Till Forever Falls Apart

Chapter Three: Harry Makes a Promise

September 2, 1991

Anthony and her walked to breakfast together the next morning, their excited banter moving back and forth at a sudden speed as they walked into the large gathering space.

    Much to Anthony's relief, Val was in a slightly better mood and now replied to his questions and comments with sharp humor, his snorts of laughter almost musical to her ears. And much to Val's relief, she was glad to have found a companion that shared similar interests.

Maybe she was going to enjoy being a Ravenclaw after all.

    The two ate their breakfast, thoroughly enjoying each other's company as they bit into their pastries and drank their pumpkin juice.

    "Honestly," Val said, pushing the goblet away from her. "Do they have water here? I don't think I've seen a single student down anything but this since I've arrived."

    Another girl about Val's age cleared her throat. Stopping their conversation, they now turned their attention to her, wondering what she wanted.

    "I'm Padma."

    "...Hi?" Anthony said unsurely, clearly confused by why she had stated her name and nothing else.

    "There's a spell for that, you know," she now turned her attention to Val. "For water. It comes out of your wand tip."

    Val nodded along, feeling almost dumb that she didn't know that herself.

    "Aguamenti!"

    Padma pointed her wand at Val, immediately being sprayed with the icy blue liquid. She hid behind her robe, but the water continued to come out of the girl's wand, dousing Val until her skirt and sweater were now soaking wet.

    Everyone began to laugh around her, and Val looked at Padma in disbelief.

    "What did you do that for?"

    "You said you were thirsty!"

    "Yes, but did it look like my mouth was open? You couldn't have put it in a cup?"

    Padma did not know how to respond. She looked as if she was ready to cry.

    "Oh," Val clucked, a rush of guilt settling, hoping that she did not hurt the girl's feelings.

    "Don't worry, I'll fix it."

    Waving her wand, steam poured forth from her robes as she dried them, and in no time, her outfit was back to normal.

    "How is it that you two are doing charms well beyond our level?" Anthony seemed almost jealous, but gave her a proud nod as she sat back down.

    It was the first spell Val had ever done, she realized, taking another bite of her pastry. It had come naturally to her, like something she had been doing for years, and her mind wandered back to the spare bit of parchment in her room she had stowed away to write letters to her fathers. She decided that once she got back to her dorm, which she found incredibly suited her liking with all of its fantastical lights and blue decorations, she would write to her fathers and tell them what had happened.

    The memory came again of the sorting, which had not even happened a full day ago. The dull ache that had subsided as she slept was now replaced with a new jab at her soul, wondering if they had already caught the news that Val was not in Gryffindor.

    And just as this thought formed, the owls came flying in, swooping dangerously above heads as their wings spread, sailing to the recipient of the letters they held in their claws.