𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊
The evening before Harry and Crystal had to leave for Hogwarts, Lily Potter returned home early after completing her shift in St. Mungo's as a Healer. When she entered the living a soft smile automatically formed on her gentle features.
James took a day off again to hang out with the children on the last day of their holiday. Lily wanted to spend time with them too but being a Healer was a job that came with a lot of responsibilities.
The father and son along with Crystal went to the amusement park from the late morning to late afternoon. Back home, they made dinner to surprise Lily, though Crystal did most of the work, the boys were helpless and useless.
They were waiting for Lily and watching a movie to pass time and fell asleep on the couch with television still on, at low sound.
James was sitting in the middle with his mouth slightly apart, his head leaning on the back of the sofa with his glasses askew. Harry and Crystal were on his either sides, leaning on him and he had his arms around both of them. All of them fast asleep, tired after playing all day.
Lily gently brushed her fingers through his husband's hair smiling and quietly went to the room bringing a camera and clicked a photo. Crystal woke up at the sound of the shutter. She sat up rubbing her eyes and switched off the television.
"Sorry, my baby, I woke you up. . . "
"It's fine. Welcome home, Aunt Lily," said Crystal as Lily hugged her, "Did you had a good day?"
"I did. Though, I rushed through to come back on time," said Lily, kissing her cheeks, "Did you have fun today?"
"Very Much, we went on many rides! We also prepared dinner for you!"
"Wow, really? James can't cook much, Harry didn't ever step into kitchen other than heating food . . . You didn't need to do -- "
"I wanted to repay you somehow for taking care of me all these days -- but they really helped me a lot!"
"Lily-flower, you're back?" said James as he yawned, raking his fingers through his messy hair.
"I'm home, love," said Lily, kissing his cheek, "wake Harry up, we'll have dinner together,"
"Sure," James said kissing back on her cheek. Crystal understood what Harry meant by third wheeling.
After dinner, they were talking in Harry's room.
Harry was getting a nice, relaxing head massage from Lily that he was fast asleep fell asleep with his head on his mother's lap. But Crystal had a few questions and she took the chance to ask.
"I just have one last question," said Crystal quickly, "Can you tell me everything my mother told you both about my father -- like how did he looked or any picture, photo of him?"
James nodded at Lily when she looked at him, a bit concerned. She shook her head before speaking.
"We didn't see your father at all, Crysie. Avi didn't have any photo of him, she said it was left in her previous house which burnt down and so she decided to return back. The only thing she ever said was that your father was the most dazzling person she had ever seen. We figured it might be true -- I mean look at you, Crysie -- you do have your mother's smile but your overall look must definitely be matching your father and he must have been beautiful seeing you."
"I remember how I teased Avi the first time I saw you, I asked her where did you get a such a man that gave you such a lovely child," said James, chuckling then he paused. "I didn't know that time that your father had . . . "
"You looked like an angel to me when I saw you first," said Lily, running her fingers through Crystal's hair, "When your eyes opened, it felt as though we were looking into the deep sea, frozen just to make your beautiful eyes, I forgot -- what do they say among Muggles -- yeah, like a God's gift,"
"Avi said you've your father's eyes, Crysie," said James, "that's all we know. . . about his appearance. . . "
✰✰✰✰✰✰
The next morning was a chaotic start of the day since Harry again overslept this year too.
Thankfully, they were already packed, ready to leave after the breakfast. They had planned to meet Ron and the Weasleys outside the King Cross station before boarding the train.
The Potters with Crystal, reached the station half an hour early. Harry sent his parents back as they were getting late for their work since Ron and his family were late.
Though, unwilling, Lily and James went back, hugging them tight enough to crush bones as per Harry. Lily eyes we're damp as they left.
Harry knew his mother would cry in the car for sometime before going to work, she didn't want them see her cry but he was also relieved that his dad was there to comfort her.
The two waited by the entrance of the station and at quarter to eleven, the Weasleys finally came rushing in. Crystal waved her hand in the air and got their attention.
"What kept you guys?" Harry said to Ron, "We just have a few minutes left,"
"Don't ask," Ron said panting, "We had to take many trips back home,"
"Let's talk later in the train, guys." said Crystal, pushing the trolley.
“Right, Percy first,” said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.
Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed.
“I’ll take Ginny and you kids come right after us,” Mrs. Weasley told Harry, Crystal and Ron, grabbing Ginny’s hand and setting off. In the blink of an eye they were gone.
“Let’s go together, we’ve only got a minute,” Ron said to Harry. "Crysie, just run along right behind us!"
"Alright," said Crystal as they hurried.
Both the boys bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run and —
CRASH!
Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward; Ron’s trunk fell off with a loud thump, Harry was knocked off his feet.
Crystal barely controlled herself from colliding into as mustered all her strength to stop the trolley, pulling against the motion.
People all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, “What in blazes d’you think you’re doing?”
“What in blazes d’you think you’re doing?” Crystal repeated to the boys, perplexed.
“Lost control of the trolley,” Harry gasped, clutching his ribs as he got up. Ron ran to pick up Hedwig, who was causing a scene.
“Crys — We can't get through . . .” Harry said urgently to Crystal.
"You can't you get through?" She asked Harry and Ron as though they were talking crazy.
“I dunno —” said Ron.
"Let me check — "
Ron looked wildly around. A dozen curious people were still watching them. He grabbed Crystal's arm to stop her and gestured the surrounding with his eyes.
“We’re going to miss the train,” Ron whispered. “I don’t understand why the gateway’s sealed itself —”
"Has it happened before too?" Crystal whispered, "I mean, is there a time limit that we have to go through it two minutes before or else it'll close?"
"Never," said Ron, "there's no limit. We were just in time when we went to drop off Fred and George for their first year — but they were able to get in one minute earlier."
Harry looked up at the giant clock with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Ten seconds . . . nine seconds . . .
Crystal wheeled her trolley forward, aligned it against the barrier and pushed with all her might. Nothing happened, neither the trolley was disappearing nor the wall was giving away.
Three seconds . . . two seconds . . . one second . . .
“It’s gone,” said Ron, sounding stunned. “The train’s left. What if Mum and Dad can’t get back through to us? Have you got any Muggle money, Crysie?”
"I have a few pounds," said Crystal, "but what will we do with it? We can't take a taxi to Hogwarts or call someone? Doesn't Hogwarts have a helpline?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. Ron pressed his ear to the cold barrier.
“Can’t hear a thing,” he said tensely. “What’re we going to do? I don’t know how long it’ll take Mum and Dad to get back to us.”
They looked around. People were still watching them, mainly because of Hedwig’s continuing screeches. Cash inside his own cage, was eyeing Hedwig like an animal in zoo.
“I think we’d better go and wait by your car, they're going to come back to the car anyways,” said Harry. “We’re attracting too much atten —”
“Harry! Crysie!” said Ron, his eyes gleaming. “The car!”
“What about it?” Harry said, a bit lost.
“We can fly the car to Hogwarts!”
Crystal snorted a laugh.
"We can fly the car?" Crystal repeated, "Does anyone of you have a driving license, you little kids?"
"We? Little kids? What's license -- " said Ron, raising an eyebrow, " Anyway! I reckon, this is the best idea until you have something better."
“But I thought —”
“We’re stuck, right? And we’ve got to get to school, haven’t we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it’s a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy —”
“But your mum and dad . . .” said Crystal, pushing her back against the barrier again in hope that it would give way. “How will they get home?”
“They don’t need the car!” said Ron impatiently. “They know how to Apparate! You know, just vanish and reappear at home! They only bother with Floo powder and the car because we’re all underage and we’re not allowed to Apparate yet. . . ”
Crystal looked at Harry with uncertainty but to her much surprise, he looked excited, rather very ecstatic. A mischievous glint flashed in his green orbs behind his glasses.
“Can you fly it?” Harry asked eagerly and Crystal jaws dropped as she stared at him disbelievingly.
“No problem,” said Ron, wheeling his trolley around to face the exit. “C’mon, let’s go. If we hurry we’ll be able to follow the Hogwarts Express —”
And they marched off through the crowd of curious Muggles, out of the station and back onto the side road where the old Ford Anglia was parked.
Ron unlocked the cavernous trunk with a series of taps from his wand. They heaved their luggage back in and put in Crystal's luggage too when they saw she was still hesitating.
They placed Hedwig and Cash on the back seat, and got into the front. Crystal was still standing outside with a nervous feeling swarming in her stomach.
"Look, I still think this is a bad idea, we can just send an owl to school to pick us from here or — " said Crystal in dilemma. "Can't we just call Aunt Lily or Uncle James?"
She wanted to go to school too but she was having a very bad feeling that her day was not going to go well ever since the barrier stopped them.
"No one's home to pick up the call — Come on, Crys! It's going to be an exciting journey!" said Harry, pulled her inside with a jerk on her hand and closed the car door after her. "When will you ever get a chance to fly to school in a flying car?"
"Well, but— "
“Check that no one’s watching,” said Ron, starting the ignition with another tap of his wand. Crystal was sitting beside the window, reluctantly stuck her head out: Traffic was rumbling along the main road ahead, but their street was empty.
“Clear,” she said.
Ron pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished — and so did they. Harry could feel the seat vibrating beneath him, hear the engine, feel his hands on his knees and his glasses on his nose, but for all he could see, he had become a pair of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.
“Let’s go,” said Ron’s voice from their right.
And so the ground and the dirty buildings on either side fell away, dropping out of the sight as the car rose up; in seconds, the whole of London lay, smoky and glittering, below them.
Then there was a popping noise and the car along with Harry, Crystal and Ron reappeared.
“Uh-oh,” said Ron, jabbing at the Invisibility Booster. “It’s faulty—”
Ron and Harry pummeled it. The car vanished. Then it flickered back again.
“Hold on!” Ron yelled, and he slammed his foot on the accelerator; they shot straight into the low, woolly clouds and everything turned dull and foggy.
“Now what?” said Harry, blinking at the solid mass of cloud pressing in on them from all sides.
“We need to see the train to know what direction to go in,” said Ron. “Dip back down again — quickly—”
They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted around in their seats, squinting at the ground.
“I can see it!” Harry yelled. “Right ahead— there!”
The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below them like a scarlet snake.
“Due north,” said Ron, checking the compass on the dashboard. “Okay, we’ll just have to check on it every half hour or so — hold on —”
And they shot up through the clouds. A minute later, they burst out into a blaze of sunlight. It was a different world. The wheels of the car skimmed the sea of fluffy cloud; the sky was a bright, endless blue under the blinding white sun.
"See, isn't it beautiful?" Harry said to Crystal, smiling in awe, "Would you be able to see this view from the train?"
"Ever heard of the saying," Crystal said. "All that glitters is not gold."
"No," said Harry, "Let me guess, you said it again?"
"No, it was William Shakespeare," said Crystal, rubbing her temple, "you'll know the consequences of trying to be up here close to sun, in a car made of metal, not suitable for the atmospheric conditions at this height,"
"What does that mean?" Harry said confused.
"It means that witches and wizards should have a basic knowledge of science,"
“Don't worry, Crysie. All we’ve got to worry about now are airplanes,” said Ron. Harry and Ron looked at each other and started to laugh; for a long time, they couldn’t stop. Crystal rolled her eyes.
She shook her head and leaned the side of her head against the glass of the window, closing her eyes.
Her intuition was telling her that something would go wrong again. She had a history of bad days when her days started off wrong and the whole day was ruined due to series of unfortunate events.
They made regular checks on the train as they flew farther and farther north, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view.
London was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields that gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, a great city alive with cars like multicolored ants, villages with tiny toy churches.
Several uneventful hours later, however, Harry had to admit that some of the fun was wearing off. The toffees had made them extremely thirsty and they had nothing to drink, after exhausting Crystal's water bottle.
He and Ron had pulled off their sweaters, Harry’s T-shirt was sticking to the back of his seat and his glasses kept sliding down to the end of his sweaty nose.
"You guys stink, so gross," The only thing Crystal said ever since. She was sitting calmly without breaking a sweat and didn't had any toffees, not in the mood of sweet.
"We thought you were sleeping!" said Ron, shocked.
"I wasn't, I can't sleep when there's so much noise around—" she said, squinting her eyes against the sun. "—And this is what I meant with science. Airplanes are especially designed to protect us from the atmospheric conditions up here. But this car is just made of a thin sheet of metal."
"Ahh— seriously, leave your science lessons for now." Harry groaned and said, "Are you hungry?"
Crystal shook her head.
"Are you feeling sick or stuffy?"
She shook her head again after a brief moment of hesitation.
"Then why're you not talking to us?"
"I'm not in the mood to talk. . . Shut up."
"Fine! Be fussy like that." Harry huffed turning his head forward.
“Don't worry, Crysie — can’t be much further now, can it?” croaked Ron, hours later still, as the sun started to sink into their floor of cloud, staining it a deep pink. “Ready for another check on the train, mate?”
It was still right below them, winding its way past a snowcapped mountain. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds.
Ron put his foot on the accelerator and drove them upward again, but as he did so, the engine began to whine.
Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances. Crystal sat up straight startled.
“It’s probably just tired,” said Ron. “It’s never been this far before. . .”
"Tired? The engine has all heated up! Honestly, I'm impressed an old car like this is still holding up till now!" Crystal said, "Can't we take a stop? It'll help cooling down the engine. "
"But we'll lose the sight of train."
Harry and Ron both pretended not to notice but the whining grew louder and louder as the sky became steadily darker. Stars were blossoming in the blackness.
But Crystal was holding her head in her hands.
"This is suicide! I'm not even ready for this!" she continued to mumble.
Harry ignored her constant mumbling and pulled his sweater back on, trying to ignore the way the windshield wipers were now waving feebly, as though in protest.
“Not far, Crysie, Harry, be patient,” said Ron, more to the car than to Crystal and Harry, “not far now,” and he patted the dashboard nervously.
"Patting it won't help, you silly. . . Dear science. . . why did you abandoned the poor, lost souls of the magic world. . . " Crystal muttered.
When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew.
“There!” Crystal shouted suddenly, which made Harry, Ron, Hedwig and Cash jump. “Straight ahead! Down! Down!”
Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle.
But the car had begun to shudder and was losing speed.
“Come on,” Ron said cajolingly, giving the steering wheel a little shake, “nearly there, come on —”
The engine groaned. Narrow jets of steam were issuing from under the hood. Harry found himself gripping the edges of his seat very hard as they flew toward the lake.
"Oh my God . . . " Crystal muttered, holding her seat tightly.
The car gave a nasty wobble. Glancing out of her window, Crystal saw the smooth, black, glassy surface of the water, a mile below. Ron’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The car wobbled again.
“Come on,” Ron muttered.
They were over the lake — the castle was right ahead — Ron put his foot down.
There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely.
“Uh-oh,” said Ron, into the silence.
The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle wall.
Harry and Crystal grabbed onto each other tightly, screaming. Crystal closed her eyes tightly waiting for impact, as she hid her face in Harry's shoulder.
“Noooooo!” Ron yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; they missed the dark stone wall by inches as the car turned in a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.
Ron let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket —
“STOP! STOP!” he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield, but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up toward them —
“WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!" Harry bellowed.
"HANDS ON THE WHEEL, RONALD!” Crystal shouted, as soon as she opened her eyes take to peek, she lunged for the steering wheel, but too late —
CRUNCH!
With an earsplitting bang of the metal on the wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt.
Steam was billowing from under the crumpled hood; Hedwig and Cash were shrieking in terror; a golf-ball-sized lump was throbbing on Crystal’s head where she had hit the windshield, she had cut her lip when her teeth clashed; Harry was clutching his forehead too and to his right, Ron let out a low, despairing groan.
“Are you okay, Crys?” Harry said urgently. "What about you, Ron?"
“My wand,” said Ron, in a shaky voice. “Look at my wand —”
It had snapped, almost in two; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.
"Just be thankful it's not your neck," snapped Crystal, rubbing the throbbing lump on her head.
Harry opened his mouth to say he was sure they’d be able to mend it up at the school, but he never even got started.
At that very moment, something hit Crystal's side of the car with the force of a charging bull, Crystal lurched sideways into Harry and he lurched sideways into Ron, just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.
“What’s happeni—?”
Ron gasped, staring through the windshield, and Harry looked around just in time to see a branch as thick as a python smash into it.
The tree they had hit was attacking them. Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarled boughs were pummeling every inch of the car it could reach.
"Damn it, magic tree! Sorry for hitting you!" Crystal shouted, "Ron! Try to restart the engine!"
“Aaargh!” said Ron as another twisted limb punched a large dent into his door; the windshield was now trembling under a hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs and a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding furiously on the roof, which seemed to be caving —
“Run for it!” Ron shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but next second he had been knocked backward into Harry’s lap by a vicious uppercut from another branch.
“We’re done for!” he moaned as the ceiling sagged, but suddenly the floor of the car was vibrating — the engine had restarted.
“Reverse!” Harry and Crystal yelled, and the car shot backward; the tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.
“That—” panted Ron, “—was close. Well done, car —”
The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and Crystal and Harry felt their seat tip sideways.
Next thing they knew Crystal was sprawled on the damp ground. Harry barely stopped himself from crushing her with his weight, as he supported himself by his hands either side of her head.
Loud thuds told them that the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk; Hedwig’s cage flew through the air and burst open; she rose out of it with an angry screech and sped off toward the castle without a backward look; Cash was still inside the cage locked, screeching and very irate.
Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.
“Come back!” Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. “Dad’ll kill me!”
But the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust. Harry stood up groaning and extended his hand to Crystal, pulling her up on her feet.
“Can you believe our luck?” said Ron miserably, bending down to pick up Scabbers. “Of all the trees we could’ve hit, we had to get one that hits back.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the ancient tree, which was still flailing its branches threateningly.
Crystal let Cash out of his cage and he pecked the back of her hand harshly, before flying away screeching.
"I'm soooo going to be. . . " Crystal trailed off and sighed. If Dumbledore or McGonagall knew, she was going to be lectured for sure.
“Come on,” said Harry wearily, “we’d better get up to the school. . . ”
It wasn’t at all the triumphant arrival they had pictured. Stiff, cold and bruised, they seized the ends of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, toward the great oak front doors. Crystal levitated her trunk with her wand.
“I think the feast’s already started,” said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit window. “Hey — Harry — Crysie — come and look — it’s the Sorting!”
Crystal walked towards him. Harry hurried over and, together, the three of them peered inside the Great Hall.
Innumerable candles were hovering in midair over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars.
As they looked around the hall, through the forest of pointed black Hogwarts hats and to the table were all the Professors sat, Harry noticed something.
“Hang on . . .” Harry muttered to Ron and Crystal. “There’s an empty chair at the staff table . . . Where’s Snape?”
“Maybe he’s ill!” said Ron hopefully.
“Maybe he’s left,” Harry added, “because he missed out on the Defense Against the Dark Arts job again!”
Crystal rolled her eyes, "Sure, very likely."
And then, she felt the presence of someone behind them. Crystal turned around and froze when the person smiled at her, a scary smile.
“Or he might have been sacked!” Ron continued enthusiastically. “I mean, everyone hates him —”
Crystal punched his side lightly, to stop.
“Or maybe,” said a very cold voice right behind them, “he’s waiting to hear why you three didn’t arrive on the school train.”
Harry and Ron spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape. He was smiling in a way that told Harry that he, Crystal and Ron were in a very deep trouble.
“Follow me,” said Snape.
Not daring even to look at each other, the three followed Snape. He led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.
“In!” he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing.
They entered Snape’s office, shivering. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things. The fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them.
“So,” he said softly, “the train isn’t good enough for the famous Harry Potter, the future Head of the Calisto and their faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we?”
“No, sir, it was the barrier at King’s Cross, it—”
“Silence!” said Snape coldly. “What have you done with the car?”
Ron gulped. This wasn’t the first time Snape had given Harry and Crystal the impression of being able to read minds.
But a moment later, they understood, as Snape unrolled today’s issue of the Evening Prophet and color left Crystal's face.
“You were seen,” he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud: “Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower. . . at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing . . . Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police . . . Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?” he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. “Dear, dear . . . his own son . . .”
Snape continued, glancing at Harry, "And it seems true that the apple didn't fall far from the tree . . . A shame indeed."
Harry bit the inside of his cheeks to keep himself from spouting anything that would cause more trouble. He knew what Snape was insinuating, though the feeling was mutual from both his dad and himself.
"But I don't understand . . . why are the other trees jealous of the apple and his tree." Harry still blurted out, and he did not regret it a bit.
"SILENCE POTTER!" Snape snapped, furiously.
Crystal was worried thinking about the most important issue at the hand that moment. If anyone found out that Mr. Weasley had bewitched the car . . . then what? She didn't yet have the enough power in her hands to protect them being just a new heiress.
Why didn't she think of it before? Is this how she was going to lead the Calisto in future too? Why didn't her so-called longsighted brain work when she had to predict the outcomes of her action? Crystal felt terrible just thinking about it.
“I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow,” Snape went on.
“That tree did more damage to us than we —” Ron blurted out.
“Silence!” snapped Snape again. “Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here.”
Crystal, Harry and Ron stared at each other, white-faced.
"I'm sure we're going to get expelled," said Crystal quietly.
"You didn't have to voice it out loud," said Ron miserably.
"Sorry, I'm just accepting the reality," Crystal sighed. She was in more trouble than either Harry or Ron.
Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him.
She raised her wand the moment she entered; Harry and Ron both flinched, but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted.
“Sit,” she said, and the three backed into chairs by the fire.
“Explain,” she said, her glasses glinting ominously.
Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.
“— so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn’t get on the train.”
“Why didn’t you send us a letter by owl? I believe you both have an owl?” Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry and Crystal.
"I know Minnie — sorry sorry — Professor McGonagall — We — I mean Crystal thought of that — but we —"
"That was a good thinking on Miss Calisto's part," said Professor McGonagall, looking at Crystal sternly, "but I'm very disappointed. Behavior such as this is not expected from the Heiress of the Calisto. You have to understand the gravity of the name of your family, the weight of your responsibilities you will have in the future, the duties that will come with it, the position that you have to hold. What you did was very reckless. Is this how you're going to manage thousands of employees under you? Is this how you will stand to their expectations of you? You've to think carefully before you make any decision, how it would impact you, the people depending on you and the public— on which you depend on. This incident could harm your reputation in the public if anyone had seen you, even before you start anything."
Crystal stared at the fireplace. She already thought of that but very late. She held her scoff back, not sure what reputation Professor McGonagall was talking about when they were the ones who kept her away from the magic world and then one day, suddenly she came to know that she had to step into the power struggle for Calisto's authority.
She held back her urge to speak up as she didn't want to create more trouble for her friends and get them all expelled if there was a slightest hope.
"You need to reflect on your actions and work on how to act in future, Miss Calisto," said Professor McGonagall sternly, "Are you with me?"
". . . Yes. It won't happen again. . . " Crystal said.
Harry and Ron now understood her hesitation to fly to school by the car.
There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore.
There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, “Please explain why you did this.”
Crystal hated the disappointment in his voice. Though, she was still wary of him for more than one reasons but she respected him greatly as her mentor and the great wizard he was. For some reason, Crystal and Harry were unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes.
Harry spoke instead to his knees. He told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car.
Crystal knew Dumbledore would see through this at once having spent so many classes with him, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car. When Harry had finished, he merely continued to peer at them through his spectacles.
“We’ll go and get our stuff,” said Ron in a hopeless sort of voice.
“What are you talking about, Weasley?” barked Professor McGonagall.
“Well, you’re expelling us, aren’t you?” said Ron.
Crystal and Harry looked quickly at Dumbledore.
“Not today, Mr. Weasley,” said Dumbledore. “But I must impress upon the three of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you.”
Snape looked as though Christmas had been cancelled. He cleared his throat and said, “Professor Dumbledore, these students have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree — surely acts of this nature —”
“It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these children punishments, Severus,” said Dumbledore calmly. “They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility. I would like to have a nice conversation with Crystal over the tea later though.” He briefly glanced at Crystal and back to Professor McGonagall.
'I'm doomed.' Crystal thought.
“I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I’ve got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there’s a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample —”
Snape shot a look of pure venom at Harry, Crystal and Ron as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.
“You’d better get along to the hospital wing, Weasley and Calisto, you’re bleeding.”
“Not much,” said Ron, hastily wiping the cut over his eye with his sleeve. “Professor, I wanted to watch my sister being Sorted —”
“The Sorting Ceremony is over,” said Professor McGonagall. “Your sister is also in Gryffindor.”
“Oh, good,” said Ron.
“And speaking of Gryffindor —” Professor McGonagall said sharply, but Harry cut in: “Minn — Professor, when we took the car, term hadn’t started, so — so Gryffindor shouldn’t really have points taken from it — should it?” he finished, watching her anxiously.
Professor McGonagall gave him a piercing look, but he was sure she had almost smiled.
“I will not take any points from Gryffindor,” she said, and Harry’s heart lightened considerably. “But you three will get a detention.”
Professor McGonagall raised her wand again and pointed it at Snape’s desk. A large plate of sandwiches, three silver goblets, and a jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.
“You will eat in here and then go straight up to your dormitory,” she said, then she noticed the crestfallen face of Crystal who hasn't said anything yet, "Miss Calisto, I understand you must have felt pressured with my words but don't take it too much upon your heart and have some food,"
"Oh, no, you were right," said Crystal quickly, "I will be careful in the future, thank you, Professor,"
She gave her an answer she expected from her.
Professor McGonagall didn't wanted to reprimand her so harshly. She knew Crystal was a responsible girl and everyone could make mistake but she had to do it to make her perfect for the future.
“I must also return to the feast.” she said with a nod.
When the door had closed behind her, Ron let out a long, low whistle.
“I thought we’d had it,” he said, grabbing a sandwich.
“So did I,” said Harry, taking one, too.
“Can you believe our luck, though?” said Ron thickly through a mouthful of chicken and ham. “Fred and George must’ve flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw them.” He swallowed and took another huge bite. “Why couldn’t we get through the barrier?”
Harry shrugged.
“We’ll have to watch our step from now on, though,” he said, taking a grateful swig of pumpkin juice. “Wish we could’ve gone up to the feast. . . ”
“She didn’t want us showing off,” said Ron sagely. “Doesn’t want people to think it’s clever, arriving by flying car.”
Crystal picked a sandwich in each hand and stood up.
"I'm going to my dorm, good night, you both," said Crystal and left.
Harry and Ron blinked at each other.
"Poor Crysie, she got brutally lectured for nothing," Ron said, shaking his head.
Harry stared after Crystal as she closed the door behind her. He couldn't forget McGonagall's words to Crystal. Just why couldn't they let her live freely as she wanted to? He thought
Nobody could be in a good mood after listening to all that, it sounded like a boulder weighing a ton was dumped on Crystal's head with each word, gravity, responsibility, duty, position, expectations, reputation, future.
All these made him realise again that Crystal was not like normal kids his age who just played with him a couple of days ago. She would now go back to be Crystal Calisto, the Heiress of the Calisto.
✰✰✰✰✰✰
Crystal aimlessly roamed around the castle a bit and asked a Gryffindor passing by the password to the portrait hole, then went inside the empty circular common room.
She looked around the familiar room, reached the staircase of girls dormitory and hurried up, right to the top, to the door which now had a sign on it— SECOND YEARS.
She entered the familiar, circular room, with its four four-posters hung with red velvet and its high, narrow windows. Her trunk had been brought up for her and stood at the end of her bed, as same for the others.
Crystal freshened up her mind by taking the long shower as she stood under the running water, Professor McGonagall's words echoed in her mind.
"Am I doing the right thing? Should I just leave everything and run away and live alone somewhere peacefully? But I have also invested my money in the new business . . . I don't have much left to run away too . . . " She thought as the water ran down her head, to face and body.
"No, you idiot . . . Finish everything you started then leave for wherever you want, just hang in there a few years," She firmly said to herself in the mirror.
By the time, she changed into her night clothes, she started to hear noise from downstairs.
"They're all back. . . " She mumbled opening her first aid and taking out a bandaid.
Just as she pressed the bandaid lightly on her forehead, the door to the dorm opened and Hermione stomped in.
"Hey," Crystal said with a smile, turning around from the mirror.
"Hey?" Hermione scowled, "That's all you have got to say?"
"Um — so, er, how are you?" Crystal added.
"Excellent, very good after hearing the super dangerous entry my best friends just made." Hermione clapped, "Why would I worry about you guys? I just lecture you all the time, right?"
"Did someone say something to you again? Who was it, Ron or Harry?" Crystal frowned.
"Leave it, Crysie." Hermione sighed, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
Crystal pushed her hair back and showed her the bandaid above her eye on the forehead and the swollen lip on the side.
"Just a little cut here," she said.
"And bruised up," said Hermione, inspecting her arms, "Honestly! That was really reckless of you guys. What if something bad had happened? What if you were injured badly or expelled?"
"God knows what could have happened," Crystal shrugged and casually sat on her bed, "honestly saying, we were very lucky but it was also a whole new different experience to travel in a flying car! You know, Muggles are having a talk to turn the fantasy of flying car into reality. This will be revolutionary for both technology and the automobiles industry,"
Hermione huffed at her excitement and went into the bathroom with her night clothes. Crystal looked at her with an eyebrow raised, just then the door opened again.
"Crysie! You're here!" Parvati exclaimed as she barged in the dorm laughing and ran towards her, hugging her quickly then pulled away. "We just saw Harry and Ron downstairs! You guys flew a car! Fantastic!"
"Dashing entry you made by the way!" Lavender squealed.
"Hey, Parvati, Lavender!" said Crystal, with a smile, "How was your summer?"
And with that question, Crystal unknowingly stepped onto a landmine of long conversation as the girls had a lot and whole lot more to say.
Hermione went to sleep without talking with anyone. Crystal wondered whether she was upset with her, if yes, then it wouldn't be easy to talk to her the next day.
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A/N:
Hello lovelies! <3
Quick updates:
Double updates with this chapter.
I'll update new chapters on this book every SATURDAY now.
I've been very busy with the events and fests which I've volunteered to help organize and participated in, so I'm suddenly in demand here and there.
That's why shifting the release days to the weekend!
Let me know how you think of the story so far. Also, point out if there is anything you don't like about this book or my writing (I will try to change my writing style based on that). Any constructive critics would be welcomed :))
Have a wonderful day/evening!
Luv u all! <3
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