Back to School...
Maya boarded the Hogwarts Express, peeking into each compartment to look for her friends. Maya hadn't been able to let them know when exactly she was arriving due to being swamped with work at Kowalski Quality Baked Goods. Her best bet was to just comb the train for them.
The first she found was Ben Copper, a pale, blonde, somewhat flat-faced Muggle-born who was deceptively powerful for someone who feared pretty much everything. But he was already sitting in a compartment with some of his fellow Gryffindors. Maya counted four more students, including two freckled redheads, one of them short and stocky while the other was long and lanky. The shorter boy with flaming red hair noticed Maya peeking into their compartment, blanched, and immediately fixed his gaze on his knees.
Seeing his friend's sudden change in behaviour, Ben glanced over in Maya's direction. Though his face lit up when he saw her, she only smiled awkwardly and waved. She didn't want Ben to sacrifice his other friendships for the sake of maintaining the one he had with her. Slytherins and Gryffindors tended to mix about as well as oil and water, but it was especially bad in Maya's case. Gryffindors weren't the only ones who hated and/or feared her either—so did most Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Her housemates were more of a mixed bag, but even they were predominantly antagonistic.
Setting out to find her other friends, Maya passed some more familiar faces. Unlike Ben's Gryffindor friends, whose names had been wiped from Maya's brain (if they had ever been in there at all), she could actually recall some of them. Felix Rosier and Yekaterina Dolohov were having a friendly argument about this year's House Cup with their fellow prefect, Chester Davies from Ravenclaw. Tonks was putting on a show for some of her friends by transforming her features into those of the professors and making funny faces. Andre Egwu seemed to like Tonks's version of Professor Snape the best while an exceptionally pale girl with silvery white hair had no preference.
A compartment door slid open. "Oi, Shafiq!"
And then there were those who Maya couldn't forget even if she wanted to.
Merula Snyde, the self-proclaimed Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts who was in reality just a pale-faced bully with unnatural violet eyes, poorly-applied makeup, and a stringy orange streak in her hair, had been a thorn in Maya's side ever since they had first met. While Merula was usually about as threatening as any twelve-year-old could be, there had been an occasion where she had nearly murdered Ben with Devil's Snare. Due to her crime being unprovable, Merula had walked free. Just thinking about it made Maya seethe, though it was somewhat helped by the fact that Maya had beaten Merula in a duel and punched her in the face too.
"Any luck with finding your brother's body? Should I prepare a shovel?"
Giving her another punch to the nose was getting very tempting.
That being said, fighting Merula on the Hogwarts Express was a sure recipe for trouble. Not just because of the detention she'd get, but because Merula was currently backed by three—no, four friends. Or cronies. It didn't matter much to Maya, because she was backed by a grand total of zero.
"Why would you prepare a shovel?"
Maya, who had been about to threaten Merula with a Tickling Charm, found the words doing a sharp U-turn back down her throat. Everyone turned to stare at Barnaby Lee, whose question seemed to be genuine.
Diego Caplan, a Hufflepuff boy who Maya rarely paid attention to (she only remembered his name because of his affiliation with Merula), patiently began to explain the rather morbid joke. "So, Jacob Shafiq is missing, presumed dead. Maya Shafiq, his sister here, is looking for him. You got that, right?"
"Yeah," said Barnaby, nodding along.
"Good. And you bury the dead, right?"
"...Right."
"So if Maya finds Jacob, what does she need to do?"
Barnaby paused for a moment. "Uh... bury him?"
"Exactly!" Diego applauded while Merula rolled her eyes. "And you need a shovel to bury something, hence Merula's shovel comment."
Barnaby blinked. "...But—"
"Oh, forget it, you oaf!" snapped Ismelda Murk. "Can't even crack a bloody joke without having to spell it out..."
Merula sighed irritably, and the girl with bright red hair standing at the back of the group let out a small chuckle. Maya wracked her brain for the name—Tulip Karasu! Merula's Ravenclaw 'friend'.
"As entertaining as this conversation is sure to be, I really must be going now," said Maya. "I don't have the time to waste on you lot."
Merula sneered. "Try to hold on to your friends, Shafiq. Never know when you might lose them." She closed the compartment door with a loud slam.
Not having expected Merula to let her go that easily, Maya stared at the door blankly for a moment. She shrugged. "Well, cheerio."
After a little more searching, Maya found just who she was looking for. Rowan Khanna, her spectacled, dark-skinned, slightly large-nosed best friend was sitting alone in a compartment, poring over a large book. She ignored the sound of the sliding door, only looking up when Maya sat down, but her face broke into a wide smile that was only visible for a split second before Maya tackled her with a hug.
"Rowan! I missed you!"
"Oof! Maya! I missed you too." Rowan held Maya at arm's length for a moment to scan her face. "Love the new haircut."
"Mom said that it was four years overdue," Maya said with a grin. "I guess she was right."
Rowan giggled. "Yeah, now you don't look like a deranged witch living in the woods."
"Hey!"
"I'm kidding. But in all honesty, you look better," said Rowan, sitting back down on her seat.
Maya grinned sheepishly. "Aw, thanks. I was worried that you wouldn't like the change," she said, fingering a lock of hair. Rowan always managed to fill Maya with a sense of safety and comfort. That was something she had in common with Ben. The friends just clicked, like a set of puzzle pieces that were made for each other.
"How couldn't I?" Rowan asked. "You don't just look better, Maya, you look healthier. More alive, and less like an Inferius."
"Rowan!" Maya complained.
"Okay, maybe 'Inferius' was taking it too far. How about 'banshee' instead?"
"Rowan!" Maya shouted. Inferi were disgusting enough to laugh off any comparisons as a joke, but a banshee had the potential to pass as a very sick human.
"Sorry, sorry!" Rowan said, raising her hands in surrender. "I went a bit overboard there. So, how were your summer holidays?"
Maya relaxed, wiping her glasses. "Surprisingly uneventful. I worked a lot. Mom partnered up with the Leaky Cauldron, so our sales are surprisingly decent. We had to set up a delivery system with Floo powder and a Protean Charm. But more sales means a bigger workload, so I was really busy. Hardly got any rest."
"Sounds like you loved it," said Rowan.
"Well, you know me. Can't bear to stay put," Maya admitted. "Whenever I wasn't working, I was studying or practising magic. Of course, my mom would have flayed me alive if she found me using magic outside of school, so I had to rely on Florean to cover for me. I also got this neat book about Curse-Breaking. I'll show you later."
Rowan's eyes glittered at the mention of a new book. "I'm holding you to that promise. As for me, I read everything I could find relating to that coded message from your vision in the trophy room."
Maya nodded. "'The Ice Knight stands guard beyond the Vanished Stairs.' That, and something about hearts, stealing, and keys."
"Exactly. ...Except 'heart' and 'key' might not be plural," Rowan added. "I didn't find anything about Ice Knights, but I found descriptions of staircases in Hogwarts that no longer seem to exist. If we can locate those 'Vanished Stairs', it might lead us to a Cursed Vault. Sadly, I didn't make any progress on the second part of the message."
"Don't worry about that, Rowan. I'm looking forward to seeing your research in detail," Maya said, making Rowan blush.
"Oh, and don't tell my parents, but I did sneak out to Diagon Alley once."
Maya stared. "And you didn't tell me?!"
"I had to be quick and inconspicuous, so... sorry. But look at what I got!" Rowan pulled what looked like a small wooden dagger out of her bag, only for her to remove the cover and reveal the gleaming blade.
Her annoyance evaporating instantly, Maya let out a gasp. "Is that what I think it is?"
"If you mean 'a knife that'll open any lock', then, yes," Rowan said smugly. "And it's not your standard magical knife either, this one is top-of-the-line. Gets through locks and magical seals alike! I guess you could call it... cutting edge."
Silence.
"I saw your mouth twitch, Maya!" Rowan cried triumphantly, sheathing the knife and stowing it away. "Anyway, there are a hundred and forty-one known staircases in this castle. It will take a long time to search everywhere."
Maya agreed wholeheartedly. She'd done a lot of scouring the castle in her first year too. "Let's ask Ben and Penny to help us search so it'll go faster. Speaking of which..."
She leaned forward and pulled the door open, revealing a pretty White girl with thick blonde hair and clear blue eyes. She had one hand raised as if to knock on where the door was two seconds ago.
"Hi, Penny!" Maya chirped.
"Oh, hi, Maya! And Rowan too!" Penny entered the compartment, fanning her face. Like Ben, she was blonde, but her hair was a brighter shade, like butter. Ben's was slightly brownish, like honey. "Was that your Inner Eye, Maya?"
"If you weren't talking to yourself despite the fact that I could hear you loud and clear, then yes, I'd guess so," said Maya, mentally reminding herself to stop comparing people to food. (Maya's skin? Caramel. Rowan's hair? Liquorice.)
"I couldn't hear anything," Rowan offered.
"Because I wasn't talking," Penny said excitedly. "Good to know your Inner Eye is still open, Maya."
"Inner Ear, more like." Maya laced her fingers together. "I haven't had any visions since the incident in the trophy room. But voices? Those are everywhere. I can hardly make sense of them..."
Penny giggled. "Well, I've been studying all sorts of different potion ingredients and brewing techniques over the summer. And I was thinking that we made a good team, working together on that modified Sleeping Draught. Would you two mind helping me concoct some new potions?"
Rowan brightened, hastily fixing her glasses. "Yes, I'd love to! What kind of potions?"
After a long and very entertaining conversation about all sorts of things that could be done with murtlap essence, the Hogwarts Express slowed to a stop. Although they had ridden across the lake in small boats as first-years, Maya and her friends were now in their second year, and would be riding the carriages with all the older students.
Maya, Rowan, and Penny only took a short moment to gaze at the horseless harnesses before climbing into a large wooden carriage. They were about to continue their debate on the possible effects of combining murtlap essence with chopped Shrivelfigs over a low fire when someone cried, "Wait up, Penny!"
A Hufflepuff with a heart-shaped face and choppy aqua blue hair burst into the carriage and shut the door behind her with a snap.
"Oh, thank Merlin. I think I'd have gone mad if I had to listen to any more of Chiara's—hmm?"
Large round eyes blinked at Maya, who was holding up her mokeskin bag defensively. Next to her, Rowan was also pressed against the wall of the carriage, her mouth hanging slightly agape.
"Oh, it's you two! Wotcher, I'm Tonks!" Tonks held out her hand, which was unnaturally bony with prominent wrinkles and popping veins. "Whoops, heh heh," she chuckled, and her hand became plump and her skin smoothed out.
"Um, hi," said Maya, gingerly accepting the handshake. "I'm Maya, and this is Rowan." Rowan nodded, still wide-eyed and silent.
Yeah, I know who you are. Maya heard the words before Tonks said them. "Yeah, I know who you are. Sorry about that time I knocked a pail of Puffapod beans on your head. You're allergic, right? My bad."
"D-don't worry about it."
Tonks hummed, running her hand through her unnaturally vivid hair. "So, er, we're second-years! Fantastic, innit? Are you signing up for Flying Class? Maybe the Quidditch teams?"
Flying, while mandatory for first-years, was an optional class to be taken on the weekends for those in their second year and above. Maya, though lacking talent on a broom, did think it would be fun if she could hone her skills. She probably wouldn't make the team, not that she was planning on trying anyway. When she shared her thoughts with Tonks, the Hufflepuff agreed in earnest.
"Oh, I know exactly what you mean. I'm already dreadfully clumsy on the ground, let alone in the air, but flying is just too much fun! Or at least it looks fun when I'm not crashing..." Tonks trailed off wistfully. "But hey, no pain no gain, am I right?"
"I... I guess."
Penny eased herself, putting a bright smile back on her face. "I'm going to sign up for Flying Class too! Maybe I'll be able to join the Hufflepuff Quidditch team someday!"
Tonks hummed a tune, tapping her feet cheerfully. Rowan slowly slid down back into her seat. After a moment, she asked, "How does your Metamorphosing work? What are the limits? How do you control it?"
As if she'd been waiting for that question her whole life, Tonks wasted no time explaining. "Well, it's something that takes effort, but there are accidents now and then. It's hard to explain, but it's a part of my body. I just have to focus on changing it to what I want, and—" she morphed into a likeness of Professor Binns, "—Bob's your uncle."
Maya's jaw dropped. She pushed her glasses back up her nose, struggling to find the right words.
"Aw, the details are a bit off, aren't they? I need more practice," said Tonks, still with the voice of a twelve-year-old girl. It was very jarring hearing her speak with her own voice despite the fact that she was wearing the face of their History of Magic professor. She'd even turned transparent, robes and all.
"H-how...?" Rowan stammered. "Did you turn spectral?!"
"Huh? Oh, no," Tonks said with a laugh, "I'm still solid, not to mention among the living." She patted the seat of the carriage for emphasis, making a soft thump. "I used to think that I could only pull off normal human traits, but ever since that incident with Merula, I've been trying to push my limits. Haven't had much luck though. Transparency was the most I could manage."
Maya vaguely remembered Tonks's arms bursting into tentacles once. She wondered if it was possible for the Metamorphmagus to go full octopus. Being able to breathe underwater sounded useful.
"By the way, can I ask you guys a question?" Tonks asked, now back to her previous appearance. "Where are you from?"
Penny elbowed Tonks in the side.
"Ow! What, I'm not allowed to ask where they're from? I asked you the same thing and it was fine with you!"
"This is a bit different!" Penny hissed back.
"Whoa, Penny, it's fine," Maya said reassuringly. Tonks huffed, blowing her blue bangs out of her eyes.
Rowan wiped her forehead. "Yeah, er, I'm from Aldershot! That's where our farm is."
"Oh, really?" Penny said excitedly. "I hear it's very nice there! I'm from Wigtown, though Dad's looking for a place in London. Better for travel. He's a Muggle," she added, noting Maya and Rowan's quizzical expressions. "And Mum's Muggle-born, so I didn't actually grow up around much magic."
Maya could hardly imagine that. She had always been surrounded by magic growing up, to the point that she viewed anything non-magical as a rarity.
"Well, if you do move to London, maybe we can be neighbours," she suggested. "I'm from Diagon Alley, so it shouldn't be hard to find—"
"YOU'RE FROM DIAGON ALLEY?!" Tonks screamed, her eyes enlarging to be the size of eggs.
"—our bakery," Maya finished, watching Tonks's eyes retreat back into her head.
Penny, who hadn't been privy to this information either, clapped her hands in a sudden understanding. "So that's why I couldn't place your accent! You must get people from all over at Diagon Alley! And here I thought it was Egyptian or something..."
"I'm pretty sure it's just my mom's American accent rubbing off on me," Maya said. She did tend to roll her 'r's a bit. "Definitely not from my dad."
Tonks grunted excitedly. "Can we go back to the part about Maya being from Diagon Alley? What's it like, living there? It sounds like so much fun!"
"It's, er, loud. And very busy."
"Oh, come on, that can't be it!" Penny's blue eyes were shining like pools of water in a way that made Maya nervous. She glanced at Rowan, but her best friend was making no attempt to mask her curiosity either.
"Seriously, guys, living in a Spatial Pocket sounds neat, but it's no different from anywhere else, really."
Penny tilted her head, making her plaits sway. "Spatial Pocket?"
"A Spatial Pocket is what we call an area concealed by the Space-Sewing Charm. Areas like Diagon Alley, or reserves for magical creatures. Here, let me explain," said Maya, eager to change the subject. She bunched up her robe, holding it up for better visibility, much like Jacob had once done. "So, imagine that this fabric is space. Not space like outer space, just, you know, space. The Space-Sewing Charm takes that space and stitches it together. Like this."
Maya gathered the black fabric and formed it into a makeshift pocket.
"Now, this doesn't increase or decrease dimensions like an Extension Charm, so everything inside the Pocket is still there. The Space-Sewing Charm only creates the Spatial Pocket. Did you get that?"
Rowan was the only one who nodded—Penny merely squinted while Tonks scratched her head.
"Not entirely, but I think I got the gist of it," said the Metamorphmagus. "That, and at least five different questions..."
Rowan grinned as the carriage lurched to a stop. "We can go to the library! I'm sure Madam Pince can point us towards books on the Space-Sewing Charm! It's a fascinating bit of magic, after all!"
The four Slytherins and Hufflepuffs got off their carriage brightly. But the second they passed through the giant doors and entered the castle, Maya felt a chill run down her spine. And she wasn't the only one shivering. The sound of chattering teeth could be heard all throughout the Sorting Ceremony.
After the students had filled the Great Hall and the Sorting Hat was carried away by Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore stood up to give his welcome speech. A hush fell over the hall, but it wasn't the respectful one from the previous year. No, it was a hush of confusion, and Maya knew that she wasn't alone in seeing that Dumbledore looked unnaturally tired.
"Welcome, our new first-year students," said Dumbledore. "For all our returning students, welcome back. First, I must remind all students that the Forbidden Forest is, true to its name, forbidden—as is Hogsmeade to anyone below the third year. Yes, even the residents of the village," he added, giving a look at the Gryffindor table, specifically at Corey Hayden, who lived in Hogsmeade. "My deepest apologies to you all for starting the year on such a note, but I have grave news to share." The silence was tense as Dumbledore took a deep breath. "A curse of ancient magic beyond our understanding has been unleashed within the castle."
Maya heard the voices rise, but more importantly, she felt piercing gazes on her. She knew the rumours, she knew they thought her to be responsible, and in all honesty, they were probably right.
"Now, quiet down, though I understand your concerns." Dumbledore continued, "The curse takes the form of magical ice that grows and spreads, consuming everything it touches. But remember that the teachers and staff are doing everything we can to combat it. First-years will be learning the Knockback Jinx from their Heads of House, for that spell has proven effective against the ice time and time again."
Maya tugged on her hat. The Great Hall was unusually cold, especially for early September. She didn't know if that was because of the ice, the cold glares directed at her, or the fact that she was sitting between Rowan and the Bloody Baron.
"Focus on your studies, make time for your friends, but above all else, be careful as you journey about the castle. If you see anything odd that isn't the normal sort of Hogwarts oddity, do not hesitate to tell a professor." Dumbledore paused, and Maya thought she could hear him sigh. "Every year is an interesting year at Hogwarts, but something tells me that this year holds more surprises than most. But enough of my grand proclamations and ominous warnings. Please enjoy the feast!"
Warm food blossomed above the golden plates, steam wafting up in dreamy clouds, but Maya felt like she'd lost her appetite completely.
The next morning bore no signs of cursed ice, but the new schedules revealed that the first class was, once again, Charms. Maya was happy to see that. She wanted to invite Ben along to the library when they went to study. Besides, he loved Charms. She was sure he'd be fascinated by the Space-Sewing Charm.
She and Rowan gobbled down their toast, wrapped in thick woolly clothes. Rowan was wearing her favourite multicoloured scarf. Everyone was dressed as if Christmas had come early, just without the festivities. Maya was pouring herself a mug of warm milk when an owl swooped down and dropped a newspaper in front of Yekaterina.
And while that wouldn't have meant much on its own, Yekaterina practically screamed when she saw the headline.
"Muggles found the TITANIC?!"
Rowan nearly choked on her food while Maya may or may not have spouted milk through her nostrils. Only vaguely aware of the fact that her face was still dripping, Maya coughed and looked at the prefect, who was too engrossed by the paper to notice what was happening around her. Felix was handing out napkins to those who had upended their meals in surprise.
"Of course they're going to find the bloody Titanic on the one day I'm too busy to read the news," Yekaterina growled, though she didn't look irritated much. "Took them 73 years, but my god they found it..." She gasped. "Camera systems?! Felix, check this out!" She thrust the paper in his face, eyes gleaming with wonder.
Maya finished wiping her face and saw that Professor Quirrell, the Muggle Studies professor, was doing more or less the same thing at the high table. Much like Felix was doing with Yekaterina, Professor McGonagall was politely listening to him jabber despite looking quite bewildered. In fact, that was probably the reason Yekaterina wasn't getting told off despite causing a ruckus in the Great Hall—the other professors were occupied by Professor Quirrell.
Maya clapped Rowan on the back and poured herself a new mug of milk. She decided to interpret it as a good omen and put the discovery of the Titanic behind her. If even the lost ship could be found, why not Jacob? She scanned the other tables and saw Penny whispering excitedly, but no sign of Ben. Maybe he was skipping breakfast? Well, she'd see him in class soon enough.
The Slytherins finished the last of their toast and headed for Charms. The classroom buzzed with excitement as students took their seats, wondering what kinds of spells they would learn this year. Charms was a common favourite, not just because of how enjoyable the subject was but also because of Professor Flitwick's contagious enthusiasm. The tiny professor squeaked and bounced merrily, but somehow managed to have a charismatic presence despite his size and demeanour.
But something was off. Maya glanced around, amber eyes darting all over the classroom.
"Hello, everyone. It's a new year at Hogwarts! Now, let's see if I remember all of your names..." Professor Flitwick held up a scroll. "...By calling out the register!"
Maya wasn't listening. Where...?
"Mr Copper?" Professor Flitwick called expectantly.
There was no answer.
Professor Flitwick looked up from his scroll, scanning the classroom. "...Mr Copper?"
But Ben was nowhere to be found.