With Stars in Their Eyes

I was mid-bite of my blueberry scone when a disturbingly familiar face on the front page of the Daily Prophet caught my attention. Dropping my breakfast, I snatched the folded paper from the table and spread it over my plate.

There he was in black and white ink, menacing and even more deranged looking than I remembered as he stood chained laughing maniacally at me. I read the letters in bold ink, and my stomach churned.

My Uncle Garrett escaped from Azkaban along with several other high profile Death Eaters. As I looked into his black eyes, my hands began to shake and I couldn’t breathe.

My eyes darted around, but it was still early enough where there weren’t too many other students in the Great Hall. I set down the paper and tried to gain control of my trembling fingers. However, before I knew what I was doing, I abandoned my things and sprinted towards the nearest bathroom.

I dashed into a stall, fell to my knees, and heaved into the toilet.

When my stomach emptied, I leaned against the metal wall and tried to catch my breath. A cold sweat spread across my forehead, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

Uncle Garrett was family, but even as a child, the man terrified me. He was never cruel to me, but he always preferred Niko, who all but worshiped the wicked man.

I didn’t have many memories of my uncle, considering that he was locked away in an Azkaban cell for practically all of my life. The only thing I really had to remember of him was a picture in my father’s study. I was just an infant cradled in my mother’s arms, Niko sat on the couch gently touching my tiny hands, and my father and uncle stood behind the couch with smiles on their faces. Father once told me that it was the last picture taken of Uncle Garrett before he was sentenced to Azkaban.

The only other memory I could recall was one when I was nearly seven. My family visited him in Azkaban, but all I could remember from that day was the coldness that dripped in the air. I could still feel the icy chill that struck my heart as we passed a dementor. I clutched Niko’s sleeve and started to cry so badly, we had to leave early.

If my uncle was free, I could only imagine what horrors would come next.


A week passed since I learned of my uncle’s escape. The story was plastered all over the Daily Prophet, so it came as no surprise when Fred tried to discuss it with me. I, however, just couldn’t bring myself to talk about my family. I trusted Fred more than anyone, but I couldn’t bear thinking about Uncle Garrett or his merciless wrath. The last thing I wanted to do was discuss it with someone who would potentially be his prime target. Thankfully, Fred eventually let it go.

Still, I wasn’t able to shake the feeling that my uncle’s eyes were somehow following me around the castle halls. I was especially careful that evening when I snuck away to another DA meeting.

The room filled with wisps of silvery-white patronuses prancing about the air. I watched with silent envy as giddy students laughed as their happiest memories channeled through their wand. The Patronus Charm was an extraordinarily difficult piece of magic, but many students were already producing fully corporeal animals. Well, almost everyone besides me.

“Expecto Patronum!” I spoke firmly with my wand raised. Silver tufts wheezed out of the tip of my wand, but no more. Feeling discouraged, I slumped my shoulders and idly watched an otter swim through the air.

“You’re close,” Harry said as he came up beside me, “just try thinking of the happiest memories you have.”

My mind immediately pictured Fred. I saw his face, his gentle touch, and his sinfully sweet kisses. A small smile traced my lips as I imagined our first night meeting in the Astronomy Tower. I could feel the heat in my cheeks as he touched my face. My heart sped up, and I raised my wand once more.

“Expecto Patronum!”

A shield began to take form, and Harry encouraged, “It’s getting stronger! Nicely done. Just keeping picturing happy memories!” He gently patted my shoulder before walking off to help someone else.

I bit down on my lip and racked my brain for another memory, but all I could see was Fred. There wasn’t a single other memory I could call truly happy that didn’t feature my ginger haired boy. As my mind scrambled for something, anything that might be with my family, the wisps of silver slowly faded away.

Life with my family wasn’t always cold and miserable. I knew there were a few happy moments squeezed in somewhere, the only problem was that the bitter memories seemed to overshadow the pleasant ones.

I could picture myself playing with Niko by the stream near our house when we were just kids. We splashed in the muddy water and giggled as we ran throughout the gardens. However, the memory grew dark when I remembered how angry our mother was when we tromped through the parlor and dirtied her new rugs.

I thought of my mother, so stern yet beautiful, like a cold porcelain doll. She was always strict and demanding of me, constantly trying to mold me into a perfect pureblood daughter, but there were a few cherished memories when she was actually my mother. She liked brushing my long golden hair and tucking flowers behind my ear. We used to run errands together and occasionally would sneak a sweet before returning home. Yet, no matter how kind she could be, she always reverted back to her stone-like appearance in my mind.

And lastly, there was my father. He was a man of few words, and I knew he preferred his work over his family any day considering how much time he spent at the Ministry. However, I did remember how I used to sit in his study and quietly read as he worked. Every once in awhile, he would peek up from his papers and offer me a smile. It was the simplest of gestures, but even then I remembered how happy seeing him smile at me made me feel. Yet again, the memory soured as I reminded myself how I tried to actually breathe quietly the rest of the time so as not to disturb his work.

There was no denying that my family were not good people, but they were my blood and I did love them. Realizing how little fond memories of them I had was no easy task; it left me feeling hollow.

“Don’t get discouraged,” Fred murmured as he walked up beside me. “It’s your first time trying a patronus, and no one, not even the best can do it on their first try.”

I forced a small smile and nodded my head, “Thanks.”

“And you still have that wicked stunning spell,” Fred added with a grin.

George mumbled from a few feet away, “Let’s just keep working on the patronuses for today. I’m still sore from the last meeting.”

Fred and George chuckled together, and I so wanted to join in on their laughter. However, I watched the Weasleys — Fred and George along with Ron and Ginny — and grew sad to know that I never had what they shared.

Was it too late to try and convince my brother that, despite some of my choices, I did love him and our parents?

“I think I’m going to head out a little early,” I told Fred quietly. “I have something I need to do.”

“Oh,” He murmured in slight confusion, “do you want me to come with?”

I glanced around at the lot of Weasleys laughing at Ron’s little dog running around the room and then shook my head. “No, it’s alright. You’re needed here, but I’ll catch up with you later.”

Quickly placing a peck on his cheek, I then grabbed my bag and set off for the Owlery.


It took nearly three hours, but eventually the bells above the doors of the Three Broomsticks chimed and in walked my brother.

Niko sported a cold expression as he stalked my way. His shoulders were stiff, and his eyes hard. When he approached the table, he didn’t sit down, rather just towered over me with a stoic expression etched onto his features.

“Niko, please,” I whispered, “I don’t want to fight. I’ve asked you to come to apologize.” Though he remained silent, his eyes softened around the edges. I added gently, “Won’t you sit with me for a moment so I can explain myself?”

With a huff, he obliged and sat across from me in the booth near the back. Niko folded his arms across his chest and frowned, “I shouldn’t even be here, Sophia.”

“I know,” I murmured. As a small gesture of peace, I slid a mug across to him. “I ordered you a firewhiskey…”

He glared at it for several long seconds before sighing and taking a swig. After he set down the mug, he sighed, “Mum and Dad are furious with you. They’d have my head if they knew I was here visiting you… I mean, seriously Sophia, what were you thinking? Caelum was a solid match for you.”

“I’m only seventeen, Niko.” I reminded him gently. “I wasn’t trying to defy our parents, I’m just not ready to get married.”

“You disobeyed,” He retorted resentfully.

A frown darkened my face, and I stared at my folded hands. Silence washed over us, and I feared that this was all a mistake. When I looked back up at Niko, I was surprised to see a frown on his face as well.

“Remember that time you snuck out and I caught you? I was ten, I think, and you were fourteen… You were home for winter break, and I saw you kissing Lisette Mulciber in the gardens.”

A hint of red slowly grew in my brother’s pale cheeks, and he raised a brow and asked, “What about it?”

“You begged me not to tell Mum and Dad, and I didn’t even consider it because I saw how ridiculously happy you were outside with her.” I explained with a small smile.

I could still see my brother’s face all rosy and with a light in his eyes that I’d never seen before.

He mirrored my expression and a smirk cracked across his own lips, “And then we stayed up eating so many snickerdoodles, we got sick. To this day, I can hardly look at those damn cookies.” We laughed together for a moment, and it felt so good that it literally hurt when he stopped and grew cold once more. “That was a long time ago,” He murmured.

I chewed on my lip before reaching across the table to touch his hand. With a hopeful look on my face, I said, “But nothing has changed about how I felt that night. Sure, the right thing would have been to tattle on you for breaking the rules, but I wanted you to be happy. I still want that, Niko. You’re my brother, I love you.”

Niko’s eyes rested on my hand over his. He was a master at concealing his emotions, so I wasn’t sure what his next move would be. However, a few seconds passed before he gently took my hand in his.

“I love you, too, Sophia.” He admitted softly. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze before leaning back and taking another swig of firewhiskey. “I want what’s best for you, and I thought Caelum was it.”

“He might have been good for me in certain ways, but I never would have been happy with him.” I confessed.

“I want you to be happy,” Niko sighed.

Hope sparked in my chest, and I smiled, “Thank you.”

“But you have to think about your family,” Niko added sternly. “I’ll talk to Mum and Dad and try to get them to calm down, but you have to play your part. We’re your blood, we’ll always be your blood no matter what. I’d do anything for you, but I expect the same in return.” My lips were pressed into a firm line as Niko carefully watched my eyes. “Don’t betray that trust.”

Despite his sincere intentions for his words, I saw a menacing darkness linger in his features. If it weren’t for the shot of firewhiskey I had just moments before he arrived, I’d be shivering.

“But let’s forget about all that,” Niko sighed. “I have a bit of a surprise for you.”

“Oh?” I murmured anxiously. Niko’s grin was unsettling, but as he stood and held his hand out for me, I took it anyway. He led me out of the Broomsticks and into the streets of Hogsmeade. As he turned a corner down a dark alley, I whispered nervously, “Niko… where are we going?”

As if on cue, a person emerged from the shadows with an even more terrifying smirk strained across his lips.

“Hello Sophia,” Uncle Garrett greeted.

My stomach dropped to my feet as I watched my uncle step out of the darkness and into the dim light of the moon.

The many years in Azkaban surely did a number on him. There were light creases around his eyes that weren’t present in any of the old pictures of him, though the irises were still the same striking shade of blue I remembered, but perhaps with a little more madness within them. His dark hair was slicked back much like Niko’s, but a ragged beard kept him looking unkempt and almost feral.

The only thing that remained untouched was his lips. It was as if my uncle had a sinister smile forever carved onto his marble face.

“Sophia,” Niko whispered, giving me a nudge.

I tried to find my voice, but couldn’t stop from shaking, “H-hi…”

“Nearly a decade has passed since I’ve seen you last, and all’s I get is a hi?” Garrett chuckled.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured timidly. “I — I just wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“It’s a pleasant surprise, I hope.” Garrett grinned madly as he measured my expression. “Don’t worry, Nikolai already told me all about your little betrothal drama, and I couldn’t care less. My brother was always more concerned with appearances than I ever was.” He laughed as he stroked his scruffy beard. “In fact, I could probably relate to you better than just about anyone. I couldn’t stand my first wife. Insisted that we weren’t right together, but my parents wouldn’t hear it — you know parents with their sacred traditions — it would have saved me some trouble if they did listen, but everything ended up well enough regardless.”

My mind immediately flipped through my family’s photo album until I recalled Uncle Garrett with a tiny, frightened woman in a lacy wedding dress. It was the only picture of the pair together because she died two months later… Mother said it was a household spell gone wrong, but given the troublesome gleam of pride in my uncle’s eyes, I knew it was just another lie.

“Anyway,” Garrett continued, “I just wanted a chance to say hello to my favorite niece. I do apologize this isn’t much of a reunion, but given my current status with the Ministry, I best not stay too long.” His eyes gave a quick sweep down the alley as if to double check that we were alone. “Though we’ll have a chance to catch up again real soon.”

My uncle’s rough fingers traced the line of my jaw before giving my chin a gentle tap. “Behave,” He warned darkly. “There’s a fine line between some good natured rebellion and becoming a blood traitor.”

His eyes burned into mine, but the next moment, lightness flickered behind them and he let out a high pitched cackle.

“Relax, nice. I’m only kidding.” He smirked. “Until next time.”

He gave a quick bow, and then with a POP, he was gone.

“I should go, too.” Niko murmured, but before he disappeared, he reached out and rested a hand on my shoulder. With grave eyes, he said softly, “Thank you for reaching out to me, Sophia. I appreciate it more than I let on, but don’t forget what I said.”

He retracted his hand and added firmly, “Blood is thicker, and family is forever.”

With a second POP, Niko disapparated and I was left shivering in the dark.