Hogwarts is my Home

Chapter 41: The Arrival of the Weasleys... and Granger and Carter (PA CH4)

Most of my time over the next two weeks was spent hovered over my four photo albums, looking for answers about the Mystery Man, but there was nothing. No name or location I could use to find out who he was.

I took my Walkman out of my suitcase and flipped through my cassette book, looking for the one with the cello songs. 

The first song that played was Passacaglia by Halvorsen- a piece Spencer wanted to learn and ultimately play with Amara (Amara plays violin, Spencer played the cello).

I listened to the whole song and a few others without crying. Then, The Swan by Saint-Saens started and the tears began welling up. This was the song that Spencer and I would play whenever anyone from Dad's side of the family would come over and ask to hear music.

I closed my eyes and allowed every emotion I was feeling to be validated. My sister just died two months ago and I was hearing her favourite song again for the first time since, it was okay to get emotional.

My mind wandered back to one of the few times we talked in her first year at Hogwarts. She ran up to me with a flyer she had been given flapping in her hand as she did. She was out of breath by the time I noticed her and stopped talking to Rian.

"I've been looking everywhere for you. Did you know they have an orchestra here?" she asked, panting.

"I did, yeah."

"And you didn't tell me?" she asked, exasperated.

"I thought you only played the cello because Mum forced you to, not that you actually liked it."

"It's a little bit of both," she shrugged off before noticing Rian standing next to me. "Oh, hi! Are you Toni's friend?"

"I am. You must be Spencer." Rian forced a smile. She hated talking to new people. I was the one who introduced myself to her after she was an innocent victim of one of Fred and George's pranks. If I didn't, we never would've become friends.

"Toni, are you in the orchestra?" I nodded lightly, really not wanting her to ask the question I knew she was going to. "How do I join?"

I looked quickly to Rian, who answered. "You have to talk to Professor Flitwick, he runs it. I'll take you."

"Thanks!" 

I was left standing in the middle of the courtyard as I watched them walk away together. Spencer said something to make Rian laugh, and I felt a twinge of jealousy in my heart. A feeling that had no sense being there.

The Swan ended and I slowly opened my eyes to see Harry standing in front of me. I narrowed my eyes at him as I asked what he was doing.

"I was trying to ask if you wanted to eat dinner, but I don't think you could hear me. What were you listening to?"

"Spencer's favourite song."

He sat down beside me. "Oh. Can I hear it?"

"Sure." I handed him the player, figuring he probably knew how to use it because he lived with muggles. He didn't. We were practically fighting over the damn thing as he was trying to do it himself and I was warning him not to break it. 

Harry finally pressed the correct button and I could hear the song playing through the headphones. "This is nice," he said loudly and I jumped a little. "Sorry," he apologised quieter. 

The song was over three minutes later and we sat in silence as he stared at me. "So?"

"It was nice. Very flowy. Want to eat something?"

"Sure, but not here. Let's go somewhere in Diagon Alley."

"But Fudge told me not to go out after dark and it's nearly nightfall."