Hogwarts Rebels

A flash of the past

Ezra spooned his ice cream sunday. The Jarrus family was sitting around a table at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. After the hot afternoon of shopping, they decided to sit down for a cold treat.

"So, term starts on September first" Hera said, putting down her spoon.

"We have a few weeks left until you guys go."

"Is Hogwarts fun Zeb?" Ezra asked.

"Oh yeah, but a word of advice, don't tick off Peeves, he's the school poltergeist" Zeb grunted.

"What's a poltergeist?" Sabine asked.

"A replica of one of you two except he's supernatural" Kanan replied.

It took a while for the two Bridger siblings to work out what their dad had said.

"So, we go home now?" Zeb inquired.

"Yeah, sounds good" Hera nodded.

They stood from the table and waved Florean goodbye.

"You paid right?" Sabine asked, Fenn sat in his cage was in her arms, nuzzling into her fingertips as they scratched around his neck.  

"Of course" Hera replied.

They passed Florish and Blotts, Ollivanders, and Madam Malkins, heading towards to the gateway at the Leaky Cauldron. However, before they got there, someone called out to Kanan and Hera. The family turned to see two adults and a teenager who looked about Zeb's age. 

"Toby, Alice. Good to see you" Hera said going over, the others following.

"Gregor mate, how you been" Zeb shook the teenagers hand.

"Alright Zeb, yourself?" Gergor asked.

"Not too bad, had these little rascals to watch out for" Zeb grinned down on Ezra and Sabine.

"Ah, so your parents did adopt" Gregor remakred.

"Like I said they would" Zeb replied.

"Guys, this is Gregor, he was a friend of mine from Hogwarts" Zeb introduced to his siblings, then glanced at his friend.

"How's Wolff?" 

"Eh, got a job in Oxford to keep the Thestrals, Hippogriffs, phoenixs and dragons at bay so muggles don't discover them. But you know what my older brother is like. He always had a liking magical creatures."

"How could I forget, he wouldn't shut up about them at Hogwarts" Zeb rolled his eyes.  

Gregor then smiled kindly down at the two youngsters.

"So, what's your big brother like?" 

"A little stinky at times" Ezra replied with a smirk up at Zeb who gasped in fake offence. 

Gregor laughed.

"You're damn right kid" he grinned, fist bumping with the younger boy.

Sabine giggled in response to Zeb who looked like he'd been shot, his hand was over his heart, eyes wide.

"I'm wounded Ezra! Why would you say such a thing?" He asked in fake despair.

"Because it's the truth" Ezra snarked back.

"Why you little- Come 'ere!" Zeb grabbed Ezra and rubbed his fist on top of the boy's long, raven blue hair. 

Gregor chuckled as Ezra giggled in his brother's grip.

"This normal?" He asked Sabine.

"Pfft, you wouldn't believe how many times this occurs" she rolled her eyes with a grin.

Zeb released Ezra who tried to fix up his hair, key word 'tried'. Zeb turned back to Gregor and continued talking. Ezra smiled at his sister and turned to look at the shops nearby. He saw a place for purchasing parchment, another animal store, a shop for broomsticks. Ezra suddenly froze. Sabine felt her brother tense beside her and glanced over.

"Ezra? What is it?" She asked.

Ezra didn't reply, voice stuck in his throat. Sabine lifted her gaze to where he was looking but didn't see anything he could be so afraid of.

"Ezra?" She repeated.   

Ezra backed up a bit, eyes impossibly wide as his hands started to shake. He lifted a trembling finger to where a group of people were standing outside a store. A woman with jet black hair was standing at the back of the cluster. 

"Ezra? Seriously, what is-" Sabine's chest went tight, cutting off her sentence.

The woman turned and her eyes landed on the two children. The pupils were cold, grey, sharp...and too familiar. 

"N-No" Sabine gasped.

The woman's lips curved upwards, a chilling smirk on her face. Shivers went down Ezra and Sabine's spines. That one expression, they had seen it so many times. For three years, in real life and in nightmares. The lady lifted her hand, abnormally long fingers nails glinting the sunlight. She wiggled her fingers in a wave, the creepy smile still on her face. Ezra couldn't breathe, his chest constricted with fear. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder and jumped with a short yell of terror, hands instinctively covering his head.

"Woah, Ezra, are you alright?"

Ezra hesiatated before lifting his shaking hands to see Kanan and Hera's concerned faces looking down on him. Heart still pounding in fear and mouth dry, Ezra quickly looked back to where the crowd was.

The woman was gone.