Chapter 7: Girl Meets Forest Escape

"From what I can piece together, my great grandmother, Rosie McGee, was a weird wide-eyed goofball who only saw the best in everybody. Who's like that?" - Riley Matthews, Girl Meets 1961, Girl Meets World

I stood with Scorpius as again we see Albus and Delphi practicing spells. I didn't want to admit to Scorpius that I like Albus more than a friend. Scorpius looked a bit upset as well - maybe because I knew secretly he did not like Delphi. "You don't like her," I said to him.

"There's a difference of not liking somebody and somebody that is untrustworthy," he says. "I reckon Delphi is untrustworthy. I don't trust her one bit."

I nodded. I understand what Scorpius seemed to be saying about Delphi. There is something off about that girl and I couldn't put my finger on it. I looked away from Albus and Delphi as I sat myself down on the ground. Scorpius sat down beside me. "Is something troubling you, Riley?"

"My cousin - Annabelle would've loved to be at Hogwarts," I said, sadly. Annabelle was my cousin - my favourite cousin. I never exactly mentioned her before as I wanted to focus more on my education and making friends but Annabelle was only nine when she died - I was twelve at the time. It was Christmas and Annabelle was suffering from Leukemia. She wasn't fairing well with the disease as the disease had effected her lungs and other organs. She died slowly and in pain. She would've started Hogwarts this year, but as I said, she died.

"You've never mention Annabelle before," Scorpius adds.

"That's because I couldn't," I said. "She was very sick like your mum. It was Leukemia." I notice the look on Scorpius's face. The look of sadness. He gave me a tight hug as I found myself crying. Amongst my tear filled eyes, I see Albus announcing Delphi as his new friend.

"She hates me," I added, nodding my head towards Delphi's direction. Delphi's hate filled eyes burn towards me. "And now she hates me more." Maybe Maya was right about me being friends with her again. I needed a girl - not Delphi - to talk to and maybe Maya would be that person.

"Well she hates you," Scorpius says. "But not me."

"Oh, she doesn't like you at all," I added. "She only likes Albus because he is Harry's son." My voice cracked in sadness.

I stood up and walked to where Albus and Delphi are as my eyes filled with tears. "Are you alright?" He asks me.

"I'm fine," I said, whipping the tears from my eyes and trying to smile. Delphi gives me a small evil sinister look. I turned my head away from her.

"Great, Wizzo," Delphi announces.

"So what's is this Wizzo?" I asked.

"Cracked the spell," Albus announces, ignoring my question. "I mean, it's pretty basic, but I was - well, I cracked."

"And we've found our way through to the school," Scorpius says, nudging me. "Well, Riley has found a way. I just followed her. It may work."

"Are you sure it will work?" I asked, butting in.

"Yes!" Delphi says, with certainty.

"It's a brilliant plan," Albus says. "The secret to not getting Cedric killed is to stop him winning the Triwizard Tournament. If he doesn't win, he can't be killed."

"And I understand that but..." Scorpius says.

"So we just need to mess his chances supremely badly in task one," Albus says. "The first task is getting a golden egg from a dragon - how did Cedric distract the dragon -"

Delphi puts her hand in the air. Albus grins and points at her. "-by transfiguring a stone into a dog," she answers.

"-Well, a little Expelliarmus and he won't be able to do that," he says.

I rolled my eyes as I didn't enjoy this stupid double acting from both Albus and Delphi. "You know what," I said, sounding angry. "Screw this." I walked off. "You three have your fun. I've already had my fun."

"Good, I-we don't need you anyways," I heard Delphi mutter. I walked off angrily. I couldn't put up with that stupid double-act between Albus and Delphi anymore.

As I continued walking, I sat down to figure my way out of the Forbidden Forest and head towards Hogwarts to talk to Professor McGonagall about Delphi. Fiddling with some twigs, stripped off the leaves. I heard twigs snap as I turned to see Scorpius walked towards me.

"What are you doing?" He asks.

"What does it look like?" I answered. "I'm trying to find my way out of the Forbidden Forest. I'm going to McGonagall and telling her everything."

"What?" He asks. "You can't."

"What say I can?" I asked. "I wanted to do this, but I'm pulling out."

"Because of Delphi," he says. "Because of what she is doing. A double act with Albus. I understand that, but you shouldn't be singled out because of this."

"I know but -" I said.

"Please, Riley," he says. "Come. I know I'm feeling the same way too. Just ignore Delphi's and Albus's double act. I'm ignoring the double act."

I sighed. Scorpius hands me a cloak from Beauxbatons as I walked back with Scorpius as I see Delphi kissing Albus on the cheeks with him blushing. I rolled my eyes at that moment. "She's not coming with us," Albus stated.

"She didn't kiss me - did you notice?" Scorpius says. I purposely nudge him.

"And Albus, you've quickly turned pale and red. Both at the same time," I added. "That's a first."

We continued onto our journey towards the edge of Forbidden Forest. "And there it is," Scorpius announces.

"Hogwarts," Albus adds. "Never seen this view of it before."

"Such a beautiful site," I added.

"Still get a tingle, don't you?" Scorpius asks. "From the moment I first heard of it, I was desperate to go. I mean, Dad didn't like it there but even the way he described it... From the age of ten I'd check the Daily Prophet first thing every morning - certain some sort of tragedy would have befallen it - certain I wouldn't get go."

"And then you got there and it turned out to be terrible after all," Albus says.

"Not for me," Scorpius says. I turned around to see Scorpius. I was shocked by hearing this coming from Scorpius. The boy who gets bullied for being 'Voldemort's Son' and being friends with Albus and I. "All I ever wanted to do was go to Hogwarts and have a mate to get up to mayhem with. Just like Harry Potter. But I got two. One - his son and the other - Cory Matthew's daughter. How crazily fortunate is that."

"But I'm nothing like my dad," Albus says. "Nor is Riley like her dad."

"My dad doesn't like you at all, Albus," I added.

"True, but we're all best friends," he adds. "You are my best friends and you'll always be my best friend."

I hear Ron Weasley call out. "Albus? Albus!"

I looked at both boys scared as I also see fear in Albus's eyes. "But we've got to go - now," he says.

I see Albus take the Time-Turner from Scorpius as Albus presses down upon it activating the Time-Turner. I see the Time-Turner begin to vibrate and then explodes into a storm of movement. The ground begins to move as I stared at the Time-Turner. There's giant whoosh of light and a smashing noise and from that moment time stops. It turns over, thinks for a bit and begins to spooling backwards slowly at first but now quickly.