The rest of the train ride was filled with reading through the second year books, though Celesta refused to read Lockhart's set. Not only was she aware that Lockhart was a wizard who's morals were all about getting fame, and it wouldn't surprise her to learn that his books were embellished, made to be more grandiose than the actions were. Or made up in general.
They attempted to look for the the boys once the train stopped, but the station was too crowded as they were ushered to the carriages, managing to sit with two hufflepuffs. The trip was filled with friendly conversation over their Charms summer work, what they got on their end of year exams, and what they thought Professor Lockhart would be able to teach them. Celesta politely left herself out of that conversation.
They filed into the Great Hall, taking their seats before their thoughts once again turned to Harry and Ron. "Where are they?" Hermione asked, Celesta barely able to shrug before the new first years were led in by Professor Mcgonagall, Celesta smiling at Ginny encouragingly.
She didn't pay much attention to the hat's song, her attention wavering to Mr. Filch, who'd ran up to her godfather and whispered something, his eyes widening at the news before he swooped out. After the sorting, where a 'Luna Lovegood' got sorted into Ravenclaw and 'Ginny Weasley' was sorted into Gryffindor, much to the Weasley family's delight, going by their enthusiastic cheering. Professor Dumbledore said a few words about the Forbidden Forest, before the feast appeared.
Professors Mcgonagall and Dumbledore were both missing once she'd eaten her fill, Celesta turning to Hermione who was just about finished as well. "Let's get the password them look for Harry and Ron. Maybe Professor Mcgonagall and Dumbledore went and fetched the boys." Suggestion taken, Hermione went and got the password from Percy, before they went off, looking for their friends. It was during looking when they found out that the two boys had driven Mr. Weasley's flying car to school, crashing it into the Whomping Willow.
Somehow, Celesta doubted that they'd ever have a quiet year at Hogwarts with Harry around.
The next morning, Celesta was checking her schedule, noting the times of each class. Thankfully, she was able to not take flying class this year, so she had a free period on Thursdays. The first class was herbology, and after making sure she had the things she'd need for class in her bag, she stood, waving to her friends. The first day always had afternoon post, instead of morning, letting the first years get used to waking up on time as well as settling in.
Slytherins and Gryffindors waited at the greenhouses for Professor Sprout, who looked quite annoyed as she came walking up along with Professor Lockhart. Almost immediately Celesta tuned out the wizard, deducing that the bandages in Professor Sprout's arms were used to help the Whomping Willow, which had slings on almost all their branches. The boys had done a lot of damage, it appeared.
They were led into Greenhouse Three, where Professor Sprout was explaining that they'd be working with Mandrakes, though these ones were premature. She showed them all how to repot the mandrakes, though Longbottom fainted almost immediately. It was a shock to Celesta, as it had seemed that Neville liked harbology, where as she preferred potions, needing herbology knowledge, but not necessarily enjoying it, she would say.
Potions was mostly revision, the students tasked with redoing the potion that they did for their exams last year to make sure they'd retained the knowledge. She and Hermione had the best one, seconded by Draco.
Lunch was far more interesting to them all, the post coming in. Though once Celesta caught sight of Errol she frowned, looking at Ron who'd gone quite pale at the sight of the red letter clutched in his beak.
Pretty soon, as Ron didn't want the whole school to echo with the words, he opened the letter, the words shouting through the Great Hall, who'd gone silent.
"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I'M ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOU'RE FATHER IS NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT IS ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!"
After the last sentence, the tone of voice turned softer and full of affection, turning towards Ginny.
"Oh and Ginny dear, congradulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are so proud."
Finally it seemed the letter was finished, blowing a raspberry at Ron before ripping itself into shreds. A look down the table confirmed that Ginny was blushing, though Ron was pale and red in humiliation.
Their first DADA class with Lockhart proved to Celesta that their teacher was incompetant, though Hermione thought he hung the moon. The first half was a five page quiz, all about the man, which she'd left blank. Of course Hermione got all the questions correct save one. She on the other hand, was only glad exams were held with a ministry judge for fairness of the students in mind, so Lockhart would not be grading her final. How'd she put up with him all year was a mystery.
The rest of class had Lockhart overplaying Cornish Pixies, a common pest at best, then releasing a cage full of them. Immediately chaos erupted into the room. Lockhart's wand was taken and thrown out the window,l Hermione's hair was yanked, books were thrown about and ripped up, save Celesta's. She'd thankfully had the wit to keep her books in her bag. Even Neville wasn't spared, getting lifted into the air and hung on a chandalier. Most of the class ran out before they could also be trageted, leaving Celesta and her friends to deal with the pests.
Finally she and Hermione found the correct spell that was perfect for the occasion, casting it together.
"IMMOBULUS!"
From there it was pretty simple to levitate the pixies into their cage, Hermione getting Neville down from the chandelier.
The next few days were eventful to say the least. Harry avoiding Lockhart, or Ron's wand, spellotaped poorly together, sparking and casting spells willy-nilly. It was amusing, but tiring. After all, it was only the first week!
At last, the weekend had arrived, Harry getting geared up for Quidditch. Celesta, Hermione, and Ron were sitting in the courtyard waiting for the team so they could watch practice when the Slytherin team arrived, all carrying the same broom. Celesta noted it was the newest brooms in the market as well, her eyebrows furrowing as she spotted her brother dressed up. She wasn't aware he'd joined the team.
"We booked the pitch today, Flint." Oliver Wood, the quittich caption for Gryffindor was saying as they approached the two teams.
"Easy Wood, got permission from Professor Snape," a rather pointy-nosed Slytherin stated, handing over a note that Oliver read out loud for all their benefits.
"'I, Professor Snape, hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice on the Quidditch Field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.' You've got a new Seeker? Who?"
At this news Celesta groaned under her breath, clutching her parasal tighter. All of a sudden she could see how this was going to turn out, her brother's warning echoing in her head.
The Slytherin team parted, Draco coming up to the front.
Harry seemed stunned as he spoke. "Malfoy?"
Draco only seemed smug when he responded. "That's right. That's not all that's new this year," he spoke, the team showing off the new brooms, which Ron seemed to admire.
"Those are new Nimbus Two-thousand and Ones! How did you get those?!" he'd asked, Celesta wrinkling her nose. This really wasn't going to end well.
Flint spoke up again at last, though the smirk on his lips made Celesta want to punch him in his smug mouth, her free hand curling. "Gift from Draco and Celesta's father."
"You see Weasley? Unlike some, our father can afford the best." Her brother deserved a good talking to once they were in private, Celesta decided at those words, glaring at the boy she'd been raised with. Mother certainly would agree with her that flaunting one's wealth wasn't polite pureblood behavior.
And then Hermione stepped in, Celesta wincing. Though Ron would be ridiculed from being from a less well off family, Hermione, by default of her blood, would not be seen kindly to speaking up.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team needed to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent."
Draco glared at her friend, a glance at Celesta being the only warning she got about his next words. He had warned her on the train, after all.
"No one asked your opinion. You filthy little mudblood." He said, Celesta barking out his name like mother would at the same time that Ron pointed his faulty wand at her brother.
"Draco!"
"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy. Eat slugs!"
At his words Ron's wand fired the hex, but instead of Malfoy, it seemed to backfire, Ron getting hit instead and flying back several feet. The Slytherin team burst into laughter, Celesta glaring at them all before narrowing her eyes at her brother. "I will be writing to Mother about this Draco," were her only words, not bothering on waiting on his reply before she headed to her friend, gagging a little when a slug came out of his mouth. "Oh that's gross..." she whimpered, feeling a little green herself. "Get him up. We'll take him to Hagrids. Goodness knows Madam Pompfrey won't enjoy the mess of slime and, and...those things."
Hagrid shoved a bucket under Ron's mouth as he continued puking the slugs up, Celesta refusing to look as her friends explained the situation. She cut in when Hagrid dismissed her family. "Father and Draco may share that view, but my mother and I do not. Mother though, needs to seem like she agrees with Father. Appearances are important for my family, you see. It wouldn't do to have them fighting or not having an united front," she explained with a sigh.
That evening Harry and Ron were pulled to do detentions, while she and Hermione went to the library. Celesta was caught up on homework, but she needed to self-study for DADA, since Lockhart's methods hadn't improved at all during the week. Even Hermione agreed that Lockhart wasn't the best teacher, but they didn't agree on his wits. For instance, Hermione firmly believed that Lockhart must be a great wizard, considering he had written all those books about his exploits, whereas Celesta believed he made every single book up.
When their arguments proved too heated, Celesta would gather her things and leave, usually finding the twins and asking to look at the map to plot where she'd go to shift and get out the negative energy arguing with her friend had caused. They'd shown her the map after the feist, everybody else having fallen asleep by the time she'd come to their room in fox form. She'd stayed that way through the night, sleeping between them once more. They'd pushed their beds together even at Hogwarts, making it easy for her to do so, waking and slipping from the room when Lee woke up too early for breakfast with a bathroom emergency.
Speaking of the twins, everytime they touched her she seemed to blush a little bit, her magic feeling like butterflies or a warm, crackling fire in her veins. Being around them felt like freedom and home at the same time, until she was seeking them out on her own as the weeks went by. Even just for a minute or two, she'd need to be around them else she grew grumpy, unable to go more than two days without their presence or attention.
She didn't dare speak of this, however. It was just a crush, she'd tell herself in the dead of night as she tried to fall asleep. It was only a crush, and it'd go away eventually.
Author's Note: FINALLY! We're really getting into Second Year!
Now for the hard part! I need a few names for background characters! Maybe even good friends with Celesta, though of course nobody can compete with Hermione. Two or three names should surfice. Let me know your suggestions in a review!
Special thanks to Saterra3950 who liked my story so much they binge-read it! Thank you so much. I'm trying my best, and if it's not too much of me to brag a little, I think I'm doing pretty well.
For everybody else, thank you once again for reading, following, favoriting, or reviewing. It really means a lot and it motivates me to keep reading when I see your reviews, or a new person following/favoriting my story.