Wizarding Wonders

The last month of Natalie’s time at Hogwarts had arrived, and Natalie was feeling nostalgic as she walked around the Great Lake. She was deeply sad about having to leave the castle and all the memories she had made there. The good thing was that she could still stay in touch with her close friends via owl. It was incredible to think that seven years ago, she hadn’t even known that this whole magical castle was actually real. Now, she couldn’t bear leaving it.

 

During the month of June, when she hadn’t been studying for her final exams, Natalie had been back and forth to the Forbidden Forest. She had managed to get there with the help of Tropaz the Centaur, a longtime friend of the family. The Paiges were still shocked that her Uncle Josiah - technically her “great uncle” (though he wasn’t all that great) had escaped Azkaban. He was the leader of a gang of Dark Wizards called “Legion”, and they had been working at various nefarious shops in Knockturn Alley.

 

Natalie had spent a lot of time with her aunt Brianne, who lived as a werewolf in the Forest. She had been acting as a “liaison” between the dark and the light creatures of the forest. Between her and Tropaz, Natalie and her father Max (a private consultant) were gaining information on what was going on in the Forest. The latest discovery had scared Natalie to her very core.

 

She’d been exploring the cave where her aunt Brianne lived, looking for clues of recent events. A few other students, who shall remain nameless for their own protection, discovered her and followed her into the cave. By pushing around a few stones, they came across a hidden passage that led to an underground treasure trove of information.

 

Similar to when the modern-day “stalker wall” is revealed in all of those cop shows, these walls were plastered with pictures of witches and wizards, their faces moving as magical photos did. The pictures were organized by the symbol of the Ministry of Magic on one wall, and the symbol of the Dark Mark and the word “Legion” on the other wall. Underneath the images was information: location, age, family members, education, pets…

 

A few images stood out to her as she had scanned the walls. The first was that of her uncle Josiah, top and center under the Dark Mark. No surprise there. Underneath it was Wesley Elliot - brother to Tessa, Natalie’s mother. On the Ministry side sat her grandparents, Richard and Marianne. Her father sat there as well, looking proudly back at her. On the middle wall, marked “Neutral”, was Brianne’s picture. Then there was a fourth wall labeled “Target?” Natalie had almost fallen over when she saw her photo staring back at her, along with some others who would be graduating that year.

 

Which wall would they find their photos on? Natalie knew that only time would tell…