Chapter 8
Amy could not believe the holidays were over. these were b y far the best holidays ever even exceeding when she left the Dusleys. She spotted Hermione and her parents and she went and greeted them before she and Hermione went to look for a compartment.
when she left the train, she grinned when she saw Cedric waiting. She ran and went and gave him a hug. "You made it."
"Of course I did. wouldn't miss this." said Cedric holding her close.
"I am going to miss you so much."
"I will miss you too. I will call and we can chat on the computer."
"Yeah but its not the same."
"Yeah." said Cedric then he leaned down and kissed her. they stood there kissing and then she snuggled into him hugging him, her head on his chest breathing in his scent. She didn't want to let him go but she had to when the Weasleys arrived. that usually meant there was 10 minutes left. she held his hand and they greeted the Weasleys then she bid goodbye to Sirius and Lyn hugged Cedric one last time and got on the train.
She made her way to the compartment where her friends were sitting and she slumped down on the seat sulking.
"Miss him already?" asked Ginny looking amused.
"Like you never know." said Amy sighing. she missed him so much already. was she going to survive this year?
xxx
Amaryllis Potter (Amy) was a girl with thick long silky straight jet black hair with side bangs hiding her lightning shaped scar on her right forehead, a heart shaped face, beautiful almond shaped bright green eyes and a slim petite 5'3 frame.
She was sitting with her best friends. There was Jennifer Weasley a girl with long straight bright red hair, blue eyes, pale skin with lots of freckles and a slim gangly 5'9 frame.
Hermione was a pretty girl with bushy shoulder length brown hair with strands of blonde, brown eyes, smooth pale skin and a slim 5'6 frame. As a prefect she was already in her school uniform.
Ginny, Jen's young sister had mid back length straight red hair, bright brown eyes, smooth milky skin with a dust of freckles and a small petite 5'2 frame. She was in pink skinny jeans and a black weird sisters t-shirt.
Neville was a cute boy with a round face, dark brown hair, blue eyes. He had shed the chubby frame he had for a solid, strong 5'9 frame dressed in a striped shirt, blue jeans and black formal shoes. He was looking quite the catch.
Luna was a really pretty girl with long straggly dirty blonde hair, grey blue eyes, smooth fair skin and a slim slender 5'7 frame. She had a fragile innocent look to her. She was dressed in a flowery summer dress and jacket with gladiator sandals.
Ginny left to go and see Dean and Hermione to go to the prefects meeting. Amy relaxed talking to her friends with Luna telling them of her adventures with her father and telling them of questionable animals.
xxx
A while later, the compartmentdoor slid open and a breathless third-year girl stepped inside."I'm supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom and AmaryllisP-Potter," she faltered, as her eyes met Amy's and she turned was holding out two scrolls of parchment tied with violetribbon.
Perplexed she and Neville took the letters and the girl stumbled back out of the compartment. Amy looked at hers. It was an invitation.
Amaryllis,
I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C.
Sincerely,
Professor H. E. F. Slughorn
"Who's Professor Slughorn?" asked Neville.
"I don't know. New defense teacher I guess," said Amy.
"Well, I suppose we'll have to go, won't we?"
"Yeah. Coming right back." Amy said to Luna and Jen.
The corridors were packed with people on the lookout for the lunch trolley. Every now and then, students would hurtle out of their compartments to get a better look at her and Neville. Amy rolled her eyes at that.
"I wish they would stop doing that." said Amy and Neville ever the gentlemen, cleared the way for them. She greeted Susan, Hannah, Ernie and Justin when she passed them and also saw Su Li, Lisa Turnip and Padma as they passed their compartments.
(taken from the book)
When they reached compartment C, they saw at once that they were not Slughorn's only invitees, although judging by the enthusiasm of Slughorn's welcome, Amy was the most warmly anticipated. "Amaryllis!" said Slughorn, jumping up at the sight of her so that his great velvet-covered belly seemed to fill all the remaining space in the compartment. His shiny bald head and great silvery mustache gleamed as brightly in the sunlight as the golden buttons on his waistcoat. "Good to see you, good to see you! And you must be Mr. Longbottom!" Neville nodded stiffly.
At a gesture from Slughorn, they sat down opposite each other in the only two empty seats, which were nearest the door. Amy glanced around at their fellow guests. He recognized a Slytherin from their year, a handsome tall black boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes; there were also two seventh-year boys Amy did not know and, squashed in the corner beside Slughorn and looking as though she was not entirely sure how she had got there, Ginny.
Amy's eyes brightened and waved at her and Ginny immediately smiled and relaxed waving at them and Neville blushed again.
"Now, do you know everyone?" Slughorn asked Amy and Neville. "Blaise Zabini is in your year, of course —" Zabini just tipped his head I greeting, and surprised, Amy and Neville did the same. "This is Cormac McLaggen, perhaps you've come across each other — ? No?" McLaggen, a large, wiry-haired youth, raised a hand, and Amy and Neville nodded back at him. "— and this is Marcus Belby, I don't know whether — ?" Belby, who was thin and nervous-looking, gave a strained smile. "— and this charming young lady tells me she knows you!" Slughorn finished.
Ginny grimaced at Amy and Neville from behind Slughorn's back. "Well now, this is most pleasant," said Slughorn cozily. "A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch; the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on licorice wands, and a poor old man's digestive system isn't quite up to such things. . . . Pheasant, Belby?"
Belby started and accepted what looked like half a cold pheasant. "I was just telling young Marcus here that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles," Slughorn told Amy and Neville, now passing around a basket of rolls.
"Outstanding wizard, outstanding, and his Order of Merlin most well-deserved. Do you see much of your uncle, Marcus?"
Unfortunately, Belby had just taken a large mouthful of pheasant; in his haste to answer Slughorn he swallowed too fast, turned purple, and began to choke.
"Anapneo," said Slughorn calmly, pointing his wand at Belby, whose airway seemed to clear at once.
"Not . . . not much of him, no," gasped Belby, his eyes streaming.
"Well, of course, I daresay he's busy," said Slughorn, looking questioningly at Belby. "I doubt he invented the Wolfsbane Potion without considerable hard work!"
"I suppose . . ." said Belby, who seemed afraid to take another bite of pheasant until he was sure that Slughorn had finished with him. "Er . . . he and my dad don't get on very well, you see, so I don't really know much about . . ."
His voice tailed away as Slughorn gave him a cold smile and turned to McLaggen instead. "Now, you, Cormac," said Slughorn, "I happen to know you see a lot of your Uncle Tiberius, because he has a rather splendid picture of the two of you hunting nogtails in, I think, Norfolk?"
"Oh, yeah, that was fun, that was," said McLaggen. "We went with Bertie Higgs and Rufus Scrimgeour — this was before he became Minister, obviously —"
"Ah, you know Bertie and Rufus too?" beamed Slughorn, now offering around a small tray of pies; somehow, Belby was missed out. "Now tell me . . ." It was as Amy had suspected. Everyone here seemed to have been invited because they were connected to somebody well known or influential — everyone except Ginny.
Zabini, who was interrogated after McLaggen, turned out to have a famously beautiful witch for a mother (from what Amy could make out, she had been married seven times, each of her husband's dying mysteriously and leaving her mounds of gold).
It was Neville's turn next: This was a very uncomfortable ten minutes, for Neville's parents, well-known Aurors, had been tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange and a couple of Death Eater cronies. Neville was confident and answered though you could tell he didn't like talking about his parents like that.
"And now," said Slughorn, shifting massively in his seat with the air of a compeer introducing his star act. "Amaryllis Potter! Where to begin!" He contemplated Amy for a moment as though she was a particularly large and succulent piece of pheasant.
He then began praising her on her defeat of Voldemort and her survival twice on the killing curse and her spell craft. Amy answered politely but she didn't like it. It went on for some time till they were able to leave.
"What was that about?"
"Looks like the new professor is rounding up students with famous parents or who have potential and connections to his Slug club. Us being Order of Merlin first and second class, we qualified. Honestly." said Amy slumping next to Jen.
"How did you get to be invited Ginny?" asked Neville.
Ginny blushed then said, "Well he saw me casting the bat boogey hex at James Stevenson."
"Ginny!" said Hermione.
"What! He grabbed my butt! I wasn't going to just let him go!" said Ginny defensively and they all laughed while Hermione shook her head and said, "Honestly." though she was fighting a grin.
They talked till they got to Hogwarts.
"It's so odd not to have Malfoy budging in here strutting and bragging." said Amy.
"I don't miss it." said Jen dryly and they laughed.
xxx
They reached the school and went to the opening feast. It was then they were told the new teacher Slughorn was the new Potions teacher and Snape was taking defense against the Dark Arts, his dream job. Amy was happy for him. He had been a jerk but he had played an important role in the war and he had apologized. That was enough to her.
Dorm Rooms
When they got to the Gryffindor common room, Elena the 7th year prefect said, "6th year girls, follow me." Jen, Hermione and Amy and the others followed Elena and they were led to another floor.
"You are now 6th years and NEWT Students and because of the immense work load you get your own rooms. No boys are allowed. You may room with your friend if you like. You can color and decorate your room."
Amy was so excited. She got to the door with her name on it and she opened it. The rooms were nice. There was a four poster bed, a closet, a book shelf and a study table. There was also a window with the view of the grounds and the lake and the quidditch pitch. Amazing!
She unpacked her clothes and as she did, she saw a black golf t-shirt with a yellow collar, the Hogwarts crest on the front left and at the back written CEDRIC DIGGORY. it was Cedric's quidditch t-shirt she had nicked when she was helping him move in.
She held it close to her then she wore it. Of course on her small frame it fell to just past her mid thigh but that's why she liked it. it will be a good sleep wear.
As she set up her laptop, Jen came in gushing about her room which was next to Amy's with Hermione's next to Jen's. They talked and Hermione Parvati and Lavender joined them. they had fun sharing holiday stories.
When everyone left, Amy took her phone and she called Cedric. they talked for some time before she had to go to bed.
"I love you." said Amy
"I love you too." said Cedric before they hung up the phone.
Amy sighed and fell asleep thinking of the next day and the start of her NEWT level.
Thank you for reading.
