Etched, Engraved, Everlasting (a Hogwarts Mystery Year 6 Retell)

22 - Em

If there was already so much gossip surrounding my family and the Cursed Vaults, I could only imagine just how much gossip would circulate the moment Harry Potter steps into Hogwarts. Anyone would want to flock around The Boy Who Lived, after all--it was hard to imagine that he survived an Unforgivable Curse that anyone else in his position would immediately succumb to. Could anyone really consider themselves to be popular after such misfortune that struck them, though? Surely they'd consider themselves just to be lucky--and by lucky, I did mean lucky enough to have escaped the misfortune almost completely unscathed. There wasn't anything special about the hell they went through.

Honestly, I'd just be lucky if I could escape the gossip about me almost completely unscathed.

But with Cedric, things were different. Somehow, he had gained the favour of almost everyone in the school, including many of Clara's friends. No one was fawning over him because he suffered some sort of similar hell we went through--in fact, they doted on him for his handsomeness and his humbleness and talent. At least, that was what I could gather from just seeing Cedric every day in class. He was in my year and in my house, after all--and I supported that. I supported him. After all the adventures Clara told me about, where his father was involved, I knew he was a good kid just trying to uphold a good reputation.

That was all, was it? And yet somehow everyone seemed to find it amusing and cool.

So it wasn't a surprise when I arrived at the courtyard about a day after the search for Jacob Lin to find Clara immersed in the throng of students crowded around Cedric. Maybe Merula was right after all--Cedric had indeed become the new talk of Hogwarts. Yet I didn't consider myself to be popular. I never had anyone's favour with me, save for a couple people who actually believed in me. Other times, people just bullied the hell out of me in hopes that they'd get rid of me.

Considering that I was still alive and intact and as well as I could be after just a few weeks, I'd say my time at Hogwarts so far wasn't a complete disaster. But alas, not everything could retain its supposed normalcy.

"Well, well, look who it is. Baby Cursed Vaults Kid and the serpentine traitor," I heard Eunice drawl from behind me, and I whirled around to see her smirking knowingly at me and Hillary, an evil glint in her eye.

"Can you please leave us alone? We just want a peaceful talk," Hillary hissed at her.

"Shut it, Redstone. It's embarrassing enough to see you hanging around with one of their lot. Besides, what happened to that Haywood girl, Lin? Can't find it in you to convert her back to the good side?" Eunice asked mockingly.

"She made it very clear she did not want to be converted. So what? You can't stand Hillary being with me, yet you're okay with Beatrice being with people like you?" I shot back, trying my hardest to keep myself levelheaded. "Why don't you convince Hillary to rejoin your nest of vipers? Oh, that's right. You can't."

"Don't make it all about me, Lin. Heard you found and lost your brother again just yesterday, huh? You can't seem to hold onto anyone without them slipping through your fingers like slippery soap," Eunice retorted with a shrug.

"Worked all night for that line, didn't you? That's seriously lame," Hillary snapped, drawing out her wand. "Just give up already, Eunice. If you're looking to join the snide Snyde crew, you're failing."

"Snyde? I give no shit about Snyde, whoever she is."

"You don't even know about the one who declares herself the most powerful witch at Hog--"

"Flipendo!"

The force of the Knockback Jinx, delivered so harshly and suddenly by the enemy, had me topple over with an "oomph!" to the ground, my elbow letting out a loud crack as it hit the asphalt. Agonizing pain sprung through my entire being, my nerves completely shot with numbness, my conscience barely swimming. I couldn't even push myself to my feet. It was too much for me to bear.