Hey hey! Sorry I couldn't update on Friday. I know... Feel free to scream and yell at me. ;D Anyway, the power shut off and for some reason it wouldn't come back on... My dad's laptop is broken and then the computer wasn't getting power! So, I apologize for that. I have just returned. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Ciao!
September 1st, 1994. Monday.
Selena Malast took in a breath of fresh air (or as much as she could in the pouring rain) as she stepped off of the Hogwarts Express and onto the platform of Hogsmeade Station. Her robes, black and red with the Gryffindor crest, were already getting soaked with rainwater. Her bones were chilled, fingers numb as she flipped up her hood. The rest of the students were shouting in vain over the storm, bumping into one another like murky shadows.
Selena took another breath, hearing Professor Hagrid's voice calling the First Years over. Her heart swelled warmly despite the weather. Last September she had been there, heading to boats to cross the Black Lake, about to begin her first term at Hogwarts. But, now she was twelve. Summer was over and she looking forward to seeing her friends.
A lot had happened over holiday. She'd begun hesitantly writing Wendy, Tess, and Alisson. Turns out, not seeing her friends over the summer weakened her grudge. Selena talked also talked to her... well, her cousin, Annabeth Black. They were on shaky ground as well, but it was much better than before. The one letter that Annabeth had sent revealed that she and Harry Potter had broken up. Selena could still remember the note that Annabeth wrote her, word for word:
Selena,
I normally wouldn't go you to for advice, but you're the closest person I can talk to freely about Harry. Ron or Hermione would probably take his side, or think I was rude... Well... here goes: Harry and I broke up about two weeks ago. I'm not as sad as I thought I would be. Why? I broke up with him. Sure I miss him, but I had a good reason to end it! The thing is, there's been a lot going on. Harry was hurt when he found about... er, you know, my parental situation. I tried explaining it, and he was understanding, but the damage was done. Things just haven't been the same. I love Harry, and he's still my best friend. But I realized that we just couldn't be in a relationship anymore - a romantic one, I mean. Was it hard? Yes. Do I still remember the expression on his face when I broke up with him? Yes... Yes I do. I need advice. Did I make the right decision? It'd be weird if I asked my father, and PLEASE don't try to contact him. Not that you could, I guess. In other, half-related news, I asked my father if he's gotten anything interesting from Harry and apparently he and Harry are frequently exchanging notes... Maybe I just need some time... Don't bother writing back. Just tell me when you get back to Hogwarts. I'm still here, just like the rest of summer. You'd be surprised to know how many books I've read from the Library. Oh well. See you soon, ~Annabeth.
P.S. If you tell anybody that I asked you for advice, I'll jinx you.
She smiled thinking about it. It was so... Annabeth. She did feel bad for her, but thought the decision seemed right. Some things were just meant to be, and others weren't.
"Sel! Selena!"
She heard a familiar voice calling her name.
Sasha Ramirez - a Gryffindor Quidditch player now in her sixth year - and Alisson Hatten - one of Selena's roommates - ran up to her, clutching their bags, grinning through the rain.
"Hey!" Selena yelled over the roar of the downpour, returning the smile. "Are you guys ready to get back to school?"
Sasha shook her head, long dark hair shaking. The moisture in the air was causing the curls to fall out from the ends. "No! I don't want to have to go back to Potions and Divination. Oh, Selena, I went to the Quidditch World Cup! It was great! Ireland won!" Then her smile faltered. "But..." she gave a shiver, "the Death Eaters..."
Selena let her smile slip off her face too. She'd been thrilled about the 422nd Quidditch World Cup. Her favorite team - the Irish - played against the Bulgarian National team. The match was in Dartmoor, which her parents didn't feel like Apparating to. Her family spent much of their summer in Blackpool instead. However, even the news of the riots at the match reached them.
As the papers - particularly the Daily Prophet with an article by a Rita Skeeter - told it, the attack began after the match during reverie over the Irish victory. There were fires set and Muggles tortured, people being attacked by the masked rioters. The Ministry tried to fight them off, and found them to be Death Eaters. It ended with a picture of the Dark Mark, glowing greenish in the sky. Selena could still see it on the front page of the paper her father was reading, the way the magical picture moved.
The Dark Mark was a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth, coiling around in the air. It was the calling card of He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named. Voldemort, one of the most dark sorcerers ever known to the Wizard World, and his followers were known for it back before she was born. The Death Eaters, followers of Voldemort, used the Dark Mark to inspire fear. Or, when Voldemort was alive, at least.
And, judging by the reaction at the Quidditch World Cup, it still did.
Then Sasha smiled again, all morbidity forgotten. "I got you a souvenir! I bought about eighty! 'Been giving them out to friends! Here." With a bit of struggle, Sasha pulled a small green rosette out of her bag. It was an emerald clover and was shouting the Irish players' names in a small voice. She gave one to Alisson as well.
"They're so cute, right? I thought they were adorable and bought the lot after they were about to throw them out. I couldn't say no to the Bulgarian ones either. But, I left those at home. They're all over my closet."
"Do they have an off button?" Alisson asked grimly, looking at hers in her palm.
Sasha didn't answer her question, instead grabbing Selena's arm excitedly as she pointed ahead with her free hand. "Look! There are the carriages! I almost forgot that you both aren't First Years. Ooh, the carriages are so fun! They pull themselves, it's all magic of course, and you get to go to Hogwarts that way. That's especially good in the rain..."
She kept babbling as Alisson stuffed the Irish rosette in her pocket, glancing at Selena. Her blue eyes were careful, thoughts churning behind them. Selena tried to smile at her friend again, remembering that their friendship was on the mend.
Their year at Hogwarts was about to begin.
1 Hour Later
Selena flew through the Second Year girls' Dorm in Gryffindor Tower and beamed, looking around the room. She took up all the familiar surroundings, feeling as if she'd returned home: the scarlet, thick velvet drapes around the four-poster beds; the glass jug of water and the single window with a clear view of the Whomping-Willow and the Forbidden forest; the many Quidditch posters still tacked to Alisson's wall; the pictures near Tess' bed that didn't move - Tess was a Muggleborn. Selena was even happy to see Shorty (his actual name was Short Stuff) the noisy owl that belonged Renee Pierce.
Selena immediately went to her own bed on the right of the window and began to unpack, her trunk already at the foot of the bed. Apparently, she wasn't the only one happy to be back. Her black cat, Crescent, lay on the soft covers, purring deeply.
Another cat ran into the Dorm, this time making Crescent hiss with dislike. Selena turned around and found a girl chasing a black-and-white marble kitten through the door, tripping over her many bags before finally catching the kitten with a "phew!"
"Renee!" Selena cried before rushing over, hugging her friend.
"Hey, Sel!" Renee said after Selena finally let go. She set the kitten down on a trunk, straightening her crumpled grey vest and skirt.
Selena looked down at the kitten and saw its green eyes staring intently at Crescent. "Who's the kitty?"
"Oh!" Renee said, her face lighting up as she scooped up the small animal in her hand again. "This is Sierra! She actually belongs to Alisson, but sent me a letter over the summer saying I could be second-in-command in care of her. I love Shorty, but kittens are precious too."
Selena nodded, ignoring the slight pang at hearing of her close correspondence with Alisson, and looked over at the door as footsteps sounded. Elizabeth Hearts walked in and waved at them with a grin, pushing her aqua glasses up the bridge of her nose. She dumped all her bags (probably full of books) onto the floor in front of the bed near the door and smiled again. "Hey!"
Selena and Renee embraced her and, in a hurry, Alison and Tess arrived and it was time for the Welcoming Feast.
Selena walked, arms linked with Elizabeth, talking about her summer as they entered the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryfindor table. Rolf Iredine and Hazel Locarn - other friends of theirs - sat the Hufflepuff table. They smiled at Selena, waving. She waved back, noticing little differences in them from the summer. Hazel had gone to Italy with her family, and her slight tan proved this. Rolf looked taller, his fringe still dyed a bright green. In his hood was his ever-present pet rabbit, Karrot.
The Great Hall looked incredible and just as splendid as it had last year. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds of floating candles. The four House Tables were filled with chattering children and the Head Table had all the staff (mostly, Professor Snape was an exception) beaming at them. It was very warm, which pleased Selena. The enchanted sky of the Great Hall was "raining" as the weather of the roof mimicked that of the world outside. Finally, Selena noticed the many ghosts levitating over the floor, greeting students.
"I hope the Sorting is quick!" Wendy Rossotto whispered from a little down the table.
Selena and Renee nodded. It was funny to Selena to think that just last year, at this time, they had yet to know about all this at Hogwarts.
Selena then counted all the teachers at the Head Table. There were three empty seats: Professor Hagrid's, Professor McGonagall's, and the Dark Arts seat. Professor Remus Lupin had left last year, so the position of Dark Arts teacher was empty. McGonagoll was probably drying the halls, and Hagrid was still going across the Black Lake.
Finally, the doors opened and Professor McGonagall rushed in and everyone became quiet. The Scottish woman looked formidable, her lips drawn in their usual line, black hair up in a tight bun, green robes flowing. Following her were the First Years, a troupe of eleven-years-old who looked nearly as sick as they did amazed. It seemed as though they had swam across the lake instead of crossing it in boats. One boy was wrapped in a blanket and all the other students were shivering.
Professor McGonagall sat a beat-up hat on a wooden stool. Then, the hat moved, slits forming two eyes and a mouth. It began to sing.
Once it was done with its song, Selena and all the other tables broke into polite applause as the hat bowed. Selena then noticed it wasn't the song it had used last year. Tess seemed to have noticed also, glancing at her.
Professor McGonagall unrolled her parchment scroll. "When I call your name, you will put on the Sorting Hat, and sit on the stool. When the Sorting Hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table."
Selena didn't pay any attention to the names of the new students or Professor Dumbledore's announcement. All she was looking forward to was the Start-of-Term Feast, especially on such a rainy day. When the food magically appeared on the tables, the Great Hall burst with noise - and the delicious, warm scents of dinner. Along the four tables ran platters and platters of food: pork chops, roast chicken, mashed potato, steak and kidney pie, carrots, peas, chips, peppermints humbugs, and Yorkshire pudding were among the dishes. For dessert there would be another assortment of delectable treats, Selena already looking forward to the jam doughnuts and ice cream.
As she was starting on a helping of buttery mashed potato, the enchanted ceiling (still looking like the stormy sky outside) broke out with a clap of thunder and lightening began striking randomly over the heads of the students. Shrieks filled the room, Selena instinctively throwing her robe hood up until the Great Hall echoed with another 'crack' and she looked up. A strange man with a silver leg, many battered cloaks, a scarred face - a chunk of nose missing, and a strange eye attached to a band filling one of the eye sockets stood inside of the doorway.
"Who's that?" some people whispered until the Great Hall filled with lively chatter once more, the lightening gone as quickly as it had begun. Once the confusion passed - and the man greeted Dumbledore - the students dove back into eating. Selena chatted with Renee and Wendy before all the pupils were directed to go to their respective Common Rooms. Gryffindor's was at the top of Gryffindor Tower, and one had to walk up many of the magical staircases that moved to get there.
Selena could hear everyone talking excitedly as someone told the Fat Lady - the portrait guarding the entrance to the Common Room - the password. She made a note to remember it: Balderdash. The password changed occasionally, but she'd gotten used to it after a year.
As Selena entered the Gryffindor Common Room, she watched the First Years look around, fascinated, eyes wide. She giggled to herself. She'd looked exactly like that the first time she walked into the room. However, she was tired after the feast and wanted nothing more than her own comfy dorm. Leaving the loud students, she drifted up the staircase to the dorm, flopping onto her bed without changing clothes.
With the snuggly covers piled around her arms, and her cat curling up near her head, she slowly went to sleep. The sound of the others talking as they walked in sounded a world away.
Hello everyone! It has been SUPER long since an update and I wouldn't be surprised if you thought I'd given up on this story, or maybe fallen off the edge of the Earth in that time. Is that even possible? If it is, that's WEIRD... Anyway! Back to the point! I will NEVER EVER... make you wait that long for an update. Swear it. So, anyway, I am SO excited to write this year! It's one of my favorites! :)
Well, if you have any questions or anything please ask, and also REVIEW! Thanks for reading! It'll get more interesting, I promise! ;D Yep... Bye!
Thanks for reading! (Again... :p)
~Meghan
NOTICE: A READER OF THIS STORY NAMED Kurimay-Angel (so sorry if I miss spelled the new user name is Hack-d you hack-d you hahahah) WAS HACKED! Now what jerk hacks other accounts, deletes the stories, makes new ones, and taunts them on the profile? IT'S STUPID! Whoever you are, how dare you! Whoever USED to be Kurimay Angel, PLEASE comment on here! Now, if you excuse me, I'm gong to go bother the hacker! PEACE!
5/4/17: I used to sound like I was permanently hyped up on sugar...