Screams

Twenty-Two

Calliope was frozen in place, staring at the exchange happening before her with her mouth hanging open, unable to believe it.

"Where did you go Callie?" Natalie asked as she helped Voldemort haul Calliope's suitcase onto the train, and stow it in the compartment that Natalie had already placed her own in, Calliope following hot on their heels.

"I went abroad," the Voldemort-Calliope said.

"But why did you go abroad?" Natalie pressed, as the two of them settled themselves down in the compartment, "it sounded really important."

"It was at the time, but it doesn't matter now," Voldemort-Calliope assured Natalie, "it's all sorted, there is nothing for you to worry about."

Natalie frowned slightly, it was only because Calliope knew her best friend so well, that she noticed the small gesture. Calliope's heart fluttered slightly, thinking that maybe Natalie would be able to work out that there was something wrong.

But Natalie's face settled when the Voldemort-Calliope handed Natalie back her broomstick, that Calliope had borrowed in order to get to Algeria. It unsettled Calliope as to how Voldemort knew the broom was Natalie's, furthermore how he even knew who Natalie was. Did Voldemort have access to Calliope's actual mind? Could he see her memories and pick them apart to be used as part of his facade? 

These thoughts consumed Calliope for the entire trip to Hogwarts. She couldn't say how exposed she felt (even though she had thus far gone unseen by everyone) to have Voldemort prying through her past, picking apart her father's death, and her experiences at Hogwarts, working out how he could trick everyone into believing that he was Calliope.

Natalie showed no more signs of seeing anything wrong with Voldemort-Calliope, and Voldemort was settling into his character easily.

The students were all forced to sprint from the train to the carriages, and then from there into the Entrance Hall, as the rain was falling in heavy sheets over the grounds, the rain was deafening, as it could be heard pounding on the lake even from the entrance hall.

The soggy first years were sorted into their houses, and the tables were suddenly groaning under the weight of hundreds of platters of food.

As the students all happily dug in, Calliope moved around the edges of the hall, getting snatches of conversation.

"That dive from Krum though," said a Ravenclaw boy to his friend.

"Legendary!" The friend agreed.

"It's all so exciting isn't it!" Further up the table, the Ravenclaw first years were chatting excitedly, "I mean real magic! It's like something from TV!"

"What's TV?"

Calliope moved on past the Gryffindor table.

"She hasn't said a word to us, Hermione," said Harry Potter quietly to Ron and Hermione.

"I'm only saying, I would have thought that Calliope would come and let us know how it went," Hermione Granger said as she cut up some vegetables.

"Well, you'd think it would've been in the prophet of she caught Pettigrew wouldn't it," Ron said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes, "that's like front page news isn't it."

"Yes," said Hermione thoughtfully, "and I still wonder what she meant when she said she had a sixth sense."

"How hard can apparition really be anyway?" Fred Weasley asked, just a little bit further down the table. For a split second, Calliope thought that she saw Fred's eyes dart towards her, but the split second ended, and Calliope was sure that it must have been a coincidence.

"Charlie always goes on about how hard it is," said George with a snicker, "but that's probably just Charlie being Charlie."

The feast drew to an end, and Dumbledore rose to speak. He introduced the only change in staffing that year, Mad-Eye Moody as Defence Against The Dark Arts Professor, Calliope had met Moody before, as her grandfather knew him quite well, she had never exactly liked the man, thinking he came across a bit strong.

Dumbledore then went on to explain the Triwizard Tournament, which was to take place that year at school.

The entire time, Calliope was looking for some sign that Dumbledore noticed her standing in the middle of the hall, but the headmaster didn't give any indication that he saw her, dashing Calliope's very last hope for being able to warn the wizarding world about what was to come.

She was so consumed with the fact that Dumbledore not noticing her, that she didn't even notice that someone from the Gryffindor table was staring right at her.

Hi guys! I hope everyone is having a good 2019 so far!

I'm going out driving with my parents for the first time tomorrow (I've been driving with an instructor so far), I bet I'm going to hit something :)

Remember to vote, comment and be amazing!

~Em xx