AN:/ I don't own this story, all the rights goes to the amazing author; J.K. Rowling, whom I admire a lot.
And as always, a grand thanks for my big time supporter and rescuer, LimitlessDarkness. You are the light, shining in my darkness.
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Year two.
Chapter 11. Going back.
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Platform 9¾; Hogwarts Express:
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September the first had finally arrived and with it, my second year at Hogwarts. I was so exited; I woke up hours before we were supposed too. My trunk was already fully packed; I only needed to get my clothes on and my cat into his cage. I went down to the kitchen, after brushing my teeth. And to my surprise, James was awake.
"James?"
"Morning sis."
"What are you doing up this early?"
"I couldn't sleep."
"Why? Is something the matter?"
"No." he smiled at me. "Well… Clara told me about your talk with her, about me. So I think I can tell you."
"You're a couple now?" I guessed, smiling big at him.
"Yes." He smirked.
"Yeah… congratulations." I gave him a big hug.
"Don't tell anyone."
"Not even my friends?"
"No."
"Why not?" I looked at him, confused.
"I don't want everyone to know."
"Why? It doesn't look like you to be shy."
"I'm not… it's just…" he looked away from me.
"Are you ashamed of Clara? Is it because she's a muggle?" I asked harshly.
"No!"
"Then what is it?"
"Can't you just keep it quiet for now?"
"Sure… But I deserve an explanation."
...
A few hours later, we were rushing through Kings Cross station, towards platform 9¾. We didn't stop to wait for anyone else, but went right through the wall, one by one. At the other side the Weasley's were waiting for us.
"You're late." Aunt Hermione noted, while meeting us halfway with uncle Ron so that they could help us, get our stuff on the train in a hurry. There was only five minutes left for take off, so it was a quick goodbye this time.
"I love you honey. Remember to write home okay?" my mother kissed me on my cheek.
"Take care Lily." My father gave me a big hug.
"I love you both." We rushed onto the train, just merely in time.
"Alright… see you kids at the school." James picked up his trunk, waved and walked down the hallway.
"Were are you off too?" Albus asked.
"Too my friends." I answered, picked up my trunk and started to head down the hallway in the opposite direction of James.
"Do you think there is space for one more?" he asked while looking shy. He had already picked up his trunk and followed me.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you want to hang out with me and my friends, when you have your own plus a girlfriend who is waiting for you?"
"Umm…"
"Do you not want to see you girlfriend?"
"Will you please stop saying girlfriend over and over again? It's annoying."
"It's annoying? I think someone's tired of his girlfriend." I sang.
"No I'm not…"
"Yes you are… it's shinning all over you."
"Okay fine! But what do you want me to do." He looked at the floor, glooming.
"Break up with her. Or talk to her, about what's annoying."
"Yeah that's easier said than done."
"No one said anything about it being easy. But it is something that you have to do… oh and look… there she is… good luck." I gave him a pad on his shoulder, leading him towards his girlfriend. As I couldn't see my friends down that hall, I turned around and walked back. When I reach my starting point I saw Scorpius looking into different compartments.
"Who are you looking for?" I smiled at him.
"Lily." He said surprised. "I'm looking for you, we wondered were you where, we saw James walk with some friends past our compartment, so we new you were here somewhere. And then I decided to go look for you. Here let me carry your trunk."
"Thank you. Well I was looking for you guys at that direction." I said pointing back from where I came. "And when I reached the end and there still weren't any sight of you, I turned around."
"Oh… okay then." He looked at me with an investigating expression.
"What is it?"
"Are you okay?" he asked worried.
"Yes, why wouldn't I?"
"Alana told me about your uncle."
"Oh." I looked down at my feet. "I wasn't expecting her to squeal about it."
"She only told me. Larkin doesn't know about it."
"Why did she only tell you?"
"I don't know? Maybe because she knows that I won't overreact on it. Maybe because she know that you can trust me."
"Does that mean that you can't trust Larkin?"
"I didn't mean it that way."
"Then how did you mean it?"
"Does it matter?"
"Actually not. Are we almost there?"
"We're here now." he opened the door and we walked in, I was immediately hugged by two sets of bodies.
"Alana, Maggie… you're chocking me." I breathed heavily.
"Oh…"
"Sorry." They said and let go of me.
"It's so nice to see you guys." I smiled happily.
"Lily." Larkin's voice came from my behind. When I turned around, I was forced into another hug. "I was soooo worried about you."
"Why?" I chuckled.
"You were gone for such a long time."
"No I wasn't."
"But it felt that way." He said melodramatic.
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On our way to Hogwarts we discussed everything. How our summers had been both when we had been together and separated. When our discussion felt upon the episode at Malfoys, Scorpius became a little distant.
"Is something wrong Scorpius?" I asked concerned.
"Well… both yes and no."
"What is it?"
"It's about the thing that happened at my place, you know in the forest."
"Yes?" everyone attention was now on him.
"Well… I still don't know who or what it was, but they didn't stop with us." He looked uncomfortable out of the window.
"What do you mean?" Maggie asked panicking.
"Tell us everything you know." I told him. "And from the beginning." And so he did.
"There is a village, close to the forest on the other side of the forest, away from our mansion. A village were only muggles lives. They day I came home from you Lily, my parents were taking me there, my father said that he needed to investigate a muggle invention named coffee, he had it on his last journey and he loved it. Something about it being a bitter, black drink. Perfect for my father, if you ask me. Anyway… as we were walking down the streets, I noticed some odd behavior, coming from the muggles. Everyone stopped what they were doing, just to watch us pass by. Everywhere we went, suspicious eyes and hostility followed us. We finally reached a shop called 'The Hot Pot Café' or something like that, a big coffee place, where you can get all sorts of hot and cold drinks. You can even get some tea. My parents ordered some coffee and I got some hot chocolate, we were silently drinking our drinks, we didn't talk much, the atmosphere was a little gloomy. On the table next to us, was a newspaper. A funny looking one, the pictures didn't even move. Well the headline caught my eyes immediately, it said something like this; News!: Another Child is Missing!." He stopped for a short break, to see if anyone would like to comment on it. But we were all silent like the night. We were in chock. "I have it with me, here I'll read it for you." He took out a newspaper from his bag, with a scary looking picture on the front, a black and white picture of a silhouette of a child and the headline saying:
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Another Child is Missing!
Monday morning, the Miller family called the police to report a missing person. There own child, Billy at six, they had discovered it by finding his bed empty that morning; it should have been his first day of school. "I was going to wake him up, but he wasn't there." Said the sobbing mother of Billy. The father whom was trying to comfort his wife turns to say a few words. "I called the police immediately, after all those disappearing's, I couldn't take any chances." It's the tenth child to disappear this summer, parents are keeping their children under a sharp eye, and the police are doing everything they can to find the kidnapper and the children. But until know without any luck, the parents are dreading for the safety of their children. Some people are talking about leaving town; others are talking about taking the investigation into their own hands. But without any leads or suspects, it's been proven hard to do anything. No leads except of those leading to the woods. This time the police found Billy favorite book in the opening of the Forest. Revealing that it is the same kidnapper as always. "We have been searching the whole damn Forest again!" Informs the young police assistant. "And we have still not found a single thing. Not a shoe, footprint or anything else. I've come to the conclusion that the kidnapper lays out the children's belongings on purpose. I tell you, it's a psychological trick to mess with the parents."
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Scorpius held the newspaper out for us to see the book.
"It's really scary." Maggie cried.
"Why are they doing this?" Larkin asked.
"And most importantly, who?" we all looked at the paper in deep thoughts. "Did any of you notice something?"
"Other than what we've already been discussing? No."
"I remember Alana saying something about a big green monster." Maggie whispered.
"When did I say that?"
"When you got conscious, in the forest hut." I explained.
"Should we report what we now to someone?" Maggie asked.
"Who?"
"Lily's father maybe." They all turned to look at me.
"And what should she tell him? Oh father, by the way, this summer my friends and me were kidnapped. We don't know who did it. But can you do something about it?" Larkin answered.
"She doesn't have to tell him that way." Alana hissed.
"I'll try to figure something out. I promise." I looked out of the window and noticed the scenario. "We should be changing into our school uniforms soon, we are almost there."
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Twenty minutes later, we arrived at Hogsmead station. We could see Hagrids familiar silhouette waving at the first years.
"First years, this way please." A small crowd of scared looking first years moved slowly towards Hagrid.
"Is that I giant?" a girl asked her friend.
"He's only a half giant." I smiled at her, her eyes grew big and she looked at Hagrid in awe.
"Hello Lily." Hagrid suddenly waved at me, the girl looked at me in disbelieve.
"Good evening Hagrid. How's everything going?"
"Great, I've been helping a unicorn giving birth to a wonderful little foal." He smiled.
"That's sounds amazing."
"Ya think? Well what about visiting me sometimes and I can introduce ya?" he smiled at me. "Well we'll talk later Lily, I'll have to follow these little ones to tha castle." I waved at him, felling slightly sad, as I noticed how old Hagrid had become. His hair was almost completely grey now and he had lost a few teeth. He didn't want to do anything about it because of his wife, Madam Maxime, the headmistress at my cousins' school, Beauxbatons Academy of magic, thought that it made him look like a wild and untamed beast, which she very much liked.
"Lily are you coming?" Maggie yelled at me, they where already at the invisible carriage, Alana looked inspecting at them.
"So when are they bringing the horses?" Scorpius and I started laughing. "What's so funny?"
"They're already here." Scorpius explained.
"Whom?"
"The ones you think are horses."
"They're not horses?"
"They're something called Thestrals." Alana turned to look at me instead, like she was saying that she didn't understand his language and I had to translate it for her.
"Thestrals is a horse looking creature only visible for those who have seen death. It has a skeletal body, face with reptilian features, and wide, leathery wings that resemble a bat's. if you ride one, it will take you wherever you want, you just have to name the place, it's a lot like an owl in that way." I explained.
"It sounds ugly."
"Well… according to my parents, they are. But according to aunt Luna, they're adorable."
"And isn't Luna that weird lady you've told me about."
"I prefers to call her eccentric. But Albus call her crazy" I smiled. "She's a lovely lady though." The carriage experience was new for Alana, Maggie and my self. Last year we had to go back the same way we arrived, through the boats. But it was Larkin and Scorpius third time in the carriage.
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The ride towards Hogwarts was longer than I had expected.
"So how long will this take?" Maggie asked.
"About 5 to 10 minutes." Larkin answered.
"Really? That long?" the conversation between Larkin and Maggie continued until we reached Hogwarts, no one else was interested in following it. I was looking out on the scenario, deep in thoughts. I was speculating of a good way to explain it all to my father, without getting my friends or myself involved.
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… And then we had finally arrived.
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Welcoming dinner:
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At the entrance to the great hall, Maggie, Alana and I separated from Scorpius and Larkin.
"See you later." Larkin greeted us goodbye. I was sitting next to Alana, whom were sitting beside Maggie, leaving the place next to me empty.
"You're going to sit next to a first year." Alana whispered.
"Is that a prediction?" I asked
"No an observation." She smiled. I looked and saw that we had all been seated. Leaving only the new students to remain.
"What kind of students do you think will be in our dorm?" Maggie asked
"Someone who's brave, loyal and wants to prove themselves." Alana answered. My laugh was cut off by professor Flitwick; he was clearing his throat as to signal that he was going to speak. Yet again, he was standing beside the stool with the old hat on and a piece of parchment with all the new students names on it, in his hand. All the attention was on the professor as he was leading the new students in and started to call their names, one after the other. Three girls and two boys were added to Gryffindor.
When all the new students were placed, all the attention went to McGonagall.
"Good Evening my dear students. I hope you enjoyed your vacation and that you're ready for a whole new year of studying. And for the new students: welcome to Hogwarts. There are a few rules that you'll have to follow, while at Hogwarts." McGonagall started, while she was speaking, the boy whom was sitting next to me, was staring curiously at me all through the speech. "…And the forest is as always a forbidden place, unless you want to die, then stay away from there, unless your accompanied by a teacher or an older student…" Some of the new students were shaking in anxiety. "…Wandering around the school after bedtime, is also forbidden and will be punished…" After the long speech, McGonagall finally raised her hands and said the most welcoming words. "Let us eat." And so we did.
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Almost every one of the first years reacted in surprise when the food appeared. But only to some, the surprised was in how much food actually appeared. All kinds of dishes had been made by the elf's. Three different kinds of pies, eight different kind of meat and a lot of side dishes including four kinds of potatoes, gravy and a lot of vegetables.
While eating the room was filled with talking and laughter and I felt the sensation of being where I belonged.
"Lily?" Alana whispered in my ear.
"What?" I whispered back.
"Have you noticed that your table buddy has been looking at you all this time?" I turned to look at the boy, and I stared right into a pair of curious eyes. I gave him a little insecure nod, which he didn't reacted on the slightest and he kept staring. I turned to look at Alana, whom looked as confused as I felt.
"Someone you know?"
"No! Or I don't think I do?"
"Very curios." She nodded thoughtful.
"I just think he likes you." The girl across from the boy said out of the blue.
"You think so?" Alana smiled at her.
"It's obvious." She replied.
"Is he dumb?"
"Alana! That's a really rude thing to say" I looked apologetic at the boy, whom didn't react a bit. "But is he?" I then asked the girl.
"I don't know. I don't even know this guy."
"I think he is." Alana concluded. "Or just really weird."
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After the overwhelming dinner, the just as overwhelming dessert followed. The students, including my self, started too get tired, there was no longer as much chattering going on and a peaceful silence filled the hall. We were all really relieved when professor McGonagall finally stood up to speak a few last words, the food disappeared as she stood up.
"I can imagine that all of you must be really tired by now, but before we're going to say goodnight I just have a few information's left. There will soon be try outs for your house Quidditch team, as most of you remember from last year, you'll get more information about it in your houses. First years can try out for the team. For special requests, please contact the team captain. Slytherins please contact Vincent Goyle…" at his name, all of the Slytherins started to clap. "Gryffindor, James Potter…" A more hysterical applause sounded in the hall, all from the Gryffindor's and a few from the other houses. Even McGonagall smiled approved. "Huffelpuff, Charles Stewart…" a friendly applause sounded from the table of Huffelpuff. "And at last from Ravenclaw, Amanda Morose." Amanda, the only female captain and my brother Albus's girlfriend, was given just a loudly an applause as James was. Indicating her popularity at her house.
"Damn it." I heard Alana mumble down at the table. And a knowing smile formed at both Maggie's and my lips. McGonagall gave us a bit if additional information, nothing of importance, so I didn't listen. Scorpius, who was looking at me from his table, caught my attention instead. I tried to smile at him, but then discovered that it wasn't me he was looking at, but the weird boy beside me. Scorpius felt my gaze and looked at me with a question in his face. I shrugged my shoulders as to tell him, that I didn't know who he was. He then smiled satisfied.
"…Nothing left now, but to wish you all a good night." Everyone started to get up from their seats, but the boy next to me, was pulling me down. I looked at him in shock, it was the first movement I've seen other than him finding his seat and eating.
"You're beautiful." He suddenly said out of the blue and gave me a big kiss on my cheek; he then fled the hall, leaving me all alone and in shock.
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AN/:
To my most important friend, my inspiration and guide; Raven.
What I need is what you are.
- By BlacktheRose.
In the darkest nights.
You are my candle.
In the deepest hole.
You are my ladder.
In the most narrow cabinet.
You are my key.
And in my lonely hours.
You are my friend.
The only one who understands me is you.
The only one who knows when I'm true.
The only one who saw past the mask.
The only one I know to last.
The only one who's pulling me together.
My gratitude will follow you forever.
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So this was the eleventh chapter. I know you've waited a long time for this. I promise it isn't a sign of me, abandoning this story. I just have my school to concentrate about. But, only a few month left and it's summer vacation. Are you guys looking forward to it? I am.
I wish you all well.
BlacktheRose.
