I must say, I did expect this story to get some sort of comment, even "this is a stupid idea." However, I have it plotted out intricately, and I intend to finish it, whatever the reception may be. NaNoWriMo and all, you know. (Yes, I'm aiming to write 50,000 words for this by month's end, so it'll be updated a lot this month.)

This chapter shifts a bit in style at the end. The story isn't about a gaggle of children, and if I continued with the level of detail I've been writing, it'd take forever to get anywhere. From this point on, the story will jump around on the timeline, focusing on important events. And with the completion of this chapter, Part 1, which talks about the school years, is about halfway through.

Most of the important things in Part 1 occur in the latter half.

---

Chapter Five

Augusta was worried after leaving the professor’s office. That night, she sat on her four-poster bed with her three suitemates nearby, pretending to read. Was she really going to have to choose between her friends? If it was she, Augusta Fitzwilliam, against a twenty-year family grudge, what chance did she have?

“What are you thinking of, Augusta?” asked Viola Lynch, a dark-haired girl with a distinct Irish lilt to her voice. Augusta smirked; it was rather obvious that she wasn’t reading when she, already a known fast reader, remained on the same page of the book for five minutes.

“Hogsmeade,” she lied. It was reasonable: As Professor Derwent had predicted, the story of the animal had spread all over the school.

Viola’s face turned very serious. “Oh, of course,” she said. “What do you think of all that, then?”

“I spoke with Professor Derwent about it, and she thinks that the Minister for Magic was targeted.”

“By whom, though?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Augusta said. “I hope someone finds out before the person makes another attempt.”

“You were there, so the rumors go,” said Celia Warner, Viola’s best friend.

“I was.”

“Did you see anything suspicious?” asked Grace Ketteridge, the cousin of the second-year Herbology expert named Elladora.

Augusta quickly decided not to mention Cassius Malfoy. It was unreasonable to accuse him with zero evidence. His views were apparently not that uncommon—Augusta remembered hearing him call Virginia a “blood traitor,” and Derwent had discussed Herodotus Black’s views—but assassination attempts were uncommon. “No,” she said. “I didn’t.”

---

The following day, Augusta went into the Great Hall for breakfast. As she made her way into the huge room, she stopped cold and stared in amazement.

Elliott and Virginia were eating at the otherwise empty Slytherin table, talking to each other. Virginia noticed her approach and waved her to the table. As Augusta sat down and a plate of food appeared before her, she noticed the smirk on her friend’s face.

“Good morning,” she said lightly. “As I told Elliott, I strongly advise you to eat your breakfast in the next half hour. Slytherins are notoriously lazy, and they won’t come to this table until about nine-thirty, but once they do arrive, it won’t do for them to see a Colesworth and a Muggle-born at the table.”

“You mean, it won’t do for you to be seen with us,” Elliott said with a roll of his eyes. “I know how you snakes think.”

“That is worth a hex on Monday, Colesworth,” Virginia said severely.

“All right, you two!” Augusta exclaimed, unable to take it anymore. “What’s going on? What happened yesterday?”

Elliott cleared his throat. “Yesterday, Virginia came to Gryffindor Tower and told me what had happened in Hogsmeade. She wanted to know more about my cousins and their family, to see if there was any chance that my mother might be influenced by something that Cassius might tell her. After the ensuing discussion, we… mended fences.”

“Mended fences? As in—the grudge?”

“How do you know about that?” Virginia said curiously. “My family managed to get the back story struck from most recent history books, although there’s no way to hide the duel itself.”

“Derwent,” Augusta said simply.

“Oh, I should have known,” Virginia said. “Well, yes, we do mean the grudge.”

“Splendid!” Augusta said. “So this means I don’t have to choose between you.”

“Is that what that woman told you?” Virginia said, the familiar outrage flooding her face.

Augusta sighed. “She advised it, but said it was up to me. Naturally. Virginia, I wish you would get past this issue you have with her.”

“She’s the one with the issue,” Virginia said darkly. “It all started with her class. I don’t know why she has such a problem with what I did. It’s not like I’d use it against someone’s pet, or a person.”

“I should hope not!”

“What’s this all about?” Elliott said.

The girls started to talk at once and it quickly erupted into an argument.

“Virginia used the Killing Curse on a stray rat—”

“I was not hurting anyone; the classroom was in a state of chaos—”

“Completely unnecessary—”

“People kill rats all the time in the Muggle world—”

“Muggles can’t stun them, that’s why; Professor Derwent doesn’t want you to get used to taking life so flippantly—”

Virginia sneered. “Professor Derwent this, Professor Derwent that. I already told you that I wouldn’t kill a pet, and certainly not a person. I also don’t plan to practice on harmless animals. What could possibly happen if I used it on pests? What’s it going to do to me, turn my mind evil? Break my soul? Make my teeth fall out?” She tossed her head in contempt.

“I think that she just thinks it’s a bad idea to become reliant on spells like that when there are other alternatives,” Augusta said quietly. She was disturbed by the way that Virginia had dismissed all concern, but she didn’t want to make it obvious. She was also finding herself angry and resentful of Virginia, but did not really know why. It was nothing to do with the rat or Virginia’s grudge against her teacher, but that provided a good excuse to argue with her. She wondered what was going on with herself.

Elliott was sipping his tea while the fight had been going on. When they subsided, he cast his eyes down.

“Derwent’s repulsion for dark curses is well-known,” he said. “According to all I’ve heard, she is very well-versed in the Dark Arts, but doesn’t like using them, even if a Dark Arts spell is the easiest way to get something done. Typical Ravenclaw, preferring to invent a challenge for herself. Myself, I think there is something to be said for both sides. It never hurts to expand one’s magical arsenal, but as Augusta pointed out, becoming too reliant on extreme methods is ill-advised.”

“Have you ever used it before?” Augusta said.

“Several times,” he said, finishing his tea. Augusta looked surprised. He continued, “It occurred last summer. There were some rabid bats around my family’s house, and it took all three of us to dispose of them.”

“Why—”

“—Didn’t we use Stunners? There’s no cure for rabies. They had to be killed regardless; why not use the curse that did it instantly and cleanly? Not too far away from the colony, there was a Muggle house. It had to be done for their protection.”

“But that’s just it,” Augusta persisted. “There was no choice. It’s like yesterday in Hogsmeade—”

“Augusta, please just leave it,” Elliott said. He glanced at Virginia. “Honestly, it isn’t that important. Virginia is not a murderer.”

“I didn’t mean to suggest—I’m sorry,” she said, abashed.

“It’s fine,” Virginia said. “Let’s just not discuss it in the future.”

There was a brief period of silence before Elliott broke it. “Has anyone learned anything new about who might have sent the animal, and why?”

This prompted a spirited catch-up session, wherein the three of them—for the first time—exchanged their news freely. At the end of it, the half hour was nearly up, and they were all on the same page, although none of them were closer to an answer. Augusta was glad, however, that she had not accused Malfoy the previous night to her roommates, after learning that he had no background with magical creatures.

“It’s not as though we are going to be the ones to solve it, anyway,” Augusta pointed out. “If the life of the Minister is thought to be at risk, then the Ministry will investigate it themselves.”

“That’s true,” Elliott agreed.

The discussion then turned to school. “You two are going to have your first flying lesson Monday,” Elliott chuckled. He was a Chaser on the Gryffindor team, and a good flier himself. “You’d best rest well tomorrow night.”

“Oh, I do look forward to it,” Virginia said with enthusiasm. “Both of my brothers are good at Quidditch, but I rarely had the chance to fly at home. I want to try out for the team after Apollyon finishes. He has two more years, which would give me time to hone my skills….”

“Your brother has it in for me,” Elliott said. “Whenever we played Slytherin last year, he would whack the Bludgers at me deliberately. I’m sure it’s the grudge.”

“Which is why I’m waiting until he is out of school before I try out,” Virginia said. “I’m not going to risk my brother telling tales to my father of my friendliness to you. He won’t pay attention to me since he’s Captain of the team, and I don’t intend to throw myself in his way.”

Elliott shook his head in amazement. “Secrecy, subterfuge, and strategy,” he said. “I’ll never understand you people.”

Augusta had very little to say. She was afraid that flying would be the one magical activity that she couldn’t do, and was dreading Monday. Also, she found a new, highly unwelcome emotion settling in her mind now that Elliott and Virginia were on good terms. She had never felt anything quite like this before, but for every attention that Elliott paid Virginia, every joke or laugh that they shared, a pang of jealousy stabbed her. She didn’t even know why. She resolved not to hold their newfound friendship against either of them, but the resolution seemed feeble.

---

The flying lessons arrived far sooner than Augusta wanted. It was a shaking, jittery young girl who stood on the pitch waiting for instruction. The eagerness of Virginia to take flight did not help her nerves, and again, she felt resentment toward her friend. A vision of Elliott and Virginia taking to the sky in swooshes of red and green came to mind, and she pictured them fighting good-naturedly over a ball and laughing while she herself remained on the ground, looking dolefully upwards, wearing black because she did not know whom to support….

The flying instructor, a thin young wizard of medium height, approached the group. He introduced himself as Gideon Llewellyn.

When he told them to take their brooms, Augusta’s remained woefully on the ground. Virginia’s jumped into her hand, and Augusta’s mournful mood heightened.

“Now, don’t get discouraged,” Llewellyn said to the students whose brooms had not leapt into their hands. “Let’s try again until everyone has their broom.”

Augusta’s broom jumped up on her second attempt. She took heart in the observation that a majority of the class required four or five tries. When they all had brooms in hand, the flying lesson commenced. Augusta found, then, that her skills were not nearly as bad as she had been anticipating, although they were nothing spectacular either. It seemed that she was right when she expected flying to be her worst “subject,” but it turned out to be mediocrity rather than failure, which made her feel somewhat better about it.

Virginia was excellent for a first year. Llewellyn advised her to train on the field for Beater or Keeper, because she had an eye for defensive flight. Her face glowed with pleasure and pride. The vision of her two friends in midair seemed to press closer to Augusta’s reality. She tried to shake it loose, but then finally, as they were making their way back to the castle, she realized that she would not rest on this point until she knew whether there was indeed something to worry about.

What she was expecting to see, she didn’t know. A vague picture of herself standing alone, the bystander while Elliott and Virginia laughed and joked together, came to mind. She winced inwardly. Then suddenly it her: Her fear was of Elliott and Virginia becoming a couple.

How on earth would she ask if that were on Virginia’s mind? She was not quite twelve. And, Augusta realized, just because Virginia didn’t wish it now did not mean that she might not wish it in the future,especially if Augusta herself had planted the seed.

The image came back to mind, and she steeled herself. She had to ask, even if the answer turned out to be what she was expecting it to be. Once they were safely in the castle, and no one was paying the girls any mind, Augusta cornered Virginia in a corridor. Virginia regarded her with a patient look, seemingly expecting this.

“So what’s up?” she asked, but it was an invitation for Augusta to speak, and she knew it.

“I’m just wondering…” she muttered, trying to put it into words. It seemed ridiculous now.

“Something is wrong,” Virginia said. “You have been acting different towards me this weekend. What is it about?”

Augusta stammered. “I just wondered… you and Elliott… Quidditch….”

Something dawned on Virginia’s face, and she broke into a smile. “Oh. I was wondering if that was it…. Augusta, there is nothing for you to worry about with that. As I mentioned on Saturday, I will try out for my house team when my brother leaves. I’ve wanted to play for years, having watched my brothers play…. It has nothing to do with Elliott. I know you like him, anyway.”

“What?” Augusta exclaimed. “I don’t like him—I mean, I do, but—” She broke off, seeing the smirk plastered across her friend’s face.

“I’m not in Slytherin for being unobservant,” Virginia said. “It was obvious from the first time I saw you with him that you enjoyed his company and wanted to impress him. As for me, I’m just glad to have made friends with him. He has a good sense of humor. I’m happy that now none of your friends are my sworn enemies.” She chuckled.

“I don’t like him like you are suggesting,” Augusta said feebly.

“I didn’t say you were about to marry him! But you do enjoy his company… and why not? He is a good friend.”

At this, she left. Augusta stood by, watching Virginia depart, feeling that a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Virginia had overestimated Augusta’s feelings toward Elliott Colesworth, of course she had, but it nevertheless gave her a great sense of relief to know that Virginia did not have designs on her childhood friend. They could all be friends now without friction and unease. It gave an added lift to her step as she walked to her next class.

---

From that point onward, the three were fast friends. It was not easy for them all to meet at the same time—Virginia was fearful of her brother seeing her interact with a Colesworth and a Muggle-born—but on weekends, they often went to the village together and spent the time in the Three Broomsticks, just talking over butterbeer.

The autumn semester passed by. Virginia’s birthday, November 5, was a quiet celebration at Hogsmeade. Her mother sent nothing; according to Virginia, she probably forgot what day it was. However, her father sent her a broomstick. Augusta was surprised at this; she had heard that first years were not allowed to own broomsticks.

“My father is a Ministry department head,” Virginia said in a surprised tone, as though it should have been self-explanatory.

Augusta was not impressed, but she knew not to press the point. And Virginia coulduse a broom of her own. Her flying was growing better by the day, and Llewellyn had adopted her as a sort of protegée.

Meanwhile, Augusta found herself at the top of most of her classes, to her pleasure. This did not sit well with some of the Slytherins, who resented being shown up by a “Mudblood.” After an incident involving a behind-her-back, fortunately poorly cast Memory Charm for which six different fifth-year Slytherins claimed credit, and a month’s worth of detentions for all of them from an enraged Arcadia Derwent, Virginia took it upon herself to deflect her housemates with false information of Augusta’s whereabouts and keep them away from her whenever possible. The pair both began researching hexes and protective spells in their free time, practicing on each other when they could, involving Elliott when he was available. Although neither knew it at the time, Professor Derwent was aware of this extracurricular research.

Then again, the professor was aware of much. As the Ministry investigation into the Quintaped dragged on, she—as a key witness—was kept abreast of all the proceedings. Though students could tell she was agitated, few realized just how disappointed the professor was with the investigation’s meandering. Derwent began to suspect that someone was intentionally stonewalling it, in order to protect the would-be assassin.

Both girls—and Elliott Colesworth—went home for Christmas. They returned in January, beginning a new decade.