December 1945
The terrible weather that had plagued the Quidditch match showed no sign of relenting as the next week went by; Septima and the Ravenclaw team endured very similar conditions in their match against Hufflepuff the following weekend. To Poppy, it seemed like the rain was never going to end. The downpours had started just before Halloween with scarcely a dry day since, and it didn't look like it was going to change any time soon.
As November turned into December the weather did change, but not in the way that everyone was expecting. Thunderstorms became snowstorms, with swirling clouds of snowflakes outside every window and a thick white blanket covering the grounds. There was a biting chill to the air that seemed to seep into the castle no matter how many torches were lit in the corridors. Unless Poppy remembered to put on a thick pair of socks before she went to sleep, she would wake up in the middle of the night with toes so cold she could hardly feel them.
It was quickly turning into the coldest winter in living memory. Not even Professor Dippet could remember a time quite so cold, but the ghosts liked to swoop in unexpectedly reeling off medieval dates whenever they heard students complaining. Nearly-Headless Nick seemed particularly fond of telling anything that moved about the winter before he almost lost his head, so both people and portraits learned to keep quiet when he was around.
The workload seemed to relax a great deal as the end of term approached, which was a welcome break from the hectic fourth year schedule. After a great deal of pestering Professor Aurelius finally agreed to teach them the charm she used to decorate the Christmas trees in the Great Hall, leaving the Charms classroom looking incredibly festive at the end of each lesson. Professor Dumbledore showed them a simple spell to add ice skates onto any pair of shoes, and even the stern Professor Harper allowed them to write Christmas cards in the Elder Futhark runic alphabet that they had been studying that term.
But it wasn't just the more festive lessons that were capturing people's attentions. In their last lesson before the holiday, Professor Dumbledore told the class about one of the most complicated branches of his subject- Animagi. Poppy herself found the concept fascinating, as she had often dreamed of turning into a bird and flying away as she lay ill in bed as a child, but that was nothing compared to Minerva's captivation. Her green eyes were wide and almost unblinking as she watched the Professor talk; Minerva had always been particularly interested by Transfiguration, but Poppy couldn't remember her ever being quite this engaged.
The moment that they returned to their dormitory during the lunch break after that lesson, Minerva was digging through her vast collection of Transfiguration books in their bookcase. "I can't find anything in any of these about how to become an Animagus," she complained to Poppy while Ro was in the bathroom.
"Well the Professor did say it was especially complicated," Poppy said, pulling a comb through her blonde curls. "Maybe they don't put it in many books because they don't want people trying it out."
"But I do want to try it out!" Minerva said, just as Ro opened the dormitory door.
"Did I hear that right?" Ro asked, staring at Minerva. "You want to learn to become an Animagus?" When Minerva nodded, Ro let out a groan. "But Min, it takes months! And there's loads of legal stuff involved- you have to get the Ministry's permission if you're underage, and you have to be put on a special register too."
To Poppy's dismay, Minerva didn't look discouraged in the slightest. "I still want to do it," she said, pushing her glasses up her nose with an air of stubbornness. "I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore over the weekend, and I'll try and find more books in the library tomorrow morning. Do you think there'll be anything helpful there?"
"Well if there it, Irma will know where to find it!" Ro pointed out, making them all laugh.
Poppy, Ro, Irma, Septima and Millicent all went with Minerva to the library the next morning on the hunt for more Animagus books. Their search turned out to be fruitless, as between the six of them they had covered almost the entire library after a couple of hours. Irma was volunteered to ask Mr Pratchett for help, since the sheer amount of time Irma spent in the library meant she'd know the gruff old librarian best. But he told her that all the books were in the Restricted Section, where they wouldn't be able to get to them without a teacher's signature.
Minerva sighed at the news. "It's alright- I suppose you were right, Poppy. I'll still talk to Professor Dumbledore after dinner. I'm sure he'll be willing to help."
"Well don't be there too long, we're going into Hogsmeade tomorrow!" Ro reminded her with a grin.
The upcoming weekend had been picked as a Hogsmeade weekend, before the Hogwarts Express came on the Monday to take home all those not staying over Christmas. Since they hadn't been able to go in third year and usual October one had been cancelled due to more awful weather, this was to be the fourth years' first time in the village. There was an air of buzzing excitement in the Great Hall during dinner that evening; at the Gryffindor table, Larry, Cleatus and Maggie enthralled the fourth and third years with accounts of what they had got up to in Hogsmeade during their third year.
Minerva went along to Professor Dumbledore's office as soon as she had finished with a bright smile on her face. Poppy and Ro went up to the dormitory not long later after bidding Irma, Septima and Millicent goodbye, all wanting to get an early night. But they arrived to see Minerva sat on her bed wearing a look not far short from devastation; after a shared look of concern they squeezed in either side of her.
"He said I can't learn," Minerva murmured, her solemn voice barely audible. "Said I'm too young, it's too dangerous. He would consider having a rethink when I'm taking my NEWTS."
Although Poppy wasn't surprised in the slightest, she still felt incredibly sorry for Minerva after she'd been so hopeful. "Oh Min," she sighed, draping an arm around Minerva's shoulder.
"At least he said you might be able to do it when you're older," Ro offered. "We're only fifteen, and I still can't even turn a porcupine into a pincushion. You'll probably find it loads easier in a couple of year's time."
Minerva nodded with a sighed "Mhm," but didn't look consoled in the slightest.
Poppy was at loss about what to do, not used to seeing Minerva feeling so down, until her attention was shifted to Ro sliding off the bed and going over to her trunk. After a few seconds with her head in her trunk, she gave a noise of triumph and reappeared holding a pack of cards. "Exploding Snap before bed?" she asked cheerfully.
Five games later, all three of them were covered in soot and laughing brightly. Though there was still a sadness behind Minerva's smile, it reassured Poppy to see her having fun despite her disappointment.
At eleven o'clock sharp on Sunday morning, the Entrance Hall was an ocean of House scarves as students lined up to go to Hogsmeade. The snow had finally stopped and the weather was warmer than it had been for at least a fortnight, but it was still incredibly cold. Poppy was bundled up in a thick sweater her mother had sent her as well as her duffel coat and two pairs of socks under her boots. Everyone else looked very similar, though Millicent and Ro both had the addition of woollen hats over their hair. Irma was shivering in only a thin-looking trench coat, so Minerva quickly ran back to Gryffindor Tower to fetch one of her many cardigans which she took gratefully. It took a long time for Filch to check out each student on the lengthy register, but once they were all cleared it was a short walk from the castle gates down to the village.
Poppy's first impression of Hogsmeade was that it looked like it belonged on one of the Christmas cards her mother always adorned the mantelpiece with in December. The shops and cottages were covered in a thick topping of snow, as was the massive Christmas tree in the High Street, and there were wreaths of holly and pinecones on nearly every door.
"Imagine living here!" Millicent exclaimed, steam coming from her mouth as she spoke. "Isn't it amazing!"
Poppy would have been happy spending their entire trip just exploring the beautiful village, but Ro was already running in the direction of the shops. "We haven't got all day, let's go and see the shops!" she called back, leaving the others to follow on behind her.
They visited Honeydukes first, which was so packed with customers that it took them a while to push through to reach the shelves. Poppy brought a box of Pumpkin Fizzes and Fudge Flies to send home to her parents for Christmas, and Millicent brought a few Mice Pops for her sister. Ro, on the other hand, decided to buy a packed of Pepper Imps that supposedly made you breathe fire even though Irma advised her against it after reading the ingredients. Next was Zonko's Joke Shop, where not even Minerva could resist buying a Nose-biting Teacup after Ro suggested they could trick Malcolm and Emery with them. They went into Spintwitches Sporting Needs next because Septima wanted to get herself a pair of Quidditch goggles like Ro's, followed by Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop to top up on school supplies. Ro dragged them into the little repair shop, Dervish and Banges, to get her Sneakoscope repaired, before they were done with their shopping.
The cold had managed to penetrate even Poppy's warm coat by then, and Irma's teeth were chattering as she wrapped her arms around her middle. "Let's go into the Three Broomsticks," Septima suggested with a shiver, "we can warm up in there."
When they opened the door of the Three Broomsticks they were hit by a welcoming wave of warmth, accompanied by a quiet groan as Minerva's glasses steamed up. There was a fire roaring in the open hearth that casted a flickering golden glow across the inn. Although it was busy there were still a few smaller tables vacant, so Ro and Millicent pushed two tables together while Minerva, Irma and Septima went to get drinks. Poppy had just found the final two chairs when they returned with six foaming tankards of an amber coloured liquid. Peeling off coats and scarves, they flopped back into their chairs and Poppy sighed as her aching feet were given a rest.
Millicent peered curiously into her tankard. "What is it?"
"Butterbeer - glorious stuff. Cheers, m'dears," Ro said, everyone lifting their tankards to chink them together before taking a drink. Poppy tried a gentle sip, feeling the warmth sink into the pit of her stomach. It tasted nothing like she had ever tasted before; like the glow of sunset or a fire in winter.
The sound of Septima bursting into laughter made her look up to see foam moustaches on each of their faces. Ro even had a blob on the end of her nose, though considering the great swig she had taken Poppy wasn't surprised. Most comical of all was Irma, who had gone slightly cross eyed trying to see the foam below her hooked nose. By the time her tankard was empty and she'd licked all the foam from her upper lip, Poppy was feeling warmer than she had done all day.
There was still an hour before they had to be back at Hogwarts, so after piling their outer layers of clothing back on upon leaving the inn, they decided to explore. First they wandered around the other streets of the village, where everything was so quiet and still that talking seemed to spoil it. After returning to the High Street and peering into the Wizarding Wireless Headquarters building for a few minutes, they opted to take the long and scenic route back to the castle. But when they passed the frozen Black Lake, they saw with surprise that there were several Hogwarts students skating over it.
"They must be using that Transfiguration spell that Professor Dumbledore taught us!" Minerva said, watching the skaters intently.
Loud footsteps approaching them made Poppy look around just in time to see several Gryffindors rushing past and skidding right out onto the lake. "Come and join us!" Nancy Campbell shouted, beckoning to them before skating quickly off with Anthea Newton following more slowly.
There was quiet for a moment, before Ro spoke. "Well, shall we? We know the spell."
"Do you think it's safe?" asked Poppy instantly, eyeing the icy surface suspiciously.
"Looks safe enough, it's holding their weight without a problem." Millicent nodded, already pulling her wand out of her pocket.
Minerva didn't look quite so keen, and Poppy was suddenly reminded of her strong fear and hatred of water. It seemed Ro had picked up on this too, as after Transfiguring skates onto her shoes she put a hand on Minerva's shoulder. "We'll stay with you, no-one's going to get wet." Minerva smiled unconvincingly, and held on tight to Poppy and Ro's hands when they first ventured out onto the lake.
Millicent was clearly in her element, laughing joyfully as she twirled around on the ice with Septima not far behind. Irma was a little slower, though her almost balletic elegance portrayed a confidence that Poppy envied. Ro zoomed in wide circles around them, flying over the ice almost as fast as she did over the Quidditch pitch. Poppy was content staying with Minerva, holding both hands to keep each other steady as they moved slowly in random directions.
As it happened, Poppy was facing the wrong way when disaster finally struck. All she remembered was a warning screech from Ro, the sound of skates grating over ice, and a painful thump when Irma hit the ice.
"Irma!" Septima cried out, hurrying over to her sister who was struggling to sit up without slipping.
"Irma," Minerva said, but with a more grave tone of voice. She touched her neck when Irma looked up at her, which must have had a significance Poppy wasn't aware of as Irma suddenly gasped. She fumbled around her own neck, then looked down at her lap with an expression of growing alarm. On her lap was a long golden chain, which would have been perfectly normal without the intricate egg timer attached to it.
It wasn't just Poppy who had noticed the chain. Ro was staring undisguised at it, hardly blinking or breathing. "What is that?" she asked in a voice hardly louder than a hiss.
Irma said nothing. If Poppy didn't know her better, she would have said Irma looked scared, sat on the ice in the face of Ro's fury.
"It's a Time-Turner." Minerva said after a short silence, pulling an identical chain from beneath her coat. "It's how Irma and I have both been doing five extra subjects since last September. Professor Dumbledore gave me mine, and Professor Slughorn gave Irma's to her."
The mystery of how Minerva and Irma had been managing all their classes was finally solved, but at that moment there were more pressing matters on Poppy's mind. Ro was looking between Minerva and Irma as if seeing them both in a new light, anger in every line of her body. The temperature seemed to drop considerably as she whispered "And you didn't think to tell us?"
"We couldn't." Minerva continued, her tone slightly wary. "The Professors forbade it."
Ro stalked towards Minerva so that their faces were inches apart. "Do you not realise," she said, her voice now starting to rise, "what you could have done with that thing if you'd not kept it secret? Did it not occur to you that you could have used it for something more important than doing more subjects?"
Poppy had no idea what she was talking about, until Ro's next words made her heart freeze. "My Mum is dead, and you could have stopped it!" There was an echoing crack, and Poppy restrained a horrified gasp as the ice beneath Ro's feet fractured in a spider's web of dark lines.
Minerva's glasses had smashed too, littering the ice with slivers of glass. "Ro, no, that's not how it works" she said desperately, pushing the empty frames into her pocket and blinking a couple of times. "Don't you think we'd have done something- anything!- if we could have done?"
"You chose keeping the Professors' secret over saving my Mum's life. Both of you." Ro said quietly, taking a step back from the centre of the cracks. She looked at Irma now, who just about managed to hold Ro's gaze. "I don't know why we ever trusted you. You're just like the others- selfish and thoughtless and as bad as the rest of the Blacks."
"Don't you dare!" Septima shouted, stepping in front of Irma and pointing an accusatory finger at Ro. "Don't you speak about my sister like that!"
Ro ignored her, turning to face Minerva again. "And you," she began as Poppy held her breath. "You betrayed me. You were meant to be my teammate, my friend, and you betrayed me. Don't talk to me again."
With that she walked away; Poppy went to try and follow, but a sharp yellow glare was enough to stop her in her tracks.
"Ro, wait!" Minerva called, skating forwards over the breaks in the ice that she could no longer see.
Everything then seemed to happen in slow motion, like in one of those film strips that Poppy's father had taken her to see over the summer. There was a series of louder cracks as the ice split under Minerva's skates; Minerva's expression changed from worry to terror before she plummeted into the grey water.
Poppy was down on her knees in an instant, screaming Minerva's name into the jagged hole. Someone grabbed her under the arms and started to pull her away, making her struggle to try and get free.
"Don't put yourself in danger!" Cleatus Weasley's voice sounded close to her ear.
"But she can't swim!" Poppy cried in despair, fighting even harder. "She can't swim, she'll drown in there!"
They were now surrounded by the other Hogwarts students, who had evidently come to see what the commotion was about. Nancy and Ernest Lawrence were looking down into the hole and talking in urgent voices, while an agitated Larry looked seconds away from diving in after her. Maggie had positioned herself between the hole and Irma, Septima and Millicent; Irma was still on the ice, her hands over her mouth, while Septima and Millicent clung to each other in fright.
"What do we do?" Anthea croaked, breaking off in a shriek as water suddenly flooded from the hole.
A long pink tentacle emerged from the water and gripped the surface of the ice, followed by a second. Then several more pink arms appeared, wrapped around something that was unmoving and dripping with water.
"It's the Giant Squid!" Nancy shouted, scrabbling backwards as more icy water was splashed everywhere. "And it's got Minerva!" Poppy's chest constricted as she realised Nancy was right. The Squid lay Minerva down on the ice, before slithering back into the hole and out of sight.
Cleatus' grip slackened and Poppy managed to break free, rushing over to Minerva and crouching down beside her. Her skin was so pale it was almost grey-tinged, though her fingertips were reddening and her lips were blue. When Poppy lifted her wrist to find a pulse, her throat tightened at the stone-like coldness of her hand.
"Is she breathing?" asked Irma in a trembling voice.
Her question was answered when Minerva jerked into life, struggling to sit as she hacked up numerous mouthfuls of water. Green eyes were wide with panic and pain as she breathed raggedly, her whole body heaving with the effort. Poppy rubbed her back in gentle but firm motions, and after a minute or so her breathing slowed down and she slumped backwards in exhaustion.
"We need to warm her up," she said, her medical knowledge slowly returning after her mind-blanking panic. "Someone help me get her coat off."
Irma was nearest, so once Poppy had unbuttoned the coat Irma slid it out from underneath her. Septima was taking off her own coat, and with a grateful nod Poppy wrapped it around Minerva's still form.
A light in the corner of her eye and a whispered incantation made Poppy glance over to see Anthea holding a small blue fire in her palm. She knelt down next to Poppy and went to place it down on the ice, but at Joseph Prewett's sharp voice she lifted it back up again. "You'll melt the ice!" he pointed out with a frown.
Anthea shook her head. "It's bluebell flame, it'll only heat Minerva."
Illuminated by the flickering blue light, Poppy could see that Minerva's previously still form had started shivering violently. Although she looked a lot worse, Poppy knew that it was a positive sign. Taking a steadying breath, she looked up at the concerned faces around her. "She needs to get to the Hospital Wing."
"I'll carry her," Larry offered instantly, bending down to scoop Minerva into his arms. He staggered slightly under her weight, before setting off as fast as he could towards the castle.
Poppy helped Irma to her feet, holding onto her elbow as they crossed the lake. Once they were safely on solid ground, she stopped for a moment to look back over her shoulder.
Ro was nowhere to be seen.
Author's Note:
I am so sorry this is so late D: Life decided it would be a good time to hit me in the face with a frying pan. Also, for anyone who was concerned, I would never abandon this fanfic without posting a note. So if there's no note, there's a chapter on the way.
Despite the angst at the end, I did like this chapter. I think as time's gone on I've become a lot more relaxed when writing the main six, as I feel I know them a lot better now than I did so many months ago. Hence we get more emotional stuff. One of the reasons why I decided to do this was that it seemed unrealistic to me that we have six girls who have been friends for over three years without a single argument. Now I went to an all-girls school between the ages of 7 and 16, and let me tell you that it is impossible to have an all female friendship group without any arguments.
I can't think of any more chapter related notes right now, but I'll add any later if they come to mind.
As of tomorrow I am officially finished at college for the year (whoop whoop!) but I'm performing in a stage show on saturday and I have a few bits of coursework I have to get emailed early next week. But I'm going away for two weeks starting the 25th of July, so I'm aiming to get a chapter out before I go and have a chapter ready for when I get back. The goal is to get fourth year finished by September.
Since this is chapter 35 and I tend to allocate 10 chapters per school year (meaning 70 chapters total), this technically marks the halfway point of this fanfic. I'm taking the opportunity to say how grateful I am for every single view, review, follow and fav that this story has got. I never expected the idea I had at midnight last September to become quite this popular, so thank you very much :)