After the feast Dumbledore ordered the Prefects to lead their houses to their dormitories as usual. As we walk down toward the kitchens I turn to Valerie to start up a little conversation.

"Sound like this year will be pretty wicked don't you think?" She laughs and nods her agreement.

She then turns and asks, "Where do you think Hagrid's gone?"

Come to think of it I'd been wondering the same thing. Valerie was worried. She liked Hagrid a lot.

I looked at her reassuringly, "I'm sure he's just away for his health. The things he works with, he could do with a little R and R, eh?" She laughs.

Ever since we met we've been making eachother laugh.

Suddenly her mood changes, "I didn't want to ask in front of everybody, but I want to know. How are things at home with your parents?" I knew she'd ask that at some point.

Val's always been protective of me and always wants to know about my home life. I tell her the usual. Albert beats Tassles like I beat bludgers and Eleanor believes I don't exist. I tell her that I plan on setting Tassles free very soon. She has a soft spot for House Elves. She's part of that spew thing Hermione Granger started.

We reach the Hufflepuff common room and go inside. Valerie and I agree to meet eachother back at the fireplace in twenty minutes after we could pack and settle in. I head up to the Boy's Dormitory. I walk in and immediately jump into bed. I forgot how comfortable these are. I look around and suddenly almost jump out of my skin. Cedric Diggory was standing right in front of me. Then I realized it was just a banner. Cedric had died last year in the Triwizard Tournament. Harry says He-who-must-not-be-named killed him. I believe it. Above Cedric was written "In Loving Memory of a True Hufflepuff." We all miss him.

After more or less unpacking I head down to the common room and sit on the sofa by the fire. About a minute later Valerie joins me.

She says to me "Stand up!"

Puzzled, I do and she hugs me. I'm almost tackled back onto the sofa. I really did miss her. She's my best friend. Then I felt something. She was shaking. And I felt tears hit my shoulder.

We sit down and I ask "Val? Everything ok?"

She looks at me and laughs through her tears. "Its just… I miss Cedric."

I'd forgotten. Valerie and Cedric had a thing going before Cho Chang came along and messed it all up.

"Valerie we all miss Ced. Every person in this dormitory misses him. He was the best of all of us."

She leaned on my shoulder and I hugged her. I stared into the fire for what felt like hours. I've never seen her so torn she settled down we talked a little more about our summer and other things. At about 2am we decided to go to bed. We hugged goodnight and parted. I tip-toed into the dormitory but to no such luck. Jeremy and Kaleb, my dormmates, knew where I was and set a trap for me. There was a bright flash and I was immediately tackled.

"Where you been Issac?" Kaleb nudged.

"Out for a little stroll, Issac?" Jeremy suggested with a little wink.

I shook them off, told them all to pack it in, and immediately got in bed. I went to sleep almost immediately, excited for tomorrow's classes.