"Geez, mum, I will be alright!" Cecilia protested as Cho triple-checked her daughter's bag.
"I know, but you can never be too sure." Cho said, looking at the Hogwarts Express with animosity. After all, she still remembered her first year at Hogwarts. She was excited to go to a school where they taught you magic spells. That was when she met her friend, Marietta Edgecombe. And of course, Cedric.
The Hogwarts Express hooted and steamed to show that it was getting ready for its departure soon.
"Bye mum!" Cecilia waved as she ran for the train.
"Bye Cecilia!" Cho waved back, not wanting to be separated from her daughter, but well, she was old enough. "Be careful, sweetheart! Take care!" and she was gone.
Cecilia climbed into the 3rd compartment. She walked through the hall, noticing that all the compartments were almost full. When she finally found an empty one, she sat down, making sure her skirt was neat. She then looked out the window. The train was going through the prairies already.
"May I seat here?" a voice asked. A boy with short, curly brown hair was standing at the door.
"Of course," Cecilia replied, glad to see that she wasn't alone anymore.
The boy sat across from her and smiled. "I'm William Wood. Will for short." The boy grinned.
"I'm Cecilia Diggory. Nice to meet you." And they shook hands. "Are you a first year? I'm a first year, too." Cecilia said.
"Same boat as yours, Cecilia." Will replied. "Are you excited?" he asked.
"Yes, I am. I've always heard about the Hogwarts school from my mother. She went there when she was a student, you see. And so did my father." Cecilia said.
"Really, that's very nice. So did my father. My mum's a muggle." Will said. "Do you like Quidditch?" he asked.
"Oh, I love Quidditch!" Cecilia exclaimed. "Both my parents played for their houses. Both seekers, too. Which is what I want to go for."
Will beamed. "My father's an International Quidditch player. Oliver Wood." He said.
"Oh, lovely! I've heard of your father actually. He's a really good keeper, isn't he?"
"Yes, and he also played for his house, Gryffindor. He was a keeper back then, too." Will replied.
As Cecilia and Will spent hours talking about Quidditch, soon it was time for the lunch trolley.
"Anything to eat, m'dears?" the witch pulling the trolley asked.
"I'll have two pumpkin pastes and a chocolate frog, thanks." Will said. He pulled out a galleon and 3 sickles from his pocket.
"I'll have Bertie Bott's every flavoured jelly beans." Cecilia said, taking out 30 sickles.
After they all paid, Cecilia opened her bag and looked for the lemon sherbet jelly bean. Her mother's very favourite.
Harry looked up at the great big castle. It used to be his home. His favourite place to be. But what really mattered now? Dumbledore wasn't there anymore. His friends were all gone off somewhere, too. Especially Ron and Hermione…he missed them very much, but it became awfully awkward around them. It wasn't like his first year, where they could happily sit in the Hogwarts Express and talk about which wizards he got on his Chocolate Frogs.
"Alohomora," and the lock of the great oak doors opened. Harry entered, inhaling some of the most friendly and familiar scent that he missed.
Harry let out a deep sigh, and looked around. Hogwarts hasn't changed very much. He could still remember when he was awed with the majestic décor of the school, when he was a shy, 11 year old boy first entering Hogwarts in his first year with Ron.
"Who's there?" a deep voice asked. Harry jerked, and snapped out of his reminiscence. "It's..it's me, Harry Potter…" he wasn't sure how he should address himself. After all, he wasn't a student of Hogwarts anymore. He didn't even know if he was allowed to be in there. Everything felt so awkward all of a sudden.
"Harry Potter? Harry?" the footsteps roared across the deserted hall as a man who was double Harry's size walked in.
"Hagrid?" Harry beamed. "Hagrid, it's you!" Harry exclaimed.
"Harry! Nice ter see yeh!" Hagrid beamed. His aged face seemed brighter. It was shining with happiness.
Harry, without knowing, threw himself at Hagrid for a hug. "Hagrid…it's really you…I've missed you so much!"
"Don't tell me this is a dream, Wow. Harry, nice ter see yeh…I thought I'd never see yeh again! Blimey, look at me, Harry, you're all grown up!" Hagrid chuckled. There were tears on his face.
"Of course, it's been 10 years, hasn't it?" Harry smiled. Hagrid shot a look at Harry's scar and his green eyes. "Hagrid, I can't believe I'm seeing you again." There was a rush of gratitude towards Hagrid in Harry's mind. He was so overwhelmed with joy that he didn't recognize tears forming in his emerald eyes.
"Don't cry, Hagrid, I'm here." Harry said. Hagrid choked and gave Harry another hug. Harry was used to Hagrid's hugs now.
"I thought yeh got yerself killed, now now, first Dumbledore, then others, now yeh…great god, I can't express how happy I am…" Hagrid sniffed.
Harry just smiled. "First day of school today, eh, Hagrid?" he asked.
"What? Oh oh yea, it is…I better go get the students now…" Hagrid said, recovering from his shock. "I'm still a gamekeeper…go to the Great Hall, I'm sure many will be happy ter see yeh."
Harry nodded. Hagrid did not want to let Harry out of his sight, but at last, he left through the heavy oak doors.
Harry entered the Great Hall. There were teachers sitting on the staff table, and the sorting hat in the middle, as usual. It was dusty as ever. Few heads turned, and Harry immediately recognized the Headmistress of Hogwarts—Minerva McGonagall.
"Harry? Harry Potter?" McGonagall asked. She looked weary and old.
"P..professor McGonagall." Harry said, sounding coarse. Why was it that meeting Hagrid was fine, but the rest of the teachers, it was very difficult for Harry.
"Harry! It's you!" Professor McGonagall nearly tripped over her robes as she ran down to greet Harry.
"Mr. Potter!" Professor Flitwick ran along, too.
"Oh, my dear god, I thought I'd never see you again!" McGonagall exclaimed, as she burst into tears.
"It's alright, professor." Said Harry, beaming.
"So this is Harry Potter, is it right?" a man wearing a brown cloak beamed at Harry. There were fellow other new teachers Harry hasn't met. They all ran down to greet Harry.
"It's good to see you, Mr. Potter. I'm Reverand River. I teach Defence against the Dark Arts." The wizard in brown said. He shook Harry's hands. "What a pleasure to see you"
"I'm Hilda Hilwagger. I teach potions." The witch wearing purple cloak smiled.
Harry all shook hands, and after he was introduced to the fellow teachers, he sat down with them, along at the staff table.
"So what brings you here, Harry?" Professor McGonagall asked, as she poured Harry some butterbeer.
Why was he here? Harry asked himself.
"Just visiting." He replied. What else could he say?
"Well, take your time, Harry, we could always use more company." McGonagall winked.
"Thanks, professor." Harry smiled back. However, he felt that the staff table was different and less at home without Dumbledore.
"Oh, there comes the students." McGonagall said.
They were older students, and they talked animatedly as they took their seats at their house tables.
"First years to come soon?" Harry asked.
"Yes, and there's Hagrid!" Professor Hilwagger said, pointing at the door.
Indeed, Hagrid was not hard to miss. He waved as he led the way to the first years, who were shivering with cold. Some of them seemed excited to see the bewtiched ceiling.
"Gather around, firs' years!" Hagrid yelled. The first year students looked apprehensively at Hagrid and the sorting hat.
Professor Hilwagger stepped up infront and read out the names.
"Alderdale, Karen!" was the first one, and she went down the list. Karen was sorted in to Hufflepuff.
"Usually, the first ones called are always in Hufflepuff for some reason." McGonagall whispered to Harry.
Harry just nodded, until his eyes landed on a dark haired girl who was looking excitedly at the sorting hat.
"Diggory, Cecilia!" the dark haired girl, Cecilia, stepped up to the sorting hat. Professor Hilwagger placed the hat on her head, and the hat considered for a moment.
"A very adventurous mind, I see…GRYFFINDOR!" the hat exclaimed. Everybody clapped as she was the first Gryffindor of the year. Harry was numb until McGonagall whispered to Harry.
"I never knew Cedric had a younger sister…yet she looks exactly like someone I can't quite place my finger on…" McGonagall said.
"Cho Chang." Harry replied numbly. "…and Diggory's too."
McGonagall stared at Harry wide-eyed. "Could it be? But no way. Possibly not."
Harry just nodded. He watched as Cecilia beamed and took her spot at the Gryffindor table.
