Spellbound

When I rouse from my deep sleep, my hand stretches out to the empty side of the mattress to only feel the chilly sheets. Usually, my loyal companion occupies the space next to me, though I suppose not this morning. He must be downstairs with my parents, which is rarely heard of.

I prop myself up on my elbows and turn over onto the bare sheets. I let out a heavy sigh into the pillow. Today feels a bit different for no particular reason. At least I think. Thoughts rummage through my mind until I finally grasp what has been the missing piece. The Quidditch World Cup!

Immediately, I crawl out of bed and practically run down the stairs into the living room. As soon as I step foot into the room, a cold vibe occupies my surroundings. My parents sit deep in thought on the couch, neither looking up or down. It’s a distant stare. I spot my dog, Alby laying his head across my father’s lap. His ears flopped and his tail drooped on the side of the couch. Seems like Alby is in a bad mood as well.

“Is something wrong?” I ask warily, my eyebrows furrowing together.

My mother looks up, her eyes widen as if she just realized I exist. She subtly shakes her head and looks at my father. He takes a deep breath in and pats the space next to him. I gently make my way over and take a seat.

“As you know, the World Cup was last night,” he pauses and sighs heavily. “The Bulgarian Team won,” he adds.

“Really? I called it! I told you they’d win, didn’t I?” I exclaim loudly—a burst of excitement courses through my body at the news. I’m about to jump with excitement when my father sets a hand on my shoulder to keep me seated. “What?” I ask confused.

Doesn’t this call for a celebration? This is a critical piece in Quidditch history and I’m not understanding the somberness that my parents are displaying. Did someone get injured at the game? Was it Viktor Krum? My heart starts to pound at the anticipation of the oncoming of what could be very bad news.

“An incident occurred after the games. Death Eaters attacked the grounds, and someone cast the Dark Mark. Targeting Mudbloods. We all know there’s been rumors of Voldemort coming back. You’ll be going back to Hogwarts in a few days. I want you to be careful, Alice, and cautious of yourself. I know the Potter boy is younger than you, but I want you to keep your distance from him. He brings trouble,” my father firmly says.

It takes me a moment to register what I’ve just heard. I sit quietly confused and replay the words in my head. “Death Eaters? Dark Mark? Voldemort?" A sweat breaks out under my armpits from the nerves that are quickly consuming away at me. What does this mean? My parents are by no means Death Eaters, but they aren’t exactly saints either with their outlooks.

I face my parents, both are visibly distraught at informing me of the news and the situation itself. I don’t bother replying to my father, but only nod. I mean, what is there to say? The shock factor is already faced. Nothing I say will change what happened. Returning to Hogwarts will no doubt only cause more uncertainty among the students.

“Well, I’m going to make myself breakfast,” I say quietly, leaving my parents deep in thought.

I march out of the living room to the kitchen, and conveniently, I spot the Daily Prophet splayed on the table with the headline written as SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WOLRD CUP, the page is plastered with the Dark Mark in the sky over the tree-tops. I scoff at the paper and shake my head. It’s honestly so ridiculous. This whole situation is. It was only to keep Voldemort relevant, so the Death Eaters caused a source of distress among the wizarding community. It’s not even worth reading, especially since it’s written by Rita Skeeter. She’s an actual leech and I am not going to entertain her devotion.

Despite the situation, I’m not going to let it control my thoughts. I grab my favorite mug and fill it with coffee, making sure to add plenty of milk and sugar to falter out the extremely bitter taste. I cut myself two slices of fresh bread and butter it. Oatmeal is always easy to make, so I proceed to do just so. I sprinkle cinnamon into the oatmeal, as it always makes me feel a little warmer. I place the toast on my oatmeal, and coffee in my other hand, and sit at the table to eat. With each bite, I relish the way the flavors entertained my taste buds. The crunchy toast, the warm and soothing oatmeal, and the rich aroma of my coffee were like old friends, welcoming me to the day with their familiar and inviting flavors. As I took each sip, I could feel the morning troubles lifting.

My mother peers her head in by the doorframe and gives a small smile. I raise an eyebrow at her at the sudden change of behavior. Wasn’t she just stressed out of her mind?

“I have a surprise for you, Alice,” she lightly teases.

“What is it?” I curiously ask as I watch her walk toward me, her hands behind her back.

She reveals what’s in her hands to me, and it’s a beautiful long emerald green puffy tulle dress. It’s off-the-shoulder with long sleeves. The bodice and waistline are kept form-fitting, and the silhouette of the skirt is laced with silver sequin patterns of leaves.

I gasped at the beauty of the dress “What’s this for? Is it for me, mum?” I ask confused

“The school list states that you’re required to have a dress robe for a formal occasion this year,” she answers. “I went out early this morning to buy you this. It fits your taste. Elegant,” my mother says.

“Formal occasion?” I ask “For what?” I exclaim, grabbing the dress to look at the design closely. This did not come cheap. I’m not going to ask what the price was either, I want to save myself the guiltiness.

“No clue,” my mother nonchalantly shrugs. “But I do not want you to put this on until the day comes you have to. Save the first look for the moment,” she adds, giving me a stern look.

“Mhm, noted,” I answer, feeling the fabric against my fingertips and resisting the urge to pick at the sequins. I firmly clench the dress and look up at my mother with a smile. I stand up and give her a tight hug “Thank you, mama.”

“You’re welcome, dear. I had to anyway,” she chuckles. I hear her take a deep breath and give me a few little pats on the back. “Your father is still a bit bothered by today’s news, so be wary. You know how he gets. Remember, at school don’t let the other students be a bother.”

I break from my mother’s grasp and give a thumbs up as a seal of approval. Coming from a long line of Slytherins, it’s easy to get caught up in controversy—especially these days of Harry Potter’s “this and that” events. Luckily, my parents never delved into the cult of Voldemort lovers, but views to some extent are shared. Though my parents are acquainted with a few Death Eaters, that’s only because they were classmates years ago. It’s not much of a bother to me because as long as I don’t have to associate myself with them, then I’m good.

“I’m going to pack this away,” I tell my mother and quickly flee to my room.

As soon as I step foot into my room, Alby is sitting on the bed. I go up to him and give him a small peck on his head. I set the dress beside him and rummaged through my closet. Junk is scattered everywhere and dirty clothes, which I throw aside until I find what I’m looking for.“Aha!”

A light pink present box just big enough for me to fill the space with the dress, which I slide across the wood floor beside my bed. I stand up and neatly fold the dress, compactly pressing it into the box.

It’s probably best I start packing clothes for the school year anyway. I let out a small huff, and pull out my luggage from under the bed. It’s quite big compared to other students, but that’s alright. I don’t intend on wearing the same outfit every weekend anyway.

I carefully place my robes and uniforms into the luggage, making sure they’re all in order. I pack plenty of socks and underwear. I don’t forget to include a warm coat, sturdy black shoes, and a comfy pair of pajamas. I also make sure to pack a few snacks and some essentials like a toothbrush, toothpaste, and shampoo. Since these are all essentials I may as well cram my textbooks in here too. Thank, God, my parents were smart enough to go to Diagon Alley a few days ago to get my sixth-year books to beat the rush of students and families in the oncoming days.

I look underneath my bed and reach underneath to pull out another piece of luggage just for personal wear. I spend some time going through my collection of clothes in both my closet and dresser choosing gracious, modest, and fashionable pieces to bring along. I am by no means self-absorbed, but I believe we should dress as we are. Why be beautiful on the inside, when you can look at it as well? As I lay them out on my floor, I even go as far as to mix and match them to create a variety of outfits that would be timeless and eye-catching. For me, of course. Next, I select my favorite jewelry, including necklaces, bracelets, and rings, that will enhance my wardrobe.

But, I refuse to stop here. I want to look my best for this year, so I make sure to pack my nail polishes. Three colors- dark red, dark green, and black. I even put my makeup bag in the side pocket for some added self-care. And finally, I made sure to bring plenty of money along to ensure that I would have everything I needed to make the most out of my experiences. You never know when you need a pocket, or two... full of change.

I zip both of my bags and drag them beside my door for when I leave. When I look back up, Alby looks almost depressed. He’s very smart. Smart enough to know that I’ll be gone for a long time. It hurts my soul to disappear from him for that amount of time. I hate to think he feels abandoned, or that I have fled from him.

I walk up to Alby and lay beside his warm fluffy big body. I nuzzle my face into his scruff, along with lots of gentle kisses. Alby, being the big baby he is, begins to give out small whines and lick my cheek.

“I love you, Albs. You’re such a good boy and because of that I’ll be back always to see you,” I say

It’s been a few days since the occurrence of the Death Eaters drama, and although it has shaken up the Wizarding World, my parents seem to be more annoyed with the fact that Rita Skeeter is slaughtering the Ministry with her senseless words. It’s true that she’s indeed a vile woman, but honestly, I’m tired of them complaining.

“That lady has no class! She does not know the first thing about handling REAL situations!” my mother exclaims loudly “She was in Ravenclaw, you know?” she pauses to look at me with a bewildered face “And yet, this woman does not have any brains at all,” she scoffs.

“I get it,” I annoyingly say, however, she doesn’t pick up the tone because she continues to ramble on

My father, on the other hand, is silently agreeing by nodding at my mom. Even he looks dragged out.

“How do you feel about going back to Hogwarts tomorrow?” he asks, clearly wanting to ignore Mum.

I tilt my head to the side and think of how I feel, and take a deep breath in “I’m nervous, but excited. I’m happy to be seeing my friends again and get caught up. It’s going to be different this year since I have more free time, however it’s only gonna go to studying and homework. Which you know,” I answer truthfully.

“Mhm, well, focus on your studies. Your grades are very important. Ask for help when you need it. School isn’t for fooling around. This is your future, Alice” he lectures me.

“Yes, I know, Dad,” I say while rolling my eyes “I’ll be heading off to bed now. Tomorrow comes early. I love you guys,”

My father moves his head up and down to acknowledge my farewell, mother stops her commotion and leans down to kiss my forehead.

“Sleep well, sweetie. I love you too,” she smiles at me.

I push myself off the couch and make my way to my bedroom. I can hear the soft creaking of the floorboards under my feet, and the echo of my footsteps in the empty hallway. It was a comforting sound, a memento that this is my one true home. As I push

the door open to my bedroom, the sweet lavender smell of freshly washed sheets filled my nostrils. My body drifts to my bed and I climb in, sinking into the softness of the mattress, pulling the covers up over my body. It was a feeling of pure bliss, one that I could never get enough of. One that I’ll have to remember for another school year. Knowing in just less than half a day I’ll be back on the train to Hogwarts, tears well up in my eyes. I push out the oncoming homesickness, close my eyes, and focus on being right here in the moment. Slowly, I drift into a deep sleep.