Chapter Four: Falling into the Unknown
I: Much ado about something
The Hufflepuff common room was always a hub of activity. It was one of those places where there was always something going on: homework clubs, games of chess, updates on the Quidditch team… regardless of the time or the day, any Hufflepuff could simply walk in and instantly become involved in doing something or the other. It was one of the things Teddy loved about the house: it was impossible, as a Hufflepuff, to ever truly feel alone.
That night, however, it was oddly quiet. Most house members were gathered in the room, lounging on the sofas, or huddled by the fire, but barely anyone was talking and Teddy could sense the tension in the air acutely. Something was wrong - they all knew something was wrong, and yet, no one wanted to talk about it, at least not any more.
So, instead, they waited.
Professor McGonagall had left the feast with Knobbles and Professor Flitwick, yet only she had returned half an hour later, her brow creased. At the conclusion of the evening, the Prefects were instructed to take the first-years directly back to their common rooms, the students were told to go directly to their dormitories, and the Head Boy and Head Girl were told to meet in the Headmistress' Office. As everyone filed out of the hall, there was a distinct sense of mystery: something was up, and no one knew what it was.
And no one liked not knowing what it was.
Teddy and Matilda had given the first-years the standard briefing on Hufflepuff to the best of their ability before sending them up to the dorms, hoping that they wouldn't catch on to the fact that something was wrong. This was, on reflection, a bit optimistic: some of the eleven-year-olds were rather perceptive, although most were simply very tired and just wanted to go to bed after what had been a long and rather exciting day.
It had been over an hour now since everyone had returned to the common room, and the chatter about what Knobbles could have possibly wanted had long since died down. Every now and then, someone posed a theory, only to have it quickly shot down.
"Maybe something's escaped from the Forbidden Forest?" Morna Clemmons suggested.
"Don't be thick, Morna," Daisy snapped. "McGonagall would've called Hagrid, wouldn't she? He's the Care of Magical Creatures teacher."
"Oh."
"I wish that Bella Watson would hurry up," the ginger grumbled, checking her watch for what must have been the millionth time. "The sooner she gets back, the sooner we all find out what's going on, and the sooner we can all go to bed."
"No one's stopping her from going to bed," Alfie mumbled to Teddy who nodded in assent. "Plus, we don't even know if Bella's going to tell us anything."
"I hope she does," Teddy said, stifling a yawn. He was the kind of person who didn't like not knowing things, and the anticipation was absolutely killing him. It would be quite a let down to have waited for an hour, only to find out that Bella Watson had been sworn to secrecy.
He didn't, however, have to wait much longer, for barely a few minutes had passed when a pitter-patter of footsteps from the entrance tunnel became audible and Bella Watson appeared in the common room. The first thing Teddy noticed was how exhausted she looked: her skin was flushed, and she seemed as if she was struggling to keep her eyes open.
If anyone else noticed the same, however, their curiosity triumphed over empathy. Immediately, a gaggle of students ran up to the Head Girl, desperately begging for information.
"Bella, you've got to tell us what's going on!"
"Bella, why did Professor McGonagall want to see you and Cattermole?"
"What did Knobbles want?"
"Bella!"
"Guys!" Bella shouted. Everyone sobered immediately. "Please. I'm sorry to shout, but give me a chance."
"Would you like some water?" a meek looking third year girl held out a glass of water to the tired blonde, who accepted it gratefully.
"You're a darling, Alyssa."
The girl blushed.
"Isn't she so nice?" Alfie sighed.
"Alyssa?" Teddy asked, teasingly.
"No! Well, yes, I'm sure, I've never properly spoken to her, except for that time I accidentally spilled orange juice on her Herbology homework. Bella."
"Yes, Alfie, she's very lovely," Teddy said, a little wearily.
"Isn't she?"
"So, what happened, Bella?" Matilda Goshawk asked quietly. "Assuming you can tell us, of course."
"I…" Bella seemed to be acutely aware of all of the hopeful faces staring up at her. "I'm really sorry, you guys, but McGonagall made me swear not to -"
She was interrupted by a large number of people explaining "Oh come on!" and "You aren't going to listen to McGonagall, are you?"
"Guys, please. I can't tell you anything, McGonagall doesn't want you to know just yet and quite frankly, she's right."
"Does it have something to do with Leslie Stiles?" the third-year girl, Alyssa, asked quietly. "She's my friend, I'm worried about her."
Bella's expression softened. "I'm sorry, Alyssa, but I can't tell you anything. You'll all find out soon enough, I promise, but this one's up to McGonagall."
"Yeah, right."
Teddy turned around to see a very superior-looking Laura Shipkins standing in the middle of the common room, her hands on her hips. Laura, like her younger sister, had an intense hatred of Bella for reasons that everyone attributed to nothing but pure jealousy. Over the years, Laura had had to deal with Bella beating her out for anything and everything. Bella was the seeker for the Quidditch team, Laura tried out, but was continually rejected. Bella got ten O.W.L.s, Laura had to settle for nine. Bella had had six boyfriends, Laura had had none. And now, Bella was Head Girl, and Laura wasn't even a Prefect.
As far as most of Hufflepuff house was concerned, this was all completely understandable; Bella simply worked harder and was more talented than Laura.
In Laura's eyes, this was all completely and totally unfair, and Bella Watson was a sneaky, manipulative little slag who had somehow put a spell on everyone that only she, Laura, was immune to.
Bella sighed. "Laura, it's the truth, I'm-"
"Oh, yes, I'm sure it is." She laughed and flipped her long ginger hair over her shoulder. Daisy watched her sister admiringly; Teddy and Alfie suppressed their groans of disgust. "But you have an obligation, as a member of this house, to tell us what you know."
At this, Bella snorted. "Really? And where in the school's constitution is it stated that the Head Girl should disobey the Headmistress' orders because her house demands it?"
"It's for the good of the house!" Laura exclaimed.
"How can you say that when you don't even know what's going on?"
"You're right," Laura said triumphantly. "I don't. No one does, except you, and Cattermole, and I bet you he's in the Ravenclaw common room right now telling all of those little bookworms about what McGonagall said."
"He is not."
"How can you say that when you don't even know what's going on?" Laura mimicked cruelly. "Or do you have eyes in the back of your head?"
"Alfred wouldn't."
"How are you so certain? Are you sleeping with him too?"
There was a collective intake of breath. Alfie turned a bright shade of red, and looked as if he was desperate to speak up, but Teddy grabbed his arm to stop him. It was one thing to go up against Daisy Shipkins, who, as spiteful and idiotic as she might be, was nothing compared to her sister. Laura was manipulative, and cold, and he didn't like to think about what she would do to a person once she decided she didn't like them.
"I'll thank you to leave my private life out of this," Bella said, coldly. Teddy didn't fail to note that she didn't actually confirm, nor deny her relationship with Cattermole.
Laura shrugged, as if it didn't really bother her. "Fine. But you're just not telling us because you like knowing something the rest of us don't. You like having the power; it's gone to your head. If I was Head Girl, I would've told everyone what was going on. You're a disloyal, slut of a Hufflepuff."
Alfie couldn't stop himself. "Hey!" he exclaimed.
Everyone turned to face him, and Teddy felt himself turning rather red with embarrassment. "You idiot," he whispered. "You've done it now."
Laura regarded him with icy coolness. "Did you say something, Hayes?"
Alfie froze; there was something about Laura's stare that had that effect. Even Teddy was rather frightened by those piercing green eyes. "Er...n-no," he managed to stammer. "Teddy, um, stood on my toe. Sorry. Please continue."
"I think I'm done here," Laura said, turning back to Bella. "See you in our dormitory, slag. That is if you even come back tonight."
She spun on her heel and stalked off towards her room, many of the seventh-year girls, plus Daisy, following.
Bella sighed. "You should all go to bed," she said, wearily. "It's getting late and I can't tell you anything, I'm sorry."
Many of the younger students looked at one another and, realising that there was no point in staying up, trooped off to bed. Teddy, too, turned to leave, but Alfie hesitated.
"Teddy…"
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"You don't even know what I was going to ask!"
Teddy sighed and faced his best friend. "You want to go and talk to Bella because you think she might tell us about what happened." When he received no response, he raised his eyebrow and innocently asked: "No?"
Alfie gave him a sheepish smile. "Yes."
Teddy knew Alfie and Bella were teammates, but he thought that she was rather unlikely tell them anything, no matter what. "Yeah, I don't think - "
"We won't know until we try though, will we?" Alfie continued, not paying Teddy much attention.
"Who's we?" Teddy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, come on, Teddy, you're not going to make me do this alone, are you?" he turned on him with such a pleading expression that Teddy couldn't refuse (actually, come to think of it, Teddy Lupin had trouble saying 'no' to anyone, particularly his best friends - a trait that was perhaps rather endearing, but not necessarily adaptive).
"Fine," he said. "But we're not going to pester her. We ask, and then leave her alone."
Alfie led the way over to Bella, although he kept checking to make sure that Teddy was behind him, and hadn't run off to their dormitory. Teddy wasn't sure whether to be offended or amused by his friend's lack of trust, but eventually decided on the latter; Alfie didn't have a malicious bone in his body.
The Head Girl looked up when she saw them approaching, tucking her long blonde hair behind her ear. She smiled. "Hey, Alfie, Teddy. Congratulations on Prefect, Teddy, I forgot to say on the train - really proud of you."
"Thanks, Bella." Teddy smiled. "Congrats on Head Girl - you definitely deserve it."
"I hope this doesn't mean that you'll be too busy to be seeker this year," Alfie blurted.
Bella laughed, and shook her head. "Oh no, I'll definitely be trying out again - I love Quidditch too much to give it up."
"And Quidditch loves you!"
Both Teddy and Bella gave Alfie a funny look, and he turned rather red. "I mean...er… the team loves you, you know, because you're such a good seeker and, um, I can't really imagine the team without you, you know, I'm going to be trying out again, and I'd want you as the seeker to my chaser if I make it on and er, I'm just going to shut up now."
Bella laughed. "You're sweet, Alfie."
He turned an even deeper shade of red and muttered something incomprehensible.
"So...did McGonagall really tell you what the whole situation with Knobbles was about?" Teddy said tentatively.
Bella sighed. "She did. I wish she didn't, in a way, because then I wouldn't have to keep it from everyone - I really do want to tell you guys, despite what Laura Shipkins insinuated. I just...can't. If McGonagall found out," she drew a finger across her throat, "she wouldn't be happy and I could potentially lose my position."
"Is it...serious?" Alfie managed.
The blonde bit her lip, debating whether she should say anything. The boys waited, silently, until eventually she nodded. "It is. Which is why it's up to the school when they want to tell everyone, although I'm sure that'll be soon."
"We're not in any danger, are we?"
"No, no, nothing like that!" Bella smiled at them. "Don't you two worry - everything will be fine in no time at all. You should both just go to bed - you've had a long day today, and tomorrow will be even longer."
Recognising that they weren't going to get much more out of Bella, the boys returned to their dormitory. Alfie promptly fell asleep, but Teddy lay awake in the darkness for much longer, replaying the day's events over and over in his head. It was all so...strange - the Ministry closing, the mark the carved message was signed with, Leslie Stiles missing, Knobbles bursting into the Great Hall - it all felt like too much.
He had a horrible feeling that it all meant something - and something bad at that. For no matter how many times he ran over the conversation in his head, no matter how many times he tried to convince himself that he was imagining or overthinking things, he couldn't shake the feeling that Bella Watson's smile when she had told them that they weren't in danger had been rather forced.
.oOo.
II. Skulls and snakes
Teddy woke up the next morning to the loud, shrill sound of Alfie's godforsaken muggle alarm clock. He didn't know how many times he and his other roommates had begged Alfie not to bring the little red menace to school, but according to the muggleborn, nothing else was able to wake him up. Alfie did, after all, sleep like a log.
They showered, dressed and left the Hufflepuff common room for breakfast. Ella was waiting for them outside the Great Hall, her nose already buried in a book.
"How have you already been to the library?" Alfie gawked.
"Don't be silly, Alfie, the library isn't open yet," she said, slipping a bookmark between the pages, before snapping the book shut. "I brought this one with me from home."
"You put the rest of us to shame," Teddy told her lightly.
She blushed, and changed the subject. "Where do you want to sit, then? The Hufflepuff table doesn't look too crowded, I don't mind if we go there."
Although Teddy had heard stories of how, during his grandmother's days at Hogwarts, students were expected to sit with their houses at all times, he couldn't imagine being confined to a single table every single day of the year. Things had changed after the war - the school administration had decided that inter-house unity was integral to the social order being promoted, and hence, had abolished the rule that students had to sit at their house tables at meals, except for special occasions. The first-years even had a special table where they all sat together, regardless of house. Teddy, like many others, loved the rule - mealtimes were a great opportunity to catch up with all his friends.
Alfie and Teddy slid into empty seats next to each other, while Ella sat down next to Giovanna Downing, who was eating breakfast alone - Daisy and the rest of her crew were absent.
"Have you heard, then?" Giovanna said, by way of greeting.
"Heard what?" Teddy asked, looking at both Alfie and Ella who mirrored his puzzled expression.
"Oh, come on, you've got to have heard!"
"Did Daisy dye her hair blonde or something?" Ella commented mildly. Teddy knew she didn't think much of Giovanna, who she saw as just another brainless member of Daisy's squad.
"No." Giovanna wrinkled her nose. "Merlin, she'd look awful as a blonde, what with all those freckles. No, no, it's something much bigger."
"Well, don't keep us waiting."
"I know what happened last night."
Alfie almost spit out his orange juice. "You what?"
"How?" Teddy asked.
Giovanna shrugged. "I heard from Daisy, who heard from Laura, who heard from Randy Macklemore from Slytherin, who heard from - oh, I don't know, but the point is, everyone knows and Knobbles is stopping anyone trying to get to the gates from going to the gates so it must be true and -"
"The gates?"
"Oh!" She blushed. "I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself."
"I'm so confused," Alfie muttered.
Giovanna cleared her throat, and began again, more slowly this time. "Apparently, there was a dark mark painted onto the gates. Knobbles found it last night while we were all at the feast, and...well… you know the rest."
There was silence.
Teddy stared at Giovanna; he almost hoped that it was some stupid rumour that Daisy had made up, but somehow he just knew that it wasn't.
What did this all mean? First the mark appeared at the Ministry, and now on the Hogwarts gates… there was only one connection that Teddy could think of.
"Leslie Stiles?" he asked, without having to elaborate.
Giovanna shook her head. "No sign of her."
"Oh my god," Ella whispered. "This isn't good, is it?"
"Wait." Alfie held up a hand and the others looked at him. "Sorry, I'm missing something here - what's the dark mark?"
"It's the mark that Voldemort used to use when he or his followers did something bad. It was their symbol, of sorts," Ella explained.
"Hang on," Alfie looked at Teddy, who was biting his lip. "I thought… I thought all the death eaters were in prison."
"They are - well, most of them, anyway," Teddy said, a little bitterly. "But that doesn't mean there aren't people out there who sympathise with him, and now it looks as if they've taken things a step further."
No one knew how to reply to this, so they simply served themselves in silence. Teddy didn't know how to feel - he knew that there were people out there who believed in Voldemort's manifesto, people who thought that muggleborns and blood traitors had no place in the wizarding world, but at the same time, he'd thought that it was mostly a whole lot of talk. He'd thought that Melissa Cooper's kidnapping had been an isolated incident, but now that Leslie Stiles appeared to have disappeared too, and the mark had been associated with both of them… it was all too much. He had a horrible feeling in his stomach, and cast a worried glance over at Alfie who was, uncharacteristically, fiddling with his toast.
"Not too chipper, then, are we?" Riley Carrow broke the silence, sliding down into a seat next to Giovanna. Victoire came around the table and sat next to Teddy.
"You've heard then?" she said, softly. "About Leslie?"
"They still haven't found her?"
She shook her head, sadly. "No. Rosalind Kettleburn was pacing up and down the common room all of last night, and she kept leaving to try and pester McGonagall."
"Wow. How'd that go down?"
She shrugged. "McGonagall threatened to lock her in her room. She got the message. Still, it must be awful for her."
"It's awful for all of us," Ella said, shaking her head. "I can't believe it - the dark mark...Hogwarts…it feels too close to home."
"The dark mark?"
Teddy opened his mouth to explain what was going on, when a large number of students suddenly entered the hall. More continued to pour in, until it was full; Teddy could have sworn the entire school was present, but he didn't know why.
"What's going on?" he whispered to Victoire, who shrugged.
"Who knows? Now will someone please tell me about this damned mark?"
She did find out rather quickly, but alas, not from the source she expected. Headmistress McGonagall entered the Great Hall, and strode to the front, her emerald green robes swishing behind her. She stood on a small elevated platform and looked down upon her students, pushing her small pair of spectacles up her nose. A hush immediately fell over the room.
"Thank you all for assembling so quickly," she began. "I wish that I could be presenting you with some more cheerful news this morning, but unfortunately, I cannot. Leslie Stiles has not yet been found. A thorough search of the Hogwarts grounds has been conducted, and we are continuing to search both the school, the forest, and the nearby area, including the village of Hogsmeade."
"Yeah, but if she disappeared off the train, that's not going to do much good, is it?" Ella pointed out. Teddy shushed her.
"Until then, we must please ask that you all remain calm. We have the utmost faith that Leslie Stiles will be found safely." She paused, and cleared her throat. "And now, to address a rumour that has reached my ears: I do not know how many of you found out, but last night, Caretaker Knobbles discovered a dark mark painted onto the Hogwarts gates."
There was a collective intake of breath; Victoire covered her mouth with her hands and let out a tiny squeaking sound. Teddy felt a shiver run through him; so it was undeniably true, then.
"We are looking into who might have done this, and the perpetrator will be caught, and punished - the public display of the dark mark is an imprisonable offence, and we are taking this matter very seriously. But, once again, I must remind you to stay calm; you are in no danger. Hogwarts is well-protected, and there is no direct link between Miss Stiles' disappearance and the appearance of this mark. However, please do ensure that you remain vigilant; report any suspicious activity to a member of the faculty, and do not leave your dormitories after curfew. I trust that the Prefects and our new Head Boy and Girl will aid the school in ensuring that each and every member of the student body remains safe. Thank you."
"Yeah, right," Victoire mumbled as soon as McGonagall had left. "Of course there's a link - first the mark appears at the Ministry, then at Hogwarts, after the disappearance of two muggleborns. How dumb does McGonagall think we are?"
"Not everyone knows about the Ministry," Teddy reminded her. Giovanna, for one, was looking at Victoire very curiously, and Teddy was sure that he was going to have to explain things to her on the way to his next class.
"So what does this mean?" Alfie asked. "Are death eaters behind the kidnappings then? Are they going after muggleborns?"
He didn't get a response. Instead, someone shouted, "Hey Carrow! Sounds like McGonagall didn't like your artwork on the gates."
Teddy suddenly remembered that Riley, who had been very quiet, was present; she had sunk into her chair, as if trying to pretend that she didn't exist, and was staring straight ahead.
"Shut up!" Victoire yelled angrily.
"It's fine," Riley muttered. "I...I think I'm going to go." She got up from the table, slinging her battered brown leather satchel over her shoulder.
"Riley, don't let them get to you," Victoire said, a hint of pleading in her voice. "They're idiots, everyone knows you had nothing to -"
"It's fine," the Slytherin repeated. "I'm not really hungry anyway. And I've got reading to do."
Victoire bit her lip but recognised defeat; as she watched her friend leave the table, she whispered: "Should I go after her?"
"Give her time alone," Ella suggested. "I think she might need it."
"But it's not her-"
"We know," Teddy said. "We know. Just give her time."
"And hey, you never know - she might actually have reading to do!" Alfie exclaimed, in an effort to be chirpy and lighten the situation.
"It's the first day of school."
"Yeah, but it's not like that stops Ella."
Ella tried to reach over the table to hit him, but couldn't reach. "Shut up!" she exclaimed. "Books are wonderful!"
"That's what you think."
And just like that, everything was back to normal.
On the surface, at least.
.oOo.
III: The potions professor
Their last lesson before lunch was Potions.
Teddy had never seen the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws quite so excited for a lesson before; everyone was incredibly curious as to what the new professor would be like. Most people, Teddy included, had been rather fond of old Slughorn. There was a general hope that Professor Smith would fill the large footsteps that came before him.
And, of course, his looks didn't exactly hurt.
Teddy could have sworn that both Daisy Shipkins and Morna Clemmons had slathered on a few extra layers of make-up in between Transfiguration and Potions; even Becca Dillion, Ella's roommate, seemed to be wearing quite a bit of lipgloss.
"It's my lipgloss," Ella said grumpily as they entered the dungeons. "She borrowed it without telling me."
"That's not very nice of her," Teddy said.
Ella rolled her eyes. "She's Becca Dillion. Does she ever care about what other people think?"
Teddy couldn't say he knew Becca well enough to comment, so he stayed silent.
They sat down on either side of Alfie, who had rushed from Transfiguration to Potions so as to avoid being late; he'd wanted to make a good impression on the new professor, but for quite different reasons than the girls. Alfie, by his own admission, was not the best at potions. It only took one mistake for him to get incredibly flustered and start dropping things haphazardly into his cauldron. It was an absolute wonder that he hadn't blown up the potions classroom yet.
"I hope he's nice," Alfie said, as Teddy rifled in his bookbag, searching for his favourite quill.
"I'm sure he is," Ella said.
"You're just saying that because he's attractive."
"I am not."
"Oh right, sorry. Forgot you had a boyfriend now."
Ella blushed. "I do not have a boyfriend."
"Oh yeah, how is dear old Leo?" Teddy asked cheekily, grinning at her.
"Shush, he might hear!" She glanced around the dungeon and, after ascertaining that Leonardo Torricelli was at the other end of the room, turned back to Teddy and Alfie. "If you must know, we've been in contact all through summer and we're going to be finishing off the Transfiguration project in the library at lunch."
"A date then, eh?" Teddy raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"It's not a date! We're meeting in the library."
"Which is a perfectly good place for a date!"
"Mate." Alfie gave Teddy a rather bewildered look. "No."
"It's a perfectly good place for a date if you're Ella," Teddy corrected. "Or Leonardo Torricelli. I guess. I don't actually know. Hm."
Ella opened her mouth to respond, but immediately fell silent; Professor Smith had entered.
He certainly had a commanding presence, Teddy thought, although he was commanding in a rather different manner than Professor McGonagall. McGonagall was poised, stern, and radiated authority; Professor Smith had an aura of mystery that drew people in, and yet as he smiled at the students in front of him, there was something about him that was distinctly approachable - friendly, almost.
Teddy, who was the kind of person who made up his mind about a person fairly quickly, decided that he liked him, and this was further confirmed when he began to speak.
"Good afternoon - it is afternoon, isn't it?" A quick glance at the clock confirmed that it was. "As you may know, my name is Professor Smith, and I'll be taking over from Professor Slughorn - which does feel a little odd, considering that he taught me, back in my Hogwarts days. Great man, that Slughorn. But anyway - I do hope to get to know all of you over the course of this year. It's an important year, this one - as you already know, and will be constantly reminded about, you'll be sitting your Ordinary Wizarding Levels at the end of this year. I expect very much from my students, and have no doubt that all of you will, at the end of the year, get at least an E. But alas, it wouldn't be fair for me to demand such results without delivering myself. Therefore, I endeavour to teach you well; if you have any questions at any time, please do not hesitate to ask, and know that the door to my office is always open. Are there any questions?"
Silence. Everyone stared up at Smith, looking rather impressed.
"Good. Let's begin."
The lesson was engaging and fun; Teddy thought it was just as good as Professor Slughorn's old lectures, and when they began the practical section of the class, he felt as if he understood the theory behind the Strengthening Solution quite well.
"I wonder how he expects us to all get E's though," Ella said, as they crushed their salamander claws.
"He's got to be kidding himself he thinks I'm going to get an E," Alfie remarked mournfully. They'd only been working for ten minutes or so, but Alfie's potion was already a bright scarlet instead of the pale pink that it was supposed to be.
"Of course you can get an E!" Ella exclaimed. "You just need to have more confidence in yourself."
"Yeah," Alfie said, staring at his potion, which had begun to bubble rather specifically. "Confidence."
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Smith appeared suddenly. Alfie, startled at his sudden materialisation dropped his finely chopped lizard scales into his potion. It began to hiss rather maliciously.
"I'm sorry," Alfie said, looking quite panicked. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I-"
"No, no, don't worry!" the professor smiled at Alfie. "May I?" He gestured towards Alfie's cauldron, and the Hufflepuff took a step back.
"I just drop things in my potions a lot," Alfie explained, as Smith went about correcting his mistakes. "I'm really sorry, I -"
"Not to worry, Mr. - I'm sorry, Mr. what, exactly?"
"Hayes, sir."
"Hayes. Alfie Hayes?"
"Yes." He looked a bit startled. "How did you know my name?"
"I make it a point to know who is in my classes, Mr. Hayes." He finished what he was doing, and dusted his hands, turning around to smile at Alfie. "Now, that should have fixed it to a degree. You should be able to continue on from where you were without much trouble. Don't worry about dropping things, Mr. Hayes, we all make mistakes. Perhaps it can't be helped."
His eyes lingered on Alfie for a moment, before he turned his attention to Teddy and Ella, who introduced themselves. He seemed satisfied with their performance so far, and didn't spend long with them before moving onto the next table, where Daisy Shipkins lay in wait. As Teddy stirred his potion, he could hear her practically simpering.
"Oh Professor Smith, you're an absolute angel. I'd be quite lost without you."
Ella rolled her eyes. "Disgusting. She's disgusting."
"She's Daisy Shipkins," Teddy said. "What can you expect?"
"He's a nice guy, though, Smith," Alfie said, carefully adding the shredded Hippogriff muscle. "Slughorn never fixed my potions for me."
"I do wish he had told you what he was doing, though." Ella frowned. "I don't see how you could possibly learn otherwise."
Alfie shrugged. "He probably just thought it was too complex for me to grasp. I don't blame him, it probably was. I do suck at Potions."
And yet despite this proclamation, Alfie still managed to do fairly well at the end of it; his Strengthening Solution was given an A. Teddy and Ella both received E's, and Matilda Goshawk, much to her surprise, and Daisy's disgust, received an O. Smith praised her skillful brewing to great lengths, and she left the dungeon looking very red, but very chuffed.
Daisy Shipkins was not happy with this, and as Teddy passed her on his way out, he could hear her angrily talking to Morna Clemmons about how Matilda only got good marks in class because the professors liked her. "And, of course, it doesn't hurt that she's got that fancy last name," she sniffed.
Ella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right," she whispered to the boys. "Michael Goshawk's also got that fancy last name, and you don't see him doing as well at Matilda, do you?"
Victoire was waiting just outside the dungeon. Teddy smiled at her, but she didn't reciprocate. Rather she looked intensely worried about something: her brow was furrowed, and she ran her tongue back and forth under her upper lip.
"What's up, Vic?" Teddy asked.
"I'm sure it's nothing," she began, "but Riley hasn't come to any classes today, and I'm worried about her."
"You don't think she's been kidnapped, do you?" Alfie asked worriedly.
Victoire shook her head. "Nah, she's Riley - I'd like to see someone try to kidnap her. I don't know, I just think something's up with her. You saw how she was at breakfast, after those horrible people said those mean things to her." She sighed. "This is all going to be really tough on her. I just hope she's okay."
.oOo.
IV. Cut to Riley
"Hey Carrow." Hestia Witherspoon glanced at the small, dark-haired figure curled up on the emerald-green chair with a book. "You coming to lunch?"
Riley took a deep breath, and wrinkled her nose at Hestia. "Nah. Not hungry."
"Suit yourself." The Slytherin shrugged, and left the common room, followed by two other fifth-year Slytherin girls. Only Iris Fawley, an average looking redhead with freckles and muddy brown eyes, hesitated.
"You sure, Riles?" she asked tentatively.
Riley did not look up from her book.
"You've been in here all day."
Still nothing.
"Do you want me to bring something back for you?"
Seeing no other way to get rid of the girl, Riley nodded. "Yeah, I guess a sandwich would be nice."
Iris smiled and said, "I'll see you soon then," before skipping off to join the others, finally leaving Riley exactly how she wanted to be: alone.
See, Riley Carrow never really fancied herself as the kind of girl who liked to be alone. Ever since she was little, she had craved the company of other children her own age, because spending time with adults was boring: they didn't understand things in the same way she did, or like the same activities. All they seemed to do was sit around and talk all day about the most boring and inconsequential things.
Her dislike of lonesomeness was the reason she was in the Slytherin common room, instead of holing up in her dormitory. This way she was surrounded by people, even if those people (mostly) left her alone. There was something wonderful about being a Slytherin, she thought. They all seemed to instantly get what she was going through: no one had asked any questions, or even mentioned the kidnappings in front of her. Instead, they all simply swallowed her excuse for skiving classes without even a raised eyebrow.
If she'd gone to classes, she'd have had to deal with a whole day of people endlessly talking about the kidnappings, the dark mark - it would have all been too much to bear, especially once people remembered (did they ever forget?) her last name and her connection to the scary order that seemed to have revived itself.
Had it revived itself?
She wasn't sure.
There was evidently a direct connection between the kidnappers and the death eaters: it couldn't possibly be a coincidence that it had appeared in connection with both Melissa Cooper and Leslie Stiles, not when it so rarely appeared otherwise. But at the same time, it hadn't been cast in the sky, like her parents had told her it used to be.
The death eaters always marked their activities by sending it up into the sky, for everyone to see. Why hadn't they done the same here?
Riley wasn't sure, and it wasn't a question she was about to bring up in everyday conversation. No one would listen to her if she said anything - if she did, they'd probably take it as her trying to lead them down the wrong track.
After all, she thought bitterly, according to the great majority of Hogwarts students, she was nothing but a death eater baby.
.oOo.
V. Dating? Studying?
Checking her reflection in a suit of armour was not the best course of action, but it was the only course of action available.
For one, Ella Anderson thought, brushing a strand of dark hair away from her face, the curved surface distorted her features terribly. She was sure her nose wasn't that big, and her eyebrows couldn't possibly be thinner than the frames of her glasses. She cursed herself for not carrying around a compact mirror with her; perhaps Daisy Shipkins, who was always checking her make-up between classes actually had the right idea for once.
"Ella?"
She spun around too quickly. Her satchel hit the suit of armour, making a very loud clanging noise.
"Watch what yer doing, missy!" the suit exclaimed loudly, before stomping off, rather angrily - and noisily.
Ella cringed. "Sorry."
Leonardo Torricelli watched her with a degree of amusement. "Are you alright there?"
"Yeah," she said, wishing she had a remote that could control time so that she could rewind and redo the last few moments. "Yeah, I'm fine. Hi, Leo."
"Hi." He grinned, and gestured to the stairs leading up to the library. "Shall we?"
"Huh? Oh...oh yeah, yeah." She smiled at him, a little awkwardly, and leaped up the stairs to the library, hoping that her burning cheeks weren't overly evident. "Um, where do you want to sit?"
"Anywhere's fine."
"I, um, kind of like to sit here." She gestured towards a table right next to the window. "Do you mind?" He reassured her that they didn't, and she placed her bag on the wooden surface, opened it, and systematically extracted the long sheets of parchment that constituted their transfiguration project. Leonardo got out his section of the project and laid it out on the table next to Ella's.
"It looks great," he said, looking down at it. "Do you think we've covered everything?"
Even Ella - who was very rarely impressed - had to admit that it did look wonderful. Her essay perfectly complemented Leonardo's poster, and, glancing over his work, she could see that he too had done some extra reading that was sure to get them good marks. "I think we have," she whispered.
They were silent for a moment, and then Leonardo spoke again: "You know, Ella, I've really enjoyed working on this with you."
Her heart lifted slightly; she turned and smiled at him, and he smiled back. She couldn't help but think about how wonderful his smile was - it really lit up his face, and there was a light in his hazel eyes that was unlike anything she'd ever seen. "I've really enjoyed myself too," she said, meaning every word. "I, um, don't usually like working with other people, because, well, they're often quite useless at cooperating, and they're not nearly as good as they should be - Alfie Hayes and Teddy Lupin excepted, of course, we work well together - but um, yeah, I don't like working with anyone else, and when Professor Ellacott put us together, I thought it'd be awful, but it really wasn't and I-" she broke off when she noticed the funny look he was giving her. "I should stop talking now, shouldn't I?"
He laughed (Merlin, even his laugh was perfect). "No, don't worry! I completely understand! I'm glad that I was a suitable partner."
"So am I."
Silence, for a few moments. Ella felt like she should say something but she didn't know what. This, she thought, was one of her major problems: she never knew what to say, when. It was a result of spending so much time with Alfie and Teddy - they'd been her best friends since she was eleven and she was so comfortable with them that silence wasn't an issue. When it came to other people, however, silence was just...awkward, and she didn't know how to break it.
Thankfully, Leonardo broke it for her. "So."
"So."
"We should pair up together again," he said. "Sometime."
Ella smiled. "I'd like that."
Silence again. She began to wonder whether she should leave - the interaction didn't really seem to be going anywhere - when Leonardo said, "Ella."
"Hm?"
He looked slightly uncomfortable, and reached his hand up to ruffle his dark hair in what was quite an obvious attempt to appear casual. "So, there's a, um, Hogsmeade weekend coming up at the end of the month, and I've heard that there's a bookstore."
"At Hogsmeade? Yeah, Winklemeyer and Blotts, it's owned by the same guy who owns Flourish and Blotts. It was just 'Winklemeyer' until he bought it, but -"
"Not Winklemeyer and Blotts," Leonardo interrupted. "A new one. I, uh, don't know what it's called, but it's opening this month, and I was wondering if you'd like to go and check it out. With me. Next Hogsmeade weekend."
Ella's eyes widened. A date? Was Leonardo Torricelli asking her out on an actual date?
This did not happen to her! She did not just casually get asked on dates. Back when everyone started randomly asking everyone out in third-year, no one ever asked her out. And here Leonardo Torricelli was asking her if she wanted to go to a bookstore with him. Of course she wanted to go to a bookstore with him! She could think of nothing more exciting than going to a bookstore with him!
"I, um, think that'd be great," she managed, trying not to sound too eager.
"Great!" he grinned, excitedly. "Um, do you want to walk down together and everything?"
"Yeah," Ella said, before quickly adding, "that is, if that's cool with you."
"It's cool with me! Your friends won't mind?"
"Nah." She waved her hand dismissively - surely Alfie and Teddy would understand. She'd walked down to Hogsmeade with them so much that she was sure they could probably spare her this one time.
"Great!" he said again. "I guess it's a date then."
She suppressed a squeal. A date! She, Ella Anderson, had a date.
.oOo.
VI: The ministry's sleeve
"I think I have a date with Leonardo Torricelli!"
"You what?" Teddy stared at Ella, who was clutching her Ravenclaw scarf to her mouth to hide her burgeoning grin.
"I said, I think I have a -"
"I know what you said," Teddy interrupted. "But how?"
"What do you mean how?"
"When?"
"Hogsmeade weekend."
"When did he ask?"
"Library."
"That's romantic," Alfie, who had been standing with Teddy near the entrance to the Great Hall when Ella had rushed up, said.
"What's not romantic about the library?"
"Everything!"
"Alfie!"
"What? It's true!"
"Guys, stop it." Teddy rolled his eyes. "That's great, Ella!"
"I mean, I don't know if it's a date," she said. "But he said it's a date, and I think that means it's a date, don't you?"
"Sounds like it."
"And he said he really enjoyed working with me, which means he must like me, right?"
"He must, or he wouldn't have asked you on a date," Alfie said.
"Yeah, but it is a date, right?"
"I thought you just said it was a date?"
"But I'm not sure." Ella sighed. "I'm going to go ask Becca - she knows a fair bit about boys and their ways. I'll see you guys soon."
"I thought you didn't like Becca."
"What?"
"She stole your lip gloss," Teddy pointed out.
Ella waved her hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge. I'll see you two later."
She rushed into the Great Hall in search of one of her Ravenclaw roommates, leaving Alfie and Teddy behind, watching her.
"So, she has a date with Leonardo Torricelli," Teddy commented, as he and Alfie walked to the Hufflepuff table. He was excited for Ella; she was, after all, one of his best friends, and he was glad that she had a date with a boy that she liked. "That's nice, isn't it?"
"I suppose," Alfie said. "What do you know about Torricelli?"
"He's a Ravenclaw, he's in our year, he's…" Teddy paused. "He's, um, top of the class at...no wait, no, that's Ella. He's second in the class at Transfiguration, and…"
"Yeah, but what's he like?"
"I...don't know. I've never spoken to him."
"Exactly," Alfie said. "We need to get to know him better."
Teddy was in full agreement with this, but there was one little problem: "And how exactly do you propose we do that? We can't sit him down and go, right, mate, you're dating our best friend, we've got to make sure that you're a good guy."
"Why not?"
"Alfie!"
"I'm just kidding!" he held up his hands in mock defense. "We'll figure something out."
They reached the Hufflepuff table and sat down next to each other. Alfie saved a seat for Ella next to him, and she joined them soon enough, muttering something about how it was almost definitely a date. Victoire joined them too, a rather reluctant-looking Riley Carrow in tow. Her ponytail was messy, as usual, but her eyes looked oddly hollow. There was something about her that seemed rather...un-Riley like.
"Hi." Alfie grinned at Riley. "How did the reading go?"
Ella kicked him under the table, Teddy groaned and Victoire gave him a menacing look. Riley, on the other hand, just looked confused.
"What?"
"Your reading," Alfie said slowly. "You left breakfast this morning to do reading."
Victoire gave Teddy a look that seemed to say "Will you shut him up, or shall I?"
Riley wasn't bothered, however. "Oh, it was fine." She waved her hand. "Honestly, it was simple, really. The things they teach us at this school - they really underestimate our level. The classes are so boring."
Which would explain why you went to none of them today, Teddy thought. Riley was certainly clever; she likely knew she wasn't fooling anyone, but she was constructing the perfect explanation for laypeople who might want to know why she'd been absent all day. He wondered how the teachers had let her get away with it; surely Professor Klossy, the Astronomy teacher and Head of Slytherin upon Slughorn's retirement, would have had something to say about her not showing up to classes.
"Hey," Alfie said, suddenly. "Who are they?"
"Who's who?" Teddy turned in his seat to see two individuals enter the hall: a witch, and a wizard. They were both dressed in dark robes that billowed behind them as they walked, and neither spared a glance at the students whispering around them; instead, they headed straight for the faculty table - specifically, for where Professor McGonagall was sitting.
"What is up with weird people walking into the Great Hall this year?" Ella muttered.
"Teddy," Victoire said tentatively. "That lady, I've seen her before. At Uncle Harry's Christmas party."
Teddy's eyes flicked to the woman; she had dark, braided hair that was tied into a long, sleek ponytail, and dark, deep skin. When she turned slightly, he could see her face more clearly: cat-like eyes, a sharp mouth and a slightly upturned nose. Thanks to the context Victoire had provided, it didn't take him long to place her.
"Tabitha James?"
Ella gasped. "Not the Tabitha James!"
"What's Tabitha James doing here?" Riley asked, trying her best not to sound hesitant.
"Who's Tabitha James?" Alfie asked.
"Her." Teddy jerked his head towards the lady who was now in deep conversation with McGonagall and the man she'd entered with, who he assumed must be her partner. "She works with my Uncle Harry. She's an Auror."
A/N: Thank you guys so much for your reviews, faves and follows - they never fail to make my day! Guest reviewer Afsah: the story is canon-compliant, so take that as you will in relation to shipping!
Life is starting to get a little busy, so the next update won't be next Wednesday, but rather the Wednesday after (13th July), so that I have enough time to finish writing + edit future chapters! See you guys then, and don't forget to leave a review telling me what you thought of this chapter!