Hogwarts: The Legacy

(c)2005 by Josh Cohen. May not be reprinted, except for personal use. The Potterverse was created by JK Rowling, and remains her property. I\'m just borrowing it for a little while.

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TWENTY-TWO: VISIONS OF THEIR SUMMERS

Warning: contains plot.

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The first of the gang to arrive at King’s Cross and move to Platform 9 ¾ was Dina Patil. Though the train was to leave at eleven sharp, Dina had left the London flat she shared with her mother and Parvati shortly after eight. Negotiating the Underground was remarkably simple; at least, compared to dealing with her mother all summer.

Or, more precisely, dealing without her mother. The twin Patils had had their own agenda for the most part. Her mother was still hanging on Parvati’s every move, and she’d been shocked to discover that the two of them were now splashed on the front of several muggle and magical tabloid papers. It had embarrassed her to no end, but that had been nothing compared to seeing her mother on Page Three. Parvati had been a Page Three girl for almost two years, on and off, in her early twenties, but her mother had married her father and they’d had Dina almost immediately – so immediately, in fact, that Dina was fairly certain she’d been conceived before the wedding.

Intellectually, Dina had known that her mother and her aunt looked almost exactly the same, but it had still been one hell of a shock to open The Sun and see her mother’s nipples pointing back at her.

Her mother wasn’t a bad person. In fact, she had lavished gifts upon Dina – both she and Parvati, actually, had supplanted Dina’s wardrobe with newer, more stylish pieces of clothing and pairs of shoes. The most mortifying thing had been when they’d told her “we have a surprise for you” and they’d ended up at Ann Summers. It was impossible for Dina to blanch – her skin tone didn’t lend itself to that – but she didn’t unlock her hands nearly the entire time.

But it could have been worse. For the most part, her mother and her aunt let her be. She visited libraries, did a lot of reading and walking, and spent much of her free time at the muggle youth center on the outskirts of the city, playing pickup games of basketball – which she wasn’t very good at – as well as tennis and volleyball – which she was. And, best of all, the people at the youth center accepted her for who she was. They had no idea she was a witch-in-training. They just knew she went to a school in the north of Scotland, and was home for the summer, and her mother worked all the time. It was close enough to the truth.

She had also noticed that she was putting on lean muscle mass when she stared at herself critically in the mirror – something that had been happening more and more frequently. She was less reed-thin and more smooth, especially around the bones of her wrists and ankles. Dina was still less than pleased with her curves – her father had been tall and thin as well, and she had inherited his physique, instead of her mother’s rather-generous bust and hips. Granted, she didn’t want to be that well-developed, but she mused sometimes that it would be nice to have a little something more.

But for now, she simply sat on a bench at the platform, her black robes covering a white shirt, blue-and-gold Ravenclaw tie, and long gray skirt. She had no desire to change on the train; it had been easier to dress in the shirt, tie, and skirt, and pull the robe on when she arrived at the station. She’d brought a book, and was well-engrossed in it long before any other students started showing up.

Alison’s summer had been about what she’d expected. Christianne, Brienne, and she had gone to parties, malls, and shops. They’d been almost clique-y in that respect. Although Chris and Bree were older, Alison – her sisters called her Ally – had quickly realized that she was as mature as Bree, if not more so. It must have had something to do with the intense power all Hogwarts students had in one measure or another.

She had grown a few inches since the start of third year, and was now the same height as Dina had remained all year. Still the shortest of the Tanner sisters, but the extra inches had come with extra confidence and the surprising loss of some of her baby fat. The three girls looked remarkably alike – they were all between five-three and five-six; they all had brown hair and green eyes; they all had generous figures. Although Bree seemed to have gotten the lion’s share; she’d mentioned that her doctor had recommended reduction surgery for her breasts once she reached majority. Walking around the house unclothed or half-clothed as her family was wont to do, she had to admit that Bree’s doctor was probably right; Alison’s last trip to Marks & Spencer had included the purchase of several D-cup brassieres, but Bree seemed at least two cups larger than that.

Alison hadn’t minded that boys stared more at her sister than at her. She was content to watch people interact with each other. Her father was a well-respected psychiatrist, her mother a sociology researcher; she had picked up their interests, and from the start, even after finding out that she’d gotten a Hogwarts letter, she’d planned to go to university after school and become a psychiatrist herself.

It had been truly relaxing to be a part of the muggle world again; despite everything she could do, Alison still found the magical world somewhat overwhelming.

She had arrived at the platform around ten; her mother had dropped her off on the way to the university lab where she was a research colleague. There were a few Hogwarts students milling around, some she recognized and some she didn’t, as well as one who looked very much like an incoming first year, simply standing there in awe, much as she had done. The young boy’s father – at least, she guessed he was his father – was standing beside him, looking proud and puffed-up that his son was getting into Hogwarts.

But it was the sight of Dina, sitting quietly, out of the way, that made Alison nearly drop her bags. Her year-mate’s dark head, wavy black hair carelessly styled and pinned up with a pencil, was aimed downward at a fiction novel she could’ve sworn Chris had read earlier in the summer. Alison pulled her bags to the bench and stood over Dina, waiting for the other girl to notice her.

When she did, the shy, dark girl’s face broke into a wide smile and she stood up. Before Dina could offer to shake Alison’s hand, though, Alison had pulled her into a tight hug, and Dina, not the most demonstrative of girls, had no choice but to hug her back.

“It’s good to see you too, Alison,” she said.

Alison finally let go and sat down on the bench; Dina sat next to her and folded the page of her book before tucking it into the pocket of a black messenger bag sitting atop her trunk. “What was that about?”

Alison actually blushed a little. “I guess I didn’t realize how much I’d miss my friends from Hogwarts. It was extremely relaxing to just be a muggle for two months, believe me.”

“I know how you feel.” Dina quickly outlined her days at the muggle youth center, and Alison gave her an appraising look. “What is it?”

“You look different,” she said. “More confident.” When Dina ducked her head slightly and her hands clasped in her lap, though, Alison chuckled. “Not that much more, but it still looks good on you.”

“Thank you.” Dina’s voice was still whispery. “Have you seen any of the others?”

Alison shook her head. “I passed Marianne Flint – she got Prefect, by the way – and Julian Vincenzi, but no one we know well.”

Dina checked her watch. “I hope they get here soon, or they’ll miss the train.”

“They’ll make it.”

Christopher was the next to arrive at the platform, although he preferred to stay out of the way for the moment and get a feel for what was going on, what the general mood was, before making his way into the greater throng of people. He stood to the side of the wizarding newsstand on the hidden side of the platform, watching.

Over the summer, Christopher had used his appearance to his advantage; he appeared to be closer to 18 than 14, and he had managed to get into brief relationships with several young Australian women who were also off for the holidays from their respective schools. The Ministry had rented Christopher and his father a flat in the wizarding section of Melbourne, which was quite larger than Diagon Alley or even Alexandria, where they’d gone one summer when Christopher was still in primary school. It was the size of a large town, and all within plain view of the muggles. He’d later learned that the entire area had a wide-ranging disillusionment charm on it; the only way in was to be brought in by another witch or wizard.

The Australian girls had been pleasant, amusing, and most importantly in Christopher’s mind, accommodating. He had the looks and the stature of a young playboy on a tour of Australia’s wizarding community; his father was well-compensated by the Ministry, so this wasn’t all that far from the truth. He hadn’t fallen in love, but he had managed to misplace his virginity halfway through the first month of holidays.

By half-ten, he was making his way through the throngs of Hogwarts students and their parents, siblings, and guardians, looking for Alison and Dina. He admitted to himself that he had always had a bit of a crush on Alison, on the way that, even though she wasn’t the most attractive girl he’d ever met, she still carried herself without a care in the world.

It went without saying that, even though Christopher had an ego the size of muggle London, especially now, he had quite a bit of magical skill, especially in Transfiguration and Charms. He just preferred not to apply himself. The Sorting Hat had made mention of this and considered placing him in Slytherin, but his intelligence had won out over his ambition, at least in the Hat’s opinion.

Christopher spied Alison and Dina on a bench toward the back of the platform, laughing and talking, and he made his way over there. Alison noticed him first and gave him a wide smile, but Dina’s greeting was far less effusive.

The moment Christopher left to mingle, though, Alison gave Dina an odd look. “Is something wrong with Christopher?”

She only shrugged, and only halfway. “He seems different. Arrogant, almost. Watch the way he walks around, like he’s better than everyone else.”

Alison watched the tall, blond-haired boy – he really did look more like a young adult than a fourteen-year-old student, although it was his height, now topping out at six-foot-four, that contributed mostly to that. He was indeed swaggering his way through the rapidly-growing crowd of Hogwarts students.

“That is a little strange,” she remarked. “He was nothing like that last year.”

“Yes he was,” Dina countered, “but I don’t know that anyone else noticed.”

“I think I would’ve noticed, Dina. I really do.”

Dina only half-shrugged again. The two girls went back to scanning the crowds for the last two people they awaited.

Caroline had bid her father farewell at the Manor; since her mother would be teaching at Hogwarts again. Once they entered the platform, she’d been warned, her mother became Professor Granger again, except in the case of emergencies.

She and her mother had run into Jason and his father as they entered King’s Cross – Jason had remarked on their second summer date, which had been a film in Wiltshire, followed by ice cream, that it seemed silly for him to come all the way down from Aberdeen just to take a train back to the north of Scotland, where Hogwarts was located, but those were the rules. Pleasantries were exchanged, and the professor and the two fourth years had entered the platform after Jason said goodbye to his father.

Caroline and Jason had exchanged owls, engaged in long discussions over the Floo, and gone on three dates total. The third wasn’t much of a date so much as an excursion, as Jason’s parents had invited her along for a day trip to Ottery-St-Catchpole, to visit with Arthur and Melissa Goldman. It had been fun, but they hadn’t had much time to themselves, except for hurried, stolen kisses here and there.

It had been nearly impossible to hold off from jumping into each other’s arms when they met at King’s Cross, but they’d managed with just holding hands, walking behind Professor Granger, nonchalantly slipping through the barrier to the platform. However, once the professor had moved away to assist in loading the first years onto the Hogwarts Express, they had turned to each other and shared a deep, slow kiss, not caring at all who saw.

And many people did see. And comment. Neither Jason nor Caroline cared.

Jason and Caroline walked idly through the crowds on the platform; they’d put their luggage into the luggage compartment at twenty-til, and were biding their time before boarding the train at ten-til. Caroline had taken a moment to use the loo, and Jason was leaning against a pillar when Jamie Dupree noticed him and stopped.

“Hi, Jason,” she said. Over the summer, the two of them had become more than acquaintances, but not quite friends. “Ready to go back?”

He shrugged. “It’ll be nice to get out from under the noses of my parents, that’s for sure.”

Jamie tried a smile, but it was obvious that her heart wasn’t in it. She’d been depressed most of the summer, and the broom chases they’d had through the woods around Aberdeen had been less than inspired. The forced smile disappeared. “Look, Jason, can I talk to you a minute once we get on the train?” She looked over and Jason followed her eyes; Caroline was on her way back from the loo.

“I guess so. Why?”

“I’ll tell you later. I’ll be in one of the back compartments.”

Jamie had slipped away through the crowd, her seeker’s reflexes, though dulled, more than enough to get her where she needed to be. Caroline looked at Jason as he reached out his hand and she took it. “What did Jamie want?”

“Damned if I know. She wants to talk to me when I get on the train, though.”

“Should I come with you?”

They made their way to the end of the platform. Jason shook his head. “I’ll tell you what she said, though, if you want to know.”

“If it’s not too private.”

Jason turned to step up onto the train, and didn’t know why Caroline made that peculiar gasping sound, but when he turned around, he smiled.

Alison smiled right back around Caroline’s side – the other girl was six inches taller than she – and noticed that Jason’s smile was completely genuine.

He held out his hand and Dina took it, and he helped her up into the train. They hugged briefly, and Jason was impressed at the lack of stiffness in Dina’s frame. He’d expected her to be more reticent about touching him, but all he’d felt was her slender arms around his body.

Next, he helped Caroline up, and finally Alison, who crushed him in a bear hug.

He was gratified when he realized that even though Alison had quite-impressive breasts, his body was behaving itself. It would have been more than a little awkward to explain to his girlfriend why his best friend – because Alison truly was – gave him an erection from just a hug. For all her positive points, Caroline was sometimes fiercely jealous.

He thought it was cute.

Jason, Alison, Caroline, and Dina had found a compartment halfway down the train, passing by Marianne Flint – who was proudly displaying her Prefect’s badge to anyone who would look – but as soon as the train left the station, Jason stepped out for a moment, saying he had to speak to someone.

He moved quickly past most of the rest of the passengers, only offering nods of hello and the occasional exchanged word with anyone more than a passing acquaintance, looking for Jamie. She was sitting alone in a compartment at the very rear of the train, just ahead of the baggage car. Jason stepped in and closed the door behind himself, sitting opposite the Gryffindor seeker.

When she looked up, he saw tear tracks on her face.

“Jamie?”

She practically jumped into his arms, sobbing on the shoulder of his black collared t-shirt, her arms around his neck. Her entire body was vibrating.

Jason was completely uncomfortable about the whole thing.

“Jamie, what’s the matter?” he asked.

She looked up at him, chocolate-brown eyes red-rimmed and swollen. She opened her mouth to speak, but her chin quivered and she buried her face in the crook of his shoulder again.

Jason awkwardly rubbed her shoulders through her Gryffindor Athletics t-shirt, adjusting her so she could sit beside him.

“Jamie?”

She ran her fingers through her short brown hair and dug the heels of her hands into her eyes, trying to compose herself.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, her voice hoarse. “I didn’t mean to break down like that.”

“It’s... all right,” he told her, still rubbing her shoulders. The t-shirt was loose on her body, but her jeans were tight; he noticed, but again realized that he’d finally managed to separate leering from observation. He didn’t stare at her legs like he had over the summer. “You can tell me what’s wrong, if you want.”

“I kind of feel bad pouring it on you, though.” She reached across the cabin and snagged her purse, pulling out a white handkerchief and wiping her face with it. “But I don’t think I have any other friends left.”

“How can you say that? You’re one of the most popular Gryffindors in Hogwarts!”

“I was.”

Jason walked back to the cabin where he’d left his year-mates, lost in thought. Jamie had outlined the whole thing – the huge party Zachary Taggart had thrown to celebrate the end of school for all the Quidditch players who were graduating; all the players rising from sixth to seventh year were invited, as well as anyone who’d just finished. She’d told him about the alcohol that flowed freely while Taggart’s parents were away. She’d told him how she’d plunked herself down in Lisa DeMarco’s lap and stolen kisses while Dana McCullough sat right next to them, passed out.

Then she’d told him the worst of it: how she’d followed the Hufflepuff chasers, Andrei Antonovich and Taggart himself, as they absconded with an obviously-impaired Jordanna Kollan, one of Jamie’s just-graduated teammates, into one of the bedrooms at Taggart’s large townhouse in the suburbs around Surrey. How she’d been so drunk that joining them in bed had seemed like a good idea. How she’d – and she’d cringed and cried and hiccupped and sobbed her way through this part – slept with all three of them, more than once, swapping partners and positions long into the night.

It had been her last gasp of fun before finding out she was to move to Aberdeen. A few days after she’d had lunch with Jason and Caroline in the avenue, she’d realized that her period was late.

A muggle test proved it: she was pregnant. She didn’t know if it belonged to Zachary or Andrei. Neither of them would talk to her, and she knew what could happen if she chose not to have the baby. She was stuck with it. As soon as they arrived, she’d said, she would be handing in her Quidditch captaincy to Professor Vector. And she’d be spending the next eight months trying to hide her condition while studying for NEWTs and dodging rumors while living under concealment charms. She was certain that someone – probably Euan MacTavish of Slytherin, who’d been the closest thing to an arch-enemy she had at Hogwarts; the two of them had traded insults, pranks, and hexes since day one – had already spread the news about the party, and about how she’d slept with three people at once. If she wasn’t careful, the rest of the school would figure out that she was pregnant as well.

After a final round of tears, Jamie had thanked Jason for listening. He’d nodded and hugged her – her arms round his chest had nearly cracked his ribs, she’d squeezed him so tightly; it’d felt like she wanted to mold herself to him. From what he knew – and from the practical magic talk his father had given him during the winter holidays – pregnant women sometimes underwent mood swings; this seemed like one, and it seemed best for him to swing with it.

Jason sat down next to Caroline and absently linked fingers with her. They started playing Exploding Snap, but Jason’s attention kept wandering, and Alison managed to win four games in a row.

“There’s something wrong with him,” Alison said, sotto voce.

“No, I’m all right.” Jason turned back to the three girls sharing the compartment. “Just thinking.”

“Thinking awfully hard about something.” Alison was trying to joke with him, but it became clear by the look on his face that he was not going to joke back.

“Was it something Jamie said?” Caroline asked.

“Jamie?” That was Dina.

“Jamie Dupree, from Gryffindor. She and Jason became friends over the summer,” Caroline said. “She wanted to speak to him once the train got underway.”

“You bloody well better not have cheated on Caroline with that Gryffindor,” Alison warned, but Jason shook his head. “Then what is it?”

He leaned his head back against the headrest that was part of the wall above the seatback. “I don’t know that she wants to tell everyone, but let’s just say that one of the Slytherins is going to spread some vile rumors about her, and she needed to talk to someone about it, probably because there’s some truth in them.”

“What kind of rumors?” Alison was all seriousness now.

“I don’t think she wants me to say. She told me in confidence. But it’s going to spread like a virus through Hogwarts once it gets out. I know that much.”

“Can we help?” Dina asked.

All three of the others looked at her askance; she’d never tried to initiate anything before, save her abortive relationship with Fabian Fyreton. Finally, Jason said, “I don’t know. Let’s just be nice to her, and be there for her. I think she’s going to need that more than anything else.”

“All right. I will.”

Dina’s whispery voice was filled with steel. Caroline and Alison quickly agreed to join Jason and Dina in supporting the Gryffindor seventh year.

Jason turned back to the window and watched the scenery roll past. Alison put away the Exploding Snap cards and leaned back, closing her eyes, trying to catch a quick nap. Dina took out her book. Caroline simply held Jason’s hand, feeling the steady beat of his pulse where his wrist touched hers.

“Damn,” Jason breathed.

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Notes: The title comes from \"In This Diary\" by The Ataris. Marks & Spencer is a clothing store in Britain (in case any non-British readers didn\'t know).