Chapter 19 – The Woman from the Ministry Returns
The rest of the train journey was thankfully uneventful and once they arrived at Hogwarts they headed to their common rooms to drop of their belongings before heading to the Great Hall for dinner.
"So are you going to tell me what really happened on the train?" Noah asked when they were alone in their dormitory.
"I heard the voice again but this time I understood some of the words it was saying," James replied.
"What did it say?" Noah said with interest.
"It said my name and then something about a 'Mudblood' and the 'heir'. I mean I only caught a few words so have no idea what it means," James said not really wanting to keep thinking about it and instead just enjoy his first night back at Hogwarts.
"When I was on the platform I bumped into Leo. He said the girl who collapsed was Emma Clark, you know the Gryffindor girl in the second year?"
"So?" James said, sounding uninterested.
"Well her parents are muggles. You don't think her collapsing on the train right after you heard the voice are somehow connected?"
"Maybe. When I went along to her compartment I thought I saw that boy again," James noted.
"Perhaps it's time you told McGonagall about all of this?" Noah said, worried that his friend was out of his depth.
"I don't know. After you said all that stuff on the train about the heir it got me thinking. What if I'm the new heir?"
"Of Slytherin? Don't be stupid. You're in Gryffindor," Noah retorted back.
"But what if the Sorting Hat got it wrong? I asked it not to put me in Slytherin but what if it was where I should have gone?"
"Don't be silly. As if the son of Harry Potter could be in Slytherin, let alone the Heir of Slytherin. Imagine," Noah joked but that was exactly what James was worried about and Noah could see the concerned look on his face. "I mean…" Noah said, trying to backtrack.
"What if it is true and it gets out? If I go to McGonagall now and tell her everything the rumours will start flying around. Nothing stays secret at this school. And what if the papers find out? They would have a field day with it. 'The son of Harry Potter is the new Heir of Slytherin just like his mortal enemy was'. It's the last thing my dad needs right now."
"So what are you going to do?" Noah asked, understanding his friend's tricky predicament.
"I need to find this boy whoever he is. He'll be able to give me some answers," James said but he knew it was easier said than done.
As the new term began properly James settled back into school life but still had the concern about the 'Heir of Slytherin' hanging over him like a shadow. And he still had no idea how he was meant to find this boy when he had only seen him from behind and had no idea what he actually looked like.
He headed down to the dungeons for his Potions lesson.
"So?" Polly asked abruptly as she approached him in the corridor.
"So what?" James replied dismissively.
"Are you going to ask Slughorn today?" Polly said and James knew she was referring to her being invited to the Slug Club.
"What's the magic word?" James said gleefully.
"Please," Polly almost spat out before James said he would try and bring the conversation up with the professor but made no promises and Polly made her way to her desk in a mood.
"Why do you have to wind her up like that?" Noah asked as he and James sat down at their desk and started to get their books out.
"I don't know what you're talking about," James said with a smile.
For today's lesson Slughorn informed them that they would be brewing a Pick-me-up Potion.
"Now if brewed correctly this potion will give the drinker a temporary boost of energy and generally invigorate them so is perfect for anyone who struggles to get up in the mornings," Professor Slughorn said, looking at a few students in particular who had the habit of turning up to his lessons first thing in the morning still looking half asleep.
James and Noah started preparing their ingredients as Slughorn went from desk to desk checking on people's progress.
"It was good to see you at New Year's Potter," Slughorn said as he approached James and Noah's desk. "Though I think I may have had a few too many Amber gins as the end of the night is rather fuzzy. I don't even remember saying goodbye to your parents."
James didn't correct him that in fact his parents hadn't said goodbye to him and left as soon as they saw him approaching, looking rather tipsy as he had stumbled towards them.
"Anyway my next supper club will be on the last Friday of this month. I look forward to seeing you there Potter," Slughorn said, completely ignoring Noah, but Noah gave James a look as if to say now's your chance.
"Actually there was something I wanted to ask you about that," James said rather tentatively.
"Oh yes?" Slughorn said with intrigue.
"Yeah there's sort of someone… that I think would be a good guest… to invite… I mean if you wanted to that is," James said haphazardly.
"Really?" Slughorn said in surprise as he looked Noah up and down with disdain, thinking he was the 'guest' James was referring to.
"No I meant Polly Green," James said, correcting the professor.
"Oh right yes a much better prospect," Slughorn said turning away from Noah who was now slightly offended. "Ah I see Potter, I completely understand. Say no more. Consider her invited."
"Understand what professor?" James asked a little bemused.
"Don't worry I was young once and know all about youthful desires. Have no fear I am more than happy to play cupid for you and the girl you like. I'll make sure you're sat next to each other and maybe even plan a surprise or two to help love along. But don't worry I won't let on to her when I invite her of your intentions," Slughorn said as he tapped his nose before walking away.
"No, no, no professor," James said, trying to call Slughorn back to explain, but not wanting to shout too loudly to draw attention to himself, but Slughorn was already busy at the next table.
James turned to Noah who was now in a fit of laughter.
"It's not funny," James said with a face like thunder.
But Noah thought it was hilarious and couldn't help laughing again when both he and James spotted Polly looking rather happy after Slughorn had been by her desk and had obviously invited her to the supper.
"So what are you going to wear for your big date then?" Noah asked once he had finally stopped laughing.
"If you mention this again I will use a Bogey Head Curse on you," James fumed, thinking could his day get any worse?
At lunch time James headed to the Great Hall. Thankfully Noah had stopped teasing him about the misunderstanding with Slughorn concerning Polly but he still needed to put the professor straight before he did something embarrassing in front of her. Though Polly was certainly in a good mood and wasted no time in telling everyone at the Gryffindor table that she had been invited to Professor Slughorn's private club.
"She's going to be unbearable now," James moaned as he watched her from further down the table.
"Why don't you tell her that Slughorn only invited her because he thinks you fancy her? That will certainly change her mood," Noah joked but James ignored him and helped himself to some food.
"I wonder who that is with Professor McGonagall?" Zander asked and James and Noah turned around to see the headmistress walking towards the teacher's table with a dark skinned woman with a shaved head by her side. James knew exactly who it was.
"She's an Auror. Her name is Godwin," he said as he watched them, wondering why she was back here again and the others around the table were just as curious.
"Why do you think she's here? Anwar asked. "You don't think it's to do with what happened on the train do you?"
"Maybe it's to do with the graffiti? Zander suggested. "Professor McGonagall did say who ever did it would be punished but she hasn't found the culprit yet. Maybe she's resorting to outside help to catch them?"
"I hardly think graffiti is the kind of thing an Auror would waste their time on," Noah said, now noticing that James was being very quiet and had a look of unease.
It wasn't until after his afternoon lessons that James saw Godwin again when he was heading back from the library before dinner after returning a book when he happened to bump into her.
"Good evening Mr Potter," Godwin said.
James had been keeping his head down as soon as he had seen her in the corridor and had hoped she might walk past him but now he had no choice but to talk to her.
"Hello Miss Godwin. How are you?"
"I'm fine thank you James but I seem to have got a bit lost, could you help me get to the Great Hall?"
James reluctantly agreed to show her as he was heading there himself anyway and started a conversation about the New Year's Eve party before she could ask him anything.
"Aren't you going to ask why I'm here James?" Godwin said and caught him by surprise.
"What?" James said a little startled and didn't want to look at her directly in case his face showed how guilty he was feeling.
"Well if an Auror was at my school I'd be a little curious. Especially as the last time I was here was because of the incident with you and the wand you found. I mean my reason for being back here might be something to do with that."
"Is it?" James asked.
"I don't know. Professor McGonagall asked me here because there have been various strange and unexplained incidents happening around the school. One of them was that wand business. Now they may all just be coincidental or they may be linked. Is there any reason why I should think they were linked to the wand you found?" she said, rather probingly.
"Er… no. Why would they?" James said, wishing the journey from the library to the Great Hall was much shorter so this conversation could be over already.
"Does it not bother you that we still don't know why that wand was in your trunk or who put it there?"
"I mean it was just a harmless prank wasn't it?" James said, trying to dismiss the idea.
"Hopefully," Godwin replied just as Professor Flitwick came scurrying around the corner.
"Ah there you are Miss Godwin, Professor McGonagall was wondering where you had gotten to," Flitwick said as he approached the pair looking a little flustered.
"Mr Potter here was just helping me get back to the hall. All these corridors look so alike."
"Well I'll leave you with the professor then," James said, making a hasty retreat.
"I'm sure I will see you again soon Mr Potter," Godwin shouted out after him but James didn't dare look back.
"Do you think she knows something is up?" Noah asked James once they were alone in their dormitory that night and after James had told him about the conversation with her.
"Well Professor McGonagall certainly thinks something is going on or she wouldn't have asked her here. You must admit there's been a lot of strange stuff happening to just dismiss it as nothing," James said as he paced up and down beside his bed.
"So maybe it's time to come clean?" Noah suggested.
"Not yet. Not until I know more myself. I don't want anyone jumping to conclusions," James said but he knew he was nowhere near to getting any answers himself.
The next morning at breakfast James once again saw Godwin sat at the teachers table.
"She must be staying here now," Noah said after catching James staring in her direction.
James knew things must be serious if McGonagall was having an Auror staying on the premises permanently.
A group of owls started swooping into the Great Hall and diverted James' attention as a couple swept down towards the Gryffindor table. One owl dropped a couple of bundles beside Polly and another dropped a letter beside James. He recognised the owl as one of his family's and after doing a quick circle above James it landed on the table.
"Hello Jasper," James said to the owl as he scratched it's head before letting it peck at the last of the cereal in his bowl and he opened the letter it had dropped. It was from his mum and was her weekly letter to him though she didn't have much to say, having only just seen him a few days ago but it was still nice to hear from her and as her letters always did, made James feel homesick.
Once he had finished his letter he nosily looked over to Polly to see what she had received and saw her reading a copy of The Daily Prophet with a headline on the front page about more raids taking place into illegal trading of black market goods.
"As if she gets that thing delivered to her, how sad," James whispered to Noah but he clearly hadn't been quiet enough because Polly now looked up from her paper towards them.
"I don't think it's sad wanting to take an interest in current affairs," Polly snapped back.
"Has she got sonic hearing or something," James once again whispered to Noah though even quieter this time but Polly still seemed to hear it.
"I thought maybe you would take an interest in the Prophet too seeing as your dad is mentioned often enough in here," Polly noted.
"He is?" James asked, sounding surprised.
"With still no progress made after six months since the tragic death of the muggle Sabrina White, and with pressure from the Muggle Prime Minister, is it time for the once lauded Harry Potter to step down from his position as an Auror?" Polly said, reading directly from the newspaper. "Seems like your dad might be out of a job soon but don't worry I'll let you know about it as soon as I read it in the paper," she said with a smirk.
This time James waited until Polly had left before he talked about her again. "Do you think it's too late to ask Slughorn to uninvite her now? I don't think I can take a whole evening with her."
As the day continued James could have sworn Godwin was following him. When he was in his Transfiguration class he saw her look in as she walked past the open door of the classroom and during his Herbology lesson he was sure he saw her walking around outside the greenhouses. Did she know more than she was letting on and somehow knew he was in some way linked to everything that had been going on?
Once again at dinner Godwin was sat at the teacher's table and James didn't dare look over at her in case she caught him looking. The last thing he wanted to do was give her any more reason to be suspicious of him.
"Is she looking over here?" James asked to Noah.
"Who?" Noah replied between mouthfuls of mashed potato.
"Godwin."
Noah turned to the teacher's table and could see Godwin having a conversation with Professor Sinclair who was sat next to her.
"No. You're getting paranoid," Noah said as he turned back around.
"I think she knows something," James said, keeping his head down.
"Well she is an Auror. It's kind of her job to find out what's going on," Noah replied. "Maybe you should see if she can help you find this kid you keep seeing," he joked.
After dinner the students began to make their way back to their common rooms. As James and his friends ascended the staircase they noticed there was quite the commotion up ahead and everyone seemed to have stopped, causing a jam on the stairs.
"What's the hold up?" one of the Gryffindor prefects shouted out. "Let me through."
James quickly followed the prefect through the throng of students so he could see what was going on. At the front of the crowd everyone was stood still, staring up at the portraits on the walls around the staircase. Only the portraits were all empty. Their usual occupants were nowhere to be seen. And instead on every portrait was a large red painted letter. James looked around at all the portraits in shock and it took him a while to realise what all the letters said as he turned around to each portrait in turn – 'VENGEANCE AWAITS'.