The Eye of the Storm

Growing Apart

Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, his big waistcoated belly casting the table into shadow — "is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

"Potions?"

"Potions?" The word echoed all over the Hall as people wondered wheel they had heard right.

"Potions?" said Ron and Hermione together, turning to stare Harry. "But you said —" "Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising voice so that it carried over all the muttering, "will be taking the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"No!" said Harry, so loudly that many heads turned in his direction.

"But Harry, you said that Slughorn was going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts!" said Hermione.

"I thought he was!" said Harry.

"And to think I thought your information was reliable," I muttered.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were not the only ones who had been talking; the whole Hall had erupted in a buzz of conversation at the news that Snape had finally gotten his wish.

"Lord Voldemort and his followers are once again at full strength. I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that you teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them — in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."

"Now off to bed," he added at the end.

The next morning Harry told Hermione and I he had told his friends he was joining Voldemort and he was going to do something for him at Hogwarts.

"He was just showing off for Parkinson wasn't he?" said Ron quickly.

Hermione and I glanced at each other.

"Probably," I said, my stomach dropping a little bit. "But he has never really liked Pansy very much. He just likes making her fall over herself for him."

"It's a very big lie to tell..." added Hermione.

"Exactly," said Harry. There were to many people following him around and listening to our conversation to elaborate much.

"It's rude to point," snapped Ron at a group of first years.

Grandmother came around to give us our schedules and clear us for classes. Hermione was cleared quickly, and Grandmother loved on to me.

"Nine OWLs," approval leaked through her voice. "You're parents must be very proud."

"The wrote saying they were no matter my score, but I haven't had time to send them my actual score."

Grandmother raised her eyebrow. "Why would you have to send it to them?"

I shifted my gaze, not looking in her eyes. "I actually haven't seen my parents since last summer. I stayed in Wakanda, remember?"

"I thought surely they would visit you," her jaw set in a hard line. "I see you didn't continue with potions."

"I need an O, and I only have an E."

"Snape is no longer the potions teacher. An E with suffice." She handed me my schedule. "I am glad you are taking all nine classes." She paused. "I think your parents will be writing you too."

I smiled, hoping she was right. My parents had never been normal, but they had always been there; we had always had a connection. But ever since fourth year, it was like we had been growing farther apart. The Wizarding World was getting crazier, but so had SHEILD. It was like our lives had been pulling us farther apart, and we didn't have the normal family base to keep us together. It was like we all knew that SHIELD and wars took priority over our relationship. We knew that there missions, my training, and Voldemort more important than our family. Part of me wanted to blame them and get angry, but it was one of those things that was no one's fault. Before all of this started they were amazing parents. Recently it was like I didn't have any.

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Hey Everyone, I'm glad I finally got this chapter out. I'm going to aim for two chapter a month until a thanksgiving break.

Forever and Always,

Me.