Children of Sin

Chapter 17

The triplets didn't have it easy after they awoke. Magic poisoning left an effect, and they weakened considerably. Larissa had designed a workout plan for them, something that would force them to expel a lot of magical energy. The teachers were always on their case, making sure they did their exercises. Especially Monsieur Leopold. Their mother's boyfriend would keep an annoyingly close eye on them

Time passed slowly. The triplets each wrote to the friends they'd made over the summer, Flora and Yusuf Shacklebolt, Rolf and Selena Scamander, and Cesare Nott. Cesare's mother had passed on, likely from poisoning he wrote, but he felt grateful for all the effort they had made to heal her. 

Boaz, Estelle, and Freya had freaked out when their cousins had gotten hurt. Freya and Estelle wouldn't allow Layla to leave their sight, and Boaz followed Damian and Victor around like a lost puppy. While initially annoying, it granted them all time to spend with each other.

Days passed, nights fell, and soon enough, summer vacation was in session. For the very first time, the triplets would be splitting up.

Damian was heading to summer camp with Adin and Ellen, something he hadn't had the chance to do the year before. The camp was based in Spain, with many people coming from other countries. The camp took the campers around the world to explore magical communities, and Damian was extremely excited to go. 

Selena Scamander had invited Layla to stay with them for a few weeks, and Layla had eagerly taken the opportunity to stay with her friends. Out of the triplets, it was Layla who had connected with the Scamanders and Shacklebolts the most. Jacob and Esmerelda also promised to take Layla with them on a visit to Esmerelda's home country, Brazil, and Layla already brought the pocket money to purchase books. She'd been studying Portuguese for a little over three months, roughly the time she found out she'd be going.

Victor would be staying home, though his friend Lèon would be visiting for a week. Larissa had promised to take them to a quidditch match, where Victor's newest friend, Felicia Rosier, would be joining them.

"Goodbye my love," Larissa kissed Layla on the forehead, "have a wonderful time. Esmerelda and Jacob will treat you well."

"Love you Maman," Layla kissed her mother's cheek, "I'll be sure to write."

"Jacob is a lot of fun," James smirked, "the girl's in for a treat."

"Maybe fatherhood matured him James," Euphemia hoped, "you can't be a prankster forever."

"Stop bursting my bubble Mum," James covered his ears, causing his round glasses to fall down his face, "Jacob will always be Mr. Fun."

"Believe what you will," Euphemia chuckled at her boy's amusing reaction. "we'll just wait and see."

"I'm so excited!" Selena happily skipped, pulling Layla along with her, "I'll have to tell you all about my first year in Hogwarts."

"And I have all the good gossip," Rolf smirks, "I just have to tell you about the two upper years that almost canceled the quidditch finals over their breakup."

"No way," Layla's jaw dropped, "drop the tea Rolf."

"That's not even the beginning," Rolf seemed not to have heard her, "We had a secret chamber open, students get petrified, and a girl get kidnapped. We also had a basilisk in the pipes which a second year slayed in order to rescue the kidnapped girl."

"What in Merlin's name happens in Hogwarts?" Minerva's normally stoic demeanor shifts to one of shock. How was this kid so nonchalant about these events?

"That's not normal," Layla stopped walking, "Rolf, you should have led with that."

"The girl who was kidnapped was Ginny Weasley," Selena explained, stopping to answer, "she's a roommate of mine. She was kidnapped by the Heir of Slytherin, who trapped her in the infamous Chamber of Secrets. Harry Potter, who can speak parsletongue by the way, broke into the chamber and saved her with Gryffindor's sword!"