The Curious Chamber

Even if the Hufflepuff’s had seen sense and stopped accusing Beth of being the Heir of Slytherin, at least to her face, the other houses still hissed at her as she walked past, apart from the Slytherin’s, they kept on applauding her and giving her standing ovations which was possibly worse.

It was a great relief to Beth when the Christmas holidays started.

She dragged her trunk and cat basket out of the train and saw Remus and Lyall running towards her.

“Hi there Cariad!” said Lyall giving her a hug and taking the luggage.

“Hi Grandpa,” beamed Beth.

“Hey there little one,” said Remus pulling her in for a hug.

Beth finally burst into tears as Remus held her close.

“You cant have missed me that much,” he chuckled.

“Hmmm,” she nodded.

“Why don’t we talk about this when we get home ok Beth?” asked Lyall.

Beth nodded and the family headed off to the car.

Beth fell asleep on the way home, it had been the longest term yet, and one of her best friends getting petrified a week ago hadn’t helped.

When they got home, Remus built a fire in the fireplace and Beth curled up in front of the fire in her dressing gown and pyjamas.

“Ok sweetheart,” chuckled Remus putting an arm around her, “tell me what’s up.”

“Everyone thinks I’m the heir of Slytherin,” she muttered as she stared into the flames.

“Surely not everyone Cariad?” asked Lyall.

Beth bit her lip and nodded.

“The Gryffindor’s and Ravenclaws hiss at me or move away from me as I walk past, the only non-Hufflepuff’s who still talk to me are Ron and Hermione.”

“See that’s not everyone,” Remus pointed out giving her a hug.

“There’s no mention of the Slytherins themselves you notice,” pointed out Lyall.

“No they give me rounds of applause, standing ovations and thank me for getting rid of the muggleborns on a daily basis.”

“Gits,” muttered Lyall.

“And the Hufflepuffs?”

“Aren’t horrible to my face anymore,” shrugged Beth, “Cedric shouted at them all last week and pointed out that I couldn’t possibly be the Heir.”

“See there you go,” nodded Remus, “you’re still worried about something though.”

“I think they’re right,” she muttered.

“What?” asked Lyall, “there is no way you could be the Heir.”

“I can speak to snakes, and I’m always there at the scene of the crime, and I can hear voices.”

“Voices?” asked Remus slightly worried.

“Hmmm,” she nodded.

“I’m sure it’s nothing little one,” said Remus pulling her in again as she burst into tears.

“I’m just scared,” she sobbed, “I’m worried that it might be me next, or Sus, or Ernie, or Hermione.”

“It’s ok to be scared,” he said patting her on the back.

“Just don’t forget don’t go anywhere without Susan and Ernie,” said Remus gently, “you’re less likely to be attacked.”

“Also, just in case one of those Slytherins tries attacking you, maybe you should start taking your bodyguard to class.”

“I don’t have a bodyguard,” she giggled cheering up slightly.

“Don’t you?” asked Lyall tickling Guinevere between the ears, “because last time I checked you have your very own monster that can attack pureblood bigots on command.”

“Come on poppet,” said Remus getting up from the fire, “we’ve got all holiday to talk, it’s time for bed.”

Beth went upstairs and Remus sat down on her bed as he tucked her in.

“Are you sure I’m not the heir of Slytherin?”

“Would you harm a fly?” he asked.

“I hurt Quirrell last year, I burnt him.”

“That was self-defence,” said Remus, “and you couldn’t help it. You are a beautiful wonderful person and you could never hurt anyone.”

“Ok,” she muttered drowsily as he tucked her in under her duvet and quilt.

“Goodnight sweetheart,” he whispered leaving Guinevere on door patrol.

On Christmas Eve, Remus made sure that Beth was properly asleep before they started to decorate the house. By the time that Beth woke up, they were going to have made a winter wonderland.

It was snowing overnight and Lyall made enchanted icicles hang over the cottage door and gate. Remus made paper chains which hung throughout the house and changed colours on their own. The tree was beautiful, strung with hundreds of lights and tiny baubles, and under the tree were over a hundred presents wrapped in bright colours.

At five o’clock in the morning the guests arrived. The Bones family had been invited as a special surprise for Beth and Susan had come with her parents and Aunty Amelia. Susan was wrapped up in her winter cloak over her pyjamas as it was so early in the morning, but they had wanted Susan to get there before Beth woke up.

“Should we go wake somebody up?” asked Remus as Lyall but the kettle on for the tea.

Susan nodded and rushed up the stairs still wearing her cloak.

She peeked around Beth’s bedroom door and saw that Beth was fast asleep under her quilt with Guinevere lying next to her.

Susan beamed and jumped on the bed to wake up her best friend.

“Merry Christmas Beth!” she screamed bouncing up and down on the bed.

Guinevere woke up and glared at her slightly before going back to sleep on the windowsill.

“Beth!!!”

“What you doing here Sus?” she muttered drowsily waking up.

“It’s Christmas!”

Beth’s face lit up and she jumped out of bed to give Susan a hug.

“But why are you here?”

“Because you’re my best friend.”

The two girls raced each other downstairs still wearing their pyjamas, Susan was still wearing her robe.

“Come here Susan,” said Mrs Bones shaking her head as she undid Susan’s clasp and passed her a warm jumper to put on over her pyjamas.

Beth was still shivering slightly as she sat down next to Susan in front of the fire that Remus had just lit.

Remus came back a moment later and handed Beth an old jumper.

It was emerald green and cashmere but looked as though it hadn’t been worn in years.

“Your Dad gave that to me when we were at school,” said Remus as he sat back down, “it might still be a bit big on you but I thought you should have it.”

As Beth pulled the jumper over her head, she found that even though this jumper hadn’t been worn for ten years it still smelt slightly of Remus because it smelt slightly chocolatey, there was also a lingering smell of tobacco, but she knew that Remus didn’t smoke. The jumper was huge on her so it fit well over her knees.

“Remus?” asked Beth as she knelt back down next to Susan.

“Yes dear?”

“You don’t smoke, so why does this jumper smell slightly of cigarettes?”

Remus laughed slightly.

“That would be Sirius,” he said shaking his head, “he was always smoking.”

“Well now the girls aren’t going to get cold should we open some presents?” asked Amelia.

“I thought you’d never ask Amelia,” said Mr Bones handing around the stockings.

Beth and Susan ate the chocolate coins and oranges from their stockings whilst they waited for the adults to open their presents.

They gave each other their presents first, Susan had made another book out of their history notes, and Beth gave Susan a copy of Little Women, as Susan was obsessed with Muggles and it was Beth’s favourite book.

Ernie had sent her a book on famous parseltongues, and Neville and Zach had bought her a book on magical snakes. At least someone appeared to find all this funny!

Artie had sent her some sweets, and Hannah had given her some brightly coloured ribbons for her hair.

Lyall had bought Beth some new video tapes.

“Hope used to love musicals, so I thought we’d see if you liked them.”

The box that Lyall had passed her had about ten video tapes in it including The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Grease, My Fair Lady and Fiddler on the Roof.

That only left one parcel under the tree which Remus passed to her.

“Merry Christmas Beth,” he said smiling slightly as she took off the paper and found a portable camera.

“You can never have too many photos,” said Remus beaming.

“Thanks Remus!” she beamed throwing herself in for a hug.

“Can we watch a film?” asked Susan.

“But of course,” said Lyall.

“Oh this one was always a Christmas tradition with Mum,” said Remus pulling out the tape for The Sound of Music.

Susan and Beth got comfortable on a large squashy pillow in front of the fire whilst the five adults sat on the two sofas as Remus set up the first film.

They ended up watching three films, having lunch after The Sound of Music.

As they came to the end of My Fair Lady then Susan had to go home.

“Bye Beth,” said Susan hugging her tightly, “I’ve had a lovely day.”

“Bye Sus,” said Beth trying not to cry, “see you next week at school.”

Beth went upstairs to get ready for bed and Remus was in his room reading his new book that he had got for Christmas, when there was a knock on his door.

He looked up and saw Beth standing in the doorway still wearing the overly large jumper.

“There something wrong sweetheart?” asked Remus budging up on the bed so Beth could sit down next to him.

“Remus,” she muttered, “how did you know you were in love?”

“I’m sorry what?” asked Remus putting his book down.

“Well you loved Uncle Sirius, right?”

“Hmmm,” muttered Remus who didn’t like to think about Sirius more than he had to.

He knew that Sirius was a traitor who betrayed Lily and James and then killed Peter himself, but sometimes he couldn’t help but remember the carefree, careless and somewhat rebellish but always good intentioned man that he had once known and loved.

“Well how old were you when you feel in love with him?”

“I don’t know, maybe fifteen, but Sirius had been flirting with me for a while before that if I think about it. Why’d you ask?”

“I’m starting to think I might possibly have feelings for someone,” she muttered pulling at a lock of stray hair.

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, I think about her all the time, she means the world to me, and I’d do anything for her, but I’m also worried that she probably doesn’t feel the same way.”

“Well, you’re only twelve, you’ve got plenty of time. So don’t rush anything, just keep going as things are being good friends, if anything does happen it will be natural.”

“Thanks Uncle Remus,” beamed Beth getting off the bed and giving him a hug.

“Oh and don’t worry,” he muttered picking his book back up and smiling at her over the top, “I’m sure Susan feel’s the same way.”

“I never told you it was Sus!” said Beth whipping her head and then putting her hand over her mouth.

“You didn’t have to tell me,” he chuckled as she left, “you were made for each other.”