Casualty of Love: Turning Tables

You've Had An Eventful Summer, Haven't You?

The next morning at breakfast, I was talking to Emmy and Ginny about our class schedules when the mail came in. Normally on the first day the post would just be newspapers or forgotten school supplies so I wasn't expecting anything. So, when my owl landed in front of me with a letter attached to his leg, I was shocked to say the least.

"Whose writing to you already?" Emmy asked, probably jealous that I was written to before her.

"I think I know...," I said before opening the letter slowly.

Dear Allie,

I know this is a little soon to be writing you but I had to tell you what I've just found out. I never told you this but, I have a brother. I've just been told that he's been put into Hogwarts in your year to help...with the thing. I was just warning you about him because I know he'll have something to say to you. He's not like me...he's quite the interesting character. Be careful around him. Write me soon. I miss you already.

Love,

Nehemiah

"Well, what does it say? Whose it from?" Emmy and Ginny asked in unison.

I didn't know if I should tell them about Nehemiah or his brother but in the end, the guilt of secret keeping overpowered the desire to keep it a secret. "It's from my friend Nehemiah... He lives with my family back home. He was telling me that his brother has come to Hogwarts."

"And why did he tell you that? Is it important or...?" Emmy asked.

"No, he just wanted to tell me. No big deal," I lied. I couldn't tell them about it because that would require telling them about Draco's task and I couldn't tell them that even if I wanted to. I couldn't put them in danger like that.

"I think I saw him yesterday with Draco... He had Nehemiah's eyes."

"Wait, he was with Draco? Does that mean he's a Slytherin?" Ginny asked.

"I guess so... I can tell you that Nehemiah wouldn't be in Slytherin... They must be awfully different," I said, scared at the thought. If he was the polar opposite of Nehemiah, he must be a pretty bad guy.

"We better go to class. I've got Potions first," I said, getting up and walking towards the dungeons. 

I walked by myself so I could think. Why would Nehemiah want to warn me about his brother? How would he even know who I am?

"Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to Potions class?" I heard from my left side. I was in such a daze that I didn't even noticed him walking beside me.

I look over at him and caught his eyes, which I recognized immediately. "Um, yes, that's where I'm going now actually," I said, looking at the ground and contemplating what to say.

"Are you Allie?" he asked first.

"How'd you know that?" I asked, honestly flabbergasted that he knew who I was.

"I've seen pictures. Draco's got a particularly nice one in his room. Not out in the open of course... That would be silly of him, wouldn't it? Being that you are dating in secret. No, it was in his trunk... Don't ask how I saw it," he winked.

He was very tall and skinny, from what I could tell through his robe. His hair was the same brown color as Nehemiah's but curly instead of straight and he had dimples surrounding his brilliant smile. He was classically beautiful.

"How do you know about me and Draco?" I asked accusingly. It could be very incriminating having a stranger know such an important secret.

"I know a lot. You might be surprised just how much."