Darker Shadows (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 19- Christmas Dinner (Fred)

“What happened?”

Harry shook his head,

“Professor McGonagall called us down to the Hospital Wing because she said that Ava was there. When I got there… it was horrible. She was screaming and shouting my name. She was moving as well, writhing around in the bed as if she couldn’t get free, as if she was trapped. Nothing would wake her up. We just had to sit and wait.”

Hermione cleared her throat and looked down at her plate, her eyes shining with tears. I whispered,

“Was it about- well, was it the nightmare that she had before?”

Harry shook his head,

“No, I asked her and she said it wasn’t. She wouldn’t tell me what it was about though. I didn’t want to ask again either, because I thought that maybe it would be invading her privacy.”

George reached over the table for some more carrots,

“So what’s the deal with Malfoy? Why is she still hanging around with that-”

I finished his sentence,

“-snivelling idiot?”

Harry shrugged,

“I don’t know. She seemed to like him at the beginning of the year, but more recently she seems to be avoiding him. I saw her during Slughorn’s Christmas party standing outside in the corridor arguing with him. I’d followed Snape out because he had been acting suspicious.”

Hermione turned to look at him,

“Harry!”

He pulled a face and looked back at me,

“Anyway, I didn’t actually hear what they were saying to each other, but by the time I got out there, Ava had stormed off looking really upset.”

I looked down at my plate for a moment before asking,

“Where’s she staying for the Christmas break?”

Hermione sighed,

“At Hogwarts. I was in the library-”

I grinned,

“You never change, do you Hermione?”

She shot me a look before continuing,

“I was in the library and I heard Malfoy speaking. I looked through the bookshelf and saw that he was talking to Ava. He asked her if she wanted to stay with him for Christmas, and she said no.”

George raised his eyebrows,

“Ava’s spending Christmas alone?”

Hermione nodded,

“Yes, and hardly any students are at Hogwarts this break. A lot of parents wanted their children home because they said it was too dangerous there. Most of them are worried about their children’s’ safety with You-Know-Who’s return.”

I looked at George and smiled,

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Georgie?”

He nodded,

“I believe I am. We should send Miss. Ava Potter-”

I put my knife and fork down,

“-a Christmas present to make her Christmas slightly less lonely.”

We both grinned at each other and stood up. Mum looked at me,

“Fred! George! Sit down! We’re eating!”

I shrugged,

“Mum, Ava is spending Christmas alone. Sending her a Christmas present to make her day slightly better will take about three minutes. Don’t worry, we won’t be long.”

George and I Apparated up into our bedroom and immediately started looking through the pile of pranks on the floor.

George picked up a box,

“How about this? The Christmas bundle of pranks.”

I took it from him, and muttered,

“Accio wrapping paper.”

The paper I kept underneath my bed flew towards me and I caught it. As I started to wrap it up, I looked up at my brother,

“I hope she uses every single one on Malfoy.”

George laughed,

“Maybe one for Snape as well.”

I rummaged through my bedside table, looking for a quill and a piece of parchment,

“Just the one, though. Malfoy deserves the rest of them, filthy git.”

I wrote a short note on the piece of parchment and walked over to the owl sitting by the windowsill. It was just one of the many we had back at the shop, used for sending our products to customers by mail.

George tied the letter to the owl’s leg and I put the present next to it,

“This is a special delivery. Take it to Miss. Ava Potter at Hogwarts. You’ll find her in the Slytherin common room or the AstronomyTower.”

The owl looked at me for a moment before clutching its talons around the present and flying out of the window.

George and I watched the owl fly away in silence, until it was no larger than a tiny dot in the sky. I turned to George and looked at him. He had a strange look in his eyes, as if he was about to ask me something. Mum’s voice distracted us both,

“Arthur! Arthur- it’s Percy!”

I stepped towards our bedroom door,

“Ah, Percy dearest has come to give us a visit.”

George seemed to forget whatever he had been going to say to me, and followed me back downstairs.

We didn’t mention Ava for the rest of the Christmas holidays.