alr, this is a last minute attempt to still try and hit all of the prompt’s in the amazing @usernoneexistent’s summer challenge. also, i can always use some merula love on this blog. are some of these cop outs? yes. yes they are.
It was official. Merula Snyde hated children.
She trudged through her rather large house towards her bedroom, socks soggy and leaving puddles everywhere she stepped, but she was too angry to take better care of her floor. Merula knew she wasn’t the best babysitter and she supposed the kids hated her as much as she was hating this job right now. This wasn’t the first prank that had been pulled, but it was the prank that had finally pushed her buttons too hard.
The first real incident had happened the morning after her old friend Marty Raymond’s twin six-year-olds had been dropped off. Merula had awoken to find herself on a beach, of all places. After hearing some giggles and groggily turning around to a gleeful little boy and a timid but amused little girl she had realized that she was outside by the pond on her lot, which had been decorated with towels, umbrellas, and gallons upon gallons of sand.
“We wanted to make you think you traveled to the beach,” Maeve, the little girl, had admitted, eyes darting from the floor to Merula and then back again.
“Where did you gremlins even get all of this shi-, um, stuff from?” complained Merula, who was thinking that it was much too early to deal with this.
Josh, the mischievous little devil, had proudly declared, “Aunt Tulip made it for us the last time we saw her, and then she put it in this bag that she used magic on.”
“Of course she did,” Merula groaned. “Well, you should have known that messing with a beast on a beach will only make a sea monster!”
And with those words Merula had scooped up both kids and thrown them into the pond. She felt a little guilty as they shrieked through the air, but she knew that the pond was deep enough for them to be safe being thrown and that they were both strong swimmers for their age.
Merula pulled herself from that memory, continuing her journey to her room to change out of her dripping clothes. Perhaps the beach mishap had been the reason for today’s prank, when Merula had simply opened the door to her kitchen, only to find the biggest water balloon ever made to fall on her. She didn’t even know where in the house the twins were right now, as they had left the living room they were playing in while Merula had been walking towards the kitchen moments ago. They must have been hiding, afraid of getting into trouble. It was one of the few times Merula had had a little peace and quiet from them since they’d arrived, but she was fuming too much right now to appreciate it.
That morning Merula had concocted a scheme of her own to get a little distance from the kids. She was definitely tiring of how needy kids could be— always wanting to play with you, or talk to you, or refuse to allow you time to yourself. So Merula had instructed them to change into their swimsuits, while Merula took a watermelon and thoroughly coated it in cooking spray. She had sent the melon into the pond, where it floated, and told the kids that the first to bring it to her would win. She imagined they must have been pretty pissed at her when they had discovered how slippery the watermelon was, but it had bought her a few minutes of peace, even if it hadn’t been quiet.
Now, Merula was paying the price of being a mean babysitter. She stood outside her room, soaked head to toe, wishing the day could just be over and Marty would come reclaim them already. Taking a deep breath, she swung the door open and…
“SURPRISE!”
Merula nearly had a heart attack as two little bodies crashed into her. It took a moment for her to realize that this was a group hug, despite how cold and wet Merula was.
Merula was too stunned to speak as the grinning twins backed away and each held out an object to her.
“What is this?” Merula demanded, no longer mad but still determined to get some answers.
“We love staying with you, and we made you presents, and we used a water balloon to make you come back to your room to surprise you!” Josh exclaimed happily.
“Yeah,” Maeve said, smiling but blushing deeply. “You’re the best godmother ever!”
“Aunt Tulip’s a pretty great godmother too,” Josh muttered, but Merula only faked an eye roll at the comment.
“But why the fu-, um, why not just surprise me when I saw you on my way to the kitchen?” asked Merula.
“Oh,” Josh said, frowning. “I guess I didn’t think of that. Here, I made a necklace with some string and some seashells because we had fun playing sea-monster at the not-real beach.”
“And I painted a watermelon on this hat, because you come up with the best games,” Maeve added.
Merula took both of the objects. Neither were of great quality, they had been made by six-year-olds afterall, but Merula loved them anyway. Funny, she had never been one to be sentimental like that.
“Thank you both so much,” Merula said, and she really meant it. “How about we spend your last night here going out for ice cream and watching the sunset together?”
Josh and Maeve were overjoyed, and rushed out of the room. Alright, so Merula didn’t hate all children after all.
In short, she’s Helena’s adoptive daughter. Also, believe it or not, but she’s not named after Rakepick – at least not primarily… Now, more information under the cut.
After the war, Helena quitted her job at Gringotts and moved in with Charlie in Romania. She was helping him with his studies on dragons etc. for quite some time. However, she eventually started missing curse-breaking, so every now and then, she’d leave in search of some freelance jobs.
She loved to visit small Muggle villages in particular because it was always super interesting to learn about the stories denizens created around certain cursed objects, like cursed monuments, wells with cursed water, hunted houses and whatnot. Depending on a specific situation, Helena would claim that she’s a psychic, a paranormal expert or something like that.
She might’ve gotten in some trouble with the Ministry and their Obliviators because of that. She’d argue there’s no need to Obliviate her curse-breaking interventions if Muggles can incorporate it into their own lore.
One time, in a pub somewhere in Scotland, while looking for any story which would catch her attention, Helena heard a woman complaining about her charge. It didn’t take long to realise that a little girl was in fact a witch who started expressing her magical powers.
It turned out that the girl was found in the house destroyed by the fire, all alone and crying. Nobody really knew a young couple who lived there because they’d moved in recently. There were no bodies or documents. Helena concluded that the parents had to be killed by Death Eaters as the story fit the timeframe of the war.
The woman who found the girl, Mary Smith, was trying to find her relatives, but she was unsuccessful, so she eventually took her to join her family. She called the girl “Jane”.
It happened that Mary had six of her own children. On top of that, the Smiths weren’t the wealthiest family. That being said, even though Jane wasn’t problematic at all, having the seventh child to provide for became a little hard. The fact that Jane was suddenly showing some weird behaviour didn’t help at all as the Smiths were a bit superstitious. As a result, Mary started considering giving Jane up for adoption.
Helena could see that Mary struggles, but she didn’t want Jane to end up in Muggle orphanage either, so she lied that her friends were trying for adoption, so she could take care of all formalities. Mary was happy to hear that Jane might find a good home, so she didn’t really look deeper into it.
Charlie was pretty surprised when Helena returned one day with about a 2 or 3 years old child, but he was actually very supportive the whole time.
Helena was certain that finding a loving wizarding family after the war shouldn’t be difficult. She even personally knew a person working at the wizarding orphanage. Unfortunately, it turned out that reality is not that easy, and Jane would probably still spend an unknown amount of time in the orphanage.
A wizarding orphanage sounded just a little better than a Muggle one, so Helena made a spontaneous decision to adopt the girl herself.
Since Jane had no documents when she was found and Mary never found out more about her family, the girl was kind of a blank page to fill. She was in good health; she wasn’t anxious or anything – she was mainly eager for attention. Helena also noticed that she didn’t really react to “Jane” more than “girl” or any term of endearment. Therefore, Helena decided to change her name entirely.
Now, why “Patricia Ruby”? When I was looking for Helena’s middle name, I wanted a name connected to royalty – since her grandmother is Queenie (a queen) and her mother is Alice (noble). I thought that it’d be nice if that semi-tradition for female members of the family would be shown at least with Helena’s middle name. Admittedly, I settled for “Sarah” (a princess), but that’s actually when I discovered that “Patricia” also means noble. So, that’s why returned to it with Helena’s thought process when naming her daughter! And y’know, the fact that it’s Rakepick’s name as well is not the worst coincidence, since she saved both Helena’s and Jacob’s lives on a couple of occasions… And Ruby? Honestly, I got this idea to honour Hagrid.
BECAUSE WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, HARRY, YOU DIDN’T NAME ANY OF YOUR CHILDREN AFTER YOUR VERY FIRST FRIEND IN THE WIZARDING WORLD?
And then, I got really attached to this name - and so it stayed.
Anyway, she’s called “Patsy” by most people, except for Jacob and Rakepick who use her middle name instead. She’s also “pumpkin” for Helena and Jacob, and “little beastie” for Rakepick.
Speaking of names, Patsy calls Helena “Ellie” – like the rest of the family. However, while talking about Helena, she calls her “Mum”. For example, I have to ask Mum, or Mum wanted us to do this and this. Helena didn’t teach her that because, for a long time, she didn’t feel like a mother, but Patsy started doing it spontaneously anyway.
Patsy is – and was from the beginning – a sweet child. A bit wild, curious, and making everyone love her. She adores spending time outdoors, especially when it involves looking for dragons with uncle Charlie as Helena stayed with her in Romania for a couple of years. That being said, a good story can successfully keep her in one place for quite some time, too.
The older she was, the bolder she got – which is not bad, but it might be a bit dangerous when you live in the Dragon Sanctuary. Helena also started worrying if they’re not too much of a trouble for Charlie. Of course, Charlie insisted that he loves having them both around, but the problem eventually solved itself (kind of) when Helena decided to go back to London to take over her grandparents’ bakery.
Luckily, it’s the wizarding world we’re talking about, so they still visit Romania quite frequently.
As much as Patsy loves uncle Charlie, uncle J has to be her favourite person. And let me tell you, Jacob is terrible with Patsy. He spoils her unashamedly, and she’s the apple of his eye. Helena sometimes thinks that he’s trying to compensate for the time he couldn’t spend with her. Also, Patsy is the reason why he finally successfully quits smoking.
Rakepick is not much better, to be honest. She’s basically the softest version of herself with Patsy. She’s surprisingly good at calming the girl, too.
As for Helena, she usually tries to be a bit stricter voice of reason, but at the end of the day, she’s a laid-back mum. Maybe a little overprotective... But even though Patsy seemingly makes everything more chaotic, she also brings peace to Helena’s life.
I mentioned once that Helena’s Patronus might change in the future, and I think that it’s a good moment to mention that – because it’d actually change into a Unicorn. One of the reasons for that is because horses are associated with independence. I think of Helena as a pretty independent person in general, but I imagine she’d really embrace it in the future. But the second reason is that a unicorn is Scotland’s animal – and Patsy is from Scotland after all!
Patsy’s connection to Scotland is one of few known things as her past remains hard to track. Still, her new family tries to preserve at least this, so they often visit Scotland, teach Patsy about Scottish culture, and I can see Jacob wearing a kilt on special occasions.
Also, one of the reasons Helena gets together with Jae eventually is actually Patsy because those two get along really well.
I’m still figuring out the exact timeline, but I’d say Patsy was found by Mary Smith when she was about 6 months old, and Helena adopted her in 2000.
I’m purposefully omitting her appearance because I’d like to draw her someday, and I want it to be a surprise 😄
Here’s part 2 of a 2-part fic that I wrote that commemorates Clara’s Hogwarts friends/peers lost to battle against the forces of evil. I hope everyone’s enjoyed it so far.
The backyard wasn’t really much to look at at first glance. It was just an open grassy field, almost as big as the Quidditch pitch, with a few Wiggentrees sprouting by the border to accommodate the Bowtruckles that live there. Over the last few days, though, Barnaby had set up a couple of comfortable tents for the guests, courtesy of Hagrid who lent them for this occasion--and in the centre of the ring of tents was a huge bonfire pit with a stone border around it. A little ways away stood a table where large sky lanterns around the size of Hagrid’s pumpkins were sitting on, as well as the refreshments that a few were kind enough to move from inside. Indeed, as the two sisters arrived everyone else was milling around waiting for them--the sun had almost fully set by now, and the first stars were just beginning to twinkle in the dark periwinkle sky.
“Everything alright?” Charlie asked Clara then. “Nothing serious?”
Clara nodded. “Yeah. Everything’s fine--I just remembered, I had to wear this dagger for this important ceremony. It was custom in the Chinese Wizarding Task Force to wear this as part of our uniform, but also to wear to honour the fallen.”
“Cool,” Ismelda remarked quietly, a wicked smile growing over her face. Somehow it seemed like her love for blades never went away.
“I think we should start lighting up the bonfire at least. Hopefully no one asks too many questions about it,” Clara said. “And then we’ll get to the lanterns.”
Everyone nodded and spread out around the fire pit in a large ring, pulling out their wands and pointing them at the pile of wood in front of them. “Incendio!”
The moment the flames caught the wood and rose to the sky, the moment the lanterns were lit, Clara looked around at everyone present before staring at the lantern in her hands, the bright orange flames pulsing through the thin white paper. Soon, the sky would be lit with more than just stars tonight. Where joy was once spread through the Great Hall as students old and new dined upon the fine feasts prepared by the Hogwarts house elves, there was now the hint of solemnity not often present on the day of fresh starts.
“Wait, Clara! Don’t start without us!”
Clara’s head snapped at the sound of her brother’s voice, and she stared in awe as Jacob came running towards the group, two women she almost didn’t recognize trailing behind him. One of them had her brown hair tied up messily in a bun, her navy blue robes swishing as she ran. The other had a bright green scrunchie wrapped tightly in her long brown hair, her face marked with a light layer of soot and her t-shirt ripped from what could only be a set of claws.
Her heart leapt at the sight. At least Jacob was here tonight--and he would stay for much longer than just a few moments.
“Jacob!” she called, waving them over. “And…”
“Aurelie and Alanza,” Jacob explained, gesturing to the two women. “They showed up at the door just as I came by. Probably came by Portkey, not sure--but they said they knew you and wanted to join you in tonight’s ritual, so I agreed.”
“Of course they’re welcome,” Clara said, a small smile on her face as she recalled fond memories with the two girls back at Hogwarts. Aurelie was Penny’s pen-friend from Beauxbatons, and she came by Hogwarts at one point to visit and search for an invaluable alchemy artefact. Alanza was an exchange student from Castelobruxo who came to Hogwarts shortly after Rowan’s untimely death, and she helped her get back on her feet again in the time she was there with her sunny disposition and cheerful outlook on life. “It’s good to see you both again.”
“Oui, it has been so long!” Aurelie agreed, stepping forward to give Clara a hug. “I trust that you have been well?”
“As well as I have been,” Clara responded with a nod. “We all definitely need to catch up some time.”
“Were you really in China for a while?” Alanza asked. “How was it?”
Clara only chuckled a bit at Alanza’s question--after all, she once said as an exchange student she came to Hogwarts looking for adventure. “It was...quite interesting, to say the least. I got to see more of China in my task force days, so that counts for something.”
“We can join the circle, can we?” Aurelie asked then.
The circle. How strange it was to think back on the last time the circle was so important. Clara nodded and swallowed at a lump in her throat, forcing herself to retain the smile on her face. “Of course. You can grab one of the lanterns there--we have a few extra.”
The two women nodded as they went over to Badeea holding up two more lanterns already decorated and lit.
Jacob smiled as well at his little sister, holding up an all-too-familiar scarf in his hands. “I brought this from home, just in case.”
It was Rowan’s scarf--the same scarf Clara suggested she’d buy at Diagon Alley the very first time they met. She found it in the school courtyard one night while mourning for Rowan on her path to becoming Head Girl, and she protected it with her life ever since. She reached out to take it, feeling the fraying wool between her fingers, and wound the stripes of white, red, orange, pink, yellow, and green around her shoulders.
“Thanks, Jacob.” Clara gave her brother a nod, and Jacob nodded solemnly as he picked up another lantern from the table, then took his place between little Em and Bill in the circle.
Eventually, everyone took their places in the circle around the bonfire, and Clara cleared her throat.
“Thanks for coming, everyone.”
Clara glanced around at the group of friends gathered before her, each of them looking expectantly at her. The memory of another time, a smaller circle of friends, struck her with the force of a bomb once again, and she clenched her fists tightly at her sides in hope that she wouldn’t cry. No, she couldn’t cry. Ben and Merula were no longer here to back her up.
“I know it’s a bit weird to call you all here only two days before the wedding,” Clara commenced in a strained voice. “And I have a very good reason for leaving the wedding off for so long at all--but that’s not what I want to talk about. Do you remember what September 1 used to mean to us?”
“The day we board the Hogwarts Express to go to Hogwarts?” George recalled fondly, glancing over at Charlie and Bill who nodded encouragingly.
“Exactly. It marked the start of a new school year…” Clara confirmed, taking a shaky breath. “The end of the summer holidays used to mean another chapter in the making--for all of us developing our individual talents, sharpening our magical skills, strengthening friendships and relationships...and, for me, unearthing the secrets of ‘R’ and the Cursed Vaults.”
She caught sight of Murphy and Orion sharing an uneasy glance before turning their heads back to her. Murphy had just opened his mouth to say something when Skye shot him a glare, and he closed his mouth respectfully.
“Over the years, we lost some friends near and dear to us,” Clara continued. “Rowan Khanna died a hero in the face of the unforgivable. Cedric Diggory was killed defying the Dark Lord alongside Harry Potter in the Triwizard Tournament. Dobby sacrificed his life defying his masters to save Harry. He died a free elf.”
Bill and Fleur nodded grimly at that, Fleur clutching tightly onto her handkerchief while Bill put a comforting arm around her. Even Aurelie and Alanza clasped hands at the news--clearly, they had missed out more than they dared to hope.
“And there were more casualties in the Battle of Hogwarts that I know we wouldn’t forget any time soon,” she went on. “Ben Copper. Nymphadora Tonks. Talbott Winger. Merula Snyde. Fred Weasley. Remus Lupin. They fought for the greater good of the wizarding world.”
The grip on her lantern wavered as she struggled not to cry. Tears were already burning in her eyes, blurring the figures of her friends and loved ones in front of her--she blinked them away and shook her head.
“Today, on September 1, 1998, let us not forget the sacrifices they made,” she proclaimed then. “On the day that we feast like kings and laugh like knights, we must also remember the heroes that made this possible for us. We now live in peace because of what they’ve done for us. We’re here today because of all they’ve given many yesterdays ago. Let this day be a new chapter for all of us, not only to live our best lives, but to honour those who made it possible.”
Somewhere up in the clear summer night, she could see the stars twinkle and gleam with the bright souls of her fallen friends. Perhaps Barnaby was right--given the right visionary scope, they would be looking down upon everyone just like angels in heaven. Each wink a laugh, each glimmer a smile. She smiled up into the vast deep blue above, feeling the pressure upon her hands and heart lift skyward, and for a moment she felt as if she was airborne.
“Preach!” Andre cheered from the other side of the bonfire, followed by a loud huzzah from everyone else around him. The shout eventually brought Clara down to earth, and she looked at Barnaby who nodded at her.
“Let us now lift our lanterns to the sky,” Clara finally told everyone. “Our gift to the souls who watch over us every day.”
Slowly, everyone raised their lanterns, releasing them into the air with a little push at the tips of their fingers. With their pulsating flames flashing brilliant orange light within their white wrapping, they looked like tiny hearts beating with life, dancing among the stars in the night. As they lifted their heads, gazing up at the lanterns now, Clara could only see the smiles of the dead in the sky, laughter echoing in her mind. Her heart swelled at the sight of Rowan’s smile in her memory, and she welcomed the tears burning in her eyes, trickling down her cheeks.
“I’m not one to gush, but...it’s nice,” Ismelda finally remarked with a nod, a subtle peaceful smile on her face.
“It’s beautiful,” little Em agreed, gazing over at Jacob who chuckled and wrapped an arm around her..
“They’re like little beating hearts,” Liz murmured in awe. “New souls granted to the ones who watch over us.”
The higher the lanterns rose, the lighter Clara’s heart felt as the burdens and grief crumbled away, bit by bit, into the dark cavern of oblivion. She glanced around at everyone now--Penny and Beatrice had their arms around each other; Liz, Chiara, and Tulip were all pointing at the stars above in the sky; and Diego, Jae, and Charlie stepped back from the bonfire to admire the view above. Even Murphy and Erika teared up a little at the sight, and Aurelie and Alanza dabbed at the tears in their eyes with spare handkerchiefs Fleur lent them.
“Hey! Let’s not forget a toast to the impending bride and groom!” Bill called out finally, conjuring a fine goblet of mead out of thin air and holding it up to Clara and Barnaby. “To your union!”
Barnaby only chuckled as he took Clara’s hand and spun her around once, pulling her close to him. “So, you think they liked that?”
“Yeah. You’re right, Barnaby,” Clara murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Everyone here liked it--I’m sure they will too.”
As everyone conjured their own glasses of mead and repeated Bill’s toast, Barnaby took out his wand and pointed it to the sky--seconds later, enchanted fireworks popped and dazzled the sky, illuminating the night with colourful sparks. Pulling him close into a hug, Clara revelled now in the comfort of the night, the warmth of his embrace, and how lucky she was to be alive right now--with friends at her side and a heart as light as air.
Time cared not how anyone felt in this very moment. The seconds would tick on and on, but the moment will forever be immortalized in the memory of the living.
For it’s the living who cared how anyone came and left in the world, and it’s the living who would make every moment count.
When I was looking through my art for the year’s summary, I realised that my very first art of 2020 was of Jacob and Rakepick. So, I figured that it’s only fair to also end with them, but of course, I didn’t make it in time. Still, it’s the last art I started in 2020 and the first I worked on and posted in 2021, so… it all works out?
Helena gasped seeing the amount of snow outside and immediately run out to the backyard. Jacob stayed on the porch, watching with a nostalgic smile his sister running, giggling, kicking and throwing the white powder up. She suddenly was eight years old again. But then, she stopped and became more focused as if she was listening for something.
“Did you hear it?” she asked.
“What?”
“I’m pretty sure I heard Mum calling us.”
Admittedly, Jacob was quite absorbed in his thoughts, but not as much to be unaware of his surroundings.
“No, I don’t think so,” he replied casually, slightly frowning his brow.
“I could swear I did,” Helena insisted.
Jacob turned his head in a way of the house, waiting for a moment in silence for any sound to repeat, but there was nothing. “Well, I am closer, so I imagine that I’d be the first to hear anything if--”
As he looked back forward, a snowball splattered on his face.
“Oh, very clever…” he said sarcastically, slowly opening his eyes and whipping cold snow out of his face. “Are you proud of yourself?”
Helena didn’t reply; she was just covering her laugh with her hands. Then, she started running further from the house.
“You don’t have to run away! I’m not gonna chase you!” he reassured her.
Shortly after he shouted that Helena apparently tripped or slipped, she lost her balance and fell her face down into the snow.
“Ha!” Jacob exclaimed with a hint of satisfaction. “See?! Karma returns!” But the girl wasn’t getting up, and when she finally raised her head a little, it appeared from the distance as if she’s sobbing. “Helena?” It took Jacob a split second to become alarmed and jump out of the porch, running to his sister. “Ellie, are you alright? Did you get hurt? Hey…”
After he turned her on her back, he only managed to see her grin before another portion of snow covered his vision again.
“Oh. You little…” Despite the shock, he reacted fast enough to stop her by pulling her by her waist as she was trying to get away. “Oh, no. You’re not going anywhere.”
“No, Jacob! Please!” she shouted, already a little out of breath from laughing and the attempts to free herself. “I’m sorry!”
“Oh, I bet you are.”
“Jacob! Don’t do anything you’d regret!”
“I’m definitely not the one who’s gonna regret it,” he replied calmly with a smirk, gathering some snow in his free hand.
Helena was struggling less and less, but when she felt that Jacob’s reaching to her collar, she started to wriggle like an eel. “No, no, no! I’m sorry, Jacob! Please, I’ll be good!”
When the snow was placed behind her shirt, the air was filled with a shrill sound of her screaming and laughing. Jacob held her tightly, causing the snow to melt faster. Eventually, she calmed down, but then, one more big shiver went through her body.
“So,” Jacob started, looking down at her with a wide smile. “Was it worth it to mess with me?”
“Yes!” she panted and started giggling again.
“Excuse me?!” he said indignantly before pulling her hat on her eyes.
“Hey, you two!” Alice appeared on the porch and this time called them for real. “I swear, if you end up with a cold for Christmas…”
Judging by their flushed faces and their pants already wet from snow, such a scenario was indeed quite probable. But it was fine. It’s all gonna be all right now because they both were home.
I finally succumbed and wrote an AU fanfic where Jacob dies. It focuses on a few moments between the siblings over the years after the Cursed Vaults. And to be fair, death aspect aside, most of it is basically canon for their relationship.
And yes, the title is a reference to the song by Kansas because it does make me think of Jacob.
Words: 5560
Autumn, 1991
When Helena declared that she wanted to stay longer at home after her graduation, her parents seemed to take it as an obvious decision. Physically, she was completely well even before September. She wasn’t going to waste it, so she started helping at the grandparents’ bakery. Mentally, however… She still needed to heal. And they all needed some time together.
Jacob stayed at home as well. He insisted that he wanted to pass his N.E.W.T.s, and with some help from Dumbledore, he managed to get permission to take exams in June next year without going back to school. He was studying a bit, but usually, he was spending his days similar to his sister: trying to find his place. It had to be more difficult for him because of his absence. Some things had changed their place at the house, people had altered some of their customs. He got new habits too. For their mother, it was especially hard to accept his smoking. Nevertheless, they were surviving, learning each other anew. Helena liked in particular when they were catching up on all pop culture Jacob had missed. It felt familiar, almost like childhood. Almost like it could be normal again.
The days weren’t the worst with all their distractions. When the nights fell, though, it meant either sleepless hours or endless nightmares. If Helena woke up with a scream, Jacob would always run into her room, sitting on her bed and cradling her.
“Shhh. It’s okay, you’re safe,” he’d say, stroking her hair. “I’m here, I’m finally here. It’s just a dream…”
But it hardly was just a dream. Usually, it was her memories - and Jacob knew that.
“Will you sing to me?” she asked quietly once when she calmed down.
He chuckled softly. “Aren’t you too old for that?”
“Please?”
He sighed, left without a choice. They both got more comfortable on the bed, although Jacob was probably too tall for that. He cleared his throat, yet his voice was rather raspy when he began. It didn’t occur to her that he probably hadn’t sung in ages. Still, it quickly turned into a sound she remembered from years ago. Only before the last verse, he made a longer pause.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy when skies are grey.
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you.
Please, don’t take my sunshine away.
Spring, 1992
They were sitting at the table, and she was sceptically watching him staring at his books.
“You don’t need it, Jacob.”
He glanced at her before starting to browse pages. “But I want it.”
“Then why you’re just pretending that you’re studying?”
He cracked a smile, already knowing where she’s going with that. “Because I know most of those things.”
“See? Then you don’t need it.” She leant back in her chair. “Admit it, you’re just stalling before moving on.”
“Fine, maybe a little,” he replied, finally looking at her again.
She shook her head and sighed. “Bill should be here any moment now. I’ll go get my things.”
She left the room and went upstairs. She’d packed most of her belonging, but she still wanted to double-check everything. Besides, it’d take her mind off Jacob for a while. She was a little worried about him, but she didn’t want to nudge him. It was always hard to recognise if he was going through something because he was great at redirecting people’s attention, but it wasn’t even about him suppressing his emotions. It seemed like he was trying to get back the stolen time and feared that leaving would make it lost forever. As a result, he was stuck. He was offered a job at Gringotts with Helena, but he refused, making excuses about his exams. She wanted to do more for him, but she was ready for the next step, and she felt that if she wouldn’t take it, she’d got stuck as well.
She gathered her luggage and was about to get back to the living room when she heard Jacob and Bill talking.
“You sure you don’t want anything? Tea, water?”
“No, thanks.”
There was a moment of silence before Jacob spoke again. “You know, I never got a chance to thank you.”
“Hm?”
“For being a brother to her. When I failed--”
“Don’t,” Bill tried to interrupt him.
“No, I mean it. Thank you for taking care of her.” He took a deep breath before continuing, more tentatively. “It’s weird to think that you probably know her better than I ever could...”
Another pause preceded Bill asking: “What was she like as a child?”
“Oh.” Jacob got surprised by that question, but when he started to talk, Helena could almost hear him smiling. “She was like sunshine. Brightening your day and pissing off when she shone straight into your eyes. I suppose you know how it can be with younger siblings.” Bill laughed, and Jacob went on. “She… she was so curious about everything. They say there’s a certain age when kids won’t stop asking questions, but for Helena it was permanent. And she always had to defend everyone. Y’know, when Snape started teaching us, I complained about him back home, and she was like: you can’t say that, you don’t know him.” He modified his tone slightly to imitate her. “Maybe he has problems. You’re sometimes mean when you’re upset, too, but you’re a good person.”
They both chuckled.
“Well, she did change her mind on Snape, I can tell you that,” said Bill. “But other than that, sounds pretty much like Helena I know. Give her some time, Jacob. Give yourself time.”
The silence between them was longer now, so Helena took a few steps back to get some natural speed and pushed the door open. Two wizards were standing opposite each other and got startled when she entered.
“I thought I hear you,” she grinned at Bill. “What are you two plotting here, hm?”
“Oh, nothing at all,” the redhead replied with an innocent expression.
“Just gossiping about you,” Jacob added casually.
She gave them a suspicious stare. “Is that so?” She’d love to tease them, but they had to arrive with Bill at the appointed hour, so she glanced at her watch instead and then at her friend. “All right, I think I’m ready. We can get going.”
“You sure you have everything?” asked Jacob. Their parents said their goodbyes in the morning before leaving to work, so he took the responsibility of sending Helena off. “Mum left you package in the kitchen, did you take it? Do you have sunglasses? The cooler ones? What about sun cream?”
“I have everything,” she stopped his babbling with a hug.
“Be careful there, okay?”
She tightened her embrace in respond, feeling his ribs against her body. He still didn’t put on much weight.
Winter, 1994
Dear Jacob,
What the fuck do you mean you’re not coming? It’s Dad’s sixtieth birthday. SIXTIETH. You have to come. I don’t care what other plans you have - you knew about that day. Tell that pretty girl (or whatever you’re busy with nowadays) that you have responsibilities at home.
Seriously though, I know that you want to be here too, so… Please, try to make it.
Love you always,
- Ellie
“I can’t believe he didn’t come.”
“It’s all right, Ellie,” said Christopher. “I’m sure something just came up. He can visit us at the weekend.”
“Something came up? On your birthday?” Helena spat. “You know, but it’s not even that. He could’ve just let us know, say anything. It’s hard for all of us, but why he shouldn’t be trying too?”
Alice gave her a stern look. “Well, now you’re just picking on him.”
“I’m not! Mum, you got him a job at the Ministry. A good job. And what did he do? He quit--”
“That job was a bad idea from the beginning. You’d probably quit as well.”
“No, I wouldn’t!”
Alice only smiled softly. “You’re really not that different. Believe me, I know.”
The truth was that Helena was picking on Jacob. She indeed had no reasons to be mad at him, other than him not showing up on that specific day. He did quit his job, that part was accurate. But while she was certain that he’s getting in all sorts of troubles ever since, he never caused problems for them. He always appeared when his help was needed, during holidays or not. On top of that, Helena caught him a couple of times hiding money in places like a sugar bowl since their parents wouldn’t simply take it from him. But all of that made the current situation only worse. In the best-case scenario, it meant that he’s not telling her something big enough to stop him without giving any explanation. He could also be hurt, kidnapped, or worse…
“All I’m saying is that he has no excuse. Even if he’s too drunk or high to Apparate, he could’ve used stupid Floo Network or--”
And then, just like on command, the emerald green flames appeared in the fireplace, and Jacob entered the room, appearing quite confused.
“Did I make it?” he asked nobody in particular. He beamed when he looked at the clock. It was half-past eleven. He faced Christopher, spreading his arms wide. “Happy birthday, old chap.”
Over the whole day, the birthday man was trying to act unaffected by Jacob’s absence. Yet, he obviously got happier seeing his son.
“I’m so, so sorry that I’m late,” Jacob continued, not breaking their hug. “But! I do have an explanation!”
Helena rolled her eyes. Of course he did. Still, she got curious when he reached to his bag and took out a package covered in brown paper.
“I’ve found a lead for that a while ago, however, a bloke who was supposed to get it for me had some problems, and… let’s say he needed a reminder. Anyway, it created a delay, and long story short, I couldn’t risk not getting it at all after all the effort, so… That happened. And I’m really sorry once again, I should’ve known better from the beginning. But! At least I got some wine!”
When Christopher started to unwrap the gift, Jacob hurried to welcome both Alice and Helena.
“Oh my, is it the first edition?” Christopher was already holding an old book in his hands, studying the front page, his eyes twinkling.
“One of the first ones,” clarified Jacob. “But it has notes made by a professor from Uagadou.”
The old man looked at him excited before carefully browsing a couple of pages. “Oh, I have to compare it with my atlas. I’ll be right back.”
He left the room, patting Jacob on a shoulder while passing by. When he was gone, Alice looked attentively at her son.
“And I wonder how much did it cost you?”
Jacob shrugged and smirked. “A lovely dinner with my family.” He opened his bag again, pulling out two bottles of wine. “Did everyone leave already?”
“They did, not long before you came,” Alice replied softly.
To break the silence, Helena grabbed one of the bottles. “What about that wine? It looks fancy.”
“It is quite fancy. But this one is for Dad, and for Mum. We have the other one.” She looked at the other label and frowned her nose. “It’s the cheapest one they had, and it tastes like acid.” Jacob was clearly amused by his sister’s reaction.
Alice got up. “I’ll go bring some glasses then, how about that?” Then, she also left, letting the siblings stay alone.
“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” Jacob asked finally.
“I thought we agreed to no secrets.”
This time it was him who rolled his eyes. “It’s no secret! I just wanted it to be a surprise!”
“Still, you could’ve told me! I’d cover for you!”
He was quiet for a moment, pondering on his words. A corner of his lips twitched faintly. “You know you’re terrible at surprises, Ellie.”
“That’s not true!” she said reproachfully. He only raised his eyebrow. “Oh, because I’d go to Dad and tell him everything, right?”
“No, but you’d tell Mum, and she’s no better than you.”
She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. Then, not thinking much, she opened the cheaper bottle and took a sip. She grimaced, regretting her decision immediately.
“I warned you it tastes like acid.” He was trying very hard to hold a laugh. “It gets somewhat better the more you drink.”
All four of them were sitting and talking until the late night, so by the time Helena woke up the next day, it was already noon. She got down to the kitchen where she found an unfinished bottle of wine as it turned out that Jacob brought bigger supplies with him. She took a clean glass and poured some liquor when her brother showed up out of nowhere and snatched it out of her hand.
“Ah ah ah, what do you think you’re doing?” he teased her.
She sighed. “I’m having a drink.”
“No, you’re not, young lady.”
“Jacob, I’m twenty-one. If I want to have a drink, you’re not gonna stop me.”
“I don’t care how old you are. It’s only past twelve.”
She gave him a stink eye because he was holding two glasses at the moment: hers and his own. “I’m guessing it’s your third one, you hypocrite.”
He seemed a bit perplexed for an instant, but then he grinned. “Only the second.” Still, he put both glasses on the side when Helena started brewing coffee.
“So, what you’re planning now?” she asked and covered a yawn.
“Like today or in general?”
“Both, I guess.”
“Well,” he started. “I wanted to visit grandparents’ today. That’s probably most of the day. And in general, I thought I could stay with you for a little.”
“Oh! But… I’m getting back to work.”
“I know. I wouldn’t bother you, I can get busy on my own or help you, whichever you prefer. And in the evenings, we could do something fun. What d’you say?”
Every now and then, Jacob would stop by whenever she was currently at her curse-breaking mission. However, he never stayed for long. They’d usually get out once, and after making sure she’s alright, he’d disappear. Spending more time together could be nice.
“Sure, sounds good,” she replied with a smile, filling two mugs with coffee.
Summer, 1995
Jacob was pacing between walls, running his fingers through his hair once in a while.
“We should leave,” he said eventually, stopping and crossing his arms.
Helena looked at him in disbelief. “What?”
“We should leave. I don’t know, to the States or whatever.”
“There’s a war coming, and you want to leave?”
“Yeah, exactly. You’re not gonna tell me it’s not a better solution than becoming Dumbledore’s soldier.”
She opened her mouth and closed it again, not being able to find the words. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Jacob, innocent people will be dying!”
“I know! You think I don’t?!” He started losing control over his voice. “But there are people ready to fight for them, and we don’t have to be among them! Even if Voldemort is back, he never got beyond Great Britain, so there’s no reason to think it’d be different any time soon. We’d be safe across the ocean.”
“How can you be so selfish?”
“I’m selfish?!” He made a sound between a gasp and a snigger, but when he spoke again, he was more steady. “Ellie, who helped you with the Cursed Vaults? Dumbledore? Who cared when we had to stop R which was, let me remind you, an international threat?”
“Oh, so that’s why we should do nothing now? Because that’s how we were treated? Do you hear yourself?! An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind, Jacob, and passiveness can be as bad as violence! There will be more wizards thinking like you, but if we all leave, who’ll stay to fight?”
He wasn’t looking at her, and he switched to almost a whisper. “I was never selfish in my life. Never selfish enough to let the adults deal with all the cursed mess, as they should. Though, you know? Maybe I was selfish, maybe I just wanted to feel useful, fucking protector of everyone.” He sighed. “But you know where it got me? My best friend died when he was just fifteen, I had to leave my family, and I was imprisoned for years by R. Ellie, I…” His voice cracked and he swallowed hard, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just for once, I don’t want to worry about people being in danger. If it’s selfish of me, so be it.” Their eyes finally met. “I don’t care. I just want some peace.”
“Well, that’s not how life works.”
She left, not giving him a chance to reply.
The rest of the day, she spent with some of her friends, learning more about the whole situation connected to Voldemort’s return. The first shock - caused also by Cedric’s death - had passed, and they had to focus on planning. Still, Helena kept going back in thoughts to Jacob. She probably was too harsh on him. She saw where he’s coming from. In fact, sending their parents off to the family in the States wasn’t a bad idea at all. She came home late, so she went straight to her bedroom to think things over.
The next morning, however, it was neither Christopher nor Alice who she found in the kitchen – it was Jacob.
“What you’re doing here?”
“Breakfast,” he replied blandly.
“No, I mean, I thought you’d just leave after yesterday.”
“Someone has to keep an eye on everything when you’re in Egypt, don’t you think?”
“I didn’t tell you I’m going back there…”
“Yeah, well.”
He was chopping some vegetables while eggs were frying on a pan. There’s a joking rule in their family that you could use magic in the kitchen only if you’d learnt to make the dish also without it. Jacob always preferred to prepare things Muggle way, though. Helena could never match him, even with the help of the spells.
“Thank you,” she said abashedly, sitting at the kitchen island.
“For what? Food’s not ready.”
“For joining our side.”
“No, my dear. Let’s make it clear,” he spoke firmly, involuntarily pointing a knife in her direction. “I’m on no one’s side but yours. Got it?”
“So… you’re not joining the Order?”
“Hell no.”
“Well, thank you anyway,” she repeated. “And I’m sorry. For yesterday. I don’t think you’re selfish at all.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He still sounded a bit coldly, but he smirked ever so slightly. “Just…” His voice got softer as he knitted his brows in a worried expression. “I beg you, Ellie, be smart. Just because you’ll be outside Europe doesn’t mean it’ll be safe. It’ll be hell everywhere. And above all, remember: no information is worth dying for.”
“I know, I know…” She reassured him, though it felt like there’s not much she could say. “So, what are you planning to do?”
“I dunno,” he shrugged. “Maybe I could renew some connections in Knockturn Alley.”
“Oh, because that sounds very safe.”
“No, it doesn’t,” he cut in. “I’m aware of that. And that was my point. If you get involved, it’ll always be dangerous. But because you’re too stubborn to listen, I can’t simply… sit and watch, y’know. I don’t want to hear from some strangers one day: Hey, remember that cursed siblings? Yeah, the younger one just died. She was killed by fucking Death Eaters because she refused to learn from her brother’s mistakes. And he screwed up again because he could’ve done something.”
She bit her lips to hide a smile. Jacob only glanced at her, shaking his head with feigned disapproval before he focused back at his cooking.
May 1998
It was getting crowded at the Hog’s Head when Helena spotted Jacob near the door waving his hand at her. She immediately rushed to him.
“Jacob! You came!”
He frowned in confusion. “Of course. I told you so.”
“I guess part of me wanted you to not come…”
“Do you really think I’d let you go into a battle alone?” he asked raising his eyebrow.
“I’m not alone,” she replied, mindlessly pulling his flannel. “And you don’t want to be here.”
“And I don’t want you to be here either. But I know I won’t convince you to leave because Charlie’s here. And he’s here because his whole family is here. And I’m definitely not gonna discuss with all the Weasleys because it’d be both pointless and possibly stupid.” His smile faded away when Helena didn’t even react to his joke. “Hey, we faced worse before, didn’t we? At least we’re not the main target for a change, right?”
She nodded haltingly as Jacob embraced her with one arm, leading away from the entrance.
By the time they arrived at Hogwarts, the battle was raging. It was overwhelming chaos with troops of people storming to the castle. Helena was keeping both Charlie and Jacob in the reach of her sight, but as they were in the Entrance Hall, one scream caught their attention among all the noises.
“Fire! There’s a fire!” yelled someone.
“Then put it down!” they heard in a respond.
“I can’t! They had to cast Fiendfyre!”
Three of them froze. If it actually was the curse, there’s no way students could deal with it, and it’d be bad to let it spread. On the other hand, it could’ve been regular fire, looking more dangerous due to fear and panic.
“I’ll go check it,” decided Jacob. “We’ll meet in the Great Hall. Look after her, okay?” he added, smirking at Charlie.
Helena briefly squeezed his hand. “Be careful.”
In the next moment, Jacob was running up the staircase while Helena and Charlie joined the crowd moving to the Great Hall where most of the fighting was occurring. It seemed like they’re gaining the advantage over Death Eaters, but it was still heated, and spells were shooting from all sides. Helena had just helped some girls counter an attack and was looking for Charlie when she felt a sudden sharp headache. For a split second, her vision went black, which was enough distraction to not notice a beam of light speeding in her direction. She tried to dodge it, but it was too late, and the spell grazed her side, causing her to fall.
“Nell!” Charlie appeared almost out of nowhere and kneeled next to her. “Are you all right? Talk to me…”
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she hurried to calm him down, though she grimaced with pain.
Charlie quickly checked the spot where she was hit. Her blouse was torn, revealing red skin, but there was no wound. “Come on, let’s take you from here.”
He helped her get up and led her to the edges of the room where he spotted Ben Copper tending to two students.
“Ben! We need you!”
The Healer hearing his name turned his head to them. “What happened?”
“Nothing, I’m fine,” replied Helena. “I can--”
“No, you have to rest at least,” Charlie cut in. “Keep an eye on her, Ben.”
He deflected one more spell and run back into the fight. Ben in the meantime tried to examine her, but she gently pushed him away.
“It’s nothing, really. There’s no time for that.”
She was calm but determined, so Ben didn’t push. “All right, but you’re not going back there. I need some cover when I take care of those two.”
He pointed to a Hufflepuff girl and a Ravenclaw boy behind them, both visibly scared. Helena nodded and took her position. Everyone’s attention seemed to concentrate towards the centre of the Great Hall, so they weren’t being attacked directly, but stray curses almost hit them a couple of times. Helena also managed to stop some Death Eaters, whether from escaping or assaulting the others.
Suddenly, the shouting in the middle became louder, and the whole atmosphere got more tense. Helena was too far to tell what’s it about exactly, though - until almost all went silent. She exchanged questioning looks with Ben.
“Go, see what’s happening,” he told her.
When she finally broke into the crowd, she realised that everyone was paralysed because of the encounter within the circle. The Boy Who Lived was facing the Dark Lord. She tensely watched them moving in constant distance between them, looking ready to attack. She listened to the story of the Elder Wand, of the big intrigue behind that war. And then, with just one hit from both sides, it was over. Voldemort was dead.
The joyful cheering exploded around her. Everyone was trying to reach Harry Potter now, pushing her in that direction. But she needed to find someone else. She was scanning people in search of familiar faces to finally pick up Charlie’s. She ran right into his arms, laughing with relief. However, when she made sure that he’s all right, she felt a wave of anxiety.
“Have you seen Jacob?” she asked, holding onto his arm.
Charlie shook his head and his face got graver. “There are so many people. I still haven’t seen everyone.”
“I better go search for him…”
“I’m sure he’s fine.” He sounded confident, but she knew it was only because she needed to hear that. Anything could’ve happened, and a bad feeling was growing inside her chest.
She left the Great Hall, going oppositely to the most. She didn’t get far when she met Rowan, and she almost sobbed at her sight.
“Helen!”
“Rowan! You’re all right!” she whimpered, hugging her tightly. “Oh god, I didn’t see you at all, I didn’t know--”
Her voice cracked, so Rowan started patting her back calmingly. When they finally parted, Helena noticed an open wound on her friend’s arm.
“Oh god, you’re not all right!”
“It’s not a big deal.” Rowan waved her hand. “I’ll take care of it in a moment.”
Helena frowned, but she nodded and swallowed hard. “Have you seen Jacob somewhere?”
Rowan’s eyes got wider. “No, I haven’t. I thought he’d be with you.”
“He was. But then we got separated.”
“He’s probably helping people around the castle. There’s a lot of the injured. Do you want me to help you find him?”
Helena looked at her arm and took a deep breath. “No. It doesn’t look good, you better have it checked.”
Rowan hesitated, but she agreed to go see the Healers while Helena continued her search, walking faster through the debris, calling Jacob’s name. She started to think that perhaps they missed each other and she should return… when she finally spotted him on one of the higher levels. He was lying unconscious under the wall. There had to be a cut on his head because blood covered a part of his face.
“No…”
She approached him slowly as if it could delay the terrible truth. She fell to her knees and leant over him, cupping his face.
“Jacob, can you hear me?” She brushed his cheek with her thumb. “Open your eyes, Jacob…” She laid her fingers on his neck. There was no pulse. “Open your eyes, please,” she repeated. “Don’t do this to me…”
She wanted to believe that if she waited long enough, if she’d be patient enough, he’d come back – just like Rowan. That it’s not real, just another lie in her life. But at the same time, she knew that Jacob was truly gone. It was a battle, and he was just one of the casualties. She didn’t even know how he died.
She sat on the ground, leaning on the wall, and pulled Jacob up on her chest. She wasn’t sure how long she was holding him before she heard footsteps and Charlie got down next to her. He didn’t speak.
“It’s not fair, Charlie,” she whispered, sniffling.
“I know.”
“It wasn’t his war, he didn’t even want to fight. We should’ve left as he said.”
Charlie tried to touch her arm, but she got startled, so he just sat by her side instead.
“He already saved that fucking school! And for what?!” she cried out. “To be killed like that?!”
Her last words turned into a shriek. She pulled Jacob’s body up again as it was slipping from her grasp. He was too heavy, and she was too tired to carry him. Some more time had passed before they were found by Ben.
“Helen…” he started softly. “I’m so sorry. But we have to take him to the Great Hall.”
She finally raised her head and looked at them. Ben was squatting in front of her, Charlie still in the same place. She took a deep breath and carefully rested Jacob against the wall. Then, Charlie helped her stand up once more that day, and she immediately buried her face in his chest. She couldn’t watch Jacob being taken away. When she looked at Charlie, though, she recognised that there’s more bad news to come.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, trying to contain trembling of her voice. “Who else?”
His eyes were glistening. “Tonks… and her husband… they didn’t make it.” Helena covered her mouth with both hands. “And Fred--” The words stuck in his throat.
“He’s just a kid…” she murmured, hugging him again. “I’m sorry, Charlie…”
She wanted to stay with him and comfort him. She wanted to find Rowan and make sure that nobody else got hurt. But all the noises were overwhelming, and she felt like she started suffocating.
“I have to get out of here. I’m sorry…”
She somehow reached the exit, not fully registering things around her. Only some young excited wizard stopped her when she was about to leave.
“We won! Can you believe it?!”
“Did we, really…?”
He was too thrilled to notice her blank stare, and so he quickly went his way. As soon as Helena got outside, she choked on the morning air. She sat on the stairs and embraced herself in an attempt to control the shaking of her body.
“Hey, may I?”
Another minutes or hours escaped her attention. This time, it was Talbott standing above her. She nodded without a word, and he took a seat on one of the steps.
“I’ve heard about your brother. I’m really sorry.”
She bit her lips to stop a weep, but the tears fell down her face. They were sitting a long moment in silence.
“Will it always hurt?” she finally said weakly.
Talbott watched her with compassion. “Yeah.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Move on,” he replied softly. “Find something worth forgetting about the pain. And most importantly, always remember the good things.” He hesitated before patting her shoulder. “Tonks would want us to celebrate the victory,” he added with a sad smile. “You know where to find me if you need to.”
And like that, she was left alone. She hid her face in her hands. It suddenly occurred to her that her parents probably didn’t know anything yet, so she wondered whether she should go back to the castle or home. But then, she was disturbed again.
“Hey, are you all right?”
She had to shade her eyes from the sun to see who’s talking to her. To her surprise, it was Harry Potter himself. The Boy Who Lived who just defeated the Dark Lord was asking her if she’s all right. He was the same age as her when she entered the final Cursed Vault. The same age as Jacob when he joined R. She suddenly felt bad because if her experience taught her anything, probably nobody showed much concern about Harry in all of that. When the wizarding world would stop relying on children to solve their problems?
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.”
He took a closer look at her. “Do we know each other?”
“No, I don’t think so. I mean, I know you…”
“No, but I’m pretty sure I saw you at the Burrow.”
“Oh!” She smiled faintly at that remark. It was almost funny that they never had an occasion to be introduced properly. “That is possible, indeed.”
“Well, nice to finally meet you then. I’m Harry.”
He reached out his hand to her. He appeared as exhausted as she felt. “Helena.”
“Are you sure you don’t need anything?”
She nodded. “Don’t mind me. But I guess you could use some help with those blankets.”
She took a part of the armful he was carrying, and they headed together back inside. She started helping wherever it was needed. She found Rowan being tended to by Ben and who was upset with him because he didn’t let her go find Helena – but he insisted that Rowan’s wound might’ve been too serious. She spent some time with the Weasleys, grieving over Fred. She was trying to keep herself busy and bring consolation to the others.
And the same thought was motivating her in years to come, just to not let herself get lost in the emptiness. Eventually, she even learnt to be happy again. But nothing could change the fact that in the Battle of Hogwarts she lost not only brother and friends. Part of herself died that day as well.
Helena Ellis - one of the world’s greatest Curse-Breaker. For Future!MC Challenge by @carewyncromwell
Yes, her outfit is inspired by Indiana Jones. He was her first crush after all, so can you blame her? Also, I want the whip to have some magical properties, but I’m still working on that part.
A bit more information about Helena’s future under the cut.
Right after Hogwarts, Helena takes a mental health break. She probably simply stays at home, though I still fancy the idea of her travelling in a hippie van with Orion Amari. So, maybe they could at least go to music festival, for example.
After a couple of months or so, she’s hired by Gringotts and sent to Egypt to join Bill (and Rakepick, let’s be real. I mean, what do you expect from my story, really?).
She spends some time in Brazil as well, but eventually, she returns to Egypt to replace Bill this time when he goes back to England. She joins the Order of the Phoenix where her role is similar to Charlie’s: networking. I imagine that Egypt attracts many wizards trying to deal illegally with ancient artefacts and whatnot, so it could be a valuable source of information.
She fights in the Battle of Hogwarts and survives. However, it turns out later that she can’t have children due to complications caused by one of her injuries.
After the war, she moves to Romania with Charlie in the hope that living close to nature will help her find peace. It doesn’t work right away though, mostly because of her renewed phobia of dragons. Still, she manages somehow and focuses more on herself - but she also helps Charlie with things like organising his research in preparation for his book. And with more time (and a lot of Charlie’s patience), she even approaches some “easier” dragons like younger or weaker ones.
Compared to Jacob, Helena is not an adrenaline junkie, but one day, she does start missing curse-breaking. Therefore, she hits the road every now and then in search of freelance jobs.
After years, she returns to England to take over her grandparents’ bakery.
Here’s part 1 of a 2-part fic that I wrote that commemorates Clara’s Hogwarts friends/peers lost to battle against the forces of evil.
The concept of time was humankind’s greatest enigma. It cared not about what happens in the life of any one person. Like the river in the wood, it flowed, knowing not of the stones overturned or the sediments caught in its current. Once a mark had been made, there was no erasing it; once a phenomenon had come to pass, there was no reverting it to what once was.
Time was supposed to help the dust settle over the ruins. Thoroughly damaged beyond repair, yet shrouded in the remnants of what once transpired, the image of what history left behind would only be made clearer after time had passed. Time was supposed to help the physical cuts heal. The open lacerations seeping blood through the flesh would have scabbed and closed with patches of new skin depending on how deep the wound was. Even as they happened, though, time would never let anyone forget the phenomenon that had ensued. Time didn’t care how anyone healed, grieved, smiled, or cried.
Time certainly didn’t care how anyone lived or died.
Clara closed her fingers over her wand and stood from her chair, empty eyes that once bore tears lingering on the sunny scenery outside her window. All those years ago, she had prayed for a sunny day to greet her on the day she departed home for Hogwarts, and every year, it had always been either cloudy or rainy--she even remembered the stormy day that commenced her third year all too well. A small sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the clock by her writing desk--it was 9:00 am. If she was still a student, she’d be travelling right now in one of the Ministry cars her father borrowed from the Ministry with him to King’s Cross Station, her mind abuzz solely with plans to find Jacob and bring him home. If she was still in China, she’d be drilled through military exercises set by the captain of the Chinese Wizarding Task Force without a single thought of her past. Those days were long gone, though--the past was now behind her. Today was a special day, but not for a good reason. Today, she and what remained of her circle of friends would throw a special celebration in memory of all the friends who had fallen, and all of those who sacrificed their lives to help Harry Potter defeat Voldemort at Hogwarts.
Merlin...the Battle of Hogwarts seemed so long ago. It had taken so long for the dust to settle over the relics, but she couldn’t move past the horror that she had witnessed. Her chest ached as visions began to swim in her mind--the corpses of her friends lying in the rubble, the crack of every spell relentlessly attacking those who still remained standing. She recalled the number of spells she had to deflect with her steel fans from the Task Force when her protective barriers shattered, the triangle of Death Eaters surrounding her at once threatening her to collapse. If she closed her eyes, she could see every misfired curse shattering the stone walls, tossing bodies back as if they were only rag dolls…
The soothing touch of her fiance’s fingers tracing over her arm eased her breathing, but it did nothing to stop the tears pricking at her eyes again.
“What are you thinking about, Clara?” Barnaby asked her quietly, gently wrapping his strong arms around her from behind and holding her close to him. She could only hum as she leaned back into his chest, exhaling quietly as the tears spilled over her cheeks.
“It’s the Battle, is it?”
Clara nodded. “Well...sort of.” She opened her eyes, turning to face her fiance. “There was something Dumbledore told me so long ago, back when we were still sixth years. He said that if there was one thing anyone could count on, it’s death. It comes for everyone in the end. But you know how quickly it took a lot of our friends--Rowan in our sixth year, Cedric the summer before I left for China…”
“I know,” Barnaby murmured, lifting a hand to wipe her tears away. “I know.”
“It’s hard,” Clara whispered. “It’s so hard…”
She buried her face into his shoulder, wrapping her arms tightly around Barnaby as she tried her hardest not to sob. The terror that first gripped at her when she fought apart from him snaked its way back into her chest, not unlike the cursed ice that spread through the school in her second year. Death took so many people she held dear to her over the years, it was a miracle that she still remained standing. Rowan...Ben...Tonks...Fred...Talbott...heck, she couldn’t even begin to believe that Merula was dead, too. Even Dobby and Cedric, whom she didn’t know very well, felt like kin--and yet they too were brutally murdered long before the ultimate siege.
“What do you think they’ll be doing?” Barnaby wondered, tilting his head slightly. “You know, in the world of the dead.”
Clara winced slightly at the question. “I don’t know,” she mumbled eventually. “Maybe look down upon us like angels would.”
“I know Rowan is. She’s your best friend, after all--what best friend wouldn’t want to shield you from harm?” Barnaby said, slowly rubbing a hand over Clara’s back to calm her down.
“To think that everyone went into this battle not trying to protect me for the vaults this time, but fight against the one all wizardkind feared,” Clara mused. “I shouldn’t feel guilty, but I do. I just hope that what we invited everyone to do today would be enough to finally find closure and…”
Barnaby nodded as she trailed off, tilting her head up with a hand to look her in the eyes. Her glasses were smudged from the tears now streaming over her face.
“I’m sure they will love it,” Barnaby reassured her softly. “Not just all the ones still alive, but those who passed on. I know I would.”
It’s taken Clara weeks to pull herself together after the battle, and even more after that to seek solace from those who still remain. Only a few days ago did she finally settle the date of their wedding, yet it didn’t feel right to celebrate a day of union without sharing it with all their friends, alive or dead.
Two days to go. After that, our lives might change for the better.
She had to hold it together. Not just for them, but for herself too. Closure would not be given to those still vulnerable to breaking.
“Yeah,” she finally murmured, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “I would, too.”
---
There was no bachelor and bachelorette party for this couple--heck, they couldn’t imagine the consequences for the other should a disaster occur while they were apart. Instead, a few weeks ago, Clara had sent her owl, Wagner, out into the world with letters for all their friends and loved ones. Today, everyone who was willing to come would Apparate to their house, and then gather in their vast open backyard in the evening where the ceremony would commence.
“And done,” Barnaby declared as he delicately placed the final cherry on the top of a massive white-iced three-layer cake. A slow grin spread across his face as he looked at his best baking masterpiece--no, it was not their wedding cake, but it looked good enough to be one.
That was when the doorbell rang, and he jumped, almost knocking the cake over.
“I got it!” Clara called, running down the stairs and securing her crimson crystal hair tie around the single braid over her left shoulder. “Just set the parlour up, Barnaby.”
“Will do.” Barnaby nodded and carried the massive cake to the parlour, humming a little tune to himself.
Clara opened the door to reveal Penny and Beatrice now standing at the threshold. Both of them were wearing black dresses that went down to their knees. The plaits that were normally in Penny’s hair were now combed out, her hair now split into two braids down her shoulders. Beatrice’s hair, for the first time since Clara could recall, was held back with a headband, revealing both of her blue eyes cast down with a sad glimmer.
“Clara!” Penny greeted her friend with a hug, which Clara wholeheartedly returned.
“Hey, Penn.”
Time had changed the little girls who became friends in their first year to young adults who had survived more than one war. As they broke the embrace and looked at each other, they both caught the matured gleam now stripped of whatever carefree sparkle once graced their eyes, the tragedies they both withstood in their time at school, the weariness that came with demands that required their individual expertises.
“You hanging in there?” Penny asked Clara quietly. “I know it’s been hard on all of us.”
Clara nodded solemnly. “Trying to. It wasn’t hard when the names in the list of casualties were still unrecognizable, but it’s different now when everyone you knew gave their all to protect the school and the Boy Who Lived. Not to say I regret it--”
“I know what you mean. I’m sure none of them regretted it either,” Penny assured her.
“At least we’re still together,” Clara said with a shrug. “Jacob, little Em and I at least escaped the war unscathed. And you’ve got Beatrice, too.”
Beatrice nodded as she produced another stuffed Puffskein from her pocket--almost similar to the one she gave Clara when they first met--and gave it to her. “Is your sister coming?”
“She should be,” Clara confirmed with a nod. “Do come in, both of you. We have cake and Butterbeer in the parlour, and I think Barnaby should almost be finished with grooming the Puffskeins.”
The second one to arrive, much to Clara’s surprise, was Skye Parkin, her Wigtown Wanderers jersey billowing in the wind as she hopped off her Comet 290 in front of their house.
“Skye!” Clara exclaimed upon her arrival. “I wasn’t sure you’d make it, what with training for your upcoming tournaments.”
“This means a lot to you, doesn’t it? I might as well be there for it,” Skye responded shortly, giving Clara a small smile. “Besides, one of our Chasers recently came down with a serious bout of Scrofungulus. We don’t have any backup players to properly play against the Applewood Arrows today.”
“Oh. That’s a bummer. You wish I was there to step up to the plate?” Clara asked, remembering fondly her short tenure as Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
“It would be nice. But I figured you need time to...you know,” Skye said uneasily, and Clara nodded in understanding.
Shortly after Skye went in to help herself to some of Barnaby’s cake and chat with Penny, Andre, Murphy, and Orion made their appearance on Clara’s doorstep. Andre’s Pride of Portree jersey flapped in the wind behind him, in the same manner as Skye’s jersey. Murphy’s colourful tie worn for all his Quidditch commentating duties was swapped today with a black bowtie. Orion was also wearing all black from head to toe.
“I told the staff that I wasn’t feeling well,” Murphy explained. “And I’m not! There’s a 95.7% chance that after such a travesty it’s hard to think of the light ahead.”
“But what is light without darkness?” Orion asked. “It’s with light that we have darkness.”
“Or should it be the other way around?” Andre queried, raising an eyebrow. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re doing this, Curse-breaker. In a time like this, I think we all really need it.”
“Thanks, Andre. And I’m happy to see you’re alive and well too, Murphy and Orion,” Clara said, bowing them into her home where they went to the parlour to meet Penny, Beatrice, Skye and Barnaby.
Soon, Chiara, Jae, Diego, and little Em all arrived together, the girls holding onto extravagant bouquets of colourful flowers. Jae was holding tightly onto Chiara’s free hand, balancing a large box of delicacies in his other hand. Diego’s fingers were interlaced with little Em’s, his scarf from his old school days wrapped around little Em’s shoulders to keep her warm.
“Darn it. I miss my hoodie already,” Jae muttered, his teeth chattering slightly.
“Relax, Jae. It’ll only be for today,” Chiara consoled him with a small smile before turning towards Clara. “How are you doing, Clara?”
“Faring as well as I can,” Clara simply said, smiling wanly at the group. “Thanks for coming, guys--really, it means a lot.”
“Anything to get to spend time with you, Clara,” little Em reassured her older sister with a hug. “I would not miss my sister’s wedding for anything in the world.”
Diego nodded in agreement as little Em returned to his side shortly after. “Indeed. How swiftly childhood leaves us as we emerge as veterans from a war well fought and won.”
“I just hope that this celebration would mark the first chapter of genuine happiness for all of us,” Chiara finally piped up. “With all that’s happened, I figured we all need it.”
A little while into the afternoon, Tulip, Liz, and Badeea arrived together, Badeea’s hands still smeared with paint as she brought in a giant portrait of their fallen friends. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Percy, George, and Angelina followed swiftly, George still trying to hold back tears as he held fast to Angelina’s hand; Clara couldn’t blame him. George didn’t just lose a brother in the battle, after all; he lost his twin, his second half who understood him better than anyone.
How quickly everyone’s grown, Clara realized, as she closed the door behind the Weasleys and followed them into the parlour. Glancing around at her friends grabbing drinks and some of Jae’s homemade delicacies or the cake Barnaby made, talking in low voices among themselves like old friends, she could see the hint of sadness in their eyes along with the gleam of maturity that long replaced the carefree, happy spirit they once felt. They fought more than just one battle, leaving them all with more scars than they’d hoped for--yet through their grief, they remained standing strong. They had weathered through so many storms together that they became the storm themselves.
“Is that everyone?” Chiara asked quietly as she sipped from her bottle of Butterbeer, watching the large crowd mill around the parlour and the kitchen. “Or are we still waiting for a few people?”
Clara frowned as she glanced at the clock--it was now five in the afternoon, and there were still a few last stragglers she had yet to see. “I think we have Ismelda and Jacob to wait for,” she eventually answered. “Jacob I know is with my parents, but Ismelda...I haven’t heard from her since the end of the war.”
“Ismelda’s still alive?” Penny asked, raising a brow and glancing at Beatrice.
“What are you looking at me for?” Beatrice inquired, grabbing another piece of cake from the dainty multi-tiered platter on the table. “I haven’t kept tabs on Ismelda either since I graduated from school.”
CRACK!
A sudden Apparition within the house made everyone jump, Beatrice almost dropping her cake in the shock--when the smoke cleared, Clara saw Ismelda and Erika standing in the middle of the parlour, travelling cloaks fastened tight around them. Ismelda quickly drew her arm away from Erika, massaging her upper arm to rid it of the soreness in the potential death grip.
“Did you have to grip onto me that hard?” Ismelda grumbled, shooting Erika a death glare. “And I thought I already told you I didn’t want to go!”
“I had to do what I could to make sure you got here in one piece,” Erika shrugged. “And if you say another word about this gathering being nothing but a waste of time--”
“Fine, fine.” Ismelda shook her head, a groan escaping her mouth. “Anything to save you from using me as your practice dummy.”
“That’s more like it.” Erika gave her a little smirk, her eyes darting about the rest of the group. “So this is what a party for the dead looks like.”
“Not much of a party so much as it is just a time to come together,” Murphy corrected her. “And it’s a good thing Clara’s hosting this for us. I figured we all needed it.”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s just get this show on the road,” Ismelda finally said. “Is there anything we can do besides just…” She gestured around the room. “Eat cake and drink Butterbeer and mope?”
“Well…” Clara glanced around at the group--it felt a lot like the Circle of Khanna all over again, except this time there was no one else to stand by her for support. The days when Ben and Merula flanked by her were long gone now, both of them now buried in their graves a few feet below. “We prepared a bonfire pit in the backyard, and enough sky lanterns for all of us.”
“Sky lanterns?” Tulip asked, intrigued. “I haven’t seen one of those in so long. They’re part of the ceremony, right?”
“Of course,” Clara nodded. “They’re an integral part, so to say.”
“Nothing’s ever been the same since, well…” Skye glanced awkwardly at the group around her. “I mean, I’m not one to go all mushy but...I can’t imagine all of us losing people we care about so much. And all of you are great people in some way--”
She was suddenly cut off by Penny embracing her in a hug, which Skye returned hesitantly, burying her face into Penny’s shoulder.
“The people who love us never really leave us,” Barnaby piped up then. “I remembered how bad I felt when Rowan died...and then I thought I would lose Clara too when she left for China. But time taught me that they’ll always be here with us no matter where they are. Bright souls will shine like bright stars in the sky, now and forever. I found a lot of comfort in looking at the stars every night.”
These words brought a scarlet dust to Clara’s cheeks, and she smiled at him ruefully as she took his hand, lacing her fingers with his. Whether that was a vow intended for their wedding or not, she would never know, but it was enough for her to make her melt on the spot.
“You’re right,” Bill nodded thoughtfully at Barnaby’s words, taking Fleur’s hand and squeezing it tight. “The stars provide comfort for those who need it most. It’s really in the darkness where we can find the light.”
At this, Andre gave Orion a pointed look, and Orion just shrugged it off, nodding at Bill.
“I suppose there’s really no use in waiting any longer,” Clara eventually said--the sun was just beginning to set, and the group was getting much too large to accommodate indoors. “Let’s all head outside to the backyard. Barnaby, can you lead them? I have...something to collect from upstairs.”
Barnaby nodded at his fiancee, kissing her lightly on the cheek. “Of course, my unicorn.” He then motioned to the rest of the group to follow him. “Come on outside, everyone.”
As everyone filed out, Clara headed towards the stairs and began to ascend two steps a time--the moment she reached the landing she wasted no time in heading to her bedroom and opening the door to her closet. Peering into the mass of fabrics, her eyes landed at the bottom of the cabinet, where a single dagger laid in its black sheath lined with golden dragons, laced through the leather belt she had to wear in her days at the Chinese Wizarding Task Force.
To most, it seemed like a simple ornate dagger, most likely an article of decorum worn by royals in important ceremonies. With a polished ruby pommel at the end of a leather grip hilt, and a few engravings on the blade, it looked insignificant, almost ordinary. But to those who served in the task force it meant so much more--it was a weapon she had used in the fight against the Japanese dark wizards on more than one occasion. Where magic failed, the dagger had helped her lay many a blow on those too fast to hit with a spell, those who resisted the effects of magic in ways she would never know. She fought along those who had also given their life for the cause, fought with the same blade she held now--never a day went by when she didn’t think of them. Some survived, some died, and all for a united cause.
She honoured so many of the unknown dead with this knife strapped to her side. It only seemed fitting that she did it now, too.
“Clara? You coming?”
Clara turned around just as she looped the belt around her waist--standing at the doorway to her room was her little sister, head tilted in intrigue and eyes shining in concern.
“Yeah. Sorry.” Clara adjusted the belt over her clothes and walked over to little Em. “I was just...getting this dagger. Custom to wear it for funerals when I was working with the Chinese Wizarding Task Force.”
“Ah.” Little Em nodded thoughtfully. “Sorry, I should have knocked.”
“No need to apologize.”
It had been much too long since Clara last saw her little sister, her little Em--four months since the end of the Battle where they fought together but not at each other’s side, never getting to see each other after the dust had settled over the ruins and the wounds had all but healed in their natural time. What once were two young children who bonded in a sole promise to protect each other within the walls of Hogwarts were now two women who had no idea how to shield each other from the other side of the world. It was only a miracle that they hadn’t lost the other to the perils of the world turned upside down by none other than Voldemort himself. Moments like these between two sisters bound by blood were far and few in between since then.
“I’ve missed you so much, Clara,” little Em finally admitted. “I was worried about Jacob in the fight but when I heard you were there at Hogwarts too…”
“I thought I’d never see you again, either. I wasn’t sure if I was able to make it out of the war alive,” Clara mumbled. “How, though?”
“Stuck close with Diego. It helps to have a strong dueller at your side,” little Em said. “And you?”
“I was with Tonks at first, but when she was defeated I had to hold my own,” Clara replied. “It wasn’t easy to feel that drive to fight after seeing a casualty right in front of your eyes, but I’ve had enough practice.”
“You shouldn’t have to keep suffering, Clara. I know why you joined the task force in China, but...promise me that at the end of all of this you’ll find some peace and happiness,” little Em pleaded. “All your life you’ve been fighting, and I understand it was for a cause. Just...I don’t want you to break under all the pressure. You have so many people who worry about you, and it would break my heart to find that you’ll never find happiness again at the end of the day.”
“Em.” Clara turned to face her sister now, a small smile on her face. “All I want is to make you happy, to fight for your happiness and safety every day. Knowing that you’re here and you’re happy and safe is enough for me to feel happy and safe.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
Little Em smiled, a brief second of relief, before taking her sister’s hand and leading her out of her room. “Come on. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
