AN Sorry! There was an error last chapter…There's normally a lot of them but I wanted to fix this one because it's a date. The first line of chapter 12 should be October 28, 1993. The other dates are okay.
October 31st 1993
Aurora's POV
True to Fred and George's word, the pink had warn off from the effected Slytherins from their prank a few days ago. The prank was the talk of the school and people were immediately catching on that it was a Weasley twin idea.
"Next time you do a prank, include me, okay?" Demelza had whispered to Aurora as they passed by a group of Slytherin first years on their way to Defence Against The Dark Arts a few days afterwards on Halloween.
Aurora scowled, but nodded ever the same.
Demelza and Aurora were the first to arrive to DADA followed by the cluster of first year Slytherins they had passed on their way and then the remaining Gryffindors.
Aurora couldn't help, but notice the dark and strange looks Astoria and Lyra were giving her.
"What?" She mouthed at them, raising an eye brow.
"You don't belong" Lyra said sadly shaking her head as she gestured between the Slytherin and Gryffindor sides of the room. Aurora groaned, not again she thought.
Just then Professor Black came striding in, a pained look in his eyes. He set the stack of papers he was carrying onto his desk before turning completely towards the class.
"Who can tell me what today is?" He asked softly.
Demelza being muggleborn quickly responded with "Halloween, sir."
The class laughed at her, except for Aurora who averted her gaze from her, shaking her head.
Black gave a sad smile "Correct, Miss Robbins, but it's a little more complicated than that. Anyone?
Romilda raised her hand.
"Miss Vane?"
"It's the day You-Know-Who was Harry Potter, sir."
"Correct, 5 points to Gryffindor. However, please call him Voldemort. There's no sense being scared of a name."
The class, including Aurora flinched and Ophelia dropped the ink pot she had been holding and it clattered to the ground spraying ink. Black gave a flick of his wand and the splattered ink instantly vanished.
"You dare speak his name!" Lyle sneered at Black.
Black just looked at him sadly "war isn't the answer and the myth of blood purity won't save you." He told the class gently, ignoring Lyle's comment. "That was what the first wizarding war was about- blood purity. Erasing muggleborns from wizarding society and furthering prejudice and stereotypes in the wizarding world towards muggles and muggleborns."
Demelza had gone white while Black had been lecturing.
Black sighed as he took in the class. The Slytherins plus Aurora were smirking and not looking to concerned, but the other Gryffindors looked pale.
They spent the rest od the class talking about and learning about the wizarding war. Aurora had been relieved they weren't doing magic, but all throughout she could see the pain and gauntness haunting Professor Black's features.
Like he had lost many people.
Professor Black's POV
Halloween had always been a rough day for him. It was Halloween night when his friends had been taken from him. When he had lost everything and everyone. He had discussed the first wizarding war with his first year DADA classes that day, in the hopes that he could teach them the seriousness of war. He knew many of his students were the children of death eaters and he also knew If given the chance, they'd grow into death eaters themselves one day. His heart ached. He put down his quill unable to grade anymore papers before dinner. The grief he felt was overwhelming.
Flashback
October 31st 1982
October 31st 1982
The man dismounted his motorbike, arriving to find the house in ruins. There was nothing left, but a mere resemblance of the home that once stood there- a home that was cozy, inviting, filled with laughter and of course, his best friend's family.
The man wiped the tears that were beginning to fall with the back of his sleeve…maybe just maybe, there was hope left.
Maybe.
The man approached the rubble to find someone already there and with a jolt, the man noticed the toddler in the other man's arms.
"Harry?!" the man cried out stretching his hand out to ruffle the toddler's hair.
"He's al'right", the man sobbed, "but Lily an' James, they're…" he hiccupped "they're dead."
He began to cry harder as the other man turned deathly pale upon learning of his best friend and his wife's deaths.
"Hagrid." The man croaked "give Harry to me. I'm his godfather."
"No can do, I got strict orders from Dumbledore to bring little Harry to him."
"But-"
"Dumbledore's orders."
"Where does Dumbledore plan to take him?"
"To his aunt an' uncle o' course! There his only living relatives."
"Petunia and Vernon Dursley? He can't go there! They hate magic, they'll abuse him. They'll-"
Hagrid shook his head, smiling sadly at the distraught young man before him.
"There's nothing we van do. Here, I'll let you say goodbye."
Hagrid handed him the two year old, which he acceted.
He had half a mind to apparate with the child right then and there, but he knew he couldn't, but one day…he'd get Harry back.
He kissed the top of Harry's head, taking in every feature of the sleeping toddler one last time.
"I love you Harry." He whispered. "I am so sorry," he breathed choking on the words.
He handed Harry back to Hagrid.
"Take my motorbike."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Right. I'll be on my way" and with that, Hagrid took off into the night sky on the motorbike. The smell of exhaust filling the air, intertwining with the smell of death, despair, betrayal and of course loss.
Everything around him felt cold and bitter. He gingerly maneuvered his way through the rubble. He found James and Lily, checking their pulses to confirm what he already knew.
"Oh James, Lily." He whispered. "He betrayed us."
There was silence.
Then he heard the faint cry of a baby.
"Oh my god" he breathed.
The crying grew louder as he stepped over Lily and made his way behind the crib to find a blanket on the floor, with the infant hidden behind the crib.
"It's okay. It's me. I have you." He picked up the three day old who immediately recognized him and stopped crying. Bright, curious, green eyes locked onto his grey ones.
"It's okay." He repeated. "I've got you. I don't care what Dumbledore says, you're coming with me. You can't go with Harry. You can't go with Petunia and Vernon." He gulped, taking a breath and a last look around.
"I'll protect her with my life, James and Lily. I'll protect Harry with my life too, but her- I promise James and Lily, I'll protect her with my life. I know you were scared to have another little one, but she'll be okay. I promise."
He gripped the baby tighter, securing her in his arms.
Then he was gone.
End of flashback
He had failed on the promise he had made 11 years ago and what about Harry? He sighed, standing up and heading half heartedly down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast.
Had it really been 11 years?
Aurora's POV
Aurora was amazed at the Halloween decorations in the Great Hall at dinner that night. There were floating pumpkins and lanterns that gave off an eerie feeling.
"This is brilliant!" Demelza exclaimed.
Aurora nodded as she helped herself to a small helping of green beans.
"Merlin, Aurora, do you ever eat?" Ginny complained from across the table.
Aurora just scowled.
Years of living at the Malfoy's had made eating difficult for her. She was scared to eat because she had never really been given much food, but that wasn't the other girl's business.
When the feast was done and they made their way to the Gryffindor common room, it was to find a sea of students already standing in the hallway.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked coming up towards the crowd.
"It's the Fat Lady," Neville said "she's gone."
"stand aside! Stand aside!" Percy called out as he strode through with Professor McGonagall.
"Please everyone, quiet down." McGonagall ordered. "We are currently searching for the Fat Lady now who it appears has gone to another portrait."
As Aurora, Demelza and the trio edged their way to the front of the line, they saw that not only was the Fat Lady gone, but her former portrait had been slashed too.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Dumbledore came towards the crowd with Peeves zooming above him cackling.
"We found the Fat Lady, dear and fairest" Peeves cackled.
"She's been attacked, she's frightened oh yes she is scared when he approached her with knife."
"Whose he?" McGonagall asked looking to Dumbledore instead.
"Why itty bitty ratty tatty Peter Pettigrew" Peeves answered before blowing a raspberry and zooming away.
The hall was completely silent.
"Minerva," Dumbledore finally spoke "please join me in alerting the other teachers to what has happened. We must also inform the prefects so that they can escort their students to the Great Hall where they will be sleeping tonight while the teachers search the entire castle. Percy, please escort the Gryffindors to the Great Hall." Percy nodded and begun to usher the students along as McGonagall and Dumbledore swept away to go and alert the others.
The Gryffindors were the first to arrive in the Great Hall, followed shortly after by the rest of the students from other houses. Many looked pale, some were crying and being soothed by their friends while students in Slytherin bore looks of primarily in difference.
Soon Dumbledore came back into the Great Hall and the students fell silent.
"Ah," he said surveying the students "you'll be needing-" and with a wave of his wand the tables were gone and replaced by hundreds of comfortable looking purple sleeping bags.
"Sleep near us" Harry called, gesturing Aurora and Demelza over to him, Ron and Hermione.
Aurora was relieved as she still wasn't sleeping in her dormitory.
She climbed into her sleeping bag, knowing she wouldn't have to worry about hiding from bullies that night.
"What do you think Pettigrew wants?" Demelza asked the others.
"He wants me" Harry said dully. "Ron's dad told me over the Summer."
"How did he again?" Demelza asked.
Ron shrugged "apparated, I guess."
"Honestly," Hermione said flustered "how many times do I have to tell you that you can't apparate on Hogwarts grounds!?"
Harry and Ron both groaned.
"Well then how did he get in?" Harry prompted.
"I don't know," Hermione said slowky.
They fell silent. The prefects extinguished the lantern light and the whispering began to quiet down.
However, Aurora and the others tossed and turned all night.
Around 4:00AM the Great Hall doors opened again and Snape and Dumbledore came in.
Aurora listened and knew Harry, Ron and Hermione were doing the same.
"The castle's been searched," Snape drawled. "There is no sign of Pettigrew anywhere."
"Very well," Dumbledore sighed tiredly.
Aurora tuned out the rest of the conversation, curled herself up and fell asleep.