The Chasers Heart, Part 2

Year 6: Captain of the Purple Team

I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself.

All of my friends were relieved that we were finally finished with the Cursed Vaults, but I only felt guilty that they even felt that way to begin with. None of them would have had anything to do with the Vaults in the first place if it hadn't been for me. I'd asked them of too much of their time over the years. But I was done with that now. I was determined to make the most of my last two years at school, work out what I wanted to do for a job and just try my best to be normal.

I was getting sick of people asking if I was alright. Penny and Rowan had both separately confronted me about Jacob returning and my father being in prison. I couldn't think about my father being in prison, though. It was too hard. Sometimes, and I felt like a terrible daughter for thinking it, I thought things were better when we thought he could be dead. But I knew that was horrible. Even if now there was only a tiny shred of hope that this was all just a massive misunderstanding and he wasn't a dark wizard after all. I didn't know the evidence, didn't even know the circumstances of exactly how my father had been found. All I knew was that he'd been with Rakepick and now he was in Azkaban. I knew they didn't lock up innocent wizards. It must have been bad.

Despite the fact the none of the events of the Buried Vault had been recounted to the other students by any of the teachers, and only Dumbledore knew for certain exactly what had happened, word had somehow got out. I knew it would. Penny was sweet, but she was a bit of a gossip. And Merula Snyde wouldn't keep anything to herself that made her look like a hero even if she wanted to. Her version of events was slightly more embellished than Penny's, but I didn't care. Things were bound to get out, butI didn't want to talk about it at all, and I knew Murphy would keep everything he'd witnessed to himself. He'd seen the worst of it firsthand, how distraught and numb I'd been. And then again when my brother was found and released and my father was incarcerated.

I twiddled my thumbs at breakfast on the first day of term, waiting for Professor Flitwick to reach me with my new timetable so I could leave. I could feel several pairs of eyes on me and had heard whispers from fellow students since I returned to school. It made me sick knowing other people thought I belonged in Slytherin because my father was a dark wizard and that the Sorting Hat had made a mistake. Or else that I'd only been after the alleged treasure in the Final Vault and now that Jacob was free, it was only a matter of time before we finished what we started.

'Ah, Ms Knight,' Flitwick finally got to where Murphy and I were seated. He flipped through a stack of parchment in his arms and produced one that had my name on it and then another with Murphy's.

I poured over it, noting that I had a free period at the moment and there was no need for me to be ready for lessons so early that morning. Care of Magical Creatures would be my first lesson of the day, followed by lunch and then double Defence Against the Dark Arts.

'Still interested in Curse-Breaking?' He asked in a low voice.

'Er...' I continued to scan my timetable. Arithmancy was tomorrow afternoon. I'd been told that was the only required OWL for Curse-Breaking and I'd had mixed feelings when I got my OWL results and saw that I'd passed. 'I'm trying to keep my options open.'

'We'll see what we can do,' he nodded. 'Plenty of time, but a few doors closed now with Potions gone.'

Snape only took NEWT students who'd gotten Os on their Potions OWLs. I had not.

'Oh, and this one, too.'

He handed me another piece of parchment. I took it an examined it. It was the Quidditch Friendly schedule.

'Matches start Friday evening,' he smiled gently at me. 'Pick a good team now, eh? I enjoy having that Cup in my office.'

'Er, right, Professor,' I nodded.