Hope's POV:
When we reach the castle the three of us quickly change into our robes before heading into the Great Hall to a very angry Hermione. "Where have you two been? Harry, what happened to your face?" She asks.
His nose had started bleeding again after I fixed it so he currently has a rag pressed to it. "Later." Harry tells her. She glances at me and I just shrug. It's up to Harry to be honest with them, but I agree that the Great Hall isn't where he should talk about these things.
"What have I missed?" He asks. "Sorting Hat urged us all the be brave and strong in these troubled times. East for it to say, huh? It's a hat, isn't it?" Ron tells us. Then Dumbledore's voice is echoing through the hall, catching everyone's attention as we all quiet down.
"Very best of evenings to you all. First off, let me introduce the newest member of our staff, Horace Slughorn." A man stands who is sitting next to Snape. "That's who Dumbledore took you to see?" I whisper to Harry. He nods. "Yeah, it is."
"Professor Slughorn, I'm happy to say, has agreed to resume his old post as Potions Master. Meanwhile, the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Professor Snape." Some people clap, but most just mutter 'Snape' in shock.
Dumbledore has refused Snape for the position for years. What made him change his mind? "Now, as you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight. And you have the right to know why." He states.
"Once there was a young man, who, like you, sat in this very hall, walked this castle's corridors, slept under its roof. He seemed to all the world a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle." There are murmurs through the students who aren't familiar with the name. I tense at it.
"Today, of course, he's known all over the world by another name. Which is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I'm reminded of a sobering fact. Every day, every hour, this very minute, perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls."
Well this just got depressing. "But in the end, their greatest weapon is you. Just something to think about. Now, off to bed. Pip-pip." With that the dark energy in the room is replaced by the first years' excitement to see their new Common Rooms and Dormitories.
My friends and I exchange a glance. "That was cheerful." Ron says as we stand to head to Gryffindor Tower. It takes about two hours before everyone else in the Common Room heads to bed, but Harry and I are eventually left alone on our couch.
Hermione and Ron already went to bed. "So, did you get your proof or did you just piss off Malfoy?" I ask him as we lay how we normally do. "You do believe me when I tell you that there's something off about him, right?" He asks. I sigh, sitting up and facing him.
"Harry, no I don't trust Malfoy one bit, but to automatically assume he's a Death Eater without solid proof isn't right. Sure he could still be doing Voldemort's bidding, but that doesn't mean he is. Look, I hate him just as much as you do, but we need to look at this with a clear head."
He frowns at this, but nods hesitantly. "Be careful around him, remember any sketchy encounters, but if we allow ourselves to be paranoid about Malfoy we're not gonna be fully focused on the main issue at hand. Ok?"
He doesn't look like he's wants to at first, but finally he nods. "I do trust you. You know that right?" He asks. I nod. "I know you do, and I trust you. Patience is a virtue Harry, and if we forget this...we're not gonna win."
Once again he nods, pulling back down so that my head once again rests on his shoulder. He kisses the top of my head and strokes my head. "You always know what to do." He mumbles into my hair. I laugh slightly. "Of course I do. It's what I'm good at." He chuckles slightly.
"What would I do without you?" "You'll never have to find out. I'm not going anywhere." "Good." I tilt my head up and press my lips against his sweetly. Out of all the changes happening this year, I'm glad this hasn't changed. I hope it never changes. It's my one constant.
Harry is my constant. My friends are my constants. Voldemort can do a lot to me, but he can't take them. I'd die before I let that happen. "I love you, Hope Mikaelson." I grin up at up. "I love you too, Harry Potter. I always will." "Always." He repeats. This makes me smile even more.
"And forever." He leans down and kisses me once more. I smile into the kiss. We spend our traditional first night back at Hogwarts on the couch, just talking and being with each other.
I'm savoring every moment of this because something in me is telling me that this is about to be the craziest year yet and I can only hope that we all make it through it. These past two years have taught me something.
We're not always going to win, and when we do, not all of us will be there the soak it in. Sometimes a win doesn't feel like one because sometimes the price of victory is too great. I look up at a sleeping Harry as I feel my eyelids grow heavy.
He has this look of peace that I haven't seen in a while. I'll be damned if I have a victory without him by my side. No win is worth it if he's not there with me. As I close my eyes and allow sleep to take me I can only think of one thing.
Voldemort better be scared, not of what I'm going to do to him if he comes for me, but of what I'm gonna do to him when he comes for my family.