Word Count: 1,816
Warnings: None.
Every time I returned to Hogwarts, there was a different feeling in the air. In my first year, I was more excited for it than I had been for anything in my life. As a kid, I was sheltered by Moony. The man was so afraid that I would get hurt, he simply just kept quiet about things such as this.
In my second year, I was quite hopeful entering the halls of the castle again. Having met Harry Potter, I knew that danger was going to follow me around for longer than I would like. I hoped Second Year would be quiet. How I was mistaken.
In Third Year, I was utterly terrified arriving at Hogwarts, the news of my father's escape fresh on my mind and the next year uncertain. In everything that happened, Third Year was probably the easiest I've had so far.
Walking through the train station, I was unsure how to feel and the closer we got to the entrance to Platform 9 ¾, the more my stomach began to turn.
"Now, we mustn't stay long at the station as there are other matters to attend to." Lucius spoke. "I am afraid that you will have to board the train without us."
Narcissa was silent beside her husband, her gaze seemingly focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Draco nodded at his father's statement.
"That is alright father. We wouldn't want to hold you up," he answered as we arrived at the wall between Platforms 9 and 10. The disappointing tone was clear in his voice.
"Now," Narcissa spoke up, taking her son into her arms. "You be safe and get into no trouble. I'll see you at Christmas."
"There is no need for him to come home." Lucius cut in.
"He is coming home for Christmas," Cissy spoke rather sternly and I couldn't help the smile that rose on my face.
"Now, Lyra." Narcissa opened her arms wide for me and I embraced my aunt tightly. "Don't get into too much trouble," she whispered.
"No promises," I returned. When she pulled away, I watched Lucius grab her arm and pull her to his side.
"Alright. Goodbye, Draco." Lucius readied to leave.
"Father."
"Black." He spoke sterner.
I saluted the man. "Later Lucius." Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy left the train station.
"Come on Lyra. Let's get on the train." Draco spoke up, taking my hand in his and without another word we ran at the wall, entering the Platform.
ᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜ
"If it isn't Ms. Lyra Black." Pansy's voice rang out as we entered the compartment. I smiled.
"Your voice is music to my ears Ms. Parkinson." I replied, watching her rise from her seat.
"Well, of course it is." She hugged me tightly. "I am an angel."
There was a sudden laugh at Pansy's words and I turned to my right to find Blaise Zabini rising from his position, an amused expression on his face.
"You, an angel? What alternate universe have I been transported to?" he asked.
I laughed lightly, watching Pansy sink back onto her seat as I hugged Blaise. He squeezed tightly, rocking us back and forth. "Merlin, I missed you Black!"
"Ditto Zabini." I pulled away, turning to find Theo sat in my usual spot, his face stern.
"What's the face for Nott?" I asked.
He sighed, shaking his head. "Front and centre of an attack on the Quidditch World Cup," he informed me.
"I wouldn't say front and centre."
"Snuck off during the match and proceeded to knock yourself out and somehow nearly got killed by a group of wizards."
"Where did you hear all that?"
"I have been in contact with a source close to the matter." Theo replied and I turned to Draco, giving him a pointed look.
Draco gave me an innocent look, holding his hands up in surrender. "I told him you wouldn't believe the lie."
"The poorly constructed one?" I asked, turning back to the dark-haired Slytherin. "No, I don't."
"You could have been killed."
"Oh, because its so different to any other day." I dropped onto the seat beside him, resting my head against the back of the chair.
"I don't like it when you put yourself in danger." Theo's tone was worrying. I looked at him with a soft expression.
"I'll try not to next time."
Nott sighed. "I'll take it. Come here." I fell into his side, resting my head against his shoulder.
Draco sat himself beside Blaise, who placed his arm around the blonde's shoulder, giving him a side hug. Draco smiled softly, taking the gesture.
"Any stories of your uncle for us Lyra?" Pansy asked, her head leaned against the window and feet resting against Draco's side.
"No actually," I told her. "I spent the summer with the Malfoys."
"Oh?" Pansy asked. "Any spats with this fucker's father you want to tell us about?"
Draco rolled his eyes, pushing her legs from his side as he laughed lightly.
"Oh, I have plenty. For starters –"
"Is Riddle ignoring me and Lyra, or is it the rest of you as well?" Draco cut me off. I tensed.
"It's all of us. I haven't heard a word from him all summer." Blaise told us and I moved off Theo's shoulder, leaning the side of my head against the cold window.
"He must have been busy." Pansy tried.
There was a sudden jolt as the train began to move, the image of excited and nervous parents leaving the window as we moved through the tunnel.
"I'm sure he was." I spoke in response.
ᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜ
The Great Hall was the same as it always had been. Decorated with its signature floating candles and piles of food on each table. We were quick to take our seats at the Slytherin table.
It was only moments before we were greeted by someone new sitting down on the bench beside me. I turned to find Mattheo already looking at me.
"Welcome to the land of the living Riddle." Draco greeted him, but the boy simply continued to stare at me.
"We thought you'd died out. Not taking to any of us over the summer." I told him. His eyes saddened, breaking contact with mine.
"There was a lot going on," he answered me, taking food from the piles in front of him.
"So, any stories for us then?" Blaise asked quite playfully.
"Nothing fun." Mattheo's tone was quite stern, my head turning to him.
"Was the match any good Lyra?" Blaise asked suddenly, changing the subject. Mattheo's gaze was fixed on the entrance to the Great Hall, as though he was expecting somebody to walk through it.
"I wouldn't know. I was a little busy following a stranger." Riddle's focus turned back to us.
"What?" he asked.
"At the Quidditch World Cup." Pansy confirmed.
"You were there?" Mattheo asked and I nodded.
"Yeah. I went with Draco and his father."
"And you followed a stranger."
"He actually turned out to be the guy that cast the Dark Mark." Theo spoke up, giving me another pointed look.
"I didn't know that at the time."
Mattheo's face turned worried for a moment before his gaze returned to door. I noticed the heavy rings around his eyes as Pansy began to speak.
"Well, I spent the entire summer thinking about a girl."
My attention turned back to the group. "Oh?"
"Yeah. I kissed her at that Gryffindor party and I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since." Her expression was almost longing.
"Who was it?" Blaise asked.
Parkinson sighed. "I never caught her name."
I laughed lightly. "Note to self Pans. Always get their name."
"What?" she straightened, picking at the food on her plate. "I know she's in sixth year."
"Well, that's more than most Parkinson." Theo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
It wasn't long before our feast was interrupted by Dumbledore getting to his feet and making his way to the centre of the platform at the top of the room.
"So!" he spoke, smiling around at us all. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices."
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of object forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched.
"What's the bets more than half of them are because of the Weasley twins?" I asked Mattheo. He turned to look at me once before facing back to the Headmaster. "Alright, mood-killer," I commented on his attitude.
Dumbledore continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below Third Year."
"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the inter-house Quidditch Cup will mot take place this year."
Gasps filled the halls as I turned to look at Draco who was looking at the man with an appalled expression.
"Why would he do that?" Pansy leaned across the table.
"There must be something bigger going on." I shrugged my shoulder.
"But what?"
Dumbledore continued, "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts –"
But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder, and the door of the Great Hall banged open.
A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black travelling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall turned towards the stranger. He lowered his hood, shook out a long main of grizzled, dark grey hair and then begun to walk up towards the teachers' table.
"Who the fuck is that?" Draco asked. My eyes were glued on the new entry to the room.
His face looked a bit like a mangled mess, scars littering his face. Funnily, it wasn't the dents in his face that caught my attention about him, but it was his eyes that had me watching his figure. One was a normal black, beady eye, but the other looked to be the size of a coin and was a vivid blue. Surrounding the eye was a golden trim and I noted that it looked almost like the end of a spyglass.
"I think I know." I spoke up, everyone but Mattheo's attention turning on me.
"Who?" Blaise asked.
I watched as his cane hit hard against the floor of the hall, surely denting the tiles. Upon looking closer, I noticed that one of his legs was missing and was instead replaced with a wooden peg.
"Alastor Moody." I breathed.