The Untold Story of RAB

The First Breakfast

September 2nd, 1976

Sunlight. The first thing Diana registered as she opened her heavy eyelids to greet the early morning. She stretched in bed before rolling out and getting to her feet. The rest of her dorm mates, Margaret, Saoirse, and Ginerva were asleep. The alarm hadn't gone off yet, and it was only dawn. Diana took her glasses off her bedside table, gave them a quick clean, and put them on.

    Now she could see clearly the dorm around her. It was the same dorm they'd been in since year 1. In the room there were four four poster beds with crimson duvets and dark red embroidered curtains for added privacy. At the end of each bed was a trunk for personal belongings and clothes. In between every bed was a dark dresser to store uniforms. The headboards were up against the far wall from the door, the wall which had many windows. The windows had iron trim and would open up for air. In the centre of the room was a wood stove for warmth in the winter. From the ceiling hung schoolhouse lights lit by balls of light. The floor was dark hardwood, and the curved tower walls, faded brown stone. On the floor were many red rugs, soft under foot. The textiles of the dorm were the same Gryffindor colours of the common room, often embroidered with Hogwarts and Gryffindor symbols.

    On the wall to the left of the beds was the half panelled, half filmed glass bathroom door, and inside a high tank toilet, bathtub with a shower head, a small sink, and a mirror. All utilities were bronze, and the floor was white tile.

    Diana filed into the bathroom, took a shower, washed her face, and by the time she exited the rest of the girls had woken up.

    Ginerva Weasley was the other dorm mate and a good friend, although she mostly hung out with some girls the year below. She was rather short and skinny with bright red hair and loads of freckles. Her older brother Arthur was a bit of a prankster legend around Gryffindor tower, even though he'd graduated eight years ago.

    They all said their groggy good mornings and got dressed in their uniforms. Diana donned her grey uniform, trimmed in Gryffindor colours. She brushed out her dark hair which reached halfway down her back. All four girls crushed themselves in front of the bathroom mirror to do their makeup. Saoirse did her twiggy eye makeup, Margaret did a large cat eye, and Diana did a downturned wing and terracotta eyeshadow all over her lid. Saoirse brushed out her hair, and with her wand heated up her hair to make large feathery curls, and Margaret put a hair shine potion on afro. Ginerva chatted with them while putting her hair into two braids before leaving to meet her friends from breakfast.

    Quickly, after the three girls gathered their textbooks and leather bookbags, they left for the Great Hall. Once they reached the lobby, beside the great doors to the hall, stood a long table where house prefects were handing out time tables.

    Remus was sitting in front of a large stack of Gryffindor students' schedules as Diana approached them. Saoirse and Margeret had gone to get a spot at the breakfast table, and Diana had drawn the short straw to gather their timetables.

    "Diana, just yours?" Remus asked.

    "No, Saoirse Carrow and Margeret Abebe too, please." She smiled at him. Remus was quite striking and since being in his study group last year, she had developed a little crush on him. He was quite different from his friends, quiet and more sensible, but with a gleam of something rebellious in his eyes that suggested he was not all he seemed.

    Remus continued to flip through the alphabetized pages, pulling out first Margeret and Saoirse's timetables, before reaching her at "M" for Montgomery.

    "Here you go," he said, passing her the papers.

    "Will you have your study group again, Remus?" she blurted out rather quickly.

    He cocked his head to look at her, "possibly," he said. "Although I could do without all the Professor Lupin jokes from James and Sirius."

    "Perhaps a price you have to pay for being everyone's favourite Marauder."

    He turned a bit pink but gave a good hearted laugh "I don't think that's true."

    Something about how he said it told Diana he really didn't care if it was true or not, that it either didn't interest him to be well-liked or that he didn't want to take up that spot.

    "Keep telling yourself that," she said with a small smile.

    He smiled back but something behind her got his attention and his brows furrowed. Diana turned around to see what was the matter, all she saw was Regulus Back quickly averting his eyes and returning to his conversation with Evan Rosier, a mean Slytherin in their year with a temper like a teapot and an enjoyment of others' misery.

    "Regulus is too much of his family," Remus said with a grim expression.

    "Has Sirius talked about what happened this summer?"

    "No." Remus said curtly.

    Diana got the message and changed the subject.

    "I have to get to breakfast but I hope to see you around Remus."

    "Definitely," he nodded but his smile was not all there.

    Diana walked through the large double doors, Regulus turning away still lingering in her mind. To distract herself she studied their timetables and came to a horrible conclusion as she sat down.

    "Ugh, none of you are in my potions!" Diana said as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

    "Well none of you are in my muggle studies," said Saoirse with her mouth still full of toast.

    Margaret laughed, "Di, we spend every waking minute together, perhaps an hour or two apart wouldn't kill us."

    Saoirse put her head in hands, "it may kill me," she whispered.

    The rest of breakfast passed peacefully, the girls recounted stories from their summer. Margaret had spent the summer in Ethiopia visiting family and learning traditional magic from her grandmother. Saoirse's family had spent a few weeks in France, her younger sister, Orla, had begged the entire family to go home the entire time.

    "She's so annoying," Saoirse said "I can't believe she'll be here next year!"

    "Trust me, having a sibling here is ok... sometimes. My brother hardly registers me" Margaret said.

    Margaret's brother Anthony was a seventh year Hufflepuff, captain of their Quidditch team, and Head Boy. He was by far the most popular boy in school, almost everyone in the school has had a crush on him at one point, a fact which always proved to embarrass Margeret.

    "Oi, Montgomery!"

    Diana whipped her head around to where the voice was coming from. It was James Potter.

    "You're trying out for Quidditch again right? We'll die without you as our Keeper."

    Diana had been Keeper her third and fourth years. She didn't want to wave her own flag but she knew she was good, really good.

    Diana nodded, "of course, can't have Slytherin stealing Gryffindor's trophies." She made sure to say the last bit extra loud.

    James laughed, "tryouts are tomorrow evening at 7, see you then."

    Diana nodded and returned to her toast just as the bell rang, it was time for class.