Wandless - A Harry Potter Fanfic

Chapter 8 - The Cursed Children

"You're eating again, I notice," said Ron, watching Hermione adding liberal amounts of jam to her toast before passing it to Arnya who nodded with a look of thanks before scooping some up onto her cereal. 

"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," said Hermione haughtily.

"Yeah... and you were hungry," said Ron, grinning. 

It was the morning of the next day, with everyone in the Great Hall filling themselves up with breakfast. Vincent took a sip of hot chocolate as he looked through his schedule. "Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures in the morning, Muggle studies in the afternoon then I have a free right after."

"Lucky you, Ron and I have double Divination this afternoon," Harry groaned.

Vincent grimaced, knowing full well how annoying it was for Harry the previous year being constantly reminded of how he was going to die. Fortunately, while close, it didn't come true, but having someone say it with such certainty would most definitely unnerve most people.

A sudden rustling of noise caught his attention as all the students in the Great Hall looked up to see hundreds of owls swooping through the open windows carrying mail for the students. A brown owl landed in front of Harry with a piece of paper tied to it's leg.

"Who's it from?" Hermione asked curiously as Harry untied it before unfolding the piece of paper.

Harry's eyes scanned through the contents before lighting up with a grin before frowning somewhat. He showed them the message. "It's from Sirius, it seems like I'll be able to stay at his house after this school year, but..."

Vincent took a look at the contents of the letter and furrowed his brows, seeing the part that Harry seemed somewhat reluctant against. "You'll still have to visit your Aunt and Uncle's house every so often? Dumbledore said this to Sirius?"

"Seems so," Harry looked at the letter with some confusion. "It hasn't been terrible there ever since Sirius started staying, my Aunt and Uncle were terrified of him and Dudley hasn't bothered me since, but I don't understand why I would need to go back there."

"Maybe you should arrange a meeting with the Professor," Hermione suggested as she grudgingly drank her hot chocolate. "I'm sure that he has his reasons for asking you to do so."

"I guess so," Harry muttered as he silently picked at his bacon.

Vincent was in deep thought for a while until he attended his lessons. During Herbology, As he extracted some liquid from a black slug like plant known as Bubotubers, he started chatting to Neville.

"So, what did you get up to during the holiday's?" Vincent asked as popped another swelling, not seeming even the least disgusted by the look and feel of it as he collected the pus into a bottle. 

"Nothing much," said Neville as he expertly popped a Bubotuber into a bottle without spillling even a single drop. "Well, I did visit the hospital for...well, you know."

Vincent nodded in acknowledgement, knowing not to push them for more as he grabbed another plant and bottle. Neville's parents had been tortured to insanity in the previous wizarding war, leaving them in a state that others could say was worse than death. Now, they just lay silently in a hospital for wizards known as St Mungo, their eyes void less of any recognition of the world around them, much less their own son barely recognising him as their own. Even Vincent couldn't imagine what that must feel like for Neville.

"Anyway, I kept up the exercises you given me," Neville said, trying to clear away the depressive atmosphere with a small smile. "Never missed a single day."