Lumos: Year Two

“Is it true, mother? Gilderoy Lockhart is coming to Flourish and Blotts?” Victoria spoke, smiling heavily as she sat down for her breakfast.

“Yes, dear, but we won’t be able to see him right away. We need to go and get Annabel’s wand at Ollivander’s Wand Shop,” Ursula looked around for a moment to see if everyone was in the kitchen, “Speaking of which, do you know where she is?”

Helena came down quickly and looked at her already prepared plate with delight as she started to eat. She looked up and waved at her mother, who seemed to be preoccupied with looking for the rest of the kids as she pursed her lips.

“She’s probably still with father,” Artemis sighed as he finished his own plate.
“Ah, probably, well no one should leave the table until everyone is finished eating!” Ursula pulled back on Jude’s shirt, “Sit down, boy!”

“Fine, fine,” he laughed as he looked around the room for the others.

“You know, we’re going to have to head to Diagon Alley pretty soon since terms start in less than a month…” Victoria sighed, “And I want to see Gilderoy Lockhart…”

“We will, we will! I was planning on taking you all today with your father once Annabel comes down with her list of supplies—“

“And she will be one of the best witches to go down in history,” Alabaster walked in with Annabel, holding her hand as she then ran to sit at the table, “All my children do wonderfully at Hogwarts. It’s in our blood—“

Helena watched him for a moment with a smile across her face, until he then looked to her with narrowed eyes as he stared in silence for a moment.

“Of course… there’s always one pit within the bowl of cherries…” Alabaster sighed as he turned away.

Helena knew immediately that he was referring to her. She sunk in her seat as she looked away. Intelligent-wise, she was just as smart as Victoria or Jude. It was Artemis who was the prodigy child. He was as genius as they come. The only reasons she could think of to why he was disappointed in her was the fact that she had gotten into a physical fight the year before.

Ursula narrowed her eyes to her husband as she sighed, “Dear… could we talk in the other room? Artemis, Victoria—all the rest of you, please go to your rooms,” she took Alabaster’s hand and lead him away.

Once again, Helena felt ignored for not been given eye contact. She finished her breakfast and the rest of her tea as she headed toward the main room to sneak up the stairs toward her room. The sounds of her parents’ yelling startled her as she stood, watching the door.

“She’s only twelve! Why must you talk down to her?” Ursula shook her head.

“When she brings dishonor to the Villar name, I have no reason to respect her,” Alabaster spoke bluntly.

“She loves you!”

“She’s a disgrace!”

“She promised you she wouldn’t do it again—“

“Ursula, do you honestly believe her? She will lie to avoid consequence!”

“Alabaster, listen to yourself! Don’t you love your daughter!? You used to praise her so heavily and now you refuse to even look her in the eye without an insult in mind!”

“Don’t raise your voice, Ursula, there’s no reason to allow the world to listen.”

“Please just try to listen, Alabaster…” Ursula sighed, “Don’t you love your daughter?”

“I love all my children,” Alabaster crossed his arms, “Honoring them is something completely different. She should be thankful I still allow her to live here… I wouldn’t be so cruel to put her on the streets. She wouldn’t last a day. That is my final word on this situation.”

Ursula watched as he strode away toward his office, his house elf following behind quickly. His door shut violently as Helena backed away quickly to head up the stairs from a different route.

When she had finally headed over to her room, she breathed in heavily and looked around for a short moment. She could see that her drapes were closed, darkening the room so that sunlight wouldn’t invade. She opened them slightly as she sat on her bed for a moment, looking at her old text books.

“Miss Helena Villar, are you okay?” Silas, her house elf had tugged on her leg gently.

She looked down with a small smile as she sighed, “I’m all right. I just need some time to think. There’s lots of tension within the family right now.”

“Well I hope that you do feel better!” he smiled as he started to trot away.

Helena lay back on her bed as she sighed. She couldn’t wait to go back to father. At least then, she wouldn’t have to worry about being a constant disappointment to the family. She wondered why her father was still lingering on something that happened months ago. Does he truly not believe her when she says she wouldn’t do it again?

Not much had changed about her since the year before. She was an inch taller, her face was more defined, and her hair was a bit longer and covered her face more. The one thing that was truly different about her was that her body was a little more developed. It was normal for her family though... they were full of early bloomers.She pulled on some knee high socks with a black skirt and a dark red cardigan as she heard her mother call up the stairs for them to come down to go to Diagon Alley.

When she had arrived to Diagon Alley with her family that evening, she continuously looked over her supplies list.

ALL SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk
Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart
Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart
Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart
Wandering with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart
Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

Helena shook her head when she looked over all the books. She sighed, knowing that whoever the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was, they were a big fan of Gilderoy. She on the other hand didn’t care about him. She felt that he was too full of himself.

“It looks like all of our books have to do with Gilderoy Lockhart…” Jude sighed in annoyance, “Who does this guy think he is?”

“These books are expensive, too. Good thing we have money… unlike some people,” Artemis smirked as he saw a young boy with flaming red hair walk by slowly. They exchanged eye contact for a moment as the boy glowered in his direction, but began to walk more quickly.

As they headed over to Flourish and Blotts, they noticed a large sign that was welcoming Gilderoy Lockhart. Victoria squealed lightly while Helena and her older brothers all rolled their eyes. When they had gotten inside, they could see that the man who was wearing light blue robes and a crooked pointed hat. When they had finally gotten toward the table to buy their autographed books, Gilderoy’s eyes evaded them for a moment as he smiled widely.

“It can’t be Harry Potter?”

Artemis’s cheeks went pink with anger as everyone seemed to allow the boy who lived to make his way to the front and get a picture with him.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he spoke with a positive expression, “What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I’ve been sitting on for some time!

“When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography—which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge—“ Jude growled lightly at this, “He had no idea that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!”

Helena sighed as she then went up to buy her own books. When she did so, she started to waddle away with her large pile of books, overhearing her brother Artemis arguing with Lockhart himself.

“I insist on autographing it!” Gilderoy’s eyes twinkled.

“No, sir—I would rather not have you go through the trouble—“

“Please, son, it’s all right!”

“No, it really isn’t. Please just let me be on my way—“

She started to walk away as their voices were no longer earshot. She could see out of the corner of her eye Mr. Malfoy and Draco walking in silence as they headed over to Harry Potter. She knew she better stay out of it. Draco loved to cause trouble with Potter. She just decided to stay out of it.

“Come on, all of you—Magical Menagerie is next!” Ursula called all of her children as they started to follow her.