Author's Notes: Thanks to Wildflower082 for your wonderful feedback. I'm glad to know you're liking the story so far.
Additionally, thanks go to Peggy (Medieval Mystic: USER ID: 796384) for doing such a wonderful job beta'ing.
Chapter One: Back to School.
The year was 1976 and I was just about to start my sixth year at Hogwarts. After five years I still didn't know if it was a good or bad thing, but as a resident of Hogsmeade village I didn't have to ride the Hogwarts Express to school. Instead, I made my way to Hogsmeade station with my parents and younger sister, Sarah, to wait for my friends to arrive.
Sarah, as always, was bouncing around eagerly. She was always full of energy and today was no exception. Ever since she was five, and I got my acceptance letter saying I could attended Hogwarts, she'd been begging my parents to let her go too. Now, thankfully, she only had one year left to wait. Not that it stopped her from staring covetously as students disembarked from the scarlet steam engine, pulling their trunks behind them.
I spotted my friends – Heather, Stephanie and Michelle – and then I embraced my parents and bid them farewell, knowing it'd only be a matter of weeks before the first Hogsmeade visit when I'd see them again.
"Have a good time," my mother called, waving with one hand as the other held onto Sarah to stop her from running off.
"And don't forget to write if you've forgotten anything," my father added. I knew that was his code for saying, 'write to us and let us know that your first week was okay.'
"I will," I promised him, blowing a kiss over my shoulder before I raced off to meet my friends.
As soon as we're reunited, my friends and I began exchanging news from our holidays, despite the fact that it'd only been a few days since we last wrote to each other.
Chatting happily, we climbed into one of the carriages. As soon as we had all settled into our seats, it began pulling us up the driveway and to the castle. Just like always, the carriage appeared to be moving of it's own accord, and I once again wondered if it was via magic or some other unknown force.
Even though I'd been at Hogwarts for five years, it hadn't lost its magic. There'd be new challenges in the form of a new year of classes, and adventures, as my friends and I explored the castle – finding out more about it. We rounded the last corner in the path and I saw the castle fully illuminated in all its magical glory. I smiled, knowing this place would always be a second home to me.
"I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor will be," commented Michelle, as we made our way towards the castle.
"I don't know, but whoever it is can't be any worse than last year's," I replied, remembering how our previous teacher had almost caused us to fail our O., because he didn't have a clue what he was doing.
"Yeah, but he was cute though," giggled Stephanie, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
In our group, Stephanie was the 'girlie-girl', the one who liked to talk about fashion and boys. Michelle was the athletic one, having been a chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team last year. Heather was the quiet and shy one, and I'd say I was... well... I was the intellectual, and that's saying a lot as we were all from the house that values knowledge, learning and wit. Our friendship created a good balance of personalities though, and we compliment each other perfectly. I suppose that's why we'd been best friends since our first year.
When the carriage arrived at Hogwarts, we climbed out and begin making our way up the drive to the large front doors of the castle, calling out to and chatting with people from other houses whom we hadn't seen all summer.
I spotted Lily Evans - a fellow sixth year - with her Gryffindor friends, and ran over to her to ask if she'd had a good summer.
"Yeah, I did. Thanks, Jennifer," she replied. "How about you?"
"Mine was good, thank you. I mostly helped out mum and dad in their book shop. So, how did you do in your O.? Am I still going to have a friendly face to sit next to in Arithmancy?"
"Of course you are," answered Lily with a beaming smile, her green eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "I got an 'O' in Arithmancy, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies; and 'Es' in History of Magic and Herbology. How about you?"
We were interrupted by a group of four boys brushing past us.
"Hey Evans, look I know Hogsmead isn't for a few weeks but..." James Potter ruffled his hair grinning dashingly at Lily.
Slightly behind him were the other Marauders, including Remus Lupin; a friend of mine since our third year. He rolled his eyes at James and then waved at me. A grin broke over my face as I turned back to hear the end of Lily's rather colorful reply to James' invitation.
"Well done," I congratulated Lily with a warm smile and a giggle, then proceeded to tell her my own results, which included seven 'Outstandings,' one 'Exceeds Expectations' and an 'Acceptable' in Herbology, which I planned on asking Professor Flitwick if I'd be allowed to drop now.
As we reached the front doors, I said good-bye to Lily and Remus, telling them I'd see them when classes started in the morning.
With a silly grin still plastered on my face, I went to rejoin Michelle, Stephanie and Heather, who were just entering the Great Hall.
"Did you see Sirius Black with the other Marauders just then?" Stephanie practically gushed. It was a well-known fact that Stephanie had a huge crush on Sirius ever since our third year. Personally, I thought he was an arrogant idiot, but each to their own.
We walked across the Hall, as Stephanie continued to talk about Sirius, and we sat down at the Ravenclaw table.
I scanned the teachers' table at the top of the room, trying to spot the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and my eyes fell on a woman with long, curly blond hair. She looked nice enough, but I wasn't sure how capable she'd be of teaching us how to defend ourselves against dark creatures and dangerous curses.
The start of term feast was as wonderful as ever, with delicious foods like rich steak pie, creamy mashed potatoes and juicy apple pie.
I watched the sorting ceremony with delight, clapping and cheering as the first year Ravenclaws were announced and they took a seat at our table.
When the meal was over, it was then time for prefect duties so I rose from my seat and looked along the table to my fellow prefects, Phillip Oliver, Jason Medley and Elizabeth Fellows. The others nodded their heads, and - after saying good-bye to my friends - I walked over to join them.
"So, what's the schedule for tonight?" I inquired.
"You and I are escorting the first years to the dormitories," informed Elizabeth, who was in the year above me along with Phillip. "And Jason and Phillip are patrolling the corridors."
"Alright, let's get started then," I returned with a smile, as Elizabeth and I turned to the first years who were now all clambering to leave the great hall.
"First year Ravenclaws, please follow me," Elizabeth shouted.
Rounding up the last few stragglers, I followed behind Elizabeth; who was leading the way to Ravenclaw Tower, which was located on the west side of the castle.
As we arrived at the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room, which was a door at the top of a tightly winding spiral staircase that led up from the fifth floor, Elizabeth was explaining to the first years that the door had neither handle nor keyhole, but a talking bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. Rather than asking for a conventional password, the knocker would ask a question; if answered correctly, the knocker would compliment the person on the answer and the door would swing open.
I took a step forward, and the knocker questioned, "Who is the Wizard Chess Champion that died in 1588?"
"Ah, that's an easy one," I returned with a grin. "Montague Knightley. I know that, because he's actually an ancestor of mine."
The first years looked at me in awe, as Elizabeth whispered, "Show off."
I merely shrugged my shoulders, and then – not wanting the first years to hear - whispered to Elizabeth, "The door knocker asked me the same question last year too, because it knew I'd been made prefect."
Elizabeth laughed, and we showed the first years into the common room.
Ravenclaw's common room was decorated in the House colors - blue and bronze silk wall hangings draped around the circular room, with a midnight-blue carpet decorated with stars. The room was wide, circular, and very airy, with a domed ceiling painted with stars and walls with graceful arched windows that provide a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. There were bookcases crammed full of ancient tomes, tables and chairs for studying, and opposite the entrance was another door leading to the dormitories.
Beside this door was a plinth on which stood a life-size statue in white marble of Rowena Ravenclaw wearing her lost diadem. It was a well know fact that Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem - or tiara - bestowed wisdom on the wearer, but had been missing for centuries.
Once Elizabeth and I had shown the first years to their dormitories, I returned to the common room, and found Heather, Stephanie and Michelle waiting for me besides the fire.
"The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor looks nice," commented Heather, as I took the last available arm chair.
"I suppose so," I returned with a shrug. "I think I'll wait until we've had a lesson with her first, before I make my judgment though."
"I wonder when they'll be holding Quidditch try-outs," Michelle mused aloud. "I hope I make the team again this year."
"You should have no problem, you're a great player," I assured my friend with a warm smile.
"Especially now that Philip Oliver is captain, you should make the team for sure," added Stephanie.
"Yeah, the two of you get along pretty well," I continued. "During a night of Prefect duty once, he told me how talented you are on the Quidditch pitch."
"But we had that big fight last year," reminded Michelle, referring to when she'd screamed at the Quidditch captain, because he had scheduled a practice while we had been studying for our O. and nearly going insane from the stress of it.
"I'm sure he understood, and it's all been forgotten about now," reassured Heather.
"I hope so."
We continued chatting for a little while longer, until we all decided it might be a good idea to get an early night before classes began the following morning. Together, Michelle, Stephanie, Heather and I made our way to the sixth year dormitories.
After getting changed into my bed clothes, and laying out clean robes for the following morning, I settled down into bed, pulling the hangings closed around me, and started re-reading my copy of A History of Magic.
However, I still couldn't sleep yet. I didn't know if it was the excitement of being back at school or something else, but my mind just kept replying images of the day.
As I drifted between waking and unconsciousness, I could see Remus' grinning face from earlier on in the evening. I felt a small bubble of excitement forming in my stomach as I thought about seeing him in Arithmancy and finding out what he'd done over the summer.