iv
holly got home late that night, late enough that she had to tip toe up the stairs and into her room, fearing the beast that laid above her head in the master bedroom.
she reached her bedroom door, pushing past the sign on her door with her name that finn had made her a couple years ago in one of his art classes. it was missing a l but it gave it the same charm that finn had. her hands fumbled for the switch on her lamp and light bleed across her walls.
she was still reeling from the meeting, overwhelmed by the names she had to remember and the boy with a smokey aura. he had been able to get under her skin and light a fire in her heart that she despised.
she would kick his ass one day, she was sure of it.
she striped out of her clothes and climbed into bed, desperate for the sleep that had weighed down her eyes for the past hour. though, it seemed to stray from her the more she lie awake and stare at her ceiling.
everything was changing. her life. her family. her morals. her. she didn’t know if it was for the better, but she knew it was there.
sleep only found her when she let her mind wander to dark eyes and what hogwarts would bring.
–
the morning that holly was set to leave, she snuck out through her bedroom, dropping somewhat painfully off the slanted ground above her porch. she would be visiting alexandria and her father today.
first, alexandria.
the walk to her grave wasn’t long, a couple blocks down the road. the cemetery was full of solider’s and mother’s and daughter’s. she walked slow, though. it was always hard visiting alexandria’s grave, especially hard when she knew she wouldn’t be able to for the foreseeable future.
stopping at the gates of the cemetery, she glanced at the plaque that held both fences together. hillborough cemetery for the loved. she nearly broke down then and there, but she pushed on, knowing she would save the tears for alexandria’s grave. she was buried right inside, a spot where the sun shone all day round and where the moonlight kissed her headstone at night. it only seemed right that they place her in such a lively space.
she approached the grave, her hand wrapped around the necklace that had once been gifted to her by alexandria. a necklace that she hadn’t taken off since the christmas she had received it.
“hi, ria,” holly said, settling next to the grave and pulling her knees to her chest. “i’m going to be gone for a while, as you may know. the whole prospect of it all is quite intimidating. i was never as good as you at charms or potions. i was able to beat your ass in a duel, though, that’s for sure.”
her laugh was watery, pairing devastatingly with her eyes.
“i’m sorry for everything. i’m sorry for the pills, for not waking up soon enough, for sitting in the same boat as you for first year. you would still be here, if not for me. sometimes, i wish it was you instead of me. you would do so good with this mission, you would outshine that prick in every sense of the word. you’d be a hero. i know you’re saying that i will be, too, but you just would have been so much braver than i ever will be. i guess that’s why we were in different houses all along.”
holly set down the necklace next to her grave before digging up a spot over where she was buried. she took a moment, kissing the pendant on the necklace before placing it in the freshly dug hole and covering it once more with dirt. the last remnants of alexandria gone. buried.
“i’ll come back for it, i swear,” she said, wiping away her sadness from under her eyes. “i promise you, i will get that back. i will do everything you would have done. i’ll save as many people as i can, solely because i couldn’t save you when you needed me to. i’m sorry, ria. so, so, so sorry. i love you to the moon and back, you’ll always be my best friend.”
holly stayed for a while longer, leaning against the girls headstone and staring at the sun as it started to peak over the horizon. she was cold, but her heart was warm.
it wasn’t until she checked her watch and realized she had two hours until she would be picked up that she finally stood, dusting the dirt and grass off of her with fever. she kissed her fingers before touching them to the headstone.
“i love you, i’ll be back for you.”
—
the next grave was her father’s.
the yard was cast in a warm glow from the sun, the grass and trees baking in the heat. she knelt near her father’s grave. there was no actual headstone, just a small plaque that held his name and death date.
“mornin’, dad,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. she felt drained already. “i’m sorry that i haven’t spoken to you in a while. you know what’s been going on. i wish that you were able to send me off today. i wish that you could give me advice on what to do here, you were always so wise. but, alas, you cannot. i understand that. i understand why.”
she brushed her fingers against the tree that lay only a foot or two from the grave.
“we love you, you know that, of course. mom misses you more and more everyday. finn misses what could have been. i wish he had been able to meet you, he’s basically you but as a young boy. he’s who i imagine you were when you met mom forever ago. and no, i’m not calling you old, i swear. you’re still young and spry and all the other things you are. i love you, dad. i promise, i’ll come back and tell you all about the things i get down to at hogwarts. you’ll love it. you always loved those stories.”
she brushed her fingers against her dad’s name and pictured herself brushing the hair out of his face and he worked in the garden and listened to her relentless questions.
“goodbye, dad.”
she stood, taking once last glance at the grave before going inside to get ready for the taxing day ahead of her. no one was awake when she entered the house. she moved toward the kitchen, intent on washing her hands. though, when she glanced down at them, she noticed the dirt under her finger nails and realized this was the last of what she would have of alexandria for a while.
she bit her lip to keep her emotions at bay and she washed her hands anyway and watched the dirt and alexandria swirl down the drain. it was a stupid thing to get emotional over, but she couldn’t help how her throat closed.
—
the next couple hours flew by, and before holly knew it, she was exchanging tearful goodbyes with her family on her front porch.
finn’s arms were wrapped around her waist and her mother’s were wrapped around the two of them tightly.
her shirt was sticking to her body, pressed even further into her where finn’s teary eyes were sitting against her. she didn’t want to think about how she was the cause for those tears, for the hurt that was surely sitting heavy in his heart. her mom wasn’t crying—she never cried.
“we’re going to miss you much, holly,” finn said, squeezing her even tighter before letting go.
holly’s mother echoed the statement. “but you’ll have the time of your life, that’s for certain. just please, be careful. and don’t get pregnant. i don’t want british grandkids.”
“i do not plan on it, ma’am,” she said, shaking her head with a small smile. “i’m going to focus on school while i’m there and take as much as i can out of this opportunity, okay? i’ll make you proud.”
the words felt bitter on her lips. they were partial lies. she would focus on school, sure, and she would do as much as she could but not in the way her mother knew. not in a way her mother would ever know about.
there was a pop behind the three of them and holly looked over her shoulder, her eyes catching on evelyn glasdrop, head of operations. holly nodded in greeting and eveyln nodded back, turing around to stare at the southern sunrise as the family said goodbye. holly was thankful for the sliver of privacy.
“finn, please go grap holly’s things from the living room?” her mother shooed him away before turning back to holly. “your father would be so proud to see where you are now. he always knew you would go far, do great things, help people, i mean, he has so much faith in you. as do i. please, holly, come back home to me, okay? i don’t know what’s going to happen while you’re there, but just…stay safe.”
holly swallowed the tears that were starting to build once more and nodded frantically. these were the nicest words that holly had ever heard come from her mother’s lips.
“alexandria wants you to do this, holly. she wants to you to be you and do as much as you can. do it for the both of you.”
holly couldn’t stop the tears this time, her heart clenching painfully at the mention of her dead best friend. her mother right. so right. holly would dream of a time that her and alexandria were doing this together. alexandria would be braver than her, but holly would be more level-headed. holly knew she had to carry both weights now.
“i love you, mama,” she said, hugging her mother one last time and finn bounded out of the front door and dropped holly’s stuff on the front porch haphazardly. “and i love you, too, finn, okay? don’t doubt it for a second.”
“i don’t, holly, i swear, i don’t,” finn muttered into her shirt once more, his arms wrapping around her like a blanket on a cold night. “i can’t wait to hear all of your stories when you get back.”
“i’ll tell you everything,” she said, letting go of finn.
evelyn turned around and started toward the weeping trio. “hello, mrs. newport,” she addressed holly’s mom first before turning to finn. “you must be finn, pleasure to meet you, young man.”
finn smiled at her. “you as well.”
“i am the main coordinator for the exchange program,” she said, patting holly on the shoulder. “holly here is a bright, promising girl. she will do wonders at hogwarts.”
the words held more weight than her mother and brother realized, so holly shivered at the notion.
“is there anything else you need to do before we leave, holly?” evelyn turned her attention toward her, her eyes much softer than they were during the meeting. holly was unsure if it was a show or not. she seemed genuine.
holly thought of her father and alexandria, deciding they were taken care of and shook her head. “no, i have everything. i’ve said my goodbyes. we can go.”
“great!” evelyn said, clapping her hands before outstretching one to presley and finn. “wonderful to meet you both, i promise that holly will be well taken care of and completely safe this year. you can write as much as you would like and if you have any concerns or questions, you can write me or albus dumbledore, the headmaster of hogwarts. have a nice day, the both of you.”
holly hugged her family one last time before muttering a quick, “goodbye, i love you guys.”
she grabbed her luggage in one hand and meet evelyn at the front of the yard, evelyn reaching a hand out and holly taking it carefully.
“you can apparate this far, correct?” evelyn questioned her quietly. when holly nodded, evelyn said, “show me, then.”
holly felt a pull deep within her and after a couple quick flips of her stomach, they were standing in the center of trafalgar square deep within london. evelyn glanced at her in approval and dropped her hand before walking forward, gesutring for holly to follow her down.
evelyn walked quick and holly speedwalked to meet the woman, step for step. evelyn took a quick left before stopping in front of a bright red telephone booth. she opened the door and gestured for holly to step in, evelyn following her closely after. the booth expanded as they both stepped in side, and holly glanced around curiously.
evelyn picked up the telephone, dialled 62442 and the bottom of the booth moved abruptly, leading holly’s heart to jump uncomfortably. though, it moved slowly as they descended into the streets of london and stopped at the first level they came to. evelyn stepped out of the booth and immediately descended deeper into the atrium, leaving holly stunned by the new, gorgeous environment.
holly moved on autopilot as she followed evelyn through the weaving crowds. the atrium ceilings reached right under where holly guessed was the london street above; the floors were a dark, worn hardwood that was shining as if it had just been polished; the walls were brick and cast in a faint green glow that intensified as they got closer to a golden statue; the statue depicted an elf, a woman, and a centaur, all in various stances. it towered above everyone a brick platform, holly was unsure how no one stopped at stared the way that she did. though, if she saw it everyday, she would surely overcome her current wonder.
she ripped her eyes away from the statue just as evelyn ducked into another elevator, holly quickly following. evelyn jammed her finger into a button that had the number two embellished onto the sleek black surface. the gold was slowly withering, no doubt from the amount of people that touched it everyday.
a voice came over a speaker in the elevator that said with a monotone, robotic voice, “now transporting to level two, the department of magical law enforcement.”
holly readjusted her grip on her luggage nervously. it wasn’t heavy—a charm she had placed on it ensured that—but the prospect of this whole ordeal made her palms sweaty.
as the elevator moved toward it destination, evelyn started to speak, “today will be merely a testing day for you and rowan. you will not be testing together, but you will both receive the same tests and treatment. you have already passed a major portion of the magical tests, that being when you apparated. you did wonderfully on that, by the way.” holly muttered a quiet note of gratitude. evelyn didn’t acknowledge it. “you will be tested today on physical health, magical dueling ability, along with mental fortitude tests.”
holly hummed when evelyn was done and as she did, the doors dinged open, revealing a different level that looked extremely similar to the atrium, though much smaller and with many more office doors adorning it.
evelyn walked much slower than earlier, taking holly down a barely lit hallway as she pointed out different rooms. the mess hall. the library. the gym. the offices of her team members.
evelyn stopped in front of a door. “in there is your sleeping quarters. you will be alone in your room, along with the dorm you are in at hogwarts. this is due to safety and confidentiality reasons. you are not to tell anyone of what you will be doing for the next year here or at hogwarts. the only people you can speak to about it is the team that will be helping you and special agent blackwood.”
“noted,” holly muttered, her eyes tracking the wooden door.
“you may drop your stuff off and change into the issued training gear that is inside. please keep your wand on you as you will be needing it later. i will be waiting out here, please make it quick.”
“of course,” holly said as she turned the knob and stepped into the space. due to the time crunch, she did not scrutinize the room closely, but she did notice that it was likely the most boring room she had ever been in. a desk, nightable, dresser, and bed were the only things that adorned her room. everything was either white, gray, or black.
she dropped her stuff near the dresser and stripped down, slipping on the tight, black longsleeve and the tight black plants along with white sneakers. the clothes were comfortable and plain, the only thing adorning them were the ministry of magic emblem on the breast and hip. they were breathable and light and tight enough that she knew they wouldn’t slip off or sag at all.
holly doubted she had ever worn something so tight in her life, especially in such a public place. but, she guessed it was unsafe to duel in a flowy skirt and restricting blouse. her mother would have a heartattack if she saw her daughter right now. that made holly smile as she looked down at herself.
she grabbed her wand and stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
evelyn was waiting outside her door, flanked by none other than rowan blackwood. holly internally sighed big before nodding in his direction. rowan nodded back. at least he’s not speaking this time.
“follow me, both of you,” evelyn said as holly and rowan filed in behind her.
he still towered over her, this time even more so without her normal heels. she resented how big he was, especially considering she stood at a strong 5’8’ without heels and often 5’11, teetering on 6 foot with them. she sideyed him for only a second before focusing her gaze on evelyn’s back. though, she could feel rowan’s heavy eyes on her as they walked.
maybe he would trip, she thought, especially considering his eyes didn’t seem to leave her once.
the trio turned into a room, it was a sitting area with doors on on opposite walls, facing the other perfectly.
evelyn turned to the both of them, gesturing toward the doors. “each of you will go into separate rooms and complete your physical health exams. they will not take long, maybe an hour. i will be here to fetch you both when the trials are up.”
with that, she walked out of the room and holly and rowan separated, each going to a door, not looking back once.
holly pushed the door openly tentatively and smiled as she saw alyssa hayes sitting on a swivel chair, a white doctors coat adorning her body.
“hello, holly! i trust that your journey was alright?” alyssa asked, her upbeat demenor improving holly’s immensely. she was contagious.
“yes, yes, it was all good,” holly said, smiling back at the woman.
“well, for this exam, we will be recording your stamina, you strength, as well as your overall bodily health.” alyssa said, moving herself on her chair toward a treadmil that lay in the corner of the room. “firstly, i will be recording your top speed on this and then we will move into stamina trials.”
“okay!” holly said. “can i stretch at all before, or no?”
“of course, do what you need to do!” alyssa said, flipping through a couple pages in her file. “it says here, that you enjoy running for fun. is that true?”
“yes, i used to run track with a club but i did not do it this past year for various reasons, none health related.”
“wonderful! i won’t pry at all for those reasons,” alyssa said and holly breathed in relief as she stretched her calves out. “what was your mile time?”
“i ran 5:16 at my peak which was just under a year ago. if i had to estimate, i probably run around a 6 minute mile now,” holly said. she had loved track, but had quit when alexandria died for obvious reasons. alexandria was the one to introduce holly to track and she couldn’t thank the girl enough.
“wow! impressive, holly,” alyssa said. “are you ready to start?”
“yes, i am all good,” holly said as she stepped on the treadmill and started it up. she broke into a small job.
“i will be increasing the speed starting at five second intervals and then as we get higher, the intervals will increase.”
holly nodded, enjoying the feeling of activity in her body.
the following trials consisted of running a mile, her time being close to her estimation; various workout movements, a squat, benchpress, deadlift, and anything in between; finally, alyssa did a quick magical scan of holly’s body.
“did you know you have damage to your lungs?” alyssa said, looking closer at the results of the scan.
“uh, yes, i do,” holly said. “i’d rather not share what it is from, but you may be able to infer. i have been clean for a little while now.”
“that’s good, i won’t press into it. i am just letting you know that any excessive use of drugs or alcohol will not be tolerated by the team or the ministry for this mission.”
“completely understood,” holly said, nodding feverishly.
“perfect! then you are good to go,” alyssa said, gesturing toward the door.
holly stepped out at the same time as rowan, the both of them narrowing their eyes at each other. evelyn was not back yet and holly nearly cursed when she realized that fact. she would be forced to sit around this absolute prick for however long it took evelyn to get back.
they both settled on opposite chairs, staring at each other in apprehension.
“how was your trial?” rowan asked, his deep voice once again striking surprise in her.
“it was fine, how was yours?”
“good,” he muttered, not taking his eyes off her despite her own having surveyed the room three times at that point.
the awkwardness was palpable. enough to make holly want to find a window and jump out of it to save her from the uncomfortable air in the room. though, her impulses were smothered by evelyn who walked into the room like a savior.
“you’re both done right on time,” she said, clapping her hands together. “let’s move onto your next trial: magical ability.”