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

Chapter 25 - Reverse Psychology

The Daily Prophet
Issue No. 102,114
3 March, 2022

Ambassador to America Say Everything Seems Normal, Still Claims "Weird Vibe"

Patagonia Monez, the Ministry ambassador to the MACUSA, has spent several weeks researching the claims made by Astra Lestrange and Wren Predatel that Caymus Stillens has taken over the American government. She says that nothing seems out of the ordinary on the surface. However, she warns that several old friends in the MACUSA have seemed slightly off for quite some time now. She suggests that the cause might be powerful Imperius curses or other measures that put them under the direct control of Stillens. She says that while everything seems to be functioning normally to an outsider, the tension and strangeness under the surface is very disconcerting...

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Albus's plan was pretty simple.

Basically, we would just tell our friends we were worried there was a spy at Hogwarts. Nothing more. We would bring up the attack on the Astronomy Tower, claim anyone could have overheard me saying I'd be up there. And then we'd let them theorize themselves.

This plan served two purposes beyond giving a reason for our odd behavior (fear that they'd think we were paranoid). For one thing, our friends might actually have an idea of it being someone else, someone who would make a lot more sense than Wren. I was hoping to get James's brain whirring into action, especially. I had an idea that I'd simply latched onto the first person who'd come to mind. That seemed to be how it always happened with me. Maybe, with a more compelling argument, I could be persuaded to someone else, and the voice would finally die.

For another, on the very small chance that it was Wren, she wouldn't realize we suspected her if we brought up our worries. Though neither of us mentioned this part of it, I could tell Al was thinking it as much as I was. As much as I hated it, the voice was just as happy with this plan as I was.

Of course, that day wasn't exactly the best to confess our fears. Everyone was on edge from boggarts. When we caught up to Colette and Wren, both of them seemed unusually subdued. James had left (he had decided to take a puking pastille and go to the hospital wing on the chance that Mrs. Longbottom might give him a note excusing him from Charms, so he wouldn't get detention), which left us to walk back to the common room alone. Albus and I kept glancing at each other nervously, until Wren finally asked us if everything was okay. We immediately said everything was fine and I started complaining about Haverna, to change the subject.

"You think she'll give me detention for not doing that essay that's due tomorrow?" I asked. I was walking backwards in front of the others, and Wren seemed to be growing increasingly worried as I almost stumbled into people.

"I'm sure she will," Albus said, wincing as I collided with a pack of sixth years who gave me a dirty look as they made way. "She takes any excuse to."

"Why didn't you do it?" Wren asked. "You know we have an exam over it next week, right?"

I blinked. "We do?"

"Oh, yeah..." Albus groaned. "And I thought I had a free weekend."

"It's fifth year," Wren pointed out. "There's no such thing as free weekend."

"I mean, technically, there is," Colette said, shrugging. "Just don't do the work. There you go, a free weekend."

Wren gave her a very done look and turned back to me. "If you don't do the essay, you'll have a lot more studying to do."