(A/N- Wow, I couldn't believe the positive comments I've gotten! Thank you
guys!)
Chapter 2- Back to School
Alyson didn't think she could've been more excited for the first day of fourth year.
She smoothed down the pleats in her skirt for the millionth time, and checked her reflection in her car's review mirror. Her Aunt Hermione was concentrating on the road. She had taken the morning off from her job as a Healer to take the children to school.
They turned into King's Cross, and parked. "Well," said Hermione. "This is it. You excited?"
Claire and Nick mumbled something incomprehensible. Hannah gave a big sniff as they piled out of the car.
"I don't want you to leave," she said, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Aw, Nannie," said Nick, stooping to the little girl's level. "Don't worry. Now you'll get to go to Nana's everyday again. Won't that be fun?"
Hannah gave a watery smile. Hermione stooped down, and lifted the little girl on her hip.
They were almost to platform 93/4 when Claire emitted a small shriek. "Aidan!"
She ran and practically tackled a tall boy with blue eyes and light brown hair. Alyson ran behind her, and threw her arms around her other best friend.
"Goodness," Aidan said, his blue eyes laughing. The trio had met on their first day of Hogwarts.
The children went through the barrier, followed closely by Alyson's family.
Aidan ran to say goodbye to his parents, and Claire through her arms around her mother.
"Bye Mum, I love you."
"Bye, honey. Have a nice time."
Alyson kissed Hannah and Hermione, and prepared to follow her cousins onto the train.
"Aly!" she heard her aunt say. "Come here for a second."
Alyson turned.
Hermione was fumbling in her purse, and she withdrew a small box. "This is for you."
Alyson took it, and opened it. She was startled to find a small silver locket.
"What's this?" she asked.
Hermione smiled. "It was you mother's. Nana gave it to her right before her fourth year of Hogwarts. She loved that locket. Turn it over, and read the inscription."
Alyson did, and read the words.
To my special girl, Virginia Margaret,
Alyson smiled. "You, you want me to wear this? Really?"
Hermione hugged her. "Really."
"Thank you." Alyson said smiling.
"I love you Aly."
"I love you too, Aunt Hermione."
* "Snails?" Claire shrieked. "You ate snails?"
Aidan nodded. "It was good. Tastes like chicken."
"Oh puh-leeze." Alyson rolled her eyes. "You would eat anything if it had the right amount of ketchup on it."
"The lady doesn't lie." Aidan said.
They were sitting in the carriages up to Hogwarts. The wind was whipping around them, and rain pattered drearily on the rooftop. Alyson pulled her cloak tightly around her, and shivered. "What a start to a year."
"No kidding," said Claire gloomily. "I wonder what Professor Trelawney and Firenze would say about this weather."
"Ahh," said Aidan mysteriously. "When weather is bad, it's a sign you will fail every one of your exams, Alyson Potter."
Alyson rolled her eyes. "I'm scared. Really, I am."
The carriages came to a stop, and the children hurried inside. They found their places at the Gryffindor Table. The first years were filing in, and Alyson gave a wave to her cousin Chloe, who was starting Hogwarts this year.
"Who's that?" Aidan said, pointing to a boy at the end of the line. "He looks way too old to be a first year."
Alyson looked at the boy. It was true; he looked to be about Alyson's age. He had brown hair, the same color as Alyson's, and had his hands thrust into his robes nonchalantly.
"If he's a first year," Claire said mischievously. "Then he's a pretty good looking first year."
Alyson rolled her eyes.
Just then, the Headmistress, McGonagall, rapped on her glass with her fork. She gave the school a rare smile. "Welcome back everyone. It's good to see you all again. Before we proceed with the sorting, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a new student to our school, Christopher Ryan. He is transferring to Hogwarts from Beuxbatons, and will be joining the fourth year class. Please make him feel welcome. All right then. Let's proceed with the sorting. Adams, Juniper!"
Alyson looked at Christopher Ryan. He looked embarrassed, as if trying to sneak away. "That's weird," she said, frowning. "I didn't know you could transfer."
Aidan shrugged.
The sorting continued. Christopher Ryan was Sorted into Gryffindor, as well as Chloe Weasley. The ceremony ended, and Aidan started eating like a starved person. Alyson looked at Christopher Ryan. He was eating slowly, and talking to another boy. Alyson wasn't sure why, but she knew she had to get to know this boy more.
*
All he could see was a black robe. Then he saw two narrow slits of redness. They were eyes. He tried to run, but he stumbled. He saw a flash of green light, heard an evil cackle-
"Tim, Tim!"
He woke with a start.
"Christine," he said shakily. "I had the dream again."
His wife smiled, and rubbed his wet back. "Tim, honey, it was only a dream."
Tim rubbed his eyes. "I know, I know. But it's just, it's so vivid. Like I can almost touch it."
Christine smiled. "Go back to sleep. It'll be okay."
Tim gave a shaky smile, but knew he could not fall asleep again.
Chapter 2- Back to School
Alyson didn't think she could've been more excited for the first day of fourth year.
She smoothed down the pleats in her skirt for the millionth time, and checked her reflection in her car's review mirror. Her Aunt Hermione was concentrating on the road. She had taken the morning off from her job as a Healer to take the children to school.
They turned into King's Cross, and parked. "Well," said Hermione. "This is it. You excited?"
Claire and Nick mumbled something incomprehensible. Hannah gave a big sniff as they piled out of the car.
"I don't want you to leave," she said, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Aw, Nannie," said Nick, stooping to the little girl's level. "Don't worry. Now you'll get to go to Nana's everyday again. Won't that be fun?"
Hannah gave a watery smile. Hermione stooped down, and lifted the little girl on her hip.
They were almost to platform 93/4 when Claire emitted a small shriek. "Aidan!"
She ran and practically tackled a tall boy with blue eyes and light brown hair. Alyson ran behind her, and threw her arms around her other best friend.
"Goodness," Aidan said, his blue eyes laughing. The trio had met on their first day of Hogwarts.
The children went through the barrier, followed closely by Alyson's family.
Aidan ran to say goodbye to his parents, and Claire through her arms around her mother.
"Bye Mum, I love you."
"Bye, honey. Have a nice time."
Alyson kissed Hannah and Hermione, and prepared to follow her cousins onto the train.
"Aly!" she heard her aunt say. "Come here for a second."
Alyson turned.
Hermione was fumbling in her purse, and she withdrew a small box. "This is for you."
Alyson took it, and opened it. She was startled to find a small silver locket.
"What's this?" she asked.
Hermione smiled. "It was you mother's. Nana gave it to her right before her fourth year of Hogwarts. She loved that locket. Turn it over, and read the inscription."
Alyson did, and read the words.
To my special girl, Virginia Margaret,
Alyson smiled. "You, you want me to wear this? Really?"
Hermione hugged her. "Really."
"Thank you." Alyson said smiling.
"I love you Aly."
"I love you too, Aunt Hermione."
* "Snails?" Claire shrieked. "You ate snails?"
Aidan nodded. "It was good. Tastes like chicken."
"Oh puh-leeze." Alyson rolled her eyes. "You would eat anything if it had the right amount of ketchup on it."
"The lady doesn't lie." Aidan said.
They were sitting in the carriages up to Hogwarts. The wind was whipping around them, and rain pattered drearily on the rooftop. Alyson pulled her cloak tightly around her, and shivered. "What a start to a year."
"No kidding," said Claire gloomily. "I wonder what Professor Trelawney and Firenze would say about this weather."
"Ahh," said Aidan mysteriously. "When weather is bad, it's a sign you will fail every one of your exams, Alyson Potter."
Alyson rolled her eyes. "I'm scared. Really, I am."
The carriages came to a stop, and the children hurried inside. They found their places at the Gryffindor Table. The first years were filing in, and Alyson gave a wave to her cousin Chloe, who was starting Hogwarts this year.
"Who's that?" Aidan said, pointing to a boy at the end of the line. "He looks way too old to be a first year."
Alyson looked at the boy. It was true; he looked to be about Alyson's age. He had brown hair, the same color as Alyson's, and had his hands thrust into his robes nonchalantly.
"If he's a first year," Claire said mischievously. "Then he's a pretty good looking first year."
Alyson rolled her eyes.
Just then, the Headmistress, McGonagall, rapped on her glass with her fork. She gave the school a rare smile. "Welcome back everyone. It's good to see you all again. Before we proceed with the sorting, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a new student to our school, Christopher Ryan. He is transferring to Hogwarts from Beuxbatons, and will be joining the fourth year class. Please make him feel welcome. All right then. Let's proceed with the sorting. Adams, Juniper!"
Alyson looked at Christopher Ryan. He looked embarrassed, as if trying to sneak away. "That's weird," she said, frowning. "I didn't know you could transfer."
Aidan shrugged.
The sorting continued. Christopher Ryan was Sorted into Gryffindor, as well as Chloe Weasley. The ceremony ended, and Aidan started eating like a starved person. Alyson looked at Christopher Ryan. He was eating slowly, and talking to another boy. Alyson wasn't sure why, but she knew she had to get to know this boy more.
*
All he could see was a black robe. Then he saw two narrow slits of redness. They were eyes. He tried to run, but he stumbled. He saw a flash of green light, heard an evil cackle-
"Tim, Tim!"
He woke with a start.
"Christine," he said shakily. "I had the dream again."
His wife smiled, and rubbed his wet back. "Tim, honey, it was only a dream."
Tim rubbed his eyes. "I know, I know. But it's just, it's so vivid. Like I can almost touch it."
Christine smiled. "Go back to sleep. It'll be okay."
Tim gave a shaky smile, but knew he could not fall asleep again.