A dark figure leaps through an open window. The figure walks into the light. It snarls, exposing sharp, jagged rows of teeth. “Aaaaaah!” I sit up, drenched in sweat. My breathing is heavy and quick. “Not again,” I mutter, rubbing my eyes. After taking a couple deep breaths, I steady myself against the headboard. My leg muscles are twitching and I rub them. The curtains around my bed open and I inhale sharply. Lily pokes her head through the opening. I exhale, glad it’s not him.
“Are you alright? I heard screaming,” Lily asks, looking concerned.
“Yeah. It was just a nightmare,” I say dismissively, trying to calm myself. “What time is it?” I ask groggily.
“Five am,” Lily says brightly. I lay down, knowing I can still sleep more.
“I’m going back to bed,” I whisper, pulling up my quilt. Lily nods and closes the curtains as she walks back to her bed. Tossing and turning, I try to fall back asleep but I can’t erase the image from my head. I groan and sit up. I slide off my bed, rummage around in my trunk and grab my favorite set of navy blue robes. After getting dressed quietly I tiptoe out of the room and down the staircase. The sun is just above the horizon, rising over the Forbidden Forest. I sink into an armchair next to the glowing embers of the fire. I rest my head in my hand.
“Alexia,” someone calls. I open my eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the bright light.
“‘Morning Rose” I mutter, stretching out my arms. She smiles and says good morning. “What time is it?” I ask, yawning.
“Eight,” Rose replies, unaware of how early that is to normal people. “What time did you go to bed last night?” She takes a seat across from me.
“I went to bed at midnight. Teddy told me to go to bed when I was finishing my homework,” I smile thinking about how we tease each other. “Did you sleep well?”
“No,” I work my hands through my hair, combing it out. She looks at me confused. “I woke up at five,” I explain.
“Screaming,” Lily adds, taking a seat next to me. I look down, hiding the embarrassment spreading across my face.
“Nightmare?” Rose asks. I nod but she raises an eyebrow suspiciously.
“I’m fine,” I say, trying to sound persuasive. “Should we go down to breakfast?” I ask, changing the subject. We agree to meet in the Great Hall in twenty minutes. I climb back up the spiral staircase, pushing open the door into my dorm room. After picking up my hairbrush off my bedside table, I stroke my hair. I stare into the mirror, looking at my pale complexion. I sigh quietly, wishing I didn’t look so sickly. It’s what I get for being me, I think. I apply some color to my cheeks and head down the stairs. Looking around the common room for my friends, I head down to the Great Hall.
Since it is Friday, there are few students in uniform robes. In the Great Hall, I take a seat at the Gryffindor table. Glancing around the Great Hall, there are students wearing many different color robes. Some students are wearing brighter colors like pink and reds while some are wearing darker colors like black and blues. Other students are wearing comfortable Muggle clothing like sweatpants and T-shirts.
Rose walks through the large doorway, dressed in a set of dark purple robes. She takes a seat next to me and takes a piece of toast off a platter. I pour myself some tea and sip on it, waiting for Lily. After a couple of minutes, Lily hurries towards us, displaying dark green robes that match her fire red hair. Just as she sits down, I hear the sounds of wings beating. Looking up, owls are flying through an open window. All the owls have parcels or envelopes attached to their legs. They swoop down in unison, landing wherever they need be. A large brown owl lands in front of Rose, holding the Daily Prophet. She places a knut in a pouch tied to its leg and unties the paper. Unfolding it, she buries herself in the articles. That owl takes off, satisfied with its job. A white owl perches on Lily’s plate, holding onto a parcel. She takes it and thanks the snowy owl.
“Care package,” Lily explains, undoing the twine. An owl circles above me and I recognize the screech. Nim flies down and gracefully lands on the rim of my goblet. I quickly untie the envelope. I pet Nim on the beak and give her a treat from my pocket. She flaps her wings, soaring into the air, heading in the direction of the owlery. I tear open the letter, finding two separate letters. I read the first one:
Dearest Alexia,
Sorry about your Snape problem. He hated me too. (I would
change into him and mock him before class started.) Work has been busy, but I love it. I’m going undercover again so wish me luck. If you need anything contact Remus, since I’ll be on no communication. Remus also wrote a letter. It should be in the same envelope. The house feels empty without you or Teddy. I look forward to seeing you two at Christmas! Keep working hard in your classes! (Binns is boring but at least try.) Give Teddy my love.
Tonks
I look in the envelope and read the second letter:
Alexia,
You scared me and Tonks half to death that night. I’m happy that
you haven’t had any more reactions. Snape will always be a jerk. There’s not much you can do about that. I’ve been looking for a job, but it’s very hard. No one is willing to hire a werewolf. Anyway, study hard. I’m proud of you. Tell Teddy to study for his classes, especially Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Your father,
Remus Lupin
I finish reading and look up. Rose is flipping through pages, nearing the end. Lily is eating some biscuits that are in a tin. “Any good advice or anything?” Rose asks, looking up from the newspaper.
“No,” I say, folding the letters back up and stuffing them into the envelope. “Anything interesting in the Prophet?” I ask, reading the headings on the front page.
“Not really. Another law was passed regarding transportation and the Floo Service.” Rose answers, folding the paper and passing it to me. I take it and unfold it, skimming through the pages. After skimming the entire newspaper, I hand it back to her.
“What are we doing today?” Lily asks, finishing another biscuit. Rose looks at me to decide.
“Well we have some homework to do. Oh. . . and we have Astronomy tonight,” I say, remembering what Flamel said.
“We can go back to the common room to grab our things. I have a special spot where we can go do our homework,” Rose says, smiling wryly. We stand up, the bench scraping against the ancient stone floor. I follow directly behind Rose and Lily who are leading the way. I’m still unsure about where some classrooms are, so it’s good to have Rose around. We climb up the staircase and I run into Tonks.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, wondering if Teddy or I got in trouble. Rose and Lily look back at me but I usher them to keep going.
Tonks smiles. “I’m positioned here for some extra safety. I told you I would be undercover again.” I hug her and she laughs. “Missed me, haven’t you?”
“Yes.” I smile, pulling away. “Does Teddy know?”
“If he doesn’t already, he will know soon. I heard that you got detention.” Her smile fades.
I look away, unsure of how to respond to that. I’m usually the good child in this family and I can see that Tonks is taking that into account too. “How did you find out?” I ask curiously.
“I was speaking with Dumbledore before. We were told to report to him.”
“We?” I ask, wondering who else is here. She sees my look.
“Some other Aurors. Remus is at home, preparing.” Her tone drops and her changes to a light blond. “Go on. I know you have other things to do then stand around all day.” She smiles, changing her hair color back to pink. I wave goodbye and hurry to catch up with Rose and Lily. I climb through the portrait hole after giving the password. Rose and Lily are standing with Violet, waiting. I grab my bag off a nearby table and walk over to them.
“Where are we going?” I ask Rose.
“You’ll see.” She leads us out of the common room. We climb down the plethora of steps. We turn a corner and Rose leads us out into the courtyard, washed with bright daylight. I close my eyes, listening to the sounds of nature. Birds are calling in the distance and if you listen very closely you can hear the strange sounds of the Forbidden Forest. I open my eyes. Rose leads us down a stone path, heading down towards the lake. We stop in front of a tree.
“This is it?” A tree?” Violet asks, confused. To other people this is just a normal tree. To Rose, Lily, and I it has a totally different meaning.
“It’s not just a tree, Violet,” I say, dropping my bag at the base of the tree and sitting on the grass. Lily sits down next to me, also dumping her bag. “It’s got a great story behind it about friendship.”
“Let’s hear it then,” Violet says, trying to coax it out of us. Rose, Lily and I look at each other and smile.
I start the story. “My father, Remus, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew used to hang out under this tree when they went here. They once hung Snape by his ankle on that branch,” I say, pointing above me.
Rose continues, “Several years later my mum and father and Harry Potter completed homework under this tree. I thought we should continue the tradition.” She looks at Lily.
“My mum used to come here too,” Lily adds. Violet looks at me, asking about my parents silently.
I explain, “I have no idea about mine. Tonks might have been near this tree, but I have no idea about my real parents. I don’t even know my blood status.” Violet looks at me sadly. She takes a seat in the grass next to me, leaning against the trunk of the tree. Rose walks around the tree and sits on the side that we aren’t on. I take out some Astronomy notes to read over.
Violet asks, “Do you remember your parents? Do you at least have a story about them and why?” She looks at the lake, watching the giant squid splash around.
“Um. . .I mean I was seven. I don’t remember what they look like at all or if I had any siblings or any pets. I have a few memories, but nothing much.” I skim my notes and find the section I wanted to review.
“Why did they leave you?” Violet presses on the touchy subject.
Lily coughs, “Personal,” before she continues writing.
I smile and ignore Lily. “I have no idea. Remus knows who they are and why but he won’t tell me until I’m older.” I lie about the why part. I know why. They didn’t want someone who was part-werewolf. A tear leaks out.
“No I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Violet says apologetically. Rose and Lily look up from their work for a moment.
I wipe away the tear and smile sadly. “It’s not you. I was thinking how totally different my life would be if I still lived with my real parents.” How I wouldn’t be a forgotten child with a problem, I think. I flip over the piece of parchment and continue reading. Thinking about Astronomy I suddenly remember that it's tonight. “I gotta go,” I announce, standing up. I throw my things in my bag and hurry off. I wave behind me. “See you guys at dinner!” They look at each other confused, but let me be. I run back to the castle and enter through the courtyard. I walk once I’m inside, knowing I can get in trouble for running in the corridors. I ascend the steps to the Astronomy tower. I open the door to the classroom and look around. He’s not here. I descend the steps, breathing heavily. I think about where he might me. The staff room!
I head in the direction of the staff room, walking speedily down the corridor. I pass one of the newer sections. They rebuilt the castle so it still looks like the original, but it has a fresh feel to it. I reach the large wood and metal door, unsure of what to do. I decide to knock instead of bursting in. After knocking the door opens. McGonagall is standing in the doorway.
“Is Professor Flamel here?” I ask.
“Yes, I’ll get him.” She turns around and walks over to where I can’t see. Professor Flamel steps into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
“What do you want, Miss. . ?” Flamel asks, tapping his foot impatiently.
“Lupin,” I supply. “I can’t come to class tonight.”
“And why is that?” he asks, peering down at me.
I look around, checking to make sure there are no students, before answering, “Tonight’s the Full Moon, Professor.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. That is why we are having class tonight. That is not an excuse,” Flamel says condescendingly.
I come back with, “That is my excuse. Take a hint at my last name, Professor.”
Flamel is silent for a moment. Then his eyes widen with recognition.
“If you have a problem with that you can take it up with the Headmaster or my parents. I believe Tonks is in the castle right now and Remus is at home,” I add nonchalantly.
He nods. “That’s quite alright. Tonight we will be working on learning about the Moon. I’m sure you have experience with that,” he stops to look at me. I nod. “I will expect a twelve inch summary on my desk on Monday about the Moon, its phases and its effect on the tides and certain creatures.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Thank you for telling me. Have a good rest of your day,” he turns and opens the door, walking back into the staff room. I turn around and head back outside, towards the tree. Rose raises an eyebrow but continues reading.
Once I sit back down, leaning against the trunk, I grab another piece of parchment. I dip my quill in some ink and start writing. I reference my Astronomy book and some older notes occasionally. When I look up, I realize the sun is blazing above us, warm for September.
“Should we go to lunch?” I ask, interrupting everyone from their work.
Rose closes the textbook she is reading. “Actually, I was going to grab some sandwiches from the Great Hall that we could eat here.”
“Good idea,” Lily adds, looking up from her writing.
“I’ll come with you. I’m nearly finished with my homework anyway,” I volunteer. Rose nods and we head up the stone path towards the castle.
Once we’re out of earshot Rose asks, “You really don’t remember anything about your parents?”
“No. It’s weird because I’ve read that you start remembering things when you’re a toddler. I have my theories but I think a memory charm was put on me.”
“By who?” She asks, wanting to know more about my theories. We follow the bend in the path.
“That’s where my theories end. I have no clue on who would do that or why.” I say, looking at the trees that we pass by. Rose is silent, probably thinking. We proceed through the courtyard and turn, following the corridor. We cross through the grand doorway into the Great Hall. Moving towards Gryffindor table, we stand over the table.
“Not going to sit down,” Teddy asks, stuffing some chicken into his mouth. He glances at Rose.
Rose responds, “We’re grabbing food to go.” She takes a tray of sandwiches before Teddy could grab one.
“Ooo. . .Where are you hiding?” He asks.
I roll my eyes at him. “It’s not much of a secret. Under a tree near the lake. See you later Teddy.” We leave the Great Hall and walk back towards the tree. “
“Yum,” Violet says when we get closer towards the tree.
“Rose commandeered the entire tray for us,” I smile and grab one. I sit back down and lean against the tree. Violet takes a seat next to me and Lily sits on the other side. We face the lake and watch the squid play around. Rose sits down, placing the tray of sandwiches in her lap. I take a bite, tasting the mustard, ham, lettuce and bread. Once we finish I stand back up, dusting off crumbs.
“Who wants to practice some spells?” I ask, smiling.
“Me!” Lily squeals, excited. She also stands up.
“Sure why not?” Violet adds calmly, rising.
I look at Rose. “We need a teacher,” I coax.
“Fine,” She stands up, drops the empty platter and pulls out her wand. “Ok. Let’s start with something easy. I’ll try to jinx you and you have to cast a shield charm.” She backs up a couple steps.
“We haven’t learned much yet,” Lily adds.
“Right. I forgot about that. To cast a shield charm you say, ‘Protego.’ Who wants to go first?” Rose asks, looking at us. Violet steps forward and moves so she is standing directly across from Rose. Lily and I count down.
Rose shouts, “Impedimenta!” and flicks her wand.
At the same time Violet shouts, “Protego!” A feeble light issues from her wand, protecting her for a moment before flicking out. Violet ducks, knowing that her shield charm didn’t work. The jinx misses Violet and it hits a tree.
“I’ll go next,” I say, confident in my ability. I step forward and take Violet’s place, pulling out my birch wand. Violet steps back, moving next to Lily.
They count down together, “Three. Two. One!”
I yell, “Protego!” I move my wand slightly and see something form.
At the same time Rose shouts, “Flipendo!”
The jinx hits my shield charm and bounces back, hitting Rose. She flies back, and lands on the grass. I immediately move over, but I run into my own charm. I bounce slightly back. Once it disappears, I run over to Rose. “Are you good?” I ask, looking at her lying in the grass. I offer my hand. She takes it and stands up, brushing dirt off of her robes.
“I’m fine. Should probably stick to Impedimenta,” Rose notes.
“How did I do?” I ask, wanting to know.
“Oh! That was great. Very strong,” She compliments. I nod, happy to know I did it well.
I look over to where Lily is standing. “Your turn,” I grin.
A couple hours later, the sun begins setting. We have spent the entire time dueling and practicing spells. I have mastered the shield charm, even though it is stronger than everyone else's. Violet and Lily have also mastered it. Rose declares that I’m a natural but I’m hesitant to accept that. We also started working on beginner jinxes. Violet pronounces her spells the fastest, giving no warning beforehand. Lily is really good at jinxes and Rose is a master of everything.
We shoulder our bags and head back up to the castle. The sun is far above the treetops, but it is starting to change color. Climbing step after step, we trudge up to Gryffindor common room. Inside, several students are milling around, some are playing wizard’s chess while others are working on homework. I drop my bag. I pull an apple out and take a large bite.
“Wow there. We’re eating dinner soon,” Violet says, watching me devour the apple.
“I can’t go. I’m meeting the Astronomy teacher for tutoring since I missed last class,” I lie.
She frowns. “I thought you were good at Astronomy.”
“Apparently not,” I reply, making my way towards the portrait hole. I wave goodbye and disappear through it.