Days turned to weeks turned to months, and attention was focused on classes and grades over random events or spectacles, but still, those spectacles caused good banter among the group. O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S were growing closer with every day, and that formed sweat on everyone's brows. Anyway, those days passed, along with the majority of their grades, and all the blood, sweat and tears poured into them actually paid off. Primary interests shifted back onto the Triwizard Tournaments, and the news was received that the information will be passed on within the span of a day. The friends circled back to the apparent arrangement with Henry, Theseus and Amelia at centre, Newt, Leta and Noelle on the outer. They grew tolerant to the change, and became even better people for it. There were rarely any contentions amongst the few, only some trivial things that got onto their nerves, eventually subsiding. Like Henry's poor organisation, which Newt was greatly disturbed by, or Theseus' humour, which was distinct and dry, also caused a few moments of painful silence. But they laughed it off, gave tips to one another and continued with their lives as normal. The champions were sitting under the shade of a tall oak tree, over luscious blades of grass. The sun was almost out, but luckily for them, they had their wands in case anything were to go awry.
"Are you sure that he's telling the truth?" Henry piped up as the day was ending, leaning against the cool bark, "I mean, he said today, and I haven't heard of anything!"
"Neither…" Amelia was opposite him, fidgeting with her fingers, "But--"
"But what?" Both Theseus' and Henry's eyes grew wide, ears open and heads turned.
"I overheard the Headmaster talking with our Headmaster, and I'm sure yours as well Henry, in the Great Hall. What I found out was…" She paused as a tingle went up her spine and she sneezed. It wasn't loud or raucous, like a dainty mouse, like her. Pristine, cautious and small.
"Bless you." The boys acknowledged.
"What?" Theseus repeated, patience slowly draining.
"Rather disconcerting. Apparently," She lowered her voice to a whisper, "You-Know-Who is back on the run. Out. Loose. Targeting the schools."
"You can say his name!" Henry exclaimed, "Anyways, we'll fight 'im! From what I've heard, he's a coward. A nasty coward that has his henchmen doing everything for him! What a joke!" His sentiments aroused unsettled faces and raised eyebrows.
"And the TWT isn't going ahead. We are all going home, for the safety of your school, Theseus! Not ours, not Henry's, yours!" She went on a tantrum, voice now bold, echoing, still squeaky but much more in tune to the surroundings. The weather grew overcast, thunder booming in the distance.
"I can't change anything!" He retorted, standing up on his feet with force. She looked up at him with a fixed stare and he looked down with only sternness and a hope to intimidate. "That is what the Headmasters agreed on! I'm not a leader, I have no choice in the matter. They are protecting us, keeping us safe… All of us! Imagine if You-Know-Who..."
"Voldemort." Henry chimed in, receiving a scowl.
"You-Know-Who found his way here to our highly protected school with all of you in it? I could be killed. You could be killed. We could all be found dead and the ones who love us would be squealing in grief. That would never happen if you follow the protocol, go back to your respective schools and take a break." He sighed, releasing fumes of tainted, steamy air and slowly fell down to their level. He avoided all their surprised gazes and kept his eyes at the floor, which was becoming hard to decipher. Darkness was inevitable.
"Lumos..." They all sighed, creating little specks of light which hovered in front of their respective faces. With that organised, the heated discussion continued.
"Does that mean we'll be separated until the matter is sorted?" Henry looked at Theseus with companionship and then turned to Amelia, eyes pleading with longing.
"I suppose so…" She spoke shakily, holding onto his hand. Theseus jittered with nerves as he realised not his own situation, but his brother's. Leta was here for him all the while, which meant that nothing could go wrong. But Noelle had to travel back to Ilvermorny, leaving Newt lonelier than ever before. His brother was gradually peeling himself away from the comfort of his creatures, which with no doubt he still adored, but clinged onto the comfort of the human heart. Affection. Interest. "But we'll still write, of course, and the time will fly by!" It shook her to the core to hold this amount of optimism in such a time of doubt, so she squinted for a few moments, before opening them again. The struggle was real.
"We'll have to tell them, right?" Theseus questioned.
"Yes. Tomorrow. We can't let the opportunity go to waste." Henry stated.
They nodded their heads in agreement, standing up and heading back inside just as a heavy rain came tumbling down. The subject matter was moved far away from the current, but it wasn't taken with bursts of liveliness, for the trio's minds were all churning and the clock was ticking. Eventually, they crashed, bobbed, floated, sank and bounced into their beds, awaiting a restless sleep and an uneasy day ahead.