"Like, move out of my way! Stupid First Years!"
"That's our cabin. So I suggest getting out."
The small First Years that had settled themselves in looked at each other in panic, then filed out, flinching as they saw Crabbe and Goyle.
Lydia made her way to her usual spot and threw her small bag on the ground, fixing her hair and opening the small table that was folded into the train wall. Crabbe slid the cabin door shut as soon as we were all inside, then emptied out his pockets onto the table, creating a large pile of sweets and candies. Sitting down besides Draco, I yawned and began to close my eyes, planning to take a short nap on the way back to Hogwarts.
"Vanice, don't fall asleep." Draco said, shaking my shoulder.
I groaned angrily, still mad at him for shoving me off his lap at my Manor.
"Listen, I want to tell you all what I had said was important." He said, continuing to shake me.
"Oh right...I like totally forgot about that." Lydia giggled.
"What is it." I mumbled, leaning on the arm that was shaking me.
"I'm our new Seeker."
I sat up, looking at him with disbelief.
"You're joking." Said Lydia.
"I am not." Draco scoffed, clearly liking the attention. "Father bought the whole team new brooms in order to... push their decision for their new Seeker."
The train chugged forward and we closed the blinds, wanting to hear what Draco had to say without any distractions.
"...and then Marcus Flint sent an owl, letting us know I had gotten the spot."
"Well, congratulations." I said, rolling eyes, still somewhat holding my grudge.
Draco glanced at me, and his grin flickered before diminishing into a small smile.
"Uh, thanks."
Changing the subject, Goyle opened a bag of Licorice Wands and spoke up.
"They aren't on the train."
"They who?"
"Potter and Weasley. Granger is all alone, but they aren't even on board."
I closed my eyes, ready to take a nap and leaned on Draco's chest, not wanting to hear a rant about Potter.
.
...
.
Hours later, I felt soft movement and shuffling, and I groaned, wanting to stay asleep longer. I had forgotten I was on the Hogwarts Express and was having a pleasant dream of sweets and Quidditch.
"Uh, Vanice...? Vanice wake up. We're here."
It sounded like Draco, and he was holding onto my arm.
"Here where...?" I mumbled, shuffling and staying put.
"Hogwarts."
I struggled slightly to open my eyes, still very drowsy. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and scratched my head, moving my hair around.
"Vanice, no! You're messing up your hair!" Lydia's voice exclaimed.
I felt hands begin to run themselves down my hair, and I knew it was Lydia attempting to fix it.
"Alright, alright." I yawned, finally widening my eyes and standing up.
Everything was packed up, from the sweets to our small bags, and we seemed to be the last few people still on the train. There was only a number of fourth and fifth years lagging behind, and through the window you could see the group of students heading to the boats.
"Why didn't you guys wake me up earlier?" I asked, getting off the train and picking up my pace to reach the rest of the students.
"Well you were totally knocked out!" Lydia said, grabbing an empty boat.
We rushed into the Great Hall, and the sight yet again astounded us. Innumerable candles were hovering in midair over the four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling sparkled with stars.
Trying to make our way to our seats without seeming late, we saw that the Sorting Ceremony was about to begin, and the first girl called up was the stupid red haired Weasley.
"Gryffindor!" The hat called, and we smirked happily.
A very tiny, mousy-haired boy had been called forward to place the hat on his head.
"Snape's missing." Draco said suddenly, and we looked at the Staff Table, seeing an empty spot.
Gilderoy Lockhart was several seats down, dressed in robes of aquamarine. McGongall was there, as was Flitwick, Professor Sprout and even Archidia.
I waved at her and she smiled, raising her goblet towards me in a Welcome Back.
The feast continued after the Sorting was finished and we stuffed ourselves full with turkey, chicken, ribs, bread, carrots and peas; mashed potatoes, pies, rice, beans, hot dogs and burgers.
"The food is always so good." Crabbe said, reaching over to grab another chicken leg.
"So is the dessert." I giggled, sipping from my goblet.
As Dumbledore gave his final words before bed, I saw Archidia stand up to leave early, going out the back door of the Great Hall.
Out of the corner of my eye I also saw Felix Rower begin to walk up to me, smiling and running a hand through his seemingly perfect hair.
"Vanice, how are you?" He asked, giving me his hand to help me stand.
Everyone was beginning to leave to their Common Room's and Dormitories, and Lydia was giving me a glare, more so directed towards Felix since he was not really liked in my... circle of friends.
"Fine, thank you Felix." I said, giving him a weak smile.
"That's great." He said, then pointed to the end of the table. "Archidia is looking for you and Lydia. She sent me to tell you."
"For real?" Lydia asked skeptical.
"Honest." Felix said, and Archidia gave us an impatient look.
"Alright, thanks Felix." I said, walking over to her.
"No problem." Called Felix as I kept walking. "Maybe we should talk more!"
"As if." Lydia huffed, then ran to give Archidia a hug.
"Hello Lydia." Archidia laughed.
"Hello." I smiled, giving her a hug as well.
"As a welcome back, I have a lovely surprise for you two." She said, hugging us back then leading us to the dungeons.
"What is it?" Lydia asked, twirling her hair in her finger, which had gotten longer and lighter, yet it felt just as silky, despite the sudden waves that had appeared.
We had all changed slightly over the summer. Lydia and I hadn't grown much, but my hair got slightly longer, if even possible, darker, and we both had begun to grow the slightest of curves near our chests and waists. Draco and the boys had only gotten taller, from what we could tell.
"You'll see...now stay silent." She ordered, opening a small closet door. "Stay in there and listen."
Raising an eyebrow, we both stepped inside and saw it was dark and cramped, filled with jars of Potions ingredients. There was another door that was in front of us, and Archida closed the one behind us. Under the door was a small opening on the bottom that allowed light to creep in, and I immediately recognized we were in a supply closet in Snape's office. It was cold as usual and a sudden slam of a door made us jump. Judging by the footsteps, there was three people, and by the sudden voice that began to speak, it was Snape, talking to the usual two dunderheads.
"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?"
Lydia elbowed me and I covered my mouth to hide my scoff. Archidia was giving us the gift of hearing Potter and Weasley get yelled at. This was too good to be true.
"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it -"
"Silence!" said Snape coldly. "What have you done with the car?"
"Car?" Lydia and I whispered confused.
A moment later, we understood, as it sounded like someone had unrolled a parchment of paper.
"You were seen," Snape hissed, "FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES."
He began to read aloud:
"Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower... at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing... Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police... Six or seven Muggles in all."
Lydia held the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, and I agreed.
How could they be so stupid and be seen?
"I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" Professor Snape said. "Dear, dear... his own son... "
Lydia and I exchanged smirks.
"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on.
"That tree did more damage to us than we -" Weasley blurted out.
"Silence!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."
I felt Lydia's fingers wrap themselves around mine, and she had her fingers crossed. I held back a laugh and imagined how pale-faced they must look at the moment.
Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and we were sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him back.
"Sit," Her voice said, "Explain."
Weasley launched into their story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.
We rolled our eyes.
"-so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."
"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to them.
For once I agreed with her.
"I - I didn't think -"
"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."
There was a knock on the office door and when it was opened, the room feel silent.
After a while, a voice that Lydia and I recognized said, "Please explain why you did this."
It was Dumbledore, and we nearly jumped with joy. He sounded so disappointed in his favorite student.
"We'll go and get our stuff," said Weasley in a hopeless sort of voice.
We leaned in closer to the door in hope.
"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall.
"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Weasley.
"Not today, Mr. Weasley," said McGonagall.
Lydia pinched my arm in anger and I nearly yelped, then whacked her in annoyance.
"But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."
Snape cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree - surely acts of this nature -"
"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility."
"Come, Severus, there is a delicious-looking custard tart that I want to sample-"
And with that, Snape reluctantly swept from his office with Dumbledore, and from the sound of it, it seemed it was just them two and Professor McGonagall.
"You will both get a detention." She said coldly.
Glancing around, I saw a small hole in the wall besides the door, and grinned, looking through it.
Professor McGonagall raised her wand and pointed it at Snape's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets, and a jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.
"You will eat in here and then go straight up to your dormitory," she said. "I have to leave now as well."
When the door had closed behind her, Weasley let out a long, low whistle.
"I thought we'd had it," he said, grabbing a sandwich.
"So did I," said Potter, taking one, too.
"Can you believe our luck, though?" said Weasley thickly through a mouthful of chicken and ham. "Fred and George must've flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw them."
"Too lucky." Lydia hissed under her breath.
When they had eaten as many sandwiches as they could (the plate kept refilling itself) they rose and left the office.
As soon as they were minutes away, I unlocked the door and walked into the office, looking around and sighing.
The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of curious things. I went over and picked up a sandwich, biting into it.
"She didn't even take points!" Lydia exclaimed, taking a sandwich as well.
"Just a detention, not even a weeks worth." I muttered, taking a seat.
There was a knock at the office door and Lydia and I jumped, then Archidia walked in, smiling.
"Well?" She asked, then raised an eyebrow at the platter of food.
"They like flew in on a car!" Lydia told her angrily.
"Oh, but they were so scared when Snape caught them." I laughed.
"I'm glad you two enjoyed the show." Archida said, then placed her hands on our shoulders. "You should be heading back to the Common Room. The password is Retortia."
The castle was quiet. I held the plate of sandwiches up and Lydia carried a bag of sweets, making our way to the dungeons. We walked past muttering portraits and creaking suits of armor, and when we reached the dark brick wall that led to our Common Room, Mrs. Norris began meowing from around the corner.
"Retortia!" I hissed, not wanting to get caught.
We quickly scurried inside, hearing her meows get louder and closer. Seeing the Common Room basically empty, we began heading to our rooms when Lydia pulled my sleeve and nodded to the boys dormitories.
"Let's go tell Draco. I'm totally sure they're still up." She suggested. "And would like, love to hear this."
I shrugged, agreeing with her idea and let Lydia lead the way to their bedroom, trying to make as little noise as possible.
"Crabbe! Goyle!" I hissed as we reached the door. "Draco! Open up!"
There was a sudden shuffle from the other side of the door and it slowly creaked open, with Crabbe looking at us with a confused expression.
"What are you guys doing?" He asked.
"We have food and something to tell you all." I said, raising up the plate of sandwiches.
"Let them in, Crabbe." Draco's voice said.
Nodding, he opened the door and let us through, stealing a sandwich as I passed by. Crabbe closed the door behind us and I noticed that the boys dormitories seemed fairly the same as the girls. Draco's bed was on the far right, then there was an empty one, and after that was Crabbe's and Goyle's. I placed the platter on the trunk in front of Goyle's bed an saw Draco laying down on his, tossing a ball around.
"You all seem to be having a blast." I giggled, going over and pulling Draco upright.
"Like, guess who Archidia let us eavesdrop on?" Lydia asked, sitting down on the unoccupied bed and emptying the sack of sweets.
"Who?" Asked Draco.
"Potter and Weasley."
Lydia and I began to excitedly tell them what had happened, starting with Felix telling us to meet Archidia, until the end where she gave us the bag of free sweets and platter of extra food to bring down to the Common Room.
"I would pay good money to see them get yelled at like that again." Draco smirked, completely satisfied with the story.
I giggled and examined at the pile of candy near Lydia. There was several chocolates, Bertie Botts Bean's and Droobles. As I was about to pick up a Chocoball, I saw a new blue box of candies that I had not seen before. I picked up up and read its name aloud, "Gummy-Sounds."
"Gummy what?" Lydia asked, dropping her Cotton Quill.
"I have no idea," I said, turning the box around and reading the label. "Eat a gummy and release a jungle of sounds. Colors and noises vary."
"Lemme see." said Goyle, taking a blue one.
We stared at him intently as he chewed it, and abruptly began to bellow like a whale. Lydia laughed and Goyle shut his mouth, smiling. He opened it again, and no whale sound came out.
"It's a one time thing I suppose." Draco said, the popped a green one into his mouth.
As soon as he had swallowed it, he began to meow, in a much more likable tone than Mrs. Norris.
"That's adorable!" I giggled.
Smiling, Lydia handed me a purple one, and I in return gave her a yellow one.
My mouth began to feel numb as soon as I had swallowed, and as I opened my mouth, I flinched. The sound I had let out was a giant crack of thunder. Draco began to laugh and Lydia let out a loud crow of a rooster.
"That is so cool!" I chuckled.
"My turn." Crabbe said.
He began to chew on a green one, closing an eye in thought.
"Open up." Goyle told him, and Crabbe let out the sound of a siren, making Lydia and I begin to laugh again.
This was definitely a great way to start off the year.
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
They're back in school!
Thank you so much for all the favorites and follows, and thank you so much for the kind reviews! I love them and I always try to respond by thank you in PM if you do review! There was one particular reviewer that I could not PM and that was Electrik Emeralds. I loved your long and detailed review, LOVED IT. Thank you!
•Q.O.C...
-What would you have done if the gate closed on you to Platform 9 3/4?
Thanks for reading, please review, favorite and follow, check out the first book to this sequel and Never Tickle A Sleeping Dragon!