1. Clara
Author’s Note/Table of Contents
For the first time since I was a first year, I felt scared stepping into Hogwarts.
September 1 should have been a day for every student to look forward to. After all, the prospect of learning more magic and catching up with friends in a hallowed castle that lived up to its reputation was exciting for any normal student. But I was not like most others; I was not a normal student at all. I was anything but normal, and it was no thanks to her.
As my sister and I disembarked from the Hogwarts Express together, both of us in our Hogwarts robes, I couldn't help but feel a little lightheaded to see the number of students chatting excitedly among themselves. It was almost as if none of the curses they've encountered had affected them in any way. I suppose that was understandable, since they all knew that eventually the curse-breakers would do something about the travesties that befell upon them. Still, they had no idea just what every hero had to endure. I didn't even feel heroic just by breaking curses so that Hogwarts could resume its normalcy.
At least it still seemed normal enough for my sister to be able to attend school at peace and ease.
"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!"
My ears perked up the minute I heard Hagrid's voice beckoning all the newcomers to the school towards the boats, and I grinned as I lead my sister along. She looked a little intimidated at the thought of leaving my side, even briefly, but she nodded bravely as she went with me to meet with my giant friend.
"Clara! Yeh doin' alrigh'?" he asked me the moment I approached him.
"Yeah. As well as I can be," I answered him with a forced smile. "This is my sister, by the way. Her name's Emily, but most people call her Em."
Hagrid nodded and beamed at her. "Well, when yeh got a sister like her, yeh'll do great things here!" he reassured her with a clap on the shoulder that almost knocked her over. "I'll take yeh to the boats, alrigh'? Yeh can meet the other firs' years there, an’ I'll take yeh to Hogwarts. Yeh'll see yer sister in the Great Hall."
Little Em nodded, but not before giving me a hug. "Take care, Clara."
"See you inside, Em."
As Hagrid ushered little Em away, I followed the rest of the crowd towards the carriages pulled by invisible beings. Or at least, at the time I thought they were invisible. What was pulling the carriages, anyway? It had to be something mysterious. I shook my head as I got into the first carriage I saw that wasn't completely occupied--and a moment later, a familiar magizoologist-in-the-making climbed in after me.
"Liz!" I greeted her with a grin. "Hey!"
Liz turned to me and smiled back serenely. "Hey, Clara. Thanks for your letters--they're a joy to read."
"Indeed! It's always a joy for me to keep regular correspondence with my friends. I'm just glad you had a good summer, Liz," I responded with a nod.
"Regular correspondence, huh? What about with me?" an all-too-familiar voice piped up, a huge grin on his face as he took a seat beside me.
"I wouldn't forget about you, Barnaby." I grinned back at him and kissed him on the cheek. "Not after our first date. I guess we have been writing...quite often."
Eventually, another familiar student made an appearance--Jae.
"Hey, detention buddy," he greeted me with a nod as well, taking a seat beside Liz. "Or should I say, no-longer-in-detention buddy?"
"Jae. Fancy seeing you here," I said, trying hard to keep a straight face, though I couldn't help but smile. Jae was very good company when I was spending quite a bit of my fifth year at Hogwarts in detention, working in the kitchens alongside the house elves. He was just as involved in the curse-breaking plan as I was back then.
"Likewise. I suppose you got it better than I, though. Pitts would be very happy to see me," Jae simply said with a grin.
"Oh, I doubt it. Unless you can make better sandwiches for us," I teased back with a laugh. "At least then Pitts would give you a good raise."
The four of us laughed a little, Barnaby's hand gently brushing mine as the carriage lurched forward and took us to the school. There was little I could do to stop the rush of heat blossoming in my face as I remembered our first date together. Though word about me having a crush made me feel so self-conscious, I decided to rub it in everyone's faces--even if things didn't exactly go as planned. And to think that he felt the same about me...well, if that wasn't a good start to our once-upon-a-time, what was?
Soon, we were greeted by the massive castle looming over us, the glow of the torch lights from within visible through their postage stamp windows. Most others would probably murmur in excitement or awe, but I felt none of those things within me. Instead, a lump of fear formed at my throat, nausea rising within me like hot lava prepared to spew out of a volcano. For so long, I was able to push the feeling of unease down because none of my questions had been answered. I had the curiosity hanging, but they were easily masked. Now that my curiosity has been satisfied, they left me with sleepless nights, tired eyes, and no way to hide my true emotions. I just didn't expect my questions to be answered that way.
I'd prefer remaining curious instead of knowing what it meant to live a nightmare.
Everyone eventually headed into the Great Hall, Barnaby's hand eventually brushing mine again but this time holding on to it, his calloused tough hand warm against my suddenly ice-cold one. It was all I could do to not slip away as I squeezed it once, interlocking my fingers with his under hopefully no watchful eye. No, wait, there was one. Percy Weasley walked by and noticed the two of us holding hands, giving no reaction whatsoever.
We all eventually parted ways, heading towards our respective house tables. As I started to make my way to the Gryffindor table, eager to meet up with Rowan, my eyes soon honed in on Tonks and Charlie waving me over at the front. I quickly joined them with a wave of my own, and Tonks did a little victory fist pump.
"Wotcher, Clara!" she greeted me. "Blimey, am I glad to see you!"
Charlie beamed at me as well. "Me too. Especially after how you 'disappeared' from Bill's party before graduation!"
"We didn't have a chance to ask you about it before everyone left for the summer holidays," Tonks piped in.
I chuckled and smiled at the two of them. "I'm very glad to see you both, too. But I can't tell you anything about my disappearance. I've been sworn to secrecy."
The same words I told Rowan last year before the summer holidays left my lips almost automatically. If this information was passed to the wrong hands, I would never forgive myself. Not that they would, given how much I trust my friends above anything. But I still had to watch my back for potential backstabbers. I just hoped there wasn't another Rakepick in the mix of all the kind faces.
"You do know who that was who crashed the party, though? Alastor Moody?" Tonks prompted.
"Mad-Eye, some people call him. At least, that's what my dad says," Charlie said, and I shrugged.
"He was a hero of the Wizarding War!" Tonks regaled. "He was responsible for sending countless Death Eaters to Azkaban. He's rather a big deal, Clara."
Sounds just like the Auror Tonks would be looking up to. After all, she did want to become an Auror herself when she grew up, and I knew she'd be a great one. "I know that now. I see you're a huge fan of his, Tonks," I laughed.
"Hey! Anyone who's ever thought of becoming an Auror would be a fan of Mad-Eye Moody!" Tonks exclaimed with a huge grin on her face.
Just then, Rowan came over, waving to the few of us as well. "Hi! How were everyone's summer holidays?"
I had never been more relieved to see Rowan. She's been with me since the very beginning, before I stepped foot in Hogwarts. Now I was more than honoured to call her my closest friend at school. After all, she helped me pull through with my studies while I was otherwise breaking curses at the school.
"Not bad, actually. I spent my summer doing a lot of reading about--"
"Ooh, me too!" Rowan exclaimed, cutting Charlie off. I almost laughed; reading was one thing Rowan loved to do back home on her family tree farm.
"I was going to say I read a lot about the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary," Charlie recovered slowly.
Now the grin slipped off from Rowan's face. "Oh. I...read about other stuff."
"I'm just happy to be back at Hogwarts with minimal bumps and bruises," Tonks chipped in with a light shrug.
"Bumps and bruises?" I asked. "What were you up to, Tonks?"
"Nothing exciting. But you know me. I get banged up just dismounting my broom," Tonks responded.
That was pretty fair. Clumsiness was one of Tonks' weaknesses, and I hoped it wouldn't completely hinder her chances at becoming an Auror.
"What about you, Clara?" Rowan asked, turning to me. "I mean, I got your letters. You did have a rough end of the school year, too. What was on your mind?"
While Rowan and I did have regular correspondence over the summer along with the rest of my friends, I could only tell her everything happening to me on the surface. I was scared of information falling into the wrong hands--especially after what Mad-Eye Moody told me last year that made me worried out of my mind. Still, she did ask me a fair question. My mind wandered to my sister, who I know would be standing outside the Great Hall right now while Professor McGonagall attended to other matters before the Sorting.
Little Em, who I held so dear with my life--just as much as I did my friends and family. Perhaps she and I weren't as close as Jacob and I, but she was a part of my family, after all. I felt obligated to keep her safe from all the dangers around us--especially her.
Her. She was all I could think of over the summer. How she lead me on, made me trust her before betraying me by saying she betrayed my brother first. Using me for her gain was just...low. And using my friends like petty useless trinkets--I couldn't fathom the limits anger could reach.
"I thought mostly of Rakepick," I confessed.
The mere mention of her name made the atmosphere more tense.
"I couldn't stop thinking about what she did, not just to me, but my brother before me, and now my friends," I said in a quiet voice, so that no one but the three heard me. "How she lead us all on, convincing us that she was helping us when she only wanted us for her operation. To spy on us for our adversaries. And now that we're back, I can't help but think about what she'll do next, and what I could do to stop her. After all, we are one Cursed Vault away from ultimate peace at Hogwarts. Whatever's in the last Vault must be powerful, and it cannot fall into the wrong hands."
Rowan's jaw became very set the moment she heard this. "Indeed. Rakepick's hands would definitely be the wrong hands. So what would you do about this? After all, you did mention that everything will change--not to mention, you were so busy curse breaking last year, we didn't have much of a chance to bond."
"I guess time will tell."
I couldn't say more.
Next moment, the first years were filing in, Professor McGonagall leading the way as she carried the Sorting Hat and stool to the front, and I caught a glimpse of my sister mixed with the rest as I took my seat beside Rowan at the Gryffindor table. Little Em didn't look so little among the first years, but she was still little to me, and probably most vulnerable if Rakepick somehow knew about her.
If something happened to her, I would never forgive myself.
I clenched my fist under the table as I watched the Sorting unfold, hoping and praying that whatever house little Em gets Sorted into, she would be safe and protected.
