February 1994, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
To love is to trust; to trust is to believe.
It took all of Aquilla's willpower not to stay up overnight studying her magic. Wideye Potion could hold her awake and sane enough... but at the same time, how could she focus on healing magic without taking care of her own health? With this reasoning, she closed her books, covered her dummy and went to get ready for bed, even though the next day had evening practice rather than early morning one.
As she walked through the Common Room, she noticed Theodore asleep on a table covered with notes and schematics. She smiled and brought over a blanket to cover him. After all, she couldn't move him to bed. She managed to squeeze a pillow under his head. But as she went towards her dormitory, she didn't manage to catch his gentle smile when he slept.
/\/\
It was a room in the Lestrange Manor, that was for sure. But it wasn't richly decorated. All embellishments were stripped away. There were no portraits. Curtains were plain and durable, made of drill fabric; no velvet or silk. Cabinets of potions lined the walls. There was no carpet. A large, low table was in the middle of the room; two smaller, yet higher tables stood at two corners. The large table was covered with the same drill fabric as the curtains were made of, and there was something long and narrow under the cover.
Aquilla stepped closer to the table. She reached her hand and pulled the cover off.
Blood dripped to the floor.
There was her father's body underneath the cover. Bloody, battered and burned.
She couldn't help but shriek-
-and she woke up.
Shaking whole, she glanced at her watch. It was barely past one in the morning. She tried to calm herself down and get back to sleep.
After about half an hour of tossing, turning and counting, she gave up.
It was time to visit third-year boys' dormitory again. It was an "or something".
Warmth of her cousin's body and his steady heartbeat did much better than counting for calming down.
/\/\
'Milky, I have a great favor to ask you for, and if you don't have time for this, just straight up tell me. Okay?' Aquilla asked the elf as she sneaked to kitchen on second Sunday after lunch. Milky bowed.
'How mays Milky be of service?' he asked. 'Milky is done washing dishes, Miss!'
'I need to bake a strawberry tart. Could you please teach me? Instruct me as I go?'
Milky looked at her wide-eyed.
'Milky can make Miss a tart!' he offered. Aquilla lightly shook her head.
'If it's possible, I would prefer to do it with my own hands' she said. Milky nodded and gathered ingredients.
Of course, mistakes were made.
But eventually the tart was ready.
It was imperfect. The crust was a bit uneven. The strawberry filling sunk a little.
But it was made by her.
'Thank you, Milky. You're a gem' Aquilla said as she took the tart. Then she headed to the Owlery. She was happy that school owls could be used by every student.
Everything was ready for the next morning.
/\/\
Many owls graced the tables with Valentines Day cards. Aquilla smiled, accepting hers; she also hoped Theo liked the one from her, she worked hard to make it perfect for him. There was the strawberry tart attached to the card, and instead of signing her name, she drew her constellation; the same as she was wearing on her necklace. Necklace that he had given her for her birthday. She noticed Astoria staring intently in direction of Blaise, Draco and Theo. She smirked. She had no illusion that Blaise was the one she was staring at; not after Christmas and New Year. Theodore glanced over at Aquilla with a smile as he raised a piece of the tart, giving her thumbs-up. Draco blushed a little as he read his card.
Your eyes are sharp and bright,
Your hair like ray of light,
Your blood so perfectly pure.
I'll give you my heart
To never be apart,
Of my love I'm totally sure.
Aquilla nudged Astoria and pointed at Draco. Astoria grinned.
'And who sent you one?' she asked. Aquilla opened the envelope and took the card out. It was dark green, felt velvety, and the heart on it was made of silvery wires and gears.
'Theo must have made it by himself' she said in awe. For starshine, read the text inside. Written in Theodore's neat, technical handwriting. There was no signature.
But there didn't need to be.
Aquilla flashed Theodore a bright smile as she passed him by on her way to classes. He smiled back. Some strawberry filling was still in the corner of his mouth. Aquilla felt butterflies in her stomach.
It was hard to concentrate on History of Magic lecture. But professor Binns wouldn't notice her doing something else, at least that was what she assumed. So she scribbled on a spare piece of parchment.
Theos - god, doron - gift.
Nymph...
She forced herself not to chuckle. THAT would be quite noticeable.
After dusk, as every Monday, she went to train. Flint gathered the team.
'From today on, we're practicing passes and steals. Bletchley, you're protecting the hoops. Lestrange, you're with me. Pucey, Montague, you try to get the Quaffle from us; we're playing against you. We'll be rotating pairs every day. Derrick, Bole, you're deflecting Bludgers away from the four of us and towards Malfoy. Malfoy, you're looking for the Snitch and avoiding Bludgers. Understood?'
'Aye, aye, captain!' the team answered. Aquilla smirked. Well, that was going to be fun.
Steal from Pucey, pass to Flint, dart to a different position, accept pass from Flint, attempt to score. She smirked and accepted the Quaffle from Bletchley, then passed to Flint. Montague managed to grab the Quaffle from Flint, then pass to Pucey. Aquilla positioned herself and made a mad dash to intercept their next pass.
Derrick and Bole did a good job and Bludgers didn't bother the Chasers. Aquilla didn't worry about them. She focused on the task on hand. Her eyes were on the Quaffle and the Quaffle alone. From time to time, she held herself back and didn't zip to intercept; Flint had to have his chances too.
'From above!' she squealed once when she got the Quaffle and flew above Flint, only to drop it. Flint was surprised, but caught the ball.
'Good one, Lestrange!' he called up with a grin.
And then there was a crash.
'Draco!' Aquilla gasped and flew to him.
'Ugh... d-don't worry, Pipsqueak...' he said through a forced smile. But Aquilla wasn't buying it. She immediately drew her wand.
'Episkey' she cast. Draco sighed.
'It wasn't your role, you know. You have to practice with the Quaffle.'
'It just took a moment' Aquilla huffed, fussing with her hair ties to put her wand back in place. And then she rejoined Flint.
'Good save, First-Aid Witch' Flint grinned. 'May I have my Reserve Chaser back?'
Aquilla huffed, but it was in good sport. She flew towards Pucey, ready to intercept again. She was happy that Flint did finally accept her place.
'Shouldn't we have a reserve Seeker and Keeper as well, Captain?' Bletchley asked, going to shower after training. 'Stuff happens, and we can't afford having another shuffle of matchups.'
'What, are you ready to give up?' Flint joked. 'But, you have a point. I'll hang a message in our Common Room. Our regular can easily lend a broom to reserve if needed, too.'
/\/\
'...and now he's not talking to me, that hair could be in their bedroom for weeks!' Hermione huffed as she watched the first-years continue their essays. Maybe it wasn't the best for their progress, but Aquilla enjoyed the rumours and it was clear Hermione felt better after she let out some steam. 'Ugh! And it could be snatched by any other cat, too! Some boys have cats, even if not in their year!'
'Or an owl' Aquilla chipped in. Hermione fell silent.
'Owl?'
'Owls are predatory to rodents, just like cats are. I know, I know, they are in the Owlery. But you know what I mean. An owl can get into a dormitory just as easily as a cat, if not easier.'
Hermione nodded.
'Uh, well, so that was it, right? What else were you struggling with?' she asked and glanced at their list. 'Severing Charm?'
'Yes, essay on practical application' Alison nodded. 'How are we supposed to fill two feet with this topic?'
'Especially since we can't write about pranks we can try using it' Kouta added. Hermione sighed. That was going to be a long hour.
/\/\
The morning of the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw match saw the Slytherin Common Room mostly deserted. Theodore Nott was sitting in the corner, flipping pages of three books at once. Some people were heading to the library to pick up on the homework; some were already in the pitch, dressed mostly in blue. Aquilla did some morning stretching exercises. Then she dove into her trunk. There had to be something red, right?
There wasn't much, and it was rose red rather than scarlet. A silken bandanna and a few hair ties. Well, that had to do. She could always wear the hair ties in lieu of bracelets. She tied the bandanna around her neck like a tie and wrapped the hair ties around her wrists. She looked straight in mirror and corrected her hair a little before going to get some snacks and then to the portrait of Emeric Switch. Alison and Derek were there already.
'Show it!' Alison said with a grin.
'Well I'm not as artsy as the two of you' Derek tried to explain himself. 'But I did what Hufflepuffs are known for; my best.'
He spread out the banner he had made. It was scarlet, and in golden lettering was written "GO GRYFFINDOR!". Alison looked closer.
'Did you... use a paw print stamp to form the letters?' she asked. Derek nodded with a sheepish smile.
'I couldn't draw a lion devouring a bird or lion-shaped letters... so I did what I could.'
'But Derek, that's brilliant!' Aquilla smiled at him. 'Well done, very creative!'
Derek blushed so much that his face could be camouflaged in the banner he made.
'You... you really think so?' he asked weakly.
'Sure! You assessed your skills and worked with that. It's great!' she praised him. "Shall we go straight to the pitch? And before we go, yes, I know Potter has a Firebolt. It may be a very short game, so we better hurry."
It was also a good opportunity to better assess the Gryffindor team. Sure, Potter caught the Snitch when Draco didn't back in second year... but Potter alone wasn't the whole team. Aquilla knew she had to assess the Chasers and Keeper more than just Potter.
She felt a bit uneasy among all the Gryffindors. Sure, closest by were other first-years. But there were others. Someone scowled at Aquilla.
'What is a Slytherin doing here?'
'Same a Hufflepuff is doing here!' Derek answered instead of Aquilla. 'Everyone can cheer for Gryffindor! Don't listen to him' he whispered to the girl. Aquilla nodded and held on to their banner.
As the players flew out, Aquilla admired the formation of Chasers even more than she did the Firebolt. She observed more than cheered. Alison chuckled.
'GO GRYFFINDOR!' she yelled, trying to inspire her friends to do the same. But Aquilla only really started cheering once the Chasers started scoring.
"You go, Spinnet!" she shrieked. She doubted they could hear, but it felt good to scream Chasers' names.
The Ravenclaw Chasers started picking up the slack, and it looked like their Seeker decided to follow Potter rather than look for the Snitch on her own. Hah! As if she could count on outspeeding him on her measly Comet 260.
The game went on. Gryffindor was still at an advantage. And suddenly...
'Oh no' Aquilla said, all pale. Trembling, she pointed at three Dementors on the pitch. Derek squeezed her hand. Aquilla breathed in, held her breath, and slowly released. Luckily she didn't feel any effect of the Dementors. What was going on?
She watched Potter cast the Patronus Charm. Her eyes widened. Her Slytherin ambition flared up. She too wanted to learn the Charm. But she had to find out who taught Potter...
Which meant she had to ask Granger. Of course she would know. She was his friend.
She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard the Gryffindors roar in victorious joy. She joined the cheer. Potter caught the Snitch.
Of course he did.
And then she noticed McGonagall... talking to the Dementors?
No... not the Dementors. They were people dressed up.
Including Draco.
Aquilla huffed. 'I need to do something' she told her classmates and walked down to the pitch. To Draco.
'You're an idiot!' she snapped. Draco scowled and crossed his arms.
'McGonagall already said it' he grumbled.
'Yeah, but I tell you the same! You're an idiot.'
Draco pulled on her bandana.
'And you're cheering for Gryffindor!'
'I'm cheering against Ravenclaw!'
'Right after Potter got that Firebolt to boot' Draco snorted. Aquilla crossed her arms.
'Jealous?'
Draco scowled at her. Aquilla huffed theatrically and went away. She briefly congratulated the Gryffindors... and then walked to the Slytherin Common Room. She smiled, seeing Theodore Nott at the same table, surrounded by levitating schematics, working fervently on something new. It was clear that he was there the whole time, skipping the game... as well as breakfast. She quickly turned around and went to kitchen.
'Milky?' she called out to the elf. He appeared immediately.
'Yes, Miss?'
'Could I get some sandwiches?'
The elf didn't ask any questions. Sandwiches appeared nearly immediately. Aquilla thanked the elf and carried the plate to Theodore.
He didn't seem to acknowledge them on conscious level. He ate without even realizing it. Aquilla smiled, admiring his focus. She couldn't help being worried for Draco. Of course he would be punished, and he deserved so. But there were various punishments... hopefully he wouldn't be sent to the Forbidden Forest at night again... or have the detention with that oaf Hagrid... or be suspended from the Slytherin team...
Aquilla slapped her own cheeks to snap herself out of it. Her worrying would never help Draco. Instead, she went to the Hospital Wing to ask for more practice.
She didn't come back to the Common Room until it was time for dinner. This time, she decided, it was necessary to have Theo come for meal. She saw him still working and walked up to his table.
'Theo' she called out. There was no answer. Not even acknowledgement. She sighed and tapped his shoulder.
'Theo!' she said louder.
'Mhm' Theodore grunted, but didn't turn his head. Aquilla sighed and snatched the schematic he was currently adjusting. He gasped.
'Hey, give it back!' he frowned and looked at Aquilla, blinking.
'I'm sorry, Theo' she sighed as she returned the parchment to him. 'You can't keep skipping meals. Come. It's time to have dinner.'
'Dinner?' Theodore sounded confused as he glanced towards the window. The lake looked dark. Theodore blinked a few times and packed all his work up to store in the dormitory. Aquilla smiled softly. Time really seemed to fly for Theodore when he was busy. She waited for him and walked with him to the Great Hall. She sat between him and Draco, then helped herself to some salad. She pushed some towards the boys later.
'Mhm...' Draco grumbled. Aquilla lightly squeezed his hand.
'What does she want you to do?' she asked quietly. Draco shook his head.
'Nothing much. Menial labor' he rolled his eyes. 'Trophy Room.'
Aquilla couldn't help but feel relieved. Sure, it was unpleasant and degrading. But at least it wasn't dangerous.
'At least she's not sending you to the woods' she commented. Draco rolled his eyes, but smiled.
'You're right, Pipsqueak. I'll keep it in mind.'
'When are you doing that?'
'Monday' he sighed. 'I'll have to skip training.'
'Flint won't be happy.'
'I know, I know. I didn't expect to get caught.'
Aquilla rolled her eyes and finished her meal. She then went to bed.
It was deep in the night when a commotion outside awoke her. Aquilla groaned and sat up.
'What gives...?' she asked.
'Sirius Black' Flora said. 'Apparently he got into the Gryffindor dormitories!'
Aquilla trembled and hugged her stuffed cat tightly. Sirius Black. Again.
'Did the teachers notify the aurors...?' she asked weakly. But no one could answer that question. However, soon they noticed that the people who searched the school were solely the regular Hogwarts staff.
'I wonder if he knows that' Hestia sighed. 'That the school isn't really bothering to summon aurors to look for him.'
'He might realize that if he reads the newspapers. After all news that he was sighted at Hogwarts would be noteworthy' Diane pointed out. Aquilla hyperventilated, squeezing her stuffed cat tightly. It seemed like only a matter of time before Black massacred a bunch of Hogwarts students. She tried to calm herself down, but that was in vain, so she forced herself to walk to the Common Room, where Draco was already waiting for her.
Draco was upset too. Of course. There was no way he wouldn't be. Who wouldn't be upset with a mass murderer getting into the school AGAIN? But he still did his best to comfort her, running fingers through her hair and humming. Eventually, the girl calmed down - just in time for professor Snape to come to the Slytherin Common Room.
'Please return to beds' he said sternly. 'All the teachers are searching through the castle. There is nothing you can help with by staying up. If you by any chance feel the need of Calming Draught, I don't blame you, but please proceed quickly.'
'Just the teachers?' Aquilla blurted out. 'Weren't the aurors called?'
Professor Snape stared at her for a prolonged while.
'The procedures that the Headmaster has implemented are none of your concern, Miss Lestrange' he said lowly. 'All of you, return to beds at once. Stay in your dormitories until further notice.'
It didn't really calm down Aquilla, or anyone else. Draco hugged her once more.
'Well... there's nothing we can do for now' he sighed. 'Try to sleep. Please' he kissed her cheek. Aquilla nodded slowly and went to her bed in first-year girls' dormitory. She stared at the ceiling, her thoughts racing through her head.
It felt as if Dumbledore was making some half-hearted efforts to capture Black.
Almost like he didn't even care if Black massacred Hogwarts students...
Almost like he was more focused on keeping the school free from any outside influence than keeping the school safe...
Aquilla frowned deeply. That made no sense. If Black massacred Hogwarts students, parents would pull their children out of school, right? And then Dumbledore would rule over minds and souls of... well... maybe some Weasleys.
But then she thought about the Chamber of Secrets being open. About students getting petrified.
And about parents still sending their children to Hogwarts.
Aquilla sat up, suddenly angry. Not only at Dumbledore, but also at aunt Cissy and uncle Lucius. Why was she still at Hogwarts? Why didn't she stay home after Christmas break? It wasn't like Dumbledore would come and make her come back. No, aunt Cissy and uncle Lucius still sent her to school.
Her hands trembled and she felt the bond that connected her to her family. She visualised the threads that connected her to aunt Cissy and uncle Lucius.
And she pushed her fear and anger through them.
It took effort and moments later she was exhausted. She lay back down and didn't even notice when she fell asleep, into blissful dreams about being safe and loved by her family.
/\/\
Dear Dora,
I can't say I expect that you already heard about it, which is why I write to you right away. Sirius Black broke into Hogwarts. AGAIN. And the teachers, without any help from aurors, tried to find him, but didn't. AGAIN.
Aunt Cissy and Uncle Lucius aren't trying to pull me out of school, either. I'm scared here, but what can I do? I can't protect myself against a murderer. Especially someone like Black (thirteen people with one curse!). No one seems to know how he got into the castle – no portrait, save for the one that let him to the Gryffindor tower, no living person, no ghost. It's as if he Apparated in, but we both know it's impossible. Which makes Black even more elusive and scary.
What do I do?
Your cousin,
Aquilla
/\/\
Dear Aquilla,
You're right and wrong. I haven't heard about it from Hogwarts staff. However, another auror's child called by Floo network before I got your letter, so I knew from a colleague. It's frustrating to no end. Professor Dumbledore doesn't seem to cooperate with the aurors at all! I wish I could comfort you, but with the way things are going right now, I don't have much hope for catching Black. We are looking for him when he's not breaking into Hogwarts, but, again, he is horribly elusive. Don't go anywhere alone. Of course I can't assure you'll be safe that way, but... maybe go places with a slower friend?
Your cousin,
Dora
/\/\
Aquilla looked all across the Great Hall towards the Gryffindor table. After the game, she knew she had to ask Granger where Potter learned the Patronus Charm. Maybe she could learn too? One thing was certain – Potter learned it somewhere at school. He certainly didn't have anyone who could teach him outside of Hogwarts. But there was no sign of Granger. Did she decide to skip the meal? Aquilla looked around and all of sudden she noticed Granger at the Gryffindor table. How strange. She could swear that Granger wasn't there mere seconds ago, how could she have joined it so fast?
Aquilla made her way to Granger, no matter how weird it was. She took a deep breath.
'I need some help with my homework' she said. 'Could you help me with it today afternoon?'
Granger looked at her barely awake, blinking a few times. But then she nodded.
'Sure. The same classroom as always?' she offered. 'At five?'
Aquilla nodded. That sounded good. Five was still early enough for her to make it to the quidditch training afterwards. And the help she needed wasn't too lengthy... at least the help she actually needed. The schoolwork wasn't really too hard. She smiled at Granger and returned to the Slytherin table, pretending to ignore Draco's obvious glare. All a lovely show for the likes of Diane.
Time until five couldn't pass fast enough. During the History of Magic lesson Aquilla tapped her nose with her quill, frowning with impatience. The monotonous voice of professor Binns didn't help at all. She scribbled some problems she wished to discuss with Granger as a cover. Charms... yes, asking for help with Charms homework could easily transition to a conversation about a specific charm. Patronus Charm.
/\/\
'...and this is the correct wand movement' Hermione showed Aquilla again. Aquilla concentrated and repeated.
'It's hard, you know?' she grunted. 'I try to repeat it, but it feels more natural to move in mirror image. Just because my wand is in the left hand. It's frustrating.'
Hermione seemed to buy it. She nodded with sympathy.
'The sketches aren't much help for the left-handed' she admitted. Aquilla nodded and sighed.
'I hope I get used to it before I get to more complex spells. Like the Patronus Charm' she said wistfully. 'I know it's not a part of the curriculum, but... you saw that, right? I wonder who taught him to cast that.'
'Professor Lupin' Hermione said without a hesitation. Aquilla forced herself not to smile triumphantly. Target located. Now what should the next step be...?
/\/\
Milky was always so helpful. Aquilla carried a basket of freshly baked chocolate biscuits to professor Lupin's office. She took a deep breath and knocked, but didn't wait for answer. She pushed the door open and put the basket on the desk.
'Miss Lestrange, was it really necessary...?' professor Lupin started tiredly. Aquilla sniffed.
'I-I'm sorry, Professor' she said. 'I just, uh, I wanted to bring you some biscuits...'
Professor Lupin reached for a biscuit. He bit it cautiously.
'...and to ask if you feel any better now that the full moon is over' she added. Professor Lupin dropped the biscuit. Aquilla looked at him with concern, but didn't say a word.
Just staying in the office with him spoke volumes.
And she was sure he understood it the way she intended.
