The Sins of a Father

Chapter 2

"You can't help me Cedric," I answered.

"Can I at least try?" he asked.

"You'll laugh at me or run away," I retorted.

"I promise that I won't do either of those things," he insisted. I stood up, unlocked the bathroom stall and cautiously walked out and looked Cedric in the face waiting for him to laugh but he remained firm and statue like. He looked at me up and down. "What did you do?" he asked. I explained to him about my potion exploding and then the spell that didn't work.

"Do you think that you can help me?" I asked hopeful but feeling doubtful.

"Yeah, I think I can help you," he answered. He started by using a reversal spell that I didn't even knew existed but when my torso returned so did the potion. When Cedric saw the potion on my face then he started to laugh so out of anger I punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey, you said you wouldn't laugh, prick," I snapped. Cedric got a hold of himself and went back to his serious side.

"Yes, I know I'm sorry let's see I know how to get this stain to go away," Cedric pointed his wand at me and I closed my eyes waiting for something to happen. "Tergo," he declared softly. Suddenly I felt clean and refreshed. I looked back in the mirror and saw that the potion left my robes and my face and everything. I turned to Cedric and quickly embraced him in a hug announcing my thanks over and over again. He responded with " you're welcome" over and over again. I finally released him and told him that I had to return to class to clean up the rest of the mess.

"Okay, just be more careful with what you put in your cauldron," he joked. I walked out of the Girl's bathroom and went back inside the classroom and had all eyes on me, which felt nerve racking. Without speaking to anyone I grabbed my cauldron then walked to the sinks and started to clean the cauldron, which was an easier task than wiping it off of myself. I finished the task five minutes after class was over, I went to grab my things and leave but Snape called me to his desk and I was preparing myself for a lecture.

"Yes sir?"

"Be sure what happened today doesn't happen again," he ordered slowly, not looking me in the face. I quickly nodded and waited for him to say something else to say but he said nothing. "You can go now," he stated.

"Yes Professor," I mumbled. I quickly grabbed the rest of my supplies and hurriedly left the room. Walking down the hall I noticed some people from my potions class talking with their friends whilst pointing at me and laughing while they spoke. I averted my eyes to the ground and walked with my head down, letting my long black hair create a curtain. I hoped that my potion mistake would just soon be old news. I walked into the Great Hall for a moment deciding if I really wanted to eat after what happened in Potions. I looked around for a minute then I left for the owelry, for a little bit quiet time.

When I got up there I noticed my light brown spotted Eurasian Eagle owl, Roger, was waiting for me with a letter in his beak. Taking the the letter from him I saw that the letter had a purple envelope which meant that it had to be from the Ministry for Magic. I felt confused for getting a letter from the Ministry, I hadn't done anything wrong. I checked to make sure that it was for me. My name was written on the front so I opened it and read to myself;

Dear Ms. Evans,

We are so sad to report that your Grandparents have been murdered by a Death Eater, last week. We don't know which of his followers it is but we knew you needed to know. As to the matter of your education, with no family you will have to find a place to stay or go to an muggle orphanage as there are no wizarding orphanages. We know that this is a most unfortunate time to be receiving this kind of message and we wished to tell you in person but business prevents us from doing so.

Sincerely, The Ministry of Magic.

My Grandparents dead? I thought. It couldn't be, they weren't wizards at all. They were muggles. Why were death eaters going after them? Why were there still any death eaters if Voldemort was gone?

I felt my body go numb from the news, I didn't know what else to do. My body felt too stiff to cry but my heart didn't think it could manage to do anything else. So I walked out of the owlery and headed to the Hufflepuff common room without speaking to another person. Once I made it to my bed I silently allowed the tears fall down my face. I couldn't believe that they were gone.

The more I cried the more the pain of the situation became real. I was alone. Completely alone. I had aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon but from Harry had told me, they wouldn't be interested in taking me and I wouldn't be interested in letting them abuse me. My hand flew to my chest, I pressed it as if putting pressure would keep my heart from breaking but it didn't. There was no way to keep the horrors of the bad day away. Finally, I let out a loud cry, I couldn't hold back my grief. It didn't take long for someone to come in and ask but I couldn't speak. After a few failed attempts of getting me to talk, a few older Hufflepuffs ran out to get Professor Sprout.

"My dear Ms. Evans, how long has she been like this?" she asked the surrounding students. I couldn't hear anyone speak, but Professor came closer and turned my body to her. I couldn't stop letting the sobs out because a new round always started. So instead, I placed the letter in her hands for her to read.

"Oh my dear girl," she breathed. "Everyone out of the way, I'm taking Miss Evans to the hospital Wing." She put her hands on my upper arms and coaxed me to stand. I tried but my legs felt like jelly. We made it to the common room where an audience of boys had stopped to see what all the commotion was about; among them had been Cedric.

"Professor Sprout may I help, please? She's my friend." Professor Sprout paused a moment but gave him consent.

"Raven, I'm going to carry you, alright?" he asked. My sobbing had quieted and I nodded. I felt Cedric's arms go under my legs and behind my shoulders. Next thing I knew I was in his embrace. Had it been literally any other day of my life, I would have been thrilled to the point of giddy but no such emotion could exist. I clung to Cedric as we all traveled to the Hospital Wing. Along the way I knew students were whispering and gossiping but I didn't care. Professor Snape even caught up to Professor Sprout to ask - which even in my emotionally compromised state managed to surprise me. Professor Sprout handed him the letter and drew back but Cedric continued.

Once we made it to the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey was instantly at our side and she inquired after what happened.

"I honestly don't know but all of the Hufflepuff could hear her crying for an hour. Professor Sprout told me to take her here, she should be right behind me. She stopped to talk to Professor Snape," he explained.

"Okay, well set her there I'm going to make a sleeping potion, if she's been crying as long as you say she has been then what she needs is sleep." The click of her heels echoed away as Cedric set me down on a bed, taking my hand into his.

"Raven everything's going to be alright," he soothed. Cedric was such a good Hufflepuff and friend, I didn't know what I'd do without him.

Madam Pomfrey came back and asked me to calm down enough to take the potion. I tried forcing my emotions to stop enough for me drink light purple potion. Finally, after a few minutes I was able to drink a majority of it before another round of now quiet sobs bursted through. Cedric remained where he was and immediately I could feel the draught taking effect. My vision started to blur and my sobbing became less and less. The last thing I remembered seeing was Professor Sprout come in with Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore.