✌︎︎𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚊 𝙿𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜✌︎︎

The Beginning of an Era

Clara spent most of her time locked up in her room. Her parents had never been more disappointed in her.

"You were the influence, Clara, you were the more mature one!"

"What about all your plans? You've gone and ruined them all!"

"This is what we get for being easy on you? You go crazy just like that?"

"Hey, mom," Clara whispered as she walked into the kitchen where Ms. Potter was doing the dishes.

Ms. Potter put down the dishes she was washing, took off her apron and walked straight out of the kitchen. "You can finish those off!" She called out, referring to the dirty dishes and Clara burst into tears.

She wanted more than anything to go back to Hogwarts, to fix it all. One wrong move, one severe outburst, her life ended right then and there. The Potters were still waiting for a letter from the Ministry, claiming Clara had shamed the family name.

Clara poured some cereal and milk into a bowl and sat down at the counter. She pulled out a paper and began writing to Lily. With all the free time on her hands, she didn't even have the chance to miss a single letter to her; Lily was her haven.

When she finished cleaning the dishes, Clara walked straight out the front door and transformed into a fox. It was her favorite thing to do; being at home without James wasn't as fun as she always imagined it would be. She missed him.

Most days passed by in a blur, Clara counting down the days until James would finally come home. 

"Des yeux qui font baisser les miens, un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche-" Clara was singing to herself when an owl flew in through her bedroom window. She assumed it was Lily, even though she had sent out her letter just a few hours earlier.

Clara recognized the owl, it was Sirius. 

"Clara,

How are you holding up? Never mind, don't answer that, of course it's hell for you. If it makes you feel any better, we beat Slytherin today in Quidditch which means we're in the finals next week; I have a feeling we're going to win. Look, there's no point in trying to fill you with any hope other than the fact that we'll be back before you know it, I'm planning on coming over with James before going home. Lily told me about the situation with your parents, even though you don't want to hear it, their behavior is completely understandable, but don't let that get to you, V, it'll get better. I know it sounds stupid but you shocked all of us, Clara Potter, the reckless academic, now just a high school dropout. I'm sorry I'm not making you feel any better, but the both of us know that it's not what you need right now, you need to face the reality of your actions. Let me know if something happens with the Ministry; I'm curious.

Sincerely, Sirius Black."

Clara threw the letter right out the window. How could he? How dare he?

Her fingers trembled as she began writing a letter, her anger spilling into the ink on the paper. After all this time, the person she had trusted more than anyone, making her feel so ashamed for something she had partially done in his favor. Clara was done with it, if she wouldn't be considered good, she wouldn't be good at all.

Clara walked slowly, the light from her wand barely lighting up the dark alleyway ahead of her. Bellatrix Lestrange walked behind her, her wand pointed at the back of Clara's head incase Clara thought to turn on her.

"How much farther?" Clara whispered, almost tripping on a loose brick and stumbling over her own shoes. 

"Walk properly," Bellatrix snarled. "If it weren't for Lucius, I'd murder you right here and now. Just keep walking."