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ATHENA AND SIRIUS WERE playing another game of wizarding chess when Aurora stepped into the kitchen through the fireplace. Athena was glad of the distraction. Sirius' knight had just badly beaten up one of her pawns and she realised there was very little chance she was going to come back from this. Athena supposed this could be expected considering Sirius remained unbeaten in the last dozen games they'd played this week.
"Rory!" Athena beamed, standing up from her seat at the table and walking over to give her sister a hug, "good to see you"
"Yeah you too" Aurora smiled, "it was a pain getting here, I don't know if you know but as of last week Umbridge has cut all of the floo powder channels off in the school except for the one in her office.
"As of last week?" Athena frowned, looking to Sirius who seemed just as confused.
If this were true, Harry would have had to use Umbridge's fire in order to come talk to them. Athena hadn't mentioned this to Aurora (as her sister paid more attention to rules) but it did certainly pose the question of how Harry managed to get away with that.
"Yeah it's a pain" Aurora sighed, "I had to walk all the way down into Hogsmede to use the channels in the three broomsticks which kind of defeats the purpose of floo powder"
"Well it's still better than walking to London from Scotland" Sirius pointed out, "can I get you anything to drink Aurora?"
"I'll have a tea if you don't mind" Aurora smiled, taking of her cloak and sitting at the large table, "how are things here?"
"Same as they were last time you came" Athena shrugged, "there's nothing to do, I'm terrible at chess and even sleep is starting to become boring"
"Oh come on, it's not that bad" Sirius laughed from the other side of the room, "trust me, when you've been here as long as I have, you adapt"
"Yeah I'm grateful that I'm here and not in Azkaban" Athena nodded, "it's been good seeing more of Padfoot and Theo anyway"
"I'm sure" Aurora replied, "well you've missed a lot at Hogwarts I'll tell you that"
"What's going on?" Asked Sirius, passing the mug of tea down the table to Aurora.
"Umbridge is definitely planning on firing Hagrid. Some students have been getting Nifler's in through the window in her office and they're messing everything up. I have reason to believe it's Lee Jordan but she's convinced it must be Hagrid (seeing as he is the care of magical creatures teacher)".
"Doesn't sound good" Athena frowned, "you think it's Lee Jordan? That sounds like something the Weasley twins would be behind"
"That's the other thing you've missed" Aurora continued, "the twins left, Umbridge caught them putting a portable swap in one of the hallways, she threatened them with all kinds of punishment but they got away"
"They got away?" Athena gasped in surprise, "how did they manage that?"
"Took a leaf out of your book and flew right out the castle, summoned their brooms from the dungeons and off they went, not before they advertised their new premises in Hogsmeade"
"Premises in Hogsmeade?" Sirius asked in interest.
"Yeah they're opening a joke shop I think" Aurora nodded, "I think it's good for them. I could never imagine them doing anything else. Sure they're smart but their ambitions lie in making people laugh and pulling pranks, that's clear to see"
"So they left a portable swamp in a hallway?" Athena asked.
"Yeah... it's amazing magic really" Aurora mused, "Umbridge has no idea how to remove it. Fillius does but he's leaving it for now because it annoys her so much. Filch is having to boat students across it to get to lessons. Honestly it's quite hysterical"
"Sounds it" Sirius nodded.
"And before they left they told Peeves to reek havoc on the school (or specifically Umbridge) for them and he's been living up to their word"
"So it's chaos?" Athena asked.
"Yeah and usually I'd be cursing Peeves name, you know how I feel about him, but at the moment it's brilliant. Anything to see Umbridge running madly around the castle trying to keep everything in place. She's definitely having a hard time being headmistress"
"Well that's good to hear" Athena grinned, "I'm glad the twins made an exit to remember"
"Yeah it suits them" Sirius laughed.
"Certainly does" Aurora added.
"I was meaning to ask you something" Athena brought up casually, "Snape's stopped giving Harry occlumency lessons, I was wondering if you could talk to him?"
"He's what?" Aurora asked in indignation.
"Harry annoyed Snape, nosied in his memories when he left the room" Athena explained, "anyway he got really mad and told Harry he'd never have another lesson again. Obviously we both know that can't happen—"
"I'll have a word with him" Aurora interrupted, "mind I won't enjoy doing it. Snape's a piece of work even on his best days"
"Best days?" Sirius scoffed, "I was unaware that they existed"
"They don't" Athena muttered under her breath, "thanks though Rory, that's a real help"
"Yeah no problem" Aurora smiled, "Dumbledore seemed to think that Harry learning occlumency was of the upmost importance so... Snape needs to teach him it"
"Speaking of occlumency" Athena looked at her watch, "I'm supposed to be giving Theodore a lesson right about now"
"Don't let me keep you" Aurora smiled as she finished her tea, "I need to get back anyway. I have twice as many lessons now, I'm not sure how the other teachers do it"
"See you later then" said Athena , giving her sister a quick hug before she walked out of the room and towards the creaky staircase.
She kept quiet for two reasons. One because Mrs Black could explode at any footstep and this wasn't something she wanted to experience. Two because she knew Remus was still asleep in their room on the next floor nursing a headache which probably had something to do with the moon cycle.
Athena reached the top floor only feeling slightly worn out by climbing all the steps. Over the past few weeks Athena had become painfully aware of the amount of steps in Grimmauld place. She was unsure how one house could have so many and her legs were aching even after only reaching one floor up.
She knocked on the door to Regulus' room (now Theo's) and opened it to see he was sitting at the desk writing something in a large leather bound book. Athena couldn't help but feel curious over what he might be writing but she decided not to pry.
"You ready for the lesson?" She asked casually. Theodore replied with a simple nod and followed her out of the room towards the study that they had been using.
Athena was running out of advice to give Theodore when it came to occlumency. He seemed to be doing perfectly fine without it. If anything, he'd be giving her tips soon.
They'd been doing this for a while now and Athena felt bad every time. Of course he understood why it was necessary considering his gift but Athena didn't like rifling through his life, seeing all the terrible things he'd been through in regards to the death eaters and his time in Azkaban.
However Theodore still entertained her with a smile and said that seeing all of this didn't bother him. After all, living it had been so much worse.
Considering that Theodore was getting better at occlumency, she didn't see as many memories as she had towards the beginning of their training however snippets came out every once in a while.
"You ready?" Athena asked simply.
"As always" Theodore smirked lightly as Athena raised her wand.
"Legellimens" she stated simply.
She was thrown into his mind immediately through an abundance of memories. These flashes of Theo lasted only a few brief moments before they began to darken. Athena saw the quidditch pitch which was Theodore's bridge between memories and blocking everything out. Soon even the pitch began to fade and all they were left with was black.
Athena held on for a few more moment to see how long he could last before she saw the crack in the darkness of more memories trying to push through into the forefront of his mind.
Lowering her wand, she allowed Theodore to break, taking a deep breath as he pushed his hair out of his face.
"That was great Theo!" She grinned, "I didn't see anything, you completely blocked me out"
"I was faltering at the end" he replied bitterly, "the death eaters won't stop, I won't be able to hold them out for long enough"
"Don't beat yourself up" Athena sighed, "all progress is good progress. We'll get there"
"What if there isn't time?" Theodore asked anxiously causing Athena to frown. What did he mean by that?
"We have time Theo" she simply replied, "try again?"
He nodded eagerly, obviously determined to master this even if they were still quite a way off from excellence.
"Legellimens"
Yet again they went through the same process of the brief flashes of memory, the quiet quidditch pitch and then the complete darkness. Knowing that Theodore wanted to test his strength, Athena did not lay off. She knew he wanted an accurate idea of what the death eaters would do and she kept her stance strong, waiting for a break in the darkness.
For a while it didn't come and then, as though a dam had broken, memories flooded out into her vision. Athena went to lower her wand before something caught her eye. Amongst the memories, in the centre of them all sat an image she knew well. A single archway and a veil swaying in a nonexistent wind.
Athena dropped her wand to her side, staring at where the image of the archway had been with blank eyes. Theodore had never been to the department of mysteries before. How could he have seen this?
"Is everything ok?" Theodore asked cautiously.
"The archway" Athena turned to him suddenly, "the archway with the veil"
"What about it?" He asked in confusion.
"How have you seen it?" Athena asked, louder than she had intended. Theodore jumped slightly at her tone.
"In a dream, I've been having a recurring dream about it—"
"What happens in the dream" she asked desperately.
"I see the archway, I hear voices on the other side of it as though people are reaching out. There's shouting all around me, flashes of light but I can't turn, I have to stare at the archway"
"And then what?"
"I just hear a scream" he finished.
Athena took this information in, hearing the steady beat of her heart. Her blood was rushing too fast, the world was partially spinning and she couldn't wrap her head around any of this. What did the archway have to do with anything.
"What kind of scream?" She asked.
"A happy one" Theodore replied, "a woman, celebrating"
"You didn't recognise the voice?" Athena asked.
"It reminded me of something but... it's too blurry to figure out" Theodore murmured, "why does any of this matter?"
"Because that archway" Athena began with a loud sigh, "I've been there, it's in the department of mysteries right next to the hall of prophecies which is where Voldemort wants to be. Back in the first war he lured us there... a fight broke out... my brother died"
"I'm sorry" Theodore murmured, "did he fall in the archway?"
"No he didn't" Athena shook her head before pausing, "hang on... how did you know people die when they fall in the archway"
"I don't know" Theodore frowned, "I'm not sure... I just know"
"Did you see someone fall in?" Athena asked, the tone of desperation returned, "come on Theo, think"
"No I didn't see someone fall in but—"
"But what?"
"I got the feeling of loss" Theo answered, "when looking at the veil and... I can't explain it, it's as though there was someone on the other side"
"Someone's going to fall through the veil" Athena stated simply, a panic growing inside her "someone's going to... someone... need to.."
"Rena?" Theo frowned in caution at her, "Rena what's...what can... are you ok?",
"Get Remus" Athena breathed simply before the world turned black and she felt herself falling to the floor.
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A/n
Words - 2070
Published - 6th August 2021