The excitement of the Quidditch final didn’t last long, at least for the fifth years. The weather was beautiful and summer was coming, but all that meant right now was that their OWLs were nearly upon them. Every day at least one teacher reminded them to study, and people were starting to panic. A Gryffindor girl, Patricia, fainted at least once a week, and hardly a day went by when someone didn’t shout, hit someone, or at least burst into tears. Some other reactions - breaking out in boils, sprouting tentacles, and dancing around the classroom - had been blamed on the Weasley’s twins’ pranks, but even their mischief had soon come to almost a standstill. Rumour had it they were actually studying a little, but Julia wasn’t sure she could believe it.
The Ravenclaw common room was unusually quiet. Julia was trying not to worry too much. She’d never failed an exam - in fact, she usually got top marks. She’d worked out a schedule, and today she was studying Astronomy, then a little Defence Against the Dark Arts. She tried hard to focus. The clock ticked. Grace frowned over her Potions notes. Willa was torn between finishing a late Charms essay and going over her boy files. Chelsea was back to reading her fake Transfiguration book. Finally, one by one, they got up to go to sleep.
Julia still had facts running through her head, though, and awakened around midnight from a dream that she was supposed to be stunning the moon, which was leading around a bunch of werewolves who looked suspiciously like dementors. She glanced around the room, and froze. Chelsea wasn’t in her bed.
Silent as she could be, Julia got up, put on her dressing gown and slippers, grabbed her wand, and slipped back down to the common room. The door had just been shut. Being as stealthy as possible, she followed the shadowy figure down the stairs.
She crept along at a safe distance. It was definitely Chelsea, and she was carrying the book. They went way down into the dungeons, farther than Julia knew they could go, far away from everyone. She had the fleeting thought that this might be dangerous, if Chelsea actually was evil, but quickly squashed it.
Chelsea stopped in a large room, which was full of cages containing various small animals rustling about, some making small noises. Julia lurked by the door, and watched as Chelsea lit the torches with magic, then released a little rabbit. It stood still, shivering. There was a long pause as Chelsea consulted her book, then turned her wand over in her hands a few times, like she was nervous.
–Imperio,†said Chelsea, her voice serious. The rabbits eyes glazed over and it did a flip. Chelsea
smiled slightly, and lowered her wand. The rabbit hopped back half a step, staring. Chelsea raised her wand again, voice still steady. –Crucio.â€
Julia closed her eyes and pressed herself against the wall. She didn’t want to watch, she didn’t want to hear. These curses couldn’t be legal . . . in fact, she thought she’d read about them somewhere. Yes, she definitely had. But in that case, there was one more. She couldn’t help it. She peeked back in to look.
Chelsea was shaking now. So was the rabbit. –Avada Kedavra.†Then, to Julia’s immense relief, nothing happened.
–Chelsea,†she said, stepping into the room. I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be doing this.
Chelsea whipped around. –What are you doing here?†Her eyes were wide. –What did you see?â€
–Those are unforgivable curses.†Julia stepped forward. I should be scared. Why aren’t I scared?
Chelsea was frozen, face terrified. She dropped her wand. It clattered across the stone floor. The animals flinched.
–Why are you doing this?†Julia asked. Her voice sounded strange to her, far away.
–I wanted to see if I could. I came across it, in a book, and I looked for more. I just wanted . . . to see.†Her voice was shaking. Even her body was trembling visibly. –I’ve been trying for months. I can’t kill anything.â€
–But why would you want to?†Julia was starting to be scared now. It wasn’t right. No one should want to use those spells. It was a Slytherin thing to do, not a Ravenclaw thing. Yet, really, were they so different? Chelsea didn’t answer. She was shaking so hard it looked like she was going to fall. A frog croaked.
What do I do? What should I do?
–If I report you, you’ll be expelled,†said Julia.
–Please,†Chelsea whispered.
–You can’t do this anymore, Chelsea! It’s wrong! Those poor animals . . .â€
–I wouldn’t use them on people!†Chelsea protested, her voice getting stronger. –I’m just learning! What’s wrong with that?â€
–You’re still hurting living things! You’re still doing stuff that’s wrong. It’s . . . can you imagine . . . if you know the spells, you could use them . . . why would you want to kill something, Chelsea?â€
–I don’t know.â€
The torches flickered.
–I have to report you.â€
–Please. I’ll stop. I promise I’ll stop.†She sounded close to tears.
–No one knows but me.â€
–Don’t tell, Julia. You don’t have to tell.â€
–I’m a prefect.â€
–I’m your friend.â€
They stood, face to face, one broken, guilty; one calm, still, uncertain.
–You have to stop.â€
–I will.â€
–You can’t do dark arts stuff. It’s wrong.â€
–I know that.â€
There was a pause that seemed to last for a million years, the silence pressing on them, urgent, absolute.
–You’re my friend,†said Julia. –I’ll make you a deal.â€
There was a flicker of hope in Chelsea’s eyes.
–I won’t tell,†Julia said. –I won’t tell anyone. But if I ever catch you doing these spells - if I see you down here - if I see you reading that book - I swear on my life I’ll get you expelled.â€
Chelsea stared. –It’s more than I deserve. Anyone . . . anyone else would have told.†She seemed close to tears.
–I trust you,†said Julia, and it was true. –Don’t let me down.â€
Then she walked away into the night, leaving Chelsea behind. Her heart was pounding, and not a single thought was left in her mind. She would think about it later. If she thought now, she felt like she would shatter, break into a thousand pieces. She got to the door to Ravenclaw tower, and it asked her a question.
–What is the difference between darkness and light?â€
Julia stared at it, mind still numb. –I don’t think there is one. Not really.â€
The door opened, and she stumbled back upstairs.