Chapter 49
“It wasn’t real. It wasn’t real.”
I repeated the same sentence over and over again as I tied the green ribbon around my ponytail.
I could guarantee the last bit of the dream hadn’t been real, but the first bit had been a memory as vivid as all the others I’d had.
Professor Trelawney had told my parents what I was to become. There was no way to change it.
I shook my head, trying to get rid of the memory. Eleanor walked in from the bathroom and looked at me with a worried expression on her face. I gulped,
“Why do you look so worried?”
She glanced down at the floor,
“I’m not. Anyway, happy birthday.”
I forced a smile,
“Thanks. Should we go down to breakfast?”
The Great Hall was buzzing with people in good moods. I hoped that their good moods were contagious.
Draco watched me as I sat down opposite him and frowned,
“Why are you staring at me?”
He shrugged and looked at his toast,
“No reason. Happy birthday.”
I sighed,
“Thanks. I don’t really want everyone knowing though. Don’t make a big deal about it.”
He raised an eyebrow,
“Funny. Last night, you wanted to go and have a birthday party. Now you don’t seem so keen.”
I shrugged,
“I’m just not really in the mood. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
He sneered,
“Oh? Were you having nightmares?”
I shook my head,
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Draco got the message and didn’t say anymore on the subject.
I stood up,
“I’m going to start walking to Defence Against the Dark Arts. I don’t want to get into trouble for being late.”
I left the Great Hall and started to walk down the empty corridor. I heard footsteps behind me, and turned around. Harry smiled at me and gave me a carefully wrapped present,
“Happy birthday Ava!”
I gulped
“Thanks. Sorry I couldn’t go to the party last night. Draco wouldn’t let me.”
He looked angry for a moment,
“Malfoy is an idiot. He had no right to stop you.”
I shrugged,
“I really didn’t want everyone to get into trouble though.”
I looked at the present in my hands. The wrapping paper was red with golden stars on it. It looked pretty. I unwrapped it carefully so I could keep the paper. Inside was a necklace with a golden snitch at the bottom. I turned to my brother and hugged him tightly,
“Thank you Harry! It’s beautiful.”
He shrugged,
“It’s fine. I’m glad you like it.”
Before I could reply, I suddenly thought back to what Professor Trelawney had said in the memory last night.
She will betray her closest friends and family members for a prize.
A shiver ran down my spine and I gulped,
“I need to get to my lesson with Professor Umbridge. I’ll see you later Harry.”
Harry nodded and we parted ways. I felt bad for getting rid of him but I wanted to be alone. I clutched my golden snitch necklace and walked faster to my first lesson.
* * *
“Miss. Potter, I am impressed with your punctuality today.”
I glanced up at Professor Snape and smiled,
“I just need to make sure that I’m working especially hard now. It’s nearly time for OWLs, and I still feel quite behind.”
I didn’t mention that I’d run from the previous lesson to avoid talking to anyone.
Slowly, the other students began to trickle into the Potions classroom. I stared at my desk in hope that Zach and Eleanor wouldn’t try to talk to me on their way in.
The moment Fred sat down next to me, my whole body tensed. I wasn’t sure if he noticed because I didn’t dare to look at him.
Professor Snape droned on about a potion that I’d never heard of before. I tried to listen so that I would understand, but my mind was elsewhere.
He concluded his speech with,
“There are some ingredients at the back of the classroom. Using your books, pick up the correct ingredients and make your potion. House points will be rewarded to those who succeed.”
Everybody immediately started to get up and walk to the back of the classroom to pick up the ingredients. I waited for a moment before getting up. I didn’t want to be knocked over by the students who were desperate for good grades and house points.
Even though I was trying to be careful, I bumped into someone and knocked the ingredients out of their hands.
I glanced up and my heart thumped in my chest. Fred looked at me, his expression unreadable. My thoughts flickered to the dream and an image of his face contorted with pain flashed before my eyes.
I snapped back into reality and bent down to pick up the ingredients. I recognised the gillyweed and the slug slime, but the other ingredients I didn’t recognise. I placed them down on the table in front of us and gulped.
Fred cleared his throat,
“Thanks. And sorry for bumping into you. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
I nodded,
“Neither was I.”
I noticed that George was watching us from near the ingredients table. His expression was as unreadable as his twin’s.
I turned back to Fred,
“I better go and get those ingredients then.”
He nodded awkwardly and I walked away. We’d never had a conversation that awkward before. It felt strange not to be joking around with him, not be holding his hand.
I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. George was talking to him and patting him on the back. I could tell he was trying to make Fred smile. It wasn’t working.
I shook my head and turned away. Eleanor walked over to me and sighed,
“Don’t worry about it Ava.”
I nodded and tried not to wonder how she knew what I was feeling.
* * *
I sat down in the Slytherin common room and smiled at Eleanor. Zach cleared his throat,
“How many people have said happy birthday to you today?”
I shrugged,
“Not many. Anyway, I’m not in a very good mood so it doesn’t bother me. I’ve had a quiet day.”
Draco looked at me,
“Did you get any presents?”
I nodded,
“I got one from Harry.”
I suddenly realised what I’d said. What if Draco made me give him the gift? What if he didn’t want me to have anything from Harry at all?
To my surprise, he smiled,
“At least you have one present. I know you wanted a low key birthday but it’s nice to get something, isn’t it?”
I raised my eyebrows,
“I suppose you’re right. Anyway, I’m tired. I think I’ll probably go to bed.”
Eleanor frowned,
“But you only just sat down with us!”
I shook my head,
“I didn’t sleep very well last night and I need to make up for it tonight. Sorry.”
I stood up before any of them could protest anymore, and made my way to the dormitory. When I opened the door, I heard a noise that sounded like the flapping of wings. I glanced at the window and saw an owl flying away.
I was starting to wonder if perhaps Eleanor had gotten a package from her secret admirer, but I suddenly noticed a parcel sitting on my bed.
I walked over to it and picked it up. It was wrapped in the same paper that Harry had used, and there was a label on it that said my name.
I looked around the room to check that no one else was there before tearing the paper off.
Inside was a photo frame. I wondered if it was another photo of my parents from Harry, but when I turned it around and saw the photo, I gasped.
It was a photograph of Fred and I at the party when we celebrated Ron and Hermione becoming prefects.
We were dancing slowly and smiling at eachother. Then we leant towards eachother and kissed.
I put my hand over my mouth and stared at it. The photo was brining back such vivid memories of our first kiss.
I noticed a piece of parchment which had slipped from the wrapping paper onto my bed. I picked it up and read it.
It seems Sirius is quite sneaky with the camera. I didn’t even realise he’d taken this photo until he gave it to me a few weeks ago.
I hope you’re enjoying your party. We’ve been planning it for a long time now. Spending time with you is what I like best.
Fred
I re-read the note several times, my heart pounding. It seemed like Fred had written this before I’d snapped at him. He’s written it like he’d been expecting me to definitely be there.
I picked up the photograph and lay down on top of my bed. I clutched the photograph to my chest and cried.
I wished things were how they had been when Fred and I had shared our first kiss.