Christmas vacation flew by, and before Beth knew it she was back at Hogwarts hugging her friends and exclaiming over how much she had missed them. The thing to do in the Slytherin common room was show off the best Christmas presents, so the room was full of sparkling lights and curious objects. Bruce was most excited about his broomstick; his parents were so pleased with his success as Keeper that they had arranged for a complete upgrade from the Comet makers.
"And they straightened the twigs -- grew out some of the broken ones -- fixed that jerky startup --" Bruce bragged to Uther, who gazed at the broom in unconcealed envy. Bruce was clutching the broom to his chest and looking as if he'd never let it go.
"Fantastic!" Adrian Pucey rejoiced, examining the new twigwork with an expert eye. "You'd never know it was a Comet. How's she handle?"
Bruce let out a whoop of bliss. Around him, the Quidditch team couldn't hold back an enthusiastic cheer.
"Ravenclaw match is coming up," Aaron told Beth, looking both thrilled at its closeness and devastated that he wasn't going to be in it. His cast and splints had been removed, but his grip wasn't what it had been; you could tell just by looking at his handwriting. Nevertheless, he had started training with the team in case one of the players caught the flu or a Bludger.
"It'll be a good one. I hear the Ravenclaws actually have two or three good players this year."
Aaron snickered. "Well, we've got seven. Let 'em try."
"Eight. You never know when we'll need an alternate."
Aaron ducked his head to hide a bitter frown. "Maybe."
Beth changed the subject. "Seen Melissa? She hasn't been around since I got back."
"Not since we came in, sorry."
Bruce joined them, still clutching his broomstick and beaming. "Have a good Christmas, Beth?"
Beth thought about the silhouette of her father in the moonlight. "Fine ..."
"Merry Christmas, Beth!"
It was Melissa, looking brighter and rosier than she had been since last semester.
"Where have you been?" Beth asked in cheerful accusation, giving her a hug.
If possible, Melissa flushed a brighter red. "Out walking," she replied, with a shy smile. "Before we go back to the grind, you know. I hear Vector's really got some work for us this year. And Quirrell says he'll start us fending off curses soon. Wish I'd known that at the beginning of the year." She laughed, a little giggly.
"Right." Beth glanced at Bruce. "Speak of the curser -- any word from Richard's crowd?"
"I've told Rich about what we heard at the Shack," said Bruce quietly. "Did they find out any more about the corridor?"
Melissa shook her head. "Christmas vacation was a wash. All they found out was that someone tried to break into the restricted section of the library over break."
Beth laughed. "Must have been a Ravenclaw, who else would try to steal a book?" She turned to Bruce with a little yawn. "Sorry, I have to get to bed. It's late."
Melissa seconded it. "See you tomorrow, Brucey. Have a good night - and dream about your Comet."
"As if," said Beth, "you had to remind him."
School started into full swing right away. The Ravenclaws were clobbered in the Quidditch match, although they put up an admirable fight. ("Admirable for a bunch of nerds," snorted Melissa.) Before Beth knew it, the day in February came when she woke up to a chorus of Slytherin girls singing "Happy Birthday" at six in the morning. She took a hot shower and spent more time than usual on her hair, with little success. It remained as bushy as ever. Seemingly in compliance with her good mood, breakfast was bacon and toast - her favorite - and the enchanted ceiling proved that although it was still cold outside, the sun shone brightly in a clear sky.
The boys of Slytherin found it necessary to serenade her again when she came downstairs, so her cheeks shone almost as brightly as her smile. All in all, Beth decided, it was shaping up to be a pretty good birthday.
The hall was filled with hooting as a flock of owls swarmed in to deliver the mail. A fat brown barn owl hovered over the Slytherin table. He spotted Beth and swooped down, dropping a brightly-colored envelope on her breakfast plate.
She tore it open. It was a birthday card from her father. Beaming, she leaned over to show Melissa.
A terrible cry rang through the Great Hall.
It echoed around the high ceiling. Students silenced and started gazing around looking for its source. The owls dove and scattered, fluttering out the windows and letting their undelivered messages fall to the floor.
One of the high windows went black as an enormous shape shuttered through it. An broad white bird, with a wingspan easily as long as a man, circled the ceiling once, and then dove for the Slytherin table. The Slytherins ducked as it passed. A single feather fluttered down onto Beth's plate.
The bird circled again, eyeing the students below, and shot back out of the window like a bullet.
Beth climbed out from under the table, eyes wide. She picked up the feather and turned it over in her hands. It was larger than both of her palms held open together. On one side, a message was scrawled in large, untidy printing. The ink was thick and flaky brown. It read:
Around the Great Hall, activity had resumed, but Beth froze as if stupefied. She stared at the words for long moments, oblivious to the chatter around her. She felt like she was diving through the ocean, getting farther and farther from the watery sun ...
Things swam back into focus. Beth felt anger flood through her. Someone had done this, just to mock her. It was someone's idea of a joke... Her eyes fell on the Weasleys across the room, laughing with their friend Jordan.
Before she knew what she was doing, Beth jumped to her feet and strode over to the Gryffindor table. Her face felt hot and her robes were too tight around her neck. She marched up to the nearest Weasley twin and slapped him across his laughing, freckled face. The Weasley nearly fell out of his seat, and the other one leapt up.
"How could you!" she half-screamed, feeling her heartbeat in her cheeks. "I never thought even you would sink -- so -- low!" The Weasleys gaped at her in open shock. She lifted a plate of scrambled eggs from the table and hurled it at them with all her might. Then she whirled around and ran out of the Great Hall.
Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she bolted through the castle. Twice she tripped and went sprawling; she scrambled to her feet and kept running, and didn't stop until she was in her bed with the canopy safely closed. There she lay on her stomach and cried until she couldn't tolerate herself anymore. Then she wiped her tears and sat up, sniffling, to take a closer look at the feather still clutched in one hand.
"Love, Mom."
How could they be that insensitive? Even the Weasleys must know that she'd never hear her mother's voice again, and she'd never get a birthday greeting from her. Beth didn't know how they'd gotten hold of that monstrous bird, but it was outrageous, unthinkable that they would spend so much effort just to tease her. Well, she thought bitterly, they got their reaction.
Beth lay back down and didn't come back out until after lunch.