I sighed as I took my usual seat in my usual cabin on the train. Olivia Cordell, now a second year, sat in the next cabin up, chatting animatedly about the Muggle world with her pureblood friends. I smiled and waved at her when she turned in my direction. She shot up like a bolt and flung herself into my cabin as fast as she possibly could. Snowflake mewed a greeting at the younger girl.

"Hi, Aurelia! I missed you!" Olivia exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around me tightly, smiling brightly. I returned her warm, energetic embrace.

"I missed you too, Olivia. I see you've made a lot of friends since we were last here. I'm assuming your first year went well?" I asked, and her whole face lit up even more.

"Yeah! It was amazing! I made so many friends and the classes are so cool and I got top marks in Potions!" She continued to describe enthusiastically how her first year went, and I nodded along to show her I was actually listening. Her friends eventually congregated in my cabin instead of their own, moving to sit with Olivia and I. They began asking me questions about being a fifth year, and what it's like in years three and four. I answered them as best I could, without spoiling the future too much for them. Everyone is entitled to their own adventure, and telling too many tales of adventures past will give one expectations of their own future escapades.

My friends watched from the cabin across the aisle, laughing as I was swarmed by curious twelve year olds. I discreetly sent them a glare as a warning. They just waved me off and I decided they were going to pay me back for that later.

Time flew by and the train eventually ground to a stop as we arrived at our destination. Olivia and friends bid me their goodbyes as they raced off the train and onto school grounds, ecstatic to be back at school. I chuckled as I gathered my things. My friends and I met up outside and one of them, Julian Forrester, cracked a joke about me being occupied by second years the whole ride. I punched him lightly in the arm. He feigned excruciating pain, so I shoved him a little to get him to stop. He's very embarrassing if you couldn't tell.

Hagrid and I gave each other our usual split-faced grin from a distance before going our separate ways. I breathed in the crisp autumn air and let out a sigh of content. My friends and I gathered at our table in the Great Hall, and opening ceremonies begun. A ghost known as the Prankster floated above us, smiling fondly at one of the first years in line to be Sorted. The first year, Rose, sat on the stool as her turn came up and she caught the ghost's gaze. Her face lit up, just as Olivia's had on the the train. She looked ready to leap off the stool, Sorting Hat and all, to come over to him. She was Sorted into Gryffindor, and we all cheered, the Prankster's own hoots and hollers of "THAT'S MY NIECE!" overpowered our own. He looked so proud of her and she looked as if she was going to cry out of joy. She sat down next to me and the Prankster tried hugging her out of sheer excitement, but he slipped right through her. She laughed and told him that his efforts were greatly appreciated, even though they were unsuccessful. He just told her that it counted and left it at that.

As the two chatted and gesticulated wildly at each other, I smiled. I had waited all summer for this moment. A year of new beginnings, new friends, new classes. A fresh start in a familiar place.

It's wonderful to be back, Hogwarts. I missed you.