I spotted Marlene at the train station and made my way over to her.
"Hey Rayly, Lily and Dorcas are just putting away their luggage."
"Yeah? What about Alice?"
"With Frank," Marlene replied in a slightly clipped voice. I realized she wasn't particularly fond of anything to do with romance.
"Raylynx Kingsley!"
An enraged Lily Evans shoved a very familiar piece of paper in my face. "What is this!?"
Spluttering, I grabbed the stationary paper off my face (the kind Lily had given me for Christmas) and read some of it aloud, "I spent all day snogging James Potter and I really think it's the best thing I've ever done in my life- oh, Merlin. Lily, James must have stolen some of the stationary you got me for Christmas behind his back and written this to you. This is a prank."
"Oh, was it?" Lily said, flushing.
"Obviously, would I ever write something like this to you?" I snorted, expecting her to laugh with me. Instead, she flushed an even brighter red and muttered something about, "going to murder Potter."
I frowned. Wait, she actually thought I would write something like that? She thinks I fancy James?
We were returning to school in mid-January, where the dreary weather reflected the eerie mood spreading quickly across the Wizarding World. Daily, reports of sightings of Inferi, dementors, and giants and strange disappearances of loved ones covered the Daily Prophet's front page. Every morning provided a new sense of anxiety about what had happened the night before. Rumors of a Dark Mark appeared. They said it was cast by the Death Eaters over the place where they had murdered someone.
Classes began on an overcast Monday. I sat again in Dumbledore's office as he taught me about how dreams manifested themselves in the mind. He instructed me on the embedding and decoding of dreams and the different functions of the right and left of the brain contributed to the complexity of dream retrieval.
"So the longitudinal fissure separates the human brain into two distinct cerebral hemispheres?"
"Precisely, and although the physical manifestations may be categorized by this fissure, remember their functions are not. Even imagination is based on logic, and logic on imagination."
"Really?" I said. "Aren't they opposites?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, they can be seen that way. However, just because they are opposites, why should that mean they are not found within each other?"
He smiled at the confusion apparent on my face. "Good night, Ms. Kingsley."
On my way back to the Gryffindor common room, I found a throng of people laughing merrily at a scene in front of them. I stood on tip-toe to see a very irate Filch holding James Potter by the ear and in his other hand, holding a very thick, familiar piece of parchment. They disappeared around the corner, with James protesting, "But Hogwarts is a testimony to good magical work! I was just respecting that!" Then, abruptly, whatever remaining fireworks left behind by James Potter suddenly went off in a flash and screaming, we all ran out of the corridor, being chased by glittering pigs and bright, flashing green, white, red, and black sparks.
The next afternoon, Marlene and I left our dormitory together; Marlene for Herbology, myself for Dark Arts. The others were in Arithmancy.
"And so I'm yelling at the bloody idiot to aim for my wand," Marlene was telling me a story about a mishap during Defense Against the Dark Arts, "and he aims for my face and took my bloody eyebrow off."
I laughed gleefully. "That's priceless. I wish I'd been there-"
Marlene just shook her head.
And then both of us came to an abrupt stop as we came face-to-face, or rather, face-to-chest with someone at the Gryffindor common room entrance.
It was Sirius Black. Holding hands with another girl. Their messy hair and disarrayed clothing left no need for imagination or logic as to what they had been up to.
Marlene tensed. Sirius hesitated and then opened his mouth-
And Marlene slapped him straight across the face.
"Oh Merlin, Sirius!" the girl cried and stepped in front of him, but it didn't matter. I'd already grabbed Marlene and shoved her through the door.
"Sorry," Marlene muttered to me, her eyes downcast, as we headed down the hallway.
"No," I replied. "You don't have to apologize, Marlene."
We paused briefly as we were about to separate into different hallways.
I hugged her. "I'll see you at dinner."
"Thanks, Rayly."
"So, let's see it."
I stood and raised my wand aloft. "Expecto Patronum!"
A shimmering silver shield expanded from the end of my wand, but it wasn't an animal.
I grimaced in frustration. I had yet been unable to repeat the full-bodied Patronus that I had briefly cast in the snowy field.
"No, no, it's good," Seymour said. "Tell me, have you managed to produce a full-bodied Patronus?"
"Once," I replied, "but it was so brief, I couldn't even tell what it was."
Seymour smiled at my disgruntled expression. "You'll get there. Don't be so impatient. It's a very difficult spell. Many learned witches and wizards are unable to produce a full-bodied Patronus, and Dark wizards are unable to at all."
"What's your Patronus, Professor?" I inquired.
"Expecto Patronum!" A huge, writhing leopard gracefully leapt out of his wand and leapt around us lithely. I watched in awe at the beautiful, silver creature, radiating a fierce, positive energy. The leopard disappeared into thin air.
"Now," Seymour said, and we both sat in our respective chairs, "let's begin. Dark Creatures. You know what a dementor is, creatures that suck out every happy memory within you, and possibly your soul, reveling in despair and decay. The most effective defense against them is-"
"The Patronus Charm."
"Correct. And chocolate."
"Chocolate?" I said, uncertain if I had heard him right.
Seymour smiled. "Yes, chocolate. And then there's boggarts, shape-shifters who take the form of whatever you most fear."
"The Riddikulus charm and ultimately, laughter. Professor Elgar taught us that last year."
"Yes, and acromantulas?"
"Venomous, gargantuan spiders. Freezing their legs are the best chance you've got. Of course, they are also loathe to fire and light."
"Therefore, your best defense against them would be?"
"Um… Incendio?"
"No," Professor Seymour responded, "Gubraithian Fire."
"Everlasting fire?" I said wondrously. "But producing such fire would… you'd have to be skilled beyond words."
Seymour nodded. "But it is the essence of flame captured in the realm of magic. Such fire would prove useful against Inferi as well."
"Inferi?" I said, "I saw them mentioned in the paper this morning, but I wasn't quite sure what it meant."
"They are dead bodies bewitched to do the bidding of a Dark Lord. They arise and are animated through a branch of magic called Necromancy."
"That's…" I couldn't find the right words to describe my disgust and horror.
"Yes," Seymour agreed quietly. "It a branch of magic that should never have been created. But it exists."
"And wand-making reflects that," I spoke aloud, remembering what Ollivander had taught me.
"The world reflects that," Seymour said, and his voice rang of infinite sorrow.
"Next, werewolves."
"But are werewolves really dark creatures?" I asked swiftly.
"Of course they are," Seymour replied, "That is why when a human becomes a werewolf, it's incredibly taxing to them. They are essentially forced into a soul absent of light every month, which is, of course, the opposite of a normal human soul. A human soul in it's natural form produces light, which, as you know, is the energy behind the Patronus Charm."
"And now it's time for you to learn some curses."
I stood up and drew out my wand.
"No, not with your wand. It'll snap. Use mine," Seymour said, and handed me over his wand.
"Can you identify it?" he asked me.
I hesitated, twirled it in my fingers and ran my fingers along the smooth wood. It felt quite strange to be holding another's wand in my wand, like a false hand.
"Alder, dragon heartstring, twelve and three quarter inches. Relatively stiff. Dependable, yet slightly temperamental."
"Well done." Seymour nodded approvingly. "All right, we'll start with Cutting Curses. The important thing here is to slash and speak very clearly."
On my way up to Alchemy, I passed by a fuming Sirius, whom Slughorn was calling after with another invitation to a Slug Club Party.
When Alchemy ended, Slughorn approached me and said, "Oh, and Ms. Kingsley, I forgot to tell Mr. Black, but if you would pass along the message to your fellow Gryffindor that Filch has assigned him detention for tomorrow night, six o'clock."
I meant to tell Sirius during Transfiguration, when James was too busy enchanting the words on the board behind McGonagall's back, but the way Marlene was glaring at him made me decide to wait for another moment.
Finally, I caught him after dinner and quickly led him to an empty classroom at the end of a nearby corridor, shutting the door behind us.
"What're you doing?" Sirius asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Nothing, just Slughorn wanted me to pass on the message that you're to have detention with Filch tomorrow night at six o'clock."
"Why the secrecy? Sirius asked, backing away from me. He had a slightly strange expression- whether he was a little amused or worried, I couldn't tell. Then, he said, "I was afraid you were going to ask me to snog you or something revolting."
"As if," I snorted, trying to hide how offended I was. "Of course I wouldn't ask that of you."
Sirius pulled a face of mock surprise and said, "Oh, really? Why not?"
My brow furrowed. I was a little bit confused at his teasing. But I said honestly, "Because I know you. And it's as you said before, we're nothing alike."
A strange silence hung in the air between us.
"I only dragged you away because it might hurt Marlene to see me talking to you."
"You don't have to worry about her so much," Sirius said.
"I don't think you realize how badly you've hurt her," I said icily. "She truly cared for you."
"She did care for me," Sirius admitted. "But I was never who she thought I was. She cared for an idea of a person."
"Was that so wrong?" I shot back. "That's what you do with all the girls you spend time with, isn't it?" I asked.
Sirius frowned at me. "Yes, but I don't have any problem with distancing that from reality."
I sighed. "Right, of course. You always know how to detach yourself," I said, thinking once again about how he had tricked me as Padfoot. "But I'm not here to argue. The point is, you've got your message and I don't want to be seen talking to y-"
Just then, the door opened and Alice walked in. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Sirius. "Oh, um, I was just wondering where you went off to. Shall I wait for you outside, then?"
She immediately began to leave and I followed her.
But when I got to the door I suddenly stopped as a shadow flickered across the wall of the rising, curving staircase. I lifted my wand carefully, unsure if it had just been an owl passing outside the large hallway window.
I tried to squint down the corridor to see better but as soon as I leaned forward, a jet of white light shot straight at me. I barely avoided the jet in time and shoving Alice back, I slammed the door close just as another jet of light tagged after me and ricocheted off the door. I locked the door.
"What's going on?" Sirius asked me, as I shoved them both away from the door.
"Someone's trying to hex us," I explained quickly, looking for a place to hide.
"I don't have my wand. It's upstairs, in my school bag," Alice whispered, horrified, as fists pounded on the door.
"Just-" I started to say, but the door burst open magically.
"Get behind me!" I finished, whirling around with my wand in front of me.
"Oh, look, boys, it's a stupidly noble Gryffindor trying to save her worthless friends" Yaxley sneered. His wand was pointed straight at me, as was Avery's and Jugson's. Nott's, Rosier's, Snape's and Travers' were pointed at Sirius, who had his own wand out, his eyes hard and bright with anger. And there was also Regulus, his wand out, but pointing at the ground. He looked hesitant, unsure of what to make of this situation.
"You," Nott scowled at me. "You dared to hit me with your filthy Mudblood fist."
"Yeah, well, my Mudblood fist was apparently strong enough to spill your pure blood, so what does that tell you?" I replied back, but my voice shook. I could also feel Alice trembling behind me.
"And I remember your stupid little stunt at the Quidditch pitch third year cost us the match," Avery retorted, his grip tightening on his wand. "You've always been annoying."
"I didn't do anything. You were cheating. Stop trying to blame me for something that was caused by your incredible lack of skill at Quidditch," I replied, but my mind was more occupied on the wands than the words.
"Cheating? Lack of talent?" Jugson's laugh was not the least bit humorous. "It's fucking illegal for Mudbloods to play in Wizarding Sports in the first place. My father told me all about it, about how Muggles smuggled their dirty lives into our world."
"Had a nice family chat about this, did you?" I asked, still trying to strategize how Alice, Sirius, and I were going to get out of this mess.
"Speaking of family, did I tell you it was my father who hexed your pathetic brother? It's just a pity he didn't break his neck on the way down." Yaxley sneered at me.
"You- Shut your mouth!" I snarled, enraged. All plans of excuse left my mind as my blood boiled hotly. What I wouldn't give to hex them until they couldn't see or hear or taste anything but pain. The only thing keeping me where I was Alice's trembling body against mine.
Yaxley only smirked at me like a predator who'd cornered his prey. Which, unfortunately, was a very accurate way to describe the current situation.
Jugson spat at me. "You don't tell us to do anything, you Mudblood."
Nott stepped forward then. He grinned a horrible grin and said, "Did you like the taste of the Cruciatis Curse I gave you fourth year? Would you like a bit more?"
"You lay off her!" Sirius said menacingly, raising her own wand.
"Oh, look, it's the failed Black," Travers laughed scornfully. "Saw you last summer, didn't I? Cursed by your own mother and made to eat off the floor like a dog, if I remember correctly."
Sirius flushed and gritted his teeth.
"Oh, I'd love to have a good reason to try a few hexes on you," Travers continued. "A justification I could give to your disgusting mother."
"Would you?" Severus said, his voice contorted in anger despite his mask-like face. "I have a reason. Plenty of them."
Sirius laughed and the goosebumps on my arm rose for he sounded just like them- that same cold, humorless laughter.
"How'd you like my present for you, Snivellus? At the end of the tunnel. I told you you weren't brave enough for it," Sirius said.
"Alice," I whispered out of the side of my mouth. "Get ready."
Snape, in one swift motion, disarmed Sirius, and slammed him into the wall and began to choke him with his free hand. With his eyes blazing with hate, he laid his wand against Sirius' face and murmured a curse that cut a deep gash into his face. Sirius shouted in pain and the Slytherins all laughed, watching him. Watching him… Focused on him.
"Impedimenta!" I shouted, blasting through the group of Slytherins. I shoved Alice forward and down the stairs before following her.
"Get back here, you Mudblood!" I heard Jugson shout.
I was still sprinting when suddenly I heard a slight loud growl and a blast followed by a shout of pain.
Sirius!
"Get up here or the blood traitor Black gets a real taste of pain, Kingsley!" Jugson called down.
Alice was too far ahead to hear anything and I hoped she'd continue to run away.
I burst back into the room with my wand raised, "Let him go." Sirius was being held down by Nott and Rosier. His face sported several gashes that were bleeding onto his neck and a bruise was forming on the right side of his face, near his eye.
"Let him go and I'll drop my wand," I promised.
"Drop your wand and we'll let him go," Avery replied scathingly, rubbing his arm where he must've hit the ground from my Blasting Spell.
We stood at a standstill.
"What's the point? You're far outnumbered, Kingsley," Yaxley sneered at me.
Then, Travers shot a Stunner at me. I barely dodged it and had just sent a Stinging Hex of my own when I heard Rosier punch Sirius hard in the stomach. My Stinging Hex caught Travers right in the face and he keeled over in pain. I sent a Blasting Spell at Rosier who was kneeing Sirius in the face and it caught him and sent him flying backwards, but just as the spell hit him, four different spells of Blasting, Stunning, and Bruising all caught me on the left side of my body.
I was slammed back against the wall hard and pain ripped through my body at the sudden impact, leaving me breathless and my eyes began to tear.
I blinked the tears back as quickly as I could and with a tight grip on my wand, I sent another Stinging Hex at Nott who had his wand pressed against Sirius' neck. It caught him in the leg and he yelped, his wand clattering to the floor.
Suddenly, two hands whammed into both of my shoulders, smashing me back. All I thought about was keeping my wand in my hand, but when I collided with the wall, I couldn't find the breath to utter any spells nor could my mind remember any, so preoccupied was it with pain.
Sirius had recovered his wand and was dueling fiercely with Nott and Yaxley, but in the meanwhile someone else cursed me so that it the sensation of needles harshly jabbing at my skin was present all down my left arm. I gritted my teeth and tried to find my breath but someone else sent a Stunning Spell right at me then. I barely opened my eyes through the sweat and tears and saw Regulus standing in the midst of it all, doing absolutely nothing. Just watching. His torn silver eyes met mine for a split second and I wondered What are you doing, Regulus? Can't you make up your mind? Don't you see how wrong this is? and then someone cursed me again and my attention was completely focused on the pain ripping through my torso…
Nott collapsed on the ground but Sirius was blasted backwards by Yaxley's spell and landed besides me. I tried to cast a Shield Charm nonverbally but it was only a couple of curses later that it collapsed weakly. Someone kicked Sirius' wand out of his hand and shot another hex at me- I closed my eyes, bracing myself from the ripping pain. But instead of pain, I felt a heavy warmth press down on my own body, and I heard a low grunt of pain besides my ear. My eyes flew open. Sirius had covered my body was his and was taking all my hexes for me. His body shuddered over and over again in pain. I tried to shove him off me, but he wasn't having any of that. He used all his remaining strength to keep me pinned down underneath him.
"S-Sirius," I managed to gasp out, "Get off!"
He moaned in pain and blood from his arm trickled onto my own shoulder and cheek.
Please, I begged, please stop this. Please! Anyone!
Suddenly, seven voices all shouted a colorful array of spells.
The curses stopped and I heard bodies falling to the floor.
In the sudden silence, Sirius let out a loud, pained groan.
"Sirius!" James cried, running over to us. He lifted Sirius carefully off of me and Lily gasped, "Ray!"
Alice, Marlene, Dorcas, Lily, Frank, Remus, Peter, and James were all in the room, wands raised, and breathing heavily.
All the Slytherins were on the floor, frozen.
"Oh Merlin," Dorcas whispered and she tried to wipe the sweat and blood from my face with her sleeve.
"I'm all right," I said, though my voice broke. "It's Sirius you've got to worry about."
"Let me see Sirius," Lily ordered and kneeling down next to where Sirius lay, unconscious, she began to murmur healing spells with an intensity she'd never shown before. James was watching her, awestruck by her brilliance for a brief moment before her gaze returned to Sirius and worry flooded every bit of his features.
"What do we do with all this trash?" Frank asked bitterly, kicking at Jugson's arm.
My eyes flickered to the ground where all the Slytherins lay frozen. Lily did, too, and when her eyes found Snape, her breath caught and she turned away before her unshed tears would give her away.
"Leave them there. If we tell anyone now, we'll all get in trouble. If they want to tell people what happened, let them admit that they got their asses whooped on by Gryffindors," James replied, but his normal joking tone was gone. His voice was angry and dead serious.
James helped Lily and Frank in getting Sirius to an upright position and carrying him slowly down the stairs. Peter, Dorcas, and Marlene followed, ready to catch him if he fell.
"Can you stand, Ray?" Alice asked me, concern written all over her face. I nodded and slowly pulled myself up, gritting my teeth when pain flashed down my back and my left arm. I involuntarily let out a small cry.
"Here," Remus said and pulled my arm gently over his shoulders. "Lean on me."
"Thanks," I mumbled, trying to hide the pain that every movement was costing me.
"Hospital wing?" he asked me.
"No, just…just the common room, please," I replied.
Alice seemed uneasy about just leaving the Slytherins there as classes there didn't talk place until late tomorrow afternoon, but she finally left as well.
Remus tried to support my weight as we climbed down the stairs, but I couldn't stop the hiss of pain from escaping as I climbed up the stairs. My nails dug in Remus' shoulder for a moment before I realized what I was doing.
"Sorry!" I apologized immediately.
"It's okay, don't worry," he replied quickly. "Listen, Raylynx, I think I should take you to the Hospital Wing. You're obviously hurting badly."
I shook my head, clenching my jaw together. "If we go to the Hospital Wing now, we'll have to tell Madam Pomfrey what happened and it's too near curfew to say we were out playing Quidditch. Besides, if Sirius isn't going, I'm not going. He's far more hurt than I am."
Remus sighed. "All right, but there's no chance you're making it back to the common room like this."
It was true, we were miles behind everyone else and it was nearly curfew.
"You should just leave me," I said finally, collapsing on the stairs.
"Please don't be ridiculous, Raylynx," he warned me, then he hesitated.
"Don't be startled," Remus said, before he proceeded to scoop me up.
"Lupin, this really isn't necess-"
"We've got to make it back before curfew. I've already got four detentions from Filch this month as it is."
So I shut my mouth and uncomfortably grasped onto him as he carried me princess-style all the way to Gryffindor common room.
"Jasmine blossoms."
The Fat Lady eyed us suspiciously before she swung open to let us in.
"Thanks, Lupin, I can take it from here," I told him, embarrassed at my utter helplessness but he ignored me and attempted to carry me up to the girl's dormitory.
To our surprise, the stairs glossed over into a straight-uphill slide and he landed rather awkwardly on his bottom and slid all the way to the bottom, still carrying me.
Despite the pain and exhaustion, I had to laugh tiredly at his bewildered and indignant expression.
"All right, bad idea," he admitted ruefully.
"Very," I mumbled, feeling exhausted. The tiredness was overtaking the sharp pains that sparked throughout my body when I moved… I didn't want to move anymore… and strangely, I was comfortable where I was…Remus smelled of something a bit rustic, like the scent of the pages from an old, favorite book. He also smelled of something soft and lovely, like your favorite tea in the morning or sitting in the brisk morning air. And a slight hint of… of hazelnut chocolate. I smiled a little.
"Remus…"
Like a child, I clung to him unconsciously as I fell asleep.
The next morning was absolute hell and what was worse was that it was Friday and I had class in less than an hour.
The pain of getting up was unreal. I entered the bathroom and stripped off my shirt to look at myself in the mirror. Splotches of black bruises ran across my entire stomach and a disgusting dark purplish-blue shadowed my entire left side. Two outlines of handprints could be seen on either of my shoulders and my left arm was sporting about twenty small red cuts. My back and stomach muscles had completely knotted up and tightened so that every movement I made resulted in a tight pain.
I stepped into a hot shower, wincing as the water made contact with my skin, but after twenty minutes or so, it was a wonderful kind-of heaven that relaxed my muscles and washed away the scent of sweat and Slytherin meanness.
If this is how it's going to be, then maybe it's better just to live as a Muggle, ignorant of it all, rather than be a… Mudblood.
That's what I am.
A Mudblood.
I can't ever wash that out of my system.
I grudgingly got out of the shower a few minutes later, just as Marlene and Dorcas began to wake up and Lily and Alice came back up with breakfast in their hands.
"How are you feeling?" Lily asked me, laying toast and fruit on my bedside table.
I shrugged, then winced as my neck muscle twinged.
"She must feel like shit, of course, cause of those fucking Slytherins," Marlene said in a groggy voice, rubbing her eyes as she threw back the covers.
"Language, Marlene!" Lily admonished.
"Please, Lily," Marlene groaned, pushing herself upright and accepting the glass, "It's not exactly like those Slytherins are pretty little princesses. Ugh."
"I can't believe you're even up," Dorcas said to me, "you really do need to go to the Hospital Wing."
"After classes," I said, wincing as I pulled on my school uniform and the cloth tugged at my bruises.
"You're not thinking of actually going to classes?" Marlene said in disbelief.
"Have to, unless I want to fall behind even more than I already am," I said.
Dorcas frowned. "Well, it's going to be a very long day."
As always, Dorcas was right. Too right. Class is always boring, yes, but today it was physically painful. I moaned and groaned through Potions, Herbology, and double Transfiguration. After afternoon double Transfiguration, Lily, Dorcas, Alice, and Marlene pushed me up to the hospital wing despite my weak protests to also attend Ancient Runes.
Funnily enough, James, Remus, and Peter were doing the same with Sirius. We ran into them at the entrance.
When Madam Pomfrey examined us and announced that we both had to be here an entire week, we immediately protested.
"A week?" I said, horrified. "I'll miss classes, Poppy!"
"A week and there's no arguing that point, Raylynx. It's your fault for being so reckless with your body. And that goes for you too, Mr. Black. Heavens know how brutally you played Quidditch to get those kinds of wounds," Madam Pomfrey snapped at us sternly.
"You know, Poppy," I said sarcastically, "why don't you just adopt me and have done with it? You've been trying for years to keep me in the hospital wing."
Sirius said in agreement, "You've pretty much admitted that you love us so much you'll make up excuses to keep us here."
Madam Pomfrey's nostrils flared, "Believe me, I have much better things to do than look after two incredibly foolhardy children!" Apparently, the thought of having me as a child was a really detestable insult to her for she bandaged my wounds quite tight.
Later that evening, Marlene came to visit me while the others had Astronomy.
"An entire week, huh? I thought so," Marlene said, "You were in pretty bad shape last night."
Sirius, who was in his bed two rows over, whooped as he took down Remus' queen on the chessboard.
I was reading a short letter that Marlene had brought me. It was from my sister.
Dear Ray,
The Wizengamot has finally conceded the limitations of Muggle-born to attend certain Academics all across the world. Next week, there will be further debate for the rights of Muggle-borns. The momentum is in our favor, but I am aware that there will be repercussions that may possibly include you and our parents. So be careful and stay safe.
Your sister,
Sola Kingsley
I folded up the letter and looked up to see Marlene stare at Sirius with longing eyes.
"Have you talked to him yet?" I asked her.
She shook her head. "I don't want to talk to him."
"You can't avoid him forever," I said softly.
"You don't understand," Marlene said bluntly. "If I talk to him, I won't be mad at him anymore… I-I'll just fall in love with him all over again. But I can't do that. I can't disrespect myself like that."
I do understand. I understand more than you can imagine.
When Marlene left, Remus was still besides Sirius, scrawling homework on parchment. I turned over onto my side, away from them, and closed my eyes as the potion I was taking for my injuries took over my body and made my mind quite fuzzy.
"Can't believe you and James got the map confiscated," Remus sighed. "It's not even worth it to draw another one as sixth years."
"Sorry," Sirius said ruefully. A few seconds of the quill scribbling across the parchment could be heard and then Sirius spoke again, "Hey, Moony, I have to thank you for something."
"What?"
"The necklace you gave me for my birthday. I think it really works."
Remus replied sarcastically, "Which is why you're lying here right now, right."
"No, I mean it. Usually it's the Cruciatis Curse or something worse…"
There was a pause and Remus said softly, "Well, glad to hear it, then."
"What about Kingsley?" Remus asked him, or at least, I thought I heard him ask, my mind was slipping into the dream world.
"What about her?"
"I don't know. She seemed quite… Well, is she all right?"
"She's…"
Sirius and I never spoke to each other but when I was discharged a day before him, I sort-of waved as I passed him by as I left and he grimaced and gave a half-hearted wave back as I left.
I had to go around to all my Professors to show them the hospital note and ask them what work I had to do. When I showed Professor Maudrick, he read it with a skeptical eye and when he handed it back to me, he seemed to be swallowing his words for a long time.
There was a long silence.
"Professor? What about the make-up work?" I finally prompted him.
Instead of answering, Professor Maudrick blurted out in disbelief. "Quidditch? You don't even play Quidditch anymore, Raylynx. I've heard the other students talking."
I looked away, caught off guard. "Just because I'm not on the team doesn't meant I don't play at all," I mumbled unconvincingly.
Professor Maudrick shook his head but said, "All right, fine."
He set to writing down my list of make-up work, during which time I stared out the window. It was becoming dark and as I looked, I saw a familiar mane of red hair out on the grounds of Hogwarts. The red hair nearly met a head of quite greasy, black hair but suddenly stopped and turned the other way.
"It's changing, isn't it? The world," I spoke quietly, more to myself. "I see it in people's eyes- aggression, but equally, fear."
Professor Maudrick looked up from his desk, "Yes. Or perhaps what has always been there is finally being revealed."
"Here you are."
I went up and took the paper from him. "Thanks, Professor."
I turned away and was nearly at the door when Professor Maudrick called to me, "Raylynx. You once told me that being a Slytherin is no worse than being a Gryffindor. Do you still believe in what you said?"
I turned to the Professor, and replied, "No."
