Red Taffy
Dark was waiting in front of the statue of the witch, which he and Cho both decided they would meet at if they ever needed to. He was still playing detective from the time Cho destroyed their picnic basket. Why did Cho freeze up and look so scared because of that woman? They both could absolutely destroy that weakling any day. He remembers looking back at him… he felt so angry… he saw all the other Professors looking at Cho in concern. Cho himself was oblivious to their looks. The students, who couldn't see Cho’s face, were probably confused by the Professor's reactions. Dark didn’t care about them though, he just wanted to know what was happening in Cho’s brain.
As if summoning him into reality, Dark saw Cho slip into the hallway from the wooden door that led to the staircases. As the door clicked behind him Dark said, “Took you long enough.”
Cho walked over to him quickly and said “I was held back by my new friends. Seems like you don't have that problem.”
Did he just call me friendless? Dark thought indignantly, Two can play at that game.
“Friends? Don’t make me laugh. I don't have them because I want to be productive with my time and energy. Unlike one unproductive person I know.” Dark told him, grinning at the mock look of utter betrayal that overcame Cho’s face.
They stared at each other for a moment, not wanting to break the good mood, but then Cho said in his most serious voice, “Why did you want to meet up?”
Dark’s grin fell as he adopted his serious expression. He didn’t have much to tell Cho, he actually just wanted to check up on him. He did however have something Cho should probably know. “Draco Malfoy. He’s the blonde kid I sat next to. He and most Slytherins I was in contact with seem to dislike Harry and his group enormously. I heard him say something about how he had many guests over at his house this summer. He seemed to be hinting at something with his friends that I wasn’t in on. I’ll keep an eye on him for you if you like.”
Cho’s head was tilted upward in thought, “Yes, thanks Dark. I heard that he doesn't like those three but nothing more.”
“Malfoy also is all into having pure blood or whatever,” Dark said scowling, “I suspect that he has family issues. All he does is speak about his father. He probably has high expectations placed on him and he’s just scrambling to get praised by his dad. At least that’s what I think. If I am right, that would make him slightly more dangerous to Harry if the rumors of his parents being Death Eaters are true.”
“I understand. He is not completely our enemy but definitely not our friend. At least, not yet.”
A comfortable silence permeated through the room as neither had more to add.
Dark felt a sudden flame of anger. He hated this already. “What a bunch of stupid shit. I can’t believe we are stuck here.”
Cho nodded at him, “Yeah…”
A creaking noise took their attention to the wooden door, which seemed to have opened on its own. Dark knew better. He could hear a pair of footsteps walking in their direction.
“Well, that's it. I’ll tell you more about the case later when she gets back to me,” Chosen acted like nothing happened. Dark could see that he knew someone else was there too. He turned back to Cho, the backstory.
Dark growled, “It seems that MACUSA is trying to keep what happened under wraps. Why can’t they just tell us what's happening? I may be young, but I’m not a child.” Dark asked Cho with his hand, Do you know who it is?
Cho sighed at him “I don’t know but we both better get back to our common rooms.” That was a clear no. They could hear the person's footsteps approaching them.
“You’ll come and tell me when you get more info right?” Dark asked. Check to see if anyone you know is gone from your dorm.
“Yeah, of course. Goodbye, Dark.” Yes. You too.
“Good,” Dark nodded, then turned waving his arm lazily, “See ya.”
They both walked in opposite directions, Dark to the Slytherin Dungeon and Cho to the Gryffindor Tower leaving the invisible person behind to think about what they just overheard.
Chosen had a lot to think about as he walked over to Gryffindor Tower. Who interrupted them? How were they invisible? He wasn’t aware of any spell that could turn someone invisible. It could be an item or maybe a potion that the person used. It had to be because turning yourself invisible with a spell must be advanced transfiguration magic and the only people in the school who could possibly do such a thing are Dumbledore and McGonagall and neither of them would do such a thing. It had to be a potion or magical item. Then who did it? Chosen could hear their footsteps when they entered. It was only one set of footsteps.
Chosen wasn’t going to get his answer it seems. He took a deep breath, he needed to calm his mind. Worrying helps no one. He needed to get his emotions under control for this mission.
The portrait of the fat lady appeared before him. He blinked. Since when did he get here? He must have been thinking too hard. Chosen sighed.
“Password?” The fat lady inquired.
“Mimbulus mimbletonia” Chosen responded. He was quite tired today, he just wanted to go to sleep. Unfortunately, he had to check if anyone was missing first. He heard footsteps behind him.
The portrait swung open and Chosen stepped inside. He felt a breeze rush past him. The invisible person is in Gryffindor. Or they are still following me? He entered the common room and looked around. The only person he knew who was not in the common room is Harry. That meant nothing though as he might be in their bedroom (he made a mental note of this, still thinking it could be Harry).
“Hey, Chosen!” Chosen looked over towards the fireplace where a redhead called him over, waving at him. He must be related to Ron. He walked over. He saw two red-headed twins surrounded by a lot of first years. They were holding a box
“Heya! I’m Fred and he’s George!” the twin that called him over said cheerfully.
The other twin chimed in “Would you like a treat? We made these sweets ourselves!”
He offered Chosen a red taffy-looking treat. The first years looked up at him expectantly. Chosen didn’t trust it.
“I must refuse. I know a tampered sweet when I see one, try harder next time.” Chosen said somewhat dramatically, folding his arms and issuing his challenge with a straight face. The first years' eyes widened at his obvious challenge, one of whom squealed and then quickly covered their mouth.
Fred and George’s faces lit up with mischief. They began to finish each other’s sentences.
“You-”
“-are-”
“-so-”
“-on.”
“Good luck, then.” Chosen waved a good night to them, walking away confidently, the first years behind him now staring at him with awe.
He gave a small wave at Ron and Hermione who were sitting a little away from them.
Nearly running, Chosen dashed up the stairs and into the Fifth-year boys' dorm, diving onto his bed and nearly smashing his head on the bedpost (he chose the bed that was the closest to the door in case of an intruder). Chosen turned his head over to see Harry looking at him inquisitively.
“Was today that bad for you?” Harry asked him.
Chosen groaned to himself and put his face back into his pillow muffling, “It was just tiring. Not bad, I'd say.” He turned his face and looked at Harry again. He looked disturbed by something. “How about you? Did something happen?”
Harry seemed to bristle at his words. He then angrily told him “Lots of people think I’m a nutter for speaking the truth.” His eyes were drilling holes into Chosen’s head as if he expected Chosen to say the people who told him that were absolutely right and he lies just as much as a sailor curses.
Instead, Chosen said “Yeah, that sounds like it sucks. If it makes you feel better, I believe what Dumbledore has told me and I’m sure Ron and Hermione believe you too.” Chosen believed Dumbledore because he summoned them to this world and his reason was sound. He has been in crazier circumstances (he will never forget the time a red echidna lectured him on feminism [no he was not on drugs]).
Harry’s anger seemed to dissipate at his response and he flopped down on his bed as well. He had changed into pajamas. Chosen supposed he had to do that as well.
Chosen got out of bed and opened his trunk.
“Thank you.”
Harry had looked over at him. Chosen took out his pajamas.
“No problem.”
He slipped off his tie. He hated ties. They reminded him of that rope. Chosen shook his head telling himself, No bad memories, please.
He slipped off his shoes and socks and laid them on top of his trunk. Then, without thinking he slipped off his robe. He quickly put on his pajama pants. He then heard the door open and people gasping in surprise.
Chosen wondered, What are they surprised about? As he slipped on his pajama shirt and buttoned it quickly while turning around to the door.
Ron and three other students were staring at him.
Chosen blinked. What…? It hit him as hard as one of Dark's punches. His scars!
Chosen stood frozen while on his fifth button. Oh no, no, NO. They weren’t supposed to see that! He must be slipping. He needed to do something.
“Blimey mate! Where’d you get those?” one of the boys asked surprised.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” He asked them innocently, continuing to button his shirt. He kept their gaze hoping they would drop it.
“What do you mean ‘I don’t know what you are talking about’! I mean what’s up with those scars?”
Chosen gritted his teeth. This kid was super annoying. “I don’t believe we’ve met?” Chosen said, changing the subject.
“I’m Seamus Finnigan,” The annoying kid said, now pointing at him, “Why-”
He was cut off as another boy walked in saying “I’m Neville Longbottom! Nice to meet you!” Ron shot Seamus a look like: shut up and Seamus shrugged and shut his mouth. Thanks, Ron, I owe you one.
“Dean Thomas,” the third kid said, walking in and going over to his bed.
Ron and Seamus shuffled inside and Chosen jumped back onto his bed. He watched as they went and got ready for sleep.
He didn’t want them to ever know about his scars, thankfully he and Dark have come up with a backstory that included them or else they would be toast right now. If they ask, I avoid confrontation. Thankfully some of them seemed to already respect his privacy. Thank goodness they all weren’t stupid.
He heard Ron and Harry whispering to each other at the beds over from him. He knew what they must be discussing, but Chosen couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment. He just wanted to go to sleep.
He stared up at the ceiling leaving his curtains open just in case. He heard his roommates closing their curtains. Chosen sighed to himself. He felt wide awake now. No matter how tired I am, I won’t be able to sleep, huh? Chosen was almost relieved from the absence of sleep. That means he couldn’t have any nightmares. At that thought he suddenly felt rather drowsy. It was as if his body knew the fact he would suffer more if he slept and he found himself drifting off. Of course. Chosen always had the worst luck.
White.
He was surrounded by nothing but white in all directions.
The white hurt his eyes giving him a huge headache. Or was the headache from something else? Chosen didn’t know.
He was lying down. Was he really? Yes. Chosen decided he was.
Drip.
What was that?
Drop.
Chosen managed to turn his head.
RED!
A pool of red was around him.
Was someone hurt?
His head pounded.
Splat.
A drop of red fell from above and onto his nose.
It smelled like metal…
Chosen turned his head to look upward at the cause of the red.
Blood, not red. BLOOD! SECOND’S BLOOD! The blood from Second’s head started to come down like a waterfall. His bloodshot eyes started crying blood.
“HOW COULD YOU DO THIS, THE CHOSEN ONE?”
It was flooding. The blood covered Chosen’s head. He was drowning in Second’s blood. Chosen calmed himself down. He deserved it anyway. Might as well die for his sins, everyone would be happy he is gone. Trouble always comes for him and without him, there is no trouble. It is for the best. He closed his eyes, waiting to die. Calm silence was always the way he wanted to die.
“You won't leave me, will you Cho?”
Chosen’s eyes shot open. Why did he want to die? That was stupid thinking. He can’t leave Dark and Second! They need their big brother to protect them. He may be a bad brother, but at least he can still be of help. Chosen shot towards the surface, jumping out of the water and onto the grass, gasping for breath. He opened his eyes, seeing red eyes and a rather familiar tree.
“You are such an idiot.”
Chosen smiled.
I agree with you 100%, Dark.
Harry had a good night's sleep last night. He crawled out of bed, drawing open his bed’s curtains, and stretched. It seemed like all his classmates were getting ready, except, Harry noticed, the transfer student Chosen. He was nowhere to be found.
“He must have left rather early. No one saw him get up,” Neville told him, noticing his gaze.
Harry shared a look with Ron. He already had many suspicions about their new transfer student. He and his brother had a secret-like air hanging around them. Although Harry trusts Chosen more than his brother Dark. His name just sounded sinister, more like a nickname AND he was in Slytherin. No, he did not trust him at all. His attention was pulled away from his thoughts by Dean.
“I never got to ask last night, how’d your summer go Harry?” Dean asked him while pulling on his robes.
“Not bad,” Harry said. If he told Dean what actually happened this summer with the Dementors and how almost got expelled for defending himself, he would miss all his classes today. “You?”
“Yeah, it was ok,” chuckled Dean, “Better than Seamus’s, anyway, he told me last night.”
“Why, what happened, Seamus?” Neville asked, putting on his tie.
Seamus was fixing his poster on the wall, which must have been left lopsided last night. He didn’t answer right away, as if he was thinking. He responded, his back turned to Harry, “Me mam didn’t want me to come back to Hogwarts.”
Harry paused while pulling on his robes.
“But- why?” said Harry astonished. Seamus’s mother was a witch and therefore knew all about how Hogwarts was the second safest place ever. Why would she act so Dursleyish?
Seamus didn’t answer until he had finished putting on his tie.
“Well,” he said in a measured voice, “I suppose… because of you.”
“What d’you mean?” Harry asked quickly, his heart now racing. He felt as if the walls were closing in on him.
“Well,” said Seamus, avoiding looking Harry in the eyes, “she… er… well, it’s not just you, it’s Dumbledore too…”
“She believes the Daily Prophet,” Ron said. He was observing the whole conversation and seemed displeased that Seamus was basically saying his mom thought that Harry and Dumbledore were liars.
“Yeah, something like that.”
Seamus looked up at Harry.
Harry turned away from him. He aggressively picked up his wand from his bedside table and put on his tie. He was sick of it; sick of being the person who is stared at and talked about all the time. If any of them knew, if any of them had the faintest idea what it felt like to be the one all these things had happened to… Mrs Finnigan had no idea, the stupid woman, he thought savagely.
He walked toward the room’s exit, Ron following him, but stopped short as Seamus asked, “Look… what did happen that night when… you know, when… with Cedric Diggory and all?”
Seamus sounded eager and nervous at the same time. Neville looked up while watering his Mimbulus Mimbletonia on his bedside table. Dean, who was fixing his tie, went oddly still and Harry knew he was listening hard.
“Lay off him, Seamus.” Ron said, “Harry already said what happened, you already should know.”
Harry turned his back to the door and announced loudly, “What are you asking me for? Just read the Daily Prophet like your mother, why don't you? That’ll tell you all you need to know.”
“Don’t you have a go at my mother,” Seamus snapped.
“I’ll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar,” said Harry.
“Don't talk to me like that!”
“I’ll talk to you like I want! If you have a problem sharing a dorm with me, go ask McGonagall to get you moved… it’ll stop your mommy from worrying-”
“Leave my mother out of this, Potter!”
“I said lay off him, Seamus,” Ron yelled at him.
“You know what?” Seamus said heartily, giving Harry a venomous look “He’s right I don't want to share a dorm with him anymore, he’s mad.”
“That’s out of order Seamus” Ron said, his ears starting to turn red with anger.
“Out of order? You believe all the rubbish he said about You-Know-Who?” Seamus had gone pale.
“Yeah, I do!” said Ron angrily.
“Then you’re mad too!” Seamus told him.
“Oh, yeah? Well, I’m also a prefect!” Ron jabbed his prefect badge with his finger “So unless you want detention, watch your mouth!”
Seamus looked as if he wanted to continue arguing, but it seemed he’d rather not get detention, so he stormed past them and out the door. Closing it with a big thud.
“Anyone else's parents have a problem with Harry?” Ron asked the two remaining boys.
“My parents are muggle, they don't know about the deaths because I haven’t told them.” Dean shrugged at them, then walked past them out the door.
“My Gran said that the Daily Prophet has gone downhill and canceled our subscription. We believe you, Harry.” Neville then also went past them and left through the door.
Harry thought about what Chosen told him last night.
“Yeah, that sounds like it sucks. If it makes you feel better, I believe what Dumbledore has told me and I’m sure Ron and Hermione believe you too.”
At least some people believed him. The rest will know in the end.
Harry takes a glance out his window to the lake. It was raining, but he saw a figure walking outside.
“Let's go get breakfast, Harry. I’m starving!” Ron complained to him.
“Yeah, let’s go.” Harry followed Ron out of the dorm room.
Harry had calmed down by the time he, Ron and Hermione had gotten to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Chosen, although he got up early, was not in the Great Hall. However, Harry spotted his redhead brother conversing with Malfoy at the Slytherin table.
“Where is Chosen?” Harry basically whispered to Ron and Hermione as they went and took a seat at the Gryfindor table.
Hermione looked around, “I don’t know, he wasn’t in the dorms with you before you left?”
“No, he had left before we got up,” Ron told her, stuffing his face with bacon, “We assumed he’d be here.”
“I almost forgot to tell you what happened last night!” Harry said suddenly. After the events of this morning, Harry told her what happened today, but forgot about last night.
“You followed him with the invisibility cloak, didn't you?” Hermione said in a whisper.
Harry nodded and took a bite out of his toast.
“Well? What did you hear?”
“Let’s see… Chosen said something about a case. I assumed it was like a court case, but I don't know.”
“Hmmm,” Hemione thought about it, “Did they mention MACUSA?”
“Yes, Dark said that MACUSA wouldn’t tell them almost anything about the case,” Harry told her.
Ron scowled at Dark’s name and said “What kind of case would they need to know about? Maybe it has to do with Chosen’s scars.”
“What?” Hermione asked, bewildered. Harry almost forgot that Hermione didn’t know. The scars on Chosen looked rather painful. He had no idea what must have happened for him to get that many.
“Last night, when Chosen was changing, we saw lots of scars on his back,” Harry told her, “everyone in our dorm saw them.”
Hermione gasped “You remember what Chosen said yesterday about why he and his brother are here?”
“No, ‘mione. What?” asked Ron, he was on his fourth egg.
“He said, ‘We are only here because we were deemed by MACUSA as not safe in the US.’” Hermione seemed excited that she found something out but also disturbed at the implication “Maybe the case he mentioned was his own! That would explain why MACUSA thought they were unsafe!”
“That’s brilliant Hermione! The real question now is what happened,” Harry said, just as Professor McGonagall started to pass out everyone's schedules.
He was going to continue, but before he could he noticed that Chosen entered the Great Hall dripping wet. He must have been outside but why?
Hermione seemed to catch this as well. They watched as Chosen got out his wand, dried himself, and walked toward them.
“We should ask him why he was outside,” Hermione told them.
“Why would we-” Harry stepped on Ron’s foot to get him to shut up, just as Chosen came and sat down.
“Good morning,” Hermione greeted Chosen, “It looks like you were outside earlier. May I ask why?”
“I was watching the sunset, it reminds me of a view from home,” Chosen told her then addressed all of them, “Good morning.”
Watching the sunset? That was a weird answer. Harry didn’t buy it. Maybe he was having a secret meeting with that girl he mentioned last night about the court case? Harry dismissed the thought. It was too much of a stretch.
Professor McGonagall appeared and gave them their schedules, “Good morning Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Mrs Granger, and Mr Chosen. Here are your schedules.” She then turned to Chosen and told him, “I am excited to see you in class Mr Chosen. If you need any assistance you can ask me or I’m sure Mrs Granger here would be happy to help as well.”
Hermione nodded in agreement, although she looked like something McGonagall said had piqued her interest.
Chosen nodded at both of them and said “Thanks, Professor.”
“No problem, Mr Chosen,” and with that, she moved on down the table to continue passing out the schedules.
Harry looked at his schedule as Ron said, “History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts! All of those in one day! We are actually going to go mad.”
Ron was right. For Monday he had all of those same subjects listed. Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all on the same day? He groaned in displeasure.
Ron continued, also groning, “I hope Fred and George hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted…”
“Do mine ears deceive me?” Fred said, appearing behind Harry with George who squeezed onto the bench next to him, “Hogwarts prefects surely don’t want to skive off lessons?”
“Look what me and Harry got today” Ron grumbled, shoving his timetable at George, “The worst Monday I’ve ever seen.”
“Fair point, little bro,” said George scanning the paper, “You can have a Nosebleed Nougat cheap,” He produced a red taffy-looking treat from his bag.
“I knew the treat you tried to give me was not normal,” Chosen said to the twins. Did they try to give him one of their joke candies?
“Ah! Don’t think that we forgot about that challenge, by the way,” Fred told him.
Chosen tossed them the toast he picked up, “Here, I believe this one is tampered with.” With that, Chosen got up and walked out of the Great Hall.
George whistled, “Blimey, he’s good. We’ll have to up our game dear brother of mine.”
“What do you think you are doing?” Hermione asked the twins in anger, “Don’t you see he didn’t eat? I’ll put you two in detention if you don’t stop.”
“My dear Hermione!” George said, leaning over the table, "He challenged us, and he is fine with it. Besides, we didn’t tamper with all of the food, he chose not to eat.”
“I don’t know why he’d do that though, the food is delicious,” Ron piped up, “About those Snack boxes…”
Harry tuned out of the conversation, his eyes looking over to Chosen’s brother Dark. He watched as Dark got up, grabbed some toast, and walked out of the Hall after his brother. Those two looked almost nothing alike except for their red eyes. Harry wondered what happened to them. He was starting to have a suspicion in his gut that it may involve Lord Voldemort.