[one x one] rising from the ashes - post BoH

[Mini]

Mini & Wyndi's post-BoH spectacular 


The mood in the Great Hall was one of forced joy and normalcy. There were still scars from the battle that took place only a few months ago between the famed Harry Potter and the Dark Lord. Headmistress McGonagall had gone through all the formalities - introducing the new professors, sorting all the first years and assuring everyone that Hogwarts was now back on the right track to be restored to its former glory. The whole time she was going on, Ben found himself absent-mindedly playing with the food on his plate. The start of the year feast was just as grand as it always was - with constantly filled plates of both savory and sweet foods. He’d taken some sweet rolls as well as some of the roast beef and drumsticks. Though it was likely all in his mind, he felt like everyone was staring at him. It was no secret his father had fought alongside Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts. In truth he hadn’t known of his father’s intentions - neither had his mother. Telling anyone that seemed to fall on deaf ears. He even felt the headmaster’s eyes on him, watching him for any sign of possible betrayal. All he wanted to do was get through the rest of his schooling, though if it were up to him he would have transferred to a different wizarding school and started over completely.

“You haven’t touched your food at all, man.” He heard his friend say next to him. “Oh, yeah…I’m not hungry I guess.” He hadn’t eaten well since he and his mother moved back to Britain to finish his schooling. There was still that fear in him - a feeling in his stomach he just couldn’t shake. This was going to be a tough year.
___

Yulia was spending her time welcoming the first years who had just been sorted in to Ravenclaw and seated at the long sprawling house table, doing her best to make them feel as welcome as possible. True Hogwarts was a different place from when she started her schooling here and it would take time for the school and its students to recover, but it would eventually. This she knew. Besides, it was her duty as a prefect to make the new generation of wizards feel comfortable and happy to be here. They wouldn’t suffer any atrocities like Harry Potter’s graduating class and the other classes in attendance of Hogwarts had. She would show them to the Ravenclaw Common Room, let them know that there was a riddle to be solved to enter and what the riddle is, and carry on like it was another normal year here at Hogwarts.

Levi was having no trouble carrying on like it was a regular school year. New professors - including a new Defense Against the Dark Arts one (granted he was glad the last one was gone and defeated by Headmistress McGonagall. He didn’t want to learn about the dark arts in that way). Yulia was busy welcoming the new first year Ravenclaws, and he was busy enjoying the feast as he always was, being sure to keep his plate filled with all sorts of treats.

[Wyndi]

Returning to Hogwarts after what had happened four months ago seemed bizarre to Pell. Here he was, sitting through another welcome speech and another Sorting and another start-of-year feast, and yet he felt he had in some ways already rightfully graduated. Over the past year, he and his classmates had learned more than any schoolbook could teach them: how did McGonagall expect them to come back and study as if every single one of them hadn't learned how to cast an Unforgiveable, or how to patch themselves back up with rudimentary medical magic when they crawled back to their common rooms after a particularly grueling detention?

The new first years didn't seem any less burdened, but of course, you hadn't needed to be a student to have lost family and friends to Voldemort and the Death Eaters. And for anyone else, the sight of all the fallen walls and decapitated statues was probably enough to sober them up in a heartbeat.

Pell sawed away at his roast chicken, returning his fellow Slytherins' glares with interest. He had never been well liked in his own House, but his joining the battle to take down their relatives had sealed the deal: the other Slytherins might as well be spitting at him. Still a far sight better than last year, though, he thought dryly. No more jinxes and hexes - in plain sight, at least. He'd have to check for booby-traps around his bed later tonight, and set up a few defenses of his own.

Al grinned at him over from the Ravenclaw table, the shiny prefect badge gleaming on his chest. A few seats down from him - and sporting the same badge - was Tyrell, welcoming all the new first years in blue and bronze. Normally Pell didn't care for the whole system (what a surprise), but last year's definitions of discipline and responsibility had changed that too. He wondered who had been crowned with Head Boy and Head Girl.

--

Meanwhile, Ellie was poking at her chips, feeling vaguely and inexplicably ill. Despite the warm welcome from the staff and the ghosts and the Gryffindor prefects, all she wanted to do was curl up under three layers of soft warm blankets and phone her father. Get me out of here, she wanted to tell him. I know I said I'd try, but I want to go home. I can't do this. How could you do this to me? We should've stayed in the States.

But phones didn't work at Hogwarts, and it was a little too late to run home crying to her father anyway. She wasn't the only one still grieving over her mother, and her father deserved some time to mourn alone without her sobbing ruining everything. So it was just Ellie and Cottonheart, and Cottonheart wasn't even here - all the pets were being taken straight up to the dorms, she'd been told. What kind of home didn't even let her feed her cat right at the table?

The entrées changed to desserts without her noticing, and Ellie found herself reaching for some apple pie instead of Yorkshire pudding. At the sight of the golden-brown pie, though, Ellie's stomach gave a tiny rumble of approval. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, she heard her father reaffirm in her head, so feeling slightly better, she helped herself to two slices.

[Mini]

Yulia took her time eating what was in front of her - roast chicken, roast vegetables, mashed potatoes with a heavy serving of gravy - basically everything hearty and filling. The first years seemed to have settled in enough at the table and were picking at the trays that were constantly filled with food. She held a conversation with her fellow prefect Al as they ate, talking about their summers after the battle. “I suppose I should pay your cousin a visit...it’s been a while since I’ve seen him as well.” She said as she finished what was left on her plate. “If you’ll excuse me…”

She stole away from the Ravenclaw table for a moment - plenty of older students were darting back and forth between tables anyhow. No doubt they were all clamoring about what had happened. Al and the other prefects could handle it. Yulia glided over to the Slytherin table, sliding in to a small space next to Pell. “Hello there, long time no see.” She said. “I trust your summer was a little more relaxing than the end of last semester.”

[Wyndi]

Pell shifted aside to make room for Yulia as she sat down, relieved (though he'd never admit it) to have at least one person nearby who wasn't glaring holes in his head. Vengeful little shits, Al had called Pell's Housemates on the train, and Pell couldn't disagree.

"I suspect the rest of my life will be 'more relaxing' than the end of last term," he bit out dryly, and speared a piece of chicken on his fork. "But then again, my family was exceptionally fortunate." No lasting injuries, no casualties, minimal property and financial damage: few families could count themselves so favored by Lady Luck. For those who couldn't, Pell supposed the summer hadn't been any less wearing on them. Not a week had gone by without a funeral in Pell's hometown, Muggle and Wizarding alike, and those were just from the families that could afford them.

Pell resumed eating but did not turn away from Yulia, a gesture that translated roughly to And was your summer?.

[Mini]

She was no doubt on the end of some stares from fellow students - especially as she sat down next to a Slytherin. It would be a long time before the dissent between houses settled back to their normal levels and it sure as hell wouldn’t be when they were at Hogwarts. She smiled and made a small noise in agreement to Pell’s statement about the rest of their lives being more relaxing than the end of last semester. She was glad Pell’s family was fortunate - hers was not so lucky. Her parents both escaped with their lives but she did lose a few aunts and uncles to the Death Eaters so most of her time was spent in graveyards and funeral homes. “I’m glad your family was fortunate. We had a few losses in mine.” She said and left it at that.

She’d become accustomed to her friend’s body language and unspoken words. “I suppose so.” She said quietly. “It will be a little tough to carry on with the first years as though everything’s going back to normal.” Yulia said. She did hope that now rebuilding and restoring Hogwarts could happen through the younger generation of wizards.

[Wyndi]

Yulia's mention of her family settled over the conversation like stone. Pell stopped slicing up his chicken, debating what to say next as he set his knife and fork down.

"You have my condolences." Though the words sounded stiff and formulaic, there were genuine good intentions behind them (and to be honest, Yulia probably wasn't expecting any better anyway). "...I apologize for bringing up the subject. As for the first years...I doubt they won't understand. They'll need time themselves to adjust. They may even find a forced pretense of cheer to be condescending."

Was it better or worse that this year's bunch of incoming students were just as subdued, just as haunted, as last year's? Pell's stomach twisted sharply, and he let the rest of the food on his plate vanish as dinner came to a close. (At least some of the bolder first years were shoving the last handfuls of cookies into their robe pockets: the telltale sign of how impressive the feast had been. Some things never changed, did they.)

Professor McGonagall stood up to deliver the welcoming speech, and a hush fell over the Great Hall almost immediately. Pell felt a pang of longing for the simpler days of Dumbledore's (often odd) speeches, but squashed it: Dumbledore was dead, his corpse lying in the repaired memorial outside, and McGonagall was alive. She worked through her speech in her usual brisk, efficient way, covering little that Pell hadn't expected. She addressed the new students first, then the older students; there was talk about what counseling services were now available in the Hospital Wing. Wrapping up, she stressed the importance of inter-House unity (with a sharp glance towards her own House).

At this, one of the Gryffindors shot up, looking indignant and a little surprised at his own boldness. McGonagall raised an eyebrow - a sure sign that at least a few months' detention was forthcoming - but the Gryffindor paid no heed and plunged ahead: "Well, why should we be nice to the Slytherins? I don't remember any of them staying behind to fight. You even had them all sent away because you didn't trust them! So why do we have to?"

"Fuck off!" snarled a tiny Slytherin girl a few seats down from Pell. Her voice, though high, carried surprisingly well over the hall, as if she'd cast an Amplifying Charm. "Not everyone wants to be a fucking hero - you try dueling your own mum to the death - "

"Well, if your mum wanted people like my mum dead, then maybe she'd be better off - "

"Enough." McGonagall's voice cut through the tension, but it was too late: half the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables had whipped out their wands and were glaring daggers at each other.

[Mini]

She smiled softly at Pell’s condolences. That meant a lot coming from him, and she simply shrugged. “Thank you. No need to apologize.” She said. Dinner came to a close and she felt that she should return to her rightful place at the Ravenclaw table. She nodded at Pell’s advice, knowing that a false cheery pretense wouldn’t be the best for the first years. They were just as unsettled and emotional as the rest of the students at Hogwarts. “You’re right. But I should head back, I’ll see you at some point after the feast, I’m sure.” With that, she headed back.

She made it back to her table just as Headmistress McGonagall was starting her speech, talking about the year ahead of them. It wasn’t long before the tension came to a head and a Gryffindor spoke up about the Slytherins and the two houses had wands drawn and ready to strike.

McGonagall’s voice was sharp and high as she attempted to stop the impending fight before anyone made any more moves. “If any of you even think about casting a spell, you’ll be sent straight to detention and your House will have fifty points deducted right off the start.” Her warning cut a little more of the tension, but neither house put away their wands. A spell shot out of someone’s wand at the Gryffindor table, McGonagall unsure of where it came from, and with that there were spells flying back and forth between the two tables. Ben took no time in deflecting any spells headed towards him and the others near him. Insults were being thrown as fast and loosely as spells. Some of the first years from each table fled from the Great Hall to get away from the spells. Over at the Slytherin table, Ben found himself doing more deflecting of spells than casting, blocking the few first years that had been near him that were ducking for cover. He shielded a first year girl near him and got a jinx right to the head, passing out seconds afterwards.

Headmistress McGonagall ordered a lockdown and sealed the doors to the Great Hall as the other professors ran around disarming students and confiscating their wands for the time being. “Now then!” Her voice cut sharp and clear as spells finally stopped being fired. “We will not be leaving this hall until we find out who fired that first shot. Any student that comes forward with information will not be punished, but the longer we stay here waiting both Houses will lose points. The only students allowed out of the Great Hall are the ones injured who will be escorted by Madame Pomfrey.” Which, sure enough, there were quite a few that she was helping out - Ben being one of them on a charmed stretcher levitating behind her.