Chapter One

New Year, New Questions

Author's Note: Courtney Glass and the Faction of Light is the third installment of the Courtney Glass series. I would not recommend reading this if you have not already read Courtney Glass and the Castle of Life and Courtney Glass and the Face of Evil. They can be found here: www,fanfiction,net/s/10866430/1/Courtney-Glass-and-the-Castle-of-Life and www,fanfiction,net/s/11149004/1/Courtney-Glass-and-the-Face-of-Evil. Just replace the periods with commas. Like before, I'd like to thank everyone reading this for sticking with Courtney for another year.


"Alright, now, cannot be too certain, which classes are you taking this year?" Mum asked.

"I signed up for Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures," Courtney told her.

"You know, if you wanted to study Muggles, you could always ask me," Da pointed out.

"Yes, I know," she laughed. "If I ever need help, you'll be the first one I talk to."

"Ah, so you're just going for the easy O. Can't say I blame you. When I was your age, you know what class I signed up for? Arithmancy. Needless to say, by the end of the year I had dropped the course and went crawling to Divination. Well, anyway, time for bigger matters. You're a third-year now, and you know what that means?"

Yes, Courtney knew what that meant. She was very aware this entire conversation of the paper she already had packed that bore both of her parents' signatures. This was the year she and her friends would be able to go to Hogsmeade, a village near Hogwarts that was notably the only all-magical community in Britain.

Courtney nodded, then turned her head when she heard a fluttering sound. A familiar, lightly-colored form flew into the room. "Hedwidgeon," she said.

The barn owl stopped at its usual spot above a table and dropped a letter. Hedwidgeon then turned around before Courtney could say "Thank you" and flew off.

The fact that it was Hedwidgeon told Courtney that the letter she dropped was from either Albus or James Potter, or possibly their cousin Rose Weasley.

"Well, go ahead," Mum said. "I have nothing left to ask about."

Courtney unfolded the letter and started to read.

Hey, Courtney!

Don't ask me how (but here's a hint, it starts with an H), but I got the basic Hogsmeade schedule. Get this: the first time we're allowed to go is as early as the first weekend of the term. I already told Lynne and she said she would do research on Hogsmeade and plan out a schedule of what to do there. Just thought I should let you know.

Also, it's Lily and Hugo's first year now. Naturally, we're all hoping for Gryffindor, and expecting it too, but just in case they do make Hufflepuff be sure to show them the ropes! I already told Lynne the same thing in case they're Ravenclaw. If they're Slytherin… we'll figure something out. Maybe Natalya, or Scorpius if he's not still angry at everything.

One last thing, James is making me tell you this: The Light is coming. No idea what that means, since as usual he's not telling me anything, except that it apparently has nothing to do with the LMM.

A.S.P.

Right, Lily and Hugo were starting Hogwarts this year. Lily Potter was Albus and James's younger sister, and Hugo Weasley was Rose's younger brother. It's common for family to end up in the same House at Hogwarts, but exceptions were not unheard of.

It starts with an H? That part was tricky. Did Albus find this information from his father, Harry Potter? Or, more likely, from their family friend who works at the school, Professor Hagrid? In her mind, Courtney joked with the idea that somehow Hugo knew about the Hogsmeade schedule.

Planning out a schedule ahead of time for Hogsmeade was very much the sort of thing Courtney could imagine Lynne doing. She had a feeling that Albus would at least insist on going to the WWW while there.

And the last part, the part that gave Courtney a nauseous feeling. The Light. It didn't have to do with the Light Magic Movement, the recent political group that was trying to gain support from the Ministry to repeal the Statute of Secrecy and let Muggles know about magic's existence. The way the letter was worded… The Light is coming. It was clearly ominous. After coming face-to-face with impostors, Dementors, Unforgivable Curses - one of which was actually used on her, and another on Lynne - and the Dark Lord Voldemort himself, the idea that there might be something else coming this year terrified her. Especially if James thought it was a good idea not to tell Albus what it meant.

"Anything we should know about?" Da asked.

"Well, Lynne's making a schedule for what to do at Hogsmeade, and Lily Potter and Hugo Weasley are starting school this year." She wanted to tell them about this Light thing, but not until she herself knew something about it.

After she had a chance to talk to James, then she would let them know.


Immediately after Courtney walked through the barrier (and heard her da complain about missing it yet again) she saw Lynne walking from another barrier to the Hogwarts Express, her owl Wan Shi Tong in tow.

"Hey!" Courtney called out.

Lynne turned slightly and smiled when she saw Courtney. Courtney picked up her speed until she caught up to her.

"Hey, Courtney," Lynne said. They approached an entrance to the train. "Did Al tell you about the first trip yet?"

"It's this weekend," Courtney replied, excited. "He also told me you were making a schedule."

"Indeed I was." By this point, they were both on the train. "I have it in my bag. I'm using it as a bookmark for Fantastic Beasts."

"Can't wait to see it."

As usual, they looked through the other compartments to see if Albus was already on the train. After a few looks, they found the one he was in… which was full.

All six seats were taken, by Albus, James, Rose, the two younger ones that Courtney guessed were Lily and Hugo, and, of all people, Scorpius.

"Hey, guys," Courtney said.

"Oh, hey, Lynne, Court," James said. He noted the full compartment. "Sorry about this. Someone refused to leave."

"Shove off," Scorpius said.

"Oh, no, no problem at all," Lynne said. "I saw Elijah in a different compartment, we can just go there."

Courtney was still desperate to talk to James. She mentally screamed at him to use his Time-Turner to show up in the other compartment and explain what he meant about the Light.

When Courtney and Lynne reached the other compartment, where Elijah Garvin and Dekka Augustine sat, they opened the door and entered. By the time the train had started moving, the two remaining seats had been filled by a pair of second-year Hufflepuffs.

James did not show up, visibly or otherwise, for the remainder of the trip to Hogwarts.