Third Year, Unity in the Face of Darkness
Saturday September 1st 1973
This year, Marlene`s mother had thought it appropriate for Marlene to come along to King`s Cross Station by side apparition, deciding she was old enough to do so now. It had been the first time Marlene had apparated and it had been a horrible experience; it had felt like she`d been squashed through some sort of terribly narrow pipe. All the air had been pushed out of her body and it had taken her a couple of minutes to regain her composure once arrived at the destination. Secretly, she praised herself lucky for not being allowed to apparate on her own yet, for at least a couple of years. The entire ordeal had made her feel terribly nauseous.
Her mother waited impatiently in front of the barrier between platforms nine and ten for Marlene to finish throwing up in one of the bins; getting disgusted looks from strangers.
`Och mah, ye`ve got boak all over yer face.`
`Mammy, there`re muggles around.` Marlene hissed at her mother as the latter pulled her wand out of her robes.
`Scourgify.` her mom chanted, ignoring her daughter`s remark.
Gripping tightly onto her luggage, Marlene pelted at the barrier at full speed, her mother following suit, heels clicking on the ground. When Marlene stepped onto the platform, she almost let out an audible sigh of relieve, the vision of the Hogwarts Express was a sight for sore eyes. Marlene desperately needed some normalcy after the weeks she`d had.
The last days of August had been filled with rain, both metaphorically and physically. It was evident that the best of summer had gone, yet all the merits of autumn kept them waiting in anticipation.
After Mary`s birthday things had started to feel morose. The morning Camille was supposed to go back to France, Marlene had gone up to the house she had been staying at; she`d wanted to see Camille one last time, she needed that closure. But, when she`d knocked on the door, heart practically beneath the floorboards of the porch, nobody had answered. Marlene had peered through the windows, trying to see inside, but the house had been empty, deserted; the furniture covered with white bedsheets against the dust.
In the amount of time it had taken her to walk back to her own house, her sadness and confusion had turned into fury and a deep feeling of betrayal. She hadn`t been able to grasp where it had gone wrong and still couldn`t. Well she could pin-point the exact moment, but what exactly had gone amiss she couldn`t see. All the feelings that came rushing towards the surface confused and angered her. Marlene wasn`t able to place them in the grand scheme of things. The thing that had passed between her and Camille, had been something she`d never before experienced. What it all meant, for her, for everything, she didn`t know. And she didn`t know if she wanted to know.
Back home she`d taken her anger out on her bludgers, hitting them around the yard until her shoulders had ached and her back had felt sore from overexertion. When she`d completely tired herself out and felt like an empty balloon, she`d looked down at the lawn; somehow expecting Camille to stand there. However, she hadn`t, and it had taken Marlene all her might to not scream at the top of her lungs.
It had seemed like her own fury and confusion had manifested itself in everything around her. For the last two weeks of the summer holidays, her home had been tense. Her mother and stepdad were constantly talking to eachother in hushed voices, heads bowed over The Daily Prophet. It had been as if their home had been loaded with some sort of high current, waiting to be set off.
There were whisperings of the reformation of certain laws at The Ministry of Magic; mostly concerning muggle-born witches and wizards. Marlene`s stepdad had a job at the ministry and usually came home with a deep furrow on his brow, face lined with worry. Something dark was on the rise, though nobody really understood the gravity of it all yet.
In a way it was easier to have this very definite fear to cling onto. It gave Marlene an excuse to act restless, to slam with doors, to crank her music up louder, to smash a window or two in the process of quidditch practice. If she could lay the blame on an impeding darker time, she could escape the things she couldn`t wrap her head around.
Another distraction had been her summer homework; completely throwing herself into her studies as a way to numb out her thoughts. Luckily, school always remained school, no matter what. Hogwarts would always be Hogwarts, there was nothing that could change that.
As her mother dropped her trunk and broom off at the collection point, Marlene scanned the platform, looking for familiar faces. At the end of the platform she spotted Lily -her red hair always making it easy to find her- she was talking to Snape, gesturing energetically with her hands, a smile on her face as Snape stared at her. Marlene would never understand what Lily saw in the greasy haired git; that was another thing that probably would never change. Hogwarts would always stay Hogwarts.
With every second that she found herself back within familiar bounds, Marlene could feel the tension that had existed in every cell of her body for the last couple of weeks seep out off her. Camille had only existed in the summer, she was yet another summer gone by. Here, she didn`t exist and everything that stood for her could be left in August. Everything could go back to normal. If anything, Marlene had set herself the intention to put in as much effort as she could to pretend that nothing had changed.
While Marlene waited for Lily to spot her and pry herself loose from her friend, she looked further along the platform. Sirius and his brother, Regulus, were being fussed over by their terrifying looking mother, Sirius looking untidy seemingly on purpose. Over the summer Marlene had heard all sorts of whispers concerning his family, apparently there had been a betrothal that had gone awry. The details had remained private.
`Hiya!` Lily flung her arms around Marlene, standing on her tippy-toes as she squeezed her soft statue into her, she smelled like her usual apple shampoo.
`Alright, Lil.` Marlene smiled as her friend held onto her arms as she pulled away.
`Have you seen Mary?` Lily asked. `I can`t seem to find her anywhere.`
`Nah,` Marlene shook her head. `I just got here.`
The two of them scanned the swarm of students; older years messing about with eachother, teary first years and the flurry of owls and cats. Peter emerged out of the crowd, supporting truly an impressive sunburn.
`Hiya, Peter!` Lily smiled.
`Hi,` Peter replied wringing his hands. `Have you seen James. I seem to have lost him.`
Marlene tried her best not to laugh at this; other people lost pets, Peter lost James.
`No I`m sorry, Pe-` Lily started, but the short pudgy boy cut her off.
`Oh, never mind, there he is!` Peter turned on his heel and scurried away from them.
In the mass of people Marlene saw James` head bobbing above the crowd, he seemed to have grown a great deal over the summer; his face looked a little thinner, but his hair was as messy as ever. James waved his hands at them, long limbs flailing everywhere.
`Evans!` he called, positively beaming. Marlene felt a pang of jealousy.
`Oh great,` Lily groaned. `He`s gotten tall.`
Marlene giggled. This year she`d try her best to prove she actually fancied James, properly, like Mary did Sirius.
Lily checked her watch, `I think we better board. We`re almost leaving. Mary will be here.`
`Aye.` Marlene nodded and they started heading towards one of the entrances.
`Wait, wait!` someone heaved behind them and Marlene turned around to see Mary hurrying after them, basket holding Cat swaying in her hand. She came to a heaving halt.
`There you are!` Lily cried, hugging Mary.
`Sorry, got held up. Am fine now.` Mary waved a hand, other perched on her knee as she doubled over, panting. `Christ, Marls props to you for running so often. Not doing that again.`
Marlene smirked, a heat radiating in her stomach, `Cheers.`
`Right.` Mary pulled herself upright. `Let`s go then. Third year.`
They gathered themselves together and boarded the train, leaving Platform 9 ¾ behind them once more.
***
The train ride up to Hogwarts had been pleasant. Lily had caught up with Severus on the platform, since she hadn`t really had the time to see him yet after coming back from France. She`d been up to London for Mary`s fourteenth birthday just after she`d returned and after that the days had just sort of blended together in a haze; preparing for the coming year. Lily would have three more courses this year, that meant a lot more paperwork to be dealt with, a lot more folders that needed to be secured.
Once on the train, she`d shared a compartment with Mary and Marlene. Mary had been her usually chatty self, observing everybody that went past the window of their carriage and noting how much everybody had changed. She`d gone on and on about how Sirius seemed to grow up in perfect proportions, not lanky like James, which had earned her a reproachful look from Marlene -probably because the latter fancied him. Remus had also passed by, his head had been shaved again, which Lily still thought was a disgrace, and, just like James, he had shot up into the air. The boy had already been wiry, but now he looked even more so, and gangly at that. Peter was still short, it seemed like he was still the same height that he had been at eleven. He kept his little-boyish demeanour, with plump rosy cheeks and stubby fingers.
It had remained dry for the entirety of the journey to Hogwarts, the golden late summer sun streaming into the train, illuminating them as it set behind the rolling hills of Scotland.
When all of the students filed into the Great Hall, it took Lily a while to find their seats at the table. Now they were third years, they were really no longer part of the youngest students and the teacher`s table was a great deal away from them. Mary and Marlene kept giggling as they followed the boys to the Gryffindor table, eyeing James and Sirius.
Lily plonked herself next to Remus, one of the two sane marauders. `You`re taking Runes, aren`t you Remus?` she asked, raking her fingers through her fringe.
`Yep.` Remus nodded, lips pressed together as he looked at her.
Sirius overheard them and wailed, `Moony`s abandoning us!` He put his head on James` shoulder and pretended to start bawling desolately. Lily rolled her eyes; Sirius could be so dramatic.
The boys had taken on calling Remus, Moony, something Lily didn`t really understand. It must be some sort of nickname, she thought.
`There, there.` James gently patted Sirius` shaking back, a solemn look on his face; he wasn`t any better. `I hope you`re happy, Remus.` he chided. `All very well you moving on to bigger and better things, but think about us little people you`re leaving behind.`
Lily saw Remus turning red, looking at his empty plate in front of him, `I`m not leaving anyone behind.` he muttered. `Just didn`t fancy divination.`
Lily groaned inwardly, she would also be taking Divination this year; she`d hoped to escape Potter and Black, but apparently that wasn`t in the cards. The both of them were also taking Arithmancy, so Ancient Runes would be her only class free of the hysterics of the Gryffindor theatre club.
`Ignore them.` Lily said primly to Remus, glaring at James and Sirius. The two boys were still clasping eachother, pretend crying with dramatic sobs like they were auditioning for a Shakespeare tragedy. Lily rolled her eyes again and tutted. `You don`t have to be attached to the hip all the time. Anyway,` she tore her eyes away from James and Sirius and fixed them on Remus again. `I`m doing Runes too, have you done the pre-reading?`
Remus nodded vigorously, his eyes shining and grinning widely.
`Yeah, it looks really interesting.`
`Aha!` Sirius suddenly cried, putting one finger into the air. `Now I see.`
Lily sighed annoyed, couldn`t he just shut his face for one moment.
`What?` Remus asked his friend, looking nervously at him.
`I don`t think it had anything to do with furthering your academic career.` Sirius scratched his chin like he was some great philosopher. `I think our dear Remoony has been lured away from everyone`s favourite doss subjects by the fairer sex!`
`Shut up.` Remus grumbled, turning even redder, looking down at his hands.
Lily sighed, now it was the boys too who were starting on this boy-girl rubbish, `Yeah, shut up, Black.` she rolled her eyes. `Honestly you lot can`t even be nice to each other. Just because no girls would come near you with a five-foot barge pole-`
`I`ll have you know I was very recently engaged to be married!` Sirius cut her off, pointedly, putting his nose haughtily into the air. James started snorting with laughter. Lily`s eyes widened. So, it had been Sirius in the end. The person Remus had come to her about the arranged marriage had been him. Well, good thing Sirius had gotten out of it apparently.
She turned her back on them, very obviously ignoring them, `What other subjects are you taking?` she asked Remus.
`Care of Magical Creatures.` Remus sighed, looking glum.
`Oooh!` Marlene suddenly spoke up, tearing herself away from her whisperings with Mary. `Me and Mary are taking that!`
`A-HA!` Sirius cried triumphantly. James slumped into Sirius, breaking down in laughter. Lily glared at the boys, she pitied those who`d end up with them. She shot Remus a compassionate look.
Lily hoped that Sirius and James would never find out that Mary and Marlene fancied them, their ego`s might just blow up the school if they did.
When Dumbledore commanded the hall to be quiet for his usual begin of the schoolyear speech, Lily sat up straighter, happy to have something other to focus on. Luckily, as well as everyone else in the Great Hall, Sirius and James got quiet and listened with serious faces to the headmaster.
He started his speech with the usual welcoming and reassuring words for the first years, as well as an introduction of some newer members of staff. Yet, after that, something changed noticeably in his tone of voice.
`I want to remind you that we need to keep our heads high, to remember what is important. We must bear in mind that kindness is the greatest virtue of all.` the headmaster spoke, peering over his half-moon spectacles, blue eyes sparkling. `While we value individuality here at Hogwarts, when it comes down to it: we are one unity. In the face of darkness we must keep united. I fear there are dark times ahead, but as long as we won`t let the darkness in, we can hold onto the light.`
There was a low ominous murmur among the Slytherins and the whole Hall seemed to straighten up. Lily felt a knot twist in the pit of her stomach; Mary and Marlene shot anxious glances at her.
`With that,` Dumbledore went on. `I bide you all a good school year! Let the feast commence!` He made a swooping motion over the hall with his arms and the tables instantly filled themselves with food.
The newly sorted first years looked positively frightened and the whole room was hushed, everybody whispering in low murmurs among eachother. Lily looked up to see Severus sitting at the Slytherin table, staring at her; she shot him a forced smile.
Mary tugged at the sleeve of her robes, `What`s going on?`
`We`ll talk about it later.` Marlene said and exchanged a meaningful look with Lily. Mary had probably heard nothing about what was happening at The Ministry of Magic.
Mary furrowed her brow and started putting mashed potato on her plate, Lily following her example, not feeling hungry at all. Marlene was biting at her nails, staring off into the distance; Lily started loading her plate as well and nudged Marlene to eat.
***
With a firm hand, Mary pushed Lily and Marlene out in front of her up towards their dorm. She ushered them through the door, their luggage already waiting for them, her cat laying on her bed. Resolutely, she closed the door behind them, making sure it was just the three of them.
`Can you please explain to me why everyone is acting like we`re on the brink of a terrible disaster?` Mary asked, jutting her hip out and placing her hand on it, looking from Marlene to Lily.
Mary hated the feeling of being left out of something, what was it that her friends knew that she didn`t? The tension in the Great Hall had been unbearable, if she`d had a fuse, she could have probably started a fire.
Marlene and Lily were exchanging anxious glances.
`Come, on spit it out. I can take it.`
`Well…` Lily started. `Gosh, where to begin.` she sighed. `I think we better sit down.`
`…Ok?` Mary replied, sitting down on the bed, the other two girls joining her; Marlene biting on her nails.
`Erm, alright,` Lily breathed, looking up as if trying to collect her thoughts. `Last summer- so not this summer, but the one before- there were elections for the parliament, the magical one that is. And the results were kind of- Well, erm, you know there are dark wizards?`
`I`m not ignorant Lily. Of course I know.` Mary replied, if there was anyone who knew that not every witch or wizard was good, it was her.
`Ok, of course, sorry.`
`It`s okay, go on.` Mary sighed, impatient for Lily to get to the point.
`Alright, well the results of the elections were kind of unexpected, seeing as some more conservative parties got actually a rather large part of the votes.` Lily went on.
`How do you know so much about wizard politics?`
`Newspaper.`
`Oh. Right. Continue.`
`Nobody really thought anything of it. But now -this summer that is- there have been a lot of rumours about The Ministry of Magic wanting to reform some of the laws.` Lily said, looking anxiously at Mary. Marlene was chewing on her hair, petting Cat, who had settled itself on her lap.
`What kind of laws?` Mary asked, feeling nervous.
`Mostly ones concerning muggle-borns.` Mary`s heart dropped. `And also some for magical creatures; werewolves and such. It is not like these issues haven`t been there before…but it seems like they have gotten more prevalent or something.`
`And Dumbledore thinks we should worry?` Mary asked.
`I think so.` Lily mulled, looking at her hands.
`I heard my stepdad saying something about some sort of new politician making an entrance.` Marlene suddenly said, spitting the hair from her mouth. `I mean, I don`t know much about it. But some call him The Dark Lord. Apparently a lot of pureblood families want to side with him in the next elections.`
Mary swallowed. When she`d come to Hogwarts, she`d never thought she would have to deal with all these politics.
`So…what does this mean?` Mary asked.
`I don`t know.` Lily replied, shaking her head. `I don`t know.`
`But we`re save here. Right?` Mary implored, standing up and pacing up and down the room. `I mean, surely they can`t do anything here?`
`Mammy said Hogwarts is the safest place in the country.` Marlene spoke. `Besides Gringotts that is.`
`Yeah,` Lily added. `Dumbledore wouldn`t let anything happen to us.`
Mary nodded, they were probably right, at Hogwarts they were safe, under the care of Dumbledore they would be safe. The school wouldn`t let anything happen to its students. Though, Mary did feel a slight pang at this, because weren`t the muggle-borns already being harassed? But, for now, she would swallow those concerns away.
`And nothing has happened yet, right?` Mary asked, trying to reassure herself. `I mean, they`re all just speculations?`
Lily nodded, `Yes. For now.`
`Alright,` Mary pushed out her chest, making herself bigger. `Then we have nothing to worry about.`
Mary looked from the one to the other; Marlene still biting at her nails and Lily looking glum. Though Mary could hardly blame them for feeling morose, she was determined not to let this ruin the mood. They had way more pressing matters at hand this year.
`Hey! Come on!` Mary chided. `Let`s not sulk tonight. Look around, look where we are.`
The three of them looked around their familiar dorm room. It was almost unbelievable that they would start their third year within these walls. A small smile started to curl around Lily`s lips.
`You`re right. You`re right.` Lily said. `You`re absolutely right.`
The three of them started to unpack. Mary carefully folded her clothes away and put her jewellery in her nightstand, making sure her necklaces wouldn`t get tangled in the process. In the second drawer of her nightstand she stowed her new piercing needles. One of her missions this year was to continue her entrepreneurship.
`I`m taking the top shelf!` Mary called, as she started to put her make-up away in the bathroom. She`d gotten some new products for her birthday from her sister and she was absolutely dying to flaunt them. Another one of her missions; to look even better than last year.
From the conversation she intercepted in the Great Hall, she had concluded that the boys in their year finally were starting to wake up from their slumbers and get an eye for girls. Mary had been waiting for this ever since she started fancying Sirius, now the real work could start. Though Mary was a little bit afraid that James was a lost cause for Marlene, he had only got eyes for Lily. Which Mary didn`t blame him for; she was absolutely striking.
`Hey, what`s that?` Mary sauntered back into their dorm room after putting her belongings away in the bathroom.
`A record player.` Lily smiled, lifting the thing from her trunk. `Mom and dad let me take their old one.`
`Oooh!` Marlene chimed. `Let me see.` She crouched down next to Lily and examined it up close.
`But doesn`t this need electricity?`
`Marlene!` Lily cried. `Since when do you know what electricity is?` Mary snorted loudly at this.
Marlene raised her eyebrows. `As you may recall, I`m taking Muggle Studies this year. And I`ve done some pre-reading.`
`Swot.` Mary rolled her eyes in mock, grinning at Marlene.
`Don`t listen to her Mars!` Lily retaliated. `Good for you.`
Mary stuck her tongue out to Lily. She had barely touched her new school books. She`d get to it when she`d get to it. They were still safely tucked away in her trunk.
`I can`t wait to start our new courses.` Lily sighed. `Ancient Runes looks incredibly interesting.`
Mary made a snoring sound and plonked down on her four-poster bed, the springs creaking.
`It is!` Lily huffed indignant.
`Well,` Mary sat up, leaning back on her arms. `Suppose you`ll have the time of your life taking it alone together with Lupin.` she raised her eyebrows meaningfully.
`Huh?` Lily replied, looking confused.
`Oh come on Lil.` Mary grinned. `I`ve seen the way you look at the boy.`
Lily furrowed her brow, `And how do I look at him?` she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
Mary grinned wickedly. `Like you want to snog him.`
`Mary!` Marlene gasped. `Gross!`
`Oh, come on.` Mary rolled her eyes. `You fancy him!`
`I do not fancy Remus.` Lily replied defiantly. `I do not.` she repeated when Mary moved her hands like two little mouths pretending to be blabbering.
`Well he`s certainly a step up from Snivellus.` Mary scrunched up her nose in disgust.
`Oh my God!` Lily groaned and went to lie face down on her bed.
`Can we talk about something else?` Marlene asked, looking pleadingly at Mary.
`Fine.` Mary held up her hands defensively, though she was pretty sure about her observation.
Next to the record player, Lily had also brought some records and Mary started to flip through them, searching for something that might peak her interest.
`Oooh, you`ve got Dusty!` Mary held up the cover of Dusty Springfield`s Dusty…Definitely.
`Who`s that?` Marlene asked, approaching Mary and sitting next to her on the rug.
`Yeah, Petunia gave that one to me.` Lily said, grinning. `I`ve been playing it silly all summer.`
`Well, let`s pop it on then.` Mary grinned and took the record out of the dust jacket, spinning it on.
Marlene was busy trying to locate the mechanism that allowed the record player to work; she looked absolutely gobsmacked as the music started to echo though the room.
`But-` she stammered.
`I charmed it Marls.` Lily put a reassuring hand on Marlene`s arm and Mary sniggered. `Magic.`
They listened to the first song in quiet, slowly bopping their heads along. As the first notes of the second song creaked out of the speakers, Mary pulled Lily and Marlene up by their arms.
`Come on, we need to initiate our third year with some cheer!`
Mary started to dance, shimmying her hips and waving her arms around. Reluctantly Lily joined in, doing little dance moves in places; Marlene crossed her arms in front her body and had her eyebrows raised.
`Oh, you can do better than that!` Mary cried. `So come on, come on, come on, come on, take another little piece of my heart.` she sang and took Marlene`s hand as she twirled her around.
`Break another little piece of my heart now, honey.` Lily joined in, dramatically gesturing with her hands.
Marlene started grinning and it wasn`t before long that the three of them were prancing around the room, Mary standing on top of her trunk, singing loudly as she used her wand as a microphone while Marlene and Lily pretended to be in the audience, swaying their arms.
Unity in the face of darkness.
///