bewitched | order of the phoenix | settling in
the hogwarts express cut through the countryside beneath the sunset and clouds. the windows trembling softly with every turn of the tracks.
across from me, charles sat with one arm lazily draped over the seat, flipping through a copy of the daily prophet and pretending to read.
“THE BOY WHO LIES?”
every 10 minutes he’d glance over at me trying to decide whether i looked nervous.
i didn’t give him the satisfaction. instead, i just unfolded julie’s letter again.
dear lynnette,
i have decided to forgive you for abandoning us, which was only because marie reminded me that you didn’t have much of a choice.
but truly, beauxbatons won’t feel right without you. i saw james looking over at your seat during breakfast yesterday. i think he misses you more than he’d admit.
i hope that you settle in smoothly. i know leaving home wasn’t exactly your decision. write back soon before i decide you’ve become fully british!
- sincerely, julie
british. julie thought i was becoming british.
that thought alone nearly made me want to transfer back. a heavy sigh escaped my lips.
i folded the letter carefully, and placed it back into my pocket. beauxbatons had felt like another life already.
my father's sudden panic over "changing political tides" had ripped me away from the sunlit chateaux of my youth.
outside the compartment, voices echoed through the corridor. students passing by, trunks scraping against the floor.
a few seats down sat theo. i’ve been ignoring him the whole ride. scared to walk out. and scared that if i would look up, his eyes would meet mine. the tension between us was thick and unresolved.
ever since the yule ball last year, and him asking me out to hogsmeade, things got entirely skewed. i mean he looked at me with such vulnerability that night, a look i hadn't known how to process.
but if the air with theo was strained, the air with blaise was practically toxic. he was sitting further down the train, laughing at something pansy was saying.
as i was boarding the train earlier, forcing charles to help with my luggage, i caught him glancing at me. its just that whenever i’d look back he would look away almost immediately.
so for the first time since leaving beauxbatons, i seriously considered throwing myself off the moving train.
charles folded the daily prophet with a sharp snap, breaking the heavy silence inside the compartment. he leaned forward.
"you're doing that thing again," he said, his voice dropping to a low murmur to avoid being overheard by passing students in the corridor.
"what thing?" i kept my voice flat, refusing to look away from the window where the gray scottish hills were beginning to replace the flat english countryside.
"you’ve been staring at the same spot on the glass for twenty minutes. if you’re that terrified of facing malfoy's little circle, we can always lock the door."
"i am not terrified!" i say turning my gaze to him. "i am just... adjusting to the lack of sunlight. and the dress code. the wool here is dreadfully thick."
charles let out a soft snort, and before he could press further, the compartment door slid open with a sharp rattle.
my heart did a violent flip against my ribs. for a terrifying second, i expected blaise's tall silhouette to fill the frame, or theo's quiet, intense gaze to lock onto mine. instead, a younger boy with a massive camera slung around his neck peered in.
he blinked at us nervously, muttered an apology, and slid the door shut again. i exhaled a breath i hadn't realized i was holding.
"see?" charles remarked, watching me closely. "you flaked on nott after the ball, and you completely froze out blaise all summer. you can't avoid them forever.”
"i didn't freeze anyone out," i muttered, my hand coming up to touch the fabric of my pocket where julie's letter rested. "i was busy. preparing for the transfer."
"yeah keep telling yourself that." charles stood up, stretching his arms. "i'm out to find the trolley. want anything to sweeten that miserable disposition?"
"just some peace," i said.
he rolled his eyes and stepped out into the corridor, leaving the door slightly open.
finally i was left alone with my thoughts, the anxiety i’ve been suppressing all morning rushed back with full force. i pulled my legs up onto the seat, hugging my knees to my chest. this train felt like a trap.
i mean with blaise, we made a deal that our time together didn't mean anything. we agreed that we were just experimenting and passing the time. but until the night of the ball, when he cornered me in the corridor, that completely shattered our little rulebook.
a sudden shadow fell over the compartment doorway. i looked up quickly, expecting charles to be back with a handful of sweets.
but it wasn't charles.
draco stood in the threshold, his silver blonde hair perfectly styled, leaned against the doorframe, his signature smirk playing on his lips.
"well, well," draco drawled softly, crossing his arms. "i thought i heard my cousin was hiding out down here. father told me your french holiday was officially over, but i didn't think you'd be this miserable about joining us."
“enjoying the view?" he asked, sliding the compartment door fully shut behind him and taking the seat charles had just left. he didn’t bother asking for permission. he just crossed one leg over the other, looking entirely too comfortable.
"it was finer in france," i shot back smoothly, keeping my arms crossed over my chest. "the weather here is bleak."
"oh, i'm sure it's not just the weather making you look like you're about to faint," draco drawled, his eyes glinting with amusement. he leaned back, resting his head against the cushioned seat.
"i must say, your brief time last year during the tournament really left an impression. quite the scandalous debut for my dear cousin."
i stiffened. "i have no idea what you're talking about, draco. i spent my time focusing on the tasks and supporting fleur."
"oh please, give me some credit," he laughed. “you might have fooled the beauxbatons headmistress, but you didn't fool me. i keep a very close eye on my housemates. and i caught wind of exactly what happened between you two."
my heart missed a beat. between you two? which two did he mean? did he mean theo and the disastrous aftermath of the yule ball? or did he know about the secret i shared with blaise? or worse, did he know about both?
"don’t be ridiculous, there’s nothing to catch wind of," i said, my voice dangerously quiet. "you're imagining things."
"am i?" his smirk widening as he lowered his voice. "because from where i was standing, it looked like a total disaster. you really made a mess of things before you ran back to france, didn't you?"
before i could snap back at him, the compartment door slid open again with a loud rattle. charles stood there, holding a handful of pumpkin pasties and a couple bottles of pumpkin juice.
he stopped in his tracks, his eyes darting between draco’s smug expression and my completely rigid posture.
"family meeting?" charles asked, raising an eyebrow as he stepped inside and tossed the sweets onto the seat next to me.
draco slowly leaned back, the amusement on his face faded, replaced by something much colder and heavier. the playful arrogance vanished in an instant, reminding me exactly whose son he was.
he leaned forward again, so close that his voice was barely a breath against the steady, rhythmic clicking of the train tracks.
"i’m just here to remind you that we can’t draw this attention to ourselves. don’t tell me you forgot what’s been going on already.” he scoffed.
"the dark lord expects absolute compliance from all of us. pull yourself together before we reach the castle."
charles went quiet, his teasing demeanor completely vanishing as he sat down heavily beside me.
draco stood up, smoothing down the front of his black suit. "i'll see you at the feast. try not to cause a scene during the sorting."
with one last glance at me, he slid the door open and stepped out into the crowded corridor, leaving charles and me in absolute silence.
the door clicked shut behind draco. "well," charles whispered, as he ran a hand through his hair. "i never really talk to him anyway."
"he’s right, charles," i muttered, staring down at the floorboards. "everything is changing. we aren't just students anymore."
"don't let him get into your head," charles said "until our father says something to us then things will change. i don’t need my own cousin bossing me around.”
the train was slowing down, the brakes screeching softly as the platform of hogsmeade station came into view outside the corridor windows. students were already lining up, dragging trunks and laughing.
as charles and i squeezed past a group of loud gryffindors, i caught a glimpse of white blonde hair moving through the crowd ahead. draco was swaggering toward the exit, flanked by crabbe and goyle.
"surprised the ministry is still letting you walk around free, potter," draco's voice drawled loudly over the noise of the corridor, “you better enjoy it while you can. i expect there's a cell in azkaban with your name on it."
harry was standing with hermione granger and ron weasley, ron was holding him back by the jacket to keep him from swinging at my cousin.
draco’s smirk grew wider. "what'd i tell you? complete nutter."
i quickly pulled charles back into the shadow of a doorway, keeping myself completely hidden from view. the last thing i needed was to be associated with draco's public bullying.
by the time charles and i stepped out into the chilly night air of the station, the crowd was already moving toward the line of carriages. the rain had slowed to a damp mist.
i looked around anxiously, trying to spot a familiar face that wouldn't bring immediate drama, when a soft, airy voice called out from the edge of the platform.
"hello, lynnette. i was wondering if you'd made it onto the train."
i turned to see luna lovegood, her long, straggly blonde hair falling over her shoulders. during my brief visit last year, luna had been a peaceful breath of fresh air.
"luna," i breathed, a genuine smile finally breaking through my stress as i walked over to join her. charles gave a polite nod, moving over to be with his group of friends.
me and luna walked together toward one of the stagecoaches waiting to take us to the castle. and as i was deciding if i should ride with her footsteps squelched in the mud behind us. it was harry again, along with ron, hermione, and neville.
harry stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide and tracking the creature's dark wings. "what is that?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion. "what's pulling the carriage?"
hermoine looked at the empty wooden shafts. "nothing's pulling the carriage, harry. it's pulling itself, like always."
"you're not going mad," luna said in her calm, sing song voice from beside me, her eyes drifting up to the creature.
"i see them too," luna told him softly, giving him a reassuring smile. "you're just as sane as i am."
sensing the tight crowd and the weight of harry's curious stare, i gently touched luna’s arm. "it’s a little full here, luna. i think i see another carriage down the line. i'll see you inside the castle, alright?"
luna gave me a dreamy, understanding nod. "of course, lynnette. watch out for the nargles." i quickly backed away into the mist, guiding myself toward a half empty carriage near the back of the line.
i climbed inside with a couple of quiet hufflepuff third years. i was in absolute peace until the towering silhouettes of the castle gates appeared.
the transition from the quiet, chilly carriage ride to the great hall was a total shock to the senses.
the room was flooded with warmth, and the loud chatter of students packed into their house tables.
but i wasn't sitting yet. i stood near the front of the hall with a small group of transfer students and terrified first years, waiting for the sorting ceremony to begin.
at the staff table, professor dumbledore stood up. the hall instantly fell into a dead silence, the weight of his presence commanding the room as he looked out over the student body with deep gravity.
"good evening, children," he began "we have two changes in staffing this year. we're pleased to welcome back professor grubbly plank, who'll be taking care of magical creatures, while hagrid is on leave.”
“we also wish to welcome our new defense against the dark arts teacher, professor dolores umbridge. i'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck."
"as usual, our caretaker, mr. filch, has asked me to remind you..." umbridge then had got up to say some things of her own. i tuned out her speech.
until the time had come. "lynnette rosier? may you come up please." professor mcgonagall’s sharp voice called out, cutting through my panic.
as i stepped forward out of the crowd, i could feel the whispers and eyes follow me to the chair.
“rosier?”
“wasn’t she at beauxbatons?”
“malfoy’s cousin.”
“that’s charles’s little sister.”
and as i passed the gryffindor table the whispers seemed to get louder.
“oh brilliant. another one.” ron muttered, shoving a potato onto his plate with unnecessary force. harry’s eyes locked onto mine. he looked confused almost.
till something clicked. “rosier?” harry breathed quietly, staring across the hall.
ron followed his gaze and immediately frowned.“pure blood family. i know.”
hermione looked up from beside him. “what are you two on about? she was at the tournament last year,” she says.
“well she’s related to malfoy. and now that you know who is back she’s transferred here? not suspicious at all.”
harry frowned. he remembered me. but he was confused, my hair was lighter back then, and every time he had seen me i wasn’t laughing with draco, or whispering with pansy.
“she doesn’t seem much like draco.” harry said.
ron snorted. “yeah give it time.”
hermione looked up from rearranging books in her lap. "not every pureblood is identical, ron."
“oh yeah? well you tell me if she even looked our way last year.” ron spat.
hermione opened her mouth then closed it. “…i’ll get back to you.”
harry still hadn’t looked away. his expression had shifted slightly now, distant and tense, like he was trying to remember something half buried.
then it hit him. his face turned a little pale. “bloody hell,” he whispered.
ron blinked. “what?”
harry leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. “i know where i’ve heard that name before.”
hermione’s eyebrows furrowed.
harry’s mind flashed back to the pensieve in dumbledore’s office. the cold courtroom. evan rosier. moody’s scarred face.
dumbledore mentioning another rosier once before too. vinda rosier, the witch connected to grindelwald.
i finally sat down on the wooden stool, and mcgonagall dropped the ancient, tattered sorting hat onto my head. it slid down slightly, casting a shadow over my eyes.
"ah, rosier," the hat's raspy voice muttered. "you’re far more emotional than you would like people to know." i narrowed my eyes.
"no?" the sounded amused. "you hide it well. although you are quite intelligent. you could do well in ravenclaw."
i blinked. ravenclaw? i could already imagine the smirk on draco and charles faces. they would never let me live that down.
the hat took a deep breath. “but…there’s more.”flashes of the rosier manor, my father, the malfoy family, my aunt’s narcissa and bellatrix, the portrait of my great great aunt vinda hanging in our corridor.
“oh… i know exactly where you belong.”
the hat finally shouting the final word to the entire great hall.
"SLYTHERIN!"
applause erupted from the slytherin table, draco was already grinning. pansy clapped loudly, and blaise and theo looked amused. as i crossed over to sit down, across the hall harry was looking over.
ron leaned closer. "well, there you go." harry frowned slightly, but hermoine kept watching thoughtfully. right before the hat shouted slytherin, she could've sworn she'd heard it hesitate.
draco immediately slid over, making a space for me between himself and pansy. "never doubt it, lynnette," draco murmured. "the hat knows real blood when it feels it."
"it hesitated," i whispered back, smoothing down my skirt. "it almost said ravenclaw." charles, sitting just a few seats down, snorted into his goblet. "ravenclaw? you? please. the manor would have collapsed from the shame."
pansy patted my arm, her eyes scanning my french tailored uniform pieces. "well, thank merlin it didn't. we need more taste at this table anyway."
i lifted my chin, offering her a cool polite nod, she looked down at her book, though her brow stayed furrowed. as the feast went on, the space around me grew tight, not because of the glares but because blaise and theo were a few seats down.
later that night, the other girls had already gone down to dinner, leaving me alone with my thoughts. i felt myself getting emotional again. while i was unpacking some of my things, especially because i decided to reread the letter julie had sent me.
the green light from the black lake rippled across the stone ceiling. it was freezing. as time had passed trying to put away and organize most of my things, the girls had come back to get ready for bed.
across the room, pansy was sitting on her bed, brushing her hair with loud, aggressive strokes. she looked over at my pile of silk robes, her nose curling up.
"you know, leaving your things strewn about isn't a good look for a slytherin. i thought beauxbatons taught girls manners."
i didn't look up from my vanity. "yeah well, we were taught to focus on elegance, pansy. not to obsess over other people's business."
she let out a sharp scoff, pulling her curtains shut with a loud, dramatic snap.
the silence settled back into the room, heavy and cold. i pulled my knees to my chest, staring at the dark water outside the window. it was so different from the beauty of southern france.
my chest ached with a sudden, sharp wave of homesickness. i missed the warmth. i missed the easy laughter. most of all, i missed the days before blaise and theo made everything so suffocatingly complicated.
i couldn't sleep. the tension from the boys earlier still made my skin crawl. blaise's dark, angry eyes and theo's quiet, wounded stare kept flashing in my mind.
giving up on rest, i pulled a piece of parchment and a silver quill from my bag. sitting by the dim green glow of the lamp, i began to write to my best friend back home before the morning classes could start.
dear julie,
i survived the sorting, though the hat almost put me in ravenclaw. i am in slytherin now. which is not a surprise, but the dungeons here are absolutely freezing.
and you don't have to worry about me becoming british. the food here is entirely too heavy, and the people are far too dramatic. i feel terrible about james, let me know if he ever speaks up.
and on the topic of drama, you remember the mess with blaise and theo. it’s absolutely terrible here. i’ll let you know if anything happens.
but please keep writing me. your letters are the only thing keeping me sane. i wish i was back in france with you. tell marie i say hi! and send news soon.
- lynnette
i sealed the letter with a dollop of green wax just as the first morning light began to bleed through the lake water. i walked over to my half unpacked trunk, determined to look completely put together.
i pulled out my heavy hogwarts robe, but instead of the standard school issued blouse, i chose one of my tailored white silk shirts from Paris. the lace at the cuffs were subtle, but it was a quiet reminder of home.
sitting at the vanity, i brushed out my hair until it fell smoothly over my shoulders, i applied my eye makeup and for my scent i put on a light touch of rosewater. i then smoothed down the green and silver slytherin tie. looking in the mirror, the contrast was sharp.
i left the dormitory before the other girls could wake up, i stepped into the common room. the fire was dying down. and twenty minutes later, after sending julie's letter, i walked into the defense against the dark arts classroom for my very first lesson.
the room was already half full. the seating arrangement was a disaster. professor umbridge was already seated at the front, wearing a hideous pink cardigan and a fake, sugary smile.
draco waved me over to a seat near the window, but as i walked down the aisle, potter's eyes locked onto me from his desk. ron was leaning over, whispering furiously in his ear, pointing a quill in my direction.
i took my seat next to draco, but the real problem was right behind me. blaise sat down on my left, his shoulder brushing mine, while theo took the seat directly behind me, his cold silence radiating against my back.
"wands away, children," umbridge's high, sweet voice chirped, cutting through the murmurs. "open your ministry approved textbooks to page five."
“we will be focusing on theory. as this school has let your practical defense training lapse, we must correct it."
"but professor," harry’s voice rang out from across the room. "how is theory going to protect us from what's out there?"
the entire room went completely dead silent. next to harry, ron looked terrified, and hermione was staring down, her brow furrowed.
"mr. potter," umbridge smiled. "you have been told quite clearly that there is nothing out there waiting to attack you. who do you imagine wants to harm children such as yourself?"
"oh, i don't know, maybe voldemort?" harry spat, the name making half the room flinch. "or do you think cedric diggory just dropped dead for nothing?"
"cedric diggory's death was a tragic accident!" her voice rose, cutting through her sweet facade. she slammed her palms onto her desk. "and you will not spread these nasty lies in my classroom!”
"detention for the rest of the week, mr. potter!" she smoothed down her pink cardigan and scanned the room, looking for a new target to assert her power over. her small, bulging toad like eyes locked directly onto me.
"and what about you, dear?" she purred, stepping down and walking toward my desk. "miss lynnette rosier, is it? a transfer from beauxbatons. i have been looking over your records."
i sat up a little straighter, my hands folding in my lap. "yes, professor."
"the ministry is deeply concerned about foreign educational standards," she said, stopping right in front of me. her fake smile was back. "especially considering your school hosted the tournament where these... fabrications began.”
“tell me, miss rosier, did the french ministry also fill your head with dangerous, tragic rumors about the dark lord's return?"
harry’s eyes snapped to me, waiting to see what the new slytherin girl would say. behind me, i heard blaise’s chair scrape slightly as he tensed up.
"beauxbatons taught us to focus on our studies, professor," i said smoothly, keeping my voice cool, polite, and neutral. "we do not involve ourselves in british ministry politics."
umbridge's eyes narrowed. she didn't like the lack of submission. "but your family tree is entirely british, isn't it? the rosiers. a historic family. though, several of your relatives have had... unfortunate run ins with the department of magical law enforcement. your father, for instance. and your aunts."
she was baiting me. she was trying to force me to admit my connection to the malfoys and black families, or pull me into the voldemort debate.
across the aisle, ron leaned over to harry. "see? told you. her family are all death eaters," he whispered loudly.
"silence, mr. weasley!" umbridge snapped without looking at him, her eyes still glued to mine. "well, miss rosier? do you intend to bring that rebellious, dark family history into my classroom, or will you conform to proper ministry standards?"
"all i know is that ignoring a threat doesn’t make it disappear. it just makes you an easier target." i said.
a collective breath seemed to leave the room. out of the corner of my eye, i saw draco look up sharply, his brow furrowing. across the aisle, hermione’s eyes went wide, and even harry stopped breathing for a second, totally stunned to hear me back him up.
umbridge's fake smile twitched, her eyes bulging dangerously as she leaned closer to my desk. detention, miss rosier!" she shrieked. "for your blatant disrespect! twenty points from slytherin! you will report to my office tonight at eight o'clock alongside mr. potter!"
i didn't blink. i held her gaze, keeping my posture perfectly rigid. "my apologies, professor, but may i remind you that, foreign transfer students who remain under legal french ministry guardianship actually cannot receive school level detentions without prior review.”
umbridge froze. her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. she wanted to scream, she wanted to lock me away, but the threat of an international bureaucratic nightmare tied her hands.
"very well," she whispered, her voice trembling with pure rage as she drew herself up. "the points remain docked. we shall see how long your french paperwork protects you from proper discipline, miss rosier.”
my heart was hammering against my ribs, though my face remained an emotionless mask. the rest of the class period passed in a miserable, suffocating blur. the second the bell rang, i packed my parchment and silver quill with trembling fingers.
harry potter threw a dark, completely bewildered look over his shoulder at me as he left with ron and hermione, clearly stunned that i had not only spoken up, but had successfully dodged umbridge's wrath.
i grabbed my bag and hurried out of the door, desperate to escape the heavy presence of the two boys behind me.
"lynnette! wait."
a firm hand caught my forearm just past the dungeon threshold, pulling me into a recessed stone alcove away from the stream of moving students. i spun around, expecting blaise or theo, but it was draco.
his eyes were wide with a mix of fury and genuine panic, his pale face tighter than usual. "are you completely out of your mind?" draco hissed, dropping his hand but stepping closer to block me from view.
"what were you thinking, snapping back at her like that? quoting international law to an inquisitor?"
"i wasn't going to let her bully me, draco," looking around the crowded corridor. "she was dragging our family name through the mud in front of everyone."
"she's the ministry, lynnette!" draco snapped, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "father wrote to me about her. she has fudge's complete backing. you can't just throw your french pride around here. there are people are watching us.”
“if word gets back to my father about you making waves on your very first day..." he trailed off, crossing his arms. draco glanced over my shoulder, his expression turning into a cold, hard sneer. i turned around slightly.
blaise and theo were walking out of the classroom together, but they weren't talking. they moved like two ghosts, completely ignoring each other, and as they passed us neither of them even looked in our direction. they walked straight past us, their shoulders tense, leaving me standing there with my cousin.
draco looked back at me, his eyes softening just a fraction. "look, everyone already knows we're family. potter and his crowd are already whispering about it. but you need to keep your head down.”
the rest of the day was a blur, and by the time the sun dipped below the black lake, leaving the slytherin common room in its familiar, freezing green shadow, i was completely exhausted.
neither boy had looked at me during dinner, and draco’s warnings kept ringing in my ears. i climbed the stone stairs to the girls dormitory, the weight of my first day at hogwarts pressing down on my chest.
i stared up at the dark canopy. i had survived umbridge, but between potter and his friends growing suspicion and the silent war with the two boys i couldn't stop thinking about, i knew the real storm was only just beginning.
