Twilight to Dusk

Chapter Eight

"Well, here it is."

Ari, Jamie, Ronnie, and Ema held out their two costumes in the common room the day before Halloween, proud to have finished it at last.

"Wow, I didn't know you had it in you," said Joey.

"You did too," said Ema indignantly. "It's us."

"It flies, too," said Jamie proudly.

"Only you would think to do that," muttered Joey sarcastically. "Everyone's costume flies, except for the first years' because they couldn't quite figure it out. Theirs' kind of flops."

"Are we ready to tell everyone what to do?" Erin, the fourth year, had come jogging up to Joey.

"I think so. Everyone has shown me their costumes, so we're all set. I think most people are here, so now's a good time."

"EVERYONE!" shouted Erin. "SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!"

The common room quieted instantly.

"Okay," she began, "as you all know, tomorrow is Halloween. Yay." She clapped a bit, looking awkward to be talking in front of them all. "Anyway, so we want you all to meet us down here at seven to get into our costumes and practice moving together. We'll all go down to breakfast together, where we can show off. We'll also go to lessons in our costumes ... or as long as we can before teachers murder us. Those of us who can fly should do so at all ... most times. Got it?"

There was a murmur of assent. "Seven is early," someone mumbled.

"Yes, but breakfast's at eight," said Erin exasperatedly. "We'll need at least an hour to get ready. I suppose we could always make it six ..."

"I get the picture."

"I'm tired," said Jamie, looking at the others. "We've worked too hard."

"I'm dizzy," said Ari, putting a shaking hand to her head.

"What? When did that start?" asked Ema concernedly.

"Just now," said Ari. "Actually, it's not so much dizzy as...I dunno, dazey. Like I'm in kind of a daze."

Ema looked concerned. Ari knew she was thinking of the previous year, when Ari had collapsed into the hands of the four founders several times.

"They promised not to touch me," Ari told Ema pointedly. "When I told them where Nienne was."

"So what's up?"

"I don't know. I'm just dazey. Leave me alone." Ari was annoyed. Why was it such a big deal?

"I've had that," said Jamie. "The whole time we were in Canada, I had such bad jetlag, I was...dazey all the time." She yawned. "I'm going to bed. Come on, Ari, you'll only be dazey again tomorrow if you don't sleep."

"I'm gone," said Ema swiftly, following Jamie.

"Me too," muttered Ronnie.

"I'll be up in a minute," said Ari. "I want to finish my Transfiguration homework."

"Yeah, right," said Ema under her breath.

Ari did not comment.

* * *

The next morning, the whole of Ravenclaw house was in the common room. Or, rather, a pack of birds was flying, squawking, pecking, and flapping around the common room.

"Okay everyone!" said the large golden eagle that was Erin and Joey. "Let's go. Form a line. Eagles in front, vultures follow, hawks in back!"

Everybody scrambled, flew, and flopped (in the case of Sarah and Kaya) into line.

"I'm hot," muttered Ari, who was with Jamie in the vulture. "I hate that this actually takes work."

In order to keep their bird flying, Jamie and Ari were flapping one arm inside the wing. Admittedly, they didn't have to use much strength - the flying charm was sufficient in most cases - but Ari could tell her arm would be fit to fall off by the end of the day.

"Oh, our turn." They flapped out of the common room, crashing into the wall in the attempt. "Argh! Will you watch it?"

"Not me!" protested Ari. "That was your wing."

"Whose idea was this anyway?" grumbled Jamie, flapping her arm and trying to see where they were going.

"Um ... some guy's. Don't remember ... Joe, maybe?"

"I'll kill him ..."

* * *

The Great Hall erupted with sound as the birds of prey soared in. All the teachers stood up, staring at them, while the students knocked over goblets and sent plates flying in shock.

The hall was decorated, as usual, with live bats and pumpkins, and the Ravenclaws had trouble maneuvering without getting a bat up a wing.

Ronnie shrieked as a bat flew up her robes. "I don't like this," she informed Ema, who was having the best time of her life.

"Can you see their faces?" Ema responded, looking with glee at the students and teachers.

Following Erin and Joey's eagle, they came to hover in front of Professor Katkin. "Happy Halloween!" Ema heard Joey say. "This is in fact the whole of Ravenclaw house dressed up beautifully for your enjoyment."

"Trick-or-treat!" shouted Ema impulsively.

"Shut up, Potter," said Joey.

They took flight - or, in the case of the first years, flop - again, swooping and diving over the other house tables, watching them shriek and scream. Ema couldn't resist diving right into Valerie Malfoy's food, causing her to yell and fall backwards off the bench.

* * *

Lessons were a catastrophe, in Jamie's opinion. She could barely stand the stuffiness in the costume, and was restless not taking notes. She was also terrified that she would be yelled at to take the bloody costume off and sit like a "serious student" which was what her Spanish teacher at her Muggle school used to say. On the other hand, she half wished a teacher would tell them to take the costume off because she was horrified at the thought of losing a day's worth of lessons. On the other hand ...

"You're running out of hands," muttered Ari after Jamie had tried to convey her feelings for a full fifteen minutes. "C'mon. We've got to switch to the eagle costume for the rest of the day."

* * *

"Wow. That was fun!" exclaimed Ema that evening in the common room. Then she started chanting. "And tomorrow's Sat-ur-day. Tomorrow's Sat-ur-day. Tomorrow's Sat-ur-day. Tomorrow's Sat-ur-day."

"Oy, Potter, shut the hell up," said Ari, earning herself a reproachful look from Jamie. "I'm doing my homework."

"But it's Fri-day, it's Fri-day, it's Fri-day, it's Fri-day."

"EMA!" shouted Jamie, losing control herself. "Let us work for the love of God!"

"Sor-ee," said Ema. "But why are you working on Friday? We've got all bloody weekend."

"Fine. You do your homework at midnight on Sunday and we'll laugh," said Ronnie.

"Fun suckers," muttered Ema. "Hey, Ari, are you still dazey?"

"No," said Ari untruthfully. She silently vowed to sleep till midday so as not to continue her daziness.

* * *

November passed in a haze of freezing wind and frost. "Nearly break," said Ema, glancing at Ronnie.

"Yeah," said Jamie, also looking at Ronnie.

Ronnie glared at them. "Yes, I'm staying here over break." As though feeling the need to prove it, she stalked over to the side of the common room and wrote her name on the list of people staying over break. So far, she was the only one.

"Oh, come on, Ronnie, you can't stay here alone," Ari pleaded.

"Yes, I can. I'm not going home."

"If that's really what you want -" Ema began, but Ronnie cut her off.

"I don't know what I want, okay? I just can't go home over Christmas. Just let it be."

There was silence.

"I'll stay with you, Ronnie," said Jamie quietly. "I'd just be going to my mum's."

"I don't want to ruin the time you spend there," said Ronnie in a hard voice.

"I ... I don't really like it there. I don't really like my step-dad much."

"Why?" asked Ari. "He doesn't ...you know ...?"

"NO! God, no, you sick person!" Jamie looked disgusted. "He just looks at me really meanly. Like he always wants to hit me. I don't know. I'm kind of scared of him. I love my stepsisters though."

"Look, Jamie, you don't have to."

"We're not going through this, Ronnie. I'm staying." Jamie got up and added her name to the list.

"Jamie!" Sarah came hurtling through the crowd, looking horrified. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to stay here over the holidays, Sarah," said Jamie, looking somewhat bemused at Sarah's violent reaction.

"You can't!" wailed Sarah. People looked around. "Jamie, I don't want to go back alone!" "What's up, Sarah?" asked Jamie, scandalized. "Why don't you want to go be with Mummy and Heather and Hannah?"

"I h-hate Mark!" shrieked Sarah. "I don't want to be with him without you! I can't! I won't! Don't make me!"

Jamie looked helplessly at the other three, staring, horrified, at her, and picked Sarah up. Her sister cried hopelessly into her shoulder, and Jamie carried her up to the second years' dormitory.

"Sarah, what's this really about?" she asked, depositing Sarah on Ari's bed.

"I just don't want to be alone with him ... I'm scared of him," sobbed Sarah.

"Sarah, listen to me, and tell me the truth. Has he ever done anything to you?" Jamie thought back to what Ari had said earlier, he doesn't ... you know ...? And the feeling she had around him, that he would really like to "you know" but contented himself with staring at her menacingly. Heather and Hannah, Jamie's twin half-sisters who were ten, didn't like him either, and always talked about him in hushed, terrified voices.

"What do you mean?" asked Sarah.

Jamie didn't want to say it. To say it would mean making it a real possibility. "Has he ever ... touched you ... or hurt you?"

"What do you mean?"

Jamie felt like an idiot. She knew she couldn't be subtle with her sister. Sarah needed everything spelled out. She had to explain, but somehow she couldn't. "I mean ... has he ever touched you in a way that made you uncomfortable or hurt you in any way?"

There. She'd said it. Her face burned for some reason, and she looked away.

"No," said Sarah. Was Jamie imagining it or had the response been too hasty?

"Okay, Sarah. What's really upsetting you?"

"I ... I think ... I don't like it here." Sarah started crying in earnest. "I think ... I think ... I ... I don't want it to be t-true!"

"Okay, Sarah. Take a really deep breath and try again," Jamie said concernedly, cuddling her sister.

"I don't think I belong in Ravenclaw," said Sarah in one breath then she let out a wail and hugged Jamie for dear life.

"Sh, sh, Sarah," said Jamie in her 'motherly tone'. "Let's go see Professor Katkin about this. She'll be able to help."

"But I d-don't wanna leave!" sobbed Sarah hysterically. "I want everything to be okay. I want to be with you Jamie."

"Sarah, I don't want you to be upset, but we are going to Katkin now."

"Just one more minute," sobbed Sarah. "I'm scared. Stop. Don't."

Jamie picked Sarah up, thinking that her sister had not been eating enough; she was rail thin and very light.

In the common room, Jamie looked at the three other Ravenclaw second years, mouthing help me. They jumped to their feet.

Ema ran around and grabbed Sarah's hand, dangling down Jamie's back. Ari put her arm around Jamie and Ronnie brought up the rear, tailing Ema.

"Where're we going?" asked Ari once they were out of the common room, away from the annoyingly curious stares of the fellow Ravenclaws.

"We're going to Katkin. Where's her office?" asked Jamie, looking around.

"Dunno," said Ema. "Dad does, but he never drew me a map or anything."

"We could go to Flitwick first," said Ronnie, who was brushing Sarah's hair away from her eyes and trying to wipe her cheeks with a handkerchief while jogging to keep up.

"Good idea, Ronnie," said Jamie, shifting Sarah so that the bulk of her weight was on the other arm.

* * *

When they knocked on the door of Professor Flitwick's office, they thought at first he was out. When he finally answered, it was in a rushed and aggravated manner, quite unlike him. But his whole aspect changed when he saw who it was.

"Girls?" Flitwick looked concerned. "What seems to be the problem?"

They entered his classroom to find McGonagall, Snape, and Professor Shakili, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, all sitting around Flitwick's desk, and looking surprised at the intrusion.

"You're having a meeting," said Jamie, horrorstruck and gazing over Sarah's head. "I'm so sorry. We can wait."

"Think nothing of it," said McGonagall, taking Sarah from Jamie and setting her in a chair. "You seem to have a good purpose in mind."

"Um ... well, we need to see Professor Katkin," said Ema, when Jamie did not speak.

"Any particular reason?" asked Flitwick, looking shocked as though no student should ever volunteer themselves to go to the headmistress.

"Sarah," said Jamie. "She ... she ... it's really complicated." She glanced at the other teachers, particularly Professor Shakili, whom she didn't know well. "I'd kind of prefer to explain it to Professor Katkin, if that's alright."

"I'll take them," said Snape, standing up. "You already know my opinion on the matter. I have no desire to say anything else."

"Very well Severus," said Flitwick, nodding.

Jamie made to pick up Sarah again, but Snape beat her to it. "You'll break your back, Miss Lastroni," he snarled and strode off, the Ravenclaw Four bustling and jogging along behind him.

"Care to give me a summary?" drawled Snape after awhile. "Since I am giving up precious meeting time to take you."

"You'll probably want to stay with Professor Katkin. It ... um ... concerns you," said Jamie nervously. "See, Sarah's ... not happy in Ravenclaw ... and the Sorting Hat did ..." she trailed off as Sarah let out a shriek of grief.

"I see," said Snape, looking sympathetic, a look not seen often, if ever, on his face. They were facing a large stone gargoyle. Snape glared at it and said, "Peppermint Mice." Seeing their surprised looks, he added, "Professor Dumbledore always made his passwords have to do with candy." As he spoke, the wall behind him opened. "Professor Katkin has continued this tradition, silly though it may seem." They were ascending on a spiral staircase up to what was surely the headmistress' office. Snape knocked, and they entered.

"Severus." Professor Katkin looked up from her desk. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I would ask Miss Lastroni," said Snape smoothly. "I only caught part of the story." He deposited Sarah in the armchair in front of the headmistress' desk. Jamie was looking around at the portraits on the wall. One only she recognized from a chocolate frog card: Albus Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was eyeing Ema with great interest, looking mild, and seeming as though he were debating whether to speak.

"Miss Lastroni?" Katkin broke into her train of thought.

With a lot of help from Ema, Ronnie, and Ari, Jamie spilled the story, starting from the Sorting, and ending with the night's events, including that her stepfather was not a nice man, and that Sarah had always seemed to be anxious on being left without her older sister.

Neither Katkin nor Snape spoke during this long story, but the moment Jamie had finished, Dumbledore spoke from his portrait. "You say the Sorting Hat changed houses, mid-word? Luna, dear, why on earth didn't you tell me?"

"It must have slipped my mind," said Katkin, smiling slightly. "I hate to move you, Sarah, in the middle of the year."

"She has a friend in Slytherin," said Jamie. "I mean, if she were to switch."

"I d-don't want to go without Jamie," wailed Sarah desperately. "I can't be without her."

"Why?" asked Katkin, not unkindly.

"I d-don't know!" sobbed Sarah. "I've been like this since our parents got d-divorced. I'm scared of being without her."

"Hm, well, maybe you should stay where you are for now -"

"But I don't like Ravenclaw!" shouted Sarah hysterically. "I don't belong there. I don't have any friends."

"Maybe we could work something out," said Snape. "Perhaps Miss Lastroni could have limited access to Slytherin common room, and could visit ... Miss Lastroni Junior occasionally."

"Would you allow that, Severus?" asked Katkin uncertainly.

"In this case, yes," said Snape. "I would hate to see a pupil this unhappy, and I have taken a liking to Miss Lastroni ... um ... senior."

"Well, shall we have the Sorting Hat make a decision?"

"NO!" shrieked Sarah, red in the face, tears pouring down her front. "Not so soon, please. Please, give me a little more time. I can't ... wait ... not yet ... hold on ... a little ... I'm going to pass out ...help."

Jamie bent down and took Sarah's hands. Then she looked up at Professor Katkin, crying hard herself. "Can we do this at the end of break? I'm staying over with Sarah, and that way she can deal with this without the other first years bothering her, and it'll give her time to prepare."

Katkin sighed. "I suppose," she said. "But I don't know if it's for the best. Sarah is panicking horribly as it is. I'm afraid it will get worse and worse until she does it. But I can see that won't happen. Why don't you go back to your common room?" She looked at Jamie, Ronnie, Ema, and Ari. "We'll send Sarah down shortly."

The four of them left. Jamie only just then realized that the other three were crying too. "I hate seeing her like that," said Ema, rubbing her eyes.

"Me too," said Ari, blowing her nose.

They reached the portrait hole. "One moment," said Jamie. She took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready."

* * *

"I don't know what I should do about her, though."

It was three o'clock in the morning. Sarah was asleep in Jamie's bed. The four second years were sitting on Ari's bed, curtains drawn, and a well placed anti-eavesdropping charm placed around them. "I don't know what's wrong with her," continued Jamie. "I mean, okay, she's upset, and she doesn't want to switch houses, but don't you think it's a bit odd? I mean, how she acted earlier, saying she was scared and had to be with me and stuff?"

"She said it started with the divorce," said Ari tentatively. "It sounds ... kind of like ... I don't know."

"What?" asked Ema, Ronnie, and Jamie at the same time.

Ari didn't want to say it. She didn't want to admit it, not now. "Like me," she said finally. "I used to be scared of being without my mum. Really scared. Like, at night, when she would come to say good night, I would scream and cry and I didn't want her to leave me alone. I don't know ... it sounds like Sarah, only it's you, Jamie, not your mum or dad."

"I hate it," said Jamie, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't be her mother. I'm only a year older than her, for crying out loud. How am I supposed to take care of her like that? How'd you get over it, Ari? I mean, you don't freak out here, so you must be over it."

"My mum took me to a psychologist, that's like a doctor, only for your brain, like feelings and stuff," she added, seeing Ronnie's and Ema's confused glances. "I don't really remember. I mean, it's pretty much gone now, other than a few unhappy nights here ... I mean, I guess I miss being with Mum sometimes, but I don't freak out like I used to."

"I don't get it," said Ema. "How'd the psycho guy cure you? Like, what'd he do?"

"I told you," said Ari, feeling a bit annoyed: why did they have to get into this? "I don't remember. It was a long time ago, third through fifth grade, you know."

"But there's no psychologist at Hogwarts," said Jamie desparately. "And Sarah ... it seems worse with her. Like, she's panicking when I can't be there. And what's with the I'm going to faint thing?"

"Yeah, that was weird," said Ronnie. "I was scared."

"Not as scared as Sarah," said Ema. "Were you like that ever, Ari?"

"No," said Ari. "Well, only a little. I was more freaked out that my mum was leaving. I did get kind of dizzy but that was really from crying. I felt like, I dunno, if Mum left, then everything else I loved would leave too. I was always really scared that you'd leave, Ema."

"Wow," said Jamie, wiping her eyes. "I didn't realize Sarah was going through all that."

"Yeah." Ari rubbed her eyes and yawned. "I don't know what we can do for her except ask Flitwick tomorrow. I've got to sleep now, or I'll be the one passing out."

* * *

"How're you doing, Sarah?" The second years were getting dressed, getting ready to head down to breakfast.

"Fine," muttered Sarah.

"Fine or fine-ish?" asked Ronnie.

Ema giggled, yet she didn't think Sarah looked fine or even fine-ish at all. On the contrary, her eyes were swollen and she was pale and shaking. "Let's not start this again."

"You guys." Sarah looked much older than her usual immature self. "I'm sorry about all that."

"It's not your fault," said Ari sympathetically. "Believe me, I understand."

"I didn't mean to freak out like that," Sarah continued, staring at her feet.

"We know, Sarah," said Jamie.

"I'm just scared," said Sarah. "I don't want to switch houses, but I hate it here."

"It's not for you," said Ronnie understandingly. "You want to be with your sister."

"I'm afraid when it comes time to re-sort that I'll faint or something."

"A valid fear," commented Ari.

"How d'you guys always say the right thing?" asked Sarah, a couple tears leaking out of her eyes.

"Lots o' practice," said Ema in a ridiculous accent; even she wasn't sure what she was trying to imitate. To her immense relief, Sarah giggled.

"Come on," said Ari. "Our breakfast awaits us." She took Sarah by the hand and led her out of the room, speaking softly. The other three followed at a distance, discussing how they were going to manage the next few weeks. It would be a miracle, Ema thought, if they survived. But they would do their best.

The other three followed at a distance, discussing how they were going to manage the next few weeks.

It would be a miracle, Ema thought, if they survived. But they would do their best.