Where The Sage Shrubs Grow,

Chapter 81

Sage's POV:
We bid goodbye to everyone and boarded the train. Christmas break had been lovely, although it was strange for me to be with George and Harry without Hallie or Clementine there. More so Harry since George was my best friend before he was Hallie's boyfriend. I liked Harry well enough though so it didn't bother me too much.

As we boarded the train it felt like all the students were staring at me. It also felt that as I moved down the train they started doing their best to stay out of my way. I know sometimes I can get into my own head but even this felt out of the ordinary. Maybe this new month has me feeling off.

"Blimey, what did you do to everyone. They're starting you down." George whispered to me
I snapped my head regards him "You notice it too?"
"How could we not, they're practically running away." Harry piped in
Fred nodded in agreement "Has something happened?" He asked
I thought back to before break, I couldn't remember anything that would trigger this reaction.

We found where Hallie and Clementine were sitting. We told them about how everyone was staring at me, Hallie suggesting that maybe I was in my head again. The boys disagreed and told her how they had noticed it as well. The topic of conversation was dismissed as the train pulled out of the station. It was wonderfully gloomy outside as I gazed out the window.

Fred's hand tightened around mine every so often, as if to make sure I was alive and real. Hogwarts pulling into vision, you never realize how much you miss the place until you come back. The train pulled to a stop. We all got off, heading towards the carriages.

It still felt like everyone was staring at me.
"You weren't joking." Hallie whispered
I continued to think about what could be happening. I didn't think anything had happened. In fact. I thought people were finally starting to move on. Surely they knew that if I wanted to attack the school I would have done it long ago.

It continued to puzzle me all through dinner. There was even a visible gap between me and other people at the Hufflepuff table. Whoever said our house was the most accepting had obviously never met a Hufflepuff. Umbridge made her usual announcements, and started dinner. Afterwards we all decided to sneak into Hallie and I'd dorm to talk about our Christmas breaks.

We were just outside the entrance when we heard an annoying voice.
"Fixing for a family reunion Jackson?" Draco smirked
"Oh what are you on about?" I asked
"Take a look for yourself." He said handing me a copy of the Daily Prophet
I snatched it out of his hand and walked into the common room.
"I hate him." Fred mumbled
"Agreed." Hallie spoke

Everyone went into our dorm, I shut the door behind us. It was a bit cramped with Hallie, Fred, George, Harry, Clementine, Hermione, Ron, and MC. Harry started talking about his Christmas which very closely mirrored mine and Fred and and Hermione and George's. I leaned against the dorm room door as I opened the paper Draco had given me. There it was, the headline.

Mass Breakout In Azkaban

My eyes widened as I read down the list of escapees.
Albert Jackson
Rosemary Jackson
The paper fell to the floor as my hand flew to cover my mouth. It wasn't possible. I heard Hallie say my name but it was muffled. Blackness creeping into the corners of my vision trying to overtake it. The room was spinning and I couldn't breathe. Hallie rushed over to me, setting her hands on my shoulders. I was going to throw up.

I ran to the toilet, dropping to the floor as I emptied the contents of my stomach. Hallie had to leave the room for fear she would have to join me. Fred walked in, sitting down next to me holding back my hair.

I still couldn't breathe. Once I had finished throwing up I leaned back against the doorframe, grabbing onto Fred's arms trying to ground myself. Nothing helped as my breathing got shorter and my racing heart got louder. I closed my eyes trying to regain my breathing.
"What happened." Hallie asked
I shakily pointed in the direction of the forgotten paper, still trying to normalize my heart rate.

She picked it up, her face becoming more horrified the further she read, until finally stopping at my parents names. Everyone stood in front of her waiting for an explanation. Fred still being used as my grounding tool.
"There's been a breakout in Azkaban. Death eaters are free, including Albert and Rosemary Jackson."

Everyone turned to look at me. I shut my eyes again, leaning my head against the doorframe, feeling my breathing become unsteady again. All my nightmares, all my fears and the only thing keeping them from becoming real was that prison. My parents were free, they could easily find me, they could easily kill me, they could easily kill any one of us. Apollo, Hallie, Fred, George, MC, everyone. They could all be dead within the month, easily.

"Sage, calm down love. You're giving yourself another panic attack. I need you to breathe, Darling, breathe for me." Fred soothed
I grabbed onto his arms tighter, I needed to ground myself, I needed to know I was ok. I didn't feel ok, I felt like my life was destroyed. All I had done to put them behind me, to separate myself from being their daughter. All of my efforts to forget about them, to forget about the mansion, it had all been destroyed in the span of one evening.

Nothing was going to be the same after this. Living in fear would be my new normal. How was I supposed to pick myself up off this floor. I'm hated now, everyone hated me. That's why they were staring. Because I'm a freak, I don't belong here. No matter how much I pretend. I don't belong anywhere. My parents hate me and want me dead, my peers hate me and want me dead, society hates people like me and want me dead. What was I supposed to do now?

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