Anthea didn't get to see Charlie on the first of September. The students arrived at 8PM, and the Welcoming Feast finished around 10. Then, the students could only go to bed, as it was already after curfew. Even Anthea couldn't wander the school after nine, and she didn't wish to, anyway. Filch had no power over her yet, but he never forgave an offence, no matter how slight, and had a tendency to exaggerate his tales to teachers when he wanted to get students into even more trouble. Her mum was aware of it, but she still wouldn't be happy if her daughter was caught breaking the rules.

"Why is the little Miss so sad?"

Anthea looked up from the food she was pushing around her plate into Queeny's big blue eyes. The house elf, who only answered to her family, was wearing a dark purple tea towel with the Hogwarts crest stitched in gold and silver thread over her left shoulder. She had personalised it by embroidering tiny flowers in white thread along the hem. Anthea had watched her do it, and knew that each of her outfits had different decorations on them. Some of the other house elves didn't approve but, since Minerva, who oversaw them and their work, didn't mind, they had to let go.

"I have a friend coming here today, but I won't be able to see him today," she said after a moment. The food in front of her was excellent, but she couldn't quite bring herself to eat. Her stomach, tied into knots, protested at each mouthful she swallowed. She would be in for a delightful night, and for no reason at all.

Queeny's little four-fingered hand patting her knew attracted her attention again. "Don't be worried, little Miss. If he is being a real friend, then he will be seeking the little Miss very soon and then you is going to be friends again for real!"

Anthea couldn't help but giggle at the elf's enthusiasm, and the gleam in Queeny's eyes told her that it was her goal all along to make her mistress' daughter laugh. Her stomach relaxed a bit and she was able to eat. She was alone in the kitchen: she was the only child of the staff under eleven. Aurora Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, was pregnant; soon, Anthea wouldn't be the youngest anymore. She didn't mind spending time alone, but the perspective of friends, of companionship, was as alluring as it was anxiety-inducing.

"Can we go to the Room of Requirement tomorrow?" she asked, sending puppy eyes the elf's way.

Queeny didn't even try to resist, nodding so hard that her large ears flailed for a moment. "Of course, we can have the lessons wherever the little Miss wants!" With a grin, she pushed a muffin into Anthea's hand. "Now, eat this. You is deserving dessert, little Miss!"

Because she really didn't want an angry and overprotective elf to choke her with a muffin, Anthea did as she was asked. Wise, considering how attached Queeny was to her mother and anything McGonagall related, herself included. She maybe could even ask for the elf's help in reaching her goals. Now, that was something to carefully think over. She didn't want Queeny to be hurt, after all; the elf was her friend, in ways that their respective positions and status shouldn't allow.

The next day, at eight, while the students sat down in classes all over the castle for the first lesson of the year, Anthea used a secret passage to go directly from the first floor, where most teachers had their office and living quarters, to the seventh. Like always, she stopped for a few seconds in front of the tapestry and watched Barnaby the Barmy attempting to teach trolls the fine art of ballet. Poor man. She wondered, for a moment, about the circumstances of the painting, but dismissed the thought: she didn't want to be late for her own lesson.

She passed the door three times but didn't think about anything in particular. She knew that Queeny had prepared the room for her so, when she opened the door, she wasn't surprised to see a little study room, cosy and well-lit. A fire was crackling in the foyer opposite the door, and a table marked the middle of the room, with two chairs facing each other. Queeny was sitting in one, propped on enough pillows to be at a comfortable height. Anthea took her seat at the other side of the table and unpacked her bag.

She laid the notebook, ink and quill in front of the elf, ready to listen and take notes. She knew that teachers and most students preferred doing so on proper parchment scrolls, but she reserved those for future homework. There was something about a notebook, bound and easy to peruse through, that comforted and reassured her.

When she was ready, she nodded to Queeny, who started the lesson. "After Hogwarts, a student can and, really, should seek out an apprenticeship to complete before looking for a job. Apprenticeships are paid, and it's customary for the master to offer room and board to the apprentice. In exchange, the apprentice works for the master, accomplishing small but menial tasks that further their experience of the field they're apprenticed in."

"Why do you recommend it?" Anthea asked Queeny when she stopped talking for a moment to allow questions.

"Because, little Miss, people who hold a mastery in one or several subjects related to their field of employment get a far better pay. Your mother, Mistress McGonagall, holds masteries in Transfiguration, of course, but also Arithmancy and Charms. She became an Animagus through her first apprenticeship. She couldn't be a teacher without a mastery in Transfiguration, of course, but if she didn't have those two other masteries, her salary would be cut in half."

"Is there a law or something that says how much someone can get paid for a job, and how much higher their salary is with one or several masteries?"

Some people would probably have raised an eyebrow at this, but not Queeny. She was used to Anthea and her intelligence, to the fact that she didn't behave according to her age. Autism didn't explain all of it, but the girl took advantage of the fact that this was a muggle notion to act whichever way she wanted. She was a child, with the brain of a child, but her experience and memories didn't fit, and influenced her actions. Her questions and interests reflected that.

The lesson continued for two hours, covering the requirements for an apprenticeship. Anthea would have to choose the first subject she would want to study after fifth year, then get an Optimal for the relevant NEWT all while trying to find a master or mistress willing to take her in. An apprenticeship could last up to five years, but some people had finished theirs much faster. Minerva had become a legend in scholarly circles by passing her Transfiguration mastery exam after only six months.

"So you heard about this, eh," her mum smiled when Anthea gushed about it after dinner. During the school year, she had to be in the Great Hall for every meal. The only exceptions were when her daughter was sick; otherwise, Anthea dinned with the elves in the kitchen then walked back to their quarters. It was a good life. Lonely at times, but she didn't mind – or repeated herself that until she almost believed it.

"It's amazing, Mum. How did you do it?"

"Honestly, honey, I gave up my whole life for six months. I don't regret it now, but I wouldn't advise you to do the same. The truth is, I didn't think I had time before me. I was an overachiever."

Surprised, Anthea nodded. She hadn't expected that answer, that was for sure. It was the first time that Minerva told her to slow down and, even if adulthood seemed like a future so far away, it was strange enough that the girl truly listened. After a moment, she nodded and dropped the subject. Curled up on a large, comfy couch, she had a book open on her lap. Minerva sat at the other side of the couch, more dignified and was also attempting to read. She was tired, too, Anthea could tell. Her face was drawn, her eyelids heavy. The beginning of the school year had taken a toll on her, like it did every year, but this one somehow seemed a bit worse.

"I'm tired," she lied with a little smile. "I think I'll go to bed now." She kissed her mum goodbye, hoping that she would go to sleep soon. She needed to be well rested for classes during the rest of the week.

The following day, she was in luck: when she walked in the eastern courtyard during the morning break, she found Charlie there. He was with a Hufflepuff girl around the same age. Her hair was a muted brown, and her features so common it looked almost purposeful. Her stomach turning into a tight knot, Anthea went to them. She was so small, even amongst the first years, that a Ravenclaw boy bumped into her while playing with a muggle frisbee with his friends. He apologised, but the commotion attracted Charlie's attention. His features immediately lit up and a huge smile played on his lips.

"Anthea, over here!" He waved, energetic and loud, carefree and innocent. Those qualities drew Anthea to him, the pull so enticing she couldn't resist it. On so many levels, he was his complete opposite. She just hoped that, where it mattered, they were the same.

"Hi! I couldn't find you yesterday. The castle is really huge, there are too many spots to hang out and I couldn't get to them all during the breaks. This time, I got it first hit!"

"I had no idea where I should go to find you either! Anyway, this is Nymphadora Tonks, Dora for short. She helped me get through the Transfiguration lesson yesterday. Your Mum is so impressive!"

Anthea barely succeeded in hiding her surprise as she shook Dora's hand. She knew that both her and Charlie were the same age but, somehow, her brain hadn't connected the dots. "Nice to meet you, Dora! So you're good at Transfiguration? Mum will be pleased. She likes having naturals in class."

The Hufflepuff blushed slightly, the shadow of a smile appearing on her lips. She was as far as she could get from the canon Tonks, but also so much younger that it made sense. Eleven years old girls weren't as comfortable in their own skin as adult Tonks was and, with Metamorphmagic, it had to be even worse. It would take time for the girl to bloom into the woman she would become one day.

"Can I hang out with you until you have to get back to class? Queeny said I could, if you would have me."

"Who's Queeny?" Dora asked.

"She's Mum's house elf, and she works in the castle too most of the year. She takes care of me when Mum's working so I'm not just by myself."

"Yeah, you would be a bit young for that," Charlie commented.

"And bored to death within an hour," Anthea grinned. "So, what do you say?"

Before answering, Charlie was considerate enough to look at Dora, who had been with him first, after all. Maybe Anthea should have been wounded, but it was the opposite and, when the other girl nodded her approval, she couldn't help but beam.

Was she really making friends? Was it what it felt like?