Freaks: Year One

Abandoned

The four looked up. "Jasper!" Anthony exclaimed, smiling. "I thought you abandoned me."

"Oh no, I haven't, I'm sorry." Jasper said, quickly. "Your brother–"

"Oh don't worry I know." Anthony said.

"We all know." Marlene said.

Quinn pulled up two more chairs. "Sit down, maybe you can help." Quinn looked over at Anthony quickly. "If that is okay."

Anthony nodded. "Yeah, it's okay."

Jasper, and Harry sat down. Both of them wondered what the Ravenclaws were up to. Harry looked at the books in front of them, and furrowed his brow. "Yearbooks?" Harry questioned.

Emmaline nodded. "Yeah." She paused. "We were looking through them for something."

"What for?" Harry asked, as Jasper looked over another book with Anthony.

Emmaline looked at Marlene, and Marlene said slowly, "Um...it's for a project on people who used to go here!"

"Okay..." Harry said slowly, still confused.

Jasper asked, "Where is your brother?"

"Getting distracted by Ian again." Anthony replied.

Jasper now understood what Ian meant earlier that day about the library, but that didn't erase his confusion about why Christopher needed to be distracted. "Your brother would be mad that you're researching for a project?"

Anthony bit his lip. "Well...you know him."

Jasper nodded at this. He did. Too well.

"What about her?" Emmaline asked suddenly. She slid the book towards Anthony, and pointed to a Ravenclaw girl with the name Ellopie Rowle.

Anthony looked at the picture, and consulted a few more books, and a few minutes later, he sighed, and shook his head. "No, she is part of the Sacred 28, and she is a pureblood in a still pureblood family."

"Are you sure you don't have her name?" Quinn asked.

Anthony shook his head. "I wish I did."

"Want to try to ask Christopher again?" Marlene asked.

"Absolutely not." Anthony said. "Last time it ended in a yelling match."

"Yeah, it was bad." Quinn said.

Now both Harry, and Jasper were confused. Who was this girl Anthony was looking for that his brother apparently knew? "Wait, what are we looking for?" Jasper asked.

Anthony looked up from his book, and faced Jasper. "Well, it is a bit of a secret."

"We need to know what we are looking for." Harry told him.

Anthony slowly nodded. "Yeah..." He looked at Jasper. "Promise not to tell?"

Jasper held out his pinkie. "Promise."

Anthony held out his pinky, and they made the promise.

Emmaline looked horrified. "Is that some sort of Unbreakable Vow?"

Marlene shook her head, laughing. "No Em, it is a pinkie promise." Emmaline still looked confused. "It's a muggle thing."

"Ohhhhh."

"So what is it?" Harry asked.

"Well..." Anthony started, thinking how to word this, and then he said in a quiet voice, "When I was really young–"

All of a sudden they heard a harsh voice ask, "Where is he?!"

Anthony looked at the direction it came from. "Oh no..."