In the World of Magic(Harry Potter Next Generation Fanfic)

Chapter 15 - Separation

Amanda's POV

Three weeks. Three weeks of nothing. Three weeks of nerves and fright.

That was exactly what I had been going through. I had heard nothing after the note. James and I had sat in silence and then hurried back to the castle. The whole way back we had held each others hands. I had thought it had been nice.

After that afternoon we had barely spoken. James hadn't spoken to me if not necessary, for example if we were in potions. I hadn't said anything to him about the note. I had thought that we would become friends again after I had forgiven him. When we had read that note it had seemed to drive us farther apart. It made me sad, but at the same time I knew that it was partly my fault. I hadn't tried to talk to James. I hadn't acted any different than he had. We were both just shattering any chance of a friendship between us for every day that past.

•••

Potions. Or hell if you may.

"Could you give me the rat tail?", I muttered the question to James without looking up at him. I saw the rat tail infront being set down infront of me and quickly got to work. I chopped it up in small pieces and tried to only focus on that. I had learned that it was pretty much impossible to actually not think about the awkwardness between James and I. That didn't mean that I didn't try. I tried every single lesson, but it was in no vain.

Carefully I let the chopped up rat tail fall into the cauldron. I backed up and James did the magic with his wand. I saw how the potion turned midnight blue and seemed to still.

"We're done", James announced to Slughorn. After a quick look, Slughorn let the two of us go. Just like every other lesson I hurried out the door and turned right. I was heading towards the Slytherin common room to study. Not many would be there yet and it would be quite.

"Amanda, wait!", I then heard James voice from behind me. The shock of actually hearing him speak to me made me turn around. He stood only a few meters away, his face a little distressed. I didn't dare ask what he wanted.

"I need to speak to you", James explained. Without moving I motioned for him to say what he wanted. At first he looked unsure, but after a deep breath he spoke.

"I've got another message." My heart skipped a beat. The fright that had been laying low inside of me arose with incredible intensity. Before I could actually think through my words I answered.

"I don't want to know." I didn't give James a chance to speak as I turned around and started walking down the corridor. I heard the footsteps following me, but I refused to stop. I didn't want to be a part of whatever it was that those messages were. That was the whole point of me going to Hogwarts. Avoid danger.

"Just wait, Amanda. You need to hear this! It's important and it the messages aren't just targeting me. They're after you too!" Did he say messages? As in more than one? Never mind that! I did not want to know.

I was so close to the Slytherin common room. I wouldn't answer James, not when I was so close to escaping. There it was! Just a little bit farther.

I stepped up to the brick wall and quietly murmured the password.

"Serpent." The brick wall revealed the passage. I stepped through and then turned around.

"Just leave me alone. I don't want anything to do with that thing!", I told him flatly just before the passage closed. It wasn't until later that I realized that I had probably ruined whatever chance there was left of us being friends.

James' POV

She hated me. I knew she would, but I had hoped that I'd been wrong. I did understand her though. It was my fault that she was in the whole mess to begin with. If I hadn't talked to her at that damn Quidditch game she wouldn't be a part of everything. She would be at her muggle school, be with her muggle friends and live a normal muggle life.

"You better not have told daddy dearest about me."

"Trouble in paradise?"

Below the second message there had been a picture of Amanda and me during potions. We weren't looking at each other and we were standing pretty far from each other. The second message had been the reason to why I had tried speaking to Amanda. After the first message I had ignored her, trying to keep her out of everything. It was clear though that whoever it was that sent the messages were targeting us both.

At first I had been okay with Amanda not knowing of the following notes, I had thought that it would be best for her. Seeing the picture of us and the words scribbled over I knew that Amanda's ignorance would only be dangerous. She had to know what was going on.

"Come on, James! Can you keep on with the daydreaming after practice?", asked Andrew Wood annoyed. I slowly looked at him and saw his angry face staring at me. Andrew was the captain of the quidditch team and as passionate as his father, who played on elite level.

"Everything for you, Andrew", I joked and smirked. Andrew only sighed and flew away with the quaffle. I followed and we kept up with the training. I was a chaser together with Andrew and Anastasia Jordan. Our seeker was Albus, who was almost too proud over the fact. Lilly had just gotten on the team as our beater and Hugo was also new to our team as our keeper. Alex Finnigan was our second beater. The only problem I had with him was that he would some times would be too smiley with Lilly. She was four years younger than him, and my little sister. Those times I just accidentally throw the quaffle the wrong way...

•••

Another week went by. Amanda avoided me more than ever. It saddened me, but I understood. It was dangerous though, and I knew that I would have to speak to her soon. I would never want to risk anything happening to her because I didn't tell her what was going on. I would speak to her after the next potions class, I would have to. I couldn't handle her not knowing.

Amanda's POV

James hadn't pushed me when it came to the messages. I was so happy because of that. I was frightened for what the messages could possibly say. I didn't want to know. As long as I didn't know, I could pretend that they didn't exist.

I was at breakfast. Christina and Allison were doing impressions of Dolan, who apparently had a crush on some girl. The two girls hadn't been able to find out who, but they knew that there was someone. Apparently they had caught him in a daydream. When they had got him to snap out of it he had said "where is she?" After that they hadn't let it go.

I looked up as the owls flew over the tables. The mail. I hopefully looked after my owl, but no such luck. Rose had answered my first letter, and we were sending each other weekly updates. At the moment my owl was with her as I awaited my respons.

To my surprise an owl actually dropped a letter to me. I looked at the letter in confusion as I took it in my hand. Curiously I opened it.

Maybe you should listen to your friend.

My eyes bulged at the photo of James and I by the Slytherin common room. Fright made my hands shake and I quickly got up from the table. Without a word I left the Great Hall and ran through the corridors. The messenger had contacted me. Not James, me. I was terrified. The memory of what happened in the woods replayed in my mind. I didn't want to be involved. Why me? What was so special about me? I was just a muggle? I really wished that the messenger could treat me like one.

Magic had never seemed so unappealing as in that moment.