August 1946
Despite not being allowed to use her wand while at Little Wakering, it felt to Poppy like she had never fully left the world of magic. She thought of the summer as the perfect mix of her magic and Muggle lives; the could spent a day in the bustling city of Southend, walking down the pier like any normal teenage girls, but then return to the house to see Kurtis and Carrie using magic without even a second thought. They could be looking down on Southend from the top of the Ferris wheel in the morning and looking down over Abbott Hall Farm from their broomsticks in the afternoon. Although she missed the excitement of Hogwarts and the thrill of learning new spells, she would have been happy for that summer to last forever.
With the arrival of the booklists at the end of August, the start of term suddenly felt within reach. The girls were sat eating breakfast at the kitchen table when six Hogwarts owls arrived, depositing six letters on the table when Ro let them in through the window. They were all sealed with the Hogwarts crest and addressed to each of them by name, but every envelope bore the address of the Little Wakering House.
"I'll always wonder how they know where to send these," Poppy commented, taking her own letter. "We never mentioned to any of the teachers that we were all staying here, did we? So how on Earth did they know?"
Minerva made an explosion-like hand gesture. "Magic," she said, grinning.
"Wow, I'd never have guessed." Ro deadpanned, hitting Minerva across the head with her letter before giving it to her.
"Ow, that hurt!" Minerva complained, shaking the envelope by her ear. "There's something hard in here!"
There was silence for a moment, before Septima gasped. "We're fifth years! Prefect badges!"
The atmosphere at the table instantly changed from relaxed to a tense excitement. "Everyone open them on the count of three. And if you've got a badge then don't drop it into your juice or it'll be sticky for ages- take it from me!" Ro said, pausing briefly as everyone laughed before she continued "OK then: one, two, thr-"
The rest of her countdown was lost under the sound of ripping paper. There was nothing in Poppy's envelope other than the booklist and the usual information letter, but she hadn't expected to be made Prefect when in competition with someone as amazing as Minerva.
"I've got it," said Minerva; Poppy could tell she was smiling even before she looked up. There was a scarlet badge in her hand with the word 'PREFECT' written across the centre in golden letters, which glimmered as the sunlight caught it.
"So have I!" Millicent shouted, brandishing a sapphire-blue version of Minerva's badge. She hugged Septima before leaning across the table to high-five Minerva, grinning from ear to ear.
Irma gave a sharp intake of breath, reaching into her envelope and pulling out an emerald-coloured badge. "I don't believe it," she said with utter disbelief in her tone, looking around the table with a shocked smile on her face.
"Why are you so surprised? Out of you, Druella, and Eileen, I think it's obvious that you're the best choice." Poppy laughed gently.
"Is it? I thought Druella would get it for sure." Irma shook her head, still smiling. She suddenly frowned as she continued "I wonder if that was Druella's punishment for her part in the ipecac incident?"
Minerva nodded thoughtfully. "It could be. It'll be interesting to see if Malfoy has been made a prefect or not."
"Poppy, Septima and I are going to have to watch our behaviour now with you three as Prefects!" Ro laughed, nudging Poppy with her elbow.
"Well maybe that might put you off doing anything stupid!" Poppy retorted playfully, nudging her back as everyone laughed at Ro's offended expression.
With only a few days left before term began, the rest of their time was spent getting ready for the return to Hogwarts. Erika and Johnnie took them into Diagon Alley to get their new textbooks and school supplies, then they were faced with the massive task of getting their trunks packed. With all six of them sleeping in the attic bedroom their belongings had unsurprisingly become very mixed up, and making sure everyone had their own clothes in particular was a long task. Poppy didn't even realise she had picked up a Ravenclaw tie by mistake until Millicent complained that hers was missing, Irma and Septima had managed to swap shoes, and it became very quickly obvious that Ro had Minerva's robe when she tried it on and the material pooled around her ankles.
The morning of September 1st was, unsurprisingly, absolute chaos. Rather than taking the Floo to Erika and Johnnie's flat like they usually did when getting from Little Wakering to London, this time they went to Ro's Uncle and Aunt's house was on the outskirts of the city. All three of Ro's cousins were going with them, with Emery in third year, Heidi a year below and Anja starting her first term, so Uncle Georg and Aunt Mabel somehow packed all nine of them in their magically expanded car before setting off for King's Cross. They met up with Minerva's mother in the Muggle part of the station along with Malcolm and Robbie, also going to Hogwarts for the first time, before piling through the barrier onto the platform.
Even though it was her fifth time going to Hogwarts, Poppy couldn't suppress her grin at seeing the Hogwarts Express again. The platform was packed with families saying goodbye and friends reuniting after the summer, though since all six of them were already together they just headed straight for the train. Minerva, Millicent and Irma had to go down to the Prefect's carriage for their first Prefect meeting, so it was just Poppy, Ro and Septima in their compartment when the Hogwarts Express left London.
"And off we go again," Septima said, watching out the window as the train pulled out of the station. "I can't believe we're here yet again. The time's gone so fast when you think about it."
Ro nodded. "We're over halfway through our education."
"Let's not think about it," Poppy shook her head hurriedly. "We've still got another three years, let's just enjoy them. Or they'll all be gone before we've even noticed."
Ro let out a sigh, leaning back to lie across the whole of one seat. "This is nice, we're not packed together like sardines for once."
"It won't be so nice if I do this," Septima said, hopping up to sit on Ro's stomach.
"Get off me you great lump!" Ro squeaked.
Laughing at Ro's feeble attempts to throw her off, Septima beckoned for Poppy to join her. "Give me a hand here, she's winning!"
Poppy needed no persuasion, sitting beside Septima to pin Ro's legs down. Ro continued protesting for a few minutes as Poppy and Septima just laughed, before she gave in with a groan. "Don't you think two against one is just a little bit unfair?"
"Nope," declared Septima, setting them both off giggling again.
The sound of the compartment door accompanied by an exasperated sigh made them both look up. "Do I even want to know what's happening in here?" Minerva asked.
"Those prefect choices are all becoming clear now," Millicent continued in a dramatic tone, sitting down on the other seat. "These three just need constant supervision!"
"Oi," Ro said, glaring at her before looking up at Poppy and Septima. "Release me immediately or I'll get these three to give you detentions!"
Poppy and Septima both glanced at the three Prefects, and at Minerva's knowing look they both jumped off to let Ro sit up. "Who are the other Prefects in our year?" Poppy asked.
"Lyall Lupin for Gryffindor, Robert Fawley for Ravenclaw, Sylvia Macmillan and Alfred Diggory for Hufflepuff, and Alphard Black for Slytherin." Minerva said.
Irma nodded. "We were right about the ipecac punishments affecting Prefect choices- Orion Black has been replaced by Eugene Bulstrode."
"I'd loved to have been a fly on the wall in that conversation," Millicent muttered, and Poppy had to agree with her.
"What about Head Boy and Head Girl?" Ro asked.
Minerva glanced at Irma and Millicent before saying "I think it's Olive Hornby from Slytherin as Head Girl, and Benjamin Bones from Hufflepuff as Head Boy."
"They're chosen from the Prefects, right?" Septima asked.
Ro nodded, but then shrugged. "Usually, but not always. Both Mallory and Tavin were Prefects and then Head Boy. Kurtis was a Prefect too but didn't get Head Boy, and Erika was Quidditch Captain instead."
"So all of your brothers were Prefects, and you and your sister were both Quidditch Captain!" Irma pointed out, and Ro laughed in agreement.
"What's it like having siblings at Hogwarts too?" Millicent asked, looking at the twins as she added "I know you two have got each other, but I mean a sibling not in your year."
Septima nodded, glancing at Irma. "I know what you mean. I've always felt like you're more of a friend than a sister. Not meaning to be nasty."
Irma smiled. "None taken, and likewise. Especially these days."
"It was nice when I was younger since I had them to look up to. They sent me letters all the time, and would always come home for Christmas to spend it with the whole family." Ro said, smiling in reminiscence. "But now they've all left it doesn't make much difference, except when I get compared to them in lessons. Slughorn's the worst for it."
Millicent gave a slight sigh. "It's strange to think that Tabitha would be starting Hogwarts this year if she was magical too. Is it common for Muggleborns to be the only magical child? I know Bonnie and Harvey Dale are both Muggleborns, but they're the only ones I can think of."
Minerva nodded. "I think so. It's a shame, she could have been friends with Robbie and Anja if she came to Hogwarts."
Poppy stayed quiet; as the one only child out of the six of them she couldn't draw on any experiences when it came to talking about siblings. She wasn't sure she'd have wanted a brother or sister when she was a young child living in London, since she'd been happy having her parents as her friends and no-one else. But when she looked around the people in her compartment, she knew that the line between friends and sisters had been blurred long ago.
The conversation had lulled slightly, so Poppy rummaged in her bag for a moment before pulling out her deck of cards. "Who's up for Exploding Snap?" She asked, and was met by five eager faces.
The journey passed as quickly as it always seemed to. For once they had no catching up to do from the summer holiday, so they spent the time playing games or practising simple spells to get them back into the swing of things. The trolley lady came round and they brought sensible lunch food rather than sweets, since they were still well stocked from their trip to Honeydukes while in Diagon Alley a few days before. When the sun started to set over the distant hills they all dropped off to sleep one by one, knowing well that they would be up late with the Start of Term Feast that evening.
A loud whistle woke Poppy up, and she looked out of the window to see Hogsmeade Station outside. Ro was still asleep with her head resting on Poppy's shoulder, so she elbowed her awake and said "We're here!" loudly into her ear. Everyone else had already woken up; Septima and Minerva had clambered onto the seats to pull their bags down from the overhead storage, while Irma was helping Millicent retrieve her wand from where it had fallen through the seat cushions. Once they were all satisfied that they hadn't left anything behind, they left the train behind and found a carriage that would take them down to the castle.
It was cold as they walked up the steps into the Entrance Hall, and Poppy pulled her robes a little tighter around herself. But as soon as she stepped through the door she could feel the heat from the wall-mounted torches which casted a fiery glow over everyone's faces. She couldn't help but smile as they walked into the Great Hall; seeing the House banners suspended from the ceiling and hearing the background noise of animated chatter reminded her of what she had missed over the summer.
Septima and Millicent departed for the Ravenclaw table while waving enthusiastically at their other dormmates while Irma just gave them a tight-lipped smile before she slipped through the crowd towards the Slytherin end of the Hall. Poppy, Minerva and Ro made their way down to their own Table where the crowd of Gryffindors was already massive. There were numerous greeting shouted in their direction from members of the Quidditch Team, as well as the four boys in fifth year.
Ro was stood on tiptoes as she scanned the table- Poppy smirked at her attempt to give herself more height that didn't really work very well. "We'll have to sit on the floor at this rate- I can't see one spare seat!"
"Hey Minerva! Over here!" Poppy turned at the voice to see Larry-Spencer Moon waving at them, a large space next to him from where Nearly-Headless Nick had left to talk to a group of second-years. Glad that they'd be able to sit together after all, Poppy followed Minerva down the aisle and exchanged a knowing glance with Ro as Larry jumped up to pull Minerva into a hug.
Poppy sat down next to Minerva as Ro slid across the table to sit in the seat opposite, upsetting the goblets and plates which were thankfully still empty. "Good summer, Larry?" she asked as she slid into the seat next to Nancy Campbell.
Larry tutted at Ro's attempt to rearrange the cutlery. "In front of three Prefects, how dare you!" he said with mock offense. Poppy was wondering who the third Prefect was before she remembered that Anthea Newton, sat on Nancy's other side, was also a Prefect.
Ro sighed dramatically. "Merlin, I'm really in for it now. Though if you report me I can take all three of you off my Quidditch Team," she laughed, putting particular emphasis on the 'my'.
Nancy scoffed. "Empty threats, Captain Hooch. You want that Cup too much to even consider it."
Silence fell over the Hall as the doors flew open, with Professor Dumbledore leading a long line of first years up the centre of the Hall to begin the Sorting Ceremony. There was an almighty cheer as the first two names on the register, Beatrice Amberley and Carlin Anderson, both ended up joining the Gryffindor Table, but they were followed by a long spate of new members for the other three Houses. The next new Gryffindor was Anja Hooch followed closely by Robbie McGonagall, neither of them to anyone's surprise. The ceremony was concluded by another pair of Gryffindors, Isaac Wood and Ellen Young, joining the group of new additions who were sat down the far end of the table.
As Professor Dumbledore took his seat at the Staff Table, Professor Dippet stood up to make his usual speech. "I have much to tell you this evening. But I am sure that are all hungry from your long journey, so I won't keep you waiting for any longer. Tuck in, everybody, and after we are all fed then I will tell you everything you need to know."
Food had appeared on the plates as soon as the Headmaster sat back down, and no-one wasted any time before loading their plates. Lunch felt like forever ago as Poppy tucked into her dinner, and judging from the mountain of mashed potato on Ro's plate she wasn't the only one. The roast dinner was followed by a massive assortment of puddings- so many that choosing just one was near impossible. Poppy and Minerva ended up swapping their plates every few bites so they could have both the treacle tart and the apple pie, while Ro was perfectly content sticking with her favourite chocolate cake. Once everyone had finished the plates were vanished clean, and Professor Dippet stood back up to begin his speech.
"We'll begin with the customary notices," he started. "As per usual, the Forest is out of bounds to all except under teacher supervision and only third-year students and above are permitted to visit Hogsmeade village on designated weekends. However I must inform you all that the inter-House Quidditch Tournament will not be taking place this year."
The quiet that descended over the Hall was instantly shattered by numerous outraged voices. "You can't do that!" Ro yelled, and Nancy slammed her fists onto the table in agreement. Minerva and Anthea were exchanging horrified looks, both rendered speechless by the news, but Larry didn't seem to be too surprised. It wasn't just the Gryffindors who were unhappy with the announcement; on the Ravenclaw table next to them, Nina Hilliard and Philip Ackerley were shouting angrily while Peggy Gilbert looked close to tears.
It was a few minutes before Professor Dippet could make himself heart again, looking a little flustered behind the golden podium. "If you let me explain, then perhaps we can avoid a revolution," he said, and the shouting died down into a mutinous murmuring. "Months of planning have gone into organising this event, and I doubt anyone will remain disappointed for long. It gives me very great pleasure to reveal at last that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year!"
Again Larry didn't seem surprised by the announcement, and Ro whipped her head around to look at him. "You knew, didn't you? You're the Minister's son for Merlin's sake, you must have known!"
Larry laughed. "Father did try to keep it from me, but with all the delegates we've had visiting over the summer it didn't last very long. I don't know the fine details though, Winston and I weren't allowed to listen in too much."
Professor Dippet continued to speak, hushing the excited chatter that had broken out. "Some of you will know about the Tournament but to others among us this will be a new experience, so I'll apologise to those who already know what I am about to say. The Triwizard Tournament was a friendly competitive event between the three largest schools of magic in Europe; Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and ourselves. A single champion was chosen from each school to compete in three magical tasks, which ranged in the skills required but were all difficult and dangerous. Although the Tournament was an excellent way of establishing foreign ties and international relations, it was discontinued after the death toll simply rose too high."
Poppy frowned at the mention of a deal toll; in her opinion a single death was too many, let alone a whole list of them. "So much for a friendly competition," Minerva whispered in her ear, bringing a slight smile to her face.
"There have been numerous attempts to reinstate the Tournament, and the Department of Magical Sports and Games have decided that it is high time for another try. With the War so close behind us it was suggested that it would be beneficial to improve the relationships between young witches and wizards of different nationalities, in hope that an atrocity of that scale will never happen again."
There was a moment's silence following the mention of the War. It had only been a little over a year since Grindlewald's defeat, so it was still a raw subject for the many people involved. Poppy glanced in Ro's direction, knowing the extent that she had suffered as a result, but her expression was unreadable.
"The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive in late October along with their nominated contenders, and the selection of the three champions will take place on Halloween night. More will be revealed once our foreign visitors have arrived, so for now I wish you all a good night and another successful year."
Suddenly realising how tired she was, Poppy was glad to be heading up to Gryffindor Tower. She and Ro both waited in the Common Room as Minerva and the other Prefects directed the first years up to their bedrooms, remembering back to their first night at Hogwarts when Augusta had done that job for them. The dormitory was exactly as they had left it in July, though the bookcase was looking very bare and it was looking tidier than it would probably be for another year with everything still in their trunks. Poppy's bed was already wonderfully warm- she assumed someone had put a bedpan between the sheets- and she sighed contentedly as she rested her head on the pillow.
"This Tournament had better be good to make up for no Quidditch," Ro said as she jumped onto her own bed. "Do you think you'll put your name forward?"
Minerva sighed as she took her glasses off. "I'm tempted. What about you?"
Ro nodded. "I think so. Tavin works in the Department of Magical Sport and he's told me loads about it- I can't believe he kept it secret from us all summer." She paused before flashing Minerva a grin. "I'll do it if you do."
Returning the smile, Minerva laughed "Alright, you're on!"
A feeling of dread had settled in the pit of Poppy's stomach, and she pulled the duvet up to her ears in an attempt to muffle out their conversation. All of a sudden she wasn't sure that the year was going to be as quiet as she'd hoped.
Author's Note
And this is the big event that I've been planning for fifth year! Arguably it was this plot point that inspired me to write the story in the first place- I saw a headcanon of Tumblr suggesting that Prof McGonagall had competed in the Tournament herself which got the cogs spinning in my mind. I'm excited :D
Now before anyone points out that it doesn't fit in with canon, I know. I didn't realise that the Tournament had been discontinued and the 1994 one was an attempt to restart it, I watched the movies before I read the books so had already planned this before finding that out. But it was mentioned that there had been numerous attempts to restart it, so I'm using that as my excuse!
Until next time :)