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The night before they had to leave for Hogwarts, Noel and the girls got their trunks ready. Mrs Weasley had explained to them that they got Ministry cars again. Remus had also stopped by for dinner to bid his kids good-bye.
"Do you wanna see something?" Noel said mysteriously. Remus played along and asked her what she was hiding. Noel produced her pin and showed him. A huge smile broke onto his face and he congratulated her enthusiastically. "Jellybean, well done! Oh, love, this is so amazing."
Noel smiled bashfully, and put it back. "Hopefully I do a good job. This is... a lot of pressure."
"Noel, I don't know who would do a better job. I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks dad." Noel cleared her throat and took a sip of her tea to calm her flaming cheeks. "I think I'm going to leave Hades this year. Bill offered to take care of him, I just. Last year he was a lot of responsibility and now with Head Girl and my N.E.W.T.s I won't be able to take care of him properly."
"I was thinking the same thing. N.E.W.T.s year was hard for me and I can't imagine how much more stressful it would've been if I had a dog to take care of. Asra is staying again, I need him for Order missions."
"Um... speaking of Order missions. I heard through the grapevine that Greyback would be visiting Knockturn Alley frequently." Noel said, looking around.
"The grapevine? Who–"
"Just... the grapevine. Anyway this um... source is reliable so I would definitely check it out."
Remus raised an eyebrow at her, "is the source in the room with us?" He asked, looking around and turning to give Noel a pointed look.
Noel gave him a sweet smile and stood up, "Of course not! Well... long day tomorrow I uh... better get to bed." She gave her dad a kiss and ran up the stairs.
Their departure the following morning was smoother than usual. The Ministry cars glided up to the front of the Burrow to find them waiting, trunks packed; Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, safely enclosed in his traveling basket; and Hedwig; Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon; Noel's bowtruckle and dragon; and Ginny's new purple Pygmy Puff, Arnold, in cages.
"Au revoir, 'Arry," said Fleur throatily, kissing him good-bye. Ron hurried forward, looking hopeful, but Ginny stuck out her foot and Ron fell, sprawling in the dust at Fleur's feet. Furious, red-faced, and dirt-spattered, he hurried into the car without saying good-bye. Noel smirked and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek, once she made it into the car, making him grumble.
At King's Cross Station, two grim-faced, bearded Aurors in dark Muggle suits moved forward the moment the cars stopped and, flanking the party, marched them into the station without speaking.
"Quick, quick, through the barrier," said Mrs. Weasley, who seemed a little flustered by this austere efficiency. "Harry had better go first, with —" She looked inquiringly at one of the Aurors, who nodded briefly, seized Harry's upper arm, and attempted to steer him toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten. "I can walk, thanks," said Harry irritably, jerking his arm out of the Auror's grip.
The rest of the kids followed in and quickly made their way towards the train. Feeling stuffy, Noel begrudgingly pinned her Head Girl badge on the front of her robes. "You'd better get straight on the train, all of you, you've only got a few minutes to go," said Mrs. Weasley, consulting her watch. "Well, have a lovely term, Ron..."
Noel followed Ron and Hermione towards the prefect's carriage. Noel felt like she was dragging her feet as she made her way over. She really, really didn't want to go. She didn't want the prefects to think she was a pompous twat who pretended to know what she was doing.
Swallowing her nerves, Noel walked in and was about to walk right back out when she saw who Head Boy was. "Okay, Hermione. This is definitely some sick joke. I will be leaving now." Noel muttered but Hermione seized her hand and pushed her forward.
Ignoring her partner Noel waited until all the Prefects were there and started the meeting. Noel was completely honest with them and told them that she didn't really know what she was doing but if they gave her a bit of guidance she would really appreciate it.
They helped her of course and let her know that this meeting was to give them their prefect's schedule. Noel put everything into account like clubs, study groups and quidditch practices.
"Okay so I think we should just do the usual roundabout and check compartments, make sure the 1st years are doing okay and an hour or two before arriving let's announce to change." Noel said, looking down at her watch.
"Any questions for the good of the group?" She looked around. Everyone shook their hands and went to stand, however, Hunter stood up and tried to intimidate her.
"Is that a school appropriate outfit?" He asked, looking at her up and down.
Noel stepped back and crossed her arms, "I didn't know we were at school yet.' Noel peered out the window, all she could see were the rolling hills. "Whatever I wear doesn't concern you so if you excuse me," she moved away, "I have to get back to my friends."
After checking in on some of the compartments and chatting with the Trolly lady, Noel found Harry, Neville and Luna.
"Hi, Neville, Lu! How were your summers?" Noel asked kindly, she sat next to Harry, practically sitting in his lap. "Did people stare at you guys too?"
"My summer was good, Gran was nice, told me I was finally living up to my dad's name." Neville said, "It's pretty cool that they added our names to the article."
"I'm glad your grandmother is finally realizing how amazing you are Nev."
Before he could respond, however, there was a disturbance outside their compartment door; a group of fourth-year girls was whispering and giggling together on the other side of the glass.
"You ask him!"
"No, you!"
"I'll do it!" And one of them, a bold-looking girl with large dark eyes, a prominent chin, and long black hair pushed her way through the door. "Hi, Harry, I'm Romilda, Romilda Vane," she said loudly and confidently. "Why don't you join us in our compartment? You don't have to sit with them," she added in a stage whisper, indicating Neville who was sitting with Trevor, and Luna, who was now wearing her free Spectrespecs, which gave her the look of a demented, multicolored owl.
"They're friends of mine," said Harry coldly.
"Oh," said the girl, looking very surprised. "Oh. Okay." And she withdrew, sliding the door closed behind her.
"People expect you to have cooler friends than us," said Luna, once again displaying her knack for embarrassing honesty.
"You are cool," said Harry shortly. "None of them was at the Ministry. They didn't fight with me."
"That's a very nice thing to say," beamed Luna. Then she pushed her Spectrespecs farther up her nose and settled down to read The Quibbler.
"Oh, no..." Noel said in fake worry, she looked at Harry and the door, "You won't leave me for the pretty fourth year will you Harry? How will I cope?" She said theatrically, clutching his hands to her chest. Noel looked at him through her eyelashes and gave a mock frown.
Harry gave her a lopsided smile and pulled her closer, "never." Noel grinned and crossed her leg, asking Luna for a copy of the magazine.
The weather beyond the train windows was as patchy as it had been all summer; they passed through stretches of the chilling mist, then out into weak, clear sunlight. It was during one of the clear spells, when the sun was visible almost directly overhead, that Ron and Hermione entered the compartment at last.
"Wish the lunch trolley would hurry up, I'm starving," said Ron longingly, slumping into the seat beside Harry and rubbing his stomach. "Hi, Neville. Hi, Luna. Guess what?" he added, turning to Harry.
"Malfoy's not doing prefect duty. He's just sitting in his compartment with the other Slytherins, we saw him when we passed." Harry sat up straight, interested. It was not like Malfoy to pass up the chance to demonstrate his power as prefect, which he had happily abused all the previous year.
"What did he do when he saw you?"
"The usual," said Ron indifferently, demonstrating a rude hand gesture. "Not like him, though, is it? Well — that is" — he did the hand gesture again — "but why isn't he out there bullying first years?"
"Dunno," said Harry, but his mind was racing. Didn't this look as though Malfoy had more important things on his mind than bullying younger students?
"Maybe he preferred the Inquisitorial Squad," said Hermione. "Maybe being a prefect seems a bit tame after that."
"I don't think so," said Harry. "I think he's —" But before he could expound on his theory, the compartment door slid open again and a breathless third-year girl stepped inside.
"I'm supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom and Harry P-Potter," she faltered, as her eyes met Harry's and she turned scarlet. She was holding out two scrolls of parchment tied with violet ribbon. Noel watched amusedly, was she really going to get jealous over a few younger kids having a school crush on her boyfriend?
Perplexed, Harry and Neville took the scroll addressed to each of them and the girl stumbled back out of the compartment. "What is it?" Ron demanded, as Harry unrolled his. "An invitation," said Harry.
Harry, I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite of lunch in compartment C.
Sincerely,
Professor H. E. F. Slughorn
"Who's Professor Slughorn?" asked Neville, looking perplexedly at his own invitation.
"New teacher," said Harry. "Well, I suppose we'll have to go, won't we?"
"But what does he want me for?" asked Neville nervously, as though he was expecting detention.
"No idea," said Harry, which was not entirely true, though he had no proof yet that his hunch was correct. "Listen," he added, seized by a sudden brain wave, "let's go under the Invisibility Cloak, then we might get a good look at Malfoy on the way, see what he's up to."
Noel slumped at the prospect of Harry leaving, she wanted to spend time with him before she had to go do her Head Girl duties. The two left, leaving the rest of them to sit comfortably. Noel and Luna continued to read the magazine. Hermione read her Transfiguration textbook while Ron and Neville played Exploding Snaps.
Checking the time every once in a while stood up and told them they should start getting ready, it was starting to get dark out. With the excuse to let the students know what time it was, Noel looked for Harry but she had made it to both ends and found him nowhere.
When she had asked Neville once he had returned, he told her that had run off with his cloak, not knowing where Harry went.
Once they made it to Hogsmeade Station, Noel and her friends unpacked and took their trunks off. She let her friends go find a carriage while she did one final sweep through, unfortunately Noel's attention was driven away from the Slytherin's compartment when a 2nd year was trying to get her cat to calm down.
Noel knocked on the door and kindly asked her what the problem was.
"The door wasn't closed properly and now she won't let me put her in." The girl explained, she continued to look out the window worried she'd miss the carriages.
"I can help you, what's your name?"
"Lucy. Lucy Stone. Her name is Lily."
"Hi, Lucy. I'm Noel. This is Ringo and Mars." Noel said indicating to the two who were on her shoulder. Lucy gasped at the dragon, her face falling in awe. "Wow."
"You'll have to open the cage for me while I grab her." Noel said, giving her the cage. Lucy nodded but looked at Noel worriedly, assuming Lily would scratch Noel and make her angry.
Noel slowly let Lily sniff her hand and when the cat knew that she wasn't being attacked she came out of her hiding hole and went willingly into Noel's arms. Noel pet her ear and gently placed her in the carrier.
Just as the two girls were starting to walk off, Noel felt a slight buzz in her head. "Hey Lucy, you could go on. I'm just going to check one last time around."
Lucy however looked panicked, "I've never ridden the carriages before, can't I stay with you?" Noel hesitated but nodded and so following her instinct she walked towards the Slytherin Carriages.
When she opened the door, she didn't see anything but her headache had gotten more prominent. Walking in, Noel immediately tripped over something, hissing in pain as she looked and when she realized the lump on the floor she threw off the invisibility cloak.
"Harry. Oh, love your nose." Noel pulled her wand out and casted, Finite. "What are you doing here?" She asked him. They stood up together and dusted their robes off.
"You found me." Harry said, wiping his nose with his sleeve. Noel grimaced and held her hovered her hand over his face. "Of course I did, I've been looking all over for you." A slight crack was heard when his nose went back in place, Noel gave him a sympathetic smile and kissed his cheek.
"Let's go. Before we leave off for London."
Harry nodded and followed her out, finally noticing the little girl. "Oh, hello."
"Hi." Lucy said, she grabbed Noel's hand and the three walked off.
The three luckily made it one of the last carriages before taking off to Hogwarts. "Are you dating?" Lucy asked Noel.
"Yeah, he's my boyfriend."
Lucy frowned but simply nodded her head. A little while later she asked, "is he nice? You're really nice."
Noel gave her an amused look, "he's the nicest." She said honestly. "He doesn't look it, but I promise he is."
Lucy nodded satisfied and looked away when Harry looked at her.
Noel gave a small chuckle and laid her legs on Harry's lap. Her feet were killing her. "Do they not say anything to you about your shoes?"
"Professor Flitwick tries every year and every year I tell him that my shoes are the only way of expressing my inner self, or something along those lines."
"Really using the stereotype of Ravenclaws being creative to get your way out huh?" Harry said.
"And my exceptional charm of course."
"Of course." He muttered, his tone light.