By now, no doubt, you will have heard all about me. All about Rona McKenna and the "Hogwarts Underworld".
The whole school knows what happened and by tomorrow morning journalists will be opening letters containing the biggest story to come out of Hogwarts since the whole mess with the Giant Squid.
If there's one thing I know how to do, evidently it's cause a scene so big I catch the attention of every gossip columnist in the wizarding world. I give it a week before the Prophet is reporting the scandal that broke right under Minister McKenna's very pretty (and not at all magically altered) nose.
So let me take this chance to set some thing's straight.
First, no one died and no one was ever in danger. I knew what I was doing even when nobody believed that I did. They don't call me a genius for no reason, so those rumors can be put to bed.
Second, I have never had sex with Robbie Fletchley, despite what he told Rita Skeeter at Christmas, and believe me... I never will!
Third, losing my spot as the golden girl might just have been the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm not sorry for what happened in the slightest. Some of the details may not paint me in the best light but here goes...
This is the story of how one potion and one boy ruined my life as I knew it.
Platform 9¾ was always a riot..
A mass of parents, families, pets rattling and screeching in cages with the occasional cat getting loose and running off. First years excitedly chatting away, more than a little nervous at the sight of the great red engine, billowing clouds of steam into the high, glass ceiling of Kings Cross.
This year was worse.
Bulbs were flashing every second or so. The quartet at the centre of the platform all smiling happy, bright, pasted on smiles for the benefit of the campaign.
Half the journalists in the country were there, shouting questions, taking photos.
Hermione and Ron Weasley, Rebecca McKenna and, of course, Harry Potter. The stars of the show. The Golden Trio and their new Golden Girl.
Rebecca McKenna was going to win. There was no competition at this stage.
She was smart, relatively young, accomplished and most importantly she had the two most powerful figures in the country behind her, supporting all of her planned reforms and policys.
With the elections only weeks away, the next Minister for Magic was almost certainly going to be my mother.
"I'll have to stop there I'm afraid." Rebecca chimed in a musical tone. "It's almost eleven."
Her affect was such that they instantly agreed, backing away and shouting their thanks. It was the Rebecca Effect. She was, in a word, enchanting.
She thanked Harry and Hermione, gave Mr Weasley a hug and turned to find her daughter, sulking some way off.
She practically glided across the station platform, dressed in a sleek muggle suit with beachy blonde waves up in a high ponytail. A blue silk scarf draped around her shoulders, a hint at her previous house, just to weigh out the heavy Gryffindor influence of her co-campaigners... Or so she had told the reporter from Witch Weekly when she asked about the outfit.
I stood against the far wall, watching through the mass of people and chewing on my bottom lip.
"Almost over. No more photos." She smoothed down my hair. "By Christmas I'll have all my time for just you. One way or another."
I nodded, only able to hold onto the huff if I stayed absolutely silent. This had been my entire summer, my entire life for the last eight weeks.
My mum leaned towards me and kissed me on the head.
"After this it will all be over!"
"That's cool. After this I'll be moving out anyway." I muttered under my voice, not ready to show her up in front of half her target voters.
I was being childish but honestly, couldn't believe it. It was my last year, the last send off and she has spent the whole time smiling at cameras.
"It was too good to miss. Harry is always busy, you know how difficult it is to get him to photoshoots. It's was Hermione's idea and she's been such a help. I couldn't say no."
She fussed over my jacket, fixing the way it sat and smoothing down the tweed collar.
Rule one with my mother, always look your best. If you look good people are more likely to like you.
"But they still managed to say goodbye to all their kids and they have more than you." I grabbed my trunk, wheeling around to climb onto the train. "I've got to go. It's two minutes too and I promised I would find Wren."
Her mother reached out to her, "Honey you can spend all year with her."
"Mum the train is about to leave!" I whipped around. Blonde hair fanning out behind me. I had real life to be getting on with. A life that didn't involve interviews with the Chosen One.
"Right. A hug then?" Rebecca gave the smile normally reserved for the cameras and pulled me into a warm hug.
It was just enough to thaw the ice, make me relax enough to give her a squeeze in return.
"I'll miss you."
"Me too, Honey."
A bulb flashed somewhere through the crowd. My scowl reappeared.
"Look after yourself. Focus on your NEWT's."
I nodded, taking a step towards the train. Doors were beginning to slamb the clouds of steam growing more and more by the second.
"Where's Nyx?"
"On the train somewhere." I never could keep an eye on that stupid cat. Somehow we had got through six years without losing her yet.
"Brilliant… okay. Rona, one last thing." My mother's green eyes caught mine. Attempting to convey some sort of warning. "No more extra activities this year. Just keep your head down. Do you understand?"
"Yes." I smiled through the lie. My mother didn't know half the scope of my extra activities.
I closed the door as the whistle blew. Blocking out all the madness.
My eyes shut her eyes and I took a deep breath. Seventh year was here, whether I liked it or not.
"Hi Rona!" Someone called as they walked past.
"Hi." I answered without opening my eyes. It wasn't a voice I recognised. Meaning it wasn't important.
Pick yourself up McKenna. A small, sour voice in my head muttered. Smile for the public.
I straightened up, pushing my hair over my shoulders and out of the way and turned for my usual compartment.
"Hey Rona!" Someone called out within the first metre.
"Hi Kelly!" I beamed back, giving her a wave.
My own year knew me, obviously, but then there were the others.
Rona Mckenna was everywhere, a Gryffindor who was dating the Slytherin Quidditch Captain. A member of the Slug Club, Rebecca's daughter and even from the start, the first hat-stall since Teddy Lupin.
There were people like the second years who starred as I pushed by, who had only heard rumor. They weren't old enough to have any use for the business I ran. The real reason everyone at Hogwarts knew who I was.
I pushed open the door to my compartment, the same one I've sat in for the last six years and
cocked a hip, grinning at the boy lounging in the corner.
"Miss me?"
He glanced up, his face taking in the tight jeans, high boots and the jacket I picked out especially for this.
"Always." I jump on Alec, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his.
Finally, everything feels normal again.
He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me comfortably to sit on his knee.
"How was summer?"
"A nightmare. Did you pick up a paper?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"You were all over them. Looking amazing as always." He pressed another light kiss into my hair, brushing it back out of my face.
"Where are the others?" I ask, not wanting to interrupt the moment alone but equally, I've got shit to be getting on with.
Late. That's where they are.
"Jack's gone off to say Hi to the other boys, Millie went with him. Cecily isn't here yet and I think we can work out where Wren is." He laughed to himself and pulled me closer again. "So I've got you all to myself for a bit."
That would have been nice, and that was the thing about Alec. He was nice.
I smiled and lent in to give him a kiss, closing my eyes and inhaling the familiar scent, just in time for the door to slamb open and a willowy redhead to stick her neck through the door.
"Sorry Parker, I need Rona." Wren gave him a dazzling smile and winked at me. "Urgently."
I shrugged, unfolding myself from my boyfriends lap.
He sighed and waved to my best friend, the girl I couldn't survive Hogwarts without.
"Say hi to Potter for me." He called after us.
Wren giving her musical laugh as soon as the door shut.
"Hi babe!"
We pulled each other into a hug, squealing and squeezing the life from each other.
"Oh you look amazing!" I touched the newly short ends to her hair. The style emphasizing the bright red colour.
"So do you! Oh and Rona please tell me you have something? I've been out all summer and I didn't want to ask you because you just know that someone's going to open that letter."
"Really? Already?"
She blushed prettily and shrugged.
I laughed, rolling my eyes and reached into my picket, pulling out a tiny glass vial with enough for one portion of a contraceptive potion.
Great start to the year. I thought to myself. One day I would be done making easy potions for horny teenagers. But for now…
She threw the green liquid back and screwed up her face.
"Eugh. Merlin, that tastes bad. How much do I owe you?"
"This one's free." I laugh. "A welcome back present." "What would I do without you?" She winced at the aftertaste and shook her head.
"Where is he then? You couldn't wait twenty minutes to shag him?"
Wren laughed, nodding along the corridor to her boyfriend, drawing all attention to himself as usual and showing no signs of what they had been up to before the train left the station.
Black hair spiking in all directions, an easy smile and enough charisma to stun old Slughorn into his grave.
Oh yeah. She's dating James potter.
Wren was possibly the most popular girl in school, the beautiful, tall, talented quidditch player who was dating the son of the Chosen One. We had been best friends since that first train ride, long before any of the other madness started.
That's the last thing… Knowing everyone's secrets kept you in the loup. It made you everyone's friend.
Like the girl in sixth year who gave a teacher veritaserum, made by yours truly, the day before the OWL's and somehow got away with it. She owes me. Or the crowds who passed me on their way to find a compartment and all smiled. At least three of them ask for this or that on a weekly basis.
Forget the money, secrets made you powerful at our school.
"Hey Rona." A boy ran past, grinning at me as he went.
At that moment it had never occured to me what would happen when some of my secrets, and potions, made their way into the wrong hands.
I would soon find out.
NEW STORY! Something a little different from Mauraders drama, I thought I would get the first chapter of this up. (Having said that, there will still be lots of drama involved!)
I hope you all enjoyed it. If you have time please leave me a wee review, let me know what you thought!
All my love,
S x