Hogwarts is my Home

Chapter 36: The Worst Summer Ever

Now that Spencer was dead, everything at my house was different. 

My mum was always mean and mad at me for one thing or another, but now it was heightened. She yelled at me for simply being alive when my sister wasn't anymore. She still locked all my wizarding things away, like every year prior. One day she decided my hair was too long and cut it at the shoulders just like Spencer had. I didn't cry about it, I just let it happen. But when I went into the bathroom and saw how lopsided and uneven it was, I let the tears fall. Luckily, that was the worst of it.

Dad avoided her at most costs and spent a lot of time in Spencer's room because he was desperate to keep her memory alive. He didn't talk much anymore.

I walked up to my room after Mum had a yelling match with me about how I should've kept a closer look on Spencer. My only defense was to stand there and take it. I heard Dad crying next door.

"Dad?" I asked as I slowly approached the doorway of my sister's room.

He quickly wiped his tears and composed himself. "Hi, sweetie."

I entered Spence's room and sat on the bed. They hadn't gone through any of her stuff. It's like they were treating it like she was at a sleepover and would be back in a few days and would need all her things exactly where she left them.

"Do you blame me for what happened to Spencer?" I asked hesitantly.

He was thrown off by my question. He thought about what to say, then finally spoke to me. "Dumbledore said there was nothing anyone could've done...He's the one to blame, letting a killer and an evil snake in the school."

"No, he's not! He didn't know- no one did. The Chamber of Secrets was thought to be closed fifty years ago! That it was over and the school was safe again!" I don't know why I was defending Dumbledore, I just always trusted him and he seemed to like me.

"I'm sorry, honey, you're right. Everything your mum has been saying is getting to me." He got up and walked away, because he had no need to continue the conversation and was now bored of me.

I sighed and took something off Spencer's desk: the golden quill I had given to her for her birthday. This was her favourite thing to write with, it was well loved in the short time she'd had it. I grabbed it and scurried off to my room while everyone was distracted.

I wrote a letter to my best friends.

Dearest Fred and George,

I hope your holidays are better than mine. Mum keeps yelling at me for "letting her precious, innocent daughter die down there". She keeps threatening me by saying she's going to have Hogwarts ended, but I don't think she'll have any impact. Dumbledore doesn't take her word for some reason. I wish I could just be at The Burrow with you guys again. I think I would like to ask Arthur to pick me up now.

Please write back soon,

Toni

I locked myself in my room the rest of the day after that, waiting for either Errol or Hedwig to come by so I could give one of them the letter.

Almost as if I was getting my wish granted, I heard tapping on my window. On my window ledge sat the beautiful snowy owl that belonged to my best friend/ crush. I got up and opened it and held out my hand for her to climb onto.

"Hedwig! It's a miracle I'm seeing you here. I thought the Dursleys would want you locked up all summer. I haven't been writing to Harry because of that. What do you have there?" Attached to her leg with a bit of brown string, was a letter from Harry. I put Hedwig on the golden bar that was an owl landing from when I had my owl and took it off.