by clearly taking the House Cup this year. All in favor of exploring the steps necessary to accomplish this, please say aye."
There was a resounding chorus of "Ayes" from the room. The call for nays was met with silence. Richard nodded and said, "Then I will need volunteers for a committee over the next week to create a list of logical, reasonable actions to be followed by the House. Thank you."
There was a general stir as those waving their hands to join the committee were recorded. When it was settled again, Cho took the floor.
"As captain of this year's Quidditch team, I need to inform the House that this year is a rebuilding year for the team. Over half of the team graduated last year, so there are many openings on both the House team and the reserve team. To find the best replacements, we are asking everyone to try out, lest we miss a hidden talent. Tryout dates will be posted in the common room. Finally, John and Collin have a report on the status of our brooms."
Two boys stood on the side of the room, choosing not to climb over everyone to reach the front.
"We've been looking into several solutions to the unfair advantage some other teams have gotten in the last few years, with the gifts of very expensive broomsticks," the first boy reported.
The second nodded his head and continued, "We contacted several professional teams to see how often their brooms are replaced and what they do with their old brooms when they are. We lucked out with three of the teams. They replace their team brooms every year and donate their used broomsticks to schools and such. We will be getting a delivery in the next week or so. All three teams use different brands, so after our teams are set, we'll find the best broom for each and give the rest to Madame Hooch to replace the worst of the school brooms."
There was a round of applause for the two boys, after which Alex stood.
"Is there any other business? No? Then we will bid you goodnight once the first years have been assigned to their rooms." He gestured to a girl hold a sheaf of papers. She made her way to the front of the room and stepped up onto a chair.
"Right then. First years, when your name is called, please stand. You'll be collected by the seventh year in your room. Sixth years, please don't forget to pick up this year's journals at the foot of the stairs."
She began reading off the names of the twelve new first year students. With each name she also named a bird and some object that had to do with birds and flight such as nests, feathers, branches, claws. Ella supposed that these could be the names of the rooms. She looked around and saw that groups of students were heading up the stairs, most of them with a bewildered first year following. The room swiftly emptied, until there were only six girls besides Ella left. The girl on the chair jumped down and stuck out her had for Ella to shake.
"Last but never least, Ella Dafydd, Crow's Nest. I'm Rosemary Stern, seventh year. We also have Opal, Moira, who led you up here, Sylvia, Aubree, and Meagan." The girls nodded in turn, and Ella assumed that Rosemary had named them in descending order of year at school. She smiled shyly in greeting and followed her new roommates to the stairs. At the base of the winding stairs, Sylvia turned to Ella, a questioning look in her eyes.
"Not to be rude, but is that cane for looks, or do you need it to get around? You see, we live at the very top of the tower, and—"
Moira cut her off. "Professor Flitwick has charmed the stairs for Ella already, Sylvia." When the others looked at her in question, Moira shook her head. "I'll explain in the room," she said cryptically. The girls seemed to accept it and started up the stairs.
Opal looked approvingly at the way Ella moved up the stairs. "You can always trust Professor Flitwick to think ahead," she said with a smile.
They reached the top of the stairs, but Rosemary moved to stand in front of the door, blocking their way in. She pulled her wand as the other girls formed a loose half circle before her.
"Before we enter the room, there is something you must know, Ella," she said. "For the next seven years, the Crow's Next will be your home here at Hogwarts. The girls standing with you, as well as the ones who will join this group each year are your sisters. We are here to be your friends and your mentors, just as you will be friend and mentor to the girls who are younger than you. What is spoken in this room is sacred information. You may never use it for personal gain, revenge, or indeed, even speak of it to anyone outside of this room unless given leave by your sister. Do you understand?"
Ella nodded in agreement, but Rosemary wasn't finished.
"Because you can trust that what you tell your sisters will never be shared, you must also swear that you will speak the truth in all matters when you are in the room. There are to be no lies, half-truths, or any misleading. Will you abide by that as well?"
Ella bit her lip in worry. This wasn't something that her uncle had warned her about. "There are some thing that I can't tell anyone," she said looking around at the faces surrounding her. "Things that I've been sworn to secrecy on. I cannot break my faith with those people," she said earnestly.
"Then you must be honest and tell us when you cannot say, rather than telling a falsehood," Rosemary answered. "Will you swear?"
Ella nodded, but took a step back in alarm when Rosemary's wand came up. "No! You can't cast a spell on me!" she cried in alarm. Rosemary lowered her wand but her face was a mixture of impatience and confusion.
"Whyever not?" she asked. "Everyone here has had the same spell set on her. It helps you keep your word, so that you literally cannot share your sister's secrets. It's a harmless spell, it won't hurt."
"No, you don't understand," Ella said impassionedly. "I was hurt a fortnight ago, and the mediwitch who healed me said that I can't have any spells of any kind cast on me until October, or the spells she was using would unbalance and could hurt me!"
Opal spun to face her. "Wait, are you saying you were hurt so badly that you won't be completely well for a month? That's almost unheard of!"
Ella quailed under the combined stares of her six "sisters." This wasn't what she'd wanted at all. No one was supposed to know what had happened to her. No one was supposed to find out the truth. Shelly had promised that she could safely tell her made up story to everyone.
It was Moira who came to her rescue. She waked over to Ella and stood next to her, crossing her arms defiantly. "A fine group we are, first promising to never share secrets, then asking a child to spill all in the hallway where anyone could overhear. If Ella says she can't have the spell cast on her until October, then so be it. She'll have to give her word not to slip or spill the beans for one month. I don't think its fair to put her on the spot, and I'll vouch for her injuries and her need of special treatment for a time."
"Why are you vouching for her?" asked Meagan. "What do you know that we don't?"
"I'll not say until we're behind closed doors," retorted Moira.
"Enough!" said Rosemary in a commanding voice, stopping their argument. "Will you all accept Ella's word not to break the sanctity of the room? At least until she can safely have the spell set on her?" she asked the girls who hadn't joined in the discussion. They nodded or shrugged, and Rosemary turned to Meagan. "Will you accept it?"
"I don't like it, but I don't see that I have a choice," the girl replied.
"It's settled then," Rosemary said. "Ella, will you swear, by whatever you personally hold sacred, that you will keep in confidence what is spoken behind the doors of this room?"
Ella held up her right hand as she promised. "I swear that I will hold the secrets told to me in this room in the same confidence that a priest holds the things told him in confession."
Aubree looked at her in confusion. "What?" she asked.
Ella looked at her solemnly. "What a Catholic priest hears in confession, he cannot share with anyone. It's held in such strict confidence that a judge can't even force him to say in a court of law," she explained. Looking around at their blank looks, she shrugged. "I went to a Catholic school until last year."
Rosemary stepped aside and allowed the others to enter the room. She gave Ella a considering glance when she passed but didn't say anything else.
"Are the treats here?" Sylvia asked.
"I can never understand how you can eat more after the spread we have at the welcome feast every year," Opal replied.
"It's been over an hour since the welcome feast ended, and there is always room for hot chocolate with whipped cream and the chocolate biscuits the elves put out," Sylvia retorted, flopping down in a chair by the fire.
Ella hadn't had a chance to look around the room earlier. It was wedge-shaped, with the door at the narrow end of the wedge. On the wall to the right of the door were the seven beds, each a tall four-poster with a dark blue canopy and heavy hangings, which would ensure privacy. At the end of each bed were their trunks, and narrow wardrobes for hanging their clothes helped to separate the beds a little. The outer wall of the tower was taken up by a large fireplace, which held a collection of chairs and sofas, enough for everyone to lounge comfortably. The center of the room was taken up by a seven-sided desk, and each side had a tilted surface with clips for securing parchments, handy ink- and quill-holders, and a lower tray to store books and materials. The chairs at the desk looked to be comfortable without losing the support necessary for long study sessions. The final wall held a counter with a long mirror and a door, which was closed.
"The loo and showers are through there," Moira pointed to the closed door. "We have a private bath up here. Height has its privileges in this case. Come have a seat."
She pulled one of the desk chairs over to the fire, realizing that Ella would have a hard time getting out of the low, soft chairs that made up the rest of the seating. Ella smiled and accepted a mug of hot chocolate, which she set on a low table next to the nearest sofa. Aubree handed her a small plate of biscuits, with fluffy macaroons and soft snickerdoodles in addition to the chocolate that Sylvia had mentioned.
Everyone settled down, somehow finding room for more food and drink. From what the others said, Ella realized that this was a tradition for the members of the Crow's Nest. Now that the door was safely closed, the girls relaxed and began to truly catch up on the events of the past summer.
"Opal, how's Jerry? I haven't heard you talk about him at all tonight," Sylvia asked.
"Funny you should mention him," Opal said, with a sad smile. "I wouldn't know, really, since we broke up a month into the summer holiday."
"What?" Rosemary said, quickly swallowing the mouthful of hot chocolate she'd just taken. "After last year we were all sure you were coming back to school with at least a promise ring, if not an actual engagement."
Opal shrugged. "If you had asked me two months ago, I'd have expected the same thing. But, after he graduated, Jerry became completely obsessed with You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters. What's saddest is, I can't even tell you if he was for them or against them. He was just obsessed with following their movements, talking about what they were up to, it was like I wasn't even there. I don't think he really noticed when I left," she said sadly.
"I'm so sorry, Opal," Sylvia said contritely, "I didn't mean to bring up something painful."
Opal shrugged again. "It's all right, Sylvia. You didn't know, and what's done is done."
Aubree turned to Meagan. "Did you get my owls this summer, Meg? You didn't answer any of them."
Meagan ducked her head and said quietly, "I got them, but I wasn't allowed to write. Do you remember how strangely my mum acted when we got off the train at Kings Cross?"
Aubree nodded. "Yes, she didn't let you hang about at all and didn't stay for tea with my mum, and they've been doing that every year since your older brother and my oldest sister started at Hogwarts."
"Well, the truth is, my mum wasn't supposed to be at the station at all."
"Why not?" asked Sylvia.
"Well, when Harry Potter published that list last year of Death Eaters, he missed a few names. My father was one of them, and my mum turned him in. Said she couldn't stand knowing that he was getting away with doing horrible things. So, she had to go into protective custody, and I went with her. We bounced all over England this summer, staying one step ahead of the people who were sent to punish her for speaking out. It worked, too, until last week. We almost got flattened in Surrey; they blew up the house and everything." The girls gasped in shock at the near miss, and Ella spoke up.
"Was your mum all right? I was in Surrey with my godmother, Shelly, who works for the Department of Children and Families, and she said your mum had disappeared."
Meagan nodded. "Yes, she got hit with a stunner right when she grabbed the escape portkey, and lost her wand because of it. She was out for a while, and then she had to make her way to a fireplace connected to the floo network."
Ella suddenly realized that in speaking up, she had drawn attention to herself and to the unanswered questions she had avoided in the stairway. She had a feeling she wasn't going to be able to escape much longer. These girls didn't seem to be the type to let mysteries go unsolved. She was right; Sylvia's attention was focused solely on her now.
"So, what's your story, Ella? You must have a fascinating one, from the few clues you've let drop." Her voice carried the slightest hint of skepticism, as though a mere child, like Ella, couldn't possibly have the secrets she seemed to carry.
Ella tried to avoid the curious looks her roommates were giving her, but she knew she couldn't for long. She took a deep breath to settle her nerves and looked up to face the others. She focused on Moira's face, hoping that the older girl's previous support would continue.
"Before I tell you anything, you have to know that everyone out there," she waved vaguely at the wall, indicating the rest of the school, "is being told that I was in a car accident, and that is how I was injured. In the same accident, my parents were both killed, and my uncle became my guardian."
"Why the story, Ella? Why not just tell the truth?" Rosemary asked quietly. Ella's eyes met hers.
"Lots of reasons," she said simply. "For one, there are people who could be put into danger if the truth was known. For another," she looked down at her hands and sighed, "the other main reason is personal. A car accident can happen to anyone, and after a time, everyone forgets about it. In a month, I can be just a normal person, not some freak."
It was Sylvia who broke the uncomfortable silence. "Okay, so we'll tell everyone about your massive car accident, but what's really going on?"
Ella couldn't bring herself to look at anyone but Moira, the one person who had already seen what happened to her.
"Do you know that I've never actually told anyone?" she said quietly, with a pleading tone in her voice. "I mean, people know, now, but I didn't have to tell them. I've never actually said anything." Moira didn't answer her, but Ella could feel the looks of curiosity, impatience, and confusion that were coming from her roommates. Unable to bear their looks, she focused her eyes on her lap and broke the silence she'd held for eight years.
"I was injured, very badly, two weeks ago. But it wasn't a car that broke my bones, it was my father. He was the one who hurt me, and it wasn't the first time. It was the last time, though, because if my uncle hadn't found me when my family left the next day, I would have died. So, my uncle really is my guardian, and thanks to him, they think I'm dead.
"But I was hurt badly enough that the only way for me to make it to Hogwarts, was for the mediwitch in charge of my case to put me on a potion that I have to take four times a day, and until I'm done taking that potion, I can't have any spells hit me, or the extra magic will mess with the potion and the healing spells and mess me up a lot."
She kept her eyes down when she finished, not wanted to see the looks of pity she was sure she would find.
The silence dragged on, until Aubree gave a giant yawn. "I don't know about anyone else, but I am exhausted. I'm going to bed, so I'll see you all in the morning." She put her cup and plate on the table, went over to her trunk, and pulled out a pair of pajamas. She waved to the chorus of "Good-night's" that came from the fireplace and disappeared into the bathroom to change.
That seemed to be a signal, for everyone began to stack cups and plates and rummage in trunks for sleepwear, toothbrushes, and face soap. The less inhibited girls changed in the open, hanging their clothes in the wardrobes. Ella followed the shyer girls into the bathroom, where she changed in a toilet stall. She ran a finger over the raised lines of the brand that marred her shoulder, realizing that even after telling her roommates the truth of the abuse she had suffered from her father, she still wanted to hide the scars that would permanently mark her as a victim. Some secrets were just too painful to share. She went back out into the room, climbed into bed, and pulled the long curtains closed, shutting her bed into a comforting darkness. It wasn't long before she fell deeply asleep.
XxX
A/N: Welcome to Hogwarts! This is my idea of what Ravenclaw is like, though some of its representative members (Cho, Luna, etc.), don't really seem to fit in here. Oh well, that's why this is fiction... it doesn't always have to make sense. So long for now!
