We Will Shine {Book 6 in the Star of Gryffindor Series}

Chapter 51 - Punishment

~Wren~

When I was with Albus, Astra, Colette, and Poppy, final exams were the last thing that was worried about. Even though there was only a little over two weeks until they started, all four of them seemed to have decided that there were much bigger problems in the world. That was true, of course, and for Poppy it was pretty understandable why she might not be as concerned about exams. I suppose Colette had never really worried about exams in the first place, too. However, I wasn't entirely sure why Albus and Astra were acting the way they were. They'd taken to huddling by themselves in secluded corners of the common room, surrounded by their research on missing children. After they'd questioned me four or five times ("Are you sure you've never seen four dozen children at Stillens' manor?"), I gave up on trying to join them.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I'd never seen James so anxious in his life. It wasn't just his N.E.W.T.s, he told me. He was about to graduate, and had no idea what he wanted to do afterwards.

"Dad keeps telling me he could get me a place in the auror department," James told me at dinner one night. Albus, Poppy, Astra, and Colette were sitting with us, but they might as well have not been, because they were whispering about their research as if we weren't even there.

I nodded. "That would be pretty cool."

"I guess." He grimaced. "I don't really want to do that, though. Not just because the Ministry's all corrupted and everything, either. I didn't really want to do that before all this. But I don't know what I want to do..."

I patted his shoulder, hoping that was comforting. I didn't really know how to respond, honestly. The rest of your life is a big thing, and I didn't blame James for not knowing what he wanted to do with it, especially when there was a war going on.

He shrugged. "I guess I'll figure it out after exams, hmm?"

"Whatever you end up doing, you'll be amazing at it," I said, smiling.

James chuckled. "Here's hoping."

I noticed Mr. Potter walking down the Gryffindor table, headed towards us. James noticed, too, and rolled his eyes. "Hope he's not about to lecture me again about responsibility or something." I smiled sympathetically.

Mr. Potter did stop next to us. "Astra, Colette, I need to talk to you."

Astra and Colette exchanged an alarmed glance, then followed him out without saying anything. It was so quick that by the time Albus asked what on earth that was about, they were already out of the Great Hall.

"Do you think everything's okay?" Poppy asked, a worried frown on her face.

"I'm sure it is," I said, though I had no idea. I was fully aware that James was raising a skeptical eyebrow at me behind my back. Albus and Poppy also didn't seem convinced. However, we couldn't figure out what it might be, so after a minute or two, Albus, Poppy, and James started talking about Quidditch, as if nothing had happened.

Something had happened, though. Astra told us a little when they finally got back to the common room, several hours later. They'd heard from Teddy, which didn't seem like that big of a deal until Astra explained where he'd been for the past month. Apparently, he'd infiltrated one of Russey's detention centers. He'd been documenting what was going on inside of them, and apparently it was a lot worse than anything anyone had imagined. It was all going to be published in the Quibbler, so Astra didn't go into detail, though she did mention that apparently, Ferdinand Welling was in charge of the one Teddy had been in. If Colette was being quiet and moody, we should probably leave her alone.