Fate of Fangs, Claws, and Hearts | Marauders Fanfic / Part 1 (paused)

29 - An empty castle, once again

This chapter is for everyone trying to enjoy a peaceful summer, only to have chaos knock on the door uninvited.

...

The OWLs were finally over. Now, the girls were busy packing their bags. Dorcas, ever the disorganised one, was jumping on her suitcase to close it, while I observed them from my bed. Lily’s owl, Snow-White, perched serenely in her cage, prompted her owner to speak, »I'll send her to you, Phil, once I'm back from vacation.«
»Oh, I can send you letters too, Phil!« exclaimed Dorcas with glee, triumphantly managing to close her suitcase.
»Me too.«
»As will I,« Mare confirmed after Alice. A smile spread across my face.
»I'd like that,« I replied.
Dorcas, her curiosity piqued, asked, »What will you do all the time by yourself?«
»Read, study, explore the castle, talk with ghosts, visit the greenhouse and the forest,« I explained. »During meals, I chat with the house-elves, or Dumbledore joins me in the Great Hall. It’s everything I usually do, just with the castle being empty.«
Dorcas nodded and flopped onto the next suitcase.

Yes, she owns an exorbitant amount of clothes.

»I'd love to experience Hogwarts empty,« Alice said dreamily, sitting on her bed.
»It must be strange,« Mare remarked, tidying up her nightstand.
»I'm looking forward to it,« I began, »but even more so for when summer ends, then I finally get to attend classes.«
»I'm not sure I'd be as excited in your shoes,« Dorcas commented, and the others laughed.
»Well, Phil hasn't experienced it yet, so she should form her own opinion,« Lily retorted, and I nodded. I was weary of not being able to join the classes with the others, even if it meant attending only the subjects I had chosen, or rather, where I would pass my OWLs.
»I think Phil will enjoy it,« Alice stated.
»If you say so, but I won't judge. I'm just glad we don't have major finals in Sixth Year,« Dorcas laughed, closing another suitcase.
»We'll see.« I surveyed the girls. This summer would be stranger than the last. Now, I knew them better, but solitude had never been a problem for me. Being an only child, I had rarely had contact with peers. Even last year at Hogwarts, I often found myself alone, but this time, the empty castle would feel different. People scared me less now, and in the first summer, I had found their absence a relief.
However, this summer, I had much planned, leaving little room for boredom. Until August, I would immerse myself in studying, exploring the castle, and discovering new secret passages.
As the girls finished packing, we spent our last day together at Hogwarts. They would depart the following morning.

Three weeks had now passed, and the castle stood eerily empty. In the dormitory, I reminisced about the day before their departure. My Wiggentree seedling was thriving, its branches and leaves healthy under my care. After watering it, I let the water drain and closed the window. It was midday, and my morning had been spent in the library. After lunch, I planned to speak with Dumbledore, or I might see him at lunch. He seemed to spend all his time at Hogwarts, though he occasionally travelled.
The other professors were absent, though Professor Sprout sometimes visited to check on her plants. Professor Kettleburn was occasionally seen in his hut, but otherwise, no professors were present.
In the first week of August, I would see all those with whom I took my OWLs. I had told Professor McGonagall beforehand not to bother coming, likewise the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.

In these two subjects, I am notoriously incapable.

Thus, I aimed to pass my OWLs in Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Charms. The first two subjects should be straightforward for me. Potions seemed manageable, and Charms posed a challenge of its own. With some, no, a lot of luck, I hoped to learn over the summer that I had passed Charms with an 'Acceptable'.
Each subject’s theory and practical parts would be graded separately, and then the overall results calculated. If I managed to barely pass the practical part but excelled in theory, I might have a chance.