𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐍 (2) || 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘴 𝘓𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘯

𝐕𝐈. 𝐀 𝐓𝐫𝐢-𝐖𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧

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With a startled breath, Edith's eyes opened.

Around her were a sea of trees, and in the distance, she could see the edge of the Black Lake through the thick, dark tree trunks ahead of her.

Edith's breathing calmed, and she glanced around.

Birds chirped in the distance, and a handful of owls soared overhead, small packages and letters strapped to their talons.

She was alone.

Edith held a gloved palm to her neck, dragging it down.

For the life of her, she couldn't remember how she got outside, nevermind halfway into the Forbidden Forest.

Briefly, she remembered being asked by Professor Sprout to take a freshly grown pot of herbs down to the Hospital Wing, but after that, her mind was foggy at best.

Edith looked around, but she couldn't see the herbs that she had been given by the Professor some time ago, so hopefully they had made it to their destination.

Through a frown, Edith pulled Remus' cardigan around her tighter, her palms drowning in the pockets. And through a tired sigh, she began to wander out of the forest, steadily making her way up the hill, past Hagrid's hut, and nearing the castle again.

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Her boots thumped on the ground as she climbed the steps, a small pile of parchment under her arm.

For whatever reason, Professor Moody had moved the his Dark Arts classroom to a tower near the department, and he co-shared the old classroom with Edith for her solo lessons.

She suspected that it was Dumbledore's doing, but there was no proof.

Regardless, she liked having that classroom (and the small office) to herself for the time being.

It felt like his.

It felt like theirs.

She passed fourth year students who were leaving the said DA class, leaning to one side of the staircase to let them pass easier. She walked further, slowing at the sight of Neville standing on his own, his gaze somewhere a million miles from here as he stared at the stained glass window ahead of him.

"Neville? You okay?" Edith asked, coming to stand beside him, an arm finding its way over his shoulder.

At first, he flinched, but the girl's voice made his posture soften. Neville leaned further into her hold, his head on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Edith asked quietly.

Students mingled around them, shuffling past behind them and chatting as they strode to their next class.

"Edith... do you ever miss someone who's still alive?"

Neville's question surprised her, but it wasn't difficult to understand where it was coming from. The staff knew why Neville stayed with his grandmother, his parents weren't capable of caring for him, or themselves.