The Next Generation and the Followers of Darkness

Melody awoke early the morning following the Start-of-Term banquet, excited yet apprehensive about starting classes. Drawing back her red curtains, she discovered that no one else in her dormitory was up. She changed quickly out of her pajamas, pulled on her plimsolls, and was about to grab her school bag — which was currently holding all her books, parchment, and quills as she didn't know what classes she would have on what days — before she realized it was Saturday. September the first had been a Friday this year. Scampering down the spiral staircase, she found the common room vacant.

The storm had ceased overnight. Still, the sky outside was grey and a light rain was falling upon the castle. Despite the gloom outside, the Gryffindor common room was quite cheerful and comfortable. The fireplace warmed the tower up nicely. The armchairs only added to the coziness of the place. Melody was surprised that no one had come down from the dormitories yet. Looking at the clock on the mantel, she almost laughed. It was only six o'clock.

Too jumpy to sit still, Melody decided to try to make her way down the the Great Hall for breakfast. Leaving the portrait hole, she looked around the corridor. It would be impossible for her to retrace the path they had taken the night before by herself. She turned on her heel to face the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Changed your mind, dear?" the painting asked.

"No . . . er . . . I was just wondering if you could tell me how to get down to the Great Hall?"

"Certainly. You follow this corridor until you reach . . ." The Fat Lady's voice faded away. Melody could never remember these directions. It seemed that she would have to find her way alone.

"Thank you!" she called, running off in the direction the portrait had indicated.

Twice, she ended up facing a blank wall. Four times, she tried to force her way through doors that were walls pretending to be doors. Thrice, she fell going down staircases that had a fake step. At one point, she got chased by Peeves the Poltergeist until she was completely lost again. All the staircases moved, sometimes doors were stubborn, and the empty suits of armor could walk about. The whole castle was in a constant state of motion. Thirty minutes after talking to the Fat Lady, Melody was completely lost and a little panicked. But just then, a silvery figure came floating through the nearest door.

"Sir Nicholas!" Melody called as he was about to pass through a solid wall. He turn toward her, his partially severed head swaying slightly. The sight made her cringe a little. Oliver had told her that many students called Sir Nicholas "Nearly Headless Nick," due to the fact that his execution had been botched by a dull blade.

"Yes, Miss Smith — if I'm correct?" he replied.

"Yes," she said breathlessly, trotting over to stand in front of the ghost. "I'm trying to get to the Great Hall, but I keep getting lost. Could you point me in the right direction?"

"Of course," Sir Nicholas replied with a see-through smile. "In fact, I shall accompany you myself. I'm supposed to meet the Fat Friar there anyway."

The two of them started walking and floating down the corridor, Sir Nicholas peering curiously at Melody.

"You know, Miss Smith — you're —"

"Please, Sir Nicholas — call me Melody," she said with smile.

"Only as long as you call me 'Nick,'" he grinned.

They went along in silence, turning corners and going down staircases. Once or twice, Nick nearly floated straight through a door and had to remember that Melody was incapable of doing the same. But ten minutes later, they arrived in the entrance hall, laughing about how Nick had tried to sink into floor as they reached the landing on the first floor.

"Thank you, Nick, for helping me find my way down," she chuckled, turning to walk into the Great Hall.

"You are most welcome, Melody," he replied.

"Oh, by the way, Nick —" she spun on her heel "— you started to say something when we first met up this morning. What were you going to say?"

"I was just going to tell you how much likeness you have to your brother, Oliver. But don't let anyone compare you to him. While you both share the same House and would be just as courageous as the other in any situation — believe me, I've heard about all your adventures — you have a strong sense of . . . integrity about you. Don't misunderstand me, your brother has integrity, of course. Still, you seem to be one who will always stand for what you think is right, no matter how many people oppose your beliefs — one who will stand alone in the face of extreme adversity."

Melody felt her cheeks redden.

"You don't believe me, though," Nick continued. "A typical Smith. Always humbling oneself until you finally prove your worth. Be careful, Melody, or you will end up like your eldest sister and brother . . ."

"Amelia and Jeremy?" she said suddenly. "What have they to do with me?"

"The Sorting Hat sometimes reveals it's secrets to those who are willing to listen. Some students are not destined to be in the Houses they are placed. They degrade themselves so much, that their personalities change drastically. Not a bit of the original disposition is left. Of course, by then, they are destined to be in another House. However, the Sorting Hat can still sense the original personality. It feels that they need to be in their 'original' House. But they honestly believe that they don't belong there."

Melody didn't understand what all this meant about Amelia and Jeremy.

"Your sister and brother did not belong in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. They were meant to be Gryffindors," Nick said.

"No, no, no," Melody said. "Amelia is brilliant and clever. And Jeremy is loyal and kind. They're truly a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff."

"Because that is where they believed they should go," replied Nick, a little impatiently. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must find the Fat Friar."

"Okay. . . . Er . . . thanks again, Nick. . . ." Her voice trailed away as the ghost floated off.

As she walked into the Great Hall, she looked around for a clock. It had been a while since she left Gryffindor Tower, but there was no clock in sight. Instead, she saw someone she did recognize.

Scorpius Malfoy was sitting alone at the nearest table, shoving some sausage around his plate. Pushing what Nick had said to the back of her mind, she walked fairly quickly over to where the young Slytherin sat. He only noticed her as she plopped down into the seat beside him.

"Morning!" she chirped, trying to sound as if she was not questioning her family at the moment.

"G'morning," yawned Scorpius. "Why are you up so early?"

"Could hardly go back to sleep this morning," she explained. "Too nervous —" she had a hint of a smile on her lips "— and too excited. And a little disappointed that it's Saturday. What about you? Not exactly hungry, are you?"

"You know me pretty well considering we just met yesterday afternoon."

"No, I'm just observant. But why are you up this early?"

Scorpius sighed.

"I am definitely nervous, but far from excited." He continued to push the sausages around with his fork.

Melody had an idea of why this might be — and it had to do with Scorpius's father. Not wanting to push the issue, she asked, "Do you have the time? I lost track on the way down here."

"Six forty-nine."

Just as he spoke, a less pleasant person came walking into the Great Hall. He sauntered over, Scorpius looking up as he drew near.

"Malfoy, I was just looking for you," Eadric Almer snapped. "I have an assignment for you today. It's private, Smith."

Almer grinned horribly at Melody.

"I'll see you around, Scorpius," she said dryly.

"Oh, yes, you will," called Almer as she walked toward the place she had been sitting the previous night.

~~~~~

Melody waited for any other Gryffindor to come down to the Great Hall. It was nearly a half hour later when Victoire Weasley and her friends strolled into over to where Melody was sitting.

"Well, you're up quite early," Victoire said.

"Yeah," Melody replied, a vacant expression on her face.

"Have you eaten yet?" said one of the other girls.

"Yeah," Melody repeated.

Over a small plate of toast and sausages, Melody had brooded over what Nick had told her. She attempted to remember Amelia and Jeremy as having the traits of a Gryffindor. It was impossible. Melody had been so young when her eldest siblings had left for Hogwarts, she didn't truly get to know them until they were in their third or fourth years. But something nagged at her.

Her sister and brother were always trying hard to impress their parents. The two of them wished to live up to their standards. Amelia wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps — become a Ravenclaw, be Head Girl, work for the Ministry of Magic for a couple years, get married, then start a family. Jeremy was like his father — become a Hufflepuff, be a prefect, work for the Ministry of Magic, get married, have a few kids, and keep up the good work in his division at the Ministry. Was it possible that they idolized their parents so much that they wanted to be exactly like them?

"Morning, Melody," Luke Salisbury yawned as he slumped into the seat across from her.

Most of the Gryffindors were arriving now, and Albus and Rose sat down on either side of her. Oliver and James came in whispering excitedly, but stopped as they neared the table. They grinned mischievously, but no one questioned their antics yet. Professor Longbottom, who was Deputy Headmaster, was walking down the tables, handing out schedules for when classes would actually begin. He stopped beside the Gryffindors congregated at the end of the table.

"What are you up to?" Professor Longbottom asked Oliver and James. The boys just smiled. "You two remind me of the Weasley twins," he added.

Silently, he passed out the schedules, still watching Oliver and James closely. As soon as he was out of earshot, the two boys muttered something to Hayden, Richard, and Luke, and the five of them scuttled out of the Great Hall.

Melody rolled her eyes. Despite her wish to know what her brother was up to, she also realized that she needed to figure out where her classes were before they started. She looked down at her schedule, then compared it with Rose's and Albus's. Thankfully, all three were identical.

"Well," said Albus, drowning his potatoes in ketchup, "what and who do we have first on Monday?"

"Um . . . ooh, we have Herbology with Neville and the Ravenclaws!" Rose said, sounding excited and somewhat relieved.

"Who's Neville?" Melody asked. She didn't recall anyone named Neville being sorted into Ravenclaw the night before.

"Oh, that's Professor Longbottom," explained Rose. "He's a friend of the family, so we really can't help calling him 'Neville.' And I'm really glad we have him first thing on Monday."

~~~~~

Once Rose and Albus had eaten all they liked, the three of them walked out onto the school grounds. The grass was still soggy from the downpour, the dirt paths extremely muddy — so it wasn't surprising that hardly anyone was outside. Rose suggested they go to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the forest, but it started to rain again as they made their way across the lawn. They had hardly made it halfway before they were soaked to the skin and had to turn back. They came back into the entrance hall shivering.

"Well, th-that was p-p-pointless," Melody chattered. "Wh-what do you two want to do n-now?"

"I-I guess we c-could go back t-to the c-c-common room," Rose suggested.

"C-come on, then," said Albus, shuffling away toward the marble staircase. "Hopefully, P-Peeves doesn't bother us on th-the way up —"

"Someone spoke too soon," a rude, singsong voice said from above them. All three looked up at once.

Peeves was floating above them, his beady little eyes darting from one to the other to the other. A wide, obnoxious smile spread across his face. Albus, Rose, and Melody groaned a bit too loudly. Peeves smiled wider.

"Should treat ole Peeves with some respect, you should," he cackled, doing a few loop-the-loops. "He's a war hero, he is."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Albus. But not quiet enough.

Without warning, Peeves swooped down upon them, cackling and pelting them with chalk. The three first years took off up the stairs. Their robes still dripped behind them. As Albus was in the front, he left a trail of water behind him. Rose and Melody slipped along behind him. He led them blindly through tapestries, around corners, down dark corridors. They didn't stop when Peeves did, but kept running, putting distance between them and the poltergeist.

"Oi!" someone yelled as they turned the nearest corner.

Albus skidded to a stop suddenly, but Melody and Rose, slipping on the wet floor, both slid right into him. The three of them fell over, right at the feet of the caretaker, Mr. Witt.

"Look at this!" he shouted, indicating to them the trail of drips as they looked up at him. The balding man was like a great beet as he glared down at them. "Now I have to clean all this up — on the first day of school!"

Melody, Rose, and Albus got to their feet hastily.

"Come with me," ordered Witt. "Right now."

He led them back down to the first floor, glaring back at them as he purposefully followed trail of water they had tracked all through the halls. Wrenching open a door, he pointed inside the room, and Melody, Rose, and Albus trudged inside.

The room must have been the caretaker's office, but it was currently unrecognizable, full of boxes. The walls were lined with filing cabinets, several of their drawers open. It was cold inside the room, as there was no fire in the fireplace, and two spindly chairs stood before the desk. On the other side, half hidden under a pile of dusty old parchment and quills, was a dark-colored armchair. One object caught Melody's eye as she entered the office — a small picture frame on the desk. It was the only thing that was unpacked. The photograph within was of a man in his thirties or forties, and on his shoulders was a young girl with light brown hair. She smiled and waved as he ran in and out of the frame with her, a wide grin across his face. Melody couldn't help but think that she knew this girl.

Witt came in behind them. The door slammed as he pulled it shut. As he did this, Albus narrowed his eyes, Rose jumped, and Melody stared at her shoes. Witt closed the drawers of the filing cabinets quickly, then sat down in his armchair.

"Sit," he barked. Melody and arose settled into the same chair without a second thought, and Albus sat down beside them, still glaring at Witt.

For a moment, the room was completely silent. Witt stared from Albus to Rose, then his eyes rested on Melody's face. What was that expression? Pity? Regret? Witt shook his head.

"You three have defiled the floors of this castle within the first two days of term," Witt said smoothly. "I should give you detentions or something . . . so I will inform Professor Longbottom, and he will inform you when your detentions are to be."

Albus gawked at him. Rose stared into space. And Melody felt all the blood drain from her face. They had already earned a detention, before school had even really started.

"So, let's get all the paperwork done," Witt said, clapping his hands together.

~~~~~

They left Witt's office thirty minutes later, downtrodden and feeling ashamed. He had made them state their names and year, then accused them of "tarnishing the castle floors." At the end of the incident, there was a file in one of the cabinets with their names on it.

"Detention . . ." Rose murmured. "Term hasn't even begun, actually. How can we already have detention?"

"Well, it could be worse," Albus said as they headed down the corridor. "Come on, let's try to get back to Gryffindor Tower — oi!"

Albus had ran straight into someone as he turned the corner. The girls poked their heads around the corner in case it was someone else who might be upset about their dripping robes. They were relieved to see it was Edward.

"Oi yourself," snapped Edward. "What are you all doing around here? You don't want to irritate Witt, especially as your soaked from the rain."

"We already did," said Melody. "Ran into him upstairs after we tracked water through half the castle. Now we have detention for 'tarnishing the floors.' Amelia and Jeremy are going to kill me when they find out."

Edward nearly burst out laughing. He leaned against the wall and shook, trying to conceal it.

"It's not funny, Edward!" Rose fumed.

"Oh, yes, it is," he wheezed. "Just be glad you didn't lose any House points."

"If you're done cackling, could you tell us how to get back to the common room?"

"Lucky for you three, I was just headed back there. Come on."

Once they were back in the common room, they sat as close to the fireplace as possible, warming their hands and robes. It was only after they had felt the heat of the flames that they had realized how cold they really were. Melody, Rose, and Albus took off their shoes and socks. Most people were leaving for lunch as they continued to sit by the fire, talking about what they expected from their classes. It was hours before they were ready to go down to lunch in the Great Hall.

It seemed that prefects were just as prone to gossip as everyone else. And as Albus, Rose, and Melody walked into the Great Hall, everyone glanced at them before looked at Amelia, who stood to her feet calmly. She walked over to Melody, leaned down closely, and whispered, "Can I have a word with you for a moment?"

Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed her younger sister by the arm. Amelia didn't let go of Melody until they had marched up the stairs, taken two left turns, a right, and into an empty classroom. The elder girl slammed the door so hard, an empty frame fell off the wall.

"You're a bloody idiot!" Amelia screamed. "How the hell do you get detention before classes even start? Dammit! You know how horrible you and Oliver make me look? I can't believe you'd be so selfish! Making me drag you're arse all the way up here. I could've been a bitch and scolded you down in the Great Hall, but no — I'm kind enough to save you the embarrassment and yell at you up here where no one can hear me! Gryffindors are complete arses because they think they're so much better than everyone else! And you're no better than any of them! You're clever. You could've been a Ravenclaw. But you're just as stuck up and idiotic as the rest of them. Just stay out of trouble, and we won't have another talk like this! And stay out of my way! Stupid idiot . . . bitch . . ." Amelia muttered just loud enough for Melody to hear as the elder girl flung the door wide open and stalked out of the room.

Thunder cracked outside as Amelia left, and tears flowed silently down Melody's face. Despite her anger at her sister, Melody was also ashamed that she had let Amelia down. The girls had been friendly, even with the six year age gape between them. And they didn't always get along. Melody still wanted to make Amelia proud, though.

But the elder girl had crossed a line somehow. Melody sat for twenty minutes, numb, crying. No one came looking for her. In a way, she was grateful for the privacy.

Melody had lost her appetite after the issue with Amelia. She made up her mind to go back to Gryffindor Tower. Crossing her arms tightly around herself, Melody sniffled slightly as she started down the corridor. It was easier for her to get back after a few times now. By the time dinner rolled around, she'd be fine again. The screaming fit had made Melody see the age gape more clearly than ever, and now she realized exactly how much different she was from Amelia.

Aside from the physical differences — Melody had pale brown hair, Amelia had caramel-colored hair; hazel eyes, blue eyes; pale freckled skin, tan flawless complexion — the two sisters were radically different personality-wise. And now that Melody had seen what Amelia was like at Hogwarts, she realized how little she knew about her elder sister. Amelia was good-natured only around their parents; she was rude and cruel around everyone else. Melody prefered to be kind-hearted to those she didn't know and typically treated her family with respect; however, she wasn't afraid to stand up for others. It wasn't all too unbelievable, the first year thought as she walked up a staircase, that she and Amelia were opposites as the two of them hardly knew each other actually. . . .

Suddenly, the rug at the top of the stairs was pulled out from under her feet. She toppled backwards down the staircase. A figure looked down at her from below, but she couldn't tell exactly who it was. It was most likely it was Peeves messing with her again.

Melody tumbled all the way down the staircase, landing in a heap of robes at the very bottom. Her whole body ached as she tried to get up, but her left wrist had gone limp — broken. Weakly, she got to her feet. In addition to her broken wrist, she couldn't see out of her right eye, which was swollen shut from landing on her face. She knew that she would need to go to the hospital wing as soon as possible, but she hadn't the slightest idea where that was. Intending to find some help, she limped along the corridor back toward the Great Hall.

But it wasn't long until a couple familiar faces came across her injured form.

"Melody!" Oliver and James yelled.

"What happened?" asked Oliver. "Who did this to you? Melody — who?"

"Ow!" snapped Melody. "Ow, Oliver — stop shaking me — it hurts!"

"Melody, who did this? They need to be taught a lesson! Tell me who did this to you! What happened?"

"I fell going down the stairs," Melody lied.

"There is no way you did this to yourself! Who did this to you? Who?"

"Oliver, calm down!" said James.

"I need to know who hurt my little sister! They need to pay for what they've done. James — they need to know that hurting her is not okay. They can't get away with it!"

"And they won't! But if you can't stop asking questions, go to Madam Heiler and tell her what's wrong. Tell her that I'm bringing Melody."

"Okay . . . okay . . . but I'll find out what really happened sooner or later . . ."

Oliver took off up the corridor, glancing back at Melody every few seconds before he turned a corner. James and Melody followed slowly behind. The red-haired boy watched her limp along.

"You aren't telling Oliver everything. What happened?"

"I honestly have no idea . . ."