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Chapter Text

Fletcher Eichmann, August 3, 1991

"Yo Fletch! Clock's ticking, I should be in a cab and on my way home and to a nice hot dinner with Cherie,". A low chuckle emits from the darkness of the long museum hallway. A light flashes from the tip of a wand revealing the young stubbly face of Fletcher Eichmann.

"I know Russel, give me a minute," Fletcher polishes a case surrounding a set of ornately painted 14th-century urns. "This place will be open to the public tomorrow, it's our job to make sure everything looks good". Russell Macedon groans, eliciting another chuckle from Fletcher.

"Oh come on, Fletch! We have both nearly broken our backs these last few months putting this exhibit together. We deserve to have one night when we get off of work at the right time. What about Jane? Don't you think she would be asking you to leave with me now?"

Fletcher slowly stops polishing the case, a smile spreading. He is likely thinking of his wife Jane and daughter Sabrina. A wonderful family he has, a blessing, he is likely thinking. He sighs hard, the sound cutting through the silence of the large cavernous exhibit room.

"Fine," Fletcher says causing Russell to let out a woo sound, punching his fist in the air. "Let me gr–

BOOM!

Fletcher and Russell are thrown to the ground by the impact of something heavy slamming into one of the side walls. Dust falls from the ceiling stinging the eyes of the men. Russell, having been able to rid his face and eyes of the dust, looks a the side wall to find it just...gone. Completely gone, as if it wasn't even there to begin with.

"Fletch," he pats the other man's arm to get his attention, "Flet–" his words die in his throat when he sees who steps through the hole. 

A group of people, no more than six, strolls through the opening without care. They're shrouded in black, the only light coming from the moon that only illuminates their backs. Fletcher has been able to sit up and clear his vision, though his ears still ring loudly. 

Russell starts to scoot back and into the darkness, he grabs the excess of Fletcher's coat to drag him back as well. "They haven't seen us yet, Fletch, let's go," he whispers, but Fletcher doesn't move, though, Russell grabs more of his coat. "Fletcher!" Russell whispers.

Fletcher finally moves only when the scariest of the group moves towards the exhibit's most treasured artifact. "No!" Fletcher pulls his way from Russell's grip and stands up. The faces of the rest of the group turn towards him. Russell, though, still hidden, scoots farther back into the void of darkness.

"Those do not belong to you!" One of the group's members laughs out loud but stops abruptly when the scariest man's hand shoots up. He slowly turns around to face Fletcher, the face of a ghost looks Fletcher dead in the eyes, a face Fletcher knew well but should not be here. This face did not belong in the 20th century.

"Please pardon my manners, allow me to introduce myself," his arms stretched upwards, the sleeves of his long dark coat opening and revealing a void of the darkest night.

"I...am...death," the darkness of the unknown man's coat is the last thing Fletcher Eichmann sees, but instead of fear he thinks of his wife and daughter, allowing him the strength to take his death with dignity.

Chapter Text

Sabrina Eichmann, August 25th, 1991

Thirty minutes. 

Only thirty minutes had passed and Fletcher Eichmann was nothing more than a headstone sticking up from the damp earth. Cora's cold hand clings to mine tightly and I'm happy for it. I couldn't imagine the hell my mom and I's life would be without my dad's family. 

Cora Bainbridge was my cousin, but you would think we were sisters the way we acted together. Anytime we were visiting each other we would be attached to the hip. Having her here was my lifeline. I would likely crumble if it were just my mom and I. 

Moving was tough, leaving my friends at Ilvermorny was devastating, but going to Hogwarts was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. It's also a definite plus having Cora be there with me.

We decided to have my dad buried here in London near his sister, Cora's mother. I sneak a peek over my left shoulder and past Cora's head and find my mom. She's pale and clutching onto my aunt Mira, who also clutches onto my mom. Her sad pale face matched my mom's as they both watched the dirt be poured onto my dad's coffin.

Within those thirty minutes, our friends and other family leave us in our misery bubble. His headstone shining in comparison to the older ones around it leaves a terrible taste in my mouth.

They hadn't told us much about his death. only that there had been a burglary and he had tried to stop them. My dad, I think, forever a just man.

"Are you ready?" Cora's freshly dyed light bubblegum hair fills my cold, sad, vision. A ray of sunshine and light in my suddenly dark life. I nod solemnly and her arm slides around my shoulder quickly as we walk back to her family's car.

We settle in and decide on something my dad would like to eat, causing us to go into detail about our favorite moments of eating out with him. It allows me to smile for the first time since my life was turned on its head. I look around the car as we drive to get food and hope that I have more moments like this. Free and unadulterated laughter, remembering him like this feels nice and comforting.

The sounds of stories about my dad change to one of the new year and train whistles.

A week has passed and Cora and I are walking to an open private cabin on the express that will take us to the infamous castle.

Once we come upon one, Cora slides the door open and slides into it. "Ugh! Finally! I swear more kids show up every year. It's getting ridiculous, Sab, I swear," she groans, falling onto the bench on one side of the car. I laugh, reaching up to slide my bag onto the top shelf above the other bench.

"Isn't it a good thing, it means you never have to worry about not having enough students," I plop on the bench opposite of her and cross my legs. My hands fall onto my lap and I resist the urge to wring them, a nervous habit that I have inherited only recently.

"Sabrina?" My eyes fly to hers, the sweet and caring look she gives me stamping the anxiety down.

She scoots forward, grabbing one of my hands, "You know they're gonna love you, right?" Air pushes past my nostrils and I look away from her and out the window. "Whatever house you belong to, they'll love you," she shakes my hand to try and get my eyes back to hers. "Because if they don't, they'll have me to deal with".

I laugh, breaking my hand free, "Fine, I'll stop worrying,"

She beams, "Good," she looks at me inquisitively for a few beats, "You know, Sab, if you ever–". The cabin door slides open just in time, saving me from another talk about sadness and loss.

"Excuse me, " a boy around our age stands awkwardly at the open door, "Is it okay if I sit in here with you?" His dark green eyes shift between the two of us haphazardly.

"Of course, it took us so long to find this car. I'm sure the rest of the train is filled to the brim," Cora thankfully saves me from having to answer.

The boy chuckles, "You have no idea, truly," he walks inside and Cora switches seats and sits next to me. The boy slides his bag next to Cora's and sits on the bench she had occupied.

It seems as though he has found a seat just in time to as the express horn blares again and we start to move. we wave goodbye to my mom and aunt Mira as the train slowly pulls away from platform 9 and three-quarters.

Three and half hours into the ride Cora decides the silence has become too much for because she starts asking the boy sharing our car a barrage of questions.

"What's your name?"

"Hmm?" He says, likely not being prepared for the conversation, "Oh! Um, Alfie. Alfie Martyn," her eyes squint for a bit before they grow wide.

"You're a Gryffindor, right? You're a keeper for Gryffindor, right?"

Alfie laughs, "Yes".

Cora's hands come together before grabbing my shoulder, "This is the guy I was telling you about," Alfie's cheeks go red and I have to bite my cheek to fight the urge to laugh. "He was the one that kept Hufflepuff from winning the cup last year".

A slight tingle of remembrance goes through me, "Oh yeah, didn't you say you were going to throw his broom into the whomping will–"

Her hand flies to my mouth, "No, I didn't" she shakes her head then turns to Alfie, "I didn't".

I pull her hand from my mouth, "Cora's aggression for quidditch is an inherited family trait, don't take it to heart".

He nods while smiling, "Noted. So, um, what year are you both?"

"I've been going to here since I was a first year, but Sabrina's transferring here from Ilvermorny," Alfie studies me for a few beats.

"But...You're," he points in the direction of his mouth and it takes me a minute to understand.

"Oh! My...dad got a job at the Ministries Museum of Magic Antiquities branch near Boston. So I've been at Ilvermorny since my first year," Cora's hand twitches on my shoulder, invisible to Alfie's eye.

"Well I hope Hogwarts treats you well," I smile at him, you have no idea how much I am hoping for that.

Two more hours pass when Cora nudges me awake from my nap, "Do you want some sweets?" I try to blink back the sleepiness from my eyes when our cabin door slides open revealing a cart piled high with any kind of magic sweets a young wizard or witch could imagine. My stomach growls at the thought and I hum in approval.

"Come on," she gestures for me to get up and I do, "Alfie do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks, Cora" she nods, pulling me almost out of the cabin closer to the cart.

"Hello dearies, pick what you like," a plump, bright-haired woman stands waiting for us to choose.

"Which ones do you want?" Cora waits for my answer, but I am bogged down by the sheer amount of choices I have a hard time deciding.

"You choose for me. I'll likely enjoy whatever you choose,"

"You aren't really asking me that August?" The upset voice of a girl permeates into the hallway. Cora doesn't seem to notice, too controlled by the amount of candy in front of us. A girl of average height is standing in front of an open cabin door. she stands with her hands on her hips and head cocked to the side. I can see no more than half of her face, but I don't need to to know that she's pissed at whoever she's talking to.

"Why not? Your poor shot cost us the cup last term. I don't need another year to see if you get better at your job".

"You're an ass, August–"

"Augustus".

"Piss off". The girl pivots her body and stomps off, her long dark ponytail swishing angrily against her back.

A head of copped blonde hair peeks out from the cabin. A boy, near my age, peers in the direction of where the girl stomped off. Before he slides back inside his head swings our way and his dark brown stare pierces through me. I'm locked into his gaze, but it doesn't last long because he slips back fully into the cabin, the door shutting with a loud click.

"Sabrina?" Cora's cold hand knocks me back into reality, her brows pitch as if asking me if I'm good.

I nod, "I'm good". She watches me for a few milliseconds before handing the lady some money to pay for the candy.

We walk back into our cabin, sharing our sweets and chatting with Alfie to the school.

Chapter Text

"This your bed, Sabrina. The elves should have brought all your cases and your owl when you arrived. If you want we can walk together to our first class tomorrow. On Wednesday our first class is Transfiguration at eleven. Breakfast starts at nine tomorrow, I'll be waiting," Rosie says waving goodnight as she leaves me by my bed. The four other girls in my room have introduced themselves as Ziva Arden, Drew Marchels, Quinn Bresden, and Wren Cardens.

With introductions and bathing aside, I begin to settle into my bed.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Prefect Marchels?" Drew pops up from her bed to open the door. An unknown girl around our age stands in the hallway.

"What's up?"

"Professor Flitwick wanted me to bring a message to Sabrina," I stand up from my bed when I hear my name.

"Yes?"

"Oh! Professor Flitwick wants you to go see him tomorrow morning before your Transfiguration class. I have your invitation here," The girl hands Drew the note.

"Thank you, Alice," Alice bids goodnight to us and Drew closes the door. She walks over to me and hands me the note. "Professor Flitwick is in charge of Ravenclaw House. Having an invitation is only customary for a new student so far into school. It's nothing to worry about. Have this with you so if anyone asks where you're going they can point in the right direction," I nod and thank her.

I set the letter down on my side table in an area where I'll see it tomorrow so I don't forget it. My bed is in a little corner part of the room. It is parallel to the wall and up against a window. I can see part of the valley surrounding Hogwarts. blue curtains drape from the ceiling surrounding my bed.

"Alright girls, curfew. Lights out," Drew calls from her section of the room. I turn off my lamp before slipping under the covers. The light from the moon streaming through the window keeps the worst of the dark away. It adds a sense of calm and assurance to my anxious mind.

bump...

I am jolted from my light sleep, turning over fast to find Drew changing back into her robes. "Drew?" She jumps when I call her name.

"Oh...sorry Sabrina. I should have told you. I have morning prefect patrols on Wednesday and Friday," she whispers while shoving her feet into her shoes.

"Oh. That makes sense. Sorry," she smiles at me and says goodnight as she leaves our room. The quiet of the early morning slipped back into our room. The other girls, obviously used to having Drew leave, had slept through her exit.

8:30 AM Ravenclaw Common Room

I meet Rosie in the Ravenclaw common room the next morning.

"I have to meet Professor Flitwick so I'll be at breakfast a little later than you," I say. Rosie, Wren, and two other students stand by a set of sofas in the middle of the large room.

"Okay, don't worry. We'll be in there until we have to leave for Transfiguration. Do you need me to walk you there," I weigh my answer, but then a loud rumble comes from Rosie's stomach and I know my answer.

"No, it's okay. I'll be fine," I say my goodbyes to my Wren and Rosie and make my way out of the common room.

I walk, using the directions included in the invitation. However, within 15 minutes I am hopelessly lost. I have been turned around multiple times because of those stupid moving stairs. 

I finally stop walking to try and get my bearings, looking between the invitation and my surroundings to try and find where I went wrong.

"Well well well, what do we have here? A lost rabbit, perhaps?" The same gruff voice that had taunted me last night has found me again this morning.

Beck stands at an intersection of hallways in front of me, "Who said I'm lost?" I try and keep my voice stern and piercing.

He ignores me, "Maybe I can help you find your way. If you were to tell me I could, out of the kindness of my heart, point you the right way," he takes a few confident steps towards me, in response, I take a few steps back.

"What do you want?"

He fakes hurt, "I only want to help Sabrina. Newbies should be taught where they belong".

"You want to teach me? Beck you know bolstering your intelligence is not a good look," my mouth runs before I can stop the words from coming out.

"You bi–" Beck goes into a full stampede towards me. My wand is in my hand and out in front of me, a Confringo spell fresh on my tongue.

"Beck!" Beck stops fast, staring bewildered behind me where the voice came from. "Fighting in the halls is prohibited. If you do not leave, your behavior will cost five points from Slytherin," Beck, seething, pushes past me, slamming his shoulder into mine. Only then am I turned around enough to find the familiar blonde boy standing farther down the hall from me.

"Traitor," Beck pushes past him, but with less force than he did me.

The boy stands there a few more seconds watching me before turning and walking away, "I suggest you find where you're supposed to be. I won't save you next time," I'm stunned to the point that I have forgotten my impending troubles.

"Um, actually, I need help finding a classroom," he stops but doesn't turn to face me, "I am supposed to be seeing Professor Flitwick at nine. Do you know where I could find his room?" He sighs then spins back to look at me. He points to part of the ceiling above me.

A sign with the words, 2E, printed in cursive-y writing. Under it was an arrow pointing to a thick wooden door on the left of me. "O-Oh, thank y–", he was gone. Like just gone. As if he hadn't even been there in the first place.

9:00 Professor Flitwick's Classroom

"I'm sorry, Professor. I meant to get here earlier, but I got lost," he waves me off walking further into his classroom. It's a big room, with tiered seating on each side. A long center walkway in the middle of the room leads to a platform housing a large podium.

"I hope your first day here was good?" I resist the urge to cringe but agree instead of complaining.

"Yes, having people I'm already familiar with has made the change easier," he mumbles good good. "I called you here to give you something," my curiosity peaks as I wonder what he could have for me. 

He rummages through a case behind the podium for a few seconds. I peek at the other items stacked behind the podium, scrolls, books, other nondescript cases, and a bunch of strewn papers. 

"Ah!" I turn my prying eyes from his other belongings, "Here we go," in his hands is a framed picture. "I've had this for years. After hearing the news...I thought that maybe you'd have a better use for it," he hands it over.

The frame is old but well polished, and well taken care of, but it's the frame's contents that catches my attention more. The picture is of young Fletcher Eichmann, bright-eyed and smiling. Next to him is a younger Professor Flitwick. "Dad?" I meant to keep it inside, but it came out without warning.

"I taught him. I was a new teacher and was trying hard to find my footing as a Professor here at Hogwarts. After his third year I knew he was going to be something great, so I wrote one of his recommendations to the Ministry for work," he leans on the side of his podium.

"He was a Ravenclaw as well." He chuckles lowly, "You know that picture was taken the last time Ravenclaw won the cup, 1968 was a good year for Ravenclaw," I stroke the edges of the frame trying to imagine Dad's happiness.

"You can keep it if you want it. I would like to say, if I am not overstepping, that I am deeply sorry for your loss, Miss Eichmann," I nod and smile seeing as I am near tears.

But I try anyway, "Thank you, professor," he seems to also be trying to hold in sadness so he nods in response.

With the picture tucked safely in my bag, I make my way back towards the great hall for a light snack for breakfast. A new spring in my step and my sad broken heart a little more healed. Other people also knew him, and cherished him as a good man, just as my family had.

Chapter Text

11:00 PM Ravenclaw Dorms

"This your bed, Sabrina. The elves should have brought all your stuff up when you arrived. If you want we can walk together to our first class tomorrow. On Wednesday our first class is Transfiguration at eleven. Breakfast starts at nine tomorrow, I'll be waiting," Rosie says waving goodnight as she leaves me by my bed. The four other girls in my room have introduced themselves as Ziva Arden, Drew Marchels, Quinn Bresden, and Wren Cardens.

With introductions and bathing aside, I begin to settle into my bed.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Prefect Marchels?" Drew pops up from her bed to open the door. An unknown girl around our age stands in the hallway.

"What's up?"

"Professor Flitwick wanted me to bring a message to Sabrina," I stand up from my bed when I hear my name.

"Yes?"

"Oh! Professor Flitwick wants you to go see him tomorrow morning before your Transfiguration class. I have your invitation here," The girl hands Drew the note.

"Thank you, Alice," Alice bids goodnight to us and Drew closes the door. She walks over to me and hands me the note. "Professor Flitwick is in charge of Ravenclaw House. Having an invitation is only customary for a new student so far into school. It's nothing to worry about. Have this with you so if anyone asks where you're going they can point in the right direction," I nod and thank her.

I set the letter down on my side table in an area where I'll see it tomorrow so I don't forget it. My bed is in a little corner part of the room. It is parallel to the wall and up against a window. I can see part of the valley surrounding Hogwarts. blue curtains drape from the ceiling surrounding my bed.

"Alright girls, curfew. Lights out," Drew calls from her section of the room. I turn off my lamp before slipping under the covers. The light from the moon streaming through the window keeps the worst of the dark away. It adds a sense of calm and assurance to my anxious mind.

bump...

I am jolted from my light sleep, turning over fast to find Drew changing back into her robes. "Drew?" She jumps when I call her name.

"Oh...sorry Sabrina. I should have told you. I have morning prefect patrols on Wednesday and Friday," she whispers while shoving her feet into her shoes.

"Oh. That makes sense. Sorry," she smiles at me and says goodnight as she leaves our room. The quiet of the early morning slipped back into our room. The other girls, obviously used to having Drew leave, had slept through her exit.

8:20 AM Ravenclaw Common Room

I meet Rosie in the Ravenclaw common room the next morning.

"I have to meet Professor Flitwick so I'll be at breakfast a little later than you," I say. Rosie, Wren, and two other students stand by a set of sofas in the middle of the large room.

"Okay, don't worry. We'll be in there until we have to leave for Transfiguration. Do you need me to walk you there," I weigh my answer, but then a loud rumble comes from Rosie's stomach and I know my answer.

"No, it's okay. I'll be fine," I say my goodbyes to my Wren and Rosie and make my way out of the common room.

I walk, using the directions included in the invitation. However, within 15 minutes I am hopelessly lost. I have been turned around multiple times because of those stupid moving stairs. 

I finally stop walking to try and get my bearings, looking between the invitation and my surroundings to try and find where I went wrong.

"Well well well, what do we have here? A lost rabbit, perhaps?" The same gruff voice that had taunted me last night has found me again this morning.

Beck stands at an intersection of hallways in front of me, "Who said I'm lost?" I try and keep my voice stern and piercing.

He ignores me, "Maybe I can help you find your way. If you were to tell me I could, out of the kindness of my heart, point you the right way," he takes a few confident steps towards me, in response, I take a few steps back.

"What do you want?"

He fakes hurt, "I only want to help you, Sabrina. Newbies should be taught where they belong".

"You want to teach me? Beck you know bolstering your intelligence is not a good look," my mouth runs before I can stop the words from coming out.

"You bi–" Beck goes into a full stampede towards me. My wand is in my hand and out in front of me, a Confringo spell fresh on my tongue.

"Beck!" Beck stops fast, staring bewildered behind me where the voice came from. "Fighting in the halls is prohibited. If you do not leave, your behavior will cost five points from Slytherin," Beck, seething, pushes past me, slamming his shoulder into mine. Only then am I turned around enough to find Augustus standing farther down the hall from me.

"Traitor," Beck pushes past Augustus, but with less force than he did me.

Augustus stands there a few more seconds watching me before turning and walking away, "I suggest you find where you're supposed to be. I won't save you next time," I'm stunned to the point that I have forgotten my impending troubles.

"Um, actually, I need help finding a classroom," Augustus stops but doesn't turn to face me, "I am supposed to be seeing Professor Flitwick at nine. Do you know where I could find his room?" He sighs then spins back to look at me. He points to part of the ceiling above me.

A sign with the words, 2E, printed in cursive-y writing. Under it was an arrow pointing to a thick wooden door on the left of me. "O-Oh, thank y–", he was gone. Like just gone. As if he hadn't been there in the first place.

9:00 Professor Flitwick's Classroom

"I'm sorry, Professor. I meant to get here earlier, but I got lost," he waves me off walking further into his classroom. It's a big room, with tiered seating on each side. A long center walkway in the middle of the room leads to a platform housing a large podium.

"I hope your first day here was good?" I resist the urge to cringe, agreeing.

"Yes, having people I'm already familiar with has made the change easier," he mumbles good good. "I called you here to give you something," my curiosity peaks as I wonder what he could have for me. 

He rummages through a case behind the podium for a few seconds. I peek at the other items stacked behind the podium, scrolls, books, other nondescript cases, and a bunch of strewn papers. 

"Ah!" I turn my prying eyes from his other belongings, "Here we go," in his hands is a framed picture. "I've had this for years. After hearing the news...I thought that maybe you'd have a better use for it," he hands it over.

The frame is old but well polished, and well taken care of, but it's the frame's contents that catches my attention more. The picture is of young Fletcher Eichmann, bright-eyed and smiling. Next to him is a younger Professor Flitwick. "Dad?" I meant to keep it inside, but it came out without warning.

"I taught him. I was a new teacher and was trying hard to find my footing as a Professor here at Hogwarts. After his third year I knew he was going to be something great, so I wrote one of his recommendations to the Ministry for work," he leans on the side of his podium.

"He was a Ravenclaw as well." He chuckles lowly, "You know that picture was taken the last time Ravenclaw won the cup, 1968 was a good year for Ravenclaw," I stroke the edges of the frame trying to imagine Dad's happiness.

"You can keep it if you want it. I would like to say, if I am not overstepping, that I am deeply sorry for your loss, Miss Eichmann," I nod and smile seeing as I am near tears.

But I try anyway, "Thank you, professor," he seems to also be trying to hold in sadness so he nods in response.

With the picture tucked safely in my bag, I make my way back towards the great hall for a light snack for breakfast. A new spring in my step and my sad broken heart a little more healed. Other people also knew him, and cherished him as a good man, just as my family had.

Chapter Text

11:00 AM Transfiguration

Rosie and I walk to Transfiguration together after breakfast. I had managed to scarf down a muffin and some juice after getting back from Flitwick's classroom. I will have to eat more at lunch if I'm to make it to the end of our school day.

Professor McGonagall stands at the far end of the rotunda-style classroom. Cages of various magical creatures, some empty and others containing birds or rodent-like creatures, line the perimeter of the room.

"Come, you can sit next to me," Rosie points to a set of seats on the left side of the room. Their orientation in the middle of the room makes it easy to see Professor McGonagall.

"Alright students, today will be an introduction to Vanishment," McGonagall takes an empty cage and places it on the desk of two Gryffindors sitting in front of the class. She points her wand, concentration setting in, "Evanesco!". In pure awe, I watch as the cage disappears in the blink of an eye. Ooo's and ah's flitter throughout the room.

"Vanishment is exactly what it sounds like. To remove something from existence. One incantation is needed, Evanesco, which is Latin for...? Does anyone know?"

"Disappear". My head turns to the back of the room, this time surprised, to find the blonde boy. Who seems adept at fluttering in and out of places without being noticed.

"That's right Augustus, five points to Slytherin," Augustus? The blonde boy now had a name, and he was in fact was Slytherin's quidditch captain and their prefect.

She walks to a blackboard situated behind her. "Vanishment spells are much easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until N.E.W.T  level, they are among the most difficult magic you will be tested on for your O.W.L".

"O.W.L?" I say out loud, but hushed, so only Rosie hears it.

"Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Tests we have to take at the end of this year. They determine what we're best at," I make 'o' shape with my mouth.

"So basically E.A.G.L.E, then. Excruciatingly Aggravating Graduate Level exams". She nods, biting her cheek to keep herself from laughing.

McGonagall gives each table a small empty cage to try and replicate the Vanishment spell. Which we fail to do, all except for Augustus, who manages to do it after only a few tries. My need to also be good at it causes me to try and try and try until my casting hand is sore.

I ended up leaving McGonagall's class with homework, dejected and defeated.

9:30 PM Astronomy Tower

Evening rolls around when Rosie and I, now joined by Cora, make our way up to the Astronomy Tower for our last class of the day.

The classroom sits at the top of the astronomy tower. A massive rotunda classroom comes into view from the top of the never ending spiral staircase. In the middle is an abstract, bronze, hanging piece of art representing our solar system.

Under it, on the floor, are two semi-circle tables with ten chairs at each. Rosie and Cora lead me to our seats.

"Professor Sinistra is amazing," Rosie says as she sets her stuff in front of her on the table. Wren finds us too, taking the empty seat next to me, I smile a greeting as she sits down.

"You only say that because she complimented your drawing of Orion during our 3rd year, Ros," Cora says poking Rosie in the arm.

"It's not my fault if the woman knows talent when she sees it," Rosie shrugs eliciting an eye roll from Cora.

"Okay students," Sinistra clapped her hands together to get the attention of the class, "For this year we will go into depth about Jupiter's moons. Can anyone tell me how many moons Jupiter has?" A couple of hands go up.

"Miss Granger".

"Between 85 and 90, Professor, with the most notable ones being Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, and Io".

"Perfect as always, Miss Granger," the girl beams with pride. "This year I expect full charts in which these moons must be plotted. You may use this period to get started on this assignment. This topic will be on your O.W.Ls, so I implore you to begin as soon as possible". After this everyone begins dragging out their microscopes and positioning them towards the ceiling, which as if on cue begins to split open. I sit in awe, again, of Hogwarts itself. I get started on my work a couple of seconds after snapping out of the trance that Hogwarts has, once again, put me in.

Some students stay in their seats while others take the chance to go outside to get better looks, but I have a feeling it's more than that. 

10:30 PM Astronomy Tower

We continue to work drawing and charting the countless moons of Jupiter. "This is ridiculous. Why does Jupiter feel the need to be such an overachiever? Like you don't need this many moons," Cora groans, Wren and I giggle as she stands up and stretches her arms wide.

"You know it is probably time to leave anyway. I could use a hot shower and my warm bed," Wren says and at her statement I begin to feel the tiredness slip further between my bones and joints.

"I agree with Wren. I need a good rest. Rosie, you coming?" I say, standing up and packing my stuff up.

"Yeah, hold on. Let me get m–"

"Professor!" The frantic voice of a Gryffindor girl splits through our tired ears, waking us up immediately.

"Miss Granger? What's wrong?"

"Gigi–Gi–She's vanished!" My hands freeze from packing my bag. "This was on the ground," The Gryffindor girl rushedly handed Sinistra a letter, her face going rigid. More Gryffindors pile back into the classroom behind her.

"Everyone to your dorms, Mr Weasley see to it that all Gryffindors are led back to their dorms. Mr Rolphus, are you here?" A boy I've seen once in the Ravenclaw common room steps up.

"Here, professor".

"Do the same with all the Ravenclaw students. Let Marina know the same for the Hufflepuff students". 

"Yes, ma'am".

"No one leaves their dorms until your prefect tells you everything is fine. Yes?" We all nod.

Sabrina and the rest of her classmates would not know that Gigi Braunley was only the first to go. Vanished that night without a trace. All that was left was a small torn piece of parchment, scrawled in neat, cursive font were the words...

I never saw what was written on that parchment but from the look on Sinistra's face, I can only imagine it was the start of nothing good.

Chapter Text

2:45 PM Gallery Tower

The rain splatters hard on the large windows on our way to Divination. Periodic flashes of lightning and coupled cracks of thunder.

"Has Drew told you anything about Gigi?" A boy from Gryffindor asks.

I shake my head, "What about Ron? He hasn't said anything either?" He also shakes his head.

"He and Hermione are keeping quiet about it as well," he walks past us farther up to a group of Hufflepuffs.

"This is ridiculous, she couldn't have just vanished," Rosie says while sifting through some notes from our Potions class, "Also, if we ever have teacher evals, remind me to dock Snape down to a zero," more aggressive reading.

"Oh calm down, Ros. If you need help with your Draught of Peace potion, I can help," Cora says placing her hand softly on Rosie's anxious hands.

"Rosie's right," I say and Rosie's mouth opens wide to argue, "Not about Snape...well, yeah, I guess a little right about Snape, but that's not what I'm talking about". Rosie's mouth closes dejectedly.

"I mean that she's right about Gigi. There's no way she could have just disappeared. I mean there were like five other students who were around her. It just doesn't make any sense". After this, our conversation delves into thoughtful silence the rest of the way to the hatch leading into the Divination classroom.

Up the ladder and through the hatch is a circular classroom. The hatch opens onto the topmost platform, and the other two platforms sink into a circular stage with a single table in the middle.

"Ah, damn, Sabrina. There's only two chairs to a table," Cora says.

"That's fine, Cor. Sabrina can sit with you I',–"

"Sabrina can sit here," I turn to Alfie sitting at a table alone on the middle platform.

"Yeah, don't worry about me, Cora. I can sit with Alfie," Cora eyes me as if to ask, Are you sure? I smile and nod, then make my way over to Alfie's table. Setting my stuff down I take a seat as our Professor strides into the room from a door at the back of the stage.

"I should warn you, Sabrina". My brows raise, confused. "Professor Trelawney can be a bit...eccentric". I laugh nervously, curious to find out how eccentric my new Professor was.

"Good morning wizards and witches. Welcome to 5th year Divination, this year you will learn the methods of divining the future through fire. I warn you, to succeed in this class you must be able to see things in ways you've never before".

"I told you," Alfie whispers to me.

"Divining through fire is one of Divination's most passionate sub-disciplines. It will be one you O.W.Ls, so pay close attention students," Trelawney reaches into a case on the floor behind her and wrenches out a massive clear crystal. She holds the large rounded handle, revealing the complete state of the object. The white crystal is wrapped in green vein-like strips, and runes of varying descriptions pulse on the vines in a mesmerizing green hue.

"This is an Envisioner's Lantern," she holds the lantern higher waving it back and forth for the whole class to see. "We will use it to speak and decipher prophecies of 'morrow, and some of you might just have what it takes to wield such a powerful artifact. Now," she moves around to the other cases on the ground and flips the locks open.

"Each of you will be given your own Envisioner's Lantern to use and prepare for you O.W.Ls," she whips out her wand, "Wingardium Leviosa", each lantern lifted effortlessly from their holdings in each case to find a single student, like a beautifully practiced ballet routine.

My lantern sits perfectly balanced in front of me. Now in better view of it, it only sits about a hand's length from the top of the table. The vein-like stips are more metal than organic, coming down below the lantern to create a stable base.

"Now that everyone has received their lanterns, open your textbooks to page 178," we all do so, though, with that small table size I am forced to hold the book in my lap instead. My book opens to the page, and the words Fire Omens, written in bold and frilly font sit atop the page.

"To begin divining, all that one must do is to speak the name of the device and wait. The picture of prophecy should appear momentarily afterward. If done right, the diviner should see a clear picture of prophecy. Shall we begin?"

Shall we begin? It seemed like a really easy thing to say in the beginning, but putting it into practice was a scarcely different story. I had barely managed to divine a puff of smoke. I was beginning to think that maybe I had chosen the wrong class, maybe Study of Ancient Runes was a better choice. Although I don't need divination to know I will likely fail this class, I continue anyway.

Professor Trelawney has started to walk through the class, stating which students are 'born seers' and which ones aren't. Which, to be honest, is just her way of pointing out which students will fail and which students will pass.

"Let me see child," she takes Alfie's lantern and studies it in hushed whispers before handing it back to him, "Devine her future," Alfie looks stricken, given that he had also failed to divine anything for himself. He fixes his posture in his chair and clears his throat.

"Show me Sabrina Eichmann," silence...and then

"Shit!" Alfie jumps, the lantern flying for his hands, almost smashing into pieces into the ground if not for a perfectly timed Accio charm from Professor Trelawney.

She rights the lantern, checking it before breathing a ragged and uneven breath, "See me after class, Miss Eichmann," she walks back down to the stage, "Class is dismissed. I would like more of you to be prepared for our next class time".

Students begin to nervously leave, but I don't move. Cora rushes to me, "What the hell just happened," I shrug and shake my head, unable to find the words.

I am only shaken out of my stupor when Alfie starts to pack his stuff, "What did you see?" he stops muttering a few stories and I don't knows, before leaving the room quickly.

When the last of the students leave, Cora turns to me, "Me and Rosie have to go or we'll be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts, but we'll talk at dinner. Okay?" She places her hands on my shoulder and squeezes.

When she and Rosie leave I make my way down to the bottom platform, "You wanted to see me, Professor?"

She turns around, staring gravely at me, "Death is coming, dear".

"Death?"

"Death. On old evil. He wants something...wants...to bring back something," her hand strokes her chin as she starts to stare off aimlessly, mumbling something about scrolls and other things I can't make out.

"Professor?" I reach out to wave my hand in front of her face, but...nothing. She just keeps mumbling, looking dead at something but not something.

"Ookayy...I'm gonna be late for class, so I'm just...gonna go now," I step back, never removing my eyes from her to grab my stuff. my hand stalls over the lantern, the fear from whatever Alfie and Trelawney saw bubbling up. I stamp it down, grabbing the handle fiercely as if to gain some kind of dominance over the thing.

In a couple of strides, I am at the hatch and down it in what is likely both a record time and a popular way of leaving her room.

5:30 Great Hall

"That was it?" I nod, shrugging, and scoop some macaroni from the pot in the middle of the table and onto my plate.

"I mean, Trelawney's weird, she's had predictions of the deaths of students before," my spoon stops mid-bite.

Ziva sees my bewildered stare, "What Rosie means to say is that, although she has made predictions like that before, none of them have ever come true," Ziva's well-structured statement relieves the anxiety a little. "Though...I will say considering the events that occurred last week, I won't lie and say I'm not just a bit concerned".

"I agree with Ziva, Sabrina," Drew takes a slice of chocolate cake from a silver platter, "Maybe you should talk to Dumbledore. If Trelawney is predicting death coming for you just days after a student goes missing, maybe he should know about it," I scoop the last bit of my macaroni into my mouth.

"I don't think it's that important. Plus I have other things on my plate right now, do you know how many moons Jupiter has? I'm already swamped. I'll deal with Trelawney's predictions later," I get up, grabbing a wrapped muffin from the center of the table for a snack. 

I am about to leave when I remember one of the things currently on my plate, "Oh! Rosie, do you know where I can find Thea?"

She nods, swallowing her mouth full of food, "She'll be on the pitch on Thursday around nine. I've already told her about you," I give her a thumbs up before retreating from the Great Hall.

I am halfway back to my room when I pass the large ornate doors of the Library. It wouldn't hurt, I think. Finding answers may help me find out whatever Alfie and Professor Trelawney saw. Plus, I could also check out books for that stupid Astronomy assignment.

I walk up to the doors and push, the hinges creaking under the strain of the weight.

Chapter Text

9:00 PM Library

The words on the pages of the Exploring the Cosmos: An Introduction to Astronomy textbook begin to string together. I slam it closed, hopelessly. I slide down the chair, using the top to massage the kinks out of my shoulders and back. I have slid off my cloak, draping it on the back of my chair.

I place my head tiredly on the desk, deciding that maybe a nap is better than trying to wrap my head around the contents of the textbook. I will likely need to have some one-on-one conversations with Sinistra if I am going to pass this year.

"That must not be very comfortable," my stomach shoots to my throat, my head ripping up from its place on the desk. I turn around in my chair to find a smirking Augustus.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I stand up, "Why would you scare me like that?"

He shrugs nonchalantly, "It's not like I walked up to you with the idea of scaring you. You need a better grip on your surroundings," he takes some steps closer to me, "What if I was here to hurt you? You wouldn't have even known I was here".

I raise an eyebrow, "Are you? Here to hurt me?" He watches me for a few beats before clearing his throat and putting an unnecessary distance from me. Augustus has gotten rid of his robes, favoring his white colored shirt and his green tie.

"Of course not, Sabrina, I–"

"You know my name?" His mouth hangs open for a fast second before closing it.

"Why wouldn't I know your name, I'm a prefect," he shuffles his feet over to another table, leaning on the side of it.

"Yeah, but a Slytherin prefect," I mimic him, leaning against the table behind me.

"A valid argument, but I could argue that you've quite a name for yourself. I heard Trelawney made a semester-making prediction for you," I roll my eyes and groan. I reach behind me to grab the astronomy textbook.

"Both Alfie and Professor Trelawney saw my...death, I guess," I walk past him and out of the alcove that I was in. "Neither of them wants to tell me what the hell they saw".

I walk into an aisle and reach up to place the book back, however, I am embarrassed to find the books have shifted and the space that was once easy to access is no longer.

"Do you need help?" Augustus strolls into the aisle and watches me from his leaning position on the bookcase. I fight the urge to roll my eyes, but realizing how much easier it is to just give in, I hand the book to him.

"Good choice," he steps up to put the book back. I am frozen for a second as I forget to step back when he steps forward. "If you're worried about Trelawney's prediction, don't be," he pushes the book back into place. "They never come–" he staring, I think, at me, "true...". 

We're so close. 

I barely know him, and yet, I hope to be able to get to know him better. It's likely just hormones, and my broken heart searching for something good.

"Yeah," I whisper, "Drew said the same thing,". He searches my face.

THUD!

Augustus and I jump away from each other. My bones feel like someone has poured ice-cold water over them, but my cheeks still burn harshly. I silently thank my lineage for my darker, mixed, skin to not show my embarrassment.

"What the hell was that?" I ask, urging my voice not to crack or pitch weirdly.

"Probably just Peeves making an absolute mess of things. It's almost curfew, you should probably be heading back to the Ravenclaw dorms," the ice water feeling returns.

"What do you me–," My eyes catch something on the ground, sitting on the ground of an aisle opposite to the one we were in now. "A book?..."

"What?" Augustus spins his attention to where I'm looking.

"It was a book. That book fell and made that noise," I move from beside the bookcase, "Stupid book". 

I move to get it, but Augustus stops me, "Hold on, I'll get it".

My brows furrow, "Whoever said chivalry was dead?" I mean to say it under my breath, but it echoes in the dark and empty library.

"I'm not being chivalrous. These books are held in their place because they are charmed. If one fell, then there's a bigger issue, and more might fall as well," he grabs the book from the floor, stopping to look at it, and then reaches to place it back in its place.

step step step

The hair on the back of my neck raises on end as the sound of quick footsteps passes somewhere around us. "Augustus?!" I can see him for only a second before the lights on the candles around me go out.

"Augustus!"I can't see or hear him, my hand wraps around the hilt of the wand and rips it from my back pocket, "Lumos!".

The ability to see only relieves me for a second, cause the light not only illuminates the books and the aisle, but a person. Breath fills my lungs fast from the scare, the person begins to walk towards me, and then they begin running.

"Don't come near me!" The person slows, raising their wand.

I warned you, "Depulso!" The cast sends the person back into the sidewall of the library. I take this opportunity to run, but it's dark, and because I don't want the light from my wand to give me away. So I run, unaided, into the dark aisles of the library.

WHAM!

I slam into something hard, and I go down like a sack of bricks. I shuffle back up from the ground, but something grabs me. I know I'm through, but I still kick and scream. 

"Let me go!"

"Sabrina!"

"Stop! Please!"

"Sabrina! Stop it's me!" The pleading voice pulls me back into reality. Below Augustus stares at me, I'm half on top of him as he clutches my biceps. "Are you okay?" he whispers. 

I manage a nod, "We should go," I say matching his volume. He places his finger to his lips, then points to a side door about twenty feet from us.

He grabs my hand and pulls me along behind him. We cross the aisle and are at the door without interference, Augustus raises his wand, "Alohomora". The door unlocks loudly, but he pushes himself and me through the open crack immediately.

The door leads to a long hallway, but I have no time to steady myself and learn my surroundings because Augustus has a hold on my hand again. "I'm gonna notify Dumbledore after I walk you to the Ravenclaw dorms. you'll stay there until morning. Understand?" I nod my head but realize that because I'm behind him, he will not have seen it. 

"Okay," I'm tired and sluggish, so my words come out as such.

In our speedy getaway, I have only now realized I left my robe in the alcove, "Augustus," he doesn't stop, "Augustus," I say, more commanding.

I pull my hand from his, "Augustus! Stop!"

He whirls around to face me, "What!"

"My robe! I forgot it was still in there, what do I do?" He sighs, clearly trying to hold in an eye roll.

"You wanna go back in there?" I shake my head while biting the inside of my cheek to keep myself from retorting. "Thought so. I'll find it," he reaches for my hand again, but I pull away.

"What do you mean, you'll find it?"

"Can we please finish this conversation while walking?" I let him grab hold of me this time.

10:00 Ravenclaw Tower

"I'll bring your robes to you when I find them," Augustus says as he pulls me to the large statue guarding the Ravenclaw dorms. "Go inside and head to bed". He turns from me to walk away.

"Augustus?" He swivels back to me, expectant, "Thanks. I thought I was alone...in there, when the lights went out".

"Don't worry about it, Sabrina," he pauses seeming to weigh his next words, "And...for what it's worth," he catches my eyes, "I wouldn't have left you alone". 

He drops his gaze and then leaves me.

Chapter Text

9:30 Charms Classroom

I'm sandwiched between Rosie and Wren, trying to perfect our Silencio charms. In front of each of us was a cage filled with a single bullfrog.

"Someone was in the library? That doesn't sound weird, it is the library, 'Rina," Wren says practicing the right wand movement.

"Not just anyone, Wren. This person blew out the candles and then rushed me in one of the aisles. I hit them with a Depulso spell and then got the hell out of dodge," I raise my wand, imitating Flitwick's jabbing wand movement, "Silencio!" A flash of blue leaves the tip of my wand, crackling with energy, then slamming into the amphibian. The frog watches me in boredom, silent, before ribbiting loudly.

"Ugh," my head hangs low, hitting the desk, "Ow," I say, defeated.

"Sabrina?" Someone whispers behind me. A Slytherin girl sitting behind us is shoving a folded piece of paper in my direction. "It's from Augustus," I spring into action, swiping the paper from her and hiding it in my vest.

"Augustus?" Wren and Rosie's voices converge into one, creating an even louder whisper and catching the attention of a few students around us.

"Shh!" My finger comes to my mouth, hard, "What is wrong with you both? Do you want the whole class to know?" They eye each other, and then they both eye me. "Let's do the questioning in an orderly fashion. Alright?"

"Why did he give you a note?" Wren says accusatory.

"Because," I say exasperated, "When I was attacked in the library he, may have...possibly, been there too. We were having a nice conversation when the lights went out. Maybe he's just making sure I'm okay," I place my hands innocently in front of me on the table.

"Okay. So, if it's nothing nefarious, what does the note say?" Rosie joins in. 

I begrudgingly reach into my vest and pull out the neatly folded piece of parchment. My name is scrawled on the front with clear lines.

I unfold the letter to find it mostly empty, save a few sentences in the very middle.

I have your robe.

We need to talk.

Meet me before lunch.

                           Augustus

"Your robe?!" I snap the letter closed fast, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Rina!" Rosie's voice peaks a considerable amount, but this time she checks herself and lowers her whisper back down, "Why does he have your robe?"

"Because, when that person chased me, I ran out of the library without grabbing it. He's being a nice guy. Is that so wrong?"

"Augustus? Being nice?" I roll my eyes as Wren makes a dramatic show of scratching her chin. "Nope," she shrugs, "Never heard of it".

I open my mouth to retort, but Rosie beats me to it, "As long as you understand what you're getting yourself into, I don't care. Cora, on the other hand, is gonna piss herself when she hears this. You know how she feels about Slytherins".

I did know. 

Rosie and Wren return to their respective areas, leaving me to my thoughts. I hadn't ever taken the time to understand why he had helped me in the first place. He's a prefect, I think, or maybe he has some massive hero complex. Whatever it is, after last night, I need to be more careful.

ribbit...

My hand grips tightly under the hilt of my wand, "Silencio!" The frog stops mid-ribbit. 

"How did you do that?" Wren squeaks from beside me, but I just shrug smugly. She whines as she sets her wand down, giving up. Rosie joins her as well.

"I'll just ask Cora to help me".

As my head peers from around Rosie's, I spot Augustus sitting on the opposite side of the room. An upturned, one-sided smile as he watches me, the parchment cold in my hands.

His frog also sits, irritatingly, silent in front of him.

12:45 Viaduct Courtyard

I lean, hidden, between a couple of archways that surround the courtyard. My casting hand swings in the flourishing way McGonagall's had during the Vanishment spell.

"Evanesco," I say, under my breath.

"Your hand is moving too much," I push off the wall in a way that I drop my wand. Tumbling and rolling out of reach, only stopping when it hits the person's feet.

"Alfie? What are you doing here," I look around me.

He snorts, picking up my wand from the ground, "Were you expecting someone else?" He walks over to me, pushing his hand in my direction.

"Um, something like that," I say taking my wand back. "You said I'm moving the wand too much?"

"Um," he runs his hand through his messy brown hair, "Yeah, it's more of a flick, than a flourish. Here let me show you," he reaches for my occupied wand hand. His fingers close around my hand. "Flick," his wrist flicks in multiple fast, snappy motions, "It creates more power and energy–"

"Am I interrupting something?" My elbow pulls back which causes Alfie to let go of my hand.

Augustus stands in an open archway, watching us, "No, of course not," I want to smack myself, "Alfie was... helping me," I turn to face him, "Thank you, Alfie. I'm good now".

"He doesn't have to leave. I wanted to give these to you," he pushes his arm out showcasing my Ravenclaw robes.

A nervous laugh bubbles in from my throat as I swipe the robes from his hand. "Thanks," I clear my throat, "Augustus". He nods then walks off, leaving me speechless.

"Am I allowed to ask what that was?" I resist the urge to cringe.

I cover my face with my hands, "Please don't". I walk away from Alfie, pissed from embarrassment, covering my shoulders with my robes.

9:30 PM Sabrina's Dorm

I place my bag onto the floor up against my bed and plop down, hard, onto my soft mattress. Nox, my caramel and white-colored owl sits perched on my side table. She hoots softly, pecking down by her legs.

"Today was a long day," I say to her. My eyes flutter closed as I decide between a shower now and a shower in the morning. "No," I groan, "I should take one now so I can get more sleep tomorrow morning before breakfast". 

I peel my tired body from my soft bed and stand up next to it. I grab the strings of my robes and hastily untie them. I turn to Nox, "Did you have a good–," but the rest of the words die in my throat. A tiny piece of torn parchment sits neatly strapped to her leg.

My brows furrow, "What is that?" I walk over and unite it from her leg. "A letter? From who?" She doesn't make a sound as I run it over in my fingers, a familiar parchment. I look around, my paranoia making the silence of the large room...erie. A cold shiver passes from my head and through my spine, the hair standing on end like it did in the Library. Like someone was watching me... 

I snort, nervously, whispering stupidly under my breath. I unroll the paper, and it's while reading it that I wish I hadn't even opened it at all.

Written on the small torn piece of paper are the words,

In the labyrinth of deceit, where shadows breed,

Beware the faces that smile with greed.

For in the guise of trust, lies a serpent's sway,

Know who to trust, or become the prey.

Chapter Text

Know who to trust, or become the prey.

That's what it said, the note. I can't imagine not being able to trust the people around me. Even though I had only known most of my friends I've made for a couple of weeks, I can't imagine any of them would betray me. 

Then I think of him. However, even the thought of him betraying me doesn't feel right. I must be going mental, I think. I barely know the boy, of course, he'd be the most likely person to betray me. But then I think of the letter itself, who could've written it? Although it was worded creepily, the sentiment still stands more as a warning than anything.

I had to be careful about who I put my trust is.

A blur of blue flashes past my vision. It brings me back to the present, quidditch tryouts.

Rosie had kept her promise, Thea and I had met on the pitch a week ago, and she's been giving me advice and pointers for flying in the unpredictable Scotland weather. It's been nice talking about Quidditch with someone so passionate about it. Mom and Dad were my biggest supporters when it came to the sport, but it felt wrong now to talk about it like we used to. Thea was helping me get past that, albeit, unknowingly.

"Alright!" Thea hollered, her voice cutting through the mumbling group of Ravenclaws. "Today's Quidditch trails will work the way they always have. I will test every one of you in the spot I feel you may belong in best," she paces back and forth in front of our group. "Shall we begin?" A gaggle of nodding heads urges Thea on.

"Marcus Ronson, chaser. Let's go," a boy I know to be a year younger than me, mounts his broom and takes off into the sky. "Alison, be his keeper," she places her wand to her lips, amplifying her voice, "Marcus, score on Alison, if you can do it 5 times you will be added to the maybe list". Marcus nods.

"Go!"

This begins a barrage of tried goals on Alison, who, surprisingly, is a beast. Marcus fails to score more than two goals on her before Thea tells him it's over. 

My hand clutches my broom handle in anxiety. I play well, but I am not sure I play that well.

One by one tryout-ees go up against players from the team, each vying for their place. I silently hope to go last, but that doesn't happen.

"Sabrina Eichmann, Chaser," my stomach plummets as I watch Alison mount her broom again. Only one other person from the pool of wannabee chasers managed to score all 5 points on her.

I fight the urge to politely decline and leave the pitch with my tail between my legs, but the words of my parents come through my ears, "You can't grow if you don't first try".

I take a deep breath and mount my broom too. I would not let my nerves keep me from attaining normal again.

6:00 PM Great Hall

I clutch the wrapped muffin in my hand, the silence of the candlelit passages lulls me into a nice mood. Today had been difficult, but it didn't matter now, because life goes on. The waves keep coming and going, no matter how much water you swallow under the surface. learning to tread water, even in the toughest storms is a trait I have been trying to relearn.

My feet scuff against the uneven floor tiles. The thin sound bounces off the castle's thick walls on the way to Ravenclaw Tower.

I salute the large marble statue as it allows me through and up the staircase. Most ravenclaws were gone by the time I'd left, I'd taken my time cleaning my plate. I reach the top of the staircase, giving me time to decide what I need to stud–

"There's our new chaser!" The loud intrusion wakes me from my schedule planning. Rosie holds a small cupcake with a candle in the middle. A deep smile spreads onto my face.

"You didn't have to do this," I commented, walking towards them.

"What do you mean?" Wren wondered. She walks over to me, wrapping her arm over my shoulder.

I shrug, "It's not that big of a deal".

Rosie rolls her eyes, "Not a big deal? You are Ravenclaw's new chaser. It's a massive deal, alright". She pushes the cupcake in my direction.

"Fine," I grab it from her, "But, one question," Rosie's brows raise in anticipation, "What's with the candle?"

She eyes it for a second, "It's a celebration, and you can't celebrate with birthday candles". Her logic was irritatingly sound, so I just nodded and blew out the candle.

And then it's over. I'm in my bed, sitting up against the wall staring out the window from a shared room, and wondering which one of my friends could or would betray me. I think of the validity of the note, but trying to figure out whether it was a prank or not was beyond my mental capacity right now.

Chapter Text

9:00 AM Viaduct Courtyard

"Third-years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign." McGonagall walks around the mass of students taking slip by slip from each kid.

"Here are mine and Sabrina's, professor," Cora hands our papers to McGonagall.

"Thank you, Miss Bainbridge," Cora smiles at her, then hooks her arm around mine and pulls me out of the courtyard.

"Is it just going to be us?" I ask as we walk towards the carriages that will take us to Hogsmeade.

She thinks for a second, "Um," her lips pursing, "Wren and Ziva are supposed to be here too, but I," she looks behind us at other students and then in front of us as well, "They were supposed to be going with us, but I don't see them right now".

"That's fine," I say, patting her arm. "I haven't seen you the last couple of days, so today can be an us outing," she stops looking around to nod.

"Yeah, sorry about that," she sighs, "Divination has been kicking my ass, as of late," with only her mention of the class, a small, cold, shiver passes down my back as I'm reminded of the last one-on-one interaction I had with our, in Alfie's words, eccentric professor.

"Plus, I give Rosie grief, but Potions is brutal," she complains, and I agree with a snort.

"Dude," I say, rolling my eyes, "Astronomy is no joke, though, seriously. I can handle Snape, I can handle McGonagall, I can even handle Trelawney predicting my death," Cora has started to giggle at my exasperation, "But, 85 moons. No. That's where I draw the line," I make my point by drawing a line in front of me with my finger.

"And by drawing the line, you mean?" Cora inquires, trying to keep a straight face, but failing.

"I mean...asking Sinistra for help," Cora has to hold on to me as a big belly laugh bursts from her. 

9:30 AM Hogsmeade

"Where do you want to go first?" Cora says while peering into a storefront window.

"Um, what about," a sudden jolt passes through my left shoulder. "Ow!" A hooded man pushes past me. He looks behind his back at me. I get a mostly good look his massive red scar passing through the middle of his brow and down past his eye and nose. His scruffy beard puffs out from the bottom of his face. Despite his unkempt facial hair, his clothing exudes a rugged charm.  

Cora pushes up from her position by the window at my outburst, "Hey! Rude!" She grabs my arm, "You alright?" I nod, but keep my eyes trained on the retreating figure. I watch him until he disappears through the crowd.

"People these days. In a hurry for no reason," she checks me over a couple more times before looking in the direction where the man left.

"I'm okay, Cor. I promise," I reassure her. "Should we go to Honeydukes then?"

"Okay! I heard they got some Fainting Fancies. Maybe I can buy some to get out of our Charms quiz," I laugh as she pulls me in the direction of the popular candy store.

10:40 AM Honeydukes

"And that is how I was banned from The Three Broomsticks for the rest of the year," the bell on the doorframe chimes as we walk out of Honeydukes, the sound ricocheting off the sounds of my laughs.

"But, why though?" I sling my pack, filled to the brim with my new sweets, onto my back.

"I was an obnoxious 2nd-year, 'Rina. When you dare me to drink twelve Butterbeers in a row, I must deliver".

We stroll through Hogsmeade, looking through windows at the cool wares.

"Have you gotten your Quidditch robes yet?" We've stopped at The Three Broomsticks to have some early lunch. The bartenders and servers eye Cora distastefully.

"Um, yeah," I lean over of table a little and lower my voice, "Are you sure it's okay that we're here?"

She waves me off, "Yeah, don't worry about it. So long as no one dares me to eat/consume large quantities of food in their establishment they tolerate me," she says proudly.

I nod slowly, "Yeah, um, anyway, the robes are fine. They smell, but that's to be expected. I'll have to ask Flitwick if he knows any cleaning charms," I take a bite of the garlic bread I've ordered along with my spaghetti.

Cora and I talk for an hour about school before becoming too full for any more food.

"You know I remember I girl in Hufflepuff being good in Astronomy, I can ask if she still has her notes for you to use," Cora offers, holding the door open for two witches near our age on the way out.

"Oh! Please, Cora! That would save me so much time–" A sudden slam of someone's shoulder pitches me forward, nearly falling, face first, into the dirt. "Shit!"

Cora's hands wrap around my upper arm, steadying me, "A second time today, buster. For the last time, watch where you're going!"

I can rise back to my height, back on balance, when the man turns to face us. His next action shocks me, he bows.

"Pardon my manners, ladies," but I'm not focused on his words, but an object. One that I thought was lost during the burglary, something I'd seen often. But, before I can fully process the realization, the man is already on his way.

My voice comes out hushed, "Hey," then panicked and angry, "Hey!" I take off after him before I realize what I'm doing. "Stop!" I am too controlled by my emotions to hear Cora's screams for me to stop, or slow down.

He has taken my chasing as a challenge because he too starts to run. Booking it between witches and wizards alike, and everything in between.

The scary thing about Hogsmeade is how fast you begin to succumb to the Highland wilderness surrounding the town. The shops and inns become dirt paths, and then, tall magnificent trees and dense forests.

Even though I know I should stop, I can't. I'm controlled by the need to hurt this man and question him painfully. How the hell does he have that? I've been one to be labeled as 'having a temper', but now, I'm seething and seeing red.

But, alas, I've lost him in the dense foliage. I stop in the middle of a small clearing. I need to get my bearings, I think. Dying here because I got lost is so embarrassing. 

"You shouldn't have followed me, little witch," my wand is in my hand and pointing at the man in the blink of an eye.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" His spell is doubled back on him. His wand flies from his hand. "I'm not dragging this out! Who...are you? How the fuck do you have that?" My hand tightens on my wand, and, if I were in my right mind, I would've been scared that I may break it.

His hands go up slowly, "I'm...," Upon reflection later, I should have paid more attention to his hand when he did this. His hands shoot out, and a cloud of dark smoke is hurled my way.

A lot happens in the next split seconds, my name is called and someone rushes next to me. When I open my eyes, Cora and, surprisingly, Augustus, stand protectively in a semicircle in front of me.

"I'll find him!" Alfie shoots past us, running in the supposed direction of the guy. He soon disappears into the forest.

Cora rushes to my side first, "What the hell, Sabrina?!" She says this while checking me for bumps and scrapes.

"Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder".

"What?" Cora has turned her concerned expression from me to Augustus, which has now turned to confusion. Augustus, who is now kneeling next to a pile of dark powder, has a handful of the stuff.

"What he threw at her. It's a powder used by criminals to escape from the scene of their crimes," Cora nods, obviously too focused on me to ask any more questions.

"Back to you. What the fuck happened back there?" she grips my shoulders harder when my body starts to shake a little.

"He had it".

She waits for me to continue, but when I don't, her frustration boils, "It? What's it, 'Rina".

"His watch, Cora. The watch" " understanding dawns on her, her frustration recoiling.

"He took something from you?" Augustus says while leaning in closer, but Cora shoots a daggering look at him.

She takes a closer step towards me, putting a wedge in between him and me, her voice a hushed tone, "Everyone has watches that look the like each other, Sabrina. That doesn't mean–"

"It was his, Cora. I'd know that watch anywhere".

"Sabrina–"

"She's fine". Cora snaps, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I'll take her back. You should probably make sure Alfie doesn't die," she says to Augustus stears me in the direction in which I'd run.

I take a subtle look behind me to find Augustus watching me, and Alfie watching Augustus with a concentrated look. I catch Augustus's eyes, trying and failing to decode the look he's giving me.

Chapter Text

Today had started average despite yesterday's events, then it took an unplanned and immediate fork to the left.

8:30 AM Ravenclaw dorms

"Sabrina, an invitation for you," Drew walked into our dorm as I was putting my robes over my shoulders. She stares at me in pity, "It's from Dumbledore".

"Ooo, Rina. What'd you do?" Wren races to stand next to me, staring at the letter in amusement and anticipation.

"Wren," Drew says sternly, "It's time for breakfast. Let's give Sabrina some space," she hooks her arm around Wren. She gives me a reassuring smile before leading Wren out of the room and closing the door behind them. 

I'm left alone in the silence of our room, the letter heavy in my hands. After the events of yesterday, I am half expecting this to be some kind of punishment. However, that would mean either Cora, Augustus, or Alfie telling on me. Which I wouldn't believe, but then the contents of the note came back into my mind. I wouldn't put it past Augustus to tell on me, but the note also insinuates that it's someone close to me, which would again include Cora.

I shake away the thought in my head. Cora wasn't like that.

I rip the paper envelope open and unfold the parchment.

Miss Eichmann,

I have someone who will be here

 to see you at 9:00.

"Shit," I say, audibly.

If you were confused about the aforementioned immediate fork in the road, that starts now.

Students walk past me, all on their way to their first period. I should be with them, also on my way to History of Magic. Instead, I was standing in front of the headmaster's office, likely awaiting punishment for running out of Hogsmeade bounds.

"It might be better for us to talk if you came in, Miss Eichmann," a deep, wise voice startles me from the other side of the door.

"O-okay, sorry," I turn the knob, and step into the room. 

I'd been aware of who Albus Dumbledore was for years. Dad talked about him a lot. I always thought that maybe my dad admired him when he was in school.

I stop of few paces past the threshold of the door, taking in the state of Dumbledore's office. It looked like one of those cool, two-level, tower dioramas you can buy from a muggle store. My mom's parents had gotten me one for Christmas one year. I spent the rest of the next year putting it together.

"Miss Eichmann I'd love for you to meet the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Poppy Pendlebrook," a tall blonde woman steps from the shadowy corners of the office.

"Hi," my voice was small and pinched.

"Hello, Sabrina. This meeting won't take long. I'd only like to talk about the events that occurred during your visit to Hogsmeade yesterday. Is that okay?" she walks down the stairs to my level, stopping a couple of feet in front of me.

"Um," I sneak a look past her at Dumbledore, his subtle nod telling me to do as she says, "Sure".

The next few minutes are spent with me running through yesterday, from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade and then back. I leave out the part where Cora yells at me to 'never scare her like that again'. 

When I'm done, the office is silent again. Pendlebrook watches me in silence before turning around to address Dumbledore, "It is as the Ministry fears Albus. Should you need our Dementors, all you must do is ask for the Ministry's help," Dumbledore just nods, but I seem to also see the slightest of grimaces.

Pendlebrook hums, then turn back to me, "Thank you, Sabrina," then she passes me heading to the door. 

"That's it?" I don't mean to say it out loud, though, and I have the intense urge to smack myself.

"Excuse me?" Pendlebrook says, addressing me again.

I am at a loss of words for a second, "I mean," I say slowly, "I thought this might also be about what the guy had. It was my dad's watch, and given your position you surely know about the burglary. Right? I'm right, Aren't I? You know what happened," I choose my next words carefully, "Why hasn't anyone offered that information to my Mom and me?"

She sneaks a bored look past my shoulder to Dumbledore, then back to me, "This isn't a game, Sabrina,–"

"I know! This is about my dad. About what happened that night. About why the Ministry intends to hide it," I don't care about any impending punishment I might receive because I know that she knows. "It was his watch. I know that you know that".

"You're walking into dangerous territory, Miss Eichmann. Albus, I do expect you to keep a better hold on your students," This is the last thing she says before leaving, the door opening and slamming on its own.

"I must apologize, Sabrina. Poppy Pendlebrook is not much into conversating," he walks down onto the same level I'm on.

"Am I in trouble for yesterday?" I say turning to face him.

"Trouble? For running from the safety of Hogsmeade, and casting a spell underage," he pauses dramatically, "What kind of punishment do you think you deserve?"

I chew the inside of my cheek, "No Hogsmeade?"

He crosses his arms, nodding thoughtfully, "Perhaps. Maybe I could also ask Madam Pince if she needs any help with sorting in the library," a cold, uncomfortable, shiver runs down my spine at the thought of having to be in the library alone. However, it sounded better than expulsion, so I nodded slowly and grimaced internally.

He pushes his hand towards the door and it opens for me, "History of magic ends in half an hour, Sabrina. You will be notified when your punishment starts," I thank him for his mercy silently as I leave.

9:15 AM History of Magic

Professor Binns's transparent body levitates to the board announcing our next topic, "Today's lesson will be about the lesser-known evils of our wizarding world," words shimmer onto the chalkboard, 

"Thaddeus Blackthorne".

Blackthorne made his home as a student at Hogwarts half a millennia ago. A brilliant student, he always had a gaggle of followers around him. He had been a boy of muggle parents, with a happy home life, but disaster had struct when his sister was killed by the negligence of the people around her. She had wandered too far from their village, leading to her dying from exposure to the frigid temperatures.

Blackthorne had become obsessed with the power of necromancy. His noble intentions hadn't lasted long, though, becoming more powerful threatened the Ministry's growing power. So he was banished, but he wasn't alone. His loyal followers stayed with him, gathering to create the Shadow Legion. His power and influence would be considered to fester and grow emanating from his stronghold, The Citadel.

His downfall would be as cataclysmic as his rise to power. Thanks to a raid orchestrated by the Wizengamot and a band of Aurors, he would perish in a beam of brilliant Auror light. Legend has it, though, that the remaining permeated for years afterward. One could even say it permeated enough to hold the energy of Blackthorne, waiting. Waiting until it could reform, casting Thaddeus Blackthorne's dark magic over the wizarding world for a second time.

But, it's only a legend. Dead is dead, right?

Chapter Text

"I'm telling you, Rosie, she's the worst". Rosie, Wren, and I round down the stairs and out of the cubby hidden by the marble statue. "She spoke to me like I was a kid".

"I believe you, I'm just saying that spending your nights stocking shelves in the library is much better than expulsion".

"I'm not saying that I don't feel lucky to get off with what is really just a slap on the wrist, I'm saying that I think she was unnecessarily rude".

Excited Ravenclaw first years race past us towards the Great Hall, "What's up with them?" Wren says, her face screwed in annoyance.

"They start flying on their brooms today. I remember those simpler days," Rosie says dreamily.

screech!

The piercing sound bounces off the hallway, putting an immediate stop to our conversation.

"Nox?" The white and caramel owl perches herself on one of the window cutouts. She watches me, an off-white envelope sticking out of her small beak.

"You got a letter," Wren points out.

I hook my arm in the air, "C'mere girl," she takes flight and glides towards me, landing soundlessly onto my arm. I pull the envelope from her mouth and find a familiar neat script spelling my name. "It's from my mom," nervousness fills my stomach, a thousand different topics of this letter fly through my mind, ranging from bad to catastrophic.

"Why don't you guys head to breakfast, I'll meet you guys later".

"Are you sure?" Rosie asks, a brow raised.

I nod, "I'm sure," I walk past them, giving them a wave as we part ways.

I walk out of the stone walls of the castle and onto a bridge overlooking the slightly flowing rapids of a river. "Go home, girl. You did good," she nips my finger affectionately as I stroke her head. After, she takes off into the skies and back to the owlery.

I find a lone bench in one of the many castle courtyards, the letter clutched in my right hand. I pry it open as soon as I sit down.

My mom's neat handwriting fills the entire page, and a bit of the backside as well.

                My dearest Sabrina,

I have finally gotten around to writing letters to you. First things first, how is school? Were the supplies we picked up good? Your father always helped me with it, I had to ask your aunt about some things.

I heard quidditch tryouts had started already. I know I needn't ask about the outcome, I am proud of whatever the result. Though, if you did make it, mama always knew you were the best.

My vision becomes misty and wobbly as I try to read from teary eyes.

Living with your aunt has made things easier on me, but I still wish you were closer. I thought I would get used to you being away again, but it's been difficult. Although I miss you terribly, I know that you know what's best for you. He was so proud of you, my darling, and he would want nothing more than to see you thrive and succeed in all that you do.

Every day I am reminded how alone I could be in this world if I wasn't blessed with such a beautiful light like you. As we navigate this journey together, always remember that you are never alone. Your father may have left us too soon, but his love will guide us through even the darkest of days.

The rest of the letter has become unreadable from the onslaught of water leaving my eyes. I never knew how much I could miss my mom. I had gotten used to being away years ago, but now, the insecurity of the constant nearness of my mom is getting to me.

I have to leave my bench, covering my mouth to hold in my sobs, when I hear two students approaching my side of the courtyard.

I'm up a back staircase and around the landings when wham!

I slam into someone going the opposite way. I hide my red eyes behind my robe sleeve and mutter a quick apology.

"Sabrina?" I pause at the familiar voice, my stomach dropping. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I squeak, my voice high and pinched. "I'm fine".

I first hear him sigh, then his shoes scuffing on the stone flooring. His hand nudges my arm sleeve from my face, in all its puffy and tear-stained glory. 

"I'm sure," he smirks. I move my arm from in front of my face, glaring at him.

"I'm not in the mood, Augustus".

He nods, his face pensive, "You wanna talk about it?"

I snort, "Talk about it? With who?"

He shrugs walking back the way I came, "It might make you feel better". He disappears behind the bend, not caring to look back and see if I'm following him.

In a moment of weakness, I follow him.

I find him leaning on the railing of a bridge. "Took you long enough," he says, smirking.

I roll my eyes, pause, then turn around to leave, "Okay! Alright! I'm sorry, Sabrina," he apologizes, laughing through it all. "Come on," I watch him pat the area of the railing next to him as I turn back to face his way.

I slide into the space next to him, choosing to also lean my elbows on it. We sit in silence, the only sound being the rushing water under us.

"Who's the note from?" I look his way, finding his eyes trained to Mom's note.

"Um, my Mum, she sent it to me," I palm the sides of it affectionately.

"Do you miss her?"

I snort, "I know I shouldn't. I've been going to school for four full years now, but," I pause, knowing the real reason is because of Dad. I hesitate about my decision to tell him about that. "But, things are different this time. I just wished I was closer to her, that's all".

"I don't really understand. My Mum's, um, not the 'missing' type," he says, laughing nervously. "But, I do know that it's good to miss people, it shows how much love there is between them".

I'm a little taken aback by his perfect explanation. It almost makes me feel a little better.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

I shrug, "Just didn't expect that from you".

He pushes away from the railing, stretching his arms out, "I'm just amazing like that, I guess," he says proudly. A closed-mouth smile spread onto his face. 

"Whatever," I chide, rolling my eyes. I have to turn away from him to hide my growing smile. I have to lie to myself when I swear I feel him watching me.

He joins me a few beats later, his back up against the railing. Our shoulders almost touching as we settle back into a comfortable silence.

"Y'know," his gaze swivels to mine, "You're not as bad as everyone says you are".

"Really?" he implores.

"Mhm," my lip slides, subconsciously, in between my teeth. My heart skips as his gaze flicks down to my mouth. He's a lot now than he was earlier, so I can see the small flecks of gold in his dark brown eyes. He pans his eyes over my whole face, and lastly, his eyes catch mine. My ribs barely kept in my fast-beating heart.

"Sabrina!" I scooted away from him fast, my cheeks red from the realization of what was on the verge of happening.

I look in the direction of the voice. Behind Augustus, on the opposite side of the bridge is Cora. She looks peeved, but at what I'm not sure.

"Cora? What's wrong?" She doesn't say anything, but when her eyes shift to Augustus, her peeved expression deepens.

My brows pursed, confused, "I gotta go, Augustus. I'll see you around," I walk past him as he nods.

I am over halfway to Cora when I hear him say something, "August".

"Huh?"

"Call me August". He watches me with his dark eyes, compelling me to agree.

A smile creeps onto my face, "Okay. August, I'll see you later". He doesn't respond, just watches me as I walk away with Cora in tow.

"Stop," I pause, turning to find Cora standing firm, her arms crossed defiantly.

"Um, why?"

She huffs, "Um, why?" She mimics me, "You can't possibly like, 'Rina. Out of everyone, you chose him?"

I'm stumped, "Like who?"

"Augustus! Who else would we be talking about?"

"Look, Cora, I love you like a sister, okay? You know that I care about your opinion a lot. I–" I have to pause to find the right words to say, "I don't think it's your business. I'm sorry. Okay?"

"So you want your heart broken? You can't possibly believe that he likes you back, Sabrina?"

My mouth opens, then closes. It takes a lot to lie to a tiny part of myself that I'd imagined the way he looked at me. "Of course not," I try to sound sure, but it comes out weak.

"Oh honey," she closes the gap between us, placing her hands on my upper arms, "You deserve someone better–"

"Stop, Cora. I don't want to hear it," I pull my arms from her hands. "He may not like me, but he's not mean to me".

"Not now he isn't. He will be when he's gotten what he wants from you. It's a snowball effect, now you're merely talking about your Mum, but then he's taking what he wants and discarding you".

"August wouldn't do that, and even if he did, I'm not a fucking idiot Cora".

"August," she says under her breath in annoyance, "Why couldn't you have come to me with your concerns about being so far away from home?"

"You were eavesdropping on our conversation the whole time? Secondly, again, I'm not a child. You don't have to keep tabs on my emotions all the time".

"I've been doing it for this long, might as well continue".

I scoff, "Sorry if losing my dad has had me in a bit of a low place, Cora. If you don't want to keep worrying about me, then stop".

"That's not what I meant and you know it. Why does everything have to be a struggle with you?" she pushes, her voice rising.

"Oh! Really! And I guess you're such a saint then?!"

Her mouth opens to retort but shuts it again. "Fine. I'm done, since his feelings matter more than mine. Make stupid decisions, see if I care".

She walks past me, knocking her shoulder into mine. I watch as she leaves, immediately regretting everything I said, but too prideful to go running after her.

I find the closest bench and sink into it, crying for the second time today.

Chapter Text

5:00 AM Quidditch Pitch

"Alright!" Thea paces in front of our horizontal line, "Today we need to practice our chaser and beater formations. I plan to use these during our game with Hufflepuff. Their chaser is insane, we need all of you guys to be ready for that first game to knock him out!". A chorus of agreeing flows through the rest of our team.

"Positions everyone!" Thea calls, the wind carrying her voice.

I find my place, eyes firmly placed on the quaffle, readying myself for the beginning call. Our team has been cut into two sides, I'm going against our fourth-year chaser, Clarisse Sander. She was small and quick. Even with the school-issued brooms, she could easily speed past me.

"GO!" Thea releases the bludgers, the quaffle, and the snitch.

The wind whistles as I gain downward speed towards the quaffle. I reach out, my hands only feet away from it when it enters into my vision. A large, aggressive, bludger. My dive turns into a spin around my broom as I move from the path of the bludger's power.

Clarisse steals the quaffle during the attack. In seconds she's passed me, quaffle in hand.

My weight shifts, and I'm pursuing her.

The quaffle is clutched under her arm, speeding towards my goal.

I dodge another bludger, narrowly missing a bludger size crater to the head.

I'm saved at the bludger that lands into the back of Clarisse's broom which sends the quaffle falling out of her hands. I enter another downward sprint towards it, dodging to other attacks from their beater, Killian Cruz.

I seize the quaffle, sprinting at unimaginable speeds and send it through the air into Marnie's awaiting hands. We speed back and around towards the other goals. I keep a close eye on my surroundings, keeping the other chaser and beaters in my sights.

It doesn't matter, though, because no one manages a hit on Marnie and she's able to send it through one the opposite team's hoops.

"Yeah!" My team screams. I catch up to Marnie, giving her a playful bump with my broom.

"That was awesome, Marnie!" She thanks me, breathless.

Thea calls for us to switch sides, this time with Marnie alone. Next with me alone, and so on until all beaters are switched out as well.

We practice for hours, the light brushing on the dawn and turning into a large and bright, early October sun. Lunch has already started and is underway when I make it down from my dorm.

1:15 PM Great Hall

I walk up to my usual seat, Wren is talking animatedly over her lunch to Drew and Rosie.

"I'm telling you, Snape was pissed. Alex Macon messed up the potion so badly that he caused Miranda Faust to sprout tusks," Wren recounts the story with glee, positioning her fingers on her face to imitate Miranda with her new ivory appendages. She pauses a few times in order to catch her breath. 

I take my place next to Rosie, "Hey Sabrina, I was telling the girls about poor ole Miranda," Wren smiles devilishly. Miranda Faust was a fifth-year Slytherin girl. Wren's utter delight upon witnessing the incident hasn't subsided since yesterday morning. It was during this specific class period that I came to know the identity of the girl who was arguing with August on the train.

"A terrible thing for such a terrible girl," Drew shushes Wren while failing to hold back a giggle of her own.

"Rosie?" Wren's fit of giggles is cut off by a voice.

"Cora?" Drew says, my flips to where the voice came from, my eyes catching instantly on my pink-haired cousin. I wipe all the surprise from my face, replacing it with forced disinterest.

It's been almost two weeks since our fight. My days usually go like this now, instead of walking together to our different areas. Cora pulls Rosie with her everywhere, separating our group so she doesn't have to walk with me.

Someone clears their throat, "I should go, I'll see you guys later," Rosie says,  her legs swinging up and over the bench.

Cora says nothing to me as Rosie and her leave.

"How long are you two gonna be mad at each other?" I hear Drew say, but I don't pay attention.

"I'll be right back," I'm up and out of the Great Hall in no time. I can't keep this up, one of us needs to be the bigger person, and if she won't do it then I will.

I find her in the quad courtyard, speaking with Rosie, "Cora, can we talk?"

She doesn't turn around, "Rosie can you tell her that I don't want to talk to her? Maybe she can go find August, and have him listen to her problems instead of me".

"No, I'm not doing this Cor. I love you, and Sabrina's my friend. Come on now," Rosie hooks her arm around Cora's, "I'll see you in class, Sabrina". She leads Cora, who stomps her way behind Rosie, by the arm out of the courtyard.

"Sabrina?" I pivot to the side to find Alfie standing there.

"Hey, Alfie," I say, sighing a little.

"Cora will come around, don't worry," he reassures me.

I shrug, finding an empty bench near me, shooing away a perched crow, and sinking into it, "I don't know why it bothers her so much. I'm making friends," my hands clasp, wringing in annoyance. "Plus, you don't know her like I do. Once she's on something, she doesn't let go. She'll stay mad until I either apologize or something else happens that will piss her off more".

he takes a seat next to me, "I get that. Though, I have something that might make this day better. Do you want to see it?"

I weigh my options, but my curiosity wins out, "Can you guarantee my mood will get better?"

He grins, "One hundred percent".

"Alright. Hit me," I turn towards him on the bench.

"Hold out your hand and close your eyes".

I snort, "What?"

"It's a surprise, you have to close your eyes". He waits expectantly until I ultimately give in and do what he asks.

I hear some rustling sounds and then a light clinking before something cold and heavy is dropped into my palm.

"Okay, you can look," my eyes pop open, the bright sun burning them slightly. I look into my palm, my heart-stopping.

"You didn't?" I say starstruck. The light catches the fine silver band and casing. It was a measly thing in comparison with other fine watches on the market, but it held so much value to me.

"I did," a proud smile spreads onto his face.

In my hand is that familiar watch, the one I had thought I'd never see again. "H-How".

"When I chased after that guy I ended up losing him. I couldn't get it out of my mind so I ended up going back out there secretly. I thought, 'Maybe he's dropped it', y'know. Realized it was too much trouble to carry around. Plus you've seen his face and you knew he had it. Eventually, I ended up finding it buried under some leaves".

I'm speechless, utterly stricken with emotion. I hold the accessory affectionately, "I can't believe you did that for me".

"What are friends for? If it's important to you, then it's important to me," his sweet smile melts my sour mood slightly.

"Thank you, Alfie," I wrap one arm around his shoulder in a quick hug.

"It's no issue, Sabrina," he also wraps an arm around me, completing the hug.

I push away from him, "Of course it is. It's dangerous out there, and you could've gotten into trouble," I argue.

"It was worth it," he smirks. The way his dark green eyes shimmer causes my next words to die in my throat.

My cheeks heat. "Well, um, thanks anyway".

Chapter Text

Very few of the wizarding world know of the lifeless lands of Aridryn. Even fewer know it bares a name.

They'll tell you the hilly and rocky terrain that once hid The Shadow Legion so well. They'll tell you that the crumbling spire lay in the middle, camouflaged by the fog. The stories are true, you know. About Blackthorne and his legion of dead. They'll tell you the land lays empty, void of his influence.

Even the wisest of us must be wrong once.

"Have you made any progress on our search, Mongrel?" The large room is cavernous and dimly lit, echoes of lightning fill the room from cracks in the walls and large paneless windows. A man, shrouded in so much darkness it was hard to even believe that someone was there in the first place, sits on a massive throne. It is clear from the damage dealt, that the throne had once been one of opulence and power.

A tiny, hunched, goblin stands alone in the middle of the large room.

"Sir, as I told you before. Her lady was nearest to you when the Aur–" the shrouded man grunts disdainfully, "When they blasted the tower. Everything within its wake was destroyed–".

"I wasn't destroyed, Mongrel. There is still hope for her," the shadows on the throne shift forward.

"But you are a powerful warlock, sir. She-She was not".

"ENOUGH!" The shadow moves as one, not an organic shadow at all. More of a wispy indication of something man-shaped. It imbues the air surrounding it in a thick and dark texture, like vapor off hot pavement. An embodiment of darkness and death.

"If you cannot fulfill your duty and find her, I will have to use you for another purpose," the tiny goblin whimpers and shivers.

"Please, sir, I–"

"He's helped you, Thaddeus. Give the poor guy a break," a young, black-haired boy apparates into the room, causing a loud pop! as he arrives.

"You're late," Thaddeus grunts as he moves back to his seat on the throne.

"Don't hassle me, old man, I come with news," the boy moves to the side of the small goblin, giving him a tiny wave to leave. The goblin gives him a look of thanks.

"Speak, boy".

"We need to make a change of plans," the boy announces, crossing his arms and widening his stance.

"What kind of change?" The shadow shimmers, causing the vapor-like fumes to deepen in color, becoming more inky-black.

The boy smirks, "I think the blonde know-it-all should go next. He may impede us retrieving our last subject," Thaddeus' shadow calms thoughtfully.

"Fine, if you believe you can accomplish this, let it be," the boy's smirk twists more into a sneer.

He bows, "Thank you, I will not disappoint. This new installment will be...properly magnificent". He walks backward and out of the large, thick, decaying doors. The sounds of someone screaming for help filter in like background music.

Chapter Text

7:00 PM Quidditch Pitch

The brisk October evening air pushes past my face and through my hair. 

A blur of green shoots past my vision. Slytherins take their places, practicing drills. Seven players fly in formations around the pitch. 

The familiar blonde boy, calls out different positions to his other teammates. He probably doesn't even know we're here yet. But he catches my attention instantly. My respect for him began the minute he started flying. He was truly an amazing player.

"Okay," Thea's commanding voice spears through my trance. She had Ravenclaw's chasers out here today watching the Slytherin team practice. "Watch Hawke. See how he keeps both the beaters and the keeper in his sights. He never gets distracted by the seeker or the snitch. He doesn't care if they're going after the snitch, his only focus is doing his job. A team works best when everyone does their duty fantastically. I hate them, but I won't lie and say they aren't a great team". 

A blur of green stops in front of the stands, and the familiar sneering student leans down to talk to us, "Thea Gordon, come to see what a real winning team looks like?"

Marnie, our fourth-year chaser, stands up, "Shut up, Beck. I would hush, that stick up your ass might just come out the other end," I have to cover a snicker with a cough. Which was a bad idea cause I'm sure he didn't even know I was there until now.

"What's so funny? Can't believe they're letting anyone play now. But it makes some sense, a loser like you must feel pretty comfortable on a team like that. If you wanna know what hanging around winners feels like, Sabrina, all you have to do is ask–,"

"Beck!" Another blur of green stops near us.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Beck speeds off.

Augustus flies closer to our stands, sitting up from his broom, "Gordon," he says, nodding curtly.

"Hawke," she says, returning the nod.

He leans back to his broom, his head turns, his eyes looking past the rest of us. His eyes do a double take back to me, surprise and amusement evident. 

"Sabrina," he doesn't wait for me to also acknowledge him, just speeds off, but not before presenting his signature smirk, his eyes flicking to me for just a second

I swallow thickly, hoping I was the only one who saw it. My hands, even though I'm very cold, start to sweat. I have to unclasp them and wave them inconspicuously to try and stop the sweating.

"You know if he wasn't Slytherin I'd totally date him," Clarisse, our other chaser fourth year, says dreamily.

Thea snorts, "Okay, and with that we're done for today. Remember, here at the pitch tomorrow at five a.m.," Clarisse and Marnie audibly groan. I, on the other hand, relish the distraction. Quidditch has always been a way for me to slow my quickening brain.

3:45 PM Care of Magical Creatures

"What do you think Hagrid has in store for us this time?" Wren says, groaning.

The last few weeks we've been learning about Thestrals. It had been severely depressing. An entire month on creatures of death. It had made my internal battle with Trelawney's prediction a lot worse.

"Didn't you read our syllabus?" Drew says, appearing next to us.

"I try very hard to not look at it," Wren says.

Drew fails to mask her disappointment in Wren, "Well, if you did, then you would see that we're starting Puffskeins. Though I was confused about what Hagrid meant by, 'Puffskein scavenger hunt," Drew inquires, rubbing her chin.

"Probably something crazy and convoluted knowing him," Wren rubs her eyes, tiredly.

The entirety of our class stands in the clearing a few yards from Hagrid's hut. A few students hold the syllabus, likely what Hagrid has in store for us this time. 

"Hey Sabrina," I spin to find Alfie's familiar mop of brown hair. "You ready for class?"

I smile at him, but it drops fast when I remember something, "I didn't know you had this class?"

I even think I imagine his carefree demeanor slipping, "What do you mean? Of course, I have this class. Have you really not known I've been here the whole time?"

"Yeah, Sabrina, Alfie's been here since the start of the term," I turn back to Drew, my eyes squinting in confusion. 

"Oh, sorry," I apologize to Alfie, "I guess it's just...been a one day. I didn't mean to be rude," I say laughing nervously.

"Don't worry about it, Sabrina. It doesn't matter," He gives me a friendly grin. But I still notice the change in him. I spend the entirety of Hagrid's introduction to Puffskeins worrying that maybe I've hurt his feelings or something.

"Puffskeins come in three different colors, black, brown, or gray. Today I will be tasking you with identifying all three variants," Hagrid's booming voice settles across our entire class, his excitement evident.

"I will pair you up myself," this elicits a chorus of groans and complaints from the students, "I know, I know, but I have gotten this from McGonagall that I should be more strict on who is paired with who. So, let's begin!" Hagrid begins to call out the pairings, much to the dismay of the class.

"Alfie Martyn and... Augustus Hawke," My shock is evident, but Alfie doesn't seem to mind. Taking his place uncaring next to an uncomfortable and confused August. A good amount of Slytherin students and, surprisingly, some other students scowl at this pairing. 

A few minutes after Hagrid has gone through the full list. "Now that you have been paired. You have each been given the location of a specific habitat of Puffskeins. Observe and draw them, and detail what you observe as well. Off you go," the students begin walking off to their respective map points.

"It's only for an hour, Sabrina," Rosie grimaces, walking off with a Ravenclaw boy from our Divination class.

"Hey, let's head out," Arlo Finnegan was the fifth-year Gryffindor I was paired with. It wasn't a completely bad thing though as he was one of the smartest guys in his house.

"Yeah, let's go," I agree, following behind him into the woods.

"The Puffskein mound should be here somewhere," Alro whispers. Puffskeins were not known for running away from wizards, so I guess his tone is more of a precaution. There were more deadly things in this forest besides these cute creatures.

I received my detention notice from Madam Pince Monday and had been spending my nights stacking and cataloging the school's books. You come across many volumes while doing so, given that I had begun to pay more attention to the books I was handling throughout the night. Puffskeins came across my path more than once or twice, so I had already known a good bit about the fluffy beings.

"There!" Arlo crouches behind a bit of foliage, pointing through a gap between them. "That should be the mound right there," I followed his finger, and sure enough, sitting in the middle of a break in the forest was a small hill barely the height of a first-year student.

"Where are they?" I say looking for them, "I thought they were pretty sociable creatures".

"Yeah...I don't know. Maybe the mound is empty?" He inquires.

"Should we tell Hagrid?" He shrugs, standing from his crouched position.

"Let's go check," Arlo walks between the bushes, holding them open for me to walk through as well.

We walk up to the mound. Arlo puts his finger to his mouth, cupping his ear, "Listen", he mouths. Puffskeins were known to elicit a sound of content, like when a cat purrs. 

But nothing. Not a peep.

"Weird," he finally says, "Maybe we should go talk to Hagrid".

"I–"

A loud crack sounds through the forest near us. It catches me off guard, but Arlo has his wand out and is ready to go.

He stands closer to me, "That sounded big, yeah?" I nod, getting my wand out too.

We listen in deafening silence, the forest ambiance creating a static in my ears. Then I hear it...voices.

Arlo turns to me mouthing, Other students? I listen again, but it's hard with the other forest sounds.

I shake my head, "It sounds like a group," I say, my voice almost inaudible.

"Come on," he grabs my arm, pulling us away from the clearing and behind some trees and foliage opposite from the voices. just in time too, because the source of the sounds becomes evident quickly.

"Are those?" I ask, my voice stopping, nothing coming out.

"Dark wizards," he sneers. In front of us, the clearing is full of dark wizards. A group of eight wanders in from the forest and around where the mound sits.

My heart rate quickens, threatening to propel my heart through my throat. "What do we do?"

"Wait until they're gone–shit," I'm half a second late to what Arlo is seeing, but when I do I utter a similar curse.

Something else has walked into sight; a massive troll. The sickly green, muscular, monster grips an equally massive wooden club. But it's what–or who–he has draped over his shoulder that causes the most alarm.

"August..." I croak. He hangs almost lifeless over the troll's thick shoulder. I can't decide whether or not to be glad when I can't find Alfie. I'm hoping it means he could've gotten away.

"What do we do now?" I demand in a hushed tone. Arlo's mouth opens then closes, seeming just as lost as I am with what to do.

"You can put him down Gorbog now. He shouldn't be fighting as much now," one of the wizards finally speaks up. Gorbog, the troll, dips his shoulder down which causes August to slide off easily, landing loudly on the ground. I have to cover my mouth, to keep me from uttering a sound.

I'm relieved when August groans, trying to push himself back to his feet. 

"Ah ah ah," the wizard who had addressed the troll, sends a hard quick into August's side. He goes back down, fast, coughing and groaning. My hand clutches my wand, a quiet whimper coming from my mouth. 

"Who's that?!" The wizard's hard gaze goes towards our hiding place. "Show yourself!"

Arlo puts his hand over my mouth and grabs my arm pulling us back further into the forest.

August forces himself to crouch in the blink of an eye, stretching his hand out, and yells, "Depulso!" in our direction. The force sends us back, even further into the trees.

Arlo and I tumble into a set of crossed tree trunks. My head slams hard into the thick bark. I feel Arlo next to me shuffling into a haphazard standing position.

Arlo's hand grabs and squeezes my arm, pulling my attention to him. "We need to go. Augustus bought us some time–" his sentence is cut off by a streak of green splintering into the tree above us.

This spurs me into motion, "We have to split up! It will be harder for them to catch us if we aren't running together! We make it back to the school and get help!" I nod quickly.

Another blur of green speeds past our heads, "Okay! Okay! GO!"

We break in opposite directions.

Staying alive was my priority, but as I ran, zigzagging between trees and foliage, I was reminded of a blonde boy who might have just saved my life at the expense of his own. 

I am reminded of my father. Would he have wanted someone there to help him escape the loneliness of death?

And with that thought, I'm weaving back around through the forest to where the Puffskein mound was.

I'll get him to safety, even if it's the last thing I do.

Chapter Text

Augustus' Pov

Pain.

I need to move, but all I feel is pain.

My only hope is that she managed to get away. If he'd gotten her too, I don't know how I'd handle it.

The ground crunches softly as I try to move. It's no use, I think. I could die here, though, knowing no one else was at risk.

I need to move.

My eyelids are heavy. I should sleep, I think.

The overcast light from the sky filters through the leaves. This is a nice place to rest.

My peaceful rest is stopped by a flash of purple. A hazy mumbling of a familiar voice.

Then she's there, her face. I try to smile, but it feels more like a grimace. My overworked muscles stretch in painful angles. 

But I don't care.

If I have her eyes to stare into as I go, then the depletion of my energy to save her was well worth it. Her hair spills past her cheeks, caging her face like a frame of a beautiful painting. If we only had more time, I'd tell her how much I've enjoyed knowing her.

But my mood is soured. She's worried, yelling something at me.

"August! Wake up!" My descent to madness is momentarily halted. Her soft hands rest on the back of my head and my cheek, respectively.

"Why did you come back?" I croak, I hope she understands what I said, my voice is so hoarse that some words are cut off and inaudible.

She looks at me incredulously, "You thought I'd leave you here?"

"Yeah," She scoffs but does not dignify my remark with a response. She just begins to rest my weight on her.

"What are you doing?" His eyes swing back to mine.

"Saving you, what do you think?"

I don't answer because we are no longer safe in the clearing.

"Look who we have here. I knew I smelled more runts," I glare at the fucker. It takes all my remaining strength to sit up. My arm pushes Sabrina behind me.

"Leave her out of this. You're after me, not her," I say, my eyes hard and glaring.

He chuckles, "You don't dictate anything, pretty boy–"

I cut him off, chuckling myself, "You sure have a lot of confidence in yourself. Pretty cowardice to do all this while hiding behind a mask," I challenge.

Sabrina's hand grabs onto my bicep, squeezing, "What are you doing? Don't piss him off," She hisses into my ear.

"You should listen to your girlfriend, boy," He growls, his attention turns to Sabrina.

Another masked wizard moves towards the front of the group, "Come on Cain, we shouldn't play with helpless students. Let's send them to sleep for good," he threatens, raising his wand at us.

The man, who I believe to be the leader of this group, raises his hand, silencing the other wizard. "There's no need for that. The old man wants the blonde one alive," his attention shifts back to Sabrina, my hand holding her behind me tightens.

"Now the girl, what do you all think we should do with her?" A chorus of suggestions echo through the crowd. Distracted and turning away from the two of them. I see a chance, and hopefully, Sabrina hadn't been the only one who saw the dark wizards. I have to just hope the help was on the way.

I slip into the last bit of my energy, shooting straight into the sky, "Periculum!" The brilliant green light splits into the overcast clouds, showing our position.

This unfortunately catches his attention, he spins his head back to me, furious, he shouts "Bombarda!"

Sabrina's pov

"August!" The red sparks leave the wand, slamming into August's chest. I lose sight of him as he disappears past the trees and foliage. 

I'm reeling back on the group, "Reducto!" The main wizard isn't quick enough and gets a face full of blue sparks. He lands on the ground, his face in his hands, the mask sits in a puddle of ash near his feet. All the wizards now have their wands trained on me.

I don't care, though. But I'm surprised to find it only melted the mask. I've never used that spell on a person before.

However, all of them, including me, are caught off guard by the snickering coming from him.

"I did not know you had that in you, Sabrina," I freeze. 

That voice.

No.

No. There's no way...

"Alfie?" My voice comes out shaky and vulnerable.

He snorts, rubbing his chin and smearing some of the blood coming from his mouth.

He stands back onto his feet, "Actually it's Cain, Cain Blackthorne. Pleased to make your acquaintance," he bows, "Unfortunately, now that you know, I can't very well keep you alive," he hissed as he raises his wand. I'm too stunned to move. Too stunned to counterattack. I feel completely useless right now.

This is impossible.

"Or sane," he finishes, "Crucio!"

Everything happens slowly. I see his mouth open and close, Crucio. The green erupts from the tip of his wand.

Then unimaginable pain.

Any thoughts I had before are replaced by the searing pain throughout my entire body. All I see is green and...pain.

I'm screaming, losing consciousness, screaming for it to stop.

Please stop...

I don't know what will occur in the next moments. If anyone saves me...if August was still alive, I have no idea. It's the worst kind of feeling...not knowing the outcome of someone you care about.

Funny how dying opens new avenues for new realizations.

All I know–all I feel–is the realization of dying alone. I feel like I'm dying.

Everything hurts like sand has settled between my bones. I still and stew in my pain before drifting...

...somewhere...quiet and calm.

Chapter Text

hello everyone!

this note is to signify the end of part one!

there will be an epilogue after this, though!

i hope everyone enjoyed reading the first part of this story!

Chapter Text

"Poor girl. Have her parents been notified?"

"Her mother has been informed. She is making her way here, she's accompanied by Sabrina's aunt".

Waves of nausea hit me like a truck. Like the tides, one wave quickly follows another.

In and out.

In and out.

"Mrs. Eichmann," the familiar weeping of my poor mother filters in with waves of nausea.

In and out.

In...

"There was an attack. Your daughter and another student were caught in the way".

Out...

"What did they do to my baby?" She screams in hysterics. Her hands stroke my cheeks. I try and reach for her, but am locked in this seemingly never-ending rocking ocean of unconsciousness.

"Jane," Cora's mother's calm tone soothes the rolling waves. "What happened?"

In...

"No..."

"I'm sorry to say that it is the truth".

Out.

The sun hits my eyelids, making my periorbital veins evident.

Am I dead?

It's a thought that doesn't disturb me as much as I thought it would. Anything to keep me from ever feeling like that again. I'd give any piece of soul to never feel that again.

My fingers twitch awake first, then my toes. My knees are stiff and aching, the tingling from my toes passing it and up my thighs. My chest expands with a thick breath of air. Then my eyelids are the next to awake, twitching slightly.

I'm nearly blinded by the light that pours in through the crack caused by the sudden twitch. My stiff shoulder moves my groggy and painful wrist to cover my eyes.

It takes a couple hundred compulsory blinks before I can get a lay of the surroundings, albeit a blurry one.

"Miss Eichmann," Madam Pomfrey saunters back into the room just as I am pushing myself into a sitting position, "No! No, back down you go, missy. You've had a terrible accident. You must lie back down," she hurries, settling beside me to push me carefully back down.

She grabs hold of a pitcher sitting on the nightstand beside my bunk, "Water, dear?" I shake my head, grimacing. The nausea from before hadn't fully subsided and I was fearful that I wouldn't even be able to keep that down.

"Where's everyone?" I say, my voice deep and croaky, she sets the pitcher back down.

Her brows squint as she watches, "No one's been here today".

"But I heard my mom," I say as she tucks me back into my cot.

Her face changes to one of comprehension, "Your mom was here, four days ago". My dry throat becomes inflamed when a sound of astonishment escapes my lips. Madam Pomfrey has to help me down a glass of water to keep me from hacking a lung. 

When I finally have to coughing under control is ask, "How long have I been here?" I look around the empty hospital wing. For the first time, I'm reminded of what happened that fateful day, "Where is he?" I hope I don't sound as desperate as I feel.

She looks at me with pity, "Oh, dear," my heart climbs its way up my throat, "He's been at home this whole time".

Like a bucket of cold water.

"Oh...good," I settle back down into my bed.

"Madam Pomfrey?" A new voice pierces through the silence of the wing. I'm surprised to find the familiar bright pink hue of Cora's hair.

She stands awkwardly in the middle of the door frame. Her hands are clasped in front of her as she rocks on her feet.

"Miss Bainbridge. As I told you before Sabrina needs–"

"I'm fine," I interrupt. Cora and I have some things to apologize for.

"Ugh, fine. Fifteen minutes Miss Bainbridge, and not a second more," Madam Pomfrey huffs, leaving the wing and Cora and I alone.

"How do you feel?"

I push back up to a sitting position, groaning as my stiff bones move against one another. Before I can say anything, she's beside my bed and helping me sit up. Fluffing my pillow in the right way to make it more comfortable.

"You can stop," her hands freeze, and finally realizing what she's doing she pulls back.

"Sorry," her voice is quiet and apologetic.

I sigh, my eyes closed tight, "I didn't–I didn't mean it like that," I pat the empty part of the bed next to me. She settles on it, her eyes turned away from me.

"I feel like shit," I snort, "But I'm alive. So," I say, shrugging.

She laughs.

We sit in comfortable silence for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry, Sabrina".

I scoff, "We don't need to talk about this, Cora".

"No. We do," her sad eyes finally meet mine. Unshed tears pool in her eyes, "I thought I'd lost you. And the last thing I would've said is that I didn't want to speak to you. I'm a terrible friend and even terrible family," a few droplets spill from her eyes.

"I was jealous. I hated the idea of you going to him with your problems and not me. In my head, there was no reason you would need comfort from him," she wipes her hand across her cheek quickly, "I was overly critical of him. I should've trusted your judgment," she finishes with a shaky breath.

Again we're plunged into silence.

"I'm sorry too,"

"There's nothing you need to be sorry for," she takes my hands in hers, her eyes steely and serious, "I promised that I would be there for you and I fucked up. End of the story". She squeezes my hands.

"I'm glad you're not dead," I giggle, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. The movement hurts, but at this moment I don't care.

I pull away, "I have questions".

"And I can answer them, but first I have something for you," she reaches into her satchel that I didn't even realize she had propped up on the leg of my cot.

She flips open the bag, fishing around for something. "Ah ha!" She pulls her hand out, an off-white envelope situated between her fingers.

"What is that?"

"Open it," she hands it to me, I take it with trepidation, her expression giving nothing away.

I peel back the flap and reach in. An A5-sized letter is folded inside. Unfolding it I find my name printed neatly at the top. Following it is a small paragraph, and even without reading who it's from, I recognize the confident signature.

                     Sabrina,

I hope in reading this you're awake and doing better. I have entrusted Cora to this letter because I need it to make it to you without interference.

First things first, I'm fine. My mother is a little, to make a long story short, protective. She didn't believe in the school's ability to aid me in getting better, so I've been at home and will be until the end of the term. 

Second, the real reason I'm sending this letter.

I may have deciphered a piece of the reason for what happened the day in the forest, but I can't trust our owls not to be intercepted by the Ministry. They're more on edge after what happened. People are starting to ask questions.

Lastly, and most importantly, I think keeping the more, for lack of a better word, gory details of that day to ourselves.

From what I could decipher, no one knows about...you-know-who, being a part of the group of dark wizards.

The less the professors and, in tandem, the ministry know about what happened, the less likely they are to twist the story to their advantage.

"What does it say?" Her curiosity is momentarily cut short, likely due to my shocked expression. However, her shitting grin tells me she has misinterpreted my emotions.

"Nevermind–"

"Miss Bainbridge," Madam Pomfrey's strict voice interrupts Cora, "Time's up," she eyes Cora while taping her wrist. I resist the urge to comment that she's not wearing a watch, which would completely negate the gesture, but considering the way she's speaking to us, I refrain from doing so.

Cora nods, "Yes, of course, Madam Pomfrey," she turns to look at me while picking up her bag, "The girls send their well wishes, 'Rina," she walks up to kiss my forehead before walking back through the aisle of cots and past Madam Pomfrey.

She watches Cora leave, then walks over to me. I shove the envelope and letter under the covers so she doesn't see them.

As she leaves me to rest I read the letter again.

I clench the parchment, vowing to uncover the truth behind August's cryptic message. With the weight of the revelation heavy on my mind, I realized that this was only the beginning of a much larger and more dangerous journey.

END OF PART ONE