Deception

It was an unusually warm day for October. The sun shone brightly overhead, beating down on the small gathering.

Amara sniffed and rubbed her nose. Her eyes red and swollen from endless crying. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to spill.

She felt restricted and hot in her black dress and she pulled at the collar. Everything was just too much. She was feeling overwhelmed, uncomfortable and just smothered.

A heavy hand landed on her shoulder, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

She opened her eyes and glanced up at Jonathan. He looked down at her, a sad look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice cracking a bit.

Everything was silent and Amara noticed that it was just Jonathan and her left. Silence fell between the two as they stared at the grave.

“Why?” Amara whispered. “Why did this happen?”

It had been less than a month since her father passed away. Her heart hadn’t fully healed yet and now this was thrown at her.

“She just couldn’t handle it,” Jonathan said, pulling Amara into hug so the seven year old knew he was there for her. She began crying, her tears soaking through his jacket.

“I feel like I’ve lost a part of me.” She said through chocked sobs. She clung onto him tightly, not wanting her support to go away. “I’ve lost everything.”

“Oh, Amara…” He tried to sooth, brushing back her dark hair. “These things happen, people die.”

“She was selfish,” came Amara’s bitter reply. But Jonathan could tell that she really wasn’t angry. Well, not full any way. “She just left me here, she didn’t care.”

“You still have me and Jane,” He said quietly. “We’re here for you.”

“Not, Jane.” Amara sniffled. “Not for long, anyways. Eventually I’ll lose her too.”

Jane was hurting and could not be there with them. She wanted too, though. She had taken Amara’s hand and told her over and over again how sorry she was.

“Let’s go home,” Jonathan suggested, pulling Amara away. He wrapped an arm over her shoulder and guided her away from her sisters grave.

The short walk home was a blur to Amara, and before she knew it she was sitting in a chair, pulled up next to Jane’s bed.

The frail girl looked at Amara with pity.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jane asked, her pale face etched with worry.

Amara fumbled with her hands that were resting in her lap. She let out a deep breath before looking up at Jane. “Why did I have to be the one to find her on the sidewalk?”

“I don’t know.” Jane said, her eyes tearing up. “I know it must have been awful.”

Amara nodded her head, her whole body seemed to tremble. “There was so much blood. Her head; she landed on her head. It didn’t even look like her. Her limbs were in such odd angles and her skin was just so white.”

Jane looked at her friend with concern. Amara stared blankly at the white wall as she was taken back to the moment when she had found her sisters body.

“And her eyes,” Amara sucked a deep breath. She slowly shook her head as tears began to fall. “They were so empty. And I remember thinking how wrong that was. Mia always had a certain spark in her eyes.”

“Oh Amara,” Jane sighed, her own tears sliding down her face. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“I don’t understand why she jumped. I don’t understand why she left me alone.” Amara shook her head, her bottom lip trembling. “At least I have you and your father.”

“You’ll always have us.” Jane said, only to receive a somber look from Amara.

“And technically my mother,” Amara let out a bitter laugh, a cruel look washing over her face. “But with her locked away in Azkaban she’s as good as gone.”

“Amara!” Jane cried. “You don’t mean tha-”

Amara stood up abruptly, her chair squealing loudly. She stomped out of the room, ignoring Jane as the sick girl called out after her.

She stomped down the stairs, a determined look on her face. She pushed open Jonathan office door, startling him.

“Amara?” Mr. Hart said, sitting up straighter. “What’s wrong?”

“The plan,” Amara said, her voice cool. “I want to know the plan. I want to be part of this plan. I want to do it, I want whoever did this to me to pay. Oh Merlin, I swear I will destroy them.”

Jonathan sucked in a sharp breath before letting it out. “Alright.”

And that was when Amara learned everything.



Amara walked down the corridor with a determined look in her face and a sureness in her step. Her left hand tucked away in her jacket pocket, wrapped around a clear tube. In her right hand she held her wand at the ready.

The corridor was mostly empty, aside from a few of the younger students. Most of Hogwarts was getting ready to go to Hogsmeade, Amara’s small group of friends included.

Amara had purposely lied to her friends, telling them that she wouldn’t be going on this trip. They had felt bad and begged her go, and that they would only be doing the Potter thing for a little while, and then they’d all meet up again. But Amara told them that she had homework to do, and it’d be best she do it then.

They had protested a little longer but in the ended decided to let things be.

Amara spotted Vivian, a Hufflepuff fourth year, her face buried in a book. She took small steps, so absorbed in her book that she didn’t notice much around her. She only glanced up from her novel every once in a while to make sure she didn’t run into anything.

A smirk appeared on Amara’s face, taking a quick glance around before holding her wand up. “Silencio.”

Vivian jumped, her book falling to the floor with a loud thump that seemed to echo in the empty corridor. Vivian glanced up, her brown eyes going large when she saw Amara. She opened her mouth to speak, yet nothing came out.

Amara shook her head back and forth as if she pitied the silent girl before yelling “Stupefy.”

Vivian dropped to the ground, hit by the spell.

A loud gasp sounded from behind Amara, the dark haired girl quickly spun around to see the intruder.

Standing there was Gabby, her mouth opened wide, her eyes large with shock. She turned around quickly, ready to sprint off to tell.

“Petrificus Totalus.”

Gabby’s arms and legs pulled together as if bound by an invisible rope. She fell backwards, not even a few feet away.

“Tsk, tsk,” Amara’s cool voice reached Gabby’s ears, as the older girl stepped forward. “What are you doing here, Gabby?”

Gabby narrowed her eyes and tried to move, but the spell had her bounded tightly. “Looking for you.” She grunted out somehow.

“Oh?” Amara sighed rather dramatically. She crouched down next to the frizzy haired girl. “Finite.”

The spell was instantly lifted, but before Gabby could stand up and make a break for it, Amara had grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her up.

“What are you doing?” Gabby spat out, trying to pull away from Amara’s tight grip. “Huh, Jane?”

“You saw what I was doing.” Amara replied, rolling her eyes before letting go of Gabby. She had things to, and not nearly enough time to do it.

“Fran and Nicole told me to come get you, try and convince you to come one last time.” Gabby said. “I’m sure they’ll be interested to hear what you’re doing. . .”

Amara spun around on her heel to look at her friend. “I’m sorry, Gabriella, you wont be telling anyone anything.”

“You bet I will!” Gabby shouted. “You're just as bad as the other Slytherins!”

“I am in that house for a reason.” Amara shrugged. “Mimble Wimble.”

Gabby shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. “I thought we were friends.”

“I’m sorry Gabriella, you’re simply a decoy.” Amara shrugged. “You and everyone else.”

Amara took three swift steps before reaching Vivian and plucking a black strand of hair from the Hufflepuffs head.

“What are you doing!” Gabby shouted at her.

Amara spun around, holding Vivian’s hair in one hand and a flask of what looked like thick mud that was boiling. With a single movement Amara dropped the hair in the flask and it slowly started to change into a purple color.

“Don’t you dare,” Gabby said, taking a small step forward as if ready to snatch the bottle from Amara’s grasp. “Jane Hart, stop this right now!”

Amara raised a brow before drinking the in one giant gulp.

Gabby looked at Amara with horror as Amara’s appearance started to change.

She shrank a good three inches, and her warm, long brown hair turned black and shortened so it barely passed her chin. Her nose became smaller and her eyes larger and a darker shade of brown.

"It's always smart to have one of these ready to go." Amara said waving the flask in the air. She scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue. “It's disgusting, though.”

“I can’t believe you.” Gabby muttered shaking her head back and forth. “Why?”

“That, my dear, is none of your business.” Amara said. She faced Vivian once again, the poor unconscious girl laying on the ground helpless. “Obliviate.”

It was only a few seconds, the memory erasing charm was not a fun one to do, for you had to be careful.

“You could erase important things, are you a lunatic?” Gabby was yelling again, her voice raising an octave higher. “How do you even know how to do these spells?”

Amara took her wand and tapped the top of Vivian’s head, the girl suddenly blending into her surroundings. No one would find her for a while.

“I’ve been learning these things for as long as I can remember.” Amara muttered, before heading straight to Gabby and grabbing the girls wrist tightly. “I’m not some sort of advanced witch, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’ve been learning these things well before I started Hogwarts. Though, then, I didn’t have a wand, or anything.”

Gabby pulled away, her eyes burning with anger. “I hate you.”

“I don’t care.” Amara replied, before hooking her arm with Gabby’s. “Right now you’re escorting me to this Harry Potter thing. We don’t want to be late, do we?”

“I will tell everyone how rotten you are.”

“Not uh,” Amara shook her head. “I thought we went over this, Gabriella, you wont be telling anyone. And if you do, trust me, you will be sorry.”

“Why don’t you just erase my memory like poor Vivian?” Gabby muttered bitterly.

“Although that would be an easy thing to do, I want you to remember this. I want you to know what will happen if you cross me.” Amara tucked a short strand of dark hair behind her ear. But it wouldn't stay and just fell forward again. “I want you to look at me every day and remember what kind threat I can be. Trust me, Gabriella, I make a very dangerous enemy.”

“What are you going to do to us?” Gabby squeaked out, sounding quite nervous.

Amara furrowed her brow. “I’m not going to do anything to you, Nicole, or Fran. As long as you don’t get in my way, everything will be fine.”

They walked outside, still side by side, spotting the mass group of students already in carriages and heading towards Hogwarts. Amara and Gabby hopped into one of the last ones.

They shared the carriage with three excited third years who filled the silence with their never-ending chatter. Throughout the ride Gabby sent angry glares at Amara, knowing that she would never forgive this person she thought had been her friend.

When they arrived in Hogsmeade, Amara clung onto Gabby’s arms tightly, determined to not let this girl out of her sight.

“Gabby!” Fran’s cheerful voice drifted over to them as she hopped up and down with excitement. Her face fell when she noticed that the person with them was Vivian.

“Where’s Jane?” Fran asked, raising a brow.

Gabby shifted uncomfortably. “This is Vivian. Vivian, my friends.”

Fran and Nicole greeted Amara with a quick hello, before Fran asked for Jane again.

“She was, uh, a bit preoccupied.” Gabby mumbled.

Fran frowned, but seemed to push aside her disappointment. She lead the group towards The Hogs Head, where, apparently, this Potter thing was happening.

Amara only hoped that this meeting of sorts wouldn’t last long. Not only did she have to meet up with Malfoy soon at The Three Broomsticks, but she wasn’t sure how much longer the polyjuice potion would last.