A Bend in Time

Their astronomy class is held Wednesday at midnight and is combined with the Ravenclaws. Personally, Rowan thought the Ravenclaws were a decent bunch of scholars. The Ravenclaws smartly huddle together and whisper, while the bright-eyed Pandora Ravine can be seen curiously glancing around.

Standing before them is the rather young and recently graduated Professor Aurora Sinistra. The previous Astronomy Professor had retired the year before. This would be Professor Sinistra's second year of teaching having graduated only two years before. However, her Astronomy N.E.W.T.'s had been so high that she had been immediately hired. Still, she could be rather nervous at times.

Professor Sinistra finished fiddling with an astrological gadget. The tall, dark-haired witch with chocolate eyes and matching skin turns to face them. Professor Sinistra has a slightly circular face with sharp cheekbones and a prominent, straight nose. Her olive robes softly rustle in the night breeze as her spangled hat with astrological signs flutters gently every now and again.

Professor Sinistra nervously clears her throat and says, "The stars have always been fulfilled with mystery and mysticism since the dawn of time. Even now, we have yet to fully understand and comprehend what the stars have to offer." The 1st years let out ohs and ah's as they glance up at the starry-filled sky.

Professor Sinistra instructs them further, before giving them an in-class assignment to mark the astrological signs on the star chart. The professor passed out a simple star chart for everyone to fill out as they gather around the telescopes. The 1st years immediately begin to peer at the stars and jot down with their quills the astrological signs.

Rowan remains gazes at the twinkling night sky as the silvery moon bathes them in the pale moonlight. "What are you looking at?" Severus snapped after failing to see his sister doing the requested task at hand by Professor Sinistra.

"I'm just thinking that if it's a bit cool right now, how bad is it going to be in the middle of winter?" Rowan thought out loud.

Severus shivers at the mere thought. "Worse than the dungeons or at least that's what Wilkes said."

"That I can believe," Rowan solemnly agreed, before turning to smile sinisterly at Severus. "You know, it'd be pretty easy to push someone off the tower from up here."

Severus scoffs at Rowan's teasing. "You don't have the guts." Rowan just grins in reply as Severus rolls his eyes and says, "If you don't get back to work, I'll tell on you."

Rowan sniffs once or twice, before doing as she is told. She peers through the telescope up at the stars. It wasn't though she was trying to be mean, just trying to be rather realistic. By one o'clock the class is over as assignments are turned and they all sleepily tread back down to the dorms to sleep.

Later that same morning, breakfast in the Great Hall is filled with hundreds of owls. Circling around all the tables, they immediately drop the letters and packages into the laps of their rightful owners. Rowan on the other hand with distaste didn't finish eating as she didn't trust the fact that an owl feather or two hadn't made its way into the food. And if that could happen, who says the gray oatmeal didn't contain something worse!

Owyn proudly carries two letters one addressed to Rowan and the other to both of them. Rowan gently pets Owyn on his beak, who proudly hoots, before fluttering off to Owlery. Severus gloomily sees the large, brown figure of Owyn fly off and darkly mutters, "Traitor."

Rowan snickered and says, "Don't be jealous, Sev. It doesn't become you."

Severus glared at Rowan, before tearing open the letter from their grandfather, Reginald Prince. While Severus reads the letter, Rowan opens her own small envelope to find a folded copy of a birth certificate from the Wool's Orphanage and two obituaries, one for Merope Riddle and the other for Tom Riddle Sr. And the Daily Prophet article on the imprisonment of Morfin Gaunt for the murder of a muggle Riddle Family.

"It's really nice to have a relative, who has money," Rowan fondly thought to herself. All it had taken was a simple request and her grandfather had paid some sort of muggleborn historian to track down and make copies of said requested information. While an old friend of their grandfather had sent the requested copy of the old article in the Daily Prophet.

Grandfather had asked for the reason, why? In response, Rowan had lied with a straight face, stating she was just brushing up her investigation skills to one day become an Auror. Unable to determine if Rowan was lying or not, nevertheless, Reginald complied with her request.

Severus interrupts Rowan's thoughts. "Grandfather, is just wondering, how we are doing? Next time, he'll be sending us some treats and supplies and requests a reply in order to send the correct needed items," Severus muttered, before furrowing his brows at seeing the copied machine certificate.

"Exactly why did grandfather mail you a copy of a birth certificate?" Severus suspiciously asked.

Before Severus can read the name, Rowan neatly refolds the birth certificate. "For curiosity's sake."

Severus furrows his brow as Rowan adds, "We'll pen grandfather a reply later this evening."

"Fine," Severus murmured putting way his own letter in the pocket of his inner robe.

With a somewhat still empty stomach, Rowan gloomily trotted after Severus onto the outside grounds. Already waiting in a scattered group were several students from both houses as they eagerly chatted about Quidditch. A couple of them even dreamed and imagined themselves becoming professional Quidditch players.

Not long after Lily waves to Severus, who hurries over to them followed by four boys, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, the four original Marauders. The four boys trail after Lily as Sirius in good nature calls out to Severus. "Well, if it isn't our lovely Prince?" Severus teased.

Severus rolls his eyes as the four boys snicker at Sirius's joke. "Ignore them," Lily said with an exasperated sigh.

James without hesitation points to Lupin and Pettigrew at his side in an introduction. "This one here is Lupin and that one over there is Pettigrew." And then points at Rowan and Severus. "These are the Prince twins, Rowan and Severus."

Lupin and Pettigrew call out in polite greetings as Severus nods back with Rowan not reacting at all. Severus raises an eyebrow at Rowan's unusual silence. Usually, Rowan would make a side remark about how James and Sirius were called by their first names, while the other two by their surnames. Before Severus can address Rowan, Madam Hooch, a woman with short, frazzled hair and yellow-like eyes appears before them.

"Everyone, please select a broom from the brooms before you," Madam Hooch exclaimed. The second-hand brooms before them not only were tattered and ancient having seen many 1st years taking flying lessons.

The boys eagerly rub their hands including Severus in excitement. They instantly rush forward until only one broom is left. "Is there anyone missing a broom?" Madam Hooch called out.

Rowan reluctantly comes forward and collects the remaining broom, dragging it sadly behind her. "Excellent, now, you will want to take care to feel the wood beneath your fingers like so," Madam Hooch demonstrated the proper grip on the broom, before showing them how to mount.

"I just know I'm going to play Quidditch," James excitedly said. "Unfortunately, 1st years don't get to try out until our 2nd year." Sirius, Lupin, and Pettigrew grunt sadly in agreement.

Severus, on the other hand, notices Rowan just blankly staring at her broom. "Rowan, are you alright?" Severus quietly asked.

Lily worriedly turns around to see Rowan stare at them with strange eerie eyes. "Do you know the statics of people falling to their death every year?" Rowan stated in an eerie tone. "33,381 thousand per year that's about 1 in every 100,000. Now knowing that static, why should I place the singular life which I possess into the hands of a magically enchanted broom with a mind of its own!?"

"Is there something wrong, Miss Prince?" Madam Hooch asked having heard a loud outburst from Rowan.

Turning her eyes onto Madam Hooch, Rowan gravely says, "Am I allowed to fail this class?"

Madam Hooch narrows her eyes and stiffly answers, "All 1st years are required to learn to fly."

"What about extenuating circumstances?" Rowan instantly countered.

"Miss Prince, if you are that fearful, I will stay by your side," Madam Hooch firmly argued.

Rowan pauses and eyes Madam Hooch with death-like eyes. "So as long as I pass today, I never have to do this again ever in my life?" Rowan quietly asked.

"Well, I wouldn't say never," Madam Hooch replied somewhat taken back. "One never knows when one might need a broom."

Seeing Rowan seem much calmer, Madam Hooch hurries to a group of first years in need of help. Sirius bursts out laughing and says, "Don't tell me you're afraid of flying?"

Rowan doesn't reply as she eyes the broom with evident murder in her eyes. "Rowan, what are you doing?" Lily quietly asked.

"I'm instilling fear into the broom," Rowan truthfully replied. Currently, the scene in her mind was that of a horror movie only stead of blood splatter it was wood shavings with the main protagonist being the broom in her hand.

"Okay, but why?" Lily worriedly asked.

"So, if it dares betray me, it will understand that the dire consequences that will follow will be a direct consequence of its own foolish actions," Rowan darkly said as the broom seemed to tremble in fear.

Severus tactfully coughs and interjects, "Did I mention that whenever Rowan's nervous, she gets rather pessimistic and paranoid?"

Before anyone has a chance to reply, Madam Hooch intrudes, "Alright, now, everyone please put down your broom onto the ground and then says, "Up!"

Everyone did as they were told and shouted, "Up!"

Quite a few brooms leap into a few hands as they all keep trying. Strangely enough among them, Rowan was one of the first of them to successfully do so. "Now when I blow the whistle, kick off the ground and then come down by leaning forward," Madam Hooch instructed before blowing the whistle.

To everyone's shock Rowan's broom rises causing Madam Hooch's mouth to flop open. Rowan firmly clings to the broom as she glares darkly at the broom, which trembles with some unknown fear. Madam Hooch grins as she flies over and says, "Well, it looks like you may have some talent for flying, after all, Miss Prince."

Madam Hooch almost flinches as Rowan meets her gaze. "No, I just instilled a great deal of fear into my mount. Yes, fear is an excellent motivator," Rowan eerily responded.

Madam Hooch tactfully ignores the response and says, "Everyone trust in your brooms, and be a bit more confident in yourselves."

Maybe, because they had seen how fearful Rowan was, but by the time class ended more than half of the class had already learned how to fly including Severus, Lily, and the Marauders. They all cheerfully head back to the great hall for lunch as Rowan feebly trails after them.