Chapter 28 – A Time of Friends

From the Journal of Freddie James Potter – 2 October 2013

My first month of Hogwarts couldn't have been more exciting and important. So much happened. I'm lucky to still be alive, but it was thrilling. I learned so much about myself. I feel less the little kid and more the big kid who could take care of himself. Mainly from the extra fighting lessons from Erin Malfoy and our parents, I was way ahead in Defence Against the Dark Arts. The Stone got me through any memorising I had to do.

I grieved the loss of Quidditch. I know what grief is – it is talked about almost as much as love and the Light Guardian in Mum's church. The end of Quidditch hit me hard. Both our game with the tampered Snitch and our tie game were not made up. We ended up 1- 0 – 1 in a season which would not count. I admit, I wanted the chance to be a hero for Gryffindor. More, I wanted to stay close to all the new friends I made on the team. I feared they would quickly drift away from me, especially most of the team members who are not first years. I still think that will happen, although slower, because Teddy is making every effort to keep us together. We share one meal every other day at the end of the Gryffindor table. It has been named Quidditch land. I've learned how badly one needs friends at Hogwarts. You can't have too many friends. They cover your back and keep you safe and they make the school experience pleasurable. My friends got me past my upset of the first day encounter with McGonagall.

Speaking of friends, Iona came up to me yesterday and asked in an almost pleading voice "I know you don't want a girlfriend and you don't want me to touch you so much, but can we please at least be friends." I told her that I had always counted her a friend, that I enjoyed talking to her and being with her. This made her smile. She squeezed my arm and walked away. Scorpius was staring at me, so I told him "Iona and I have always been friends, ever since the Hogwarts Express. Emma too. Rescuing them just made us better friends. She wasn't in control of her mind when she scratched me and accused us of murdering her boyfriend. That doesn't count against her."

We got together again with a whole batch of friends from home. Strangely none of them were in Gryffindor, so we just hadn't seen much of each other since coming to Hogwarts. Oh, we saw each other in the halls and said 'Hi' and might share a few words if we had a class together, but the Houses tended to sit together in class. This was particularly true with the neo-Death Eaters gone. These were all kids we had attended our pre-Hogwarts school classes with. Potter's Forest had its own little school. Our home addresses were awkwardly secret enough that it just wouldn't have done for us to attend the British schools, as the majority of pre-Hogwarts little Witches and Wizards did. Mum made sure that we had teachers who taught us a lot about Britain and its history, literature, and music.

Yesterday Maxwell Sharp, a second year Ravenclaw stopped by the Gryffindor table at the end of lunch. "I am putting together a group of kids who grew up and played together in Potter's Forest. With all that has happened, I think we all could use the extra support and protection that our old gang can provide. I know your family went away a lot in the summer, but you still got together with us for at least a month every summer. I have twelve of us, so far, first through third years, from every House, if you and Rose join us. Are you in?"

Of course, I was in. I was sure that Rose would also want to join the group. The neo-Death Eaters had acted as a gang of hoodlums in terrorising the rest of us. They were gone but might return as soon as the end of the Winter Holidays. We needed a good-guy gang to be ready to oppose them. Maxwell said that we would meet in the library, right after dinner. I mentioned this meeting to Scorpius and Rose over dinner and they both were eager to join the Potter's Forest gang. Scorpius spent enough time over the summer at Rose's or my house that he qualified as much as we did for this gang. He spent almost four weeks in the forest, each of the past two summers.

Teddy overheard us talking and thought in addition to having the Quidditch team continue to meet, we needed to start an all-years Gryffindor protection gang. Iona and Emma also wanted in.

Break

From the Journal of Rose Weasley - 2 October 2013

I knew that Mum had met with the Venerans. She messaged me before she left for the meeting. I had heard nothing about whether the meeting was a success. I did get a clue this morning. Aunt Ginny's committee was scheduled to meet in two days. Our group was invited. This pleased me. It also reassured me that Mum and Aunt Ginny were safe.

The meeting of the Children of Potter's Forest went well. As kids, we all had read the Harry Potter books. We all knew the story of Dumbledore's Army. That's what we wanted to create. Freddie James said that we had gotten some extra training from our parents and from Erin Malfoy. The group agreed that Erin must be added to the group. There were a few other Hogwarts students who had grown up in Potter's Forest. They hadn't been approached because they were older than second levels. Their increased magical knowledge was needed. Maxwell would recruit them. All the members would be on the lookout for trustworthy members of their Houses, who might be willing to join our Army and assist in defending Hogwarts. We had a good starting point. A little over a hundred students had fought to repulse the invaders. We all would think whom we recognised among the defenders, who wasn't a part of this group. Freddie James said he would bring Teddy to the next meeting. He had visited the Forest enough to count as at least an honorary Child of Potter's Forest.

The meeting took a little turn to the dark side, as Maxwell raised the issue of "the traitor family from Potter's Forest. One of our own who aided those who would have been the second wave of attackers. What do we know about them? I've learned that the parents are Aloysius and Isadore Placentia. Both of their parents were originally from Spain. They were wealthy but lost it all coming to Britain and being caught between sides in the Voldemort War. They weren't Death Eaters, but they felt that they had to obey the orders of Minister for Magic Thicknesse. The Death Eaters suspected they were Mudbloods. Each of the Placentia's lost one of their parents to the Death Eaters. That would seem to make Aloysius and Isadore unlikely neo-Death Eaters, but they had been shunned by both sides and married each other almost as the only available choice. They had one young daughter and a son who was a second-year Dumbledore. That son, Marshall, had hid in his bed, draperies drawn shut, during the invasion. He was still at Hogwarts, which was odd. Surely, he knew how unpopular he now was."

"How do you know he hid in his bed," Freddie demanded.

"When the invasion began, he shouted 'No!' and ran back to the dorm, tears running down his cheeks. I found him hiding behind his curtains, curled up in a little ball, after the attack was over," Mortimer Trask answered. Mortimer is a Dumbledore, who bunks with Marshall.

Break

From the Journal of Scorpius Malfoy - 2 October 2013

It's always better to have more than fewer wands on your side... but, you need to be able to trust all the wand wielders whom you think are on your side. If some are against you, the danger of being cursed in the back is serious. I'm a little worried that Freddie James is getting too excited and will expand our circle of 'allies' widely enough to include some enemies. We need a way to be sure of where these new guys stand. One bad family from Potter's Forest for sure. How can we know there aren't more? Everyone is feeling safe and planning for after Winter break if the Death Eaters come back. What if not all of them have left. The invasion included students who weren't on Dad's list. Marshall Placentia is still here. His parents are enemies. That usually means the Hogwarts kids from the family are also enemies. Nobody saw Marshall hiding in his bed while the invasion was taking place. He could have gone back to his dorm room right after. I don't trust him. I need to talk to father. I don't want to sound weak if one of my friends learns of a message I send through the Stone. This isn't time urgent. An owl will do.

Break

From the Diary of Iona Sparks - 2 October 2013

Freddie and I are friends! He was like "of course we're friends, we've been friends from the Express". I was just being silly and worrying myself sick. But... the way I acted under that awful poison. He had every reason to hate me. Young Wizards can be very unforgiving, but not my Freddie. I think I did well in the fight against the invaders. My wand was steady. I think I had one successful 'Off!'. I think Freddie will like that I'm a fighter. Emma froze during the fight. I don't know why I think of her as competition. She really isn't. I'm being childish. I should - I will help Emma get over that problem. Not an unusual first-time problem for an eleven-year-old. We're both just children. We shouldn't be forced to fight in a situation like that. I just know that I couldn't have used the 'Avada', even if it was totally necessary. I just couldn't do that.

Break

Scorpius Note to Draco

2 October

Dad,

We are organising a larger self-protection gang. The neo-Death Eaters might return after Winter break. If they return, there will be a lot more of them. We plan to be ready, with more wands in every House. The problem? I don't know much about most of the kids, even the other first-years. I fear we could end up sharing our plans and training with the enemy. You know about a lot more bad families than I do. Please help. The larger protection gang was started by a kid named Maxwell Sharp. He's from Potter's Forest. I met him there a few times, but we never got close. What can you tell me about him? I know one kid, Marshall Placentia, comes from the family in Potter's Forest, who aided the Death Eaters. He's still here. He claims to have hidden in his bed during the whole invasion. Not sure I believe him. I need information! Erin will help the larger gang.

Your son,

Scorpius