The Unknown of the Order (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

The Party

Sarah looked down into her pumpkin juice, embarrassed by the praise. 

"Well, if he's made as much progress as I have, there's little hope for us."

Lupin smiled. 

"Well, Harry does have one advantage over the rest of us. He's carrying out direct orders from Dumbledore."

"Really? What's he doing?"

"I don't know. Apparently, Dumbledore swore him to secrecy."

"What? Why? If we know what Harry's up to, we can help!"

Lupin's face told her he'd expressed the same thoughts many times before, but all he said was, "We shall just have to trust in the pair of them for now." He held up his empty cup. "Excuse me."

As Lupin moved over to the table to refill his cup, a new song sounded. Sarah recognized the opening notes of "Eye of the Dragon," by the Weird Sisters. She found her foot tapping along to the music as she surveyed the room. 

The owl-faced young woman, made only more so by her bird's mask, had asked the boy talking with Barnaby to dance. Sarah watched him grimacing with embarrassment, but he joined her. Barnaby caught her eye and strode over. 

"Don't tell me you're not gonna dance to this one," he said. 

She grinned. "It is one of my favorites."

"I know." He held out a hand. "How about it then?"

She sat down her cup and let him lead her toward the center of the room. They danced as the song picked up the beat, and her grabbed her hand and twirled her around in so many quick circles that her head spun and she had to hold onto his shoulder for support while she laughed. 

Once the world had stopped spinning, Sarah swore inwardly at Penny. If not for their conversation earlier, she'd have thought nothing of dancing with a friend at a party, but now she looked up at Barnaby and wondered if it was true that he still loved her. 

His face was bright and cheery, and his green eyes were alight with that puppy-like excitement for the world she'd remembered from before Voldemort's return. Had his unbridled joy returned because of her? She'd assumed it had been because he was finally free of Elena and her blasted unbreakable vow. Of course, that had to be it. 

"What?" he asked her, after he spun her around again. "Have I got something on my face? Surely, its not as scary as what you've got on yours." He smiled. 

Sarah adjusted her quintaped mask, glad he couldn't see her blushing. She hadn't realized she'd been staring at him for so long. 

"I was just wondering," she said, before spinning again, "what we'd all be like if You-Know-Who hadn't returned. What we'd be doing."

"I suppose we'd be doing the same thing. Having a Halloween party that Penny put on. But there'd be a lot more decorations. And people. And food."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "But not just in this moment. I mean, you know, in general."

"I guess I'd still be working as a magizoologist," he said, lowering his voice as the song ended and another, softer song began to play. "I think that's the thing I miss most about all of this. Working with creatures everyday."

She nodded again, satisfied with the answer. Penny was wrong this time. Surely, if he still had feelings for her, he'd have said something different. 

"What about you?" he asked. "Still be working as a Curse-Breaker for the Ministry?"

"I suppose."

Their talk paused for a moment as Sarah reflected on her old job, which she'd left without notice. She thought of her old flat and flatmate, and the possessions she'd abandoned. Had Margie kept her room as it was, or had she gotten rid of everything so that a new tenant could move in? Did Sarah's parents know of her disappearance, and if so, would they even care?