Serena Black || 𝑪𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒐

Epilogue

• Serena Black •

"When you have expectations, you are setting yourself up for disappointment."

For a long time that evening, Serena thought about the wise words of her headmaster that had caught in her mind like a never-ending echo. "Since you must decide what is right and what is easy"

Those words had made her think. Yes, it would be easy to never exchange another word with Edmund Hall and just go home without seeing his stupid face for weeks. This thought gave her a little satisfaction, because it meant finally escaping the emotional rollercoaster that the Slytherin had been causing in her for some time.

But it wouldn't be right. It wouldn't be right to leave without at least hearing his side. How did he feel about his family's shady deeds? After all, her own father was proof that it was possible to take a different path than the one that was foreseen for you. Maybe she owed Hall that chance. The chance to defend himself against all these prejudices that had been lying on homes and families for decades, and to break free from them.

After breakfast on the day of departure, the home students, as well as the foreign students, gathered in the entrance hall, waiting to make their way home. Serena leaned against the stone wall next to her friends, lost in thought. Harry, as usual, pulled a depressed face when it came to leaving Hogwarts and she couldn't blame him. After all, she had met his rude uncle in person.

"Harry!" a bright voice with a heavy French accent then suddenly called out, clearly belonging to Fleur Delacour. The Frenchwoman came rushing over with her blonde hair flowing and held out her delicate hand to the boy wearing glasses. "I hope we will meet again."

Pining, Ron turned to the blonde as well, which Hermione commented on with a threatening look from her brown eyes. Shortly afterwards, however, she was herself taken in by a certain Bulgarian Quidditch player. "Can I have a word with you?" asked Viktor Krum politely, leading the Gryffindor a few steps away from her friends.

Shaking her head and with a smirk on her lips, Serena turned away. The warm summer air from outside blew around her legs and only increased her anticipation of the holidays. She was quite sure that the distance from events would do her good. Unobtrusively, Serena began to keep an eye out for the blond Slytherin, with whom she still had an unspoken score to settle. The conversation Hall wanted to have with her after the tournament was still pending.

"Sirena!" She could then hear a deep voice call out instead, which made her turn around perplexed. Serena wondered why Maxon Devillier had called out to her, of all people; after all, she hadn't exchanged a word with the handsome Beauxbaton student since the Yule Ball. Even before that, the two had not necessarily had much to do with each other.