Chapter Two: Adventures
I grew up convinced that my mother and godmother had been friends since the dawn of time.
They were two of my favorite people in the world. I had idolized them for as long as I could remember.
The parents sent us to our godparents' houses for two weekends each month. While most of us spent one of those weekends at our godfathers' homes and one at our godmothers', James had always complained that he was getting cheated, as his godparents, Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, were married. Secretly, I knew that he adored the arrangement, as he was both Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron's only godchild, meaning he was essentially an only child for the weekend.
I had grown up spending at least one weekend every month at Shell Cottage. My godmother would dance me around the kitchen, singing in French and showing me how to bake. Her husband regularly referred to her as the most beautiful woman on the planet, and I believed it. Though I never had the delight for fashion that she did, she had insisted that I learn how to put together an outfit. We would giggle like mad as we slipped on our shoes, with Uncle Bill studiously pretending not to notice us sneaking off to portkey to France, where she would make me try on clothes until both of our feet were ready to fall off. At her insistence, I was only allowed to speak in French when I was at Shell Cottage. A complaint about the rule had never left my lips, and she and I had developed a habit of always conversing in French when we were together. My godmother taught me all about being brave, clever, and fiercely protective. Some of the first spells that I learned were defensive charms, because she claimed that all women should be able to defend themselves. My godmother insisted that I carry myself with grace and never bow to anyone. She was constantly reminding me to be myself.
My mother was similarly admirable. She had a sharp tongue and a quick wand. I learned a good number of offensive charms from her. She was unyielding in her defense of what was right, and I had grown up knowing that she would protect my sister, brothers, father, and I from anything and anyone. She taught me to ride a broom practically before I could walk. When I came inside with scraped knees, she would show me her own scars and tell me how to avoid falling the next time that I took to the air. With her encouragement, I found myself constantly flying higher, faster, and better. Though none of my siblings shared my unwavering devotion to Quidditch, we all grew up leaning over the railings in the family booth and cheering her on at her matches. When we would complain about missing dad whilst he was busy at work, she would take us out for ice cream, charm a cone to stay frozen, and sneak us into his office. She had taught us all to fight without a wand, as well, insisting that we never become too reliant on a piece of wood.
I looked up to both women immensely. They were strong, brave, and kind. In my head, they were the perfect best friends. I had always assumed that this was a constant. Sure, mum was a bit younger than my godmother, and I knew that they hadn't met until my mother was 13. Still, despite knowing these things, I had always pictured them meeting and immediately becoming as close as they are now.
Finding out that this was not the case had simply shattered my world. At the age of 6, I felt that everything that I had ever known was a lie.
I was a bit of a dramatic child.
I had gone to ask my father to put me to bed when I overheard him talking to my Uncle Ron. My uncle had asked him, "So, how did Fleur and Gin end up friends? Last I knew Ginny hated Fleur, but then we finished the final battle and suddenly they're life-long pals."
My father opened his mouth to respond when he spotted me standing in the doorway to his office, a stunned look on my face. I quickly turned and fled to my room. Dad had followed. I had buried myself under my covers just before he could come in, glaring at my sheets through my tears in the hopes that he would feel my fury and understand how betrayed I felt.
He sat down on the edge of my bed with a sigh. "When your godmother first got engaged to your Uncle Bill, she was not your mum's favorite person."
Dad stopped, clearly thinking about this statement before quite bluntly saying, "Actually, your mum absolutely hated her, because she thought that Fleur was using her Veela powers to force your uncle into marrying her."
My parents had never beat around the bush with us, because they thought that that sort of thing wasn't fair for the children of war heroes. Truth will out, they always said.
"You know how protective your mother gets when it comes to family, right? So, she hated her and spent her time making fun of her, in the hopes that it would drive her away."
"But then…how come she's my godmother?" I had asked, devastated by the realization that my mum had believed my favorite aunt and uncle's marriage to be a fraud.
"Well, you know how your Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron left with me to find the dark objects Voldemort made, right?"
I had made a small noise of agreement. Though our parents were honest with us about the war, we understood that there were some things that they couldn't tell us about in detail.
"Well, your mother stayed behind," Dad continued, "That was the year that the Carrows were at Hogwarts, so things were bad there. On top of that, your mother loves me, Uncle Ron is her brother, and Aunt Hermione is her best friend. Not being able to speak to us or know that we were safe made an already difficult year even harder on her."
I nodded, though he couldn't see me, my eyes wide with sympathy for my mother.
"She, Neville, and Luna were running the DA that year, which meant that, as sympathetic as her friends were, they had more important things to worry about than your mother worrying about us. Everyone had someone that they were worried about that year. Your mum had just decided that she was going to just have to suck it up and push through it when she got a letter from your godmother."
"What did she write?"
"She wrote of normal things, just friendly talk between sisters."
"What did she mean?"
I could hear the smile in my father's voice as he responded. "I'm going to have to tell your Aunt 'Mione that she's rubbing off on you kids. She'll be pleased. In code, your Aunt Fleur told your mother that we hadn't been caught yet."
I began to wipe my tears as I realized that there was to be a happy ending to the tale after all.
"After that, they started writing as often as they could. When your mum came home at Christmas and told everyone how she, Luna, and Neville were running the DA, your Aunt Fleur was the one to teach her healing spells and several defensive spells that weren't taught at Hogwarts. For Christmas, Fleur gave your mum an enchanted mirror, which would allow them to communicate without the Death Eaters being able to listen in. Then Luna, who-besides your Aunt 'Mione-was your mum's best friend, was kidnapped over the break. After that your mum began to rely on Fleur for everything."
"So, she didn't hate her anymore?" I asked, finally emerging from my cocoon of blankets. My father smiled as he smoothed a hand over my hair, his green eyes a touch wistful.
"No, far from it. Your mother loves Hermione and Luna, but your Aunt Fleur became her closest friend after that. When your Uncle Fred died, your Aunt Fleur was the one that helped your mum get through it."
"Her sister, Auntie Gabrielle, died too, right?" I asked him, my voice soft. I thought sometimes that, as much as Aunt Fleur loved every member of our family, she may have loved her sister more than anyone else in the world.
My father nodded; his expression somber. "Yes, she and Aunt Fleur's father were killed during an attack on her family. Your mum helped Fleur with her grief, as well. Your mother and Fleur might as well be sisters in blood, for as much as the two love each other. She picked out your name, you know."
My eyes widened in amazement at his statement. "She did?"
"She did. You should ask her about it. She put a lot of thought into the name," My father said. "Are you ready for bed, little bird?"
I nodded, smiling at my father as he helped tuck me into bed and kissed my forehead. I giggled as he pretended to make my stuffed hippogriff, Beaky, kiss my forehead as well before snuggling the toy into the bed beside me.
"Goodnight, Phoenix. I love you," He said softly as he made his way towards the door.
"Goodnight, Daddy. I love you, too," I called back. I smiled as he flicked his wand just before the door closed, lighting up the nightlight in the corner of my room.
Several weeks later, sitting across from my godmother at her kitchen table, I asked Aunt Fleur about my name.
"Phoenix is a beautiful, strong name, especially for a child who was born into a world coming out of war, but a lady also always needs a softer side," She explained to me, speaking a touch slowly as she watched my face to make sure that I was able to follow along with her French. "Annette means grace and favor, two things that I knew that you would grow up with. Your names describe you, my love. Strong, beautiful, graceful, and favored."
"Why do you call me Annette if you picked out both of my names?" I had asked my godmother, wondering if she did not love my first name as much as she claimed to, for she only ever called me by my middle name.
She only smiled, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I call you Annette because I picked out both. As I said, little bird, a lady should have a softer side. Everyone else may call you Phoenix, but I will call you Annette, to remind you that it is okay to be both."
The next morning, it was with no small amount of nervousness that I pried my eyes open to take in my surroundings. With as long as I had been anticipating coming to Hogwarts and praying to be sorted into Gryffindor, a part of me was convinced that I would wake up in my room, the previous day's events only a pleasant dream.
Upon opening my eyes and finding myself staring at the thick velvet curtains that surrounded the beds in the Gryffindor dormitory, I let out a tiny, excited squeal before leaping out from within the sheets. After scrambling to get ready without waking anyone else up, I bounced down the stairs joyfully, hardly caring if the few people in the Common Room saw. I knew that I wouldn't be able to find my way back to the Great Hall on my own, so I decided to sit on a comfortable looking sofa and read until someone else woke up.
It was only after I had rounded the side of the couch and very nearly flung myself down onto it that I realized that the seat was already occupied by a familiar figure. I stared at the brown-haired boy who sat before me for a moment, trying to place him.
He glanced up, and I remembered who he was immediately.
"Hey, Potter," Jay Wood said with a grin. "You can sit, if you want. I don't bite."
I moved closer, smiling a bit at his accent as I sat down next to him. The crimson sofa was as soft as it looked, practically swallowing me up as I leaned back against it. My smile grew as the warmth of the nearby fire settled over me, as though the room itself was wrapping me up in its embrace.
"What are you reading?" I asked, peering curiously at the olive-colored cover of the text that he held.
He held the book up, letting me see the title. It was a Herbology textbook.
"Trying to get ahead a bit. I can't keep plants alive to save my life," Wood said, shaking his head exasperatedly at himself as he did so. I giggled and he flashed me a grin. "I swear, it's like they sense my presence. I walk into the greenhouses and they wither at the sight of me."
I let out a peal of laughter. "I doubt you're that bad," I told him through giggles.
He shook his head, widening his eyes at me dramatically. "No, really, we tried to repot marigolds last year-just the muggle ones-and I somehow broke mine in half just picking it up! It was awful! Longbottom just stared at me in disbelief."
I had tears in my eyes. "Marigolds? Even I can care for marigolds!"
He grinned, his hand dropping flat on the couch between us as he leaned closer to me. "Oh, well then you can be my savior. Teach me your ways!"
I shook my head, still giggling. "No, that'll be my sister. I'm afraid you'll just have to survive another two years if you're in need of someone to help you in Herbology. I said I can keep marigolds alive, but that's about all I can do! It's horrid; my sister's room is absolutely lovely, just covered in greenery, but the best that I can do with mine is let her hang her herbs up in it to dry." I sighed, giving him a mock pout. "At least my room smells nice."
He was laughing at my words now. "Well, it looks like we're in the same boat then. What are you reading?"
I blushed as I held up the book that he had gifted me on the train. "Thank you, by the way."
He tapped the cover, giving me a kind smile. "When you're done reading it, let me know and we can mail it to my mum to have her sign it as well. They'll probably even write you a note, if you want."
I beamed, bouncing slightly in my seat with excitement. "Really? That would be amazing! I'm a huge fan."
"That, I could have guessed," He chuckled.
I gave him another smile before shifting about in an attempt to get more comfortable. Though the book was interesting, I had read it several times before, and I found myself looking around at the room as I attempted to distract myself from my growing hunger. Outside of the windows to the east of the tower, the sun was rising, casting a warm glow over the Common Room. I watched it blissfully for a while before returning to my book. We read in silence for about half an hour, before my stomach made itself known by growling loudly.
I blushed furiously as Wood turned to look at me. "Sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" He asked, looking as though he was trying-and failing-to keep his amusement from showing on his face as he attempted to reassure me. "You don't have any reason to be. You've been waiting for someone who can show you how to get back to the Great Hall, haven't you?"
I nodded, half embarrassed and half surprised that he had guessed.
"Don't worry, I remember perfectly well what it was like to be new to the castle. It can be a bit intimidating when you don't know your way around. I'll walk you," He said, standing up and holding out a hand to help me up.
I couldn't help but grin again as we walked through the scarlet and gold room towards the exit. Every surface that wasn't made up of stone or wood was Gryffindor-colored. The plush carpet beneath my feet was scarlet. Red tapestries with golden trim were draped across the walls, covering them so thoroughly that I couldn't see so much as an inch of paint. Even the flame-lit candles seemed to flicker more golden than yellow. The two colors so prominently adorned the room that it bordered on obnoxious. I absolutely loved it.
"I've always wanted to be a Gryffindor," I told Wood as we left the Common Room. Before we made it too far down the corridor, I spun around to wave at the Fat Lady, who gave me a surprised look before grinning and waving back.
Wood was smiling at me when I turned back around. "Have you really?" He asked. I nodded. "Me too. I've been wearing my dad's old school jerseys since I was little."
I could once again feel excitement growing within me as I recognized the opportunity to make a friend that wasn't related to me. As much as I loved my cousins and siblings, I had always wanted the chance to make my own friend. "Me too. Are you going to try out for the team?"
"Yeah, I can hardly wait!"
"I'll bet! You're lucky. I have to wait an entire year!"
He chuckled. "I had to wait last year, if it makes you feel any better."
I crinkled my nose at him playfully, speaking with faux arrogance. "Nope. That was last year, and this is this year, so my suffering is more relevant."
He laughed outright at that. "Alright, I'll let you have that one. What position do you play?"
"Chaser, though I'm alright as a beater."
He raised his eyebrows. "Beater? I'd have pegged you for a decent seeker, if I had to guess."
"No, I can't sit and just hunt the pitch the way that you have to in order to be a seeker. My dad says it's because I constantly have to be involved in a hands-on way, but my mum says that I'm not obsessive enough," I told Wood with a smirk.
He grinned, shaking his head. "I'm sure your dad appreciates that."
I chuckled. "He always pretends as though she's wounded him, but she plays seeker decently as well, so it's a bit of a double-edged sword." I looked at him for a moment. "Are you a chaser as well?"
"Most people assume keeper," He said, his eyebrows lifting in blatant surprise. "Apparently I look a lot like my dad."
I shrugged. "You move like a chaser."
He looked at me with his seemingly perpetual grin, clearly pleased at my words. We walked in silence for the rest of the walk, as I was content to simply stare at everything that I could. Everything from the bustling of the busy portraits to the way that the dust looked in the morning light made me smile. The sound that our shoes made on the stone floor was practically music to my ears. Hogwarts was just as magical as I had always hoped that it would be.
"Do you want to sit with me?" Wood asked as we entered the Great Hall.
I nodded, pleased that he had offered. The Great Hall was nearly empty, with only a few people seated at each table and very few professors at the Head Table, none of which I paid any mind. Wood led the way down the length of the long wooden table, and I was aware that he was watching as I stared at the ceiling, no less mesmerized by it than I had been the night before.
"Hey," A familiar voice spoke. At the same time, a hand tugged on the sleeve of my jumper, directing my attention towards the owner of the voice.
I spun around, squealing a bit as I realized who was speaking to me.
"Levi!" I yelled, flinging myself at the tall blonde. He chuckled as he pulled me into a hug.
"Congrats on making Gryffindor, Phoe," He told me proudly.
"Thank you!" I said joyfully. I spun around, clearly surprising Wood, who had been hovering uncertainly behind me. "Levi, do you know Jay Wood?"
I glanced back to see Levi nodding. "Yeah, we've met a few times. Rumor has it the kid's about to be our new chaser," He said, winking at me as we both took in Wood's stunned expression.
I grinned at Levi one last time, ducking as he attempted to ruffle my hair, and pulled Wood down towards the middle of the table. The table was laden with a decadent breakfast, the smell of which caused my stomach to growl once again.
"Who was that?" He asked me as we sat down.
"That was Levi. He's practically my brother," I told him, buzzing with excitement. The slightly wary expression on his face clued me in to how mischievous I looked.
"How so?"
I grinned at him. "He's Teddy's best friend."
Wood's jaw dropped. "So, the Captain's best friend just told me that he's heard rumors that I'm going to make the team?"
"So it would seem," I said in a sing-song voice, thrilled by his blatant joy. I was growing more determined to befriend Wood by the minute and felt that I was rather succeeding so far.
The boy in question smiled happily as we began pouring tea. I had hardly added sugar to mine before the mail arrived. I soon had about a dozen letters, the morning paper, and a small parcel sitting on the table before me. Wood had also received a letter, so we sat in silence while we read to ourselves. I absently fed all of the birds small pieces of bacon, even the pretty brown owl that had delivered Wood's letter, which earned me a grin from him.
I chose to read the Prophet first, correctly guessing that the paper would irritate me. Wood gave me a sympathetic glance as I let out a small noise of exasperation, likely no less a stranger to the press than I was myself. Not only had James, Fred, Roxy, Lucy, and I made the front page of the paper, but they had opted to say that we were sorted into the "proper house" for children belonging to our families. There was also a picture of my tearful younger sister, which infuriated me further. After skimming the front page, I tossed the Prophet aside, too bothered by the article to read the rest of the paper's contents.
Unpleasantry aside, I eagerly tore into the rest of my letters. Most were short, simply congratulating me on getting into Gryffindor, telling me to enjoy my first year at Hogwarts and, in my Uncle George's case, telling me to pull lots of pranks.
My parent's letter was a bit longer, giving the standard congrats, advice on various things concerning Hogwarts, and ending with the instruction to be good and have fun. They had also attached a Gryffindor scarf, which I immediately wrapped around my neck, much to Wood's obvious amusement.
Albus and Lily had crammed a letter in with my parents'. I grinned at the way that the handwriting swapped back and forth down the length of the page. Lily was already begging for tales of Hogwarts, while Albus spent a decent amount of time telling me about how empty the house was. Albus managed to mostly dominate the lower half of the letter, where he asked me to tell him about the friends that I was making and to let him know if I was getting homesick, so that he could send me something from home.
"My little brother, Albus," I began, glancing up at Wood to ensure I had his attention. He met my gaze over the top of his letter, and I was a bit taken aback at how completely I captured his notice. Had he been any of my cousins, I would have had to deal with them carrying on a side conversation or two while they listened to me with one ear. Not that I particularly minded my family's chaos, but I was struck with how nice it was to not have to compete for someone's attention.
I shook my head a bit, clearing my thoughts, and began anew. "My little brother, Albus, is the nicest person on the planet. He's going to be at Hogwarts next year."
Wood smiled. I decided that he had to smile more than any person I had ever met in my life. "I look forward to meeting him," He said, and he seemed to genuinely mean it.
I grinned. When I wrote Albus back, I was going to tell him about my new friend, Jay Wood, who was looking forward to meeting him. "I'm excited for him to come," I told Wood, "I think he's going to love it here."
"I think you love it here," He replied, his eyes flickering up to the ceiling as he spoke. I knew that he had noticed my adoration of the incredible spell work.
I laughed. "I really do. I can't wait for classes to begin!"
We went back to our own tasks. While I finished reading my letters, twirling my wand absent-mindedly as I did so, Jay began replying to the letter that he had received. As it grew later, my various family members drifted into the hall for breakfast. We were interrupted several times as my cousins came by to offer advice for my first day of classes.
As the Great Hall filled with people, it quickly became apparent that my family's fame was just as prominent within the school as it was everywhere else. Though I tried not to let the stares of the other students affect me, it must have somehow been obvious that I was bothered by them, as Wood soon leaned forward to reassure me.
"People will get over it soon. It's just because you're new. They were like this with me last year, and your cousin-Victoire-told me that people were like this for the rest of your family, too. It's uncomfortable, I know, but you get used to the stares after a while. It helps that they eventually become less like you're a new creature in the zoo and more like you're just a particularly pleasant painting," He told me with a kind smile.
I laughed lightly. "That does help. It's sort of silly, but I was just really hoping that I could be…normal, I guess, at Hogwarts. If people just came up and talked to me, it would be fine. I don't mind if people want to ask about my parents, but people just sit there and ogle at you like they think you won't notice. I mean, I'm not even famous because of anything that I've done. It would be nice to be able to fail Herbology in peace, you know?"
Wood shook his head with a laugh. "I know what you mean. The good news is, Hogwarts is a great place to meet people who will pay attention to who you are, not who you were raised by. Just wait; you'll find the people who are willing to talk to you soon enough."
"That sounds really great," I told him with a smile.
He returned the gesture. "It does, doesn't it?"
Turning back towards my letters, I finally picked up the envelope addressed in my godmother's familiar, loopy cursive. I eagerly opened it, pleased to see that she had written it in French, as I hadn't practiced reading or writing French nearly as much as I had practiced speaking it.
My Lovely Annette,
I hope that you're enjoying your time at Hogwarts. I know how large the castle is, and how easy it is to get lost. Don't be afraid to ask for directions. One's pride is important, but it can be just as vital to learn to ask for help when you need it. Besides, a lady should never be tardy.
While you will always have the friendship of your family, I hope that you're using this experience as an opportunity to make new friends. Sometimes, you will find yourself wishing for the companionship of someone whom you are not related to. There is no shame in this, and I hope that you are able to find people to fill such a desire. Who you choose to surround yourself with is crucial in deciding what sort of person you will be. Be sure to make friends whose values are similar to your own.
Remember to be polite, not only to those who are kind, but especially to those who are not.
What better way to get under their skin?
A thousand congratulations on making it into Gryffindor. I know that it has been your dream for years, and I cannot imagine seeing you separated from your family. Just remember: being brave does not mean you cannot be smart, loyal, or cunning as well. You are all of these things. Embrace them, because they will help you through life.
Be good, learn everything that you can, and stay warm. I know how cold Hogwarts can get.
All the love,
Aunt Fleur
After I finished reading my letters, I was formally introduced to Wood's owl, Quaffle. I giggled softly at the name, which caused the tips of Wood's ears to turn red. The owl didn't seem to mind in the slightest. I suspected that the bacon that I had offered her had a lot to do with her easy acceptance of me.
"My mother suggested the name," Wood said, his slightly formal tone cluing me into his embarrassment. He ducked his head slightly, avoiding my gaze.
"Did she?" I asked, grinning a bit as I teased him.
"She did, indeed."
I tipped my head slightly so that I could look at his face, making sure that he understood that I was teasing him, not making fun of him. When his expression softened, I smiled. "I think that it's a very excellent name. It suits her nicely."
He chuckled, but I could tell that he genuinely appreciated my words. I was glad that he hadn't taken my teasing seriously, as I would hate to offend my new friend. Plus, I knew that I teased people far too often for me to be good friends with anyone who took my words to heart.
Wood and I began debating Quidditch after that. I was pleased to learn that he was interested not only in the sport, but also in the strategy behind a match. Few people enjoyed discussing the mechanics behind a good Quidditch play, but the only thing about Quidditch that I enjoyed more than studying plays was putting them into action.
We were interrupted by two rolls of parchment being lowered into the space between us.
"Your schedules," Professor McGonagall explained when we both turned to look at her. Wood took his immediately, unrolling it while I gave the headmistress a grin. Her eyes dropped to my tie before returning to my face, a genuine smile gracing her lips for a brief moment before she pressed the parchment into my hand and walked away.
I unraveled the parchment quickly, my excitement once again growing as I realized that I would soon be attending my first class at Hogwarts.
"How does your schedule look?" Wood asked when he was through pulling faces at his.
"I have Charms first," I told him. It occurred to me suddenly that I was soon going to have to decide whether I wanted to take Aunt Fleur's advice and ask for directions. I could feel my nose crinkling at the thought.
Thankfully, Wood saved me from asking.
"I could walk you, if you'd like," He told me, "Charms is on the third floor, so it can be a bit hard to find without help. We have plenty of time for me to take you and get to my first class in time."
I nodded, so we both quickly gathered up our stuff and left the hall. Wood took me up the staircase that did not bear the plaque without me having to ask, and I realized that it had to have been intentional when we made it to the third floor and promptly moved up the corridor past the staircase. We easily resumed our previous conversation as we walked, though it was frequently interrupted as Wood pointed out different areas of the castle. He knew a surprising amount of random trivia about Hogwarts, and he was happy to share it all with me as we made our way to my class. Soon, however, we shifted from talking about the castle and the Quidditch league to talking about the tryout that Wood would soon be participating in.
"I understand why you're worried, but I really think that you're going to do well. I've only been at Hogwarts for a day and I've already heard about what an excellent flyer you are," I told him reassuringly.
"I really hope that I do," He said with a slight sigh. He ducked his head, clearly trying to hide how worried he actually was about tryouts. "I suppose, if nothing else, I should be able to try out again next year."
"Sure, but then you'd be competing with me for the spot and, really, why bother?" I asked. "I'll probably fly so well that they'll invite me to take over as Captain."
I was only barely able to say the words without laughing hysterically, the absurd cockiness so unnatural that it was unbearable. He glanced at me, already amused at my tone, and I quickly shoved my nose into the air, giving him a look of faux superiority. A large grin overtook his face, and he shook his head at me, his eyes playful.
"Of course you will. I might as well avoid the shame," Wood chuckled, his dejected mood evaporating.
"You're going to do great, Wood," I assured him, bumping his shoulder lightly with my own.
"Thank you. So, what do you have for your next class?"
I glanced down at my schedule. "Potions."
He frowned. "Well, I was going to offer to walk you, but I have Herbology and there's no way that I can make it to class on time if I do."
"That's okay. I appreciate the thought," I told him, trying to hide my disappointment. I really detested getting lost, and I was hoping to hear more of his seemingly never-ending trivia about Hogwarts. It was honestly impressive, given that James and I had been taking turns reading Albus and Lily Hogwarts: A History each night before they went to bed since Teddy had started his first year, that Jay had spent most of the walk telling me things that I hadn't known.
"I'll see you at lunch though, right?" He asked. "I can walk you to-" He stole a quick glance at my schedule, "-Transfiguration after that."
I grinned at him, delighted that he seemed as willing to become my friend as I was his. "Sounds great. Good luck in Herbology! I'll see you at lunch!"
He smiled back, wishing me luck in my class before walking off.
Roxy, Lucy, and the girl that they had befriended the night prior at dinner-Lana Phyllis-made it to class only minutes before it began. They were all slightly out of breath, and I couldn't help chuckling at their expense. As she slid into the seat beside me, Roxy delivered a sharp jab to my ribs in retaliation for my laughter. I smothered my giggles as I helped her fix her curls, which immediately put me back into her good graces.
"How in Merlin's name did you figure out how to get here?" Roxy demanded as she slammed her textbook onto the desk before us.
"I woke up early-"
"As usual," Roxy nodded, gesturing for me to continue as though she hadn't been the one to interrupt me.
"-and I thought about waking you up, but I didn't want to be mauled-"
"That's a wise decision," Lucy muttered to Phyllis, "Don't ever be the one to wake Roxy, Dom, Molly, or Vic up. They're vicious."
"Rose too," Roxy added. Lucy's eyes widened as she vigorously nodded her agreement.
"-so I went down to the Common Room to read and Jay Wood was there-"
"Wood as in-"
"That's the one."
"-he offered to walk to breakfast with me. We got our schedules there, and he offered to walk me to class," I finished, speaking quickly so as to prevent being interrupted again.
Roxy smirked at me, but before she could say anything, Professor Flitwick called for everyone's attention and began class.
"Hello! Welcome to Charms. I am, as I'm sure you're aware, Professor Flitwick. I am the Charms Professor, the head of Ravenclaw, the head of the student choir, and the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts. You are required to take my class through your fifth year. After you have taken your OWLs, you will be able to decide whether you wish to continue with Charms, assuming that you received the required score on your OWL. I will warn you, there are a good number of careers that require a NEWT in Charms, so please ensure that you consider this throughout your years at Hogwarts."
Professor Flitwick paused to smile at everyone. After a moment's pause, where I assumed he was waiting to see if anyone had questions, he clasped his hands together and began to speak once more.
"Now, onto our lesson today. We will, in this class, be covering both theory and practical application of Charms."
He paused to turn around, using his wand to write something on the board behind him.
Roxy let out a groan, leaning over to mutter in my ear, "He's going to make us learn magical theory today. Our first day at Hogwarts and it's going to be boring!"
I grinned slightly, glancing away from the front of the room to face her. "No cheating. Two sugar quills says we're learning a spell today."
Roxy returned my smile, the pout that she had previously been sporting fading from her face immediately at the prospect of a wager. "Deal."
We glanced back towards the front of the room, where the words "Wingardium Leviosa" were written above a diagram showing proper wand movement.
I shot Roxy a triumphant look, to which she was only able to respond with a look of half-hearted disappointment, clearly pleased to be doing something interesting in class for the day.
The small professor spent the first half hour or so of class teaching us the theory behind the spell. Once he was certain that we understood the spell, he had us practice the wand movement and the pronunciation. When he was satisfied with us to that point, he finally turned us loose to try the spell.
"Off you go then!" He clapped his hands delightedly.
I pointed my wand at the feather that Professor Flitwick had placed before me. My hand was trembling with excitement, and I took a moment to steady myself before attempting the charm. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
To my surprise, the spell worked perfectly.
"Well done, Miss Potter! Was that your first try?" Professor Flitwick's squeaky voice suddenly rang across the classroom.
I could feel my face flushing crimson as I nodded at the man. His grin grew impossibly wider as he asked if I would be willing to demonstrate my spellwork to the class.
Taking a deep breath, I pointed my wand at the feather again. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Again, the feather rose rapidly above the desk.
"Well done!" Professor Flitwick cheered, bouncing on his heels as he spoke. "Take ten points for Gryffindor."
After awarding me my first house points ever, Professor Flitwick told me that I was welcome to keep practicing or sit quietly.
I practiced a few more times; smiling as the Ravenclaw head provided slightly heavier objects for me to cast on in between assisting his other students. He went so far as to let me try the spell on a fairly large book, which I managed to lift several inches, albeit a bit shakily.
After the book, Professor Flitwick told me to just relax, so as not to wear myself out before my other classes. I decided to read the volume I had levitated, with his permission (which he gave delightedly).
It turned out to be an advanced Charms textbook, and I had to smile at how obviously the professor loved his job as he hummed his way through the rest of class.
My day only got better after that. We managed to make it to Potions in time. Professor Slughorn spent several long, awkward minutes telling the class how remarkable my resemblance to Grandma Lily was, but fortunately he moved on from the topic after a bit. His class was fairly simple, as he told us that we couldn't begin successfully brewing potions without first understanding why we performed each step of potion making. I took meticulous notes as he explained what different ingredients did, how preparing or adding ingredients differently affected a potion, and warned us about several dangerous combinations to avoid. We spent the last twenty minutes of the class practicing cutting up ingredients evenly, and he informed us that this would be a regular occurrence for the rest of first year, as diligent ingredient preparation was extremely important for successfully brewing potions.
At lunch, Fred and James finally made an appearance. They had apparently managed to wind up lost on the fourth floor all morning, and James was insistent that they would not share where they had gone with us.
As soon as James was distracted by an argument with Roxy, Fred leaned over to whisper in my ear, "We wound up in the library and James was certain he knew how to get out. He was wrong, and Madame Pince found us. She was convinced that we were trying to sneak into the Restricted Section and chewed us out for over an hour. After that, James refused to go anywhere because he was sulking. Can I copy your notes from this morning?"
I was more than happy to promise to loan Fred my notes later that evening. James was none the wiser to the arrangement, though the smirk that Wood was giving me told me that he had noticed what was happening.
I snagged Wood's arm as we left the Great Hall, pulling him back to walk at the back of the group. "Okay, so apparently they got lost in the library. Madame Pince thought that they were trying to sneak into the Restricted Section and gave them a right earful," I told him softly, grinning as I shared the gossip.
Wood laughed, leaning down to mutter in my ear, "They must have been really loud. Madame Pince is very nearly deaf and doesn't notice much. My friends Don and Arnold play a game where they see how much noise they make before she catches on."
"How loud have they managed to be?" I asked.
"They tipped over one of the shelves at the back of the library once. Pince didn't notice a thing, but they still got in trouble. They were only trying to knock the books from one section off, but they missed, and the entire thing came down. I'm not sure who's expression was more hilarious-theirs, or Professor McGonagall's, who had been on the other side of the shelf."
Wood was doubled over with laughter as he finished his story, clearly remembering the scene, and I found myself laughing almost as hard.
Roxy was watching us over her shoulder, and for a moment I was worried that she may feel left out. When I caught her eye, however, and she gave me a broad grin and a subtle thumbs-up.
The only shadow cast on my brilliant first day was a newspaper headline that I read over the shoulder of a seventh year. Apparently, Kingsley Shacklebolt was missing; something that would have deeply worried me, had it not been for the fact that no one else seemed troubled by it. I eventually decided that it must have been a fluke, and consequently forgot all about it.
My first day of classes seemed to set the tone for my first few weeks at Hogwarts. I felt as though I were living in a fairytale, as life in the place I had dreamed of for years was perfect.
On Saturday, I woke up early to make my way down to the pitch, where I watched Jay Wood become Gryffindor's new chaser. When I offered him my congratulations, he offered to see about sneaking me out to fly when there weren't team practices going on. I accepted eagerly, and we soon fell into a routine of flying every Tuesday after classes and every Sunday in the early morning. Jay mentioned one morning that he was jealous that I got to take flying classes, as I was a first year, and even I laughed at the chaser's obsession.
I also got to know Lana Phyllis. She was very pretty, with thick, brown, shoulder-length hair, olive skin, one eye the color of cinnamon and the other pale green, and dimples so deep that we jokingly asked her to check inside of them when we misplaced things. She spoke extremely softly, something that I loved after living 11 years with a family that never quit shouting across rooms to speak to one another, and with a Bulgarian accent, as she and her parents (who were both muggles) had only immigrated to Scotland a few years ago. I was rather jealous of her dainty giggle. I liked Lana, although we were both closer with the other girls, and I was grateful that she had happened to sit beside us at the Welcoming Feast.
I soon learned that my first day in Charms wasn't simply beginner's luck. Charms came very naturally to me, which, Professor Flitwick told me with a soft smile and sad eyes, was something I had in common with Grandma Lily.
Almost before I knew it, my first few months at Hogwarts were over and it was Halloween. I was beside myself with excitement for the holiday. I knew from years of stories that the decorations and the food would be spectacular. Plus, my father had always had an adventure of some sort on Halloween, so I was hopeful that the same may be true for me.
My dorm was a beehive, bustling with activity as all of the girls tried to get ready for dinner.
"Phoenix, red or orange?" Roxy yelled.
I glanced up at the elaborate tops she held on either side of herself.
"Rox, it's a feast, not a ball," I said exasperatedly. She had been asking me things like this all night.
"Just answer the question," She whined, kicking a sock in my direction as she spoke. Giving the tops a shake, she stuck her lower lip out at me and tapped her toe impatiently as she awaited my response.
"Fine, go with red because it's festive, but not completely overdone like orange. Plus, the orange shirt is tighter fitting, which would be uncomfortable after eating a bunch. It is a feast, after all."
She nodded and threw on the shirt before walking into the bathroom. On the other side of the dorm, Lana and Lucy were debating shoes. The rest of our dormmates were either digging through a large pile of clothing that was rapidly growing in the center of the room or darting in and out of the chamber to get advice from their older siblings.
Professor McGonagall had mentioned over breakfast that we were welcome to dress up a bit for the feast, which had created more excitement than I would have thought possible. Despite enjoying my shopping trips with Aunt Fleur, I was not a huge fan of getting dressed up. It just seemed like a lot of work for a short period of time, particularly when I liked wearing casual clothing just as much. Still, I was glad that Roxy was excited about the announcement, though I did wish that she would stop trying to get me to change into something else.
I had thrown on skinny jeans, a Holyhead Harpies shirt, and converse, a type of muggle shoe that I had grown very fond of. My hair was down, though I had debated clipping some of it back so that it was out of my face while I ate. I ultimately decided against it, as I knew it would take me several tries to get my curls to cooperate, and I didn't feel up to the task.
Once I was dressed, I had sat myself on my bed and opened a book. It was supposed to be a subtle plea to let me be, but Roxy appeared determined to ignore it. I dodged two attempts to wrestle me into a skirt before she finally moved across the room to talk to one of our other roommates about how she should do her hair.
"Your hair is so long," Lana commented as she moved to grab a heel that had been tossed near my bed. Her fingers brushed my curls lightly, spinning the hair around for a moment before letting it bounce back into place. I smiled at her, my grin widening as she dimpled at me a touch shyly.
"She doesn't cut it," Lucy informed her nonchalantly with such confidence that I myself almost believed her words to be true.
I laughed. "I cut it, Luce, I just don't cut much of it off. I trim it so that it stays healthy. Plus, I don't let it grow past my waist. It gets too flat and is impossible to manage. The one time that I had it that long, Aunt Fleur paid me to let her cut it."
"She paid you?" Lucy asked, amusement clear in her tone.
I giggled. "Yeah. She gave me five galleons, and then promptly convinced me to spend it on a new quill."
"I wish my hair was as long as yours," Lana said wistfully, still messing with a strand of my hair. "My mother refuses to let me grow it out."
I blinked with surprise, glancing at Lucy, who nodded. "Oh. I'm sorry. My mum has always said that she thinks that hair should be one of the things that kids should always have control over. She says that it's almost always fixable if you mess it up, and it teaches you responsibility."
"I thought that Aunt Ginny made you and Lily keep it long," Lucy admitted.
"No. I like mine long and Lily likes her hair to match mine as much as possible."
"That doesn't bother you?" Lucy asked, looking surprised.
"What?"
"That Lily copies you with her hair?"
"No, not at all," I told her, a touch surprised myself. Lily had always done her hair to match mine; I could never remember a time when Lily didn't insist that I get my hair cut before she did so that she could do hers the same way. The first time I had ever cut my hair without Lily was the day that Aunt Fleur paid me to let her do so. Lily was so upset that I done it without her that I convinced mum to let us go right back through the floo, so that my godmother could trim Lily's hair to match. I had always been a bit flattered by how much she liked my hair, in fact.
"That's sweet," Lucy said, looking at the shoe that she was passing from hand to hand rather than at me. "I think Molly would kill me if I tried to copy her. Not that I would want to. I love Molly, but I already live in her shadow."
"You do not!" Lana and I scolded in unison.
"I do. Maybe not here as much, though all of the professors already seem disappointed that I'm not as studious as her, but my parents want me to succeed the way that she has. I know that they're going to be disappointed when they find out that I don't like studying the way that she does."
"Don't worry. We all have our ways of disappointing our parents," I told her gently. She looked up at me, seemingly searching my face for a sign that my words were untrue. I knew that she wouldn't find it. "At the very least, your dad will understand. Anyone who grew up as a part of the Weasley family knows that there's always someone else in the family accomplishing something that you won't. It's one of the downsides of having so many relatives. You can be top of the class, prefect twice, and Headgirl afterwards, but there will still always be someone else who was Quidditch Captain or best in the school choir."
Lucy laughed a bit. "That's true. Still, my parents think Molly is perfect. And I'm sure that they would be delighted to have you as their second daughter."
"Your dad would be miserable if I were his daughter," I disagreed with a chuckle. "He never laughs when I'm goofing off, he just looks disapproving. And believe me, I'm sure that we could ask Molly how she disappoints your parents, and she would have an answer."
Lucy let out a slight hum, but didn't respond. Lana and I exchanged concerned glances.
Roxy came bounding out of the bathroom, frowning when she saw that I was still sitting on the bed.
"Come on Phoenix," Roxy begged. "You really don't want to dress up at all? Just come do your makeup some with me. It'll be fun!"
I finally gave up, groaning as I climbed out of bed and waded through the messy room towards the bathroom, where Roxy had disappeared with a cheer when she saw me moving. A stray tank top strap nearly took me out along the way, so it was with a flushed face and a slightly sore ankle that I finally made my way to stand next to her at the vanity.
"Look, Rox," I told her as I put on a bit of mascara. "I don't have anything against getting dressed up. It's just not fun for me in the way that it is for you. I'm not comfortable when I'm dressed up fancily."
Roxy looked a bit guilty. "I'm sorry. It's just fun for me, and I wanted us to get dressed up together. It's the first time we're allowed to do it here at Hogwarts."
"I'm sorry. I didn't think of it like that," I apologized, realizing suddenly that us getting dressed up together was a lot like me talking to Roxy about Quidditch. Roxy liked getting dressed up; it shouldn't have to be super interesting for me to agree to do it with her if it meant as much as it clearly did to her.
"I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have pushed so hard," Roxy responded.
Once I finished my mascara, I cleared a spot to sit on the vanity counter so that Roxy and I could chat while she finished her makeup. She mainly wanted to talk about Potions, her favorite subject, which was more than fine with me. Roxy understood how ingredients worked together like it was common sense. She and Fred were already easily the top of the class in the subject, though I studied hard enough to be right behind them.
Despite Roxy and I's heart-to-heart, I heaved a sigh of relief when the other girls were finally ready. When the last shoe was strapped on and the final eyelash curled, we quickly made our way down to the Great Hall.
Though I wasn't a huge fan of wearing heels, I could readily admit to myself that the clicking sound of the other girls' steps was musical as we walked along the stone corridor in tandem.
Upon entering the Great Hall, I glanced around with wide eyes. The cavernous room was normally pleasantly decorated, with the house crests gilding the walls, the candles magically suspended from the enchanted ceiling, and the golden tableware laid out on the table. Tonight, however, the room was positively breathtaking. Pumpkins, exquisitely carved and containing flickering candles in a vast array of colors, decorated the floors and floated along the walls of the hall. Live bats fluttered about the ceiling, swooping just low enough to cause people to shriek, covering their heads while their friends giggled. The tables were covered in large black tablecloths with golden edges that matched the cutlery. Even the students and staff seemed to add to the festivities with their appearances.
Everyone wore a strange mixture of extravagant and simple outfits. Most of the younger population of Hogwarts were dressed up, but there were not nearly as many of the older students who had bothered. Some students were clearly in costume or had themed their makeup. I was relieved to find that others, like myself, had come in more casual attire. Though I hadn't wanted to get dressed up, I also didn't want to be the only one who hadn't. As I walked past the Slytherin table, I saw a girl dressed like a character from a muggle movie that Aunt Hermione had once shown me. Her costume was lovely.
Roxy, Lana, Lucy, and I moved down the table until we found Fred and James sitting with a few of the other boys in our year. I was pleased to find Jay and his best friends, Nikki, Arnold, and Don, sitting next to them.
I quickly sat next to Jay, smiling at his friends as they all beamed at me. Nikki blew me obnoxious air kisses, and I laughed as Roxy leaned across the table and pretended to snatch them from the air before they got to me. Roxy and Nikki had hit it off from the moment that they met, their lively personalities meshing perfectly. Don and Arnold said that the duo were terrifyingly similar. Almost as soon as my bottom hit the bench, food was appearing before us, and everyone dug in with delight.
"Nice shirt, Wood," I said with a grin, looking at his Puddlemere United shirt. He grinned back, taking in my Harpies shirt.
"Thanks, same to you!" He said, scrunching up his face in a way that I was quickly learning was a playful nod at our opposing teams.
Despite the way that I had blatantly fangirled over his parents on multiple occasions, I had managed to convince Jay that my favorite team in the league was the Harpies. In actuality, though my mother pretended that it broke her heart, I was an avid Puddlemere fan. My family and all of his friends knew the truth, and everyone thought that it was hysterical that Jay was convinced that we were fans of rival teams. I was fairly certain that there was a betting pool on how long I could keep up my ruse.
"You know, you're going to crush my poor father's heart when he meets you and finds out that you're a Harpies fan," Jay told me teasingly.
I could feel my ears starting to burn at his words. Everyone nearby was blatantly listening to our conversation, and I was getting several smirks. I tried to keep from blinking owlishly at him, though I suspected that I was failing based on the snickers Don and Arnold were letting out.
"When he meets me?" I repeated, willing my face to return to its normal coloring.
Jay laughed. "Yes, Phoenix. I'd imagine my dad would be meeting my best friend at some point."
Nikki gave me a very dramatic wink that only served to make my face grow hotter. Everyone within hearing distance was grinning at me, and I knew that the only person who was clueless to my dilemma was Jay himself.
"I-" I paused, flapping my hands lightly as though I could wave my nerves off and praying that my heart would stop racing in the meantime. "I can't meet your dad!"
"What?" Jay blinked, clearly shocked. "Why not?"
He looked around as though expecting everyone else to be as confused as he clearly was, and only seemed to grow more bewildered as everybody within hearing range roared with laughter.
"Mate, she's too big of a fangirl," James told Jay with a grin. "Her poor heart may explode!"
"Please, she'd faint before it had the chance," Roxy giggled.
I buried my face in my hands with embarrassment as Jay turned a wide grin on me. "Look, are you planning on me meeting your parents at any point?" Jay asked.
"Of course," I mumbled into my palms.
"Okay. If I'm going to meet Harry Potter, I'm fairly certain you can meet my dad without too much trouble."
I groaned. I knew that he had a point, but even thinking about meeting either one of Jay's parents made me slightly light-headed. Though I understood that my dad was possibly the biggest celebrity in the Wizarding World, I wasn't sure that Jay understood that his parents were my favorite celebrities. I was also well aware that I couldn't clarify this fact to him without giving myself up as a Puddlemere fan. "Fine, but you have to buy me a new scarf if you're wrong and I make a fool of myself," I whined.
Jay laughed. "Deal. Now, can we talk about changing your choice in team?"
I grinned, raising my head to look at him. "Absolutely not. I'm the Harpies' biggest fan! I couldn't possibly support anyone else."
Everyone hid their snorts behind their hands as Jay began very passionately telling me, for the thousandth time, why Puddlemere was the best team in the league.
After hearing Jay's spiel the first few times, James had spent an hour (during which he should have been doing his Charms homework) comparing Jay's supporting argument for Puddlemere and my own. They were scarily similar. After a few weeks of Jay repeating the same argument every few days, the others began playing a game where they tried to derail his speech. It was fairly difficult, as the stubborn Scot was very determined to convince me to swap teams.
"Babe, try this," Nikki instructed me, ignoring Jay's indignant expression as she leaned across him to put something onto my plate. "It's got nuts in it, but I can't figure out what sort."
I hid my grin by taking a bite as Jay opened his mouth to continue speaking, only to be interrupted once again as Roxy said, "Oh, I want to try!"
She took a bite for herself before passing my plate over to Lana and Lucy. Don, Arnold, Fred, and James were all grabbing pieces of the dish to try as well. Jay accepted the piece that Arnold served him with a very put-upon expression.
"It's almonds," James exclaimed confidently.
"It's not almonds, this tastes like grandma's walnut cookies," Roxy argued, pointing at him with her fork.
Fred took another bite before leaning over to shake his head at Roxy. "No, it's definitely almonds."
"I don't think it tastes like either," Nikki said, frowning at the dish.
Jay took a small bite, his curiosity clearly outweighing his desire to continue pouting until someone asked him to resume his speech. A bat swooped down between us, causing him to look up, startled. I caught his eye, giving him a small grin.
"I think it's got peanuts in it," Arnold declared. His announcement was met with shocked silence for a moment, as everyone turned to stare at him in disbelief.
"This doesn't taste anything like peanuts, mate," Don finally said, his expression almost concerned.
"You don't think so?" Arnold asked, glancing from face to face as though expecting to find someone else looking as surprised as he clearly was.
Everyone shook their heads at him, before Roxy snorted with laughter. Arnold pouted as everyone burst into giggles at his expense, before shrugging good-naturedly and taking another bite.
"I have to know what's in this," Nikki whined. "It's going to drive me insane."
The argument started up again, with half of the group arguing that they tasted almonds, the other half swearing that it tasted like walnuts, and Arnold occasionally suggesting peanuts. Only Jay, Nikki, and I remained quiet.
Finally, Jay spoke up. His expression was supremely amused as he told them, "Alright, quit your bickering. Phoenix has known since she first took a bite, so why don't we just ask her?"
Everyone's eyes shifted to me, while I turned to look at Jay in shock.
"You know?" Roxy asked, outraged.
At the same time, I asked Jay, "How did you know?"
He grinned at me. "You opened your mouth to say something, but then everyone started arguing. You looked entirely too pleased to be a spectator, which told me that you knew, as I'd imagine you'd have looked more unhappy if you just didn't have anything to contribute."
I laughed, fairly astounded that he could read me as well as he could. Turning to the rest of the group, I admitted, "Yeah, it's true. It has pecans in it."
Noises of understanding echoed around the table as everyone realized what they had been tasting. Only Arnold seemed to doubt my words, taking another small bite before muttering something about peanuts. Don reached over and took the rest of the dish from him without a word.
"You could have told us-" James began to scold me for my silence, but he was cut off.
"So, back to what I was saying about Puddlemere," Jay interrupted, smirking slightly.
Everyone else groaned as they realized that they had failed to distract Jay from his speech. I merely grinned, folding my arms and resting my head on them as I listened to him begin rattling off statistics.
I spent the rest of the feast talking and laughing with my friends and family, and all too soon we were headed back to the Common Room.
"Rox," I said, rushing slightly to catch up with the taller girl. "I have an idea."
She turned to look at me, her eyes lighting up instantly. "I absolutely love when you use that tone. It means we're going to do something fun."
I giggled. "We are. At least, I hope. Next year, let's dress up in costume for the feast. We can get stuff for the costumes over the summer; we'll have Aunt Hermione take us into muggle London so that no one else has the same things."
The squeal that Roxanne let out caused everyone to turn and look at us. She waved them off impatiently, leaning closer to me and lowering her voice a bit. "That is the best idea that you've ever had. What are we going to go as?"
"Pirates?"
"Yes!"
She shouted the word so loudly and eagerly that James and Fred exchanged glances, before moving into what they liked to call "operation separation", a tactic they claimed helped prevent chaos. Roxy and I disagreed, as James and Fred were normally the two who created chaos.
"We've got an important operation going here!" James declared authoritatively, pushing Lucy and Lana aside as he strode towards us.
"Please clear a path," Fred called, using the same tone of authority as he swept through a crowd of second years. "We've got some chaos to prevent."
Roxy and I exchanged glances as the two marched purposefully in our direction.
"Run!"
We both raced straight into a group of people, causing students to dive out of our way and creating the chaos that Fred and James had promised. Giggling like mad, we sprinted into a secret passageway, covering our mouths to keep quiet as we listened to our twins stop just outside of the painting we had ducked behind.
"Where did they go?" James asked, sounding a bit out of breath.
"No clue," Fred responded.
"This way!" Came Nikki's voice from further up the corridor. "I can see them, let's go!"
The two ran noisily in the direction that Nikki had spoken from. Roxy and I waited quietly until we were sure that they were gone.
"That was fun," She giggled. "Nikki's so awesome."
I smiled. "She definitely helped us out there."
"Are you okay?" Roxy asked, leaning closer to peer at my face. The passageway was narrow, so she didn't have to lean very far. We were sitting opposite one another, and she had to bend her knees to fit sideways in the tunnel.
"My stomach is bothering me," I admitted, wincing a bit. "I think the amount of candy that I ate at the feast didn't pair well with the running and escaping."
A laugh sounded from my right, and both of our heads snapped to the side to find Jay standing at the entrance to the passageway. He gave me a crooked grin. "Probably not your best idea, come to think of it. Come on, you two. We've got to get you back before James and Fred realize that Nikki's leading them on a wild goose chase."
Don and Arnold chatted with Roxy as they speed-walked towards the Common Room. Jay stayed back to keep pace with me, for I was reluctant to upset my stomach further.
"Did you know that bats account for nearly a quarter of all mammals?" Jay asked me conversationally.
I turned to look at him, the corners of my mouth already quirking up. As I had come to learn in the past few months, Jay had a vast array of random facts at his disposal. The information he had told me about Hogwarts on my first day was far from the extent of his knowledge, and he did not limit his facts to just one subject matter. Though I was an avid reader myself, I had come to find that I had nothing on Jay's consumption of information, for he read anything that he could get his hands on.
"Is that so?" I asked.
"Yep. There are 1,100 species of bats."
"That's interesting," I hooked my arm through his as I spoke, pulling him along the hallway more quickly. There were footsteps coming much too quickly from a corridor to our right. "You'll have to tell me more once we've ensured that we're going to beat my brother back to the Common Room."
Jay laughed as we ducked into another secret passageway, Roxy and the boys having already left us behind with how fast they were moving. Grabbing Jay's hand in mine, I gave a silent apology to my stomach as I pulled him into a run. We had to sprint, but we made sure that we were seated near the fireplace when my twin and Fred entered the Common Room, giving them a smug look that suitably masked how out of breath we were as they turned to Nikki in outrage.
"Oops?" She offered, laughing as they let out twin groans.
We spent the rest of the night playing exploding snap and wizard's chess, which slowly fell into disarray as it got late, leaving us exchanging sleepy whispers and giggles by the fire. Soon we began to drift off where we sat. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, content with my tiny Halloween adventure, hiding from my twin and cousin.
Little did I know, in a little valley just past Grandpa and Grandma Potter's old home in Godric's Hollow, a witch was getting more than her share of "adventure".
Third Person Point of View
A small valley outside of Godric's Hollow
They came for her in her sleep.
Susan Bones had not survived the Battle of Hogwarts for naught, so they had found her on her feet, still in her nightgown, wand poised for a fight.
All of the big-name Death Eaters had been locked away after the war, but Voldemort's cause still had supporters, so she remained ready for them to come. She had taken up the family business, meaning she had a large target on her back for anyone who didn't like the way that things were currently being done. When the Minister, very much so against her counsel, had begun releasing Death Eaters from prison a few years back, Susan had revamped her already tight security measures.
The masked figures that now stood before her made her glad that she had.
Susan didn't bother to waste time talking. She threw a curse at the nearest Death Eater, blasting off the mask that they wore.
Susan Bones didn't freeze. It was the first rule of battle. She was a survivor, brought up by an aunt who wanted to make sure that she knew how to avoid the fate that had befallen the rest of their family. Cedric Diggory had been her friend, and she had been determined to avenge his death. It was the reason that she had joined the DA in school. She knew what she was doing in a fight, so Susan knew better than to freeze.
Yet, when the mask flew off of to reveal the face beneath it, Susan Bones froze.
Augustus Rookwood was no longer himself.
He no longer had pupils or irises; instead, his eyes glowed like torches with a strange green light. His face was sunken, his skin pale and waxy, but he positively radiated power. His hair was gone, and in its place were strange, twisting symbols. The moment she looked at them, she heard strange whispers and began to feel very ill.
"What are you?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly.
She was already horrified by the creature that stood before her. The slow, eerie smile that spread across its face made her heart clench in her chest. She would have, if asked moments before, assumed that the stoic creature had no emotions. Now, staring at its grotesque smile, she would sooner say that it had no sense of remorse. Its eyes glittered evilly as it told her, with a voice that sounded like a thousand men speaking all at once, "So it is not you that we seek. No matter. We will take care of you all the same."
That was when she had turned and fled out her window.
Her curses had apparently had no effect on the creatures, for they ran after her with a speed and agility that horrified her. Stumbling through the woodlands behind her home, Susan knew that the figures were closing in on her. She knew that her time was up.
Her last thought was that she would soon be reunited with her family at last.
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