"And remember your promise," Ewan said, glancing around at Platform 9 and 3/4. There were Aurors around, and more adult witches and wizards than usual. Any hopes that Fay had— misguided as they were— of trying to move on from the last semester were dashed with that sight.
No one was forgetting the Triwizard Tournament, the Quidditch World Cup, or any of it.
Then again, Fay wondered whether it was better to be reminded of it and know that the adults hadn't forgotten, or if it was better to forget and be vulnerable to the Dark Lord.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Sorry, Dad," Fay said, snapping back to attention. "I promised, didn't I? You told me that I should always keep a promise."
"I know." Ewan glanced around briefly again— a holdover from the first war. "But I worry. Especially with what happened to your mother—"
"My mother is right here." Fay nodded at Briallen, who smiled, despite her arms being crossed over her chest in a vaguely authoritative stance.
"I've never pretended to be her." Briallen's voice was soft, tentative— curious to see if Fay meant what she thought she did.
"I know," Fay said. "But you raised me."
"Don't get all sappy on us to avoid the topic." Briallen straightened up. "If Dumbledore approaches you about any extracurricular activities, you say?"
"No, thank you."
"And you run, far away," Ewan added.
"Got it." Fay nodded. "Anything else."
"Stay safe." Briallen dropped her voice down to a whisper. "Something strange is going on. It's not the Dark Lord— but there have always been those who would abuse their gifts."
Fay nodded, and the station whistle blew, reminding parents and students alike that five minutes remain.
"We'll get your trunk in the luggage car," Ewan said. "You go find your friend."
He then nodded at something behind Fay, so she turned to see Alice wave a little finger wave.
Fay waved back, her arm wide and swinging.
"Fay, watch yourself—"
It was too late, her arm collided with someone, and they fell to the ground.
"Merlin's beard!" Fay whirled around, throwing her hands up in the air as she saw a boy in a Ravenclaw uniform fall to the ground. "Are you alright?"
"Might've broken my nose," the boy said as he glanced at the spots of blood on the ground. "But that's an easy fix." He pulled a wand out from a hidden pocket in his blazer. "Episkey!"
Fay blinked. She was used to Healing Magic— but she'd never seen a student her age using such magic, except maybe Hermione Granger.
Still, she offered a hand out. The boy took it, and smiled. "No harm done— I'm Arman. And you are—"
"Fay. . . Dunbar," she said.
"Oh, right, I thought I'd seen you before," he said. "Gobstones Club. To be fair, I was taken home during our second year, and then there was the trip to Castelbruxo during my third year— and we didn't meet at all last year, so I don't blame you for forgetting."
"Sorry," Fay mumbled.
"It's alright," Arman insisted. He glanced at the train. "We should get on the train, shouldn't we?"
"Suppose so," Fay said. She turned to Briallen and Ewan, who were lifting her trunk and waved them. "Love you! I'll write a letter tonight!"
Ewan waved her off, and she leapt onto the car, and raced into the compartment where Alice sat.
She seemed to have a new galaxy of freckles on her face, and her red hair was brilliant, the color of gold in the early autumn sun. She was still dressed in a muggle flannel and t-shirt with a smiley face.
"My summer was brilliant," she declared. "I'll have to tell you all about it— Mum and Dad took me to Bath— see, because I'm a witch, they let Mum and Dad in to see all the wonderful machine-work they're doing there. I think it'd be wonderful to work with, don't you?"
Fay nodded, and glanced out the window. The city lights of London never seemed as strange and threatening to her as they did now. The sun was dimming, the gray clouds covering it— the emptiness of it all so threatening above the strangeness of the city.