THE CASTLE SEEMED TO have a little more new students compared to last year, leading to more traffic during the morning. Wendy, fortunately, was woken early by Hermione; unfortunately, Ron and Harry weren't on the same dormitory as Hermione and they both arrived late on the first class of that year.
"You're lucky professor Moody isn't here yet," Hermione half whispered to the two.
"Professor Moody, that's right!" A new voice said solemnly from the door, followed by limping heavy footsteps, "My name is exactly that, and I am your new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Beautiful subject really, quite... dark."
Wendy observed the man as he wrote 'Unforgivable Curse' on the chock-board. Wendy's grip on her quill tighten, what a horrible, horrible man was the one behind the Polyjuice potion. The lesson continued, expectedly, horribly. Wendy felt extreme empathy for Neville, having to see in person what his parents had to go through. Barty Crouch Jr. had no shame.
There was little to nothing that she could have done. Professor Dumbledore specifically said to not intervene unless things were getting out of hand, and she intended to keep that promise.
After what seemed like ages, the class ended and the four friends headed down the spiral stairs that lead to the Great Hall.
"WENDY! WENDY!" A voice called out from the bottom of the stairs.
Wendy leaned out to see who it was and found Cedric Diggory calling out her name.
"YOU HAVE TO COME WITH ME, FAST!"
Wendy knew that Cedric wouldn't just act out like that if it weren't serious, so she decided to excuse herself from her friends and ran down the stairs as fast as she could. She tried hopping some steps but she was far too undress for that. She quickly followed Cedric, and behind her her three closest friends, who decided to not leave her side.
They headed towards the Hospital Wing, the last place Wendy thought of going, "what is going on?!"
"You have to see it."
Once in there, Wendy looked around and found one of the beds to be occupied. Rather uncommon being just the first day of school. Such record was only beaten by herself. Wendy glanced at Cedric, who just nodded towards the bed, and so she walked her way to it.
"He was found unconscious..." Cedric started, "he has been asleep since yesterday, and the only thing we got from him was—" he looked at her in the eyes, "your name."
Wendy was a bit afraid to find out who he was, but she was dying to know. She moved closer to the bed, with her friends at the corner of her eye, making sure she wasn't alone. A pale face and messy hair was the first thing she saw, and then a stomach ache struck her as a familiar face laid down before her.
"Do you know him?" Harry asked.
She gapped for words but she could only let out air from her mouth. Air that soon started to come sobbingly. She searched for support and Ron was fast beside her holding her arm as Cedric got her a chair to sit on. Wendy wanted to thank the two but her focus was solely on the boy before her. She grabbed his hand with both of hers and brought it closer to her.
"Oh, Michael."
The last time she saw her brother was during her last celebrated birthday where her family and friends planned a surprise party for her. He introduced his girlfriend to her and told her he was planning on asking her to marry him, she never felt so happy for him.
"Who is he?" Hermione asked.
"My b-brother," She managed to say after swallowing down the lumps in her throat.
Everyone stood silent. No one knew about her family nor her previous life, and having a person from her life in front of them so out of nowhere, startled them.
Cedric left after a few minutes, deciding that that was not the place for him. Harry and Ron too, followed him to the Great Hall, as the atmosphere felt too intimate. Wendy was left with Hermione, who, despite Wendy telling her to, didn't leave her side. Wendy was Hermione's best friend and if she learned one thing from Harry and Ron, is that you should never leave your best friend alone.
It was afternoon of the same day, and Wendy was coming up with too many ideas of how Michael ended up there. She assumed the same way she did, but it wasn't helpful as she wasn't sure herself how she got there. She wanted to search for Cedric and ask him, but she didn't want to leave Michael.
"Wendy," said Hermione putting a hand on Wendy's shoulder, "I'll go and check with professor McGonagall what we can do regarding... this situation—I'll be back, and I'll bring you something to eat too, you haven't eaten anything."
Wendy smiled kindly at her friend and nodded slightly. She heard Hermione's footsteps fading until they were gone, leaving only her brother's faint breathing to be heard. She observed his chest go up and down countless of times, scared it would stop out of nowhere. She studied his face, it look so peaceful and calm, too young for his real age.
Whatever happened to her, happened to him as well. Not that she would complain, she hated it when she saw her brother much younger than she was, and would have been weird to have him as an adult while she was just a teenager, when their age difference was just of two years.
She looked at his hair, messy like always. She tried fixing the curls but nothing could be done. She couldn't wait to see his light eyes and bright smile. People always said he got both from their mom, making her jealous of him. She once got all her mother's make up and put it all on her face, to pretend she looked like her mother too, gaining only chuckles from both her parents.
"You may not look like mommy, but you're just as beautiful," Said her father once, "and don't tell her this— you might even grow beautiful-ler."
Memories flooded back in her mind and she swished them aside when she heard new footsteps coming closer. She looked back and noticed Draco.
"Didn't want to startle you..." He started, "I heard you were here—I'm glad to see you're not the one injured this time."
Draco's hair was a bit ruffled up and his pale cheeks were tinted of a soft pink hue. Wendy didn't pay much attention as he still looked more composed than her brother did.
"Yeah," She chuckled slightly.
"Do you know him?" He sat beside her, where before was Hermione.
"He's my brother."
Draco was a bit surprised but he didn't let it move him, "Didn't know you had one."
Wendy wanted to comment how she didn't know she still had one, but she thought it might have sounded weird for a non-time-traveler conversation. She opted to stay silent.
Draco was looking at the stranger, but he was really trying to catch glances at Wendy at the corner of his eye. He tried to be discreet, a bit ashamed of his actions, but he jumped when Wendy spoke.
"His name is Michael—he would have liked you, you know?" She remembered how his brother favourite character were Draco, Luna, and Sirius in that order.
"I doubt that," He said, gaining a surprised look from Wendy.
"Are you, Draco Malfoy, being... insecure?"
The boy chuckled, she couldn't know why her brother wouldn't have liked him, but he decided it was best that way. This wasn't the right time to confess feelings, "He seems like a good person."
Wendy looked kindly at Michael. Eyes still shut and chest still breathing, "yes, he his."
Draco stayed silent and enjoyed his time with Wendy, until Hermione came back with a sandwich made by herself. She refused to ask the busy house elves to do extra work for something she could have easily done herself. Wendy grabbed the sandwich and ate it all in one go, just like Ron would, not having eaten anything the whole day.
"I'll go then," Draco said not giving a look at the girl who shot him a right hook just a few months before that.
Mouthfull, Wendy smiled at the boy and gave him a wave with the sandwich in hand and the boy left with hands in his pockets.
Once he was gone, Hermione took the chair he left empty and got closer to Wendy, "Cedric asked me about you earlier in the Great Hall," Wendy just looked at Hermione with her mouth full, "he seems to care a lot about you—he asked me if you would think of him if he were to participate at the tournament."
Wendy nearly chocked on her bite, but regained composure thanks to Hermione patting her back, "why would he want to participate in that horror of a tournament?!"
"It's a honourable tournament for the Wizarding people, it will bring him glory and fortune!" She said before adding, "not to mention catch the eye of the girl he wants to impress."
"Cho Chang."
Hermione's eyebrow shot way up, "the... Ravenclaw girl?"
Wendy nodded, "yup, those two really have it for each other."
Hermione nodded slightly, not sure if she could agree. But she didn't know the details of their relationship, Cedric could be spending so much time with Wendy and asking for what she could think of his decision as a favour to help him out with Cho Chang.
"He already put his name in, just earlier actually."
Wendy shot her a look. She didn't even have time to convince him not to. She had no other choice, she had to stop Barty Crouch Jr. from putting Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire. This may change the book a bit, but it was for the safety of everyone she knew.
"Wendy..."
Wendy looked over at the bed, Michael's eyes were still shut but they were moving. His face in grimace, hopefully not from the pain. Wendy grabbed her brother's hand and moved closer to the bed.
"Michael, I'm here!"
Hermione stood up and called for Madam Pomfrey who was quickly by their side. Hermione ran out to call for Harry and Ron who, she was sure, were in the Great Hall eating. Wendy was there with Madam Pomfrey and Michael, the two women hoping he would finally wake up. Wendy tightened her grip on his hand, but careful enough not to hurt him.
"Michael, please."
His eyes opened.
Notes
I thought it would be nice to have someone familiar for Wendy to have around, and also I feel like he'll turn out to be an important piece in the story shjciyshciuhcsyib we shall see