Chapter Text
James Smith could hardly remember what had happened in the last two weeks of his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He vaguely recalled barely passing his exams, and a lot of avoiding his friends. He had barely registered when Slytherin won the House Cup for the fifth year in a row, and had felt completely detached from the ensuing celebration. In the journey back on the Hogwarts Express, he had faked being asleep the entire time (until he actually fell asleep out of tiredness), to not be bothered by anyone. In fact, the last thing James Smith did remember clearly was a scene that had burned itself in his mind: his girlfriend joining the criminal cabal known as R and leaving everything else behind.
Now, Merula was gone, and he was sitting on a white bench in a small park about a mile from his home. It had been a week since he had returned from school, and in that time he had managed to set up a meeting with his brother to inform him of what he had discovered. A gentle breeze moved the grass in the small park, making the blades dance and waver around to the music of the whistling wind, the only noise Jamie could hear. Under the orange light of dusk, the place was empty save for the young wizard in Muggle attire, who was growing more and more impatient by the minute. Then, a loud snapping sound made Jamie stand up immediately. He looked around in a circle, and saw a figure step out of a group of tall bushes. Jamie couldn’t help but smile, saying, ‘Jacob! I’m glad you could make it. I have something important to tell you.’
Jacob smiled back at him, asking, ‘What is it, Jamie? Tell your big brother all about it.’
Jamie nodded gravely, taking a deep breath before delivering the news. ‘It has to do with the Hogwarts mole… It looks like Merula was the Hogwarts mole and she may have joined R. And… she promised she’d bring me into the fold, too,’ he explained. A heavy silence fell between the two, and Jamie felt uncomfortable, quickly adding, ‘I haven’t told anyone else, yet. And I haven’t confronted her either, I haven’t seen her since learning about it…’
‘Good, don’t confront her yet,’ Jacob said severely, sitting down on the bench.
Jamie sat with him. ‘Really?’
‘Right now you have the advantage, Jamie.’
‘It certainly doesn’t feel like I have an advantage…’ muttered Jamie, hanging his shoulders. ‘We’d been through so much together, and I thought we… Well, I thought…’
A comforting hand was placed on his shoulder, and Jacob nodded understandingly. ‘A betrayal like that is a hard hit to take, Pip. I’m sorry you have to go through this.’
Jamie remained silent for a while, and Jacob didn’t press on or ask any questions, instead lying back on the bench. When Jamie finally spoke, he did so quietly, as if his voice had been drained. ‘Tell Mad-Eye, will you? I’m not sure I could do it right now.’
‘Of course,’ promised Jacob. ‘Though I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you, sooner or later.’
‘…hopefully later…’
Jacob stood up, giving his younger brother a kind smile. ‘Take care, Jamie. And write if you need to talk.’
A month later, Jamie was alone in his room. He had practically secluded himself to those four walls since talking to Jacob, going out just enough to not alarm his mother. And why would he be anywhere else? Visiting or writing to any friends would only mean eventual questions about where Merula had gone at the end of last term, why she had disappeared just before the final exams from school; and that was a conversation he did not wish to have just yet, not again. And writing or contacting Merula herself was something he had never done over any summer, never mind now. Jacob was still working with Alastor Moody on finding every last member of R, though he wrote to Jamie from time to time. In the meantime, Jamie focused on doing his homework and practicing some magic to avoid thinking about Merula’s betrayal. Now that he was of age, he was free to cast any spells, as long as the window was closed and the curtains pulled so that no nearby Muggles could see him. But even that was not enough, and the sorrow and endless thoughts of what had happened always returned, and always consumed him, as they were doing now.
Should he be looking for her? Jacob had said that he shouldn’t, and what could he do that Moody and Jacob weren’t doing already, anyways? To search for Merula would mean searching for R, surely. Even if he found her… what then? What would he even say to her? That he hated her now? That she would pay? Even when trying to force himself to hating her, he never managed to do so. He could feel disappointment in her, and fury at R for taking her away, but when it came to anger towards her… A stronger feeling always took over, and no amount of better judgement could change it. While mulling, Jamie’s sight went over the bookshelf in the room, where at the top a piece of cloth had been draped over a green heart totem Jamie couldn’t bear to look at since returning home. He had not been able to bring himself to getting rid of it, either.
Had he ever told her he loved her? Had she, for that matter? He didn’t remember. Every time he remembered their times together, he only remembered the feeling of happiness, only to then have the memories crushed by the most recent one of her leaving with that Dark witch he had been spying on. Had she faked it all? Moreover, Merula had promised to R she would bring Jamie into the cabal, but how would she do this? Would she kidnap him, or lure him in? Would she contact him? Several times over the summer Jamie fantasised about a possible reunion with Merula, where she would try to reason with him to join R, and he would reason with her to leave R. These fantasies would mostly end with a happy ending, being fantasies. Sometimes, Merula would confess that it had all been a lie, that she had never really joined R. But sometimes, the thought of what would happen if he had to fight her assailed him. He had little doubt he could win the confrontation, judging by their shared history. But could he bring himself to harming her? To handing her over to the authorities, to the Dementors in Azkaban? Or, if left with no other choice… could he kill her? Killing couldn’t be that hard, he knew many spells that could be deadly if used correctly. He'd pushed out the thought from his mind in place of his constant mulling over Merula, but he had already probably killed Rakepick, having buried her alive in that last Cursed Vault. Sometimes, he had even fantasised about killing other members of R, in moments of heated anger. But Merula?
No. He could not even think of killing her without feeling sick. No matter how much her betrayal had felt like a piercing stab to his heart, he couldn’t get over his feelings for her. And if he couldn’t kill her, and she won the confrontation… would he join her? The allure of power wasn’t as tempting to him as it had been to her, but joining R could mean reuniting with her… And if he was to lead R someday, who was to say he couldn’t lead them down a less destructive path? A path that placed no innocent lives in danger?
A loud rapping noise by the window interrupted Jamie’s thought process. He looked at his bedroom’s window, and saw a beautiful brown owl at the other side tapping the glass with a claw, a letter tied to it. Jamie opened the window and untied the letter, and as soon as he had done so the owl turned and flew away. Jamie closed the window, inspecting the yellow envelope with the Hogwarts crest on the wax seal. It felt heavy, and he could guess what was inside other than his list of books. Breaking the wax seal, he opened the envelope and took out two bits of parchment, a train ticket, and a green and golden badge with two words engraved on it: “Head Boy”. Reading over the first parchment, he saw it was the standard list of books and supplies, and the date reminder for the start of term, and passed on to the second parchment. It read:
“Dear Mr Smith,
I am pleased to inform you that you have been chosen for the position of Head Boy for your seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed your new Head Boy badge—I trust you’ll find it suitably shiny.
Yours sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster”
Jamie turned the badge around between the fingers of his right hand, finding it indeed suitably shiny, as Dumbledore put it. A fleeting wonder of who had been chosen as Head Girl went through his head, but he found he cared little about it. He placed the badge on his desk, next to a pair of thick glasses once gifted to him by his best friend. Ever since the death of Rowan Khanna, Jamie had worn the glasses daily not out of necessity, but to honour his late friend. But the mission of the Circle of Khanna had been completed, and Jamie had stopped wearing the glasses daily, instead saving them for “special occasions”, just like he did when Rowan was still alive.
‘Why even return to Hogwarts?’ he thought, putting down the parchments next to the badge. He could almost feel Rowan’s disappointment from the afterlife upon thinking this, but did not feel any remorse for doing so. After all, what did he even have left at Hogwarts? His friends? They would probably be safer if he left. His education? It seemed of little importance, after all the times he had fought for his life in recent years. For protection? He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt safe at Hogwarts. He would better spend his time hunting down R with his brother. He was of age after all; the Ministry couldn’t stop him…
And the question of how he would even find R, and Merula, returned. As he pondered, his eyes went to a shelf over his desk, on the wall, and over the objects it held. The broken pieces of two wands lay alongside a moving photograph with many familiar smiling figures waving at him, framed in wood. The ruffled black hair of Rowan caught his eye, and his thoughts raced faster. R had already taken a friend’s life, and stolen Merula. Would they stop there? What if they held someone else hostage until Jamie accepted to join? What if he wasn’t there to stop them from doing so?
And at that moment, Jamie made up his mind, and a choice: he would return to Hogwarts, and carry on as normal, ever vigilant, until R approached him. If they wanted to bring him into the fold, he would be waiting for them on his own terms. And, until then, he could keep an eye on the rest of the students, to make sure R didn’t target them. No more running after R only to fall in traps. This time, he would be the bait, and the trap would be his. Jacob was right: he had the advantage over Merula. The faintest ghost of a smile formed on his face, as he looked down at his shiny new badge with his new resolution.
‘I’ll be waiting for you, Merula.’
The rest of summer went by at a snail’s pace for Jamie, who grew more and more impatient as each day passed to start the term. But at last, September 1st arrived, and it was time for him to go to King’s Cross Station with his mother to board the Hogwarts Express one more time. The day before, though, she forced him to shave the unkempt stubble he had not cared to trim over the summer, and cut his straw-like hair, which was now neck-long, to a much shorter style. Platform nine and three quarters was bustling as always when they arrived at half past ten, and he loaded his trunk onto the train with some help and kissed her goodbye. As Head Boy, he had to give a briefing to all the Prefects, especially the new ones, so he had little to no time to search for his friends before duty called. Stopping briefly to change into his school robes in an empty compartment, he placed the Head Boy badge over his Prefect one, and put on Rowan’s glasses for the special occasion.
Upon entering the Prefects’s wagon, a familiar voice called out to him. ‘Jamie!’
‘Charlie, great to see you!’ said Jamie, walking over to the Gryffindor Prefect. ‘How was your summer?’
‘Oh, it was great,’ said Charlie, grinning. Stout, broad-shoudered and with long red hair tied into a short ponytail, he looked the same as Jamie had seen him last. ‘Didn’t see any dragons, but I did study a lot. What about you? Couldn’t write even a single “I’m fine, how about you” note?’
‘Yeah, sorry about that…’ said Jamie sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. ‘But really, I just didn’t have any news…’
‘Don’t worry about it. Congratulations, by the way,’ Charlie said, pointing at the new badge on Jamie’s chest. ‘It suits you. Unlike that hair.’
‘Yeah, that’s my Mum’s doing,’ said Jamie, passing a hand over his extremely short hair. ‘I notice yours hasn’t cut your hair to under an inch.’
‘Yet,’ quipped Charlie. ‘I’m sure she’ll try, one of these days…’
They continued talking a bit more about their summers. Charlie had done quite a bit more research into dragon sanctuaries, and was talking about a position he wished to try for in Romania when the train started moving. ‘Suppose I’ll have to give the briefing then,’ said Jamie, looking around the train car to find the Head Girl, but he needn’t look for long.
Almost as soon as he had said this, he was approached by a short, plump girl with a very round face; a girl that, he recalled, was a Gryffindor in his own year. She had brown eyes and shoulder-length, reddish-brown hair swept to one side, and a red and gold badge with “Head Girl” engraved on it. And, by the look of her face, she was absolutely beaming with happiness and pride.
‘You’re James Smith, right?’ she asked, addressing Jamie. ‘I don’t think we’ve formally met yet. I’m Corey Hayden, Head Girl!’
Giddily, he extended a hand to the Slytherin.
‘Oh, well… it’s nice to meet you Corey!’ said Jamie, trying to match her happy demeanour and giving it a shake. ‘Congratulations! You must be very proud.’
Corey nodded enthusiastically. ‘I’m so excited to be Head Girl! I’ve already given out some Chocolate Frog Cards to some first-years!’
‘That’s brilliant…’ said Jamie, his smile a bit forced. ‘Hey, Corey, we have to explain Prefect duties to the new Prefects, right? Would you like to start?’
‘Oh, right!’ said Corey, and clearing her throat she called out to the rest of the wagon to get everyone’s attention.
As she spoke, explaining the basic rules for Prefects as well as answering a few questions here and there, Jamie noticed how naturally she talked in front of a crowd; she fit the description of a good public speaker, certainly. He helped, offering some input from time to time, but it was certain throughout that she was the one carrying the presentation, and he wasn’t quite sure whether she minded it, or preferred it that way. Truth be told, he didn’t care either way; with Corey taking on most of the questions his mind was free to wander and ponder on the issues it had pondered for three long months. How would he tell everyone else at the Circle of Khanna what he had learned about Merula? How would they react? Should he even tell them? If word got out, and Merula caught wind of it, then she would know he knew about her being the mole. And besides, the Circle of Khanna was no more, their mission was complete; would it be right to involve everyone else again, now that they were free from the vaults? Half an hour later, Corey’s Head Girl presentation was coming to a close, and by then Jamie had decided he would keep the information, unless someone he trusted asked directly about it.
After the Prefect meeting ended, Jamie and Charlie started searching around the train for their friends. Charlie stayed in a compartment with his three younger brothers, while Jamie continued down the train in his own search, removing his glasses for the rest of the journey. He did not see Merula, but he did find Ben and Penny together in a private compartment. Knocking on the door, he opened it and entered, warmly greeted by his friends.
‘Hi, Jamie!’
‘How was your summer?’ asked Ben.
‘Nothing special,’ Jamie lied, and before they could question his somewhat forced expression he asked casually, ‘What about you? What did you do?’
‘I collected potion ingredients all summer, I can’t wait to show you!’ said Penny, ecstatic, making them chuckle at her eagerness for the subject.
‘I don’t have potion ingredients, but I did map out Knockturn Alley,’ said Ben. He still spoke in a quiet, almost monotone voice, but it sounded more casual than the previous year.
‘And summer was fantastic!’ added Penny. ‘It felt nice to finally relax after everything that happened last year.’
‘Sometimes it’s still hard to believe that we found the final Cursed Vault…’ said Ben, seemingly lost in thought.
Jamie’s face darkened slightly, as he murmured, ‘And I sealed Rakepick inside of it.’
‘She won’t hurt anyone ever again,’ said Ben, as if reassuring Jamie that he had done the right thing.
Jamie nodded. ‘You’re right, Ben. But-’
‘Nope. No buts!’ Penny cut him off, shaking her head and grinning widely. ‘Let’s focus on the here and now. We’re going back to Hogwarts, and we don’t have to deal with Cursed Vaults, Rakepick, or R anymore! I’m so excited!’
‘I can’t believe six years have gone by so fast,’ noted Jamie, almost offhandedly.
‘Believe it,’ said Ben.
‘Jamie, what are you most excited about for this year?’ asked Penny happily.
‘Experiencing new things!’ said Jamie, quickly making something up. The things he was looking forward to the most were not things he would tell them, yet at least. ‘It’s year seven, so it’s time to grow up and explore the world!’
‘Now you’ve got me excited thinking about exotic potion ingredients that I haven’t tried yet!’ said Penny.
‘Adulthood sounds like an entirely new adventure,’ agreed Ben. The conversation continued, shifting to career paths and advanced lessons, until the sky darkened and the train began to slow down.
They arrived at Hogsmeade’s train station, and leapt out of the train with the rest of the students, all except the first years marching towards the hundred or so carriages pulled by Thestrals. As they walked, Jamie looked around a few times, hoping to catch a glimpse of Merula, to no avail. While they got on a carriage, they were joined by Barnaby, as cheerful as ever, and they chatted as the carriage started moving.
‘Sounds like you were all quite busy over the summer!’ said Jamie, after Barnaby had told them about the squirrels he had tried to befriend back at home.
‘Oh, I almost forgot!’ said Penny suddenly, addressing Jamie. ‘How’s Merula? Did you keep in touch with her over the summer?’
The question felt like a gut punch to Jamie, and he tried his hardest to hide this fact as he casually said, ‘Not really. She’s not the letter-writing type, really.’ Frowning slightly, he curiously asked, ‘Why? You haven’t seen her, have you?’
‘Hmm… you know, I don’t think I’ve seen her since the party at the Three Broomsticks,’ said Penny, her smile fading a bit as she wandered through her memories.
‘I haven’t seen her since then, either,’ commented Ben, a deep look of concentration on his face.
‘I wrote to her once,’ said Barnaby absentmindedly. ‘She seemed really busy over the summer, she never replied.’
‘Any idea what she might have been busy with?’ asked Jamie, trying to sound curious and not suspicious.
Barnaby shrugged. ‘Not a clue, but I’m tired of solving mysteries.’
‘I agree with Barnaby,’ said Penny.
‘The last few years have been mystery after mystery,’ complained Barnaby.
Penny nodded, and said with relief, ‘I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we feel unburdened now and would like to keep it that way.’
Barnaby looked utterly perplexed at her words. ‘How can you speak for all of us? Is that some new kind of spell?’
‘So, no more Circle of Khanna then?’ asked Jamie, a tinge of sadness in his voice.
Ben looked at him understandingly, and nodded. ‘Rowan would want us to focus on our final year at Hogwarts.’
‘Exactly!’ said Penny. ‘Let’s just be friends and classmates again rather than working against Dark witches and wizards.’
‘It’s more fun being a good guy when there are no bad guys anyway!’ added Barnaby, making the other three laugh. The conversation continued and drifted away from Merula and the Cursed Vaults, and onto their expectations for their seventh year. A new Muggle Studies professor would take over from the previous one who, Penny commented, had taken a sabbatical year according to her sources; and of course there would undoubtedly be a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, hopefully a better one than the last, which was a bar set so low it seemed impossible to lower. The carriage bumped and trotted away, and came to a halt before the doors of Hogwarts Castle. The students trooped out and marched into the castle, and into the Great Hall; and Jamie continued to keep an eye out for Merula, still failing to see her anywhere.
He continued his search as subtly as he could while the Sorting Ceremony took place, clapping automatically with the rest of his house each time the hat cried “Slytherin!” and a new young figure joined their table. The last student was Sorted, and the hall went very quiet, waiting for the Headmaster to speak.
‘Your attention, please, students of Hogwarts…’ said Dumbledore, rising from his seat at the High Table, and smiling at the crowd in front of him. ‘It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the start of a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…’ he started, and began introducing the two newest members of the staff, but Jamie wasn’t paying attention. Instead, he noticed a seat at the High Table was unoccupied: Snape’s. As he wondered about it, Dumbledore continued his speech.
‘This new year, as with every other, comes with new opportunities… Knowledge, friendship, and growth chief among them! And, for our seventh-years in particular, through a special arrangement made with some equally special friends around the world: the opportunity to explore various wizarding professions off the school grounds! To be sure, this will be a year like no other… but there will be more on that later.’
The Headmaster’s tone shifted slightly, taking on a more serious note. ‘The losses suffered last year were devastating, but for now… Let us look towards the future, learn from the past, and move forward with the memories of our loved ones! Now, I do believe it is time to enjoy each other’s company and begin this magnificent Welcome Feast.’
He clapped twice, and the golden plates and cups were filled with food and drinks, and the newest students gasped in awe at the sight. With the clinking of cutlery, the feast began proper. Sitting with Jamie were Barnaby and Liz, talking eagerly about creatures, and the possibility of exploring the career of Magizoology. Jamie chimed in from time to time, though his attention was diverted when two figures walked into the hall, one towering over the other.
Snape was accompanying an annoyed-looking Merula into the Great Hall, and most eyes turned to see them, with most people assuming it was just a student being late to the feast for whatever reason. Merula joined Ismelda on the Slytherin Table, while Snape walked to the High Table to take his place. Jamie, unlike the other students, still had his eyes locked on the brunette, frowning slightly. She noticed his stare from a dozen seats across, and looked back at him, almost challengingly. He tilted his head with a questioning look, noticeably tapping his watch with his forefinger. In reply, she rolled her eyes and made a rude hand gesture, that thankfully went unnoticed by the staff; and Jamie went back to the conversation with Barnaby and Liz, a bit more at ease now he knew where Merula was.
Even being back at Hogwarts, with all of his friends, Jamie felt more alone than ever. No one seemed interested in searching for R anymore, all feeling safe at last; and he had no one he could talk to about it. The only person whom he might have relied on in such an eventuality was precisely the one that was a spy for R, so she was out of the question. And besides, even if he had wanted to talk to her during the first days of school, he only saw Merula during the classes they shared, as she seemed to disappear immediately after leaving the classroom; quite an achievement given that they were in the same house. Was she avoiding him? It seemed unusual, given that her task was to make him join R; and more so given their past together. Wouldn’t she fear he would suspect her? Or perhaps she expected him to turn a blind eye to her erratic behaviour, as he had done so many times in the past? Jamie asked a couple of times some of his friends if they knew why she always seemed to be missing, and even a few other classmates under the guise of a concerned Head Boy. There was still one person, however, whom Jamie could write to about his worries. On the third day back at Hogwarts, he wrote a letter to Jacob:
“Jacob,
I’m back at Hogwarts, and so far nothing has gone wrong, though it may be a bit too soon to say. I haven’t confronted the problem I talked to you about yet, and to be honest it’s still a bit painful. I haven’t told anyone else about it, and no one else seemed to care to know either. And, as if that wasn’t enough, I don’t have anyone to talk to about this at Hogwarts. All my friends want to put R behind them, and the circle is broken. It’s a good thing I still have you and Mad-Eye to talk about this; otherwise I think I would go mad.
On another topic, classes are going well, though a bit overwhelming. Dumbledore mentioned that seventh-years could explore wizarding careers outside of school, and almost everyone is buzzing about it.
Hope you’re doing well.
Jamie
PS: Any advice, yours or Moody’s, would be appreciated, as well as any news.”
Jacob’s response was surprisingly quick, the owl Jamie had sent the day before returning with the reply the next morning, which Jamie read right after breakfast.
“Pip,
I’ve shared your issues and news with Moody, and we both agree: you should not confront the problem yet, keep the advantage for now. I know it must be hard, but remain steadfast. As for R, Moody says they’re growing and more active than ever. Whatever they want didn’t end with the Cursed Vaults.
Regarding your friends, I’m truly sorry you have to go through this; and remember that you can always count on me or Moody to talk about this. He mentioned it’s an unfortunate side effect of taking on the mantle of a protector, and suggested that you try finding someone at Hogwarts you’ve never talked to before, but don’t reveal what’s going on. That way you can have someone besides us to sound things out with, and without burdening the friends you’re trying to protect with the information you told us.
On a happier note, I’m glad your lessons are going well. The career path exploration sounds certainly exciting, and Moody commented that he imagines Dumbledore will want you to check out the Ministry of Magic. Don’t ask why, he wouldn’t tell.
Take care, Pip, and let us know if you find out anything new.
Jacob
PS: Constant vigilance, says Moody; and I’m always a Vermillious away.”
Jacob’s letter gave Jamie some thought. Moody’s advice seemed sound, and Jamie didn’t doubt the old Auror had had similar experiences. Folding the letter and pocketing it, Jamie prepared for his next class, which happened to be History of Magic, while mulling over who he could turn to that he had never talked to about the vaults. And, almost like a slap, the answer hit him in the face as soon as he entered the classroom.
Class hadn’t started, as in his ponderings he had arrived a quarter of an hour early, yet most of the few brave souls who still attended History of Magic were already there, gathered around the front of the classroom, some sitting on the surrounding desks or chairs and others just standing up. The student they were all centred around was the Head Girl, Corey Hayden, who was casually sitting on Binn’s desk. One of the students of the small crowd turned to Jamie when the Slytherin arrived, smiling and taking a couple of steps to meet him. For some reason Jamie had not yet understood, Tulip was still taking the class at N.E.W.T.-level, and she greeted him by jabbing a finger to the new badge. ‘Look out, it’s Head Boy James Smith!’ Pointing with her head to the small group around Corey, she said with a smirk, ‘Class isn’t even in session yet, and we’ve got a crowd going.’
‘Yeah, I can see that. What’s everyone doing here so early?’
‘They’re listening to Corey talk about some Dark wizard,’ said Tulip. Leaning a bit closer, and patting her robe’s pocket, she added in a whisper, ‘I’m just here because Dennis likes Corey.’
‘Which Dark wizard is she talking about?’ asked Jamie, curious.
Corey seemed to hear him, as she turned her head to look directly at them and said proudly, loud enough for them to hear, ‘Since I’m the expert on all things wizarding history and pop culture… And we all know Professor Binns is going to fall asleep…’ A chuckle erupted through her audience, and she continued, ‘…today I have decided to recount the spine-chilling tale of a famous Dark wizard for your benefit. Now, allow me to regale you with the story of Emeric the Evil!’
‘I just hope she doesn’t set off the Dungbomb I put under Binns’s desk,’ whispered Tulip to Jamie, as Corey began talking about Emeric’s rise to power. ‘Then again, I would still consider that a successful prank.’
Corey’s tale was short and to the point, a far cry from Binn’s long tirades. By the time she had finished, there were still five minutes left before class, and she advised everyone to start sitting down. Jamie took the opportunity to approach her, friendlily commenting, ‘That was a pretty informative primer on Emeric the Evil, Corey. He certainly sounds like a Dark wizard who was hungry for power and I find that interesting.’
Corey’s easy smile grew, as she said gratefully, ‘I’m glad you liked it! I consider myself a wizarding history and pop culture expert because, let’s face it, I am. And, of course, I knew Binns would likely fall asleep during his lecture on Emeric the Evil, so… Here I am!’ she said, opening her arms wide to emphasise her sentence.
‘Actually, I was hoping to ask you a little more about Emeric the Evil’s motivations?’ asked Jamie, who found the topic hit close to home.
‘Well, no one ever really recorded his exact motivations, but my best guess is it was for power and control,’ said Corey, thoughtful.
‘But what would drive someone to turn towards evil for power and control?’ questioned Jamie, finding he enjoyed the conversation more than he’d expected.
‘Not everything is so black and white, Jamie,’ Corey pointed out. ‘Maybe he did it to avenge a fallen family member. Maybe it was for previous injustices. Maybe he thought if he had total power and control, he could shape the world into something better.’
‘I see…’ murmured Jamie, nodding slightly.
‘It sounds like you might be working on a book report!’ commented Corey, interested. ‘I’d be happy to keep talking to you about it.’
‘Oh… That would be fantastic, Corey!’ said Jamie cheerfully. He had no book report to write, but he would not turn down the opportunity to continue the conversation.
‘Although, I have to ask, why are you so interested in his motivations specifically?’ asked Corey, a curious look on her face.
‘I think you’re a good storyteller, Corey!’ quickly said Jamie. It technically wasn’t a full lie; she was quite good in his opinion. ‘I’d like to hear some more of what you have to say.’
‘Oh, thank you, Jamie!’ Corey looked elated that someone wanted to talk more in-depth about the subject. ‘I think writing about Dark witches and wizards’s motivations in your report will make it super interesting!’
‘Thanks, Corey. It was nice talking to you.’
Corey nodded in appreciation, and sat down at her desk. Jamie sat down as well at his own desk, and he was unpacking his class supplies when a voice behind him startled him.
‘I heard you’ve been looking for me, Jamie?’
Jamie felt his face drain for a second, before he turned around with a more composed and friendly face. ‘Merula! Nice to see you too. Haven’t seen you much around,’ he said, looking into the violet eyes he had feared to confront for three months.
‘And I’m ready to talk. Something specific on your mind?’ she asked, but before Jamie could answer the ghostly shape of Cuthbert Binns walked through the blackboard, and Merula whispered, ‘On second thought, wake me up when the bore is finished, and we’ll talk.’
As boring as Binn’s lesson was, Jamie never had the urge to go to sleep like Merula. His mind was buzzing with conflicting thoughts, wondering what he would ask her once class was over, and how he would ask… if he should even ask. He would not reveal that he knew about her betrayal, that much was clear to him. But how should he try to hide his suspicions from her? Acting as if they were still a couple, perhaps? Were they still a couple at all? They had never, technically, ended the relationship. Perhaps Merula would expect them to pick up from where they left off? That was a tempting thought for Jamie, as it would mean a return to something resembling normality; even if he knew she would eventually try to make him join R. The more he mulled over it, the more sense it made to do exactly that: pick up where they left off. After all, Moody was expecting Jamie to find more about Merula; why not this way?
The class came to an end eventually, and the bell woke those that had fallen asleep. The students began to walk out of the classroom, and among them Jamie and Merula continued their conversation, walking side by side.
‘Now you can ask me your questions in person,’ said Merula with a sly smile. ‘You know, instead of trying to get information from other people, like it seems you’ve been doing ever since we got back.’
Jamie smirked, commenting, ‘Well, you’ve been a bit hard to find, Merula.’
‘Careful, Smith, or I’ll start to think you actually missed me. Anyway, I’m here now.’
‘All right… Why don’t you tell me about your summer then, Merula?’
‘That’s what you want to know about?’ asked Merula, eyes widening. She snickered, shaking her head. ‘How mundane! My summer was really quite… average.’
‘What, you just studied and trained the whole time?’
Merula gave him a weird look, raising an eyebrow. ‘Summer seems to have made you quite sceptical.’
‘It’s just…’ Jamie quickly tried to put into words his thoughts, pointing out, ‘…you seem to be in a better mood than usual.’
‘I suppose you’re right,’ agreed Merula with a calm smile. Almost mindlessly, her hand searched for Jamie’s, and their fingers intertwined. ‘I feel… better these days,’ she confessed, looking truly happy. ‘Rakepick suffered for her crimes. My revenge is complete. Now I can focus on something much more important…’ she added, her smile turning cheekier.
‘Oh? And what would that be?’
‘Continuing to prove I’m the Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts, by becoming even more powerful.’
Jamie couldn’t help but chuckle at the answer. ‘Well, I suppose some things never change.’
‘Facts never change, Jamie. I’ll always strive to be more powerful.’ She stopped in front of him, jabbing a finger in his chest with her unoccupied hand. ‘I think it’s only fair that you answer one of my questions, since I answered yours.’
Jamie shrugged. ‘All right, I suppose that makes sense.’
‘Why are you suddenly so curious about how I spent my time over the summer?’
‘It’s not sudden,’ said Jamie, in an overly offended manner to hide his real reasons. ‘I’m always interested in your summer, Merula. You’re important to me,’ he said with a smile, gently squeezing her hand to emphasise the point.
A slight blush formed on her cheeks, and she gave a small scoff, looking away. ‘Tell you what… since you’re so interested in what I’ve been up to this summer… Why don’t I show you? We’ll have a friendly duel.’
‘When has a duel between us ever been friendly?’ asked Jamie playfully, while wondering internally if she had learned new tricks or tactics from R. A duel seemed like the perfect way to subtly answer such a question, even a “friendly” one.
‘Like I said, I feel different,’ said Merula, looking determinedly at him. ‘So this one will be, I promise.’
On the next free period they had together, they headed to the Duelling Club, and a small and curious crowd watched as the two infamous students placed themselves opposite of each other, tension in the air. ‘Are you ready?’ asked Jamie, taking out his wand and pointing it forwards.
‘Don’t I look ready?’ asked Merula, yet she had made no move for her wand. She simply stood, quite calmly, a dozen feet in front of Jamie. At her partner’s questioning look, she said, ‘Worry about yourself, Smith.’
‘Okay…’ muttered Jamie, worry starting to grow on him. ‘Then show me what exactly you’ve been up to over summer!’
‘With pleasure. Flipendo!’ she yelled, an open palm raised towards Jamie.
There was a loud bang, and Jamie reacted too slowly, shocked by the display before him. The bright light soared under his arm, striking his chest and roughly throwing him on his back. He groaned as he stood up, wondering aloud, ‘Was that wandless magic?’
‘I told you, I’ve been studying,’ said Merula happily, walking to him.
‘That’s not the kind of “studying” I was anticipating,’ admitted Jamie, rubbing his pained back.
‘Seems to be what the people want to see, though,’ said Merula, looking around the small crowd of impressed students. ‘And that’s what you’re in for when we actually duel. So looks like you better study up quick on wandless magic…’ she said, grinning. ‘Unless you want to lose against me for the first time.’