The next day was filled with an uneasiness. I stayed in my room, staring at the ceiling. I didn't eat breakfast. I just paced around my room before flopping on my bed. I have no idea how long I laid there, but it was a long time before I heard the knock at my door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Lucia. Can I come in?" asked my mother. I rolled of my bed and opened my door.

"Yeah," I said. I didn't feel like I had a choice. I sat on the edge of my bed. She hovered in the doorway, then closed it behind her. "Are you here to give me a lecture?"

"No, no I'm not," she said. "I want to teach you something. I think you'll learn easily."

"Because I'm a Ravenclaw?"

"No, because of what you did last night."

"I assume you don't mean punching Draco. You mean the other thing." She nodded. She sat in my desk chair.

"You were able to resist a very powerful spell, and I think you'll be able to resist another. I'm going to teach you Occulamacy."

The rest of the holidays were tense, to say the least. I worked with my mother almost everyday, and by the end of the holidays she said that I was good enough to be a called an Occulus, but we could work on it more the next time I was home, if I wanted. I said that I did. I didn't really care about being an Occulus; all I wanted was time with my mother, to know that she cares about me.

Christmas was perhaps the most tense day. I got owls from friends bearing gifts (Tales of Beetle the Bard from Emma, a Honeyduke's sampler from Antony and Ryan together, and a free suspcription to the Quibbler from Luna) and had already sent out my gift owls the day before (an ink set for Emma, bags of random Zonko's products for the boys, and paints for Luna). I was content to stay in my room, but that was out of the question. Instead I had to go downstairs in a green velvet dress and "celebrate" Christmas with my family and their guests, among whom was my aunt Bellatrix, as she had gotten out of Azkaban. I sat quietly on the sofa facing the fire, only speaking when spoken to or expected to. I did nothing to draw attention to myself, and only grew concered when I heard my aunt shout.

"She what?" I saw she had been talking to Draco, who had a smug grin on his face. We locked eyes and my stomach dropped. He told her about Emma.

By now Aunt Bellatrix had rounded on my parents, shouting about how they hadn't done their jobs as pure blood parents. Me being Ravenclaw was a wound to the family's pride, but forgivable. A Muggleborn friend was not. That was unforgivable.

Next thing I knew, wands were drawn, one of which was pointed at me, the other at my aunt. I didn't know who was pointing their wand at my aunt, because all my brain could register was indescribable pain. When it was gone, I found myself curled up on the floor, exauhusted. My mother knelt beside me and tucked a pillow under my head. I could hear my aunt and father shouting in another room.

"I don't care if she's friends with a Muggleborn, you have no right-"

"No right? I have every right! You think that just because he's gone-"

"Don't start on that! This is about you torturing my daughter!"

"Oh, and you haven't? Draco told me about what you did last night!"

I didn't care enough to focus on what else they said. I closed my eyes and wanted desperately to sleep. And to go back to Hogwarts. Or anywhere really. I just didn't want to stay here.

But I stayed. I stayed because I loved my mother, and I knew that even if my father did not approve of my actions, he would defend me because I am family. And that was enough.

All the same, I was glad to return to Hogwarts. I wanted to see my friends, and more importantly, avoid my aunt.

The rest of the year went smoothly for us. Nothing else really significant happened, but then there was one event that broke the calm.

First, Buckbeak's sentence was to be carried out. It saddened me to look out across the green lawn and see him tied up in Hagrid's pumpkin patch, sentenced to die because my brother was a baby and couldn't handle a little scratch.

Second, Sirius Black was captured by the lake and imprisioned in one of the towers.

That, however, was not the exciting part. When they went to execute Buckbeak, he was gone. And then, when they went to get Sirius Black, he was gone too. Nobody knew where either of them went, or how they escaped unnoticed. Theories were flying everywhere.

The second event that broke the calm occurred shortly after. As far as I could gather, someone had told the Slytherins (most said it was Snape) that Professer Lupin was a werewolf. A lot of kids started to panic and write home about it, and parents were writing in about it too. I didn't really care.

"I think it just means he's better qualified for his job than most. And besides, Dumbledore wouldn't hire him if he was really dangerous. And there's Wolfsbane potion," I said to Emma. She just nodded and continued to study her Charms notes.

The train ride home was one of the longest yet. Two days prior I had gotten a letter from my mother that said Aunt Bellatrix may be staying with us- indefinitely. The only plus was that my mother wasn't excited about it either, but we both knew that there was much choice in the matter. Family was family until they hung with Muggleborns. I had a feeling my position at home was only held because of my gift of being a Metamorphagus.

I said goodbye and left the train as slowly as possible. Then I went home, and eagerly awaited the Quidditch World Cup.