𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 (𝖽𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖿𝗈𝗒 𝗑 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋)

chapter seventeen

A week passed. Harry never apologised, but he didn't blow up at us again, which was okay. The trial for Harry's expulsion came quickly.

While he was at the Ministry of Magic dealing with that, Hermione, Ron, and I were surprised with our Hogwarts letters coming in. I started opening mine, when Hermione stopped me.

"We should wait for Harry, then open them all together."

I agreed, and almost as if he was waiting for us to say his name, the front door opened to allow Harry to enter the building.

"Harry! How did it go?" Hermione squealed, rushing up to him.

"Quite well, actually, I was cleared of all charges," he answered.

"That's amazing! Glad you'll be at Hogwarts, mate!" Ron exclaimed.

"That reminds me," Hermione said, "our Hogwarts letters came! We were waiting for you to come back to open them."

Ron handed him his letter, and we each ripped open ours. A green and silver pendant dropped from my envelope, confusing me for a moment before I read my letter. "'We are glad to announce that you, Y/n Potter, have been chosen to be a Slytherin prefect'," I read aloud.

"Y/n! I got the same thing!" Hermione said happily. Ron held up his pendant.

"You all became prefects, but not me?" Harry scoffed. "Maybe Dumbledore really doesn't like me."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione started, "you know that's not true."

My brother tried to respond, but was cut off by Mrs Weasley entering the room and hugging Ron tightly. "Another Prefect! That makes everyone so far!"

"What are George and I, next-door neighbours?" Fred Weasley said, standing in the doorway. We laughed with him, but I turned to Harry, concerned. He seemed lost in thought, but aggravated. Why? Being a Prefect wasn't that big of a deal.

"Oh, Y/n, who's the other Slytherin Prefect?" Hermione asked, looking over my letter to find the answer herself.

I read with her, curious. "Draco."

Her expression was one of pity, but I didn't share that feeling.

"Hey, Draco isn't that bad," I defended. "He's really nice once you get to know him."

"Tell that to Harry," she answered. "Anyway, I'm going into the kitchen to help Fred and Mrs Weasley prepare dinner."

~~~

I was walking down a long corridor, the walls black and grey. The hallway was dim, lit by only one torch at the entrance, which I could barely see at this point. I continued walking down the never-ending hallway, looking around to find something, anything that could help me escape. A dark door stood at the end of the hallway, seemingly miles away. Would I ever reach it? Could I ever reach it?

I hissed in pain as I awoke, my scar burning against my neck.

"Get up, Y/n, Mum's going to go ballistic! She's saying we'll miss the train!" Ginny, Ron's younger sister, said, plopping my suitcase onto my bed and opening it so I could grab my clothes.

"I'm coming," I mumbled, dressing quickly and stumbling to get my shoes on.

I headed out of the room and followed Hermione down the stairs, suitcase in hand. My cat followed me down the stairs, pawing at Hermione's cat the whole time.

"Harry and Y/n, you're coming with me and Tonks," Mrs Weasley said quickly. "Leave your trunks and pets, Alastor's going to deal with the luggage. Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!"