black and white ✰ g.w.

CHAPTER FOUR

Helena had found them all in the woods about five minutes after the Dark Mark was conjured and brought them back to their campsite. Thankfully, their tents were some of the only ones that weren't burned to the ground. She put the little ones to bed and then made everyone else a cup of tea. However, they hardly touched them until everyone else came back.

Despite the Ministry's security efforts, all of the Death Eaters that had caused the riot had left as soon as the Dark Mark was conjured, and the person who had conjured it had gotten away as well. This was very disturbing information indeed and did not help them sleep that night at all.

Like most of the World Cup attendees, they got an early Portkey out of there. When they were transported back to the place where they had met up the day before, however, they did not part ways. The Cabot's stayed at the Village for two days before going home.

Angelina and Alicia, after sending owls to their parents to assure them that they were safe, stayed at the Village for the remainder of the holiday. Despite the severity of the reappearance of the Dark Mark, they seemed to forget about it fairly quickly compared to the Woods. Olivia noticed this and decided to try her best to enjoy the rest of the summer, even though deep down she knew there were dark times ahead.

As the start of term drew nearer, the adults began to tease about an exciting new event more and more. They all worked for the Ministry of Magic, who was organizing the event, so they, of course, knew all about it. Little did they know, Olivia knew a small detail about it as well. But because of the secrecy the event was under until the start-of-term feast on the evening of September the 1st, she could not indulge that she even knew anything to anyone.

Since everyone else was busy at work, Helena was the only one who would be seeing them all off. This was simple work, for the most part, seeing as six of them had made the journey to Hogwarts multiple times already and knew what they were doing. Duncan, however, was a first-year, so he would need extra help.

They all got onto the Hogwarts Express okay and waved at Helena as the train sped away from Platform 9 3/4. Once they could no longer see the station, they all went their separate ways, finding their own compartments. Angelina, Alicia, and Olivia didn't have to look long to find an empty compartment. They all sat down, Angelina across from the other two. Alicia and Olivia exchanged a knowing look; clearly, Angelina was hoping that Fred and George Weasley would join them and sit next to her.

Just a few minutes later, she got her wish. Fred and George, along with their friend Lee Jordan, entered the compartment.

"Long time, no see, ladies," said one of the twins as he sat down next to Angelina. Because of this, Olivia was sure it was Fred.

"Yeah. It's been a whole week," Alicia said, shooting a disgusted look at Lee as he sat down next to her. Olivia laughed and Angelina shot them both a stern look.

"Sixth year," George (or at least, Olivia suspected) said in a dreamy voice. "No O.W.L.s, no N.E.W.T.s, and fewer classes."

"Easy for you to say," Olivia muttered. She would only be taking one less class than previous years, still adding up to nine classes a week.

"And we have that event Bill, Charlie, and Mum were going on about," Fred said. "Wonder what that was about?"

"Olivia, don't your entire family work for the Ministry?" George asked.

"Yes," Olivia answered.

"Well, go on then. You must know something."

Suddenly, everyone's eyes were on her. Usually, this didn't bother her; she wasn't necessarily a shy person. But for some reason, Fred and George making unwavering eye contact with her like they were attempting to read her mind made her squirm. She had sworn not to tell anyone, but she couldn't very well say no...

"Actually, there is something." Angelina and Alicia raised their eyebrows at her. Olivia had kept her word up until this point and had not told them anything. "Last year at the end of term when Professor McGonagall called me to her office to talk to me about taking over as Quidditch captain after Oliver left-"

"Knew it," George said.

"We all did," Fred said.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "-she told me not to get my hopes up. She said that it wasn't official and it was just talk at that point, but that there might be something going on during this year and that there likely wouldn't be a Quidditch season."

Everyone's jaw dropped.

"No Quidditch?" Angelina asked, acting as if she had just gotten the news that someone very close to her had died.

"What are we gonna do?" Alicia asked in the same tone as Angelina.

"Schoolwork," Olivia suggested.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous."

Just then, they heard someone running and laughing in the corridor. As that someone passed, Olivia recognized them as Fraser. Seconds later, there was a screech and a huge crash.

Alicia laughed. "Sounds like Fraser just ran into the food trolley."

Angelina looked at Olivia. "Aren't you gonna go yell at him?" she asked her.

Olivia picked up a book and opened it. "Not my brother, not my problem," she said.

[word count: 934]
[written: 5/4/20]
[published: 6/4/20]