O, CURSED CHILD. ﹙ harry potter ﹚

LXXXIX ; green light

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            LATE IN THE afternoon, a few days after New Year, Elara, Harry, Ron, and Ginny lined up beside the kitchen fire to return to Hogwarts. The Ministry had arranged this one-off connection to the Floo Network to return students quickly and safely to the school. Only Mrs. Weasley was there to say good-bye, as Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Aurora, Bill, and Fleur were all at work. Mrs. Weasley dissolved into tears at the moment of parting. Admittedly, it took very little to set her off lately; she had been crying on and off ever since Percy had stormed from the house on Christmas Day with his glasses splattered with mashed parsnip (for which Fred, George, Aurora, and Ginny all claimed credit). Elara only wished she had seen it happen.

            "Don't cry, Mum," said Ginny, patting her on the back as Mrs. Weasley sobbed into her shoulder. "It's okay. . . ." 

            "Yeah, don't worry about us," said Ron, permitting his mother to plant a very wet kiss on his cheek, "or about Percy. He's such a prat, it's not really a loss, is it?"

            Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever as she enfolded Elara in her arms. "Promise me you'll look after yourself. . . . Stay out of trouble. . . ." 

            "I always do, Mrs. Weasley," said Elara. "I live a quiet life, you know me." 

            She gave a watery chuckle and wrapped Harry up in another bone-crushing hug. 

            "Be good, then, all of you. . . ." 

            Elara stepped into the emerald fire and shouted "Hogwarts!" 

            She had one last fleeting view of the Weasleys' kitchen and Mrs. Weasley's tearful face before the flames engulfed her; spinning very fast, she caught blurred glimpses of other Wizarding rooms, which were whipped out of sight before she could get a proper look; then she was slowing down, finally stopping squarely in the fireplace in Professor McGonagall's office. She barely glanced up from her work as Elara clambered out over the grate. 

            "Evening, Tonks. Try not to get too much ash on the carpet." 

            "It's nice to see you too, Professor."

            Elara sat in a rather comfy armchair as Harry came spinning into view. 

            When Ginny and Ron had arrived, all four of them trooped out of McGonagall's office and off toward Gryffindor Tower. Elara glanced out of the corridor windows as they passed; the sun was already sinking over grounds carpeted in deeper snow than had lain over the Burrow garden. In the distance, she could see Hagrid feeding Buckbeak in front of his cabin.