18

1976, 8 January- Wednesday.

For once, Corvus made his way to the great hall early this morning, at least early by his standards. His roommates, Aaron and Polaris, had already gone. Who knows when since Corvus had woken up to an empty dorm room. Most of the first-year dorm rooms were empty, at least on the boy's side. He wasn't sure about the girls, nor did he care. The only people that he saw in the Common room were the older Slytherins, having their usual hushed mummers, which they call a conversation.

"Are you planning on doing it?" he heard one of them whisper. Corvus being the nosy Slytherin he was, hiding behind the corner before walking down the stairs from the hallway which led to the dorm.

"Of course I am. It's for the greater good." That voice sounded similar to his cousin, Jasper, the heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Avery. A frown marred his face as he tried to understand what was being discussed. Now that he thought about it, his cousin- both his cousins had acted slightly strange during the Yule break.

"Please. Jasper, you're only doing it because it is expected of you as an heir." A voice drawled.

"What do you mean by that? I'm not doing this because it's expected of me. Are you really questioning my loyalty, you filthy half-blood?" he heard his cousin sneer.

"Right, sorry." That voice spoke again.

-thud-

Corvus winced. He was an idiot. His book fell down the stair rather 'loudly'. Well, might as well play it off, "Damn it, I'm already late do breakfast!" he said loudly as he ran down the stairs reaching for his book. "Corvus." He heard his cousin say, acting surprised. He looked to his right to see at least 3 fifth years, including his cousins, some sixth years and a good few seventh years, their eyes boring into him.

His brows furrowed as he picked his book up, "What are you guys still doing here? Wait, is breakfast over already?! I swear it was only eight." Corvus spurred out, using his wand, "Tempus" the time was only 08:08.

Seeing it, he visibly relaxed, "Well, you know what. I really don't care what you've got to say. I'm hungry." Corvus said as he headed towards the door.

"Right…" His cousin said unsurely, "Look, just go already. I'm not even surprised you're still here when all the other first-years had gone already." His cousin spoke.

He nodded, smiling and left through the door. "With the door shut, the smile disappeared as he rolled his years. "I'm not even surprised you're still here when all the other first-years had gone already", he mimicked his cousin in a hushed mutter.

"What you on about now." a voice said. He turned to his left to see Aaron standing there with a raised brow, "Nothing, my cousin just annoyed me." He replied.

Aaron raised a brow, "Annoyed you? Are you sure because yesterday your cousin told you to give his book back to him and called that 'annoying'." Aaron said as he went towards the Common room door, but Corvus had stopped him.

"Come one, come with me to the Great hall." He told his friend, who looked at him weirdly, "What do you want me to hold your hand to? Go by yourself, perhaps try not to break anyone's wand on the way there. Besides, you have like 40 minutes before it ends." Aaron responded to him, shaking the hand off.

"I think they're talking about Voldemort", Corvus blurted out in a hushed tone, making Aaron look at him with a curious gaze, "That dark lord?" Aaron spoke.

"Yeah, my cousin and some of the older Slytherins were talking. My cousin said something about not questioning his loyalty. I think he meant to that dark lord." Corvus responded. Aaron was silent for a bit and wrapped his arm around Corvus' shoulder, "Alright, I guess I'll go to the great hall with you- tell me everything you heard. My brother barely tells me anything about him." Aaron said, and Corvus did, at least what he remembered.

They arrived at the Great hall, and Aaron led him towards where he had been sitting before he decided to go back to the dorms. "You sat here?" Corvus said slowly as he saw who was sitting around it. It was her Elora Parkinson. She, too, noticed him and began frowning just as he knew his face naturally did in her presence. Elias was sitting on her right side, looking between the two, not surprised at all.

"You're back, Aaron. I thought it would take longer for you to get your Herbology sheet." Elias spoke, nodding his head at Corvus in greeting, "and I see you're finally up." Elias directed at Corvus.

"Perhaps he should have never woken up," Elora said lightly, a smug smile on her face

"And perhaps you should just up," Corvus said with a bright smile, sitting opposite Elias, "Yeah, Aaron said the mail came in earlier, Daily prophet?" he directed towards Elias.

"Yeah," the boy said, before grabbing the paper, from the table, reaching over and handing it to Corvus. "Here," he said as he handed it over.

"Three deaths?" Corvus mumbled, "Scared? Perhaps they'll come after you too." Elora said dramatically before laughing. He rolled his eyes, "Perhaps, if I die and get reborn as a mudblood." He muttered under his breath as his eyes continued to scan the words.

Masked men had attacked the lower street of Diagon Alley, which resulted in three muggle-borns dead. The Aurors were not able to apprehend any of the dark-cloaked wizards, who they had labelled as 'Dark Wizards.'

"My family agree with the dark lord." Corvus found himself saying in a low tone, looking towards the other three. "Mine too," Aaron responded, "I suppose mine are too, but they hardly spoke about him, well in my presence, that is." Elora drawled.

"Well, I suppose my family are neutral with the situation…." Elias said, unsurely, "Though, don't you think killing them is going a little too far?" Elias continued, decisively deciding to ask.

"Wha-" Elora began to speak only to be cut off by Corvus, "Where's Polaris?" he simply asked as he looked around the long table, leaning back, trying to see if he could see his dark hair. He could see his friend anywhere. He looked back to the table and grabbed a piece of toast from Elias' plate, which he didn't mind.

Elora huffed at the interruption but didn't say anything curious about the answer that was to come.

Aaron looked over to his right, glancing at the very end of the table that was closer to the entrance, "He's over there. He's sat with his brother, Regulus." They all looked over to where Aaron had pointed to see Polaris looking down at his lap, which Corvus concluded he was reading. He saw he was sitting beside his brother Regulus who was chatting with his friends who were sitting opposite them.

"Seriously? Why? First, he barely even talks to us since coming back. He barely even smiles too! I told the best joke just yesterday, and he didn't even twitch, and he didn't even complain about Loki going on his bed! He simply shrugged it off, lying in bed. Not caring that Loki was curled up against it. It was bloody weird. He's always complaining about Loki- Polaris is broken." Corvus rambled, waving the piece of toast in the air as he tried to get his point across.

"Yeah, it was weird that he didn't complain about Loki, though when he does talk… you can barely even call it a sentence with the one words he uses. I suppose one could say Polaris Black is indeed broken." Aaron contributed, looking over at Polaris, slightly confused.

"I doubt he's so-called 'broken'. You guys are being dramatic. He's just grieving." Elias responded laxly as he stabbed his fork into the small bit of scrambled egg he had left.

"Grieving? what in Merlin's name are you on about? Did someone die?" Corvus said in confusion. He took another bite from the buttered toast after asking, his brows furrowed.

"Well, no? Sirius, his brother, was disowned." Elias continued, explaining what he had meant. Aaron looked at Elias with a thoughtful look. Elora narrowed her eyes as she glanced over to where Sirius Black was sitting at the Gryffindor table while Corvus rolled his eyes.

"Why did you say 'grieving' like the guy is dead or something?" Corvus spoke.

"He might as well be dead. He was disowned, meaning the Blacks have cut ties with him. He's a good for nothing blood traitor." Elora snarked as she pushed her plate away from herself as she finished eating.

After that comment, they sat in silence for a minute or so as the boys finished eating what they had left.

"What about cheering him up? Or something?" Elias finally said after he himself pushed his plate aside, "Cheer him up? How'd we do that?" Aaron asked.

They all glanced at each other, "I don't know… how does one cheer someone up?" Corvus said questionably, looking towards the others.

"Well, you're his best friend, so we should be asking you how to cheer him up." Aaron drawled.

"Well, I hardly doubt giving him some stupid book would help, nor do I think going on a walk would do much- you guys are putting me on the spot! I can't think straight… what does Polaris like to do?" Corvus pondered, his fingers thrumming the table, then he looked up at them, "I think I just realised something." he said.

"What?" Elora asked impatiently, her blue eyes boring into Corvus.

He paid no mind to her tone and responded.

"My best mate is boring. You could straight up ask him what he likes doing, and he'd just respond with 'nothing'. Though, he does like to read. He likes walks, he likes conversation, well, sometimes. Most of the time, when we hung out, we just talked and talked, and before we knew it, the time had passed…."

"So I guess cheering him up is off the table then," Elias muttered.

"Why don't we ask for help." Elora thoughtfully said, knowing she wasn't planning on 'asking' for help. She rather one of the boys do that.

Corvus raised a brow at her, "Why on earth would we do that? Besides, who would you ask?" Corvus said.

"I don't know," Elora responded, shrugging her shoulders.

"Then why did you suggest it, like you had some great idea," Corvus told her as he sat straighter.

"Don't talk to me in that tone!" Elora snapped.

"What tone? You're bloody delusional." Corvus responded to her, rolling his eyes like he always did when in her presence.

"Don't call me delusional. Just don't use that condescending tone with me!" She snapped at him again.

"You can't tell m what to do- I'm older than you," Corvus responded to her tone, using the same she used.

"You bloody idiot, I am! I was born in January. You were born in February," Elora corrected him smugly.

Aaron and Elias glanced at each other with knowing looks as they watched it all play out.

"I was not- oh, but I'm still… I'm still-" Corvus said before pausing slightly, trying to think of something to say. He wouldn't let her win!

"You're still what? Stupid? Annoying? Careless?" She spoke again.

"Shut up, you Pillock!" Corvus glowered at her in annoyance.

"Ninnyhammer!" Elora snapped back.

"Dunderhead!" Corvus spat out.

Elias looked over at Aaron with pleading eyes, wanting Aaron to stop them, but Aaron was just too amused to actually heed the message his look was sending him.

"Milksop", Elora sneered.

"What?! Milksop?! I am not a milksop! I am not weak-"

Finally, realising he was on his own with this, Elias just had to put an end to it. "How about we calm down? Perhaps stop with the name-calling? And I think perhaps Elora was right with asking for help. I think I know who could help." He told them all.

Their heads snapped to him, forgetting their transgression.

"Who?" Corvus and Aaron spoke at the same time.

"The Hufflepuff Polaris is friends with," Elias told them confidently.

"Hufflepuff- oh, do you mean Amelia Bones? I guess that wouldn't hurt to try. Hufflepuffs are suckers for this type of stuff, right? she'd totally say yes." Aaron concluded.

"Great, Corvus and I can ask her when we go to Hufflepuff. Perhaps we should go early, though." Aaron spoke again with a nod directed at Corvus. After that, Aaron and Corvus had headed towards the greenhouse for their lesson seeing Amelia wasn't at the Ravenclaw table, so she could be in the class already. Elora merely moved over to her other friends, waiting for them to finish up, sparking a conversation, dragging Elias with her.

Amelia, couldn't say she liked Herbology. Just because she was always early to the class on Wednesdays didn't mean she liked the class. She just really liked the spot she always sat in. It was perfect for being discrete if she didn't want their professor to see her. It wasn't too far from the bac, so close enough to the door to leave and not too close to the front that the Professor decides to always call on you for questions.

Just like the many times before, she was already there in the class, sitting in that particular spot that she would personally call her designated seat. Unfortunately, last week, someone had sat in her spot. Everyone always sat in the same spot, yet that girl decided to sit where Amelia usually sat. It was annoying, so this week Amelia made sure to get it because if that girl sat there again this week- it would be like the seat was now hers, and she wouldn't allow that.

She heard the door open, a few Slytherin coming in, and behind them a few Hufflepufss too. She glanced at the group of Hufflepuffs, wondering if her friend were yet here, but they weren't. She couldn't see them.

"Sorry, excuse me", she heard someone say. When they blocked her view of the door, she smiled politely at the blonde Slytherin and moved her stool inwards so he could get past. Then her head turned when she heard the stool on her right to her move. What was he doing? Why was he sitting there?

Then the stool on her left was moved. She turned her head to see another Slytherin? His hair was darker than the boy on her right's hair but still blonde nonetheless. She knew who they were but never had a proper conversation with them to get a feel of their personalities.

Corvus Avery was on her right, while Aaron Flint was on her left. She sighed, seeing the small natural that began to form on Corvus' face. On her right is where her mate Ella sat, and on her left is where her other good friend Elizabeth sat, but now these two Slytherins were sitting there.

"What do I owe the pleasure of being sat beside two Slytherins?" she asked with a quirked brow. As she finished speaking, a cough was heard, it wasn't a proper cough, but one of those coughs people used to get another's attention.

Looking forward, Polaris Black was stood there with narrowed eyes. His hair was perfect as usual, the loose waves perfectly laid. She wondered if he spent a lot of time on his hair. He didn't seem like the type to care for such things. His lips thinned into a thin line as he stared with his deep grey eyes- he wasn't even looking at her. He was moving his gaze towards Corvus and Aaron.

She knew Polaris usually sat with these two at her side, but sometime he wasn't perhaps today was a day he was going to sit with them.

She smiled at him as he took notice of her, "Polaris, pleasure. It would seem I have stolen you're friends", she said in a friendly drawl. His lips twitched. She looked to her left to see Ella and Elizabeth standing at the entrance of the gan between the two tables, "Oh?" Elizabeth said as she looked at the Slytherins taking their spot.

"Perhaps today we'll switch friends," Amelia said, not taking her eyes off Polaris. He nodded, "I suppose, I guess I'll steal your friends just as you have stolen mine" he responded to her with his own friendly drawl, then looked at the redhead, who was Ella and the blonde, who was Ella.

"If you guys are fine with it?" he politely asked, to which they responded with smiles.

"Yeah, we don't mind," Ella responded with a smile waiting for Amelia as she walked away to get a seat with Elizabeth following behind her. As they left, they could hear Elizabeth speak, "Is it swap friends for Herbology day or something?"

Polaris looked back as he followed the girls and gave his friends suspicious looks, questioning why they sat beside Amelia Bones. It was just… random and strange.

As they left, Corvus turned to her, offering his hand, "Corvus Avery." He introduced himself. She took his hand in amusement, then turned to Aaron Flint, who was offering his hand too. She took it as he, too, introduced himself. "Flint. Aaron Flint."

She shifted her seat backwards, as she usually did when sitting with Ella and Elizabeth, to include everyone. "Bones. Amelia bones, and what can I help you, gentlemen, with seeing as you've graced me with your presence this fine morning of a very boring Herbology class yet to start."

Corvus had this charming smile on his face, and Aaron looked quite amused. "Perhaps you can befriend Elora Parkinson. Maybe you can rub off on her-" Corbus spoke.

"Corvus", Aaron snapped as he groaned. "What is your problem with her?" Aaron continued to say.

"My problem? I don't have one. She's the one with a problem!"

Amelia smiled curiously, her blue eyes set on Aaron, "Does Scion Corvus and Scion Parkinson argue a lot?" she asked.

He scoffed, "Argue? More like 'fight'." He responded to her, and she beamed, "perhaps they like each other!" she said, finding it cute.

Corvus looked like he was about to barf, his face flushed in a deep red. Aaron burst out into laughter.

"Like? Bloody madness that is, I rather- I rather-" He was completely fazed, hearing such traumatising words.

"Rather what, Corvus? Perhaps you do like her!" Aaron said. He couldn't stop the laughing, which seemed to have the row in front of them and behind them looking at them curiously, wondering what was said to have the Flint Scion laugh like this.

"Shut up! Look, we're not here to discuss or even think of something so stupid. Let's get back on track." Corvus said. Amelia didn't stop smiling, especially after hearing the Flint Scion laugh as he did.

"I'm all ears." She told him.

"Right. This is about Polaris." Corvus began. She raised a brow. About Polaris? What could they possibly want to tell her about him? Unconsciously her gaze snapped to where he was sitting. He seemed to be having a conversation with her friends. Maybe he told them to tell her something. Her heart fluttered in thought before that came to an abrupt stop-

"He's suicidal." Corvus flatly said. "Huh?" was her response, completely stunned at that, not expecting it.

"Bloody hell, I thought we went over this. Why are you saying he's suicidal." Aaron snapped.

"SORRY! I promise I meant to say depressed. I think my brain got the words mixed up since you know they go hand in hand with each other," Corvus rambled.

She burst into a fit of giggles, "What on earth are you guys trying to get at? suicidal? No, depressed? What do you mean?" she said, utterly confused.

"Well, forget whatever Corvus said. It's just Polaris hasn't really been the same since before Yule break…." Aaron trailed off, and Amelia nodded in understanding. It was not a secret that Sirius Black was disowned.

"I suppose I understand. His brother was disowned. That could be a heavy toll on him." She said lightly, glancing over at Polaris, then back to the boys at her side.

"Heavy toll?" one of them said.

"Yeah, he practically lost his brother. He was disowned, meaning the Blacks no longer see him as their own- meaning that they expect Polaris to do the same thing." She said. She looked to Corvus, "How would you feel if your cousin was disowned?" she asked, then she looked towards Aaron.

"How would you feel if your brother had been disowned?" she questioned him as she did Corvus.

Corvus shrugged his shoulder, "I wouldn't care?"

She stared at him blankly, "Actually! I would be pissed!" Corvus said.

"See-" just as she was about to make her point, he interrupted her. "I'd be so annoyed. Jasper is the Avery heir. If he's disowned, then I'd have to take the title of the Avery heir- that isn't just a title, it's a role that seems to include a lot of effort and expectation." He rambled.

"Okay, I suppose you're not seeing your point." She said slowly, which seemed to confuse Corvus. "Don't worry, I get where you're getting at. He's expected to ignore him, pretend he doesn't even exist. I suppose that's hard to do. Their brothers, He has been his brother all his life, and now he isn't. It's something that might be bothering him for a while." Aaron concluded.

"How do we fix that?" Corvus asked her like she was supposed to have the answer for everything. She found it strange that they were asking her. They were supposed to be his close friends. She and Polaris were friends, but they weren't exactly close, but then what would they even consider 'close'. Every friendship is different.

"Well, I suppose you can just make him comfortable. Perhaps make him forget his troubles, be his friends, do something for him." She instructed them, which received questionable looked.

"Um- would you-" Aaron began to talk. She rolled her eyes as she cut him off, "Right, I guess this is the reason you greenheads sat beside me. I'll help you guys, think of something. What's your schedule like for tomorrow?" she asked them.

Corvus turned to the floor, rummaging through his satchel to take out his timetable and give it to her, and she scanned through their Thursday schedule. "Why do you need to see our timetable?" Corbus asked.

"So I know when and where I can find you." She responded. Perhaps she could organise a picnic, that would be lovely, that would certainly get his mind off things.

'Thu'

D.A.D.A- 9am

Transfiguration- 10am

They had a free period at 11am

D.A.D.A- 1pm

Charms-2pm

Free period 3pm

Potions-4pm

She looked up from the timetable pointing her finger at the 3 pm slot, "We can meet each other at 3, perhaps the courtyard, near the fountain, tomorrow. We can discuss what we can do then." She told them.