Ravenclaw's Shadow

Chapter 20

I stare down at the bed sheets.

“That's ridiculous,” Mum scoffs, “she wouldn't do something like that, would you, darling?”

I don't respond. Dad has taken his hand off my shoulder and stepped away. I tuck my knees up and lean my chin on them.

“This is ludicrous,” Dad snaps, “Dumbledore, our daughter is not suicidal. She had an accident, something children are prone to do. I would have thought being a Headmaster you would know that, but apparently-”

“Do not play me for a fool!” Dumbledore snaps, “Aurelia is a competent flier. She would not simply fall off her broom! You are blind to her misery as long as she produces the desired grades in her schooling and I will no longer sit by and allow this.”

I glance at Mum and Dad. They both look a little shocked. Dumbledore is glaring at them with burning eyes. I look down at my sheet again.

“You mean to tell me,” Mum says, turning to me, “that you did something so stupid because we don't want you throwing your life away on a boy? Oh, Aurelia, grow up!”

“This goes far deeper,” Dumbledore's voice is hard and cold, “because of your rules Aurelia is being socially isolated. All of her teachers have noticed that she is struggling because of this. Last Tuesday we had a meeting to discuss what was to be done. Had this incident not have occurred we would have called you in for a meeting last weekend and put a plan in place to allow Aurelia sufficient social interactions while allowing enough time to maintain her grades. Now, however, immediate action is required. Aurelia,” his voice softens, “perhaps you would enlighten us to what has been going on with the other students?”

I shake my head slightly.

“There, nothing wrong, see?” Dad says, “now-”

“I thought you might not want to speak about it,” Dumbledore interrupts, “so I asked a friend of yours if she would tell us. Georgiana?”

Georgiana steps through the curtains, her dark eyes full of worry.

“Have a seat,” Dumbledore offers.

“I'd rather stand,” Georgiana says in a soft voice. Dumbledore gives her a nod.

“Would you mind telling us a bit about what has been happening the last month?” he asks. Georgiana nods, glancing at me.

“Well, it started after Aurelia was taken out of breakfast before Quidditch,” she says, “when she came back to school she wasn't talking to anyone, she seemed... Different. Then a girl in our grade, well... She started telling people things...”

“I'd like for you to be a bit more specific, please,” Dumbledore says. Georgiana shifts uncomfortably.

“Well, the week before that Aurelia hadn't been staying at school much,” Georgiana says, “and she said she had to take care of her little cousins or something, but Chrissie said... Well, she said that Aurelia was... That she was sleeping with men in the village... For... For money.”

My mother lets out a noise of disgust. Dumbledore holds up his hand to silence her.

“What happened after that?” Dumbledore asks.

“Well, at first, no one believed Chrissie,” Georgiana sighs, “but then one of the boys said it was true, that he'd slept with her. Then everyone started to either believe it or pretend like they did. Everyone was calling her names and leaving her out of things but because she wasn't allowed to talk to anyone, she couldn't stand up for herself. Chrissie was the worst. She painted big, red 'A's on her shirts and cut inches off the bottoms of her skirts.”