Invisible String

Chapter 03

AMANTHA
The school week flew by in the blink of an eye, filled with excitement and new experiences. The Gryffindors welcomed everyone with open arms, making the transition smooth. Classes were interesting, not too difficult for me to grasp, and it seemed Laurie had no trouble either. Most of our classes were with the Slytherins, allowing me to sit next to Laurie. We didn't have much time to talk during classes, but now I'm waiting for him in the library while working on my potions essay. Despite Professor Snape's disdain for Gryffindors, I found myself enjoying the subject. The intricacies of potion-making fascinated me, how a seemingly insignificant ingredient could be crucial to the potion's success. With a sigh of relief, I finished writing the last sentence, feeling exhausted from the week's events. A shadow caught my attention, and I knew it was Laurie. "You're late," I teased, packing my belongings into my worn-out bag. Laurie sighed as he took a seat across from me, his usually neat hair now ruffled. I smiled, noticing his stressed demeanor. "Malfoy didn't let me go," he explained, opening his book slowly. We both wanted to say so much, but the air between us was filled with silence. "Our mother was a witch," I blurted out at the same time Laurie said, "Our father was a wizard." We stared at each other, both shocked by the revelation. This week, I had pondered our parents' identities, especially our mother's untimely death. As a witch, shouldn't she have been able to overcome death? "Okay, let's clarify things. The Sorting Hat told me I have more traits like our mother – a Gryffindor. How do you know?" I searched for a new piece of parchment in my bag, jotting down our thoughts with messy handwriting. The ink smudged on the paper and my hand, reminding me of the frustrations of being left-handed. "I found out the same way you did. The hat said I'm a copy of my sister," Laurie replied, giving me one of his trademark smirks. "And that I'm more like our father, given that I'm in Slytherin." As Laurie spoke, I scribbled down his words, inadvertently staining my entire left hand with ink. "That leads us to the conclusion that both our parents were magical and attended Hogwarts," I said, drawing an arrow to my conclusion. "And that we're a mixed salad of their traits." Suddenly, I paused, looking up at Laurie with a frown. "Weird metaphor," I muttered. Laurie leaned back, grinning. "Slytherin's rubbing off on you," I teased him while shaking my head, unable to suppress my smile. Laurie only showed his true feelings to a select few, mainly me. "Not much information to go on. Maybe we can learn more about their deaths?" I suggested, knowing Laurie shared my doubts. He rummaged in his bag and pulled out three old-looking books. "I went to the library the other night and found these. Restricted section, of course. There's this curse – the killing curse. It's illegal, but it brings the cursed person straight to death. It was used a lot in the last wizarding war," Laurie explained, his intentions clear. Slowly, I nodded. It made sense. I grabbed my quill and wrote down the killing curse. "We have two options: they died fighting for the good side, like Harry's parents did," I said, recalling Harry's account of his parents' deaths. "Or they died on the wrong side," Laurie added. I doubted the latter. How ironic would it be if my parents fought against Harry's parents, and here I was, friends with the boy who lived? A Gryffindor couldn't be bad, right? So they must have been on the side of light. At least they died fighting for something good. Running my fingers through my hair, I contemplated our next steps. "I guess we need to look through the yearbooks," I suggested, scribbling down the idea. To my surprise, Laurie shook his head. "That would be pointless. We know nothing about them – their looks, their names, or even their year. Many students attended Hogwarts, Ara," he reasoned. Why did Laurie always have to be right? "I suppose the best thing we can do now is focus on our studies. We should stop digging; maybe we'll never find out who they were," Laurie said, flipping through his schoolbook. "You're right. I'm going to meet Harry and Ron. We're visiting Hagrid, the guy who led us to the castle," I replied, glancing at my watch – a cheap gift from Mrs. Brown for my 10th birthday, but it worked. "I'm already late. Bye." I bid Laurie farewell and rushed out of the library, through the castle halls. It was a miracle that I found my way to our designated meeting spot; normally, I had a routine to allow for a 10-minute buffer in case I got lost. My athleticism wasn't as impressive as Laurie's, but I was still out of breath when I finally stopped. "Sorry I'm late. I was in the library with Laurie, and he was already late. I'm so sorry, guys," I gasped for breath, realizing I needed to train more. "It's alright. You okay?" Harry asked, to which I simply nodded. Ron remained quiet, seeming grumpy. "Can we go to Hagrid now?" he urged, prompting us to start walking. Harry and Ron complained about Snape's unfair treatment. "I don't get it. I like potions even though he doesn't like us. You need to think more positively – both of you," I chided, sounding like Mrs. Brown. It was funny how I encouraged everyone to stay positive, yet struggled to do so myself. As we walked through Hogwarts' grounds – or rather, as I tried not to tumble down the hill – we reached a hut. I wondered how it managed to stand upright. Near the hut was the Forbidden Forest, a place I had no intention of venturing into. A crossbow stood next to the door, for whatever reason. As Harry knocked, a dog barked. I took a step back, wary of the potentially dangerous creature. Then Hagrid's deep, rough voice sounded through the door. He greeted us warmly, putting the dog aside to let us in. "Get cozy," Hagrid said, releasing Fang, who immediately bounded towards Ron, licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang wasn't as wild as he appeared, but I still didn't trust him. "This is Ron and Amantha," Harry introduced us as Hagrid poured boiling water into a kettle and set out cookies. "Another Weasley, eh?" Hagrid remarked, eyeing Ron's freckles. "I've spent half my life chasing your twin brothers out of the forest." I chuckled; it sounded exactly like something the Weasley twins would do. "You have a twin brother too, right? What was his name again?" Hagrid asked, while I was grabbing one of his cookies – they were as hard as rocks. Eating one felt like a new appointment at the dentist. "His name is Laurie. Well, technically, it's Lawrence, but we call each other by our nicknames. Laurie comes from my favorite book," I explained, trying to discreetly stash the uneaten cookie in my pocket. "What does he call you?" Harry inquired, trying a cookie himself. His expression said it all. "Ara. It's Latin and stands for the Altar, a constellation in the southern sky. He liked it because my middle name is also a constellation in the southern sky," I replied. As kids, Laurie and I used to stargaze every night, searching for our constellations. "Your parents must be fans of astronomy. Do you like the subject?" Hagrid asked, peering at me over the wooden table. I looked down. "I don't know. They're dead," I shrugged, taking a sip of my now-ready tea. I immediately regretted it; I burned my mouth worse than ever before. "I'm sorry, I didn't know," Hagrid apologized, genuine remorse in his voice. "It's alright," I said, the silence between us growing heavier. As the one who dampened the mood, I decided to break the silence. "So, how was your week, Hagrid?" I asked, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. "Yeah, fine, like usual, you know? Been here nearly my whole life. Mrs. Norris followed me everywhere. I think she needs to meet Fang," Hagrid chuckled, and we joined in. Harry updated Hagrid on our week, particularly Snape's unfair treatment. Thankfully, Hagrid was on my side. "He doesn't like any students, you know. Don't worry, Harry," Hagrid reassured, earning me a triumphant smile. "But he seems to hate me, literally hating me!" Harry exclaimed. "Nonsense! Why should he?" Hagrid refuted. "Thanks, Hagrid. I've been telling him that all day!" I exclaimed, relieved. Hagrid let out a hearty laugh at my exasperation.