Her foot slipped and she began to fall into the unknown. Harper woke abruptly. The bright morning sun shined through the small gap in the closed draping blinds, illuminating the Daily Prophet sprawled on her bedside table. She shut her watery blue eyes and laid there awake… alone… in her big four posted bed.
"Darling; breakfast is ready!" Harpers Father Jed, yelled from the kitchen four floors down.
Harper jumped to her feet onto the cold marble tiles of Zabini Manor. Her sandy blonde; hair fell down her back in its long fishtail braid. She grabbed her school trunk and robes and dragged it down the 3 sets of stairs. On this floor; the coming and going room, front door, kitchen, formal dining room, and their house elf quarters; Layla and Harvey. Harper dragged her school trunk into the coming and going room and left to go to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Good morning Darling," Jed said kissing her on the head, "How did you sleep? Are you exited on starting your 7th year of Hogwarts?"
"I slept okay. I don't know how I feel… I just want to get all my NEWTS over and done with," Harper said with a sigh ... starting to eat her breakfast. Hotcakes, her favourite.
"It's okay Darling, you are the smartest witch of your year. There is nothing to worry about!" He said reading the mornings Daily Prophet.
This was the life of royalty she had lived her whole life.
Harper finished her breakfast and went to stand up but her Father motioned her to sit back down. Eyes peering over the edge of the newspaper he looked up, "Darling, I can tell there is something wrong."
Harper sighed yet again, "no nothing Daddy," she said standing up to kiss her Father on the cheek, "I'll see you in 3 months for Christmas then". Harperthen left.
"I will miss these train rides to Hogwarts," Teddy said rubbing Victoire's head with the tips of his fingers.
They had been friends for as long as they could remember, when just over three years ago; there friendship slipped into the relationship zone...
"Me too," Harper said patting her small pink and white sea snake, coral; who was hissing softly in return, "what subjects are you two taking?"
Victoire answered first, "well I am taking; Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, and Defence Against the Dark Arts so I can be a Healer or an Auror I haven't really decided yet."
"Well I'm taking the same. What about you Harper?"
"I am taking Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, Charms and Ancient Runes. I thought I might change my mind but I still want to be a Curse Breaker; that will be after my Quidditch career though!" Harper said with a giggle. "How was that trip to Eygpt anyway Victoire?"
"It was amazing; you would have loved it..." Victoire said with a yawn.
Harper looked out the window into a meadow of flowers, out of the corner of her eye she could have sworn she saw a lady in her late 40's maybe 50's sitting in the meadow, staring straight at her. As she turned her head to look they had turned a corner and the meadow disappeared into the wake of the train. Harper blinked a couple of times, she could have sworn that was her Mother. Nope, defiantly not, her Mother had died 12 years ago... The face of the woman looked cold and wind blown but Harper only got a glimpse of her of course it wasn't her Mother.