Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban Timeline
"He Holds the Moon"
ooo
"He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun,
yet he saw her like the sun, even without looking at her."
- Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
NEW PROFESSORS
Set upon large rocks above the Black Lake, Hogwarts was a picture straight out of a different era. The magnificence of the castle stole Nora's breath away every year without fail. Structurally speaking, it was nothing more than a tremendous building built in dark stone with a hazardous cluster of turrets and tall towers. But to her, it couldn't have been more perfect. To her, it was home.
As she was climbing off the carriage, she noticed there seemed to be a bit of a commotion at the entrance. A familiar platinum-haired boy was coming down the front steps, elbowing Hermione aside to get to Harry.
"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"
"That's none of your concern, is it?" Nora jumped in as she made her way over to the small group. "Run along, Malfoy."
"Oh look," he sneered arrogantly. "Cavanaugh Senior standing up for Potter and his tosser friends again. What a surprise. Wonder what they'll do next year when you're not here to defend them."
"I'd show a bit more respect if I were you. I'm not inclined to take points off Slytherin so soon, but it doesn't require much to persuade me."
"Terrifying, Cavanaugh, truly terrifying." He eyed the badge that was partially hidden beneath her cloak and scoffed loudly, "Is that what I think it is? I can't believe Dumbledore made a biased slag like you Head Girl!"
Tristan lunged forward with a snarl, forcing Nora to hold him back so he wouldn't end up doing something stupid. Meanwhile Malfoy just stood there smirking evilly and enjoying the show.
Suddenly a wand was aimed at his face.
"Repeat that." Liam's voice was so cold, it seemed to freeze the air around them. "Come now, you little viper. I dare you."
Malfoy visibly gulped, eyes flickering back and forth between the weapon and Liam's deathly glower as he wielded it firmly. The last time he'd made the mistake of talking back to Liam, things hadn't gone so well for him and he ended up with his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
"Is there a problem?"
Professor Lupin was walking up to them, Emma and Julia trailing close.
The insolent, contemptuous way Malfoy eyed the man from head to toe made Nora's blood boil. He obviously thought the patches on Lupin's old suit and the tattered state of his suitcase were something to laugh at.
"Oh no, eh… professor," Malfoy's voice dripped with sarcasm. He sent Crabbe and Goyle another one of his evil little smirks before leading them up the stairs into the castle.
"Should've let me smash his bloody nose," Tristan said through his clenched teeth.
"Wouldn't be much of a Head Girl if I did that, would I?" Nora massaged her right temple with a sigh. Even though she'd been a Prefect for the last two years, she had a feeling Head Girl would prove an even bigger challenge.
"Wanker," Ron muttered angrily next to her. She ruffled his crimson hair, smiling when his face turned the same shade all the way to his ears.
"Poisonous snake's more like," Liam spat, stuffing his wand back in his sleeve. "He should do the world a favour and bite his own tongue already. Or better yet, make sure you wipe the Quidditch field with him, Harry. We all know how much Malfoy really enjoys losing."
Harry's eyes sparkled at the mention of Quidditch. "It'll be my pleasure."
"Yeah, it will!" Julia tossed an arm around his shoulders. "Best Seeker in Hogwarts over here!"
"We'll see about that!" Emma's competitiveness had kicked in. "Chang's not too shabby on a broom. I heard she spent the whole summer practising. If she lands the Seeker spot, I bet this is the year we beat you Gryffindor lot."
"In your dreams!"
Professor Lupin fell into step with Nora as they entered the castle. She looked up at him, admiring the pleasant way the flames burning in the hallway cast shadows upon his face.
"I'm glad some things never do change. Quidditch rivalry was the same back in my day."
Nora saw her chance to find out more about him and seized it. "You were a Hogwarts student too? Which house?"
"Gryffindor, actually."
"Ouch," she winced playfully. "Lost yourself a lot of points, professor."
"Is that right?" Professor Lupin's voice was warm with laughter. The sound rumbled pleasantly in her belly. "I'll have you know, the Sorting Hat had quite a bit of trouble deciding where to put me. It was a rough call between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor."
She grinned up at him. "Still ended up in Gryffindor, didn't you?"
Lupin's eyes danced with mirth. "Touché, Miss Cavanaugh."
They were crossing the golden doors of the Great Hall when a loud voice called out for Harry and Hermione. They all turned to see Professor McGonagall fast approaching, her royal blue robes shimmering like a mantle full of starts as she reached their group. She was a stern-looking witch who wore her hair tightly bound without a single strand out of place and often doned pointy hats. She was also the Head of Gryffindor. Nora thought of her as a wonderful teacher, however she had a way about her that instantly put everyone on their toes.
Beady eyes begind round spectacles flickered from student to student before finally settling over Nora and her badge.
"Congratulations, Miss Cavanaugh. A well deserved honour," McGonagall said and turned her attention to Professor Lupin. "Glad to have you back, Remus. I dare say Hogwarts has missed you."
Lupin bowed his head. "Thank you, ma'am."
Julia came up on his left side and flashed the old woman a cheeky grin. "You haven't welcomed us back to school since our first year! Are you going to miss us after we graduate? Are you feeling nostalgic, Minnie?"
"Miss Yamada." McGonagall pushed her spectacles further up the bridge of her nose while pinning Julia down with a non-amused stare. "How many times have I told you not to call me that? I hardly think you'll want to kick off your final year mocking your professors."
"She's always done it, I doubt she'll stop now," joked Emma.
Like he'd done on the train, Professor Lupin made a noise suspiciously similar to a cross between a laugh and a cough, which he quickly tried to cover up when McGonagall raised her eyebrows at him. Nora pursed her lips tightly, trying hard not to laugh.
The stern-looking witch turned to the skittish third years. "Oh don't look so worried, I only want a word in my office," she told Harry and Hermione. "The rest of you go on, sorting ceremony's about to start."
Harry looked to Nora for an explanation as to why Professor McGonagall would want to see him privately. Nora shrugged, just as clueless, but gave him a little nudge for encouragement.
"What do you imagine she wants with them?" Tristan asked, watching his friends follow McGonagall.
Ron shrugged, "Beats me. C'mon, let's find a seat."
The Great Hall was Nora's favourite room in the castle. Nothing ever truly compared to the beauty of the enchanted ceiling. It was bewitched to mimic the sky outside. Right now its vast expanse was coated by black, tempestuous clouds that split open with thunder and heavy rain. She preferred when the weather was more agreeable, when she could sit under twinkling stars and see the pale streak of the milky way against dark blue and deep purple undertones.
After a quick goodbye, Tristan and Ron skipped off to the Gryffindor table. Julia as well, going to join Oliver and the rest of her Quidditch team.
Professor Lupin offered Nora a kind smile that made her heart skip a beat as they parted. He skirted through students to get to the high table at the end of the Hall while she and the twins found a vacant spot within their fellow Ravenclaws. It suddenly dawned on her that she was still wearing his cloak. She made a mental note to return it tomorrow in his class.
"What do you make of him?" Liam nudged his head in Lupin's direction. "Think he'll be a better teacher than the others?"
"I think he's promising," Nora answered.
"Bet you do." Emma elbowed her meaningfully. "What was all that back there? He gave you his cloak, wasn't that so chivalrous?"
Nora's cheeks seemed to catch fire. She cleared her throat without looking at her friend, not really knowing what to say. Lucky for her, Liam had all the words.
"There was nothing chivalrous about it. In fact, it was very inappropriate. He's a teacher, he shouldn't act so familiar with his students."
"He was just being kind," Nora defended, slightly irritated by the accusation in Liam's tone. "Why do you always have to assume the worst of people?"
"I don't. I'm trying to look out for you. You can have too naive a heart sometimes."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Emma rolled her eyes. "Can the pair of you please not start? I swear you're like an old married couple sometimes."
Professor Flitwick, carrying the Sorting Hat and a four-legged stool, waltzed into the Great Hall leading a group of nervous first years, all of which looked a little like drowned rats.
The excited buzzing ceased as Flitwick placed the stool at the centre of the platform, then the Hat on top of it. The ugly stitch near the brim opened and out came a rough voice singing about the four houses, about each of their differences and how these should unite instead of divide them. A song of hope and compassion, standing as one and finding light through the darkness.
When the Hat finished, there was a loud round of applause.
"That was nice," Emma said, clapping along. "It's the first time the Hat's told us to set aside our differences, isn't it?"
Liam made a low hum in agreement. "No wonder. A mass murderer on the loose, soul-sucking beasts setting camp outside the castle... we might need all the positivity we can get. I still can't believe Dumbledore agreed to let the Ministry station them here."
Nora looked at the silver-haired wizard sitting at the high table. Dumbledore had on a boyish smile as he entertained conversation with Professor Sinistra who sat to his left, but the tension in his wrinkly face was evident.
"They might not have given him a choice," she told her friends. "I heard the Auror Department's on a rampage because of Black. He's the first to ever escape Azkaban and they've got no clue how he did it."
Emma rested her elbows on the table, seeming pensieve. Her golden hair was finally dry and back to impeccably straight. She'd gotten it trimmed over the summer so now it tumbled to her neck instead of down to her mid-back, making her look taller and slimmer.
"What about you? Any theories?"
"Not at the moment, no. I read about Azkaban, quite a lot actually. No mention anywhere of a way out of that horrible place." Nora's lips tugged into a tiny smile. "It's really rather impressive."
Emma regarded her curiously. "Impressive?"
"Think about it." Nora lowered her voice so others wouldn't eavesdrop, "The man escaped a heavily warded cell, sneaked past more than a hundred dementors, and swam off an island stranded in the middle of the ocean. Can you imagine the planning that must've taken? How long he must've just sat there, waiting for the perfect opportunity to run for his life?"
"The man's a deranged lunatic," Liam pointed out.
"You don't know that," Nora argued. "The Ministry might've declared him insane, but does this sound like the work of an insane person to you? Because to me it sounds like a carefully mastered plan."
The twins exchanged a look.
The sorting ceremony came to an end. While Flitwick went to put away the stool and the Hat Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat.
"Welcome," he said with much gusto, deep blue eyes twinkling behind half-moon spectacles. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I have quite a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it's best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…"
"As you are all aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors from Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business. They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not fooled by tricks or disguises, or even by Invisibility Cloaks. It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the Prefects and our new Head Boy and Girl to ensure that no student runs afoul of the dementors."
Dumbledore's twinkling eyes found Nora in the crowd and she could've sworn he was smiling at her through them. Her heart swelled with pride inside her chest.
"On a happier note, I am happy to welcome two new additions to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to filling the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
The applause was scattered and unenthusiastic, but that was to be expected. Next to his fellow teachers, Professor Lupin looked shabby and overall unimpressive in his old suit. Only the few people who did meet him on the train knew what he was capable of.
"As for our second new addiction," Dumbledore continued after the lukewarm applause died out, "I am sorry to inform you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with the remaining of his limbs. However, I am delighted to announce that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."
Nora was stunned for a moment, as was the rest of the hall. She and the twins stared at each other for confirmation that they'd heard correctly. Then, not a second later, loud, thunderous applause erupted, from the Gryffindor table first, quickly followed by everyone else.
Grinning brightly, Nora bolted to her feet. "GO HAGRID!"
She was the only one shouting and a few Ravenclaws at her table laughed. She didn't really mind. Hagrid was one of her favourite people in the whole world, she adored him. Sharing a mutual fascination for animals and magic beasts, they often found company in each other. Hagrid frequently invited her over for tea, or sometimes asked her along for a visit to the Forbidden Forest whenever he was in need of an extra pair of hands.
Bright scarlet in the face, Hagrid was beaming and using a tablecloth to wipe fat tears that spilled from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.
"His classes are certainly going to be interesting," Liam teased good-naturedly.
Nora shot her sharp-tongued friend a look. "Oh stop it. He'll make a wonderful teacher."
"Well, I think that's everything of importance." Dumbledore smiled and opened his arms wide. "Let the feast begin!"
Golden plates and goblets were promptly filled with food and drink. The delicious aroma of freshly cooked meat and roasted potatoes burst in the room. Nora felt her stomach growl in angry demand for sustenance. Only now realising she was starving, she served herself a bit of everything and dug in.
It was surreal, Remus thought, being back at Hogwarts fifteen years later and realising all remained the same, almost as though the castle had frozen in time. The hallways, the lights, the noises… even the smells.
Hogwarts meant a great deal to him. For the better part of his childhood, it had been a home away from home. Every summer he would count days and nights until he was back here with his best friends, his brothers in arms. Together, they had conquered the castle corner to corner, played every trick in the book on their teachers and wreaked enough mischief to last a lifetime. Whenever he heard someone laugh a little louder or bang their fists on the table, his heart stopped and he raised his head hoping to see Sirius and James, only to be reminded that they were gone. It was a bittersweet experience. He still hadn't quite figured out how to process it all.
Remus polished off the food in his plate, savouring each bite and gladly helping himself to a second serving. The wine was rich and well-balanced as it touched his tongue, warming its way down his throat. He wanted to close his eyes and moan. A long time had passed since he'd last enjoyed an actual meal, with homemade food and good wine. Living alone certainly had its disadvantages. He never felt like cooking was worth the effort or the money spent if it was just for himself so he mostly survived on bread and frozen meals. He'd gotten used to going hungry over the years. Sometimes there was no other option for him.
Once his stomach had finally settled, he was able to sit back and observe the Great Hall. Harry caught his attention first. It was impossible not to as he was the spitting image of James. He'd known who the boy was as soon as he saw him, passed out on the bench. And even if he hadn't, he would've once Harry opened his eyes. There was only Lily in them. Strong and kind Lily.
Nora was also easy to spot as she sat with her friends, drowning in a cloak two sizes too big for her. Remus briefly wondered if perhaps he should've asked for it back before the feast. But as she pulled it tighter around herself, he decided it was best she kept it after all.
There was something about her he couldn't quite put his finger on. He couldn't shake away the feeling that she looked vaguely familiar, although he couldn't for the life of him remember where he might've seen her. She had dimples when she smiled, and a way of laughing that was almost shy as she tucked a lock behind her ear. He had thought her hair was straight but it wasn't. Now that it was starting to dry, he realised it was actually very curly and the rain seemed to have washed away whatever potion she'd used to make it flat. The curls suited her better in his opinion.
Thinking back to earlier that evening, Remus had to admit that her interaction with the Thestrals had surprised him the most. Not many people could see the black-winged horses, much less young students. He certainly hadn't when he was one. Those who did see them often preferred to keep their distance. Not Nora. She'd touched that Thestral like it was an old friend, and her fondness was greatly reciprocated. The creature had seemed all but enamoured with her. Then again, how could it not? She was really quite lovely.
Alarmed by his own train of thought, Remus quickly averted his eyes, reached for his goblet instead. He focused back on his food and not something he had no business focusing on.
For Merlin's sake, Moony, he berated himself, she's nearly old enough to be your daughter!
"Remus?"
He blinked, finding Professor McGonagall staring at him expectantly through her round spectacles. "Yes?"
Her lips pursed slightly with disapproval. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"
"Guilty as charged, ma'am," Remus admitted sheepishly. "I'm afraid all this food and wine are starting to lull me into a coma."
"Clearly you haven't been taking proper care of yourself," McGonagall scolded. "You've lost a lot of weight since I last saw you. Please do try and get some rest while you're here. It's also an educator's job to be at his or her full capacity, you know. As you'll soon find out, teaching teenagers can be quite taxing."
He chuckled in good nature. "I'll be sure to remember that, ma'am."
"Please, Remus, it's Minerva. We're both professors now, it's about time you stop addressing me so formally."
"It'll take some getting used to." Remus sat back in his chair, drumming his fingers idly on the table. "Never did cross my mind I'd be returning to this castle as a teacher after all the mischief I caused as a student. And yet here I am, sitting at the high table next to most of my mentors."
"Hogwarts has always been home to a bit of mischief." Compassion shone in McGonagall's eyes as she reached out to give his hand an affectionate pat. "And it will always be home to you, Remus. Never forget that."
He smiled softly. Professor McGonagall had been his favourite teacher. Not only for the obvious reason that she was the head of his house, but more so because she cared profoundly for her pupils. Underneath that stern exterior lain a genuinely warm and kind heart. He'd grown to admire her immensely and was beyond grateful for the chance to work alongside her.
Something brushed against Remus's ankles. Startled, he jerked his knee upwards and banged it harshly on the table.
Biting down a nasty curse, he rubbed the sore spot just as a familiar white cat jumped onto his lap. Ophelia narrowed her eyes at him, one clear blue, the other bright green. Amused, he scratched behind her large ears.
"I see you've met Ophelia." McGonagall reached out to indulge the beautiful cat as well and the purring turned into a deep thrumming. "Of course we don't generally allow pets in the Great Hall during feasts, but we make an exception for her."
"I mistook her for a purebred kneazle at first," Remus said, smiling down at Ophelia. "The resemblance is remarkable, she must've skipped all the cat genes."
"I've often thought so myself. And would you look at that — she's obviously taken a shine to you. Cats are fantastic judges of character if you ask me…"
After having enjoyed enough attention, Ophelia leaped out of his lap and skipped over to the Ravenclaw table, where she then gracefully climbed on top of Nora's shoulder, head-butting the girl lovingly on the cheek.
"We've known Ophelia almost twenty years. She belonged to Evanora's mother, you see. They are very much alike, Evanora and her mother."
Remus raised his goblet and sipped some more wine. If Nora's mother had been a student, perhaps that's why she looked so familiar. "Nora and I met on the train. She leaves quite an impression."
"She does, doesn't she?" Amusement brightened McGonagall's face. "You should hear the way Filius brags about her, Evanora's his pride and joy. She's really rather brilliant and very talented. To be honest, I'm a bit envious. I wish I could've had her in my house."
"What about Tristan? Is he anything like his sister?" Remus asked curiously.
"Not quite." McGonagall's beady eyes gained a twinkle. "Excellent student no doubt, incredibly bright. But he has a short temper and a knack for finding trouble. I imagine it's one of the reasons he and Harry get along so well. You know, Remus, they remind me a lot of your friends."
He thought the same. Seeing Tristan and Harry side by side was like catching a glimpse from the past. Tristan was so like Sirius — brave and impulsive.
"Tristan and Harry have been near inseparable since their first year," McGonagall continued, her voice betraying a certain affection. "One's never too far behind the other, and you will often find Evanora somewhere along with them. She's grown very fond of Harry."
"Too fond if you ask me," hissed Snape, inserting himself in the conversation as he sat to Remus's left. "A Prefect should know better than to break into a teacher's private supply closet to steal ingredients for a bunch of children, and then help them brew a Polyjuice Potion on top of it."
McGonagall tutted, "Oh come now, Severus, there's no proof that that's what they were doing."
"I don't need proof, I know exactly what was taken and how much."
Remus hid a smile behind his goblet. He was a teacher now, and Snape was a colleague. He ought to at least pretend like they hadn't spent most of their lives at odds with each other.
Life really did have the most ironic sense of humour sometimes. Who could've imagined he and Snape would one day be working as colleagues? If James and Sirius were around, they would've teased him mercilessly about it. Age had done nothing about their childish vendetta against Snape, although he always suspected that in James's case it was more a jealousy situation in regards to Lily rather than anything else. In any case, seemed like Snape hadn't outgrown it either. The man had been glaring daggers from the very moment Remus stepped foot in the Great Hall. At one point during the feast, he actually feared an indigestion. Not that he could blame Snape, not entirely. He might've never personally antagonised him like his friends, but he'd never done anything to stop them either. And he should've. Some of the pranks James and Sirius had pulled back then were very cruel.
Things would be different now. He would make sure to be perfectly polite at all times and avoid rising to any insult Snape might throw in his face. It wasn't just about making up for his lack of backbone when they were in school. A lot more was at stake. Snape had all the power. Albus might've convinced him to go along with brewing Wolfsbane and keeping his furry problem a secret for now, but Remus wouldn't put it past Snape to let word slip out if ever provoked.
Being a teacher was the first truly good thing to happen to him in years. He would do anything in his power to hold on to the job for as long as he could.
By the time every plate in the hall was magically cleared from the tables, Nora was pleasantly full. She'd eaten until not one single more bite could fit in her stomach. Now, feeling snug as a bug, her lack of sleep was finally starting to catch up. Her whole face felt very hot and on her lap Ophelia was purring loudly. The vibrations, paired with the warmth provided by the cloak, were numbing her senses at a steady pace. She lowered her head to Emma's shoulder, wanting nothing more than to close her eyes and surrender to that slow, alluring lull.
Too soon Emma was nudging her. "Let's go, feast's over."
One more nudge. Two. After a third, Nora fluttered her eyes open and picked her head up. She stood from the bench, moving sluggishly and feeling as though her entire body weighted a ton. A second later, Liam's arm came around her.
"Christ, you're burning. Must be a hundred degrees under there. Why don't you take off the blasted cloak already?"
"Don't wanna," she grumbled stubbornly, to which he just shook his head in defeat.
They followed the crowd of students filing out of the Great Hall. Just outside the doors, Julia met up with them.
She scoffed, seeing Nora huddled against Liam, "Merlin, look at you! How're you going to do your rounds when you can barely hold yourself straight?"
"I'm fine—" As if on cue, Nora yawned loudly.
"She's always like this the first night back." Emma too covered her mouth for a yawn. "Take her to the common room. I'll tell Weasley and ask Caito to cover for her."
Took Nora a second to register what she had said. Suddenly awake, she moved fast and grabbed a firm hold of her friend's arm. "No, Emma, not Caito. Anyone but him."
"Why?" Emma frowned, her tone sharp. "He already doesn't sit with us, we can't even talk to him?"
"Of course you can talk to him!" Nora's frustration gnawed at her from inside. "Look, it's all a mess right now. He didn't write to me all summer, not once..."
Admitting her relationship with Caito was in shambles tasted like acid coming out of her mouth. No choice now but to face reality, something she had refused to do over the holidays. It wasn't anyone's fault, she knew that, but she blamed herself anyway. Caito used to be her closest friend, her most trusted confident. He'd sat with her when she couldn't sleep at night because of her nightmares. He'd held her, comforted her... listened to her as she poured her heart out. Yet now, they hardly spoke one word to each other.
"Caito told me nothing had to change," Nora said to Emma through gritted teeth. "But it certainly feels like it did. Talk to him all you want, just don't drag him into any business of mine. I won't be a burden for him anymore."
Their group fell into solemn silence.
The arm Liam had around Nora's waist tightened faintly. "I'll do your rounds."
"You're not a Prefect," she reminded him.
"Who cares? I'll deal with Weasley. He owes me one anyway."
"What for?"
"Putting in a good word with Clearwater. Who do you think helped him get with her last year?" Liam sent them all a playful wink as he slowly backed away.
Penelope Clearwater was a clever and pretty Ravenclaw who always paid attention in class. Her mild and thoughtful disposition made it easy for people to like her, even Liam as they would often spend time together studying in the library. Emma, of course, loved to tease him about it. She and Julia had actually placed bets on how long until they would start dating, though they never did.
Every Prefect in school knew Penelope had caught Percy's eye. He'd spent most of last year's meetings mooning over her. The real surprise was when she actually agreed to go out with him. Percy could be insufferable.
"Liam as a wingman?" Julia shook her head. "Now I've seen everything..."
Nora spotted her brother and his three companions as they were leaving the hall. She called them over and indulged herself by fussing over Tristan and Harry, ruffling their hair and hugging them tight. Embarrassed and not even remotely amused with her public display of affection, Tristan swatted her off with a groan — "Nora, stop!". Harry, on the other hand, was more than happy to let Nora fuss over him.
They parted at the bottom of the moving staircase, Julia going with Tristan and the others to Gryffindor Tower while Nora and Emma headed the other way toward Ravenclaw Tower on the opposite end of the castle. Emma spent the whole trip chatting her ear off, but Nora was glad for the distraction. She was dangerously close to passing out from exhaustion.
Further down the long, winding hallway, they reached a large wooden door with a bronze eagle-shaped knocker. The eagle fluttered its eyes open at their arrival.
"This belongs to you, but it's used by everyone. What is it?"
Nora smiled tiredly, "My name."
"And so it is. Welcome back, Evanora."
"What am I, a ghost?" Emma chuckled at her own little joke and pushed the heavy door open.
Behind it was a tight staircase that spiralled upwards and opened directly into their common room, a spacious and circular area with a domed ceiling painted with the night sky. A soft, plush carpet of the same midnight-blue covered most of the floor. Walls were hung with blue and bronze silk, windows elegantly arched. Tables, chairs and several bookcases covered the expanse of the room.
There was another large door that lead to the dormitories right beside a marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. These were decorated much like the common room, in shades of bronze and dark blue. Nora and Emma had shared their room with Penelope and two other girls since first year, both of whom were unpacking and getting ready to sleep when they walked in.
Nora greeted her roommates without really seeing them. In a daze, she let Emma steer her over to bed.
"Do you want to keep the cloak?" Emma asked after helping Nora with her shoes and smiling knowingly. "All right. In you go..."
Nora slipped under the covers, laying on her side and shifting around to make herself comfortable. "I'm sorry, Emma," she slurred sleepily, barely keeping her eyes open. "About Caito... I ruined everything."
Emma brushed some of Nora's hair from her face. "It wasn't your fault. You know, he didn't write to us either."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. Julia and I saw him on the train. We tried talking to him, but he brushed us off, rude git…" Emma heaved a long, weary sigh, shoulders sagging sadly. "Maybe he just needs some time."
"I hope so," Nora mumbled, feeling her heart squeeze.
"Anyway... you should go to sleep already. You honestly look like you're dying."
Deciding Emma was probably right, Nora nuzzled her pillow and closed her eyes. Ophelia jumped into bed too, finding a spot on the nook of her knees to curl into a ball. Sleep didn't take long to arrive. The last thing on her mind before darkness swept over was how nice and soothing Professor Lupin's cloak smelled.