(A/N: Thank you everyone for waiting patiently for the next chapter! I hope you enjoy! Everything you recognize is not mine, but belongs to the amazing J.K.)
Over the last part of summer, Marigold did a lot of juggling. Harry and she would go down to the little Muggle town, and Harry would walk around aimlessly while Marigold mowed lawns. She was doing her best to earn enough money to make up for what she used to buy Harry and Neville's gifts. When she wasn't mowing lawns, she was poring over the notes Percy gave her or reading through Gilderoy Lockhart's books. She enjoyed spending her time with the Weasley family, particularly Ginny, who was starting to get nervous about Hogwarts.
The two of them spent a lot of time reading outside in the garden, punting the occasional gnome over the fence. Because marigold was always so busy working on homework or mowing lawns, as the summer went on, their time together was less and less.
In Marigold's absence, Ginny started spending more and more time in her room writing in her diary, until she didn't want to read with Marigold anymore. How she stayed so dedicated to it was beyond Marigold. So, Marigold started spending even more time working on homework and mowing lawns.
Lockhart's books were amazing, but even more amazing was Lockhart himself. The things he had done in his travels! Marigold not only thought he was handsome, but she aspired to be like him. Though his books didn't actually tell her how to get rid of such dangerous creatures, they did tell her what he had done! He had banished the Bandon Banshee, saved a village from a werewolf, had even dealt with vampires!
This year was going to be so much better than last year! She remembered being excited for Defence Against the Dark Arts, last summer, and how that the class had turned out to be a dud with Quirrel/Voldemort being their teacher. But with Lockhart, things were going to be amazing!
Harry didn't seem as interested in Lockhart as Marigold was. In fact, for some reason Harry seemed to detest their future professor. Marigold would do her best to talk to Harry about the books, but Harry wouldn't even bother to read them. Instead, he spent his time goofing off with Ron. Eventually Marigold stopped bothering, chalking all Harry's annoyance up to a bad first impression.
Marigold also spent a lot of time to taking care of the Sumatran Tiger Lily she had bought for Neville. Since they had decided at the party that they would be exchanging gifts on the train, she had a couple weeks to bond with the lily. The vendor had told her that it just needed all the things the plant needed to survive: sunlight, water, the occasional fertilizer. She kept the lily on her desk while she studied, talking to it, occasionally having to move it and keep it from nudging her quill off the desk.
She wanted so badly to keep it; but she had bought it for Neville, and she knew he was going to love it. She kept reminding herself that it was his, but she also told the flower. She wasn't sure if it could understand her, but she didn't want it to get upset when she had to pass it along to Neville.
The day before they all had to return to Hogwarts came far too soon. Everyone had a wonderful day of hanging out and laughing, wondering what the new school year would bring. When Mr. Weasley finally got home from work, everyone sat down to a wonderful dinner that Marigold and Mrs. Weasley had whipped up. The twins did their best to push how late they could stay up, but after they begged three times for "just one more cup of cocoa", Mrs. Weasley got fed up and ordered everyone to go to bed.
Marigold slept well enough, only waking up once or twice to revel in the fact that she would be going back to Hogwarts.
The next morning was absolute madness. Nobody was up on time, Marigold was the only one who had bothered to pack the night before, and breakfast was much too rushed. When everyone had piled into Mr. Weasley's amazing car, they were already running late. To make matters worse, they had to return to the house several times; the first was when Fred had forgotten some of his firecrackers, the second when Ginny realized her diary hadn't been packed.
When they finally got to the station, Marigold, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny ran ahead to get to the train in time for Ginny to find a good first seat. Marigold promised Harry she would get them a good compartment, then disappeared through the barrier.
Unlike last year, Platform Nine and Three Quarters wasn't as packed, probably due to the fact that most everyone was already on the train. Ginny managed to find a rather empty compartment, spare for a smallish boy with mousy hair.
When Mrs. Weasley was sure Ginny had settled in, and the two of them had said their goodbyes, Marigold and Mrs. Weasley set off to find a compartment for Marigold, hopefully one with a Neville in it. Marigold finally found Neville toward the back of the train, and Marigold and Mrs. Weasley said goodbye, but not before Mrs. Weasley gave Marigold a really big hug.
Neville helped Marigold put her trunk up, and the two of them sat down to wait for Harry.
"How was the rest of your summer, Marigold?" Neville asked.
"Really busy, I finished all the books for the year. Did you read Lockhart's? Aren't they amazing?"
"No," Neville said, a look of annoyance on his face. "I tried reading the vampire one... but didn't like it."
"Didn't like it? That one's my favorite."
They were silent for a moment; Marigold looked out the car window and saw the big clock on the platform.
"Harry'd better hurry, the train leaves in less than a minute," Marigold said, suddenly anxious.
"He'll make it. He has to," Neville said.
The train whistled and started to pull out of the station. Marigold and Neville exchanged glances.
"He's probably just looking for us. I mean, we are rather far back in the train," Neville suggested, though he didn't look at all convinced.
The longer the two of them waited, the more obvious it was that Harry must have missed the train altogether. About fifteen minutes after the train left the station, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan knocked on their car door.
"Heya Marigold, Neville," Dean said. "Have either of you seen Ron?"
"No? Have either of you seen Harry?" Marigold asked.
"Harry's missing, too?" Seamus asked.
"Yeah, I thought they were right behind me when I came through the barrier. Something must have happened."
"What possibly could have happened?" Dean asked.
"No idea... I just hope they make their way to Hogwarts somehow," Marigold said, with a sigh.
"What other ways are there to get to Hogwarts?" Dean asked, directed at nobody in particular.
"Hermione mentioned once that a long time ago people would travel to Hogsmeade, a small wizarding village nearby, and then walk to Hogwarts... But I have no idea how they would even make it there."
"Well, I guess we can just tell someone once we get there?" Neville suggested.
"Yeah! Someone at school will be able to figure it out," Marigold said.
"Do you guys mind if we stay here with you?" Dean asked.
"I have exploding snap," Seamus added.
The four of them played exploding snap for a while, but nobody was really into it. Dean and Seamus eventually they left, saying they wanted to see some other people before arriving. Marigold and Neville didn't talk for a while; they were both preoccupied with their thoughts.
Marigold stared out the window, wondering what could have kept their two friends off of the train. They had been right behind her.
"Well, I might as well give you your gift now," Marigold said, grabbing the lily box and handing it to Neville.
She hadn't wrapped it aside from a bow since she hadn't wanted the lily to suffocate, if that were possible.
Neville opened it slowly, as if he somehow knew to be delicate. When he saw the lily, and it moved toward him, his eyes grew wide.
"How did you get one!" Neville asked, completely astonished.
"There was a vendor in Diagon Alley. Do you like it?" "Like it? It's amazing! You've had it for a while, haven't you? What's its temperament like?"
"Mischievous," Marigold answered, thinking back to all the times it had tried to steal her quill. "The vendor told me it's the soul of a cub, that's why it's so small."
"I was wondering about that." Neville was grinning ear to ear. Marigold felt pleased, and matched Neville's smile. "Did you name it?"
"No. I wanted you to do that." Marigold laughed. "Right, um, how about... Dora?" he said after a while. "Why Dora?"
"For Gryffindor? Dora?" it was more of a question than an answer.
Neville was blushing; it seemed as though he was embarrassed by the name now that he had said it. "I like it!"
"Harry told me once that he was almost put in Slytherin," Neville said. Dora the flower was bobbing its petals with the train movements.
Marigold couldn't say she was surprised. Harry did have a lot of the traits that the house of Slytherin admired; he was very resourceful, and when he put his mind to something, he could be very ambitious, and when it came to plots concerning Malfoy... Harry could be very cunning.
"It was more of a passing comment, I guess. It was back when you were in the hospital wing after the troll, we had run out of things to talk about and were unable to sleep. He told me that when he was up there, the sorting hat really wanted him to go to Slytherin, but he begged to be in Gryffindor. It just got me thinking, you know? What would have happened—"
"Had he been put in Slytherin?" Marigold finished.
Neville nodded. "Do you suppose he would be friends with Malfoy?"
"No... you remember the train ride to Hogwarts last year? Malfoy asked to be friends, and Harry shot him down. I'd like to think that the three of us would still be together... but to be honest, I don't know what would have happened.
"The sorting hat almost put me in Hufflepuff. I went after the both of you, after all, and it thought that my loyalty to you would help me do well in Hufflepuff. But it decided that after all I had been though," she paused. "That after all I had been through I must have had real courage... so I went to Gryffindor."
"We could have been together either way."
"How do you mean?"
"Well, I went first. The hat kept insisting that I belonged in Gryffindor... but I was begging to go to Hufflepuff. I was, and still am, intimidated by Gryffindor. So if I had gotten my way, we could have been together."
"Yeah, but then Harry went and was placed into Gryffindor... I would have had to choose which one to go to, choose between the two of you. Which I guess the hat would have seen as loyalty and sent me to Hufflepuff."
"My head hurts," Neville said.
"Well, if it's any consolation, I believe the hat was right. You belong in Gryffindor."
The trolley lady chose that moment to show up, and jumped up and got a few treats for the two of them. She sat down next to Neville and the two of them shared the candy and looked out the window as the trees went by.
They had been looking out the window for a long time when Marigold saw something completely impossible. Dipping out of the clouds- and it only lasted a second- Marigold saw Mr. Weasley's blue car. The sugar quill that Marigold had been chewing on was suddenly no longer in her mouth.
"Neville, tell me you just saw what I saw."
"...If you just saw a flying blue car, then yes, I saw what you saw. But... why did we see a flying blue car?"
"I think we just found Harry and Ron!"
Marigold explained the car to Neville, who was getting increasingly worried the more she talked. As she went on, Marigold got more and more angry, until she realized that she had been pacing back and forth the compartment for a good minute.
"They have broken so many laws! What if they are seen? They could get expelled for this!"
"I'm sure Harry won't get expelled, he's Harry Potter," Neville said, trying to reassure her.
"Yeah... but what about Ron? He doesn't get the benefit of being the Boy Who Lived!"
"That's true..."
"Mrs. Weasley will kill him," Marigold said, whirling to look at Neville. "She is actually going to kill him! If she doesn't pull him out of school immediately, she'll wait for Christmas, and when we return to Hogwarts, he won't be joining us because she will have killed him."
"I'm sure she won't—" Marigold just looked at him. "...Yeah, he's a goner."
Marigold paused, anger subsiding momentarily. "Something's wrong about this… I don't know what… but neither of them would risk doing something so stupid without good reason."
Marigold was steaming again as they got off the train. They waved to Hagrid, who was carting off the first years toward the boats. But Marigold and Neville made their way in the opposite direction, following everyone else. It took quite a while, as they were near the last of the line, but as they got further and further ahead, Marigold could just make out several horseless carriages that the upper years were climbing aboard.
Neville was looking rather uncomfortable and worried by the time they reached the carriage and clamored in. Hermione, Dean, and Seamus were in the carriage with them, so Marigold didn't ask Neville what was up. She assumed it was Harry related anyways.
Marigold caught up with Hermione while Neville talked with the boys. Hermione was even more fascinated with Lockhart than Marigold was, which was saying something. She had read all the schoolbooks, and had purchased his biography's and read them as well. The two of them talked excitedly about their hopes for his class. They both agreed that he would be better than Quirrell; but to be honest, that wasn't much of a feat. After all, Quirrell had Voldemort on his head.
When they finally caught sight of the castle, the five of them stopped talking almost immediately and just stared.
It felt good to be home. Marigold could feel the magic radiating from the castle and flowing through her very core.
"It's good to be back," Marigold whispered. Everyone just nodded.
They pulled up to the castle and followed the small trail toward the entryway. When they arrived, they made their way to the Great Hall, where everyone was already seated at their house tables. The five of them made their way, making sure to leave room at the end of the table for the first years.
The Great Hall was deafening with all the students still excitedly talking about their summer and their hopes for the new year. Dumbledore was sitting at the head table, looking over all the students; he made eye contact with Marigold and smiled. Marigold smiled back, and then frowned when she noticed that someone was missing from the head table.
Professor Snape, the bane of Marigold's existence, was missing. She wondered where he could possibly be, but she got a sickening feeling that it had something to do with Harry and Ron.
Everyone got louder all of the sudden, and Marigold turned to see the first years filing in. They all looked terrified; she wondered if she had looked that scared last year. She supposed she did. Marigold found Ginny in the crowd; she looked scared, too, but not nearly as horrified as some of the kids beside her.
Professor McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on the stool, but Marigold wasn't paying attention because at that moment, she caught sight of Harry and Ron at the entryway behind the first years. And, even worse, Snape. Harry and Ron had their backs turned to marigold, addressing Snape, but she would recognize them anywhere. Snape did not look pleased to see them.
Marigold turned to Neville, who was watching the hat in awe, and tugged on him to turn around, but by the time she had gotten his attention, Harry, Ron, and Snape, were gone.
Marigold reluctantly turned back to the sorting ceremony. The smallest first year of the group, Collin Creevey as McGonagall said, made his way over to the hat and sat down. When Professor McGonagall put the hat on his head, it fell nearly to his shoulders. It didn't take too long before the hat shouted Gryffindor! and Collin Creevey became the first of the first years to run over to their table. He sat right next to Marigold, and shook hands with everyone his tiny arms could reach.
The Slytherin house was filling up faster than any of the other houses, which Marigold found interesting. She wondered why so many of the first years were going to Slytherin, last year they had been divided pretty evenly. Or maybe she was just more aware of how many Slytherins there were. Finally, after almost all the other students had been sorted, Ginny was finally called up.
Marigold remembered how, last year, the hat had instantly said Gryffindor for Ron. So it was surprising when the hat took a few minutes with Ginny. During that time, Marigold caught sight of the twins down the table, who both seemed mildly concerned.
"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted, and a wave of relief swept over the Weasleys and Marigold.
When the last of the first years had been sorted, and Professor McGonagall disappeared through the door behind the head table, when she returned and sat down, Dumbledore stood up, and the room fell silent.
"Welcome, welcome to Hogwarts. I have a fe—" "Who's that?" Collin whispered, poking Marigold in the ribs.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," she replied, perturbed that she had missed what Dumbledore had to say.
Her annoyance didn't last long, seeing as when she turned back to the table, it had been filled with all sorts of wonderful food. She grabbed some scalloped potatoes and a rather large cut of ham and dug in.
She didn't bat an eye when the ghosts showed up, but Colin yelped. He was fascinated by everything; he confessed to her that he was Muggle-born, and the two of them talked about their childhood. Well, Marigold didn't say much about hers, but not that she needed to; Colin talked enough for the two of them. His father was a milkman, and he had a little brother named Dennis who was two years younger than him.
Colin slowed down a little when desert showed up, but that didn't last long. Marigold caught Neville trying to stifle his laughter when Colin asked her if the two of them could be friends.
Unlike seemingly everyone within earshot, Marigold wasn't too bothered by Colin. So she agreed. He was about to start off again when, thankfully, Dumbledore got up to talk.
"Now that we have had our fill, I have a few start-of- term notices to give you.
"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils as it is very deadly. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, wants me to remind you, yet again, that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.
"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch." Dumbledore waved toward Madam Hooch, who nodded in the direction of all four houses.
"Now, for the school song!"
Just like last year, Dumbledore flicked his wand and golden ribbon danced out, forming the words in mid air. The teachers still didn't seem interested, but Marigold sang her heart out. She remembered the sleepover she and the boys had had, and, judging by the stupid grin on Neville's face, he did too.
Once everyone had finished, Dumbledore dismissed the hall.
"I'll be down in the common room tomorrow morning really early," Marigold said to Colin. "If you come down, I can help you get back here to the Great Hall."
"Thanks, Marigold!" Colin said, taking off to follow the other first years.
"Should we head out, then?" Neville asked when Marigold turned back to him.
"Yeah. Hey, I could have sworn I saw Harry and Ron earlier... bad news is, I think I saw Snape, too."
"Well, nothing good can come from that."
Neville was absolutely right; but, on the plus side, it was good to be back.
They passed a prefect in the hall and got the start of the year password, wattlebird. When they finally ducked past the Fat Lady and into the common room, Marigold was delighted to see Harry and Ron.
Hermione was chewing out Ron, who was slouching so far down in his chair Marigold was sure they would need a spell to remove him, while Dean and Seamus were laughing. Harry, on the other hand, was suddenly and completely without warning hugging Marigold and Neville.
"Please tell me I was imagining things when I saw Mr. Weasley's car from the train," Marigold hissed.
Harry didn't answer until the common room started emptying. The three of them sat in their usual seats by the fireplace.
"We couldn't get through the barrier!" Harry said once the room was clear enough to his liking. "What else were we supposed to do?"
"Anything but break all law!"
"Well, if it's any consolation, we both got a ton of detention," Harry sighed.
"You're lucky you weren't expelled," Neville said, beating Marigold to the punch.
"Do you at least want to know what happened?" Harry asked, a little annoyed.
"Yes..." Marigold mumbled.
"Well, first of all, it was Ron's idea. And it wasn't nearly as fun as he's making it seem. It was really boring, actually. Long and hot, too. And to make matters worse, we crash-landed into a tree. A living and very angry tree. The car got pretty banged up, Ron broke his wand trying to get us out.
"When we finally got loose from the tree, we thought we were in the clear. But just as we got to the Great Hall, Snape found us and marched us straight to his office in the dungeons... We thought we were going to be expelled, but Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall came to our rescue and we got really, really lucky."
"That's putting it lightly." Neville said.
The common room was finally empty, but Marigold was sure that the adventure of Harry and Ron was going to glean a lot of attention from the whole school. Add that to the fact that Harry was super famous, and she was sure that there were going to be stares and pointing yet again.
They didn't talk for too much longer. Harry's gift for Neville was up in his trunk, so they all said goodnight. Marigold made her way up to her dormitory and crawled into her bed.
It was much more comfortable than last year. Quieter, too, since all the girls had already gone to bed in anticipation for the next day. She was sure some of the girls didn't liker her still, but, unlike last year, she didn't care at all.
(A/N: Please leave a review, I love hearing everything you have to say! Feel free to send me a message too! I love you all. Thank you!)