Toujours Pur: Prisoner of Fear

Dreadfully Dull Days

"Locomotor" I stated, my voice strong as I pointed the brown piece of wood in my hands up and towards the chair to my right. Nothing in the living room moved an inch, but I didn't even notice. I immediately turned my attention to the blonde sitting in the opposite chair. He smiled and clapped his hands.

"Yes precisely!" He beamed at me.

"I feel so silly!" I exclaimed plopping down onto the couch beside me. "I'm just waving around a stick, acting like something magical is going to happen when I do." I threw the stick onto the end table and crossed my arms.

"You know that this is the only way for you to master the pronunciation and wand movements of spells. You can't use your real wand, so this is the next best thing. Now how about we do that once more then we can move onto Impervius." My Uncle Ted reminded me. I huffed at him before standing up and waving the stick I found outside around.

It was the middle of summer and I was completely bored. My school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had let out a month ago. I hadn't seen my two best friends since then. Ginny's family had won the Ministry drawing and had used the money to go on a trip to Egypt to see the eldest Weasley child, Bill, who worked out there. Ginny had been gone all month and wasn't going to be back till a week before school starts again. We owled regularly but it wasn't the same as having her here.

Anya had taken some time to hang out with her Muggle friends, they were not allowed to attend our school so she wanted to spend time with them. Her dad had also taken a full two weeks off of work to spend time with her. We had planned to have both of them come over the week before school starts, as soon as Ginny gets back, but that is still a month out.

Both Anya and Ginny's birthdays were at the beginning of August, Anya's on the 8th and Ginny's on the 11th. I sent Anya her favorite candies, along with a bunch of Quidditch books. I knew that she was thinking about joining the team and I wanted to help her in the only way I knew how - books. I sent Ginny a white gold bracelet with a Lion charm that matched mine on it, along with more muggle sweets that Ginny loved.

My cousin Nymphie had not been around either, she had moved into her own flat in London. She graduated from Auror training and had become an official Auror, she had already been assigned on a special task force charged with finding an Azkaban escapee. Sirius Black.

Sirius Black who murdered 13 people in cold blood - with one spell. Sirius Black who apparently went crazy after killing all those people, although he might have already been crazy if he killed all those people in cold blood. Sirius Black who was the first person to EVER escape Azkaban - the wizard prison. Sirius Black who was my cousin. Sirius Black who Andy used to babysit as a child. Sirius Black who was the first Black to be sorted into Gryffindor. Sirius Black who appeared to go against the pure-blood agenda, only to fool everyone. Sirius Black who Andy claims is innocent.

Nymphie had been swamped with the task force, even though she was related to Black she was still on the task force. Her superiors thought that being related to Black might give them some leverage somehow. Nymphie and Andy had a row about Sirius Black and ever since neither have mentioned anything having to do with Black.

What is even worse is Andy hasn't even been home much. Now that she is the Head of the Janus Thickery Ward she has had to be at Saint Mungo's Hospital all the time. She told me that they were extremely short staffed and had a few cases that need special attention, one of them was Lockhart. My Professor from last year who had tried to attack two students but had his spell backfire on him. She told me that he completely lost his memory and needed round the clock care.

At least I had Ted with me most of the time. He worked morning shifts at a second hand book store in Diagon Alley, but was always off by 1. He had been working me on my lessons for next year. While we didn't know the exact books I would need for next year, I had the basic books for third year already.