Freaks: Year Two

Darker Times

With Ilvermorny and the quidditch tournament approaching, something else started to come up as well and this time, it wasn't random letters or something insane and crazy the second year boy Gryffindors did or a whole gossip mill about who was dating who or placing bets on the dating mill or even about the rumour about who the Defence Against The Dark Arts professor, Chrishelda Blythe was dating ("Seriously, who was it, that ring didn't just appear out of matter!" Jonathan has said one day when people had started to take notice to which Harry had just heavily sighed), no it was something else.

The announcements of more deaths.

It started to get like this everyday. Every single day there was a list of people who had been murdered by Voldemort's ranks in the Daily Prophet. People would run out crying and some would shriek and rush out of the Great Hall if they spotted someone they knew. A family member, a friend...

Ameila Salt, Joey Barley, Emma Turett, Madison Li, Emmet Tooney, Banushan Ramachandran, Edgar Bones, Ameila Bones, Omar Sturgis...the list went on. Every single day more students would be pulled out of school to go home for a funeral or to be with their loved ones or just being pulled in fear of the attacks and the ones who had none loved ones left would stay in their dorm for days on end.

"I'm so scared," Andy Scott's voice broke out one night in the common room after Edgar and Ameila Bones had been sent home for the funeral of one of their parents. And sadly, it was becoming the new normal.

"It's going to be okay," Jasper whispered. "You're safe."

"But my parents aren't," Andy said, looking down at her knees. "My brother isn't. What if–"

"Don't say that," Jasper said quickly. "Don't even think that. It will be okay," but he knew he was lying through his teeth. Nothing was okay. Hell, he was worried about his own brothers, but he needed to be strong for the first years who were terrified out of their minds. "We...just have to hope."

"I don't understand," Andy cried, her face buried into her knees, Jordan having a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Why does this wizard want to hurt people? Kill them? Why..."

"I...I don't know," Jasper said quietly. "Some people are...just...cruel."

"And the stupid thing about this is...so many of my mates are worried about the tournament! Like...who cares if it gets cancelled people are dying!"

"Aw, come here Andy," Priya said and she brought the first year into a tight hug. "I know things look so horrible right now but we have to have some trust in the aurors who are working hard to stop You Know Who. We have to have faith and hope."

Jasper looked over to Jordan who looked the saddest he had ever seen her. This wasn't fair to her or Andy or to any of the first years or anyone who was losing their families, the ones who had to go home or the ones who now had no home at all. He couldn't imagine being shoved into this whole new world only to find out just how horrifying it was. They were so young...

How was one to have faith and hope when countless other people's lives and families were being destroyed?

"I thought it would be good for me to try to teach you something new," Harry said when he was back in the library with Alabaster for another tutoring session. Things had been dreary around the castle lately and Harry had spent a lot of nights worrying about his own parents, but he was trying to keep some sense of normalcy in his life and the tutoring helped with that.

It had been quiet in the castle lately. More and more students were getting sent home and anyone else who was still at school tried to just move through the motions. Go to class, chat, wonder if their family would be next, eat, try to play a game, try to distract themselves from what was going on outside the castle walls, the list went on, and everyone was just hoping all these deaths would stop – that things would get better but they seemed far from it.