Lost in spells and shadows

Chapter 14: some of the many summer adventures of Adelaide part 1

Summer 1972

Adelaide would have been lying if she said her summer was not thrilling. It seemed that there was a lot to do but little time to do everything. Adelaide finished her homework the first few days, so that she would be more relaxed the rest of the summer, but she continued studying and pre-reading second year and the subjects of higher years, since she knew some might be doing the same, especially an annoying Gryffindor.

Elizabeth was more relaxed than the summer before, but Victoria had taken her place for being stressed and fidgety, as it was her fifth year at Hogwarts. Victoria, surprisingly, had already started reviewing her studies, which seemed promising enough. Helena was always talking about Hogwarts and asking a lot of questions from Adelaide, preparing herself for the next year. Edmund was also questioning her but he was not as concerned as Helena.

The very first week, her aunt and her family visited them for a few days. Her aunt, Sophie, was some 14 years younger than Annalise, as she was a surprise and their relationship was always changing between being a mother-daughter like relationship and a sisterhood, never quite fitting any of them. Even though, they always wrote each other letters and inquired about one another, their relationship was somewhat strained, for complicated reasons that Adelaide wasn't aware of. Once when Adelaide asked her mother about it she replied: "All sisters have quarrels, ours is no different." But it was far from the truth.

After her aunt, with her 3 children and her husband, left their home, they always had tea with Dumbledore, once every week. He always inquired about her powers, but nothing special had happened and her powers were under control, fortunately. He also talked about the worsening situation at the wizarding community, where Lord Voldemort' name was already becoming fearsome. Though, when they were talking about the atrocities, they threw the children out. Professor Mcgonagall and Sprout visited them a few times, and now it was hard to not see them as anything but her stern teachers at school.

Adelaide had also caught up with her muggle friends, in the village beside the white villa, and played with them daily. She was also dutifully exchanging letters with her new friends. Severus was also writing to her, though he didn't have much to say, though she was glad that he was fine. William and Remus also wrote to her, though the latter was more formal and had less things to say as he had befriended her late in the year. William, in contrast, wrote to her a lot and Adelaide was always looking forward to his letters.

Adelaide also invited Alice and Sarah to her home, when Victoria and Elizabeth left for their own friends' home. The accepted and stayed there for a week. Her parents were glad that their daughter had found such ideal friends, and her friends were at ease and comfortable with her parents. They would swim in the lake outside the village in the morning, Helena and Edmund sometimes joining them too. Helena had gotten along well with her friends, which was surprising and a relief, and the girls had doted on her. Edmund enjoyed Alice's presence as she was never tired of his pranks.

"Guys, let's go the attic. Let's go and find that carpet." Adelaide suggested racing to the stairs. Her friends following her. The attic was very big, and a bit dusty. It was also quite cold. There were lots of old furnitures and portraits of other descendants of Ravenclaw, most were covered with white cloth. There were lots of old boxes and candles here and there.

"There are many magical artefacts here, so please be careful what you're touching." Adelaide reminded her friends.

"Is that the carpet?" Sarah said, after a few moments.

"Yes, that's the one." All three of them pulled the carpet out of the box. It was a bit dusty, but was made beautifully with silk, its colour was white, grey, brown and cream but had a few pecks of blue on it.
"Wow it's so big! We can all sit on it." Alice exclaimed.
"Yeah but let's dust it off a bit. I'll ask Martha to do it. Since we can't do magic ourselves."