Chapter 4
Sirius wove in and out from between legs and trolleys in Kings Cross, his tail wagging and his tongue hanging out of his canine mouth all the while. Moody clumped along at the front of the party, Arthur bringing up the back to ensure that the group of students the Order was seeing off stayed together and arrived in on piece. Moody was muttering under his breath darkly, Tonks at his side no stranger to his anger. "What is he even doing here? Barking mad, absolutely barking mad!"
Sirius, still in dog form, went down the stairs they were pausing at the top of and snuck into an empty waiting room to transform back into the thin man he was on a daily basis. Harry and Rebecca looked to the adults for permission, only taking a small step closer to the stairs until Molly grimaced and gave them the go-ahead.
"Sirius! What are you doing here?" Harry asked, launching himself into Sirius' outstretched arms.
"I had to see you two off, didn't I?" Sirius countered, letting go of Harry and hugging Rebecca as her brother just had been. "What's life without a little risk? Come, have a seat." He sat down and patted the two chairs on either side of him.
"We don't want to see you back in Azkaban." Rebecca said warily. "We can't."
"Don't spend your time worrying about me." Sirius chuckled, reaching into his coat to pull out the folded photograph he had found earlier in the week. "I found this and wanted you two to have it." Rebecca tilted it so Harry could see it as well. "This was the original Order of the Phoenix. Marlene McKinnon--killed two weeks after this was taken." Sirius pointed to a blonde woman with a mischievous smile. "Frank and Alice Longbottom."
"Neville's parents." Harry said.
"They suffered a fate worse than death, if you ask me." Sirius' voice grew sadder. "It's been fourteen years...and not a day goes by I don't miss your mum and dad." Sirius looked at the young faces of James and Lily and felt his heart wrench.
Harry put his head on Sirius' shoulder, his arm going around the man's back. "Why are you telling us this now?" He asked with a quiet voice.
"He thinks there's going to be another war." Rebecca said bluntly. "Right?"
Sirius paused and looked away from the two of them. "I told you this because I want you to know about those who have paved the way for this resistance. If we don't remember whom and what we've lost, then there's nothing left to fight for."
Rebecca took his words to heart. She tried to hand Sirius back his photograph, but he shook his head and held his hand up to push it back towards her.
"No, I want you two to keep it." He chuckled. "I supposed you're the young (dudes) ones now." Moody knocked on the door to the sitting room they were in and Sirius stood up with a grunt. "Time to go then, the boss man demands it." He turned back into a dog and accepted a quick pat from both of them before going to the door.
Harry and Rebecca climbed the stairs behind Moody quickly, following him straight through the passageway to Platform 9 3/4s. The rest of their group was already inside and jumped back into motion at their return.
"Rebecca!" Harry hissed, staring in front of them and stopping her in his tracks with a tight grip, a too-tight grip.
"Oi, Harry!" Rebecca looked up quickly, stopping next to him. While Harry's grip grew tighter, her face grew paler.
Voldemort was in front of them, standing in a black suit in the middle of the walk way while his head jerked from side to side. As quickly as he had appeared, he was gone. "Harry, please!" Rebecca whispered, trying to puller her wrist out of his grip and then pulling her sleeve down over the darkening marks he had left behind.
"That was him. We have to-"
"No!" Rebecca moved in front of Harry and forced him to look into her eyes. "We don't know what that was." Harry opened his mouth angrily, shutting it when Rebecca continued. "Harry!" She looked around carefully, making sure they had both gone relatively unnoticed. "Look where we are. This is a very crowded station and we cannot cause a panic."
Harry's eyes drifted around to the mothers and fathers saying goodbye to their first years; their young, innocent first years who didn't even know what there was to be afraid of yet. "Okay." He ran his hand through his hair quickly. "I'm okay now. You saw it too though, right?"
Rebecca nodded once. "I did."
"Harry? Rebecca?" Molly called, confused as to how and why they had fallen so far behind. "Probably something shiny." She thought with a little smile--Rebecca did have a tendency to either be entirely distracted or entirely focused, little to no space in between. Prompted forward, the Potter twins made their way down the line of farewells the adults were giving them.
Tonks patted each of their shoulders and couldn't keep her hair from darkening a little as the last of the children staying at Grimmauld left them. Moody nodded at Harry and Rebecca in turn, warning them to be vigilant.
"Christmas will be here before we know it!" Molly said, hugging them tightly.
"Yes, it will be." Rebecca moved on to Arthur and held on a moment longer, not wanting to let go yet. "You'll be okay, right?"
"You're not the one who's supposed to worry about me, sweets." Arthur ducked down and hugged Rebecca again. "How about this--I'll be as okay as you are."
"I will be more than okay then." Rebecca moved towards the open door to the train where Fred was waiting for her. "Goodbye!" She called with the others, the doors closing and the Hogwarts Express beginning its annual trip towards Hogwarts once again.
Making their way down the hall of compartments, Hermione and Ron awkwardly stood a distance apart. "We've got to go to the prefects' compartment first..."
Harry nodded. "Rebecca and I'll find one and wait for you then."
Rebecca turned around and pulled Fred's face down towards hers, pecking his cheek. "I'll find you when we arrive, alright love?"
Fred's jaw dropped. "Love? You can't call me 'love.' I call you love!"
Rebecca giggled and walked back to Harry's side, following him in search of a compartment. "Fine." She tossed over her shoulder. "I'll see you there, darling." She put extra emphasis on the pet name he had admitted--in a moment of weakness--sent his knees wobbling.
Fred nodded sharply. "Yes, you will!" He called back weakly. "Calling me love..." He muttered, following George in the opposite direction. "...who does she think she is?"
Harry and Rebecca made their way down to the farther end of the train where they eventually found one, sole compartment completely empty. "Ah, at last!" Rebecca sighed, tossing her backpack up onto the luggage racks and lying down along the length of the bench. "I hate saying goodbye." She said softly.
Harry agreed but sat quietly. The silence grew comfortable and spanned between occasional theories about what had happened on the platform, reading quietly, or looking out the window. When Hermione and Ron finally made their way back to join them, they were fully robed and filled with news.
"You'll never guess Slytherin's prefects!" Ron said loudly, plopping himself onto the bench where Rebecca's legs had been after giving her hardly a chance to move them.
"Draco and Pansy." Hermione answered, sitting next to Harry.
Hermione and Ron tried to draw Rebecca and Harry into their chatter, but both were far more withdrawn than their friends were used to. "Something happen?" Hermione asked as the trolley lady began her round.
"Nothing a little chocolate can't fix, right?" Rebecca asked, catching Harry's eye. He excused himself to the loo and asked Rebecca to get him a chocolate wand.
"He's not sleeping well." Ron said the second Harry had left. "Did you know that?" He asked Rebecca.
"Yeah, I did." Rebecca nodded.
"Like you're any different!" Hermione scoffed. "You talk all night long, tea or not."
"Why does she drink the tea then? I thought it was to keep her from talking?" Ron asked confused.
"She's sitting right here." Rebecca snapped. She tucked her hair behind her ear and spoke softer than she had before. "The tea's supposed to stop the visions, Ron. Not the talking, nothing we can do about that."
"That's right." Ron sighed, remembering now.
Something was sticking out in Hermione's thoughts. "'Supposed to?' You haven't had one, have you?"
Rebecca was quiet a long moment before answering. "Not visions, just nightmares."
Hermione began to talk about what rules Rebecca would be expected to follow this year and which ones Ron would actually have to enforce, while both Rebecca and Ron tuned her out entirely. When the train's whistle blew to signal that they were nearly there, Rebecca hopped up and grabbed her bag. Harry had returned to the compartment in the middle of Hermione's lecturing and promptly fallen into a nap.
"Harry?" Rebecca said, shaking his shoulder. "We're going to be there soon."
Harry woke up and stretched, grabbing his bag and followed her. Both felt as if what they had seen on the platform was following them, both was wondering if the other was still thinking about.
Both said nothing.
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"First years over here!" Professor Grubbly-Plank shouted gruffly. "Over here, that's right!"
Ron and Hermione looked to Rebecca and Harry curiously. "Where's Hagrid? Is he-" Hermione wondered.
"Potter!" Draco interrupted from behind. He, Crabbe, and Goyle were still getting off the train. Rebecca ignored the call as Harry did, she still looking around for Fred. "I'm surprised the Ministry let you two go!" Draco continued.
"Why?" Rebecca asked with the perfect bored tone. "Your father not pay enough of the judges?"
Draco's cheeks reddened with anger. "Better enjoy it while you can. I bet there are two cells in Azkaban with your names on it."
Harry lunged forward, Ron catching his arms and pulling him back while Rebecca stepped between Draco and Harry, her back to their aggravotr.
"What'd I tell you?" Draco crowed. "Complete nutters, the both of them!" Crabbe and Goyle followed Draco as he continued up to the castle.
"Just stay away from us!" Harry shouted after Draco's back.
"It's only Malfoy." Ron said as he let go of Harry, startled by Harry's reaction. "What do you expect?" Rebecca caught Ron's eye and matched his concern exactly. Harry was never the first to fists out of them.
The carriage at the pick up spot was filled and pulling away as the group approached. Aboard, Cedric was talking to quietly as she shook her head repeatedly.
"Hi guys." Neville said, a exotic looking plant cradled in his arm.
"Hey, Neville." Rebecca used her manners, pulling herself from her mulling thoughts for a friend. "Good summer?"
"It was great! Thanks for asking!" Neville launched into an in-depth description of his adventures. "Grandmother and I went on a herb tour of Spain! I think she's just happy I've found a magic I'm good at, but we still got his awesome little guy..."
"Get behind me!" Fred shouted, slamming through Ron and George to get in front of Rebecca. The next carriage had arrived and it was pulled by...something. "Bloody fucking hell." Fred breathed, his heart in his throat and his ears and too fast as he panicked.
Rebecca grabbed Fred's hand, holding it tightly. He didn't even seem to breathing. "Fred, I don't think-" She peered around him curious instead of afraid. "What is that pulling the carriage?" It was black, almost like a horse but skeletal and winged.
"Nothing's pulling the carriage." Hermione said carefully, wondering if all of her friends had lost their minds or done drugs or both. "It's pulling itself, like always." Harry backed his way to the steps up the carriage, never pulling his eyes away from the creature.
"You're not going mad." A light voice said loftily, already seated. "I can see them too. You're just as sane as I am."
Rebecca looked up at the voice from where she had worked her way in front of Fred, despite his begging her to stay back. The girl who spoke had hair so blonde it was nearly white and appeared to be reading a magazine, though it was upside down. Rebecca turned so that her back was to the creature and her hands were on Fred's chest. "Fred, I don't think it's going to hurt us. It's just doing its job, okay?"
Fred only loosened his grip on her hand when they were seated in the seats farthest from the front of the carriage.
"Everyone," Hermione started. "This is Loony-Luna Lovegood." She shook her head quickly, appalled that she had made such a mistake.
Rebecca tore her eyes away from the back of the creature, the way she could see its bones moving amazing and interesting, to try and fix Hermione's blunder. "What an interesting necklace!" Rebecca said cheerily, as if Hermione hadn't said anything at all.
"Thank you!" Luna said happily, her fingers tracing along a ribbon she had strung caps onto. "Butterbeer caps, knew they could be repurposed." Luna looked back to her magazine, still upside down. "I'm hungry, I hope there's pudding."
"And you can see it?" Fred asked Rebecca as it occurred to her that this was not the first time a boy had needed verification that she was seeing what they were that day.
"Yes, Fred." Rebecca placed a hand on his leg, any irritation she felt towards him disappearing at the sight of him. "Are you okay? Your face is flushed." Rebecca tried to feel his forehead to see if he had a fever, but he pulled his head away.
"It's just..." He closed his eyes. "I can't talk about it."
"That's alright." Rebecca assured him quietly before raising her voice. "You're tired? Go ahead and nap, darling. I'll wake you when we get there."
Fred--who normally would have been far too proud to close his eyes to hide like a child under their sheets--did exactly that. Rebecca kept his hand in hers and let him 'sleep' until they had arrived.
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"Good evening, children." Dumbledore began from atop his podium, addressing the full Great Hall. "Now, we have two changes in staffing this year."
The door behind the staff table opened, Professor Grubbly-Plank and the pink woman from Rebecca and Harry's trial taking seats at the table. "Oh no!" Rebecca whispered.
"What?" Fred asked, leaning down and putting his chin on her shoulder.
"That's the woman I told you about, the one who hates Harry and I!" Rebecca looked to Fred with a face.
"...our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge."
"And she's now our professor. You think she remembers us?" Rebecca accidentally caught eyes with Umbridge and the woman's narrowed. "Damn, she does."
Fred kissed the side of her head. "Maybe it will be better than we think."
Umbridge cleared her throat, interrupting Dumbledore. She lifted a pink handbag from the floor and placed it on the table as she stood, revealing an equally pink skirt and shirt ensemble as she walked around the table and took Dumbledore's podium. Ron couldn't believe she even wore a pink hat, as if she hadn't had enough on already.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." Umbridge began. "And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me." Rebecca took a glance at the students around her, not seeing a single smile or bright pair of eyes. "I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends."
George leaned closer to Fred and Rebecca with a smirk. "Yeah, that's likely."
The pink woman continued. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this...historic...school," She looked to Dumbledore who bowed. "Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practises that ought to be prohibited." She whispered the last word and smiled like they had all shared in on a secret before returning to her seat.
Dumbledore raised his hands and clapped, a portion of the students following in his example but not all.
Hermione looked to Rebecca nervously. "You heard that, right?"
"Heard what?" Rebecca asked. "That load of shite?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, not impressed. "The Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts." Hermione sounded worried and that, in turn, left Rebecca feeling that this wouldn't be an issue that disappeared quickly.
A lot of students in tables around Harry and Rebecca would stare and whisper to their friends, spreading who-knows-what. This wasn't new, not to either of the Potter twins, but Harry couldn't let it roll off his shoulders like he usually could. When Hermione and Ron stood up to join the other prefects before dinner was officially over, Harry looked up quickly. "Can I have the password now?" He wanted to get up to his room before he had to walk through a full, staring common room.
"It's not really allowed..." Hermione said quietly, not wanting to do the job given to her poorly.
"It's 'leo de virtute.'" Ron answered when Hermione didn't. If the rule was going to be bent, better Ron do it, Hermione thought.
Harry pushed himself away from the table and made his way through the forming crowd quickly, marching up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower with a purpose. There was a buzzing in his head, one that was making him irritated. A lie-down would fix him, Harry hoped.
"We cannot make a habit of that, Ron." Hermione began as Fred, George, and Rebecca were left at the table where their six was cut in half.
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After a brief rest in the quiet solitude of his empty room, Harry thought he felt better. When Seamus, Dean, and Neville came in later, he was glad to see them. "Hey there," He nodded to them in turn. "Good holidays?"
Dean shrugged. "Better than Seamus', anyway."
Seamus scowled as Harry looked at him, seemingly unaware of why Seamus could have possibly had a poor holiday. "Me mum didn't want me to come back this year."
"Why not?" Harry asked. The question only made Seamus' scowl deeper, which confused Harry.
"Let me see--" Seamus spat the words. "Because of you? Daily Prophet's been saying a lot of things about you, Harry. You, Rebecca, and Dumbledore as well."
"What, and your mum believes them?" Harry asked incredulously. The stares, the looks, the whispers. The Prophet was believed by them--by all of them.
"Nobody else was with you and Cedric in the graveyard and he came back unconscious."
Harry bit his cheek, his hands tight fists at his sides. "I guess you should read the Prophet then, just like your stupid mother."
"Don't you dare talk about my mother like that!" Seamus shouted, jumping to his feet.
"I'll have a go at anyone that calls me a liar." Harry wasn't too concerned if there would be a fight. He might not have a record like Rebecca, but Seamus wasn't exactly a hulking beast.
"He's mad, that's what's going on!" Seamus said loudly to Seamus and Neville, as well as to the small crowd that had formed in the hallway outside their door. "Do you believe the rubbish he's come out with? The shite he's tricked Rebecca into saying about You-Know-Who?"
Ron plowed through the crowd as Seamus finished his rant. "I do." Ron crossed his arms and stood between Harry and Seamus, lowering his voice and looking down at the Irish antagoniser. "And I suggest you not say another word about it."
Seamus stormed out of the room without another word and the crowd dispersed after it was clear there wouldn't be a fight.
"My mum doesn't get the Prophet," Dean said in the silence that grew, wishing Seamus hadn't blown up like that and feeling that he had to make up for his friend's actions. "Being a Muggle and all."
"My gran cancelled our subscription after she saw the lies they were saying about you and Dumbledore...and Rebecca." Neville shook his head. "Don't listen to him."
Harry grabbed his pajamas and went into the bathroom, wondering how many people were going to fight against him; wondering how many people he'd have to fight for them all to realise that Voldemort had returned.
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Rebecca, Fred, and George had a comparatively pleasant evening. They finished their desserts leisurely before meandering up to the common room where they quickly began to scour the corners for any potential-customers. After securing a handful of sales, Fred plopped himself on the couch. "And now we can relax."
"What?" Rebecca asked shocked. "It's only the first night! Why don't we go upstairs and make more-"
"Relax." George echoed, sitting next to Fred. "I know you don't know how to, but pretend."
Rebecca furrowed her brow and pushed herself between Fred and George, muttering all the while. "Relax? I know how to relax. Don't tell me I don't know how to..."
Despite the fact that she hated to waste workable time, she did find a semi-peace mimicking Fred and George's position so that her her head was back against the couch and her eyes were closed.
A throat cleared itself in front of them minutes later.
"Yes?" Rebecca asked. Her tone flattened when she saw who was disturbing them. "What, Lavender?"
Lavender scoffed at the change in tone. "I was just wondering if you were getting any royalties?"
Rebecca sat up a little straighter, Fred and George lifting their heads as the disturbance of their peace didn't leave immediately. "What are you going on about?" Rebecca asked.
"Royalties?" Lavender repeated as if it were obvious. "For your constant spotlight in the Prophet?"
Rebecca rolled her eyes and laid her hand on Fred's leg to keep him from saying anything as she felt his body tense next to her. "Spell 'royalties' for me and then I'll be bother by this...insult, if that's what we want to call it." Rebecca closed her eyes and let her head fall back again, hoping that Fred and George copied her.
"Why are you two even lying about You-Know-Who? What do you get from it?" Lavender sneered. "Or is it just another rule to break to you? Like the horse or the fire at your school or the Muggle you killed?"
Rebecca's eyes shot back open and she was on her feet in an instant. "What did you just say?"
"They said it was your Muggle-mum!" Lavender said to herself, sounding proud that what she had read had been true. "I can't believe it was right!"
Fred stood up and tried to grab Rebecca's hand, to lead her away from the girl quickly talking herself into a trouble he wouldn't be able to help.
"Where did you hear that?" Rebecca demanded icily.
"The Prophet! Don't you read?" Lavender began to walk away, her objective complete. She had upset her enemy, that was clear. "You're the star, how could you not?" She tossed over her shoulder.
Ginny was across the common room and bumped one of the younger boys at the bottom of the girls' staircase so that he stepped on it, the steps instantly turning into the smooth surface of a slide that sent Lavender flying forward and back down in a painful tumble.
Uneasy laughter spread around the common room. George reached over to the table in front of where they had been sitting and grabbed a copy of the Prophet, glancing through the day's smearing of Rebecca and Harry and paling at the horrible words within. Rebecca took it from him and read through it quickly.
"The Girl Who Lived a Murderer?
Muggle newspapers and a recently-discovered death certificate contain details of an unexplained car accident involving a then-teenage Rebecca Potter and a deceased Jane Irvine--Coincidentally, the Muggle was then charged with the care of Potter. Was this death a dreadful accident or simply the first step into the downward spiral the Potters find themselves on?
Read more on page 14A, followed by some of the more startling offences on Potter's report including: A horse robbery, setting a school on fire, and that above!"
Rebecca's hand shook with how much rage she was filled with. Her vision seemed to spin with it as she was consumed by it. "I-" She tried to speak, but was unable to form a sentence in the haze taking over her. Rebecca walked to where Lavender had fallen and ignored her crying. Lavender was between Padma and Parvati who were attempting to soothe her.
Fred followed close behind, fearing imminent violence.
Rebecca bent to one knee and grabbed Lavender by the front of her shirt, pulling her closer to her face and speaking quietly. "Jane--Jane took care of me when I was younger, when I was a small child." Fred could feel the anguish washing off of Rebecca in waves and wanted nothing more than to take it all from her. "Jane died in a car accident when she tried to reach back to fasten me back in."
Rebecca jerked Lavender once harsly. "Nothing more, nothing less. If I hear you spreading any of these lise around, I won't stop next time." Rebecca released Lavender and pulled her to her feet.
"Stop what?" Lavender couldn't help herself from asking, even though she was afraid to know.
Rebecca hardly knew what she was doing until her hand exploded in the pain that only comes from hitting someone as hard as you could. Lavender fell right back onto the floor she had just gotten up from with a cry, holding her cheek that was already reddening and would be bruised for days. Rebecca felt the pain filling her heart lessen with the pain radiating from her fist, but nothing could completely free her of the agony that came from Jane's memory being disturbed.
Fred sucked in a quick breath as Hermione entered the common room. Most of the other Gryffindors scurried to their rooms to avoid being roped into any punishment that arose. Punching Lavender didn't immediately quell the rageful energy in Rebecca, instead it seemed to have ignited it. Rebecca's fists clenched and unclenched at her sides, horrible thoughts about how it would good it would feel to feel Lavender breaking under her fists.
"Rebecca?" Hermione asked, glancing at Fred nervously. She had no idea what she had walked into. George put the article he had already skimmed into Hermione's hands and she read it just as fast. "How did-Rebecca?"
Rebecca shook her head, able to clear it at last. The anger was gone. The rage, the hate...all gone. Rebecca looked over Hermione's shoulder and saw how Lavender cowered away from her and began to cry harder. "I-I didn't...I'm not-..." Fred pulled Rebecca into his chest and held her tightly.
Hermione turned to the other students and took charge of the situation. "The common room is closed for the evening, prefect's orders. Make your way to your dormitories and prepare for bed, clases begin tomorrow."
The common room emptied quickly, those who lagged behind only doing so to try and see what would happen next.
"She's getting written up, isn't she?" Lavender asked from the top of the stairs, thinking there was enough distance that she would be able to get to her room if Rebecca were to attack again.
"That would be a private matter, Lavender." Hermione spoke cooly. "Unless you'd like to be written up for your instigating?"
Lavender turned and went to her room without another word.
Fred guided Rebecca to the couch and sat down, his arms still around her. Over his shoulder, Rebecca stared at the back of her hand and the blood that was welling up from the split in her knuckles.
"Rebecca?" Hermione asked, crouching down in front of her friend. Hermione noticed how Rebecca's eyes were dilated to mere points and how fast her breathing was. "Breathe, slowly."
"I didn't-I didn't mean to." Rebecca spoke quickly, too quickly. "I wanted to, I really wanted to--but I wasn't going to!"
"Should I go get Madam Pomfrey? McGonagall?" George asked, taking a step towards the portrait hole. He was afraid.
Fred shook his head at George and turned so that Rebecca's cheek was against his chest. "Hey, it's alright now. We all know you didn't mean to, okay?" He continued to talk softly, smoothing the top of her head until Rebecca slowed her breathing. Closing her eyes, Rebecca searched and searched within herself for a trace of the hate that had had its grip on her so severely and found nothing.
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Hermione and Rebecca walked up to their room later, Fred and George waiting at the bottom of the girls' stairs until they entered the hall of rooms above. Rebecca had yet to speak more than a brief answer to a direct question, much to Fred's dismay. She felt...empty--numb almost--and as she prepared for bed, she hardly noticed anything other than the water made her hand hurt.
Drinking the tea with the draught in a few swallows, Rebecca climbed into her bed without a word. Ginny and Hermione met in the bathroom minutes after Rebecca's soft snores filled the room.
"What the hell was that?" Ginny asked. "Who was that? It wasn't Becs, not at all."
Hermione wanted to word herself carefully. "Maybe it was though."
"What?"
"Think about it for a second, maybe Lavender bringing up her past just pushed her too far." Hermione was quiet a moment, curiosity getting the better of her. "We don't know that much about her, not really. Setting a fire? Stealing a horse? That's just from one article, who knows-"
"Those are lies." Ginny said harshly, eliminating any other wonder Hermione had at the moment regarding Rebecca's past. "Those are lies and that is our friend, our best friend."
Hermione nodded, lowering her head. "I know. You're right."
Ginny was quiet a moment before nodding once. "I know I am, don't feel badly. You can't help it."
Hermione took the bait, though she thought she would regret it. "Can't help what?"
"Needing to know everything all of the time."
Ginny and Hermione made it to bed without any other issues.
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"Fred?"
"Yeah, George?" Fred sat up as George stuck his head through his bed's curtains. "Come on in." Fred pulled his legs up under him and charmed his bed so that their conversation wouldn't wake anyone else.
"I can't sleep." George admitted. "I can't..."
"I know." Fred sighed. "I can't stop thinking about it either."
"It was so...loud?" George said, knowing that wasn't the word he was looking for. "She's not afraid to throw a punch or two, but she doesn't without cause like that. Not because of words."
"RJ doesn't swing first." Fred said quietly. "It doesn't matter, not at all."
"No?"
"It's our job to be there for her until she decides to let us help." Fred answered. "It's my job, at least."
"You two-" George's voice cracked and he had to clear his throat before he could continue. "You two are my best mates. It's my job, too."
Fred separated his pillows and moved to one side of his bed, knowing the answer to the question he was about to ask already. "Do you want to sleep in here tonight?"
George shrugged, entirely grateful for the offer. "Well, if you're offering..."
"Oh, just lie down already."
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Tile floor, black and white.
Circular doorways, shining handles.
Black door.
Silver knob.
Images passed through Harry and Rebecca's minds, momentary snippets that meant nothing to either of them. Both of their bodies clenched and relaxed painfully, noises of discomfort leaving their sleeping mouths quietly.
Their roommates slept on, unaware of what each Potter was seeing.
A hand, long-fingered and long-nailed, reached out for them. A hand that could only belong to Voldemort.
A door with an ornamental, golden piece in the middle.
A setting sun.
An orb filled with swirling fog.
A cold sweat broke out across Harry and Rebecca's bodies.
"Children..." A voice hissed in the distance, seemingly growing closer.
The final image appeared, Voldemort staring directly into them.
Harry sat up in bed gasping heavily, his hand reaching for his chest as his heart seemed to beat out of him. Rebecca, her body trapped in sleep by the draught's effects, slept on fitfully as her nightmares began.
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Harry trudged down the stairs to the common room, rubbing his hand down his face before putting his glasses back on. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so poorly. Lavender was sitting in a chair with Parvati patting a brush to her cheek, warning her to stay still so that it wasn't noticeable.
Harry's stomach dropped when he saw the bruise Parvati was trying to cover, his feelings telling him that Rebecca had something to do with this. Harry looked up the stairs to see who was coming down next and saw Fred and George, both of which grimaced at the bruise-covering taking place. "She didn't...did she?" Harry asked slowly.
Fred nodded, trying to explain everything that had happened. "She started it, Lavender. Brought up all this rubbish from the Prophet."
"What now?" Harry was handed the article by George. "What the hell? How did they learn about this--about any of this?"
George shrugged and took the article back when Harry was done skimming it. "The article says some death certificate, but who knows? People want to bring you two down and..."
Fred grit his teeth. "And they will clearly go to whatever lengths necessary."
Ginny's voice coming from the girls' stairs silenced the three boy's conversations. "What do you mean you won't excuse detentions?"
"If you would do as you're supposed to, you wouldn't earn any!" Hermione countered.
Rebecca trailed behind them, her eyes downwards to avoid meeting any of the stares directed at her. Harry pushed past Fred, George, and the now-being-filled-in Ron to get to her first. "Are you okay? I just heard about last night, why didn't anyone get me?"
"Yeah!" Ron echoed. "What's up with that? Giving someone a beating warrants a fetching!"
Fred and Hermione swapped places, Hermione telling off the two fifth years off for being so demanding. Fred kissed the side of Rebecca's head. "Ready for the day?"
Rebecca glanced at him carefully, not wanting to step into a trap to talk about the night before. It seemed like Fred wasn't going to bring it up, and she was thankful. "Yes, I am."
Hermione's attention was caught by a colourful piece of paper on the wall by the portrait hole as the group made their way to breakfast. She grabbed it and crumpled it up, shoving it in her bag. "No, no, no! This is absolutely not allowed!"
George grinned and looked over his shoulder at her. "What isn't?" He and Fred had stuck posters they and Rebecca had worked on back in Grimmauld early that morning, posters asking for first years who were looking to make a bit of coin by sampling their candies.
"Experimenting on students!" Hermione said, launching into a thrashing Molly would be proud of.
Fred glanced at Rebecca and shrugged laughing down the stairs and glad to see Rebecca's eyes lightening at their scolding. He and George had known that Hermione would see that one, knew that she would take it down and admonish them.
George cursed Fred's explanation. "She's going to want things to feel like normal--Hermione scolding us is the very definition of normal!" George hated when Fred was right.
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Angelina sat down next to George excitedly before breakfast finished. "I have the date!"
"Just one? What, I'm not worth a second?" George asked cheekily.
Angelina ignored him and looked over Harry and Rebecca's faces. "You two not sleep well? You look horrid."
"Thanks, Angelina." Harry intoned. "The date?"
"Friday!" Angelina wasn't even bothered by Harry's tone, she was too keyed up to be. "Wood left captain to me and I managed to snag the first pitch spot. You'll all be there, on time?"
Fred stared at her, pretending that he didn't know that the 'on-time' insinuation wasn't directed entirely at Rebecca. "We have to tryout this year?"
Angelina sighed and glanced at the stagg's table before answering quietly. "Special request from a certain new professor--all members have to tryout. Don't worry though." Angelina stood up and backed away. "Show up on time though, to set an example!"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Guess I'll be there. Team needs a new alternate Chaser with the last chump gone."
"Chump?" Ron asked. "You're just mad there isn't an opening."
Ginny narrowed her eyes at Ron. "Oh yeah? So you're not going out for keeper then?"
Ron shrugged. "Well, yeah I am. But it's different."
Harry leaned closer to Rebecca as Ginny and Ron began to go at one another. "Did you? Sleep alright that is?"
Rebecca looked at him and turned her face into a mask, knowing what he was really asking. "Fine. You?"
Harry nodded and turned back to his breakfast. He wasn't the only one who ever had to be honest and he was done being the only one to try. "Fine."
When breakfast was through, Fred grabbed Rebecca's bag before she could and held it up above his head before swinging it over his shoulder. "I've got Charms first and Transfiguration is right on the way." Fred slipped his hand into hers and she took it. "Ready for fifth year? O.W.L.s this year and all."
Rebecca shrugged and grunted non-committedly. Fred slowed down and nodded the others ahead.
"Love," He took a breath, trying to figure out what to say. "Something's off."
"Fred..." Rebecca shook her head, looking away from him. "I'm just tired, okay?"
Fred bit his lip and leaned his head down so that he was in her sight. "That's okay too--Just know that you can talk to me if you need to."
Rebecca nodded and took a step back towards where the others congregated at the end of the hall. "You don't want to be late either, not with N.E.W.T. preparation starting this year." Fred pecked her cheek before he and George left for their own classes.
"Well?" George asked the second they turned the corner. "Did she say anything?"
"She said she's fine, didn't sleep well." There was an undertone to Fred's voice that made George look at him.
"Was she lying?"
Fred was quiet a long moment. "I don't know."
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"Bloody hell." Ron whispered as McGonagall finished their class with a list of their homework assignments.
"I assure you, Mr Weasley, this is not 'bloody hell.'" McGonagall turned away from the board where her chalk was writing out the chapters they were to read. "This is the year of your O.W.L.s. The year of the exams that decide what classes you can take in preparation for your N.E.W.Ts in your seventh year that then decide the course of your future!"
Ron looked down, sheepish.
"While on the topic," McGonagall lightened her tone minimally, but enough. "You will all be taking part in career advising sessions throughout the term. Now, as I was explaining previously, you will be reading..."
Rebecca dutifully copied down the assignment, finding that every class after had just as much if not more. By the time they were ready to get to their last class of the day--Defense Against the Dark Arts--the fifth years were well-acquainted with the word 'homework.'
"Ready for Defense?" Hermione asked, falling into step next to Rebecca in the hall. Their friend's silence all morning had been concerning. "At least we're not starting the year with Potions, right?"
"Yeah, right." Rebecca answered hollowly. She had a knot growing in her stomach as they grew closer and closer to the Defense classroom. Something told her the day would not end any better than the one before.
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