Finding Neverland | George Weasley ✓

Chapter Thirty-Six

Thea's routine didn't change much in the next few weeks. It was the same thing constantly, going to class trying to stay awake and actually learn, avoiding people and mealtimes, hiding in her little corner a lot adding and accomplishing the items on her spell list. Her current goal was to complete the Patronus charm which she had read up about for a long time before actually trying to complete it. She spent a large amount of time working on the list as well as doing her actual homework. 

Eventually, with the number of people who had found her in her little hiding spot, Thea was forced to enchant it to prevent people from coming in and trying to comfort her all the time. 

Thea quickly read over the short letter that she had just finished writing to her parents. It wasn't much just her telling them that she was learning and telling them about the new spells and enchantments that she had been learning. She never expected a reply, she was pretty sure her parents were almost in the same spot and the same clothes that she had left them in. However, some part of her did hope that they had got their lives back on track even if they still didn't want to see her. 

Clutching her jumper tightly around her, Thea quickly packed up her books back into the bag that she had bought on the last Hogsmeade trip, it had been getting slightly tedious lugging the giant bag around all the time. Thea picked herself up undid the enchantments quickly checking that there wasn't anyone else in the corridor before putting the enchantments back up quickly, the second she got out of them. 

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, Thea hurried through the corridors avoiding people's' eyes as much as possible. The little voice in her head willed her on 'the sooner you get to the owlery and deliver the letter, the sooner you can go back'. 

She had nearly reached the grounds and the staircase up to the owlery when a hand on her shoulder made her jump and nearly shriek at the mystery person in shock before Thea saw who was in front of her. 

"Sorry for the shock, Thea." Professor Sprout said before her. "However you have to come with me, you have somewhere you need to be." 

Professor Sprout began guiding her back down the corridor before she stopped when she saw the letter clutched tightly in Thea's hand. 

"Oh. Where are you heading to the owlery?"

"I was but it's fine. Just a letter to my parents that they won't even reply back to or even read." Thea replied laughing nervously. 

"I'm sorry to hear that Thea. But I will make sure the letter does get sent." Professor Sprout replied before added one more thing upon thinking about it. "Or in fact, you could deliver it yourself."

Thea was visibly confused and had almost opened her mouth to ask before Professor Sprout shook her head slightly, telling her that she would find out in no time. 

Thea had no clue where they were going but when they started heading towards the headmaster's office, panic began to set in. What had she done wrong? Of course, she hadn't been completely social in the last few weeks but it wasn't like anyone could blame her. Someone couldn't get in trouble for that, could they?

As if almost sensing the panic on Thea's face, Professor Sprout quickly told her that everything was alright. 

"It's okay, Thea. I think you will quite surprised but happy regardless. Dumbledore isn't here, obviously but he sends his best regards."

Professor Sprout led her over to the intricate fireplace in Dumbledore's office and thrust a handful of Floo powder in her hand. 

Thea's confusion was evident on her face but Professor Sprout stopped her before she could speak. "Just go to your house and everything will be explained to you."

Still very confused even more now, Thea held her hand out before clearly saying the name of her house, watching as Dumbledore's office disappeared by green fire and her familiar living room arrived instead. The letter was still tightly clutched in her hand, Thea chuckled slightly before putting the letter on the mantle. 

"Hello?" She called out into the silent house before she heard a cough in the other room. 

Following the source of the noise, she entered the kitchen only to find no one was there, so she tried again, heading into the large library and study that was off the kitchen. The minute she entered she saw her parents both sitting on the couches not talking as the housemaid, Matilda gave them various types of medication as well as cleaning the sweat off their foreheads with a damp cloth. 

"Well, look at that, Amos. Your daughter is here." Matilda said in that sort of voice that you speak to a young child in. 

"Um...hi parents," Thea said awkwardly biting her tongue. "Haven't heard much from you, I wrote though. How have you been?"

"They've been alright, Thea," Matilda responded. "Just adjusting to things." She added in a whisper. 

"Ok?" Thea said. "Why am I here?"

"Your parents will explain that all to you in a second but we are just waiting for two more people who will also help to explain," Matilda said trying to comfort the girl. "But just prepare yourself, Thea. Your parents have to go away for awhile."

Thea headed down back to the living room back to where she had left the letter before picking it back up and placing it with the large pile of letters that had grown on the dining room table. She was about to head back to the kitchen when the door opened behind her. 

She swung around and was greeted with the two people she wasn't expecting the least to see. The first person although now clean-shaven and not looking as deranged, Thea recognized him immediately, those beady dark eyes that she didn't trust and were the eyes of a murderer were impossible not to recognize particularly when they had graced the front page of every newspaper for such a long time. The other man, Thea also recognized, after all, he had been her professor for an entire year. 

Thea felt all color drain from her face and she pointed a shaking finger at both of them. 

"Professor Lupin? A-and. A-and. Sirius Black..." Thea shouted cursing herself for how much her voice shook.