The Tales of Black II (Original)

Chapter One: Back to Hogwarts

Dear Miss Black,

Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King’s Cross station, platform nine and three quarters, at eleven o’clock.

Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission for to your parent or guardian to sign.

A list of books for next year is enclosed.

Yours sincerely,

Professor M. McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

I turned off my CD player and got to my feet, my Hogwarts letter clutched in my hand. I made my way back up the dirt road to the house and walked in, not bothering to try to be quiet. I slipped out of my boots before I entered my aunt and uncle’s room.

They were still in bed, sleeping.

I crossed the room to Uncle Ted and woke him up the way I usually did – I sat on him.

“Mmm, what do you need?” he mumbled, shifting under me.

“My Hogwarts letter just arrived,” I said, getting off of him and sitting on the bed. I handed him the envelope.

“Huh, you’re a third year already?” he asked. “Don’t you think you’re a bit short to be thirteen?”

Aunt Dromeda rolled over and slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

“Stop teasing her!” she said with a smile.

“We can go to Diagon Alley,” said Ted, looking around the room. “Do you have a pen?”

I reached into my pocket and pulled one out.

“I think it still works,” I said as I handed it to him.

“Yeah, it works,” he said, scribbling his signature on the permission slip. “Do you want to go to Diagon Alley by yourself or do you want one of us to go with you?”

“I can go on my own,” I said, tucking the permission form into my back pocket. “I’ll get something to eat and I’ll be off.”

“You have the key to your vault, right?” Ted asked.

I nodded, getting to my feet. I went into my room, on the way grabbing my boots. I changed from shorts to jeans and put my boots back on, then pulled on my Weasley jumper, and then finally put on my Hogwarts robes over it.

I shuffled quietly past my aunt and uncle’s room and caught my name being whispered.

“— Ted, I’m worried about Lucy,” Andromeda was saying. “She’s been so quiet and solemn all summer and it’s so unlike her. She’s always running out having fun, but this summer… I’m just worried.”

“Don’t worry too much about it, Dromeda,” Ted said quietly. “I’m sure she’s just lonely. Last summer she’d gone to the Weasley’s and she doesn’t have Nymphadora anymore. She’ll be going back to school in September and she won’t be so sad.”

I moved away from the door and stepped into the kitchen. I grabbed an apple and ate it quickly, wanting to leave soon.

“I’m going!” I shouted as I walked into the living room. Grabbing a handful of Floo Powder, I stepped into the fireplace. “Diagon Alley!”

I was spinning, spinning, spinning, spinning, and then I stumbled headfirst into Florish and Blotts.

Walking down the cobblestone street, other witches and wizards gave me funny looks. Probably because of the boots. Gringotts was the first place I went.