Legacy Darling

Chapter 5: Cursed Pillows and Sparkling Gobstones

Winnie stood outside the Ravenclaw common room for some time, fidgeting nervously with the sleeves of her robes. She glanced around, half-expecting a rogue troll to emerge from the shadows. Instead, the door opened and emerging from the common room—a vision in black hair twisted into a loose bun, with a cascade of freckles all over her cheeks like constellations against a night sky and two pieces of hair pulled out of her bun, lying on either side of her face.

The girl noticed her, her dark eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Oh, uh-hi! You're the new girl right? Professor Weasley said you would be staying with us until you are properly sorted into your house."

Winnie took a step closer, heart racing. "Uh yes, I-I'm Winnie! She laughed.

The girl's eyes widened in delight. "Winnie, what a beautiful name! I'm Samantha Dale! This is so exciting! I've never met anyone who joined Hogwarts this late. You're like a rare magical creature!" She stepped closer, her enthusiasm infectious. "For future reference, you need to knock on the door and answer a riddle. Well, come on then, I'll show you the common room!"

As they walked together, Winnie felt a sense of relief wash over her. Samantha was warm and bubbly, she reminded her of Taylor. Memories of late-night study sessions and shared secrets flooded her mind, making her long for Taylor's presence. Would she be able to navigate this magical world without her? The thought lingered.

"Just wait until you see it! It's like a cozy little nest up here," Samantha chattered, leading her through the massive, wooden door that creaked ominously. Inside, the common room burst with whimsy—blue and silver draped over plush furniture, and walls adorned with majestical paintings of ravens and celestial patterns.

Winnie's mouth fell open in awe. "It's incredible!" She spun around, taking in every detail. A fireplace flickered softly in the center of the room, casting dancing shadows. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with volumes that seemed to whisper secrets. The scent of parchment and warm tea wafted through the air, mingling with a hint of something sweet—perhaps a leftover pastry from the Great Hall.

"This is where we study, hang out, and pretend to be geniuses," Samantha said with a wink. "And you'll love the study nooks over there." She pointed to cozy alcoves with blue velvet chairs and tables littered with books. "There's a whole downstairs as well. You'll fit right in."

Winnie couldn't contain her excitement. "I can't wait to explore!"

Just then, a huff from near fireplace caught her attention. A small, pale girl with a brown ponytail crossed her arms tightly, a look of utter frustration etched on her face. Samantha's expression shifted, concern flooding her features.

"Uh-oh, that's Zenobia," Samantha murmured. "I think she's having a moment."

Curiosity piqued, Winnie kindly approached Zenobia, who looked like she was ready to throw a temper tantrum. "Hey. Are you ok?" Winnie asked gently.

Zenobia turned, her cheeks flushed. "It's Imelda! She stole my Gobstones and hid them all around the school! I just wanted to have fun!" Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, but the fire in her words showed her strength.

"Who does that?" Winnie exclaimed, indignation rising. "That's so unfair! I'll help you find them!"

Zenobia's expression brightened, her demeanour softening. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course!" Winnie replied, beaming. "We can form a Gobstone recovery team! Just tell me what they look like."

"They're...uh...round? And colourful?" Zenobia explained, her brows furrowing in thought. "One's purple, and another has sparkles!"

Samantha snorted, unable to contain her laughter. "Sparkles? Is that all it takes to make them special?"

"I'll keep an eye out for your sparkly Gobstones!" Winnie assured, giving Zenobia a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Zenobia exclaimed, her small stature bouncing with newfound energy. "I'll find you later!" With that, she bolted off down the corridor, determination lighting her eyes.

"Don't worry, she's harmless," Samantha chuckled, shaking her head. "Though, she can be a bit of a firecracker."

"Is she always like that?" Winnie asked, stifling a laugh.

"Pretty much," Samantha replied, rolling her eyes. "But you know what? I admire her spirit. Unlike Imelda, who thinks she's perfect in every way."

"Who is this infamous Imelda?" Winnie asked, intrigued.

"Imelda Reyes. She's a Quidditch star and all that, but she's such a show-off. She's rude, uninteresting, and is annoyingly obsessed with the Gaunt boy." Samantha grumbled, crossing her arms.

Winnie felt a jolt of excitement in her chest at the mention of Ominis. Why was she feeling anything? She just met the boy, she thought to herself. She tried to shake off the strange feeling. "Sounds like a right charmer," she said, through a yawn.

"You must be tired; let me show you to your bed." Samantha beamed, leading Winnie through a door at the far end of the common room. "You'll be staying with me. You're actually pretty lucky we had a spare bed. Maggie Featherton is currently out of commission."

Winnie blinked, surprised. "Out of commission? What do you mean?"

Samantha's grin widened. "Well, she's... resting. Off-grounds. See, a few days ago, we all decided to have a pillow fight — you know, welcome back to school, let's go all out and everything. But Maggie, being Maggie, decided she really wanted to win, so she enchanted her pillow. Just a 'little boost,' she said. Something to 'keep it swinging.'" Samantha wiggled her fingers to show what she meant.

Winnie looked more confused than ever. "And... that went wrong?"

"Understatement of the century!" Samantha burst out laughing. "It was fine at first; her pillow got in a few good whacks, she was laughing like she'd just found a pile of Galleons. But then the enchantment kicked into overdrive, and that pillow turned on her like it had a vendetta. Wham! Right in her face. She tried to duck, but it just kept going at her, smacking her from every angle. She started screaming, 'It's not supposed to do that!' but it was already too late."

Winnie gasped, covering her mouth. "That sounds... kind of terrifying?"

"Oh, absolutely," Samantha nodded, eyes gleaming with mischief. "It went on for a solid minute, just chasing her around, like a Bludger with a grudge! By the time she finally grabbed her wand to stop it, she accidentally pointed it at herself instead of the pillow, and next thing you know, she'd flung herself right into the ceiling! She was just... hanging there, stuck, like some bizarre ceiling decoration."

Winnie clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. "So, um... where did she go?"

"Oh, they sent her to St. Mungo's," Samantha replied, casually.

Winnie frowned. "What's... a St. Mungo's?"

"Oh!" Samantha bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "It's basically our magical... 'Oops, That Spell Was a Bit Too Much' recovery center. They're used to this kind of thing — pillow-related injuries are probably the least weird thing they'll see all week."

Winnie laughed, finally relaxing. Samantha led her to the spare bed, "Here you are!" She then handed her a pillow and a blanket. Winnie looked up suspiciously. "Is this her pillow?" Samantha, seeing the look of concern on Winnie's face, quickly said, "Oh, yes but don't worry, the charm has most likely worn off by now." Winnie eyed the pillow warily.

That night Winnie laid there in the dark, fidgeting nervously. Just to be safe, she placed the pillow at the end of her bed and kicked it a few times. After all, you couldn't be too careful around a pillow with a grudge.