The Secret of the Sivrils

Later:

When we arrived at Hogwarts, as soon as the Sorting Ceremony was over, and Headmistress Wells had given her speech (a lot of new rules were annoyingly announced), I was sent up to the Headmistress' Office.

I remembered, with dread, that I would now be receiving whatever punishment the school had decided to give me for 'absconding from justice' back in June.

"Sit down, Carrow,"Wells ordered.

I sat down feeling extremely anxious. I was hoping, hoping I wouldn't be expelled. I was thinking surely they would have told me before, if that had been their decision? But you never could tell with Wells. It seemed as though she wouldn't think anything of expelling someone on their first day back at school for something they did in the previous school year, after they had already made the journey there and come prepared for a new year ahead.

"I'm sure you're aware of the dreadful business you were involved in this summer?"Wells said,"where you, Antonius Parkinson and Kenneth Brass ran off into the Forbidden Forest, and one of you never returned!"

"It didn't exactly happen like that,"I was thinking, feeling frustrated.

"The Ministry have completed a thorough investigation, and have decided to leave it up to us to punish you,"Wells went on,"and we have decided, after much discussion and careful consideration, that while this is a matter that would usually result in expulsion, you will not be expelled. Instead you will be confined to Hogwarts and the school grounds at all times. You are not permitted to go to Hogsmeade or leave the school grounds at any other time than returning home for the holidays. If, at any point, it becomes absolutely necessary for you to leave the school grounds, you will have to get permission directly from me and give at least three days notice. Understood?"

I listened to this with rising and falling emotions. It was better than being expelled, but being confined to the castle and school grounds was going to be incredibly inconvenient. It also meant no more sneaky trips to the Foxhole Chamber, or Anita's treehouse (which I've already warned the others that Silas might have discovered when he got his snakes to find me that time).

"I understand,"I answered, unenthusiastically.

"However, I am not finished,"Headmistress Wells continued,"though the Ministry has seen fit to clear you of any suspicion of involvement in the disappearance of Kenneth Brass, we have not. If you have any knowledge of what may have happened to him on that night, or any idea of his whereabouts, we expect you to let us know."

I looked at Wells completely astonished. The 'disappearance' of Kenneth Brass? Disappearance?

"I thought you knew what happened?"I said.

"Well, is there anything you should be telling me?"

I was about to tell her what I knew, but stopped myself just in time. Of course Wells would have known what happened. If she now suddenly thought that Kenneth Brass was missing, when she had previously known he was dead, then something was seriously, seriously wrong!

Before I left Wells' office, she made me wear a bracelet, which I must keep on at all times. It is similar to the anti-apparition bracelet Hilary Winter put on me in the summer. It will inform all of the teachers (yes, apparently all of them!) if I step one foot outside of the Hogwarts Boundaries. It will also allow them to see wherever I am in the castle, whenever they want to check... so I can't even do any out-of-hours sneaking around (which, in some circumstances, is necessary). It's so frustrating! Also - there's no way to remove it, and even if I could, it's one of the sorts that would alert them instantly to the fact it had been removed.

I met Antonius as I was going down the stairs. I'd forgotten he was going to be given the same punishment as me...

"Well?"he asked.

"I'm not expelled,"I replied, showing him the bracelet,"but I'm not allowed to leave Hogwarts, ever, during term time."

"I'll probably get the same,"Antonius said,"by the way, did you see my cousin in the Sorting Ceremony?"

"I didn't notice actually,"I said,"which cousin?"

"Edwin,"Antonius responded,"he was sorted into Gryffindor. Aunt Pansy is going to be livid!"

"Let's just hope he doesn't join APS,"I said, with a sigh.

Antonius went up the stairs. I hoped he wouldn't get expelled. I didn't see why he would be, seeing as I wasn't, but you never could tell...

The Next Day:

Fortunately Antonius wasn't expelled, but, like me, he has to wear one of those annoying tracking bracelets. He's also confined to Hogwarts.

I didn't sleep well last night, I was worried about so many things, and I have a heavy feeling of dread looming over me. I xouldnt stop thinking about Headmistress Wells' comment on Kenneth Brass' 'disappearance'. I know something is very wrong. Silas must be nearby! He's up to something.

I barely had the willpower to properly unpack, or explore the new dormitory (which is quite grand) - but while I was struggling to sleep, I wanted to get out of bed and finish unpacking to pass the time, or maybe tire myself out a bit more, but I couldn't, because I knew it would wake Priscilla and the Sanding twins (though they were all snoring loud enough to make me want to wake them all up!).

I'm actually writing this in the 7th Year Dormitory now. Classes are over, and I've finished unpacking (finally). I'm writing at a desk in my corner of the room. This Dormitory is a lot bigger than the ones I'm used to, and we all have our own desks for studying, bookcases too - my bookcase is looking sadly empty at the moment. If I'd have known, I'd have brought more books - thinking about it, I should have brought more books anyway! This is my final year, so there's going to be a lot of studying, ans tests! Oh well, I can borrow plenty of books from the library, and bring a lot more back with me from home after the Christmas Holidays.

As for Oliver, he's somewhere in the school grounds (I think), probably looking for a new place to make his home. Hopefully he listens to me and makes it in the school grounds, as I won't be able to visit him otherwise. It's not like he can be summoned like Hoppy, though I suppose I could get Hoppy to look for him.

Now I'm going to stop rambling and describe the day. The first class of the day was Transfiguration. At first, I was a bit confused, because it was just us Slytherins in the classroom, sitting at our desks - no sign of Professor Holmes, or any students from another house.

Finally Professor Holmes entered, looking cheerful and enthusiastic to begin teaching the class, despite his lateness.

"Well,"he said, clapping his hands together and grinning,"sorry to keep you waiting, I have been unavoidably delayed. However, here I am now!"

"He may be here, but where's the other half of the class?"I thought, looking over at the empty desks on the other side of the room.

"You will not be sharing this class with another House today,"Professor Holmes informed us, answering my unspoken question,"due to a little mix-up in the timetables, not that it makes a difference to any of you, of course. Now I have decided, seeing as this will be your last year studying Transfiguration at Hogwarts, what better way to begin it, than with a challenge! I should like you all to demonstrate the utmost ability of your current skill, by transfiguring your inkwells, yes, your inkwells, into a very important and useful object. Think about the object you wish to use, and think carefully. Consider this your first test of the year!"

I looked at the inkwell on my desk, wondering what sort of important object I could turn it into. I'd tried turning my dressing table into a writing desk at the end of the summer holidays, and it had ended up becoming a suitcase... but that had been because I was distracted, thinking about packing.

I looked around the classroom, everyone else looked like they were also thinking about their objective. No one had done anything yet.

"A useful object? I know - a quill!"I thought.

Maybe it was the fact that it was an inkwell I was going to be transforming, that made me think of that. I waved my wand and my inkwell became an elegant quill with a black feather. I could write with it too - I'm sure it was using the ink that had been in the inkwell. I looked around and was surprised to see that I wasn't the only one to have had that idea.

Amelia Sanding had transformed hers into a silver quill, and she was also writing with it.

Regulus had transfigured his into a flimsy-looking broom. Artemisia had changed hers into an inanimate Golden Snitch. Dominic had only succeeded in disappearing the inkwell and spilling the ink all over his desk. Antonius had transfigured his into a cauldron; but Priscilla - Priscilla had transformed hers into what looked like a wand.

She held it in her hand and looked like she was about to cast with it, but Professor Holmes quickly stopped her.

"No! I wouldn't recommend that, Bulstrode!"he said, hastily snatching it from her,"a very, very remarkable thing, I just say,"he added, examining it closely,"but I would not attempt to use it, if I were you. Wand-making is a very delicate and complex process, and it requires a magical core - I suspect that anyone attempting to use a transfigured object as a wand will find themselves with an uncontrollable instrument that has the potential to cause untold harm. In fact..."

He turned and aimed the 'wand' at a small side-table,"Wingardium Leviosa!"

The table shot itself up into the ceiling with shocking rapidity, then proceeded to fly chaotically around the room.

"Immobulus!"Professor Holmes cried, this time with his own wand, then he returned the table to its rightful place,"well,"he remarked, raising his eyebrows,"if you must know, that may have looked like the wand did something, but the truth of it is that we all can perform magic without using wands - wands help us to channel and control it, however, a wand that is not properly crafted, and has not chosen its wizard, can be an incredibly dangerous device. I would recommend, remarkable as it is, that you refrain from transfiguring objects into wands!"

He returned the wand to its original form and continued the class.

I thought the next class was going to be Muggle Studies (which was baffling, because I don't have that class), but it was just in the Muggle Studies classroom, which was, at the time, the only classroom not in use for its usual purpose.

Then I noticed we were joined by the Hufflepuff 7th Years, then Ravenclaw, then Gryffindor...

The Headmistress addressed us, she seemed to be the one teaching the class.

"As this is your first proper day of schooling her at Hogwarts during your final year, it is a good time to decide which career path you intend to take,"she announced,"consider this 'Careers Class'; you will only be having it once, and that is today. In this class, we will discuss your options and answer any questions you might have concerning your chosen field."

I suddenly felt really nervous. I don't know what I want to do. Years ago, I used to want to be an Auror, but that changed when I realised I would be a very useless one; because, though I like the idea of capturing dark wizards, I don't like the idea of having them imprisoned in Azkaban. As an Auror, I would be like one of those Muggles that throws fish back in the water after catching them... this is largely due to the fact that it seems, these days, almost anyone can become a 'Dark Wizard's just by making small mistakes. More and more things that weren't crimes before, are now becoming 'crimes'.

Losing your ambition, especially when it is a strong one, as mine had been, is the sort of thing that sets you adrift... I've been sorr of... drifting... ever since.

After a long, somewhat boring lecture on careers and options that we had based on our current skill level in certain subjects, Wells asked us each to make a short speech about our chosen career path.

Hilary Winter was first, she wanted to work in the Ministry, that didn't surprise me. Someone else wanted to be a magical inventor (this made me think of Ed). A lot of students wanted to be Aurors (especially Gryffindors), some wanted to work in St Mungo's, some in specific areas; like Herbology or Potioneering (this included Priscilla Bulstrode). Sheila Hunter wanted to be a librarian, some wanted to be professional Quidditch players. A Ravenclaw relation of Olivander's wanted to become a wand-maker (this drew a very impressed response).

I listened, with interest, to all of these ideas. Then it got to Max's turn.

"I've often thought,"he began, grinning,"that I would like to be - a magician! Like the ones in fairytales; the terrifying enchanter that lives in a spooky house where strange things happen, and people that venture near are never heard of again... and, well, I'm afraid, I have discovered that there is a name for that kind of profession in the Magical World, and it is 'Dark Wizard's!"

Murmurings of laughter followed this (including me).

I heard someone mutter,"no wonder he's always hanging out with the Slytherins."

"Seeing the sheer number of you that want to be Aurors,"Max went on,"well, I have come to the conclusion I should probably pack that idea in and stick to card tricks!"

More stifled laughter followed this. I was thinking he didn't seem to have any serious ideas about his career-choice either. It wasn't just me, then.

Dominic's turn was next.

"I don't know,"he said.

"What sort of a Slytherin doesn't have an ambition?"Wells remarked, cruelly.

Dominic said nothing, but I detected a slight smile flicker onto his face for a moment that - worried me.

Then it was Antonius,"I haven't properly decided yet,"he said,"I have some ideas, but I need plenty of time to consider them carefully, and think about the impact they will have on my life."

I was still feeling nervous. Maybe I could still become an Auror - with one specific purpose - catching Silas Warren! Speaking of Silas, I found myself scanning the classroom, expecting to see him there among the Gryffindors. I was very relieved to see he wasn't.

Then it was my turn. I don't know why I said what I said, I just said it. It was the first thing that came into my mind. An idea that I have had occasionally, that flies past every now and then - one that I have never really given any serious thought to.

"I would like to teach Ancient Runes, like Professor Willow,"I said.

I'd said it now. I suddenly regretted saying it. Why did I say that? It was a fleeting fancy. Now would they pressure me to focus on that? I hadn't decided yet on what I wanted to do, I hadn't made up my mind - yet Ancient Runes is something I do love to study as a hobby. I don't think I should like turning a hobby into a job, I feel like it would make me dislike it if I did it too much, and if I had to do it.

But Wells actually seemed impressed,"well, if you continue to do as well as you are doing in Ancient Runes, maybe you could one day take over from Professor Willow when he retires. I will be sure to let him know,"she responded.

I felt a little less nervous now. It was less - impending. More of a future thing. It's always good to have a fall-back-on thing for the future. Of course, I couldn't become a teacher of Ancient Runes here at Hogwarts any time soon, as Professor Willow already holds that position. I hadn't thought of that. I suddenly felt much better, actually glad that I'd mentioned that. In a way, it was something I could work on, and I didn't have to worry about it being a major thing... Then I realised something about myself. Part of my problem with finding what I want to do has to do with a fear of commitment. Or, at least, committing to the wrong thing. But what if there is no right thing?

Anyway, I've decided, for now, that I'm just going to focus on the present, try to do as well as I can in my studies, and make the most of my final year.

The remaining classes of the day included tests to see what standard we were currently up to. We had Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology and Charms. But those tests weren't interesting enough to write about in here.

We had dinner in the Great Hall. I went for a short walk by myself in the school grounds, having a good look at the areas I was allowed in, and the beyond that I was not...

Now I'm here, in my dormitory, writing about today. I'll write again tomorrow.