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Things the next day were no better.
At breakfast, Lina ate in silence ignoring the world around her and by all means, most people were doing the same to her. "So is everyone going home for Christmas?" Cedric asked breaking the deafening silence.
"No" Lina answered after both Lucy and Danny said they were "I wish I was but uncle Remus is-"
"Let me guess working?" Danny said.
"Yeah" Lina mumbled as she started to push her half-eaten porridge around her bowl. Lina became absorbed in her meaningless task that she barely heard her friends conversation nor was she aware of the fact that the post was being delivered until a bright red letter was dropped in front of her.
"Shit" Luna said the second she realised it was a howler.
"Run!" Danny and Cedric said. Lina grabbed the smoking letter and bolted out the hall, the others following closely behind.
They only just made it out the castle when the letter flew out of Lina's hand, the voice of her aunt Andie began to yell.
"EVANGELINA MARLENE BLACK! IF YOU THINK YOU'RE NOT COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS THAN THINK A-BLOODY-GAIN. I DON'T CARE WHAT LUPIN SAYS, YOU WILL STAY AT MINE. I AM NOT HAVING MY ONLY NEICE STAY SOMEWHERE WHERE STUDENTS ARE GETTING BLOODY ATTACKED-"
"Now dear-" the more gentle voice of Ted said in the background.
"NO TED AND BY MERLIN IF ONE PERSON THINKS SHE IS BEHIND THE ATTACKS I WILL GO DOWN TO THAT BLOODY SCHOOL AND DEAL WITH THEM MYSELF, AND ANOTHER THING EDWARD TONKS YOU WILL BE PICKING HER UP FROM THE STATION. Stay safe sweetheart."
The letter dropped to the ground and burst into flames leaving a pile of ash in it's wake. Lina gulped the surrounding area was so quiet now the sound of even the quietest of things sounded as loud as Andromeda's voice. "Guess I'm going home after all."
"Was that your aunt?" Lucy asked.
"Yep."
"Andromeda Black?" Danny asked, "sister to-"
"Yep."
"She sounds-"
"Terrifying" she offered Cedric.
"Yeah."
"Oh she is, she has that whole no one messes with me presence that I've come to notice members of the black family are particularly good at."
"So Christmas with her will be fun," Lucy said.
Lina looked away from the pile of ash to her friends "she's alright really, very kind when you get to know her and she's always felt like a mum to me, she calls me her second daughter" Lina smiled fondly "just don't piss her off."
