The end of summer vacation came too quickly for anyone's liking. Eldon was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but this month at the burrow had been one of the nicest in his life. It was difficult not to feel jealous of Ron when he thought of the Durslesys and the sort of welcome he and Harry could expect the next time he turned up on Privet Drive.

On their last evening, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner that included all of Eldon and Harry's favorite things, ending with a mouthwatering treacle pudding. Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks; they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least a half hour. Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed.

It took a long while to get started the next morning, they were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do. Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quills; people kept colliding on the stairs, half-dressed with bits of toast in their hands; and Mr. Weasly nearly broke his neck, tripping over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's trunk to the car.

Eldon couldn't see how nine people, six large trunks, three owls, and a rat were going to fit in one small Ford Anglia. He had reckoned, of course, without the special features that Mr. Weasley had added.

"Not a word to Molly," he whispered to Harry as he opened the trunk and showed Eldon and Harry how it had been magically expanded so that the luggage fit easily.

When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasly glanced into the back seat, where Eldon, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy were all sitting comfortably side by side, and said, "Muggles do know more than we give them credit for, don't they?" She and Ginny got into the front seat, which had been stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "I mean, you'd never known it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"

Mr. Wesley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Eldon turning for one last look back at the house. He barely had time to wonder when he'd see it again when they were back - George had forgotten his box of Filibuster minutes after that, they skidded to a half in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick. THey had almost reached the highway when Ginny had sreiked that she'd left her diary. By the time she had clambered back into the car, they were running very late, and tempers were running high. Eldon himself had been completely packed for two weeks, ever since Daphne had written him where to meet her on the train. He'd be sitting with her and Blais this time, instead of with Harry.

Mr. Weasly glanced at his watch and then at his wife.

"Molly, dear -"

"No, Arthur -"

"No one would see - this little button is an Invisibility BoosterI installed - that'd get us up in the air - then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser -"

"I said, no, Arthur, not in broad daylight -"

They reach King Cross at a quarter to eleven. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station.

Eldon had caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto the platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing.

"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasly, looking nervously at the cloak overhead, which showed that it had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.

Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George Followed.

"Now you, Eldon. Then I'll take Ginny and you two come right after us," Mrs. Weasley told Eldon, Harry, and Ron.

Eldon nodded and hurriedly pushed his car through the barrier. He passed right through it and stumbled out on the other side, the loud chatter of students and their family filling the platform and a huge steam engine sat on the tracks, smoke billowing out and children leaned out the window waving to the people on the platform. Eldon was quick to get his trunk onto the train, thankful for the lightning charm Mr. Weasley had put on it for him. He stepped onto the train and counted 16 compartments to the left and pushed open the door.

"Eldon! How was the summer?" Blaise jumped to his feet, pulling Eldon into the compartment and pushing his trunk off to the side. Daphne rolled her eyes and placed his trunk on the shelving along with hers and Blais's. ELdon tried to answer but the hug Blaise was giving him was too tight.

"Let him breathe, he can't answer."

When Eldon was finally released he cleared his throat and spoke, "W-well, the D-Dursleys w-were mean a-as all-always. Harry's f-friend R-ron and his b-brothers took u-us t-too to their h-house."

"So your summer was nice," Daphne said, smiling at him.

"Well, my family took a trip to china, the wizards there are really weird. They wear all these crazy colors and -"

"Oh be quiet, you." Daphne cut off Blaise, who pouted. "I heard Potter got on great with Lockhart."

Blaise popped up, once again excited, and I heard that Arthur Weasly attacked Malfoy."

Eldon blinked, he hadn't realised people would hear about something like that. "H-he di-didn't attack h-him, but h-he did f-fight w-with him."

"Well, I still think it's awesome that you had front row seats to that!"

Eldon couldn't help but laugh, he'd missed this. The weasleys were great, but his friends were amazing.

The castle that was Hogwarts sat atop a large cliff, overlooking a large lake. When Eldon had first arrived the year before he, along with all the other first year students, were taken up to the castle by enchanted boats. This year they were taken by self drawn carriages and the new first years went with Hagrid to the boats.

The great hall was just as wonderful as Eldon remembered it being. Innumerable handles were hovering in midair over four long tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars. Everyone was quick to take their places and the hall quickly filled with chatter. It wouldn't be too long before Professor McGonagall and a long line of scared-looking first years filed into the Hall. Ginny was among them, easily visible because of her vivid Weasley hair. Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.

Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed, and dirty,m sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin). Eldon well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in his ear. He'd sat there trembling and in fear with the eyes of all the other students on him. He'd been sorted into Slytherin, the house that everyone believed only created Dark wizards. And while it was true that in the past it had created more Dark witches and wizards than any other house, Slytherin wasn't as bad as people claimed it was. Eldon got along pretty well with most of them, and even the ones who didn't like him never approached. It was the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin that caused the most problems. Harry had been sorted into Gryffindor.

A very small, mousy-haired boy was called forward to place the hat on his head. He was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff and the house table cheered loudly. Eldon didn't find any interest in the sorting and turned his attention to Daphne so sat to his right.

"I-is your s-sister be-being sorted-th-this year?"

"No, Astoria's not coming to Hogwarts until next year. Though she's trying to convince our mother to let her go to an all girls academy in France."

"O-oh." Eldon didn't know what to say, he'd caught up with them on the train and had nothing left to ask about her summer, and he didn't know if she'd be okay with him asking anything more about her family. He knew they were big on being prim and proper though Daphne said she didn't mind as long as her parents weren't as obsessed with it as the Malfoys were.

"I bet it's just because of the uniforms they have," Blaise interrupted from Eldon's left. "My Mum's always complaining about how much your mother talks about the clothes she's buying her."

Daphne laughed quietly, "Yes, that's her main argument. The blue of their uniform matches my eyes much better," she mocked in a high pitched voice. Eldon laughed with his two friends, almost missing Ginny being sorted into Gryffindor. There were only 5 kids after her and soon the feast commenced.

"Greengrass, still hanging around the Potter I see." Pansy Parkinson sneered from across the table. She had tried to sit next to Draco but Crabbe and Goyle had beaten her to it, and she was clearly in a foul mood.

"Of course, I keep better company than you do after all, Parkinson," Daphne answered with an equal bite. Eldon blinked owlishly, not wanting them to start fighting. Luckily, Blaise knew just what to say to draw their attention elsewhere.

"Hey, where's Snape? He's not sitting with the other teachers."

Both girls' heads snapped to the table that overlooked the great hall. All their other professors sat talking to one another, but their sneering head of house was nowhere to be seen. His chair sat empty next to Hagrid.

"Potter isn't here either," Draco hissed, "his Weasley is gone too."

Eldon blinked, he hadn't realised that Draco had been paying any attention to them. A few of the first years that were sitting close to them had been trying to gain his favor, talking badly about the other houses and cursing the Muggle borns. Yet he was paying them no mind and instead was staring directly at Eldon, his cold grey eyes seeming almost apologetic as he mentioned Harry.

Pansy, who could not be any more obvious about her infatuation with Draco, pounced on the chance to badmouth Harry. "I bet he got expelled before even arriving at school and Professor Snape is off snapping his wand. Potter probably thought no one would dare punish him for anything."

Daphne rolled her eyes and pulled Eldon stand, he complied quickly having lost all interest in what food remained on his plate. "Come on, I want to get to the dorms before the first year." Blaise waved them farewell, too engrossed in a conversation he'd started with Theodore Nott to join them.

"O-okay."

The large Castle was a labyrinth of twisting corridors and magical objects. Eldon was almost certain that he would get lost before he found his way to the dormitory but he was pleasantly surprised when his feet guided him right to an empty passageway in the dungeon, where the entrance to the common room was hidden behind a grey cobblestone wall.

"Pudicitiam," Daphne said, having been wise enough to get the password before they made their way to the Dungeons. The wall peeled back and revealed the large Slytherin commons. Couches and chairs covered the entire floor, offering everyone a place to sit with their friends or even study. A warm fire flickered in the fireplace, and Eldon's favorite part of the room was the large windows. They weren't normal windows and instead they looked out into the dark waters of the lake, fish and other creatures swimming past. He knew that several magical beings lived in the depths but none of them ever got close enough to the windows to be seen.

"W-we have th-the s-same dorms a-as last year?"

"We do," she was quick to sit on the couch near the fireplace. Eldon joined her and pulled his knees up to his chest.

"D-do you th-think th-that Lockhart is going to l-last the whole y-year? He d-didn't seem like he'd be a g-good t-teacher when i m-met h-him."

"No way! My dad hasn't stopped talking about him even since we found out! He met him a few times and he told me that the man is all talk, so I doubt we'll be learning much of anything. I took a look at his books over the summer too, he spends a lot of time talking about himself."

"M-mrs. Wesley r-really likes her-him."

She rolled her eyes, "Of course she does, all middle aged witches think he's so great, but i think his personality is simply rubbish. He's said to have an ego bigger than a dragon."

Eldon was about to respond with his own opinion of Lockhart but a large group of SLytherins flowed into the common. Several of them hurried off to their dorms, wanting to get a good night's sleep before classes the next day, and others found seats around the room. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyble trailing behind him, headed straight towards Eldon and Daphne. Malfoy took the remaining seat beside Eldon, leaving his two companions to sit on the couch across from them. Blaise, who had come in shortly after him, pouted at the sight of the full couch and reluctantly sat beside Crabbe.

Draco seemed to want to say something as he looked at Eldon but when he couldn't think of the proper wording he turned his attention to the common room entrance, choosing to watch the baffled expressions on the first years faces as they were led into the common room.

Eldon smiled at their excitement, "Daphne, d-do you kn-know th-them?"

"No, most of them are Half-bloods, and the two Pure-bloods aren't closely tied to my family."

Eldon nodded, the world of Pure-blood politics and business pairings was large and complicated and he was certain that he wouldn't be able to keep up with it if he were to ever ask about it. For the next hour Eldon, Daphne, and Blaise chatted excitedly, paying no attention to Malfoy and his two friends as they continued to ist next to them. Malfoy didn't seem irritated that they weren;t talking to him but instead looked disappointed when Eldon would spare him a glance only to turn back to Daphne.

Eldon was the first one to suggest heading up to bed, having been yawning every few minutes for the past half hour. Blaise had laughed at him but wished him a good night and Daphne promised to wait for him in the morning so they could head down to breakfast together.

"G-goodnight" Eldon said, eyes focusing on Malfoy who was staring intently at him.

"Good night, Eldon." Malfoy responded smoothly, ignoring the surprised looks of everyone still in the common room. The first year that had been talking poorly about Eldon at the feast blinked owlishly, expecting Malfoy to dislike Eldon just as much as he disliked Harry.

Using his hand to cover up another yawn Eldon hurried to his room in the boys dormitories. The room looked just like it had last year, green accents and a small fireplace flickering warmly. A familiar potion sat on the dresser and Eldon smiled. Professor Snape had made him the potion that helped him read without the words floating off the page.

Eldon was quick to down the potion and climb exhaustedly into bed. Tomorrow would mark the first school day of his second year at Hogwarts, the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.