Professor McGonagall was still gripping my left shoulder as she steered me into her dimly lit office. The first thing I spotted as she pushed me into a stiff armchair was the sorting hat, sitting high atop a shelf in what looked to be a peaceful slumber. It must be nice being a hat.
Professor McGonagall sat down at her desk and, folding her hands, stared me down.
"Wisteria. Do you know what has happened to your mother?"
I wasn't sure why she was asking me this.
I nodded. "She is missing..."
Professor McGonagall cut me off.
"The Ministry of Magic suspects foul play involving your father. But, Wisteria, I knew both of your parents and this is most certainly unlike them. Your father may have been a trouble maker, but he would never leave his only daughter. I've been suspecting this ever since before you were born -you musn't tell anyone this- but I think the Ministry knows exactly where your father is. "
I wasn't sure how to respond to this.
"So...what does this mean for my mum?" I asked timidly.
"I believe that if we locate your father, we will find your mother, and to locate you father we need the ministry's cooperation, and heavens forbid that could take years."
I was more confused then ever.
"They've known-"
"Yes, I'm fairly confident they've known, but now is not the time for questions, Wisteria. I'm afraid that if we want to find your mother, you're going to have to stay out of it, do you understand me?"
I nodded.
"Now, go back to your classes and leave this up to the Ministry."
I nodded and left, but going over the conversation on my way down the corridors, I still did not understand. And now more than anything, I wanted to find my father.
I needed a partner in crime, someone who knew their stuff. Someone who knew about Lord Voldmort, my father, and who knew what the Ministry knew. Now the trouble was, the only person I knew of was Luna Lovegood.
I had first met Luna Lovegood at the Burrow one summer when I was around six years old. I remember liking her right away. She was about my mothers age, but much more fun. I remember seeing all the grown-ups sitting around a table and drinking tea over intelligent conversation- but Luna Lovegood was out in the field, catching fireflies with her two young children, one who was about my age.
Jenny Longbottom became one of my good friends during my first year at Hogwarts. She was like her mother, a dreamer, although her voice was not quite as iridescent. Then, the year that my cousin Evelyn started Hogwarts was the year that Serena Longbottom, Jenny's younger sister, started school. Serena was much more like her father, Neville, according to the stories my mother told. She was shy and timid and clumsy but incredibly sweet. With these new friendships, Luna Lovegood and her family seemed to be around my house a lot.
That was when I learned that behind Luna Lovegoods' dreamy and playful exterior, by day she did a dangerous job. She worked in the Department of Mysteries. Obviously she was not an unspeakable, but I knew that if she revealed anything about her work she would most certainly be fired.
And that was the problem. If I could gain the help of Luna Lovegood, I could find my father, maybe even finish my stupid essay in time. But she could not help me. At least, not yet.
It took a whole day for me to fully realize the horrible truth about my mum. It was the day after the news first apppeared in the Daily Prophet and it was a Saturday, a Hogsmeade trip. I woke up early, too early in fact. The sun had not yet risen and the four other girls in my dorm were fast asleep. I stayed in my bed for five long minutes, wishing myself to fall back into a peaceful slumber, but it did not happen. Giving up, I got out of bed and decided to get dressed for the Hogsmeade trip.
After I washed my freckled face and brushed my reddish hair I descended down the spiral staircase into the Common Room, where I sat down into my favorite armchair near the burned out fire.
"Good Morning."
"Wha-" I jumped, looking around. Of course, it was Eamon Finnigan. Sitting in the corner behind me with his stack of loose papers and a quill.
"Er...morning." I said, turning to face him. There was an awkward silence. I had to think of something to say. I spotted his quill, poised in mid-air, ready to write.
"Are you working on the essay?" I asked.
"Nope. Just writing. But I do have a lot of information that you might want to know." He said.
"About Harry Potter?" I asked.
"Obviously. " He said, raising his eyebrows.
I pulled a chair over to where he sat and looked over his notes. He had the same basic information that the library books did. Harry Potter's birth-date, death-date, when he went to Hogwarts... I felt like this was never enough. I knew then that I somehow had to ask Aunt Ginny.
"Wisteria, I heard about your mother," he said, "I'm sorry. Are you worried?"
I didn't know. Was I worried? Of course I was scared and wanted my mum back. Without her I had nobody. But somehow the fact that her disappearance had something to do with my father made me want them to both be found.
"You know what? I want her to be found, of course...but I'm not that worried. I just really...I really want to meet my father." I said finally.
"My mum told me she dated your dad in her 6th year, but he was a really bad kisser. " He said suddenly.
Somehow, this was really funny. I burst out laughing.
"Really?" I asked through my giggles.
He nodded. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll meet him someday."
"I hope so," I smiled, "Oh, by the way, I was going to go and visit Luna Lovegood-she's Jenny Longbottom's mother-during the Hogsmeade trip today. They live in Hogsmeade and I was hoping she could help me find some information on my mum and dad, but she also must know loads about Harry Potter. Do you want to come?"
"Er, well, I don't usually go to Hogsmeade...but if it's for the project then-"
"Great!" I said. "I'm going to go with some of my friends but how about I meet you at The Hogs Head at one?"
"Erm...okay, see you then. You'd better bring parchment and a-"
"Right!" I said back at him, for I was already halfway up the stairs.
Up in my dormitory I found my four roomates running arounds getting dressed, brushing hair and pulling on socks.
"Wisteria, are you coming to Hogsmeade with us?" Simone called to me from across the room.
"Yeah, I am. Well only for the morning. I have to...do work for my essay later." I said, refraining from mentioning my meeting with Eamon, even though I felt a little bad doing it.
Hogsmeade was rather dull. The beautiful white snow of the early winter had melted into ankle deep piles littering the street, creating puddles of muddy slush. A consistent drizzle fell from the overcast sky as Hogwarts students dashed from store to store, covering their heads with cloaks and, for the more advanced student, water-repellent charms.
I ditched Simone and the girls from my dorm quicker than I had planned to. As the morning precipitation fell, we found solace and warmth at Honeydukes. It was fun at first; we filled bags to the top with fat gummy candies, Fizzing Whizbees, long Licorice Wands and pulsing Chocolate Frogs. Running out of the shop and through the thick falling droplets, Simone called to us, with a devious smile: "Who wants to go to the Shrieking Shack?"
The other girls giggled and ran faster, but I stopped, letting the rain run down my hair and looked at the desolate looking mansion in the distance.
"No. Way. Not happening!" I told Simone, but she was already far up ahead, and I was dripping. Run.
I stopped with a skid in the mud at the dilapidated wooden gate. The neglected shack tilted uneasily on its keel atop the hill. A foreboding moan echoed softly towards us.
"I'm not going any closer." I said firmly, but calmly, taking a Licorice Wand out of the overflowing bag of sweets.
"Oh yes we are," Simone said, "it'll be fun!"
I shook my head, biting into the sweet candy. I heard someone whisper my name from behind me.
I spun my body around to face the other three girls, and with a loud: "Go!" I found myself in a puddle of mud, on the other side of the fence dividing me and the Shrieking Shack
"Simone!" I said scrambling about. "What the bloody hell was that for!"
"Oh, come on Wisteria, you never want to do anything fun. We're just trying to get you to do something cool for once."
I glared at her, wiping thick mud off the back of my thighs and elbows. My head was fuming with things to say, but maybe Simone was right, so I turned my heel, almost slipping again in the mud, and walked off towards the village. I was glad it was raining, because as hard as I tried to hold it in, brackish tears quickly flooded my eyes. I didn't have far to walk, since the Hogs Head was at the edge of Hogsmeade; as soon as I enter the small seedy bar, cold water dripping off my muddy trousers, I saw that Eamon was already there. I glimpsed at my wrist-watch; it was only noon. He was early as well.
I collapsed onto the wooden bar stool across from him, making an instant puddle on my seat.
"You're wet." he said.
I nodded. "You're not."
"Umbrella." he grinned. I noticed he was writing again, a long sheet of parchment covered with tiny, looping calligraphy.
"What are you always writing?" I asked, wondering why I had never asked before.
"I'm recording my life story, as it happens." he said proudly, "I want to write my autobiography when I'm really old, every second of my life, in a book."
I opened my mouth and quickly shut it. Who would want to read about Eamon Finnigan? I though to myself, but it seemed incredibly mean so I just ejaculated:
"That's interesting. Does that mean I'm in it?"
He looked startled by this question, but subsequently said "Yes."
Silence echoed through the dingy bar, broken only by the strange hacking cough of a wizard by the hearth and the clinking of glasses as the barman cleaned.
"I was going to wait until it stopped raining but, maybe we should go now." I suggested.
He handed me his closed black umbrella and stuffed his "life story" into his bag. As we were departing the Hogs Head, the umbrella sprung open and got stuck in the door. We left into the rain, laughing, under a large black umbrella.
The Lovegoods lived up the main road to Hogsmeade, the farthest away from the Shrieking Shack one can get. Their cozy home was nestled back aways from the road among a grove of trees. As we walked up the stone path to their door, I realized I had no idea what I was going to say, and began to panic.
"Are you sure this is the right house?" I asked.
"What are you asking me for?" Eamon said, "You're the one who supposedly knows where we're going!"
"Right, of course this is the right house." I said, reaching to knock on the solid white door. The muted sound of the rain mocked me, falling on the umbrella, as if it were trying to tell me what to say.
The door swung open. "Why hello. Somebody has augmented."
"Er...Hi, Mrs. Lovegood. Sorry to be such a bother, but I was wondering if we could, er...ask you some questions? It's for an essay."
"Questions." she blinked. "What about?"
"Harry Potter."
She looked us over, never-blinking, until finally she said pensively: "Come in, Wisteria." and pushed us through her door.
Luna Lovegoods home was one of the oddest houses I had ever been in. A mixture of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw memorabilia decorated the walls, along with obscure family portraits of the family with the Great Pyramids and the Great Wall of China. Souvenirs such as singing keys and rainbow-plume birds sat on spindle legged tables, and a pile containing ten pairs of shoes sat in the middle of the carpet, even though only four people lived there. A desk sat in the corner, covered in parchment and ink and a magnifying glass and odd objects that made whistling noises. Luna led us into a tiny, sunlit room and sat us down on a low, bright orange, lumpy sofa.
"This is Eamon Finnigan. We're working on the essay together." I introduced. Luna nodded.
"Seamus Finnigan is you father?" Luna asked curiously, he small voice squeaking as she trailed off.
"Yes. Did you know him?" Seamus returned.
Luna nodded. "I did."
There was a ringing silence interrupted only by the whistling objects on the corner desk.
"Luna, what do you know about my mum and dads disappearance?"
Luna turned to me and stared into my eyes, her crystal blue pools swirling around an enlarged pupil. She shook her head, and I knew my expectations were too high. On this subject, she was an Unspeakable. She bore her eyes into mine until I got the message. Then she turned to Eamon and smiled.
"Do you want to know about Harry Potter?" she asked.
"Yes."
She took a deep breath, and began.
"Harry was...one of those people who never put himself first. He was always kind to me. Always..."
"Right, so, granted, I don't have any further data about my parents, but we got some pretty good stuff on Potter, don't you think?"
We were walking the high road though Hogsmeade on our way back to Hogwarts, after spending an entire afternoon learning about Harry Potter. Eamon held his spider black notes on multiple pieces of parchment and looked them over.
"Yeah, your right. We could start the essay now." He said.
"Well, that's good, seeing as it's due next week!"
"Yeah." he said, ruffling through his notes, "How long does this thing have to be, I mean, Binns is talking three, four feet right? We've got like seven here, do you think-"
"Oh my god! Oh my god!" I ejaculated.
"What?" he asked looking around.
"Would you take a look at that..." I breathed, pointing at the magnificent castle which had just revealed itself in the distance. The sun was just setting, and the sky was ablaze with a spectacular chromaticity of butter yellow, peachy fuzz orange and bruised violet. The rays of the butter-ball sun reached out, stroking the highest turrets with their pure crystalline finger-tips. It looked as though it were about to explode, until the sun took its final gulp and shrunk behind the shadow of the castle. The bruised violet dusk set on our home.
"Wow. It's...beautiful." Eamon whispered. I nodded, and we watched the last of the suns hues vanish.
"Come on, we better get in before it's dark." I said.
"Right." Eamon exhaled, following me as I dashed off in a run towards the castle.