Chapter 4
I woke early, excited to see Al and his family again. My parents and I first went to Ella's house, and then Ella's parents Apparated us to Diagon Alley. Almost right away, I saw the bright red hair of those in the Weasley family. We both rushed over, leaving our parents behind us to walk annoyingly slow.
"Hello, girls," Ginny said warmly. "How was your summer?"
"Really boring after we left your house," Ella answered.
Ginny and Harry laughed. "It was great to have you two, really," Harry said grinning.
"Hey," Al greeted us.
Guess what? Mum's letting me get new books and new robes!" Rose squealed excitedly. "You simply must help me pick them out. It'll be so fun!"
I smiled at her joy, and the three of us left to help Rose choose her new attire. When we returned to the group, who we found piling schoolbooks into their arms, Al was telling his father something. He looked quite shocked as he said, "I think I'm friends with Scorpios Malfoy."
I choked on the chocolate frog I had just been eating. "You're what?"
Harry was looking slightly amused and a little surprised, too. "Go ahead, tell them, Al."
Al turned to us. "I was walking to the loo when Scorpios came up to me and said, 'Hello, I'm Scorpios Malfoy.' And then he shook my hand and said, 'I just wanted to say that even though our fathers had differences in their school days, I thought maybe we could put that behind us. What do you say?' All I could do was stand there and nod. Then he sort of… did this jerky head bow thing… and left."
"Well, ok, then," Ella said, looking as if she didn't know what the big deal was.
"What do you think, dad?" Al asked Harry.
Harry pulled Al aside to talk privately. Rose drew attention away from them by saying, "You know, I beat that Scorpios boy in all our tests. My dad told me to, at the train station last year. He says I've got mum's mind."
"You are really clever," Ella agreed. Rose smiled broadly at Ella's compliment.
We finished our shopping and went to our separate homes, delighted to be going back to Hogwarts in a few days. I worried about Al; he still seemed shaken. When I asked if he was alright, he just nodded.
The days dragged on, and eventually it was the first of September, and the beginning of our second year. Ella and I hugged Lily, who pouted at yet again being left behind. We happily boarded the train and waved enthusiastically until the Hogwarts Express turned and we couldn't see our families any longer.
Al leaned back, hands behind his head. He grinned at us. "Second year!"
"I know!" I exclaimed.
"I wonder what we'll learn this year," Rose said.
We put on our robes and soon exited the train. Last year we'd taken a boat to the school, but this year we rode in carriages drawn by thestrals, which we couldn't see. I was relieved that I already knew what House I was in. We watched the first years being sorted. Ella's sister was put into Slytherin.
"I knew it!" Ella exclaimed. "Now she can't annoy us!"
The next few weeks passed in a blur of new learning and excitement that soon dulled. The monotony of the everyday routine was getting to all of us.
"I'm so sick of homework!" Ella growled, frustrated to be doing homework on a Saturday. "Look at all the essays we've got to do!"
"The professors assign essays all the time. It's like they can't think of anything else to do for homework," I said, also annoyed at the homework load.
"Oh, it's not that bad," Rose said cheerily.
Al glared at her. "Then you write them for us," he told her.
"Don't be silly, you have to do your own work. How else will you learn?" Rose replied, not looking up from her parchment.
"Dad always copied your mum's stuff, and look at him! He learned plenty!" Al shot back at her.
"Well, we're not running around fighting Voldemort, are we?" Rose retorted, her turn to glare. "That's how they all really learned. All we've got is the teachers. We'll have to live with it." She turned back to her work.
Al said nothing, knowing she was right.
The highlight of Christmas that year was a huge Holiday Party at Al's house. There was gift-giving, food, music, lots of people, and far too much sugar. We were all terribly hyper. We ran around yelling and at one point, Al and I were under the mistletoe in a doorway. I kissed his nose, laughed, and ran away. Over my shoulder I saw him turn a shade of red to rival his mother's hair.
Please review! All Harry Potter characters belong to JK Rowling. All other characters (aka Ella, Mae, and such) are mine.
