The last few days of summer holiday came and went as quickly as leaves blowing by in an autumn wind. Remus and Sean respected my demand for distance and didn't write me, which suited me just fine. I was still angry with the both of them for spoiling part of my birthday with their rivalry, and I felt a curious mixture of sadness and relief that I would not have to deal with their hostility for one another during my fourth year at Hogwarts. Sean would be playing for the Falmouth Falcons since he had completed his education. Remus and the other Marauders would remain with me for the next three years as we finished our own coursework.
I spent the evening after supper packing up my room. It was strange how my possessions seemed to have wound up in the furthest reaches. Eagle-feather quills were scattered underneath my bed, spare rolls of parchment hid underneath piles of textbooks. We would be stopping in Diagon Alley in the morning to purchase a last-minute dress robe for formal occasions.
I muttered in frustration as I hand-packed my school trunk, annoyed that I was only fourteen years old. In the Wizarding World, we weren't of age until seventeen, which was still three whole years away. And after my last official warning from the Ministry of Magic's Improper Use of Magic office, I knew it would be a very bad idea to try to use magic again outside of school. Even if it was for something as simple as packing my trunk for school.
Dust made my eyes water and sneeze as I retrieved piles of clothes from the hardwood floor and dropped them unceremoniously on my bed. I would fold them later. I continued this monotonous chore until at last, my room was clean and my trunk lay closed, ready to be taken down to King's Cross Station in the morning.
One thing remained that I hadn't decided what to do with. Minnie's gift, an ancient-looking old book that smelled like sour apples and leather, lay on my nightstand. I hadn't opened it since Minnie had shown me how at my birthday dinner, ten days prior.
I was tempted to take it school with me. Fourth year students were required to take Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and Herbology. In addition, we also had to take two extracurriculars. I had immediately signed up for Care of Magical Creatures during the summer when Professor Flitwick had sent out letters in July asking for preferences, but wasn't sure what else to take. Divination had been odd and unfocused in my third year; I had endured a throbbing headache after each class in Professor McKennitt's stuffy classroom filled with incense smoke and heavy perfume. I had written down Study of Ancient Runes as my second choice simply because I had no real interest in Muggle Studies or Arithmancy.
Now, I had the opportunity of using that second extracurricular to understand the strange book Minnie had bequeathed to me.
But each time I thought about bringing the book along with me to school, I felt a twinge of warning. What if I lost the book? Minnie would never forgive me as long as she lived (however long that would be). Additionally, what if the book was somehow stolen or destroyed? I grappled with these turbulent thoughts before deciding to risk it and stacking the book on top of my clothes already inside of my trunk.
At last, it was time for bed. Even though my mind was whirring with endless thoughts about school and my friends, my bod was tired. After I had brushed my teeth and slipped into my pajamas, I was asleep almost as soon as my head touched my pillow.
It was hard to tell how long I had been drifting through subconsciousness when it happened. I became aware of the heavy scent of dark soil and sunless places as it filled my nostrils. I wended my way through tangles of undergrowth, hardly able to see. Brambles and thorns snagged on the hem of my robes. I was wearing my Hogwarts uniform. I tried to peer through the darkness of the trees, but the thick canopy of pines blocked out any ray of sunshine trying to slice through.
It was cold. Shivering, I rubbed my arms together and tripped over a fallen log. My hands were black from the soil of the ground as I rose to my feet again. Before I could wipe them off, I heard a distinct snapping noise behind me. I froze, my heart skipping a beat.
Someone's here. I thought, as I reached for my wand. It was tucked in my belt, just as it should be. I pressed my back to the rough bark of a looming pine tree, listening hard. For a moment, it was silent. And then came the unmistakeable sound of something big crashing through the undergrowth.
Coming for me.
Abandoning my refuge, I pelted through the darkness, barely able to see, my heart in my throat. I could hear the deafening crashing behind me, but I didn't dare look back until I had found shelter. I threw myself down into a hollowed-out cavern underneath a particularly large pine tree and held my breath, shaking.
My pursuer slowed and halted at the edge of the small ravine. From the darkness of my hiding place, I could see it for what it truly was: not some crazed maniac, nor Lord Voldemort or Folsom… but a wolf.
But it wasn't an ordinary wolf. This beast was much larger than a regular wolf, the size of a horse, with a tufted tail and a short snout. Its thick gray fur was bristly and its eyes were pale, electric green. It let out a low, hungry growl and sniffed at the air carried aloft by the ravine. I recognized it for what it was: a werewolf. Terrified, I held my breath.
The wolf's eerily human eyes slowly swiveled around the clearing, and then stopped. The wolf was staring right at me, pinning me to where I crouched, terrified.
Before the wolf could lunge forward, it changed suddenly. It was now a tall, pale man with dark brown hair and an emaciated-looking body. A woman with long white-blond hair walked toward him from the black depths of the forest, her expression unreadable. She came to stop before him. Their faces bent together; their lips met. Just as suddenly, she dropped to his feet, covered in red. A second later, her form morphed into Angelina Azadian. She was just as still and cold as how I'd found her in the forest during the attack on Hogwarts a few months ago. I let out a scream, paralyzed by what I was seeing.
"Amber," a voice whispered beside me. I turned and felt all the breath in my body leave me. Virginia was perched beside me in the earthen cave, her sky-blue eyes boring into mine.
"Amber!"
My eyes snapped open. At first, I didn't know where I was. I could still smell the tang of pine resin, feel the rough needles digging into my flesh as I crouched underneath the tree. But then I realized I was in my warm bed, not the forest, the sheets tangled around my legs. I groaned softly, holding my head in my hands. A moment later, the door swung opened. Mum frowned down at me, her hands in her apron.
"Amber, it's nearly nine! Come on, if you don't hurry you'll miss the Hogwarts Express. We're going to Diagon Alley before King's Cross Station."
"Alright." I mumbled, still too confused about what I had just dreamt.
Mum cleared her throat. "And wash your hands. What have you been doing, playing in the dirt? I've laid out a nice dress for you to wear on your desk. Muggle attire. Hurry up!" She let the door swing shut behind her.
I stared at my hands and felt my stomach drop. My hands were indeed filthy, covered in dark soil. I ripped the white sheets back and found them smeared with dirt and pine needles.
I sat, frozen, the blood pounding in my head. It had to have been a dream. Right?
I looked nervously at the floor and saw dirty footprints tracking towards my bed. Shaking, I leapt out of bed on trembling legs and scrambled to clean up the mess.
Less than fifteen minutes later, I had managed to pull the red-and-black checkered dress over my head Mum had selected for me and thrown my dirty linens into a hamper. I swept the dirt up from the floor and hastily snatched my trunk, scurrying down the narrow stairs as quickly as I could. Mum clucked her tongue as I skidded into the kitchen, breathing hard.
"Aren't you going to do anything with your hair?" She asked critically.
I frowned, touching the wild tangles of blonde hair. "I mean, I guess I am now."
Mum sighed and moved behind me. In less than a minute she had expertly braided the lengths into a fishtail, which hung loosely over one shoulder. Naomi appeared in the kitchen doorway, looking apprehensive.
"Come on, darling, or your sister will miss her train." Mum said sharply as Naomi let out a huge yawn. "We still need to visit Madame Malkin's."
"But I'm tired, Mummy," Naomi protested. "How come I have to go?"
"Because you're not old enough to stay home by yourself." Mum told her as we approached the fire place. Mum offered me the brass pot full of silvery powder. Still reeling from my nightmarish dream (and wondering whether or not it had been real or just a dream), I took a handful of Floo Powder and strode into the hearth. "Diagon Alley." I said uncertainly as the green flames rushed up and engulfed me. My world spun and I caught flashes of buildings and houses before I shut my eyes to fight off the rising nausea. A moment later, I was disgorged into the busy alleyway of Diagon Alley, filled with last-minute shoppers toting large trunks and shopping bags. Mum and Naomi bumped into me a moment later. Mum had Naomi's small hand clenched in hers and was hustling her toward Madame Malkins. I hastened after them, still trying to gather my bearings, feeling as if someone had just woken me from a long period of hibernation. My legs ached, as if I'd been hiking for hours. There was a distinct air of tension as the last-minute shoppers tried to complete their missions before the Hogwarts Express departed. I recognized several fellow students as Mum rushed into Madam Malkin's. My arm was already sore from dragging my heavy drunk behind me.
Madame Malkin's was filled with racks of robes and dresses and a few tuxedos that lined the back wall. Mirrors stationed on every wall gave the store the illusion of much bigger store. Mum plowed onward to find Madame Malkin, who was nowhere to be seen.
I was looking at the price tag on a set of unmarked Quidditch robes ("customizable for any number or name of your choice!", the tag read, for ten Galleons) when I felt a sharp tug on my wrist. I whipped around, the dream still painfully fresh in my mind, my wand drawn, and saw nothing. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. I did not like the feeling that I was being watched.
"Blimey, put your wand away!" A familiar voice hissed, and my mouth fell open. I squinted, trying to find the owner of the voice, when I was grabbed by the waist from behind. I let out a yelp as my trunk clattered to the floor and I was enveloped underneath a large cloak.
"James Potter!" I gasped as Sirius sniggered beside him. "What… why…"
"You're jumpier than ever, you know," James said in an amused voice as his face swam into focus. He and Sirius, like Remus, had grown taller over the summer, and their voices sounded slightly garbled and cracked, like an out of tune piano. They had a stretched, pinched look of those who had grown very quickly in a very short space of time. James' Invisibility Cloak, which had once been able to easily accommodate three or four first year students underneath it, now clearly exposed our ankles beneath the hem.
"I have good reason to be." I said dryly, keeping my voice low. I was trying to spot Mum, but she was evidently still tracking down Madame Malkin.
"What are you doing in here, anyway?" I asked quickly, annoyed that they had tried to scare me and succeeded.
"We were on our way to Florean Fortescue's but saw you booking it inside of this place, so we decided to have a little fun instead." Sirius answered devilishly. "Remus and Peter were going to meet us there."
I knew he was watching my face for a reaction. I kept my face schooled blank at the mention of Remus's name, even though I could feel heat creep into my cheeks. "That's nice. But I'm sure Florean would chase you two out with a broom the moment you tried to come in."
"And why would he do that?" James asked incredulously, though he looked like he knew exactly why.
I rolled my eyes. "Maybe because you two ate your way through three gallons of ice cream last fall and puked all over his floor afterward?"
"We paid him!" James objected.
"Plus, we were doing a bet." Sirius added, as if that excused everything.
"You two are impossible." I muttered, keeping careful watch for Mum. "Feel like helping me escape?"
"Not a fan of comfortably-fitting dress robes?" James asked as Mum reappeared, looking hassled.
"Not a fan of my Mum sometimes." I replied.
"Amber?" Mum called out.
"We need to talk to you." Sirius said urgently, looking excited. "About how your transformation is coming along."
"What do you-" I began to ask, but James cut me off, sounding exasperated.
"Becoming an Animagi, Harkstone! Honestly, for a Ravenclaw, you're quite slow."
I smacked his arm and ducked out from under the Invisibility Cloak and almost banged into Mum. She threw her hands into the air. "Good Heavens! Where have you been? I swear, you just appeared out of thin air!"
"Uh…" I looked at the Quidditch robes beside me. "Looking at new uniforms. If I ever get any taller, I'll need new ones."
Mum observed me critically. "I don't think you'll be growing much taller, dear. I stopped growing at fifteen and you're fourteen now."
"Great," I muttered darkly. "Being five foot four inches for life. Sounds wonderful."
"Mum's taller than you by a whole inch!" Naomi giggled.
"Talking American, are you?" Madam Malkin tutted, striding over with a long roll of measuring tape. She laid the thin rope against my arms and had me straighten up and stretch. She nodded once. "I'm sure I have a new shipment in now, Lena. I'll be right back."
"Thank you, Chavelle." Mum said to Madam Malkin, who trotted to the back of the store. I knew James and Sirius were right behind me and hoped Mum wouldn't bring up anything embarrassing. But to my horror, she did.
"So," Mum said, trying to sound casual, but there was a note of forcing herself to speak about something unpleasant in her voice. "I couldn't help noticing two boys at your birthday party. Remus and Sean, right? They seemed very interested in you."
"Oh no." I moaned. "Mum, please, I've got the situation handled. I don't need any advice-"
"But you do." Mum cut me off. Somehow Naomi had disappeared and I glimpsed her gaping in awe at colorful formal robes on the opposite side of the store. Desperately, I tried to signal her over, but her back was turned to me, and I knew I was in for it.
"Now, I know at your age, new feelings and emotions are coming up." Mum plowed on, and I could feel my face reddening like a ripening tomato. "And it's normal to feel… certain things. Boyfriends can be a lot of fun, but there's a big difference about what dating people do and what married people do."
"Mum. Do we really need to do this here?" I squeaked, and I could hear James and Sirius sniggering quietly behind me.
Mum took a deep breath. "I want to give you a few pointers about boys. I'm your mother; it's my duty."
"No, Mum, really, it's okay." I said desperately, wondering what on Earth could be making Madam Malkin take so long with my blasted formal robe.
"You don't want to do certain things." Mum said loudly, as if she hadn't heard me. "When the hands start reaching around and feeling things… you don't want to do that. When boys whisper in your ear all those sweet nothings… you don't want to do that either! Those nothings might turn into something."
I couldn't even speak. I was too horrified.
"Holding hands, kissing… you don't want to do that. No tongue, you should be married first. No pretty hair, and don't get too close." She hesitated, and then added, "did I ever tell you about how you were conceived?"
"Are you kidding me?" I managed, wanting to sink into the floor and die.
"Here we are!" Madam Malkin exclaimed, sweeping over with a silvery-blue robe. "I'm afraid I'm all out of black for another few months, completely sold out. But look at this beauty! You'll stand out from the crowd in this lovely robe. It's made of Egyptian cotton and Puffskein fur. Touch it!"
Face flaming, I did with a quick motion. I couldn't look at Madam Malkin, knowing she had probably overhead some of Mum's awful attempt at the dreaded "talk".
"We'll take it." She said happily. They exchanged coins at the front while I unwillingly followed, knowing James and Sirius were dogging my every step.
Madam Malkin folded up the robe in tissue paper. I snatched the bag and said, "I think I can get to the station from here, Mum."
"Nonsense, I'm escorting you to the Platform. Naomi?"
"No, really, Mum, I can find my own way." I didn't remind her that she had left me to my own devices two years prior after we'd had a nasty row.
"I'm taking my daughter to King's Cross Station. That's my final word." Mum gave me her infamous scowl and I knew if I didn't agree, she'd never let it go. Summoning my reserves of patience and willpower, I let Mum lead the way out of the store with Naomi's hand in hers. Thankfully, she did not broach the subject of boys again because of Naomi's presence.
King's Cross Station was full of anxious students and parents. I noticed that security had been drastically increased. Two beefy guards dressed in Muggle attire stood erect beside Platform 9 ¾. There was a long line of people waiting to cross the barrier, but first it looked like they had to pass through several security checkpoints, including being scanned, probed, and frisked by several Ministry officials.
"Can't Muggles see?" I whispered to Mum, filled with misgivings.
"Oh, I doubt it." Mum assured me, but she was frowning. We joined the back of the line. A family of four filed into place behind us. I had reclaimed my trunk and squeezed the handle nervously as we slowly moved forward. I wondered how James and Sirius would fare with all of the security measures in place. Sure enough, I caught sight of them appearing near the end of the line, a good fifteen feet behind us, the Invisibility Cloak stowed away.
"Are they going to let us in?" Naomi worried as we approached the barrier that separated our world from the Muggle world.
"Of course." Mum told her confidently, but I knew she wasn't being completely open with her true feelings. I could see my concern reflected in her sky blue eyes; Virginia's eyes.
Just like that, I was transported back to my vivid dream and the reality of my dirty hands and sheets. I hadn't seen my sister as clearly as I had in my dream since she had been alive. I hadn't seen her face since the photograph in her file, the same file I'd retrieved the day I had stolen Folsom's file from Orion Black's office over a year ago.
A sudden wave of panic flooded over me, inexplicable and powerful. I took several deep breaths, trying to still my racing heart.
I'm fine. I told myself, despite my body's protests, which made me feel like I had just missed several steps going down a flight of stairs. And then I smelled it: that cloying, sickeningly sweet perfume that had always heralded the arrival of my least favorite person.
I turned my head a fraction of an inch and stared into the eyes of one of the Ministry officials standing near the line. Except that staring back at me through piercing, freezing blue eyes was Folsom, the vampire after my blood.
I barely managed to hold back a scream. I had drawn my wand so fast that my trunk went clattering to the ground. Several people shouted in alarm as I whipped back my arm to cast a Shield Charm, but then someone touched my arm and said, "Amber!"
I shut my eyes tightly and reopened them a split second later. Mum was shaking my arm again, hard enough to rattle my teeth. Her face was strained, her brows knit together in apprehension. I felt very dizzy all of a sudden; Mum steadied me with a soft cry of alarm.
"Amber! Oh, dear. Amber, darling. Have you had enough water to drink? You look as pale as a ghost. Here, Naomi, take her trunk. No, sir, please! She's not causing trouble. She's ill!"
I opened my eyes to blurred vision. In front of me was a pair of two Ministry officials, looking tense. My eyes flew to the face of the official who had been Folsom. Except it wasn't. It was a stranger. He had slowly drawn his wand, looking heavily at me.
"I'm sorry." I mumbled, a solid throbbing pulsating painfully behind my eyes. My vision went hazier for a moment before I let out a soft moan of pain. "I think I need to sit down." Had I just hallucinated?
"She needs to be on the Express." Mum fussed. "She needs water. Hurry! Oh, for goodness' sakes. I'm a mother! Hurry up!"
In spite of my splitting headache, it was a relief and almost a laugh to hear Mum chastising others and barking orders. It made for a nice change.
We made it through security without any further furor. I kept my eyes narrowed against the bright lights of Platform 9 ¾, aware that Mum and Naomi were right beside me. And then two more figures materialized with familiar voices: James and Sirius.
"We'll take her on board." James assured my Mum in a tone dripping with politeness and formalities.
"And make sure she gets plenty of cold water." Sirius added graciously. I would have laughed at their stark change in manners if I hadn't felt like my head was in a vice.
"Are you friends of hers?" Mum asked uncertainly.
"Of course we are!" Sirius simpered.
"Practically her brothers." James said slickly, and I let out a small cough of indignation.
"Come on, this standing up won't do." Sirius insisted, and I felt Mum and Naomi give me light hugs. I was spirited away up into the cool quiet of the train and opened my eyes wider. It was much dimmer than the bright cavernous space of Platform 9 ¾, and as Sirius and James helped me sit down, I felt a wave of relief take some of the edge off of the pain.
"Blimey, Harkstone, you look bloody awful." James muttered as he shoved a cold water bottle into my hand. I weakly took a sip.
"Looks like you've seen a ghost." Sirius said, sounding half-impressed, half-concerned.
I took several more sips of water before answering either of them. There was a strange buzzing noise in my ears that made it hard to concentrate on speaking. "I thought… I thought I saw Folsom."
Sirius and James froze. "Folsom… as in the vampire Folsom? The one who hates you more than sunlight and garlic combined?"
"Yes." I managed, shutting my eyes and leaning back against the wall.
"Do you think it was really him?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know." I muttered, wishing they would shut up. "All I know is that my head hurts." I didn't want to confide in them that I was having a hard time telling dream from reality as of late.
There was a pause. "Didn't Dumbledore say something about Folsom being a skilled Legilimens?" James said uncertainly.
"Maybe." I whispered. The whining noise was reaching a louder pitch, making me wince.
"Drink more water." James urged.
But I couldn't. All I could see were flashing images I had seen in my dream. I was running through a dark forest, being pursued by a giant wolf. And then a pale man with dark hair and eyes was kissing a blonde-haired woman who dropped dead at his feet and morphed into the corpse of Angelina.
"Amber." Virginia had said before Mum had woken me. Panting, feeling as if my head was about to explode, I reached up with trembling hands and found my necklace and squeezed.
"Make it stop." I begged to no one in particular. To my great amazement, the buzzing noise ceased at once. My head - which had felt like it was being compressed together - was freed from its pressure. I blinked, sitting up straight, nearly sloshing water over the top of the bottle in my hand.
"Blimey," James said, pulling back. "What was that all about?"
I glanced uncertainly down at the necklace resting innocently on my chest. Had it been mere coincidence that when I had asked for help, the necklace had been clutched in my hand? Or was there something more to it?
Sirius had followed my gaze. He was studying the talisman with interest. "Where did you get that?"
"It was a present from my sister." I told him. "Virginia. Right before she passed."
Sirius's gray eyes connected with mine. I had forgotten that he had grown up in a house that looked like a shrine to the Dark Arts. "Where did she get this?"
I chewed my lip. "She didn't say."
Sirius leaned back, looking troubled. "Have you ever heard of Bourgin and Burke's?"
I had. In fact, a year ago, Remus and I had snuck into Knockturn Alley and witnessed Professor Smith buying something inside. Only recently had I learned she was buying a Dark object, a Life Clock, for her partner at the Ministry, Alastor Moody.
"Yes, I have. But come on, Sirius. Dumbledore told me this necklace wasn't anything special. A copy of the original." I remembered Professor Smith warning me to keep the information about the necklace private, since Folsom was likely after the object. I closed my mouth, afraid to say anymore.
James and Sirius were too bright for their own good, and noticed my sudden silence. "That's not just an ordinary necklace, then?" James asked shrewdly.
I groaned. "I'm just glad you aren't talking about my Mum."
They took the bait instantly. They collapsed into raucous laughter. "Your mum could write a book about the dragons and the pixies!" James crowed. "That was… oh, I don't even know."
"Better than eating three gallons of ice cream." Sirius said.
"Better than Harkstone punching Angelina in the face last year!" James shouted back gleefully.
"Better than what?" Remus asked, halfway through the compartment door. The moment I saw him, my heart broke into a frantic sprint, pounding against my ribs. I quickly averted my gaze to the window, watching the monotonous brick wall of Platform 9 ¾. This compartment was alongside the wall, not the platform where families and students milled around.
"Hey, Moony!" James shouted, jumping to his feet and hugging him. He clapped Remus on the back, grinning. "Blimey, you've grown too, huh?"
"You all have." I muttered, not wanting to look at them. I saw Peter scurry in after Remus, looking flustered.
"How come it took you so long to get here?" Sirius demanded as Remus sat down across from me. I made a point not to look at him, my face hot, the memory of our brief kiss back in June still burned fresh in my mind.
"Security's been upped considerably." Remus informed him. "Didn't want to let me through with my medication. They weren't sure it was mine."
"What medication?" James asked, leaning forward. I watched from the corner of my eye as Remus pulled out a dark blue glass bottle from his robes.
"It's wolfsbane pills," he told us, "it's very new to the market, just cleared by the Ministry this August. They're supposed to help ease some of the pain of my condition."
"Your furry little problem." James supplied, and Sirius snickered. Remus smiled, stowing the bottle away. Peter looked anxious as ever.
"What's wrong with you, Pete?" Sirius asked genially. "Motion sickness?"
"Well," Remus said uncomfortably as Peter shook his head, looking downwards, "unfortunately, a Ministry official thought Peter might be trying to sneak in contraband aboard the train. So he had a Probity Probe stuck up his-"
"Well, well, well." A cool voice said, cutting off Remus. "Isn't this interesting."
The five of us looked up. Standing in the compartment doorway were three Slytherins, each looking ominously down at us in turn. I recognized the faces of Logan Avery, Edward Nott, and shockingly, Regulus Black. The latter looked as haughty as the first day I'd met him, two years ago. Sirius clenched his fists, rising from his seat.
"What do you want?" Sirius asked bluntly, drawing his wand. I noticed Avery pull out his own in response.
"Why don't we all just calm down?" Avery said smoothly. His dark eyes slid to me, pinning me to my seat. "I only want to speak to this one."
"You can't." Remus said immediately, his face stony.
"I wasn't aware she needed your permission." Avery said lightly. His gaze never left mine. "We have some… 'business' we need to discuss with you, Harkstone."
"Anything you can say to her can be said to all of us." James interrupted stoutly, and I was touched by their protectiveness and loyalty.
I met Avery's gaze squarely. In spite of how sick I had felt earlier, I felt only powerful rage boiling underneath my calm facade, driving me to my feet. "Alright. What do you want?"
"We need to speak to you alone." Nott reminded me, his face set. Remus started to rise.
"Fine." I answered coldly. I was immediately met with protests.
"You can't!" James spluttered. "Are you mental?"
"Amber, no." Remus said firmly.
"I don't want you going anywhere with that." Sirius spat, glaring at his little brother with venom.
"If they had anything contraband or Dark, don't you think security would have found it?" I asked the group at large, and an uncertain silence followed my words.
"I don't want you going alone with them." Remus said again. Avery raised a brow.
"Are you two going steady now? Careful, Harkstone. I hear his kind bite."
"Enough." I said coldly, drawing my wand. "If I'm not back in five minutes, you can come for me."
Remus opened his mouth to object, but I swept out of the compartment, following the three Slytherins down the narrow hall of the immobile train. I wasn't sure why I agreed to speak with them; a part of my mind screamed: What are you doing?! You know what this lot gets up to. Run! Fire! RUN!
But another part of me wondered exactly how close to the fire I could get before I got burned. The curiosity won over the outcry of my better judgment, and I followed them inside of a vacant compartment. The moment they locked the door, I instinctively cast a Shield Charm, strong enough to repel them all backwards a few steps.
"Is that really necessary?" Avery shouted through the shimmering barrier.
I glared at him through it. "You have five minutes. Start talking."
"The Shield Charm goes away first." He snapped.
"Give me one reason to think you might hurt me…" I let the threat trail off. I let the Shield Charm dissipate. The Slytherins sat down. Avery gestured for me to sit, but I remained standing.
"Please, sit." He said graciously, but his dark eyes were black pits of obsidian.
"I'd rather stand, thanks." I replied coldly.
"Have it your way." He said indifferently, spreading his hands. I noticed all of them had their sleeves up to their wrists, concealing their forearms. I frowned, wondering if they were hiding Dark Marks beneath them.
"So," Avery began, and I noticed Nott flex his arms slightly, "obviously, we've had some issues in the past. And you're probably wondering why we'd like to speak to you in private."
"If you call terrorizing and torturing me 'issues', then yeah, you're correct." I growled.
A muscle in Avery's jaw twitched, but he remained calm. "You've probably noticed Mulciber is no longer a part of our company."
"Yeah, using the Cruciatus Curse on a fellow student tends to burn some bridges." I said sarcastically. Nott swore under his breath.
"My friend Nott here thinks this is pointless, but I'm acting on orders. If you wouldn't mind remaining silent until I'm done speaking, I'd appreciate."
I raised my brow in disbelief. "After all that you've done, you think I should do you a favor?"
"I'm not denying past circumstances." Avery said. "But we're short on time. So, please, humor us."
Even though I felt like giving them all a good Bat-Bogey Hex, I folded my arms across my chest and narrowed my eyes in my best Mum impression I could muster. "I'm listening."
There was a beat of silence. Then Avery cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot with you, Amber. May I call you Amber?"
"Absolutely not." I snapped.
He spread his hands. "Alright, Harkstone. We've had our differences in the past four years, I understand that. But we would never condone the use of any Unforgivable Curse on anyone."
I knew he was lying, but I was interested in why they had been so keen to speak to me alone. I frowned, listening.
"You're one of the brightest students at Hogwarts. Wasting your time with blokes like Potter, Black and Lupin won't get you anywhere in life. I heard a rumor that you were a Hatstall. May I ask what House you were almost Sorted into other than Ravenclaw?"
I fought against a twinge of panic. How had they known I was a Hatstall? There was no way they could have known. Unless, someone had told them. But who?
My fingernails bit into my palms as I gave a curt nod. "Gryffindor."
I could tell by their looks that they didn't entirely believe me. "Not Slytherin?"
"No." I answered flatly.
"Regardless," Avery continued, "your prowess and skills have attracted the attention of our… what will you call it… 'society'. I know we've had some major differences in our past, but I think we can all agree we're united towards one common goal."
"That goal being?" I asked tartly.
"Surely you must have at least guessed. No? Well, it's quite simple, really. Once, wizards lived above Muggles. As an accomplished student, you know that we had to go into hiding many years ago. Our belief is merely that wizards should re-emerge from their unfair secrecy and resume leadership in the world."
His words were carefully crafted to sound as appealing as possible, but I could see right through them as if they were glass. "So you're saying you want domination over Muggles?"
"I'd put it another way, but yes," Avery surmised. "Nott and I are in our last year at Hogwarts, but Regulus here is a year under you and he's proven to be very much in support of this goal. You're a brilliant and beautiful witch, and your mind and skills would be richly rewarded by Lord Voldemort."
I felt a chill race up my spine that had nothing to do with the cool temperature in the compartment. That name had been labeled Unspeakable since early summer, and I hadn't heard it mentioned since Dad had forbidden it. I stared into their faces, shaking my head.
"You honestly thought I'd be stupid enough to believe you lot?" I said in a low voice, quivering with fury. "I know what you've been up to all these years. You're all in league with You-Know-Who. And I know you're responsible for the attack on Platform 9 ¾ last year. And you probably had something to do with what happened at the Hufflepuff Games, too."
Avery shook his head. "You'll so readily believe Pettigrew? He's a known liar and coward. He belongs in Hufflepuff, if anything. Do you really believe him because you think he's being honest, or do you believe him because you've been searching for an excuse to hate us?"
I opened my mouth to protest, but Nott spoke, cutting across Avery. "She doesn't trust us because of Folsom."
"He's a vampire!" I blurted, fully aware that they would be well-aware of this fact.
"As Lupin is a werewolf." Avery countered, lifting his brows at my stunned expression. "Oh yes, we've known for awhile now. Once you take N.E.W.T. level Care of Magical Creatures, you'll learn to clearly recognize signs of a werewolf, among other creatures."
"Remus is not a creature! He's a person!" I snarled.
"Folsom is far different than you'd think," Avery added. "He has a horrific temper. I won't deny that. But he answers to Lord Voldemort. If you agree to ally yourself with us, he'll abandon his quest for vengeance against you. You'll be completely forgiven and safe from harm."
His words were like carefully thrown darts, slicing through the weak spots in my armor. I knew I was staring at him, knew that my mouth had dropped open slightly. I also knew that I had to get out of here - now. His words stirred up a confusing swirl of emotions, including temptation.
"One last thing," Avery said casually as my hand found the compartment door latch, "we've been asked to offer you a trade."
"A trade?" I asked warily, turning slightly to connect gazes again.
"Certainly." Avery nodded to Nott, who produced a sealed envelope. He handed it to me. I raised a brow.
"Open it." Avery instructed, but I was instantly on the defensive.
"Why?" I asked suspiciously. "What's going to curse me when I open it?"
"Nothing." Avery said, spreading his hands. "Go on, test it. But hurry. We're running out of time."
I tapped my wand tip to the top of the letter. "Specilis revelio!"
But nothing happened. Whatever was inside wasn't harmful.
Never taking my eyes off of them, I tore open the envelope and glanced at what was inside. I felt shock well up inside of me, chasing away my apprehension and replacing it with fury.
Two years ago, I had taken an illegal dose of Polyjuice Potion (for the second time in a year) and disguised myself as Regulus Black, who was sitting just feet away from me. Sirius and I had ventured into Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place in search of answers concerning Folsom, who I had suspected was a vampire and a supporter of the Dark Arts. Inside of his father's study, we had unearthed a cache of confidential Ministry of Magic files on several witches and wizards. I had found my own family, including myself, cataloged inside, but had only taken Folsom and Virginia's file with me. I had thought I had safely hidden her file in the depths of my room. I had chosen to hide her letter-sized file inside of my Bible, which had rested for years on my bookshelf, along with many other books.
So how on earth could I be holding that exact same file now? How had it been inside of the sealed letter they had given me just now?
"Did you ever read it?" Avery asked quietly, and I fought hard to keep myself from hexing all of them.
Shaking, I faced him, glowering. "How did you get this?"
"That's not the point." Avery said dismissively. "I bet you didn't even read everything in the file. In fact, there's a whole stash of secret information inside of that sheaf. I have been given the password to access that information by a certain someone."
His gaze flickered for the tiniest moment to Regulus. I snapped my attention to Sirius's little brother, who met my gaze with haughty defiance. He wasn't nearly as handsome as his older brother, but carried himself with more pride and arrogance, if that was even possible.
"Your father told you how to unlock it, didn't he?" I ground out, feeling invaded on every level. "How can the Ministry…"
"What the Ministry does and does not do isn't my concern right now." Avery interrupted. "Mulciber is gone. He was excommunicated from our circle the moment he used the Cruciatus Curse on you. However, time is short, and I'll give you ten seconds to decide. Your necklace for your sister's file."
"That file doesn't belong to you!" I snapped, filled with white-hot rage.
"Or you." Regulus sniffed. "You stole it from my father's office, remember?"
A confusing mixture of shame and indignant anger flooded through my veins. Shaking my head, I pressed down on the latch and prepared to leave.
"Haven't you ever wondered why your sister died?" Avery called. "Why she was so sick?"
I froze. Minnie had uttered similar words not even two weeks ago. She claimed to have possible knowledge on why she had died of that unnamed illness, and why Dad gave up a promising career in Quidditch to work at the Ministry of Magic.
But Minnie was family. She may have been nutty, but these boys had always given me a warning prickle on the back of my neck since the first time I had seen them cavorting at the Slytherin table. With a jolt, I realized that day had been the very first day that Regulus had attended Hogwarts, the first sign of trouble brewing.
I wasn't sure how he had become mixed up with these supporters of the Dark Arts. After touring Sirius's house, it was easy to see that his parents were clear proponents of the Dark Arts and the idea of magic over Muggles. It made me ache to think that had Sirius extended a more brotherly hand to Regulus, he may have never found validation with these Slytherins. It hurt to think that had he cared for his younger brother as I had cared for Virginia, Regulus could have been spared the corrosive company of these boys.
But worst of all, it scared me how much I wanted to take off the necklace and hand it over for that file. Hadn't I always wanted to know the truth, the real truth, behind Virginia's death, ever since she had died? What was the harm, if this necklace was just a fake copy?
I made my decision quickly, before I could ponder it any further.
"I'm not interested in your snake oil." I flashed, raising my chin a notch. "And I'd appreciate it if you don't ever speak to me again."
Avery's eyes glittered, but Nott shook his head, grimacing. "I told you she wouldn't budge." He said sourly.
"You leave me little choice." Avery said quietly. I thought I saw him reach for his wand, but before I could, the door was wrenched open and James, Sirius, and Remus pushed their way inside, all three holding their wands out.
Regulus, Nott, and Avery were outnumbered and outskilled. Looking thunderous, Avery stowed his wand without a word, his dark eyes cold and calculating.
"Time's up." James said in a tone that I had never heard before. It sounded older and sharper, like it belonged to a commander in an army. Remus tugged me out, his lip trembling in what looked like a partial snarl.
"What was that all about?" Sirius demanded as he slammed the door shut, never looking at his little brother. "Are you alright?"
I shook my head slightly, trying to clear it. We made our way back to the compartment, Peter still occupying it. He was biting his nails, which I noticed were already raw to the quick. He looked up with beady blue eyes at our arrival, inhaling sharply.
"Did they hurt you? Oh, I'm so glad you're alright, Amber. I was so worried! I wanted to save our compartment in case someone else tried to come in-"
"Give it a rest, Wormtail," James advised, and Peter shut his mouth as if I'd used Langlock on him. The boys sat down tensely. Remus dropped down beside me, tangling his hands together, radiating nervous energy. I bit my lip, staring at the floor. The train had not yet moved, even though it had to be nearly eleven.
"What happened?" Sirius asked more urgently.
I sighed heavily, rubbing a hand to my jaw. I couldn't stop thinking about how they'd had the file that I'd had in my room, all the way back in Bellinghall. How had they obtained it? And why did they want my necklace?
"Amber?" Remus prompted gently.
I found my water bottle and took a long pull from it before answering. The boys were leaning in close, the anticipation clear on their expectant faces. Peter's watery eyes kept darting to the door, as if he was afraid they would come back.
"They wanted me to make a deal with them." I said. "A trade. My necklace for my sister's file." I explained what had happened, what they had told me about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and their ideology. When I told them about how they'd offered to give me a clean slate with Folsom in exchange for my allegiance, Sirius swore loudly and James jumped to his feet, pacing.
"So, what, they're recruiting for the Dark Arts now, are they?" James said, agitated. "I thought security had been tightened tenfold."
"You've got to tell Dumbledore about this." Remus said urgently. "As soon as we get to Hogwarts. He's got to know this kind of loyalty to the Dark Arts is still festering in some students."
"And why didn't you tell us your necklace was special?" Sirius added. "I mean, it is, isn't it? That's why they're after it."
"I have to pee." Peter whispered.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, striving for patience. I felt badgered by all of these boys, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike, and wished Lily was here instead. "Look, I've told you everything I can. It's been hard to stay in contact over the summer with everything that's been going on. Dumbledore said my necklace is just a copy of the real thing, the one that You-Know-Who's after. And I guess Folsom wants it for him."
"Must be, because they offered you a fresh start in Folsom's eyes." James muttered. "But come on. They can't think you're that daft. A bloke like Folsom doesn't forgive."
"Unless he's ordered to." I muttered darkly, unconsciously fingering the necklace. I couldn't help but wonder how many others were being offered rewards or exchanges for their service to the Dark Lord. It couldn't be just me.
"They'll go after Professor Smith next, I'll bet you anything." Sirius said. "I mean, she used to be a Death Eater, right? She's got tons of knowledge about the Dark Arts and about our side. I mean, they kind of knew what to offer you, right? You were tempted, weren't you?"
I twisted my fingers together uncomfortably, feeling Remus's gaze trained on me. I refused to meet his eyes. "Yeah, they did. But I turned them down!"
"Yeah, but what if they offer Professor Smith something similar?" Sirius argued. "I mean, a lady like that's got to have a lot of skeletons in the closet. Who knows what she'll do."
"Dumbledore trusts her." I flared up, defensive of my teacher. "I trust her."
Sirius shrugged. James chewed on the end of a sugar quill he'd produced from his bag. "I think," James said, gnawing, "we need to perfect our transformations into Animagus. We'll be that much safer with an animal form as well as our human ones." His serious expression shifted to a sly one, and he stage whispered aloud, "so, what d'you reckon you'll become?"
I stared at him in disbelief as Sirius said, "I bet Peter's going to be something small, like a ferret. Right, Wormtail?"
"Why Wormtail?" Remus asked, frowning.
"He sprouted a wormy tail this summer! Accidentally." Sirius added hastily. "Side-effect of becoming an Animagus."
"My eyes turned yellow." I said quietly, remembering the shock of their reflection in my bathroom mirror.
"Some kind of bird, I reckon," James said thoughtfully. "I think I'll be something large and horned. Maybe a stag. Or an Irish elk."
I shook my head, feeling whiplash from the abrupt change in direction of our discussion. I couldn't fathom how these teenage boys could alter the flow of our dialogue so quickly. My mind was still flooded with the events of my dream, which I wanted to share with them in addition to the discourse I had shared with the Slytherin boys.
But before I could, the compartment door rattled open again. Instead of Avery, Nott, and Regulus, there was a beautiful girl with long red hair and almond-shaped green eyes standing there, and just behind her, a pale, sour-faced boy with curtains of greasy black hair hiding his face.
"Oh, Amber! I've been looking for you everywhere. Come on, I've found one last empty compartment but we'll lose it if we don't hurry. Nice to see you, Remus, Peter." She tipped her head forward, pretending that James and Sirius didn't even exist. James's face had flooded pink at her arrival, his mouth slightly open.
I rose from my seat. Just then, a warning whistle pierced the air. The train was about to depart.
"Coming," I said quickly, giving one last appraising look at the others. "I'll see you later."
"Stay." I thought I heard Remus say, but before I could turn around, Lily pulled me out by the wrists and let the compartment door slide shut behind her. The train lurched forward as we made our way into an empty compartment, Severus plopping down with a most unhappy expression on his pale face.
"So, before we talk, I've been told to give you this." Lily presented me with a small roll of parchment, tied shut with a puffy little violet ribbon. I took it apprehensively.
"Who's it from?" I asked uneasily.
Lily shrugged. "You'll see. Just open it! Sean and I pulled some strings and well… you can thank me later. Read it."
Filled with trepidation, I loosened the bow and read through the lines of fancy calligraphy written across the parchment.
Amber,
It is my pleasure and privilege to inform you that your outstanding academic record and your extraordinary talent on the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team makes you eligible for membership in the Slug Club, the exclusive honor society at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
On behalf of the Slug Club, I invite you to attend the first meeting of the school year, tomorrow evening at six p.m. in my office. Dress is informal. The Slug Club provides numerous benefits, opportunities, connections, and privileges available only to its members. I look forward to getting to know you better tomorrow evening. Welcome to the Slug Club!
Sincerely,
Professor H.E.F. Slughorn
"We both got in!" Lily exclaimed, face glowing. "Sev too!"
I looked over at Severus, plastering a smile to my face. "Congratulations."
Severus rolled his eyes. "Bite me." He said sourly.
It was going to be a long ride back to Hogwarts.