Rachel was practically bouncing with excitement on the morning of the 18th. They were planning to apparate to the grounds of the Quidditch World Cup just after lunch. Millie, Luna, and Ginny had already written to describe the campsites and to tell Rachel where she could find them. The plan was to meet the Malfoys at the stadium at four when they started admitting people to their seats. She couldn't wait!
"What do you think it's going to be like?" she asked while they were having soup and sandwiches for lunch. Severus had actually let her help cook for a change.
"Busy and crowded. Do you feel like you'll be alright with that?" he asked.
"As long as the spaces themselves aren't small, I think I'll be okay," Rachel said. She hadn't even really thought about that, but she supposed there would be a lot of people there.
"Let me know if you're having trouble and we'll figure something out," Severus said.
Rachel nodded, but she didn't want to think about having trouble, she was too excited. "Maybe next summer we could go see one of the British League games, with the Holyhead Harpies, maybe?"
"Perhaps, we'll have to look at the schedule, often the League games are played in the spring but some of them will be in the summer," he said. "Eat your soup, we'll likely be out past dinner."
"What do they do if the game lasts a long time? How do people eat or sleep?" Rachel asked.
"I actually don't know. This will be the first time I've attended a Quidditch match outside of the ones at Hogwarts," Severus said.
"What would happen if it lasted a long time at Hogwarts?" she asked.
"The longest a match has lasted at Hogwarts while I've been there was seven hours, and Albus called the match once night had fallen. That was while I was still a student," he said.
"I bet most of the school is going to be there," she said. Even though she'd just seen her friends last weekend she was looking forward to seeing them again.
"Most likely. Eat and then we can go," Severus instructed.
Rachel quickly applied herself to eating her soup and her sandwich and then bounced up to wash the dishes. She was going to see a real Quidditch match!
"Go get what you need, bring something with long sleeves in case it gets chilly when the sun sets. Make sure you have your wand," Severus said.
She went upstairs and found a long sleeved shirt to tie around her waist. She got her camera in its case and slung its strap around her neck and found her moke-skin pouch with some money to buy souvenirs. She slipped her wand into her pocket and checked herself over in the bathroom mirror to make sure her hair wasn't sticking out anywhere. She was ready!
Back downstairs she found Severus waiting for her. "Try to stay close to me. I'm not expecting that anything will happen while we're there, but I want to be able to apparate you to safety if need be. If we do get separated, find somewhere inconspicuous to wait and send me a Patronus message telling me where you are."
"Okay," Rachel agreed. She knew he worried a lot about Death Eaters, especially now that someone from the Ministry had helped Peter Pettigrew.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
"Ready!" she said, unable to stop herself from grinning.
"Take my arm and we'll be off," Severus said, holding out his arm to her.
Rachel held onto Severus' arm and braced herself. Apparating wasn't so bad now that she was used to it. She preferred it to flooing overall. "Is this where we're supposed to be?" she asked once they'd arrived in a wooded area.
"I think so. The campsites should be to the south, I hear people in that direction and it looks like many people have passed through here recently," Severus said as he looked around.
Rachel listened and realized she could hear the hum of distant voices and when she looked down she could see footsteps left in the dirt and places where small sticks had broken on the bushes.
"Stay close to me," Severus said.
She followed him through the trees, startling when they came across a group of people who had obviously just apparated in as well. They followed that group at a bit of a distance and within ten minutes emerged onto a moor that was covered in hundreds and hundreds of tents. There were people walking everywhere, most of them dressed like muggles - though when Rachel looked closer she saw that some of them hadn't gotten it quite right.
"How many witches and wizards are there?" she asked as she took it all in.
"In Britain, about thirty thousand. In the world, about 1.5 million," Severus said. "There are likely a lot of people here from foreign countries, as well as a good portion of wizarding Britain. You mentioned that your friends told you where their campsites were?"
"Yes. Millie said she's in the first field, by a two story tent with turrets. Luna and Ginny are in the second field. Ginny said they're on the far side of the field near the moor, and Luna was a little less specific," Rachel said.
"I hope you don't mind a walk," Severus said. "I'm not sure how to determine which field is the first and which is the second."
"I don't mind, I want to see everything," Rachel said.
They started walking and Rachel was in awe of how many things there were to look at. There were tents of all kinds, some looking like ordinary muggle tents and some with things like chimneys, weathervanes, and balconies. There was even one with a small pool to the side of it.
The people were just as interesting to see. Severus was right in that it seemed like people had come from all over to see the match. Rachel could hardly believe how many different languages were being spoken and how many different styles of clothes there were. They'd talked about other countries while Rachel had been in primary school, but it had never really sunk in for her that there was this whole world out there and she'd barely seen any of it. One day, when she was older, she wanted to go places and see all sorts of things, things she never could have imagined while she was stuffed in a cupboard back at the Dursley's house.
"Is everything alright?" Severus asked.
"Yeah, just thinking about how much of the world there is. Have you ever traveled outside of Britain?" she asked.
"No, I don't travel much, it's never been something I've sought out to do," Severus said.
Rachel nodded. Traveling wasn't for everyone, just like some people didn't like Quidditch, or chocolate.
"I think I see a tent with turrets. Millie's tent might be nearby," he said, pointing a few rows of tents over.
"Okay, let's go over there. Why would someone put turrets on a tent anyway?" Rachel asked.
"Lack of common sense and good taste," Severus said.
Rachel giggled. That was probably true. They made it to a pathway in between the rows of tents and walked closer to the row of tents that had the tent with the turrets.
"Rachel!"
"Hi Millie!" Rachel called, waving her hand.
Millie hurried over and gave Rachel a one armed hug. "Look who found us!" Millie called back, gesturing to Luna.
"Hi Luna," Rachel called.
"Hi Rachel," Luna said. Today she had her long hair woven with green shamrocks.
"Hello, Professor Snape," Millie said. "Want to come see our tent? Mr. Lovegood is there visiting with my parents."
Rachel glanced at Severus, who nodded. "Yes, that would be great," she said.
They followed Millie and Luna back down to a light blue tent that had a campfire out front. Millie's parents and Luna's father were sitting around the fire with cups of tea, and a young girl was poking the fire with a stick.
"Mom, dad, you remember Professor Snape and Rachel Snow," Millie said.
Mr. Bulstrode got to his feet and shook hands with Severus. "Good to see you again. I trust Millie's behaving herself at school."
"Millie is an excellent student and she comports herself well. I've had no trouble from her whatsoever," Severus said.
"Good to hear it. We were very pleased with her marks," Mrs. Bulstrode said. "Have you met Xenophilius, Luna's father?"
"Yes, of course, nice to see you," Severus said to Mr. Lovegood.
"Severus, as always, good to see you, come have a cup with us," Mr. Lovegood said.
"Yes, do, have a seat," Mr. Bulstrode said.
Severus sat down next to Mr. Lovegood, looking a little awkward sitting on the ground, while Mrs. Bulstrode poured him a cup of tea.
"Rachel, this is Isobelle, my younger sister. Isobelle isn't coming to Hogwarts this year, but next year she'll be old enough," Millie said. "Isobelle, this is my friend Rachel."
"Nice to meet you," Rachel said, looking at the young girl and realizing that while Millie and Isobelle were sisters they looked quite different. Where Millie was tall and broad, with straight black hair and dark brown eyes, Isobelle was quite small and wore her light brown hair in ringlets. Isobelle looked much more like Mrs. Bulstrode, while Millie took more of her features from Mr. Bulstrode.
Isobelle ducked her head.
"At least say hi," Millie said to Isobelle.
"Let her be, Millie, she's just shy," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
"Dad, can I show Rachel and Luna inside the tent?" Millie asked.
"Sure," Mr. Bulstrode answered.
Millie didn't waste any time ducking through the tent flap and Rachel followed with Luna right behind her.
"Sorry about that. My sister won't shut up when we're at home," Millie said.
"It's okay, we're a lot older than her and that's probably a bit scary for her," Rachel said, taking in the tent. "This is not how muggles camp."
"Oh?" Luna asked.
"Muggles can't make things bigger on the inside then they are on the outside," Rachel said. "I've never been camping before but I know that muggle tents don't have kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms on the inside."
"So they just sleep on the ground?" Millie asked.
"In sleeping bags," Rachel said. "Have you seen Ginny and the others yet?"
"Not yet," Millie said, sitting down on the couch. "But they just got here this morning by portkey. We've been here for two days now. Some people have been here for weeks. Dad says that there will be people selling souvenirs in an hour or two and we can go look to see what they have. Are you supporting Ireland or Bulgaria?"
"Ireland," Luna said, turning around so they could better see the shamrocks woven in her hair.
Millie laughed. "That's pretty clear. What about you, Rachel?"
Rachel shrugged and joined Millie on the couch. "I don't really know either team well enough to have a favorite, I just want to see the game. Everyone says Krum is really good though."
"Supposed to be the best Seeker in a generation. Could you imagine playing in front of all these people?" Millie asked.
"Maybe," Rachel said. "When you're out there, you don't really notice the people, it just becomes background noise for the most part. The first time was pretty scary though."
The tent flap opened and Isobelle came through. "Dad says come out because we're having a late lunch, and bring your friends," she said before disappearing back out again.
Millie rolled her eyes. "Come on, before they send my mom in here after us."
They went back out and settled down on the ground around the campfire while Mr. Bulstrode cooked eggs in a skillet.
"Severus, would you take a picture of me with Millie and Luna?" Rachel asked, holding out her camera.
"Yes, get how you want to be," Severus said, taking the camera from her.
The three of them managed to kneel together, Millie ducking down a bit because she was nearly a head taller than Rachel and Luna while they were down on the ground, and a moment later the flash of light let them know the picture had been taken.
"Thank you," Rachel said, accepting her camera back from Severus.
"Millie says you're quite a photographer as well as a Quidditch player," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
Rachel felt herself blush. "Oh, no, it's just for fun," she said quickly.
"It's good to have hobbies. There used to be a photography club while we were at Hogwarts, do they still have that?" Mr. Bulstrode asked.
"Oh, not that I know of," Rachel said, a little disappointed. She'd have liked to talk with other students who took pictures and see how they did it.
"I don't think that club has existed since I was a student, they tend to come and go as the more industrious students form groups," Severus said. "The Gobstones club is quite popular at the moment, and some of the older students attempted to restart the Dueling club again, but since we lack a permanent Defense instructor and Filius is quite busy with the Charms club, they weren't able to get an instructor to sponsor it."
"That's unfortunate about the Defense position. If anyone could solve the problem, it would be Dumbledore, and it's been thirty years now," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
"Well a curse is a curse, they don't end until the caster is dead or until someone removes it," Mr. Lovegood said.
Rachel blinked and then exchanged a glance with Millie. They'd heard in the common room that the Dark Lord was the one who had put the curse on the Defense position after Professor Dumbledore had refused to hire him.
"Yes, well, eggs are ready, everyone take a plate, you'll want your energy for tonight," Mr. Bulstrode said, putting some of the scrambled eggs on a plate and passing them out.
Rachel accepted her plate of eggs and realized that either Millie hadn't told her parents about the Dark Lord being in the castle in their first year, or her parents didn't want to believe it. She wondered how many people really didn't believe that the Dark Lord was still around. She knew Severus had told her that the Ministry had said that the Dark Lord was dead, but she hadn't really reconciled that with what most people would believe.
She shook her head. This was not the time to be thinking about the Dark Lord. They were at the Quidditch World Cup and it was going to be fun.
"There's so many things," Luna said as she looked around at all the vendors.
"Isobelle, stay close," Mrs. Bulstrode said. "Millie, watch her please."
Millie sighed. "Yes mom."
Rachel glanced to the side to see that Severus was still right there. It was starting to get crowded around the vendors. "Oh, look. Remember that figure of Glynnis Griffiths that Daphne got me for Christmas last year, they have one of Krum too," she said. How weird would it be to have an action figure of yourself?
"Wait, I want to get a green rosette," Luna said, coming to a stop nearby. "Daddy, do you want one too?"
"That's a good idea, show our support," Mr. Lovegood said, although he was already wearing a bright green suit.
"How much for one of the Krum figures?" Rachel asked the person at the cart of figures.
"Two Galleons, but I'd get him now if you want him, he's going fast," the woman said.
"Yes, please," Rachel said, pulling out her coin pouch.
With her purchase and Luna's purchases made, their rather large group continued down the path.
"Mom, can I get a hat?" Isobelle asked.
"Is that the one thing you want or do you want to keep looking?" Mrs. Bulstrode asked her.
"Keep looking," Isobelle said.
"Look, they have scarfs with leprechauns on them, those would go well with our House colors," Millie said.
"I suggest you stick to your House scarf while you are at school, Miss Bulstrode," Severus said. "At least on weekdays while you are in uniform."
"Yes, sir," Millie said, though she was smiling at Rachel.
"Get your Omnioculars here, play-by-play breakdowns, full zoom, rewatch the match whenever you'd like," a man called from where he was standing by a cart full of brass binoculars that had knobs and dials on them.
"I thought you said that wizards didn't have video recording?" Rachel asked Severus.
"I didn't realize that we did," Severus said.
"It's relatively new, only been used at Quidditch matches for the past two years, but I've heard that the aurors bought some to use for training exercises," Mr. Bulstrode said.
"Among other things," Mr. Lovegood added.
"How much are they?" Millie asked.
"Ten Galleons each," the man at the cart said.
Rachel thought about it, she had enough and this way she could watch the match again. "It's not too frivolous, is it?" she asked Severus.
"No, I'd be quite interested to see how they work myself," Severus said.
"Can I get a pair, mom?" Millie asked.
"That's the one thing you want?" Mrs. Bulstrode asked.
"Yes, please," Millie said.
"Alright, if you're sure," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
Rachel, Severus, and Millie each bought a pair and Rachel curiously examined the buttons, noticing they had small print near them saying things like 'play', 'zoom', 'slow down', and 'go back'.
"Mom, I want the Irish scarf," Isobelle said.
"Are you sure?" Mrs. Bulstrode asked.
"Yes, can I?" Isobelle asked.
"I'll go back with her and get it," Mr. Bulstrode said, holding his hand out to Isobelle.
Rachel stepped closer to Severus. It was really starting to get crowded. "When they're back, maybe we should go back to where the tents are?"
"Are you alright?" Severus asked quietly.
Rachel nodded. She was alright, she just didn't like feeling so boxed in.
"It's nearly time for us to go to the stadium, can you manage until then?" he asked.
Rachel nodded again, though now Millie looked a little worried.
"Here, let's all move to the side of the path, that way dad and Isobelle can find us when they come back," Millie said, pointing to an area that was a little less crowded.
"That's a good idea, Millie, very sensible," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
Rachel gritted her teeth as they ducked through the crowd and tried not to have second thoughts about this whole thing. She could manage coming to a Quidditch match, she wasn't that bad off. She ignored the tightness in her chest and throat and stayed close to Severus.
A deep gong resounded from beyond the woods and a trail of green and red lanterns lit up a path.
"Oh, that means they're ready for people to come in," Millie said as they all turned and looked in the direction of the woods.
"We need to go meet with the Malfoys," Severus said.
Rachel nodded and turned to Millie and Luna. "We have to go, but we'll see you again on Monday when we go shopping."
"See you then, have fun with Draco," Millie said, looking amused.
"Watch out for wrackspurts, you wouldn't want to miss the game, and Draco often has some around him," Luna said.
"Will do," Rachel said.
"Good to see you again," Severus said, bowing his head to Mrs. Bulstrode and then shaking hands with Mr. Lovegood.
Rachel and Severus joined the stream of people heading toward the woods and Rachel stayed on the outside edge where it wasn't so crowded.
"Wrackspurts?" Severus asked when they were a little ways away.
"Oh, they're new, Luna just started talking about them this summer. Apparently they make your brain go fuzzy," Rachel said.
"Should I be concerned?" Severus asked as they entered the woods.
"About wrackspurts, I don't think so. About Luna, probably not. I asked Torey about her seeing creatures back when we first met Luna and she said that as long as Luna isn't actually seeing something that isn't there, it's okay," Rachel said.
"You'll let me know if it becomes a problem?" he asked.
"I will, but maybe you should talk to Professor Flitwick about some of the Ravenclaws in her year bullying her. Luna doesn't want to do anything about it, but I think it's still happening," she said.
"Do you know what they're doing to her?" Severus asked.
"Not specifically, other than that they call her Loony Lovegood and they won't generally talk to her," Rachel said.
"I'm not sure how much we can do about that, but I will talk to Filius and see if he can talk to the Ravenclaws in her year about being a little kinder to her," he said, frowning.
"You don't think that will make them worse, like she told on them?" Rachel asked.
"Unfortunately that's a possibility, but I'm not sure what else to do," Severus said.
"Me neither. If I knew, I would do it," she said.
"I think it helps that she has you and the rest of your study group as friends," he said.
"I hope so," Rachel said. Luna seemed happy enough, but they didn't see her when she was alone in Ravenclaw Tower. They emerged from the woods to find a gigantic stadium. "Wow. How long must it take to build this?"
"Probably a while, the World Cup games' schedule is announced years in advance. I see the Malfoys. Remember to be polite and courteous," Severus said.
"I will," Rachel said.
They approached where Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco were standing.
"Severus, there you are," Lucius said. "We were just looking for you."
"My apologies, we didn't mean to keep you waiting," Severus said.
"Not at all," Lucius said. "And Miss Snow. How are you?"
"Very well, sir. Thank you so much for inviting us to come to the World Cup with you," Rachel said.
"You're welcome. Draco wished for one of his friends to join him," Lucius said. "Now shall we make our way up? We're all the way at the top."
They made their way to the nearest entrance and Draco held up his Omnioculars. "You got a pair too?"
"Yes, I didn't know wizards could do video recordings," Rachel said.
"Video?" Draco asked.
"Oh, um, like moving pictures," Rachel said.
"Pictures do move," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
"I know that, I mean like very long moving pictures. Muggles have cameras that can record hours of moving pictures, with sound too," Rachel explained.
Draco shrugged. "I have a couple sets of Omnioculars from different games. Of course we can only go during the summer. I'll bring the one with the Ireland vs Peru game on it to school so you can see it. Ireland's Chasers are amazing. You're supporting Ireland, right?"
"Of course," Rachel said, knowing that was the expected answer.
"Watch Krum during the game, you'll learn a lot from him. And watch Ireland's Chasers of course. I wish our Chasers worked like that. Any idea who we want for a Chaser and a Beater this year?" Draco asked.
Rachel took a breath as they made their way into the staircases, but they weren't as narrow and as cramped as the stands at Hogwarts. She could manage this as long as they weren't in here forever.
"Rachel? A Chaser and a Beater to replace Marcus and Imogen?" Draco said, turning back to look at her.
"Oh, I don't know. The only people I've really seen fly in our House have been those of us on the team," Rachel said.
"Who is the Quidditch Captain this year? Has Professor Snape said?" Draco asked.
"No, not to me," Rachel said. "Maybe Miles or Adrian?"
"I suppose," Draco said. "I can't see it being Lucian, he only has a year left and Beaters aren't usually captains. We're going to have to recruit early so that whoever we get is up to snuff by the time we play. You're sure you won't take the open Chaser spot?"
"I'm sure," Rachel said, rolling her eyes. This was not the first time they'd had this conversation.
"What if we find someone who is a really good Seeker, it would be for the good of the team," Draco said.
"I've never lost us a game," Rachel pointed out.
"That's true, I suppose, and you have a traditional Seekers build," Draco said.
Rachel decided not to comment on that.
Eventually they reached the top and stepped out into a relatively small box that was overlooking the whole stadium and was halfway between the goal posts. Rachel was surprised to see that the Weasleys, along with Neville and Hermione, were already seated - she hadn't realized they'd be sitting in the same area.
"Lucius, good to see you, how do you do?" a man said as he stood up to shake Lucius' hand.
"As always, Minister. You'll of course remember my wife, Narcissa, and my son, Draco," Lucius said.
"Charmed, as always," the Minister said, bringing Narcissa's hand to his lips for a brief kiss.
"And then Professor Severus Snape and Rachel Snow, my guests," Lucius said.
"Of course," the Minister said, shaking hands with Severus, but his gaze was fixed on Rachel. "How are you, Miss Snow?"
"I'm very well, Minister, thank you," Rachel said, vaguely remembering seeing him in Professor Dumbledore's office in her first year at Hogwarts.
"Very good," the Minister said. "And Lucius, you know Arthur Weasley, of course."
"Of course," Lucius said, glancing briefly at where Mr. Weasley was standing. "Impressive that you managed seats in the Top Box, Arthur, I wouldn't have imagined it."
Mr. Weasley chose not to respond.
"Lucius made a very generous donation to St. Mungo's Hospital and I asked him here as my guest," the Minister said.
"That's nice," Mr. Weasley said, though his expression said otherwise.
"Oh, and of course, Mr. Obalonsk, the Bulgarian Minister of Magic," the Minister said, waving his hand to the man standing next to him.
"Nice to meet you," Lucius said, shaking hands with the man. The man nodded in return.
"Let's take our seats, Lucius, you can catch up with the Minister later," Narcissa said.
"Until later, Minister, I'll talk with you more about reforms next week," Lucius said.
"I'm looking forward to it," the Minister said.
They made their way down the row of seats until they reached the end, Rachel giving a small smile and wave to her friends as she passed.
Finally they were seated, Severus on one end, Rachel next to him, Draco next to her, and his parents next to him. Rachel looked around the stadium, in awe of how many people were there. The stadium was bathed in a golden light that seemed to be coming from the stadium itself and a large chalkboard with gold writing continually flashed advertisements.
"That's Ludo Bagman," Draco said.
Rachel turned and looked to see the man who was now talking to the Minister. He seemed to be dressed in an odd costume, including robes with black and yellow stripes.
"He's used to be a Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps and on the English National Team. Now he's the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. My father says he'll be helping with the Triwizard Tournament this year," Draco continued.
"He was the one who asked Professor Dumbledore to hold the Triwizard Tournament?" Rachel asked, looking at Draco.
"He was definitely involved at least," Draco said.
Rachel glanced back at Ludo Bagman and saw him finish speaking with the Minister and then he pointed his wand at his own throat.
"Welcome, welcome everyone, to the final game of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!" Bagman announced, his voice traveling throughout the stadium.
Rachel looked out at the cheering crowd. She'd never seen so many people in one place before, except maybe in the crowds of football matches on tv. The chalkboard that was being used for advertising was wiped clean and was now being used as a scoreboard.
"Without further ado, the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!" Bagman roared, the crowd echoing him.
"Mascots?" Rachel asked.
"You haven't ever been to a professional game before?" Draco asked.
Rachel shook her head and watched as a group of women came out onto the field. They must have been using magic of some sort as their skin was shining and their hair flowed around them even though there wasn't any wind.
"Veela," Severus said.
"Draco, avert your eyes," Lucius instructed.
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, glancing at where Severus was looking away from the field.
"Veela are semi-human magical beings. They appear as beautiful women, most of the time, but can transform when provoked. When they dance they can snare men into a state of hypnotic seduction," Severus explained.
Rachel peered down at where the veela were dancing, and then glanced at the front row of seats and saw that Neville, Ron, and the Weasley twins were all standing and looking vaguely confused and distant.
"Best not to look. Are they done?" Draco asked.
The music faded away and there were angry shouts from people in the stadium telling the veela not to leave. "They're done, I think," Rachel said. Every time she thought she had a handle on the magical world something like that would happen and she was reminded of how little she really knew.
"And now, please welcome the Irish National Team Mascots!"
A giant gold ball flew into the stadium and then split off into two parts, a rainbow connecting them. The two parts rejoined as the rainbow faded and it hovered up higher in the air and formed a giant shamrock with pieces of gold falling down from it.
Rachel flinched as a coin hit her head.
"Leprechaun gold, worthless," Draco said.
"Leprechauns are real?" Rachel asked, looking back up at the shamrock and seeing that it was actually a bunch of tiny men dressed in green and gold.
"Of course they're real, what else would they be," Draco said.
Rachel shook her head. "I suppose you're going to tell me that Father Christmas is real too?"
"Well, not anymore, he died like two thousand years ago," Draco said.
Rachel turned to Severus, catching a glimpse of the leprechauns flying down to settle on the side of the field opposite of where the veela were sitting. "Really?"
"He used to be called Saint Nicholas and he was a powerful wizard," Severus said.
Rachel didn't have much time to take that in because Bagman started announcing the Bulgarian players and she quickly looked at the field to watch them speed out. They flew so fast they were practically blurs. She pressed her Omnioculars to her glasses and used the zoom function to get a closer look at the players.
The Irish team entered the field, in green to Bulgaria's red, and they took a lap around the field before taking their places.
"And now, presenting our referee, the Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!" Bagman announced.
"Wouldn't want his job," Draco said.
Rachel zoomed in on the man who had brought the crate of balls onto the field. "Why not?"
"Well, Quidditch referees have a way of disappearing after contentious games, even with the additional protection they provide them," Draco said.
Rachel shook her head as she watched the Snitch take off and disappear. Some people took Quidditch way too seriously.
"They're off!" Bagman shouted.
Rachel could barely keep up with the Quaffle as it went back and forth. The Irish Chasers were incredible, weaving through the Bulgarian team and past the Bludgers. They didn't even have to look at each other as they passed the Quaffle, they knew exactly where their teammates were.
"Troy scores! Ten-zero, Ireland!" Bagman announced.
"They're incredible," Draco said. "Like clockwork."
"How much do you think they practice?" Rachel asked.
"Every day, all day. I heard they even sleep with their brooms," Draco said.
Rachel took a moment to glance at Draco. "That seems silly."
"If it works, it works," Draco said, leaning forward, his Omnioculars pressed to his face.
Rachel went back to watching, feeling somewhat entranced by the flow of the game. Now this was Quidditch.
"Look! The Seekers!" Rachel said, following them with her Omnioculars as they sped through the Chasers, Krum nearly hitting one of his own teammates as they went down at incredible speeds. She gasped, not quite wanting to watch them crash. Krum pulled out of the dive at the last second, but Ireland's Seeker didn't manage it and hit the ground with an audible thud.
"Time-out!" Bagman called.
"Now that's a Wronski Feint!" Draco said, sounding appreciative. "How about practicing that when we're back at Hogwarts?"
"I don't think so," Severus said firmly.
Rachel considered it. She could at least practice diving like that, even though she didn't think she'd ever cause someone to crash on purpose. She found Krum using her Omnioculars and saw that although he was sitting still on his broom he was still looking for the Snitch.
The Irish Seeker got back on his broom and play resumed. It only took thirty more minutes for the Irish Chasers to score ten more goals, they were now leading 130-10. Rachel winced as she saw the Bulgarian Keeper knock one of the Irish Chasers in the face with her forearm, causing the referee to call a foul.
Maybe she didn't want to play professional Quidditch. This was a lot rougher than the games at Hogwarts.
"Krum is going to have to find the Snitch soon if he wants Bulgaria to win. There's no keeping up with the Irish Chasers," Draco said. "Tell me when the veela are done so I can look."
Rachel looked down at where the veela and leprechauns were having a standoff. "Don't look yet, but the referee seems to like them," she said, watching as the referee preened in front of the dancing veela.
"Ha, point my Omnioculars to that, I want to see it later," Draco said.
Rachel leaned over and got Draco's Omnioculars pointed the right way, though she caught Severus shaking his head.
"This sure doesn't happen at Hogwarts," Rachel said. The referee, having been kicked back to his senses, was now trying to get rid of the veela, while the Bulgarian Beaters argued with him, and the leprechauns danced around cheerfully.
"Thankfully," Severus said.
"You can look now," Rachel told Draco.
Play resumed after the referee assigned two penalty shots for Ireland. Rachel winced again as she saw an Irish Chaser take a Bludger straight in the chest. Surely she had broken ribs from that, but she stayed on her broom while the referee called a foul shot.
The leprechauns formed a giant hand making a rude gesture and then the veela started throwing flames. Rachel zoomed in on them, trying to see what spell they were using, but instead found their faces had transformed to be like birds, with long beaks, and they had long scaly wings coming out from their shoulders. "Are the veela like werewolves or like animagi?" she asked.
"Neither, they are born that way, it's just part of what they are," Severus said.
Rachel watched briefly as witches and wizards came onto the field to try to help calm the veela and the leprechauns, but then went back to watching the match.
"Oh my god," she said as Krum took a Bludger to the face. There was blood everywhere. "They have to do something. How is he still flying? Wait, the Irish Seeker!"
Rachel hopped to her feet to see better as the Irish Seeker went into a dive after the Snitch.
"Krum's after him, look at him go!" Draco yelled.
Rachel watched breathlessly as Krum gained on the Irish Seeker, blood streaming from his face. The Irish Seeker hit the ground, but Krum pulled away with the Snitch in his hand.
"He got it!" Rachel bounced on her feet. She'd never seen anything like it! She grabbed onto Draco's arm and he grabbed onto her other arm.
"Krum got the Snitch but Ireland wins! Incredible!" Draco cried, grinning madly.
"I can't believe it!" Rachel said, looking down at where the players were gathering and the crowd was screaming either with support or dissatisfaction. "I hope the Irish Seeker is alright."
"He'll be fine," Draco said.
Rachel sat back down and turned to Severus and grinned. "Can you believe it? Is Quidditch always like this?"
"I hope not," Severus said.
Rachel understood what he meant - she hoped it wasn't always that violent too, but it was incredible. Just incredible.
Severus found it difficult to pay much attention to the match, but he didn't mind. Quidditch had never been particularly interesting to him and he did not understand the enthusiasm some people had for the sport. The game itself was wildly unbalanced given how many points were awarded to the team who caught the Snitch and the addition of Bludgers just made the whole thing pointlessly violent.
Rachel, on the other hand, seemed enthralled. It was nice to see her so enthusiastically enjoying something when she was usually quite reserved, though Severus wished that it hadn't been in the presence of the Malfoys. Draco seemed equally enraptured by the game, and more than once Severus caught Lucius eyeing Draco rather critically.
It seemed that both of them had underestimated how close Rachel and Draco's friendship was. Severus had assumed that Rachel tolerated Draco and primarily spoke to him about Quidditch. He'd also assumed that Draco was only feigning friendship with Rachel to be close to her on his parents' instructions. The easy way they spoke to each other and smiled at each other suggested something closer to actual friendship than Severus was comfortable with.
He couldn't save Draco. He'd known that for years now. Lucius was too powerful to be crossed and Draco had grown up deeply entrenched in the ideals of blood purity and Lucius was undoubtedly teaching him the Dark Arts in the summers. If the Dark Lord returned - or most likely, when the Dark Lord returned - Draco would follow in his father's footsteps and become a Death Eater in his own right.
Draco and Rachel would wind up on opposite sides of the war, and sooner or later he had to prepare her for that.
It was going to be a whole new level of hell, fighting in a war against students he had taught. This was one of those times he was glad that he and Albus had decided he would never take the Defense position. It would be hard enough cutting down people he had taught in his House without watching the defenses he taught them fail. Hopefully the war was still a ways off. He wanted Rachel grown and able to defend herself before it all started again.
Rachel and Draco both leapt to their feet and Severus leaned forward to see what had caught their attention. Both of the Seekers were diving, the Bulgarian Seeker covered in blood, and moments later the Irish Seeker hit the ground. Why had he ever agreed to allow Rachel on the Quidditch team?
Rachel and Draco were both shouting and had grabbed onto each other as they cheered.
Lucius raised an eyebrow and gave Severus a pointed look. Apparently Lucius hadn't realized that their friendship was that close either.
A moment later the entire box was filled with light, and they all turned to watch as a giant golden cup was brought into the box. The Bulgarian team entered a few moments later, the Seeker's face still streaming with blood. When the Irish team entered, their Seeker was being supported by two of the other players.
Maybe he should encourage Rachel to change to the Chaser position while it was open? While games at Hogwarts were certainly less violent than this one had been, he would prefer if she wasn't in a dangerous position at all.
Soon after the Quidditch players left the box everyone was getting to their feet to get ready to leave.
"Lucius, thank you again for the invitation, we very much enjoyed ourselves," Severus said. "As always, Narcissia, it was lovely to see you."
"Yes, thank you so much, it was great!" Rachel said.
"It was our pleasure. Severus, are you sure we can't convince you to stay with us tonight? Draco and Rachel could spend some time talking about the match while you and I have a drink," Lucius offered.
"Thank you, but we must decline. I appreciate your offer," Severus said, knowing full well that Lucius was again inviting him to the revel tonight.
"If you insist, but we must dine soon," Lucius said.
"Of course," Severus said, inclining his head.
"Bye Rachel, I'll see you at Hogwarts," Draco said.
"See you, thanks again for having us come," Rachel said.
As soon as the Malfoys had made their way out of the box, Rachel turned to Severus. "Can we wait for a little bit so the staircases aren't as crowded?"
"Yes, that's fine," Severus said. He wasn't overly thrilled about the idea of being crammed into a small space with a large number of people either.
"Can we go say hello to the Weasleys while we wait?" she asked.
"Yes, we can, but we can't stay long tonight. I want to be home by sundown," Severus said.
Rachel looked up at the sky and then checked her watch. "That's probably not for another two hours, it's just before seven."
Severus nodded, that sounded about right. "As long as we leave when the sun is setting, it should be fine," he said. He wanted Rachel as far away from Death Eater revelry as he could get her.
"Games aren't like that at Hogwarts," Rachel said as she went up to where her friends were gathered together. "Sorry I couldn't come say hello earlier, I had to wait until the Malfoys were gone."
"I'm glad games aren't like that at Hogwarts," Hermione said. "I don't know how they stayed on their brooms!"
"Did you see the Seekers? The way that Krum flew!" Ginny said, grinning brightly.
"It's like he wasn't even on a broom," Rachel said. "I have to fly on a Firebolt one day. They look amazing!"
"I still can't believe he caught the Snitch. We would have been here all night if he hadn't, the Irish Seeker couldn't even fly after the second crash," Neville said.
"Better that he did, very brave of him," Hermione said.
"The Irish Chasers were incredible, they didn't even have to look at each other," Rachel said.
"How was sitting with the Malfoys?" Ron asked.
Rachel turned, she hadn't noticed that Ron was standing there. "It was fine," she said, not knowing what else to tell him.
"Ron, leave her alone. It's not her fault she was invited by them," Ginny said, folding her arms.
"But you invited her, I know dad said you could invite your friends, she could have come with us. She chose to go with the Malfoys," Ron said.
"I know you and Draco don't get along," Rachel started, wanting to stop the argument before it got ugly.
"Don't get along? More like he makes fun of me every time he sees me, makes fun of my family - that includes you, Ginny - and casts Tripping Jinxes at me in the halls," Ron said.
Rachel hadn't realized things had gotten that bad. She didn't see much of Ron outside of classes.
"And you know what he says about muggleborns, Hermione," Ron continued.
"And Rachel doesn't do any of those things. You can't judge Rachel by the things that Draco does," Hermione said. "Rachel hasn't done anything to you."
"I can judge her by who she chooses to spend time with," Ron said.
"She chooses to spend her time with us," Neville said. "If Rachel wanted to spend more time with Draco she would, but she doesn't. She spends it with me, and Hermione, and your sister."
"Kids, it's starting to clear up, let's get going back to the tents," Mr. Weasley called from where he was standing with Severus and some of the older Weasleys.
"Rachel, I want to introduce you to some of my better brothers," Ginny said. "Rachel, this is my oldest brother Bill, he's a curse breaker for Gringotts."
Bill wore his hair down to his shoulders and had a fang as an earring. "Rachel Snow, huh? My sister's told me you're a good friend of hers," he said, offering Rachel his hand.
Rachel shook it. "It's nice to meet you. I'm glad to be Ginny's friend."
"And this is Charlie, my second oldest brother. He works with dragons in Romania," Ginny said.
Charlie was built more like the twins, short and stocky, and he had a bright smile. "Good to meet you, Rachel. I've heard all about your study group," he said.
Rachel shook his hand as well. "Nice to meet you too. I think Hagrid's dragon got sent to your reserve."
"Ah, yes, Norberta is with us. We send Hagrid pictures quite regularly. She's about half grown now," Charlie said.
"Hagrid always shows us the pictures, I think he wants to come visit," Rachel said.
"I'm sure he'd love that," Charlie said with a grin.
"Let's get going, we can have a late dinner," Mr. Weasley called.
Rachel followed Ginny down into the staircase and was glad that it wasn't nearly as crowded leaving as it had been coming in.
"Rachel, did you get to see Millie and Luna?" Hermione asked from behind her.
"Yes, we saw them both before the game," Rachel said.
"And we're still on for Monday at one o'clock?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, no one's said anything different, so I think everything is set up," Rachel said.
"Good, my mom was able to take the day off, so she'll be bringing me. Ginny, your mom is bringing you and Luna, right?" Hermione asked.
Ginny paused on the steps to look back. "Yep. Are you sure you don't want to come, Neville?"
"I don't. I've already been fitted for my dress robes," Neville said from behind Hermione.
"Ginny, keep going," Percy called from behind them.
They continued on down the staircase and finally out into the fresh air. People all around them were celebrating, singing songs, sending off sparks from their wands, and there were fireworks and leprechauns flying through the air.
It only took twenty minutes for all of them to make it through the woods, Severus leaving Mr. Weasley to come walk by Rachel, and they came to a stop at two ordinary looking tents near the edge of the field.
"I've got sausages, beans, and bread rolls. Hermione, would you help me with the matches again?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Sure, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said.
"Sorry about Ron," Ginny said quietly, coming up to where Rachel was sitting with Neville and Severus, while Hermione and Charlie helped Mr. Weasley with the campfire.
"It's not your fault, you don't need to apologize," Rachel said.
"He just has a thing about Draco. He thinks you're friends with him," Ginny said, kneeling down.
Rachel frowned. She liked Draco as a friend, but she also knew that he could be mean and that he had some extreme views about blood purity. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to show him that not all Slytherins are like that, not even most of us," she said.
"We know you aren't," Neville said. "Ron will have to get over it eventually."
"I hope so," Rachel said. "Let us know if he becomes a problem for either of you and we'll figure it out."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "If Ron causes a problem for me, I will sort him out."
"Dinner should be ready soon," Hermione said as she joined them. "I think your dad is getting the hang of matches, Ginny."
"I'm not sure my mom will be too happy about that," Ginny said with a smile.
Rachel smiled as they started talking about the game again. She didn't know what to do about Ron, or about Draco, but she wanted to spend the time she had tonight with her friends.
Rachel sat on her bed, already in her nightgown, with her stuffed bunny in her lap, her two-way book open to where she'd been telling Theo about the game and how she wasn't sure now about wanting to play professional Quidditch, and her Omnioculars, which she'd been using to rewatch parts of the game. She slowed down the plays, particularly when she was watching the Irish Chasers. There was a certain elegance to the way that they flew.
She put down her Omnioculars to find that Theo had written her back.
'It's not something you have to decide right now, or even in the near future. And, not all Quidditch games are probably that violent. I've seen a few of the League games over the years and they weren't nearly as bad as you described in that regard. Occasionally someone gets hit by a Bludger, but I've never seen anyone take a Bludger to the face,' Theo had written.
Rachel rolled her quill between her fingers as she decided how she wanted to respond. 'That's good to know. I feel like I do have to decide though, at the very least before we take our OWLs. Professor Snape seems to like the idea that I would do a Potions Mastery, though he also said I shouldn't do it just to please him. I don't know what he wants.'
Theo started writing again almost immediately. 'It sounds like he wants you to decide what you want to do for yourself. I think he wouldn't mind you trying out for the League if you also planned on doing something else, like a Mastery.'
'Do you know what you're going to do?' Rachel asked.
'No idea. I can't see myself as an auror or a Healer. Or at the Ministry, really. Maybe a Transfiguration Mastery with the hope of going into research or spell creation,' Theo wrote back.
'That sounds like an interesting idea. Maybe Professor McGonagall could tell you more about it, if you asked her. I could ask Professor Snape to ask her if you didn't want to ask her yourself,' Rachel offered.
'Maybe. I want to think about it some more first,' Theo wrote.
'Luna and Millie, write back to us as soon as you see this, we want to know if you're okay,' appeared in Hermione's handwriting.
'Hermione, what happened?' Rachel wrote, checking her watch. It was past midnight - she'd assumed everyone would be in bed by now.
'I'm here with Ginny, Neville is in the other tent with the rest of the Weasleys. There was a Death Eater attack at the campsites. We're alright, though a few of the Weasleys received minor injuries when they went to go help the Ministry. It was sickening. They were parading around in hooded robes with masks while levitating a muggle family, practically torturing them. There was fire everywhere. We haven't seen Luna or Millie yet, but the campgrounds and the woods are huge,' Hermione wrote.
Rachel stared at her book in shock. Death Eaters had attacked people at the Quidditch World Cup.
'I need to check if my father is here. Hold on,' Theo wrote, the ink slightly splattered in his haste.
Rachel blinked. She needed to go tell Severus. This was an emergency, wasn't it?
She hesitated. She'd never woken him up in the night before. But wouldn't he want to know about this as soon as possible? Wouldn't he want to tell Professor Dumbledore?
'He just apparated back in, still wearing his Death Eater robes and his mask. I've never seen him in them before,' Theo wrote.
'Are you safe?' Rachel wrote.
'I'm fine. He didn't see me. I'm writing by the light from my wand now so that he'll think I've gone to sleep. I think we need to make the Patronus charm a priority to learn once we're back at Hogwarts, so we can hear from each other immediately in situations like this,' Theo wrote.
Rachel hoped there wouldn't be more situations like this. And even though she could send a message to Millie and Luna with her Patronus, they wouldn't be able to respond back. Even if they were able to cast a corporeal Patronus, they didn't have a tutors exemption to be able to use magic in the summer.
'Hopefully Millie and Luna are fine and they're with their families. We'll probably hear from them in the morning,' Hermione wrote.
Rachel stood up. She had to tell Severus. Even if he was mad at her for waking him. And if he was, then she'd know not to do it again. She took a steadying breath and tried to ignore the way her chest and throat felt tight.
She crept down the hallway in the dark and knocked on Severus' bedroom door.
It took about a minute for him to open the door. "What's wrong?" he asked, holding his lit wand.
"There was a Death Eater attack at the campgrounds for the Quidditch World Cup. Hermione told me, in our two-way books. Theo says his father was there," Rachel said, trying to hit the most important points first.
Severus nodded. "Are your friends alright? Did they say if the attack was contained?"
"Hermione, Neville, and Ginny are alright. She said some of the Weasleys had minor injuries, because they went to help the Ministry. They're back in their tents now, and Theo's father came home, so I think the attack has stopped. We haven't heard from Millie or Luna though," Rachel explained. "Are you going to tell Professor Dumbledore?"
"He is already aware," Severus said.
"Oh, he had people at the campsite who would have told him already?" Rachel asked.
"That and we were already aware that there was going to be a Death Eater revel tonight," he said.
"What?" Rachel asked. "Then why didn't anyone stop it?"
"How would you propose to do that? We couldn't cancel the Quidditch World Cup, or arrange transportation for the people who were staying in the campsites. We couldn't arrest the Death Eaters on suspicion that they were going to do something. The Ministry already had full security forces at the Cup so informing them wouldn't change how they would prepare or respond. The only thing telling the Ministry would have done is informed the Death Eaters that there was a spy in their midst," Severus explained.
"You already knew, because Lucius Malfoy told you what was going to happen," she realized out loud.
"Yes, and I took that information to Albus and then we decided what was the best course of action," he said.
"But my friends are there. I don't even know if Luna and Millie are okay," Rachel said.
"I know, but I couldn't tell you, and even if I had, you couldn't have told your friends. We cannot risk the Death Eaters realizing I am a spy," Severus said. "If you'd told your friends, then they would have had to tell their parents in order for it to have any effect. And then their parents would want to tell the people that they cared about. And sooner or later it makes it to the Ministry and into the newspaper. There have been many attacks we could not prevent because it would have shown our hand. This is one of the hard parts of being a spy, unfortunately."
"Do you have to keep being a spy?" she asked, feeling torn between what he was saying, and the knowledge that her friends had been out there tonight and in danger.
"For the time being. There will become a point when I'm forced to reveal my true allegiances," Severus said.
"When?" Rachel asked.
"Either when the Dark Lord returns, or when the Death Eaters ask me to deliver you," Severus said.
Rachel shuddered. She hoped neither of those things ever happened.
"Do not worry about it for now, we will deal with the Death Eaters when the time comes. As for your friends, it's very likely that they're fine. The point of this revel was to scare people, not to hurt or kill people," Severus said.
"I hope they're okay," she said.
"I hope so too. Most likely you'll hear from them tomorrow morning. If you don't, perhaps ask Ginny if her parents can check on them with a floo-call," Severus suggested.
Rachel nodded. "I'm going to go to bed."
"Alright. Please knock on my door again if you need something," Severus said.
"Okay," Rachel said. She went back to her room and checked her book again, but there were no new messages.
She didn't know what she was feeling. Worry for her friends was definitely the most predominant emotion, but there was something else there too. She kept going back to the idea that Severus and Professor Dumbledore had known about the attack and had chosen not to do anything about it.
What Severus had said made sense, but still. What about all the people who had probably been hurt? What if her friends were hurt? What about the muggle family that had been attacked?
Rachel couldn't think of a better solution, but she didn't like that the solution that Severus and Professor Dumbledore had come up with was do nothing.
She settled in for a long night. She didn't expect to get to sleep anytime soon.
"How was the Quidditch World Cup? I know you were excited to go," Torey asked once Rachel was seated on the couch.
"It was...a lot of things," Rachel said, pulling her feet up so she could sit cross legged. "Like, it was really exciting to go, and the game was amazing, but I'm not so sure I want to play Quidditch professionally now. It was really violent. They were trying to hurt each other on purpose. It's not like that at Hogwarts."
"I'm glad it's not. I'm not sure that the World Cup games are representative of Quidditch as a whole though. I've been to a number of British League games and some games in America, and while people have been hurt in some of them, I don't think it was the players' goal to hurt anyone," Torey said.
"That's what Theo said too. And," Rachel paused as she thought. "Are you sure no one can find out about the stuff we talk about?"
"Yes. I have privacy wards surrounding my office and we would notice if someone took them down. I'm also an occlumens, meaning that a legilimens can't simply read my thoughts and memories," Torey explained. "I am also bound by oaths of doctor-patient confidentiality, meaning that it's against the law for me to discuss what my patients tell me except for when I'm reporting that someone is a danger to someone else or a danger to themselves."
"Did you know that Severus used to be a Death Eater?" Rachel asked.
"Yes, I saw that in the newspaper a few years ago, in an article about your adoption, actually," Torey said.
Rachel nodded, she remembered that article too. "I wish Rita Skeeter would stop writing about me. My life isn't everyone's business."
"It's entirely understandable that you feel that way. I wouldn't want someone writing newspaper articles about me either," Torey said.
"Anyway," Rachel said, shaking her head. The newspaper wasn't really the point right now. "Severus is a spy for Professor Dumbledore. He used to really be a Death Eater, but then he began to spy for Professor Dumbledore, while the Dark Lord thought he was spying on Professor Dumbledore."
"Okay," Torey said.
"Did you see in the newspaper about the Death Eater attack at the campsite for the Quidditch World Cup?" Rachel asked.
"I did. Were you and Severus there?" Torey asked.
"No, we'd already gone home. But most of my friends were there. And Severus knew about the attack before it happened, and he told Professor Dumbledore, and they decided not to do anything about it because it would reveal that Severus was spying on the Death Eaters," Rachel explained. "I don't understand how you can know there's going to be an attack and not do something about it."
"Have you asked Severus why they didn't do anything, beyond the fact that it would have revealed him to be a spy?" Torey asked.
"He said that there wasn't anything they could do about it. The Ministry security would already be there, and they couldn't simply have people not be there because there were too many people to send away. And they couldn't arrest the Death Eaters," Rachel said.
"Is there something that you would have liked them to do?" Torey asked.
Rachel frowned. "I don't know what they could have done to stop it from happening, but I wanted my friends not to be there. I knew Hermione, Neville, and Ginny were alright that night, because Hermione wrote saying they were safe, but we didn't hear from Millie and Luna until the next morning. I was really scared that they were hurt."
"I can understand why that would be scary. It's hard when people we care about might be in danger, especially when we're not in a position to help them. Are you upset with Severus for not telling you?"
"Not upset, not really. I can understand why it's important for him to still be a spy, because then we'll know sooner if the Dark Lord comes back. But, I also really wanted him to have told me so my friends could have been safe," Rachel said. This had been stuck going around in her head since Thursday night and she still hadn't come to any conclusion.
"It's okay to feel both of those things. You can understand the reasons why someone did something, and even agree that it was necessary, and still wish that they'd done something else," Torey said.
"I know he didn't tell me because he knew I would have wanted to tell my friends. And my friends would have had to tell their parents, if they wanted to be safe. And then their parents might have told someone else," Rachel said.
"Which might have led to Severus being revealed as a spy," Torey said. "Is there something you want Severus to do differently in the future?"
"I don't know. I want to know stuff if it affects me. And he's been really good about that. He told me about Sirius Black escaping last year, and he told me about when Peter Pettigrew escaped. It just makes me wonder what else he knows that the Death Eaters are going to do that I don't know about. Theo's father was at the attack too, and maybe it would have been safer for Theo to know about that in advance," Rachel said.
"It might be worth asking Severus if there's anything else about the Death Eaters that you should know. That way the two of you can talk about what you would like to know about and what he's able to tell you. Did Theo's father take him along to the attack?" Torey asked.
"No, Theo was home by himself, he didn't realize his father was gone until Hermione told us about the attack. Theo said he saw his father in his Death Eater robes," Rachel said, shuddering at the thought.
"That sounds like it must have been scary for Theo," Torey said.
"I think so. Theo says he's okay at home and that his father doesn't hurt him, but I worry about him anyway. I worry that Theo's father is going to figure out that Theo is friends with me and Hermione and that he's going to hurt him," Rachel said.
"Does Severus know that you're worried about this?" Torey asked.
"Yes. He said that if Theo said his father was hurting him, he would do something about it," Rachel said.
"Good. I think for now you have to trust that Theo is telling you the truth and that he'll ask for help if he needs it. Maybe let Theo know privately that he can ask you for help if he needs it," Torey suggested.
Rachel nodded. "I talked to him in January about it, and he says he's okay. I just worry about him."
"It sounds like the situation might remind you of when you were living with your aunt and uncle," Torey said.
"He's all alone during the summer, he can't see any of us. Fortunately we can write to him in secret with the two-way books. But I remember being alone like that. Summers were always bad. Even though I didn't have friends at school, I was at least out of the house for seven hours a day during the weekdays. And sometimes I couldn't tell when Aunt Petunia was going to be upset. Sometimes things were just quiet and fine, and then suddenly she'd get really upset over something," Rachel said.
"And when she was upset, what would happen?" Torey asked gently.
"She'd be upset with me. Even if that wasn't what she was upset about originally, she'd say that I had done something wrong. Sometimes she would hit me, or sometimes she would just lock me in my cupboard," Rachel said, looking down at where her trousers now showed a line of ankle between her trousers and her sock. Severus had said that he would take her clothes shopping soon.
"It was wrong of her to do those things," Torey started.
"I know," Rachel said, cutting her off. She didn't want to talk about this anymore. "Which is why it's good that I live with Severus now, because he doesn't do those things. I just don't want them to happen to Theo. I don't want anyone to be treated like that."
"You're right, no one should be treated like that. Do you think Theo would tell you if his father was hurting him?" Torey asked.
"I don't know," Rachel said. "I never told anyone, but I didn't have anyone who was as close of a friend as I am with Theo and my other friends. I mean, I still haven't told my friends, not really. Some of them have kind of guessed because Severus adopted me."
"Do you think it's something that you will talk about with your friends?"
Rachel shook her head. "There isn't a point. I don't have to go back to my relatives, it's not a problem anymore."
"But it does still affect you. The way anyone is raised continues to affect them as they grow up. One of the reasons we have these sessions is so that you can have someone safe to talk about your experiences with, so that you can better understand them and how they affect you. Understanding why we respond certain ways or do certain things can help us learn to change how we respond, when we want to," Torey explained.
"Like with me not liking small spaces or places with a lot of people?" Rachel asked.
"That can be part of it, though I can also tell you there are plenty of people without traumatic experiences like yours that have the same trouble with small or crowded places. But that's something we can work on if you want to," Torey said. "Another example might be your worry over Theo. Having some worry over him is to be expected, especially considering his father limits his friendships and is a Death Eater, but I think your worry about him is being influenced by your experiences."
Rachel thought about that. It was true that when she thought of Theo's father she did sort of have a mental picture of Uncle Vernon. "So you're saying I should trust Theo when he tells me that his father doesn't hurt him?" she asked.
"I think unless you see something that suggests otherwise, that's the best thing you can do for right now," Torey said.
"It's really hard to stop worrying. Severus does this too, he tells me not to worry about things, but it just doesn't work like that. I can't stop myself from worrying," Rachel said, digging her fingernails into her palms in frustration.
"And that's something you and I can work on together as well. You're right that someone telling you not to worry doesn't make the worrying stop. But we can work on techniques to help you worry less and you can choose where to apply them. Does that sound like something you want to work on?" Torey asked.
Rachel nodded. Being able to stop worrying would help a lot. Sometimes her mind simply felt too crowded with all the things that she was trying to think about at once. "Yes. I think that would help."