(~~)
Next in Line
Chapter 4 - After the Banquet
With all my might, I waged a battle against my enemy.
I won. A temporary victory, but it was a victory nonetheless.
My enemy was Sleep.
The generous banquet at the Great Hall had left me so full I wondered if I would ever get hungry again. Maybe not in the next few days anyway. The long tables were filled with all sorts of mouth-watering food imaginable. Even if I was never hungry at home (Mum always made sure of that), the sight of so much food made me want to try it all. The golden plates and goblets before us were refilled as soon as they were empty. I was immediately reminded of the enchanted feasts in the fairytales I loved to read and was delighted that those magical things were not so impossible after all.
And so this feeling of fullness, added to the traumatic experience on the train as well as the stress of the sorting ceremony, left me craving for the comforts of a warm, soft bed.
Unfortunately, I had to stay awake because we were in the middle of an investigation.
After dinner, Rose, Al, Scorpius, and I were escorted into a room off the Great Hall where my three friends' parents and a team of Aurors were waiting for us.
Al and Rose's fathers, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, were Aurors themselves (Harry was the head of the Aurors). They, together with three others, had investigated the strange incident on the Hogwarts Express. They interviewed James, Vicky, and the prefects then sent them to bed. The four of us were next. Then Harry and Ron's three companions, Toole, Marlowe, and Goate spoke with the headmaster and the heads of our respective houses in the adjoining room.
The parents had a few words with their children. Mine weren't present because Muggles weren't supposed to know about magical incidents. Besides, I wouldn't want to worry them needlessly anyway. After all, I came out of the experience uninjured.
The family sitting closest to me was Rose's. I heard Rose say in a tiny voice, "Will you really disown me now that I'm in Ravenclaw?"
"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I'm still thinking about it," Ron said at the same time.
A few feet away, Harry and Ginny Potter were conversing quietly with Al.
At the far corner of the room, the Malfoys sat apart from the rest of us. Asteria was hugging Scorpius as she cried silently while Draco was looking at them with a pained expression. After a while he looked up and his eyes met Harry's.
"Thank you, all of you," Draco said thickly. "If not for your children, my only son would have…" he did not continue. Instead, he murmured, "You have raised your children well."
Harry nodded. "A fine son you got there, Draco. We will do our best to find out who tried to hurt him."
At that moment, the teachers and the agents entered the door. The headmaster and the heads of the houses looked at us admiringly. "Albus Potter…" the head of Gryffindor, called out approvingly. "… You are truly your father's son. The bravery and selflessness you showed reminds me so much of Harry." He winked at Harry.
"And you, Rose," the head of Ravenclaw, said. "You astound me! A first-year who could already master spells that even older students have trouble learning! And classes haven't even started yet! Your quick wit in time of danger is the mark of a true Ravenclaw!"
"That's our Rosie." Ron beamed, apparently not minding anymore that his daughter was in Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor.
"Camelia," The head of Hufflepuff called out. I turned to her and saw the gleam in her eye. "The nurse who examined Scorpius said that he was perfectly fine, without the injuries he should have sustained in that fire. Young Albus here tells me that it was you who cured Scorpius after you both pulled him out of the room."
I had forgotten about that during the excitement of the evening. My thoughts returned to the fire. Indeed, I remembered taking out my wand without really intending to, touching Scorpius with it…
"Um…" I murmured, trying to recall more. Did I really cure him? I honestly didn't know any spell, unlike Rose. So how could I have cured him? Was it really possible?
"Let me see your wand, young lady," she said, holding out her hand. I pulled out a seven-inch white stick out of the sleeve of my school robe, feeling a warmth pulse through it before I set it on her palm. She held it up to the light of the chandelier. "Ahh… made from Birch. Am I correct?"
I nodded, remembering the explanation of the man from the wand shop.
"A weak wand, then," commented Goate, a thin, balding man with glasses.
"On the contrary…" the professor gave him an admonishing look. "… Birch is one of the finest woods for wand making. It may not be as hardy as Dogwood, but it is known to create a strong Patronus… and of course it is very good in healing." At her last statement, she winked at me. "And the core, child?"
"A strand of unicorn hair and a piece of fairy wing," I replied softly.
"Hmm… Unicorns. Also known for their healing powers." She gave me back my wand. "The strong powers of this wand, combined with its owner's innate abilities, can cure even maladies caused by Dark Magic."
"Dark Magic? But I thought it was just an ordinary fire…" Asteria said softly.
"We have reason to believe that the fire might have been created by someone familiar with the Dark Arts," Toole spoke. He was a heavyset man with a pink face. He shook his head at the gasps that filled the room at his revelation.
"When we surveyed the scene of the fire, we found the Dark Mark burned through the floor," added Marlowe, an attractive man with chestnut hair.
"But surely, dear," Hermione began, "The Dark Lord's been dead for years, his followers imprisoned or defected."
"Not everyone, I'm afraid," Ron answered her. "Some of the Death Eaters were not accounted for. It's possible that they're dead, or—"
"They went into hiding," Draco finished. "Father told me that some of the Death Eaters may have escaped the Ministry's clutches in the chaos of battle."
"So it is possible that whoever did this is a Death Eater who longs for revenge," Ginny observed.
Harry nodded. "We're considering that theory. Mind you, we're looking at all possible scenarios." He got up and nodded to the head teacher. "You will tell us if something comes up, will you?"
"Of course." He breathed shakily, obviously shaken by the Aurors' news.
"Hogwarts is virtually impenetrable, but just as a precaution… We shall send Aurors to double the security," Harry announced. "In the meantime, we will continue searching for the intruder's trail. He couldn't have gone far."
"All right then, we'll be going. It is very late, and you need your rest. First day of school and all," Ron said as he and Hermione hugged their daughter. The other parents said their goodbyes as well.
"Draco, Asteria." The head of Slytherin house sighed heavily. "I don't need to say this but… Hogwarts is the safest place for your son. Don't worry too much, alright?"
With a nod, Draco left the room, followed by his reluctant wife, the three Aurors, the Weasleys, and the Potters. Ron could be heard saying, "What's gotten into you, Harry? 'A fine son you got there, Draco'? That boy's Draco's through and through, mark my words."
"Oh shut up Ron," Hermione reproached.
Harry shook his head. "Scorpius may greatly resemble his father physically, but I have seen a kindness and strength on his face that was not on Draco's when he was the same age." He gave the four of us a last look before disappearing into the next room. He was gone, but his words remained with us long after. "Perhaps, Ron, in the end, it is our children who will redeem us."
(~~)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling does.
Thanks so much to my beta, TurnThePaige, for the helpful suggestions and wonderful critique.
Information about Cammy's wand was taken from the site "Wizarding Realm: Your Character's Wand: Wood and Core Properties" by Jaclyn 'Jax' Sanders found at [link]
Have you seen 
's "Say"? (Granting that Scorpius looks a lot like his Dad) I'm falling in love with Scorpius all over again! 
Whew! Glad that’s done! Anyways, I’ve got this big project at work, so I guess I won’t be seeing you guys for a long time… Until then… Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!
No comments:
Post a Comment