"Fairy Lights," Selena choked out.
The Fat Lady paused, glancing down at Selena. "Is everything well?"
Selena bobbed her head. She honestly couldn't point out anything particular that was wrong. Her exhaustion must have just caught up with her.
The Fat Lady scanned her with concern and suspicion for a moment, just long enough for Selena to stare at the ground and try to collect herself. Then the portrait swung open, and Selena gratefully climbed into the Gryffindor Common Room.
Wiping her eyes, Selena walked into the Common Room, trying to find out why she was crying anyway.
A small meow from the couch made her smile. Crescent sat patiently, his tail flicking the side of the plush red sofa.
"Selena?" A familiar voice nearby made Selena turn.
Anne was curled in a chair, sitting next to the turret window. A piece of parchment was on the table before her, a quill in the girl's right hand. Clearly, she hadn't brushed her hair that morning, because the curls were unruly and full of fly-away strands.
Selena smiled some, realizing her tears were gone. Apparently Annabeth could still tell something was wrong. Her eyebrows knit together in a red line.
"Why are you sad?" she asked.
Selena laughed a bit. She adjusted her black school robe nervously. "Shouldn't you be happy about that?"
Anne sighed. "I would be... last year. But, my papa likes you, so I do too. Plus, you're my cousin."
Selena nodded, sitting in the chair across from Anne. The wooden seat creaked, sounding too loud in the quiet Common Room. There wasn't even a ghost floating around. Feeling Anne's eyes on her, Selena curled up her legs to her chest and stared out the window. The grounds were thawing, Spring was arriving at Hogwarts in a bouquet of green grass, blossoming bluebells, and clearer skies. She took a deep breath, her head feeling fuzzy. Was that from the crying? "What're you doing?"
Anne smiled out of the corner of Selena's eye, and moved the parchment towards the younger Gryffindor. "I mentioned my papa?"
Selena nodded, turning back to face Anne. "You're writing a letter."
Anne nodded as well. "Read."
Selena looked down at the parchment, ink words a little messy and scrunched together. She fiddled with the knees of her jeans for a moment, picking at the fabric. The memory of Anne's letter over the summer flashed in her mind. The fuzzy feeling suddenly worsened, as if her brain was stuffed with cotton. Swallowing, Selena picked up the paper:
Dear Papa,
So, Hogwarts is fine. Me and Fred are together. I got an Outstanding on my last Defense Against the Dark Arts exam! I'm not doing too well in History of Magic, but that's okay, I'll work on it. But... something happened in the Second Task with Harry and now I'm not sure what to think of anything...
Listen... I had a dream last night. About mum. I need
The letter stopped, indicating this is when Selena had interrupted. She looked at Anne, her cousin's big blue eyes staring back. "You dreamt of your mother?"
"Yep," said Anne calmly. "She looked like a taller, older, more beautiful me with straight red hair. Just like I remember."
Selena nodded, then bit her lip. She imagined her mother in the kitchen, baking like she loved to, waving her wand in a series of spells to make the bowl of batter stir, ingredients pouring into the mix. Her mother turned and winked, singing songs by Celestina Warbeck. Selena couldn't imagine growing up without her mother. She couldn't imagine Anne growing up now without her mother. "Are you alright?"
Anne shrugged. She placed her elbows on the table, propping her chin up in her palms. "Yeah... it's complicated. I mean, I lived with my mum until I was ten... Well, you know all that. When I got to Hogwarts, I bothered Dumbledore a lot with asking questions about my parents during my first year. He knew who my father was... My mother had been a good student, one of Professor Dumbledore's favorites. She used to talk about him a lot... But, anyway, I asked him about mum a lot. He wouldn't talk to me about my father, but he would talk about my mother now-and-then. He said she was 'as lovely as the autumn breeze and as unpredictable as trying to guess which leaf will fall off a tree first.'" Anne smiled to herself, keeping her eyes on the table. "Her name was Athena."
"Like the Greek goddess?" Selena asked, turning her head.
"No, like the soup," Anne drawled sarcastically, giving Selena a side-glance.
The First Year bit her tongue, squirming just a little before Anne's expression softened.
"Sorry." Anne smiled a bit again. "I'm not sure. I guess. Apparently she was smart, though. Just like the myths... It's just odd, you know. Because I have memories of my mother. But, it's been four years since I've seen her... and it seems like so many more. A lifetime. I feel like I should miss her more... I miss her a lot, but ever since I've gotten my father back... Mum isn't here anymore, Papa had only ever been there in stories, and now he's back... For a while, Harry was the closest person to family I had."
Selena thought for bit. She wasn't quite sure how one was supposed to respond to that. She couldn't understand what Anne had been through. Selena set the letter down on the table between them. "Is it lonely here in Winter?" For a moment she worried that the question was too blunt, but Anne didn't seem fazed at all.
The fourteen-year-old shrugged. "Not much."
Selena bit her lip again. Despite Anne's answer, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She got to go home to her family and Christmas celebrations in England. Anne stayed here with a handful of other students. "You know... you could always come to my house for Christmas holiday. Meet my sisters and older brother. Ivy is going to come here next year, she turned eleven in January. I'm sure they'd love to meet you! We all love Christmas; my mom bakes lots of gingerbread cookies. And my sisters love tinsel. I mean... I don't have to tell them you're our cousin. You could just be my visiting friend."
Anne didn't speak at first and looked out the window as rain started to sprinkle. Selena couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. The redhead's reflection shone off the glass pane, her eyes distant, as if she was remembering something. Selena frowned. Remember. Had she forgotten something? The fuzzy feeling returned.
"Thanks - but no thanks..." Anne finally whispered. "I... I think I'd rather stay here. Hogwarts is where I've spent every Christmas the past few years. The Weasley's have invited me to their house, I'm thinking of staying there over the summer holiday instead this time. I've loved it here at Hogwarts since I first saw it from the boats, across the Black Lake. And I knew I wouldn't want to leave when I stepped foot in the hall, before I was even sorted into a House. I just... I'm just beginning to imagine going somewhere else, but especially not for the holidays. Thanks, though."
Selena nodded. "It's fine. I understand."
Anne then turned and smiled. "So, are you excited for the Last Task?"
Selena nodded and narrowed her eyes, looking at the quill Anne had set on the table. Why wouldn't that fuzzy headache go away? Maybe she should go see Madam Pomfrey.
"Are you alright?" Anne asked, giving Selena a concerned look.
Selena smiled and nodded, hoping she looked cheerful. What had she even been so upset over? Damon? She shoved the thoughts aside. "Yeah."
She was startled as the bell tolled, meaning Lunch was over.
Anne jumped from her chair. She rolled up the letter. "I have to hurry. I meant to go talk to Professor Sprout today." She stuffed her letter and quill into her bag, waved, and swiftly walked towards the Portrait Hole. "Oh." She stopped, turning a little bit. She gave a tiny smile. "Thanks for listening to me ramble. Good talk. You'd better get dressed, by the way, you look like a twit."
Selena blinked for moment, a bit stunned. But then Anne winked and disappeared from the Common Room. Selena smiled, swinging her legs down from the chair.
April 5th, 1995. Monday
"Now, the button shouldn't have legs - yes, Derek, I'm looking at you."
The classroom door creaked, Selena cringing as the class of Second Years all turned around in their seats to look at her. Why was it that a student late to class got gawked at? It wasn't like she was a unicorn.
Professor McGonagall looked towards the door to Classroom 1B, her lips thinning into a razor-sharp line in distaste. The Scottish teacher looked especially imposing, standing at the front of her class, emerald robes and acute feathered hat seeming akin to the terror of the Grim Reaper. Behind her desk, candlesticks flickered, only completing the look. Selena swallowed.
"Sorry, Professor," she said, shutting the door behind her. She held tightly to her book-bag strap. She was only ten minutes late, but by the death-glare Professor McGonagall gave her, it was if she'd robbed Gringotts.
Selena had overslept that morning. It had taken her a few minutes to change in her dorm, but she couldn't find her tie. It had taken her a while to realize that Sierra had stolen her ties and made a little scarlet-and-orange nest under Alisson's bed. And then she'd forgotten her Transfiguration textbook, and had to run back to the dorm to get it (much to the annoyance of the Fat Lady, who gave her a lecture.) Then, as she'd been hurrying through the Middle Courtyard, she'd tripped - it was slick from the light rain they'd had all weekend - and got grass stains on her knee-socks.
Not that she was going to say all in front of the class.
Professor McGonagall stared at Selena for a couple more agonizing seconds, letting the terror sink in, before she nodded curtly. The teacher motioned to the four rows of desks. "Take a seat, please, Miss Malast."
Selena breathed quietly in relief, hurrying to her seat next to Hazel. The Hufflepuff arched an eyebrow at Selena, looking slightly amused. Selena shrugged back, setting her bag on the ground as she retrieved her wand.
Professor McGonagall continued with the lesson, which was apparently turning beetles into buttons. The large classroom was soon full of the twelve-year-olds all attempting to transfigure the black beetles, which scuttled across the desks.
Selena huffed as her beetle tried to leap to freedom off the desk for the fourth time. "I liked the Vera Verto assignment better."
Hazel waved her wand again, brown hair falling into her eyes. She didn't respond, eyes focused intently on her beetle.
"Mr. Iredine, the beetle is not going to harm you, please remember that oxygen is necessary to living," Professor McGonagall called from the front of the classroom.
Selena glanced over a couple desks to where Rolf was holding his breath, cheeks puffed out, straying further and further away from the beetle on his desk. Bronwen shrieked as her beetle managed to get in her hair somehow. She yelled, swiping at her head. Rolf watched, looking as if he might be sick.
"Miss Lovell, calm down-" Professor McGonagall began.
Bronwen screamed again, shaking her dark hair out over her and Rolf's desk. "Get it out! It's crawling on my scalp!"
Maryana laughed, elbowing the Slytherin girl beside her. She said something that made the other girl snicker, both of them ignoring the beetles on their desk.
"I've got it, Bronnie!" Renee yelled from the desk behind Maryana and her friend. Elizabeth stood beside Renee, wand poised over her beetle, eyes wide behind her glasses.
"Maybe you shouldn't-" Elizabeth started.
Renee waved her wand, beginning to say the spell. However, half-way through the spell, her wand slipped a bit, pointing at Maryana.
The class jumped as a bang echoed. Selena's jaw dropped as Maryana screamed. A small explosion had occurred on her head, the girl's face now obscured by smoke. Renee looked just as shocked. Even Brownen had stopped wailing for a moment to stare.
When the smoke cleared, the class gasped.
"Oh, no," Professor McGonagall said, green eyes focusing on the Slytherin.
Because Maryana's hair - which had been up in a pouf - was now singed and burned in patches. Pieces of wavy, reddish-light brown hair were left smoking, burned several inches. Maryana touched a piece of her hair, crying out in sadness.
Renee's eyes were saucers as she stared at Maryana.
The Slytherin stood in shock for a few seconds, the bright classroom quiet. And then, she slowly melted into fury. "You... you... you idiot!" She lunged at Renee, who screamed.
Selena didn't realize she'd taken a step until she was already half-way to Maryana's desk.
"Miss Malast, please go back to your desk!" Professor McGonagall called. Her voice seemed to be getting closer, the teacher rushing from her desk.
"Leave her alone!" Selena yelled as Renee screamed, batting Maryana's hands away. Selena moved to pull Maryana away from her friend as gently as she could. Her fingertips brushed the elbow of Maryana's robe sleeve before the Slytherin girl whipped around, stumbling into Selena. In one swift motion, Maryana picked up the beetle from her desk and threw it in Selena's face.
Now Selena screamed, the beetle bouncing off her nose and down her gray vest. The insect ran around, squirming in terror. Selena felt her own skin crawling as the beetle's legs scuttled against her shirt. She moved her vest, the beetle falling out onto the stone floor. It ran for cover beneath one of the desks.
"Don't throw beetles at my friend!" Renee yelled at Maryana.
"Hey, hey, stop-"
Rolf moved, getting between Maryana and Renee.
"Can you all calm down?" he demanded, eyes blazing beneath his lime-green fringe. He looked at each of the girls, Professor McGonagall stopping beside them all.
"Ladies, I am astounded with your behavior," she said, Scottish accent even more pronounced than before. "This is unacceptable. If you all are incompetent of getting along and working on a spell, more so, even, than my First Yea-"
Rolf screamed, everyone jumping again. He moved to the left, shoving past Maryana and the girl's friend. "Beetle!"
The beetle that Maryana had thrown had crawled out from beneath the desk. Selena watched as the black insect crawled past them, Rolf looking horrified.
Professor McGonagall sighed. Wordlessly, she waved her hand. The beetle transformed into a little black button before their eyes.
Turning to look at the four students, Professor McGonagall clasped her hands. "Detention, all of you."
"What?" Rolf cried.
Selena and Renee shared a dreadful look.
"Together," Professor McGonagall continued.
"What?" Selena and Renee yelled, looking at Maryana.
"With Professor Hagrid," Professor McGonagall finished.
"What?" Maryana screamed, a piece of her hair smoking.
"You will all serve detention together once a week each Friday with Professor Hagrid until you learn to behave. Be happy." The teacher gave them all an imperious smile. "I could've had my Sixth Years practice their Human Transfiguration on you. I think you'll much prefer detention to being turned into goldfish."
With that, she swept back to the front of the classroom, leaving the four kids stunned.
June 18th, 1996. Friday.
The rest of April passed, school continuing as normal. No more fights with button beetles broke out, though Maryana seemed to glare at Renee with a particularly venomous look now. Madam Pomfrey had given Maryana a potion to regrow her hair, but the Transfiguration mishap story had already spread around school. May came and went. The Hogwarts grounds warmed, one day getting up to 12 degrees. The students continued their lessons, Selena just nearly managing to pass her Potions exams (and getting tutoring from Elizabeth.) June arrived, and with it came more excitement about the upcoming Third Task. The conclusion to the Triwizard Tournament would be June 24th, taking placing at dusk. Bets were placed, students gushed about which school would win, and the Champions prepared.
The whole while, a memory niggled at Selena's mind, something she couldn't quite remember. It was like trying to recall a dream. And then, other times, nothing seemed different.
Well, except detention.
"You know, Professor Hagrid, I don't understand why you keep these things," Renee said as she unlocked a crate, letting a Blast-Ended Skrewt out.
The Skrewts were now about ten feet long, looked like giant, armored, pale scorpions, and were always trying to hurt someone.
For the past ten Friday's, the group of kids had been with Hagrid, trying to control what Selena was sure must be the most terrifying creature. The Blast-Ended Skrewts (which Professor Hagrid had proudly told them were a cross between a manticore and a fire crab) had been part of the curriculum for Professor Hagrid's Third Year Care of Magical Creatures class. This fact had made up Selena's mind that she wasn't going to take that elective next year.
However, Professor Hagrid had also given the unfortunate task of caring for the creatures to Selena, Renee, Rolf, and Maryana.
Since September when the breeding of the Skrewts began, there were only three left in the middle of June. Apparently, many of them had just ended up killing each other.
Maryana had been hoping the final three would kill each other all month. She never failed to tell the other trio as they showed up at detention.
They didn't kill each other, though, and apparently Professor McGonagall didn't think they'd learned their lesson yet. Selena sighed, making sure her hair was pulled up into a bun. Renee had nearly lost her fringe in May when one of the Skrewts shot itself at her.
Rolf yelped and dodged to the side as one of the Skrewts snapped its stinger close to him.
Professor Hagrid shrugged, glancing over at Rolf to make sure he was alright. "Oh, I have to."
It took Selena a moment to remember Renee's question. A warm breeze blew around Hagrid's hut, on the edge of the gloomy Forbidden Forest, carrying the scent of pumpkin and soil. And Skrewt.
Selena squinted. "What're you talking about?"
Maryana sighed in exasperation, standing by a crate with a Skrewt in it. "You are ignorant, Malast, aren't you?" She sighed again. "Each teacher here has to dedicate something to the Third Task!"
Professor Hagrid nodded and rubbed his hands together happily, his face glowing - what Selena could see of his face besides the professor's dark beard. "Yep. These little feller's are just about finished growing, I'd say. Then, they go in the ma-" He laughed a bit as the students perked up, hoping to hear more details about the Third Task. "Oh, I almost let it slip!"
"I hear Professor McGonagall has to bring a creature to life!" Renee said happily. She swung her feet over the empty crate, golden spade earrings glinting in the setting sun.
"I heard it was a gargoyle," Rolf confirmed, watching the closest Skrewt carefully.
Professor Hagrid shook his head. He readjusted his moleskin coat. "Think... er, Egyptain."
"Egyptian?" Rolf and Renee murmured, speaking in low tones about what the creature could be. Selena caught Maryana watch them for a moment, an expression she couldn't place on the girl's face, before Maryana turned away.
"'Course, Professor Moody is in charge of the Triwizard Cup! I'd like that job myself, but these Blast-Ended Skrewts are more for me," Hagrid said, dimples appearing in his reddish cheeks.
Professor Moody. Triwizard Cup.
Selena froze. The fuzzy-headed feeling came back, the dream came back.
Professor Moody, flipping through a book. Mumbling to himself. The clank of his metal leg as he descended the steps Selena hid under.
Like a whirlwind, the memories of the night a few months ago flooded back to Selena.
And she remembered everything.
It wasn't a dream at all.
The Dark Lord will be so pleased with me when Potter is dead.
DUN-DUN-DUNH!
Everyone like it? Huh? Huh?
Thankyou to CHARMEDMILLIE for reviewing!
COME ON PEOPLE! REview!
If I get more than five reviews tonight, I'll post the next chapter at twelve o'clock. Sound good?
Well, thanks forreading! Bye!
~Meghan
P.S: PICS OF PROPS ARE ON MY PROFILE!
9/1/17: It's the Day of the Harry Potter Epilogue! Ahhh! Okay, that's it, just felt like I had to mention that now.