The Hellish Life of Helia Potter

“The Mirror of Erised.” Ron read.

Helia tensed at the mention of the blasted mirror that still to this day haunts her days and nights.

Hermione leaned into her friend’s space, giving her no warning as she manhandled Helia into cuddling with her, something Hermione often did after the mirror. She found it better to give Helia no warning, so she wouldn’t talk herself out of the contact she clearly needs.

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. These days always made her ache for the past, of warm chocolate and even warmer hazel eyes watching over her. The lake froze solid, and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.

The Golden Trio blinked at each other, Helia broke first as a snort escaped her throat.

“Helia!” Hermione scolded through her giggles, as Ron was nearly breathless from laughter.

“I can’t help it.” Helia chuckled, “I mean the look that must’ve been on his face, priceless.”

The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

“I remember that Helia had to carry Hedwig for two days, because Hedwig would’ve let anyone else touch her when she was sick.” Ron said, shivering. “The bloody bird nearly took off my finger when I got too close.”

“I warned you Hedwig was in a bad mood.” Helia grumbled.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy, and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons. 

"I do feel so sorry," said Pansy Parkinson, one potion class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home. "

“That fucking bitch.” Susan cursed uncharacteristically. “Let’s see if her pug-face will say that to my face, I think a good punch to her nose will cure her shit behaviour problem real quick.”

Theo’s teeth clenched at Pansy’s running mouth, while most of the Slytherin’s in their year had a soft spot of the Parkinson heiress doesn’t mean they were blind that she was a brat that couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She spent way too much time hanging off Draco that his bad habits rubbed off on her, but it wasn’t a surprise that she imitated her first friend as a means of protecting herself.

Not to mention before sending his daughter off to Hogwarts Lord Parkinson warned —Threatened— that if she brought shame to their house he would have no problem with causing her mother to have a miscarriage, after all what did he need another daughter for when girls were good for nothing but breeding purposes.

Thankfully little Phacelia Parkinson was born into this world healthy, but Lady Merralina Parkinson (née Snyde) passed away from the strain of having an abusive husband, leaving Pansy and Phacelia without their mother and the monster they sadly called their father. Last time he talked to Pansy, she said her father had a nanny and house-elves raising Phacelia when she was away at Hogwarts while he slept around with his two Mistresses in hopes for an heir.

She was looking over at Helia as she spoke. Sally-Anne Perks and Lily Moon titter behind their dainty hands, like the Ladies from Aunt Petunia’s garden club. All light tinkling laughs that hide the smile that show their teeth and the hatred and scorn in their eyes.  

Blaise breathed sharply through his nose, that was an understatement if he ever heard one. With his mother being who she is, he’d grown up surrounded by ladies like that, beautiful faces that spew poison barbs disguised, so sweetly you couldn’t do anything but bare the burn. It was learn to bite back or die a slow death in ladies high society, he didn’t blame his mother for turning out the way she had when she was forced to bare with everyone trying to take a bite out of her after his father’s ‘unfortunate’ demise.

Helia, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored the barbs with ease. Once she had her potion in the correct stage that she take her eyes off it for a second, she turned to Hermione with a smile that was a touch too wild and sharp to pass as harmless and non-threatening like the garden club socialists. “Mione, while that is very sad, I do think I feel even more pity for those poor families who have to put up with spoiled brats that can’t seem to keep their mouths shut.”

James turned to his daughter with a gaping mouth, in shock. “Merlin Balls, you sound just like Yai-Yai Aglaia, I mean that is the exact same ruthless shit she would say to shut down anyone who tried to oppose her.” James shuddered as he remembered his yai-yai’s smack downs he’s witnessed and sadly been a victim of. “Just add in some Greek swearing and cursing your victims to the depths of Tartarus, and you’re a mini yai-yai.”

Helia grinned crookedly. “Really? But you said she was a Lady, I didn’t think that someone who grew up in high society would be like me. I mean, I am a bit—

“Feral.” Ron cut in, with a serious look on his freckled face.

“No! Well yes, kind of in a way I guess.” Helia grumbled, forgetting that Feral meant something different to everyone here.

James barked out a laugh at the thought of his Yai-Yai being raised in high society. “Oh Merlin, that’s hilarious. Yai-Yai married into aristocracy after Pappoús tried to five years to even get to the point to court her, and then another four years of courting. Even then Yai-Yai’s family hated Pappoús thought he wasn’t good enough for her which Yai-Yai didn’t give two shits about. She was the type of woman when she chose someone as her family, she would burn anyone who dared insult them.”

Hermione laughed, shooting a fond glance at her best friend. “Yeah, that sounds like someone we know.”

“Why did her family not like him?” Helia asked, not quite sure or ready to call them her Great Grandparents yet.

James crossed his arms over his chest, trying to think of the best way to explain his Yai-Yai’s family. “Yai-Yai came from a very secluded warrior tribe in Greece that kept to themselves for centuries, wanting nothing to do with Greece’s or any countries Wizarding communities. The Lykaios declared themselves an enemy of Greece’s after they were betrayed by the aristocratic families of Greece, who thought of them nothing but the beast their ancestors originated from. So they plotted a coup to erase the Lykaios Tribe from power over half the Tribe was killed, some were carted off to never be seen from again what was left barricaded themselves on the island Agistri.”

Hermione raised an eyebrow, “Agistri Island is a tourist spot, over a hundred thousand of Muggles must have visited it.”

“Ah! Muggles visited.” James pointed out, with a sly grin. “There’s a barrier on the island that doesn’t allow outsider of the tribe of the Wizarding kind on the island. Even after Yai-Yai and Pappoús married he wasn’t allowed on the island, something about his magic not resonating with the tribe’s magical signature.”

“Did you ever visit?” Helia asked.”

James shook his head. “Nah. Yai-Yai didn’t get along with her tribe after the marriage she never stepped foot on the island again, not because she was exiled or anything but her family said since their gods didn’t allow her intended to step on their soil he was an unworthy match. With Yai-Yai being Yai-Yai she declared herself untitled and swore never to set foot on her homeland again when they tried to disavow their marriage.” James explain. “Mom visited once, but she declared them all nut jobs when they tried to get her to swear a magical oath to stay on the island and marry one of the tribes man, she literally had to fight her way off of the island, she never visited again.”

“That’s good to know.” Helia blinked. She’d probably do the exact same thing as her grandma if she was faced with a forced marriage, but she’d probably be a lot more violent, she was never one to like being caged. She wouldn’t cage herself for anyone not even family.

Bill’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “That your Grandfather’s magic wouldn’t allow him to enter the island, would suggest after marriage to a native their partner would then be taken in as a part of the tribe.”

“Yeah, with Magical marriage ceremonies the couple’s magic is bound together, and that is what would allow outsiders to step onto the island. However, Pappoús was magical crippled when he was born his mother suffered from postpartum depression after giving birth she was in an unhappy marriage to a man who took many mistresses with little care to his wife.” James grimaced, remembering his Pappoús anger and sadness over his family wrongdoings. “His mother’s magical lashed out one day when she was trying to calm Pappoús down when he was a newborn, the magic had lasting effects to Pappoús’s magical core. Mind you, not to the point of him being a squib, but he was the laughingstock of his family for barely being able to cast without chronic pain.”

“That’s extremely rare for a mother’s magical to harm her own child, even in a distressed state.” Bill stated, baffled. “She would have to have extreme hatred for the child for her magical to unconditionally harm the baby.”

“Yeah, my Pappoús figured that out the hard way.” James scoffed, “Pappoús became a blacksmith mostly cauldrons, but he also did magical weapon also, he apprenticed under the Dwarven masters of Greece. It’s how he meet Yai-Yai she commissioned a weapon from him.”

Hermione gaped at her, feeling the vindictive crackle of Helia’s Magic. Helia slid her hard emerald gaze to Pansy, who turned a blotchy maroon colour in her embarrassment and anger. “Yes, truly a pity when one doesn’t know when to stop yapping, dogs are trained to cease such unsightly behaviour. You know Pansy I’m sure I could owl your family some nice pamphlets, I mean it’ll benefit you as well a nice doggy dish, leash and a muzzle to stop your constant yapping.”

“Fuck Pup, you’re a vicious little thing.” Sirius chuckled, Remus slapped him upside the head.

“Sirius don’t encourage her.”

“Oh come on Remus it’s too late to curb her behaviour she’s fifteen, she doesn’t need someone who didn’t raise her or wasn’t around her growing up to criticize her every word and action.” Sirius rolled his silver eyes at his friend.

“That doesn’t mean you let a child do whatever they want, Sirius.” Mrs. Weasley interjected. “Helia is usually so polite, but that doesn’t excuse delinquency.”

Helia tensed at her words being classified as delinquency, her Aunt and Uncle would always tell anyone who would ask about her that she was a mentally challenged delinquent that was forced upon them. She hated when their friends would praise them for ‘taking in’ a troubled youth, and how difficult it must be for them to sacrifice their precious time.

“Mum!” Ron yelled, rounding onto his mother.

“It’s okay, Ron. I got this.” Sirius reassured, his goddaughter’s friend. “First, Helia was defending herself she got the girl to shut her mouth without violence, which we all know she is very capable of even when she was younger. Second, delinquency? How is Helia a delinquent? Sure she has a knack at getting into trouble, but what kid doesn’t your boy is right there with her is he a delinquent? What about the Twins, are they?”

Mrs. Weasley opened and closed her mouth in shock, “Now see here? I have a right to scolded my own kids—

“Your kids! Wow, you really are a piece of work, you don’t even try to deny you think your kids are delinquents for doing what they love or in defence of what they believe!” Sirius scoffed, his lips curling into a snarl, reminding Helia of Sirius and Mrs. Weasley’s fight when she arrived at number twelve Grimmauld Place. “But you’re not Helia’s parent!”

“I’m as good as, unlike you who got themselves thrown in Azkaban for thirteen years!” Mrs. Weasley yelled, only to flinch when a loud bang rang in through the room.

Lily Potter glared at Mrs. Weasley with hard emerald eyes, “You think yourself as Helia’s mother, do you? You have some nerve to say that in front of James and me, more importantly, Helia herself! I don’t know all the facts of how Sirius was incarcerated, but I would never doubt his love for Helia he’s her blood adoptive father on top of being her godfather, there is no one else I would trust to put her best interest forward first!”

“He didn’t have her best interest when he got himself thrown in Azkaban, now did he? Arthur, back me up here!”

Mr. Weasley didn’t answer straight away as he whipped his glasses on his shirt nervously. “Molly dear—

“Don’t try to act as if you know what happened that night.” Remus growled, gold shining through his hazel eyes. “His best friends were just murdered, he didn’t know who he could trust, so he handed over Helia to Hagrid believing he was doing the right thing because he had to confront his friend to learn why he would betray us. It wasn’t his fault he was framed, and it doesn’t help when you try to undermine him when it comes to Helia!”

“Molly were grateful you care about our daughter, but gratefulness only goes so far, and it especially doesn’t give you rights to act as Helia’s guardian over her rightful guardian. If Sirius can’t step up or is blocked from being, so than the next step would be emancipation, as we instructed the goblins personally what to do if the situation would ever escalate to the need.” James divulged with a dark look on his face. “I do hope you don’t cause a wedge between my daughter and her godfather, I think they both deserve to have someone they love after all they have been through.”

The Three Slytherin girls gawked at her pale and trembling, Helia just smiled teeth bared to the world like he taught her—if they want to mess with her, they’ve best be prepared to get bitten in return—

Helia was left alone, to peacefully finish her Wiggenweld Potion without the snide yapping grating on her ears.  After handing her potion in to Snape, who scowled and barked at her to hurry off to her next class before he took points for loitering around when he didn’t find any faults in her brewing or finished product.

“If you can’t dock points for a potions mistake, you’re going to dock points for her waiting on you to review her potion that you insist doing with every potion? How does that make sense?” Ginny demanded.

Snape glared at the youngest Weasley, until she huffed, looking away from his dark gaze.

She left the potion’s classroom —she didn’t even bother to argue with Snape that she had lunch next— as she walked down the classroom to catch up with Mione and Ron before they started fighting, though the fighting was less and less as they grew used to each other, when Malfoy called out to her.

She thought for a second if she should ignore him, he’s been in an unpleasant mood ever since the Quidditch match when he tried to make fun of her for catching the snitch with her mouth. But surprisingly, Flint stepped in before she could tell him off,

“You mean to tell me Marcus Flint, the boy who once put a player in the hospital wing with a fractured skull, three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, along with a snapped broomstick on top of that defended you from Malfoy.” Charlie deadpanned, Flint had been one of the most ruthless players he’s played against when he was in school.

Helia shrugged, she didn’t know what to say. She knew Marcus had his faults, but she also knew he was the way he was out of necessity he was surviving in the only way he knew how, just as she was. What right did she have to judge him, she didn’t have to agree with him all the time to care for him. “It’s like I said mutual benefits, he defends me because he wants something, and before you say anything it’s nothing nefarious.”

claiming that anything goes in Quidditch and while he might have kicked up a fuss he knew when to drop it as well.

She didn’t know what the older boy was trying to do with stepping up to defend her, if it was a trap or if he was trying to get her in his dept or something, but she was weary of whatever it was.

Theo’s lips twitched, “Marcus doesn’t work like that, if he wanted you in his dept he’d be a considerably more suave and well-spoken in his way of approaching you.”

Helia snorted, “Mmh, I agree now that I know him, however little eleven year-old Helia didn’t really know what to do with Marcus’s rough blundering attempts of interaction.”

“How do you know it wasn’t a trap?” Susan asked, she was still weary of the older ex-Slytherin hanging around Helia not that he stuck around when they were near Helia. He was always in the background ready to catch a stolen minute of Helia’s time, if Helia hadn’t laughed in her face she’d expect Flint was looking to get with her friend.

Helia and Theo faces said it should be oblivious to the Hufflepuff why it wasn’t a trap. “Marcus is the type to bludgeon you in a fist fight. He’s not one to set a trap and lie and wait.” Theo denied, his cousin just didn’t have the patience for it.

“But like you said, Helia you didn’t know that!” Susan pointed out.

“The book said I was weary of him.” Helia defended herself, much to the exasperation of her friends.

Flint just growled at her when she demanded to know what he wanted, then he stomped away grumbling about tiny first years not knowing when to keep her mouth shut and acting too big for her body,

Fred and George burst out laughing.

“Oh man, Flint knew you from one Quidditch match, and he has you pegged.” George chuckled.

“Maybe he’s got big brother syndrome, I mean Helia-Flower is cute as a button even when she’s ripping people a new one.” Fred laughed.

whatever he meant by that.

“So you really are staying over Christmas break, then.” Draco drawled, his silver eyes observing her reaction like a hawk. 

Helia put on a disinterested look on her face, nodding.

“Why?” Malfoy asked, or demanded, really.

Daphne scrunched up her nose, turning to her housemate. “Why do you care? There’s no benefit to you knowing the reason, so what do you really want?”

Draco shrugged, feigning indifference. “The Girl-Who-Lived literally almost fought to be the first in line to stay behind at Hogwarts for the holiday, it wasn’t too hard to smell something was brewing that she didn’t want anyone to know.”

Daphne tilted her head, with an unimpressed look on her face. “Curiosity? That’s what you’re saying? You were curious?”

“Why do you care, Malfoy?”

Draco smirked at her evasion, shrugging. “Call it curiosity.”

“Call it none of your business.” Helia shot back, holding back the snarl.

“But Helia-flower could he? When he finds you ever so fascinating, the poor lad just can’t help himself.” Fred teased the Malfoy heir.

“Ah yes, the poor chap. He really ought to take some courting lessons or something, because brother he ain’t got game I tell you.” George tutted at Malfoy.

“Say it louder for the people in the back, my brother!” Fred called out.

“Why you weasels— Draco growled, pulling against Theo’s hold on him. Now was not the time for Draco to kill the Weasley Twins, knowing them, they’d just enjoy the attempt.

Malfoy hummed, as he rolled his eyes at her as he walked pass her heading done the corridor, calling over his shoulder as he went. “You shouldn’t be so obvious, Potter. The reason Pansy was able to sniff out you not going home was because you broadcast a desperate want to stay at Hogwarts, you aren’t as good at hiding your cards as you think you are, Potter.”

Luna giggled. “The only reason anyone knows anything about Heli, is because she allows it. Very seldom does she say or do something without thinking of the consequences of the action.”

Hermione nodded. “Luna’s right. Helia has made it very clear she and the Dursleys don’t get along, she may not have been for coming with details as we may have liked, but everyone who knew her was well aware of the fact.”

“Not that anyone bothered to listen.” Helia scoffed. “It’s too much of a convenience, just ship me off to Private Drive for the summer and only pull me back out when you need me.”

Dumbledore sighed. “Helia, they’re your only living family—

Lily cut him off, “One, they’re no family to us or did your old age affect you’re hearing they’re disowned by the Noble house of Potter. Two, we told you our daughter was never to go to them, there was a long list of people who were willing and able to take care of Helia in our stead. Your own Deputy Head Mistress was one such person.”

McGonagall’s lips pursed. “I regret I was not able to, as I was denied rights to guardianship, as it would reflect unfairly on other students if I was Miss. Potter’s guardian.”

Lily scoffed. “That’s ridiculous, that’s like saying a teacher shouldn’t have children of their own.”

Helia snorted at Malfoy swagging away.

 It was true that Helia wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Helia had signed up at once.

“More like you sprinted across the Great Hall in a flash, I don’t even think she moved that fast running from Flitch or Fluffy, and that’s saying something.” Ron scoffed.

“I thought she was going to run down poor April Runcorn when she got in her way.” Fred nodded.

“Yeah the little Hufflepuff squeaked like a mouse and froze in place, if it weren’t for her housemate she would’ve been trodden on like one too.” George recalled.

McGonagall closed her eyes as if in pain, she should’ve known something was wrong. It seems like she did everything wrong with Miss. Potter.

She didn't feel sorry for herself at all; not like everyone thought she should be this would probably be the best Christmas she'd ever had.

“Seeing how it was the first Christmas I spent with people who didn’t hate my gut and locked me up in my closet, the bar was set pretty low.” Helia admitted, shrugging.

Sirius winced at her candid portray of her childhood with the Dursleys, “I know what you mean, Pup.” Sirius nodded, throwing an arm around James’s shoulder. “I spent all my Christmas’s at Hogwarts before this one here dragged my sorry ass to his place.”

“Couldn’t very well let him leave after giving him to Mum as a surprise Christmas gift, poor form that would be.” James joked, ruffling Sirius’s curls, drawing a familiar squawk from his best mate.

Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie.

Mr. Weasley looked at Ron in confusion, “Ron, are you sure this book is right? We didn’t visit Charlie in Romania that year.”

“Yeah, I visited home because Ginny was lonely without her brothers, who suddenly all decided they weren’t coming home.” Charlie recalled. “Side’s Mum swore she would never step foot in Romania again after the Twins tried to convince an Antipodean Opaleye Ginny was one of her hatchlings. It took seven dragon keepers to calm the mother dragon down.”

Ginny scoffed, glaring at the twins still sour over that incident, “While no amount of taming could calm down our very own mother dragon.”

“Ginevra Weasley!” Mrs. Weasley scolded.

“We all know it’s true, Mum. No sense in arguing.”

Mrs. Weasley’s glare to her daughter that they would be talking about it later before turning to Ron. “Yes, Percy wrote to us asking for all their school appropriate presents to be sent to him, so he could hold onto the until Christmas morning as they would not be returning home for Christmas that year. Remember Ron? You composed a note asking for some extra presents for Helia.”

Helia stared at the Weasley brothers in shock, her lip wobble for a second before she viciously bit it into submission. “You…bastards! You lied to me!”

The Weasley brothers didn’t look shocked at her cursing them out, used to Helia’s ways.

“Come on, Helia, when our little brother comes to us saying he’s staying behind because he didn’t want you to be alone.” Fred said.

“We weren’t going to deny him, after all Ron practically adopted you the first time he saw you, Christmastime is for family and friends after all.” George continued. “Even sourpuss Percy agreed to stay behind, our brother may be a tin man, but once in a while his heart shows.”

“It would’ve been remiss to deny the request.” Percy grumbled, crossing his arms at his brother’s teasing. “Ron promised to be on his best behaviour, I didn’t see a reason to not propose the request to Mum and Dad.”

Ron looked at his estranged older brother blankly. “I was willing to stay behind myself, you’re the one who suggested dragging the twins into it. You wrote a three paged letter to our parents listing all the reasons why it was beneficial for us to stay.”

Percy huffed, looking away from his family, red in the face. Helia sighed at her friend’s older brother, who she used to call a friend as well. When was Percy going to learn brains are well and all, but it does not give you happiness and happiness is the best thing in the world.

Sides Malfoy wasn’t as clever, as he thought he was, he was right she didn’t hide how much she didn’t want to be around the Dursleys, but that what she showed no one knew the deeper reason why she didn’t want to be around her relatives no one knew the severity of how they treated her. So no Malfoy wasn’t as clever, he still only saw what she wanted him to.  

Luna shot Draco a look that said i-told-you-so.

That’s when she heard the familiar sound of Ron cursing words he would never say around his mother. Rushing ahead she came upon the sight of a large fir tree block the corridor and from the two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told her that Hagrid was behind it.

And there was her two friends and Malfoy, Hermione was trying to hold a furious Ron back from diving at Malfoy. 

“I know people complain about Helia going looking for trouble, but Malfoy here actively causes it.” Padma sighed.

“I do not.” Draco argued.

“Malfoy, you literally walked down the corridor and twenty seconds later you’re causing a fight.” Padma chastised.

“Ron, Mione!”

“Helia, help me before Ron gets a teacher called on us!” Hermione called, struggling to hold Ron back.

“My, my Potter, your little sidekicks so nosy. I guess you wouldn’t even classify for the gamekeeper job Weasley. Not with that temper.” Malfoy coldly drawled, a smirk pulling on his lips —he was giving her whiplash with his hot and cold behaviour—

Percy’s brown eyes narrowed behind his spectacles at Draco, “I would mind your attitude, Malfoy. It wouldn’t kill you to show common courtesy.”

Draco’s eyebrow twitched at Percy’s hostile words, he had to bite his tongue, so the automatic biting remark didn’t slip pass his lips. “I am sorry, it wasn’t fair of me to mock your family situation, nor was it right for me to instigate you wouldn’t of amounted for the gamekeeper position.”

Ron stared at Malfoy, slowly nodding, even though he was sure the ferret somehow slipped in a hidden insult without him noticing.

Ron dived at Malfoy again, Helia rushed to help Hermione when the hair on the back of her neck stood on its end, her magic warned her in loud crackle and rumbles.

“You have a fine-tuned magical sense, Potter.” Moody observed, his magical eye flickering across her from giving her the impression he was looking at something much deeper than her appearance.

“It’s peculiar that it warns you with your element affinity, though.” Kingsley hummed, rubbing his chin. “I’ve never heard of that before, is the warning only heard by you or can anyone hear it?”

Helia blinked at the Auror, “Uhmm it can be both sort of, mostly only I can hear it. Sometimes it’s loud other times it’s a feeling a prickling down my neck or being shocked, really depends on the situation.”

Low and behold, who comes up the stair, but Snape himself.

"WEASLEY!"

Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.

“Mr. Weasley, violence is never the answer,” McGonagall scolded.

Ron stared disbelieving at his head of house. “You heard what he said, but you’re scolding me?!”

“I did indeed hear, and it was unacceptable behaviour, but as we aren’t taking point for past behaviour or action, I don’t know what you expect Mr. Weasley.” McGonagall stern eyes watched her lion.

Ron scoffed, what did he expect from her. Merlin, and the professors wonder why they don’t ask for help.

Helia and Hermione pull him back, so he was squished between the two of them as the three of them stare up at the looming potions master.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family. "

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you. "

“So students can go around insulting anyone they like? Just as long as it doesn’t escalate to violence?” Tonks demanded, stepping up for Ron when she saw that McGonagall wasn’t going to.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Miss. Tonks.” Snape sneered at his ex-student.

“That’s Auror Tonk, Snape.” Tonks snapped, her hair flickering fire red. “I was just wondering what was Hogwarts staff policy on unfair favouritism. I mean, where is the points docked for Draco insulting Ron, you did take points didn’t you, Professor?”

“As I wasn’t there to hear the alleged insults, I couldn’t just take the word of a student trying to fight Mr. Malfoy.” Snape said, disdainfully.

“Your colleague Hagrid told you what happen, or do you not trust your colleague Snape.” Tonks sneered back at the potions master, “Seems unfair to any student that isn’t in your precious Slytherin.”

Snape stared at her with a frown on his face. Tonks, clearly decided that the potions master wasn’t going to give her an answer she was going to be satisfied with, so she dismissed him from her interrogation.

Malfoy, pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.

"I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him--" 

“And his little dog too.” Hermione joked.

Ron gaped at Hermione as she and Helia burst into a fit of giggles, Draco stared at them in confusion.

“What are you talking about Granger? I don’t have a dog.” Draco stated, confused when the girls burst into more giggles.

Ron pinched his nose, sighing at his best friends. “Firstly that ain’t going to work because as Malfoy said he doesn’t even have a dog, that joke doesn’t work with an eagle owl does it! Second, green does nothing for me, I’m more of a blue guy, goes with my eyes and complexion.”

“That’s your problem with that?” Draco asked.

“Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat. "

So the three of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations. 

"Ah, Hagrid, the last tree -- put it in the far corner, would you?"

The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

“Christmastime at Hogwarts is so beautiful.” Astoria smiled, turning to her older sister excitedly. “Daphne, do you think we could stay at Hogwarts for Christmas this year?”

Daphne rolled her eyes fondly. “I don’t see why not.” She agreed, ruffling her younger sister’s brown hair.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.

"Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me -- Helia, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library. "

“The library!” Shouted the Twins.

“Not that I’m discouraging you, and I’m not really the library is great.” Remus reassured the Golden Trio. “But I taught the three of you, and I know for a fact one of you had to be dragged by the back of his robes before you could get him to go willingly.”

“Hey! That may or may not be true.” Ron said. “But I don’t put up half the fuss when it’s important.”

“And what could be so important?” Madam Bones asked, raising a blonde eyebrow.

“Finding out who Nicolas Flamel is, of course.” Ron said, much to the horror of the adults.

"Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.

“The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

"Oh, we're not working," Helia told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is. "

George nodded, sagely. “That is an acceptable reason to breech the dragon lady’s domain.”

“Yeah, for a second we thought our little brother was going to the dark side.” Fred sighed in fake relief, holding his chest as if he was going to have a heart attack.

“There’s nothing wrong with Madam Pince, she’s just protective of the books because troublemakers like to mess with them.” Percy rolled his eyes at his younger twin brothers.

"You what ?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here -- I've told yeh -- drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'. "

"Too late Hagrid." Remus sighed.

“Yeah, I don’t know why he tried, doesn’t he remember anything about us from our school years.” James grinned.

“There was hope she’d take after Lily, okay!”

"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.

"Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Helia added.

“Should’ve just told us, probably would’ve stopped like a quarter of schemes.” Helia sighed, with a lazy grin on her face. “But I guess that would just take the fun out of it.”

“It most definitely would’ve cleared up our timetable quite a bit.” Hermione agreed.

Draco looked between the two Gryffindor girls, who everyone praised as the embodiment of their house traits. Here they were complaining that they weren’t given the information that was so top secret only  Hogwarts staff was informed of it. “Do you really think they would just give you the information?”

Helia turned to Draco with a cool smile on her beautiful face, push a wayward lock of raven hair behind her ear. “How about by the end of this chapter, you tell me why I shouldn’t think that way.”

Draco’s eyebrows furrowed at that cryptic answer, he watched her cool emerald eyes glance of the where Dumbledore was sitting.

"We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere -- just give us a hint -- I know I've read his name somewhere. " 

Helia facepalmed. “I am so stupid, I can’t believe it was on that stupid thing all along.” Helia grumbled, still swore from not noticing earlier.

“Tell me about it. All those books, I swear the weirdest piece of information from those books snuck into my homework.” Ron swore. “Thank Merlin for Mione or else Professor Sinistra would’ve gotten an essay why flubberworms reproduction helps predict Meteor showers.”

“I saw that essay in study hall, it’s the reason why Parvati and I started the homework meeting for Astronomy.” Padma divulged, seriously.

“I was sleep-deprived and hungry, okay!”

"I'm sayin' nothin', said Hagrid flatly.

 "Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.

“I swear to the Witch of Endor! The three of you are the most stubborn kids I have ever met!” Madam Bones exclaimed shock everyone that the woman could lose her cool.

“There is a saying, Madam Bones.” Helia said. “Compromise where you can, where you can’t, don’t. So when everyone is telling us we are wrong that there is nothing to worry they have it covered, when you know they don’t, what do you do? Do you let the danger happen or do you have a duty to look that danger in the eye and say no you move.”

They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal?

“I will say this again, I do not want the stone.” Snape pronounced heatedly.

“It’s not our fault you act suspiciously.”

The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time ; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry.

Hermione pulled at her hair in frustration, “Looking back on it, there’s no way that he’d be in any of those books.”

Bill de tangled her fingers from her hair, gently. “It’s okay, you only had a name to go off of, there’s nothing wrong with how you guys are searching.”

“I should’ve known.” Hermione moaned.

“Hermione, we don’t know, what we don’t know.” Bill comforted. “Sometimes we don’t even know the questions we need to ask in order to find out, but when we learn one tiny little thing…a dim light comes on in a dark hallway, and suddenly you found a new path has opened to find the answer.”

And then, of course, there was the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.

Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random.

Helia wandered over to the Restricted Section.

“Oh Hecate, if that wasn’t a summary of how the Golden Trio works, I don’t know what would.” Ginny laughed.

“What do you mean, Ginny?” Astoria asked curiously.

Ginny blushed, clearing her throat under the attention of the delicate Greengrass sister. “Hermione is methodical and organized, so she has a list of the books she looking for, Ron is like okay fuck this I’m winging it like he usually does with his test. And then Helia’s there looking for away to get away with doing something against the rules.”

Astoria blinked in confusion, “You think that’s what depicts them?”

Ginny nods. “With two sentences, to a tee.”

The Golden Trio had nothing to say, what can you say to the facts after all.

She had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there.

“Potter, the Restricted Section is just that. Restricted." McGonagall said with a frown.

Helia just looked at her head of house innocently. Naturally, she didn't buy it for a moment.

 Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and she knew she'd never get one.

“I’m actually kind of shocked that think you’d never got one.” Neville commented.

Ron scoffed, “Neville, I think we both know Helia doesn’t need a permission slip.”

“Mr. Weasley, I can assure you that Miss. Potter would never be allowed to step foot in the restricted section without a note sighed by a teacher, the rules are clear and there for a reason.” McGonagall sternly warned.

The Golden Trio shared a look, Circe, was their Head of House in of a shock when she heard of all the ways they cheated the rules on the restricted section —not to mention all the other hundreds of rules they broke over the years— Hermione still holds that she got a sighed permission slip before Helia over their heads, even though Helia got to enter the section of library first. Helia still won’t tell Ron how she wrote the runes for disguising the permission slip as something else, which was so not fair.

These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"What are you looking for, girl?" 

Helia winced slightly at the word 'girl'. That word would always hold bad memories, she would never like hearing that word. Sirius frowned at her in concern, but didn't say anything, instead he simply wrapped an arm around his goddaughter.

Helia flinched at being called girl, she hadn’t heard that since she left the Dursleys. “You see Madam Pince, I’ve been having trouble finding information on a wizard and can’t find him in any of the history books of famous wizards of our era could you perhaps recommend some books on history of famous wizards?” She coyly asked, without naming who she was looking for.

“That’s a good plan since you can’t name who you were looking for without raising suspicion, she could at least give a direction to look in.” Lily nodded, following along with her daughter’s thought process.

Madam Pince narrowed her beady eyes at her, “What books did you already read, girl.” She demanded, looking down her hooked nose at her. 

Helia held back a wince, before rattling off books they’ve already read through. 

“Seems like your subject isn’t in book about recent wizards, try the books depicting wizards farther back like 6^th century or so forth.” Madam Pince recommend, grudgingly.

“Seems like your strategy went perfectly, Potter.” Blaise complimented, “At least you can now eliminate some possibilities.”

Helia laughed, “Yes, though we found it after a little help from Neville and Draco.”

Both boys looked at Helia in confusion, wondering when they had helped with her search for Flamel.

“Thank you, Madam Pince, that is very helpful.” Helia thanked the librarian, as she turned to head out, no need to have Madam Pince watching over her should best wait for another day.

“That’s a good idea she’ll be looking out for you, now that you drew attention to yourself, best to wait till the heats off you.” James nodded.

“Yeah, if I didn’t find what I was looking for, then she would ask me more questions about who I was searching for, and we couldn’t risk it.” Helia agreed.

“Who did you say you were looking for again?” Madam Pince called after her, but Helia just closed the door escaping from the question. She, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape or whoever wanted that grubby little package hearing what they were up to.

Snape opened his mouth, but Helia interrupted him. “Hey, it said whoever, be happy we’re giving the benefit of doubt.”

“It’s smart that you’re being cautious, never know when someone could be listening in.” Blaise commended.

“We couldn’t trust any of the professors not to tell anyone that students were investigating Nicholas Flamel, it would draw the suspects’ attention to us, which we were trying to avoid.” Helia explained.

“At least at the time.” Ron nodded.

The adults looked aghast that they would want the thief’s attention on themselves.

Helia waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but she wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lessons, it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.

“Good luck on that, she barely leaves the library, no way to get in without her noticing.” Remus said, shaking his head.

“Luckily, I received a gift to help that Christmas.” Helia grinned, James perked up, having a feeling what she was hinting at. 

Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything. "

"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is,"

said Ron. "It'd be safe to ask them. "

"Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione.

“They’re very content with knowing as little as possible about their daughter’s odd boarding school, they were satisfied with grades I bring home, so I won’t embarrass them to their colleagues.” Hermione frowned, remembering how she showed up ready to tell her parents all about Hogwarts, magic and Helia her very first friend. Only for her cold parents to jet them all off to a conference in New York, leaving their heartbroken daughter alone in the penthouse on Christmas afraid their abnormal daughter would hurt their reputation. “Not like their colleagues even know where I go to school, they just think it’s some rich boarding school my parents shipped me off to.”

Bill turned to Hermione with a concerned look in his blue eyes. “Do they really not care about your schooling, do they not ask about all the things you guys get into over the years.”

Hermione smiled sadly at the eldest Weasley brother, “We don’t have contact when I’m at Hogwarts, mother throws a fit every time an owl even so much as knocks on our windows. Helia has to send Hedwig to me, so we can talk over the summer when we can’t our hands on a phone, that is.”

“Hey, let’s just be glad the Dursleys never got to talk to your parents or else they’d probably of banned you from associating with me, can’t having their golden goose daughter hanging around a troublemaker from St Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Girls.” Helia chuckled, imaging the looks on her friend’s parents faces.

“Oh please, like they get to decide anything for me anymore.” Hermione rolled her cinnamon brown eyes at her best friend.

“They’d probably be right, I am a bad influence on you, Mione.” Helia joked, squawking when Hermione shoved her off the couch. “So violent.”

Once the holidays had started, Helia really had meant it when she told Hermione that they would carry on search for Flamel over the holiday— only it didn’t pan out that way. They were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. 

Hermione deadpanned, so much for their plan to keep searching. What would those two do without her, really?

They had the dormitory to themselves —with Neville, Seamus, Dean gone home just like Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender— so they decided they’d camp together as the two only first year Gryffindors left with Helia staying in the boys dorms with Ron since he couldn’t get up the stairs of the girls.

“You guys slept together?!” Draco exclaimed, without meaning to.

Helia tilted her head in confusion, “No. Not at least like your suggesting we were eleven, I remind you.” Helia snorted. “Nor have we ever harbour romantic feeling for each other, all times we slept in the same room were in separate beds. Not getting jealous now or we Malfoy?

“Jealous? Me? No!” Draco fumbled for his words.

Helia gave him a sly, but sweet look that got his heart racing in his chest. “Hmm, it was almost interesting.”

Draco started at her dazed, wondering what was so interesting if he was jealous.

“The stair are charmed for a reason, Miss. Potter, Mr. Weasley to keep the students from cohabiting.” McGonagall said, disapprovingly.

“Ah, but the stairs only change when a male tries to go up to the female dormers, doesn’t happen when it’s reversed.” Helia smirked.

“That’s still breaking the rules.”

“Is it really?”

The common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. 

They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork – pineapple cubes, marshmallows, English muffin (Ron preferring butter and jam on his while Helia had hers with avocado spread on top with salt and pepper.)

“Where did all that come from?" Hermione asked, curious. "They don't have marshmallows in the Great Hall."

"What do you take us for women, getting marshmallows and..."

"... Other goodies are child's play." The Twins said, slightly offended that she felt the need to ask where something came from. Especially when they were in the area.

"Oh, right. I should have known." She said after a moment. Helia and Ron snickered slightly.

 -- and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.

Fred gasped at Ron and Helia. “What’s this? Plotting without us?”

“The betrayal, don’t you guy know that plotting is our second favourite activity.” George cried.

“Below pranking, and above pandemonium, if you’re interested.” Fred informed.

“It’s not like we did anything,” Ron argued, his brothers just tutted at him.

"I would sure hope you’d be intelligent enough not to try.” Draco hissed.

“Calm your jets, Malfoy.” Helia placated, “I’m sure you and your buddies did the same when you were younger, don’t forget you intentionally tried to get use in trouble with your little fake duel challenge.”

Draco didn't say anything, instead his pale skin turned pink.

Ron also started teaching Helia wizard chess.

“Which she sucks at immensely.” Ron teased.

“Hey, I was getting the hang of it!” Cried Helia getting deadpan looks from people who witnessed her playing the game.

This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle.

Hermione frowned. “Completely barbaric, I like my chess pieces inanimate, thank you very much.”

“Come on Hermione, you were a pretty good rook.” Ron teased.

“Don’t you start with me, Ronald Weasley.” Hermione warned.

Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned, it had once belonged to someone else in his family -- in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.

Ron chuckled, “It took a long time for them to get used to me after I inherited them from Grandpa Septimus, a lot of shouting before they realized my plans were better than what they were going to do.”

Helia played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent her, and they didn't trust her at all. She wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at her, which was confusing. "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him. "

“What?! No send him!” Another pawn shouted, “it’s him that we can afford to lose!”

Sirius groaned, “I hated when the chess pieces argued with each other, I mean, how are you supposed to think with all the noise.”

Helia agreed with her godfather wholeheartedly, “Trust me I know playing with Seamus’s chessmen was hell on my ears they didn’t trust me at all, felt like I was telling them to shut up every minute. Honestly, I felt like a Evil Queen when I had to practically forced them to go where they didn’t want to go.”

“I never cared for the game, Regulus that’s all he ever did. Drove me up the wall when we were younger.” Sirius scoffed

“Oh, you take that back!”

“Why should I! You’re the ones that gonna be cut down by that knight in two moves, clearly she knows what a lost cause you are!”

“The only lost cause here is your player!”

“We have the same damn player, you imbecile!”

“Would you two shut up and let me think!” Helia snapped at the pawns, playfully glaring at Ron’s poorly disguised snickers.

Remus and James laughed.

“Oh Fawn you sound just like Sirius, when you play.”

“It’s always ‘shut the hell up, I’m trying to think’.” Remus impersonated Sirius.

“Hey! It’s those damn chess pieces fault trying to talk over each other. They never follow my plans and that’s the reason they get slaughtered on the battlefield.” Sirius defended himself.

James scoffed, rolling his hazel eyes behind his spectacles. “Please, the only reason they died so many senseless deaths is because you can’t come up with a better plan than sacrifice every piece except one in hopes that will give you time to come up with something else, not that you ever did.”

“I thought you were supposed to let girls win, some gentlemen you are.” Helia jokingly complained.

Ron and the Twins snorted, drawing a cross look from Helia.

George wiped a tear away, his body shaking from withheld laughter. “Merlin never thought I’d live to see the day when Helia-mess-with-me-and-I-will-fuck-you-up-Potter plays the innocent damsel.”

Helia opened her mouth to argue, when Ron interrupted her.

“Oh, who are you kidding, Mate? The day you need someone to let you win just because of your gender is ludicrous.” Ron rolled his eyes, “You’re the one always saying, that there are two paths in life, yours and the path others choose for you. You really expect me to go easy on you when you go around saying things like that daily?”

Helia pursed her lips, “Now you pick the time to listen to me, huh.”

“Not my fault, your rubbish at this game.”

On Christmas Eve, Helia went to bed in Neville’s bed he offered up for her to use before he left for home.  For the first time in a long time she actually enjoyed the holiday she never got celebrated, and now she was going to celebrate with one of her best friends.

Madam Bones looked at Helia and Ron skeptically, “You sure the two of you aren’t romantically involved, you seem awfully close.”

Helia and Ron rolled their eyes simultaneously, they had this question asked a million times over the years, and the answer was still the same. “Look, I love Ron, as a friend and a brother. There’s just some people that fall in love with each other, but not as couples, as friends. That is what Ron and Hermione are to me, I fell in love with them and the way they fit in my life are as best friends.”

Hermione and Ron beamed at their best friend, pulling her into a hug. “We love you too.”

“Auntie, they’re used to people saying that they’re in a relationship.” Susan chuckled, she too once thought Helia and Ron were an item, but once she got to know them she realized there was no feasible way any of the Golden Trio members could work as a romantic relationship. “By the Lady of the Lake, that snake, in the grass Skeeter claimed Helia and Hermione were having a love affair last year. You learn to take it with a grain of salt.”

Helia grinned wickedly, “Oh, I had fun with that, poor Viktor didn’t know how to take it at first.”

Hermione heaved a sigh. “Tell me about you went above and beyond to confusion everyone last year, Viktor honestly thought he would have to join a polyamorous relationship just to court me. Not that he had any problems with being with the both of us, just I really don’t want to be in a relationship with my sister.”

“Yeah, that date was a bit awkward, but hey Viktor was a sweetheart to the both of us.” Helia nodded, drawing confused looks from the whole room.

Draco gritted his teeth at the thought of Helia on a date with a world-famous quidditch player, how was he ever supposed to gain her affection when there were hundreds of better options for her to choose from, ones that haven’t spent four years bully and harassing her and her friends.

“Hey Ron.” 

“Yeah?” Ron asked sleepily, turning over in his bed to face her.

“Thanks for giving me the best holiday I ever had.”  Helia quietly thanked, from her cocoon of blankets.

“Helia, you’re my best friend, you will always have a place with me.” Ron promised.

“Promise?” 

“I swear it.”

Blaise groaned, “Adorable, just adorable the two of you, Salazar this book is making seem like I have a heart.”

Theo snorted. “Elskan mín, do you really want to try to make your case as to why you don’t have a heart.”

Blaise smirked at his lover, raising a hand to caress the handsome face that stolen the breath from his lungs. “How can I have it when I gave it away long ago to un uomo bello.”

“You have mine as well, hjarta mítt.”

With that Helia and Ron feel asleep looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but Helia did not expect any presents at all.

Everyone frowned at that.

“Oh, Fawn.” James sighed, pulling his daughter into his embrace, Lily joined into the hug, burying her face into Helia’s riot of curls. “You deserved so much better.”

“Baby, we wanted so much more for you, I can never regret giving up our lives for you.” Lily cried, cupping her daughter’s cheek. “But I regret not making sure you lived a full and happy life without us there to give it to you. We should’ve planned it better, I’m sorry, baby.”

“It’s okay, Mum, Dad. I may not of had it in the start, but I cut a pretty good slice for myself.” Helia tried to reassure her parents.

Sirius and Remus watched Helia try to comfort their old friends for not being able to live to raise her, even after they came into Helia’s life they hardly gave her any semblance of family. With Sirius being on the run and in hiding, or Remus after his resignation was bounced from order mission to mission, barely able to keep up with anything or one in the real world. They really weren’t doing Helia any favours by hanging onto her when ever they could, but they’d soon join their friends in the afterlife before they abandoned her again.

When she woke early in the morning, however, the first thing she saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of her bed.

"Merry Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Helia scrambled out of bed and pulled on her bathrobe.

"You, too," said Helia. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"

Kingsley fist clenched, no child should be shocked that they have gotten presents.

"What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron,

“I think turnips would actually be an upgrade compared to the shit I get from the Dursleys, at least I’d be able to eat them.” Helia mused, to the exasperation of her friends.

Padma eyed Helia “It’s weird hearing you be optimistic.”

Hermione snorted, “That’s not her being optimistic, that’s her being cynical, gallows humour she likes to call it.”

“So if she not being a pessimist, she’s a cynical, Hmm.” Daphne hummed.

“Please I’m a cynical pessimistic, no reason not to be both.” Helia scoffed.

turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Helia's.

Helia picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Helia, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Helia blew it -- it sounded a bit like an owl. 

“Once again Hagrid comes through for us,” Helia grinned. They would have been screwed without that flute.

Hermione hummed, “He does end up helping us the most without meaning to, doesn’t he.”

A second, very small parcel contained a note.

We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. 

Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.

Ginny turned to Helia with a surprised gaze, “You actually wrote to them?! I have never seen you write to the Dursleys in all the years, I’ve known you.”

“Oh, the only reason I sent Hedwig to Aunt Petunia was to keep up the pretence of normality.” Helia shrugged. “I didn’t really see the point of that after the end of first year, it’s not like everyone didn’t know I don’t like living with Dursleys.”

“Why do you not file for emancipation with the Ministry?” Madam Bones asked, raising an eyebrow.

Helia scoffed, “Trust me I’ve tried, only to be blocked, put on hold and out right told I was searching for attention in my many attempts. I’ve been begging for a way out of that house, but all people do is send me right back to the place I ran from.”

Madam Bones frowned at the blatant fraudulence that was shown to the young Potter Heiress, by the Witch of Endor! If anyone blocked Susan from emancipation in the case anything happened to her, she couldn’t imagine the adversaries from the other noble house trying to sneak their way into Susan’s good graces only to leave her niece in ruin after they got what they wanted from her. “After all this, I will personally file the necessary paperwork, along with overseeing it is properly filed.”

“Madam Bones I really don’t see the need, Miss. Potter would need— Dumbledore was cut off.

“Shut up!” Sirius barked at the Headmaster, this man did nothing to help his family. He watched as Sirius was carted off to serve a murder sentence he didn’t commit, he worked Remus to the bone sending him from mission to mission, he’s the one that placed Helia in an abusive household, and he didn’t doubt Dumbledore was also the one pulling the strings that blocked Helia from getting what she needed to escape. “If Helia feels the need, then she has my full support. You have no say in any of your students lives Dumbledore, after all you’re not her family nor her magical guardian.”

Helia eyes widen as her godfather supported her need to get emancipated, so no one could hold anything above her head in the name of greater good or lock her away. Her parents nodded along with Sirius with furious gazes glaring into the headmaster’s head, Remus’s eyes a golden sheen backing up his friends and Helia’s decision.

"That's friendly," said Helia. 

“The sarcasm is strong with this one.” Tonks nodded sagely.

Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.

"Weird!" he said, "What a shape! This is money?"

Bill chuckled, “Merlin Ron, channelling dad much?”

Ron blushed as Mr. Weasley ruffled his hair.

"You can keep it," said Helia.

“But, it’s your present—I can’t—“

Helia snorted, this actually the first thing the Dursley’s ever gave her something for Christmas, guess they didn’t want Hogwarts to know they usually treat her like shit. But they also didn’t want to waste their ‘hard-earned’ money on the freak, she was surprised they even gave up fifty-pence.

“Mate.” Ron whined, “Why’d you give it to me, it that was the first thing they ever gave you for Christmas.”

Helia scoffed, “Please, like I’m going to take fake bullshit from them, the only good thing that came from the present was how fascinated it made you.”

“It’s fifty-pence Ron, go ahead, I don’t mind.”

“Helia, Mate—“ 

Helia forced the coin into his hand, closing his fingers around it, giving him a serious look as they stared at each other trying to get the other to back down. Clearly Helia was the winner, Ron grumbled, but she could see the pleased flush on his ears and cheeks.

Daphne cast an amused look at Ron, “Can’t say no to a pretty girl, is that it, Weasley?”

Helia, Hermione and Susan all snorted at the disgusted expression on Ron’s face. “I really don’t think Ron even acknowledges the Helia is attractive, not that Helia herself pays much mind to it either.” Hermione huffed, fondly.

Ron looked at them blankly, “Why would Helia, be attractive to me?”

Lily opened her mouth to rain hellfire on the youngest Weasley boy, when Helia placed a calming hand on her knee.

“Mum, it’s alright. Ron’s right, there is no reason for me to appeal towards Ron romantically.” Helia soothed, “Like it had been said we’re strictly best friends-family connection, I too don’t see anything attractive about him.”

Ginny slapped her forehead, heaving a great sigh. “So what I’m hearing, my brother is forever cursed to be surrounded by good-looking women only to be stuck in the friend zone by his own phlegmatically simple mindedness.”

Hermione’s cinnamon eyes flicked between Ron and Susan, who gravitated towards each other even when they had several people sitting in between them. “Hmm, we wouldn’t go that far, just yet.”

“Fine, only to show Dad.”

Helia grinned at his pouting, not fooled. “Whatever you say, Ron.”

"Hagrid and my aunt and uncle, -- so who sent these?"

"I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mom. I told her you didn't expect any presents and -- oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley sweater. "

Mrs. Weasley crossed her arms at her youngest son. “And just what is wrong with my sweaters, young man?”

Ron paled and blushed at the same time. “I was eleven Mum, it was embarrassing to me to have my Mum make my first friend a sweater. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought, it at least got her to smile.”

Helia’s lips tugged up into a smile. “I loved the sweater, but what I loved more was one of my best friends went out of his way just to make sure I woke up with a present for Christmas. That was the best gift I could ask for.”

Helia had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green

“Mum, where’s the house spirit!" Ron whined. “It should’ve been Gryffindor colours.”

“You can’t tell me that the colour didn’t compliment her eyes, though.” Mrs. Weasley defended her knitting.

“Helia looks divine in green, I have pictures of her in her formal wear from the Yule ball.” Sirius bragged, much to Helia’s embarrassment.“She’s every bit a young lady of her house.”

Draco had to hold himself back from asking for a copy, he only had a crapy cut out of the photo from the daily prophet when he wanted to think back on that night and remember just how breathtaking she was.

and a large box of homemade fudge.

"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon. "

Mrs. Weasley looked at her youngest son regretfully, “Oh, Ronnie I’m sorry, what’s your favourite colour? I swear I’ll get it right this time.”

“No, no Mum, don’t. That was just me being a little boy not appreciating what I had, the sweaters are fine.” Ron reassured his mother, even though he still hated the colour maroon.

“Still I’ll make it your favourite colour this year dear, I promise.”

Ron relented to his Mum, telling her red was his favourite colour.

Mrs. Weasley turned to her other children, asking. “Any of you want a colour change as well?”

The twins shared a look, “Well, if your asking.” They chorused, “We’ll take orange and purple for us, thank you.”

“I’ll keep yellow, Mum.” Ginny waved her off.

“Royal Blue is fine, I think you’ll have to fight Charlie to get him into a sweater that isn’t brown.” Bill promised, grinning at his brother.

Charlie shoved Bill, “It’s a good colour to blend when observing wild dragons, plus it takes stain well, if anything it just added to the character of it.”

Percy bite his lip, not sure the question was for him as well after he sent the last sweater back to his parents, as a way to distance himself away from his family.

“Percy?” Mrs. Weasley asked, hopefully.

Percy tensed, but quickly caught himself, taking a calming breath. “A light green wouldn’t be so terrible.”

Mrs. Weasley beamed at her son with tears in her eyes. “Well, I’m sure that is quite possible.”

"That's really nice of her," said Helia, trying the fudge, which was very tasty. “Here, Ron, this is from me.” Helia said, passing over a neatly wrapped parcel to a blushing and stammering Ron.

Hermione presents where next —yes plural— a large box of chocolate frogs, a copy of A Collection of Above Three Hundred Receipts in Cookery, Physick, and Surgery

“A cook book? I didn’t think that was your taste.” Lily wondered, trying to picture her daughter reading a book that was made in mind for housewives.

Helia looked at her mother in confusion, as Hermione burst out in giggles. “What?”

“In the Muggle world, theirs a cookbook by the same for housewives, while the book I got you is a potions book.” Hermione explained.

Snape looked at the two lionesses, “That book is used in fourth year, and the two of you were reading it in your first year?”

Hermione looked at her Potions Professor with an unimpressed look, that she reserved for when people did something specially stupid. “Helia has had four outstandings in potions, so you know she’s competent in the subject. She adores potions, it’s the first thing she studies on her free time she practically consumes potions books she gets and that’s coming from me.”

a book she knew Hermione picked out just for her in mind along with a beautiful ink that sparkled like the star-filled galaxy on paper.

“Hmm that’s nice, I like the rainbow ink.” Luna adds, whimsically.

Helia nods, she too had that ink. “That one is nice as well, but I don’t use it as much, not many people request it.”

“Request?” Draco asked, his pale eyebrows furrowed.

Helia looked started at his question. “Umm, yeah during the summer months I have this little side business of creating cards, invitations for events and specials occasions.”

“Business? Your Heiress Potter, why would you need a business?” Draco asked bewildered.

Helia tensed, her lips pulling back into a snarl before she caught herself. “I’m practically abandoned in the non-magical world during the summer holiday, until third year I had no way of getting to Diagon Alley. Uncle Vernon would most certainly rather die than take me, and it was too far for me to walk at that age or take the non-magical bus. People ask too many questions about unaccompanied children in the non-magical world.” Helia defended herself. “I had no non-magical money on me, one day I was doing my homework in a bookstore and the owner asked if I would take commissions. She wanted me to design invitations for her daughter’s baby shower, it was no skin off my back if they wanted to pay me for doing calligraphy.”

Draco nodded, seeing where she was coming from, the little business was a way for her to survive the Muggle world when she was cut off from the wizarding world. And if one thing he understood, money may not buy happiness, but it sure bought a lot of other things. “Job of convenience, while giving you funds that you were cut off from.”

“Yeah, I worked from word of mouth, outside of private drive mind you they all still think I’m nothing, but a trouble-making hoodlum delinquent.” Helia said. “Hermione, Ron and the Twins all know about my business, they all gift me different inks to try out.”

“Yeah, she helps designs our packaging for our products.” Fred disclosed.

She hoped Hermione liked the Secret Science of Numerology: The Hidden Meaning of Numbers and Letters, a custom wax seal kit she got to stamp Hermione’s name on her wax seals and the charm bracelet. 

Hermione smiled as she shook her bracelet on her arm it was decorated with different charms from a book, a blue flame, potions bottle, a spindle, a hippogriff, an hourglass, a pink four petal flower and a double-headed eagle. “Helia gets more for me every year.”

Bill grabbed her wrist, gently twisting it to see the craftsmanship better. “Goblin made, sliver, lapis lazuli and pink sapphire. Only an order would get this much detail work, no walk in pick from a display case.”

He looked up from her wrist, blushing, realizing he was muttering to himself while he was holding her wrist. “Sorry, I get carried away sometimes.”

Hermione smiled shyly, “No, it’s fine, I do the same.”

Ron gushed over the Chudley Cannon’s duffle bag, that she stuffed full of all the treats she remembered that Ron liked from the train.

“I ordered it from the quidditch magazine that Seamus scribes to, and the rest from honeydukes owl order.” Helia grinned.

“She remembered every treat I ate from the ride to Hogwarts.” Ron bragged with a bright grin on his face.

Only left one parcel. Helia picked it up and felt it. It was very light. She unwrapped it. 

Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor, where it lay in gleaming folds.

James gasped is disbelief, “Is that what I think it is? But how?!”

“Didn’t you give it to— you know, for that mission.” Lily fumbled over her words as James panicked, they both turned to the Headmaster who was smiling peacefully as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“Him.” James hissed.

Ron gasped. 

"I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is -- they're really rare, and really valuable. "

"What is it?" 

Helia picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.

"It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face.

Bill face showed shock. “You have an invisibility cloak in the same premise of the Twins, and Hogwarts hasn’t been brunt down or robbed blind nor pranked to the pit of hell.”

Fred placed a hand over his heart. “Bill! Our own brother, how could you believe we would take advantage of our Helia-Flower like that.”

“Yeah we can do all that without a cloak anyway, no sense of invisibility would do us any good, they all know it’s us when Hogwarts is taking over by a prank war.” George smirked.

"I'm sure it is -- try it on. " 

Helia threw the cloak around her shoulders and Ron gave a yell.

"It is! Look down!"

Helia looked down at her feet, but they were gone. She dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, her reflection looked back at her, just her head suspended in midair, her body completely invisible.

“I knew it, I told you I wasn’t seeing things, Blaise!” Draco rounded onto the Italian wizard.

“Drake, you literally came bursting into our dorm room, stammering on about Potter kicking the bucket and how her ghost is now going to be the new Nearly Headless Nick.” Blaise glared at his friend with an inscrutable look on his impassive face. “You even debated on what her ghost title would be.”

Theo nodded, remembering the absolute horrid names. “Bodyless Potter, Just Head Helia, Last Head of Potter.”

Helia looked at the blushing and stammering Draco, blankly. “That last one was a little on the head, wasn’t.”

Draco paused as he processed what she just said, blinking at her in a rather adorably awkward way. Only to snort loudly as silent laughter shook his body. Making Helia wonder was it the morbid sense of humour or the pun that set him off.

She pulled the cloak over her head and her reflection vanished completely.

"There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"

Helia pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing she had never seen before were the following words:

Your father left this in my possession before he died.

It is time it was returned to you.

James whipped to face his wife, whispering in outrage. “Left in his possession?! We lent it out for one mission, it was supposed to be returned to us. And if not us, it should’ve gone right into the Potter vault until Helia was able to contact the Goblins about the affairs we’ve left behind!”

Lily bit her thumb in thought, trying to think through what Dumbledore was playing at keeping a sacred family heirloom of the Potter family at his own discretion. “I don’t get why he’s giving it back to Helia, she had no clue that the cloak was her house’s heirloom or the value of it. So why give it up to an eleven-year-old girl, what’s his angle?”

“You think he’s setting Helia up for something, don’t you?” James worried.

“Most definitely.”

Use it well.

"Use…it…well!?" Snape spat, furiously. His pitch black eyes stared daggers into Dumbledore, that note had his shit all over it. “Are you trying to get Potter to break the rules?!”

Dumbledore merely chucked, at Snape’s anger. “Now Severus, the cloak did rightfully belonged, to Helia it would be a disservice to not return it to its rightful owner. I’m sure Helia only uses it for the noblest reasons.”

Snape just stared incredulously at him.

A Very Merry Christmas to you.

There was no signature. Helia stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak.

"I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"

"Nothing," said Helia. She felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to her father?

“Sure did Fawn!” James exclaimed, putting his worry over Dumbledore’s plot on the back burner for now it was time to search some family history with his little Fawn. “For centuries the Cloak has been pasted down to every eldest child of the Potter house, used whether for Auror work, mischief-making, a good game of hide and seek, the cloak does it all.”

Bill frowned at the idea of a centuries old invisibility cloak, while they were rare and valuable they never last more than five to ten year before the enchantments fade not being able to hold up against the wear of time.

Lily crossed her arms at her grinning like a loon husband. “Funny you should mention all those uses when there is another use to the dumb thing. Like giving new parents heart attacks when a certain sleep-deprived new dad, wraps the first blanket like thing around his newborn baby daughter before he passes out only to awaken when his Wife can’t find their daughter or the dumb cloak either.”

“I told you, it was a terrible mistake!”

Before she could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. Helia stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. She didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.

“Rest easy, Helia-Flower we’d never pillage from friends.” George reassured.

“Unless it’s necessary, of course.” Fred winked.

Percy turned to the Twins aghast, “The two of you steal from me all the time.”

The twins shrugged, “You’re our brother, if anything you’re asking for it.”

"Merry Christmas!" 

"Hey, look -- Helia's got a Weasley sweater, too!" 

Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G.

"Helia's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Helia's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family. "

"We were joking!" Fred and George said fast before their mother could get worked up about that comment.

“I only used a different yarn because it was thicker, she was so tiny in the train station I just thought a thicker yarn would help keep her warm on top of the warming charm.” Mrs. Weasley defended herself.

“We know, we know, Mum.” George reassured.

“Honest, Mum, we’re only joking.” Fred added.

"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm. "

"I hate maroon," Ron moaned halfheartedly as he pulled it over his head.

"You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid -- we know we're called Gred and Forge. "

Mrs. Weasley slapped her forehead, as her husband chuckled at his twin son’s antics.

James cackled in delight, “Merlin, the two of you are amazing!”

“Aww shucks.”

“You’re just saying that.”

"What's all this noise?"

Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving.

Ron frowned, “Who were we bothering, we were the only ones there.”

Percy crossed his arms at his youngest brother. “Just because Mum ain’t around doesn’t mean you can act like miscreants.”

He had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy sweater over his arm, which Fred seized.

"P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Helia got one. " 

"I -- don't -- want -- " said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew.

“It’s not that I didn’t like it. It was just too warm in the common room to wear it at the time Mum,” Percy said quickly before his Mother got the wrong idea.

"And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family. "

“When didn’t I sit with you lot on the holidays? I always did.” Percy said, with furrowed eyebrows.

“Oh we know, it was the only time you’d willingly even sit on the same end of the table as George and I, then you go back rueing being related to us.” Fred sneered, not as forgiving as his other brothers who all wanted Percy back after his slight against the family and Helia.

George hunched his shoulders as Fred snapped at Percy in the way George was too soft-hearted to ever say to his family even when they hurt him in the worst ways. A smaller body pressed into his chest forcing him to cater to their wishes, and it seemed they wanted to lounge against his chest like he was some sort of throne. But with girl currently doing it, it wasn’t a surprise that was the first comparison he came up with for the Greengrass Heiress she did embodiment a villainess Queen without trying.

“Stay still, it’s troublesome if you slouch.” Daphne order, with a small twist to her lips that anyone else would take as a frown, but he could see the worry in her shoulders and how her eyebrows pinched.

“As you say, your highness.” George rumbled as he relaxed his body.

Percy winced at Fred’s harsh but true words, he did think that the Twins were troublesome to deal with in school and tried to avoid interacting with them when he could, knowing it would end up with the Twins getting on his nerves.

He was never good with interacting with the Twins, they always responded better to Charlie or Ginny. Bill was alright handling them, but with him being the oldest it was a hit or a miss depending on the Twin’s mood and Ron was their younger brother that got teased until he exploded to the Twin’s delight. Not to mention, their parent didn’t have much authority over the Twins that they one hundred percent listened to.

Fred scoffed when Percy didn’t have anything to say for himself, he tensed when fingers gentle pulled at his hair surprising him. Usually when he was in a bad mood no one touched him outside George, even then his Twin would be in his own sort of funk over Percy, so he wouldn’t be in his right mindset to  comfort Fred. His hazel eyes following the trail to the Icy blue eyes of the Ice Queen sprawled across his twin’s chest, her deceitfully delicate fingers pulled at his hair once more now that she had his full attention her hand fell from its grip trailing the plains of his body until it rested on his own hand staying there without a word. He huffed softly at the Ice Queen that was speedily finding a spot in his and his twin’s hearts without much effort.

They frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater.

Helia had never in all her life had such a Christmas dinner —not that the Dursleys let her celebrate with them anyway, even when they had her slave away in the kitchen for days in preparation for their annul Christmas party

Helia winced rubbing her hands, where old aches and pains rang in her head, so loudly that it was like she was seven again in a hot kitchen stressing and quietly crying. She lugged heavy dishes praying they turned out edible cringing when she burned herself again or cut herself when Dudley jump scared her in hopes she’d mess up and get punished or Uncle Vernon would holler from his chair that she better not burn anything or else.

She knew her magic protected her a lot in her childhood now, but if you felt her hands or back you could feel the scar tissue that built up over the years that not even magic could erase. In a way it comforting, because who would she be without those hurts and scars? And could she even recognize herself without them?

they invited Uncle Vernon’s bosses and business associates along with Petunia’s garden club members. No she was usually kicked out into the wet snowy scenery of little whining and told not to come back until tomorrow, yes that’s how she spent all her Christmas’s since she was seven years-old.

Ron choked as he read over that line, his best mate tossed out in the cold like an unwanted pest. He could clearly remember every moment of their first Christmas together, waking up to presents opening them in front of the fireplace, the gentle way Helia handled each gift given to her, the surprise look in her emerald eyes when Ron opened his arm for Helia to curl up with him under his quilt that his great aunt Tessie sent him that George helpfully removed the scent off of. Her bewildered glances when one of the twins dramatically sacrificed themselves to protect her from getting hit by a snowball after one too many flinches. Even Percy, that Christmas, catered to Helia showing her different party favours or small spells he could remember Bill and Charlie showing them even trying to help Helia win at chess even though the both of them sucked at the game.

“Mate, you’d never have to spend another Christmas like that again.” He promised.

Helia smiled, that smile that said she didn’t believe what she was hearing, but she wouldn’t argue out loud as a curtsey. “I’m thankful for every Christmas I spend with you and Hermione, when I’m with you guys I don’t think of those days.” The not much was left unsaid, but still heard.

Lily bit her bit, she wouldn’t cry out at the injustice her daughter had to survive at the hands of her own family —Ex-Family or did they ever deserve the title family at all?— It wouldn’t do her or Heli any good if all she ever did was cry at her daughter’s suffering. “You know, our first Christmas together as a family, your father really wanted you to help with the decorating. Of course, with you being four-months-old you couldn’t really do anything, but James held you the entire time we decorated the tree. He got you to hold the non-breakable ornaments, let you cling to the tinsel, freaked when you put the popcorn and cranberries garland in your mouth and just when it was time to put the star on top of the tree, disaster struck.”

James pouted at Lily. “Lily-Flower, it wasn’t a disaster.”

Helia snickered at her dads whining, before turning her attention back to her mom with glowing eyes.

“As I was saying disaster struck, James didn’t take into a count that our fourth month-old daughter couldn’t even hold up her own head, much less place a damn star on top of a seven-foot tree. While I was in the kitchen getting the ingredients for baking cookies ready….James had the brilliant idea to levitate you and that damn star to the top of the tree.” Lily scowled at her pouting husband, still angry about the incident.

Helia gapped in shock at her parents. “Wh-What?!”

“I second that, what?!” Hermione exclaimed, pulling Helia away from her Dad, as if James was going to try to levitate Helia right there and then.

James uselessly reached out for Helia, “It’s not as bad as it sounds, Fawn!”

Remus sighed, shaking his head. “James, It was exactly as bad as it sounds.”

“You weren’t there, Remus, no one asked you for your opinion!”

“I know you, James.”

“Any way since a four month-old baby can’t place a star on the tree no matter what anyone thinks otherwise, James had another bright idea that he needed to get his broom to help our still floating in midair daughter only he forgot that he can’t hold a levitating spell and cast another spell.” Lily pinched the bridge of her nose, now everyone was listing in shock. “I screamed when I walked in on that bright moment, James scrambled to explain, only to realize he wasn’t holding the levitating spell anymore. Instead of Heli dropping seven feet, she floated higher giggling as she rolled through the air like Peter Freaking Pan happy as a lark as her parents had a heart attack trying to figure out how to get her down.”

Hermione facepalmed, groaning. “Of course, Helia’s first accidental magic was, so she wouldn’t die, not to mention it would take her higher off the ground and not bring her back down.”

James beamed at a blushing Helia. “Yep, that’s my Fawn.”

Lily slapped him upside the head. “Don’t act so proud you endanger our daughter that day, it was a nightmare.” Lily turned to her daughter with a gentle smile. “Of course though, Heli, we are super proud of you, my darling.”

 A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce - and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic party favors were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Helia pulled a wizard cracker with Fred shrieking in laughter when it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.

Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice.

“It’s funny how Muggle traditions find their way into the Magical world as well.” Hermione smiled.

Mr. Weasley lit up, “Muggle have something similar, do they?”

“Yes, we’d put a silver sixpence in the Christmas pudding mix, then each family gives it a stir and who ever finds it in their slice is said to enjoy wealth and good luck for the year.” Hermione informed, “it’s believed Prince Albert, husband to Queen Victoria, brought the tradition to Britain.”

Helia watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Helia's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.

“Oh," Sirius cackled. "What I wouldn't give to have seen all that!"

"Sounds like someone had a little too much to drink that Christmas," James teased with one of his crooked grins at his godmother.

“I don’t want to hear a word from either of you.” McGonagall frowned, trying to cover her blushing cheeks.

When Helia finally left the table, she was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and her own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Helia just knew they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner if Hedwig didn’t get to them first that is.

Helia beamed at her familiars mention. “Hedwig’s an excellent hunter.”

Ron shuddered, “Now if she and Crookshanks would stop leaving their prey all over the place.”

Both girls turned to their friend with matching frowns. “She/He can’t help it, Ron/Ronald!”

Helia and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Helia broke in her new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron.

After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.

It had been Helia's best Christmas day ever.

The Weasley’s beamed at Helia who gave them a soft grateful look that she rarely showed people.

Yet it seemed the day wasn’t over for her a tap tap tapping on the window next to the bed, wondered over to the window to open to see a pair of orange-red eyes starting back at her. The eagle-owl(Altair) that she had seen many times flying in an out at Malfoy’s beck and call,

Theo and Blaise looked at their friend stunned, they knew he was infatuated with Helia, but for Draco to do what they thought he was doing in their first year. They had no idea he could have the guts.

wearily watching the large bird that was the night to Hedwig’s day. The bird ruffled its dark feathers as it dropped small box onto the bed and flew off into the night.

Neville whipped to face Draco with an uncommonly fierce look on his face, “R-Really Malfoy her first Christmas that she actually can enjoy, and you ruin it by cursing her!”

Draco’s taken back expression melted into a sneer, “Watch your tongue Longbottom, I never sent Potter any cursed object.”

“Like you would send anything without some sort of plot to cause trouble.” Neville scoffed, Padma grabbed his arm in hopes to calm him down as the two boys grew tenser as the actuations flew.

“Enough!” Helia cut in, “Ron read, so they can see for themselves what it was.”

Cautiously she poked at the small box that laid on the bedsheet inconspicuously, carefully opening the box with her hands covered by the blanket in case some sort of curse that activates at skin contact.

“Constant Vigilance.” Moody nodded approvingly.

“Not really helping, Mad-Eye.” Helia sighed, “Yes, I was being cautious, but I’m cautious with everything I don’t know the origin of.”

Draco bowed his head, worrying his lip. He’d always wondered what she did with his gift.

What laid in the box stole her breath away.

Draco’s head snapped up to meet Helia’s emerald eyes, his own silver gaze sparkling in astounded jubilation. A shy grin unconsciously formed on his pale face, she liked it! She had to right? She said it stole her breath away, that was good right?

Helia blushed as an equally breathtaking smile grew on Draco’s face, younger Helia had many sleepless nights wondering why Malfoy would send her something like that for years. But she believed she finally found the reason, only could they really? Dare they?

It was a tiny silver dragon necklace or at least she thought it was a dragon it’s shape was very serpent-like with wings posed in mid-motion like it was going to take flight, the dragon was encrusted with tiny emerald gems.

Blaise’s dark green eyes almost popped out of his in shock, that dragon was the symbol of the house of Malfoy. He knew it was tradition in the Malfoy family to present your intended with a token with house symbol customized to their beloved’s taste. But for Draco to gift Helia this so early and even when he continued to mess with Helia and her friends every chance he got! “You’re insane.” Blaise informed Draco, as he grabbed Draco by the scruff of his shirt, dragging him to the far corner of the come-and-go room so, not to be heard.

Draco blushed, dropping his face into his hands, “You think I don’t know that?” He chuckled mirthlessly.

Blaise held up a hand, warding off his friend. “Oh no, before you were just stupid, I thought you didn’t have the gut to confess and just settled to pulling on Potter’s hair to get her attention.” Blaise shock his head, shocked. “However this! This is insane! I know what that necklace symbolizes Draco, and the fact you still terrorized Potter after you gave it to her is insane!”

Draco growled at Blaise, “You know why I can’t tell her just what that necklace meant, not until it was all over. Not until we know just what side will come out the victor.” His fist clenched, digging his nails into his palms.

“You’re a right bastard, alright.” Blaise sighed, pitying his friend for fall for their supposed saviour. “You do know if you stand on the sidelines, either way won’t turn out good for you. If the ‘good’ win the good fight then all you will be to everyone is an ex-deatheater because no way you can get out of getting the dark mark that would be impossible for a son of the loyal inner circle. And if the ‘dark’ conquers all than the woman you love will be dead, possible her body will be strung up and paraded around as toy for the dark lord to do as he wishes. With you not being able to do anything, because you didn’t tell her!”

Draco lunged at Blaise, fisting his shirt to pull his friend closer. “I know! You think I don’t think of those things or what would happen if I joined her side, openly going against everything I was raised to be!” He snarled in his friend’s face, as Blaise gazed at him coolly. “But I can’t just think of that, you know I can’t! My mother would suffer in my place both at my father’s and the dark lords hands, not to mention what would happen to all the people in our house that are counting on us to help them. We can’t help them if we don’t have a decent amount of people on the inside, we already swore to protect them.”

“Are they worth giving up your chance with Potter?” Blaise asked, raising an eyebrow at Draco’s painful expression.

“Could I call myself a man able to stand by her side confidently if I break my oath, would she still want me if I just wanted to take her and run as far as we could?” Draco asked despairingly.

Blaise could say nothing to that, as he led Draco back to their seats with a sigh.

It was probably the most beautiful jewellery she had ever seen,

Draco’s face quietly shine with delight.

Snape pinched his nose, his godson was an imbecile just what was he thinking sending Potter that!

nothing like the pearls or gaudy jewellery Aunt Petunia and her garden club paraded around in each other’s faces.

What she wanted to know though was what the fuck was Malfoy playing at? Did he expect that he could buy her good-grace or something?

Draco didn’t have to look at Blaise’s face to see the look of this-is-why-you-should’ve-told-her-instead-of-acting-like-a-crazy-bastard, you damn bastard—emphasis on the bastard—

Sirius himself was having trouble holding himself back from strangling the little ferret, he might sympathize with the kid, but to claim a intention on his goddaughter when she was eleven was crossing the line—didn’t matter the brat was eleven at the time as well—he knew exactly what he was doing when he sent that necklace.

Sure their mutual dislike for each other is loudly known for all to hear, she also knew that she was fascinated by him that she kept on coming back, just like how he always seemed to seek her out no matter where she was.

McGonagall rubbed her forehead, was this book really telling her that her lioness and Severus’s snake that bad at feels that their mutual interests turned into deep rivalry and bullying instead of a blooming friendship that could turn to more later on. Hecate did her student need therapy to express their emotions in healthy normal ways that did include duels, trickery, and insults. She really didn’t get paid enough for this shit.

Hermione even approached her one night to express her concern that Malfoy was slipping into obsession over her, she didn’t know how to tell her friend that she was just as bad as Malfoy in that department

Draco stared at Helia in shock, he’d thought she would rather die than even give her friends a hint that she was feeling something for her ‘enemy’. While she didn’t admit it out loud, she was well aware of what was brewing between the two of them even back in the beginning. “Admitting I’m better than you must not of been easy, huh, Potter?” Draco smirked, teasing Helia before he could think it over. He swore he could her both Blaise and Theo mentally facepalming at his stupidity.

Helia emerald gaze burned hotter than any fire, as her glare cut into his soul. “I said I was just as bad, not that you were better, Malfoy. Better get them ears checked, must not be able to hear anything over the sound of your own voice.” She hissed.

He pouted at her with a taunting look in his silver eyes. “But don’t I fascinate you, Potter.”

Helia’s face lit up in a bright blush, lunging at the bastard. “You motherfuck—

Ron and Hermione held Helia in her seat barley.

“Now, now Potter, I know I’m irresistible, but please we’re in public.”

“Let me at him!”

—though Hermione was getting better at getting a read of her feelings based off her magic—

So what was she going to do with this trinket? Should she wake Ron? —no can’t do that Ron would throw a fit— maybe write Hermione later tomorrow, yes that’s what she will do, Hermione will know.

“I can tell you I did not know.” Hermione admitted.

She repeated that to herself as she laid in bed after stashing the box buried under all the chocolate frogs from Hermione.

Frustratingly sleep did not come not with that surprise present sprung onto her, something had been nagging at the back of her mind all day as well. She didn’t have the free time to think about it: the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it.

Ron, full of turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he’d drawn the curtains of his four-poster. Helia leaned over the side of Neville’s bed and pulled the cloak out from under it. 

Her father's. . . this had been her father's.

“The only thing she has left from James,' Sirius thought sadly, his eyes dulled he should’ve been there for her should’ve been able to tell her stories of her parents, show her pictures and memories, so she would know the love her parents had for her. Instead, he got himself thrown in Azkaban for thirteenth years and even after his escape he still couldn’t be by her side. What kind of godfather did that?

She let the material flow over her hands, smoother than silk, light as air. Use it well, the note had said.

Snape slapped his forehead,  “Potter is it too much to ask that you keep to your common room during after hours.”

Both Helia and James answered. “Yes.”

She had to try it, now. She slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around herself. Looking down at her legs, she saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling. 

Use it well. 

Suddenly, Helia felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to her in this cloak. Excitement flooded through her as she stood there in the dark and silence. She could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know. 

Sirius chuckled, shaking his head of dark waves. “And just we’re will our little pup wonder off to when she’s free to do so?” He teased, his silver eyes twinkling at his goddaughter, who relaxed when she realized he wasn’t cross with her.

Mrs. Weasley glared disapprovingly at the escaped convict, he was too irresponsible to raise Helia in any sort of manner. “How could you condone rule breaking, Black! Helia needs to know she can’t just do whatever she wants, it’s too dangerous!”

Sirius rolled his eyes at Mrs. Weasley butting into his and Helia’s business, it’s one thing for Remus to do so, but for this nag of a woman to complain about every little thing when he was supposed to be Helia’s guardian, when he was Helia’s godfather and blood adopted father. “Well it would be hypocritical of me to discourage her, when her father, uncle and I all did the same when we were kids. She was eleven, Molly she’s allowed to break the rules, it’s what kids do.”

Helia frown as Sirius and Mrs. Weasley argued again, she was thankful for all the Weasleys did and do for her, but she was tired of Mrs. Weasley put Sirius down time after time. She removed herself from in between Hermione and Ron to place herself next to her godfather, leaning into his side. Sirius automatically placed his arm around her pulling her closer, both of them touched starved individuals that housed way too much trauma to be healthy. But together it wasn’t as bad.

Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Helia wake him? Something held her back -- her father's cloak -- she felt that this time -- the first time -- she wanted to use it alone.

“Totally understandable, Mate.”

She crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole. 

"Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. Helia said nothing. She walked quickly down the corridor.

Where should she go? She stopped, her heart racing, and thought. And then it came to her. The Restricted Section in the library. She’d be able to read as long as she liked,

“Wow, you’re like a weird mixed version of Lily-Flower and me.” James chuckled ruefully. “Breaking the rules by sneaking out, but going to read books.”

“That’s basically what a kid is, James.” Lily deadpanned. “She’s half of both our DNA.”

James pouted at his wife. “Yeah, but she’s blood adopted by Sirius, so technically she’s one-third of mine, yours and Sirius’s DNA.” James pointed out. “So I thought her mischievous blood would win over your good-two-shoeness.”

as long as it took to find out who Flamel was.

“Great Hecate, you don’t give up when you’re looking for something, do you?” Astoria asked, shocked at how far Helia was going just to find out who Flamel was, if it was her she would’ve given up looking for Flamel ages ago.

Ginny snorted, pushing her Weasley red hair behind her ear. “Trust me when Helia’s focused on something it’s like she gets tunnel vision, she literally can’t do anything else until she gets her answers, too distracted.”

She set off, drawing the invisibility cloak tight around her as she walked.

Charlie chuckled, “You have an invisibility cloak, and you use it to go to the library.”

Fred groaned, “I know, it’s like we don’t mean anything to her at all.” He rolled his hazel eyes in fake disgust. “You try to teach and nurture kids and raise them right, then they turn around and stab you in the heart.”

“It’s was, to the restricted section, that’s something, right?” Helia huffed.

“Barley.” George scoffed, “the invisibility cloak opens countless doors in the art of pranking and mischief, the library was not a part the plan unless you’re there for chaos not reading.”

The library was pitch-black and very eerie, not that Helia was bothered by that

“Are you not scared of the dark?” Astoria asked shyly, peering up at Helia through her long eyelashes that framed her doe eyes.

Daphne stiffened when her sister asked Helia the question, she knew what it meant to her little sister to ask that question. Astoria always been sickly and fragile for her age, but what made her condition worse was their wanker of a sperm donor. Lord Gaelen Greengrass is a piece of shit, that cast out his younger brother afraid his more talented brother would steal his inheritance, he took mistress after mistress in hopes of a heir that would live in spite of their family curse only for six children to die leaving Daphne and Astoria remaining. Until their father got some poor woman pregnant again anyway.

Lord Gaelen may not hate Astoria as much as he did Daphne, but that didn’t mean he had any kind-hearted feelings for his youngest living daughter. He banished Astoria to never leave her room, limiting her outside interactions to Daphne and the house-elves. The sight of fragile Astoria living despite the blood curse, while his sons did not was an insult to the great lord Gaelen.

Helia’s emerald eyes cut to Astoria from her place next to her godfather, flickering to the dark look on Daphne’s face.

 “The dark is nothing new to me, as you know my relative forced me into a cupboard and called it my room. Did you know that there is one light source in my cupboard? I remember being five or six years-old, I had just started school and one of my teachers was complimenting me to my Aunt and Uncle calling me a bright child if a little shy.” Helia told the youngest Greengrass paying no mind to the tight grip Sirius had on her. “To punish me for stealing my cousin’s rightful place as a ‘well-behaved child’ in our teacher’s eyes, my Uncle had the wiring to the light in my cupboard messed with. He could cut the power to it anytime he wanted to, sending me into complete darkness anytime he liked or when I least expected it.”

Astoria’s doe eyes widened as Helia talked about her past with her relative’s abuse toward her. “That must have been scary.” Astoria’s fist were clenched tight to her chest, distressed.

Blaise watched Helia’s and Astoria’s interaction, if anyone could get the youngest Greengrass a bit more comfortable with talking and finally healing from the abuse and trauma’s she suffers from, it would be Potter. The girl was the poster child of surviving abuse and PTSD, not that didn’t mean Potter had the healthiest habits for herself, but the girl would never recommend them to anyone else —the self-sacrificing idiot— Potter felt she was past help, but she would feel a direct need to help Astoria in the way she, herself never was.

“I used to be afraid, yes.” Helia admitted, scratching roughly at her arm before she caught herself. “However, the irony is the fear I used to feel, now gives me comfort. It held me when I had no one to do so, it kept my secrets, it helped me breathe when the panic took over, it kept me sane, and it gave me freedom I didn’t have even in the light. That dark space was the only constant in my life, the only thing I really trusted, and it’s where I became who I am now. Now I am no long afraid.”

Astoria’s eyes shine with tears and hope, she beamed a shy smile at the older Gryffindor girl. Helia nodded with a half smile tugging on her lips, she didn’t miss the gentle way Daphne brushed her sister’s hair, nodding her thanks to her year-mate.

she spent her whole life in a tiny dark and stuffy cupboard for crying out loud she had learned to embrace the dark wholeheartedly. Helia lit a lamp to see her way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Helia could feel her arm supporting it. She adored every minute of it,

Padma shivered, “That sound so creepy, it would just make me think I’m suddenly a ghost.”

Susan face showed recognition, “Oh, yeah, your boggart was a ghost, wasn’t it.”

Neville turned to the Ravenclaw girl with an expression of disbelief on his face. “How does a fear of ghost coexist in a school that has over two dozen ghost just wandering around?”

Padma’s face paled recalling all the near heart attacks she had when a ghost stunk up on her, she swore they did it on purpose. “Poorly, it goes very poorly.” She shivered again. “It’s actually how I meet Helia too.”

“Really?” Neville asked, he had seen Helia with Padma here and here over the school years at first he thought it was Parvati, but he knew Helia avoided her girly roommate if she could help it than he saw the blue Ravenclaw robes the look alike was wearing. That was when he figured out his housemate had a twin.

“Yep.” Helia nodded. “Peeve heard about her fear, and practically haunted her every step for weeks.”

“I couldn’t eat, sleep, or study without Peeves popping out, scaring the living daylights out of me. Parvati witnessed one too many scares and wanted to put a stop to it, but Peeves didn’t listen to anyone she told.” Padma explained, clearing her dry throat, rubbing nervously at her neck. “She heard from one of the other student that Helia and Peeves had a friendship of sorts, she decided to ask her for help.”

Helia snorted. “Parvati thought I was the one telling Peeves to scare Padma, she confronted me, screaming that she would have my head girl-who-lived or not. As she had dual citizenship, she didn’t give a flying fuck is she had to flee Britain for murdering me.”

Padma blushed, her sister was always protective, but it was still a shock that she at age eleven threatened the wizarding world saviour when she thought was bullying Padma. “I am still so sorry about that, Helia. Parvati isn’t really…the delicate type.”

“No kidding.” Helia drawled, “Any way I got Peeves to lay off, warned the other ghost that Padma wasn’t really comfortable with them and to have some caution around her. And Parvati didn’t have to flee the country, so she was pleased as well.”

from the sensation of being invisible to the knowledge she could go anywhere and do anything she wanted. For a girl who had made it an ingrained mannerism to try to blend into the background wishing to be invisible, this was like coming home in a weird macabre way.

Theo quietly snorted, Merlin was Helia the female equivalent of his kærasti. While their under laying reasoning as to why they trained themselves to blend and thrive in the background and it safe shadows were different, it both was a means of safety and survival to the two.

The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, she held up her lamp to read the titles.

“You would think the restricted section would have some kind of charm to alert the professors that someone was entering the restricted section. As proven by Helia it doesn’t absolutely nothing.” Kingsley pointed out, his deep voice rumbling his disapproval of the lack of wards.

“Kingsley’s right! What kind of precautions are being taken, wards, charms, damn trip wire anything!” Moody growled. “Have you people not heard of constant vigilance!”

They didn't tell her much. Their peeling, faded gold letters spelled words in languages Helia couldn't understand. Some had no title at all. One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood. The hairs on the back of Helia's neck prickled. Maybe she was imagining it, maybe not, but she thought a faint whispering was coming from the books,

“Geez, Helia your magic senses are top-notch.” Bill whistled. “You’re literally feeling the magic impressions from the books.”

Luna smiled crookedly, “Yes, Helia is exceptional at feeling the surrounding magic and it’s aura. She’s come quite far with reading and understand what her senses are trying to tell her too. Daddy says she’s one of the best students he’s had, took to it faster than a Bahkauv on a drunkard.”

Bill mouthed Bahkauv to Charlie, but he was looking at his brother. No, Charlie was too busy telling Luna how one of his colleagues got drunk on his night off only to be forced to carry around a Bahkauv when he went to take a piss in the town fountain.

“He was lucky, we found he before it decided to attack.” Charlie laughed, blue eyes shining as the Lovegood girl full attention was his. “We’ve never let him live it down.

as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.

She had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, she looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught her eye. She pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on her knee, let it fall open. 

A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence -- the book was screaming!

“Of course you had to pick the one book that would give away your position immediately.” James shook his head. 

“Tough luck, Pup.” Sirius laughed, ruffling her chaotic locks.

Helia snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, earsplitting note. She stumbled backward and knocked over her lamp, which went out at once. Panicking, she heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside -- stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, she ran for it.

"What? What’s this, is Helia Potter, panicking?”  Tonks asked disbelief, never know the girl to panic only really see her calm, angry and plotting.

"I was eleven and the book was screaming at me.” Helia defended her younger self’s actions even though she was scolding herself in her head.

“Potter, you seem to have forgotten you are invisible, therefore running could cause your cloak to slip and reveal you. It would’ve made much more sense to calm walk from the situation.” Theo advised her, in a way that would sound helpful, but was really condescending if you were smart enough to pick up on it.

“Shut up, Nott.” Helia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I was eleven, and it was my first time sneaking from the dorms, alright.”

“I would ask if that could be the last time you did.” Lily sighed. “But I already know the answer.”

She passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through her, and Helia slipped under Filch's outstretched arm

“It’s a good thing Helia so flexible and agile.” George said. “Able to get out of tight spots.”

“Please.” Fred scoffed. “Her best weapon was she’s so short.”

Helia scowled at Fred, her eyes caught Daphne’s icy blues, conveying what she wanted. Daphne nodded, slapping Fred upside the head.

“Ow, whose side are you on, woman!”

and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in her ears. 

She came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armor. She had been so busy getting away from the library, she hadn't paid attention to where she was going. Perhaps because it was dark, she didn't recognize where she was at all. There was a suit of armor near the kitchens, she knew, but she must be five floors above there.

“There are hundreds of suits of armor all over the school ground and they all have the ability to move, I would not consider them reliable landmarks.” McGonagall pointed out.

“Ah, but most amours didn’t leave their floor level unless in emergencies, and all amors, that shared a level had the same design of amor leaving it pretty simple to tell which floor level you’re on at least.” Helia explained, much to people’s shock. “I just had to take that and other variables into account, and I would find my way again.”

"You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section. "

“Let me guess, Snape?” James winced.

Snape sneered at James. “You’d be right, Potter, your daughter was lucky that cloak kept her hidden or else I would’ve caught her.”

Helia felt the blood drain out of her face. Wherever she was, Filch must know a shortcut,

“Hate to break it to you, but he does,” Fred nodded.

“But the old coot, doesn’t know the school as well as we do.” George smirked.

Helia say the look her dad gave Sirius and Remus. “They had the map for a couple of years before kindly handing it down to me.” She whispered to him.

because his soft, greasy voice was getting nearer, and to her horror, it was Snape who replied, "The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them.  

Helia stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see her, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into her -- the cloak didn't stop her from being solid.

"Glad you realized that from the start, kind of wished someone told us that from the start.” Sirius pouted, glaring at James.

“Aww, are you still mad about that?” James grinned, laughing at the memory.

“James, we ran right into a portrait door thinking we could go right through it.” Remus sighed.

“Hey, I mean we did go through it in a way, just not in the way you were thinking.” James falsely comforted his friends.

“You are not helping!”

She backed away as quietly as she could. A door stood ajar to her left. It was her only hope. She squeezed through it, holding her breath, trying not to move it, and to her relief she managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything. They walked straight past, and Helia leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away.

“Man, that was too close for comfort.” Tonks breathed a sigh of relief. “Glad none of the Professors caught me on late night adventures, back when I was in school.”

Charlie frowned at his troublemaker of a friend. “The only reason you never got caught was because you shifted into your housemates, letting them take the blame.”

Tonks shrugged, carelessly. “Hey, it was me or them, and I might be a disowned Black, but I still have the traits of one.”

That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before she noticed anything about the room she had hidden in.

It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket -- but propped against the wall facing her was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.

Helia scowled, why wasn’t the mirror in the trapdoor? How could it be guarding the stone when it was out in the open where anyone could get to it? Unless someone wanted her to see the mirror.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

Ron tripped over the words, confusing everyone.

Luna leaned over to scan the book, “I show not your face but your heart's desire,” Luna nodded, seriously. “I wonder if the creator was using it as a cypher or if they could on write in spiegelschrift.”

Lily lit up, understand what Luna was saying. “Of course, a mirror! To read the passage on needs to read it like a mirror would show it.”

Helia bit her lip, clenching her fist until she felt the pain of her palms being pierced. That mirror could be call one of the few things that truly came close to killing her.

Her panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, curious as to why the grand mirror was abandoned in this unused classroom she glanced into the mirror She had to clap her hands to her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

The Twins turned to stare at Helia in shock. “Bloody Hell, is that mirror cursed?! I have never known Helia to almost scream out in fear, it has to be cursed!” Fred exclaimed, freaked out.

“Yeah this is coming from a girl who can drop sixty feet from the arm and still hop right back on her broom to keep on playing!” George pointed at Helia, who wouldn’t look at anyone as she stared up at the ceiling.

Ron frowned at his brothers, “Helia’s allowed to be surprised or frightened, this is hard for her, so why don’t you two knock it off for now.”

The Twins shared at glance as they noticed their younger brother’s seriousness, with a nod they quieted down.

She whirled around. Her heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed -- for she had seen not only herself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind her.

But the room was empty.

“I don’t get it, how could Helia see people in the mirror that aren’t really there?” Astoria asked, confused.

Padma paled, biting her thumbnail. “Maybe, it’s one of those cursed mirrors that trap peoples souls into it.” A shiver ran down her spine, “I heard that since mirrors show your true reflection, allowing malevolent spirits to judge your worth through them.”

Susan, Neville and Hermione all stared at Padma, no wonder she was scared of ghost if she was reading things like that about them.

Charlie weighed the mirror’s inscription, ‘I show not your face but your heart's desire’, over and over in his head. Not faces, a heart’s desire? Then why show Helia a crowed of people? Helia hated being in crowds, so then did the people have a special meaning to Helia? He only knew Helia from his sporadic visits home, his siblings letters and whenever a dragon crossed Helia’s path—which was surprisingly often— but he knew Helia loved his family, nor did her relatives count her as their family. His eyes widened as the thought finally popped into his head, Helia’s heart desire could only really be one thing. If it was really what he thought, then it’s no wonder Helia was so distressed to read this chapter, and to have to read it with her parents who are really dead had be an extra sort of torture.

Breathing very fast, she turned slowly back to the mirror.

She braced herself, studying the phantom people in the mirror. The first person that caught her eyes was a pretty woman with dark red hair that fell down her back like a waterfall of fire and bright green eyes —just like mine,

An injured noise rose from Lily’s throat, why was that mirror showing her baby, her?

Snape slumped in his seat, what he thought of was a prideful girl that had little care for authority was there as an eleven year-old faced with her dead mother taunting her from a mirror that she was never meant to find. She didn’t even recognize Lily if not for her eyes…the same eyes she shared with her daughter—those eyes haunted his days and dreams—

Helia thought edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green -- exactly the same shape, but then she noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time.

“Mum!” Helia exclaimed, jolting out of her daze of trying to ignore this moment. Until her Mum started to cry that was.

Lily covered her face as a sob broke past her lips, “Baby, Heli it’s okay, I promise.” She allowed her shaking Husband to pull her and their daughter into his embrace. “We should’ve been there for you, I’m sorry, Baby.”

Helia looked up at her Mum in shock, her lips quivering. “No, Mum, no.” Helia shook her head, rapidly. “I’m sor—

“Helia!” James shouted, making Helia flinch in his embrace. “Never, I mean never, say you’re sorry, it was our job to protect you, and we failed at doing so.” James said intensely, trying to make sure Helia understood what he was saying. “We should’ve ran away with you, when we got the news our actions led to a target on you. We foolishly thought we’d be able to defy Voldemort once more, but it seemed our arrogance played a hand in our death and leaving you all alone.”

“Dad.” Helia whispered as tears slipped down her cheeks.

As an arm wrapped around the crying woman she followed it to a tall man next to her, he was as tan as her with the same unruly black hair as her thou’ his was cut in more of a boy’s style than her messily chopped hair that fell in messy curls a little pasted her chin. His eyes framed by rectangle spectacles not hiding how warm and friendly his hazel eyes emitted, his crooked grin on his handsome face didn’t waver as he whiped his watering eyes with the back of his hand.

"James." Sirius whispered, his voice wavering as he felt the familiar feeling of pain in his chest. His silver eyes, dulling to a murky grey looking like he did when he first broke out of Azkaban a barely living man that was tortured by his past and the ghosts that chained him down never allowing him to rest in peace.

“Hey, Siri. It’s okay Mate, I’m here.” James comforted as he held his family, reach out a hand for his brother hold on to.

Remus paled in a way he only did after a full moon, only it was not his body aching in pain it was heart that ached in pain. He rested his head onto Sirius’s boney shoulder that shook from the tears he was holding back.

A hand gentle rest on his back, not doing anything, but just letting him know they were there. He was too weak right now to curse himself for excepting the younger woman’s comfort.

Madam Bones clenched her fist, as she watched the Potter Family and their friends lose themselves in grief once again. Her golden eyes narrowed at how James Potter reach out for Black calling him a brother, not a traitor like they all thought Black was all these years. It was painfully obvious Black was willing to die before he hurt the Potter’s, Helia obviously adored him and cared what he thought of her.

How could anyone think Sirius Black betrayed the Potter’s? There was something that just didn’t add up why did he kill all those Muggles and his old school friend, when he could’ve taken Helia as her legal guardian anytime he wanted? Yes something didn’t add up, for sure.

A thought struck her like a bolt of lightning, her feet moving closer to the enchanting mirror without her permission.

“Mum?” Helia choked out, clutching her chest as she felt a sharp pain there. “Dad?”

"You didn't even know what your parents looked like?"  Padma asked horrified.

Helia shook her head, her emerald eyes dark and dull. “Mmm, that was the first time I see my parents, I don’t miss the irony of people telling me I looked just like my parent when I myself have no clue as to what they look like.”

“That’s awful!” Neville exclaimed, he of course knew what his parents looked like from hospital visits, but his Nan would pull out the scrapbooks and photo albums that she save from his parent’s old house every time he asked, telling him everything she knew about both of them to the best of her ability. “Did the Dursleys not have any pictures at all?”

Helia snorted at the thought of her relatives keeping anything that linked them with their freakish side of the family. “If there ever was, it was burned and thrown out long ago.”

They smiled and nodded, as they stared at her both smiling and crying —her Dad and Mum— getting choked up, she tore her wet eyes away from their faces as she looked at the others in the mirror.

“Other’s?” Lily wondered, as she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief Remus handed her. “Who else was there?”

Draco straightened, could the mirror also show Helia her future family as well?

Behind her Mum was a couple, the woman was what most people called goth she had snow-white skin and the hair the colour of blood as it fell pin straight down her back, her eyes bright blue that stood starkly out on her striking face.

Lily blinked owlishly, “Mother?!” She turned to her daughter. “You saw my Mother?!”

Helia stared startled at her Mother. “I mean, I guess, I did I could only guess that was who they were, but I never asked anyone to confirm my theory.”

She had seen those eyes before they were her Aunt Petunia’s eyes, though her Aunt’s eyes never stood out like this woman’s that screamed danger and a seductiveness that she never saw conveyed with just a look before.

Lily laughed, “Please, Tuney could never hold herself like Mother did. Belladonna Addams-Evans was the type of woman to scare people into their place by just sitting silently with a smile on her face.” She smiled, thinking of her Mother. “My Father always said Mother was the most sublime creature he had the misfortune of meeting.”

“Misfortune?” Helia raised an eyebrow.

Lily scratched at her cheek, avoiding her daughter’s question gaze. “Yeah…Father said it was such a misfortune that he meet Mother, he was at the time trying to kill her Father after Grandfather Damocles had him kidnapped as a means to make Father’s family fall into chaos after losing its heir.”

Helia’s eyes bugged out, she was not the only one everyone, but the Marauders and Snape were staring in shock.

“Kidnapping? Kill?!” Helia demanded answers.

Lily laughed nervously. “The Addams family and Evans clan had been bitter enemies for centuries, usually the Evans hunted the Addams. But Grandfather decided to nip it in the bud before they could gather and go after his daughter, my Mother, as they did to our other relatives. So he had the next clan head kidnapped, Father said he was never sure if Mother fell in love with him because he was trying to kill her Father or if she just likedo how he looked cover in blood.”

Helia blinked trying to process that information, she wasn’t one to really care what others did with their romantic life —how could she judge when she fell for a boy who tormented her and her friends, hiding his true self away, as everyone he’s ever known was on the opposite side from her. Could she really blame him for choosing others before her, when she did the same?— if her Grandparents found love in-between kidnapping, murder plots, and family feuds, all the better to them. She would probably not be as lucky, for she did not see love in her future when a war, blood prejudice, a dark lord stood between them higher then the Great Wall of China. “They sound very in love.” Was all she said to her Mother, seeing that her easy acceptance put her Mother at ease.

Next to the hauntingly gorgeous woman was a blonde man his body held ridge as if in pain, but the look in his green eyes wasn’t pain it was shadows like the ones that clouded hers. Yes, this man had lived a hard life, however as the gothic woman brushed her midnight black claws through his blonde wavy hair a twitch on his lips told her he found a place to call his own.

“My Father, Jasper of Clan Evans.” Lily beamed as she listened to her Father’s description. “Everyone always said he must’ve been in poor health for him to have such a pained look to him all the time, but Evan clan held an ability to read people, whether it was body language, lies and truth, the thought process or people’s feelings.” Lily smiled, remembering how her Father would tell her their clan’s stories as they danced slowly in front of the fireplace or trained in the wheat field behind their house.

 “My Father had the strongest ability in the clan since my great-great Grandfather, he could feel the emotion of everyone around him to the point they felt like his own. He could even manipulate them, either it was to dial them up or turn them down, before he passed he could even make you feel something completely different in an instant.” Lily sighed sadly, suddenly missing her Father.

James shivered, remembering the one and only time he met his Father-in-law. “Yeah…Jasper Evans was certainly not a man to be trifled with.” He could still feel the spilt second on absolute agony of Lily’s father inflicted on him, as a warning. “But then again, I’d rather him, then Belladonna Addams-Evans.”

Behind her Dad was another couple the man was tall as her dad, why he looked like a carbon copy of him really, from the hair, skin tone to the eyes hidden behind glasses though he looked more serious than her dad. However, he had a nice smile when almost tripped himself up trying to peep around her dad to get a better look at her.

“Psst” James laughed. “That’s Dad, alright, serious until he almost trips himself up. That man was one of the clumsiest people in the world it’s a wondered that man survived without blowing himself up in his potions lab.”

Sirius felt a smile grow onto his face, thinking of all the times Lord Fleamont Potter’s clumsy disposition caused just as much chaos as his and James pranks did.

The woman next to him rolled her blue-green eyes at her bumbling husband pushing her heavy golden curls out of her face, her red plush lips pulling into a soft smile —Helia realized they shared the same lip shape and colour—

“Mama Mina.” Sirius smiled, Lady Euphemina Potter saved his life as a teen. She took care a broken teen that was dragged into her home by her son, she showed him what a Mom could be, what they were meant to be and he would never forget his love for her.

these other people where her grandparent on both sides of her parents.

Helia was looking at her family, for the first time in her life.

Ron chocked up as he read over that line, it hurt his heart that his best friend who suffered so, much in her life only desired a family. She had no need for fame, riches, or other unnecessary items he knew this now, and all he could do for Helia was be by her side and hope it eased the ache for her a bit.

Snape felt his heart break a little more for Helia Potter in that moment, he knew it wasn’t fair of him to take out his schoolyard hatred for James Potter out on a child. However, that child was the mocking reminder of what could’ve been his—or what he had hoped would be his— but he screwed up with Lily and he was being to see he screwed up with Helia as well. He was the one who told the prophecy to the

Dark Lord, it was his fault Lily and...James had died at the Dark Lord’s hands, at least a little. It seems all Severus Snape was good for was regretting.

Shakily her hands reached out to pressed flat against the glass as though she was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. She couldn’t tell if that was a hidden wish to be with her family or something a bit more morbid—

Strong hands grasped Helia’s shoulders, forcing her to look into distraught hazel eyes. “Fawn, No! Never think like that! You’re our only child, Lily and I would never in any form ask you to give up your life!” James stressed to his daughter. “I’d have to be dragged to the pits of hell before then, and even then I’d still tell you to protect your life.”

“Heli, Darling your Father’s right, we would never want that of you I know sometimes you just can’t be help and think it may not be worth it, but please know that we are with you even if you can’t see or feel us. We love you Helia, more than life it’s self and that what we want for you…a life lived.” Lily told Helia, stroking her daughter’s hair.

Helia’s lips wobbled, as her eyes welled with tears. “It’s hard sometimes with no one, I grew up that way, so I told myself I was better off alone. But some days it was all I could think was no one wanted me and I hoped that you’d want me if it ever got to the point I couldn’t bare the loneliness no more.”

Her parents pulled her into an embrace as the tears fell from their eyes. “We will always want you, Fawn, but we gave you life and we want you to live it. Even tho’ we can’t live it with you.” James promised.

“And it seems that you have been making your own family you can live your life with.” Lily smiled at her daughter through the tears.

Helia’s eyes wandered to her best friends who clutched at each other, the Twins solemn faces, Luna’s wide sad eyes, Neville’s heartbroken expression as he comforted Padma and Susan, her Godfather and Remus’s tears and Draco’s heartbreaking look as he gazed at her. Guess there were quite a bit of people she could live her life with.

She had a powerful kind of ache inside her, half joy, half terrible sadness.

“That mirror, will drive you mad,” Neville said urgently. “Please, Helia.”

“Neville!” Ron snapped, not wanting anyone nagging on Helia when she was already aware exactly what that mirror was doing to her.

Helia sighed, “Ron, it’s alright, he’s just worried.” She smiled a worn smile at them.

Hermione glared at everyone, warning them off, “They should realize that this is not an easy moment for you to relive, and it would go smoother if they didn’t open their mouths.”

Suddenly, Helia felt a strike of rage towards this enchanted mirror,

Dumbledore’s eyebrows furrowed, so she felt rage that quick, did she? He at least thought she would be in snared by the thrall of the mirror a while longer.

Theo said nothing, as he watched the Headmaster’s expression. It seems the old man was hoping for something else when Helia faced the mirror, was he disappointed that she saw her family or was it his was disappointed in her reaction to the mirror itself?

for all magnificence and bloody golden frame called to like a siren song doth a jolly sailor bold. She was no stranger to anger, felt it most of her life, but this? This anger was a raging storm inside her chest, each strike hit every nerve in her body stealing the breath from her lungs the clashes echoed in her head til she could hear nothing else.

Was this mirror mocking her?

Blaise eyed Helia, who was breathing in from her nose and out from her mouth. Breathing technique to calm anger instead of the kind she used when she needed to calm down her anxiety. Most people would think Helia Potter, would be easy prey for this type of trick, but he knew she was much too stubborn in her ways to be manipulated by a gaudy mirror. “What a dangerous person.” He murmured to his Tesoro, who nodded agreeing with him.

Remus closed his eyes as if in pain, Helia’s reaction was just like what Sirius would’ve been a long time ago, before James and Lily’s murder, before Peter’s betrayal, before Remus left him to rot in Azkaban for thirteen years. Now thou’ he feared Sirius would lose the last line of his sanity if ever face with that mirrors’s temptation.

Shoving the fact that she had had no family in her face, she had to hold herself back from shattering the damned thing. Then let’s see if it dared to spite her like this again.

How long she stood there, she didn't know. Trying to not give in the temptation of her family’s reflections trapped cruelly behind that infernal glass as ever out of her reach. The reflections did not fade and she could not get her feet to carry her away, not matter how much she begged them to after what seemed hours long after her legs had given up on her leaving her kneeling on the floor silently begging for something.

“Helia.” Hermione cried, glaring at her hands that hadn’t been there to hold her best friend and soul bound all she did was curl up in her bed and cry from the overwhelming emotions she was feeling from Helia all the way from Hogwarts. She jumped out of her seat when Helia reached out her hand for her, rushing to grasp it like it was a lifeline, and for her, it was the hand that reach out for her that saved from her life of loneliness. And when Helia was drowning in her own loneliness she wasn’t there to reach out her own hand in return.

Ron followed Hermione’s lead as they both curled up in front of Helia’s legs, where she was squished in between her parents. Hermione clutched at Helia hand resting her head of bushy curls on her friend’s knee, facing Ron who leaned onto Helia’s other leg to feel his friend’s warmth through his sweater as he continued to read like that.

When a distant noise brought her back to her senses. She couldn't stay here, she had to find her way back to bed. She forced herself up to her feet, scolding herself for that fleeting glance at her dad and mum’s faces, but she had to remind herself she was only human and then she fled without a word.

A paled face McGonagall warned her, “Do not go back Miss. Potter, it will not end well if you do.”

Charlie growled at his old Head of House, “Did it sound like she wanted to be there, she was mentally trapped by the blasted mirror! And I thought you Professors were supposed to keep your students safe, why is that thing out in the open!”

“It was not out in the open—

“Oh, please!” Tonks scoffed, her hair for once not reflecting her emotions, but it was her natural dark ringlets that stood out on her pale skin and her dark eyes staring daggers into Dumbledore as he cut him off. “You call that out of the way, an unused classroom?! There are over 300 hundred of students if not more at Hogwarts, any number of them could’ve had a run in with that mirror endangering them mentally!”

“Shame about not finding Flamel. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?" Ron asked.

Helia couldn't eat. She had seen her parents in probably the cruelest of forms she wondered if it was worth knowing what her family was only to know that while it seemed like they were there smiling at her, they could never be with her in the way she wanted, the way she needed them to be.

She had almost forgotten about Flamel. Because of that accursed mirror nothing seemed very important anymore.

"The mirror, it’s affecting Helia even from a distance.” Bill observed anxiously, “I’ve seen it with cursed object all the time, when the victim comes in contact or even in the vicinity of the object it in snares them in their magic.”

“Yes, but how would you break the curse of something like that!” Mrs. Weasley turned to her oldest frightfully, a handkerchief clutched into in her hand.

Bill thought it over, “Usually we’d remove it and put it under contamination to study it, so we can successfully lift the curse place on the item.”

“There’s no one to decurse the mirror! The Professors don’t seem to give a damn if Helia goes mad or worse, dies from that fucking mirror!” Charlie whispered-yelled, furiously.

Bill’s blue eyes sharpened, as a thought came to him. “She could always try….. breaking it.”

“And if that just makes it worse?!”

Bill’s face said it all, then there was no hope for Helia if that was the case.

Who cared what the three headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really?

"That's not good," Kingsley said quietly. “Not good at all.

Neville blanched, “You actually gave up?!”

She shuddered in her seat as her magic crackled and rippled over her skin, fighting against the call of temptation that told her to go back again tonight. Her magic screeched as it tugged at the bond tie that was stretched in the direction of Hermione —even though she herself was far away back in the non-magical word with her parents—

“Her magic is fighting the mirror.” Moody observed, his magic eye scanning the Potter girl.

“It seems like her magic need more help to fight off the corruption of the mirror, and it was calling out through the bond attached to Miss. Granger for assistance.” Madam Bones rationalized. “That would’ve been extremely painful for newly bonded, along with Miss. Potter’s emotional stress I would not be surprised if Miss. Granger would have to be hospitalized from the shock of it all.”

“Not, Granger, the girl may come off as a paper pusher.” Moody denied, “but the girl has a fiery will powering her.”

"Are you all right?" said Ron. "You look odd. " 

"You were staring into space, getting paler by the minute. It was like you were wasting away right in front of my eyes." Ron whispered, unable to look at Helia. It was his fault they went back to the mirror, if only he had listened.

Helia feared she was weak when Ron asked if she wanted to good search for information on Flamel, she readily agreed before the thought took root into her head than it was too late to back-track.

“The mirror was influencing her thoughts, to lure her back.” Draco hissed to Blaise and Theo.

“If she could fight the feeling, locking herself away she could probably fight off the mirrors affects.” Theo said, but he had no idea if that would really work for all he knew it would drive Helia off the brink.

“Like withdrawal! Potter’s clearly survived the mirror, so either she broke the curse or she fought the affects, we just have to wait and see.” Blaise sighed.

With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They routed around the library for over an hour, but again no Flamel to be found.

"I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back. "

“Yes, Pup, don’t go back.” Sirius begged, not wanting Helia to suffer under the mirror’s control again.

“Okay.” Helia agreed, wanting nothing more than to go and curl up in her bed and just wallow.

They passed the ghost of a tall beautiful witch gliding in the opposite direction,

Luna spared a smile for her Lady Grey, a dear friend, even when she warned her of Helia.

but saw no one else. Just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Helia in dread spotted the suit of armor. 

It seemed that the mirror’s call was especially strong this night, as even when she tried to drag her feet and fight the allurement of the looking glass. But it was useless because Ron took the bait in her stead.

“Bloody fuckin’ Hell!” Ron cursed, beating himself up for letting that blasted mirror trick him into bring Helia back to it.

“Ron, it’s okay.” Helia comforted, running her fingers through his shaggy red hair. “You didn’t know.”

“I should’ve.” Ron grumbled.

“Hey! Let’s rest here - - Helia come on!”

Ron pushed the door open. Helia almost dropped to her knees again at the sight of the magnificent and menacing magic mirror. She let the cloak slip from their shoulders as Ron gasped at the mirror in awe and curiosity.

There they were. Her mum and dad beamed at the sight of her.

“Please….” Helia whispered.

“Fawn, your okay, Love.” James whispered into her hair. “You fought it, it can’t reach you no more.”

Draco gritted his teeth as the mirror forced Helia Potter, the girl who bowed down for no one, to beg for mercy. He was going to be busy this year because as so as they were done with these book he was using every connection to find that malicious mirror and smashing it till it’s nothing, but dust.

What? What is it?” Ron asked, "I can't see anything. "

He leaned in to her space pressed to her side, and suddenly she couldn’t see her family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pyjamas.

“Ron don’t!” Bill cried, fearful of what the mirror would tempt his brother with.

Ron winced at how worried his brother sounded, he had nothing to worry tho’ eleven-year-old Ron’s desires were nothing that would break him that didn’t keep him up at night or haunted him like Helia’s did. As he grew his priorities have changed and his desires surely changed as well.

Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.

"Look at me!" he said.

"Can you see all your family standing around you?"

"No -- I'm alone -- but I'm different -- I look older -- and I'm head boy!"

His brother’s turned to Ron surprised, as Ron clenched his fist at his brothers looks.

“Ron, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be Head Boy.” Percy reassured Ron, troubled as to why Ron looked as if it was the worst thing that could happen. “The Twins might pick on you a bit, but that’s all.

“I know, but…that wasn’t my desire.” Ron bit his lip, not meeting his brother’s eyes. “It was showing desire differently, then it did with Helia.”

The Weasley's looked at Ron worriedly.

"What?"

"I am -- I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to -- and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup -- I'm Quidditch captain, too. " 

“Oh, Ron.” Bill sighed,"I get it."

"Get what?" The Twins asked.

"Ron is the youngest of the five of us…it’s only natural he would feel that he’d have to do better than all of us to receive recognition.” Bill explained, sadly.

“What?! Bullocks! Why would he need to prove anything to us!” Fred exclaimed, angrily.

“Bill’s right.” Ron interrupted, a dark look in his normally ocean blue eyes. “I felt inadequate to you all, everything that I could’ve done has already been done before leaving it always. Head boy? Oh Bill, was such a good head boy in his time or Charlie was quidditch captain in his time, do you really think you could do better?”

“Ron, we would never think your inadequate to any of use.” Charlie comforted, “Your still growing, trying to find what’s a good fit for you, it’s okay to take your time.”

“We think your pretty great all on your own.” George promised, with a grin.

Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Helia.

"Do you think this mirror shows the future?" 

"How can it? All my family are dead – let go before someone comes.”

"Give me a bit more time, this is great. "

Helia felt that rage again, half at the mirror, half at Ron. She wasn’t sure if her mind was sound right now with the magic of the mirror tainting everything she was mad that Ron was blocking her from seeing her parents, but she had to remind herself that she was trying to resist the lure.

“Their fighting.” Luna whispered, pulling at her hair.

A hand pulled her hair from her grasp, gentle brushing through the long pale blonde locks. “They don’t mean to fight, the mirror is forcing them.” Charlie told her.

“I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

"You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? Please let’s go.” 

"Don't push me--" 

“Helia, Ron! Please, don’t fight.” Mrs. Weasley fretted.

A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.

"Quick!"

Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Ron and Helia stood quite still, both thinking the same thing -- did the cloak work on cats?

“We asked ourselves the same thing several times, but we never did figure out the answer for sure.” Remus recalled. When ever they crossed paths with Mrs. Norris she seemed to stare straight at them making them doubt their plans, it always ended with them running away from a frickin’ cat

After what seemed an age, she turned and left. 

"This isn't safe -- she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on. " 

And Ron pulled Helia out of the room.

“There now the both of you had your fill, never go back please and thank you.” Susan snapped on edge.

The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.

"Want to play chess, Helia?" said Ron.

"No. " 

"Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?" 

"No. . . you go. . . " 

“You were really worrying me.” Ron mumbled to Helia, he figured the only reason he wasn’t spiralling like Helia did was his worry for Helia was stronger than what the mirror showed him or the mirror was already using most of its powers on Helia that it had a weaker hold on him.

“I know.” Helia told him, fingering his hair knowing Ron wasn’t looking for an apology, he was telling her he knew that she was falling apart back then and he was here for her if it happened again.

Luna watched Helia a little lost, the first chance Helia got when she first befriended Luna she had introduced her to Hagrid. And it was very common for Helia to take all of her friends to Hagrid’s for a cup of tea, it was like Helia was showing Hagrid she was making bonds and also showing her friends that Hagrid was important to her and she wanted them to get along.

"I know what you're thinking about, Helia, that mirror. Don't go back tonight. "

“Weasley is right, it would be best to isolate yourself.” Theo nodded, give no shit at the aghast looks people where giving him.

“That was not what I was saying, at all.” Ron boggled, at his Slytherin year-mate.

“Are you trying to make her take that final step off the edge.” Ginny demanded.

Theo looked at her blankly. “Logically it’s the best step, it the mirror can’t be decursed. So to be cured she has to force herself to detox or as the Muggles say go cold turkey.”

Hermione held a hand up, stopping Ginny from attacking the stoic Slytherin. “I see where you’re coming from and when I came back from the holiday break Helia was already going through the classic symptoms of withdrawal, isolation was not needed thankfully.”

Draco’s sharp eyes flashed between the Golden Trio, “How was isolation not needed? It doesn’t make sense that the mirror was affecting Helia even when she wasn’t in it vicinity of it, leading one to believe it has a large range once it affects its victims. And you’re saying that the mirror, what just decided eh I don’t really want this scrawny little girl that’s this close to breaking?!”

“It wasn’t needed, it will tell you why in this chapter if you allow us to carry on, Malfoy.” Hermione spat, condescendingly.

Draco sneered back at Hermione, holding his tongue less he spouted out something he couldn’t take back.

"I’m not, why would I go back?" Helia asked, but not even she believed herself. That bloody mirror was driving her insane, after everything she had been through this is what broke her?

“Can’t even lie to yourself, huh.” Blaise noticed.

Helia chuckled humourless, “I could barely think straight, couldn’t close my eyes without thinking of my family behind the mirror, nor could I eat or drink anything. Forgive me if my capability to lie well is off it’s game.”

Ron sighed as Blaise and Helia smiled at each other an edge too sweetly to be real, “Trust me, that ability to lie even when she’s having a metal breakdown has been sadly fixed, Helia could be bleeding out with no help coming to save her and she would still bullshit saying she was bright-eyed and bushy tailed.”

Ginny paled, remembering when Helia was bleeding out on that cold stone floor as poison crawled its way to her heart, Helia telling her to leave her behind to die alone taking Ginny’s fate that she save her from.

"I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it --

“Good, Weasley, trust those instincts!” Moody approved. “If something feels off, than it most likely is.”

“Oh, Jeez what wise words, old man.”  Tonks sarcastically said, rolling her light pink eyes.

Moody deadpanned at the younger Auror, “I am not only your mentor, but you’re supervising officer, Nymphadora.”

Fire red took over Tonks pink locks, “Don’t call me Nymphadora.” She growled.

and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?" 

"You sound like Hermione. " 

“….And.” Hermione stared down Helia who squirmed under her gaze.

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing.” Helia squeaked, when Hermione poked her in the ribs. “You know I love you, I was just deflecting Ron’s worries, I didn’t want to be lectured at that moment.”

"I'm serious, Helia, don't go. "

But Helia only had one thought in her head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and it wasn’t for the reason Ron thought. Not even Ron was going to stop her.

“Helia, when will you get it through your head that you don’t have to keep things from us.” Hermione sighed, “It’s perfectly fine to ask us to help you, we don’t need an explanation, and we’ll help no questions needed.”

Helia’s shoulders tensed, uncomfortable, even after the many times she and her friends had to have this conversation.

“Mione’s right, Mate.” Ron said tilting his head back to look up at her. “I know we’ve sometimes think things in very different ways and don’t always agree, but we got your back, just say the word.”

Helia smiled at her best friends, leaning down to hug the both of them tightly.

That third night she found her way more quickly than before. She was walking so fast she knew she was making more noise than was wise, but she didn't meet anyone.

And there were her mother and father smiling at her again, and one of her grandfathers nodding happily. Helia fingered the heavy brass scale in her hand, the heaviness of the weight reminding her what she needed to do.

Draco gawked at Helia in disbelief. “No.” He breathed out, a smirk twitching onto his lips.

Helia felt an answering smirk forming on her lips, “I might have been slowly losing my mind because of the stupid mirror, doesn’t mean I wasn’t going down without a fight.”

“For once I really don’t find you Gryffindor tendencies annoying, as usual.” Draco chuckled, gazing at her.

“I suppose you now know how I feel in the rare moments you’re not an asshole.” Helia shot back, cheekily.

She had planned this as carefully as one can when their being drive out of their mind, she decided against using magic or her fist to break the cursed mirror. Magic left traces, and they could scan her wand for any destructive spells,

“You were eleven, how did you know that authorities did that?” Madam Bones asked, astounded.

“Pssh, you think I would walk into a new society without learning every law and process I could? Please, I read through all the law and politics books available too in Hogwarts library in my first three weeks, maybe a month tops.” Helia huffed, her expression saying everything she wasn’t.

she also wasn’t that far gone that she couldn’t recognize that beating the mirror would while let out her frustration would also leave her a bloody messy —which would be counterproductive to not leaving a trace no need to make it look like a murder scene as well—

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake.” Remus sighed, closing his eyes as if in pain. “I’m not sure, I should be happy you didn’t try to break a fifteen to twenty foot mirror with your tiny eleven-year-old fist, or concerned that the only reason you didn’t was because you didn’t think it was worth the mess.”

“I need a whole bottle of fire whiskey, to unpack that.” Sirius groaned.

“I will join you in draining that bottle.” James nodded, dazed.

“Get your own, Bastard.” Sirius grumbled.

James pouted. “Hey, you’re the one who didn’t burry a bottle with me.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, there’s no need to wonder where Helia gets it from.”

“What?…too soon?”

She had unscrewed her brass scale, so the scales were off leaving her with just the heavy brass stand, perfect for her mission.

Down With The Bloody Gold Mirror! 

“Miss. Potter/Helia!” McGonagall and Hermione exclaimed.

“I really don’t think it’s necessary to break the mirror, you could’ve come to me.”

“You’ve been reading too much Alice in Wonderland.”

Helia blinked between the two of them, smirking when McGonagall turned to Hermione with an aghast expression on her face.

Hermione flushed in embarrassment, realizing that her Head of House my not realized just how skewered her priorities are when it comes to Helia.

There was nothing to stop her from shattering that bedevilling looking glass. Nothing at all.

Except -- 

“Who?! Let me at them, I’ll fight them and Helia can break the mirror while they’re distracted.” James demanded.

“I’ll take you up on that offer.” Helia nodded, seriously.

“Lily, please talk some sense into them.” McGonagall heaved a sigh, pushing up her spectacles.

“Don’t think for a second the two of you are going to do that….without me.” Lily warned her husband and daughter, who perked up when they realized they weren’t being scolded.

"So -- back again, Helia?" 

Sirius crossed his fingers, praying ‘don’t let it be Snape or Dumbledore, not Snape or Dumbledore, anyone but Snape or Dumbledore’.

Helia felt as though her insides had turned to ice. She looked behind her. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Helia must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror she hadn't noticed him. Caught red-handed it seemed.

Sirius groaned, he really didn’t know if he was glad it wasn’t Snape or worried that it Dumbledore.

“There’s that tunnel vision coming into play again.” Ginny facepalmed.

“Deny everything, you did nothing they can charge you with.” Fred urged.

“Mr. Weasley, she is literally holding the weapon she was going to use to break the mirror.” Snape drawled.

“Hey, some people feel more comfortable having a weapon when they are out late and alone, especially girls, can you really blame her Professor .” George craftily wheedled.

Snape stared down the Twins. “And why doesn’t Miss. Potter, just use her wand like everyone else?”

The Twins gasped at the Potion’s Professor. “Professor, for shame.”

“Yes, where is your heart, sir.”

“Helia is, after all, raised up in the Muggle World it would only be natural she was confident enough she could defend herself with a newly learned skill.”

“So naturally the Muggle way of protecting ones self would be a comfort for a younger girl, Professor.”

Snape started at the Twins, before turning away, rubbing at his temples. He didn’t need to deal with the Twins special brand of headache 

"I -- I didn't see you, sir. " 

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Helia watched him wearily as he smiled at her as she tempted the idea of throwing the scale stand at the mirror and booking it.

“Why…why are you like this.” McGonagall sighed.

“I said I was tempted, be happy I didn’t do it.” Helia grumbled.

"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Helia, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised. " 

Charlie gawked at  Dumbledore in disbelief. "A delight?! A fucking delight, that piece of shit of an ornament was torturing her! She is literally at her wits end and willing to break school property in hopes that will help.”

“Many scientists take delight when their experiments bring light to a new finding.” Luna deadpanned, drawing a confused glance from the dragon tamer, as Luna was not one to be detached when it came to Helia. Then he realized that she was saying Dumbledore planned for Helia to cross paths with the mirror, and he watched as Helia spiralled under the affects, and he did nothing.

"I didn't know it was called that, Sir. "

"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"

“It showed Hermione and me going through the whole library.” Helia lied, before she realized she was. “It really is a dream of ours, Sir, what more could one want besides a book and good company?”

“Well I commend you for trying, even though it was a bold faced lie that Dumbledore could read like it was an open book.” Blaise smirked, at the balls Helia showed for lying straight to the headmasters face.

“Hey, Helia can lie her ass off and walk away with your money, sweater and favour after one conversation.” Ron defended.

“Stop telling people that, it was supposed to be on the down low.” Helia hissed to a pouting Ron.

 Dumbledore hummed, nodding “And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy. " 

Helia felt ice creeping down her spine, if he knew what Ron saw in the mirror that meant he was watching them the night before —he knew she saw her parents—

Theo’s expression turned stormy, if Weasley couldn’t see Helia’s parents in the mirror nor could Helia see Ron’s desires, then how could he know what they saw? “It’s considered rude to look into one’s mind without permission, Headmaster.”

Dumbledore’s blue eyes sharpened, before he covered it up with his bumbling grandfather act. “Mr. Nott, I do not condone the staff members using legilimency on the students under their care.”

“All I heard was the staff members under your employment aren’t allowed, but nothing you said leads me to believe you hold yourself to the same countability.” Theo sneered.

“If that’s true, Albus, then that’s a serious offence.” Madam Bones backed Theo up, scowling at the Headmaster. “Don’t think I won’t call you in for questioning after all this, you best hope these books won’t shed some light on something you kept in the dark.”

"Sir?” She tried to play it off.

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?" 

Helia shook her head. 

"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Helia thought. Then she said slowly, "It shows us what we want. . . whatever we want. . . "

"Yes and no," said Dumbledore quietly.

“I swear that man does nothing, but talk in riddles,” Tonks seethed, frustrated by Dumbledore less than forthcoming. “This is why, I should not be an interrogator.”

“No, the reason we don’t let you in the interrogation room, is because one you shifted into the suspects victims one too many times, leaving them thinking they’re being haunted and end up having a metal breakdown or trying to attack you. Two, for the many law suits the department gets when a suspect turns out not to be our perp and is now traumatized by you.” Moody deadpanned.

“Hey, I did not know he was the vic’s son, okay!” Tonks defended herself. “I didn’t read the file as yet.”

“You never go into the interrogation room, without reading the file, rookie!”

"It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them.

The Weasley family turned to Ron with distressed expressions on their faces.

“Oh, Ron,” Mrs. Weasley sobbed, “We’ve never meant for you to feel that way.”

Mr. Weasley watched his youngest son, concerned. “Ron, you never have to be anyone you’re not, especially not if you think it’s what your mother and I would want. We just want you to live well.”

Ron smiled weakly at his parents, “I know that now, Mum, Dad, sometimes it’s hard to remember, but I’m working on reminding myself that I’m good with where I am now and have plenty of time to explore myself.”

Bill’s eyes watered, as he pushed his hurt feelings aside—where did they go wrong in making his baby brother believe he has to be exactly like his siblings, or better, in order to receive love and recognition— “Just remember we’re here for you, Ron, all we want to do is love and support you in any way you need.”

However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.

“Ah, let’s pause for a minute.” Sirius smiled at Dumbledore, causing people to flinch away from the sheer malicious he was radiating. “Men have wasted away and been drive mad by this mirror, men means adults, older more experienced fully capable people with minds more developed and protected with metal protections, no child has access to until they’re an adult themselves. And yet here you are leaving it sitting in some unused classroom collecting dust in the supposedly ‘safest place’ besides Gringotts.”

Never let it be said that Snape couldn’t appreciate Black when he was tearing someone to shreds—when that person wasn’t him, at least—

"The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Helia,

Helia’s eyebrows furrowed, she slid off the couch to squeeze in between her friends. "Why wasn't it in that 'new home' to begin with? Why have it outside the trapdoor at all? Especially when that was the main protection of the stone?” She whispered to Ron and Hermione.

“There’s no way the stone is in the mirror at that time, so whoever placed the mirror there left the stone with one less protection for whatever purpose they were hoping to achieve with Helia and the mirror.” Hermione nodded, scribbling their thoughts out on paper, in hopes it would seem clearer that way.

“Come off it, Mione, you just don’t want to say it out loud.” Ron huffed, wincing underneath Hermione’s glare. “We all can deduce that Dumbledore wanted Helia to be confronted with the mirror, what we need to know is why.”

“While Ron, could’ve worded it nicer, he’s right, Mione.” Helia agreed. “I can guess why he placed the mirror in a place where I would easily get to after he leaves me my Dad’s invisibility cloak, what I want to know is what’s his scheme in the long run.”

“So, watch for clues for Dumbledore trying to manipulate Helia than, just a regular old Wednesday then.”

and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared.

“Prepared!” Lily hissed, “Helia should’ve never of stepped a foot near that mirror, I don’t care if your Headmasters or the bloody Queen of England! You better keep that mirror away from my daughter!”

Helia gritted her teeth, as the Headmaster’s word made her hair stand on edge. Prepared? Of course, they were right, Helia knew Dumbledore wanted her to save the stone, but this was beginning to feel less and less like chess and more like a puppet on strings. And Helia liked to live her life with no strings pulling her, or things were going to turn out very ugly, very quickly.

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"

Helia stood up. 

Blaise looked at Helia incredulously, was she really going to walk away from the mirror just like that?

"Sir -- Professor Dumbledore. I think it’s best to hide that mirror, because if I see it again I guarantee that it will be nothing more than a pile of shattered glass.”

“That’s a bit more like I thought it would be.” Blaise chuckled.

“Your father and I give you full permission, as well.” Lily nodded with a dark look in her emerald eyes.

Helia’s smiles said permission-not-needed-but-appreciated.

With that foreboding threat, Helia threw her cloak over her head fleeing the room still clutching her would-be weapon —she had a feeling thought that this would not be the last time see would see the magical mirror that showed your heart’s desires she hoped that the mirror was cognizant enough to feel its impending doom, because she never made a vow she couldn’t keep yet—

Draco felt a shiver run up his spine, how could she go from being sensitive in one moment and salvage the next. And what did that say about him, for wanting to edge her on just to see what would happen? Would she explode, crack or something he hasn’t seen from her yet?

It was only when she was back in bed that she realized to never occurred to her to ask Dumbledore what he saw in the mirror, when it struck her it was because she believed Dumbledore would be just as fore coming as she was —which meant she had lied her bleeding arse off and, she didn’t believe Dumbledore was above lying either—

“Helia, I would’ve told you I see myself hold a nice pair of socks, all you had to do is ask.” Dumbledore proclaimed, sincerely.

Helia’s gazed at the Headmaster, impassively, before turning away from him. “I guess all that talk about the truth being preferable to lies was a bunch of bullshit.”

“One must treat the truth with great caution—

“Cut the riddle talking old man routine, you think you’re being the master in this chess game you see yourself playing when all your doing is making me more suspicious of you.” Helia snapped, glaring at the Headmaster. “After all, Headmaster the hardest thing to do is lie, when someone expects it and I take everything you say as a lie and manipulation.”

Would’ve served him right though, digging into to her personal life talking about her as if he knew anything at all about her, it almost seemed like he wanted her to find the cursed mirror.

“You’d better hope and pray to the gods and goddess, Dumbledore.” Lily warned. “There might not be any proof, this time, however there are six more books to go and so help me if you put our daughter in danger for no reason because you call her ‘the chosen one’ it will be the last thing you ever do. I might be dead, but I will ruin you from the grave and the great beyond.”

“You had your suspicions, even back than it seems, Potter.” Moody observed.

“Please, I’d be a fool not to think someone wasn’t after me, I mean come on cerberus, trolls, jinxed broomsticks I can take the largely unsubtle hint someone was planning something and I had wondered myself right in the middle of their plans, and they were willing to kill to keep their plans from getting out.” Helia rolled her eyes.

For what reason she didn’t know, but it seemed she would have to keep an eye on the Headmaster as well now. Can’t go about letting him see everything thing she does now, can she?

“Great Hecate, I can’t believe our whole house talks about you like you’re Dumbledore’s golden girl.” Daphne cackled. “When you’re just as leery of him, almost more so, as them.”

Helia shrugged, “I may be a Gryffindor, but I know when not to show my cards the whole school knows Snape despises me, and it’s expected that I would fight back with him. While the ‘girl-who-lived’ fighting with Albus Dumbledore the leader of the light is unthinkable, and would only end up everyone thinking the so-called saviour is actually the next dark lady or some bullcrap like that.”

James peered at his daughter concerned, “You really think people would label you dark if you start acting out?”

Helia smiled sadly at her Dad, “People’s opinions change faster than a drop of a hat, I became a pariah over the year so many times it doesn’t even surprise me anymore.”

“I think you were actually more feared with that whole second year thing, than Sirius Black the escaped convict was in our third year.” Neville nodded.

He should really learn when something was personal he should keep his mouth shut about it, he was lucky she didn’t bludgeon him and the bloody mirror. 

Everyone turned Helia aghast.

“What?! He had it coming!” Helia defended herself, “I was suffering three days of mental attacks and having a metal breakdown. I can’t be held accountable for any murderous thoughts I had, and even if I acted on them, I couldn’t be charged as I had a temporary psychotic break.”

“Merlin, Helia control your murderous urges.” Ginny facepalmed.

“What are you talking about, little sister?! That was the epitome of Helia’s control!” George cried.

“I’m surprised she didn’t try to at least break the mirror, nor would I be surprised if she actually tried to kill Dumbledore for stopping her as well as talking about what she saw in the mirror.” Fred agreed.

They knew Helia was a very private person, who never got the privacy that she longed for it was probably one of the few things she hated about Hogwarts, no secret stayed a secret.

“Hey, I can be clever and subtle when I want, but when I’m going to have to beat the answers I want out of someone. I might as well save myself some time.” Helia shrugged, unsympathetically. “There’s no sense in ignoring my instincts, I know when something smells rotten.”

“Animal, I swear.” Susan sighed

Helia crossed her arms, leaning back against the couch. “Hey, the way I am is the only reason me and a lot of people are alive right now, so I think it works for me.”

“Alright, alright girls, calm down.” Madam Bones warned, “Ronald, that was the end, yes?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Ron flinched, when the head of the magical law enforcement turned her sharp golden eyes onto him. A hand plucked the book from Ron’s hands, startling him.

“I will, read.” Theo announced, aloofly.

“Ughhhh? Okay?” Ron said, though it came out more like a question.

Theo nodded firmly. “Nicholas Flamel.”