Gwen sat on the edge of the astronomy tower wall and looked up to the sky. She had just finished another grueling detention sentence with Filch. Her hands ached from shining of the trophies but she still felt good. She was still here.
By now she was surprised that she hadn't been kicked out. And her mother had yet to come. Maybe the threat had been an idle one. One that was supposed to have made Gwen come running home before her mother did something drastic. Maybe… but it was also unlikely...
More than likely Carina Farr was biding her time letting her daughter sweat things out so that when she finally came Gwen would be ready to go back with her. But the thing was… would she go back with her? Silently she asked herself that question and then looked up to the bright night sky. So much had changed since that first night when she had wandered so lost and alone through the hallways. Things had changed the moment the marauders had walked across her path. She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them with a smile.
"So many things have changed…" she murmured. "And I know, that given the choice, I won't go. I'll fight…"
"Gwen, what are you doing up here?" a sleepy eyed Raven complained as she rubbed her robe with her arm.
"Hi Raven… I was just thinking." She sighed and turned to face her friend. "Hey Ray, do you think I've changed since my first day here?"
"Changed? Yeah, for the better... You've lasted through the worst that the Marauders could dish out and are still standing. Not many girls at Hogwarts can say that."
"You can."
"Yeah, but this is me we're talking about. I'm a little different."
"And I'm not?" Gwen smiled as she slipped down off the wall. "You're dating a werewolf and I'm half-fairy. I don't think either of us qualifies as normal in anyone's book, wizard, witch or muggle."
"Yeah, but it makes it all the more fun." Raven grinned and Gwen smiled. "Come on the boys'll be worried if we don't get back soon. Sirius might just pace another hole into the common room floor. And I don't think Dumbledore will like that…"
Gwen smiled and the two of them headed off towards the Gryffindor common room.
Again Gwen couldn't sleep though she tried. She tossed and turned and even as much as her body wanted to fall asleep her mind wouldn't shut off. Sighing she slipped from the bed and walked out into the common room.
As usual it was empty so she settled herself in the middle and then closed her eyes and concentrated. First she touched the floor and a muddle of thought flowed into her. The thoughts of the thousands of people that had walked across this floor swarmed into her brain. Some who had walked it today and some who had walked it hundreds even thousands of years before…
She went searching and found Remus, Raven, Lily, James, and Sirius… Remus had been wondering when he'd be back to normal again today. Raven had been thinking about the potions test, she was pretty sure she'd flunk it. Lily and James had been thinking of each other while pretending not to. Sirius had been wondering what she had to do for detention.
Smiling she decided to try and touch other people she knew. First was a boy fascinated by muggles with the last name of Weasley. He was in her defense against the dark arts class and had been fascinated by how she had lived so close to muggles…
Arthur… that was his name… She felt around and for a short moment she saw an image of him gangly with red hair and freckles smiling as he fired question after question at her. His thought had been on the uses of a rubber ducky today though he seemed a bit bemused about a girl… wonder who she was…
Moving on Gwen slowly and meticulously picked out people she knew and read the different thoughts that had drifted through their minds as they paced the floor until she had gone through everyone she knew in the Gryffindor house. But instead of calling it quits an idea came to her and laid her hands flat on the floor.
Maybe she could… Gideon Coda Wulfric Farr… the name passed like a chant through her head as she reached out for him… Gideon Farr…at first nothing and then came a tumble of memories… The shock made Gwen fall backwards but she didn't fight it and let it drift over her…
A young man stood in the middle of the common room, it's lights muted and the hour obviously late. His brown hair curly like Gwen's framed a face filled with great sorrow. Eyes the same color as Gwendolyn's shined with tears as he looked to the ground.
In front of him a letter lay the dark ink of the ministry blotched with teardrops. Gwen walked slowly to his side and then looked at the writing. But slowly she walked back shock filling her system.
"Dear Mr. Farr,
It is with our deepest regret we tell you that your parents were killed today in an unforeseen accident. They were truly good people. The best Aurors that could ever have been and that we shall ever see. But do not grieve too much son. There is still much ahead of you and as of your day of graduation from Hogwarts there is a place for you here in the Ministry…"
The words echoed hollowly in her head she wanted to hear no more. So that was why her father had become a Mystery. He had no family. His parents had been killed when he was young… and so helpless…
"Gideon," a man's voice echoed through the room and Gwen's father leapt up to look to the doorway of the room.
"Pro-Professor Dumbledore, sir?"
"I heard the news about your parents. Gene and Kana were two wonderful people… They didn't deserve this, son."
"N- no one deserves a thing like this, sir." Gideon managed and then sniffing tried to wipe his cheeks "B-but if they had to die… they would have been proud… to be…to be doing their job sir…"
"That doesn't make it any easier to let it go, now does it?" Dumbledore said and then he smiled. "Do you want a lemon drop?"
"A what, sir?"
"A lemon drop. They're a muggle candy I've found myself very fond of."
Gwen grinned. It was the same thing he'd said to her in his office when she had started to feel sad about her life. Her father reacted much the same as she did. Surprised the professor would ask such a thing in a grave moment and then he smiled.
"Yes, it will be hard to let them go…" Dumbledore muttered as if to himself but then he looked at Gideon. "But you'll make it through, won't you, Mr. Farr?"
"Yes sir, and I hope that when I… when I am out there that if I must die for the Ministry, as they did, I die fighting for what I believe in… As they did, Professor."
"And you did." Gwen felt herself mutter and tears drenched her eyes and blurred her vision. Her father and Dumbledore faded away and then the vision too blurred and the common room swam back into place.
For a moment Gwen could only lay there tears falling from her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. For a while she just cried and then somehow she managed to find the strength to roll to her side and then walk into the girls' dormitory and fall onto her bed asleep… As she did she didn't notice that her fairy stone glowed red… for danger…