I rub my eyes sleepily. I'm in no rush to wake up, knowing that it's the weekend. I just say lying down in my cosy bed soaking in the warmth and softness surrounding me. I cannot bear to peel my eyes open so I just stay lying there in perfect tranquillity until it finally becomes apparent that I should tear myself away from this incredible haven. I don't do it quickly and it takes me a good ten minutes to get fully out, but my awakness is worth it. Sometimes it's better to have a slower start to the day.
Once I'm up I can see that Ash is still sleeping soundly so I make my way into the bathroom to boil myself alive with the water – what can I say it's nice! Once I've finished showering, I change and walk back into our dorm. Ash is now – luckily – awake and is dressed. I doubt that she'd stayed asleep much longer after I'd got up. Not that I woke her. Just that she's not a crazy 'sleep in until 11am person'.
"Good Morning!" I greet to her, with a smile and which is followed by a yawn.
"Morning." She giggles back, "You want to go get Breakfast?"
"Absolutely!" I say, both of us knowing this to be the obvious choice.
We scurry out of the room and towards the Great Hall, Ash telling me about her dream which consisted of a squirrel that had stolen her voice, which was contained in a magic acorn, and that she had to get it back. It was strange but we both agreed that it was absolutely hilarious.
It doesn't take us long to reach the hall and we go over to the Hufflepuff table, ready to dig into some food. I was definitely fancying some pancakes with strawberries and syrup. My mouth was watering just thinking about the delectable food awaiting us. We take our normal spot on the bench and begin tucking into our meal. I'm halfway through my first pancake and Ash her first piece of bacon, when I look up to see a certain three Slytherins walk in – well it's not like you could miss them!
"Your slime worked a treat." I whisper to Ash staring at the tennis-ball boys. It was bad in the Halloween feast last night. But the rancid smell was already dissipating through the hall as the beacons made their way to their table. Everyone that was sitting within 10 metres of them immediately moved.
"I'm glad it did." She says smiling at her impeccable work, "It took bloody ages!"
"I bet it did!" I say turning back to my food, but keeping one eye on their seething faces, "You really are an incredible witch." I say, sincerely to her. I don't tell her enough how incredible and determined she is. It's insane that she didn't grow up in this world and yet was already flourishing in it. Her incredible skill was really something to be marvelled at and her resilience and willingness to learn baffled me. I was so glad that she was my best friend.
"Thanks." She mumbles, obviously not really knowing what to say.
"No, I mean it!" I say, "You did that and you've only known about magic for, what? Two months?!"
"Shhhhh. Someone'll hear." She shushes.
"But what I'm saying is right." I conclude smiling.
"I guess…" She agrees reluctantly.
Lyra: 1 Ash: 0
I smile and we both go back to eating. I'm having a great time trying to eat as much as possible before my stomach stops me (as I didn't have the appetite last night (well we were all being mutilated by the rotting cadaver smell coming from the Slytherin table)), when Ash stops me.
"Where are the guys?" She asks looking worriedly across the Gryffindor table. I look across each face on it and she's right.
"Yeah." I ponder, slightly worried, "Where are they?"
"Remus knows enough to come down on time for breakfast and he has no issues getting the others to come." She vocalises our thinking. I mean Remus does sometimes have issues with getting them out of bed, but it's nothing a bit of water can't solve.
"If they ate as much as me last night, they'll be starving." I say, "And they can't have that." I add, my suspicions and worry growing more and more.
"We should go and find them." Ash concludes.
"But, but, but." I whine, "My pancakes!"
"Fine, you can finish your pancakes!" Ash sighs, playing into my hyperbolised stubbornness.
~#~
They were good pancakes.
But they couldn't last forever so I eventually had to follow the blonde to find our vanishing friends. I mean, James does have an Invisibility Cloak so I could be quite close with that evaluation. We'd already gone up to the Gryffindor common room (I mean we couldn't get in but we got a Gryffindor who was inside to go and knock on their dorm and there was no answer). So, now we had to figure out where else they could be hiding.
We checked Moaning Myrtle's bathroom – no. We checked outside the Slytherin dorms – no. We checked every nook and cranny that they could've gone together – no. We even checked the library and still no.
At this point we'd resorted to checking outside but as we were going to leave the building Professor McGonagall called to us, "You're needed in the Headmaster's office." She says sternly.
It felt like she'd dumped a bucket of ice water over our heads the way my blood turned cold. But before we could ask her anything she's turned to head back into the Great Hall.
Ash and I are silent as we head towards the dreaded office. The tension is so thick you could only cut it with a chainsaw, and I feel sick – I shouldn't have eaten all of those pancakes. We're just sharing the feeling that we've really messed up and our worry is immeasurable. Imagine what my family would say if I got expelled in the first term of my first year. I'd be killed – and that's in no metaphorical sense. I'm physically shaken at this thought and it's all that I can do not to run and hide under the covers. But I'm not going to back down and hide from my problems – it's just not in my nature. I will stand proud and face my difficulties head on even if that leaves me six feet under. I won't abandon my friends, either. We will get through whatever happens together. Hopefully!
We reach the gargoyle that guards the entrance but, knowing that we don't have a password, I'm not overly sure what we do next.
"Names?" It says in a gruff voice sounding like it'd rather be anywhere else and just be left alone.
"Lyra Black"
"Ash Lewis"
"Yes, come in." It sighs and reveals the entrance.
That was easier than hoped. It would've been a good excuse that we tried to get in but couldn't. I take a shaky breath and make my way inside. Once we reach the door leading to the office my nerves are really shaking and all the horrific possibilities flash through my mind. But I don't need the courage to knock on the door as Ash does it.
A soft, "Enter." From the Headmaster inside prompts the point of no return as we open the door.
Inside gathered around the desk are the four missing members of our friendship group and they look towards us with worry glazing their eyes as we enter. No matter what façade James and Sirius put on I know that they're worried. I know that they don't want to get into huge trouble. A detention here or there doesn't matter all that much in the grand scheme of things; everyone knows that deep down. But this is different. This isn't just a slap on the wrist or an hour or two taken off of your free time. This is an entirely other level. This is your place at Hogwarts on the line. This could take your life and have it trampled by a stampede of centaurs.
They know this. They may have this foolish and goofy exterior but I know that they have fear. They do care. They want to do what's right and good.
Remus' eyes lock with mine and I can tell that he's far more distressed than the former two boys. He looks like he might break down. It puzzles me. Remus does care about his education. He loves Hogwarts and he was the most resistant of us all during this experience. But I still don't think all that surmounts to the mortified look of absolute terror and guilt that glistens from his eyes. I want to reach out to him, but that is not at all appropriate at this moment and I don't want to bring light to it if his expression has gone under the radar of the others.
"Now that everyone is here." Dumbledore sets up as Ash and I join the group, "I think that you all know why you're here." He states looking across each of us; reading our every miniscule expression.
We all mumble 'yes'.
His piercing blue eyes look across us, "You know I take the safety and happiness of my pupils very seriously." I nod my head, "I was informed last evening that you six were behind the misdemeanours of yesterday, is this correct?"
'Yes.' we once again mumble, synchronised.
He leans back, taking in the now confirmed information (although I have no doubt that he didn't know it to be true beforehand), "I have to say: I was very surprised to hear that a group of First Years had managed to pull such a thing off." This confused me – he sounded like he was congratulating us? "There were many elements that could've gone horrifically wrong if done incorrectly and yet everything went smoothly." Now I think he really is praising us, "It would've taken great magical capability."
I'm shocked. I cannot believe that, instead of biting our heads off, he's impressed by it.
"Sir," Ash begins, tentatively, "Why are you saying this? Surely we came for a punishment?" I nudge her arm and glare at her silently asking her why she'd bring that up – as if she were asking for negative repercussions.
"Ah, Miss Lewis, thank you. That brings me onto my next point." I can practically hear us all scream at the flustered blonde, "Now, Professor McGonagall said that you needed to be thought a lesson and said that you all have two week's detention." Great, "However, between you and me;" He says with his eyes glowing with childish pride, "I think that you did a wonderful job and should continue to work on your magic. It was an excellent show."
My eyes are as wide as saucers. Dumbledore just congratulated me on my magic. He's one of the most powerful and talented wizards of all time and he thought that my magic was good. I was still slightly nervous but my joy had swelled and I was so happy I can't keep a grin off of my face as we exit the study.
Once we're back in the corridors you can hear an audible sigh of relief from our group, "That went better than expected." Sirius sighs.
"You can say that again!" I laugh, relieved that it's over.
"Yes, but we do have two weeks of detention to look forward to." Remus says sarcastically looking at the piece of parchment mapping out our punishment.
"Yeah, but we've got off lightly!" James says.
"At least we got our first detention for something worthwhile." I say to Ash and Remus. We've avoided it so far and I think that our Halloween pranks were definitely worth a few weeks of detention.
"I guess you're right." Ash sighs, "But I think I would've preferred to avoid getting detentions altogether."
"Yeah, well that's never going to happen when you're friends with these two." I say wrapping my arms around James and Sirius' shoulders.
"You can be just as bad as them." Remus retorts.
I mock shock and hurt at his comment, "Remus: how very dare you! I'd like to think that I have some semblance of class." I say, smiling and flipping my hair over my shoulders.
He just shakes his head at me as we continue to make our way outside, all wrapped up warm to face the frosty November morning. I can't help but smile as I feel so in place. It's like for the first time in my life I've found where I belong – I've found where I'm destined to be. I've never truly felt like I belong and now my place seems so obvious it feels impossible that I couldn't have seen it before. I would do anything to keep this haven safe and those that inhabit it. And I cannot help but feel overwhelming joy as the puzzle pieces slot into their true, rightful places.
~ 2,190 words ~
I have come to the realisation that the fanfiction I read now has made me detest anything written in first person. That is all.