SIXTH YEAR
The morning of September the first dawned bright and early, the distant sounds of bells chiming from the local church rousing Elara from her unsettled sleep.
She took a moment to smile into her pillow, allowing her competing feelings of dread, anticipation and excitement to fill her up until she jumped from her rickety bed, unable to contain herself. She pulled on her clothes—baggy jeans and a white crop-top —before joining her parents downstairs.
ELARA
Somehow, I had survived that night.
That dreadful, horrifying night.
I don't remember much of it, but there was one thing I was sure of, and it was that Harry Potter, my ex boyfriend, didn't give two flying shits about me.
Apparently when he and Cho got back to Hogwarts, my brother gave him a piece of his mind (in the form of a good punch to the face) and my other friends as well.
They all thought I died.
I thought I died at some point.
But I didn't.
I'm not sure who the man who saved me was, but I owed him my life.
When Harry saw me again after the accident, he cried of happiness, saying that he missed me, and was glad I was alright— of course, he apologized for leaving me for Cho, saying that he didn't know what he was doing in the spur of the moment.
I flipped him off.
I was angry. Upset. But also thankful, because at least now I know that he didn't deserve me.
"Why do I have to settle for a guy that doesn't love me as much as I love him?"
I remember telling him. He looked heartbroken to the point where I almost felt bad. But that was to be expected. I used to love him.
key word, used.
Harry wasn't all bad as a boyfriend. He was the savior, the boy who lived, he teen everyone loved. He was the good guy, and I wanted to be good too.
If Harry didn't like a Slytherin, I had to stop talking to them, even if they were my friends. If he told me he needed me, I'd leave all my work and assignments to go and help him.
If he included me in a risky plan, I would go all in without thinking twice about my safety. Even during the triwizard tournament, when I and other students were kidnapped and held in the black lake, Harry saved Cho instead of me.
He said he wasn't sure about who he was supposed to save. Thankfully Cedric saved me seconds after Harry got to Cho. And even then, I didn't question Harry, I didn't say anything.
That was how much I was in love with him.
Maybe it was the promises of a beautiful life, traveling the world and eternal love...I wasn't sure, but now that I'm looking back at everything, I feel...
Disgusted.
My brother was right, I deserved someone better.
I didn't need Harry to be a good person. I don't need him to tell me what's right and what's wrong.
My mother handed me a slice of toast with a smear of raspberry jam and I munched on it without properly registering the taste. Then I climbed inside our car, pretending not to notice my parents' whispering as I fidgeted with the stiff collar of my jacket. I slumped back in my seat with a sigh.
We set off for London soon afterwards. Passing the patchwork farms of the countryside before travelling through industrial areas, I watched the distance between the houses close and the traffic become more congested. Even the air in London seemed thicker, moist in the most uncomfortable of ways and so unlike the clean, fresh air of our own home. By the time we reached King's Cross, it was almost quarter to eleven and my parents were, predictably, frantic.
I come from a family of purebloods, the Wright. They're fairly known for having good relationships with the Blacks, the Notts and the Diggorys.
I'd say my family was light, however, we do understand the dark lord's point of view. Even if we don't agree with his methods. It was all a question of perspective.
I made my way along the platform, calling out apologies to oblivious onlookers as I wheeled my trolley through the crowd. I came to a stop at the nearest carriage, students spilling out compartments and calling to their parents on the platform.
"Psst! Ella!"
I turned around, to see one of my friends, Anna call out to me from a certain compartment.
Beaming, I run to girl and she to me, and we both encage each other in a hug. "Merlin, I missed you so much." She sighed, before pulling away.
I noticed that Blaise and Cedric were both in the compartment as well. So I greeted them, then took a seat next to Blaise.
"So what's Atlas been up to?" Asked Anna curiously, causing me to roll my eyes. I always knew she had a little crush on my older brother, who graduated from Hogwarts last year.
"He said that Auror training's turning him bonkers. But he likes it, so that's all that matters." I smiled, happy that Atlas finally found something that he enjoyed doing.
"By the way..." Blaise trailed off, giving me a knowing look. I wasn't sure what he wanted to say, but I knew the person he wanted to bring up.
"He was looking for you." Anna supplied helpfully, her lips pursing awkwardly. Did they think I'm going to lose it just because that guy was brought up.
Huffing, I leaned back on my seat and glared at the two. "Guys I'm not gonna break down okay? I'm over it now, you don't have to treat me like I'm some kind of porcelain doll."
"You're flattering yourself." I heard the voice of the bleached ferret suddenly speak up as he slid our compartment's door open.
"Obsessed much?" I questioned, raising an uninterested brow at the blond.
"I just wanted to congratulate you for your break up with Potter. Congratulations, you're one step closer to civilization." He scoffed, before sliding the door closed roughly.
"A real nutcase, he is." Cedric said after a moment of silence, shaking his head at the absurdity of the previous interaction.
After a while, we got back to our conversation and spoke about our summers.
I leaned back with an indifference I didn't feel and twirled a long strand of blond hair around my finger.
The compartment grew smaller, the walls closing in like they had too many times before.
I inhaled slowly. Released it.
"Ella what do you think?" I snapped out of my daze once I heard Anna's question.
"Huh? Think of what?" I asked, a small flush adorning my cheeks as I looked back in forth between my friends.
"About the situation! Mattheo Riddle, the new student." Anna eagerly replied, as if she didn't mind repeating this sentence ten other times.
"I don't know? That's cool I guess." I shrugged, not sure why she was so worked up over some random new student. However now that I thought about it...Riddle.
I could swear I've heard that name before.
"Still can't believe they'd let the son of you-know-who attend the school." Cedric muttered, rolling his eyes.
And then it clicked. In our second year, me and Harry met Tom Riddle in the chamber of secrets. So the new guy— was the son of the...dark lord.
What the fuck?
"Yeah, but apparently he hadn't met him since he was a kid, and they've got no connection whatsoever. Dumbledore thinks it'd be safer for Mattheo to be in the school." Blaise quipped, although he sounded like he didn't really believe Albus.
"Still, he was probably raised by one of the many death eaters."
"Just like a quarter of the students in Hogwarts."
"Touché"
"I can never understand what the headmaster is thinking." I muttered, questioning Albus' sanity.
"Anyways, now we need to find someone new for our little Ella." Blaise suddenly spoke up, a smirk pulling at his lips.
Anna nodded aggressively, her expression screaming determination.
Shaking my head at the idiots, I cross my arms and lean back, I will not be participating in this conversation.