fear of crossing a threshold to start a new chapter

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November 1974

The majestic building of Hogwarts stood tall on the grounds as snow fell blissfully, everything turning icy white as if covered by a white sheet. The morning sun shone on the sky, casting a golden glow over the snow, yet its rays held no warmth in the cold that November held.

Students sauntered out the castle in small groups, smiles on their faces as they rubbed their gloved hands for warmth as they chattered. With all the happy faces, and their uniforms absent, it was evident that it was Hogsmeade weekend today.

Among all those students, two girls also came out from the building, getting in line to go to Hogsmeade too. With the blonde hair and blue eyes, and the similar structure of their faces; there was no doubt that they both were sisters. The older one pulled the muffler closer to her neck, and shivered as the cold snow met her body. While the younger one looked heavenward and giggled as the snow fell on her face. Her nose was turning pink with cold, but the snow always fascinated her.

“Careful there, we don’t want you catching a cold,” said the older one. “But Paige, snow is the best thing in the world,” she exclaimed with a grin even wider.

“Not when you sneeze a million times an hour because of it,” Paige replied causing the other girl to laugh. “Come on now. Are you going to keep standing there or shall we go to Hogsmeade?” Paige said as she started moving towards the gates. The other blonde nodded, and slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder as she moved forward, her shoes imprinting steps on the now. It was their first Hogsmeade trip, and the sisters were excited.

A little farther near the gates, 4 boys moved together constantly joking around as they made their way. They looked a bit older than the girl, and among the boy with the glasses, the frail sick boy that trudged behind them and the pudgy short heighted one, her eyes settled on the fourth boy. Tall frame, black hair that turned into soft curls at the end and an air of casual elegance around him. He was laughing at something the boy with the glasses had said while he put some sweets in his mouth. She felt herself stop, eyes still trained on him.

“Come on Ivy! Why do you keep stopping?” Paige complained as she turned back towards her sister. “Who are you looking at?”

“No one,” Ivy replied swiftly with a smile and they both started moving again. Yet Ivy felt her gaze wandering over to the group of boys from time to time. “Who are they?” she asked her sister, trying to make her voice not seem eager, as she slightly pointed towards them.

“The marauders, the ones I was telling you about last week,” Paige responded. “Oh,” said Ivy. So they were the infamous marauders. “If you’d come out of your books enough, you’d already know them.” Paige said. “Everyone knows them.”

But before Ivy could tell her that she barely cared, she felt something cold hit the back of her head where her beanie sat. She gasped, and turned around to see who had hit her with the snowball. Paige turned too and they both saw an unfamiliar boy standing there, a look of regret on his face.

“Why did you throw that at me?” Ivy asked, slight anger marking her tone. Paige shook her head, here we go again. She knew well of Ivy and her short temper.

“I’m so sorry!” he said, putting his hands up in mock surrender. “That wasn’t meant for you!”

“Oh do you take me as an idiot?” she asked, her voice rising in anger. “There’s nobody else here,”

The boy fumbled at a loss of words. He began to say something else but Ivy cut him off. “Why would you hit me with a snowball. I don’t even know you!” she exclaimed. “I told you it wasn’t meant for you,” he stated again, teeth gritted at the girl’s anger. Paige had to step in between them before things got out of control.

“Ives, it’s enough. He apologized,” she said. “Come on, now,” she tugged at her arm, trying to convince her but Ivy didn’t pay any attention. She fumbled angrily, formed a snowball and aimed it with her wand so that it hit the boy straight in the face.

“Ow,” he exclaimed, holding his nose which turned red with pain. “Ivy, stop it!” Paige said loudly, holding her arm to drag her out of the gates. But it looked like she wasn’t done yet.

“Okay, have it your way then,” the dark haired boy said as he began muttering a spell. Paige froze as she thought of the possibilities. What was he going to do? And Ivy just kept standing there stubbornly, arms crossed, face red with anger.

He stopped then. His lips stopped moving. But nothing happened. Paige’s face mirrored confusion as Ivy mocked. “Hunh? Is that all you got? Looks like your spell didn’t work,”

The boy didn’t reply but the smirk on his face told a different story. Something had certainly happened.

“Ivy..” Paige said, holding a hand to her mouth. The blonde’s breath hitched as she realized what he had done. The snow fell all around them, little flakes dancing in the air as they fell. But they didn’t fall on her.

The snow Ivy admired so much, fell everywhere but her. Not a single snow flake touched her.

And that was the first time Ivy Binns started to hate Regulus Black.