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

Chapter 5 - The Angels or the Demons

The Daily Prophet
Issue No. 101,828
1 September, 2021

No Fear This Year

The summer has been fraught with isolated incidences of terror from the Predatels, but the Ministry has hope for a more stable year ahead of us. With the children leaving for Hogwarts today, many parents are scared for their safety. However, a Ministry employee would like to assure parents that Hogwarts is still the safest place in the world. Several teams of aurors still guard the castle, and the Minister vows that nothing shall ever threaten the school again, as long as the Ministry stands...

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"I really wish you would've at least waited a few days before tackling Eris," Mr. Potter told me as we walked along a corridor towards the headmasters' office. "At least given me some time to feel them out."

"Well, I don't appreciate being called a whore."

Mr. Potter sighed. "I know you don't. You can't just tackle people when they say things like that, though."

"Sorry..."

Mr. Potter paused in his walking for a moment, prompting me to stop as well. He was frowning at the wall behind me, formulating his thoughts, it looked like. Instead of interrupting that, I just looked at him questioningly.

"Astra," he said finally, "this year is going to be tough. And you're going to have to let a lot of things roll off your back. I know this is hard, believe me, but you're going to have to learn to deal with people like Eris Prince."

I frowned, bristling a bit. Who said I couldn't deal with Eris Prince? "What do you mean?"

"I don't know what Welling and Kimmel think of you yet, Astra. However, they work for the Ministry. You can't get into fights this year. I'm sure Hestia would jump at any chance she could get to have you expelled, and if she's pulling the strings on these two, that's just what will happen."

"Oh." I hadn't thought of that yet, though of course that made sense.

Mr. Potter smiled the sort of smile adults are good at, the one that is supposed to cheer you up and show you that everything's fine. Of course, I rarely fell for that smile anymore. I wasn't a child. "Hey, I'm sure this will be fine," he said. "I don't know what to make of them yet, so perhaps they don't know what to make of you. Just try to make a good first impression, all right?"

"All right."

Mr. Potter started walking again, and after a moment, I did as well. A good first impression. Somehow, I had a feeling that wouldn't happen. I wasn't too good at giving good first impressions. Maybe people were just predisposed to hate me. Or maybe I was not a very likable person. Whatever the case, I felt that this was going to be difficult. I was in their office because I'd tackled a girl. No matter how much she deserved it, I was still in trouble.

Mr. Potter stopped at the entrance to the headmasters' office and muttered the password. The spiral staircase began to wind upwards, and we both stepped on.

"They'll still be downstairs," Mr. Potter said as the stairs carried us higher. "You can wait here, and I'll let them know you're waiting."

"You won't stay?"

Mr. Potter sighed and patted my back. "They've been very specific that, at least for now, they'd like to meet with students on their own. Kimmel said they want to see the students before they hear the professors' impressions of them. Anyway, I'm going to have to meet with them sometime this week, but I'd like to be a bit more prepared."