I spotted Hermione and Ron coming from the opposite direction when I neared my compartment and watched as Hermione's face tense at the sight of me while Ron, not looking ahead of himself, barreled right into Hermione's frame.
"Watch it, Hermione! What are you doing?"
But rather than Hermione answer verbally, she just bolted at me, tackling me into a bear hug and a face full of curly hair.
"Thank goodness you're safe! With what Fred and George told us—" We broke apart and I fixated on her face before looking over her shoulder at Ron who looked like he was trying in earnest to swallow something bitter without comment.
We all banked to the side to let the two Hogwarts students passed before Ron walked a step closer and I rounded on them like a hound to a bone.
"Have they been able to contact Theo?"
"Yeah," Ron said, drawing near as Hermione gripped my arm like a lifeline. "But what Fred and George are trying to do is setting Mum and Dad off. What your brother could potentially be is dangerous-"
"She knows that, Ronald," Hermione snapped, turning on him with a stink eye. "But Molly thinks it's right to try to help him," she went on, looking back to me. "Which means we may be able to get your brother out after all. Once he's back in the country, that is."
"Where did he say he was?" I asked, leaning against the wall as group of 2nd or 3rd years walked past. Hermione waited until they had left before glancing my way again.
"It sounds like he's in giant territory but Fred and George aren't sure."
"My dad is going to bring this up with the others from the order soon," Ron added, quietly. "But to do that, he thinks Dumbledore should know first."
"But that shouldn't be a problem," Hermione added, misreading my expression as I drew back from them. My hand still remaining in my pocket paused on Dumbledore's letter; the nail of my index finger traced down the letter edge before I drew out my hand and clasped them together in front of me.
"Can you guys help keep me updated on this? But only through word of mouth. I don't know how, but I think my parents are keeping a check on my owls. They have been all summer anyway, and I don't want to risk it here either. Spread the word to your family and friends. Just in case."
They followed me back to the compartment as Hermione asked me how my Potion's OWL came out and what my plans were for my future potions classes.
"I'm sure you can balance an upper level potions class with OWLS for the others. It'll just take a lot of dedication with your studying," Hermione offered as I opened the compartment, revealing it just how I left it except now Oliver was lounging on his back while Alice gently rubbed his tummy with one lazy hand, her eyes still fixated on the novel in her lap.
There had to be catnip running through the Spencer sisters' blood. There was no other way for my cat to be behaving the way he was.
As if case in point, as I walked by I tried to pet his tummy only for him to jump up and bound off the chair and under Neville's feet.
"Hello Neville,," Hermione said, walking in with Ron behind her. Alice remained quiet as she peered over at the new people coming, but said nothing as she returned to her book.
Sam returned an hour or so later, ready to change into her uniform like the rest of us, but Harry never came back.
"Blaise was there, as was Hermione," Sam brought up as we walked down the hall towards the girl lavatories to change.
"Really?" Ella asked, more surprised at the news than I was. "What did this new professor have to say?"
"Nothing remarkable," Sam mused with a low sigh. "Harry was right though, he does seem to be collecting names. I'm half surprised you weren't invited, Ava."
"Well it's not like I missed much," I complied. "Blaise's company isn't worth anything, and I can always see Ginny later." I did my best to hide the bite in my voice as I turned to face the line waiting for the bathroom, rather than look back at Sam.
It was a cooler evening in Hogsmead as we arrived onto the platform. But the evening chill was soon escaped by our piling into one of the many carriages pulled by the invisible creatures I had only learned to ride on a few months ago. The idea felt foreign to me as I squeezed in next to Ella, who was jittery with hunger.
"This feast can't come soon enough. I'm absolutely starved."
"First we'll have to get through the sorting," Sam warned from the opposing seat that she shared with Luna and her sister. "It usually takes another hour just to get through all the names."
"Or maybe there will half as many students now that the war is ongoing," I stated unhappily from my perch in the middle. Neville took a sharp inhale by my side as if I had just stunned him with a stinging jinx.
"Cheerful as ever, Ava," was all Sam had time to say before the carriage lurched us forward.
I was in part, correct on this view. Not many first years lingered the front stoop of the great hall as we watched from our seats at Slytherin House. Granted, we were further in the back of the table than I was used to. Now that I was considered a fifth year, I was closer to the door than to the front table.
Which meant I was officially an upper classman.
"At least we don't have to pretend to understand the rubbish the hat has to say before the sorting," Sam mused, playing with her fork across from me. I smiled softly at her, enjoying the overall feeling of being back in this hall with Sam so close to me I could feel her shoes as she shifted her feet under the table.
I was finally away from that awful house in London. My parents would have to jump through new hoops to get to me. Even if they technically could pull me out of this school, I felt safety finally drift over me like a lazy layer of snow one wakes up to on a snow day.
I was safe as long as I didn't draw much attention to myself. Maybe for once that was something I was content to do.
A shift to my left made me turn my gaze toward the back of the table where Draco sat, hunched over the table while his friends bent forward to hear what he had to say. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.
I didn't have to wait much longer to see exactly what his topic of conversation was about. We were in the midst of dinner, when I spotted Harry bolting in with a face covered in blood.
"Merde" I muttered, pausing full stop with a milk roll dangling from my left hand. Sam frowned at my expression before turning around to see the sight.
Harry's face didn't seem to have anything wrong with it. Even his glasses were the same and unbroken. But there was no ignoring the dark red blood dripping down his chin from his nose.
"I wondered where he got up to following the meeting," Sam muttered, turning back to me with a raised brow. I watched as she tore into a chicken leg while further down the table I spotted her sister, Tati, ogling wide-eyed at Harry before catching me staring. She gave me a raised brow, no doubt wondering if I too was as astounded by Harry's appearance as she was. I gave her a nonchalant shrug in answer before returning to her sister who dropped a chicken bone clean on her plate and turning for me.
" Harry didn't come back with you from the meeting," I stated as she tore at another piece of chicken. She dropped it and glanced at me feigning disbelief.
"I'm not his keeper, Ava. Obviously I didn't follow him when I saw him depart after Blaise." I glanced to the left of our table where Draco was back to acting out what no doubt was the method of Harry's bleeding face. "No doubt you can guess what he was up to," Sam finished from her side.
"Is it just me or do you feel like Draco is acting more like his younger self than ever before," I asked, keeping my gaze on the blond as his friends started to snort out their food at the commentary.
All except Blaise, that was, who was nursing a mug of who knows what, while eyeing his friend with a cool gaze. And then those eyes turned to me.
"Damn it," I muttered, turning quickly to Sam who was back to eating her dinner. She raised a brow at me, but I shook my head and returned to my dinner without further comment,
As dinner came to a close and dessert remained in crumbs on our plate, the student body watched as Dumbledore stood up from his seat and raised his arms for us all to catch sight of us.
As if like a lightening beacon came from the sky, everyone in the room seemed to draw breath as we all caught sight of the state of our headmaster's right hand.
It was black as if the skin had died before the body carrying the hand had chosen to top off.
"Merlin," Sam muttered at the sight. Students around us started to spread whispers but were quickly shushed as Dumbledore lowered his hand with a gentle smile, adding "Nothing to worry about," he said airily. "Now.... To our new students and old, I welcome you."
"That can't be from some natural ailment," Sam muttered, casting a look my way. She no doubt expected me to tell her some well-known knowledge of hand care thanks to my short time shadowing Pomphrey. But the reality of the situation was I was as much in the dark as she on the news.
"Some curses can't be cured," was all I said as Dumbledore's words continued to filter from one ear and out the other.
"Mr. Filch would like me to remind you all that a blanket ban on any joke items bought from the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes..."
"But what kind of curses would do such a thing?" Sam whispered as she caught sight of her sister turning to us with a silent inquiry on her face. We ignored her gaze and pretended to listen as Dumbledore continued.
"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year," Dumbledore went on, drawing my attention to the overweight wizard sitting at the far side of the table. He looked like he spent his days on a couch eating bon bons and drinking cherry brandy.
"He is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."
I did a double take at the buffoon before catching Sam's questionable stare.
Snape wasn't potions master anymore?
"Professor Snape, however," Dumbledore went on, " has kindly agreed to take over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
A roar of applause, more so from the students to the left of me at Slytherin table muted the obvious displeasure that erupted from the Gryffindor table as the news sunk in. Harry Potter was going to have rotten luck dealing with his most hated professor teaching his favorite subject.
Snape simply gave a one hand wave of the hand at his table as our table rattled with the number of students banging on the wood in applause, sending what little was left of my chocolate torte down the table toward the fourth years.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, making the rest of us turn towards him as he gained control of the room once more.
"As everyone knows, Lord Voldemort has returned with his followers and they are gaining ground and strength as we speak. The school grounds have increased their defenses since the last we saw one another however," Dumbledore paused, and I could have sworn I saw him look our way at Slytherin table.
"I cannot emphasize this enough how dangerous the present situation is and how much care each one of you at Hogwarts must take to remain safe behind these gates. In particular, I urge everyone of you regard the rule of not being out of bed after hours and to remain in groups throughout your year here. Should you notice anything off putting, I recommend strongly that you bring this news to the attention of any Hogwarts Professor."
I half expected those half-moon spectacles to turn back to Slytherin's table, but he remained neutral as he added his oh so characteristic ending, "Now, I must say your warm beds await you and your lessons will begin bright an early tomorrow morning. And so with that, I end there and say good night to you all. Now off to bed, Pip pip!"
I followed Sam onto her bed and closed the curtains for privacy as the others in the room got themselves reoriented to the news of tonight and of their last events over the summer.
Sam and I on the other hand had a lot of catching up to do that we couldn't dare bring up in public.
"How is he?" Sam asked first, eyeing me for the first time with the same worried look she gave me on the train before summer break.
"He was sent on an errand by my father in July. But I think he may be able to escape this mess sooner than we both realize."
"Have you been able to contact him at all?" She asked, scouting closer to me. Our voices remained a decimal lower than a whisper as we continued to listen to the movement from the others around us.
I raised a single finger at her.
"When?" She questioned, her eyes widening.
"Right before I gave the marble to the Weasley twins. He contacted me. But it wasn't long and I didn't get much information out of him."
"What was said? What did he say?" Sam asked, nearing the edge of her seat.
"He was underground somewhere and he was with a group of death eaters," I stated calmly. A mask of boredom seemed to automatically appear on my face as I stilled my breathing while I retold her what I saw and grasped from that night.
It was been that night after dinner when Damion had come back from a journey of his own. And he had spent all dinner complaining about going back to his Ministry job to our father. It was no doubt an act to play our father into believing he wanted to do more than sit in a ministry office. But it no less tired me out, listening to my oldest brother whine like a teenager.
But then that orb gleamed in my hand and I grasped at it and lifted it to the light, begging for something to show. And then I saw his eye, bluer than ever and filled with instant relief at catching sight of me. Theo raised the orb of his own higher so that I could see his face and the shadows of rock that surrounded him.
"Are you alright?" was the first thing out of mouth at the sight of him. Not a question about the fact that he seemed to have not slept in days, was covered in dirt, and looked as depressed as I felt.
But he was alive and he had a shadow of his up-to-no-good smile on the edges of his lips at the sight of me.
"I'm okay," was all he said before breaking into choking sound that could have been a cry had he not looked back up to me with a growing smile that would have made me cry just to see it.
"You look terrible, Ava."
"I look terrible?" I repeated, aghast. "Theo you look a step away from turning into a dementor. Where are you? When was the last time you ate?"
"You sound like Mamen. How is she?"
"Not much better," I replied steadily. "Though she's keeping up an act fine as always." Theo had nodded, as if seeming relieved at the news.
"And Ed? Damion?"
"Damion just got back from a trip of his own. He seemed fine enough. Ed has been in a mood since I've come home but that's old news to you."
"Has Dad sent him on any errands yet?"
"No," I declared. "He's been around the house like a ghost. He hides away more often than not. When I find him he's either in the study reading or I hear him on his violin."
I remember hearing the sound of voices from further down the rocks that made Theo hastily look away and then back again, before muffling the orb as if hiding it as he walked further into whatever tunnel he lay in.
"Theo," I whispered, terrified that my own voice could give him away to those nearby. No doubt other death eaters. "Theo, where are you?"
"I'm under oath not to tell. Not yet at least," He mentioned a moment later, coming back into focus. "Ava, I need you to do something for me when you get back to school. Can you do that for me?"
"What is it?"
Theo's face was half covered by shadows now, so much so that I barely could see the pinching of his eyes as he answered, "I need you stay away from your Gryffindor friends. You need cover yourself with the Slytherins this coming year."
"He said what?" Sam questioned in a tone loud enough for the others outside the curtain to hear. I hit her on the arm but she was still blinking back disbelief.
"Why in Merlin's name would he order you to do that and then not tell you much else?"
"It doesn't surprise me that he had to be under oath before going wherever he was," I clarified, keeping my tone low. "And he doesn't want father to snag me out of school if he hears I spend my time with the Gryffindors."
"But the Slytherins your father wants you around hate you. There's no way."
"That's not entirely true. Though, I don't plan on cozying up to them again. "
"Then what are you going to do?" Sam asked, in disbelief. "Be a loner?"
"Is that so bad?" I countered, eyeing the disgust in Sam's eye.
"Ava, your brother is out there risking his life for a cause that he doesn't believe in while you have a perfect opportunity to save his neck. And yet you'd rather stay safe and act pretty in the Slytherin common room-"
"It's not that simple and you know that, Sam. He's trying to make me save my own skin, the same as my mother. And I don't intend to simply ignore the situation my brother is in. I already have the Weasleys looking in on him. We just have to wait on word from Dumbledore..."
"Dumbledore wouldn't say no to helping him, would he?" Sam paused as if thinking the idea over as she asked the question. "He knew Theo."
"He knows Theo is reckless," I admitted. "And that the last thing the Order needs is a reckless body with ties to You-Know-Who."
"We can't let him ignore your brother," Sam said and I huffed a chuckle as I saw the intensity in her eyes.
"No shit. I have a plan. But first I need to let things stew for a bit. Let word travel without my doing anything."
"You sound like you're making a potion. Not coming up with a plan," Sam stated, sounding irked. I rolled back the curtains, letting the light flood in as I stretched my legs out in front of me.
"They're not that different you know," I mused, rolling my neck as I stood up. "Both require a lot of patience and perfect timing."
"It's a good thing you know what you're doing on those topics then," Sam replied, eyeing me curiously.
I didn't have an answer to her as I walked back to my bed, ignoring my other roommates as they took stock of how I looked and what I must have just been gossiping out.
I didn't care. A summer of constantly walking on your toes from fear made the likes of school busybodies child's play.
They didn't scare me anymore.
--
Hello there!
I will post again on Saturday! I look forward to posting this next chapter as you will get to see just how much Ava is changing.
I think you can all see it a bit already. But no doubt it will be more noticeable next chap.
Also, I appreciate seeing the number of you rereading this series while I post new chapters. With how long it has taken me to get back from my Hiatus, I am grateful to all of you who have stuck around to read what happens to these characters.
I hope you enjoy the rest of this story
With Love,
-WG-