Plot Twist [GEORGE WEASLEY]

Epilogue

The anguish of losing the dark object lay on Amara's shoulders. It eased in the middle of June as time hollowed her of grief. She almost finished her exams and used her remaining time to roam Hogwarts.

One sleepless night, she visited the Astronomy Tower to mourn; she'd never step foot here. The memories washed her in an ache and a glow all the same. She hung out with her friends there. She came there after the Yule Ball with George. Her last memory was kissing him under its exposed roof two months ago.

She took time to dwell in each place. To brush her fingertips across the shelves of the Great Library. Stared at the bedazzled ceiling of the Great Hall during her meals. She drilled every detail into her mind for her memory to remain strong in the coming years. There would be no coming back.

At the end of the year, drama managed to seep in. Umbridge, with her Ministry of Magic peers, attempted to attack Hagrid. McGonagall thwarted her, however she caught a foul stun to the chest. Amara assumed this would be all and to prove her wrong, reports poured in about Umbridge being carried out of the woods by the centaurs who lived there.

Amara was once again shocked by news that a small portion of the DA had gone to the Ministry of Magic to face Deatheaters. Luna, part of their ranks, informed her casually of how she fled a Deatheater's clutches. Amara's eyes burned with tears. She hugged her tight once she heard the entire story and resisted her emotions from flooding.

Ginny and Ron went too which must've worried Fred and George. Amara pulled her aside to check on her. Was she okay? Did she need to talk about it? Ginny denied her true feelings to slip, and instead joked if George put her up to this. Her sagging smile stopped Amara from needling her.

She changed the subject, and cleared the tension created by her question. All was put to rights again. When she returned to her table, Amara twisted her napkin. Her graduation ceremony was two hours away, and she had to find Athena who ran off in the morning.

Her friends missed Athena's grand escape, and excused themselves from helping her. Amara didn't blame them as her cat often nestled herself in the most inane cavities. Alone, she whisked through Athena's favourite haunts; the curtains of the common room windows, under the sofas, Luna's bedroom, the library.

Her search extended to the courtyard, the Great Hall, and then came the shortage of ideas. The wretched cat had to be somewhere! Amara's desperation and heaving increased in the final hour. She almost went to ask Flitwick for help when she barrelled into Lee...holding Athena.

"Lee," said Amara. "Do you know you're holding my cat?"

Lee hoisted Athena into her arms. He scratched her head, and grinned. "I didn't, but I suppose this is fate. She was climbing the curtains in Gryffindor. There's a big tear in it which Hermione had to mend."

"Oh, shit. I'm so sorry about her. She doesn't usually hide in strange places. We usually find her somewhere in Ravenclaw," Amara tightened her hold on Athena due to the strangeness of it; the fact none other than Lee found her in a place she never went to. Amara suspected the flighty concept of destiny, and here she doubted her disbelief.

"She's a wild thing, that's for sure," Lee folded down his shirtsleeves. His forearm sported three shallow, red cuts. Amara gasped, and with her free hand, brandished her wand over his injury. The red sealed, and a scar remained.

"I'm so sorry again, Lee. I don't know why she's like this. Her behaviour has changed in the past two weeks. So erratic," Amara pursed her mouth in concern. "I might take her to the vet tomorrow."

"It's alright. It seemed like she was scared of something or someone. She was very jumpy."

The thief sprung to mind, and she tasted bitter coffee. "Athena's not the sort to be frightened of someone. I am once again sorry for her scratches and thanks for finding her."