Burnt Pages - Harry Potter

Chapter I

The last few weeks of my fifth year have been particularly unremarkable, similarly to the four years that had come before it.
Following the completion of my OWLS in the first week of June and the finishing of classes a week later, I have been left with very little to do, which seemed to suit the entirety of Hogwarts just fine (except perhaps a couple of rowdy Gryffindors who seemed to see it as their duty to make the final days of term the most tedious for all the teachers), each student appeared to be perfectly content to take it easy and unwind following the long year of potions essays and Herbology homework, especially since we have been blessed with the best weather we'd seen all year, or at least, since the previous September, which at this point, seems to of been a lifetime ago.
Tonight, will be the end of term feast and tomorrow, we shall all be boarding the Hogwarts Express and heading home for the summer, which is a thought that fills me to the brim with excitement and joy and what has been keeping me going these past few days as each seem to drag out longer than the last.
Of course, I'll miss the school this summer. My friends, quidditch, the teachers with whom I have a peculiarly bittersweet relationship as they enjoy teaching me but grow more and more frustrated each year with my "Poor conduct and complete dismissal of the school rules", and the food, oh my god will I miss the food...
And don't get me wrong, I have no problem sharing a room with the other Ravenclaw fifth year girls, but there is the slight issue of Evelyn's snoring... and the concern that is The Grey Lady, sometimes choosing to hover aimlessly in the middle of the dormitory, offering a frightful surprise if you just so happen to wake up during the night.
I look forward to sleeping in my own bed, in my own room surrounded by all the things I have amassed over my 16 years of existence and to just exist without being surrounded by 5 other teenage girls who all feel the exact same way.
But to be honest, it is so much more than that, I miss my family so much. It'll be nice to see my brother every day instead of making do with glimpses of him across the school hall or exchanged grins in the corridors, I want to hug my parents whom I haven't seen for almost 4 months, to curl up with my father in front of the television, to race my mother on a broom, to take trips to the beach or shadow my father at work, the simple things that I think about in the early hours as I lay in my bed dreaming of home, those little things I always manage to take for advantage.
I sit now beside the lake, watching a group of first year Hufflepuffs attempt to befriend the giant squid who could not seem to care less what they try to do as he lies rather still in the shallows, taking in the sun.
"If they're not careful, they're going to annoy him and he'll take them for a swim.", Dominique smirks from beside me, putting her book down in her lap and sighing as she pulls her hair up out of her face.
I chuckle slightly, "Let them have their fun, you'll be lucky if they get splashed at the most.". She shakes her head quickly, her fiery red hair once again falling in her eyes, "No I saw it happen before! A Gryffindor got too close once and he pulled him in and took him all the way to the other side! Madame Hooch had to fly across the lake to get the boy herself!".
I laugh loudly putting my own book down in my lap, I had hardly been paying attention to it anyway.
Me and Dominique have known each other for as long as I can remember. Our mothers knew each other in school and as a result, we spent a lot of time together as children, growing up almost like sisters. We'd spend whole weeks at each other's houses, sharing a bed and playing dress up, whispering under the covers about our worst fears and duelling each other with sticks.
It didn't matter that the two of us seemed to contrast as children, or that everybody saw it. She was... incredible. By the age of three she was fluent in both English and French, she started showing signs of magic at 2 and by 5 she was flying confidently on a broom. By the time she arrived at Hogwarts in our first year, it was pretty clear she'd end up in Ravenclaw. She has always been so very smart, and she knew it. She was well versed in a great deal of magic already by the time we started classes and impressed all the teachers and students with her charm.
On top of this, she was also incredibly beautiful, the most notable trait she got from her mother. Her eyes were an incredible shade of blue which somehow seemed to be both icy and warm at the same time, and her hair was fiery red and fell in waves down her back, it was seemingly the only thing she seemed to of inherited from her father, other than his wit and sarcasm, which she had an abundance of.
As soon as she opened her mouth, the school was enthralled with her. She was kind, smart, funny and gorgeous, just like her older sister Victoire and their mother. Some rumoured that it was the Veela in them, and perhaps that was true, but it was doubtful considering how at this point their genetic makeup was only an eight veela and the rest was entirely human.
I however, had been a mischievous child. When I wasn't with Dominique, I was busy causing trouble at home, which drove my mother insane.
You see, from a young age, I've been rather prone to havoc, I'd often be caught chasing my brother with a wand (which was actually a stick I had discovered in the back garden) threatening to turn him into a toad or perhaps a weed which often made him cry, and then when put in a time out, causing my stuffed toys to form an army and march to the kitchen where without a doubt, my mother would be stood watching helplessly as they carried away the cat in triumph.
My mother was worried that I was a bad influence on Dom, but Fleur laughed this off quickly enough, noting that she raised strong willed children who could decide how they wanted to behave for themselves and could not be "influenced" by anybody but their own minds.
My tendency toward trouble led my parents to believe that I myself would end up in Gryffindor as so many troublemakers had done before me, but instead, the hat made the choice to put me in Ravenclaw, which I found a little odd but was happy about, considering I got to stay with Dom.
You see, I'm not particularly an intelligent person. I'm not stupid, but to do really well in tests or get the best results, I have to revise and study and try my hardest, unlike a lot of other Ravenclaws I know who manage to succeed no matter what they do, and that's not just Dominique.
Whilst I might have been considered a bright child, so was everybody else in the house, in fact, they were better than me and it took a lot of work for me to keep up.
However, being sorted into Ravenclaw didn't seem to surprise my mother all that much, as she had been in Ravenclaw herself. She was ecstatic that I'd been sorted to the same house as she had, noting that I had a "Thirst for learning", and that I was a very quizzical child, which I suppose in hindsight I can agree with.
However, at the time I felt a mistake had been made, surely, I didn't belong in the smart house? That just wasn't me.
On top of this, I didn't possess the charisma that Dom did, I didn't really attract people to me in the way that she somehow managed, I just shrank back into her shadow, which I was perfectly comfortable with.
However, by second year I had found my own personality, my own friends, my own life, which didn't seem to get in the way of the relationship that me and Dom had. After all, we were each growing and each our own people, and we still sat together in lessons and ate together in the hall and on occasion even shared a bed in our dorm. Aurora and Dominique, sisters, and that'll never change.
"Oh, I forgot to ask". She grins, sitting up a little straighter, "Mama wanted to know if you'll be coming up the cottage with us this summer.".
Dominique's family have this picturesque little cottage on the coast of Cornwall that they visit every summer. It's isolated and peaceful, overlooking the sea from it's perch atop a cliff. On the handful of occasions in which I have visited it with them, I found it to be... perfect.
When we were younger me, Dominique and at times even Victoire, would spend hours dancing in the sea, building ridiculously intricate sand castles and eating picnics of our own making, which often consisted of cake and butterbeer.
I haven't been in a little while, so it would be really nice to go again this summer.
"I'll have to check with mum, but I think that'd be great!" I smile, nodding my head. Dom squeals slightly, clapping her hands excitedly. "This summer is going to be great! Maybe Victor will want to stay with your brother at your house, and Victoire with Teddy, then it'll be just you and me". She thinks for a minute before continuing, "Well, also mama and dad, but you get what I mean!" she beams, clearly very enthusiastic about the whole idea.
Victor was in second year with my brother Max and the two were pretty close. They, like me and Dom, had played together as kids and spent a bunch of time together, and whilst they didn't have the relationship that we did, they were friends. Victor was in Ravenclaw, as his whole family had been, and Max was in Hufflepuff, which was to be expected considering he is the sweetest kid that I know.
"Do you think it's time for the feast yet?" I groan, placing a hand on my grumbling stomach, "Cause if they don't serve it soon... that squid is starting to look pretty tasty.". I had made the terrible decision to skip lunch in order to be able to stuff my face with more food at the feast and was now regretting it.
"Not too long." Dom smiles, flicking through the pages of her book absentmindedly, "Who do you think won the house cup this year?", she frowns, looking up toward the lake.
It had been a pretty close tie between us and the other three houses this year and at this point, the victor of the house cup will only be winning by a matter of points.
I smirk, "Of course, it's going to be us, naturally. We won the Quidditch Cup, we might as well aim to win both trophies. Go big or go home, you know.". Dom sighs, "Merlin, I cant wait to go home.".
The winning of the Quidditch Cup was something I was very proud of, considering I have been the Ravenclaw Seeker for the past 4 years, and each year we have managed to secure the trophy. I don't credit myself with the win of course, we have a really good team. I just tend to have a knack for finding the snitch at the perfect moment, something my mother claims I inherited from her.
The two of us sit in a comfortable silence for a while, watching the same group of Hufflepuffs grow bored and move away from the squid to paddle in the shallows, making sure to keep a close eye on the creature that seemed to be showing a little more interest in them now that they had entered his territory.
My eyes wander across the field to where a small group has started to form around two third year Gryffindor girls that I only vaguely recognise from speaking to my brother. The two get their wands out and take a step back before loudly counting to three and beginning to shoot a colourful array of jinxes and spells at each other.
"You've got to be kidding me." I murmur, chucking my book on the grass and standing up, groaning. Dom laughs, "You go get them, prefect.". I roll my eyes at her but smile slightly, rolling my sleeves up as I storm up the field towards the crowd.
"Break it up, right now!", I demand, pulling out my own wand, ready to shield myself from any misdirected jinxes. The two girls shoot a couple more spells, each trying to be the last to fire, but stop and turn to me pretty quickly.
"Merlin's beard, it's the last day of term, can't you just, chill?", the two murmur a slight apology as they tuck their wands back into the robes. I sigh, crossing my arms. "I should really go and report this to your head of year, but I'm sure both you and Professor Longbottom would much rather not have to deal with this instead of attending the End of Term Feast, don't you think?".
They both nod again, their eyes turned away from mine. "Right, then I suggest you start making your way up to the hall then, dinner won't be long. And for God's sake, keep your wands in your robes.".
The two scurry away and the crowd disperses, everyone gradually making their way towards the castle.
I run a hand through my hair and turn back to Dom who stands leaning against the tree, smirking. "You and me were so much worse in third year, and you know it.".
I nudge her as we begin walking along the lake to the castle, "We still are. Wasn't it last week we just so happened to find ourselves out, after curfew, in the forest, alone?" She strokes her chin, pretending to think, "You know, I think you're thinking of somebody else. Not me, and certainly not you, Prefect".
When I received my letter in August informing me that I had been made a prefect, I was shocked. It's just generally been everyone's believe that once fifth year arrived, the badge would be given to Dominique, as it had to her sister.
I think even Dom was surprised she hadn't gotten it, but thankfully she wasn't bitter. She hugged me and congratulated me when I told her the news. She mocks me relentlessly for having the position though, since I'm not exactly the person that you'd generally want in charge of hundreds of other students.
As we enter the great hall, the tables are already almost full, everyone eager for the feast to start and to find out who has won the house cup. The hall is alive with chatter and conversations, so loud you have to yell to be heard.
"It's so weird that only a couple of weeks ago we were sat in here doing our exams.". Dom smiles, squeezing in next to me on the bench. I nod, not really wanting to yell back at her over the noise.
Roxanne takes a seat next to me and smiles, clearly not particularly keen to start yelling either.
Me and Roxanne met a couple of times as kids, like most of the other students here, our parents know each other. Roxanne's father is George Weasley, which makes her Dom's cousin. She too has the fiery red hair possessed by so many of the family tree, except hers seems to always be in a mess, unlike Dom.
Roxanne is just as mischievous as her father, if not more so. Her pranks are so intricately planned, that I'm almost convinced that's why she got put into Ravenclaw.
On top of this, she seems to always be stocked on the latest merchandise from her father's store and is always willing to share it with me, which I often decline. You see, I'm not particularly troublesome, trouble just so happens to find me, frequently.
Suddenly, the hall begins to quiet. I look up to the teachers' table and see that Professor McGonagall has taken her place at the front, ready to speak.
She raises her hand and the hall is instantly hushed. She begins, glaring at the few students who are still whispering. "Now, let me begin by thanking you all for such a good year. Due to your hard work and good behaviour, each house has managed to gain more points than has been seen for over 100 years!". At this, everyone claps, bursting into excited conversation. She raises her hand again, and all is quiet.
"As a result of this, and the very close amount of points each of you have obtained, the house cup will be awarded to all houses this year.", As she says this, a trophy appears in the centre of each table, each with a large gem on the front in the colour of it's house, ours being a huge blue sapphire.
Dom frowns slightly, looking down the table at the cup, "That's a bit ridiculous isn't it? One of the houses earnt that trophy, and now it's basically a participation award.", I smile slightly, reminding her that Slytherin were ahead of us by three points earlier today, which shuts her up.
"Now, I'll save what is left to say until after we've all eaten a good amount and are ready for our beds. I find that speeches are best taken in on a full stomach." She smiles, taking her seat at the centre of the table.
As she does this, plates upon plates of food appear across the table, the smell hits me almost instantly, causing my mouth to water. "I hope I can find those potatoes they served at the beginning of the year." I frown looking up and down the table till my eyes land on the bowl. I pull it closer to me and begin to spoon them on to my plate.
A few years before I arrived here, a handful of students petitioned the school to serve vegetarian friendly options during meals alongside the usual options which generally always have meat in them. McGonagall was happy to comply apparently and within a month the school had started serving vegetable-based meals too.
I think about how grateful I am for this as I scoop some vegetable lasagne on to my plate. Dom turns to me smiling slightly, "How do you eat so much and stay so skinny?" she questions, watching as I pile my plate high, my mouth already filled with potato.
"Magic.". I grin, shovelling more food into my mouth. She laughs, turning back to her own food.
I turn to Roxanne, "Got any plans for this summer?" I question, to which she grins slightly, sitting up straighter in her seat, "Dad wants some help in the shop which I reckon'll give me the chance to plan some things for next year.".
Dom frowns leaning forward slightly to look at her, "You see, I don't really see the point in aimless pranking." she frowns, waving a chicken leg as she speaks, "Seems like you're just causing trouble for the sake of trouble. Anarchy.".
I chuckle slightly. A muggle phrase, something I'd taught her. She understood it in a way. I liked listening to her try and pepper muggle things into conversation, she found the culture truly interesting and yet so very perplexing.
Roxanne frowns, putting down her fork. "I am an artist; my work is sophisticated and elaborate and if you cannot understand that then I suppose it is above you and your level of comprehension.".
We all burst into laughter, Dom clutching her stomach as she howls with amusement. Roxanne attempts to keep a straight face but falls herself in to a fit of giggles. A few of the younger students look at us from down the table where they are eating their meals tidily and maintain what appears to be a serious conversation about cauldrons or something boring.
I wish I could stay in this moment forever. Surrounded by friends that I love, laughing and joking whilst eating good food. When Everything is well. Little did I know, everything was about to change.