Back to School

On the morning of September 3rd, Lavender was already up early, tossing last minute items into her trunk. She thought she was done packing when she remembered her diary. She pulled it from under her bed and after piling some more books and clothes over to hide it, she locked her trunk. She made her way downstairs after getting dressed and began making breakfast.

"Morning," she greeted her dad as she sat the toast and bacon on the table.
Julian stumbled sleepily in to the kitchen seconds later.

"Ready to go back to school?" Her dad asked, spreading jam on his toast.

"Yeah. I wasn't at first but I am now," Lavender said as she poured pumpkin juice into her favourite glass. There was really nothing truly special about the glass except the fact that she'd gotten it at a Weird Sister's concert. A picture of the group was on one side. She just happened to like it a lot.

"Do you have time for one last game of gobstone's?" Julian asked taking a chair at the table. Lavender looked at the clock over the sink, and shook her head.

"Nope. Sorry but we have less than an hour to get to the train station," She answered.

While she was clearing the breakfast dishes, an owl tapped on the kitchen window. She opened it and a brown owl flew in. It dropped a note from Pavarti on the floor. She picked it up and immediately tucked it in to her pocket. She didn't have the time to read it now. She still hadn't heard back from Hermione, so she didn't have her owl, Misty to take to the train station just her cage which would spare her odd looks from the Muggles.

Finally, they reached at the train station. Lavender was excitedly looking around for friends from school.

"Hey" Someone said from behind Lavender, who was waiting her turn to go through the barrier between platforms nine and ten. She turned to find Gabrielle smiling, holding a small fluffy kitten.

"Oh, hi," Lavender replied, happy to find someone she knew.

"I got a kitten for my birthday." Gabrielle said stroking the cat's fur as she talked.

Finally, the crowd around the barrier lessened and Lavender and Gabrielle could go through. They found a compartment and settled in. Lavender had already said her good-bye's to her dad and brother. They hadn't had much time, since her dad dropped her off on his way to work. Funny, she hadn't seen Gabrielle's family.

"Who brought you to the train?" Lavender inquired. As the compartment door slid open and three people came in, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Hi." Lavender greeted them then waited for Gabrielle's answer.

"Oh, My mum but she didn't stay long had some sort of meeting to get to." Gabrielle told her.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, this is Gabrielle..." She cut off not knowing her last name.

"Gabriele Rosa." Gabrielle supplied.

"Pleased to meet you," Hermione said, and Gabrielle went on to tell them how she'd just moved to England from Italy.

"Hermione, did you get my owl yet?" Lavender asked.

"No. What did you write to me about?" Hermione asked.

"Pavarti wrote and said she was moving to Italy. Her mum got a promotion."

"Well, that's good. For her mom I mean. We'll miss her though." Hermione said.

"Yeah. Oh, I forgot! I just got a letter from her." Lavender pulled the folded letter from her pocket and started reading it.

Hi, Lav. Getting ready to board the train here for my new school. Write to you soon.
P

"Well, she didn't write much," said Lavender, passing the letter to Hermione.

"I'm going to go look for my cousin," Gabrielle announced, getting up to leave.

"You have a cousin in Hogwarts?" asked Lavender, looking surprised.

"Yeah. Kate Forbs. She's in Ravenclaw," Gabrielle replied on her way out.

Not long after Gabrielle's departure, the compartment door slid open again and Ginny entered.

"Hi, Ginny," Lavender said.

"Hi," Ginny replied, taking Gabrielle's seat.

"So, How was everyone's summer?" Lavender asked.
"Good," They replied at the same time.

Just then, they heard the voice of Draco Malfoy from outside.
"Father bought me a new broom. The Firebolt Two Thousand." His bragging was nothing new.

Just as Ron began complaining about him, the door opened yet again and Luna Lovegood came in.

"Hello," She said sitting down with a copy of the Quibbler. The train ride went uneventful until they heard shouts in the hall.

"I've been itching ever since I ate that damned chocolate frog!" It was Malfoy again.

Lavender had to go to the bathroom. On her way, she caught sight of Malfoy along with his two friend's talking to the witch who pushed around the food cart. Lavender had to dive in the bathroom quickly before she started laughing. Malfoy was clawing at his arms and legs and dancing on the spot.

Wonder what his problem is? Lavender thought as she shut the bathroom door.

When she came out he was still in the hall shouting.

"Wait till my father hears about this. He'll close down the chocolate frog company." He was still scratching furiously.

"What's going on out there?" Harry asked when Lavender came back in.

"Malfoy's ate a chocolate frog and is having a fit because he claims it's making him have a full body itch." Lavender said laughing.

"You should see him scratching and all." She shrieked with laughter.

"Thought that'd give him a nice start to his first term." Ron commented.

"Ron...you didn't?" Ginny asked, sounding amused.

"Yeah I did. I slip him a chocolate frog with itching potion. It's Fred and George's latest invention," Ron replied, smirking.

They all laughed as they heard an exasperated scream from the hall.

"Sound's like he's losing his mind!" Harry said, laughing.

"Really!" Hermione muttered as she read sixth year Muggle Studies textbook

"What? You don't think the bouncing ferret could do with some itching?" Ron asked.

"Yes, but..." Hermione trailed off.

"Come on. You think its funny too," Ginny coaxed.

"Oh alright," Hermione grinned.

Hermione was always "the lets not break any rules" type but lately she'd started to relax about it, but there still were times when she went back to being her old self.

Luna had kept on reading her magazine as if nothing had happened.

Lavender wondered if she'd be seeing Gabrielle again, she liked her, but then again something seemed a little bit off with her. Like maybe she was a little stuck up because of the way she had to leave as soon as Lavender's friends showed up.

Well if she thought she was better than other less pampered people she could just stay away, Lavender thought, then felt a little bad.

After all, she hadn't really gotten to know her yet. She had noticed that Gabrielle's robes and other things were a bit nicer and fancier than her or her friend's things.

"We're almost there," The witch, who pushed the food cart, stuck her head in the door and informed them.

"Come on, Hermione, Ginny." Lavender said pulling her black robes from her trunk. The three girls left to change. They didn't have to pull Luna away from her magazine since she already had on her robes.

They walked past the compartment where Malfoy and his gang were hanging out.

"I can't stand this!" They heard him shout.

Snickering they entered the bathroom to change.

When the train let them off, they got into the carriages to take them to Hogwarts. They used to believe that the carriages were pulled by magic but they found out last year about the thestrals. Lavender was still a bit put off that they were being pulled by something she couldn't see.

When inside the castle, they took their seats at the Gryffindor house table, and waited to watch the sorting. Malfoy wasn't there as he'd been taken to the hospital wing. This, of course pleased all of them a lot. Professor McGonagall called the names from the list of student' to be sorted. Gabrielle ended up in Ravenclaw along with the girl whom Lavender assumed was her cousin. They hugged her as soon as Gabrielle joined their table.
After the usual start of year announcements from Dumbledore, the feast began.

"Well, looks like you and I have the dorm to us this year." Lavender commented to Hermione as she filled her plate.

"Yeah," Hermione replied as she added a baked potato to her own plate.

During the feast Misty flew in and dropped Lavender's note in Hermione's lap before taking off to the owlry.

"Funny, it took her long enough to get that to you." Lavender said.

"Well, I have been in and out a lot. Mum, dad, and I just got back from our trip to Spain and three day's ago, I was at the Burrow and now here."

"I can't wait to see who the new Dark Art's teacher for this year is," Hermione said searching the staff table.

"Doesn't look like anyone new is here yet does it?" Harry put in.

"No." Ron replied.

After their plates were cleared, Dumbledore stood again and a hush fell over the Great Hall.

"One last announcement," He said.

"As I'm sure, you've all been wondering about who will take over the post of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. I'll clear that up for you now. Our new teacher has had some last minute problem's getting here but she will be here day after tomorrow, therefore, all Dark Arts classes for your first day are cancelled,"

"Didn't even tell us her name, did he," Ginny said.

"It may be on our course schedules." Hermione pointed out.

"We'll probably get them in the morning," Lavender said, stifling a yawn. She got up from the table, and after saying good night, she headed in the direction of Gryffindor tower. She fell asleep as soon as she got onto her four poste bed.