I sigh as I finally clasp my school trunk and look around my Illvamorny dorm room making sure that all of my stuff is packed and I wasn't leaving anything behind. Shade, my eagle owl, was in his cage sleeping, and everything looked as if I had never been here. I turn as I hear the door open, my best friend and dorm mate Katie walks in.
"Ready to go?" She asks a bit less spirited than she normally is.
"Well all my stuff is packed and ready, but I don't know if I am." I tell her, stretching my aching body and wincing when I pull on a fresh wound.
"Understandably. You ok?" She asks with concern in her voice. She was one of the few people that knew my secret.
"I'll be ok. I'm used to it, sadly. I just wish the exchange student program was longer than the two years." I say turning to grab my belongings when I see our strict lead girl standing at the door staring in. "We're coming." I tell her. I was an exchange student from Hogwarts sent to spend my fifth and sixth years of schooling at Illvamorny.
"We still have the ten-hour train ride, and we promised to write. Oh, and remember I am going to be getting a job at your Ministry of Magic." Katie says as we make our way out of Illvamorny. I walk a few more feet past the founders' statues and turn to stare at the majestic granite castle as memories of the last two years flit through my brain.
I sit across from Dumbledore in his office.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I can't accept this. Please give the offer to my bro-"
"They already stated that they can handle your condition. I made sure of it." He interjects peering over his half-moon spectacles and smiling softly.
I stare at him in shock not knowing what to say.
"My parents won't allow it," I say, shaking my head.
"Let me handle them." He tells me.
The travel and fast excitement rush over me as I find myself at a whole new school.
The Illvermorny house's wooden statues loom above me as I stand before them trying to ignore the hundreds of student eyes watching me. My hands wring nervously in front of me as my eyes shifted to each statue waiting for one to react. Just as I started to think that nothing was going to happen, one slowly started to move. I snap to attention as my eyes follow the bow and arrow raising. As I had my own wand I did not go through the wand ceremony but watched in awe as the new first years got their wands.
In my two years spent here, I learned new spells, I made many friends, Katie became my best friend, and most of all I had fun. It was a stark contrast to Hogwarts where I was in Slytherin, ignored and only seen as the very sick but smart Diggory girl, always outshown by her younger brother.
"You're right, plus, I'll always have my memories and we will see each other again." I turn away and walk down the path with her for the last time.
"Exactly. Are you at least excited to be going back to Hogwarts?" She asks as we are loading our trunks into the storage compartments.
"A little bit. I do miss Cedric, and Jasmine but other people aren't as open-minded as you may think." I say grabbing Shade and walking down the isles to find an empty compartment. We find one and sit down. There we spend the rest of our time talking, eating sweets and reminiscing about the last two years. When we get to the station Katie and I hug goodbye and promise to write to each other. I smile and wave as she makes her way to her parents. I turn to leave for the MACUSA long-distance travelling department.
I cough a bit when I walk out of the last fireplace in the Ministry of Magic. It was crazy as people ran from one place to another, paper aeroplanes delivering messages were zooming everywhere and it seemed a disaster was taking place. I couldn't understand why it seemed more hectic than before.
"Lynlee dear over here!" I barely hear my mother's voice as I dust off my jeans. I look up and smile as I see her and my brother standing near one of the fountains. I grab my luggage and Shade from the holding area and run to them. My mother pulls me into a big hug and I hiss in pain as she squeezes too hard. "Oh, I'm sorry my dear I forgot it's only been three days." Mom says letting me go and frowning. I just shake my head and turn to Cedric.
"Ced, how are you?" I ask as I give him a small hug, he barely hugs back cautious of my wounds.
"I'm good, how are you?" He asks, his question laced with another I knew all too well.
"I'm fine," I answer flatly. "Where is Dad? What happened?"
"I'm not sure, hun." Mom answers looking around at the hectic scene.
"Yeah, I wonder what... Dad!" Cedric yells out as he catches sight of our dad, Amos, in the crowd. He turns and runs to us when he sees me.
"Lynlee hun, it's so good to see you." He says putting his hand on my shoulder. I smile at him.
"You too Dad," I say, grabbing his hand and squeezing. "What's going on?" I ask looking at the chaos to indicate what I mean.
"We just heard that a prisoner has broken out of Azkaban." He says, shaking his head.
"What? This has never happened before." I say shocked as the others gasp.
"Who?" Mom asks fear, lacing her question.
"Sirius Black." Dad answers, and my eyes widen.
"How?" Ced asks.
"We don't know, but I have to go, they have pulled me off my dragon egg hunt to help. You guys head back home." Dad says.
"Ok, Luv." Mom nods and rushes Ced and me back home.
I spent the next two months getting used to being home in Europe again, and my sleep cycles and timing were finally back to normal. I would help Mom in the garden with her magical plants, and I hung out and caught up with Jasmine, my one and only friend here. She is a Slytherin as well but more popular amongst our peers than I. She was fun to hang with and a nice girl but never really understood the real me. I played mock Quidditch with my brother and I also wrote Katie a lot, a new letter every other day. She was excited for her new year at Illvamorny but I was worried about my final year at Hogwarts.
I wake up and immediately dread any movement. I was exhausted and wanted to go back to sleep but the sound coming outside of the door told me I wasn't going to be able to. I take a deep breath and try to turn my head as the door opens. I briefly see the new scratches on the walls and floor around me. My mom comes in with a small smile on her face trying to hide her concern as she looks me over. She waves her wand muttering spells to clean and repair the area. The scratches and blood stains disappear as the bed mends itself. Mom puts a robe on the bed and comes to sit on the floor next to me with a small brown bottle of Dittany and a pain potion in her hand. I frown but tilt my head as she opens the pain potion and pours it into my mouth, I swallow cringing as the bitter liquid runs down my throat. My frown deepens as she opens the Dittany to work on the fresh wounds on my back and upper arm. I gasp and groan as the potion creates ugly scars on my body. Mom didn't say anything, she didn't have to, and we didn't need to, this was the normal routine we created for this time of the month. Once a month on the full moon I would take my wolfsbane potion and make my way down to this room under our basement and get locked in magically and physically. My father would then spell the room to not let any sound out and I would spend my night in isolation.
When she is done she helps me up, grabs the robe from the bed, drapes it around me and helps get my arms in it. She ties it at my waist and we slowly make our way up two flights of stairs and to the bathroom where a new set of comfortable clothes is folded neatly on the counter and a steaming bath is running, this was more than likely done by Ced or my dad to help as much as they can. Mom helps me out of the robe and leaves. I use a bath towel to wipe the blood off of me and then get into the bath where I soak till the water is cold. I then finish washing up and get ready for the day.
I make my way to the kitchen where I smell breakfast, Mom is cooking. Her cooking was the best. One of the very few things I missed while I was away.
"Oh Lyn, be a doll and open the window please." She says her voice is not as happy as it normally is, I ignore her tone and look over to see our owls sitting on the window seal waiting.
"Hello, my pretties." I whisper as I open the window and get the mail and Daily Prophet for the day. I sit down and spot mine and Ced's Hogwarts letters. "Our Hogwarts letters came in." I tell Mom as I open mine. She simply nods a reply.
Dear Ms. Diggory,
It is a delight to have you back this year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please note that the new school year will begin September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross Station, platform 9 ¾ at eleven o'clock.
As you know third years and higher are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.
A list of books for next year is enclosed.
Yours sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
I smile at the thought of seeing Professor McGonagall again, she was one of my favourite professors at school. I put the form on the table for Mom or Dad to sign, as I read over my book list: Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies books. I make a mental note to pick up all the normal stuff and get my Hogwarts robes retailored.
I grab the daily prophet as Dad and Ced walk in. I hold out Ced's letter to him, and he takes it nodding a thank you.
"Anything good Lyn?" Dad asks as I skim the article on Sirius Black.
Black Still at Large!
Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today. "We are doing all we can to recapture Black." Said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning. "And we beg the magical community to remain calm."
Fudge has been criticised by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Primeminister of the crisis.
"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, Magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it- who'd believe him if he did?"
While Muggles have been told that black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles used to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.
"Not really most of the Prophet today is about Black." I say handing it to him as Mom sets our plates of food down.
"So Dad, when will we get our stuff today? If we can leave after breakfast I can meet with a few friends." Ced states, Dad looks up from the Prophet and thinks for a second. He has been called a lot to the Ministry so his schedule was messed up lately.
"What do you think sweetheart?" Dad asks Mom. "We can go and if they call on me I can just let you guys get the things needed, Diagon Alley should be safe with every other person shopping for their supplies as well." Mom just nods slowly eating her eggs. I frown as I watch her, she is always quieter after my transformations. I hated these days, no matter how many years have passed it was always the same, Dad and Ced desperately trying to grasp the stings of normalcy as if nothing was wrong. Meanwhile, Mom pulled into herself and stayed quiet.
My heightened senses heard the crack of someone apparating nearby. I turn my head and listen to them walking. They were coming this way. I stand up, interrupting the conversation and walk to the door.
"Someone is coming." Ced and I say in unison to my family as they watch me. I open the door and see the familiar silhouette of the Hogwarts headmaster walking toward us. "It's Professor Dumbledore."
Mom gets up and starts a pot of tea as Ced picks up our finished breakfast dishes. As Dumbledore steps inside his smile is warm and knowing, I can't help but smile back. "Hello Professor, please come in, would you like some tea?" I ask as he enters. He walks past me to the table with my father and Ced; his scent and someone else's invades my nostrils, I freeze and turn towards him. Something told me I should know this scent.
"That would be lovely Lynlee, thank you." He answers while I follow him, still trying to place the scent.
"How can we help you, Albus?" My father asks. We were all surprised he was here, he had only visited twice before. Once when I was 11 he convinced my family that I was going to be able to go to school, staying in the shrieking shack like the kid before me. The other time was when I was accepted for the exchange student program he convinced us that Illvamorny was able to handle my situation. I sat and waited, knowing this was going to have something to do with me. Dumbledore nods and turns towards me. I give him a worried smile but his calming one tells me I didn't have to.
"I came to give you some news. There will be another werewolf at the school this year."
"What? Oh, that's the scent I smell on you" I gasp out.
"There is no reason to be alarmed; he is just like you, he will not harm you or anyone else for that matter."
"Who?" I stammer, fear still coursing through me.
"The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. You need not worry, he will not hurt you. In fact, I've already told you about him. The kid who stayed in the shrieking shack before you."
"Oh," I shakingly take a deep breath. Dumbledore nods and I nod as well. I was safe, I trusted my Headmaster. "Well, this should be an interesting last year of school." I say staring off into space wondering what was ahead. I had never met another werewolf other than the one who turned me. I shudder at the memory and turn my attention back to the Headmaster.
"I think it will indeed be an interesting year, Lynlee." He says smiling and standing. "Well, I must be on my way, lots to prepare for. I shall see you both at school." He smiles at Ced and me. "Mr. and Mrs. Diggory I bid you farewell."
"Goodbye, Albus." My mom and dad chorus.
"See you at school Professor." Ced bids goodbye and I smile at him as he walks out and a bit later we all hear the crack signalling his disappearance.