Chapter 1: Hogwarts Express
The noise of the Hogwarts express was too much, causing Hayley distress in drinking her cup of tea.
"Children of ages 12 to 17 are not supposedact as wild as this, as if this was their first time of leaving their homes," she thought as she stirred her cup.
Some were playing tag on the aisle of the train, bumping into each other and eventually against the food cart. The mess of spilled Bertie Bott's Flavour Beans and Honeydukes Licorice Wands were scattered on the floorboards. Thankfully, an older student whisked his wand and fixed the mess that Hayley was complaining of.
"Anything from the trolley, dear?" The trolley witch asked me as she resumed her work. Hayley shook her head, which signaled the trolley witch's departure from her compartment.
Across Hayley's seat is the loud-mouthed Sophia Diaz - babbling on her half-blood status - which gained attention from others in the room. One of her eager audience is Cassidy Patch, who narrated her experience in working at the poultry farm of her dad. She only learned that she can use magic when she realized that normal humans can't talk to animals, especially his dad's domesticated chickens. A muggle-born. Sophia's other listener is Megan Muse. She is seated on Hayley's right side, and is observantly dazzled by Sophia and Cassidy's stories that she began asking - or better called, prying - to any possible detail she can get about everyone's lives.
"How about you, um, what's your name again?" Megan asked earnestly, as she one-handedly adjusted the frame of her square glasses.
"Avery. Hayley Avery, a pure-blood," Hayley replied, as she elegantly sipped her cup of tea that was getting cold.
Silence, which certainly resulted from the amalgam of astonishment and veneration to meeting a rare pure-blood, came about.
"Oh, a pure-blood…for real?" Megan asked, which broke the awkward silence earlier.
Hayley felt quite agitated by the question. She thought, "Who, in the right mind, dare to question my status?" But, she immediately had an answer to her own query, "Ah, a muggle-born." Hayley decided to nod back at Megan, and sighed out of disappointment.
"Did you just sigh?" Sophia interjected, with her tone quite furious. "Hey! Don't ignore me!" Sophia said, raising her voice.
"L-Let's not fight…?" Cassidy meekly voiced, as she grabbed Sophia's arm, preventing the latter from whatever she seemed to do out of her rage.
"Hah, very well! The daughter of Honorable Associate Minister Diaz of the Ministry of Magic – that is me – is NOT at all, interested in pure-bloods like you! Just so you know!" Sophia yelled.
"It's rare for pure-bloods to study Hogwarts these days…especially with the history of allegiance between your family and You-Know-Who-" Megan pointed out but was immediately interrupted by Cassidy's menacing stare directed at her.
"Which house do you want to get sorted to, Hayley?" Cassidy asked, as she attempts to shake off the hostility among the four.
"What else but Slytherin?" Sophia mockingly replied, "My dad said that pure-bloods go to that house and serve the evil wizard!"
"Oh! So are you connected to You-Know-Who directly? Like, is You-Know-Who your grandfather or sibling of your grandmother? Megan asked, obviously delighted for this chance to quench her curiosity.
"I don't see anything wrong with being sorted to Slytherin. Or to any house, so long as it's away from you, half-blood," Hayley answered. She eventually stared at the inquisitive Megan, and added, "The pure-blood family are all interrelated. There are hardly any of us left, after all."
"Hmph!" Sophia said, as she crossed her arms and looked away from Hayley.
Megan, on the other hand, fancied asking another question but was again, interrupted by Cassidy.
"Muggle-born, mix-breeds, pure-bloods or whatnot, I don't think we should dwell on differences set by the past," Cassidy rebutted, looking really serious on her pronouncements. "We're all students. That's all there is to it."
Suddenly, Cassidy's face turned red when she realized that she was stared at by the three.
"Cassidy has a point. Hayley, sorry for asking such questions. You see, it's my first time meeting a pure-blood, and I have this urge of learning…everything I don't know," Megan said.
"Tch, this isn't how I planned my Hogwarts debut to be! Besides, you would miss a lot by making an enemy out of me, so let's just re-do our introductions, shall we?" Sophia suggested, apologetic but not making it apparent.
"A-All right," Hayley replied. She was likewise apologetic, but wary of asking for an apology. After all, pure-bloods never ask for an apology, recalling from her Pure-Blood Etiquette Class.
"Thank you, Megan, Sophia and Hayley!" Cassidy gleefully said, as she beamed at them.
Sophia was about to discuss how their re-introductions would go about when their compartment's door suddenly opened.
A brown haired male with fair white complexion peeped inside the small opening of the door.
"Excuse me," the boy said, "May I excuse Ms. Avery for a moment? I have an issue to address with her, may I?" He continued with his voice espousing elegance. At first glance, one can easily say that he is from a rich family.
Mesmerized by his good-looks and dignified mannerism, the three girls were silenced. Their only response was a nod.
The gentleman extended his hands towards Hayley, which she took and stood from her seat. The two left the compartment and left the three in awe.
"Such elegance," Megan said.
"He's my prince charming," Sophia exclaimed.
Cassidy nodded in agreement.
Xxx Xxx Xxx
"What are you doing here?" the male angrily asked Hayley upon exiting the compartment.
"Why aren't you wearing your glasses today, Josh?" Hayley asked, completely ignoring his query.
"Alright, forget that I asked. Of course, I know the reason well." He said, as he scratched his head. "Here, take this letter and give it to the professor seated at the first compartment near the front room." Josh took Hayley's hand and placed in it a rolled parchment tied in a red ribbon.
"What is this?" Hayley asked, as she opened the parchment.
"Letter of Withdrawal?" she yelled, after reading the bold letters in its introductory line. "No!" she continued, then threw the parchment on the ground.
Josh was a bit surprised of her reaction, since he was used to having Hayley follow him – be it playing outside the teacher's permitted areas or violating their prohibition on talking to a muggle-born.
"I came here to help you, okay? You know why... I'm good at divination," Hayley exclaimed. "None of my predictions ever failed to happen," she added.
"And you better know how proficient I am with hexes," he said.
"Hush! Not so loud!" Hayley warned. "I know you're good at it, but that doesn't change the fact that I saw you...in my prediction. You are going to be stabbed… by someone we don't know! Oh god, it might be the cursed child," she reiterated with a concerned look at her face.
"Now I'm certain why you won't be sorted to Ravenclaw," Josh sighed. "There are lots of things we can learn here. Things that were prohibited to us…," he added.
"B-But! You're my only friend…you said we'll be together…," Hayley muttered, clenching the end of his long robes.
"I have to go now. The wisest decision you can make now is to leave Hogwarts," he said as he moved away from her and pulled his glasses from his pocket.
"Don't you dare forget that I am your fiancé! We'll always be together," Hayley hissed as Josh turned her back from her. Josh eventually waved his left hand, their way of saying goodbye.
Xxx Xxx Xxx
Hayley wasn't in a jubilant mood to celebrate her first day at Hogwarts, given that Josh seems (is actually) angry at her. Ever since they were born, their parents have agreed to marry them to one another, thus keeping their lineage a pure blood. Ever since Hayley knew this fact, she took the matter seriously, to the point where she deliberately told everyone that she needs no one else but him as friend and as a future partner. Josh seemed to have reciprocated her thoughts, and was often seen in her company, until the pair met Sinclair - the girl who changed her decided future.
"So what did your childhood sweetheart told you?" asked Megan who kept asking her information about Josiah upon returning to the compartment. Lovestruck (or crush-struck, since they were only 12 years old), even the arrogant Sophia earlier settled down, and humbly asked Hayley about him.
"Is he your cousin?" Sophia asked, her eyes obviously showing how she wanted to have an affirmative answer.
"Yes, he's my second-degree cousin," Hayley flatly answered, as she sighed.
"I have to ask my daddy if second-degree cousins marry each other?" Sophia said, as she jotted it on her mini-sized parchment.
"Hayley, um, sorry…we kind of overheard parts of your conversation," Cassidy confessed.
Hayley was a bit startled of the revelation, given that she revealed vital information about their abilities in hexes and divination, respectively. "W-What did you hear from our talk?" She asked.
"The part where he asked you to withdraw from Hogwarts," Cassidy said.
"The part where you were engaged to each other!" Sophia yelled.
"And the part where you said, you were good at Divinations!" Megan exclaimed, overtly interested in Hayley's ability.
"Basically, everything," Hayley sighed. Was there no privacy in this muggle-filled train? She asked herself.
"Your sweetheart though, was he using a charm or spell in concealing everything he said?" Megan interjected.
"I-I don't know," Hayley replied, feeling betrayed that Josh hid his part in the conversation, at the same time disappointed that her companions listened to their conversation.
"So, what was that about you predicting something related to him?" Megan probed.
Hayley, at first, considered not to disclose any information about her prediction of Josh getting stabbed, but an idea came to her – she practically had zero clues on who the culprit might be, and had not a single elf or goblin to order for Josh' surveillance. A team would definitely be useful.
"If you promise to help me, I'll guarantee you anything you want," Hayley bargained to them. She was after all, a pureblood, and resources for any material possession they want is possible.
"If you tell me more about pureblood wizards, then it's a deal," Megan immediately said.
"Deal," Hayley said.
"It's not that I need anything, alright? So, I'll join your game…just introduce me to prince charming," Sophia demanded.
"Prince charming?" Hayley asked.
"She meant your sweetheart," Megan explained.
Hayley was taken aback after hearing that. Someone is pretty interested with Josh.
"Will I take that as no?" Sophia asked, her eyebrow raised.
"I-It's a deal," Hayley replied, queasy as to Sophia's motive. It's just introducing them to each, right? I think there's nothing wrong there. Hayley thought.
"I just hope we'll be together in one house," Cassidy said. She remained silent for quite a long duration, that her remark surprised the three. "I would love it if we're all part of one house," she claimed, as she initiated a group hug amongst the four.
Megan took her cue and joined the hugging spree. Sophia and Hayley weren't seconding the motion, but allowed themselves to be part of the group hug.
"Then I'll tell you the gist of my prediction," Hayley decided.
The three looked at each other intently, and waited for Hayley's narration.
"I'm from the Avery family, known best for our proficiency in Divination. My grandmother is 'the' Nunnally Audrey Avery," Hayley said.
"Bloody hell! Was she the one who prophesized the cursed child?" Megan yelled in surprise.
"My dad was the one who decided to inform the public about the cursed child though," Sophia butted, reminding them the credits due to her distinguished family.
"Yes, that's my grandmother. Well, I did inherit a bit of her ability as well," Hayley said, as she took from her undershirt the necklace she was wearing. "See this?" She added, pointing out the mirror locket dangling in her necklace.
The mirror locket is round with a dainty flower design on its front. Hayley slowly opened the one and a half inch locket, revealing a mirror in it. "I just stare at the mirror, and somehow, I see myself in another dimension and become a witness to a future event."
"T-That's amazing," Megan said.
"Creepy, you mean to say?" Sophia chided.
"And what did you see?" Cassidy said, overtly worried of Hayley's grim facial expression.
"Often, I see Josh and the incidents he comes across," said Hayley with a slight smile, as if reassuring Cassidy that she's fine. "But one day, I saw a vision of Josh getting stabbed by someone I wasn't able to see. He was wearing our robes here at Hogwarts… that's why I've decided to enter here."
"You want us to help you…find who plots to kill him?" Megan asked.
"Yes. I just have to prevent that from happening, no matter what," Hayley said.
"Are you sure that you saw it right? Well, you're too young to do this Divinations stuff after all," Sophia examined, doubting Hayley's declarations.
"For the record, I have never predicted wrong conjectures when I use my grandmother's locket," Hayley shot at Sophia.
"Fine!" Sophia responded. "If we save him, assuming that he's really in danger, you have to ensure that he'll know what I did!" She added hastily, quailing under Hayley's furious stare.
"I will," Hayley said.
"What should we do then?" Cassidy interrupted.
Everyone was in silence. The team was built as Hayley planned, but as to how she'll utilize the team…she hasn't thought of yet. Hayley held.
"I think we can't do anything as of now besides surveillance," Megan asserted. "You can work out on your divination skills for the meantime, Hayley," she added.
The three stared at Megan in awe and in admiration, as response.
"W-What's with those stares?" Megan said, her face slightly turning red.
"Aww~ Our intelligent Megan~" Cassidy teased, as she awaits for further directions.
"I-It's not that I haven't thought of that," Sophia defended. "We obviously have no other clues, stupid Hayley," she added.
"I beg your pardon? I'm not stupid," Hayley said. No one ever called her stupid, how dare she, Hayley thought.
"For now, let's do a surveillance of him. One of us must be sorted to the same house with him," Megan said, staring at Hayley. "It would be best if all of us is, of course."
"Aye aye, captain!" Cassidy responded gleefully, taking this situation as if it was a game.
"I'll must be in the same house with him! Definitely!" Sophia shouted. Hayley was a bit doubtful whether she is motivated because of their goal or because of her interest with Josh.
"Copy that," Hayley replied.
"Just so you know, I've heard that the Sorting Hat takes into consideration your preferred house," Megan noted. "So we should let him be sorted first, and ask the sorting hat to be placed to his house," she added.
"Oh!" said the three in unison.
"While we're physically monitoring him, Hayley, you should keep checking if new visions become available. I hope that we get more details by improving your expertise in Divination," Megan pointed out.
"All right! We got this!" Cassidy cheered as if already triumphant.
The horn blew loudly, indicating that the express has reached their destination: Hogwarts.
The four girls alighted from the train, along with their luggages. Hayley had the most number of bags, which made it difficult for her to move around the place.
"Let me help you," Sophia muttered as she forcefully snagged the smallest luggage of Hayley.
Surprised by this action, Hayley's face tuned pink. "T-Thanks," she whispered.
"Her highness needs help to carry her things," Megan jokingly said as she took another small pouch off her and placed it atop of her cart.
"Why, I should extend my help too," Cassidy said as she took the other side of Hayley's biggest luggage. "Let me help you carry this big, big bag," she offered.
The four laughed, as their unplanned team unexpectedly seemed to be more coordinated as Hayley expects it to be. "It felt as if everything would trun out well," Hayley thought as her group slowly reached the carriage that will bring them to the great halls of Hogwarts.
…..
Little did Hayley know that everything they planned cannot be easily done as said.