Accio Evans

Chapter 16: Letters

Recap: Gryffindor play a practice friendly game against Hufflepuff who try to chat and stop Jessica catching the snitch which enrages the rest of the team. Although, jess does catch the snitch and Gryffindor win. Jessica receives a letter containing news of a death eater attack and how it affects her family.

The weeks had passed by in a blink of an eye and Halloween soon loomed. Lily had always hated Halloween, ever since she was tiny, she'd refused to go out with the other children and ask the neighbours for sweets, or bob for apples, which made the news that Lily was in fact a with, highly amusing to her parents. Maybe she was dreading it more so this year due to the sombre mood which had overwhelmed the entire school; more letters like Jessica's had arrived, confirming the deaths of more family members like that of Jessica's father, and still with no news of the whereabouts of her friends mother, it was enough to dampen the spirits of anybody.

As the 31st rolled in, unable to sleep, Lily tiptoed from her dormitory, her satchel in hand and settled in front of the dimming common room fire. Sitting in silence, she produced a quill and parchment, flipped open a transfiguration book and began to make notes and plan her homework essay due the following week – if she couldn't sleep, she might as well be productive.

She'd barely written a word when a knocking at the window distracted her. Looking up, she could just about make out the outline of a dark coloured owl, its bright eyes staring back at her. It wasn't an owl she recognised, it didn't belong to any of her friends, or the school, she'd have liked to thinks he'd remember such a splendid specimen, feathers the colour of coal and eyes like liquid amber. She hesitated before opening the window, and the owl rapped on the pane of glass with its beak impatiently. Yes, she'd have definitely remembered a splendid owl with a bad attitude! This was definitely not one she had seen before. Throwing caution to the wind, she opened the window and allowed the owl to perch on the sill as she untied the letter attached to its ankle, and with a peck at her fingers, it flew off into the night, leaving Lily as puzzled as before.

She was surprised to see the letter was addressed to her, although as with the owl, she didn't recognise the handwriting. Her name was scrawled across the front in slanted black handwriting; although by the style she could tell it was from somebody aristocratic, the thought made her more curious than before, who could be writing to her?

Suddenly panicking it could be letter from the ministry, she flipped it over and was met not with the seal of the ministry, or that of the school but a seal of deep green bearing an indentation of a snake rearing high as if ready to strike, as everything else, the seal was unfamiliar. Tearing open the yellowing envelope, her eyes began to scan the parchment inside.

'Miss Evans,

I shall not bother to introduce myself, however I do believe you are aware of the man I work for, and he is most interested in you. Your skills and accomplishments have not gone unnoticed within our circle. We believe we could put your talents to use in ways which you have never imagined. Join our cause and you will be rewarded greatly.'

There was no signature, only another imprint of a snake, only this time it was protruding from the mouth of a bare skull...

She knew who the letter was from and the thought made her feel thoroughly nauseous. She didn't know what to think, he wanted her to join his 'cause', she'd been headhunted. She'd been scouted by the death eaters. Dropping back down into her seat, she sat in silence, the thudding inside her chest was deafening. Knowing she couldn't sit there any longer she wrapped her dressing gown tighter around herself and tucked her wand into one of the pockets, she stood abruptly and exited the common room – much to the disgust of the fat lady who tutted unapprovingly as the Head Girl exited the common room after curfew.