October 31, 1992
Halloween was never really important to either Harry or I growing up. It had just been another day where Dudley would get showered with candies and praises and me and Jamie would be called freaks. So, like any other day at the Dursleys.
The meaning of the date would not affect us until Harry's 11th birthday. Hagrid had come knocking down the door on the small island where the Dursleys kept us and told us that our parents were murdered. Looking back, Hagrid probably wasn't the best person to tell us how our parents really died. Though he means well, he has no tact.
Now, assuming that I believed Jamie when he told me the tale of the troll in the girl bathroom last year on this date, I might have been prepared.
I wasn't.
If I had, I possibly would have been prepared.
--
The worst part was the stares and whispers. I had become accustomed to them since joining Slytherin house, but today they were different whispers. They were waiting for me to crack. Though, through the eyes of teachers, they could be considered whispers of children looking out for their friend. I knew that they weren't.
I continued walking down the hallway towards the great hall ignoring the whispers. Astoria had been good company this morning while we were getting ready.
"Are you sure that you're okay Aubrey?" Astoria whispered. Looking over I give her a tight smile and nod slightly.
"Yeah. I think, I'll be okay Stori." She gave my hand a quick squeeze before we walked through the doors of the great hall. I gave the Gryffindor table a quick glance and saw my brother and his friends sitting there. Excusing myself from Astoria I made my way over to them.
"Hi Jamie." I said to him, sitting in the seat in between him and Neville.
"Oh, hey Brie. How are you this morning?"
"I'm doing okay." I said putting some eggs and toast on my plate. Harry nodded while making me a cup of tea. Taking a sip of the soothing tea I look across the table to Ron and Hermione. "Good morning."
Hermione gave me a polite smile as she put some eggs onto her plate. Ron looked up at me, gave me a small nod then went back to his bacon. To the right of me Neville was dozing slightly into his plate. Giggling, I gave him a small shake on the shoulder.
"Neville." His head snapped up and his eyes were frantic before settling on mine.
"Hi Aubrey." He said, shaking himself of sleep. "When did you get here?"
"Just a couple minutes ago. Thought I'd spend breakfast with Harry this morning." He smiled sadly in understanding.
As I finished up my tea I turned to Ron, interrupting his and Harry's conversation and asked, "Have you seen Ginny this morning?"
"No, she is still in the common room." He answered. "I thought I saw Eddie at the Hufflepuff table." He motioned with his spoon to the table behind.
Looking down the table I tried to locate Eddie amongst the other badgers. Finding him at the opposite end of the table I couldn't help but worry slightly. He was once again pale and picking at his food. I couldn't fathom why he was continuously sick. He had been like this for as long as I could remember.
"I'm going to go and say hi." I said. Lying my fork on the plate I excuse myself and make my way over to the Hufflepuff table. Looking for one badger in particular.
Setting myself next to the sandy blonde haired boy picking at his food I gave him a quick once over. His robes were more out of place than they had been yesterday and it looked as though he had gotten no sleep this past week. Large purple bags rim the bottom of his eyes and his hair was all out of place. Shaking my head slightly I poked him in his side.
"Ow!" He jumped before he saw me. "Oh. Hi Bee." He said before turning back to his food. I shake my head slightly in amusment.
"Seriously Eddie. Not even a good morning. Just, hi Bee." I snorted. "And what is up with you?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" He muttered quietly as his face heated up.
"What do I-Eddie. You literally look like you did when we were 8 when you had pneumonia." His cheeks blazed darker as he poked at his toast, steadfastly ignoring me. I groaned and looked behind me over at the Ravenclaw table to look for Luna. Finding her head of silvery blonde hair I stand up and stalk towards her.
"Good morning Luna. Are you finished with your breakfast yet." I ask in a rush. Startled, she looked up at me and nodded. "Good. I need your help with Eddie." Rolling her eyes in a very, un-Luna-like way, she grabbed her books before moving over to the Hufflepuff table.
Grabbing mine and Eddie's bags from the bench, I swing them in my shoulder before moving to stand at Eddie's right shoulder. Luna moved to his left, before we each slid a hand under and above his arm. Hoisting him up, despite his feedled protests, we moved out of the Great Hall.
As we moved through the hallway near the bathroom, with Eddie now slightly more willing to follow us, we ran into a slightly frazzled Ginny. Looking at the 3 of us in confusion, she shrugged her shoulders and followed us without prompting to a girls bathroom near the charms classroom. As it was the closest to Eddies next class.
"Wait, you can't take me into a girls bathroom." Eddie protested as we maneuvered him into said bathroom. "I'm not a girl!"
"Yeah no kidding." Ginny said as we sat him down on a stool that was taken in between one of the sinks. "But you do look like you quite literally rolled out of bed. So this-" She said, gesturing to all of him, "Needs help."
"You just pointed to all of me." Eddie said weekly. All three of us stopped moving him and gave him pointed looks. Raising his hands as a signal of defeat, he slumped down into the stool.
Pulling a brush out of my bag I start working on his hair. Ginny began to iron out his clothes with one of the charms her mum taught her, and Luna started to put some make-up over the bags on his eyes.
The three of us worked quickly and efficiently so that Eddie would be presentable for the rest of the day. His hair was combed out and laid flat on his head, despite the small wave it still held. His robes were ironed and no wrinkles could be seen while the bags under his eyes could not be found.
After looking at himself in the mirror his shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank you" He whispered while bringing the three of us into a hug. Detangling ourselves, we all quickly vacated the bathroom. Luna and Eddie heading to charms and Ginny and I heading to History of Magic.
After entering the classroom Ginny and I headed to our regular seats in the back half of the room. Pulling out my transfiguration essay to work on saying hello to Astoria when sat on the other side of me. As Astoria and I got lost in the work for our essay, Ginny got lost in the words that were written in a black notebook.
All the while, I didn't notice.
Maybe if I did, then I would have been prepared.
--
February 6, 1993
"Why isn't Ginny here?"
And that was the question wasn't it.
Where was Ginny?
Now, this question regarding this certain redhead was normal to hear throughout the day. Following the impromptu makeover on Halloween, the bathroom makeovers became a routine for the four of us.
Luna and I would grab Eddie by the shoulders and drag to the girls bathroom nearest to his next class. We would then pull out the knots in his hair, put makeup on his under eyes and iron out the wrinkles in his clothes.
It became sort of a routine for the four of us. Something no one else joined, and something none of us missed.
Except for today. Because Ginny wasn't here. This was a question associated with Ginny quite often. Mostly during the weekend and after classes. But on this day...well...we were really sure.
"I don't know Eddie." Luna said softly as she applied the make-up below his eyes. "We haven't talked to her today. I think that she is still up in her dorms."
"Well yeah I assumed that." Eddie replied while ironing out his robes with the charm Ginny taught us. "But I meant why isn't Ginny here with us right now."
Luna and I meet each other's eyes from over Eddie. Neither of us could come up with a reasonable explanation for her absence here.
Throughout the year she had slowly started to distance her from the three of us. At first it was not noticeable what she was doing, and it was harder to hang out regularly with her because all of us were in different houses. By the time Christmas arrived Luna, Eddie and I were just spending time with each other and Ginny was noticeably absent. Even her brothers couldn't track her down.
Though she was spending less and less time with us she had always made it to breakfast in the mornings when Eddie was at his worst.
Except for today. Because Ginny wasn't here.
Finishing up combing Eddie's hair I look at my watch and let out a sigh. I would have to take some passages to potions.
"Okay we have to finish up or I'm going to be late for potions." I say as I put back Eddie's brush in his bag.
Quickly cleaning up our area we move out of the bathroom and towards our respective classes. Luna and Eddie to transfiguration and myself to potions.
Seeing no one in the halls I sprint quickly to one of the passages down the hall that would take me to the potions corridor. Slipping through the portrait hole I jog through the passage and run down the stairs. Taking care that I wouldn't trip.
Seeing the end of the tunnel a few minutes later I take care to make sure that I am presentable before exiting the passage. Quickly joining Astoria in the clump of first years.
"Hey Aubrey." Astoria whispered next to me. She slipped me a piece of toast and I nodded in thanks as I munched on my breakfast. Just as I finished up the delicious piece of bread Professor Snape opened up the door of the classroom with a dramatic flourish. We moved into the classroom in a line taking our seats.
Astoria and I moved to our preferred desk and took out our cauldrons. Seeing the instructions on the board, we took out our potions kit and started the potions.
Just like Harry loved DADA, I loved potions. To me potions and charms were the easiest classes, defense following, but though I do enjoy doing the spell work for the classes, potions I look forward to most. And it is not for the teacher.
Potions were easy for me. It was obvious when you should dice and not mince an ingredient. It was so easy to get lost in my head while making a potion. To lose myself to the easy brewing.
Astoria and I worked in tandem in potions. Moving without words to make the best potions in class and even sometimes debating on some ingredients and making them better. All while making markings in notebooks.
It was very funny when I introduced the idea to her.
Instead of loose parchment, having a controlled way to make notes on something not as thick as parchment. She was similarly impressed when I introduced the idea of a pencil to her.
The notebook was ordered a week into the school year by owl order, and gifted to her as a grimoire of sorts. This was because in our first class of the year we spent more time debating what ingredients to use instead of actually brewing.
So now before each class we would go through and write down the original potion on a piece of parchment, then write our modified version in our notebook.
So I looked forward to potions most…..well kinda.
The downside of being in Slytherin and sharing a class with Gryffindor was that Snape usually would pick on the lions during class. It was more of a class for entertainment for him than actually learning. But it didn't matter, Astoria and I learned well enough for ourselves.
"Aubrey." Shaking myself out of my thoughts I looked over to my left to see the redhead that was missing this morning. Looking over at her I could tell that she had been up early this morning. She had showered and her hair was in a nice braid. Her robes were ironed out and she had light skin tone eyeshadow on her eyes.
I just looked at her coldly and moved back to my potion.
"Why are you ignoring me Aubrey?" I let out a deep sigh and looked back up at her. She looked upset and quite confused. Giving her one more cool look I turn back to my potion.
"Eddie missed you this morning." I said quietly while stirring my ladle effectively turning my sky blue potion into a green grass color.
"Oh shit." Ginny muttered.
"Yeah, oh shit." I responded bitterly.
"I'm sorry I forgot I marked it wrong on the calendar. I thought that it was next week." She continued. "If I knew I would have been here this morning. Is Eddie okay, did you three get ready alright this morning?" She asked, concern edged in her voice.
Looking up from my potion to look at her eyes I could only see sencerty in her eyes. Not lying then. I mulled it over in my head whether or not to forgive Ginny for her mistake. I guess...it could be considered a simple mistake. One that I knew it would take a long time to forgive if she did it again. I took one more deep breath before nodding in acceptance. Knowing if it would occur again that it would not be easily forgiven.
"But you need to apologize to Luna and Eddie. Okay and don't ever forget or write it down wrong again alright." She nodded quickly, accepting my words. Satisfied and noticing that too much steam coming from my potion I quickly look down to add the stabilizer.
If I continued to look at her for just a moment longer maybe I would have seen the brief flash of red that crossed her eyes, and the sinister smile that accompanied it.
Maybe if I did, then I would have been prepared.
--
May 9, 1993
There was another attack.
That was the first thing said in the Slytherin common room after the cancellation of the Hufflepuff/Gryffindor game.
There was no news as to who it was that got petrified, just that it was two girls, two muggleborn girls.
With the news that it was two 'mudbloods' that were petrified, the usually comforting common room had an unusually sinister air to it. It was retching to watch as my housemates rejoiced in their year mates suffering.
It was suffocating.
So, grabbing Astorias hand and saying our goodbyes to Daphne, we vacated the common room.
Walking through the halls we made our way out of the dungeons and up to the Gryffindor common room. Astoria, just like me, was quiet and couldn't think of anything to say. The usually comfortable walks we took when our common room became oppressive with talks of blood superiority were banished by the attacks.
As we neared the seventh floor Astoria reached for my hand and held it in a vice grip. Similarly I squeezed hers. No matter how many times she had been in my brother's common room, and it had been a fair few times, she was always nervous.
Even when Harry would reassure her that it didn't matter if she was in a different house, that she could study and hang out in his house, she would always be nervous of rejection.
And I couldn't blame her.
Home problems and all.
So as we climbed the stairs to the fat lady's portrait, I gave her hand one last squeeze before releasing it.
"No, not you two again." The fat lady grunted in her portrait. Giving us a smug smile she continued. "The password changed this morning. And you couldn't have got-"
"Balderdash." I interrupted the fat lady. Also giving her a smug smile.
Ignoring the fat lady's protests as the portrait door swung open, Astoria and I stepped inside.
Though it wasn't a one a week type of thing that I or one of my friends would come to the common room, everyone had at least seen us one before. So it was definitely a shock that one the portrait hole closed the entire room descended into silence.
Clearing my throat I spoke tentatively, knowing that it might not have been the best idea to come to the house of lions when I was a snake, especially now, but needing to see my brother overruled that.
"Does anyone know where my brother is?" I asked softly. Scanning the room I could see mixed reactions coming from everyone. Some knew who I was and were looking for Harry. Others, while knowing I'm a Potter, we're disgusted by the idea of a snake being in their house. A fair few were just plain confused.
"He is in his room." Looking to my right I could see one of the Weasley twins pointing to the staircase on the right.
Nodding in thanks, I grab Astoria's hand and lead her to my brother's room. Climbing up the stairs I get off at the landing that said second year. Walking down the hall I stop at the door with my brother's name on it.
Knocking on the door and hearing a quiet come in I enter the room. Though the room was messy and there were clothes and wrappers strewn around, the only thing I could focus on was my brother.
He was lying on his bed on his back on top of the sheets. His eyes were all puffy and tear tracks were running down the sides of his face. I took a tentative step forward but hesitated, looking back at Astoria questionaly.
Seeing my hesitance she looks over at Harry and nods slightly. Stepping forward and whispering in my ear she said, "I'll go and see Ginny you'd stay with Harry." She gave me a slight smile and squeezed my shoulder before moving out of the room and back down the stairs.
Closing the door after she left I took a quick look around the rest of the room. All of the other beds besides Harry's but one was open and free of the boys. The left one next to my brothers was closed. This one had dirty clothes around most of the bed, but a slightly beat up trunk with the initials R.B.W. gave away the user of this bed.
I slowly made my way over to Harry's bed and sat on the end near his feet. Reaching out I took his hand. Without looking at me he grasps it back tightly and held it in a death grip.
Scooching closer towards him I reach over to his face and wipe the tears off the side of his face.
"Jamie." I said softly, my right hand cupping his face. "What happened?"
Like a dam that had broken, the tears started running down his face at a constant pace. Slowly he started dissolving into sobs.
Standing up I sat at the headboard of his bed and sat him up. Pulling his head on my chest I wrap my arms around his head and waist. He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist and snuggled into me sobs racking his body.
I slowly raked a hand through his messy hair as I softly hummed to him a lullaby he would sing to me when I was younger. Trying to sooth him as he would me.
"Calm down Jamie, it's okay." I said softly.
"No Brie." He choked out through his sobs. "It's not okay." He said right back shaking his head. His breath picked up and he started to hyperventilate.
Not wanting him to panic I gripped him tighter and rocked him a litte.
"Okay, okay it's not alright." I said in the same soft voice. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong Jamie."
Slowly his sobs subsided, and his breathing became more even. Eventually only a few tears were left trailing down his face that I would occasionally wipe away.
"Hermione." He finally said. I tightened my arms around him and took a deep breath. It would do no good if I lost my composure. Hoping against hope I was wrong I asked him.
"What about Hermione?" I said while holding back tears. Harry took a deep composing breath and continued.
"Hermione was petrified." At that I let tears fall and held onto my big brother. Gripping him tightly as he began to join me in tears.
I thought about the girl who helped me around the castle during the first weeks of school when my friends and I would get lost, or when I had a simple question about homework I could go to her and she would help no questions asked. I thought about the girl with bushy hair who would listen to me rant about the mean kids in my room who would be mean to me about being Harry Potter's little sister. Who would listen to my woes and give me a strong hug full of comfort and love after.
So I dropped my head on my brother and let my tears fall.
Eventually we started to drift off to sleep, exhausted after crying. I shook off my cloak and took off my trainers. Joining my brothers under the covers.
Though staying with my brother and comforting him was not a bad decision, I did not see the state of one of my best friends. Neither did Astoria as she did not find her in her room nor in the common room. Eventually making her way back to the Slytherin common room.
While I fell asleep in the arms of my brother and Astoria in the safety of her bed, Ginny Weasley did not go to sleep. She would not be found by her brothers until the next morning when she would join the hustle and bustle of classes looking like a regular 12 year old nervous for end of year exams.
No one noticed the slight manic gleam her eyes took when her eyes set on Harry Potter.
No one noticed.
Maybe if we did, we would have been prepared.
--
June 5, 1993
I was racing through the halls of Hogwarts with Luna and Eddie hot on my heels. Now despite having Harry Potter as my brother this was not a normal occurrence. The other Slytherins wouldn't tolerate it. But I was hoping at least this once it would be forgiven. These last couple of hours were complete shit.
First Eddie, Luna and I had been strolling through the grounds after classes, like 3 first years do when we were told to go to our common rooms. So naturally we went to the closest room which happened to be Hufflepuff. And after eating dinner and getting ready to bunk with one of the girls in mine and Luna's year, Professor Sprout came up to us and said that I was needed in the hospital wing. That my brother and Ginny were hurt. Bringing along Eddie and Luna we started running through the halls leaving a startled Professor Sprout behind.
We were nearing the entrance to the hospital wing when we heard raised voices inside. Opening the doors the three of us skid to a stop at the sight of Mrs Weasley yelling at Dumbledore.
The sight was so shocking, made me stop a little too fast and had Eddie bumping into me sending both of us to the floor.
At the sound of the both of us tumbling onto the floor Mrs Weasley and Dumbledore both turned to look at us.
"Ah, Miss Potter, I was wondering when you would arrive. I did not expect you to come tumbling in though." Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling. Clearing my throat and taking Luna's hand to help get up I have a small smile and nodded slightly.
"Yeah, Professor Sprout said that Harry and Ginny were in here and we wanted to see them." I said motioning to Eddie now stood up and dusted off and Luna who stood beside me.
Dumbledore nodded his head and said, "Of course Harry is sleeping right now but Miss Weasley is in that bed beside him." He said pointing to a bed with closed curtains.
Thanking him and waving to a slightly less enraged Mrs Weasley we made our way over to Ginny's bed.
Letting Eddie and Luna pass me I opened the curtains to my brothers bed. Though he was slightly scratched and bruised, the rise and fall of his chest relieved me. He was alive, he was okay. Closing his curtains I made my way over to Ginnys.
Opening the curtains and stepping in I could see that though her eyes were closed and she was curled up she was most definitely not sleeping.
Her breathing was ragged and her eyes were red and puffy. Her hands were clenched around a soft pink blanket that I saw on her bed at the burrow.
Walking over to her softly I lightly place my hand on her clenched one trying not to startle her.
"Ginny." I whisper. "It's Aubrey, I'm here with Eddie and Luna." Slowly her eyes opened to show puffy red eyes that surrounded her usual brown color. Her eyes raked over the three of us.
She slowly sat up and looked at the three of us. I stood by her bedside holding her hand. Eddie took a seat to her left and Luna on the one on the right.
She took a shuddering breath and said,
"What are you doing here?" The three of us looked at each other in confusion.
"Why wouldn't we be here Gin?" Eddie asked. Genuinely confused. Ginny looked at us and said,
"Because of what I did." She looked down at her blanket and our interlocked hands.
"Ginny." The three of us looked over at Luna. Her normal all knowing eyes were filled with worry and she was twisting her hands. "What…what did you do?"
For a moment she did nothing but stare blankly at Luna. Then she began to succumb to sobs. Luna moved out of her chair and gently moved Ginny over and sat next to her. Rocking her gently and soothing her.
Eventually with the reassurance of Luna, Eddie and I she began to calm down. Slowly she began to tell us the tale of her year. The mysterious diary that showed up in her cauldron after the trip to Diagon alley. The nice boy who would talk with her when she began writing in it. How he would sooth her if she was upset, how he would joke with her as if he was her friend. How slowly through the year she would lose time. How she began to realize that something was wrong with her friend who would write back to her. How she threw him away and his influence on her, only to seek him out later when she realized that he was writing to Harry. How slowly she was losing herself to this boy who used to be so nice to her, how when the fight for herself came, she lost.
She told the story of what happened in the chamber from Ron and Harry's perspective. She told what it was like to wake up fully herself with nothing and no one in her head.
By the end she had run out of tears, her head was leaning on Luna while Eddie sat on the other side of her. I sat in front of her, one hand holding hers while the other was in Eddies.
"I'm so sorry." Eddie spoke. Tears in his eyes. "You were suffering and we didn't help you."
This both hit me and Luna hard. Though we were thinking about it, neither of us wanted to admit it.
The four of us hugged as we realized in some ways we were all in the wrong and in others we weren't. We realized how much we meant to each other.
Maybe that is why after cleaning up ourselves and having calmed down Eddie said what he said.
"I need to tell you guys something." Looking at him we all gave him looks of concern. "I just wanted to thank you for everything that you did every month this year…it made it easier."
"It made what easier Eddie?" I asked slowly. He took a ragged breath and let out a harsh laugh.
"You-" He swallowed. "You won't run for the hills when I tell you alright."
"Eddie why would we-"
"No Aubrey just, just let me say this." Looking at Luna and Ginny I gave a small nod. Eddie nodded then swallowed.
"I'm a werewolf."
Nobody moved. Slowly Luna turned to Eddie and spoke slowly.
"I knew." She said.
Eddie let out a harsh breath and let a tear fall.
"You knew." He said in a small voice.
"Yeah I've known for a bit now." She said, "It changes nothing." She concluded in a voice full of finality.
"I suspected." We all turned to look at Ginny as she looked directly in Eddie's eyes. "It made the most sense. Why you had to get cleaned up once a month. Why sometimes you come back with scratches and bruises you did not have the night before." She shrugged lightly. Before continuing in a voice, like Luna's full of finality. "It changes nothing."
The three all turned to me next. Waiting for me to say something. Looking directly at Eddie I began to speak, my voice cracking slightly.
"I've been your friend since we were four. If I were to judge you by this I would be a shitty friend." I smiled tentatively at him before speaking once more. "This does change something though."
The three of them all tensed up. Waiting for me to say something that they may not like.
"I got a book years ago when Jamie and I first went to Diagonally Alley. Something that I think will help you during your moons." They all relaxed at that. Not fully though waiting to hear my idea.
"What would help me during a moon?" Eddie asked, slightly worried.
Giving them a Slytherin worthy smirk I say,
"Becoming Animagi."
