Chapter 16 – Hunted

The Christmas festivities were a change of pace for Lydia. Uncle Ambrose had come to their house on Christmas Eve and stayed a few days. He had been interested to hear what Lydia thought of her school, her lessons and her classmates. She had also told him about Teddy and Freddie and how she had been instrumental in having the Joint Common Room set up. Ambrose had confirmed that he, of course, had heard all about it from Professor McGonagall.

Lydia had also been invited to a party after Boxing Day with her old schoolfriends Milly and Jess. She had gone and had stayed for the sleepover at Milly's house. But she had not found it as enjoyable as she had expected. Milly and Jess were in the top year at primary school and preparing for tests. Lydia was supposed to be at a science academy and effectively in the first year of secondary school. She found it a strain to have to talk about her new schoolfriends without being able to say how they really were and what they were really learning. She longed to tell them the truth but she knew she would get into trouble and her old friends would have to have their memories removed.

New Year came in with Lydia and her mum at home alone. Lydia felt excited to be close to going back to Hogwarts, but there was sadness, too. She sensed she was leaving Milly, Jess and other friends behind – letting them go. She found herself longing to see Freddie, in particular. His irrepressible enthusiasm never failed to cheer her. And in realising this, she realised that she never showed him or told him how much that meant to her. She resolved to be a better friend to Freddie and Teddy. Little did she realise at that point how much she would soon need friends.

Lydia returned to school via the Floo Network. The trip down to London from her home in the North to catch the Hogwarts Express would have been impractical. She arrived in Draco's office, where she spent an hour or more chatting with him, waiting for her friends to arrive from Hogsmeade Station. Draco seemed to have changed. He was happier and lighter than last term, and seemed more interested in, and attentive to, Lydia than ever. She noticed he had a new picture of his wife and son on his desk. He had had a lovely Christmas break with his wife, Astoria, and their little boy, Scorpius. It seemed his mother was starting to become friends with Astoria, something Draco had feared might never happen. Lydia realised Draco's mother must have had a very difficult time. She had had to come to terms with her husband's arrest and, more importantly, his willingness to abandon Draco in Throakley Mine. The only other thing Lydia knew about Narcissa Malfoy was that she had once saved Harry from Voldemort. For that, she felt, the poor woman deserved some happiness in her life.

Draco accompanied her down to the Entrance Hall to welcome her friends from the station. As the carriages drew up in front of the castle, Lydia saw the thestrals drawing them for the first time.

She turned to Draco. "Oh, I can see the thestrals, now. I see what you all meant, they're weird."

"Isn't that your friend?" Draco remarked.

As Lydia turned back, she saw Freddie hit the gravel running, having jumped from his carriage before it stopped.

"Lydia, get inside," he gasped as he ran up the steps. "Need to talk."

"Do you want me to leave?" Draco asked.

"No!" Freddie hissed. "Your office?"

"Come downstairs."

Draco bustled the two students down the stairs and into his office. He shut the door behind them and they waited as Freddie had a coughing fit.

"Sorry," Freddie began as he started to get his breath back. "Oh, drama, drama, drama! I just wanted to warn you."

Draco and Lydia looked concerned.

"It's OK, no disasters. I overheard a couple of people talking about you on the train. They're saying you're not really a muggle-born. They've been told you were an experiment by muggle scientists. You know, this thing about muggles giving people wizarding powers that was going around last year. Then I heard other people saying the same thing. By the time we got here it was all over the train."

"Did anyone believe this story, Freddie?" Draco asked, before Lydia could react.

"Some people will believe anything if it's something they can get angry about. We wouldn't have the Daily Prophet otherwise."

"Thanks, Freddie," Lydia said, and she hugged him.

"So what's the sitch?" Freddie asked. "The situation, that is," he added, seeing the blank faces.

Draco and Lydia looked at each other for several moments.

"This is a good friend. Acquaintances don't jump out of moving carriages like that," Draco noted.

"I know!" Freddie exclaimed. "That's like the most athletic thing I've ever done!"

Draco smiled. "We should tell him."

Lydia nodded.

"Young man," Draco addressed Freddie, earnestly. "The Fortescues are no friends of the Death Eaters. Nor are we, and this has something to do with them. You must promise on your uncle's memory to repeat to no one what we are about to tell you."

"On my uncle, and on our friendship, Lydia," Freddie agreed.

Lydia and Draco looked at each other again. Then Lydia told Freddie about the diary, about Harry's abduction, and about how she had been given her powers in Throakley Mine. She went on to tell him about DeKelley Lee being Alorea Rakissen and about how they had tracked her down and captured her.

Freddie blinked and frowned, once she had finished, then remarked, "Well, that's not something you hear about every day, is it?"

"Ah," Draco smiled. "You noticed."

"And you, sir," Freddie said to the professor. "Your dad tried to kill you, twice. That's… How do you cope with that?"

Draco gave him a wry smile. "I have had help from friends. What is important is that some of Lydia's story seems to have leaked out from Azkaban prison. These reheated Death Eaters are spreading stories to hurt our Lydia."

Draco sat back in his chair, frowning.

"What should we do?" Lydia asked him.

Draco pondered for a moment. "Telling the truth would cause more uproar than the rumours, so we stick to your cover story, for now. I will need to discuss this with Ambrose and Minerva. We should probably include Harry and Hermione, too."

"Uncle Ambrose? Why?" Lydia asked.

Draco's thoughts appeared to have stopped in their tracks. "Erm, well. Your family should know. I would have said your mother should be included, but Ambrose has all the background."

Lydia nodded. "What should I do?"

"Carry on with the cover story you have," Draco decided. "The only people here who know otherwise are the three of us and a few members of staff. Rumours are nothing more than rumours. Perhaps this will blow over. Maybe we could get Harry to do one of his visits and drop a few comments about how he knows your family."

"I hope running in like I did hasn't made things worse," Freddie fretted.

"I doubt anyone will have noticed, other than whoever was in the carriage with you," Draco reassured him.

"It was just me, Teddy, Shona, and that curly girly who was in the boat with us at the start of the year," Freddie informed them.

"Shona from Lydia's class?" Draco asked.

Freddie nodded. "Yeah. She seems nice. She hangs out with us sometimes. She's a good person – not a bad bone in her body, as my nan says."

"Except, perhaps, her jawbone," Draco mused. "She does seem to enjoy talking."

Lydia and Freddie laughed.

"She does," Lydia admitted. "We just need to give her a reason why Freddie was keen to talk to me."

"Ooh, something worth gossiping about, I hope," Freddie grinned.

Lydia gave him a withering look.

"Keep it simple," Draco advised. "You wanted to thank her for her Christmas present to you."

"Ooh, yes! What shall we pretend you got me?"

"I got you a friendship bracelet, Freddie."

Freddie grinned again. "I know. Just kidding. I've got it on."

He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a woven leather bracelet, dyed in rainbow colours.

Draco cleared his throat. "Well, that's all sorted. Who's this other girl?"

"Ooh, what's her name, Gryffindor, curly hair, keeps to herself, doesn't smile often enough," Freddie foraged for a name.

"Sophie Inkwood?" Draco offered.

"Sophie! That's her," Freddie confirmed.

Draco frowned and bit his lip. "She's in your Defence class, isn't she? She doesn't seem to interact much with the other Gryffindor girls."

"They say she's posh," Lydia explained. "Though I don't know where they get that from. She seems a bit shy, but not posh."

"Well, as Freddie says, she keeps to herself," Draco noted. "So, I doubt she will pose much of a problem. So, stick to your cover story, Lydia. The rumours may blow over."

"There is one other person who knows about me, though," Lydia pointed out. "Tessa Gudgeon."

The professor shook his head. "She's Head Girl. She's responsible, and Professor McGonagall has spoken to her before about not saying anything about you. I don't see any problems. You two get back to your friends. I'll speak to the others and get back to you, Lydia. Run along – only five minutes until dinner starts."

They left Draco's office and headed towards the stairs to the Entrance Hall.

"Secrets and intrigue, Lydia. Exciting!" Freddie whispered. "You dark horse, you. Or dark unicorn, I should say. Not a word, though."

"Not even Teddy, for now. Harry hasn't told him anything. I want to hear what the others have to say before we include anyone else."

"OK, not even him. Though he must hate… the other side, even more than me!"

Lydia sighed. "I know. Just not yet. Once it's out you can't get it back."

They had reached the Entrance Hall by this time, so they said no more about the subject but chatted about Christmas like everyone else. Freddie left Lydia talking to Shona while he shot back down the stairs towards the Hufflepuff Basement to change into his robes.

"He was so keen to see you," Shona squeaked. "He jumped out of the carriage before it even stopped."

"I know," Lydia beamed. "He's such a sweetie. He wanted to thank me for the present I sent him."

"Oh, yes," Shona nodded. "The friendship bracelet. He showed me it. It suits him. He was so proud of it."

A warm feeling for Freddie welled up in Lydia.

"The one you got Teddy suits him, too," Shona continued. "Black and purple. Dark and mysterious like Teddy."

"Is Teddy dark and mysterious?" Lydia frowned.

"He is, sometimes. Well, that's the way I think of him. Oh, and thank you again for the glass picture thingy."

"Fused glass," Lydia said.

"I've got it on the windowsill in my bedroom at home. It looks lovely with the sunlight behind it. I didn't want to bring it here, well, I did want to have it here but I left it at home in case it got broken."

The Great Hall doors opened and they and the many others filed inside. Lydia saw Teddy as Freddie ran in to join him at the Hufflepuff table. She waved at them both. Shona was still talking. It was not until they started eating that Lydia got a chance to thank Shona for her present, some silver barrettes for her hair. She heard no mention of rumours about her over dinner. Nothing was mentioned as she met up with Teddy and Freddie afterwards, nor on her way to her dormitory. All the talk in the dormitory was of Christmas. As she lay down to sleep, Xander joining her as usual, she smiled to herself at how protectively Freddie had overreacted.

The following morning at breakfast Lydia noticed that people on the other house tables were watching her. At first it was subtle. She looked over to the Hufflepuff table to mouth "Good Morning!" to Freddie and Teddy and noticed a couple of older girls quickly turn away and start talking to each other. Later, as she looked around the room, she noticed other students who were looking in her direction. They would bob their heads down as her gaze swept over them. When she stood to leave the table there were people craning their necks to see what she was doing and where she was going.

It was a Wednesday and the Ravenclaws had Potions all morning with the Hufflepuffs. Professor Verdi was his usual bright, flamboyant self. The potion they were working on was not too difficult or smelly and resulted in a calming draught. For those who did not follow the instructions, however, it resulted in a grey, sticky sludge. Nobody in the class paid Lydia undue attention and she was feeling optimistic again by the time they packed up to go for lunch. Professor Verdi beckoned Lydia over to his table as the others filed out.

Verdi waited until they were alone. "Lydia, I have spoken with Draco and I kept a careful watch over the hall at breakfast. Did you notice some students were pointing you out and watching you?"

Lydia sagged. "Yes, I did. But it's been all right since then."

Verdi pulled a face. "But you have only been in here, with Ravenclaw and Hoofflepoof first-years. It is not quite the same. Keep watch out there. Be careful. Try not to be alone and do not use magic! Others will be watching over you – staff and prefects."

Lydia nodded. "Will you come with me up to lunch, Professor? If I'm not supposed to be alone…"

Verdi smiled. "I believe you will find at least two friends waiting outside my door for you."

"How do you…"

"Run along," Verdi interrupted. "You will see."

Lydia left to find Freddie, Teddy and Shona waiting for her.

"Come on! Lunch. I'm starving," Freddie exhorted.

"How can you be hungry?" Teddy queried. "You ate loads at breakfast. You want to watch out, you'll be getting porky."

They all laughed. Freddie appeared to have grown a couple of centimetres in height over Christmas and still not put on any weight.

Lydia grinned at them all. "Thanks for waiting, you lot."

It was with a sinking feeling inside that Lydia noticed many heads turn her way as they entered the Great Hall. Lunch was underway for some, others were still arriving. Here and there across the hall heads were turning, faces were looking up from their plates, and eyes were following Lydia. She and Shona parted from the boys to go to their respective tables. Freddie turned to give them a smile and a cheery wave. Teddy looked for free places at the Hufflepuff table.

Shona and Lydia sat with Maisie, Tina and Mel, opposite Oddy, Dean and Jimmy Oluwale. Martin, Lorcan and Wyn were further along the table talking to Martin's big brother and some other third-year boys.

"Hi, Jimmy," Shona chirped. "Why are you not with the others?"

"Hi, Jimmy," said Lydia. "Nice to have you with us."

"Hi, Lydia, Shona," he replied and gave Lydia a smile. It was the most beautiful smile Lydia could ever remember seeing. It was a smile that came from deep within and with nothing to hold it back or water it down.

They helped themselves to lunch from the serving dishes which appeared before them.

Jimmy explained, "I don't think Danny, Martin's brother, likes me. He's always been funny with me. I think it's 'cos I'm from Yorkshire."

"It's not because you're black, is it?" Shona asked.

The others glared at her.

Jimmy laughed. "Well, I am, you lot. I had noticed! But, no. He were all right 'til first time I spoke to him. Only thing he says to me now is 'where's yer whippet' and daft stuff like that. Gives southerners a bad name, he does."

"Well, I think you're great Jimmy, and I'm from Lancashire," Lydia reassured him.

"Hey, steady on, lass. There'll be rumours about us! Heh, heh, heh!" Jimmy laughed heartily and gave Lydia another of his smiles. "Actually…"

"The Diggles are a Pure Blood family," Oddy interrupted, looking down as though talking to himself. "Pure Bloods don't tend to be racist towards other wizards."

"Because they don't have the colonial history of the muggles," Lydia chipped in. "That's what my uncle said."

"And some of them are too busy hating muggle-borns," Maisie pointed out.

"Aye, whatever," Jimmy conceded, then leaned forward and lowered his voice. "As I were going to say, Lydia, there's rumours going round about you. You know that thing about muggle experiments with magic powers?"

"That's a myth concocted to sow discord," Oddy opined.

"Well, they're saying you're one," Jimmy finished.

"They could say that about any muggle-born," Shona pointed out.

"How am I supposed to have fooled McGonagall, and the Ministry? And Harry Potter?!" Lydia scoffed.

"Don't ask me. Sounds daft as owt, to me," Jimmy countered.

"If they were going to send one to spy on us here," said Dean, with his mouth full. "They would have chosen someone likeable."

Thankfully he swallowed his mouthful before laughing.

"Sorry, couldn't help it," he said wiping a tear from his eye. "Your face, though."

"I'm not saying I believe any of it," said Mel. "I don't. But the rumour I heard was that Harry Potter rescued you from a laboratory and brought you here."

"I think I'd probably have noticed that," Lydia joked.

"And there was that thing with Robins and Zabini and that lot, last term," Mel continued. "When you saved Freddie Fortescue and sent them all flying."

"Poor Harry," Lydia said. "He tries to teach me a few things to keep me safe, then gets accused of kidnapping me from the muggles!"

"Don't need to convince us, lass," Jimmy assured her. "If you're magical you're one of us, far as I'm concerned. But the people who might believe the rumours aren't going to be easy to persuade."

"They set no store by things such as facts and logic," Oddy added, now reading a book. "Especially if the lie is more entertaining."

"Is that what it says in your silly little book, Oddy?" Dean laughed.

"No, it's what it says in my immense brain," Oddy quipped. "The book is about how not to speak with your mouth full."

They laughed. All of them laughed. Oddy was not known to crack jokes.

"Never, ever, criticise Oddy's books," Tina concluded.

Jimmy clapped Dean on the shoulder. "Gotta say, you deserved that sass, man."

The other Ravenclaw boys were peering down the table towards them, with questioning looks.

"Hey, Lorcan!" Jimmy called. "Oddy just sassed Dean good and proper. I mean Took. Him. Dooown!"

"Tell you later," he mouthed, noticing the stern glares from Briony and the other prefects.

The glares they were getting from the prefects made the first-year group burst into fits of suppressed giggles.

"Right," said Dean. "I say we all stick with Lydia when we leave – keep her in the middle. We'll go up to our common room. She'll be safe."

"Can we go to the JCR?" Lydia asked. "Then my friends Freddie and Teddy can join us."

They went to the Joint Common Room after lunch and Freddie did join them. Teddy was somewhere else. Their first lesson after lunch was Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors. But that was under the gaze of Draco Malfoy, so Lydia knew she would be safe, and she was. After that they had a free period, because there was an Astronomy class in the evening. They went to Ravenclaw tower and did their homework as a group – all the first-years together. Lydia found it hard to concentrate. Part of it was because her classmates were being so supportive, the rest because Astronomy was with Slytherin. She also wondered where Teddy had been.

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