It was Saturday of Christmas break when the owl arrived. It was a ratty barn owl, like Captiosus, but looked like it hadn't been taken care of well. While Harry, Ron, and I were sitting in the common room alone, the owl had tapped on the window, holding a golden envelope.
Ron tore it open immediately.
Dear Potters and Crew,
My sister has found the wand. She will send it to me in one week's time. Meet me in the Forbidden Forest at precisely 9 o'clock that day to receive it. Do not be seen. Do not send any replies with this owl. If you wish to contact me between now and next Saturday, place a handwritten note under the picture with the fruit by the Hogwarts kitchen in the basements by the Hufflepuff common room.
Addy
"Okay. This sounds reasonable," I say, reading over the letter. "Easy enough. Just arrive at the Forbidden Forest without being seen. We do it every single time we see Hagrid. This isn't any different."
"Yeah, except how will we all get there without being seen?" Ron asks.
"We just got an Invisibility Cloak," Harry says, placing the letter on the table.
"Right. Except how can four people fit under it?" Ron says exasperatedly.
Harry shrugs his shoulders.
"Except it's not four people," I say. "Hermione won't be back yet. We'll have to do it without her."
"Well, shoot! If anyone can get us out of this potentially bad situation, it's her! Now we're doomed!" Ron sighs.
"Ironically, she's the only one who trusts Addy! Based solely on her house!" Harry adds. "Who brings three inexperienced first-years into the Forbidden Forest by themselves?"
"Maybe we should bring backup," I suggest.
"Yeah, like who? So they can rat us out after we break at least ten school rules?" Ron crosses his arms defiantly.
"We just need someone older who knows more magic than we do," Harry says.
"Well, start thinking. We could ask Percy, he's plenty smart, but he'll never agree to it and put a stop to it right away." Harry thinks. "We could do Fred and George but they're only in third year. They don't know more than Addy either."
"Who else is even at this school?" I ask.
"Really no one," Ron sighs. "We'll have to go alone."
==========
I can see Hagrid's hut in the distance as all three of us tiptoe down the dark hill at 8:50 at night. The trees of the Forbidden forest look as menacing as ever and a chill runs down my spine. This is perhaps even more illegal than fighting that troll on Halloween.
We enter the forest, crunching on sticks and sifting through plants. Every tree has scratches penetrated through the soft bark. I try to focus on keeping my eyes straight ahead, and my left hand on my wand.
Suddenly, a beam of light appears, deep in the forest, pointing upward at the sky. As we get closer, the light disappears and Addy exposes herself from her Invisibility charm.
"Well, hello, folks. I see there's only three of you?" Addy taunts.
"Hermione went home for Christmas break," Ron speaks. Addy smirks.
She tosses the wand to Harry, who catches it. "What do I do with it?" he asks.
"Exactly what you said you would do. Break it clean in half. Keep a piece if you so choose. Don't let it slip in the wrong hands."
Harry instantly snaps the wand in three pieces, a puff of smoke erupting from it immediately. He hands a piece to Ron and one to me.
I inspect the wand. The one is black, with intricate tracings at the bottom handle, which is the part that I got.
"Thank you," Addy says. She hugs us all, much to our surprise. I didn't know Addy could be so...affectionate.
"This...this piece of garbage, is what got my parents killed. All for this tiny, ugly piece of wood. I hate him. I HATE HIM!"
Addy screams into the forest. Ron cracks his knuckles.
"Ron, shush!" Harry says pointedly.
"What's that noise?" I ask. I can hear a rumbling sound, one that sounds a little like an earthquake behind me.
I flip around at once. From the hills above, hundreds of centaurs gallop down the hill. Their half-house, half-man bodies glow in the night sky lights. Their glares are obvious and they look like they want to attack.
"Oh no," Addy whispers. "We stepped on their land."
"Run!" Harry shouts. All four of us run for our lives, but the centaurs are hot on our heels. There is no way we're close to the end of the forest.
"How much longer until the end of their lands?" Ron shouts.
"I don't know!" Addy screams.
Suddenly, the centaur hooves go dead. I flip around, where the centaurs have halted.
"That was close," Harry breathes.
"Too close," I finish.
==========
When we reach the end of the forest, we stop walking.
"Well, thank you all. Sorry about almost getting us killed," Addy sighs.
We all nod, but say nothing.
"Oh, now you guys are quiet," Addy taunts. "Let's get back to the castle."
We trudge back to the castle, keeping the Invisibility Cloak hidden. None of us say a word as we get back to the Great Hall. We can hear teachers talking in the Great Hall.
"Now, cover yourselves again. Or you'll be caught," Addy advises.
As if on cue, Professor Snape bursts out from the double doors. I gasp and hold my breath.
"Thought I heard students talking out here," Professor Snape explains.
"You're just hearing things," Professor Mcgonagall sighs. "Stop trying to find an excuse to leave, Severus."
"It wasn't an excuse," Professor Snape says through gritted teeth, while shutting the doors.
"He really got it from Professor Mcgonagall," Ron giggles. Harry and I laugh too.
I turn around to say goodbye to Addy, but she is already gone.
YOU ARE READING
Twice Chosen | Esmerelda Potter
Fanfiction[BOOK 1] ❝ I love you both so much! Please, be strong. See you soon. ❞ These were the last words Lily Potter spoke to her twin children the night she was murdered. Harry and Esmerelda Potter are twins, separated after the tragic incident as young...
