The end of term came quickly. During the last few weeks, the atmosphere in the castle had become even more tense and stifling, the patrols happening like clockwork. Teachers escorted students between their classrooms and all societies had been banned.
Kyra spent as much time with Nina as she could, at the same time as watching out for Oscar, Kat and Grace, and searching through DADA books. Occasionally, she would be able to slip away from the escorted groups in her free periods, but she had started resorting to carrying the books back to her room.
Despite all her extra research, however, she had found no more useful information on the uses of praesidio plants; she would have gone to the restricted section by this point if there hadn't been such stringent patrols and watches implemented.
An idea had begun to form in the back of her mind, and by the time the end of term came around, it was fully formed.
The day before students were due to depart, Grace was packing her trunk while Kyra sat cross-legged on her bed, scanning through books which lay strewn around her.
Grace sat up on her heels abruptly, fixing Kyra with a look. "You know that I don't buy this business of you staying at school to work at all. I know it's bullshit."
Kyra looked up unwillingly. "It's not." Her voice sounded unconvincing even to herself. She never could lie to Grace.
Grace huffed out a breath. "Look, I know I can't talk you out of whatever this is and I'm not going to try. But I swear, you'd better not go and do something stupid and get yourself hurt," she ended fiercely.
Kyra pulled her legs up and chewed on a nail. "I'm not going to do something stupid. I'm not going to get myself hurt. I'll be careful, I promise."
Grace looked at her for a moment, and then gave a jerky nod. "And there's no chance of me staying, too?"
Kyra sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Grace, someone needs to look after Nina. I know I haven't been a very good sister, but she needs one of us to be."
Grace looked torn, but nodded again, slowly.
YOU ARE READING
The Founders
FanfictionKyra Chen is beginning her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when a series of unusual events converge- a new student, a theft- to form a dangerous and intricate plot that entangles her and her friends and draws them deep into...
