Lily:
Hogwarts. Finally. I had been waiting for this day since the beginning of summer holiday. I know that's weird. Why would a teenager want to go back to school? But Hogwarts is more than a school. It's a home. It's where my life makes sense. It's always been a refuge for me - a place where I can be who I want to be away from the pressures of being a perfect daughter, away from my sister calling me a freak, away from walking on eggshells in attempt to keep the peace between my parents. And now, it would be my safe haven away from the reality of my parents' divorce. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Nope. Not that word. I can't deal with that right now. Right now, I have to put that thought away and smile and get in a carriage to go up to the castle with my friends and eat a fantastic meal. Deep breath Lily. You can do this!
And with that, she followed after Marley and Emma to grab a seat in a carriage. They were able to find one with a couple of seventh year Gryffindors. Though they were a year ahead of them, all 3 girls got along well with Ava and Olivia.
"Hey ladies!" Ava greeted them. "Excited to be back?"
"Well if I had to leave Paris, I'm glad to be back at Hogwarts," Marlene replied. "At least it's a place away from my family where I can hang out with my friends unsupervised! Though the Parisian men were so much more attractive. So I will miss that."
All of the girls laughed at that.
"What about you, Ava?" I inquired, "excited to be back for your final year?"
"No! Don't remind me! I'm so not ready to graduate!"
"Oh come on," Marlene scoffed. "Just think about all the independence and the freedom to go be a real adult and follow your dreams!"
"Give it a year, and come talk to me when you realize how quickly reality is coming towards you," Ava replied. "You'll come around to my way of thinking. Just you wait."
"Don't talk about you guys leaving!" Emma complained. "Next year is going to suck. What will we do without you guys?"
"Well…" Olivia responded, "you could always team up with the Marauders for some fun." Olivia and Ava laughed together knowing how Marley and I each have a particular aversion to a different member of the group.
"Hey, I have no problem with them," said Emma, throwing her hands up in defense. "These two nuts just refuse to be in the same room as them."
"Hey. I have no problem with James, Remus, and Peter," replied Marley. "But I don't tolerate Black. He's an idiot. I don't know why all the girls fawn over him. He is a disgusting pig."
"Oh he's not that bad. Rather funny. It's Potter who's intolerable. I'm surprised he can fit through doorways with such an inflated head." By this point all the girls in the carriage were laughing.
"Quidditch is going to be a nightmare with him as captain," Marley complained. "He's going to be so strict!"
I didn't know Potter had been made quidditch captain. Merlin, he was going to be even more difficult to deal with this year. Why would anyone give that prat any actual authority? His head was already too big. Ugh. This just meant he was going to be even more obnoxious. Time to brace myself for even more public displays of his so-called "affection" towards me. He had been professing his feelings for me since the end of fourth year. So annoying. Why would I ever want to date that idiot? It was frustrating. I wanted the option to date, but Potter made me such a mockery that no one wanted to date me. I guess I'm just not sexy or attractive. I don't know. Maybe I'm just meant to be alone.
"Lily? Earth to Lily?" I looked up to find Marley's hand in front of my face. "You don't care that your BFF is going to die by your sworn enemy's hand on the quidditch pitch?" Marley was a chaser on the Gryffindor team.
"Ugh. I don't want to think about Potter! I haven't even gotten to eat the welcome feast yet! I want chocolate cake!"
At that moment, the carriage stopped, and we finally got out and walked up to the front door of the Hogwarts castle. Finally.
