Stairway to Heaven

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west

And my spirit is crying for leaving

Misty looked out across the primly cut hedges of Malfoy Manor. Beyond the hedges lay hills, and forests, and after many miles, Wales. Misty leaned her forehead against the cold glass of her window, wishing she could pass through it and go home.

Misty had never felt homesickness before. She had been taught by her father to hide feelings. She grew up masking tenderness from even herself. This new weakness was alien to her.

Now, after a week of toil as a servant, she felt weaker than ever, and not just in the lonely way.

Misty was very beaten from all her work. True, she had her wand, but she was still forced to bend over and take up a mop occasionally as punishment. She was late to dinner for the first three nights, and she had to do all her work for those days the Muggle way. Then, she broke a china dish while setting the table for the Malfoys, and she was punished soundly.

After all this, Misty was left with raw, blistered hands. Her legs were bruised in multiple places. She had two black eyes, and on top of that, a fever.

All this stress and hurt made her long for her mother. Mrs. Tewdwr might not have been the comforting type, but she certainly wouldn't have let her offspring become weak. Misty wished for the strong Pepperup Potion her mother made, and for the company of her siblings. Misty longed for a spell that could let her leave her body behind to work at the manor, and go visit her family in spirit.

Misty knew there was no such spell. So she shifted her hope to an owl. She had written her family a letter and watched the skies for a week expecting an answer, but none came. That was when Misty realized her mistake. Her father only answered to rich, important wizards and witches. He only spent his energy on someone who could reward him well. Other than that, he never lifted his quill. Not even for his daughter. Correction: especially not for his daughter. Why waste the time on a family member, whom he could profit from eventually anyhow?

For one last minute, Misty forced every particle of her mind onto the task at hand. Her eyes roved the sky from cloud to pale cloud, searching desperately for her family's tawny owl. Any sign of movement caught her attention like honey attracts bees. Please, please, send one little note, Misty kept repeating in her head, the rhythmic beat of the phrase pushing her to search harder.

Misty rose from the window seat and got dressed for the day. She didn't have to wear her uniform, so instead, she threw on plain, ruby-red robes and straightened out her hair.

Misty found her fellow maids in the hallway outside her room. She had met all three of them before, but it was on the days off when she would really get to know them, when they weren't as restricted by rules.

"Misty!" One girl cried, rushing forward. "Your eyes look better."

Misty smiled coldly at the young woman before her. "Looks can be misleading, Aspen." Aspen was the second maid. Her duty was to clean the upstairs part of the manor with Misty.

Davina, the kitchen maid, stalked forward haughtily. "Why don't you get out of here, Misty? You're not wanted." Davina had said the same thing to Misty for the past week. She was obviously envious of Misty's ability to go upstairs and catch glimpses of the family.

"Davina!" the third girl said, stepping forward. "Remember what it was like when you first arrived?"

Davina's eyes lost their hard look for a moment and froze into a look of pure terror. Then it was replaced with another cold glare. She gave Misty a look that said "this war isn't over" and then stalked off down the hall.

Misty turned to Erin, the scullery maid, who had sent Davina away. "Thank you, Erin. How can you stand sharing a room with that prat?"

Erin smiled sadly. "She's been through more than you think."

"What happened when she arrived that was so terrible?" Misty asked curiously.

The smile left Erin's face, and her gaze flickered uncomfortably to the floor. "I'm not supposed to say anything. I'm sorry."

Misty looked to Aspen for help. The second maid shrugged as she, too, avoided Misty's eyes.

Misty made a mental note to solve this mystery, although these witnesses were not helpful. Then, she hastily changed the subject. "Well, where do you want to go? We've got until 3 o'clock."

Both girls looked up again, and Misty could see their relief at the topic change. "Hogsmeade. Where else?" Aspen replied.

"Hogsmeade? Where is--"

But Erin cut Misty off. "Come on, we'll use my fireplace."

Aspen and Misty followed Erin into the small room that she and Davina shared. They approached the fireplace carefully, avoiding the sparks flying from the leaping flames. Erin held out a little bowl of powder to each of them. Aspen took and handful and threw it on the fire.

The flames turned green, she shouted, "Hogsmeade," and then she disappeared.

Misty stood, petrified, staring at the flames that Aspen had just been standing in.

"What is that?" she whispered.

"Floo powder. Haven't you ever traveled by it before?" Erin replied, surprised.

"N-n-no," Misty stuttered. "I have to s-s-step into the flames?"

Misty tried to shut herself up--she was sounding like a completely weak coward. But fire was her weak spot. Fire could make her stutter. Fire haunted her past and it tortured her mind.

"Yes, but don't worry. After you throw the powder in, everything goes cold. Then you just say where you're going and you'll spin through the grates. Don't worry."

She gave Misty another reassuring grin and prodded her in the back. "Go on, step in. Never fear."

Misty tried to smile back but her face muscles had gone numb. She gripped the powder in fingers that felt lifeless. She couldn't face fire again...she just couldn't...

She threw it in, jumped into the flames, and shouted, "Hogsmeade" in a millisecond. She felt herself spinning through grates, her eyes frozen open in fear. She couldn't move, she couldn't close here eyes, she couldn't breathe. She just whipped through fireplaces, her heart stopping when she came upon one that had fire burning in it.

Finally, it was over. Misty had never been more relieved about anything in her life. She climbed out to a waiting Aspen, sooty, coughing, and with a good deal more bruises than she had when she began. Her face burned and her toes were frozen. But she was alive, and that's all that mattered.

"Oh, dear, you're so hot! I forgot about you fever...Rosmerta, could we have some water?" Aspen cried, leading Misty to a chair.

"Of course, dear, anything," a shrill voice replied. Misty looked over to see a tall, curvy woman in a red dress and sparkly shoes.

Erin arrived a moment later and hurried over to join them. "Sorry, Misty, I didn't know you hated fire!"

Misty shook her head and tried to talk. "It's not your fault," she managed, before coughing again. Her lungs were still weak when it came to smoke.

Rosmerta arrived with a glass of cold water, and Misty drank it greedily. After gaining back wetness in her throat (and thus gaining back her voice), she said, "Thank you, I'm fine now."

The firmness in her voice made Aspen, Erin, and Rosmerta step away. Misty hated more than anything, except perhaps fire, being smothered. People fawning over her as if she were a weak little baby was more sickening than smoke.

"Well, hello, pumpkin pasties. Aspen, Erin, who is your new friend?" Rosmerta said, smiling cheerily.

"This is Misty. She's a new servant at the manor," Aspen replied.

"Welcome to the Hog's Head, Misty. Anything to drink?" the woman replied, the smile never leaving her face.

"Um...uh..."

"Three butterbeers, please," Erin answered, before joining Misty at the table. Aspen followed suit.

"So, Misty, welcome to Hogsmeade. This is the only non-Muggle town in all of Britain. We spend all our free time here," Erin said, gesturing to the busy streets outside the tavern door.

Misty glanced outside. "It looks nice. Where do you go?"

"Well, there's a clothes store called Gladrags, which is always fun. Then there's Zonko's joke shop, but we're a bit old for that. We always go to Honeydukes, though. It's the candy shop," Aspen explained, with the look of an excited child.

The drinks arrived a moment later, and after gulping them down and saying goodbye to Rosmerta, the girls went out onto the streets.

Misty felt wonderful, but fearful, as she traveled from shop to shop with Aspen and Erin. These girls were becoming her friends...it seemed impossible to imagine. Misty had never talked or laughed with anyone like she talked and laughed with the maids that day. Almost as if she were...carefree.

The trip back through the fireplace was horrible, but Misty was glad to reenter her room when it was all over.

Misty deposited the spoils of the day's shopping on her bed before sitting down once more by her window. She had a few minutes left before 3:00, when she lost the freedom she had just experienced and went back to work.

She gazed out at the familiar gardens and hedges. Then her gaze flickered to the sky, with its soft, fluffy clouds, it's pale sunlight, and its...owls?

Misty's heart leapt as she recognized her family's tawny owl, clutching two rolls of parchment in its talons. She hastily opened her window and ushered it inside.

Ripping the wax seal off, Misty read hungrily.

Daughter,

We are pleased to hear of your comfort in your new home. Each one of us is glad that you have found such a worthy substitution for our own house.

Father wishes to remind you of your duties: Never forget your pledge to protect and promote the pureblood of wizards and wizard-kind. Do not fail to remember the privilege of your pure blood. And never show weakness or tender feelings. You heart is a rock; no one may stir it.

Please give the attached parchment to Lucius Malfoy. Do not let any but his eyes read it, not even your own. It is important, and severe punishment will ensue if it falls into the wrong hands.

Sincerely,

The Tewdwr Family

Misty glanced at the second parchment from the owl. It was small, and Misty could barely make out her father's loopy writing on the other side of the thick parchment.

Misty felt a sudden urge to grab the parchment and read it. What could it say? What would be so important? And why had her father decided to reply to her letter? What had twisted his mind into doing such an uncommon act of kindness?

In a moment, Misty's mind was made up. She lunged for the parchment and carefully pulled off the wax seal. She could easily make another one before giving it to Sir Lucius.

It was short and confusing to Misty's mind.

Lieutenant,

She is in your hands now. Prepare her well. The others suspect nothing.

--Major

Misty shrugged at the owl before sending it back out the window and away. She couldn't decipher the meaning of this letter. Lieutenant and Major must be code names, for Lucius and Mathamach (her father). Could Mr. Tewdwr be speaking about his own daughter--her? What should she be prepared for? And who were "the others"?

Misty copied the note onto a piece of spare parchment. She didn't know what she might need it for, but she had been taught to be prepared for anything. And she was determined to be ready for whatever was coming her way.