soaring, tumbling,
freewheeling
through an endless
bottom sky

ϟ

Perry was in an uncomfortable situation.

A month ago she was held hostage in a bedroom she could barely call her own. A week ago she was venturing into unknown places and reuniting with her best friends. An hour ago she was falling to the ground in a frenzy as she panicked about not getting through the barrier to platform nine and three-quarters. Currently, she was in a flying car on the way to Hogwarts, pulling Harry back through the door from where he was hanging.

"Thanks, Pare-Bear," Harry mumbled into her ear as he gave her a bone crushing hug.

"Please don't ever do that again," Perry said shakily.

"Yeah, I'll try," Harry said.

"Hey, look on the bright side," Ron interjected, "I think I can see Hogwarts through the clouds."

Perry turned to look out the front windshield. Dim speckles of light bled out through the clouds of late dusk. As the car descended, the stunning castle became clearer. Perry's breath hitched as she gazed upon the beautiful architecture of the Hogwarts Castle resting beside the lake of mother nature's creation.

As they flew the car jolted forward once again. After about two and a half hours flying, the car started to make odd noises and buckle for a few seconds. As they neared the five hour mark, they began to worry about the car.

With a loud clunk, followed by a splutter, the engine gave out and died completely. The three children let out a chorus of screams as the car began to fall from the sky. Perry, not wearing a seatbelt, flew upward into the ceiling of the car. Harry's head banged into the window, while Ron clutched the steering wheel with his one hand and searched for his wand with the other.

With a crash they hit a monstrous tree and dropped to the ground. A bump the size of a golf ball throbbed on Harry's head from where he hit the window. A large gash across Perry's hairline oozed blood down her forehead. Ron let out a scream as a crack sounded in the car.

"Is everyone all right?" Harry asked.

Perry groaned as she slowly pushed herself off of the dashboard.

"My-my wand," Ron exclaimed horrified. "Look at my wand—"

Perry turned to see what he was making a deal about. His wand was snapped, almost completely in two if it weren't for a few splinters that held on.

"What about your wrist?" Perry said, noticing it was a bit swollen already.

"It—"

A loud bang and a shake of the car cut him off. Harry went lurching into Perry, who went lurching into Ron. Something had hit the car with the force of a bull. The car took another hard hit to the top, causing an indent in the roof.

"What is happ—"

Ron gasped before shielding his head. Perry and Harry looked forward to see why he gasped before they too covered their heads. A branch the size of an elephant was diving at full force towards them.

The windshield shattered and glass covered the entire front seat. The tree they had hit had gone into action and continued to beat the car to the brim.

"We have to make a run for it!" Ron exclaimed as he attempted to open his side door. Right then, a tree branch swooped down and hit the door, knocking Ron back into Perry and Harry.

"We're done for!" Harry exclaimed.

Perry shifted around, letting Ron's head drop onto the seat cushion coated in glass. She got onto the ground and reached her hand to the ground. Against the floor of the car Perry could feel a small vibration. She reached her hand upwards and felt around. Her hand found the stick shift of the car and she pushed it into reverse. With as much force as she could she slammed her hand against the peddle.

The car shot backwards. Perry had no clue where they were going, as she was on the ground. She only hoped that they weren't going to fall off one of the tiny ridges.

Perry took her hand off the peddle and crawled onto the seat to look around. She had held the peddle long enough for the car to drive meters away from the blasted tree that tried to kill them.

"That—" Ron gasped, "—Was close. Well done, Perry. Well done, car."

The car wasn't as appreciative as Perry was for Ron's thanks. The doors burst open and their seats lifted up, launching the children and all of their belongings out of the car. Perry only now acknowledged Hedwig's ear piercing cries of terror. Poor bird.

The car let out a huff, as if it could feel true annoyance. Then, it sped into the darkness of the forest.

"Come back!" Ron yelled after it. "Dad'll kill me!"

With on last snort from the exhaust engine, the car disappeared into the black abyss.

"Can you believe our luck," Ron said miserably, kicking his foot into the dirt before picking up his pet rat, Scabbers. "Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to hit one that fights back."

Perry giggled while looking back at the tree that was still waving it's branches around threateningly.

"Don't mess with Mother Nature," Perry laughed.

"Come on," said Harry wearily, still scared of th the tree. "We'd better get up to the school..."

"Yay," Perry said sarcastically. "I can't wait to break the school record for earliest detention ever earned in a school year!"

Ron and Harry snorted a laugh as they gathered their belongings. The castle was farther away than any of them had anticipated. Considering they had to drag their trunks up a hill, it seemed like an eternity before they were even half way there.

"Hey." Ron called to Perry and Harry. He had stopped walking a few meters away. "Come and look— it's the Sorting!"

Perry and Harry hurried over to Ron's side to peak into the Great Hall. Through the windows they saw a numerous amount of candles floating above four long tables. Each table was occupied by hundreds of children, although, through the window all you could see was a sea of pointed black hats.

"Look— there's Ginny!" Ron exclaimed pointing to his younger sister who was waiting patiently in the line of first years.

The famous sorting hat sat on a stool at the front of the hall waiting to be put on. Professor McGonagall stood beside it with a large scroll in her hands.

From the grounds of Hogwarts they watched as first years approached the wobbly three legged stool and tattered old hat, trying it on and being sorted into their house.

Perry's eyes wandered from the hat to the Professors tables. She scanned through, looking for someone she didn't recognize. Before she could find the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, she found an open, abandoned seat.

"Hang on," Perry muttered. "There's an empty chair at the staff table... Where's Snape?"

"Maybe he's ill!" exclaimed Ron.

"Maybe he's left," said Harry hopefully. "Because he's missed out on the Defense Against the Dark Arts job again!"

"Ron! Harry!" Perry exclaimed. "You may not like him, but you should never wish harm to him in any form!"

"Perry," Harry said, "It's Snape."

"Yes, and as unfair as he is, he's still a good teacher," Perry said. "And he's human!"

"Or maybe he's been sacked," Ron said ignoring what Perry had just said. "Everyone hates him—"

"Or maybe," said a cold voice, "He's waiting to hear why you three didn't arrive on the school train,"

Harry and Ron spun on their heals to face Snape. Perry turned cautiously, and smiled a sheepish smile at Severus Snape, her head of house.

"Follow me," he said blankly.

Not daring to look at each other, they grabbed their trunks and followed after him. In silence, staring down at the ground below Snape's feet, the three children followed him into the Entrance Hall, flaming with torches. The delicious fumes of the food in the Great Hall wafted to their noses, but Snape led them down the hallway and away from where they wanted to go.

"In!" he bellowed.

The three children coward as they entered Snape's dark office. Jars of potion ingredients were stacked on shelves all around the room. The fireplace was dark and empty. The whole room held a chilling environment.

Snape slammed the door shut, making each of the children jump. Perry felt a lump in her throat as he whisked past them and stood behind his desk.

"So," he began, "The train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and Periwinkle and their faithful sidekick, Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we?"

"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it—"

"Silence!" Snape belted, fed up with the children. "What have you done with the car?"

Ron gulped and his face went a little paler than it already was. Perry and Harry thought he had surly read their minds, there had been other times where he knew things they hadn't spoken about. That was until he pulled out a copy of the evening prophet and showed them a headline that read: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES.

"You were seen!" he growled. Then he began to read: "Two muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower... at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing... Mr. Angus Fleet of Peebles, reported to police... Six or seven Muggles in all." He stopped reading and looked up at Ron. "I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office? Dear, dear, his own son..."

Perry felt the lump in her throat increase in size. She had been worrying about this exact outcome of their actions the entire time. Poor Mr. Weasley, one of the nicest men she had ever met, is going to get in trouble because of them.

"I noticed, in my search of the grounds, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow."

"That tree did more damage to us than we—" Ron blurted out.

"Silence!" yelled Snape. "Most unfortunately, you two—" his eyes flickered from Harry to Ron—" are not in my house and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. As for you.—" he looked to the terrified blonde girl—"We will speak when I return, Miss Periwinkle. You all will wait here."

Snape got up and strutted out of the room. The three children were feeling different emotions, all of the bad variety. Ron felt guilt hang over his shoulders like a weighted coat. Harry had lost his hunger, and now felt extremely sick as he tried to avoid eye contact with a slimy substance behind Snape's desk. Perry felt frozen with fear, as her mind couldn't comprehend the idea of leaving Hogwarts and living with the Dursley's again.

"You—You don't think—" Perry said breaking the silence, "That he'll— he'll actually ex— expel me— do you?"

"I—I dunno," Harry said.

"Would Dumbledore even— even allow that?" Ron asked.

"I dunno," Harry said again.

They remained silent until Snape returned with a very angry Professor McGonagall. The children had seen her mad before, but either they forgot how angry she could get, or her face had never been this straight before.

She raised her wand as soon as she entered, causing the three children to flinch as they believed she was going to turn them into pocket watches. Instead, flames shot out of her wand, lighting the fireplace.

"Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter," she spoke grimly, "Please follow me."

Harry and Ron looked to Perry with fear in their eyes. She wanted to offer a smile of sympathy, but filled with her own fear, her lips stayed straight. The boys slowly turned around and hesitantly followed her out of the office. Perry's heart began to beat faster as she watched the door close.

"Sit," Snape said shallowly as soon as the door clicked shut.

Perry shuffled her feet forward and pulled the chair back to sit in it. She sat down and started twirling her hands in her lap, absolutely terrified. She waited for him to say something.

"Professor Dumbledore will be in shortly after he's finished with your two partners in crime," Snape cleared the silence. "Until then, you have Time to explain yourself."

Perry looked up at him with dull eyes, her usual sparkles diminished by guilt, sorrow, and fear.

"Time is ticking, Miss Periwinkle," he spoke softly.

Perry opened her mouth and explained as much as she could, from the barrier being blocked to when he found them outside. She excluded telling him the part about the car being Mr. Weasley's. When she had finished she looked back up at him.

"Quite the tale, I must say. Although, just how much of it is true?"

"All of it, sir," Persephone said. "I wouldn't lie, Professor."

"No, I don't believe you would," he said with a sigh. "Though, I do believe your two friends Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter would."

"Professor, I promise—"

Right then, Headmaster Dumbledore walked through the door to Snape's office. He was wearing a lilac robe and his signature spectacles. He didn't speak as he went to stand by Professor Snape.

"Miss. Persephone," he spoke finally, "I can't say that I'm surprised by this behavior, but I didn't expect this much from you."

"I'm truly sorry, sir—" she blurted

"I'm sure you are," he said. "I'll have you know, these kinds of actions are not tolerated at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Her eyes danced between the two professors in front of her. "I know," she said quietly.

"Severus," Dumbledore said talking directly to Snape, "What happens here is purely your decision. I have matters to attend to with Madam Pomfrey in making sure she gets something ready to help our three trouble makers."

He gracefully swept out of the room, his robe trailing behind him. Perry felt horrible disappointing him. She looked up to Dumbledore, and hearing the disappointment in his voice broke her a little more. She would have rather him yelled at her than that.

"Miss Periwinkle," Snape said dryly, "Your trunk is—"

Perry snapped and tears flooded the brims of her eyes. She looked up at him and pleaded, "Please, please, please, don't expel me Professor... I will do anything to stay! Please, I can't go back! I can't... I can't..."

Snape felt his cold heart soften for the girl. He didn't show it in his eyes; he didn't show it in his posture. He watched a tear stream down from her eyes. He had noticed the sparkle in her eyes, which she showed so often around the castle and in her classes, was gone.

"Miss Periwinkle," he repeated, "Your trunk is in your dorm room. Please report to the infirmary before curfew."

sorry I haven't updated lately
corona is making school way more difficult than it's supposed to be and I haven't had as much time to write. anyways go check out my Harry Potter apply fic
xx