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blankdblank · 11 months

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Protego Pt 7 - Back to School

Masterlist here

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(Okay this is the closest I could find to the square faced features I picture for Lily, so we’re going with this insp gif for now. i know at least one person wanted me to try to share who I pictured in my head for each of the younger characters, and trust me if I had the tech and the time I would just make them myself, because this is nonsense to find an actor/model who matches what my brain conjures up. And surely the gif of Vivien Leigh down farther is for Jewels as I’ve used her for the long lost relatives in the later years of Anaticula. :D Enjoy the drama.)

“Full up,” Jewels said, gaining a scoff from her sister, who had the door to her chosen train car slid shut in front of her face. Still obviously in a mood of hurt feelings the sisters had become one of the more amusing groups to return to the school. Gossip inside the car of those who saw their icy demeanor at the station and entering the first year train car spread to any who might find it amusing enough to fill some of the long train ride chatting about it.

Lily moved on to find some of her Gryffindor friends. Some of the other younger members of choir gladly filled the far from full car, in her sister’s absence, and Jewels’ own dorm, to take advantage of hearing all the details in what had been missed.

They had heard before the break of the theater plans and all huddled around the pictures Regulus had charmed his camera to capture while the first performance of her hopefully long standing career to come had run on the stage. True she only said five words but there seemed to be nothing more brilliant to compare the experience to.

But her glee in the entire ride dimmed at the split of groups to fill Thestral pulled carriages to head back to the school. When Lily was seen by everyone shouting at Sirius. “Stay away from my sister! And she doesn’t want your stupid broom!” Right into his chest her hand gave a hard shove that knocked him back a step and she moved onwards to claim a closer place to the carriages.

“I have a mind of my own you know!” Jewels shouted back, instantly tearing Sirius’ wide eyes her way through the now parting crowd of older students.

“How would I know that?! You’ve been nothing but a mirror of me since we met!”

“Oh!!” Jewels could be heard growling back and was tightly grabbed by Ted Tonks and Andromeda to give the sisters some much needed space. Both at the sight of her eyes shifting colors eased Jewels back between the students hurrying off the train to get back on it at least until Lily was gone.

“We don’t associate with the likes of your family!” Lily shouted at Sirius to maintain her point only to be hit by a red burst of paint Bellatrix sent her way.

“Remember this you whiny little rodent!” Bellatrix hissed back at Lily. Now with her wand raised at the paint coated girl’s face, “No filthy little Mudblood will ever insult our family and walk away from it. Now you get on that carriage and do not ever say a false word about our cousin over there. You are not related! You are not worthy to call her sister! Next time I will remove your filthy little tongue!”

James with his own wand drawn at the dark curl haired cousin of Sirius stated aloud, “And anyone who hurts Lily has to deal with me!”

“Oh what are you going to do about it, Saint Potter!” Lucius Malfoy spoke up. Hitting James in the back with a spell that sent him face first into the carriage; the lanky blonde then walked over to grip him by the back of his cloak to toss him into the carriage.

Internally enraged by a fellow member of the Sacred 28 who was shirking the image their pureblood kin had to uphold to be welcomed in high society as the Malfoy family pressed him to be for now on a dozen years. This Potter boy was selfish and cruel without though to guidelines for such behavior their clans upheld in being so to retain their standing and dignity. Everything a common dog would be allowed to be and not worth the weighty name generations had worked to build up so he could dash it all away. Not worth the dirt on the underside of the train if he kept disgracing his family on the path to ruin all for selfish gains that change with the wind. All to force more pressure on the other Sacred 28 clans left standing when Potter would blot his family name off that illustrious list.

“Must be careful Potter, wouldn’t want to bloody that precious Gryffindor robe,” and Lucius looked sharply at Lily, “Get in the carriage with your blood traitorous boot licker, Mudblood.” Sirius, knowing he couldn’t step in to stop this, simply turned to check on the patrolling Professors, only to tap Lucius’ shoulder when one came into sight and Narcissa reversed the paint spell and used a second charm to force Lily up out of her spot she was frozen in the get inside the carriage as she was told.

Together inside the train car Ted and Andromeda guided Jewels to sit. Visibly trembling in rage, tears clouding her eyes soon to follow the one that dashed down her cheek on the way here. “Not easy being a Morpher.” Ted began with a wry forced chuckle. “Bit of a dance between being amusing and a lie at times.”

“Eyes,” Jewels uttered in a confusing reply. Though their try to ask what she meant broke when she all but growled, “Years, the pinches, shoves, reminding me not to change my eyes. or hair, or my face into a beak when I got mad!” More tears spilled down her cheeks and she glared at the duo who were more a placeholder for her infuriating sister. “No one, is ever like her!” she now whined in the momentary scrunch of her face in a flinch of a try to begin sobbing her body made only to be pulled back as she shook her head, “I could look just like her, but it’s never enough!”

Ted nodded knowingly, “Well now, there in lies the whole hippopotamus between the floating greens. She’s not you.”

Jewels scoffed and glanced away a moment roughly wiping her cheek with the sleeve bunched in her hand, “Backwards.”

“No, got it right round how it needs to be,” and she looked at him with brows furrowing and color changing green to purple eyes back on him as he said with a grin. “She’s not you, and all of you knows it. So stop trying to be her and she will see you. We all do. You can’t, but you can, if you tried.”

“He’s got a point,” Andromeda spoke up with a confirming nod. “Not easy with sisters, Merlin knows I’ve had row after row with mine. For all our parents’ hopes we aren’t copies of one another. Now, you had to hide, and as a kid you picked to look like her.”

Ted shrugged and said, “I’d have picked a neighbor,” making Andromeda nudge him in the side, only making him chuckle at his own hint of humor in this mess. “Look, Morpher, Veela, you got names for what you are. Witch to boot of a great line, a 28 line. I’m a Muggle-Born too, but in my years here, spending time with Andromeda, I get it. Not much to some people, but to a great deal of people it means a great deal parent names or no. Who are you Jewels?” and her mouth fell open at a loss for words.

Andromeda said, “Jewelia Gaunt deserves her day in the sun. So you best gather your courage while we can hide you here at school and society comes calling. We are your family too, you have such a vast family tree. But we want to know more of you.”

Internally Jewels felt about ready to break in half. Knowing all she’d learned on the last three Gaunts and the little, named justifiably close to demonic, past to her elder cousin in that line on top of this feud. The words Lily had chosen still burned in her chest and in a try to keep herself safe and her adopted family if that cousin should come calling Jewels felt an ominous cloud that gnawed at the chance to tear her away from what family she had known. “What, do you know, about the Gaunts?” Jewels managed to squeak out in a fearful tone.

“You certainly inherited the temper. Not much else, good thing too. None were fair, just off their portraits in our family ledger. So top marks on you for that.” Andromeda looked up as a voice from the open doorway turned all your heads to an unknown new member to this conversation.

“The name is what matters.” Barty Crouch Jr spoke up, having come to check on the angered twin. “I don’t reckon on being anything like my dad. But I am a Crouch, and the line will be what I shape it to be after he’s gone. Clan as a whole have rules, standards, you are the last Gaunt standing, lucky you. Whoever you are, grow to be, that is who the Gaunts will be held up to in comparison.”

“And if I fail, at everything?” she asked fraily and he chuckled to Andromeda’s widening smile.

“Can’t fail, not in our eyes. See, we don’t fail. Gaunts were poor, then rich, all dead, then you pop up out of thin air like a Muggle magic trick. Can’t fail. Go broke, forge ahead all on your own, no matter what the name can only go up in renowned.” He accented with a nod and gestured behind him, “Professors are doing a head count. Coast is clear, up you pop before I let your Sevy and Sirius scrap it out to see who gets to come fetch you.”

“In front of the whole school,” Jewels groaned and hung her head back a moment before rising reluctantly to her feet, “And I’m the one pinched and prodded to not cause a scene!” he stepped back to let the trio out, following after so see what he said was already underway. Severus and Sirius were on either side of the door bickering around Remus who stood between them shaking his head at the current scene.

“I’m not giving back the broom!” Jewels said pointedly, ending the argument mid stomp onto the first step out of the train car.

“Good, wouldn’t have accepted it anyways.” Sirius replied watching her walk to Severus’ side, who relaxed his stance a few moments seeing she was intact at least.

“What happened with you two?” Severus asked, increasingly concerned at the rift he noticed over the final blip of the holiday break that seemed to now be the size of a crater by morning at this rate. Gently guiding her along to head for the carriages, “You never quarrel like this.”

“She started it,” Jewels flatly replied and he huffed to that vague response he couldn’t sense a way to help fix things from that alone.

“Jewels,” he tried to argue but she cut him off.

“You didn’t hear what she said to me!” Jewels all but hissed in a sharp whisper that had his lips part.

Ted cut between them and eased his arm around Jewels to the sight of some feathers beginning to sprout out between strips of her hair to show she was getting angry again, “Now, now, we are going to have a nice supper and all get some rest.” Leading her within sight of the Professors marking names down of all the students to ensure none get left behind for a possible stolen shopping spree or worse mischief.

Subtly over winter break Jewels had been easing her true facial structure out. One she was slightly terrified to see in the mirror knowing it might set off more nightmares of the trapped woman with that same face. And on the long winding walk up to the Great Hall in sections she had shifted her hair into varying shades of the rainbow. To hopefully gain a color she might find more appealing to stick to over red.

A strange new face in the mix of returning students had Professor Kettleburn on patrol in the halls to the welcome back feast do a double take. Calming only at the telltale bag the teen girl had pinned to her side shaped like a whale that inside the school grounds began to wiggle its fins. Revealing the impressive charm she had read about and wished to try a few months prior in one of her regular study sessions in the library.

Both sisters were here and by the whispers of the other students a whopper of a fight had been missed by the Professors near the trains that had no sight or word to share of the student contained trouble. Rumor that had most of the Professors glad they were sorted separately so that perhaps a night to sleep on it would help matters.

But it was the sunken expression during dessert on Jewels’ face that had them and more of the students concerned to the fall of her eyes to her lap. Where her now open bag sat and she had blindly opened the small notebook she’d written all the information about her mother she had been able to find. Which, was painfully only enough for three half pages and a picture taped to the back of one page.

Andromeda in another stolen glance to the girl between her and her boyfriend Ted, asked, “Why are you staring at a picture of a wall?”

Ted to that peered over shifting his mouthful of tart to the side to argue, “Clearly it’s the door that’s impressive. Fine decorative woodwork there.”

Andromeda over Jewels’ head asked him pointedly, “Who jinxed that tart? There’s no door in the picture.”

Ted shook his head as he looked to the book to tap the door on the image and Jewels looked up at Andromeda with furrowed brows. “Door, right there. Something solid, oak, or, I don’t know, something solid. Dad always says anything solid has to be oak.”

“There’s no door, Ted. Don’t try to be funny.” Andromeda argued back.

“There is a door,” Jewels cut in and had the both of them to look at her. Andromeda with brow arched in disbelief and him gesturing her way to proof he was right.

“You’re serious?” Andromeda asked and that had Jewels draw in a sharp breath.

“There’s a door.” Jewels replied flatly and that had Andromeda remove a hand to a few inches from the book palm up.

“Can I borrow that?” The tuck of the book against Jewels’ belly has her add, “Won’t hurt it. Bring it right back.” Jewels relented and Andromeda swiveled around, legs tucked up to do so, and onto her feet she snuck to hurry farther down the table and hold the open book in front of a blonde girl down near to the other end. Seen to ask, “You see a door here?”

The girl nodded and tapped the door on the picture, thanked and now curious in the hurry of the prefect back to her previous spot. Gaining even a few hushed commentary from the Professors who took notice of the curiosity brewing.

Andromeda gave it back, “Got to be a bewitched door only Morphers can see, it’s a blank wall to me.”

Ted looked Jewels over at notice her roots and brows were darkening to black in the sink of her mood also urging more of her real face out. “Jewels. Where’s that door?” Concern flooding out of his tone for how she looked closer to tears more now than a couple minutes before.

“It’s a picture from the Muggle police report in my adoption file.” Jewels murmured sadly.

Andromeda asked, resting her hand now on the younger girl’s back. “Why did that have this door in it?”

“It’s where they found me, inside the house.” She said and the couple let out a collective puff of air. Now realizing that might not be a shadow on the dark wood floor at the foot of the door as they had first presumed.

“Well that must have been a powerful spell to have kept whatever, or whoever out.” Andromeda said in a hopeful tone that had Jewels misty eyed look up at her again. Full doe eyed stare unable to be hidden like the pleading gaze that fact might be true. “Your Mum must have been some Witch to do that. My family is notorious for spotting bewitched items, and I can’t catch hint of it.” Her hand patted again and Jewels glanced at the picture again, now with a grin ghosting across her lips to the fact she moved the book to bring out a pen to add the notes on the door onto the pace across from it.

A task hiding the second stolen glance over her head by the couple who were only more confused as to how she might have ended up in that Muggle orphanage in the first place. Across the table though argument from a pair of fellow choir members had Jewels snap out of her emotional bubble to groan and grimace as they did to the thought of the performance in Hogsmeade in a couple weeks usual for the group Flitwick had been warning of extra practices the week before holiday break so none would be surprised about it. But the relief of the calmer topic and mood of the shorter tempered twin would be short lived.

“How could you let them talk to me like that?!” Lily sharply whispered to her sister on the crowded walk from the welcoming supper to their divided dorms in the separate towers.

Eyes rolled from older students at this round two they knew Professors would hear if they kept it going long enough.

Jewels fired back inside the crowd of students that slowed to have full audience to this car crash in the making. “That’s fresh, coming from you Miss, ‘I wish we never brought you home’ Evans. You don’t want me to be your sister, fine. I should have known once you got tangled in that Potter boy’s clutches you’d turn out just as heartless as him.”

A collective mental “ooh” rippled around to that crowd who were glad Potter was still farther back down the hall unable to hear.

Jewels paused in her try to walk away and asked, “How fast do you think you’d have pushed me away if we’d been sorted to the same house? Maybe it’s better we’re not in the same house. Why would I ever want to be like you? I wish I’d known how you’d turn out when I was a kid, never have turned my hair red in the first place. I might grow a beak when I’m mad and wings, sure. But that’s all on the outside. Why would I want to look like a heartless beast like you?” Then she walked off leaving her sister open mouthed with tears brewing in her eyes at the words she had hurled at Jewels weeks prior aimed right back at her.

Out of the slower crowd Jewels’ dorm mates hurried to catch up to her. Snickering internally at what even with half this clearly long brewing argument brought with them from the break at home there were some verbal mastery work involved that had Jewels more points ahead on count of jabs. Right in the middle of a swiveling set of stairs they caught up to her and spoke to her for the rest of the way up, being given the gist that the Black brothers had given her a broom and the fight over that had now spiraled into this mess.

Fit for a Princess. Just as she first mentally remarked the gothic styled RavenclawTower was decorated so posh in soft blues and silver. Satins and velvet on the chaise lounges and love seats in small groups for teas around stained glass tables. And those between the regal armchairs paired to clawed footstools, much softer than they looked with sections of bookshelves marked to each student so all could have their own private library if they do wished when the study bubbles were free. The latter sat upon silencing charm laced carpets designed to match the finery.

Around the circular space more than one fireplace to spread heat for all spaces and ambiance to encourage white noise for concentration much like the hovering enchanted instruments any could ask to play background music to set the mood as well during House study time.

Cushioned nooks resembling short canopied beds fit for royalty were the bottom layer to a short spiral staircase fed ledge that held another set of bookshelves and a desk for each of them. Angled like a K off the outer walls, so that if they do wanted the top of the canopy could be used as a puffy moss resembling hammock of sorts for lounging. Scented to encourage brainpower and focus. All to pair with the enchanted ceiling above every student’s designated section that would cast colorful mist to resemble a peaceful sunny day and numerous clouds to ponder and daydream their free time until firmer thoughts came to fruition that also could turn to the night sky if stargazing was more preferred in the thought process. One of the seasonal looks for the dorm, that like the staircases tended to change, but was never far from superb an environment to test the mind.

The bath was like from right out of a palace, private claw footed tubs leaned to relax and read in and ample mirrors. Much like the one she now stood at to look at the face she inherited from a very powerful Witch who died protecting her. Still no name beyond Unnamed Mother. Not yet ready to show her pitch black locks she settled on a deeper maroon highlighted look underneath shimmering snow like white shade to be a more appealing twist on Slytherin’s silver beard and brows as she apparently was no longer welcome as an Evans.

“What was the mess with the door?” The blonde fellow Morpher asked, turning Jewels to face her.

“Oh, think it was the door to my birth mother’s room. Andromeda said she couldn’t tell it was bewitched though. Family is good at that apparently.”

The blonde nodded and said, “Well, if it’s not bewitched you could look into Morpher Runes?”

“What now?”

“Uh, third year there’s an elective of Ancient Runes, part of the deeper study is Morpher Runes. Only Morphers can see them or items they are marked on. But Muggles can see the items if you’re after learning them to keep your sister out of your things. If the Blacks can’t find an bewitched then might be that.”

“Oh, thanks, I’ll look into that.” The blonde nodded and Jewels hurried to bring out her same notebook to write those runes down as well to find a book on them the next day.

History of Magic would open the following day, and the walk to the classroom would only prove that the night apart did nothing to calm this feud. Both sisters ignored the other and chose to keep among their houses at least up to the door to the classroom.

“Ah. There you are Miss Evans,” the ghostly Professor Binns remarked with a kind gleam in his eyes at a truer display of the young girl he’d known to be hiding herself away in plain sight. “I am honored and quite pleased to have met more of you. All of us dearly prize the chance to meet the rest of you in time.”

“Thank you, Professor,” she replied sheepishly and had him chuckle to himself on her patch past him to take her usual seat.

Not many wished to sit up front as she usually did. Remus and Barty Jr out of the crowd slipped into the seats on either side of hers. Onto the desk she situated her usual notebook and self writing quill so she could bring out her second notebook and a second quill as they brought out a single set of each. Much like other classes they would be peering over her shoulders to track her note taking process to keep up. James and Sirius, when Lily and Severus blocked themselves in the back row on the end to keep away from Jewels continuing their talk, James took Barty’s free side and Sirius split to take the free seat on Remus’ right.

Lowly Sirius muttered to Remus in the shuffle to get his own notebook out of his bag now sitting open on his lap, “First chance we get, we’re breaking into Headmaster’s office.”

Remus nodded and leaned closer to murmur back so Jewels wouldn’t hear, “We can check the map.” An idea that had Sirius grin and peek around his friend at the girl they hoped to help through this trying mystery.

A question a good twelve minutes into the opening of his lecture and Professor Binns smiled at the stunning lift of Jewelia’s hand after she read back what he’d said. “Close,” the Professor responded and clarified the small detail that many got hung up on and she hastened to write the question, her answer and his explanation between the options down in case of some distinct wording she could find on an exam later. Adding stars around it to be sure she would not miss it later. Same as three of the boys around her, James already was nodding off like many students in the back rows.

After class when everyone seemed to dart out of the room to free time Jewels lingered behind to speak to the Professor hovering to the side of his desk, eyes fixed upon the girl he could tell wished to speak to him. “Something troubling you, Jewelia?” Clutching her bag and books to her chest she walked over to come stop in front of him.

“You, you’ve been, around, a good while,” she said timidly and he chuckled to himself.

“That I have. Ask what you like, pre or post mortem.” He joked to try and help her relax at his death not being a sore topic.

She nodded and asked through her reluctance, “Do you know anything about the Gaunts?”

“I have heard talk of a small number of them. It was not until the 1900’s that most Wizarding families wished to send their children to magical schools. Might this family be in relation to the curious note of our Founder portrait of Slytherin that you belong to his kin?”

“Yes, partly. I found out I am a Gaunt.”

“Ah,” he replied at her near whisper of an answer. “Other than the eyes, and the rumored temper many have tale of. Does the lack of living relatives trouble you? Lack of history or common ideals to learn of?”

“Well they certainly hated Muggles,” she replied lowly and he nodded again, hearing low echoes of his next class taking their time in coming to his classroom. After clearing her throat she asked, squeaking unintentionally at the end of her sentence. “It would seem I am one of the 28, does that mean I have to hate Muggles too?”

“Oh most certainly not. Some still hold that prejudice. However you are known to have been adopted and raised by Muggles, and for all they know those parents and sister could be Squibs and none would look down on you for maintaining that bond. They raised you, surely there are no other Gaunts alive I have knowledge of. These are troubling times and many hold firm to the grudge from slain Witches over the centuries that led to the divide of our two worlds but you must hold to hope, this fight will end.”

When the first second year came into the room she smiled at him and said, “Thank you, Professor.”

“Should you require more assistance many on staff would be able to lend a hand.” He added vaguely to not disclose their conversation topics to the older students, avoiding more gossip at her expense if they took it the wrong way.

Right to the library she went to head over to the guide book on common topics. Warmed instantly by the scent and sounds of the space she’d always felt most welcome on school grounds. Not wanting to speak loudly she whispered to the book and accepted the slip of paper off a stack the enchanted quill resting on that same stand copied down for her. “Thank you.” Back towards the historical section of the library she moved, to find the top five books on the list to check those out and start there in a gradual build of facts on this ongoing struggle between the two worlds.

An out of place origami stingray floated over to her in line behind two older students at the book desk, and in unfolding itself revealed a note from Professor Sprout to come to her classroom. Softly she huffed to herself and continued to wait until she was free to leave with the hefty books Librarian Pince helped to shrink to fit inside her bag and shared the proper spell to resize them again at her first chance to read them. One end of the vast castle grounds to the other she walked, mood souring at the loss of the free class slot the longer she walked.

“I’m not apologizing.” Jewels said cross armed in front of Professor Sprout, who had heard from the other first years in this class of the blow out fight that had happened the night before. Them and the Headmaster who granted her means of a special form of discipline used only in certain circumstances by staff to hopefully nip this problem in the bud. Almost having been mistaken as an intruder at the school for how different her doll like face, just meant for the stage and silver screen, looked compared to Lily’s squarer features, but with eyes and voice that told who Jewels was without a doubt. The same face the brothers and Alastor would know as it eased out more and more in their time alone with her at the theater and on their travels to help find her true lineage.

“After all I have to put up with, her using my face to hide all these years. All the looks and whispers on which one of us is the one who is mad in the head talking to snakes and sprouting beaks and feathers-..” Sprout raised a finger, stunned at the bitter hiss of a venomous tone Lily spoke in at her sister without so much as a glance at the multi colorfully haired and eyed one of the duo.

“Jewelia go tend your Mandrake root, then enjoy the rest of your break. I need to have a word with your sister.”

“Yes, Professor,” Jewels said trudging back to her station. And in passing the boys enamored by the sisters in trouble, who had been obviously listening in, she lowly muttered to herself all the way to her designated pot amusing more students in the Slytherin/Gryffindor mingled classroom Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw would be attending the following day.

“What’d she say?” Alastor eased over to ask her lowly after he’d flung his protective glove near to her foot in excuse to fetch it.

“Tried to make us apologize,” Jewels muttered through clenched teeth and he bent to fetch his glove.

“This has higher ups all over it. Sprout rarely gets involved outside of Puff matters. Hmm.” And he eased away back to his spot when Sprout’s teaching assistant was turning to check over the students on his end of the greenhouse.

“It would seem you require some humble pie, Miss Lily.” The Professor said having added a special root to the tea for a rarely used but acceptable punishment for students who behave this way under these circumstances. One that would inexplicably cause her to change her appearance. To let Lily know exactly what her sister suffered to control all of these years. “That and some compassion and some empathy for your younger sister. Who you should have been more forgiving of. Let this lesson sink in before a wound too deep to repair is set in.”

The point wouldn’t take long to set in, but for two weeks she would be slipped the root. And only after those two weeks, then she would be freed of the effects and the Professors would just have to sit and wait to see if the more short tempered one would be easily forgiving now some perspective had been granted to the other party in the blow out.

Right back to the library Jewelia went. Straight for the back section of the library in charge of storing copies of every school paper throughout the years. Another enchanted book was approached. The final step up to the podium it sat on had the young teen flinch when it heavily opened its front cover to an introductory page with instructions on how to use the directory. “I would like copies of everything written about or by the Gaunt family. Please.” Nothing seemed to happen and her eyes scanned over the divider enclosed space to ensure none were hidden away to hear her use this wrong. Out of three posts topped by lanterns circular openings spun into view to release ghostly nine tailed foxes that shot out to scour the drawers coming out of what resembled to be unnoticed moving block designs on the far wall and rotating racks of hanging records on the three aisles inside the enclosure.

Nearly her size the copies of the papers sat atop a table. One at a time she got to shaking the papers and handed the original back to the ghostly fox helpers. Older students who were intending to study, but were stuck on motivation let their curiosity have them follow hint of where the mysterious young teen had gone to. Not able to see the helpers who carried papers away, but with a few quiet waves to other older students back at their abandoned table more bodies came over to help in the copying process. Each chuckling at the hefty dig for some assumed research extra credit project to impress the Ravenclaw paper.

“You know,” the stoutest of them started in a thick Scottish accent, “Won’t take this much to get on the school paper. Let alone the Rav one. Someone might be pulling your leg at this task if they gave you an earful o’ that.”

“Oh,” she let out in a breathy chuckle letting go of another paper they would see floating back to its former home. “No, found my adoption papers. Digging into my birth family.”

“Ah,” a few of them exclaimed in wonder for who the former students could be.

“Well plenty of folks ‘round here would be keen to hear ‘bout them when you get a full picture on that family tree.” The tallest of them added with a hoped to be comforting grin. All of them helped her to finish off the stacks she used the spell the Librarian gave her to add into her bag and hurry off to her next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. And a fourth beside them added in, “And don’t go forgetting the Treasury Room either. Heaps of trophies that didn’t get their heyday in the papers due to odd happenings.”

Inside that classroom talk of the first transformation Lily underwent was shared to the tune of scattered giggles from those who had seen her suddenly sprout scales, a tail and horns soon swapped for a full body of fur and a snout moments later. Though it did seem amusing at first to her younger sister the mental argument of a lack of someone to jab at her and shove her out of sight when said transformations happened only lessened the similarity between the two situations.

Alastor in a peek at Jewels’ bag from his seat had him smirk at the shrunken hoard of newspapers and books she shuffled beyond to bring out all she required for that class and Transfiguration after. By the time the half hour break prior to lunch the guys had heard from older students about the library paper records dig same as Lily, who stormed off to go sulk at another low blow her younger sister fired her way when she felt she couldn’t sink any lower.

Alastor, off his plan to go and do just what Jewels did and check for record of the Gaunts in the papers, he then turned to go and head for the Treasury instead. For half an hour he used glowing name charms that would float around and find trace of the Gaunt name, same as for Riddle, walking between each pulsing orb to write down what each was.

Meanwhile Sirius had broken through a crowd to tug a fellow first year, and secret Muggle-Born, into a side hall confusing the other students he had been talking to. “You can get at the Slytherin House ledgers, right?”

“Yes,” he answered haltingly. Uncertain of why Sirius had picked him.

“Good. I know they’re locked to members of the house only, so if I give you a name, years he studied here and a couple sickles you would quietly dig into them?” He tried to disguise the matter and said, “My cousins and I are in a sort of competition to find the out some more on older Prefects who sort of vanished on the wind like Merlin. I got one in Slytherin House.”

“Oh,” he said looking at the folded slip of paper in Sirius’ hand, “Sure, common room is empty around five, I could check then and give you notes at supper.”

Sirius grinned at him, patting the boy on the arm, “Thanks mate.” Trade of the coins between palms and they walked back for the boy to make an excuse on notes from class requiring clarification by the odd part time Slytherin couch surfer the others seemed to just accept. Sirius on his own went to the library to fill in more on that cruel cousin the Nun had warned Jewels of searching out to see if hints might pop up before he broke back into the Headmaster’s Office on what he could have seen there with his name on it.

Stacks of papers were plopped onto Remus’ bed startling the lanky teen reading atop it. “Got the papers on Riddle and bribed a Muggle-Born to dig in to the house ledgers. Alastor is on his own moves and we have ten minutes to lunch,” Sirius rattled off on his move to hop onto the bed. Tucking his legs up to cross in front of him he grabbed the top copy while Remus set aside his book to grab a copy of his own. For ten minutes with quills and spare bits of parchment notes were made on anything that might be useful.

Echoes of a radio in the common room rattling off a melancholic hum of two new Wizards gone missing without sign of return cut off by the hand of a young relative who had the station playing nightly in case of updates. Lately some students more than others were making more trips to the Owelry and on the edge of their seats for morning post, and others around them much like the Professors merely let them have space to be worried and not bother them about it unless asked themselves for input.

Wait for Potions class in three hours after lunch always had the first years excited. Jewels, out of those hoping for time in the snow was back in the library, to have more room at one of their tables to spread out the papers she had copied. A hand sliding one of the five she had in wait to replace the one she was reading to be straighter on the stack had her look up at Alastor. Beside her he lowered to sit and leaned in to lowly say, “Checked the Treasury for you. Gaunts didn’t do much in terms of spare achievements aside from what looks like a season, for one cousin,” out of his notes he found the right page to show her, “On the Slytherin Quidditch team.” He flipped to another page, “And a potion competition Merope participated in.”

“That’s all you found?” she asked in accepting the pages that didn’t seem to have much on them to build a picture of personality or drive for the family line.

“In the Treasury, yes,” out of his pocket he brought a manila envelope he opened to bring out the clipping from inside he showed her. “Got this from the Prophet, only thing mentioning Riddle aside from the articles on Morfin is a mention he worked in Borgen and Burkes during a remodel on Knockturn Alley some decades ago.”

She nodded and read through the finger length column in the paper and let out a sigh mid plop of it on the table in front of her. Across his lips a grin eased and he continued, “Nothing else from them, but I did get this letter,” bringing out a folded letter from the envelope he showed her. “Some Auror named Fudge put his foot in the way cautioning me on digs into the personal matters of other Wizards when I wrote to the Ministry on a possible death inquiry. So we’re certainly onto something.”

“That’s good, right?” she asked and he nodded, “He isn’t just vanished then?”

He shook his head and joined her in looking up at Rudolphus Lestrange who offered him a sealed letter. Hint of his grip reluctant to let loose just yet had Alastor rummage in his pockets for three knuts the older boy smirked in accepting. “Ta,” Alastor said now able to claim the letter freely.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Rudolphus hummed in a step back to turn away going about his day now with the coins slid into his pocket.

“What did you just pay for?” Jewels asked with concern in her voice that had Alastor grin back at her mid blind open of the envelope.

“His dad works on interrogations for the Ministry and at Azkaban prison. Asked over break if he’d convince his dad to check for Riddle on the Ministry lists.” Once open the both of them leaned in to read the letter that came up another dead end. “So he’s not in prison or questioned.”

“Then, we’re back at nothing,” she huffed and he looked her way again.

“Or he fled abroad. Just leave this to me. Right up my future career tasks to hunt down foul little criminals. I will make inquiries abroad and dig for more clues on where he might have clawed his way off to hide. True test of my metal and you need not hover in worry. For now, I’ll help you dig more into these.”

That had her grin again as he pocketed all the letters and envelopes to grab his own paper, “I want to circle their mentions and see if anything else important of the time is named too.” She stated, leaning forward to hover over her own paper again.

Hours she circled things and put stars by others building a small stack of those that had been read. Ignoring the chatter around them in what free time they had, of other students gossiping still about the sisters and numerous others who plotted to send one of their groups to go and see what the younger was up to with all those newspapers. Warning of the time found them clearing up to hurry and make the long trek to Professor Slughorn’s classroom for Potions.

Another stunned Professor who watched the duo take up the open spots in the middle of the left seats nearest a trio of intimidating snakes carried on his class to get the start of term lesson underway. Feud still raging on the Professor moved around the room able to feel the tension between both silent sisters. But he had to hope the ability to keep quiet and civil in the same space could prove a good sign for when anger waned. Years he had seen numerous siblings at war almost and this like others had to come to an end eventually.

Flitwick in Charms seemed to have a better mood than all the others. Simply pleased to see the required divide between two very different sisters each requiring room to shine. This had to happen. He was sure of it, or the both of them would be at war their entire lives battling for who was to blame. All through the class he did go an as he usually did, making certain to stop and speak to Lily in a comforting way after her three transformations throughout his lesson. Twice she had to step out to keep from crying and he helped her back to his seat without causing a big scene or allowing others to, and now with a receding patch of cow fur on her hoof ended left arm she tearfully nodded to his next check in on her.

“Are you feeling better now, Miss Evans?” he asked her.

“Now I just have to get through supper and I can hide in my room,” she replied sheepishly.

Swiftly he let out a breath and said, “This is not to drive you to hide, Miss Evans.”

“Well I don’t see how this is fair,” she replied in a cracking tone of voice.

“The Muggles have a saying, walk a mile in another man’s shoes,” and she nodded wiping her cheek on her shoulder to avoid moving her half cow leg of an arm in case it would get worse. “Consider yourself walking. People, including children often bear little compassion for those who suffer in ways they have not experienced.”

“They’re all just taking her side!” James cut in and Flitwick gave him a pointed glance.

“You are excused, Mr Potter! I will not have you worsening matters with your poor attitude!” Flitwick said and pointed to the door. With an eye roll to the door he moved as Severus stayed behind, looking at a distance to Jewels, who did not seem any bit pleased by this punishment put on her sister. To Lily the Professor spoke again, “Now, Miss Evans, I personally would not have chosen this route, but then again I am not the Headmaster and in charge of the applicable list of punishments to students. I would like you to remember just one thing, throughout all of this window of time you are to be out of control to your outward appearance.” Right into his eyes hers fixed in a steady gaze uncertain of what bit of advice he like all the other Professors would offer her. “This sensation of lack of control will end.”

“I already know I must wait it out,” she said with furrowed brows and he waved a hand between them to cut her off.

“There will be a day when this trouble of yours stops,” he tried to clarify and she still did not get it, but Severus did and tapped her arm to stop her next try to argue.

“He means Jewels has to live with this forever, and you don’t,” Snape said and her jaw dropped open.

“I already knew that,” she argued and stomped off away from both of them, “Give someone else a snout or fur and a tail twelve times a day!”

Flitwick simply looked up at Severus who sighed and picked up his bag to go follow after her, “She always calms down after a few hours.”

Shaking his head Flitwick turned and smiled seeing Jewelia still there, having been trying to think of how to organize things in her crowded bag or if she should just carry the spare notes and packet given in class to complete for a later grade the following week. “Are you excited for our performance in a couple weeks?”

“Excited would not be the first word I would choose.” She answered making him chuckle.

“Given time she will come around. Perhaps after she steps out of her own way. Hopefully in time to celebrate your first performance, I will not keep you longer just do not forget our spare practice tonight.”

“I won’t, thank you Professor.”

When she’d gotten back to her dorm to leave her things there and free her hands for the trek down to supper she was met by other choir members who were already showing off their chosen outfits for the performance. Something she joined in on, a navy blue dress with stars stitched into it that the others found very lovely, albeit a less flashy look than others had chosen, but one unique to herself and personality. She didn’t want to deal with this alone, but after supper she returned to get back to a bit more digging in those papers until bedtime.

Daily she got through more, eventually making use of a letter home to ask for some spare scrapbooks and decorative papers she had lying around at home to be sent to her. To be made of use in combining clippings and removed spare articles to fill in events at the school and in the world. Papers to the books she checked out more of her free time was spent in the library. Added amongst the next round of books was one on Morpher Runes as well as special charms to force people to keep away. Daily she had to brush away papers loaded with more worrying headlines some new students to every one to create a wall of books to block out Lily when she decided to come and share in the easier hideout. So at least she could have more resources from studying and be guaranteed to not have much noisy people around her to laugh at her expense.

Pt 8

#Hogwarts #Marauders Era #Jewelia Evans #Lily Evans #Sirius Black #Lucius Malfoy #Bellatrix Black #Narcissa Black #James Potter #Scuffle in Hogsmeade #Welcome Back #Sisters Feuding #Professor Sprout #Humble Pie #Severus Snape #In the Library #Harry Potter

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