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YOU WOULD THINK

that after surviving a battle in which you fought against Death Eaters ― you would feel happy and relieved. But that's not what Celeste felt. Although it has been months since the battle, Celeste kept rethinking the situation or more importantly, the two people form it. 

Bellatrix Lestrange had spared her and while Celeste didn't have any contact with Lucius Malfoy ― there was something about the man that reminded Celeste of someone or something but she had no idea what. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Beth asked and sat next to Celeste in the common room.

"Honestly no," Celeste sighed and dropped her head on Beth's shoulder. "Remember the battle in the Department of Mysteries?"

"Yes I do. It is very hard to forget that, especially because my mother threatened to take me out of this school," Beth said with a sad smile creeping on her face. "But I know you better, and I know that's not it. There's something else."

"B-Bellatrix Lestrange," Celeste swallowed. "She spared me, at the Department of Mysteries, she could've killed me but she didn't and  told me to run."

"Oh, that's strange," Beth admitted. "Maybe she just didn't feel like killing a teenager," she tried to help Celeste by cracking a bad joke.

"I highly doubt that, the woman is crazy," Celeste chuckled. "I mean an absolute nut job."

"That is very true," Beth laughed but her laughter stopped soon. "Why are you thinking of that?"

Celeste shrugged. "I don't know. She's crazy and dangerous, and she had this weird sparkle of happiness in her eyes when she was fighting and trying to kill but when she stopped just in front of me, that sparked disappeared and she almost looked sincere."

"As you said, she's crazy. She just probably had momentarily stroke and didn't kill you," said Beth, not wanting to believe that there was anything good about Bellatrix Lestrange. 

Nathan entered the common room, a tired smile gracing his face when he noticed the girls. 

Beth smiled widely at the boy but Celeste didn't seem to see his presence. Nathan frowned a little ― worrying over the girl he thought of as a sister ― and sat next to her.

In mere seconds, Celeste's head had started to pound by the thought of the two villains she had in the Department of Mysteries. 

"Hey, is everything all right?" Asked Nathan.

"Y-yeahI'm fine," Celeste said quickly and forced a smile. "Everything is just perfect."

"Cele, I've known you since you were a kid. I know when something's wrong," Nathan grinned.

"I'm just tired," Celeste sighed.

"Tired of what?" Nathan questioned Celeste. 

He was right, he knew Celeste better than Celeste knew herself. He has been an older brother to Celeste ever since Celeste was brought to the neighbor house by her parents, and he has been a brother to Beth ever since they met at school. There was nothing these two girls could keep from him.

"Being confused," Celeste admitted and got a small kiss to her hair from Beth. "The memories, at first I was so happy that I started to remember things but now it's just frustrating. It feels like I'll never get to see their faces or hear their names."

In all honesty Celeste wished she had never started to look for answers because before she couldn't remember anything, she was happy and calm. She didn't use wake up in the middle of the night because of another memory of spending  a day with her papa, strolling around the gardens of her enormous home. Now she did and while the memories were warm and lovely ― she didn't like to reminded of a life she didn't really know.

She was more than happy with her uncle and Olivia and if finding her past meant she was going to loose the people in her presence ― she didn't want it. 

"But then again, I don't know if I want to..." said Celeste. "Because it seems that things are only going to the worse and I don't want that either."

"Celeste, you are the most reasonable person I've ever met. You wanted to know and I'm sure that there's a meaning behind that. There is a reason and I think you need to find out what it is," said Beth, gently squishing Celeste's hand. "But if you don't want to know, then forget about it. The flashes of your past emerged to you once you really wanted to know, so I think you just need to not want it anymore."

Nathan nodded in agreement and wrapped his arm around Celeste's shoulders. "We are here for you, no matter what happens. No matter what you decide. You are stuck with us."

Celeste chuckled, her golden brown eyes smiling. "Good. That's good."

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CELESTE STARLING 

enjoyed her late night study session in the common room where some other over achievers spend the last hours of the day. Beth and Nathan had went to bed already so Celeste really had a chance to concentrate.

Her focus however fled away when her owl Iris appeared by the window, knocking on the frosty glass with her peak. Celeste opened the window, letting some cold air in before closing it. A letter was attached to Iris' stick thin leg. Celeste removed the string that was holding the letter against Iris' leg and opened the letter.

It was from William.

Celeste enjoyed reading letters from her uncle and to hear how he was doing. She gets to see aunt Olivia nearly everyday because she works at Hogwarts but because William is in London and quite busy with his work, Celeste doesn't get to see him that often.

She was about to take out a parchment and was planning to write back but she was stopped by Luna Lovegood who tapped her shoulder gently. 

"Oh hi Luna," smiled Celeste when turning to face the other blonde. 

"I was asked to deliver you some news," said Luna dreamily. "Professor Slughorn requested your presence."

Celeste frowned a little. "Did he tell you why?" 

"No but Harry is waiting just outside the common room. He is going there as well," explained Luna. "I can feed your owl so you can go."

The Starling girl stayed quiet for a second or two, trying to figure out why Slughorn wanted to meet with her and apparently with Harry. She didn't stay still to find out the reason but accepted Luna's offer to feed Iris and left the common room.

Like Luna had said, Harry was waiting just outside and the two walked towards Slughorn's office. Celeste's questions were answered by Harry while made their way to their destination. Professor Slughorn has a little club. Celeste thought it was weird, like he was collecting students.

She and Harry entered his office where several students were gathered around a round table. Ginny Weasley was there, so was Hermione, the Carrow twins, Draco Malfoy's friend Blaise Zabini, Cormac McLaggen and Melinda Bobbin were there as well. 

Celeste took her place in silence although it seemed that Slughorn was waiting for her to say something as he kept staring at her.

"Umm hello," said Celeste and sent the professor an awkward smile. "I was asked to come here."

It took Slughorn some seconds to recover from Celeste's arrival before he was able to speak. "Yes of course, Celeste ummm.... Starling, was it?"

"Yes Celeste Starling," said Celeste and glanced at Hermione who was giving her a small smile. "I'm sorry but I have to ask, professor, why am I here?"

Slughorn grimaced and cleared his throat. "Why are you here? Well Dumbledore told me that you are an excellent student," he said, narrowing his eyes a little as he took in her appearance. "He also told me you are from America, is this correct?"

Celeste nodded.

"So you don't have any connections to anyone here?"

"No I do not," frowned Celeste. 

"No distant relatives?" Slughorn asked.

Celeste could clearly feel how Slughorn wanted her to say something but she just didn't have an answer to him. So she chose to play her wild card.

"I was adopted by an American couple, where I was found from an orphanage. So I mean, sure, I can have relations here but not ones I know of," she explained.

Slughorn nodded slowly. "I see."

"Why are you so interested?" Asked Celeste.

"No reason," said Slughorn with a low chuckle. "Anyhow, have you met our other guests?" 

The rest of the evening went by so slow that Celeste felt like she could had walked to London and back in the time she spent with Slughorn and the others. He showed of photographs of his old students and told great stories of them.

"And then there was...." he went on and on but Celeste wasn't concentrating on him anymore.

Her eyes had wandered off to a photograph of some Slytherins. She couldn't tell who they were but one of them looked dangerously a lot like Lucius Malfoy. He had the same blonde hair back then as Lucius Malfoy had in the Department of Mysteries. You could sense the pride and arrogance from the photograph.

"That is Lucius Malfoy," said Slughorn.

Celeste turned to her right where Slughorn was standing. The other students in the room where gathered around the round table again, some talking to each other while others ― like Blaise Zabini ― was just staring at emptiness.

"You met him, didn't you? In the Department of Mysteries," said Slughorn as he kept looking at Celeste and glanced at the photograph every now and then. 

"Yeah I have met him," said Celeste quietly. 

unedited, sry for typos

i rewrote this entire chapter :)))