Chapter 34.
Magnolia could have stayed in bed all day on Boxing Day, but Daphne and Tracey had other plans. They pulled her up and into the Common Room, where the boys and Pansy were already playing an intense match of Wizards Chess. Theo grinned when he saw the three girls walking over to them.
"Thought you'd never rise today Maggie!" He chuckled.
"Yeah, you seemed to stay out longer than anyone else last night."
Blaise was right, Magnolia had stayed out for as long as she could after the Yule Ball. She hadn't left the Great Hall until everyone else had, leaving just her and George to wander back to her House. She hadn't wanted to sleep.
She hadn't wanted to dream.
After seeing Tom so clearer at the beginning of the night, Magnolia was sure that she would be in for a rough night with nightmares. She was right; the nightmares that were usually just flashing lights and disembodied screams were more focused than ever.
Magnolia had watched as curses were thrown through the air, from Tom Riddle to Magnolia's own brother. Both were fighting, not for there own lives, but for hers. Magnolia wasn't sure who she wanted to win, who she wanted to go to.
She had wanted to hide away for the day, but spending time with her friends would help to push the nightmare from her mind.
Boxing Day was a relaxed day, the boys went to the kitchens and brought back armfuls of snacks for them and everyone played games and chatted easily. Magnolia wondered if her group of friends would ever be able to have days like this when everyone was speaking to each other happily.
Pansy was still ignoring her unless she was glaring at her. Now though, Magnolia wasn't trying to appease her. If Pansy wanted to act like this, then she could but Magnolia wasn't playing the game anymore.
A few days later, Magnolia, Tracey and Theo were walking around the snow-covered grounds. The others were inside the Castle finishing homework they had put off, but the three students that were walking outside had finished it all already.
Like everyone in their House, they had big ambitions for their future, so they made sure to keep up with their schoolwork. Magnolia herself had planned on becoming Healer. She had had a lot of practice when she was younger patching herself and Harry up.
"You haven't really told us much about the rest of your night at the Yule Ball." Theo nudged Magnolia with his shoulder as they walked.
"I mean, from what we saw you seemed to be having a good time." Tracey smirked.
"We all thought it was a miracle when you and Draco stopped attacking each other."
"Yeah, we never expected to see you two dancing together." Tracey added, chuckling, "Especially like that."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say we had found out why Pansy's been being such a cow to you." Theo suggested.
"What are you two talking about?" Magnolia snapped, interrupting their back and forth.
Theo and Tracey shared a look, before they glanced back at Magnolia who was frowning at the snickering pair. Theo threw his arm around Magnolia's shoulders, pulling her into his side as they approached the Whomping Willow.
"Draco. You. Your more than obvious feelings for each other." Theo replied.
Magnolia glanced down, before Tracey wrapped her arm around Magnolia's.
"I knew there was something between you two. No one can bicker that much from the very first meeting without having some sort of attraction." Tracey enthused, "And honestly, he's so protective of you."
"Oh Merlin! Can you remember when Adrian Pucey asked you girls for tips on how to ask Magnolia out?" Theo snorted, "I thought Draco was going to go all Muggle on us and punch the guy!"
Tracey joined his laughter, and Magnolia hit the two of them with her spare hand.
"You're not much better!" Tracey giggled at Magnolia, "I've seen the way you look at him when you think no one else is looking."
"It doesn't matter." Magnolia mumbled, "I'm not sure it's a good idea to go there."
Magnolia felt like a weight had been lifted as the three students continued their walk, until they went back to their House. Magnolia finally told someone her thoughts about Malfoy, her worries. The pair promised not to speak to anyone else about what Magnolia had told them and when they walked into the Slytherin Dungeon, they joined their friends back on the comfortable sofa's.
When school started again, Magnolia ran to her first Care of Magical Creatures class, later than the rest of her friends. She had dropped by the Hospital Wing between classes for a new balm that Madame Pomfrey had made for her scratches.
She ran into the Paddock, where the rest of the class were already stood but was shocked to see that Hagrid wasn't there. In his place, was Professor Grubbly-Plank. Harry turned to see his sister approaching, anger rolling off of him.
"Did you know about this!?" Harry stormed towards her, branding an article in his hand, "Did you!? Did you know!?"
Magnolia froze, in that moment Harry reminded her of their Uncle. She stiffened as he stomped towards her, the memory of the last time she had been struck by Vernon flashing in her mind. She took a tiny, almost unconscious, step backwards as Harry thundered towards to her.
Before Harry could reach her, a shadow fell across Magnolia. Malfoy had stepped halfway in front of her, facing her brother.
"It's an article about Hagrid!" Harry spat at her, "An article saying that Hagrid is Half-Giant! With quotes from your friends!"
Magnolia pushed past Malfoy, and grabbed the article from Harry, quickly reading through it. He breath caught when she read what Malfoy had said about Hagrid. She span round to face the boy, feeling more fury towards him then she ever had.
Before, when he had done things like this, she had been angry. But now, now that she had started to allow herself to see the good in him, she was more disappointed when he did these stunts.
"'We all hate Hagrid'?" Magnolia's voice was cold but calm, "'We're too scared to say anything'?"
Magnolia stepped closer to Malfoy, the last time she had felt this angry was at the beginning of Third Year when she and Harry had left the Dursley's. But she wasn't shouting like Harry was, she wasn't storming around. She was calm and quiet with her rage.
"What happened with Buckbeak was your fault. And Flobberworms don't even have teeth! Why would you do this? Hagrid is a great teacher, a great man. Why would you do this?"
She shoved the article page into Malfoy's chest hard, pushing him back with the force. His eyes widened, Magnolia felt a small stab of satisfaction; at least he had the decency to look shocked and a little bit guilty.
"Hagrid is my friend!"
With that, Magnolia stormed away from the class. She could hear Harry, Ron and Hermione following her as she rushed to Hagrid's Hut. She was going to speak to him, beg him to go back to class and tell him that no one agreed with the article.
Unfortunately, Hagrid ignored them banging on his door. Magnolia could hear Fang on the other side, but Hagrid wouldn't open up. Over the next few weeks, Hagrid wasn't seen at all. Magnolia's friendship group had severed again because of it.
Tracey and Theo, who hadn't been so angry about the article, understood why Magnolia was so angry with Malfoy. The boy in question, however, did not. Which had led to an argument the night Magnolia had been shown the article.
He had questioned her, offended at her fury towards him after they had been becoming closer. She had snapped back at his obliviousness, and their argument had been joined by Pansy. Theo had stood up for Magnolia then, unable to watch her being outnumbered.
That had seemed to be the catalyst for Malfoy. Theo and Tracey standing next to Magnolia, with Blaise and Daphne between them all, had sent Malfoy into a rage. Since then, everyone had been angry at each other.
When the Hogsmeade weekend came around, Magnolia went with Hermione and Ginny. They were going to meet Harry and Ron in the Three Broomsticks. The three girls had seen Krum in the Lake on their way down to the Village, which had started their conversation about the Yule Ball dates.
Hermione was still giddy about her date, even though it had been soured at the end by Ron being an idiot. They had been spending time in the Hogwarts Library together, just chatting Hermione had said, but Magnolia suspected more.
The two Gryffindor's had then turned on Magnolia, she hadn't seen George very much since the Yule Ball, and they were interested to see what Magnolia was feeling. Ginny, ever the perceptive one, slyly brought up Malfoy.
She had seen the look they had shared before the Yule Ball, the dance they had shared during it. Magnolia tried to deflect as much as possible. Of course, she liked George, he was sweet. But she also like Malfoy, and although she was furious with him right now, it was different with him.
Hermione and Ginny didn't like it, but they had seen it coming for a while they told her. They both laughed when Ginny told Magnolia she was still hoping that she'd chose George in the end, she would love for Magnolia to join her family. By the time they had made it to the Three Broomsticks though, they had also told Magnolia that they just wanted her to be happy, no matter who she chose.
As they were trying to find a seat in the crowded pub, Magnolia wasn't so sure that it was choice at all. Since she had started to accept her feelings for the boys, she had learnt that it wasn't a choice at all. She couldn't change what she felt, or for who.
Hermione spotted Harry and Ron across the room, and the three girls hurried over to them, slipping off their winter wear. Magnolia spotted Ludo Bagman sat a few booths away from them, drinking with Goblins until she was distracted by Harry telling them that he had been trying to give Harry hints about the next Task.
Hermione was questioning why Ludo Bagman would be meeting with Goblins, when Magnolia saw the Weasley twins walk into the pub. George smiled and waved at her on his way to the bar, and when Magnolia joined back in her brother's conversation, she noticed that Bagman had completely disappeared.
"Uh oh."
Magnolia glanced to the door, where Ron was staring with a grimace. Rita Skeeter was standing in the doorway, a man holding a camera next to her. Magnolia groaned, just what they needed, a crazy journalist with a photographer.
"…didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights… what nonsense… he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Sports, Ludo Bagman… snappy start to a sentence, Bozo- we just need to find a story to fit it-"
"Trying to ruin someone else life?" Harry called, loudly.
Magnolia groaned, why would Harry want to get her attention? Skeeter's eyes widened as she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, until her glance fell on Magnolia.
"Harry! How lovely, why don't you come and join-"
"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick!"
Magnolia stopped listening to her brother when George and Fred appeared beside them. Half the pub had gone quiet as Harry raised her voice at the awful journalist. His anger at her over Hagrid's article was spilling out of him.
"How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know, Harry?" Rita smirked, "Or, how about my mystery lady? Will you finally tell me who you are? A groupie for the Boy Who Lived?"
George scoffed and mumbled to Magnolia, "A groupie? Why does no one ever remember you, Nola? You're Harry's sister, for Merlin's sake!"
Rita span to face George, obviously hearing his words to Magnolia. Magnolia tensed. She hadn't wanted Rita knowing who she was, she had had a bad feeling about the woman from their very first meeting.
Skeeter was sneering at Magnolia now, her face full of glee at finally learning Magnolia's identity. Harry Potter's sister. Now that was an exclusive story. A flash of light stunned Magnolia, leaving spots in her vision when the photographer snapped her photo.
"You horrible woman!" Hermione's shrill voice rang from beside Harry, "you don't care, do you, anything for a story… anyone will do, won't they? Even Maggie or Ludo Bagman!"
"Sit down, you silly little girl. Don't talk about things you don't understand." Skeeter didn't like being spoken back to, her eyes hardened as she glared at Hermione, "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl… and don't doubt I can find something on you girl…"
Skeeter looked back at Magnolia; George gripped her hand as she clenched into a fist around her wand. She hadn't even realised she had pulled it out of her bag. George scowled at Skeeter, before pulling Magnolia out of the Three Broomsticks.
Harry, Hermione and Ron followed them closely into the snow-covered village. Hermione was ranting about Skeeter, and Ron was trying to calm her down. Magnolia smiled softly as she saw him, obviously worried for her friend.
She was worried too, Hermione had to be careful about annoying Skeeter before she became the next victim of her scathing articles. The foul woman was obviously not above lying to create a better story.
The following day however, Magnolia wandered into the Great Hall for breakfast only to be shoved back by Hermione herself, who was brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hands. Running after her, Magnolia saw her twin looking furious.
Hermione shoved her back out of the Great Hall doors, but not before Magnolia could see everyone's head turn to stare at her with her disbelief. Magnolia grabbed Hermione's hand when her friend tried to move her back again.
"Hermione! What the hell!?"
Harry was beside them now, pulling his sister back as well. Magnolia could hear the buzz of chatter in the Great Hall through the doors that had shut behind her brother. He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her through the Castle corridors.
As he started climbing the staircase, Magnolia pulled him to a stop, refusing to move anymore. She looked between Harry and Hermione bewildered.
"What in the name of Merlin is going on!?" Magnolia cried, "I want breakfast!"
"Mags…" Harry started, running his hand through his hair awkwardly.
Magnolia glanced at Hermione, her hand on her hip. Hermione looked bashful too as she stood beside Harry, glancing between him and Magnolia.
"If you don't tell me what's going on-"
"I'm sorry." Hermione interrupted, handing Magnolia the paper, "I'm really sorry."
Magnolia looked down at the paper in her hands. On the front page, a large photo of herself was plastered. Magnolia groaned aloud as she read the headline above her picture, 'Magnolia Potter: The Girl Who Was Forgotten'.