Hope is A Dangerous Thing

Nostalgia is not a pretty feeling. Everyone always raves about how beautiful a feeling it is, but Mia Verano despises it. How could someone like to be reminded of something that can never be again? It hurts, and Mia hates it.

She hates being reminded of how her family used to be before her father succumbed to the Dark Arts. She hates being reminded of joyful family suppers that can never happen again. Because thinking about it simply makes her miserable .

She supposes that maybe if her life were better now, the feeling wouldn't be so unwanted. But alas, what can she do? Her life sucks and there's absolutely nothing she can do about it.

If it were any other year, Mia would be absolutely ecstatic about returning to Hogwarts, but things in the outside world are getting worse everyday, and leaving her mum and brother behind feels like signing their death certificate. She feels as though the moment she's gone, something awful will happen and she'll be left alone− again .

It's why on the morning of the first of September she absolutely hated watching as the sun rose through her window, the brighter the sun shone, the more the dread grew.

She would be entering her seventh year at Hogwarts (finally). She was always told seventh year was the absolute best; classes get less packed and more enjoyable, boys have finally matured (laughable), and a lot of students find love. Yes love . Mia finds it absolutely ridiculous how people could be thinking about love of all things under these circumstances. Muggle-borns and Half-bloods are being killed left and right and people are worried about finding a good shag ? Absolute bonkers.

Though Mia can't say much on the subject. Not without the risk of offending her marvellous best-friend Georgia. You see, Mia Verano and Georgia Lupin might be on the same side of the same coin (yes, that's what people always love to say. Honestly Mia doesn't think they're that similar but whatever rocks their boats!) but when it comes to love, the two girls are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

Throughout the entire summer, all Georgia could write to her about was who her eligible bachelor of the year could be. Mia tolerated it, at first, but when Georgia turned the topic around and started talking nonsense about finding a boy for her , she just had to put a stop to her delusions.

Mia Verano falling in love. As if!

Mia sighed. She supposed she should get out of bed now if she doesn't want to miss the train, Georgia would never let her live it down.

She got dressed in her typical clothes, not bothering with anything new or grand for her first day back−she had six first day backs already, she didn't need anything special for this one! She grabbed her trunk that was waiting by the side of her small bed and ventured to the kitchen where she could already smell her mothers infamous pancakes.

She loved her mother, she truly did, but her mum's cooking on the other hand? She'd rather not have to think about it. Mia guesses her mother never needed to learn how to cook, considering she grew up with house elves her entire life, but now that her father had left with the house elf...it was a cooking catastrophe.

Neither Mia nor her brother had the heart to tell her that maybe muggle cooking lessons would be a great help.

"Morning, mum."

"Morning, sweetheart!" Natalie Verano paused her pancake flipping situation and brought her daughter a cup of tea, "You have everything you need ready to go? We should leave in around half an hour if we want to make it on time."

"Yes, I packed everything last night." Mia answered.

Her mother hummed and went back to flipping her pancakes. "Do you think you could wake your brother? I'm not letting him sleep in on your first day back."

"He really doesn't need to come if he doesn't want to." Mia sighed. Her brother had graduated Hogwarts three years ago, and it seemed as though he became more paranoid with the years; always believing someone is out trying to kill him. It got to a point where it was honestly annoying.

Mia was convinced he was part of some sort of resistance cult against you-know-who . Over the summer, he came back at all hours of the night and the dark shadows beneath his eyes had become a part of him. She could've sworn he was speaking with Professor Dumbledore the last time they went out to Diagon Alley, and it had seemed top secret . It was all very weird to Mia, but she didn't like thinking about it too much—it made her head hurt!

"You know why he has to come, Mia." Her mother gave her a look, suggesting that was the last she would hear of it. Mia knew her mum wanted her brother to come just so that they could have protection in case anything were to go sideways. Mia would always counter that she was pretty decent at Defence Against the Dark Arts, but her mother would never feel safe without a man being there to protect her. What an outdated way of thinking!

Mia begrudgingly stomped up the stairs to her brother's room. She wasn't quite sure why he was still living here, he was quite old now and he was dating someone—some boy named Gideon Prewett from his year—if she were in his shoes, she'd have gotten out of their old and dusty home and went as far as she could, preferably by the ocean (Merlin does she absolutely adore the ocean).

"Sam, get up! I've got to get to Hogwarts!" Mia knocked at his door. "Mum wants you to come, so hurry!"

She heard a grumble through the door which was confirmation enough that he got the message

Once back with her cup of tea in the kitchen, she grabbed the daily prophet that was lying on the table. She could only assume that the headline would be about more death. That's all there seemed to be these days.

"MASS ATTACK AT MUGGLE CHILDREN SCHOOL, FOUR ARRESTED

On August 28th 1977, a group of  you-know-who supporters, believed to be marked death eaters, entered a muggle primary school. By the time the ministry arrived, 27 children were pronounced dead, 7 remain in intensive care at St Mungo's Hospital..."

Mia read the article with wide eyes and a pale face. 27 dead...that was a tremendous amount, even for death eaters. She scanned the rest of the article, looking for the names of the arrested.

Rodolphus Lestrange

Jackob Baudelaire

Mathew Ashcroft

Andras Alaister

Mia's breath hitched. She read the last name over and over again. It didn't feel real. Andras Alaister. ANDRAS ALAISTER . The name was on repeat in her mind, like a loop that could never stop. It was a name she hadn't heard or seen in a while, not since he left them for his dark magic.

"Mum—"

"It was bound to happen. I don't know why you're acting so shocked."

Mia's eyes snapped to her mother, "what do you mean?"

"Mia, you know as well as I do that your father loved his dark spells more than he ever loved any of us." Natalie's voice was strict, as if daring her daughter to keep talking about it, "Now eat up, we're leaving in ten."

Mia glanced down at her pancakes, all appetite gone. She knew her father loved anything to do with dark magic, but she just never thought that he'd be foolish enough to join him . And to be involved in such despicable acts? It made her sick.

"What's going on?"

Mia lifted her head up, watching as her brother approached the kitchen table. "Dad got arrested."

Sam sighed, sharing a look with his mother before looking down at the Daily Prophet in his sister's hands. Much to Mia's surprise, this didn't look like new information to him.

"Come on, we should get going." He grabbed his coat from the chair and waited for Mia at the front door.

Mia frowned. Why were people acting so weird?

"Coming."

𖠋

Platform 9 3/4 was as packed as ever. Mia craned her neck, looking over the hundreds of little heads running around. She was searching for a particular sandy-haired Gryffindor.

You see, while Georgia had many friends in her house, Mia's only friend was, well, Georgia. Not that Mia minded, she'd much prefer a limited amount of friends than having to deal with numerous Gryffindors they're just so... loud . Mia could never.

"Mia!" 

Mia turned to the familiar voice. "Georgia!"

The two girls ran to each other, abandoning whatever companion they had with them.

"AHH I MISSED YOU!" Georgia tackled her best friend into a tight hug, "three months is way too long!"

Mia laughed. "I missed you too Gigi."

"I have so much to tell you. This summer was so fun I wished you could've joined us."

It wasn't that Mia didn't want to hang with Georgia over the summer, she just wasn't allowed . ("No Mia you can't go out.” Her mother would say, “It's too dangerous out there, you never know who's lurking!").

"Yeah, well..." Mia dragged on, "Wait what do you mean ' us ' ? Who else were you with?"

"That's what I wanna tell you about!" Georgia said, "Now come on, we'll go join everyone in the compartment!"

Mia groaned, having no interest in sitting with other people. "Who are we sitting with? Because you're insane if you think I'm sitting around with a group of Gryffindors. I like having my brain cells thank you."

Georgia rolled her eyes. "They're fine. The girls and I hung out all summer and it was splendid!"

Says the girl in Gryffindor.

"Alright, fine ." Mia allowed herself to be dragged away, "Wait, hold on. I have to say goodbye to Sam and mum."

Georgia nodded, "Hurry up, though."

Mia turned around and walked back to her family, finding them huddled in a corner. “I’m going on the train now.”

“Make sure you write to me every week, ok?” Her mother pulled her in for a hug, “Be careful up there. You never know who people’s alliances are with.”

“Yes, mum. I know.” Mia hugged her mother, a slight pain squeezing at her heart, “You and Sam be careful too, ok?”

Her mother hummed, “Now go before the train leaves without you!”

Mia turned back around, smiling at her brother. He looked tense and was gazing around the platform, “Have a nice term, Mia. I’ll see you for the holidays.”

Mia quickly walked back to where Georgia was patiently waiting for her, “I’m here, I’m here.”

“Great! Let’s get going then, shall we?” Georgia pulled Mia towards the train. “My brother is waiting for us.”

“Your brother? ” Mia yelped, “Since when do we sit with Remus?”

“The boys are really not that bad! They’ve really matured since sixth year.”

Mia laughed humorlessly. Yeah right. “Aren’t we supposed to hate them?”

“Oh come on, Mia. It was in first year! We’ve all grown since then!” Georgia smiled, “If Lily can befriend them I’m sure we can too.”

“Lily Evans forgave Potter? Now that’s something I thought I’d never hear…”

“I know right? I was just as shocked as you when Remus told me.” Georgia mused, “Apparently they talked it out…”

“I’m still not sitting with them. You remember what they did to us. I get flashbacks just talking about it.” Mia shuddered.

October 31st, 1971

Eleven year old Mia Verano and Georgia Lupin ran through the halls of Hogwarts, panting as they trekked the hundreds of stairs the school held.

“Hurry up, Mimi! Professor Hinkins will murder us!”

“That’s what you’re worried about?” Mia said through heaved breaths, “What about the exam we’re about to get a big fat zero on?!”

The two girls were over ten minutes late for their very first Defence Against the Dark Arts exam, with the strictest teacher of the school–Professor Hinkins is known to be ruthless. Mia couldn’t believe their luck…all this because Georgia insisted on getting extra pastries from the kitchens.

See, if it were just the pastries, the two girls wouldn’t be late. But Mia (being the ever so stressed student worried about doing well on her Defence Against the Dark Arts exam) insisted on practising a couple spells she was sure were going to turn on the exam. Unfortunately for Mia and Georgia one of the spells backfired and well…accidently sealed them shut in the kitchens, with absolutely no way out.

“It’s okay, Mia. We’ve only missed ten–what was that?”

Mia turned around, but saw nothing. “What was what?”

“I swear I heard a—”

What Georgia heard remains unknown, because shortly after, the two girls found themselves covered in a foul-smelling red slime.

Mia and Georgia looked at each other and yelled simultaneously, having to resist the urge to vomit at the horrible putrid smell they were now covered in.

Half-way across the school, a group of four young boys heard the screams, knowing their first ever prank had been a success. They silently laughed to themselves, before looking back down at their exam.

Mia Verano and Georgia Lupin never made it to their Defence Against the Dark Arts exam.

“We got a zero, Georgia.” Mia shivered, “We can’t just forgive them.”

Georgia watched her friend in amusement. “Just come, please.”

Mia grumbled, but followed her best friend nevertheless, “You owe me for this.”

“I’ll buy you whatever you want at Zonko’s.”

“Deal.”

𖠋

Mia sat squashed between Georgia and Mary MacDonald, listening to the pesky little side conversations of the Gryffindors around her. A couple hours had passed since the train had left the station, and all sweets bought off the trolley lady had been abandoned on the floor. The compartment was an absolute mess. How could anyone live in such a disorder? Mia shuddered thinking about what the Gryffindors’ boys dorm room must look like, and the smells…repulsive.

“ You guys see the daily prophet this morning?” A voice suddenly cut through the compartment. Mia stilled, which didn’t go unnoticed by Georgia. She had almost forgotten about it. Almost.

Everyone nodded solemnly, all except Pettigrew, “I haven’t seen it. My parents don’t get it delivered.”

Potter sighed solemnly, “A couple of death eaters,” he said the name with such hatred, “Went to a muggle school and killed over 27 kids.” 

Pettigrew’s eyes widened.

He shook his head, “They arrested four death eaters and sent them to Azkaban without a trial or nothing.”

“First time the ministry ever did something good.” Black mumbled under his breath, but the whole compartment heard, leaving them in solemn silence.

Potter cleared his throat, “Anyways, my parents said that the Andras Alaister dude is seriously messed up. Apparently the Order has been keeping tabs on him for a while. He’s been coordinating all the biggest attacks…”

“The Order?” Mia asked, though she wished she kept silent for it seemed like the whole compartment froze at her comment. They must've forgotten she was there, she thought.

James looked absolutely panicked, he had just accidentally told someone he had no clue if he could trust that both his parents were part of the Order of the Phoenix. He was about to retort when Georgia interrupted him, “It’s fine James, she can be trusted.”

She can be trusted? What kind of weird nonsense had Georgia gotten herself involved in?

“The Order–or rather the Order of the Phoenix–is a resistance against Voldemort,” Mia shuddered at the name, leaving Georgia rolling her eyes, “Led by Dumbledore, they fight against Death eaters.”

Mia nodded, maybe that’s what Sam was a part of, “Oh, ok.”

“We’re all planning on joining once we graduate.”

Mia frowned, what could a bunch of eighteen year olds possibly do against a group of fully trained wizards? Aren’t there Aurors for that?

“You’re not going to tell anyone, are you?” Potter asked her harshly.

She saw Georgia send Potter a warning look, “No, Potter, I’m not going to tell anyone. You don’t exactly see me being buddy-buddy with death eaters do you.”

“Well you never know. Everyone knows that after Slytherins Ravenclaws are the most likely to be death eaters.”

“ James–”

Mia narrowed her eyes, slowly reaching for her wand. Why that little–

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." A voice echoed throughout the train.

Someone whistles lowly, “Saved by the bell.”

Mia turned to who she knew to be Marlene Mckinnon and shot her an annoyed look, leaving the girl to raise her hands in defence.

“Whatever.” Mia mumbled. Rolling her eyes, she shot a look to Georgia, as if saying really?

Georgia only smiled apologetically. 

𖠋

Mia sat at the Ravenclaw table, head leaning on her arms, wishing for the sorting ceremony to be over so that she could finally eat some food. The candy from the train really did nothing to please her appetite. 

She lifted her head up as she heard a groan from the boy sitting opposite her. Noticing her looking at him, he smiled, “How was your summer, Mia?”

Mia’s eyebrows raised. Since when was Barty Crouch nice?

“Oh, it was fine I suppose. You?”

Barty sighed darkly, instinctively pulling at his sleeve, “Oh you know, the usual.” 

Mia frowned, turning her attention back to Dumbledore’s speech.

“... and I would like to remind everyone that through these dark times, it’s important to stay united. Form friendships and connections, because in the end it’s all we have.” Dumbledore clapped his hands together, “ I’ve bored you enough with the theatrics, let’s eat!”

On command, food started appearing in the empty dishes and everyone dug it.

“What classes are you taking this year?” Barty asked Mia as they both filled their plates.

“Uh, Potions, Transfiguration, Defence, Ancient Runes, Divination, and Muggle Studies.” She listed, “You?”

“Exactly the same!” Barty laughed, “Guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other!”

Mia laughed along hesitantly, only one thought running through her mind, what the bloody hell is going on?  

She met Georgia’s questioning gaze from across the hall, but all she could do was shrug.

It was definitely going to be an interesting last year.