author note: Parts of this are directly from the fourth book.
Im getting impatient now because even though I love a good bit of Angst, theres so much fluff on its way and i'm EXCITED.
Please let me know what you think.
Stay smiling you beautiful humans xx
Even in the pouring rain, Hogwarts looked as magnificent as ever as Ebony looked out the window of the carriage. The warm glow from the castle's windows settled itself in Ebony's chest, filling her with the sense of safety that she spent all summer longing for.
It was a good job that the weather outside had them already soaked through because Peeves thought that the entrance hall was a good place to drop water balloons on the incoming students.
"Fucking hell!" Ebony cried as one got her right on the head and drenched her in freezing cold water. Neville ducked away from spray as Peeves killed himself laughing up in the rafters.
"Language Lestrange!" McGonagall exclaimed.
"Sorry, Professor," Ebony mumbled, her cheeks flushing.
"Peeves, away with you!" She barked.
Ebony wiped water out of her eyes. Neville came back to her side, biting on his bottom lip with a glint in his eyes.
"Don't you dare laugh," she said.
"It's a tiny bit funny." Ebony glared at him. "Not to mention your choice of words right next to Professor McGonagall."
"Shut up," she muttered.
As they entered the Great Hall, Ebony looked around with a smile. After a long summer with only herself for company, being surrounded by so many people brought her comfort in such a way that she couldnt quite explain.
The hat sang it's song of the year. It seemed that all it did when sitting on the shelf was write the song for next year as Ebony was almost certain that she had never heard the same one twice. She supposed that there wasn't much else for a dusty old hat to do.
Once the last first year had wandered over to their house table and Ebony had dried off a little, the feast appeared at last filling the hall with amazing smells.
"Dinner is served, madam," Neville said brightly as he put a plate of food in front of her. She just laughed at him.
"That makes it sound like you made it."
"Well I moved it from the bowl to your plate, basically counts."
"Sure," she said, shaking her head. As she looked down at her plate she stopped and then looked back up at Neville with a puzzled smile. "How did you know I wanted spaghetti and meatballs?"
"I'm a mind reader," he teased, causing Ebony to roll her eyes. "I know because that's what you always have on the first night because it's your favourite. Then, if you have any room, you go for chicken drumsticks or garlic bread. And you then have apple crumble for pudding."
"You noticed?" Ebony didn't even pay that much attention to her eating habits.
Neville just shrugged and dug into his own food.
"Of course I noticed."
She ignored the tips of her ears burning.
...
Ebony just finished her last spoonful of crumble when Dumbledore rose to his feet. The chatter died down almost instantly.
"So," he said, a friendly smile on his face, "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must ask for your attention."
"Mr Filch has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has been once again extended and that the full list of four hundred and thirty-seven items may be viewed in his office," the corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched, "should anyone wish to familiarise themselves." Ebony watched as Fred and George smirked and nudged each other.
"As ever," Dumbledore continued, "the forest on grounds is strictly out of bounds for all students as is Hogsmeade to all below third year."
"Let's hope I'm no longer barred," Neville whispered into her ear.
"I'm sure you're not." Ebony most certainly hoped he wasn't as she rather missed going to the village but knew that she would feel guilty if she went on her own. That and also it felt rather dull going alone.
"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
Ebony found herself to be the only one smiling as the hall burst into an uproar.
"What!?"
"You can't do that!"
Harry and Ron were looking around at the other members of the Gryffindor quidditch team, their faces appalled.
"No need to look so cheerful," Neville grumbled but Ebony just smiled wider.
"Hey," she said, tilting her head towards him, " at least you won't have to put up with my moaning." Neville chuckled.
"Good point."
Dumbledore remained at the front of the Hall, calmly trying to regain control of the situation. "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year. I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts-"
Dumbledore was cut off by a loud bang as the doors to the Great Hall burst open, followed by a loud rumble of thunder which made Neville jump and grab onto Ebony's hand.
In the doorway stood a cloaked figured, which every head in the Great Hall turned to look at. As the figure limped towards the head table he removed his hood. Ebony had never seen a man like him. As he shook out his long, thinning grey hair it fell limply around his heavily scarred face. His skin looked as though it had been carved onto his body and he had numerous scars that made his mouth and eye looked all lopsided The outstanding feature, however, was the large, vivid blue, eye which was swirling around in its socket in such a way that made Ebony's stomach churn.
She leaned over to Neville. "He gives me the creeps," she whispered. Neville shuddered in agreement.
He briefly stopped to shake Dumbledore's hand before taking his seat at the head table and started to help himself to a plate of sausages.
Dumbledore glanced back at him for a moment and then turned his attention back to the hall. "May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," he said brightly into the stunned silence, gesturing to the man sat off to the side, "Professor Moody."
Only Hagrid and Dumbledore participated in the usual round of applause that greeted new staff. Everyone else just seemed to be transfixed by his appearance.
Moody. The name sounded somewhat familiar to Ebony and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"As I was saying," Dumbledore said, "we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" Fred said loudly, causing whatever tension had been left over from Moody's arrival to disappear as the hall broke out into laughter, even Dumbledore chuckled.
"I am not joking Mr Weasley," he said, "though now you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who went into a bar-"
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly, giving Dumbledore a stern look that was usually reserved for students.
"But perhaps this is not the time-" he glanced briefly back at McGonagall, who merely rolled her eyes at him-"no it's not... where was I? Oh yes, the Triwizard Tournament... well some of you will not know what this involves, so I hope those who do will not mind me giving a short explanation..."
Ebony listened in on the explanation of the tournament and was pleased that she was not the only one who seemed at least mildly alarmed at the words, 'the death toll mounted so high,'. "I feel like there is a good reason that this thing hasn't happened for over a century," she hissed into Neville's ear.
"Since when has anyone really been that bothered about health and safety?"
"It better not be too dangerous or Madam Pomfrey is going to throw a fit." Neville desperately tried to smother his laugh behind his hands.
"You're not wrong," he snorted quietly.
"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang," Dumbledore continued, "will arrive with their shortlisted contenders in October and the champions will be chosen on Halloween."
The hall burst into whispers as everyone put their heads together:
"I'm going for it!"
"Me too."
"I might give it a try."
"What do you reckon you'll have to do?"
"Hopefully it's not too dangerous."
"Kevin, did you not hear the words, 'death toll.'?"
Neville turned towards Ebony, "I think I might pass on this one, not really my speed."
"Going to have to agree with you on that," she replied, "I rather like being alive and having all my limbs attached."
"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the cup to Hogwarts," Dumbledore spoke, raising his voice over the noise, "it has been decided that there is to be an age restriction as a safety measure. Only those who are 17 or over will be allowed to put their names forward."
The whispers had now turned into cries of outrage, which continued as the school filed out of the hall.
"I guess Gran would've wanted me to go for it," Neville sighed gloomily as they made their way towards Gryffindor tower, "She's always going on about me bringing a bit of pride to my family."
Ebony was about to say how she thought that Neville's gran should be proud of him anyway but was then distracted as his foot sunk into the trick step in the middle of the staircase and he toppled over.
"Every time," Ron muttered as he and Harry seized him by the armpits and helped him up. A nearby suit of armour clanked with laughter. "Shut up you," Ron shouted in response.
"My parents would probably have wanted me to do the same, " Ebony said once Neville had been freed from the stairs, "or they'd want me to do it in the hopes that you know, I wouldn't make it out alive."
Neville stopped and just blinked at her.
"Too morbid?"
"Just a little, Ebb," he said and Ebony held her hands up in surrender.
"My bad."
...
Ebony lay back against the sofa, tucking her hands deep inside the sleeves of her school jumper.
This was it. She was home.
She had rather forgotten just how warm and cosy it was. How much she loved being surrounded by smiles and laughter. The warm, red haze of the common room was a harsh contrast to the dark cold house that she lived in.
It felt as though she could let out a breath that she had been holding for the whole of the summer.
She wasn't quite sure what time it was but it was late and she was the only one left in the common room. Neville had stayed with her for a couple hours, both of them enjoying each other's company for the first time in a while, but eventually she persuaded him to go to bed as his eyes were clearly struggling to stay open.
Ebony wasn't anywhere near tired, she was still giddy from the arrival at Hogwarts. Sleep wasn't going to be on the cards anytime soon
"Well hello, there stranger."
Ebony turned to the source of the voice and grinned as she spotted who was stood at the bottom of the girl's dormitory stairs. "Ginny."
"It seems," she said, sitting down next to Ebony and pulling her knees up to her chest, "that still, neither of us can go to bed at a reasonable hour." Ebony laughed.
"It seems that way, yeah."
"Rest of your summer alright?"
"It was pretty average," Ebony said, "How was yours?" Ebony was rather eager to shift the conversation over to Ginny. She really didn't want to deal with follow up questions, not when she'd only just got away from her parents for the year.
"Dad was super busy after the World Cup," Ginny replied, "only saw him a few times in the last week, the ministry was a mess."
"So I heard." Her father found the mess at the ministry all too amusing.
'They're all running around like headless chickens," he said from behind the Daily Prophet, "They tried to blame it on a house elf and some teenagers." He took a puff on his pipe. "To think that these idiots are in charge. It's disgraceful."
"Our time will come dear, don't you worry."
Ebony always hated when her parents called each other 'dear' or other pet names. More often than not they were used in public to clearly communicate to one another, 'I want to rip your head off but right now there are far too many witnesses,' as any unaware person would think that they were just being an affectionate married couple. The odd times they were used at home just made Ebony feel uneasy. She wasn't sure why, it just didn't sit right with her.
As for 'Our time will come.' Ebony didn't want to dwell on that too much.
It scared her.
"Ebony?"
"Mm?" Ebony replied, coming out of her head.
"Can I ask you something?" She frowned a little.
"Sure."
"What happened to your neck?" At Ginny's words, Ebony's hand instantly jumped to clasp over her neck. She looked away.
"Nothing," she said a little too quickly and a little too brightly.
"Doesn't look like nothing."
Ebony just shrugged, " my mum got angry, that's all."
Not now, please not right now.
"You mean she..."
Ebony just shrugged again and looked away from her friend," she's done worse."
Ebony turned to see Ginny frowning with her mouth hanging slightly open and it occurred to her that the conversation of her home life hadn't gotten past 'my parents aren't that nice,'.
"It's fine Ginny."
"But...it's not though." Ebony just looked away. "Does Neville know about this?"
"Yes," she said quietly.
"Well, what does he say about it?"
"I don't want to talk about this Ginny."
"But-"
"I said no," she snapped, wrapping her arms tightly around her torso. She didn't want them here. Hogwarts was where they didn't have to exist and Ebony wanted to keep it that way.
"Alright," Ginny said softly, realising that the conversation was not going to happen.
The sound of the crackling fire filled the room.
The truth was Ebony hated having a part of her life that she had to explain. She'd realised once she'd started Hogwarts that lots of things in her life weren't 'normal' or 'right'. She was constantly having to make up excuses, brush off comments and avoid questions.
She knew her parents were horrible and disgusting people and, to an extent, she despised them.
But at the same time, it was hard to hate people you're supposed to love unconditionally.
And, underneath it all, they were her family and that had to mean something. Right?
"I don't tell people," Ebony said finally, " they get weird about it." Ginny frowned.
"Its because people care about you, they just want to make sure you're okay. That's what friends do."
"It just..." Ebony let out a deep sigh and rubbed her eyes. "it gets tiring after a while you know, explaining again and again." Ginny's eyes softened and she shuffled over to wrap her arms around Ebony.
"Well I can name at least five people off the top of my head who care about you very much," she said and Ebony just bit her lip, "and I know that Neville cares the same as another five just on his own."
Ebony gave a soft chuckle.