The Spark {Book 5 in the Star of Gryffindor Series}

Chapter 3 - Prefects

The Daily Prophet
Issue No. 101,813
17 August, 2021

Predatels Attack Ministry Workers' Homes!

Late last night, as Head of the Department of Magical Transportation, Claudia Ewell, was tucking her two children, pictured below, into bed, a terrorist working the Predatels set her house on fire. She and her husband were able to get their children out, but the family is currently in St. Mungo's for bad burns and smoke inhalation...

The Ewells were not the only family targeted. Last night, at least six reports of burned homes came in, all the homes of high-ranking Ministry officials...

~~~~

The Potters went home a few days later, and I was back to loneliness and boredom. We planned a trip to Diagon Alley in a few weeks, but I wouldn't see them much until that time. So much time alone with my thoughts. It would have been great if there weren't so many thoughts I was trying not to think ever again.

The summer went by pretty normally, if you forget the fear and anxiety. Mostly at home, with Toire or Aunt Andromeda. Apparently, there was a lot to do to prepare for a baby, and I accompanied Toire on many shopping trips in the muggle world so she could assure her baby had the best. The wizarding world didn't have much to offer in that line that muggles couldn't beat in adorableness.

I spent a week at the Malfoys' and learned that Ciara was going to be the Slytherin Quidditch captain, and both she and Scorpius were also prefects. She seemed very pleased that I was neither of those things for Gryffindor, prompting me to ask her what exactly had made her think I'd receive either of those honors. For the first, Fred Weasley was more obsessed with Quidditch than anyone else I'd ever met. For the second, I had never had a hope in the world at prefect, and I was a little Ciara had gotten it, considering at least half the trouble I got into involved her in some way or another.

Other than that dispute, it was a pretty calm week. Of course, Ciara and I still hated each other by principle, but it was becoming less and less apparent. With Elcie and Scorpius around to calm tensions if they flared up, the days passed without much incident.

I was home again by the day before we'd planned to go to Diagon Alley. I hadn't been out in the wizarding world at all since I'd come home. I wondered if Aunt Andromeda had ensured that. I wasn't complaining.

The night before the trip, Teddy and I decided it was high time we learned how to cook. We banned Aunt Andromeda and Victoire from the kitchen and set about making the easiest meal I could think of—chicken noodle soup with a side of crackers.

As I was stirring the pot of soup, I glanced over at my cousin. "Teddy, you're in the DA, right?"

He froze in the act of opening a box of crackers. "Crap, Astra, you're not supposed to know about that."

"You really thought Albus wouldn't tell me?"

Teddy cringed. "You haven't been talking about it in front of Gran, have you?"

"She knows I know. But do you think I'm an idiot?"

Teddy frowned, as if he was trying to decide how to answer that. I rolled my eyes. "I'm not!"

"Okay, okay." Teddy took the spoon from me and started stirring the soup himself. "It's too secret, Astra. I can't tell you anything. And once you get to school, you can't talk about it to anyone. People could lose their jobs, or their lives."

"I know," I said, frowning. "I'd think that of all people, I should understand that. And of all people, I should know something."

Teddy sighed. "I know, Astra. This is tough. I'm sorry I can't tell you more. Don't worry, though. Everything's going to be fine."