Year 6 at Hogwarts and there have been some major changes. Voices in their heads. Memories missing. And a Dumbledore that wasn't so great after all. The forces of the dark are closing in and they need the help of an ancient group to win this war. From the Slytherin perspective.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
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Author's Note:
From now onward, the chapters will be longer. Enjoy!
Blaise turned the doorknob, then sought out his seat from previously. Thankfully, Erasobeth Jones wasn't seated there beside Draco. He wasn't sure if he could handle seeing her after that 'Slug Club' lunch.
The Gryffindors were watched intently by all Slytherins present, and successfully not hexed. Even Draco and Emma Vane refrained from their usual sadistic ways of harassing people. When the carriage door closed behind them, Blaise was bombarded by questions. Thankfully, Pansy and Daphne got them to shut the hell up and wait until the Slytherin First Night Gathering tonight. Without their intervening, the Italian was positive he'd have cursed someone already.
HPHPHP
Chapter Four: Aboard, Departure, Arrival
~On the Hogwarts Express~
Pansy Parkinson yawned, a hand covering her mouth as she waited for her best friend, Blaise Zabini, to return. It was already getting dark outside and the Italian had yet to return from his supposed 'lunch' with Professor H. E. F. Slughorn. Thankfully, she and Astoria Greengrass had managed to send away that annoying Erasobeth Jones a little while after Blaise left; Jones was the epitome of annoying! Additionally, she got to have a good conversation with Mirth Cleveland. You know, before Draco scared him away.
Mirth was going on and on about his summer, then suddenly stopped talking. His eyes were trained somewhere behind her.
"What?" Pansy asked, turning to look. She saw Draco Malfoy waking up, glancing at them, then looking around. What was fascinating about that? She turned back to Mirth. "It's just Draco."
Mirth tore his eyes away from the blonde and smiled sheepishly at her. "Sorry," He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just that Malfoy had been in a bad mood since this morning, and now, he's calmed down."
Pansy didn't like where this conversation was going. "Yeah, but he's alright now."
"I know, I know! It's just that... " He seemed to not know how to put his words together and shrugged.
She was having none of that. "Just what?"
"Alright!" He gave in so easily. "I just think I understand how he feels."
Once again, the conversation was not going anywhere she'd like it to go.
"Oh, yes!" She said suddenly to paint the image of her remembering something.
Mirth hummed for her to continue, his attention on her.
"About your grandmother, Cleveland..." She said to distract him from Draco.
Mirth asked, "What about Nənə (Grandmother)?" His native tongue, Azerbaijaini, slipped into his speaking whenever family was mentioned. "Nənə is alright. She's recovering from Ague, and is eating her Ashwinder eggs whole as she should."
"But, Cleveland, there's a potion." Pansy suggested.
He shook his head. "No. We don't have any Potions Masters in Sumqayıt, Azerbaijan. They're in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, but the prices are expensive and we'd need multiple." Mirth slouched in his seat. "We don't have the money."
Pansy paled. In her efforts to get attention off of Draco, she saddened a very happy male. "Sorry, Cleveland. I didn't mean to upset you."
He shrugged. "I'll fine."
She thought he would end there, but Mirth suddenly perked up. He then spoke of his hometown in Sumqayıt, of the river it was named after, and his family. Pansy smiled, pleased that he was happy again. That was all shattered when he looked at Draco, who was speaking to Goyle.
"What?" She asked.
"He's not longer gloomy."
Pansy sighed. "I said that earli—"
"It's understandable," He cut her. "After all, he's probably not had a good summer, with Malfoy's father in Azkaban! And with You-Know-Who's return... " Mirth frowned, then shook his head. "But! It's none of my business. I just wish Malfoy would stop sulking. He'll take out his grumpiness on me when we're in our dormitory, he always does."
She silently groaned, because she knew Draco heard that. Her blonde best friend had tore his gaze from the window and glared at his crude dorm-mate. Mirth blushed crimson and began to stammer. It was obvious that Draco had managed to catch some part of what Mirth said.
"O-oh! H-hey, Malfoy!" Mirth said, nervous. "I was just wondering why you were... were... " he said, his hands up in surrender. Mirth turned to Daphne. "Um, Greengrass? Help?"
Sure, Daphne was a nice person, more caring than Pansy, but she knew how Draco was when in a bad mood.
Daphne had scoffed and pretended she didn't hear him. Mirth turned to Pansy, and she looked up at the ceiling. Pansy definitely wanted to avoid being on the receiving end of Draco's anger, so she chose to abandon Mirth to the dragon. Maybe later, when they're at Hogwarts, she'll apologise for leaving him to Draco.
Draco released some of his magic and let it move in a snake-like motion towards poor Mirth, who was frightened. The other three persons at his's table shuddered and leaned away. A wide-eyed look of horror graced his face, and Pansy winced, feeling very guilty. Draco pulled back his magic, then let it surge quickly towards the male. Mirth looked like he might faint if he stayed there any longer. Draco stopped his magic right before it could touch the blonde boy, then made it poke him hard. That was all it took for her happy friend to get up from his seat.
"S-s-sor-ry!"
Mirth briskly walked towards the carriage door, and exited the train carriage. Draco smirked at that. Daphne rolled her eyes, displeased to have been dragged into this. Pansy glared at Draco. That was uncalled for!
"Draco, that was rude!" Pansy said in a disapproving tone.
Draco rolled his eyes and went back to staring out the window.
Honestly, that entire thing was tiring. Draco's released magic swirled around him for half an hour before he absorbed it.
Anyways!
By now, most of the Slytherins in this train carriage were either fighting sleep, or already sleeping. The length of the train ride was very long, considering the fact that they were moving from King's Cross Station to the Scottish Highlands. It was only a matter of time before they were sleeping like babies, completely oblivious to the world! Really, it always confused Pansy how Slytherins didn't trust easily and yet were able to fall asleep almost anywhere. The Hogwarts Express was full of strangers and persons they wouldn't trust as far they could throw them, which was saying something since they had magic. Still, they slept without a care!
Of course, there were those selected to keep watch to cast Disillusionment Charms so that outsiders wouldn't see their moment of weakness/ vulnerability. But, that didn't stop Pansy from fiercely fighting sleep whenever she wasn't home or at a place where she could trust those around her to not take advantage of her moment of vulnerability. Pansy was too paranoid for that.
She looked over towards Draco, who had switched seat with Daphne Greengrass. He had taken off his navy blue blazer jacket, Pansy noticed, and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, the silver cuff-links on the table on top of his neatly laid down blazer jacket. Pansy remembered how she though he looked like a Ravenclaw when she saw him at Platform 9 and 3/4.
Anyways, Daphne wanted a break from her sister's talking, and Draco wanted to talk to someone since Pansy had been engrossed in Blaise's book that was left with her. She couldn't help it though. 'Advanced Wand-less Magic 101' was just so interesting that she lost track of time and movement around her! It was at about quarter past two that Mirth had caught her attention, and successfully distracted her from the book. However, after Draco scared him away, Pansy had returned to book. By the time she noticed that the two blondes had switched places, she was halfway through chapter five.
Now, as she stared at Draco, she frowned at how much he'd changed during his summer. His blonde hair had gotten paler, as if that were possible, and his skin had a grey tinge to it. Draco looked like he had basically avoided the sun his entire holiday, and she wasn't sure why. Was he locked up inside Malfoy after he received the Dark Mark? There was no reason for Lucius or Narcissa Malfoy to keep Draco inside.
Unless, of course, You-Know-Who commanded them not to.
Pansy had found it suspicious that she hadn't been receiving as many letters from Draco as she used to, and they were all vague. Blaise had told her to not worry since he was probably getting Death Eater training, but she still worried anyway. Now, she wish she had pressed Draco more for details about his summer. What if You-Know-Who was doing something awful to her best friend?! She'd never forgive her if she just let it happen when she could have done something!
"Pansy?"
There was a snap of fingers, and she shook her head, clearing away her thoughts. Daphne who had called her.
"Yes, Daphne?"
The blonde was currently adjusting the shoulders of her velvet sweater. Her cerulean blue eyes were trained on Pansy, an elegant blonde eyebrow raised in question. Pansy wanted to groan! She was used to silent questions from Blaise, not her!
"What?" She asked, unnerved by the unwavering gaze.
Daphne hummed. Fuck.
Pansy sighed and just shrugged. "Just thinking."
"And glaring?"
She blinked twice. Was she actually glaring at Draco a while ago?
Daphne gave a small smile, having mercy on her, and spoke in her soft tone. "You were glaring at their table. Did it do something to you?"
"No." Pansy twisted her fingers on her lap, a bit embarrassed to have been doing that. "Just thinking... intensely." She added when Daphne gave her a mild skeptical look.
"I'd ask about what, but I don't think you'll tell me." She said, reaching into her small, grey clutch purse for her wand. "Want to practice Non-Verbal magic with me?"
Having already read six chapters of Blaise's book, Pansy decided to put it away in her red and brown handbag, and pulled out her wand too.
"Alright."
For the next few minutes, both of the went from spell to spell, a protective barrier around them in case a spell went adrift, though that was unlikely. Twice, Pansy had to be coached through a new spell that Daphne introduced her to, and three other times they had both messed up so badly that they had to duck out of the way of their own spells. They both shared a nervous laugh at that, equally embarrassed and amused. After a while, they just stopped practising and became silent, both lost in their thoughts.
Pansy looked over towards Draco again, who was whispering intently to Astoria Greengrass, Daphne's younger sister. Whatever Draco said made her laugh, and Crabbe groaned in his sleep at the sound. She watched as Goyle pulled out his wand and cast a Muffliato over him and Crabbe. A giggle escaped her lips when Crabbe— unconsciously might she add— leaned on Goyle, resting his head on his shoulder.
"Hey, Parkinson!" someone yelled from across the train carriage. Groans, mumbles and whines with obscenities followed, most likely from those who were either light sleepers or just fell asleep only to be rudely awakened. 'Poor them,' Pansy thought as she looked for who called her. She was not surprised to see her dorm-mate, Tracey Davis, standing by the door. The short, curly, black hair was a giveaway, as was the tall height and stance, her hands on her hips and weight on one leg.
"Oh, joy." Pansy deadpanned, followed by Daphne letting out a small groan.
She understood the blonde's pain.
Someone yelled at Tracey, to which she smirked at them and showed them her middle fingers. "Well, fuck you too, sweetheart!" Tracey said in a sickingly sweet tone. There was a back and forth of insults before she rolled her eyes and said something that left the person stuttering in embarrassment. Tracey then flipped her hair and sauntered down the isle to Pansy, content in having the last word.
Pansy rolled her eyes at that.
"Bonjour, sweethearts!" Tracey greeted as she neared their table. "I see you beautiful ladies have avoided sleep. Good for you!" Her charcoal-coloured eyes gleaming at her in mischief.
"Rude as always, Tracey," Daphne said when the taller female plopped herself down beside the blonde, forcing her to make space in the seat for her.
Tracey grinned, "Love you, too!" being her immediate response.
"Love is a very strong word— "
" — to express strong feelings of affection between two or more people." Davis interrupted Daphne, then continued the sentence as if it was what her friend wanted to say.
Daphne frowned at her, a look of mock annoyance on her face. Then, she replaced it with a smug look. "Oh, Tracey... If only there was someone who loved you."
Pansy snorted, unable to keep her laughter to herself. "Oh, Merlin!"
Tracey gasped at Daphne in mock hurt. "How rude!" She shot both of them a look of betrayal, causing Pansy and Daphne to dissolve into a fit of giggles.
Daphne was the first to recover and replied cheekily. "Tray. You are the epitome of sass and sarcasm, and you dare call me the rude one?" Her eyebrows were raised in amusement.
"And you're making it sound like I'm the bad one!" Tracey grumbled out.
Daphne placed a finger over her lips and winked. "Shh! Don't let the world know!" she whispered.
They laughed, catching Draco and Astoria's attention. The two of them just shook their heads, used to them doing this all the time. When the three girls had calmed down from their laughter, Tracey leaned forward in the way one would when spreading gossip. Daphne snorted and turned her head away, never one for gossiping. Pansy, on the other hand, leaned forward in anticipation, wondering what she would hear from the Queen of Gossip this time. Tracey always knew the details of the latest drama or event happening, whether at Hogwarts or in the Ministry.
"So, guess who's on the train that none of us snakes would've thought wanted to return to Hogwarts?" Tracey started, her eyes flickering over to Daphne's table where Astoria and Draco were listening with mild(?) interest.
"Is it a teacher?" Pansy asked.
"Well... " the French girl trailed off, winking conspiratorially.
It was enough to tell Pansy 'No, not a teacher.' but also 'Yes.' That meant that the person was a student.
"A student is returning to Hogwarts for work, then? So, a graduate then, who successfully got the job of a teacher... " Pansy trailed off.
"And male!" Tracey said. She then leaned back, smirking and waiting for her to piece together the clues to know who.
Pansy glared at her, but was not put out by the mystery of this. Graduate? There were about a hundred of them! Male? So, half the graduating class, then... Teacher, though unspecified. Was it intentional or not? And currently on the train. How did Pansy miss that one? Unless, he hid at the extreme back of the train, where no one would guess he'd be, and in a compartment all by himself.
Then it clicked!
Tracey said " ...none of us snakes", which meant that the person was a Slytherin! If this was a Hufflepuff or Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, then Pansy and the rest of them would already know! All the recently graduated Slytherin males were: Christian Baddock, Jean-O'brian Cowley, Lionel Cyspero, Richard Ezle, Zane Hilden and Adrian Pucey.
"Well," Pansy started to say.
Draco and Astoria turned their attention to her, as did Daphne, though that was out of curiosity instead of actual interest in the gossip that somehow reached Tracey's ears. Tracey leaned forward again to hear what she was saying.
Pansy continued, "Cowley is on his way to becoming a professional Quidditch player, so he's out. Cyspero returned to Norway to do Photography and Documentation, and Hilden wanted to work as an apprentice in an apothecary with Potions Master Sutherland. I think he got what wanted. Both of them are out."
She had listed them out, lifting a finger each time to represent them. There were six male Slytherin graduates and she spoke about three. What about the other three? "Baddock applied to be an apprentice to Professor Flitwick, but was gently let down. I think he's looking for another Charms Master to apprentice under. Ezle got a job at the Ministry, so he's out. And... "
"It's Adrian Pucey, isn't it?" Draco asked. When Pansy glared at him for taking the words out of her mouth, he smirked at her, further irritating her.
"I was getting to that!" Pansy said.
Daphne scoffed. "Slow." Then she got up and made Draco switch back seats with her.
"Whatever," Pansy said. "But, he's actually here?"
Tracey grinned and rested her chin on her hands. "Hiding in Compartment D, beside the compartment where Blaise went. Those compartments usually have transfer students and new teachers in them, but since it's in Slytherin territory, most opt for compartments at the front of the train."
Pansy nodded at her and Tracey got up, satisfied with her response to the information. The group said their farewells to her and each went to do their own business. Crabbe and Goyle were still sleeping in the Muffliato barrier, oblivious to the world. Astoria and Daphne were reading Blaise's book that Pansy loaned them— for a favour. Draco was back in his original seat, once again staring out the window, though not upset like he was when he boarded the train.
Pansy found that to be a good thing, since Draco rarely was like that when he rode the Hogwarts Express. It was strange seeing him like this, but with what was happening in the United Kingdom, it was understandable.
There were dark clouds looming over many of them, and those who didn't have any over them were fools to think that life would continue the same way. You-Know-Who has returned, meaning that Harry Potter was right all of last year, and those Ministry idiots plus everyone else who didn't believe were total idiots. Potter never had a reason to lie in the past— most Slytherins knew that. Not even when dealing with his own housemates did he lie for their sake. The Slytherins, however, would've looked bad if they sided with Potter, or worse... defended a Gryffindor. No one would believe them, and Potter certainly wouldn't trust them, so they resorted to antagonising him instead, to save face. But, back in the safety of their dormitory, they pitied him for what he was going through.
Of course, the whole Inquisitorial Squad was a way for Dumb-bridge to further antagonise Potter, and not wanting negative attention from the Ministry on them, the Slytherins decided to add to the Boy-Who-Lived's suffering. It put them on the Ministry's side when in reality, they cursed those fucking idiotic adults behind their backs. How were any of those people once Slytherins?! There was zero cunning... anything in the strategic plans to alienate Harry Potter and Headmaster Dumbledore, and make them look bad or unhinged to the rest of society! A First-year could figure it out!
A First-year actually did by October.
Truth be told, the Slytherins were doing a lot of illegal shit that year, and having Um-bitch none the wiser was a blessing to them. Too bad Potter and his fellow students suffered while they somewhat enjoyed their fifth-year. Key word: Somewhat. The Defence Against Dark Arts lesson were rubbish! How Pansy even got an Outstanding on her Ordinary Wizarding Levels exam was a miracle! The whole thing was a complete waste of her time!
"Is that Blaise?" someone asked from the table behind Draco.
Pansy turned her attention towards the train carriage door leading to the other Slytherin carriage. Sure enough, there was Blaise, looking behind him at someone. Several wands were pulled out and disillusionment charms cast just in case someone came in after him who wasn't a Slytherin or Hufflepuff. Hufflepuffs could be trusted, but the other two houses? Not so much.
When he opened the door, they were all greeted with the sight of Potter, She-Weasley and Longbottom following behind him. Longbottom looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Weasley glared at everyone, but it was clear that she was uneasy being in the enemy's territory. As for Potter, he looked more on-guard than anything, clearly not trusting them one bit.
All eyes— well, for those who awake— were trained intently on the three Gryffindors. Pansy watched them walk through the carriage, Blaise casually sitting down beside her as if this was all normal. Surprisingly, those like Draco and Emma Vane who were known to harass others without a care, refrained from their usual sadistic ways. Soon, the Gryffindors were out the carriage door, and actually avoided being hexed too.
Almost as if the Gryffindors being gone was a giant 'GO' sign to the others, questions were fired left and right at Blaise.
"How was the supposed lunch?"
"What's Professor Slughorn like?"
"Why were Potter and the others behind you?"
Pansy rolled her eyes at that one. Did they not notice when Potter and Longbottom walked through here half an hour after Blaise left?
Together, Pansy and Daphne managed to get the others (who were not apart of their group) to settle down. Bloody hell! Sometimes these Slytherins were as loud as the Gryffindors, and inquisitive too!
HPHPHP
The loud toot of the horn indicated that they were twenty minutes away from Hogsmeade Station. Several students, specifically the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, began putting on their school robes. The Slytherins, however, opted for thick new travelling cloaks of all sorts of colours (except red, that was a no-no) and fastened the silver clasps around their necks. Goyle got up from his seat, Crabbe following, and went to the other Slytherin carriage to retrieve all of their cloaks from their trunks. Poor Theodore Nott had gotten the shortest stick of the bunch, and had to remain in a compartment with all of their trunks and familiars' cages. Merlin knows he must be very annoyed right now and wouldn't mind being relieved of his duty.
"Edsel! Cleveland! Zabini!" someone yelled over the noise that rose when everyone else was taking out their cloaks.
Pansy and the others turned their attention to the carriage door that Crabbe and Goyle just walked through to Theodore. A seventh-year Slytherin prefect, Harris MacDougal, was waving to them and beckoning them over urgently. Mirth had just returned and frowned when his name had been called. Luella Edsel, one of Pansy's dorm-mates, happened to be walking in that direction. Their senior gave a tilted nod to all of them as a greeting, his cheeks flushed and breathing quickened, probably from running.
"Zabini, you other two. Can you please help the first-years with their cloaks?" He asked, pulling up the right sleeve of his wool sweater. "They don't... seem very trusting of us, and you're all good with children."
Funny, how he didn't request Pansy and Draco, who were fucking Prefects like him.
Pansy though he looked rather annoyed. The slowly healing burn marks on his forearm, he had gestured to it while speaking, told her that some of the First-years were being very... difficult right now.
Blaise stood up and went with him, Mirth and Edsel following.
Soon after, Crabbe, Goyle and Theodore came back with their thick new travelling cloaks. Theirs were black, like the rest of their house, and had swirls of intricate designs and patterns on the lower part of it done in silver thread. All Slytherins made it their mission to wear travelling cloaks with those designs on it as a way to differentiate them from the rest of the school population.
A fourth-year Slytherin walked past their group and winked at Theodore. Pansy snickered, having seen him frown at the girl's back.
"So, Blaise went to help the little gremlins. Do you think he'll live to return?" Crabbe said jokingly.
They all laughed at that. Pansy smiled, pleased to see that he was back to his usual joking self and not sulking. It seemed the others were pleased too, and a good-natured round of "Who Can Make The Others Laugh the Loudest?" commenced. By the end of it, Goyle had gotten them wheezing with a very crude joke about Minister Fudge and his wife. It was positively scandalous! When they all sat down, travelling cloaks on, Pansy's stomach was still aching from all the laughter.
Blaise came back shortly after, and Crabbe asked if he had been maimed by any gremlins. That sent them over the edge again with Blaise looking openly confused.
"No... The only ones... harmed were... the prefects." Blaise responded, taking his school cloak from Draco. It was the same one he had put over their best friend when he fell asleep. Blaise folded it and put it away in his black messenger bag. He slowly and gracefully pulled on his travelling cloak. "I'm too... beautiful... to be maimed."
Draco snorted at that, and Blaise winked at him jokingly. Pansy, Daphne and Astoria dissolved into giggles. Blaise's vanity was often amusing. Of course, Theodore frowned, Pansy knew he would. He always tried to keep his face nonchalant, but they could all see the sparkle in Theodore's eyes.
After that, they listened to Blaise complain about that one boy who seemed hell-bent on setting him on fire.
Crabbe spoke up. "But, Blaise, you're already dark. Does he want you crisped, then?"
Blaise openly chuckled at that, his deep, velvet voice carrying over the noise. Pansy was greeted with the sight of every person within hearing distance of Blaise's laughter, turning around and smiling. She knew how they felt. Whenever Blaise laughed, it was enchanting and very infectious, making you want to laugh and smile too.
"Apparently," Blaise replied, smiling at their small group of eight. "Though, after smiling... the loud, angry kid... he took my hand... and was obedient to me."
"Makes sense. You're more handsome when you smile," Astoria spoke up from her corner. "And that was probably a huge contrast to what the other prefects' faces looked like when they approached him. He knew he could trust you."
Blaise blushed slightly, eliciting giggles from the three females and smirks from the other four males. The Italian held a hand to his face, trying to hide his cheeks and looking down. Blaise Zabini being shy and silently modest was absolutely cute! It often made Pansy forget how vain Blaise could be.
"You are really good with children, Zabini." Theodore said quietly from beside Draco.
Blaise was very pleased to hear that, smiling brightly once again. It was true that he was good with children, very good actually. The prefects could trust him to handle them well, and Blaise wouldn't get scorched like the prefect (s?) had been. Pansy believed that it was one of the main reasons he was chosen to be a prefect by Headmaster Dumbledore in fifth-year.
However, Blaise refused, so Draco was given the position. Being prefect meant that Blaise would have less time on his hands to do illegal things, would be punished more severely if found out— though that was unlikely, and would've been recruited by Dumb-bridge to be in the Inquisitorial Squad. If Blaise refused, he would've drawn attention to the fact that not all Slytherins liked the pink-wearing hag, and they'd fall under scrutiny like the rest of the school. Even if they wore a facade outside of their dormitories and harassed Potter, Um-bitch still would be suspicious of them.
The feeling of the train slowing down caught Pansy's attention. Draco looked out the window and Pansy followed.
"I can see Hogsmeade Station a distance away." She commented, watching the once blur of scenery now slow down.
A voice echoed through the train, as it always did. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
Pansy's stomach lurched with nerves as it always did when the train was slowing down. Blaise pressed a hand to her flat belly, Pansy was gripping the table edge and hunched over, and he took the Pepper-up Potion from Draco. The blonde always carried it for Pansy, who it seemed could not get over her motion sickness. This happened every Hogwarts school year whenever the train speed up or slowed down. If there was any change in direction, her head would hurt. It was an awful thing to have to experience whenever she rode the Hogwarts Express, especially since she loved it— except in her first year, she had hated it and couldn't wait to get off!
Blaise gave her the potion when the train finally stopped, and she greedily gulped it down, the minty aftertaste left in her mouth. Pansy didn't mind, since the Pepper-up potion was already calming her uneasy stomach— and it would hide the lingering scent of cheese that came from the small sandwiches she ate.
Pansy stood up, with the Italian's help, and took up her large handbag, slinging it over her shoulder. Daphne handed her clutch purse to Theodore and held onto his arm, using him as a support as she bent her left leg so she could adjust the strap of her flats. Draco had crouched down to zip up Astoria's ankle boots; she always pulled down the small zipper whenever she was sitting for a long period of time. Crabbe handed Astoria her black wristlet bag over Draco's head. Theodore had his colourful hobo bag— as ignorant to fashion as always, and was currently looking through it to see if he missing anything.
"Don't forget your book Blaise." Astoria said, taking it up from the table and handing him it.
"Thanks," Blaise replied, and put it in his bag.
Crabbe and Goyle picked up their duffel bags, stuffing the uneaten sweets from the Trolley lady in them. Luella Edsel and Tracey walking passed them to the other Slytherin carriage.
"Don't go through the Hufflepuff territerritory. It's awfully crowded." Tracey informed more than warned them, winking at Theodore.
Pansy smiled at Theodore, who was frowning deeply at Tracey's back.
"Why are all the girls suffering from an eye spasm around me?"
The smile dropped like a deep elf. Pansy blinked at him.
"What? It can't be winking." Theodore shrugged. "Winking is done more subtly and gracefully than that very obvious blink they did."
He then turned on his heels and casually walked out the carriage door, the rest of them shaking their heads.
Crabbe playfully glared at Blaise, pointing at him. "I knew it was a bad idea to have you around. Our standards on everything have skyrocketed ever since!"
"Oops." Blaise grinned, not even the slightest bit apologetic.
They all laughed.
"Well, Astoria's stubborn zippers are up now." Draco said from beside Pansy. He was standing again and already had his courier bag slug across him when Pansy turned around. "I think we can all leave now."
They nodded in agreement. Blaise slung his messenger bag over his shoulder, grabbed Pansy hand, and escorted her out the carriage door. This carriage had no door to outside, so they had to go to the next one. Goyle and Crabbe were before them, their big bodies and glaring faces effectively clearing the path for the rest of them. Astoria and Daphne were behind Pansy, being escorted by Draco since Theodore went ahead.
Pansy stepped out of the train door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. She shivered a little, the cold night breeze brushing past her. Thankfully, her travelling cloak went down to her knees, because her brown and white one-shoulder dress stopped just above her knees and wasn't made of the thickest of materials. Blaise and the rest of them lit their wands with a Lumos, Goyle making his the brightest since he was leading through the crowded platform.
Just beside them, she saw a lamp bobbing over the heads of the students.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, little one?"
Professor Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.
"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"
Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down that steep, narrow path Pansy remembered falling on when she was first-year. Poor things, maybe some of them will drop into the Black Lake. Merlin knows she'd like to see another soaking wet, tiny child walk into the great hall shivering! It was always so amusing!