𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 | 𝐡. 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

Just another day.

That's what Aurora thought when she woke up on the morning of her eleventh birthday.

Granted, her brother Regulus had been awake since midnight and had been bouncing on the old mattress she was resting on the moment the morning light crept through the cracks in their faded curtains of the children's home, or more specifically, the orphanage.

She never liked those curtains anyway, they were too drafty and didn't keep out all the light and she was almost certain that they had been salvaged from a fire because they constantly smelt of burnt.

"Get up, get up, get up, get up!" Said Reggie as he jumped onto the bed by her side, pulling the cover over her tousled rich dark chocolate loose curls as she winced at the light creeping through the curtains. Sitting up, she rubbed her tired eyes as she pushed back the curtains to peer out of the window, as she had expected it was raining, and judging by the puddles scattered across the overgrown concrete playground it had been raining overnight.

Her eyes dropped to the windowsill as a slow yet steady drip accumulated in the corner from the window, she sighed and pulled the curtain to again.

"You reckon mum was serious about our eleventh birthday?" asked Reggie moving to climb into the bed with her to stay warm, "She said it was important to her and to dad."

"I don't know," said Rory truthfully as she fiddled with the freying threads on the second pair of socks on her feet, "I think we'll no doubt find out by the end of today what the fuss was all about if anything."

"Do you think we'll get any presents this year?" he asked her, and she doubted it a lot.

Rummaging under her pillow she pulled out a small present she had wrapped herself for her brother, holding it out to him he looked confused yet elated.

"I didn't think we were getting anything for our birthday." said Reg, resting it on his knee, "I feel terrible I haven't got you anything."

"Don't be silly, go on open it."

Reg nodded once and did as he was told, pulling out a pair of thick bed socks with a big chocolate bar tucked in either sock, and a photo, one of the few things she had managed to steal from their filing cabinet. Their only photo of their mother that wasn't ruined or crumpled, it was when she was young and happy, she lacked the fear in her eyes that she had while raising them, she didn't look sick and she didn't look to be cautious of everything. Here she was sat with the figure of a man, a man they knew to be their dad but there was a flare during the picture, a small spec of dust blotted out their father's face entirely.

"Rory-"

Rory didn't let him finish as she pulled him into a hug, she didn't want to see him getting worked up over seeing their mum's face for the first time in four years, she knew seeing him cry would break her stoic exterior and she would cry too, but she couldn't. Reg pulled his sister into a hug as he cried, it had been particularly hard for Reg to grasp that their mother wasn't coming back for them, but for Rory it had settled in all too quickly, she assumed the protector role whether she liked it or not, it's what she became and it was all she knew.

"I'm done." said Reggie, pulling away as he wiped his tears, "Thanks Rory... really, how did you even get this?"

"Stole it from the Warden so you'll have to hide it during inspections, but it's yours now."

"Don't you want it?" he asked, holding it out, "She is, was... our mom..."

"I'm good," said Rory stiffly, gently pushing his hand away, "Come on, we better go to breakfast before they run out of milk again."

Reg didn't push, though he ought to. Instead he followed his sister's lead, trailing behind her soft footsteps as she padded across the old wooden boards. They were the first ones there, meaning that if they were quick enough, they could eat what they wanted without praying first, which the both of them found to be a nuisance.

They each ran to get what they needed, Rory grabbing the bowls and the milk while Reg fetched the spoons and the cereal, today they would treat themselves to coco-pops, that way they could have chocolate milk too.

They wolfed down their bowls, Reg even going as far to lick his clean as they washed and put them away again just in time for the other children to begin pouring out, Rory did her daily task of helping the younger children by making their toast or discreetly mixing in sugar sachets that she had stolen from a cafe into their porridge to make it taste better, or at least go down easier.

The Warden was always the last to arrive, if possible, she hated being there more than the kids did or at least that's what Rory had overheard her telling the cook one afternoon, she could never stand kids and took a great liking to making that clear through her punishments and lack of... well, anything.

"Silence. Now we Pray." she said.

"Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord." the children chorused tiredly before making the sign of the cross, "Amen." the children ate in silence, the only sound being the sound of chewing, cutlery on plates, the only person in the room who appeared to genuinely be remotely happy was Reg, who was chomping down his bland scrambled eggs with an unshakeable grin.

Then there was a knock at the door.

The room fell deadly silent to the point it was deafening, the sound of the warden's chair scraping on the chair cut through their ears like nails on a chalkboard it made Rory's teeth clench as the beastly woman got up from her seat and thundered over to the front door.

"Who do you reckon that is?" asked one of the older kids.

"Probably the police, Sarah's probably in a halfway house again." said the other older child, eating her beans. Sarah was an escape artist, she hated it so much that she would plan out her next runaway before her shoes had even touched the pavement of St Bernadettes.

"Hey maybe it's someone coming to adopt us." said another kid.

Rory held back her bitter laughter as she swapped it for a sympathetic smile, Tim was new, she hadn't quite grapsed the chances of an older kid given the chance of a forever home. Enievitably the family would either hand the child back over or the kid, who had never known a life of love and comfort would reject the new feeling and go back to what they knew, so they would act out and get sent back anyway.

There had only been a handful of kids who actually never came back, they were always too young to know any better.

But Rory smiled anyway, she didn't want to crush his spirit just yet, his hope... the Warden would do that over time, chipping away at it until eventually you're as pessimistic as the rest of them.

"BLACK!" yelled the Warden from down the hall, reluctantly Rory stood while Reggie launched himself towards the door in spectacular fashion, urging Rory to be quicker, Rory sighed softly, he was still thinking that there was something coming for them, as much as she would've liked to have believed it, the chances were practically slim to none.

Reg went first as Rory peered her head around cautiously before fully stepping into view. In front of her she saw three things that were peculiar, the Warden was smiling and there was a woman standing in the doorway, dressed in a green cloak with a matching hat that hid her slicked back hair, not to mention the fact she was dressed peculiarly. She had seen her mother in a similar garb when she was young, young enough for her only to barely remember the specifics of it, only that her cloak was a deep crimson rather than the shade of emerald the woman was sporting.

"This lady is here to take you to a school... a school for... special children like you." said the Warden grinning widely at the thought of saving extra money from them, Rory naturally recoiled as Reg seemed disappointed, the woman in the doorway seemed unimpressed to say the least.

"They have been accepted into a school for which they've had their names down since the moment they were born, and I'm afraid the new term does not start until the first of September, I'm here to relay the details to the children and the specifics I will explain to you personally afterwards, for now, I wish to speak with Regulus and Aurora alone... do you have a room to fit such a purpose?" said the woman, Rory was surprised to hear a Scottish accent slipping past her pinched lips but she didn't think too much on it.

The warden huffed in irritation before gesturing to the office, the woman nodded stiffly before gesturing for the two of them to go in first.

Reg went in first, followed closely by a silent Rory, ever observant.

If she's from a big school surely she'd bring luggage with her, but she only wore the clothes on her back.

The woman closed the door behind her before walking to perch herself on the desk in front of the twins, both were waiting for something to be said yet the woman seemed to be keen to get a good look at them first, and for a split second Rory caught a glimpse in her eye, she recognised them.

But they'd never met before.

Must be their parents—wait, she knew their parents?

Rory sat forward a little.

"First things first, I'll introduce myself." She said, looking between the two of them. "You'll refer to me as Professor McGongall, and I am a teacher at the school you will, I hope, be attending this coming September. Now, I already both of your names, Aurora and Regulus Black... now, tell me... did your mother mention anything of a school called Hogwarts?"

Regulus shook his head, Rory remained silent.

Regulus looked at his sister, she knew something he could tell without saying anything he urged her to speak, this woman looked like a walking talking golden ticket to him while to her she looked like just another adult with an authority.

Stiffly, Rory spoke. "She mentioned it, she spoke about it briefly... but I saw books... letters as a child, Hogwarts: A History... a story book about a magic school."

McGonagall appeared to flinch at the notion of her not knowing anything, yet it was so minuscule that to the naked eye it was unnoticeable, but Rory was good at picking up things like that.

"It wasn't a story book... Hogwarts is a school of magic, a school that the two of you are officially enrolled to attend this year." Said McGonagall, "Your mother never told you about it at all?"

"Like I said." Said Rory, "She avoided it, that and anything about our father. She told us that we'd find out ourselves when the time came."

"Well... upon it being your eleventh birthday... I have to deliver these letters to you in person.... to explain the environment you will be walking into." Said McGonagall, yet Rory noticed she had brushed off the father topic, she knew something.

"Wait, you said magic... like pulling bunnies out of hats?" Said Reg, "Card tricks?"

McGonagall shook her head, she pulled out a stick from her sleeve and swished it, upon her will she transformed into a cat that was perched on the same spot she was once sitting.

Rory's eyes widened while Reggie fell backwards off of his chair.

McGongall returned to her form, "Magic is real and very delicate, the both of you will be taught how to manage your own talents within a safe and educational environment, you will be provided with individual beds, food, classes every day and plenty of after school activities you can choose from... you won't have to come here after your school day..."

Reggie's eyes beamed at the thought while Rory grew tense, "It sounds expensive... we're penniless orphans without a penny to our name, we can't afford books or uniforms—"

"Don't worry about finances my dear, that will be paid for on behalf of the school, we believe that every child with magical ability should have the chance to learn to master their skills without any obstructions." Said McGonagall, she had understood now that out of the two of them, Rory was the realist, at eleven years of age she was worrying about the cost of her education, the woman felt a deep sadness looking on at the young girl, she wondered what it would take to get a genuine smile out of her. "Is that something you would like?"

"Absolutely." Said Reggie, "Can we go now?"

McGonagall turned to Rory, who nodded once in response to her question, she felt the weight on her heart loosen but not quite lifted.

"Well... here are your letters," said McGongall fetching them out of her pocket, "Inside you will find everything that you need for school, your books and equipment have already been purchased and wait for you in your dormitories... your uniforms will have to be tailored to you a few weeks short of your attendance, but for now... Happy Birthday."

She revealed two presents, one for Reggie and one for Rory.

Reggie tore open his, while Rory was decidedly more delicate. The wrapping paper was definitely better than the cheap stuff they used at Christmas to wrap up selection boxes, she could use it as wallpaper for the girl's dollhouse if she was careful enough.

But there-in the paper, was two slightly worn hardback volumes of William Shakespeare's plays, with a beautifully illustrated bookmark.

Reg got a leather jacket that was worn in on the elbows, with iron-on patches of muggle band names.

"The jacket was your fathers—and your mother's copies of her favourite muggle author." Said McGonagall fondly, recalling how she saw their parents using these things just eleven years prior, "I'm glad that I'm finally able to return them to their rightful owners."

"They belong to our parents," said Rory, not with any suggestion of a tone, just a vague sadness, "They should go back to them."

"Ergo, you have inherited them, do take good care of them— I'll be sure to see you in the upcoming months to evaluate both of your conditions." Said McGonagall standing to her feet as she watched Rory open her book to find lavender pressed into the pages, there were faded rose petals hidden in between the pages as markers— she saw something happen in the girls eyes—a fondness, a sadness?

But it vanished quickly, McGonagall sighed inwardly.

Aurora Black would be a lot harder to crack than Regulus it appeared.

McGonagall almost resented how right she was about the young witch.

𝔄𝔲𝔯𝔬𝔯𝔞 𝔞𝔫𝔡 ℜ𝔢𝔤𝔲𝔩𝔲𝔰 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 1991

𝔄𝔲𝔯𝔬𝔯𝔞 ℌ𝔢𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔯 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 1995

ℜ𝔢𝔤𝔲𝔩𝔲𝔰 "𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔲𝔫𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔤𝔦𝔫𝔞𝔩" 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 1995

ℌ𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔶 𝔍𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔰 𝔓𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯 1995

𝔖𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔲𝔰 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 + ℜ𝔢𝔪𝔲𝔰 𝔏𝔲𝔭𝔦𝔫 1995

𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔫𝔞 𝔓𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔢 1981

𝔖𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔲𝔰 𝔖𝔫𝔞𝔭𝔢 1981