Elemental

Dark Times

After dinner, I tell Juliana what happened. I don't leave anything out. I'm not likely to forget what happened—as a Muggle might say, I'm scarred for life, and so are most of the people there, minus the Slytherins and Professor Carrow.

"But I don't understand," Juliana says as I finish. "Why were you affected more? I overheard Lucy talking to Brian Cape about it, and she sounded fine. I mean, no offense, but you've been really shaky all night."

"You're sure you want to know?" I ask. "I just don't want to put you in any danger—well, any more than you're already in." We both laugh without humor.

"I'm sure," she says solemnly.

"Do you know what Greek mythology is?" I ask.

"Yes. My older brother, Xander, is a Squib. He learned about it in Muggle school, and he told me all about it."

I'm surprised. "Well, then, you know what a demigod is, right?"

"That's someone with one regular parent and one parent who's a Greek god or goddess, right?"

I nod. "Yes. And I'm a demigod."

I can feel her shock. "You're a demigod? I thought those were all, well, myths!"

"Unfortunately, I am. My mother is—"

"Don't tell me, it's Athena, right?" she asks.

"Yeah, how did you know?" I reply teasingly.

She smiles. "Lucky guess?"

"I guess so. Anyway, Greek monsters are real, too, unfortunately. You know them, but be careful."

"Why?"

"Just don't say the names. I don't think they can reach us in Hogwarts, but just in case, they're super sensitive to kids like me. I mean I'm a demigod and a witch."

"But what about the..." she searches for a word.

"I don't know," I confess. "I'm still figuring it out. Well, that's not true, I know why. But if you knew, he'd find you."

Juliana pales. "You—you mean—and you're alive?!"

"I have a sister, thank gods." I smile.

Two people burst in. "Caroline! Sadie!" Juliana cries.

"We heard you got detention," Caroline says.

"Let's talk in the common room," Sadie suggests. "David can't come up."

"Why not?" I ask, confused.

"Boys can't come up to the girls' dorms," she explains.

"Oh." I don't get it, but I ignore it.

The common room is empty, thank gods. Everyone sits down. "Tell us everything," David says.

"First of all, how did you even know that I got detention?" I ask.

"My brother, Warren, is a first-year," Sadie says. "He said five people got detention."

"And my sister, Andrea, is a seventh-year, and she said the first-years have detention in seventh-year Defense Against the Dark Arts," adds David.

"Oh," I say. "Well, I'm not sure you guys want to know—"

"Well, then, you definitely have to tell us," Sadie interrupts.

"We're worried about you," David says.

I look at Juliana. She nods slightly, encouraging me to tell them. They should know, I decide. I let everything out: the curse, the other kids, Neville, everything.

"I can't believe they would do that to you!" Sadie fumes.

"I can," David says grimly. "The Carrows—" he lowers his voice so that I can barely hear him. "The Carrows used to be Death Eaters."

Juliana gasps. "You—you mean his followers? In Hogwarts? As teachers?" I stutter. No, no, no, no, no, this cannot be possible. If Death Eaters are here, and they find out, they'll tell him, he knows who I am, he knows I'm here. Oh, this is bad, this is really bad. My head hurts just thinking about it. I feel dizzy and lightheaded. I  knew it all along, but I was shielding it from myself.

And Professor Snape. Somehow, I'm less scared of him. Maybe it was because I never really had to see him. He couldn't get to me as much as the teachers.

"Mia? Are you okay?" Caroline asks.

"What is it?" David asks.

"Nothing. I—I think I'd better get to bed," I say.

"Well, you can tell us when you feel like it," Sadie says, seeing right through me.

I see my father's death again in my dreams. It hurts, I won't lie. But I think we all knew it was going to happen.

These are dark times we live in.

Sorry for the short chapter, I am in my school musical and rehearsals have just started and I got home pretty late!