Hey everyone, chapter 2 coming your way. I have to say I hope this is my least favorite chapter of the story. It's not particularly exciting but I think it provides important background information, which I think is really important for an OC story, for the subsequent chapters. Again, please READ and REVIEW! Hopefully I can have the next chapter up in a day or two.
FieryPhoenix: Thanks for the first review! I was a little worried that I wasn't going to get any. You can't complain about my grammar this chapter (though i'm sure you will) because I asked you to proof read it but you were too busy not doing homework!
Lying back in the green grass was a nice change from being cooped up in the stone dungeon. A dungeon, that's what the Hufflepuff common room had become for him, constant studying for his N.E.W.T.S. had driven him to the brink of insanity. Good thing he'd never be in that situation again, no more being cooped up inside.
"Hey Peter!" A familiar face appeared over the horizon.
"Get out of here Joseph, it's the last day! If you keep bugging me I'm going to curse you so hard that Dumbledore will feel bad and actually pass you" Peter returned with a smile.
"C'mon, if I leave you by yourself you'll stay out here all night. Lets go inside, it's time for lunch".
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming" Peter replied. Taking one last look across the lake to the beautiful mountains that completed the perfect landscape he begrudgingly rose to his feet. He couldn't say that his best years were over but he would certainly miss his time at Hogwarts. Yet, he had much bigger plans for his future and they neither began nor ended on these grounds.
Following his friend across the lush grounds into the familiar entrance hall past the large oak double doors Peter began to finally appreciate that this would be his last night in the castle. It was an idea that so long had eluded him, when you first consider that you will be spending the better part of seven years in a single place it is hard to believe that you will ever leave. It was a thought he shared with Joseph.
"Nuts, isn't it? It always seemed to be a year away, six months away, even a week ago it seemed like we had all the time in the world" was his reply. Peter raised an eyebrow at his friend's wisdom, Joseph wasn't the brightest of students but he sure had his moments.
Taking the double doors to their right into the Great Hall Peter wondered how his friends were taking their last day at Hogwarts. He knew tonight would be an event, a house party full of reminiscing and good times of its own. He only wished he could have accomplished more in his time there. He was never top of his class, never a prefect and certainly not head boy, yet he did well enough to pass and hoped to do what he wanted with his life.
Amelia was waiting for them at the table, a nod and a smile was all they got in greeting. She was a nice enough girl but she wasn't exactly talkative. Peter scanned up and down the rows of the Hufflepuff table, as one of the few times a year there was a lack of house segregation the table was littered with cloaks adorned with trim of blue, red and even the green of Slytherin in one extremely unusual case. Not finding his target Peter returned his focus back to Amelia who seemed much more focused on the sandwich in front of her.
"Where's Q?" Peter inquired of her. He thought he would go by "Q", sometimes Quint, too if his name were 'Quintius', some parents were just a little too proud of their background. But who's going to complain too much when "Grandpa Q" is making sure that you're connected with all the right people?
"You know him" was Joseph's muffled reply, speaking and deflecting one's crumbs with the sleeves of their robes is no easy feat. "It's the last day; he's got to pass on his duties".
"Duties? I wasn't aware detention and extra practice was the sort of thing one passed on to the younger counter parts" chuckled Peter.
Just then Amelia's eyes got wide and Peter felt a sharp slap up side the head. After feigning severe injury he turned to find Quint with a mile wide grin across his face.
"Always the wise guy huh? You know I had to pass on my various clubs' duties. You know, I think I spent more time in club meetings than I did in class this year. That's got to be some sort of record, don't you think?" he added.
"Well, that certainly would explain your marks" Peter shot back taking his own seat at the table and preparing for another attack on his head that didn't come.
"Yeah, well I might not have the best marks but at least my plans for work don't include an 'ask again later sign'. I'm going to make a difference; a couple of muggle protection groups have already invited me to join them". This Peter believed; Quint was easily the best looking of their foursome and all but excreted charisma. None of the other three doubted it would be too long before he had taken over whatever group he joined or branched off and started his own. That was one of Quint's problems; he couldn't just be in the club he had to run the whole dang thing too.
Joseph on the other hand was looking to move out to Kent with his Uncle and help run his tavern. Amelia was supposedly going with him but Peter wasn't sure he bought this; she probably just needed something to tell other students until she could figure out something on her own.
"You decided where you're going yet?"
Peter shook his head with little enthusiasm "No, I haven't got a letter back from the ministry yet", the disappointment was thick in his voice.
"I'm sure they'll take you" Amelia added, she hoped the encouragement would help put him in a better mood.
Although Peter didn't respond the confidence his friends had in him meant the world. It surprised him, how such little acts of kindness could go so far and mean so much.
The rest of lunch went by uneventfully, jobs, dreams and plans were of course the main topics between the seventh years at the four tables. Spoken of were some dreams, simple and attainable, others, grand and elusive. The successful and outspoken students would let anyone who would listen know what there bright future's entailed, while those who had barely scraped by gave muttered and vague responses. Some of the younger students listened with great interest and admiration while the older students only showed interest if the speaker had cracked a field that they were also interested in.
As expected, the Hufflepuff common room could be heard from the Entrance Hall all through the night. Professor Sprout gave up after a few light warnings. There was no use arguing with the students on the last night. By the time the common room cleared near 3 am the tables were cluttered with empty Butterbeer bottles, assorted cakes and candies and the floor was littered with expended noise makers, streamers and confetti. The house elves would have a busy time cleaning up everything before the break of dawn.
The next morning was full of tears, hugs and kisses and some deep seeded resentment among the seventh years toward those who would be returning for another year of school. The train ride that seemed to take forever to get to the hidden castle felt like only a few minutes ride home. There seemed to be a palpable struggle to cover every topic and say everything that needed to be said before they parted for the first time in seven years. Sure, it could be argued that they separated every summer but the four always knew that it was only a short break before they would be back together again.
For some reason Peter never got around to telling his friends where he was going to be living. It was just blind hope that if he acted like he didn't have any plans then it might delay the separation of the group. A letter had arrived from the Ministry that last morning; his application had been accepted, he would be provided housing in Upper Flagley.
With their carts loaded, the last hugs and good byes were doled out. Silently bemoaning the fact that none of his friends offered him a place to stay so they could put off their separation a little longer Peter made his way back towards the pillar that would lead him to King's Cross. With a final look back he waved to the friends that provided him with a lot of good memories and got him through seven years of school. Pushing the trolley in front of him and making for a darkened corner of the station Peter made ready to depart. With a quick crack he was gone, never again to return to platform 9 and 3/4.
He didn't know it but that would be the last time he would ever see Amelia. The next time he would see Joseph would be about two years later, the day after Peter was arrested and brought to Azkaban. Quint ended up being the only constant in his life; some would argue that was his very downfall.