𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 ☼ 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆

↘︎ chapter twenty-two

22 | The Prisoner of Azkaban

Nothing happened over the next few months. The school had taken serious precautionary measures against the students. Marley Macmillan hated it most when Snape had to accompany them. She knew from her first year that the Potions teacher didn't like her at all and was always looking for different reasons to punish her. Especially after Marley and the Weasley twins, despite not very good conditions, made a prank again. Snape caught and punished them to clear Madame Pomfrey's hospital wing without magic. But even this stupid punishment didn't affect Marley. She was actually happy and liked to do pranks.

No more assaults had taken place by the end of the school year, and it was heard in the final term that Harry Potter had discovered the Chamber of Secrets and defeated the creature living there. For some strange reason, Fred and George Weasley's little sister, Ginny Weasley had also ended up with him, Ron Weasley and Gilderoy Lockhart too, who now had no memory of who he was or what he was doing. And better. Marley never liked him.

Dumbledore had canceled the exams this year, which made everyone very happy and after dinner at the End-of-term Feast, everyone went back to their dormitories. It was time to pack their luggage because the next day they would travel with the Hogwarts Express to Kings Cross Station in London. Marley was so sad that another school year at Hogwarts was over. She wanted to be here with her friends again.

The next day, she traveled with Fred, George, Harry, and Ron all the way back, and they all took advantage of the little time left to do magic. They used the Weasley twins' latest stock of fireworks to have fun and without realising they've already made their way to King's Cross.

Marley met Noen as they got off the train. His mother was waiting for them again, and to some extent the girl was glad they were going home, but she would be sad for school and everything she had created there - friends, memories, had entered the Gryffindor quidditch team. She could hardly be happier than ever. She said a goodbye with the twins, Ron and Harry, then went to Noelle Black and the three of them magi-ported to Aberaeron, Wales.

Half the summer was gone. Fred and George Weasley were sending letters to Marley about their trip to Egypt to visit their brother Bill, who would gladly see Marley someday. She also sent them letters asking them to bring her something from Egypt. She described her boring summer in Wales, but spent much of her time drawing.

And so, one morning in August, Brielle Macmillan was in the kitchen and had the new issue of Daily Prophet. She drank from her coffee, and her daughter Marley was standing on a chair, drawing, Noen Black was having breakfast, and Noelle Black had gone upstairs for a while.

"Uhm, Noelle!" shouted suddenly Brielle Macmillan, her face paler than ever. Her hand was trembling and she almost dropped her cup of coffee. Marley heard the voice of her godmother coming down the stairs and entered the kitchen with confused look on her face.

"What's happening? Oh, is that Daily Prophet?" she asked with a playful smile on her face but in that moment Brielle turned the newspaper to her and Noelle's face faded, her jaw dropped from shock. "This can't be happening. Tell me you're joking."

"No, it's real." retorted Brielle. She looked almost as shocked as her best friend. Marley questioningly raised her head from her sketchbook and furrowed her brows, wondering what was going on. It seemed the two moms were looking at the first page of the newspaper. "I still can't believe it, Elle. How he even managed to escape it?"

"It's impossible." Noelle Black shook her head unbelievable. "I swear that if they're messing with me, I'm gonna go and hex them, then I'm gonna kill them and threw them in the Thames."