chapter 9
03 01 1988 - 31 06 1988
After Christmas, time flew by fast. The school year had come to an end, Slytherin had won the House Cup, and suddenly Kinsley was sitting on the floor of the Hogwarts Express while Indie braided her hair, and Percy sat beside her leaning on her shoulder.
Kinsley was staring off into nothing, simply remembering her first year at Hogwarts fondly. She had come up with five top moments, which were as follows;
Number Five: The Exam Week
Stress levels were high for most of the first years as they prepped for exams. Kinsley wasn’t worried, having aced all of her classes with no effort. Percy and Penelope complained that Kinsley had had a massive headstart and advantage (what with growing up at Hogwarts and attending lessons from a very early age) but Kinsley stood strong by her theory that she was just much smarter than them.
Kinsley’s group of six sat out by the lake the day before exams started, revising together. Bodie was leaning against the big tree, with Indie lying on his leg quizzing him from the Herbology book open beside her. Percy and Penelope were cross-legged in front of each other next to Indie, asking each other rapid-fire questions about whatever they could think of. Oliver and Kinsley, however, were skipping rocks across the lake. Kinsley was confident in her abilities, and Oliver didn’t truly care that much about the grades he’d get in his exams. As long as they were good enough to move on to the second year, (which it was almost impossible not to get), Oliver would be happy.
“Don’t you even want to refresh your memory?” Kinsley asked him, after throwing her rock.
“Doing that would just be doubting my knowledge. I have faith, that’s enough.” Oliver countered. He threw his rock and it skipped ten times across the lake, before sinking into the water.
“Ha! I win!” He yelled.
“Ugh,” Kinsley complained. Then she perked up quickly, as an idea suddenly came to her. “Hey, Oliver, what would happen if….”
Ten seconds later, Oliver and Kinsley had agreed on a course of action. Their first target: Indie Campbell.
Oliver ran over to Indie and lifted her onto his shoulders, ignoring her screams. Kinsley transfigured her robes into a modest swimsuit before Oliver tossed Indie straight into the Black Lake.
“Oliver Wood! Kinsley McGonagall!” Indie screeched, standing up in the waist-deep water and glaring at them. She started storming towards them angrily, but the two just moved on to phase two of their plan and grabbed Penelope.
Splash! Penelope landed in the Black Lake next to Indie and stood up looking just as vengeful. Oliver and Kinsley rounded on Percy and Bodie, tossing up who to target next. Fortunately, both boys seemed to think a dip in the lake was the perfect study break, and they splashed in without a fight. Kinsley and Oliver grinned at each other and jumped in as well, splashing everyone with their cannonballs.
Indie and Penelope quickly forgot their anger in favour of swimming around, water fights, and laughing with the others, and all stress of the upcoming exams was washed away by the lake’s refreshing water.
Number Four: The Assassins Win
Bill approached Kinsley in the Gryffindor Common Room one night, begging for a favour.
“I’ll owe you, Kinsley. Big time.” He promised, after she agreed to help him with his plot.
Bill Weasley was crowned Champion of the 1988 Assassins, after nailing an unsuspecting Leilani Thorpe in the back with a stupefy in the middle of the Potions room.
Leilani had received a letter to meet Professor Snape to discuss her future in the Potions Industry (something Leilani and Snape had already had countless meetings about, but the letter described a ‘new opportunity which had considerable merit, and should be discussed as soon as possible’).
Little did Leilani know that Kinsley McGonagall had mastered the ability to forge Professor Snape’s handwriting when she was five. Leilani was also unaware that Kinsley was able to successfully coerce one Tatum Nott into delivering the letter to her personally, and telling Leilani it had come straight from Professor Snape himself. Tatum’s condition for participation was for Kinsley to promise to be Tatum’s potions partner the next year, which she agreed to happily.
Leilani walked straight into the Potions classroom with no shield up, not expecting any kind of attack. Bill was disillusioned in a corner and shot the snake in front of him when she hesitated after not seeing the Potions Master at his desk.
The pair shook hands somewhat amicably, and Bill received the prize fund of 640 galleons shortly after.
“I love you.” He said, wrapping Kinsley in a hug and ruffling her hair affectionately.
“What are you gonna do now that you’re all cashed up?” Kinsley asked curiously.
“I’ve been accepted to a Curse Breakers course, but I reckon Mum will probably kick me out on my ass when she hears. I’ll most likely be using the money for an apartment or something.”
“Fair enough.” Kinsley nodded. “Good luck with everything.”
“I’ll keep in touch.” He promised.
Number Three: Mother’s Day
Kinsley coerced Poppy into helping her with her Mother’s Day plans. At eight o’clock on Sunday, the 8th of May, Kinsley asked her Mum if she would help with a problem Kinsley had. Of course, Minerva said yes, and Kinsley dragged her all the way to her office.
“Why are we here? What’s the problem?” Minerva asked suspiciously.
“No problem,” Kinsley answered and quickly dragged her mum towards the fireplace.
“Kinsley. What's going on-”
“Poppy Fields!” Kinsley spoke, throwing floo powder into the fire and quickly pulling her Mum in behind her.
The two appeared out of the fireplace of what looked to be an abandoned house, and Kinsley excitedly dragged her Mum out into a field of poppies.
“Look, look! Isn’t it so pretty!”
“Kinsley Amber McGonagall. What in Merlin's name is going on?”
“Happy Mother’s Day, Mum. We’re escaping the castle for a day and having a picnic.”
Minerva’s face softened, and she looked out over the field of poppies wistfully.
“How did you manage to arrange this?”
“I happen to have a godmother who loves me and my plots very much. She was happy to help me out.” Kinsley smirked. She pulled the tiny picnic basket out of her cloak pocket and enlarged it back to regular size, grabbing the picnic rug and throwing it out.
“My Mother’s Day present to you is a day off, Mum. Enjoy.”
Minerva smiled largely and settled upon the rug, watching Kinsley as she set out all of the plates, cutlery, drinks, and food.
Kinsley and her Mum gorged themselves on cheese and crackers, chicken sandwiches, peaches, and a small tiramisu while watching the sun as it followed a path over the top of them.
They talked about everything from school, to the future, to space and the universe, as the sky faded from bright blue to dark and orange.
“Thank you for today, Kinsley. It was very thoughtful, and just what I needed. I love you so much, you know that?” Minerva whispered as she pulled her daughter into a hug.
“I love you too, Mum.” Kinsley smiled, holding her Mum close in the field of red flowers.
The pair stepped back into the fire just as the sun set over the horizon, holding hands and smiling contentedly.
Number Two: The Blue Moon
“Wake up. Wake up.” Kinsley whispered into Charlie's ear, disturbing his slumber.
“Whattt.” He groaned, opening his eyes slightly before realising who was in front of him. “Oh, Kins. What’s happening?”
“We’re going exploring.” She told him, urging him to get up off the bed. “I’ve already woken your brother! Aurora - I mean Professor Sinistra - told me that there’s a blue moon tonight, and I wanted to show you two something.”
“Okay. Okay!” Charlie threw off his quilt and quietly exited his dorm behind Kinsley. Usually, their trips through the Forest yielded great results. Bill was waiting at the bottom of the staircase, and together the trio walked out of the castle and down through the grounds.
Charlie couldn’t see the moon yet, but he realised it must be hidden by the looming, dark trees in front of him which made up the Forest.
“This way!” Kinsley pulled the Weasleys through the Forest, following a barely visible path.
Knowing better than to question her once she had her mind set on something, the Weasleys followed her steps obligingly.
Kinsley led them over fallen trees, through an abundance of bushes, and around spiky branches, before stopping gasping in delight at an unassuming...
“Toadstool? We’re out here for a toadstool?” Bill questioned unbelievably.
“No, silly. But that toadstool means we’re getting close. Patience, child” Kinsley stared him down.
“Sorry, Kins.” Bill pouted exaggeratedly, tucking his head in shame.
“So you should be. Now shush, both of you.”
Kinsley almost tip-toed past the toadstool, leading the Weasley pair past three more similar ones before stopping and grinning at them happily. They had reached a group of tall, thick trees pressed so closely together that they created something like a dead end or a wall. Kinsley didn’t seem put out, though, and she walked forward quickly. She squished herself into the gap between two trees and disappeared from Bill and Charlie’s line of sight. The pair quickly rushed forward to catch up with her and squished themselves through the gap one after the other before stopping in shock.
A small clearing was in front of them, closed in by tightly pressed trees with looming branches. The branches formed a circular gap in the sky, which was filled by a bright blue moon, illuminating the clearing in dazzling blue light. The clearing itself was made up of an inner circle of large and small toadstools, and filled with fairies dancing around. Some of the fairies were no bigger than Charlie’s finger, just sparkles in the light. Others reached up to Bill’s knee and were dancing around holding hands in between toadstools.
And in the middle of the toadstools and dancing fairies, lit up by the moon and over ten fairies pulling on her clothes and twisting in her hair was Kinsley. She was spinning around with her eyes closed, looking truly content and at peace. The two Weasleys smiled at the sight, watching their friend looking so happy. Charlie felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down to see a fairy gesturing him forward, into the circle. Bill was pushed in as well, and fairies landed on the two just as they had landed on Kins. Kinsley cracked an amber eye open and smiled widely, holding out her hands to the two boys. They took a hand each, and she pulled them further into the middle of the circle before forcing them both into a spin and then releasing their hands and beginning to spin herself.
The scene was so strange, but Bill and Charlie were relaxed by the bright fairies around them, and Kinsley who had the biggest smile on her face they had ever seen.
Together, the trio basked in the light of the blue moon and the glittering fairies, in the center of a fairy circle which they would never forget.
Number One: Happy Birthday!
Percy and Kinsley were headed back to their common room after a walk around the grounds. It had been a little odd - Oliver had practically demanded that they leave for a walk and some fresh air - but they’d figured he’d had a point and had obliged.
“Chimera,” Kinsley told the Fat Lady portrait, expecting her to swing open into the same quiet common room that they had exited only one hour ago. Apparently, this was not the case.
“Happy Birthday!” Came a chorus from inside, and Percy and Kinsley stepped through to see a huge crowd of people - almost half of the school, stuffed into the one room.
A huge banner was hung up, saying ‘Happy Birthday Kins and Perce!’ and Kinsley laughed at the gigantic cake which filled up a table in the center of the room.
Penelope, Oliver, Bodie, and Indie all rushed forward, speaking over the top of one another, but Kinsley managed to deduce the fact that they had planned and thrown Percy and herself a surprise party since their birthdays were during the holidays.
“Thank you guys so much!” Kinsley gushed, grinning at the crowd which had started to come forward to greet her and Perce.
She spent a good half an hour saying hello and thank you to everyone who had come, and then Percy and Kinsley cut the first slice of the huge chocolate cake before handing the knife off to Goldy to divvy it up among everyone there.
The party lasted long into the night, and Kinsley was danced around the floor by people of all houses, years, and genders. Her final dance was in the arms of Percy - her fellow person of honour - before she headed to bed with her stomach full and her heart overflowing with love.
The Hogwarts Express suddenly arrived at the station, breaking Kinsley from her thoughts, and her group of six disembarked together.
“I’ll miss you all!” She exclaimed, pulling everyone into a group hug,
“We’ll keep in touch.” Indie promised, among chimes of “I’ll miss you too!” and “Make sure you write me!”.
Kinsley waved her friends off with a smile before looking for her mother, and greeting her with a hug.
“Hey, Mum! Did you miss me?”
Minerva rolled her eyes. “Of course darling. I don’t know how I coped nine whole hours without you! Lucky we’ll spend the entire summer break together, huh?”
“Aghhhh. I have to wait so long to see my friends again.”
“I’m sure the time will pass by much quicker than you think,” Minerva reassured her daughter.